Escape in Different Languages
Discover 'Escape' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'escape' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing the need for freedom and liberation in various aspects of life. From literature to cinema, 'escape' has been a recurring theme, symbolizing a character's desire to break free from societal norms, personal struggles, or physical constraints. This cultural importance transcends borders, making the translation of 'escape' in different languages essential for global communication.
Did you know that the word 'escape' comes from the Old French 'eschapper', which means 'to escape, avoid'? Or that in ancient times, 'escape' was often associated with the mythological figure of Icarus, who famously 'escaped' from the labyrinth of Crete using wings made of feathers and wax? These fascinating facts and historical contexts add depth to our understanding of the word 'escape'.
Whether you're a language learner, a cultural enthusiast, or a global citizen, knowing the translation of 'escape' in different languages can enrich your communication and broaden your cultural horizons. Here are some translations to get you started:
Escape
Escape in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ontsnap | ||
| The Afrikaans verb 'ontsnap' is derived from the Middle Dutch 'ontsnappen' ('to escape'), and has the same meaning in modern Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ማምለጥ | ||
| The word "escape" comes from the Old French word "eschaper," which means to "slip away" or "get out of." | |||
| Hausa | tserewa | ||
| "Tserewa" means "escape" and is related to the Hausa word "tsoro" meaning "fear" as escaping is a reaction to fear. | |||
| Igbo | gbanahụ | ||
| "Gbanahụ" is also a term for "running away" or "avoiding a situation" | |||
| Malagasy | afa-mandositra | ||
| The Malagasy word “afa-mandositra” literally means “to flee from something that catches” and is often used in the context of escaping danger. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuthawa | ||
| Kuthawa is also used to refer to the act of running away from danger or from an unpleasant situation. | |||
| Shona | pukunyuka | ||
| The word "pukunyuka" is also used to describe the action of "running away" or "fleeing". | |||
| Somali | baxsasho | ||
| "Baxsasho" can also refer to the place from which one escapes. | |||
| Sesotho | phonyoha | ||
| "Phonyoha" is also used to refer to a person who has escaped a difficult situation or a fugitive. | |||
| Swahili | kutoroka | ||
| "Kutoroka" is derived from the Bantu root "-toroka" meaning "to run away", and also shares a root with "kutoroa", meaning "to release from prison". | |||
| Xhosa | ukubaleka | ||
| The word "ukubaleka" in Xhosa can also refer to the concept of "hiding" and "evading capture". | |||
| Yoruba | sa asala | ||
| The word 'sa asala' in Yoruba can also mean 'to break out of a place' or 'to get away' | |||
| Zulu | phunyuka | ||
| The verb 'phunyuka' in Zulu is also an idiom which means 'to go on a spree'. | |||
| Bambara | ka kila | ||
| Ewe | si | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhunga | ||
| Lingala | kokima | ||
| Luganda | okudduka | ||
| Sepedi | ngwega | ||
| Twi (Akan) | firi mu | ||
Escape in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هرب | ||
| "هرب" (escape) is derived from the root "هرَبَ" meaning "run away" or "flew away". | |||
| Hebrew | בריחה | ||
| בריחה (escape) in Hebrew also means 'flight' or 'escape from reality'. | |||
| Pashto | وتښتيدل | ||
| The Pashto verb "وتښتيدل" can also mean "to flee" or "to run away". | |||
| Arabic | هرب | ||
| "هرب" (escape) is derived from the root "هرَبَ" meaning "run away" or "flew away". | |||
Escape in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ikje | ||
| The word "ikje" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*ikja" which also means "going, path". | |||
| Basque | ihes egin | ||
| Basque word "ihes egin" also means "to flee" and "to abandon" in the sense of leaving a place or a person. | |||
| Catalan | escapar | ||
| The Catalan word "escapar" also means "to peep" or "to make a small hole in something to see through it." | |||
| Croatian | pobjeći | ||
| The word "pobjeći" in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *poběgti, meaning "to flee". | |||
| Danish | flugt | ||
| The word "flugt" derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*fluktiz", meaning "flight" or "escape". | |||
| Dutch | ontsnappen | ||
| "Ontsnappen" is also a verb that refers to the release of gas from a bottle or container. | |||
| English | escape | ||
| The word 'escape' has French roots, derived from 'eschaper' meaning 'to get out', and Latin roots, 'ex-' meaning 'out' and 'cappa' meaning 'cloak' | |||
| French | échapper | ||
| "Échapper" comes from the Latin "excappare", meaning "to get out of a trap", and also means "to avoid" or "to evade" in French. | |||
| Frisian | ûntsnappe | ||
| The word "ûntsnappe" is also used in Dutch and it derives from the verb "ontsnappen" which means "to escape". | |||
| Galician | escapar | ||
| Galician "escapar" originally meant "to cut out" and also means "to get away, flee" and "to avoid, dodge". | |||
| German | flucht | ||
| The German word "Flucht" can also refer to a curse or a malediction. | |||
| Icelandic | flýja | ||
| The word "flýja" may also refer to the flight of birds or insects away from a potential danger, highlighting its association with swift movement and evasion. | |||
| Irish | éalú | ||
| "Éalú" can also mean "avoidance, elusion, evasion" or "an opportunity to avoid something." | |||
| Italian | fuga | ||
| The Italian word "fuga" also means "counterpoint", a style of music featuring two or more independent melodies played simultaneously. | |||
| Luxembourgish | entkommen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "entkommen" is derived from the Middle High German word "entkomen" and also means "to be released" or "to get off" in the sense of "to get off a bus". | |||
| Maltese | jaħarbu | ||
| "Jaħarbu" can also mean to flee, avoid, or elude in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | flukt | ||
| The word 'flukt' is derived from the Old Norse word 'fljóta', which means 'to flow or flee'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | escapar | ||
| The word "escapar" can also mean "release" or "leak" in some contexts. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teicheadh | ||
| The word "teicheadh" can also refer to a "refuge" or "sanctuary" | |||
| Spanish | escapar | ||
| The verb "escapar" derives from the Latin "excappare", meaning "to get away from one's pursuer" or "to break out of a trap". | |||
| Swedish | fly | ||
| The word "fly" in Swedish is a homograph with four distinct meanings, including "to escape". | |||
| Welsh | dianc | ||
| The Welsh word "dianc" (escape) is derived from the Latin "dignus" (worthy), suggesting an escape towards something better. | |||
Escape in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | уцёкі | ||
| "Уцёкі" is derived from the verb "уцякаць" ('to run away'), which is cognate with the Old Russian word "тькати" ('to flee'). | |||
| Bosnian | bijeg | ||
| "Bijeg" is derived from the Old Slavic root *bēg-/*bъg-/*běg-, meaning "to run". | |||
| Bulgarian | бягство | ||
| The word "бягство" can also mean "flight" or "defection" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | uniknout | ||
| The word "uniknout" also means "to avoid" and "to dodge" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | põgenema | ||
| The word "põgenema" is derived from the Proto-Uralic root "*pek- " meaning "to flee, escape, run away." | |||
| Finnish | paeta | ||
| In some parts of Finland, paeta can also mean 'to run'. | |||
| Hungarian | menekülni | ||
| Menekülni (to escape) comes from the word menni (to go), and it originally meant to go away or flee. | |||
| Latvian | aizbēgt | ||
| The word aizbēgt may also be used figuratively, to mean 'to avoid' or 'to evade'. | |||
| Lithuanian | pabegti | ||
| The word 'pabegti' in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bheg-, meaning 'to flee' or 'to run away'. | |||
| Macedonian | бегство | ||
| The word "бегство" can also mean "flight" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | ucieczka | ||
| The Polish word "ucieczka" shares the root "ciec" with the verb "uciekać" (to run away), possibly influenced by the Czech word "útek" (escape). | |||
| Romanian | evadare | ||
| The Romanian word "evadare" also means "to evade" or "to avoid" and comes from the Latin word "evadere". | |||
| Russian | побег | ||
| In Russian, "побег" can refer to an escape, a shoot (on a plant), or a flight (as in a bird) | |||
| Serbian | бекство | ||
| "бекство" is a Russian word and means "to escape" or "to flee". | |||
| Slovak | uniknúť | ||
| In Old Russian the verb | |||
| Slovenian | pobeg | ||
| Slovene word "pobeg" shares its etymology with "pobega" (sprouts) and "pobegniti" (to run away). | |||
| Ukrainian | втеча | ||
| Втеча shares the same etymology as “flow” in English, suggesting a sense of fluidity and movement. | |||
Escape in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পালানো | ||
| In Bengali, the verb "পালানো" can also mean "to run away" or "to flee". | |||
| Gujarati | છટકી | ||
| "છટકી" is a Gujarati word derived from Sanskrit and means a quick jump, dodge, or leap. | |||
| Hindi | पलायन | ||
| The Hindi term 'पलायन' also refers to 'migration' or 'displacement', indicating its broader meaning beyond mere 'escape'. | |||
| Kannada | ತಪ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು | ||
| Malayalam | എസ്കേപ്പ് | ||
| എസ്കേപ്പ് is an English loanword in Malayalam, but the word is often used in its original sense of a means of getting away from something undesirable. | |||
| Marathi | सुटका | ||
| सुटका (escape) originally referred to the deliverance of a prisoner or debt. | |||
| Nepali | भाग्नु | ||
| The word "भाग्नु" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भज्" which means to divide or share. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਚ | ||
| "ਬਚ" can also mean "to hide" or "to save". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැන යන්න | ||
| The Sinhala word "පැන යන්න" can also refer to running away from danger or an unpleasant situation. | |||
| Tamil | தப்பிக்க | ||
| Telugu | తప్పించుకోండి | ||
| Urdu | فرار | ||
| فرار is also a type of musical band or party in Urdu, derived from Farsi. | |||
Escape in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 逃逸 | ||
| The Chinese word "逃逸" also means "leakage" or "loss". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 逃逸 | ||
| "逃逸" (escape) shares its origin with the simplified Chinese character "淘", which also means "to escape" and "to get". | |||
| Japanese | 逃れる | ||
| The verb "逃れる" (nigeru) also means "to avoid" or "to get away with" something. | |||
| Korean | 탈출 | ||
| "탈출" can also mean "exit" or "hatch". | |||
| Mongolian | зугтах | ||
| Mongolian word "зугтах" originally meant "to disappear", and it also means "to evade" in some Mongolic languages. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လွတ်မြောက်ပါ | ||
| This Burmese word is etymologically related to a word which means "freedom to dispose one's body and mind as he likes." | |||
Escape in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | melarikan diri | ||
| The word "melarikan diri" originally meant "to float away" or "to drift." | |||
| Javanese | uwal | ||
| "Uwal" has the alternate meaning of "to be free from obligations" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | រត់គេចខ្លួន | ||
| Lao | ໜີ | ||
| The word "ໜີ" can also mean "to avoid" or "to evade". | |||
| Malay | melarikan diri | ||
| Melarikan diri literally means 'to run oneself away', and is also used in the sense of 'to abscond'. | |||
| Thai | หนี | ||
| The Thai word "หนี" (escape) can also mean to run away or avoid something. | |||
| Vietnamese | bỏ trốn | ||
| "Bỏ trốn" originates from Chinese and literally means "runaway marriage" or "elope", indicating an escape from social norms. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tumakas | ||
Escape in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qaçmaq | ||
| "Qaçmaq" word is also used as "avoid" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қашу | ||
| The Kazakh word "қашу" can also refer to "flight", "absconding", or "evading". | |||
| Kyrgyz | качуу | ||
| The word "качуу" in Kyrgyz can also refer to "abduction". | |||
| Tajik | гурехтан | ||
| The word “гурехтан” (“escape”) in Tajik is also used to refer to the act of running away from danger. | |||
| Turkmen | gaçmak | ||
| Uzbek | qochish | ||
| The word "qochish" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "qaç", meaning "to flee" or "to escape." | |||
| Uyghur | قېچىش | ||
Escape in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pakele | ||
| The word "pakele" comes from the verb "pale," meaning "to run away". | |||
| Maori | mawhiti | ||
| The word 'mawhiti' can also refer to an 'unveiling' or a 'revelation' when used in certain contexts. | |||
| Samoan | sola | ||
| The word "sola" is thought to mean literally "to come ashore," from its root "sa", meaning "dry." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | makatakas | ||
| "Makatakas" may originally refer to breaking shackles, which is consistent with its modern meaning of "escape". | |||
Escape in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaltaña | ||
| Guarani | jehekýi | ||
Escape in International Languages
| Esperanto | eskapi | ||
| "Eskapi" became "escape" in English through the esperanto word "eskapo" meaning "escape." | |||
| Latin | evadere | ||
| The Latin word 'evadere', meaning 'escape', also conveys the nuances of 'coming out' or 'emerging from'. | |||
Escape in Others Languages
| Greek | διαφυγή | ||
| The word διαφυγή, which literally means 'flight through', can also refer to a gap or an opening. | |||
| Hmong | kev khiav dim | ||
| The term "kev khiav dim" can also denote "to evade" or "to skip a class." | |||
| Kurdish | rev | ||
| The word "rev" in Kurdish also means "to run away" which is a very common usage particularly within the context of the Kurdish saying: "Revi le mala xwe" which translates to "He/She ran away from their/his/her home/family" | |||
| Turkish | kaçış | ||
| As 'kaçmak,' the root of the word 'kaçış,' also means 'to flee,' it can refer to both escaping danger or fleeing somewhere. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubaleka | ||
| The word "ukubaleka" in Xhosa can also refer to the concept of "hiding" and "evading capture". | |||
| Yiddish | אנטלויפן | ||
| "אנטלויפן" also means "to elope" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | phunyuka | ||
| The verb 'phunyuka' in Zulu is also an idiom which means 'to go on a spree'. | |||
| Assamese | পলোৱা | ||
| Aymara | jaltaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | साफ बचि के निकल गयिल | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިލުން | ||
| Dogri | बचना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tumakas | ||
| Guarani | jehekýi | ||
| Ilocano | tumakas | ||
| Krio | kɔmɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕاکردن | ||
| Maithili | पलायन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯥꯟꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | talchhuak | ||
| Oromo | miliquu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପଳାୟନ କର | | ||
| Quechua | lluptiy | ||
| Sanskrit | परिभ्रंशति | ||
| Tatar | качу | ||
| Tigrinya | ምምላጥ | ||
| Tsonga | nyenga | ||