Suicide in Different Languages
Discover 'Suicide' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word suicide holds great significance as it refers to the act of intentionally causing one's own death. This term is not only crucial in the medical and psychological fields but also in understanding societal issues, cultural attitudes, and personal struggles. Suicide has been a topic of interest across various cultures and historical periods, with different languages providing unique perspectives on this complex issue.
For instance, in Latin, suicidium reflects the intentional nature of the act, while in Japanese, joushi (� joushi) carries a sense of sadness and tragedy. In Hindi, atmahatya (अत्महत्या) highlights the religious and moral implications of self-inflicted death. These translations not only offer linguistic diversity but also shed light on cultural nuances surrounding suicide.
Understanding the word suicide in different languages can foster empathy, promote open discussions, and help break down cultural barriers. Here's a list of translations that reveal the global reach and impact of this critical issue.
Suicide
Suicide in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | selfmoord | ||
| "Selfmoord" (suicide) in Afrikaans derives from "zelf" (self) and "moord" (murder), indicating the perception of suicide as an act of self-murder. | |||
| Amharic | ራስን መግደል | ||
| Hausa | kashe kansa | ||
| Igbo | igbu onwe | ||
| Etymology of 'igbu onwe' suggests it meant something different in earlier forms of Igbo: 'igbu' meaning 'killing' and 'onwe' meaning 'person' but in this context it means 'oneself'. | |||
| Malagasy | famonoan-tena | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudzipha | ||
| 'Kudzipha' comes from the root word 'pha', meaning 'to kill', and the prefix 'ku', signifying an action. It shares a root with the word 'kupha', meaning 'to die' or 'to be killed'. | |||
| Shona | kuzviuraya | ||
| Somali | ismiidaamin | ||
| The word "ismiidaamin" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "istimdaad", meaning "to seek help". | |||
| Sesotho | ho ipolaea | ||
| The Sesotho word "ho ipolaea" (suicide) is derived from the verb "ho ipolosa" (to destroy oneself). | |||
| Swahili | kujiua | ||
| The word 'kujiua' in Swahili originates from 'ku' (to do) and 'jiua' (to kill oneself), but can also refer to animal sacrifice. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzibulala | ||
| Yoruba | igbẹmi ara ẹni | ||
| Igbẹ́mi ara ẹni translates to 'self-killing', and not suicide as it is commonly used. | |||
| Zulu | ukuzibulala | ||
| Bambara | yɛrɛfaga | ||
| Ewe | ameɖokuiwuwu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwiyahura | ||
| Lingala | komiboma | ||
| Luganda | okwetta | ||
| Sepedi | go ipolaya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | obi a okum ne ho | ||
Suicide in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | انتحار | ||
| Hebrew | הִתאַבְּדוּת | ||
| The word "הִתאַבְּדוּת" derives from the root "אבד", meaning "to be lost" or "to perish." | |||
| Pashto | ځان وژنه | ||
| The word "ځان وژنه" not only means "suicide" but is also used as the technical word for "self-sacrifice". | |||
| Arabic | انتحار | ||
Suicide in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vetëvrasje | ||
| The word "vetëvrasje" derives from the Albanian words "vetë" (self) and "vrasje" (killing), and it can also refer to self-sacrifice or martyrdom in some contexts. | |||
| Basque | suizidioa | ||
| The Basque word "suizidioa" is related to "suizida" in the Romance languages and "suicide" in English, with no alternative meanings. | |||
| Catalan | suïcidi | ||
| Suïcidi comes from the Latin word "sui cidium", meaning "self-killing". | |||
| Croatian | samoubojstvo | ||
| Danish | selvmord | ||
| The Danish word "selvmord" is derived from the Old Norse "sjalfsmorð", a compound of "sjalf" (self) and "morð" (murder), and thus literally means "self-murder." | |||
| Dutch | zelfmoord | ||
| The word 'zelfmoord' (suicide in Dutch) is derived from the Old Dutch words 'zelf' (self) and 'moord' (murder), meaning literally 'murdering oneself' | |||
| English | suicide | ||
| The English word 'suicide' has roots in Latin as well as French (where it was 'suiscide'): both are ultimately derived from Old Latin _sui caedere_ (_sway kay-duh-ray_; "to kill oneself"), but also have meanings associated with murder of another person, especially through treachery; the English 'cide' suffix is ultimately derived from this verb and appears in numerous modern words derived from Latin that pertain to killing. | |||
| French | suicide | ||
| The French word for "suicide" is composed of the words "sui" (oneself) and "cide" (to kill), and shares a common root with the English word "homicide". | |||
| Frisian | selsmoard | ||
| The Middle Frisian word "selsmoard" comes from the root "self" (self) and "moard" (murder). | |||
| Galician | suicidio | ||
| The word "suicidio" in Galician can also refer to the voluntary termination of one's life. | |||
| German | selbstmord | ||
| The German word "Selbstmord" literally translates to "self-murder," reflecting its legal and moral connotations in German society. | |||
| Icelandic | sjálfsmorð | ||
| The Icelandic word "sjálfsmorð" can also refer to "self-death". | |||
| Irish | féinmharú | ||
| Italian | suicidio | ||
| Luxembourgish | suizid | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Suizid" is also used to describe the act of self-sacrifice, martyrdom, or dying for a noble cause. | |||
| Maltese | suwiċidju | ||
| The Maltese word "suwiċidju" comes from the Latin "suicidium", which in turn comes from the Latin verb "sui caedere", meaning "to kill oneself". | |||
| Norwegian | selvmord | ||
| The Norwegian word "selvmord" literally translates to "self-murder". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | suicídio | ||
| Suicídio comes from the Latin 'suicidium' while also meaning the act of taking one's own life. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fèin-mharbhadh | ||
| The term "fèin-mharbhadh" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to the "self-murder" of one's reputation or status. | |||
| Spanish | suicidio | ||
| The Spanish word "suicidio" can also refer to the act of giving up one's life for religious or political reasons. | |||
| Swedish | självmord | ||
| "Självmord" literally means "self-murder" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | hunanladdiad | ||
| The word 'hunanladdiad' is derived from the Welsh words 'hun' (self) and 'lladdiad' (killing), literally meaning 'self-killing'. | |||
Suicide in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | самагубства | ||
| The word "самагубства" (suicide) is derived from the Old Slavic root "губъ" (to destroy, to lose). | |||
| Bosnian | samoubistvo | ||
| The word "samoubistvo" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "sъmoubijьstvo", which means "self-killing". | |||
| Bulgarian | самоубийство | ||
| The Bulgarian word "самоубийство" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*samъ" (self) and "*ubiti" (to kill), meaning "self-killing". | |||
| Czech | sebevražda | ||
| The Czech word "sebevražda" is derived from the Slavic word "vražda" (murder) and the prefix "sebe-" (self), literally meaning "murder of oneself". | |||
| Estonian | enesetapp | ||
| The term is not considered to be an original Estonian one, with some sources suggesting it may have been borrowed from Old Norse. | |||
| Finnish | itsemurha | ||
| "Itsemurha" is a compound word, formed from the words "itse" (self) and "murha" (murder). | |||
| Hungarian | öngyilkosság | ||
| "Öngyilkosság" literally means "self-killing" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | pašnāvība | ||
| The term "pašnāvība" in Latvian can also refer to self-mutilation and ritual self-sacrifice. | |||
| Lithuanian | savižudybė | ||
| Macedonian | самоубиство | ||
| The word "самоубиство" is derived from the Slavic word "sam" (self) and "ubiti" (to kill). | |||
| Polish | samobójstwo | ||
| The Polish word 'samobójstwo' is derived from the Old Polish word 'samobójca' meaning 'one who kills himself' and is related to the Slavic root 'smrt' ('death'). | |||
| Romanian | sinucidere | ||
| In the case of Romanian "sinucidere" the prefix "sino-" (literally "by itself, by one's own will, on its own, of its own accord, by itself alone, unaided ") refers to an action done without any external help. | |||
| Russian | самоубийство | ||
| "Самоубийство" is not related to any words for "self" or "kill" but instead goes back to "убийство," meaning "murder". | |||
| Serbian | самоубиство | ||
| The word "самоубиство" in Serbian originally meant "self-sacrifice" or "death by one's own hand", but it has since come to mean "suicide". | |||
| Slovak | samovražda | ||
| "Samovražda" in Slovak is related to the word "vražda" (murder), suggesting self-killing as a form of murder against oneself. | |||
| Slovenian | samomor | ||
| The word "samomor" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъmo-morъ, meaning "self-inflicted death". | |||
| Ukrainian | самогубство | ||
| The Ukrainian word "самогубство" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *samgubstvo, which is derived from the roots *samъ ("self") and *gubiti ("to destroy"). | |||
Suicide in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আত্মহত্যা | ||
| Gujarati | આત્મહત્યા | ||
| The word "आत्महत्या" (suicide) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्महत्या" (self-killing), which is composed of the words "आत्म" (self) and "हत्या" (killing). | |||
| Hindi | आत्मघाती | ||
| The word "आत्मघाती" can also mean "murderer" or "killer" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ | ||
| Malayalam | ആത്മഹത്യ | ||
| The word "ആത്മഹത്യ" (suicide) is derived from the Sanskrit words "आत्म" (self) and "हत्या" (killing). It can also be used in a broader sense to refer to self-harm or self-destructive behavior. | |||
| Marathi | आत्महत्या | ||
| The word "आत्महत्या" (suicide) in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit words "आत्म" (self) and "हत्या" (killing), thus conveying the idea of self-killing or taking one's own life. | |||
| Nepali | आत्महत्या | ||
| The word "आत्महत्या" literally means "giving up oneself" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Punjabi | ਖੁਦਕੁਸ਼ੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සියදිවි නසා ගැනීම | ||
| Tamil | தற்கொலை | ||
| In Tamil, the word "தற்கொலை" (suicide) literally translates to "self-killing." | |||
| Telugu | ఆత్మహత్య | ||
| The word "ఆత్మహత్య" (suicide) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्महत्या" (ātmahatyā), which literally means "self-killing". | |||
| Urdu | خودکشی | ||
Suicide in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 自杀 | ||
| The term 自杀 ('suicide') literally means 'self-killing' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 自殺 | ||
| Japanese | 自殺 | ||
| The Japanese word "自殺" (jisatsu) originally meant "self-killing" or "self-murder" but is now used solely to refer to suicide. | |||
| Korean | 자살 | ||
| 자살 is the Korean word for 'suicide,' derived from Chinese characters meaning 'self' and 'kill' and can also refer to the Buddhist concept of 'self-killing' or 'death of the self,' which is considered as a way of transcending the cycle of rebirth and achieving spiritual enlightenment. | |||
| Mongolian | амиа хорлох | ||
| The Mongolian word ‘амиа хорлох’ is etymologically connected to the word ‘хорлон’ which is the Mongolian word for ‘worm’, and it can metaphorically represent ‘the worm that hollows a tree’. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကိုယ့်ကိုယ်ကိုသတ်သေခြင်း | ||
Suicide in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bunuh diri | ||
| Javanese | lampus | ||
| The Javanese word "lampus" originates from the Old Javanese word "lampu", meaning "to burn oneself". | |||
| Khmer | ការធ្វើអត្តឃាត | ||
| Lao | ການຂ້າຕົວຕາຍ | ||
| Malay | membunuh diri | ||
| Thai | การฆ่าตัวตาย | ||
| In Thai, the word "การฆ่าตัวตาย" can also refer to ritual suicide or self-sacrifice. | |||
| Vietnamese | tự sát | ||
| The word "tự sát" (suicide) is formed from two Sino-Vietnamese words: "tự" (self) and "sát" (to kill). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpapakamatay | ||
Suicide in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | intihar | ||
| The word 'intihar' is derived from the Arabic word 'intihar', which means 'to throw oneself into danger'. | |||
| Kazakh | суицид | ||
| Слово «суицид» в казахском языке произошло от латинского «sui caedere», что означает «убивать себя». | |||
| Kyrgyz | суицид | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "суицид" is derived from the Latin word "sui cidium," which means "self-killing." | |||
| Tajik | худкушӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "худкушӣ" derives from the Persian word "خودکشی" (khudkushī), meaning "self-killing". | |||
| Turkmen | öz janyna kast etmek | ||
| Uzbek | o'z joniga qasd qilish | ||
| Uyghur | ئۆزىنى ئۆلتۈرىۋېلىش | ||
Suicide in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pepehi kanaka ʻana | ||
| The word "pepehi kanaka ʻana" can also be used to describe homicide or other forms of killing. | |||
| Maori | whakamomori | ||
| The word "whakamomori" can also mean "to protect" or "to keep safe" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | pule i le ola | ||
| The Samoan word for suicide, "pule i le ola," literally translates to "prayer for life". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagpapakamatay | ||
Suicide in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jupa pachpa jiwayasiña | ||
| Guarani | ojesuicida haguã | ||
Suicide in International Languages
| Esperanto | memmortigo | ||
| Memmortigo is a calque of the Latin word "memoriam mortis" (remembrance of death). | |||
| Latin | mortem | ||
| "Mortem", which stems from Latin, can also refer to the state of being dead, rather than just the act of intentional death. | |||
Suicide in Others Languages
| Greek | αυτοκτονία | ||
| Αυτοκτονία derives from "αὐτός" (self) and "κτείνω" (to kill) and originally referred to the act of killing oneself in order to avoid dishonour or disgrace. | |||
| Hmong | yus tua yus | ||
| "Yus tua yus" literally means "a life for a life" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | xwekûştinî | ||
| The word “xwekûştinî” derives from the two words “xwe” (self) and “kûştin” (kill), thus literally meaning “self-killing.” | |||
| Turkish | intihar | ||
| "İntihar" is an Arabic loanword used in Turkish that originally meant "warning", a meaning still retained in Azeri. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzibulala | ||
| Yiddish | זעלבסטמאָרד | ||
| The Yiddish word for 'suicide' is 'זעלבסטמאָרד', a compound word meaning 'self-murder'. | |||
| Zulu | ukuzibulala | ||
| Assamese | আত্মহত্যা | ||
| Aymara | jupa pachpa jiwayasiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | आत्महत्या के बात बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އަމިއްލައަށް މަރުވުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | आत्महत्या | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpapakamatay | ||
| Guarani | ojesuicida haguã | ||
| Ilocano | panagpakamatay | ||
| Krio | fɔ kil dɛnsɛf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆکوشتن | ||
| Maithili | आत्महत्या | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯁꯥꯅꯥ ꯃꯁꯥꯕꯨ ꯁꯤꯖꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | mahni intihhlum | ||
| Oromo | of ajjeesuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆତ୍ମହତ୍ୟା | ||
| Quechua | wañuchikuy | ||
| Sanskrit | आत्महत्या | ||
| Tatar | үз-үзенә кул салу | ||
| Tigrinya | ነብሰ ቅትለት | ||
| Tsonga | ku tidlaya | ||