Interesting in Different Languages
Discover 'Interesting' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'interesting' is a small but powerful part of our vocabulary, used to describe things that pique our curiosity and capture our attention. Its significance goes beyond mere description; it's a cultural bridge that connects us with different languages and cultures around the world.
Throughout history, 'interesting' has been used to introduce new ideas, spark conversations, and foster understanding. From scientific discoveries to artistic expressions, anything that holds our attention can be considered interesting. But what about the word itself? How is it translated in different languages, and what cultural nuances does it carry?
Understanding the translation of 'interesting' in various languages can provide unique insights into different cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'interesante' not only refers to something that captures our attention but also implies a sense of personal relevance. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'omoshiroi' carries a connotation of amusement and delight, adding an extra layer of positivity to the word.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'interesting' in different languages and discover the fascinating cultural contexts behind them.
Interesting
Interesting in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | interessant | ||
| The Afrikaans word "interessant" is derived from the Dutch word "interesseren," which means "to be involved in" or "to concern oneself with." | |||
| Amharic | አስደሳች | ||
| In Amharic, word "አስደሳች" also means someone who likes to make fun. | |||
| Hausa | mai ban sha'awa | ||
| In addition to its common meaning of "interesting," "mai ban sha'awa" can also mean "curious" or "inquiring." | |||
| Igbo | na-akpali | ||
| The Igbo word "na-akpali" also means "to draw attention or cause wonder". | |||
| Malagasy | tena | ||
| TENA can also mean 'well' or 'all right' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zosangalatsa | ||
| In an archaic sense, the word "zosangalatsa" can also mean "a sweet smell". | |||
| Shona | zvinonakidza | ||
| The word 'zvinonakidza' in Shona can also be applied to a 'novel' or 'peculiar' circumstance. | |||
| Somali | xiiso leh | ||
| “Xiiso leh” is not merely used for interesting things but also used to describe something funny or a strange sight. | |||
| Sesotho | thahasellisang | ||
| The word "thahasellisang" is derived from the root word "thahasello", meaning "to cause to wonder". | |||
| Swahili | ya kuvutia | ||
| "Ya kuvutia" has origins in the Swahili word "kuvutia" which can also mean attractive, beautiful, or fascinating. | |||
| Xhosa | umdla | ||
| The word "umdla" in Xhosa can also refer to something that is strange or unusual. | |||
| Yoruba | awon | ||
| "Awon" is also used as a salutation meaning 'good day' | |||
| Zulu | kuyaheha | ||
| The Zulu word 'kuyaheha' can also mean 'to be puzzled or perplexed', or 'to be curious'. | |||
| Bambara | di | ||
| Ewe | vivi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | birashimishije | ||
| Lingala | kobenda likebi | ||
| Luganda | okunyuma | ||
| Sepedi | kgahliša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anika | ||
Interesting in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مثير للإعجاب | ||
| Did you know that the Arabic word "مثير للإعجاب" (interesting) comes from a root meaning "to cause to shake" and is related to a word meaning "to arouse or excite"? | |||
| Hebrew | מעניין | ||
| The word "מעניין" literally translates as "answering" or "responding", hinting at the idea that something interesting is worth engaging with. | |||
| Pashto | په زړه پوری | ||
| The word "په زړه پوری" in Pashto can also mean "satisfying" or "pleasing" in certain contexts. | |||
| Arabic | مثير للإعجاب | ||
| Did you know that the Arabic word "مثير للإعجاب" (interesting) comes from a root meaning "to cause to shake" and is related to a word meaning "to arouse or excite"? | |||
Interesting in Western European Languages
| Albanian | interesante | ||
| The word "interesante" is derived from "inter" (among) and "esse" (to be), and also means "to involve" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | interesgarria | ||
| The Basque word "interesgarria" is derived from the Latin word "interesse", meaning "to be between" or "to concern." | |||
| Catalan | interessant | ||
| In Catalan, "interessant" also means "avaricious" or "greedy". | |||
| Croatian | zanimljiv | ||
| The word "zanimljiv" in Croatian shares its root with the word "znanje" ("knowledge"), suggesting that something interesting is worth knowing. | |||
| Danish | interessant | ||
| The Danish word "interessant" comes from the Latin "inter esse," which means "to be present among" or "to take part." | |||
| Dutch | interessant | ||
| In Dutch, "interessant" also means "causing or deserving interest, as a person or thing." | |||
| English | interesting | ||
| "Interesting" derives from the Latin "interesse," meaning "to be between" or "to be of concern." | |||
| French | intéressant | ||
| The French word "intéressant" originally meant "self-interested," and the modern sense of "interesting" developed in the 17th century. | |||
| Frisian | nijsgjirrich | ||
| "Nijsguorrich" is used in the same way as "интересен" in Russian | |||
| Galician | interesante | ||
| "Interesante" is cognate with English "interest," reflecting its former meaning of "earning interest." | |||
| German | interessant | ||
| "Interessant" in German can mean not just "interesting" but also "confusing" or "suspicious". | |||
| Icelandic | áhugavert | ||
| The Icelandic word "áhugavert" comes from the Old Norse words "áhuga" (interest) and "vertu" (to become), and it can also mean "enthusiastic". | |||
| Irish | suimiúil | ||
| Suimiúil has a range of meanings depending on its tense and how it's used, including "entertaining," "curious," and "amusing." | |||
| Italian | interessante | ||
| "Interessante" derives from the Latin "interesse," meaning "to be involved in," emphasizing the concept of engagement and curiosity. | |||
| Luxembourgish | interessant | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "interessant" can also mean "interesting person" or "person of interest." | |||
| Maltese | interessanti | ||
| Maltese word "interessanti" (interesting) comes from French "intéressant" and Italian "interessante", meaning "full of interest". | |||
| Norwegian | interessant | ||
| In Norwegian, "interessant" can also mean "pregnant" or "with child". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | interessante | ||
| In Portuguese, "interessante" can also mean "relevant" or "pertinent". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | inntinneach | ||
| The word "inntinneach" is also used in a negative sense to mean "annoying" or "irritating". | |||
| Spanish | interesante | ||
| In Spanish, "interesante" can also mean "self-serving" or "biased". | |||
| Swedish | intressant | ||
| The word "intressant" in Swedish can also mean "profitable". | |||
| Welsh | diddorol | ||
| The Welsh word "diddorol" can also mean "curious" or "intriguing". | |||
Interesting in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цікава | ||
| The word "цікава" is derived from a Proto-Slavic root meaning "to seek" or "to inquire" and can also mean "curious" or "intriguing" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | zanimljivo | ||
| "Zanimljivo" comes from the verb "zanimati", meaning "to occupy someone's attention" or "to bother, annoy, or pester". | |||
| Bulgarian | интересно | ||
| The word "интересно" (interesting) derives from the Old Church Slavonic "интересъ" (interest), which itself has roots in the Greek "ενδιαφέρω" (to care about). | |||
| Czech | zajímavý | ||
| The root "zají" in "zajímavý" is derived from the verb "zajat" meaning "to take, to capture, to seize" thus implying that something interesting captures one's attention. | |||
| Estonian | huvitav | ||
| The word "huvitav" comes from the verb "huvitama" (to interest), which is ultimately derived from the Finnish word "huvittaa" (to amuse). | |||
| Finnish | mielenkiintoista | ||
| The word "mielenkiintoista" comes from the Finnish word "mielenkiinto," which means "interest." | |||
| Hungarian | érdekes | ||
| The word "érdekes" comes from the Hungarian word "érdek," which means "interest." | |||
| Latvian | interesanti | ||
| Interesanti derives from the Latin word "interesse", originally meaning "to be present" or "to be concerned in." | |||
| Lithuanian | įdomus | ||
| The root word "dom" in "įdomus" relates to "house" or "home" in other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Macedonian | интересно | ||
| "Интересно" is also used in Macedonian to describe something unusual or unexpected. | |||
| Polish | ciekawy | ||
| The etymology of Polish 'ciekawy' relates it to the Old Church Slavonic 'cikave,' which meant 'lively,' 'spirited,' and 'inquisitive.' | |||
| Romanian | interesant | ||
| In Romanian the word "interesant" not only means "interesting", but also "plaintiff". | |||
| Russian | интересно | ||
| Interesting (интересно) came from the word interest (интерес), which came from the Latin word interesse, meaning "to be between," which came from inter, meaning "between" and esse, meaning "to be." | |||
| Serbian | занимљиво | ||
| The Serbian word "занимљиво" ultimately comes from Turkish and can also mean "occupied". | |||
| Slovak | zaujímavé | ||
| The Slovak word "zaujímavé" is derived from the Polish word "zainteresowanie," meaning "interest". | |||
| Slovenian | zanimivo | ||
| "Zanimivo" originally meant "worthy of attention" and was used to describe matters of great importance. | |||
| Ukrainian | цікаво | ||
| The word "цікаво" also means "it is interesting to know" or "it is curious" | |||
Interesting in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মজাদার | ||
| The word "মজাদার" in Bengali can also mean "tasty" or "enjoyable". | |||
| Gujarati | રસપ્રદ | ||
| The word "રસપ્રદ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "rasa" meaning "juice" and "prada" meaning "give", suggesting something that provides pleasure or satisfaction. | |||
| Hindi | दिलचस्प | ||
| The word "दिलचस्प" is derived from the Persian phrase "دل-چسپ", meaning "heart-sticking" or "captivating". | |||
| Kannada | ಆಸಕ್ತಿದಾಯಕ | ||
| The term 'ಆಸಕ್ತಿದಾಯಕ', meaning 'interesting' in Kannada, originates from the Sanskrit words 'आशक्ति' (devotion) and 'दायक' (giver), conveying the idea of something captivating or engaging. | |||
| Malayalam | രസകരമാണ് | ||
| The word 'രസകരമാണ്' ('interesting') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'रस' (rasa), meaning 'taste', 'flavor', or 'essence'. In Malayalam, it is often used to refer to something that is pleasing to the mind or senses. | |||
| Marathi | मनोरंजक | ||
| In Marathi, "मनोरंजक" (manoranjak) has an alternate meaning as "recreational" or "entertaining". | |||
| Nepali | चाखलाग्दो | ||
| चाखलाग्दो, 'interesting' in Nepali, comes from Nepali चाख्नु, 'to taste,' and लाग्नु, 'to be affected,' implying something that 'tastes good' or is 'agreeable'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦਿਲਚਸਪ | ||
| The word 'ਦਿਲਚਸਪ' derives from the Persian word 'دلچسب' (dilchasb), meaning 'heart-attracting' or 'pleasing to the heart'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිත්ගන්නා සුළුය | ||
| This phrase is an alternative way of saying "අලුත් වුණු" (aluth vunū) and is often used to refer to something that is surprising or unusual. | |||
| Tamil | சுவாரஸ்யமானது | ||
| Curiously, "சுவாரஸ்யமானது" directly translates to "having taste," referring to an experience or idea that stimulates interest through its appealing nature. | |||
| Telugu | ఆసక్తికరమైన | ||
| Urdu | دلچسپ | ||
| The word "دلچسپ" is derived from the Persian word "دلکش" which means "heart-catching". | |||
Interesting in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 有趣 | ||
| "有趣" means "have fun" in Mandarin but literally means "have taste" or "have flavor". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 有趣 | ||
| "有趣" (interesting) can also mean "to have fun with" or "to find pleasure in." | |||
| Japanese | 面白い | ||
| The etymology of "面白い" "omoshiroi" has no connection with "interesting" and literally translates to "face white". | |||
| Korean | 흥미로운 | ||
| "흥미로운" originally meant "to arouse curiosity" and could be applied to things beyond just interest. | |||
| Mongolian | сонирхолтой | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ်ဝင်စားဖို့ကောင်းတယ် | ||
| It is derived from the Pali word "citta-vāsanā" meaning "impressions on the mind" or "mental culture." | |||
Interesting in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menarik | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "menarik" not only means "interesting" but also "pulling, dragging, or attracting". | |||
| Javanese | menarik | ||
| The word "menarik" also means "to pull" or "to attract" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | គួរឱ្យចាប់អារម្មណ៍ | ||
| Lao | ຫນ້າສົນໃຈ | ||
| Malay | menarik | ||
| The word "menarik" in Malay also means "attractive" or "appealing". | |||
| Thai | น่าสนใจ | ||
| The Thai word "น่าสนใจ" (interesting) also means "worth interest" or "noteworthy." | |||
| Vietnamese | hấp dẫn | ||
| Hấp dẫn can mean "attractive" or "interesting" in Vietnamese, and is derived from the Chinese word "引力" (yǐnlì), meaning "gravity" or "attraction."} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kawili-wili | ||
Interesting in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | maraqlıdır | ||
| Maraqlıdır is also the name of a district in Azerbaijan's Khachmaz Rayon. | |||
| Kazakh | қызықты | ||
| The word "қызықты" in Kazakh can also mean "curious" or "funny". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кызыктуу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кызыктуу" can also mean "curious", reflecting the connection between curiosity and finding things interesting. | |||
| Tajik | ҷолиб | ||
| The word "ҷолиб" can also mean "attractive" or "fascinating" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | gyzykly | ||
| Uzbek | qiziqarli | ||
| "Qiziq" in Uzbek literally means "a worm that eats the root of a plant." | |||
| Uyghur | قىزىقارلىق | ||
Interesting in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoihoi | ||
| In Hawaiian, "hoihoi" also refers to the act of stirring liquids or solids, and can mean "to mix" or "to stir up" | |||
| Maori | ngā | ||
| Ngā can also refer to a multitude and abundance. | |||
| Samoan | manaia | ||
| The word "manaia" in Samoan can also mean "to be puzzled or bewildered". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nakakainteres | ||
| The Tagalog word "nakakainteres" is derived from the root word "interes," which means "interest" or "importance." | |||
Interesting in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Guarani | iporãite | ||
Interesting in International Languages
| Esperanto | interesaj | ||
| The Esperanto word "interesaj" originally meant "in the interest of" but has shifted to mean "interesting". | |||
| Latin | novus | ||
| The Latin word "novus" originally meant "new" but later took on the meanings "strange" and "unusual". | |||
Interesting in Others Languages
| Greek | ενδιαφέρων | ||
| The Greek word "ενδιαφέρων" originates from the noun "ενδιαφέρον", which in turn derives from the verb "διαφέρω", meaning "to differ" or "to be different". | |||
| Hmong | ntxim nyiam | ||
| The word "ntxim nyiam" can also mean "fascinating" or "captivating" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | balkêş | ||
| The word 'balkêş' in Kurdish, which means 'interesting,' has a curious second meaning: 'one who brings honey'. | |||
| Turkish | ilginç | ||
| In Turkish, "ilginç" also means "curious" or "unusual". | |||
| Xhosa | umdla | ||
| The word "umdla" in Xhosa can also refer to something that is strange or unusual. | |||
| Yiddish | טשיקאַווע | ||
| "טשיקאַווע" is also used in Yiddish to mean 'fascinating', 'curious', or 'intriguing'. | |||
| Zulu | kuyaheha | ||
| The Zulu word 'kuyaheha' can also mean 'to be puzzled or perplexed', or 'to be curious'. | |||
| Assamese | আকৰ্ষণীয় | ||
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | मजदार | ||
| Dhivehi | ޝައުޤުވެރި | ||
| Dogri | दिलचस्प | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kawili-wili | ||
| Guarani | iporãite | ||
| Ilocano | nadagem | ||
| Krio | fayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرنج ڕاکێش | ||
| Maithili | मनभावक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯏꯗꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | phurawm | ||
| Oromo | kan namatti tolu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କ interesting ତୁହଳପ୍ରଦ | | ||
| Quechua | chaniyuq | ||
| Sanskrit | रुचिकरम् | ||
| Tatar | кызык | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝፍቶ | ||
| Tsonga | tsakisa | ||