Debt in Different Languages
Discover 'Debt' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Debt: a simple word with profound implications. It holds significant weight in our personal lives, economies, and even historical narratives. The cultural importance of debt is undeniable, shaping societal structures and individual behaviors. But what happens when we explore this concept across languages?
Understanding the translation of debt in different languages can offer fascinating insights into cultural nuances and historical contexts. For instance, the German word Schulden shares roots with the term for guilt, Schuld, reflecting a unique cultural perspective on owing. Meanwhile, in Japan, the word for debt, tsuuchou, carries a connotation of depth and seriousness, indicative of the country's complex relationship with owing.
Whether you're a global citizen, a language enthusiast, or simply curious, delving into the translations of debt can be a rewarding journey. Here's a glimpse into how various cultures and languages grapple with this complex concept:
Debt
Debt in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skuld | ||
| The word "skuld" can also refer to a feeling of guilt or remorse, or a legal obligation. | |||
| Amharic | ዕዳ | ||
| The word "ዕዳ" can also mean "burden" or "obligation". | |||
| Hausa | bashi | ||
| "Bashi" can mean "debt, liability, obligation, mortgage" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ụgwọ | ||
| "Ụgwọ" derives from the verb "ụgụ," meaning "to owe" or "to be indebted," and also refers to the object or amount owed. | |||
| Malagasy | trosa | ||
| Malagasy "trosa" is thought to share an etymological relation to English "trust". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ngongole | ||
| The word ngongole also means 'a burden or an obligation' in Chichewa. | |||
| Shona | chikwereti | ||
| The Shona word 'chikwereti' literally means 'something that is hanging' and is also used to refer to an unpaid loan. | |||
| Somali | deyn | ||
| The term "deyn" derives from the Arabic word "dayn", meaning both "debt" and "liability." | |||
| Sesotho | mokoloto | ||
| The Sesotho word 'mokoloto' is derived from the root '-kolota', which means 'to borrow or lend'. This suggests that debt is viewed as a form of borrowing in Sesotho culture. | |||
| Swahili | deni | ||
| The Swahili word "deni" also means "sin" or "wrongdoing". | |||
| Xhosa | ityala | ||
| The word 'ityala' can also denote a complaint, grievance, or dispute that needs to be addressed in a court setting. | |||
| Yoruba | gbese | ||
| "Gbese" can colloquially mean "sin" or "offense" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isikweletu | ||
| In Zulu, "isikweletu" can also mean obligation or an amount due that may not necessarily be monetary. | |||
| Bambara | juru | ||
| Ewe | fe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwenda | ||
| Lingala | nyongo | ||
| Luganda | ebbanja | ||
| Sepedi | sekoloto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛka | ||
Debt in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دين | ||
| The Arabic word "دين" (dīn) also means "religion" or "faith". | |||
| Hebrew | חוֹב | ||
| While the Hebrew word "חוֹב" is typically translated as "debt," it can also mean "sin" or "guilt". | |||
| Pashto | پور | ||
| The Pashto word "پور" also means "to carry on one's back". | |||
| Arabic | دين | ||
| The Arabic word "دين" (dīn) also means "religion" or "faith". | |||
Debt in Western European Languages
| Albanian | borxh | ||
| The word "borxh" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "fors", meaning "chance," and also signifies "luck" or "fate" in some contexts. | |||
| Basque | zorra | ||
| The Basque word "zorra" can also mean 'fox' in Spanish, likely due to the similarity in pronunciation and the shared Indo-European root *h₂wers- 'beast' | |||
| Catalan | deute | ||
| In the past, "deute" also meant "due" or "tax", and also "duty" in the sense of "obligation" | |||
| Croatian | dug | ||
| In Croatian, "dug" has meanings related to "debt", "length", and "sound". | |||
| Danish | gæld | ||
| The Old Norse word gælda meant "to pay" or "to perform an obligation" and could refer to any form of payment or compensation, not only to monetary debt. | |||
| Dutch | schuld | ||
| In Old Dutch 'schuld' signified 'what one has on his shoulders', as from the Latin 'culpa'. | |||
| English | debt | ||
| The word "debt" originates from the Latin word "debitum," meaning "that which is owed." | |||
| French | dette | ||
| Derived from Latin, 'debita,' meaning 'what is owed,' 'dette' can also denote a legal obligation to provide money or service. | |||
| Frisian | skuld | ||
| Skuld, in the Frisian dialect spoken on the North Frisian island of Föhr, also means "guilt". | |||
| Galician | débeda | ||
| The word "débeda" in Galician is a derivative of the Latin word "debitus", which also means debt. | |||
| German | schuld | ||
| "Schuld" originally meant "guilt" or "fault" in Old High German, which still holds true in modern German for the phrases "Schuld haben" (to be guilty) or "Schuld tragen" (to bear the guilt). | |||
| Icelandic | skuld | ||
| The word "skuld" also means "fate" or "destiny" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | fiach | ||
| The word "fiach" in Irish also means "raven" and is related to the Latin word "corvus". | |||
| Italian | debito | ||
| The word "debito" can also mean "duty" or "obligation" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schold | ||
| The word "Schold" is derived from the German word "Schuld" and shares the same meaning in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | dejn | ||
| The Maltese word "dejn" is derived from the Latin word "debitum", meaning "that which is owed". | |||
| Norwegian | gjeld | ||
| "Gjeld" is cognate with English "yield" and "geld" (payment), as well as German "gelt" (money). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dívida | ||
| The word "dívida" in Portuguese can also refer to a "promise" or an "obligation". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fiachan | ||
| "Fiacha" is also a plural of "fiu" (debtor). | |||
| Spanish | deuda | ||
| The word "deuda" in Spanish originates from the Latin "debita," meaning "something owed" or "due." | |||
| Swedish | skuld | ||
| "Skuld" in Swedish also refers to one of the three Norns in Norse mythology, who weaves the thread of destiny. | |||
| Welsh | dyled | ||
| In Welsh, "dyled" shares roots with "diwylliant" (culture), reflecting the ancestral importance of reciprocal ties in preserving communal values. | |||
Debt in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | запазычанасць | ||
| The word | |||
| Bosnian | dug | ||
| In Bosnian, 'dug' can also refer to a hole in the ground or a unit of measurement for volume. | |||
| Bulgarian | дълг | ||
| The word "дълг" also means "duty" or "obligation" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dluh | ||
| In Slavic languages, "dluh" shares a common origin with the word for "long" and can imply a sense of burden or delay. | |||
| Estonian | võlg | ||
| The Estonian word "võlg" is related to the Finnish word "velka" and the Hungarian word "adósság". | |||
| Finnish | velka | ||
| Velka comes from the Proto-Germanic "welhaną" with the original meaning being "something to be paid for" | |||
| Hungarian | adósság | ||
| In loanwords, the word “adósság” also refers to the sum of the duties to be paid for a given year, or the duty itself. | |||
| Latvian | parāds | ||
| The term parāds derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁perǵʰ- 'to owe, be subject to' | |||
| Lithuanian | skolos | ||
| The word "skolos" in Lithuanian also has the alternate meaning of "loss" or "damage". | |||
| Macedonian | долг | ||
| "Долг" (debt) shares the same etymology with the word "дług" in Polish and the word "dług" in Slovak, all meaning "debt." | |||
| Polish | dług | ||
| "Dług" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dъlъgъ, meaning "long". | |||
| Romanian | creanţă | ||
| «Creanţă» comes from the Latin word «credens» which means «trusting» or «believer», but also «debtor» and «creditor». | |||
| Russian | долг | ||
| The Russian word "долг" can also mean "duty" or "obligation". | |||
| Serbian | дуг | ||
| The word "дуг" also means "arc" in Serbian, likely deriving from the Proto-Slavic "*dǫgъ" meaning "bend" or "curve". | |||
| Slovak | dlh | ||
| The word "dlh" can also mean "mortgage" or "loan". | |||
| Slovenian | dolga | ||
| The Slovene word "dolga" also signifies an elongated object, like the German "Dille", an old agricultural tool for cutting. | |||
| Ukrainian | борг | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "debt," the Ukrainian word "борг" also carries the connotation of a "burden" or "obligation." | |||
Debt in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | debtণ | ||
| The word 'debtণ' is derived from a Sanskrit root meaning 'to bind' and is related to the English word 'duty'. | |||
| Gujarati | દેવું | ||
| The Gujarati word for "debt" is an example of a false friend, as it derives from the Indo-Aryan root *dʰey-*, meaning "to place" or "to put." | |||
| Hindi | कर्ज | ||
| The word "कर्ज" (karza) derives from the Sanskrit "krj" meaning "to borrow" or "to owe." | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಲ | ||
| The term "ಸಾಲ" in Kannada carries an alternate connotation of "a series", often found in the context of a sequence or a line. | |||
| Malayalam | കടം | ||
| The word "കടം" (kadam) in Malayalam also refers to a measurement of length equal to approximately 20 inches. | |||
| Marathi | कर्ज | ||
| The word "कर्ज" comes from the Sanskrit word "ऋण" (pronounced as "runa"), which also means "debt" or "obligation." | |||
| Nepali | .ण | ||
| The word "ण" is also used to mean "mortgage" or "bond" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਰਜ਼ਾ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "करज़ा" also means "borrowing; asking" and not only "debt," with which it is mostly associated in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ණය | ||
| The Sinhala word ණය (debt) also refers to a monetary system in ancient Sri Lanka. | |||
| Tamil | கடன் | ||
| கடன் may also mean "credit" or the "debit" side of an account book. | |||
| Telugu | అప్పు | ||
| The word "అప్పు" (debt) in Telugu is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *appa, meaning "to receive". | |||
| Urdu | قرض | ||
| "قرض" can also mean "a loan", "an amount of money borrowed" in Urdu. | |||
Debt in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 债务 | ||
| The word "债务" is derived from the Chinese characters "借" (borrow) and "务" (duty), signifying an obligation to repay a borrowed amount. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 債務 | ||
| The word "債務" can also mean "obligation" or "responsibility" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 債務 | ||
| The word 債務, meaning "debt," is written with a character that was originally used to represent a bond or obligation. | |||
| Korean | 빚 | ||
| "빚" is a Sino-Korean word derived from the Middle Chinese word "piet" and also means "to owe". | |||
| Mongolian | өр | ||
| The word "өр" can also refer to a "burden", like a moral obligation. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကြွေး | ||
| The word "အကြွေး" originates from the Pali word "karaṇa" which means "act, deed, task, cause"} | |||
Debt in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hutang | ||
| Hutang in Indonesian comes from Arabic 'huttan' which originally means 'to hide' and it is related to 'hajat', meaning 'something needed' or a 'necessity'. | |||
| Javanese | utang | ||
| The Javanese word "utang" (debt) also refers to a ritual obligation to repay a kindness or favor. | |||
| Khmer | បំណុល | ||
| The Khmer word "បំណុល" (debt) shares the same etymological root as the Thai word "หนี้" (debt), both deriving from the Proto-Austroasiatic word *ɲuŋ | |||
| Lao | ຫນີ້ສິນ | ||
| The term 'หนี้สิน' in Lao is an umbrella term that encompasses both 'loan' and 'debt'. | |||
| Malay | hutang | ||
| The word "hutang" in Malay shares its roots with the Sanskrit words "kudra" (horse) and "tungga" (saddle), suggesting the ancient practice of pledging horses as collateral. | |||
| Thai | หนี้ | ||
| หนี้ can also mean 'sin', and can be used in contexts unrelated to financial matters, such as 'the sins of the father are visited upon the son'. | |||
| Vietnamese | món nợ | ||
| The word "món nợ" can also refer to a "burden" or "obligation". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | utang | ||
Debt in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | borc | ||
| The word "borc" in Azerbaijani derives from the Persian word "vard" meaning "gift". The concept has evolved over time, with "borc" now referring to a financial obligation. | |||
| Kazakh | қарыз | ||
| The Kazakh word "қарыз" can also refer to a loan or a favor that is expected to be repaid. | |||
| Kyrgyz | карыз | ||
| The word "карыз" can also refer to a loan or a mortgage. | |||
| Tajik | қарз | ||
| The word "қарз" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "qarz", which means "loan" or "borrowing", and is also a cognate of the Sanskrit word "kṛṇa" meaning "to borrow" or "to be in debt." | |||
| Turkmen | bergisi | ||
| Uzbek | qarz | ||
| The word "qarz" can also mean "borrowed" or "loaned" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | قەرز | ||
Debt in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻaiʻē | ||
| ʻAiʻē also refers to the act of being in debt or a debtor, and is thought to have originated from a combination of the words ʻai (to eat) and ʻē (to borrow). | |||
| Maori | nama | ||
| Though today 'nama' only represents 'debt' in Maori, it has also been used to refer to 'gifts' or 'things received', hinting at the reciprocal nature of pre-colonial economics. | |||
| Samoan | aitalafu | ||
| In Samoan, the word "aitalafu" refers specifically to a debt that is owed to a family member or close friend, rather than a financial institution. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | utang | ||
| The root word of "utang" is the Sanskrit word "rtna" that means "something received" as an equivalent to something given | |||
Debt in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manu | ||
| Guarani | tepyme'ẽrã | ||
Debt in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝuldo | ||
| Derived from Latin "culpa" (fault), "ŝuldo" also retains its original meaning, meaning "transgression or offense." | |||
| Latin | debitum | ||
| The Latin word "debitum" also means "duty" or "obligation." | |||
Debt in Others Languages
| Greek | χρέος | ||
| In ancient Greek, 'χρέος' also meant "need" or "obligation," and was related to words like 'χρεία' (need) and 'χράω' (to use). | |||
| Hmong | nuj nqis | ||
| The Hmong word "nuj nqis" can also mean "responsibility" or "obligation." | |||
| Kurdish | suc | ||
| The word "suc" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "sog" and also means "benefit" or "income". | |||
| Turkish | borç | ||
| The word "borç" can also refer to a "duty" or a "burden" in Turkish, reflecting its historical origin as a "load" or "weight" carried on one's back. | |||
| Xhosa | ityala | ||
| The word 'ityala' can also denote a complaint, grievance, or dispute that needs to be addressed in a court setting. | |||
| Yiddish | כויוו | ||
| The word "כויוו" (khoyuv) in Yiddish is derived from the Hebrew word "חוב" (chov) and also has the alternate meaning of "obligation". | |||
| Zulu | isikweletu | ||
| In Zulu, "isikweletu" can also mean obligation or an amount due that may not necessarily be monetary. | |||
| Assamese | ধাৰ | ||
| Aymara | manu | ||
| Bhojpuri | कर्ज | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަރަނި | ||
| Dogri | कर्ज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | utang | ||
| Guarani | tepyme'ẽrã | ||
| Ilocano | utang | ||
| Krio | dɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قەرز | ||
| Maithili | कर्जा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯟꯗꯣꯟ | ||
| Mizo | leiba | ||
| Oromo | liqaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରୂଣ | ||
| Quechua | manu | ||
| Sanskrit | ऋण | ||
| Tatar | бурыч | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕዳ | ||
| Tsonga | xikweleti | ||