Bird in Different Languages
Discover 'Bird' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Birds, with their ability to fly and beautiful plumage, have captivated humans for centuries. They hold great cultural significance across the globe, often symbolizing freedom, peace, and the beauty of nature. From ancient mythology to modern literature, birds have inspired countless stories and artworks.
Understanding the translation of the word 'bird' in different languages can open up a world of cultural discovery. For instance, in Spanish, 'bird' is 'pájaro'. In French, it's 'oiseau', and in German, 'Vogel'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also provide insights into how different cultures perceive and value these creatures.
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians worshipped birds? The ibis, representing the god Thoth, was especially revered. Or that the Latin name for the chicken, 'Gallus gallus', is derived from 'gallus', meaning 'cock' or 'rooster', and 'gallus', meaning 'Gaul', possibly due to the Romans' introduction of chickens to Gaul?
Join us as we explore more fascinating translations of 'bird' in various languages.
Bird
Bird in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | voël | ||
| The Afrikaans word "voël" derives from the Proto-West-Germanic root "fuglaz", meaning both "bird" and "fly." | |||
| Amharic | ወፍ | ||
| The word "ወፍ" in Amharic also means "spirit" or "soul". | |||
| Hausa | tsuntsu | ||
| The term "tsuntsu" (or "zunzu"), which means "bird," is also used in Hausa to denote a "flying insect," especially when the insect is small and black. | |||
| Igbo | nnụnụ | ||
| Its diminutive, 'nnụnụ ntakpọ', is used to specifically refer to 'eagle', and can imply 'strength' or 'power' in figurative speech. | |||
| Malagasy | vorona | ||
| The word "vorona" in Malagasy is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "burung", also meaning "bird". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mbalame | ||
| In Chichewa, "mbalame" is also an archaic term for "child" and the verb "to dance". | |||
| Shona | shiri | ||
| The Shona word "shiri" can also refer to a "chief" or "headman". | |||
| Somali | shimbir | ||
| The word "shimbir" in Somali has alternate meanings such as "airplane" and "helicopter". | |||
| Sesotho | nonyana | ||
| 'Nonyana' is one of the very few words that are not found in the related Nguni languages, and its origin is uncertain. | |||
| Swahili | ndege | ||
| The Swahili word 'ndege' originally meant 'flyer,' referring to both birds and bats. | |||
| Xhosa | intaka | ||
| The Xhosa word "intaka" is a diminutive form of "taka," a verb meaning "to fly" or "to soar." | |||
| Yoruba | eye | ||
| In Yoruba, "eye" can also refer to a person's face or appearance. | |||
| Zulu | inyoni | ||
| The Zulu word "inyoni" is cognate with the Nguni word for "bird" and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-nyi" meaning "to fly." | |||
| Bambara | kɔ̀nɔ | ||
| Ewe | xe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inyoni | ||
| Lingala | ndeke | ||
| Luganda | akanyonyi | ||
| Sepedi | nonyana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anomaa | ||
Bird in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طائر | ||
| Also used to mean a 'flying thing'. Used with its plural form in 'tair' ('omen'). | |||
| Hebrew | ציפור | ||
| The word "ציפור" ("bird") in Hebrew is also used as a slang term to describe "a small person" or "a very young person." | |||
| Pashto | مرغۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "مرغۍ" (marġai) also refers to an eagle. | |||
| Arabic | طائر | ||
| Also used to mean a 'flying thing'. Used with its plural form in 'tair' ('omen'). | |||
Bird in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zog | ||
| The word 'zog' is derived from the Proto-Albanian root *zog-, meaning 'living creature'. | |||
| Basque | txoria | ||
| The Basque word "txoria" can also mean "soul" and "bird song". | |||
| Catalan | ocell | ||
| The Catalan word "ocell" derived from the Latin "aucellus", meaning "little bird". | |||
| Croatian | ptica | ||
| The Croatian word "ptica" also refers to a small mechanical bird used as a toy or decoration. | |||
| Danish | fugl | ||
| The Danish word "fugl" is cognate with the Old English "fugol," meaning both bird and waterfowl. | |||
| Dutch | vogel | ||
| The Dutch word "vogel" may also refer to a ball used in various games, such as bowling or jeu de boules, or to a flaw or defect in a material or surface. | |||
| English | bird | ||
| The word 'bird' shares etymological roots with the Dutch word 'vogel' and the German word 'vogel,' all of which may have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root 'ghew,' meaning 'to call out'. | |||
| French | oiseau | ||
| "Oiseau" is a derivative of the Latin word "avis" through the popular Latin form "aucellus" | |||
| Frisian | fûgel | ||
| The word 'fûgel' in Frisian also means 'fish' in the context of angling. | |||
| Galician | paxaro | ||
| The Galician word "paxaro" derives from the Latin "passer" and can also refer to an indiscreet or talkative person. | |||
| German | vogel | ||
| The word “Vogel” derives from “fuglaz”, the term for “bird” in Old High German, which comes from the Proto-Germanic “*fuglaz”, and finally from “*peuǵ-“ in Proto-Indo-European. | |||
| Icelandic | fugl | ||
| Fugl is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *fuglaz, meaning 'bird' or 'fowl'. | |||
| Irish | éan | ||
| Irish 'éan' ('bird') continues the Celtic *ēin- ('bird'), with cognates in Latin avis ('bird') and in English 'eagle'. | |||
| Italian | uccello | ||
| The Italian word "uccello" can also refer to a philandering man or a gullible person. | |||
| Luxembourgish | vugel | ||
| In older times the word 'Vugel' also meant 'bad person', likely related to the German 'Vogelfrei' (outlawed). | |||
| Maltese | għasfur | ||
| The Maltese word "għasfur" is thought to derive from the Semitic root *ʿSPR*, meaning "to fly" or "to be agile." | |||
| Norwegian | fugl | ||
| "Fugl" also refers to the male part of a flower in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pássaro | ||
| Pássaro in Portuguese derives from the Latin passer, meaning 'sparrow' or 'small bird', but it can also refer to any type of bird. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eun | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "eun" also refers to a young hen, as well as a "chatterbox". | |||
| Spanish | pájaro | ||
| Apart from its primary meaning, "pájaro" can also refer to a lively, cheerful person or a clever, cunning individual. | |||
| Swedish | fågel | ||
| The word 'fågel' is derived from the Old Norse word 'fugl' meaning 'bird' | |||
| Welsh | aderyn | ||
| The word "aderyn" also signifies a constellation, "Y Gath" (roughly corresponding to Ursa Major), possibly due to the resemblance of the pattern made by its stars and the form of a bird in flight. | |||
Bird in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | птушка | ||
| The word "птушка" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pьtica". It also means "soul" or "departed spirit". | |||
| Bosnian | ptice | ||
| The Bosnian word "ptice" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pti-ka", which also means "bird" and is related to the word "letjeti" ("to fly"). | |||
| Bulgarian | птица | ||
| "Птица" is the Slavic cognate of the Sanskrit "patatram", meaning "fallen leaf." | |||
| Czech | pták | ||
| The word "pták" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "pъtakъ", which also means "cock". It is cognate with the Old Church Slavonic word "ptьcь", which also means "bird". | |||
| Estonian | lind | ||
| The word "lind" in Estonian also means "a path in the taiga forest used as a shortcut". | |||
| Finnish | lintu | ||
| The Proto-Finnic word *lintu originally meant 'a flyer' or 'one that flies', not specifically a bird. | |||
| Hungarian | madár | ||
| "Madár" is a Hungarian loanword from the Proto-Romance "*mat(t)ariu", which also gave rise to the French "matin" and Italian "mattino". | |||
| Latvian | putns | ||
| The term 'putns' comes from the Proto-Baltic '*putinas', which referred to 'young birds' or 'chicks'. Its possible cognates in other Indo-European languages include the Lithuanian 'putinas' and the Albanian 'pule' (all meaning 'bird'). | |||
| Lithuanian | paukštis | ||
| In Indo-European languages, the word "bird" derives from the root "*peh₂-," meaning "to fly," which is shared with the Lithuanian "paukštis." | |||
| Macedonian | птица | ||
| The word "птица" (bird) in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "ptica", which also means "chicken" or "fowl". | |||
| Polish | ptak | ||
| In Proto-Slavic *pъt-akъ likely initially meant 'flyer'. | |||
| Romanian | pasăre | ||
| "Pasăre" also means "luck" in the context of the game "pasăre-piatră-foarfecă" (paper-rock-scissors). | |||
| Russian | птица | ||
| Птица is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pьtica, which also means "feather". | |||
| Serbian | птице | ||
| In Serbian, the word "птице" can refer not only to birds in general, but also to certain species such as the eagle (орао) or the falcon (соко), as well as a flock of birds. | |||
| Slovak | vták | ||
| The Old Slavic root of "vták" ("bird" in Slovak), means "air" and the word is still used for "air" in several Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovenian | ptica | ||
| The origin of the word 'ptica' (bird) in Slovenian is uncertain, but it may be related to the Proto-Slavic word 'pьtica', which also means 'bird'. | |||
| Ukrainian | птах | ||
| The Ukrainian word "птах" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*pьtьxъ", ultimately from the Indo-European root "*pet-/*pot-", meaning "to fly". | |||
Bird in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাখি | ||
| The word "পাখি" can also mean "wing" or "feather" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પક્ષી | ||
| The Gujarati word "પક્ષી" originates from the Sanskrit word "पक्षी" (pakṣī) and also means "side" or "wing" in ancient texts. | |||
| Hindi | चिड़िया | ||
| The word "चिड़िया" (bird) is derived from the Sanskrit word "चिट्" (chit), meaning "consciousness" or "awareness". | |||
| Kannada | ಹಕ್ಕಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಹಕ್ಕಿ" is also used to refer to "birds of prey" or "eagles" | |||
| Malayalam | പക്ഷി | ||
| The term "പക്ഷി" also refers to the letter "K" in the Malayalam alphabet. | |||
| Marathi | पक्षी | ||
| "पक्षी" (bird) can also mean "partial" or "biased" in Marathi, likely due to its usage in expressions like "पक्षपाती" (biased). | |||
| Nepali | चरा | ||
| In Sanskrit, चरा can also refer to an army formation or a group of dancers. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੰਛੀ | ||
| The word "ਪੰਛੀ" is a cognate of the Persian word "پرنده" (parandeh), both ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pet- "to fly". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කුරුල්ලා | ||
| The word 'kurullā' (bird) in Sinhala may also refer to an astrological symbol representing the crow. | |||
| Tamil | பறவை | ||
| The Tamil word for 'bird', 'பறவை', is also a noun referring to a particular species of bird, such as a sparrow. | |||
| Telugu | పక్షి | ||
| The word "పక్షి" ("bird") in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "पक्ष" ("wing"), which refers to the primary characteristic of birds. | |||
| Urdu | پرندہ | ||
| The word "پرندہ" in Urdu derives from the Persian word "پرنده" meaning "flying being or thing". | |||
Bird in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 鸟 | ||
| "鸟" can also mean "person" or "thing" in colloquial Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 鳥 | ||
| 鳥 is a bird pictogram depicting a bird with outstretched wings. | |||
| Japanese | 鳥 | ||
| The character 鳥 in Chinese and Japanese represents not only birds, but also the concepts of "auspiciousness" and "freedom." | |||
| Korean | 새 | ||
| The Korean word 새 ('bird') originates from the Middle Korean term '세' which meant both 'bird' and 'animal'. | |||
| Mongolian | шувуу | ||
| The word "шувуу" in Mongolian also refers to a "group of airplanes". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငှက် | ||
| The word "ငှက်" can also refer to a "spirit inhabiting a tree", a "guardian nat", or a "spirit associated with a place"} | |||
Bird in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | burung | ||
| "Burung" is also known as "manuk" in Javanese and "manuk" in Balinese. | |||
| Javanese | manuk | ||
| The word manuk can also refer to an artificial flying object, such as a kite or airplane. | |||
| Khmer | បក្សី | ||
| បក្សី (paksi) literally means 'flying creature' and is etymologically related to 'bāk' (wing) and 'say' (fly), suggesting its original meaning encompassed all flying creatures, including bats and insects. | |||
| Lao | ນົກ | ||
| "Nók" can also refer to various types of aircraft, in keeping with the Thai usage of “นก" (“nok") to mean “bird/aircraft". | |||
| Malay | burung | ||
| The word "burung" in Malay also has a secondary meaning of "animal" or "creature". | |||
| Thai | นก | ||
| The word "นก" also refers to someone who makes a sound like a bird | |||
| Vietnamese | chim | ||
| The word "chim" in Vietnamese may also refer to people, especially those who are young, beautiful, or have certain qualities. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ibon | ||
Bird in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | quş | ||
| The word "quş" in Azerbaijani not only means "bird," but also refers specifically to eagles, falcons, and hawks. | |||
| Kazakh | құс | ||
| Құс can also refer to a small or lightweight thing, like a toy or an airplane. | |||
| Kyrgyz | куш | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "куш" can also refer to a specific type of bird called a "falcon". | |||
| Tajik | парранда | ||
| The word "парранда" in Tajik also refers to a type of folk music and dance performance. | |||
| Turkmen | guş | ||
| Uzbek | qush | ||
| The word "qush" can also refer to small, round, feathered animals, such as chicks or baby birds. | |||
| Uyghur | قۇش | ||
Bird in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manu | ||
| In Maori, "manu" is also a term for an expert or a skilled person. | |||
| Maori | manu | ||
| As a verb, "manu" in Maori can also mean to fly or to sail, highlighting the close connection between birds and Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | manulele | ||
| Samoan word for "bird", "manulele", originally meant "flying thing". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ibon | ||
| "Ibon" also refers to a mythical bird-like creature. | |||
Bird in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jamach'i | ||
| Guarani | guyra | ||
Bird in International Languages
| Esperanto | birdo | ||
| Esperanto 'birdo' and English 'bird' share the same Proto-Indo-European root, but may have been borrowed independently. | |||
| Latin | avem | ||
| The Latin word "avem" is also an accusative form of "avis," the "genitive" or possessive form of "avis" | |||
Bird in Others Languages
| Greek | πουλί | ||
| In Cypriot Greek, “πουλί” can also refer to an airplane. | |||
| Hmong | noog | ||
| The word "noog" can also mean "soul" in the context of Shamanism. | |||
| Kurdish | teyr | ||
| The word "teyr" in Kurdish can also mean "bird hunting" or "bird watching". | |||
| Turkish | kuş | ||
| The word kuş also means "divination" (fal) and can refer to an omen or portent. | |||
| Xhosa | intaka | ||
| The Xhosa word "intaka" is a diminutive form of "taka," a verb meaning "to fly" or "to soar." | |||
| Yiddish | פויגל | ||
| In Yiddish, "פויגל" (bird) has also been used figuratively to mean "a person who is always flying around" or "a restless person". | |||
| Zulu | inyoni | ||
| The Zulu word "inyoni" is cognate with the Nguni word for "bird" and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-nyi" meaning "to fly." | |||
| Assamese | চৰাই | ||
| Aymara | jamach'i | ||
| Bhojpuri | चिरई | ||
| Dhivehi | ދޫނި | ||
| Dogri | पक्खरू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ibon | ||
| Guarani | guyra | ||
| Ilocano | billit | ||
| Krio | bɔd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باڵندە | ||
| Maithili | पक्षी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯆꯦꯛ | ||
| Mizo | sava | ||
| Oromo | simbirroo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପକ୍ଷୀ | ||
| Quechua | pisqu | ||
| Sanskrit | पक्षी | ||
| Tatar | кош | ||
| Tigrinya | ዒፍ | ||
| Tsonga | xinyenyana | ||