Funeral in Different Languages
Discover 'Funeral' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'funeral' carries a profound significance as it represents the final farewell to a loved one. Funerals are not just about mourning the dead, but also about providing comfort and support to the living. They are deeply ingrained in various cultures and traditions around the world, each with its unique rituals and customs.
Understanding the translation of 'funeral' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights. For instance, in Spanish, 'funeral' is 'funeral'; in French, it's 'funérailles'; in German, 'Beerdigung'; in Japanese, 'sōshiki'; in Russian, 'похороны' (pokhorony); and in Chinese, '葬礼' (zànglǐ).
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians believed in afterlife and their funerals involved complex rituals and the construction of elaborate tombs? Or that in some African cultures, funerals are seen as a celebration of life? Exploring the word 'funeral' in different languages offers a fascinating glimpse into how diverse cultures cope with loss and celebrate life.
Funeral
Funeral in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | begrafnis | ||
| The Afrikaans word "begrafnis" also has a more extended meaning, referring to a memorial event in remembrance of someone who has died. | |||
| Amharic | የቀብር ሥነ ሥርዓት | ||
| In addition to the meaning of "funeral procession or ritual," "የቀብር ሥነ ሥርዓት" can also mean "funeral eulogy" or "memorial service." | |||
| Hausa | jana'iza | ||
| The word "jana'iza" in Hausa also means "corpse" | |||
| Igbo | olili ozu | ||
| The Igbo world “olili ozu” (funeral) has its roots in the words “oli” (to cry) and “ozu” (corpse). | |||
| Malagasy | fandevenana | ||
| The Malagasy word fandevenana (funeral) literally translates to "the turning of the year," implying the cyclical nature of life and death. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | maliro | ||
| Maliro was originally a song to honor chiefs and important people when they died; the word also refers to the mourning period. | |||
| Shona | mariro | ||
| The word 'mariro' in Shona also refers to the spirit of a deceased person that is believed to guide and protect the living. | |||
| Somali | aas | ||
| "Aas" is originally used in reference to the funeral of a noble man or queen | |||
| Sesotho | lepato | ||
| Lepato, when used in isolation or without the plural form "malapato", refers to the burial ceremony and the mourning period following it. | |||
| Swahili | mazishi | ||
| The word "mazishi" in Swahili comes from the Arabic word "mawt," meaning "death." | |||
| Xhosa | umngcwabo | ||
| Umngcwabo is a Xhosa word that means 'funeral' and is also used to refer to a traditional Xhosa funeral rite. | |||
| Yoruba | isinku | ||
| The word "isinku" also means "a place of mourning" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umngcwabo | ||
| The Zulu word "umngcwabo" can also refer to a burial ground or cemetery. | |||
| Bambara | jɛnɛja | ||
| Ewe | tsyɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushyingura | ||
| Lingala | matanga | ||
| Luganda | okuziika | ||
| Sepedi | poloko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ayiyɔ | ||
Funeral in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جنازة | ||
| The Arabic word "جنازة" is derived from the root "جنز" which means to "accompany or carry". | |||
| Hebrew | הַלוָיָה | ||
| }הלוויה is based on the verb ליוות (livyot), which means 'to escort' - in this case, it refers to escorting a deceased person to their final resting place. | |||
| Pashto | جنازه | ||
| In Pashto, "جنازه" (janaza) also means a bier or stretcher used to carry a corpse. | |||
| Arabic | جنازة | ||
| The Arabic word "جنازة" is derived from the root "جنز" which means to "accompany or carry". | |||
Funeral in Western European Languages
| Albanian | funerali | ||
| The Albanian word "funerali" likely originates from the Latin word "funus" meaning "funeral procession". | |||
| Basque | hileta | ||
| The Basque word "hileta" derives from the Latin word "collatio" (a coming together), which also gave rise to the Spanish word "colada" (a meal shared by the funeral guests). | |||
| Catalan | funeral | ||
| The Catalan word "funeral" can also refer to a funeral oration or sermon. | |||
| Croatian | pogreb | ||
| The word "pogreb" is derived from the Old Slavic word "pogreti", meaning "to bury" or "to inter." | |||
| Danish | begravelse | ||
| The word "begravelse" is derived from the Old Norse word "grafa," meaning "grave". It can also be used to refer to a burial or interment. | |||
| Dutch | begrafenis | ||
| Fun fact: 'begrafenis' (Dutch for 'funeral') is etymologically linked to the words 'graf' ('grave') and 'grafmaker' ('gravedigger'). | |||
| English | funeral | ||
| The word 'funeral' comes from the Latin word 'funus', meaning 'a torch', as torches were often used in ancient Roman funeral processions. | |||
| French | funérailles | ||
| The word "funérailles" derives from the Latin "funus" meaning corpse and originally referred to all parts of a burial. | |||
| Frisian | begraffenis | ||
| The Frisian word "begraffenis" derives from "begrafenisse" in Middle Dutch and Old Frisian meaning "bury". | |||
| Galician | funeral | ||
| In Galician, "funeral" also means "party" or "celebration". | |||
| German | beerdigung | ||
| The word 'Beerdigung' originally meant 'burial' and is related to the word 'Berg', meaning 'mountain'. | |||
| Icelandic | jarðarför | ||
| "Jarðarför" literally means "earth-journey" in Icelandic, suggesting the belief that death marks the beginning of a new passage in the deceased's existence. | |||
| Irish | sochraid | ||
| Sochraid is a compound word of uncertain, possibly Scandinavian origin, with a possible connection to the name of the god Loki. | |||
| Italian | funerale | ||
| In Italian, "funerale" can also refer to a large quantity of something, emphasizing its abundance. | |||
| Luxembourgish | begriefnes | ||
| "Begriefnes" derives from Middle High German "begrafen" and literally means "to bury." | |||
| Maltese | funeral | ||
| Maltese "funeral" means "funeral" in English too, but comes from "funerale" in Italian or "funeraux" in French instead of "funeralia" in Latin. | |||
| Norwegian | begravelse | ||
| The Norwegian word "begravelse" literally means "to bury something green", indicating the connection between funerals and the natural cycle of life and death. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | funeral | ||
| Do latim "funus", "fúnebre", de "foras", "fora". Pode significar "o que está fora", "o que ficou de fora" ou "o que foi posto para fora", aludindo à expulsão do cadáver de casa, ou ao seu acompanhamento para fora, no enterro. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tiodhlacadh | ||
| The etymology of "tiodhlacadh" refers to the gathering (tiodh) and departure (lacadh) of people attending a funeral procession. | |||
| Spanish | funeral | ||
| **Spanish:** "funeral" (funerary procession) can also mean "funeral service" or "funeral home". | |||
| Swedish | begravning | ||
| "Begravning" derives from "be" (by) and "grav" (grave), reflecting the placement of the deceased in the grave. | |||
| Welsh | angladd | ||
| The word 'angladd' is derived from the Old Welsh 'angladd', meaning 'sorrowful' or 'mourning'. | |||
Funeral in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пахаванне | ||
| The word "пахаванне" can also be used to refer to the cemetery or other burial ground. | |||
| Bosnian | pogreb | ||
| The word 'pogreb' in Bosnian comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'pogrebiti', which means 'to bury' or 'to inter'. | |||
| Bulgarian | погребение | ||
| The word “погребение” (“funeral”) in Bulgarian is cognate to Russian “погребать” (“to bury”), derived from Proto-Slavic “pogrebati”, meaning “to bury, hide”. | |||
| Czech | pohřeb | ||
| The word "pohřeb" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "pogrebъ" (literally "burial"), which is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰrebʰ- ("to dig"). | |||
| Estonian | matused | ||
| "Matused" is a rare word in Estonian that has been used historically to refer to burial sites, funerals, and mourning ceremonies. | |||
| Finnish | hautajaiset | ||
| Hautan hauta, josta sana hautajaiset juontuu, tarkoitti 'paikkaa, johon ruumis pannaan'. | |||
| Hungarian | temetés | ||
| Temetés shares its root with the words 'temet' ('to bury') and 'temető' ('cemetery'), hinting at its close association with the act of burial. | |||
| Latvian | bēres | ||
| Bēres, meaning "funeral" in Latvian, is derived from bērs, referring to an ancient funeral rite involving a raised platform on the grave where mourners would weep and mourn the deceased. | |||
| Lithuanian | laidotuves | ||
| The word "laidotuvės" is derived from the verb "laidoti," meaning "to bury." | |||
| Macedonian | погреб | ||
| Derived from Old Church Slavonic погребъ, likely related to Proto-Slavic *pogrebti, meaning "to bury". Also used to refer to a cellar or basement. | |||
| Polish | pogrzeb | ||
| "Pogrzeb" comes from the Old Polish verb "grześć" (to bury) with the prefix "po-". Originally, its meaning was "the action of burying", it gained its contemporary meaning of "funeral ceremony" later, under the influence of the Christian rite. | |||
| Romanian | înmormântare | ||
| The word "înmormântare" comes from the Old Slavonic word "inmorti", meaning "death". | |||
| Russian | похороны | ||
| The word "похороны" derives from "хоронить," meaning to hide or bury something (e.g., a treasure). | |||
| Serbian | сахрана | ||
| The word "сахрана" derives from the Slavic root "*xran-/*xron-", meaning "to protect" or "to keep safe". | |||
| Slovak | pohreb | ||
| Pohreb can also mean 'burial' or 'interment,' and is related to the word pohrebisko, meaning 'cemetery' or 'burial ground'. | |||
| Slovenian | pogreb | ||
| The word 'pogreb' is thought to derive from the verb 'grebsti', meaning 'to scratch', referring to the act of digging a grave. | |||
| Ukrainian | похорон | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'похорон' ('funeral') has the same origin as 'хорониться' ('to hide') | |||
Funeral in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়া | ||
| অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়া derives from the Sanskrit words 'antyesti' and 'kriya' meaning 'last rites' and 'action' respectively. | |||
| Gujarati | અંતિમ સંસ્કાર | ||
| The word "antichem" in Gujarati means "funeral" and comes from the Sanskrit word "antim" meaning "last" and "sanskar" meaning "rite." | |||
| Hindi | अंतिम संस्कार | ||
| In Sanskrit, अंतिम संस्कार literally means "final rites" or "last journey". | |||
| Kannada | ಅಂತ್ಯಕ್ರಿಯೆ | ||
| The word "ಅಂತ್ಯಕ್ರಿಯೆ" (funeral) in Kannada literally means "final rites" or "last ceremonies". | |||
| Malayalam | ശവസംസ്കാരം | ||
| The word "ശവസംസ്കാരം" in Malayalam is derived from Sanskrit and can also mean "cremation". | |||
| Marathi | दफन | ||
| The term "दफन" derives from the Persian "dafan" and can also signify concealment or burial. | |||
| Nepali | अन्त्येष्टि | ||
| Antyesti is a compound word that combines "anta" (end) and "ishti" (religious rite), signifying the last rites performed for a deceased person according to Hindu tradition. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੰਸਕਾਰ | ||
| The word "ਸੰਸਕਾਰ" in Punjabi has multiple meanings and can refer to not only funerals, but also to rituals and ceremonies associated with life events such as birth, marriage, and initiation. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවමංගල්යය | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "අවමංගල්යය" (avamangallaya) means "inauspicious event", and is specifically used to refer to funerals. | |||
| Tamil | இறுதி சடங்கு | ||
| Telugu | అంత్యక్రియలు | ||
| 'అంత్యక్రియలు' literally means 'final rites', but also refers to the post-death rituals that ensure the deceased attains moksha (spiritual liberation). | |||
| Urdu | جنازہ | ||
| "جنازہ" is thought to have originated from old Persian "janazah" which meant "corpse." | |||
Funeral in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 葬礼 | ||
| 丧礼 is made up of two characters: 丧 (sàng) meaning death or mourning and 礼 (lǐ) meaning ceremony or ritual, so it translates directly to 'death ceremony' or 'mourning ritual' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 葬禮 | ||
| The word "葬禮" is also used to describe a ceremonial burial of a coffin or urn containing the ashes of a deceased person. | |||
| Japanese | 葬儀 | ||
| It comprises the characters 葬 (sou) meaning “bury” and 儀 (gi) meaning “formality” - thus representing the formal ceremony of burial. | |||
| Korean | 장례 | ||
| The word "장례" can also refer to a "funeral procession" or a "coffin." | |||
| Mongolian | оршуулга | ||
| Mongolian оршуулга "funeral" etymologically means "to send off to the next world". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အသုဘ | ||
| The word 'အသုဘ' in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'aśubha' which means 'inauspicious' or 'unlucky'. It can also refer to death or mourning. | |||
Funeral in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | upacara pemakaman | ||
| "Pemakaman" comes from the word "makam" which means grave, and "upacara" can refer to any kind of ceremony | |||
| Javanese | panguburan | ||
| The word "panguburan" in Javanese shares the same root with "ubur-ubur" (jellyfish), which suggests a connection between the concept of funerals and the aquatic realm. | |||
| Khmer | ពិធីបុណ្យសព | ||
| Lao | ງານສົບ | ||
| In the Thai language, the equivalent word for "funeral" is "งานศพ", which is also pronounced "ngansop". | |||
| Malay | pengebumian | ||
| The word "pengebumian" can refer to "burial" or "earthly life" in Indonesian, due to its root in the word "bumi" (earth) | |||
| Thai | งานศพ | ||
| The word "งานศพ" literally means "work of the corpse" and is a euphemism for "funeral" in Thai, reflecting the belief that death is a time of great effort for the deceased and their family. | |||
| Vietnamese | tang lễ | ||
| The word "tang lễ" can also refer to the Buddhist rituals and ceremonies performed during a funeral. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | libing | ||
Funeral in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cənazə | ||
| The word "cənazə" is derived from the Persian word "janāzah" which means "corpse". | |||
| Kazakh | жерлеу | ||
| The Kazakh word "жерлеу" is cognate with the Turkic word "yir" meaning "earth." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаназа | ||
| The word "жаназа" in Kyrgyz likely comes from the Arabic word "جنازة" or the Persian word "جانماز," both meaning "prayer rug". | |||
| Tajik | дафн | ||
| The word "дафн" also means "burial" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | jaýlanyş çäresi | ||
| Uzbek | dafn marosimi | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "dafn marosimi" also means "the act or ceremony of burying a dead person". | |||
| Uyghur | دەپنە مۇراسىمى | ||
Funeral in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻolewa | ||
| "Hoʻolewa" is derived from the verb "hoʻolei," meaning "to cast away, to let go," and thus refers to the release of the deceased's body and spirit. | |||
| Maori | tangihanga | ||
| The word "tangihanga" also refers to the period of mourning and rituals surrounding a death. | |||
| Samoan | falelauasiga | ||
| The word 'falelauasiga' in Samoan also means 'the house of weeping' and refers to both the place where funeral services are held and the extended period of traditional mourning observed by the family of the deceased. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | libing | ||
| Tagalog "libing" may originate from an Indonesian term, "kubeng," meaning "enclosure" or "fence" possibly because graveyards were originally fenced off | |||
Funeral in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phunirala | ||
| Guarani | manoha | ||
Funeral in International Languages
| Esperanto | funebro | ||
| The word "funebro" is derived from the Latin word "funus", meaning "corpse" or "funeral procession". | |||
| Latin | funus | ||
| In Roman religion, the 'funus' referred to a religious festival commemorating the dead, rather than a funeral. | |||
Funeral in Others Languages
| Greek | κηδεία | ||
| "Κηδεία" can also refer to "care" or "concern" and is derived from "κήδομαι" (I care). | |||
| Hmong | kev pam tuag | ||
| Kev Pam Tuag is also a euphemism for 'going home' because Hmong people believe their souls return to the heavens upon their deaths. | |||
| Kurdish | binerdkirin | ||
| Its other spellings include 'binerdkir', 'benerdkir', 'benerdkar', 'penerdkir', 'penertkar' and 'penerkir'. | |||
| Turkish | cenaze | ||
| "Cenaze" means "coffin" in Turkish and derives from the Persian word "janaza". | |||
| Xhosa | umngcwabo | ||
| Umngcwabo is a Xhosa word that means 'funeral' and is also used to refer to a traditional Xhosa funeral rite. | |||
| Yiddish | לוויה | ||
| The word "לוויה" also means "accompaniment" and "entourage" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | umngcwabo | ||
| The Zulu word "umngcwabo" can also refer to a burial ground or cemetery. | |||
| Assamese | অন্তিম সংস্কাৰ | ||
| Aymara | phunirala | ||
| Bhojpuri | अंतिम संस्कार | ||
| Dhivehi | ޖަނާޒާ | ||
| Dogri | दाह्-संस्कार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | libing | ||
| Guarani | manoha | ||
| Ilocano | pumpon | ||
| Krio | bɛrin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تازیە | ||
| Maithili | क्रिया कर्म | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯣꯏꯕ ꯃꯊꯧꯃꯉꯝ | ||
| Mizo | invuina | ||
| Oromo | awwaalcha | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅନ୍ତିମ ସଂସ୍କାର | ||
| Quechua | panpay | ||
| Sanskrit | अन्त्येष्टि | ||
| Tatar | җеназа | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀብሪ | ||
| Tsonga | nkosi | ||