Desire in Different Languages
Discover 'Desire' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Desire is a fundamental human experience, driving our actions, motivations, and dreams. It is a concept that transcends cultures and languages, yet is expressed in unique ways across the globe. Understanding the translation of desire in different languages not only broadens our linguistic abilities but also offers a window into the cultural importance placed on this powerful emotion.
Throughout history, desire has been a central theme in literature, art, and philosophy. From the ancient Greek concept of 'epithumia' to the Latin 'cupiditas', desire has been explored and expressed in countless ways. Even in the modern world, desire continues to shape our lives, influencing everything from our career choices to our personal relationships.
By learning the translation of desire in different languages, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of this complex emotion. For example, the German word 'Sehnsucht' refers to an intense longing or yearning, while the Chinese character '欲' (yù) represents a desire that is both fundamental and potentially dangerous.
Join us as we explore the many translations of desire, shedding light on the cultural significance of this timeless emotion.
Desire
Desire in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | begeerte | ||
| The Afrikaans word "begeerte" is derived from the Dutch word "begeerte", which means "desire" or "craving". | |||
| Amharic | ምኞት | ||
| The Amharic word "ምኞት" can also refer to a longing or craving, as well as an ambition or goal. | |||
| Hausa | so | ||
| In Hausa, the word "so" can also be used as an exclamation or an expression of surprise. | |||
| Igbo | ochicho | ||
| In Igbo, 'ochicho' also has the additional meaning of 'love charm' or 'philtre'. | |||
| Malagasy | fanirian'ny | ||
| The Malagasy word "FANIRIAN'NY" can also refer to "will". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chikhumbo | ||
| The word "chikhumbo" can also mean "longing" or "hankering". | |||
| Shona | chido | ||
| The word "chido" in Shona can also mean "love" or "affection". | |||
| Somali | rabitaan | ||
| The word "rabitaan" can also refer to the bond between individuals or the desire for something material or non-material. | |||
| Sesotho | takatso | ||
| In some contexts, 'takatso' can also be used to describe a 'hankering' or an 'urge'. | |||
| Swahili | hamu | ||
| The word "hamu" can also refer to longing, craving, or yearning. | |||
| Xhosa | umnqweno | ||
| In the Xhosa language, "umnqweno" also refers to an internal longing or aspiration. | |||
| Yoruba | ifẹ | ||
| The word "ifẹ" (desire) in Yoruba also means "love" and "affection". | |||
| Zulu | isifiso | ||
| Derived from the verb ‘funa’, which can also mean ‘to ask’ or ‘to inquire’ | |||
| Bambara | nege | ||
| Ewe | dzimedidi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwifuza | ||
| Lingala | mposa | ||
| Luganda | okwagala | ||
| Sepedi | kganyogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔpɛ | ||
Desire in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رغبة | ||
| "رغبة" is also an Arabic word for "favor" and "inclination." | |||
| Hebrew | רצון עז | ||
| The Hebrew phrase "רצון עז" literally translates to "strong will" or "determination," indicating a deep-seated desire or intention. | |||
| Pashto | خوښی | ||
| The Pashto word "خوښی" also means "gratitude". | |||
| Arabic | رغبة | ||
| "رغبة" is also an Arabic word for "favor" and "inclination." | |||
Desire in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dëshirë | ||
| "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". | |||
| Basque | desira | ||
| The word "desira" is found throughout Romance languages, ultimately deriving from Latin "desiderare". | |||
| Catalan | desig | ||
| The word "desig" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "desiderium", which also means "desire" and "longing". | |||
| Croatian | želja | ||
| Cognates of the Croatian word "želja" include "željati" (to wish), "žedjeti" (to thirst), and "žetva" (harvest). | |||
| Danish | ønske | ||
| The word "ønske" comes from the Old Norse word "ønskja", which means "to wish" or "to long for". | |||
| Dutch | verlangen | ||
| Verlangen can also mean "longing" or "craving" in Dutch. | |||
| English | desire | ||
| The word "desire" is the result joining of the Latin prefix "de" (completely, thoroughly) with the verb "sidere" (star, constellation). | |||
| French | le désir | ||
| Frisian | begearen | ||
| The word "begearen" comes from the Old Frisian word "begiere", which also meant "love" or "passion". | |||
| Galician | desexo | ||
| The Galician word "desexo" also means "spell" or "curse" in the context of witchcraft. | |||
| German | verlangen | ||
| "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." | |||
| Icelandic | löngun | ||
| In Old Norse, the word 'löngun' was also used to refer to a 'longing' for something that is unattainable or distant. | |||
| Irish | dúil | ||
| The word "dúil" can also refer to an element, ingredient, or constituent of something. | |||
| Italian | desiderio | ||
| The word "desiderio" also means "craving" in Italian, and shares a root with the word "sidereal" (relating to stars). | |||
| Luxembourgish | wonsch | ||
| "Wonsch" is also used to refer to the wish one makes when blowing out candles on a birthday cake. | |||
| Maltese | xewqa | ||
| "Xewqa" is thought to have Arabic origins, stemming from the term "shawq" with the same meaning of "desire". | |||
| Norwegian | ønske | ||
| The word "ønske" is derived from the Old Norse word "ønskja", which means "to wish for" or "to long for". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | desejo | ||
| A palavra "desejo" vem do latim "desiderium", que significa "carência", "falta" ou "ausência". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | miann | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "miann" also has an archaic and poetic meaning of "sweetheart". | |||
| Spanish | deseo | ||
| The Spanish word "deseo" derives from Latin "desiderare", meaning both "to desire" and "to be lacking". | |||
| Swedish | önskan | ||
| önskan, meaning 'desire' in Swedish, comes from the Old Norse word 'ønskja,' meaning 'to lack'. | |||
| Welsh | awydd | ||
| The Welsh word 'awydd' comes from the same Proto-Celtic root as the Latin word 'avidus' (eager) meaning literally 'empty', in an emotional sense. | |||
Desire in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жаданне | ||
| The root of the word «жаданне» is the Old East Slavic word «ждати», meaning «to wait». | |||
| Bosnian | želja | ||
| In the 18th-century Croatian language, the word 'želja' meant 'yearning'. | |||
| Bulgarian | желание | ||
| The Bulgarian word "желание" also has the alternate meaning of "wish". | |||
| Czech | touha | ||
| In Czech, "touha" also means "craving" or "yearning". | |||
| Estonian | soov | ||
| The Estonian word 'soov' is a cognate of the Finnish word 'suomi', which means 'Finland', and the Hungarian word 'szív', which means 'heart'. | |||
| Finnish | himoita | ||
| It is also a word for a thin strip of leather or a lace used to tie something. | |||
| Hungarian | vágy | ||
| The word "vágy" likely derives from the Slavic word "voya", meaning "yearning" or "longing." | |||
| Latvian | vēlme | ||
| "Vēlme" is cognate with the Lithuanian "velnias" (devil), which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *wel-, meaning "to deceive". | |||
| Lithuanian | noras | ||
| The Latin-derived word "noras" is also used in the sense of "will" or "volition" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | желба | ||
| Желба originates from the Old Church Slavonic word 'žalъbъ', meaning 'sorrow', 'regret', 'grief', 'mourning'. | |||
| Polish | pragnienie | ||
| The Polish word "pragnienie" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pragъ, meaning "thirst" or "longing". | |||
| Romanian | dorință | ||
| Romanian word "dorință" has an alternate meaning of "nostalgia" or "longing". | |||
| Russian | желание | ||
| The Russian word "желание" comes from the Slavic word "želь", meaning "wish" | |||
| Serbian | жеља | ||
| "Жеља" literally means "thirst" and is related to the Proto-Indo-European root "ǵʰer- " meaning "to yearn". | |||
| Slovak | túžba | ||
| The word "túžba" originates from Proto-Indo-European "*tews-ko" ("to strive"), also found in Latin "dīsco" ("to learn"). | |||
| Slovenian | želja | ||
| Želja, meaning "desire" in Slovenian, is also a word for "wish" and "yearning". | |||
| Ukrainian | бажання | ||
| The 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”). | |||
Desire in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইচ্ছা | ||
| Besides 'desire', 'ইচ্ছা' also means 'will', but this meaning is only found in certain specific phrases. | |||
| Gujarati | ઇચ્છા | ||
| The origin of "ઇચ્છા" is in Sanskrit. It also means "will," "purpose" or "intention." | |||
| Hindi | मंशा | ||
| The Hindi word 'मंशा' also denotes 'intention' and is closely related to the Sanskrit root 'मनस्' meaning 'mind'. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಯಕೆ | ||
| The word "ಬಯಕೆ" also means "intention" or "ambition" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ആഗ്രഹം | ||
| The Malayalam word ആഗ്രഹം ('desire') comes from the Sanskrit word आग्रह ('eager aspiration', 'intense longing', 'insistence', or 'determination'). | |||
| Marathi | इच्छा | ||
| The word इच्छा can also mean 'intent' or 'purpose' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | चाहना | ||
| The word "चाहना" is derived from the Sanskrit word "इच्छा", meaning "desire" or "wish". | |||
| Punjabi | ਇੱਛਾ | ||
| "ਇੱਛਾ" derives from the Sanskrit "इच्छा," and also carries the meaning of "wish" or "aspiration." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආශාව | ||
| The word "ආශාව" also means "hope" or "wish" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "आशा" (āsā). | |||
| Tamil | ஆசை | ||
| In Tamil, "ஆசை" can also refer to a longing or yearning for something, or a strong attachment to a person or thing. | |||
| Telugu | కోరిక | ||
| కోరిక (desire) stems from the Sanskrit word 'krida', meaning play or enjoyment. | |||
| Urdu | خواہش | ||
| The word 'خواہش' ('desire') in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word 'وَحْش', which can also mean 'animal' or 'wild beast'. | |||
Desire in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 欲望 | ||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 慾望 | ||
| Japanese | 欲望 | ||
| Korean | 염원 | ||
| The word "염원" can also mean "vow" or "promise" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хүсэл | ||
| "Хүсэл" can also mean "need" or "wish". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလိုဆန္ဒ | ||
| It is cognate to Pali 'iccha' and Sanskrit 'iccha' which also means the same. | |||
Desire in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keinginan | ||
| Keinginan originally stems from the word 'ingini' which refers to the act of wanting something, akin to the English word 'wish'. | |||
| Javanese | kekarepan | ||
| The 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. | |||
| Khmer | បំណងប្រាថ្នា | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມປາຖະຫນາ | ||
| Malay | keinginan | ||
| The Malay word 'keinginan' is derived from the Arabic word 'kawn', which means 'to be' or 'to become'. | |||
| Thai | ความต้องการ | ||
| The word "ความต้องการ" (desire) in Thai is derived from the Sanskrit word "kama" meaning "wish, will, or love". | |||
| Vietnamese | khao khát | ||
| "Khao khát" also literally translates as "thirsty" in Vietnamese | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagnanasa | ||
Desire in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istək | ||
| "İstək" is also used to refer to a formal application or request. | |||
| Kazakh | тілек | ||
| The word "тілек" in Kazakh also means "wish" or "aspiration". | |||
| Kyrgyz | каалоо | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "каалоо" also refers to a yearning or longing for something that is out of reach or difficult to attain. | |||
| Tajik | хоҳиш | ||
| The Tajik word "хоҳиш" is cognate with the Persian word "خواهش" (xāhesh), which means "request" or "demand". | |||
| Turkmen | isleg | ||
| Uzbek | istak | ||
| "Istak" also means "scent" and is related to the word "istonch" meaning "source". | |||
| Uyghur | ئارزۇ | ||
Desire in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makemake | ||
| Hawaiian 'makemake' also means 'self-indulgence, pleasure-seeking,' and 'conceit, arrogance, boastfulness.' | |||
| Maori | hiahia | ||
| The Māori word "hiahia" derives from the Proto-Polynesian root "*qasiqa" which also denotes "desire". | |||
| Samoan | manaʻoga | ||
| In the Samoan language, the word "manaʻoga" can also refer to a craving, longing, or appetite. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagnanasa | ||
| The Tagalog word for 'desire,' 'pagnanasa,' also has the meanings 'longing' and 'hunger'. | |||
Desire in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | munta | ||
| Guarani | potapy | ||
Desire in International Languages
| Esperanto | deziro | ||
| The Esperanto word "deziro" is derived from the Latin word "desiderium" and also means "longing" or "yearning". | |||
| Latin | cupiditatem | ||
Desire in Others Languages
| Greek | επιθυμία | ||
| The Greek word "επιθυμία" has a deeper etymological meaning of "motion towards", implying an intense longing or pursuit. | |||
| Hmong | ntshaw | ||
| The Mien and Iu Mien words for 'desire' ('ntshaw' and 'ntsaw,' respectively) appear to be cognate with Proto-Karen 'ntiaw,' which means 'love' | |||
| Kurdish | xwezî | ||
| The word "xwezî" is derived from the Old Persian word "xšayaθiya" (king), and is cognate with the Kurdish word "xwazî" (lord). | |||
| Turkish | arzu etmek | ||
| The 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. | |||
| Xhosa | umnqweno | ||
| In the Xhosa language, "umnqweno" also refers to an internal longing or aspiration. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַרלאַנג | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַרלאַנג" (farlang) is derived from the German "verlangen", meaning "to long for" or "to crave". | |||
| Zulu | isifiso | ||
| Derived from the verb ‘funa’, which can also mean ‘to ask’ or ‘to inquire’ | |||
| Assamese | আকাংক্ষা | ||
| Aymara | munta | ||
| Bhojpuri | मनकामना | ||
| Dhivehi | އެދުން | ||
| Dogri | अकांख्या | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagnanasa | ||
| Guarani | potapy | ||
| Ilocano | tarigagay | ||
| Krio | want | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ویستن | ||
| Maithili | इच्छा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯄꯥꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chak | ||
| Oromo | hawwii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଇଚ୍ଛା | ||
| Quechua | munay | ||
| Sanskrit | अभिलाषः | ||
| Tatar | теләк | ||
| Tigrinya | ባህጊ | ||
| Tsonga | navela | ||