Protest in Different Languages
Discover 'Protest' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Protest, a word that carries significant weight in our global society. It signifies the power of individuals coming together to voice their opinions, bring about change, and stand up for their rights. From historical movements such as the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, to modern day rallies for climate action, protests have been instrumental in shaping our cultural landscape.
Understanding the translation of protest in different languages not only broadens our vocabulary, but also deepens our appreciation for the cultural nuances that exist around the world. For instance, the Spanish translation of protest is 'protesta', while in French it's 'protestation'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for protest is '抗议', which is composed of the characters '抗' (to resist) and '议' (to discuss).
Exploring the translations of protest also offers a fascinating glimpse into historical contexts. For example, in Russia, the word for protest, 'протест', is a relatively new addition to the language, only gaining popularity after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Join us as we delve into the translations of protest in various languages, providing you with a unique perspective on language and culture.
Protest
Protest in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | betoog | ||
| "Betoog" originates from the Middle Dutch word "betoghen", which means "show" or "prove". | |||
| Amharic | ተቃውሞ | ||
| The word "ተቃውሞ" (protest) in Amharic also means "opposition" or "resistance". | |||
| Hausa | rashin amincewa | ||
| The word "rashin amincewa" in Hausa can also mean "disagreement" or "refusal". | |||
| Igbo | mkpesa | ||
| The word 'mkpesa' can also refer to a legal objection or a formal complaint. | |||
| Malagasy | hetsi-panoherana | ||
| "Hetsi-panoherana" can be literally understood as "to make something red," referring to the red kerchiefs or loincloths sometimes worn by protestors. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zionetsero | ||
| In Nyanja, "zionetsero" also means "a group of people who demonstrate". | |||
| Shona | kuratidzira | ||
| "Kuratidzira" also means "to resist" or "to stand firm". | |||
| Somali | mudaharaad | ||
| "Mudaharaad" also means "debate" or "exchange of ideas" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | boipelaetso | ||
| The Sesotho word "boipelaetso" is thought to derive from the word "pele", which means "to cry out" or "to shout". | |||
| Swahili | maandamano | ||
| Maandamano, Swahili for 'protest', derives from the root 'andamana', meaning 'to walk with others' or 'to march'. | |||
| Xhosa | uqhankqalazo | ||
| In Xhosa, "uqhankqalazo" also means "to show anger or annoyance" or "to make a fuss". | |||
| Yoruba | ehonu | ||
| The word "ehonu" in Yoruba has roots in the phrase "eho ni o nu," meaning "it is this that I see." | |||
| Zulu | ukubhikisha | ||
| Ukubhikisha's alternate meaning is to 'beg' (for food). | |||
| Bambara | protestation (ka sɔsɔli) kɛ | ||
| Ewe | tsitretsiɖeŋunyawo gbɔgblɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imyigaragambyo | ||
| Lingala | protestation ya bato | ||
| Luganda | okwekalakaasa | ||
| Sepedi | boipelaetšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsɔretia a wɔde kyerɛ | ||
Protest in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وقفة احتجاجية | ||
| The word "وقفة احتجاجية" (protest) literally means "standing position" in Arabic, alluding to the practice of standing in protest. | |||
| Hebrew | למחות | ||
| The word "למחות" can also mean "to wipe" or "to erase". | |||
| Pashto | لاريون | ||
| The word "لاريون" (protest) in Pashto is derived from the Arabic root "لاره" (to forbid, to prevent). | |||
| Arabic | وقفة احتجاجية | ||
| The word "وقفة احتجاجية" (protest) literally means "standing position" in Arabic, alluding to the practice of standing in protest. | |||
Protest in Western European Languages
| Albanian | protestë | ||
| The word "protestë" can also mean to "declare solemnly" something, to "affirm". | |||
| Basque | protesta | ||
| Protesta can also mean 'evidence' or 'proof' in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | protesta | ||
| The Catalan word "protesta" also means "declaration" or "manifestation". | |||
| Croatian | prosvjed | ||
| Prosvjed in Croatian can also refer to a formal legal document used to register a financial instrument, akin to a deed or promissory note in English. | |||
| Danish | protest | ||
| In Danish, "protest" (protest) is thought to be derived from the Latin "protestari", meaning to declare or proclaim publicly. | |||
| Dutch | protest | ||
| The Dutch word "protest" originally meant "a solemn declaration of innocence". | |||
| English | protest | ||
| The word protest derives from the Latin word 'protestari', meaning 'to affirm solemnly' or 'to declare publicly'. | |||
| French | manifestation | ||
| The secondary meaning of "manifestation" in French, meaning "protest", derives from its original sense of "making something clear or evident from what is not yet apparent". | |||
| Frisian | protest | ||
| The West Frisian word "protest" can also mean "complaint" or "grievance". | |||
| Galician | protesta | ||
| The word 'protesta' comes from the Latin 'protestare', meaning 'to declare publicly' or 'to bear witness'. | |||
| German | protest | ||
| In German, the word 'Protest' can also refer to a formal objection to the payment of a bill or debt. | |||
| Icelandic | mótmæla | ||
| The word "mótmæla" is derived from the verb "mæla, | |||
| Irish | agóid | ||
| "Agóid" derives from the Proto-Celtic root *aǵ-, meaning "to drive, lead, or urge." | |||
| Italian | protesta | ||
| The word "protesta" in Italian can also mean a formal act declaring the non-payment of a bill of exchange. | |||
| Luxembourgish | protestéieren | ||
| "Protestéieren", meaning to protest in English, is also used to signify a failed payment in banking and commerce. | |||
| Maltese | jipprotestaw | ||
| The word "jipprotestaw" also means "to object" or "to oppose". | |||
| Norwegian | protest | ||
| In Norwegian, "protest" can also mean "certificate of protest". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | protesto | ||
| "Protesto" is also a formal legal document recording the failure to honor a bill of exchange (a draft, a check, a bill of exchange, a promissory note)." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gearan | ||
| The word "gearan" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a "complaint" or "grievance". | |||
| Spanish | protesta | ||
| The word 'protesta' in Spanish can also refer to a formal statement of disagreement or dissatisfaction. | |||
| Swedish | protest | ||
| "Protest" comes from Latin and means "to declare in public". | |||
| Welsh | protest | ||
| In Welsh, "protest" can also refer to a "formal announcement" or an "official complaint". | |||
Protest in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пратэст | ||
| Belarusian 'пратэст' is cognate with Latin 'protestari' via Polish 'protest' and has the original meaning of 'public declaration'. | |||
| Bosnian | protest | ||
| The word "protest" also means "demonstration" or "statement of disagreement" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | протест | ||
| The word "протест" in Bulgarian originally meant "solemn declaration" or "public notice", but now it primarily means "protest". | |||
| Czech | protest | ||
| In Czech, "protest" has the dual meaning of both "protest" and "signature". | |||
| Estonian | protest | ||
| In Estonian, the word "protest" has the additional connotation of "declaration" or "public statement." | |||
| Finnish | protesti | ||
| The Finnish word "protesti" derives from the Latin word "protestari", meaning "to declare publicly or solemnly". | |||
| Hungarian | tiltakozás | ||
| The word "tiltakozás" is derived from the verb "tiltani", meaning "to forbid" or "to prohibit." | |||
| Latvian | protests | ||
| Protests in Latvian literally translate to “evidence of presence” (protests). | |||
| Lithuanian | protestuoti | ||
| The word protestuoti can also mean to affirm, or to declare solemly, and is the origin for the word "protestantas". | |||
| Macedonian | протест | ||
| The word "протест" can also mean "a declaration of innocence" when used in a legal context. | |||
| Polish | protest | ||
| The Polish word "protest" originates from Latin "protestari", meaning "to declare publicly", and is also used in the sense of a formal declaration or objection. | |||
| Romanian | protest | ||
| In Romanian, the word 'protest' ('protest') is derived from Latin 'protestari', meaning 'to declare publicly' or 'to bear witness'. It also has the alternate meaning of 'to claim ownership' or 'to assert a right'. | |||
| Russian | протест | ||
| In Russian, «протест» can also refer to a formal objection to a bill of exchange or promissory note. | |||
| Serbian | протест | ||
| The word 'протест' (protest) derives from the Latin word 'protestari', meaning 'to assert or declare openly'. | |||
| Slovak | protest | ||
| Slovenské slovo "protest" pochádza z latinského "protestari", čo znamená doslova "verejne vyhlásiť". | |||
| Slovenian | protest | ||
| The Slovenian word "protest" can also mean "appeal". | |||
| Ukrainian | протест | ||
| Протест was originally used to refer to a formal declaration against a bill of exchange or promissory note, and still has this meaning in commercial law. | |||
Protest in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিবাদ | ||
| The word প্রতিবাদ (protibad) comes from the Sanskrit prefix prati-, meaning 'against', and the verb vad-, meaning 'to speak'. It can also mean 'opposition' or 'dissent'. | |||
| Gujarati | વિરોધ | ||
| The word "વિરોધ" derives from the Sanskrit root "vi-rudh," meaning "to obstruct or oppose." | |||
| Hindi | विरोध | ||
| The root word वि ('vi') means 'to divide,' 'to go apart,' 'to deviate' or 'to separate,' and can be found in the words विद ('vida') meaning 'to depart', 'to leave', and विग्रह ('vigraha') meaning 'disunion,' 'disagreement' or 'quarrel.' | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ | ||
| ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ (pratibhaṭane) in Kannada also refers to an "objection" or "contradiction", similar to its cognate "protestation" in English. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രതിഷേധം | ||
| The word 'protest' in Malayalam, 'പ്രതിഷേധം', also has the alternate meaning of 'objection' or 'disagreement'. | |||
| Marathi | निषेध | ||
| The word 'निषेध' (nishekh) in Marathi is a derivative of the Sanskrit word 'निषिद्ध' (nishiddha) which means 'forbidden' or 'prohibited'. | |||
| Nepali | विरोध | ||
| The word 'विरोध' ('protest') in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit root 'vṛdh', which means 'to grow' or 'to increase'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਰੋਧ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විරෝධය | ||
| The word 'විරෝධය' originated from the Sanskrit word 'विरोध' (virodha) meaning 'contradiction', and signifies resistance to an unjust or unwanted situation. | |||
| Tamil | எதிர்ப்பு | ||
| Telugu | నిరసన | ||
| నిరసన also means "opposition to authority" or "objection to a course of action". | |||
| Urdu | احتجاج | ||
| The word "احتجاج" can also mean "argument" or "plea" in Urdu. | |||
Protest in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 抗议 | ||
| The Chinese character "抗" (kàng) originally meant to "oppose" or "resist," and is still used in that sense in the context of military resistance. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 抗議 | ||
| The character 抗 in 抗議 originally meant "to withstand," while 議 meant "discussion" or "argumentation." | |||
| Japanese | 抗議 | ||
| The word 抗議 (kōgi) can also mean an objection or a complaint. | |||
| Korean | 항의 | ||
| The Korean word "항의" can also refer to a "statement of disapproval" or a "formal complaint". | |||
| Mongolian | эсэргүүцэл | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "protest," "эсэргүүцэл" can also refer to the concept of "resistance" or "opposition." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆန္ဒပြခဲ့ကြသည် | ||
Protest in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | protes | ||
| Indonesian "protes" comes from Dutch "protest", meaning a formal declaration against a decision; while "demo" comes from English "demonstration". | |||
| Javanese | protes | ||
| In Javanese, "protes" not only means "protest" but also refers to a ritual act aimed at influencing unseen powers or forces. | |||
| Khmer | តវ៉ា | ||
| The word "តវ៉ា" was borrowed from the French word "protestation". | |||
| Lao | ປະທ້ວງ | ||
| ປະທ້ວງ is derived from the Sanskrit word "prati", meaning "against", and "vad", meaning "to speak" or "to utter". | |||
| Malay | tunjuk perasaan | ||
| "Tunjuk perasaan" literally means "point-at-feeling" and is often understood in more than one way, reflecting different views of protest, but its origins are unknown | |||
| Thai | ประท้วง | ||
| The term "ประท้วง" in Thai can also refer to a formal petition or complaint filed to an authority. | |||
| Vietnamese | phản đối | ||
| The word "phản đối" is also used to mean "to object" or "to oppose" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | protesta | ||
Protest in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | etiraz | ||
| The word "etiraz" also means "objection" and is derived from the Persian word "e'tiraz". | |||
| Kazakh | наразылық | ||
| The word "наразылық" can also refer to a complaint or grievance. | |||
| Kyrgyz | нааразычылык | ||
| Tajik | эътироз кардан | ||
| The word "эътироз кардан" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "iʿtirāḍ," which means "objection." | |||
| Turkmen | nägilelik bildirdi | ||
| Uzbek | norozilik | ||
| The word 'norozilik' is a derivative of the Persian word 'naoroz' ('new day'), referring to the tradition of public protests held on holidays and special occasions. | |||
| Uyghur | نامايىش | ||
Protest in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūʻē | ||
| Kūʻē, meaning 'protest,' can also refer to 'to stand against,' 'defy,' or 'oppose,' as in the 2019 Mauna Kea protest movement. | |||
| Maori | whakahē | ||
| Whakahē can also mean 'to explain' or 'to make plain' | |||
| Samoan | teteʻe | ||
| The word "teteʻe" can also refer to a "rejection" or "denial". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | protesta | ||
| In Tagalog, "protesta" can also mean "declaration of innocence" or "plea of not guilty" in a legal proceeding. | |||
Protest in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | unxtasiwi uñacht’ayañataki | ||
| Guarani | protesta rehegua | ||
Protest in International Languages
| Esperanto | protesti | ||
| The word "protesti" in Esperanto can also mean "to declare" or "to affirm". | |||
| Latin | protestatio | ||
| The Latin word Protestatio, the origin of “protest”, also meant “public declaration” and “witness,” which is why it was sometimes used to describe religious oaths and vows. | |||
Protest in Others Languages
| Greek | διαμαρτυρία | ||
| Διαμαρτυρία comes from the words 'δια-' (through) and 'μαρτύρομαι' (I bear witness), referring to the idea of openly expressing one's disagreement or discontent. | |||
| Hmong | tawm tsam | ||
| "Tawm tsam" in Hmong also means "to show one's disapproval or disagreement with something." | |||
| Kurdish | liberrabûnî | ||
| The term 'liberrabûnî' is etymologically linked to the concept of 'freeing from oppression' | |||
| Turkish | protesto | ||
| In Turkish, "protesto" can also refer to a formal document issued by a notary public, recording the non-payment of a bill of exchange or promissory note. | |||
| Xhosa | uqhankqalazo | ||
| In Xhosa, "uqhankqalazo" also means "to show anger or annoyance" or "to make a fuss". | |||
| Yiddish | פּראָטעסט | ||
| In Yiddish, “פּראָטעסט” (“protest”) can also mean to complain or object to something. | |||
| Zulu | ukubhikisha | ||
| Ukubhikisha's alternate meaning is to 'beg' (for food). | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিবাদ | ||
| Aymara | unxtasiwi uñacht’ayañataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | विरोध कइले बाड़न | ||
| Dhivehi | މުޒާހަރާ | ||
| Dogri | विरोध प्रदर्शन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | protesta | ||
| Guarani | protesta rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | protesta | ||
| Krio | protest | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناڕەزایەتی دەربڕین | ||
| Maithili | विरोध प्रदर्शन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄ꯭ꯔꯣꯇꯦꯁ꯭ꯠ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | nawrh huaihawt a ni | ||
| Oromo | mormii dhageessisaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିରୋଧ | ||
| Quechua | protesta ruway | ||
| Sanskrit | विरोधः | ||
| Tatar | протест | ||
| Tigrinya | ተቓውሞኦም ኣስሚዖም | ||
| Tsonga | ku kombisa ku vilela | ||