Lie in Different Languages
Discover 'Lie' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lie' is a small but powerful part of our vocabulary, carrying significant weight in both communication and cultural contexts. A lie, as we commonly understand, is a statement that is intentionally false, used to deceive or mislead others. But the implications of a lie can be much more far-reaching, impacting relationships, communities, and even entire societies.
Throughout history, lies have played a role in shaping our world, from political propaganda to personal relationships. But while the impact of a lie may be universal, the way we express the concept can vary greatly from one language to another.
For instance, in Spanish, a lie is known as 'una mentira', while in German, it's 'eine Lüge'. In French, the word is 'un mensonge', and in Japanese, it's 'uso'. Each of these translations offers a unique cultural perspective on the concept of a lie, shedding light on the ways in which different societies view deception and honesty.
In the sections below, we'll explore the translations of the word 'lie' in even more depth, delving into the nuances of this powerful word in languages from around the world.
Lie
Lie in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lieg | ||
| The Afrikaans word "lieg" is derived from the Dutch word "liegen", meaning "to recline" or "to lie down". | |||
| Amharic | ውሸት | ||
| Hausa | karya | ||
| Hausa word "karya" also refers to a traditional form of storytelling or theatre and a kind of dance performed by men. | |||
| Igbo | ụgha | ||
| The Igbo word "ụgha" can also mean "falsehood", "fabrication", or "deception". | |||
| Malagasy | lainga | ||
| The Malagasy word 'lainga' evolved from the Proto-Austronesian word 'laŋo', which carried the meanings of 'denial', 'cheat', and 'error' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kunama | ||
| The word "kunama" in Nyanja can also refer to the act of cheating in a game or test. | |||
| Shona | kunyepa | ||
| The Shona word "kunyepa" not only means "lie" but also refers to an entertaining story, joke, or tale. | |||
| Somali | been | ||
| The Somali word | |||
| Sesotho | leshano | ||
| Swahili | uwongo | ||
| Etymology: From Proto-Bantu *buloko "deception, falsehood, lie, trick, fraud". | |||
| Xhosa | buxoki | ||
| The word "buxoki" in Xhosa can also mean a "falsehood" or a "pretense." | |||
| Yoruba | irọ | ||
| The word 'irọ' can also mean 'story' or 'tale' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | amanga | ||
| "Amanga" derives from the Zulu word "manga", meaning "to cheat" or "to deceive". | |||
| Bambara | nkalon | ||
| Ewe | alakpa | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubeshya | ||
| Lingala | kokosa | ||
| Luganda | okulimba | ||
| Sepedi | maaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | torɔ | ||
Lie in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | راحه | ||
| In Arabic, "راحة" can also mean 'rest' or 'comfort'. | |||
| Hebrew | שקר | ||
| In Hebrew, "שקר" can also refer to a deceptive appearance or a mirage. | |||
| Pashto | دروغ | ||
| The Pashto word "دروغ" is also used in certain contexts to describe an "illusion" or "mirage". | |||
| Arabic | راحه | ||
| In Arabic, "راحة" can also mean 'rest' or 'comfort'. | |||
Lie in Western European Languages
| Albanian | genjen | ||
| The word "genjen" in Albanian is derived from the Indo-European root *ǵenh₂-, meaning "to know" or "to declare". | |||
| Basque | gezurra | ||
| The word 'gezurra' in Basque also means 'untruth' or 'deception'. | |||
| Catalan | mentir | ||
| The word "mentir" in Catalan derives from the Latin verb "mentiri", meaning "to feign", "to pretend", or "to give a false impression." | |||
| Croatian | laž | ||
| The word "laž" in Croatian can also refer to a "falsehood" or "untruth". | |||
| Danish | ligge | ||
| Ligge is also used as an abbreviation for the Danish word for lift or elevator, 'elevator' | |||
| Dutch | liggen | ||
| The word "liggen" in Dutch can also mean to float on water or to lay eggs. | |||
| English | lie | ||
| The word 'lie' can also refer to the position of a person or object, e.g. 'He was lying in bed'. | |||
| French | mensonge | ||
| The word "mensonge" comes from the Latin "mentiri," meaning "to lie" or "to deceive." | |||
| Frisian | lizze | ||
| Lizze derives from Old Frisian "lithe" for "member" or "limb", with extended sense including "genitalia", and "corpse". | |||
| Galician | mentir | ||
| In Galician, there is also another meaning for "mentir" related to the weather: to drizzle or rain lightly. | |||
| German | lüge | ||
| The word "Lüge" also has the alternate meaning of "falsehood" or "untruth", and is derived from the Old High German word "lugi", meaning "deception" or "falsehood". | |||
| Icelandic | ljúga | ||
| The word "ljúga" can also mean "to boast" or "to brag" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | bréag | ||
| The word "bréag" in Irish can also refer to a "hallucination" or "illusion." | |||
| Italian | menzogna | ||
| The Italian word "menzogna" originally meant "lack of thought" and could sometimes be used to convey "mistake". | |||
| Luxembourgish | leien | ||
| "Leien" is the Luxembourgish equivalent of "to lie", but it can also be used to describe someone who is lazy or slow. | |||
| Maltese | gidba | ||
| The Maltese word 'gidba' also denotes 'falsehood' or 'deception'. | |||
| Norwegian | å ligge | ||
| The word "å ligge" has an alternate meaning of "to stay" or "to exist", similar to the English word "lie" in phrases like "the land lies to the west". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mentira | ||
| The word "mentira" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) comes from the Latin "mentiri," meaning "to lie," and also has the connotation of "untruth" or "falsehood." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | laighe | ||
| "Laighe" can also refer to a flat stone or a gravestone in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | mentira | ||
| The Spanish word "mentira" can also refer to a "falsehood" or a "fabrication". | |||
| Swedish | lögn | ||
| In Old Norse, "lögn" also meant "a defect," "a fault," or "a blemish." | |||
| Welsh | celwydd | ||
| The Welsh word "celwydd" is related to the Old Irish "celad" meaning "to conceal". | |||
Lie in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | хлусня | ||
| The word "хлусня" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *klъs-, meaning "cheat" or "deceive". | |||
| Bosnian | laži | ||
| The word „laži” can also mean “slander” or “calumny”. | |||
| Bulgarian | лъжа | ||
| The word "лъжа" in Bulgarian has Slavic origins and shares its root with the Russian word "лгать" (to lie), suggesting a connection to the concept of "deceit" or "fabrication" in both languages. | |||
| Czech | lhát | ||
| The word 'lhát' also means 'to pour' | |||
| Estonian | valetama | ||
| The word "valetama" comes from the verb "valama", meaning "to pour", and originally referred to pouring something out to get rid of it. | |||
| Finnish | valehdella | ||
| The word "valehdella" comes from the Proto-Finnic *waljeta, which in turn derives from Uralic *walje ('to roll, turn'). | |||
| Hungarian | hazugság | ||
| The word "hazugság" is derived from the Proto-Hungarian root *həz-, meaning "to speak" or "to tell a story". | |||
| Latvian | meli | ||
| The Latvian word "meli" (lie) is also used to describe a type of small boat, likely derived from the Old Prussian "malwē" meaning "boat," itself likely from Proto-Germanic "*malwōn." | |||
| Lithuanian | melas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "melas" may originate from the Proto-Indo-European root *mel- meaning "to speak, to say" and also has the alternate meaning of "speech". | |||
| Macedonian | лага | ||
| The word "лага" in Macedonian can also mean "myth" or "legend". | |||
| Polish | kłamstwo | ||
| Kłamstwo originates from the word kłam, which itself comes from the Proto-Slavic word *klǫsti, meaning 'to deceive'. | |||
| Romanian | minciună | ||
| "Minciună" is thought to derive from Proto-Slavic *mьnzъ, meaning "exchange, change" or perhaps "to alter the truth". | |||
| Russian | ложь | ||
| The word "ложь" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *lьg-, meaning "to deceive". It also has the alternate meaning of "falsehood". | |||
| Serbian | лагати | ||
| The term 'лагати' ('lie' in Serbian) can also mean 'to place' or 'to put'. | |||
| Slovak | klamať | ||
| The word "klamať" in Slovak also means "to deceive" or "to cheat". | |||
| Slovenian | lagati | ||
| The word 'lagati' in Slovenian also means 'to deceive' or 'to tell a story' | |||
| Ukrainian | брехати | ||
| The word "брехати" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*brechati", meaning "to speak falsely" or "to deceive". | |||
Lie in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মিথ্যা | ||
| The word "মিথ্যা" can also mean "false" or "incorrect" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | જૂઠું બોલો | ||
| Hindi | झूठ | ||
| The word "झूठ" can also refer to "vanity" or "deceitful person" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಸುಳ್ಳು | ||
| The word "ಸುಳ್ಳು" can also mean "deceit" or "falsehood". | |||
| Malayalam | നുണ പറയുക | ||
| The word "നുണ പറയുക" derives from the Proto-Dravidian root *nug-/*nuŋ-, meaning "to deceive, cheat, or lie." | |||
| Marathi | खोटे बोलणे | ||
| The Marathi word "खोटे बोलणे" also means "to speak uselessly or idly" or "to gossip or spread rumors". | |||
| Nepali | झुटो | ||
| झुटो (lie) comes from Sanskrit, perhaps related to छल (deception) | |||
| Punjabi | ਝੂਠ | ||
| The Punjabi word ਝੂਠ (lie) is a cognate of the Hindi word 'jhooth', derived from the Sanskrit word 'dyut'. This root word also refers to 'light', 'brightness,' 'heavenly bodies,' etc. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බොරු කියන්න | ||
| Tamil | பொய் | ||
| The noun 'பொய்' in Tamil, apart from meaning 'lie', also means 'fault, error' or 'vain'} | |||
| Telugu | అబద్ధం | ||
| The term 'అబద్ధం' also means 'falsehood', 'untruth', 'fiction', and 'myth'. | |||
| Urdu | جھوٹ بولنا | ||
| The Urdu word "جھوٹ بولنا" means "to lie", but it can also be used to mean "to deceive" or "to cheat". | |||
Lie in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 谎言 | ||
| The Chinese character "谎" also appears in "梦想" (dream), signifying a departure from reality. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 謊言 | ||
| "謊言"在中國古代，泛指不誠實的言語行為，包括欺騙、虛假和捏造，而如今專指故意說出虛假話語的行為。 | |||
| Japanese | 横たわる | ||
| "横たわる" is also used to describe a situation in which one is incapacitated, such as being bedridden or knocked unconscious. | |||
| Korean | 거짓말 | ||
| The word "거짓말" is sometimes used in a non-literal sense to simply mean "a joke" or "a pretense". | |||
| Mongolian | худал хэлэх | ||
| The word "худал хэлэх" means 'false statement' and 'deception', but its literal translation is 'empty speech'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လိမ်တယ် | ||
Lie in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berbohong | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "berbohong" originally meant "to talk with no basis", and was only later extended to signify "a statement of an untruth". | |||
| Javanese | ngapusi | ||
| The Javanese word "ngapusi" is cognate with the Malay "mengapu-apui," both of which also have meanings of "to drift". | |||
| Khmer | កុហក | ||
| The word "កុហក" in Khmer can also refer to a "false witness" or a "perjurer". | |||
| Lao | ຕົວະ | ||
| "ຕົວະ" can also mean "an animal", "a thing", or "a person", which is similar to the usage of the word "thing" in English. | |||
| Malay | menipu | ||
| The word "menipu" also means "to cheat" or "to deceive" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | โกหก | ||
| The Thai word “โกหก” can also refer to a person who lies or a fabrication. | |||
| Vietnamese | nói dối | ||
| In Vietnamese, "nói dối" has multiple meanings beyond "lie", including "to pretend", "to bluff", and "to fib". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasinungalingan | ||
Lie in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yalan | ||
| "Yalan" also refers to the verb "to hide" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | өтірік | ||
| The word "өтірік" (lie) in Kazakh is derived from the Proto-Turkic root "*ütür-", meaning "to deceive" or "to mislead". | |||
| Kyrgyz | калп | ||
| "Калп" (калба) - это ложь, выдумка; также "ложный"; "придуманный, неправдоподобный; фантастический; сказочный" | |||
| Tajik | дурӯғ | ||
| The word "дурӯғ" can also mean "falsehood" or "fiction" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýalan | ||
| Uzbek | yolg'on | ||
| The Uzbek word "yolg'on" also means "fraud" or "deception" | |||
| Uyghur | يالغان | ||
Lie in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wahahee | ||
| In Hawaiian culture, "wahahee" is also associated with storytelling and creativity. | |||
| Maori | teka | ||
| Teka has a double meaning in Māori: one that implies wrongdoing and deception, and one that refers to something being different or unusual. | |||
| Samoan | pepelo | ||
| The Samoan word "pepelo" not only means "lie" but also "story" or "history," reflecting the cultural significance of storytelling in Samoan society. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasinungalingan | ||
Lie in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'arisiña | ||
| Guarani | japu | ||
Lie in International Languages
| Esperanto | mensogi | ||
| "Mensogi" can also refer to a type of traditional Japanese sword guard. | |||
| Latin | mendacium | ||
| The Latin word "mendacium" originally meant a fault or defect, later acquiring its meaning as a lie. | |||
Lie in Others Languages
| Greek | ψέμα | ||
| The word 'ψέμα' in Greek also refers to an 'illusion', a 'trick' and a 'deception'. | |||
| Hmong | dag | ||
| Hmong word dag is also an alternate of meaning of word dag in English language that means 'the last remains' of anything. | |||
| Kurdish | derew | ||
| The Kurdish word "derew" also has the meanings of "falsehood" and "untruth". | |||
| Turkish | yalan | ||
| Originally meaning "error" or "mistake", "yalan" has expanded its meaning to include intentional falsehoods. | |||
| Xhosa | buxoki | ||
| The word "buxoki" in Xhosa can also mean a "falsehood" or a "pretense." | |||
| Yiddish | ליגן | ||
| The Yiddish word 'ליגן' can also mean 'to rest' or 'to lie down'. | |||
| Zulu | amanga | ||
| "Amanga" derives from the Zulu word "manga", meaning "to cheat" or "to deceive". | |||
| Assamese | মিছা | ||
| Aymara | k'arisiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | झूठ | ||
| Dhivehi | ދޮގު | ||
| Dogri | झूठ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasinungalingan | ||
| Guarani | japu | ||
| Ilocano | ulbod | ||
| Krio | lay | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | درۆ | ||
| Maithili | झूठ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯆꯤꯟ ꯊꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | dawt | ||
| Oromo | sobuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମିଛ | ||
| Quechua | llullay | ||
| Sanskrit | असत्यम् | ||
| Tatar | ялган | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓሶት | ||
| Tsonga | vunwa | ||