Help in Different Languages
Discover 'Help' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'help' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting support, assistance, and relief. Its cultural importance is evident in various art forms, literature, and everyday conversations. Understanding its translation in different languages can open doors to new cultures and strengthen global connections.
For instance, in Spanish, 'help' translates to 'ayuda', while in French, it is 'aide'. In German, the word 'help' is 'Hilfe', and in Japanese, it is 'たすくみ' (tasukumi). These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also highlight the universal need for support and cooperation.
Moreover, the word 'help' has been a subject of fascination in history and popular culture. From self-help books to charity campaigns, its significance extends beyond language. By learning its translations, you embark on a journey of cultural exploration and empathy.
Help
Help in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hulp | ||
| Afrikaans "hulp" comes from Dutch and also refers to a small group or gathering of people assisting each other. | |||
| Amharic | መርዳት | ||
| The noun form (מרדה in Hebrew, 'Marda' in Amharic) meant rebellion which later became to mean to help/assist. | |||
| Hausa | taimaka | ||
| The word "taimaka" is derived from the Arabic word "ta'āwun" which means "cooperation" or "mutual assistance." | |||
| Igbo | enyemaka | ||
| The word "Enyemaka" has its etymological root in the Igbo phrase "nye m aka", which translates to "give me a hand" in English. | |||
| Malagasy | vonjeo | ||
| The term 'Vonjeo' is rooted in the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word '*paŋuŋuŋ', meaning 'assistance'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | thandizeni | ||
| Although 'Thandizeni' literally translates to 'help', it can also be used to express 'support' or 'remedy'. | |||
| Shona | batsira | ||
| The word "batsira" comes from the root word "batsira" which means "to be strong". | |||
| Somali | i caawi | ||
| The word "I caawii" can also mean "to assist" or "to collaborate" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | thusa | ||
| Thusa is also a name commonly given to female children in Sesotho speaking communities. | |||
| Swahili | msaada | ||
| "Msaada" derives from the Arabic word "saada" meaning "to aid". | |||
| Xhosa | nceda | ||
| The Xhosa word "Nceda" also means "mercy". | |||
| Yoruba | egba mi o | ||
| The term "Egba Mi O" is also an exclamation used to express surprise or admiration. | |||
| Zulu | usizo | ||
| The Zulu word 'Usizo' also means 'support' or 'assistance'. | |||
| Bambara | dɛmɛ | ||
| Ewe | kpekpeɖeŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubufasha | ||
| Lingala | lisalisi | ||
| Luganda | okuyamba | ||
| Sepedi | thušo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | boa | ||
Help in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مساعدة | ||
| The word "مساعدة" is derived from the root "س ع د" which means "to be happy or fortunate", and thus "مساعدة" can also mean "assistance" or "favor". | |||
| Hebrew | עֶזרָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "עֶזרָה" appears in the Bible as both a common noun meaning "help" or "assistance" and as a proper noun referring to the courtyard within the Temple in Jerusalem where non-priests could stand during worship. | |||
| Pashto | مرسته | ||
| The word "مرسته" can also mean "support" or "assistance" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | مساعدة | ||
| The word "مساعدة" is derived from the root "س ع د" which means "to be happy or fortunate", and thus "مساعدة" can also mean "assistance" or "favor". | |||
Help in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndihmë | ||
| The word "ndihmë" (help) is derived from the verb "ndihmoj" (to help) and is related to the word "ndihma" (assistance). | |||
| Basque | lagundu | ||
| The Basque word "lagundu" also means "to accompany" and is cognate with the Latin word "legare" (to bind). | |||
| Catalan | ajuda | ||
| 'Ajuda' is also the feminine form of 'ajut', which means 'assistant' or 'ally'. | |||
| Croatian | pomozite | ||
| "Pomozite" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*pomogti", meaning "to help" or "to support". It also has a secondary meaning of "assistance" or "aid". | |||
| Danish | hjælp | ||
| Historically, this word also had broader meanings in other Germanic languages similar to its English cognate 'help' (cognate 'hjelp' in Norwegian and 'hjälp' in Swedish), with meanings such as 'support' and 'assistance' that survive only in set phrases and idioms in modern Danish. | |||
| Dutch | helpen | ||
| The verb 'helpen' derives from the Old Dutch word 'helpan' and originally meant 'to support' or 'to take care of'. | |||
| English | help | ||
| The word 'help' derives from the Old English word 'helpan', meaning 'to aid or support' | |||
| French | aidez-moi | ||
| The French term "aide-mémoire" (literally meaning "help memory") refers to a document, notebook, or other resource that serves as a memory aid. | |||
| Frisian | help | ||
| The Frisian word "help" is cognate with the English word "help" and the German word "helfen". | |||
| Galician | axuda | ||
| The Galician word "axuda" derives from the Latin "auxilium", meaning "assistance" or "support". | |||
| German | hilfe | ||
| Cognate with English "help" and Scandinavian "hjälp," "Hilfe" originally meant "to heal" or "to restore to health". | |||
| Icelandic | hjálp | ||
| In Old Norse, "hjálp" also meant "assistance in battle" and is related to the word "hjalt", or "sword hilt." | |||
| Irish | cabhrú | ||
| The word 'cabhrú' is cognate with the Latin word 'operari', meaning 'to work' or 'to help'. | |||
| Italian | aiuto | ||
| The Italian word "Aiuto" derives from the Latin "adjuto," meaning "to assist" or "to help," and has the same root as the English word "adjutant." | |||
| Luxembourgish | hëllefen | ||
| "Hëllefen" is derived from the Old High German word "helfôn", meaning "to hold up", and is related to the English word "help" and the German word "Hilfe" | |||
| Maltese | għajnuna | ||
| The Maltese word "għajnuna" is derived from the Arabic word "ghawn" meaning "help" or "support" | |||
| Norwegian | hjelp | ||
| The Norwegian word "hjelp" is derived from the Old Norse word "hjalp," meaning "aid" or "assistance." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | socorro | ||
| The word "Socorro" also means "relief" or "assistance". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cuideachadh | ||
| Cuideachadh, Scots Gaelic for "help," originated from an older word meaning "to watch over" | |||
| Spanish | ayuda | ||
| The word "ayuda" in Spanish is derived from the Latin word "adjutare," meaning "to aid" or "to assist." | |||
| Swedish | hjälp | ||
| "Hjälp" is derived from the Old Swedish word "hiælpæn" and cognates with the Old English word "hælpe" and the German word "helfen". | |||
| Welsh | help | ||
| The term can also serve as a form of respect and a wish for well-being, meaning 'good health to you'. | |||
Help in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дапамагчы | ||
| The Belarusian word "дапамагчы" can also be used in the sense of "to assist" or "to support." | |||
| Bosnian | pomoć | ||
| The word 'pomoć' is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb 'pomogti' ('to assist'), also meaning 'help' in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Montenegrin. | |||
| Bulgarian | помогне | ||
| The word "помогне" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pomogti, meaning "to help" or "to assist". | |||
| Czech | pomoc | ||
| Pomoc can also refer to an action or event that provides or seeks aid. | |||
| Estonian | abi | ||
| The Estonian word "abi" (help) is cognate with the Greek word "αβοήθητος" (helpless), suggesting a common Indo-European root. | |||
| Finnish | auta | ||
| Auta has no cognates in other Finnic languages, but may derive from a loan from a Samoyedic language, where the word for "father" is "atte". | |||
| Hungarian | segítség | ||
| Segítség is derived from the Proto-Uralic verb "*sekti", which meant "to help", "to assist", "to support", and "to follow". | |||
| Latvian | palīdzība | ||
| Latvian word "palīdzība" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European word "*peleǵʰ-," meaning "to protect." | |||
| Lithuanian | pagalba | ||
| The word "pagalba" is derived from the Old Lithuanian word "pagelba", which means "aid". It is also related to the Latvian word "paliga", which means "support". | |||
| Macedonian | помош | ||
| 'Помош' comes from a South Slavic root also found in Bulgarian ('помощ'), Serbian ('помоћ') and Russian ('помощь'). | |||
| Polish | wsparcie | ||
| Wsparcie comes from the Proto-Slavic word *sъportъ, which also meant 'defense' and 'protection'. | |||
| Romanian | ajutor | ||
| In Romanian, "Ajutor" also means "a person who provides assistance". | |||
| Russian | помогите | ||
| The word "помогите" (help) also means "assist" and "lend a hand" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | помоћ | ||
| The word "помоћ" comes from an Old Slavic root meaning to help, care for or defend. | |||
| Slovak | pomoc | ||
| The Slovak word "pomoc" also signifies assistance, support, relief, or aid. | |||
| Slovenian | pomoč | ||
| The Slovenian word "pomoč" is cognate with the Russian word "помощь" (pomoshch), both derived from the Proto-Slavic *pomogti, meaning "to assist". | |||
| Ukrainian | допомогти | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "допомогти" (help) is cognate with the Russian word "помочь" and the Polish word "pomóc", all deriving from the Proto-Slavic root "*pomogti". | |||
Help in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সাহায্য | ||
| "সাহায্য" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sahaya", meaning "assistance" or "support." | |||
| Gujarati | મદદ | ||
| The Gujarati word 'મદદ' ('madadd') derives from the Persian 'مدد' ('madad'), ultimately originating from the Arabic 'مد' ('madd') meaning 'extension, aid'. | |||
| Hindi | मदद | ||
| Originating from Sanskrit 'mad', meaning 'intoxicated' or 'elated', 'मदद' can also signify 'assistance' or 'support' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಹಾಯ | ||
| ಸಹಾಯ is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sahaya', meaning 'companion' or 'friend'. It can also mean 'assistance', 'support' or 'relief'. | |||
| Malayalam | സഹായിക്കൂ | ||
| Marathi | मदत | ||
| The word 'मदत' in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मद्' meaning 'to aid' and also has the alternate meaning of 'assistance' or 'support'. | |||
| Nepali | मद्दत | ||
| The word "मद्दत" is derived from the Arabic word "مدد" meaning "assistance" or "support." | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਦਦ ਕਰੋ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਮਦਦ ਕਰੋ" (help) is derived from the Sanskrit "madad" which also means "support" or "aid". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උදව් | ||
| The word "උදව්" can also refer to the time of day around noon. | |||
| Tamil | உதவி | ||
| The word "உதவி" also means "assistance" or "support" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | సహాయం | ||
| సహాయం (sahayam) in Telugu also means 'relief', 'support', 'assistance' and 'aid'. | |||
| Urdu | مدد | ||
| مدد is derived from the Arabic word 'medad' meaning 'ink' or 'aid'. | |||
Help in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 救命 | ||
| The characters in "救命" also mean "a life that needs saving," and can be used to ask for help or to describe a serious situation. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 救命 | ||
| 救命 is often used as a metaphor for being in desperate need of something, not just physical help. | |||
| Japanese | 助けて | ||
| The word "tasukete" (助けて) can also mean "to assist" or "to support" someone in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 도움 | ||
| 도움 also means 'help' in Chinese, but is pronounced differently and has a different etymology. | |||
| Mongolian | туслаач | ||
| The verb "Туслаач" is derived from the Mongolian word "туслах", meaning "to help" or "to assist." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကူညီပါ | ||
Help in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tolong | ||
| In ancient Javanese, 'tolong' originally meant 'assistance', 'support', or 'shelter', and it was associated with offerings to ancestors and deities. | |||
| Javanese | nulungi | ||
| Nulungi is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *tuluŋ, meaning 'to help'. | |||
| Khmer | ជួយ | ||
| ជួយ is also used in Khmer as a noun meaning "helper" or "assistant". | |||
| Lao | ຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ | ||
| Malay | menolong | ||
| The word "menolong" has a similar sound to the word "menolong" in Indonesian, both ultimately related to the Sanskrit language. | |||
| Thai | ช่วยด้วย | ||
| The word "ช่วยด้วย" can also be used to ask for assistance in other contexts, such as asking for a favor or offering help. | |||
| Vietnamese | cứu giúp | ||
| "Cứu giúp" is a Vietnamese word that combines "cứu" (rescue) and "giúp" (assist), emphasizing the urgent need for assistance and implying a sense of urgency or danger. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tulong | ||
Help in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kömək edin | ||
| The word "kömək edin" derives from the Old Turkic word "komak", meaning "to assist or support". It is also used in Turkish, Tatar, and other Turkic languages. | |||
| Kazakh | көмектесіңдер | ||
| Kyrgyz | жардам | ||
| The word "жардам" derives from the Persian word "yārīdam", ultimately originating from the Sanskrit word "hr-" (to hold). | |||
| Tajik | ёрӣ | ||
| The word "Ёрӣ" (help) in Tajik has the same root as the word "yardım" (help) in Turkish and "yordam" (help) in Uzbek. | |||
| Turkmen | kömek ediň | ||
| Uzbek | yordam | ||
| In old Turkic, 'Yordam,' used to mean 'path' and 'way,' and is still used that way in Uzbek and some other Turkic languages. | |||
| Uyghur | ياردەم | ||
Help in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kōkua | ||
| The word "kōkua" can also mean "support" or "assistance." | |||
| Maori | awhina | ||
| "Awhina" is also the name of a New Zealand Maori-language television show. | |||
| Samoan | fesoasoani | ||
| The word "fesoasoani" can also refer to assisting someone in carrying a burden. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tulungan | ||
| "Tulungan" is derived from the Tagalog word "tulong," which also means "assistance, support, or aid." | |||
Help in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yanapa | ||
| Guarani | pytyvõ | ||
Help in International Languages
| Esperanto | helpi | ||
| "Helpi" is the Esperanto imperative form of the verb "helpi" (to help), which is derived from the root "help" (to assist). | |||
| Latin | auxilium | ||
| The Latin word "auxilium" can also refer to an auxiliary troop or an external source of aid. | |||
Help in Others Languages
| Greek | βοήθεια | ||
| The ancient Greek term for "help" comes from the noun "βοή", which also means "a shout for help" or "a cry of joy". | |||
| Hmong | pab | ||
| The word "pab" can also mean "assist" or "aid" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | alîkarî | ||
| The word "alîkarî" is derived from the Persian word "alikar", meaning "helper". It also has a broader meaning of "aid" or "support". | |||
| Turkish | yardım | ||
| Yardım can also refer to a type of traditional Turkish folk song. | |||
| Xhosa | nceda | ||
| The Xhosa word "Nceda" also means "mercy". | |||
| Yiddish | הילף | ||
| The Yiddish word "הילף" (hilf) is derived from the Middle High German word "hilfe", meaning "help" or "assistance." | |||
| Zulu | usizo | ||
| The Zulu word 'Usizo' also means 'support' or 'assistance'. | |||
| Assamese | সহায় | ||
| Aymara | yanapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मदद | ||
| Dhivehi | އެހީވުން | ||
| Dogri | मदाद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tulong | ||
| Guarani | pytyvõ | ||
| Ilocano | tulong | ||
| Krio | ɛp | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | یارمەتیدان | ||
| Maithili | सहायता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯦꯡꯕꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tanpui | ||
| Oromo | gargaaruu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାହାଯ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | yanapay | ||
| Sanskrit | साहाय्यम् | ||
| Tatar | ярдәм итегез | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓገዝ | ||
| Tsonga | pfuna | ||