Passion in Different Languages
Discover 'Passion' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Passion: a simple word, yet it holds such profound meaning. It signifies a strong and powerful emotion, a compelling enthusiasm or desire for something. The significance of passion is universal, cutting across cultures and languages. It fuels our dreams, drives our ambitions, and shapes our identities.
Throughout history, passion has been a recurring theme in literature, art, and music. From the romantic poets of the 19th century to the contemporary novels of today, passion is a concept that has inspired countless works of genius. It is also a cultural phenomenon, celebrated in various forms across the globe.
Understanding the translation of passion in different languages can offer unique insights into how this concept is perceived and experienced in different cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'pasión' not only refers to a strong emotion but also carries a sensual connotation. Meanwhile, in Chinese, 'passion' translates to '热情' (rè qíng), which literally means 'hot-hearted'.
Join us as we explore the many translations of passion in different languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural nuances that underpin this powerful emotion.
Passion
Passion in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | passie | ||
| Passie is derived from the French word | |||
| Amharic | የጋለ ስሜት | ||
| Hausa | sha'awar | ||
| The word sha'awar also means 'heat' in Hausa, which could be related to the feeling of passion. | |||
| Igbo | ahuhu | ||
| In its original Igbo context, the word "ahuhu" also referred to a type of traditional Igbo dance. | |||
| Malagasy | passion | ||
| The word passion also means suffering in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilakolako | ||
| The word "chilakolako" in Chichewa also has the alternate meaning "to be very angry". | |||
| Shona | kuda | ||
| "Kuda" can also mean a "horse" or a "place where people gather to drink beer". | |||
| Somali | xamaasad | ||
| The Somali word "xamaasad" also means "anger" or "rage", indicating the duality of the emotion. | |||
| Sesotho | tjantjello | ||
| The word 'tjantjello' in Sesotho originated from the word 'tjantjileng' meaning 'an urgent desire' and 'tjantlello' meaning 'longing' and 'craving'. | |||
| Swahili | shauku | ||
| The word "shauku" can also refer to "charcoal" in Swahili, highlighting its dual nature as both a source of heat and a symbol of warmth and connection. | |||
| Xhosa | uthando | ||
| Yoruba | ife gidigidi | ||
| "Ife gidigidi" literally means "abundant love" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | uthando | ||
| In Zulu, "uthando" has a broader meaning that encompasses love, care, and intimacy, beyond the English concept of "passion." | |||
| Bambara | jarabi | ||
| Ewe | seselelãme sesẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ishyaka | ||
| Lingala | mposa makasi | ||
| Luganda | ekiruyi | ||
| Sepedi | phišego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔpɛ | ||
Passion in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شغف | ||
| The word "شغف" can also mean "intoxication" or "madness". | |||
| Hebrew | תשוקה | ||
| The Hebrew word "תשוקה" can also mean "eagerness" or "longing". | |||
| Pashto | جذبه | ||
| The Pashto word "جذبه" can trace its etymological roots to the Persian verb "جذیدن," meaning "to attract" or "to pull." | |||
| Arabic | شغف | ||
| The word "شغف" can also mean "intoxication" or "madness". | |||
Passion in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pasion | ||
| Albanian "pasion" means both "passion" and "suffering or torment" depending on context, with no clear connection between these senses. | |||
| Basque | pasioa | ||
| The Basque word "pasioa" is derived from the Latin word "passio", meaning "suffering", and also relates to the concept of "love" or "affection". | |||
| Catalan | passió | ||
| In Catalan, "passió" also refers to a type of religious play that depicts the suffering and death of Christ. | |||
| Croatian | strast | ||
| The word 'strast' in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*stьrastь', which also means 'suffering'. | |||
| Danish | lidenskab | ||
| "Lidenskab" derives from "lide" (to suffer) and "-skab" (condition), reflecting its connotation of intense emotion, including suffering. | |||
| Dutch | passie | ||
| In Dutch, 'passie' can also refer to a hobby, interest, or enthusiasm. | |||
| English | passion | ||
| The word 'passion' stems from the Latin 'passio,' meaning both 'suffering' and 'emotion' or 'desire'. | |||
| French | la passion | ||
| The French word 'la passion' also refers to the Passion of Jesus Christ, or the final week of his life. | |||
| Frisian | passy | ||
| The Frisian word "passy" also has other meanings, including "anger" or "frenzy." | |||
| Galician | paixón | ||
| In Galician, "paixón" also means "compassion", "pity", or "affection" | |||
| German | leidenschaft | ||
| The word "Leidenschaft" is derived from the Middle High German word "līden," meaning "to suffer". | |||
| Icelandic | ástríðu | ||
| Ástríðu is also a feminine name meaning 'passion' or 'ardor' and is the Icelandic version of the name Astrid. | |||
| Irish | paisean | ||
| The word "paisean" derives from the Old Irish "páis" meaning "suffering" or "pain". | |||
| Italian | passione | ||
| The Italian word 'passione' comes from the Latin 'passio', meaning 'suffering or endurance', and also refers to a strong emotion or enthusiasm. | |||
| Luxembourgish | leidenschaft | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Leidenschaft" also has the secondary meaning of "suffering" or "pain". | |||
| Maltese | passjoni | ||
| In Maltese, the word "passjoni" has the additional meaning of "martyrdom". | |||
| Norwegian | lidenskap | ||
| Lidenskap comes from the Old Norse word "liðs-kapr", meaning "the condition of being accompanied by a band of warriors" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | paixão | ||
| The Portuguese word "paixão" has Latin roots and also means "suffering" or "affliction". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dìoghras | ||
| Dìoghras comes from Old Irish **diograis** or perhaps from Welsh **deograis** meaning "love". | |||
| Spanish | pasión | ||
| In Spanish, "pasión" also refers to Christ's suffering and the religious devotion associated with it. | |||
| Swedish | passion | ||
| In Swedish, 'passion' can also refer to 'torment' or 'suffering'. | |||
| Welsh | angerdd | ||
| "Angerdd" also translates to "anger" as well as "passion," and in context, one must look to the rest of the sentence for meaning." | |||
Passion in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | запал | ||
| Bosnian | strast | ||
| The verb "stradati" from which "strast" originates also means "to suffer" or "to endure a trial" in Italian and in several other languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | страст | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of "passion," "страст" can also refer to "suffering" or "misfortune" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | vášeň | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "passion," "vášeň" can also refer to "craving" or "addiction." | |||
| Estonian | kirg | ||
| The word "kirg" in Estonian also shares an etymological root with words meaning "burning" or "inflammation". | |||
| Finnish | intohimo | ||
| Intohimo also means 'desire' or 'yearning,' and may refer to the 'passion play' in Christian tradition. | |||
| Hungarian | szenvedély | ||
| The word "szenvedély" in Hungarian is a compound of the words "szenved" (to suffer) and "élet" (life), thus literally meaning "the suffering of life". | |||
| Latvian | aizraušanās | ||
| "Aizraušanās" can also mean "fascination" or "infatuation" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | aistra | ||
| The word "aistra" can also refer to a strong desire or longing, akin to its ancient Greek root word "oistros," meaning "frenzy or madness." | |||
| Macedonian | страст | ||
| In Macedonian, "страст" also means "suffering" or "misery." | |||
| Polish | pasja | ||
| The word "pasja" in Polish also means "hobby" or "profession", and derives from the archaic word "pas" meaning "interest". | |||
| Romanian | pasiune | ||
| The Romanian word "pasiune" has a Latin root, "passio," which also has the meaning of "suffering". | |||
| Russian | страсть | ||
| The word "страсть" in Russian has Indo-European roots and is related to words like "Suffering" and "Pain". | |||
| Serbian | страст | ||
| The word "страст" in Serbian can also refer to suffering, torment, or torment. | |||
| Slovak | vášeň | ||
| The word "vášeň" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pъstъ and is related to the words "past" (hunger) and "pasti" (to graze). | |||
| Slovenian | strast | ||
| The word "strast" in Slovenian, derived from the Proto-Slavic root *strastь, shares its etymology with the noun "suffering" in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | пристрасть | ||
| In Ukrainian, “пристрасть” derives from the Indo-European root “*per-”, meaning “to strive” or “to desire”. Therefore, it’s similar to the Latin “parare” and English “prepare”. | |||
Passion in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আবেগ | ||
| The word 'আবেগ' (ābega) in Bengali ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word 'वेग' (vega), meaning 'speed', 'force', or 'impetus'. | |||
| Gujarati | ઉત્કટ | ||
| ઉત્કટ or 'utkatt' finds its roots in the Sanskrit word 'uttkanthita,' meaning 'yearning' or 'craving.' | |||
| Hindi | जुनून | ||
| The word "जुनून" (junoon) traces its roots back to the Persian word "جنون" (junun), which refers to madness or insanity. | |||
| Kannada | ಉತ್ಸಾಹ | ||
| The word "ಉತ್ಸಾಹ" comes from the Sanskrit word "utsaha", which means "eagerness, enthusiasm, or zeal." | |||
| Malayalam | അഭിനിവേശം | ||
| The word "അഭിനിവേശം" (abhinivesham) in Malayalam has a deeper meaning of attachment or deep affection, beyond its primary meaning of passion. | |||
| Marathi | आवड | ||
| "आवड" also means "habit" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | जोश | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'jivas' meaning 'life' or 'lively', 'josh' has a secondary meaning of 'intoxication' or 'drunkenness' in Urdu. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਨੂੰਨ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਜਨੂੰਨ" (janūūṇ) is derived from the Persian word "جون" (jūn), meaning "life" or "soul" | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආශාව | ||
| 'ආශාව' ('passion') in Sinhala also refers to a 'strong desire or craving' and is derived from Sanskrit 'āśā' ('hope, wish'). | |||
| Tamil | வேட்கை | ||
| Telugu | అభిరుచి | ||
| The word "అభిరుచి" (passion) comes from the Sanskrit words "अभि" (towards) and "रुचि" (taste, liking), and also means "liking" or "fondness". | |||
| Urdu | جذبہ | ||
| Urdu word "جذبہ" is derived from the Arabic " جذبو", meaning "to attract" or "to pull". It can also refer to an "urge" or "impulse". | |||
Passion in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 热情 | ||
| 热情 is also used to describe the intense heat of the sun or fire. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 熱情 | ||
| 熱情 can also mean 'enthusiasm', 'zeal', or 'ardor'. | |||
| Japanese | 情熱 | ||
| The word "情熱" (jōnetsu) in Japanese can also mean "love" or "affection". | |||
| Korean | 열정 | ||
| 열정 is also a Korean term for a type of traditional Korean song. | |||
| Mongolian | хүсэл тэмүүлэл | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ်အားထက်သန်မှု | ||
| The term စိတ်အားထက်သန်မှု is derived from the Pali word citta-uttama, which means "excellent mind" or "mind that is superior". It is often used to describe a person who is highly motivated and dedicated to a particular pursuit, or who has a strong sense of purpose and direction. | |||
Passion in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gairah | ||
| "Gairah" originally meant "anger" in Sanskrit, but it was later adopted into Indonesian with the meaning of "passion". | |||
| Javanese | karep | ||
| "Karep" in Javanese can also refer to one's 'will' or 'volition'. | |||
| Khmer | ចំណង់ចំណូលចិត្ត | ||
| Lao | passion | ||
| Passion derives from the Latin word passio, meaning "suffering," but in English it retains its French connotation of "strong emotion". | |||
| Malay | semangat | ||
| The word "semangat" originally meant "life force" and is related to the Sanskrit word "samāna", meaning "breath". | |||
| Thai | แรงผลักดัน | ||
| แรงผลักดัน literally means 'pushing force', implying that passion is an irresistible force that drives one to action | |||
| Vietnamese | niềm đam mê | ||
| Passion refers to strong admiration, love, or enthusiasm but historically was also used to denote the suffering incurred by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsinta | ||
Passion in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ehtiras | ||
| 'Ehtiras' also carries the meaning of 'excessive interest' | |||
| Kazakh | құмарлық | ||
| The word "құмарлық" can also refer to "addiction" or "craving". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кумар | ||
| The word "кумар" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a type of traditional Kyrgyz musical instrument consisting of a plucked lute with a long neck and a round body made of wood or gourd. | |||
| Tajik | оташи | ||
| "Оташи" (passion) comes from the Persian word "آتش" (fire). | |||
| Turkmen | hyjuw | ||
| Uzbek | ehtiros | ||
| Ehtiros derives from the Persian word "ehsas" meaning "feeling" or "emotion". | |||
| Uyghur | قىزغىنلىق | ||
Passion in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuko | ||
| Some linguists believe | |||
| Maori | ngākau nui | ||
| "Ngākau nui" is not just passion, but also heart, courage, and determination, and it is an essential part of who we are as Maori people. | |||
| Samoan | tuinanau | ||
| Tuinanau also conveys the meaning of "great love" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagnanasa | ||
| "Pagnanasa" is a Tagalog word meaning "longing" or "craving". It is derived from the Malay word "pangangasa" meaning "breath" or "desire". | |||
Passion in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pasyuna | ||
| Guarani | vy'apota | ||
Passion in International Languages
| Esperanto | pasio | ||
| "Pasio" can also mean "a suffering or trial" in Esperanto, reflecting its Latin roots. | |||
| Latin | passion | ||
| In Latin, “passio” meant suffering, not love, until the 13th century when it was borrowed into French and given the present meaning. | |||
Passion in Others Languages
| Greek | πάθος | ||
| In Greek, the word "πάθος" (pathos) originally referred to a passive experience or suffering but later acquired the meaning of intense emotion or desire. | |||
| Hmong | mob siab rau | ||
| The word "mob siab rau" can also refer to anger or intense desire. | |||
| Kurdish | hezî | ||
| The word "hezî" in Kurdish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰés-, meaning "to seek" or "to strive for". | |||
| Turkish | tutku | ||
| "Tutku" kelimesinin Farsçada 'tütün içme' anlamında da kullanıldığını biliyor muydunuz? | |||
| Xhosa | uthando | ||
| Yiddish | לייַדנשאַפט | ||
| The Yiddish word לייַדנשאַפט (leidnshaft) derives from the Middle High German word 'līdeschaft', and initially implied suffering | |||
| Zulu | uthando | ||
| In Zulu, "uthando" has a broader meaning that encompasses love, care, and intimacy, beyond the English concept of "passion." | |||
| Assamese | আবেগ | ||
| Aymara | pasyuna | ||
| Bhojpuri | सनक | ||
| Dhivehi | ޝަޢުޤުވެރިކަން | ||
| Dogri | जजबा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsinta | ||
| Guarani | vy'apota | ||
| Ilocano | pasnek | ||
| Krio | fala wi at | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سۆز | ||
| Maithili | जुनून | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯝꯍꯕ | ||
| Mizo | duhzawng tak | ||
| Oromo | onnachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆବେଗ | ||
| Quechua | munay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतिरम्भः | ||
| Tatar | дәрт | ||
| Tigrinya | ተፍታው | ||
| Tsonga | hiseka | ||