Boyfriend in Different Languages
Discover 'Boyfriend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'boyfriend' holds a special significance in our lives, often representing a close, intimate relationship. But have you ever wondered how this term translates in different cultures and languages? Understanding these translations can offer a unique glimpse into cultural nuances and societal norms around the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'boyfriend' is 'novio', while in French, it's 'petit ami'. In German, it's 'Freund', but this can also mean 'friend', illustrating how language can sometimes subtly shape our perceptions of relationships.
Moreover, the concept of a 'boyfriend' has evolved over time, reflecting changing social attitudes towards love, commitment, and gender roles. For example, in some cultures, romantic relationships are more openly discussed, while in others, they remain more private or even taboo.
So, why should you learn the translation of 'boyfriend' in various languages? Beyond practical communication, it's a fascinating way to explore cultural diversity and richness. Here are a few translations to get you started:
Boyfriend
Boyfriend in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kêrel | ||
| The word "kêrel" also means "guy" or "fellow" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | የወንድ ጓደኛ | ||
| Hausa | saurayi | ||
| The word "saurayi" in Hausa also means "companion" or "close friend". | |||
| Igbo | enyi nwoke | ||
| The Igbo word "enyi nwoke" literally translates to "male friend" or "friend of a man." | |||
| Malagasy | ankizilahy | ||
| The word "ankizilahy" in Malagasy also means "young warrior". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chibwenzi | ||
| The word chibwenzi comes from the verb kubwenza meaning to make or to create. | |||
| Shona | mukomana | ||
| Somali | saaxiib | ||
| In addition to "boyfriend", the term "saaxiib" can also be used as a general term for "friend", regardless of gender or relationship status. | |||
| Sesotho | mohlankana | ||
| The word 'mohlankana' is also used to refer to a young man who is not yet married. | |||
| Swahili | mpenzi | ||
| The word "mpenzi" in Swahili, meaning "boyfriend," is derived from the word "penzi," meaning "love." | |||
| Xhosa | isoka | ||
| Isoka also refers to a traditional beer in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yoruba | omokunrin | ||
| "Omokunrin" also means "one who takes care of his family" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isoka | ||
| The word 'isoka' in Zulu can also refer to a 'lover' or 'sweetheart' in a more general sense. | |||
| Bambara | kamalen | ||
| Ewe | ahiãvi ŋutsu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukunzi | ||
| Lingala | likangu ya mobali | ||
| Luganda | omwagalwa omulenzi | ||
| Sepedi | lesogana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpena | ||
Boyfriend in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حبيب | ||
| The word "حبيب" can also mean "lover", "dear one", or "friend" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | הֶחָבֵר | ||
| The Hebrew word "הֶחָבֵר" (pronounced "ha-ḥaver") also means "the friend" or "the companion". | |||
| Pashto | هلک ملګری | ||
| The Pashto word "هلک ملګری" literally translates to "boy friend". However, it can also be used to refer to a close male friend. | |||
| Arabic | حبيب | ||
| The word "حبيب" can also mean "lover", "dear one", or "friend" in Arabic. | |||
Boyfriend in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i dashuri | ||
| Basque | mutil-laguna | ||
| The term "mutil-laguna" is derived from the words "mutil" (boy) and "laguna" (friend). | |||
| Catalan | nuvi | ||
| Nuvi derives from the word "novi", meaning "new" in Latin, referring to a new relationship. | |||
| Croatian | dečko | ||
| In Croatian, "dečko" can also refer to a young boy or a child, highlighting its linguistic versatility. | |||
| Danish | kæreste | ||
| The word "kæreste" also means "love" or "sweetheart" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | vriendje | ||
| The word 'vriendje' in Dutch can also refer to a male friend or a close male companion. | |||
| English | boyfriend | ||
| The word 'boyfriend' is a compound of the words 'boy' and 'friend', and was originally used to refer to a male friend, but has since taken on the specific meaning of a romantic partner. | |||
| French | petit ami | ||
| Petit ami can also mean | |||
| Frisian | freontsje | ||
| Freontsje in Frisian means "friend" and is a diminutive of the word "freon," which means "friend" or "lover." | |||
| Galician | noivo | ||
| The word "noivo" has its origin in the Latin word "novus" which means "new" or "recent", which is related to the idea of a new relationship. | |||
| German | freund | ||
| The word "Freund" in German can also mean "friend" or "companion". | |||
| Icelandic | kærasti | ||
| The Icelandic word "kærasti" is derived from the Old Norse word "kærsta," meaning "dearest one" or "most beloved." | |||
| Irish | bhuachaill | ||
| "Buachaill" is the Old Irish word for "boy; male child, son", akin to the Old Irish word "boí", "ox," and thus ultimately derives from the PIE root "*gwow-", which also produced the Latin "bos, bovis", "ox". | |||
| Italian | fidanzato | ||
| The Italian word fidanzato originally meant "betrothed" as its etymology derives from the Latin fides ("faith"). | |||
| Luxembourgish | frënd | ||
| Frënd derives from the Old High German word "frént", meaning companion, lover, or spouse. | |||
| Maltese | għarus | ||
| The word "għarus" is also used to refer to a "fiancé" or "intended spouse". | |||
| Norwegian | kjæreste | ||
| The word "kjæreste" can also mean "darling" or "my love" and is derived from the Old Norse word "kær" meaning "affection". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | namorado | ||
| Scots Gaelic | bràmair | ||
| The word "bràmair" can also refer to a male friend or comrade, emphasising companionship and camaraderie. | |||
| Spanish | novio | ||
| "Novio" derives from the Latin word "novus," meaning "new" or "recent," and originally referred to a "newcomer" or "stranger." | |||
| Swedish | pojkvän | ||
| The word 'pojkvän' is composed of the words 'pojk' (boy) and 'vän' (friend). | |||
| Welsh | cariad | ||
| The Welsh word "cariad", besides its most common meaning of "boyfriend" or "girlfriend," can also refer to a beloved object or person in a more general sense. | |||
Boyfriend in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | хлопец | ||
| "Хлопец" comes from the Old Slavic "хлопъ", meaning "boy" or "servant". In different dialects around Belarus, it may mean "friend", "brother", or "son". | |||
| Bosnian | dečko | ||
| The word "dečko" can also refer to a young boy or a son in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | гадже | ||
| The word "гадже" (gadget) in Bulgarian comes from the French word "gadget" which means "mechanical device" and is often used to describe small, playful, and clever inventions. | |||
| Czech | přítel | ||
| The word "přítel" originally meant "friend" in Czech, and only later gained the additional meaning of "boyfriend". | |||
| Estonian | poiss-sõber | ||
| The literal translation of "poiss-sõber" would be "boy-friend" suggesting a young relationship. | |||
| Finnish | poikaystävä | ||
| In 19th century, poika was considered a synonym for the word mies meaning | |||
| Hungarian | fiú barát | ||
| The Hungarian "fiú barát" (lit. "boy-friend") originally meant a young man under a master craftsman who had to do various errands. | |||
| Latvian | puisis | ||
| "Puisis" also refers to a young man or boy in other Baltic languages. | |||
| Lithuanian | vaikinas | ||
| The word "vaikinas" also means "young man" or "son" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | дечко | ||
| The word "deč" is the diminutive form of "dete", meaning "child". | |||
| Polish | chłopak | ||
| The Polish word "chłopak" originally meant "young unmarried man" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word for "son". | |||
| Romanian | iubit | ||
| The word "iubit" also means "beloved" or "lover" and is used to refer to both romantic and platonic relationships. | |||
| Russian | дружок | ||
| The Russian word "дружок" (boyfriend) originally meant "friend" or "comrade", and is still used in that sense in some contexts. | |||
| Serbian | дечко | ||
| The etymology of the Serbian word "дечко" is uncertain but may come from the Proto-Slavic word *dětьka meaning "child". | |||
| Slovak | priateľ | ||
| The word "priateľ" also means "friend" in Slovak, highlighting the importance of friendship in romantic relationships. | |||
| Slovenian | fant | ||
| The word 'fant' in Slovenian is derived from the German word 'Freund', meaning friend. | |||
| Ukrainian | хлопець | ||
| Хлопець in Ukrainian can also mean "boy" or "young man" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*xlopъ" meaning "prisoner of war" or "servant". | |||
Boyfriend in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রেমিক | ||
| The word "প্রেমিক" is also used in Bengali to refer to a platonic lover or a beloved, emphasizing the emotional connection rather than a specific romantic relationship. | |||
| Gujarati | બોયફ્રેન્ડ | ||
| Hindi | प्रेमी | ||
| The Hindi word "प्रेमी" can also denote a lover in general. | |||
| Kannada | ಗೆಳೆಯ | ||
| "ಗೆಳೆಯ" primarily means "male friend" in Kannada, but can also refer to a "lover" or "husband" in some contexts. | |||
| Malayalam | കാമുകൻ | ||
| Marathi | प्रियकर | ||
| " प्रियकर " literally translates from the Marathi language to mean "dear one" in an affectionate sense. | |||
| Nepali | प्रेमी | ||
| The word "प्रेमी" can also mean "lover" or "sweetheart" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੁਆਏਫ੍ਰੈਂਡ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පෙම්වතා | ||
| පෙම්වතා, also used as a polite way to address a man, derives from the Sanskrit term “priyatama” meaning “most beloved”. | |||
| Tamil | காதலன் | ||
| Telugu | ప్రియుడు | ||
| "ప్రియుడు" (boyfriend) can also refer to a beloved or intimate companion, regardless of gender. | |||
| Urdu | بوائے فرینڈ | ||
| While "بوائے فرینڈ" is commonly recognized as a synonym for "boyfriend" in English, its literal translation from the Urdu language suggests a "friend who is a boy," highlighting the significant cultural difference between the two terms. | |||
Boyfriend in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 男朋友 | ||
| 男朋友 can also mean "man friend" as a general term, not necessarily a romantic partner. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 男朋友 | ||
| 男朋友 combines the characters 男 ("male"), 朋 ("friend"), and 友 ("friend"), highlighting the duality of a romantic partner as both a friend and a lover. | |||
| Japanese | ボーイフレンド | ||
| "ボーイフレンド" is a wasei-eigo (a Japanese word coined from English) and is often used by both men and women to casually refer to their partner, regardless of gender. | |||
| Korean | 남자 친구 | ||
| "남자 친구" literally means "male friend" in Korean but is commonly used to refer to a romantic partner. | |||
| Mongolian | найз залуу | ||
| The term найз залуу is an informal expression meaning "boyfriend" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ချစ်သူ | ||
Boyfriend in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pacar | ||
| Pacar, besides its usual meaning as 'boyfriend', also means 'bitter' or 'bitter gourd' in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | pacar | ||
| "Pacar" can also mean "snake" and "girlfriend" in different Javanese dialects. | |||
| Khmer | មិត្តប្រុស | ||
| Lao | ແຟນ | ||
| The word “ແຟນ” in Lao can also be used to refer to a fan or a supporter like “แฟนคลับ” in Thai. | |||
| Malay | teman lelaki | ||
| "Teman lelaki" literally means "male friend" in Malay, but it is commonly used to refer to a romantic partner. | |||
| Thai | แฟน | ||
| The Thai word "แฟน" originally meant "friend", but it has since taken on the additional meaning of "boyfriend" or "girlfriend". | |||
| Vietnamese | bạn trai | ||
| The word "bạn trai" also means "male friend" and is not limited to romantic relationships. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasintahan | ||
Boyfriend in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | oğlan | ||
| "Oğlan" also means "boy" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жігіт | ||
| The word "жігіт" (''zhigіt'') derives from the Proto-Turkic "*čigit" meaning "youth", "young warrior", or "hero". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жигит | ||
| The word 'жигит' also means a 'young man, hero, or warrior' and is derived from the Turkic languages. | |||
| Tajik | ошиқ | ||
| In Persian, the word "ошиқ" (ošiq) means "lover" or "admirer" and is not gender-specific. | |||
| Turkmen | söýgüli | ||
| Uzbek | yigit | ||
| The word "yigit" in Uzbek is cognate with "džigit" in Turkic languages, and both stem ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰew- "to live". | |||
| Uyghur | ئوغۇل دوستى | ||
Boyfriend in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoa kāne | ||
| The Hawaiian term "hoa kāne" can also mean "male friend" or "husband." | |||
| Maori | hoa rangatira | ||
| The term 'hoa rangatira' can also mean 'esteemed friend' or 'noble companion' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | uo tama | ||
| The word "uo tama" is also used to refer to a male friend or a son. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasintahan | ||
| "Kasintahan" is derived from the root word "kasinta", meaning "lover" or "sweetheart", and the suffix "-an" which denotes a place or location. | |||
Boyfriend in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | munata | ||
| Guarani | menarã | ||
Boyfriend in International Languages
| Esperanto | koramiko | ||
| The Esperanto word "koramiko" has alternate meanings of "lover" or "sweetheart". | |||
| Latin | boyfriend | ||
| In Latin, "boyfriend" is known as "amicus", which also means "friend". | |||
Boyfriend in Others Languages
| Greek | φίλος | ||
| The ancient Greek word "φίλος" could also mean "dear friend" or "kinsman". | |||
| Hmong | ua hluas nraug | ||
| The Hmong word "ua hluas nraug" literally means "the one who chases the girl". | |||
| Kurdish | heval | ||
| The word "heval" in Kurdish can also refer to a "companion" or "friend". | |||
| Turkish | erkek arkadaş | ||
| "Erkek arkadaş" literally means "the man who is left over". | |||
| Xhosa | isoka | ||
| Isoka also refers to a traditional beer in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yiddish | בויפרענד | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "בויפרענד" can also refer to a suitor or a prospective husband. | |||
| Zulu | isoka | ||
| The word 'isoka' in Zulu can also refer to a 'lover' or 'sweetheart' in a more general sense. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰেমিক | ||
| Aymara | munata | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रेमी | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޯއިފުރެންޑު | ||
| Dogri | प्रेमी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasintahan | ||
| Guarani | menarã | ||
| Ilocano | nobio | ||
| Krio | bɔyfrɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کوڕە هاوڕێ | ||
| Maithili | परेमिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯉꯁꯤꯅꯕ ꯅꯨꯄꯥ | ||
| Mizo | bialpa | ||
| Oromo | hiriyaa dhiiraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରେମିକ | ||
| Quechua | waylluq | ||
| Sanskrit | सख | ||
| Tatar | егет | ||
| Tigrinya | ናይ ፍቕሪ መሓዛ ወዲ | ||
| Tsonga | muhlekisani wa xinuna | ||