Destruction in Different Languages
Discover 'Destruction' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Destruction is a powerful and significant word, often associated with the end of something or the breaking down of structures, systems, and ideas. Its cultural importance is evident in various forms of art, literature, and media, where it serves as a catalyst for change, transformation, and rebirth. Understanding the translation of destruction in different languages can provide unique cultural insights and broaden our perspective of the world.
For instance, the French translation of destruction is 'destruction', while in Spanish, it is 'destrucción'. In German, destruction is translated as 'Zerstörung', and in Japanese, the word is '�ruction'. These translations not only offer a glimpse into the linguistic nuances of different cultures but also highlight the global impact and relevance of the concept of destruction.
In this article, we delve into the various translations of destruction in different languages, shedding light on the historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts that shape our understanding of this complex and multifaceted term.
Destruction
Destruction in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vernietiging | ||
| The word 'vernietiging' is derived from the Dutch word 'vernietigen', meaning 'to destroy' or 'to annihilate'. | |||
| Amharic | ጥፋት | ||
| The word "ጥፋት" also has the secondary meaning of "failure", denoting the negative outcome of an endeavor. | |||
| Hausa | hallaka | ||
| Despite its literal translation as "destruction," "hallaka" can also signify chaos, ruin, devastation, annihilation, doom, perdition, or demolition. | |||
| Igbo | mbibi | ||
| The word mbibi can also refer to 'a violent act', 'an act of vandalism', or 'something that causes great damage'. | |||
| Malagasy | rava | ||
| The word "RAVA" in Malagasy can also refer to "debris" or "ruins". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chiwonongeko | ||
| The word 'chiwonongeko' refers to a state of complete ruin or devastation. | |||
| Shona | kuparadzwa | ||
| In Shona, the word "kuparadzwa" can also mean "to be ruined" or "to be devastated". | |||
| Somali | halaag | ||
| Halaag is also used figuratively to refer to a situation of moral or social decay or to describe a state of ruin or devastation. | |||
| Sesotho | timetso | ||
| The word "timetso" also has the connotation of "separation" or "dispersion". | |||
| Swahili | uharibifu | ||
| The word "uharibifu" can also mean "ruin" or "devastation" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | intshabalalo | ||
| The word "intshabalalo" can also refer to a serious argument or fight. | |||
| Yoruba | iparun | ||
| Another translation of the Yoruba word "iparun" is "extermination." | |||
| Zulu | ukubhujiswa | ||
| "Ukubhujiswa" also means "to make use of" and "to use excessively." | |||
| Bambara | cɛnni | ||
| Ewe | nugbegblẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurimbuka | ||
| Lingala | koboma | ||
| Luganda | okuyonoona | ||
| Sepedi | tshenyo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsɛeɛ | ||
Destruction in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تدمير | ||
| "تدمير" can have an alternate meaning of "to make something smooth or level" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | הֶרֶס | ||
| The Hebrew word "heres ("horror" in English)" has another, less common meaning: a piece of land. | |||
| Pashto | تباهي | ||
| The word "تباهي" can also refer to a state of ruin or devastation. | |||
| Arabic | تدمير | ||
| "تدمير" can have an alternate meaning of "to make something smooth or level" in Arabic. | |||
Destruction in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shkatërrimi | ||
| "Shkatërrim" is also used in an idiomatic sense to describe someone who is physically broken or destroyed, such as a boxer who is knocked out or a person who has been severely injured in an accident. | |||
| Basque | suntsiketa | ||
| The word "suntsiketa" can also refer to a "collapse", "ruin", or "disintegration", depending on the context. | |||
| Catalan | destrucció | ||
| The word "destrucció" in Catalan originally meant "separation" or "taking apart", rather than solely "destruction". | |||
| Croatian | uništavanje | ||
| The word "uništavanje" in Croatian also means "annihilation" or "extermination". | |||
| Danish | ødelæggelse | ||
| The word "ødelæggelse" is derived from the Old Norse word "ødelegja", meaning "to destroy" or "to lay waste". | |||
| Dutch | verwoesting | ||
| The word "verwoesting" is derived from the Old Dutch word "verwoesten", which means "to lay waste". | |||
| English | destruction | ||
| The word 'destruction' originates from the Latin word 'destruere', meaning 'to tear down' or 'to demolish'. | |||
| French | destruction | ||
| The French word "destruction" also means "ruin" or "devastation". | |||
| Frisian | ferneatiging | ||
| The word "ferneatiging" in Frisian derives from the Old Frisian word "fernitigen," meaning "to destroy" or "to annihilate." | |||
| Galician | destrución | ||
| Galician word for "destruction", "destrución", is also used in the plural to refer to "leftovers" or "remains" | |||
| German | zerstörung | ||
| In German, "Zerstörung" not only refers to physical destruction, but also to mental or emotional turmoil. | |||
| Icelandic | eyðilegging | ||
| Eyðilegging can also mean desolation, annihilation, or ruin in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | scrios | ||
| It is cognate with the Gaulish and Welsh word | |||
| Italian | distruzione | ||
| In Italian, 'distruzione' can also mean 'disassembly' or 'demolition'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zerstéierung | ||
| Maltese | qerda | ||
| The term "qerda" in Maltese finds its etymological roots in the Semitic word "qatal", signifying an end or termination. | |||
| Norwegian | ødeleggelse | ||
| The word 'ødeleggelse' comes from the Old Norse word 'eyðilegging', meaning 'devastation' or 'desolation'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | destruição | ||
| The Portuguese word "destruição" ultimately derives from the Latin word "destruere", meaning "to demolish" or "to ruin". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgrios | ||
| The word “sgrios” can also be used in a religious context to mean “damnation” and is thus an antonym to “slan,” which means “salvation” | |||
| Spanish | destrucción | ||
| In Spanish, “destrucción” also means “devastation” and “ruin”. | |||
| Swedish | förstörelse | ||
| The word "förstörelse" in Swedish can also refer to a specific type of vandalism or malicious damage. | |||
| Welsh | dinistr | ||
| Dinistr has other meanings in Welsh besides "destruction", such as "uproar" and "tumult".} | |||
Destruction in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | разбурэнне | ||
| Bosnian | uništavanje | ||
| The word 'uništavanje' in Bosnian comes from the verb 'uništiti' which means 'to destroy' or 'to annihilate' | |||
| Bulgarian | унищожаване | ||
| The word "унищожаване" also refers to the act of annihilation, obliteration, or eradication. | |||
| Czech | zničení | ||
| Czech word "zničení" also means "devastation" or "ruin". | |||
| Estonian | hävitamine | ||
| The word "hävitamine" is derived from the verb "hävitama" ("to destroy"), which in turn comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*hävittämä" ("to spoil, to ruin"). | |||
| Finnish | tuho | ||
| The Finnish word "tuho" is cognate with the Estonian word "tuhk" and the Hungarian word "tűz", all meaning "fire". | |||
| Hungarian | megsemmisítés | ||
| The Hungarian word "megsemmisítés" is derived from the verb "semmisít", which means "to annihilate" or "to nullify". The word "semmis" means "nothing" or "void". In some contexts, "megsemmisítés" can also refer to the act of discrediting or invalidating something. | |||
| Latvian | iznīcināšana | ||
| "Iznīcināšana" also means "annihilation" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | sunaikinimas | ||
| The word "sunaikinimas" can also refer to the process of destroying something or the state of being destroyed. | |||
| Macedonian | уништување | ||
| The word "уништување" in Macedonian can also mean "annihilation" or "abolition". | |||
| Polish | zniszczenie | ||
| Its root, 'niszcz', may also refer to 'deterioration' or 'decay', extending its semantic range. | |||
| Romanian | distrugere | ||
| The Romanian word "distrugere" ultimately derives from the Latin "destruere", meaning "to destroy" or "to pull down". | |||
| Russian | разрушение | ||
| The word "разрушение" is derived from the Old Russian verb "разорити" meaning "to break up". It can also mean "ruination", "decay", or "devastation". | |||
| Serbian | уништавање | ||
| The word "уништавање" can also mean "abolition" or "removal" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | zničenie | ||
| Zničenie is a noun that can also mean 'devastation' and 'ruin'. | |||
| Slovenian | uničenje | ||
| "Uničenje" in Slovenian also means "humiliation". | |||
| Ukrainian | знищення | ||
| The term "знищення" in Ukrainian originates from the Old Church Slavonic word "знищити", meaning "to remove" or "to take away". | |||
Destruction in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধ্বংস | ||
| Bengali term "ধ্বংস" originated from Sanskrit word "dhvaṃsa" meaning "ruin", "collapse" or "loss". | |||
| Gujarati | વિનાશ | ||
| વિનાશ (vināś) in Gujarati, besides its regular meaning, also implies the final release from the cycle of births and deaths, a state of ultimate liberation or bliss. | |||
| Hindi | विनाश | ||
| "विनाश" shares the same etymology as the English "sin," both derived from the Indo-European root "kwei". | |||
| Kannada | ವಿನಾಶ | ||
| The word 'ವಿನಾಶ' is also used to refer to the destruction of a person's character or reputation. | |||
| Malayalam | നാശം | ||
| The word 'naasham' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nashta', meaning 'lost' or 'perished'. | |||
| Marathi | नाश | ||
| The word "नाश" (nāś) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "नाश" (nāśa), which means "destruction" or "ruin". | |||
| Nepali | विनाश | ||
| विनाश also means 'disappearance', 'termination', or the end. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਬਾਹੀ | ||
| "ਤਬਾਹੀ" is of Persian origin and is related to Arabic "tubaaba," meaning "ravaged land." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විනාශය | ||
| The Sinhala word "විනාශය" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "विनाश" (vināśa), which has the same meaning. However, it can also mean "loss", "harm", or "injury" in a more general sense. | |||
| Tamil | அழிவு | ||
| In Tamil, 'அழிவு' can also refer to loss, ruin, or decay. | |||
| Telugu | విధ్వంసం | ||
| The word "విధ్వంసం" can also refer to the act of breaking something down into smaller parts. | |||
| Urdu | تباہی | ||
| "تباہی" ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *bher-, meaning "to cut, pierce, or destroy". | |||
Destruction in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 破坏 | ||
| '破坏' can mean 'destruction' but it can also mean something like 'damage' or 'ruin', like '打破' (to break), or even 'spoil' (as in spoiled food). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 破壞 | ||
| The Chinese character for destruction can also mean "to break" or "to ruin". | |||
| Japanese | 破壊 | ||
| 破壊 can also mean 'to disrupt' or 'to tear down'. | |||
| Korean | 파괴 | ||
| The Korean word "파괴" (destruction) can also be translated as "devastation" or "ruin". | |||
| Mongolian | устгах | ||
| The Mongolian noun 'устгах' ('destruction') also means 'to end' or 'to finish' something in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပျက်စီးခြင်း | ||
Destruction in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penghancuran | ||
| The word "penghancuran" can mean either "destruction" or "demolition" in English. | |||
| Javanese | karusakan | ||
| The word 'karusakan' in Javanese can also refer to the aftermath of a destructive event or situation. | |||
| Khmer | ការបំផ្លាញ | ||
| The word "destruction" in Khmer can also be used to refer to the process of destroying or the result of being destroyed. | |||
| Lao | ການ ທຳ ລາຍ | ||
| Malay | kemusnahan | ||
| Kemusnahan is derived from the word musnah, meaning 'to annihilate' or 'to destroy completely'. | |||
| Thai | การทำลาย | ||
| The Thai word "การทำลาย" (destruction) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dhvani" (sound), and can also mean "noise" or "disturbance". | |||
| Vietnamese | sự phá hủy | ||
| "Sự phá hủy" means "destruction," but also "destruction of evidence" in a legal context. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkawasak | ||
Destruction in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | məhv | ||
| The word "məhv" in Azerbaijani also has the alternate meaning of "oblivion". | |||
| Kazakh | жою | ||
| "Жою" can mean "destroy" or "create", depending on the context. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыйратуу | ||
| The word "кыйратуу" in Kyrgyz can also refer to the process of demolishing or dismantling something. | |||
| Tajik | нобудшавӣ | ||
| The word "нобудшавӣ" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "نابودشدن" which means "to be destroyed". | |||
| Turkmen | weýran etmek | ||
| Uzbek | yo'q qilish | ||
| The term "yo'q qilish" has Arabic roots, and its literal meaning is "to make absent" or "to remove from existence". | |||
| Uyghur | بۇزغۇنچىلىق | ||
Destruction in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luku | ||
| "Luku" can also mean "to tear" or "to break apart" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whakangaromanga | ||
| The word "whakangaromanga" in Maori also refers to the act of making something disappear or vanish. | |||
| Samoan | faʻatafunaga | ||
| Fa'atafunaga can also mean 'to destroy' or 'to ruin' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkawasak | ||
| Pagkawasak in Tagalog can mean 'ruination' or 'overthrow' in addition to 'destruction'. | |||
Destruction in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tukjaña | ||
| Guarani | mbyai | ||
Destruction in International Languages
| Esperanto | detruo | ||
| The Esperanto word "detrua" derives from the Latin verb "destruo", meaning "to destroy, tear down, raze". | |||
| Latin | exitium | ||
| Exitium derives from ex-ire, "to go out," and means "end" as well as "destruction." | |||
Destruction in Others Languages
| Greek | καταστροφή | ||
| The word "καταστροφή" can also refer to a "sharp turn" or "violent end" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | kev puas tsuaj | ||
| The word "kev puas tsuaj" can also mean "annihilation" or "obliteration". | |||
| Kurdish | wêrankirin | ||
| Wêrankirin, meaning 'destruction,' is a derivative of the root 'wêran,' which means 'ruin, desolate, deserted' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | yıkım | ||
| The Turkish word "yıkım" derives from the Old Turkic verb "yıkmak" meaning "to break"} | |||
| Xhosa | intshabalalo | ||
| The word "intshabalalo" can also refer to a serious argument or fight. | |||
| Yiddish | צעשטערונג | ||
| The word "צעשטערונג" also means "desolation" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ukubhujiswa | ||
| "Ukubhujiswa" also means "to make use of" and "to use excessively." | |||
| Assamese | ধ্বংস | ||
| Aymara | tukjaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | विनाश | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަލާކު | ||
| Dogri | तबाही | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkawasak | ||
| Guarani | mbyai | ||
| Ilocano | panagdadael | ||
| Krio | pwɛl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تێکدان | ||
| Maithili | बर्बादी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯨꯒꯥꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tihchhiatna | ||
| Oromo | jeequmsa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିନାଶ | ||
| Quechua | tuñiy | ||
| Sanskrit | विनाशं | ||
| Tatar | юк итү | ||
| Tigrinya | ዘዕንቅፍ ነገር | ||
| Tsonga | onha | ||