Survival in Different Languages
Discover 'Survival' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Survival is a powerful word that carries significant weight in various cultures and languages. It represents the basic instinct to live and endure, no matter the circumstances. From the rugged terrains of the Sahara desert to the icy tundras of the Arctic, survival is a universal concept that transcends geographical boundaries.
Throughout history, survival has been a central theme in countless stories of human resilience and determination. From the tales of early explorers braving uncharted territories to the harrowing accounts of Holocaust survivors, the importance of survival cannot be overstated.
Understanding the translation of survival in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and approach this fundamental human experience. For instance, the German word for survival is 'Überleben,' which carries a sense of overcoming adversity, while the Chinese translation, '生存,' emphasizes the basic necessity of life.
Join us as we explore the many translations of survival in different languages, shedding light on the rich cultural nuances that underpin this universal human experience.
Survival
Survival in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oorlewing | ||
| Afrikaans word "oorlewing" (survival) is directly borrowed from Dutch "overleving" or German "überleben". It has no alternate meanings. | |||
| Amharic | መትረፍ | ||
| The term መትረፍ ('survival') may also refer to the process of keeping something alive. | |||
| Hausa | rayuwa | ||
| The word 'rayuwa' can also mean 'life' or 'existence' in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | lanarị | ||
| The word "lanarị" can also mean "living" or "reviving" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | velona | ||
| "Velona" in Malagasy shares the same root as "vela" meaning "to live" or "to endure." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupulumuka | ||
| "Kupulumuka" is also used in reference to someone being found safe after having disappeared. | |||
| Shona | kupona | ||
| In everyday language, "kupona" refers to the struggle or process of surviving, whereas in its spiritual usage, it represents the idea of 'going through' and 'overcoming'. | |||
| Somali | badbaado | ||
| The word "badbaado" also means "the art of healing" in Somali, and is of Arabic origin. | |||
| Sesotho | ho pholoha | ||
| The word "ho pholoha" can also mean "to be saved" or "to be delivered". | |||
| Swahili | kuishi | ||
| Kuishi' is also a verb in Swahili, meaning 'to live' or 'to dwell', which highlights the close relationship between survival and living. | |||
| Xhosa | ukusinda | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ukusinda' can also refer to perseverance or endurance. | |||
| Yoruba | iwalaaye | ||
| Iwàláayè also means 'style of life' or 'manner of life'. | |||
| Zulu | ukusinda | ||
| Ukusinda also means 'escape' or 'salvation'. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛnamaya sɔrɔli | ||
| Ewe | agbetsitsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurokoka | ||
| Lingala | kobika na nzoto | ||
| Luganda | okuwangaala | ||
| Sepedi | go phologa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkwa a wonya | ||
Survival in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نجاة | ||
| The Arabic word "نجاة" can also mean "salvation" or "redemption", emphasizing a spiritual aspect beyond mere physical survival. | |||
| Hebrew | הישרדות | ||
| The term can also refer to the Jewish commandment to save a life (pikuaḥ nefesh), which overrides most other laws in Jewish law. | |||
| Pashto | بقا | ||
| In Pashto, "بقا" ("baqā") also refers to "remaining" or "enduring" beyond a particular point in time. | |||
| Arabic | نجاة | ||
| The Arabic word "نجاة" can also mean "salvation" or "redemption", emphasizing a spiritual aspect beyond mere physical survival. | |||
Survival in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbijetesa | ||
| "Mbjetesa" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷi- meaning "to live" and is connected to the words "gjetoj" ("I live") and "gjallë" ("alive"). It can also refer to the food left over after a meal or the act of leaving something behind. | |||
| Basque | biziraupena | ||
| The Basque word "biziraupena" also means "the act of persevering or continuing. | |||
| Catalan | supervivència | ||
| "Supervivència" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "supervivere", meaning "to live beyond something". | |||
| Croatian | opstanak | ||
| The word "opstanak" can also refer to a rebellion or uprising, due to its root in the verb "opstati" (to stand up against). | |||
| Danish | overlevelse | ||
| The word "overlevelse" derives from the Old Norse term "yfirlifna", which means "to remain over". | |||
| Dutch | overleving | ||
| The Dutch verb 'overlijden' means both 'to be alive (to outlive)' and 'to perish'. | |||
| English | survival | ||
| The word "survival" originates from the Latin word "supervivō", meaning "to outlive" or "to remain alive". | |||
| French | survie | ||
| The word "survie" in French can also refer to the "right to life" or the "right to exist" | |||
| Frisian | oerlibjen | ||
| The word "oerlibjen" can also refer to the ability to persevere or endure difficult circumstances. | |||
| Galician | supervivencia | ||
| The Galician word "supervivencia" derives from the verb "supervivir" (to survive), while in Spanish the word "supervivencia" also means "subsistence". | |||
| German | überleben | ||
| In Medieval German, "überleben" meant 'to live longer than' and not 'to remain alive'. | |||
| Icelandic | lifun | ||
| The word "" lífun "" does not only mean survival in Icelandic but also "revival" or "recovery" of someone who has been sick | |||
| Irish | maireachtáil | ||
| Italian | sopravvivenza | ||
| "Sopravvivenza" derives from the Latin "supervivere" meaning "to outlive". | |||
| Luxembourgish | iwwerliewe | ||
| Maltese | sopravivenza | ||
| The Maltese word 'sopravivenza' is derived from the Italian word 'sopravvivere', meaning 'to survive' or 'to live on'. | |||
| Norwegian | overlevelse | ||
| The word "overlevelse" is derived from the Old Norse "yfirlifð" which can also mean "remaining" or "outliving". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sobrevivência | ||
| The word "sobrevivência" has Latin origins and also means "survival" in Spanish and Catalan. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mairsinn | ||
| "Mairsinn" could also refer to a sea creature | |||
| Spanish | supervivencia | ||
| The term "supervivencia" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "supervivere," meaning "to live on." It can also refer to the act of enduring or outlasting something difficult. | |||
| Swedish | överlevnad | ||
| Överlevnad is derived from the Old Norse word "yfirleifð", meaning "what remains after something has passed away." | |||
| Welsh | goroesi | ||
| Goroesi is derived from the Old Welsh verb "gor-oes" meaning "over-staying" or "delaying". | |||
Survival in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | выжыванне | ||
| The Belarusian word "выжыванне" is derived from the Russian word "выжить", which means "to survive". | |||
| Bosnian | preživljavanje | ||
| The word "preživljavanje" can also mean "sustenance" or "livelihood" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | оцеляване | ||
| Although its meaning in modern Bulgarian is 'survival', its etymological meaning in old Bulgarian was also 'salvation' or 'deliverance'. | |||
| Czech | přežití | ||
| "Přežití" comes from "přežíti" (to outlast), which itself derives from "žít" (to live) | |||
| Estonian | ellujäämine | ||
| The word "ellujäämine" is also used in Estonian to refer to the leftover part of something, like food or money. | |||
| Finnish | eloonjääminen | ||
| "Eloonjääminen" derives from the words "elo" (life) and "jäädä" (to remain). | |||
| Hungarian | túlélés | ||
| In Hungarian, "túlélés" literally means "overliving" or "outliving". | |||
| Latvian | izdzīvošana | ||
| “Izdzīvošana” is a Latvian noun derived from the verb “dzīvot” (“to live”), but originally meant “subsistence”, with meanings in some dialects still similar to today's “maintenance/sustenance”. | |||
| Lithuanian | išgyvenimas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "išgyvenimas" can also refer to "experience" or " переживание" in Russian. | |||
| Macedonian | опстанок | ||
| The word "опстанок" also means "balance" and has roots in Proto-Slavic "*opьstati" meaning "to be on top". | |||
| Polish | przetrwanie | ||
| The word 'przetrwanie' can also mean 'endurance' or 'persistence'. | |||
| Romanian | supravieţuire | ||
| “Supravieţuire” comes from Latin roots “super” (above, over) and “vīvere” (to live), meaning literally “to live above”. | |||
| Russian | выживание | ||
| In Russian, «выживание» also means «living out one's life to the end, making the best of it even in hard times». | |||
| Serbian | опстанак | ||
| The word 'опстанак' (survival) is derived from the verb 'остати' (to remain), and can also refer to 'subsistence' or 'livelihood'. | |||
| Slovak | prežitie | ||
| The Slovak word "prežitie" is derived from the verb "prežiť", meaning "to survive", and can also refer to the act of getting through a difficult time or situation. | |||
| Slovenian | preživetje | ||
| The Slavic root of "preživetje" can be found in words for "to eat", "to bite", "to chew" across many languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | виживання | ||
| The Ukrainian word "виживання" also means "subsistence". | |||
Survival in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বেঁচে থাকা | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit root 'ji' meaning 'to live' and the affix '-an', 'survival' in Bengali also refers to the act or condition of being in existence. | |||
| Gujarati | અસ્તિત્વ | ||
| Hindi | उत्तरजीविता | ||
| उत्तरजीविता is derived from the Sanskrit word 'uttara' meaning 'to cross over' or 'to live on'. | |||
| Kannada | ಬದುಕುಳಿಯುವಿಕೆ | ||
| The word ಬದುಕುಳಿಯುವಿಕೆ (badukuliyavike) in Kannada is derived from the root word "ಬದುಕು" (baduku), meaning "life", and the suffix "-ಳಿಯುವಿಕೆ" (-liyavike), indicating a process or state of being. It can also refer to the ability to adapt and thrive in challenging conditions. | |||
| Malayalam | അതിജീവനം | ||
| The word "survival" can also refer to a form of entertainment in which participants compete to outlast each other in a variety of challenges. | |||
| Marathi | जगण्याची | ||
| The word "जगण्याची" derives from the Sanskrit word "जगति," meaning "to live" or "to exist." | |||
| Nepali | अस्तित्व | ||
| The word "अस्तित्व" can also mean "existence" or "being". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਚਾਅ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਬਚਾਅ" derives from "बचाव" (bachaav) in Sanskrit, meaning "protection, rescue, preservation." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැවැත්ම | ||
| Tamil | பிழைப்பு | ||
| The Tamil word "பிழைப்பு" can also refer to "living expenses" or "means of livelihood". | |||
| Telugu | మనుగడ | ||
| The word 'మనుగడ' ('survival') in Telugu also means 'existence' or 'life' in a broader sense. | |||
| Urdu | بقا | ||
| The Urdu word "بقا" (survival) originates from the Arabic verb "بقي" meaning "to remain" and has connotations of "endurance" or "immortality". | |||
Survival in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 生存 | ||
| "生存" may also mean "life" or "existence". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 生存 | ||
| In Taoism, "生存" can also refer to the continuation of life after death. | |||
| Japanese | サバイバル | ||
| In Japanese, “サバイバル” not only refers to survival in a dire situation, but also has various meanings such as enduring a difficult period or overcoming obstacles. | |||
| Korean | 활착 | ||
| 활착 is a Korean word that originally meant "to stick to life". | |||
| Mongolian | амьд үлдэх | ||
| "Амьд үлдэх" is derived from the words "амь" (life) and "үлдэх" (to remain), and can also refer to the biological process of organisms continuing to live. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှင်သန်မှု | ||
Survival in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bertahan hidup | ||
| Bertahan hidup (Indonesian for "survival") literally means "to hold life." | |||
| Javanese | kaslametan | ||
| "Kaslametan" in Javanese not only means "survival" but also "well-being" and "prosperity." | |||
| Khmer | ការរស់រានមានជីវិត | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມຢູ່ລອດ | ||
| Malay | kelangsungan hidup | ||
| In Indonesian and Malaysian, the term "kelangsungan hidup" can also refer to "livelihood" and "subsistence". | |||
| Thai | การอยู่รอด | ||
| The word "การอยู่รอด" can also mean "a way of life" or "a means of subsistence". | |||
| Vietnamese | sự sống còn | ||
| The Vietnamese word "sự sống còn" literally means "the state of remaining alive" and is used in multiple contexts beyond physical survival, including economic and spiritual survival. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaligtasan ng buhay | ||
Survival in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sağ qalma | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "sağ qalma" is etymologically related to the word "sağ" meaning "alive", and hence it also carries the connotation of "staying alive" or "not dying". | |||
| Kazakh | тірі қалу | ||
| The word "тірі қалу" can also mean "remaining alive" or "enduring" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аман калуу | ||
| "Аман калуу" (survival) in Kyrgyz derives from the words "аман" (well-being, health, safety) and "калуу" (to stay, remain). It also carries the meaning of "being spared" or "being saved". | |||
| Tajik | зинда мондан | ||
| The word "зинда мондан" (survival) is derived from the Persian words "zende" (alive) and "mondon" (to stay). | |||
| Turkmen | diri galmak | ||
| Uzbek | omon qolish | ||
| The word 'omon qolish' in Uzbek originates from the Persian phrase 'amaan khevastan' meaning 'to ask for mercy' and is used metaphorically to denote 'survival'. | |||
| Uyghur | ھايات قېلىش | ||
Survival in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ola | ||
| "Ola" is a polysemous word, also meaning "health," "prosperity," "peace," and "life." | |||
| Maori | oranga | ||
| The term 'oranga', meaning 'survival' in Maori also encompasses wellbeing, prosperity, and health in a wider sense | |||
| Samoan | ola | ||
| 'Ola' in Samoan can also refer to the act of rescuing someone from danger. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kaligtasan ng buhay | ||
Survival in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jakañataki | ||
| Guarani | sobrevivencia rehegua | ||
Survival in International Languages
| Esperanto | postvivado | ||
| "Poste" in "postvivado" means "after" and "vivi" means "life". | |||
| Latin | salvos | ||
| Salvos, meaning "survival" in Latin, is the root of the word "salvation". | |||
Survival in Others Languages
| Greek | επιβίωση | ||
| The word "επιβίωση" is derived from the Ancient Greek verb "επιβιώνω," meaning "to live over" or "to survive." | |||
| Hmong | kev muaj sia nyob | ||
| The word "kev muaj sia nyob" is a compound word that means "to have life" or "to live" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | jîyanî | ||
| The Kurdish word "jîyanî" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰiH₂-no-s" meaning "life, existence, vitality." | |||
| Turkish | hayatta kalma | ||
| "Hayatta kalma", "stay alive" in Turkish, also means "life-long" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ukusinda | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ukusinda' can also refer to perseverance or endurance. | |||
| Yiddish | ניצל | ||
| The Yiddish word "ניצל" ('nistsl') also means 'saved from harm' and is related to the German word "entschuldigen" ('to excuse'). | |||
| Zulu | ukusinda | ||
| Ukusinda also means 'escape' or 'salvation'. | |||
| Assamese | জীয়াই থকা | ||
| Aymara | jakañataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | जीवित रहे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިރިހުރުން | ||
| Dogri | जीवित रहना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaligtasan ng buhay | ||
| Guarani | sobrevivencia rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | panagbiag | ||
| Krio | fɔ kɔntinyu fɔ liv | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مانەوە | ||
| Maithili | अस्तित्व | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯡꯗꯨꯅꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | dam khawchhuahna | ||
| Oromo | lubbuun jiraachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବଞ୍ଚିବା | ||
| Quechua | kawsakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | जीवित रहना | ||
| Tatar | исән калу | ||
| Tigrinya | ብህይወት ምጽናሕ | ||
| Tsonga | ku pona | ||