Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'emotional' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, as it allows us to express the complex range of feelings we experience as humans. It is a word that transcends cultural boundaries and is universally understood, yet its translation can vary greatly depending on the language and culture in question.
In English, 'emotional' refers to something that elicits strong feelings or is characterized by emotion. However, in other languages, the word can take on different connotations and nuances. For example, in Spanish, 'emotivo' can also imply sensitivity or sentimentality, while in German, 'emotional' translates to 'emotional' but can also mean 'passionate' or 'excited'. In Japanese, 'emotional' is translated to '感情的' (kangeiteki), which carries a similar meaning but can also imply a deeper, more introspective understanding of emotions.
Understanding the translation of 'emotional' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural values and perspectives of different societies. It can also help us better communicate and connect with others around the world, fostering a greater appreciation for the richness and diversity of human emotion.
Afrikaans | emosioneel | ||
Also means "sensitive" in Afrikaans. | |||
Amharic | ስሜታዊ | ||
"ስሜታዊ" can also refer to 'sympathetic' and 'moving'. | |||
Hausa | na motsin rai | ||
The word "na motsin rai" can also mean "impressionable" or "easily influenced" in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | mmetụta uche | ||
The Igbo word for 'emotional', mmetụta uche, literally means 'feeling of the heart' | |||
Malagasy | pihetseham-po | ||
"Pihetseham-po" also means "to be annoyed" or "to be irritated" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | zotengeka | ||
The word 'zotengeka' is also used to describe something strange or unfamiliar. | |||
Shona | manzwiro | ||
Somali | qiiro leh | ||
"Qiiro leh" literally means "having a liver" and derives from the older meaning of "liver" as the seat of emotions. | |||
Sesotho | maikutlo | ||
The word maikutlo in Sesotho can also refer to the innermost feelings of a person. | |||
Swahili | kihisia | ||
Derived from the archaic word 'kisi' meaning 'heart', 'kihisia' also refers to 'feelings' and 'emotions' | |||
Xhosa | ngokweemvakalelo | ||
The Xhosa word "Ngókwéémvakálélo" (emotional) means more directly "that which comes from the heart". | |||
Yoruba | imolara | ||
In addition to "emotional", "imolara" may also refer to "consciousness" or "intelligence". | |||
Zulu | ngokomzwelo | ||
The word "ngokomzwelo" is also used to describe a deep, heartfelt feeling that is difficult to express in words. | |||
Bambara | nisɔndiya | ||
Ewe | se seselelãme | ||
Kinyarwanda | amarangamutima | ||
Lingala | ya mayoki | ||
Luganda | obusungu | ||
Sepedi | maikutlo | ||
Twi (Akan) | atenka | ||
Arabic | عاطفي | ||
The Arabic word "ʿāṭifī" comes from the root "ʿ-ṭ-f", which means "to turn" or "to soften." | |||
Hebrew | רִגשִׁי | ||
The Hebrew word "רגשי" (emotional) is derived from the root "רגש" (to shake, to tremble), which also appears in the word "רגע" (moment). | |||
Pashto | احساساتي | ||
In Pashto, "احساساتي" means "emotional" and can also refer to someone who is sensitive or sentimental. | |||
Arabic | عاطفي | ||
The Arabic word "ʿāṭifī" comes from the root "ʿ-ṭ-f", which means "to turn" or "to soften." |
Albanian | emocionale | ||
The Albanian word "emocionale" is derived from Latin "emotionalis", which means "pertaining to emotions". | |||
Basque | emozionala | ||
The word "emozionala" in Basque, meaning "emotional", also refers to a concept of collective emotionality and shared feeling. | |||
Catalan | emocional | ||
In Catalan, 'emocional' means both 'emotional' and 'passionate'. | |||
Croatian | emotivan | ||
The Croatian word "emotivan" is derived from the Latin word "emovere", meaning "to move" or "to arouse emotion". It is also related to the French word "émotif", which has a similar meaning. | |||
Danish | følelsesmæssig | ||
The Danish word 'følelsesmæssig' can also refer to the physical or psychological response to a situation. | |||
Dutch | emotioneel | ||
"Emotioneel" can also mean 'sensitive,' 'tender,' or 'excitable' in Dutch. | |||
English | emotional | ||
The word "emotional" comes from the Latin word "emovere," which means "to move" or "to stir up." | |||
French | émotif | ||
Émotif derives from the Greek word "éma" meaning "blood" and originally referred to physiological reactions. | |||
Frisian | emosjoneel | ||
Emosioneel also means emotional in Dutch, an official language of Suriname, which has had historical ties with Friesland, the province of the Netherlands where West Frisian is spoken. | |||
Galician | emocional | ||
En gallego, "emocional" es un préstamo del francés "émotionnel", que a su vez deriva del latín "emovere" (mover). | |||
German | emotional | ||
The word "emotional" (emotionell) in German can refer to the realm of feelings, or a particular style of painting. | |||
Icelandic | tilfinningaþrungin | ||
It is similar to the Norwegian word "tilfinningstung", which means "difficult to feel." | |||
Irish | mhothúchánach | ||
The word "mhothúchánach" originally referred to physical sensations and emotions together | |||
Italian | emotivo | ||
In Italian, 'emozionante' is an adjective that expresses strong feelings, like joy or sorrow. | |||
Luxembourgish | emotional | ||
The Luxembourgish word "emotional" comes from the French word "émotionnel" and can also mean "touchy" or "sensitive". | |||
Maltese | emozzjonali | ||
The Maltese word "emozzjonali" is derived from the French word "émotif," which itself comes from the Latin word "emovere," meaning "to stir up" or "to move out." | |||
Norwegian | emosjonell | ||
The word "emosjonell" can also refer to "sensitive" or "touchy" in Norwegian. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | emocional | ||
"Emocional" can also mean "sensitive" or "touchy" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | tòcail | ||
The Gaelic word 'tòcail' can also refer to a sudden movement, a twitch, a tremor, a shock or a jolt. | |||
Spanish | emocional | ||
The word "emocional" in Spanish originally meant "relating to emotions or feelings" but now also means "sensitive" or "sentimental". | |||
Swedish | emotionell | ||
The word "emotionell" comes from the Latin word "emovere", meaning "to move out or remove." | |||
Welsh | emosiynol | ||
The word 'emosiynol' comes from the French word 'émotionnel', which means 'emotional', and has existed in Welsh since the mid-19th century. |
Belarusian | эмацыянальны | ||
The word | |||
Bosnian | emocionalno | ||
The word 'emocionalno' (emotional) can also be used to mean 'affected' or 'touched' by emotion. | |||
Bulgarian | емоционална | ||
The word "емоционална" also means "sentimental" in Bulgarian | |||
Czech | emocionální | ||
The word "emocionální" in Czech is derived from the French word "émotionnel", which itself comes from the Latin word "emovere", meaning "to move" or "to stir up". | |||
Estonian | emotsionaalne | ||
"Emotsionaalne" can also mean "sentimental". The word comes from the Latin word "emovere," which means "to move out". | |||
Finnish | tunnepitoinen | ||
"Tunnepitoinen" on suomen kielessä monimerkityksinen sana, joka voi tarkoittaa muun muassa tunteikasta, sentimentaalista ja subjektiivista. | |||
Hungarian | érzelmi | ||
The Hungarian word "érzelmi" derives from the verb "érez" (to feel) and originally referred to the sense of touch. | |||
Latvian | emocionāls | ||
The word "emocionāls" in Latvian derives from the French "émotionnel". | |||
Lithuanian | emocinis | ||
The word "emocinis" is derived from the Latin word "emovere", meaning "to move" or "to stir up". | |||
Macedonian | емотивно | ||
Емотивно, derived from the word 'емоција' (emotion), has the same meaning in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | emocjonalny | ||
The word "emocjonalny" can be considered a false spelling of the word "emocjonalny". | |||
Romanian | emoţional | ||
In Romanian, "emoţional" (emotional) derives from the French "émotionnel" and can also mean "excitable". | |||
Russian | эмоциональный | ||
Слово «эмоциональный» произошло от латинского слова «emovere», что значит «вызывать, волновать». | |||
Serbian | емоционално | ||
The Serbian word "емоционално" can also mean "sensitive" or "touchy". | |||
Slovak | emotívny | ||
In its earlier use, it also had an alternate meaning of "sensitive". | |||
Slovenian | čustveno | ||
"Čustveno" in Slovenian can also mean "sensually". | |||
Ukrainian | емоційний | ||
The word "емоційний" comes from the Greek word "εμωθιω" meaning "passionate" or "inspired". |
Bengali | সংবেদনশীল | ||
The word "সংবেদনশীল" ("emotional") is derived from the Sanskrit word "संवेदन" ("feeling") and can also mean "sensitive" or "susceptible". | |||
Gujarati | ભાવનાત્મક | ||
In Gujarati, the word "ભાવનાત્મक" (bhaavanaatmak) is not only used to describe emotional states but also refers to feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. | |||
Hindi | भावुक | ||
The word "भावुक" also has the alternate meaning of "sentimental", which implies nostalgia and affection. | |||
Kannada | ಭಾವನಾತ್ಮಕ | ||
The word ಭಾವನಾತ್ಮಕ also refers to a type of music that evokes emotions. | |||
Malayalam | വികാരപരമായ | ||
The word "വികാരപരമായ" ("emotional") in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "विकार" ("change") and refers to a change in mental or emotional state. | |||
Marathi | भावनिक | ||
The word 'भावनिक' in Marathi can also refer to a spiritual or devotional feeling. | |||
Nepali | भावनात्मक | ||
The word भावनात्मक (bhavanatmak) in Nepali derives from the Sanskrit words भाव (bhava) meaning 'emotion' and आत्मक (atmak) meaning 'pertaining to the self' or 'subjective' | |||
Punjabi | ਭਾਵਾਤਮਕ | ||
The word "ਭਾਵਾਤਮਕ" (bhavaatmak) in Punjabi derives from the Sanskrit word "bhava" meaning "feeling, emotion" and "aatmak" meaning "pertaining to self". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | චිත්තවේගීය | ||
Tamil | உணர்ச்சி | ||
உணர்ச்சி literally translates to "feeling" but is also used to refer to "taste". | |||
Telugu | భావోద్వేగ | ||
Urdu | جذباتی | ||
The Urdu word 'جذباتی' is rooted in the Arabic verb 'جَذب,' meaning 'to pull' or 'to attract,' capturing the idea of emotional responses being elicited by external stimuli. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 情感的 | ||
情感的 is also used to describe something as touching or moving | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 情感的 | ||
“情感”在中文语境中也有“亲情”之意,与英文中的“emotion”一词意义上略有差异。 | |||
Japanese | 感情の | ||
感情の (kanjō no) is also used in the sense of "affection" or "sentiment" | |||
Korean | 감정적 인 | ||
감(感) is the character used to express the five senses, and 정(情) is the feeling or emotion created in the heart after experiencing the five senses. | |||
Mongolian | сэтгэл хөдлөм | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ်ခံစားမှု | ||
Indonesian | emosional | ||
The Indonesian word "emosional" can also mean impulsive. | |||
Javanese | emosi | ||
"Emos" is commonly used to describe someone who is very sensitive to the feelings of others and can be easily moved to tears or anger. | |||
Khmer | អារម្មណ៍ | ||
The word "អារម្មណ៍" has several alternate meanings including "object", "goal", and "intention." | |||
Lao | ອາລົມ | ||
Malay | beremosi | ||
"Beremosi" comes from the Arabic "ramasa" meaning "emotion" or "sentiment". | |||
Thai | อารมณ์ | ||
The word "อารมณ์" ("emotional") is derived from the Sanskrit word "आराम" ("ārama"), meaning "delight" or "pleasure". | |||
Vietnamese | đa cảm | ||
"Đa cảm" consists of "đa" (many) and "cảm" (feel). This word is derived from Chinese, where it means "to feel strongly", but Vietnamese usage has narrowed its meaning to "emotional". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | emosyonal | ||
Azerbaijani | emosional | ||
The Azerbaijani word "emosional" also means "sensitive, delicate". | |||
Kazakh | эмоционалды | ||
Kyrgyz | эмоционалдык | ||
Tajik | эҳсосӣ | ||
The Tajik word "эҳсосӣ" (emotional) has multiple meanings such as "sentimental", "touchy", and "sensitive". | |||
Turkmen | emosional | ||
Uzbek | hissiy | ||
The word "hissiy" in Uzbek has roots in the Persian language, where it also means "emotional", and has a figurative meaning of "sensitive or touchy". | |||
Uyghur | ھېسسىياتچان | ||
Hawaiian | manaʻo | ||
The Hawaiian word "manaʻo" also refers to "mind" or "thought." | |||
Maori | kare ā-roto | ||
The word “kare ā-roto” means “emotional”, but the word “ā-roto” also means "heart" or "mind". | |||
Samoan | lagona | ||
In Samoan, the word "lagona" can also refer to "a feeling" or "a desire". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | emosyonal | ||
"Emosyonal" can be traced to the Spanish word "emocional" meaning "emotional" but it can also have connotations of sentimentality or being overly emotional. |
Aymara | kusisiña | ||
Guarani | py'andýireko | ||
Esperanto | emocia | ||
"Emocia" is derived from the Latin word "emovere," meaning "to move out": one's emotions move one to act. | |||
Latin | motus | ||
The Latin word "motus" also means "movement" or "change". |
Greek | συναισθηματική | ||
Ancient Greeks also used συναισθηματική, which now means 'emotional', to refer to physical sensations or awareness. | |||
Hmong | kev xav | ||
The Hmong word "kev xav" also means "mind" or "thought". | |||
Kurdish | hisî | ||
The word "hisî" in Kurdish comes from the Arabic word "hiss" meaning "sense" or "feeling". | |||
Turkish | duygusal | ||
"Duygusal" ayrıca "duygudan oluşan" anlamına da gelir. | |||
Xhosa | ngokweemvakalelo | ||
The Xhosa word "Ngókwéémvakálélo" (emotional) means more directly "that which comes from the heart". | |||
Yiddish | עמאָציאָנעל | ||
The Yiddish word "emotsional" shares its etymology with the English word "emotional" and means both "emotional" and "sentimental" | |||
Zulu | ngokomzwelo | ||
The word "ngokomzwelo" is also used to describe a deep, heartfelt feeling that is difficult to express in words. | |||
Assamese | আবেগিক | ||
Aymara | kusisiña | ||
Bhojpuri | भावुक | ||
Dhivehi | އިމޯޝަނަލް | ||
Dogri | जजबाती | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | emosyonal | ||
Guarani | py'andýireko | ||
Ilocano | emosional | ||
Krio | aw yu de fil | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سۆزداری | ||
Maithili | भावुक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯛꯅꯤꯡ ꯅꯨꯡꯁꯤꯕ | ||
Mizo | thil vei | ||
Oromo | miiraan guutamuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଭାବପ୍ରବଣ | ||
Quechua | kuyakuq | ||
Sanskrit | भावुक | ||
Tatar | эмоциональ | ||
Tigrinya | ስምዒታዊ | ||
Tsonga | matitwelo | ||