Chest in Different Languages
Discover 'Chest' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'chest' carries significant meaning in English, referring to the upper part of the human body between the neck and the abdomen, as well as a piece of furniture used for storage. This word has cultural importance, as it is featured in numerous idioms and phrases, such as 'chest of drawers' or 'chest pain.' Moreover, it is used metaphorically to describe emotional states, as in 'chest full of pride.'
Understanding the translation of 'chest' in different languages can provide insight into how other cultures view this part of the body and the concept of storage. For instance, in Spanish, 'chest' is 'pecho,' while in French, it is 'poitrine.' In German, 'chest' is 'Brust,' and in Japanese, it is 'Mune.'
These translations highlight the diversity of languages and cultures, and how a single word can have multiple meanings and connotations. By learning these translations, we can deepen our appreciation for the richness of human language and culture.
Chest
Chest in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bors | ||
| The word "bors" is also used in Afrikaans to refer to a man's torso or upper body. | |||
| Amharic | የደረት | ||
| The word "የደረት" can also mean "the front of an object" or "the place where two objects meet". | |||
| Hausa | kirji | ||
| Hausa word "kirji" likely derives from either "kiriya" (small box) or "kurji" (seat). | |||
| Igbo | obi | ||
| Igbo obi derives from the word ube, meaning 'heart of the house'. | |||
| Malagasy | tratra | ||
| "Tratra" originates from the Sanskrit word "trista" meaning "three", possibly referring to its three sections: left, right, and midline. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chifuwa | ||
| The Nyanja word 'chifuwa' refers specifically to the chest of a female, while 'fupa' is the general term for chest. | |||
| Shona | chifuva | ||
| The word "chifuva" also means "a chest full of valuable things" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | laabta | ||
| The alternate meaning of “laabta” is the “lab” (rib) part of the chest of a human being as well as the “lap” (ribs) part of the chest of animal. | |||
| Sesotho | sefuba | ||
| The word 'sefuba' also carries the metaphorical connotation of 'a secret that should be guarded' due to its usage in the phrase, 'sefuba sa lengoana.' | |||
| Swahili | kifua | ||
| The word 'kifua' shares a root with 'kupumua,' meaning 'to breathe,' emphasizing the chest as the center of respiration. | |||
| Xhosa | isifuba | ||
| While "isifuba" is best known to mean "chest" in Xhosa, it can also carry a more metaphorical meaning - "the heart", or "the seat of emotions". | |||
| Yoruba | àyà | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "ààyà" also refers to the mind or consciousness in Yoruba spirituality. | |||
| Zulu | isifuba | ||
| The word 'isifuba' can also refer to a person's torso or their inner self. | |||
| Bambara | disi | ||
| Ewe | akᴐta | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igituza | ||
| Lingala | ntolo | ||
| Luganda | ekifuba | ||
| Sepedi | kgara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kokoɔ | ||
Chest in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صدر | ||
| In the Quran and some classical Arabic texts, “صدر” has the additional alternate meaning of ‘front’ | |||
| Hebrew | חזה | ||
| The word "חזה" (chest) also means "vision" or "prophecy" in Hebrew, as it referred to the area of the body where it was believed that the soul resided and from which visions emanated. | |||
| Pashto | سينه | ||
| The word "سينه" also refers to the lungs or the respiratory system in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | صدر | ||
| In the Quran and some classical Arabic texts, “صدر” has the additional alternate meaning of ‘front’ | |||
Chest in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjoksin | ||
| The word "gjoksin" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*gŏksinŏ", which means "bosom" or "breast". | |||
| Basque | bularra | ||
| The word "bularra" may also refer to a person's chest of drawers. | |||
| Catalan | pit | ||
| In Catalan, "pit" can also refer to the "core", "pulp" or "stone" of a fruit | |||
| Croatian | prsa | ||
| Danish | bryst | ||
| The Danish word "bryst" also means "breast" in English, and is cognate with the English word "breast". | |||
| Dutch | borst | ||
| The Dutch word "borst" can also refer to the female breast or an animal's chest or torso. | |||
| English | chest | ||
| The word 'chest' derives from the Latin word 'cista', meaning a box or container. | |||
| French | poitrine | ||
| The French word "poitrine" comes from the Latin word "pectus" meaning "breast" or "thorax". | |||
| Frisian | boarst | ||
| "Boarst" in Frisian is a cognate of "breast" in English. "Boarst" can also refer to the torso or the human figure more generally. | |||
| Galician | peito | ||
| In Galician, "peito" also means "affection" or "care" and is related to the Latin word "pectus", from which the English word "pectoral" derives. | |||
| German | truhe | ||
| The noun 'Truhe' is a diminutive of 'Trug' (old plural of 'Trog') and related to 'tragen' ('to carry') and 'Trog' ('trough'). | |||
| Icelandic | bringu | ||
| The word "bringu" can also refer to a box or container, and is derived from the Old Norse word "bring" meaning "to bring". | |||
| Irish | cófra | ||
| The Irish word "cófra" also means "coffin" and is derived from the Latin word "cophina", meaning "basket". | |||
| Italian | il petto | ||
| Luxembourgish | broscht | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Broscht" can also refer to a chest of drawers or a cupboard. | |||
| Maltese | sider | ||
| The word "sider" in Maltese is derived from the Greek word "sideros," which means "iron," and also refers to the rib cage, which protects the chest and other vital organs. | |||
| Norwegian | bryst | ||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | peito | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese, "peito" can also refer to the female breast, while in European Portuguese it has that meaning only in slang. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ciste | ||
| The word "ciste" can also refer to a coffin or a box in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | cofre | ||
| Cofre has other meanings in Spanish, including 'strongbox' and 'safe'. | |||
| Swedish | bröst | ||
| Welsh | frest | ||
| Frest also means 'treasure' or 'jewel' and is related to the Welsh word 'fres' (handsome, beautiful, noble) and the Breton 'frest' (pretty, elegant). | |||
Chest in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | грудзі | ||
| Bosnian | prsa | ||
| The word "prsa" is derived from the Proto-Slavic form *pьrsь, which also meant "breast". | |||
| Bulgarian | гръден кош | ||
| The word гръден кош derives from гръдъ (thorax) and кош (basket). | |||
| Czech | hruď | ||
| The word "hruď" in Czech also has an archaic meaning of "tomb" or "coffin", which is possibly derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "hruda" meaning "grave". | |||
| Estonian | rind | ||
| The Estonian word "rind" also means "row", "line", or "rank". | |||
| Finnish | rinnassa | ||
| The word "rinnassa" also translates to "on the breast" and shares roots with the word "ranta" which means "shore". | |||
| Hungarian | mellkas | ||
| The word "mellkas" can also refer to the front of a piece of clothing covering the chest. | |||
| Latvian | krūtīs | ||
| The word "krūtīs" (chest) derives from the same Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱr̥d" as the English word "heart". | |||
| Lithuanian | krūtinė | ||
| The word krūtinė also refers to bees' brood cells. | |||
| Macedonian | градите | ||
| The word "градите" also means "step" in Macedonian, referring to the raised platforms in front of buildings. | |||
| Polish | skrzynia | ||
| "Skrzynia" originally referred to a box used for transporting grain, but later came to mean "chest" in the sense of a container for valuables. | |||
| Romanian | cufăr | ||
| The word "cufăr" has Turkic origins and is also used in other Balkan languages. | |||
| Russian | грудь | ||
| Serbian | груди | ||
| Slovak | hrudník | ||
| The word "hrudník" can also mean a type of wooden chest used for storing clothes or other items, similar to an English "coffer"} | |||
| Slovenian | prsni koš | ||
| {"text": "The word "prsni koš" in Slovenian is a compound noun that originates from the Proto-Slavic root word "korsъ" ("basket, box"), hence the literal meaning "breast basket"."} | |||
| Ukrainian | грудей | ||
Chest in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বুক | ||
| The word 'বুক' in Bengali also refers to a wooden box or a cavity in the earth. | |||
| Gujarati | છાતી | ||
| The word "છાતી" also denotes the "front bodice of a blouse" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | छाती | ||
| In Hindi the word "छाती" not only refers to the human chest, but also to the chest of a bird or the trunk of an elephant. | |||
| Kannada | ಎದೆ | ||
| The word "ಎದೆ" can also mean "heart" or "mind" depending on the context. | |||
| Malayalam | നെഞ്ച് | ||
| Marathi | छाती | ||
| In Marathi, "छाती" (chhati) can also refer to the front of a garment or the facade of a building. | |||
| Nepali | छाती | ||
| In Nepali, the word "छाती" can also refer to the front of a garment or a type of window. | |||
| Punjabi | ਛਾਤੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පපුව | ||
| The word "පපුව" in Sinhala can also refer to the thorax or the breast. | |||
| Tamil | மார்பு | ||
| The Tamil word "மார்பு" can also be used to refer to the upper part of a tree or a plant, akin to the "trunk" in English. | |||
| Telugu | ఛాతి | ||
| Telugu word ఛాతి ('chati') also means 'a measure of weight (equivalent to 60 lbs or 27.2 kg).' | |||
| Urdu | سینے | ||
| The word "سینے" ("sine") in Urdu can also refer to the "mind" or "heart". | |||
Chest in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 胸部 | ||
| In traditional Chinese medical theory, "胸部" also refers to the upper abdomen and the area around the heart, and is not limited to the chest in the anatomical sense | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 胸部 | ||
| Chest is also written as “胸部” in simplified Chinese, which literally means “chest part”. | |||
| Japanese | 胸 | ||
| The kanji 胸 can also mean 'mind' or 'heart'. | |||
| Korean | 가슴 | ||
| "가슴" can also mean "heart" or "mind" in Korean, reflecting the belief that these are all connected. | |||
| Mongolian | цээж | ||
| The Mongolian word "цээж" originally meant "breast" but then broadened its meaning to the whole chest area. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရင်ဘတ် | ||
| The word "ရင်ဘတ်" can also refer to a person's torso or the front of a person's body. | |||
Chest in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dada | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "dada" can also refer to one's torso or chest area. | |||
| Javanese | dodo | ||
| The Javanese word "dodo" also refers to a place with large trees | |||
| Khmer | ទ្រូង | ||
| The Khmer word "ទ្រូង" (chest) is derived from the Proto-Austroasiatic word *kruŋ, which also means "heart" or "spirit". | |||
| Lao | ຫນ້າເອິກ | ||
| Malay | dada | ||
| In Malay, 'dada' also means 'elder brother', derived from its root word 'dade' which refers to an older sibling. | |||
| Thai | หน้าอก | ||
| The Thai word "หน้าอก" also has the alternate meanings "bosom" and "breast". | |||
| Vietnamese | ngực | ||
| "Ngực" can also mean "to bear a grudge against someone" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dibdib | ||
Chest in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sinə | ||
| The word "sinə" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*sin" meaning "front side". | |||
| Kazakh | кеуде | ||
| The word "кеуде" (chest) in Kazakh also refers to a person's mental state or feelings, such as "inner self" or "heart". | |||
| Kyrgyz | көкүрөк | ||
| The word "көкүрөк" may also refer to the upper part of the back in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | сандуқ | ||
| The word "сандуқ" can also refer to a type of musical instrument. | |||
| Turkmen | döş | ||
| Uzbek | ko'krak qafasi | ||
| Uyghur | كۆكرەك | ||
Chest in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | umauma | ||
| 'Umauma' may also refer to the contents of the chest, such as the lungs or heart. | |||
| Maori | pouaka | ||
| The term "pouaka" can also refer to a person's heart and thoughts, or to the container for these intangibles. | |||
| Samoan | fatafata | ||
| 'Fatafata' is derived from the Proto-Samoan term 'fata' which also means 'surface', 'area', 'top', 'side' or 'face'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | dibdib | ||
| "Dibdib" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *didi, meaning "breast". | |||
Chest in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | turax | ||
| Guarani | pyti'a | ||
Chest in International Languages
| Esperanto | brusto | ||
| The word "brusto" likely originates from the archaic word "brust" from Proto-Germanic, used in languages such as German, Dutch, and English, but not from Latin which uses "pectus" from Proto-Indo-European as "brusto" was already part of the Proto-Esperanto vocabulary. | |||
| Latin | pectus | ||
| Pectus has meanings related to the human chest in both Latin and modern medical terminology. | |||
Chest in Others Languages
| Greek | στήθος | ||
| The ancient meaning for στήθος in Greek refers to any part of the upper body between the neck and hips, and not exclusively to "chest", as it does now. | |||
| Hmong | hauv siab | ||
| Despite the literal translation of 'hau siab' being 'lungs,' it is commonly used to refer to the chest area. | |||
| Kurdish | pêxîl | ||
| The Kurdish word "pêxîl" also refers to a part of a millstone or a wooden plate used for baking bread. | |||
| Turkish | göğüs | ||
| Göğüs shares the same root with Turkish | |||
| Xhosa | isifuba | ||
| While "isifuba" is best known to mean "chest" in Xhosa, it can also carry a more metaphorical meaning - "the heart", or "the seat of emotions". | |||
| Yiddish | ברוסטקאַסטן | ||
| The word "ברוסטקאַסטן" comes from the German word "Brustkasten", which also means "chest". | |||
| Zulu | isifuba | ||
| The word 'isifuba' can also refer to a person's torso or their inner self. | |||
| Assamese | বুকু | ||
| Aymara | turax | ||
| Bhojpuri | सीना | ||
| Dhivehi | މޭ | ||
| Dogri | छाती | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dibdib | ||
| Guarani | pyti'a | ||
| Ilocano | barukong | ||
| Krio | chɛst | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سنگ | ||
| Maithili | छाती | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯕꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | awm | ||
| Oromo | laphee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଛାତି | ||
| Quechua | qasqu | ||
| Sanskrit | वक्षः | ||
| Tatar | күкрәк | ||
| Tigrinya | አፍ-ልቢ | ||
| Tsonga | xifuva | ||