Jewish in Different Languages
Discover 'Jewish' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The term 'Jewish' is of great significance and cultural importance, referring to the religious, cultural, and ethnic identity of Jewish people all around the world. With a rich history that spans thousands of years, the Jewish community has made profound contributions to various fields, including science, literature, philosophy, and the arts. Understanding the translations of 'Jewish' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the diversity and unity of this global community.
For instance, in Spanish, 'Jewish' is translated as 'judío' or 'judía', while in French, it becomes 'juif' or 'juive'. In German, the term is 'jüdisch', and in Hebrew, it is 'יהודי' (Yehudi). These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also highlight the unique cultural contexts in which Jewish communities thrive.
Exploring the translations of 'Jewish' in various languages can be an enriching journey, opening doors to a deeper appreciation of the language, culture, and history of Jewish people worldwide. Keep reading to discover more fascinating translations and insights!
Jewish
Jewish in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | joods | ||
| Amharic | አይሁድ | ||
| The word "አይሁድ" also means "an enemy of God" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | bayahude | ||
| The etymology of 'bayahude' is unclear and may derive from Hebrew, Berber or an unknown language spoken by former Jewish traders. | |||
| Igbo | onye juu | ||
| The Igbo word "Onye Juu" derives from the Hebrew word "Yehudim", meaning "Judeans". | |||
| Malagasy | jiosy | ||
| The Malagasy word "Jiosy" is derived from the Arabic word "Yahudi", meaning "Jew". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wachiyuda | ||
| "Wachiyuda" (Jewish) may also refer to the Bene Israel Jews or to Jewish people from Yemen. | |||
| Shona | wechijudha | ||
| The word 'WechiJudha' is derived from the Hebrew word 'yehudi', meaning 'a member of the tribe of Judah' or 'a person of the Jewish faith'. | |||
| Somali | yuhuudi | ||
| Sesotho | sejuda | ||
| The word "Sejuda" in Sesotho is derived from the Hebrew word "yehudi" meaning "Judah" or "Jew". | |||
| Swahili | myahudi | ||
| The word 'Myahudi' is used to refer to Jews and is likely derived from the Arabic word 'Yahud', meaning 'Jews'. | |||
| Xhosa | yamayuda | ||
| The word "YamaYuda" is derived from the Hebrew word "Yehud" and is also used to refer to a person of the Jewish faith. | |||
| Yoruba | juu | ||
| The Yoruba word 'Juu' can also refer to someone who is stingy or greedy. | |||
| Zulu | eyamajuda | ||
| EyamaJuda is a Zulu word that is derived from the Arabic word 'Yahud', meaning 'Jews'. | |||
| Bambara | yahutuw ye | ||
| Ewe | yudatɔwo ƒe nyawo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abayahudi | ||
| Lingala | moyuda | ||
| Luganda | omuyudaaya | ||
| Sepedi | sejuda | ||
| Twi (Akan) | yudafo de | ||
Jewish in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يهودي | ||
| The word يهودي ('Jewish') in Arabic is derived from the Hebrew word 'yehudi,' which means 'from Judah,' the name of the ancient kingdom in the southern part of the Levant. | |||
| Hebrew | יהודי | ||
| The word "יהודי" is also used in Hebrew to refer to a resident of the State of Israel, regardless of their religion. | |||
| Pashto | یهودي | ||
| Alternate meanings of "یهودي" in Pashto include "Israelite" and "descendant of Jacob." | |||
| Arabic | يهودي | ||
| The word يهودي ('Jewish') in Arabic is derived from the Hebrew word 'yehudi,' which means 'from Judah,' the name of the ancient kingdom in the southern part of the Levant. | |||
Jewish in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hebre | ||
| The word "Hebre" in Albanian may be derived from the Greek word "Ἑβραῖος" (Hebraios), meaning "Hebrew" or "Jew," or it may be a shortened form of the Albanian word "Hebrenj," also meaning "Jew." | |||
| Basque | judua | ||
| The word "Judua" in Basque also means "Jew". | |||
| Catalan | jueu | ||
| 'Jueu' shares the same Latin root 'Iudaeus' with the English 'Jew' and the French 'Juif', suggesting a common origin for the concept of 'Jewishness' across different European languages. | |||
| Croatian | židovski | ||
| The word "Židovski" can also refer to "Jewishness" or "Judaism" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | jødisk | ||
| In addition, the Danish word "jødisk" can also refer to anything "related to Judaism". | |||
| Dutch | joods | ||
| In historical Dutch, the term "Joods" also referred to the tribe of Judah, as well as the Hebrew language. | |||
| English | jewish | ||
| The term 'Jewish' is derived from the Hebrew word 'Yehudi,' meaning a citizen or inhabitant of the Kingdom of Judah. | |||
| French | juif | ||
| The French word "juif" can refer to a person of Jewish ancestry, religion, or culture. | |||
| Frisian | joadsk | ||
| The etymology of the Frisian word "Joadsk" is uncertain. | |||
| Galician | xudeu | ||
| The word "Xudeu" in Galician originates from the Latin word "Iudaeus" and has the alternate meaning of "traitor". | |||
| German | jüdisch | ||
| The term "jüdisch" can refer to both Jewish people and their culture or religion in German. | |||
| Icelandic | gyðinga | ||
| The word Gyðinga in Icelandic comes from the Old Norse word gyðing, which referred to heathens in general rather than specifically to Jews. | |||
| Irish | giúdach | ||
| The Irish word "Giúdach" can also refer to a member of the tribe of Judah or to a person who is circumcised. | |||
| Italian | ebraica | ||
| The Italian word "Ebraica" can also mean "Hebrew language". | |||
| Luxembourgish | jiddesch | ||
| While the Luxembourgish word "Jiddesch" refers to the Jewish people, it also encompasses Yiddish language and culture within its meaning. | |||
| Maltese | lhudi | ||
| The Maltese word "Lhudi" for Jewish derives from the Arabic word "Yahudi," and is often used as a slur, although it is sometimes employed with less offensive intent, like when referring to the language Ladino. | |||
| Norwegian | jødisk | ||
| While the primary meaning of "jødisk" is "Jewish", it can also refer to something of poor quality in informal speech. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | judaico | ||
| The word "judaico" in Portuguese can also mean "Mosaic" or "related to the Jewish Bible". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iùdhach | ||
| In the Scottish Highlands, the word 'Iùdhach' was sometimes used to describe a person from the Western Isles, or to refer to someone with a dark complexion. | |||
| Spanish | judío | ||
| The word "judío" in Spanish can also refer to a type of fish called the bluefish. | |||
| Swedish | judisk | ||
| The Swedish word Judisk comes from the Middle French word juif and the Old French word giu, both meaning "Jew." The suffix -isk is used to indicate a person or thing that belongs to a particular group or place. | |||
| Welsh | iddewig | ||
| The word 'Iddewig' is derived from the Hebrew word 'Yehudi', meaning 'descendant of Judah'. | |||
Jewish in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | яўрэйская | ||
| The feminine form of the Belorussian word for "Jewish" is sometimes used to refer to Jewish women or, more particularly, wives of Jewish men. | |||
| Bosnian | jevrejski | ||
| The etymology of the word "Jevrejski" in Bosnian is uncertain, with the most common theories linking it to the Hebrew word "Yehudi" or the Aramaic word "Yahudi", both meaning "Judean". | |||
| Bulgarian | еврейски | ||
| The word "Еврейски" also means "Hebrew" in Bulgarian, and is derived from the Medieval Greek word "Εβραϊκός" (Hebraïkós), meaning "of the Hebrews". | |||
| Czech | židovský | ||
| Židovský ("Jewish") comes from staročeské Žid ("Jew"), which is derived from the Old High German word Judin ("the Jews"). | |||
| Estonian | juudi | ||
| The word "Juudi" in Estonian is derived from the Hebrew word "Yehudi", which refers to the tribe of Judah and later to all Israelites. | |||
| Finnish | juutalainen | ||
| The word 'juutalainen' is derived from the Hebrew 'yehudi', meaning 'from Judah' | |||
| Hungarian | zsidó | ||
| The Hungarian word "zsidó" is derived from the Czech "Žid" and ultimately from the Hebrew "yehudi" meaning "Judean". | |||
| Latvian | ebreju | ||
| Ebreju, which derives from the Hebrew language, is used colloquially in Latvia to refer to a non-Latvian person of any origin. | |||
| Lithuanian | žydas | ||
| The word "Žydas" in Lithuanian can also refer to "a Jew" or "a person of Jewish descent". | |||
| Macedonian | еврејски | ||
| Еврејски comes from the Hebrew word "ivri." It can also mean "Hellenic" or "Greek." | |||
| Polish | żydowski | ||
| The word "żydowski" in Polish can also refer to something or someone considered to be miserly or excessively devoted to money. | |||
| Romanian | evreiască | ||
| "Evreiască" is a Romanian word that can refer to the Jewish people, the Jewish religion, or the Yiddish language. | |||
| Russian | еврейский | ||
| "Еврейский" (Jewish) can also mean "relating to the Hebrews", an ancient Near Eastern people | |||
| Serbian | јеврејски | ||
| The word "Јеврејски" can also refer to the language spoken by Jews, known as Hebrew. | |||
| Slovak | židovský | ||
| The word "Židovský" in Slovak can also mean "hospitable" or "accommodating". It is derived from the Slavic word "žid", meaning "guest". | |||
| Slovenian | judovsko | ||
| The Slovenian word "Judovsko" can also refer to "trembling" or "shaking". | |||
| Ukrainian | єврейська | ||
| The word “Єврейська” (Jewish) derives from the ancient Hebrew word “יברי” (ivri), meaning “Hebrew” or “from the other side.” | |||
Jewish in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইহুদি | ||
| The term "ইহুদি" is also derived from the Hebrew "Yehuda", meaning "praise". | |||
| Gujarati | યહૂદી | ||
| The word “યહૂદી” (“Jewish”) in Gujarati is derived from the Persian word “Yahudi”, which in turn comes from the Hebrew word “Yehudi”, meaning “from Judah”. Judah was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. | |||
| Hindi | यहूदी | ||
| The word 'यहूदी' ('Jewish' in English) is derived from the Hebrew word 'יהודה' ('Judea' in English) which refers to the ancient kingdom of Judea. | |||
| Kannada | ಯಹೂದಿ | ||
| ಯಹೂದಿ is also used to refer to a merchant or a person from Judea. | |||
| Malayalam | ജൂതൻ | ||
| The Malayalam word 'ജൂതൻ' is a transliteration of the English word 'Jew' used in Malayalam to refer to the ethnic and religious group. | |||
| Marathi | ज्यू | ||
| The term "ज्यू" (pronounced "jew") is a loanword from English, and is often used to describe Jews in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | यहूदी | ||
| In Nepali, the word "यहूदी" can also mean "a person of the Jewish faith". | |||
| Punjabi | ਯਹੂਦੀ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਯਹੂਦੀ" can also refer to a person who is stingy or miserly. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යුදෙව් | ||
| The Sinhala word යුදෙව් (Jewish) is derived from the Hebrew word 'yehudi' which means 'from the tribe of Judah'. | |||
| Tamil | யூத | ||
| Tamil word "யூத" is likely derived from Portuguese "judeu" | |||
| Telugu | యూదు | ||
| The word "యూదు" can also refer to the Hebrew language or the Jewish religion. | |||
| Urdu | یہودی | ||
| The word "یہودی" can also refer to a member of the Jewish religion or to a person of Jewish descent. | |||
Jewish in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 犹太人 | ||
| 在中文语境中，'犹太人'一词还可指代宗教信仰，并非狭义上的种族或民族群体。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 猶太人 | ||
| 猶太人原指猶大國人，後特指猶太民族 | |||
| Japanese | ユダヤ人 | ||
| The word ユダヤ人 (Jewish) in Japanese can also refer to the ancient state of Judea. | |||
| Korean | 유대인 | ||
| In Korean, the word '유대인' can also refer to people from India. | |||
| Mongolian | еврей | ||
| Еврей originated from the name of a Mongol tribe that resided in the territory of present-day Kazakhstan. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဂျူး | ||
| The term ဂျူး (Jewish) was historically used in Myanmar to refer to both Jewish and Christian communities, possibly due to linguistic confusion or shared religious practices. | |||
Jewish in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | yahudi | ||
| The Indonesian word "Yahudi" also historically referred to Jews and non-Jews alike, like Christians and Muslims. | |||
| Javanese | wong yahudi | ||
| In Javanese, the word "Wong Yahudi" can also refer to a person who is thrifty or stingy. | |||
| Khmer | ជ្វីហ្វ | ||
| The word "ជ្វីហ្វ" (pronounced "chee-v" in Khmer) is derived from the Pali word "jīviko", meaning "livelihood" or "one who lives" | |||
| Lao | ຢິວ | ||
| The Lao word ຢິວ (Jewish) is also used to refer to people from the Middle East and India. | |||
| Malay | yahudi | ||
| In Malay, "Yahudi" can also mean "clever" or "astute". | |||
| Thai | ชาวยิว | ||
| ชาวยิว (Jewish) is also used to describe people of the Jewish religion, or those who follow Judaism. | |||
| Vietnamese | do thái | ||
| The word "Do Thái" (literally "from the Middle East") in Vietnamese is also used colloquially to refer to all Abrahamic religions. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hudyo | ||
Jewish in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yəhudi | ||
| In Azeri, the term 'Yəhudi' may also refer to the Hebrew language or Judaism. | |||
| Kazakh | еврей | ||
| "Еврей" can also mean a rich person | |||
| Kyrgyz | еврей | ||
| Еврей (Evrey) is also the name given to a kind of ancient coin in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | яҳудӣ | ||
| The word “Яҳудӣ” in Tajik also has the meaning “Jewry, Judaism”. | |||
| Turkmen | jewishewreý | ||
| Uzbek | yahudiy | ||
| The Uzbek word "Yahudiy" is also used to refer to merchants who deal in illegal activities such as drug trading. | |||
| Uyghur | يەھۇدىي | ||
Jewish in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | iudaio | ||
| In Hawaiian, "Iudaio" can also refer to the Portuguese or a person of Portuguese descent. | |||
| Maori | hurai | ||
| The Maori word "Hurai" is derived from the English word "Jew" and was first used in the early 19th century to refer to Jewish people. | |||
| Samoan | tagata iutaia | ||
| Tagata Iutaia derives from the name Judea and was introduced by early missionaries. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hudyo | ||
| The word "Hudyo" derived from the Spanish "Judio," but it also has secondary meanings referring to bad luck or stinginess. | |||
Jewish in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | judionakan uñt’atawa | ||
| Guarani | judío-kuéra | ||
Jewish in International Languages
| Esperanto | juda | ||
| Latin | latin | ||
| The word 'Latin' in Latin can also refer to the people of Latium, the region in central Italy where the Latin language originated. | |||
Jewish in Others Languages
| Greek | εβραϊκός | ||
| In addition to its standard meaning of "Jewish", "εβραϊκός" can also mean "Hebrew" or "Semitic" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | neeg yudais | ||
| The term 'Neeg Yudais' ('Jewish') is a complex and disputed one within the Hmong community, with varying interpretations of its meaning and historical origins. | |||
| Kurdish | cihûyî | ||
| The word "cihûyî" in Kurdish may also refer to something that is evil or treacherous. | |||
| Turkish | yahudi | ||
| The word “Yahudi”, which literally means “dwelling in a city”, is an exonym derived from the Hebrew words “Yehudah” and “Yehudi,” referring respectively to the tribe and territory of Judah. | |||
| Xhosa | yamayuda | ||
| The word "YamaYuda" is derived from the Hebrew word "Yehud" and is also used to refer to a person of the Jewish faith. | |||
| Yiddish | יידיש | ||
| The word היידיש is also used to refer to the secular culture of European Jewish communities that use the Yiddish language. | |||
| Zulu | eyamajuda | ||
| EyamaJuda is a Zulu word that is derived from the Arabic word 'Yahud', meaning 'Jews'. | |||
| Assamese | ইহুদী | ||
| Aymara | judionakan uñt’atawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | यहूदी लोग के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޔަހޫދީންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | यहूदी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hudyo | ||
| Guarani | judío-kuéra | ||
| Ilocano | judio | ||
| Krio | na ju pipul dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جولەکە | ||
| Maithili | यहूदी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯖꯨꯗꯤꯁꯤꯌꯔꯤꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏꯁꯤꯡ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | juda mite an ni | ||
| Oromo | yihudoota | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯିହୁଦୀ | ||
| Quechua | judio runakuna | ||
| Sanskrit | यहूदी | ||
| Tatar | яһүд | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣይሁዳዊ | ||
| Tsonga | vayuda | ||