Pregnancy in Different Languages
Discover 'Pregnancy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Pregnancy, a significant and transformative journey, is a universal human experience, yet it is expressed and understood differently across cultures and languages. This variation adds depth and richness to our global understanding of pregnancy in different languages.
Throughout history, pregnancy has held immense cultural importance, symbolizing fertility, life, and the continuation of families and communities. From ancient rituals to modern medical practices, pregnancy has been celebrated, feared, and revered in countless ways.
Understanding the translation of pregnancy in different languages can offer valuable insights into the cultural nuances and beliefs surrounding this experience. For example, in Spanish, pregnancy is referred to as 'embarazo,' which comes from the verb 'embarazar,' meaning 'to hinder or entangle.' This reflects the idea that pregnancy can be both a joyful and challenging experience, as it often requires significant adjustments and adaptations.
Similarly, in Arabic, pregnancy is called 'haml,' which also means 'burden' or 'load.' This term highlights the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of support and care during this time.
Join us as we explore the fascinating translations of pregnancy in different languages, shedding light on the diverse ways that cultures around the world understand and celebrate this remarkable experience.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | swangerskap | ||
| The Afrikaans word "swangerskap" is derived from the Dutch word "zwangerschap", which means "heaviness" or "burden". | |||
| Amharic | እርግዝና | ||
| Alternate meanings: readiness, preparedness, maturity | |||
| Hausa | ciki | ||
| In Hausa, 'ciki' is also used to refer to one's stomach or belly. | |||
| Igbo | afọime | ||
| "Afọime" is also a metaphor for "a situation that is carrying a blessing." | |||
| Malagasy | bevohoka | ||
| The Malagasy word "bevohoka" also means "to be pregnant". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mimba | ||
| The word 'mimba' also means 'being in trouble' or 'having a problem'. | |||
| Shona | nhumbu | ||
| The word “nhumbu” is derived from the Proto-Bantu term “*ɓúmbú” meaning “swelling, tumor”. | |||
| Somali | uurka | ||
| "uurka" derives from the Somali word "uur" meaning "to conceive" or "to carry." | |||
| Sesotho | boimana | ||
| The term "boimana" is commonly used to describe pregnancy in the Sesotho language, however, it also figuratively signifies a state of anticipation or expectation. | |||
| Swahili | mimba | ||
| The word 'mimba' is derived from the Proto-Bantu word *-imba-, which also means 'to carry' or 'to bear'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukukhulelwa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukukhulelwa' is also used to describe a state of being well-nourished, or 'fattened up'. | |||
| Yoruba | oyun | ||
| In the Yoruba language, the word "oyun" can also refer to a "conclave," a "secret meeting," or a "gathering." | |||
| Zulu | ukukhulelwa | ||
| 'Ukukhulelwa' is derived from the root word 'khulela', which can also mean to 'bud' or 'to sprout' | |||
| Bambara | kɔnɔmaya | ||
| Ewe | fufɔfɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutwita | ||
| Lingala | zemi ya kosala zemi | ||
| Luganda | okufuna olubuto | ||
| Sepedi | boimana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nyinsɛn a obi nya | ||
Pregnancy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حمل | ||
| The polysemic Arabic term "حمل" also refers to carrying and possession. | |||
| Hebrew | הֵרָיוֹן | ||
| The Hebrew word "הֵרָיוֹן" literally translates to "conception" and can also refer to a woman's menstrual period. | |||
| Pashto | حمل | ||
| The Pashto word for "pregnancy" is also used figuratively to describe carrying an item or responsibility. | |||
| Arabic | حمل | ||
| The polysemic Arabic term "حمل" also refers to carrying and possession. | |||
Pregnancy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shtatzënia | ||
| The word "shtatzënia" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *stað-, meaning "to stand". This suggests that the word originally referred to the woman's "standing" or "swollen" belly during pregnancy. | |||
| Basque | haurdunaldia | ||
| The word “haurdunaldia” in the Basque language comes from “haur” meaning “child” and “dunaldi” meaning “birth”. | |||
| Catalan | embaràs | ||
| Catalan "embaràs" comes from the Proto-Romance "*imbarratiare" (to block), a derivative of "barra" (bar). | |||
| Croatian | trudnoća | ||
| The word 'trudnoća' also means 'hardship' in Croatian, reflecting the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy. | |||
| Danish | graviditet | ||
| The Danish word "graviditet" comes from the Latin word "gravidus", meaning "heavy" or "burdened". | |||
| Dutch | zwangerschap | ||
| The word "zwangerschap" derives from the Old Dutch word "swanger", meaning "heavy" or "burdened", referring to the physical changes a woman experiences during pregnancy. | |||
| English | pregnancy | ||
| The term 'pregnancy' comes from the Latin word 'praegnans,' meaning 'carrying before' or 'filled with. | |||
| French | grossesse | ||
| The word "grossesse" is derived from the Latin "grossus", meaning "thick" or "heavy", and originally referred to the condition of being overweight or plump. | |||
| Frisian | swangerskip | ||
| The word "swangerskip" is derived from the Old Frisian words "swanger" (meaning "pregnant") and "skip" (meaning "ship"), suggesting the idea of carrying a child as a ship carries its cargo. | |||
| Galician | embarazo | ||
| The Galician word "embarazo" also means "embarrassment" or "confusion". | |||
| German | schwangerschaft | ||
| The word "Schwangerschaft" is derived from the Old High German word "swanger," meaning both "pregnant" and "heavy." | |||
| Icelandic | meðganga | ||
| The word "Meðganga" is a compound of the words "með" (with) and "ganga" (to go), suggesting the pregnant person carrying a life within them. | |||
| Irish | toircheas | ||
| Toircheas also means 'fertility' or 'brightness'. | |||
| Italian | gravidanza | ||
| The term "gravidanza" derives from the Latin word "gravida", meaning "heavy" or "full". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schwangerschaft | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Schwangerschaft" can also refer to "being in the family way" or "gestation period". | |||
| Maltese | tqala | ||
| The word "tqala" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "thaqila", meaning "heavy", and can also refer to pregnancy in animals. | |||
| Norwegian | svangerskap | ||
| "Svangerskap" is an Old Norse compound noun derived from "svanga" (pregnant) and "skap" (state) | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gravidez | ||
| The word "gravidez" in Portuguese is derived from the Latin word "gravis", meaning "heavy". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | torrachas | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "torrachas" is derived from the Old Irish word "torrach", meaning "pregnant", and is related to the Welsh word "tor", meaning "belly". | |||
| Spanish | el embarazo | ||
| Besides "pregnancy", "el embarazo" also refers to "obstacle", "impediment", "delay", "embarrassment", and "confusion" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | graviditet | ||
| Graviditet kommer från latinets "gravis", som betyder "tung". | |||
| Welsh | beichiogrwydd | ||
| "Beichiogrwydd" literally means "a state of being full" and is related to the word "beichiog" ("full, swollen"). | |||
Pregnancy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цяжарнасць | ||
| "Цяж" in "цэжрнасць" means pregnancy too in some Belarusian dialects and it has a possible cognate to "тяга". | |||
| Bosnian | trudnoća | ||
| "Trudnoća" is a cognate of "trud" (work) and "truditi" (to work, to toil), derived from the PIE root "*ter-" (to rub, to turn). | |||
| Bulgarian | бременност | ||
| The word "бременност" in Bulgarian shares its root with the word for "burden" and can also refer to the weight or load carried by someone or something. | |||
| Czech | těhotenství | ||
| The word "těhotenství" in Czech also refers to the gestation period of animals. | |||
| Estonian | rasedus | ||
| The word "Rasedus" in Estonian derives from the verb "rase" meaning "to become pregnant" and is cognate with the Finnish word "raskaus" and the Latvian word "grūtniecība". | |||
| Finnish | raskaus | ||
| "Raskaus" is cognate with the Estonian word "raskus" and the Karelian word "raśkuus", meaning "burden" or "difficulty." | |||
| Hungarian | terhesség | ||
| The word "terhesség" is derived from the Hungarian word "terhes," meaning "pregnant," and the suffix "-ség," denoting a state or condition. | |||
| Latvian | grūtniecība | ||
| Latvian "grūtniecība" is derived from the verb "grūt" which means to be tired or burdened. | |||
| Lithuanian | nėštumas | ||
| "Nėštumas" is related to the word "nešti" which means to carry or bear in Lithuanian, indicating the state of carrying a child during pregnancy. | |||
| Macedonian | бременост | ||
| The word "бременост" (pregnancy) also has meanings related to difficulties or burdens one has to bear. | |||
| Polish | ciąża | ||
| The word "ciąża" in Polish means "pregnancy" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *tegъ, meaning "heavy" or "burdened." | |||
| Romanian | sarcina | ||
| In Romanian, "sarcina" also means "burden", "charge" or "load". | |||
| Russian | беременность | ||
| The word "беременность" derives from the Slavic word "bremya" meaning "burden", implying the perception of pregnancy as a difficult and challenging time. | |||
| Serbian | трудноћа | ||
| "Трудница" originated from the word "труд" ("labor") that in old Serbian meant not only physical labor, but also pain, burden and sorrow. | |||
| Slovak | tehotenstvo | ||
| The Slovak word "tehotenstvo" comes from the verb "ťahať" which means "to pull or to stretch" and it is likely related to the physical changes in a woman's body during pregnancy. | |||
| Slovenian | nosečnost | ||
| The Slovenian word 'nosečnost' (pregnancy) etymologically means 'condition of carrying' or 'condition of bearing'. | |||
| Ukrainian | вагітність | ||
| The word «вагітність» derives from Proto-Indo-European «*gʰweh₂-», meaning “to bear, give birth”. | |||
Pregnancy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গর্ভাবস্থা | ||
| "গর্ভাবস্থা" is a compound noun derived from "গর্ভ" (womb) and "অবস্থা" (condition or situation). | |||
| Gujarati | ગર્ભાવસ્થા | ||
| The Gujarati word "ગર્ભાવસ્થા" is also used in a figurative sense to refer to the "incubation" of an idea, project, or concept. | |||
| Hindi | गर्भावस्था | ||
| The word "गर्भावस्था" is derived from the Sanskrit word "गर्भ" (womb) and means "condition of being pregnant" or "gestation period". | |||
| Kannada | ಗರ್ಭಧಾರಣೆ | ||
| The word "ಗರ್ಭಧಾರಣೆ" also refers to the period of gestation in animals. | |||
| Malayalam | ഗർഭം | ||
| The word "ഗർഭം" comes from the Sanskrit word "गर्भ" (pronounced "garbha"), which means "womb" or "fetus." | |||
| Marathi | गर्भधारणा | ||
| गर्भधारणा can also refer to a state of being receptive or open to suggestions, ideas, etc. | |||
| Nepali | गर्भावस्था | ||
| "गर्भावस्था" is a Sanskrit compound derived from "गर्भ" (womb) and "अवस्था" (state), referring to the condition of carrying a fetus in the womb. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਰਭ | ||
| The term "ਗਰਭ" is also used to refer to the fetus, specifically the unborn child in the womb. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගැබ් ගැනීම | ||
| The word "ගැබ් ගැනීම" can also refer to the state of being pregnant, as well as the period of time during which a woman is pregnant. | |||
| Tamil | கர்ப்பம் | ||
| Although "கர்ப்பம்"'s literal meaning is "womb", it also means "foetus" and the "embryo" stage of pregnancy. | |||
| Telugu | గర్భం | ||
| "గర్భం" also refers to the embryo or fetus and the womb. In a metaphorical sense, it can denote a collection, group, or aggregate. | |||
| Urdu | حمل | ||
| The word "حمل" in Urdu can also refer to a burden or a load. | |||
Pregnancy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 怀孕 | ||
| 怀孕 is also used to describe a situation where one is carrying a burden or responsibility. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 懷孕 | ||
| 「懷孕」一詞最早出現在《素問·上古天真論》，本意為「懷抱胎孕」，後引申為「懷有身孕」之意。 | |||
| Japanese | 妊娠 | ||
| The character 妊 in the Japanese word 妊娠 (pregnancy) can also refer to holding something in the stomach. | |||
| Korean | 임신 | ||
| "임신" can also mean "a fetus" or "the state of being pregnant". | |||
| Mongolian | жирэмслэлт | ||
| "жирэмслэлт" is derived from "жирэх" (to become fat), sharing a root with "жир" (fat). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကိုယ်ဝန် | ||
Pregnancy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kehamilan | ||
| "Kehamilan" is also used to refer to the carrying of something other than a child, such as a disease or a burden. | |||
| Javanese | meteng | ||
| The Javanese word "meteng" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*ma-tingiŋ", which means "to be raised". It is also related to the Malay word "menteng", which means "to be pregnant". | |||
| Khmer | មានផ្ទៃពោះ | ||
| In Khmer, "មានផ្ទៃពោះ" can also refer to "a protruding belly" caused by factors other than pregnancy. | |||
| Lao | ການຖືພາ | ||
| The Lao word "ການຖືພາ" originally meant "to hold or carry something" and is related to the Thai word "ตั้งครรภ์" (to be pregnant). | |||
| Malay | kehamilan | ||
| Kehamilan shares a root with the Old Javanese word 'amilan', meaning 'to carry or bear'. | |||
| Thai | การตั้งครรภ์ | ||
| The word "การตั้งครรภ์" also refers to the process of preparing for childbirth and raising a child. | |||
| Vietnamese | thai kỳ | ||
| The Vietnamese word "thai kỳ" (pregnancy) is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese phrase "thai nhi kỳ," where "thai nhi" means "fetus" and "kỳ" means "period." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbubuntis | ||
Pregnancy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hamiləlik | ||
| The word hamiləlik, meaning pregnancy, originates from the Persian term hamil, which means "to be carrying". | |||
| Kazakh | жүктілік | ||
| "Жүктілік" (pregnancy) is derived from the verb "жүктеу" (to load), and can also refer to a burden or responsibility. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кош бойлуулук | ||
| The word "кош бойлуулук" in Kyrgyz derives from the Turkic root "кош" meaning "pair" or "double" and "бойлуулук" meaning "condition of being pregnant", thus literally referring to the dual nature of pregnancy. | |||
| Tajik | ҳомиладорӣ | ||
| "Хомиладорӣ" (pregnancy) is derived from the Persian word "хом" (raw) and "бор" (burden), and can also refer to the burden of responsibility or the burden of grief. | |||
| Turkmen | göwrelilik | ||
| Uzbek | homiladorlik | ||
| Uyghur | ھامىلدارلىق | ||
Pregnancy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hāpai keiki | ||
| The word 'hāpai keiki' can also be translated as 'carrying a child' or 'expecting a child'. | |||
| Maori | hapūtanga | ||
| Hapūtanga can also refer to conception and the early stages of gestation. | |||
| Samoan | maʻito | ||
| The word 'ma'ito' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root word '*maito', which also means 'child'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagbubuntis | ||
| The word "pagbubuntis" also means "the period of time required for a fetus to develop inside the womb" in Tagalog. | |||
Pregnancy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | usurnukstaña | ||
| Guarani | imembykuña | ||
Pregnancy in International Languages
| Esperanto | gravedeco | ||
| The word "gravedeco" ultimately derives from the Latin word "gravida", meaning "pregnant". | |||
| Latin | graviditate | ||
| The term "graviditate" in Latin can also refer to the status of being pregnant. | |||
Pregnancy in Others Languages
| Greek | εγκυμοσύνη | ||
| The word | |||
| Hmong | cev xeeb tub | ||
| The literal meaning of "cev xeeb tub" is "to tie a knot in a cloth." | |||
| Kurdish | dûcanî | ||
| The word "dûcanî" in Kurdish is cognate with the Persian word "dozhdān", which also means "pregnancy". | |||
| Turkish | gebelik | ||
| "Gebelik", meaning "pregnancy" in Turkish, derives from the Persian word "gāb", meaning "conception" or "fetus." | |||
| Xhosa | ukukhulelwa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukukhulelwa' is also used to describe a state of being well-nourished, or 'fattened up'. | |||
| Yiddish | שוואַנגערשאַפט | ||
| Yiddish "שוואַנגערשאַפט" comes from the German "schwanger" and literally means "to sway." | |||
| Zulu | ukukhulelwa | ||
| 'Ukukhulelwa' is derived from the root word 'khulela', which can also mean to 'bud' or 'to sprout' | |||
| Assamese | গৰ্ভাৱস্থা | ||
| Aymara | usurnukstaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | गर्भावस्था के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަލިވެ އިނުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | गर्भावस्था दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbubuntis | ||
| Guarani | imembykuña | ||
| Ilocano | panagsikog | ||
| Krio | we uman gɛt bɛlɛ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دووگیانی | ||
| Maithili | गर्भावस्था | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯔꯣꯅꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | naupai lai | ||
| Oromo | ulfa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗର୍ଭଧାରଣ | ||
| Quechua | wiksayakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | गर्भधारणम् | ||
| Tatar | йөклелек | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥንሲ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ku tika | ||