Fighting in Different Languages
Discover 'Fighting' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Fighting is a powerful word that evokes a range of emotions and images. It signifies conflict, struggle, and determination, making it a culturally significant concept across the globe. From ancient wars to modern-day sports, fighting has played a crucial role in shaping societies and influencing human behavior.
Moreover, understanding the translation of fighting in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and historical contexts of various societies. For instance, the German word 'Kampf' not only means fight but also implies a struggle or battle against adversity. Meanwhile, the Chinese character for fight, '戰,' is composed of two parts - one representing a weapon and the other representing a shield, symbolizing the balance between offense and defense in a conflict.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or simply curious, exploring the translations of fighting in different languages can be a fascinating journey. Here are some examples to get you started:
Fighting
Fighting in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | baklei | ||
| "Baklei", the Afrikaans word for fighting, derives from the Dutch word "bakkeleien", meaning "to fight" or "to wrangle." | |||
| Amharic | መዋጋት | ||
| The term "መዋጋት" not only means actual battle but also can imply a competition or rivalry. | |||
| Hausa | fada | ||
| Hausa word 'fada' also means 'to try' and 'to make an effort' | |||
| Igbo | na-alụ ọgụ | ||
| The Igbo word "na-alụ ọgụ" literally translates to "to break bones", indicating the violent and destructive nature of fighting. | |||
| Malagasy | ady | ||
| "Ady" comes from the Malay word "adig" (fight) or the Sanskrit word "yuddha" (war). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumenya | ||
| The verb `kumenya` also refers to the process of cultivating a garden, especially involving weeding | |||
| Shona | kurwa | ||
| The word 'kurwa' in Shona can also refer to an argument or quarrel. | |||
| Somali | dagaallamaya | ||
| Dagalaamaya originated in the phrase 'daa isku rogtay' meaning 'they rubbed their hides against each other', then used as a euphemism for fighting. | |||
| Sesotho | ho loana | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "ho loana" carries the additional meaning of "to be victorious". | |||
| Swahili | kupigana | ||
| The word "kupigana" can also mean "to struggle" or "to compete". | |||
| Xhosa | ukulwa | ||
| The word "ukulwa" can also refer to a type of dance or a martial art. | |||
| Yoruba | ija | ||
| "Ìjà" (fighting) is a Yoruba word whose root, "jà," also means "beating" and "thrashing." | |||
| Zulu | ukulwa | ||
| Ukukwa is the Zulu word for fighting. It can also refer to a ritual battle and a method of self-defense. | |||
| Bambara | kɛlɛ | ||
| Ewe | le kɔ dam | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurwana | ||
| Lingala | bitumba | ||
| Luganda | okulwaana | ||
| Sepedi | go lwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | reko | ||
Fighting in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قتال | ||
| The Quranic root of the word قتال means both "fighting" and "killing," with the former meaning more common. | |||
| Hebrew | לְחִימָה | ||
| The word "לְחִימָה" ("fighting") is also used in a metaphorical sense in Hebrew, to refer to "disputes" or "arguments". | |||
| Pashto | جګړه | ||
| The Pashto term "جґړه" also means "battle" or "warfare". | |||
| Arabic | قتال | ||
| The Quranic root of the word قتال means both "fighting" and "killing," with the former meaning more common. | |||
Fighting in Western European Languages
| Albanian | duke luftuar | ||
| The term 'duke luftuar' also refers to competitive sports or warfare. | |||
| Basque | borrokan | ||
| The word "borrokan" may derive from the Basque word "borro" (war). | |||
| Catalan | lluitant | ||
| The word lluitant can also refer to someone who struggles or resists. | |||
| Croatian | borbe | ||
| The word "borba" is derived from the verb "boriti se," meaning "to fight" or "to struggle." | |||
| Danish | kæmper | ||
| The word "kæmper" in Danish can also mean a giant or a troll. | |||
| Dutch | vechten | ||
| The word "vechten" originated from the Old Dutch word "vehtan", meaning "to fight" or "to pursue". | |||
| English | fighting | ||
| The word "fighting" can also refer to a type of fish, such as the fighting fish or the bluegill sunfish. | |||
| French | combat | ||
| "Combative" (belligerent) comes from "combat" in French, which originated from the Latin word "cum batre," meaning "to strike together or to beat." | |||
| Frisian | fjochtsje | ||
| The word "fjochtsje" in Frisian can also mean "to argue" or "to quarrel". | |||
| Galician | loitando | ||
| The word 'loitando' is derived from the Latin word 'luctare', meaning to struggle or wrestle | |||
| German | kampf | ||
| "Kampf" is also used in German to refer to a chess match. | |||
| Icelandic | berjast | ||
| The word "berjast" is a cognate of the Old Norse word "berjask" which also means "to strike" or "to fight". | |||
| Irish | ag troid | ||
| The Irish word 'ag troid' derives from the Old Irish word 'treid', meaning 'a fight, a quarrel', and can also refer to 'a contest, a competition' or 'a struggle'. | |||
| Italian | combattimento | ||
| The word "combattimento" can also refer to a musical composition featuring contrasting themes or sections. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kämpfen | ||
| "Kämpfen" also means "struggling" or "trying hard" in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | ġlied | ||
| Norwegian | slåssing | ||
| In Bokmål Norwegian, «slåssing» means «fighting», while in Nynorsk Norwegian it refers to smaller scale brawls. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | brigando | ||
| The Portuguese word "brigando" is derived from the Celtic word "briga", meaning "battle" or "strife". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sabaid | ||
| The Gaelic word "sabaid" also means "rest" or "labour". | |||
| Spanish | luchando | ||
| The verb "luchar" (to fight) in Spanish is derived from the Latin "lucta" (struggle) and is related to the English word "lucrative" (profitable). | |||
| Swedish | stridande | ||
| Stridande, from Old Norse strið, means 'battle' or 'struggle' | |||
| Welsh | ymladd | ||
| The Welsh word 'ymladd' is etymologically linked to the Breton word 'emgann', both meaning 'battle'. | |||
Fighting in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | баі | ||
| The word "баі" can also refer to "warriors" or "knights" in Old Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | borbe | ||
| Borba is also used figuratively to describe competition between individuals or organizations. | |||
| Bulgarian | борба | ||
| The word "борба" is derived from "бор" (to take), meaning "a seizure" or "a grab". | |||
| Czech | bojování | ||
| The word "bojování" is derived from the Czech word "boj" which means "fight" or "battle". | |||
| Estonian | võitlus | ||
| "Võitlus" also means "struggle" or "contest" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | taistelevat | ||
| Taistelevat, the word for “fighting” in Finnish, has a rich history dating to Proto-Finnic *tæistelewa, which also meant “hunting.” | |||
| Hungarian | verekedés | ||
| The word "verekedés" can also refer to "quarrel" or "dispute" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | kaujas | ||
| In Lithuanian, "kaujas" means "battle", and in Finnish, "kajauttaa" means "to echo". | |||
| Lithuanian | kovos | ||
| The word "kovos" in Lithuanian can also refer to a "fight" or a "battle". | |||
| Macedonian | борба | ||
| The word "борба" also means "struggle" or "effort" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | walczący | ||
| The word "walczący" can also mean "struggling" or "battling".} | |||
| Romanian | luptă | ||
| "Luptă" is related to the word "lup" (wolf), so it can also mean "battle" or "fight against adversity." | |||
| Russian | борьба | ||
| The word "борьба" can also refer to a type of competition, such as wrestling or boxing. | |||
| Serbian | борећи се | ||
| The word "boreći se" can also mean "wrestling". | |||
| Slovak | boj | ||
| The word 'boj' also means 'battle' in old Church Slavonic and 'God' in proto-Slavic. | |||
| Slovenian | boj | ||
| The word "boj" in Slovenian not only means "fighting" but also refers to the old Slavic deity of war Božidar. | |||
| Ukrainian | бойові дії | ||
| "Бойові дії" in Ukrainian also refers to a military confrontation or combat. | |||
Fighting in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লড়াই | ||
| The term 'লড়াই' can also be used to mean competition or struggle, particularly when used in a figurative or metaphorical sense. | |||
| Gujarati | લડાઈ | ||
| The Gujarati word િલડા ("laḍ́ˈ́ə́") is also used to refer to a type of folk theater performance. | |||
| Hindi | मार पिटाई | ||
| The Hindi word "मार पिटाई" can also refer to a severe scolding or verbal abuse | |||
| Kannada | ಹೋರಾಟ | ||
| The word "ಹೋರಾಟ" in Kannada also has alternate meanings such as "conflict" or "argument". | |||
| Malayalam | യുദ്ധം | ||
| The word "യുദ്ധം" derives from the Sanskrit word "युद्ध" (yuddha), meaning "combat, war, or battle", and is cognate with the English word "joust". | |||
| Marathi | लढाई | ||
| The word "लढाई" can also mean "war" or "battle" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | झगडा | ||
| The word "झगडा" can also mean "disagreement" or "quarrel" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੜਾਈ | ||
| The word "ਲੜਾਈ" in Punjabi can also be used to describe an argument or dispute. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සටන් | ||
| The Sinhala word "සටන්" also refers to a type of traditional martial art known as "Angampora." | |||
| Tamil | சண்டை | ||
| The word "சண்டை" can also refer to a quarrel or argument, and is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *caṇṭa- "to quarrel". | |||
| Telugu | పోరాటం | ||
| The term "పోరాటం" can also denote a "struggle" or an "effort." | |||
| Urdu | لڑائی | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "fighting," the word "لڑائی" can also refer to a "quarrel" or "dispute." | |||
Fighting in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 战斗 | ||
| The word "战斗" in Chinese can also refer to a specific military unit or operation. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 戰鬥 | ||
| 戰鬥 literally means 'to contend with a battle formation,' with battle '爭' and formation '鬥' | |||
| Japanese | 戦い | ||
| The word "戦い" can also mean "battle" or "warfare" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 싸움 | ||
| The Korean word '싸움' not only means 'fighting,' but can also be interpreted as 'an exchange of opinions' or 'a heated discussion'. | |||
| Mongolian | зодолдох | ||
| The word "зодолдох" is derived from the verb "зодлох", meaning "to fight" or "to struggle". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုက်ပွဲ | ||
| The word 'toik pwe' in Burmese can also mean 'battlefield' or 'contest'. | |||
Fighting in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perkelahian | ||
| In Indonesian, "perkelahian" refers not only to physical fighting but also to heated arguments. | |||
| Javanese | gelut | ||
| The Javanese word "gelut" is also sometimes used in the sense of "debating." | |||
| Khmer | ការប្រយុទ្ធគ្នា | ||
| Lao | ການຕໍ່ສູ້ | ||
| Malay | bergaduh | ||
| The word 'bergaduh' could be derived from Persian 'gard' (fighter) with a prefix 'be-'. | |||
| Thai | การต่อสู้ | ||
| The Thai word "การต่อสู้" can also refer to a debate or argument. | |||
| Vietnamese | trận đánh | ||
| "Trận" is a Sino-Vietnamese word meaning battle or match, while "đánh" is a native Vietnamese word meaning hit or beat. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lumalaban | ||
Fighting in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mübarizə | ||
| The word "mübarizə" can also mean "struggle" or "contention" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | ұрыс | ||
| The Kazakh word "ұрыс" can also mean "conflict" or "argument" and is related to the Mongolian word "орос" meaning "battle". | |||
| Kyrgyz | күрөшүү | ||
| Күрөшүү in Kyrgyz can also refer to a specific type of wrestling, known as "kursh" or "kurash", which is popular in Central Asia. | |||
| Tajik | мубориза | ||
| The word “мубориза” has a Persian etymology (Persian “مبارزه mu-bâreze”) and originally meant “competition”. | |||
| Turkmen | söweşýär | ||
| Uzbek | jang qilish | ||
| The verb "jang qilish" also means "to quarrel." | |||
| Uyghur | ئۇرۇش | ||
Fighting in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | e hakakā ana | ||
| The Hawaiian word "e hakakā ana" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root "*faka" meaning "to fight" or "to kill". | |||
| Maori | whawhai | ||
| The word 'whawhai' has multiple meanings in Maori, including 'to oppose', 'to resist', 'to argue', and 'to strive' | |||
| Samoan | taua | ||
| The Samoan word 'taua' also carries the meanings of 'battle' and 'armed conflict'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lumalaban | ||
| "Lumalaban" also means "resisting" or "battling" in Tagalog. | |||
Fighting in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'axwasa | ||
| Guarani | ñorairõme | ||
Fighting in International Languages
| Esperanto | batalado | ||
| The word "batalado" is derived from the Spanish word "batalla", meaning "battle". | |||
| Latin | pugnatum | ||
| Pugnatum derives from the Latin verb pugno, which means "to fight" or "to strike". | |||
Fighting in Others Languages
| Greek | μαχητικός | ||
| The word "μαχητικός" is derived from the Ancient Greek word "μάχη", meaning "battle" or "conflict." | |||
| Hmong | sib ntaus sib tua | ||
| The word "sib ntaus sib tua" in Hmong means "to have a fight or argument", and can also refer to "competing" or "trying to outdo someone". | |||
| Kurdish | şer dikin | ||
| The word 'şer dikin' is derived from the Kurdish words 'şer' (evil) and 'dikin' (to plant), and it can also refer to the act of inciting conflict or discord. | |||
| Turkish | savaş | ||
| In Turkish, "savaş" can also refer to "warfare" or "conflict". | |||
| Xhosa | ukulwa | ||
| The word "ukulwa" can also refer to a type of dance or a martial art. | |||
| Yiddish | פייטינג | ||
| The Yiddish word "פייטינג" (fighting) is derived from the German word "fechten" (to fight), and is also used to refer to arguing or quarreling. | |||
| Zulu | ukulwa | ||
| Ukukwa is the Zulu word for fighting. It can also refer to a ritual battle and a method of self-defense. | |||
| Assamese | যুঁজ কৰা | ||
| Aymara | ch'axwasa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मार-पिटाई | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަޅާފޮޅުން | ||
| Dogri | लड़ना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lumalaban | ||
| Guarani | ñorairõme | ||
| Ilocano | panagapa | ||
| Krio | de fɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جەنگان | ||
| Maithili | लड़ाई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯟ ꯁꯣꯛꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | insual | ||
| Oromo | wal loluu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯୁଦ୍ଧ | ||
| Quechua | maqanakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | युधि | ||
| Tatar | сугыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ባእሲ | ||
| Tsonga | ku lwa | ||