Lifetime in Different Languages
Discover 'Lifetime' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lifetime' carries great significance as it represents the entire duration of a person's existence. It's a cultural concept that varies across societies, often influencing traditions, beliefs, and customs. For instance, in many Eastern cultures, one's lifetime is seen as part of a larger cycle of reincarnation, while in Western cultures, it's typically viewed as a linear progression from birth to death.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'lifetime' in different languages can provide unique insights into how various cultures perceive and value this concept. For example, in Spanish, 'lifetime' is 'vida entera', in French, it's 'durée de vie', and in German, it's 'Lebenszeit'. Each of these translations not only conveys the literal meaning but also subtly reflects the cultural perspective of the language.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'lifetime' can be a fascinating journey. Here's a list of 'lifetime' in various languages to get you started:
Lifetime
Lifetime in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lewensduur | ||
| " Lewensduur" literally means "duration of life" in Afrikaans and thus does not have any alternate meanings. | |||
| Amharic | የሕይወት ዘመን | ||
| Hausa | rayuwa | ||
| The word 'rayuwa' in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word 'ar-rāyu', meaning 'life' or 'soul'. | |||
| Igbo | ndụ niile | ||
| Ndụ niile literally means "all life" and refers to the entire duration of one's existence. | |||
| Malagasy | androm-piainana | ||
| The word "androm-piainana" is derived from the Malagasy words "androm" (person) and "piainana" (life), meaning "the life of a person". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | moyo wonse | ||
| The word "moyo wonse" also means "spirit" or "soul" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | hupenyu hwese | ||
| In Shona, the word hupenyu hwese can also refer to a person's life story and experiences. | |||
| Somali | waqtiga nolosha | ||
| The Somali word "waqtiga nolosha" literally means "the time of life" and can also be used to refer to a person's life span or career. | |||
| Sesotho | bophelong | ||
| "Bophelong" literally translates to "head of the long" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | maisha | ||
| The word "maisha" in Swahili also refers to "existence" and "wellbeing" and derives from the Proto-Bantu root "*isi" meaning "life". | |||
| Xhosa | ubomi bonke | ||
| The Xhosa word "ubomi bonke" literally means "life of all", emphasizing the interconnectedness of all living beings. | |||
| Yoruba | igbesi aye | ||
| Igb'esi aye, in Yoruba, means "lifespan" as well as "world's path" or "life's journey". | |||
| Zulu | impilo yonke | ||
| The word 'impilo yonke' can also refer to 'a good life' or 'a long life'. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛnamaya kɔnɔ | ||
| Ewe | agbemeŋkekewo katã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuzima bwose | ||
| Lingala | bomoi mobimba | ||
| Luganda | obulamu bwonna | ||
| Sepedi | bophelo ka moka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkwa nna nyinaa | ||
Lifetime in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أوقات الحياة | ||
| The Arabic word “أوقات الحياة” (aوقات الحياة) can also mean “good times”, “periods of enjoyment”, or “fun times”. | |||
| Hebrew | לכל החיים | ||
| The Biblical Aramaic phrase 'l-kol ḥayyey means 'as long as he shall live', 'during the whole of one's life'. Its Hebrew equivalent is 'le-ḥal ḥayyav'. | |||
| Pashto | عمري | ||
| While "عمري" is usually translated as "lifetime," it can also mean "my age" or "my era." | |||
| Arabic | أوقات الحياة | ||
| The Arabic word “أوقات الحياة” (aوقات الحياة) can also mean “good times”, “periods of enjoyment”, or “fun times”. | |||
Lifetime in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjatë gjithë jetës | ||
| Basque | bizitza | ||
| Bizitza relates to the concepts of "light" and "brightness" in Proto-Basque, connecting it to the idea of life as a period of luminosity or enlightenment. | |||
| Catalan | tota una vida | ||
| The Catalan phrase "tota una vida" also means "a whole life", "a lifetime", "one's entire life", or "a very long time". | |||
| Croatian | doživotno | ||
| "Doživotno" is derived from the Old Slavic word "životъ", meaning "life". | |||
| Danish | livstid | ||
| Old Norse, 'lifstið': 'age, life' and 'time of life' | |||
| Dutch | levenslang | ||
| Levenslang in Dutch can also mean "life sentence" in English, and has the same meaning in the legal contexts of other Germanic languages. | |||
| English | lifetime | ||
| The word "lifetime" can also refer to the duration of a bond, lease, or other similar agreement. | |||
| French | durée de vie | ||
| "Durée de vie" also means a product's "service life," specifically "useful life." Specifically, in the case of machinery, this is equivalent to a "total operating time." | |||
| Frisian | lifetime | ||
| In Frisian the word "lifetime" can also mean "period of time in a person's life" or "a person's existence." | |||
| Galician | toda a vida | ||
| Galician "toda a vida" literally translates to "all the life", but it can also mean "forever". | |||
| German | lebenszeit | ||
| In the 16th century, "Lebenszeit" only referred to the time after birth, not the entire span of life. | |||
| Icelandic | líftími | ||
| The word "líftími" in Icelandic can also refer to a person's conduct or behavior. | |||
| Irish | feadh an tsaoil | ||
| Italian | tutta la vita | ||
| The words "tutta la" in Italian can mean "all of the" or "the whole," while "vita" means "life." In combination, they create the phrase "tutta la vita" which means "lifetime". | |||
| Luxembourgish | liewenszäit | ||
| Maltese | ħajja | ||
| "Ħajja" can also mean "snake" in Maltese, derived from the Arabic "حية". | |||
| Norwegian | livstid | ||
| An alternate spelling of "livstid" is "livstid", a noun meaning "term of imprisonment" or "life sentence". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tempo de vida | ||
| In Portuguese the word "tempo de vida" can refer to how long you've been alive and the pace at which you're living your life. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fad-beatha | ||
| The word "fad-beatha" also has a connotation of duration or lifespan. | |||
| Spanish | toda la vida | ||
| The Spanish phrase "toda la vida" does not only mean "lifetime," it is also an idiomatic expression referring to an unspecified period of time. | |||
| Swedish | livstid | ||
| The word "livstid" literally translates to "life time". | |||
| Welsh | oes | ||
| The word "oes" also refers to an "age", as in "The Iron Age", i.e. an era or chronological period in Welsh. | |||
Lifetime in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | працягласць жыцця | ||
| Bosnian | životni vijek | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "lifetime", the word "životni vijek" can also refer to the lifespan of an object or product. | |||
| Bulgarian | живот | ||
| The Bulgarian word "живот" not only means "lifetime," but also refers to the stomach or abdomen in many Slavic languages. | |||
| Czech | život | ||
| "Život" also means "stomach" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | eluaeg | ||
| The word "eluaeg" is derived from the Estonian words "elu" (life) and "aeg" (time). | |||
| Finnish | elinikä | ||
| "Elini" means "hand" or "arm" and "ikä" means "age", so "elinikä" literally refers to the "age of a limb". | |||
| Hungarian | élettartam | ||
| The word "élettartam" is derived from the Hungarian words "élet" (life) and "tartam" (duration). | |||
| Latvian | mūžs | ||
| The word "mūžs" is a homophone with "mūza" (inspiration, muse) in Latvian, sharing the same Proto-Baltic root. | |||
| Lithuanian | gyvenimas | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "lifetime," "gyvenimas" can also refer to "life" as a concept or to "living beings" | |||
| Macedonian | животен век | ||
| The word "животен век" is derived from the Slavic root "жив" (alive) and was previously used to signify a period of 70 years in the Bible or the time between birth and death. | |||
| Polish | dożywotni | ||
| The word "dożywotni" derives from the Old Polish word "dożywocie" which meant "an allowance for someone's lifetime". | |||
| Romanian | durata de viață | ||
| "Durată de viață" has the same etymology of "duration" and "durable" and derives from the root *dura-, meaning strong, stable. | |||
| Russian | продолжительность жизни | ||
| Russian word "продолжительность жизни" derives from Latin "longus", meaning "long" or "lasting". | |||
| Serbian | животни век | ||
| The Serbian word "животни век" can also mean "lifetime of an animal". | |||
| Slovak | život | ||
| The Slovak word "život" also signifies a "style" or "way" of living. | |||
| Slovenian | življenska doba | ||
| The Slovenian word "življenska doba" not only means "lifetime", but also "age" and "life expectancy". | |||
| Ukrainian | час життя | ||
| The Ukrainian word "час життя" literally translates to "hour of life" and can also refer to a specific period of time, such as the span of someone's life or the duration of an event. | |||
Lifetime in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আজীবন | ||
| আজীবন's literal meaning is 'all days' which makes sense as it means 'lifetime'. | |||
| Gujarati | આજીવન | ||
| Hindi | जीवन काल | ||
| The word "जीवन काल" (lifetime) is derived from the Sanskrit words "जीव" (life) and "काल" (time), and it can also refer to a person's lifespan or the duration of a particular event or period. | |||
| Kannada | ಜೀವಮಾನ | ||
| The word 'ಜೀವಮಾನ' in Kannada also means 'duration of an existence' or 'period of existence'. | |||
| Malayalam | ആജീവനാന്തം | ||
| Marathi | आजीवन | ||
| The word "आजीवन" can also mean "indefinitely" or "for as long as the living being exists." | |||
| Nepali | जीवन भरि | ||
| जीवन भरि is a compound word made up of "जीवन," meaning "life," and "भरि," meaning "full." | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਮਰ | ||
| In Farsi, the word "umr" can also mean "age" or "era" when it comes to an entire civilization (like "the Ummayad Era"). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජීවිත කාලය | ||
| ජීවිත කාලය (jīvita kālaya) is also used in reference to the period during which a particular species or entity existed on Earth. | |||
| Tamil | வாழ்நாள் | ||
| வாழ்நாள் ('lifetime') also means the length of someone's life. | |||
| Telugu | జీవితకాలం | ||
| జీవితకాలం (jeevithakaalam) is a Telugu word meaning "period of existence or activity." It has various other meanings such as "lifetime of a body," "duration of an epoch," or "a person's lifetime." | |||
| Urdu | زندگی بھر | ||
| The literal meaning of "زندگی بھر" is "for the span of life" but it is also used figuratively to mean "forever" | |||
Lifetime in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 一生 | ||
| 一, meaning "one" or "all," is combined with 生, meaning "birth" or "life," to denote the entirety of one's life. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 一生 | ||
| In Chinese, the word "一生" (lifetime) can also refer to a "long, drawn-out period of time". | |||
| Japanese | 一生 | ||
| While it sounds like "one life", "一生" actually means "a whole life". The "一" here means "all" or "whole", rather than "one". | |||
| Korean | 일생 | ||
| The word "일생" in Korean also refers to a "lifetime" in the sense of a person's entire career or life's work. | |||
| Mongolian | насан туршдаа | ||
| The word "насан туршдаа" literally means "for the length of a breath", highlighting the ephemeral nature of life. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ်သက်တာ | ||
Lifetime in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | seumur hidup | ||
| "Seumur hidup" derives from the words "seumur" ("of the same age") and "hidup" ("life"), thus literally meaning "of the same age as life". | |||
| Javanese | umur | ||
| "Umur" in Javanese also means "generation" when referring to a family or dynasty. | |||
| Khmer | ឆាកជីវិត | ||
| Lao | ຕະຫຼອດຊີວິດ | ||
| Malay | seumur hidup | ||
| In Indonesian, "seumur hidup" can also mean "sentenced to life in prison". | |||
| Thai | อายุการใช้งาน | ||
| The word "อายุการใช้งาน" in Thai can also refer to the duration of a contract or the shelf life of a product. | |||
| Vietnamese | cả đời | ||
| The word "cả đời" can also refer to "a lifetime" or "one's entire life." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | habang buhay | ||
Lifetime in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ömür boyu | ||
| The word "ömür boyu" in Azerbaijani can also refer to life insurance or longevity. | |||
| Kazakh | өмір кезеңі | ||
| The word "өмір кезеңі" can also refer to a person's life journey or their era. | |||
| Kyrgyz | өмүр бою | ||
| The word "өмүр бою" can also refer to a "long time" or "a long period of time" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | умр | ||
| The word "умр" comes from the Arabic word "عمر" which means "age" or "life span." | |||
| Turkmen | ömri | ||
| Uzbek | hayot paytida | ||
| The word "hayot paytida" in Uzbek can also mean "during one's life" or "throughout one's life." | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆمۈر | ||
Lifetime in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ola holoʻokoʻa | ||
| "Ola holoʻokoʻa" can also mean "the whole of life," and "the eternal hereafter" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | oranga | ||
| The Maori word 'oranga' can also refer to well-being or prosperity. | |||
| Samoan | olaga atoa | ||
| The Samoan word "olaga atoa" can also refer to eternal life or everlasting existence. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | habang buhay | ||
Lifetime in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jakäwi pachana | ||
| Guarani | tekove pukukue javeve | ||
Lifetime in International Languages
| Esperanto | dumviva | ||
| The word "dumviva" can also mean "for life" or "for one's whole life". | |||
| Latin | vita | ||
| The word "vita" also denotes "lifestyle" or "way of living" in Latin, akin to "bios" in Ancient Greek. | |||
Lifetime in Others Languages
| Greek | διάρκεια ζωής | ||
| Διάρκεια Ζωής (from Greek διαρκής, "lasting" and ζωή, "life") also means "duration" or "term of office". | |||
| Hmong | lub neej | ||
| 'Lub Neej,' which literally translates to ‘time of breath,’ is synonymous with life or lifetime. | |||
| Kurdish | jiyîn | ||
| The word "jiyîn" (lifetime) in Kurdish shares a common root with the term "jîyan" (life), emphasizing the interconnectedness of life's duration and the essence of living. | |||
| Turkish | ömür | ||
| "Ömür" derives from the Old Turkish "ömür", meaning "age" and can also refer to "duration" or "period." | |||
| Xhosa | ubomi bonke | ||
| The Xhosa word "ubomi bonke" literally means "life of all", emphasizing the interconnectedness of all living beings. | |||
| Yiddish | לעבנסצייט | ||
| In Yiddish, "לעבנסצייט" can also refer to a lifelong partner or spouse. | |||
| Zulu | impilo yonke | ||
| The word 'impilo yonke' can also refer to 'a good life' or 'a long life'. | |||
| Assamese | আজীৱন | ||
| Aymara | jakäwi pachana | ||
| Bhojpuri | जीवन भर के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އުމުރު ދުވަހުގެ މުއްދަތެވެ | ||
| Dogri | जिंदगी भर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | habang buhay | ||
| Guarani | tekove pukukue javeve | ||
| Ilocano | tungpal biag | ||
| Krio | layf tɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کاتی ژیان | ||
| Maithili | आजीवन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯟꯁꯤ ꯆꯨꯞꯄꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | dam chhung zawng | ||
| Oromo | umurii guutuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଜୀବନ | ||
| Quechua | kawsay pacha | ||
| Sanskrit | आयुः | ||
| Tatar | срок | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕድመ ምሉእ | ||
| Tsonga | vutomi hinkwabyo | ||