Hard in Different Languages
Discover 'Hard' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'hard' is simple, yet holds a wealth of significance across different cultures and languages. It can describe a physical object's firmness or a task's difficulty. Its cultural importance is evident in idioms like 'working hard' or 'playing hard,' reflecting values of perseverance and enjoyment.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'hard' in various languages can provide unique insights into cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'duro' (masculine) or 'dura' (feminine) translates to 'hard,' but it can also mean 'lasting' or 'tough' depending on the context. Similarly, in German, 'hart' signifies 'hard,' but it can also mean 'harsh' or 'stern' in certain contexts.
So, why should you know the translation of 'hard' in different languages? It's not just about communication; it's about appreciating the richness of cultural diversity and expanding your linguistic repertoire. Here are some translations of 'hard' in various languages to get you started:
Hard
Hard in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | moeilik | ||
| The word "moeilik" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "moeilijk", which also means "difficult" or "hard". | |||
| Amharic | ከባድ | ||
| The word "ከባድ" in Amharic is related to the word "ከባድ" in Arabic, which means "weighty" or "heavy". | |||
| Hausa | wuya | ||
| The word "wuya" is also used in Hausa to describe something that is difficult or challenging, as in the phrase "aiki wuya" (difficult work). | |||
| Igbo | siri ike | ||
| "Siri ike" can also mean "strong" or "stubborn" depending on the context. | |||
| Malagasy | mafy | ||
| The word "mafy" can also mean "strong" or "heavy." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zovuta | ||
| Zovuta is also used to refer to a difficult or challenging situation or task. | |||
| Shona | zvakaoma | ||
| The word "zvakaoma" can also mean "firm","heavy" or "difficult" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | adag | ||
| "Adag" can also mean "to become hard" or "to be durable". | |||
| Sesotho | ka thata | ||
| The word 'ka thata' in Sesotho can also refer to something that is difficult or challenging. | |||
| Swahili | ngumu | ||
| The word "ngumu" also means "serious" or "difficult" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | nzima | ||
| "Hard" in Xhosa, "nzima", comes from the noun "umzimba" meaning "body", which also refers to "the self". In addition to something that is difficult, it can also refer to something that is "of substance" or "meaningful." | |||
| Yoruba | lile | ||
| The word "lile" in Yoruba can also mean "difficult" or "unyielding". | |||
| Zulu | kanzima | ||
| The word 'kanzima' can also refer to a type of African hardwood or a specific tree species in the genus 'Strychnos'. | |||
| Bambara | gɛlɛnman | ||
| Ewe | sesẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bigoye | ||
| Lingala | makasi | ||
| Luganda | obugumu | ||
| Sepedi | bothata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | den | ||
Hard in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الصعب | ||
| الصعب "hard" is the opposite of السهل "easy" and has the alternate meanings of strict, difficult, and tough. | |||
| Hebrew | קָשֶׁה | ||
| The Hebrew word "קָשֶׁה" also means "difficult" or "strict". | |||
| Pashto | سخت | ||
| The Pashto word for "hard" (سخت) is also used to mean "difficult" and "unpleasant." | |||
| Arabic | الصعب | ||
| الصعب "hard" is the opposite of السهل "easy" and has the alternate meanings of strict, difficult, and tough. | |||
Hard in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e vështirë | ||
| The Albanian word "e vështirë" (hard) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷer-/*gʷʰər-" (heavy, hard) and is cognate with words like "grave" in English, "grav" in French, and "grav" in Spanish. | |||
| Basque | gogorra | ||
| The word "gogorra" shares an etymology with "gogor" (firm, robust) but also carries connotations of strength, toughness, and stubbornness. | |||
| Catalan | dur | ||
| The word "dur" also means "lasting" or "durable" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | teško | ||
| The word 'teško' has multiple meanings in Croatian including 'hard', 'heavy', and 'difficult'. | |||
| Danish | svært | ||
| The word 'svært' can also mean 'very' or 'difficult' in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | moeilijk | ||
| In older texts 'moeilijk' could also imply 'laborious', 'tedious' or 'cumbersome'. | |||
| English | hard | ||
| "Hard" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "harduz", which also means "firm" or "solid". | |||
| French | dur | ||
| In the 17th century, 'dur' also had the meaning of 'dutiful'. | |||
| Frisian | hurd | ||
| Hurd is the Frisian form of hard and is related to the English words hoard, horde and hoard, from the Proto-Germanic word *hurd- meaning "heap" or "collection". | |||
| Galician | duro | ||
| The Galician word "duro" also means "lasting" or "durable", and in plural form, it can mean "money". | |||
| German | schwer | ||
| In German, "schwer" can also mean "grave" or "difficult". | |||
| Icelandic | erfitt | ||
| The Icelandic word "erfitt" is derived from the Old Norse word "erfiði", which means "toil" or "effort". It is also related to the German word "Arbeit", which has the same meaning. | |||
| Irish | crua | ||
| The word "crua" in Irish can also refer to a "crowd" or an "army". | |||
| Italian | difficile | ||
| "Difficile" also means "hard to please" in Italian, because something hard (difficult) to please, is generally not easy (difficult) to win over. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schwéier | ||
| Maltese | iebes | ||
| The Maltese word "iebes" is derived from the Arabic word "yabis", meaning "dry" or "hard". | |||
| Norwegian | hard | ||
| The Norwegian word "hard" also means "left" and can be used to refer to the left hand or the left side of something. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | difícil | ||
| The word "difícil" comes from the Latin "difficilis," which means "not easy to do or achieve"} | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cruaidh | ||
| In Irish, "cruaidh" means "difficult" and in Middle Irish it also meant "heavy". | |||
| Spanish | difícil | ||
| The word "difícil" in Spanish can also mean "difficult to please" or "capricious". | |||
| Swedish | hård | ||
| The word "hård" can also mean "rough" or "difficult" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | caled | ||
| The Welsh word "caled" (hard) derives from the Proto-Celtic word "*kaldo-", meaning "hard" or "harsh". It is also related to the Irish word "caladh" (harbour or haven). | |||
Hard in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цяжка | ||
| Цяжка may also refer to a wooden rod in a loom or a type of large wooden bowl. | |||
| Bosnian | teško | ||
| The word "teško" is derived from the Proto-Slavic *tęgъ, meaning "heavy", and also has the meaning of "difficult". | |||
| Bulgarian | твърд | ||
| В българския език думата "твърд" произлиза от старославянския "твърдъ" и има значение и "здрав" | |||
| Czech | tvrdý | ||
| "Tvrdý" can also mean "difficult" or "strong" in Czech, similar to its usage in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Estonian | raske | ||
| The Estonian word "raske" also means "heavy". | |||
| Finnish | kovaa | ||
| The word "kovaa" can also refer to "very much" or "a lot" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | kemény | ||
| In Hungarian folklore, "kemény" can also refer to a supernatural entity associated with water. | |||
| Latvian | grūti | ||
| The Latvian word "grūti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷer-, meaning "heavy" or "difficult," and is related to the English word "grave." | |||
| Lithuanian | sunku | ||
| In ancient Baltic languages, the word "sunku" referred to physical hardness, difficulty, and heaviness, while in modern Lithuanian, it also denotes metaphorical difficulty, hardship, and sorrow. | |||
| Macedonian | тешко | ||
| The word "тешко" in Macedonian also has the meaning of "difficult" or "troublesome". | |||
| Polish | ciężko | ||
| The word "ciężko" in Polish can also mean "difficult" or "heavy". | |||
| Romanian | greu | ||
| The word "greu" shares the same root as the French word "grief" and the English word "grave". | |||
| Russian | жесткий | ||
| The Russian word "жесткий" has an additional connotation of rigidity or unyieldingness, and can be used figuratively to describe something as "uncompromising" or "strict." | |||
| Serbian | тешко | ||
| "Тешко" also means "hard to do" or "badly" or "painful". | |||
| Slovak | ťažko | ||
| The word "ťažko" in Slovak can also mean "with difficulty" or "seriously". | |||
| Slovenian | težko | ||
| The word 'težko' in Slovenian can also mean 'difficult' or 'heavy'. | |||
| Ukrainian | важко | ||
| The word "важко" can also mean "difficult" or "heavy" in Ukrainian. | |||
Hard in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শক্ত | ||
| শক্ত can refer to both physical hardness and mental strength or difficulty, and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "shakta," meaning "powerful." | |||
| Gujarati | સખત | ||
| The word "સખત" can also mean "difficult" or "tough" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | कठिन | ||
| कठिन (kaThin) in Hindi is derived from Sanskrit 'KaT' (to cut) and means 'difficult' due to the notion of resisting being cut | |||
| Kannada | ಕಠಿಣ | ||
| In older forms of Kannada, the word 'ಕಠಿಣ' also meant 'difficult' or 'complex' | |||
| Malayalam | കഠിനമാണ് | ||
| The word "കഠിനമാണ്" in Malayalam can also mean "difficult" or "challenging". | |||
| Marathi | कठीण | ||
| The word "कठीण" (hard) in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit word "कठिन" (kathiṇa), meaning "firm", "solid", or "difficult". | |||
| Nepali | कडा | ||
| The word "कड़ा" also means "harsh" or "severe" in some contexts. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਖਤ | ||
| ਸਖਤ can also mean 'difficult' or 'strict' in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අමාරුයි | ||
| The word "අමාරුයි" (amāruyi) is derived from the Sanskrit word "अमारु" (amāru), which means "immortal" or "deathless". | |||
| Tamil | கடினமானது | ||
| Telugu | హార్డ్ | ||
| The word "హార్డ్" in Telugu can also mean "difficult" or "firm". | |||
| Urdu | سخت | ||
| سخت is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word *sakrt-, meaning "once, only, alone". | |||
Hard in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 硬 | ||
| The character "硬" also means "difficult" or "tough" and can be used in a variety of contexts | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 硬 | ||
| 硬 'hard' is also used as a synonym for 'currency' or 'silver' in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | ハード | ||
| The Japanese word "ハード" (haado) derives from the Portuguese "duro" meaning "hard" and was adopted in the late 16th century. | |||
| Korean | 단단한 | ||
| The word "단단한" also has the alternate meanings of "solid" and "firm". | |||
| Mongolian | хэцүү | ||
| The word "хэцүү" can also mean "difficult" or "complex" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခက်တယ် | ||
Hard in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keras | ||
| The word 'keras' can also refer to a type of Indonesian traditional music. | |||
| Javanese | atos | ||
| "Atos" in Javanese not only means "hard" but also "persistent" or "unstoppable". | |||
| Khmer | រឹង | ||
| Also means "mature", "difficult", or "well-developed" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຍາກ | ||
| "ຍາກ" can also mean 'difficult' or 'expensive'. | |||
| Malay | keras | ||
| The Malay word "keras" is cognate with the Thai word "khrat" and the Khmer word "kranh". In Thai, "khrat" also means "bitter". | |||
| Thai | ยาก | ||
| The Thai word 'ยาก' ('hard') also means 'to be difficult; to require hard work to accomplish' and is related to the Lao word 'ຍາກ' ('hard; difficult'). | |||
| Vietnamese | cứng | ||
| The word "cứng" in Vietnamese is derived from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan "*kəŋ" meaning "cold" but has shifted to mean "hard" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahirap | ||
Hard in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çətin | ||
| The word "çətin" is also used figuratively to mean "difficult to understand" or "complex". | |||
| Kazakh | қиын | ||
| The word "қиын" can also mean "bad" or "harmful" in Kazakh but is only used in certain contexts. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыйын | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кыйын" can also mean "difficult" or "complex". | |||
| Tajik | сахт | ||
| The word "сахт" can also refer to the "strength" of a person or animal. | |||
| Turkmen | gaty | ||
| Uzbek | qiyin | ||
| "qiyin" is a Turkish loanword meaning "difficult, hard, troublesome, burdensome, arduous, heavy, ponderous, weighty, stout, sturdy, firm, steadfast, strong, mighty, robust, powerful, violent, great, big, large, huge, vast, immense, wide, broad, spacious, ample, roomy, capacious, extended, extended, wide-spread, extensive, far-reaching, deep, full, abundant, considerable, numerous, manifold, multitudinous, complex, complicated, intricate, involved, elaborate, perplexed, puzzling, enigmatic, obscure, abstruse, difficult to understand, hard to solve, impossible to unravel." | |||
| Uyghur | جاپالىق | ||
Hard in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paʻakikī | ||
| Paʻakikī can also refer to firmness or stability, as in the phrase 'paʻa i ka ʻāina' (firmly rooted in the land). | |||
| Maori | pakeke | ||
| Pakēkē in Maori can refer to a physical state or to the process of making something hard or solid | |||
| Samoan | faigata | ||
| There is another meaning to the word 'faigata', which is 'firm' or 'solid'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mahirap | ||
| In Filipino, 'mahirap' also means 'poor' or 'difficult,' illustrating the overlap between material and socioeconomic challenges. | |||
Hard in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhulu | ||
| Guarani | hatã | ||
Hard in International Languages
| Esperanto | malmola | ||
| The word "malmola" in Esperanto is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *mel-, meaning "to grind" or "to crush" | |||
| Latin | durum | ||
| The Latin word "durum" also designates a hard, wheat variety used for making pasta. | |||
Hard in Others Languages
| Greek | σκληρός | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, 'σκληρός' can also figuratively refer to obstinacy, severity, or ruthlessness. | |||
| Hmong | nyuaj | ||
| The Hmong word "nyuaj" has two meanings: hard and difficult. | |||
| Kurdish | hişk | ||
| The word hisk is also used in colloquial Kurdish to refer to a person who is stingy or tight-fisted. | |||
| Turkish | zor | ||
| The word "zor" in Turkish is of Arabic origin and also means "force" or "compulsion". | |||
| Xhosa | nzima | ||
| "Hard" in Xhosa, "nzima", comes from the noun "umzimba" meaning "body", which also refers to "the self". In addition to something that is difficult, it can also refer to something that is "of substance" or "meaningful." | |||
| Yiddish | שווער | ||
| The Yiddish word "שוועֶר" (shver) can also refer to a father-in-law. | |||
| Zulu | kanzima | ||
| The word 'kanzima' can also refer to a type of African hardwood or a specific tree species in the genus 'Strychnos'. | |||
| Assamese | কঠিন | ||
| Aymara | qhulu | ||
| Bhojpuri | कड़ा | ||
| Dhivehi | އުނދަގޫ | ||
| Dogri | सख्त | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahirap | ||
| Guarani | hatã | ||
| Ilocano | natangken | ||
| Krio | at | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەخت | ||
| Maithili | कड़ा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sak | ||
| Oromo | jabaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଠିନ | ||
| Quechua | sasa | ||
| Sanskrit | रूक्षः | ||
| Tatar | авыр | ||
| Tigrinya | ከቢድ | ||
| Tsonga | tiya | ||