Collapse in Different Languages
Discover 'Collapse' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'collapse' holds a certain gravity, signifying the sudden failure or caving in of something previously sturdy and reliable. Its significance extends beyond the merely physical, often used metaphorically to describe the downfall of structures, systems, or even entire civilizations. This cultural importance is evident in literature, history, and politics, where the collapse of societies like the Roman Empire or the Soviet Union have had profound impacts on the world.
Understanding the translation of 'collapse' in different languages can offer unique cultural insights, as the word can take on nuanced meanings in various contexts. For instance, in Spanish, 'colapso' not only refers to a collapse but also to a traffic jam. Meanwhile, in German, 'Zusammenbruch' implies not just a collapse, but also a breakdown or failure.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'collapse' in a variety of languages, from French and Italian to Mandarin and Japanese. This journey will shed light on how different cultures perceive and express the concept of collapse, enriching your understanding of language and culture.
Collapse
Collapse in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | inval | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "collapse", the Afrikaans word "inval" can also mean "to faint" or "to fall ill". | |||
| Amharic | መውደቅ | ||
| The verb "መውደቅ" (mäwdäq) has the additional meaning "to faint" or "to be weak". It comes from the Ge'ez verb ውደቀ (wäddäqä) which means "to wither, decay". | |||
| Hausa | durkushe | ||
| The Hausa word "durkushe" also means "to faint" or "to lose consciousness". | |||
| Igbo | ida | ||
| The word 'ida' in Igbo also means 'to fall down' or 'to lose strength'. | |||
| Malagasy | firodanan'ny | ||
| The word "firodanan'ny" in Malagasy can also mean "to crumble" or "to fall apart". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kugwa | ||
| It is the root word for the name of the village Kwala in Lilongwe, Malawi. | |||
| Shona | kupunzika | ||
| "Kupunzika" is derived from the word "punza," which means "to become soft" or "to lose strength." | |||
| Somali | dumid | ||
| The term 'dumid' is derived from the Arabic word 'damah', meaning 'destroy' or 'shatter'. | |||
| Sesotho | putlama | ||
| The Sesotho word "putlama" also means "to fall down" or "to drop down". | |||
| Swahili | kuanguka | ||
| "Kuanguka" originates from the Proto-Bantu word "*ku-waŋga-ka" meaning "to fall," and also means "to fail" or "to lose heart." | |||
| Xhosa | ukuwa | ||
| "Ukuwa" also means "to fall apart" or "to break down". | |||
| Yoruba | subu | ||
| In Yoruba, 'subu' can also mean 'to fall or drop' or 'to lie down'. | |||
| Zulu | ukuwa | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'ukuwa' can also refer to the act of drying or withering. | |||
| Bambara | ka bin | ||
| Ewe | dze anyi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gusenyuka | ||
| Lingala | kokwea | ||
| Luganda | okuzirika | ||
| Sepedi | phuhlama | ||
| Twi (Akan) | gu | ||
Collapse in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | انهيار | ||
| "انهيار" comes from the root word "هر" which means "to fall" or "to break". | |||
| Hebrew | הִתמוֹטְטוּת | ||
| The word 'התמוטטות' ('collapse') derives from the root 'נמם' ('to become numb') and can also mean 'fainting'. | |||
| Pashto | سقوط | ||
| The Pashto word "سقوط" can also refer to a sudden decline in health or fortune. | |||
| Arabic | انهيار | ||
| "انهيار" comes from the root word "هر" which means "to fall" or "to break". | |||
Collapse in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shembje | ||
| The Albanian word "shembje" comes from the Latin "exemplum" (example, model) | |||
| Basque | erori | ||
| The word "erori" in Basque can also mean "fall" or "die". | |||
| Catalan | col·lapsar | ||
| "Col·lapsar" in Catalan (meaning "collapse") comes from the Latin "collapsae". This is a noun form of "collapsus", which is the passive participle of "collabere", meaning "to fall." | |||
| Croatian | kolaps | ||
| The Croatian word "kolaps" also refers to a sudden fainting spell or a nervous breakdown. | |||
| Danish | bryder sammen | ||
| The Danish verb 'bryde sammen', which literally means 'to break apart', also figuratively means 'to collapse' or 'to break down' emotionally. | |||
| Dutch | ineenstorting | ||
| The word "ineenstorting" can also refer to a financial or organizational breakdown, similar to the English word "collapse". | |||
| English | collapse | ||
| The word "collapse" derives from the Latin "collapsus," meaning "fallen together" | |||
| French | effondrer | ||
| "Effondrer" comes from the Old French "esfondrer" which also means "to collapse" and the Latin "fundere" which means "to pour". It also has a figurative meaning in French, "to completely ruin (someone)" or "to exhaust (someone)". | |||
| Frisian | ynsakje | ||
| The word "ynsakje" also means "to fall" or "to sink". | |||
| Galician | colapso | ||
| No Galician, "colapso" can also refer to a blockade or obstruction. | |||
| German | zusammenbruch | ||
| The word "Zusammenbruch" (collapse) is composed of "zusammen" (together) and "Bruch" (break). | |||
| Icelandic | hrynja | ||
| Hrynja is also used to indicate falling apart in the context of marriage or other relationships. | |||
| Irish | titim | ||
| The word "titim" also means "a drop" or "a fall" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | crollo | ||
| The word 'crollo' derives from the Latin 'collum,' which refers to the 'neck' as well as 'height,' suggesting a loss of stature or a falling from a high position. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zesummebroch | ||
| Maltese | kollass | ||
| Kollass in Maltese could mean either a complete collapse or a minor setback depending on context. | |||
| Norwegian | kollapse | ||
| In Norwegian, "kollapse" also means "to fold together" or "to collapse (of a structure)". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | colapso | ||
| "Colapso" has its roots in the Greek word "kollabos" meaning "loss of strength" and in Latin "collapsus" meaning "fall". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tuiteam | ||
| "Tuiteam" can also mean "to fall asleep" or "to die" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | colapso | ||
| The Spanish word 'colapso' derives from the Latin word 'collapse' but is also used figuratively to denote failure or loss of strength. | |||
| Swedish | kollaps | ||
| Kollaps comes from the Greek word "kollaptein," meaning "to fall together." | |||
| Welsh | cwymp | ||
| Welsh 'cwymp' is also used to describe a sudden misfortune or disgrace. | |||
Collapse in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крах | ||
| The word "крах" in Belarusian also means "ruin" or "destruction". | |||
| Bosnian | kolaps | ||
| "Kolaps" is not only used in the medical field, but also in the figurative sense, like in "collapse of negotiations" | |||
| Bulgarian | колапс | ||
| In Bulgarian, "колапс" (collapse) can also refer to a type of traditional folk dance. | |||
| Czech | kolaps | ||
| The word "kolaps" in Czech can also mean "a breakdown of the body's circulatory system". | |||
| Estonian | kokku kukkuma | ||
| The etymology of "kokku kukkuma" implies the act of collapsing or crumbling down, similar to how a structure might fall apart or disintegrate. | |||
| Finnish | romahdus | ||
| Rommahdus, the Finnish word for collapse, also refers to a musical cadence ending on the tonic note. | |||
| Hungarian | összeomlás | ||
| The word "összeomlás" in Hungarian also means "breakdown" or "failure". | |||
| Latvian | sabrukt | ||
| The word "sabrukt" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bherg-", meaning "to break". | |||
| Lithuanian | žlugti | ||
| The term "žlugti" can also refer to failure or the end of something. | |||
| Macedonian | колапс | ||
| The word "колапс" in Macedonian comes from the Greek word "κατάρρευση," which means "to fall apart." | |||
| Polish | zawalić się | ||
| In some contexts, "zawalić się" may also mean "to fail" or "to go bankrupt". | |||
| Romanian | colaps | ||
| The Romanian word "colaps" also refers to the collapse of a lung or the collapse of a star. | |||
| Russian | коллапс | ||
| Russian "коллапс" ultimately derives from Greek "κόλλαψις" "collapse." "Коллапс" can also refer to traffic or energy systems. | |||
| Serbian | колапс | ||
| The word колапс is derived from the Greek word | |||
| Slovak | zrútiť sa | ||
| The Slovak word "zrútiť sa" comes from the Proto-Slavic root "*or-t-", meaning "to shake". This root is also found in the words "roztrhnúť" ("to break apart"), "roztrieštený" ("shattered"), and "otres" ("earthquake"). | |||
| Slovenian | propad | ||
| The word "propad" can also refer to a ruin or a disaster, and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "propadti", meaning "to fall through". | |||
| Ukrainian | крах | ||
| The Russian word “крах” is also used to define the end of the Soviet Union. | |||
Collapse in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধস | ||
| The word "ধস" can also mean "a landslide" or "a downfall". | |||
| Gujarati | પતન | ||
| "પતન" can also mean 'fall', 'decline' or 'ruin' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | ढहने | ||
| The Hindi word 'ढहने' (collapse) is related to the Sanskrit word 'दृह्' (firm), possibly indicating a movement from a strong to a weak state. | |||
| Kannada | ಕುಸಿತ | ||
| The word "ಕುಸಿತ" can also mean "subsidence" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | തകർച്ച | ||
| The word "തകർച്ച" also means "destruction" or "devastation" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | कोसळणे | ||
| The word "कोसळणे" (collapse) is related to the Sanskrit word "कृश" (thin), and can also refer to the process of drying up or wilting. | |||
| Nepali | संक्षिप्त | ||
| The word "संक्षिप्त" can also mean "concise" or "abbreviated" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | collapseਹਿ | ||
| The word "collapse" in Punjabi likely derives from the Sanskrit word "kalasa," meaning "jar," and may also refer to the collapse of a structure or the loss of strength. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බිඳ වැටීම | ||
| It also denotes a state of being bankrupt or financially ruined. | |||
| Tamil | சரிவு | ||
| "சரிவு" also means 'to become weak'. | |||
| Telugu | కూలిపోతుంది | ||
| కూలిపోతుంది (to collapse) is an intransitive verb in Telugu. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'KULI' (to fall), which also means 'worker' in the Hindi language. | |||
| Urdu | گرنے | ||
| The word "گرنے" in Urdu can also mean "to fall" or "to slip." | |||
Collapse in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 坍方 | ||
| 坍方, literally means "to fall by being squeezed," referring to the falling of soil, water, etc. due to pressure. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 坍方 | ||
| "坍" in "坍方" derives from "山倒也" in《Erya》, meaning "mountain collapse and fall". | |||
| Japanese | 崩壊 | ||
| The word "崩壊" can also refer to the collapse of a system, structure, or relationship, and can be used figuratively to describe a situation or state that has deteriorated significantly. | |||
| Korean | 무너짐 | ||
| The word | |||
| Mongolian | нуралт | ||
| The word нуралт in Mongolian can also refer to a landslide | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြိုကျသည် | ||
Collapse in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jatuh | ||
| Jatuh shares an origin with the Old Javanese word 'catu', meaning 'to fail'. | |||
| Javanese | ambruk | ||
| "Ambruk" also means "to be ruined" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ដួលរលំ | ||
| `ដួលរលំ` comes from the Sanskrit _dhol_, "to shake, tremble," and means "collapse" or "fall apart." | |||
| Lao | ລົ້ມລົງ | ||
| Malay | runtuh | ||
| "Runtuh" derives from the Old Malay word "runtu", meaning "to crumble". | |||
| Thai | ยุบ | ||
| The word "ยุบ" is also used in the sense of "to close" or "to shut down." | |||
| Vietnamese | sự sụp đổ | ||
| The Vietnamese word "sự sụp đổ" comes from the Chinese "sù pǔ daò" and can also mean "failure", "ruin" or "fall". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbagsak | ||
Collapse in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çökmək | ||
| The word 'çökmək' also means 'to fall into despair' or 'to crash (figuratively)'. | |||
| Kazakh | құлау | ||
| "Құлау" is also colloquially used to describe the act of falling down in a funny way, like a clown or a child. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыйроо | ||
| The word "кыйроо" in Kyrgyz can also refer to "to faint" or "to lose consciousness." | |||
| Tajik | фурӯпошӣ | ||
| The word furuposhī in Tajik can also mean “to cover” or “to conceal” something. | |||
| Turkmen | ýykylmagy | ||
| Uzbek | qulash | ||
| The word "qulash" in Uzbek can also mean "to fall down", "to collapse", or "to crumble". | |||
| Uyghur | يىمىرىلىش | ||
Collapse in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hāneʻe | ||
| The word "hāneʻe" also means "to fall apart" or "to fail". | |||
| Maori | tiango | ||
| In Maori, "tiango" can also refer to a state of extreme fatigue or exhaustion. | |||
| Samoan | paʻu | ||
| The word "paʻu" can also mean "fall" or "topple over" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagbagsak | ||
| The word "pagbagsak" in Tagalog can mean both "collapse" and "defeat". | |||
Collapse in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phuqharaña | ||
| Guarani | ñembyaipa | ||
Collapse in International Languages
| Esperanto | kolapsi | ||
| Etymology: kolaps (Esperanto, from the Latin word colapsus, meaning "a falling together"). | |||
| Latin | ruina | ||
| In Latin, 'ruina' can also refer to the destruction of buildings, the fall of an individual or state, and the result of such destruction. | |||
Collapse in Others Languages
| Greek | κατάρρευση | ||
| The word 'κατάρρευση' comes from the verb 'καταρρέω', which means 'to flow down', and is related to the noun 'ρεύμα', which means 'current' or 'stream'. | |||
| Hmong | cev qhuav dej | ||
| The word "cev qhuav dej" shares an etymology with the word "dej" meaning "to fall apart" or "to be destroyed". | |||
| Kurdish | jiberhevketin | ||
| The word "jiberhevketin" in Kurdish originates from the Arabic word "jibreh," meaning breaking or shattering. | |||
| Turkish | çöküş | ||
| "Çöküş" also means "to be overcome with grief or depression" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuwa | ||
| "Ukuwa" also means "to fall apart" or "to break down". | |||
| Yiddish | ייַנבראָך | ||
| The Yiddish word "ייַנבראָך" (einbrokh) is derived from the German "einbrechen" (to break in) or "zusammenbrechen" (to collapse). | |||
| Zulu | ukuwa | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'ukuwa' can also refer to the act of drying or withering. | |||
| Assamese | পতন হোৱা | ||
| Aymara | phuqharaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | ढहल | ||
| Dhivehi | ހޭނެތިގެން ވެއްޓުން | ||
| Dogri | डिग्गना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbagsak | ||
| Guarani | ñembyaipa | ||
| Ilocano | marpuog | ||
| Krio | fɔdɔm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شکست هێنان | ||
| Maithili | खसि पड़नाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯟꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chim | ||
| Oromo | ijaarsi kufuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୁଶୁଡ଼ିବା | ||
| Quechua | tuñiy | ||
| Sanskrit | संश्यान | ||
| Tatar | җимерелү | ||
| Tigrinya | ፈረሰ | ||
| Tsonga | ku wa | ||