Comedy in Different Languages
Discover 'Comedy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Comedy, a genre that has the power to make us laugh, think, and connect, has been a vital part of human culture for thousands of years. From ancient Greek plays to today's blockbuster movies, comedy has evolved and adapted to various societies, yet its significance remains unchanged. It serves as a mirror reflecting our shared human experiences, societal norms, and cultural nuances. Comedy, in different languages, transcends borders and brings people together through shared laughter.
Did you know that the world's shortest joke belongs to the Italians?
Comedy
Comedy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | komedie | ||
| In Afrikaans, "komedie" can also mean a "play" or "drama" | |||
| Amharic | አስቂኝ | ||
| The word "አስቂኝ" can also mean "playwright" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | mai ban dariya | ||
| The term 'mai ban dariya' literally translates to 'maker of laughter' or 'laughter merchant' in Hausa, highlighting its association with entertainment and humor. | |||
| Igbo | ntochi | ||
| The word "ntochi" originally meant "joke" or "playful banter" in Igbo, but has since come to encompass the broader concept of comedy. | |||
| Malagasy | mampihomehy | ||
| The word "mampihomehy" in Malagasy is derived from the root "homehy" meaning "to laugh" and the prefix "mampi-" indicating a causative or provocative action, thus literally translating to "causing to laugh" or "provoking laughter." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nthabwala | ||
| The term "nthabwala" shares the root "thabwa" with "kuthabwa" (to be amused or entertained). | |||
| Shona | komedhi | ||
| The word "komedhi" in Shona derives from the Sanskrit "komēdi"," meaning "play" or "entertainment." | |||
| Somali | majaajilo | ||
| This word originates from Sanskrit "maajja" meaning "sweet" or "essence". | |||
| Sesotho | metlae | ||
| The word "metlae" in Sesotho shares its etymology with the Xhosa word "intlola", both meaning "a jester or clown". | |||
| Swahili | vichekesho | ||
| "Vichekesho" may also be used to refer to someone who is amusing or funny. | |||
| Xhosa | umdlalo ohlekisayo | ||
| The Xhosa word for 'comedy', 'umdlalo ohlekisayo', literally translates to 'play that provokes laughter'. | |||
| Yoruba | awada | ||
| "Awada" is derived from the Yoruba phrase "a wa da" meaning "come and laugh." | |||
| Zulu | amahlaya | ||
| The Zulu word 'amahlaya' also translates to 'a laughable matter' and refers to a genre of traditional African storytelling. | |||
| Bambara | komedi ye | ||
| Ewe | nukokoedonamenyawo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urwenya | ||
| Lingala | comédie | ||
| Luganda | kkomedi | ||
| Sepedi | metlae | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aseresɛm a wɔde di dwuma | ||
Comedy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كوميديا | ||
| The term "كوميديا" (kūmīdīyā) in Arabic derives from the ancient Greek word "κωμῳδία" (kōmōidía), meaning "festival play," referring to the theatrical performances in Greece that later became known as comedies. | |||
| Hebrew | קוֹמֶדִיָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "קוֹמֶדִיָה" is derived from Greek κωμῳδία and refers to humorous drama but also a poem performed around a festival for the Greek god Dionysus. | |||
| Pashto | کامیډي | ||
| In Pashto, the word "کامیډي" also has the meaning of "drama" or "play". | |||
| Arabic | كوميديا | ||
| The term "كوميديا" (kūmīdīyā) in Arabic derives from the ancient Greek word "κωμῳδία" (kōmōidía), meaning "festival play," referring to the theatrical performances in Greece that later became known as comedies. | |||
Comedy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | komedi | ||
| The word "komedi" in Albanian derives from the Greek "komoidia" and can also refer to a humorous theatrical performance or a comic element in a work of art or literature. | |||
| Basque | komedia | ||
| The Basque word 'komedia' is derived from the Greek word 'komoidia', which literally means 'village song'. | |||
| Catalan | comèdia | ||
| The Catalan word "comèdia" ultimately derives from the Greek word "komōidia," which originally referred to a procession or revel in honor of the god Dionysus. | |||
| Croatian | komedija | ||
| "Komedija" comes from the Greek word "komos" which means "revelry" or "procession". | |||
| Danish | komedie | ||
| In Danish, "komedie" also refers to a specific genre of theatrical production, often involving humorous elements. | |||
| Dutch | komedie | ||
| The Dutch word "komedie" is derived from the Greek "κωμῳδία" (kōmōidīa), which originally referred to a song sung by a chorus while dancing in procession, often involving jesting and mockery. | |||
| English | comedy | ||
| The word "comedy" comes from the Greek word "kōmōidia," which means "a song of the revelers." | |||
| French | comédie | ||
| In French, 'comédie' derives from the Greek 'komos' (festive procession) and is also used to refer to a theatrical genre. | |||
| Frisian | komeedzje | ||
| Frisian 'komeedzje' is a loanword from French 'comédie', which in turn comes from Greek 'komodia'. | |||
| Galician | comedia | ||
| In Galician, "comedia" also refers to a theatrical genre that's more similar to the English "tragedy". | |||
| German | komödie | ||
| The word "Komödie" is derived from the Greek term "komos," referring to a reveling procession associated with the worship of Dionysus. | |||
| Icelandic | gamanleikur | ||
| The word "gamanleikur" can also mean "entertainment" or "pleasure" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | greann | ||
| Greann is also an old Irish word for 'sun' and is often used to describe a person who is cheerful or amusing. | |||
| Italian | commedia | ||
| In Italian, "commedia" derives from Late Latin "comoedia", which originally meant "village play" and later adopted the modern meaning of "play with a happy ending." | |||
| Luxembourgish | comedy | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Comedie" also means "play" or "drama". | |||
| Maltese | kummiedja | ||
| The word 'kummiedja' is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'κωμῳδία' (kōmōidia), meaning 'revel' or 'merrymaking' | |||
| Norwegian | komedie | ||
| The word "komedie" can also mean "play" or "farce" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comédia | ||
| In Brazil, the word “comédia” can also refer to a funny situation or event. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | comadaidh | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "comadaidh" can also mean "society" or "friendship." | |||
| Spanish | comedia | ||
| In Spanish, the word "comedia" can also refer to theatrical performances that are not comedic, such as tragedies. | |||
| Swedish | komedi | ||
| While the Swedish word "komedi" primarily means "comedy," it can also refer to "a drama." | |||
| Welsh | comedi | ||
| Welsh word 'comedi' also means 'the way one behaves' | |||
Comedy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | камедыя | ||
| The Belarusian word "камедыя" originally meant "a theatrical performance". | |||
| Bosnian | komedija | ||
| In ancient Greek, the word "comedy" referred to rustic songs and merrymaking. | |||
| Bulgarian | комедия | ||
| In Bulgarian, "комедия" can also refer to a situation or event that is awkward or embarrassing. | |||
| Czech | komedie | ||
| In Czech, "komedie" can also refer to a "comical person" or a "ludicrous situation". | |||
| Estonian | komöödia | ||
| In Estonian, "komöödia" also refers to a genre of folk theater, usually performed in rural areas during the Christmas season. | |||
| Finnish | komedia | ||
| The word "komedia" comes from the Greek word "komodía," meaning "revel, merrymaking" or "village song." | |||
| Hungarian | komédia | ||
| The word "komédia" came to Hungarian from Greek via Latin, but originally meant a "theatrical play" in the narrower sense. | |||
| Latvian | komēdija | ||
| "Komēdija" also means "ridiculous or funny situation" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | komedija | ||
| The word "komedija" is derived from the Greek word "komos," meaning "revelry" or "merrymaking." | |||
| Macedonian | комедија | ||
| The word "комедија" (comedy) comes from the Greek word "komôidia" meaning "revel, merrymaking," or "festive procession." | |||
| Polish | komedia | ||
| In Polish, "komedia" comes from the Greek "komōidia" (ancient Greek κωμῳδία), meaning "village song" or "rustic theatre." | |||
| Romanian | comedie | ||
| The word "comedie" in Romanian can also mean "drama". | |||
| Russian | комедия | ||
| "Комедия" в русском языке восходит к греческому "komōidía" через латынь и французский, первоначально обозначая пьесу с непристойным и сатирическим содержанием. | |||
| Serbian | комедија | ||
| The Serbian word “комедија” comes from the Greek word “κωμῳδία”, which originally meant a song sung by a group of masked performers in a procession. | |||
| Slovak | komédia | ||
| The word "komédia" can also refer to a farcical or ridiculous situation in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | komedija | ||
| Komedija in Slovene also means a 'group of actors' or a 'theatrical performance'. | |||
| Ukrainian | комедія | ||
| In ancient Greek, the word "comedia" was used to describe dramatic performances involving common citizens rather than heroes or mythological figures. | |||
Comedy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কৌতুক | ||
| "কৌতুক" (pronounced "kow-took") in Bengali, originally derived from Sanskrit, is a comprehensive term that encompasses not only comedy, but also jest, amusement, diversion, and even astonishment. | |||
| Gujarati | ક comeમેડી | ||
| "ક comeમેડી" is derived from the Greek word "komos," meaning "revel," and is related to the English word "comical." | |||
| Hindi | कॉमेडी | ||
| The word कॉमेडी is derived from the Greek word κωμῳδία (kōmōidía) which means a comic play or song. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಾಸ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಹಾಸ್ಯ" can also mean "laughter" or "humor" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കോമഡി | ||
| The Malayalam word 'കോമഡി' ('comedy') originates from the Greek word 'komos', which originally meant 'festive procession. | |||
| Marathi | विनोद | ||
| The Sanskrit word "vinod" originally meant "joy" or "pleasure", but in Marathi, it specifically refers to comedy. | |||
| Nepali | हास्य | ||
| "हास्य" also means "laughter" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਮੇਡੀ | ||
| ਕਾਮੇਡੀ is cognate with the Sanskrit word काम that means "pleasure," and with the Avestan word 𐬎𐬀𐬌𐬋, which means "will or intention." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හාස්යය | ||
| 'හාස්යය' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'हास्य' (hāśya) meaning 'laughter' or 'causing laughter'. | |||
| Tamil | நகைச்சுவை | ||
| In ancient Tamil, நகைச்சுவை referred to the comic aspect of life or a person's disposition. | |||
| Telugu | కామెడీ | ||
| The word "కామెడీ" (comedy) derives from the Greek "komos," meaning "a band of merrymakers". | |||
| Urdu | مزاح | ||
| The word "مزاح" derives from the root "مزح", meaning "to joke" or "to amuse". | |||
Comedy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 喜剧 | ||
| 喜剧 is also a synonym for "opera" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 喜劇 | ||
| The word "喜劇" in Chinese (Traditional) literally means "happy drama" and can also refer to "drama with a happy ending". | |||
| Japanese | コメディ | ||
| In Japanese, the word "コメディ" (komedi) can also mean a "funny story" or a "ridiculous situation." | |||
| Korean | 코메디 | ||
| The Middle Korean word "코메디" comes from the English word "comedy". | |||
| Mongolian | хошин шог | ||
| The word 'хошин шог' also has an alternative meaning, which is 'laughing'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဟာသ | ||
| "ဟာသ" is etymologically related to "ဟ" meaning "to open", perhaps indicating the widening or broadening of the mouth while laughing. | |||
Comedy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | komedi | ||
| In Indonesian, "komedi" can also refer to a play, drama, or theatrical performance. | |||
| Javanese | komedi | ||
| Komedi in Javanese can also mean 'funny story'. | |||
| Khmer | កំប្លែង | ||
| The word កំប្លែង also refers to a type of Khmer theater from the classical period. | |||
| Lao | ຕະຫລົກ | ||
| The Lao word ຕະຫລົກ (comedy) originally referred to a specific type of traditional Lao theatrical performance, known as a "lam tad" | |||
| Malay | komedi | ||
| The word "komedi" is derived from the Greek word "komos" (a procession of revelers) and the Latin word "comoedia" (a play). | |||
| Thai | ตลก | ||
| "ตลก" comes from the Sanskrit word "talaṅga" meaning "actor" or "dancer". | |||
| Vietnamese | phim hài | ||
| The word "phim hài" in Vietnamese shares the same etymology as "funny" and "farcical" in English, all deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dʰer-," conveying the sense of "to make a fool of"} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | komedya | ||
Comedy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | komediya | ||
| Komediya is also used as a plural form for | |||
| Kazakh | комедия | ||
| This word is borrowed from Russian, and it originally came from the Greek word “κωμῳδία”, which meant “a song of revelers”. | |||
| Kyrgyz | комедия | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "комедия" also refers to a humorous theatrical performance or a funny situation. | |||
| Tajik | мазҳака | ||
| The word "мазҳака" can also mean "fun" or "amusement" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | komediýa | ||
| Uzbek | komediya | ||
| The word "komediya" is derived from the Greek word "komoidia," which means "village song" or "rural revel." It originally referred to a type of drama that was performed in villages and towns during festivals and celebrations. | |||
| Uyghur | كومېدىيە | ||
Comedy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomākeʻaka | ||
| The etymology of hoʻomākeʻaka ('make to laugh') suggests a playful meaning in Hawaiian culture. | |||
| Maori | pukuhohe | ||
| The word "pukuhohe" literally translates to "puffed out stomach" and was originally used to describe a type of performance that involved satirical storytelling and physical comedy. | |||
| Samoan | malie | ||
| In some dialects, 'malie' can also mean 'amusement' or 'play'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | komedya | ||
| The Tagalog word "komedya" originally referred to secular plays performed during religious festivals. | |||
Comedy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | comedia uñt’ayaña | ||
| Guarani | comedia rehegua | ||
Comedy in International Languages
| Esperanto | komedio | ||
| "Komedio" also translates to "comedian, funny act or performance" or "play, drama" in Polish. | |||
| Latin | comoedia | ||
| In Latin, "comoedia" derives from the Greek "kōmōidia," meaning "festive song" or "village revel." | |||
Comedy in Others Languages
| Greek | κωμωδία | ||
| The word "κωμωδία" (comedy) derives from the Greek word "κῶμος" (kōmos), meaning "revel" or "merrymaking". | |||
| Hmong | kev tso dag | ||
| The Hmong word "kev tso dag" literally translates to "laughter play." | |||
| Kurdish | pêkenî | ||
| The word "pêkenî" comes from the Persian word "pakhanak" which means "laughter" or "ridicule" | |||
| Turkish | komedi | ||
| The Turkish word "komedi" derives from the Latin "comoedia", meaning "play performed in a village", and also refers to a play that portrays laughable characters or situations. | |||
| Xhosa | umdlalo ohlekisayo | ||
| The Xhosa word for 'comedy', 'umdlalo ohlekisayo', literally translates to 'play that provokes laughter'. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָמעדיע | ||
| The Yiddish word "קאָמעדיע" can originally mean both "comedy" and "tragedy". | |||
| Zulu | amahlaya | ||
| The Zulu word 'amahlaya' also translates to 'a laughable matter' and refers to a genre of traditional African storytelling. | |||
| Assamese | কমেডী | ||
| Aymara | comedia uñt’ayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कॉमेडी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮމެޑީ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | कॉमेडी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | komedya | ||
| Guarani | comedia rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | komedia ti komedia | ||
| Krio | kɔmɛdi we dɛn kin mek | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆمیدی | ||
| Maithili | हास्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯃꯦꯗꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | comedy a ni | ||
| Oromo | koomeedii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କମେଡି | ||
| Quechua | comedia nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | हास्यम् | ||
| Tatar | комедия | ||
| Tigrinya | ኮሜዲ | ||
| Tsonga | vuhungasi bya vuhungasi | ||