Offensive in Different Languages
Discover 'Offensive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'offensive' carries significant weight in our daily lives, as it often indicates language or actions that are hurtful, harmful, or disrespectful to others. Understanding the cultural importance of this term is crucial, as it helps us to navigate complex social situations and to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'offensive' in different languages can be incredibly useful for travelers, language learners, and anyone interested in global culture. By doing so, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of language and the ways in which people around the world conceptualize concepts that are important to them.
For instance, in Spanish, 'offensive' translates to 'ofensivo,' while in French, it is 'offensant.' In German, the word is 'beleidigend,' and in Japanese, it is 'Ofensibu' (オフェンシブ). These translations not only provide us with a better understanding of the word itself but also offer insight into the cultural values and norms of the people who speak these languages.
In the following list, you will find the translations of the word 'offensive' in over 20 languages, along with their phonetic spellings and interesting cultural contexts. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply someone interested in learning more about the world around you, this list is sure to inspire and inform.
Offensive
Offensive in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aanstootlik | ||
| The Afrikaans word "aanstootlik" can also mean "stumbling block" or "impediment." | |||
| Amharic | አፀያፊ | ||
| The Amharic word "አፀያፊ" can also refer to a "stumbling block" or a "temptation" in a religious or moral context. | |||
| Hausa | m | ||
| In Hausa, "m" can also mean "mother" or "father." | |||
| Igbo | mkpasu iwe | ||
| 'Mkpasu iwe' literally translates to 'bad writing' and can also refer to something disgusting. | |||
| Malagasy | manafintohina | ||
| "Manafintohina" is the name of a tree with reddish wood, which is used for construction. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zokhumudwitsa | ||
| 'Zokhumudwitsa' originally meant 'to cause someone to be offended', but now also means 'offensive'. | |||
| Shona | zvinogumbura | ||
| The word 'zvinogumbura' is derived from the combination of two Shona words: 'zvino' meaning 'now' and 'gumbura' meaning 'to stir' or 'agitate'. This suggests that something offensive is something that 'stirs' or 'agitates' emotions or thoughts. | |||
| Somali | weerar ah | ||
| The word "weerar ah" is derived from the Somali word "weerar," which means "an attack" or "an act of aggression." | |||
| Sesotho | ho kgopisa | ||
| The word "ho kgopisa" can also mean "to make a person angry" or "to cause someone to feel offended". | |||
| Swahili | kukera | ||
| The word 'kukera' can also be used to refer to an unpleasant smell, which originates from 'ukera', meaning 'to smell bad'. | |||
| Xhosa | ekhubekisayo | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ekhubekisayo' also means "that which should be thrown away". | |||
| Yoruba | ibinu | ||
| The Yoruba word "ibinu" can also refer to anger or irritation | |||
| Zulu | kuyahlasela | ||
| "Kuyahlasela" can also refer to causing a disturbance or being inconsiderate. | |||
| Bambara | bagama | ||
| Ewe | ɖia ame nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | birababaje | ||
| Lingala | ya nsoni | ||
| Luganda | okutyoobola ekitiibwa | ||
| Sepedi | lehlapa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ntɔkwapɛ | ||
Offensive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هجومي | ||
| The word "هجومي" can also mean an "attack" in Arabic, which is derived from the verb "هجم" meaning "to attack." | |||
| Hebrew | הֶתקֵפִי | ||
| The word "הֶתקֵפִי" can also mean "aggressive" or "assertive" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | سرغړونکی | ||
| The word "سرغړونکی" in Pashto can also mean "a violator" or "a transgressor". | |||
| Arabic | هجومي | ||
| The word "هجومي" can also mean an "attack" in Arabic, which is derived from the verb "هجم" meaning "to attack." | |||
Offensive in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fyese | ||
| The word "fyese" can also mean "disgusting" or "repulsive". | |||
| Basque | iraingarria | ||
| The Basque word 'iraingarria' originates from 'irain', meaning 'to laugh mockingly', and is often used in the context of teasing or insults. | |||
| Catalan | ofensiu | ||
| In Catalan, "ofensiu" has the same meaning as in English, but it also relates to the action of defending or protecting. | |||
| Croatian | uvredljiv | ||
| The word 'uvredljiv' also carries the meaning of 'hurtful', 'injurious', or 'damaging'. | |||
| Danish | offensiv | ||
| In Danish, the word "offensiv" can also mean "attack" or "offensive campaign." | |||
| Dutch | aanvallend | ||
| The noun 'aanval' (attack) in 'aanvallend' comes from the verb 'aanvallen' (to attack) and means 'the act of attacking'. Hence, 'aanvallend' means 'inclined to attack'. | |||
| English | offensive | ||
| The word offensive can trace its roots back to the Latin verb offendere, which means to strike against, trip up, or cause another to stumble. | |||
| French | offensive | ||
| The French word 'offensive' can also mean 'pushing', 'aggressive' or 'annoying'. | |||
| Frisian | misledigjend | ||
| The Frisian word "misledigjend" is derived from the Old Frisian word "mislêden", meaning "to lead astray". | |||
| Galician | ofensivo | ||
| "Ofensivo" in Galician also means "defensive". | |||
| German | beleidigend | ||
| The German word "beleidigend" not only means "offensive" but also "insulting." | |||
| Icelandic | móðgandi | ||
| The word "móðgandi" in Icelandic has its roots in the Old Norse word "módgur", meaning "irritated" or "angry". | |||
| Irish | maslach | ||
| The word 'maslach' can also be used to describe something that is rude or disrespectful. | |||
| Italian | offensivo | ||
| The Italian word "offensivo" can also mean "discourteous" or "rude". | |||
| Luxembourgish | beleidegend | ||
| "Beleidegend" is also used in Luxembourgish to describe something as being "annoying" or "irritating." | |||
| Maltese | offensiv | ||
| The Maltese word 'offensiv' originates from the Latin word 'offensus', meaning 'stumbling' or 'striking against'. | |||
| Norwegian | støtende | ||
| The word "støtende" is derived from the Old Norse word "støyta", which means "to push" or "to hit". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ofensiva | ||
| Portuguese "ofensiva" is used to describe a situation that shocks or embarrasses someone, and not only to refer to an attack in war. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oilbheumach | ||
| The word 'oilbheumach' comes from Old Irish 'oilbhéim' meaning 'a blow, a wound, a sore or boil' | |||
| Spanish | ofensiva | ||
| "Ofensiva" in Spanish can also mean "offensive" in the military sense, and is the same word used for "attack". | |||
| Swedish | offensiv | ||
| The Swedish word "offensiv" can also mean "offensive" in the sense of "an attack" or "a military operation." | |||
| Welsh | sarhaus | ||
| The word "sarhaus" in Welsh derives from the verb "sarhau" meaning "to insult". | |||
Offensive in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крыўдна | ||
| The word "крыўдна" in Belarusian also conveys a sense of deep hurt or emotional injury. | |||
| Bosnian | uvredljiv | ||
| "Uvredljiv" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "vreda" meaning "harm". | |||
| Bulgarian | обидно | ||
| The word "обидно" can also mean "disappointing" or "hurtful" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | urážlivý | ||
| The word "urážlivý" in Czech also has the alternate meaning of "disagreeable". | |||
| Estonian | solvav | ||
| "Solvav" is probably derived from the Russian word "solvat'" (insult). | |||
| Finnish | loukkaava | ||
| The word “loukkaava” originally meant “causing pain” and is related to the word “loukkaantua” (“to get hurt”). | |||
| Hungarian | támadó | ||
| "Támadó" (offensive) comes from the verb "támad" (to attack), which in turn derives from the Proto-Ugric "*taγma-" (to fight). | |||
| Latvian | aizskaroši | ||
| The word "aizskaroši" can also mean "hurtful" or "damaging". | |||
| Lithuanian | agresyvus | ||
| The word "agresyvus" in Lithuanian originates from the French word "agressif", meaning "aggressive". | |||
| Macedonian | навредливи | ||
| The Macedonian word "навредливи" can also mean "harmful" or "injurious". | |||
| Polish | ofensywa | ||
| The word ofensywa derives from Latin offendere "to strike against, offend, injure, vex, annoy, displease". | |||
| Romanian | ofensator | ||
| In the 18th and early 20th century, "ofensator" (ofensatoare, ofensa) also meant "insult" and it only acquired its current meaning in 1964, when Romania adopted a new penal code. | |||
| Russian | наступление | ||
| In Russian, "наступление" also refers to the "beginning" or "onset" of something. | |||
| Serbian | увредљив | ||
| "увредљив" comes from the Slavic root "vred", meaning "worth". Thus, "увредљив" literally means "degrading or diminishing someone's worth". | |||
| Slovak | urážlivé | ||
| The term "urážlivé" is derived from the verb "urážať" which means "to insult, to offend, to hurt someone's feelings." | |||
| Slovenian | žaljivo | ||
| "Žaljivo" can also be a noun that means "an offense," "insult," "outrage," or "affront." | |||
| Ukrainian | образливий | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "образливий" can also mean "insulting" or "hurtful". | |||
Offensive in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আপত্তিকর | ||
| The term "আপত্তিকর" literally means "objectionable" or "disagreeable" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | અપમાનજનક | ||
| Hindi | अपमानजनक | ||
| "अपमानजनक" is a Hindi word that can mean either 'offensive' or 'humiliating'. | |||
| Kannada | ಆಕ್ರಮಣಕಾರಿ | ||
| ಆಕ್ರಮಣಕಾರಿ means 'aggressive' or 'hostile' and can also refer to something that is 'unpleasant' or 'annoying'. | |||
| Malayalam | കുറ്റകരമായ | ||
| In ancient Tamil, the word 'குற்றம்' (kuṟṟam) meant 'failing to do something'; later, it came to mean 'fault', 'sin', and even 'offence'. | |||
| Marathi | आक्षेपार्ह | ||
| The Marathi word "आक्षेपार्ह" (offensive) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आक्षेप" (objection), and also means "exceptionable" or "objectionable". | |||
| Nepali | आपत्तिजनक | ||
| The word "आपत्तिजनक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आपत्ति," meaning "disapproval" or "objection." | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਪਮਾਨਜਨਕ | ||
| The word 'ਅਪਮਾਨਜਨਕ' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'अपमान्' (apamān), meaning 'disrespect' or 'contempt'. It can also refer to something that causes offense or is insulting. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආක්රමණශීලී | ||
| The word "ආක්රමණශීලී" can also mean "aggressive" or "invasive" in Sinhala, indicating a broader range of meanings than just "offensive". | |||
| Tamil | தாக்குதல் | ||
| Telugu | ప్రమాదకర | ||
| The word "ప్రమాదకర" (offensive) can also mean "causing harm" or "injurious". | |||
| Urdu | جارحانہ | ||
| جارحانہ (offensive) is derived from the Arabic word جرح (jarh), meaning 'wound' or 'injury'. In Urdu, it can also mean 'harsh' or 'rude'. | |||
Offensive in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 进攻 | ||
| 进攻 is also a term used for 'attack' in sports and warfare. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 進攻 | ||
| "進攻" (offensive) shares the same etymology as "進行" (process), implying a sense of progressive action. | |||
| Japanese | 攻撃 | ||
| The word "攻撃" can also refer to an argument or criticism, and is related to the verb "攻める" meaning "to attack" or "to argue" | |||
| Korean | 공격 | ||
| The word "공격" (offensive) also means "attack" or "assault" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | доромжилсон | ||
| The word "доромжилсон" can also mean "bad" or "unfortunate" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိုးစစ် | ||
| The word "ထိုးစစ်" ("offensive") can also refer to the first strike of an attack, or the starting of a lawsuit. | |||
Offensive in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | serangan | ||
| The word 'serangan' also means 'attack' or 'raid' and is derived from the Malay word 'serang' meaning 'to attack'. | |||
| Javanese | nyerang | ||
| The word 'nyerang' in Javanese also means 'to attack' or 'to invade'. | |||
| Khmer | ការវាយលុក | ||
| Lao | ການກະ ທຳ ຜິດ | ||
| Malay | menyinggung perasaan | ||
| "Menyinggung perasaan" is taken from "menyentuh perasaan" (lit. touch emotions), reflecting the literal meaning of "touch" as an emotional trigger. | |||
| Thai | ไม่พอใจ | ||
| The word "ไม่พอใจ" literally means "not yet satisfied" in Thai, suggesting that something more offensive could be done if the offender is not satisfied. | |||
| Vietnamese | phản cảm | ||
| Phản cảm literally means 'anti-sensible', and it can also refer to things that are unpleasant to the senses or against common sense. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nakakasakit | ||
Offensive in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təhqiramiz | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "təhqiramiz" is derived from the Persian word "tahqir", meaning "humiliation" or "disrespect". | |||
| Kazakh | қорлайтын | ||
| Kyrgyz | адепсиз | ||
| The word "адепсиз" in Kyrgyz translates to "offensive" and is rooted in the Kyrgyz word "адеп" meaning "custom." | |||
| Tajik | таҳқиромез | ||
| The word “таҳқиромез” comes from the Persian combination of “تحقیر” and “آمیز”, meaning “disgrace” and “mixed”, thus resulting in “mixed with disgrace” or "offensive". | |||
| Turkmen | kemsidiji | ||
| Uzbek | tajovuzkor | ||
| The word "tajovuzkor" in Uzbek is derived from the Arabic word "ta'awwuz", which means "seeking refuge", and is used to describe things that are harmful or dangerous. | |||
| Uyghur | كىشىنى بىزار قىلىدۇ | ||
Offensive in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hōʻino | ||
| The word "hōʻino" can also mean "evil" or "wicked". | |||
| Maori | whakatoi | ||
| "Whakatoi" originates from the Maori word "toa," meaning "warrior," and is often used in a ceremonial context to convey the idea of strength, bravery, and defiance. | |||
| Samoan | faatiga | ||
| The word "faatiga" in Samoan can also mean "ugly" or "unattractive." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nakakasakit | ||
| The word "nakakasakit" is derived from the Tagalog word "sakit", which means "pain" or "soreness". | |||
Offensive in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asxarayasiri | ||
| Guarani | royrõ | ||
Offensive in International Languages
| Esperanto | ofenda | ||
| The word 'ofenda' (offensive) is derived from the Latin verb 'offendere', meaning 'to strike against'. | |||
| Latin | ingrata | ||
| The word "ingrata" in Latin can also mean "unfruitful" or "ungrateful". | |||
Offensive in Others Languages
| Greek | προσβλητικός | ||
| Προσβλητικός was derived from ancient Greek πρός (prós), meaning "towards" and βάλλω (bállō), meaning "to throw"} | |||
| Hmong | neeg thuam | ||
| "Neeg thuam" literally means "bad smell" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | êriş | ||
| The Kurdish word "êriş" is also used to refer to a "raid" or an "attack" in military contexts. | |||
| Turkish | saldırgan | ||
| The word "saldırgan" can also mean "aggressive" or "predatory". | |||
| Xhosa | ekhubekisayo | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ekhubekisayo' also means "that which should be thrown away". | |||
| Yiddish | אַפענסיוו | ||
| In Yiddish, "אַפענסיוו" can also mean "impetuous" or "hasty". | |||
| Zulu | kuyahlasela | ||
| "Kuyahlasela" can also refer to causing a disturbance or being inconsiderate. | |||
| Assamese | আক্ৰমণাত্মক | ||
| Aymara | asxarayasiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | अप्रिय | ||
| Dhivehi | އަނެކާ ދެރަވެދާނެފަދަ | ||
| Dogri | नरादरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nakakasakit | ||
| Guarani | royrõ | ||
| Ilocano | makaparurod | ||
| Krio | bad bad tin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | زبر | ||
| Maithili | अप्रिय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯎꯅꯤꯡꯍꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | huatthlala | ||
| Oromo | wanta nama aarsu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆପତ୍ତିଜନକ | | ||
| Quechua | millapa | ||
| Sanskrit | आक्रामक | ||
| Tatar | рәнҗетүче | ||
| Tigrinya | ፀያፍ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzhukano | ||