Enemy in Different Languages
Discover 'Enemy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'enemy' carries a significant weight, representing a force that is opposed to us in some way. Throughout history, the concept of an 'enemy' has played a pivotal role in shaping cultures, societies, and the course of human events. From ancient wars to modern geopolitics, identifying and addressing enemies has been a critical aspect of survival and progress.
But what happens when we seek to understand our enemies, rather than simply defeat them? This question has inspired countless works of literature, art, and philosophy, inviting us to explore the complexities of human nature and the potential for reconciliation. By learning the translations of 'enemy' in different languages, we can gain new insights into how other cultures view this fundamental concept.
For example, in Spanish, 'enemy' is 'enemigo', while in French it's 'ennemi'. In German, it's 'Feind', and in Japanese, it's 'Teki'. Each of these translations offers a unique cultural perspective on the idea of an 'enemy', inviting us to broaden our own understanding and empathy.
In the following list, you'll find translations of 'enemy' in a variety of languages, from Arabic to Zulu. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural scholar, or simply a curious mind, we hope this resource inspires you to explore the rich tapestry of human experience and the many ways we define ourselves in relation to the world around us.
Enemy
Enemy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vyand | ||
| Vyand means "hostile force" in Afrikaans and comes from the medieval Dutch word "viant" meaning "an assault"} | |||
| Amharic | ጠላት | ||
| The Amharic word "ጠላት" derives from the Ge'ez "ጠለተ" meaning "to separate, divide, or scatter". | |||
| Hausa | makiyi | ||
| The Hausa word "makiyi" can also refer to a rival, competitor, or someone who is hostile or unfriendly. | |||
| Igbo | onye iro | ||
| "Onye iro" can also refer to a "friend who acts as an enemy" or a "false friend". | |||
| Malagasy | fahavalo | ||
| The word "fahavalo" can also refer to a "malicious spirit" or a "demon" in Malagasy folklore. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mdani | ||
| The word "mdani" in Nyanja can also refer to a foreigner, a non-native speaker, or a stranger. | |||
| Shona | muvengi | ||
| The word 'muvengi' (enemy) is derived from the same root as 'mukoma' (brother), suggesting that enemies are often those with whom we have a close bond that has been broken. | |||
| Somali | cadow | ||
| The word "cadow" is also used figuratively to refer to a rival, opponent, or adversary. | |||
| Sesotho | sera | ||
| Sesotho word 'sera' has its origin in the verb meaning 'to be bitter' or 'to be angry'. | |||
| Swahili | adui | ||
| In Swahili, "adui" has cognates in other Bantu languages used to describe a 'guest' or 'stranger', a reflection of the nomadic origins of the Bantu-speaking peoples. | |||
| Xhosa | utshaba | ||
| The Xhosa word "utshaba" is etymologically related to the word "shaba", meaning "to be lost" or "to be in the wilderness". | |||
| Yoruba | ọtá | ||
| 'Òtá' also refers to a kind of traditional soup prepared with okra, pumpkin leaves, and other vegetables. | |||
| Zulu | isitha | ||
| The word 'isitha' originates from the Nguni word 'isi', meaning 'the one', and 'tha', meaning 'to be an enemy'. | |||
| Bambara | jugu | ||
| Ewe | futɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwanzi | ||
| Lingala | monguna | ||
| Luganda | omulabe | ||
| Sepedi | lenaba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tamfo | ||
Enemy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | العدو | ||
| عدو (adow) in Arabic can refer to the enemy or an opponent in a game | |||
| Hebrew | אוֹיֵב | ||
| The Hebrew word "אוֹיֵב" (enemy) comes from the word "עוּב" (to pass over), and is related to the Akkadian word "epu" (to go). | |||
| Pashto | دښمن | ||
| The word "دښمن" (enemy) in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "دشمن" which shares the same meaning and can also refer to a rival or competitor. | |||
| Arabic | العدو | ||
| عدو (adow) in Arabic can refer to the enemy or an opponent in a game | |||
Enemy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | armik | ||
| The term "armik" in Albanian may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root "arm-," meaning "to attack." | |||
| Basque | etsaia | ||
| "Etsaia" derives from the Proto-Basque root *-ets- "to hate" and can also mean "adversary" in some contexts. | |||
| Catalan | enemic | ||
| The word "enemic" in Catalan can mean "anemic" in English, suggesting a connection between weakness and hostility. | |||
| Croatian | neprijatelj | ||
| The word 'neprijatelj' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'nepriteli', meaning 'unfriend'. | |||
| Danish | fjende | ||
| The word "fjende" is derived from the Old Norse word "fjand", which means "one who persecutes". | |||
| Dutch | vijand | ||
| The word 'vijand' is derived from the Middle Dutch word 'vijant', which originally meant 'foe' or 'opponent', but has since come to mean 'enemy'. | |||
| English | enemy | ||
| Historically, the word "enemy" has been used not just to describe an opponent in battle, but also an adversary in law, politics, or any other field where conflict may arise. | |||
| French | ennemi | ||
| "Ennemi" is derived from the Latin word "inimicus", which also means "unfriendly" or "harmful". | |||
| Frisian | fijân | ||
| The name "fijân" is likely derived from the root word "fjän" meaning "to hate" or a similar concept; it is not etymologically related to the word "folk" (people, as in "folksong"). | |||
| Galician | inimigo | ||
| The Galician word "inimigo" comes from the Latin "inimicus," meaning "unfriendly" or "hostile," and can also refer to a personal rival or adversary. | |||
| German | feind | ||
| The German word "Feind" can also mean "devil" or "fiend", and its etymological root is the Proto-Germanic word */feginan/*, meaning "to hate". | |||
| Icelandic | óvinur | ||
| "Óvinur" literally translates from Old Norse as "un-friend" in English. | |||
| Irish | namhaid | ||
| The word "namhaid" in Irish has the alternate meaning of "stranger" or "foreigner". | |||
| Italian | nemico | ||
| The word "nemico" comes from the Latin word "inimicus", which means "one who is not friendly". | |||
| Luxembourgish | feind | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Feind" shares its roots with the German and Dutch "Freund" ("Friend"), suggesting a historical shift in meaning. | |||
| Maltese | ghadu | ||
| The term 'ghadu', meaning 'enemy', is thought to derive from the Arabic word 'ghayd', signifying 'anger' or 'wrath'. | |||
| Norwegian | fiende | ||
| The word "fiende" is derived from the Old Norse word "fjand", meaning "one who hates" or "adversary". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | inimigo | ||
| The word "inimigo" in Portuguese also means "unfriendly" or "adverse". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nàmhaid | ||
| "Nàmhaid" (enemy) in Scots Gaelic also refers to a spirit or demon. | |||
| Spanish | enemigo | ||
| The Spanish word "enemigo" derives from the Latin word "inimīcus" meaning "hostile, unfriendly". | |||
| Swedish | fiende | ||
| The word "fiende" in Swedish can also refer to an "adversary" or "rival" in a sporting or competitive context. | |||
| Welsh | gelyn | ||
| Gelyn derives from the Proto-Celtic word *gʰel-yós, also meaning "stranger" or "rival". | |||
Enemy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вораг | ||
| The Belarusian word “вораг” (“enemy”) originates from the early Slavic word “vorgъ” that translates to “he who encroaches”. | |||
| Bosnian | neprijatelja | ||
| "Neprijatelj" is derived from Slavic "*neprijateli-jь" meaning "one who is not accepted/welcomed" and shares root with "prijatelj" (friend). | |||
| Bulgarian | враг | ||
| The word "враг" (vrag) comes from the Old Slavic word "vraгъ" (vragŭ), which originally meant "liar" or "deceiver". | |||
| Czech | nepřítel | ||
| The word "nepřítel" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "neprijateljь", meaning "one who is not a friend". | |||
| Estonian | vaenlane | ||
| The word "vaenlane" comes from the Proto-Uralic term "*waːnə-laine+", meaning "stranger, alien". | |||
| Finnish | vihollinen | ||
| The word 'vihollinen' derives from 'viha' ('anger') and the suffix '-llinen', meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by'. | |||
| Hungarian | ellenség | ||
| "Ellenség" is derived from *al-*, meaning "behind", the *el-* suffix referring to distance, and *ség* indicating a state, so it once meant "those behind", possibly referring to opponents in a battle who try to come from behind. | |||
| Latvian | ienaidnieks | ||
| The word "ienaidnieks" in Latvian has an Indo-European origin, and is related to the words "enemy" and "invade" in English. | |||
| Lithuanian | priešas | ||
| The word "priešas" also means "adversary" or "opponent" in a non-hostile context. | |||
| Macedonian | непријател | ||
| The word 'непријател' in Macedonian comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'neprijatelj', meaning 'unfriendly' or 'hostile', and is related to the word 'приятел' (friend). | |||
| Polish | wróg | ||
| The word "wróg" can also refer to a demon or a fiend, and is related to the Proto-Slavic word *vragъ, meaning "foe, enemy, demon". | |||
| Romanian | dusman | ||
| In Romanian, the word "dusman" not only refers to an enemy, but has also been used in the past to describe a rival or hostile element within a given context. | |||
| Russian | враг | ||
| "Враг" is a common noun that can refer to an opponent, rival, or adversary. It is derived from the Old Russian word "връгъ", which meant "hostile force". | |||
| Serbian | непријатељ | ||
| The term непријатељ in Serbian originates from the verb пријати meaning “to accept,” “to welcome,” “to like,” suggesting an enemy is the opposite of a friend | |||
| Slovak | nepriateľ | ||
| The word 'nepriateľ', meaning 'enemy', is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'neprijat', meaning 'unacceptable' or 'hostile'. | |||
| Slovenian | sovražnik | ||
| "Sovražnik", a word for "enemy" is derived from the word for "hate", "sovraštvo" | |||
| Ukrainian | ворог | ||
| The Ukrainian word "ворог" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "vṛkas" and Proto-Slavic word "vragǔ", both meaning "wolf". | |||
Enemy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শত্রু | ||
| The word 'শত্রু' (enemy) in Bengali shares the same root ('shatru') with Sanskrit and has similar meanings in other languages. | |||
| Gujarati | દુશ્મન | ||
| In Gujarati, the word "દુશ્મન" or "dusman" also signifies a "rival" or "competitor". | |||
| Hindi | दुश्मन | ||
| The word 'दुश्मन' derives from the Sanskrit 'dviṣmant' meaning 'hating or injuring' or from Dravidian root 'duṣ-'. | |||
| Kannada | ಶತ್ರು | ||
| The word "ಶತ್ರು" can also mean "opponent" or "adversary" in non-conflict contexts. | |||
| Malayalam | ശത്രു | ||
| The term "ശത്രു" in Malayalam has connections to the concepts of "obstruction" and "opponent". | |||
| Marathi | शत्रू | ||
| The Marathi word शत्रू (enemy) also means 'opponent' in chess. | |||
| Nepali | शत्रु | ||
| The word "शत्रु" is derived from the Sanskrit root "शत्रु" meaning "to hurt or injure". | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣ | ||
| The word "ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣ" (enemy) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "दुश्मन" (dusman), which originally meant "bad friend" or "one who does harm". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සතුරා | ||
| The word 'සතුරා' ('enemy') in Sinhala ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word 'शत्रु' ('adversary') and can also refer to a 'rival' or 'competitor'. | |||
| Tamil | எதிரி | ||
| எதிரி is also used to refer to a rival or opponent in a game or competition. | |||
| Telugu | శత్రువు | ||
| The word శత్రువు ('enemy') derives from the Sanskrit word shatru, which originally meant 'one who obstructs' or 'adversary'. | |||
| Urdu | دشمن | ||
| The word "دشمن" (enemy) holds multiple meanings in Urdu, including "rival," "competitor," and "opponent." | |||
Enemy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 敌人 | ||
| The word 敌人 (dírén) can also refer to an opposing force or an adversary in a more general sense. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 敵人 | ||
| The character 人 is added to 敵 to suggest that enemies are often human beings that we interact with. | |||
| Japanese | 敵 | ||
| The word "敵" can also mean "rival" or "opponent" in a game or competition. | |||
| Korean | 적 | ||
| "적" can also mean "target" or "subject" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | дайсан | ||
| The Mongolian word "дайсан" can be used to refer to a person, a group of people, or even a nation that is perceived as a threat to the speaker or their people, or to the interests of the speaker or their group. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရန်သူ | ||
| In the Burmese language, the term "ရန်သူ" (ran-thu) does not solely denote an enemy but carries additional meanings such as "opponent" or "adversary". | |||
Enemy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | musuh | ||
| Musuh can also mean 'rival' or 'opponent' in certain contexts | |||
| Javanese | mungsuh | ||
| The word mungsuh in Javanese also refers to the concept of a rival or opponent, not just an enemy. | |||
| Khmer | សត្រូវ | ||
| In Khmer, the word "សត្រូវ" can also refer to a competitor or rival. | |||
| Lao | ສັດຕູ | ||
| Malay | musuh | ||
| "Musuh" in Malay can also mean "rival" or "opponent" in the context of games or sports. | |||
| Thai | ศัตรู | ||
| The word "ศัตรู" originally meant "obstacle" or "adversary" in Pali, and only later came to mean "enemy". | |||
| Vietnamese | kẻ thù | ||
| The word "kẻ thù" literally translates to "person of enmity," and can refer to both enemies in war and enemies in personal life. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaaway | ||
Enemy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | düşmən | ||
| Düşmən can also refer to an antagonist or rival. | |||
| Kazakh | жау | ||
| According to Turkic Etymological Dictionary, the word "жау" may originate from the word "жауыз" ("bad") or "жауы"" ("bad") in the Uyghur language. | |||
| Kyrgyz | душман | ||
| "Душман" also refers to "mountain spirits" in Kyrgyz mythology, highlighting a connection between earthly conflicts and the supernatural realm. | |||
| Tajik | душман | ||
| The Tajik word "душман" is also used to refer to Afghan rebels, particularly during the Soviet-Afghan War. | |||
| Turkmen | duşman | ||
| Uzbek | dushman | ||
| The word "dushman" in Uzbek also refers to a "villain" or "foe". | |||
| Uyghur | دۈشمەن | ||
Enemy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻenemi | ||
| The Hawaiian word ʻenemi can also be translated as "a person who is not a friend of the gods". | |||
| Maori | hoariri | ||
| The word 'hoariri' also means 'stranger' or 'outsider' in Maori, reflecting the traditional view of enemies as those who come from outside the community. | |||
| Samoan | fili | ||
| The word "fili" can also mean "adversary" in a legal context. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kalaban | ||
| Kalaban is also used in Filipino to refer to an opponent, in any competition. | |||
Enemy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jan wali amtani | ||
| Guarani | ija'e'ỹva | ||
Enemy in International Languages
| Esperanto | malamiko | ||
| The word "malamiko" is derived from the Esperanto word "amiko" (friend) with the addition of the prefix "mal-" (bad). | |||
| Latin | inimicus | ||
| The word 'inimicus' comes from the Latin 'in', meaning 'not', and 'amicus', meaning 'friend'. | |||
Enemy in Others Languages
| Greek | εχθρός | ||
| The word 'εχθρός' (ekhthrόs) is derived from the verb 'έχω' (ékho), meaning 'to have' or 'to hold', and originally referred to someone who was in opposition or rivalry with another person. | |||
| Hmong | yeeb ncuab | ||
| The word "yeeb ncuab" literally translates to "bitter water" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | dijmin | ||
| The word "dijmin" in Kurdish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰǵʰém-, meaning "to fight". | |||
| Turkish | düşman | ||
| The word 'düşman' in Turkish originates from the Persian word 'düşmen', meaning 'enemy' or 'adversary'. | |||
| Xhosa | utshaba | ||
| The Xhosa word "utshaba" is etymologically related to the word "shaba", meaning "to be lost" or "to be in the wilderness". | |||
| Yiddish | פייַנט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פייַנט" ("enemy") is related to English "fiend", German "Feind", and Old Norse "fiandi", all meaning "enemy" or "devil." | |||
| Zulu | isitha | ||
| The word 'isitha' originates from the Nguni word 'isi', meaning 'the one', and 'tha', meaning 'to be an enemy'. | |||
| Assamese | শত্ৰু | ||
| Aymara | jan wali amtani | ||
| Bhojpuri | दुश्मन | ||
| Dhivehi | ދުޝްމަނު | ||
| Dogri | दुश्मन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaaway | ||
| Guarani | ija'e'ỹva | ||
| Ilocano | kalaban | ||
| Krio | ɛnimi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دووژمن | ||
| Maithili | दुशमन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯛꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hmelma | ||
| Oromo | diina | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶତ୍ରୁ | ||
| Quechua | awqa | ||
| Sanskrit | शत्रु | ||
| Tatar | дошман | ||
| Tigrinya | ጸላኢ | ||
| Tsonga | nala | ||