Death in Different Languages
Discover 'Death' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Death is a universal concept that has fascinated and frightened humans for centuries. It is a significant and inevitable part of the human experience, and its cultural importance cannot be overstated. From ancient rituals to modern-day celebrations of life, death has been a source of inspiration and contemplation for people all over the world.
Understanding the word for 'death' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view and cope with this fundamental aspect of life. For example, in Spanish, 'muerte' carries a sense of finality and solemnity, while in Hawaiian, 'akua hala' implies that the spirit has returned to the gods. In Mandarin Chinese, 'si' is a simple and straightforward term, yet it is often accompanied by elaborate rituals and traditions.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'death' in different languages can be practical and even life-saving in certain situations. Whether you're traveling abroad or communicating with someone from a different cultural background, being able to discuss and understand this complex topic can help build bridges and foster understanding.
In the following list, you'll find the translations of 'death' in 20 different languages, along with some interesting facts and historical contexts associated with each term.
Death
Death in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dood | ||
| The Afrikaans word "dood" can also refer to a person's corpse or skeleton. | |||
| Amharic | ሞት | ||
| The word 'ሞት' in Amharic also means 'to disappear' or 'to be lost'. | |||
| Hausa | mutuwa | ||
| "Mutū" in Hausa may also refer to the "end" or "cessation" of something. | |||
| Igbo | ọnwụ | ||
| Igbo "ọnwụ" is rooted in "anwụ" (sunset), as death was seen as a setting from the world into the spirit realm | |||
| Malagasy | fahafatesana | ||
| In Madagascar, | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | imfa | ||
| The root 'imfa' in Chichewa also means 'to cease', 'to end', or 'to finish'. | |||
| Shona | rufu | ||
| "Rufu" is derived from the verb "kufa," meaning "to die" or "to die prematurely. | |||
| Somali | dhimashada | ||
| Dhimashada is derived from the Arabic word 'dhimat' meaning 'disappearance'. | |||
| Sesotho | lefu | ||
| In some Nguni languages, the word "lefu" has the alternate meaning of "the state of being dead or deceased". | |||
| Swahili | kifo | ||
| In Swahili, 'kifo' can also mean 'end' or 'conclusion'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukufa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukufa" not only means "death" but also signifies a profound transformative journey, highlighting its multifaceted nature. | |||
| Yoruba | iku | ||
| The word 'iku' in Yoruba originates from the combination of 'i', which refers to 'coming' or 'arriving', and 'ku', meaning 'end' or 'conclusion'. | |||
| Zulu | ukufa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukufa" also connotes "cessation," "end," or "conclusion" beyond the idea of death. | |||
| Bambara | saya | ||
| Ewe | ku | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urupfu | ||
| Lingala | liwa | ||
| Luganda | okufa | ||
| Sepedi | lehu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | owuo | ||
Death in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الموت | ||
| The Arabic word "الموت" (al-mawt) derives from the root "موت" (mawt), which also means "to die" or "to cease to exist." | |||
| Hebrew | מוות | ||
| The Biblical meaning of מוות is “death of the spirit”, referring to being cut off from God. | |||
| Pashto | مرګ | ||
| The Pashto word "مرګ" is also used to refer to "a funeral".} | |||
| Arabic | الموت | ||
| The Arabic word "الموت" (al-mawt) derives from the root "موت" (mawt), which also means "to die" or "to cease to exist." | |||
Death in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vdekja | ||
| The etymology of “vdekje” (“death”) is possibly related to “vdjek”, meaning “to chase” or “to pursue”, due to the belief that death comes after you. | |||
| Basque | heriotza | ||
| The word "heriotza" also means "inheritance" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | mort | ||
| The Catalan word "mort" shares its root with the Latin "mors" and the French "mort," all meaning "death." | |||
| Croatian | smrt | ||
| The word "smrt" in Croatian can also mean "fate" or "doom". | |||
| Danish | død | ||
| "Død" can mean both "death" and "tired" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | dood | ||
| Dutch "dood" also has the alternate archaic meaning of "mortal" and is related to the German word "tot". | |||
| English | death | ||
| The word "death" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dhew- ("to die"), which also gave rise to the words "dead" and "doom". | |||
| French | mort | ||
| The French word "mort" is derived from the Latin word "mors," which also means "death". It can also refer to a person who has died or to a state of decay or ruin. | |||
| Frisian | dea | ||
| The Frisian word “dea” originally meant “what was” and is related to the English word “dead,” and the German word “tot.” | |||
| Galician | morte | ||
| The Galician word "morte" is derived from the Latin word "mors", meaning "death". | |||
| German | tod | ||
| In the German-speaking areas the word "Tod" has a variety of different meanings, for example an end or a goal, as well as its original meaning, "to kill". | |||
| Icelandic | dauði | ||
| The word "dauði" has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as English "dead" and German "tot." | |||
| Irish | bás | ||
| The word "bás" in Irish can also refer to a "phantom" or "specter." | |||
| Italian | morte | ||
| The Italian word "Morte" derives from the Latin word "mors," meaning "death" or "fate." | |||
| Luxembourgish | doud | ||
| Some sources state that 'Doud' is derived from the Indo-European root *dhew- ('to suffocate'), while others believe it is connected to the Old High German word 'tod', meaning 'death'. | |||
| Maltese | mewt | ||
| "Mewt" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic "mawt", which can also refer to "dying", "being sick" and "deceased". | |||
| Norwegian | død | ||
| The word 'død' is derived from the Old Norse word 'dauðr', meaning 'dead' or 'a corpse', and is cognate with the English word 'dead'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | morte | ||
| The Portuguese word "morte" (death) can also be used to refer to an unlucky or fatal outcome. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bàs | ||
| The Gaelic word "bàs" also refers to the final stage of a bee's life cycle, when they die. | |||
| Spanish | muerte | ||
| In Spanish, "muerte" can also refer to "fate" or "destiny." | |||
| Swedish | död | ||
| "Död" is also a verb meaning "to kill" and a noun meaning "dead body" | |||
| Welsh | marwolaeth | ||
| The Welsh word 'marwolaeth' is derived from the Proto-Celtic word 'marwo', meaning 'dead' or 'corpse'. | |||
Death in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | смерць | ||
| "Смерць" is a word of dual meaning, which, apart from its original meaning, acquired the additional meaning of "the whirlwind, the tornado" under the influence of the word "смерч" in Russian. | |||
| Bosnian | smrt | ||
| The word "smrt" also has a colloquial meaning referring to an evil or dangerous person; an assassin, criminal, or tyrant. | |||
| Bulgarian | смърт | ||
| "Смърт" comes from Proto-Slavic *sьmьrtь." The original Proto-Indo-European root *mer-, *mor-, meant "to die," but it also has a related meaning "to vanish" or "to disappear". | |||
| Czech | smrt | ||
| The word "smrt" can also mean "the right time" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | surm | ||
| The word "surm" in Estonian is derived from the Proto-Uralic word "*surem" meaning "death" or "die". | |||
| Finnish | kuolema | ||
| "Kuolema" shares its root with "kylmä", meaning "cold", implying the death of warmth. | |||
| Hungarian | halál | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "halál" ("death") also refers to the "passing of a person from life to death" and to the "end of something" | |||
| Latvian | nāve | ||
| The Latvian word "nāve" is cognate with the Old Prussian "nawis", which means "corpse" and with the Lithuanian word "navas", which refers to a "cadaver" and "carrion". | |||
| Lithuanian | mirtis | ||
| The word "mirtis" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mer- " and is related to the Old Prussian word "mirtis" and the Old Irish word "mart". | |||
| Macedonian | смрт | ||
| The Macedonian word "смрт" (death) shares the same root as the English word "mortal". | |||
| Polish | śmierć | ||
| The Polish word "śmierć" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*smъrtь", also related to the Old Irish "mart", and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mer-", "to die or kill". | |||
| Romanian | moarte | ||
| The word "moarte" in Romanian is derived from the Latin "mors, mortis," meaning "death," and it can also refer to "the state of being dead" or "the end of life." | |||
| Russian | смерть | ||
| "Смерть" in Russian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъmьrtь, which meant "corpse". | |||
| Serbian | смрт | ||
| It is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *smrtь, meaning "violent death". | |||
| Slovak | smrť | ||
| The word "smrť" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *smъrtь, meaning "death" as well as "fate" or "necessity". | |||
| Slovenian | smrt | ||
| The word "smrt" can also refer to a funeral or the act of dying, as well as the state of being dead. | |||
| Ukrainian | смерть | ||
| The Ukrainian word "смерть" is cognate with the Proto-Slavic word "*smъrtь", meaning "death" or "mortal"} | |||
Death in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মৃত্যু | ||
| "মৃত্যু" (death) also denotes a type of "small drum" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | મૃત્યુ | ||
| "મૃત્યુ," a word for "death" in Gujarati, also means "the state of being extinct". | |||
| Hindi | मौत | ||
| The word 'मौत' (death) in Hindi derives from the Sanskrit root 'मृ' (to die) and is cognate with English 'mortal'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾವು | ||
| The word 'ಸಾವು' is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *sā-, meaning 'to die' or 'to perish'. | |||
| Malayalam | മരണം | ||
| "മരണം" in Malayalam can also mean "tree" or "plant", derived from the Sanskrit word "mṛta" meaning "dead". | |||
| Marathi | मृत्यू | ||
| The word "मृत्यू" (death) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "मृत्यु" (mortality, decay), which is related to the Proto-Indo-European word "*mer-," meaning "to die." | |||
| Nepali | मृत्यु | ||
| The Nepali word for "death", "मृत्यु", is derived from the Sanskrit word "मृ" meaning "to die" and it is also associated with the concept of release or liberation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੌਤ | ||
| The word 'ਮੌਤ' (death) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मृत' (dead), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *mer- (to die). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මරණය | ||
| In Sinhala, “මරණය” also refers to the state of being lifeless after death. | |||
| Tamil | இறப்பு | ||
| இறப்பு means not only death but also a setting (as of the sun) and a fall (as of leaves or a river). | |||
| Telugu | మరణం | ||
| The word 'మరణం' in Telugu can also refer to 'the final stage of life,' 'the act of dying,' or 'the state of being dead'. | |||
| Urdu | موت | ||
| The word "موت" primarily means death in Urdu, but it also holds a religious connotation of "the angel of death" (in Islam) under its alternate meaning. | |||
Death in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 死亡 | ||
| 死亡 (sǐwáng) may also refer to 'to die' or 'to pass away' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 死亡 | ||
| In Chinese, '死亡' literally means 'to perish by sickness or injury'. | |||
| Japanese | 死 | ||
| "死" can also mean "must" or "should" when used as a suffix to a verb. | |||
| Korean | 죽음 | ||
| "죽음" can mean not only death but also a serious illness or defeat | |||
| Mongolian | үхэл | ||
| The word "үхэл" can also refer to the state of being dead or the process of dying. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သေခြင်း | ||
Death in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kematian | ||
| The Indonesian word "kematian" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root "*kamati", which also means "death" in various other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Javanese | pati | ||
| Pati (death) also means "origin" or "cause" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ការស្លាប់ | ||
| The word "ការស្លាប់" is also used to refer to a funeral or the state of being dead. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຕາຍ | ||
| Malay | kematian | ||
| The word "kematian" can also refer to a state of unconsciousness or a point of no return. | |||
| Thai | ความตาย | ||
| The Thai word "ความตาย" originates from the Sanskrit word "mrityu" meaning "passing away" or "fading away". | |||
| Vietnamese | tử vong | ||
| In Vietnamese, "tử vong" can also mean "to die" or "to pass away." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kamatayan | ||
Death in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ölüm | ||
| "Ölüm" also means "immortal" in Azerbaijani, highlighting the cycle of life and death. | |||
| Kazakh | өлім | ||
| The word "өлім" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*ölüm", which also means "to die" or "to kill". | |||
| Kyrgyz | өлүм | ||
| The word "өлүм" also derives from the Proto-Turkic word "öl-," meaning "to kill," and has cognate meanings in several other Turkic languages. | |||
| Tajik | марг | ||
| The word "марг" in Tajik may also refer to a "cadaver" or a "corpse". | |||
| Turkmen | ölüm | ||
| Uzbek | o'lim | ||
| "O'lim" in Uzbek has two other meanings besides "death": "year" and "eternity". | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆلۈم | ||
Death in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | make | ||
| "Make" can also refer to a type of Hawaiian shark and an ancient weapon, and, in a non-literal sense, a period of mourning. | |||
| Maori | mate | ||
| The Maori word 'mate' can also mean 'friend' or 'spouse', and is cognate with the Proto-Polynesian word *mate, meaning 'dead' or 'to die'. | |||
| Samoan | oti | ||
| The word "oti" can also mean "to cease" or "to end" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kamatayan | ||
| The word "kamatayan" in Tagalog also refers to the underworld or the domain of the dead and is derived from the root word "kamat" meaning "to die". | |||
Death in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiwa | ||
| Guarani | te'õngue | ||
Death in International Languages
| Esperanto | morto | ||
| The Esperanto word "morto" is a noun which also functions adverbially and, when capitalized, is the personification of Death. | |||
| Latin | mortem | ||
| "Mortem" in Latin also refers to a sacrifice offered to a deity, particularly a human sacrifice. | |||
Death in Others Languages
| Greek | θάνατος | ||
| The term “θάνατος” is the Ancient Greek word for death derived from Proto-Indo-European “*dʰen-”, meaning to “put” or “place”. | |||
| Hmong | kev tuag | ||
| The Hmong word for “death”, “kev tuag”, can also mean “to become a spirit” or “to be born into the afterlife”. | |||
| Kurdish | mirin | ||
| The word "mirin" can also refer to a state of being dead and lifeless. | |||
| Turkish | ölüm | ||
| Ölüm, meaning "death" in Turkish, also refers to a traditional mourning ritual including lamentations and wailing. | |||
| Xhosa | ukufa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukufa" not only means "death" but also signifies a profound transformative journey, highlighting its multifaceted nature. | |||
| Yiddish | טויט | ||
| The Yiddish word "טויט" "toyt" (death), is cognate with the German word "Tod". | |||
| Zulu | ukufa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukufa" also connotes "cessation," "end," or "conclusion" beyond the idea of death. | |||
| Assamese | মৃত্যু | ||
| Aymara | jiwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मऊगत | ||
| Dhivehi | މަރު | ||
| Dogri | मौत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kamatayan | ||
| Guarani | te'õngue | ||
| Ilocano | pannakatay | ||
| Krio | day | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەرگ | ||
| Maithili | मृत्यु | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thihna | ||
| Oromo | du'a | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମୃତ୍ୟୁ | ||
| Quechua | wañuy | ||
| Sanskrit | मृत्यु | ||
| Tatar | үлем | ||
| Tigrinya | ሞት | ||
| Tsonga | rifu | ||