Beauty in Different Languages
Discover 'Beauty' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Beauty is a concept that has captivated the human spirit for centuries. It transcends cultural boundaries and language barriers, yet is often defined and understood in different ways across the globe. The significance of beauty is far-reaching, as it has the power to inspire, motivate, and bring people together. From the stunning landscapes of the natural world to the intricate details of human-made art, beauty can be found in every corner of our lives.
The cultural importance of beauty is undeniable. In many societies, beauty is closely tied to notions of purity, goodness, and desirability. However, interpretations of beauty can vary widely, with some cultures valuing physical attributes while others place greater emphasis on inner beauty, such as kindness, compassion, and wisdom. Understanding these cultural nuances can help us appreciate the rich diversity of the human experience and deepen our connections with people from different backgrounds.
For those interested in language and culture, exploring the translation of beauty in different languages can be a fascinating journey. For example, in Spanish, beauty is translated as 'belleza,' while in French, it is 'beauté.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for beauty is '美,' and in Japanese, it is '美しい' (utsukushii).
Beauty
Beauty in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skoonheid | ||
| The Afrikaans word "skoonheid" is etymologically linked to the Dutch word "schoon", meaning "clean" or "pure", reflecting the connection between beauty and cleanliness in traditional aesthetics. | |||
| Amharic | ውበት | ||
| The word "ውበት" also means "goodness" or "grace" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | kyau | ||
| The Hausa word “kyau” means “beauty”, but also refers to the act of “making something beautiful”. | |||
| Igbo | mma | ||
| The Igbo word "mma" can also mean "mother," "owner" and "wealth". | |||
| Malagasy | beauty | ||
| The word "hatsaranana" is a compound of the words "hatsara" (good) and "anana" (face). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukongola | ||
| The word "kukongola" can also mean "to blossom" or "to flourish". | |||
| Shona | runako | ||
| The word "runako" in Shona also denotes elegance, symmetry, and harmony. | |||
| Somali | qurux | ||
| The Somali word "qurux" also denotes harmony, pleasingness, and radiance. | |||
| Sesotho | botle | ||
| The Sesotho word "botle" not only means "beauty," but also "goodness" and "kindness." | |||
| Swahili | uzuri | ||
| The word "uzuri" in Swahili also means "goodness" or "virtue." | |||
| Xhosa | ubuhle | ||
| The word 'ubuhle' in Xhosa is derived from the root 'uhle', which can also mean 'goodness', 'virtue', or 'excellence'. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹwa | ||
| The word 'ẹwa' can also mean 'good' or 'pleasant' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ubuhle | ||
| Ubuhle, derived from the stem -hle meaning 'to be good', denotes not only physical but also moral and spiritual attractiveness. | |||
| Bambara | cɛɲɛ | ||
| Ewe | tugbedzedze | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwiza | ||
| Lingala | bonzenga | ||
| Luganda | obulungi | ||
| Sepedi | bobotse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahoɔfɛ | ||
Beauty in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جمال | ||
| جمال is derived from the root "جم-ل " which means "to gather, to collect". | |||
| Hebrew | יוֹפִי | ||
| "יוֹפִי" comes from the root "יפ" which means "to shine" or "to be radiant." | |||
| Pashto | ښکلا | ||
| The Pashto word "ښکلا" also connotes concepts of radiance, joy, and enchantment in addition to physical beauty. | |||
| Arabic | جمال | ||
| جمال is derived from the root "جم-ل " which means "to gather, to collect". | |||
Beauty in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bukuria | ||
| The Albanian word "bukuria" shares a root with the Sanskrit word "punarāga" meaning "fullness." | |||
| Basque | edertasuna | ||
| The word "edertasuna" in Basque is derived from the Proto-Basque root "*eder-", meaning "beautiful" or "pleasant". | |||
| Catalan | bellesa | ||
| The word "bellesa" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "bellus", meaning "beautiful", and is also related to the English word "belle", meaning "beautiful woman". | |||
| Croatian | ljepota | ||
| The word 'ljepota' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'lepъ', meaning 'nice' or 'good', and it is related to the words 'ljubav' ('love') and 'ljeto' ('summer'). | |||
| Danish | skønhed | ||
| 'Skøn' (beautiful, in Danish) derives from Proto-Germanic *skauni, meaning 'shining'. | |||
| Dutch | schoonheid | ||
| The word "schoonheid" is derived from the Proto-West-Germanic "skono", meaning originally "brightness." | |||
| English | beauty | ||
| Derived from Old French biaute, ultimately from Latin bellus, the word "beauty" also refers to a particular standard of physical attractiveness. | |||
| French | beauté | ||
| "Beauté" is derived from the Latin "bellitas", meaning "loveliness" or "charm", as opposed to pulchritude, which is more related to the physical appearance. | |||
| Frisian | skientme | ||
| In the word 'skientme' ('beauty') in Saterland Frisian, the /iː/ is thought to be a relic of the Old Frisian diphthong /iə/. | |||
| Galician | beleza | ||
| Galician "beleza" stems from the Latin "bellus" and its diminutive "bellulus", meaning "beautiful", implying a certain level of grace or charm. | |||
| German | schönheit | ||
| The German word "Schönheit" evolved from the Old High German word "scōnî", meaning "pleasant" or "radiant". | |||
| Icelandic | fegurð | ||
| In Norse mythology, "fegurð" also designates the goddess of beauty, Gefjun | |||
| Irish | áilleacht | ||
| "Áilleacht" is derived from the Proto-Celtic root "*ali-/*ela-/", meaning "to cause to shine, to be radiant", and is used in Irish to refer to both 'beauty' and 'radiance'" | |||
| Italian | bellezza | ||
| "Bellezza" comes from the Latin "bellitas", meaning "pleasantness". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schéinheet | ||
| Maltese | sbuħija | ||
| The Maltese word "sbuħija" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "ṣubḥ", meaning "morning". In Arabic, "ṣubḥ" is associated with concepts of freshness, new beginnings, and radiance, which are also reflected in the Maltese word "sbuħija". | |||
| Norwegian | skjønnhet | ||
| "Skjønnhet" is a feminine noun that also translates as "beautiful woman" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | beleza | ||
| Beleza means "beauty" in Portuguese, but it can also mean "goodness", "kindness" or "grace". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bòidhchead | ||
| The Gaelic word "bòidhchead" can also refer to "pleasure" or "joy". | |||
| Spanish | belleza | ||
| "Belleza" derives from the Latin "bellus" (fine, beautiful) and "beatitudo" (blessedness, happiness). | |||
| Swedish | skönhet | ||
| Skönhet shares its root with 'skön', which means 'fair', and 'skona', which means 'to spare' or 'to preserve'. | |||
| Welsh | harddwch | ||
| The word "harddwch" is also used to refer to the "quality of being pleasing to the eye or mind", which can include physical beauty, intellectual beauty, or moral beauty. | |||
Beauty in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прыгажосць | ||
| Прыгажосць is derived from the Proto-Slavic *prigъ, meaning "handsome" or "comely". | |||
| Bosnian | ljepota | ||
| The word 'ljepota' can also refer to the aesthetic of an object, idea, or emotion, beyond just physical appearance. | |||
| Bulgarian | красота | ||
| The word "красота" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *krasa, meaning "ornament" or "adornment." | |||
| Czech | krása | ||
| The word "krása" is derived from the Proto-Slavic *krasa, meaning "adornment, decoration" | |||
| Estonian | ilu | ||
| Ilu has been used in Estonian folklore to refer to supernatural spirits of nature, particularly those of the underworld. | |||
| Finnish | kauneus | ||
| "Kauneus" is also a name for a female in the Kalevala, a Finnish epic. | |||
| Hungarian | szépség | ||
| "Szépség" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word *šeβe "beautiful, good". | |||
| Latvian | skaistums | ||
| The word "skaistums" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *skei-, meaning "to shine" or "to glitter". | |||
| Lithuanian | grožis | ||
| "Grožis" in Lithuanian comes from the Old Lithuanian word "grażus," meaning "agreeable," and is related to the Latin "gratia," meaning "favor". | |||
| Macedonian | убавина | ||
| "Убавина" comes from the Slavic stem "ubh-" meaning "good, well". | |||
| Polish | piękno | ||
| Its synonyms include: wdzięk (gracefulness, charm), uroda (attractiveness, loveliness), krasna (splendid, magnificent) and powab (allure, fascination). | |||
| Romanian | frumuseţe | ||
| The Romanian word "frumuseţe" (beauty) is derived from the Latin "frūmōsus" (handsome, beautiful), which in turn derives from "frūs" (the fruit of a tree, fruit). | |||
| Russian | красота | ||
| The word "красота" is also used to describe the beauty of nature and art. | |||
| Serbian | лепота | ||
| The word "лепота" can also refer to "goodness" or "excellence" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | kráska | ||
| The word "kráska" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "krasa" meaning "beautiful object" or "ornament." | |||
| Slovenian | lepota | ||
| The word can also have the secondary meanings of "kindness" or "mercy." | |||
| Ukrainian | краса | ||
| The word "краса" can also mean "adornment" or "embellishment". | |||
Beauty in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সৌন্দর্য | ||
| The word "সৌন্দর্য" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सुन्दर" (sundara), which means "beautiful" or "pleasing to the eye". | |||
| Gujarati | સુંદરતા | ||
| The word 'સુંદરતા' has its roots in the Sanskrit word 'sundara', which means 'beautiful, charming, or pleasing to the senses'. | |||
| Hindi | सुंदरता | ||
| The word 'सुंदरता' ('beauty') in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'सुन्दर' ('beautiful'), which means 'pleasing to the eye or the mind'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸೌಂದರ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಸೌಂದರ್ಯ" in Kannada also denotes grace, charm, and elegance. | |||
| Malayalam | സൗന്ദര്യം | ||
| The word "സൗന്ദര്യം" ("beauty") in Malayalam, is derived from the Sanskrit word "सौंदर्य" ("saundarya"), which means "beautiful appearance, grace, or charm". | |||
| Marathi | सौंदर्य | ||
| The word "सौंदर्य" in Marathi ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "सुंदरी" (sundari), meaning "beautiful woman" or "goddess." | |||
| Nepali | सुन्दरता | ||
| The word "सुन्दरता" also means "handsome" or "fine" in Hindi and other languages. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੁੰਦਰਤਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਸੁੰਦਰਤਾ' ('beauty') derives from the Sanskrit word 'सुन्दर' ('beautiful'). It also refers to a woman's physical attractiveness. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අලංකාරය | ||
| The word "අලංකාරය" in Sinhala can also refer to ornamentation, embellishment, or decoration. | |||
| Tamil | அழகு | ||
| The Tamil word "அழகு" (azhagu) is also used to refer to handsomeness, loveliness, grace, pulchritude, charm, comeliness, attractiveness, and fairness, among other meanings. | |||
| Telugu | అందం | ||
| The word "అందం" in Telugu is a cognate of the Sanskrit word "आनন্দ" (ananda), meaning bliss or joy. | |||
| Urdu | خوبصورتی | ||
| The word "خوبصورتی" can also mean "goodness" or "excellence" in Urdu. | |||
Beauty in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 美女 | ||
| The term "美女" carries connotations of physical attractiveness, elegance, and feminine charm, often associated with graceful movements and refined speech. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 美女 | ||
| The word "美女" (beauty) is derived from the Chinese characters "女" (woman) and "美" (beautiful) and can also refer to a woman who is pleasing to the eye. | |||
| Japanese | 美しさ | ||
| The word has a double meaning that is a play on words in Japanese: “utsukushi” and “utsukushii,” which means “sorrow” and “sorrowful” in the former and “beautiful” and “beautiful thing” in the latter. | |||
| Korean | 아름다움 | ||
| The word '아름다움' can also refer to the concept of 'grace' or 'elegance' in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | гоо сайхан | ||
| The Mongolian term "гоо сайхан" (beauty) can also refer to a woman's face or appearance. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလှတရား | ||
| အလှတရား can refer to the abstract nature of beauty or the specific details that make a person or object aesthetically pleasing | |||
Beauty in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kecantikan | ||
| "Kecantikan" is a loan word from Sanskrit, "kanti," which means a beautiful woman or a goddess. In Javanese, it is "kinanti" or "kanti"} | |||
| Javanese | kaendahan | ||
| "Kaendahan" also means "good or appropriate way of living" in Javanese | |||
| Khmer | សម្រស់ | ||
| This term is not derived from Sanskrit and the etymology is unknown. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມງາມ | ||
| Malay | kecantikan | ||
| The Malay word 'kecantikan' not only means 'physical beauty' but also 'goodness' or 'virtuousness'. | |||
| Thai | ความงาม | ||
| The Thai word "ความงาม" also means "that which makes one happy". | |||
| Vietnamese | sắc đẹp, vẻ đẹp | ||
| The term "sắc đẹp, vẻ đẹp" can also refer specifically to physical beauty, particularly that of a woman. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kagandahan | ||
Beauty in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gözəllik | ||
| The word "gözəllik" in Azerbaijani originates from the Persian word "guzal," meaning "beautiful, lovely." | |||
| Kazakh | сұлулық | ||
| The Kazakh word "сұлулық" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *sylïg* meaning both "beauty" and "shining". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сулуулук | ||
| The Kyrgyz term "сулуулук" has an extended meaning of "gracefulness" or "elegance". | |||
| Tajik | зебоӣ | ||
| "Зебоӣ" (beauty) in Tajik has a Persian root meaning "adorned, ornamented." | |||
| Turkmen | gözellik | ||
| Uzbek | go'zallik | ||
| The Uzbek word "go'zallik" (beauty) may derive from the Mongolian word "gozel" (handsome or beautiful) and "lik" (suffix indicating quality). | |||
| Uyghur | گۈزەللىك | ||
Beauty in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | nani | ||
| The word 'nani' (beauty) in Hawaiian can also refer to the appearance or characteristics of a person or thing. | |||
| Maori | ataahua | ||
| The Maori word "ataahua" can also refer to excellence, virtue, or attractiveness, and its root word is "ata", meaning "dawn" or "morning light." | |||
| Samoan | lalelei | ||
| The Samoan word 'lalelei' derives from the Proto-Polynesian word 'lalelei', meaning 'beautiful'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kagandahan | ||
| The Tagalog word 'kagandahan' is derived from the root word 'ganda,' which means 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. | |||
Beauty in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiwaki | ||
| Guarani | porãngue | ||
Beauty in International Languages
| Esperanto | beleco | ||
| "Beleco" also has alternate meanings in Esperanto: "cosmetic", "ornament", and "aesthetics". | |||
| Latin | pulchritudo | ||
| The Latin word "pulchritudo" derives from "pulcher" (beautiful) and also means "comeliness, grace, refinement, or elegance." | |||
Beauty in Others Languages
| Greek | ομορφιά | ||
| The word "ομορφιά" derives from the verb "ὁράω" which means "to see" and implies "that which is pleasing to the eyes". | |||
| Hmong | kev zoo nkauj | ||
| The term "kev zoo nkauj" can also refer to the act of beautifying oneself or something else. | |||
| Kurdish | çelengî | ||
| The word 'çelengî' is also associated with the notions of 'good fortune' and 'auspiciousness' in Kurdish folklore. | |||
| Turkish | güzellik | ||
| The word "güzellik" is derived from the Persian word "güzel", meaning "beautiful", and the Turkish suffix "-lik", meaning "quality". It can also refer to "handsomeness" or "pulchritude". | |||
| Xhosa | ubuhle | ||
| The word 'ubuhle' in Xhosa is derived from the root 'uhle', which can also mean 'goodness', 'virtue', or 'excellence'. | |||
| Yiddish | שיינקייט | ||
| Derived from the German word "Schönheit," "שיינקייט" not only means "beauty" but also "goodness" and "grace." | |||
| Zulu | ubuhle | ||
| Ubuhle, derived from the stem -hle meaning 'to be good', denotes not only physical but also moral and spiritual attractiveness. | |||
| Assamese | সৌন্দৰ্য | ||
| Aymara | jiwaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | सुंदरता | ||
| Dhivehi | ރީތިކަން | ||
| Dogri | शलैपा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kagandahan | ||
| Guarani | porãngue | ||
| Ilocano | pintas | ||
| Krio | fayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جوانی | ||
| Maithili | सुन्नरता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯖꯕ | ||
| Mizo | mawina | ||
| Oromo | miidhagina | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ beauty ନ୍ଦର୍ଯ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | sumaq | ||
| Sanskrit | सुंदरं | ||
| Tatar | матурлык | ||
| Tigrinya | መልክዕ | ||
| Tsonga | saseka | ||