Living in Different Languages
Discover 'Living' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'living' holds a profound significance in our lives, as it represents the state of being alive and the experiences we encounter daily. Its cultural importance is evident in various art forms, literature, and philosophical discussions. Understanding the translation of 'living' in different languages can provide valuable insights into diverse cultures and traditions.
For instance, the Spanish translation of 'living' is 'viviendo,' which is derived from the verb 'vivir' – a testament to the language's rich and vibrant history. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'living' translates to 'ikiteiru,' reflecting the country's unique cultural values and customs. Similarly, the French translation, 'vivant,' highlights the language's romantic and poetic nature.
Exploring the word 'living' in various languages can be an enriching experience for language enthusiasts and cultural aficionados alike. Join us as we delve into the fascinating translations of 'living' in different languages.
Living
Living in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | leef | ||
| The term “leef” is borrowed from the German “leben”, which means life itself. | |||
| Amharic | መኖር | ||
| The word "መኖር" also means "to exist", "to reside", "to dwell", "to abide", "to remain", and "to endure". | |||
| Hausa | rayuwa | ||
| Rayuwa derives from the Proto-Afro-Asiatic root *rāy- ('to live') and shares cognates with Old Egyptian rˁ ('sun') and Arabic rāy ('opinion'). | |||
| Igbo | ibi | ||
| The word "ibi" in Igbo can also refer to "life" or "existence". | |||
| Malagasy | velona | ||
| VELONA, meaning 'living,' also refers to a plant that Malagasy people often use for medicinal purposes. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wamoyo | ||
| The word 'wamoyo' can also refer to 'one who has vitality despite their hardships'. | |||
| Shona | mupenyu | ||
| Shona 'mupenyu' derives from the root 'penyu' meaning 'to breathe', and thus the word can also mean 'respiratory' | |||
| Somali | ku nool | ||
| The word "ku nool" in Somali can also mean "to depend on" or "to rely on". | |||
| Sesotho | e phelang | ||
| The Sesotho word "e phelang" is also used to mean "breathing". | |||
| Swahili | wanaoishi | ||
| The Swahili word "wanaoishi" is also used to describe people who are still alive and present. | |||
| Xhosa | uyaphila | ||
| Uyaphila is also a term of affection, similar to "darling" or "sweetheart". | |||
| Yoruba | gbigbe | ||
| The word "gbigbe" in Yoruba also means "to exist" or "to be present". | |||
| Zulu | uyaphila | ||
| The word 'uyaphila' comes from the root -phila, which means 'to breath'. | |||
| Bambara | baloli | ||
| Ewe | agbenɔnɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubaho | ||
| Lingala | kozala na bomoi | ||
| Luganda | okubeera | ||
| Sepedi | phelago | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tena | ||
Living in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | العيش | ||
| The Arabic word "العيش" (al-ʿaīsh) also refers to bread, a staple food in many Arab cultures. | |||
| Hebrew | חַי | ||
| The term "חַי" (living) shares its root with "חַיָה" (beast), indicating the ancient belief that all life, including humans, originated from the animal kingdom. | |||
| Pashto | ژوندی | ||
| The Pashto word "ژوندی" (žu(n)di) is derived from the Proto-Iranian "*ǰīvana-" meaning "life, existence, living being". | |||
| Arabic | العيش | ||
| The Arabic word "العيش" (al-ʿaīsh) also refers to bread, a staple food in many Arab cultures. | |||
Living in Western European Languages
| Albanian | duke jetuar | ||
| "Duke jetuar" is a phrase in Albanian that literally translates to "in living" and can also be used figuratively to mean "while alive" or "during life." | |||
| Basque | bizitzen | ||
| The Basque word "bizitzen" comes from the Proto-Basque word "*bizi", meaning "life". | |||
| Catalan | vivent | ||
| «Vivent» may also refer to a person who is alive or to the state of being alive. | |||
| Croatian | život | ||
| The word 'život' is also used in a figurative sense, meaning 'a person's fate or destiny'. | |||
| Danish | levende | ||
| The word "levende" in Danish also means "lively" and is related to the word "levn" (meaning "life" or "sustenance"). | |||
| Dutch | leven | ||
| Leven, when referring to the number 11 in Dutch, derives from the Middle Dutch word "elf", meaning eleven. | |||
| English | living | ||
| "Living" can also refer to a person's means of livelihood or the condition of being alive and well. | |||
| French | vivant | ||
| The French word "vivant" has Latin origins, deriving from the present participle of "vivere" meaning "to live" and can also refer to someone who is lively or spirited. | |||
| Frisian | wenje | ||
| "Wenje" can also mean "living quarters" or "home" in older or dialectal Frisian. | |||
| Galician | vivir | ||
| The word "vivir" in Galician is derived from the Latin word "vivĕre", meaning "to live", and it also means "to reside" or "to be located". | |||
| German | leben | ||
| "Leben" also means "life". In the context of food, it refers to "liver". | |||
| Icelandic | lifandi | ||
| Lifandi may also refer to 'something lively, spirited or merry'. | |||
| Irish | ag maireachtáil | ||
| Italian | vita | ||
| The word "vita" also means "story" or "biography" in Italian, a meaning it shares with its Latin origin. | |||
| Luxembourgish | wunnen | ||
| The word "wunnen" in Luxembourgish has a rich history and has been used in various contexts throughout its evolution. | |||
| Maltese | għajxien | ||
| The word "għajxien" in Maltese also refers to one's means of sustenance or livelihood. | |||
| Norwegian | bor | ||
| The word "bor" can also mean "dwells" or "resides" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vivo | ||
| The word "vivo" comes from the Latin word "vivus," meaning "alive, living." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beò | ||
| The Scots word "beò" is cognate with the Welsh "byw" and the Irish "beó", all meaning "alive" and deriving from the Proto-Celtic *bīwos. | |||
| Spanish | vivo | ||
| The Spanish word "vivo" (alive) also means "clever, sharp", like the Italian "vivace" and the French "vif" | |||
| Swedish | levande | ||
| The Swedish word "levande" comes from the Old Norse "lifandi" and used to mean "to be left over from a battle or shipwreck", hence "surviving". | |||
| Welsh | byw | ||
| The word "byw" in Welsh also means "place" and derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be" or "to exist." | |||
Living in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пражыванне | ||
| Bosnian | živi | ||
| The word "živi" in Bosnian, meaning "living," also has connotations of "lively," "sprightly," or "energetic."} | |||
| Bulgarian | жив | ||
| The word "жив" can also mean "green" or "raw", highlighting the connection between life and freshness in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | živobytí | ||
| In Czech, "živobytí" can also refer to "means of subsistence" or "livelihood". | |||
| Estonian | elamine | ||
| The word "elamine" in Estonian also means "existence" or "life". | |||
| Finnish | elää | ||
| The word "elää" also means "to burn," which is related to its Proto-Uralic root meaning "heat, warmth." | |||
| Hungarian | élő | ||
| The Hungarian word "élő" (living) can also refer to something "vibrant" or "active". | |||
| Latvian | dzīvo | ||
| In Latvian, the root of the word “dzīvo” means “to breathe, | |||
| Lithuanian | gyvenantys | ||
| "Gyvenantys" derives from the Proto-Baltic root *ĝīwen-, meaning "to live" or "to be alive." | |||
| Macedonian | живеење | ||
| In addition to meaning "living", "живеење" can also refer to the "lifestyle" of a person or group of people. | |||
| Polish | życie | ||
| The word "życie" in Polish has Slavic roots and is related to the concept of "birth" or "life force". It can also refer to someone's life history or biography. | |||
| Romanian | viaţă | ||
| The word "viaţă" also has the meaning of "life" in Romanian, derived from the Latin "vita". | |||
| Russian | живущий | ||
| The word "живущий" literally means "breathing" and is derived from the archaic verb "жити", which meant "to live" in Old Russian | |||
| Serbian | живети | ||
| The Serbian word "живети" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *živ- meaning "to be alive" and also refers to the abstract concept of "life". | |||
| Slovak | žijúci | ||
| "Žijúci" can also mean "lively" or "animated". | |||
| Slovenian | živeti | ||
| The word "živeti" can also mean "to make a living" or "to sustain oneself" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | проживання | ||
| The word "проживання" can also mean "residence" or "domicile". | |||
Living in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জীবিত | ||
| The word "জীবিত" also means "alive" or "breathing" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | જેમાં વસવાટ કરો છો | ||
| Living, from Old English leofian, also means "to sustain oneself or be sustained." | |||
| Hindi | जीवित | ||
| In Hindi, 'जीवित' not only means 'living', but also 'subsisting on' or 'supported by' | |||
| Kannada | ದೇಶ | ||
| "ದೇಶ" in Kannada can sometimes refer to "state" rather than "living", originating from the Sanskrit "deśa" meaning "home" or "native land." | |||
| Malayalam | ജീവിക്കുന്നു | ||
| The word "ജീവിക്കുന്നു" in Malayalam derives from the Proto-Dravidian root "*ci-p-u," meaning "to live" or "exist." | |||
| Marathi | जिवंत | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "living", "जिवंत" (jivanta) can also mean "lively" or "animated" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | जीवित | ||
| The word 'जीवित' in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word 'जीवित', which means 'alive', 'existing', or 'subsisting'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜੀਵਤ | ||
| The word "ਜੀਵਤ" in Punjabi ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "जीवित" meaning "alive" or "living". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජීවන | ||
| Sinhalese "ජීවන" derives from the Sanskrit term "jīvana" which denotes "life, living". | |||
| Tamil | வாழும் | ||
| The Tamil word "வாழும்" also means "to succeed" or "to prosper". | |||
| Telugu | జీవించి ఉన్న | ||
| Urdu | زندہ | ||
| The word 'زندہ' can also refer to 'fresh' or 'new' in Urdu. | |||
Living in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 活的 | ||
| The word "活的" can also mean "mobile" or "flexible", highlighting the dynamic nature of life. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 活的 | ||
| The term can be also used in a figurative sense to describe someone who is lively or energetic. | |||
| Japanese | 生活 | ||
| 生活 (seikatsu) also means "way of life" or "lifestyle". | |||
| Korean | 생활 | ||
| The word "생활" comes from the Chinese word "生活" and can also mean "life" or "the way of life." | |||
| Mongolian | амьдрах | ||
| The Mongolian word "амьдрах" (living) is derived from the Proto-Mongolic root *ami-, meaning "life" or "breath." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူနေမှုဘဝ | ||
Living in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hidup | ||
| Hidup can also refer to 'nature' or 'the environment'. | |||
| Javanese | urip | ||
| The Javanese word "urip" also refers to "awareness" or "consciousness." | |||
| Khmer | រស់នៅ | ||
| The word រស់នៅ can also mean "to reside," "to dwell," "to exist," "to be," or "to inhabit." | |||
| Lao | ດໍາລົງຊີວິດ | ||
| Malay | hidup | ||
| Hidup, помимо своего значения «живой», также означает «реальность» или «мир» в малайском языке. | |||
| Thai | การดำรงชีวิต | ||
| The word "การดำรงชีวิต" can also mean "existence" or "livelihood". | |||
| Vietnamese | cuộc sống | ||
| "Cuộc sống" also means "life" in the sense of a living organism's life | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nabubuhay | ||
Living in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaşamaq | ||
| The word "yaşamaq" can also mean "to be born" or "to live" in Azerbaijani, depending on context. | |||
| Kazakh | өмір сүру | ||
| The word "өмір сүру" in Kazakh also means "to have a life" or "to lead a life". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жашоо | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жашоо" also refers to "life" or "existence" in a broader sense. | |||
| Tajik | зиндагӣ | ||
| The word «зиндагӣ» has Persian roots and also means "life", "existence", and "being alive." | |||
| Turkmen | ýaşamak | ||
| Uzbek | yashash | ||
| The Uzbek word "yashash" also has alternate meanings such as "to reside" and "to exist". | |||
| Uyghur | ياشاش | ||
Living in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ke noho nei | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'ke noho nei' literally translates to 'the current dwelling'. It also implies being settled, having an abode, or continuing to exist. | |||
| Maori | noho | ||
| Noho', when used as a noun, can refer to a place of residence or settlement | |||
| Samoan | ola | ||
| Ola also means 'health', 'safety', and 'well-being' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nabubuhay | ||
| "Nabubuhay" can also mean "vibrant" or "lively". | |||
Living in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jakaña | ||
| Guarani | guapyha | ||
Living in International Languages
| Esperanto | vivanta | ||
| The word "viva" in Esperanto comes from the Latin "vivus," meaning "living" or "alive." | |||
| Latin | vitae | ||
| The term "vitae" in Latin also carries the sense of "way of life" or "course of existence". | |||
Living in Others Languages
| Greek | ζωή | ||
| ζωή can also refer to life, existence, livelihood, or biography, and derives from the Indo-European root *ǵʷih₃- ("to live"). | |||
| Hmong | nyob | ||
| The word "nyob" in Hmong also means "to reside" or "to spend time in a place". | |||
| Kurdish | dijî | ||
| "Dijî" can mean "reviving" or "recovering" as well as "living" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | yaşam | ||
| The Turkish word "yaşam" also has additional meanings such as "lifestyle" and "destiny." | |||
| Xhosa | uyaphila | ||
| Uyaphila is also a term of affection, similar to "darling" or "sweetheart". | |||
| Yiddish | לעבעדיק | ||
| The Yiddish word "leb" can also mean "bread," reflecting the idea that bread is the "staff of life." | |||
| Zulu | uyaphila | ||
| The word 'uyaphila' comes from the root -phila, which means 'to breath'. | |||
| Assamese | জীয়াই থকা | ||
| Aymara | jakaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | रहन-सहन | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިރިއުޅުން | ||
| Dogri | रौहना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nabubuhay | ||
| Guarani | guapyha | ||
| Ilocano | panagbiag | ||
| Krio | fɔ liv | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | زیندوو | ||
| Maithili | रहनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯡꯂꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | nung | ||
| Oromo | jiraachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବଞ୍ଚିବା | | ||
| Quechua | tiyay | ||
| Sanskrit | आजीविका | ||
| Tatar | яшәү | ||
| Tigrinya | ምንባር | ||
| Tsonga | ku tshama | ||