Consciousness in Different Languages
Discover 'Consciousness' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Consciousness is a fascinating concept that has been explored and debated throughout history, playing a significant role in various fields such as psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience. It generally refers to an individual's awareness of their unique thoughts, memories, feelings, and experiences, as well as their perception and understanding of the world around them.
The idea of consciousness holds immense cultural importance, as it is deeply intertwined with human values, beliefs, and self-perception. Its exploration can lead to a better understanding of our own identities and our connection to the universe. Moreover, consciousness serves as a bridge between different languages and cultures, allowing us to communicate, empathize, and learn from one another.
Delving into the translations of consciousness in different languages can reveal intriguing insights into how various cultures perceive and interpret this complex concept. For instance, in Spanish, consciousness is 'consciencia,' while in German, it is 'Bewusstsein.' In Mandarin, it is '意识 (yìshí),' and in Japanese, it is '意識 (ishiki).'
Join us as we embark on a linguistic and cultural journey to explore the many facets of consciousness and its translations in diverse languages.
Consciousness
Consciousness in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bewussyn | ||
| The word "bewussyn" is derived from the Dutch word "bewustzijn" and originally meant "awareness" or "knowledge". | |||
| Amharic | ንቃተ-ህሊና | ||
| "ንቃተ-ህሊና" can carry other meanings like "rehabilitation" | |||
| Hausa | sani | ||
| Sani is also a common name given to Hausa men and can mean 'son of Sani' if the first name is of his father. | |||
| Igbo | maara | ||
| The Igbo word "maara" also signifies a sense of being aware, alert, or awake. | |||
| Malagasy | fahatsiarovan-tena | ||
| The Malagasy word "fahatsiarovan-tena" translates literally to "being awake with oneself." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chikumbumtima | ||
| The word "chikumbumtima" derives from "kumbumtima," meaning "to feel something inside," suggesting the introspective nature of consciousness. | |||
| Shona | kuziva | ||
| 'Kuziva' is a compound of 'ku- (to)' + '-ziva (day)', meaning 'to be in the light of day' and thus 'to be conscious'. | |||
| Somali | miyir-qabka | ||
| This multipartite Somali word, "miyir-qabka," suggests the "mind's" role in comprehension. | |||
| Sesotho | tlhokomeliso | ||
| Tlhokomeliso derives from the root word "tlhokomela," meaning "to be aware" or "to have knowledge." | |||
| Swahili | fahamu | ||
| The Swahili word 'fahamu' also means 'understanding' and 'comprehension'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukwazi | ||
| In Xhosa philosophy, the term "ukwazi" additionally refers to a spiritual realm where ancestors reside and wisdom is acquired. | |||
| Yoruba | aiji | ||
| Yoruba word "aiji" can also refer to "knowledge", particularly the knowledge of traditional healing practices. | |||
| Zulu | ukwazi | ||
| This Zulu word can be broken into u-kwazi (<from> kwazi - know), hence the meaning, 'awareness'. It is not to be confused with u-kwazi (<from> kweza - to arrive), which means 'ability'. | |||
| Bambara | làadirima | ||
| Ewe | ŋutenɔnɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwenge | ||
| Lingala | kosala mosala malamu | ||
| Luganda | okutegeera | ||
| Sepedi | temogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anidahɔ | ||
Consciousness in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وعي - إدراك | ||
| Derived from the verb "وعى" meaning "to understand, to grasp". | |||
| Hebrew | תוֹדָעָה | ||
| The Hebrew word for consciousness, "תוֹדָעָה," also means "recognition" or "acknowledgment." | |||
| Pashto | شعور | ||
| In Pashto, "شعور" also carries the connotation of intelligence, wisdom, and understanding | |||
| Arabic | وعي - إدراك | ||
| Derived from the verb "وعى" meaning "to understand, to grasp". | |||
Consciousness in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vetëdija | ||
| The Albanian word "vetëdija" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *wēt-ēdī, meaning "inner knowledge". | |||
| Basque | kontzientzia | ||
| The Basque word kontzientzia is derived from the Latin word conscientia, meaning "knowledge" or "awareness". | |||
| Catalan | consciència | ||
| "Consciència" has the alternate meaning "awareness" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | svijest | ||
| In Croatian, the word 'svijest' is etymologically related to 'svjetovati', meaning to advise, and 'svijetlo', meaning light, suggesting the enlightenment of the mind. | |||
| Danish | bevidsthed | ||
| The Danish word "bevidsthed" is etymologically related to the German word "Bewusstsein" which also shares similar meanings. | |||
| Dutch | bewustzijn | ||
| The word "bewustzijn" in Dutch refers not only to the state of being conscious, but also to the mind or the intellect, and is derived from the ancient Greek word "no?s" meaning "understanding". | |||
| English | consciousness | ||
| "Consciousness" is derived from the Latin word "conscire," which means "to know together". | |||
| French | conscience | ||
| "Conscience" (meaning "consciousness") in French has also been historically linked to the concepts of knowledge, awareness, and perception. | |||
| Frisian | bewustwêzen | ||
| The word "bewustwêzen" derives from the Old Frisian "biwitia," meaning "to know" or "to understand." | |||
| Galician | conciencia | ||
| En gallego, «conciencia» también denota memoria o acuerdo y «concienzudo» a quien ejecuta una operación con cuidado en sus detalles (conste de «cien» y «ciencia»). | |||
| German | bewusstsein | ||
| The word "Bewusstsein" comes from the Middle High German word "bewisten," which means "to witness" or "to be aware of." | |||
| Icelandic | meðvitund | ||
| "Meðvitund" is derived from the verb "meðvita," meaning "to be aware" or "to perceive," and the noun "vitund," meaning "mind" or "understanding." | |||
| Irish | chonaic | ||
| Chonaic is also the Irish name for the Greek hero Ulysses, known in English as Odysseus after the Latin variation of the name. | |||
| Italian | coscienza | ||
| "Coscienza" comes from the Latin word "conscientia" meaning "knowledge within one's own mind or heart". | |||
| Luxembourgish | bewosstsinn | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Bewosstsinn" does not only refer to consciousness as awareness, but also to perception or sense | |||
| Maltese | sensi | ||
| The word "sensi" is also used to refer to a person's personality, temperament, or frame of mind. | |||
| Norwegian | bevissthet | ||
| "Bevissthet", which is a compound of the words bevis (proof, evidence, demonstration, test, certification, etc.) and -het, which is the suffix that makes nouns from adjectives, literally means provenness or demonstratedness." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | consciência | ||
| The word "consciência" in Portuguese is derived from the Latin word "conscientia" and can also mean "awareness" or "knowledge". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mothachadh | ||
| The term "mothachadh" in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Old Irish "mothaigid," meaning "to perceive" or "to feel," emphasizing the perception and awareness aspects of consciousness. | |||
| Spanish | conciencia | ||
| The Spanish word "conciencia" is derived from the Latin "conscientia," which means "knowledge with oneself" or "awareness within oneself." | |||
| Swedish | medvetande | ||
| Det svenska ordet "medvetande" kommer från "med-veten". | |||
| Welsh | ymwybyddiaeth | ||
| The Welsh word "ymwybyddiaeth" literally means "state of being aware", and is related to the words "bod" (to be) and "gwybod" (to know). | |||
Consciousness in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | свядомасць | ||
| The word 'свядомасць' ('consciousness') in Belarusian is cognate with 'сознание' ('consciousness') in Russian, both deriving from the Proto-Slavic '*sъznь', meaning 'understanding' or 'cognition'. | |||
| Bosnian | svijest | ||
| The word "svijest" also means "consciousness" in Croatian and Serbian. | |||
| Bulgarian | съзнание | ||
| The word "съзнание" in Bulgarian also has a meaning of "awareness" or "self-awareness". | |||
| Czech | vědomí | ||
| The word "vědomí" is also used in Czech to denote "knowledge" or "awareness". | |||
| Estonian | teadvus | ||
| In Estonian, "teadvus" can also mean "knowledge" or "awareness". | |||
| Finnish | tietoisuus | ||
| The word "tietoisuus" is derived from the root "tieto", meaning "knowledge" or "information." | |||
| Hungarian | öntudat | ||
| Öntudat is also a philosophical concept referring to the self-awareness of one's own identity. | |||
| Latvian | apziņa | ||
| The word “apziņa” originated from the prefix “ap-” which means “around” and the noun “ziņa” which stands for “knowledge” or “intelligence”. | |||
| Lithuanian | sąmonė | ||
| Sąmonė is derived from the Lithuanian word "samti" meaning "to acquire wisdom" or "to understand" and is also related to the word "sąmonis" meaning "to awaken". | |||
| Macedonian | свеста | ||
| The word can also be used in a figurative sense to refer to clarity or awareness. | |||
| Polish | świadomość | ||
| The Polish word "świadomość" comes from a Proto-Indo-European root that also means "to know". | |||
| Romanian | constiinta | ||
| "Constiinta" comes from the Latin word "conscientia", meaning "with knowledge". | |||
| Russian | сознание | ||
| The word "сознание" in Russian can also mean "awareness" or "understanding". | |||
| Serbian | свест | ||
| The word "свест" also means "light", and is related to the word "свjетло" (light) | |||
| Slovak | vedomie | ||
| The term 'vedomie' also translates to 'knowledge,' 'intelligence,' and 'understanding' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | zavest | ||
| Zavest derives from the Proto-Slavic "sъvĕstь" (knowledge, conscience), which also gave rise to the words "vest" (news) and "vedeti" (know). | |||
| Ukrainian | свідомість | ||
| In addition to "consciousness", the noun "свідомість" can also mean "awareness" or "conscience". | |||
Consciousness in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চেতনা | ||
| "চেতনা" (consciousness) in Bengali, is also the name of a famous Bengali magazine and a female given name. | |||
| Gujarati | ચેતના | ||
| The Gujarati word "ચેતના" also has the alternate meanings of "awareness", "knowledge", "intelligence", and "understanding". | |||
| Hindi | चेतना | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'चेतना' also means 'the state of being alive' or 'the vital force'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ | ||
| The word “ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ” in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word “प्रज्ञ” meaning “wisdom” or “intelligence” and can also refer to “awareness” or “understanding”. | |||
| Malayalam | ബോധം | ||
| The word "ബോധം" ("consciousness") in Malayalam can also refer to the state of alertness, awareness, and understanding. | |||
| Marathi | शुद्धी | ||
| The word शुद्धी (śuddhi) can also mean purification, cleanliness, or perfection. | |||
| Nepali | चेतना | ||
| The word | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੇਤਨਾ | ||
| The term "ਚੇਤਨਾ" (chetna), meaning consciousness, is a derivative of Sanskrit, and its other meanings are mind, intellect, awareness, and memory. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වි .ානය | ||
| "වි .ානය" has the alternate Sinhala meaning "a vessel or container." | |||
| Tamil | உணர்வு | ||
| "உணர்வு" (consciousness) in Tamil also means "perception," "knowledge," "sensation," and "awareness." | |||
| Telugu | తెలివిలో | ||
| Urdu | شعور | ||
| The word "شعور" originates from the Arabic root "شع", which means "to perceive" or "to feel". | |||
Consciousness in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 意识 | ||
| "意识"也指主观能动地意识到事物或思想、感情和意志活动的内在心理状态和过程。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 意識 | ||
| 意識 (consciousness) literally means 'to know and think' in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 意識 | ||
| The term 意識 (ishiki) was adopted from German Bewusstsein and originally meant 'knowledge' or 'being aware'. | |||
| Korean | 의식 | ||
| The term "의식" can also refer to ceremonies or rituals in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | ухамсар | ||
| In Mongolian, 'ухамсар' ('consciousness') can also mean 'mind, heart, soul', and 'inner essence'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သတိ | ||
| The word "သတိ" (consciousness) can also mean "attention" or "mindfulness" in Burmese. | |||
Consciousness in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kesadaran | ||
| The word 'kesadaran' also means 'awareness' or 'realization' in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | eling | ||
| The word "eling" in Javanese has connotations of alertness, mindfulness, and being attuned to the present moment. | |||
| Khmer | មនសិការ | ||
| The word "មនសិការ" also has the alternate meanings of "mind" and "heart". | |||
| Lao | ສະຕິ | ||
| In Lao, the word “ສະຕິ” refers not only to consciousness, but also to awareness, mindfulness and alertness. | |||
| Malay | kesedaran | ||
| The word 'kesedaran' in Malay also carries meanings of 'awareness' and 'realization'. | |||
| Thai | สติ | ||
| Thai “สติ” may stem from Sanskrit “smrti” (“memory, remembrance”) as Thai has borrowed several words from Sanskrit. | |||
| Vietnamese | ý thức | ||
| The word "ý thức" in Vietnamese has multiple meanings, including "consciousness," "awareness," "intention," and "purpose." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kamalayan | ||
Consciousness in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şüur | ||
| The word "şüur" in Azerbaijani also refers to "the senses" or "awareness". | |||
| Kazakh | сана | ||
| The word "сана" can also mean "mind" or "reason" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аң-сезим | ||
| The Kyrgyz word for consciousness, «аң-сезим», has a root meaning of «mind-feeling» and a secondary meaning of «conscience». | |||
| Tajik | шуур | ||
| "Shuur" in Tajik is ultimately derived from the Old Persian word "hushiyara-", meaning "intelligence, caution". | |||
| Turkmen | aň | ||
| Uzbek | ong | ||
| The Uzbek word "ong" initially meant "memory" and is related to the Uyghur word "oŋ" | |||
| Uyghur | ئاڭ | ||
Consciousness in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻike | ||
| ʻIke may also refer to perception, wisdom, or knowledge depending on the context it is used in. | |||
| Maori | mahara | ||
| Another interpretation of "mahara" is that it means "the act of thinking", or "memory". | |||
| Samoan | malamalama | ||
| Malauma means 'a flash of light', mama refers to something that's light and can ascend, and la means 'above' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kamalayan | ||
| The Tagalog word "kamalayan" shares a Sanskrit etymology with the terms "bodhi" (Sanskrit for "awakening") and "karma" (Sanskrit for "action"), connecting it to concepts of spiritual attainment and action. | |||
Consciousness in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chuymanki | ||
| Guarani | apytu'ũjera | ||
Consciousness in International Languages
| Esperanto | konscio | ||
| "Konscio" derives from the Latin "conscius" (knowing) and is related to words like "science" and "conscious" in English. | |||
| Latin | consciousness | ||
| The Latin word "conscientia" originally meant "knowledge gained through personal experience". | |||
Consciousness in Others Languages
| Greek | συνείδηση | ||
| The Greek word "συνείδηση" (syneidēsis) originally meant "joint knowledge" and is related to the word "conscience." | |||
| Hmong | kev nco qab | ||
| The word "kev nco qab" can also be translated as "the act of knowing something" or "the state of being aware of something." | |||
| Kurdish | bîrbirî | ||
| "Bîrbirî" in Kurdish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European form "*bhudh-i-", meaning mind or intellect. | |||
| Turkish | bilinç | ||
| Bilinç, "bilmek" fiilinden türemiştir ve hem "bilme" hem de "farkında olma" anlamlarına gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | ukwazi | ||
| In Xhosa philosophy, the term "ukwazi" additionally refers to a spiritual realm where ancestors reside and wisdom is acquired. | |||
| Yiddish | באוווסטזיין | ||
| The Yiddish word "באוווסטזיין" can also refer to "awareness" or "realization." | |||
| Zulu | ukwazi | ||
| This Zulu word can be broken into u-kwazi (<from> kwazi - know), hence the meaning, 'awareness'. It is not to be confused with u-kwazi (<from> kweza - to arrive), which means 'ability'. | |||
| Assamese | চেতনা | ||
| Aymara | chuymanki | ||
| Bhojpuri | चेतना | ||
| Dhivehi | ހޭވެރިކަން | ||
| Dogri | सुध-बुध | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kamalayan | ||
| Guarani | apytu'ũjera | ||
| Ilocano | kinasiririing | ||
| Krio | no | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هۆشیاری | ||
| Maithili | चेतना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜ ꯇꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rilru harhna | ||
| Oromo | dammaqina | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚେତନା | ||
| Quechua | ukunchik | ||
| Sanskrit | चेतना | ||
| Tatar | аң | ||
| Tigrinya | ንቕሓተ ሕሊና | ||
| Tsonga | matitwelo | ||