Nightmares are vivid and unsettling dreams that can jolt us awake in fear. This universal human experience transcends cultures and languages. Whether you’re a language enthusiast, a writer adding depth to characters, or just curious, knowing how to say “nightmare” in different languages can help you understand how fear and imagination are expressed around the world.
This article presents 70 translations of “nightmare,” each with a simple pronunciation guide and a sentence example to help you use it in context.
How to Say Nightmare in 70 Different Languages
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Pesadilla | Pronunciation: peh-sah-DEE-yah
Tuve una pesadilla anoche. (I had a nightmare last night.) - French (🇫🇷) – Cauchemar | Pronunciation: kohsh-MAHR
J’ai fait un cauchemar. (I had a nightmare.) - German (🇩🇪) – Albtraum | Pronunciation: ALP-trowm
Ich hatte einen Albtraum. (I had a nightmare.) - Italian (🇮🇹) – Incubo | Pronunciation: EEN-koo-boh
Ho avuto un incubo. (I had a nightmare.) - Portuguese (🇵🇹) – Pesadelo | Pronunciation: peh-zah-DEH-loo
Tive um pesadelo horrível. (I had a horrible nightmare.) - Dutch (🇳🇱) – Nachtmerrie | Pronunciation: NAHKHT-meh-ree
Ik had een nachtmerrie. (I had a nightmare.) - Russian (🇷🇺) – Кошмар (Koshmar) | Pronunciation: kash-MAHR
Мне приснился кошмар. (I had a nightmare.) - Polish (🇵🇱) – Koszmar | Pronunciation: KOSH-mar
Miałem koszmar. (I had a nightmare.) - Czech (🇨🇿) – Noční můra | Pronunciation: NOCH-nee MOO-rah
Měl jsem noční můru. (I had a nightmare.) - Slovak (🇸🇰) – Nočná mora | Pronunciation: NOCH-nah MOH-rah
Mal som nočnú moru. (I had a nightmare.) - Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Rémálom | Pronunciation: RAYM-ah-lohm
Volt egy rémálmom. (I had a nightmare.) - Romanian (🇷🇴) – Coșmar | Pronunciation: kosh-MAHR
Am avut un coșmar. (I had a nightmare.) - Greek (🇬🇷) – Εφιάλτης (Efiáltis) | Pronunciation: eh-fee-AHL-tees
Είχα έναν εφιάλτη. (I had a nightmare.) - Turkish (🇹🇷) – Kâbus | Pronunciation: KAH-boos
Korkunç bir kâbus gördüm. (I saw a terrifying nightmare.) - Arabic (🇸🇦) – كابوس (Kaboos) | Pronunciation: kah-BOOS
كان لدي كابوس. (I had a nightmare.) - Hebrew (🇮🇱) – סיוט (Siyot) | Pronunciation: see-YOOT
היה לי סיוט בלילה. (I had a nightmare at night.) - Persian (🇮🇷) – کابوس (Kabous) | Pronunciation: kah-BOOS
دیشب کابوس دیدم. (I had a nightmare last night.) - Hindi (🇮🇳) – दुःस्वप्न (Duhsvapna) | Pronunciation: duh-SWUP-nah
मैंने एक दुःस्वप्न देखा। (I saw a nightmare.) - Urdu (🇵🇰) – ڈراؤنا خواب (Darauna Khwab) | Pronunciation: duh-RAU-na khwaab
مجھے ایک ڈراؤنا خواب آیا۔ (I had a nightmare.) - Bengali (🇧🇩) – দুঃস্বপ্ন (Duhswapno) | Pronunciation: doosh-SWUP-no
আমি দুঃস্বপ্ন দেখেছি। (I had a nightmare.) - Punjabi (🇮🇳) – ਡਰਾਉਣਾ ਸੁਪਨਾ (Darauna Supna) | Pronunciation: duh-RAU-na soop-nah
ਮੈਨੂੰ ਡਰਾਉਣਾ ਸੁਪਨਾ ਆਇਆ। (I had a nightmare.) - Gujarati (🇮🇳) – ડરાવનુ સપનું (Daraavnu Sapnu) | Pronunciation: duh-RAAV-noo SUP-noo
મારે ડરાવનુ સપનુ આવ્યું. (I had a nightmare.) - Marathi (🇮🇳) – भीतीदायक स्वप्न (Bhitidayak Swapna) | Pronunciation: bhee-tee-DAH-yak SWUP-nah
माझं एक भीतीदायक स्वप्न पडलं. (I had a nightmare.) - Tamil (🇮🇳) – கொடிய கனவு (Kediya Kanavu) | Pronunciation: keh-dee-yah kah-NAH-voo
நான் ஒரு கொடிய கனவு கண்டேன். (I had a nightmare.) - Telugu (🇮🇳) – భయంకరమైన కల (Bhayan̄karamain̄a Kala) | Pronunciation: bha-YUN-ka-ra my-na kah-LA
నాకు భయంకరమైన కల వచ్చింది. (I had a nightmare.) - Kannada (🇮🇳) – ಭಯಾನಕ ಕನಸು (Bhayanaka Kanasu) | Pronunciation: bha-YA-na-ka ka-NA-soo
ನನಗೆ ಭಯಾನಕ ಕನಸು ಬಂತು. (I had a nightmare.) - Malayalam (🇮🇳) – ഭയങ്കര സ്വപ്നം (Bhayanak Swapnam) | Pronunciation: bha-YUN-ka-ra swap-nam
എനിക്ക് ഭയങ്കര സ്വപ്നം കണ്ടു. (I had a nightmare.) - Nepali (🇳🇵) – डरलाग्दो सपना (Darlagdo Sapana) | Pronunciation: dur-LAG-do SAH-pa-na
मैले डरलाग्दो सपना देखें। (I saw a nightmare.) - Sinhala (🇱🇰) – බියකරු සිහිනයක් (Biyakuru Sihinayak) | Pronunciation: bee-ya-ka-roo see-hee-na-yak
මට බියකරු සිහිනයක් දැක්කා. (I had a nightmare.) - Chinese (🇨🇳) – 噩梦 (Èmèng) | Pronunciation: uh-mung
我昨晚做了一个噩梦。 (I had a nightmare last night.) - Japanese (🇯🇵) – 悪夢 (Akumu) | Pronunciation: AH-koo-moo
昨夜は悪夢を見た。 (I had a nightmare last night.) - Korean (🇰🇷) – 악몽 (Akmong) | Pronunciation: ahk-MONG
나는 악몽을 꾸었다. (I had a nightmare.) - Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Cơn ác mộng | Pronunciation: kun ack-mohng
Tôi gặp ác mộng đêm qua. (I had a nightmare last night.) - Thai (🇹🇭) – ฝันร้าย (Fan Rái) | Pronunciation: fan-RAI
เมื่อคืนฉันฝันร้าย. (I had a nightmare last night.) - Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Mimpi buruk | Pronunciation: MEEM-pee BOO-rook
Aku mimpi buruk tadi malam. (I had a nightmare.) - Malay (🇲🇾) – Mimpi ngeri | Pronunciation: MEEM-pee NUH-ree
Saya mengalami mimpi ngeri. (I had a nightmare.) - Tagalog (🇵🇭) – Bangungot | Pronunciation: bah-NOONG-oht
Nagkaroon ako ng bangungot. (I had a nightmare.) - Swahili (🇰🇪) – Ndoto mbaya | Pronunciation: n-DOH-toh MBAH-yah
Nilikuwa na ndoto mbaya. (I had a nightmare.) - Zulu (🇿🇦) – Iphupho elibi | Pronunciation: ee-POO-poh eh-LEE-bee
Bengiphupha iphupho elibi. (I had a nightmare.) - Afrikaans (🇿🇦) – Nagmerrie | Pronunciation: NAHK-meh-ree
Ek het ‘n nagmerrie gehad. (I had a nightmare.) - Finnish (🇫🇮) – Painajainen | Pronunciation: PIE-nah-yai-nen
Näin painajaisen. (I had a nightmare.) - Swedish (🇸🇪) – Mardröm | Pronunciation: MAR-drum
Jag hade en mardröm. (I had a nightmare.) - Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Mareritt | Pronunciation: MAH-reh-rit
Jeg hadde et mareritt. (I had a nightmare.) - Danish (🇩🇰) – Mareridt | Pronunciation: MAH-reh-rit
Jeg havde et mareridt. (I had a nightmare.) - Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Martröð | Pronunciation: MAR-treth
Ég átti martröð. (I had a nightmare.) - Estonian (🇪🇪) – Õudusunenägu | Pronunciation: UHH-doos-oo-neh-NAH-goo
Mul oli õudusunenägu. (I had a nightmare.) - Latvian (🇱🇻) – Murgs | Pronunciation: MOOR-gs
Man bija murgs. (I had a nightmare.) - Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Košmaras | Pronunciation: kosh-MAH-rahs
Turėjau košmarą. (I had a nightmare.) - Irish (🇮🇪) – Tromluí | Pronunciation: trowm-LOO-ee
Bhí tromluí agam. (I had a nightmare.) - Welsh (🏴) – Hunllef | Pronunciation: HUNH-lef
Cefais hunllef neithiwr. (I had a nightmare last night.) - Esperanto (🌍) – Koŝmaro | Pronunciation: kosh-MAH-roh
Mi havis koŝmaron. (I had a nightmare.) - Haitian Creole (🇭🇹) – Košma | Pronunciation: KOSH-mah
Mwen te fè yon košma. (I had a nightmare.) - Samoan (🇼🇸) – Taumamafa | Pronunciation: tau-mah-MAH-fah
Sa ou moe i se taumamafa. (I had a nightmare.) - Tongan (🇹🇴) – Mōmeke kovi | Pronunciation: mo-MEH-keh KOH-vee
Na’a ku mohe ha mōmeke kovi. (I had a bad dream.) - Maori (🇳🇿) – Moe kino | Pronunciation: MOH-eh KEE-noh
I moemoeā ahau i te moe kino. (I dreamed a nightmare.) - Fijian (🇫🇯) – Rarama ca | Pronunciation: rah-RAH-mah thah
Au a kila e dua na rarama ca. (I had a nightmare.) - Cherokee (🇺🇸) – ᎠᏓᏅᏙᎢ (adanvdoi) | Pronunciation: ah-dah-nuh-doy
ᏥᏍᏆᏂ ᎠᏓᏅᏙᎢ. (I had a nightmare.) - Navajo (🇺🇸) – Tó éí baa hashne’ | Pronunciation: toh ay bah HASH-neh
Tó éí baa hashne’ shił. (I had a bad dream.) - Inuktitut (🇨🇦) – ᐊᐳᑕᐅᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ (aputaup ammalu) | Pronunciation: ah-poo-tah-oop ahm-mah-loo
ᐅᓪᓗᖓ ᐊᐳᑕᐅᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ. (I had a nightmare.) - Basque (🇪🇸) – Amets gaiztoa | Pronunciation: AH-mets GAIZ-toh-ah
Gauean amets gaiztoa izan nuen. (I had a nightmare at night.)
Conclusion
Nightmares are haunting experiences that unite us across language and culture. Whether it’s pesadilla, akumu, or koshmar, each word echoes the fear we feel in the darkest hours of night. By learning how to say “nightmare” in different languages, we not only enrich our vocabulary but also connect with the shared human experience of fear, mystery, and the subconscious.
