Fear in Different Languages
Discover 'Fear' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Fear is a universal emotion, yet its expression varies across cultures and languages. Its significance as a basic human response to danger or threat cannot be overstated. From ancient civilizations to modern society, fear has played a crucial role in shaping our behaviors, decisions, and stories.
Through the ages, fear has been explored in literature, art, and philosophy. It's a theme that transcends time and place, and understanding its cultural importance can provide valuable insights into the human psyche. Moreover, knowing the translation of fear in different languages can enrich our cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of human expression.
For instance, in Spanish, the word for fear is 'miedo', while in French, it's 'peur'. In German, it's 'angst', and in Japanese, it's 'kowai'. Each language offers a unique perspective on this fundamental human experience.
Intrigued? Read on to discover more about the translations of fear in various languages and cultures.
Fear
Fear in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vrees | ||
| The Afrikaans "vrees" comes from the Dutch "vrezen" (to fear), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Germanic "*fraizjan" (to be afraid). | |||
| Amharic | ፍርሃት | ||
| In Amharic, "ፍርሃት" can also mean reverence or respect, highlighting the nuanced nature of the word. | |||
| Hausa | tsoro | ||
| "Tsoro" also means "respect" or "awe" in Hausa culture. | |||
| Igbo | egwu | ||
| The word 'egwu' is used in a wide range of contexts to refer to different types of fear, ranging from a general sense of unease to a specific dread of a particular object or situation. | |||
| Malagasy | tahotra | ||
| The word "tahotra" (fear) comes from the root "taho", meaning "to avoid" or "to abstain from". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mantha | ||
| The word "mantha" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also means "terror" or "dread". | |||
| Shona | kutya | ||
| 'Kutya' also means 'beware' or 'take care' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | cabsi | ||
| Somali 'cabsi' derives from early Cushitic 'qabsi' meaning 'to catch', so it can also mean 'capture' or 'arrest'. | |||
| Sesotho | tshabo | ||
| Swahili | hofu | ||
| The Swahili word "hofu" also relates to the concept of "respect" and "reverence". | |||
| Xhosa | uloyiko | ||
| Uloyiko in Xhosa also means 'respect and reverence' and derives from 'ukwaloloya', a verb that means to venerate and pay homage. | |||
| Yoruba | iberu | ||
| "Iberu' is also used to describe supernatural phenomena and things that cause awe and respect, like 'orisa' (deities)." | |||
| Zulu | uvalo | ||
| In some dialects of Zulu, the word 'uvalo' can also refer to a feeling of respect or awe. | |||
| Bambara | siranya | ||
| Ewe | vᴐvɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwoba | ||
| Lingala | bobangi | ||
| Luganda | okutya | ||
| Sepedi | tšhoga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ehu | ||
Fear in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الخوف | ||
| Arabic "الخوف" derives from the root word "خيف" meaning "to fear danger," and also refers to "a barren, uncultivated place". | |||
| Hebrew | פַּחַד | ||
| The word "פַּחַד" in Hebrew is also used to describe a sudden, intense feeling of awe or wonder. | |||
| Pashto | ویره | ||
| The word "وېره" ("fear") in Pashto also refers to feelings of awe, respect, and reverence. | |||
| Arabic | الخوف | ||
| Arabic "الخوف" derives from the root word "خيف" meaning "to fear danger," and also refers to "a barren, uncultivated place". | |||
Fear in Western European Languages
| Albanian | frikë | ||
| The Albanian word "frikë" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*preik-**, meaning "to be afraid". This root is also the origin of the English word "fear". | |||
| Basque | beldurra | ||
| Bel-dur-ra likely means 'to tremble because of a threat' and is a compound from "beldur" ('trembling, fear') and "era" ('to threaten, attack'). | |||
| Catalan | por | ||
| The Catalan word "por" can also mean "risk" or "danger". | |||
| Croatian | strah | ||
| The word "strah" also has a secondary meaning in Croatian, referring to the "back of the leg" or "calf". | |||
| Danish | frygt | ||
| The Danish word "frygt" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bherǵʰ-", which also gives rise to words like "fear" in English and "Furcht" in German. | |||
| Dutch | angst | ||
| The Dutch word "angst" not only means fear but also anguish, concern, or worry. | |||
| English | fear | ||
| The word 'fear' has Indo-European origins and is related to words such as 'peril' and 'panic'. | |||
| French | peur | ||
| Le mot français « peur » vient du latin « pavor » et peut également désigner une grande frayeur ou un sentiment d'appréhension. | |||
| Frisian | bangens | ||
| Frisian "bangens" shares a root with Old Norse "bang" | |||
| Galician | medo | ||
| Galician **medo** comes from the Latin **metus** and is related to the Spanish **miedo**. | |||
| German | angst | ||
| The German word 'Angst' derives from the Indo-European root 'angh' meaning 'to choke' or 'to compress'. | |||
| Icelandic | ótta | ||
| The word "ótta" is also used figuratively to describe a sense of awe or reverence. | |||
| Irish | eagla | ||
| The Irish word "eagla" derives from the Old Irish "eglóim," meaning "dread," and is cognate with the Welsh "ofn" and Breton "aon." | |||
| Italian | paura | ||
| The word "paura" in Italian derives from the Latin "pavor", meaning "terror" or "great fear". | |||
| Luxembourgish | angscht | ||
| In German-speaking dialects the word “Angscht” means “narrow” (e.g. “eng” in German). | |||
| Maltese | biża ' | ||
| "Biża'", meaning "fear", has a secondary meaning of "respect" or "awe" in certain contexts. | |||
| Norwegian | frykt | ||
| "Frykt" comes from an Old Norse word that also meant "joy, happiness" or "delight." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | medo | ||
| The word "medo" in Portuguese derives from the Latin word "metus", which also means "fear". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eagal | ||
| Eagal can also mean respect or honour, as in the phrase 'le eagal air' (with respect to). | |||
| Spanish | temor | ||
| The word "temor" in Spanish originates from the Latin word "timore", meaning "trembling, fear, or awe". | |||
| Swedish | rädsla | ||
| 'Rädsla' stems from the Old Norse word 'ræddr,' meaning 'timid' or 'afraid.' | |||
| Welsh | ofn | ||
| Ofn also refers to the 'respect' felt towards God, the devil, or certain other beings or powers. | |||
Fear in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | страх | ||
| The word “страх” can also mean “awe” or “reverence” in certain contexts. | |||
| Bosnian | strah | ||
| The word 'strah' is cognate with the Old Church Slavonic word 'strahъ' and the Russian word 'страх', both meaning 'fear', and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sterh₂- 'to spread, scatter'. | |||
| Bulgarian | страх | ||
| The modern meaning "fear" is derived from an older one, "panic," "anxiety" | |||
| Czech | strach | ||
| The word "strach" is derived from the Old Czech word "strašiti, | |||
| Estonian | hirm | ||
| The word "hirm" is cognate with the Finnish word "hirveä", meaning "terrible". | |||
| Finnish | pelko | ||
| The word "pelko" in Finnish is cognate with the word "palkka" (salary), implying that fear was once seen as a form of payment for something. | |||
| Hungarian | félelem | ||
| "Félelem" is etymologically related to "folyam" (river) and "folyik" (flows). The original meaning of the word was "flood", but over time it shifted to the meaning of "fear". | |||
| Latvian | bailes | ||
| The word "bailes" in Latvian can also refer to a supernatural creature that brings misfortune. | |||
| Lithuanian | baimė | ||
| The word "baimė" likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhei-", meaning "to be afraid" or "to tremble". | |||
| Macedonian | страв | ||
| The word "страв" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*straхъ", which also means "horror" or "dread." | |||
| Polish | strach | ||
| The word 'strach' in Polish can also refer to a scarecrow or a ghost-like figure used to scare people. | |||
| Romanian | frică | ||
| The Romanian word “frică” is of Slavic origin, with cognates meaning "terror", "horror" and "panic". | |||
| Russian | страх | ||
| The Proto-Slavic origin is related to words such as 'to shrink' or 'narrow'. | |||
| Serbian | страх | ||
| The word "страх" (fear) originated from the Old Church Slavonic word "sъtraхъ", which originally meant "anxiety or trouble of mind". | |||
| Slovak | strach | ||
| "Strach" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*strachъ", which also means "horror" or "terror". | |||
| Slovenian | strah | ||
| The word 'strah' is also used to describe a place where something is kept secret or hidden, such as a 'secret place' or a 'hiding place'. | |||
| Ukrainian | страх | ||
| The Proto-Slavonic root meaning "to guard" is related to the word "сторож" ("guard, warden") in a guardian-like sense of fear that keeps you safe. | |||
Fear in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভয় | ||
| The word "ভয়" (bhoy) in Bengali comes from the Sanskrit word "भय" (bhaya), which also means "fear". | |||
| Gujarati | ડર | ||
| The word "ડર" (fear) in Gujarati originates from the Sanskrit word "द्रा" (dra), meaning "to run away". Thus, it conveys the idea of fleeing from danger or threat. | |||
| Hindi | डर | ||
| The Hindi word "डर" (fear) is derived from the Sanskrit word "द्र" (run), indicating the natural instinct to flee from danger. | |||
| Kannada | ಭಯ | ||
| The word "ಭಯ" also means "respect" or "awe" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പേടി | ||
| പേടി, meaning 'fear' in Malayalam, is related to the Tamil word 'பேய்' (pey), which refers to ghosts or spirits. | |||
| Marathi | भीती | ||
| In Marwari language, 'भित्ती' (bhittee) also refers to the 'wall of a building'. | |||
| Nepali | डर | ||
| The word "डर" (fear) in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word "dru" meaning "to run away or flee". | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਡਰ' ('fear') is also used to mean 'respect', 'caution', or 'awe' | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බිය | ||
| The word බිය 'biya' in Sinhala, meaning 'fear', shares its origins with the Sanskrit word 'bhee' and may have descended from the Proto-Indo-European root 'bhei-'. In Sinhala, it is also used to refer to reverence or awe towards deities or respected figures. | |||
| Tamil | பயம் | ||
| "பயம்" can also mean modesty, awe, and respect. | |||
| Telugu | భయం | ||
| The word "భయం" has roots in the Sanskrit word "bhaya", meaning "flight" or "terror". | |||
| Urdu | خوف | ||
| The word "خوف" can also mean "reverence" or "awe". | |||
Fear in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 恐惧 | ||
| 恐惧, 意指畏惧或恐惧, 也可指敬畏或尊敬 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 恐懼 | ||
| Another meaning of "恐懼" is "respect" as an alternative reading of 懼. | |||
| Japanese | 恐れ | ||
| The word "恐れ" (osore) in Japanese can also mean "respect" or "reverence" in addition to "fear". | |||
| Korean | 무서움 | ||
| The Korean word 무서움 originated from the Chinese character 畏 (wi) which literally means 'to fear' and 'to respect'. | |||
| Mongolian | айдас | ||
| "Айдас" is related to the word "айдаж" which means "to scare". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြောက်တယ် | ||
Fear in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | takut | ||
| The word "takut" also refers to "respect" or "awe" in certain contexts. | |||
| Javanese | wedi | ||
| The Javanese word "wedi" can also refer to "respectful avoidance". | |||
| Khmer | ការភ័យខ្លាច | ||
| The word ការភ័យខ្លាច in Khmer can be traced back to Sanskrit, where it meant "great danger," and is used in a variety of contexts, including "anxiety" and "terror." | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຢ້ານກົວ | ||
| Malay | ketakutan | ||
| In some regions of Indonesia, the word "ketakutan" can also refer to a state of shock or disorientation. | |||
| Thai | กลัว | ||
| The term "กลัว" can also convey the nuances of "being afraid" or the "feeling of trepidation". | |||
| Vietnamese | nỗi sợ | ||
| "Nỗi" was originally a verb "nỗi" meaning "to be sad", "to feel sorry" or "to regret", and "sợ" was a noun meaning "threat" or "danger". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | takot | ||
Fear in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qorxu | ||
| "Qorxu" can also refer to a kind of demon in Turkic mythology. | |||
| Kazakh | қорқыныш | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "қорқыныш" can also mean panic, dread, concern, and anxiety. | |||
| Kyrgyz | коркуу | ||
| The word "коркуу" in Kyrgyz can also mean "carefulness" or "precaution". | |||
| Tajik | тарс | ||
| The word "тарс" can also mean "horror" or "terror" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | gorky | ||
| Uzbek | qo'rquv | ||
| In Old Turkic, the word "qo'rquv" not only means "fear," but also "respect" and "awe." | |||
| Uyghur | قورقۇنچ | ||
Fear in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makaʻu | ||
| The word 'makaʻu' can also refer to a cautious approach or a feeling of awe or reverence. | |||
| Maori | mataku | ||
| Mataku can also refer to a net trap used in fishing, and a type of small shark. | |||
| Samoan | fefe | ||
| The word "fefe" can also mean "awe", "respect", or "reverence" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | takot | ||
| In Tagalog, "takot" can also mean "cowardice" or "timidity". | |||
Fear in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asxara | ||
| Guarani | kyhyje | ||
Fear in International Languages
| Esperanto | timo | ||
| The name Esperanto derives from ‘‘espero’’ (<Lat. spero "I hope") and ‘‘-ant-’’ which is an Esperanto suffix indicating a person who acts or does a certain thing (as contrasted with -end- which shows a passive person). | |||
| Latin | timor | ||
| Timor can also mean 'horror' or 'terror' in Latin, and is related to the Greek word 'tremo', meaning 'to tremble'. | |||
Fear in Others Languages
| Greek | φόβος | ||
| The word "φόβος" also means "flight" or "avoidance" in Greek, reflecting the instinctual response to danger. | |||
| Hmong | ntshai | ||
| The Hmong word "ntshai" can also mean "respect" or "awe". | |||
| Kurdish | tirs | ||
| The word "tirs" in Kurdish is also used in the phrase "tirs û lewz," which means "fear and shame." | |||
| Turkish | korku | ||
| "Korku" also refers to "a scarecrow" or "a person used as a scare-tactic". | |||
| Xhosa | uloyiko | ||
| Uloyiko in Xhosa also means 'respect and reverence' and derives from 'ukwaloloya', a verb that means to venerate and pay homage. | |||
| Yiddish | מורא | ||
| In Yiddish, "מורא" ("mora") also denotes respect or awe, especially towards authority figures or holy objects. | |||
| Zulu | uvalo | ||
| In some dialects of Zulu, the word 'uvalo' can also refer to a feeling of respect or awe. | |||
| Assamese | ভয় | ||
| Aymara | asxara | ||
| Bhojpuri | भय | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިރު | ||
| Dogri | डर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | takot | ||
| Guarani | kyhyje | ||
| Ilocano | buteng | ||
| Krio | fred | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ترس | ||
| Maithili | भय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯀꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hlau | ||
| Oromo | sodaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୟ | ||
| Quechua | manchakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | भयम् | ||
| Tatar | курку | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍርሒ | ||
| Tsonga | nchavo | ||