Asian in Different Languages
Discover 'Asian' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The term 'Asian' is a broad one, encompassing a vast and diverse array of cultures, languages, and histories. Spanning from the Middle East to the Pacific Islands, the continent of Asia is the world's largest and most populous, making 'Asian' a term of great significance and cultural importance.
For those with an interest in language and culture, understanding the translation of 'Asian' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the diverse perspectives and identities that make up this vast continent. For example, in Mandarin Chinese, 'Asian' is translated as '亞洲' (Yàzhōu), while in Hindi it is 'एशिया' (Eshiya). In Japanese, it is 'アジア' (Ajia), and in Arabic, it is 'آسيا' (Asiyā').
Delving into the translations of 'Asian' also reveals fascinating historical contexts and cultural nuances. For instance, in some languages, the term may have colonial or imperialist connotations, reflecting the complex and often fraught history of Western engagement with Asia.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural scholar, or simply someone with a curiosity about the world, exploring the translations of 'Asian' is a rewarding and enlightening journey. Here are some translations to get you started:
Asian
Asian in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | asiatiese | ||
| The word "Asiatiese" can also refer to a spicy meat curry, similar to "bredie", in South African cuisine. | |||
| Amharic | እስያዊ | ||
| The word "እስያዊ" can also mean "oriental" or "exotic" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | asiya | ||
| Hausa 'Asiya' also refers to a type of local fabric traditionally worn by women. | |||
| Igbo | onye asia | ||
| The Igbo word "Onye Asia" can also refer to someone from the southeastern part of Nigeria. | |||
| Malagasy | azia | ||
| In Malagasy, "azia" can refer to a continent, a people, or a language. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chaku asia | ||
| The Nyanja word "Chaku Asia" can also refer to someone who is wealthy or sophisticated. | |||
| Shona | asia | ||
| In Shona, the word "Asia" (or "Asian") can refer to both the continent and its people. | |||
| Somali | aasiyaan | ||
| In the Somali language, the term "Aasiyaan" also refers to the "eastern part of a village or town". It shares its root with the Arabic word "Ashiya", meaning "nest or dwelling". | |||
| Sesotho | seasia | ||
| The word "Seasia" in Sesotho also refers to a kind of beer made from sorghum. | |||
| Swahili | kiasia | ||
| The Swahili word 'Kiasia' likely derives from Persian or Arabic 'Asia', and is used more broadly to refer to the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. | |||
| Xhosa | easia | ||
| EAsia is derived from the word for "light-skinned people" in Xhosa, "i-Asia" | |||
| Yoruba | ara esia | ||
| It is a Yoruba term that also refers to people from the Middle East and sometimes, the Americas | |||
| Zulu | okwase-asia | ||
| The term "Okwase-Asia" in Zulu may also refer to individuals with fair skin or of mixed race. | |||
| Bambara | azi jamanaw | ||
| Ewe | asiatɔwo ƒe ŋkɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | aziya | ||
| Lingala | moto ya azia | ||
| Luganda | omu asia | ||
| Sepedi | mo-asia | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asiafo | ||
Asian in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | آسيا | ||
| The word "آسيا" can also mean "wide" or "extensive" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | אסייתי | ||
| אסייתי" מקורו ביוונית עתיקה Asia, המתייחסת לאזור של אסיה הקטנה (כיום טורקיה), ומשמש גם לתיאור אנשים בעלי מראה מזרחי. | |||
| Pashto | اسیایی | ||
| Arabic | آسيا | ||
| The word "آسيا" can also mean "wide" or "extensive" in Arabic. | |||
Asian in Western European Languages
| Albanian | aziatike | ||
| The word "Aziatike" in Albanian derives from the Latin word "Asiaticus" and is used to refer to the continent of Asia or people from Asia. | |||
| Basque | asiarra | ||
| The Basque word Asiarra is said to originally mean 'stranger' or 'foreigner'. | |||
| Catalan | asiàtic | ||
| In Catalan, "Asiàtic" means both "Asian" and "of or related to donkeys". | |||
| Croatian | azijski | ||
| The Croatian word "azijski" can be translated as "Asian", but it shares an etymology with "Azijac" meaning "a gypsy". | |||
| Danish | asiatisk | ||
| The Danish word "asiatisk" can also refer to "exotic" or "refined". | |||
| Dutch | aziatisch | ||
| The word "Aziatisch" can also refer to people from the Middle East or North Africa in Dutch. | |||
| English | asian | ||
| The term "Asian" was originally used to describe people from Western Asia, but it has since come to encompass people from all of Asia. | |||
| French | asiatique | ||
| The word « asiatique » in French can also mean « ostentatious » or « of low quality ». | |||
| Frisian | aziatysk | ||
| It also means 'very large' or 'very strong'. | |||
| Galician | asiática | ||
| German | asiatisch | ||
| "Asiatisch" in German can also mean "affected", "over the top", or "kitschy." | |||
| Icelandic | asískur | ||
| The word "Asískur" is also used to refer to people from any Asian country, and is not necessarily limited to people from the continent of Asia. | |||
| Irish | áiseach | ||
| The Irish Áiseach derives from the Persian 'Ās' ('East'), indicating its broader meaning as 'Eastern'. | |||
| Italian | asiatico | ||
| The word "asiatico" in Italian can also refer to a type of pasta. | |||
| Luxembourgish | asiatesch | ||
| Asiat is used as a synonym of 'Chinaman', but also of 'foreigner', 'outsider' or 'someone who is odd'. | |||
| Maltese | asjatiċi | ||
| The word "Asjatiċi" in Maltese originates from the French "Asiatique" meaning "of or from Asia," and is cognate with the English "Asiatic." | |||
| Norwegian | asiatisk | ||
| I norsk er ordet "asiatisk" også brukt for å beskrive noe som er eksotisk eller fremmedartet. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | asiática | ||
| The word "Asiática" in Portuguese can also refer to a type of ceramic tile used in traditional Portuguese architecture. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àisianach | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "Àisianach" also refers to someone from Ash, a place in Surrey, England. | |||
| Spanish | asiático | ||
| La palabra "asiático" en español proviene del latín "asiaticus" y originalmente se refería a la provincia romana de Asia, la cual incluía partes de Turquía, Grecia y Siria. | |||
| Swedish | asiatiskt | ||
| "Asiatiskt" is the adjective form of "Asien" (Asia) and can refer to things or concepts related to Asia, including its culture, history, and people. | |||
| Welsh | asiaidd | ||
| The Welsh word 'Asiaidd' (Asian) is derived from the Greek word 'Asia', which originally referred to the region around the Aegean Sea. | |||
Asian in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | азіяцкі | ||
| The word "азіяцкі" can also mean "Asiatic mode of production" in the context of Marxist theory. | |||
| Bosnian | azijski | ||
| "Azijski" u bosanskom može značiti i "azijski duh" i "azijski način mišljenja i ponašanja" | |||
| Bulgarian | азиатски | ||
| Азиатски also has the archaic meaning of ‘wealthy’. | |||
| Czech | asijský | ||
| Slovo "asijský" má v češtině i další význam - sousedící, hraničící. | |||
| Estonian | aasiapärane | ||
| "Aasiapärane" in Estonian can refer to both "Asian" and characteristics stereotypically associated with Asian peoples. | |||
| Finnish | aasialainen | ||
| The word "aasialainen" can also refer to a type of bread in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | ázsiai | ||
| A "ázsiai" szó a perzsa "āsiyā" szóból ered, amely „keleti” vagy „napkeltekor fekvő” jelentésű. | |||
| Latvian | aziātu | ||
| The Latvian word "Aziātu" (Asian) originally meant "Indian" but is now also used to refer to people from other parts of Asia. | |||
| Lithuanian | azijietiškas | ||
| The word "Azijietiškas" can also mean "oriental" or "exotic" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | азиски | ||
| The term 'Азиски' ('Asian') originates from the ancient Greek 'Asie' or 'Ασία', referring to what is now Western Turkey or Anatolia. | |||
| Polish | azjatyckie | ||
| In Polish, the word "Azjatyckie" can also refer to a group of languages spoken in the Caucasus and Siberia. | |||
| Romanian | asiatic | ||
| In Romanian, "asiatic" means "Asian" and it can also refer to a type of large, domesticated donkey. | |||
| Russian | азиатский | ||
| The word "Азиатский" ("Asian") in Russian also refers to the Asian continent and its inhabitants. | |||
| Serbian | азијски | ||
| The word "Азијски" is often associated with people or culture from Asia, but it can also be used as an adjective for plants or animals native to the continent. | |||
| Slovak | ázijské | ||
| The word "Ázijské" can also refer to the geographical region of Asia or to someone from Asia. | |||
| Slovenian | azijski | ||
| Beseda Azijski lahko pomeni tudi vzhodni ali orientalski. | |||
| Ukrainian | азіатський | ||
| The word "Азіатський" ("Asian") in Ukrainian shares its root with the Greek word "Ἀσία" ("Asia"), denoting the geographic region. | |||
Asian in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | এশীয় | ||
| The word এশীয় "Asian" in Bengali is likely derived from the Persian word آ西亚 (Āsīyā), which itself comes from the Arabic word آسيا (Āsyā), meaning "the rising sun". | |||
| Gujarati | એશિયન | ||
| The word "એશિયન" ("Asian") is derived from the Greek word "Asia", which originally referred to a region in western Anatolia. | |||
| Hindi | एशियाई | ||
| The word "एशियाई" originates from the Greek word "Ασία" (Asia), which originally referred to a region in modern-day Turkey. | |||
| Kannada | ಏಷ್ಯನ್ | ||
| The word 'ಏಷ್ಯನ್' ('Asian') is derived from the Greek word 'Asia' meaning 'the East'. | |||
| Malayalam | ഏഷ്യൻ | ||
| The word ഏഷ്യൻ, which means "Asian" in Malayalam, is derived from the Greek word "Ἀσία" (Asia), which originally referred to a region in western Anatolia (modern Turkey). | |||
| Marathi | आशियाई | ||
| The word "आशियाई" ("Asian") in Marathi can also mean "oriental" or "of the East". | |||
| Nepali | एशियाई | ||
| The term "एशियाई" in Nepali can refer to both a person of Asian descent and a resident of the continent of Asia. | |||
| Punjabi | ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආසියානු | ||
| In Sinhala, ආසියානු can also mean "Oriental" or "a person from the East." | |||
| Tamil | ஆசிய | ||
| The word "ஆசிய" (Asian) in Tamil derives from the Sanskrit word "Āsiya" which means "east". | |||
| Telugu | ఆసియా | ||
| "ఆసియా" also refers to the name of a continent in the East and is derived from the Greek word "Ἀσία" | |||
| Urdu | ایشین | ||
| ایشین is derived from the Greek word | |||
Asian in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 亚洲人 | ||
| 在中文中，“亚洲人”一词最初仅指生活在中亚的游牧民族，后来才逐渐扩展到指所有亚洲人。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 亞洲人 | ||
| 「亞洲人」原指在中亞生活、以遊牧為生的民族，後漸引申指亞洲地區的居民。 | |||
| Japanese | アジア人 | ||
| Although originally coined to encompass all non-Japanese, "アジアン (Asian)" in modern Japanese often only refers to ethnic Koreans. | |||
| Korean | 아시아 사람 | ||
| In Korean, "아시아 사람" ("Asian") can also refer to someone specifically from Southeast Asia, while "동양인" ("Oriental") refers to someone from East Asia. | |||
| Mongolian | ази | ||
| Ази (Azi) is also used to refer to the direction east | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အာရှတိုက် | ||
Asian in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | asia | ||
| The word 'Asia' (or 'Asian') in Indonesian is also used to refer to the continent of Asia, or to the people of Asia. | |||
| Javanese | wong asia | ||
| In Javanese, Wong asia means specifically "Chinese" or "Indian" people. | |||
| Khmer | អាស៊ី | ||
| The word "អាស៊ី" is also used in Khmer to refer to the Indian subcontinent. | |||
| Lao | ອາຊີ | ||
| The Lao word "ອາຊີ" ("Asian") is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ārya", which means "noble" or "excellent". | |||
| Malay | orang asia | ||
| In Malay "orang asia" also refer to someone who hails from a country, regardless of ethnicity. | |||
| Thai | เอเชีย | ||
| The Thai word "เอเชีย" (Asian) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आर्य" (ārya) meaning “honourable, noble”. | |||
| Vietnamese | châu á | ||
| The word "Châu Á" derives from the Chinese "Zhōuyà" (洲亞), which originally referred to Central Asia or the vast Asian continent. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asyano | ||
Asian in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | asiya | ||
| The word "Asiya" (Asian) in Azerbaijani also means "continent". | |||
| Kazakh | азиялық | ||
| The Turkic word “Азиялық» can refer to an Asian or someone with physical Asian features | |||
| Kyrgyz | азия | ||
| The word "Азия" in Kyrgyz also means "oriental" or "eastern". | |||
| Tajik | осиё | ||
| The word "Осиё" ("Asian") in Tajik also refers to the continent of Asia. | |||
| Turkmen | aziýaly | ||
| Uzbek | osiyo | ||
| In Uzbek, "Osiyo" not only refers to Asians, but can also be an exclamation used as a greeting or to express surprise. | |||
| Uyghur | asian | ||
Asian in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻasia | ||
| ʻAsia is cognate with an archaic Polynesian word meaning east. | |||
| Maori | ahia | ||
| The word "Ahia" in Maori also means "to sigh" or "to breathe heavily". | |||
| Samoan | asia | ||
| Āsia is a Samoan word that also means "East" or "Eastern". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | asyano | ||
| The word 'Asyano' (Asian) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'asi' meaning 'dawn' or 'east'. | |||
Asian in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asia tuqinkir jaqinaka | ||
| Guarani | asia-ygua | ||
Asian in International Languages
| Esperanto | aziano | ||
| Latin | asian | ||
| The Latin word "Asian" also means "belonging to Asia Minor, now Turkey". | |||
Asian in Others Languages
| Greek | ασιάτης | ||
| Originally used to refer to the inhabitants of Asia Minor, the term "ασιάτης" has since been expanded to encompass all peoples of the Asian continent. | |||
| Hmong | hmoob | ||
| The word 'Hmoob' in Hmong can also refer to the White Hmong ethnic group, but its broader meaning is 'person' or 'human'. | |||
| Kurdish | asyayî | ||
| The term 'asyayî' also refers to the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, especially to the Romani people. | |||
| Turkish | asya | ||
| The word 'Asya' is derived from the ancient Greek word 'Asis,' referring to the rising sun or the east. | |||
| Xhosa | easia | ||
| EAsia is derived from the word for "light-skinned people" in Xhosa, "i-Asia" | |||
| Yiddish | אַסיאַן | ||
| The word "אַסיאַן" in Yiddish can also refer to the Asian continent | |||
| Zulu | okwase-asia | ||
| The term "Okwase-Asia" in Zulu may also refer to individuals with fair skin or of mixed race. | |||
| Assamese | এছিয়ান | ||
| Aymara | asia tuqinkir jaqinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | एशियाई के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އޭޝިއަން... | ||
| Dogri | एशियाई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asyano | ||
| Guarani | asia-ygua | ||
| Ilocano | asiano | ||
| Krio | eshian pipul dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاسیایی | ||
| Maithili | एशियाई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯁꯤꯌꯥꯒꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | asian mi a ni | ||
| Oromo | lammii eeshiyaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଏସୀୟ | ||
| Quechua | asiamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | एशियाई | ||
| Tatar | азия | ||
| Tigrinya | ኤስያዊ | ||
| Tsonga | xi-asia | ||