Thought in Different Languages
Discover 'Thought' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Thought is a powerful word that carries significant meaning across cultures and languages. It represents the mental processes involved in forming ideas, concepts, and judgments, and is a fundamental aspect of human consciousness. The significance of thought is evident in various philosophical, psychological, and spiritual traditions, which have long explored the nature and power of human thought.
Throughout history, thought has been a subject of fascination and inquiry, with many notable thinkers offering their perspectives on its significance and potential. From ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato to modern-day neuroscientists and psychologists, the study of thought has evolved and expanded, shedding light on its complexities and nuances.
Understanding the translation of thought in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural importance of this concept across the globe. For example, in Spanish, thought is translated as pensamiento, while in French, it is pensée. In German, thought is Gedanke, and in Japanese, it is shiso.
In this list, you will find a comprehensive collection of translations of thought in various languages, offering a unique perspective on the cultural significance of this fundamental human concept.
Thought
Thought in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gedink | ||
| "Gedink" comes from the Dutch word "gedenken", which means "to remember" or "to commemorate." | |||
| Amharic | አሰብኩ | ||
| The verb 'አሰብኩ' (thought) is related to 'ሰበከ' (studied, preached) and has the alternate meaning of 'reasoned out' | |||
| Hausa | tunani | ||
| The word 'tunani' in Hausa also means 'to think', 'to remember', and 'to consider'. | |||
| Igbo | chere | ||
| The Igbo word 'chere' also signifies opinion, understanding, concept or knowledge. | |||
| Malagasy | eritreritra | ||
| In Malagasy, "eritreritra" can also refer to dreams or daydreams. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ganiza | ||
| The word "ganiza" in Nyanja can also mean "idea" or "concept" | |||
| Shona | kufunga | ||
| The Shona noun 'kufunga' also means 'to think' or 'to consider'. | |||
| Somali | u maleeyey | ||
| As an adjective, 'u maleeyey' can mean 'wise' or 'having wisdom' | |||
| Sesotho | monahano | ||
| The word "monahano" in Sesotho can also refer to a "plan" or "intention". | |||
| Swahili | mawazo | ||
| The Swahili word "mawazo" also means "plans" or "intentions" depending on the context. | |||
| Xhosa | ndicinge | ||
| "Ndicinge" in Xhosa can also refer to an idea, opinion, or intention. | |||
| Yoruba | ronu | ||
| The Yoruba word "ronu" can also refer to a state of worry or anxiety. | |||
| Zulu | umcabango | ||
| "Umkcabango" is a Zulu noun which can also mean "understanding" or "belief". | |||
| Bambara | miiriya | ||
| Ewe | bui be | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yatekereje | ||
| Lingala | likanisi | ||
| Luganda | ekirowoozo | ||
| Sepedi | kgopolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwenee | ||
Thought in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فكر | ||
| The Arabic word "فكر" is derived from the root "ف-ك-ر" which means "to split" or "to distinguish" and carries the connotation of separating ideas or concepts into their constituent parts for analysis and reflection. | |||
| Hebrew | מַחֲשָׁבָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "מַחֲשָׁבָה" can also refer to a device or artifact | |||
| Pashto | فکر | ||
| The Pashto word "فکر" can also refer to an opinion or an idea. | |||
| Arabic | فكر | ||
| The Arabic word "فكر" is derived from the root "ف-ك-ر" which means "to split" or "to distinguish" and carries the connotation of separating ideas or concepts into their constituent parts for analysis and reflection. | |||
Thought in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mendimi | ||
| The Albanian word "mendim" derives from Proto-Albanian "*mend-im-a", cognate with Proto-Slavic "*mъnz-i-ti", meaning "to consider". | |||
| Basque | pentsatu | ||
| The Basque word "pentsatu" derives from the Latin "pensare," meaning "to weigh," and also carries the connotation of "to consider" or "to ponder." | |||
| Catalan | pensava | ||
| The Catalan word "pensava" derives from the Latin word "pensare", which means "to weigh" or "to consider". | |||
| Croatian | misao | ||
| The word "misao" is thought to come from the Proto-Indo-European word "*men-/*mn-," meaning "to think, to remember." | |||
| Danish | tanke | ||
| In old Danish, 'tanke' also referred to 'thanks' or 'gratitude', showing the connection between cognition and appreciation. | |||
| Dutch | gedachte | ||
| The word "gedachte" in Dutch is derived from the Old High German word "gidāhti", meaning "something remembered" or "that which is kept in mind". | |||
| English | thought | ||
| The word "thought" comes from the Old English word "þoht," which originally meant "mind" or "memory." | |||
| French | pensée | ||
| The French word "pensée" also refers to a type of flower known as a pansy. | |||
| Frisian | tins | ||
| Frisian "tins" is related to English "think" and also means "to appear" or "to seem" | |||
| Galician | pensamento | ||
| The Galician word "pensamento" also refers to the flower pansy, a symbol of remembrance. | |||
| German | habe gedacht | ||
| The German word "habe gedacht" can also mean "have thought" or "have believed". | |||
| Icelandic | hugsaði | ||
| "Hugsa" originally referred to the act of breathing or blowing, later extending to "thoughts" and "opinions" in the 16th century. | |||
| Irish | shíl mé | ||
| The word 'shíl mé' in Irish also means 'it seems to me' or 'I think'. | |||
| Italian | pensiero | ||
| The Italian word "pensiero" comes from the Latin "pensare", meaning "to weigh" or "to consider"} | |||
| Luxembourgish | geduecht | ||
| Maltese | ħsibt | ||
| The Maltese word "ħsibt" is derived from the Arabic word "حسب" (حسب), meaning "to consider" or "to reckon". | |||
| Norwegian | tenkte | ||
| The word "tenkte" is derived from the Old Norse word "þenkia," which also means "to seem" or "to appear." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pensamento | ||
| The word 'pensamento' comes from the Latin word 'pensamentum', which means 'a thought, an idea, a reflection'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | smaoineachadh | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "smaoineachadh" for "thought" is etymologically related to both "mind" and "remembering". | |||
| Spanish | pensamiento | ||
| El sustantivo "pensamiento" comparte su raíz con la voz "pender", lo que sugiere una conexión entre el pensamiento y el equilibrio o la ponderación. | |||
| Swedish | trodde | ||
| The word "trodde" in Swedish is cognate with the English word "troth", which means "faith" or "loyalty". | |||
| Welsh | meddwl | ||
| Welsh 'meddwl' also refers to the location of a person's mind and, archaically, to an object of meditation. | |||
Thought in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падумаў | ||
| The verb "падумаў" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*dumati" meaning "to think, to suppose". | |||
| Bosnian | mislio | ||
| "Mislio," or "thought," also means the act or process of thinking in Bosnian | |||
| Bulgarian | мисъл | ||
| The word 'мисъл' is also derived from the verb 'мисля' which means 'to think', 'to suppose', 'to believe', or 'to judge'. | |||
| Czech | myslel | ||
| Czech "myslel" originates in the noun "mysl" meaning "mind", from Proto-Slavic "mysli" of uncertain origin. | |||
| Estonian | mõtles | ||
| The Estonian word "mõtles" not only means "thought" but also "intended" or "had in mind." | |||
| Finnish | ajattelin | ||
| Finnish "ajattelin" is thought to be a loanword from the Proto-Germanic *þankjanan meaning "to thank". | |||
| Hungarian | gondolat | ||
| Gondolat was not originally an abstract term for thought, but a concrete object like a ball or a book that was rolled around (gondol), a 'plaything', later becoming associated with the content of it. | |||
| Latvian | nodomāju | ||
| Nodomāju translates to “thought” or “intention” in Latvian, also has a connotation of “assumption” or “guess”. | |||
| Lithuanian | pagalvojo | ||
| The word "pagalvojo" has several etymologies, including the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂-gh-. | |||
| Macedonian | мисла | ||
| The word "мисла" is cognate with the Latin word "mens" (mind) and the Greek word "μῆνις" (anger). | |||
| Polish | myśl | ||
| The Polish word "myśl" also refers to a plan or intention. | |||
| Romanian | gând | ||
| "Gând" comes from the Slavic word "dъmа" which means "mind" or "thought". | |||
| Russian | подумал | ||
| The verb "подумал" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *dumati, meaning "to think, to blow". | |||
| Serbian | мислио | ||
| мислио is also a Serbian verb meaning | |||
| Slovak | pomyslel si | ||
| The word "pomyslel si" also means "imagined" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | razmišljal | ||
| The word 'razmišljal' in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'razmyslь', meaning 'to think or consider'. | |||
| Ukrainian | думав | ||
| The word "думав" derives from Proto-Slavic "domiti", meaning "to think". | |||
Thought in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিন্তা | ||
| Cognate with the word "chinta", a Hindu term for "mark" or "symbol"} | |||
| Gujarati | વિચાર્યું | ||
| Hindi | विचार | ||
| "विचार" (vichaar) in Hindi not only means "thought" but also "judgment," "consideration," and "deliberation". | |||
| Kannada | ವಿಚಾರ | ||
| The word "ವಿಚಾರ" can also mean "investigation" or "consideration" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ചിന്ത | ||
| The Malayalam word 'ചിന്ത' (thought) is derived from the Sanskrit 'चिन्ता' (worry, anxiety), sharing a similar etymology with the English word 'concern'. | |||
| Marathi | विचार | ||
| The word "विचार" comes from the Sanskrit root "vicar," meaning "to wander or roam," suggesting its connection to the wandering or exploration of thoughts and ideas. | |||
| Nepali | सोच्यो | ||
| सोच्यो in Newari also means to think, and it can be a verb or a noun. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੋਚਿਆ | ||
| The word "ਸੋਚਿਆ" can also mean "considered" or "imagined" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිතුවිල්ල | ||
| In Sanskrit, the root "cit" means both "thought" and "consciousness". | |||
| Tamil | சிந்தனை | ||
| The word "சிந்தனை" can also mean "anxiety" or "worry" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | ఆలోచన | ||
| The word "ఆలోచన" also means "consideration" or "reflection" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | سوچا | ||
| The Urdu word سوچا "thought" can also refer to the mental process of thinking and reasoning. | |||
Thought in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 思想 | ||
| "思想" can originally mean "to take a bath" while it got its current meaning through a word puzzle | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 思想 | ||
| In Taoist philosophy, **思想** refers to the mind's ability to grasp the ultimate reality. | |||
| Japanese | 思想 | ||
| The word "思想" in Japanese can also mean "ideology" or "philosophy". | |||
| Korean | 생각 | ||
| The word "생각" can also mean "idea" or "opinion." | |||
| Mongolian | гэж бодлоо | ||
| The Mongolian word for ``thought`` “rǩē бодлоо” also means ``idea`` and ``notion.`` | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အတွေး | ||
| "အတွေး" in Burmese can also refer to an object created for contemplation, e.g. a painting, sculpture or book. | |||
Thought in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pikir | ||
| The Indonesian word 'pikir' can also mean 'to consider' or 'to reflect'. | |||
| Javanese | mikir | ||
| "Mikir" in Javanese derives from Sanskrit "matra" meaning "meter," as thoughts are rhythmic internal whispers. | |||
| Khmer | គិត | ||
| In the context of meditation, "គិត" can also refer to a type of contemplation that focuses on the mind itself and its processes. | |||
| Lao | ຄິດ | ||
| The Lao word "ຄິດ" (kit) can also mean "to guess" or "to suppose". | |||
| Malay | berfikir | ||
| The word "berfikir" in Malay also means "to meditate" or "to plan". | |||
| Thai | ความคิด | ||
| The term "ความคิด" can also refer to a person's beliefs, opinions, and mental processes. | |||
| Vietnamese | nghĩ | ||
| "Nghĩ" (thought) can also mean "to meditate" or "to consider". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | naisip | ||
Thought in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | düşündüm | ||
| Düşündüm is also used in Azerbaijani to express pondering or considering something. | |||
| Kazakh | ой | ||
| "Ой" can also mean "mind" or "idea" in Kazakh, highlighting its significance beyond mere contemplation. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ой | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "ой" ("thought") also means "mind" and "intellect." | |||
| Tajik | фикр кард | ||
| The word "фикр кард" also means "to think" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | pikir etdi | ||
| Uzbek | deb o'yladi | ||
| The Uzbek word "deb o'yladi" has roots in Turkish, Mongolian, and Sanskrit, signifying "brain" or "mind." | |||
| Uyghur | دەپ ئويلىدى | ||
Thought in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manaʻo | ||
| In Hawaiian, "manaʻo" also refers to intention, purpose, or meaning. | |||
| Maori | whakaaro | ||
| The Maori word "whakaaro" also means "idea", "concept", "opinion", or "feeling". | |||
| Samoan | mafaufau | ||
| The word "mafaufau" can also mean "to think intently" or "to ponder". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | naisip | ||
| The Tagalog word "naisip" also means "remembered" or "understood." | |||
Thought in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amuyu | ||
| Guarani | upéicharõ | ||
Thought in International Languages
| Esperanto | pensis | ||
| "Pensis" is a loan word from French "pense" and Latin "pendere" and shares a root with Spanish "peso", Italian "pesare", or English "pension". | |||
| Latin | thought | ||
| The Latin word "cogito" is the root of the English word "thought", and also means "I think" in Latin. | |||
Thought in Others Languages
| Greek | σκέψη | ||
| The Greek word "σκέψη" (thought) also shares a root with the word "σκοπός" (purpose), suggesting the interrelatedness of thought and intention. | |||
| Hmong | kev xav | ||
| Kev xav is also used colloquially to refer to the content of a sentence or phrase. | |||
| Kurdish | pojin | ||
| The word 'pojin' in Kurdish can also mean 'opinion', 'intention', or 'idea'. | |||
| Turkish | düşünce | ||
| "Düşünce" is also used to refer to a "concept" or "idea". | |||
| Xhosa | ndicinge | ||
| "Ndicinge" in Xhosa can also refer to an idea, opinion, or intention. | |||
| Yiddish | געטראכט | ||
| "Getrakht" can also refer to an opinion or a way of looking at things. | |||
| Zulu | umcabango | ||
| "Umkcabango" is a Zulu noun which can also mean "understanding" or "belief". | |||
| Assamese | ভাবিছিল | ||
| Aymara | amuyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | सोच | ||
| Dhivehi | ހީކުރީ | ||
| Dogri | बचार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | naisip | ||
| Guarani | upéicharõ | ||
| Ilocano | balabala | ||
| Krio | tink | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بیرۆکە | ||
| Maithili | विचार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜ | ||
| Mizo | ngaihtuah | ||
| Oromo | yaada | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭାବିଲି | | ||
| Quechua | umanchay | ||
| Sanskrit | विचिन्ता | ||
| Tatar | - дип уйлады | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓሳብ | ||
| Tsonga | hleketa | ||