Trouble in different languages

Trouble in Different Languages

Discover 'Trouble' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'trouble' is a small but powerful term, holding significance in many cultures and languages around the world. Often associated with hardship, adversity, or challenging situations, it's a word that transcends borders and unites us in our shared human experiences. But how do we convey this concept in different languages? Understanding the translation of 'trouble' in various tongues can provide us with a unique cultural perspective and enrich our global communication.

For instance, in Spanish, 'trouble' translates to 'problema', while in French, it becomes 'ennui' or 'difficulté', depending on the context. In German, 'trouble' is 'Schwierigkeit', and in Japanese, it's 'proberu' or 'nayami'. Each of these translations offers a glimpse into the linguistic and cultural nuances of the word 'trouble'.

So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the translations of 'trouble' can be a fascinating journey. Join us as we delve into the many shades of meaning behind this universal term.

Trouble


Trouble in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansmoeilikheid
Moeilikheid derives from the Dutch word 'moeilijkheid' and can also refer to difficulty or complexity.
Amharicችግር
"ችግር" is a loanword from the Arabic word "شغور" which means "vacancy, unoccupied space".
Hausamatsala
The Hausa word "matsala" is also used to refer to a "problem", "issue", or "difficulty".
Igbonsogbu
The Igbo word "nsogbu" is etymologically related to the word "gbogbo","meaning to disturb"}
Malagasynatoky
The word "NATOKY" in Malagasy can also refer to a painful event or a situation that causes distress.
Nyanja (Chichewa)vuto
The word "vuto" originates from the Proto-Bantu word "*βútó", meaning "difficulty, misfortune, adversity".
Shonadambudziko
The word "dambudziko" is derived from the root "damba," meaning "to desire," and the suffix "-dziko," indicating a state or condition, suggesting the idea that trouble stems from unfulfilled desires.
Somalidhibaato
Dhibaato, a Somali word for trouble, shares its root with the Arabic word 'dhib' which means 'damage', 'harm', or 'affliction'.
Sesothokhathatso
The word "khathatso" in Sesotho also refers to a commotion or disturbance, signifying a deviation from the norm.
Swahilishida
"Shida" has a wider meaning in Swahili, referring to any issue, problem, or difficulty.
Xhosainkathazo
The word 'inkathazo' can also mean 'to bother' or 'to disturb'.
Yorubawahala
The Yoruba word "wahala" has alternate meanings such as "difficulty" and "hardship" and is etymologically related to the Hausa word "wahala" meaning "disorder."
Zuluinkathazo
The Zulu word 'inkathazo' is also a traditional dance and a traditional garment made of cow skin.
Bambarakɔnɔnafilila
Ewekuxi
Kinyarwandaingorane
Lingalamobulu
Lugandaennaku
Sepedibothata
Twi (Akan)ɔhaw

Trouble in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمشكلة
The word "مشكلة" is derived from the root word "شكل" which means "shape" or "form". It can also mean "puzzle" or "problem".
Hebrewצרה
The word "צרה" (trouble) in Hebrew derives from the Akkadian word "ṣarru" (king, lord, master).
Pashtoستونزه
The word "ستونزه" comes from the Persian word "ستوه" which means "oppression" or "distress."
Arabicمشكلة
The word "مشكلة" is derived from the root word "شكل" which means "shape" or "form". It can also mean "puzzle" or "problem".

Trouble in Western European Languages

Albaniantelashe
The word "telashe" (trouble) in Albanian derives from the Proto-Albanian word *telash-, meaning "fear" or "trembling".
Basquearazoak
The word "arazoak" is the plural form of "arazo", which originally meant "sickness" or "pain".
Catalanproblemes
The Catalan word "problemes" derives from the Greek "problema," meaning "something thrown forth," or "obstacle."
Croatiannevolja
Serbo-Croatian word 'nevolja' comes from a Proto-Slavic word that originally meant 'slavery', 'imprisonment', or 'oppression'.
Danishproblemer
"Problemer" derives from the old Danish word "problemær", meaning either "difficult" or "objectionable".
Dutchprobleem
The Dutch word "probleem" has its origins in the Middle Dutch "proeflike", which means "examination".
Englishtrouble
The word 'trouble' is derived from the Old French word 'troubler', meaning 'to disturb' or 'to stir up'. It can also be used to describe a feeling of unease or anxiety.
Frenchdifficulté
“Difficulté” derives from the Latin “difficultas,” meaning “hardness,” and relates to words such as “difficulty,” “defile,” and “difficult.”
Frisianlijen
The word "lijen" can also refer to "mischief" or "annoyance" in Frisian.
Galicianproblema
Problema is of Greek origin and its literal meaning is "something thrown forward."
Germanärger
The word "Ärger" is derived from the Middle High German word "erge" meaning "anger, annoyance, wrath".
Icelandicvandræði
Vandræði means 'difficulty' and 'trouble', but historically it could also mean 'effort' and 'hardship'.
Irishtrioblóid
The word "trioblóid" in Irish is derived from the Latin word "tribulatio", meaning "affliction" or "distress".
Italianguaio
"Guaio" can also mean cry, howl, lament, sorrow, or whine.
Luxembourgishierger
"Ierger" is derived from the Old French word "engregier", meaning to aggravate or intensify.
Malteseinkwiet
In Maltese, "inkwiet" can also refer to a commotion or disturbance, especially in a public setting.
Norwegiantrøbbel
The word 'trøbbel' can also refer to a type of fishing net or a group of fish caught in a net.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)problema
The Portuguese word "problema" derives from the Greek word "πρόβλημα", meaning "thing thrown forward" or "a question to be solved".
Scots Gaelictrioblaid
The Gaelic noun 'trioblaid' derives from the verb 'triobailladh', meaning to 'molest' or 'harass'.
Spanishproblema
The Spanish word 'problema' ultimately derives from the Greek 'problēma' meaning 'something thrown forward' or 'an obstacle'.
Swedishproblem
The Swedish word "problem" derives from the Greek word "problema", meaning "question" or "obstacle".
Welshdrafferth
The word "drafferth" is sometimes also used to refer to a sudden loss or mishap.

Trouble in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianбяда
"Бяда" can be synonymous with "disaster," "misfortune," or "sorrow" in Belarusian.
Bosniannevolja
"Nevolja" is a Slavic word that originally meant "unfreedom" or "slavery".
Bulgarianнеприятности
The word "неприятности" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "неприязнь" (literally "unpleasantness") and is cognate with the Russian word "неприятность" (literally "unpleasantness").
Czechproblémy
In Czech, "problémy" also means "problems".
Estonianhäda
The word "häda" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*hajota" meaning "to separate, to ruin".
Finnishongelmia
Finnish word 'ongelmia' (trouble) probably derives from a Slavic word for 'fear'.
Hungarianbaj
Hungarian 'baj' is cognate with the Slavic word for 'fear' or 'terror', and may also have meant that in Proto-Hungarian.
Latviannepatikšanas
The Latvian word "nepatikšanas" is a cognate of the Lithuanian "nepatogumai" ("inconvenience") and is also related to the Old Prussian word "nepatis" ("discord").
Lithuanianbėda
Lithuanian "bėda" has various roots - one possibly originating in Proto-Indo-European *bhend-, referring to seizing or grabbing, while another, "badas", meaning hunger, has likely been borrowed from Middle Low German.
Macedonianневолја
The word "неволја" is a compound word derived from "не" (meaning "not") and "воља" (meaning "will"). Thus, "неволја" literally means "not willing" or "unwillingly" and implies a feeling of reluctance or constraint.
Polishkłopot
"Kłopot" in Polish has roots in the Germanic word "klappa", meaning "a blow" or "a slap", which later evolved into "klapot" in Old Polish to mean "a commotion" or "upheaval".
Romaniannecaz
The word "necaz" in Romanian is derived from the Latin word "necāre", meaning "to kill" or "to cause pain or distress."
Russianбеда
The Russian word "беда" originates from the Proto-Indo-European word "bʰedʰ-", meaning "to split, divide, separate".
Serbianневоља
The Serbian word "невоља" originally meant "slavery" and still has this meaning in some dialects.
Slovakproblém
The Slovak word "problém" originates from the Greek "problema," meaning "obstacle" or "question."
Sloveniantežave
The word "težave" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*tęgъ", meaning "difficult" or "heavy", and is also related to the Russian word "тяжело" (tyazhelo), meaning "difficult".
Ukrainianбіда
The word "біда" ("trouble") in Ukrainian is also used to refer to a misfortune or a serious problem.

Trouble in South Asian Languages

Bengaliঝামেলা
The word 'ঝামেলা' (trouble) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'जमाल' (jamal), meaning 'knot' or 'difficulty'.
Gujaratiમુશ્કેલી
The Gujarati word "મુશ્કેલી" is derived from the Sanskrit word "muṣkala," meaning "pain" or "affliction."
Hindiमुसीबत
"मुसीबत" (trouble) is cognate with "misery" which comes from the Latin "miser" (wretched, poor) and the suffix "-ia" (condition), meaning literally, "condition of unhappiness."
Kannadaತೊಂದರೆ
The Kannada word "ತೊಂದರೆ" can also refer to "distress", "affliction", or "difficulty"
Malayalamകുഴപ്പം
The word "കുഴപ്പം" can also refer to a mathematical problem or a knotty issue.
Marathiत्रास
The word "त्रास" (trās) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "त्रस" (trasa), meaning "fear", and also refers to "harassment" or "annoyance".
Nepaliसमस्या
The Nepali word "समस्या" (trouble) also means "riddle" or "puzzle".
Punjabiਮੁਸੀਬਤ
The word "मुसीबत" is derived from the Arabic word "مصیبت" which means "calamity, disaster, affliction". The word can also be used to describe a difficult or challenging situation.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)කරදර
කරදර (karadhara) is a Sinhala word originating from Sanskrit, meaning burden/tax/tribute or difficulty/hardship.
Tamilசிக்கல்
The word "சிக்கல்" in Tamil can also refer to a problem or difficulty in mathematics.
Teluguఇబ్బంది
The word "ఇబ్బంది" in Telugu can also mean "embarrassment" or "difficulty".
Urduپریشانی
پریشانی is also used to describe mental anguish, confusion, or disorder

Trouble in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)麻烦
麻烦 (māfan) literally means "to bother others," and can also refer to something being bothersome or inconvenient.
Chinese (Traditional)麻煩
The word 麻煩 also has other meanings including "bother" and "difficult," depending on context.
Japaneseトラブル
トラブル is derived from the English word "trouble", meaning not only "trouble," but also "efforts" or "struggles" in Japanese.
Korean수고
The word "수고" can also mean "hard work" or "effort" in Korean.
Mongolianасуудал
The Mongolian word "асуудал" can also refer to a problem, issue, or difficulty.
Myanmar (Burmese)ပြ.နာ

Trouble in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmasalah
"Masalah" derives from the Arabic word "mas'alah" meaning "question, matter, issue".
Javanesemasalah
"Masalah" can also mean "situation" or "circumstance" in the Javanese language.
Khmerបញ្ហា
"បញ្ហា" (panha) is derived from the Sanskrit word "praśna" meaning "question" and can also refer to "issues" or "difficulties".
Laoບັນຫາ
Malaymasalah
**The word "masalah" derives from the Arabic word "mas'alah", meaning "question" or "issue"**
Thaiปัญหา
The Thai word "ปัญหา" also means "question" and is cognate with the Lao word "ปัญหา" which has the additional meaning "riddle".
Vietnameserắc rối
The Vietnamese word "rắc rối" can also mean "thorny" or "difficult to solve".
Filipino (Tagalog)gulo

Trouble in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaninarahatlıq
"Narahatlıq" is a word in the Turkic languages that originally referred to a disturbance of the peace, but in Azerbaijan it specifically means problems, worries or inconvenience
Kazakhқиындық
The Kazakh word "қиындық" (trouble) derives from the Persian word "qeyd" (bond, limitation), signifying a state of constraint or difficulty.
Kyrgyzкыйынчылык
Tajikдушворӣ
The word "душворӣ" is used to describe both physical and emotional distress, as well as difficulty or hardship.
Turkmenkynçylyk
Uzbekmuammo
The word "muammo" is derived from the Arabic word "ma'mūmah" which means "difficult thing" or "vexation."
Uyghurئاۋارىچىلىق

Trouble in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianpilikia
Although pilikia typically means "trouble" in Hawaiian, variations of the word can refer to work, a task, business, difficulties or obstacles, and various negative experiences.
Maoriraru
The word "raru" also means "knot" or "tangle" in Maori, suggesting a connection between trouble and entanglements.
Samoanfaʻalavelave
Samoan word "faʻalavelave" is a compound of "faʻa" (to cause) and "lāvelave" (difficult)
Tagalog (Filipino)gulo
Gulo is also the name of a genus including wolverines, which are known for their aggression and fierce nature.

Trouble in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajan walt'a
Guaraniapañuãi

Trouble in International Languages

Esperantoproblemo
The Esperanto word 'problemo' originates from the Slavic languages, where it often refers to a 'burden' or 'affliction'.
Latintribulatio
The Latin word "tribulatio" can also refer to threshing or the instrument used for threshing, highlighting the hardship from which the meaning of "trouble" is derived.

Trouble in Others Languages

Greekταλαιπωρία
Τallaiporia's other meanings also refer to physical distress: hardship, affliction, disease, or weakness
Hmongteeb meem
The word "teeb meem" is a reduplicative term that originated from another Hmong word meaning "bad".
Kurdishastengan
The word "astengan" in Kurdish has a root meaning of "a heavy burden," suggesting the weight of problems.
Turkishsorun
"Sorun" is a cognate of the English word "search" and originally meant "that which is to be sought or asked".
Xhosainkathazo
The word 'inkathazo' can also mean 'to bother' or 'to disturb'.
Yiddishצרה
The Yiddish "tsore" which also means "trouble" comes from the word for "narrow" because something narrow can restrict and therefore cause trouble.
Zuluinkathazo
The Zulu word 'inkathazo' is also a traditional dance and a traditional garment made of cow skin.
Assameseসমস্যা
Aymarajan walt'a
Bhojpuriदिक्कत
Dhivehiމައްސަލަ
Dogriपरेशानी
Filipino (Tagalog)gulo
Guaraniapañuãi
Ilocanoriri
Krioplaba
Kurdish (Sorani)کێشە
Maithiliतकलीफ
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯈꯨꯗꯣꯡꯊꯤꯕ
Mizobuaina
Oromorakkoo
Odia (Oriya)ଅସୁବିଧା
Quechuasasachakuy
Sanskritसमस्या
Tatarпроблема
Tigrinyaፀገም
Tsongahlupha

Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter