Are you curious how to say Thunder in Different Languages? Discover powerful translations from French to Zulu and explore this awe-inspiring natural phenomenon!

Thunder, the deep, loud noise that follows a flash of lightning, has fascinated humans for centuries.

Be it a loud clap of thunder during a storm or the thundering sound of wild horses, the phenomenon evokes awe and wonder.

Different cultures worldwide have their terms for this powerful natural event, and today, we’ll explore how “thunder” is expressed in different languages.

This post will also delve into various aspects of translation, including some interesting details related to European languages, Spanish and German translations, and the opinions of dictionary editors.

Search For Translations of Thunder in Various Languages:

Translation and Audio
  • Abkhaz: аҿыҵәӷәы (akhwzgw)
  • Acehnese: gledek
  • Acholi: lobo
  • Afar: gaga
  • Afrikaans: donder
  • Albanian: bubullimë
  • Amharic: ነጎድጓድ (nägodgwad)
  • Arabic: رعد (ra’d)
  • Armenian: մռնչալ (mrnchal)
  • Assamese: কড়কনি (korokoni)
  • Avar: гурұл (gurul)
  • Awadhi: गरज (garaj)
  • Aymara: katari
  • Azerbaijani: göy gurultusu
  • Balinese: geluduk
  • Baluchi: راسگ (rasag)
  • Bambara: fali
  • Baoulé: tonnerre
  • Bashkir: йәшен (yashen)
  • Basque: trumoi
  • Batak Karo: guruh
  • Batak Toba: guruh
  • Belarusian: гром (hrom)
  • Bemba: fule
  • Bengali: বজ্র (bozro)
  • Betawi: geledek
  • Bhojpuri: गरज (garaj)
  • Bikol: dalogdog
  • Bosnian: grom
  • Breton: kurun
  • Bulgarian: гръм (grum)
  • Buryat: дэлтэй (deltei)
  • Cantonese: 雷聲 (leui sing)
  • Catalan: tro
  • Cebuano: dalugdog
  • Chamorro: tufan
  • Chechen: гром (grum)
  • Chichewa: mphepo yamkuntho
  • Chinese (Simplified): 雷声 (léi shēng)
  • Chinese (Traditional): 雷聲 (léi shēng)
  • Chuukese: felowa
  • Chuvash: ҫитӑх (śitǎkh)
  • Corsican: tuona
  • Crimean Tatar: yıldırım
  • Croatian: grom
  • Czech: hrom
  • Danish: torden
  • Dari: رعد (rad)
  • Dhivehi: އިންތެއް (inthe’)
  • Dinka: wiik
  • Dogri: गरज (garaj)
  • Dombe: tonnerre
  • Dutch: donder
  • Dyula: yiri
  • Dzongkha: དཔུང་བུ (dpung bu)
  • English: thunder
  • Esperanto: tondro
  • Estonian: äike
  • Ewe: dzɔdzɔ
  • Faroese: toran
  • Fijian: kurukuru
  • Filipino: kulog
  • Finnish: ukkonen
  • Fon: kpata
  • French: tonnerre
  • Frisian: tongerlje
  • Friulian: tonar
  • Fulani: fari
  • Ga: tsɔkɔ
  • Galician: trono
  • Georgian: ქუხილი (kukhili)
  • German: donner
  • Greek: βροντή (vrontí)
  • Guarani: arapytu
  • Gujarati: ગર્જના (garjana)
  • Haitian Creole: tonnè
  • Hakka: 雷公公 (Lôi Kung Kung)
  • Hausa: ruwa
  • Hawaiian: hekili
  • Hebrew: רעם (ra’am)
  • Hiligaynon: dalugdog
  • Hindi: गरज (garaj)
  • Hmong: xob nrov
  • Hungarian: mennydörgés
  • Hunsrik: tron
  • Iban: ribut
  • Icelandic: þrumur
  • Igbo: okéịrị
  • Ilocano: dallugdog
  • Indonesian: guntur
  • Irish: toirneach
  • Italian: tuono
  • Jamaican Patois: tonad
  • Japanese: 雷 (kaminari)
  • Javanese: guntur
  • Jingpho: ချိူင်းရည် (khyayri)
  • Kalaallisut: pissarnerpoq
  • Kannada: ಗರ್ಜನೆ (garjane)
  • Kanuri: mukur
  • Kapampangan: dalugdog
  • Kazakh: найзағай (nayzaghaı)
  • Khasi: phet tynrai
  • Khmer: ផ្គរ (phkar)
  • Kiga: migongo
  • Kikongo: muvo
  • Kinyarwanda: imvura y’amahindu
  • Kituba: li
  • Kokborok: bore
  • Komi: тубур (tubur)
  • Konkani: गरज (garaj)
  • Korean: 천둥 (cheondung)
  • Krio: wof na thunder
  • Kurdish (Kurmanji): goztî
  • Kurdish (Sorani): رعد (rad)
  • Kyrgyz: күркүрөө (kürküröö)
  • Lao: ຟ້າຮ້ອງ (fá hǫ́ng)
  • Latgalian: pērkons
  • Latin: tonitrus
  • Latvian: pērkons
  • Ligurian: tronu
  • Limburgish: donder
  • Lingala: motema ya mbula
  • Lithuanian: perkūnas
  • Lombard: tròn
  • Luganda: olutindo
  • Luo: poth
  • Luxembourgish: donner
  • Macedonian: гром (grom)
  • Madurese: gung
  • Maithili: गरज (garaj)
  • Makassar: kilat
  • Malagasy: kotroka
  • Malay: guruh
  • Malay (Jawi): رعد (rad)
  • Malayalam: ചെടല് (chedal)
  • Maltese: ragħad
  • Mam: katzoj
  • Manx: toran
  • Maori: whaitiri
  • Marathi: गरज (garaj)
  • Marshallese: jukun
  • Marwadi: गरज (garaj)
  • Mauritian Creole: tonnèr
  • Meadow Mari: тудор (tudor)
  • Meiteilon (Manipuri): বজ্ৰ (bozro)
  • Minang: guruh
  • Mizo: hmun tur
  • Mongolian: тэнгэрийн дуу (tengeriin duu)
  • Myanmar (Burmese): မိုးကြီးမိုးရွာ (móu kyí móu shwa)
  • Nahuatl (Eastern Huasteca): tlachiquihuitl
  • Ndau: seke
  • Ndebele (South): iqhawe
  • Nepalbhasa (Newari): गरज (garaj)
  • Nepali: गरज (garaj)
  • NKo: ߛߋߟߌ߬ߡߐ߬ (soonsiibo)
  • Norwegian: torden
  • Nuer: wiil
  • Occitan: tron
  • Odia (Oriya): ଘରାଣ (ghoraṇa)
  • Oromo: waraana
  • Ossetian: гром (grom)
  • Pangasinan: dalanan it dalogdog
  • Papiamento: tronad
  • Pashto: تندر (tandar)
  • Persian: رعد (rad)
  • Polish: grzmot
  • Portuguese (Brazil): trovão
  • Portuguese (Portugal): trovão
  • Punjabi (Gurmukhi): ਗਰਜ (garaj)
  • Punjabi (Shahmukhi): گڑگڑ (gar gar)
  • Quechua: illay
  • Qʼeqchiʼ: xkab’eq
  • Romani: tonerre
  • Romanian: tunet
  • Rundi: urubimbi
  • Russian: гром (grom)
  • Sami (North): čalmme
  • Samoan: faititili
  • Sango: kpata
  • Sanskrit: वज्र (vajra)
  • Santali: ᱨᱟᱹᱜᱮᱜ (rageg)
  • Scots Gaelic: tàirneanaich
  • Sepedi: legadima
  • Serbian: гром (grom)
  • Sesotho: letlama
  • Seychellois Creole: toner
  • Shan: ေရာင္ (yaung)
  • Shona: grom
  • Sicilian: tronu
  • Silesian: grom
  • Sindhi: گرج (garaj)
  • Sinhala: ගැසීම (gāsīma)
  • Slovak: hrom
  • Slovenian: grom
  • Somali: daar
  • Spanish: trueno
  • Sundanese: guntur
  • Swahili: radi
  • Swedish: åska
  • Tagalog: kulog
  • Tahitian: pa’ai
  • Tajik: раъд (ra’d)
  • Tamil: இடி (idi)
  • Tatar: гром (grom)
  • Telugu: ఇదర (idara)
  • Tetum: tufun
  • Thai: ฟ้าร้อง (fa roŋ)
  • Tibetan: དབྱར་ཆུ་འོད་ལྷུན (dbyar chu ‘od lhun)
  • Tigrinya: ባዶ (bado)
  • Tongan: toa
  • Tok Pisin: graun i pundaun
  • Tsonga: ndlopfu
  • Tswana: dithunya
  • Turkmen: tupurmak
  • Turkish: gök gürültüsü
  • Tuvaluan: avava
  • Ukrainian: гром (grom)
  • Upper Sorbian: hrom
  • Urdu: بجلی (bijli)
  • Uyghur: يۇلتۇرۇق (yulturuq)
  • Uzbek: momaqaldiroq
  • Vietnamese: sấm
  • Volapük: toneto
  • Walloon: tona
  • Walser: storma
  • Waray: kulog
  • Welsh: taran
  • Mingrelian: სისინია (sis’iniya)
  • Xhosa: iindudumo
  • Yiddish: דאָנער (doner)
  • Yoruba: àrá
  • Zazaki: bawêzî
  • Zulu: ukuqhwitha

Thunder in Popular Languages

The word “thunder” is used in many languages, each with its unique interpretation and translation. Here’s how “thunder” is expressed in some of the most widely spoken languages around the world:

  1. English: Thunder
    In English, “thunder” refers to the deep loud noise produced by a sudden flash of lightning during a storm. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines it as a “deep loud noise that comes from the sky.” Thunder often accompanies heavy rain and is an iconic weather-related term.
  2. German: Der Donner
    The German translation of thunder is der Donner. It stems from the verb donnern, which means “to thunder.” The sound of thunder, or das Donnern, evokes the same powerful imagery of storms and lightning flashes.
  3. Spanish: El Trueno
    In Spanish, the word for thunder is el trueno, a term often used with relámpago (lightning). When discussing storms, Spanish speakers describe the combination of a flash of lightning followed by the rumble of trueno.
  4. Turkish: Gök Gürlemesi
    In Turkish, gök gürlemesi means “thunder,” meaning “the sky’s roaring.” This phrase encapsulates the sheer power and intensity of the phenomenon. The verb gök gürlemek also captures the action of the sky “thundering.”
  5. Indonesian: Bunyi Gemuruh
    In Indonesia, bunyi gemuruh refers to the “sound of thunder.” Like other languages, the expression emphasizes the loud, rumbling sound associated with thunderstorms.

The Power of Thunder in European Languages

Many European languages have their distinct terms for thunder. Besides German (der Donner) and Spanish (el trueno), other European languages include:

  • French: Le tonnerre
  • Italian: Il tuono
  • Dutch: De donder

European languages often focus on the sound, emphasizing thunder’s deep, reverberating nature. This linguistic approach ties into how thunder has been perceived historically in various cultures.

German Translations and Cultural Context

German, one of the most widely spoken European languages, is particularly fascinated with nature and its elements.

The word der Donner is often used poetically, and many German idiomatic expressions incorporate thunder.

For instance, “Donnerwetter! is an exclamation expressing surprise or amazement, akin to saying “Wow!” in English.

The Cambridge Dictionary also clearly explains German translations and frequently includes example sentences to help learners understand the cultural nuances of words like der Donner.

For example:
“Während des Sturms hörten wir einen lauten Donner.”
(“During the storm, we heard a loud clap of thunder.”)

The Opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary Editors

Editors at the Cambridge Dictionary offer well-rounded perspectives on translating words like “thunder.”

They often highlight small details, such as pronunciation, definitions, and example sentences, to give a fuller picture of how words function in different contexts.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, thunder is more than just a sound—it’s an atmospheric event tied closely to weather patterns, heavy rain, and lightning.

Exploring Thunder in Other Cultures

Beyond European languages, thunder holds significant meaning in non-Western cultures as well. For instance:

  • Japanese: 雷 (Kaminari)
  • Korean: 천둥 (Cheondung)
  • Chinese (Mandarin): 雷声 (Léishēng)
    In these cultures, thunder is often associated with deities or myths. For instance, in Japanese mythology, Raijin is the god of thunder, emphasizing the phenomenon’s mystical and powerful nature.

Dictionaries and the Digital Age

In today’s fast-paced digital world, resources like Interglot (2000-2024) and the Cambridge English Corpus have made it easier to access translations and definitions of thunder across languages.

These tools allow users to create word lists, access free translation tools, and even hear the pronunciation of words like gök gürlemesi in Turkish or bunyi guru in Indonesian.

Tapping into the Cambridge University Press’s English Dictionary or using a translator tool can reveal fascinating translations and pronunciations, especially for those keen to understand how thunder is described globally. 

Dictionaries Ltd also significantly provides copyright-free translation resources that make learning new languages, including terms like “thunder,” more accessible.

The Role of Privacy and Consent Management

Users must know privacy and data protection measures when using online dictionaries and translation services.

Cookies, accessibility features, and consent management, like those found on the Cambridge Dictionary website, help ensure a safe browsing experience.

Fun with Thunder: Image Quizzes and Exclusive Content

For language enthusiasts, dictionaries often offer fun tools to reinforce learning. Fun image quizzes, exclusive content, and features like the Cambridge Dictionary‘s Word of the Year campaigns (e.g., 2022’s Word of the Year) make learning new terms enjoyable.

Thunder-related words can even appear in these lists, highlighting the public’s fascination with weather events.

Final Thoughts

Thunder is a universal phenomenon, but how different cultures describe it through language offers insight into the human experience.

These translations from the German der Donner to the Spanish el trueno reflect a shared sense of awe at nature’s power.

Accessing these different languages has never been easier thanks to resources like the Cambridge Dictionary, translation tools, and bilingual dictionaries.

So, next time you hear the sound of a deep loud noise during a storm, you’ll know how to say “thunder” in several languages—and might even remember that this common word is packed with history, culture, and linguistic depth.

Source: NOAA – National Weather Service

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