Energy in Different Languages
Discover 'Energy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Energy, a fundamental concept that has shaped the world we live in today. It is the capacity to do work, the driving force behind all physical and chemical processes. From the sun's rays that power photosynthesis to the fuel that powers our cars, energy is an integral part of our lives.
But energy is not just a scientific term, it holds cultural significance as well. In many cultures, energy is associated with spiritual and mystical powers. For instance, in Chinese culture, energy is referred to as 'Qi', a vital force that flows through all living things.
Understanding the translation of energy in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures perceive and interact with this concept. For example, in Spanish, energy is 'energía', in French, it is 'énergie', and in German, it is 'Energie'.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or just curious, exploring the translations of energy in different languages can be a fascinating journey. Here's a list of translations of energy in various languages to get you started.
Energy
Energy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | energie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "energie" is derived from the Dutch word "energie", which in turn comes from the Greek word "ενέργεια" (energeia), meaning "activity". However, the Afrikaans word "energie" can also refer to a specific type of energy, namely "electricity". | |||
| Amharic | ኃይል | ||
| The Ge'ez word "ኃይል" meaning "strength" (rather than "energy" as in contemporary Amharic) is preserved in modern Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church prayers for "the living and the dead". | |||
| Hausa | makamashi | ||
| The Hausa word "makamashi" can also refer to a power or an influence, something that makes one powerful or influential. | |||
| Igbo | ume | ||
| In Igbo, the word "ume" can also refer to the concept of "life energy" or "vital force" | |||
| Malagasy | angovo | ||
| The Malagasy word ANGOVO also means "a small measure used to weigh gold" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphamvu | ||
| Shona | simba | ||
| The word "simba" also means "lion" in Shona, and is related to the Zulu word "isibindi," which means "courage". | |||
| Somali | tamarta | ||
| The word "tamarta" in Somali is derived from the Proto-Somali word "*tamar/*tamor", which means "heat", "warmth", "glow" or "shine". | |||
| Sesotho | matla | ||
| The Sesotho word "matla" has alternate meanings of "force" and "ability to do or act". | |||
| Swahili | nishati | ||
| The Swahili word "nishati" derives from the Arabic word "nashit", meaning "activity or liveliness". | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| Amandla can mean 'power', 'energy' or 'authority' | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| Although commonly rendered as "energy," this word can also mean "ability," "capacity," or "power" | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The word 'amandla' in Zulu has multiple meanings, including 'energy', 'power', 'strength', and 'authority'. | |||
| Bambara | kisɛya | ||
| Ewe | ŋusẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ingufu | ||
| Lingala | nguya | ||
| Luganda | amaanyi | ||
| Sepedi | enetši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahoɔden | ||
Energy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الطاقة | ||
| الطاقة "energy" in Arabic relates to the concept of power, strength, and resources, akin to the English word "potential." | |||
| Hebrew | אֵנֶרְגִיָה | ||
| The Hebrew word אנרגיה can also refer to energy in the sense of power, strength, or vigor. | |||
| Pashto | انرژي | ||
| The word 'انرژي' is also used in Pashto to describe vitality or power. | |||
| Arabic | الطاقة | ||
| الطاقة "energy" in Arabic relates to the concept of power, strength, and resources, akin to the English word "potential." | |||
Energy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | energji | ||
| Energji (energy) comes from the Greek word enérgeia (activity) and can also mean power, force, or vigor in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | energia | ||
| The Basque word "energia" is rooted in Greek, coming from "en ("in") + ergon ("work"). | |||
| Catalan | energia | ||
| In Catalan, "energia" can also refer to the ability to act or produce an effect, or the strength and determination of a person. | |||
| Croatian | energije | ||
| The word 'energije' in Croatian originates from the Ancient Greek word 'energeia', meaning 'activity' or 'operation'. | |||
| Danish | energi | ||
| The word "energi" is used in Danish to refer to both physical energy and spiritual power. | |||
| Dutch | energie | ||
| The Dutch word "energie" derives from the Greek "enérgeia" meaning "activity" or "operation." | |||
| English | energy | ||
| The word "energy" shares its Greek root with "work," "action," and "force." | |||
| French | énergie | ||
| "Énergie" is also used to refer to vigour or stamina (in the phrase "avoir de l'énergie"), which derives from the Medieval Latin word "energētica" (force). | |||
| Frisian | enerzjy | ||
| In Frisian, the word 'enerzjy' originates from the Greek 'enérgeia', which also refers to 'activity', 'operation', 'work' and 'force'. | |||
| Galician | enerxía | ||
| Galician "enerxía" comes from Greek through Latin "energía" and retains the meaning of "force" or "operation" along with meaning "energy". | |||
| German | energie | ||
| The German word "Energie" traces back to the Greek "enérgeia" meaning "activity" or "operation." | |||
| Icelandic | orka | ||
| In Old Icelandic, the word "orka" meant "vigor, strength, or courage" and was used to refer to the strength of a person or animal. | |||
| Irish | fuinneamh | ||
| The word "fuinneamh" in Irish derives from the Proto-Celtic word "vindos," meaning "white" or "holy". | |||
| Italian | energia | ||
| The Italian word "energia" derives from the Greek word "enérgeia," which means "activity" or "operation." | |||
| Luxembourgish | energie | ||
| Maltese | enerġija | ||
| The word "enerġija" is derived from the Greek word "ενέργεια", which means "activity" or "operation". | |||
| Norwegian | energi | ||
| Energi in Norwegian is related to the word 'anger', and can also mean 'vigor' or 'enthusiasm'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | energia | ||
| In Portuguese, "energia" also refers to the "activity, vigour, and enthusiasm" of a person. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lùth | ||
| Lùth also means "force, strength, speed, power, ability, vigour, vitality". | |||
| Spanish | energía | ||
| “Energía” also means “vigor” or “strength”. For example: Tiene mucha energía; no se cansa. | |||
| Swedish | energi | ||
| In Swedish, "energi" can also refer to vitality, power, or force. | |||
| Welsh | egni | ||
| The word "egni" also has the alternate meanings of "bird", "flight", and "life force" in Welsh. | |||
Energy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | энергія | ||
| Bosnian | energije | ||
| The word 'energije' comes from the Greek word 'enérgeia', meaning 'activity' or 'operation'. | |||
| Bulgarian | енергия | ||
| The Bulgarian word "енергия" also refers to electricity as well as the more specific concept of "nuclear energy". | |||
| Czech | energie | ||
| The Czech word "energie" can also mean "dynamism" or "drive". | |||
| Estonian | energia | ||
| In Estonian, the word "energia" can also mean "vigor" or "strength." | |||
| Finnish | energiaa | ||
| The word "energiaa" has an interesting connection to the Greek word "energeia", which means "activity" or "operation". | |||
| Hungarian | energia | ||
| The Hungarian word "energia" comes from the Greek term "ενέργεια" and originally meant "activity," "operation," or "power". | |||
| Latvian | enerģija | ||
| "Enerģija" comes from Greek, where it meant "activity" or "operation." | |||
| Lithuanian | energijos | ||
| "Energijos" is a cognate of the Greek word "energeia," meaning "activity" or "work." | |||
| Macedonian | енергија | ||
| The word 'енергија' is derived from the Greek word 'ενεργεια', meaning 'activity' or 'force'. | |||
| Polish | energia | ||
| In Polish, "energia" can also be used to refer to a "spirit" or "ghost." | |||
| Romanian | energie | ||
| The Romanian word 'energie' originates from the Greek word 'ενέργεια' (energeia), meaning 'activity' or 'operation'. | |||
| Russian | энергия | ||
| The word 'энергия' derives from Greek and carries meanings of 'activity', 'operation', or 'work'. | |||
| Serbian | енергије | ||
| The word “енергије” originates from the Greek word “ενέργεια” which also means “activity” or “work”. | |||
| Slovak | energie | ||
| Slovak "energie" can also mean "power", "electricity" or "the strength of a drink"} | |||
| Slovenian | energija | ||
| The Slovene word "energija" is connected to the Greek word "enérgeia" meaning "activity", but it can also mean "force", "power", or "strength" in some contexts. | |||
| Ukrainian | енергія | ||
| The Ukrainian word | |||
Energy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শক্তি | ||
| শক্তি (shakti) is a Sanskrit loanword that shares a common ancestor with "shakti", meaning "power" or "force". | |||
| Gujarati | .ર્જા | ||
| Did you know that the Gujarati word ".ર્જા" has an alternate meaning, "heat"? | |||
| Hindi | ऊर्जा | ||
| The Hindi word "ऊर्जा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "उर्ज", meaning "force" or "vigor". | |||
| Kannada | ಶಕ್ತಿ | ||
| "ಶಕ್ತಿ" can also mean "ability" or "power" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | .ർജ്ജം | ||
| The word ".ർജ്ജം" in Malayalam can also refer to spiritual or mental power. | |||
| Marathi | ऊर्जा | ||
| "ऊर्जा" comes from the Sanskrit word "उर्ज," meaning "force" or "vigor." | |||
| Nepali | उर्जा | ||
| "उर्जा" is related to the Sanskrit word "उर्ज" meaning "vigor, strength," and is not related to the English "energy". | |||
| Punjabi | .ਰਜਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word ".ਰਜਾ" is related to the Sanskrit term "राजे", meaning "to shine" or "to be resplendent". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ශක්තිය | ||
| In ancient texts, "ශක්තිය" also referred to a feminine deity who personified cosmic energy and divine strength. | |||
| Tamil | ஆற்றல் | ||
| Telugu | శక్తి | ||
| "శక్తి" is the Sanskrit word for the Hindu goddess of divine feminine energy, also known as "devi". | |||
| Urdu | توانائی | ||
| The word "توانائی" can also mean "power" or "ability" in Urdu. | |||
Energy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 能源 | ||
| "能源"源自日语中的"エネルギー"，由古希腊语中的"ενέργεια"（活跃）演变而来。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 能源 | ||
| The original meaning of 能源 was "the ability to generate," later it acquired the meaning of "energy." | |||
| Japanese | エネルギー | ||
| энергия (energy) in Russian is a derivative of the Greek word “ενέργεια” (energeia), which means “activity, operation, work”. | |||
| Korean | 에너지 | ||
| Mongolian | эрчим хүч | ||
| Эрчим хүч, in addition to "energy," can refer to "force," "strength," or "power." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စွမ်းအင် | ||
Energy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | energi | ||
| In Indonesian, "energi" can also refer to "power" or "influence". | |||
| Javanese | energi | ||
| In Javanese, the word "energi" does not have the same meaning as it does in English | |||
| Khmer | ថាមពល | ||
| The word "ថាមពល" in Khmer also refers to "power" and "strength". | |||
| Lao | ພະລັງງານ | ||
| ພະລັງງານ is derived from the Sanskrit word "பலம்" (balam), meaning "strength" or "power". It is also a term used to describe various forms of power or energy, such as electricity, heat, and motion. | |||
| Malay | tenaga | ||
| The word "tenaga" in Malay can also mean "work", "force", or "power". | |||
| Thai | พลังงาน | ||
| The word "พลังงาน" is derived from the Pali word "bala-agna," which means "strength" or "force." | |||
| Vietnamese | năng lượng | ||
| Năng lượng is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word 能量 (néngliàng), meaning "capacity to do work or produce effect." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | enerhiya | ||
Energy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | enerji | ||
| "Enerji" also means „spring" or "spring of water" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | энергия | ||
| энергия (Kazakh) comes from the Greek ἐνέργεια ( | |||
| Kyrgyz | энергия | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "энергия" is also used to refer to the "power" or "strength" of a person or thing. | |||
| Tajik | энергия | ||
| In Tajik, the word "энергия" can also refer to the concept of "strength" or "power." | |||
| Turkmen | energiýa | ||
| Uzbek | energiya | ||
| "Energiya" is also the name of a rocket-carrier used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and the name of a line of spacecraft engines used for the Buran and Kliper spacecraft | |||
| Uyghur | ئېنېرگىيە | ||
Energy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ikehu | ||
| In Polynesian mythology, "ikehu" is the name of the first male ancestor of all life. | |||
| Maori | pūngao | ||
| Pūngao also refers to any force which moves or drives; a current (as of air, steam, or water); momentum of a wave; or a sudden burst of activity | |||
| Samoan | malosi | ||
| The word "malosi" in Samoan is also used to describe the force or power of something, such as a natural disaster or a person's strength. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lakas | ||
| The word "lakas" can also mean "power, strength, or ability" in Tagalog. | |||
Energy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | inirjiya | ||
| Guarani | mbaretekue | ||
Energy in International Languages
| Esperanto | energio | ||
| "Energio" in Esperanto (energon / energou: 'action', 'working'): the concept of energy is an abstract representation to represent the action which makes a certain process or activity happen. | |||
| Latin | industria | ||
| The Latin word "industria" also signifies "studiousness". | |||
Energy in Others Languages
| Greek | ενέργεια | ||
| The Greek word "ενέργεια" originally meant "force" or "operation" and has been used in a variety of contexts including philosophy, science, and religion. | |||
| Hmong | lub zog | ||
| The word "lub zog" can also refer to "strength" or "power". | |||
| Kurdish | înercî | ||
| "Înercî" is a word borrowed from the Arabic language, where its root "n-w-r" refers to "light, brightness and enlightenment". | |||
| Turkish | enerji | ||
| The word "enerji" in Turkish comes from the Arabic "inār" meaning "glow" or "light" and is related to the verb "anara", meaning "to light up". | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| Amandla can mean 'power', 'energy' or 'authority' | |||
| Yiddish | ענערגיע | ||
| The Yiddish word ענערגיע can also mean 'strength' or 'vigor' | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The word 'amandla' in Zulu has multiple meanings, including 'energy', 'power', 'strength', and 'authority'. | |||
| Assamese | শক্তি | ||
| Aymara | inirjiya | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊर्जा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަކަތަ | ||
| Dogri | ऊर्जा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | enerhiya | ||
| Guarani | mbaretekue | ||
| Ilocano | enerhia | ||
| Krio | pawa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ووزە | ||
| Maithili | उर्जा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯡꯒꯜ | ||
| Mizo | chakna thahrui | ||
| Oromo | annisaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶକ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | kallpa | ||
| Sanskrit | ऊर्जा | ||
| Tatar | энергия | ||
| Tigrinya | ጉልበት | ||
| Tsonga | eneji | ||