Mystery in Different Languages
Discover 'Mystery' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word mystery holds a special allure for many of us, invoking a sense of curiosity and fascination. It signifies something that is not easily understood or explained, a riddle or puzzle that begs to be unraveled. This concept has played a significant role in various cultures and societies, from ancient myths and legends to modern-day detective stories and scientific inquiries. For instance, the ancient Greeks believed in the mystery cults, where followers sought to gain spiritual insight through secret rituals and teachings. Similarly, the concept of mystery is central to many religious traditions, such as the Christian concept of the Mystery of Faith.
Given its cultural importance and universal appeal, it's no wonder that people might be interested in knowing the translation of the word mystery in different languages. After all, language is a powerful tool for understanding and connecting with other cultures. Here are some translations of the word mystery in various languages:
Mystery
Mystery in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | misterie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "misterie" is of Greek origins, derived from the word 'μυστήριον' and refers to an enigmatic secret or inexplicable occurrence. | |||
| Amharic | ምስጢር | ||
| The word ምስጢር (mistīr) also means "a secret" or "a confidential matter". | |||
| Hausa | asiri | ||
| "Asir" is also referred to as something that is hidden or unclear. | |||
| Igbo | ihe omimi | ||
| The Igbo word 'ihe omimi' ('mystery') can also refer to something that is hidden or unknown. | |||
| Malagasy | zava-miafina | ||
| "Zava-miafina" shares the suffix "-miafina" with other Malagasy words meaning hidden or unknown, suggesting an etymological connection. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chinsinsi | ||
| Nyanja's "chinsinsi" derives from "chisi" ("thing") and the causative suffix "-insi" ("to cause"), thus meaning "to cause something to become hidden".} | |||
| Shona | chakavanzika | ||
| According to the Shona dictionary, 'Chakavanzika' is also a type of snake believed to bring good luck. | |||
| Somali | qarsoodi | ||
| Qarsoodi in Somali has a connotation of the unknowable or hidden and is associated with spiritual or supernatural phenomena. | |||
| Sesotho | sephiri | ||
| The word "sephiri" can also mean "secret", "puzzle", or "riddle". | |||
| Swahili | siri | ||
| The Swahili word "siri" can also mean a "secret" or a "concealed thing". | |||
| Xhosa | imfihlakalo | ||
| The Xhosa word "imfihlakalo" shares its root with the verb "fihla," meaning "to hide" or "to conceal," suggesting a connection between mystery and hidden knowledge. | |||
| Yoruba | ohun ijinlẹ | ||
| In the Yoruba language, the word "ohun ijinlẹ" also refers to something hidden or secret. | |||
| Zulu | imfihlakalo | ||
| Origin: Thought to derive from the verb 'fihla' (hide) | |||
| Bambara | gundo | ||
| Ewe | nuɣaɣla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amayobera | ||
| Lingala | sekele | ||
| Luganda | ekyaama | ||
| Sepedi | semaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahintasɛm | ||
Mystery in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لغز | ||
| The Arabic word "لغز" is also used to describe a riddle, puzzle, or enigma, highlighting its connection to the act of deciphering and unraveling unknown or obscure things. | |||
| Hebrew | מִסתוֹרִין | ||
| The Hebrew word "מִסתוֹרִין" also means "secret" or "hidden knowledge". | |||
| Pashto | اسرار | ||
| "اسرار" (mystery) is also a surname among Pashtuns. | |||
| Arabic | لغز | ||
| The Arabic word "لغز" is also used to describe a riddle, puzzle, or enigma, highlighting its connection to the act of deciphering and unraveling unknown or obscure things. | |||
Mystery in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mister | ||
| The Albanian word “mister” may have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root *me-, meaning to measure or think. | |||
| Basque | misterioa | ||
| The Basque word "misterioa" (mystery) originates from the Latin "ministerium" (service, ministry), suggesting a connection between the unknown and the divine. | |||
| Catalan | misteri | ||
| Catalan "misteri" derives from Latin "ministerium" ("service") via Old Catalan "mesteri" ("craft") and Castilian "misterio" ("mystery"). | |||
| Croatian | misterija | ||
| The word 'misterija' is derived from the Latin word 'mysterium', which originally referred to secret religious ceremonies or knowledge. | |||
| Danish | mysterium | ||
| In Danish, the word "mysterium" carries a dual meaning of both "mystery" and "initiation into religious rites", a usage with roots in ancient Greek and Latin | |||
| Dutch | mysterie | ||
| In Dutch, "mysterie" can refer to a religious secret, a riddle, a secret, or a mystical experience. | |||
| English | mystery | ||
| The word 'mystery' ultimately derives from the Greek word 'mystes', meaning 'one who is initiated into a religious cult'. | |||
| French | mystère | ||
| The word "mystère" in French comes from the Greek word "mysterion", which means "secret rite or ceremony". | |||
| Frisian | mystearje | ||
| Mystearje can also refer to a puzzle or riddle, hinting at its puzzling nature. | |||
| Galician | misterio | ||
| From Latin mysterium, which meant both pagan rite and Christian sacrament, so it also has a religious connotation. | |||
| German | geheimnis | ||
| The German word 'Geheimnis' (mystery) is related to words like 'heim' (home) and 'heimelig' (cozy), suggesting the familiarity of something kept secret and close. | |||
| Icelandic | ráðgáta | ||
| Its cognate in Faroese has the additional meaning of 'problem' as in a calculation problem. | |||
| Irish | rúndiamhair | ||
| The word 'rúndiamhair' is also used to refer to something that is hidden or secret. | |||
| Italian | mistero | ||
| It comes from the Greek 'mysterion' through the Latin 'mysterium' and may be related to the Latin word 'ministerium', 'service'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | geheimnis | ||
| In addition to its meaning as a "secret" "Geheimnis" can also mean "secret sauce" or a "secret remedy". | |||
| Maltese | misteru | ||
| "Misteru" in Maltese can also mean "secret" or "ritual". | |||
| Norwegian | mysterium | ||
| In Norwegian, "mysterium" retains its original Latin meaning of "religious secret" or "sacrament". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mistério | ||
| The Portuguese word "mistério" ultimately derives from the ancient Greek word "mysterion", which referred to the secret religious rites and teachings of the Eleusinian Mysteries. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dìomhaireachd | ||
| Spanish | misterio | ||
| The Spanish word "misterio" ultimately derives from the Greek "mysterion," meaning both "mystery" and "religious or sacred rite or doctrine." | |||
| Swedish | mysterium | ||
| The Swedish word "mysterium" derives from the Greek word "mysterion" and carries connotations of divine secrets, religious rituals, and hidden knowledge. | |||
| Welsh | dirgelwch | ||
| The word 'dirgelwch' can also be used to describe a secret or something that is hidden or concealed. | |||
Mystery in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | загадкавасць | ||
| This word can also mean "riddle" and comes from the word "гадка", meaning "guess". | |||
| Bosnian | misterija | ||
| Although 'misterija' is often used to describe a religious event, it can also refer to theatrical performances. | |||
| Bulgarian | мистерия | ||
| The word "мистерия" can also refer to "mystery theater" or a "mystery novel". | |||
| Czech | tajemství | ||
| The word "tajemství" in Czech is ultimately derived from the Proto-Slavic word "tajiti". | |||
| Estonian | müsteerium | ||
| The word "müsteerium" comes from the Latin word "mysterium", which means "secret rite" or "religious truth hidden from the uninitiated." | |||
| Finnish | mysteeri | ||
| In Finnish, "mysteeri" derives from the Greek "mysterion" and also refers to religious or spiritual teachings kept secret from the uninitiated. | |||
| Hungarian | rejtély | ||
| In Hungarian, "rejtély" shares its root with the verb "rejt", meaning "to hide" or "to conceal," suggesting the hidden or unknown nature of mysteries. | |||
| Latvian | noslēpums | ||
| "Noslēpums" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ne-wes-", meaning "to hide, conceal". | |||
| Lithuanian | paslaptis | ||
| Paslaptis derives from the Lithuanian word “slėpti”, which means “to hide”. | |||
| Macedonian | мистерија | ||
| The word 'мистерија' can also refer to a religious sacrament or a secret society's rituals and beliefs. | |||
| Polish | zagadka | ||
| Zagadka, meaning "mystery" in Polish, derives from the Old Polish word "zagaditi" meaning "to pollute" or "to soil". | |||
| Romanian | mister | ||
| In Romanian, the word "mister" also translates to "master" in English. | |||
| Russian | тайна | ||
| "Тайна" is cognate with the English words "thane" and "thin" and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ten-, meaning "to stretch". | |||
| Serbian | мистерија | ||
| У словенским језицима реч "мистерија" има и значење "занат". | |||
| Slovak | záhada | ||
| The word "záhada" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb "*zъdati", meaning "to ask", and originally referred to a difficult question or problem. | |||
| Slovenian | skrivnost | ||
| The word "skrivnost" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "skryti" meaning "to hide" and has related words like "scribble" and "script". | |||
| Ukrainian | загадковість | ||
| The Ukrainian word "загадковість" also means "riddle" or "puzzle". | |||
Mystery in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রহস্য | ||
| The term 'Rahasya' in Bengali originates from the Sanskrit and shares its root with the Greek term 'myein', meaning 'to close'. | |||
| Gujarati | રહસ્ય | ||
| "રહસ્ય" can also mean something secret or confidential. | |||
| Hindi | रहस्य | ||
| The Hindi word रहस्य, meaning "mystery," derives from the Sanskrit word रहस, meaning "secret" or "hidden." | |||
| Kannada | ರಹಸ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ರಹಸ್ಯ" is also used to describe a secret that is not to be shared with others. | |||
| Malayalam | മർമ്മം | ||
| "മർമ്മം" (marmam) also means "secret, hidden thing, secret part of the body, vulnerable spot on the body, vital spot on the body" | |||
| Marathi | गूढ | ||
| In Sanskrit, 'gūḍh' means 'secret' or 'hidden', which suggests a connection to the Marathi 'gūḍh'. | |||
| Nepali | रहस्य | ||
| The Nepali word "रहस्य" (mystery) derives from the Sanskrit word "रहस्" (secret), ultimately originating from the root " रह् " (to hide). | |||
| Punjabi | ਭੇਤ | ||
| ਭੇਤ (mystery) originates from Sanskrit 'bheda' which means difference or secret. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අභිරහස | ||
| The term "අභිරහස" (mystery) derives from the Sanskrit "abhirahasya," meaning "deep secret" or "hidden thing." | |||
| Tamil | மர்மம் | ||
| Telugu | రహస్యం | ||
| "రహస్యం" (mystery) derives from Sanskrit and means 'secret', 'hidden' or 'confidential' and carries the same connotations in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | اسرار | ||
| The word "اسرار" in Urdu also means "secrets" or "hidden things". | |||
Mystery in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 神秘 | ||
| The Chinese character '神秘' can also mean 'strange' or 'abstruse'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 神秘 | ||
| 神秘 (mystery) literally translates to "secret sign" (秘 "secret", 示 "sign"). | |||
| Japanese | 神秘 | ||
| In Japanese, "神秘" (shinpi) can also refer to something profound, transcendental, or inscrutable. | |||
| Korean | 신비 | ||
| In Korean, the word "신비" (mystery) is derived from the Chinese character "神", which means "god or spirit," and "秘", which means "secret or hidden." | |||
| Mongolian | нууц | ||
| The Mongolian word "нууц" has a range of meanings, including "mystery", "secret", "privacy", and "invisibility." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နက်နဲသောအရာဖြစ်ပေ | ||
Mystery in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | misteri | ||
| "Misteri" is also used in Indonesian to refer to a secret or hidden knowledge. | |||
| Javanese | misteri | ||
| The Javanese word "misteri" also refers to supernatural beings or hidden knowledge. | |||
| Khmer | អាថ៌កំបាំង | ||
| In Khmer, the word ហកាធឝ (aathorkompaang) shares its roots with the word ហកាថ (aathor), meaning "mythology", highlighting the connection between mystery and ancient tales. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມລຶກລັບ | ||
| Malay | misteri | ||
| In Malay, "misteri" (mystery) comes from the Arabic word "misra" (Egypt), referring to the occult knowledge and practices of ancient Egyptians. | |||
| Thai | ความลึกลับ | ||
| In Thai, the word "ความลึกลับ" can also refer to the unknown or the unexplained. | |||
| Vietnamese | huyền bí | ||
| The word "huyền bí" can also mean "magical" or "supernatural" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | misteryo | ||
Mystery in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sirr | ||
| The word "sirr" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian "serr", meaning "secret" or "confidential." | |||
| Kazakh | құпия | ||
| "Құпия" also means "secret" or "classified information" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | табышмак | ||
| Tajik | сир | ||
| The Tajik word "сир" (mystery) likely derives from the Arabic "سر" (secret) or Persian "سرّ" (mystery). | |||
| Turkmen | syr | ||
| Uzbek | sir | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "sir" (сир) also means "cheese". | |||
| Uyghur | سىر | ||
Mystery in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pohihihi | ||
| The word "pohihihi" in Hawaiian can also refer to a "puzzle" or "riddle." | |||
| Maori | mea ngaro | ||
| The word "mea ngaro" can also mean "hidden thing" or "secret". | |||
| Samoan | mea lilo | ||
| The word "mea lilo" is also used to refer to secrets, hidden things, or something difficult to understand. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | misteryo | ||
| The Tagalog word "misteryo" shares the same root as the Spanish word "misterio" and the English word "mystery", all of which are derived from the Greek word "mysterion", meaning "a secret rite or religious truth". | |||
Mystery in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | muspkaya | ||
| Guarani | kañymby | ||
Mystery in International Languages
| Esperanto | mistero | ||
| In Esperanto, "mistero" is also used to refer to the unknown or the inexplicable. | |||
| Latin | sacramentum | ||
| The Latin word "sacramentum" originally meant "oath" or "pledge" and later came to refer to a religious rite or ceremony. | |||
Mystery in Others Languages
| Greek | μυστήριο | ||
| The Ancient Greek word μυστήριο could also refer to secret religious rites and ceremonies. | |||
| Hmong | tsis meej | ||
| The Hmong word "tsis meej" (mystery) literally translates to "hidden eye". | |||
| Kurdish | sir | ||
| The Kurdish word 'sir' can also refer to a type of Kurdish folk dance. | |||
| Turkish | gizem | ||
| The word "gizem" derives from the Persian word "genj" meaning "treasure" and also denotes "secret" and "mystery". | |||
| Xhosa | imfihlakalo | ||
| The Xhosa word "imfihlakalo" shares its root with the verb "fihla," meaning "to hide" or "to conceal," suggesting a connection between mystery and hidden knowledge. | |||
| Yiddish | מיסטעריע | ||
| The word "מיסטעריע" comes from the Greek "mysterion," meaning a secret religious rite. | |||
| Zulu | imfihlakalo | ||
| Origin: Thought to derive from the verb 'fihla' (hide) | |||
| Assamese | ৰহস্য | ||
| Aymara | muspkaya | ||
| Bhojpuri | रहस्य | ||
| Dhivehi | ގޮތްނޭނގޭ | ||
| Dogri | पिरब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | misteryo | ||
| Guarani | kañymby | ||
| Ilocano | misterio | ||
| Krio | sikrit | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نادیار | ||
| Maithili | रहस्मय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯛꯄ ꯊꯧꯗꯣꯛ | ||
| Mizo | thilmak | ||
| Oromo | dhoksaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରହସ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | mana riqsisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | रहस्य: | ||
| Tatar | сер | ||
| Tigrinya | ምሽጥር | ||
| Tsonga | mahlori | ||