Conflict in Different Languages
Discover 'Conflict' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Conflict, a word that carries significant weight and meaning, is a part of our daily lives. It can be as simple as a disagreement between two individuals or as complex as a large-scale war between nations. Understanding the cultural importance of conflict is crucial to navigating the world around us. Conflict can serve as a catalyst for change, encouraging growth and understanding between parties. But, it can also be a destructive force, tearing apart communities and relationships.
Moreover, the significance of conflict extends beyond our personal lives and into the global arena. Conflict has shaped the course of history, influencing the development of nations and the evolution of cultures. From the Peloponnesian War in ancient Greece to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, understanding the historical context of conflict is essential to understanding the world we live in today.
For those interested in language and culture, knowing the translation of conflict in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view and address conflict. For example, the German word for conflict, 'Konflikt,' carries a similar connotation to the English word, while the Chinese word, '矛盾 (máo dùn),' literally translates to 'spear and shield,' highlighting the defensive nature of conflict in Chinese culture.
Below, you will find a list of translations of the word conflict in various languages, providing a glimpse into the diverse ways that cultures around the world view and address conflict.
Conflict
Conflict in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | konflik | ||
| The word "konflik originates from the Latin "conflictus" and, among other things, figuratively refers to a discord or struggle. | |||
| Amharic | ግጭት | ||
| The term 'ግጭት' can mean 'fight', 'dispute', or 'debate', depending on the context. | |||
| Hausa | rikici | ||
| The word 'rikici' in Hausa derives from the Arabic 'riq', meaning 'thin' or 'weak', and has taken on a broader connotation of 'conflict' or 'tension' in the Hausa language. | |||
| Igbo | esemokwu | ||
| "Esemọkwu" is also used in Igbo to describe a gathering for the settlement of a dispute. | |||
| Malagasy | fifandirana | ||
| The word "Fifandirana" can also refer to a "disagreement" or "dispute". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusamvana | ||
| The etymology of "kusamvana" is linked to "kusamva," which means 'to be at odds' in Nyanja, or 'to differ.' | |||
| Shona | kukakavara | ||
| The word "kukakavara" in Shona also means "to argue" or "to debate". | |||
| Somali | khilaaf | ||
| The term "khilaaf" can also refer to a "disagreement" or "quarrel". | |||
| Sesotho | khohlano | ||
| The word "khohlano" in Sesotho is also used to describe the process of settling a conflict through mediation and negotiation. | |||
| Swahili | mgogoro | ||
| "Mgogoro" is borrowed from Chichewa and related to the Zulu word "umkhohlokhohlo". It is also a term used to describe the noise made by a group of people arguing or fighting. | |||
| Xhosa | ungquzulwano | ||
| The word 'ungquzulwano' is derived from the verb 'ukuguquzulwa' meaning 'to be overturned' or 'to be upset' and suggests a disruption of equilibrium or harmony. | |||
| Yoruba | rogbodiyan | ||
| The word 'rogbodiyan' literally means 'coming out at the same time' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | impikiswano | ||
| 'Impikiswano' may also refer to a 'wrestling match'. | |||
| Bambara | kɛlɛ | ||
| Ewe | dzre | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amakimbirane | ||
| Lingala | matata | ||
| Luganda | katabanguko | ||
| Sepedi | thulano | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔko | ||
Conflict in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نزاع | ||
| The word "نزاع" can also mean "argument" or "dispute". | |||
| Hebrew | סְתִירָה | ||
| "סְתִירָה" can also mean "contradiction" or "paradox" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | شخړه | ||
| The Pashto word "شخړه" also means "wrangling" or "quarrel". | |||
| Arabic | نزاع | ||
| The word "نزاع" can also mean "argument" or "dispute". | |||
Conflict in Western European Languages
| Albanian | konflikt | ||
| Albanian "konflikt" derives from Latin "conflictus", meaning "striking together". In Albanian it can also refer to a "collision of ideas". | |||
| Basque | gatazka | ||
| The word "gatazka" also denotes "situation" or "state of affairs" in Basque, derived from the Latin word "status". | |||
| Catalan | conflicte | ||
| The Catalan word "conflicte" comes from Latin "conflictus", meaning both "strife" and "mental struggle or debate". | |||
| Croatian | sukob | ||
| "Sukob" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "sъkopъ", meaning "to be against" or "to collide". | |||
| Danish | konflikt | ||
| In Danish, "konflikt" can refer to both a conflict and a discrepancy. | |||
| Dutch | conflict | ||
| In Dutch, 'conflict' can also refer to a disagreement or dispute that does not necessarily involve violence or war. | |||
| English | conflict | ||
| The word "conflict" is derived from the Latin word "confligere," meaning "to strike together." | |||
| French | conflit | ||
| In French, "conflit" can refer to a contradiction between two texts, as well as a conflict of interests or a quarrel. | |||
| Frisian | konflikt | ||
| The Frisian word "konflikt" is derived from the Latin word "conflictus" and also means "fight" or "battle". | |||
| Galician | conflito | ||
| In Galician, "conflito" can also refer to a physical or emotional clash or disagreement. | |||
| German | konflikt | ||
| The word "Konflikt" in German can trace its etymological roots to the Latin word "conflictus," meaning "a striking together" or "a collision." | |||
| Icelandic | átök | ||
| The word "átök" derives from the Old Norse term "áthokn" and can also mean "disgrace" or "curse" in literary contexts. | |||
| Irish | coimhlint | ||
| The Irish word "coimhlint" can also mean to clash, dispute or disagree with someone and can even be used for a sporting competition | |||
| Italian | conflitto | ||
| The word "conflitto" comes from the Latin word "conflictus", which means "clash", and is related to the words "configgere" (to fight) and "confligere" (to strike together). | |||
| Luxembourgish | konflikt | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Konflikt" can also refer to a legal dispute or a disagreement between two or more parties. | |||
| Maltese | kunflitt | ||
| The word "kunflitt" is also used in Maltese to describe a physical altercation or a state of disagreement or tension. | |||
| Norwegian | konflikt | ||
| "Konflikt" derives from the Latin "confligere", meaning "to strike together". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | conflito | ||
| In Portuguese, "conflito" can also mean "merger" or "confluence". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | còmhstri | ||
| The word 'còmhstri' in Scots Gaelic is also used to refer to 'strife', 'discord', or 'quarrel'. | |||
| Spanish | conflicto | ||
| The Spanish word "conflicto" derives from the Latin word "conflictus" meaning "strike together" or "dash together." | |||
| Swedish | konflikt | ||
| Another meaning of "konflikt " is "collision" or "impact". | |||
| Welsh | gwrthdaro | ||
| The Welsh word "gwrthdaro" can also refer to a disagreement or a dispute. | |||
Conflict in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | канфлікт | ||
| The term "канфликт" in Belarusian is ultimately derived from the Latin "conflictus" ("collision, strife"), and can also refer to a contradiction or difference of opinion. | |||
| Bosnian | sukob | ||
| Derived from Proto-Slavic *sъkobъ, meaning "struggle", related to Russian "sovra""" "quarrel" and Polish "zwada""" "dispute" | |||
| Bulgarian | конфликт | ||
| The word "конфликт" can also mean "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
| Czech | konflikt | ||
| The Czech word "konflikt" derives from the Latin word "conflictus," meaning "striking together." | |||
| Estonian | konflikt | ||
| In Estonian, the word "konflikt" can also refer to a "dissonance" in music or a "clash" of contrasting colors. | |||
| Finnish | konflikti | ||
| The word konfikti originates from Latin word "conflictus", meaning struggle or fight. | |||
| Hungarian | konfliktus | ||
| "Konfliktus" has several meanings in Hungarian, including "discord", "controversy", and "argumentation". | |||
| Latvian | konflikts | ||
| "Konflikts" is a loanword from German and Russian, where it means "opposition, collision, disagreement, discord, or dispute." | |||
| Lithuanian | konfliktas | ||
| The word 'konfliktas' derives from the Latin word 'conflictus' meaning 'to strike together'. | |||
| Macedonian | конфликт | ||
| Конфликт in Macedonian also means a traffic junction or intersection. | |||
| Polish | konflikt | ||
| In Polish, "konflikt" can also refer to a person who causes trouble or disagreement. | |||
| Romanian | conflict | ||
| In Romanian, the word "conflict" can also refer to a debate or a misunderstanding. | |||
| Russian | конфликт | ||
| Russian "конфликт" also means "disturbance of the normal course of any process caused by external factors" | |||
| Serbian | сукоб | ||
| The word "сукоб" can also refer to a "clash" or "collision". | |||
| Slovak | konflikt | ||
| Konflikt can also mean 'misunderstanding' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | konflikt | ||
| The word “konflikt” in Slovenian comes from the Latin word “conflictus”, meaning a clash between two opposing sides. | |||
| Ukrainian | конфлікт | ||
| The Ukrainian word "конфлікт" (conflict) derives from the Latin word "conflictus" meaning "clashing together" but can also refer to "mental tension" or "inner struggle" in Ukrainian. | |||
Conflict in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দ্বন্দ্ব | ||
| The word "দ্বন্দ্ব" is sometimes used in Bengali to refer to a musical duet or debate, rather than just a conflict. | |||
| Gujarati | સંઘર્ષ | ||
| "સંઘર્ષ" (conflict) is ultimately traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱers- ("to scratch, rub, cut"), alluding to the notion of a struggle or collision. | |||
| Hindi | टकराव | ||
| टकराव means 'collision' in Hindi, derived from the Sanskrit word 'tark', meaning 'to argue' or 'to debate'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂಘರ್ಷ | ||
| ಸಂಘರ್ಷ (samgharsha) is also used to describe a clash or discord, and can refer to a physical struggle, a verbal argument, or even an internal struggle. | |||
| Malayalam | സംഘർഷം | ||
| The word "സംഘർഷം" can also refer to a "clash" or "collision". | |||
| Marathi | संघर्ष | ||
| The Marathi word 'संघर्ष' comes from the Sanskrit word 'संग्रह', meaning 'collection' or 'accumulation'. | |||
| Nepali | द्वन्द्व | ||
| The word "द्वन्द्व" in Nepali can also mean "duality" or "contradiction" | |||
| Punjabi | ਟਕਰਾਅ | ||
| The Punjabi word ਟਕਰਾਅ (conflict) stems from the same Indo-European root as the English word 'strike' | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගැටුම | ||
| The word 'ගැටුම' (conflict) can also mean 'collision' or 'clash' in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | மோதல் | ||
| Telugu | సంఘర్షణ | ||
| Urdu | تنازعہ | ||
| The word "تنازعہ" can also mean "competition" or "dispute". | |||
Conflict in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 冲突 | ||
| The word "冲突" (_cōng tù_) can also mean "collision" or "bump". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 衝突 | ||
| "衝突" can also mean "collision" or "clash." | |||
| Japanese | 対立 | ||
| 対立 is composed of two characters, 対 (against) and 立 (to stand), indicating opposing forces or viewpoints. | |||
| Korean | 충돌 | ||
| As an alternate meaning, "충돌" can mean hitting against each other. | |||
| Mongolian | зөрчилдөөн | ||
| The Mongolian word "зөрчилдөөн" can also mean "contradiction" or "controversy". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိပက္ခ | ||
| The word "ပိပက္ခ" (conflict) in Myanmar (Burmese) also refers to "controversy", "disagreement", or "dispute". | |||
Conflict in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | konflik | ||
| The Indonesian word "konflik" is borrowed from the Dutch word "conflict" and has the same meaning, but it can also refer to a clash or dispute between two or more parties. | |||
| Javanese | pasulayan | ||
| In Javanese, "pasulayan" can also mean "to challenge" or "to test". | |||
| Khmer | ជម្លោះ | ||
| "ជម្លោះ" means both "fight, war, quarrel, or dispute" but it also can mean something as benign and ordinary as simply an "opinion". | |||
| Lao | ຂໍ້ຂັດແຍ່ງ | ||
| The Lao word "ຂໍ້ຂັດແຍ່ງ" is cognate with the Thai word "ข้อขัดแย้ง", both meaning 'conflict' | |||
| Malay | konflik | ||
| The word "konflik" is derived from Portuguese "conflito", in turn from Latin "conflictus". It can also mean "congestion", "collision", or "competition". | |||
| Thai | ขัดแย้ง | ||
| The Thai word ขัดแย้ง shares an etymology with ขัดข้อง, meaning "to obstruct" or "to impede." | |||
| Vietnamese | cuộc xung đột | ||
| "Cuộc xung đột" can also mean "war" or "battle" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tunggalian | ||
Conflict in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | münaqişə | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "münaqişə" originates from the Arabic "munâqaşa" meaning "discussion" and is also used in Turkish to refer to a "debate". | |||
| Kazakh | жанжал | ||
| The etymology of "жанжал" is unclear, but it has been compared to the Mongolian words "jang" ("fight") and "jal" ("to be hot or angry"). | |||
| Kyrgyz | конфликт | ||
| The word "конфликт" can also mean "opposition" or "contradiction" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | низоъ | ||
| In some contexts, "низоъ" can refer to a "clash between forces" or a "conflict between two parties". | |||
| Turkmen | dawa | ||
| Uzbek | ziddiyat | ||
| Ziddiyat also means "contrary" when one word is the opposite of another in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | توقۇنۇش | ||
Conflict in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paio | ||
| 'Paio' can also refer to a disagreement between two parties or a dispute. | |||
| Maori | papā | ||
| The word "papā" can also refer to a flat surface or a slap in the face. | |||
| Samoan | feteʻenaʻiga | ||
| The word "feteʻenaʻiga" also means "controversy". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hidwaan | ||
| The term "hidwaan" in Tagalog can also refer to a legal dispute or quarrel, and its root word "hiwatig" means "hint" or "warning" | |||
Conflict in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jan walt'a | ||
| Guarani | ñorairõ | ||
Conflict in International Languages
| Esperanto | konflikto | ||
| Konflikto in Esperanto derives from the Latin word for 'struggle'. | |||
| Latin | conflictus | ||
| "Conflictus" is derived from the Latin verb "confligere", meaning "to strike together". | |||
Conflict in Others Languages
| Greek | σύγκρουση | ||
| The word "σύγκρουση" originates from the verb "συγκρούω," meaning "to strike together" or "to collide." | |||
| Hmong | tsis sib haum xeeb | ||
| "Tsis sib haum xeeb" literally translates to "not come together peacefully". | |||
| Kurdish | şer | ||
| Kurdish "şer" also means "night" and has cognates in other Indo-European languages such as Old Iranian "xšaθra" and Latin "nox" | |||
| Turkish | fikir ayrılığı | ||
| "Fikir ayrılığı" (conflict) in Turkish derives from the Arabic word "fikr" (thought), meaning "lack of agreement or harmony in thought or opinion." | |||
| Xhosa | ungquzulwano | ||
| The word 'ungquzulwano' is derived from the verb 'ukuguquzulwa' meaning 'to be overturned' or 'to be upset' and suggests a disruption of equilibrium or harmony. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָנפליקט | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "קאָנפליקט" can also mean "argument" or "dispute". | |||
| Zulu | impikiswano | ||
| 'Impikiswano' may also refer to a 'wrestling match'. | |||
| Assamese | বিবাদ | ||
| Aymara | jan walt'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | टकराव | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިތުނަ | ||
| Dogri | झगड़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tunggalian | ||
| Guarani | ñorairõ | ||
| Ilocano | susik | ||
| Krio | fɛt-fɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناکۆکی | ||
| Maithili | टकराव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯌꯦꯠꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | buaina | ||
| Oromo | waldhabdee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିବାଦ | | ||
| Quechua | awqanakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | द्वंद | ||
| Tatar | конфликт | ||
| Tigrinya | ባእሲ | ||
| Tsonga | nkwetlembetano | ||