Beautiful in Different Languages
Discover 'Beautiful' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'beautiful' holds a special place in our hearts and languages, signifying something pleasing to the senses or mind. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it transcends physical appearance and extends to art, nature, and experiences. <br> <br> Imagine strolling through a field of sunflowers on a warm summer day, or gazing at the intricate details of a Renaissance painting. These moments evoke a sense of beauty that resonates deeply within us. But what about the word 'beautiful' in different languages? Understanding its translation can provide unique insights into various cultures and broaden our perspective. For instance, the German word for beautiful, 'schön,' also means 'kind' or 'decent,' reflecting their value for inner beauty. Meanwhile, the Italian 'bello' and French 'beau' extend to both genders, unlike the gendered 'beauty' in English. Exploring these linguistic nuances can enrich our appreciation for the world's diverse cultures and languages. <br> <br> Join us as we delve into the translations of 'beautiful' in different languages, from Spanish and Russian to Chinese and Arabic.
Beautiful
Beautiful in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | pragtige | ||
| "Prag" is derived from Portuguese "praga" meaning misfortune or nuisance. | |||
| Amharic | ቆንጆ | ||
| 'ቆንጆ' (beautiful) derives from an old Cushitic word meaning 'bright' or 'shining'. | |||
| Hausa | kyau | ||
| The word "kyau" also means "fine" or "good" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | mara mma | ||
| The Igbo word 'mara mma' not only means 'beautiful,' but also carries connotations of 'excellence' and 'perfection,' further enriching its significance. | |||
| Malagasy | tsara tarehy | ||
| The Malagasy word "tsara tarehy" literally means "good face" and can also be used to mean "handsome" or "pretty." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zokongola | ||
| Zokongola is an adjective in Nyanja (Chichewa) that can also mean 'good', 'fine', or 'well'. | |||
| Shona | runako | ||
| The Shona word ‘runako’ can also refer to a type of traditional Shona fabric and a person’s hairstyle. | |||
| Somali | qurux badan | ||
| The word "qurux badan" is an adjective meaning "beautiful" and can also mean "good-looking" or "pretty" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | e ntle | ||
| In Sesotho, the word 'e ntle' (or 'entle') can also refer to "something pleasant, such as a smell or sight." | |||
| Swahili | nzuri | ||
| "Nzuri" in Swahili also means "good," "nice," or "well." | |||
| Xhosa | entle | ||
| The word "entle" in Xhosa can also refer to a beautiful person, someone who is pleasing to the eye. | |||
| Yoruba | lẹwa | ||
| "Lẹwa" can also mean "to be in the right place at the right time" or "to be in harmony with one's surroundings." | |||
| Zulu | muhle | ||
| The word "muhle" also means "sweet potato" or "young girl" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | cɛɲi | ||
| Ewe | dze tugbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | nziza | ||
| Lingala | kitoko | ||
| Luganda | -lungi | ||
| Sepedi | botse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fɛfɛɛfɛ | ||
Beautiful in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جميلة | ||
| "جميلة" can also mean "she" or "good-looking" depending on the context, and is derived from the root word "جمل" which means "camel". | |||
| Hebrew | יפה | ||
| The Hebrew word "יפה" (pronounced "yafeh") has the same root as "yofi" (beauty) and can also mean "fit," "handsome," or "comely." | |||
| Pashto | ښکلی | ||
| The word **ښکلی** originates from the Proto-Iranian word *hu-ška, which also means 'good' and 'handsome'. | |||
| Arabic | جميلة | ||
| "جميلة" can also mean "she" or "good-looking" depending on the context, and is derived from the root word "جمل" which means "camel". | |||
Beautiful in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e bukur | ||
| E bukur's origin is from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ew- 'to shine, glow' which is also the source of the Latin word Aurora, and Old English ēare (meaning dawn). | |||
| Basque | ederra | ||
| The word 'ederra' has a feminine form, 'eder,' which means 'beautiful woman'. | |||
| Catalan | bonic | ||
| The word "bonic" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "bonus," which means "good" or "beautiful." | |||
| Croatian | lijep | ||
| The origin of the word ‘lijep’ remains uncertain, with some scholars suggesting a Proto-Slavic root meaning ‘pleasant’ or ‘agreeable’, while others propose a connection to the Proto-Indo-European word for ‘to stick’. | |||
| Danish | smuk | ||
| In Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic, "smuk" means "handsome" or "pretty". | |||
| Dutch | mooi | ||
| The word "mooi" comes from the Old Dutch word "môge", which means "pleasant" or "joyful". | |||
| English | beautiful | ||
| The word "beautiful" is derived from the Latin word "bellus," which means "pretty" or "handsome." | |||
| French | magnifique | ||
| The French word "magnifique" derives from the Latin word "magnificus," meaning "great," and was originally used to describe something grand or impressive. | |||
| Frisian | moai | ||
| Moai also means "statue" in Rapa Nui, the language of the indigenous people of Easter Island. | |||
| Galician | fermoso | ||
| In Galician, "fermoso" derives from the Latin "formosus" and also means "handsome, fine, gracious, elegant, fair, graceful, pleasing, pretty, seemly, stately, shapely" | |||
| German | schön | ||
| The word "schön" is derived from the Old High German "scōni," meaning "clean, bright, beautiful." | |||
| Icelandic | falleg | ||
| The Icelandic word "falleg" is cognate with the Old English word "fæger" and the German word "falb," both of which mean "pale" or "fawnskin-colored." | |||
| Irish | álainn | ||
| The word 'álainn' is also used in Irish to describe something that is 'pleasant', 'agreeable', or 'delightful'. | |||
| Italian | bellissimo | ||
| Bellissimo derives from Latin 'bellus' (pretty), which also gives rise to 'bella' (war), and originally it meant 'ready for war'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schéin | ||
| The word "schein" derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*skaunjaz", which also means "bright". | |||
| Maltese | sabiħa | ||
| In Turkish the related term 'sahibe' may refer to the wife or landlady of the household. | |||
| Norwegian | vakker | ||
| The word "vakker" in Norwegian is derived from the Old Norse word "vakr," which means "alert, awake" or "quick, nimble." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lindo | ||
| "Lindo" in Portuguese can also mean "clean" or "pure." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bòidheach | ||
| The word "bòidheach" can also refer to a "sweet melody" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | hermosa | ||
| Hermosa, the Spanish word for beautiful, shares its root with the word | |||
| Swedish | skön | ||
| Swedish "skön" ('beautiful') derives from Old Norse "skǫn" ('lovely, distinguished'), from Proto-Germanic *skainaz ('shining, bright'). | |||
| Welsh | hardd | ||
| The Welsh word "hardd" is derived from the Celtic root "*kardo-", meaning "heart" or "core". | |||
Beautiful in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прыгожа | ||
| The word "прыгожа" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *prigъ, meaning "pleasant" or "handsome." | |||
| Bosnian | prelijepa | ||
| The word 'prelijepa' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'prělijepъ', meaning 'very beautiful'. | |||
| Bulgarian | красив | ||
| The word 'красив' can also mean 'handsome', 'good-looking', or 'pretty'. | |||
| Czech | krásná | ||
| The word "Krásná" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*krasьnъ", meaning "beautiful" or "handsome". In Czech, it retains its original meaning but can also be used figuratively to refer to something that is excellent or desirable. | |||
| Estonian | ilus | ||
| The word "ilus" is of Finno-Ugric origin and is related to the Finnish word "ilo" (joy). | |||
| Finnish | kaunis | ||
| The word "kaunis" also has the meaning "handsome" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | szép | ||
| The word "szép" in Hungarian has origins in the Turkic word for "nice" or "good looking". | |||
| Latvian | skaists | ||
| "Skaists" is cognate with "svaras" (Old Slavonic "light, shine") and "šviesus", the Lithuanian word for "bright". | |||
| Lithuanian | graži | ||
| The word "graži" in Lithuanian is cognate with Latvian "gražs", Gothic "grefs" and Old English "gærf". | |||
| Macedonian | убава | ||
| The word "убава" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*ǫbava", meaning "joy" or "pleasure". | |||
| Polish | piękny | ||
| The Polish word "piękny" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "bhelg-", meaning "to shine" or "to be white", and is related to words like "blond" and "bleach" in English. | |||
| Romanian | frumos | ||
| "Frumos" is related to the Latin "formosus", meaning "well-formed, handsome". | |||
| Russian | прекрасный | ||
| The Russian word "прекрасный" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic root *prekъ, meaning "to surpass," and is thus related to the English words "perfect" and "prefect." | |||
| Serbian | лепа | ||
| The Serbian word "Лепа" (beautiful) is related to the Albanian word "i lepur" (hare), as both animals were considered to be symbols of beauty in the past. | |||
| Slovak | prekrásna | ||
| "Prekrásna" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "krasi", which means "beautiful; handsome; lovely." It is also the root of the Slovak words "krása" ("beauty") and "kraj" ("countryside; landscape")." | |||
| Slovenian | čudovito | ||
| čudovito is a derivative of čudo, meaning "miracle, wonder" and is related to the South Slavic word "divo", meaning "wild, miraculous". | |||
| Ukrainian | гарний | ||
| The word "гарний" is cognate with "horror" in English and Slavic languages, and initially meant "terrifying". | |||
Beautiful in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সুন্দর | ||
| The word "সুন্দর" has its roots in Sanskrit, where it originally meant "shining", "radiant", or "pure". | |||
| Gujarati | સુંદર | ||
| The word "સુંદર" in Gujarati originated from the Sanskrit word "सुंदर" meaning "shining" or "radiant". | |||
| Hindi | सुंदर | ||
| "सुंदर" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sundara," which also means "pleasant" or "agreeable." | |||
| Kannada | ಸುಂದರ | ||
| The word "ಸುಂದರ" also means "moonlight" in Kannada, reflecting the perceived beauty of the moon's glow. | |||
| Malayalam | മനോഹരമാണ് | ||
| The word "മനോഹരമാണ്" ("beautiful") in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "मनोहर" ("mano-hara"), meaning "mind-stealing" or "captivating". | |||
| Marathi | सुंदर | ||
| The word "सुंदर" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "सुन्दर" meaning "agreeable, charming, delightful, lovely, pleasant". In Marathi, it is also used to mean "good-looking" or "attractive". | |||
| Nepali | सुन्दर | ||
| सुन्दर also means `auspicious (especially in the context of a marriage)` and is derived from Sanskrit `सु` (good) and `अंदर` (within). | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੁੰਦਰ | ||
| The word 'ਸੁੰਦਰ' in Punjabi derives from the Sanskrit word 'सुन्दर' (sundara), meaning 'beautiful', 'pleasing', or 'charming'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලස්සනයි | ||
| Tamil | அழகு | ||
| "அழகு," which is used adjectivally to denote beauty in Tamil, can be traced to the Proto-Dravidan root "aḻa" (to shine). | |||
| Telugu | అందమైన | ||
| In Telugu, అందమైన can also refer to grace, elegance, or charm, or to something that is pleasing to the eye or mind. | |||
| Urdu | خوبصورت | ||
| The Urdu word "خوبصورت" is also a title of respect for women or a term of affection for girls, especially in Persian culture. | |||
Beautiful in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 美丽 | ||
| The character '美', meaning 'beautiful', is a combination of '羊' (sheep) and '大' (big), implying that a large sheep is considered beautiful. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 美麗 | ||
| 美麗, a compound of 美 ('beautiful, graceful') and 麗 ('beautiful, graceful; beautiful woman'), can also mean 'charming, elegant, pleasing to the eye'. | |||
| Japanese | 綺麗な | ||
| The word "綺麗な" (kirei na) can also mean "clean" or "neat" | |||
| Korean | 아름다운 | ||
| The word '아름다운' can also be used to describe 'harmony' or 'balance'. | |||
| Mongolian | үзэсгэлэнтэй | ||
| Үзэсгэлэнтэй is derived from the verb 'үзэх' (to see), meaning 'that which is pleasing to the eye'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှသောအဆင်း | ||
Beautiful in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | cantik | ||
| Cantik originates from Sanskrit 'cantikā' meaning 'beautiful woman' but also 'string of flowers worn by women' | |||
| Javanese | ayu | ||
| The word 'ayu' in Javanese also has connotations of grace, refinement, and elegance in addition to 'beautiful'. | |||
| Khmer | ស្រស់ស្អាត | ||
| ស្រស់ស្អាត can mean "cleansed", "bright", or "cleared up", referring to a state of purity beyond "beauty". | |||
| Lao | ງາມ | ||
| "ງາມ" can mean "beautiful," "delicious," or "pleasing to the eye, mind, or ear." | |||
| Malay | cantik | ||
| The word "cantik" in Malay shares a root with the Javanese word "cantik" meaning "to tie". | |||
| Thai | สวย | ||
| "สวย" in Thai is derived from the Khmer word "suoy" which means "flower" | |||
| Vietnamese | xinh đẹp | ||
| "Xinh đẹp" literally translates to "fresh beauty", and its original meaning was "beautiful and fresh". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maganda | ||
Beautiful in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gözəl | ||
| The word "gözəl" (beautiful) in Azerbaijani is thought to be derived from the Persian word "gōzal" (precious). | |||
| Kazakh | әдемі | ||
| The Kazakh word "әдемі" (beautiful) is derived from the Old Turkic word "ädïm" (order, decorum). | |||
| Kyrgyz | сулуу | ||
| The term "сулуу" can also denote "handsome" when a male subject is concerned, and in such cases it may be replaced by the synonymous term "жакшы". | |||
| Tajik | зебо | ||
| The word "зебо" also has a different meaning in Tajik, refering to the hump of a camel or other large animal. | |||
| Turkmen | owadan | ||
| Uzbek | chiroyli | ||
| The word "chiroyli" in Uzbek also means "skillful", "artistic", or "creative". | |||
| Uyghur | چىرايلىق | ||
Beautiful in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | uʻi | ||
| The word "uʻi" also means "precious" or "valuable" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | ataahua | ||
| The Māori word 'ataahua' can also refer to radiance, splendor, or attractiveness. | |||
| Samoan | aulelei | ||
| The word 'aulelei' in Samoan is also used to describe things that are pleasant to the ear or that sound good. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | maganda | ||
| "Maganda" can also mean "good", "well", or "nice". | |||
Beautiful in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiwaki | ||
| Guarani | iporãiterei | ||
Beautiful in International Languages
| Esperanto | bela | ||
| Esperanto 'bela' ('beautiful') derives from Russian 'bela' ('white'), which shares the Slavic origin of English 'blond'. | |||
| Latin | pulchra | ||
| "Pulchra" also means "bright" or "shining" in Latin. | |||
Beautiful in Others Languages
| Greek | πανεμορφη | ||
| Πανέμορφη, meaning 'beautiful' in Greek, is a compound word consisting of 'παν' (all) and 'μορφη' (form), thus meaning 'of all forms' or 'perfect form'. | |||
| Hmong | zoo nkauj | ||
| Zoo means 'beautiful' and nkauj refers to 'female' or 'femininity' | |||
| Kurdish | bedew | ||
| The word "bedew" in Kurdish is also used to describe something that is pleasing to the eye, such as a beautiful view or a well-crafted object. | |||
| Turkish | güzel | ||
| "Güzel" also means "handsome" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | entle | ||
| The word "entle" in Xhosa can also refer to a beautiful person, someone who is pleasing to the eye. | |||
| Yiddish | שיין | ||
| The Yiddish word "שיין" also means "clean" and is related to the Modern Hebrew word "שוני" (also meaning "clean") and the Biblical Hebrew word "שן" (meaning "tooth", but also "ivory" due to its white color). | |||
| Zulu | muhle | ||
| The word "muhle" also means "sweet potato" or "young girl" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | ধুনীয়া | ||
| Aymara | jiwaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | सुंदर | ||
| Dhivehi | ރީތި | ||
| Dogri | रूपवान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maganda | ||
| Guarani | iporãiterei | ||
| Ilocano | nagpintas | ||
| Krio | rili fayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جوان | ||
| Maithili | सुन्नर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯖꯕ | ||
| Mizo | mawi | ||
| Oromo | bareedaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସୁନ୍ଦର | ||
| Quechua | munay | ||
| Sanskrit | सुन्दरम् | ||
| Tatar | матур | ||
| Tigrinya | ፅብቅቲ | ||
| Tsonga | sasekile | ||