Tragedy in Different Languages
Discover 'Tragedy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Tragedy: a word that evokes a sense of sadness, loss, and regret. Originating from the Greek language, 'tragedy' (τραγῳδία) was used to describe a form of theater that depicted the downfall of a heroic character, often due to their own flaws or fate. This cultural art form served as a way for societies to explore complex emotions, moral dilemmas, and human nature.
Throughout history, tragedy has maintained its significance as a powerful literary and cultural concept. From Shakespeare's classic plays to modern films and novels, tragedy continues to resonate with global audiences, transcending language and cultural barriers. By understanding the translation of 'tragedy' in different languages, we not only expand our vocabulary but also deepen our appreciation for the shared human experiences that tragedies explore.
For instance, the German translation of 'tragedy' is 'Tragödie', while in Spanish, it is 'tragedia'. In French, it is 'tragédie', and in Japanese, it is '悲劇' (higeki). These translations highlight the global impact of tragedy and its ability to connect people through shared emotions and stories.
Tragedy
Tragedy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tragedie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "tragedie" is derived from the Greek word "tragoidia," meaning "goat song". | |||
| Amharic | አሳዛኝ | ||
| The word "አሳዛኝ" can also refer to a "catastrophe" or "calamity." | |||
| Hausa | masifa | ||
| The word 'masifa' can also refer to a natural disaster or calamity. | |||
| Igbo | ọdachi | ||
| The Igbo term 'ọdachi' also connotes 'fate' as an external force that determines people's lives. | |||
| Malagasy | zava-doza | ||
| The word "zava-doza" comes from the root word "doza," which means "to break" or "to split," and implies a sense of division or separation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsoka | ||
| In Nyanja, "tsoka" also means "to be in a state of shock or mourning". | |||
| Shona | nhamo | ||
| The word "nhamo" can also refer to a specific type of misfortune or hardship. | |||
| Somali | musiibo | ||
| The word "musiibo" also means "misfortune" or "mishap" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | tlokotsi | ||
| The word "tlokotsi" is also used to refer to the concept of 'unfortunate events', and derives from 'tlokotseha', a Sesotho verb meaning 'to cause trouble or bring misfortune'. | |||
| Swahili | msiba | ||
| The word "msiba" is also used to refer to any unexpected or unfortunate event that causes distress or loss. | |||
| Xhosa | intlekele | ||
| Intlekele can also refer to a serious or critical situation, or to a dilemma with no easy solution. | |||
| Yoruba | ajalu | ||
| The Yoruba word "ajalu" also means "untimely death" and "calamity". | |||
| Zulu | usizi | ||
| Although the word "usizi" primarily refers to tragedy, it also denotes misfortune, distress, or calamity. | |||
| Bambara | bɔnɛko don | ||
| Ewe | nublanuinya aɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibyago | ||
| Lingala | likambo ya mawa | ||
| Luganda | ekikangabwa | ||
| Sepedi | masetla-pelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awerɛhosɛm | ||
Tragedy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مأساة | ||
| The word "مأساة" originally meant "goatsong" in Greek, referring to the songs performed by the chorus in ancient Greek tragedies. | |||
| Hebrew | טרגדיה | ||
| "טרגדיה" ביוונית משמעה גם "שיר עז" או "שיר שעיר"} | |||
| Pashto | تراژيدي | ||
| The Pashto word "تراژيدي" (tragedy) originally derived from the Greek word "τραγῳδία" (tragoidia), meaning "goat song." | |||
| Arabic | مأساة | ||
| The word "مأساة" originally meant "goatsong" in Greek, referring to the songs performed by the chorus in ancient Greek tragedies. | |||
Tragedy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tragjedi | ||
| The Albanian word "tragjedi" originates from the Greek word "tragōdia", which literally translates to "goat song" and originally referred to a choral song performed in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and theater. | |||
| Basque | tragedia | ||
| In Basque, "tragedia" is the term used to describe a serious play with a tragic outcome, but it can also refer to a calamity or misfortune. | |||
| Catalan | tragèdia | ||
| The word "tragèdia" ultimately derives from the Greek "tragoidía", which means "goat song" and refers to the goat-like behavior of satyrs in ancient Greek theater. | |||
| Croatian | tragedija | ||
| The Croatian word "tragedija" ultimately derives from the Greek "tragoedia," meaning "goat song," likely referring to the goat that was sacrificed at festivals honoring Dionysus. | |||
| Danish | tragedie | ||
| In Danish, "tragedie" can also refer to a dramatic work with a serious or somber theme. | |||
| Dutch | tragedie | ||
| In Dutch, the word 'tragedie' can also refer to a kind of dramatic genre that is characterized by a serious plot and a sad ending. | |||
| English | tragedy | ||
| The word "tragedy" comes from the Greek word "tragoidia," which means "goat song" or "song of the goat." | |||
| French | la tragédie | ||
| The French word "la tragédie" comes from the Greek word "tragoidia," meaning "goat song" | |||
| Frisian | trageedzje | ||
| The word "trageedzje" in Frisian can also refer to a type of folk song or play that deals with serious themes. | |||
| Galician | traxedia | ||
| Galician "traxedia" comes from the Greek word "tragodia" meaning "goat song". | |||
| German | tragödie | ||
| The German word "Tragödie" originally meant "goat song" in Greek and referred to the goat sacrificed to Dionysus during theatrical festivals. | |||
| Icelandic | harmleikur | ||
| Despite its appearance, "harmleikur" does not derive from "harm" and is actually related to "harmur" (sorrow) and "harmr" (grief). | |||
| Irish | tragóid | ||
| In ancient Greek 'tragόidiα' literally means 'goat song'. | |||
| Italian | tragedia | ||
| The Italian word "tragedia" derives from the Greek "tragoidia", meaning "goat song". | |||
| Luxembourgish | tragöttie | ||
| The word "Tragöttie" is derived from the Greek word "tragōidia", which means "goat song". It was originally a type of play performed in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility. | |||
| Maltese | traġedja | ||
| The word "traġedja" is derived from the Greek word "τραγῳδία" (tragoidia), which literally means "goat song". It was originally used to refer to the songs of the satyrs, who were half-goat, half-human creatures that featured in Greek tragedies. | |||
| Norwegian | tragedie | ||
| In Norwegian, "tragedie" can also refer to the part of a Greek tragedy after the anagnorisis. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tragédia | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "tragédia" derives from the Greek and means "song of the goat" in reference to the chorus of goatskins worn by early performers of theatrical tragedies. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bròn-chluich | ||
| Spanish | tragedia | ||
| "Tragedia" is the Spanish word for "tragedy," but it is also used to refer to a theatrical performance that uses music and dance to tell a story. | |||
| Swedish | tragedi | ||
| The Swedish word "tragedi" also means "a person who exaggerates or makes a fuss about something." | |||
| Welsh | trasiedi | ||
| The word "trasiedi" in Welsh is derived from the Greek word "tragoidia", meaning "goat song" | |||
Tragedy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | трагедыя | ||
| The Belarusian word "трагедыя" ("tragedy") derives from the Greek word "τραγῳδία" ("goat song"), which referred to the chorus of goats that often performed in ancient Greek tragedies. | |||
| Bosnian | tragedija | ||
| Tragedija derives from the Greek word τραγῳδία 'tragoedia', meaning 'goat song', which refers to the songs sung by the chorus in ancient Greek tragedies. | |||
| Bulgarian | трагедия | ||
| In Bulgarian, "трагедия" (tragedy) can also refer to a catastrophic event, a fatal accident, or a serious misfortune that causes great suffering or loss. | |||
| Czech | tragédie | ||
| The Czech word "tragédie" comes from the Greek word "tragos," meaning "goat," and "oide," meaning "song". | |||
| Estonian | tragöödia | ||
| The word "tragöödia" in Estonian derives from the Greek word "tragōidia", which originally meant "goat song" or "song of the goat". | |||
| Finnish | tragedia | ||
| Traaginen has a broader meaning, being used in a more general sense to mean 'unfortunate' or 'disastrous'. | |||
| Hungarian | tragédia | ||
| A “tragédia” szó eredetileg kecskeáldozatot jelentett, és a görög „tragosz” (kecske) és „oidé” (ének) szavakból származik. | |||
| Latvian | traģēdija | ||
| In Latvian, the word "traģēdija" also refers to a sudden and unexpected misfortune. | |||
| Lithuanian | tragedija | ||
| The word "tragedija" is derived from the Greek "tragos," meaning "goat," and "ode," meaning "song," referencing the goat sacrifices made at Dionysian festivals where tragedies were first performed. | |||
| Macedonian | трагедија | ||
| The word "трагедија" derives from the Greek word "τραγῳδία", which originally meant "goat song". | |||
| Polish | tragedia | ||
| The Polish word "tragedia" comes from the Greek word "tragoidia", which means "goat song". | |||
| Romanian | tragedie | ||
| The Romanian word "tragedie" comes from the Greek word "tragodia," which means "goat song," and originally referred to a type of play performed during religious festivals in ancient Greece. | |||
| Russian | трагедия | ||
| The word "трагедия" derives from the Greek word "tragoidia," which means "goat song" and refers to the goat sacrificed before the performance of a tragedy. | |||
| Serbian | трагедија | ||
| The Serbian word "трагедија" ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word "τραγῳδία" (tragōidia), meaning "goat song" | |||
| Slovak | tragédia | ||
| In Slovak, "tragédia" also means "a calamity" or "a disastrous event." | |||
| Slovenian | tragedija | ||
| The word "tragedija" in Slovenian originally meant "song of the goat" in ancient Greek. | |||
| Ukrainian | трагедія | ||
| The word "трагедія" in Ukrainian comes from the Greek word "τραγῳδία" which literally means "goat song". | |||
Tragedy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দুঃখজনক ঘটনা | ||
| The word 'tragedy' derives from the Greek word 'tragoidia,' which originally meant a 'goatsong,' referring to the goat-masked performers in ancient Greek theatrical plays. | |||
| Gujarati | દુર્ઘટના | ||
| "दुर्घटना" शब्द संस्कृत के "दुः" (बुरा) और "घट" (घटना) से मिलकर बना है, जो किसी दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण या विपत्तिजनक घटना को संदर्भित करता है। | |||
| Hindi | शोकपूर्ण घटना | ||
| "शोकपूर्ण घटना" in Hindi derives from the Greek word "tragoidia" meaning "goat song" and was originally a type of choral performance accompanied by the sacrifice of a goat. | |||
| Kannada | ದುರಂತ | ||
| The word "ದುರಂತ" also means "an unfortunate event" or "calamity" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ദുരന്തം | ||
| Marathi | शोकांतिका | ||
| The word "शोकांतिका" comes from the Sanskrit word "शोक" (sorrow) and "अंत" (end), referring to the sorrowful end of a story or play. | |||
| Nepali | त्रासदी | ||
| The Nepali word "त्रासदी" is derived from the Sanskrit word "त्रास" meaning "fear" and "दुःख" meaning "sorrow". | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੁਖਦਾਈ | ||
| The closest word to 'tragedy' in Punjabi is 'ਦੁਖਦਾਈ' ('dukhadai') which literally means 'pain-giving'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඛේදවාචකය | ||
| The Sinhala word "ඛේදවාචකය" (tragedy) comes from the Sanskrit word "khaedavaachka", which literally means "causing sorrow". | |||
| Tamil | சோகம் | ||
| "சோகம்" in Tamil can also refer to "distress" or "sorrow". | |||
| Telugu | విషాదం | ||
| The Telugu word "విషాదం" (vishaadam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "विषाद" (vishaad), which means poison or grief. | |||
| Urdu | سانحہ | ||
| The word "سانحہ" can also mean "an accident" or a "disaster". | |||
Tragedy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 悲剧 | ||
| In the Chinese language, the word “悲剧” does not simply mean “tragedy.” Rather, its literal meaning is “sorrowful play”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 悲劇 | ||
| 悲劇指戲劇中的悲劇結局，也是由犧牲而造成的悲傷或毀滅性事件。 | |||
| Japanese | 悲劇 | ||
| The Japanese word 悲劇 "higeki" literally means "sad/sorrowful (悲) play/theater (劇)". | |||
| Korean | 비극 | ||
| "비극" (悲劇) is composed of the Hanja characters for "sorrow" (悲) and "happenstance" (劇), and can also refer to a sad or unfortunate event. | |||
| Mongolian | эмгэнэлт явдал | ||
| "Эмгэнэлт явдал" (tragedy in Mongolian) originally referred to "goat song", possibly due to the fact that goats were sacrificed during ancient Greek tragedies. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဖြစ်ဆိုး | ||
Tragedy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tragedi | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "tragedi" derives from the Greek "tragos oide," meaning "goat song." | |||
| Javanese | tragedi | ||
| In Javanese, the word "tragedi" has the additional meaning of "a story or account of a past event." | |||
| Khmer | សោកនាដកម្ម | ||
| សោកនាដកម្ម is derived from the Greek word 'tragoidia' meaning 'goat song' and was associated with the tragic dramas performed at festivals honoring the god Dionysus. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມໂສກເສົ້າ | ||
| Malay | tragedi | ||
| The Malay word "tragedi" can also refer to a type of traditional Malay theatre. | |||
| Thai | โศกนาฏกรรม | ||
| The word originates from the Greek word “tragos” (literally meaning “goat”) suggesting a satyr costume with a goat skin worn in the Greek plays. | |||
| Vietnamese | bi kịch | ||
| Bi kịch is derived from the Greek word "tragos," meaning "goat," and "aeidein," meaning "to sing," referring to the goat-shaped chorus that sang in ancient Greek dramas. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | trahedya | ||
Tragedy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | faciə | ||
| Etymology: from Arabic 'fājiah', 'fāja'a' (disaster, calamity). | |||
| Kazakh | трагедия | ||
| The Kazakh word "трагедия" is also used to describe a form of traditional Kazakh folk theater. | |||
| Kyrgyz | трагедия | ||
| "Трагедия" происходит от греческого "τραγῳδία", что означает "песня козлов" | |||
| Tajik | фоҷиа | ||
| Tajik word "фоҷиа" is a cognate of English word "catastrophe", both originating from the Greek "katastrophē" meaning "overturn" or "ruin". | |||
| Turkmen | betbagtçylyk | ||
| Uzbek | fojia | ||
| The word "fojia" in Uzbek language comes from the Arabic word "fajia" which means "a great calamity or disaster". | |||
| Uyghur | پاجىئە | ||
Tragedy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pōpilikia | ||
| Pōpilikia can refer to a personal problem, misfortune, or trouble as well as a tragedy. | |||
| Maori | ati | ||
| "Ati" can also refer to a tribe or a group of people. | |||
| Samoan | mala | ||
| The word "mala" in Samoan is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "malaq" meaning "bad" or "evil". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | trahedya | ||
| The word "trahedya" in Tagalog (Filipino) is derived from the Spanish word "tragedia" and ultimately from the Greek "tragōidia," meaning "goat song". | |||
Tragedy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jan walt’äwi | ||
| Guarani | tragedia rehegua | ||
Tragedy in International Languages
| Esperanto | tragedio | ||
| The Esperanto “tragedio” is cognate with the English word “comedy,” but it means “tragedy” because of the influence of Greek. | |||
| Latin | malum | ||
| The Latin word "malum" can also refer to an "apple", "evil" or "misfortune." | |||
Tragedy in Others Languages
| Greek | τραγωδία | ||
| The term "τραγωδία" (tragedy) in Greek was originally associated with performances accompanied by "goat songs" (tragos oide) | |||
| Hmong | raug xwm txheej | ||
| The word "raug xwm txheej" in Hmong is a compound word that literally means "to be stricken by fate or disaster." | |||
| Kurdish | tirajedî | ||
| The word "tirajedî" is derived from the Greek word "tragoidia," which means "goat song". | |||
| Turkish | trajedi | ||
| The Turkish word "trajedi" derives from the Greek word "tragoidia," which originally referred to a song performed by a chorus of goats or satyrs; it later came to be associated with dramatic performances depicting tragic events or outcomes. | |||
| Xhosa | intlekele | ||
| Intlekele can also refer to a serious or critical situation, or to a dilemma with no easy solution. | |||
| Yiddish | טראַגעדיע | ||
| The Yiddish word "טראַגעדיע" (tragedy) also means "a great misfortune or calamity." | |||
| Zulu | usizi | ||
| Although the word "usizi" primarily refers to tragedy, it also denotes misfortune, distress, or calamity. | |||
| Assamese | ট্ৰেজেডী | ||
| Aymara | jan walt’äwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | त्रासदी के बात बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިތާމަވެރި ހާދިސާއެކެވެ | ||
| Dogri | त्रासदी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | trahedya | ||
| Guarani | tragedia rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | trahedia | ||
| Krio | bad bad tin we kin apin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کارەسات | ||
| Maithili | त्रासदी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇ꯭ꯔꯦꯖꯦꯗꯤ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯊꯣꯀꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | lungngaihna (tragedy) a ni | ||
| Oromo | balaa guddaa ta’e | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦୁ tragedy ଖଦ ଘଟଣା | | ||
| Quechua | llakikuy | ||
| Sanskrit | त्रासदी | ||
| Tatar | фаҗига | ||
| Tigrinya | ትራጀዲ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | khombo ra kona | ||