Hell in Different Languages
Discover 'Hell' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'hell' carries a significant weight in many cultures and languages, often representing a place of suffering or punishment in the afterlife. Its cultural importance is evident in various religious texts, literature, and media, making it a fascinating word to explore in different languages.
But why should you care about the translation of 'hell' in different languages? Understanding this term in various languages can provide unique insights into the cultures and beliefs that shape them. For instance, the German 'Hölle' and the Spanish 'infierno' both have roots in religious texts, while the Finnish 'helvetti' offers a glimpse into the influence of Christianity in Finnish culture.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'hell' can be practical in navigating conversations and literature in different languages. It can also help you appreciate the nuances and subtleties of how different cultures and languages conceptualize and express complex ideas.
Join us as we delve into the translations of 'hell' in various languages, from the familiar to the exotic, and discover the rich cultural and historical contexts they reveal.
Hell
Hell in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hel | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "hel" can also refer to a specific place in the underworld or to a state of great suffering or misery. | |||
| Amharic | ገሃነም | ||
| In Amharic, "ገሃነም" (hell) is derived from the Arabic "jahannam", a term of uncertain origin, possibly based on a root meaning "to hide" or a location in the desert traditionally associated with fire and judgment. | |||
| Hausa | jahannama | ||
| Hausa "jahannama" is cognate with "jahannam" in Arabic, which refers not only to a destination for the wicked, but also metaphorically to a terrible place. | |||
| Igbo | oku mmuo | ||
| The Igbo word "oku mmuo" literally translates to "the gathering of spirits". | |||
| Malagasy | helo | ||
| The Malagasy word "helo" is derived from the Arabic word "jahannam", which also means "hell". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gehena | ||
| Gehena in Nyanja (Chichewa) derives from the Hebrew word for the Valley of Hinnom, a place of refuse burning and child sacrifice to the false god Moloch. | |||
| Shona | gehena | ||
| Gehena is a loanword from the Aramaic word gehinnam, which refers to a valley near Jerusalem where refuse was burned and is associated with the concept of eternal punishment. | |||
| Somali | cadaab | ||
| Cadaab also refers to a deep pit of ashes, from an origin meaning 'to blacken,' cognate with Hebrew 'heebah' ('ashes'). | |||
| Sesotho | lihele | ||
| The word "lihele" has alternate meanings of "abyss" and "underworld" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kuzimu | ||
| 'Kuzimu' in Swahili originates from the Arabic word 'qibla', meaning 'direction of prayer', and is now used to refer to the southern direction and hence to 'hell'. | |||
| Xhosa | isihogo | ||
| The Xhosa word "isihogo" derives from the root word "hogo," meaning "burn" or "fire". | |||
| Yoruba | apaadi | ||
| "Apaadi" can also mean "darkness," "the underworld," or a "place of torment." | |||
| Zulu | isihogo | ||
| The word "isihogo" is derived from the root word "hogo", meaning "to tremble" or "to shudder", and signifies the state of perpetual torment and anguish experienced in hell. | |||
| Bambara | jahanama | ||
| Ewe | dzomavᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikuzimu | ||
| Lingala | lifelo | ||
| Luganda | geyeena | ||
| Sepedi | hele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bonsam gyam | ||
Hell in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الجحيم | ||
| It is also used to refer to the place of suffering and torment in the afterlife. | |||
| Hebrew | גֵיהִנוֹם | ||
| The Hebrew word "גֵיהִנוֹם" (Gehinnom) is derived from the biblical "Valley of Hinnom" outside Jerusalem, initially a place of idol worship and later associated with fiery judgment. | |||
| Pashto | دوزخ | ||
| The Pashto word "دوزخ" (dozakh) ultimately derives from the Avestan word "duždaxta", meaning "badly burnt". | |||
| Arabic | الجحيم | ||
| It is also used to refer to the place of suffering and torment in the afterlife. | |||
Hell in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dreqin | ||
| The Albanian word "dreqin" ('hell') is thought to derive from the Illyrian word "drek" meaning 'serpent', indicating a potential link between the underworld and the serpent or dragon. | |||
| Basque | arraio | ||
| The Basque word "arraio" may derive from the Latin "haerere" (to stick, to cleave), referring to the concept of eternal punishment in hell. | |||
| Catalan | infern | ||
| The Catalan word "infern" derives from the Latin "infernum" (literally "that which is below"). | |||
| Croatian | pakao | ||
| The word 'pakao' in Croatian is derived from the Latin word 'pactum', meaning 'covenant' or 'agreement', and is also used to refer to a 'burden' or 'hardship'. | |||
| Danish | helvede | ||
| The Danish word "helvede" is derived from the Old Norse word "hel", which originally meant "hidden place" or "underworld". | |||
| Dutch | hel | ||
| In Dutch the word "hel" can also mean "slope" or "slope between hills" | |||
| English | hell | ||
| The word "hell" derives from the Old English word "hele", meaning "concealment" or "the underworld". | |||
| French | enfer | ||
| The French word 'enfer' derives from the Latin word 'infernum', initially meaning 'underworld' and later evolving to mean 'hell'. | |||
| Frisian | hel | ||
| The word "hel" in Frisian can also refer to a concealed place, a place of refuge, or a hidden corner. | |||
| Galician | carallo | ||
| The word "carallo" is also used in Galician to refer to the devil or other malevolent beings. | |||
| German | hölle | ||
| The word “Hölle“ may come from the term “helan“, meaning “to hide“ or ”to cover“ | |||
| Icelandic | helvíti | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "helvíti" not only refers to the Christian concept of "hell", but also denotes a state of extreme discomfort or misery. | |||
| Irish | ifreann | ||
| In pre-Christian Irish folklore, the word “ifreann” referred to a realm of torment rather than a final destination for the wicked. | |||
| Italian | inferno | ||
| The word "inferno" comes from the Latin "infernus," meaning "the lower regions" or "the regions below." | |||
| Luxembourgish | hell | ||
| "Hell" derives from the Old English word "hel," meaning "to conceal or cover," and is cognate with the German word "hölle," meaning "cave" or "hiding place." | |||
| Maltese | infern | ||
| The Maltese word "infern" derives from the Latin word "infernum" meaning "lower world", later used by Christians to refer to "hell". | |||
| Norwegian | helvete | ||
| The word 'helvete' (hell) originally meant 'place hidden from view' or 'cave'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | inferno | ||
| In Portuguese, "inferno" also refers to a large fire, or a place of intense heat and discomfort. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ifrinn | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "ifrinn" derives from the Latin word "infernum" and the Old English word "hell". | |||
| Spanish | infierno | ||
| The word "infierno" comes from the Latin word "infernus," which means "the lower world" or "the underworld." | |||
| Swedish | helvete | ||
| The word "Helvete" is derived from Old Norse "Helvíti," or "home of Hel," in reference to the realm of a powerful goddess who ruled over dishonored or evil figures after their death. | |||
| Welsh | uffern | ||
| The word "uffern" is derived from the Latin word "infernum", meaning "the lower world" or "the underworld". | |||
Hell in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чорт вазьмі | ||
| In folk etymology, the phrase may be related to the word «чо́рны» («black») | |||
| Bosnian | dovraga | ||
| The word 'dovraga' also means 'hellish' and 'torment' in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | по дяволите | ||
| "По дяволите" literally means "to the devils". | |||
| Czech | peklo | ||
| In Czech, "peklo" also has several other meanings, such as "a big mess" or "a lot of trouble." | |||
| Estonian | kurat | ||
| "Kurat," which shares a root with the Russian word for "smoke," also means a "dark place" in Estonian, a meaning that also appears in the Finnish word for "hell," which is "helvetti." | |||
| Finnish | helvetti | ||
| The word "helvetti" is derived from the Swedish word "helvete", which is a cognate of the English word "hell". | |||
| Hungarian | pokol | ||
| "Pokol" also means "puddle" or "pool" in Hungarian and can be traced back to the Proto-Finnic word "pγk" (puddle) | |||
| Latvian | ellē | ||
| The Latvian word "elle" is cognate with the Lithuanian "alija" ("Hades"), the Slavic "elь" ("underworld", "devil"), and the Old Prussian "alija" ("grave"). | |||
| Lithuanian | pragaras | ||
| The Lithuanian word "pragaras" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *preg-, meaning "to burn" or "to roast". | |||
| Macedonian | пекол | ||
| The word 'пекол' ('pekol') in Macedonian can also refer to a 'cauldron' or a 'hellish abyss'. | |||
| Polish | piekło | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Slavic word pek- meaning "something baked". | |||
| Romanian | iad | ||
| "Iad" comes from the Slavic word "jad" meaning "venom" or "poison". | |||
| Russian | ад | ||
| The word "ад" (hell) is derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂édʰes, meaning "fire" or "heat", and is cognate with the English word "Hades". | |||
| Serbian | доврага | ||
| The word "доврага" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dvorъgъ, which originally meant "fence" or "enclosure." | |||
| Slovak | peklo | ||
| The word "peklo" is derived from proto-Slavic word "pekti", meaning to bake or roast, so it originally meant a pit for baking. | |||
| Slovenian | hudiča | ||
| The Slovenian word for "hell," huda, derives from the Proto-Slavic word for "bad," xudъ. | |||
| Ukrainian | пекло | ||
| The Ukrainian word "пекло" is cognate with the Latin "picare" (to pitch, to tar), ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peḱ- (to cook, to bake). | |||
Hell in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নরক | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit, "naraka" also means "subterranean passage" through which water flows or "the bottom of the sea". | |||
| Gujarati | નરક | ||
| "Naraka" in Gujarati can also refer to the abode of Yama, the god of death. | |||
| Hindi | नरक | ||
| The word "नरक" (narak) in Hindi has several meanings, including "low place," "affliction," "distress," and "misery." | |||
| Kannada | ನರಕ | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ನರಕ" (naraka) can also refer to a hole, cavity, or chasm, especially in the earth. | |||
| Malayalam | നരകം | ||
| നരകം is also used in a figurative sense in Malayalam to mean misery or suffering. | |||
| Marathi | नरक | ||
| The word "नरक" (narak) in Marathi can also refer to a difficult or unpleasant situation or experience. | |||
| Nepali | नरक | ||
| The term "narak" is also used metaphorically to describe "difficult life", "stressful conditions". | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਰਕ | ||
| "ਨਰਕ" (pronounced "narak") also means "a very difficult or unpleasant situation" in Punjabi | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිරය | ||
| Sinhala නිරය, pronounced niraya, has etymological roots in the Sanskrit word niraya meaning “without water” and is closely related to the Buddhist concept of niraya, which encompasses rebirth into one of the hells. | |||
| Tamil | நரகம் | ||
| The word "நரகம்" (narakam) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word "नरक" (naraka), which means "a place of torment, hell". | |||
| Telugu | నరకం | ||
| The word "నరకం" (narakam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "नरक" (naraka), which means "a place of torment or punishment". In Telugu, it is used to refer to the lowest level of hell, where the most wicked are punished. | |||
| Urdu | جہنم | ||
| جهنم has an alternate meaning of “the mouth of a volcano” in Persian, deriving from Sanskrit "jval" | |||
Hell in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 地狱 | ||
| "地狱" is the Chinese word for "hell", but it also means "the underworld" or "the realm of the dead". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 地獄 | ||
| 地獄 (dìyù) can also refer to the underworld in Buddhist cosmology, similar to the concept of Purgatory. | |||
| Japanese | 地獄 | ||
| 地獄 (jigoku) originally meant an underground prison for the dead, but later became associated with Buddhist and Christian concepts of hell. | |||
| Korean | 지옥 | ||
| The word "지옥" (hell) also means "underground" or "the underworld" in Korean and is derived from Sanskrit "naraka", meaning "suffering" or "torment". | |||
| Mongolian | там | ||
| The word "там" is borrowed from Sanskrit "tapas" meaning "heat, fire" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငရဲ | ||
| The term "ငရဲ" is derived from the Sanskrit "Naraka", which refers to a realm of punishment and suffering in various Indian religions. | |||
Hell in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | neraka | ||
| While the Indonesian word 'neraka' is commonly translated as 'hell' in English, it originally derives from the Sanskrit word 'naraka', which more broadly refers to a realm of suffering and torment experienced after death. | |||
| Javanese | neraka | ||
| "Neraka" means 'the lowest part' and refers to the deepest and lowest levels of the ocean | |||
| Khmer | នរក | ||
| The word "នរក" (nôrok) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "naraka" which means "a place of torment" or "a place of suffering". | |||
| Lao | ນະຮົກ | ||
| "ນະຮົກ" (hell) may also refer to the state of being tormented or to a place of suffering. | |||
| Malay | neraka | ||
| The word "neraka" comes from the Sanskrit word "naraka," which originally meant "a place of punishment" or "a place of torment," but later evolved into the meaning "hell." | |||
| Thai | นรก | ||
| The root of "นรก" ("hell") derives from Sanskrit's "นรกะ" which also means "human". | |||
| Vietnamese | địa ngục | ||
| Despite being used to refer to hell in Vietnamese, "Địa ngục" originally meant "underground prison." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | impiyerno | ||
Hell in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cəhənnəm | ||
| The word "cəhənnəm" is derived from the Arabic word "jahannam", which originally meant a deep pit or abyss. | |||
| Kazakh | тозақ | ||
| The word "тозақ" is derived from the Persian word "دوزخ" (dozakh), which means "hell" or "a place of torment." | |||
| Kyrgyz | тозок | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "тозок" also means "the place where the sun sets" or "the west". | |||
| Tajik | ҷаҳаннам | ||
| The word "ҷаҳаннам" is derived from the Arabic word "جهنم" which means "fire". It can also be used figuratively to refer to a place of extreme suffering or torment. | |||
| Turkmen | dowzah | ||
| Uzbek | jahannam | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "jahannam" comes from the Persian "jahannum", which may be related to the Hebrew "ge hinom" (Valley of Hinnom), which in ancient times was considered a place of fire and damnation. | |||
| Uyghur | دوزاخ | ||
Hell in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kehena | ||
| While "kehena" commonly refers to "hell" or the underworld, it can also denote a "barren land" or a place of darkness, desolation, or punishment. | |||
| Maori | reinga | ||
| The word "reinga" in Maori also signifies "leaping place" and "disappearance". | |||
| Samoan | seoli | ||
| The Samoan word "seoli" also refers to Hades, the underworld in Greek mythology. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | impyerno | ||
| In Tagalog, "impyerno" originally meant "pit" or "abyss" and was only later associated with the Christian concept of hell. | |||
Hell in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | imphirnu | ||
| Guarani | añaretã | ||
Hell in International Languages
| Esperanto | diable | ||
| "Diablo" is also the name of a famous brand of chocolate in Mexico. | |||
| Latin | infernum | ||
| In Latin, "infernum" can refer to the underworld, the realm of the dead, or specifically Hell, the place of eternal punishment. | |||
Hell in Others Languages
| Greek | κόλαση | ||
| The Greek word "κόλαση" can also refer to the underworld, a pit, or the abyss. | |||
| Hmong | ntuj raug txim | ||
| In the Hmong culture, "ntuj raug txim" can also refer to a place of suffering in the afterlife where deceased relatives are sent to pay off their sins. | |||
| Kurdish | cehnem | ||
| The word "cehnem" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "جهنم" (jahannam), which itself is derived from the Arabic word "جهنم" (jahannam), meaning "hell". In Kurdish, the word "cehnem" can also refer to a place of punishment or retribution. | |||
| Turkish | cehennem | ||
| The word "cehennem" originates from the Arabic word "jahannam", meaning "deep pit" or "bottomless pit". | |||
| Xhosa | isihogo | ||
| The Xhosa word "isihogo" derives from the root word "hogo," meaning "burn" or "fire". | |||
| Yiddish | גענעם | ||
| Curiously the Yiddish for hell "geyenem" comes from the Middle French "gein" meaning "to torture". | |||
| Zulu | isihogo | ||
| The word "isihogo" is derived from the root word "hogo", meaning "to tremble" or "to shudder", and signifies the state of perpetual torment and anguish experienced in hell. | |||
| Assamese | নৰক | ||
| Aymara | imphirnu | ||
| Bhojpuri | नरक | ||
| Dhivehi | ނަރަކަ | ||
| Dogri | नर्क | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | impiyerno | ||
| Guarani | añaretã | ||
| Ilocano | infierno | ||
| Krio | ɛl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دۆزەخ | ||
| Maithili | नर्क | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯣꯔꯣꯛ | ||
| Mizo | hremhmun | ||
| Oromo | si'ool | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନର୍କ | ||
| Quechua | uku pacha | ||
| Sanskrit | नरकः | ||
| Tatar | тәмуг | ||
| Tigrinya | ገሃነም | ||
| Tsonga | tihele | ||