Guilty in Different Languages
Discover 'Guilty' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'guilty' carries a significant weight in our daily lives, as it represents a feeling of remorse or responsibility for an offense. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, film, and legal contexts, where the concept of guilt is often explored in depth. Understanding the translation of 'guilty' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures view and express this complex emotion.
For instance, the German word for guilty, 'schuldig,' can also mean 'debtful' or 'owing,' reflecting a cultural emphasis on personal responsibility. Meanwhile, the Italian translation, 'colpevole,' shares roots with the word for 'blame,' highlighting the importance of accountability in Italian culture. In Japan, the word 'tsumi' refers to both moral and religious transgressions, reflecting the country's unique blend of Shinto and Buddhist influences.
Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of translations for the word 'guilty' in a variety of languages, from Spanish and French to Chinese and Arabic. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious about cultural differences, this list is sure to provide fascinating insights into how we communicate and connect across borders.
Guilty
Guilty in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skuldig | ||
| The Afrikaans word "skuldig" originally meant "indebted" and is cognate with the Dutch word "schuldig" with the same meaning. | |||
| Amharic | ጥፋተኛ | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ጥፋተኛ" can also mean "condemned" or "criminal", indicating a broader sense of wrongdoing beyond just guilt. | |||
| Hausa | laifi | ||
| The word "laifi" in Hausa can also refer to a criminal offense or sin. | |||
| Igbo | ikpe mara | ||
| The Igbo word 'ikpe mara' literally means 'wrong judgment' or 'bad decision', highlighting the negative consequences of being found guilty. | |||
| Malagasy | meloka | ||
| The word meloka is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *maluka, meaning 'wrongdoing' or 'sin'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wolakwa | ||
| Nyanja word "wolakwa" shares the etymology of "kula kwa" (to feel something). | |||
| Shona | mhosva | ||
| The word "mhosva" in Shona is derived from the verb "kushova" meaning "to err" or "to transgress". | |||
| Somali | dambi leh | ||
| Somali "dambi leh" derives from "dambi" ("crime") and "leh" ("holder"), implying responsibility for a misdeed. | |||
| Sesotho | molato | ||
| The word "molato" in Sesotho can also mean "convicted" or "sentenced". | |||
| Swahili | hatia | ||
| The word 'hatia' in Swahili can also refer to a crime or offense. | |||
| Xhosa | unetyala | ||
| The word 'unetyala' is derived from the Xhosa word 'utyala', which means 'accusation'. | |||
| Yoruba | jẹbi | ||
| The Yoruba word “jẹ̀bí” means “being found lacking”, and has the alternate meaning “getting into trouble” | |||
| Zulu | unecala | ||
| The Zulu word "unecala" is often mistranslated as "guilty," but it more accurately means "responsible" or "accountable." | |||
| Bambara | hakɛtigi | ||
| Ewe | dze agᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyaha | ||
| Lingala | ngambo | ||
| Luganda | okusingibwa omusango | ||
| Sepedi | na le molato | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fɔ | ||
Guilty in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مذنب | ||
| The word "مذنب" (guilty) comes from the root "ذنب" (sin), suggesting that guilt is the result of wrongdoing. | |||
| Hebrew | אָשֵׁם | ||
| The Hebrew word "אָשֵׁם" also translates to "penal offering" within a religious context. | |||
| Pashto | ګناهکار | ||
| The word "ګناهکار" in Pashto also means "liable" or "responsible". | |||
| Arabic | مذنب | ||
| The word "مذنب" (guilty) comes from the root "ذنب" (sin), suggesting that guilt is the result of wrongdoing. | |||
Guilty in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fajtor | ||
| The word "fajtor" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "factor" meaning "doer" or "maker" and is also used to describe someone who is responsible for something. | |||
| Basque | erruduna | ||
| The word "erruduna" derives from the Proto-Basque word *orrun(a)-, and is also used to refer to the 'conscience' or 'heart' | |||
| Catalan | culpable | ||
| The Catalan word "culpable" has the same Latin root as "culpable" in English, both deriving from culpa, meaning "fault" or "blame." | |||
| Croatian | kriv | ||
| Slavic root "kriv-" originally meant "bent, crooked", possibly due to the posture of a person confessing their guilt. | |||
| Danish | skyldig | ||
| The Danish word "skyldig" originally meant "debtor" or "obliged", and is related to the German word "schuldig" with the same meaning. | |||
| Dutch | schuldig | ||
| The Dutch word "schuldig" derives from Old High German and originally meant "ought to, should" | |||
| English | guilty | ||
| The term "guilty" comes from the Proto-Germanic word *skuldi-, meaning "owe" or "be obliged". | |||
| French | coupable | ||
| The word "coupable" in French comes from the Latin "culpabilis," meaning "blameworthy," and can also refer to a person at fault or responsible for an offense. | |||
| Frisian | skuldich | ||
| The Frisian word "skuldich" not only means "guilty", but also "indebted." | |||
| Galician | culpable | ||
| As its Latin root word "culpa" also means "fault" or "blame", culpable can also mean "to blame" in Galician. | |||
| German | schuldig | ||
| The word "schuldig" can also mean "debtor" or "obligated" in German, reflecting its historical connotation of 'owed'. | |||
| Icelandic | sekur | ||
| The word "sekur" (guilty) in Icelandic comes from the Old Norse word "sækr", meaning "liable". It can also mean "condemned" or "damned". | |||
| Irish | ciontach | ||
| The word "ciontach" has the alternate meaning of "criminal" or "offender" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | colpevole | ||
| The Italian word "colpevole" derives from the Latin word "culpa", which means "fault" or "responsibility." | |||
| Luxembourgish | schëlleg | ||
| The word "schëlleg" in Luxembourgish has a dual etymology, stemming from both Germanic and Latin roots, and can also mean "bad" or "wicked" in some contexts. | |||
| Maltese | ħati | ||
| The word "ħati" originates from the Arabic "خاطئ" (khāṭiʾ), meaning "mistaken" or "wrongful" | |||
| Norwegian | skyldig | ||
| Old Norse 'scyldir' meant 'debtor' but also 'subject to punishment', giving modern Norwegian 'skyldig', which only means 'guilty' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | culpado | ||
| The word "culpado" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) derives from the Latin word "culpa", which means "fault" or "blame" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ciontach | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "ciontach" can also mean "faulty", "to blame" or "liable". | |||
| Spanish | culpable | ||
| The word "culpable" in Spanish comes from the Latin "culpa", meaning "fault" or "blame". | |||
| Swedish | skyldig | ||
| 'Skyldig' derives from an Old Norse verb meaning 'to owe', reflecting the notion of guilt as a debt. | |||
| Welsh | euog | ||
| The word "euog" can also mean "fault" or "sin" in Welsh. | |||
Guilty in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вінаваты | ||
| The Belarusian word "вінаваты" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vin-, meaning "blame" or "fault," and is related to the Russian word "виноват" and the Polish word "winny." | |||
| Bosnian | kriv | ||
| The Slavic root *kriv- also means "crooked" or "curved" in Bosnian and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | виновен | ||
| "Виновен" comes from Slavic "vinovati", meaning "to blame" or "responsible for". | |||
| Czech | vinen | ||
| The word "vinen" in Czech can also mean "accused" or "liable to punishment." | |||
| Estonian | süüdi | ||
| In Estonian, "süüdi" can also refer to a situation where someone is morally or legally responsible for an act or decision. | |||
| Finnish | syyllinen | ||
| 'Syyllinen' is also a noun for 'defendant', from 'syyttää' (to accuse) | |||
| Hungarian | bűnös | ||
| Bűnös is derived from the Old Slavic word | |||
| Latvian | vainīgs | ||
| The Latvian word “vainīgs” is etymologically related to vaina (“fault,” “guilt,”) which is itself a derivative of the Proto-Baltic form *veinā́, from the Proto-Indo-European root *weyd-, meaning “to see.” | |||
| Lithuanian | kaltas | ||
| The word 'kaltas' is thought to derive from a term referring to forging iron. | |||
| Macedonian | виновен | ||
| The word "виновен" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vin-, meaning "fault" or "guilt". | |||
| Polish | winny | ||
| "Winny" can also describe a horse, especially its whinny, or a name for someone who whines. | |||
| Romanian | vinovat | ||
| In Romanian, the word "vinovat" originates from the Latin "vinculum," meaning "bond" or "obligation," suggesting a connection between guilt and a binding sense of responsibility. | |||
| Russian | виноват | ||
| In Russian, | |||
| Serbian | крив | ||
| The word "крив" in Serbian can also refer to a physical deformation or impairment. | |||
| Slovak | vinný | ||
| The word "vinný" in Slovak comes from the Proto-Slavic word *vina, which means "fault" or "punishment." | |||
| Slovenian | kriv | ||
| The word "kriv" also means "bent" or "crooked" in Slovenian, suggesting a connection between guilt and physical deformity. | |||
| Ukrainian | винний | ||
| The word "винний" can also refer to a person who is responsible for something, or to something that is the cause of something else. | |||
Guilty in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দোষী | ||
| The word "দোষী" also means "faulty" or "defective" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | દોષિત | ||
| The term "દોષિત" can also refer to a debt or a mistake. | |||
| Hindi | दोषी | ||
| Hindi word "दोषी" is derived from Sanskrit "दोष" meaning "fault" or "sin"} | |||
| Kannada | ತಪ್ಪಿತಸ್ಥ | ||
| The word "ತಪ್ಪಿತಸ್ಥ" derives from the Sanskrit word "tapa" meaning "heat" or "suffering" and is related to the concept of expiation through penance or suffering. | |||
| Malayalam | കുറ്റവാളി | ||
| Marathi | अपराधी | ||
| The word "अपराधी" can also mean "criminal" or "offender" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | दोषी | ||
| The Nepali word "दोषी" is also used to describe someone who has been accused or charged, although not yet found guilty by an authority. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੋਸ਼ੀ | ||
| The word "दोषी" can also refer to a person who has been convicted of a crime. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වැරදිකරු | ||
| The word "වැරදිකරු" literally means "wrong doer" in Sinhala, and can also refer to a "criminal" or "offender". | |||
| Tamil | குற்ற உணர்வு | ||
| The word 'குற்ற உணர்வு' in Tamil has a similar root to words for 'fault' or 'offense', and is semantically related to English words like 'crime' and 'criminal'. | |||
| Telugu | దోషి | ||
| "దోషి" is a Telugu word that is used to describe someone who is guilty of a crime. The word is derived from the Sanskrit word "duṣita," which means "impure" or "wrongful." | |||
| Urdu | مجرم | ||
| The word "مجرم" in Urdu also means "criminal" or "offender". | |||
Guilty in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 有罪 | ||
| The first character '有' means to possess; the second '罪' refers to guilt, blame, or crime; the compound can mean either guilty or criminal, depending on context | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 有罪 | ||
| The term "有罪" (yòuzuì) in Traditional Chinese refers to "possessing guilt" and also to "conviction in a judicial proceeding". | |||
| Japanese | 有罪 | ||
| "有罪" can also mean "having guilt" or "causing guilt" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 저지른 | ||
| '저지른'의 어근인 '죄'는 본래 '거리' 또는 '경계'를 뜻하는 말이었는데, 나중에 '법률적·도덕적 책임이나 의무 위반'을 뜻하게 되었습니다. | |||
| Mongolian | гэм буруутай | ||
| The term | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပြစ်ရှိသည် | ||
| The word "guilty" comes from the Old French word "coupable," which means "to blame" | |||
Guilty in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bersalah | ||
| The word "bersalah" has additional meanings in Indonesian, such as "wrong" or "in error". | |||
| Javanese | luput | ||
| In Javanese, the word "luput" also means "escaped" or "freed from a charge". | |||
| Khmer | មានកំហុស | ||
| មានកំហុស is also used to describe someone who has done something wrong, but who is not necessarily guilty of a crime. | |||
| Lao | ມີຄວາມຜິດ | ||
| In Buddhist contexts, the word may also refer to "defilement" or "impurity". | |||
| Malay | bersalah | ||
| Bersalah is an adjective which derives from the Arabic word ذنب (dhanb), meaning "sin" or "crime" | |||
| Thai | มีความผิด | ||
| มีความผิด (khwam meephit) literally translates as 'having a fault' or 'being wrong'. | |||
| Vietnamese | tội lỗi | ||
| "Tội lỗi" can also mean "crime" or "sin". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nagkasala | ||
Guilty in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | günahkar | ||
| "Günahkar" means "guilty" in Azerbaijani, but it also means "sinful" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
| Kazakh | кінәлі | ||
| The word "кінәлі" also means "criminal" or "culprit" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | күнөөлүү | ||
| The word "күнөөлүү" can also mean "sinful" or "wicked" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | гунаҳгор | ||
| The word "гунаҳгор" in Tajik can also mean "culprit" or "wrongdoer". | |||
| Turkmen | günäkär | ||
| Uzbek | aybdor | ||
| In the Uzbek language, the word "aybdor" not only signifies "guilty," but also carries the additional meaning of "responsible". | |||
| Uyghur | گۇناھكار | ||
Guilty in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hewa | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'hewa' refers to a transgression of kapu (prohibitions and restrictions) and the corresponding repercussions. | |||
| Maori | hara | ||
| The word 'hara' in Māori also means 'wrongdoing', 'sin' or 'transgression'. | |||
| Samoan | tausalaina | ||
| The word "tausalaina" in Samoan can refer to being "guilty" or "condemned". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | may kasalanan | ||
| The term "may kasalanan" can also refer to "one who has sinned" in religious contextes | |||
Guilty in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juchani | ||
| Guarani | mbojaha | ||
Guilty in International Languages
| Esperanto | kulpa | ||
| The Esperanto word "kulpa" is derived from the Latin word "culpa" meaning "fault" or "guilt." | |||
| Latin | reus | ||
| The Latin word "reus" originally meant "defendant" and only later took on the meaning of "guilty." | |||
Guilty in Others Languages
| Greek | ένοχος | ||
| "Ένοχος" is derived from the ancient Greek word "ἐν ἔχῳ," meaning "in having" or "in possession," implying responsibility and guilt. | |||
| Hmong | muaj txim | ||
| The word "muaj txim" is also used to refer to someone who has been accused of a crime, but has not yet been convicted. | |||
| Kurdish | sûcdar | ||
| The word "sûcdar" is also used in Kurdish to express a person who has made a mistake or a criminal. | |||
| Turkish | suçlu | ||
| Suçlu, 'suç' kelimesinden türemiş olup aynı zamanda 'borçlu' anlamına da gelmektedir. | |||
| Xhosa | unetyala | ||
| The word 'unetyala' is derived from the Xhosa word 'utyala', which means 'accusation'. | |||
| Yiddish | שולדיק | ||
| The Yiddish word "שולדיק" also means "indebted" or "obligated", reflecting the historical connection between guilt and debt. | |||
| Zulu | unecala | ||
| The Zulu word "unecala" is often mistranslated as "guilty," but it more accurately means "responsible" or "accountable." | |||
| Assamese | দোষী | ||
| Aymara | juchani | ||
| Bhojpuri | दोषी | ||
| Dhivehi | ގިލްޓީ | ||
| Dogri | गलती | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nagkasala | ||
| Guarani | mbojaha | ||
| Ilocano | akin-basol | ||
| Krio | gilti | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تاوانبار | ||
| Maithili | दोषी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯥꯜ ꯂꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thiam lo | ||
| Oromo | yakkamummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦୋଷୀ | ||
| Quechua | huchayuq | ||
| Sanskrit | दोषी | ||
| Tatar | гаепле | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥፍኣተኛ | ||
| Tsonga | nandzu | ||