Bathroom in Different Languages
Discover 'Bathroom' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The bathroom: a space of necessity, rejuvenation, and sometimes even relaxation. More than just a room, it holds cultural significance across the globe. In English-speaking countries, the bathroom is where we start and end our day, a sanctuary of personal grooming and hygiene. But in other languages, the word for bathroom can reveal fascinating cultural insights.
For instance, did you know that in Japan, the bathroom is often divided into two separate rooms for washing and toileting? Or that in some parts of India, the bathroom is traditionally located outside the home? Understanding these cultural nuances can enrich our global perspective and deepen our appreciation for the diversity of human experience.
Moreover, knowing the translation of bathroom in different languages can be practical for travelers. Imagine being able to ask for the bathroom in Spanish (baño), French (salle de bain), or German (Badezimmer) with confidence!
Join us as we explore the translations of bathroom in various languages, from the familiar to the exotic. Expand your linguistic repertoire and enhance your cultural intelligence, one word at a time.
Bathroom
Bathroom in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | badkamer | ||
| The word "badkamer" in Afrikaans derives from the Dutch "badkamer," meaning "bathing room," and is equivalent to the English "bathroom" | |||
| Amharic | መታጠቢያ ቤት | ||
| In Amharic, the word መታጠቢያ ቤት (metatabiya bet) translates to "bathroom" in English, but it literally means "a place for bathing". | |||
| Hausa | gidan wanka | ||
| "Gidan wanka" literally translates to "house of washing" in Hausa, implying its purpose as a place for bathing or cleaning. | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ ịsa ahụ | ||
| The word "ụlọ ịsa ahụ" can also refer to a room or shelter specifically designated for taking baths or showering. | |||
| Malagasy | efitra fandroana | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bafa | ||
| "Bafa" is derived from the Yao word "mbafa" which means "toilet", a cognate of the Swahili word "bafu". | |||
| Shona | imba yekugezera | ||
| The word 'imba yekugezera' in Shona literally means a 'house of washing' or a 'house of bathing'. | |||
| Somali | musqusha | ||
| The term "musqusha" derives from the Arabic word "miskin" meaning "poor" or "needy" as it was a place where people relieved themselves. | |||
| Sesotho | ntloana ea ho hlapela | ||
| Swahili | bafuni | ||
| The word "bafuni" is derived from the Arabic word "bafun" which means "odor" or "stench". | |||
| Xhosa | igumbi lokuhlambela | ||
| Historically 'igumbi lokuhlambela' referred to the room in which women gave birth, but now exclusively means bathroom. | |||
| Yoruba | baluwe | ||
| Baluwe has its origin in the Yoruba "ibi ibalu ilu" meaning "the place where one defecates underground". | |||
| Zulu | indlu yangasese | ||
| The Zulu word 'indlu yangasese' literally means 'a house with a smell'. This is because public bathrooms often have poor sanitation. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛgɛn | ||
| Ewe | tsileƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwiherero | ||
| Lingala | douche | ||
| Luganda | ekinaabiro | ||
| Sepedi | bohlapelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwareɛ | ||
Bathroom in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حمام | ||
| "حمام" means both "bathroom" and "pigeon" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | חדר אמבטיה | ||
| The Hebrew word for "bathroom", "חדר אמבטיה", literally means "chamber of the bath". | |||
| Pashto | تشناب | ||
| The word 'تشناب' is derived from the Persian word 'چشمه' meaning spring, likely due to its association with water sources for bathing. | |||
| Arabic | حمام | ||
| "حمام" means both "bathroom" and "pigeon" in Arabic. | |||
Bathroom in Western European Languages
| Albanian | banjo | ||
| The word "banjo" may have originated from the Italian word "bagno", meaning bath or bathroom. | |||
| Basque | komuna | ||
| The Basque word "komuna" is derived from the French "commune", meaning "public toilet". | |||
| Catalan | bany | ||
| The word "bany" shares the same root with the English word "bath" and the Latin "balneus," denoting a place where people bathe. | |||
| Croatian | kupaonica | ||
| The Croatian word "kupaonica" derives from the verbs "kupati se" (to bathe) and "kupiti" (to buy), as historically people went to public bathhouses to bathe and buy toiletries. | |||
| Danish | badeværelse | ||
| The Danish word "badeværelse" also refers to the "powder room" in a house or at public venues. | |||
| Dutch | badkamer | ||
| The Dutch word "badkamer" originally referred to a room with a bathtub, but its meaning has since expanded to include any room with a shower or toilet. | |||
| English | bathroom | ||
| "Bathroom" was originally used to refer to a room for bathing, and only later came to refer to a room with a toilet. | |||
| French | salle de bains | ||
| The French word "salle de bains" literally means "room for baths" and is used not only for bathrooms with bathtubs, but for all bathrooms. | |||
| Frisian | badkeamer | ||
| The word "badkeamer" is derived from the Dutch word "baakamer" meaning "heated room". | |||
| Galician | baño | ||
| Galician's "baño" can mean a small pond in addition to a bathroom. | |||
| German | badezimmer | ||
| The word "Badezimmer" comes from "Baden", meaning "bathing", and "Zimmer", meaning "room". It can also refer to a private toilet or shower room in German homes. | |||
| Icelandic | baðherbergi | ||
| "Baðherbergi" derives from "bað" (bath) and "herbergi" (room) and originally meant "bathing room". The word "bað" has the same root as the English word "bath" and the German word "Bad". | |||
| Irish | seomra folctha | ||
| The Irish word "seomra folctha" has dual meanings, as it originally meant "room of washing", but came to mean "bathroom" as plumbing was introduced into homes. | |||
| Italian | bagno | ||
| The word "bagno" comes from the Latin word "balneum" meaning "bath" and can also refer to a public bathhouse or spa. | |||
| Luxembourgish | buedzëmmer | ||
| The term "Buedzëmmer" may also refer to the room where beer is brewed in Luxembourgish culture. | |||
| Maltese | kamra tal-banju | ||
| The word "kamra tal-banju" literally means "room of the bath" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | baderom | ||
| `Bad` is the Norwegian word for "bath" or "bathing", and `rom` means "room". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | banheiro | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "banheiro" has cognates in many other Romance languages, such as Spanish's "baño" and French's "bain", and all refer to bathing or bathroom-related contexts. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taigh-beag | ||
| The word "Taigh-beag" comes from the Scots Gaelic words "taigh" (house) and "beag" (small), referring to the house's small size. | |||
| Spanish | baño | ||
| "Baño" comes from the Latin word "balneum," meaning "bath." | |||
| Swedish | badrum | ||
| The word "badrum" in Swedish derives from German "bad" (bath) and "raum" (room), which was initially a room where baths would be taken. | |||
| Welsh | ystafell ymolchi | ||
| The word "ystafell ymolchi" in Welsh is derived from the words "ystafell" meaning "room" and "ymolchi" meaning "to wash". This literally translates to "a room for washing" and reflects the original purpose of bathrooms as spaces for personal hygiene and grooming. | |||
Bathroom in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ванная пакой | ||
| The term "ванная пакой" ("bathroom") can also mean "shower room" or "bathhouse" depending on context. | |||
| Bosnian | kupatilo | ||
| The word "kupatilo" is derived from the Latin word "cupa", meaning "vat, tub" and also "barrel". | |||
| Bulgarian | баня | ||
| In Bulgarian, "баня" can also refer to a traditional bathhouse or a public bath. | |||
| Czech | koupelna | ||
| The Czech word "koupelna" is cognate with the Russian word "kupal'nya," meaning "bathing establishment." | |||
| Estonian | vannituba | ||
| The word "vannituba" is a compound of the words "vann" (bath) and "tuba" (room). | |||
| Finnish | kylpyhuone | ||
| The word "kylpyhuone" literally translates to "bathing room" | |||
| Hungarian | fürdőszoba | ||
| The Hungarian word "fürdőszoba" originally meant "bathing room", and referred to a room in a bathhouse where one could bathe. | |||
| Latvian | vannas istaba | ||
| The word vannā comes from the Dutch word vannen, "bath" and stamba from the German word Stamm, or "tree trunk". Thus, vannā istaba can also mean "bath chamber." | |||
| Lithuanian | vonia | ||
| "Vonia" derives from the Proto-Baltic noun *uonī, meaning "water". | |||
| Macedonian | бања | ||
| The Macedonian word "бања" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *bъnьja, meaning "bathhouse" or "bath". | |||
| Polish | łazienka | ||
| The word "łazienka" is derived from the Polish word "łaźnia", meaning "bathhouse" or "sauna". | |||
| Romanian | baie | ||
| The Romanian word for bathroom, "baie," means "bath" in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese and "a berry" in French. | |||
| Russian | ванная | ||
| In its original meaning, "ванная" denotes a large bathtub or a place where one keeps large bathtubs. | |||
| Serbian | купатило | ||
| The word 'купатило' is derived from the verb 'купати', meaning 'to bathe', and originally referred to a place for bathing. | |||
| Slovak | kúpeľňa | ||
| The Slovak word "kúpeľňa" derives from the Proto-Slavic term "kąpь" (to bathe) and ultimately from the Indo-European root "keup-" (to swell). | |||
| Slovenian | kopalnico | ||
| The word “kopalnico” originates from the verb “kopati se” (to bathe), but it has been theorized that this word is derived from “kopal” (to dig), suggesting a bath tub made by digging into the earth. | |||
| Ukrainian | ванна кімната | ||
| "Ванна кімната" literally translates to "bath room", but it also means "bathroom" in the sense of a room containing a toilet. | |||
Bathroom in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পায়খানা | ||
| In older Bengali texts, the word "পায়খানা" also meant "place where one washes one's feet". | |||
| Gujarati | બાથરૂમ | ||
| The word "બાથરૂમ" is derived from the English word "bathroom", which means "a room in a house or other building that contains a bathtub or shower and toilet". | |||
| Hindi | बाथरूम | ||
| The word 'बाथरूम' in Hindi can also refer to a 'washroom' or a 'toilet' in addition to 'bathroom'. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಾತ್ರೂಮ್ | ||
| The word "ಬಾತ್ರೂಮ್" can also mean "water closet" and was originally used to refer to a room where people could take baths. | |||
| Malayalam | കുളിമുറി | ||
| Marathi | स्नानगृह | ||
| "स्नानगृह" is derived from the Sanskrit words "स्नान" (bathing) and "गृह" (house), referring to a room designated for bathing. | |||
| Nepali | बाथरूम | ||
| "बाथरूम" refers to a room with a bathtub, whereas "आँप" denotes a mango fruit. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਾਥਰੂਮ | ||
| The word "ਬਾਥਰੂਮ" (bathroom) in Punjabi is derived from the English word "bathroom", which is a compound of "bath" and "room". "Bath" comes from the Old English word "bað", meaning "to bathe or wash", and "room" comes from the Old English word "rūm", meaning "space". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නාන කාමරය | ||
| නාන කාමරය derives from the Sanskrit words "snāna" (bathing) and "griha" (house), and also refers to a bathroom or bathing area. | |||
| Tamil | குளியலறை | ||
| குளியலறை means "bath room" in Tamil, but the word also has additional connotations of "sacred" or "holy." | |||
| Telugu | బాత్రూమ్ | ||
| The Telugu word "బాత్రూమ్" ("bathroom") can also be used informally to mean "toilet". | |||
| Urdu | باتھ روم | ||
| "باتھ روم" in Urdu literally translates to "bath room," a room for taking baths, while in English, it refers to a room with a toilet and usually a sink and bathtub or shower. | |||
Bathroom in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 浴室 | ||
| 浴室 (yùshì) comes from a combination of the Chinese characters 浴 (yù), meaning "bathing", and 室 (shì), meaning "room". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 浴室 | ||
| In Mandarin Chinese, "浴室" originally only referred to baths for emperors and officials. | |||
| Japanese | バスルーム | ||
| バスルーム (bathroom) comes from the French word "bas" (low) and "room" (room), referring to a room on a lower floor, often used for bathing. | |||
| Korean | 화장실 | ||
| 화장실 also means "makeup room" because it was traditionally used for applying makeup as well as for bathing. | |||
| Mongolian | угаалгын өрөө | ||
| The Mongolian word "угаалгын өрөө" literally means "wash room" and can also refer to a kitchen or laundry room. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရေချိုးခန်း | ||
| The word "bathroom" in Myanmar (Burmese) derives from the Sanskrit word "avachara", meaning "a place for washing oneself." | |||
Bathroom in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kamar mandi | ||
| The term 'kamar mandi' literally translates to 'bathing room', reflecting the primary function of this space for personal hygiene and bathing in Indonesian culture. | |||
| Javanese | jedhing | ||
| {"text": "The Javanese term "jedhing," a synonym for "bathroom," is etymologically linked to "gedhong" or "building," reflecting the historical use of detached structures for sanitary purposes."} | |||
| Khmer | បន្ទប់ទឹក | ||
| The literal translation of "បន្ទប់ទឹក" is "water room", a room where water is used for showering or bathing. | |||
| Lao | ຫ້ອງນ້ ຳ | ||
| Malay | bilik mandi | ||
| In Malay, the word "bilik mandi" literally means "bathing room" and can also refer to a traditional bathroom where water is poured over the body from a bucket. | |||
| Thai | ห้องน้ำ | ||
| In classical Thai, 'ห้องน้ำ' means 'bathing room', and there is a separate word for bathroom ('ห้องส้วม') although they are often used interchangeably these days. | |||
| Vietnamese | phòng tắm | ||
| The word "phòng tắm" can also mean "bath stall" or "toilet".} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | banyo | ||
Bathroom in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hamam otağı | ||
| Hamam otağı is a compound word, hamam means bath and otağı means room. Originally it meant "bath room", but its meaning has shifted to "bathroom". | |||
| Kazakh | жуынатын бөлме | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "жуынатын бөлме" literally translates to "washing room," highlighting its primary function as a space for personal hygiene. | |||
| Kyrgyz | даараткана | ||
| The word "даараткана" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Persian word "dārkhāneh", meaning "a house with a garden" or "a place where trees grow". In ancient times, the Kyrgyz people used to build their houses in the forest, surrounded by trees, and the bathroom was a separate building located in the garden or outside the house. | |||
| Tajik | ҳаммом | ||
| The Tajik word "ҳаммом" is also used to refer to "bathhouses" | |||
| Turkmen | hammam | ||
| Uzbek | hammom | ||
| The word "hammom" is derived from the Arabic word "hamma", meaning "bath" or "bathing place". | |||
| Uyghur | مۇنچا | ||
Bathroom in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lua | ||
| The word "lua" can also refer to a volcanic vent or the fire goddess Pele's pit, from which its current meaning is derived. | |||
| Maori | kaukau | ||
| Kaukau is also the Maori word for 'food' or 'eat'. | |||
| Samoan | faletaele | ||
| The term "faletaele" consists of two words: "fale" (house) and "taele" (stool or chair), implying a small private room for a particular purpose. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | banyo | ||
| The word 'banyo' is derived from the Spanish word 'baño,' which means 'bath' or 'bathing.' | |||
Bathroom in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | litrina | ||
| Guarani | koty'i | ||
Bathroom in International Languages
| Esperanto | banĉambro | ||
| "Banĉambro" means "bathroom" but in the original Zamenhof's proposal from the 1890s it meant "bedroom". | |||
| Latin | balneo | ||
| Balneo, meaning bathroom, is derived from Greek 'balaneion' meaning bath, pool. | |||
Bathroom in Others Languages
| Greek | τουαλέτα | ||
| The word "τουαλέτα" in Greek originally meant "grooming" or "preparation" and is related to the French "toilette". | |||
| Hmong | chav dej | ||
| The Hmong word "chav dej" initially referred only to the place where water was stored in the house. | |||
| Kurdish | jura serşoyê | ||
| "Jura serşoyê" (bathroom) literally means "water chamber" in Kurdish, as it was originally a room where water was kept for sanitation purposes. | |||
| Turkish | banyo | ||
| Turkish word "banyo" (''bathroom'') comes from "bain,'' the Old French form of "balneum,'' the Latin word for "bath." | |||
| Xhosa | igumbi lokuhlambela | ||
| Historically 'igumbi lokuhlambela' referred to the room in which women gave birth, but now exclusively means bathroom. | |||
| Yiddish | קלאָזעט | ||
| The word "קלאָזעט" derives from the French word "clauset", meaning "little room". | |||
| Zulu | indlu yangasese | ||
| The Zulu word 'indlu yangasese' literally means 'a house with a smell'. This is because public bathrooms often have poor sanitation. | |||
| Assamese | স্নানাগাৰ | ||
| Aymara | litrina | ||
| Bhojpuri | नहानघर | ||
| Dhivehi | ފާޚާނާ | ||
| Dogri | गुसलखाना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | banyo | ||
| Guarani | koty'i | ||
| Ilocano | banio | ||
| Krio | batrum | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەرماو | ||
| Maithili | स्नानगृह | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯔꯨꯖꯐꯝ | ||
| Mizo | bual in | ||
| Oromo | mana qaama itti dhiqatan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାଥରୁମ | ||
| Quechua | mayllikuna wasi | ||
| Sanskrit | स्नानागारः | ||
| Tatar | ванна бүлмәсе | ||
| Tigrinya | ነብሲ መሕጸቢ | ||
| Tsonga | kamara ro hlambela | ||