Tension in Different Languages
Discover 'Tension' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Tension is a word that carries significant weight in our daily lives. It refers to the strained relationship between people, things, or even our own emotions. Historically, tension has been a central theme in literature, music, and art, often symbolizing conflict and resolution. In psychology, tension is a key concept that explains the human stress response.
Given its importance, it's not surprising that the word 'tension' has been translated into various languages, each with its own unique cultural context. For instance, in Spanish, 'tension' is 'tensión,' while in German, it's 'Spannung.' In French, 'tension' is 'tension' as well, reflecting the language's influence on English.
Understanding the translation of 'tension' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and express this complex emotion. It can also help facilitate cross-cultural communication and understanding.
Tension
Tension in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | spanning | ||
| "Spanning" is derived from the Dutch word "spannen", meaning "to stretch" or "to tighten". | |||
| Amharic | ውጥረት | ||
| ውጥረት is also used to describe the tightness of a knot or rope in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | tashin hankali | ||
| Tashin hankali (literally "burden on the mind") may be a somatic symptom of depression in Hausa speakers. | |||
| Igbo | erughị ala | ||
| The Igbo word "erughị ala" can also mean "disagreement" or "conflict". | |||
| Malagasy | olana | ||
| The word "olana" can also mean "to stretch" or "to pull". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mavuto | ||
| The Yao word "mawutu" means "argument", which is quite a different meaning. | |||
| Shona | makakatanwa | ||
| The word "makakatanwa" in Shona also refers to a feeling of stiffness or tightness in the body. | |||
| Somali | xiisad | ||
| "Xiisad" can mean both "tension" and "pressure" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | tsitsipano | ||
| The word "tsitsipano" originally referred to the pulling of a bowstring in archery. | |||
| Swahili | mvutano | ||
| The Swahili word 'mvutano' derives from the verb '-vuta', meaning to pull or stretch, suggesting a sense of opposing forces or strained relationships. | |||
| Xhosa | uxinzelelo | ||
| "Uxinzelelo" also means "pressure" or "stress". | |||
| Yoruba | ẹdọfu | ||
| The word 'ẹdọfu' can also refer to the tautness of a rope or thread. | |||
| Zulu | ukungezwani | ||
| Ukungezwani is formed from three parts: 'uku' representing an infinitive marker, 'geza' denoting 'to pull' and '`wani` meaning 'each other'. | |||
| Bambara | tansiyɔn | ||
| Ewe | dzimaɖeɖi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impagarara | ||
| Lingala | kowelana | ||
| Luganda | obunkenke | ||
| Sepedi | kgohlano | ||
| Twi (Akan) | huhuhuhu | ||
Tension in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التوتر | ||
| The word "التوتر" can also refer to "stress" or "strain" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | מתח | ||
| In Hebrew, the word "מתח" not only means "tension", but also "stretch" or "pull", showcasing its broader semantic range in the language. | |||
| Pashto | رنځ | ||
| "رنځ" also carries a connotation of "pain". | |||
| Arabic | التوتر | ||
| The word "التوتر" can also refer to "stress" or "strain" in Arabic. | |||
Tension in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tensioni | ||
| "Tensioni" in Albanian also means "anxiety" or "stress." | |||
| Basque | tentsioa | ||
| In Basque, "tentsioa" can also refer to blood pressure or a tendency to do something. | |||
| Catalan | tensió | ||
| The Catalan word "tensió" derives from the Latin "tensio," meaning "stretching" or "extension." | |||
| Croatian | napetost | ||
| The word "napetost" originates from the Slavic root "napęti", meaning "to stretch" or "to strain". | |||
| Danish | spænding | ||
| The word 'spænding' is derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*spannan', meaning 'to stretch'. | |||
| Dutch | spanning | ||
| The Dutch word "spanning" can also refer to the act of bridging a gap or extending over a distance. | |||
| English | tension | ||
| "Tension" derives from the Latin term "tendere," meaning "to stretch" or "to strain." | |||
| French | tension | ||
| The French word "tension" can also mean "attempt", "effort", or "strain". | |||
| Frisian | spanning | ||
| In Frisian, "spanning" can also refer to a rope used to tie down a boat or animal. | |||
| Galician | tensión | ||
| In Galician, "tensión" can also refer to the amount of voltage in an electric circuit. | |||
| German | spannung | ||
| The word "Spannung" can also refer to "excitement" or "anticipation" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | spenna | ||
| The verb "spenna" in Icelandic also means "to stretch" or "to tighten" something. | |||
| Irish | teannas | ||
| The word 'teannas' also means 'stiffness' or 'rigidity' in Irish. | |||
| Italian | tensione | ||
| In Italian, "tensione" can also refer to the act of stringing a musical instrument or the tightness of a rope or wire. | |||
| Luxembourgish | spannung | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Spannung" can also refer to suspense in a story or excitement in a competition. | |||
| Maltese | tensjoni | ||
| Maltese tensjoni is a loanword from English tension but can also mean 'attention', and when written as 'tensjoni' in a formal style can mean 'intention' | |||
| Norwegian | spenninger | ||
| Spenninger can also refer to electrical potential or psychological stress. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tensão | ||
| In Portuguese, "tensão" can also refer to electrical voltage or a musical interval, while in Brazil it can mean "argument" or "conflict". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teannachadh | ||
| The word "teannachadh" can also refer to "stiffness" or "tightness" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | tensión | ||
| In Spanish, "tensión" can also mean "electricity" or "stress". | |||
| Swedish | spänning | ||
| In Swedish, the word "spänning" also means "excitement" or "suspense." | |||
| Welsh | tensiwn | ||
| Welsh "tensiwn" shares origins with the English "tension" but can also refer to hypertension. | |||
Tension in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | напружанасць | ||
| Bosnian | tenzija | ||
| The Bosnian word 'tenzija' can also refer to high blood pressure, or to a feeling of stress or anxiety. | |||
| Bulgarian | напрежение | ||
| The word "напрежение" can also mean "voltage" or "strain" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | napětí | ||
| The word "napětí" in Czech can also refer to "voltage" in the context of electricity. | |||
| Estonian | pinge | ||
| The word "pinge" is also used to describe a strained relationship between two people. | |||
| Finnish | jännitys | ||
| "Jännitys comes from the word "jänne"" (string, chord), which also refers to the sinews of the body and figuratively to excitement or tension in the mind. | |||
| Hungarian | feszültség | ||
| The Hungarian word "feszültség" can also refer to "voltage" or "stress". | |||
| Latvian | spriedzi | ||
| Spriedzi, which means "tension" in Latvian, is derived from the Proto-Baltic term *spreg-, meaning "to press together". | |||
| Lithuanian | įtampa | ||
| Derived from the verb "tempti" (to pull), "įtampa" can also mean "effort". | |||
| Macedonian | напнатост | ||
| The word "напнатост" in Macedonian, while primarily meaning "tension," can also refer to "stress" or "excitement." | |||
| Polish | napięcie | ||
| In Polish, "napięcie" can also mean "voltage" or "strain". | |||
| Romanian | tensiune | ||
| The word "tensiune" has also the meanings "difference of potential" and "electric potential" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | напряжение | ||
| "Напряжение" can also refer to electrical voltage, voltage, strain, and stress. | |||
| Serbian | напетост | ||
| It comes from the stem "пе", which means "to sing" in Slavic languages, and conveys the idea of a sustained, high-pitched state. | |||
| Slovak | napätie | ||
| The word "napätie" is derived from the Latin word "tensio", meaning "stretching" or "drawing out". | |||
| Slovenian | napetost | ||
| The word "napetost" in Slovenian can also refer to a state of excitement or anticipation. | |||
| Ukrainian | напруженість | ||
| The Ukrainian word "напруженість" has additional meanings such as "stress" and "intensity". | |||
Tension in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিন্তা | ||
| চিন্তা (chin-tah) means 'tension' in the sense of 'concern' or 'reflection', as in the word 'anxiety'. It is cognate with the Hindi word 'chinta' which shares the same etymology. | |||
| Gujarati | તણાવ | ||
| તણાવ refers to either a taut string, a sense of anxiety, or the stress in physics. | |||
| Hindi | तनाव | ||
| The word 'तनाव' in Hindi has multiple meanings, including physical exertion, mental agitation, and a musical interval or scale. | |||
| Kannada | ಉದ್ವೇಗ | ||
| "ಉದ್ವೇಗ" is a Sanskrit loan word that originally referred to "exertion" and "enthusiasm". | |||
| Malayalam | പിരിമുറുക്കം | ||
| In Dravidian languages, 'piri' means 'to separate' and 'muru' means 'to gather' | |||
| Marathi | ताण | ||
| The word "ताण" (tāṇ) in Marathi also means "pull", "stretch", or "strain". | |||
| Nepali | तनाव | ||
| तनाव derives from Sanskrit's "तन," which means "to stretch" and can also refer to strings or musical instruments. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਣਾਅ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਤਣਾਅ" (tanā) means "tension" but also "string" or "wire" and is related to the Sanskrit word "tan" meaning "to stretch". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආතතිය | ||
| The word "ආතතිය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आततायि" (ātātayin), meaning "attacker" or "killer". | |||
| Tamil | பதற்றம் | ||
| The word | |||
| Telugu | ఉద్రిక్తత | ||
| Urdu | تناؤ | ||
| The Urdu word "تناؤ" (tanāv) can also refer to an argument, a strain, a stress, a dispute, or a disagreement. | |||
Tension in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 张力 | ||
| 张's original meaning is a bow that shoots arrows, which is a device that uses tension to launch projectiles. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 張力 | ||
| "張力" is also used to describe the tension between different social groups or factions. | |||
| Japanese | テンション | ||
| テンション is the Japanese reading of the English word 'tension', and can also mean 'excitement' or 'enthusiasm' | |||
| Korean | 장력 | ||
| The word “장력” (tension) can also mean the | |||
| Mongolian | хурцадмал байдал | ||
| The word "хурцадмал байдал" can also mean "strain" or "stress". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တင်းမာမှု | ||
Tension in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ketegangan | ||
| The word "ketegangan" in Indonesian ultimately comes from the Dutch word "ketting" meaning "chain". | |||
| Javanese | ketegangan | ||
| "Ketegangan" also refers to a feeling of embarrassment in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ភាពតានតឹង | ||
| The word "ភាពតានតឹង" in Khmer, meaning "tension," can also refer to the state of being on edge or under pressure. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຕຶງຄຽດ | ||
| Malay | ketegangan | ||
| "Ketegangan" in Malay can also mean "excitement (of a story)" or "eagerness". | |||
| Thai | ความตึงเครียด | ||
| "ความตึงเครียด" can also refer to a state of extreme alertness or excitement. | |||
| Vietnamese | căng thẳng | ||
| "Căng thẳng" (literally “to stretch tight”) is also used as a metaphor to describe psychological tension | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tensyon | ||
Tension in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gərginlik | ||
| "Gərginlik" (tension) also means "electricity" in Azerbaijani, which shares the same root ("gər-") as "gərmə" (heat) because electricity was historically understood as a form of heat. | |||
| Kazakh | шиеленіс | ||
| "Шиеленіс" (tension), from the Kazakh word "шие" (to pull), meaning "the act of pulling or stretching something"} | |||
| Kyrgyz | чыңалуу | ||
| The word 'чыңалуу' also refers to the process of stringing a musical instrument or tightening a rope or thread. | |||
| Tajik | ташаннуҷ | ||
| The verb 'ташаннуҷ' ('to be tense, strained, stressed') comes from Persian 'تشن' ('thirsty, dry') and 'شدن' ('to become'). | |||
| Turkmen | dartgynlylyk | ||
| Uzbek | kuchlanish | ||
| The word "kuchlanish" in Uzbek originates from the word "kuch", meaning "strength" or "force". | |||
| Uyghur | جىددىيلىك | ||
Tension in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūpilikiʻi | ||
| "Kūpilikiʻi" also means 'to be tightly woven, knotted, or laced' | |||
| Maori | mānukanuka | ||
| The word "mānukanuka" can also refer to a feeling of physical or emotional strain. | |||
| Samoan | feteʻenaʻi | ||
| The Samoan word "feteʻenaʻi" can also mean "a pulling apart" or "a separation". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-igting | ||
| The word "pag-igting" is derived from the root word "igting" which means "to stretch" or "to pull." | |||
Tension in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'amampi | ||
| Guarani | pyatã | ||
Tension in International Languages
| Esperanto | streĉiteco | ||
| "Streĉiteco" is derived from Latin "strictus". It can also mean "rigidity" and "intensity". | |||
| Latin | tensio | ||
| In Latin, "tensio" also means "a stretching" or "a straining". | |||
Tension in Others Languages
| Greek | ένταση | ||
| The Greek word ένταση comes from the ancient Greek verb εντείνω, meaning 'to stretch', 'to intensify', or 'to tighten'. | |||
| Hmong | nruj | ||
| The word 'nruj' comes from the Proto-Miao-Yao word *n-ruj, which also means 'string' and 'tendon'. | |||
| Kurdish | kêşî | ||
| "Kêşî" is also a type of bird from the finch family. | |||
| Turkish | gerginlik | ||
| The word "gerginlik" has another meaning, "tightness", reflecting its derivation from the verb "germek" meaning "to stretch or tighten". | |||
| Xhosa | uxinzelelo | ||
| "Uxinzelelo" also means "pressure" or "stress". | |||
| Yiddish | שפּאַנונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "שפּאַנונג" ("tension") is derived from the German word "Spannung" with the same meaning, which is ultimately derived from the Latin word "expansio" ("stretching"). | |||
| Zulu | ukungezwani | ||
| Ukungezwani is formed from three parts: 'uku' representing an infinitive marker, 'geza' denoting 'to pull' and '`wani` meaning 'each other'. | |||
| Assamese | দুঃচিন্তা | ||
| Aymara | ch'amampi | ||
| Bhojpuri | तनाव | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިކުރު | ||
| Dogri | तनाऽ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tensyon | ||
| Guarani | pyatã | ||
| Ilocano | tension | ||
| Krio | prɔblɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گرژی | ||
| Maithili | तनाव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜ ꯋꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | phawklek | ||
| Oromo | muddama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଟେନସନ | | ||
| Quechua | chutasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | तनावं | ||
| Tatar | киеренкелек | ||
| Tigrinya | ውጥረት | ||
| Tsonga | ntlimbano | ||