Life in Different Languages
Discover 'Life' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Life
Afrikaans lewe | ||
Albanian jeta | ||
Amharic ሕይወት | ||
Arabic الحياة | ||
Armenian կյանք | ||
Assamese জীৱন | ||
Aymara jakawi | ||
Azerbaijani həyat | ||
Bambara ɲɛnamaya | ||
Basque bizitza | ||
Belarusian жыццё | ||
Bengali জীবন | ||
Bhojpuri जिनगी | ||
Bosnian život | ||
Bulgarian живот | ||
Catalan la vida | ||
Cebuano kinabuhi | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 生活 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 生活 | ||
Corsican vita | ||
Croatian život | ||
Czech život | ||
Danish liv | ||
Dhivehi ދިރިއުޅުން | ||
Dogri जीवन | ||
Dutch leven | ||
English life | ||
Esperanto vivo | ||
Estonian elu | ||
Ewe agbe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) buhay | ||
Finnish elämää | ||
French la vie | ||
Frisian libben | ||
Galician vida | ||
Georgian სიცოცხლე | ||
German leben | ||
Greek ζωη | ||
Guarani teko | ||
Gujarati જીવન | ||
Haitian Creole lavi | ||
Hausa rayuwa | ||
Hawaiian ke ola | ||
Hebrew חַיִים | ||
Hindi जिंदगी | ||
Hmong lub neej | ||
Hungarian élet | ||
Icelandic lífið | ||
Igbo ndụ | ||
Ilocano biag | ||
Indonesian kehidupan | ||
Irish saol | ||
Italian vita | ||
Japanese 生活 | ||
Javanese urip | ||
Kannada ಜೀವನ | ||
Kazakh өмір | ||
Khmer ជីវិត | ||
Kinyarwanda ubuzima | ||
Konkani जिवीत | ||
Korean 생명 | ||
Krio layf | ||
Kurdish jîyan | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ژیان | ||
Kyrgyz жашоо | ||
Lao ຊີວິດ | ||
Latin vita | ||
Latvian dzīve | ||
Lingala bomoi | ||
Lithuanian gyvenimo | ||
Luganda obulamu | ||
Luxembourgish liewen | ||
Macedonian живот | ||
Maithili जीवन | ||
Malagasy fiainana | ||
Malay kehidupan | ||
Malayalam ജീവിതം | ||
Maltese ħajja | ||
Maori oranga | ||
Marathi जीवन | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯄꯨꯟꯁꯤ | ||
Mizo nunna | ||
Mongolian амьдрал | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ဘဝ | ||
Nepali जीवन | ||
Norwegian liv | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) moyo | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଜୀବନ | ||
Oromo jireenya | ||
Pashto ژوند | ||
Persian زندگی | ||
Polish życie | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) vida | ||
Punjabi ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ | ||
Quechua kawsay | ||
Romanian viaţă | ||
Russian жизнь | ||
Samoan olaga | ||
Sanskrit जीवनम् | ||
Scots Gaelic beatha | ||
Sepedi bophelo | ||
Serbian живот | ||
Sesotho bophelo | ||
Shona hupenyu | ||
Sindhi زندگي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ජීවිතය | ||
Slovak život | ||
Slovenian življenje | ||
Somali nolosha | ||
Spanish vida | ||
Sundanese kahirupan | ||
Swahili maisha | ||
Swedish liv | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) buhay | ||
Tajik ҳаёт | ||
Tamil வாழ்க்கை | ||
Tatar тормыш | ||
Telugu జీవితం | ||
Thai ชีวิต | ||
Tigrinya ህይወት | ||
Tsonga vutomi | ||
Turkish hayat | ||
Turkmen durmuş | ||
Twi (Akan) nkwa | ||
Ukrainian життя | ||
Urdu زندگی | ||
Uyghur ھايات | ||
Uzbek hayot | ||
Vietnamese đời sống | ||
Welsh bywyd | ||
Xhosa ubomi | ||
Yiddish לעבן | ||
Yoruba igbesi aye | ||
Zulu impilo |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Lewe' is derived from Old High German 'leban' which also means to 'to live' but is also used to describe "the soul, person, essence". |
| Albanian | The word "jeta" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷʰih₃-tó-s", which also means "life". |
| Amharic | "The Geez word 'ḥyw' (ሕይወ), meaning 'to live', has the same root as the Amharic 'ሕይወት' (ḥaywa)" |
| Arabic | In Arabic, the word "الحياة" means "life" and is also derived from the root word "حَيي" which means "living", "existing", or "being alive" |
| Armenian | The word "կյանք" (kyanq) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷenh₁- meaning "to live" or "to be alive". |
| Azerbaijani | The word "həyat" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "hayat" which also means "a courtyard" or "an open space in a building". |
| Basque | 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. |
| Belarusian | The word "жыццё" in Belarusian ultimately goes back to the Proto-Slavic word *žьtije, which meant "nourishment" or "sustenance". |
| Bengali | The word "জীবন" ("life") in Bengali also means "livelihood", "way of life", or "existence". |
| Bosnian | "Život" (life) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *živъtŭ, meaning "living thing" or "living being". |
| Bulgarian | Bulgarian "живот" is related to German "leben", French "vivre", Spanish "vivir", and English "alive", and can also mean "belly". |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "la vida" is derived from the Latin "vita", meaning "life, existence," or "a course of existence." |
| Cebuano | The word "kinabuhi" is derived from the root word "buhi" which means "to live". It can also mean "existence" or "world". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 生活 is literally “to live” (生) and “to do/make” (活) together, implying an active and intentional process. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 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. |
| Corsican | Vita is the name of a famous Corsican rock band |
| Croatian | "Život" also means "stomach" or "abdomen" in Croatian. |
| Czech | "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. |
| Danish | The word "liv" in Danish also has the alternate meaning of "body" or "complexion". |
| Dutch | In 14th century Dutch, the word "leven" also meant "loaves of bread". |
| Esperanto | In Esperanto, "vivo" can also refer to the "lively" or "liveliness," and is related to the Latin "vivō" (to live). |
| Estonian | Elu is derived from Proto-Uralic *elo, which also meant 'life, vitality, soul' |
| Finnish | The Finnish word "elämää" not only means "life," but also "lively" and "vivacious" |
| French | 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 | The Frisian word "libben" is cognated with the English "life" and the Dutch "leven", all deriving from the Proto-Germanic "libaz". |
| Galician | Aside from meaning "life" "vida" is also used as a term of endearment in Galician. |
| Georgian | The etymology of the Georgian word “სიცოცხლე” (sits’otskhle) suggests a meaning related to “movement,” “animation,” and “energy”. |
| German | The word "Leben" is also used in German to refer to the liquid that surrounds a fetus. |
| Greek | ΖΩΗ (life) originally meant 'existence' and only later came to be associated with 'life'. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word for "life" (જીવન) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jīvana" which means "vital breath". |
| Haitian Creole | The word 'lavi' in Haitian Creole is derived from the French word 'vie' and also has the alternate meaning of 'fate' or 'destiny'. |
| Hausa | In Hausa, "rayuwa" is also associated with "way of life", especially one's profession or livelihood. |
| Hawaiian | In traditional Hawaiian culture, ke ola encompasses not just physical existence but also well-being, harmony, and spiritual connection. |
| Hebrew | The name חַיִים (Haim) is a derivative of the word חַיִים (life), and has cognates in Arabic and Aramaic. |
| Hindi | The Hindi word "जिंदगी" (life) also has a colloquial meaning of "livelihood" or "way of making a living." |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "lub neej" can also mean "breath" or "spirit." |
| Hungarian | The word "élet" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word *el-, which also means "to live" |
| Icelandic | Lífið can also mean 'body' and 'flesh' in the plural, as well as 'sustenance' or 'livelihood' |
| Igbo | 'Ndụ' also means 'the world' and 'everything in it'. |
| Indonesian | The word "kehidupan" in Indonesian is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*kahi dupn", meaning "animate being", and also has the meaning of "existence". |
| Irish | In Irish mythology, the word "saol" can also refer to the "otherworld" or "fairy realm." |
| Italian | The Italian word "vita" comes from Latin, and its original meaning is "existence" |
| Japanese | The characters '生' and '活' in '生活' mean 'raw' and 'lively' respectively, implying an ongoing state of existence. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, the word |
| Kannada | 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'. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "өмір" (pronounced "omir") can also refer to the "span" or "term" of one's life. |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "ជីវិត" (jeev-it) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jivita", meaning "life" or "existence". |
| Korean | This word is written with the characters for "to give birth to" and "destiny" and can also mean "fate". |
| Kurdish | In Kurdish, "jîyan" also means "the world" or "the universe". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "жашоо" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *jaš-, meaning "to live" |
| Lao | The word ຊີວິດ or |
| Latin | Vita in Latin can both mean 'life' and 'vine'. |
| Latvian | "Dzīves" can also refer to "a living soul," a person of a certain "character or nature," a person's personal "lot," |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "gyvenimo" is cognate with the Old Norse word "lifa" and the Old Prussian word "giwans", all of which mean "life". |
| Luxembourgish | "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." |
| Macedonian | The word "живот" ("life") in Macedonian can also mean "belly" or "abdomen", derived from the Proto-Slavic root *živъ, meaning "alive". |
| Malagasy | The word "Fiainana" in Malagasy also means "livelihood" or "sustenance". |
| Malay | 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. |
| Maltese | The word "ħajja" comes from the root "ħ-j-j" meaning "to exist" or "to breathe". |
| Maori | "Oranga" can also refer to health, vitality, or well-being. |
| Marathi | The word "जीवन" in Marathi also refers to the "universe". |
| Mongolian | Амьдрал derives from амь (‘existence’), and the suffix -драл (-tral, -taral, -dural) means ‘state’ or ‘condition'. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word ဘဝ (bawa) can also mean 'existence' or 'condition', and is derived from the Pali word 'bhava', which has similar meanings. |
| Nepali | "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." |
| Norwegian | The word "liv" can also mean "existence" or "fate" in Norwegian. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In a figurative sense, "moyo" can also refer to a person's inner being, character, or personality. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "ژوند" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰiw-ó-s" meaning "living being" or "life force". |
| Persian | Persian "زندگی" comes from Middle Persian "zīwišn", from Proto-Iranian "*zīw-iΘna-", "act or result of living." |
| Polish | The Polish word "życie" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "živъ", which also means "living being". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "vida" is derived from Latin "vita" and can refer to both "life" and "way of life". |
| Punjabi | The word "ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ" shares its root with "जिंद" meaning "vitality" and "गीत" meaning "song" in Sanskrit, suggesting a life filled with vitality and creativity. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word «viaţă» also means "way" or "road" and is a cognate with "vita" (Latin), "vie" (French), "vida" (Spanish) and "vita" (Italian). |
| Russian | The Russian word "жизнь" is cognate with the English word "quick" and the Latin word "vivere" (to live). |
| Samoan | The word 'olaga' is also used to refer to the 'soul' or 'spirit', and its root word 'ola' means 'to live' or 'to exist'. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "beatha" (life) is related to the Irish "beathadh" (birth), Welsh "bywyd" (life), and Breton "beo" (alive). |
| Serbian | The word 'живот' not only means 'life,' but it can also refer to 'stomach, belly,' or 'waistline'. |
| Sesotho | Bophelo (life), 'the state of being alive,' and bokhetho (choice), 'the act of choosing,' are derived from the same root. |
| Shona | The word "hupenyu" can also refer to a person's fortune or destiny. |
| Sindhi | "زندگي" (life) in Sindhi derives from the Persian "zīndagī," which shares an Indo-European root ("gʷeiH-“) with English "quick" and Latin "vīvus." The word also means "livelihood"} |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "ජීවිතය" can also mean "the sum of all living organisms" or "existence" in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | 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 also means “liveliness” or “vitality” in Slovenian, which can be seen in its derivatives such as “živ” (alive) and “živost” (liveliness). |
| Somali | The word "nolosha" also means "breath" in Somali, emphasizing the close connection between life and the breath of life. |
| Spanish | 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." |
| Sundanese | The word "kahirupan" in Sundanese can also refer to a person's livelihood or financial means. |
| Swahili | 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). |
| Swedish | The word 'liv' also means 'existence' or 'way of living' in Swedish. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | In Tagalog, the word "buhay" has ancient roots meaning "to breathe" or "to live off of." |
| Tajik | "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. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word for 'life', வாழ்க்கை or vāḻkkai, is derived from the verb வாழ் or vāl, meaning 'to live' or 'to exist', |
| Telugu | The word "జీవితం" can also mean "existence" or "being". |
| Thai | "ชีวิต" can also refer to "biography" or "biography movie" |
| Turkish | The word "hayat" in Turkish has other meanings such as "a room in a house with walls on only three sides" or "universe". |
| Ukrainian | 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'. |
| Urdu | In Urdu, "زندگی" also denotes "biography" or "self-portrait". |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "hayot" is also used in some regions to describe something that is eternal and endless. |
| Vietnamese | "Đời sống" can also mean "life condition", "standard of living", or "lifestyle" in Vietnamese. |
| Welsh | The word "bywyd" also means "existence" and "livelihood" in Welsh. |
| Xhosa | The word "ubomi" in Xhosa can also mean "existence" or "being". |
| Yiddish | 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. |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word "igbesi aye" literally translates to "the path of the world" or "the journey of life" |
| Zulu | Impilo is derived from the root word ila meaning 'to endure' |
| English | The word 'life' originates from the Old English word 'līf' which meant 'existence' or 'sustenance'. |