Killer in Different Languages
Discover 'Killer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'killer' is a small but powerful term, often used to describe something or someone that is highly effective or efficient at what they do. It has seeped into our everyday language and culture, becoming a common phrase in many contexts. But did you know that the word 'killer' has been translated into different languages, each with its own unique cultural significance?
For instance, in Spanish, 'killer' translates to 'asesino', which is a term used to describe someone who has committed murder. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'killer' is translated to 'キラー (kira)', which is often used in manga and anime to describe a ruthless assassin or killer. In German, 'killer' becomes 'Killer', which is used to describe a person or thing that kills.
Understanding the translation of 'killer' in different languages can provide insight into how other cultures perceive the concept of something or someone being highly effective or efficient. It can also help us appreciate the richness and diversity of language and culture around the world.
Below, you will find a list of translations of 'killer' in different languages. Explore and discover the unique cultural significance of this powerful word in various languages and cultures.
Killer
Killer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | moordenaar | ||
| The word "moordenaar" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "moordenaer", which originally meant "accomplice in murder" | |||
| Amharic | ገዳይ | ||
| In Amharic, "ገዳይ" can also mean "a person who has killed someone." | |||
| Hausa | mai kisa | ||
| As a term of endearment, a 'mai kisa' is a cherished person who is also a formidable defender of their loved ones. | |||
| Igbo | ogbu mmadu | ||
| "Ogbu mmadu" can also mean "a hero" or "a warrior" in some contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | mpamono olona | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "mpamono olona" has a literal meaning of "human killer" and can also refer to a serial killer or assassin. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wakupha | ||
| In Nyanja, "wakupha" can also denote a police officer or prosecutor. | |||
| Shona | mhondi | ||
| The Shona word "mhondi" can also refer to a person who has been cursed or is believed to be cursed. | |||
| Somali | dilaa | ||
| The word "dilaa" in Somali likely comes from the root word "dil," meaning "to end" or "to finish," and is also related to the word "dilo," meaning "blood." | |||
| Sesotho | 'molai | ||
| The Sesotho word 'molai' can also be used to describe someone who is stubborn or difficult to deal with. | |||
| Swahili | muuaji | ||
| Muuaji can also refer to a hangman or executioner. | |||
| Xhosa | umbulali | ||
| The word "umbulali" can also refer to a person who has committed murder or a dangerous animal capable of killing, showcasing its versatility in describing deadly entities. | |||
| Yoruba | apaniyan | ||
| "Apaniyan" also means "one who has done what is great" and is used as a praise name. | |||
| Zulu | umbulali | ||
| In Zulu, "umbulali" is also a type of large cat similar to a leopard | |||
| Bambara | mɔgɔfagala | ||
| Ewe | amewula | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwicanyi | ||
| Lingala | mobomi | ||
| Luganda | omutemu | ||
| Sepedi | mmolai | ||
| Twi (Akan) | owudifo | ||
Killer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القاتل | ||
| The word "القاتل" (killer) can also refer to a type of venomous snake found in the Middle East and North Africa. | |||
| Hebrew | רוֹצֵחַ | ||
| While the primary meaning of רוֹצֵחַ is "killer", it can also refer to an assassin or murderer. | |||
| Pashto | وژونکی | ||
| 'وژونکی' is also slang for 'beautiful' or 'attractive'. | |||
| Arabic | القاتل | ||
| The word "القاتل" (killer) can also refer to a type of venomous snake found in the Middle East and North Africa. | |||
Killer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vrases | ||
| Vrases is also a plant of the genus Salvia. | |||
| Basque | hiltzailea | ||
| A word of Proto-Basque origin, "hiltzailea" also means "mortal", "dead". | |||
| Catalan | assassí | ||
| Croatian | ubojica | ||
| The word 'ubojica' can also refer to a slaughterhouse in Croatian, highlighting the connection between killing and food production. | |||
| Danish | morder | ||
| The word "morder" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *murðrą, which also means "murder". | |||
| Dutch | moordenaar | ||
| The word "moordenaar" is derived from the Old Dutch word "mordenare," meaning "one who murders" or "assassin." | |||
| English | killer | ||
| The term "killer" can also refer to an exceptionally powerful or impressive person, thing, or event | |||
| French | tueur | ||
| The word "tueur" in French could also refer to a 'butcher', 'slaughterer', or someone tasked with killing. | |||
| Frisian | moardner | ||
| Frisian 'moardner' is cognate with English 'murder', ultimately deriving from Old English 'morþor' and Proto-Germanic '*murþraz'. | |||
| Galician | asasina | ||
| The term "asasina" derives from the Arabic verb "assassin", which was used to describe members of a secretive order of assassins in the medieval Middle East. | |||
| German | mörder | ||
| The German word | |||
| Icelandic | morðingi | ||
| The word “morðingi” derives from the Old Norse word “morðr” meaning “murder” and the suffix “-ingi” indicating a perpetrator or agent. | |||
| Irish | marú | ||
| **Marú** derives from an Old Irish word that also meant "great" or "noble". | |||
| Italian | uccisore | ||
| The Italian word "uccisore" derives from the Latin word "occīsor," meaning "murderer" or "slayer." | |||
| Luxembourgish | killer | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Killer" is derived from the French word "quiller", meaning "to write". | |||
| Maltese | qattiel | ||
| The word “qattiel” is also used metaphorically to refer to a person who is very skilled at something. | |||
| Norwegian | morder | ||
| The word "morder" in Norwegian may also refer to a "nightmare" or a "spectre". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | assassino | ||
| In Portuguese, "assassino" comes from the Arabic word "hashshashin", referring to a group of assassins who used hashish. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | marbhadh | ||
| The word "marbhadh" in Scots Gaelic is also used to refer to a person who performs a killing or murder. | |||
| Spanish | asesino | ||
| Swedish | mördare | ||
| "Mö" in "mördare" refers to "death", a term also found in the Old English word "morth" | |||
| Welsh | llofrudd | ||
| The Welsh word "llofrudd" is derived from the words "llof" (heat) and "rhudd" (red) and was originally used to describe someone with red hands from bloodshed. | |||
Killer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | забойца | ||
| The word 'забойца' in Belarusian has also been used to refer to a slaughterhouse worker or a butcher. | |||
| Bosnian | ubica | ||
| "Ubica" in Bosnian is a derivative of the word "ubiti" which means "to kill". The word "ubica" can also be used as a noun to refer to a "murderer". | |||
| Bulgarian | убиец | ||
| The word "убиец" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "убити", meaning "to kill", and originally meant "one who kills". It later acquired the additional meaning of "assassin". | |||
| Czech | zabiják | ||
| In colloquial Czech, "zabiják" can also refer to a very attractive person. | |||
| Estonian | tapja | ||
| The word "tapja" was derived from the Estonian word "tapma," which means "to kill." | |||
| Finnish | tappaja | ||
| The word "tappaja" can also refer to a type of Finnish folk song that tells a story of murder. | |||
| Hungarian | gyilkos | ||
| The Hungarian “gyilkos” is derived from the verb “gyilkol,” which means “to assassinate” or “to murder”. | |||
| Latvian | slepkava | ||
| The word "slepkava" in Latvian also means "lazy" or "sluggish". | |||
| Lithuanian | žudikas | ||
| The word "žudikas" is derived from the Lithuanian word "žudyti", meaning "to kill". | |||
| Macedonian | убиец | ||
| The word "убиец" is derived from the Slavic verb "убити", which means "to kill" or "to murder". | |||
| Polish | zabójca | ||
| "Zabójca" also refers to a certain type of wild boar in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | ucigaş | ||
| Etymologically, "ucigaş" is closely related to the word "ucenic," meaning "student," and both words refer to the act of killing, but in different contexts. | |||
| Russian | убийца | ||
| In Russian, the word "убийца" evolved from the phrase "у битый", meaning "struck to death". | |||
| Serbian | убица | ||
| 'Убица' is a Serbian word with a complex etymology rooted in Slavic languages and can also refer to a 'murderer' or 'assassin'. | |||
| Slovak | zabijak | ||
| The word 'zabijak' originally referred to a strong and healthy person who could complete difficult tasks. | |||
| Slovenian | morilec | ||
| The word "morilec" derives from the verb "moriti" (to kill), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic "*moriti" (to kill or to die). | |||
| Ukrainian | вбивця | ||
| "Вбивця" also means "to hammer in" in Ukrainian. | |||
Killer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঘাতক | ||
| The term "ঘাতক" in Bengali derives from the Sanskrit words "घृ" (to hurt) and "तक" (to do), thus literally meaning "perpetrator of violence". | |||
| Gujarati | ખૂની | ||
| The Gujarati word "ખૂની" also means "criminal" or "offender." | |||
| Hindi | हत्यारा | ||
| The word हत्यारा derives from the Sanskrit word हत (hat), meaning 'killed' or 'destroyed'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ | ||
| The word 'ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ' is derived from the Kannada word 'ಕೊಲೆ' meaning 'murder' and the suffix '-ಗಾರ' indicating the agent or doer of an action. | |||
| Malayalam | കൊലയാളി | ||
| In Malayalam, the word "കൊലയാളി" not only means "killer" but also refers to a type of venomous snake, specifically the king cobra. | |||
| Marathi | खुनी | ||
| The Marathi word "खुनी" can also mean "stained" or "tarnished". | |||
| Nepali | हत्यारा | ||
| The word हत्यारा can also mean murderer, assassin, executioner or slayer. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਤਲ | ||
| In Punjabi, 'ਕਾਤਲ' can also refer to one who kills animals. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ler ාතකයා | ||
| This word is derived from the Sanskrit word | |||
| Tamil | கொலையாளி | ||
| கொலையாளி, which translates to | |||
| Telugu | కిల్లర్ | ||
| 'కిల్లర్' ('killer') is a slang word used to describe someone who is very good at something | |||
| Urdu | قاتل | ||
Killer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 杀手 | ||
| "杀手"源于戏曲术语，指武艺高强却沦为凶手的角色，寓意“杀人不眨眼”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 殺手 | ||
| 殺手 (shāshǒu) can also refer to a martial arts master, assassin, or secret agent. | |||
| Japanese | キラー | ||
| The word キラー can also refer to a type of whale or a kind of tofu, depending on the context. | |||
| Korean | 살인자 | ||
| 살인자 (salinja) literally means "person who committed murder" but can also be used figuratively to refer to ruthless or brutal person | |||
| Mongolian | алуурчин | ||
| "Алуурчин" may also refer to "the act of killing" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူသတ်သမား | ||
Killer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pembunuh | ||
| In Malay, the word "pembunuh" also means "murderer". | |||
| Javanese | tukang mateni | ||
| The word 'tukang mateni' in Javanese can also refer to a slaughterer or an executioner, highlighting its association with taking life. | |||
| Khmer | ឃាតករ | ||
| The Khmer word "ឃាតករ" (killer) is derived from the Sanskrit word "घातक" (ghataka), meaning "one who kills" or "murderer". | |||
| Lao | ນັກຂ້າ | ||
| Malay | pembunuh | ||
| While pembunuh in Malay means "killer", it also refers to the "female flower of a betel leaf vine" in Javanese, demonstrating the nuances of its etymology. | |||
| Thai | ฆาตกร | ||
| ฆาตกร derived from the Pali word khataṃ which means 'cutting', implying the act of murder. | |||
| Vietnamese | sát thủ | ||
| The word "sát thủ" in Vietnamese originally referred to a hunter, but now it exclusively means "killer". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mamamatay tao | ||
Killer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qatil | ||
| The word "qatil" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "murderer" or a "slayer". | |||
| Kazakh | өлтіруші | ||
| The Kazakh word "өлтіруші" literally means "one who kills" and can also refer to an executioner or assassin. | |||
| Kyrgyz | киллер | ||
| Киллер in Kyrgyz can refer to an intentional killing or an unintentional killing of a human being. | |||
| Tajik | қотил | ||
| The word "қотил" is a Tajik loanword from Russian "котель" ("boiler") but it also means "killer". | |||
| Turkmen | ganhor | ||
| Uzbek | qotil | ||
| Uzbek "qotil" also means "the one who is killed". | |||
| Uyghur | قاتىل | ||
Killer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea pepehi kanaka | ||
| The Hawaiian word "mea pepehi kanaka" can also be translated to mean "instrument of killing" or "murder weapon". | |||
| Maori | kaipatu | ||
| The word "kaipatu" in Maori can also refer to a cannibal or a person who eats human flesh. | |||
| Samoan | fasioti tagata | ||
| The word "fasioti tagata" in Samoan can also mean "a person who causes harm or damage". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mamamatay-tao | ||
| The word "mamamatay-tao" in Tagalog has no alternate meanings and its etymology is unknown. | |||
Killer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiwayiri | ||
| Guarani | asesino rehegua | ||
Killer in International Languages
| Esperanto | murdisto | ||
| Latin | occisor | ||
| The Latin word "occisor" originally referred to a victim or sacrifice, and only later came to mean "killer". | |||
Killer in Others Languages
| Greek | φονιάς | ||
| The Greek word "φονιάς" (killer) is derived from the verb "φονεύω" (to kill), which further derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "gʰen-." This root also appears in Sanskrit's "hanati" (to kill). | |||
| Hmong | neeg tua neeg | ||
| The term "neeg tua neeg" in Hmong can also be used to refer to a person who has been killed. | |||
| Kurdish | mirdar | ||
| Mirdar shares its origin with the Ancient Greek word 'myriarch', meaning 'commander of ten thousand'. | |||
| Turkish | katil | ||
| In Turkish, "katil" has a secondary meaning of "suspect" due to its derivation from Arabic "qatala," meaning "to kill or murder." | |||
| Xhosa | umbulali | ||
| The word "umbulali" can also refer to a person who has committed murder or a dangerous animal capable of killing, showcasing its versatility in describing deadly entities. | |||
| Yiddish | רעצייעך | ||
| The Yiddish word "רעצייעך" (reytseyech) ultimately derives from the Old French "recevour", meaning "receiver" or "collector." | |||
| Zulu | umbulali | ||
| In Zulu, "umbulali" is also a type of large cat similar to a leopard | |||
| Assamese | হত্যাকাৰী | ||
| Aymara | jiwayiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | हत्यारा के कहल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | ޤާތިލެކެވެ | ||
| Dogri | कत्ल करने वाला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mamamatay tao | ||
| Guarani | asesino rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | mammapatay | ||
| Krio | pɔsin we de kil pɔsin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بکوژ | ||
| Maithili | हत्यारा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯤꯂꯥꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | mi thattu a ni | ||
| Oromo | ajjeesaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହତ୍ୟାକାରୀ | ||
| Quechua | wañuchiq | ||
| Sanskrit | घातकः | ||
| Tatar | киллер | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀታሊ | ||
| Tsonga | mudlayi | ||