Strike in Different Languages
Discover 'Strike' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'strike' carries significant weight in various contexts, from labor movements to sports. It represents a powerful action that brings about change, sparks competition, and leaves a cultural imprint worldwide. Understanding its translation in different languages can open doors to global connections and cultural exchange.
For instance, in Spanish, 'strike' becomes 'huelga,' while in German, it's 'Streik.' In French, you'd say 'grève,' and in Japanese, 'ストライク (sutoraiku).' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also encapsulate the unique cultural nuances associated with the term.
Moreover, the historical significance of 'strike' is evident in the labor movement of the late 19th century, when workers used this tactic to fight for better wages and working conditions. This powerful act of solidarity transcends borders and continues to inspire change in various parts of the world.
Join us as we delve deeper into the multifaceted world of 'strike' and explore its translations in a wide array of languages.
Strike
Strike in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | staak | ||
| In Afrikaans, 'staak' can also refer to a metal rod used in road construction or farming. | |||
| Amharic | አድማ | ||
| The verb 'አድማ' can also refer to the action of 'calling' or 'summoning'. | |||
| Hausa | yajin | ||
| In addition to meaning "strike" in Hausa, "yajin" is also used to refer specifically to industrial, general, or national strikes, such as those organized by unions. | |||
| Igbo | gbuo | ||
| The word "gbuo" in Igbo can also refer to a "stick" or a "club" | |||
| Malagasy | fitokonana | ||
| The word "fitokonana" in Malagasy can also mean "agreement" or "understanding". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kunyanyala | ||
| Shona | rova | ||
| The word "rova" in Shona can also refer to a traditional dance performed at weddings and other social gatherings. | |||
| Somali | shaqo joojin | ||
| The term shaqo joojin derives from the Somali words shaqo (work) and joojin (to stop), and refers not only to strikes but also to labour suspensions. | |||
| Sesotho | otla | ||
| The word "otla" has other meanings in Sesotho, including "to pound" and "to hit with a stick or club." | |||
| Swahili | mgomo | ||
| "Mgomo" (strike) in Swahili is derived from the Proto-Bantu word *-gomo, meaning "to halt," and can also refer to a "blockade" or "roadblock." | |||
| Xhosa | uqhankqalazo | ||
| The Xhosa word 'uqhankqalazo' can also refer to a sudden and unexpected event. | |||
| Yoruba | lu | ||
| Yoruba "lù" has an additional meaning: "to push down" as a force against resistance, as to push a nail into wood. | |||
| Zulu | isiteleka | ||
| The word 'isiteleka' in Zulu derives from the verb 'itela', which means 'to hit' or 'to strike'. | |||
| Bambara | báarabila | ||
| Ewe | ƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imyigaragambyo | ||
| Lingala | kobeta | ||
| Luganda | okwekalakaasa | ||
| Sepedi | go teraeka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | te atua | ||
Strike in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إضراب | ||
| In Arabic, "إضراب" also means "turning away". | |||
| Hebrew | לְהַכּוֹת | ||
| לְהַכּוֹת relates to "to make covenant", possibly from a root meaning "to touch". Also used figuratively for "to slay" or "to defeat". | |||
| Pashto | اعتصاب | ||
| اعتصاب derives from Arabic and means not only 'strike' but also 'revolt' or 'rebellion'. | |||
| Arabic | إضراب | ||
| In Arabic, "إضراب" also means "turning away". | |||
Strike in Western European Languages
| Albanian | grevë | ||
| Derived from Latin "gravitas" meaning "seriousness" or "weight" | |||
| Basque | greba | ||
| Although «greba» means «strike» in Basque, it comes from the same root as the English word «grab». | |||
| Catalan | colpejar | ||
| The word "colpejar" is derived from the Latin word "colligere", meaning "to collect or gather". | |||
| Croatian | štrajk | ||
| The word "štrajk" comes from the German word "streik" and the Czech word "štastrk". | |||
| Danish | strejke | ||
| In Danish, the word 'strejke' can also refer to a 'strike', a sudden movement of the body, or a 'stretch'. | |||
| Dutch | staking | ||
| In Dutch, "staking" also means "piling" or "stacking" in construction contexts. | |||
| English | strike | ||
| The word 'strike' has many meanings including hitting, going on strike, and lighting a match or flint. In bowling, it means knocking down all ten pins with one ball. | |||
| French | la grève | ||
| The word "la grève" in French also originated from the practice of striking the ground with spades and shovels which were the symbols of the strike action. | |||
| Frisian | slaan | ||
| Frisian "slaan" may derive from Old Frisian "sla“, and is cognate with Dutch "slaan" and German "schlagen". | |||
| Galician | folga | ||
| The word "folga" also has the meaning of "leisure time" or "vacation" in Galician. | |||
| German | streik | ||
| German word "Streik" originates from the Polish "strajk", meaning "to stop work" or "to stand still" | |||
| Icelandic | verkfall | ||
| Verkfall is a compound of verka (work) + fall (downfall), and can also refer to economic or other decline. | |||
| Irish | stailc | ||
| Irish word "stailc" also means "stalk" or "pillar" and can be used to describe a person who is "unyielding" or "firmly planted". | |||
| Italian | sciopero | ||
| 'Sciopero' is cognate with the Medieval Latin word 'exoperare,' meaning 'to stop working' | |||
| Luxembourgish | streiken | ||
| The verb "streiken" in Luxembourgish also means "to stretch" or "to extend". | |||
| Maltese | strajk | ||
| The word "strajk" in Maltese can also mean "obstacle" or "difficulty". | |||
| Norwegian | streik | ||
| The Norwegian word "streik" also means a "line", and is derived from an Old Norse word of the same origin as the English word "streak". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | greve | ||
| "Greve" (pronounced 'greh-vuh') derives from the French word "grieve" meaning "grievance" or "complaint", or from the Old High German word "gravo" meaning "dig" or "trench" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stailc | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "stailc" is derived from the Old Norse word "steikja", meaning "to hit" or "to strike". | |||
| Spanish | huelga | ||
| "Huelga" means "strike" in Spanish, but it also comes from the Latin "colligare," meaning "to tie" or "to bind". | |||
| Swedish | strejk | ||
| The word 'strejk' derives from an older word that meant 'to stretch' or 'to pull', and it can also mean 'a line' or 'a boundary' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | streic | ||
| In Welsh, "streic" can also mean "to extend" or "to spread out". | |||
Strike in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | забастоўка | ||
| The word "забастоўка" (strike) in Belarusian is derived from the Russian word "забастовка" (strike), which in turn comes from the Italian word "basta" (enough). | |||
| Bosnian | štrajk | ||
| The word "štrajk" can also mean "work stoppage" or "interruption" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | стачка | ||
| The word "стачка" (strike) in Bulgarian is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "сътачити" (to knock down, to strike) and has the alternate meaning of "collision, clash". | |||
| Czech | stávkovat | ||
| The word "stávkovat" in Czech originates from the German word "streik" and the word "stav" meaning "condition" or "state" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | streikima | ||
| In Estonian, the word "streikima" also means "to strive" or "to aim at". | |||
| Finnish | lakko | ||
| The word "lakko" also means a "stoppage" in Finnish, and is cognate to the Germanic word "lock". | |||
| Hungarian | sztrájk | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "strike", the Hungarian word "sztrájk" can also refer to a picket line or industrial action. | |||
| Latvian | streikot | ||
| The word "streikot" is derived from the German word "streiken", which means "to stop work". | |||
| Lithuanian | streikuoti | ||
| Lithuanian "streikuoti" derives from the Polish "strajkować" meaning "to stop work" which in turn comes from the Old German "streik" meaning "to stretch out". | |||
| Macedonian | штрајк | ||
| Штрајк has the alternate meaning of 'stitch'. | |||
| Polish | strajk | ||
| In Polish, "strajk" also refers to a form of protest where people refuse to work or buy goods. | |||
| Romanian | lovitură | ||
| In addition to meaning "strike," "lovitură" in Romanian can also refer to the result of an impact or a lucky chance. | |||
| Russian | забастовка | ||
| The Russian word "забастовка" (strike) is derived from the French word "saboter" (to sabotage). | |||
| Serbian | ударац | ||
| "Ударац" can also refer to a blow or hit in sports. | |||
| Slovak | štrajk | ||
| "Štrajk" is also a Slovak word for 'stitching'. | |||
| Slovenian | stavka | ||
| In Russian, "ставка" also means "rate" or "salary". | |||
| Ukrainian | страйк | ||
| The Ukrainian word "страйк" comes from the English "strike", but also has additional meanings like "to play" or "to hit" in a game. | |||
Strike in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধর্মঘট | ||
| "ধর্মঘট" is cognate with "dharma-ghāt" in Sanskrit, meaning "a stopping or obstruction of religious activities". | |||
| Gujarati | હડતાલ | ||
| The word "હડતાલ" is a Sanskrit borrowing that originally meant "striking" and then came to mean "a strike" by metonymy. | |||
| Hindi | हड़ताल | ||
| "हड़ताल" means strike in Hindi, but its root word "हड़" also means capture or seize, leading to different usage in literature and poetry." | |||
| Kannada | ಮುಷ್ಕರ | ||
| ಮುಷ್ಕರ is derived from the Sanskrit word 'muṣkara' meaning 'to steal' or 'to cheat'. | |||
| Malayalam | പണിമുടക്ക് | ||
| The Malayalam word "പണിമുടക്ക്" literally means "cessation of work" and is derived from the Sanskrit root "पण्य" (panya), meaning "work" or "labor". | |||
| Marathi | संप | ||
| The Sanskrit word "sampa" may also refer to an object that touches (e.g. a coin, a tree or a corpse) as well as an epidemic. | |||
| Nepali | हडताल | ||
| The word "हडताल" in Nepali also refers to a musical instrument, or to making a loud drumming sound. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੜਤਾਲ | ||
| ਹੜਤਾਲ also refers to the act of abstaining from something or going on halt. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වර්ජනය | ||
| "වර්ජනය" is derived from Sanskrit "varjana" meaning "restraint, abstinence, prohibition", and also refers to "refusal to work in order to protest". | |||
| Tamil | வேலைநிறுத்தம் | ||
| Though "வேலைநிறுத்தம்" is usually used to mean "strike", it can also mean "cessation of work". | |||
| Telugu | సమ్మె | ||
| The word "సమ్మె" can also mean "a vow" or "a promise" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | ہڑتال | ||
| The word 'ہڑتال' originates from the Sanskrit word 'हड़ताल', meaning 'to seize or grasp' | |||
Strike in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 罢工 | ||
| The word “罢工” originally meant “to stand and stop” in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 罷工 | ||
| This word means 'retire' or 'stop' in its original Chinese characters, but came to mean 'strike' due to the similar pronunciation of the Japanese word for 'strike'. | |||
| Japanese | 攻撃 | ||
| "攻撃" originally meant "to strike with a bow and arrow" and was originally not used as an attack with the hand or foot. | |||
| Korean | 스트라이크 | ||
| The word "스트라이크" in Korean can also mean "to enter" or "to hit". | |||
| Mongolian | ажил хаях | ||
| The word "ажил хаях" can also mean "to refuse" or "to reject" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သပိတ်မှောက် | ||
Strike in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menyerang | ||
| The word "menyerang" in Indonesian derives from the Malay word "menyerang" and also means "to attack". | |||
| Javanese | mogok | ||
| The word "mogok" in Javanese can also refer to a failure or breakdown, like when a machine stops working. | |||
| Khmer | កូដកម្ម | ||
| The word "កូដកម្ម" ("strike") in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "कूटकर्म" (kūṭakarma), which means "evil deed" or "sin". This usage is common in Khmer legal contexts. | |||
| Lao | ປະທ້ວງ | ||
| Malay | mogok | ||
| The word "mogok" in Malay is also used to refer to the act of refusing food or drink as a form of protest. | |||
| Thai | โจมตี | ||
| The Thai word "โจมตี" not only means "to strike," but also carries the meaning of "to criticize or attack someone verbally." | |||
| Vietnamese | đình công | ||
| "Đình công" also means "a meeting place for the local people" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | strike | ||
Strike in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tətil | ||
| The word "tətil" in Azerbaijani comes from the Persian word "ta'til", which means "to stop". | |||
| Kazakh | ереуіл | ||
| The word "ереуіл" also means "rebellion" or "uprising" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | иш таштоо | ||
| The word "иш таштоо" can also mean "to work hard" or "to take action" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | зарба задан | ||
| The word can also be used to refer to a sudden attack or a military operation.} | |||
| Turkmen | iş taşlaýyş | ||
| Uzbek | urish | ||
| The word "urish" in Uzbek can also mean "to beat"} | |||
| Uyghur | ئىش تاشلاش | ||
Strike in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hahau | ||
| "Hahau" can also mean a scar or mark left by a strike. | |||
| Maori | patu | ||
| In Maori, "patu" can also refer to a club or weapon used for striking. | |||
| Samoan | teteʻe | ||
| In Samoan, "tete'e" also means "to hit" or "to pound". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | welga | ||
| In some Philippine languages, "welga" means "holiday" or "vacation", unrelated to the concept of a strike. | |||
Strike in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manq'at mutuña | ||
| Guarani | mba'apopyta | ||
Strike in International Languages
| Esperanto | striki | ||
| The Esperanto word "striki" comes from the Yiddish word "שטריק" (shtryk), which means "rope" or "string." | |||
| Latin | percutiens | ||
| In anatomy, "percutiens" refers to the muscle that strikes another muscle, as opposed to "percussio" which refers to the action of striking itself. | |||
Strike in Others Languages
| Greek | απεργία | ||
| The word "απεργία" in Greek also means "idleness" or "leisure". | |||
| Hmong | tawm tsam | ||
| The word "tawm tsam" in Hmong can also refer to hitting or kicking something. | |||
| Kurdish | karberdan | ||
| The word "karberdan" in Kurdish is also used to describe a sudden, heavy downpour of rain. | |||
| Turkish | vuruş | ||
| "Vuruş", in addition to its primary meaning of "strike", can also refer to a "hit" or a "stroke" in the context of music or sports. | |||
| Xhosa | uqhankqalazo | ||
| The Xhosa word 'uqhankqalazo' can also refer to a sudden and unexpected event. | |||
| Yiddish | שלאָגן | ||
| The word "שלאָגן" in Yiddish can also mean "to beat" or "to hit". | |||
| Zulu | isiteleka | ||
| The word 'isiteleka' in Zulu derives from the verb 'itela', which means 'to hit' or 'to strike'. | |||
| Assamese | আঘাত কৰা | ||
| Aymara | manq'at mutuña | ||
| Bhojpuri | हड़ताल | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްޓްރައިކް | ||
| Dogri | हड़ताल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | strike | ||
| Guarani | mba'apopyta | ||
| Ilocano | aghuelga | ||
| Krio | protɛst | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لێدان | ||
| Maithili | धरना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | vua | ||
| Oromo | haleellaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧର୍ମଘଟ | ||
| Quechua | sayay | ||
| Sanskrit | ताड़्यति | ||
| Tatar | эш ташлау | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣድማ | ||
| Tsonga | xitereko | ||