Brush in Different Languages
Discover 'Brush' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'brush' holds a significant place in our daily lives, as it refers to the tool we use to clean our teeth or to apply paint to a surface. This simple object has a rich cultural importance, as it has been used for centuries in various forms to signify cleanliness, art, and creativity. In many cultures, a brush is also a symbol of mastery and skill, such as the calligraphy brush used in East Asian writing.
Moreover, the word 'brush' has an interesting historical context. In the past, brushes were made from a variety of natural materials, such as animal hair or plant fibers. Today, brushes are made from both natural and synthetic materials, making them more accessible and affordable for people around the world.
Given the global significance and cultural importance of the brush, it's no wonder that people might want to know its translation in different languages. Here are some sample translations:
- French: brosse
- Spanish: cepillo
- German: Bürste
- Italian: spazzola
- Chinese: 刷子 (shuā zi)
- Japanese: ブラシ (burashi)
Brush
Brush in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kwas | ||
| The word "kwas" shares its root with the word "kwets", meaning "wound" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ብሩሽ | ||
| The word 'brush' in Amharic is also used to refer to a type of grass used for making ropes and mats. | |||
| Hausa | goga | ||
| The Hausa word 'goga' is derived from the Proto-Chadic form *gɔ́gɔ́n, and is cognate with the Yoruba word 'gbàgà'. | |||
| Igbo | ahịhịa | ||
| The Igbo word `ahịhịa` also means `grass`, `weeds`, or `shrubs`. | |||
| Malagasy | brush | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "borosy" can refer to both a "brush" and a "broom." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | burashi | ||
| The Nyanja word "burashi" can also refer to a broom or a person who sweeps. | |||
| Shona | bhurasho | ||
| The word "bhurasho" in Shona can also refer to a broom or a whisk. | |||
| Somali | caday | ||
| The Somali word for brush, "caday," is a loanword from the Arabic word "qadaha," which also means "a pen." | |||
| Sesotho | borashe | ||
| The Sesotho word "borashe" comes from the Proto-Sotho word "*borase", which meant "to brush away". | |||
| Swahili | brashi | ||
| "Brashi" is also the name of the Swahili dance that originated on the coast of Kenya. | |||
| Xhosa | ibrashi | ||
| "Ibrashi" is derived from the Zulu word "ibhulashi," which also means "paint brush". | |||
| Yoruba | fẹlẹ | ||
| A type of divination made on a board using a powdered charcoal paste | |||
| Zulu | ibhulashi | ||
| Ibhuhulashi, loosely translated as "whisk" or "brush", can also mean "the one who shakes". | |||
| Bambara | bɔrɔsi | ||
| Ewe | aɖuklɔnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | brush | ||
| Lingala | brose | ||
| Luganda | okusenya | ||
| Sepedi | poraše | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twitwi | ||
Brush in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فرشاة | ||
| The word "فرشاة" is derived from the Persian word "فرش" (meaning "carpet") and originally referred to a whisk used to clean carpets. | |||
| Hebrew | מִברֶשֶׁת | ||
| The word 'מִברֶשֶׁת' literally means 'a small broom' and is related to the word 'מטאטא' (broom). | |||
| Pashto | برش | ||
| The word "برش" can also mean "broom" or "paintbrush". | |||
| Arabic | فرشاة | ||
| The word "فرشاة" is derived from the Persian word "فرش" (meaning "carpet") and originally referred to a whisk used to clean carpets. | |||
Brush in Western European Languages
| Albanian | furçë | ||
| The Albanian word "furçë" is derived from the Latin "furca", meaning "fork", and is also used to refer to a type of cooking utensil. | |||
| Basque | eskuila | ||
| Etymology: Basque, from escu (oak) + ila (tool) | |||
| Catalan | pinzell | ||
| The word "pinzell" is derived from the Latin word "penicillus", meaning "small tail" or "small brush", hence its meaning in Catalan.} | |||
| Croatian | četka | ||
| "Četka" can also mean "comb" or "hairbrush" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | børste | ||
| The word 'børste' can also refer to a hedgehog's bristles or the bristles on a paintbrush. | |||
| Dutch | borstel | ||
| The word "borstel" in Dutch is derived from the Latin "pilus" (hair) and can also refer to a toothbrush or a paintbrush. | |||
| English | brush | ||
| As a noun, "brush" can also refer to a low-growing shrub or undergrowth. | |||
| French | brosse | ||
| Brosse, in French, also refers to a large and stiff shaving brush, a pastry brush used for butter or egg wash and a toothbrush. | |||
| Frisian | boarstel | ||
| Boarstel can also refer to a whisk or a bundle of bristles used for cleaning bottles. | |||
| Galician | pincel | ||
| In Galician, the word 'pincel' can also refer to a small paintbrush or a pencil used for drawing. | |||
| German | bürste | ||
| In the Swabian dialect Bürste also refers to an old, broken down car. | |||
| Icelandic | bursta | ||
| Bursta in Icelandic can also be a woman who has given birth recently or is currently pregnant. | |||
| Irish | scuab | ||
| The word "scuab" in Irish is cognate with the Welsh word "ysgub" ("barn"), further related to the Latin word "scopa" ("broom") and the Greek word "skοpē" ("observation"). | |||
| Italian | spazzola | ||
| The Italian word "spazzola" derives from the Latin "spatula", meaning "flat wooden instrument". | |||
| Luxembourgish | biischt | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Biischt" may have originated from the Proto-Germanic word *bursta, which also meant "bristle" and "brush." | |||
| Maltese | pinzell | ||
| The word "pinzell" is derived from the Italian word "pennello" and can also refer to a fine paintbrush. | |||
| Norwegian | børste | ||
| The word "børste" also refers to the bristles of a brush, or to a thick, bristly hair or fiber. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | escova | ||
| The noun "escova" in Portuguese has many meanings, such as "brush", "scrub", and "hatchet". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bhruis | ||
| The Gaelic word "bhruis" is a cognate of the English word "brushwood", meaning undergrowth or shrubs. | |||
| Spanish | cepillo | ||
| In Spain, "cepillo" can also refer to a collection box passed around in churches or a bribe. | |||
| Swedish | borsta | ||
| The Swedish word "borsta" meaning "brush" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhrus- meaning "bristle", also the origin of the Latin word "frons" meaning "hair", "leaf" and "foliage". | |||
| Welsh | brwsh | ||
| The Welsh word "brwsh" can mean either "brush" or "broom" depending on context. | |||
Brush in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пэндзаль | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "brush," "пэндзаль" can also refer to a paintbrush, a makeup brush, or a hairbrush. | |||
| Bosnian | četkom | ||
| In Slavic languages, "četka" (brush) is also related to "četa" (comb) and "čistiti" (clean), all sharing the root "*ket-" (to comb), ultimately originating from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kens-" (to comb, card). | |||
| Bulgarian | четка | ||
| The word "четка" also refers to a type of prayer beads used in Orthodox Christianity. | |||
| Czech | štětec | ||
| The word "štětec" is also used to refer to a type of insect that resembles a brush, known as a "painter's brushfly". | |||
| Estonian | harja | ||
| Estonian word "harja" also refers to "bristle", particularly those of a horse's mane or pig's hide. | |||
| Finnish | harjata | ||
| The word "harja" in Finnish likely derives from the Proto-Uralic word "*harja" meaning "to comb". In addition to "brush", it can also mean "a row" or "a strip". | |||
| Hungarian | kefe | ||
| Etymology: Hungarian "kefe" likely derives from Turkish "kefe" (brush), itself possibly from Persian "kaf" (foam). | |||
| Latvian | birste | ||
| Latvian word "burste" (brush) likely derives from the German word "Bürste". "Burste" also has a meaning "bribe", whereas in Latvian "birste" is sometimes used for a bribe. | |||
| Lithuanian | teptuku | ||
| The Lithuanian word "teptuku" also refers to a hairbrush. | |||
| Macedonian | четка | ||
| The word "четка" in Macedonian can also mean a type of prayer beads used in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. | |||
| Polish | szczotka | ||
| "Szczotka" originally referred to a branch of a tree used for sweeping or brushing. | |||
| Romanian | perie | ||
| The Romanian word "perie" (brush) derives from the Latin word "pilus" (hair), which also gave rise to the English word "pile" (a nap on a fabric). | |||
| Russian | щетка | ||
| The Russian word for "brush," щетка (shchetka), is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "čьstiti," meaning "to clean". | |||
| Serbian | четком | ||
| The word "четком" can also be used to refer to a person who is particularly meticulous or attentive to detail. | |||
| Slovak | kefa | ||
| The Slovak word kefka is derived from the Czech word kef and ultimately from the German word Kehrbesen, which literally means 'sweeper'. | |||
| Slovenian | krtačo | ||
| "Krtačo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *krta, meaning "wool-carding tool". The term "krta" was probably borrowed from Proto-Germanic *karđuz or *kardōn. In some Slovenian dialects, the word "krtačo" can also refer to a rake, indicating the shared etymological root of these grooming and gardening implements. | |||
| Ukrainian | кисть | ||
| The word "кисть" can also mean "wrist" due to its similar appearance to a paintbrush handle | |||
Brush in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্রাশ | ||
| The word 'ব্রাশ' ('brush') derives from the Sanskrit word 'वृश' ('vrsh'), which also means to 'cut' or 'trim' | |||
| Gujarati | બ્રશ | ||
| The Gujarati word "બ્રશ" (brush) comes from the Sanskrit word "बुर्ज" (brush) or "वृष्टि" (to sprinkle), and can also mean a paintbrush, broom, or eyelash. | |||
| Hindi | ब्रश | ||
| The word "ब्रश" can also refer to a sudden gust of wind or a short, heavy downpour. | |||
| Kannada | ಬ್ರಷ್ | ||
| The word "ಬ್ರಷ್" in Kannada, meaning brush, is also used to refer to a small broom made of grass or coconut fibers used for cleaning delicate surfaces. | |||
| Malayalam | ബ്രഷ് | ||
| The word | |||
| Marathi | ब्रश | ||
| The word 'ब्रश' can also refer to the action of touching or grazing something lightly. | |||
| Nepali | ब्रश | ||
| The word "ब्रश" in Nepali can also mean "toothbrush" or "paintbrush." | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੁਰਸ਼ | ||
| The word "ਬੁਰਸ਼" (brush) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "varṣa" (to sprinkle or rain), which is also the origin of the English word "verse". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බුරුසුව | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "බුරුසුව" can also mean "besom" or "sweepings" and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "bharuk" meaning "broom" or "bristle." | |||
| Tamil | தூரிகை | ||
| The Tamil word 'தூரிகை' (brush) is also used to refer to a 'tuft' or 'small cluster' in some contexts. | |||
| Telugu | బ్రష్ | ||
| The word "brush" in Telugu can also mean a type of broom or a paintbrush. | |||
| Urdu | برش | ||
| The Urdu word "برش" (brush) also means "a stroke made with a brush" | |||
Brush in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 刷 | ||
| The character "刷" can also refer to the act of scrolling or swiping on a computer or phone screen. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 刷 | ||
| The character "刷" also means "to swipe," "to scrub," or "to card." | |||
| Japanese | みがきます | ||
| '磨く' can also mean to refine or polish (eg. skills) rather than simply scrubbing something. | |||
| Korean | 브러시 | ||
| In Korean, "브러시" can also refer to a kind of hairstyle or a type of calligraphy brush | |||
| Mongolian | сойз | ||
| Soyz is a Mongolian word derived from the Middle Mongolian 'soyur', which also means 'to paint' and 'to draw' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြီး | ||
| The word "ဖြီး" (brush) in Myanmar can also refer to a whisp, a gentle breeze, or a light touch. | |||
Brush in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sikat | ||
| The word "sikat" can also refer to a broom or to the act of brushing | |||
| Javanese | rerumput | ||
| "Rerumput" can also mean "grass" or "vegetation". | |||
| Khmer | ជក់ | ||
| The word "ជក់" can also refer to a type of Cambodian dance, with a graceful and expressive style. | |||
| Lao | ແປງ | ||
| The Lao word for "brush" (ແປງ) can also mean "powder" or "flour". | |||
| Malay | berus | ||
| In Javanese, 'berus' also refers to a type of broom or whisk. | |||
| Thai | แปรง | ||
| แปรง derives from the Khmer word ប្រណាំង (branaṃŋ) and cognates with the Malay word "beranang" meaning "to swim". | |||
| Vietnamese | chải | ||
| "Chải" also colloquially refers to the activity of combing or grooming, reflecting the shared action of combing through or brushing over something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | brush | ||
Brush in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fırça | ||
| The word "fırça" also means "spanking" in Turkish, which derives from the Proto-Turkic word meaning "to brush or comb." | |||
| Kazakh | щетка | ||
| The Kazakh word "щетка" can also refer to a type of bird or a tool used for cleaning floors. | |||
| Kyrgyz | щетка | ||
| The word "щетка" originates from the Russian word "щётка" and means "brush" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | хасу | ||
| The Tajik word "хасу" (brush) also refers to a type of coarse woolen cloth used for making winter clothing. | |||
| Turkmen | çotga | ||
| Uzbek | cho'tka | ||
| The word "cho'tka" also refers to a hairbrush or a shaving brush in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | چوتكا | ||
Brush in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palaki | ||
| Palaki can also refer to a broom made of coconut leaves used to sweep dirt and rubbish. | |||
| Maori | paraihe | ||
| Paraihe can also refer to a 'comb' or 'broom', sharing the same root word as 'para' meaning 'to scratch'. | |||
| Samoan | pulumu | ||
| The Samoan word 'pulumu' also means 'to rub' or 'to scratch'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magsipilyo | ||
| The Tagalog word "magsipilyo" can also mean "to brush one's teeth" or "to comb one's hair."} | |||
Brush in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sipillaña | ||
| Guarani | kytyha | ||
Brush in International Languages
| Esperanto | peniko | ||
| "Peniko" shares root word "pen" with "penetrate", hence its name means tool that "penetrates" ink into paper | |||
| Latin | setis | ||
| The Latin word "setis" can also refer to bristles or a mane of hair. | |||
Brush in Others Languages
| Greek | βούρτσα | ||
| The word 'βούρτσα' likely originated from the Old Bulgarian word 'врѣдъ', which meant 'to thresh'. | |||
| Hmong | txhuam | ||
| The word "txhuam" derives from Proto-Hmong-Mien *C-r̥wam, meaning "broom, brush, feather." | |||
| Kurdish | firçe | ||
| In Kurdish, the word "firçe" can also refer to hair or feathers that are bristly or coarse. | |||
| Turkish | fırça | ||
| In Turkish, "fırça" can also mean a "lash", a "bristle", or an "insulting remark." | |||
| Xhosa | ibrashi | ||
| "Ibrashi" is derived from the Zulu word "ibhulashi," which also means "paint brush". | |||
| Yiddish | באַרשט | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַרשט" ("borsht") is derived from the Slavic word "борщ" ("beetroot soup"), but it can also refer to a type of brush used for painting or cleaning. | |||
| Zulu | ibhulashi | ||
| Ibhuhulashi, loosely translated as "whisk" or "brush", can also mean "the one who shakes". | |||
| Assamese | বাছ | ||
| Aymara | sipillaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कूंची | ||
| Dhivehi | ބްރަޝް | ||
| Dogri | बुरश | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | brush | ||
| Guarani | kytyha | ||
| Ilocano | idamgis | ||
| Krio | brɔsh | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فڵچە | ||
| Maithili | ब्रुश | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯦꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | hru | ||
| Oromo | burushii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ରଶ୍ | ||
| Quechua | ñaqcha | ||
| Sanskrit | भृष्ट | ||
| Tatar | щетка | ||
| Tigrinya | ብሩሽ | ||
| Tsonga | burhachi | ||