Problem in different languages

Problem in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'problem' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, signifying any situation or issue that presents difficulties or challenges. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as every society and individual encounters problems, making it a universal concept. Understanding the translation of 'problem' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and address issues.

For instance, the German translation of 'problem' is 'Problem,' while the French translation is 'problème.' In Spanish, it is 'problema,' and in Japanese, it is 'mondai.' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also cultural nuances in addressing problems.

Delving into the historical context, the ancient Greeks viewed problems as opportunities for growth and learning. In contrast, some Eastern cultures view problems as temporary setbacks to be overcome with patience and perseverance.

Exploring the translations of 'problem' in various languages can broaden our perspectives and enhance our cross-cultural communication skills. Join us as we embark on this linguistic journey and discover how different cultures understand and tackle problems.

Problem


Problem in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansprobleem
Amharicችግር
The word "ችግር" can also refer to a situation of difficulty or hardship.
Hausamatsala
The word "matsala" is derived from the Arabic word "mas'ala", meaning "question" or "issue".
Igbonsogbu
The Igbo word "nsogbu" also translates to "confusion, difficulty, obstacle, trouble," and the like in English.
Malagasyolana
"Olana" is derived from the noun "lana" (path, way) and the prefix "o-" (having or relating to). Therefore it literally means "having a path" or "relating to a path".
Nyanja (Chichewa)vuto
Vuto can also mean a 'task' or 'responsibility' in Nyanja.
Shonadambudziko
The word `dambudziko` originated from the verb `kudambura`, which means to fight, strive, or struggle.
Somalidhibaato
The word "dhibaato" in Somali is cognate with the Arabic word "dharar", meaning "harm" or "injury".
Sesothobothata
The word "bothata" can also mean "misfortune", "trouble", or "hardship".
Swahilishida
The Swahili word "shida" is derived from the Arabic word "shadda", which means "difficulty" or "hardship."
Xhosaingxaki
Ingxaki may derive from the Nguni word "ixaka" meaning a thorn, with a metaphorical extension to "obstacle" or "difficulty".
Yorubaisoro
Isoro can also mean "issue", "challenge, "difficulty", "struggle", "obstacle", or "hardship" in Yoruba.
Zuluinkinga
The word 'inkinga' stems from the word 'inkinga' ('rope'), suggesting a sense of being tied up or restricted.
Bambarakunko
Ewekuxi
Kinyarwandaikibazo
Lingalalikambo
Lugandaekizibu
Sepedibothata
Twi (Akan)ɔhaw

Problem in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمشكلة
The word "مشكلة" can also refer to a physical obstacle or a legal dispute in Arabic.
Hebrewבְּעָיָה
The word "בְּעָיָה" (be'aya) in Hebrew can also mean "dilemma" or "predicament".
Pashtoستونزه
The Pashto word "ستونزه" can also mean "barrier" or "obstacle" indicating a broader sense of challenges and impediments beyond just problems.
Arabicمشكلة
The word "مشكلة" can also refer to a physical obstacle or a legal dispute in Arabic.

Problem in Western European Languages

Albanianproblem
The Albanian word "problem" also means "question" or "issue
Basquearazoa
The word "arazoa" also means "difficulty" or "obstacle" in Basque.
Catalanproblema
The Catalan word "problema" comes from the Greek word "problema," which originally meant "something thrown forward" or "a question to be solved"
Croatianproblem
The Croatian word "problem" is derived from the Greek word "problema," which means an obstacle or difficulty.
Danishproblem
The Danish word "problem" derives from the Greek word "problema," meaning "something thrown forward," or a challenge or obstacle.
Dutchprobleem
Dutch "probleem" can also mean a "puzzle" or a "situation that needs to be solved."}
Englishproblem
The word "problem" derives from the Greek "problema," meaning "something thrown forward," as in the obstacle in a game like chess.
Frenchproblème
The French word "problème" comes from the Greek word "problema," which means "that which is thrown forward" or "a question to be solved."
Frisianprobleem
In Frisian, "probleem" comes from the Greek "problema," meaning "that which is put forward," and can also mean "thesis" or "proposition."
Galicianproblema
The Galician word “problema”, besides meaning
Germanproblem
The word "Problem" can also mean "task" or "issue" in German
Icelandicvandamál
Vandamál is a cognate of the English word 'quandary', both of which derive from the Latin 'quadri-' (four)
Irishfhadhb
The word "fhadhb" can also refer to a "knot" or "difficulty" in Irish.
Italianproblema
The Italian word "problema" has its roots in the Greek "proballein", meaning "throw forward". In this sense, a "problema" is a challenge or obstacle that lies ahead.
Luxembourgishproblem
The word "Problem" in Luxembourgish has the alternate meaning of "difficulty" or "issue".
Malteseproblema
The Maltese word "problema" is derived from the Greek "problema", meaning "something thrown forward", referring to a question or issue presented for consideration or solution.
Norwegianproblem
The Norwegian word "problem" can also mean "dilemma" or "task". It originates from the Greek word "problēma" meaning "something thrown forward".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)problema
The word "problema" in Portuguese comes from the Greek word "problema," meaning "something thrown forward," and can also refer to a task or exercise.
Scots Gaelicduilgheadas
The Gaelic word "duilgheadas" derives from the Old Irish "dliged" meaning "law" or "obligation," and has alternate meanings of "difficulty" or "hardship."
Spanishproblema
The Spanish word "problema" comes from the Greek word "problēma," which means "something thrown forward for discussion"
Swedishproblem
In Swedish, 'problem' can also refer to a question or a mathematical equation, derived from the Greek 'problema', meaning 'something thrown forward'.
Welshbroblem
The Welsh word "broblem" originates from the English word "problem" and literally means "a thing that causes trouble".

Problem in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпраблема
The word "праблема" can also refer to a task or assignment.
Bosnianproblem
In Bosnian, "problem" also means "issue" or "setback".
Bulgarianпроблем
Проблем is a loanword from Russian, which in turn originated from the Greek word "προβλημα" (problema), meaning "something thrown forward".
Czechproblém
In Czech, the word "problém" can also mean "mess" or "trouble."
Estonianprobleem
Probleem, meaning "problem" in Estonian, originates from the Greek "problema," which translates to "something thrown forward" or "an obstacle to be overcome."
Finnishongelma
The origin of "ongelma" is "onkalo," a cavity in a rock, tree or ice.
Hungarianprobléma
The archaic (17th century) meaning of the Hungarian word "probléma" is "proposition".
Latvianproblēmu
The word "problēmu" in Latvian is derived from the Greek word "problema", which means "something thrown forward" or "a question to be solved."
Lithuanianproblema
The word may also refer to a matter or an issue.
Macedonianпроблем
The word "проблем" comes from the Ancient Greek word "πρόβλημα" (problema), meaning "something thrown forward"}
Polishproblem
In Polish, 'problem' can also refer to a topic, a question or an issue.
Romanianproblemă
"Problemă" is related to the Latin word "proballein," which means "to put forward," and is also related to the Greek word "problema," which means "something thrown forward."
Russianпроблема
In Old Church Slavonic, the word "проблема" meant "obstacle", "difficulty". In the Russian language, the word has acquired a more general meaning.
Serbianпроблем
The Serbian word "проблем" is derived from the Greek word "προβλῆμα" (problēma), which means "obstacle" or "difficulty."
Slovakproblém
The Slovak word "problém" derives from the Ancient Greek word "problema", meaning "that which is thrown forward."
Slovenianproblem
The Slovenian word "problem" can also refer to a mathematical exercise, or to an obstacle that needs to be overcome.
Ukrainianпроблема
The word "проблема" can also mean "question" or "issue".

Problem in South Asian Languages

Bengaliসমস্যা
The Bengali word "সমস্যা" (problem) originally meant "puzzle or riddle".
Gujaratiસમસ્યા
The Gujarati word "સમસ્યા" ("problem") is derived from the Sanskrit word "समस्या" ("puzzle"), but it can also mean "question" or "difficulty".
Hindiमुसीबत
"मुसीबत" is derived from the Arabic word "musībah", which can mean both "calamity" and "trial or misfortune."
Kannadaಸಮಸ್ಯೆ
"ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ" derives from Sanskrit and means "puzzle" or "riddle," connoting the idea of a complex or challenging situation.
Malayalamപ്രശ്നം
പ്രശ്നം (praśnam), which comes from Sanskrit, can refer to both a
Marathiसमस्या
In Marathi, "समस्या" (samasya) also means a philosophical question that is the subject of debate or discussion.
Nepaliसमस्या
The term "समस्या" in Nepali derives from the Sanskrit word "प्रश्‍न" (praśna), meaning "question" or "inquiry."
Punjabiਸਮੱਸਿਆ
The word "ਸਮੱਸਿਆ" ("problem") in Punjabi comes from the Sanskrit word "समस्या" ("problem, question"), which in turn comes from the root "सम्" ("together") and "अस्" ("to be"), meaning "to come together". It also means "a riddle, a puzzle", indicating something that requires thought and effort to solve.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ගැටලුව
The Sinhala word for "problem", ගැටලුව, can also mean "knot" or "difficulty", further expanding its range of meanings.
Tamilபிரச்சனை
"பிரச்சனை" also refers to the idea of "disturbance" and is used in a variety of contexts, including social, political, and environmental.
Teluguసమస్య
The Telugu word "సమస్య" (samasya) derives from the Sanskrit "samasya", which means "a question to be solved".
Urduمسئلہ
The word مسئلہ in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "masa'il", which means "issues" or "questions", and can also refer to religious or legal matters.

Problem in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)问题
The word "问题" can also mean "question" or "issue".
Chinese (Traditional)問題
"問題" is an East Asian compound noun, which literally translates to "question-subject," where subject in this instance refers to a noun.
Japanese問題
問題 (mondai) is derived from Chinese and also means "question," "issue," or "point under discussion."
Korean문제
The word "문제" (problem) also means "sentence" or "question" in Korean, a homograph with different pronunciations and meanings depending on the context.
Mongolianасуудал
"Асуудал" means "question" in Mongolian, but it can also translate to "problem" or "issue".
Myanmar (Burmese)ပြနာ
The word "ပြနာ" ("problem") is derived from the Pali word "panna," meaning "understanding."

Problem in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmasalah
Alternately refers to a question or subject
Javanesemasalah
In Javanese, 'masalah' can also refer to a task or duty given to someone as a responsibility.
Khmerបញ្ហា
The word "បញ្ហា" (problem) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "prashna" meaning "question". It can also refer to a task or assignment.
Laoບັນຫາ
The Lao word ບັນຫາ (
Malaymasalah
It derives from the Arabic root 'msl' meaning 'to ask or question'. Hence it originally meant 'something that is asked or inquired about'.
Thaiปัญหา
The word "ปัญหา" can also mean "question" or "issue".
Vietnamesevấn đề
"Vấn" is also a unit of Vietnamese mass that's approximately 604.5 grams. Meanwhile, "đề" means "to suggest" or "to propose", meaning "vấn đề" roughly translates to "the suggested or proposed (situation)".
Filipino (Tagalog)problema

Problem in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniproblem
The Azerbaijani word for "problem" ("problem") also means "question" and comes from the Greek word "problema," which means "something thrown forward."
Kazakhпроблема
In Kazakh, «проблема» is also used to refer to a mathematical example or exercise.
Kyrgyzкөйгөй
'Көйгөй' means both 'trouble' and 'the lower lip' in Kyrgyz.
Tajikмушкилот
The Tajik word "мушкилот" can also refer to "difficulty", "obstacle", or "inconvenience".
Turkmenmesele
Uzbekmuammo
Muammo, derived from Arabic, originally referred to a difficult task or enigma, and has broadened in contemporary use to encompass any problem or issue.
Uyghurمەسىلە

Problem in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianpilikia
The word "pilikia" in Hawaiian can also refer to difficulties, troubles, or obstacles.
Maoriraru
The word "raru" can also refer to a tangle or a snag.
Samoanfaʻafitauli
The word "faʻafitauli" also means "to make a problem" or "to cause trouble".
Tagalog (Filipino)problema
The Tagalog word "problema" also means "question".

Problem in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajan walt'a
Guaraniapañuãi

Problem in International Languages

Esperantoproblemo
"Problemo" is a playful or ironic spelling of "problemo" (problem), often used to minimize the significance of a problem.
Latinquaestio
The Latin word "quaestio" derives from the verb quaerere, meaning "to ask" or "to seek," suggesting the interconnectedness between questioning and understanding.

Problem in Others Languages

Greekπρόβλημα
The Greek word "πρόβλημα" also means "that which is put forward," "something thrown at you" or "thrown down," a challenge.
Hmongteeb meem
The Hmong word "teeb meem" is an idiom meaning "big problem" or "big trouble".
Kurdishpirsegirêk
The word "pirsegirêk" is derived from the Persian word "pirāsgar" (meaning "disorder") and the Kurdish suffix "-êk" (meaning "thing").
Turkishsorun
Sorun (problem) kelimesi, Arapça 'sûr' (duvar) kökünden gelir ve 'önüne geçilmesi gereken engel' anlamına sahiptir.
Xhosaingxaki
Ingxaki may derive from the Nguni word "ixaka" meaning a thorn, with a metaphorical extension to "obstacle" or "difficulty".
Yiddishפּראָבלעם
The Yiddish word "פּראָבלעם" is derived from Greek and originally meant "proposition" or "thesis".
Zuluinkinga
The word 'inkinga' stems from the word 'inkinga' ('rope'), suggesting a sense of being tied up or restricted.
Assameseসমস্যা
Aymarajan walt'a
Bhojpuriपरेशानी
Dhivehiމައްސަލަ
Dogriपरेशानी
Filipino (Tagalog)problema
Guaraniapañuãi
Ilocanoproblema
Krioprɔblɛm
Kurdish (Sorani)کێشە
Maithiliसमस्या
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯁꯤꯡꯅꯕ
Mizoharsatna
Oromorakkoo
Odia (Oriya)ସମସ୍ୟା
Quechuasasachakuy
Sanskritसमस्या
Tatarпроблема
Tigrinyaፀገም
Tsongaxiphiqo

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