Pain in different languages

Pain in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

Pain is a universal human experience, yet it is a concept that is deeply embedded in our unique cultures and languages. Its significance extends beyond the physical sensation, as it also encompasses emotional and psychological distress. Pain serves as a survival mechanism, alerting us to potential harm and prompting us to take action. But when pain becomes chronic, it can have a profound impact on our quality of life, making effective communication and understanding all the more crucial.

Throughout history, pain has been a source of fascination and study for philosophers, doctors, and artists alike. From the ancient Greek concept of 'ponos' to the modern medical field of pain management, our understanding of pain has evolved significantly over time. And as we continue to explore the complexities of this human experience, we find that the word 'pain' itself holds a wealth of cultural and linguistic significance.

For those interested in language and culture, exploring the translations of 'pain' in different languages can offer a unique window into the ways that different cultures understand and express this fundamental human experience.

Here are some translations of the word 'pain' in different languages:

Pain


Pain in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanspyn
The Afrikaans word "pyn" is cognate with the English word "pain" and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *painaz.
Amharicህመም
The word "ህመም" also refers to "sickness" or "disease".
Hausazafi
The word "zafi" can also refer to a type of physical distress or discomfort.
Igbomgbu
"Mgbu" can also refer to the Igbo concept of spiritual suffering or emotional distress.
Malagasyfanaintainana
The word "fanaintainana" in Malagasy can also refer to a feeling of sadness or regret.
Nyanja (Chichewa)ululu
The word "ululu" is an onomatopoeia, derived from the sound of a cry or groan.
Shonakurwadziwa
"Kurwadziwa" is often used in the context of physical pain, but also refers to psychological pain.
Somalixanuun
The word "xanuun" is thought to be derived from the proto-Cushitic root "*xan-", meaning "to cut" or "to hurt".
Sesothobohloko
"Bohlōkō" also refers to a "sharp point" or a "painful event" in the figurative sense.
Swahilimaumivu
Swahili word 'maumivu' is derived from the verb 'uma' meaning 'to ache' or 'to hurt'.
Xhosaintlungu
The word 'intlungu' derives from the Bantu root '-tungu-', meaning 'to prick or pierce'.
Yorubairora
The word 'irora' in Yoruba can also refer to 'a sharp mental or emotional distress'.
Zuluubuhlungu
"Ubuhlungu" (pain) has an additional meaning in Zulu: "a burden or problem".
Bambaradimi
Ewevevesese
Kinyarwandaububabare
Lingalampasi
Lugandaobulumi
Sepedibohloko
Twi (Akan)yeaw

Pain in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicألم
In Arabic, "ألم" means "pain," while "ألن" means "to make soft." This semantic connection highlights pain's ability to soften and weaken individuals.
Hebrewכְּאֵב
The Hebrew word "כְּאֵב" can also mean "grief" or "sorrow".
Pashtoدرد
The word "درد" can also refer to a "wound".
Arabicألم
In Arabic, "ألم" means "pain," while "ألن" means "to make soft." This semantic connection highlights pain's ability to soften and weaken individuals.

Pain in Western European Languages

Albaniandhimbje
The Albanian word "dhimbje" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱleu- meaning "to hear" but has acquired the meaning of "pain" in Albanian.
Basquemina
In Spanish, "mina" also means "mine".
Catalandolor
The word "dolor" in Catalan has the same Latin roots as "dollar" and "douleur," connecting the concept of pain to monetary value and emotional anguish.
Croatianbol
The word 'bol' in Croatian originates from the Proto-Indo-European root '*bhel-' or '*bhol-' meaning 'to strike'.
Danishsmerte
The Danish word "smerte" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*smurt-i", meaning "sharp" or "painful".
Dutchpijn
The word "pijn" has the same root as the Old English word "pine," from which we get the modern word "pain". Additionally, "pijn" is also cognate with the German word "Pein," which means "torment."
Englishpain
The word 'pain' derives from the Latin 'poena', meaning 'punishment' or 'penalty'.
Frenchdouleur
Douleur derives from the Latin word 'dolere', which also gives us words such as 'dolorous', 'condolence' and 'indole'.
Frisianpine
The Frisian word for "pine" is also used to describe a "sensation of unease".
Galiciandor
Galician "dor" is a cognate of Modern Portuguese "dor" (pain), originating from the Latin word "dolor" (sorrow, grief).
Germanschmerzen
Schmerzen (pain) derives from Proto-Germanic *smerdano, which also gives the English word 'smart' (a twinge of sharp, stinging pain).
Icelandicsársauki
The word "sársauki" in Icelandic is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*saraz", meaning "injury", and the Old Norse word "saukr", meaning "wound".
Irishpian
The word 'pian' in Irish can also refer to punishment, suffering, or torment.
Italiandolore
The word "dolore" derives from the Latin word "dolor", meaning "suffering, sadness, grief".
Luxembourgishpéng
"Péng" can also refer to a wooden stick used for bread dough or hammering in nails.
Malteseuġigħ
"Uġigħ" derives from the Arabic "وجع" (waja‘), meaning "pain", possibly via Sicilian
Norwegiansmerte
The word "smerte" is cognate with the German word "schmerz" and the English word "smart", all sharing an Indo-European root meaning "to sting or burn".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)dor
Dor in Portuguese comes from the Latin word 'dolor' but can also refer to mourning or grief.
Scots Gaelicpian
In Scots Gaelic, "pian" comes from Old Irish "pian" ("suffering, punishment") which in turn derives from Proto-Celtic "peina" ("suffering, atonement") which may be related to "poena" in Latin, also meaning "suffering, punishment."
Spanishdolor
In Spanish, "dolor" evolved from Latin "doleo," meaning to suffer, grieve, or mourn.
Swedishsmärta
The word 'smärta' derives from the Proto-Germanic root *smart-, meaning 'to cause pain.'
Welshpoen
From Latin 'poena' meaning both 'punishment' and 'pain', and Old English 'pin(a)', akin to 'pine'.

Pain in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianболь
The Belarusian word "боль" is cognate with the Russian word "боль" and the Ukrainian word "біль," and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *bolь, meaning "pain" or "sickness."
Bosnianbol
The word "bol" in Bosnian is also used as a term of endearment, similar to "honey" or "darling".
Bulgarianболка
The word "болка" is derived from the Old Bulgarian word "блъх" (bee sting), and originally referred to any sharp or stinging sensation.
Czechbolest
The word "bolest" in Czech originally meant "illness" or "disease", but gradually came to mean "pain" in the 16th century.
Estonianvalu
The word "valu" can also mean "value" or "price" in Estonian.
Finnishkipu
In Northern Savonian dialects, "kipu" can also mean "itch".
Hungarianfájdalom
The word "fájdalom" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word "*pajta" meaning "to pinch" or "to squeeze". This also underlies the meaning of "pinch" in English, while in Hungarian this meaning is carried by the word "csip".
Latviansāpes
The word "sāpes" can also refer to a feeling of grief or sorrow.
Lithuanianskausmas
The word “skausmas” is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *skeu- “to cut,” which is also the origin of the words “scissors” and “scalpel”.
Macedonianболка
The word "болка" in Macedonian also has the meaning of "affliction" or "suffering".
Polishból
Ból also means "aching" or "soreness" and is related to the word "boleć" meaning "to ache" or "to be sore."
Romaniandurere
The Romanian word "durere" derives from the Proto-Slavic "dervati", meaning "pain, suffering, or sorrow."
Russianболь
The word "боль" can have metaphorical meanings, such as "grief" or "sorrow" as well as physical discomfort.
Serbianбол
The word "бол" (pronounced "bol") is derived from Proto-Slavic "*bъlь", which also means "sickness" or "disease".
Slovakbolesť
The Slovak word "bolesť" is cognate with the Proto-Slavic word meaning "disease".
Slovenianbolečina
In some dialects, "bolečina" also means "misery".
Ukrainianбіль
The word "біль" in Ukrainian is derived from the Proto-Slavic "bolь", meaning "suffering".

Pain in South Asian Languages

Bengaliব্যথা
The word "ব্যথা" also refers to "trouble" or "distress" in Bengali.
Gujaratiપીડા
The word "પીડા" (pain) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "piḍa," meaning "injury" or "affliction."
Hindiदर्द
In Persian, the word "درد" also means "love" or "longing".
Kannadaನೋವು
The Kannada word "నోవు" can also mean "sorrow" or "grief".
Malayalamവേദന
The word "വേദന" is also used in Malayalam to refer to the "Vedas", ancient Hindu scriptures.
Marathiवेदना
The word 'वेदना' ('pain') is derived from the Sanskrit root 'vid' ('to separate'). This root also appears in other Marathi words such as 'विचार' (thought) and 'विजय' (victory), suggesting a connection between pain, separation, and the process of gaining knowledge or success.
Nepaliपीडा
The root "पीड़" (pīḍ) in "पीडा" means both physical or emotional "pain" and the "pressing or grinding" of grains, possibly related to its archaic sense as a heavy rod used in crushing and pressing.
Punjabiਦਰਦ
The word "ਦਰਦ" can also refer to separation from a loved one in Punjabi.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)වේදනාව
The Sanskrit word 'vEdanA' (वेदना), which is the root of 'vedanava', also means 'knowledge', 'perception', or 'feeling'.
Tamilவலி
The Tamil word "வலி" (pain) shares its root with the word "வலிமை" (strength), suggesting a potential connection between pain and the resilience it can foster.
Teluguనొప్పి
Its cognates in other Dravidian languages suggest that the word "నొప్పి" originally meant "to be bent or curved".
Urduدرد
"درد" (dard) means "pain" in Urdu. In Persian, it also means "love" or "grief," reflecting the emotional and physical aspects of pain.

Pain in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)疼痛
The character 痛 in 疼痛, pronounced 'tòng', originally depicts a hand holding a pestle and can mean to strike, beat, or suffer a beating.
Chinese (Traditional)疼痛
疼痛 (tong1 teng4) in Chinese is a compound word that literally means 'communication with the body'.
Japanese痛み
The kanji 痛 (“pain”) is often paired with a second kanji to create more specific compound words, such as 頭痛 (“headache”) and 腹痛 (“stomach pain”).
Korean고통
"고통" can also mean "a hardship" or "a calamity".
Mongolianөвдөлт
The word "өвдөлт" can also refer to a wound or injury.
Myanmar (Burmese)နာကျင်မှု

Pain in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianrasa sakit
The Indonesian word "rasa sakit" literally translates to "feeling sick" or "sickness of the body".
Javaneselara
The word "lara" in Javanese also means a wound or injury.
Khmerឈឺចាប់
The Khmer word "ឈឺចាប់" ("pain") is derived from the Sanskrit word "शिरो" ("head") and "छेद" ("to cut"), referring to the splitting headache that is a common symptom of pain.
Laoຄວາມເຈັບປວດ
Malaysakit
"Sakit" (pain) is cognate with "saquit" in Javanese which also means "difficult or troublesome" and can be traced back to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sa(ŋ)kit which also refers to illness.
Thaiความเจ็บปวด
The Thai word "ความเจ็บปวด" (pain) can also refer to physical exertion or hard work.
Vietnameseđau đớn
Đau đớn is a compound noun meaning 'pain', but in the past, 'đớn' also meant 'severe' and 'đau' meant 'ache'
Filipino (Tagalog)sakit

Pain in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniağrı
The word "ağrı" derives from the Proto-Turkic root *aq- "pain, ache" and shares this etymology with Mongolian "ahri" and Turkish "ağrı".
Kazakhауырсыну
The word "ауырсыну" in Kazakh also means "to be heavy" or "to be hard".
Kyrgyzоору
The Kyrgyz word "оору" also means "sickness" and is related to the Kazakh word "ауру" and the Turkish word "ağrı".
Tajikдард
Tajik 'дард' ('pain') has roots in Old Tajik 'dart' or 'dard', meaning 'suffering', and is cognate with Middle Indo-Aryan 'daridra', meaning 'poor or lacking'.
Turkmenagyry
Uzbekog'riq
"Og'riq" is a derivative of the Proto-Turkic word "**oγrï**" meaning "hurt, wound, wound" and is possibly related to the word "**oγru**" meaning "to steal, to rob, to kill".
Uyghurئاغرىق

Pain in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianʻeha
The word ʻeha also means "mistake" or "error" in Hawaiian.
Maorimamae
"Mamae" also means "to bear with" or "to endure" in Maori.
Samoantiga
The term "tiga" can also indicate a physical injury and is associated with traditional Samoan medicine used to treat ailments of the body.
Tagalog (Filipino)sakit
In Tagalog, “sakit” can also refer to “illness” or “disease”.

Pain in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarausu
Guaranihasy

Pain in International Languages

Esperantodoloro
The word "doloro" is a derivative of the Latin word "dolor", meaning "pain" or "suffering."
Latindolor
The Latin word "dolor" also means "grief", "sorrow", "misery" or "suffering."

Pain in Others Languages

Greekπόνος
While the word "πόνος" in Greek denotes intense physical pain, it also holds deeper meanings, representing 'hardship', 'effort', and even 'the work of childbirth'.
Hmongkev mob
In Hmong, the word 'kev mob' can also mean 'suffering' or 'distress'.
Kurdishêş
The Kurdish word "êş" can also refer to a "thorn" or "prickle".
Turkishağrı
The word "Ağrı" may also refer to the Turkish province or its capital city of the same name.
Xhosaintlungu
The word 'intlungu' derives from the Bantu root '-tungu-', meaning 'to prick or pierce'.
Yiddishווייטיק
It is etymologically related to the Old High German word 'wetag', meaning 'pain' or 'wound'.
Zuluubuhlungu
"Ubuhlungu" (pain) has an additional meaning in Zulu: "a burden or problem".
Assameseদুখ
Aymarausu
Bhojpuriदरद
Dhivehiތަދު
Dogriपीड़
Filipino (Tagalog)sakit
Guaranihasy
Ilocanout-ot
Kriopen
Kurdish (Sorani)ژان
Maithiliदर्द
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯅꯥꯕ
Mizona
Oromodhukkubbii
Odia (Oriya)ଯନ୍ତ୍ରଣା
Quechuananay
Sanskritपीडा
Tatarавырту
Tigrinyaቃንዛ
Tsongaxivavi

Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter