Psychology in Different Languages
Discover 'Psychology' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Psychology, the scientific study of the mind and behavior, has a profound significance in our lives. It helps us understand why we act, feel, and think the way we do. From its early roots in philosophy to its modern-day laboratory experiments, psychology has been a vital tool in deciphering the human condition.
Culturally, psychology plays a crucial role in understanding the diversity and complexity of human behavior across different societies. It aids in bridging gaps, resolving conflicts, and fostering a greater sense of empathy and compassion.
Moreover, knowing the translation of psychology in different languages can be fascinating and enlightening. For instance, in Spanish, it's psicología; in French, psychologie; in German, Psychologie; in Mandarin, 心理学 (xīnlǐxué); in Japanese, 心理学 (shinrigaku); in Arabic, علم النفس (‘ilm an-nafs); and in Russian, психология (psikhologiya).
By learning these translations, you not only expand your linguistic skills but also gain insights into how different cultures perceive and approach the study of the mind and behavior.
Psychology
Psychology in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sielkunde | ||
| The word 'sielkunde' is derived from the Dutch 'zielkunde', meaning the study of the soul. | |||
| Amharic | ሳይኮሎጂ | ||
| ሳይኮሎጂ is derived from the Greek words psyche (soul) and logos (study), and refers to the scientific study of mind and behavior. | |||
| Hausa | ilimin halin dan adam | ||
| In Hausa, "ilimin halin dan Adam" literally translates to "the science of the state of man". | |||
| Igbo | akparamaagwa | ||
| The term 'akparamaagwa' in Igbo encompasses a broader meaning, referring to both 'psychology' and 'consciousness'. | |||
| Malagasy | psikolojia | ||
| The term "psikolojia" is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (study) and refers to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuwerenga maganizo | ||
| The literal meaning of the phrase 'kuwerenga maganizo' is 'to study the mind'. | |||
| Shona | psychology | ||
| Somali | cilmi nafsiga | ||
| Cilmiga nafsiga, which comes from the Arabic words ʿilm (meaning "knowledge"), and nafs (meaning "soul"), refers to the study of the mind and behavior. | |||
| Sesotho | kelello | ||
| Sesotho lexeme 'kelello' may refer to either 'mind' or 'psychology', as well as the concept of 'thinking'. | |||
| Swahili | saikolojia | ||
| The Swahili word "saikolojia" comes from the Greek word "ψυχολογία," which refers to the study of the mind, the soul, and human behavior. | |||
| Xhosa | isayikholoji | ||
| The Xhosa word 'isayikholoji' can also mean 'the study of the mind' or 'the study of human behavior'. | |||
| Yoruba | oroinuokan | ||
| Oroin-okan is also a term for 'inner talk' which reveals a person's true nature, desires and feelings. | |||
| Zulu | ukusebenza kwengqondo | ||
| The word "ukusebenza kwengqondo" is the Zulu translation of the English word "psychology" and means "the study of the mind and behaviour." | |||
| Bambara | hakilijagabɔ | ||
| Ewe | susuŋutinunya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | psychologiya | ||
| Lingala | psychologie ya bato | ||
| Luganda | eby’empisa | ||
| Sepedi | thuto ya monagano | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwene ne nneyɛe ho nimdeɛ | ||
Psychology in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | علم النفس | ||
| In Arabic, the word "علم النفس" literally means "science of the soul". | |||
| Hebrew | פְּסִיכוֹלוֹגִיָה | ||
| "פסיכולוגיה" נגזר מהמילים היווניות "פסיכֵה" (נפש) ו"לוגוס" (חקר). | |||
| Pashto | ارواپوهنه | ||
| ارواپوهنه is derived from the Greek word psyche, meaning | |||
| Arabic | علم النفس | ||
| In Arabic, the word "علم النفس" literally means "science of the soul". | |||
Psychology in Western European Languages
| Albanian | psikologji | ||
| Psikologji comes from Greek, "psyche" (mind) and "logos" (study or knowledge). | |||
| Basque | psikologia | ||
| The word “Psikologia” comes from the Greek word “psȳkhē” (soul) and “-logía” (study of), and it refers to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. | |||
| Catalan | psicologia | ||
| "Psicologia" is derived from the Greek "psykhē" (mind) and "lógos" (study)" | |||
| Croatian | psihologija | ||
| The word "psihologija" in Croatian comes from the Greek word "psychê", meaning "soul", and "logos", meaning "study" or "science". | |||
| Danish | psykologi | ||
| The Danish word "psykologi" comes from the Greek words "psykhē" (soul) and "logos" (study). | |||
| Dutch | psychologie | ||
| In Dutch, "psychologie" also refers to the study of the soul. | |||
| English | psychology | ||
| The term 'psychology' is derived from the Greek words 'psyche,' meaning 'soul,' and 'logos,' meaning 'study or knowledge,' reflecting its historical roots in philosophy. | |||
| French | psychologie | ||
| In French, the word "psychologie" can also mean "the study of the mind" or "the science of the soul." | |||
| Frisian | psychology | ||
| Der Begriff "Psychologie" geht auf das griechische Wort "psyche" ("Seele") zurück. | |||
| Galician | psicoloxía | ||
| O termo galego "psicoloxía" provén do grego "ψυχή" (alma) e "λόγος" (razón, pensamento). | |||
| German | psychologie | ||
| The German term "Psychologie" can also refer to the study of psychics or the exploration of the mind. | |||
| Icelandic | sálfræði | ||
| The word "sálfræði" in Icelandic is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (meaning "soul") and "logos" (meaning "study"). | |||
| Irish | síceolaíocht | ||
| The word 'síceolaíocht' is derived from the Greek words 'psyche' (soul) and 'logos' (study), meaning 'the study of the soul' or 'soul-knowledge'. | |||
| Italian | psicologia | ||
| The word 'psicologia' is derived from the Greek words 'psyche' ('soul') and 'logos' ('study'), and can also refer to the field of 'psychoanalysis' in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | psychologie | ||
| In Luxembourgish, 'Psychologie' can refer to both 'psychology' and 'mentality'. | |||
| Maltese | psikoloġija | ||
| The Maltese word "psikoloġija" derives from the Greek word "ψυχολογία" (psuchologia), meaning "study of the soul or mind". | |||
| Norwegian | psykologi | ||
| "Psykologi" derives from the Greek "psykhē" meaning "breath, soul" and "logia" meaning "study of" thus denoting psychology as "the study of the soul." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | psicologia | ||
| In Portuguese, "psicologia" can also refer to the study of the mind and behavior, or the science of mental processes. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eòlas-inntinn | ||
| Eòlas-inntinn is literally translated as "mind knowledge" or "inner knowledge". | |||
| Spanish | psicología | ||
| The Spanish word "psicología" derives from the Greek roots "psyche", meaning "soul", and "logos", meaning "study" or "knowledge", referring to the study of the soul or mind. | |||
| Swedish | psykologi | ||
| The Swedish word "psykologi" can also refer to the paranormal study of the psyche. | |||
| Welsh | seicoleg | ||
| The word 'seicoleg' is derived from the Greek words 'psykhe' (soul) and 'logos' (study or science), and also has the alternate meaning 'philosophy' in Welsh. | |||
Psychology in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | псіхалогія | ||
| The word "псіхалогія" is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (study), and can also mean "mental process" or "branch of knowledge dealing with the mind and its functions" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | psihologija | ||
| The word "psihologija" in Bosnian is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (study). | |||
| Bulgarian | психология | ||
| Иногда "психология" встречается в смысле "настроение" или "состояние души". | |||
| Czech | psychologie | ||
| In Czech, "psychologie" can also refer to the study of the soul or mind. | |||
| Estonian | psühholoogia | ||
| The Estonian word psühholoogia is a loan from the German word psychologie, which in turn is derived from the Greek words psyche, meaning "soul, mind", and logos meaning "study" or "science." | |||
| Finnish | psykologia | ||
| The word "psykologia" is derived from the Greek words "psychê" (soul) and "logos" (study), and can also refer to the study of the human mind, thought, and behavior. | |||
| Hungarian | pszichológia | ||
| The Hungarian word "pszichológia" can also mean "mind" or "soul". | |||
| Latvian | psiholoģija | ||
| The Latvian word “psiholoģija” derives from the Greek terms “psyche” (mind) and “logos” (study). | |||
| Lithuanian | psichologija | ||
| "Psichologija" comes from the Greek word "psyche", which means "soul", and "logos", which means "study" or "knowledge". | |||
| Macedonian | психологија | ||
| Претходно користена за описивање филозофских и теологичко-етичких аспекти ума. | |||
| Polish | psychologia | ||
| In Polish, "psychologia" also refers to the study of the human soul, reflecting its historical connection to philosophy. | |||
| Romanian | psihologie | ||
| In Romanian, the word "psihologie" can also refer to the study of the mind and soul, encompassing both psychology and philosophy. | |||
| Russian | психология | ||
| The word "психология" (psychology) is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (discourse or study). | |||
| Serbian | психологије | ||
| The Serbian word "психологије" (psihologije) derives from the Greek word "ψυχή" (psyché), meaning "soul" or "mind". | |||
| Slovak | psychológia | ||
| V slovenčine má slovo "psychológia" aj význam "duša" | |||
| Slovenian | psihologije | ||
| The word "psihologije" derives from the Greek "psukhē" (soul) and "logos" (word, reason), and can also mean "the study of the soul". | |||
| Ukrainian | психологія | ||
| The word "психологія" is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (word or knowledge). | |||
Psychology in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মনস্তত্ত্ব | ||
| মনস্তত্ত্ব derives from the Sanskrit words "manas" (mind) and "tatva" (an element or principle) and can also refer to spiritual disciplines in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | મનોવિજ્ .ાન | ||
| The Gujarati word 'મનોવિજ્ .ાન' derives from Sanskrit, where 'मन' (mana) means 'mind' and 'विज्ञान' (vijnana) means 'science'. | |||
| Hindi | मनोविज्ञान | ||
| The term "मनोविज्ञान," often translated as "psychology," has alternate roots: "मनो" (mind) and "विज्ञान" (science), which can also refer to "knowledge," "understanding," or "systematic investigation." | |||
| Kannada | ಮನೋವಿಜ್ಞಾನ | ||
| The word "ಮನೋವಿಜ್ಞಾನ" is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (mind) and "logos" (study). | |||
| Malayalam | മന psych ശാസ്ത്രം | ||
| This compound word consists of "man" meaning mind and "shasthra" meaning science. | |||
| Marathi | मानसशास्त्र | ||
| The Marathi word 'मानसशास्त्र' comes from the Sanskrit words 'मानस' (mind) and 'शास्त्र' (science), which literally translates to 'science of the mind'. | |||
| Nepali | मनोविज्ञान | ||
| Punjabi | ਮਨੋਵਿਗਿਆਨ | ||
| The word "ਮਨੋਵਿਗਿਆਨ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "manas" (mind) and "vigyana" (science), and thus means "the science of the mind". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මනෝවිද්යාව | ||
| මනෝවිද්යාව is derived from the Greek words ψυχή (psyche), meaning "soul, mind," and λόγος (logos), meaning "study, discourse." | |||
| Tamil | உளவியல் | ||
| The word 'உளவியல்' ('psychology') in Tamil can also mean 'science of the soul' or 'the study of the human mind'. | |||
| Telugu | మనస్తత్వశాస్త్రం | ||
| Urdu | نفسیات | ||
| The Urdu word "نفسیات" comes from the Arabic word "نفس" meaning "soul" or "self" and refers to the study of the mind and behavior, emphasizing the influence of inner mental processes on external actions. | |||
Psychology in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 心理学 | ||
| 心理学一词在汉语中还有“人心之学”的含义，侧重于探究人的内心世界和行为动机。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 心理學 | ||
| 「心理學」一詞來自希臘語「psycho-」（靈魂、心智）和「-logy」（研究），原意為「心靈科學」。 | |||
| Japanese | 心理学 | ||
| The word "心理学" can be broken down into three characters: "心" (shin), meaning "heart, mind, or spirit"; "理" (ri), meaning "principle, reason, or theory"; and "学" (gaku), meaning "learning, study, or science". | |||
| Korean | 심리학 | ||
| "심리학"은 "마음(心)을 연구하는 학문(理학)"이란 뜻으로, 중국에서 유래한 말입니다. | |||
| Mongolian | сэтгэл зүй | ||
| "Сэтгэл зүй" is a Mongolian word that literally means "the study of the mind". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ္ပညာ | ||
| The word "စိတ္ပညာ" is derived from Pali and Sanskrit and literally means "knowledge of the mind". | |||
Psychology in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | psikologi | ||
| The word 'psikologi' in Indonesian originates from the Greek word 'psyche', meaning 'soul' or 'mind,' and 'logos', meaning 'study' or 'knowledge'. | |||
| Javanese | psikologi | ||
| The Javanese word "psikologi" also means "the science of the soul". | |||
| Khmer | ចិត្តវិទ្យា | ||
| Lao | ຈິດຕະສາດ | ||
| Malay | psikologi | ||
| In Malay, "psikologi" can also mean "the study of the mind and behavior" | |||
| Thai | จิตวิทยา | ||
| The Thai word "จิตวิทยา" derives from the Pali word "วิธฺยา" which also means "science or knowledge". | |||
| Vietnamese | tâm lý học | ||
| Tâm lý học, theo nghĩa đen là "khoa học về tâm trí", nhưng trong tiếng Việt đôi khi cũng được dùng để chỉ các khía cạnh của nhân cách và cảm xúc. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sikolohiya | ||
Psychology in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | psixologiya | ||
| The word “psixologiya” in Azerbaijani comes from the Greek words “psyche” (soul) and “logos” (word, study). | |||
| Kazakh | психология | ||
| In Kazakh, "психология" can also refer to the study of the human soul or mind. | |||
| Kyrgyz | психология | ||
| The word "психология" comes from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (study), and is used in Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian to refer to the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. | |||
| Tajik | психология | ||
| Слово «психология» происходит от греческих слов «ψυχή» (душа) и «λόγος» (слово, учение). | |||
| Turkmen | psihologiýa | ||
| Uzbek | psixologiya | ||
| Uyghur | پىسخولوگىيە | ||
Psychology in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kālaimeaola | ||
| "Kālaimeaola" is a Hawaiian word meaning "the science of the mind" and is cognate with the English word "psychology." | |||
| Maori | hinengaro | ||
| Hinengaro derives from 'hine', meaning 'daughter', and 'ngaro', meaning 'hidden or lost', which can be interpreted as the hidden or lost world of the mind. | |||
| Samoan | mafaufau | ||
| The word "mafaufau" in Samoan, meaning "psychology," is related to the word "fa'au" which means "to think" or "to understand." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sikolohiya | ||
| Siko-lohiya is a Tagalog word that means 'science of the soul' and is derived from the Greek words 'psyche' (soul) and 'logos' (study). | |||
Psychology in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | psicología tuqit yatxataña | ||
| Guarani | psicología rehegua | ||
Psychology in International Languages
| Esperanto | psikologio | ||
| Psikologio, derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (reason), also refers to the paranormal or extrasensory perception in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | psychology | ||
| Originally, 'psychology' was the study of the soul, 'anima', from Greek 'psyche' ('breath, life') and 'logos' ('thought, discourse'). | |||
Psychology in Others Languages
| Greek | ψυχολογία | ||
| The Greek word ψυχολογία originally meant "study of the soul" but now means "study of the mind". | |||
| Hmong | kev xav hlwb | ||
| The Hmong word 'kev xav hlwb' is derived from the Chinese characters '心理' (xīn lǐ), which literally means 'heart-reason'. | |||
| Kurdish | psîkolojî | ||
| Kurdish 'psîkolojî' originates from the Greek 'psychology' and denotes both 'psychology' and 'psychiatry'. | |||
| Turkish | psikoloji | ||
| The Turkish word "Psikoloji" ultimately derives from the Greek "psykhe" (soul or mind) and "logos" (word or discourse). | |||
| Xhosa | isayikholoji | ||
| The Xhosa word 'isayikholoji' can also mean 'the study of the mind' or 'the study of human behavior'. | |||
| Yiddish | פּסיכאָלאָגיע | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּסיכאָלאָגיע" is borrowed from Greek and has two distinct meanings, either "the study of the mind" or "mental illness or disorder." | |||
| Zulu | ukusebenza kwengqondo | ||
| The word "ukusebenza kwengqondo" is the Zulu translation of the English word "psychology" and means "the study of the mind and behaviour." | |||
| Assamese | মনোবিজ্ঞান | ||
| Aymara | psicología tuqit yatxataña | ||
| Bhojpuri | मनोविज्ञान के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ސައިކޮލޮޖީ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | मनोविज्ञान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sikolohiya | ||
| Guarani | psicología rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | sikolohia ti sikolohia | ||
| Krio | sayɛns bɔt pɔsin in maynd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەروونزانی | ||
| Maithili | मनोविज्ञान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯏꯀꯣꯂꯣꯖꯤꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯥꯡꯗꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯝ ꯀꯌꯥ ꯊꯃꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | rilru lam thiamna (psychology) a ni | ||
| Oromo | saayikoloojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମନୋବିଜ୍ଞାନ | | ||
| Quechua | psicología nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | मनोविज्ञान | ||
| Tatar | психология | ||
| Tigrinya | ስነ-ልቦና (psychology) | ||
| Tsonga | ntivo-miehleketo | ||