Feeling in Different Languages
Discover 'Feeling' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'feeling' holds a significant place in our vocabulary as it encapsulates a broad spectrum of human experiences, from emotions and sensations to intuitions and physical responses. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it is a universal concept that transcends language barriers and connects us all on a fundamental level.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'feeling' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the nuances of various cultures and their unique ways of expressing and interpreting human experiences. For instance, the German word 'Gefühl' not only refers to emotional experiences but also encompasses physical sensations, while the Spanish word 'sentimiento' places a stronger emphasis on emotional states.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or someone looking to expand their vocabulary, exploring the translations of 'feeling' in different languages can be a fascinating and rewarding journey. Here are some translations to get you started:
Feeling
Feeling in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gevoel | ||
| Gevoel, meaning "feeling" in Afrikaans, can refer to both physical sensation and emotion, similar to its English counterpart, and is derived from the Proto-West-Germanic word "ga-folian" which originally translated as "sense". | |||
| Amharic | ስሜት | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "feeling," "ስሜት" can also refer to a "sense" or "organ of perception". | |||
| Hausa | ji | ||
| The Hausa word 'ji' may also refer to 'senses', 'spirit', 'nature', 'intention' or to 'the essence of a thing'. | |||
| Igbo | mmetụta | ||
| The word "mmetụta" also means "sensation" or "experience" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fihetseham-po | ||
| The Malagasy word "fihetseham-po" literally translates to "condition of the body and heart". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumverera | ||
| The word "kumverera" has different meanings depending on the context it is used. | |||
| Shona | kunzwa | ||
| "Kunzwa" can also mean "to sense" or "to perceive" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | dareemid | ||
| The word "dareemid" can also refer to a "feeling of sadness" or "melancholy". | |||
| Sesotho | ho ikutloa | ||
| Swahili | kuhisi | ||
| Swahili 'kuhisi' also means 'sensation', 'perception', 'awareness', 'intuition', and 'sympathy' | |||
| Xhosa | imvakalelo | ||
| The Xhosa word "imvakalelo" also means "understanding" or "comprehension". | |||
| Yoruba | rilara | ||
| Rilara is also the name of a spirit and a river in Yoruba mythology. | |||
| Zulu | umuzwa | ||
| The word 'umuzwa' in Zulu derives from the Proto-Bantu root '-z(u)wa', meaning 'to be aware, to know' | |||
| Bambara | dùsukunnata | ||
| Ewe | seselelãme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibyiyumvo | ||
| Lingala | mayoki | ||
| Luganda | okuwulira | ||
| Sepedi | maikutlo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atenka | ||
Feeling in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شعور | ||
| The Arabic word "شعور" (feeling) is also used to describe a "sixth sense" or a "gut feeling". | |||
| Hebrew | מַרגִישׁ | ||
| The word 'מַרגִישׁ' ('feeling') in Hebrew also means 'sensitive' or 'aware' in certain contexts, similar to the English word 'sensible'. | |||
| Pashto | احساس | ||
| The word "احساس" in Pashto is derived from Arabic, meaning "perception" or "sensation". | |||
| Arabic | شعور | ||
| The Arabic word "شعور" (feeling) is also used to describe a "sixth sense" or a "gut feeling". | |||
Feeling in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndjenje | ||
| Ndjenje' is a term used in traditional Albanian medicine to refer to a 'life force' or 'vital energy' which is believed to be present in all living things and to be responsible for their health and well-being. | |||
| Basque | sentimendua | ||
| The Basque word "sentimendua" can also refer to a sense, such as sight or smell. | |||
| Catalan | sentiment | ||
| In Catalan, "sentiment" can also mean "opinion" or "judgment." | |||
| Croatian | osjećaj | ||
| The Croatian word "osjećaj" also means "sense" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *čutiti, meaning "to hear". | |||
| Danish | følelse | ||
| The Danish word "følelse" is derived from the Old Norse word "fylgja," which referred to a goddess or spirit that accompanied a person throughout their life. | |||
| Dutch | gevoel | ||
| The word "gevoel" is ultimately derived from the Germanic word "voelen", meaning "to perceive with the senses." | |||
| English | feeling | ||
| The word "feeling" derives from the Middle English "felen," meaning "to perceive" or "to experience," and is related to the German "fühlen" and the Dutch "voelen," all of which stem from the Proto-Germanic root "fuljan," meaning "to be full." | |||
| French | sentiment | ||
| The French word "sentiment" also refers to an opinion or attitude, as in "les sentiments politiques" (political leanings). | |||
| Frisian | gefoel | ||
| Frisian "gefoel" is a cognate of English "feeling" and German "Gefühl". | |||
| Galician | sentimento | ||
| "Sentimento" can also mean "opinion" in Galician, a meaning it shares with Spanish and other Romance languages. | |||
| German | gefühl | ||
| Gefühl is also German for 'tactile sensitivity', from which we get the English word 'feel'. | |||
| Icelandic | tilfinning | ||
| In Icelandic, "tilfinning" can also refer to 'sensation,' 'intuition,' or 'emotion.' | |||
| Irish | mothú | ||
| "Mothú" also means "thought" and is cognate with the word "mad". | |||
| Italian | sensazione | ||
| The word "sensazione" has multiple meanings, including "feeling," "sensation," and "perception." | |||
| Luxembourgish | gefill | ||
| In the Moselle Franconian dialect, "Gefill" can also mean "intuition" or "gut feeling." | |||
| Maltese | tħossok | ||
| Tħossok derives from an Arabic root and is related to the verb 'ħass', which means to perceive or experience something. | |||
| Norwegian | følelse | ||
| The word "følelse" in Norwegian etymologically derives from Old Norse roots relating to physical sensing and bodily reactions, but has shifted semantically towards denoting emotional experiences. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sentindo-me | ||
| In Portuguese, "sentindo-me" can also mean "I'm feeling" or "I'm sensing". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | faireachdainn | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "faireachdainn" derives from "fairchead," a compound noun formed of "fair" (a face) and "ceann" (a head), denoting the outward physical representation of inner mental experience. | |||
| Spanish | sensación | ||
| In Spanish, "sensación" can also refer to a physical symptom, such as pain or burning. | |||
| Swedish | känsla | ||
| The Swedish word "känsla" also connotes a sense of intuition or gut feeling. | |||
| Welsh | teimlo | ||
| The word "teimlo" also means "intuition" and is derived from a root meaning "to melt". | |||
Feeling in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пачуццё | ||
| The word "пачуццё" in Belarusian originates from the Proto-Slavic word *čutije, which also means "feeling" and is related to the verb "чуць" ("to feel"). | |||
| Bosnian | osjećaj | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "feeling," "osjećaj" can also refer to a sense, intuition, or impression. | |||
| Bulgarian | усещане | ||
| The Bulgarian word "усещане" also has the alternate meaning of "sensation". | |||
| Czech | pocit | ||
| The word “pocit” can also be used in a more specific sense to refer to a person's subjective experience of an emotion or sensation. | |||
| Estonian | tunne | ||
| Estonian word "tunne" (feeling) originally meant "knowing", and similarly to "feel" or "sentire", it is related to "sensing". | |||
| Finnish | tunne | ||
| The word "tunne" is related to the Finnish word "tunto", which means "sense" or "touch", and can also refer to a person's intuition or gut feeling. | |||
| Hungarian | érzés | ||
| "Érzés" originates from the Hungarian word "érzék" meaning "sense", and as such is related to the words "érint" (to touch) and "ér" (to understand). | |||
| Latvian | sajūta | ||
| Related to words for "sensing" in several Indo-European branches such as Greek, Sanskrit and Russian. | |||
| Lithuanian | jausmas | ||
| The word "jausmas" also means "sense" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | чувство | ||
| The Macedonian word 'чувство' comes from the Old Church Slavonic word 'чюство', which means 'mind, intellect, or reason'. | |||
| Polish | uczucie | ||
| The word 'uczucie' (feeling) in Polish is derived from the verbs 'czuć' (to feel) and 'czuwać' (to watch), suggesting a connection between feelings and both physical and spiritual sensitivity. | |||
| Romanian | sentiment | ||
| The Romanian word "sentiment" derives from the Latin "sentire", meaning "to feel" or "to perceive". | |||
| Russian | чувство | ||
| "Чувство" has a secondary meaning "sense" and is related to words like "sensitivity" and "sensing". | |||
| Serbian | осећај | ||
| The word 'осећај' in Serbian is related to 'sense' and 'sensation' and also means 'instinct'. | |||
| Slovak | pocit | ||
| The word "pocit" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čutiti, meaning "to perceive" or "to sense". | |||
| Slovenian | občutek | ||
| "Občutek" also means "sense" as in "sense of smell". | |||
| Ukrainian | почуття | ||
| The word "почуття" can also mean "sensation" or "emotion" in Ukrainian. | |||
Feeling in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুভূতি | ||
| The word 'অনুভূতি' derives from the Sanskrit word 'अनुभव' (anubhava), meaning 'experience' or 'impression'. | |||
| Gujarati | લાગણી | ||
| The Gujarati word "લાગણી" can also mean "perception" or "understanding", similar to the English word "intuition." | |||
| Hindi | अनुभूति | ||
| The term 'अनुभूति' derives directly from 'अनु' (anubhava) a Sanskrit word meaning 'after' ('anu') and 'experience' ('bhava'), the 'after-experience,' or post-action reflection. | |||
| Kannada | ಭಾವನೆ | ||
| The Kannada word ಭಾವನೆ can also be used figuratively, as the essence, emotion or meaning conveyed within an utterance. | |||
| Malayalam | വികാരം | ||
| The word 'വികാരം' has various shades of meaning in Malayalam, including 'change', 'emotion', and 'affection'. | |||
| Marathi | भावना | ||
| A variant spelling, 'bhavana,' also means 'imagination,' 'thought,' or 'emotion'. | |||
| Nepali | भावना | ||
| The term भावना is an ancient word in Sanskrit meaning 'mind' or 'emotion' | |||
| Punjabi | ਭਾਵਨਾ | ||
| The word "ਭਾਵਨਾ" comes from the Sanskrit word "भावना" which means "state of mind" or "emotion." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හැඟීම | ||
| The Sinhala word "හැඟීම" is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "spṛṣṭa", meaning "touched". | |||
| Tamil | உணர்வு | ||
| The word 'உணர்வு' ('feeling') in Tamil can also refer to 'awareness' or 'consciousness'. | |||
| Telugu | భావన | ||
| The word 'భావన' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'भाव', which can mean 'emotion', 'thought' or 'state of mind'. | |||
| Urdu | احساس | ||
| The word "احساس" (feeling) in Urdu originally meant "perception," and it can also refer to "sense," "emotion," or "intuition." | |||
Feeling in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 感觉 | ||
| 感觉 can also mean "sensibility" or "sensation". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 感覺 | ||
| The character "感" in "感覺" can also mean "to perceive" or "to sense". | |||
| Japanese | 感じ | ||
| The kanji "感じ" can also mean "sense", "impression", or "intuition", and is used in words like "感性" (sensitivity) and "感受性" (receptivity). | |||
| Korean | 감각 | ||
| The Korean word "감각" can also refer to sensation or perception | |||
| Mongolian | мэдрэмж | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခံစားချက် | ||
Feeling in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perasaan | ||
| Perasaan ('feeling') is also used to describe the gut feeling or intuition | |||
| Javanese | rasane | ||
| The Javanese word "rasane" also means "flavor" or "taste". | |||
| Khmer | អារម្មណ៍ | ||
| The word "អារម្មណ៍" originally meant "object" or "target", and it still retains this meaning in some contexts. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຮູ້ສຶກ | ||
| Malay | perasaan | ||
| The Malay word "perasaan" originates from the Sanskrit word "pratisamvitti", meaning "perception" or "consciousness". | |||
| Thai | ความรู้สึก | ||
| In Thai, the word "ความรู้สึก" also refers to a "sense" or "perception". | |||
| Vietnamese | cảm giác | ||
| Cảm giác originally meant sense, and derives from an Austronesian root shared with 'senses'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pakiramdam | ||
Feeling in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hiss | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "hiss" can also refer to "sense" or "perception". | |||
| Kazakh | сезім | ||
| The word "сезім" (feeling) in Kazakh is derived from the Persian word "sazeesh" (sensitivity), and is cognate with the Turkish word "sezgi" (intuition). | |||
| Kyrgyz | сезим | ||
| The word "сезим" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Old Turkic word "sezim", meaning "perception, realization, or consciousness." | |||
| Tajik | ҳиссиёт | ||
| The word "ҳиссиёт" in Tajik is derived from the Arabic word "حسيّات" (hissyāt), meaning "feelings, emotions, or sensations". | |||
| Turkmen | duýmak | ||
| Uzbek | tuyg'u | ||
| The word "tuyg'u" comes from the Proto-Turkic word "*tüg-gü", meaning "intent, purpose". | |||
| Uyghur | ھېسسىيات | ||
Feeling in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manaʻo | ||
| In ancient Hawaiian culture, manaʻo also described a spiritual power that could be found in natural objects, like mountains or waterfalls. | |||
| Maori | mana'o | ||
| Mana'o also refers to thought, wisdom, consciousness, and intelligence, and is related to the Polynesian concept of mana, which refers to spiritual power or authority. | |||
| Samoan | lagona | ||
| The word “lagona” in Samoan can also mean “opinion”, “thought”, or “mind”. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pakiramdam | ||
| "Pakiramadam" also refers to an innate sense of correctness or appropriateness, similar to conscience or intuition. | |||
Feeling in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sintimintu | ||
| Guarani | andu | ||
Feeling in International Languages
| Esperanto | sento | ||
| The Esperanto word "sento" originated from the Latin word "sentire", meaning "to feel or perceive". | |||
| Latin | sensum | ||
| The Latin word "sensum" is derived from the verb "sentire," meaning "to perceive," and is related to the noun "sensus," meaning "sense." | |||
Feeling in Others Languages
| Greek | συναισθημα | ||
| The term 'συναισθημα' is related to the ancient Greek words 'συν' ('together') and 'αίσθημα' ('sensation' or 'feeling'). | |||
| Hmong | kev xav | ||
| The word "kev xav" can also mean "emotion" or "sensation". | |||
| Kurdish | his | ||
| The word "his" in Kurdish also means "mind", "mood" and "thought". | |||
| Turkish | duygu | ||
| Duygu, 'to think' or 'to feel' in Turkish, derives from the Proto-Turkic *tüŋ- 'to think, to understand'. | |||
| Xhosa | imvakalelo | ||
| The Xhosa word "imvakalelo" also means "understanding" or "comprehension". | |||
| Yiddish | געפיל | ||
| The Yiddish word 'געפיל' ('feeling') can also refer to a stuffed dish, such as 'געפילטע פיש' ('stuffed fish'). | |||
| Zulu | umuzwa | ||
| The word 'umuzwa' in Zulu derives from the Proto-Bantu root '-z(u)wa', meaning 'to be aware, to know' | |||
| Assamese | অনুভৱ | ||
| Aymara | sintimintu | ||
| Bhojpuri | अनुभव | ||
| Dhivehi | އިޙްސާސް | ||
| Dogri | मसूस करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pakiramdam | ||
| Guarani | andu | ||
| Ilocano | rikna | ||
| Krio | filin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەست | ||
| Maithili | भावना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜꯗ ꯐꯥꯎꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hriatna | ||
| Oromo | miira | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁଭବ | ||
| Quechua | sunquchakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | अनुभवति | ||
| Tatar | хис | ||
| Tigrinya | ስምዒት | ||
| Tsonga | matitwelo | ||