Serious in different languages

Serious in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'serious' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting importance, gravity, and sincerity. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it shapes our interactions, decisions, and communication styles in various contexts. Have you ever pondered how this concept is expressed in other languages? Understanding the translations of 'serious' in different languages can offer a fascinating glimpse into the nuances of cultural perspectives.

For instance, in Spanish, 'serious' translates to 'serio', while in French, it becomes 'sérieux'. In German, the word 'ernst' captures the essence of 'serious', and in Japanese, the term 'majimena' is used to convey the same meaning. These translations not only bridge linguistic gaps but also provide food for thought about how different cultures perceive and communicate concepts of gravity and importance.

Join us as we delve deeper into the world of 'serious' in different languages, uncovering intriguing facts and historical contexts along the way. This exploration will undoubtedly enrich your appreciation for language and culture, opening up a world of possibilities for cross-cultural communication and understanding.

Serious


Serious in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansernstig
The Afrikaans word "ernstig" can also refer to a state of anger or annoyance.
Amharicከባድ
The word "ከባድ" can also mean "difficult" or "heavy".
Hausamai tsanani
"Mai tsanani" can also refer to a strict or disciplined person.
Igboakwa
"Akwa" can also mean "a state of being without blemish or fault".
Malagasymatotra
The word “matotra” comes from the root “totra” meaning “deep.”
Nyanja (Chichewa)kwambiri
The word "kwambiri" can also mean "very" or "extremely" in Nyanja.
Shonazvakakomba
The word "zvakakomba" (serious) in Shona can also mean "thoroughly" or "completely."
Somaliculus
In addition to its primary meaning of "serious," "culus" can also mean "important," "grave," or "critical" in Somali.
Sesothotebile
In Northern Sotho, "tebile" can refer to both "serious" and the act of making a fire.
Swahilikubwa
"Kubwa" also means "great" in Swahili.
Xhosanzulu
The Xhosa word "nzulu" also means "heavy" in Zulu, highlighting the connection between seriousness and weightiness.
Yorubapataki
In Yoruba, the term "pataki" additionally implies gravity or significance, emphasizing the weighty nature of crucial matters.
Zulusina
The word 'sina' also has connotations of 'earnestness', 'devotion', and 'fervor'.
Bambarasɛbɛ
Ewemoveviẽ
Kinyarwandabikomeye
Lingalaya ntina
Lugandakikulu
Sepeditiišitše
Twi (Akan)ani abere

Serious in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicجدي
"جدي" also means grandfather in Arabic, which is why you sometimes hear people joke "لا يوجد شيء غير جدي أكثر من جدك" (There is nothing more serious than your grandfather).
Hebrewרְצִינִי
The root of the word "רְצִינִי" ("serious") is "רצ" ("to run"), possibly alluding to the idea of "not taking things lightly" or "running after" one's responsibilities.
Pashtoجدي
The Pashto word "جدي" can also mean "grandparent" or "ancestor".
Arabicجدي
"جدي" also means grandfather in Arabic, which is why you sometimes hear people joke "لا يوجد شيء غير جدي أكثر من جدك" (There is nothing more serious than your grandfather).

Serious in Western European Languages

Albanianserioze
"Serioze" (serious) derives from the Latin "serius" or "serosus" meaning "whey" or "watery," and hence "sluggish" or "dull."
Basquelarria
"Larria": it comes from Latin but it also means the plague or pestilence
Catalangreu
The Catalan word "greu" also means "fat" or "big" in the sense of "heavy".
Croatianozbiljan
The word "ozbiljan" comes from the Proto-Slavic root "ozbъ", meaning "firm" or "severe".
Danishalvorlig
The Danish word "alvorlig" is ultimately derived from the Latin word "gravitas," meaning "weight" or "importance."
Dutchecht
Echt (serious) derives from the Proto-Germanic adjective *ahtaz meaning "pertaining to property, estate".
Englishserious
The word 'serious' comes from the Latin word 'serius,' meaning 'grave' or 'important.'
Frenchsérieux
The word "sérieux" can also refer to a set of related things, such as a series of lectures or a set of exercises.
Frisianserieus
The Frisian word "serieus" also means "painful" or "difficult".
Galicianserio
In Galician, "serio" also means "cold" or "wet and cold".
Germanernst
The German word "ernst" has been used since the 10th century and derives from the Old High German word "ernust"
Icelandicalvarlegt
The word "alvarlegt" is derived from the Old Norse word "alvarr," which means "careful" or "watchful.
Irishtromchúiseach
"Tromchúiseach" refers to a person in a serious mood or having a long face.
Italiangrave
The Italian word "grave" derives from the Latin word "gravis," which means both "heavy" and "serious."
Luxembourgisheescht
Besides its basic meaning of "serious", "eescht" can also mean "very" or "really" in Luxembourgish.
Malteseserju
The word "serju" (serious) in Maltese is derived from the Latin "serius" and can also mean "quiet" or "well-behaved".
Norwegianseriøs
The word "seriøs" ("serious") in Norwegian can also mean "solemn" or "formal."
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)grave
The Portuguese word "grave" can also mean "low" or a "deep sound", derived from Latin "gravis" (heavy).
Scots Gaelictrom
The origin of the Gaelic word "trom" is uncertain, but it may derive from the Proto-Germanic root "*draugmaz" meaning "phantom" or "spirit."
Spanishgrave
In Spanish, "grave" also means "accent" and is used to refer to the tilde (~) above "n" in "año".
Swedishallvarlig
The word 'allvarlig' derives from the Old Norse word 'alvor' meaning 'seriousness' or 'strength'.
Welshdifrifol
The word "difrifol" in Welsh has also been used to describe a state of being "in the dumps".

Serious in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianсур'ёзна
сур'ёзна is a Belarusian adjective meaning "serious", "solemn", or "severe", and derives from the Slavic word *surъ" meaning "raw" or "unripe".
Bosnianozbiljno
The word "ozbiljno" comes from the Turkish word "vazgeçilmez" meaning "irreplaceable" or "indispensable".
Bulgarianсериозно
"Сериозно" also means "in earnest" or "sincerely".
Czechvážně
Vážně (serious) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *věšč (< *věč-ti), meaning "to believe" or "to trust".
Estoniantõsine
In Estonian, the word "tõsine" also means "heavy; weighty" and is used to describe both physical and metaphorical weightiness.
Finnishvakava
The word "vakava" comes from the Proto-Finnic word *vakava, which also meant "heavy" or "weighty" in reference to either physical or emotional weight.
Hungariankomoly
The word "komoly" is also used to describe something that is important or weighty.
Latviannopietns
The noun "nopietnība" (seriousness) is a derivative of the adjective "nopietns" (serious), which in turn comes from the Old Prussian "napirsti" (serious) and the ancient Greek "anêpsis" (relish) and "anapneo" (to recover one's breath).
Lithuanianrimtas
The word "rimtas" also means "gravity" in the context of physics.
Macedonianсериозен
The word "сериозен" can also mean "solemn" or "grave" in Macedonian.
Polishpoważny
The Polish word "poważny" originally meant "worthy of trust" or "authoritative".
Romanianserios
"Serios" in Romanian can also mean "kind" or "nice".
Russianсерьезный
The archaic Russian verb 'серять' ('seryat') means 'to urinate', so 'серьёзный' ('serious') may have originally described the grim expression of a person relieving themselves in public.
Serbianозбиљно
The word 'озбиљно' is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'озри' meaning 'to see', and it can also mean 'clear', 'evident' or 'certain'.
Slovakvážne
The Slovak word "vážne" can also mean "seriously" or "really".
Slovenianresno
"Resno" also denotes solemnity or dignity in Slovenian.
Ukrainianсерйозний
The Ukrainian word “серйозний” originates from the Old Church Slavonic word “сьрѧнъ”, meaning “grave” or “severe”.

Serious in South Asian Languages

Bengaliগুরুতর
In Bengali, 'গুরুতর' (serious) is derived from Sanskrit 'গুরু' (heavy) and 'তর' (to cross), referring to something that carries significant weight or poses a great challenge.
Gujaratiગંભીર
The word "ગંભીર" has a rich etymology, originating from Sanskrit and holding alternate meanings such as "weighty", "gravely", and "deeply involved".
Hindiगंभीर
The Hindi word "गंभीर" is derived from the Sanskrit word "गम्भीर", which also commonly translates to "serious" in English, but its alternate meanings in Hindi also include "dignified", "weighty", and "deep".
Kannadaಗಂಭೀರ
The word "ಗಂಭೀರ" also means "majestic" or "impressive" in Kannada.
Malayalamഗുരുതരമായത്
The word "ഗുരുതരമായത്" in Malayalam also means "heavy" when referring to weight.
Marathiगंभीर
The word "गंभीर" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "गम्भीर" which can also mean "deep" or "heavy".
Nepaliगम्भीर
'गम्भीर' (gambhīr) comes from Sanskrit 'गम्भीर' (gambhīra) meaning 'deep', referring to the depth of seriousness.
Punjabiਗੰਭੀਰ
The word "ਗੰਭੀਰ" (serious) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "गम्भीर" (deep, profound), and also means "dignified, majestic, or solemn".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)බරපතල
The word "බරපතල" (barapathala) in Sinhala has multiple meanings, including "heavy," "important," and "difficult."
Tamilதீவிரமானது
Teluguతీవ్రమైన
Urduسنجیدہ
'سنجیدہ' ('serious') is derived from the Persian word 'سنجیدن' ('to weigh, to ponder') which also means 'thoughtful', 'prudent', or 'considerate'.

Serious in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)严重
In Classical Chinese, 严重 can also refer to a person's facial expression, meaning "solemn" or "respectful".
Chinese (Traditional)嚴重
嚴 (yán) in 嚴重 refers to sternness, while 重 (zhòng) means heavy or important.
Japanese深刻
The word "深刻" literally means "deep-cut" or "deeply engraved", implying a sense of gravity or seriousness.
Korean진지한
In addition to its primary meaning of 'serious,' 진지한 can also mean 'sincere' or 'earnest'.
Mongolianноцтой
The Mongolian word "ноцтой" also means "weighty" or "burdensome".
Myanmar (Burmese)အလေးအနက်ထား
The term is used in both literary and colloquial settings.

Serious in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianserius
The word "serius" in Indonesian can also mean "in earnest" or "diligently".
Javaneseserius
The Javanese word "serius" also means "difficult to please" and is related to the word "tresna" (to love).
Khmerធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ
The word ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ can also be used in the context of weight and physical heaviness, and it may be cognate to the Thai word หนัก (nak), meaning 'heavy'.
Laoຮ້າຍແຮງ
ຮ່າຍແຮງ was originally used to mean 'painful or injurious' in the context of poison or weapons.
Malayserius
The word "serius" in Malay has an alternate meaning of "strict".
Thaiจริงจัง
The word "จริงจัง" can also mean "earnest" or "sincere".
Vietnamesenghiêm trọng
The Vietnamese word "nghiêm trọng" originates from the Chinese word "嚴重", which itself means "serious".
Filipino (Tagalog)seryoso

Serious in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniciddi
The word "ciddi" in Azerbaijani also means "firm", "solid", "steadfast", and "earnest".
Kazakhбайсалды
The word "байсалды" in Kazakh can also refer to a "wise person" or "sage".
Kyrgyzолуттуу
The word "олуттуу" in Kyrgyz has the same root ("олут") as the word meaning "death" ("ölüm"), and the two words share a similar pronunciation.
Tajikҷиддӣ
The term "ҷиддӣ" may also refer to the concept of "being responsible" or "acting maturely" in Tajik.
Turkmençynlakaý
Uzbekjiddiy
The Uzbek word "jiddiy" traces its roots back to the Arabic word "jidd" signifying both seriousness and an ancestor.
Uyghurئېغىر

Serious in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankoʻikoʻi
Hawaiian “koʻikoʻi,” meaning “serious” in English, also refers to one’s physical state of health or condition.
Maoritino
In Maori, "tino" also means "very" or "intense".
Samoanmatuia
The word “matuia” may come from the Proto-Polynesian term “*matu,” which also meant “heavy” or “grave.”
Tagalog (Filipino)seryoso
The word "seryoso" also means "firm" or "rigid" in Tagalog.

Serious in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraamulaqa
Guaranivaieterei

Serious in International Languages

Esperantoserioza
The word "serioza" in Esperanto can also mean "earnest" or "important".
Latingravis
The Latin word "gravis" also refers to the low register in ancient Greek music.

Serious in Others Languages

Greekσοβαρός
The word
Hmongloj heev
"Loj heev" literally means "cold liver" in Hmong.
Kurdishciddî
The word 'ciddî' in Kurdish originates from the Arabic word 'jiddi' and shares its meaning of 'serious'.
Turkishciddi
"Ciddi" shares the same etymological root with "jiddi" in Arabic, which means "paternal grandfather".
Xhosanzulu
The Xhosa word "nzulu" also means "heavy" in Zulu, highlighting the connection between seriousness and weightiness.
Yiddishערנסט
The word "ערנסט" can also mean "earnest" or "solemn" in Yiddish.
Zulusina
The word 'sina' also has connotations of 'earnestness', 'devotion', and 'fervor'.
Assameseগহীন
Aymaraamulaqa
Bhojpuriगम्भीर
Dhivehiސީރިއަސް
Dogriनाजक
Filipino (Tagalog)seryoso
Guaranivaieterei
Ilocanoserioso
Kriosiriɔs
Kurdish (Sorani)جددی
Maithiliगंभीर
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯔꯨꯕ
Mizotihtakzet
Oromoqoosaa kan hin ta'iin
Odia (Oriya)ଗମ୍ଭୀର
Quechuallasaq
Sanskritगम्भीरः
Tatarҗитди
Tigrinyaቁም ነገር
Tsongatiyimisela

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