Relief in Different Languages
Discover 'Relief' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Relief, such a simple word, yet it holds a world of significance. It's that sweet sensation when a burden lifts, when pain subsides, or when stress melts away. Culturally, we see relief reflected in art, where it describes the projection of figures from a flat background, creating a sense of depth and dimension. But how do we express this concept in different languages? In Spanish, it's 'alivio'. In French, 'soulagement'. In German, 'Linderung'. In Japanese, '軽減 (keigen)'. In Russian, 'лечение (lechenie)'. And in Swahili, 'upungufu'. Each language offers a unique perspective, enriching our understanding of this universal human experience. So, whether you're traveling, studying, or simply expanding your linguistic horizons, exploring the translations of 'relief' is a journey worth embarking on. Here's a list of translations to get you started.
Relief
Relief in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verligting | ||
| The word "verligting" in Afrikaans has its roots in the Dutch word "verlichting", meaning "enlightenment". | |||
| Amharic | እፎይታ | ||
| The Amharic word እፎይታ (efoyta, "relief") can also mean "vacation" or "rest". | |||
| Hausa | taimako | ||
| The word "taimako" in Hausa can also refer to "calm" or "peace". | |||
| Igbo | enyemaka | ||
| The Igbo word "enyemaka" can also mean "help" or "support." | |||
| Malagasy | fanampiana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fanampiana" can also mean "mutual aid" or "help among neighbors. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mpumulo | ||
| The word 'mpumulo' in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to a place of comfort or relaxation. | |||
| Shona | zororo | ||
| The word "zororo" also means "a deep pool"} | |||
| Somali | gargaar | ||
| The word 'gargaar' also means 'a short, thick stick' in Somali, implying that relief is something that can be grasped and held onto. | |||
| Sesotho | phomolo | ||
| The word "phomolo" has the alternate meaning of "mercy" or "forgiveness" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | unafuu | ||
| **Unafuu** (relief) might also refer to being unburdened from a debt or being free from a constraint. | |||
| Xhosa | isiqabu | ||
| "Isiqabu" can also refer to a "cover", "protection", or "shield". | |||
| Yoruba | iderun | ||
| The word 'iderun' in Yoruba is also used to refer to a 'refuge' or 'sanctuary'. | |||
| Zulu | ukukhululeka | ||
| ‘Ukuphumula’ is a similar Zulu word that means ‘to rest’ or ‘to relax’, and it shares the same root with ‘ukukhululeka’. | |||
| Bambara | dɛmɛ | ||
| Ewe | gbᴐɖeme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubutabazi | ||
| Lingala | lisungi | ||
| Luganda | emirembe | ||
| Sepedi | kimollo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmoa | ||
Relief in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ارتياح | ||
| In addition to "relief," "ارتياح" can also mean "comfort," "tranquility," or "ease." | |||
| Hebrew | הֲקָלָה | ||
| הֲקָלָה also signifies 'ease,' 'facility,' 'lightness,' 'remission,' 'deliverance' and 'salvation'. | |||
| Pashto | راحت | ||
| The word 'راحت' is also used to indicate 'health' or 'comfort' in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | ارتياح | ||
| In addition to "relief," "ارتياح" can also mean "comfort," "tranquility," or "ease." | |||
Relief in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lehtësim | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, the word “rahatlama” meant "relief" and also referred to the act of defecating after taking laxatives as a medical treatment (lehtëshim means laxative in Albanian). | |||
| Basque | erliebea | ||
| The word 'erliebea' in Basque also has the alternate meaning of 'consolation'. | |||
| Catalan | alleujament | ||
| The word "alleujament" also refers to the act of alleviating or relieving a burden. | |||
| Croatian | olakšanje | ||
| The word "olakšanje" comes from the Old Slavic word "olegčiti", meaning "to make light" or "to lighten". | |||
| Danish | lettelse | ||
| The word "lettelse" comes from the Old Norse word "letta," meaning "to lighten" or "to make less heavy." | |||
| Dutch | verlichting | ||
| The Dutch word "Verlichting" also means "Enlightenment", referring to the intellectual and philosophical movement of the 18th century. | |||
| English | relief | ||
| "Relief" comes from the Latin "levare" (to lighten), and can also refer to a sculpture carved in a raised design from a flat background. | |||
| French | le soulagement | ||
| The word "le soulagement" in French originally meant "lightening" or "easing", and can still be used in that sense. | |||
| Frisian | reliëf | ||
| The Frisian word "reliëf" can also mean "elevated ground" or "embossment". | |||
| Galician | alivio | ||
| The word "alivio" comes from the Galician word "aliviar" which means to ease or lighten, but it can also refer to the absence of pain or discomfort. | |||
| German | linderung | ||
| The word "Linderung" comes from the Middle High German "lindem" meaning "soft" or "mild" | |||
| Icelandic | léttir | ||
| The word "léttir" can also mean "ease" or "comfort" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | faoiseamh | ||
| The Irish word "faoiseamh" can also refer to "comfort" or "ease" in English, not just relief. | |||
| Italian | sollievo | ||
| In medicine, 'sollievo' can refer to a surgical procedure known as 'decompression', which involves reducing pressure on a nerve or area of tissue. | |||
| Luxembourgish | erliichterung | ||
| The word "Erliichterung" in Luxembourgish can also mean "enlightenment" or "revelation", due to its shared root with the German word "erleichtern", meaning "to make easier" or "to lighten up". | |||
| Maltese | eżenzjoni | ||
| Maltese word "eżenzjoni" derives from the Italian "esenzione" which means exemption from taxes or duty, as well as relief in a more general sense. | |||
| Norwegian | lettelse | ||
| The word "lettelse" is cognate with the German "Erleichterung" and the English "lightness" and originally meant "to make something easier to carry". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alívio | ||
| In Portuguese, 'alívio' can also mean 'easing', 'solace', 'comfort', or 'help'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | faochadh | ||
| The Scottish Gaelic word "faochadh" can also mean "succour" or "aid". | |||
| Spanish | alivio | ||
| The Spanish word "alivio" ultimately derives from the Latin "allevo," meaning "to lift up" or "to lighten." | |||
| Swedish | lättnad | ||
| The word "lättnad" is derived from the Old Norse word "létta", meaning "to lift" or "to ease". | |||
| Welsh | rhyddhad | ||
| "Rhyddhad" also means "rescue" or "deliverance" in Welsh. | |||
Relief in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рэльеф | ||
| Bosnian | olakšanje | ||
| The word "olakšanje" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *legъkъ, meaning "light" or "easy". | |||
| Bulgarian | облекчение | ||
| "Облекчение" is also an archaic Bulgarian word for "ease" or "comfort". | |||
| Czech | úleva | ||
| Czech word "úleva" is cognate to the German word "Erleichterung" (relief) via the Proto-Germanic word *ali-luktijô (action of lightening). | |||
| Estonian | kergendust | ||
| The word 'kergendust' in Estonian has the alternate meaning of 'mitigation', as in the mitigation of a risk or problem. | |||
| Finnish | helpotus | ||
| The word "helpotus" is a compound of two words: "helppo" (easy) and "tulos" (result), indicating something that easily brings relief. | |||
| Hungarian | megkönnyebbülés | ||
| The word "megkönnyebbülés" in Hungarian also means "easiness" or "lightness". | |||
| Latvian | atvieglojums | ||
| The word "atvieglojums" is derived from the verb "atvieglot", which means "to make lighter". | |||
| Lithuanian | palengvėjimas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "palengvėjimas" is derived from the verb "lengvinti", meaning "to make easier" or "to alleviate". | |||
| Macedonian | олеснување | ||
| The word "олеснување" derives from the Slavic root "olьgъ", meaning "to ease" or "to mitigate". | |||
| Polish | ulga | ||
| In Mongolian, "ulga" means "blessing" or "comfort." | |||
| Romanian | relief | ||
| In Romanian, "relief" derives from French "relief" (contour, prominence), whereas the latter derives from Italian "rilievo" (elevated or protruding work), which traces back to Medieval Latin "relevatum" (that which is lifted up). | |||
| Russian | облегчение | ||
| The Russian word "облегчение" (relief) also holds the meaning of "lightening," referring to the process of reducing weight or burden. | |||
| Serbian | олакшање | ||
| The word "олакшање" (relief) in Serbian comes from the verb "олакшати" (to make easier or lighter), which is derived from the Old Slavic word "легъкъ" (light). | |||
| Slovak | úľava | ||
| The Slovak word "úľava" also means "honeycomb". | |||
| Slovenian | olajšanje | ||
| "Olajšanje" originally meant "to make easier" and is related to the verb "lajšati", meaning "to lighten, alleviate". | |||
| Ukrainian | полегшення | ||
| "Полегшення" can also mean "simplification" or "alleviation". | |||
Relief in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বস্তি | ||
| The word "স্বস্তি" can also mean "peace of mind" or "comfort". | |||
| Gujarati | રાહત | ||
| 'રાહત' ('relief') derives from 'રાહ'('road'), referring to a break or respite from one's journey. | |||
| Hindi | राहत | ||
| "राहत" ('relief') derives from Sanskrit, meaning "comfort, refreshment, release from distress". | |||
| Kannada | ಪರಿಹಾರ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಪರಿಹಾರ' (relief) comes from the Sanskrit word 'परिहार' (avoidance or remedy). | |||
| Malayalam | ആശ്വാസം | ||
| The Malayalam word "ആശ്വാസം" (āśvāsam) originates from the Sanskrit word "आश्वासन" (āśvāsana), meaning "consolation, reassurance". It can also refer to the "breathing out" of air, as in the act of sighing. | |||
| Marathi | आराम | ||
| "आराम" comes from the Prakrit word *ārama* meaning "rest" or "leisure," which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word *āram* meaning "ease" or "comfort." | |||
| Nepali | राहत | ||
| The term 'राहत' is an Arabic (راحة / rahat) borrowing which has multiple connotations, including comfort, ease, rest, and tranquility. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਾਹਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਰਾਹਤ" is an adaptation of the Arabic word "راحة" (rahat), which originally meant "peace" or "comfort". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සහන | ||
| Sinhala term for "relief" is also used to denote "endurance" or "ability to withstand hardship". | |||
| Tamil | துயர் நீக்கம் | ||
| Telugu | ఉపశమనం | ||
| "ఉపశమనం" originated from "శమ", which means to stop, calm, or quieten, and "ఉప" as a prefix, indicating secondary or subordinate. | |||
| Urdu | ریلیف | ||
| In Urdu, "ریلیف" (relief) can also refer to "consolation" or "comfort". | |||
Relief in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 救济 | ||
| The word "救济" is composed of two characters: "救" (jiù), meaning "to save," and "济" (jì), meaning "to help." It can also refer to "charity" or "welfare." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 救濟 | ||
| 救濟 (jiùjì) can also mean "charity" or "aid". | |||
| Japanese | 浮き彫り | ||
| 浮き彫り (uki-bori) can also refer to the carving technique used to create these three-dimensional designs. | |||
| Korean | 구조 | ||
| "구조" (relief) literally means 'saving from suffering'. | |||
| Mongolian | тусламж | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "тусламж" also means "aid" or "support." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကယ်ဆယ်ရေးစခန်း | ||
Relief in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bantuan | ||
| The word "bantuan" can also mean "aid", "assistance", or "support". | |||
| Javanese | lega | ||
| The Javanese word "lega" is cognate with the Malaysian "lega" denoting "relaxation" or "freedom from distress". | |||
| Khmer | ការធូរស្បើយ | ||
| The word "ការធូរស្បើយ" in Khmer can also refer to a sense of "freedom" and "independence". | |||
| Lao | ການບັນເທົາທຸກ | ||
| Etymology: from Sanskrit 'vinivarta' meaning 'to put an end to' | |||
| Malay | kelegaan | ||
| **Etymology**: From Arabic **كَلْف** (kulf, “trouble”) via a Javanese intermediary | |||
| Thai | บรรเทา | ||
| The word "บรรเทา" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "vrta" which means "covered" or "guarded". | |||
| Vietnamese | cứu trợ | ||
| "Cứu trợ" is derived from the Chinese word "救助" (jiùzhù), meaning "to save" or "to help." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaluwagan | ||
Relief in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | relyef | ||
| The word "relyef" in Azerbaijani is derived from the French word "relief", meaning "help, support, or aid". | |||
| Kazakh | рельеф | ||
| "Рельеф" is a French word (relief) which literally means "to lift" or "to raise" in English. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жардам | ||
| The word "жардам" is a Turkic borrowing, and it can also refer to support or assistance. | |||
| Tajik | сабукӣ | ||
| In Persian, the word "сабукӣ" means both "relief" and "lightness". | |||
| Turkmen | ýeňillik | ||
| Uzbek | yengillik | ||
| "Yengillik" is also used to refer to "recovery" in medicine, but not "recovery" in the sense of "getting something back." | |||
| Uyghur | قۇتقۇزۇش | ||
Relief in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka maha | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'ka maha' also refers to a place of refuge or shelter. | |||
| Maori | awhina | ||
| The word 'awhina' can also refer to 'help' or 'support' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | mapusaga | ||
| "Mapusaga" derives from the Proto-Polynesian root *mapu*, meaning "bulge, swelling." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kaluwagan | ||
Relief in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chhujta | ||
| Guarani | py'avevúi | ||
Relief in International Languages
| Esperanto | reliefo | ||
| Esperanto's "reliefo" can also refer to a type of engraving or other raised image. | |||
| Latin | relevium | ||
| In Medieval Latin, "relevium" also referred to the feudal payment made by heirs to their lord upon inheriting land. | |||
Relief in Others Languages
| Greek | ανακούφιση | ||
| The word "ανακούφιση" can also refer to the raising of a siege or blockade, or to the release of someone from prison. | |||
| Hmong | nyem | ||
| In addition to meaning "relief" (of sickness), "nyem" refers to "that which is cut short; that which is not of full measure." | |||
| Kurdish | alîkarî | ||
| The word 'alîkarî' in Kurdish also means 'assistance' and derives from the Persian word 'alî'. | |||
| Turkish | rahatlama | ||
| "Rahatlama" in Turkish comes from the Arabic word "rahha", meaning "to be at ease". | |||
| Xhosa | isiqabu | ||
| "Isiqabu" can also refer to a "cover", "protection", or "shield". | |||
| Yiddish | רעליעף | ||
| רעליעף derives from the German "Relief" and also means "embossment" or "carving" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ukukhululeka | ||
| ‘Ukuphumula’ is a similar Zulu word that means ‘to rest’ or ‘to relax’, and it shares the same root with ‘ukukhululeka’. | |||
| Assamese | ত্ৰাণ পোৱা | ||
| Aymara | chhujta | ||
| Bhojpuri | राहत | ||
| Dhivehi | ލުއި | ||
| Dogri | मदाद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaluwagan | ||
| Guarani | py'avevúi | ||
| Ilocano | bang-ar | ||
| Krio | fil fayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | حەسانەوە | ||
| Maithili | आराम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯊꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chhawmdawlna | ||
| Oromo | furamuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରିଲିଫ୍ | ||
| Quechua | hawkayay | ||
| Sanskrit | उपशम् | ||
| Tatar | рельеф | ||
| Tigrinya | ቅልል ምባል | ||
| Tsonga | mpfuno | ||