Failure in Different Languages
Discover 'Failure' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Failure is a universal concept that carries significant weight in every culture and language. It signifies a lack of success or an unmet goal, but it can also serve as a powerful catalyst for growth and learning. Throughout history, famous figures such as Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein have redefined failure as a necessary step on the path to success.
Understanding the word 'failure' in different languages can provide unique cultural insights and broaden our perspective on this complex concept. For instance, the German word for failure, Misserfolg, comes from the roots miss- (as in missing a target) and Erfolg (success). Meanwhile, the Italian word for failure, fallimento, stems from the root fallire (to fail) and is closely related to the word for 'fall'.
Join us as we explore the many translations of 'failure' and delve into the fascinating histories and cultural nuances behind them.
Failure
Failure in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | mislukking | ||
| The word "mislukking" originally meant "bad luck" and is derived from the Dutch word "mislukken" meaning "to be unsuccessful" or "to fail". However, in Afrikaans, its meaning has shifted to simply mean "failure". | |||
| Amharic | ውድቀት | ||
| The word 'ውድቀት' (failure) also has the alternate meanings of 'collapse', 'fall' or 'defeat'. | |||
| Hausa | rashin cin nasara | ||
| "Rashin cin nasara" literally means "lack of achievement or success" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | odida | ||
| Igbo speakers use "odida" not just to mean "failure" but also to describe someone who "misses the mark" or an "incompetent or unlucky person." | |||
| Malagasy | tsy fahombiazana | ||
| The word "tsy fahombiazana" is derived from the root word "fahomby" meaning success, and the negative prefix "tsy" indicating negation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulephera | ||
| The Nyanja word for failure, 'kulephera,' also has an alternate meaning referring to the inability to pass through a narrow space. | |||
| Shona | kukundikana | ||
| The Shona word 'kukundikana' is also used to describe the act of being 'trapped' or 'imprisoned', and can refer to both physical and psychological states. | |||
| Somali | guuldarro | ||
| The word "guuldarro" in Somali is also used to describe someone who is unsuccessful or has failed in their endeavors. | |||
| Sesotho | ho hloleha | ||
| The word "ho hloleha" can also refer to a state of being stuck or unable to progress, highlighting its broader connotation of being unable to fulfill or achieve something. | |||
| Swahili | kutofaulu | ||
| The Swahili word "kutofaulu" originally meant "to fall short" or "to miss the mark" but has come to mean "failure" in general | |||
| Xhosa | ukusilela | ||
| From the verb '-silela,' or 'try something and fail.' | |||
| Yoruba | ikuna | ||
| The word "ikuna" also refers to "unfortunate" or "cursed" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukwehluleka | ||
| The word "ukwehluleka" can also mean "to be unable to do something" or "to be unsuccessful in achieving a goal." | |||
| Bambara | ka dɛsɛ | ||
| Ewe | madzedzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutsindwa | ||
| Lingala | kopola | ||
| Luganda | okugwa | ||
| Sepedi | go palelwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkuguodie | ||
Failure in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بالفشل | ||
| In Arabic, "بالفشل" can also be used to describe the state or condition of something that is unsuccessful or not up to standard. | |||
| Hebrew | כישלון | ||
| Hebrew word "כישלון" is derived from "כשל" ("to stumble"), alluding to the idea of stumbling or falling short of expectations. | |||
| Pashto | ناکامي | ||
| The word "ناکامي" (nakami) in Pashto also means "bad luck" or "disappointment". | |||
| Arabic | بالفشل | ||
| In Arabic, "بالفشل" can also be used to describe the state or condition of something that is unsuccessful or not up to standard. | |||
Failure in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dështimi | ||
| "Dështim" in Albanian comes from the Latin "destruxio," meaning destruction. | |||
| Basque | porrota | ||
| The word "porrota" in Basque is derived from the French "pêché" meaning "sin" or "error". | |||
| Catalan | fracàs | ||
| In Catalan, the word "fracàs" also means "noise" or "uproar". | |||
| Croatian | neuspjeh | ||
| The Croatian word "neuspjeh" is composed of the negation "ne" and the verb "uspeti" meaning "to succeed", thus literally meaning "non-success". | |||
| Danish | fiasko | ||
| The word "fiasko" is derived from the Italian word "fiasco," which originally referred to a type of bottle used for storing wine. | |||
| Dutch | mislukking | ||
| The word "mislukking" originates from the Middle Dutch "mislucken", meaning "to miss the target" or "to go wrong". | |||
| English | failure | ||
| The word failure comes from the Latin word “fallere”, meaning 'to deceive'. | |||
| French | échec | ||
| The word "échec" originates from the Persian word "shāh māt" which means "the king is dead" in a game of chess. | |||
| Frisian | mislearring | ||
| The word mislearring originally meant "misfortune" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | fracaso | ||
| Galician "fracaso" derives from Gothic "fraikaznan" (to ask), but also means "to crack" or "to break" in Galician. | |||
| German | fehler | ||
| Fehler, meaning "failure" in German, originates from the Old High German "felhan," meaning "to fail" or "to go astray," and is related to the English word "fault." | |||
| Icelandic | bilun | ||
| In Icelandic slang, "bilun" can also refer to a blunder or an unfortunate mishap. | |||
| Irish | teip | ||
| The Irish word "teip" also refers to a "lapse" or "transgression" in the context of morality or conduct. | |||
| Italian | fallimento | ||
| The word "fallimento" comes from the Latin verb "fallere," meaning "to deceive," and is related to the English word "fallacy." | |||
| Luxembourgish | echec | ||
| "Ech" may refer to either a game of chess, or to something broken. | |||
| Maltese | falliment | ||
| The word "falliment" is derived from the Italian word "fallimento", meaning "bankruptcy". | |||
| Norwegian | feil | ||
| The word "feil" is derived from the old Norse word "fela", meaning "to lack" or "to be absent". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | falha | ||
| The Portuguese word "falha" can also mean a gap or hole in a surface. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fàilligeadh | ||
| Spanish | fracaso | ||
| The word "fracaso" in Spanish originally meant "noise" or "crash," but it has come to mean "failure" due to its association with the sound of something breaking. | |||
| Swedish | fel | ||
| The Swedish word "fel" also means "wrong" or "error", and is related to the English word "fault." | |||
| Welsh | methiant | ||
| The word "methiant" is also used to mean "forgetful" or "unlucky". | |||
Failure in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | няўдача | ||
| The Belarusian word "няўдача" is derived from the root "даць", meaning "to give", expressing the concept of "not getting what you wanted." | |||
| Bosnian | neuspjeh | ||
| The word "neuspjeh" is derived from the Slavic roots "ne" (no) and "uspjeh" (success), meaning "lack of success". | |||
| Bulgarian | неуспех | ||
| The term "неуспех" is rooted from the word for "not" ("не") and an old form for "success" without the prefix (усп-). | |||
| Czech | selhání | ||
| The word "selhání" in Czech is also a colloquial term for a car breakdown or a computer crash. | |||
| Estonian | ebaõnnestumine | ||
| The noun 'ebaõnnestumine' is a derivative of the verb 'ebaõnnestuma', which itself is a compound of 'eba' ('un-') and 'õnnestuma' ('to succeed') with an additional -mine ending, thus literally meaning 'not-succeeding'. | |||
| Finnish | epäonnistuminen | ||
| The word "epäonnistuminen" is a compound word formed from the words "epä-" (not) and "onnistua" (to succeed). | |||
| Hungarian | kudarc | ||
| The Hungarian word "kudarc" also refers to a type of earthenware pot or bowl, hinting at the idea that failure may be a vessel for learning and growth. | |||
| Latvian | neveiksme | ||
| The Latvian word "neveiksme" comes from the word "veikt", which means "to do" or "to accomplish." | |||
| Lithuanian | nesėkmė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "nesėkmė" literally means "not success". | |||
| Macedonian | неуспех | ||
| "Неуспех" is derived from the Slavic word "spēti" meaning "to succeed, to finish in time, to have time", and the prefix "ne-", meaning "not, no". | |||
| Polish | niepowodzenie | ||
| The word 'niepowodzenie' in Polish is derived from the prefix 'nie-' (meaning 'not') and the noun 'powodzenie' (meaning 'success'), thus literally translating to 'not having success'. | |||
| Romanian | eșec | ||
| The word "eșec" in Romanian can also refer to "a lack of success" or "an absence of expected results." | |||
| Russian | неудача | ||
| The word "неудача" is derived from the Old Russian word "неудача" (lack of success). | |||
| Serbian | неуспех | ||
| The word "неуспех" is derived from the Russian word "неудача", which itself is derived from the Old Russian word "неуспе". The prefix "не-" means "not", while the stem "успе" means "success". Thus, the word "неуспех" literally means "not success", or "failure". | |||
| Slovak | zlyhanie | ||
| The word 'zlyhanie' in Slovak can also refer to a 'miscarriage' or 'abortive attempt'. | |||
| Slovenian | neuspeh | ||
| "Neuspeh" derives from two Proto-Slavic roots, "ne-" (not or lack of) combined with "u-speh (successful). " | |||
| Ukrainian | невдача | ||
| The Ukrainian word "невдача" derives from "не", meaning "not"; and "вдача" | |||
Failure in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্যর্থতা | ||
| The word "ব্যর্থতা" (byarthatha) comes from the Sanskrit word "वृथा" (vrtha), meaning "wasted" or "useless". | |||
| Gujarati | નિષ્ફળતા | ||
| In Gujarati "નિષ્ફળતા (nisphalata)" can also mean a miscarriage or the state of a plant that does not bear fruit. | |||
| Hindi | असफलता | ||
| The Hindi word असफलता "failure" is also used to describe any unaccomplished task, a state of imperfection or a state of being unfulfilling. | |||
| Kannada | ವೈಫಲ್ಯ | ||
| The Kannada word "ವೈಫಲ್ಯ" (vaipalya) originates from the Sanskrit word "viphala". | |||
| Malayalam | പരാജയം | ||
| Marathi | अपयश | ||
| The word "अपयश" in Marathi also means "dishonor" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "अपयशस्". | |||
| Nepali | असफलता | ||
| The Nepali word 'असफलता' has an alternate meaning, 'incompletion' or 'lack of success' | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਸਫਲਤਾ | ||
| The word "ਅਸਫਲਤਾ" can also mean "unsuccessful" or "lacking success". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අසමත් වීම | ||
| The word 'අසමත් වීම' ('failure') in Sinhala literally means 'becoming unable' or 'not being able'. | |||
| Tamil | தோல்வி | ||
| The word "தோல்வி" originates from the Proto-Dravidian root "*tol-", meaning "to peel off", thus implying a loss of strength or status. | |||
| Telugu | వైఫల్యం | ||
| The Telugu word "వైఫల్యం" derives from Sanskrit and literally means "going away from the fruit or result," encompassing a broader sense of missing out or unfulfillment. | |||
| Urdu | ناکامی | ||
| The Urdu word "ناکامی" also means "disappointment" or "frustration". | |||
Failure in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 失败 | ||
| In Mandarin, "失败" (shībài) also means "to waste something" or "to let something be in vain". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 失敗 | ||
| The word 「失敗」can also mean "to try" or "to make an attempt" | |||
| Japanese | 失敗 | ||
| The word 失敗 can also mean "not succeeding to do something" or "making a mistake" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 실패 | ||
| "실패" (failure) is a Korean word that comes from the Chinese word "失擺," meaning "to lose" or "to make a mistake." | |||
| Mongolian | алдаа | ||
| The Mongolian word "алдаа" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပျက်ကွက် | ||
Failure in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kegagalan | ||
| The word "kegagalan" in Indonesian derives from the Sanskrit word "cala" meaning "to go astray" or "to be spoiled or destroyed." | |||
| Javanese | gagal | ||
| "Gagak" in Javanese also means "crow", likely due to the bird's association with bad luck and failure. | |||
| Khmer | ការបរាជ័យ | ||
| The Khmer word "ការបរាជ័យ" also means "to be defeated" or "to be unable to do something" | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມລົ້ມເຫຼວ | ||
| Malay | kegagalan | ||
| Kegagalan derives from the word gagah meaning 'to dare', thus kegagalan translates literally as 'a lack of daring'. | |||
| Thai | ความล้มเหลว | ||
| The word "ความล้มเหลว" can also mean "a mistake" or "an error". | |||
| Vietnamese | sự thất bại | ||
| The word "sự thất bại" can also mean "a lack of results" or "an unsuccessful attempt to do something." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kabiguan | ||
Failure in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | uğursuzluq | ||
| "Uğursuzluq" derives from the Turkish word "uğursuz" meaning "unlucky" or "inauspicious". | |||
| Kazakh | сәтсіздік | ||
| The Kazakh word “сәтсіздік” also means “misfortune,” “incapacity,” and “bad luck.” | |||
| Kyrgyz | ийгиликсиздик | ||
| Слово «ийгиликсиздик» происходит от глагола «ийгилик» («успех») и имеет в своём составе отрицательный суффикс «-сиз-», то есть буквально означает «отсутствие успеха». | |||
| Tajik | нокомӣ | ||
| The word "нокомӣ" in Tajik has Persian roots and also means "imperfection" or "inadequacy". | |||
| Turkmen | şowsuzlyk | ||
| Uzbek | muvaffaqiyatsizlik | ||
| This word in Uzbek can be split into two: "muvaffaqiyat" and "sizlik". "Muvaffaqiyat" means "success", while "sizlik" carries the opposite meaning, "lack" or "absence", thus turning the word into "lack of success", which also means "failure." | |||
| Uyghur | مەغلۇبىيەت | ||
Failure in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | holomua | ||
| “Holomua” is also used to describe a | |||
| Maori | ngoikore | ||
| The word "ngoikore" can also refer to a state of deficiency, poverty, or lack, as well as to a person who is poor or needy. | |||
| Samoan | toilalo | ||
| The word 'toilalo' ('failure') also refers to the last-born child in some Samoan families; the implication is that this child will never surpass their older siblings. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkabigo | ||
| Pagkabigo also means 'disappointment' as it is rooted in the word 'bigo' ('to disappoint'). | |||
Failure in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pantja | ||
| Guarani | jejavyreko | ||
Failure in International Languages
| Esperanto | malsukceso | ||
| Malsukceso derives from the Esperanto words "mal" (bad) and "sukceso" (success) and can also mean "misfortune" or "disaster". | |||
| Latin | defectum, | ||
| In medieval Latin, defectum could also refer to an eclipse or to a physical or mental disability. | |||
Failure in Others Languages
| Greek | αποτυχία | ||
| The word "αποτυχία" in Greek literally means "falling from" or "missing the mark". | |||
| Hmong | tsis ua hauj lwm | ||
| Tsïs ua hauj lwm literally means "failure to do something". | |||
| Kurdish | têkçûnî | ||
| Têkçûnî, a Kurdish word for 'failure,' originates from the verb 'têkçûn,' meaning 'to fall or collapse,' and can also refer to 'downfall' or 'defeat.' | |||
| Turkish | başarısızlık | ||
| {"text": "Başarısızlık, "başarmamak" fiilinden gelmektedir ve "sonuçsuzluk, başarısız olma" anlamına da gelir."} | |||
| Xhosa | ukusilela | ||
| From the verb '-silela,' or 'try something and fail.' | |||
| Yiddish | דורכפאַל | ||
| "דורכפאַל" is related to the German word "Durchfall" and means literally "falling through". | |||
| Zulu | ukwehluleka | ||
| The word "ukwehluleka" can also mean "to be unable to do something" or "to be unsuccessful in achieving a goal." | |||
| Assamese | বিফল হোৱা | ||
| Aymara | pantja | ||
| Bhojpuri | असफल | ||
| Dhivehi | ފެއިލްވުން | ||
| Dogri | नकामी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kabiguan | ||
| Guarani | jejavyreko | ||
| Ilocano | pannakaabak | ||
| Krio | fel | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شکست | ||
| Maithili | विफलता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯏꯊꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hlawhchhamna | ||
| Oromo | kufaatii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିଫଳତା | ||
| Quechua | pantay | ||
| Sanskrit | असफलता | ||
| Tatar | уңышсызлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ውድቀት | ||
| Tsonga | hluleka | ||