Fun in Different Languages
Discover 'Fun' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fun' is a small but powerful term that carries a significant weight in our daily lives. It represents enjoyment, amusement, and recreation, and is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures. From laughter-filled parties to quiet moments of joy, 'fun' is the common thread that ties us all together.
But did you know that the way we express 'fun' can vary greatly from one language to another? For instance, in Spanish, 'diversión' is the word used to describe fun, while in French, 'amusement' is the term of choice. In German, 'Spaß' is the equivalent of 'fun', and in Japanese, ' tanoshimi' is used to convey a sense of enjoyable anticipation.
Understanding the translation of 'fun' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and nuances. It can help you connect with people from diverse backgrounds, and add depth and richness to your language skills.
So, whether you're planning a trip abroad, looking to expand your cultural horizons, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the many translations of 'fun' is a great place to start.
Fun
Fun in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | pret | ||
| The word 'pret' in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word 'pret' meaning 'joy' or 'amusement'. | |||
| Amharic | አዝናኝ | ||
| The word "አዝናኝ" can also mean "joke" or "entertainment". | |||
| Hausa | fun | ||
| The Hausa word 'fun' can also mean 'fight' or 'war'. | |||
| Igbo | ọchị | ||
| Ọchị also means 'a joke' or 'a lie' depending on the tone when it is spoken | |||
| Malagasy | fahafinaretana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fahafinaretana" can also mean "play" or "entertainment". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zosangalatsa | ||
| The word "zosangalatsa" originates from the verb "kusangalala" (to be happy), and is often used in the context of entertainment or recreation, but can also refer to a feeling of general happiness or contentment. | |||
| Shona | kunakidzwa | ||
| Kunakidzwa comes from the Shona word 'Kunakira,' meaning 'to be enjoyed,' 'to be received as a guest' or 'to be given something that delights one' | |||
| Somali | madadaalo | ||
| The word 'madadaalo' may be related to the word 'madaa', meaning 'to play'. It may also refer to the concept of 'enjoyment' or 'happiness'. | |||
| Sesotho | monate | ||
| The word "monate" in Sesotho also means "game" or "play". | |||
| Swahili | furaha | ||
| Swahili "furaha" also means "happiness, joy, and mirth." | |||
| Xhosa | kumnandi | ||
| The Xhosa word "kumnandi" can also mean "joyful" or "happy". | |||
| Yoruba | igbadun | ||
| The word "igbadun" can also mean "a state of contentment or happiness". | |||
| Zulu | kumnandi | ||
| Kumnandi originates from "ukuthanda," meaning "to like" or "to love," emphasizing fun as something enjoyable and desirable | |||
| Bambara | yɛlɛko | ||
| Ewe | nukoko | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwishimisha | ||
| Lingala | kosepela | ||
| Luganda | okunyumirwa | ||
| Sepedi | boipshino | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anigyeɛ | ||
Fun in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مرح | ||
| The Arabic word مرح ("marah") also means "pity," "mercy," or "compassion" | |||
| Hebrew | כֵּיף | ||
| The word "כֵּיף" is also used in rabbinic literature to refer to "the time the Holy One Blessed be He spends in Torah learning every day," or "the time of pleasure that God experiences from righteous doers." | |||
| Pashto | ساتیري | ||
| The Pashto word "ساتیري" can also refer to a type of folk music or a clown or comedian. | |||
| Arabic | مرح | ||
| The Arabic word مرح ("marah") also means "pity," "mercy," or "compassion" | |||
Fun in Western European Languages
| Albanian | argëtim | ||
| Albanian 'argëtim' derives from Turkish 'eğlen', meaning 'to pass time', 'to amuse oneself'. | |||
| Basque | dibertigarria | ||
| The Basque word "dibertigarria" derives from the verb "dibertitu", meaning "to amuse" or "to make laugh." | |||
| Catalan | diversió | ||
| In Catalan, the word "diversió" also has the connotation of "entertainment" or "recreation". | |||
| Croatian | zabava | ||
| The word "zabava" in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zabava, which means "joy" or "entertainment". | |||
| Danish | sjovt | ||
| Sjovt is thought to originate from the Danish word "skjald" meaning "jester", and "sjofel" meaning "coarse" or "base". Alternatively, it may come from the Norwegian word "skjov" meaning "funny" or "ridiculous". | |||
| Dutch | pret | ||
| "Pret" comes from the same root as "practical" and "practice", indicating that fun is a form of productive activity. | |||
| English | fun | ||
| The word 'fun' originates from the 17th century and is thought to have derived from the Middle English word 'fonne', meaning 'fool' or 'jest'. | |||
| French | amusement | ||
| The French word "amusement" originally meant "a distraction" or "a pastime that keeps one busy". | |||
| Frisian | wille | ||
| The Frisian word "wille" originates from the Old Frisian word "wili" meaning "will" or "desire". | |||
| Galician | divertido | ||
| The Galician word "divertido" stems from the Latin "divertere" meaning "to turn away" which also gives English the word "diversion". | |||
| German | spaß | ||
| The word "Spaß" in German derives from the Middle High German "spas" meaning "mockery" or "jest" and is related to the English word "spasm". | |||
| Icelandic | gaman | ||
| "Gaman" also means "entertainment" and "joy" in Old Norse. | |||
| Irish | craic | ||
| In Irish, "craic" refers not just to "fun" but also to conversation, entertainment, or banter, implying a lively social atmosphere. | |||
| Italian | divertimento | ||
| Divertimento is a musical term for a light, entertaining piece and comes from the Latin word 'divertere' meaning 'to turn aside' or 'to amuse'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | spaass | ||
| The word "Spaass" in Luxembourgish has its equivalent in German spelled identically, but meaning "joke" or "prank" instead of "fun". | |||
| Maltese | gost | ||
| The Maltese word "gost" (pronounced "yo-st") is etymologically related to the Sicilian and Calabrian "gostu" or "gostu", which both mean "taste," and derives from the Latin "gustus". | |||
| Norwegian | moro | ||
| The word "moro" can also refer to a type of Norwegian folk dance. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | diversão | ||
| In Brazil, ‘Diversão’ can also mean a ‘distraction’, while in Portugal it may also refer to ‘entertainment’. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | spòrs | ||
| The word 'spòrs' in Scots Gaelic is thought to derive from the Old Norse word 'sport' or 'spretta', meaning 'to spring up' or 'to jump'. | |||
| Spanish | divertido | ||
| The verb 'divertir' has the alternative meaning of 'to distract' and is thus the origin of the adjective 'divertido' ('fun') | |||
| Swedish | roligt | ||
| The word "roligt" derives from the Old Norse word "róligr," meaning "quiet" or "serene." | |||
| Welsh | hwyl | ||
| The word "hwyl" in Welsh also means "a high degree of emotional excitement or exhilaration". | |||
Fun in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | весела | ||
| The word "весела" can also mean "happy" or "cheerful". | |||
| Bosnian | zabava | ||
| The word "zabava" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic word "zabaviti"} | |||
| Bulgarian | забавно | ||
| "Забавно": Bulgarian, "забавлять": Russian - both derive from the Old Church Slavonic root "бава" (wife, grandmother), possibly originally referring to a child being amused by an older woman. | |||
| Czech | zábava | ||
| Zábava shares its root word with "zabít," meaning "to kill," a connection which shows up in some regional dialects. | |||
| Estonian | lõbus | ||
| The word "lõbus" is derived from the Old Estonian word "lõbe", meaning "to be happy". | |||
| Finnish | hauskaa | ||
| "Hauskaa" comes from the word "hauta" meaning "grave" or "tomb" and was once used to describe the merry feast that occurred at a funeral wake. | |||
| Hungarian | szórakozás | ||
| "Szórakozás" is derived from the Hungarian verb "szórakozni", which can also mean "to amuse oneself", "to entertain oneself", or "to relax". | |||
| Latvian | jautri | ||
| "Jautri" can also mean "amusing" or "entertaining". | |||
| Lithuanian | linksma | ||
| "Linksma" can also mean "joyous, merry, pleasant, happy, light, cheerful," or "agreeable." | |||
| Macedonian | забавно | ||
| The word "забавно" can also mean "funny" or "amusing". | |||
| Polish | zabawa | ||
| In the Polish language, the word "zabawa" is derived from the verb "bawić" (to amuse or entertain), which shares its root with the word "baśń" (fairy tale). | |||
| Romanian | distracţie | ||
| The Romanian word "distracţie" comes from the Latin word "distrahere," which means "to divide or separate."} | |||
| Russian | веселье | ||
| "Веселье" can also mean "merriment," "jollity," or "festivity." | |||
| Serbian | забавно | ||
| The word 'забавно' can also mean funny or amusing in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | zábava | ||
| The word "zábava" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zabava, meaning "entertainment" or "pastime." | |||
| Slovenian | zabavno | ||
| The word "zabavno" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "baviti", meaning "to amuse" or "to entertain". | |||
| Ukrainian | весело | ||
| In Old Slavic, "весело" also meant "joyful, full of spiritual pleasure, happy" | |||
Fun in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মজা | ||
| The word "মজা" (moza) is derived from the Prakrit word "majjana" meaning "to wash" or "to bathe". | |||
| Gujarati | મજા | ||
| The word "મજા" is also used to refer to a type of pickled mango in Gujarati cuisine. | |||
| Hindi | आनंद | ||
| The word "आनंद" comes from the Sanskrit word "ananda," which means "bliss" or "supreme happiness. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೋಜಿನ | ||
| The word "ಮೋಜಿನ" can also mean "interesting" or "worthwhile" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | രസകരമാണ് | ||
| The word "രസകരമാണ്" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रस" (rasa) meaning "essence" or "delight". It also refers to the nine "rasas" or emotional states in traditional Indian aesthetics. | |||
| Marathi | मजा | ||
| The Marathi word “मजा” means “fun,” but can also mean “joy,” “pleasure,” or “delight,” while its adjective form “मजेदार” can mean “funny,” “amusing,” or “entertaining”. | |||
| Nepali | रमाईलो | ||
| "रमाईलो" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रमणीय" (ramanīya), meaning "delightful" or "charming". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਜ਼ੇਦਾਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විනෝද | ||
| The word "විනෝද" is derived from the Sanskrit word "vinoda" meaning "recreation" or "amusement". | |||
| Tamil | வேடிக்கை | ||
| Its alternate meaning is 'spectacle' and the word is derived from the root 'Ved' which means to know or see. | |||
| Telugu | సరదాగా | ||
| The Telugu word "సరదాగా" is derived from the Persian word "sar" meaning "head" and implies the idea of "being carefree and enjoying oneself." | |||
| Urdu | مزہ | ||
Fun in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 好玩 | ||
| 好玩 originally meant “to be suitable for play” and has since expanded to mean “fun” or “interesting”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 好玩 | ||
| In Cantonese, "好玩" also means "funny" or "humorous" | |||
| Japanese | 楽しい | ||
| '楽しい' originally meant 'to have a long day'. | |||
| Korean | 장난 | ||
| The Korean word "장난" (fun) originally meant "something that is not serious" or "a joke". | |||
| Mongolian | хөгжилтэй | ||
| The word “хөгжилтэй” also means “interesting” or “entertaining” in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပျော်စရာ | ||
Fun in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menyenangkan | ||
| The Indonesian word "menyenangkan" is derived from the root word "senang," which means "happy" or "pleasant." | |||
| Javanese | nyenengake | ||
| The word "nyenengake" in Javanese can also mean "to make someone laugh" or "to entertain someone". | |||
| Khmer | សប្បាយ | ||
| The word "សប្បាយ" is also used to express the concept of well-being or contentment in Khmer culture. | |||
| Lao | ມ່ວນ | ||
| The word ມ່ວນ comes from the Sanskrit word “mudita”, which means “joy” or “delight”. | |||
| Malay | seronok | ||
| "Seronok" derives from the Old Malay word "sarunok" meaning "cheerful," and is also related to "siranok" meaning "bright," and "serang" meaning "attack," implying a sense of lively engagement. | |||
| Thai | สนุก | ||
| "สนุก" is also a traditional Thai musical instrument. | |||
| Vietnamese | vui vẻ | ||
| The word "vui vẻ" in Vietnamese is derived from the root word "vui," which means "joy," and the suffix "-vẻ," which denotes a state or condition, resulting in the meaning of "joyful" or "cheerful." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masaya | ||
Fun in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əyləncəli | ||
| The word "əyləncəli" is derived from the Persian word "ʿaylāncī", meaning "to entertain", and also has the connotation of "joy, amusement, and entertainment". | |||
| Kazakh | көңілді | ||
| Kyrgyz | көңүлдүү | ||
| It stems from the root word "köñül" (heart), connoting that which brings joy to the heart. | |||
| Tajik | шавковар | ||
| The word "шавковар" is derived from the Persian word "شوكوار" which means "merrymaking". It can also refer to a type of folk dance. | |||
| Turkmen | gyzykly | ||
| Uzbek | qiziqarli | ||
| The word "qiziqarli" originally meant "interesting" or "curious" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | قىزىقارلىق | ||
Fun in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | leʻaleʻa | ||
| The word "leʻaleʻa" also conveys the sense of leisure and pleasure. | |||
| Maori | ngahau | ||
| The word "ngahau" can also mean "playful" or "pleasant to the ear" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | malie | ||
| The word "malie" also means "play" or "game" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | masaya | ||
| The word "masaya" can also mean "noisy" or "happy" in Tagalog. | |||
Fun in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kusiskaya | ||
| Guarani | vy'akuaa | ||
Fun in International Languages
| Esperanto | amuza | ||
| The Esperanto word "amuza" comes from the Latin word "amusare," meaning "to delay" or "to distract." | |||
| Latin | amet | ||
| The word "amet" can also mean "to be loved" or "to be pleasing" in Latin. | |||
Fun in Others Languages
| Greek | διασκέδαση | ||
| "Διασκέδαση" derives from the Ancient Greek "διασκέδαω", meaning "to scatter" or "to distract". | |||
| Hmong | kev lom zem | ||
| In Hmong, the word for fun ( | |||
| Kurdish | henek | ||
| The word 'henek' is also used to refer to a 'joke' or 'prank' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | eğlence | ||
| The word "eğlence" in Turkish is derived from the Persian word "əylənc" meaning "entertainment, amusement". It can also refer to "recreation, leisure, hobby, or pastime" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | kumnandi | ||
| The Xhosa word "kumnandi" can also mean "joyful" or "happy". | |||
| Yiddish | שפּאַס | ||
| The Yiddish word "shpas" derives from the Slavic word "shpasyti," meaning "mockery, buffoonery". | |||
| Zulu | kumnandi | ||
| Kumnandi originates from "ukuthanda," meaning "to like" or "to love," emphasizing fun as something enjoyable and desirable | |||
| Assamese | আনন্দ | ||
| Aymara | kusiskaya | ||
| Bhojpuri | मस्ती | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޖާ | ||
| Dogri | मजा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masaya | ||
| Guarani | vy'akuaa | ||
| Ilocano | naragsak | ||
| Krio | ɛnjɔy | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆش | ||
| Maithili | मजा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯡꯉꯥꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hlimawm | ||
| Oromo | bohaarsaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମଜା | ||
| Quechua | qatiq | ||
| Sanskrit | परिहासः | ||
| Tatar | күңелле | ||
| Tigrinya | ፃውቲ | ||
| Tsonga | tsakisa | ||