Testify in Different Languages
Discover 'Testify' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Testify is a powerful word that holds great significance in many cultures and languages around the world. At its core, to testify means to provide evidence or testimony in court, but its usage extends far beyond the legal realm. It is often used to express a strong belief or conviction, as in testifying to the power of love or the beauty of nature. The word has a rich cultural importance, particularly in religious contexts where individuals may testify to their faith or spiritual experiences.
Given its significance, it's no wonder that many people are interested in learning how to say testify in different languages. Not only is it a useful word to know when traveling or interacting with people from other cultures, but it also provides insight into the unique linguistic and cultural nuances of different languages.
For example, in Spanish, testify is 'testificar,' while in French, it is 'témoigner.' In German, the word is 'zeugen,' and in Japanese, it is 'shōchō suru' (謝謝する).
Testify
Testify in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | getuig | ||
| Getuig is derived from the archaic Dutch word 'getuigen', meaning 'to witness' or 'to bear witness'. | |||
| Amharic | ይመሰክር | ||
| "ይመሰክር" also means "to prove" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | shaida | ||
| The word shaida has alternate meanings of witness, evidence, proof, sign, token, and symptom in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | gbaa akaebe | ||
| The Igbo word "gbaa akaebe" can also mean "to witness" or "to give evidence in court." | |||
| Malagasy | mijoro ho vavolombelona | ||
| The word "Mijoro ho vavolombelona" can also mean "to tell the truth", "to declare something", or "to make a statement". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitirani umboni | ||
| The phrase "chitirani umboni" can also be used in a figurative sense, referring to providing convincing evidence in a debate or discussion. | |||
| Shona | pupura | ||
| 'Pupura', meaning "testify" in Shona, has its root in a word meaning "to give proof". | |||
| Somali | marag ka noqo | ||
| The phrase marag ka noqo (testify) is also used for the more specific and legal definition of being a witness in a court case | |||
| Sesotho | paka | ||
| The word "paka" in Sesotho can also mean "to tell" or "to say". | |||
| Swahili | shuhudia | ||
| The Swahili verb "shuhudia" is derived from the Arabic root "sh-h-d" and also means "to witness" or "to be present at an event." | |||
| Xhosa | ngqina | ||
| The word Ngqina shares its root with the Xhosa word “iqina,” meaning “truth, reality” | |||
| Yoruba | jẹri | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "jẹri" can also mean "to tell the truth" or "to confirm". | |||
| Zulu | fakaza | ||
| The word "fakaza" can also mean "to reveal" or "to make known" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | seereya kɛ | ||
| Ewe | ɖi ɖase | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhamya | ||
| Lingala | kotatola | ||
| Luganda | okuwa obujulizi | ||
| Sepedi | hlatsela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | di adanse | ||
Testify in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يشهد | ||
| The word "يشهد" is derived from the root "ش.ه.د" which also means "to be present" or "to witness". | |||
| Hebrew | לְהַעִיד | ||
| The word לְהַעִיד (le-ha'id) means "testify" but can also mean "to be present" or "to attend". | |||
| Pashto | شهادت ورکړئ | ||
| The Pashto word "شهادت ورکړئ" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "شهادة" (shahāda), meaning "testimony" or "martyrdom." | |||
| Arabic | يشهد | ||
| The word "يشهد" is derived from the root "ش.ه.د" which also means "to be present" or "to witness". | |||
Testify in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dëshmojnë | ||
| The word "dëshmojnë" comes from the Greek word "μάρτυρ" (martyr), meaning "one who bears witness or gives evidence". | |||
| Basque | deklaratu | ||
| "Deklaratu" also derives from "agertu," meaning "to show" or "to reveal." | |||
| Catalan | testificar | ||
| In Catalan, «testificar» can also mean to sign a document or to give evidence in court. | |||
| Croatian | svjedočiti | ||
| In the medieval Serbian Church vocabulary, the Croatian word "svjedočiti" meant "to accuse", in contrast to its contemporary connotation of "giving testimony." | |||
| Danish | vidner | ||
| The word "vidner" can also refer to a witness or a person who provides evidence in court. | |||
| Dutch | getuigen | ||
| The Dutch word "getuigen" comes from the Old Dutch word "getūg" which means "witness" or "proof". | |||
| English | testify | ||
| The word 'testify' stems from the Latin word 'testari,' which means 'to bear witness' or 'to make known,' and can also refer to the act of giving official evidence or a statement under oath. | |||
| French | témoigner | ||
| Témoigner can also mean to "bear witness" or "give evidence" in a legal context. | |||
| Frisian | tsjûgje | ||
| The Frisian word "tsjûgje" also means "to state something clearly" or "to assure something." | |||
| Galician | testemuñar | ||
| The word "testemuñar" in Galician also means "to put to the test" or "to experience". | |||
| German | bezeugen | ||
| The verb "bezeugen" can also mean to witness, confirm, or attest to something | |||
| Icelandic | bera vitni | ||
| Bera vitni is related to the word vit which means 'witness' but more often is used in the sense of 'reason' or 'purpose'. | |||
| Irish | fianaise | ||
| The Irish word "fianaise" is derived from the Latin word "fides", meaning "faith", and is related to the Old Irish word "fían", meaning "hero". | |||
| Italian | testimoniare | ||
| In the juridical field, the verb testimoniare can also mean "to swear under oath". | |||
| Luxembourgish | bestätegen | ||
| The verb "bestätegen" is derived from the French word "attester", meaning to "certify" or "to confirm". | |||
| Maltese | jixhed | ||
| The word "jixhed" has Proto-Semitic origins and can also mean "to be alive, to exist" or "to give life". | |||
| Norwegian | vitne | ||
| The Norwegian word "vitne" is cognate with the English word "witness", both deriving from the Proto-Germanic *witniz | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | testemunhar | ||
| In Portuguese, "testemunhar" can also mean "to witness" or "to be a witness", deriving from the Latin "testis" (witness). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dèan deuchainn | ||
| The word "dèan deuchainn" is a compound word made up of two root words, "dèan" meaning "to do" and "deuchainn" meaning "proof" or "test". This compound word can also mean "to prove" or "to demonstrate" as well as "to testify". | |||
| Spanish | testificar | ||
| In Spanish, "testificar" also means to attest or certify something, and is related to the English word "testament". | |||
| Swedish | vittna | ||
| "Vittna" also means "to bear witness" or "to give evidence". | |||
| Welsh | tystio | ||
| Tystio comes from the Latin word 'testimonium', meaning 'evidence; proof'. | |||
Testify in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сведчыць | ||
| The verb 'сведчыць' can also be used to mean 'to witness', 'to serve as a witness', and 'to bear witness'. | |||
| Bosnian | svjedočiti | ||
| The word "svjedočiti" in Bosnian originated from the Proto-Slavic "*svědъ", meaning "witness". | |||
| Bulgarian | свидетелстват | ||
| The word “свидетелстват” derives from the word “свидетел” which means “witness”, indicating its connection to providing evidence or testimony. | |||
| Czech | svědčit | ||
| The word "svědčit" in Czech is also synonymous with "to witness" and "to confirm". | |||
| Estonian | tunnistama | ||
| Tunnistama can also mean "confess" or "recognize" in different contexts. | |||
| Finnish | todistaa | ||
| The etymology of "todistaa" points to a connection with "tosi", "true", suggesting a foundational link to truth-telling. | |||
| Hungarian | tanúskodni | ||
| The Hungarian word "tanúskodni" can also mean "to witness" or "to give evidence". | |||
| Latvian | liecināt | ||
| The term liecināt originally meant “to see with one's own eyes”, only in the 18th century it acquired its modern meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | liudyti | ||
| The word "liudyti" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*leudh-," meaning "to grow, flourish, or be abundant." | |||
| Macedonian | сведочат | ||
| The verb "сведочат" ("svedočat") derives from the word "сведок" ("svedok") meaning "witness" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | świadczyć | ||
| The Polish word "świadczyć" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *svěd-, meaning "to know, bear witness" and is also etymologically related to "wiedzieć" ("to know"). | |||
| Romanian | depune mărturie | ||
| The word "depune mărturie" is derived from the Latin word "testimonium", meaning "witness". | |||
| Russian | свидетельствовать | ||
| The Russian word | |||
| Serbian | сведочити | ||
| Сведочити, a verb meaning "to testify," can also be used in the sense of "to witness" or "to bear witness." | |||
| Slovak | svedčiť | ||
| Svedčiť also means "to be a witness to something, to be present at something" | |||
| Slovenian | pričati | ||
| The verb 'pričati' is also used in the sense of 'to talk', 'to tell' or 'to relate'. | |||
| Ukrainian | свідчити | ||
| The words "свідчити" and "свідок" both trace their roots back to the Proto-Slavic word *svědъ, meaning "witness". | |||
Testify in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সাক্ষ্য দাও | ||
| The word "সাক্ষ্য দাও" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "saksin", meaning "a witness". | |||
| Gujarati | જુબાની | ||
| The root verb, ‘jubani’, is derived from the word for ‘mouth’ in Gujarati: ‘mooh’. | |||
| Hindi | गवाही देना | ||
| This Hindi root word "gavahi" comes from "gawah," a common law term referring to someone who is present when a transaction or event occurs and is hence "aware" or "informed." | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಕ್ಷ್ಯ | ||
| The Kannada word ಸಾಕ್ಷ್ಯ (sākṣya) traces its origins from the Sanskrit word 'sākṣin', meaning 'witness' or 'evidence'. | |||
| Malayalam | സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തുക | ||
| The Malayalam word 'സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തുക' literally means 'to make something evident'. It can also be used to mean 'to attest' or 'to certify'. | |||
| Marathi | साक्ष द्या | ||
| The Marathi word "साक्ष द्या" can be traced back to the Sanskrit root "sākshya", which means "witness" or "evidence". | |||
| Nepali | गवाही दिनु | ||
| The Nepali verb "गवाही दिनु" can also mean "to bear witness" or "to give evidence." | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਵਾਹੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਗਵਾਹੀ" (testify) is derived from the Sanskrit word "gawayati," meaning "to sing" or "to chant." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාක්ෂි දෙන්න | ||
| Tamil | சாட்சியமளிக்கவும் | ||
| Telugu | సాక్ష్యమివ్వండి | ||
| Urdu | گواہی دینا | ||
Testify in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 作证 | ||
| 作证最早指古代臣子向上级汇报工作的情况 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 作證 | ||
| "作證" is also used to mean "give birth" from the idiom "瓜熟蒂落, 作證生子" (When the melon is ripe, it falls from the vine and gives birth) | |||
| Japanese | 証言する | ||
| "証言する" is the Japanese word for "testify", and it is derived from the Chinese characters "証" (proof) and "言" (words), meaning "to give evidence" or "to bear witness". | |||
| Korean | 증언하다 | ||
| The word "증언하다" can also mean "to witness" or "to give evidence". | |||
| Mongolian | гэрчлэх | ||
| "Гэрчлэх" can also mean "to declare" or "to state" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်သေခံ | ||
Testify in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bersaksi | ||
| "Bersaksi" originally means "to see together" but has taken on the secondary meaning of "to testify". | |||
| Javanese | nyekseni | ||
| 'Nyèksèni' also denotes an explanation given when called as a witness. | |||
| Khmer | ថ្លែងទីបន្ទាល់ | ||
| "ថ្លែងទីបន្ទាល់" is derived from the Sanskrit word "tīrtha", meaning "sacred waterbody" or "ford". In the context of a trial, it refers to the act of crossing a sacred waterbody to take an oath, which was considered a binding and sacred act in ancient times. | |||
| Lao | ເປັນພະຍານ | ||
| The word "ເປັນພະຍານ" is derived from Sanskrit and is related to the word "to witness". It has two meanings: to bear witness or to give evidence. | |||
| Malay | memberi keterangan | ||
| The Malay word "memberi keterangan", which means to testify or give evidence, can also refer to presenting or submitting a formal statement | |||
| Thai | เป็นพยาน | ||
| The word "เป็นพยาน" can also mean "to be a witness" or "to bear witness." | |||
| Vietnamese | làm chứng | ||
| "Làm chứng" in Vietnamese can also mean "to witness" or "to take part in an event as a witness." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magpatotoo | ||
Testify in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ifadə vermək | ||
| The word "ifadə vermək" in Azerbaijani also means "to give a statement" or "to make a declaration." | |||
| Kazakh | куәлік ету | ||
| The Kazakh word "куәлік ету" not only means "to testify", it is often used to describe an exaggerated, even false, claim. | |||
| Kyrgyz | күбө | ||
| Күбө is an archaic Kyrgyz word meaning "testimony" that is synonymous with its contemporary Kyrgyz counterpart күбөлүк, and its Mongolian and Manchu counterparts, which derive from the root "gübe" meaning "proof". | |||
| Tajik | шаҳодат медиҳанд | ||
| Turkmen | şaýatlyk et | ||
| Uzbek | guvohlik bering | ||
| The word "guvohlik bering" is a derived noun from the verb "guvohlik qilish", which means "to witness". It can also refer to a statement or declaration made under oath or affirmation in a court of law or before a judicial officer. | |||
| Uyghur | گۇۋاھلىق بېرىڭ | ||
Testify in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hōʻike | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Oceanic root *fole, also found in Samoan fa'afole "to expose" and Tahitian fa'a'oro 'to confess." | |||
| Maori | whakaatu | ||
| The word "whakaatu" also means "to show" or "to demonstrate" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | molimau | ||
| Molimau is also a noun meaning 'evidence' or 'proof'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magpatotoo | ||
| "Magpatotoo" can also mean "to make a declaration or statement" or "to give evidence." | |||
Testify in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhanañcht’añamawa | ||
| Guarani | otestifika | ||
Testify in International Languages
| Esperanto | atesti | ||
| The origin of the Esperanto word "atesti" is in Latin and Italian, and it is related to the concept of witness, statement, and declaration. | |||
| Latin | testimonium | ||
| The Latin word "testimonium" also means "evidence" or "proof". | |||
Testify in Others Languages
| Greek | καταθέτω | ||
| The word 'καταθέτω' (testify) comes from 'κατά' (down/against) and 'τίθημι' (to put), indicating the act of 'putting down' or 'stating something formally' | |||
| Hmong | ua tim khawv | ||
| "Ua tim khawv" literally means "to make the liver afraid". | |||
| Kurdish | îfadedan | ||
| The Kurdish word "îfadedan" has several alternate meanings, such as "to give evidence", "to make a statement" and "to confess". | |||
| Turkish | tanıklık etmek | ||
| The Turkish verb "tanıklık etmek" is derived from the Arabic word "shehada", which means both "testimony" and "martyrdom". | |||
| Xhosa | ngqina | ||
| The word Ngqina shares its root with the Xhosa word “iqina,” meaning “truth, reality” | |||
| Yiddish | עדות זאָגן | ||
| "עדות זאָגן" (edyut zogn) derives from the Hebrew "עדות" (edyut) meaning "testimony" and the Germanic "זאָגן" (zogn) meaning "to say". | |||
| Zulu | fakaza | ||
| The word "fakaza" can also mean "to reveal" or "to make known" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | সাক্ষ্য দিব | ||
| Aymara | qhanañcht’añamawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | गवाही देत बानी | ||
| Dhivehi | ހެކިބަސް ދިނުން | ||
| Dogri | गवाही दे | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magpatotoo | ||
| Guarani | otestifika | ||
| Ilocano | paneknekan | ||
| Krio | tɛstify | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شایەتحاڵی بدەن | ||
| Maithili | गवाही देब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯛꯁꯤ ꯄꯤꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | thuhre rawh | ||
| Oromo | ragaa bahu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ଦିଅ | ||
| Quechua | testigo kay | ||
| Sanskrit | साक्ष्यं ददातु | ||
| Tatar | шаһитлек бир | ||
| Tigrinya | ይምስክሩ | ||
| Tsonga | vumbhoni | ||