Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'penalty' carries significant weight in many contexts, denoting punishment or consequences for a mistake or wrongdoing. Its cultural importance is evident in various aspects of life, from sports to law and order. For instance, in soccer, a penalty kick is a crucial moment that can determine the outcome of a match. In the legal realm, penalties serve as deterrents for criminal behavior.
Understanding the translation of 'penalty' in different languages can be enlightening for anyone interested in language and culture. For example, in Spanish, 'penalty' translates to 'penalty' or 'penal,' while in French, it's 'penalité.' In German, it's 'Strafe,' and in Japanese, it's '罰金 (boukin).' These translations not only help us communicate effectively across languages and cultures but also offer insights into how different societies view punishment and accountability.
So, whether you're a soccer fan, a legal scholar, or simply a language enthusiast, exploring the translations of 'penalty' can be a fascinating journey. Keep reading to discover more translations of this important word!
Afrikaans | straf | ||
The Afrikaans word "straf" is derived from the Dutch word "straf", which means "punishment" or "penalty". | |||
Amharic | ቅጣት | ||
The word "ቅጣት" ("penalty") in Amharic is derived from the verb "ቅጣ" ("to punish"), and also means "chastisement" or "punishment". | |||
Hausa | hukunci | ||
The word "hukunci" in Hausa also means "judgment" and "sentence". | |||
Igbo | ugwo | ||
"Ugwọ" means both "payment" and "penalty" in Igbo. | |||
Malagasy | sazy | ||
"Sazy" also means "fine" in Malagasy, as in a monetary fine. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilango | ||
The word 'chilango' in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean 'a person from Mexico City'. | |||
Shona | chirango | ||
Its root word is 'chiranga', meaning 'something that hurts' or 'something that damages'. | |||
Somali | rigoore | ||
The Somali word "rigoore" is derived from the Italian word "rigore", meaning "strictness or severity". | |||
Sesotho | kotlo | ||
In the 16th century, kotlo was also the word for "guilt". | |||
Swahili | adhabu | ||
"Adhabu" also means "medication" or "punishment" in Swahili, reflecting a belief in the healing power of punishment. | |||
Xhosa | isohlwayo | ||
Isohlwayo, meaning penalty in Xhosa, also refers to a fee paid when proposing marriage. | |||
Yoruba | gbamabinu | ||
The term 'gba ma binu' literally means 'receiving to appease' in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | isijeziso | ||
The word 'isijeziso' (penalty) is derived from 'jeza' (punishment) and '-iso' (action or process) in Zulu, implying the act of carrying out punishment | |||
Bambara | penaliti (jalaki) ye | ||
Ewe | tohehe na ame | ||
Kinyarwanda | igihano | ||
Lingala | etumbu ya kopesa | ||
Luganda | peneti | ||
Sepedi | kotlo ya | ||
Twi (Akan) | asotwe a wɔde ma | ||
Arabic | ضربة جزاء | ||
ضربة جزاء (penalty): originally meant “act of punishing” and can refer to an action (such as a blow or kick) or an official punishment (such as a fine or prison sentence). | |||
Hebrew | עוֹנֶשׁ | ||
"עונש" is derived from "ענה" ("answer, reply"), originally referring to an answer to a query in a religious context, and later to a response to wrongdoing. | |||
Pashto | جزا | ||
The Pashto word for penalty, "جزا", is derived from Quranic Arabic where its meanings range from recompense, punishment, retribution, compensation, to wages, and remuneration | |||
Arabic | ضربة جزاء | ||
ضربة جزاء (penalty): originally meant “act of punishing” and can refer to an action (such as a blow or kick) or an official punishment (such as a fine or prison sentence). |
Albanian | penalltia | ||
In Albanian, "penalltia" is a cognate of Italian "penalità". The word can also mean "fines". | |||
Basque | zigorra | ||
In the Basque language, the word "zigorra" has an alternate meaning of "punishment or suffering" beyond its use as "penalty" in the context of sports or games. | |||
Catalan | pena | ||
In Occitan and Spanish, "pena" refers to suffering, grief, or sorrow. | |||
Croatian | kazna | ||
The Croatian word "kazna" derives from the Proto-Indo-European word "k̂eiz-ti-", meaning "to punish", which is also the root of the English word "chastise". | |||
Danish | straf | ||
The word "straf" derives from the German word "strafe," meaning "punishment" or "chastisement." | |||
Dutch | straf | ||
In German, the noun "Straf" can also mean "punishment", although it is rarely used. | |||
English | penalty | ||
The word "penalty" derives from the Latin "poena," meaning "punishment", also related to the word "pain." | |||
French | peine | ||
In French, the word "peine" also means "distress" or "difficulty". | |||
Frisian | straf | ||
The word "straf" in Frisian also means "punishment". | |||
Galician | pena | ||
A Galician "pena" can be a hill or mountain, and can also refer to an enclosed area, like a corral | |||
German | elfmeter | ||
Elfmeter derives from the 11 meters that separate the penalty spot from the goal. | |||
Icelandic | víti | ||
The word "víti" also refers to a type of geothermal spring found in Iceland. | |||
Irish | pionós | ||
The Irish word "pionós" is related to the Latin word "poena," which means "payment" or "punishment". | |||
Italian | pena | ||
"Pena" (penalty) derives from the Latin word "poena", which means "punishment, suffering, or retribution". | |||
Luxembourgish | eelefmeter | ||
The Luxembourgish word "Eelefmeter" is derived from the German word "Elfmeter," which itself is a compound of "elf" (eleven) and "Meter" (meter) referring to the distance from the goal where the penalty kick is taken. | |||
Maltese | penali | ||
The word 'penali' in Maltese also means 'painful' in the sense of physical suffering. | |||
Norwegian | straff | ||
Though originating from the German word "strafe" (punishment), "straff" in Norwegian is also used in a broader sense to refer to any kind of hardship or adversity. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pena | ||
"Pena" can also mean "feather" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | peanas | ||
In Scots Gaelic, "peanas" refers to a fine or payment for an offense, as well as a punishment or retribution. | |||
Spanish | multa | ||
The Spanish word "multa" derives from the Latin "multa," which could mean "penalty" or "fine" but also "sacrifice" or "offering to the gods." | |||
Swedish | straff | ||
The Swedish word 'straff' derives from the Old Norse 'stráff', meaning 'strict, harsh' and 'punishment'. | |||
Welsh | cosb | ||
Cosb also means 'injury,' 'damage,' and 'pain' |
Belarusian | штраф | ||
The word "штраф" has its origin in the Old German word "strafan", which means "to punish" | |||
Bosnian | penal | ||
Bosnian 'penal' also means 'monetary', which is derived from a Slavic word for 'money'. | |||
Bulgarian | наказание | ||
"Наказание" also means "teaching" or "instruction" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | trest | ||
The word "trest" in Czech also means "misfortune" or "ordeal". | |||
Estonian | karistus | ||
The word "karistus" is derived from the Old Estonian word "karistama", meaning "to punish". | |||
Finnish | rangaistus | ||
The word "rangaistus" is derived from the Proto-Finnic verb *rankaita-, meaning "to punish" or "to chastise". | |||
Hungarian | büntetés | ||
The word "büntetés" derives from the verb "büntet", which means to punish, and is related to the noun "bün", meaning sin or guilt. | |||
Latvian | sods | ||
The word "sods" in Latvian has no relation to the word "sod" in English, it is derived from the Old Norse word "sǫð" | |||
Lithuanian | nuobauda | ||
Possibly of Proto-Indo-European origin, from the root *neubh-, meaning "to harm, to chastise." | |||
Macedonian | казна | ||
The word "казна" in Macedonian also means "treasury". | |||
Polish | rzut karny | ||
Rzuty karne w piłce nożnej wzięły swoją nazwę od rzutu wykonanego na rozkaz sędziego. | |||
Romanian | penalizare | ||
The Romanian word "penalizare" comes from the French word "pénalisation", both derived from the Latin word "poena", meaning punishment. | |||
Russian | штраф | ||
The word "штраф" is derived from the German "strafen", meaning "to punish" or "to fine". | |||
Serbian | казна | ||
Etymology: Turkish "kaza" "fate, destiny", from Arabic "qaḍāʾ". Also means "punishment", "sentence" (noun). | |||
Slovak | pokuta | ||
The word "pokuta" in Slovak also has the alternate meaning of "penance". | |||
Slovenian | kazen | ||
"Kazen" is also derived from the Proto-Slavic "*koriti" ("to use") that also gave Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Macedonian the similar words for the interest on the debts. | |||
Ukrainian | штраф | ||
The word "штраф" is derived from the German "Strafe" meaning "punishment" or "fine", and can also mean "penalty" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | জরিমানা | ||
The alternate meaning of "জরিমানা" is "the sum of money paid on a mortgage." | |||
Gujarati | દંડ | ||
The Gujarati word "દંડ" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "daṇḍa" meaning "stick" or "punishment". | |||
Hindi | दंड | ||
"दंड" also means a staff, rod, pole or stick | |||
Kannada | ದಂಡ | ||
The Kannada word "দণ্ড" can also mean a wooden stick, a rod, or a column. | |||
Malayalam | പെനാൽറ്റി | ||
The word "പെനാൽറ്റി" "penalty" in Malayalam has roots in the Latin word "poena" meaning "punishment for a crime or offense." | |||
Marathi | दंड | ||
In Marathi, "दंड" (dand) can also refer to a stick or rod, a scepter, or a legal measure. | |||
Nepali | जरिवाना | ||
The word 'जरिवाना' (penalty) comes from the Arabic word 'jazīrah', which originally meant an island, but came to be used for punishment or fine paid in lieu of other punishment, especially because of illegal fishing on a sovereign's island. | |||
Punjabi | ਜ਼ੁਰਮਾਨਾ | ||
The word "ਜ਼ੁਰਮਾਨਾ" may have derived from the Arabic word "ضَرَبَ", meaning "to strike, beat, or inflict punishment", and the Persian suffix "-ана", meaning "price" or "cost." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ද .ුවම | ||
"දුවම" also means "to run" in Sinhala | |||
Tamil | தண்டம் | ||
The word “தண்டம்” can also refer to a stick or pole, a punishment or chastisement, or a fine or compensation. | |||
Telugu | పెనాల్టీ | ||
The word "penalty" originally meant "a payment for a wrongdoing" in Latin. | |||
Urdu | جرمانہ | ||
The Urdu word "جرمانہ" is derived from the Persian word "جریمه", which means "fine" or "punishment." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 罚款 | ||
罚款 derives from the Chinese phrase '罚金', meaning 'punishment money' | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 罰款 | ||
罰款 in Traditional Chinese is a compound of 罰, which means "punish," and 款, meaning "fee," and is used in legal and financial settings. | |||
Japanese | ペナルティ | ||
"ペナルティ" can also mean 'amusement', such as in "ペナルティゲーム" (penalty game). | |||
Korean | 패널티 | ||
The word "패널티" also has the meaning of "fee" in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | торгууль | ||
The Mongolian word "торгууль" meaning "penalty" is cognate with the word "trade" in English. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြစ်ဒဏ် | ||
The word ပြစ်ဒဏ် ( |
Indonesian | penalti | ||
In Indonesian "penalti" also means "penalty kick" in soccer, while in English it means a financial or other punishment. | |||
Javanese | ukuman | ||
The Javanese word "ukuman" can also refer to a traditional form of punishment involving physical or mental torment. | |||
Khmer | ពិន័យ | ||
The Khmer word "ពិន័យ" (penalty) stems from Pali and Sanskrit words meaning "discipline" or "training", reflecting the Buddhist origins of Khmer law. | |||
Lao | ໂທດ | ||
The Lao word "ໂທດ" can also mean "to punish" or "to blame" | |||
Malay | hukuman | ||
The word "hukuman" is derived from the Arabic word "hukm", meaning "judgment" or "sentence". | |||
Thai | โทษ | ||
The word "โทษ" (โทษ) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dosha" (दोष), which means "fault" or "defect". | |||
Vietnamese | hình phạt | ||
The word "hình phạt" literally means "body punishment" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | parusa | ||
Azerbaijani | cəza | ||
The word "cəza" in Azerbaijani originates from the Persian word "جزا" and can also mean "punishment", "retribution", or "reward". | |||
Kazakh | айыппұл | ||
“Айыппұл” may also refer to a bribe paid to dismiss charges | |||
Kyrgyz | айып | ||
The Kyrgyz word "айып" comes from the Persian word "عیب" meaning "fault" or "defect". | |||
Tajik | ҷазо | ||
The word "ҷазо" in Tajik, ultimately derived from Arabic, can also mean "punishment" or "retribution". | |||
Turkmen | jeza | ||
Uzbek | jarima | ||
"Jarima" is also the word for "fine", but it originally meant | |||
Uyghur | جازا | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻopaʻi | ||
Hoʻopaʻi can also mean "to punish" or "to chastise." | |||
Maori | whiu | ||
Whiu can also refer to the process of atonement or recompense. | |||
Samoan | faʻasalaga | ||
"Faʻasalaga" is the Samoan cognate of the Proto-Polynesian word "*fakatala", meaning "curse" or "evil speech". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | parusa | ||
The word 'parusa' may also refer to an 'affliction'. |
Aymara | juchañchawi | ||
Guarani | penal rehegua | ||
Esperanto | puno | ||
The word "puno" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "punire", meaning "to punish". | |||
Latin | supplicium | ||
The word "supplicium" can also refer to a supplication or prayer, deriving from the verb "supplico" meaning "to kneel down" or "to beg". |
Greek | ποινή | ||
The word "ποινή" is derived from the Greek word "ποινά" which means "satisfaction" or "punishment". | |||
Hmong | txim nplua | ||
The Hmong word "txim nplua" also means "to be charged with a crime or offense." | |||
Kurdish | ceza | ||
The Kurdish word "ceza" originates from the Persian "jazā" and also carries the meaning of "punishment". | |||
Turkish | ceza | ||
The word "ceza" is derived from the Arabic word " جزاء ", which means "reward" or "punishment". In Turkish, "ceza" has the primary meaning of "punishment". | |||
Xhosa | isohlwayo | ||
Isohlwayo, meaning penalty in Xhosa, also refers to a fee paid when proposing marriage. | |||
Yiddish | שטראָף | ||
The Yiddish word "שטראָף" is cognate with the High German "Strafe" (both ultimately deriving from the Italian "strapazzo"), meaning "punishment, hardship, or misfortune." | |||
Zulu | isijeziso | ||
The word 'isijeziso' (penalty) is derived from 'jeza' (punishment) and '-iso' (action or process) in Zulu, implying the act of carrying out punishment | |||
Assamese | পেনাল্টি | ||
Aymara | juchañchawi | ||
Bhojpuri | जुर्माना के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ޕެނަލްޓީ | ||
Dogri | जुर्माना देना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | parusa | ||
Guarani | penal rehegua | ||
Ilocano | dusa | ||
Krio | penalty we dɛn kin pe | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سزا | ||
Maithili | जुर्माना | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯦꯅꯥꯜꯇꯤ ꯄꯤꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | penalty a ni | ||
Oromo | adabbii adabbii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଦଣ୍ଡ | ||
Quechua | penalización nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | दण्डः | ||
Tatar | штраф | ||
Tigrinya | ፍጹም ቅላዕ | ||
Tsonga | nhlawulo | ||