Reality in Different Languages
Discover 'Reality' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Reality, a concept so familiar yet complex, is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. Its significance is profound, shaping our understanding of the world and our place in it.
The concept of reality has been explored and interpreted in various ways across different cultures and epochs. In Western philosophy, for instance, reality is often associated with material existence, while in Eastern traditions, it may encompass both the physical and spiritual worlds. This cultural importance of reality is further reflected in language, with many languages having their own unique terms to express this concept.
Understanding the translation of reality in different languages can offer valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and engage with the world. For instance, the German word 'Wirklichkeit' not only refers to reality but also implies effectiveness and actuality. Meanwhile, the Chinese term ' reality' (實在) emphasizes the unchanging and inherent nature of things.
Explore the fascinating world of reality in different languages, from the Spanish 'realidad' to the Russian 'реальность' and beyond.
Reality
Reality in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | werklikheid | ||
| "Werklik" is an archaic form of the word "werklik" meaning "actual". | |||
| Amharic | እውነታ | ||
| "እውነታ" in Amharic is rooted in two terms, denoting 'true' and 'thing,' suggesting both 'what is real' and 'what is established.' | |||
| Hausa | gaskiya | ||
| The Hausa word for "reality" (gaskiya) also means "truth" or "justice." | |||
| Igbo | eziokwu | ||
| The Igbo word 'eziokwu' is also used to mean 'proof' or 'evidence', further emphasizing its fundamental connection to objective truth. | |||
| Malagasy | zava-misy | ||
| The Malagasy word "ZAVA-MISY" also means "something that is there" or "something that exists". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zenizeni | ||
| "Zenizeni" in Nyanja also refers to the physical world as opposed to the spiritual. | |||
| Shona | chokwadi | ||
| It comes from the verb **kwhaka** - which carries several other interpretations like **to hold**, to **possess**, or **understand** – which is why it’s also a term that implies **the truth**. | |||
| Somali | xaqiiqda | ||
| The word "xaqiiqda" also means "truth" or "fact" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | nnete | ||
| The word "nnete" in Sesotho also means "truth" or "fact" and is related to the word "nete," meaning "straight" or "correct." | |||
| Swahili | ukweli | ||
| The word "ukweli" is derived from the verb "ukua" which means "to be true" or "to exist". It can also refer to a state of being, a fact, or a truth. | |||
| Xhosa | inyani | ||
| The word "inyani" can also refer to "a state of being" or "a situation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | otito | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "otito" can also mean "truth," "genuineness," or "certainty." | |||
| Zulu | ngokoqobo | ||
| "Ngqongqobo" is derived from the Zulu root "-gqob-", meaning "truth" or "fact". | |||
| Bambara | kow | ||
| Ewe | nyateƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ukuri | ||
| Lingala | likambo ya solo | ||
| Luganda | ebyaddala | ||
| Sepedi | kgonthe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | deɛ ɛwɔ hɔ | ||
Reality in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | واقع | ||
| The word "واقع" (reality) in Arabic also has the meanings of "situation" or "event" and is derived from the root "و ق ع" (to occur). | |||
| Hebrew | מְצִיאוּת | ||
| מְצִיאוּת can also refer to 'finding' something and is connected to the root מ-צ-א ('found'). | |||
| Pashto | حقیقت | ||
| حقیقت can also mean "justice" or "truth" in Pashto, and is cognate with the Persian word حقیقت "truth". | |||
| Arabic | واقع | ||
| The word "واقع" (reality) in Arabic also has the meanings of "situation" or "event" and is derived from the root "و ق ع" (to occur). | |||
Reality in Western European Languages
| Albanian | realiteti | ||
| The word "realiteti" derives from the Latin "realitas", ultimately going back to the verb "reor", meaning "to think". | |||
| Basque | errealitatea | ||
| 'Errealitatea' comes from 'erreala' ('real') and the suffix '-tasuna', which indicates quality or state. | |||
| Catalan | realitat | ||
| The word "realitat" in Catalan, which means "reality", derives from the Latin word "realis", meaning "actual" or "existing". | |||
| Croatian | stvarnost | ||
| The word 'stvarnost' can trace its origins back to the Proto-Slavic word 'stvorъ', meaning 'creature' or 'creation'. | |||
| Danish | virkelighed | ||
| The word "virkelighed" derives from the Old Norse word "verkelighet", meaning "activity" or "work". | |||
| Dutch | realiteit | ||
| "Realisme", or the philosophical belief that the external "realiteit" exists, derives from the Latin "res", meaning "thing or object" | |||
| English | reality | ||
| The word "reality" derives from the Latin word "res" which means "thing." | |||
| French | réalité | ||
| Réalité, from the Latin "res" meaning "thing," also means "estate" or "property" in French. | |||
| Frisian | werklikheid | ||
| The Frisian word "werklikheid" also denotes the physical world or the condition of being actual or factual. | |||
| Galician | realidade | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese, "realidade" can also refer to a "real estate property". | |||
| German | wirklichkeit | ||
| The word "Wirklichkeit" is derived from the Old High German word "werc", meaning "work" or "deed". | |||
| Icelandic | raunveruleikinn | ||
| The Icelandic word "raunveruleikinn" is derived from the Old Norse word "raun", meaning "trial" or "experience", and the suffix "-veruleikinn", which means "likeness" or "state of being". This suggests that in Old Norse, reality was perceived as something that was experienced or tested rather than something that was objectively true. | |||
| Irish | réaltacht | ||
| In Irish mythology, the word "réaltacht," besides meaning "reality" also signifies the "Otherworld" or the realm of fairies and spirits. | |||
| Italian | realtà | ||
| The Italian word 'realtà' comes from the plural of the Late Latin word 'realitas' ('substance, reality'). | |||
| Luxembourgish | realitéit | ||
| In German, the word "Realität" can also mean "truth" or "authenticity"} | |||
| Maltese | realtà | ||
| The Maltese word "realtà" is derived from the Latin word "realitas", which means "actuality" or "existence". | |||
| Norwegian | virkelighet | ||
| The Norwegian word "virkelighet" stems from "virke", which means "to work" or "to operate", and the abstract suffix "-het", suggesting the state or quality of working. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | realidade | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "realidade" can also mean "something that is true or genuine" or "the state of being real or genuine". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fìrinn | ||
| The word 'fìrinn' has been used in Irish literature since the 13th century and originates from the Proto-Indo-European word 'wēr-' meaning 'true'. | |||
| Spanish | realidad | ||
| The word "realidad" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "realitas", meaning "actuality" or "substance" | |||
| Swedish | verklighet | ||
| The word "verklighet" is derived from the Old Norse "verkelikr," meaning "actual" or "true." | |||
| Welsh | realiti | ||
| The Welsh word 'realiti' is also cognate with the Latin word 'realis', meaning 'existing' or 'actual'. | |||
Reality in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рэальнасць | ||
| Bosnian | stvarnost | ||
| The word "stvarnost" in Bosnian derives from the word "stvar", meaning "thing", and connotes a concrete, material reality. | |||
| Bulgarian | реалност | ||
| The word "реалност" is derived from the Latin word "realis", meaning "actual" or "true." | |||
| Czech | realita | ||
| The word "realita" in Czech can also mean "material world" or "everyday life". | |||
| Estonian | reaalsus | ||
| The word 'reaalsus' derives from the Latin word 'realis', meaning 'actual' or 'existing'. | |||
| Finnish | todellisuus | ||
| In Finnish, the word "todellisuus" can also refer to "actuality" or "existence". | |||
| Hungarian | valóság | ||
| The word "valóság" is derived from the verb "valódik" (to exist), and can also mean "existence" or "being real" | |||
| Latvian | realitāte | ||
| The word "realitāte" is derived from the Latin word "realis", meaning "actual" or "existing." | |||
| Lithuanian | tikrovė | ||
| The word "tikrovė" is derived from the word "tikras", meaning "true", and the suffix "-ovė", meaning "state of being". Therefore, "tikrovė" literally means "the state of being true". | |||
| Macedonian | реалност | ||
| In Macedonian, "реалност" also refers to the "physical world" or "material existence". | |||
| Polish | rzeczywistość | ||
| The word 'rzeczywistość' derives from the Slavic word 'rzecz', which means 'thing', and the suffix '-istość', which denotes a quality or state, thus conveying the sense of 'the quality of being a thing'. | |||
| Romanian | realitate | ||
| The word "realitate" comes from the Latin word "realitas", meaning "the state of being real." | |||
| Russian | реальность | ||
| Реальность - "реальное", "действительное" от латинского "реалис", "вещественный", "настоящий". | |||
| Serbian | стварност | ||
| "Стварање - створ - стварност" is a group of words sharing the same root "ствар" with the meaning "thing" or "creature". Therefore, the word "стварност" can be interpreted as "a quality of being a thing or a creature". | |||
| Slovak | realita | ||
| The Slovak word 'realita' comes from the Latin word 'realis', which means 'pertaining to things'. In modern Slovak, it can also refer to the 'truth' or the 'facts'. | |||
| Slovenian | resničnost | ||
| The word "resničnost" also refers to the existence of something that is not necessarily physical but has a real or substantial quality. | |||
| Ukrainian | реальність | ||
| The word "реальність" in Ukrainian is derived from the Latin word "realis", meaning "actual" or "existing." | |||
Reality in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাস্তবতা | ||
| Gujarati | વાસ્તવિકતા | ||
| Hindi | वास्तविकता | ||
| "वास्तविकता" (reality) derives from "वास्तव" (actual, real), cognate with "वस्तु" (object), and can also mean "substance, essence". | |||
| Kannada | ವಾಸ್ತವ | ||
| In the context of ancient Indian philosophy, "ವಾಸ್ತವ" can also refer to the concept of "true reality" beyond appearances. | |||
| Malayalam | യാഥാർത്ഥ്യം | ||
| The word "യാഥാർത്ഥ്യം" (reality) in Malayalam originates from the Sanskrit word "यथा" (as is) and "अर्थ" (meaning), implying a concept of objective reality that corresponds to the actual state of affairs. | |||
| Marathi | वास्तव | ||
| वास्तव is derived from Sanskrit वस्तु, meaning 'thing', and also has the meaning 'truth'. | |||
| Nepali | वास्तविकता | ||
| वास्तविकता is derived from 'वास्तव' meaning 'true or actual' and refers to the state of being true or actual as well as the totality of existing things. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਸਲੀਅਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਅਸਲੀਅਤ" (reality) is derived from the Arabic word "أصل" (origin, root), indicating a state of being true to one's nature or source. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යථාර්ථය | ||
| "යථාර්ථය" is also used to describe something that is tangible or substantial. | |||
| Tamil | உண்மை | ||
| The Tamil word "உண்மை" can also refer to "truth" or "fact." | |||
| Telugu | వాస్తవికత | ||
| The term "వాస్తవికత" in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "vastav" which means "real" or "actual". | |||
| Urdu | حقیقت | ||
| The word 'حقیقت' also means essence, nature, and truth. | |||
Reality in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 现实 | ||
| The word “现实” also means “current” and “pragmatic”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 現實 | ||
| 現實 refers to not only the present but the objective world as opposed to the ideal. | |||
| Japanese | 現実 | ||
| 現実 (genjitsu) is composed of the characters 現 (gen) meaning "manifest" and 実 (jitsu) meaning "substance or thing." | |||
| Korean | 현실 | ||
| The word "현실" (reality) is derived from the Chinese word "現實", which means "the present situation" or "what is actually happening". | |||
| Mongolian | бодит байдал | ||
| The word 'бодит байдал' in Mongolian can also mean 'truth', 'existence', or 'actuality'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဖြစ်မှန် | ||
Reality in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | realitas | ||
| The Indonesian word "realitas" derives from the Sanskrit word "ri" which means "to appear" or "to manifest" and the suffix "-tas" which signifies "the state of being" or "the quality of". | |||
| Javanese | kasunyatan | ||
| Kasunyatan derives from the word "sunya" meaning "empty" and "kata" meaning "word", implying that reality is just an empty word. | |||
| Khmer | ភាពពិត | ||
| In Khmer, the word 'ភាពពិត' can also refer to a 'condition or state of being' or a 'true nature or essence of something'. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມເປັນຈິງ | ||
| Malay | realiti | ||
| The word "realiti" is derived from the Arabic word "realita", which means "real" or "fact." | |||
| Thai | ความเป็นจริง | ||
| ความเป็นจริง can also refer to authenticity, naturalness, truthfulness, or sincerity. | |||
| Vietnamese | thực tế | ||
| The Vietnamese word "thực tế" literally means "solid facts" or "actual results". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katotohanan | ||
Reality in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | reallıq | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "reallıq" means "reality", but it can also be used to refer to the physical world or to the state of being real. | |||
| Kazakh | шындық | ||
| The word "шындық" in Kazakh also means "truth" or "actuality". | |||
| Kyrgyz | чындык | ||
| "Чындык" also means "mirror" in Old Turkic, suggesting a connection between reality and truth. | |||
| Tajik | воқеият | ||
| Воқеият translates as "event, incident" from Persian واقعة and also means "reality" or "occurrence" in the Tajik language. | |||
| Turkmen | hakykat | ||
| Uzbek | haqiqat | ||
| The word "haqiqat," meaning "the real or true essence of something," is derived from the Arabic word for "truth". | |||
| Uyghur | رېئاللىق | ||
Reality in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoiaʻiʻo | ||
| 'Oia'i'o derives from the Proto-Polynesian root *oia, meaning "true" or "real." | |||
| Maori | mooni | ||
| The Maori word "mooni" also means "world" or "earth." | |||
| Samoan | mea moni | ||
| Mea moni, meaning "that which is real," may derive from "mea," which denotes a concrete thing, and "moni," meaning "truthful" or "genuine." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | katotohanan | ||
| The Tagalog word 'katotohanan' ('reality') originates from the root word 'totoo' ('truth') and the affix 'han,' which denotes a state or condition, suggesting that reality is a state of being truthful. | |||
Reality in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chiqapuni | ||
| Guarani | añetegua | ||
Reality in International Languages
| Esperanto | realo | ||
| Realo is related to the root 'real', as in 'realism' and 'reality', and is often used to refer to the material world. | |||
| Latin | rem | ||
| In Latin, "rem" (reality) comes from the word "res" (thing), meaning something concrete, tangible, or substantial. | |||
Reality in Others Languages
| Greek | πραγματικότητα | ||
| The Greek word "πραγματικότητα" derives from the word "πράγμα", meaning "thing" or "substance." | |||
| Hmong | kev muaj tiag | ||
| The Hmong word "kev muaj tiag" (reality) is also used to refer to the real world as opposed to the spirit world. | |||
| Kurdish | rastî | ||
| The word 'rastî' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁reǵ- ('to stretch out, make straight'), and is related to the English word 'right' (from *h₁reǵ-tós). | |||
| Turkish | gerçeklik | ||
| The word "gerçeklik" (reality) in Turkish shares its root with the word "gerçek" (truth), suggesting a connection between reality and what is perceived as true. | |||
| Xhosa | inyani | ||
| The word "inyani" can also refer to "a state of being" or "a situation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַקט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַקט" can also refer to a "fact" in the English sense. | |||
| Zulu | ngokoqobo | ||
| "Ngqongqobo" is derived from the Zulu root "-gqob-", meaning "truth" or "fact". | |||
| Assamese | বাস্তৱতা | ||
| Aymara | chiqapuni | ||
| Bhojpuri | असलियत | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަޤީޤަތް | ||
| Dogri | असलीयत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katotohanan | ||
| Guarani | añetegua | ||
| Ilocano | realidad | ||
| Krio | rial | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕاستی | ||
| Maithili | हकीकत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯁꯦꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | anihna tak | ||
| Oromo | dhugaa qabatama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାସ୍ତବତା | ||
| Quechua | sullull | ||
| Sanskrit | वास्तविकतया | ||
| Tatar | чынбарлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ክውንነት | ||
| Tsonga | ntiyiso | ||