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 | ||
Popular searches
Rate this app!
Weekly Tip
Deepen your understanding of global issues by looking at keywords in multiple languages.
Immerse Yourself in the World of Languages
Type in any word and see it translated into 104 languages. Where possible, you'll also get to hear its pronunciation in languages your browser supports. Our goal? To make exploring languages straightforward and enjoyable.
How to use our multi-language translation tool
Turn words into a kaleidoscope of languages in a few simple steps
Start with a word
Just type the word you're curious about into our search box.
Auto-complete to the rescue
Let our auto-complete nudge you in the right direction to quickly find your word.
See and hear translations
With a click, see translations in 104 languages and hear pronunciations where your browser supports audio.
Grab the translations
Need the translations for later? Download all the translations in a neat JSON file for your project or study.
Explore More Apps You'll Love
Identify every possible word containing your specific letters with our straightforward Words Containing Letters finder. It's an invaluable resource for expanding your word game prowess.
Improve clarity and impact in your communication by leveraging this writing aid tool. It’s invaluable for anyone serious about writing.
Access a treasure trove of linguistic knowledge with this multilingual dictionary online, available anytime, anywhere.
Features overview
Instant translations with audio where available
Type in your word and get translations in a flash. Where available, click to hear how it's pronounced in different languages, right from your browser.
Quick find with auto-complete
Our smart auto-complete helps you quickly find your word, making your journey to translation smooth and hassle-free.
Translations in 104 Languages, no selection needed
We've got you covered with automatic translations and audio in supported languages for every word, no need to pick and choose.
Downloadable translations in JSON
Looking to work offline or integrate translations into your project? Download them in a handy JSON format.
All free, All for you
Jump into the language pool without worrying about costs. Our platform is open to all language lovers and curious minds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you provide translations and audio?
It's simple! Type in a word, and instantly see its translations. If your browser supports it, you'll also see a play button to hear pronunciations in various languages.
Can I download these translations?
Absolutely! You can download a JSON file with all the translations for any word, perfect for when you're offline or working on a project.
What if I can't find my word?
We're constantly growing our list of 3000 words. If you don't see yours, it might not be there yet, but we're always adding more!
Is there a fee to use your site?
Not at all! We're passionate about making language learning accessible to everyone, so our site is completely free to use.
My Current Location 
Share My Location 
Geocoding 
Reverse Geocoding 
My GPS Coordinates 
Voice Recorder 
Send Voice Messages 
Microphone Test 
Speaker Test 
Audio Converter 
Image Compressor 
Video Recorder 
Webcam Test 
Screen Recorder 
Video Compressor 
How to Say 
Multilingual Translations 
Read Text 
Online Ocr 
Word Finder 
Adjective Finder 
Rhyme Finder 
Spanish Word Finder 
Temp Mail 
PDF Tools 
Archive Extractor 
Food Near Me