Scared in Different Languages
Discover 'Scared' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'scared' holds a significant place in our emotional vocabulary, as it allows us to express fear or anxiety in various situations. This word has been used in literature, films, and music to evoke emotions and create engaging narratives. Moreover, understanding the translation of 'scared' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and express fear.
For instance, in Spanish, the word for 'scared' is 'asustado.' In French, it's 'effrayé,' and in German, 'erschrocken.' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also cultural nuances in expressing fear.
Delving into the historical context, the word 'scared' has roots in Old English 'sc(e)ar,' which means 'timid' or 'fearful.' Its cultural importance is evident in various idiomatic expressions, such as 'scared stiff' or 'scared out of one's wits,' which have become part of our everyday language.
In this article, we will explore the translations of 'scared' in different languages, shedding light on the fascinating world of language and culture. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations that will leave you enlightened and intrigued!
Scared
Scared in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bang | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "bang" can also mean "tight" or "narrow", which may stem from its original meaning of "to pound" or "to squeeze"} | |||
| Amharic | ፈራ | ||
| 'ፈራ' (scared) also refers to the idea of being 'careful' or 'wary' in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | tsorace | ||
| Hausa "tsorace" was borrowed from Gwandara "soraci" ("run away, escape" but also "be afraid"), which in turn came from Nupe "soro" ("to be afraid"). While the primary meaning of "tsorace" is "to be afraid", its secondary meaning is "to run away". Other Nupe words beginning with "so-" in Hausa have retained their original meaning of "to flee". | |||
| Igbo | egwu | ||
| Egwu means 'fear', 'awe' or 'horror' in Igbo, and is derived from the verb egwu ('to fear'). | |||
| Malagasy | matahotra | ||
| The Malagasy word "matahotra" originates from the Malay language, where "mata" means "eye" or "look", and "takut" means "fear". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wamantha | ||
| The word "wamantha" in Nyanja is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "*wam-," meaning "to fear" or "to be afraid." | |||
| Shona | kutya | ||
| Kutya may also be an expression of surprise. | |||
| Somali | cabsi badan | ||
| The word "cabsi badan" in Somali can also mean "a lot" or "a great deal". | |||
| Sesotho | tshohile | ||
| The word "tshohile" also means "to be afraid" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | hofu | ||
| The word "hofu" can also refer to a type of traditional Swahili dance. | |||
| Xhosa | ndiyoyika | ||
| The term derives from a Zulu word relating to shock and trembling. | |||
| Yoruba | bẹru | ||
| The Yoruba word 'bẹru' can also refer to a feeling of awe or respect | |||
| Zulu | wethukile | ||
| The Zulu word "wethukile" can also mean "to be terrified" or "to be startled." | |||
| Bambara | lasiran | ||
| Ewe | vɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwoba | ||
| Lingala | kobanga | ||
| Luganda | okutya | ||
| Sepedi | tšhogile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | suro | ||
Scared in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مفزوع | ||
| The word مفزوع may have originated from the word فزع, which means fear or fright. | |||
| Hebrew | מפוחד | ||
| **מפוחד:** from "פחד" (fear), originally "net, trap" (in Aramaic), also "scare," from the root "פחד" (to spread out a net). | |||
| Pashto | ویریدلی | ||
| The Pashto word "ویریدلی" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *wer- "to fear" but has also been influenced by the Persian word "ترسیدن" (tarsidan), which means "to be afraid". | |||
| Arabic | مفزوع | ||
| The word مفزوع may have originated from the word فزع, which means fear or fright. | |||
Scared in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i trembur | ||
| The word "i trembur" in Albanian is also used to describe a feeling of awe or reverence. | |||
| Basque | beldurtuta | ||
| The word "beldurtuta" may derive from the Proto-Basque word "*beldu" meaning "fear" or "terror". | |||
| Catalan | espantat | ||
| The noun "espanta" (pronounced "iss-PAHNT-uh") means "ghost" or "goblin" and is likely derived from the Latin word "expavorem" for "horror" or "dread". | |||
| Croatian | prestrašen | ||
| The word "prestrašen" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *prestrastit, meaning "to frighten" or "to scare". | |||
| Danish | skræmt | ||
| "Skræmt" is derived from the Old Norse word "skræmta", meaning "to frighten" or "to haunt". | |||
| Dutch | bang | ||
| The Dutch word "bang" can also mean "nervous" or "anxious". | |||
| English | scared | ||
| Scared derives from the Old English word 'sceran', meaning 'to cut' or 'to divide', and is related to the word 'shear'. | |||
| French | effrayé | ||
| The word "effrayé" comes from the Latin "exfridare," meaning "to frighten out of one's wits." | |||
| Frisian | bang | ||
| The Frisian word "bang" can also mean "to hit", "to strike", or "to knock". | |||
| Galician | asustado | ||
| The Galician word "asustado" also means "thunderstruck" and comes from the Latin word "attonitus", which has the same meaning. | |||
| German | erschrocken | ||
| "Erschrecken" originates from Middle High German "erschrecken" and Old High German "irsc(h)recken," "irschrechen," all meaning "terrified or scared" but also originally "jump up" | |||
| Icelandic | hræddur | ||
| The Old Norse word "hræddur" originally meant "trembling, shaking", as is the case with the Old English cognate "hrǣd". | |||
| Irish | scanraithe | ||
| Scanraithe originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *sker-, meaning 'to cut', and can also mean 'to divide', 'to separate', or 'to disperse'. | |||
| Italian | impaurito | ||
| The word "impaurito" derives from the Latin "pavor", meaning "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Luxembourgish | angscht | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Angscht" originally meant "narrow", and only later acquired its current meaning of "scared". | |||
| Maltese | imbeżża | ||
| The word 'imbeżża' may also refer to an unexpected event, such as a sudden fright or shock. | |||
| Norwegian | redd | ||
| The word redd in Norwegian also means 'nest' for salmon and trout, or 'anchor point' for a ship. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | assustada | ||
| The Portuguese word "assustada" also means "stunned or amazed" and derives from the Latin "exagitare" (to agitate). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eagal | ||
| Egal shares the same root as 'ugly,' implying something frightful to the eye. | |||
| Spanish | asustado | ||
| The etymology of "asustado" (scared) is linked to the Spanish verb "asustar" (to frighten), itself likely deriving from the Arabic "sawtas" (alarm). | |||
| Swedish | rädd | ||
| "Rädd" derives from an Old Norse word that refers to a state of panic. | |||
| Welsh | ofnus | ||
| The word 'ofnus' can also refer to a sense of awe or wonder. | |||
Scared in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спалохаўся | ||
| The word "спалохаўся" is derived from the Slavic root "*polk-ti" which also means "to scare". | |||
| Bosnian | uplašen | ||
| The root "*plē̆s-/*pel-/*pol-", with the meaning of fullness/abundance of something that is bad/negative/undesirable, is common across Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | уплашен | ||
| The word "уплашен" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "уплашь", meaning "terror" or "fear". | |||
| Czech | strach | ||
| The word "strach" in Czech can also refer to a feeling of awe or reverence, or to a supernatural being that causes fear. | |||
| Estonian | hirmul | ||
| "Hirmu" means both "fear" and "terror" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | peloissaan | ||
| The word "peloissaan" also refers to a state of being frightened, overwhelmed, or unable to think clearly. | |||
| Hungarian | megrémült | ||
| The word "megrémült" is derived from the verb "rémül", which means "to be afraid" or "to be terrified." | |||
| Latvian | nobijies | ||
| "Nobijies" in Latvian is also derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *nebʰ-, meaning "cloud, sky, fog", indicating a connection between fear and the hidden or unknown. | |||
| Lithuanian | išsigandęs | ||
| The Lithuanian word "išsigandęs" shares etymological roots with "signoti," meaning to mark, and is related to concepts of being startled or marked by an experience. | |||
| Macedonian | исплашен | ||
| The word "исплашен" also means "terrified" or "frightened" and comes from the Slavic root "*plašiti" meaning "to scare". | |||
| Polish | przestraszony | ||
| The Polish word "przestraszony" has cognates in most other Slavic languages. | |||
| Romanian | speriat | ||
| The word "speriat" is derived from the Latin word "spiritus", meaning "breath" or "life force", suggesting a connection between fear and the loss of vitality. | |||
| Russian | напугана | ||
| The word "напугана" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *napeti, meaning "to frighten." | |||
| Serbian | уплашен | ||
| The Serbian word "уплашен" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *plašiti, "to frighten". The word is related to the Russian word "пугать", "to frighten", and the Polish word "straszyć", "to frighten". In Bulgarian, the word "уплашен" means "frightened" or "scared", while in Macedonian, it means "afraid". The word has a similar meaning in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovak | vystrašený | ||
| The Slovak word "vystrašený" originally meant "frightened by a bird of prey". | |||
| Slovenian | prestrašen | ||
| 'Prestrašen' can also mean 'embarrassed' or 'upset' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | переляканий | ||
| In Ukrainian, | |||
Scared in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভীত | ||
| ভীত shares an origin with 'fear', 'fright', and 'foe', all stemming from an Indo-European root for 'trembling'. | |||
| Gujarati | ભયભીત | ||
| Hindi | डरा हुआ | ||
| The word "डरा हुआ" originally meant "deceived" or "cheated" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆದರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು | ||
| The term 'ಹೆದರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು' translates literally to 'had been fearing' but is commonly used to denote present fear. | |||
| Malayalam | പേടിച്ചു | ||
| The word പേടിച്ചു ('scared') originates from the Sanskrit word 'भय' ('fear'), which also appears in many other Indian languages. | |||
| Marathi | भयभीत | ||
| The Sanskrit root of भयभीत is 'भी', which means 'fear', and the suffix '-त' indicates the passive, hence 'frightened'. | |||
| Nepali | डराउनु | ||
| The term "डराउनु" originally referred to the fear associated with supernatural powers or deities. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ | ||
| 'ਡਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ' may have originated from the Sanskrit word 'द्रष्टा' (drashta), meaning 'a seer' or 'a witness', suggesting a state of being watchful or alert. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බයයි | ||
| In addition to meaning “scared”, the word “බයයි” can also mean “fear”, “dread”, or “apprehension”. | |||
| Tamil | பயமாக இருக்கிறது | ||
| Telugu | భయపడ్డాడు | ||
| "భయపడ్డాడు" means "scared", and is also used to express the feeling of being afraid or apprehensive. | |||
| Urdu | ڈرا ہوا | ||
| The word "ڈرا ہوا" can also mean "drawn" or "sketched". | |||
Scared in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 害怕 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, "害怕" also meant "not daring to" or "respectful". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 害怕 | ||
| "害怕" also means "respect" in some contexts. | |||
| Japanese | 怖い | ||
| "怖い" can also mean "lovely" or "adorable" in certain contexts. | |||
| Korean | 깜짝 놀란 | ||
| '깜짝 놀란' is derived from the Korean word '깜짝', meaning surprise, and '놀라다', meaning to be startled. It can also mean 'to be amazed' or 'to be taken aback'. | |||
| Mongolian | айсан | ||
| The Mongolian word "айсан" (scared) also means "wild" or "ferocious" in some contexts, reflecting the idea that fear can lead to aggressive behavior. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြောက်တယ် | ||
Scared in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | takut | ||
| The Indonesian word "takut" is related to the Malay word "takut", which originally meant "to fear" but later came to mean "to be surprised". | |||
| Javanese | wedi | ||
| The word "wedi" in Javanese is also used to refer to a sense of awe or respect towards something or someone, such as a superior or an elder. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្លាច | ||
| The Khmer word "ខ្លាច" can also refer to being in awe or having respect for something or someone. | |||
| Lao | ຢ້ານ | ||
| "ຢ້ານ" can also mean "to respect", "to be cautious", or "to worry" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | takut | ||
| "Takut" is also derived from the Sanskrit word "trij" meaning "three" and it can also mean "trinity" or "triad" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | กลัว | ||
| "กลัว" means both "scared" and "respectful" in Thai, with the former deriving from the latter. | |||
| Vietnamese | sợ hãi | ||
| "Sợ hãi" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word "*qa-qay", which also means "to be afraid or frightened". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | natatakot | ||
Scared in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qorxdum | ||
| "Qorxmaq" (to be scared) is derived from the Persian word "hars", meaning 'fear' or 'dread' | |||
| Kazakh | қорқады | ||
| The word "қорқады" can also mean "to fear" or "to be afraid". | |||
| Kyrgyz | корккон | ||
| "Корккон" также означает "попасть в ловушку" или "остаться изолированным в замкнутом пространстве." | |||
| Tajik | тарсид | ||
| The word "тарсид" also means "runaway" or "fugitive" in some dialects of Tajiki. | |||
| Turkmen | gorkdy | ||
| Uzbek | qo'rqib ketdi | ||
| "Qo'rqib ketdi" is the Uzbek phrase for "got scared" and is derived from the verb "qo'rqmoq" (to fear) and the particle "ket-" (to go). It can also be used to express surprise or shock. | |||
| Uyghur | قورقۇپ كەتتى | ||
Scared in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makaʻu | ||
| Makaʻu may also mean "respect" or "reverence" in the Hawaiian language, as one might revere a powerful entity. | |||
| Maori | mataku | ||
| The Maori word "mataku" derives from its literal meaning of "eye-blink," referencing when one's eyes widen in fear and surprise. | |||
| Samoan | fefe | ||
| The Samoan word "fefe" has cognates in other Polynesian languages with slightly different meanings, like "timid" in Tongan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | natakot | ||
| "Natakot" in Tagalog can also mean "to be startled" or "to be frightened." | |||
Scared in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mulljata | ||
| Guarani | ñemondýi | ||
Scared in International Languages
| Esperanto | timigita | ||
| The Esperanto word "timigita" is derived from the root "tim", meaning "fear" or "dread", and is related to the words "timinda" (fearful) and "timoro" (fear). | |||
| Latin | timentes | ||
| The term "Timentes" also holds the sense of "being reverent towards Gods" and "full of respect". | |||
Scared in Others Languages
| Greek | φοβισμένος | ||
| The word "φοβισμένος" is derived from the Greek word "φόβος" which also means "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Hmong | ntshai | ||
| The Hmong word "ntshai" not only means "scared", but can also refer to a feeling of awe or wonder, or even a sense of respect mixed with fear. | |||
| Kurdish | ditirse | ||
| The word "ditirse" is also used in the sense of "to be wary". | |||
| Turkish | korkmuş | ||
| Kork, a Turkic verb meaning "to fear" and "to be afraid," is the root of the adjective korkmus, meaning "afraid" or "cowardly." | |||
| Xhosa | ndiyoyika | ||
| The term derives from a Zulu word relating to shock and trembling. | |||
| Yiddish | דערשראָקן | ||
| The Yiddish word "דערשראָקן" is derived from the German word "erschrecken", meaning "to frighten" or "to terrify". | |||
| Zulu | wethukile | ||
| The Zulu word "wethukile" can also mean "to be terrified" or "to be startled." | |||
| Assamese | ভয় খোৱা | ||
| Aymara | mulljata | ||
| Bhojpuri | डेराइल | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިރުގަނެފައިވުން | ||
| Dogri | डरे दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | natatakot | ||
| Guarani | ñemondýi | ||
| Ilocano | mabuteng | ||
| Krio | fred | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ترساو | ||
| Maithili | भयभीत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯀꯤꯕ ꯄꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | hlau | ||
| Oromo | kan rifate | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୟଭିତ | ||
| Quechua | mancharisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | भयसन्त्रस्तः | ||
| Tatar | курка | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝፈረሐ | ||
| Tsonga | chuha | ||