Beneath in Different Languages
Discover 'Beneath' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'beneath' is a small but powerful term, invoking a sense of depth, mystery, and connection to the world below. It carries with it a cultural significance that extends far beyond its simple definition, often used to describe the hidden, the underlying, or the foundational aspects of our lives.
Throughout history, 'beneath' has played a starring role in literature, art, and philosophy. From Dante's Inferno to the works of Shakespeare, this word has been used to explore the human condition, the underworld, and the vast, mysterious realms that lie just beyond our immediate perception.
As a global community, we are increasingly interested in understanding and appreciating the nuances of different languages and cultures. Learning the translations of 'beneath' in various languages can offer us a unique window into the minds and worldviews of people from different backgrounds, helping to bridge cultural divides and foster a deeper sense of connection.
Here are just a few of the many translations of 'beneath' in different languages, inviting us to explore the rich tapestry of human language and culture:
Beneath
Beneath in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | onder | ||
| The word "onder" in Afrikaans also has the alternate meaning of "among" or "within." | |||
| Amharic | በታች | ||
| In a figurative sense, በታች can also mean "under the control of" or "subject to." | |||
| Hausa | a ƙasa | ||
| "A kasa" in Hausa can also refer to "down" in the sense of low social status. | |||
| Igbo | okpuru | ||
| In some contexts, the Igbo word "okpuru" can also refer to a person of short stature or a child. | |||
| Malagasy | ambany | ||
| "Ambany" is derived from the root word "amban", which means "under" or "below", and can also refer to the lower part of a structure or object. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | pansi | ||
| In the Chichewa language, 'pansi' also means 'in the depths of' or 'in the heart of'. | |||
| Shona | pasi | ||
| "Pasi" is cognate with "pasi" in Ndebele and "fasi" in Xhosa, meaning "underneath; below". | |||
| Somali | hoosta | ||
| The word "hoosta" can also mean "underneath" or "below" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ka tlase | ||
| The word 'ka tlase' in Sesotho has an alternative meaning of 'underneath' and is etymologically derived from 'ka tlase ga' meaning 'at a lower place'. | |||
| Swahili | chini | ||
| The Swahili word "chini" also refers to the coast or seashore, as in the phrase "chini ya bahari" meaning "by the sea". | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphantsi | ||
| Ngaphantsi may derive from the root -phan-, suggesting a place where something rests or lies. | |||
| Yoruba | nisalẹ | ||
| 'Ni isalẹ' in Yoruba can also be used to describe something lower in status or value, such as a younger person or a lesser deity. | |||
| Zulu | ngaphansi | ||
| The Zulu term 'ngaphansi' can also refer to the 'bottom' or 'underside' of something. | |||
| Bambara | duguma | ||
| Ewe | le egɔme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | munsi | ||
| Lingala | na nse | ||
| Luganda | wansi wa | ||
| Sepedi | ka fase | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aseɛ | ||
Beneath in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تحت | ||
| The word "تحت" can also mean "near" or "close to" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | תַחַת | ||
| תַחַת is a preposition meaning "under," but also has connotations of "instead of" or "in place of" | |||
| Pashto | لاندې | ||
| The Pashto word "لاندې" can also mean "later" or "after". | |||
| Arabic | تحت | ||
| The word "تحت" can also mean "near" or "close to" in Arabic. | |||
Beneath in Western European Languages
| Albanian | nën | ||
| Nën has a Latin origin, 'infra', and means 'below' or 'underneath' in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | azpian | ||
| The word "azpian" is derived from the Basque word "azpi," which also means "under" or "below." | |||
| Catalan | per sota | ||
| Catalan "per sota" can mean "below" when it precedes a place, but "through" when it precedes a means of transportation. | |||
| Croatian | ispod | ||
| The Croatian word "ispod" has a Slavic origin and is related to the word "spoditi" meaning "to fall down" or "to crawl under", suggesting a connection to the idea of being under something. | |||
| Danish | under | ||
| In Danish, 'under' (from Old Norse 'undir') also means 'to perform, do'. | |||
| Dutch | onder | ||
| The Dutch word "onder" can also mean "among" or "within", and is related to the English word "under" and the German word "unter". | |||
| English | beneath | ||
| "Beneath" can refer to a position in space or to a lesser quality, condition or rank. | |||
| French | sous | ||
| The French word "sous" derives from the Latin word "sub" and can also mean "under" or "behind". | |||
| Frisian | ûnder | ||
| The Frisian word "ûnder" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "under", which also means "in secret" or "in ambush". | |||
| Galician | debaixo | ||
| The word "debaixo" in Galician is possibly derived from the Latin preposition "de" and the noun "baixu", meaning "near the ground" | |||
| German | unter | ||
| The German word "unter" can also be used in a figurative sense, such as in the phrase "unter Druck stehen" (to be under pressure). | |||
| Icelandic | undir | ||
| It derives from the Old Norse | |||
| Irish | faoi bhun | ||
| The term "faoi bhun" can also refer to the position of a person in a hierarchy or the depth of a subject. | |||
| Italian | sotto | ||
| In Italian, 'sotto' also means 'downstairs', 'subordinate' or 'subject to'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ënner | ||
| The word "ënner" likely derives from the proto-Indo-European root "*n̥dher-" and is related to the English word "under" and the German word "unten". | |||
| Maltese | taħt | ||
| The Maltese word 'taħt' is derived from the Arabic word 'taħt', which also means 'beneath', 'below', or 'underneath'. | |||
| Norwegian | under | ||
| The Norwegian word "under" can also mean "wonder" or "marvel". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | abaixo | ||
| "Abaixo" is also used as a preposition meaning "under" or "below" and as an adverb meaning "downward" or "below". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gu h-ìosal | ||
| The phrase "fon gu h-ìosal" means "from beneath" or to come up from down below. | |||
| Spanish | debajo | ||
| "Debajo" in Spanish comes from the Latin preposition "de" and the noun "abajo," meaning "down" or "below." | |||
| Swedish | under | ||
| In Swedish, the term 'under' can also refer to subordination, dependency, or inferiority. | |||
| Welsh | oddi tano | ||
| The word 'oddi tano' literally translates to 'out of the belly of' and is related to the word 'od', meaning 'belly' or 'womb'. | |||
Beneath in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | унізе | ||
| The Belarusian word "уназе" (beneath) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *uniti, meaning "down" or "low". | |||
| Bosnian | ispod | ||
| The word "ispod" in Bosnian is also used metaphorically to mean "under the influence of" or "subject to". | |||
| Bulgarian | отдолу | ||
| The word "отдолу" (beneath) is also used to mean "from the ground up" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | pod | ||
| The Czech word "pod" has the same root as the English word "under" and can also mean "subsequent" or "after". | |||
| Estonian | all | ||
| The word "kõik" in Estonian also means "everything" and is likely derived from "kogu" meaning "whole" or "sum." | |||
| Finnish | alla | ||
| The word "alla" is also used in Finnish to describe the underside of a surface. | |||
| Hungarian | alatt | ||
| The name of the River 'Alattya' in Hungary refers to low terrain adjacent to the river. | |||
| Latvian | zemāk | ||
| The word "zemāk" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰǵʰem- which means "earth, soil" and is related to the words "ground" and "humble". | |||
| Lithuanian | apačioje | ||
| "Apačioje" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ep-, meaning "under, upon". | |||
| Macedonian | под | ||
| The word "под" can also refer to the sole or bottom of a foot or shoe. | |||
| Polish | pod | ||
| In Polish "pod" also means a group or a collection. | |||
| Romanian | sub | ||
| Sub can also mean 'under' or 'below' in Romanian, with the same Latin root as the English word 'submarine'. | |||
| Russian | под | ||
| The word "под" can also mean "near" or "by" when used with a prepositional case. | |||
| Serbian | испод | ||
| "Испод" can also mean "underwear" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | pod | ||
| In the dialect spoken in the Orava region, the word "pod" means "next to". | |||
| Slovenian | spodaj | ||
| The word 'spodaj' in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'pod', meaning 'under' or 'below'. | |||
| Ukrainian | внизу | ||
| "Внизу" comes from "вни", meaning "down", and is used to indicate a lower level or position. | |||
Beneath in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নীচে | ||
| The origin of the word “নীচে/niche” comes from the Sanskrit word “nīca”, meaning “low or humble.” | |||
| Gujarati | નીચે | ||
| "નીચે" Gujarati word also means "downwards" in English. | |||
| Hindi | नीचे | ||
| "नीचे" can refer to 1) underneath, below 2) down, downwards | |||
| Kannada | ಕೆಳಗೆ | ||
| The word 'ಕೆಳಗೆ' can also mean 'below' or 'underneath' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കീഴ്ഭാഗത്ത് | ||
| The word 'കീഴ്ഭാഗത്ത്' is also used to refer to the lower part of a body or object, as well as figuratively to refer to someone or something of lower status or importance. | |||
| Marathi | खाली | ||
| "खाली" in Marathi also means "empty" or "devoid of" when used in the context of a container or space. | |||
| Nepali | तल | ||
| The word "तल" also refers to the sole of a foot or shoe. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੇਠ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਹੇਠ' ('heth') can also mean 'downstairs' or 'the ground floor'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යටින් | ||
| The word 'යටින්' ('beneath') is derived from the Proto-Indo-Aryan word *adhas**, which also means 'down' or 'lower'. | |||
| Tamil | கீழே | ||
| "கீழே" (beneath) can also refer to the foot (body part in animals including humans). | |||
| Telugu | క్రింద | ||
| Urdu | نیچے | ||
| The word "نیچے" can also mean "downstairs" or "lower" in Urdu. | |||
Beneath in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 下面 | ||
| 下面 literally means the “lower side” and it was also used in Chinese literature to indicate “the next day”, “the following year”, and “the next time”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 下面 | ||
| In Chinese, "下面" also means "the following" or "the next part". | |||
| Japanese | 下 | ||
| The character "下" (beneath) can also be read as "げ" and is used as a suffix in words like "山下" (foot of the mountain). | |||
| Korean | 아래서 | ||
| The word '아래서' shares the same root as '아랫층' meaning 'lower floor', highlighting its connection to vertical space below. | |||
| Mongolian | доор | ||
| Originally meant "floor" and still retains this meaning in compound words like "floorboards" or "basement". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အောက်မှာ | ||
Beneath in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | di bawah | ||
| "Di bawah" (beneath) can also mean "under control" or "subordinate". | |||
| Javanese | ing ngisor iki | ||
| Ing ngisor iki is also a term for the underworld or hell in Javanese folklore. | |||
| Khmer | នៅខាងក្រោម | ||
| The word "នៅខាងក្រោម" can also refer to the bottom of a container or the underside of an object. | |||
| Lao | ດ້ານລຸ່ມ | ||
| The Lao word "ດ້ານລຸ່ມ" can also refer to the bottom or base of something, or to the junior or subordinate position in a hierarchy. | |||
| Malay | di bawahnya | ||
| The literal translation of "di bawahnya" as "on the floor below" suggests its meaning is not strictly topographical. | |||
| Thai | ข้างใต้ | ||
| ข้างใต้ means "the bottom" and is also used to compare two things and to imply that one should be lower than the other. | |||
| Vietnamese | ở trên | ||
| The Han-Nom character for "ở trên" ("bên") can also mean "side" or "toward". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sa ilalim | ||
Beneath in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | altinda | ||
| The word "altinda" can also mean "underneath" or "below" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | астында | ||
| "Астында" can be used to refer to the location of an object, person, or place that is below something else. | |||
| Kyrgyz | астында | ||
| The word "астында" is likely derived from the Turkic root "*ast" meaning "bottom" or "under". | |||
| Tajik | дар зери | ||
| The word "дар зери" also means "within" or "among" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | aşagynda | ||
| Uzbek | ostida | ||
| The word "ostida" can also mean "below" or "downstairs" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاستىدا | ||
Beneath in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | malalo | ||
| The word 'malalo' can also mean 'low' or 'near the ground' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | i raro | ||
| The word "i raro" in Maori can also refer to "underneath" or "behind" something. | |||
| Samoan | lalo | ||
| "Lalo" can also mean "in the care of" or "under the guidance of" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sa ilalim | ||
| 'Sa ilalim' can also mean "at the bottom" or "underneath something". | |||
Beneath in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aynacha | ||
| Guarani | karape | ||
Beneath in International Languages
| Esperanto | sub | ||
| The Esperanto word "sub" also means "under, below, or in a lower position." | |||
| Latin | sub | ||
| In Latin, "sub" also means "up" or "near" | |||
Beneath in Others Languages
| Greek | κάτω από | ||
| The word "κάτω από" can also mean "from under" or "below". | |||
| Hmong | hauv qab | ||
| "Hauv qab" means a hole dug out under the ground or the underworld in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | bin | ||
| In Kurdish, 'bin' can also refer to a cave or a hole in the ground. | |||
| Turkish | altında | ||
| "Altında" can also mean "on the run" or "on the spot" | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphantsi | ||
| Ngaphantsi may derive from the root -phan-, suggesting a place where something rests or lies. | |||
| Yiddish | ונטער | ||
| The Yiddish word "ונטער" is cognate with the German word "unter" and the English word "under". | |||
| Zulu | ngaphansi | ||
| The Zulu term 'ngaphansi' can also refer to the 'bottom' or 'underside' of something. | |||
| Assamese | তলত | ||
| Aymara | aynacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | नीचे | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަށުގައި | ||
| Dogri | थल्लै | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sa ilalim | ||
| Guarani | karape | ||
| Ilocano | baba | ||
| Krio | ɔnda | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لەژێر | ||
| Maithili | नीचू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯈꯥꯗ | ||
| Mizo | hnuaiah | ||
| Oromo | jala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତଳେ | | ||
| Quechua | uray | ||
| Sanskrit | अधस् | ||
| Tatar | астында | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣብ. .ታሕቲ | ||
| Tsonga | ehansi | ||