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
| Afrikaans | probleem | ||
| Amharic | ችግር | ||
| The word "ችግር" can also refer to a situation of difficulty or hardship. | |||
| Hausa | matsala | ||
| The word "matsala" is derived from the Arabic word "mas'ala", meaning "question" or "issue". | |||
| Igbo | nsogbu | ||
| The Igbo word "nsogbu" also translates to "confusion, difficulty, obstacle, trouble," and the like in English. | |||
| Malagasy | olana | ||
| "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. | |||
| Shona | dambudziko | ||
| The word `dambudziko` originated from the verb `kudambura`, which means to fight, strive, or struggle. | |||
| Somali | dhibaato | ||
| The word "dhibaato" in Somali is cognate with the Arabic word "dharar", meaning "harm" or "injury". | |||
| Sesotho | bothata | ||
| The word "bothata" can also mean "misfortune", "trouble", or "hardship". | |||
| Swahili | shida | ||
| The Swahili word "shida" is derived from the Arabic word "shadda", which means "difficulty" or "hardship." | |||
| Xhosa | ingxaki | ||
| Ingxaki may derive from the Nguni word "ixaka" meaning a thorn, with a metaphorical extension to "obstacle" or "difficulty". | |||
| Yoruba | isoro | ||
| Isoro can also mean "issue", "challenge, "difficulty", "struggle", "obstacle", or "hardship" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | inkinga | ||
| The word 'inkinga' stems from the word 'inkinga' ('rope'), suggesting a sense of being tied up or restricted. | |||
| Bambara | kunko | ||
| Ewe | kuxi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikibazo | ||
| Lingala | likambo | ||
| Luganda | ekizibu | ||
| Sepedi | bothata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔhaw | ||
Problem in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مشكلة | ||
| The word "مشكلة" can also refer to a physical obstacle or a legal dispute in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | בְּעָיָה | ||
| The word "בְּעָיָה" (be'aya) in Hebrew can also mean "dilemma" or "predicament". | |||
| Pashto | ستونزه | ||
| The Pashto word "ستونزه" can also mean "barrier" or "obstacle" indicating a broader sense of challenges and impediments beyond just problems. | |||
| Arabic | مشكلة | ||
| The word "مشكلة" can also refer to a physical obstacle or a legal dispute in Arabic. | |||
Problem in Western European Languages
| Albanian | problem | ||
| The Albanian word "problem" also means "question" or "issue | |||
| Basque | arazoa | ||
| The word "arazoa" also means "difficulty" or "obstacle" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | problema | ||
| The Catalan word "problema" comes from the Greek word "problema," which originally meant "something thrown forward" or "a question to be solved" | |||
| Croatian | problem | ||
| The Croatian word "problem" is derived from the Greek word "problema," which means an obstacle or difficulty. | |||
| Danish | problem | ||
| The Danish word "problem" derives from the Greek word "problema," meaning "something thrown forward," or a challenge or obstacle. | |||
| Dutch | probleem | ||
| Dutch "probleem" can also mean a "puzzle" or a "situation that needs to be solved."} | |||
| English | problem | ||
| The word "problem" derives from the Greek "problema," meaning "something thrown forward," as in the obstacle in a game like chess. | |||
| French | problème | ||
| The French word "problème" comes from the Greek word "problema," which means "that which is thrown forward" or "a question to be solved." | |||
| Frisian | probleem | ||
| In Frisian, "probleem" comes from the Greek "problema," meaning "that which is put forward," and can also mean "thesis" or "proposition." | |||
| Galician | problema | ||
| The Galician word “problema”, besides meaning | |||
| German | problem | ||
| The word "Problem" can also mean "task" or "issue" in German | |||
| Icelandic | vandamál | ||
| Vandamál is a cognate of the English word 'quandary', both of which derive from the Latin 'quadri-' (four) | |||
| Irish | fhadhb | ||
| The word "fhadhb" can also refer to a "knot" or "difficulty" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | problema | ||
| 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. | |||
| Luxembourgish | problem | ||
| The word "Problem" in Luxembourgish has the alternate meaning of "difficulty" or "issue". | |||
| Maltese | problema | ||
| 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. | |||
| Norwegian | problem | ||
| 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 Gaelic | duilgheadas | ||
| The Gaelic word "duilgheadas" derives from the Old Irish "dliged" meaning "law" or "obligation," and has alternate meanings of "difficulty" or "hardship." | |||
| Spanish | problema | ||
| The Spanish word "problema" comes from the Greek word "problēma," which means "something thrown forward for discussion" | |||
| Swedish | problem | ||
| In Swedish, 'problem' can also refer to a question or a mathematical equation, derived from the Greek 'problema', meaning 'something thrown forward'. | |||
| Welsh | broblem | ||
| The Welsh word "broblem" originates from the English word "problem" and literally means "a thing that causes trouble". | |||
Problem in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | праблема | ||
| The word "праблема" can also refer to a task or assignment. | |||
| Bosnian | problem | ||
| In Bosnian, "problem" also means "issue" or "setback". | |||
| Bulgarian | проблем | ||
| Проблем is a loanword from Russian, which in turn originated from the Greek word "προβλημα" (problema), meaning "something thrown forward". | |||
| Czech | problém | ||
| In Czech, the word "problém" can also mean "mess" or "trouble." | |||
| Estonian | probleem | ||
| Probleem, meaning "problem" in Estonian, originates from the Greek "problema," which translates to "something thrown forward" or "an obstacle to be overcome." | |||
| Finnish | ongelma | ||
| The origin of "ongelma" is "onkalo," a cavity in a rock, tree or ice. | |||
| Hungarian | probléma | ||
| The archaic (17th century) meaning of the Hungarian word "probléma" is "proposition". | |||
| Latvian | problēmu | ||
| The word "problēmu" in Latvian is derived from the Greek word "problema", which means "something thrown forward" or "a question to be solved." | |||
| Lithuanian | problema | ||
| The word may also refer to a matter or an issue. | |||
| Macedonian | проблем | ||
| The word "проблем" comes from the Ancient Greek word "πρόβλημα" (problema), meaning "something thrown forward"} | |||
| Polish | problem | ||
| In Polish, 'problem' can also refer to a topic, a question or an issue. | |||
| Romanian | problemă | ||
| "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." | |||
| Russian | проблема | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, the word "проблема" meant "obstacle", "difficulty". In the Russian language, the word has acquired a more general meaning. | |||
| Serbian | проблем | ||
| The Serbian word "проблем" is derived from the Greek word "προβλῆμα" (problēma), which means "obstacle" or "difficulty." | |||
| Slovak | problém | ||
| The Slovak word "problém" derives from the Ancient Greek word "problema", meaning "that which is thrown forward." | |||
| Slovenian | problem | ||
| The Slovenian word "problem" can also refer to a mathematical exercise, or to an obstacle that needs to be overcome. | |||
| Ukrainian | проблема | ||
| The word "проблема" can also mean "question" or "issue". | |||
Problem in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সমস্যা | ||
| The Bengali word "সমস্যা" (problem) originally meant "puzzle or riddle". | |||
| Gujarati | સમસ્યા | ||
| The Gujarati word "સમસ્યા" ("problem") is derived from the Sanskrit word "समस्या" ("puzzle"), but it can also mean "question" or "difficulty". | |||
| Hindi | मुसीबत | ||
| "मुसीबत" is derived from the Arabic word "musībah", which can mean both "calamity" and "trial or misfortune." | |||
| Kannada | ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ | ||
| "ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ" derives from Sanskrit and means "puzzle" or "riddle," connoting the idea of a complex or challenging situation. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രശ്നം | ||
| പ്രശ്നം (praśnam), which comes from Sanskrit, can refer to both a | |||
| Marathi | समस्या | ||
| In Marathi, "समस्या" (samasya) also means a philosophical question that is the subject of debate or discussion. | |||
| Nepali | समस्या | ||
| The term "समस्या" in Nepali derives from the Sanskrit word "प्रश्न" (praśna), meaning "question" or "inquiry." | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਮੱਸਿਆ | ||
| 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. | |||
| Tamil | பிரச்சனை | ||
| "பிரச்சனை" also refers to the idea of "disturbance" and is used in a variety of contexts, including social, political, and environmental. | |||
| Telugu | సమస్య | ||
| The Telugu word "సమస్య" (samasya) derives from the Sanskrit "samasya", which means "a question to be solved". | |||
| Urdu | مسئلہ | ||
| 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." | |||
| Korean | 문제 | ||
| The word "문제" (problem) also means "sentence" or "question" in Korean, a homograph with different pronunciations and meanings depending on the context. | |||
| Mongolian | асуудал | ||
| "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
| Indonesian | masalah | ||
| Alternately refers to a question or subject | |||
| Javanese | masalah | ||
| In Javanese, 'masalah' can also refer to a task or duty given to someone as a responsibility. | |||
| Khmer | បញ្ហា | ||
| The word "បញ្ហា" (problem) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "prashna" meaning "question". It can also refer to a task or assignment. | |||
| Lao | ບັນຫາ | ||
| The Lao word ບັນຫາ ( | |||
| Malay | masalah | ||
| It derives from the Arabic root 'msl' meaning 'to ask or question'. Hence it originally meant 'something that is asked or inquired about'. | |||
| Thai | ปัญหา | ||
| The word "ปัญหา" can also mean "question" or "issue". | |||
| Vietnamese | vấn 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
| Azerbaijani | problem | ||
| The Azerbaijani word for "problem" ("problem") also means "question" and comes from the Greek word "problema," which means "something thrown forward." | |||
| Kazakh | проблема | ||
| In Kazakh, «проблема» is also used to refer to a mathematical example or exercise. | |||
| Kyrgyz | көйгөй | ||
| 'Көйгөй' means both 'trouble' and 'the lower lip' in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | мушкилот | ||
| The Tajik word "мушкилот" can also refer to "difficulty", "obstacle", or "inconvenience". | |||
| Turkmen | mesele | ||
| Uzbek | muammo | ||
| Muammo, derived from Arabic, originally referred to a difficult task or enigma, and has broadened in contemporary use to encompass any problem or issue. | |||
| Uyghur | مەسىلە | ||
Problem in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pilikia | ||
| The word "pilikia" in Hawaiian can also refer to difficulties, troubles, or obstacles. | |||
| Maori | raru | ||
| The word "raru" can also refer to a tangle or a snag. | |||
| Samoan | faʻafitauli | ||
| 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
| Aymara | jan walt'a | ||
| Guarani | apañuãi | ||
Problem in International Languages
| Esperanto | problemo | ||
| "Problemo" is a playful or ironic spelling of "problemo" (problem), often used to minimize the significance of a problem. | |||
| Latin | quaestio | ||
| 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
| Greek | πρόβλημα | ||
| The Greek word "πρόβλημα" also means "that which is put forward," "something thrown at you" or "thrown down," a challenge. | |||
| Hmong | teeb meem | ||
| The Hmong word "teeb meem" is an idiom meaning "big problem" or "big trouble". | |||
| Kurdish | pirsegirêk | ||
| The word "pirsegirêk" is derived from the Persian word "pirāsgar" (meaning "disorder") and the Kurdish suffix "-êk" (meaning "thing"). | |||
| Turkish | sorun | ||
| Sorun (problem) kelimesi, Arapça 'sûr' (duvar) kökünden gelir ve 'önüne geçilmesi gereken engel' anlamına sahiptir. | |||
| Xhosa | ingxaki | ||
| Ingxaki may derive from the Nguni word "ixaka" meaning a thorn, with a metaphorical extension to "obstacle" or "difficulty". | |||
| Yiddish | פּראָבלעם | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּראָבלעם" is derived from Greek and originally meant "proposition" or "thesis". | |||
| Zulu | inkinga | ||
| The word 'inkinga' stems from the word 'inkinga' ('rope'), suggesting a sense of being tied up or restricted. | |||
| Assamese | সমস্যা | ||
| Aymara | jan walt'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | परेशानी | ||
| Dhivehi | މައްސަލަ | ||
| Dogri | परेशानी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | problema | ||
| Guarani | apañuãi | ||
| Ilocano | problema | ||
| Krio | prɔblɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کێشە | ||
| Maithili | समस्या | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯡꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | harsatna | ||
| Oromo | rakkoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମସ୍ୟା | ||
| Quechua | sasachakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | समस्या | ||
| Tatar | проблема | ||
| Tigrinya | ፀገም | ||
| Tsonga | xiphiqo | ||