Complaint in Different Languages
Discover 'Complaint' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Complaint
Complaint in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | klagte | ||
| The word "klagte" comes from the Middle Dutch word "clachte" and can also mean "lamentation" or "accusation". | |||
| Amharic | ቅሬታ | ||
| The word "ቅሬታ" can also mean "complaint", "criticism", or "grief" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | korafi | ||
| Also referred to as karafi or karofi, korafi can refer to a complaint, accusation, or an illness. | |||
| Igbo | mkpesa | ||
| Mkpesa, derived from the Igbo word 'kpe,' meaning 'to complain,' also refers to a traditional Igbo funeral ceremony involving expressions of grief and loss. | |||
| Malagasy | mety hitaraina | ||
| METY HITARAINA, meaning "complaint", is a Malagasy phrase derived from the verb "metỳ", which means "to say", and the noun "hitaraiana", which means "to complain" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudandaula | ||
| The word "kudandaula" can also mean "regret" or "lament". | |||
| Shona | kunyunyuta | ||
| "Kunyunyuta" literally means "to murmur" or "to grumble". | |||
| Somali | cabasho | ||
| The word "cabasho" in Somali derives from the Arabic word "kabasa" meaning "to oppress". | |||
| Sesotho | tletlebo | ||
| The word 'tletlebo' ('complaint') in Sesotho is also related to another word 'tletleba' or 'tlalepa' meaning 'to ask for, to beg' or 'to demand' | |||
| Swahili | malalamiko | ||
| "Malalamiko" also means 'grumbling' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | isikhalazo | ||
| The word "isikhalazo" in Xhosa also has the connotation of "regret" or "sorrow", as seen in its use in phrases like "isikhalazo sokuba" (regret that). | |||
| Yoruba | ẹdun ọkan | ||
| Ẹdun ọkan (complaint) also means 'heart burn' or 'regret' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isikhalazo | ||
| The Zulu word "isikhalazo" can also mean "request" or "petition" | |||
| Bambara | makasi | ||
| Ewe | nyatoto | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikirego | ||
| Lingala | komilela | ||
| Luganda | okwemulugunya | ||
| Sepedi | pelaelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kwaadu | ||
Complaint in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شكوى | ||
| شكوى means 'complain', 'lament', or 'suffer'. It is related to the verb 'shakawa' (يشكو), which means 'to complain', 'to lament', or 'to suffer from something' and the noun 'shikwa' (شكوى), which means 'a complaint', 'a lament', or 'a suffering'. | |||
| Hebrew | תְלוּנָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "תְלוּנָה" (complaint) derives from the root "לונן" (to spend the night), suggesting a complaint that is made during or around the time of rest. | |||
| Pashto | شکایت | ||
| Arabic | شكوى | ||
| شكوى means 'complain', 'lament', or 'suffer'. It is related to the verb 'shakawa' (يشكو), which means 'to complain', 'to lament', or 'to suffer from something' and the noun 'shikwa' (شكوى), which means 'a complaint', 'a lament', or 'a suffering'. | |||
Complaint in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ankesa | ||
| The word "ankesa" can also mean "request" in some contexts. | |||
| Basque | kexa | ||
| The word "kexa" can also refer to a "lament" or a "regret". | |||
| Catalan | queixa | ||
| The word "queixa" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "querela", meaning complaint, but can also refer to a physical ailment. | |||
| Croatian | prigovor | ||
| "Prigovor" derives from the prefix "pri-" and the noun "govor" meaning "speech" or "pronouncement" and originally meant "a word spoken against". | |||
| Danish | klage | ||
| The Danish word "klage" also refers to a formal accusation of a criminal offence in a court of law. | |||
| Dutch | klacht | ||
| The word "klacht" is likely of Proto-Indo-European origin, and is a cognate of the English word "cleave" and the German word "klagen". | |||
| English | complaint | ||
| The word "complaint" can also refer to a musical genre, particularly in the context of traditional Scottish and Irish folk music. | |||
| French | plainte | ||
| The French word "plainte" also has the meaning of "lament" and shares its etymology with the English "plaint" | |||
| Frisian | klacht | ||
| Frisian 'klacht' ('complaint') likely stems from Middle Frisian 'clacht' or Dutch 'klacht,' with an alternate meaning 'lawsuit.' | |||
| Galician | queixa | ||
| In Galician, "queixa" also means "melody" or "tune". | |||
| German | beschwerde | ||
| The word 'Beschwerde' in German also means a physical difficulty or ailment. | |||
| Icelandic | kvörtun | ||
| The word "kvörtun" can also refer to a specific type of Icelandic folk song that expresses sorrow or regret. | |||
| Irish | gearán | ||
| The word "gearán" also means "song" or "tune" in Irish, reflecting its connection to the act of singing or chanting a complaint. | |||
| Italian | denuncia | ||
| The word "denuncia" in Italian comes from the Latin word "denuntiare," which originally meant "to announce," and was often used in a legal context to describe the announcement of an impending legal action. | |||
| Luxembourgish | plainte | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Plainte" can also refer to a "meadow" or "field". | |||
| Maltese | ilment | ||
| The word "ilment" in Maltese originates from the Italian "lamentazione", meaning "lamentation" or "lamenting". | |||
| Norwegian | klage | ||
| The word 'klage' in Norwegian can also refer to a lament or a song of mourning. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | queixa | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "queixa" also refers to a specific genre of traditional Portuguese folk music known as "Fado". Fado is characterized by its melancholic and mournful themes and is often accompanied by a Portuguese guitar. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gearan | ||
| Gearan in Scots Gaelic can also mean "quarrel" or "dispute". | |||
| Spanish | queja | ||
| The word "queja" comes from the Latin word "querela", which means "complaint, grievance." | |||
| Swedish | klagomål | ||
| The word "klagomål" is a compound of "klaga" (to complain) and "mål" (cause), and its literal meaning is "cause for complaint". | |||
| Welsh | cwyn | ||
| The Welsh word "cwyn" can also mean "lament," "grief," or "sorrow." | |||
Complaint in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | скарга | ||
| The Belarusian word "скарга" also means "request" or "supplication". | |||
| Bosnian | žalba | ||
| The word "žalba" also means "petition" or "appeal" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | жалба | ||
| In Bulgarian, "жалба" not only means "complaint", but also "lament", "petition" or "appeal". | |||
| Czech | stížnost | ||
| Etymology: Old Czech "stížený", meaning "oppressed" or "burdened". | |||
| Estonian | kaebus | ||
| The Estonian word "kaebus" (complaint) shares a common origin with the Finnish "kauhea" (terrible), reflecting the idea that complaints often express strong emotions. | |||
| Finnish | valitus | ||
| "Valitus" also means "lament" in Finnish, which is related to its Estonian cognate "valitamine" with the same meaning. | |||
| Hungarian | panasz | ||
| The word "panasz" in Hungarian originally meant "to speak" or "to tell" and is rooted in the Proto-Indo-European word ""bʰénəti"" with the same meaning. | |||
| Latvian | sūdzību | ||
| 'Sūdzība' is derived from the verb 'sūdzēt', meaning 'to express disapproval or dissatisfaction', and can also refer to a statement of grievance or allegation. | |||
| Lithuanian | skundą | ||
| The word "skundą" has similar roots to the word "skųsti," meaning "to slander" or "to backbite." | |||
| Macedonian | жалба | ||
| The word "жалба" in Macedonian can also refer to a "plea" or a "petition". | |||
| Polish | skarga | ||
| In Polish, 'skarga' also means 'lament', likely deriving from an Old Slavonic root related to 'sorrow'. | |||
| Romanian | plângere | ||
| The Romanian word "plângere" also means "cry" or "lament". | |||
| Russian | жалоба | ||
| The word "жалоба" can also refer to a stinger or a sting | |||
| Serbian | жалба | ||
| The etymological origin of 'žalba' in Serbian can be traced back to Proto-Slavic and has cognates across other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovak | sťažnosť | ||
| "Sťažnosť" can also mean "moan" or "lament". | |||
| Slovenian | pritožba | ||
| The term "pritožba" can refer to either an oral or written grievance made to a court or another authority. | |||
| Ukrainian | скарга | ||
| The word скарга shares the same root with скаржитися, meaning "to complain" in English. | |||
Complaint in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অভিযোগ | ||
| অভিযোগ is a Bengali word derived from the Sanskrit words "abhi" (towards) and "yaga" (sacrifice), originally referring to a sacrifice made by the accuser against the accused. | |||
| Gujarati | ફરિયાદ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ફરિયાદ" is derived from the Arabic word "فريضة" (faridah), meaning "religious duty," and thus conveys a sense of obligation or duty to address a grievance. | |||
| Hindi | शिकायत | ||
| The word 'शिकायत' ('complaint') can also mean 'lament', 'grievance', or 'charge'. | |||
| Kannada | ದೂರು | ||
| The word "ದೂರು" (complaint) in Kannada also refers to an accusation or a plea, and originates from the root word "दुर" (distant) in Sanskrit, indicating something brought forth from a distance. | |||
| Malayalam | പരാതി | ||
| The word "പരാതി" can also mean "application" or "request" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | तक्रार | ||
| The word 'तक्रार' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'तर्क', meaning 'argument' or 'disputation'. | |||
| Nepali | गुनासो | ||
| The word “गुनासो” is derived from the Sanskrit word “गुण” meaning “quality” and “स” meaning “with” or “along with”, suggesting that a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with a particular quality or aspect of something. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ਿਕਾਇਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸ਼ਿਕਾਇਤ" (complaint) comes from the Hindi word "शिकायत" and is often used in the context of a grievance filed with government officials, such as the police. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැමිණිල්ලක් | ||
| Tamil | புகார் | ||
| The Tamil word 'புகார்' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'puskara', which means 'a lotus pond' or 'a place where water collects'. It acquired its current meaning of 'complaint' or 'grievance' through its association with situations where people gather to express their grievances, such as at a temple or a public gathering place. | |||
| Telugu | ఫిర్యాదు | ||
| The word "phiryadu" is derived from the Persian word "faryad", meaning "cry for help or justice". | |||
| Urdu | شکایت | ||
| شکایت derives from the Arabic word 'shikayat', meaning 'lament' or 'complaint', and is also used in Persian and Turkish. | |||
Complaint in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 抱怨 | ||
| 抱怨 is also a Chinese idiom meaning "to complain about others' shortcomings while ignoring one's own". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 抱怨 | ||
| "抱怨 literally translates as "to complain and grumble", and is often used to refer to negative or whining behavior." | |||
| Japanese | 苦情文句 | ||
| "苦情文句" is a compound word in Japanese that literally means "bitter feeling words" | |||
| Korean | 불평 | ||
| "불평" originally referred to an "uneven distribution" or "imbalance" but later took on a more negative meaning of "complaint." | |||
| Mongolian | гомдол | ||
| The word "гомдол" can also refer to a "reason", "cause", or "justification". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုင်ကြားချက် | ||
Complaint in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keluhan | ||
| "Keluhan" also means "the act of complaining or expressing dissatisfaction." | |||
| Javanese | keluhan | ||
| The Javanese word for complaint, keluhan, may also refer to a group of people gathered together as a community for a specific purpose. | |||
| Khmer | ពាក្យបណ្តឹង | ||
| Lao | ຄຳ ຮ້ອງທຸກ | ||
| Malay | keluhan | ||
| The word "keluhan" in Malay originates from the Javanese word "uluh-uluh", meaning a mournful lament or cry of sorrow. | |||
| Thai | ร้องเรียน | ||
| The word "ร้องเรียน" in Thai originally meant "to cry out" or "to make a sound". | |||
| Vietnamese | lời phàn nàn | ||
| "Lời phàn nàn" also colloquially means "groaning" or "moaning". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | reklamo | ||
Complaint in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şikayət | ||
| The root of the word "şikayət" has a broader meaning in Azerbaijani, encompassing the concept of "talking to someone in order to express a grievance" | |||
| Kazakh | шағым | ||
| "Шағым" means both "complaint" and "step" in Kazakh, possibly due to the shared connotation of movement or forward progress. | |||
| Kyrgyz | даттануу | ||
| Dattanuu can also mean 'lawsuit' in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | шикоят | ||
| The word "шикоят" derives from the Persian word "شکایت", which also means "lament", "regret", or "grief". | |||
| Turkmen | şikaýat | ||
| Uzbek | shikoyat | ||
| The Uzbek word "shikoyat" derives from the Persian word "shikava", which also means "complaint". | |||
| Uyghur | ئەرز | ||
Complaint in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻopiʻi | ||
| The word "hoʻopiʻi" can also mean "to accuse" or "to blame". | |||
| Maori | amuamu | ||
| The word "amuamu" can also mean "to murmur" or "to mutter". | |||
| Samoan | faitioga | ||
| The Samoan word "faitioga" (complaint) is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "faiti", meaning "to speak out" or "to complain" | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | reklamo | ||
| The word "reklamo" is derived from the Spanish word "reclamar", meaning "to claim" or "to demand". | |||
Complaint in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kija | ||
| Guarani | ñemombe'u | ||
Complaint in International Languages
| Esperanto | plendo | ||
| The word "plendo" is derived from the French "plainte" (complaint). | |||
| Latin | querimonia | ||
| The Latin word "querimonia" also means "lament", "lamenting" or "a dirge". | |||
Complaint in Others Languages
| Greek | καταγγελία | ||
| The word "καταγγελία" (complaint) is derived from the Greek words "κατά" (against) and "αγγελία" (announcement), implying an accusation or disclosure of wrongdoing. | |||
| Hmong | kev yws | ||
| "Kev yws" is also used to refer to a complaint, grievance, or accusation. | |||
| Kurdish | gilî | ||
| The word "gilî" in Kurdish also means "lamentation" or "lamenting song". | |||
| Turkish | şikayet | ||
| The Turkish word "şikayet" originates from the Arabic word "šikwâ" meaning "lament" or "grievance". | |||
| Xhosa | isikhalazo | ||
| The word "isikhalazo" in Xhosa also has the connotation of "regret" or "sorrow", as seen in its use in phrases like "isikhalazo sokuba" (regret that). | |||
| Yiddish | קלאָג | ||
| The Yiddish word "קלאָג" (complaint) likely comes from the German word "Klage" (lament), but it can also refer to a legal complaint or a musical dirge. | |||
| Zulu | isikhalazo | ||
| The Zulu word "isikhalazo" can also mean "request" or "petition" | |||
| Assamese | গোচৰ | ||
| Aymara | kija | ||
| Bhojpuri | सिकायत | ||
| Dhivehi | ޝަކުވާ | ||
| Dogri | शकैत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | reklamo | ||
| Guarani | ñemombe'u | ||
| Ilocano | reklamo | ||
| Krio | kɔmplen | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سکاڵا | ||
| Maithili | शिकायत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯀꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | sawiselna | ||
| Oromo | mufii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଭିଯୋଗ | ||
| Quechua | willarikuy | ||
| Sanskrit | अनुबद्ध | ||
| Tatar | шикаять | ||
| Tigrinya | ቕሬታ | ||
| Tsonga | muvileri | ||