Mess in different languages

Mess in Different Languages

Discover 'Mess' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'mess' is a small but powerful part of many languages, carrying a range of meanings that reflect its cultural significance. At its core, 'mess' refers to a state of confusion or disorder, but it can also signify a difficult or unpleasant situation. Historically, the word has been used to describe both physical clutter and social or moral disorder.

Beyond its everyday usage, 'mess' has inspired a wealth of idioms and expressions in English, such as 'clean up your mess' or 'a mess of one's own making'. Its cultural importance is further reflected in its translation into different languages, where it takes on new shades of meaning and cultural significance.

For example, in Spanish, 'mess' is translated as 'desorden', which also means 'uproar' or 'tumult', reflecting the word's association with chaos and confusion. Meanwhile, in German, 'mess' becomes 'Chaos', a term that has taken on a life of its own in popular culture.

Below, you'll find a list of translations of 'mess' in different languages, showcasing the rich cultural diversity of this simple but powerful word.

Mess


Mess in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansgemors
The word "gemors" is derived from the Dutch word "gemors", which means "noise" or "uproar".
Amharicውጥንቅጥ
"ውጥንቅጥ" could also be used to refer to a person, which could mean someone who is very good at something, someone who is very kind, or someone who is very silly."
Hausarikici
Rikici, derived from the Hausa word 'riki' (to shake), also refers to the state of confusion and disorder.
Igboọgbaghara
The Igbo word "ọgbaghara" also refers to a traditional type of Igbo musical instrument.
Malagasymikorontana
The word “mikorontana” has been widely used to refer to various forms of “mess” or “disorder” in Malagasy
Nyanja (Chichewa)nyansi
"Nyansi" also means "intelligence" and is used in "Mbiri ya Nyansi", a collection of traditional fables from Malawi about a clever hare.
Shonatsvina
"Tsvina" also means filth, rubbish, excrement, or dirt.
Somaliqasan
In Arabic, 'qasan' also means 'to cut or to cut off'.
Sesothobohlasoa
The word "bohlasoa" can also refer to the act of making a mess.
Swahilifujo
The word "fujo" in Swahili can also refer to a disturbance or commotion.
Xhosaubumdaka
Ubumdaka in Xhosa, from the noun -mdaka meaning 'dirt' or 'waste', refers to the remnants of food, or food waste.
Yorubaidotin
The Yoruba word “idotin” can also be used to refer to something that is incomplete or unfinished.
Zuluukungcola
The Zulu word "ukungcola" can also refer to the act of kneading or mixing, or to the condition of being untidy or disorganised.
Bambaraka ɲagami
Ewegbegblẽ
Kinyarwandaakajagari
Lingalakobeba
Lugandaakavuyo
Sepedibošaedi
Twi (Akan)basaa

Mess in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicتعبث
The word "تعبث" also means "to play" or "to joke" in Arabic.
Hebrewאי סדר
"אי סדר" can also mean a lack of harmony or peace
Pashtoګډوډي
The word "ګډوډي" in Pashto can also mean "noise", "confusion", or "disorder".
Arabicتعبث
The word "تعبث" also means "to play" or "to joke" in Arabic.

Mess in Western European Languages

Albanianrrëmujë
"Rrëmujë" also means "a pile of dung or manure" in Albanian.
Basquenahaspila
In the Basque language, the word "nahaspila" can also refer to a large amount or a multitude, especially in a negative sense.
Catalanembolic
The word "embolic" in Catalan derives from the Greek word "ἔμβολος" (émbolos), meaning "plug" or "stopper".
Croatiannered
The word "nered" is a Croatian term used to refer to a confused jumble or a state of excessive untidiness.
Danishrod
In Danish, the word "rod" can also refer to a "messy situation" or a "disorganized pile".
Dutchrotzooi
The Dutch word "rotzooi" (mess) is derived from the Yiddish "retshe" (garbage) and is related to the German "Ratz" (rat).
Englishmess
The word 'mess' derives from the Middle English word 'messe' meaning 'a dish of food' and also 'a meal'.
Frenchdésordre
The word "désordre" originated from the Old French word "desordre," which means "lack of order" and ultimately comes from the Latin word "disordo," meaning "disorder" or "confusion."
Frisianmess
The Frisian word "mess" can also refer to a portion of land used to grow grass for grazing animals.
Galiciandesorde
The word "desorde" derives from the Latin "dis-" and "ordo," implying a lack of order.
Germanchaos
The German word "Chaos" can also refer to the ancient Greek concept of the void from which all things were created.
Icelandicdrasl
The word 'Drasl' is derived from the Old Norse word 'drasa' meaning 'to scatter'. It can also refer to a worthless object or a confused state of affairs.
Irishpraiseach
The Irish word "praiseach" originally meant "a ragged bush".
Italianpasticcio
The word "pasticcio" comes from the Italian word "pasticciare", meaning "to botch".
Luxembourgishmess
In Luxembourgish, the word "Mess" can also refer to a "mass", specifically a Roman Catholic mass.
Maltesemess
In Maltese, 'mess' can have military connotations, derived from the Arabic 'ma's' meaning 'place of food'.
Norwegianrot
The Norwegian word "rot" also means "rot" in English, referring to decay or decomposition.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)bagunça
The word "bagunça" derives from the Kimbundu language spoken in Angola, and originally meant "war" or "battle".
Scots Gaelicpraiseach
The Gaelic word "praiseach" also means "conversation", particularly a secret one.
Spanishlío
The word "lío" in Spanish can also refer to a "bundle" or a "knot".
Swedishröra
The word 'röra' also means 'to stir', 'to move', or 'to touch' in Swedish.
Welshllanast
The verb 'llanast' can also mean 'to litter', while the noun 'llanast' can refer to a 'dirty mess' or to 'litter'.

Mess in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianбеспарадак
Derived from the Proto-Slavic root “*bezъ” (without) and “*pordъ” (order), the word “беспарадак” signifies the absence of order or logical arrangement.
Bosniannered
The word "nered" in Bosnian originates from the Proto-Slavic word "*nerdъ" meaning "sickness" or "disease".
Bulgarianбъркотия
"Бъркотия" is a Bulgarian word with roots in the Slavic languages, meaning both "confusion" and "quarrel".
Czechnepořádek
The word "nepořádek" can also mean "disorder" or "chaos" in Czech.
Estoniansegadus
The word "segadus" can also refer to a "jumble" or "disorder".
Finnishsotku
The word "sotku" is also used to refer to a person who is messy.
Hungarianrendetlenség
This Hungarian word is also an idiom: "rend van a teremben": there is order in the hall/room/classroom.
Latvianjuceklis
The word "juceklis" is derived from the word "juceklis" meaning "confusion" or "disorder".
Lithuaniannetvarka
The word "netvarka" can also refer to a large amount of something, such as a pile of clothes or a stack of papers.
Macedonianхаос
The word "хаос" in Macedonian has its origin in the Greek word "chaos" (void) and also means "chaos" (disorder, confusion) and "pandemonium".
Polishbałagan
The word "bałagan" likely comes from the Yiddish word "balogn" meaning "nonsense" or "confusion".
Romanianmizerie
The word "mizerie" may have originated from the Arabic word "mazār" meaning "tomb", "shrine", or "sanctuary".
Russianбеспорядок
The word беспорядок derives from the ancient Slavic word «порядъ» meaning «order» and the prefix «бес-» meaning «without».
Serbianнеред
The Serbian word "неред" also means "disorder" or "confusion".
Slovakneporiadok
The word "neporiadok" also means "disorder" or "chaos".
Sloveniannered
"Nered" can also refer to the noise made by people talking or the sound of children playing.
Ukrainianбезлад
The word "безлад" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*bezъlądъ" from *bezъ, "without" + *lądъ, "order," so literally "without order," and it is also used figuratively to refer to "chaos" and "disorganization."

Mess in South Asian Languages

Bengaliগণ্ডগোল
"গণ্ডগোল" originally meant "a group of people" and later came to mean "a state of disorder".
Gujaratiગડબડ
The Gujarati word "ગડબડ" is also used to refer to a commotion or uproar.
Hindiगड़बड़
The Hindi word "गड़बड़" can also mean "difficulty" or "trouble."
Kannadaಅವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ
The word "ಅವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ" (avyavastha) in Kannada also means "chaos", "disorder", or "confusion"
Malayalamകുഴപ്പം
The word "കുഴപ്പം" also means "fault" or "problem" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "kuṣa" meaning "bad" or "faulty".
Marathiगोंधळ
The word "गोंधळ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "गुण्डः" meaning "mob" or "throng".
Nepaliगडबड
The word 'गडबड' is also used to describe a 'quarrel' or 'dispute' in Nepali.
Punjabiਗੜਬੜ
The word "ਗੜਬੜ" can also mean "confusion" or "disorder" in Punjabi.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)අවුල
The word “අවුල” is also used to describe a situation of chaos, confusion, or disarray.
Tamilகுழப்பம்
The word 'குழப்பம்' in Tamil originates from the Sanskrit word 'kusapa', which means 'heap' or 'pile'.
Teluguగజిబిజి
The word "గజిబిజి" is onomatopoeic in origin, and also refers to a "crowd" or "throng".
Urduگندگی
This Urdu word is ultimately of Sanskrit origin, meaning "stink" and related to "ganda" (filthy).

Mess in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)烂摊子
The word '烂摊子' literally means a 'rotten stall' and is used figuratively to refer to a chaotic or difficult situation, similar to the English phrase 'hot potato' or 'mess'.
Chinese (Traditional)爛攤子
「爛攤子」源自於攤販在收攤時,攤位上剩餘的零碎物品,因其通常雜亂無章,故引申為「混亂不堪」之意。
Japanese混乱
"混乱" is also a Japanese word for "confusion" or "disorder".
Korean음식물
The word "음식물" can also refer to "food" or "provisions" in a broader sense, encompassing both edible and non-edible items.
Mongolianзамбараагүй
The word
Myanmar (Burmese)ရှုပ်ထွေး

Mess in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiankekacauan
The Indonesian word "kekacauan" is thought to be derived from the Javanese word "acak-acakan", which means "disorderly".
Javanesekekacoan
The Javanese word "kekacoan" shares a similar etymological root with "kacau" (disorder), indicating a state of disarray or confusion.
Khmerរញ៉េរញ៉ៃ
Laoລັງກິນອາຫານ
Malaykeadaan huru-hara
Keadaan huru-hara can colloquially refer to a riot or a state of chaos, and is a loanword from Arabic that originally meant 'to be forbidden'
Thaiยุ่ง
The Thai word "ยุ่ง" can mean both "busy" and "messy."
Vietnameselộn xộn
"Lộn xộn" is derived from the words "lộn" (to turn upside down) and "xộn" (to be in a state of disorder).
Filipino (Tagalog)gulo

Mess in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniqarışıqlıq
The word "qarışıqlıq" can also refer to a "mix-up" or "confusion" in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhбылық
The word "былық" has a Turkic origin and can also mean "swarm" or "multitude."}
Kyrgyzбашаламандык
Tajikбесарусомонӣ
The term "бесарусомонӣ" can also be used to refer to a chaotic and disorganized situation.
Turkmenbulaşyklyk
Uzbektartibsizlik
The Uzbek word "tartibsizlik" can also mean "unrest" in a political context, or "confusion" in a more general sense.
Uyghurقالايمىقان

Mess in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianhoʻohaunaele
Hoohaunaele is the root word for "mess" and is also used to refer to a large crowd or a group of people doing something together.
Maoripōrohe
The Maori word 'pōrohe' can also be used to describe a 'heap', 'pile', or 'mound'.
Samoangaogaosa
"Gaogaosa" can also be used to describe a person who is messy or disorganized.
Tagalog (Filipino)magulo
"Magulo" can also mean "unorganized" or "confused".

Mess in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajanwalt'a
Guaraniguyryry

Mess in International Languages

Esperantofuŝi
The Esperanto word "fuŝi" (to bungle) also has the metaphorical meaning of "to commit murder" or "to assassinate" in the slang of criminals.
Latincibum
The word cibum is also used to describe other types of food

Mess in Others Languages

Greekανω κατω
The Greek term "Ανω Κάτω" originates from a nautical phrase describing a ship with its masts facing down due to a storm, implying chaos and disorganization.
Hmongmess
In Hmong, "mess" also refers to a type of traditional dance performed at weddings and festivals.
Kurdishtevlihevî
The Kurdish word "tevlihevî" derives from the Arabic word "tahlīya" meaning "emptying" or "evacuating," implying the act of clearing up a mess or removing debris.
Turkishdağınıklık
The Turkish word "dağınıklık" also refers to the scattering of clouds, as well as to the confusion that results from scattering.
Xhosaubumdaka
Ubumdaka in Xhosa, from the noun -mdaka meaning 'dirt' or 'waste', refers to the remnants of food, or food waste.
Yiddishבאַלאַגאַן
"באַלאַגאַן" can also be translated to "chaos", "uproar" or even "a big fuss about something"
Zuluukungcola
The Zulu word "ukungcola" can also refer to the act of kneading or mixing, or to the condition of being untidy or disorganised.
Assameseঅব্যৱস্থিত
Aymarajanwalt'a
Bhojpuriझमेला
Dhivehiތަރުތީބު ގެއްލިފައި ހުރުން
Dogriमेस
Filipino (Tagalog)gulo
Guaraniguyryry
Ilocanogulo
Kriobad-ɔf
Kurdish (Sorani)خراپ
Maithiliगड़बड़
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯆꯥꯏꯕ
Mizohnawk
Oromojeequmsa
Odia (Oriya)ବିଶୃଙ୍ଖଳା |
Quechuaarwi
Sanskritभोजनालयः
Tatarтәртипсезлек
Tigrinyaዝርኽርኽ
Tsongahansahansa

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