Born in Different Languages
Discover 'Born' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'born' is a powerful and evocative term, denoting the beginning of life and the start of a unique journey. Its significance extends far beyond the realm of biology, touching upon themes of identity, heritage, and culture. In many languages, the word for 'born' is intertwined with concepts of lineage and nationality, reflecting the deep connection between one's origins and their place in the world.
For example, in Spanish, the word for 'born' is 'nacido', which shares roots with the word 'nación' (nation). Similarly, in German, 'geboren' (born) is linked to 'Geburt' (birth) and 'Germanen' (Germans), emphasizing the importance of ancestry and cultural identity.
Understanding the translation of 'born' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural contexts that shape our world. From the French 'né(e)' to the Chinese '出生' (chūshēng), the word 'born' is a universal concept with rich and varied expressions across languages and cultures.
Born
Born in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gebore | ||
| The word "gebore" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "geboren", which means "born". | |||
| Amharic | ተወለደ | ||
| The verb 'ተወለደ' in Amharic, in addition to meaning 'born,' can also refer to 'brought forth' or 'produced.' | |||
| Hausa | haifuwa | ||
| The word "haifuwa" can also mean "give birth" or "be born" in Hausa, indicating the reciprocal relationship between birth and being born. | |||
| Igbo | amuru | ||
| In some contexts, 'amuru' can also refer to the act of giving birth or the position of being a firstborn child. | |||
| Malagasy | teraka | ||
| The word "teraka" in Malagasy can also refer to the afterbirth or placenta. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wobadwa | ||
| The word "wobadwa" is used in Nyanja to refer to both the act of being born and to a newly born child. | |||
| Shona | akazvarwa | ||
| "Aka/a" can also mean "the". This is not the "a" of a banana. "Zvar" can mean "make" or "create." | |||
| Somali | dhashay | ||
| Dhashay is also associated with the Somali word "dhuso" meaning "to push; to remove through force." | |||
| Sesotho | tsoetsoe | ||
| The word "tsoetsoe" in Sesotho also refers to the birth of an idea or a new beginning. | |||
| Swahili | amezaliwa | ||
| The word "amezaliwa" can also refer to "nativity" or "birthright" in Swahili, not just the act of being born. | |||
| Xhosa | ezelwe | ||
| "ezelwe" comes from the stem "zel-," which means "to give birth." | |||
| Yoruba | bi | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "bi" has cognates in other Niger-Congo languages and can also refer to the act of building, making, or creating something. | |||
| Zulu | ezelwe | ||
| The word "ezelwe" in Zulu can also mean "to be created" or "to come into being". | |||
| Bambara | wolo | ||
| Ewe | wo dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yavutse | ||
| Lingala | kobotama | ||
| Luganda | okuzaalibwa | ||
| Sepedi | belegwe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awoɔ | ||
Born in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مولود | ||
| "أشرف" is one of the meanings of "مولود" in Arabic because it means the most superior. | |||
| Hebrew | נוֹלָד | ||
| The Hebrew word "נוֹלָד" also means "to sprout" or "to germinate". | |||
| Pashto | زیږیدلی | ||
| The Pashto word "زیږیدلی" has an alternate meaning of "having been created". | |||
| Arabic | مولود | ||
| "أشرف" is one of the meanings of "مولود" in Arabic because it means the most superior. | |||
Born in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i lindur | ||
| "I lindur" has roots in Proto-Albanian or Proto-Illyrian and a possible connection to the Slavic word "roditi" (to give birth) | |||
| Basque | jaio | ||
| In modern Basque jaio generally refers to human birth, while eman is used for animals, plants and inanimate things | |||
| Catalan | nascut | ||
| The etymology of the Catalan word "nascut" is the Latin verb "nascor" meaning "to come into being". | |||
| Croatian | rođen | ||
| The term 'rođen' in Croatian can indicate being originated through creation as well as birth. | |||
| Danish | født | ||
| The Danish word "Født" means not only "born" but also "delivered," especially with regard to ships arriving with a cargo. | |||
| Dutch | geboren | ||
| "Geboren" can also mean "to be given birth to" or "to be brought into the world." | |||
| English | born | ||
| The term "born" derives from the Old English word "beornan" and the Proto-Indo-European root "*bher-," both meaning "to bear." | |||
| French | née | ||
| The word "née" in French can also be used as a preposition meaning "to" or "towards." | |||
| Frisian | berne | ||
| Frisian "berne" shares the same etymology with English "burn" but also means "child" or "son". | |||
| Galician | nacido | ||
| Nacido is the Galician word for "born" and it can also be used to refer to a person who has been born in a particular place. | |||
| German | geboren | ||
| In German, "geboren" can also refer to the start or origin of something, like "the dawn of civilization". | |||
| Icelandic | fæddur | ||
| The Icelandic word "fæddur" can also refer to a child or offspring. | |||
| Irish | rugadh é | ||
| The word "rugadh" is thought to derive from the Old Irish word "rugad", which means "to be born" or "to be produced". | |||
| Italian | nato | ||
| The adjective `nato` is also the past participle of the verb `nascere`, and can also be used as a noun, meaning 'new born' or 'offspring'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gebuer | ||
| The word "gebuer" can also refer to a native or inhabitant of a particular place in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | imwieled | ||
| The Maltese word "imwieled" has an alternate meaning related to the concept of "birth" or "coming into existence" in a broader sense. | |||
| Norwegian | født | ||
| The word "Født" also refers to the beginning of a person's life, or more specifically, the date on which they were born. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nascermos | ||
| Despite its common association with birth, "nascermos" in Portuguese can also refer to "to emerge," "to come into view," or "to arise."} | |||
| Scots Gaelic | rugadh | ||
| "Rugadh" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵenh₁, meaning "to bear" or "to give birth."} | |||
| Spanish | nacido | ||
| The word "nacido" is the past participle of the verb "nacer" (to be born), and can also be used to mean "native" or "originating from." | |||
| Swedish | född | ||
| The word "född" can also refer to being "born free" or a "born-right." | |||
| Welsh | eni | ||
| The Welsh word "eni" can also mean "nature" or "essence" and can be used to refer to the inherent qualities of a person or thing. | |||
Born in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нарадзіўся | ||
| The Belarusian word for "born" is "нарадзіўся", which has a more specific meaning of "to be newly born" than the English word "born". | |||
| Bosnian | rođen | ||
| The word 'rođen' is of Slavic origin and is related to the word 'roditi', which means 'to give birth'. | |||
| Bulgarian | роден | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "роден" can also mean "native" or "relating to one's birthplace". | |||
| Czech | narozený | ||
| The word "narozený" in Czech originates from the verb "rodit" meaning "to give birth", and also has the alternate meaning of "noble". | |||
| Estonian | sündinud | ||
| 'Sündinud' comes from 'sünni-' (birth) + '-nud' (past participle); 'sünni-' comes from Proto-Uralic '*šünte-' (to give birth) and also appears in Finnish 'synty-' (birth), 'syntyä' (to be born), Mari 'šünö' (birth), and Hungarian 'szül' (to give birth). | |||
| Finnish | syntynyt | ||
| The word is also used to connote a birth order: the most common names in Finland are syntynyt kakkonen (born as the second oldest of the siblings) and esikoinen (the oldest child). | |||
| Hungarian | született | ||
| The Hungarian word "született" can also mean "native" or "by birth". | |||
| Latvian | dzimis | ||
| The word "dzimis" is related to the Lithuanian word "gimti" and the Old Prussian word "gīmen", both meaning "to be born". | |||
| Lithuanian | gimęs | ||
| The word "gimęs" in Lithuanian can also refer to a person's origin, ancestry, or homeland. | |||
| Macedonian | роден | ||
| In Macedonian, "роден" also means "native" and comes from an Old Slavic root that also means “to give birth, to generate”. | |||
| Polish | urodzony | ||
| Urodzony ('born') in Polish can also refer to a noble birth or being well-bred | |||
| Romanian | născut | ||
| "Născut" comes from the Latin "natus" and is also used in the sense of "begotten" and "created" | |||
| Russian | родившийся | ||
| The word "родившийся" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵenh₁-, meaning "to give birth or be born". | |||
| Serbian | рођен | ||
| The word 'рођен' ('born') is a derivative of the word 'рађати' ('to give birth') and also denotes 'native,' 'innate,' or 'created', such as 'рођена мана' ('birth defect'). | |||
| Slovak | narodený | ||
| "Narodený" can sometimes mean "native," "of a particular people," or "belonging to a particular race, country, or community." | |||
| Slovenian | rojen | ||
| The word "Rojen" can also refer to a person's date or place of birth, or to a person's descent or origin | |||
| Ukrainian | народився | ||
| The verb "народився" also has the meaning of "to be born again," and is often used in a spiritual or metaphorical sense. | |||
Born in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জন্ম | ||
| The Bengali word "জন্ম" (born) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "जन्म" (birth), which also means "production, creation, or origin" | |||
| Gujarati | જન્મ | ||
| The word 'જન્મ' in Gujarati can also mean 'birth', 'origin', or 'source'. | |||
| Hindi | उत्पन्न होने वाली | ||
| उत्पन्न होने वाली also means "caused by", "coming out", and "originating from". | |||
| Kannada | ಹುಟ್ಟು | ||
| 'ಹುಟ್ಟು' can also mean the time and place of one's birth or the beginning of something | |||
| Malayalam | ജനനം | ||
| The Malayalam word, 'ജനനം,' also means 'origin' or 'birthplace'. | |||
| Marathi | जन्म | ||
| The word जन्म ('born' in Marathi) also means 'birth', 'origin', and 'beginning' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'janma'. | |||
| Nepali | जन्म | ||
| "जन्म" (born) in Nepali shares its root with "jan" (to beget) in Sanskrit, and "जननी" (mother) in Hindi. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੈਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උපත | ||
| In Sinhala, උපත (born) also refers to the beginning or origin of something. | |||
| Tamil | பிறந்தவர் | ||
| Telugu | పుట్టింది | ||
| The word "పుట్టింది" (born) in Telugu is also used to refer to the process of giving birth. | |||
| Urdu | پیدا ہونا | ||
| The word "پیدا ہونا" ("born") in Urdu has the alternate meaning of "to emerge" or "to come into existence". | |||
Born in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 天生 | ||
| "天生" also means "nature" or "character" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 天生 | ||
| 天生 (born) also means "natural," "innate," or "by nature." | |||
| Japanese | 生まれ | ||
| The Japanese word "生まれ" (born) can also be used to refer to the place where someone was born or their origin. | |||
| Korean | 태어난 | ||
| 태어난' also means 'to be born' or 'to be produced'. | |||
| Mongolian | төрсөн | ||
| "Төрсөн" can also mean "home" or "native land" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မွေးဖွားခဲ့သည် | ||
Born in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lahir | ||
| "Lahir" (born) is also the Indonesian word for childbirth, delivery, or giving birth. | |||
| Javanese | lair | ||
| The Javanese word "lair" also means "lair of an animal, nest of an eagle". | |||
| Khmer | កើត | ||
| The Khmer word "កើត" (born) is also used to mean "origin" or "source". | |||
| Lao | ເກີດ | ||
| The Lao word "ເກີດ" (born) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jata", which also means "produced" or "made." | |||
| Malay | dilahirkan | ||
| 'Dilahirkan' can also mean 'delivered' or 'produced', referring to the birth of a child, or the production of a product. | |||
| Thai | เกิด | ||
| เกิด also means 'to have' or 'to occur' in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | sinh ra | ||
| "Sinh ra" also can be used figuratively to describe how a concept, emotion, or idea came into existence. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ipinanganak | ||
Born in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | anadan olub | ||
| The word "anadan olub" in Azerbaijani is derived from two words: "ana" (mother) and "olub" (to happen). It literally means "to come from a mother" or "to be born from a mother". | |||
| Kazakh | туылған | ||
| Туылған is also used to mean | |||
| Kyrgyz | төрөлгөн | ||
| The verb 'төрөлүү' ('to give birth') in Kyrgyz also means 'to grow', 'to come into existence', 'to appear'. | |||
| Tajik | таваллуд шудааст | ||
| Turkmen | doguldy | ||
| Uzbek | tug'ilgan | ||
| The Uzbek word "tug'ilgan" can also refer to the "place where one is born" or to a "native" of a particular place. | |||
| Uyghur | تۇغۇلغان | ||
Born in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hānau | ||
| Hānau comes from the Proto-Polynesian term *fanau, meaning 'to give birth' and can also refer to the place where a person was born. | |||
| Maori | whanau | ||
| The word 'whanau' can also refer to family or extended family in Maori | |||
| Samoan | fanau mai | ||
| The Samoan word 'fanau mai' can also refer to the arrival of something or someone, such as the start of a new year or the arrival of a guest. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ipinanganak | ||
| The word "ipinanganak" also has a figurative meaning, referring to the beginning of something, such as a project or an idea. | |||
Born in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yurita | ||
| Guarani | heñóiva | ||
Born in International Languages
| Esperanto | naskita | ||
| The Esperanto word "naskita" is derived from the Latin "natus" and also means "native". | |||
| Latin | natus | ||
| The word 'natus' also means 'son' in Latin, as in the phrase 'natus Dei', meaning 'son of God'. | |||
Born in Others Languages
| Greek | γεννημένος | ||
| The term | |||
| Hmong | yug | ||
| The term "yug" in Hmong also refers to the process of emerging or arising from a state of non-existence or obscurity. | |||
| Kurdish | zayî | ||
| Kurdish "zayî" shares an etymological relationship with the Armenian word "zanim" meaning "to be born" and the Georgian word "dzali" meaning "to be born, son". | |||
| Turkish | doğmuş | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, "doğmuş" referred to a person born under good astrological conditions. | |||
| Xhosa | ezelwe | ||
| "ezelwe" comes from the stem "zel-," which means "to give birth." | |||
| Yiddish | געבוירן | ||
| The word 'געבוירן' in Yiddish is also used to refer to a person's birthday. | |||
| Zulu | ezelwe | ||
| The word "ezelwe" in Zulu can also mean "to be created" or "to come into being". | |||
| Assamese | জন্ম হোৱা | ||
| Aymara | yurita | ||
| Bhojpuri | जनम | ||
| Dhivehi | އުފަންވުން | ||
| Dogri | जम्मे दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ipinanganak | ||
| Guarani | heñóiva | ||
| Ilocano | naiyanak | ||
| Krio | bɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لەدایک بوون | ||
| Maithili | जन्म | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | piang | ||
| Oromo | dhalachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜନ୍ମ | ||
| Quechua | paqarisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | जाताः | ||
| Tatar | туган | ||
| Tigrinya | ተወሊዱ | ||
| Tsonga | velekiwa | ||