God in Different Languages
Discover 'God' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The concept of 'God' holds immense significance across cultures and religions, often representing a superior being or ultimate reality. This term has been translated in various ways, reflecting the rich diversity of linguistic and cultural traditions worldwide.
For instance, in Spanish, 'God' is translated as 'Dios', while in French, it is 'Dieu'. In Mandarin Chinese, the term for 'God' is 'Shén' or 'Tiān', and in Japanese, it is 'Kami'. These translations offer a glimpse into how different cultures perceive and express the idea of a higher power.
Understanding the translation of 'God' in various languages can be insightful, especially for those interested in language, culture, or spirituality. It not only broadens one's linguistic abilities but also deepens cultural appreciation and promotes interfaith dialogue.
In the following list, explore how 'God' is translated in different languages, from common ones like Spanish and French to less familiar ones like Maori and Zulu.
God
God in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | god | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "God" is derived from the Middle Dutch "God", which itself originates from the Old High German "Got" and the Proto-Germanic "*ǥuđán". | |||
| Amharic | እግዚአብሔር | ||
| The word "እግዚአብሔር" (Egziabeher) in Amharic is derived from the Ge'ez phrase "Egzi'e Abher" meaning "Lord of Creation" | |||
| Hausa | allah | ||
| In Hausa, "Allah" is a general term for a deity, including both the Islamic God and traditional African gods. | |||
| Igbo | chineke | ||
| The Igbo word "Chineke" is also used as a respectful form of address for an elder or superior. | |||
| Malagasy | andriamanitra | ||
| "Andriamanitra" is also used as a respectful term of address for elders, especially those in positions of authority. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mulungu | ||
| The word "Mulungu" can also refer to a tree or spirit, and is related to the word "mulunguzi," meaning "priest" or "healer." | |||
| Shona | mwari | ||
| "Mwari" in the Shona language can also refer to "rain", "heavens", or "sky" and is possibly connected to the Proto-Bantu word "*mulunga*", a name applied to the supreme deity or spirit, or to thunder. | |||
| Somali | ilaah | ||
| "Ilaah" is also a name used for the Somali Supreme Court. | |||
| Sesotho | molimo | ||
| 'Molimo' is the Sesotho translation of 'God' and may also refer to the ancestors or those deserving of respect. | |||
| Swahili | mungu | ||
| The word "Mungu" may also refer to spirit, or the supernatural, in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | nguthixo | ||
| The term 'uThixo' is derived from the word 'thixo', which refers to 'heavenly bodies', 'sky', and 'a supreme being' | |||
| Yoruba | ọlọrun | ||
| The term can refer to multiple deities and not solely the Supreme Being. | |||
| Zulu | unkulunkulu | ||
| The word 'UNkulunkulu' is also used to refer to an ancestral spirit or to thunder. | |||
| Bambara | ma | ||
| Ewe | mawu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mana | ||
| Lingala | nzambe | ||
| Luganda | katonda | ||
| Sepedi | modimo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nyame | ||
God in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الله | ||
| The term "الله" (Allah) has Semitic roots, with its cognates appearing in other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and Aramaic. | |||
| Hebrew | אלוהים | ||
| The name "אלוהים" (Elohim) in Hebrew means "the Powers" or "the Strong Ones". | |||
| Pashto | خدایه | ||
| The word "خدایه" in Pashto can also refer to a "master" or "lord" in a feudal or religious context. | |||
| Arabic | الله | ||
| The term "الله" (Allah) has Semitic roots, with its cognates appearing in other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and Aramaic. | |||
God in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zoti | ||
| "Zot" is a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to call" or “a being called upon". | |||
| Basque | jainkoa | ||
| The word 'Jainkoa' in Basque may derive from the ancient Basque word 'jaiñ', meaning 'lord' or 'master', and the suffix '-koa' indicating possession. | |||
| Catalan | déu | ||
| "Déu", like in romance languages, is derived from the Latin "Deus", ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *déywos, which originally meant "heavenly being" or "day, sky." | |||
| Croatian | bog | ||
| The Croatian word 'bog' can also refer to a rich or powerful person, or to a deity other than the Christian God. | |||
| Danish | gud | ||
| "Gud" in Danish also relates to the Old Norse word "goð," meaning "good" and "divine." | |||
| Dutch | god | ||
| "God" in Dutch can also refer to a godfather, godmother or godparent. | |||
| English | god | ||
| The word "God" is derived from the Old English word "god", which originally meant "a supernatural being" or "a deity". Later, it came to be used exclusively for the Christian God. | |||
| French | dieu | ||
| The word "Dieu" is derived from the Latin word "Deus", which means "god" or "deity". | |||
| Frisian | god | ||
| The first component of the Frisian word for “God” can alternatively mean “good” in various Germanic languages. | |||
| Galician | deus | ||
| In Galician, "Deus" derives from the Latin word "Deus," signifying "deity," and also carries the meaning of "husband" or "master."} | |||
| German | gott | ||
| The German word "Gott" (God) is related to the English word "good" and originally referred to a divine being who protects and supports humans. | |||
| Icelandic | guð | ||
| Guð can also refer to a priest, bishop, or someone highly respected. | |||
| Irish | dia | ||
| Irish "Dia" can also mean "day", a "deity", a "shining one", or "the sky". | |||
| Italian | dio | ||
| The term "Dio" in Italian originally referred to the Roman sky god Jupiter, also known as Zeus in Greek mythology. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gott | ||
| Gott, in addition to meaning «God,» can mean «sponsor» or «godfather» in certain contexts. | |||
| Maltese | alla | ||
| The word "Alla" can also be used to refer to a female goddess or a venerated woman. | |||
| Norwegian | gud | ||
| The Old Norse word "guð" originally referred to a male deity or a supernatural being. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | deus | ||
| "Deus" comes from the Latin word "deus," which derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *deiwos, meaning "celestial, divine being," from the root *dei-, meaning "to shine." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dia | ||
| In place names, "dia" also signifies "a small river" or a low lying or wet place. | |||
| Spanish | dios | ||
| The word "Dios" in Spanish comes from the Latin "Deus", but it also has pre-Roman, Celtic, and Indo-European roots. | |||
| Swedish | gud | ||
| In Swedish, 'Gud' is a contraction of 'den gode', meaning 'the good one'. | |||
| Welsh | duw | ||
| "Duw" is a cognate of the Irish "Dia" and the Latin "Deus". | |||
God in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | божа! | ||
| The word "Божа!" is used to express emotions and can mean "God!" or "Gosh!" | |||
| Bosnian | bože | ||
| The word "Bože" in Bosnian also means "my God" when used in an exclamation or prayer. | |||
| Bulgarian | бог | ||
| The word "Бог" ("God") in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*bogъ", meaning "wealth" or "riches." | |||
| Czech | bůh | ||
| {"text": "The term "Bůh" originates from the Proto-Slavic "bogъ," meaning "wealth" or "share," signifying God as the source of prosperity and abundance."} | |||
| Estonian | jumal | ||
| "Jumal" originates from the Proto-Finnic word "*jumala", which could refer to many kinds of spirits, or even a person with a divine or supernatural ability. | |||
| Finnish | jumala | ||
| "Jumala" also means "thunder" and "thunderer". | |||
| Hungarian | isten | ||
| The word "Isten" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word "*iteŋ" ("heaven, god"), the same root as the Finnish word "Itä" ("east"). | |||
| Latvian | dievs | ||
| Dievs is derived from an old Indo-European root meaning "heaven", and is related to the Greek Zeus, the Roman Jupiter, and the Sanskrit Dyaus. | |||
| Lithuanian | dieve | ||
| The word "Dieve" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *deiwos, meaning "heavenly". In Lithuanian mythology, Dieve is the supreme god, often associated with the sky, thunder, and lightning. | |||
| Macedonian | боже | ||
| The word "Боже" in Macedonian originally meant "lord" or "master" and can also be used to address a priest or bishop. | |||
| Polish | bóg | ||
| The Polish word "Bóg" is a cognate of the Proto-Slavic word *bogъ, which referred to a generic deity or supernatural power. | |||
| Romanian | dumnezeu | ||
| The Romanian word "Dumnezeu" is derived from the Vulgar Latin word "Domine Deus" meaning "Lord God". | |||
| Russian | бог | ||
| The Russian word "Бог" (God) is derived from the Proto-Slavic "bogъ", which originally meant "wealth" or "fortune." | |||
| Serbian | бог | ||
| The word 'Бог' ('God') is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'bogъ', which also means 'wealth', 'fortune', and 'prosperity'. | |||
| Slovak | bože | ||
| The word "Bože" in Slovak is related to the word "boh" in Czech and the word "bog" in Polish, all meaning "God". | |||
| Slovenian | bog | ||
| The word "bog" in Slovenian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "bogъ", which has the same root as the words "bogat" (rich) and "bogatir" (hero) | |||
| Ukrainian | боже | ||
| Etymology: from Old Slavic "bogь" meaning "riches", "abundance". | |||
God in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সৃষ্টিকর্তা | ||
| "সৃষ্টিকর্তা" also means "creator" or "cause". | |||
| Gujarati | ભગવાન | ||
| The Gujarati word for God, "ભગવાન," derives from Sanskrit, where "bhaga" signifies fortune and "van" denotes possession or ownership. | |||
| Hindi | परमेश्वर | ||
| The word "परमेश्वर" is the combination of two words: "परम" ("supreme") and "ईश्वर" ("lord"), meaning the "Supreme Lord". | |||
| Kannada | ದೇವರು | ||
| The word ದೇವರು ('God') can also mean the sun, sky, light, brilliance, or heaven in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ദൈവം | ||
| The word 'ദൈവം' ('God') in Malayalam is derived from 'देव' ('deva') in Sanskrit, and also means 'heaven' and 'sky'. | |||
| Marathi | देव | ||
| The word "देव" in Marathi can also refer to "a celestial being" or "a deity", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "deva". | |||
| Nepali | भगवान | ||
| The Nepali word "भगवान" (God) ultimately derives from the Sanskrit term "Bhagavant" (literally, "possessing opulences"), which also refers to a high spiritual master. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੱਬ | ||
| The word "ਰੱਬ" (God) derives from the Sanskrit word "देव" (deva), meaning "shining one" or "heavenly being." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දෙවියන් වහන්සේ | ||
| Tamil | இறைவன் | ||
| The word "இறைவன்" ("God" in Tamil) is derived from the root word "இற" ("to go") and can also mean "controller" or "guide." | |||
| Telugu | దేవుడు | ||
| The word "దేవుడు" in Telugu can also mean "heaven" or "the state of being divine". | |||
| Urdu | خدا | ||
| The Urdu word "خدا" (Khuda) originates from the Persian word "خدای" (Khuday), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-Iranian "*h₂éw₂tās". This root word also gives rise to the Sanskrit "devá", meaning "a deity". In some contexts, "خدا" can also refer to "lord", "master", or "husband". | |||
God in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 神 | ||
| "神" (God) can also mean "spirit" or "immortal". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 神 | ||
| 神, composed of '示' meaning 'sign' (a sign from Heaven) and '申' meaning 'extend, develop', signifies 'a sign of divine intervention'. | |||
| Japanese | 神 | ||
| The Japanese character 神 (kami) has various readings and meanings, including "spirit," "deity," "god," "sacred," and "divine." | |||
| Korean | 하느님 | ||
| The Korean word "하느님" contains the roots "하늘" (heaven) and "님" (master), but can also mean "the Lord" or "the Father". | |||
| Mongolian | бурхан | ||
| The term 'Бурхан' likely originated from the Sanskrit word 'Buddha', meaning 'enlightened one', and is used in Mongolian to refer to deities and divine entities. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘုရားသခ | ||
| The term "ဘုရားသခ" (God) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Pali word "Bhagavā" and also refers to a "supreme being" or a "lord". | |||
God in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tuhan | ||
| Tuhan also means lord, master, or sovereign in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | gusti allah | ||
| Gusti Allah is an honorific title used to refer to the Javanese Supreme God, Bathara Guru. | |||
| Khmer | ព្រះ | ||
| The word "ព្រះ" can also refer to a Buddha image or a monarch. | |||
| Lao | ພຣະເຈົ້າ | ||
| Malay | tuhan | ||
| The Proto-Austronesian word for God was originally a reference to a type of ancestral shrine, suggesting that the concept of a supreme being evolved from the veneration of ancestors. | |||
| Thai | พระเจ้า | ||
| พระเจ้า (Phra Chao) also means "king" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "deva," meaning "shining one" or "heavenly being." | |||
| Vietnamese | chúa trời | ||
| "Chúa Trời" is often translated as "God," but literally means "Lord of Heaven". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | diyos | ||
God in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | allah | ||
| The word "Allah" in Azerbaijani is ultimately derived from the Arabic word for "God," and has no alternate meanings in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | құдай | ||
| In Kazakh, “Құдай” can also mean “sky” and “fate”. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кудай | ||
| The word "Кудай" also means "heaven" or "sky" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | худо | ||
| In Zoroastrianism, "Khodo" refers to the wise God, Ahura Mazda, while in Islam, it is used to refer to Allah. | |||
| Turkmen | hudaý | ||
| Uzbek | xudo | ||
| "Xudo" is also used to refer to Buddha in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | خۇدا | ||
God in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ke akua | ||
| The word “Ke Akua” also refers to the power that binds all things together, the source of all that is, within a person or within the universe. | |||
| Maori | atua | ||
| The word Atua (God) can also refer to an ancestor or a powerful being in Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | atua | ||
| "Atua" also means "spirit" or "sacred thing," and refers to anything that is powerful or has supernatural powers. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | diyos | ||
| "Diyos" is a Tagalog word for God that descended from the Proto-Austronesian term "*Diyos" that meant "sky father". | |||
God in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tata | ||
| Guarani | ñandejára | ||
God in International Languages
| Esperanto | dio | ||
| The Esperanto word 'Dio' is derived from the French word 'Dieu', and is cognate with the English word 'deity'. | |||
| Latin | deus | ||
| The word 'Deus' likely originated from the Proto-Indo-European root '*deiwos', meaning 'heavenly'. | |||
God in Others Languages
| Greek | θεός | ||
| The Greek word "Θεός" (Theos) can also refer to a deity, a divine being, or a supernatural power. | |||
| Hmong | vajtswv | ||
| The Hmong word for 'God', 'Vajtswv', is a compound word that literally means 'creator god' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | xwedê | ||
| In addition to its meaning of 'God', the term 'xwede' also signifies the Kurdish concept of the supreme deity responsible for creation and universal balance. | |||
| Turkish | tanrı | ||
| The Turkish word "Tanrı" is cognate with the Mongolian word "Tengri," meaning "heaven" or "sky." | |||
| Xhosa | nguthixo | ||
| The term 'uThixo' is derived from the word 'thixo', which refers to 'heavenly bodies', 'sky', and 'a supreme being' | |||
| Yiddish | גאָט | ||
| "גאָט" is also used in Yiddish as a euphemism for "damn" or "hell." | |||
| Zulu | unkulunkulu | ||
| The word 'UNkulunkulu' is also used to refer to an ancestral spirit or to thunder. | |||
| Assamese | ঈশ্বৰ | ||
| Aymara | tata | ||
| Bhojpuri | भगवान | ||
| Dhivehi | ﷲ | ||
| Dogri | ईश्वर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | diyos | ||
| Guarani | ñandejára | ||
| Ilocano | dios | ||
| Krio | gɔd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خواوەند | ||
| Maithili | ईश्वर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯏ | ||
| Mizo | pathian | ||
| Oromo | waaqa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭଗବାନ | | ||
| Quechua | taytacha | ||
| Sanskrit | भगवान | ||
| Tatar | алла | ||
| Tigrinya | ፈጣሪ | ||
| Tsonga | xikwembu | ||