Pray in Different Languages
Discover 'Pray' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Prayer is a powerful and universal human experience, a means of communicating with the divine or expressing one's deepest hopes, fears, and desires. The act of praying holds immense cultural importance across the globe, often serving as a cornerstone of religious practice and spiritual life. From humble whispers to grand ceremonies, prayer transcends linguistic barriers, bringing people together in shared faith and reverence.
Delving into the translations of 'pray' in different languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the unique cultural and spiritual perspectives of various communities. For instance, the German 'beten' reflects the earnestness of supplication, while the Japanese 'orare' captures the meditative and rhythmic nature of prayer. The Swahili 'sumikwapo' and the Hindi 'prarthna karna' further illustrate the diversity and beauty of prayer around the world.
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of 'pray' in different languages, deepening our appreciation for the rich tapestry of human spirituality and cultural expression.
Pray
Pray in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bid | ||
| The word "bid" in Afrikaans is derived from the Old English word "bidden", meaning "to ask" or "to request". | |||
| Amharic | ጸልዩ | ||
| The word "ጸልዩ", meaning "pray", is related to the word "ጸሎት" (prayer or supplication). | |||
| Hausa | yi addu'a | ||
| The Hausa word for 'pray', “yi addu'a”, originally implied 'calling' from Arabic; the word also means 'to plead'. | |||
| Igbo | kpee ekpere | ||
| The Igbo word "kpee ekpere" literally translates to "make a request" or "beg for something". | |||
| Malagasy | mivavaha | ||
| The Malagasy word "MIVAVAHA" means "to pray", but it also has a secondary meaning of "to be engaged." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | pempherani | ||
| The verb 'pempherani' is also used to mean 'to send' or 'to delegate'. | |||
| Shona | namata | ||
| In some Shona dialects, "namata" also means "to call upon" or "to summon". | |||
| Somali | tukado | ||
| Tukado in Somali could possibly be connected to the Amharic word t'ekada 'plead, implore'. | |||
| Sesotho | rapela | ||
| The word "rapela" can also mean "to ask for something politely" or "to persuade someone to do something." | |||
| Swahili | omba | ||
| "Omba" comes from the Bantu Proto- root "-omba," meaning "to ask". | |||
| Xhosa | thandaza | ||
| Thandaza can also mean 'a request to a chief or other person in authority', or 'an offering to an ancestor' | |||
| Yoruba | gbadura | ||
| The word 'gbadura' (to pray) in Yoruba is derived from the phrase 'gba adura' (to receive prayers), indicating the reciprocal nature of prayer. | |||
| Zulu | thandaza | ||
| The word "thandaza" in Zulu originally meant "to ask politely" or "to request". | |||
| Bambara | ka seli | ||
| Ewe | do gbe ɖa | ||
| Kinyarwanda | senga | ||
| Lingala | kobondela | ||
| Luganda | okusaba | ||
| Sepedi | rapela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔ mpaeɛ | ||
Pray in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صلى | ||
| Arabic 'صلى' can mean 'to pray', 'to prostrate', and 'to bless'. | |||
| Hebrew | לְהִתְפַּלֵל | ||
| The Hebrew word "לְהִתְפַּלֵל" (pray) derives from the root "פּלל," meaning "to judge" or "to intercede." | |||
| Pashto | لمونځ | ||
| The word "لمونځ" in Pashto is also used to refer to a particular type of prayer performed by Muslims, known as salat. | |||
| Arabic | صلى | ||
| Arabic 'صلى' can mean 'to pray', 'to prostrate', and 'to bless'. | |||
Pray in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lutuni | ||
| The Albanian word "lutuni" also means "beg" or "plead". | |||
| Basque | otoitz egin | ||
| Otoitz egin also means "make the sign of the cross" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | pregueu | ||
| The word "pregueu" in Catalan originates from the Latin "precari", meaning "to entreat or beg". | |||
| Croatian | moliti | ||
| The Croatian word "moliti" can also mean "to beg" or "to ask for something earnestly". | |||
| Danish | bede | ||
| The Danish word "bede" shares the same etymological root as the English word "bid," both meaning to request or ask. | |||
| Dutch | bidden | ||
| 'Bidden' means 'to pray' in Dutch, but it also means 'to order' or 'to command'. | |||
| English | pray | ||
| In the 13th century, 'pray' meant 'to beg' or 'to ask', and still retains this meaning in some dialects. | |||
| French | prier | ||
| In French, the word "prier" can also mean "to ask for something courteously or earnestly", similar to the English word "beg". | |||
| Frisian | bidde | ||
| In Old English the word bidde also had the meaning "offer, command" | |||
| Galician | orar | ||
| The word "orar" derives from the Latin word "orare," meaning "to speak," and has the alternate meaning of "to recite" in Galician. | |||
| German | beten | ||
| The verb 'beten' is related to the noun 'Bitte' ('request') and the Old High German word 'betôn' ('to ask, request') and ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰéh₂- ('to speak') and the Proto-Germanic root *bēđôjan ('to pray'). | |||
| Icelandic | biðja | ||
| "Biðja" is the archaic strong verb from which "beiða" ("wait") was derived. | |||
| Irish | guí | ||
| Italian | pregare | ||
| 'Pregare' is a loanword from late Latin 'precare', which is derived from the proto-Indo-European root '*prek-', meaning 'to ask' or 'to beg'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bieden | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "bieden" can also mean "to offer", or "to make an attempt". | |||
| Maltese | itlob | ||
| "Itlob" is also an archaic form of "ask" or "request". | |||
| Norwegian | be | ||
| The word "be" in Norwegian can also mean "to ask" or "to beg". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | orar | ||
| The word "orar" can also mean "to give a speech" or "to address an audience". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ùrnaigh | ||
| The word "ùrnaigh" derives from the same Indo-European root as the Latin word "orare" (to speak), and thus its original meaning was "to beseech" or "to plead". | |||
| Spanish | orar | ||
| "Orar" derives from the Latin "orare," meaning "to speak," and also has the alternate meaning of "to give a speech." | |||
| Swedish | be | ||
| The word "be" in Swedish can also mean "to ask" or "to request". | |||
| Welsh | gweddïwch | ||
| The Welsh word "gweddïwch" also means "to speak" or "to discourse". | |||
Pray in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | маліцца | ||
| The Belarusian word "маліцца" also means "to beseech" or "to ask for something earnestly". | |||
| Bosnian | moli | ||
| In addition to its religious meaning, "moli" can also mean "to request" or "to address respectfully" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | молете се | ||
| The Bulgarian word "молете се" also means "to beg" or "to plead". | |||
| Czech | modlit se | ||
| The word "modlit se" likely derives from "mluviti" ("to speak") and "dle" ("towards"), hence meaning "to speak towards". | |||
| Estonian | palvetama | ||
| In Estonian, "palvetama" derives from Proto-Finnic "*palve" meaning "to ask, beg, pray". | |||
| Finnish | rukoilla | ||
| The word "rukoilla" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "rukko", meaning "to speak". | |||
| Hungarian | imádkozik | ||
| 'imádkozik' shares the same etymological origin with 'ima' ('prayer'), which itself shares an origin with 'idő' ('time'). Thus 'imádkozni' means to 'offer reverence to a deity for a certain time period'. | |||
| Latvian | lūgties | ||
| The word "lūgties" also literally means "to bend" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | melstis | ||
| "Melstis" likely derives from the Proto-Baltic root *meld-, which also meant "to ask" and "to sacrifice". | |||
| Macedonian | моли се | ||
| The word "моли се" also means "to plead", "to beg", and "to implore". | |||
| Polish | módl się | ||
| The word "módl się" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *moliti sę, meaning "to ask, to beg". | |||
| Romanian | roaga-te | ||
| Romanian "roaga-te" ("pray") derives from Latin "rogare" ("ask") and cognates with English "rogue" and Spanish "rogar". | |||
| Russian | молиться | ||
| In the past, the word "молиться" also meant "to ask for, to beseech". | |||
| Serbian | молите се | ||
| The Serbian word "молите се" can also refer to the act of begging or asking for something earnestly. | |||
| Slovak | modliť sa | ||
| The verb "modliť sa" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *molitī, which meant "to speak, plead, or ask". | |||
| Slovenian | moli | ||
| Moli's root is likely related to 'melt' and 'mill', hinting at the transformation of the mind or the grinding away of impurities. | |||
| Ukrainian | молитися | ||
| "Молитися" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*molitva", meaning "request, prayer, pleading", and can also mean "to beg, beseech, invoke, entreat, supplicate." | |||
Pray in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রার্থনা | ||
| "প্রার্থনা" can also mean "to ask for" or "to request" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રાર્થના | ||
| The Gujarati word "પ્રાર્થના" primarily means "petition" or "supplication" and can also refer to a "votive offering" made to a deity. | |||
| Hindi | प्रार्थना करना | ||
| This Sanskrit-derived word refers to a 'request' or 'desire', and is cognate with the English word 'prayer'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸು | ||
| Malayalam | പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കുക | ||
| The word "പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കുക" is derived from the Sanskrit root "pra-arth" meaning "to ask" or "to beg". It also has the alternate meaning of "to entreat" or "to implore". | |||
| Marathi | प्रार्थना | ||
| "प्रार्थना" is a Sanskrit word that literally means "asking for" or "requesting", and can also mean "supplication" or "entreaty" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | प्रार्थना | ||
| "प्रार्थना" can also mean "an act of worshipping God or a god" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਾਰਥਨਾ ਕਰੋ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යාච් .ා කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | பிரார்த்தனை | ||
| பிரார்த்தனை derives from Sanskrit ଭ୍ରାର୍ତାନା (prārthanā), meaning "request, entreaty," and is cognate with the English "prayer." | |||
| Telugu | ప్రార్థన | ||
| The word "pray" originates from the Latin word "precari" which means "to ask" or "to entreat". | |||
| Urdu | دعا کریں | ||
| The Urdu word دعا کریں, "pray," can also carry a more informal meaning of "to hope". | |||
Pray in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 祈祷 | ||
| In ancient times, "祈祷" referred to a type of sacrifice with a request. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 祈禱 | ||
| 「祈禱」一詞由「祈」表示祈求、祝願，和「禱」表達訴說、懇求組合而成，原有「祝願並懇求」之意。 | |||
| Japanese | 祈る | ||
| The word "祈る" (inoru) in Japanese also means "to wish for", "to hope for", or "to desire". | |||
| Korean | 빌다 | ||
| The word "빌다" is also used figuratively to mean "to beg". | |||
| Mongolian | залбир | ||
| The Mongolian word "залбир" also means "to make a wish." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆုတောင်းပါ | ||
Pray in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berdoa | ||
| "Berdoa" also refers to incantations and spells in Javanese folklore and Hindu-Javanese rituals. | |||
| Javanese | ndedonga | ||
| "Ndedonga" is a Javanese word that is also similar to "nedungak" (to pray) in Osing language. | |||
| Khmer | អធិស្ឋាន | ||
| "អធិស្ឋាន" is thought to be a borrowing of the Pali word "adhittāna" which means "aspiration" or "vow". | |||
| Lao | ອະທິຖານ | ||
| The term "ອະທິຖານ" (pray) derives from Pali and Sanskrit and also bears connotations of wishing, requesting, or asking. | |||
| Malay | berdoa | ||
| "Berdoa" can also mean "to wish" or "to desire". | |||
| Thai | อธิษฐาน | ||
| The word 'อธิษฐาน' comes from the Sanskrit word 'अधिष्ठान' (adhiṣṭhāna), meaning 'support' or 'foundation. | |||
| Vietnamese | cầu nguyện | ||
| The Vietnamese word "cầu nguyện" has an alternate meaning relating to the process of making dishes out of pork, shrimp, and crab meat. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manalangin | ||
Pray in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dua etmək | ||
| The word “dua” originates from the Arabic word “du’ā”, meaning “supplication” or “invocation,” and is commonly used in the context of religious practices such as praying to God or expressing gratitude. | |||
| Kazakh | дұға ету | ||
| The word «дұға ету» can also mean «to beseech» or «to implore». | |||
| Kyrgyz | тилен | ||
| In Turkic, "тиле" can also mean "wish". | |||
| Tajik | дуо кунед | ||
| The word "дуо кунед" derives from the Persian "dua kunad" which means "to invoke" or "to call upon [a deity]" | |||
| Turkmen | doga et | ||
| Uzbek | ibodat qiling | ||
| The Arabic word 'ibodat' refers to any form of worship, while in Uzbek its use is mainly confined to the context of Muslim prayer. | |||
| Uyghur | دۇئا قىلىڭ | ||
Pray in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pule | ||
| Pule can also mean a hole drilled in a stone as a snare trap for birds. | |||
| Maori | inoi | ||
| Inoi in Māori can also mean "a desire" or "a request". | |||
| Samoan | tatalo | ||
| The word 'tatalo' may derive from Proto-Austronesian or Proto-Malayo-Polynesian '*taRatV', meaning 'to implore'. Alternatively, it is possible that 'tatalo' shares roots with the Tongan noun 'talanoa', referring to 'conversation'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magdasal ka | ||
| The word "magdasal ka" can also mean "give thanks". | |||
Pray in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayiña | ||
| Guarani | ñembo'e | ||
Pray in International Languages
| Esperanto | preĝu | ||
| The Esperanto word "preĝu" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*preg-," meaning "to ask, beg, or entreat." | |||
| Latin | tandem | ||
| In Latin, “tandem” can also mean “at length” or “finally”. | |||
Pray in Others Languages
| Greek | προσεύχομαι | ||
| The Greek word προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) originally meant 'to beseech', 'to ask', and was also used to refer to 'making a vow'. | |||
| Hmong | thov vajtswv | ||
| The Hmong word "thov Vajtswv" also means "to ask God for help or protection." | |||
| Kurdish | dûakirin | ||
| The word "dûakirin" in Kurdish also means "to call upon or invoke." | |||
| Turkish | dua etmek | ||
| "Dua etmek" in Turkish ultimately comes from an Arabic word meaning both "blessing" and "curse". | |||
| Xhosa | thandaza | ||
| Thandaza can also mean 'a request to a chief or other person in authority', or 'an offering to an ancestor' | |||
| Yiddish | דאַוונען | ||
| The Yiddish word "דאַוונען" comes from the Hebrew word "דבֵר" (davar), meaning "to speak", and originally referred to the recitation of prayers in a synagogue. | |||
| Zulu | thandaza | ||
| The word "thandaza" in Zulu originally meant "to ask politely" or "to request". | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰাৰ্থনা কৰা | ||
| Aymara | mayiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रार्थना | ||
| Dhivehi | ނަމާދުކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | भजना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manalangin | ||
| Guarani | ñembo'e | ||
| Ilocano | agkararag | ||
| Krio | pre | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نوێژ | ||
| Maithili | प्रार्थना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯏ ꯈꯨꯔꯨꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tawngtai | ||
| Oromo | kadhachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନା କର | ||
| Quechua | rezakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रयाण | ||
| Tatar | дога кыл | ||
| Tigrinya | ጸለየ | ||
| Tsonga | khongela | ||