Tough in Different Languages
Discover 'Tough' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'tough' carries a significant weight in English, often used to describe something or someone that is strong, resilient, or challenging. Its cultural importance is evident in various contexts, from everyday conversations to popular idioms like 'tough luck' or 'tough love.' Understanding the translation of 'tough' in different languages not only broadens your vocabulary but also offers a window into other cultures.
For instance, in Spanish, 'tough' translates to 'duro,' which also means hard or severe. In French, 'tough' becomes 'dur,' reflecting a similar meaning. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'tough' is 'たくましい' (takumashii), a term that embodies not just physical strength but also a fierce determination.
Delving into the translations of 'tough' in different languages reveals the richness of global linguistic diversity and the fascinating ways cultures express resilience and strength. Keep reading to explore more translations and cultural insights.
Tough
Tough in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | taai | ||
| In addition to "tough" or "difficult", "taai" can also mean "viscous" or "glutinous" in Afrikaans, such as the consistency of dough or honey. | |||
| Amharic | ጠንካራ | ||
| The word "ጠንካራ" can also mean "stubborn" or "tenacious" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | tauri | ||
| Tauri also means "strong" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | siri ike | ||
| “Siri ike” can also mean "extremely" or "very" | |||
| Malagasy | mafy | ||
| The Malagasy term for "tough" is "mafy", which also has connotations of firmness, strength, and hardness. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholimba | ||
| The word "cholimba" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to a type of beer made from sorghum or millet. | |||
| Shona | zvakaoma | ||
| The word "zvakaoma" in Shona is derived from the verb "kuoma," which means "to break" or "to destroy." | |||
| Somali | adag | ||
| The Somali word "adag" is derived from the Proto-Somali word "*ʔadag" or "*ʔaaɖag", with Proto-Somali "*ʔad-" meaning "strong" or "firm" and "*-ag" being a nominalizing suffix. | |||
| Sesotho | thata | ||
| Thatha is also used to mean 'to be tired' or 'to be strong'. | |||
| Swahili | ngumu | ||
| The word 'ngumu' in Swahili also refers to a hard substance, such as a stone or metal. | |||
| Xhosa | inzima | ||
| Inzima can also refer to a kind of traditional Xhosa beer made from maize and malted sorghum. | |||
| Yoruba | alakikanju | ||
| The word "alakikanju" also means "very hard" or "unyielding" | |||
| Zulu | kunzima | ||
| The Zulu word "Kunzima" is not originally related to physical strength but rather has a deeper meaning of emotional hardship and endurance. | |||
| Bambara | gɛlɛ | ||
| Ewe | sẽ ŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bikomeye | ||
| Lingala | atako | ||
| Luganda | obugumu | ||
| Sepedi | thata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | den | ||
Tough in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صعب | ||
| The word "صعب" ('tough') in Arabic has several other meanings, including 'difficult', 'hard', 'impossible', and 'obstinate'. | |||
| Hebrew | קָשֶׁה | ||
| The word is also related to the word "קושי" (difficulty) and is used to describe something that requires effort or is challenging. | |||
| Pashto | سخت | ||
| The word "سخت" (sakht) in Pashto shares its root with the Persian word "سختی" (sakhti), meaning "difficulty" or "hardship". | |||
| Arabic | صعب | ||
| The word "صعب" ('tough') in Arabic has several other meanings, including 'difficult', 'hard', 'impossible', and 'obstinate'. | |||
Tough in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e ashpër | ||
| The word "e ashpër" in Albanian, meaning "tough," also holds the meaning of "asperity" and "severity" in French and Italian, respectively. | |||
| Basque | gogorra | ||
| The word "gogorra" is derived from the Proto-Basque word "*gora", meaning "high" or "strong". | |||
| Catalan | dur | ||
| "Dur" in Catalan also means "hard" or "difficult" in Spanish and French. | |||
| Croatian | tvrd | ||
| In Serbo-Croatian dialects spoken around Dubrovnik and Ston, 'tvrd' means hard ground without soil suitable for farming. | |||
| Danish | hård | ||
| In Danish, "hård" can also mean heavy, solid, and thick. | |||
| Dutch | moeilijk | ||
| The word "moeilijk" also means "difficult" and is derived from the Old Dutch word "moeielijk", which means "difficult or troublesome". | |||
| English | tough | ||
| The word "tough" originally meant "to pull or stretch" and can also refer to the quality of being able to withstand difficult conditions. | |||
| French | dure | ||
| The word "dure" in French comes from the Latin word "durare," meaning "to last" or "to endure," and is related to the English word "durable." | |||
| Frisian | taai | ||
| In Frisian, "taai" not only means "tough", but also "viscous" or "sticky", possibly deriving from the Old Frisian word "tāi", meaning "glue". | |||
| Galician | duro | ||
| The Galician word "duro" not only means "tough" but also refers to "stubborn" or "unyielding". | |||
| German | zäh | ||
| "Zäh" can mean "tenacious" in addition to its more common translation, "tough". | |||
| Icelandic | sterkur | ||
| "Sterkur" comes from a Proto-Indo-European base meaning "firm" or "stiff". | |||
| Irish | diana | ||
| The word 'diana' also means 'lazy' or 'indolent' in Irish. | |||
| Italian | difficile | ||
| "Difficile" and "difficoltà" have the same base, which is the Latin word "dificultas," which also means "difficulty". | |||
| Luxembourgish | haart | ||
| In German and Luxembourgish, the word 'haart' means 'tough', but is sometimes used figuratively to describe someone who has had to overcome many life obstacles. | |||
| Maltese | iebsa | ||
| "Iebez" means "heavy" and it is the origin of the word for "tough", ie that carries a heavy weight on your chest and soul. | |||
| Norwegian | vanskelig | ||
| The word "vanskelig" in Norwegian originally meant "left-handed". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | difícil | ||
| In Portuguese, "difícil" can be traced back to the Latin word "difficilis," meaning both "difficult" and "obstructed." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | duilich | ||
| The Gaelic word "duilich" has the alternate meaning of "difficult" or "painful". | |||
| Spanish | difícil | ||
| The word "difícil" in Spanish also means "difficult" or "hard". | |||
| Swedish | tuff | ||
| The Swedish word "tuff" derives from the Proto-Germanic root "duh", which can also be found in the English word "dough." | |||
| Welsh | anodd | ||
| The word "anodd" in Welsh, meaning "tough" or "unyielding," may be related to the Latin "tenere" (to hold) or the Greek "tenai" (to stretch). | |||
Tough in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жорсткі | ||
| The word "жорсткі" (tough) is related to the word "жорна" (millstone) and means that something is hard and unyielding. | |||
| Bosnian | teška | ||
| The word 'teška' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'tęžьka', meaning 'heavy' or 'difficult'. | |||
| Bulgarian | жилав | ||
| The word "жилав" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*žíla" and also means " sinewy". | |||
| Czech | těžké | ||
| The word "těžké" can also mean "hard" or "difficult" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | karm | ||
| "Karm" has other meanings like "stern, strict, rigid, demanding, or harsh". | |||
| Finnish | kova | ||
| The word "kova" (tough) is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *kowa, which also meant "strong, mighty" | |||
| Hungarian | kemény | ||
| The word "kemény" also means "hard" in the sense of "not soft", like the kemény part of a bread or a hard stone. | |||
| Latvian | grūts | ||
| Latvian word "grūts" derives from Proto-Baltic root *gērd- "heavy" and is related to Lithuanian "gīras" and Russian "gruz". | |||
| Lithuanian | kietas | ||
| The word "kietas" in Lithuanian is related to the English word "kite", and originally meant "tenacious" or "difficult to break". | |||
| Macedonian | тежок | ||
| The term “тежок”, besides “heavy”, can also mean “difficult” in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | twardy | ||
| The word 'twardy' is also used figuratively to describe a difficult or unpleasant situation. | |||
| Romanian | greu | ||
| The Romanian word “greu” may come from a Slavic source, with an original meaning of “heavy,” “difficult,” and “slow”. | |||
| Russian | жесткий | ||
| The word "жесткий" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*žьstina", meaning "sharp" or "firm". | |||
| Serbian | тврд | ||
| The word "тврд" in Serbian also means 'hard' or 'solid', depending on the context. | |||
| Slovak | tvrdý | ||
| The word "tvrdý" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*tъrdъ", meaning "hard", "firm", or "strong". | |||
| Slovenian | težko | ||
| "Težko" in Slovenian can also mean "heavy" or "difficult." | |||
| Ukrainian | жорсткий | ||
| The word "жорсткий" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *gъrdъ, which also means "harsh" or "severe." | |||
Tough in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শক্ত | ||
| The word "শক্ত" (tough) in Bengali can also mean "solid" or "strong". | |||
| Gujarati | અઘરું | ||
| The word “અઘરું” also means 'firm' or 'solid' in Gujarati, and originates from the Sanskrit word 'अघटित' (aghaṭita), which means 'unsuitable' or 'impossible'. | |||
| Hindi | कठोर | ||
| The word "कठोर" in Hindi shares its etymological origin with "hard/harsh" in English, with both descending from Proto-Indo-European "*kert-'' meaning "to cut". This is reflected in their alternate meanings, as "कठोर" can also mean "severe" or "unfeeling". | |||
| Kannada | ಕಠಿಣ | ||
| The word "ಕಠಿಣ" can also mean "difficult" or "hard" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കഠിനമാണ് | ||
| The word 'കഠിനമാണ്' can also mean 'difficult' or 'hard' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | कठीण | ||
| Apart from 'tough', the word 'कठीण' (kaṭhīṇ) also means 'hard' in English. | |||
| Nepali | कठिन | ||
| The term "कठिन" is also applied to tasks or situations requiring considerable mental or physical effort. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਖ਼ਤ | ||
| The word 'ਸਖ਼ਤ' in Punjabi originated from the Sanskrit word 'सख्त' and also means 'firm', 'rigid', and 'severe'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දැඩි | ||
| "දැඩි" may also mean "unripe" or "harsh". | |||
| Tamil | கடுமையான | ||
| The Tamil word "கடுமையான" not only means "tough" but also "severe, harsh, strong, bitter", or even "hard" depending on the context. | |||
| Telugu | కఠినమైనది | ||
| The word కటినమిది ("kathinamedhi") in Telugu originated from the Sanskrit word కితర ("kathina") which means "hard". However, in Telugu, this word is also used to describe something that is "difficult" or "challenging". | |||
| Urdu | مشکل | ||
| The word "مشکل" is derived from the Arabic word "مشكول" meaning "difficult" or "complex". | |||
Tough in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 强硬 | ||
| The term "强硬" can also describe someone who is stubborn or inflexible. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 強硬 | ||
| "強硬" literally means "strong" and "hard". It is also used figuratively to describe someone who is unyielding or stubborn. | |||
| Japanese | タフ | ||
| The word タフ ("タフ") can also mean "reliable" or "durable" | |||
| Korean | 강인한 | ||
| "강인한" derives from the root "강인" (강하다 + 인), meaning "to be strong; to be firm." | |||
| Mongolian | хатуу | ||
| The word "хатуу" can also refer to "difficult" or "hard" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခက်ခဲပါတယ် | ||
| The word "ခက်ခဲပါတယ်" in Myanmar (Burmese) is an adjective that means "difficult" or "hard". It can also be used to describe something that is "tough" or "challenging". | |||
Tough in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sulit | ||
| "Sulit" can also mean "challenging" or "difficult to achieve" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | tangguh | ||
| In Javanese, "tangguh" also implies resilience, endurance, and inner strength. | |||
| Khmer | ស្វិតស្វាញ | ||
| The word ស្វិតស្វាញ can also refer to a person who is strong or brave, or to something that is intense or extreme. | |||
| Lao | ເຄັ່ງຄັດ | ||
| The Lao word "ເຄັ່ງຄັດ" can also be used to describe something that is strict or difficult to deal with. | |||
| Malay | sukar | ||
| The word "sukar" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sukara" meaning "pig" or "boar". | |||
| Thai | ยาก | ||
| "ยาก" can also mean "difficult, hard, complex, or challenging". | |||
| Vietnamese | khó khăn | ||
| Vietnamese "khó khăn" literally means "hard and dry" but is used to mean "tough" in both the sense of "difficult" and "strong". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matigas | ||
Tough in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sərt | ||
| "Sərt" is also used to refer to something that is inflexible or harsh in nature. | |||
| Kazakh | қатал | ||
| In Kazakh, "қатал" can also mean "cruel" or "hard-hearted". | |||
| Kyrgyz | катаал | ||
| The word 'катаал' is also used to describe someone who is physically strong and has a lot of stamina. | |||
| Tajik | сахт | ||
| The word "сахт" also means "severe" or "strong" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | kyn | ||
| Uzbek | qattiq | ||
| The word "qattiq" has additional meanings including "severe," "harsh" and "unfavorable" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | جاپالىق | ||
Tough in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paʻakikī | ||
| Paʻakikī in Hawaiian can also refer to a type of hard coral found in shallow waters. | |||
| Maori | uaua | ||
| In Maori, "uaua" (tough) comes from the word for "fiber," referring to the fibrous strength of tough materials. | |||
| Samoan | malo | ||
| 'Malo' in Samoan also refers to 'bad', 'sick' or 'wrong' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matigas | ||
| The word "matigas" is also used to describe something that is stubborn or unyielding. | |||
Tough in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukatsa | ||
| Guarani | hasy | ||
Tough in International Languages
| Esperanto | malmola | ||
| The word 'malmola' comes from the Esperanto word 'molo' meaning 'hard' and the suffix '-a' indicating toughness. | |||
| Latin | lenta | ||
| The Latin word "lenta" can also mean "flexible, supple", and "slow, leisurely". | |||
Tough in Others Languages
| Greek | σκληρός | ||
| Σκληρός originally means 'unwrought metal', 'hard metal' | |||
| Hmong | tawv | ||
| Tawv is also the root word for 'tawb' ('strong' or 'sturdy'). | |||
| Kurdish | dijwar | ||
| The Kurdish word 'dijwar' shares a root with the Persian word 'diwar' (Persian ديوار), which means 'wall'. | |||
| Turkish | zorlu | ||
| The word "zorlu" in Turkish is derived from the Arabic word "zulm" meaning "injustice, oppression." | |||
| Xhosa | inzima | ||
| Inzima can also refer to a kind of traditional Xhosa beer made from maize and malted sorghum. | |||
| Yiddish | האַרט | ||
| Etymology: Middle High German "hert", a strong material in general | |||
| Zulu | kunzima | ||
| The Zulu word "Kunzima" is not originally related to physical strength but rather has a deeper meaning of emotional hardship and endurance. | |||
| Assamese | কঠিন | ||
| Aymara | ukatsa | ||
| Bhojpuri | कड़ेर | ||
| Dhivehi | އުނދަގޫ | ||
| Dogri | कठन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matigas | ||
| Guarani | hasy | ||
| Ilocano | naamnot | ||
| Krio | tranga | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | توند | ||
| Maithili | मुश्किल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯨꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tuarchhel | ||
| Oromo | cimaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଠିନ | ||
| Quechua | sasa | ||
| Sanskrit | कठिनम् | ||
| Tatar | каты | ||
| Tigrinya | ተሪር | ||
| Tsonga | tika | ||