Creature in Different Languages
Discover 'Creature' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'creature' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, referring to any form of life, whether it be human, animal, or mythical. Its cultural importance is vast, spanning literature, film, and art, where creatures, both real and imagined, have the power to captivate us, inspire us, and even frighten us. Understanding the translation of 'creature' in different languages can open up a world of cultural discovery and appreciation.
For instance, in Spanish, 'creature' translates to 'criatura', while in French, it's 'créature'. In German, it's 'Geschöpf', and in Japanese, '生物' (seibutsu). These translations not only provide a linguistic insight but also offer a glimpse into how different cultures perceive and interact with the concept of life.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, delving into the translations of 'creature' can be a fascinating journey. Here's a list of 'creature' in various languages to get you started:
Creature
Creature in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wese | ||
| The word "wese" can refer to an organism, plant, person, or object in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ፍጡር | ||
| The word "ፍጡር" can also refer to a 'work,' 'creation,' or 'thing made'. | |||
| Hausa | halitta | ||
| The Hausa word "halitta" can also refer to a living or non-living thing, an animal, or a plant. | |||
| Igbo | ihe e kere eke | ||
| "Ihe e kere eke" can mean both "creature" and "animal" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | zavaboary | ||
| The word "zavaboary" derives from the Malay word "sawar" meaning "horse" and the Malagasy word "bary" meaning "heavy", suggesting a large, powerful creature. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholengedwa | ||
| The Nyanja word "cholengedwa" is derived from the root "lenda" meaning "to create or bring forth", indicating the concept of something brought into existence. | |||
| Shona | chisikwa | ||
| The word chisikwa can also refer to a ghost, spirit, or other supernatural being. | |||
| Somali | abuur | ||
| "Abuur" also means "origin" or "source" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | sebupuwa | ||
| "sebupuwa" also means "spirit or ghost" or "apparition"} | |||
| Swahili | kiumbe | ||
| The Swahili word "kiumbe" is related to the root "-umba" meaning "to mold" or "to create". | |||
| Xhosa | isidalwa | ||
| The Xhosa word "isidalwa" can also mean "animal," "thing," or "object." | |||
| Yoruba | eda | ||
| The Yoruba word "eda" also means "thing" or "object". | |||
| Zulu | isidalwa | ||
| The word 'isidalwa' can also refer to a person or being, typically in a negative or derogatory sense. | |||
| Bambara | danfɛn ye | ||
| Ewe | nuwɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikiremwa | ||
| Lingala | ekelamu | ||
| Luganda | ekitonde | ||
| Sepedi | sebopiwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abɔde | ||
Creature in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مخلوق | ||
| The word "مخلوق" can also refer to an invention or creation in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | יְצוּר | ||
| The word "יְצוּר" (creature) in Hebrew can also refer to a "work of creation" or an "object of worship". | |||
| Pashto | ژوی | ||
| The word "ژوی" in Pashto is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷʰiH-u-ó-s". In some contexts, it can also refer to a supernatural entity or a monster. | |||
| Arabic | مخلوق | ||
| The word "مخلوق" can also refer to an invention or creation in Arabic. | |||
Creature in Western European Languages
| Albanian | krijesë | ||
| The Albanian word "krijesë" is derived from the Latin word "creatura", which means "a being created by God." | |||
| Basque | izaki | ||
| "Izaki" can also refer to a ghost. | |||
| Catalan | criatura | ||
| "Criatura" can also refer to a child or young person, or to an innocent, helpless person. | |||
| Croatian | stvorenje | ||
| The word "stvorenje" in Croatian shares roots with "stvoriti" (create) and "stvar" (thing), reflecting an understanding of creatures as created entities. | |||
| Danish | væsen | ||
| The Danish word "væsen" has an Old Norse etymological equivalent - the verb "vera" and can refer to something both abstract or substantial. | |||
| Dutch | schepsel | ||
| "Schepsel" in Dutch not only means "creature" but also derives from the word "scheppen," meaning "to create." | |||
| English | creature | ||
| Creature can also refer to a person of odd or unusual behavior. | |||
| French | créature | ||
| "Créature" evolved from the Latin word "creatura," meaning "thing created" or "being." | |||
| Frisian | skepsel | ||
| The Frisian word "skepsel" is cognate with the English word "sceptic" and originally referred to a mythical being that could change its shape. | |||
| Galician | criatura | ||
| Galician "criatura" (creature) comes from the Latin "creatura", meaning "thing created". It can also mean "child" or "young animal". | |||
| German | kreatur | ||
| "Kreatur" is etymologically related to "kriegen" ("get") | |||
| Icelandic | veru | ||
| The word "veru" in Icelandic is derived from the Old Norse word "verr" meaning "man". | |||
| Irish | créatúr | ||
| The Irish word "créatúr" can also mean "person," or "poor thing," and derives from the Latin word "creatura," meaning "being created." | |||
| Italian | creatura | ||
| The Italian word 'creatura' comes from the Latin 'creatura', meaning 'created being', and can refer to both animals and humans. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kreatur | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Kreatur" is the term for a fantastic being or a monster. | |||
| Maltese | kreatura | ||
| In Maltese, "kreatura" can also mean "puppet" or "dependent". | |||
| Norwegian | skapning | ||
| The word "skapning" derives from the Old Norse word "skapnadr," meaning "creation" or "creature created by God." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | criatura | ||
| In Portuguese, "criatura" can also mean "baby" or a "person considered in relation to their qualities or characteristics." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | creutair | ||
| The Gaelic word "creutair" also has the meaning "to tremble" and is possibly related to the Irish "creat", meaning "to shake". | |||
| Spanish | criatura | ||
| In Spanish, "criatura" can also refer to a young child or a person who is considered innocent or vulnerable. | |||
| Swedish | varelse | ||
| The word "varelse" derives from the Old Norse word "verr" meaning "man, being" and is related to the English word "werewolf". | |||
| Welsh | creadur | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, creadur can also refer to a mischievous child or a beloved pet. | |||
Creature in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | істота | ||
| The Belarusian word "істота" can also refer to an individual person "person". | |||
| Bosnian | stvorenje | ||
| “Stvorenje” comes from the word “stvor” which means to create or give birth. | |||
| Bulgarian | създание | ||
| Създание in Bulgarian can also refer to a creation, or an establishment. | |||
| Czech | stvoření | ||
| In Czech, the word "stvoření" can refer to both a living being and the act of creation. | |||
| Estonian | olend | ||
| Olend is also the Estonian word for "being" and has a related meaning of "substance". | |||
| Finnish | olento | ||
| Olento derives from the Proto-Finnic ‘elanto’, meaning ‘living’ or ‘animate being’. | |||
| Hungarian | teremtmény | ||
| In Hungarian, "teremtmény" can also refer to a creation or invention. | |||
| Latvian | radījums | ||
| In the old Lithuanian language "radīti” (create), the Latvian "radīt" is formed. The Latin "rādix" means root as the source or the base of existence. | |||
| Lithuanian | padaras | ||
| The word "padaras" can also refer to a "rascal" or "scoundrel" in a humorous or affectionate way. | |||
| Macedonian | суштество | ||
| Besides its primary meaning, "суштество" can also refer to an entity or being, particularly in a philosophical or spiritual context. | |||
| Polish | kreatura | ||
| Kreatura is derived from the Latin word creo, meaning to create, and can also refer to a fictional character or a person of low moral standards. | |||
| Romanian | făptură | ||
| The word "făptură" is derived from the Latin "factūram," meaning "thing made" or "creation." | |||
| Russian | существо | ||
| Существо is also used in the sense of "essence" or "substance" | |||
| Serbian | створење | ||
| The Serbo-Croatian word "створење" also means "creation" in the sense of a work of art or literature. | |||
| Slovak | stvorenie | ||
| The word "stvorenie" also means "creation" and is related to the verb "stvoriť" ("to create"). | |||
| Slovenian | bitje | ||
| The word 'bitje' is derived from the verb 'biti', meaning 'to be', and has alternate meanings of 'essence' or 'being'. | |||
| Ukrainian | створіння | ||
| The word "створіння" in Ukrainian can also refer to "creation" or "thing created" | |||
Creature in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জীব | ||
| The word "জীব" can alternatively mean "life" or "organism", highlighting the interconnectedness of all living beings. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રાણી | ||
| "પ્રાણી" is a Gujarati word derived from Sanskrit, originally meaning "life or spirit". | |||
| Hindi | जंतु | ||
| The word "जंतु" derives from the Sanskrit root "जन्" (to be born), and also refers to living beings specifically born from a womb. | |||
| Kannada | ಜೀವಿ | ||
| "ಜೀವಿ" also means "Brahman, a human being, the soul, a bird, a fish, a snake, a tree, Indra, the moon, the sun, the sky, Vishnu, fire, the earth and anything that lives. | |||
| Malayalam | സൃഷ്ടി | ||
| "സൃഷ്ടി" also refers to divine creation or nature and can be used to describe a thing rather than a living being. | |||
| Marathi | प्राणी | ||
| The word "प्राणी" in Marathi originated from the Sanskrit word "प्राण" meaning "life", hence also being synonymous with "living being". | |||
| Nepali | जीव | ||
| The word 'जीव' can also mean 'life' or 'soul' in a philosophical or religious context. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜੀਵ | ||
| "ਜੀਵ" also refers to a living entity capable of independent existence and capable of reproducing. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සත්වයා | ||
| සත්වයා can also refer to a sentient being, as opposed to a plant or inanimate object. | |||
| Tamil | உயிரினம் | ||
| Telugu | జీవి | ||
| జీవి is also a word for 'life' in Telugu, derived from the word 'jeevu' ( | |||
| Urdu | مخلوق | ||
| The word "مخلوق" is derived from the Arabic root "خ ل ق", which means "to create, to form, to shape." | |||
Creature in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 生物 | ||
| The word "生物" in Chinese can also mean "organism", "creature", or "the living". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 生物 | ||
| "生物" also means life, organism, being or living thing. | |||
| Japanese | 生き物 | ||
| 生き物 can also mean a plant or a microorganism, not only an animal. | |||
| Korean | 생물 | ||
| 생물 is derived from the Chinese word 生 (seng) meaning "life" and 物 (mul) meaning "thing" and was originally used only to refer to humans. | |||
| Mongolian | амьтан | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သတ္တဝါ | ||
Creature in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | makhluk | ||
| "Makhluk" derives from Arabic "makhlūq," which connotes both creation and a created being. | |||
| Javanese | titah | ||
| The Javanese word "titah" not only means "creature" but also "order" or "command". | |||
| Khmer | សត្វ | ||
| The word "sat" is the Khmer word for "animal", derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*saŋka" meaning "wild animal" or "beast" | |||
| Lao | ສັດ | ||
| The word "ສັດ" in Lao is derived from the Sanskrit word "sat", meaning "being" or "existence". | |||
| Malay | makhluk | ||
| "Makhluk" has another meaning, namely the result of multiplication, division, subtraction, or addition. | |||
| Thai | สิ่งมีชีวิต | ||
| As both a noun and a verb, "สิ่งมีชีวิต" literally means "something that lives". | |||
| Vietnamese | sinh vật | ||
| "Sinh vật" can also mean "organism" or "being" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nilalang | ||
Creature in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | məxluq | ||
| The word "məxluq" derives from Arabic, meaning "created" or "dependent being". | |||
| Kazakh | жаратылыс | ||
| "Жаратылыс" in Kazakh comes from the verb "жарату" (to create) and can also refer to nature or the environment. | |||
| Kyrgyz | макулук | ||
| Kyrgyz word 'макулук' ('creature') is also used in Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, Karakalpak, and Uyghur languages with the same meaning and is derived from Arabic 'maḵlūq' ('creation'). | |||
| Tajik | махлуқ | ||
| In Tajik, "махлуқ" originates from the Arabic word meaning "created entity", signifying the origin of creatures from the divine act of Allah. | |||
| Turkmen | jandar | ||
| Uzbek | maxluq | ||
| The word "maxluq" is derived from the Arabic word "khalaqa," meaning "to create." | |||
| Uyghur | مەخلۇق | ||
Creature in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea ola | ||
| "Mea ola" is a compound word made up of "mea" (thing) and "ola" (life), hence its meaning "creature". | |||
| Maori | mea hanga | ||
| Mea hanga may also refer to a person, as in 'kai mea hanga', or food for people. | |||
| Samoan | foafoaga | ||
| The word foafoaga, which means "creature" in Samoan, can also refer to a "ghostly apparition." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nilalang | ||
| Nilalang originates from the root word "lang" meaning "to make", indicating a created or crafted being. | |||
Creature in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | lurata | ||
| Guarani | criatura rehegua | ||
Creature in International Languages
| Esperanto | infanino | ||
| Esperanto's "infanino" is a diminutive of "infano" (child), or a term of endearment for a small animal or young person. | |||
| Latin | creatura | ||
| In Latin, "creatura" can also refer to a fetus or a person who is dependent on others, like a child. | |||
Creature in Others Languages
| Greek | πλάσμα | ||
| The word "πλάσμα" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pleḱ-, meaning "to braid" or "to weave". | |||
| Hmong | tsim tsiaj | ||
| The Hmong word "tsim tsiaj" can also refer to a "ghost" or "spirit." | |||
| Kurdish | ava | ||
| The word "ava" can also refer to a type of magical being in Kurdish mythology. | |||
| Turkish | yaratık | ||
| "Yaratık" also means "creation" and "art". | |||
| Xhosa | isidalwa | ||
| The Xhosa word "isidalwa" can also mean "animal," "thing," or "object." | |||
| Yiddish | באַשעפעניש | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַשעפעניש" literally translates "that which has been created", emphasizing the concept of creation in Jewish culture. | |||
| Zulu | isidalwa | ||
| The word 'isidalwa' can also refer to a person or being, typically in a negative or derogatory sense. | |||
| Assamese | জীৱ | ||
| Aymara | lurata | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्राणी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޚްލޫޤެކެވެ | ||
| Dogri | प्राणी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nilalang | ||
| Guarani | criatura rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | parsua | ||
| Krio | krichɔ we dɛn mek | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دروستکراو | ||
| Maithili | प्राणी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯖꯤꯕ ꯑꯃꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | thilsiam | ||
| Oromo | uumama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାଣୀ | ||
| Quechua | unancha | ||
| Sanskrit | प्राणी | ||
| Tatar | җан иясе | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍጡር | ||
| Tsonga | xivumbiwa | ||