Urge in Different Languages
Discover 'Urge' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'urge' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a strong desire or impulse to do or act in a certain way. It's a powerful emotional drive that has been explored in literature, psychology, and philosophy. Its cultural importance is evident in the works of renowned authors like Edgar Allan Poe and William Shakespeare, who used this term to convey intense emotions and motivations of their characters.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'urge' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how various cultures express this concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'urge' translates to 'urgencia', while in German, it is 'Drang'. In French, the word 'pulsion' is used to convey a similar meaning, and in Japanese, ' urge' can be translated as '欲求 (yokkyuu).'
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or a writer looking to expand your vocabulary, delving into the translations of 'urge' can be an enriching experience. Let's explore how this powerful word is expressed in different languages around the world.
Urge
Urge in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | drang | ||
| Afrikaans 'drang' is thought to be related to the West Germanic word 'drängen', meaning 'to press or squeeze'. | |||
| Amharic | አጥብቆ መጠየቅ | ||
| The word "አጥብቆ መጠየቅ" also means "to press hard" or "to push forcefully". | |||
| Hausa | turawa | ||
| "Turawa" can also refer to "European" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | gbaa ya ume | ||
| Igbo "gbaa ya ume" (urge) comes from the verb "gbà" (take or hold) and the noun "ume" (heart) | |||
| Malagasy | faniriana | ||
| The word | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulimbikitsa | ||
| "Kulimbikitsa" is derived from the verb "kulimbika" (to cling to) and can also mean "to entice" or "to importune." | |||
| Shona | kurudzira | ||
| The word 'kurudzira' is thought to derive from the Proto-Bantu word '-ruza', meaning 'to ask' or 'to request'. | |||
| Somali | ku boorin | ||
| An alternate meaning of "ku boorin" is "to inspire". | |||
| Sesotho | kgothatsa | ||
| The word 'kgothatsa' can also refer to the act of tempting or provoking someone. | |||
| Swahili | himiza | ||
| In Swahili, "himiza" also means "to encourage" or "to incite". | |||
| Xhosa | khuthaza | ||
| "Khuthaza" also means "to force" or "to persuade." | |||
| Yoruba | be | ||
| "Be" also means to "exist" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukunxusa | ||
| The Zulu word for "urge", "ukunxusa", also refers to the feeling of urgency | |||
| Bambara | ka laɲini | ||
| Ewe | xlɔ̃ nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubushake | ||
| Lingala | kolendisa | ||
| Luganda | okukuutira | ||
| Sepedi | hlohleletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ma obi nyɛ biribi | ||
Urge in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حث | ||
| In Arabic, "حث" can also mean "to incite, instigate, or encourage". | |||
| Hebrew | דַחַף | ||
| The word "דַחַף" can also refer to a "push" or "impulse" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | غوښتنه | ||
| غوښتنه is derived from the Persian verb "خواستن" (khâstan), meaning "to desire" or "to want". | |||
| Arabic | حث | ||
| In Arabic, "حث" can also mean "to incite, instigate, or encourage". | |||
Urge in Western European Languages
| Albanian | nxit | ||
| The word "nxit" is also used to describe a "fit" of emotion or a "spasm". | |||
| Basque | gogoa | ||
| The Basque word "gogoa" also means "desire" or "appetite". | |||
| Catalan | instar | ||
| The Catalan word "instar" can mean "instar" (to encourage to do something), "urge" (a strong desire to do something), "request" (to ask politely for something), or "petition" (a formal request, typically in writing). | |||
| Croatian | nagon | ||
| The word 'nagon' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*nagonъ', which also means 'inclination' or 'desire'. | |||
| Danish | trang til | ||
| The word "trang til" is also used in Danish to mean "long for" or "crave", similar to the English word "yearn". | |||
| Dutch | drang | ||
| "Drang" in Dutch can also mean a narrow passage or gorge. | |||
| English | urge | ||
| The word “urge” comes from the Latin word “urgere,” which means “to press” or “to drive.” | |||
| French | exhorter | ||
| In French, "exhorter" also means "to summon" or "to cite" in a legal context. | |||
| Frisian | drang | ||
| Galician | urxencia | ||
| The Galician word "urxencia" is derived from the Latin word "urgere", meaning to press or impel, and is related to the words "urgent" and "emergency" in English. | |||
| German | drang | ||
| 'Drang' also means 'narrow passage' or 'multitude, throng'. | |||
| Icelandic | hvetja | ||
| The Icelandic word "hvetja" originates from the Proto-Norse "hwatjan", meaning "to sharpen, whet, incite". | |||
| Irish | áiteamh | ||
| Italian | sollecitare | ||
| The word "sollecitare" is derived from the Latin "sollicitare", meaning "to excite," "to implore," or "to disturb." | |||
| Luxembourgish | drängen | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "drängen" is also used as an infinitive of the French verb "déranger" (to disturb/bother). | |||
| Maltese | tħeġġeġ | ||
| The word "tħeġġeġ" is derived from the Arabic "حَجّ" (hajj), meaning pilgrimage or religious journey, and has the connotation of a strong inner compulsion or desire. | |||
| Norwegian | trang | ||
| "Trang" can also refer to the urge to urinate or defecate, or to a feeling of anxiety or restlessness. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | impulso | ||
| In Portuguese, "impulso" can also refer to a spontaneous desire or a sudden inspiration. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ìmpidh | ||
| Despite its Gaelic spelling, the word “ìmpidh” derives from the English word “impeach”. | |||
| Spanish | impulso | ||
| The Spanish word "impulso" is cognate with "impulse" and implies action due to external force or internal stimuli. | |||
| Swedish | enträget uppmana | ||
| The word "enträget uppmana" is also used to describe someone who is persistent or insistent. | |||
| Welsh | ysfa | ||
| It can also mean an "onset". | |||
Urge in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цяга | ||
| Bosnian | nagon | ||
| Bosnian 'nagon' also means 'drive' or 'insistence'. | |||
| Bulgarian | порив | ||
| The Bulgarian word "порив" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *porъ, meaning "to move", and also means "gust of wind". | |||
| Czech | naléhat | ||
| Estonian | tung | ||
| The word "tung" in Estonian also means "wave" or "sway". | |||
| Finnish | halu | ||
| The word "halu" can also refer to a craving, desire, or inclination. | |||
| Hungarian | sürgetni | ||
| The word "sürgetni" is a cognate of the German "drängen" and "dringen", meaning "to press" or "to force." | |||
| Latvian | mudināt | ||
| "Mudināt" originally means "to move" and is also used with this meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | paraginti | ||
| Paraginti is derived from the Lithuanian word "ginti", meaning "to defend" or "to protect", and carries additional connotations of inciting or inspiring action. | |||
| Macedonian | нагон | ||
| The word "нагон" (urge) also means "instinct"} | |||
| Polish | popęd | ||
| Despite the word 'popęd' usually being translated to English as 'urge', it also carries meanings such as 'drive', 'impulse' and 'appetite'. | |||
| Romanian | îndemn | ||
| The Romanian word "îndemn" can also refer to a brief speech, exhortation, or encouragement. | |||
| Russian | побуждать | ||
| The verb побуждать is derived from the Old Russian word побудити ( побудити ) “to induce”. | |||
| Serbian | нагон | ||
| "Нагон" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *nęgъ, meaning "drive" or "impulse". | |||
| Slovak | nutkanie | ||
| "Nutkanie" also means "something that forces you to do something". | |||
| Slovenian | nagona | ||
| Ukrainian | спонукання | ||
| "Спонукання" evolved from Proto-Slavic *potykati, which also meant "incitement" or "urge". | |||
Urge in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তাড়ন | ||
| "তাড়ন" also means "thrashing" or "beating" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | વિનંતી | ||
| 'વિનંતી' originates from the Sanskrit word 'vinati', meaning 'a humble request'. It can also be used to refer to an intense desire or a heartfelt plea. | |||
| Hindi | आग्रह करता हूं | ||
| "आग्रह करता हूं" is related to the word "urgency or insistence; entreaty" but with the implication of authority of one over the other. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಚೋದನೆ | ||
| Malayalam | പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | उद्युक्त करणे | ||
| उद्युक्त करणे (urge) originates from the Sanskrit word "udyu" which means "to strive" or "to endeavour". As a noun in English, it refers to a strong desire or impulse to do something. | |||
| Nepali | आग्रह | ||
| The word “आग्रह” derives from the Sanskrit word “agraha,” which means “seizing” or “grasping.” | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਾਕੀਦ | ||
| The word 'ਤਾਕੀਦ' ('taakid') in Punjabi also means 'warning' or 'caution'. It is derived from the Arabic word 'taqîd', which means 'to urge' or 'to warn'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උනන්දු කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | தூண்டுதல் | ||
| Telugu | కోరిక | ||
| The word "కోరిక" can also refer to a desire, craving, longing, or yearning. | |||
| Urdu | گزارش | ||
| The Urdu word "گزارش" can also be used to mean "to inform" in a more general sense. | |||
Urge in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 敦促 | ||
| "敦促" also means "force" or "coerce". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 敦促 | ||
| Japanese | 衝動 | ||
| The character 衝 (しょう) means “to strike” and 動 (どう) means “to move,” so 衝動 can also mean "impact" or "drive." | |||
| Korean | 충동 | ||
| "충동" also means "conflict" in North Korea, because it derives from "충" (conflict) and "동" (direction) | |||
| Mongolian | уриалах | ||
| The word "уриалах" (urge) in Mongolian can also refer to the act of pushing or moving something | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုက်တွန်းသည် | ||
Urge in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dorongan | ||
| The word 'dorongan' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'durga', meaning 'fortress', and can also refer to the feeling of being driven or compelled to do something. | |||
| Javanese | nggusah | ||
| The word "nggusah" in Javanese can also refer to a feeling of restlessness or anxiety. | |||
| Khmer | ជម្រុញ | ||
| ជម្រុញ can also be a noun that means "motivation" or "incentive". | |||
| Lao | ຢາກ | ||
| The Lao word "ຢາກ" has multiple meanings, including "to want", "to like", and "to need". | |||
| Malay | mendesak | ||
| In Malay, the word "mendesak" also means "to press" or "to force". | |||
| Thai | กระตุ้น | ||
| Vietnamese | thúc giục | ||
| The word 'thúc giục' comes from the Chinese word '促进', meaning 'to promote or push forward' | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paghihimok | ||
Urge in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çağırış | ||
| The word "çağırış" (urge) in Azerbaijani shares its root with the word "çağırmak" (to call out), further indicating an active invocation to action. | |||
| Kazakh | шақыру | ||
| The word "шақыру" is also used in Kazakh to mean "to invite" or "to call someone". | |||
| Kyrgyz | чакыруу | ||
| The word "чакыруу" can also refer to a request or an invitation in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ташвиқ кардан | ||
| The word "ташвиқ кардан" can also mean "to encourage" or "to incite". | |||
| Turkmen | isleg | ||
| Uzbek | da'vat | ||
| "Davat" is a polysemantic word with meanings such as "wedding feast", "invitation", and "call to action." | |||
| Uyghur | urge | ||
Urge in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | koi | ||
| The word "koi" in Hawaiian can also mean "to gather" or "to collect". | |||
| Maori | akiaki | ||
| Maori word "akiaki" also means "impatience" and shares the same root word as "aki" which means "to feel exhausted" or "to dislike". | |||
| Samoan | faʻamalosi | ||
| In the passive, faʻamalosi means 'to be urged on'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-uudyok | ||
| Pag-uudyok comes from the root word udyok, which means "to persuade, incite, or provoke" | |||
Urge in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jank'aki | ||
| Guarani | ñemuaña | ||
Urge in International Languages
| Esperanto | instigi | ||
| Esperanto "instigi" is derived from the Latin word "instigare", meaning "to provoke" or "to incite" | |||
| Latin | conatus | ||
| The word "conatus" in Latin can also refer to an attempt, effort, or endeavor. | |||
Urge in Others Languages
| Greek | παροτρύνω | ||
| The verb 'παροτρύνω' (urge) is derived from the noun 'παρορμή' (impulse), which in turn comes from the verb 'ορμάω' (to set in motion). | |||
| Hmong | txhib | ||
| The Hmong word "txhib" can also mean "excitement" or "enthusiasm". | |||
| Kurdish | tiz | ||
| The word 'tiz' in Kurdish can also mean 'craving' or 'longing'. | |||
| Turkish | dürtü | ||
| The word "dürtü" in Turkish originates from the Proto-Turkic root word "dürt", meaning "to push" or "to poke". | |||
| Xhosa | khuthaza | ||
| "Khuthaza" also means "to force" or "to persuade." | |||
| Yiddish | אָנטרייַבן | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָנטרייַבן" is derived from the German word "antreiben" which means "to drive" or "to urge on". | |||
| Zulu | ukunxusa | ||
| The Zulu word for "urge", "ukunxusa", also refers to the feeling of urgency | |||
| Assamese | তাড়না | ||
| Aymara | jank'aki | ||
| Bhojpuri | विनती | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަމެއް ކުރަން ބޭނުންވުން | ||
| Dogri | अर्ज करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paghihimok | ||
| Guarani | ñemuaña | ||
| Ilocano | guyugoyen | ||
| Krio | push | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاندان | ||
| Maithili | अनुरोध | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯛꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tur | ||
| Oromo | dirquu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁରୋଧ | ||
| Quechua | musyay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रेष | ||
| Tatar | өндәү | ||
| Tigrinya | ስምዒት | ||
| Tsonga | khutaza | ||