Criticism in Different Languages
Discover 'Criticism' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Criticism: it's a word that carries a lot of weight, no matter what language you speak. At its core, criticism is an assessment or evaluation of something, usually with the aim of improving it. But the cultural significance of criticism can vary widely from place to place.
In some cultures, criticism is seen as a constructive tool for growth and development, while in others it may be viewed as confrontational or even hostile. And as our world becomes more interconnected, the ability to understand and navigate different cultural attitudes towards criticism has never been more important.
But what about the word itself? Did you know that the English word 'criticism' comes from the Greek word 'kritikos', meaning 'able to discern'? Or that in Spanish, 'criticism' is 'crítica', while in Mandarin it's '批评' (pī píng)?
Understanding the translation of criticism in different languages can help us bridge cultural divides and communicate more effectively with people from all walks of life. So whether you're a student studying abroad, a businessperson working with international clients, or simply a curious traveler, learning the language of criticism is a valuable skill.
Criticism
Criticism in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kritiek | ||
| Afrikaans "kritiek" comes from Ancient Greek "κριτικός," meaning "discerning" or "able to judge." | |||
| Amharic | ትችት | ||
| The word "ትችት" can also mean "a quarrel" or "a difference of opinion". | |||
| Hausa | zargi | ||
| Alternate meanings of "zargi" include "admonition" and "reproach." | |||
| Igbo | nkatọ | ||
| The word "nkatọ" in Igbo can also mean "advice" or "evaluation". | |||
| Malagasy | tsikera | ||
| The word "tsikera" in Malagasy can also mean "a person who criticizes" or "a bad critic". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutsutsa | ||
| The word "kutsutsa" can also mean "to admonish" or "to scold". | |||
| Shona | kushoropodza | ||
| The word "kushoropodza" in Shona also refers to the act of finding fault with or criticizing someone or something. | |||
| Somali | dhaleeceyn | ||
| Dhaleeceyn in Somali is a noun that can refer to blame, accusation, or the act of finding fault with something. | |||
| Sesotho | ho nyatsa | ||
| Its origin is thought to be a Zulu word that meant 'to be angry' or 'to find fault' | |||
| Swahili | ukosoaji | ||
| Ukosoaji comes from 'kosoa' ('to cut') signifying that criticism can be seen as cutting away excess to refine a concept, object or action. | |||
| Xhosa | ukugxeka | ||
| "Ukugxeka" is also used to describe the process of carving or sculpting, as in the shaping of wood or stone. | |||
| Yoruba | lodi | ||
| Lodi can also mean "to be bitter," "to blame" or "to hate" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukugxekwa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukugxekwa" also means "to be criticized" or "to find fault with". | |||
| Bambara | lagosili | ||
| Ewe | nyahehe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kunegura | ||
| Lingala | kolobela mabe | ||
| Luganda | okukomelera | ||
| Sepedi | tsholo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ka tia | ||
Criticism in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نقد | ||
| The Arabic word "نقد" can also refer to money, specifically coins or currency notes. | |||
| Hebrew | ביקורת | ||
| The Hebrew word "ביקורת" (criticism) can also mean "examination" or "review", and is derived from the root "בקר" (to examine or visit). | |||
| Pashto | نيوکه | ||
| The Pashto word "نيوکه" also means "to pick at something" or to "find fault with something" | |||
| Arabic | نقد | ||
| The Arabic word "نقد" can also refer to money, specifically coins or currency notes. | |||
Criticism in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kritika | ||
| The Albanian word 'kritika', meaning 'criticism', derives from the Greek word 'κριτική', which refers to the art of judging or discerning. | |||
| Basque | kritika | ||
| The Basque word "kritika" is derived from the Greek word "kritikē", meaning "art of judging". | |||
| Catalan | crítica | ||
| In Catalan, "crítica" can also refer to the art criticism, or to a type of musical composition similar to the fugue. | |||
| Croatian | kritika | ||
| Kritika, or "criticism," in Croatian also means "judgment," "opinion," and "disapproval." | |||
| Danish | kritik | ||
| The word 'kritik' in Danish also means 'critical judgment' or 'analytical review' and carries the connotation of being both objective and fair. | |||
| Dutch | kritiek | ||
| In Dutch, "kritiek" also has the connotation of "evaluation" or "appraisal" and is not always negative in tone. | |||
| English | criticism | ||
| "Criticism" comes from the Greek "kritikos" which means "a judge", and has the alternate meaning of a "standard of judgment". | |||
| French | critique | ||
| From the Greek word "kritikos," meaning "able to judge," the French word "critique" can also mean "assessment," "study," or "review." | |||
| Frisian | krityk | ||
| The word "krityk" in Frisian can also refer to "the act of making judgments" or "the ability to judge." | |||
| Galician | crítica | ||
| 'Crítica' can also mean a review of a work or a type of literary or artistic analysis. | |||
| German | kritik | ||
| The word 'Kritik' comes from the Greek word 'kritikos', which means 'able to judge' or 'capable of discernment'. | |||
| Icelandic | gagnrýni | ||
| The word "gagnrýni" is derived from the Old Norse word "gagn" meaning "gain, use, profit" and "rýna" meaning "to speak, utter". | |||
| Irish | cáineadh | ||
| Italian | critica | ||
| The word 'critica' comes from 'kritikos', the Greek adjective for 'able to discern', 'judge', which is derived from 'krinein', 'to separate'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kritik | ||
| The word "Kritik" in Luxembourgish can also mean analysis, review, or critique, expanding its semantic range beyond that of English "criticism". | |||
| Maltese | kritika | ||
| The Maltese word "kritika" originates from the Greek word "kritikē" and can also mean "judgment" or "discernment". | |||
| Norwegian | kritikk | ||
| The Norwegian word "kritikk" derives from the Greek word "kritikos," meaning "able to discern or judge." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | crítica | ||
| The word "crítica" in Portuguese can mean both "criticism" and "review". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | càineadh | ||
| Càineadh, "criticism" in Gaelic, also refers to a type of lament, elegy, or funeral song. | |||
| Spanish | crítica | ||
| The Spanish word "crítica" also means "review" or "summary" when referring to a book, article, or artistic work. | |||
| Swedish | kritik | ||
| The word "kritik" in Swedish also means "evaluation" or "review". | |||
| Welsh | beirniadaeth | ||
| The Welsh word "beirniadaeth" derives from the noun "barn," meaning "judgment," and the suffix "-iaeth," indicating a quality or state. | |||
Criticism in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крытыка | ||
| Крытыка has two meanings in Belarusian: “criticism” and “roof”. | |||
| Bosnian | kritika | ||
| The word "kritika" in Bosnian is derived from the Greek word "kritikos", meaning "able to discern or judge." | |||
| Bulgarian | критика | ||
| In Bulgarian, "критика" (criticism) also refers to the analysis and evaluation of literary and artistic works. | |||
| Czech | kritika | ||
| Kritika comes from the Greek "kritikos," meaning "able to discern," and also relates to the Slavic "kriti," meaning "to judge or condemn." | |||
| Estonian | kriitika | ||
| The word "kriitika" comes from the Greek word "kritikos," meaning "able to judge" or "judge of literature or art." | |||
| Finnish | kritiikki | ||
| The word 'kritiikki' is derived from the Greek word 'kritikos', meaning 'able to discern'. In Finnish, it can also refer to the act of giving feedback or a review. | |||
| Hungarian | kritika | ||
| "Kritika" also means 'examination' and derives from the Greek word "kritikos" meaning 'able to discern' | |||
| Latvian | kritika | ||
| Latvian word "kritika" comes from Ancient Greek word "kritikē", which means the art of discerning and judging. | |||
| Lithuanian | kritika | ||
| Macedonian | критика | ||
| The Macedonian word "критика" is derived from the Greek word “κριτική,” which originally referred to the art and science of judgment. | |||
| Polish | krytyka | ||
| In its original meaning, the word "Krytyka" was used in the sense that the word "critique" is still used today, i.e. as a literary genre. | |||
| Romanian | critică | ||
| "Critică", in Romanian, can also refer to a short narrative work of literary criticism. | |||
| Russian | критика | ||
| The word "критика" ultimately derives from the Greek word "κριτικός," meaning "able to discern" or "judge." | |||
| Serbian | критика | ||
| The word "критика" can also mean "a short review" or "a critique". | |||
| Slovak | kritika | ||
| Slovene kritika is a loan from French which originally meant "judgment". | |||
| Slovenian | kritiko | ||
| In Slovene, "kritiko" is a noun that also means 'critical faculty', and as a verb it means 'to examine or evaluate critically'. | |||
| Ukrainian | критика | ||
| The word "критика" can refer to both the act of criticizing and to a written work expressing an opinion or analysis. | |||
Criticism in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সমালোচনা | ||
| The word "সমালোচনা" can also mean "scrutiny" or "examination" in Bengali contexts. | |||
| Gujarati | ટીકા | ||
| The word 'ટીકા' (criticism) in Gujarati can also mean a commentary or an annotation on a text, especially a sacred or scholarly one. | |||
| Hindi | आलोचना | ||
| Hindi word ''आलोचना'' is also used to denote the practice of ''art criticism'', a field of specialization in art history. | |||
| Kannada | ಟೀಕೆ | ||
| "ಟೀಕೆ" is a Kannada word that originated from the Sanskrit word "tīkā", which also means "commentary" or "explanation". | |||
| Malayalam | വിമർശനം | ||
| The word "വിമർശനം" can also refer to a review or analysis of something. | |||
| Marathi | टीका | ||
| Marathi "टीका" not only refers to criticism, but can also mean a religious or scholarly commentary. | |||
| Nepali | आलोचना | ||
| The Nepali word "आलोचना" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आ + लोचन" meaning "seeing again or carefully". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਲੋਚਨਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විවේචනය | ||
| Tamil | திறனாய்வு | ||
| The Tamil word "திறனாய்வு" can also refer to "appreciation" or "the ability to discern." | |||
| Telugu | విమర్శ | ||
| Derived from 'vicaraNa' which means 'consideration', 'విమర్శ' refers not merely to faultfinding, but also to thoughtful evaluation. | |||
| Urdu | تنقید | ||
| تنقید derives from the root 'نقد' meaning to sift and separate the bad from the good. | |||
Criticism in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 批评 | ||
| 在粤语中，“批评”有“挑剔”的意思，如“唔好成日批评人”，意为“别总是挑剔别人”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 批評 | ||
| "批評" can also mean "to review" or "to evaluate" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 批判 | ||
| The Japanese word "批判" can also mean "to judge" or "to evaluate". | |||
| Korean | 비판 | ||
| In Korean, the word "비판" is derived from the Chinese characters "批" (to divide, to separate) and "判" (to judge, to decide), emphasizing the act of dividing and judging something. | |||
| Mongolian | шүүмжлэл | ||
| The Mongolian word "шүүмжлэл" ("criticism") derives from the verb "шүүх" ("to judge"), also sharing the same root with the noun "шүүх" ("court"). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝေဖန်မှု | ||
Criticism in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kritik | ||
| Kritik originally meant to judge and diagnose a patient's illness or injury | |||
| Javanese | kritik | ||
| In Javanese, the word "kritik" (criticism) can also refer to the process of examining the authenticity of gamelan instruments. | |||
| Khmer | ការរិះគន់ | ||
| Lao | ການວິພາກວິຈານ | ||
| Malay | kritikan | ||
| The word 'kritikan' in Malay is derived from the Portuguese word 'critica', meaning 'judgment' or 'discernment'. | |||
| Thai | วิจารณ์ | ||
| วิจารณ์ derives from Sanskrit and originally meant "to examine, reflect on". | |||
| Vietnamese | sự chỉ trích | ||
| Sự chỉ trích có nguồn gốc từ tiếng Hán, có nghĩa là chỉ ra khuyết điểm, còn trong tiếng Việt hiện đại có thể hiểu theo nghĩa rộng hơn là đưa ra ý kiến đánh giá, nhận xét, góp ý. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpuna | ||
Criticism in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tənqid | ||
| The word "tanqid" is of Arabic origin, meaning "to scrutinize" or " to analyze" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | сын | ||
| The Kazakh word "сын" can also mean "sharp" or "clever". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сын | ||
| The word "сын" can also refer to "a complaint or accusation" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | танқид | ||
| The word "танқид" is derived from the Arabic word "نقض", which means to "break down", "analyze", or "scrutinize". | |||
| Turkmen | tankyt | ||
| Uzbek | tanqid | ||
| In Uzbek, "tanqid" can also mean "admonition" or "advice". Alternate spellings include "tanqit" and "tanqyd". | |||
| Uyghur | تەنقىد | ||
Criticism in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻohewa | ||
| The word "hoʻohewa" can also mean "error" or "fault". | |||
| Maori | faaino | ||
| It is also believed to mean "bad" or "wrong" when used in the wider context of morality, in a similar sense to the English word "evil" | |||
| Samoan | faitioga | ||
| The Samoan word 'faitioga' also means 'instruction' or 'advice'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagpuna | ||
| "Pagpuna" can also mean "noticing" or "awareness", derived from the root word "puna" meaning "mark" or "notice". | |||
Criticism in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'umiña | ||
| Guarani | kaguai | ||
Criticism in International Languages
| Esperanto | kritiko | ||
| "Kritiko" is derived from the Greek word "kritikos", meaning "able to judge". | |||
| Latin | criticae | ||
| In Latin, "criticae" can also refer to the critical edition of a text. | |||
Criticism in Others Languages
| Greek | κριτική | ||
| The word "κριτική" in Greek has its roots in the verb "κρίνω," meaning "to judge" or "to separate," and can also refer to the discipline of literary criticism. | |||
| Hmong | kev thuam | ||
| The Hmong word "kev thuam" can also mean "advice" or "reprimand". | |||
| Kurdish | rexne | ||
| The word 'rexne' is a loanword from the Persian language, where it means 'opinion'. | |||
| Turkish | eleştiri | ||
| The word "eleştiri" can also mean "review" or "analysis". | |||
| Xhosa | ukugxeka | ||
| "Ukugxeka" is also used to describe the process of carving or sculpting, as in the shaping of wood or stone. | |||
| Yiddish | קריטיק | ||
| In modern Yiddish, קריטיק can also mean 'review' (as in a book or movie review). | |||
| Zulu | ukugxekwa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukugxekwa" also means "to be criticized" or "to find fault with". | |||
| Assamese | সমালোচনা | ||
| Aymara | k'umiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | आलोचना | ||
| Dhivehi | ފާޑުކިޔުން | ||
| Dogri | अलोचना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpuna | ||
| Guarani | kaguai | ||
| Ilocano | kritisismo | ||
| Krio | fɛn fɔlt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەخنە | ||
| Maithili | आलोचना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯩ ꯐꯠꯇꯦ ꯅꯩꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sawiselna | ||
| Oromo | qeequu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମାଲୋଚନା | ||
| Quechua | qawarayay | ||
| Sanskrit | आलोचना | ||
| Tatar | тәнкыйть | ||
| Tigrinya | ወቐሳ | ||
| Tsonga | sola | ||