Blood in Different Languages
Discover 'Blood' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Blood, a vital fluid that courses through our veins, is a symbol of life and vitality in countless cultures and languages. Its deep red hue and life-sustaining properties have made it a powerful and enduring symbol throughout history. From ancient mythology to modern science, blood has held great significance as a symbol of lineage, power, and sacrifice.
In many cultures, blood is believed to contain the essence of life, and its translation in different languages reflects this importance. For instance, in Spanish, blood is sangre, while in German, it's Blut. In the Hawaiian language, blood is ʻeleu, and in Maori, it's kiri.
Understanding the translation of blood in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural significance of this vital fluid. From ancient rituals to modern medical practices, blood has played a crucial role in shaping human history and culture. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of blood and its translations in various languages.
Blood
Blood in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bloed | ||
| Afrikaans 'bloed' (blood) is cognate with Dutch 'bloed', Norwegian 'blod', German 'Blut', and English 'blood', but also means 'temper' or 'courage'. | |||
| Amharic | ደም | ||
| The Amharic word "ደም" can also mean "lineage" or "family", showing the deep connection between blood and kinship in Ethiopian culture. | |||
| Hausa | jini | ||
| The Hausa word "jini" comes from the Arabic word "jinnay", a type of evil spirit. | |||
| Igbo | ọbara | ||
| The Igbo word 'ọbara' originates from the Proto-Benue-Congo lexicon *bara, meaning 'red' or 'colour' | |||
| Malagasy | ra | ||
| Malagasy 'ra', 'rain', and 'rainforest' all have an ancestral meaning of 'life-giving liquid', while their shared Proto-Austronesian root *daRah means 'blood'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | magazi | ||
| The Nyanja word "magazi" not only signifies "blood" but also denotes "life-force" and "kinship ties." | |||
| Shona | ropa | ||
| The Shona word, "ropa," also means "color" and "type." | |||
| Somali | dhiig | ||
| The verb | |||
| Sesotho | mali | ||
| The word "mali" in Sesotho can also refer to lineage, kinship, or a group of people with a common ancestor. | |||
| Swahili | damu | ||
| The word "damu" in Swahili originates from the Bantu root "dam" meaning "red" or "black" and is cognate with many other Bantu languages. | |||
| Xhosa | igazi | ||
| The word "igazi" originates from an archaic term for "red," and is cognate with the Nguni word for "black. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹjẹ | ||
| Ẹjẹ also means 'spirit' or 'life' in Yoruba, and is often used in religious contexts referring to the spirit of a person or deity. | |||
| Zulu | igazi | ||
| In Zulu, 'igazi' can also refer to a close friend or relative. | |||
| Bambara | joli | ||
| Ewe | ʋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | maraso | ||
| Lingala | makila | ||
| Luganda | omusaayi | ||
| Sepedi | madi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mogya | ||
Blood in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دم | ||
| The word "دم" in Arabic doesn't only mean blood; it also means a person's life or soul, and can be used metaphorically to describe a person's character or temperament. | |||
| Hebrew | דָם | ||
| הדם מתייחס למוות, חולשה, מחלה ואלימות | |||
| Pashto | وینه | ||
| The word "وینه" in Pashto can also mean "red" or "purple". | |||
| Arabic | دم | ||
| The word "دم" in Arabic doesn't only mean blood; it also means a person's life or soul, and can be used metaphorically to describe a person's character or temperament. | |||
Blood in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjaku | ||
| In some Gheg dialects, "gjaku" can also refer to "juice" or "sap". | |||
| Basque | odola | ||
| "Odola" also referred to the "sun" in Old Basque and is thought to derive from Proto-Basque *egu-dol-a, "day light". | |||
| Catalan | sang | ||
| In Catalan, “sang” also means “curdling,” referring to the process of milk becoming yogurt or cheese. | |||
| Croatian | krv | ||
| The Croatian word "krv" derives from the Proto-Indo-European "k̂rewh-", meaning "meat" or "flesh". | |||
| Danish | blod | ||
| The word "blod" can also mean "family" or "descent" in Danish, reflecting a historical belief in the importance of bloodlines and shared ancestry. | |||
| Dutch | bloed | ||
| The Dutch word "bloed" shares an origin with "flower", referring to the bright red blossoms in its stem. | |||
| English | blood | ||
| The word 'blood' comes from the Old English word 'blod', which meant both 'blood' and 'life'. | |||
| French | du sang | ||
| Du sang ("blood") comes from the Latin *sanguis* meaning "blood or life force" and is related to the French words "sanglot" (sob) and "sanguinaire" (bloodthirsty). | |||
| Frisian | bloed | ||
| Frisian 'bloed' is cognate with English 'blood' and German 'Blut', meaning 'fluid that circulates in the body of humans and other animals' | |||
| Galician | sangue | ||
| In Galician, “sangue” also means “lineage,” “family,” or “race,” as in the expression “sangue real” (“royal blood”). | |||
| German | blut | ||
| The word "Blut" can also mean "race" or "family" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | blóð | ||
| Blóð (blood) has the alternate meaning of "sacrifice" in many Germanic languages. | |||
| Irish | fuil | ||
| The Irish word "fuil" also means "urine" or "water," deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰwei-l | |||
| Italian | sangue | ||
| "Sangue" in Italian can also refer to a lineage, a stock, or a family, and is derived from the Latin word "sanguis" ( | |||
| Luxembourgish | blutt | ||
| "Blutt" also refers to the juice of grapes before fermentation and thus means "wine". | |||
| Maltese | demm | ||
| The Maltese word "demm" derives from the Arabic word "dam" which also means "blood", as well as other meanings such as "sin" or "guilt". | |||
| Norwegian | blod | ||
| The word "blod" in Norwegian can also refer to "sacrifice" or "anger". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sangue | ||
| In Portuguese, "sangue" can also refer to lineage or ancestry. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fuil | ||
| In some dialects, "fuil" can also mean "juice", "sap", or "fluid". | |||
| Spanish | sangre | ||
| In pre-Columbian Nahuatl, "sangre" referred to the precious red pigment used as a dye or currency; its usage shifted to mean "blood" after Spanish conquest. | |||
| Swedish | blod | ||
| Blod can also refer to a stain or a mark, and is a common ingredient in Swedish cuisine, especially in the form of blood sausage. | |||
| Welsh | gwaed | ||
| "Gwaed" also has historical connections with concepts of "red", "glowing" and "life force". | |||
Blood in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кроў | ||
| The word "кроў" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *krovь, meaning "fluid, sap". | |||
| Bosnian | krv | ||
| The word "krv" in Bosnian also means "lifeforce" or "strength." | |||
| Bulgarian | кръв | ||
| The word "кръв" also means "family" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | krev | ||
| The word "krev" in Czech can also refer to plasma or lymph. | |||
| Estonian | veri | ||
| In Estonian, "veri" also signifies "anger" and "rage". | |||
| Finnish | verta | ||
| The Finnish word "verta" is also used to refer to a blood transfusion or the act of letting blood. | |||
| Hungarian | vér | ||
| The word "vér" can also mean "protection" (e.g. "a vér szerinti rokon" ~ "a relative by blood"). | |||
| Latvian | asinis | ||
| Latvian "asinis" shares its root "as" with "assassin" and "ash". | |||
| Lithuanian | kraujas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "kraujas" is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word "krwi" (meaning blood) and the Latin word "cruor" (meaning gore). | |||
| Macedonian | крв | ||
| The verb "крвав" ("krvav") in Macedonian means "to bleed" or "to stain with blood." | |||
| Polish | krew | ||
| The Polish word 'krew' comes from the Old Polish 'krew' or 'krewie' and is cognate with other Slavic words for 'blood', such as the Russian 'кровь' (krov') and the Czech 'krev'. | |||
| Romanian | sânge | ||
| The word "sânge" (blood) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sengw-, which also means "to be strong". | |||
| Russian | кровь | ||
| "Кровь" also means "family lineage" or "origin". | |||
| Serbian | крв | ||
| The word 'крв' in Serbian not only refers to blood but also has a figurative meaning, denoting life, vitality, or kinship. | |||
| Slovak | krv | ||
| The word 'krv' also refers to relatives in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | kri | ||
| "Kri" is a noun in Slovenian which is used to describe the liquid that circulates through the cardiovascular system of a human being or an animal. It is also used to describe any fluid that resembles blood in appearance, such as tomato juice or paint. | |||
| Ukrainian | крові | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "крові" can also refer to the lineage or ancestry of a person. | |||
Blood in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রক্ত | ||
| "রক্ত" may also mean "related by blood" or "lineage" or "clumped rice" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | લોહી | ||
| The Gujarati word "લોહી" can also refer to red pigment or color. | |||
| Hindi | रक्त | ||
| The Hindi word "रक्त" (rakt) is cognate with the Latin "cruor" (clotted blood), and also means "red (colour)" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Kannada | ರಕ್ತ | ||
| The word "ರಕ್ತ" (rakta) also refers to the red pigment used in the Kannada flag, known as the "rakta dhwaja" | |||
| Malayalam | രക്തം | ||
| The word 'രക്തം' (raktham) is also used to refer to the color red in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | रक्त | ||
| In Marathi, the word "रक्त" (rakta) also refers to the color red and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "रक्त" (rakta), meaning "red" or "blood." | |||
| Nepali | रगत | ||
| The word 'रगत' in Nepali can also mean 'bloodshed' or 'warfare'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਹੂ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਲਹੂ" also refers to "red color" in its adjective form. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලේ | ||
| "ලේ" also refers to a substance or fluid that flows, such as sap. | |||
| Tamil | இரத்தம் | ||
| The word "இரத்தம்" can also refer to a type of tree known as **red sandalwood** or **Raktha Chandana** in Sanskrit. | |||
| Telugu | రక్తం | ||
| The word "రక్తం" can also refer to the red color of blood, or to a liquid that is similar to blood in appearance or consistency. | |||
| Urdu | خون | ||
| The word "خون" ("blood") is also used metaphorically to refer to lineage, ancestry, or kinship ties. | |||
Blood in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 血液 | ||
| The Chinese character "血" can also represent red or the color crimson. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 血液 | ||
| 血液 (xuèyè) 'blood' has multiple possible meanings, one being that it is a vital force, essential to life and associated with emotions like anger. | |||
| Japanese | 血液 | ||
| The kanji 血 (ketsu) can also mean "lineage" or "clan," as in 血縁 (ketsuen, "blood relation"). | |||
| Korean | 피의 | ||
| The word 피 (blood) also means 'life' or 'vital energy' in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | цус | ||
| Цус is a Turkic word meaning | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သွေး | ||
| The word "သွေး" ("blood") in Myanmar (Burmese) can also refer to "lineage" or "family line". | |||
Blood in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | darah | ||
| Javanese | getih | ||
| The Javanese word "getih" is cognate with "darah" in Indonesian and Malay, both ultimately deriving from Sanskrit "darah". | |||
| Khmer | ឈាម | ||
| The word "ឈាម" can also mean "sap" or "juice" in Khmer, and is related to the Lao word "ຊອກ" and the Thai word "เลือด". | |||
| Lao | ເລືອດ | ||
| The word "ເລືອດ" can also refer to the color red or a type of blood disease in Lao. | |||
| Malay | darah | ||
| In Malay, a poetic term for blood is 'nyawa' ('life'), reflecting its vital importance in folklore and traditional medicine. | |||
| Thai | เลือด | ||
| "เลือด" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *daRuq meaning "red" | |||
| Vietnamese | máu | ||
| The word "máu" also means "life" in certain contexts, such as expressions like "máu anh em" (brotherhood). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dugo | ||
Blood in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qan | ||
| The word "qan" also means "life" in Azerbaijani, reflecting its importance in our culture. | |||
| Kazakh | қан | ||
| "Қан" can also mean "life" or "soul" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кан | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "blood," "кан" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a relative from one's mother's lineage, a term of respect for elders, or a type of traditional fermented mare's milk. | |||
| Tajik | хун | ||
| The word "хун" is an Old Turkic word and its meaning has shifted from "life, soul" to "blood" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | gan | ||
| Uzbek | qon | ||
| Qon, derived from Old Turkic "khun", also refers to lineage or family in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | قېنى | ||
Blood in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | koko | ||
| Hawaiian word "koko" also means "brown" and is thought to be related to "ko" (sugar cane). | |||
| Maori | toto | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *toto which also means 'blood' in several other Polynesian languages. | |||
| Samoan | toto | ||
| The word "toto" in Samoan shares roots with the words for "red" and "soil". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | dugo | ||
| "Dugo" can also mean "ancestry" or "lineage" in Tagalog. | |||
Blood in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wila | ||
| Guarani | tuguy | ||
Blood in International Languages
| Esperanto | sango | ||
| The word 'sango' is derived from the Russian word for 'blood', "кровь", and also refers to a type of African drum. | |||
| Latin | sanguis | ||
| The word "sanguis" also refers to the lineage or family of a person. | |||
Blood in Others Languages
| Greek | αίμα | ||
| The word "αίμα" has also been used in Homeric Greek to mean "death, murder, or violent death, especially through the shedding of blood". | |||
| Hmong | ntshav | ||
| The Hmong word "ntshav" also refers to family members and a person's ancestral lineage. | |||
| Kurdish | xwîn | ||
| Kurdish 'xwîn' is possibly related to Persian 'xun' or Proto-Indo-European '*ǵʰwéh₁n', cognate with Latin 'cruor' and Irish 'fuil'. | |||
| Turkish | kan | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "blood," "kan" in Turkish can also refer to "relationship," "origin," or "essence." | |||
| Xhosa | igazi | ||
| The word "igazi" originates from an archaic term for "red," and is cognate with the Nguni word for "black. | |||
| Yiddish | בלוט | ||
| The Yiddish word "בלוט" ("blood") also means "sap", especially from birch trees. | |||
| Zulu | igazi | ||
| In Zulu, 'igazi' can also refer to a close friend or relative. | |||
| Assamese | তেজ | ||
| Aymara | wila | ||
| Bhojpuri | खून | ||
| Dhivehi | ލޭ | ||
| Dogri | लहू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dugo | ||
| Guarani | tuguy | ||
| Ilocano | dara | ||
| Krio | blɔd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خوێن | ||
| Maithili | खून | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏ | ||
| Mizo | thisen | ||
| Oromo | dhiiga | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରକ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | yawar | ||
| Sanskrit | रक्त | ||
| Tatar | кан | ||
| Tigrinya | ደም | ||
| Tsonga | ngati | ||