Life in Different Languages
Discover 'Life' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Life is a fascinating word, with a significance that transcends language and culture. At its most basic, 'life' refers to the characteristic that distinguishes physical entities that do have biological processes, such as growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli, from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased (death), or because they never had such functions and are classified as inanimate.
The concept of life has been pondered by philosophers, scientists, and theologians for centuries, and it continues to be a source of fascination and debate. In many cultures and religions, life is considered sacred and is often associated with notions of the soul and spirituality.
Understanding the translation of the word 'life' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view and value this fundamental aspect of existence. For example, in Spanish, 'life' is 'vida', while in French, it is 'vie'. In Mandarin Chinese, 'life' is '生命' (shēng mìng), and in Japanese, it is '生命' (seimei).
In this article, we will explore the translations of the word 'life' in a variety of languages, shedding light on the cultural importance of this universal concept.
Life
Life in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lewe | ||
| Lewe' is derived from Old High German 'leban' which also means to 'to live' but is also used to describe "the soul, person, essence". | |||
| Amharic | ሕይወት | ||
| "The Geez word 'ḥyw' (ሕይወ), meaning 'to live', has the same root as the Amharic 'ሕይወት' (ḥaywa)" | |||
| Hausa | rayuwa | ||
| In Hausa, "rayuwa" is also associated with "way of life", especially one's profession or livelihood. | |||
| Igbo | ndụ | ||
| 'Ndụ' also means 'the world' and 'everything in it'. | |||
| Malagasy | fiainana | ||
| The word "Fiainana" in Malagasy also means "livelihood" or "sustenance". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | moyo | ||
| In a figurative sense, "moyo" can also refer to a person's inner being, character, or personality. | |||
| Shona | hupenyu | ||
| The word "hupenyu" can also refer to a person's fortune or destiny. | |||
| Somali | nolosha | ||
| The word "nolosha" also means "breath" in Somali, emphasizing the close connection between life and the breath of life. | |||
| Sesotho | bophelo | ||
| Bophelo (life), 'the state of being alive,' and bokhetho (choice), 'the act of choosing,' are derived from the same root. | |||
| Swahili | maisha | ||
| The Swahili word "maisha" is possibly derived from the Arabic word "ma'āsh" (provisions, livelihood), but ultimately goes back to the Akkadian word "mīšu" (sustenance, life). | |||
| Xhosa | ubomi | ||
| The word "ubomi" in Xhosa can also mean "existence" or "being". | |||
| Yoruba | igbesi aye | ||
| The Yoruba word "igbesi aye" literally translates to "the path of the world" or "the journey of life" | |||
| Zulu | impilo | ||
| Impilo is derived from the root word ila meaning 'to endure' | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛnamaya | ||
| Ewe | agbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuzima | ||
| Lingala | bomoi | ||
| Luganda | obulamu | ||
| Sepedi | bophelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkwa | ||
Life in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الحياة | ||
| In Arabic, the word "الحياة" means "life" and is also derived from the root word "حَيي" which means "living", "existing", or "being alive" | |||
| Hebrew | חַיִים | ||
| The name חַיִים (Haim) is a derivative of the word חַיִים (life), and has cognates in Arabic and Aramaic. | |||
| Pashto | ژوند | ||
| The Pashto word "ژوند" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰiw-ó-s" meaning "living being" or "life force". | |||
| Arabic | الحياة | ||
| In Arabic, the word "الحياة" means "life" and is also derived from the root word "حَيي" which means "living", "existing", or "being alive" | |||
Life in Western European Languages
| Albanian | jeta | ||
| The word "jeta" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷʰih₃-tó-s", which also means "life". | |||
| Basque | bizitza | ||
| The Basque word "bizitza" shares a common root with the words "bizkar" (back) and "bizi" (way), suggesting a sense of life as a journey or path. | |||
| Catalan | la vida | ||
| The Catalan word "la vida" is derived from the Latin "vita", meaning "life, existence," or "a course of existence." | |||
| Croatian | život | ||
| "Život" also means "stomach" or "abdomen" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | liv | ||
| The word "liv" in Danish also has the alternate meaning of "body" or "complexion". | |||
| Dutch | leven | ||
| In 14th century Dutch, the word "leven" also meant "loaves of bread". | |||
| English | life | ||
| The word 'life' originates from the Old English word 'līf' which meant 'existence' or 'sustenance'. | |||
| French | la vie | ||
| The feminine noun "la vie" is used to mean "life" in general, but it can also refer to a particular kind of life, such as "la vie de famille" (family life). | |||
| Frisian | libben | ||
| The Frisian word "libben" is cognated with the English "life" and the Dutch "leven", all deriving from the Proto-Germanic "libaz". | |||
| Galician | vida | ||
| Aside from meaning "life" "vida" is also used as a term of endearment in Galician. | |||
| German | leben | ||
| The word "Leben" is also used in German to refer to the liquid that surrounds a fetus. | |||
| Icelandic | lífið | ||
| Lífið can also mean 'body' and 'flesh' in the plural, as well as 'sustenance' or 'livelihood' | |||
| Irish | saol | ||
| In Irish mythology, the word "saol" can also refer to the "otherworld" or "fairy realm." | |||
| Italian | vita | ||
| The Italian word "vita" comes from Latin, and its original meaning is "existence" | |||
| Luxembourgish | liewen | ||
| "Liéwen", the word used to describe the concept "life" in Luxembourgish, is also related to the noun or verb for love and is connected to the idea of being alive, or living." | |||
| Maltese | ħajja | ||
| The word "ħajja" comes from the root "ħ-j-j" meaning "to exist" or "to breathe". | |||
| Norwegian | liv | ||
| The word "liv" can also mean "existence" or "fate" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vida | ||
| In Portuguese, "vida" is derived from Latin "vita" and can refer to both "life" and "way of life". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beatha | ||
| The word "beatha" (life) is related to the Irish "beathadh" (birth), Welsh "bywyd" (life), and Breton "beo" (alive). | |||
| Spanish | vida | ||
| In Latin, "vita" (life) is also a feminine noun, referring to the "way or mode of life" as well as "existence" or "way of living." | |||
| Swedish | liv | ||
| The word 'liv' also means 'existence' or 'way of living' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | bywyd | ||
| The word "bywyd" also means "existence" and "livelihood" in Welsh. | |||
Life in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жыццё | ||
| The word "жыццё" in Belarusian ultimately goes back to the Proto-Slavic word *žьtije, which meant "nourishment" or "sustenance". | |||
| Bosnian | život | ||
| "Život" (life) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *živъtŭ, meaning "living thing" or "living being". | |||
| Bulgarian | живот | ||
| Bulgarian "живот" is related to German "leben", French "vivre", Spanish "vivir", and English "alive", and can also mean "belly". | |||
| Czech | život | ||
| "Život" is related to the word "živa", which means "water". In a time when people didn't know much about biology, it was believed that water was the key to life. | |||
| Estonian | elu | ||
| Elu is derived from Proto-Uralic *elo, which also meant 'life, vitality, soul' | |||
| Finnish | elämää | ||
| The Finnish word "elämää" not only means "life," but also "lively" and "vivacious" | |||
| Hungarian | élet | ||
| The word "élet" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word *el-, which also means "to live" | |||
| Latvian | dzīve | ||
| "Dzīves" can also refer to "a living soul," a person of a certain "character or nature," a person's personal "lot," | |||
| Lithuanian | gyvenimo | ||
| The Lithuanian word "gyvenimo" is cognate with the Old Norse word "lifa" and the Old Prussian word "giwans", all of which mean "life". | |||
| Macedonian | живот | ||
| The word "живот" ("life") in Macedonian can also mean "belly" or "abdomen", derived from the Proto-Slavic root *živъ, meaning "alive". | |||
| Polish | życie | ||
| The Polish word "życie" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "živъ", which also means "living being". | |||
| Romanian | viaţă | ||
| The Romanian word «viaţă» also means "way" or "road" and is a cognate with "vita" (Latin), "vie" (French), "vida" (Spanish) and "vita" (Italian). | |||
| Russian | жизнь | ||
| The Russian word "жизнь" is cognate with the English word "quick" and the Latin word "vivere" (to live). | |||
| Serbian | живот | ||
| The word 'живот' not only means 'life,' but it can also refer to 'stomach, belly,' or 'waistline'. | |||
| Slovak | život | ||
| The word "život" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "žytъ", meaning "to live". It also has the alternate meaning of "fate" or "destiny". | |||
| Slovenian | življenje | ||
| Življenje also means “liveliness” or “vitality” in Slovenian, which can be seen in its derivatives such as “živ” (alive) and “živost” (liveliness). | |||
| Ukrainian | життя | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'життя' ('life'), derives from Proto-Slavic *žitъ, also the root of 'to live'. It shares cognates across the Slavic family, such as the Russian 'жизнь,' the Polish 'życie,' the Slovak 'život,' the Croatian 'život,' and the Bulgarian 'живот'. | |||
Life in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জীবন | ||
| The word "জীবন" ("life") in Bengali also means "livelihood", "way of life", or "existence". | |||
| Gujarati | જીવન | ||
| The Gujarati word for "life" (જીવન) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jīvana" which means "vital breath". | |||
| Hindi | जिंदगी | ||
| The Hindi word "जिंदगी" (life) also has a colloquial meaning of "livelihood" or "way of making a living." | |||
| Kannada | ಜೀವನ | ||
| The term 'ಜೀವನ' ('life') in Kannada originates from the Sanskrit word 'जीवन' ('life'), which is derived from the Indo-European root 'ǵeiw-', meaning 'to live' or 'to be alive'. | |||
| Malayalam | ജീവിതം | ||
| Marathi | जीवन | ||
| The word "जीवन" in Marathi also refers to the "universe". | |||
| Nepali | जीवन | ||
| "जीवन" (life) comes from the word "जीव" (to live), which in turn traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European root "gwei-v-a", meaning "to live" or "exist." | |||
| Punjabi | ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ | ||
| The word "ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ" shares its root with "जिंद" meaning "vitality" and "गीत" meaning "song" in Sanskrit, suggesting a life filled with vitality and creativity. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජීවිතය | ||
| The word "ජීවිතය" can also mean "the sum of all living organisms" or "existence" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | வாழ்க்கை | ||
| The Tamil word for 'life', வாழ்க்கை or vāḻkkai, is derived from the verb வாழ் or vāl, meaning 'to live' or 'to exist', | |||
| Telugu | జీవితం | ||
| The word "జీవితం" can also mean "existence" or "being". | |||
| Urdu | زندگی | ||
| In Urdu, "زندگی" also denotes "biography" or "self-portrait". | |||
Life in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 生活 | ||
| 生活 is literally “to live” (生) and “to do/make” (活) together, implying an active and intentional process. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 生活 | ||
| The character "生" (sheng) in "生活" (shenghuo) also means "to give birth" or "to be born," connecting life to the cycle of reincarnation in Chinese culture. | |||
| Japanese | 生活 | ||
| The characters '生' and '活' in '生活' mean 'raw' and 'lively' respectively, implying an ongoing state of existence. | |||
| Korean | 생명 | ||
| This word is written with the characters for "to give birth to" and "destiny" and can also mean "fate". | |||
| Mongolian | амьдрал | ||
| Амьдрал derives from амь (‘existence’), and the suffix -драл (-tral, -taral, -dural) means ‘state’ or ‘condition'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘဝ | ||
| The word ဘဝ (bawa) can also mean 'existence' or 'condition', and is derived from the Pali word 'bhava', which has similar meanings. | |||
Life in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kehidupan | ||
| The word "kehidupan" in Indonesian is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*kahi dupn", meaning "animate being", and also has the meaning of "existence". | |||
| Javanese | urip | ||
| In Javanese, the word | |||
| Khmer | ជីវិត | ||
| The Khmer word "ជីវិត" (jeev-it) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jivita", meaning "life" or "existence". | |||
| Lao | ຊີວິດ | ||
| The word ຊີວິດ or | |||
| Malay | kehidupan | ||
| The Malay word "kehidupan" is cognate with the Indonesian word "kehidupan" and has similar meanings in both languages, encompassing notions of existence, livelihood, and the overall state of being. | |||
| Thai | ชีวิต | ||
| "ชีวิต" can also refer to "biography" or "biography movie" | |||
| Vietnamese | đời sống | ||
| "Đời sống" can also mean "life condition", "standard of living", or "lifestyle" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buhay | ||
Life in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | həyat | ||
| The word "həyat" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "hayat" which also means "a courtyard" or "an open space in a building". | |||
| Kazakh | өмір | ||
| The Kazakh word "өмір" (pronounced "omir") can also refer to the "span" or "term" of one's life. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жашоо | ||
| The word "жашоо" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *jaš-, meaning "to live" | |||
| Tajik | ҳаёт | ||
| "Ҳаёт" means "life" in Tajik, but also refers to "period" or "era" in Persian and Urdu, reflecting the concept of life as a transient cycle. | |||
| Turkmen | durmuş | ||
| Uzbek | hayot | ||
| The Uzbek word "hayot" is also used in some regions to describe something that is eternal and endless. | |||
| Uyghur | ھايات | ||
Life in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ke ola | ||
| In traditional Hawaiian culture, ke ola encompasses not just physical existence but also well-being, harmony, and spiritual connection. | |||
| Maori | oranga | ||
| "Oranga" can also refer to health, vitality, or well-being. | |||
| Samoan | olaga | ||
| The word 'olaga' is also used to refer to the 'soul' or 'spirit', and its root word 'ola' means 'to live' or 'to exist'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | buhay | ||
| In Tagalog, the word "buhay" has ancient roots meaning "to breathe" or "to live off of." | |||
Life in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jakawi | ||
| Guarani | teko | ||
Life in International Languages
| Esperanto | vivo | ||
| In Esperanto, "vivo" can also refer to the "lively" or "liveliness," and is related to the Latin "vivō" (to live). | |||
| Latin | vita | ||
| Vita in Latin can both mean 'life' and 'vine'. | |||
Life in Others Languages
| Greek | ζωη | ||
| ΖΩΗ (life) originally meant 'existence' and only later came to be associated with 'life'. | |||
| Hmong | lub neej | ||
| The Hmong word "lub neej" can also mean "breath" or "spirit." | |||
| Kurdish | jîyan | ||
| In Kurdish, "jîyan" also means "the world" or "the universe". | |||
| Turkish | hayat | ||
| The word "hayat" in Turkish has other meanings such as "a room in a house with walls on only three sides" or "universe". | |||
| Xhosa | ubomi | ||
| The word "ubomi" in Xhosa can also mean "existence" or "being". | |||
| Yiddish | לעבן | ||
| The Yiddish word "לעבן" not only means "life" but also "liver", possibly related to the ancient belief that the liver was the seat of life. | |||
| Zulu | impilo | ||
| Impilo is derived from the root word ila meaning 'to endure' | |||
| Assamese | জীৱন | ||
| Aymara | jakawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | जिनगी | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިރިއުޅުން | ||
| Dogri | जीवन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buhay | ||
| Guarani | teko | ||
| Ilocano | biag | ||
| Krio | layf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ژیان | ||
| Maithili | जीवन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯟꯁꯤ | ||
| Mizo | nunna | ||
| Oromo | jireenya | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜୀବନ | ||
| Quechua | kawsay | ||
| Sanskrit | जीवनम् | ||
| Tatar | тормыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ህይወት | ||
| Tsonga | vutomi | ||