Offense in Different Languages
Discover 'Offense' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'offense' carries significant weight in many cultures and languages around the world. It refers to a violation of a law, rule, or social expectation, often resulting in harm or disadvantage to others. Understanding the concept of 'offense' is crucial to navigating social interactions and legal systems. Moreover, recognizing how this term translates in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural nuances and attitudes.
For instance, in Spanish, 'offense' is 'ofensa', while in French, it's 'offense'. In German, it's 'Die Beleidigung', and in Japanese, it's '犯罪 (hanzai)'. Each of these translations reflects not only linguistic differences but also cultural attitudes towards wrongdoing and accountability.
Delving into the translations of 'offense' in various languages can open up a world of cultural discovery and understanding. Keep reading to explore more translations and learn about the fascinating cultural contexts that shape them.
Offense
Offense in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oortreding | ||
| The Afrikaans word "oortreding" (offense) is derived from the Dutch word "overtreding" (transgression). | |||
| Amharic | ጥፋት | ||
| "ጥፋት," which usually refers to an "offense," also refers to an "accident" when preceded by "የ" | |||
| Hausa | laifi | ||
| The Hausa word for offense, "laifi," originally meant "crime against a chieftain." | |||
| Igbo | mmejọ | ||
| The Igbo word 'mmejọ' can also refer to 'debt' or 'sin'. | |||
| Malagasy | fandikan-dalàna | ||
| Fandikan-dalàna is of Indonesian origin, related to "pendapatan", meaning "income". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukhumudwitsa | ||
| In the Chewa language, "kukhumudwitsa" can also refer to the feeling of "being hurt" or a "sense of loss". | |||
| Shona | kukanganisa | ||
| Kukanganisa can also mean 'to be different', 'to be contrary', 'to be at variance with', or 'to be in conflict with'. | |||
| Somali | dembi | ||
| In Somali, **dembi** can also refer to a sin, crime, or fault and is related to the Arabic word **dhamb**. | |||
| Sesotho | tlolo | ||
| The verb 'tlolo' also means 'irritate' or 'annoy'. | |||
| Swahili | kosa | ||
| The word 'kosa' can also mean 'to miss' or 'to fail' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ityala | ||
| "Ityala" can also refer to a 'case' in a court of law. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹṣẹ | ||
| Ẹṣẹ can also mean 'sin' or 'guilt', and is derived from the verb 'ṣẹ' ('to act wrongly') | |||
| Zulu | ukoniwa | ||
| Although "ukoniwa" typically means offense, it can also be understood as an affront to dignity. | |||
| Bambara | jurumu kɛli | ||
| Ewe | agɔdzedze | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyaha | ||
| Lingala | kosala mabe | ||
| Luganda | okusobya | ||
| Sepedi | molato | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mfomso | ||
Offense in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جريمة | ||
| جريمة derives from the verb جرم (jaram, meaning to bear guilt), and originally meant 'crime' but also 'wound', 'harm', and 'damage'. | |||
| Hebrew | עבירה | ||
| 'עבירה' ('offense') originally meant 'stepping over' religious boundaries, from the verb 'עבר' ('to cross'). | |||
| Pashto | سرغړونه | ||
| In Pashto, the word "سرغړونه" can also mean "trespass" or "infringement." | |||
| Arabic | جريمة | ||
| جريمة derives from the verb جرم (jaram, meaning to bear guilt), and originally meant 'crime' but also 'wound', 'harm', and 'damage'. | |||
Offense in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ofendim | ||
| The Albanian word "ofendim" derives from Ottoman Turkish "ufridim" meaning "scorn". | |||
| Basque | iraina | ||
| Iraina is also a Basque surname, meaning "the valley of the water." | |||
| Catalan | ofensa | ||
| The Catalan word "ofensa" also means "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Croatian | uvreda | ||
| The word "uvreda" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic root *vьrěda, meaning "wound" or "damage". | |||
| Danish | forbrydelse | ||
| The word 'forbrydelse' is derived from the Old Norse word 'brjóta', meaning 'to break' or 'to violate' | |||
| Dutch | overtreding | ||
| The word "overtreding" in Dutch can also mean "violation" or "breach". | |||
| English | offense | ||
| The word "offense" originally meant "a stumbling block," and still retains this meaning in contexts such as chess or the Bible. | |||
| French | infraction | ||
| In French, "infraction" can also refer to a violation of a law or regulation | |||
| Frisian | oanstjit | ||
| 'Oanstjit' is derived from the Old Frisian word 'anast', meaning 'trouble' or 'disgrace'. | |||
| Galician | ofensa | ||
| In Galician,"ofensa" also means "injury" and "mistake" | |||
| German | delikt | ||
| The word "Delikt" in German derives from the Latin "delictum," meaning literally "a wrong done, a fault or offense," itself stemming from the verb "linquere," meaning "to leave," suggesting the notion of a deviation from the right path. | |||
| Icelandic | móðgun | ||
| The word "móðgun" originally meant "anger" and was also used as a term for the offense of killing a close relative in revenge for a crime. | |||
| Irish | cion | ||
| "Cion" can also mean "tribute" or "rent" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | offesa | ||
| The Italian word "offesa" has its roots in the Latin "offendere", meaning "to strike against" or "to cause pain". | |||
| Luxembourgish | beleidegung | ||
| The word "Beleidegung" in Luxembourgish is derived from the French word "offenser", meaning "to cause offense or harm." | |||
| Maltese | reat | ||
| The Maltese word "reat" shares its etymology with the Latin "reatus" which means "guilt" and is a legal term in that language. | |||
| Norwegian | fornærmelse | ||
| "Fornærmelse" derives from the Old Norse "fornæmi" meaning "disrespect". It can also refer to an "injury" or "affliction". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ofensa | ||
| "Ofensa" in Portuguese can also mean "injury" or "damage", and its verb form "ofender" can mean "to harm" or "to cause pain." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eucoir | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "eucoir" can also mean "fault" or "blame". | |||
| Spanish | ofensa | ||
| In Argentina and Uruguay, "ofensa" primarily means "gift". | |||
| Swedish | anfall | ||
| The Swedish word "anfall" is derived from the German "Anfall", which means attack or seizure. | |||
| Welsh | trosedd | ||
| "Trosedd" can also mean an obstacle or a nuisance in Welsh. | |||
Offense in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | правапарушэнне | ||
| The word "правапарушэнне" in Belarusian shares the same root with the word "права" (right), highlighting its connection to violating or infringing upon rights. | |||
| Bosnian | uvreda | ||
| The word 'uvreda' comes from the Proto-Slavic root *vьrěda, which also means 'wound'. | |||
| Bulgarian | нарушение | ||
| "Нарушение" in Bulgarian also refers to a violation of a rule, law or regulation, a breach of conduct, or a trespass. | |||
| Czech | útok | ||
| In Czech, útok also refers to the beginning of a sports event. | |||
| Estonian | rünnak | ||
| In some dialects of Estonian, the word "rünnak" also means "attack" or "raid" | |||
| Finnish | rikkomus | ||
| The word "rikkomus" is derived from the verb "rikkoa," meaning "to break" or "to violate". | |||
| Hungarian | bűncselekmény | ||
| "Bűncselekmény" is derived from the Hungarian word "bűn", meaning "sin" or "crime", and the suffix "-cselekmény", meaning "action". This suggests that the original sense of "bűncselekmény" was "an action that is a sin" or "a criminal action". | |||
| Latvian | apvainojums | ||
| The Latvian word “apvainojums” derives from “apvainot,” which means to insult, offend, or hurt emotionally. | |||
| Lithuanian | nusikaltimas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "nusikaltimas" is derived from the word "skilti", which means "to separate" or "to break apart". | |||
| Macedonian | прекршок | ||
| The Macedonian word "прекршок" (offense) is derived from the verb "прекршувам" (to violate) and can also refer to a minor breach of the law or social norms. | |||
| Polish | wykroczenie | ||
| "Wykroczenie" derives from the Old Polish verb "wykrawać" and originally meant "to cut out", "to violate". | |||
| Romanian | delict | ||
| The Romanian word "delict" also refers to a breach of public morals or a civil wrong which is not a crime. | |||
| Russian | преступление | ||
| The word "преступление" also has the meaning of "crime". | |||
| Serbian | прекршај | ||
| The word 'прекршај' has legal, grammatical, and even geographical meanings, all originating from the basic meaning "to step over a line". | |||
| Slovak | priestupok | ||
| The word "priestupok" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pri-stъpъ, meaning "transgression, violation". | |||
| Slovenian | kaznivo dejanje | ||
| The phrase "kaznivo dejanje" originates from the Old Slavic "kazniti", meaning "to punish", and "dejanje", meaning "action". | |||
| Ukrainian | правопорушення | ||
| Правопорушення derives from the Russian word "правонарушение", meaning "violation of the law". | |||
Offense in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অপরাধ | ||
| The word অপরাধ comes from the Sanskrit word 'aparaadha', which means 'to not show respect' or 'to go against a rule'. | |||
| Gujarati | ગુનો | ||
| In Gujarati, the word "ગુનો" originally meant "blemish" or "fault" but came to have the connotation of "crime" or "offense" during the Mughal period. | |||
| Hindi | अपमान | ||
| "अपमान" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मान," meaning honor. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಪರಾಧ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಅಪರಾಧ' means 'offense' but also has other meanings such as 'crime', 'sin', 'fault', 'error', or 'mistake'. | |||
| Malayalam | കുറ്റമായാണ് | ||
| Marathi | गुन्हा | ||
| The word "गुन्हा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "घ्नित," meaning "killing, slaying, or destroying." | |||
| Nepali | अपराध | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit root "apara" meaning "later" or "posterior", referring to an act that violates the established norms or standards of a society. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਪਰਾਧ | ||
| The word "ਅਪਰਾਧ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अपराध" (aparādha), which means "a transgression, a fault, an offense". It also carries the alternate meaning of "an insult, a slight, a discourtesy". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වරද | ||
| The word "වරද" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Tamil | குற்றம் | ||
| Although 'குற்றம்' is the translation of offense in everyday usage, it originally meant 'error' or 'mistake.' | |||
| Telugu | నేరం | ||
| In Telugu, offense is also known as 'aparadham' and 'dosham,' which have connotations of sin and wrongdoing. | |||
| Urdu | جرم | ||
| جرم literally means "act" and also "weight". | |||
Offense in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 罪行 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, 罪行 meant 'record or report of a crime', which then became 'crime', with 行 being a suffix indicating the result of an action. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 罪行 | ||
| 罪行 (zuìxíng) literally means "sinning and acting" and can also refer to a person who commits crimes. | |||
| Japanese | オフェンス | ||
| オフェンス (ofensu) is sometimes used jokingly to mean "offense" in terms of causing someone to take offense, similar to the alternate meaning of "offense" in English. | |||
| Korean | 위반 | ||
| The word '위반' can also be translated as 'violation' or 'transgression'. | |||
| Mongolian | гэмт хэрэг | ||
| "Гэмт хэрэг" originally meant an action that would cause a misfortune or disease, but now mainly means a criminal act. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြစ်မှု | ||
Offense in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pelanggaran | ||
| "Pelanggaran" can also mean 'violation', 'trespass', or 'transgression' in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | pelanggaran | ||
| The Javanese term 'pelanggaran' can also refer to a 'mistake' or 'transgression' in a wider sense. | |||
| Khmer | បទល្មើស | ||
| Lao | ການກະ ທຳ ຜິດ | ||
| Malay | kesalahan | ||
| "Kesalahan" (offense) derives from "salah" (incorrect) meaning that an offense is something that occurs out of an incorrect action. | |||
| Thai | ความผิด | ||
| The Thai word "ความผิด" can also mean "mistake" or "error" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "karma". | |||
| Vietnamese | xúc phạm | ||
| The word "xúc phạm" (offense) originates from the Chinese word "觸犯" (offend), which itself is composed of the characters "觸" (touch) and "犯" (crime). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakasala | ||
Offense in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cinayət | ||
| In Old Azerbaijani, | |||
| Kazakh | құқық бұзушылық | ||
| Kyrgyz | кылмыш | ||
| Кылмыш is a Turkic word derived from the Old Turkic word *qylïm* and means | |||
| Tajik | хафагӣ | ||
| The word "хафагӣ" is derived from the Persian word "хафа", meaning "angry" or "displeased". | |||
| Turkmen | kemsitmek | ||
| Uzbek | jinoyat | ||
| The word "jinoyat" in Uzbek also refers to "sin" and "crime". | |||
| Uyghur | جىنايەت | ||
Offense in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hewa | ||
| "Hew" is also the Hawaiian word for "breath" or "air". | |||
| Maori | he | ||
| The word "he" in Māori can also mean "to scold" or "to insult". | |||
| Samoan | solitulafono | ||
| Solitulafono derives from the words "solitu" (to strike) and "fono" (speech), implying an assault on the dignity or reputation of another. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkakasala | ||
Offense in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jucha luraña | ||
| Guarani | ofensa rehegua | ||
Offense in International Languages
| Esperanto | ofendo | ||
| The Esperanto word "ofendo" is derived from the Latin word "offendō", meaning "to strike against", "to stumble over", or "to cause to sin" | |||
| Latin | offendiculo | ||
| The word 'offendiculo' in Latin also means 'stumbling block' or 'hindrance'. | |||
Offense in Others Languages
| Greek | αδίκημα | ||
| The term "αδίκημα" derives from the verb "αδικέω" (adikέw), meaning "to do an injustice to" or "to harm". | |||
| Hmong | kev ua txhaum | ||
| The word "kev ua txhaum" can also refer to a transgression or violation of a law or rule. | |||
| Kurdish | pelixandin | ||
| The word "pelixandin" also refers to a type of traditional Kurdish dance. | |||
| Turkish | suç | ||
| "Suç" is a Turkish word that can also mean "crime", "sin", or "fault". | |||
| Xhosa | ityala | ||
| "Ityala" can also refer to a 'case' in a court of law. | |||
| Yiddish | העט | ||
| In Yiddish 'העט' can also commonly refer to an 'act of transgression' or an 'offence'. | |||
| Zulu | ukoniwa | ||
| Although "ukoniwa" typically means offense, it can also be understood as an affront to dignity. | |||
| Assamese | অপৰাধ | ||
| Aymara | jucha luraña | ||
| Bhojpuri | अपराध के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުށެއް | ||
| Dogri | अपराध करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakasala | ||
| Guarani | ofensa rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | panagsalungasing | ||
| Krio | ɔfens | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تاوانبارکردن | ||
| Maithili | अपराध | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯐꯦꯟꯁ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | offense tih a ni | ||
| Oromo | yakka | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅପରାଧ | ||
| Quechua | ofensa | ||
| Sanskrit | अपराधः | ||
| Tatar | рәнҗетү | ||
| Tigrinya | በደል ምጥቃዕ | ||
| Tsonga | ku khunguvanyeka | ||