Scream in Different Languages
Discover 'Scream' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ah, the humble 'scream' - a sound that transcends language barriers and unites us all in moments of shock, fear, or pure exhilaration. This guttural expression has been a part of the human experience for millennia, featuring prominently in our cultural history and literature. From Edvard Munch's iconic painting, 'The Scream', to Hollywood horror flicks, the significance of a scream is undeniable.
But what happens when we venture beyond our linguistic comfort zones? How do we convey this powerful emotion in languages other than our own? That's where things get interesting! The word 'scream' translates differently across the globe, reflecting unique cultural nuances and phonetic patterns.
For instance, in Spanish, you'd say 'gritar', while German speakers prefer 'schreien'. In Japanese, it's '泣き叫ぶ' (nakikau), and in Russian, they use 'кричать' (krichat'). Intrigued? Dive deeper into this global symphony of sounds with our comprehensive list of 'scream' translations.
Scream
Scream in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skree | ||
| The Afrikaans word "skree" can also refer to a harsh or grating sound. | |||
| Amharic | ጩኸት | ||
| The term ጩኸት also refers to a kind of traditional prayer sung in a loud, piercing voice, especially by Muslim women during the Prophet's birthday (መውሊድ). | |||
| Hausa | kururuwa | ||
| The word "kururuwa" can also mean "to cry out" or "to wail" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | tie mkpu | ||
| In Igbo, the word "tie mkpu" can also refer to the act of calling out to someone or something from a distance. | |||
| Malagasy | mikiakiaka | ||
| The word 'mikiakiaka' can also refer to a sudden outburst or a vehement protest. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukuwa | ||
| The word "kukuwa" can also refer to the cry of a bird, or a loud noise. | |||
| Shona | mhere | ||
| Shona word "mhere" has alternate meanings including "squeak" and "creak." | |||
| Somali | qaylin | ||
| The Somali word "qaylin" is derived from the Arabic word "qawl", meaning "speech" or "statement" | |||
| Sesotho | hoelehetsa | ||
| The word "hoelehetsa" also refers to the sound a frog makes and shares its root with the Sesotho word "hoela" which means to cry. | |||
| Swahili | kupiga kelele | ||
| The verb "kupiga kelele" also means "to clap one's hands" or "to make noise" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | khwaza | ||
| The word "khwaza" can also mean "to cry out in pain or surprise" or "to make a loud noise" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | pariwo | ||
| "Pariwo" can also figuratively mean "to make a spectacle or public show of oneself" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | memeza | ||
| In Zulu, the word "memeza" can also refer to a loud cry of joy or excitement. | |||
| Bambara | kulekan | ||
| Ewe | do ɣli | ||
| Kinyarwanda | induru | ||
| Lingala | koganga | ||
| Luganda | okuleekaana | ||
| Sepedi | goeletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | team | ||
Scream in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تصرخ | ||
| "تصرخ" can also mean "cry out" or "make a sound". | |||
| Hebrew | לִצְרוֹחַ | ||
| The verb "לצרוח" also means to "cry out in pain". | |||
| Pashto | چیغه | ||
| The word "chigha" in Pashto can also refer to a type of traditional folk song characterized by its mournful and plaintive melodies. | |||
| Arabic | تصرخ | ||
| "تصرخ" can also mean "cry out" or "make a sound". | |||
Scream in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ulërimë | ||
| The Albanian word "ulërimë" is related to the word "ul" meaning "wolf". This is because in the past, wolves were known for their loud and piercing howls, similar to the sound of a human scream. | |||
| Basque | garrasi | ||
| The word "garrasi" is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of a human scream. | |||
| Catalan | cridar | ||
| The verb 'cridar' derives from Latin 'queritari', meaning both 'to complain' and 'to scream'. | |||
| Croatian | vrisak | ||
| The term "vrisak" has roots in the Proto-Slavic word "vrisъti," meaning "to cry out" or "to shout." | |||
| Danish | skrige | ||
| The word "skrige" is derived from the Old Norse word "skrika", meaning "to cry out" or "to make a noise". | |||
| Dutch | schreeuw | ||
| The word schreeuw may originally have referred to the shrill call of an animal such as a bird or horse | |||
| English | scream | ||
| The word "scream" comes from the Old English word "scriman," which means "to cry out." | |||
| French | crier | ||
| In French, "crier" can also mean "to weep" or "to cry out loud". | |||
| Frisian | skrieme | ||
| The Frisian word "skrieme" shares roots with the Dutch "schreeuwen" and German "schreien" with both meanings "to shout" and "to cry". | |||
| Galician | berrar | ||
| The Galician word "berrar" can also mean "to shout", "to roar", or "to bellow" in Portuguese. | |||
| German | schrei | ||
| "Schrei" can also refer to a work of art, such as Edvard Munch's "The Scream". | |||
| Icelandic | öskra | ||
| "Öskra" derives from Old Norse "ósk", meaning "desire" or "wish," suggesting a primal vocalization expressing strong emotion. | |||
| Irish | scread | ||
| The Irish word "scread" can also mean a "screech" or a "rant". | |||
| Italian | urlare | ||
| "Urlare" is an onomatopoeic word, deriving from the sound produced while emitting the scream. | |||
| Luxembourgish | jäizen | ||
| The word "jäizen" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eyǵ- meaning "to shout" or "to scream". | |||
| Maltese | għajjat | ||
| The word 'għajjat' derives from the Arabic word 'ʿajjata', which means 'to shout', 'to cry out', or 'to scream'. | |||
| Norwegian | hyle | ||
| The term 'hyle' has historical and dialectal meanings of 'to cover' and 'to shelter' in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | grito | ||
| The word "grito" is also used to refer to a political protest or to a loud noise. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgread | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "sgread" can also mean "shriek", "cry", or "lament". | |||
| Spanish | gritar | ||
| In Andalusian Spanish, "gritar" can also mean "to talk loudly and excitedly" or "to scold". | |||
| Swedish | skrika | ||
| The Swedish word "skrika" is cognate with the English word "shriek". | |||
| Welsh | sgrechian | ||
| The term 'sgrechian' derives from the Old Norse word 'skraekja,' sharing an etymological origin with the English noun 'shriek.' | |||
Scream in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крычаць | ||
| Bosnian | vrištati | ||
| The word "vrištati" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vьriti, meaning "to cry out". | |||
| Bulgarian | вик | ||
| The Bulgarian word "вик" (scream) is related to the Proto-Slavic root *vikti, meaning "to utter a loud sound". | |||
| Czech | výkřik | ||
| "Výkřik" is also the Czech word for "shout" and "cry". | |||
| Estonian | karjuma | ||
| Its alternate meaning is "to make a noise like a crane" | |||
| Finnish | huutaa | ||
| The word "huutaa" is also used to describe the sound made by animals, especially birds and owls. | |||
| Hungarian | sikoly | ||
| The verb "sikolyog" comes from an old Hungarian word "sikoly" ("scream") of Turkic origin, while its noun form is of Slavic origin. | |||
| Latvian | kliedz | ||
| The word "kliedz" in Latvian is closely related to the word "kliegt" in German, both meaning "to cry out or scream". In Latvian, "kliedz" is also used to refer to a loud noise or commotion. | |||
| Lithuanian | rėkti | ||
| Related to other Lithuanian terms, rėkauti and verkti, both referring to expressing emotions | |||
| Macedonian | вреска | ||
| An alternative meaning of "вреска" is 'a kind of plant' or 'a kind of bird'. | |||
| Polish | krzyk | ||
| While in English the word "scream" refers exclusively to vocal sounds, its Polish counterpart "krzyk" can also mean any other loud and sudden noises. | |||
| Romanian | ţipăt | ||
| "Ţipăt" is also the traditional name for the Romanian folk musical genre known in English as doina, in reference to the vocal technique in which the voice mimics instruments. | |||
| Russian | кричать | ||
| The word "кричать" (scream) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*kričati", which means "to make a loud noise". | |||
| Serbian | вриштати | ||
| Вриштати also means to shout, cry, or shriek. | |||
| Slovak | kričať | ||
| The word "kričať" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *krikati, meaning "to call out". | |||
| Slovenian | kričati | ||
| The word "kričati" has many alternate meanings, including "to yell" and "to howl". | |||
| Ukrainian | кричати | ||
| "Кричати" is a Ukrainian verb that means "to shout" or "to cry out." | |||
Scream in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিৎকার | ||
| The Bengali word "চিৎকার" also refers to the sound of an animal (other than humans). | |||
| Gujarati | ચીસો | ||
| The word "ચીસો" may be related to the Gujarati word "ચીતરવું" (to shout), possibly indicating its association with loud vocal expressions. | |||
| Hindi | चीख | ||
| The word "चीख" is also used to denote the shrill cry of an animal or a musical instrument, especially in a high-pitched or piercing manner. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಿರುಚಾಡಿ | ||
| The word "ಕಿರುಚಾಡಿ" can also mean a person who screams a lot | |||
| Malayalam | നിലവിളി | ||
| The word 'നിലവിളി' ('scream') can also mean 'lament' or 'wail', suggesting its emotional and expressive nature. | |||
| Marathi | किंचाळणे | ||
| The Marathi word "किंचाळणे" (kinchāḷaṇē) likely originates from "किंचित्" (kiñcit), meaning "a little," suggesting its original meaning may have been "to make a small cry." | |||
| Nepali | चिच्याउनु | ||
| 'चिच्याउनु' appears to be derived from the root 'चिच्', meaning 'to make a sharp sound', similar to the English word 'chirp' | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੀਕ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਚੀਕ" (scream) is also an exclamation of surprise or dismay. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කෑගැසීම | ||
| The Sinhala word for "scream" comes from two ancient Dravidian words, "Kaak-i" and "Gasse-i" which refer to the cry of crows. | |||
| Tamil | அலறல் | ||
| While the word "scream" is of German origin, the Tamil word "அலறல்" stems from the Dravidian root "ahl-", meaning "to open (the mouth)". | |||
| Telugu | కేకలు | ||
| The word "కేకలు" in Telugu can also refer to a type of traditional dance performed by women. | |||
| Urdu | چیخ | ||
| In Urdu, "چیخ" (scream) can also refer to a type of fabric or a musical instrument, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṣveka" (sound). | |||
Scream in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 尖叫 | ||
| 尖叫 has also been used to mean "to laugh out loud", "to shout", and "to whistle". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 尖叫 | ||
| This term's original meaning was 'a bird's cry', and some dictionaries list 'call out' as an alternate meaning. | |||
| Japanese | 悲鳴 | ||
| "悲鳴" originally comes from the word "悲しむ" with the meaning of "to lament". | |||
| Korean | 비명 | ||
| '비명' can also mean 'a cry for help', 'an outcry', or 'a protest' | |||
| Mongolian | хашгирах | ||
| The Mongolian word "хашгирах" (scream) is also used to describe the sound of metal screeching. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အော် | ||
| အော် means both "to scream" and "to invite people to participate in an activity". | |||
Scream in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berteriak | ||
| Berteriak is derived from the Sanskrit word "braviti", meaning "to cry out, speak". | |||
| Javanese | njerit | ||
| The Javanese word "njerit" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "*ŋiRiS", which also meant "to scream or shout". | |||
| Khmer | ស្រែក | ||
| The word ស្រែក also has other meanings in Khmer including 'croak,' 'cry aloud,' 'shout,' 'yell,' 'bawl,' 'roar,' 'howl,' 'bellow,' and some of these are more common than the primary meaning depending on usage. | |||
| Lao | ຮ້ອງ | ||
| It is also used as a verb to mean "to ask" or "to request". | |||
| Malay | menjerit | ||
| "Menjerit" is also used to describe the sound made by certain animals, such as cats and birds, or even the sound of a car engine. | |||
| Thai | กรี๊ด | ||
| The Thai word “กรี๊ด” derives from Sanskrit which means “to call out”. | |||
| Vietnamese | hét lên | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "scream," "hét lên" can also mean "to shout or cry out" or "to make a loud noise." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sigaw | ||
Scream in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qışqırmaq | ||
| The Azerbaijani word 'qışqırmaq' derives from the Old Turkic verb 'qığır-' and also means 'to shout'. | |||
| Kazakh | айқайлау | ||
| "Айқайлау" has its roots both from the Turkic languages like Uzbek or Tatar as well as from the Persian language, in which word "айқан" is a derivative of an Arabic word "aqn", which means "to shout" in English. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыйкыруу | ||
| "Кыйкыруу" also means "loud speech" or "a way of attracting attention" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | фарёд | ||
| The word "фарёд" also refers to the "scream" of an eagle, in addition to its meaning of a human outcry. | |||
| Turkmen | gygyr | ||
| Uzbek | qichqiriq | ||
| Qichqiriq, which means scream, is also a name traditionally given to newborn boys. | |||
| Uyghur | دەپ ۋاقىرىغىن | ||
Scream in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻūʻā | ||
| 'Ūʻā' also means 'echo' and 'roar' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | hamama | ||
| The word "hamama" in Maori is cognate with "hafamafa" in Samoan and "fa'amaha" in Tahitian. | |||
| Samoan | ee | ||
| The Samoan word "ee" can also mean "ouch" or "hey". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sigaw | ||
| "Sigaw" is the Filipino word for "scream," but it can also mean "noise" or "commotion." | |||
Scream in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arnaqaña | ||
| Guarani | sapukái | ||
Scream in International Languages
| Esperanto | krio | ||
| "Krio" is also the Esperanto word for "creation." | |||
| Latin | clamor | ||
| In Latin, "clamor" also refers to a noisy assembly or a demand made with great vociferation. | |||
Scream in Others Languages
| Greek | κραυγή | ||
| The Greek word "κραυγή" also refers to an Athenian official who announced public notices. | |||
| Hmong | quaj qw | ||
| The word "quaj qw" means "to scream" in Hmong, and is also used to describe the sound of a bird's call. | |||
| Kurdish | qîrîn | ||
| The word "qîrîn" is also used in Kurdish to describe a loud, harsh sound, such as the noise made by a thunderclap or a gunshot. | |||
| Turkish | çığlık | ||
| "Çığlık" also means "avalanche" in Turkish, reflecting the idea of a sudden and overwhelming onset. | |||
| Xhosa | khwaza | ||
| The word "khwaza" can also mean "to cry out in pain or surprise" or "to make a loud noise" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | שרייען | ||
| The word "שרייען" (shrayen, "scream") in Yiddish also has the meaning "to cry" and is related to the word "to weep" in Hebrew. | |||
| Zulu | memeza | ||
| In Zulu, the word "memeza" can also refer to a loud cry of joy or excitement. | |||
| Assamese | চিঞৰ | ||
| Aymara | arnaqaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | चीख | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަޅޭއްލެވުން | ||
| Dogri | चीख | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sigaw | ||
| Guarani | sapukái | ||
| Ilocano | agikkes | ||
| Krio | ala ala | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قیژە | ||
| Maithili | चिल्लेनाई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯎꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rak | ||
| Oromo | caraanuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିତ୍କାର | ||
| Quechua | qapariy | ||
| Sanskrit | चटु | ||
| Tatar | кычкыр | ||
| Tigrinya | ምእዋይ | ||
| Tsonga | cema | ||