Health in Different Languages
Discover 'Health' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Health is a fundamental aspect of our lives, encompassing our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It is a concept that transcends cultures and languages, yet is interpreted and prioritized differently around the world. The significance of health is evident in every society, as it is a prerequisite for happiness, productivity, and overall quality of life.
Throughout history, civilizations have placed great importance on health, from the ancient Greeks' concept of 'holistic' health to traditional Chinese medicine. Even in modern times, health remains a central focus of societal discourse, as we continue to grapple with global health crises and the ongoing pursuit of wellness.
Understanding the translation of health in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural perspectives on well-being. For example, the German word for health, 'Gesundheit,' also means 'free from disease' or 'sound.' Meanwhile, the Swahili word, 'afya,' not only refers to physical health but also encompasses social, spiritual, and environmental well-being.
Join us as we explore the translations of health in various languages, shedding light on the rich cultural contexts that shape our understanding of this universal concept.
Health
Health in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gesondheid | ||
| Gesondheid, derived from the Middle Dutch "gesontheit", ultimately comes from Proto-Germanic *sundaz, meaning "sound, healthy". | |||
| Amharic | ጤና | ||
| In the Cushitic languages, the word "ጤና" means "life" and it is also considered as a salutation. | |||
| Hausa | lafiya | ||
| The Hausa word "lafiya" also means "peace" and "well-being." | |||
| Igbo | ahụike | ||
| 'Ahụike' in Igbo also means 'peace of mind' and 'inner wellness'. | |||
| Malagasy | fahasalamana | ||
| "Fahasalamana" is derived from the Arabic word "salama" meaning "to be safe". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | thanzi | ||
| The Nyanja word 'thanzi' comes from Proto-Bantu '*tanci' meaning 'life' and ultimately from '*dano' meaning 'to live'. | |||
| Shona | hutano | ||
| In addition to meaning "health," the word "hutano" can also refer to good fortune or well-being in Shona. | |||
| Somali | caafimaadka | ||
| The word "caafimaadka" can also refer to the state of being well-adjusted or balanced in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | bophelo bo botle | ||
| The Sesotho word "bophelo" shares the same root with the word "phela" which means "to live". It implies that "health" is not just the absence of disease but a state of well-being. | |||
| Swahili | afya | ||
| The word "afya" in Swahili derives from the Arabic word "afiya," meaning "well-being, recovery, or salvation." | |||
| Xhosa | impilo | ||
| In Xhosa, "impilo" can also refer to "life" or "existence". | |||
| Yoruba | ilera | ||
| "ilera" also means "freshness" or "newness," and is often used to describe the feeling of being refreshed or rejuvenated. | |||
| Zulu | impilo | ||
| Zulu "impilo" comes from proto-Nguni and means "a state of well-being, happiness, or prosperity"} | |||
| Bambara | kɛnɛya | ||
| Ewe | lãmesẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuzima | ||
| Lingala | kolongono ya nzoto | ||
| Luganda | obulamu | ||
| Sepedi | maphelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | apomuden | ||
Health in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الصحة | ||
| The word "الصحة" means "health" in Arabic, but it also has the alternate meaning of "wellness" or "well-being." | |||
| Hebrew | בְּרִיאוּת | ||
| The word "בְּרִיאוּת" (health) in Hebrew is derived from the root "בריא" (healthy), but also has the alternate meaning of "well-being" or "prosperity". | |||
| Pashto | روغتیا | ||
| The word "روغتیا" can also refer to the ability to be healed by medicine (in contrast to "مریضاندیا ", a chronic and incurable disease). | |||
| Arabic | الصحة | ||
| The word "الصحة" means "health" in Arabic, but it also has the alternate meaning of "wellness" or "well-being." | |||
Health in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shëndetin | ||
| "Shëndetin" in Albanian also refers to one's emotional and mental well-being. | |||
| Basque | osasuna | ||
| This Basque word, also meaning 'whole' or 'sound', is related to the word 'osan' meaning 'bones'. | |||
| Catalan | salut | ||
| "Salut" also means "goodbye" in Catalan, as a shortened form of "salutació" (greeting). | |||
| Croatian | zdravlje | ||
| "Zdravlje" has the same Indo-European root as "dry" and "tree", all meaning "stable" or "firm." | |||
| Danish | sundhed | ||
| The word "sundhed" in Danish is cognate with the English word "sound" and originally meant "vigor" or "strength." | |||
| Dutch | gezondheid | ||
| The word "Gezondheid" comes from the Old Dutch "gisund" meaning "sound" or "whole". | |||
| English | health | ||
| The word 'health' stems from Old English word 'hǽlð' which meant 'wholeness'. | |||
| French | santé | ||
| Santé in French means 'cheers' when toasting, as 'health' is an old European symbol of good fortune. | |||
| Frisian | sûnens | ||
| The Frisian word "sûnens" comes from the Proto-West Germanic word *sunthijô, meaning "health" or "good condition." | |||
| Galician | saúde | ||
| The Galician word "saúde" has a Latin origin meaning "safety" and can also refer to a toast or well-wishing during a drink. | |||
| German | gesundheit | ||
| The word "Gesundheit" in German also means "bless you" when someone sneezes, likely deriving from the wish for good health after a sneeze. | |||
| Icelandic | heilsu | ||
| The Old Norse word 'heilsu' meant both 'good luck' and 'health', a connection still seen in the Icelandic saying 'heilsu til hamingju' (lit. "health to happiness"). | |||
| Irish | sláinte | ||
| Sláinte shares a root with the English word "salute", referencing the custom of wishing good health by raising a glass. | |||
| Italian | salute | ||
| "Salute" in Italian shares an origin with the English word "salvation" and the Latin word "salus," meaning "well-being". | |||
| Luxembourgish | gesondheet | ||
| Maltese | saħħa | ||
| In some contexts, "saħħa" can also mean "cheers" or "goodbye". | |||
| Norwegian | helse | ||
| In Norwegian, "helse" is also used to refer to the state of being sound or whole, as in "helse og lykke" (health and happiness). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | saúde | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "saúde" comes from the Latin word "salus", which means "safety" or "well-being". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | slàinte | ||
| Slàinte is used both as a toast to good health and as an interjection meaning 'goodbye'. | |||
| Spanish | salud | ||
| The Spanish word "salud" originates from the Latin "salus," meaning "well-being" or "safety." | |||
| Swedish | hälsa | ||
| Hälsa can also refer to greetings, congratulations, or a toast. | |||
| Welsh | iechyd | ||
| The word 'iechyd' (health) is of Old English origin, akin to 'eachd' in Scottish Gaelic, and etymologically stems from the Proto-Germanic word for 'horse' | |||
Health in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | здароўе | ||
| The word "здароўе" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zdorъvъ, which originally meant "sound, healthy, whole". | |||
| Bosnian | zdravlje | ||
| The word 'zdravlje' is also used as a toast to good health, similar to the English phrase 'cheers' or the German 'prost'. | |||
| Bulgarian | здраве | ||
| The word "здраве" in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *zdravъ, meaning "sound" or "whole." | |||
| Czech | zdraví | ||
| The word "zdraví" has an alternate obsolete meaning in Czech: "greeting". | |||
| Estonian | tervis | ||
| The word "tervis" in Estonian is cognate with "terror" and "tremor" in English, reflecting the historical association between health and fear of disease. | |||
| Finnish | terveyttä | ||
| In addition to meaning «health», "terveyttä" can also mean «cheers!» when used in a toast or to wish someone well. | |||
| Hungarian | egészség | ||
| "Egészség" literally means "wholeness" in Hungarian, referring to the state of being complete and sound in body and mind. | |||
| Latvian | veselība | ||
| "Veselība" originally meant "happiness" and is related to the words "vest" ("to lead") and "laime" ("happiness"). | |||
| Lithuanian | sveikata | ||
| The Lithuanian word "sveikata" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word *svekъ, meaning "strong" or "whole." | |||
| Macedonian | здравје | ||
| The word "здравје" can also refer to a toast or a cheer, similar to "cheers" or "salute" in English. | |||
| Polish | zdrowie | ||
| The Polish word "zdrowie" not only means "health", but also "cheers" when used as a toast. | |||
| Romanian | sănătate | ||
| "Sănătate" comes from Proto-Indo-European root "*sent- " - "to be well; sound; safe" which also appears in the Latin "sanitas". | |||
| Russian | здоровье | ||
| The word "здоровье" originally meant "wholeness". | |||
| Serbian | здравље | ||
| The word "здравље" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*zdravъ", meaning "whole, sound, healthy". | |||
| Slovak | zdravie | ||
| Slovak "zdravie" is cognate with other Slavic words for health including Russian *здоровье* (zdorovye), and can also refer to a toast. | |||
| Slovenian | zdravje | ||
| The word 'zdravje' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'zdravь', meaning 'sound' or 'whole'. | |||
| Ukrainian | здоров'я | ||
| The word "здоров'я" in Ukrainian means "health" but also has the alternate meaning of "peace". | |||
Health in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বাস্থ্য | ||
| The word "স্বাস্থ্য" in Bengali can also refer to the state of well-being or the quality of being in good health. | |||
| Gujarati | આરોગ્ય | ||
| આરોગ્ય originates from the Sanskrit word 'ārogya' meaning 'free from disease or sickness' and can also refer to 'well-being' or 'good health'. | |||
| Hindi | स्वास्थ्य | ||
| स्वास्थ्य is ultimately derived from Sanskrit ‘svasthya,’ which means 'well-being' or 'staying well'. | |||
| Kannada | ಆರೋಗ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಆರೋಗ್ಯ" in Kannada literally translates to "free from disease", highlighting the absence of illness as a key aspect of health. | |||
| Malayalam | ആരോഗ്യം | ||
| The Malayalam word "ആരോഗ്യം" (aarogyam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आरोह" (aaroh), meaning "rise" or "ascend", representing the desired state of optimal well-being. | |||
| Marathi | आरोग्य | ||
| The word "आरोग्य" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रोग" (disease), hence it literally means "absence of disease". | |||
| Nepali | स्वास्थ्य | ||
| स्वास्थ्य originates from 'su+asthayi' referring to 'being in good condition'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਹਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਸਿਹਤ' is derived from the Arabic word 'صحت', which also means 'correctness' or 'accuracy'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සෞඛ්යය | ||
| The word "සෞඛ්යය" is derived from Sanskrit and also means "happiness" or "well-being". | |||
| Tamil | ஆரோக்கியம் | ||
| Telugu | ఆరోగ్యం | ||
| "ఆరోగ్యం" (health) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आरोग्य" (ārogya), meaning "freedom from disease". It also holds an alternate meaning of "well-being" or "soundness of mind and body". | |||
| Urdu | صحت | ||
| The word "صحت" in Urdu also means "correctness" or "accuracy". | |||
Health in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 健康 | ||
| The character '健' in '健康' originally meant 'walking with a stick' or 'able-bodied', implying the physical aspect of health. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 健康 | ||
| "健" means a human standing at the apex while "康" means peace and happiness. | |||
| Japanese | 健康 | ||
| The Japanese word "健康 (kenkō)" is composed of two characters: "健 (ken)", which means "strong" or "healthy", and "康 (kō)", which means "peace" or "well-being." | |||
| Korean | 건강 | ||
| 건강 (health) etymologically refers to the 'body's strength' and the 'goodness' of an organism | |||
| Mongolian | эрүүл мэнд | ||
| Эрүүл | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျန်းမာရေး | ||
Health in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kesehatan | ||
| "Kesehatan" comes from the Sanskrit word "kesahatan", meaning "well-being". | |||
| Javanese | kesehatan | ||
| The Javanese word "kesehatan" (Indonesian "kesehatan") is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "kṣema" meaning "wellbeing" or "safety". Javanese also shares this root with the Indonesian word "selamat" or "keselamatan" which both mean "safety". | |||
| Khmer | សុខភាព | ||
| The Khmer word "សុខភាព" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sukha" meaning "happiness" and "prapti" meaning "attainment". | |||
| Lao | ສຸຂະພາບ | ||
| Malay | kesihatan | ||
| The word "kesihatan" is derived from the Arabic word "sihhah", meaning "well-being", and also relates to the Malay word "sihat", meaning "good health". | |||
| Thai | สุขภาพ | ||
| สุขภาพ' ('health') derives from Sanskrit 'sukha' ('pleasure') and 'palama' ('to protect or maintain'), signifying the preservation of the body's well-being. | |||
| Vietnamese | sức khỏe | ||
| The word "Sức khỏe" is composed of two words meaning "power" and "strength." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kalusugan | ||
Health in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sağlamlıq | ||
| The word "sağlamlıq" in Azerbaijani also means "well-being" or "soundness." | |||
| Kazakh | денсаулық | ||
| Etymology of "денсаулық" is from the word "дене" ("body"), which later developed a new meaning, acquiring the current meaning of "health," and this new word replaced the older term "саулық." | |||
| Kyrgyz | ден-соолук | ||
| The phrase "ден соолук" literally translates to "healthy body", suggesting the interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being. | |||
| Tajik | саломатӣ | ||
| The word "саломатӣ" is rooted in the Persian verb "سلامت بودن": "to be well or safe" | |||
| Turkmen | saglyk | ||
| Uzbek | sog'liq | ||
| The word "sog'liq" is originally of Persian origin and can also mean "well-being" or "prosperity". | |||
| Uyghur | ساغلاملىق | ||
Health in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | olakino | ||
| In Hawaiian, "olakino" not only means "health" but also "prosperity" and "well-being." | |||
| Maori | hauora | ||
| The word hauora in Maori refers to both a person's physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the health of the environment in which they live. | |||
| Samoan | soifua maloloina | ||
| The word "soifua maloloina" can also refer to the state of being contented and well-rested. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kalusugan | ||
| The word "kalusugan" can also refer to a person's general well-being or state of mind. | |||
Health in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'umar jakañxata | ||
| Guarani | tesãi | ||
Health in International Languages
| Esperanto | sano | ||
| The Esperanto word “sano” (health) is borrowed from Latin and also means “holy” or “sound”. | |||
| Latin | salutem | ||
| The word 'salutem', meaning health in Latin, also carries the meaning of 'greeting', as seen in the traditional Roman salutation 'Ave atque vale'. | |||
Health in Others Languages
| Greek | υγεία | ||
| The word "υγεία" in Greek also means "wholeness" or "soundness", reflecting the holistic view of health in ancient Greece. | |||
| Hmong | noj qab haus huv | ||
| Noj qab haus huv literally translates to “keep the soul and body well-balanced”. | |||
| Kurdish | tendûrûstî | ||
| The Kurdish word 'tendûrûstî' is derived from the Persian word 'tandorosti', which ultimately comes from the Middle Persian word 'tan-durustī', meaning 'good body'. It is a compound of 'tan' ('body') and 'durust' ('good, strong, well'). | |||
| Turkish | sağlık | ||
| The word "sağlık" in Turkish also means "thanks". | |||
| Xhosa | impilo | ||
| In Xhosa, "impilo" can also refer to "life" or "existence". | |||
| Yiddish | געזונט | ||
| The Yiddish word 'געזונט' ('gezunt') comes from the Middle High German word 'gesuntheit' meaning 'well-being' or 'prosperity.' | |||
| Zulu | impilo | ||
| Zulu "impilo" comes from proto-Nguni and means "a state of well-being, happiness, or prosperity"} | |||
| Assamese | স্বাস্থ্য | ||
| Aymara | k'umar jakañxata | ||
| Bhojpuri | स्वास्थ | ||
| Dhivehi | ސިއްޙަތު | ||
| Dogri | सेहत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kalusugan | ||
| Guarani | tesãi | ||
| Ilocano | salun-at | ||
| Krio | wɛlbɔdi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تەندروستی | ||
| Maithili | स्वास्थ्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯛꯁꯦꯜ | ||
| Mizo | hrisel | ||
| Oromo | fayyaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱାସ୍ଥ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | qali kay | ||
| Sanskrit | आरोग्यम् | ||
| Tatar | сәламәтлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥዕና | ||
| Tsonga | rihanyo | ||