problem

See also Problem

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• probleme (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin problema, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (problema, “anything thrown forward, hindrance, obstacle, anything projecting, a headland, promontory”), from προβάλλω (proballo, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from προ- (pro-, “in front of”) + βάλλω (ballo, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpɹɒbləm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

problem (plural problems or problemata)

1. A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.
2. A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise.
3. A puzzling circumstance.

Antonyms

• solution

Derived terms

terms derived from problem (noun)

fencepost problem mathematical problem algorithmic problem no problem

problematic problematical problematize

Translations

difficulty

• Albanian: çështje (sq), problem (sq)
• Arabic: مشكلة (ar) (múškila) f
• Aragonese: problema (an) m
• Armenian: խնդիր (hy) (xndir)
• Asturian: problema (ast) m
• Basque: arazo (eu)
• Bengali: প্রব্লেম (bn) (prôblem)
• Breton: kudenn (br) f
• Catalan: problema (ca) m
• Cebuano: kalisud
• Chinese: trad. 問題, simpl. 问题 (pinyin: wèntí), trad. 困難, simpl. 困难 (pinyin: kùnnán), trad. 難題, simpl. 难题 (pinyin: nántí), trad. 麻煩, simpl. 麻烦 (pinyin: máfán)
• Czech: problém (cs) m
• Danish: problem (da) n
• Dutch: probleem (nl) n
• Esperanto: problemo (eo)
• Estonian: küsimus (et), takistus (et), kitsikus (et), mure (et), probleem (et)
• Finnish: ongelma (fi), (old slang) probleemi (fi)
• French: problème (fr) m
• Galician: problema (gl) m
• Georgian: პრობლემა (ka) (problema)
• German: Problem (de) n
• Greek: πρόβλημα (el) (próvlima) n
• Hebrew: בעיה (he) (b‘aya) f
• Hiligaynon: palaligban, problema
• Hindi: समस्या (hi) (samasyā)
• Hungarian: probléma (hu), baj (hu), gond (hu)
• Italian: problema (it) m
• Japanese: 問題 (ja) (もんだい, mondai)
• Jèrriais: problième m
• Korean: 문제 (ko) (munje)

• Latvian: problēma (lv) f
• Lithuanian: problema (lt) f
• Macedonian: проблем (mk) (próblem) m
• Malay: masalah (ms)
• Mirandese: porblema m
• Mongolian: хүндрэл (mn) (hündrel)
• Neapolitan: prubblema
• Norwegian: problem (no) n
• Occitan: problèma (oc) m
• Old English: please add this translation if you can
• Persian: مشکل (fa) (moškel)
• Polish: problem (pl) m, kłopot (pl) m
• Portuguese: problema (pt) m
• Romanian: problemă (ro) f
• Russian: проблема (ru) (probléma) f
• Sanskrit: समस्या (sa) (samasyā)
• Scottish Gaelic: duilgheadas (gd) m, staing (gd) f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: проблем (sh) m

  Latin: problem (sh) m

• Spanish: problema (es) m, dificultad (es) f, lío (es) m
• Swahili: tatizo (sw), masaibu (sw)
• Swedish: problem (sv) n
• Tagalog: problema (tl)
• Thai: ปัญหา (th) (bpanhăa)
• Turkish: sorun (tr)
• Vietnamese: vấn đề (vi)
• Welsh: problem (cy) f
• Yiddish: פּראָבלעם (yi) (problem)
• Yucatec Maya: toop

schoolwork exercise

• Armenian: խնդիր (hy) (xndir), հարց (hy) (harc')
• Asturian: problema (ast) m
• Basque: buruketa (eu)
• Breton: poelladenn (br) f
• Catalan: problema (ca) m
• Chinese: trad. 題目, simpl. 题目 (pinyin: tímù), trad. 習題, simpl. 习题 (pinyin: xítí)
• Dutch: oefening (nl) f, probleem (nl) n
• Estonian: harjutus (et)
• Finnish: harjoitus (fi), harjoitustehtävä (fi)
• French: problème (fr) m
• Galician: problema (gl) m
• Georgian: ამოცანა (ka) (amotsana)
• German: Übung (de) f
• Greek: πρόβλημα (el) (próvlima) n
• Hungarian: feladat (hu)
• Interlingua: problema (ia)

• Jèrriais: problième m
• Korean: 문제 (ko) (munje)
• Latvian: uzdevums (lv) m
• Macedonian: задача (mk) (zádača) f, проблем (mk) (próblem) m
• Norwegian: oppgave (no) m
• Occitan: problèma (oc) m
• Persian: مسئله (fa) (mas'ale)
• Polish: zadanie (pl) n
• Romanian: problemă (ro) f
• Russian: задача (ru) (zadáča) f, задание (ru) (zadánije) n
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: проблем (sh) m

  Latin: problem (sh) m, zadatak (sh) m, jednadžba (sh) f

• Spanish: problema (es) m, ejercicio (es) m
• Swahili: masaibu (sw)
• Thai: โจทย์ (th) (jòht)

puzzling circumstance

• Basque: arazo (eu), buruhauste (eu)
• Bengali: প্রব্লেম (bn)
• Catalan: problema (ca) m
• Cebuano: problema
• Dutch: probleem (nl) n
• Estonian: mõistatus (et)
• Greek: πρόβλημα (el) (próvlima) n
• Norwegian: utfordring (no) m
• Romanian: problemă (ro) f

• Russian: проблема (ru) (probléma) f, задача (ru) (zadáča) f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: проблем (sh) m

  Latin: problem (sh) m

• Spanish: problema (es) m, embrollo (es) m, lío (es) m, bronca (es) f (Mexico)
• Swahili: tatizo (sw), masaibu (sw)
• Tagalog: problema (tl)
• Thai: เรื่อง (th) (rêuang)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Mandarin: 课题 (kètí), 疑难问题 (yínàn wèntí), 令人困惑的事 (或人, 情况等) (lìng rén kùnhuò de shì [huò rén, qíngkuàng děng]), 作图题 (zuò tú tí), (象棋的)布局问题 ([xiàngqí de] bùjú wèntí)

• Italian: problema (it) m

Adjective

problem (not comparable)

1. Difficult to train or guide; unruly.

See also

• trouble

External links

• problem in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• problem in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• problem at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Polish

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: [ˈprɔblɛ̃m]

Noun

problem m

1. problem

Declension

    declension of problem

	singular	plural
nominative	problem	problemy
genitive	problemu	problemów
dative	problemowi	problemom
accusative	problem	problemy
instrumental	problemem	problemami
locative	problemie	problemach
vocative	problemie	problemy

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Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA: /prǒbleːm/

Noun

pròblēm m (Cyrillic spelling про̀бле̄м)

1. problem

Declension

    declension of problem

	singular	plural
nominative	problem	problemi
genitive	problema	problema
dative	problemu	problemima
accusative	problem	probleme
vocative	probleme	problemi
locative	problemu	problemima
instrumental	problemom	problemima

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

problem n

1. problem; difficulty
2. problem; schoolwork exercise

Declension

Declension of problem

	singular		plural
Neuter	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	problem	problemet	problem	problemen
genitive	problems	problemets	problems	problemens

Related terms

• problematisk
• problematisera