Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'care' holds a profound significance in our daily lives, as it represents a range of emotions, actions, and attitudes related to compassion, concern, and protection. Its cultural importance is evident in various traditions, literature, and art forms worldwide. Understanding the translation of 'care' in different languages can open up new avenues of empathy and connection with people from diverse backgrounds.
Historically, the concept of care has been intertwined with the development of human societies, from ancient philosophies to modern healthcare systems. For instance, the Latin term 'cura' not only means 'care' but also refers to the healing process, reflecting the close relationship between care and well-being.
Given the global nature of our interconnected world, knowing the translations of 'care' can facilitate cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper appreciation for the nuances of human emotions. Here are a few examples:
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'care' translations in various languages, showcasing the richness and diversity of human languages and cultures.
Afrikaans | watter | ||
The word "watter" in Afrikaans is derived from the Old Dutch word "wachter," which means "watchman" or "guard." | |||
Amharic | የትኛው | ||
The word "የትኛው" can also mean "which one" or "who" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | wanne | ||
'Wanne' is also used to refer to the 'object of care'. | |||
Igbo | kedu | ||
In another context, 'Kedu' can be an inquiry, meaning 'How are you?' | |||
Malagasy | iza | ||
The Malagasy word "IZA" also means "to have a responsibility" or "to be in charge of something". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | amene | ||
In Nyanja, the word "amene" has multiple meanings, including "care", "attention", "concern", and "kindness". | |||
Shona | izvo | ||
The word "izvo" also means "to love" or "to be concerned about". | |||
Somali | taas oo ah | ||
The Somali word "taas oo ah" can also mean "concern" or "consideration". | |||
Sesotho | e leng | ||
"E leng" also means "I see" or "I understand". | |||
Swahili | ambayo | ||
The word "ambayo" can also mean "the one which" or "that which" in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | eyiphi | ||
The Xhosa word 'eyiphi' can also mean 'respect' or 'caution' | |||
Yoruba | kini | ||
One of the alternate meanings of 'kini' is 'what' or 'which' | |||
Zulu | okuyi | ||
The word 'okuyi' is also used to describe a person who is kind and thoughtful. | |||
Bambara | ladonni | ||
Ewe | beléle na ame | ||
Kinyarwanda | ubwitonzi | ||
Lingala | soin | ||
Luganda | okulabirira | ||
Sepedi | tlhokomelo | ||
Twi (Akan) | hwɛ | ||
Arabic | التي | ||
"التي" also means "who" in Arabic. | |||
Hebrew | איזה | ||
The Hebrew word "איזה" ("care") also has the meaning of "which", "what" or "some" depending on context. | |||
Pashto | کوم | ||
The word "کوم" has other meanings, such as "desire" or "longing" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | التي | ||
"التي" also means "who" in Arabic. |
Albanian | të cilat | ||
In northern dialects of Albania, "të cilat" has a plural form, "t'cilat", which is used when referring to multiple items. | |||
Basque | zein | ||
In addition to meaning “care,” “zein” can also mean “attention” in Basque. | |||
Catalan | quin | ||
"Quina" (care) in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "cura" meaning "charge" or "treatment". | |||
Croatian | koji | ||
"Koji" is both the indefinite form of the Croatian adjective "kakav" (what kind of) and a verb meaning "to hoe". | |||
Danish | hvilken | ||
"Hvilken" is the Scandinavian cognate of the English "wheel" and the German "Rad". | |||
Dutch | welke | ||
The Dutch word "welke" originates from the Old Germanic word "waelhisk"," meaning "foreign" or "Celtic." | |||
English | care | ||
The word "care" derives from the Middle English word "carien," meaning "to grieve" or "to mourn." | |||
French | lequel | ||
The French word "lequel" (which) comes from the Latin word "qualis" (of what kind), and can also mean "which one" or "which of them". | |||
Frisian | hokker | ||
Hokker in Frisian is cognate with English 'hug', referring to care both in the sense of attention and affection and the sense of physical protection or worry. | |||
Galician | cal | ||
The word "cal" in Galician can also mean "heat" or "fever". | |||
German | welche | ||
"Welche" can also refer to an old unit of measure. In some areas it was equivalent to 2.71 liters, and in others 1.35 or 0.71 liters. | |||
Icelandic | sem | ||
In Icelandic, "sem" can also refer to a person's appearance, reputation, or honor. | |||
Irish | atá | ||
The Irish word "atá" derives from the Proto-Celtic root "*ato-," meaning "to care for," and is cognate with the Latin word "aten-," meaning "attention." | |||
Italian | quale | ||
The word "quale" in Italian can also mean "which" or "what kind of," and is derived from the Latin word "qualis." | |||
Luxembourgish | déi | ||
Maltese | liema | ||
The word 'liema' originates from the Semitic root 'w-l-y', meaning protection, and is related to 'il-wieled', meaning 'to give birth'. | |||
Norwegian | hvilken | ||
The word "hvilken" in Norwegian is derived from the Old Norse word "hverr", meaning "each" or "every". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | qual | ||
The word "qual" in Portuguese, meaning "care," can also be used figuratively to mean "quality" or "attention to detail." | |||
Scots Gaelic | a tha | ||
"A tha" in Scots Gaelic can also mean 'respect' | |||
Spanish | cuales | ||
The Spanish word "cuales," meaning "which" originally derived from the Latin words "qualis" and "quales". | |||
Swedish | som | ||
The Swedish word "som" can also mean "as", "how", or "who". | |||
Welsh | sydd | ||
The word "sydd" in Welsh also means "being," "existence," or "occurrence." |
Belarusian | якія | ||
The word "якія" can also refer to a "kind" of something or to "health" in some dialects. | |||
Bosnian | koji | ||
“Koji” is a term used in Bosnian to refer to a type of care or attention, but it also relates to the concept of “taking care of” or “providing for” something or someone. | |||
Bulgarian | който | ||
"който" is a Bulgarian word used to indicate both "that" and "who" in English; it is the closest Bulgarian equivalent to the English relative pronoun "who", and is derived from the Old Bulgarian word "кыто". | |||
Czech | který | ||
The word "který" in Czech can also mean "which". | |||
Estonian | mis | ||
"Mis" also means "about" or "concerning" in the context of a question or request. | |||
Finnish | mikä | ||
"Mikä" also means a "type" or "a kind", e.g. "mikä tämä on?" ('what is this?'). | |||
Hungarian | melyik | ||
"Melyik" is derived from "mely" + "-ik" and is the accusative form of the interrogative pronoun used to ask "which". | |||
Latvian | kas | ||
“Kas” is related to the Old Prussian word “kasit” (to protect) and the Lithuanian word “kasti” (to dig), as well as to the Latin word “cavere” (to beware). | |||
Lithuanian | kuri | ||
The word "kuri" in Lithuanian is also related to the word "kura" which means "hearth" or "fireplace". | |||
Macedonian | кои | ||
The word 'кои' in Macedonian can also refer to an area or a district, as well as a type of traditional Macedonian dance. | |||
Polish | który | ||
"Który" derived from Proto-Indo-European *kʷó- "who? which? what?" | |||
Romanian | care | ||
The Romanian word "grija" can also mean concern, worry, or responsibility. | |||
Russian | который | ||
The Russian word "который" can also mean "who", "which", or "that" in English. | |||
Serbian | која | ||
The word 'која' ('care') is of Slavic origin and is related to the words for 'worry' and 'anxiety'. | |||
Slovak | ktoré | ||
The word "ktoré" in Slovak, meaning "care," is also an adverb that means "perhaps" or "maybe." | |||
Slovenian | ki | ||
The word 'ki' in Slovene has a dual meaning: one denoting concern and worry, the other denoting responsibility and the action of caring. | |||
Ukrainian | котрий | ||
The word "котрий" in Ukrainian is related to the Old Church Slavonic word "которъ", meaning "which" or "who." |
Bengali | যা | ||
The word "যা" (care) in Bengali can also mean "to go" or "to move". | |||
Gujarati | જે | ||
The Gujarati word "જે" can also mean "heed" or "attention". | |||
Hindi | कौन कौन से | ||
The word "कौन कौन से" in Hindi can also mean "which ones" or "whichever". | |||
Kannada | ಇದು | ||
The word 'ಇದು' can also mean 'this' or 'it' in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | ഏത് | ||
The word "ഏത്" in Malayalam also means "which" or "what". | |||
Marathi | जे | ||
The Marathi word "जे" can also refer to a particular place or location. | |||
Nepali | कुन | ||
The word "कुन" derives from the Sanskrit word "कुन्त" meaning "to be bent or crippled," also used figuratively to mean "to be anxious or worried." | |||
Punjabi | ਕਿਹੜਾ | ||
The word "ਕਿਹੜਾ" in Punjabi can also mean "which" or "what" when used in a question. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කුමන | ||
Tamil | எந்த | ||
The Tamil word 'எந்த' (care) originally meant 'to hold' or 'to support.' | |||
Telugu | ఇది | ||
The word "ఇది" in Telugu can also mean "this" or "it". | |||
Urdu | کونسا | ||
کونسا means "which" in Urdu. It is derived from the Persian word "kuns" meaning "which" or "what," and the suffix "-sa" indicating uncertainty or indefiniteness. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 哪一个 | ||
哪一个 can also mean “which one” | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 哪一個 | ||
哪一個 is used to talk about the past in the conditional mood, which can be translated to "if" or "whether". | |||
Japanese | これ | ||
The word "これ" can also mean "this" or "it". | |||
Korean | 어느 | ||
The word 어느 (care) also means 'which,' and is often used in questions to ask about an unspecified thing or person. | |||
Mongolian | аль нь | ||
The Mongolian word "аль нь" comes from the Proto-Mongolic "*al-an" meaning "to be careful" or "to be cautious". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘယ် | ||
The word "ဘယ်" can also mean "to look after" or "to protect". |
Indonesian | yang | ||
"Yang" in Indonesian can also mean "the one who" or "that which". | |||
Javanese | kang | ||
The word "kang" in Javanese also means "elder brother" or "older sibling". | |||
Khmer | ដែល | ||
"ដែល" can also mean "which" or "that" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ເຊິ່ງ | ||
The word "ເຊິ່ງ" in Lao is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit word "क्षिपति" (kṣipati), meaning "to throw" or "to place." | |||
Malay | yang mana | ||
The Indonesian word "yang mana" literally translates to "which one", but it is also used to mean "care". | |||
Thai | ที่ | ||
"ที่" can also mean "position", "place", "in", "at", or "on". | |||
Vietnamese | cái nào | ||
"Cái nào" literally means "which thing" or "what" in Vietnamese, and can also be used to express a preference or choice in an indirect manner. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pangangalaga | ||
Azerbaijani | hansı | ||
The Azerbaijani word "hansı" can also refer to a concern or duty related to a particular matter or responsibility. | |||
Kazakh | қайсысы | ||
The word "қайсысы" in Kazakh can also refer to a type of dried fruit, specifically apricots. | |||
Kyrgyz | кайсы | ||
In Old Kyrgyz, "кайсы" was used as a term for a specific type of tribute payment, often involving animals. | |||
Tajik | ки | ||
The word "ки" in Tajik can also refer to the act of cleaning or grooming, and is derived from the Persian word "كردن" (kardan). | |||
Turkmen | ideg | ||
Uzbek | qaysi | ||
The word "qaysi" also means "apricot" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | پەرۋىش | ||
Hawaiian | ka mea | ||
In Hawaiian, "ka mea" also refers to "the thing" or "the object". | |||
Maori | e | ||
The Maori word 'e' refers to both the 'care' of people and the 'preservation' of objects. | |||
Samoan | lea | ||
The Samoan word "lea" also means "thought" or "worry". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | alin | ||
The word "alin" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *alin, which also means "to watch" or "to guard." |
Aymara | uñjaña | ||
Guarani | ñangareko | ||
Esperanto | kiu | ||
The Esperanto word 'kiu' derives from the Hungarian word 'kér', meaning 'to ask or plead'. | |||
Latin | quod | ||
"Quod" also refers to a prison or detention center in medieval England and other countries. |
Greek | οι οποίες | ||
The word "οι οποίες" can also refer to a Greek mythical creature, the Oread. | |||
Hmong | uas | ||
The word "uas" also means "to raise" or "to rear" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | kîjan | ||
There is a word in Kurdish Sorani, 'kîjan', which can mean 'care', 'worry' or 'thought'. | |||
Turkish | hangi | ||
The word "hangi" can also mean "which" or "what" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | eyiphi | ||
The Xhosa word 'eyiphi' can also mean 'respect' or 'caution' | |||
Yiddish | וואָס | ||
וואָס may also mean "what" or "how," depending on context. | |||
Zulu | okuyi | ||
The word 'okuyi' is also used to describe a person who is kind and thoughtful. | |||
Assamese | যত্ন লোৱা | ||
Aymara | uñjaña | ||
Bhojpuri | देखभाल कइल जाला | ||
Dhivehi | އަޅާލުން | ||
Dogri | परवाह करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pangangalaga | ||
Guarani | ñangareko | ||
Ilocano | panangaywan | ||
Krio | kia fɔ yu | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گرنگیدان | ||
Maithili | देखभाल | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯦꯌꯔ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | care | ||
Oromo | kunuunsa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯତ୍ନ | ||
Quechua | cuidado | ||
Sanskrit | care | ||
Tatar | кайгырту | ||
Tigrinya | ክንክን | ||
Tsonga | ku khathalela | ||