Worry in Different Languages
Discover 'Worry' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Worry, a simple word that carries a heavy weight. It signifies a state of anxiety or unease, often caused by concern for the future or something currently uncertain. This emotion is universal, and yet the way we express it can vary greatly across different cultures and languages.
Throughout history, worry has been a common theme in literature, art, and philosophy. It is a natural response to the unpredictability of life, and understanding how to manage it has been a focus of many self-help and mental health resources. But have you ever wondered how to express worry in other languages?
Knowing the translation of worry in different languages can help you connect with people from diverse backgrounds, providing a deeper understanding of their emotions and experiences. For instance, the German word for worry, 'Sorge', can also mean 'care' or 'concern', reflecting a more positive aspect of the emotion. Meanwhile, the French 'inquiétude' captures the restlessness and unease that often accompany worry.
Below, you'll find a list of translations of worry in various languages. Explore, learn, and connect with the world through language and understanding.
Worry
Worry in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bekommerd wees | ||
| Although 'bekommerd' in Afrikaans is commonly translated as 'worry', the two words do not share the same etymological roots. | |||
| Amharic | ጭንቀት | ||
| Besides 'worry', 'ጭንቀት' also means 'sadness' and 'grief' as a result of a difficult hardship. | |||
| Hausa | damu | ||
| This term shares an etymology with the word for | |||
| Igbo | ichegbu onwe | ||
| "Ichegbu onwe" is derived from the Igbo words "iche" (mind) and "gbu" (kill), indicating the harmful effects of worry on the mind. | |||
| Malagasy | ahiahy | ||
| The word ''ahiahy'' comes from the Arabic word ''wahy,'' meaning "divine inspiration" or "revelation." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudandaula | ||
| Originates from 'kugandagula' which means 'to roll over or about'. | |||
| Shona | kunetseka | ||
| The word "kunetseka" can also mean "to be difficult" or "to be in trouble". | |||
| Somali | walwal | ||
| Somali verb "walwal'' is thought to derive from Arabic ''wala'' (to be anxious) and could also indicate a physical agitation or fidgeting. | |||
| Sesotho | tšoenyeha | ||
| Swahili | wasiwasi | ||
| The word 'wasiwasi' in Swahili also means 'anxiety', 'concern', 'fear', and 'doubt'. | |||
| Xhosa | ixhala | ||
| In traditional Xhosa medicine, 'ixhala' refers to physical ailments caused by emotional distress. | |||
| Yoruba | dààmú | ||
| The Yoruba word "dààmú" not only means "worry" but also relates to the act of "thinking deeply" or "mulling over something". | |||
| Zulu | khathazeka | ||
| The Zulu word for “worry”, “khathazeka”, also means “to cause a great disturbance”, “to upset others”, or “to create chaos”. | |||
| Bambara | kɔnɔnafilila | ||
| Ewe | dzitsitsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impungenge | ||
| Lingala | komitungisa | ||
| Luganda | okweraliikirira | ||
| Sepedi | tshwenyega | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahoha | ||
Worry in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قلق | ||
| قلق also refers to the shaking sound made by jewelry. | |||
| Hebrew | דאגה | ||
| The word "דאגה" in Hebrew also has the alternate meaning of "expectation" or "hope", as it is derived from the root "דאג", which means "to care" or "to look after" | |||
| Pashto | اندیښنه | ||
| اندیښنه (andīshana) derives from the Avestan word for “thought” and is cognate with Latin "anxia" (anxiety). | |||
| Arabic | قلق | ||
| قلق also refers to the shaking sound made by jewelry. | |||
Worry in Western European Languages
| Albanian | merak | ||
| The word merak comes from the Arabic word 'maraqa' meaning 'to be restless', 'to be agitated' or 'to be in anxiety'. | |||
| Basque | kezkatu | ||
| The Basque word "kezkatu" is derived from the Proto-Basque root *ketz-, meaning "tremble" or "shake". | |||
| Catalan | preocupació | ||
| In Catalan, "preocupació" also refers to the action of being preoccupied, such as paying attention to something | |||
| Croatian | brinuti | ||
| The word "brinuti" in Croatian is etymologically related to "brina" meaning "sorrow" and "brniti" meaning "to buzz, hum". | |||
| Danish | bekymre | ||
| The word "bekymre" is derived from the Old Norse word "kyrr", meaning "to rest" or "to be at peace". Over time, the word came to mean "to worry" or "to be anxious", perhaps because worry is often seen as the opposite of rest and peace. | |||
| Dutch | zich zorgen maken | ||
| Zich zorgen maken ('to worry') is an idiom that can be literally translated as 'to make cares' or 'to take care'. | |||
| English | worry | ||
| The verb "worry" originated in the Middle English word "werien," meaning to struggle, fight, or defend against someone or something. | |||
| French | inquiéter | ||
| French "inquiéter" derives from Latin "inquietus," meaning "unquiet," and also can mean "to disturb" or "to annoy." | |||
| Frisian | soargen | ||
| The Frisian word 'soargen', meaning 'worry', is derived from the Old Frisian 'sorga', meaning 'care'. | |||
| Galician | preocupación | ||
| The Galician word "preocupación" also means "care" or "concern". | |||
| German | sorge | ||
| Aside from meaning "worry" in German, "Sorge" can also mean "care" or "concern". | |||
| Icelandic | hafa áhyggjur | ||
| Hafa áhyggjur is a compound word consisting of the verb "hafa" (meaning to hinder) and the noun "áhyggjur" (meaning concern or anxiety), together conveying the idea of something that obstructs or weighs down the mind. | |||
| Irish | bíodh imní ort | ||
| Italian | preoccupazione | ||
| "Preoccupazione" derives from the Latin "praeoccupare," meaning "to occupy beforehand". | |||
| Luxembourgish | suergen | ||
| The word "Suergen" is derived from the Old High German word "sorga", meaning "care" or "anxiety". | |||
| Maltese | tinkwetax | ||
| The word "tinkwetax" is derived from the Arabic word "inqitaa'" meaning "interruption" or "cutting off". | |||
| Norwegian | bekymre | ||
| English "cumber" and Norwegian "bekymre" share the Old Norse word "kumbl". However, "kumbl" also means "monument", "cairn", "tomb", "gravestone" and "runestone". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | preocupação | ||
| The word "preocupação" in Portuguese (Portugal or Brazil) also means preoccupation, concern, or care. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dragh | ||
| Spanish | preocupación | ||
| The word "preocupación" comes from the Latin root "praeoccupare" meaning "to take possession of beforehand" or "to seize in advance". | |||
| Swedish | oroa | ||
| "Oroa" is derived from the Old Norse word "ǫruggr" meaning "free from fear or care". | |||
| Welsh | poeni | ||
| "Poeni" can also mean "to go slowly" or "to be deliberate" in Welsh. | |||
Worry in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | хвалявацца | ||
| Bosnian | brini | ||
| The word "brini" can also refer to a type of cheese made from sheep's milk or to a type of bean soup. | |||
| Bulgarian | тревожи се | ||
| "Тревожи се" also means "to bother" or "to disturb". | |||
| Czech | trápit se | ||
| The word "trápit se" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *terp-, meaning "to rub, to grate". | |||
| Estonian | muretsema | ||
| The word "muretsema" is derived from "muret", which means "care" or "trouble." | |||
| Finnish | huoli | ||
| The word "huoli" is also used in the sense of "responsibility" or "care" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | aggodalom | ||
| The verb aggód in Hungarian means 'to worry', which is related to the verb aggaszt 'to burden, to trouble', and which is also related to 'agg', a noun referring to a wooden beam or a log, and 'aggodalom', a noun which is a synonym of 'worry'. | |||
| Latvian | uztraukties | ||
| Uztraukties is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *steh₂- meaning "to stand" or "to be stiff". It is related to the Old Prussian word stauti and the Lithuanian word stautas, which both mean "fear". Uztraukties can also refer to the feeling of being restless or fidgety. | |||
| Lithuanian | nerimauti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "nerimauti" is related to the Sanskrit word "narimanuti" (to agitate), and also has the alternate meaning of "to be in a state of restlessness or agitation" | |||
| Macedonian | грижи се | ||
| The word "грижи се" (worry) in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *gord-, meaning "heavy" or "burdensome". | |||
| Polish | martwić się | ||
| Martwić się also means 'to cause pain to' | |||
| Romanian | griji | ||
| The Romanian noun "griji" comes from the verb "a grijii", meaning "to care for". Originally, it had a positive connotation, but it later took on a negative meaning, referring to excessive or burdensome concerns. | |||
| Russian | беспокоиться | ||
| The original meaning of "беспокоиться" was "to disturb", as evidenced by its cognate "покой" (peace). | |||
| Serbian | забринути | ||
| The word 'забринути' can also mean 'to be anxious' or 'to be concerned'. | |||
| Slovak | starosti | ||
| The word "starosti" can also refer to duties, responsibilities, concerns, affairs, business, troubles, or difficulties in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | skrbi | ||
| The word | |||
| Ukrainian | турбуватися | ||
| The word "турбуватися" originated from the Slavic root "*torb-", meaning "to disturb". | |||
Worry in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উদ্বেগ | ||
| উদ্বেগ comes from the Sanskrit root "vid", meaning "to know" or "to care", and is related to the word "বিদ্যা" (knowledge). | |||
| Gujarati | ચિંતા | ||
| The word "ચિંતા" can also refer to a "notch" or a "sign". | |||
| Hindi | चिंता | ||
| The Sanskrit root of चिंता (chinta) is चि (chi), meaning 'to collect or gather', suggesting the accumulation of worries in the mind. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಿಂತೆ | ||
| "ಚಿಂತೆ" is derived from "ಚಿತ್" meaning "to think", and it can also refer to a specific thought or idea. | |||
| Malayalam | വിഷമിക്കുക | ||
| The word "വിഷമിക്കുക" (worry) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "विषम" (unequal or different), suggesting a state of imbalance or disharmony. | |||
| Marathi | काळजी | ||
| The word "काळजी" can also mean "care", "concern", or "anxiety" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | चिन्ता | ||
| The word चिन्ता ("worry") derives from the Sanskrit root छि "to ponder" and is related to the words चिन्तन ("pondering") and चिन्तित ("thinker"). | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਿੰਤਾ | ||
| "ਚਿੰਤਾ" is derived from Sanskrit "चिन्त" meaning "to think" and can also refer to "anxiety" or "care". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කරදර වෙන්න | ||
| Tamil | கவலை | ||
| "கவலை" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *kappu, meaning 'to cover' or 'to protect', and is also related to the Tamil word "கப்பு" (kapu), meaning 'to take care of' or 'to look after'. | |||
| Telugu | చింత | ||
| The word 'చింత' comes from the Sanskrit word 'chinta', which also means 'thought' or 'care'. | |||
| Urdu | پریشانی | ||
Worry in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 担心 | ||
| The word '担心' in Chinese can also mean 'to care for' or 'to be concerned about something'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 擔心 | ||
| In addition to "worry," 擔心 also conveys a sense of uncertainty and anxiety, derived from the characters' meanings: "to be in doubt" and "heart." | |||
| Japanese | 心配 | ||
| The kanji components of 心配 (shinpai) are 心 (shin) "heart" and 配 (pai) "distribute" or "divide". | |||
| Korean | 걱정 | ||
| The Korean word "걱정" is derived from the Chinese word "걱정", meaning "to be anxious" or "to feel uneasy". | |||
| Mongolian | санаа зов | ||
| The word "санаа зов" in Mongolian is a compound word consisting of "санаа" (thought) and "зов" (suffering), and can also refer to "anger" or "rage". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ်ပူစရာပါ | ||
Worry in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | khawatir | ||
| The Indonesian word 'khawatir', meaning 'worry' or 'anxiety', derives etymologically from the Arabic root 'kh-t-r' ('fear', or 'to be afraid of'). | |||
| Javanese | sumelang | ||
| "Sumelang" in Javanese not only means "worry" but also refers to the emotion of embarrassment or shame. | |||
| Khmer | បារម្ភ | ||
| "បារម្ភ" in Khmer comes from Pali "parampa" and Sanskrit "parābha", meaning "anxiously" or "with fear." | |||
| Lao | ກັງວົນ | ||
| "ກັງວົນ" can also mean "to look with care" or "to pay attention to" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | risau | ||
| The verb | |||
| Thai | กังวล | ||
| The word "กังวล" can also mean "to be anxious or concerned about something." | |||
| Vietnamese | lo | ||
| The word "lo" in Vietnamese comes from the Chinese character 慮 (lǜ) and can also mean "consider." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-alala | ||
Worry in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | narahat | ||
| "Narahat" is derived from the Arabic word "narhat", meaning "to be upset or distressed" and has alternate senses of "sadness" and "grief". | |||
| Kazakh | уайымдау | ||
| The Kazakh word "уайымдау" is also used to describe the feeling of being nervous or anxious. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тынчсыздануу | ||
| Tajik | хавотир | ||
| The word "хавотир" in Tajik also means "anxiety", "concern", or "apprehension". | |||
| Turkmen | alada et | ||
| Uzbek | tashvishlaning | ||
| The word "tashvishlaning" comes from the Persian word "tashvish", meaning "disturbance" or "anxiety". | |||
| Uyghur | ئەنسىرىڭ | ||
Worry in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hopohopo | ||
| Hopohopo also means 'to stir' or 'to mix' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | māharahara | ||
| The word māharahara can also refer to a 'concern', 'care', or 'thought'. | |||
| Samoan | popole | ||
| Popole stems from the word popo which means 'bend' and is commonly used to refer to the bending of the hair from worry. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magalala | ||
| The Tagalog word "magalala" may also refer to a type of plant or a condition of being tangled or knotted. | |||
Worry in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | llakisiña | ||
| Guarani | jepy'apy | ||
Worry in International Languages
| Esperanto | zorgu | ||
| Esperanto's "zorgu" comes from Latin "sollicitare" which also gives us words like "solicit" and "solicitude" | |||
| Latin | anxietas | ||
| The Latin word "anxietas" originally meant "tightness or constriction" and was later used to describe a state of mental distress. | |||
Worry in Others Languages
| Greek | ανησυχία | ||
| The word "ανησυχία" in Greek stems from the root "αχος," meaning "grief" or "distress," highlighting its association with emotional turmoil. | |||
| Hmong | txhawj xeeb | ||
| The Hmong word "txhawj xeeb" has been used to describe both 'worry' and 'anxiety' | |||
| Kurdish | leberketinî | ||
| The word 'leberketinî' in Kurdish is thought to be derived from the Persian word 'leberkhez', meaning 'to stir up' or 'to be agitated'. | |||
| Turkish | endişelenmek | ||
| 'Endişelenmek', 'endişe' sözcüğünden türemiştir. 'Endişe' ise Arapça 'endişe' kelimesinden gelir ve 'korku' anlamına da gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | ixhala | ||
| In traditional Xhosa medicine, 'ixhala' refers to physical ailments caused by emotional distress. | |||
| Yiddish | זאָרג | ||
| The Yiddish word "זאָרג" derives from the Middle High German "sorge" meaning "anxiety". | |||
| Zulu | khathazeka | ||
| The Zulu word for “worry”, “khathazeka”, also means “to cause a great disturbance”, “to upset others”, or “to create chaos”. | |||
| Assamese | চিন্তা কৰা | ||
| Aymara | llakisiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | चिंता | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިކުރު | ||
| Dogri | चैंता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-alala | ||
| Guarani | jepy'apy | ||
| Ilocano | agdanag | ||
| Krio | wɔri | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نیگەرانی | ||
| Maithili | चिन्ता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯟꯖꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lungngai | ||
| Oromo | yaaddoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିନ୍ତା କର | | ||
| Quechua | manchakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | चिंता | ||
| Tatar | борчыл | ||
| Tigrinya | ተሻቐለ | ||
| Tsonga | vilela | ||
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