Survive in Different Languages
Discover 'Survive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'survive' holds a profound significance in our lives, denoting the ability to continue living or existing, especially in difficult conditions. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, films, and historical accounts, where survival often symbolizes resilience, determination, and human spirit.
Given the universal theme of survival, it's no surprise that people across the globe might want to know its translation in various languages. Understanding this term in different languages can foster cross-cultural communication, deepen our appreciation for diverse perspectives, and even help us empathize with those facing challenging circumstances.
For instance, in Spanish, 'survive' translates to 'sobrevivir'. In French, it's 'survivre', while in German, it's 'überleben'. Each language offers a unique nuance to this powerful concept.
Explore the list below to discover how 'survive' translates in a multitude of languages, enriching your linguistic repertoire and broadening your cultural horizons.
Survive
Survive in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oorleef | ||
| The word "oorleef" is derived from the Middle Dutch "orleven", meaning "to outlive". | |||
| Amharic | መትረፍ | ||
| The word "መትረፍ" can also mean "to be left over" or "to remain". | |||
| Hausa | tsira | ||
| The Hausa word “tsira” can also mean to endure, escape, or persevere. | |||
| Igbo | lanarị | ||
| "*Lanarị*", "to survive" in Igbo, derives from the root word "-na", meaning "to live" or "to exist". | |||
| Malagasy | velona | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "survive," "velona" can also refer to "life" or "existence" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupulumuka | ||
| Shona | kurarama | ||
| "Kurama" is a verb derived from "kura" (live), meaning "to stay alive" or "continue existing through difficulties." | |||
| Somali | badbaado | ||
| "Badbaado" in Somali originates from the root "bad" meaning "to live" and the suffix "-aado" indicating a state or condition, hence "the state of living" or "survival." | |||
| Sesotho | phela | ||
| "Phela" originated from the Bantu root word "*fiila" meaning "to bear" or "to bring forth." | |||
| Swahili | kuishi | ||
| "Kuishi" is cognate with "ishi" (sit), meaning to continue or endure a state of existence. | |||
| Xhosa | sisinde | ||
| The Xhosa word "sisinde" is an imperative form of the verb "sindiza," meaning "save" | |||
| Yoruba | yọ ninu ewu | ||
| The Yoruba word "yọ ninu ewu" (survive) is literally "to step out of the trap". Yoruba is a tonal language and the word "yọ" has a different meaning depending on its tone. | |||
| Zulu | sisinde | ||
| The word "sisinde" also means "to persist" or "endure" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka balo | ||
| Ewe | tsi agbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurokoka | ||
| Lingala | kobika | ||
| Luganda | okusimattuka | ||
| Sepedi | phologa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nya nkwa | ||
Survive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ينجو | ||
| "ينجو" can have the alternate meaning of "avoid evil" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | לִשְׂרוֹד | ||
| The word לִשְׂרוֹד (survive) derives from the root שׂרד (surplus), and its original meaning was to have leftover or excess. | |||
| Pashto | ژوندي پاتې کیدل | ||
| Arabic | ينجو | ||
| "ينجو" can have the alternate meaning of "avoid evil" in Arabic. | |||
Survive in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbijetoj | ||
| Mbijetoj is derived from the Proto-Albanian term *mbijetōj, meaning “to remain alive” or “to live on”. | |||
| Basque | biziraun | ||
| The Basque word "biziraun" is derived from the words "bizia" (life) and "iraun" (endure). | |||
| Catalan | sobreviure | ||
| The word 'sobreviure' comes from the Latin 'supervivere', which means 'to live beyond'. It can also mean 'to endure' or 'to outlast'. | |||
| Croatian | preživjeti | ||
| The Serbian cognate 'preživeti' originally meant | |||
| Danish | overleve | ||
| The Danish word "overleve" can also mean to outlive someone or to remain. | |||
| Dutch | overleven | ||
| The Dutch word "overleven" can also mean "to experience". | |||
| English | survive | ||
| The word "survive" is derived from the Latin word "supervivere," meaning "to live beyond" or "to outlive." | |||
| French | survivre | ||
| The verb "survivre" in French derives from Latin "supervivere" meaning "to live beyond" or "to outlive". | |||
| Frisian | oerlibje | ||
| "Oerlibje" can also mean to escape or to save from danger in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | sobrevivir | ||
| "Sobrevivir" in Galician, like in Portuguese, comes from Latin "supervivere", where "super" means "over" or "beyond" and "vivere" means "to live". In some regions of Galicia it is still used to mean "to be left" or "to remain", as in "as casas sobreviventes de tal ou tal concello" - "the houses remaining in this or that town". | |||
| German | überleben | ||
| The word "überleben" is derived from the Middle High German "überleben," meaning "to live longer than." | |||
| Icelandic | lifa af | ||
| "Lífa af" is derived from the Old Norse "lífa", meaning "live", and "af", meaning "away". | |||
| Irish | mair | ||
| "Mair" also means "great" or "big" and is used in the phrase "mór-thimpeall" meaning "great hope". | |||
| Italian | sopravvivere | ||
| The Italian word "sopravvivere" derives from the Latin "supervivere," meaning "to outlive" or "to remain alive." | |||
| Luxembourgish | iwwerliewen | ||
| The etymology of "iwwerliewen" is unclear, but it may be related to the Old German word "überleben" (to live on). | |||
| Maltese | jgħix | ||
| The Maltese verb "jgħix" derives from the Arabic root "عاش" (ʿāša), meaning "to live" or "to exist." | |||
| Norwegian | overleve | ||
| The word 'overleve' in Norwegian also means 'to outlive', 'to survive', or 'to endure'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sobreviver | ||
| Sobreviver, meaning "to survive" in Portuguese, has other meanings such as "to live beyond someone's death" or "to have a long and healthy life." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mairsinn | ||
| "Mairsinn" derives from the Old Irish verb "marthain", which meant both "to survive" and "to live" in a more general sense. | |||
| Spanish | sobrevivir | ||
| "Sobrevivir", in addition to meaning "survive", also means to "outlive". | |||
| Swedish | överleva | ||
| The word "överleva" is derived from the Old Norse word "yfirlifandi", meaning "to live beyond" or "to outlive". | |||
| Welsh | goroesi | ||
| The verb 'goroesi' derives from the Proto-Celtic verb "*kwr-e-ti" (to do, make). | |||
Survive in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | выжыць | ||
| "Выжыць" means both "survive" and "recover" in the Belarusian language. | |||
| Bosnian | preživjeti | ||
| The word "preživjeti" in Bosnian also means "to earn a living" or "to make a living". | |||
| Bulgarian | оцелеят | ||
| The word "оцелеят" derives from the Slavic root "*cel-/*celj-/*celъ", meaning "whole" or "complete." | |||
| Czech | přežít | ||
| 'přežít' means 'survive' in Czech. It is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*peržiti', meaning 'to live through'. In addition to its literal meaning, 'přežít' can also be used figuratively to mean 'to endure' or 'to outlast'. | |||
| Estonian | ellu jääma | ||
| The word "ellu jääma" can also mean "to be left over", like when food remains after a meal. | |||
| Finnish | hengissä | ||
| The word "hengissä" is a compound word of two words: "henki" (life) and "isä" (father), thus meaning "to be with life's father". | |||
| Hungarian | túlélni | ||
| The word "túlélni" can also mean "to outlive" or "to be left over" | |||
| Latvian | izdzīvot | ||
| The word "izdzīvot" shares its root with the word "dzīve" (life), suggesting a more enduring sense of survival than its English counterpart. | |||
| Lithuanian | išgyventi | ||
| "Išgyventi" originated from the prefix "iš- ("out" or "from") and the verb "gyventi" ("to live"), denoting an action of "living through something" or "emerging from a difficult situation." | |||
| Macedonian | преживее | ||
| The verb "преживее" in Macedonian can also mean to endure, withstand, or experience. | |||
| Polish | przetrwać | ||
| "Przetrwać" in Polish can also refer to persisting through difficulties or enduring adversity. | |||
| Romanian | supravieţui | ||
| The Romanian verb "supravieţui" derives from the Latin verb "supervivere", which means "to outlive, to remain alive." | |||
| Russian | выжить | ||
| In Old Russian, the verb “выжить” meant to drive out, get rid of, destroy. | |||
| Serbian | преживети | ||
| The word 'преживети' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'prěžiti' meaning 'to go through', and can also mean 'to experience' or 'to endure'. | |||
| Slovak | prežiť | ||
| The Slovak word "prežiť" also means "to experience" or "to live through". | |||
| Slovenian | preživeti | ||
| The word "preživeti" can also mean "to outlive" or "to endure". | |||
| Ukrainian | вижити | ||
| "Вижити" (survive) in Ukrainian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "vyžiti", meaning "to live, endure, or remain". | |||
Survive in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বেঁচে থাকা | ||
| বেঁচে থাকা (bêche thākā) can also mean to be healthy or to live. | |||
| Gujarati | ટકી રહેવું | ||
| Hindi | बना रहना | ||
| In Hindi, "बना रहना" also means "to last" or "to continue", indicating its broader usage beyond survival. | |||
| Kannada | ಬದುಕುಳಿಯಿರಿ | ||
| The Kannada equivalent for survive, “ಬದುಕುಳಿಯಿರಿ,” translates to “continuing in a situation of danger with difficulty”. | |||
| Malayalam | അതിജീവിക്കുക | ||
| The verb "അതിജീവിക്കുക" is also used figuratively to refer to overcoming difficulties, hardships, or obstacles. | |||
| Marathi | जगणे | ||
| In Marathi, "जगणे" (jagane) also means to experience or witness an event or situation. | |||
| Nepali | बाँच्न | ||
| The word "बाँच्न" can also mean "to live" or "to exist" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਚ | ||
| In addition to meaning "survive," "ਬਚ" can also mean "to escape" or "to avoid." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බේරෙන්න | ||
| The word 'බේරෙන්න' ('survive') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhṛ,' meaning 'to carry' or 'to support'. | |||
| Tamil | பிழைக்க | ||
| The Tamil word "பிழைக்க" also means "to go astray", "to err", or "to be mistaken". | |||
| Telugu | జీవించి | ||
| The word "జీవించి" can also mean "to live" or "to exist" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | زندہ رہنا | ||
| The word "زندہ رہنا" (survive) comes from the Persian word "زنده" (living) and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root "*ǵʰiy-óti-", meaning "to live." | |||
Survive in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 生存 | ||
| 生存 (shengcun) can also mean "existence" or "being alive." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 生存 | ||
| 生存 is a combination of 生, which means life, and 存, which means exist. Hence it can mean 'to preserve one's life'. It can also mean 'to continue to exist'. | |||
| Japanese | 生き残ります | ||
| 生き残ります is also a term used in shogi to refer to a piece that is not captured by the opponent. | |||
| Korean | 살아남 다 | ||
| 살아남 다 is a compound of the Sino-Korean word 살 (derived from 生) meaning "live" and the native Korean word 남 다 meaning "remain," | |||
| Mongolian | амьд үлдэх | ||
| The Mongolian word "амьд үлдэх" can also mean "to live on, to be left alive, to persist, to endure". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှင်သန်ရပ်တည် | ||
Survive in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bertahan | ||
| The Indonesian word "bertahan" is also used figuratively to mean "endure" or "withstand". | |||
| Javanese | slamet | ||
| The Javanese word 'slamet' also means 'good fortune', 'well-being', or 'peace'. | |||
| Khmer | រស់ | ||
| "រស់" means "live," "exist," or "survive" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຢູ່ລອດ | ||
| "ຢູ່ລອດ" originates from the Sanskrit word "sthā" meaning "to stand still", implying the ability to withstand adversity and remain intact. | |||
| Malay | bertahan | ||
| The word "bertahan" is also used to mean "to endure" or "to withstand". | |||
| Thai | อยู่รอด | ||
| The word "อยู่รอด" also means "to exist" or "to be present" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | tồn tại | ||
| In Vietnamese, the word "tồn tại" can also mean to "exist" or "to remain". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuhay | ||
Survive in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sağ qal | ||
| "Sağ qal" comes from the Persian word "sağ", meaning "safe", and the Arabic word "qal", meaning "to be". It can also mean "to recover from an illness" or "to outlive someone". | |||
| Kazakh | аман қалу | ||
| In Kazakh, "аман қалу" literally means "to remain safe", emphasizing the preservation of life and well-being. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аман калуу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "аман калуу" can also refer to "staying out of danger" or "being safe and sound." | |||
| Tajik | зинда мондан | ||
| Зинда мондани – “живой оставаться”, т.е. “выжить”. | |||
| Turkmen | diri gal | ||
| Uzbek | omon qolish | ||
| The word "omon qolish" in Uzbek literally means "to stand on feet". | |||
| Uyghur | ھايات | ||
Survive in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ola | ||
| The Hawaiian word "ola" also means "life" or "health" and holds deep cultural significance. | |||
| Maori | ora | ||
| In Māori, “ora” also refers to health, prosperity, and well-being. | |||
| Samoan | ola | ||
| In Samoan, "ola" can also mean "life" or "health". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mabuhay | ||
| The word 'mabuhay' in Tagalog has multiple meanings, including 'long live,' 'good health,' and 'well-being,' all emphasizing the value of life. | |||
Survive in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jakapachaña | ||
| Guarani | jeikove | ||
Survive in International Languages
| Esperanto | pluvivi | ||
| "Pluvivi" comes from the Latin word "pluvia," meaning "rain," and signifies "weathering the storm". | |||
| Latin | superesse | ||
| The Latin word "superesse" also means "to be left over" or "to remain after death." | |||
Survive in Others Languages
| Greek | επιζώ | ||
| The verb "επιζώ" means "to outlive" in Greek, which is why it's often used with the genitive case. | |||
| Hmong | ciaj sia | ||
| The word "ciaj sia" is derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien root *kɛj/*kɔj, meaning "to go" or "to continue." | |||
| Kurdish | jîyan | ||
| The Kurdish word "jîyan" has the broader meaning of "existence" and can also refer to "spirit" or "soul". | |||
| Turkish | hayatta kalmak | ||
| It also translates to "staying alive". | |||
| Xhosa | sisinde | ||
| The Xhosa word "sisinde" is an imperative form of the verb "sindiza," meaning "save" | |||
| Yiddish | בלייַבנ לעבן | ||
| In Yiddish, the word בלייַבנ לעבן (''bleybn leben'') can also mean ''to sustain''. This phrase is often used as a blessing for staying strong and healthy. | |||
| Zulu | sisinde | ||
| The word "sisinde" also means "to persist" or "endure" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | জীয়াই থকা | ||
| Aymara | jakapachaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | जियल | ||
| Dhivehi | ސަރވައިވް | ||
| Dogri | जींदा बचना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuhay | ||
| Guarani | jeikove | ||
| Ilocano | agbiag | ||
| Krio | sev | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕزگاربوون | ||
| Maithili | बचनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | damchhuak | ||
| Oromo | jiraachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବଞ୍ଚ | ||
| Quechua | qispichiy | ||
| Sanskrit | परितिष्ठनति | ||
| Tatar | исән кал | ||
| Tigrinya | ህላወ | ||
| Tsonga | pona | ||