Defend in Different Languages
Discover 'Defend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'defend' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting the act of protecting something or someone from harm or danger. This concept is universal, making it a crucial part of many languages and cultures around the world.
Throughout history, defense has played a pivotal role in shaping societies, from military strategies to legal systems. The notion of defending one's rights, beliefs, or territory has been a central theme in many historical events, stories, and philosophies.
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding the translation of 'defend' in different languages can help bridge cultural gaps and foster global communication. For instance, in Spanish, 'defend' is 'defender', while in French, it's 'défendre'. In German, the word is 'verteidigen', and in Japanese, it's '護衛する' (go-ei suru).
Exploring the translations of 'defend' offers a unique perspective on how different cultures approach the concept of protection and self-preservation. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of language and culture through the lens of this important word.
Defend
Defend in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verdedig | ||
| Verdedig means 'green' or 'vegetable' in the 1602 Bible translation by Jan van der Linde, but the modern meaning is 'defend'. | |||
| Amharic | ተከላከል | ||
| The word "ተከላከል" (defend) in Amharic shares its root with other words like "ተከላ" (depend on) and "መከል" (ask). | |||
| Hausa | kare | ||
| Kare is often used figuratively or metaphorically in Hausa to refer to the protection of one's honor or dignity. | |||
| Igbo | chebe | ||
| In Igbo, the word "chebe" can also mean "to protect" or "to shield". | |||
| Malagasy | hiaro | ||
| The Malagasy word "hiaro" also means "to deny" and "to conceal". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuteteza | ||
| Etymology: Probably from the Proto-Bantu root *-teteza 'to protect'. | |||
| Shona | kudzivirira | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "defend," kudzivirira can also mean "to protect" or "to guard." | |||
| Somali | difaaco | ||
| The word "difaaco" also means "protection" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | sireletsa | ||
| The word "sireletsa" in Sesotho can also mean "to guard" or "to protect". | |||
| Swahili | kutetea | ||
| The word "kutetea" also refers to the action of protecting or shielding something. | |||
| Xhosa | khusela | ||
| The word "khusela" in Xhosa also means "to be brave". | |||
| Yoruba | gbeja | ||
| Gbeja is a Yoruba term meaning 'support' or 'uphold', derived from the word 'gba' meaning 'take' and 'ja' meaning 'fight' or 'resist'. | |||
| Zulu | vikela | ||
| "Vikela" can also mean "be careful" or "be cautious" in Zulu, highlighting the connection between defense and personal safety. | |||
| Bambara | ka lakana | ||
| Ewe | ʋli ta | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurengera | ||
| Lingala | kobunda | ||
| Luganda | okuwolereza | ||
| Sepedi | šireletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔ ban | ||
Defend in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الدفاع | ||
| Etymology: from (دَفَعَ (dafa‘a - to ward off or prevent - cognate with the English "defend" which has the same origin. | |||
| Hebrew | לְהַגֵן | ||
| "לְהַגֵן" also refers to gardening or working on a plot of land. | |||
| Pashto | دفاع | ||
| The word "دفاع" (defend) in Pashto also means "protection" or "shelter". | |||
| Arabic | الدفاع | ||
| Etymology: from (دَفَعَ (dafa‘a - to ward off or prevent - cognate with the English "defend" which has the same origin. | |||
Defend in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbroj | ||
| It is also sometimes used in the sense of protecting or safeguarding. | |||
| Basque | defendatu | ||
| The word 'defendatu' also means 'to protect' in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | defensar | ||
| The Catalan word 'defensar' also means 'to support' or 'to protect', sharing its etymology with the Latin verb 'defendere' meaning 'to ward off' | |||
| Croatian | braniti | ||
| The word "braniti" in Croatian also has the meaning of "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
| Danish | forsvare | ||
| The word “forsvare” was originally used in the sense of “to answer” or “to justify”. | |||
| Dutch | verdedigen | ||
| The Dutch verb 'verdedigen' (defend) comes from the noun 'verdediging' (defense), which in turn comes from the Latin verb 'defendere' (to ward off). | |||
| English | defend | ||
| Defend is derived from the Latin word "defendere", meaning to ward off or protect. | |||
| French | défendre | ||
| The French verb "défendre" can also mean to forbid or prohibit something. | |||
| Frisian | ferdigenje | ||
| The etymology of the word "ferdigenje" is unclear, but it may be related to the Old Frisian word "ferdigena" meaning "to protect" or "to defend". | |||
| Galician | defender | ||
| In Galician, "defender" can also refer to a legal guardian appointed for a minor or a person with a disability. | |||
| German | verteidigen | ||
| "Verteidigen" originally comes from the verb "dingen". It meant "to hire". Someone who was hired to fight or protect was called a "Dingmann". | |||
| Icelandic | verja | ||
| Although it is pronounced "verja" in Icelandic, it has no relation to the Spanish word "verja" (meaning "fence" or "grating"). | |||
| Irish | chosaint | ||
| The Irish word "chosaint" originally meant "to protect" or "to shelter". | |||
| Italian | difendere | ||
| In Italian, "difendere" can also mean "to shield" or "to protect". | |||
| Luxembourgish | verdeedegen | ||
| The word "verdeedegen" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Old High German word "fartedingen", meaning "to protect or guard". | |||
| Maltese | tiddefendi | ||
| In the past, the word 'tiddefendi' was used to mean 'protect' and 'preserve'. | |||
| Norwegian | forsvare | ||
| "Forsvare" is also used in Norwegian to describe protecting one's honor or reputation. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | defender | ||
| "Defender" comes from the Latin verb "defendere" which means "to protect" but it can also mean "to forbid, prohibit". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dìon | ||
| The noun dìon also means "shelter, protection" or "stronghold, fort" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | defender | ||
| Defender can also mean “to prohibit” and “to prevent” in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | försvara | ||
| The word "försvara" comes from the Old Norse word "varð", meaning "to guard", and is also related to the German word "wehren" and the English word "ward". | |||
| Welsh | amddiffyn | ||
| The word "amddiffyn" in Welsh derives from the Proto-Celtic root *kom-defend-, meaning "to protect" or "to cover". | |||
Defend in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абараняць | ||
| "Абараняць" comes from the Slavic root "oboron-", which also gave rise to the Russian word "оборонять" and the Polish word "obronić". | |||
| Bosnian | braniti | ||
| The word "braniti" also means "to protect" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *borniti, which means "to fight". | |||
| Bulgarian | защитавам | ||
| The word "защитавам" comes from Slavic, and originally meant "to hold back" or "to bar". | |||
| Czech | hájit | ||
| The word "hájit" can also refer to throwing something, such as a stone or a javelin. | |||
| Estonian | kaitsma | ||
| The word "kaitsma" in Estonian is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*kojˀt-," which originally meant "to hide" or "to protect." | |||
| Finnish | puolustaa | ||
| Puolustaa, from root *puol*, means to 'stick to' or 'hold on to,' implying defense as a means of retention. | |||
| Hungarian | megvédeni | ||
| The Hungarian word "megvédeni" is a compound word, formed from the words "meg" (denoting completion) and "védeni" (meaning "to guard", "to protect"). | |||
| Latvian | aizstāvēt | ||
| The Latvian word "aizstāvēt" has an interesting etymology, possibly originating from the Old Prussian "astans" (meaning "stand") or the Sanskrit "stav" (meaning "to praise"). | |||
| Lithuanian | ginti | ||
| Lithuanian word "ginti" also means "to graze" and originates from the hypothetical Proto-Indo-European root *gʰendh- meaning "to hold tightly". | |||
| Macedonian | брани | ||
| The word "брани" in Macedonian can also refer to a fence or a border, as it derives from the Proto-Slavic word *borniti, meaning "to protect or defend." | |||
| Polish | bronić | ||
| In the language of the Prussians, the name of the Supreme God is *Bruntas* - a defender, guardian. | |||
| Romanian | apăra | ||
| The Romanian word "apăra" also means "to appear" or "to be seen". | |||
| Russian | защищать | ||
| The verb “защищать” comes from the Old Russian “щитити”, meaning “to cover with a shield or other protective gear” | |||
| Serbian | бранити | ||
| The verb 'бранити' can also mean 'to forbid'. | |||
| Slovak | brániť sa | ||
| Brániť sa may also mean to protect, maintain, uphold, keep, or preserve. | |||
| Slovenian | braniti | ||
| In archaic or literary use, "braniti" also means to forbid. | |||
| Ukrainian | захищати | ||
| The Ukrainian word for "defend" has also meanings of "shield", "protect", and "guard". | |||
Defend in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রক্ষা করা | ||
| The word "রক্ষা করা" can also mean "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
| Gujarati | કોઈ રન નોંધાયો નહીં | ||
| The word "defend" comes from the Latin word "defendere," which means "to ward off" or "to protect." | |||
| Hindi | बचाव | ||
| The word "बचाव" (bachaav) can also mean "to save" or "to protect". | |||
| Kannada | ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿ | ||
| The word "ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रक्ष" (rakṣa), meaning "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രതിരോധിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | बचाव | ||
| The Marathi word 'बचाव' translates to both 'defense' and 'protection', suggesting its dual role as a shield and a safeguard. | |||
| Nepali | रक्षा गर्नुहोस् | ||
| "रक्षा गर्नुहोस्" is also used in the sense of "to protect" or "to guard" something. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਚਾਓ | ||
| The word "ਬਚਾਓ" can also mean "to save" or "to protect" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආරක්ෂා කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | பாதுகாக்க | ||
| The word "பாதுகாக்க" in Tamil is also used to convey the idea of guarding, preserving, or protecting something of value. | |||
| Telugu | రక్షించు | ||
| The word 'రక్షించు' (rakshinchu) is derived from the Sanskrit root 'रक्ष्' (raksh), meaning 'to protect'. | |||
| Urdu | دفاع | ||
| In Urdu, "دفاع" can also mean "support" or "protection". | |||
Defend in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 捍卫 | ||
| The character "卫" (wei) in "捍卫" originally meant "to protect", hence the meaning of "defending". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 保衛 | ||
| The character "保" in "保衛" represents protection through wrapping and covering, while "衛" means shielding and guarding an area or person from danger. | |||
| Japanese | 守る | ||
| The word "守る" (mamoru) can also mean "to keep" or "to guard". | |||
| Korean | 지키다 | ||
| "지키다" can also mean "to wait for" or "to keep something in the same place." | |||
| Mongolian | хамгаалах | ||
| The word "хамгаалах" can also mean "to protect", "to shield", or "to guard". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခုခံကာကွယ်ပါ | ||
Defend in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | membela | ||
| The word "membela" is derived from the Sanskrit word "mandal", which means "circle" or "assembly". | |||
| Javanese | mbela | ||
| The word "mbela" can also mean "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
| Khmer | ការពារ | ||
| The term "ការពារ" can refer to defending both a position or argument and physical protection. | |||
| Lao | ປ້ອງກັນ | ||
| Malay | mempertahankan | ||
| "Mempertahankan" comes from the Malay root word "tahan," meaning "to withstand," and shares its root with "tahan sakit" (endurance), "tahan lapar" (resilience), and "tahan uji" (steadfastness). | |||
| Thai | ป้องกัน | ||
| The word "ป้องกัน" (defend) also means to obstruct or prevent something from happening. | |||
| Vietnamese | phòng thủ | ||
| Phòng thủ also means "prevention" in Vietnamese, with a similar etymology to "quarantine". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ipagtanggol | ||
Defend in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müdafiə etmək | ||
| The word "müdafiə etmək" in Azerbaijani can also mean "to protect", "to guard", or "to support". | |||
| Kazakh | қорғау | ||
| The word "қорғау" also means "protect" or "shelter" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | коргоо | ||
| The word "коргоо" also means "protection", "shield", and "fence" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | дифоъ кунед | ||
| "Difo' kuned" is the Tajik word for "to defend". It is derived from the Persian word "defend", which means "to protect or guard". | |||
| Turkmen | goramak | ||
| Uzbek | himoya qilmoq | ||
| The word "himoya qilmoq" is derived from the Persian word "himāyat" (protection). | |||
| Uyghur | مۇداپىئە | ||
Defend in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pale aku | ||
| Although in most contexts "pale aku" means "defend", it can also mean "protect" or "rescue". | |||
| Maori | parepare | ||
| The word "parepare" in Maori can also refer to a fortified place or a defensive line. | |||
| Samoan | puipuia | ||
| The word “puipuia” means “to defend” in Samoan, and is derived from the root word “puipui” meaning “to protect”. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ipagtanggol | ||
| The word "ipagtanggol" is a verb in Tagalog that means "to defend", but it can also refer to the act of sheltering, protecting, or safeguarding something or someone. | |||
Defend in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arxataña | ||
| Guarani | pysyrõ | ||
Defend in International Languages
| Esperanto | defendi | ||
| The Esperanto word 'defendi' is derived from the Latin verb 'defendere', meaning 'to protect' or 'to guard'. | |||
| Latin | defendere | ||
| The Latin verb "defendere" also means "to ward off" or "to forbid". | |||
Defend in Others Languages
| Greek | υπερασπίζω | ||
| The term υπερασπίζω, meaning literally 'to cover with one's shield,' was also used as a legal phrase meaning 'to plead someone's case in court.' | |||
| Hmong | tiv thaiv | ||
| The word "tiv thaiv" can also mean "prevent" or "protect" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | parastin | ||
| The Kurdish word "parastin" is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root "*parastā-," which also gave rise to the English word "protection". | |||
| Turkish | savunmak | ||
| The word "savunmak" also means "to prevent" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | khusela | ||
| The word "khusela" in Xhosa also means "to be brave". | |||
| Yiddish | באַשיצן | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַשיצן" (bashitsn) is derived from the Middle High German word "beschützen" (to protect, defend), which in turn comes from the Old High German word "biscotti" (to cover, protect). | |||
| Zulu | vikela | ||
| "Vikela" can also mean "be careful" or "be cautious" in Zulu, highlighting the connection between defense and personal safety. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিৰক্ষা | ||
| Aymara | arxataña | ||
| Bhojpuri | रक्षा कईल | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިފާޢުވުން | ||
| Dogri | हिफाजत करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ipagtanggol | ||
| Guarani | pysyrõ | ||
| Ilocano | depensaan | ||
| Krio | protɛkt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرگری کردن | ||
| Maithili | रक्षा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯥꯛꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | in veng | ||
| Oromo | irraa ittisuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରକ୍ଷା କର | ||
| Quechua | harkay | ||
| Sanskrit | रक्ष् | ||
| Tatar | яклау | ||
| Tigrinya | ምክልኻል | ||
| Tsonga | sirhelela | ||