Buck in Different Languages
Discover 'Buck' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'buck' is a small but mighty term, carrying a range of meanings and cultural significance. Originally referring to a male deer, 'buck' has evolved to represent strength, courage, and determination. It's also a versatile term, used in expressions like 'pass the buck' and 'buckle down,' and as slang for a dollar in the United States. But what about in other languages? Understanding the translation of 'buck' in different languages can offer a glimpse into the cultural nuances of various countries.
For instance, in German, 'Bock' can mean 'billy goat' or 'enjoyment,' while in Spanish, 'macho' is the term for a male animal, including a buck. In French, 'bouc' is the word for a male goat, but interestingly, 'buck' is also used in nautical language to refer to a type of knot. These translations not only help us communicate effectively across languages but also reveal fascinating cultural contexts.
Buck
Buck in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bok | ||
| "Bok" in Afrikaans can also refer to a police officer. | |||
| Amharic | ባክ | ||
| In Amharic, ባክ (buck) can also refer to a small amount of money or a specific type of traditional coffee maker. | |||
| Hausa | gara | ||
| "Gara" also means "horse" or "donkey" in different Hausa dialects. | |||
| Igbo | ego | ||
| In the Igbo language, the word “ego” has the primary meaning of “male deer” but can also refer to “money.” | |||
| Malagasy | buck | ||
| The Malagasy word "buck" shares its root with the English "buck", meaning male deer, but in Malagasy specifically refers to a male goat | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tonde | ||
| Some Nyanja dialects have a phrase 'tonde la mtima' which may be translated as 'to be heartbroken' or 'to have a heavy heart'. | |||
| Shona | buck | ||
| 'Buck' in Shona may also refer to a male person or an adult male animal, similar to 'bull' in English. | |||
| Somali | lacag | ||
| The word 'lacag' also translates to cash and money, which might have been derived from its use in the traditional Somali barter system where livestock served as a form of currency. | |||
| Sesotho | buck | ||
| The Sesotho word "buck" can also mean "young man" or an act of "jumping". | |||
| Swahili | mume | ||
| "Mume" also means "husband" in Swahili, and is related to the Proto-Bantu word "*mwɑːmiː" meaning "owner" or "master." | |||
| Xhosa | inyamakazi | ||
| As the word 'inyamakazi' means both 'buck' and 'man', a Xhosa hunter would only call the animal inyamakazi ('meat of a buck animal') as opposed to inyama yendoda ('meat of a human man'). | |||
| Yoruba | ẹtu | ||
| The word ẹtu in Yoruba also means a type of masquerade or an animal trap made with a gourd. | |||
| Zulu | impunzi | ||
| In Zulu, 'impunzi' has the secondary meanings of 'man' or 'male' and is used in the idiom 'impuzi yendoda' to describe a 'manly man', emphasising strength and courage. | |||
| Bambara | buck | ||
| Ewe | buck | ||
| Kinyarwanda | buck | ||
| Lingala | buck ya mbongo | ||
| Luganda | buck | ||
| Sepedi | buck | ||
| Twi (Akan) | buck | ||
Buck in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دولار | ||
| The word "دولار" (dollar) in Arabic can also refer to a type of silver coin minted in the Middle Ages. | |||
| Hebrew | דוֹלָר | ||
| The word "דוֹלָר" (dollar) in Hebrew comes from the German word "Thaler", which was a large silver coin used in Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries. | |||
| Pashto | وړه | ||
| The Pashto word "وړه" can also refer to a "male deer" or a "buck with large antlers". | |||
| Arabic | دولار | ||
| The word "دولار" (dollar) in Arabic can also refer to a type of silver coin minted in the Middle Ages. | |||
Buck in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dollar | ||
| In Albanian, "dollar" is colloquially called "dolar" or "bak", which also means "money" or "currency" in general. | |||
| Basque | txapela | ||
| The word 'txapela', originally 'txapel', comes from the Latin 'cappellus' (hat). | |||
| Catalan | dòlar | ||
| In Catalan, 'dòlar' shares the same root as 'talar' ('to cut'), referring to the silver coins that were cut from a larger piece. | |||
| Croatian | mužjak | ||
| The word 'mužjak' can also be used to describe someone who exhibits masculine characteristics or a malevolent spirit in Croatian folklore. | |||
| Danish | sorteper | ||
| Sorteper's origins are traced to the early Danish word "sorthapre," meaning "dark brown or black horse," and was first used to describe the colour of a deer. | |||
| Dutch | bok | ||
| In Dutch, "bok" can also refer to a male sheep or goat. | |||
| English | buck | ||
| In slang, "buck" can refer to a dollar bill. | |||
| French | mâle | ||
| The word “mâle” originates from the Latin word “masculus”, meaning “male” and can sometimes be an alternate way of referring to a human man. | |||
| Frisian | bok | ||
| "Bock" also refers to a kind of beer that first emerged in Einbeck around 1378 and later gained popularity in Germany and the Czech Republic. | |||
| Galician | buck | ||
| In Galician, "buck" also means "male deer" and is related to the word "bouquet". | |||
| German | bock | ||
| The word "Bock" can also refer to a type of beer, a billy goat, or a mistake. | |||
| Icelandic | peningur | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "peningur" can also refer to a large coin or a small amount of money. | |||
| Irish | boc | ||
| In Irish, "boc" literally translates to "he-goat" but also means "male deer" and "male hare". | |||
| Italian | secchio | ||
| "Secchio" comes from the Latin word "situs" (dry), but can also mean a "bucket" or a "basin". | |||
| Luxembourgish | buck | ||
| Luxembourgish: “Bock” has three meanings: male deer, goat, or a low sturdy horse. | |||
| Maltese | buck | ||
| The word "buck" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "bocca" which means "mouth" and can also refer to "a kiss" or a "mouthful of food". | |||
| Norwegian | bukk | ||
| In the Norwegian language, "bukk" not only means "buck" but also refers to a polite bow or a small farm or homestead in Telemark | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bode | ||
| "Bode" in Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil) comes from the Latin word "bovidus", meaning "ox" or "cattle". Despite its literal meaning, it is also used as a slang term for an old car. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | boc | ||
| Boc also means "ram, he-goat, stag, bull"} | |||
| Spanish | dólar | ||
| The Spanish word "dólar" comes from the German "thaler". The word "thaler" originally referred to a type of coin minted in the 16th century in the Holy Roman Empire. | |||
| Swedish | bock | ||
| In Swedish, "bock" can also refer to a specific type of beer and to the animal goat. | |||
| Welsh | bwch | ||
| The etymology of 'bwch' is obscure, perhaps from an Indo-European root, also 'boch' ('swollen') | |||
Buck in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | даляр | ||
| The word "даляр" (buck) derives from the German "Taler". | |||
| Bosnian | buck | ||
| In Bosnian, “buck” is also a verb meaning “to curse, swear” or “to fool”. | |||
| Bulgarian | долар | ||
| The Bulgarian word "долар" can also refer to a type of silver coin minted in Maria Theresa's era and used throughout the Ottoman Empire. | |||
| Czech | dolar | ||
| In Czech, "dolar" can also refer to a "dollar" as a unit of currency. | |||
| Estonian | buck | ||
| In Estonian, the word "buck" can also refer to a horse or a sheep, and it is related to the German word "Bock". | |||
| Finnish | buck | ||
| In Finnish, "buck" also means "male deer" or "male rabbit." | |||
| Hungarian | bak | ||
| In Hungarian, "bak" also means "look" or "watch". | |||
| Latvian | buks | ||
| The Latvian word "buks" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bheug-", meaning "to bend". It can also mean "corner" or "hip". | |||
| Lithuanian | spardytis | ||
| The word "spardytis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sper-", meaning "to kick" or "to jump", and is cognate with the Latin word "spargere", meaning "to scatter" or "to sow". | |||
| Macedonian | долар | ||
| The word "долар" can also refer to the US dollar, or to a large sum of money in general. | |||
| Polish | bryknięcie | ||
| "Bryknięcie" (buck) in Polish also means "a stumble" or "a fall". | |||
| Romanian | dolar | ||
| In Romanian, "dolar" means "buck", but can also refer to the Canadian dollar or Australian dollar | |||
| Russian | доллар | ||
| The Russian word "доллар" (dollar) is also used to refer to the American dollar specifically. | |||
| Serbian | долар | ||
| The Serbian word "долар" derives from the German "Taler" and originally referred to a silver coin. | |||
| Slovak | dolár | ||
| The word “dolár” is also used in Slovak to describe deer antlers. | |||
| Slovenian | dolar | ||
| In Slovenian, "dolar" can also refer to a silver coin or a unit of silver. | |||
| Ukrainian | долар | ||
| In Ukrainian slang, it can also refer to counterfeit US dollars. | |||
Buck in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বক | ||
| The Bengali word "বক" (bok) also refers to a kind of heron. | |||
| Gujarati | હરણ | ||
| "Harana" (हरण), meaning "deer" in Gujarati, also denotes the act of kidnapping in Hindi/Sanskrit because deer were seen as symbols of beauty. | |||
| Hindi | बक | ||
| "बक" (buck) is the name of a demon in Hindu mythology. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಕ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಬಕ್" (buck) also holds meanings of "male deer", "money", "rupee" and "a rupee coin". | |||
| Malayalam | ബക്ക് | ||
| The word "buck" in Malayalam can also refer to a type of antelope or a young male deer. | |||
| Marathi | बोकड | ||
| The term "बोकड" in Marathi can also refer to a type of small, round wooden container used for storing spices or other small items. | |||
| Nepali | पैसा | ||
| Nepali पैसा 'coin' derives from an Indic dialect word for copper, and also relates to English 'peso' and French 'pecune'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਿਸਾਬ | ||
| "Hisab" is also a term used in Punjabi wrestling, referring to a specific hold in which one wrestler wraps their arms around their opponent and attempts to lift them off their feet. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බාල්දිය | ||
| The word "බාල්දිය" also means "young girl" in Sinhala, which is its original meaning. | |||
| Tamil | பக் | ||
| The Tamil word 'பக்' ('buck') is a loanword from English, but is also homophonous with the native Tamil root word 'பக்' (pag) meaning 'to divide' or 'to separate'. | |||
| Telugu | బక్ | ||
| The word "buck" can also mean a male deer or a dollar (currency) in English. | |||
| Urdu | ہرن | ||
| The word 'ہرں' is also used to refer to the doe of red deer in some dialects. | |||
Buck in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 降压 | ||
| It is also used as a translation of 'buck' in the sense of 'to throw off a rider' or 'to defy authority'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 降壓 | ||
| "降壓" means "to reduce pressure" in Chinese, and is also used to describe a type of electrical converter that reduces voltage. | |||
| Japanese | 降圧 | ||
| The Japanese word "降圧" can also refer to a decrease in blood pressure. | |||
| Korean | 책임 | ||
| 책임 can also mean "responsibility" in Korean, but it's not to be confused with the similar-looking term 책임감 ("sense of responsibility") | |||
| Mongolian | бак | ||
| The Mongolian word "бак" (buck) also means "male", "man", "boyfriend", "husband" and "father". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခေါ | ||
| In Burmese, "ခေါ" can also refer to the male of certain animals, such as a boar or buffalo. | |||
Buck in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | uang | ||
| The word "uang" in Indonesian is derived from the Chinese word "wang" and also means "money" or "currency". | |||
| Javanese | dhuwit | ||
| In Javanese, 'dhuwit' primarily refers to money, but it can also mean 'deer' or 'fortune', reflecting its historical association with the value placed on deer during the Majapahit era. | |||
| Khmer | buck | ||
| The word "buck" in Khmer can also mean "male deer" or "money". | |||
| Lao | ຄຸ | ||
| "ຄຸ" is sometimes used as a term of endearment for a child. | |||
| Malay | wang kertas | ||
| "Wang kertas" can also refer to banknotes in Malay | |||
| Thai | เจ้าชู้ | ||
| Vietnamese | cái xô | ||
| The word `Cái xô` can also refer to a bucket or pail, highlighting its dual role in both animal care and everyday household use. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buck | ||
Buck in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dollar | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word | |||
| Kazakh | бак | ||
| "Бак" in Kazakh also means "frog" or "toad." | |||
| Kyrgyz | бак | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "бак" can also mean "hero" or "warrior." | |||
| Tajik | бак | ||
| The word "бак" ("buck") in Tajik can also mean "goat" or "ram". | |||
| Turkmen | bag | ||
| Uzbek | buk | ||
| In Uzbek, "buk" also means "stag" or "male deer." | |||
| Uyghur | buck | ||
Buck in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻolokaʻa | ||
| ʻOlokaʻa can also mean to "cut off" or "behead" in Hawaiian, reflecting the destructive nature of bucks. | |||
| Maori | buck | ||
| In Maori, "buck" can also refer to a male sheep. | |||
| Samoan | buck | ||
| The Samoan word "buck" is cognate with the English word "buck", both ultimately deriving from the Proto-Germanic word *bukkaz. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | balahibo | ||
| In the 17th century, 'balahibo' referred more broadly to 'animal fur' | |||
Buck in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | buck | ||
| Guarani | buck | ||
Buck in International Languages
| Esperanto | virbesto | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "virbesto" can also refer to a male deer or a ram. | |||
| Latin | hircum | ||
| The Latin word 'hircum' originally referred to a young goat, possibly from the Indo-European root 'ker' meaning 'horn'. | |||
Buck in Others Languages
| Greek | αίξ | ||
| The word “αίξ” can also refer to “a storm” and “the goat constellation”. | |||
| Hmong | phaws muaslwj | ||
| The word "phaws muaslwj" can also refer to a male deer. | |||
| Kurdish | qeşmer | ||
| The word "qeşmer" also means "a male goat" or "a male sheep" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | kova | ||
| "Kovalama" fiilinden türemiştir ve bir şeyi peşinden koşmak anlamına da gelebilir. | |||
| Xhosa | inyamakazi | ||
| As the word 'inyamakazi' means both 'buck' and 'man', a Xhosa hunter would only call the animal inyamakazi ('meat of a buck animal') as opposed to inyama yendoda ('meat of a human man'). | |||
| Yiddish | באַק | ||
| "Yiddish bucks" can be deer, males or dollars | |||
| Zulu | impunzi | ||
| In Zulu, 'impunzi' has the secondary meanings of 'man' or 'male' and is used in the idiom 'impuzi yendoda' to describe a 'manly man', emphasising strength and courage. | |||
| Assamese | বাক | ||
| Aymara | buck | ||
| Bhojpuri | बक के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަކަރިއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | बक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buck | ||
| Guarani | buck | ||
| Ilocano | buck | ||
| Krio | bɔk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باک | ||
| Maithili | बक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯛ | ||
| Mizo | buck a ni | ||
| Oromo | buqqee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାଲ | ||
| Quechua | buck | ||
| Sanskrit | बक | ||
| Tatar | бак | ||
| Tigrinya | buck | ||
| Tsonga | buck | ||