Birth in Different Languages
Discover 'Birth' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Birth is a significant and miraculous event that signifies the start of life for every individual. It is a universal experience that transcends cultures and languages, yet is celebrated and marked with unique customs and traditions around the world.
The word 'birth' holds great cultural importance, as it represents the threshold between the spiritual and physical worlds, and the passing down of traditions, values, and beliefs from one generation to the next.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'birth' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how different cultures view and celebrate this momentous occasion. For instance, in Spanish, 'birth' is translated as 'nacimiento,' while in French, it is 'naissance.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for birth is '出生,' which literally means 'to come out and live.'
In this article, we delve into the translations of 'birth' in various languages, shedding light on the rich cultural and linguistic diversity that exists around the world. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations that will inspire and enlighten you.
Birth
Birth in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | geboorte | ||
| The Afrikaans word "geboorte" also means "the time of birth" or "the act of giving birth". | |||
| Amharic | መወለድ | ||
| In some areas 'መወለድ' can also refer to a religious celebration of Muhammad or Ali's birth. | |||
| Hausa | haihuwa | ||
| In Hausa, "haihuwa" shares etymology with "haifuwa" (to give birth) but also means "origin" or "source." | |||
| Igbo | omumu | ||
| In the Igbo language, "omumu" has cognates in other Niger-Congo languages, such as "bamu" in Yoruba and "mumu" in Bini, all meaning "to give birth". | |||
| Malagasy | teraka | ||
| Malagasy terms related to teraka ('birth') derive from either *teraka* in Proto-Austronesian, or from Arabic *wl* ('to give birth'). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kubadwa | ||
| The word "kubadwa" in Nyanja can also mean "to be born again" or "to be reborn." | |||
| Shona | kuberekwa | ||
| The Shona word "kuberekwa" also refers to the process of being reborn or reincarnated. | |||
| Somali | dhalasho | ||
| Dhalasho in Somali is derived from the root word 'dhal', which means 'to emerge' or 'to come forth'. | |||
| Sesotho | tsoalo | ||
| In certain dialects of Sesotho, "tsoalo" can also mean "family or genealogy". | |||
| Swahili | kuzaliwa | ||
| The Swahili word "kuzaliwa" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root */-zal-/, which also means "to give birth" or "to be born". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzalwa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuzalwa" not only refers to the act of giving birth, but also connotes the broader concept of "coming into being" or "emergence." | |||
| Yoruba | ibimọ | ||
| The word "ibimọ" can also refer to a meeting or gathering of people. | |||
| Zulu | ukuzalwa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukuzalwa" also refers to a child's birthday. | |||
| Bambara | bangeko | ||
| Ewe | dzidzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuvuka | ||
| Lingala | kobotama | ||
| Luganda | okuzaalibwa | ||
| Sepedi | matswalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awo | ||
Birth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ولادة | ||
| The noun "ولادة" also means "progeny" or "children" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | הוּלֶדֶת | ||
| The word "הוּלֶדֶת" (birth) is also used to refer to the process of generating ideas or products. | |||
| Pashto | زیږیدنه | ||
| The Pashto word "زیږیدنه" can also refer to "origin" or "beginning". | |||
| Arabic | ولادة | ||
| The noun "ولادة" also means "progeny" or "children" in Arabic. | |||
Birth in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lindja | ||
| Albanian "lindja" (birth) derives from Proto-Indo-European for "begetting" which is linked to "lineage". | |||
| Basque | jaiotza | ||
| The word "jaiotza" is also used to refer to a "nativity scene" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | naixement | ||
| The word "naixement" is derived from the Latin word "nascere" which means "to be born" or "to come to life." | |||
| Croatian | rođenje | ||
| "Rođenje" (birth) can also refer to "nativity" or "Christmas" in a religious context. | |||
| Danish | fødsel | ||
| "Fødel" is also the name of a parish and a city in North Jutland | |||
| Dutch | geboorte | ||
| Dutch 'geboorte' is related to birth and harvest, reflecting the ancient association between the birth of a child and the earth's fertility. | |||
| English | birth | ||
| "Birth," from Middle English "burth" (c. 1200), is also related to "be" in the senses of "come to be" and "to cause to become." | |||
| French | naissance | ||
| Naître is the French infinitive “to be born,” and naissance is its nominalized form (similar to "birth"). | |||
| Frisian | berte | ||
| The Frisian word "berte" can also refer to a "delivery" or "childbirth." | |||
| Galician | nacemento | ||
| In Galician, "nacemento" also refers to the act of giving birth and the place where one is born. | |||
| German | geburt | ||
| The word "Geburt" derives from the Proto-Germanic term *geburþ-, meaning "act of bearing or bringing forth," and is cognate with the English word "birth." | |||
| Icelandic | fæðing | ||
| Fæðing, "birth" in Icelandic, originally meant "bringing up" or "nourishment" and is related to the English word "feed". | |||
| Irish | breith | ||
| The word "breith" has meanings beyond "birth" including "origin", "cause", or "lineage". | |||
| Italian | nascita | ||
| In Italian, 'nascita' can also refer to the origin of a river. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gebuert | ||
| In some cases, the word "Gebuert" can also mean "lineage" or "family". | |||
| Maltese | twelid | ||
| Although originating from the Arabic word "mawlid," Maltese "twelid" can also refer to children, descendants, or offspring. | |||
| Norwegian | fødsel | ||
| The word "fødsel" in Norwegian can also refer to the process of giving birth. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nascimento | ||
| The word "nascimento" is also used to refer to the start or beginning of something. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | breith | ||
| The word "breith" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "destiny" or "fate", derived from the Proto-Celtic root "*bret-os" meaning "decree" or "judgment." | |||
| Spanish | nacimiento | ||
| In the Dominican Republic the term "nacimiento" is also used as the common name of the Christmas crib. | |||
| Swedish | födelse | ||
| The word "födelse" is derived from the Old Norse word "foðsla", meaning "nativity" or "descendance". | |||
| Welsh | genedigaeth | ||
| The Welsh word 'genedigaeth' also means 'origin', 'beginning', and 'birthright'. | |||
Birth in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нараджэнне | ||
| Belarusian | |||
| Bosnian | rođenje | ||
| The Bosnian word "rođenje" can also refer to the act of giving birth. | |||
| Bulgarian | раждане | ||
| The word "раждане" in Bulgarian also means "origin" or "beginning". | |||
| Czech | narození | ||
| In Czech, the word "narození" also means "nativity" or "Christmas". | |||
| Estonian | sünd | ||
| "Sünd" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *Sünt, which has the double meaning of "birth" and "sin". This is likely because in Proto-Finnic culture, the concept of sin was often associated with the idea of being born into the world. | |||
| Finnish | syntymä | ||
| "Syntymä" is cognate with the English word "kin" or "kindred" and originally meant "family" or "birthplace". | |||
| Hungarian | születés | ||
| Születés ('birth') in Hungarian comes from the verb 'szül' (to give birth). | |||
| Latvian | dzimšana | ||
| The word “dzimšana” is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *gēnt- “to beget” via the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵenh₂- “to give birth”. | |||
| Lithuanian | gimdymas | ||
| The word "Gimdymas" is derived from "gims", meaning "life", or "gimti", meaning "to be born". | |||
| Macedonian | раѓање | ||
| The root of the word "раѓање" is "раѓам" ("give birth"), which is of Proto-Indo-European origin and is cognate with the Old English word "ran", meaning "to plunder." | |||
| Polish | narodziny | ||
| The Polish word "narodziny" shares an etymological root with the word "naród" (nation), reflecting the idea of birth as a collective experience that shapes a nation's identity. | |||
| Romanian | naștere | ||
| The Romanian noun 'nastere' originates from a Proto-Indo-European root, 'gene-' or 'gen-' which also denotes 'birth'. | |||
| Russian | рождение | ||
| The Russian word for "birth" (рождение) is also used metaphorically to refer to the "creation" of a new work or the beginning of a new era. | |||
| Serbian | рођење | ||
| The word "рођење" also refers to a child that has recently been born. | |||
| Slovak | narodenie | ||
| The Slovak word 'narodenie' is used in the context of the birth of Jesus, like the English 'nativity' or 'yule', but also of nations, like 'nationhood' | |||
| Slovenian | rojstvo | ||
| "Rojstvo" is also used to refer to Christmas or the Feast of the Nativity. | |||
| Ukrainian | народження | ||
| The word "народження" in Ukrainian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*rodъ", meaning "family" or "clan". | |||
Birth in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জন্ম | ||
| The word "জন্ম" in Bengali also has a figurative meaning of "origin" or "beginning". | |||
| Gujarati | જન્મ | ||
| The word "જન્મ" (birth) also has the alternate meanings of "beginning" and "origin" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | जन्म | ||
| The Sanskrit word "janma" (जन्म), from which the Hindi word "janm" is derived, originally meant "to produce" or "to create". | |||
| Kannada | ಜನನ | ||
| In Kannada, 'ಜನನ' (birth) can also refer to a person's horoscope or astrological chart. | |||
| Malayalam | ജനനം | ||
| "ജനനം" means "birth" in Malayalam, but it also refers to the origin or creation of something. | |||
| Marathi | जन्म | ||
| The word "जन्म" (birth) in Marathi can also refer to a particular stage in one's life, such as childhood or adolescence. | |||
| Nepali | जन्म | ||
| The word "जन्म" can also mean beginning, origin, or source. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਨਮ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਜਨਮ" (janam) is etymologically derived from Sanskrit word "जन्म" and also signifies "life" or "existence." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උපත | ||
| The word 'උපත' (upata) also means the beginning or origin of something. | |||
| Tamil | பிறப்பு | ||
| The Tamil word "பிறப்பு" also means origin, source, or beginning. | |||
| Telugu | పుట్టిన | ||
| The word "పుట్టిన" ("birth") in Telugu is also used figuratively to refer to the origin or creation of something. | |||
| Urdu | پیدائش | ||
| The word "پیدائش" is derived from the Persian word "پید" meaning "to produce" or "to give birth". | |||
Birth in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 出生 | ||
| 出生 can also refer to the time or place where someone was born. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 出生 | ||
| The Chinese characters for "birth" 出生 can also mean "origin", "source", or "beginning". | |||
| Japanese | 誕生 | ||
| While "誕生" (tanjō) primarily means "birth," it can also be used metaphorically to refer to the "beginning" or "advent" of something. | |||
| Korean | 출생 | ||
| The word "출생" can also mean "origin" or "source". | |||
| Mongolian | төрөлт | ||
| Төрөлт's root word is 'төрөх', which also means 'to be born' or 'to give birth'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မွေးဖွားခြင်း | ||
Birth in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kelahiran | ||
| The word "kelahiran" in Indonesian can also mean "lineage" or "descent". | |||
| Javanese | lair | ||
| The noun 'lair', as used in Indonesian ('indung telur'), refers to a bird's nest, womb or the nest of other animals and insects. | |||
| Khmer | កំណើត | ||
| In the context of astrology, “កំណើត” refers to the zodiac sign under which someone is born. | |||
| Lao | ການເກີດ | ||
| The Lao word for birth, 'ການເກີດ,' is also used to refer to the process of becoming or coming into existence. | |||
| Malay | kelahiran | ||
| "Kelahiran" in Malay means "birth" but can also refer to "origin," "lineage," or the start of something. | |||
| Thai | กำเนิด | ||
| The Thai word "กำเนิด" (birth) can also mean "origin" and has a root in Sanskrit. | |||
| Vietnamese | sinh | ||
| "Sinh" also means "to beget children" or "to give birth to". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kapanganakan | ||
Birth in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | doğum | ||
| "Doğum" also refers to a person's place of birth in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | туылу | ||
| The word "туылу" also means "origin" or "source" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | төрөлүү | ||
| The Kyrgyz word 'төрөлүү' can also be interpreted as 'the beginning' or 'the origin' of something. | |||
| Tajik | таваллуд | ||
| The word "таваллуд" can also refer to the anniversary of someone's birth. | |||
| Turkmen | dogulmagy | ||
| Uzbek | tug'ilish | ||
| "Tug'ilish" derives from the word "tug'moq" which means "to be born" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تۇغۇلۇش | ||
Birth in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hānau | ||
| "Hānau" also means "to create" or "to make" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whanau | ||
| The word "whanau" in Maori also refers to an extended family or kinship group, reflecting the communal nature of Maori society. | |||
| Samoan | fanau mai | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Polynesian term *fanau*, which also meant "child" or "infant". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kapanganakan | ||
| Kapanganakan also means "nativity" in Tagalog and can also be used to refer to the birth of a divine figure. | |||
Birth in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yurïwi | ||
| Guarani | heñói | ||
Birth in International Languages
| Esperanto | naskiĝo | ||
| "Naskiĝo" is derived from "naski" (to give birth) and the suffix "-iĝo" (becoming or happening). | |||
| Latin | peperit | ||
| The Latin word "peperit" also means "she brought forth" or "she gave birth" and is related to the verb "parere" meaning "to bring forth" or "to give birth". | |||
Birth in Others Languages
| Greek | γέννηση | ||
| In Greek, "γέννηση" also implies origin, as in the phrase "γέννηση του σύμπαντος" (birth of the universe). | |||
| Hmong | yug | ||
| The Hmong word "yug" can also refer to "origin","beginning", "clan," or "tribe."} | |||
| Kurdish | zayîn | ||
| The word 'zayîn' has an alternate meaning of 'origin' in the Kurdish language. | |||
| Turkish | doğum | ||
| "Doğum" also has the meaning of "origin, source". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzalwa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuzalwa" not only refers to the act of giving birth, but also connotes the broader concept of "coming into being" or "emergence." | |||
| Yiddish | געבורט | ||
| The word "געבורט" in Yiddish can also refer to "lineage" or "family origin". | |||
| Zulu | ukuzalwa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukuzalwa" also refers to a child's birthday. | |||
| Assamese | জন্ম | ||
| Aymara | yurïwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | जनम भइल | ||
| Dhivehi | އުފަންވުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | जन्म | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kapanganakan | ||
| Guarani | heñói | ||
| Ilocano | pannakayanak | ||
| Krio | bɔn pikin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لەدایکبوون | ||
| Maithili | जन्म | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯀꯄꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | pian chhuahna | ||
| Oromo | dhaloota | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜନ୍ମ | ||
| Quechua | paqariy | ||
| Sanskrit | जन्म | ||
| Tatar | туу | ||
| Tigrinya | ልደት | ||
| Tsonga | ku velekiwa | ||