Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fight' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, symbolizing a physical or mental struggle against an opponent or obstacle. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, movies, and historical accounts, where fights serve as metaphors for personal growth, survival, and justice. Understanding the translation of 'fight' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and express this concept.
For instance, the Spanish translation of 'fight' is 'lucha', which also means 'struggle'. In German, 'Kampf' denotes both 'fight' and 'battle'. Meanwhile, the Japanese translation, 'たたかい (tatakai)', reflects the country's warrior heritage. These translations not only bridge linguistic gaps but also offer glimpses into the unique cultural contexts that shape our understanding of 'fight'.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'fight' can be a fascinating journey. Here are some translations to get you started:
Afrikaans | baklei | ||
Baklei is derived from the Middle Dutch "baclay" and also means "disturbance" or "quarrel". | |||
Amharic | ተጋደል | ||
The word 'ተጋደል' can also mean 'to argue' or 'to compete'. | |||
Hausa | yaƙi | ||
Yaƙi also means "to struggle" or "to make an effort" in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | lụọ ọgụ | ||
The etymology of the Igbo word "lụọ ọgụ" likely stems from the phrase "lu ọkụ" meaning "to ignite a fire" and symbolizes the heated nature of a fight. | |||
Malagasy | ady | ||
The word "ady" in Malagasy can also refer to a "battlefield" or a "challenge" | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhondo | ||
"Nkhondo" derives from the Proto-Bantu root "-kondo" meaning "to fight, to battle, to war" or "to quarrel, to dispute, to argue." | |||
Shona | kurwa | ||
In Shona, the word "kurwa" also means "to get ahead of someone." | |||
Somali | dagaal | ||
Dagaal is a Somali term used for a formal duel as well as an all-out battle or war. | |||
Sesotho | loana | ||
The word 'loana' can also refer to a battle or a boxing match. | |||
Swahili | pambana | ||
The Swahili word 'pambana' has Proto-Bantu roots meaning 'to kill' and also refers to a battle between two individuals. | |||
Xhosa | ukulwa | ||
Ukukwa's root, '-kwa', also means 'to cry', a link reinforced by the fact that the verb 'to cry' in many languages is onomatopoeic | |||
Yoruba | ja | ||
A cognate of "ja" is the word for "quarrel" in Gun, a Benin language related to Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | ukulwa | ||
The word 'ukulwa' also means 'to be angry' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | ka kɛlɛ kɛ | ||
Ewe | wᴐ avu | ||
Kinyarwanda | kurwana | ||
Lingala | kobundisa | ||
Luganda | okulwaana | ||
Sepedi | lwa | ||
Twi (Akan) | ko | ||
Arabic | يقاتل | ||
The word "يقاتل" can also mean "to struggle" or "to contend" in Arabic. | |||
Hebrew | מַאֲבָק | ||
Originally a term in Talmudic Hebrew for the dispute between two litigants | |||
Pashto | جګړه | ||
جګړه has additional meanings such as battle, fighting, fight, struggle, quarrel, and feud. | |||
Arabic | يقاتل | ||
The word "يقاتل" can also mean "to struggle" or "to contend" in Arabic. |
Albanian | përleshje | ||
"Përleshje" also means "struggle" or "contest" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | borrokatu | ||
Borrokatu derives from "borroka", meaning "struggle", and "katu", meaning "hard". | |||
Catalan | lluitar | ||
The origin of the word "lluitar" is uncertain, but it may be related to the Latin word "lucta" (wrestling), the Germanic word "leithan" (to travel), or the Celtic word "luid" (journey). | |||
Croatian | borba | ||
In Croatian, “borba” can also refer to a dispute or a debate, highlighting the broader spectrum of meanings encompassing conflict and contention. | |||
Danish | kæmpe | ||
The word "kæmpe" in Danish can also mean "warrior" or "giant". | |||
Dutch | strijd | ||
The word "strijd" in Dutch also means "effort" or "struggle". | |||
English | fight | ||
The word “fight” originates from an Old English term meaning “to strive” or “to attempt” and was first used in a non-combative sense. | |||
French | bats toi | ||
The verb "bats toi" in French literally means "hit yourself" but has taken on the meaning of "fight". | |||
Frisian | fjochtsje | ||
The Frisian word "fjochtsje" is thought to derive from the Proto-Germanic root "fekht-," meaning "to strive" or "to oppose." | |||
Galician | loitar | ||
Loitar comes from Latin “luctare” meaning “to fight” and it is also used in Galician to refer to the fight of animals. | |||
German | kampf | ||
Kampf derives from Proto-Germanic "kamp-, " meaning conflict or battle, and is related to the English word "camp" | |||
Icelandic | bardagi | ||
Bardagi derives from the word borda meaning "shield" | |||
Irish | troid | ||
The Irish word 'troid' can also refer to a 'violent fit of illness' or 'a bout of depression' depending on the context. | |||
Italian | combattimento | ||
The word "combattimento" in Italian also refers to a musical composition for an instrumental ensemble, typically including at least one keyboard instrument and one or more stringed instruments. | |||
Luxembourgish | kämpfen | ||
In Luxembourgish, "kämpfen" also refers to the act of playing sports or engaging in a friendly competition. | |||
Maltese | ġlieda | ||
The Maltese word "ġlieda" is derived from the Arabic word "jidal", meaning "quarrel" or "dispute". | |||
Norwegian | slåss | ||
"Slåss" is a strong verb in Norwegian. It can also be used in the context of debating or making music. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | luta | ||
"Luta" derives from the Latin "lucta" ("struggle") and also means "struggle" or "toil" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | sabaid | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "sabaid" can also be used to denote "quarrel", "battle" or"conflict" | |||
Spanish | lucha | ||
"Lucha" can also mean "professional wrestling" in Spanish. | |||
Swedish | bekämpa | ||
"Bekämpa" has cognates in other Germanic languages such as "bekommen" in German which means "to defeat". | |||
Welsh | ymladd | ||
In addition, the word "ymladd" comes from the Old Welsh word "ymladaid", meaning "to strike". |
Belarusian | змагацца | ||
The word "змагацца" in Belarusian derives from the Proto-Slavic word *sъmogǫ, meaning "to overcome", and is also related to the words "змаганне" ("competition") and "змагаўся" ("to strive"). | |||
Bosnian | borba | ||
The word 'borba' in Bosnian comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'borba', which also means 'struggle' or 'war'. | |||
Bulgarian | битка | ||
The word "битка" can also refer to a type of meat cutlet popular in Bulgarian cuisine. | |||
Czech | prát se | ||
The word "prát se" also means "to do laundry" in Czech, due to the historical association between fighting and the vigorous physical effort required for hand-washing clothes. | |||
Estonian | võitlus | ||
The Estonian word "võitlus" also has the meaning of “battle,” and is related to the Finnish “voitto” (“victory”). | |||
Finnish | taistella | ||
The word "taistella" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "taisto", meaning "battle" or "fight". | |||
Hungarian | harc | ||
The word "harc" is of Turkish origin and originally meant "war" or "battle". | |||
Latvian | cīņa | ||
The word "cīņa" in Latvian derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*krei-n-“, meaning "to turn, to bend, to twist". | |||
Lithuanian | kova | ||
"Kova" is cognate with Latvian "kauja" and Old Prussian "cowē"/"cauja," all meaning "fight". | |||
Macedonian | борба | ||
While борба primarily means "fight," it can also refer to "wrestling" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | walka | ||
In some rural dialects of Polish, "walka" means "talking" or "chatting" | |||
Romanian | luptă | ||
The Romanian word "luptă" derives from the Latin "lupta," meaning "contest" or "struggle," and is related to the English word "lute" | |||
Russian | борьба | ||
The Russian word "борьба" can also refer to a type of martial art, particularly wrestling or judo. | |||
Serbian | борити се | ||
In Ukrainian, fighting can also be conveyed as "боротися," which can also describe internal conflicts. | |||
Slovak | boj | ||
The word "boj" in Slovak also means "pain" and shares its root with the word "battle" in many Slavic languages. | |||
Slovenian | boj | ||
The word "boj" in Slovenian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*bojь", which also means "battle" or "war". | |||
Ukrainian | бій | ||
The word "бій" comes from the Old Slavonic word "boi" which means "battle" or "struggle". |
Bengali | লড়াই | ||
The word "লড়াই" (fight) in Bengali can also mean "quarrel" or "dispute". | |||
Gujarati | લડવા | ||
"લડવા" can also mean "to argue" or "to quarrel". | |||
Hindi | लड़ाई | ||
The word " लड़ाई " can refer to a physical confrontation, a conflict between opposing groups, or a struggle against difficulties. | |||
Kannada | ಹೋರಾಟ | ||
The word "ಹೋರಾಟ" (fight) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "युद्ध" (battle) | |||
Malayalam | യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യുക | ||
Marathi | लढा | ||
The word "लढा" in Marathi can also mean a quarrel or a battle. | |||
Nepali | लडाई | ||
The word ‘लडाई’ can also mean ‘battle’, ‘war’, or ‘quarrel’. | |||
Punjabi | ਲੜੋ | ||
The word 'ਲੜੋ' (fight) comes from the Sanskrit word 'युद्ध' (war), and also has the connotation of 'quarrel' or 'contention'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සටන් කරන්න | ||
Tamil | சண்டை | ||
சண்டை can also mean "conflict" or "argument" in Tamil. | |||
Telugu | పోరాడండి | ||
The word "పోరాడండి" (fight) in Telugu is also used to mean "to argue" or "to grapple with a problem." | |||
Urdu | لڑو | ||
The word "لڑو" in Urdu can also mean "to compete" or "to quarrel". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 斗争 | ||
The character for "fight", "斗", also refers to a vessel for holding wine and the Big Dipper constellation. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 鬥爭 | ||
'鬥' in 鬥爭 is used in the sense of "to oppose"; '爭' is used in the sense of "to vie". | |||
Japanese | 戦い | ||
The word "戦い" can also refer to a legal dispute, a competition, a struggle against a disease, or a difficulty. | |||
Korean | 싸움 | ||
"싸움" (fight) is also used to refer to a 'quarrel' or 'argument'. | |||
Mongolian | тэмцэх | ||
The Mongolian word 'тэмцэх' not only means 'fight', but also 'compete', 'struggle', and in some contexts 'debate'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုက် | ||
The Burmese word "တိုက်" (taik) can also mean "to pound", "to strike", or "to hit" in various contexts. |
Indonesian | pertarungan | ||
The word "pertarungan" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *taruŋ which also means "fight" or "war". | |||
Javanese | gelut | ||
The Javanese word "gelut" also refers to a traditional form of wrestling. | |||
Khmer | ប្រយុទ្ធ | ||
Lao | ຕໍ່ສູ້ | ||
Malay | melawan | ||
The word "melawan" not only means "to fight" but also "to resist" or "to oppose". | |||
Thai | ต่อสู้ | ||
The word "ต่อสู้" can also mean "to strive" or "to struggle." | |||
Vietnamese | đánh nhau | ||
"Đánh nhau" also means to gamble, to bet, to play a game, etc. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lumaban | ||
Azerbaijani | dava | ||
The word "dava" can also mean "case" or "lawsuit" in a legal context. | |||
Kazakh | ұрыс | ||
The Kazakh word "ұрыс" also denotes "war" and "combat". | |||
Kyrgyz | күрөшүү | ||
The word "күрөшүү" in Kyrgyz can also refer to wrestling, a traditional Central Asian sport. | |||
Tajik | мубориза бурдан | ||
The Tajik word "мубориза бурдан" can also mean "to compete" or "to struggle with someone." | |||
Turkmen | söweş | ||
Uzbek | kurash | ||
The word "kurash" also refers to a traditional Uzbek wrestling style and a combat sport that combines wrestling and judo techniques. | |||
Uyghur | ئۇرۇش | ||
Hawaiian | hakakā | ||
Hakakā is the Hawaiian word for fighting, and it can also mean to argue or debate. | |||
Maori | whawhai | ||
Derived from the sound of a wooden club striking against flesh during a battle | |||
Samoan | fusuʻaga | ||
(n.) battle, strife, combat; (v.) to strive to overcome, to struggle, to quarrel | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | mag away | ||
"Mag away" also means "to go away" and is derived from the phrase "mag-alis na nga," which means "to leave." |
Aymara | ch'axwaña | ||
Guarani | ñorairõ | ||
Esperanto | batali | ||
Esperanto's "batali" is a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European word "*bʰetu-," meaning "to strike". | |||
Latin | pugna | ||
The word “pugna” also refers to the “boxing” of a gladiator. |
Greek | πάλη | ||
"Πάλη" also has a second, related meaning, "wrestling," and its origins can also be traced back to ancient Greek words like "πάλος," meaning "a peg or post," or "παλάσσω," meaning "to shake, brandish, wield." | |||
Hmong | sib ntaus | ||
"Sib ntaus" is a Hmong word that can also mean "to engage in a game of hide-and-seek". | |||
Kurdish | şer | ||
The Kurdish word "şer" also refers to evil or harm. | |||
Turkish | kavga | ||
The word "kavga" in Turkish is derived from the Arabic word "qawga" meaning "noise". It can also refer to a "dispute" or "argument". | |||
Xhosa | ukulwa | ||
Ukukwa's root, '-kwa', also means 'to cry', a link reinforced by the fact that the verb 'to cry' in many languages is onomatopoeic | |||
Yiddish | קאַמף | ||
The Yiddish word “קאַמף” also means “comb” and is related to the German “Kampf,” meaning “battle,” but the Yiddish word is also related to “קאַמען,” meaning “comb,” which comes from the Proto-Germanic word “kambo,” meaning “tooth”. | |||
Zulu | ukulwa | ||
The word 'ukulwa' also means 'to be angry' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | কাজিয়া | ||
Aymara | ch'axwaña | ||
Bhojpuri | मारामारी | ||
Dhivehi | ތެޅުން | ||
Dogri | लड़ाई | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lumaban | ||
Guarani | ñorairõ | ||
Ilocano | apa | ||
Krio | fɛt | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | جەنگ | ||
Maithili | लड़ाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯌꯅꯕ | ||
Mizo | insual | ||
Oromo | loluu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯୁଦ୍ଧ କର | ||
Quechua | maqanakuy | ||
Sanskrit | युध् | ||
Tatar | сугыш | ||
Tigrinya | ባእሲ | ||
Tsonga | ku lwa | ||