Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'mood' holds a significant place in our daily vocabulary, referring to our emotional state at any given time. It's a concept that transcends cultural boundaries, making it a vital aspect of human connection and communication. Knowing the translation of 'mood' in different languages can enhance your cross-cultural understanding and make you a more empathetic global citizen.
Historically, the concept of mood has been explored in literature, music, and art, often symbolizing the emotional undercurrents of a piece. For instance, in music, a 'mood' can be conveyed through melody, rhythm, and harmony, while in literature, it can be depicted through the use of descriptive language and tone.
Here are a few translations of the word 'mood' that highlight its cultural importance around the world:
Afrikaans | bui | ||
The word "bui" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "bui," meaning "downpour," and is also used to describe a change in mood, especially a sudden or extreme one. | |||
Amharic | ስሜት | ||
The word ስሜት also means 'feeling', 'sentiment', and 'emotion' in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | yanayi | ||
In Hausa, "yanayi" can also mean "condition". | |||
Igbo | ọnọdụ | ||
Malagasy | toe-po | ||
''Toe-po'' may also mean ''anger'' or ''bad temper'' in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | maganizo | ||
The word 'maganizo' can also refer to a person's state of mind or disposition. | |||
Shona | mafungiro | ||
The Shona word 'mafungiro' comes from the word 'funga', meaning 'to think', and can also refer to a 'belief' or 'opinion'. | |||
Somali | niyadda | ||
"Niyadda" in Somali can also refer to a person's feelings or disposition. | |||
Sesotho | maikutlo | ||
Swahili | mhemko | ||
The word "mhemko" in Swahili also means "intention" or "purpose". | |||
Xhosa | imo | ||
The Xhosa word "imo" can also mean "mind" or "intellect." | |||
Yoruba | iṣesi | ||
In the Yoruba language, 'iṣesi' is a word for both 'mood' and 'customary practice'. | |||
Zulu | imizwa | ||
The word 'imizwa' can also refer to a person's 'mind' or 'soul'. | |||
Bambara | nisɔn | ||
Ewe | seselelãme | ||
Kinyarwanda | umwuka | ||
Lingala | humeur | ||
Luganda | embeera ey'omubiri | ||
Sepedi | maikutlo | ||
Twi (Akan) | tebea | ||
Arabic | مزاج | ||
مزاج can also refer to a person's temperament or disposition, as well as their physical and mental health. | |||
Hebrew | מַצַב רוּחַ | ||
The Hebrew word "מַצַב רוּחַ" ("mood") literally means "a state of mind" or "a disposition of the soul". | |||
Pashto | مزاج | ||
The Pashto word "مزاج" can also mean "disposition" or "temperament". | |||
Arabic | مزاج | ||
مزاج can also refer to a person's temperament or disposition, as well as their physical and mental health. |
Albanian | humor | ||
Albanian "humor" originally meant "fluid" or "liquid" akin to the Greek "hygros" and was used to describe bodily fluids from which temperaments were thought to originate. | |||
Basque | aldartea | ||
In some Basque dialects, aldartea also means «day» or «sun». | |||
Catalan | estat d’ànim | ||
“Estat d’ànim” in Catalan literally means “state of soul”, alluding to the profound psychological and emotional state of a person. | |||
Croatian | raspoloženje | ||
The word 'raspoloženje' in Croatian can also refer to a person's disposition or temperament. | |||
Danish | humør | ||
The Danish word "humør" originates from the French word "humeur", meaning "liquid" or "moisture". | |||
Dutch | humeur | ||
The word 'humeur' derives from the Middle Dutch word 'humoor', meaning 'body fluid', and is related to the English word 'humor' | |||
English | mood | ||
The word 'mood' evolved from Old English 'mod'; German, Dutch: 'moed' and Old Norse 'mod' means 'temper of the mind'. | |||
French | ambiance | ||
In French, "ambiance" also means "surroundings" or "atmosphere." | |||
Frisian | stimming | ||
The Frisian word "stimming" can also refer to a person's mood or disposition. | |||
Galician | estado de ánimo | ||
In Galician, "estado de ánimo" literally means "state of the soul," suggesting a deeper connection between one's emotions and their inner self. | |||
German | stimmung | ||
Stimmung can also mean a group of people with shared interests or a particular atmosphere. | |||
Icelandic | skap | ||
The word 'skap' in Icelandic can also refer to 'the shape of one's face' or 'the appearance of something'. | |||
Irish | giúmar | ||
The term giúmar can also refer to a "turn", such as a dancer performing a giúmar (a whirling or twirling movement), and in medieval Gaelic literature giúmar can occasionally be used to describe a person's "countenance" or "appearance." | |||
Italian | umore | ||
The word "umore" in Italian is derived from the Latin word "humor," meaning "fluid," and is related to the English word "humor," which can refer to a person's disposition or sense of wit. | |||
Luxembourgish | stëmmung | ||
The Luxembourgish word "Stëmmung" derives from the German "Stimmung" and also refers to the atmosphere in a room. | |||
Maltese | burdata | ||
In Maltese, "burdata" also refers to the temperament of an animal, especially a horse or donkey. | |||
Norwegian | humør | ||
The word "humør" originates from the Latin word "humor", which referred to bodily fluids believed to affect one's mood. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | humor | ||
"Humor" can also mean a fluid in the body in Portuguese, like "fluids in the brain" | |||
Scots Gaelic | mood | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "mood" can also mean "mind" or "disposition". | |||
Spanish | estado animico | ||
"Estado animico" can also mean 'political state', 'state of affairs', 'condition' or 'situation' | |||
Swedish | humör | ||
In Swedish, "humör" also refers to the sense of humor or a specific type of humor. | |||
Welsh | hwyliau | ||
'Hwyl' may originally have had to do with a wind that comes and goes and so represents change, motion and a frame of mind. |
Belarusian | настрой | ||
The word "настрой" can also mean "intention" or "disposition". | |||
Bosnian | raspoloženje | ||
The word "raspoloženje" has a root in the Old Church Slavonic word "rasti" which means "to grow." | |||
Bulgarian | настроение | ||
The word "настроение" in Bulgarian has alternate meanings such as "tune" and "intention". | |||
Czech | nálada | ||
The Czech word "nálada" can also refer to a "settlement", an "atmosphere" or a "feeling". | |||
Estonian | tuju | ||
"Tuju" is a Finnish loanword (from "tuju") which initially meant "feeling" or "desire", and is thought to be connected to the word "tuntoa" (to feel, to perceive). | |||
Finnish | mieliala | ||
The word "mieliala" is cognate with the Estonian word "meel" (mind) and the Hungarian word "kedv" (mood). | |||
Hungarian | hangulat | ||
The Hungarian word "hangulat" literally means "atmosphere or environment" and is also used to describe the ambiance or tone of a place or situation. | |||
Latvian | noskaņojums | ||
The word "noskaņojums" is thought to derive from "noskana", meaning "tune", or "nosecinājums", meaning "conclusion". | |||
Lithuanian | nuotaika | ||
The Lithuanian word "nuotaika" originally meant "time" or "timing" in a musical or poetic sense. | |||
Macedonian | расположение | ||
The word "расположение" can also refer to an arrangement, position, or location. | |||
Polish | nastrój | ||
The Polish word "nastrój" not only refers to the emotional state, but also to the physical "tuning" of musical instruments. | |||
Romanian | starea de spirit | ||
A possible etymology of "starea de spirit" ("mood") in Romanian is a Latin expression that translates roughly to "position of stars", as moods were thought to be influenced by astrology. | |||
Russian | настроение | ||
The word "настроение" in Russian comes from the Old Slavonic word "настроити", meaning "to tune" or "to adjust". | |||
Serbian | расположење | ||
"Расположење" is the abstract of "расположити", meaning "to put in a certain place or in a certain way" | |||
Slovak | náladu | ||
The Slovak word "náladu" originally meant "humidity" but has since acquired the more abstract sense of "mood". | |||
Slovenian | razpoloženje | ||
It comes from the verb »razložiti«, which has to do with putting something on a flat surface or spreading something out. | |||
Ukrainian | настрій | ||
The word "настрій" is a false friend with the Russian word "настроение", which means "mood". |
Bengali | মেজাজ | ||
The word "মেজাজ" is derived from the Persian word "مزاج" and originally meant "temperament" or "disposition." | |||
Gujarati | મૂડ | ||
The word 'મૂડ' can also mean 'temperament' or 'disposition' in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | मनोदशा | ||
Hindi 'मनोदशा' means 'mind's state', 'frame of mind', and is related to the term 'मन' meaning 'mind'. | |||
Kannada | ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ | ||
"ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ" (manasthiti) is also a word used to describe a person's state of mind or mental disposition. | |||
Malayalam | മാനസികാവസ്ഥ | ||
The word 'മാനസികാവസ്ഥ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'manas' meaning 'mind' and 'avastha' meaning 'state'. | |||
Marathi | मूड | ||
In Marathi, 'मूड' (mood) can also refer to someone's temperament or disposition. | |||
Nepali | मुड | ||
The word "मुड" in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "मूड" (mūḍa), which means "foolish" or "stupid". However, it has evolved to have a broader meaning in Nepali, encompassing a range of mental and emotional states. | |||
Punjabi | ਮੂਡ | ||
The word "ਮੂਡ" in Punjabi, also means "face", "forehead" or other parts of the body that are considered "upwards". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මනෝභාවය | ||
Sinhala "මනෝභාවය" is cognate with Sanskrit "मनोभाव", deriving from "मन (man, mind)" + "भाव (bhāva, state, being)" to imply a mental state or disposition. | |||
Tamil | மனநிலை | ||
The word "மனநிலை" can also refer to the "mind's state" or "mental condition". | |||
Telugu | మానసిక స్థితి | ||
The word "mood" comes from the Middle English word "mod," meaning "mind" or "spirit." | |||
Urdu | موڈ | ||
The word “موڈ” in Urdu can also mean “weather” or “atmosphere.” |
Chinese (Simplified) | 心情 | ||
The term "心情" can also refer to "the thoughts and feelings of a person", implying a deeper, internal aspect of emotions. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 心情 | ||
心情 in Chinese can mean anything from your mood or temperament to your mental state or disposition. | |||
Japanese | 気分 | ||
The word "気分" can also mean "feeling" or "atmosphere", and is derived from the Chinese word "氣分" (qìfèn), which means "vital energy" or "spirit. | |||
Korean | 기분 | ||
기분 ('feeling') shares its root with '기뻐하다' ('be delighted'), meaning a feeling that is 'lifted up'. | |||
Mongolian | сэтгэлийн байдал | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ခံစားချက် | ||
Indonesian | suasana hati | ||
"Suasana hati" comes from the Sanskrit "Svastha" meaning "well-being" and "Hati" meaning "heart". | |||
Javanese | swasana ati | ||
"Swasana ati" literally means "breath of the heart" in Javanese, and can also refer to one's mental state or disposition. | |||
Khmer | អារម្មណ៍ | ||
The word | |||
Lao | ອາລົມ | ||
The Lao word "ອາລົມ" is borrowed from Pali "ārammaṇa", meaning something that is delightful to the mind. | |||
Malay | mood | ||
The word "mood" in Malay can also mean "condition" or "situation". | |||
Thai | อารมณ์ | ||
The word 'อารมณ์' is derived from the Pali word 'ārammaṇa', which means 'object' or 'support' and refers to the mental state or feeling that arises in response to an object or situation. It can also refer to the 'temperament' or 'disposition' of a person. | |||
Vietnamese | tâm trạng | ||
The word "tâm trạng" can also refer to a person's disposition or temperament. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kalooban | ||
Azerbaijani | əhval-ruhiyyə | ||
The Azerbaijani word "əhval-ruhiyyə" means state of mind, mood or spirit and derives from Arabic and Persian words. | |||
Kazakh | көңіл-күй | ||
The word "көңіл-күй" can also mean "mind" or "feeling." | |||
Kyrgyz | маанай | ||
The word "маанай" can also refer to a person's intention or will. | |||
Tajik | кайфият | ||
The Tajik word "кайфият" is derived from the Arabic "kayf", meaning "state or condition". | |||
Turkmen | keýp | ||
Uzbek | kayfiyat | ||
The word "kayfiyat" in Uzbek can also refer to a state of mind or disposition. | |||
Uyghur | كەيپىيات | ||
Hawaiian | naʻau | ||
Naʻau is related to the word nāʻau, meaning intestines, the traditional seat of emotions and feelings in Hawaiian culture. | |||
Maori | wairua | ||
The word "wairua" can also refer to the soul or spirit of a person or thing in Maori. | |||
Samoan | lagona | ||
The word "lagona" also refers to a state of mind or attitude, similar to the English word "disposition". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kalagayan | ||
The word "kalagayan" also means "condition" or "state". |
Aymara | ch'amancha | ||
Guarani | teko | ||
Esperanto | humoro | ||
In Esperanto, "humoro" also means "sense of humor" or "wit". | |||
Latin | modus | ||
The Latin word "modus" also means "measure", "manner", or "way", and is the root of the English words "mode" and "method". |
Greek | διάθεση | ||
The Ancient Greek word "διάθεση" also meant "state of mind" or "disposition". | |||
Hmong | mus ob peb vas | ||
The Hmong word "mus ob peb vas" is derived from the verb "mus," meaning "to feel," and the noun "peb," meaning "mind." | |||
Kurdish | rewş | ||
The Kurdish word "rewş" (mood) is derived from the Persian word "rūy" (face), which refers to the outward expression of one's emotional state. | |||
Turkish | ruh hali | ||
"Ruh حالی" in Turkish means both "mood" and "the part of consciousness related to feelings". | |||
Xhosa | imo | ||
The Xhosa word "imo" can also mean "mind" or "intellect." | |||
Yiddish | געמיט | ||
The Yiddish word 'געמיט' ('mood') originally referred to the physical 'temperament' of the body. | |||
Zulu | imizwa | ||
The word 'imizwa' can also refer to a person's 'mind' or 'soul'. | |||
Assamese | মেজাজ | ||
Aymara | ch'amancha | ||
Bhojpuri | मन | ||
Dhivehi | މޫޑް | ||
Dogri | मूड | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kalooban | ||
Guarani | teko | ||
Ilocano | rikna | ||
Krio | aw yu fil | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | میزاج | ||
Maithili | भाव | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯧ | ||
Mizo | ngaihtuahna | ||
Oromo | haala | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ମନ | ||
Quechua | estado animico | ||
Sanskrit | मनोदशा | ||
Tatar | кәеф | ||
Tigrinya | ስምዒት | ||
Tsonga | matitwelo | ||