Virus in Different Languages
Discover 'Virus' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses can cause a variety of diseases, from the common cold to more serious illnesses like HIV/AIDS and Ebola. The significance of viruses in our world cannot be overstated, as they have played a major role in shaping the course of human history.
The word 'virus' has a rich cultural importance, particularly in the field of science and medicine. It has also been used in popular culture, from movies like 'The Andromeda Strain' to video games like 'Resident Evil'. Understanding the translation of the word 'virus' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view and understand this important concept.
For example, in Spanish, the word for virus is 'virus', while in French it is 'virus'. In German, it is 'Virus', and in Japanese, it is 'バイруス (bairosu)'. These translations not only provide a linguistic understanding of the word, but also offer a glimpse into how different cultures conceptualize and discuss viruses.
In this article, we will explore the translations of the word 'virus' in a variety of languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural and historical contexts associated with this important term.
Virus
Virus in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | virus | ||
| In Afrikaans, "virus" can also refer to a "venom" or "poisonous substance." | |||
| Amharic | ቫይረስ | ||
| The word "ቫይረስ" in Amharic is derived from the Latin word "virus", meaning "poison". | |||
| Hausa | ƙwayar cuta | ||
| In Hausa, the word "ƙwayar cuta" can also mean "germ" or "bacteria". | |||
| Igbo | nje | ||
| Igbo's word for "virus" (nje) also denotes "a tiny thing" | |||
| Malagasy | viriosy | ||
| The word "viriosy" in the Malagasy language can also be used to indicate a germ, poison, or infection. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kachilombo | ||
| Kachilombo may also refer to a very strong or persistent smell. | |||
| Shona | utachiona | ||
| The term 'utachiona' in Shona can also refer to "something that cannot be seen" or "a disease that spreads through water". | |||
| Somali | fayruus | ||
| The Somali word "fayruus" derives from the Arabic "fīrūs", meaning "harmful substance". | |||
| Sesotho | vaerase | ||
| The word 'vaerase' in Sesotho refers to a contagious disease, but it also carries the connotation of something that is harmful or destructive. | |||
| Swahili | virusi | ||
| "Virusi" in Swahili also refers to a type of parasitic plant or weed. | |||
| Xhosa | intsholongwane | ||
| In Xhosa, 'intsholongwane' is also used to refer to something tiny and almost invisible. | |||
| Yoruba | kòkòrò àrùn fáírọọsì | ||
| The word "kòkòrò àrùn fáírọọsì" is a compound word that literally means "small thing that causes sickness". "Kòkòrò" means "small thing" and "àrùn" means "sickness". | |||
| Zulu | igciwane | ||
| The Zulu word 'igciwane' shares a root with the word for 'small' or 'young' ('ingane'), indicating a perception of viruses as 'the little ones'. | |||
| Bambara | banakisɛ ye | ||
| Ewe | dɔlékui aɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | virusi | ||
| Lingala | virus oyo babengi virus | ||
| Luganda | akawuka | ||
| Sepedi | twatši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmoawa a wɔde ɔyare mmoawa ba | ||
Virus in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فايروس | ||
| فايروس "virus" is an Arabic word referring to a microorganism that can only reproduce inside the living cells of an organism which comes from the Latin word "virus" that originated from "vira" (meaning poison or venom). | |||
| Hebrew | נגיף | ||
| "נגיף" (virus) is a Hebrew word that can also mean "plague" or "scourge". | |||
| Pashto | وایرس | ||
| The word "وایرس" (virus) in Pashto is also used to refer to a type of computer virus. | |||
| Arabic | فايروس | ||
| فايروس "virus" is an Arabic word referring to a microorganism that can only reproduce inside the living cells of an organism which comes from the Latin word "virus" that originated from "vira" (meaning poison or venom). | |||
Virus in Western European Languages
| Albanian | virus | ||
| In Albanian, the word "virus" can also mean "poison". | |||
| Basque | birus | ||
| In Basque, "birus" also means "poison," deriving from the Proto-Basque root "*bir-," related to "bitter." | |||
| Catalan | virus | ||
| In Catalan, "virus" can also refer to a "venom" or "poison". | |||
| Croatian | virus | ||
| The word virus (Croatian: virus) originates from the Latin term meaning poison or venom. | |||
| Danish | virus | ||
| In Danish, the word "virus" can also mean "venom" or "poison". | |||
| Dutch | virus | ||
| In Dutch, "virus" also refers to a "venom" or "poisonous substance". | |||
| English | virus | ||
| The word "virus" comes from the Latin word "virus" meaning "poison" or "venom". | |||
| French | virus | ||
| The French word “virus” can also refer to “a harmful or malevolent thing”. | |||
| Frisian | firus | ||
| The word "firus" in Frisian derives from the Latin word "virus", meaning "poison". | |||
| Galician | virus | ||
| The Galician word "virus" also means "poison" or "toxin." | |||
| German | virus | ||
| The word "Virus" in German can also refer to a type of computer malware. | |||
| Icelandic | veira | ||
| The word "veira" also means "line" or "seam" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | víreas | ||
| The Irish word 'víreas' comes from the Latin word 'virus', meaning 'poison' or 'venom'. | |||
| Italian | virus | ||
| In Italian, "virus" also means "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Luxembourgish | virus | ||
| Maltese | virus | ||
| The word 'virus' in Maltese also refers to the toxic substance released by bacteria into its surroundings. | |||
| Norwegian | virus | ||
| The word "virus" originates from the Latin word "virion" meaning "poison." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vírus | ||
| "Vírus" in Portuguese also means "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bhìoras | ||
| The Gaelic word `bhìoras` also means "venom" and derives from the Old Irish word *bíor," meaning "venom of a snake or serpent". | |||
| Spanish | virus | ||
| In Spanish, the word "virus" can also refer to a poison or venom. | |||
| Swedish | virus | ||
| The Swedish word "virus" can also mean "confusion" or "mess". | |||
| Welsh | feirws | ||
| The word "feirws" in Welsh also means "venom" or "poison". | |||
Virus in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вірус | ||
| The word “вірус” (“virus”) is also used to refer to a computer virus. | |||
| Bosnian | virus | ||
| "Virus" is also the name of a mythological female figure in the folklore of Bosnia and Herzegovina. | |||
| Bulgarian | вирус | ||
| The word "вирус" also means "poison" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | virus | ||
| The Czech word "virus" originally referred to a kind of poisonous substance | |||
| Estonian | viirus | ||
| The Estonian word "viirus" is a direct borrowing from Latin "virus", which originally referred to "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Finnish | virus | ||
| The word "virus" is also used in Finnish to describe a computer virus. | |||
| Hungarian | vírus | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "vírus" can also refer to a small, parasitic organism that causes disease in plants. | |||
| Latvian | vīruss | ||
| Latvian "vīruss" comes from Latin "virus" meaning "poison" or "venom" and is also related to Latvian "vīr" meaning "man". | |||
| Lithuanian | virusas | ||
| In Lithuanian, "virusas" also means "poison". | |||
| Macedonian | вирус | ||
| In Macedonian, the word "вирус" can also refer to a type of malware or a computer virus. | |||
| Polish | wirus | ||
| The word "wirus" derives from the Latin "virus" and its original meaning referred to a poisonous substance. | |||
| Romanian | virus | ||
| The Romanian word for virus, "virus," is derived from the Latin word for poison, "virus. | |||
| Russian | вирус | ||
| The Russian word "вирус" (virus) also refers to a type of computer malware. | |||
| Serbian | вирус | ||
| In Serbian, the word "вирус" also refers to a computer program intended to infect and damage a computer system. | |||
| Slovak | vírus | ||
| The word "vírus" in Slovak can also refer to a type of malevolent spiritual being. | |||
| Slovenian | virus | ||
| The word "virus" in Slovenian can also mean "a kind of worm, maggot, or microbe." | |||
| Ukrainian | вірус | ||
| Існує також словосполучення "вірус душі", яке в переносному значенні позначає негативний духовний вплив на людину. | |||
Virus in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভাইরাস | ||
| ভাইরাস শব্দটির অপর অর্থ হল হাস্যরস। | |||
| Gujarati | વાઇરસ | ||
| Hindi | वाइरस | ||
| The word "वाइरस" (virus) comes from the Latin word "virus", meaning "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Kannada | ವೈರಸ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ವೈರಸ್" (virus) is derived from the Sanskrit word "विष" (poison) and the suffix "-ус" (meaning "poisonous"). | |||
| Malayalam | വൈറസ് | ||
| In Malayalam, the word "വൈറസ്" can also refer to "poison" or "malice". | |||
| Marathi | विषाणू | ||
| 'विषाणू' originates from Sanskrit 'विष' (poison) and 'अणु' (small particle), referring to its toxic nature. | |||
| Nepali | भाइरस | ||
| The word "भाइरस" is derived from the Latin word "virus", meaning "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਾਇਰਸ | ||
| The word "ਵਾਇਰਸ" (virus) in Punjabi has no alternate meanings and is derived from the Latin word "virus" meaning "poison". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වයිරසය | ||
| "වයිරසය" (virus) is derived from the Latin word "virus," meaning "poison" or "venom." | |||
| Tamil | வைரஸ் | ||
| Telugu | వైరస్ | ||
| The Telugu word "వైరస్" can also refer to "venomous or poisonous". | |||
| Urdu | وائرس | ||
| The word 'virus' also means 'antagonism' or 'evil spirit' in Persian where it originally derives from. | |||
Virus in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 病毒 | ||
| The term 病毒 (wìdú), composed of the characters 毒 ("toxin") and 毒 ("virus"), originated in ancient Chinese medicine referring to pathogenic agents | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 病毒 | ||
| 病毒在中文中的另一个意思是毒素或有害物質，源自於其原始含義"有毒的黏液"。 | |||
| Japanese | ウイルス | ||
| "ウイルス" can refer to a computer virus, in addition to its meaning as a biological virus. | |||
| Korean | 바이러스 | ||
| "바이러스" ("virus") is also sometimes used to refer to toxic gases or toxic smoke in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | вирус | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဗိုင်းရပ်စ် | ||
Virus in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | virus | ||
| In Indonesian, "virus" also means "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Javanese | virus | ||
| "Racun" (poison) in Javanese, although it can also refer to "an evil spirit that causes disease". | |||
| Khmer | វីរុស | ||
| The Khmer term "វីរុស" is derived from the Sanskrit word "विष", meaning "poison". | |||
| Lao | ໄວຣັສ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malay | virus | ||
| In Malay, "virus" can also mean "a malicious computer program that infects a computer system and damages files or data." | |||
| Thai | ไวรัส | ||
| In Thai, the word "ไวรัส" comes from Sanskrit and it also means seed or poison. | |||
| Vietnamese | vi-rút | ||
| "Vi-rút" is a Sino-Vietnamese term derived from the Latin word "virus", meaning "poison". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | virus | ||
Virus in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | virus | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "virus" can also refer to a type of evil spirit or supernatural being. | |||
| Kazakh | вирус | ||
| The Kazakh word "вирус" comes from the Latin word "virus" meaning "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Kyrgyz | вирус | ||
| In Kyrgyz language, "вирус" can also refer to someone who poisons someone else's life, either knowingly or unknowingly. | |||
| Tajik | вирус | ||
| "Вирус" in Tajik came from the Latin word "virus" meaning "poison" or "toxic substance." | |||
| Turkmen | wirus | ||
| Uzbek | virus | ||
| In Uzbek, "virus" can also refer to a type of computer malware. | |||
| Uyghur | ۋىرۇس | ||
Virus in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea hoʻomaʻi | ||
| "Mea hoʻomaʻi" has multiple meanings including an illness or sickness caused by a deity or spirit. | |||
| Maori | huaketo | ||
| The Maori word 'huaketo' derives from the words 'hua' (fruit) and 'keto' (small), meaning 'small fruit'. | |||
| Samoan | vairusi | ||
| The Samoan word "vairusi" is most likely derived from the Samoan word "fa'i", meaning "banana", due to viruses' banana-like shape. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | virus | ||
| "Virus" in Tagalog also carries the alternate meaning 'poison'. | |||
Virus in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | virus ukax wali askiwa | ||
| Guarani | virus rehegua | ||
Virus in International Languages
| Esperanto | viruso | ||
| "Viruso" derives from the Esperanto word "veneno", meaning poison, and shares a root with the Latin word "virus". | |||
| Latin | virus | ||
| In Latin, "virus" originally meant "venom" or "poison" and was used to describe harmful substances like animal venom or plant toxins. | |||
Virus in Others Languages
| Greek | ιός | ||
| The Greek word "ιός" (virus) can also refer to animal poisons | |||
| Hmong | kab mob vais lav | ||
| The Hmong word "kab mob vais lav" is a loanword from the Chinese word "感冒" (gǎnmào), which means "common cold". | |||
| Kurdish | vîrus | ||
| The Kurdish word "vîrûs" does not have any alternate meanings; it is always a reference to a biological virus. | |||
| Turkish | virüs | ||
| "Virüs" sözcüğü Türkçede "zehir" anlamına da gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | intsholongwane | ||
| In Xhosa, 'intsholongwane' is also used to refer to something tiny and almost invisible. | |||
| Yiddish | וויירוס | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "וויירוס" can also mean "a poisonous snake" | |||
| Zulu | igciwane | ||
| The Zulu word 'igciwane' shares a root with the word for 'small' or 'young' ('ingane'), indicating a perception of viruses as 'the little ones'. | |||
| Assamese | ভাইৰাছ | ||
| Aymara | virus ukax wali askiwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | वायरस के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ވައިރަސް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | वायरस दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | virus | ||
| Guarani | virus rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | virus | ||
| Krio | vayrɔs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڤایرۆس | ||
| Maithili | वायरस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯚꯥꯏꯔꯁ ꯑꯁꯤ ꯌꯥꯑꯣꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | virus a ni | ||
| Oromo | vaayirasii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜୀବାଣୁ | ||
| Quechua | virus nisqawan | ||
| Sanskrit | वायरसः | ||
| Tatar | вирус | ||
| Tigrinya | ቫይረስ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | xitsongwatsongwana | ||