Baby in Different Languages
Discover 'Baby' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'baby' is a universal term of endearment, used to describe a young human being in their earliest stages of life. Signifying innocence, vulnerability, and boundless potential, the concept of a baby transcends language and culture. 'Baby' is not only a noun but also a verb, as in 'babysitting,' and even an adjective, as in 'baby-soft.'
Throughout history, babies have held immense significance across societies. From ancient civilizations to modern-day communities, the arrival of a baby has been celebrated with rituals, ceremonies, and traditions. In many cultures, babies are seen as a symbol of hope, renewal, and continuation of family lineages.
Understanding the translation of 'baby' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and unique perspectives of various societies. For instance, in Spanish, 'baby' is 'bebé', while in Mandarin, it's '婴儿' (yīng'ér). In French, 'baby' is 'bébé', and in German, it's 'Baby'. These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also highlight cultural attitudes towards infancy and childhood.
Join us as we explore the many translations of 'baby' in various languages, shedding light on the fascinating world of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Baby
Baby in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | baba | ||
| Baba is also used by parents and close family to refer to a baby | |||
| Amharic | ሕፃን | ||
| In Amharic, ሕፃን (baby) is also used figuratively to refer to a person who is inexperienced or immature. | |||
| Hausa | jariri | ||
| In Hausa, "jariri" is also used to describe a newborn or infant animal. | |||
| Igbo | nwa | ||
| The Igbo word "nwa" also means "son" or "daughter" and shares an etymological root with the words for "child" and "offspring" in many other Niger-Congo languages. | |||
| Malagasy | zazakely | ||
| The word "zazakely" is derived from the root "zaza" meaning "to give birth" and the diminutive suffix "-kely". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khanda | ||
| The word "khanda" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "a part of something" or "a fragment". | |||
| Shona | mucheche | ||
| The name "mucheche" comes from the idea of a child being small and dependent, similar to a seed in its earliest stages of growth. | |||
| Somali | ilmaha | ||
| The Somali word "ilmaha" originates from the Arabic word "walad", meaning "child". | |||
| Sesotho | lesea | ||
| The Sesotho word "lesea" is also used to refer to the young of animals. | |||
| Swahili | mtoto | ||
| Mtoto can also mean "young animal" "son/daughter-in-law" "young relative" "small child" or "child of another species". | |||
| Xhosa | umntwana | ||
| In Xhosa, 'umntwana' can also refer to a child or young person, and has historical connections to ancient Bantu words for 'person' or 'human being'. | |||
| Yoruba | ọmọ | ||
| In some contexts, "Ọmọ" can refer to siblings or the people born from the same parents, not just babies. | |||
| Zulu | ingane | ||
| Ingane also refers to a person's ancestors or people of a lower social status, and historically to a member of the younger age regiment in Zulu society. | |||
| Bambara | denyɛrɛnin | ||
| Ewe | vidzĩ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwana | ||
| Lingala | bebe | ||
| Luganda | omwaana | ||
| Sepedi | lesea | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abɔfra | ||
Baby in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طفل | ||
| The word طفل (baby) in Arabic is related to the word طفة which means 'moisture' or 'greenness', referring to the baby's fresh and tender appearance. | |||
| Hebrew | תִינוֹק | ||
| The word "תִינוֹק" ("baby") can also refer to a student of Torah. | |||
| Pashto | ماشوم | ||
| The word "ماشوم" is derived from the Persian word "ماشوم" which means "innocent". It can also mean "a young child". | |||
| Arabic | طفل | ||
| The word طفل (baby) in Arabic is related to the word طفة which means 'moisture' or 'greenness', referring to the baby's fresh and tender appearance. | |||
Baby in Western European Languages
| Albanian | foshnje | ||
| The word "foshnje" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "fons", meaning "spring" or "source." | |||
| Basque | umea | ||
| The word "umea" also means "fruit" and "seed" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | nadó | ||
| The word "nadó" also derives from Latin and means "someone born" in Catalan, as it comes from the verb "nàixer" ("to be born"). | |||
| Croatian | dijete | ||
| The Croatian word "dijete" has Slavic origins and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word "dete". | |||
| Danish | baby | ||
| The word "baby" in Danish can also refer to a doll or a young animal, and is derived from the Old Norse word "barna" meaning "child." | |||
| Dutch | baby | ||
| In Dutch, the word "baby" can also mean "doll" or "little child". | |||
| English | baby | ||
| The word "baby" derives from the Latin "infans", meaning "not speaking", and originally referred to both male and female infants. | |||
| French | bébé | ||
| The word "bébé" is also used to refer to a small child or an infant. | |||
| Frisian | poppe | ||
| The word "poppe" in Frisian also means "doll" or "puppet". | |||
| Galician | nena | ||
| The word "nena" in Galician can also mean "girl" or "sweetheart". | |||
| German | baby | ||
| The German word 'Baby' can also refer to a doll or a mannequin. | |||
| Icelandic | elskan | ||
| Elskan, meaning "baby" in Icelandic, derives from the Old Norse word "ælskan," which means "love" or "sweetheart." | |||
| Irish | leanbh | ||
| The word "leanbh" in Irish is also used to refer to a child's doll or a young animal, showcasing the broader concept of "young one" or "offspring". | |||
| Italian | bambino | ||
| The word "bambino" is a loanword from Medieval Latin "bambinus", originally referring to a child who stutters. | |||
| Luxembourgish | puppelchen | ||
| Puppelchen derives from the Roman word "pupilla" which means "little girl". | |||
| Maltese | tarbija | ||
| The Maltese word "tarbija" has Arabic origins and can also mean "education" or "rearing". | |||
| Norwegian | baby | ||
| The Norwegian word "baby" can also refer to a doll or a small child. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bebê | ||
| 'Bebê' originates from an old Tupi word, 'bebêra', that means 'to be born', 'young', or 'child'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | pàisde | ||
| "Pàisde" is a term of endearment and may also refer to a godchild or a child who is not yet baptised. | |||
| Spanish | bebé | ||
| The Spanish word "bebé" is a diminutive form of the word "niño" (child), and it is also commonly used to refer to a baby animal. | |||
| Swedish | bebis | ||
| "Bebis" also means "small bird" in Swedish and derives from the now obsolete "bibba" which meant "to chirp." | |||
| Welsh | babi | ||
| "Babi" is an alternate spelling of "babi" in the north of Wales, reflecting a historical long "a" sound in these dialects. | |||
Baby in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзіцятка | ||
| The Belarusian word "дзіцятка" is derived from the Old Slavic word "*děťę", meaning "child". It is also used as a term of endearment for a young child. | |||
| Bosnian | dušo | ||
| The Bosnian term "dušo" has Indo-European origins and is related to Sanskrit "duhitā" (daughter). | |||
| Bulgarian | скъпа | ||
| The word "скъпа" can also be used as a term of endearment for a loved one. | |||
| Czech | dítě | ||
| In Czech, the word "dítě" also means "child" or "kid." | |||
| Estonian | beebi | ||
| The word "beebi" in Estonian shares its origin with the Germanic word "baby," which is a reduplication of the sound "ba," used to imitate infant speech. | |||
| Finnish | vauva | ||
| The Finnish word "vauva", "baby," is derived from the Proto-Germanic *wawijō, "little boy." | |||
| Hungarian | baba | ||
| The Hungarian word "baba" is a colloquial term referring to a "grandma" or "old woman," and is often used affectionately. | |||
| Latvian | mazulis | ||
| The word "mazulis" is related to the word "mazs", meaning "small", and is also used to refer to a baby bird or animal. | |||
| Lithuanian | kūdikis | ||
| The word “kūdikis” likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱeuH- (“to swell, to be pregnant”). | |||
| Macedonian | бебе | ||
| "Бебе" originates from Turkish "bebe" meaning "young girl, girl child, daughter", from Persian "baba" - "father". | |||
| Polish | niemowlę | ||
| The word "niemowlę" in Polish literally means "unspeaking". | |||
| Romanian | bebelus | ||
| "Bebeluș" is a Romanian word for "baby" that originates from the Latin word "pupus," meaning "doll". | |||
| Russian | детка | ||
| The word "детка" can also be translated as "darling" or "sweetheart" in English. | |||
| Serbian | беба | ||
| "Беба" (baby) is also sometimes used slang as a term of endearment for a girlfriend or wife. | |||
| Slovak | dieťa | ||
| In Slovak, the word "dieťa" not only means "baby" but also "child" and "offspring." | |||
| Slovenian | dojenček | ||
| "Dojenček" is etymologically related to the verb "dojiti" (to breastfeed). | |||
| Ukrainian | дитина | ||
| The Ukrainian word "дитина" is etymologically related to the Proto-Slavic word "*děti", meaning "child" or "young one". | |||
Baby in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাচ্চা | ||
| The Bengali word "বাচ্চা" can also refer to a young animal or a pet. | |||
| Gujarati | બાળક | ||
| In Gujarati, "બાળક" can also refer to a young unmarried person or a son in a respectful sense. | |||
| Hindi | बच्चा | ||
| The Hindi word "बच्चा" can also refer to a child or a younger person. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಗು | ||
| The word "ಮಗು" ("baby") in Kannada is also used to refer to a pet, especially a small and young animal, or to a young or inexperienced person. | |||
| Malayalam | കുഞ്ഞ് | ||
| "കുഞ്ഞ്" can also mean "small" or "young" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | बाळ | ||
| बाळ (baby) is also sometimes used to refer to young calves or kids, such as goats or sheep as well as younger children or infants. | |||
| Nepali | बच्चा | ||
| Nepali word 'बच्चा' also means 'a young animal'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੱਚਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਬੱਚਾ' ('baccha') is also used as a term of endearment for young children and infants. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ළදරු | ||
| The Sinhala word "ළදරු" also means "young, immature, unripe" which suggests an evolution in meaning from describing physical immaturity to referring to young individuals. | |||
| Tamil | குழந்தை | ||
| The word "குழந்தை" (kuzhanthai) in Tamil can also mean "a young animal" or "a childlike person" | |||
| Telugu | బిడ్డ | ||
| The word "బిడ్డ" (baby) in Telugu can also refer to a child or a young person. | |||
| Urdu | بچه | ||
| The Urdu word "بچه" (baccha) is derived from Sanskrit and can also refer to a "young animal" or a "pupil". | |||
Baby in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 宝宝 | ||
| 宝宝 is the modern Chinese word for 'baby' but it formerly meant 'precious' or 'treasured' and was used as a term of endearment for children, women, and lovers. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 寶寶 | ||
| In some regional dialects of China, "寶寶" can also mean "darling" or "sweetheart". | |||
| Japanese | 赤ちゃん | ||
| The Japanese word 赤ちゃん (akachan) derives from the verb 赤らむ (akaramu), meaning "to redden," suggesting the pink hue of infants. | |||
| Korean | 아가 | ||
| The word '아가' can also refer to a younger sibling or a young person in general. | |||
| Mongolian | хүүхэд | ||
| Mongolian 'хүүхэд' is likely cognate with Korean '후후(후후)' (child) and Turkic 'kuchuk' (small, low, insignificant). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကလေး | ||
| In Myanmar, "ကလေး" can also mean "small" or "young" when referring to people or animals. | |||
Baby in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bayi | ||
| Bayi is a word in Indonesian meaning 'baby', but it also has the alternate meaning of 'young child'. | |||
| Javanese | bayi | ||
| The Javanese name for "baby," bayi, has multiple meanings, including a child born outside of a sacred union or a newborn animal of domestic species. | |||
| Khmer | ទារក | ||
| The Khmer word for baby, ទារក, can also mean 'fetus' in a medical context. | |||
| Lao | ເດັກນ້ອຍ | ||
| Malay | bayi | ||
| The word "bayi" in Malay is derived from the Javanese word "bocah", meaning "child" or "young one" | |||
| Thai | ทารก | ||
| The Thai word "ทารก" can also refer to an embryo or fetus before it is born. | |||
| Vietnamese | đứa bé | ||
| "Đứa bé" in Vietnamese literally means "a small cluster of living beings" and can also refer to young animals or plants. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | baby | ||
Baby in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bala | ||
| The word "bala" also means "young man" or "child" in some contexts in Azerbaijani, and is related to the Persian word "bala" meaning "child", and the Turkish word "bala" meaning "disaster" or "calamity". | |||
| Kazakh | балақай | ||
| The Kazakh word for 'baby', 'балақай', comes from the Mongolian word 'balaga', which also means 'child'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бала | ||
| The word 'бала' can also refer to a 'child' or 'young one' of an animal in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | кӯдак | ||
| The word "кӯдак" can also refer to a child or a young person. | |||
| Turkmen | çaga | ||
| Uzbek | bolam | ||
| Uzbek "bolam" is also used as a term of endearment for those younger, regardless of gender. | |||
| Uyghur | بوۋاق | ||
Baby in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pēpē | ||
| The word "pēpē" can also refer to a child, a grandchild, or a descendant. | |||
| Maori | pēpi | ||
| In the Māori language, the word 'pēpi' not only denotes 'infant', but can also refer to the 'young' of any species or even 'new growth'. | |||
| Samoan | pepe | ||
| The word "pepe" can also refer to a "young animal" or a "baby animal" in other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian and Tahitian. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sanggol | ||
| In Filipino, the word "sanggol" not only refers to an infant but also to a young animal, and its root word "sangga" means "to nurse or cradle". | |||
Baby in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asu | ||
| Guarani | mitãra'y | ||
Baby in International Languages
| Esperanto | bebo | ||
| The Esperanto word "bebo" is derived from the Slavic word "baba," meaning "old woman," and can also refer to a child's doll. | |||
| Latin | infans | ||
| Latin "infans" also means "speechless" or "who cannot speak". | |||
Baby in Others Languages
| Greek | μωρό | ||
| The Greek word "μωρό" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mr̩-," meaning "young, tender, delicate," and is also related to the English words "morrow" (originally meaning "morning, dawn") and "morose" (originally meaning "ill-humored, sullen"). | |||
| Hmong | menyuam | ||
| Hmong word 'menyuam' is also used as a term of endearment for young animals. | |||
| Kurdish | bebek | ||
| The word "bebek" in Kurdish can also refer to a doll or a young animal. | |||
| Turkish | bebek | ||
| "Bebek" also means "swaddling clothes" or "doll" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | umntwana | ||
| In Xhosa, 'umntwana' can also refer to a child or young person, and has historical connections to ancient Bantu words for 'person' or 'human being'. | |||
| Yiddish | בעיבי | ||
| The Yiddish word "בעיבי" also means "doll" or "little one" and is often used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Zulu | ingane | ||
| Ingane also refers to a person's ancestors or people of a lower social status, and historically to a member of the younger age regiment in Zulu society. | |||
| Assamese | কেঁচুৱা | ||
| Aymara | asu | ||
| Bhojpuri | बचवा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުޑަކުއްޖާ | ||
| Dogri | ञ्याणा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | baby | ||
| Guarani | mitãra'y | ||
| Ilocano | ubing | ||
| Krio | bebi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | منداڵ | ||
| Maithili | शिशु | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯥꯡ ꯃꯆꯥ | ||
| Mizo | naute | ||
| Oromo | daa'ima | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶିଶୁ | ||
| Quechua | wawa | ||
| Sanskrit | शिशुः | ||
| Tatar | сабый | ||
| Tigrinya | ማማይ | ||
| Tsonga | n'wana | ||