Severe in Different Languages
Discover 'Severe' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word severe holds great significance in our vocabulary, often used to describe situations or conditions that are extreme, intense, or serious. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, where it's used to add weight to a narrative, and in scientific or medical contexts, where it indicates a critical level of a phenomenon or condition.
Understanding the translation of severe in different languages can open up new dimensions of cultural understanding and communication. For instance, in Spanish, severe translates to grave, which also means 'serious' or 'important'. In French, it's sévère, reflecting a similar phonetic and semantic structure. In Japanese, it's Japanse: 厳しい (kibishii), a term that also carries connotations of strictness and harshness.
Delving into the translations of severe is not just a linguistic exercise, but a journey into the heart of different cultures and their ways of expressing intensity and seriousness. Stay tuned for more translations and their cultural contexts.
Severe
Severe in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ernstig | ||
| The Afrikaans word "ernstig" ultimately derives from Middle Dutch "ernst" and Old French "ernest", but also has cognates in Spanish, Catalan, and several other Romance languages. | |||
| Amharic | ከባድ | ||
| ከባድ is derived from the root verb "ከበደ" (to make heavy) and can also mean "difficult" or "serious". | |||
| Hausa | mai tsanani | ||
| The word ''mai tsanani'' is also a euphemism for ''snuff''. | |||
| Igbo | siri ike | ||
| The term 'siri ike' can also refer to a person who is physically strong and robust. | |||
| Malagasy | mafy | ||
| "Mafy" can also mean "strict" or "hard". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kwambiri | ||
| In Nyanja, "kwambiri" also refers to a person who is harsh or unforgiving. | |||
| Shona | zvakanyanya | ||
| The verb 'zvakanyanya' is also used to describe the action of a sharp object piercing or cutting through something | |||
| Somali | daran | ||
| The word | |||
| Sesotho | matla | ||
| The word "matla" in Sesotho can also refer to "a strong person" or "a difficult task." | |||
| Swahili | kali | ||
| In Swahili, "kali" also means "black" or "bad," reflecting the negative connotations associated with darkness. | |||
| Xhosa | kakhulu | ||
| The word "kakhulu" in Xhosa also means "very much" or "greatly". | |||
| Yoruba | àìdá | ||
| Àìdá also means 'difficult or hard' and derives from the Yoruba word 'dán dán' meaning 'firm' or 'stubborn'. | |||
| Zulu | ezinzima | ||
| "Ezinzima" can also refer to a person or animal that is strong and powerful. | |||
| Bambara | juguman | ||
| Ewe | seŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bikabije | ||
| Lingala | makasi | ||
| Luganda | -ngi | ||
| Sepedi | šoro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | emu yɛ den | ||
Severe in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شديد | ||
| In Arabic, the word "شديد" also means "very" or "strong". | |||
| Hebrew | חָמוּר | ||
| The word "חָמוּר" can also mean "donkey" in Hebrew, originating from the Akkadian word for "donkey" "imēru". | |||
| Pashto | سخت | ||
| The word "سخت" in Pashto can also mean "strong" or "difficult." | |||
| Arabic | شديد | ||
| In Arabic, the word "شديد" also means "very" or "strong". | |||
Severe in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të rënda | ||
| The word "të rënda" can also mean "difficulty" or "hardship" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | larria | ||
| A variant of "larria" is "laria" meaning "heavy", which may derive from Proto-Basque "*lare" meaning "fat". | |||
| Catalan | greu | ||
| "Greu" is derived from Occitan "greu", meaning both "heavy" and "difficult". | |||
| Croatian | ozbiljna | ||
| "Ozbiljna" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*ob-zъlbĭnъ", meaning "having a clear or definite form". In modern Croatian, it can also mean "important" or "serious". | |||
| Danish | alvorlig | ||
| The word "alvorlig" is derived from the Old Norse word "alvorr," meaning "seriousness" or "gravity." | |||
| Dutch | erge, ernstige | ||
| The Dutch word "erge" comes from the Old Dutch word "arge" which means "bad" or "evil." | |||
| English | severe | ||
| "Severe" comes from the Latin "severus" but can also mean "strict," "harsh," or "somber." | |||
| French | sévère | ||
| 'Sévère' may also mean rigorous, earnest, harsh, strict, uncompromising, curt, sharp, critical, grave, solemn, austere, bleak, stern, inflexible | |||
| Frisian | strang | ||
| The word "strang" in Frisian can also mean "strong" or "powerful". | |||
| Galician | grave | ||
| In Galician, “grave” is also a unit of weight (1,000 kg) | |||
| German | stark | ||
| Stark in German can also mean rigid, stiff, or inflexible. | |||
| Icelandic | alvarlegur | ||
| The Icelandic word "alvarlegur" can also be used to describe someone or something that is "serious, earnest, solemn, grave or weighty." | |||
| Irish | dian | ||
| The word "dian" is also used in Irish to describe a sharp pain or pang. | |||
| Italian | acuto | ||
| The Italian word "acuto" has an alternate meaning of "high-pitched" and is linked to the Latin word "acus", meaning "needle". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schwéier | ||
| Maltese | severa | ||
| Maltese "severa" is cognate with Arabic "shadid", Persian "shadid" and Turkic "sedit", all meaning "strong" or "violent". | |||
| Norwegian | alvorlig | ||
| The Old Norse root "alvarlig" meant 'serious or earnest,' with the connotation 'grave' from the 17th century. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | forte | ||
| The word "forte" in Portuguese also means "strong" or "loud". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cruaidh | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "cruaidh" also means "hard" or "difficult". | |||
| Spanish | grave | ||
| The Spanish word "grave" originally meant "heavy" and is cognate with the English word "grave" (a hole in the ground), as well as with the French word "grève" (a beach). | |||
| Swedish | svår | ||
| The word "svår" is also used in Swedish to describe something that is difficult to understand or do. | |||
| Welsh | difrifol | ||
| The word "difrifol" in Welsh is derived from the Latin word "difficilis", meaning "difficult" or "hard to do". | |||
Severe in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цяжкая | ||
| Bosnian | ozbiljno | ||
| The word "ozbiljno" comes from the Turkish word "öz", meaning "essence" or "core". It can also mean "serious" or "important". | |||
| Bulgarian | тежък | ||
| The word "тежък" shares its root with a word meaning "difficult", "hard". | |||
| Czech | těžké | ||
| The word "těžké" is an adjective meaning "heavy" or "difficult", and is related to the word "tíže" meaning "weight" or "burden." | |||
| Estonian | raske | ||
| The word "raske" also means "heavy" or "difficult". | |||
| Finnish | vakava | ||
| "Vakava" is cognate with "vacancy" and "vague", which are derived from Latin "vacare" (to be empty). | |||
| Hungarian | szigorú | ||
| "Szigorú" is also an adjective meaning "strict" or "rigorous". | |||
| Latvian | smags | ||
| The Latvian word "smags" has Indo-European roots and is cognate with the English word "slack". | |||
| Lithuanian | sunkus | ||
| The word "sunkus" may have derived from the Proto-Germanic root "sunquaz", meaning "swollen" or "heavy". | |||
| Macedonian | тешка | ||
| The word "тешка" in Macedonian can also mean "difficult", "arduous", or "onerous". | |||
| Polish | ciężki: silny | ||
| The word "ciężki" also means "heavy" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | severă | ||
| The word "severă" is derived from the Latin word "severus" which means "strict or stern". It also has the alternate meaning of "cold" in Romanian, especially when it comes to weather. | |||
| Russian | тяжелая форма | ||
| The literal meaning of "тяжелая форма" is "heavy form" but this is used figuratively (e.g. in medicine) to express "severe" as if a medical condition carries a lot of "weight" | |||
| Serbian | озбиљна | ||
| The word "озбиљна" comes from the Old Slavic word "злобъ", meaning "evil" or "harmful". | |||
| Slovak | ťažké | ||
| The Slovak word "ťažké" also means "heavy" or "difficult". | |||
| Slovenian | hudo | ||
| The word "hudo" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "xudъ", which means "evil" or "bad". | |||
| Ukrainian | сильний | ||
| "Сильний" in Ukrainian can also mean "large" or "heavy". | |||
Severe in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গুরুতর | ||
| The word "গুরুতর" also means "heavy" or "serious" in Bengali, in addition to its primary meaning of "severe". | |||
| Gujarati | ગંભીર | ||
| The Gujarati word "ગંભીર" (pronounced "gambhīr") has alternate meanings in Sanskrit, including "deep," "solemn," and "weighty." | |||
| Hindi | गंभीर | ||
| The word "गंभीर" also means "profound" or "deeply felt". | |||
| Kannada | ತೀವ್ರ | ||
| The term "ತೀವ್ರ" is an adjective meaning "intense" or "excessive" in Kannada, originating from the Sanskrit word "tīvra" with similar connotations, which is derived from the Indo-European root "tei- " meaning "to sharpen or incite." | |||
| Malayalam | കഠിനമാണ് | ||
| Marathi | तीव्र | ||
| "तीव्र" also means "sharp" and "intense" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | गम्भीर | ||
| "गम्भीर" is derived from Sanskrit "गम्भीर" and also means "deep" or "grave". | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੰਭੀਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දරුණු | ||
| The word "දරුණු" also means "terrible" and "bad" in Sinhala (Sinhalese). | |||
| Tamil | கடுமையானது | ||
| கடுமையானது originally meant | |||
| Telugu | తీవ్రమైన | ||
| తీవ్రమైన also means 'very', 'much', 'great', 'intense', 'strong', 'deep', 'violent', 'sharp', 'acute', 'bitter', 'pungent', 'harsh', 'cruel', 'hard', 'difficult', 'distressing', 'painful', and 'dangerous'. | |||
| Urdu | شدید | ||
| The word "شدید" also means "hard" or "rough". | |||
Severe in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 严重 | ||
| 严重 (yàn zhòng) also means "serious" or "grave" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 嚴重 | ||
| "嚴重" can also mean "important" or "solemn" in archaic Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 重度 | ||
| 重度 is also a Buddhist term meaning "heavy sin" or "grave offense". | |||
| Korean | 중증 | ||
| The word "중증" is derived from Chinese characters meaning "heavy" and "burden". | |||
| Mongolian | хүнд | ||
| The word "хүнд" not only reflects negative events, but rather can also mean a "heavy" amount of something positive such as joy or wealth. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြင်းထန် | ||
Severe in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berat | ||
| Berat can also refer to weight, burden, or importance. | |||
| Javanese | parah | ||
| "Parah" in Javanese can also mean "extreme, intense", or "badly damaged". | |||
| Khmer | ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ | ||
| "ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ" (heavy/harsh) has an extended figurative meaning of "severe pain" and "severe punishment." | |||
| Lao | ຮ້າຍແຮງ | ||
| Malay | teruk | ||
| "Teruk" also means "very" in Kelantanese Malay, as in "very good" or "very delicious." | |||
| Thai | รุนแรง | ||
| รุนแรง is derived from 'รุน' (to pull or cause pressure) and 'แรง' (force), and can also refer to causing pressure on something to compel them to do something. | |||
| Vietnamese | dữ dội | ||
| Dữ dội means "fierce" but is also used ironically to mean "so-so". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malala | ||
Severe in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ağır | ||
| The word "ağır" also means "heavy" in Azerbaijani, reflecting its multifaceted semantic field. | |||
| Kazakh | ауыр | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "severe," "ауыр" can also be used to describe something that is heavy, difficult, or challenging in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | катуу | ||
| The word "катуу" in Kyrgyz has several alternate meanings, including "hard", "strong", and "firm". | |||
| Tajik | сахт | ||
| In Persian, “sakhth” means “firm”, “strong”, and “difficult”. | |||
| Turkmen | agyr | ||
| Uzbek | og'ir | ||
| "Og'ir" has two meanings: severe, serious and heavy, weighty | |||
| Uyghur | ئېغىر | ||
Severe in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | koʻikoʻi loa | ||
| In Hawaiian, "koʻikoʻi loa" can also refer to a sharp, cutting pain or a deep, intense emotion. | |||
| Maori | kino | ||
| Kino also means "ugly" or "unpleasant" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | ogaoga | ||
| The Samoan word 'ogaoga' also means 'to be raw or unripe', and is related to the Polynesian word 'otaota' meaning 'grass' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matindi | ||
| "Matindi" is derived from the root word "tindi" meaning "intensity" and can also refer to something "serious" or "extraordinary". | |||
Severe in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | siwiru | ||
| Guarani | ivaietereíva | ||
Severe in International Languages
| Esperanto | severa | ||
| The word "severa" is derived from the Latin word "severus" meaning "strict" or "harsh" | |||
| Latin | gravibus | ||
| Gravibus derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰre- (“to age”) and is also related to the Latin word gravis (“heavy”). | |||
Severe in Others Languages
| Greek | αυστηρός | ||
| "Αυστηρός" can also mean "stringent" or "strict" in Greek, emphasizing the intensity or rigidity of something. | |||
| Hmong | loj heev | ||
| "Loj heev" also means "too much" or "to the extreme" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | giran | ||
| The Kurdish word 'giran' also means 'heaviness', 'pressure', 'hardship' and 'oppression' | |||
| Turkish | şiddetli | ||
| The word "şiddetli" is derived from the Arabic word "shiddat", meaning "intensiveness" or "violence". | |||
| Xhosa | kakhulu | ||
| The word "kakhulu" in Xhosa also means "very much" or "greatly". | |||
| Yiddish | שטרענג | ||
| The word "שטערענג" (shtrange) in Yiddish also means "rigid" or "exacting". | |||
| Zulu | ezinzima | ||
| "Ezinzima" can also refer to a person or animal that is strong and powerful. | |||
| Assamese | অতিশয় | ||
| Aymara | siwiru | ||
| Bhojpuri | गम्हीर | ||
| Dhivehi | ގަދަފަދަ | ||
| Dogri | डाहडा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malala | ||
| Guarani | ivaietereíva | ||
| Ilocano | nakaro | ||
| Krio | siriɔs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تووند | ||
| Maithili | गंभीर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯊꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | nasa | ||
| Oromo | hammaataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗମ୍ଭୀର | ||
| Quechua | nisyu | ||
| Sanskrit | अति | ||
| Tatar | каты | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓያል | ||
| Tsonga | hi matimba | ||