Joke in Different Languages
Discover 'Joke' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Have you ever wondered how to say 'joke' in different languages? The word 'joke' holds a special significance in our lives, providing laughter, connection, and sometimes a bit of insight. From ancient folklore to modern-day sitcoms, jokes have been a constant source of entertainment and cultural importance. Understanding the translation of 'joke' in various languages can open up a world of new comedic styles and cultural nuances.
For instance, did you know that the word for 'joke' in German is 'Witz' and in Spanish it's 'broma'? Or that in Japanese, the word for 'joke' is 'お坊ちゃんジョーク (obotchan jōku)'? These translations not only provide a glimpse into the language but also the culture and humor of each region.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or just someone who enjoys a good laugh, learning the translations of 'joke' in different languages can be a fun and enlightening experience. Keep reading to discover more fascinating translations!
Joke
Joke in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | grap | ||
| The Afrikaans word "grap" is derived from the Dutch word "grap", meaning "joke" or "prank". | |||
| Amharic | ቀልድ | ||
| The word "ቀልድ" also refers to mockery or mimicry. | |||
| Hausa | wargi | ||
| Despite its common usage as a joke, the word 'wargi' has additional meanings, such as 'fun' and 'amusement', broadening its semantic range. | |||
| Igbo | egwuregwu | ||
| The Igbo word "egwuregwu" can also refer to a play or performance. | |||
| Malagasy | vazivazy | ||
| The word "vazivazy" comes from the verb "vazivazy," meaning "to chat idly" or "to tell a lie." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nthabwala | ||
| The word "nthabwala" can also refer to a person who enjoys or tells jokes | |||
| Shona | nyambo | ||
| The Shona word "nyambo" is also used as a term of endearment or affection, particularly for young children or animals. | |||
| Somali | kaftan | ||
| The Somali word "kaftan" also refers to a type of loose-fitting robe or tunic traditionally worn in the Middle East and North Africa. | |||
| Sesotho | soasoa | ||
| The word "soasoa" in Sesotho derives from the Proto-Bantu root "-soh" meaning "to laugh or ridicule". | |||
| Swahili | utani | ||
| The word 'utani' also means 'kinship' and is related to the verb 'kutana' meaning 'to meet'. | |||
| Xhosa | isiqhulo | ||
| The word "isiqhulo" is also used to refer to an amusing or playful remark or story. | |||
| Yoruba | awada | ||
| In the context of storytelling, the word "awada" refers to a riddle or puzzle rather than a joke. | |||
| Zulu | ihlaya | ||
| Ihlaya derives from the word 'hlanya', meaning 'to play'. | |||
| Bambara | tulonkɛkuma | ||
| Ewe | nukokoenya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urwenya | ||
| Lingala | liseki | ||
| Luganda | okusaaga | ||
| Sepedi | metlae | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aseresɛm | ||
Joke in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نكتة | ||
| The word "joke" in Arabic comes from the root verb "naqata," meaning "to pierce" or "to prick," suggesting the idea of a sharp observation that cuts through the surface. | |||
| Hebrew | בדיחה | ||
| The Hebrew word "בדיחה" (joke) likely originated from the phrase "בדוחא דעתא" (playfulness of mind). | |||
| Pashto | ټوکه | ||
| "ټوکه" also refers to a small piece of something, especially a small piece of food. | |||
| Arabic | نكتة | ||
| The word "joke" in Arabic comes from the root verb "naqata," meaning "to pierce" or "to prick," suggesting the idea of a sharp observation that cuts through the surface. | |||
Joke in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shaka | ||
| The word 'shaka' is derived from the Turkish word 'şaka', meaning 'prank' or 'trick'. | |||
| Basque | txantxa | ||
| The word "txantxa" also means "spider" in Aramaic, "insect" in Mandaic, and "small animal" in Assyrian. | |||
| Catalan | broma | ||
| In Valencian, the word "broma" refers to a type of embroidery. | |||
| Croatian | vic | ||
| The word "vic" is used in Dalmatia, particularly in the northern Dalmatian dialect. | |||
| Danish | joke | ||
| The term 'joke' also refers to a type of fabric similar to a thin cotton material in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | grap | ||
| Grap is also a synonym of 'grab' and can mean 'seize', 'to clutch' or 'to nab' | |||
| English | joke | ||
| The word "joke" derives from 16th-century jargon denoting "a trick or deception". | |||
| French | blague | ||
| Blague can also mean "hoax" or "nonsense", or refer to the military slang for a rumor or tall tale. | |||
| Frisian | mop | ||
| In Frisian, "mop" also means "grimace" or "to make faces". | |||
| Galician | broma | ||
| In Galician, the word "broma" originally meant "magic" or "spell". | |||
| German | scherz | ||
| From the Middle High German 'scherzen', 'to joke' or 'to make fun of', related to the English word 'shear'. | |||
| Icelandic | brandari | ||
| In some dialects, "brandari" has a slightly archaic meaning of a short, sharp pain or prickle, similar to "stinga". | |||
| Irish | magadh | ||
| The word "magadh" in Irish also means "a pleasant surprise". | |||
| Italian | scherzo | ||
| In Italian, scherzo also means 'music played between the slow and fast movements of a sonata or symphony'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | witz | ||
| Witz is also used to refer to a "piece of cake". | |||
| Maltese | ċajta | ||
| The word 'ċajta' possibly originated from the Sicilian 'sciatta' meaning 'nonsense'. | |||
| Norwegian | vits | ||
| Vits or vidd in norwegian derives from the ancient norse word 'vit' meaning 'intelligence'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | piada | ||
| The Portuguese word "piada" derives from the vulgar Latin word "plaga" (blow), which later evolved to mean "pesta" (plague). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fealla-dhà | ||
| Spanish | broma | ||
| In ancient Greek, "broma" meant "food" or "something to eat," a meaning still found in dialects of modern Greek. | |||
| Swedish | skämt | ||
| Skämt derives from Old Norse "skemta" meaning "to amuse oneself with light conversation". | |||
| Welsh | jôc | ||
| The word "jôc" in Welsh is thought to be derived from the Latin word "iocus", which means "jest" or "joke". | |||
Joke in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жарт | ||
| "Жарт" is also a euphemism for "fart" in Belarusian slang. | |||
| Bosnian | šala | ||
| The word "šala" can also mean "madness" or "insanity" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | шега | ||
| The word "шега" comes from the Old Slavic word "*šegъ", meaning " mockery" or "ridicule." | |||
| Czech | žert | ||
| The word "žert" in Czech originally meant "disgrace" or "mockery". | |||
| Estonian | nali | ||
| The word "nali" is thought to derive from the old Germanic word "gali", meaning "mirth" or "amusement". | |||
| Finnish | vitsi | ||
| In the 1820s, a Finnish actor named Erik Johan Stagnelius became known for his popular comic performances, in which he improvised most of his dialogue. The term "vitsi," derived from Stagnelius's catchphrase "Vitsi se on," meaning "that's the joke," came to be used as a general term for jokes in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | tréfa | ||
| "Tréfa" derives from "teremteve" which means: "creation of space", implying that creating a joke is akin to creating a new space through a combination of unexpected words and/or ideas. | |||
| Latvian | joks | ||
| The word "joks" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "yek-", meaning "to laugh". | |||
| Lithuanian | pokštas | ||
| "Pokštas" originally meant "a piece of cloth" and is likely derived from the verb "pakišti", meaning "to insert". | |||
| Macedonian | шега | ||
| The Macedonian word "шега" (joke) is probably derived from the Proto-Slavic word *šegъ (mirth, gaiety) and related to the Polish word "żart" (joke). | |||
| Polish | żart | ||
| The Polish word "żart" originates from the Proto-Slavic *žьrtъ, meaning "lot, fate, portion". | |||
| Romanian | glumă | ||
| "Glumă" comes from the word "glumi", meaning "to play", and has meanings like "game" and "fun". | |||
| Russian | шутка | ||
| The word "шутка" can also mean "a playful action or gesture". | |||
| Serbian | шала | ||
| The word 'шала' can also mean cabin, refuge, booth, stand, and shed in Serbian, deriving from the Proto-Slavic word 'šala' or 'šalja', meaning hut. | |||
| Slovak | vtip | ||
| The word "vtip" also refers to a kind of bird or a part of a flower in some languages. | |||
| Slovenian | šala | ||
| The word 'Šala' originates from the Proto-Slavic term 'šolь', meaning 'to amuse' or 'to make fun of'. | |||
| Ukrainian | жарт | ||
| The word "жарт" can also mean "a mockery" or "a joke" in Ukrainian. | |||
Joke in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রসিকতা | ||
| "রসিকতা" (joke) derives from Sanskrit "রস" (essence, humor), also referring to a kind of literary composition that evokes humor. | |||
| Gujarati | મજાક | ||
| The Gujarati word "મજાક" can also mean "fun", "enjoyment", or "pleasure". | |||
| Hindi | मज़ाक | ||
| The word 'मज़ाक' originates from the Arabic word 'مزاح' meaning light conversation or banter. | |||
| Kannada | ಜೋಕ್ | ||
| Malayalam | തമാശ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'तामस' (tāmas) referred to darkness or ignorance, which could extend to a humorous misunderstanding. | |||
| Marathi | विनोद | ||
| The Marathi word 'विनोद' (joke) derives from the Sanskrit 'vinoda', meaning 'delight' or 'recreation'. | |||
| Nepali | ठट्टा | ||
| "ठट्टा" may colloquially mean "fun" or "mocking", but it literally means "to cheat" or "deceive". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਜ਼ਾਕ | ||
| The word “ਮਜ਼ਾਕ” is derived from the Arabic word “مزاح” (muzaaḥ), which means "joking, jesting, or raillery." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විහිළුවක් | ||
| The Sinhala word "විහිළුව" "(vihiluva)", meaning "joke", is derived from the Sanskrit word "विहसित" "(vihasita)", meaning "to smile" or "to laugh". | |||
| Tamil | நகைச்சுவை | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit term 'naka', 'நகைச்சுவை' not only means 'joke' but also signifies 'laughter' or 'humour' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | జోక్ | ||
| The word "ಜೋಕ್" in Telugu can also mean "a small insect" or "a worm". | |||
| Urdu | مذاق | ||
| The word "مذاق" can also refer to a "sense of humor" or a "witty remark." | |||
Joke in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 玩笑 | ||
| "玩笑" comes from "玩" (play) and "笑" (laugh) | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 玩笑 | ||
| 玩笑, also pronounced 'xiào huà' (笑話), can refer to jokes, but it can also mean 'funny', 'amusing', or 'absurd'. | |||
| Japanese | 冗談で | ||
| The suffix -de ("in") is added to -jodan ("joking") instead of -de ("by") to express that the action is performed jokingly. | |||
| Korean | 농담 | ||
| "농담" has the alternate meaning of "farming" or "cultivation". | |||
| Mongolian | хошигнол | ||
| The word "хошигнол" in Mongolian is related to the word for "laughter" and originally meant "to make laugh" or "to entertain." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဟာသ | ||
| ဟာသ comes from Sanskrit हास (hāsa), meaning "laughter". | |||
Joke in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lelucon | ||
| Derived from the verb "lelu" meaning "to make fun of" or "to mock", and has a pejorative connotation when used to describe a bad joke. | |||
| Javanese | guyonan | ||
| Guyonan literally translates to "playing together" in Indonesian. | |||
| Khmer | កំប្លែង | ||
| បំណ្លែង is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vihar', meaning 'to wander' or 'to play', and it originally referred to a type of dramatic performance. | |||
| Lao | ຕະຫລົກ | ||
| The word "ตลก" is also used in Thai to mean "funny". | |||
| Malay | jenaka | ||
| "Jenaka" also means "funny" in Malay, and originally meant "a joke or a prank" in Old Javanese. | |||
| Thai | เรื่องตลก | ||
| "เรื่องตลก" also means "story" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | trò đùa | ||
| "Trò đùa" (joke) originates from "trò" (game, play) and "đùa" (tease, fool), highlighting its playful and teasing nature. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | biro | ||
Joke in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | zarafat | ||
| The word "zarafat" also means "gracefulness" or "elegance" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | әзіл | ||
| The word "әзіл" can also mean "witticism" or "irony" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тамаша | ||
| The word "тамаша" in Kyrgyz can also mean "spectacle" or "entertainment." | |||
| Tajik | шӯхӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "шӯхӣ" can also refer to teasing or flirting. | |||
| Turkmen | degişme | ||
| Uzbek | hazil | ||
| The word "hazil" can also mean "amusing" or "funny" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | چاقچاق | ||
Joke in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomākeʻaka | ||
| Hoʻomākeʻaka is an extended form of the word 'mākeʻaka', which means 'to make one laugh'. | |||
| Maori | whakakatakata | ||
| The word "whakakatakata" can also mean "to tease" or "to jest". | |||
| Samoan | tausuaga | ||
| The word 'tausuaga' has additional meanings such as 'riddle' and 'puzzle'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magbiro | ||
| "Magbiro" also means "to talk lightly or idly" and a "playmate" who talks lightly. | |||
Joke in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sawka | ||
| Guarani | jaru | ||
Joke in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝerco | ||
| "Ŝerco" also refers to music played as a jest, often at the beginning or end of a larger work. | |||
| Latin | iocus | ||
| In addition to meaning 'joke', 'iocus' can also mean 'sport', 'play', 'jest', or 'amusement'. | |||
Joke in Others Languages
| Greek | αστείο | ||
| The word 'αστείο' in Greek shares its etymology with 'asty' meaning 'city' and 'asteios' meaning 'urbane' or 'sophisticated', reflecting the fact that jokes were often associated with city life. | |||
| Hmong | tso dag | ||
| In Hmong, "tso dag" can also refer to a "funny person" or "clown". | |||
| Kurdish | henek | ||
| The word 'henek' can also refer to a mischievous prank or playful deception. | |||
| Turkish | şaka | ||
| The Turkish word "şaka" derives from the Persian word "šākh" meaning "branch", as jokes were often told in the form of riddles using the branches of trees. | |||
| Xhosa | isiqhulo | ||
| The word "isiqhulo" is also used to refer to an amusing or playful remark or story. | |||
| Yiddish | וויץ | ||
| The Yiddish word "וויץ" (joke) shares its root with the German word "Witz", meaning "sense", "intelligence", or "understanding." | |||
| Zulu | ihlaya | ||
| Ihlaya derives from the word 'hlanya', meaning 'to play'. | |||
| Assamese | কৌতুক | ||
| Aymara | sawka | ||
| Bhojpuri | मजाक | ||
| Dhivehi | ޖޯކު | ||
| Dogri | चुटकला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | biro | ||
| Guarani | jaru | ||
| Ilocano | agrabak | ||
| Krio | jok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نوکتە | ||
| Maithili | चुटकुला | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯥꯒꯤ | ||
| Mizo | fiamthu | ||
| Oromo | qoosaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଥଟ୍ଟା | ||
| Quechua | chansa | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यंग | ||
| Tatar | шаяру | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀልዲ | ||
| Tsonga | fenya | ||