“Earthquake” is a word that can strike fear and curiosity alike, as it describes one of the most powerful natural phenomena on our planet. Different languages have their own unique ways of referring to earthquakes, illustrating the diverse linguistic landscapes of the world. In this article, we will explore how the term “earthquake” is expressed across 70 different languages:
- Albanian (🇦🇱) – Tërmet | Pronunciation: Tehr-met
- Arabic (Standard) (🇸🇦) – زلزال (Zilzal) | Pronunciation: Zil-zahl
- Armenian (🇦🇲) – Երկրաշարժ (Yerkrasharj) | Pronunciation: Yerk-rah-sharj
- Azerbaijani (🇦🇿) – Zəlzələ | Pronunciation: Zel-zel-eh
- Basque (🇪🇸) – Lurrikara | Pronunciation: Lurr-ee-kara
- Belarusian (🇧🇾) – Землятрус (Zemlyatrus) | Pronunciation: Zem-lya-trus
- Bengali (🇧🇩) – ভূমিকম্প (Bhumikompo) | Pronunciation: Bhoo-mi-komp
- Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Zemljotres | Pronunciation: Zem-lyo-tres
- Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – Земетресение (Zemetresenie) | Pronunciation: Ze-me-tre-sen-ie
- Catalan (🇪🇸 – Catalonia) – Terratrèmol | Pronunciation: Terra-trem-ol
- Czech (🇨🇿) – Zemětřesení | Pronunciation: Zem-yeh-trse-nee
- Danish (🇩🇰) – Jordskælv | Pronunciation: Yord-skellv
- Dutch (🇳🇱) – Aardbeving | Pronunciation: Ahrd-bay-ving
- English (🇺🇸 / 🇬🇧) – Earthquake | Pronunciation: Earth-quake
- Estonian (🇪🇪) – Maavärin | Pronunciation: Maa-vaa-rin
- Farsi (Persian) (🇮🇷) – زلزله (Zelzele) | Pronunciation: Zel-ze-leh
- Finnish (🇫🇮) – Maanjäristys | Pronunciation: Maan-jar-ist-ys
- French (🇫🇷) – Tremblement de terre | Pronunciation: Trem-bluh-mahn de tair
- Georgian (🇬🇪) – მიწისძვრა (Mits’is dzvra) | Pronunciation: Mee-tsees dzvra
- German (🇩🇪) – Erdbeben | Pronunciation: Erd-bay-ben
- Greek (🇬🇷) – Σεισμός (Seismos) | Pronunciation: Say-s-mos
- Hebrew (🇮🇱) – רעידת אדמה (Ra’idat Adama) | Pronunciation: Rah-ee-dat a-da-mah
- Hindi (🇮🇳) – भूकंप (Bhookamp) | Pronunciation: Bhoo-kamp
- Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Földrengés | Pronunciation: Fur-dreng-esh
- Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Jarðskjálfti | Pronunciation: Yarth-skyahl-fti
- Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Gempa bumi | Pronunciation: Gem-pah boo-mee
- Irish Gaelic (🇮🇪) – Creathadh talún | Pronunciation: Crah-hah tah-loon
- Italian (🇮🇹) – Terremoto | Pronunciation: Tair-reh-moh-to
- Japanese (🇯🇵) – 地震 (Jishin) | Pronunciation: Jee-shin
- Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Жер сілкінісі (Jer silkіnіsі) | Pronunciation: Zher silk-ee-nee-see
- Khmer (Cambodian) (🇰🇭) – រញ្ជួយដី (Ranjouy dei) | Pronunciation: Ran-joo-y dei
- Korean (🇰🇷) – 지진 (Jijin) | Pronunciation: Jee-jin
- Kurdish (🇮🇶 / 🇸🇾 / 🇹🇷 / 🇮🇷) – Erdhejîn | Pronunciation: Erd-he-jeen
- Kyrgyz (🇰🇬) – Жер титирөө (Jer titiroo) | Pronunciation: Zher ti-ti-roo
- Lao (🇱🇦) – ທຸກຖືກ (Thukthuk) | Pronunciation: Thuk-thuk
- Latvian (🇱🇻) – Zemestrīce | Pronunciation: Ze-mes-tree-ce
- Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Žemės drebėjimas | Pronunciation: Zhe-mes dre-bay-jee-mas
- Luxembourgish (🇱🇺) – Äerdbiewen | Pronunciation: Air-dbiew-en
- Macedonian (🇲🇰) – Земјотрес (Zemjotres) | Pronunciation: Zem-yo-tres
- Malay (🇲🇾 / 🇮🇩) – Gempa bumi | Pronunciation: Gem-pa boo-mee
- Maltese (🇲🇹) – Terremot | Pronunciation: Ter-re-mot
- Mandarin Chinese (🇨🇳) – 地震 (Dìzhèn) | Pronunciation: Dee-zhen
- Marathi (🇮🇳) – भूकंप (Bhukamp) | Pronunciation: Bhoo-kump
- Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Газар хөдлөх (Gazar khödlökh) | Pronunciation: Ga-zar khud-luh
- Nepali (🇳🇵) – भूकम्प (Bhukampa) | Pronunciation: Bhoo-kam-pa
- Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Jordskjelv | Pronunciation: Yords-skelv
- Pashto (🇦🇫) – زلزله (Zilzala) | Pronunciation: Zil-za-la
- Persian (Farsi) (🇮🇷) – زلزله (Zelzele) | Pronunciation: Zel-ze-leh
- Polish (🇵🇱) – Trzęsienie ziemi | Pronunciation: Tshen-shen-ye zye-mee
- Portuguese (🇵🇹 / 🇧🇷) – Terremoto | Pronunciation: Teh-reh-moh-to
- Romanian (🇷🇴) – Cutremur | Pronunciation: Coo-tre-moor
- Russian (🇷🇺) – Землетрясение (Zemletryasenie) | Pronunciation: Zem-le-trya-se-nee
- Serbian (🇷🇸) – Земљотрес (Zemljotres) | Pronunciation: Zem-lyo-tres
- Sinhala (🇱🇰) – භූමිකම්පාව (Bhumikampawa) | Pronunciation: Bhu-mi-kam-pa-wa
- Slovak (🇸🇰) – Zemetrasenie | Pronunciation: Ze-me-tra-sen-ee
- Slovenian (🇸🇮) – Potres | Pronunciation: Po-tres
- Somali (🇸🇴) – Dhulgariir | Pronunciation: Dhul-ga-riir
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Terremoto | Pronunciation: Teh-reh-moh-to
- Swahili (🇰🇪 / 🇹🇿) – Tetemeko la ardhi | Pronunciation: Te-te-me-ko la ard-he
- Swedish (🇸🇪) – Jordbävning | Pronunciation: Yord-bae-vning
- Tajik (🇹🇯) – Заминларза (Zaminlarza) | Pronunciation: Za-min-lar-za
- Tamil (🇮🇳) – நிலநடுக்கம் (Nilanadukkam) | Pronunciation: Nee-la-na-duk-kam
- Telugu (🇮🇳) – భూకంపం (Bhukampam) | Pronunciation: Bhoo-kam-pam
- Thai (🇹🇭) – แผ่นดินไหว (Phaendinwai) | Pronunciation: Pah-en din wai
- Turkish (🇹🇷) – Deprem | Pronunciation: Deh-prem
- Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Землетрус (Zemletrus) | Pronunciation: Zem-le-trus
- Urdu (🇵🇰) – زلزلہ (Zalzala) | Pronunciation: Zal-za-la
- Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Zilzila | Pronunciation: Zil-zi-la
- Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Động đất | Pronunciation: Dong dat
- Welsh (🇬🇧 – Wales) – Daeargryn | Pronunciation: Dah-ear-grin