Drama in Different Languages
Discover 'Drama' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Drama, a word that evokes a myriad of emotions and images, has a rich cultural significance that transcends linguistic boundaries. Originating from the Greek word dran, meaning 'to do' or 'to act', drama has evolved into a powerful form of storytelling that showcases the human experience in all its complexity. From the ancient Greek tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides to the contemporary masterpieces of film, television, and theater, drama continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Understanding the translation of drama in different languages not only enriches our cross-cultural communication but also provides insights into how various cultures perceive and engage with this art form. For instance, in Spanish, drama translates to drama; in French, it becomes drame; in German, Drama; in Italian, dramma; and in Japanese, ドラマ (ドラマ).
By exploring the nuances of drama in various languages, we delve deeper into the universal language of human emotion and expression. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of drama translations in multiple languages, and join us on this fascinating journey through the world of language and culture.
Drama
Drama in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | drama | ||
| The Afrikaans word "drama" has the same meaning as the English word "drama", but it can also refer to a stage play. | |||
| Amharic | ድራማ | ||
| The word "ድራማ" can also be used to refer to a "play". | |||
| Hausa | wasan kwaikwayo | ||
| "Wasan kwaikwayo" is also a term used in Hausa to refer to a type of traditional dance-drama that often involves elaborate costumes and performances. | |||
| Igbo | ejije | ||
| The Igbo word "ejije" could also refer to a play or a festival. | |||
| Malagasy | tantara an-tsehatra | ||
| The Malagasy word 'tantara antsehatra' has additional meanings of 'news' or 'a story' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sewero | ||
| "Sewaro" is a word that can also mean serious or grave. | |||
| Shona | mutambo | ||
| The term "mutambo" may have originated from the term "mutambo wemhembwe," which translates to "a drama of the dead" and is linked to spiritual possession rituals in Shona culture. | |||
| Somali | riwaayad | ||
| The word "riwaayad" is ultimately derived from the Arabic word "ruʾya," meaning "vision" or "spectacle." | |||
| Sesotho | terama | ||
| Sesotho's "terama" originated from the Greek "drama," meaning "a sacred performance." | |||
| Swahili | mchezo wa kuigiza | ||
| The Swahili word "mchezo wa kuigiza" can also mean "play". | |||
| Xhosa | umdlalo weqonga | ||
| The Xhosa word "umdlalo weqonga" also refers to a traditional form of theater that incorporates music, dance, and storytelling. | |||
| Yoruba | eré | ||
| The Yoruba word "eré" (drama) is said to be a contracted form of the phrase "ẹrin ọmọ ará," which means "words, doings, and activities of people." | |||
| Zulu | idrama | ||
| The word "idrama" in Zulu can also refer to a play or performance, and is related to the word "idliso", meaning "imitation". | |||
| Bambara | tiyatiri | ||
| Ewe | fefe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikinamico | ||
| Lingala | drame | ||
| Luganda | akazannyo | ||
| Sepedi | terama | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahwɛgorɔ | ||
Drama in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دراما | ||
| The word "دراما" (drama) in Arabic ultimately derives from the Greek word "δράω" (drao), meaning "to do" or "to act", which gave rise to the concept of "drama" as a theatrical performance | |||
| Hebrew | דְרָמָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "drama" is related to the Greek "dran", which means "to do" or "to act out." | |||
| Pashto | ډرامه | ||
| The word "ډرامه" (drama) in Pashto also refers to a type of traditional folk dance performed by men and women. | |||
| Arabic | دراما | ||
| The word "دراما" (drama) in Arabic ultimately derives from the Greek word "δράω" (drao), meaning "to do" or "to act", which gave rise to the concept of "drama" as a theatrical performance | |||
Drama in Western European Languages
| Albanian | drama | ||
| Drami comes from Greek drama, theatre, play, from dran, to act, to do, to perform. | |||
| Basque | drama | ||
| The Basque word “drama” is a synonym for “play” in Spanish, and is frequently used as an exclamation with both positive and negative connotations. | |||
| Catalan | drama | ||
| The word "drama" comes from the Greek "dran" and means "to do". | |||
| Croatian | drama | ||
| The Croatian word “drama” comes from the Greek “dran” meaning “to do” which also relates to the English word “dramatic”. | |||
| Danish | drama | ||
| In Danish, "drama" has the additional meaning of "dream". | |||
| Dutch | drama | ||
| The Dutch word "drama" can also refer to a type of play or theatrical performance. | |||
| English | drama | ||
| "Drama" derives from the Greek 'dran' meaning to 'do' or 'act' and was first used in ancient Greece to describe theatrical performances. | |||
| French | drame | ||
| The word "drame" in French comes from the Greek word "drama," which means "action" or "deed." | |||
| Frisian | drama | ||
| "It has the alternate meaning of a loud noise" | |||
| Galician | drama | ||
| German | theater | ||
| In German, the word "Theater" can also refer to an anatomical structure or a device used in surgery. | |||
| Icelandic | leiklist | ||
| The Icelandic word "leiklist" originally referred to "playful" or "sportful" but took on the meaning of "drama" in the 19th century. | |||
| Irish | drámaíocht | ||
| Cognate with 'drama' in other Indo-European languages, stemming from Ancient Greek 'drān', meaning 'to do, act'. | |||
| Italian | dramma | ||
| From the Greek 'drama' meaning "action" or a "play" and used to refer to the theater in general | |||
| Luxembourgish | drama | ||
| Maltese | drama | ||
| In Maltese, "drama" can also refer to a play or theater performance. | |||
| Norwegian | drama | ||
| The word "drama" comes from the Greek word "drân", meaning "to do" or "to act". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | drama | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "drama" can also refer to a fictional narrative set to music, such as an opera or operetta. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dràma | ||
| "Drama" entered Gaelic from Latin, but is also used to reference non-stage plays such as radio plays, television series, video games and even books. | |||
| Spanish | drama | ||
| The Spanish word "drama" also refers to a theatrical work or a literary genre, akin to its English counterpart. | |||
| Swedish | drama | ||
| In Swedish, "drama" can also refer to a small group of actors performing a play. | |||
| Welsh | drama | ||
| The word 'drama' ('drama') also has the alternate meaning of 'noise' or 'commotion' in Welsh. | |||
Drama in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | драматургія | ||
| Bosnian | drama | ||
| The term "drama" originates from the Ancient Greek word δρᾶμα, which literally means "action", "deed", or "play." | |||
| Bulgarian | драма | ||
| In Bulgarian, "драма" can also refer to the theater play or a specific situation with a strong emotional impact. | |||
| Czech | drama | ||
| "Drama" comes from Greek meaning "an action, an act" or "to do or act". | |||
| Estonian | draama | ||
| In colloquial Estonian, "draama" can also refer to a situation full of conflicts or strong emotions. | |||
| Finnish | draama | ||
| Although "draama" translates directly to "drama", it can also mean a play or a theatrical performance in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | dráma | ||
| Hungarian dráma is thought to be derived from the Greek "drama," originally meaning "action" or "deed." | |||
| Latvian | drāma | ||
| The word “drāma” is derived from the Greek word “δρᾶμα”, meaning “action” or “deed”. | |||
| Lithuanian | drama | ||
| The Lithuanian word "drama" comes from the Greek word "dran", which means "to do". | |||
| Macedonian | драма | ||
| The word "драма" can also refer to a theatrical play or a story with a serious or emotional theme. | |||
| Polish | dramat | ||
| The Polish word "dramat" also means "play" and shares its origin with the Greek word "drama" meaning "action". | |||
| Romanian | dramă | ||
| The Romanian word "dramă" is also used to refer to a type of short play, often with a tragic or comedic theme. | |||
| Russian | драма | ||
| The Russian word "драма" can also mean "quarrel". | |||
| Serbian | драме | ||
| The word «драме» also refers to an old money unit used within the Ottoman military. | |||
| Slovak | dráma | ||
| The word "dráma" in Slovak also means "quarrel". | |||
| Slovenian | drama | ||
| The word 'drama' in Slovene comes from the Ancient Greek word δράμα (drama), which in turn comes from the verb δράω (draō), meaning 'to do' or 'to act'. | |||
| Ukrainian | драматургія | ||
| The word "драматургія" has Greek roots and derives from the words "δράω" (to do) and "εργον" (work). Similarly, in English, the word "drama" comes from the Greek word "δράμα" (to act), which in turn relates to "δράω" (to do). | |||
Drama in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নাটক | ||
| The word "নাটক" also has the alternate meanings of "stage play" and "a narrative work that is presented in a dramatic form." | |||
| Gujarati | નાટક | ||
| "નાટક" also refers to an episode of a story, an event, a scene in life, and anything exciting that is worth witnessing. | |||
| Hindi | नाटक | ||
| "नाटक" also refers to a traditional form of Indian theater. | |||
| Kannada | ನಾಟಕ | ||
| The term "ನಾಟಕ" (drama) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "नाटक" (nātaka), meaning "a theatrical performance or entertainment." | |||
| Malayalam | നാടകം | ||
| നാടകം in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word नाटक (nāṭaka), meaning "entertainment" or "play." | |||
| Marathi | नाटक | ||
| The Marathi word 'नाटक' also refers to a form of folk theater, similar to 'tamasha'. | |||
| Nepali | नाटक | ||
| The root of the word नाटक is the Sanskrit word "natya," which means "to dance" or "to represent," and can also refer to dance, music, or a theatrical representation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਾਟਕ | ||
| The word "ਨਾਟਕ" can also refer to a type of traditional Indian dance-drama. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නාට්ය | ||
| This word can also mean 'play', 'drama' or 'a theatrical performance'. | |||
| Tamil | நாடகம் | ||
| "நாடகம்" also means 'the play of life' in Tamil, alluding to the ephemeral nature of human existence. | |||
| Telugu | నాటకం | ||
| The Telugu word "నాటకం" is derived from Sanskrit, where it refers to a theatrical performance, a composition meant for performance by actors, or dramatic composition. | |||
| Urdu | ڈرامہ | ||
| The word "ڈرامہ" is derived from the Greek word "δράμα" (drama), meaning "action". In Urdu, it can also refer to a theatrical performance, a play, or a story. | |||
Drama in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 戏剧 | ||
| 字源：《说文》：“戏，俳优也。从人，奚声。一曰乐也。”《广韵》：“剧，戏也，从人，古声。” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 戲劇 | ||
| 戲劇 (drama) can also refer to operas or theatrical performances in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | ドラマ | ||
| The Japanese word "ドラマ" comes from the French word "drame", which means play | |||
| Korean | 드라마 | ||
| In Korean, "드라마" can also refer to a radio or television series. | |||
| Mongolian | жүжиг | ||
| "Жүжиг" is also used to refer to toys, dolls, or puppets. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒရာမာ | ||
Drama in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | drama | ||
| In Indonesian, "drama" can also refer to a traditional folk dance or a type of puppet theater. | |||
| Javanese | drama | ||
| In Javanese, the word "drama" also refers to a type of traditional theatre performance. | |||
| Khmer | ល្ខោន | ||
| The word "ល្ខោន" (lkohon) is derived from the Sanskrit word "rūpa", meaning "form" or "appearance", and refers to both literary and theatrical forms of Cambodian drama. | |||
| Lao | ລະຄອນ | ||
| The Lao word "ລະຄອນ" ("drama") is derived from the Sanskrit word "रङ्ग" ("stage, theatre"), which is also the root of the English word "drama". It can also refer to a traditional Lao dance performance. | |||
| Malay | drama | ||
| In Malay, "drama" also means "play" and can refer to "storytelling" or "theater." | |||
| Thai | ละคร | ||
| ละคร originally referred to puppet performances and has also been used as a term for dance and ballet. | |||
| Vietnamese | kịch | ||
| Kịch, meaning "drama", is derived from the Chinese word kịch (ju), which can also mean "song" or "play." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | drama | ||
Drama in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | drama | ||
| The word "drama" in Azerbaijani, like in English, also means a piece of writing designed for performance by actors on a stage. | |||
| Kazakh | драма | ||
| The Kazakh word "драма" ultimately derives from the Greek word "δρᾶμα" (drama), meaning "action" or "play". | |||
| Kyrgyz | драма | ||
| Драма is also used to refer to a serious play or a tragedy. | |||
| Tajik | драма | ||
| The word "драма" ("drama") in Tajik can also mean "play" or "story." | |||
| Turkmen | drama | ||
| Uzbek | drama | ||
| The word "drama" also means "play" or "a theatrical performance" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | دراما | ||
Drama in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana keaka | ||
| Hana keaka in the 1860s was often translated as "theatrical performance," "playacting," "acting," and "dramatic fiction." | |||
| Maori | whakaari | ||
| The word "whakaari" originally referred to a group performance that told a story through chants, dance, and acting. | |||
| Samoan | tala faatino | ||
| The word "tala faatino" in Samoan is derived from the Samoan words "tala", meaning "story", and "faatino", meaning "to act out". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | drama | ||
| "Drama" is also a term used in the Philippine martial art of eskrima to refer to a specific set of techniques. | |||
Drama in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñacht'a wakiya | ||
| Guarani | drama | ||
Drama in International Languages
| Esperanto | dramo | ||
| The word "dramo" in Esperanto also refers to a genre of music or play that combines music, dialogue, and action. | |||
| Latin | drama | ||
| "Drama" originates from the Greek word "dran", meaning "to do" or "to act," and refers to a genre of literature involving action and dialogue. | |||
Drama in Others Languages
| Greek | δράμα | ||
| The Greek word "Δράμα" has its roots in the verb "δράω", which means "to do" or "to act", suggesting that drama involves action and enactment. | |||
| Hmong | yeebyam | ||
| Yeebyam likely comes from the Thai word 'yiip-yam', which means 'act', 'perform', or 'play', and ultimately from an old Khmer word 'yep' meaning 'show', 'performance', or 'play'. | |||
| Kurdish | dilşewatî | ||
| The word "dilşewatî" can also mean "disguise" in Kurdish, referring to the way actors change their appearance and voice to portray different characters. | |||
| Turkish | dram | ||
| The word "dram" in Turkish can also refer to a unit of weight equal to approximately 3.24 grams. | |||
| Xhosa | umdlalo weqonga | ||
| The Xhosa word "umdlalo weqonga" also refers to a traditional form of theater that incorporates music, dance, and storytelling. | |||
| Yiddish | דראַמע | ||
| The Yiddish word "דראַמע" (drama) also means "a noisy argument" or "a big fuss". | |||
| Zulu | idrama | ||
| The word "idrama" in Zulu can also refer to a play or performance, and is related to the word "idliso", meaning "imitation". | |||
| Assamese | নাটক | ||
| Aymara | uñacht'a wakiya | ||
| Bhojpuri | नाटक | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑްރާމާ | ||
| Dogri | ड्रामा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | drama | ||
| Guarani | drama | ||
| Ilocano | drama | ||
| Krio | stori | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دراما | ||
| Maithili | नाटक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯥꯠ ꯇꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lemcham | ||
| Oromo | do'ii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନାଟକ | ||
| Quechua | drama | ||
| Sanskrit | नाट्य | ||
| Tatar | драма | ||
| Tigrinya | ድራማ | ||
| Tsonga | xihungwana | ||