Desire in different languages

Desire in Different Languages

Discover 'Desire' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Desire


Go to etymology & notes ↓
Afrikaans
begeerte
Albanian
dëshirë
Amharic
ምኞት
Arabic
رغبة
Armenian
ցանկություն
Assamese
আকাংক্ষা
Aymara
munta
Azerbaijani
istək
Bambara
nege
Basque
desira
Belarusian
жаданне
Bengali
ইচ্ছা
Bhojpuri
मनकामना
Bosnian
želja
Bulgarian
желание
Catalan
desig
Cebuano
pangandoy
Chinese (Simplified)
欲望
Chinese (Traditional)
慾望
Corsican
desideriu
Croatian
želja
Czech
touha
Danish
ønske
Dhivehi
އެދުން
Dogri
अकांख्या
Dutch
verlangen
English
desire
Esperanto
deziro
Estonian
soov
Ewe
dzimedidi
Filipino (Tagalog)
pagnanasa
Finnish
himoita
French
le désir
Frisian
begearen
Galician
desexo
Georgian
სურვილი
German
verlangen
Greek
επιθυμία
Guarani
potapy
Gujarati
ઇચ્છા
Haitian Creole
dezi
Hausa
so
Hawaiian
makemake
Hebrew
רצון עז
Hindi
मंशा
Hmong
ntshaw
Hungarian
vágy
Icelandic
löngun
Igbo
ochicho
Ilocano
tarigagay
Indonesian
keinginan
Irish
dúil
Italian
desiderio
Japanese
欲望
Javanese
kekarepan
Kannada
ಬಯಕೆ
Kazakh
тілек
Khmer
បំណងប្រាថ្នា
Kinyarwanda
kwifuza
Konkani
इत्सा
Korean
염원
Krio
want
Kurdish
xwezî
Kurdish (Sorani)
ویستن
Kyrgyz
каалоо
Lao
ຄວາມປາຖະຫນາ
Latin
cupiditatem
Latvian
vēlme
Lingala
mposa
Lithuanian
noras
Luganda
okwagala
Luxembourgish
wonsch
Macedonian
желба
Maithili
इच्छा
Malagasy
fanirian'ny
Malay
keinginan
Malayalam
ആഗ്രഹം
Maltese
xewqa
Maori
hiahia
Marathi
इच्छा
Meiteilon (Manipuri)
ꯑꯄꯥꯝꯕ
Mizo
chak
Mongolian
хүсэл
Myanmar (Burmese)
အလိုဆန္ဒ
Nepali
चाहना
Norwegian
ønske
Nyanja (Chichewa)
chikhumbo
Odia (Oriya)
ଇଚ୍ଛା
Oromo
hawwii
Pashto
خوښی
Persian
میل
Polish
pragnienie
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)
desejo
Punjabi
ਇੱਛਾ
Quechua
munay
Romanian
dorință
Russian
желание
Samoan
manaʻoga
Sanskrit
अभिलाषः
Scots Gaelic
miann
Sepedi
kganyogo
Serbian
жеља
Sesotho
takatso
Shona
chido
Sindhi
خواھش
Sinhala (Sinhalese)
ආශාව
Slovak
túžba
Slovenian
želja
Somali
rabitaan
Spanish
deseo
Sundanese
kahayang
Swahili
hamu
Swedish
önskan
Tagalog (Filipino)
pagnanasa
Tajik
хоҳиш
Tamil
ஆசை
Tatar
теләк
Telugu
కోరిక
Thai
ความต้องการ
Tigrinya
ባህጊ
Tsonga
navela
Turkish
arzu etmek
Turkmen
isleg
Twi (Akan)
ɔpɛ
Ukrainian
бажання
Urdu
خواہش
Uyghur
ئارزۇ
Uzbek
istak
Vietnamese
khao khát
Welsh
awydd
Xhosa
umnqweno
Yiddish
פאַרלאַנג
Yoruba
ifẹ
Zulu
isifiso

Etymology & Notes

LanguageEtymology / Notes
AfrikaansThe Afrikaans word "begeerte" is derived from the Dutch word "begeerte", which means "desire" or "craving".
Albanian"Dëshirë" is derived from the Latin word "desiderium", meaning "a longing or wish" and the Proto-Indo-European root "*der-," meaning "to tear or cut".
AmharicThe Amharic word "ምኞት" can also refer to a longing or craving, as well as an ambition or goal.
Arabic"رغبة" is also an Arabic word for "favor" and "inclination."
Azerbaijani"İstək" is also used to refer to a formal application or request.
BasqueThe word "desira" is found throughout Romance languages, ultimately deriving from Latin "desiderare".
BelarusianThe root of the word «жаданне» is the Old East Slavic word «ждати», meaning «to wait».
BengaliBesides 'desire', 'ইচ্ছা' also means 'will', but this meaning is only found in certain specific phrases.
BosnianIn the 18th-century Croatian language, the word 'želja' meant 'yearning'.
BulgarianThe Bulgarian word "желание" also has the alternate meaning of "wish".
CatalanThe word "desig" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "desiderium", which also means "desire" and "longing".
CorsicanIn Corsican "desideriu" is the equivalent of "desiderio" in Italian, but it also means "wish".
CroatianCognates of the Croatian word "želja" include "željati" (to wish), "žedjeti" (to thirst), and "žetva" (harvest).
CzechIn Czech, "touha" also means "craving" or "yearning".
DanishThe word "ønske" comes from the Old Norse word "ønskja", which means "to wish" or "to long for".
DutchVerlangen can also mean "longing" or "craving" in Dutch.
EsperantoThe Esperanto word "deziro" is derived from the Latin word "desiderium" and also means "longing" or "yearning".
EstonianThe Estonian word 'soov' is a cognate of the Finnish word 'suomi', which means 'Finland', and the Hungarian word 'szív', which means 'heart'.
FinnishIt is also a word for a thin strip of leather or a lace used to tie something.
FrisianThe word "begearen" comes from the Old Frisian word "begiere", which also meant "love" or "passion".
GalicianThe Galician word "desexo" also means "spell" or "curse" in the context of witchcraft.
German"Verlangen" is derived from the Middle High German word "verlangen," which means "to long for" or "to yearn for," and is related to the Old English word "long," meaning "to desire" or "to want."
GreekThe Greek word "επιθυμία" has a deeper etymological meaning of "motion towards", implying an intense longing or pursuit.
GujaratiThe origin of "ઇચ્છા" is in Sanskrit. It also means "will," "purpose" or "intention."
Haitian CreoleIn Haitian Creole, 'dezi' also signifies ambition, longing, and yearning.
HausaIn Hausa, the word "so" can also be used as an exclamation or an expression of surprise.
HawaiianHawaiian 'makemake' also means 'self-indulgence, pleasure-seeking,' and 'conceit, arrogance, boastfulness.'
HebrewThe Hebrew phrase "רצון עז" literally translates to "strong will" or "determination," indicating a deep-seated desire or intention.
HindiThe Hindi word 'मंशा' also denotes 'intention' and is closely related to the Sanskrit root 'मनस्' meaning 'mind'.
HmongThe Mien and Iu Mien words for 'desire' ('ntshaw' and 'ntsaw,' respectively) appear to be cognate with Proto-Karen 'ntiaw,' which means 'love'
HungarianThe word "vágy" likely derives from the Slavic word "voya", meaning "yearning" or "longing."
IcelandicIn Old Norse, the word 'löngun' was also used to refer to a 'longing' for something that is unattainable or distant.
IgboIn Igbo, 'ochicho' also has the additional meaning of 'love charm' or 'philtre'.
IndonesianKeinginan originally stems from the word 'ingini' which refers to the act of wanting something, akin to the English word 'wish'.
IrishThe word "dúil" can also refer to an element, ingredient, or constituent of something.
ItalianThe word "desiderio" also means "craving" in Italian, and shares a root with the word "sidereal" (relating to stars).
JavaneseThe term "kekarepan" in Javanese originates from the word "karep" (will) and the suffix "an", signifying a state or condition, thus denoting a strong desire or intention.
KannadaThe word "ಬಯಕೆ" also means "intention" or "ambition" in Kannada.
KazakhThe word "тілек" in Kazakh also means "wish" or "aspiration".
KoreanThe word "염원" can also mean "vow" or "promise" in Korean.
KurdishThe word "xwezî" is derived from the Old Persian word "xšayaθiya" (king), and is cognate with the Kurdish word "xwazî" (lord).
KyrgyzThe Kyrgyz word "каалоо" also refers to a yearning or longing for something that is out of reach or difficult to attain.
Latvian"Vēlme" is cognate with the Lithuanian "velnias" (devil), which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *wel-, meaning "to deceive".
LithuanianThe Latin-derived word "noras" is also used in the sense of "will" or "volition" in Lithuanian.
Luxembourgish"Wonsch" is also used to refer to the wish one makes when blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
MacedonianЖелба originates from the Old Church Slavonic word 'žalъbъ', meaning 'sorrow', 'regret', 'grief', 'mourning'.
MalagasyThe Malagasy word "FANIRIAN'NY" can also refer to "will".
MalayThe Malay word 'keinginan' is derived from the Arabic word 'kawn', which means 'to be' or 'to become'.
MalayalamThe Malayalam word ആഗ്രഹം ('desire') comes from the Sanskrit word आग्रह ('eager aspiration', 'intense longing', 'insistence', or 'determination').
Maltese"Xewqa" is thought to have Arabic origins, stemming from the term "shawq" with the same meaning of "desire".
MaoriThe Māori word "hiahia" derives from the Proto-Polynesian root "*qasiqa" which also denotes "desire".
MarathiThe word इच्छा can also mean 'intent' or 'purpose' in Marathi.
Mongolian"Хүсэл" can also mean "need" or "wish".
Myanmar (Burmese)It is cognate to Pali 'iccha' and Sanskrit 'iccha' which also means the same.
NepaliThe word "चाहना" is derived from the Sanskrit word "इच्छा", meaning "desire" or "wish".
NorwegianThe word "ønske" is derived from the Old Norse word "ønskja", which means "to wish for" or "to long for".
Nyanja (Chichewa)The word "chikhumbo" can also mean "longing" or "hankering".
PashtoThe Pashto word "خوښی" also means "gratitude".
PersianThe Persian word "میل" also has connotations of "inclination" and "tendency".
PolishThe Polish word "pragnienie" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pragъ, meaning "thirst" or "longing".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)A palavra "desejo" vem do latim "desiderium", que significa "carência", "falta" ou "ausência".
Punjabi"ਇੱਛਾ" derives from the Sanskrit "इच्छा," and also carries the meaning of "wish" or "aspiration."
RomanianRomanian word "dorință" has an alternate meaning of "nostalgia" or "longing".
RussianThe Russian word "желание" comes from the Slavic word "želь", meaning "wish"
SamoanIn the Samoan language, the word "manaʻoga" can also refer to a craving, longing, or appetite.
Scots GaelicIn Scots Gaelic, "miann" also has an archaic and poetic meaning of "sweetheart".
Serbian"Жеља" literally means "thirst" and is related to the Proto-Indo-European root "ǵʰer- " meaning "to yearn".
SesothoIn some contexts, 'takatso' can also be used to describe a 'hankering' or an 'urge'.
ShonaThe word "chido" in Shona can also mean "love" or "affection".
SindhiThe word "خواھش" in Sindhi also has the alternate meaning of "wish".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)The word "ආශාව" also means "hope" or "wish" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "आशा" (āsā).
SlovakThe word "túžba" originates from Proto-Indo-European "*tews-ko" ("to strive"), also found in Latin "dīsco" ("to learn").
SlovenianŽelja, meaning "desire" in Slovenian, is also a word for "wish" and "yearning".
SomaliThe word "rabitaan" can also refer to the bond between individuals or the desire for something material or non-material.
SpanishThe Spanish word "deseo" derives from Latin "desiderare", meaning both "to desire" and "to be lacking".
SundaneseAlternate meaning of 'kahayang' in Sundanese: A type of fish.
SwahiliThe word "hamu" can also refer to longing, craving, or yearning.
Swedishönskan, meaning 'desire' in Swedish, comes from the Old Norse word 'ønskja,' meaning 'to lack'.
Tagalog (Filipino)The Tagalog word for 'desire,' 'pagnanasa,' also has the meanings 'longing' and 'hunger'.
TajikThe Tajik word "хоҳиш" is cognate with the Persian word "خواهش" (xāhesh), which means "request" or "demand".
TamilIn Tamil, "ஆசை" can also refer to a longing or yearning for something, or a strong attachment to a person or thing.
Teluguకోరిక (desire) stems from the Sanskrit word 'krida', meaning play or enjoyment.
ThaiThe word "ความต้องการ" (desire) in Thai is derived from the Sanskrit word "kama" meaning "wish, will, or love".
TurkishThe word 'arzu etmek' in Turkish is derived from the Arabic word 'arzu', which means 'wish' or 'desire'. It can also be used to refer to a longing or craving for something.
UkrainianThe word “бажання” (“desire”) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *bъžati (“to long for”) and is cognate with the Russian word желание (“desire”) and the Czech word přání (“wish”).
UrduThe word 'خواہش' ('desire') in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word 'وَحْش', which can also mean 'animal' or 'wild beast'.
Uzbek"Istak" also means "scent" and is related to the word "istonch" meaning "source".
Vietnamese"Khao khát" also literally translates as "thirsty" in Vietnamese
WelshThe Welsh word 'awydd' comes from the same Proto-Celtic root as the Latin word 'avidus' (eager) meaning literally 'empty', in an emotional sense.
XhosaIn the Xhosa language, "umnqweno" also refers to an internal longing or aspiration.
YiddishThe Yiddish word "פאַרלאַנג" (farlang) is derived from the German "verlangen", meaning "to long for" or "to crave".
YorubaThe word "ifẹ" (desire) in Yoruba also means "love" and "affection".
ZuluDerived from the verb ‘funa’, which can also mean ‘to ask’ or ‘to inquire’
EnglishThe word "desire" is the result joining of the Latin prefix "de" (completely, thoroughly) with the verb "sidere" (star, constellation).

Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter