Refuse in different languages

Refuse in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'refuse' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, often used to convey the act of rejecting or declining something. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, music, and everyday conversations, where the articulation of one's refusal can shape the course of events.

Moreover, understanding the translation of 'refuse' in different languages can be a fascinating exploration of cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'refuse' translates to 'rechazar', while in French, it's 'refuser'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also provide insights into how different cultures perceive and express the concept of refusal.

Did you know that the English word 'refuse' also has roots in Old French? It's derived from the verb 'refuser', which means 'to reject'. This historical context adds another layer of depth to the word's significance.

So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or someone who simply wants to expand their vocabulary, understanding the word 'refuse' in various languages can be a rewarding journey. Let's delve into the translations of 'refuse' in different languages.

Refuse


Refuse in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansweier
The word 'weier' also means 'pond' in Dutch and Low German.
Amharicእምቢ
The word እምቢ can also mean "to refuse" or "to decline" in Amharic.
Hausaƙi
Hausa 'ƙi' may also mean 'to reject' or 'to dislike'.
Igbojụ
'Jụ' also means 'to abstain' or 'to reject'.
Malagasykororoky
"Kororoky" also means "to deny" or "to reject" in Malagasy.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kukana
In Nyanja, the word "kukana" can also refer to "to reject" or "to deny something".
Shonaramba
Somalidiid
The word "diid" in Somali can also mean "to reject" or "to decline".
Sesothohana
The word "hana" derives from "haanya" or "haha", meaning to reject or despise.
Swahilikukataa
The word kukataa can also mean to decline, reject, or protest.
Xhosaukwala
The word "ukwala" in Xhosa is cognate with the Zulu word "ukwala", which means "to refuse" or "to reject".
Yorubakọ
"Kọ" can also mean "to deny" or "to reject".
Zuluwenqabe
"Wenqabe" also means "discard" and "waste."
Bambaraka ban
Ewegbe
Kinyarwandakwanga
Lingalakoboya
Lugandaokugaana
Sepedigana
Twi (Akan)si kwan

Refuse in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicرفض
The word "رفض" (rafada) in Arabic can also mean "to decline" or "to reject".
Hebrewמסרב
"מסרב" is also a verb meaning "to refuse" or "to deny" in Hebrew.
Pashtoرد کول
The word "رد کول" in Pashto can also refer to "rubbish" or "garbage".
Arabicرفض
The word "رفض" (rafada) in Arabic can also mean "to decline" or "to reject".

Refuse in Western European Languages

Albanianrefuzoj
The word "refuzoj" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "refugium", meaning "shelter" or "place of safety".
Basqueuko egin
"Uko egin" could also mean "take away" or "to go" in Basque.
Catalanrebutjar
"Rebutjar" in Catalan comes from the Latin "repudiare", which also means "to reject" or "to divorce".
Croatianodbiti
The word "odbiti" can also mean "to bounce" or "to be reflected" in Croatian.
Danishnægte
The word "nægte" is derived from the Old Norse word "nekt", meaning "to say no" or "to deny".
Dutchweigeren
The Dutch word "weigeren" is cognate with the English word "weigh", and originally meant "to be too heavy".
Englishrefuse
The word "refuse" derives from the Latin "recusare," meaning "to decline or deny," which is a compound of the prefix "re-," meaning "back," and the verb "cusare," meaning "to strike".
Frenchrefuser
In French, the word 'refuser' can also mean 'to decline' or 'to reject'.
Frisianwegerje
The word "wegerje" can also mean "disgust" or "aversion" in Frisian.
Galicianrexeitar
The verb "rexeitar" is related to the Latin "reicerê", meaning "to eject" or "to throw back", and "rexeito" (refusal) to "reiectum".
Germansich weigern
As a verb, "sich weigern" derives from the Old High German "wern," meaning "to protect," while as a noun it refers to a type of wagon used in the Middle Ages in southern Germany.
Icelandichafna
The word "hafna" stems from the Old Norse word "hafna," meaning "to reject" or "to turn away."
Irishdiúltú
Italianrifiuto
'Rifiuto' is also the past tense of the Italian verb 'rifutare' ('to refuse').
Luxembourgishrefuséieren
The word "refuséieren" in Luxembourgish comes from the French word "refuser" (to refuse), and can also mean "to deny" or "to reject."
Malteseirrifjuta
In Maltese, this word shares a root with the verb
Norwegiannekte
The word "nekte" in Norwegian is related to the Swedish word "njugg" which means "stingy" or "unwilling" and "ne" which means "no".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)recusar
The Portuguese verb "recusar" can also mean to "summon", "ask", or "call"}
Scots Gaelicdiùltadh
"Diùltadh" is also a legal term meaning "repudiation of a legacy, gift, or grant."
Spanishnegar
The Spanish word "negar" originally meant "to deny", and it still has this meaning in many contexts.
Swedishvägra
"Vägra" is derived from Old Norse "vrakja" meaning "to reject" or "to cast away", and is related to "vrak" meaning "wreckage".
Welshgwrthod
"Gwrthod" is also an Old Irish word that means "reject".

Refuse in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianадмовіць
"Адмовіць" can also mean "reject" or "decline," and can be used in both a formal and informal context.
Bosnianodbiti
The word 'odbiti' can also mean 'bounce' or 'rebound'.
Bulgarianотказвам
Отказвам (''otkazvam'') is a verb in Bulgarian that means not only "to refuse", but also "to say no" and "to deny".
Czechodmítnout
The Czech word "odmítnout" also has the alternate meaning of "to deny", and is derived from the Old Czech word "odmítati", meaning "to throw off" or "to reject".
Estoniankeelduda
Keelduda is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *keele-, meaning "language", and the Proto-Finnic suffix *-da, meaning "to do".
Finnishkieltäytyä
Etymology: possibly from a Baltic-Slavic source, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gel- "to desire, covet" (also the source of English "jealous", French "jaloux")
Hungarianmegtagadja
The expression is a corruption of the German word "megtagaden", which means "to deny".
Latvianatteikt
"Atteikties" in Latvian means "to refuse" and also "to reject something"
Lithuanianatsisakyti
The word "atsisakyti" in Lithuanian can also mean "to decline" or "to renounce".
Macedonianодбиваат
The word "одбиваат" can also mean "to reject", "to decline", or "to push away."
Polishodrzucać
"Odrzucać" originates from the verb "rzucać" (to throw), and means "to throw away" or "to reject".
Romanianrefuza
The Romanian word "refuza" has the same Latin root as the English word "refuse", and it also means "to reject" or "to deny".
Russianотказаться
The word “отказаться” can also mean “to resign” or “to give up.”
Serbianодбити
The word "одбити" can also mean "to bounce" or "to hit back" in Serbian, reflecting its etymological roots in the verbs "бити" (to hit) and "од" (off).
Slovakodmietnuť
"Odmietnuť" comes from the verb "miešať" (to mix) and the negation "od-", hence its original meaning was "not mixing". Today "miešať" means both "to mix" and "to stir", which might be related to the fact that it was formerly the primary way of mixing two ingredients.
Slovenianzavrniti
The word "zavrniti" comes from the Proto-Slavic verb *vorniti, meaning "to turn back" or "to reject".
Ukrainianвідмовити
The Ukrainian word 'відмовити' can also mean 'to reject' or 'to deny'.

Refuse in South Asian Languages

Bengaliপ্রত্যাখ্যান
The word 'প্রত্যাখ্যান' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'প্রত্যাখ্যান', which means 'rejection' or 'denial'.
Gujaratiઇનકાર
ઇનકાર "inkar" comes from the Sanskrit word "ni-kar" meaning "away, down". It can also mean "denial" or "rejection".
Hindiइनकार
The word "इनकार" originates from the Persian word "inkār", meaning "denial" or "rejection".
Kannadaನಿರಾಕರಿಸು
The word "ನಿರಾಕರಿಸು" can also mean to reject or decline something.
Malayalamനിരസിക്കുക
Marathiनकार
"नकार" can also mean an unfulfilled desire or aspiration
Nepaliअस्वीकार
"अस्वीकार" and "denial" are derived from the Latin "denegare," meaning "to refuse or deny," suggesting a shared etymological root.
Punjabiਇਨਕਾਰ
The Punjabi word "ਇਨਕਾਰ" can also mean "denial" in English, extending its meaning beyond just the act of refusing something.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරන්න
Tamilமறு
The word 'மறு' also means 'again' or 'backwards' in Tamil, indicating its dual meaning of opposition and recurrence.
Teluguతిరస్కరించండి
Urduانکار
The word "انکار" (inkar) derives from the Arabic word نكر (nakira), meaning "unknown" or "unfamiliar."

Refuse in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)垃圾
The character for refuse (垃圾) was first used in an ancient Chinese dictionary to mean “broken” or “damaged” (残).
Chinese (Traditional)垃圾
Japaneseごみ
The word "ごみ" comes from the Portuguese word "escombro", meaning "rubble" or "debris".
Korean폐물
폐물(refuse) is also a Buddhist term referring to the impurities of the human body and mind.
Mongolianтатгалзах
"Татгалзах" means "refuse" but also "to stop, cease, end, halt, suspend, put an end to, check, discontinue, pause, hold up, hold back, restrain, suppress, block, hinder."
Myanmar (Burmese)ငြင်းဆန်

Refuse in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmenolak
"Menolak" derives from the verb "tolak" (meaning "to push away"), but can also mean "to deny" or "to reject".
Javanesenolak
The word "nolak" in Javanese can also mean "to reject" or "to deny something."
Khmerបដិសេធ
The word បដិសេធ comes from the Sanskrit word प्रतिषेध (pratiṣedha), meaning 'rejection', 'denial', or 'refusal'.
Laoປະຕິເສດ
Malaymenolak
In Indonesian, "menolak" means "to reject," but it is cognate with "termenung" (Malay: "to be engrossed in thought") and other words that imply a sense of withdrawal or contemplation.
Thaiปฏิเสธ
"ปฏิเสธ" can also mean "to deny".
Vietnamesetừ chối
In the context of Vietnamese folk medicine, "từ chối" can also refer to a type of medicinal plant used to treat infections and other ailments.
Filipino (Tagalog)tanggihan

Refuse in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniimtina etmək
The word "imtina etmək" can also mean "to abstain" or "to refrain" in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhбас тарту
The word "бас тарту" can also mean "to quit" or "to give up" in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzбаш тартуу
The Kyrgyz word for refuse "баш тартуу" can mean to reject, repudiate or deny.
Tajikрад кардан
The word "рад кардан" has the alternate meaning "to turn back" in Tajik.
Turkmenret etmek
Uzbekrad etish
The word "rad etish" is a verbal phrase formed by the infinitive "rad etmek" (to deny) and the auxiliary verb "etish" (to do), which when used together mean "to refuse".
Uyghurرەت قىلىش

Refuse in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianhōʻole
The word hōʻole also means 'to disagree or dissent' and 'to deny or contradict'.
Maoriwhakakahore
Whakakahore may be derived from the words "whaka" (to do something) and "kahore" (nothing).
Samoanmusu
The word "musu" also means "disobey" or "decline" in Samoan.
Tagalog (Filipino)tumanggi
"Tumanggi" is commonly used in Philippine legal documents, where it bears the additional meaning of "denied".

Refuse in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajaniw saña
Guaraniporujey

Refuse in International Languages

Esperantorifuzi
"Rifuzi" is derived from the Latin word "refusare", meaning "to reject".
Latinstercus
Stercus, in Latin, can also refer to excrement, dung, or manure.

Refuse in Others Languages

Greekαρνηθεί
The word "αρνηθεί" in Greek can also mean "to deny" or "to reject".
Hmongtsis kam
In Hmong, "tsis kam" also means "reject" or "turn down an offer".
Kurdishrefzkirin
The word 'refzkirin' in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word 'refuz' meaning 'leave behind' and is also used as a synonym for 'rejecting'
Turkishreddetmek
"Reddetmek" is derived from the Old Turkic word "ret-", meaning "to put back", and the Arabic suffix "-mek", indicating action.
Xhosaukwala
The word "ukwala" in Xhosa is cognate with the Zulu word "ukwala", which means "to refuse" or "to reject".
Yiddishאָפּזאָגן
The Yiddish word "אָפּזאָגן" originated from the German verb "absagen" and shares a similar meaning to its English cognate "refuse".
Zuluwenqabe
"Wenqabe" also means "discard" and "waste."
Assameseঅস্বীকাৰ কৰা
Aymarajaniw saña
Bhojpuriमना क दिहल
Dhivehiދެކޮޅު
Dogriमना करना
Filipino (Tagalog)tanggihan
Guaraniporujey
Ilocanoagmadi
Krionɔ gri
Kurdish (Sorani)ڕەتکردنەوە
Maithiliइन्कार
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯌꯥꯅꯤꯡꯗꯕ
Mizohnial
Oromodiduu
Odia (Oriya)ମନା
Quechuapuchuqkuna
Sanskritअस्वीकार
Tatarбаш тарту
Tigrinyaእበይ
Tsongaala

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