Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'disappear' holds a certain fascination for us, as it evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue. It signifies the act of something or someone becoming invisible or non-existent, often leaving behind a trail of questions and curiosities. This simple word has been woven into countless stories, myths, and legends across cultures, making it a universal concept that transcends language barriers.
Throughout history, 'disappear' has been a central theme in many cultural narratives. From the biblical story of Jesus' ascension to the mythical tales of the lost city of Atlantis, the idea of something or someone disappearing has captivated our collective imagination. Moreover, the word has also been used in various contexts, such as magic tricks, mystery novels, and even in scientific theories like quantum mechanics.
Given its significance and cultural importance, it's not surprising that someone might want to know its translation in different languages. After all, language is a powerful tool that connects us to different cultures and traditions. By learning how to say 'disappear' in various languages, we can deepen our understanding and appreciation of the world around us.
Here are some translations of 'disappear' in different languages: English - disappear, Spanish - desaparecer, French - disparaître, German - verschwinden, Italian - scomparire, Chinese - 消失 (xiāoshī), Japanese - 消失 (shōshitsu), Korean - 사라지다 (sarajida), Arabic - اختفاء (akhtafā’), Russian - исчезать (ischezat’).
Afrikaans | verdwyn | ||
Verdwyn is etymologically related to the Dutch word "verdwijnen" and German "verschwinden", with the same meaning. | |||
Amharic | መጥፋት | ||
The verb መጥፋት can also mean 'to be forgotten', 'to pass into oblivion', or 'to cease to exist'. | |||
Hausa | bace | ||
The Hausa word "bace" also means "to hide" and "to be absent". | |||
Igbo | na-apụ n'anya | ||
The Igbo word "na-apụ n'anya" also means "to vanish from sight" or "to become invisible". | |||
Malagasy | manjavona | ||
The word "manjavona" comes from the root "vona", which means "to drown" or "to sink", implying a complete disappearance. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutha | ||
The word "kutha" in Nyanja (Chichewa) originally meant "to hide" or "to conceal" and is related to the word "kuthira" (to cover). | |||
Shona | kunyangarika | ||
"Kunyangarika" can also mean to be lost, vanish, or perish. | |||
Somali | baaba'a | ||
"baaba'a," used as a noun, can refer to a disappearing act, or a hiding place. | |||
Sesotho | nyamela | ||
The word "nyamela" can also mean "to vanish, elope, or pass away". | |||
Swahili | kutoweka | ||
The verb 'kutoweka' can also mean 'to be extinct' or 'to vanish without a trace'. | |||
Xhosa | anyamalale | ||
The Xhosa word "anyamalale" is derived from the verb "-nyamalala," meaning "to vanish, disappear, or fade away." | |||
Yoruba | farasin | ||
The word "farasin" can also mean "to depart" or "to escape" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | anyamalale | ||
"Anyamalale" (Zulu) also means "to dissolve" and "to vanish." | |||
Bambara | ka tunu | ||
Ewe | bu | ||
Kinyarwanda | kuzimira | ||
Lingala | kolimwa | ||
Luganda | okubulawo | ||
Sepedi | nyamelela | ||
Twi (Akan) | yera | ||
Arabic | تختفي | ||
The verb "تختفي" is derived from the root "خفا" which means "to hide" or "to conceal". | |||
Hebrew | לְהֵעָלֵם | ||
In Biblical Hebrew, the term was also used to describe the concept of "going silent" or "vanishing" in a figurative sense as a metaphor for dying or becoming nonexistent. | |||
Pashto | ورکیدل | ||
The word " ورکیدل" can also refer to escaping from prison or a cage. | |||
Arabic | تختفي | ||
The verb "تختفي" is derived from the root "خفا" which means "to hide" or "to conceal". |
Albanian | zhduken | ||
"Zhduken" has its roots in Old Albanian and carries the primary meaning of "to disappear" or "to vanish". | |||
Basque | desagertu | ||
The word "desagertu" in Basque derives from the verb "des" (to untie) and the noun "agertze" (apparition), indicating a reversal of an appearance. | |||
Catalan | desapareix | ||
The word "desapareix" ultimately derives from the Latin word "disparare," meaning "to scatter," highlighting the sense of dispersal and vanishing associated with disappearance. | |||
Croatian | nestati | ||
The word "nestati" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic root *nest-, which also means "to not be, to cease to exist". | |||
Danish | forsvinde | ||
"Forsvinde" originates from the Old Norse "forsvinna", meaning "to leave, depart", which is related to the Swedish word "försvinna" and the German word "verschwinden", both meaning "to disappear". | |||
Dutch | verdwijnen | ||
The word "verdwijnen" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "verdwenen", which means "to vanish" or "to pass away". | |||
English | disappear | ||
The word 'disappear' comes from the Latin prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'apart' or 'away') and the verb 'apparere' (meaning 'to appear'). | |||
French | disparaître | ||
"Disparaître comes from the Latin "disparare," meaning to disperse, and has the alternate meaning of to fade or vanish." | |||
Frisian | ferdwine | ||
The Frisian word "ferdwine" is thought to be related to the Dutch "verdwenen", the German "verschwinden", and the English "vanish" and "dwine". | |||
Galician | desaparecer | ||
In Galician, "desaparecer" also means "to vanish" or "to fade away". | |||
German | verschwinden | ||
"Verschwinden" originally meant "undergo a change of color" and was used in alchemy to describe the processes of creating the philosopher's stone. | |||
Icelandic | hverfa | ||
In astronomy, "hverfa" refers to the disappearance of a star or planet from the night sky, often due to the change in its position within the solar system. | |||
Irish | imíonn siad | ||
Italian | scomparire | ||
The Italian word "scomparire" comes from the Latin "com-parere" meaning "to appear together" and has also been used to mean "to die". | |||
Luxembourgish | verschwannen | ||
Maltese | jisparixxu | ||
The word "jisparixxu" originates from the Italian "sparire". | |||
Norwegian | forsvinne | ||
The word "forsvinne" is derived from the Old Norse word "forsvinna," which means "to vanish" or "to be lost." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | desaparecer | ||
The word "desaparecer" comes from the Latin "disapparere" which means "to remove from sight". | |||
Scots Gaelic | à sealladh | ||
"À sealladh" is spelled "sheela" in certain dialects, pronounced something like the word "seeler": the word "sealing" is sometimes pronounced just like the Gaelic "à sealladh". I propose that the two usages are linked. | |||
Spanish | desaparecer | ||
"Desaparecer" derives from the Latin "disapparere," meaning "to become invisible," and "exparere," meaning "to go out of sight." | |||
Swedish | försvinna | ||
The Swedish word "försvinna" is also used to describe a process of mental withdrawal or loss of motivation and energy. | |||
Welsh | diflannu | ||
The word **diflannu** also serves as one word for **die/death**. |
Belarusian | знікаюць | ||
The verb "знікаюць" comes from theProto-Balto-Slavic root *znik- "to perish, to disappear". | |||
Bosnian | nestati | ||
"Nestati" derives from "nesto" (something), and initially meant the same thing in all Slavic languages (Proto-Slavic *nesьti). | |||
Bulgarian | изчезва | ||
The word "изчезва" in Bulgarian comes from the verb "чезна," which means "to vanish". In Old Bulgarian, the word "изчезва" meant "to lose oneself". In modern Bulgarian, it means "to disappear" or "to vanish." | |||
Czech | zmizet | ||
"Zmizet" in Czech comes from the Proto-Slavic "změsti", meaning "to mix (something) with", and thus "to disappear" by becoming part of something else. | |||
Estonian | kaovad | ||
The Estonian word "kaovad" can also refer to the fading of light or sound. | |||
Finnish | katoavat | ||
"Katoava" could mean "disappearing", "invisible" "unavailable" based in context | |||
Hungarian | eltűnik | ||
The verb "eltűnik" can also mean "to vanish into thin air" or "to disappear without a trace". | |||
Latvian | pazūd | ||
"Pazūd" shares the root with "pazude", which refers to a hidden or lost object. | |||
Lithuanian | dingti | ||
The word "dingti" also means "to vanish without being seen", "to move slowly", "to disappear from view", and "to vanish quietly." | |||
Macedonian | исчезне | ||
The word "исчезне" in Macedonian, meaning "to disappear", comes from the Proto-Slavic verb *čeznǫti, meaning "to become rare" or "to become scarce." | |||
Polish | znikać | ||
The Polish word "znikać" likely derives from the Proto-Slavic verb "zniknoti", meaning "to perish" or "to vanish." | |||
Romanian | dispărea | ||
The Romanian word "dispărea" has Latin roots, coming from the verb "disparere", meaning "to part", "to divide", or "to distribute." | |||
Russian | исчезнуть | ||
The verb "исчезнуть" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *isk-, meaning "to go away" or "to perish." | |||
Serbian | нестати | ||
The Serbian word "нестати" can also mean "to die", "to vanish", or "to become obsolete". | |||
Slovak | zmiznúť | ||
The word "zmiznúť" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*niz" meaning "down" or "low", suggesting a disappearance out of sight. | |||
Slovenian | izginejo | ||
Izginejo is a Slovene word derived from the Proto-Slavic word *izginǫti, meaning "to perish" or "to die." | |||
Ukrainian | зникають | ||
The word "зникають" comes from the Proto-Slavic *znykati, meaning "to hide" or "to conceal" |
Bengali | অদৃশ্য | ||
The word "অদৃশ্য" is derived from the Sanskrit word "दृश्य" (dṛśya), meaning "visible" or "perceptible". | |||
Gujarati | અદૃશ્ય થઈ જવું | ||
Hindi | गायब होना | ||
The word 'गायब होना' is derived from Sanskrit and literally means 'to disappear like a cow'. | |||
Kannada | ಕಣ್ಮರೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ | ||
Malayalam | അപ്രത്യക്ഷമാകുക | ||
Marathi | अदृश्य | ||
The Marathi word 'अदृश्य' can also mean 'inaccessible' or 'unseeable' in certain contexts. | |||
Nepali | हराउनु | ||
The Nepali word 'हराउनु' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'hr' meaning 'to take' or 'to seize', suggesting a process of being taken away or hidden. | |||
Punjabi | ਅਲੋਪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අතුරුදහන් | ||
Tamil | மறைந்துவிடும் | ||
"மறைந்துவிடும்" has multiple meanings: hiding, vanishing, concealing, being absent or invisible, being absorbed into something else, passing away or dying. | |||
Telugu | అదృశ్యమవడం | ||
Urdu | غائب | ||
The word 'غائب' derives from the Arabic verb 'غاب' meaning 'to be absent' or 'to go away'. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 消失 | ||
消失 (disappear) is composed of the characters 消 (to remove) and 失 (to lose). | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 消失 | ||
The term 消失 (disappear) can refer to both physical disappearance as well as something fading from memory or being lost to time. | |||
Japanese | 姿を消す | ||
(姿) The word "sugata" originally meant a Buddhist statue. | |||
Korean | 사라지다 | ||
The verb 사라지다 can also be used to describe the fading of light or colors. | |||
Mongolian | алга болно | ||
The word "алга болно" is also used to refer to the process of fading away or becoming invisible. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပျောက်ကွယ်သွား | ||
Indonesian | menghilang | ||
Menghilang derives from the Indonesian word "ilang" meaning "to vanish". Its alternate meaning is "to pass away" or "to die." | |||
Javanese | ilang | ||
The word "ilang" in Javanese can also mean "to be lost" or "to vanish without a trace". | |||
Khmer | បាត់ | ||
The word "បាត់" also means "to die" in Khmer, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "pat" meaning "to fall" or "to die." | |||
Lao | ຫາຍໄປ | ||
The word ຫາຍໄປ in Lao can also mean "to recover from illness" or "to be relieved from suffering." | |||
Malay | hilang | ||
"Hilang" comes from proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qiləŋ "lost" and means "missing" in Indonesian, "invisible" in Javanese, and "not there" in Balinese. | |||
Thai | หายไป | ||
The word "หายไป" also means "to recover from an illness"} | |||
Vietnamese | biến mất | ||
"Biến mất" is a compound word of "biến" (to change) and "mất" (to lose, to vanish), implying a gradual process of disappearance. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mawala | ||
Azerbaijani | yox olmaq | ||
The phrase "yox olmaq" originates from the word "yok", meaning "absence" in Turkic languages, implying a state of non-existence or erasure. | |||
Kazakh | жоғалып кетеді | ||
Kyrgyz | жоголуу | ||
In addition to "disappear", "жоголуу" can mean "loss", "defeat", or "ruin" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | нопадид шудан | ||
"Нопадид шудан" originated from the Persian language and has the same meaning in both languages | |||
Turkmen | ýitýär | ||
Uzbek | g'oyib bo'lish | ||
The word "g'oyib bo'lish" can also mean "to be lost" or "to be invisible". In some contexts, it can also mean "to die" or "to be forgotten". | |||
Uyghur | غايىب بولىدۇ | ||
Hawaiian | nalo | ||
The word "nalo" has additional meanings in Hawaiian like "darkness", "extinguished", or "to close". | |||
Maori | ngaro | ||
In Maori, 'ngaro' can also mean 'hidden' or 'lost', and was once used to refer to a state of spiritual isolation or abandonment. | |||
Samoan | mou | ||
Mou, a Samoan verb for disappearing, also signifies the final moment of a journey and the start of a new one | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | mawala na | ||
The Tagalog word "mawala na" can also mean "to die" or "to get lost". |
Aymara | chhaqhayaña | ||
Guarani | kañy | ||
Esperanto | malaperi | ||
The word "malaperi" comes from the Esperanto word "malaperis", meaning "to disappear", which is itself derived from the Latin word "malaperere", meaning "to vanish". | |||
Latin | evanescet | ||
In Latin, the word "evanescet" also carries the meanings of "vanish" and "fade away". |
Greek | εξαφανίζομαι | ||
The word "εξαφανίζομαι" is derived from the Greek words "εξ" (out) and "φανίζω" (to show), and also means "to remove from sight" or "to hide". | |||
Hmong | ploj mus | ||
The Hmong word 'ploj mus' also means 'to become invisible'. | |||
Kurdish | wendabûn | ||
The word "wendabûn" in Kurdish is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weh₂-, meaning "to move" or "to go". | |||
Turkish | kaybolmak | ||
The word "kaybolmak" is derived from the Persian word "gaib olmak ", meaning "to become invisible". | |||
Xhosa | anyamalale | ||
The Xhosa word "anyamalale" is derived from the verb "-nyamalala," meaning "to vanish, disappear, or fade away." | |||
Yiddish | פאַרשווינדן | ||
In Yiddish, "פאַרשווינדן" can also refer to someone losing their way or their mind. | |||
Zulu | anyamalale | ||
"Anyamalale" (Zulu) also means "to dissolve" and "to vanish." | |||
Assamese | অদৃশ্য | ||
Aymara | chhaqhayaña | ||
Bhojpuri | गायब | ||
Dhivehi | ގެއްލުން | ||
Dogri | गायब होना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mawala | ||
Guarani | kañy | ||
Ilocano | mapukaw | ||
Krio | lɔs | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | وون بوون | ||
Maithili | गायब | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯡꯈꯤꯕ | ||
Mizo | bibo | ||
Oromo | baduu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ | ||
Quechua | chinkay | ||
Sanskrit | निर्गम् | ||
Tatar | юкка чыга | ||
Tigrinya | ምጥፋእ | ||
Tsonga | nyamalala | ||