Joy in Different Languages
Discover 'Joy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Joy is a universal human emotion, yet its expression varies across cultures and languages. It signifies a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, often arising from the achievement of something desired or from the presence of loved ones. The significance of joy extends beyond personal fulfillment, as it plays a crucial role in building social connections and fostering a sense of community.
Throughout history, joy has been celebrated in various forms of art, literature, and philosophy. From the ancient Greeks' concept of 'eudaimonia' to Buddhism's 'mudita,' joy has been interpreted and experienced differently across cultures. Understanding the nuances of this emotion in different languages can provide valuable insights into the ways people around the world perceive and express happiness.
For instance, the Spanish expression 'alegría' not only refers to joy but also carries a sense of exuberance and liveliness. Meanwhile, the German word 'Freude' emphasizes a deep sense of inner satisfaction and contentment. Exploring these translations of joy in different languages can enrich our appreciation of this universal emotion and deepen our connection to people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Joy
Joy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vreugde | ||
| The word "vreugde" in Afrikaans shares its roots with the Dutch word "vreugde", which means "joy" or "happiness", and also has the connotation of "excitement" or "elation". | |||
| Amharic | ደስታ | ||
| "ደስታ" is also used to refer to the annual celebration of Jesus Christ's birth in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which is celebrated on January 7th. | |||
| Hausa | farin ciki | ||
| The word "farin ciki" in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "farah", meaning "joy" or "happiness". It can also refer to the "inner" or "core" of something. | |||
| Igbo | ọ joyụ | ||
| The Igbo word ọ joyụ also means "to be at ease or relaxed" | |||
| Malagasy | fifaliana | ||
| "FIFALIANA" is formed with the roots "fia" (to be full) and "lana" (to extend). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chisangalalo | ||
| The word "chisangalalo" can also mean "happiness" or "delight" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | mufaro | ||
| In Shona, the word "mufaro" has a dual meaning of "joy" and "riches." | |||
| Somali | farxad | ||
| Farxad is rooted in Proto-Cushitic *farxad 'to be delighted, rejoiced', from which also come Beja firxad 'to be happy', Oromo farxadu 'to rejoice'. | |||
| Sesotho | thabo | ||
| The word 'thabo' in Sesotho can also refer to 'happiness,' 'delight,' or 'pleasure.' | |||
| Swahili | furaha | ||
| The Swahili word "furaha" has Bantu origins and is related to the concept of "lightness" or "ease". It can also mean "fun" or "pleasure". | |||
| Xhosa | uvuyo | ||
| The prefix 'uvu' in 'uvuyo' may be related to the prefix 'u' in 'ubumnandi' ('sweetness'). | |||
| Yoruba | ayo | ||
| In the Yoruba language, "ayo" means more than joy and it's a versatile word that can also refer to luck, happiness, fortune, or delight | |||
| Zulu | injabulo | ||
| The word "injabulo" in Zulu not only means "joy", but also refers to a sense of profound happiness and contentment. | |||
| Bambara | nisɔndiya | ||
| Ewe | dzidzɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umunezero | ||
| Lingala | esengo | ||
| Luganda | essanyu | ||
| Sepedi | boipshino | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anigyeɛ | ||
Joy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الفرح | ||
| The word "الفرح" can also mean "a wedding." | |||
| Hebrew | שִׂמְחָה | ||
| The word "שִׂמְחָה" also means "playing with music" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | خوښۍ | ||
| "خوښۍ" is cognate with the Persian word "خوشی" and the Sanskrit word "सुख" (sukha), all of which mean "joy" or "happiness". | |||
| Arabic | الفرح | ||
| The word "الفرح" can also mean "a wedding." | |||
Joy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gëzim | ||
| Albanian "gëzim" derives from Proto-Indo-European "*ǵʰes-mo-s" (pleasant, desirable, welcome) or "*ǵʰeH-is" (joy) and shares a root with Sanskrit "ghāsa-m" (hay, grass). | |||
| Basque | poza | ||
| In Basque, "poza" also refers to the glow of fire, and is related to "putz" (blow) and "putzu" (spring). | |||
| Catalan | goig | ||
| The etymology of the word "goig" can be traced back to the Latin word "gaudium," meaning "great joy". | |||
| Croatian | radost | ||
| Rado is an archaic Slavic word meaning "paradise" or "heavenly realm", and is cognate with the Russian word "radost", meaning "joy". | |||
| Danish | glæde | ||
| "Glæde," "joy" in Danish, derives from Middle Low German and Old Norse "gladie," initially meaning a "shining" or radiant light. | |||
| Dutch | vreugde | ||
| The word "vreugde" comes Dutch "vro" (meaning "early") and "dag" (meaning "day"), as joy is associated with the start of a new day. | |||
| English | joy | ||
| The word "joy" comes from the Old French word "joie," which itself derives from the Latin word "gaudium," meaning "great happiness." | |||
| French | joie | ||
| The French word 'joie' originates from the Latin word 'gaudium', meaning both joy and physical pleasure. | |||
| Frisian | freugde | ||
| Freugde is cognate with freude in German and has several meanings in West Frisian: joy, gladness, gaiety. | |||
| Galician | alegría | ||
| In Galician, "alegría" can also mean "party", derived from the Latin "alacritas", meaning "liveliness or cheerfulness". | |||
| German | freude | ||
| The word 'Freude' also refers to the 'pleasure' or 'delight' derived from an aesthetic or intellectual experience. | |||
| Icelandic | gleði | ||
| The Old Norse form of "gleði" was "gleði" and it also meant "play" and "amusement." | |||
| Irish | áthas | ||
| Áthas is the Irish word for 'joy' which also comes from the Greek word 'athlos' meaning 'contest' or 'struggle'. | |||
| Italian | gioia | ||
| The word "gioia" may also refer to a precious stone or treasure. | |||
| Luxembourgish | freed | ||
| The verb 'freed' can also mean 'to make merry' | |||
| Maltese | ferħ | ||
| The word 'ferħ' is derived from the Arabic word 'farah', which also means 'happiness' or 'joy'. | |||
| Norwegian | glede | ||
| The word "glede" in Norwegian also means "meadow" or "pasture". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alegria | ||
| The word "alegria" in Brazilian Portuguese also refers to a traditional music genre originating in the Northeast region of the country. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gàirdeachas | ||
| The Gaelic word gàirdeachas also means 'boisterous' and comes from the Old Irish word gáirdi ('joyful cry'). | |||
| Spanish | alegría | ||
| Alegría, alegría, alegría, alegría. Alegría que me da la vida. Alegría, alegría, alegría, alegría. Alegría que me da el amor. Alegría, alegría, alegría, alegría. Alegría que me da la amistad. | |||
| Swedish | glädje | ||
| The word "glädje" is derived from the Old Norse word "glaðr", meaning "bright" or "shining". | |||
| Welsh | llawenydd | ||
| The Welsh word 'llawenydd' (joy) comes from the root 'llawen' ('merry'), ultimately deriving from the Proto-Celtic *ɸlawenos ('laughter'). | |||
Joy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | радасць | ||
| This word is etymologically related to the Old Slavonic word “rad’”, meaning 'eager' or 'diligent'. | |||
| Bosnian | radost | ||
| The word 'radost' in Bosnian is also a type of folk song, typically performed at weddings and other joyful occasions. | |||
| Bulgarian | радост | ||
| The word "радост" is derived from Proto-Slavic "*radъ", meaning "gladness" or "happiness." | |||
| Czech | radost | ||
| The Czech word "radost" is thought to be related to the Old Church Slavonic word "radu" meaning "to care" or "to be glad". | |||
| Estonian | rõõmu | ||
| According to the Estonian Etymological Dictionary, the closest cognate is the Finnish "riemu". | |||
| Finnish | ilo | ||
| The word 'ilo' also means 'air' in Finnish, suggesting a connection between joy and fresh air or vitality. | |||
| Hungarian | öröm | ||
| The Hungarian word "öröm" has connections to the Old Turkic word "ürün" meaning "gain," "profit," or "victory." | |||
| Latvian | prieks | ||
| The word "prieks" in Latvian may have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "prek" meaning "to ask" or "to beg", suggesting that joy was originally associated with the fulfillment of a desire or request. | |||
| Lithuanian | džiaugsmo | ||
| Džiaugsmas cognate with the English word "jocular," and likely related to the Greek word "doxa," meaning "glory". | |||
| Macedonian | радост | ||
| The word "радост" can also refer to the act of giving birth or to the feeling of relief that comes after it. | |||
| Polish | radość | ||
| The Polish word "radość" also carries connotations of freedom and liberation, reflecting the deep-seated historical struggles of the Polish people for independence. | |||
| Romanian | bucurie | ||
| The word "bucurie" (joy in Romanian) is derived from the Slavic word "božьstvo" (godhood), suggesting a link between joy and the divine. | |||
| Russian | радость | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, the word радость meant "paradise" | |||
| Serbian | радост | ||
| The word "радост" is a cognate of the Russian word "радость" and is also related to the words "radovati" (to rejoice) and "radovan" (joyful). | |||
| Slovak | radosti | ||
| The word "radosti" also means "pleasures" or "delights" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | veselje | ||
| Slovene word veselje, derived from Proto-Slavic *veselьje, is related to English "vessel," a container for liquid. | |||
| Ukrainian | радість | ||
| The Ukrainian word "радість" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *radъ, which also means "glad" and "council". | |||
Joy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আনন্দ | ||
| The word "আনন্দ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ānanda," which also means "bliss" or "happiness." | |||
| Gujarati | આનંદ | ||
| The word "આનંદ" (joy) is derived from Sanskrit and has other meanings in Gujarati, including wealth and pleasure. | |||
| Hindi | हर्ष | ||
| Hindi word "हर्ष" is derived from Sanskrit "हृष्" (hrish), meaning "to rejoice" or "to be excited or delighted." | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂತೋಷ | ||
| The word "ಸಂತೋಷ" (joy) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "santushti," which means "satisfaction" or "contentment." | |||
| Malayalam | സന്തോഷം | ||
| The word 'സന്തോഷം' originated from the Sanskrit word 'Santosh', which means contentment or satisfaction. | |||
| Marathi | आनंद | ||
| The Marathi word 'आनंद' comes from Sanskrit 'ananda' which has several alternate meanings including joy, bliss and happiness; 'ananda' also refers to a religious concept of spiritual liberation within Indian philosophies. | |||
| Nepali | खुशी | ||
| "खुशी" is derived by concatenating "खु", (meaning "sweet") and "शी", (expressing a female or feminine quality) to denote a "pleasant feeling that lifts one's spirit". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਨੰਦ ਨੂੰ | ||
| The word "आनंद को" can also mean "blissful". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සතුට | ||
| "සතුට" (joy) can also mean "satisfaction" or "contentment". | |||
| Tamil | மகிழ்ச்சி | ||
| The Tamil word 'மகிழ்ச்சி' ('joy'), derived from an ancient Indo-European root, also implies the concept of 'beauty'. This association with aesthetics is a common thread among many languages of that language family. | |||
| Telugu | ఆనందం | ||
| "Ānandamu" originally translates to delight, a milder form of joy, however its modern sense stems from "anada," a Sanskrit term for "no sound" implying the serene happiness of the void, where one resides in a state of ultimate peace and fulfillment. | |||
| Urdu | خوشی | ||
| The word 'خوشی' has Persian origins, where it is derived from the word 'khush,' meaning 'happy' or 'content.' | |||
Joy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 喜悦 | ||
| "喜悦" also means "to be happy" and "to be glad" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 喜悅 | ||
| "喜" originally means "to give birth" and "悅" means "to be harmonious", so the original meaning of "喜悅" is "the pleasure of childbirth". | |||
| Japanese | 喜び | ||
| "喜び" also means "happiness" and is used in compounds such as "喜び組" (courtesan), "喜びの涙" (tears of joy), and "喜びの舞" (dance of joy). | |||
| Korean | 즐거움 | ||
| The word "즐거움" is also used to refer to the "state of being pleased or satisfied". | |||
| Mongolian | баяр баясгалан | ||
| The Mongolian word "баяр баясгалан" ("joy") is thought to be derived from the Turkic word "bayram" (meaning "holiday" or "festival"). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မင်္ဂလာပါ | ||
| In Burmese, the word 'မင်္ဂလာပါ' can also mean a special blessing or greeting for a specific occasion, often used to wish someone well or to congratulate them. | |||
Joy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kegembiraan | ||
| The Indonesian word "kegembiraan" also conveys a sense of "happiness" or "elation". | |||
| Javanese | kabungahan | ||
| "Kabungahan" is also used to refer to the feeling of satisfaction or fulfillment. | |||
| Khmer | សេចក្តីអំណរ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມສຸກ | ||
| The term "ຄວາມສຸກ" is an old Lao word and it also means the state of having no suffering. | |||
| Malay | kegembiraan | ||
| Kegembiraan's root word, 'gembira,' is borrowed from Sanskrit and means 'to tremble with excitement'. | |||
| Thai | ความสุข | ||
| The Thai word 'ความสุข' derives from Pali and Sanskrit terms meaning 'well-being' and 'ease' | |||
| Vietnamese | vui sướng | ||
| "Vui" means "joy" and "sướng" means "pleasure", | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kagalakan | ||
Joy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sevinc | ||
| The word "sevinc" also means "gladness" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қуаныш | ||
| The word "қуаныш" is derived from the Old Turkic word "қуа", meaning "to be happy or satisfied". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кубаныч | ||
| The word | |||
| Tajik | хурсандӣ | ||
| The word "хурсандӣ" can also mean "happiness" or "delight" in Persian, from which Tajik developed. | |||
| Turkmen | şatlyk | ||
| Uzbek | quvonch | ||
| The word "quvonch" is derived from the Persian word "khvān", meaning "invitation to dinner". | |||
| Uyghur | خۇشاللىق | ||
Joy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoliʻoli | ||
| 'Oliʻoli' is also related to the words 'oli' (chant) and 'oliʻoli' (to be happy), suggesting a deep connection between music, joy, and spiritual expression in Hawaiian culture. | |||
| Maori | koa | ||
| The Māori word 'koa' can also refer to a type of seaweed or a feeling of longing or desire. | |||
| Samoan | fiafia | ||
| "Fa'a" in "fiafia" comes from "fa'a-fa'a", which means to make something beautiful. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kagalakan | ||
| The word "kagalakan" in Tagalog likely traces its roots to the Malay "kagak", meaning to be happy; this etymology could also link the Filipino word to the Sanskrit "kam", meaning pleasure. | |||
Joy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kusisita | ||
| Guarani | tory | ||
Joy in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĝojo | ||
| Esperanto's "ĝojo" stems from the Romanian "jgheab," meaning "channel," or "hollow". | |||
| Latin | gaudium | ||
| "Gaudium" originally referred to pleasure derived from agriculture and animal husbandry. | |||
Joy in Others Languages
| Greek | χαρά | ||
| Χαρά originates from the word χαίρω (chairo), meaning to rejoice or be glad. | |||
| Hmong | kev xyiv fab | ||
| "Kev xyiv fab" can also mean "to be happy" or "to have a good time." | |||
| Kurdish | kêf | ||
| The word 'kêf' in Kurdish also means 'state of mind' or 'pleasure'. | |||
| Turkish | sevinç | ||
| "Sevinç" can also mean "abundance of water" or "a flood" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | uvuyo | ||
| The prefix 'uvu' in 'uvuyo' may be related to the prefix 'u' in 'ubumnandi' ('sweetness'). | |||
| Yiddish | פרייד | ||
| In Yiddish, "פרייד" ("freyd") also denotes a festive meal or celebration, similar to the English "feast" | |||
| Zulu | injabulo | ||
| The word "injabulo" in Zulu not only means "joy", but also refers to a sense of profound happiness and contentment. | |||
| Assamese | উল্লাহ | ||
| Aymara | kusisita | ||
| Bhojpuri | हर्ष | ||
| Dhivehi | އުފާވެރިކަން | ||
| Dogri | नंद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kagalakan | ||
| Guarani | tory | ||
| Ilocano | ragsak | ||
| Krio | gladi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆشی | ||
| Maithili | खुशी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯡꯉꯥꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lawmna | ||
| Oromo | gammachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆନନ୍ଦ | ||
| Quechua | kusi | ||
| Sanskrit | आनंदं | ||
| Tatar | шатлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓጎስ | ||
| Tsonga | ntsako | ||