The boogeyman is a mythical creature used in many cultures to frighten children into good behavior, lurking in the dark, ready to pounce! The concept of the boogeyman exists worldwide under different names, making it a fascinating example of a cultural universal. Here’s how to say “boogeyman” in 70 different languages:
- Albanian (🇦🇱) – Buburreci | Pronunciation: Boo-bur-reh-see
- Arabic (Standard) (🇸🇦) – البعبع (Al-ba’ba’a) | Pronunciation: Al-ba-ba
- Armenian (🇦🇲) – Բարդ (Bard) | Pronunciation: Bard
- Azerbaijani (🇦🇿) – Qara bədxah | Pronunciation: Gha-ra bed-khah
- Basque (🇪🇸) – Mamua | Pronunciation: Ma-moo-ah
- Belarusian (🇧🇾) – Бука (Buka) | Pronunciation: Boo-ka
- Bengali (🇧🇩) – পেত্নী (Petni) | Pronunciation: Peht-nee
- Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Babaroga | Pronunciation: Ba-ba-ro-ga
- Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – Баба Яга (Baba Yaga) | Pronunciation: Ba-ba Ya-ga
- Catalan (🇪🇸 – Catalonia) – Home del sac | Pronunciation: Ohm del sak
- Czech (🇨🇿) – Bubák | Pronunciation: Boo-bahk
- Danish (🇩🇰) – Bussemand | Pronunciation: Boo-suh-mand
- Dutch (🇳🇱) – Boeman | Pronunciation: Boo-man
- English (🇺🇸 / 🇬🇧) – Boogeyman | Pronunciation: Boo-gee-man
- Estonian (🇪🇪) – Tont | Pronunciation: Tont
- Farsi (Persian) (🇮🇷) – لولو (Lulu) | Pronunciation: Loo-loo
- Finnish (🇫🇮) – Mörkö | Pronunciation: Mur-ko
- French (🇫🇷) – Croque-mitaine | Pronunciation: Croak-mee-ten
- Georgian (🇬🇪) – ბაბუა (Babua) | Pronunciation: Ba-boo-a
- German (🇩🇪) – Der schwarze Mann | Pronunciation: Der shvart-ze Mann
- Greek (🇬🇷) – Μπαμπούλας (Baboulas) | Pronunciation: Ba-boo-las
- Hebrew (🇮🇱) – הפריץ (Ha-pritz) | Pronunciation: Ha-pritz
- Hindi (🇮🇳) – बोगीमैन (Bogieman) | Pronunciation: Bo-gee-man
- Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Mumus | Pronunciation: Moo-moosh
- Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Bölvun | Pronunciation: Bol-vun
- Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Wewe Gombel | Pronunciation: We-we Gom-bel
- Irish Gaelic (🇮🇪) – Púca | Pronunciation: Poo-ka
- Italian (🇮🇹) – Uomo nero | Pronunciation: Oo-oh-mo neh-ro
- Japanese (🇯🇵) – ブギーマン (Bugīman) | Pronunciation: Boo-gee-man
- Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Қарақұрт (Qaraqurt) | Pronunciation: Qa-ra-kurt
- Khmer (Cambodian) (🇰🇭) – ខ្មោចកណ្ដៀង (Khmoch Kandiang) | Pronunciation: K’mo-ch Kan-dee-ang
- Korean (🇰🇷) – 괴물 (Goe-mul) | Pronunciation: Gwe-mool
- Kurdish (🇮🇶 / 🇸🇾 / 🇹🇷 / 🇮🇷) – Çirûsk | Pronunciation: Chee-roosk
- Kyrgyz (🇰🇬) – Үркүнчү (Ürkünchü) | Pronunciation: Uer-kuen-chue
- Lao (🇱🇦) – Phi Kong Koi | Pronunciation: Phee Kong Koy
- Latvian (🇱🇻) – Briesmonis | Pronunciation: Brees-mon-is
- Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Baubas | Pronunciation: Bow-bas
- Luxembourgish (🇱🇺) – Béiséi | Pronunciation: Bay-zay
- Macedonian (🇲🇰) – Баба Рога (Baba Roga) | Pronunciation: Baba Roga
- Malay (🇲🇾 / 🇮🇩) – Hantu | Pronunciation: Han-too
- Maltese (🇲🇹) – Bawwara | Pronunciation: Bau-wa-ra
- Mandarin Chinese (🇨🇳) – 怪物 (Guàiwù) | Pronunciation: Gwai-woo
- Marathi (🇮🇳) – भूत (Bhoot) | Pronunciation: Bhoot
- Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Зүйрмэг (Züirmeg) | Pronunciation: Zueer-meg
- Nepali (🇳🇵) – बाइस (Bais) | Pronunciation: Bais
- Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Busemann | Pronunciation: Boo-se-man
- Pashto (🇦🇫) – دیو (Deew) | Pronunciation: Dee-woo
- Persian (Farsi) (🇮🇷) – دیو (Div) | Pronunciation: Deev
- Polish (🇵🇱) – Baba Jaga | Pronunciation: Baba Yaga
- Portuguese (🇵🇹 / 🇧🇷) – Bicho-papão | Pronunciation: Bee-sho pa-pown
- Romanian (🇷🇴) – Baba Cloanța | Pronunciation: Baba Clo-an-tza
- Russian (🇷🇺) – Бабай (Babay) | Pronunciation: Ba-bai
- Serbian (🇷🇸) – Babaroga | Pronunciation: Ba-ba-ro-ga
- Sinhala (🇱🇰) – යක්ෂයා (Yakshaya) | Pronunciation: Yak-sha-ya
- Slovak (🇸🇰) – Striga | Pronunciation: Stree-ga
- Slovenian (🇸🇮) – Butec | Pronunciation: Boo-tec
- Somali (🇸🇴) – Buuq | Pronunciation: Booq
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Coco | Pronunciation: Ko-ko
- Swahili (🇰🇪 / 🇹🇿) – Mchawi | Pronunciation: Mm-cha-wee
- Swedish (🇸🇪) – Bocken | Pronunciation: Bo-ken
- Tajik (🇹🇯) – Ал (Al) | Pronunciation: Al
- Tamil (🇮🇳) – பேய் (Pey) | Pronunciation: Pay
- Telugu (🇮🇳) – బొంగరం (Bongaram) | Pronunciation: Bon-ga-ram
- Thai (🇹🇭) – ผี (Phee) | Pronunciation: Phee
- Turkish (🇹🇷) – Gulyabani | Pronunciation: Goo-lya-ba-nee
- Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Бабай (Babay) | Pronunciation: Ba-bai
- Urdu (🇵🇰) – بھوت (Bhoot) | Pronunciation: Bhoot
- Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Qo’rqinch | Pronunciation: Kor-kinch
- Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Ma | Pronunciation: Ma
- Welsh (🇬🇧 – Wales) – Ysbryd | Pronunciation: Us-breed