Yell in Different Languages
Discover 'Yell' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Yelling is a powerful and universal form of communication. It's a primal instinct that has been present in human cultures throughout history. A yell can signify many things, from excitement and joy to fear and anger. It's a way to express ourselves when words alone are not enough.
The significance of a yell goes beyond mere sound. In many cultures, a yell holds great importance. For instance, in Native American cultures, a war cry or battle yell was used to intimidate the enemy and boost the morale of their own warriors. In Japan, the samurais had a specific yell, known as 'kiai', which they used during combat to focus their energy and spirit.
Understanding the translation of 'yell' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures perceive and express this powerful form of communication. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: gritar
- French: crier
- German: schreien
- Mandarin: 喊叫 (hèn jiào)
- Japanese: 叫ぶ (sakebu)
Yell
Yell in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skree | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "skree" can also refer to the screeching sound made by brakes or a loud protest. | |||
| Amharic | ጩኸት | ||
| Hausa | yi ihu | ||
| The word "yi ihu" can also mean "to cry" or "to weep". | |||
| Igbo | tie mkpu | ||
| The Igbo word 'mkpu', commonly understood as 'to yell' or 'to shout' also conveys a sense of intensity and urgency, similar to the English expression 'to scream bloody murder'. | |||
| Malagasy | mivazavaza | ||
| The word "mivazavaza" also means "call" or "summon" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kufuula | ||
| "Kufuula" derives from "fuula," meaning "shout" or "call out," and is related to words like "fuwu" ("cry") and "fulafuu" ("sound of wind"). | |||
| Shona | kudanidzira | ||
| The word "kudanidzira" can also mean "to shout" or "to make a loud noise." | |||
| Somali | qayli | ||
| In the Maay language, it means “to cry”. | |||
| Sesotho | hoeletsa | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "hoeletsa" also describes the cry of a large bird. | |||
| Swahili | kelele | ||
| In Kiyao, "kelele" means "voice". | |||
| Xhosa | khwaza | ||
| The term 'khwaza' is also employed in Zulu, and is thought to be onomatopoeic. | |||
| Yoruba | pariwo | ||
| It shares its roots with "pari-wo," meaning "to tear or burst out". | |||
| Zulu | memeza | ||
| The word "memeza" in Zulu also means "to call out" or "to summon". | |||
| Bambara | ka pɛrɛn | ||
| Ewe | do ɣli | ||
| Kinyarwanda | induru | ||
| Lingala | koganga | ||
| Luganda | okuwoggana | ||
| Sepedi | goeletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | team | ||
Yell in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قال بصوت عال | ||
| The Arabic word "قال بصوت عال" can also mean "to speak loudly" or "to shout." | |||
| Hebrew | לִצְעוֹק | ||
| The Hebrew word "לִצְעוֹק" (litsa'oq) can also mean "to cry aloud" or "to wail." | |||
| Pashto | چيغې کړه | ||
| Arabic | قال بصوت عال | ||
| The Arabic word "قال بصوت عال" can also mean "to speak loudly" or "to shout." | |||
Yell in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bërtas | ||
| The Albanian word "bërtas" may also refer to the "wailing or howling" of an animal. | |||
| Basque | garrasi | ||
| "Garrasi" comes from the word "garra" (call), and it's used to call animals. | |||
| Catalan | crida | ||
| "Crida" also means "call" in Catalan, and in this sense it is a synonym of "crid". | |||
| Croatian | vikati | ||
| The word 'vikati' can also mean 'to call out or shout' and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'vikati', meaning 'to scream or cry'. | |||
| Danish | råbe | ||
| The word "råbe" also means "to cry" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | schreeuwen | ||
| "Schreeuwen" is derived from the Middle Dutch "schrouwen," which meant "to fear." In Flemish, it can also mean "to threaten." | |||
| English | yell | ||
| "Yell" derives from Old Norse "gjalla," "to sound loudly," related to "gal," meaning "to sing." | |||
| French | hurler | ||
| In French, | |||
| Frisian | roppe | ||
| The Frisian word "roppe" may share a common root with other Germanic words with similar meanings such as "rufen" (German), "roepen" (Dutch), and "rope" (English). | |||
| Galician | berrar | ||
| "Berra" can also be a cry made to call someone from afar, and is also used as a noun meaning "scream" in some contexts. | |||
| German | schrei | ||
| The German word "Schrei" can also refer to a theatrical play by Norwegian expressionist painter Edvard Munch. | |||
| Icelandic | æpa | ||
| The Icelandic word "æpa" also refers to the sound made by a dog. | |||
| Irish | yell | ||
| The Irish word "yell" means not only "a loud cry" but also "a wild beast" or "a monster". | |||
| Italian | urlo | ||
| "Urlo" in Italian is related to Latin "ululare" (to howl) and "urlare" (to make noise) and can also refer to the sound made by wolves. | |||
| Luxembourgish | jäizen | ||
| The word "jäizen" can also mean "to shout out" or "to call out". | |||
| Maltese | għajjat | ||
| The word "għajjat" can also mean "to scream" or "to cry out". | |||
| Norwegian | hyle | ||
| The word "hyle" in Norwegian is etymologically related to the Proto-Germanic word "*hulinan", meaning "to howl". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | grito | ||
| In Portuguese, "grito" can also mean "scream", "outcry", or "protest". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | yell | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "yell" can also mean "to make a loud noise" or "a loud noise". | |||
| Spanish | grito | ||
| "Grito" can also refer to a cry for independence in Spanish-speaking countries | |||
| Swedish | skrik | ||
| In Swedish, the word "skrik" not only means "yell," but also refers to the famous painting "The Scream" by Edvard Munch. | |||
| Welsh | ie | ||
| Ie is derived from the Middle Welsh word 'ieu' meaning 'outcry', 'shout' or 'cry'. | |||
Yell in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крычаць | ||
| The word "крычаць" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *krikъ, which also means "yell" or "scream". | |||
| Bosnian | vikati | ||
| The word "vikati" also means "cry" | |||
| Bulgarian | викам | ||
| The verb | |||
| Czech | výkřik | ||
| In linguistics, "výkřik" is also used to refer to an exclamation or interjection that expresses strong emotion. | |||
| Estonian | karjuma | ||
| The word "karjuma" is derived from the verb "karmama," meaning "to scream or cry out." | |||
| Finnish | huutaa | ||
| The word "huutaa" originates from the same Proto-Finno-Ugric word as the Hungarian "kiált" and the Estonian "hüüdma" (both meaning "to shout"). | |||
| Hungarian | ordít | ||
| "Ordít" is the Hungarian word for "yell" and can also mean "howling" or "barking". | |||
| Latvian | kliegt | ||
| The word 'kliegt' is derived from the Latvian word 'kleigt', or 'to cry'. | |||
| Lithuanian | šaukti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "šaukti" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*skʷēu-," meaning "to call out, shout." | |||
| Macedonian | викај | ||
| The Macedonian word "викај" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "vika", meaning "sound" or "cry". | |||
| Polish | krzyk | ||
| The Polish word "krzyk" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *krikъ, which also meant "yell" or "shout". | |||
| Romanian | strigăt | ||
| In Romanian, "strigăt" also means "lament" or "cry" in the sense of a ritual mourning song. | |||
| Russian | кричать | ||
| "Кричать" is cognate with "cry" and can also mean "to call out or summon". | |||
| Serbian | викати | ||
| The word "викати" (yell) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*vikati", which also means "to call" or "to summon". | |||
| Slovak | kričať | ||
| "Kričať" is a verb in Slovak meaning "to yell". It is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *kričati, which meant "to shout". | |||
| Slovenian | vpiti | ||
| The word 'vpiti' has the same derivation as 'vpet', which means 'to scream into a funnel'. | |||
| Ukrainian | кричати | ||
| "Кричати" originates from Proto-Slavic "*krъkati" and shares etymology with "screak" and "creek". | |||
Yell in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিৎকার | ||
| "চিৎকার" (chillakar) literally translates to "lying flat" and is a metaphor for someone who is helpless and has no choice but to cry out. | |||
| Gujarati | ચીસો | ||
| The Gujarati word "ચીસો" can also refer to a "cry for help". | |||
| Hindi | yell | ||
| The word "Yell" is derived from the Middle English "yellen", meaning "to make a loud noise". In Hindi, it is also used to refer to a type of traditional folk music. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೂಗು | ||
| In Kannada, "ಕೂಗು" also refers to a specific type of traditional folk music performed by shepherds during festivals. | |||
| Malayalam | അലറുക | ||
| The word 'അലറുക' (yell) in Malayalam is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *al- 'to cry out'. | |||
| Marathi | ओरडणे | ||
| The Marathi word "ओरडणे" (yell) also means "to order" or "to command". | |||
| Nepali | चिच्याउनु | ||
| The Nepali word 'चिच्याउनु' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चीत्' (chit), meaning 'to cry or make a sound'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੀਕਣਾ | ||
| The word "ਚੀਕਣਾ" can also mean "to scream" or "to cry out in pain" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කෑ ගසන්න | ||
| Tamil | கத்தவும் | ||
| The word 'கத்தவும்' can also mean to "cry out" or "make a loud noise" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | అరుస్తూ | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "అరుస్తూ" can also figuratively mean "to clamor" or "to vociferate". | |||
| Urdu | چیخنا | ||
| The word "چیخنا" can also mean "to scream" or "to cry out". | |||
Yell in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 叫喊 | ||
| 叫喊 (jiào hǎn) is a compound word consisting of 叫 (jiào), meaning "to call out", and 喊 (hǎn), meaning "to shout". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 叫喊 | ||
| The word "叫喊" (yell) can also mean "to call out," "to shout," or "to roar." | |||
| Japanese | エール | ||
| The word “エール” (yell) can also mean “beer” in Japanese, deriving from the Dutch word “bier” referring to the beverage. | |||
| Korean | 외침 | ||
| The word "외침" can also mean "scream" or "cry" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хашгирах | ||
| The word "хашгирах" can also mean "to make a sound" or "to shout". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အော် | ||
Yell in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berteriak | ||
| "Berteriak" is similar to the Minangkabau word "bataria" | |||
| Javanese | mbengok | ||
| The term 'mbengok' may also refer to the sound made by a cat or goat when they are in distress. | |||
| Khmer | ស្រែក | ||
| The word "ស្រែក" ultimately derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *sa(ŋ)Rek, meaning "to call out". | |||
| Lao | ຮ້ອງ | ||
| Malay | menjerit | ||
| "Menjerit" is derived from the Malay word "jerit," meaning "scream" or "shriek"} | |||
| Thai | ตะโกน | ||
| The word "ตะโกน" can also mean "to shout" or "to call out". | |||
| Vietnamese | la lên | ||
| The word "la lên" can also mean "to pray" in certain contexts. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sumigaw | ||
Yell in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bağırmaq | ||
| "Bağırmaq" also means "cry" or "weep" in some Turkish dialects | |||
| Kazakh | айқайлау | ||
| "Айқайлау" in Kazakh also means "to cry out" or "to shout". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыйкыр | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кыйкыр" is also used to denote the sound made by animals such as dogs or sheep. | |||
| Tajik | дод занед | ||
| The word "дод занед" is also used as a noun, meaning "a cry for help". | |||
| Turkmen | gygyr | ||
| Uzbek | baqirmoq | ||
| The word "baqirmoq" is cognate with the Persian word "bāqir" meaning "loudspeaker". It can also refer to shouting, screaming, or crying. | |||
| Uyghur | دەپ ۋاقىرىدى | ||
Yell in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻūʻā | ||
| ʻŪʻā shares its root with the word ʻū, meaning "to grunt or murmur," indicating a guttural sound. | |||
| Maori | hamama | ||
| "Hamama" can also mean "to make a loud noise" or "to make a fuss." | |||
| Samoan | ee | ||
| In addition to its use as an imperative for "yell," "ee" can serve in the conditional aspect, with the sense "if." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sumigaw ka | ||
| The word “sumigaw ka” can also indicate that one's voice is loud. | |||
Yell in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arnaqasiña | ||
| Guarani | sapukái | ||
Yell in International Languages
| Esperanto | krias | ||
| "Kriado" (created) and "kriu" (creates) are related, as both imply making a noise that causes attention to be drawn to a certain matter or thing. | |||
| Latin | clamo | ||
| "Clamo" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kel-1," also the origin of "call" in English. | |||
Yell in Others Languages
| Greek | κραυγή | ||
| The word "κραυγή" is derived from the Indo-European root "*ḱrewǵʰ-, *ḱrewǵʰ-", meaning "to cry, shout." | |||
| Hmong | ntab | ||
| The word "ntab" ("yell") is also used as a nominalizer in Hmong, creating verbs from nouns. | |||
| Kurdish | qîrîn | ||
| "Qîrîn" is also a term used to refer to a type of Kurdish folk song. | |||
| Turkish | bağırmak | ||
| Bağırmak may also mean to bark (for dogs), to honk (for cars), or to roar (for lions). | |||
| Xhosa | khwaza | ||
| The term 'khwaza' is also employed in Zulu, and is thought to be onomatopoeic. | |||
| Yiddish | שרייַען | ||
| The Yiddish word "שרייַען" is borrowed from Middle High German "schrīen" and its ultimate origin is likely the Proto-Indo-European root "*krī-" meaning "to shout" or "to scream". | |||
| Zulu | memeza | ||
| The word "memeza" in Zulu also means "to call out" or "to summon". | |||
| Assamese | চিঞৰা | ||
| Aymara | arnaqasiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | चिल्लाईल | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަޅޭއްލެވުން | ||
| Dogri | करलाना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sumigaw | ||
| Guarani | sapukái | ||
| Ilocano | agiryaw | ||
| Krio | ala | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوار کردن | ||
| Maithili | चिल्लानाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯎꯕ | ||
| Mizo | au | ||
| Oromo | iyyuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିତ୍କାର | ||
| Quechua | qapariy | ||
| Sanskrit | चीत्कार | ||
| Tatar | кычкыр | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣውያት | ||
| Tsonga | cema | ||