Welfare in Different Languages
Discover 'Welfare' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The term 'welfare' transcends mere policy or economic frameworks; it embodies the essence of well-being, safety, and prosperity within societies around the globe. Its significance is deeply rooted in cultures worldwide, reflecting how communities value the health, happiness, and fortunes of their members. The desire to understand 'welfare' in different languages stems not just from scholarly or linguistic curiosity but from a profound appreciation of its universal importance. Interesting fact: the word 'welfare' finds varied expressions across cultures, each embodying unique historical contexts and values. For instance, in Spanish, 'bienestar' intricately combines ‘well-being’ with ‘being,’ while in German, 'Wohlfahrt' emphasizes the journey to prosperity. Knowing the translation of welfare in different languages enriches our understanding of global perspectives on social well-being and community care. Below is a list of translations of 'welfare,' offering a linguistic voyage into the heart of societies worldwide.
Welfare
Welfare in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | welsyn | ||
| The Afrikaans word "welsyn" ultimately derives from the Old English word "weal�th," meaning "wealth" or "prosperity." | |||
| Amharic | ደህንነት | ||
| The word “ደህንነት” also translates to health and safety in English | |||
| Hausa | jindadin rayuwa | ||
| The term "jindadin rayuwa" in Hausa can also refer to a person's state of well-being or their overall quality of life. | |||
| Igbo | ọdịmma | ||
| The Igbo word "ọdịmma" can also mean "goodness," "prosperity," or "well-being." | |||
| Malagasy | fifanampiana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fifanampiana" (welfare) is derived from the root word "fiana" (family) and "ampiana" (help), connoting a sense of collective support within communities. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ubwino | ||
| The word "ubwino" can also mean "goodness" or "beauty" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kugara zvakanaka | ||
| Somali | samafalka | ||
| The Somali word "samafalka" can also refer to a system of communal support and assistance within a community. | |||
| Sesotho | boiketlo | ||
| In Sesotho, "boiketlo" also refers to the state of being protected, fortunate, or having well-being. | |||
| Swahili | ustawi | ||
| The word "ustawi" in Swahili comes from the Arabic word "isti’már" meaning "stability" or "well-being". | |||
| Xhosa | intlalontle | ||
| The word 'intlalontle' is derived from the Xhosa phrase 'ntlalontle ingene,' meaning 'the beauty that begets beauty' or 'the kindness that begets kindness.' | |||
| Yoruba | iranlọwọ | ||
| Zulu | inhlalakahle | ||
| The word "inhlalakahle" is also used colloquially to refer to "being comfortable" or "feeling good". | |||
| Bambara | kɛnɛya | ||
| Ewe | dedienɔnɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imibereho myiza | ||
| Lingala | bolamu | ||
| Luganda | embeera | ||
| Sepedi | bobotlana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | yiedie | ||
Welfare in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خير | ||
| The Arabic word "خير" (khair) shares a root with the Hebrew word "טוב" (tov), meaning "good". | |||
| Hebrew | סעד | ||
| The word "סעד" can also mean "supporting" or "assisting". | |||
| Pashto | ولسي | ||
| The Pashto word "ولسي" can also refer to the national assembly in Afghanistan and Pakistan | |||
| Arabic | خير | ||
| The Arabic word "خير" (khair) shares a root with the Hebrew word "טוב" (tov), meaning "good". | |||
Welfare in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mirëqenia | ||
| "Mirëqenia" originally meant "good luck" and has retained that meaning in addition to its modern meaning of "welfare." | |||
| Basque | ongizatea | ||
| Derived from the word | |||
| Catalan | benestar | ||
| The Catalan word "benestar" also means "well-being" | |||
| Croatian | dobrobiti | ||
| The term "dobrobiti" can also refer to "assets" or "goods" in a legal or economic context. | |||
| Danish | velfærd | ||
| In Danish, "velfærd" has a similar meaning to "well-being" in English, and can refer to various aspects of human happiness, such as health, education and social security. | |||
| Dutch | welzijn | ||
| The word "welzijn" originally meant "well-being" or "good fortune" in Dutch. | |||
| English | welfare | ||
| Etymology: From Middle English welfare, from Old English wela ('well') + fǣre ('journey, way'), hence 'well-being' or 'prosperity' | |||
| French | aide sociale | ||
| In French, "aide sociale" can also refer to government assistance for people with disabilities or the elderly. | |||
| Frisian | wolfeart | ||
| From Old English wulf (wolf) + āre (honour), meaning 'wolf honour' or 'wolf price', used as a tax imposed on those who did not produce a sufficient number of wolves' heads as proof of having killed them according to the law. | |||
| Galician | benestar | ||
| `Benestar` in Galician comes from `ben` (good) and `estar` (to be), meaning a good state of being. | |||
| German | wohlergehen | ||
| The word "Wohlergehen" in German comes from the Old High German word "wola", meaning "well-being". | |||
| Icelandic | velferð | ||
| The word "velferð" initially meant "prosperity" or "well-being" | |||
| Irish | leasa | ||
| The Irish word for "welfare," leasa, is cognate with the Old Irish word *les, meaning "sufficiency, competence, ability." | |||
| Italian | benessere | ||
| In Italian, | |||
| Luxembourgish | wuelergoen | ||
| Maltese | benesseri | ||
| The word "benesseri" likely derives from the Italian "ben essere," meaning "well being" or "comfort." | |||
| Norwegian | velferd | ||
| The Norwegian word "velferd" comes from the Old Norse word "velferð", meaning "well-being"} | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bem-estar | ||
| The Portuguese word "bem-estar" can also mean "well-being" or "happiness". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sochair | ||
| The Gaelic word for "welfare," sochair, originates from the Latin term "societas," meaning "society." | |||
| Spanish | bienestar | ||
| The Spanish word "bienestar" comes from the Latin "bene" (well) and "stare" (to stand) and thus means "living well" or "well-being". | |||
| Swedish | välfärd | ||
| The word "välfärd" originally meant "good fortune" or "well-being", and is related to the German word "Wohlfahrt". In Swedish, it is used to refer specifically to social welfare programs and benefits. | |||
| Welsh | lles | ||
| The word 'lles' can also refer to 'benefit' or 'advantage'. | |||
Welfare in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дабрабыт | ||
| The word 'дабрабыт' (welfare) also carries the meanings of 'property' and 'prosperity'. | |||
| Bosnian | blagostanja | ||
| The word "blagostanja" in Bosnian is derived from the Slavic root "blago" meaning "good" and "stanje" meaning "condition". | |||
| Bulgarian | благосъстояние | ||
| "Благосъстояние" derives from the Slavic "blago" (good) and "sostoianie" (condition), referring to a state of well-being beyond material needs. | |||
| Czech | blahobyt | ||
| The word "blahobyt" derives from Old Church Slavonic "blago" (good) and "byti" (to be). | |||
| Estonian | heaolu | ||
| The word 'heaolu' is derived from the Estonian words 'hea' (good) and 'olu' (state), and can also mean 'well-being' or 'prosperity'. | |||
| Finnish | hyvinvointi | ||
| The Finnish word "hyvinvointi" (welfare) derives from "hyvä" (good) and "vointi" (feeling, well-being), and encompasses both material well-being and subjective flourishing. | |||
| Hungarian | jólét | ||
| The Hungarian word "jólét" is derived from the Hungarian words "jó" (good) and "lét" (being), and can also mean "well-being" or "prosperity". | |||
| Latvian | labklājību | ||
| The word "labklājība" is derived from the Latvian word "labklājs", which originally means "good fortune" or "luck". | |||
| Lithuanian | gerovė | ||
| The word "gerovė" also means "wellness" or "well-being" in Lithuanian, in addition to its meaning of "welfare". | |||
| Macedonian | благосостојба | ||
| Благосостојба can also refer to "well-being" or "happiness" in a more general sense. | |||
| Polish | dobrobyt | ||
| The word "dobrobyt" is derived from the Polish words "dobry" (good) and "byt" (being), and can also refer to prosperity or well-being. | |||
| Romanian | bunăstare | ||
| In Romanian, "bunăstare" means "welfare" but also "well-being" and "prosperity." | |||
| Russian | благосостояние | ||
| The Russian word благосостояние can also mean 'well-being,' 'prosperity,' or 'good fortune'. | |||
| Serbian | благостање | ||
| The word "благостање" is derived from the Slavic word "blago" meaning "good" and "stanje" meaning "state" or "condition". It can also refer to prosperity, happiness, or well-being. | |||
| Slovak | blahobyt | ||
| The Slovak word "blahobyt" is derived from the Czech word "blahobyt", which in turn comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "blago" meaning "good," and "byti" meaning "being." | |||
| Slovenian | blaginja | ||
| The word 'blaginja' originates from the Proto-Slavic root *blagь, meaning 'good' or 'auspicious'. | |||
| Ukrainian | добробут | ||
| The word "добробут" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic root "добро", meaning "good" or "well-being", and the suffix "-бут", meaning "state" or "condition." | |||
Welfare in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কল্যাণ | ||
| The word "কল্যাণ" derives from the Sanskrit word "कल्याण" meaning "well-being, prosperity, or auspiciousness." | |||
| Gujarati | કલ્યાણ | ||
| The word "कल्याण" in Gujarati originally meant "happiness" and "prosperity," but over time came to be used exclusively in the sense of "welfare" or "well-being." | |||
| Hindi | कल्याण | ||
| The word "कल्याण" is derived from the Sanskrit root "कल्य" meaning "good" or "auspicious" and denotes a state of well-being, prosperity, and happiness. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ | ||
| The term 'ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ' (Kalyana) in Kannada, derived from Sanskrit, denotes a state of happiness, prosperity, and well-being, encompassing various aspects of life including health, education, and social progress. | |||
| Malayalam | ക്ഷേമം | ||
| "ക്ഷേമം" (kṣēmam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṣema" meaning "well-being" or "prosperity." | |||
| Marathi | कल्याण | ||
| The word कल्याण (kalyāṇ) in Marathi can also refer to a place, especially the city of Kalyan in Maharashtra, India. | |||
| Nepali | कल्याण | ||
| The Sanskrit word "कल्याण" (kalyāṇa) also means "auspiciousness" and relates to the concepts of "good" and "beautiful" in Sanskrit and Pali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਲਿਆਣ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුබසාධන | ||
| In astrology, it refers to the planet Venus and to the 6th astrological house, also known as the sukha-bhāva, which governs comforts, pleasures, and luxuries. | |||
| Tamil | நலன்புரி | ||
| நலன்புரி (nalampuri) likely derives from the Tamil words நலம் (nalam, 'goodness' or 'wellbeing') and புரி (puri, 'town' or 'place'), thus indicating a 'place of wellbeing' or 'town of welfare'. | |||
| Telugu | సంక్షేమ | ||
| The word 'సంక్షేమ' ('welfare') in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'संक्षेम' ('saṃkṣema'), which also means 'well-being', 'prosperity', and 'happiness'. | |||
| Urdu | فلاح و بہبود | ||
Welfare in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 福利 | ||
| "福利" in Chinese can also mean fringe benefits or social benefits. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 福利 | ||
| The character "福利" (fú lì) can also mean "good luck" or "happiness" | |||
| Japanese | 福祉 | ||
| 福祉 literally translates to “happiness” or “well-being,” but it is often used to mean “welfare.” | |||
| Korean | 복지 | ||
| The literal meaning of the word "복지" is "복: luck" and "지: place," meaning a "place of good fortune." | |||
| Mongolian | халамж | ||
| "Халамж" (welfare) is the Mongolian adaptation of the Sanskrit word "kalyāṇa" meaning "good, happy, favorable," and is also used to refer to "luck, fortune, or destiny." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်သာချောင်ချိရေး | ||
Welfare in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kesejahteraan | ||
| The term "kesejahteraan" is borrowed from Sanskrit, meaning "well-being" or "happiness". | |||
| Javanese | karaharjan | ||
| The word "karaharjan" in Javanese also means "to live in prosperity" or "to be well-off". | |||
| Khmer | សុខុមាលភាព | ||
| Though the word "សុខុមាលភាព" primarily translates to "welfare," it also implies "happiness" or "well-being" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ສະຫວັດດີການ | ||
| Malay | kebajikan | ||
| While "kebajikan" usually means "welfare," it can also refer to "goodness" or "virtue". | |||
| Thai | สวัสดิการ | ||
| The word "สวัสดิการ" (welfare) derives from the Sanskrit word "svasti" meaning "well-being" or "good fortune". | |||
| Vietnamese | phúc lợi | ||
| The word "phúc lợi" in Vietnamese has its roots in the Chinese language, where it means "happiness and benefit". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kapakanan | ||
Welfare in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rifah | ||
| The Azerbaijani word | |||
| Kazakh | әл-ауқат | ||
| The word "әл-ауқат" can also mean "time" or "opportunity" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жыргалчылык | ||
| The word "жыргалчылык" in Kyrgyz also refers to the well-being and happiness of a community. | |||
| Tajik | некӯаҳволӣ | ||
| The word " | |||
| Turkmen | abadançylygy | ||
| Uzbek | farovonlik | ||
| Farovonlik also denotes well-being, good fortune, and prosperity. | |||
| Uyghur | پاراۋانلىق | ||
Welfare in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pono | ||
| "Pono" in Hawaiian also means "righteousness, goodness, morality, and well-being." | |||
| Maori | toko i te ora | ||
| The Maori word "toko i te ora" (welfare) literally translates to "stand in the life" or "support for life." | |||
| Samoan | manuia | ||
| "Manuia" also means "to raise" or "to lift up" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kapakanan | ||
Welfare in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | walikiña | ||
| Guarani | tekoporã | ||
Welfare in International Languages
| Esperanto | bonfarto | ||
| In the language of Lojban, the word "bonfarto" is a cognate of the Esperanto word "malriĉo" (poverty) | |||
| Latin | welfare | ||
| The Latin origin of the word "welfare," "vale," refers to health and strength, particularly the physical prosperity of someone who is cared for. | |||
Welfare in Others Languages
| Greek | ευημερία | ||
| ευημερία derives from εὖ and ἡμέρα, meaning "good day" | |||
| Hmong | saib xyuas kev noj qab haus huv | ||
| Kurdish | refah | ||
| The word "refah" can also refer to "comfort" or "well-being" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | refah | ||
| The word "refah" in Turkish also has the alternate meaning of "prosperity" or "abundance". | |||
| Xhosa | intlalontle | ||
| The word 'intlalontle' is derived from the Xhosa phrase 'ntlalontle ingene,' meaning 'the beauty that begets beauty' or 'the kindness that begets kindness.' | |||
| Yiddish | וווילשטאנד | ||
| The Yiddish word "וווילשטאנד" also refers to a person's sense of well-being or prosperity. | |||
| Zulu | inhlalakahle | ||
| The word "inhlalakahle" is also used colloquially to refer to "being comfortable" or "feeling good". | |||
| Assamese | কল্যাণ | ||
| Aymara | walikiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कल्याण | ||
| Dhivehi | ވެލްފެއަރ | ||
| Dogri | बेहतरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kapakanan | ||
| Guarani | tekoporã | ||
| Ilocano | kinakaradkad | ||
| Krio | tin dɛn we fɔ mek wi gladi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆشگوزەرانی | ||
| Maithili | कल्यान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯏꯐ ꯊꯧꯔꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | hamthatna | ||
| Oromo | fayyummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଲ୍ୟାଣ | ||
| Quechua | allin kay | ||
| Sanskrit | कल्याणं | ||
| Tatar | иминлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ድሕንነት | ||
| Tsonga | nhlayiso | ||