Child in Different Languages
Discover 'Child' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'child' holds a profound significance in every culture, representing innocence, vulnerability, and the promise of a bright future. Its cultural importance is evident in the way children are cherished, nurtured, and educated around the world. Understanding the translation of 'child' in different languages can open doors to cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human experience.
Did you know that the English word 'child' comes from the Old English 'cild', which originally referred to a fetus or young human being? Or that in some cultures, children are considered sacred, embodying the hopes and dreams of entire communities?
Here are some translations of 'child' in various languages, showcasing the rich tapestry of human language and culture:
Child
Child in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kind | ||
| The Afrikaans word "kind" is derived from the Dutch word "kind" and originally meant "child", but now also has the meaning of "type" or "species". | |||
| Amharic | ልጅ | ||
| In Amharic, "ልጅ" can also mean "descendant" or "offspring". | |||
| Hausa | yaro | ||
| In some African languages such as Hausa, the word "yaro" can also be used to refer to a young male, a boy, and a young man, especially in the context of friendship, affection or endearment. | |||
| Igbo | nwa | ||
| The Igbo word 'nwa' also means 'seed', reflecting the idea that children are the seeds of a family's future. | |||
| Malagasy | zaza | ||
| The word "zaza" in Malagasy can also mean "descendant" or "heir". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwana | ||
| In Malawi, the word "mwana" not only denotes a child but is also often used as a term of endearment for young people in general. | |||
| Shona | mwana | ||
| The word "mwana" in Shona can also refer to a nephew or niece, or a younger friend or associate. | |||
| Somali | cunug | ||
| In Somali, "cunug" can also refer to a descendant or offspring of a person or animal. | |||
| Sesotho | ngoana | ||
| Although 'ngoana' is generally translated as 'child,' it can also refer to a young animal or a young person. | |||
| Swahili | mtoto | ||
| In Swahili, 'mtoto' not only refers to a 'child' but also to 'the young of animals' and can be used figuratively to mean 'a new or immature thing'. | |||
| Xhosa | umntwana | ||
| The Xhosa word "umntwana" can refer to both a human child and a young animal. | |||
| Yoruba | ọmọ | ||
| "Ọmọ" can also mean "matter", "cause", or "issue", depending on the context. | |||
| Zulu | ingane | ||
| "Ingane" also refers to the younger brother, sister, cousin, nephew, or niece of one's own parents or siblings. | |||
| Bambara | denmisɛn | ||
| Ewe | ɖevi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwana | ||
| Lingala | mwana | ||
| Luganda | omwaana | ||
| Sepedi | ngwana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abɔfra | ||
Child in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طفل | ||
| The word "طفل" also means "baby" and is derived from the verb "طفل" meaning "to be soft" or "tender". | |||
| Hebrew | יֶלֶד | ||
| The Hebrew word "יֶלֶד" (yeled) denotes a "child," but it also means a "boy" or "young man." | |||
| Pashto | ماشوم | ||
| Pashto word “ماشوم” (child) in Urdu means “innocent”, derived from Arabic.”} | |||
| Arabic | طفل | ||
| The word "طفل" also means "baby" and is derived from the verb "طفل" meaning "to be soft" or "tender". | |||
Child in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fëmijë | ||
| In Albanian, the word "fëmijë" can also refer to a "baby" or a "youngster". | |||
| Basque | ume | ||
| The Basque word "ume" can also mean "young", "small", or "immature". | |||
| Catalan | nen | ||
| "Nen" is also used colloquially to refer to a boyfriend or lover. | |||
| Croatian | dijete | ||
| The Croatian word "dijete" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *dětę, meaning "sucker" or "small child". | |||
| Danish | barn | ||
| In Danish, the word "barn" not only means "child" but also refers to an orphan or an illegitimate child. | |||
| Dutch | kind | ||
| The Dutch word "kind" not only refers to a child, but also to a "type" or "category" of something. | |||
| English | child | ||
| The word 'child' derives from the Proto-Germanic '*kildon', meaning 'male youth, young person'. | |||
| French | enfant | ||
| "Enfant" also means "son" or "daughter" in French | |||
| Frisian | bern | ||
| Frisian "bern" derives from Old Frisian "bern" (meaning "noble child or warrior") and Old Saxon "barn" (meaning "free person"). | |||
| Galician | neno | ||
| Galician word 'neno' is also used for a boy younger than 7 or an infant. | |||
| German | kind | ||
| The German word "Kind" also means "sort" and is related to the English word "kind"} | |||
| Icelandic | barn | ||
| The Icelandic word "barn" can also refer to a child's grandchild or a child's great-grandchild. | |||
| Irish | leanbh | ||
| The name of the Irish folk tale character Fionn mac Cumhaill contains the word "leanbh" meaning "child" as well as "calf" or "fawn." | |||
| Italian | bambino | ||
| The word "bambino" derives from the Latin "infans" meaning "unable to speak," a reference to the developmental stage of babies. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kand | ||
| "Kand" can also refer to a godchild in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | tifel | ||
| The Maltese word "tifel" is derived from the Arabic word "tifl," meaning "boy" or "child," and is also used in other Semitic languages with similar meanings. | |||
| Norwegian | barn | ||
| The word "barn" in Norwegian can also refer to a child of either gender, and is related to the English word "born". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | criança | ||
| The Portuguese word "criança" derives from the Latin word "creare", meaning "to create" or "to bring into being". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leanabh | ||
| "Leanabh" can also mean "offspring", "infant" or "baby". | |||
| Spanish | niño | ||
| "Niño" in Spanish can also refer to a young disciple of Christ or the Christ Child. | |||
| Swedish | barn | ||
| In Swedish, the word "barn" has the same dual meaning of "child" and "maternity or paternity leave." | |||
| Welsh | plentyn | ||
| The word "plentyn" is also used to refer to a young animal or a small object. | |||
Child in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзіця | ||
| "Дзіця": от общеславянского *дѣте; также «ребёнок; молодое существо, существо младшего возраста» | |||
| Bosnian | dijete | ||
| The Bosnian word "dijete" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "děti", which also means "child" in Croatian, Serbian, and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | дете | ||
| "Дете" can also mean "infant" and "youngling" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dítě | ||
| "Dítě" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dětiē, meaning both "child" and "deed," and is related to the Sanskrit word dhitá, meaning "daughter." | |||
| Estonian | laps | ||
| The Estonian word “laps” also denotes the laps on a racetrack, the brim of a hat, or even a wave | |||
| Finnish | lapsi | ||
| "Lapsi" is derived from Proto-Finnic *laptsɨ, which in turn comes from Proto-Uralic *lapti, meaning "newborn," or "young." | |||
| Hungarian | gyermek | ||
| "Gyermek" also means "offspring" in Old Hungarian, and is cognate to the Slavic word "chréma" meaning "spittle". | |||
| Latvian | bērns | ||
| Bērns is also a term of endearment for a spouse or lover in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | vaikas | ||
| The word "vaikas" is also used to refer to a male child specifically, as opposed to "mergaitė" (girl). | |||
| Macedonian | дете | ||
| The word "дете" derives from the Proto-Slavic word děte, meaning "offspring" or "young one". | |||
| Polish | dziecko | ||
| Dziecko, originally "little wonder," is related to Czech "dívka" (girl), Slovak "dievča" and Russian "дева" (maiden). | |||
| Romanian | copil | ||
| In Romanian, the word "copil" not only means "child" but also "illegitimate child". | |||
| Russian | ребенок | ||
| The word «ребенок» derives from старославянское «ребѧ», or «slave» or dependent. | |||
| Serbian | дете | ||
| It is a term of endearment for a young person or a pet. | |||
| Slovak | dieťa | ||
| Dieťa (meaning child in Slovak) is derived from Proto-Slavic *dětę, which also means offspring. | |||
| Slovenian | otrok | ||
| "Otrok" is derived from Proto-Slavic *otroku, which stems from the Proto-Indo-European root *otr-, meaning "swelling, pregnancy; womb". | |||
| Ukrainian | дитина | ||
| 'Дитина' derives from an Old Slavic word 'dětište' ('child'), which also appears in other Slavic languages, and shares common roots with the words 'діто' ('baby'), 'діт' ('offspring'), and 'мати' ('mother'). | |||
Child in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শিশু | ||
| The word "শিশু" derives from the Proto-Indo-Aryan word *śiśu-*, meaning "young one" or "infant". | |||
| Gujarati | બાળક | ||
| The word 'બાળક' can also mean 'a young animal' or 'a descendant'. | |||
| Hindi | बच्चा | ||
| The word "बच्चा" can also refer to a small animal or an immature person. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಗು | ||
| The word "ಮಗು" in Kannada can also mean "boy" or "son", and is derived from the Dravidian root "mak" meaning "to be born". | |||
| Malayalam | കുട്ടി | ||
| The word "കുട്ടി" in Malayalam can also refer to a small or young thing, such as a small animal or a young plant. | |||
| Marathi | मूल | ||
| In Sanskrit, "mūla" means "root" or "source" and signifies the child as the root of the family tree. | |||
| Nepali | बच्चा | ||
| "बच्चा" is also an affectionate term for a young girlfriend. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੱਚਾ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਬੱਚਾ" (bachcha) can also refer to a young animal or a pet. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ළමා | ||
| The word 'ළමා' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'balaka' meaning 'young' or 'immature'. | |||
| Tamil | குழந்தை | ||
| The word 'குழந்தை' (child) derives from the Proto-Dravidian root '*kūḻ-' meaning 'small' or 'young.' | |||
| Telugu | పిల్లవాడు | ||
| The word `పిల్లవాడు` can also mean a young animal, a younger brother, or someone who is naive or inexperienced. | |||
| Urdu | بچہ | ||
| The word "بچہ" can also mean "son" or "pupil" in Urdu. | |||
Child in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 儿童 | ||
| '儿童' literally means 'child of a person' as it is composed of the characters for 'person' and 'child'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 兒童 | ||
| "兒童" literally means "young human" in Chinese (Traditional). | |||
| Japanese | 子 | ||
| The character "子" can also mean "servant", "monk", or "female". | |||
| Korean | 아이 | ||
| 아이 is also the archaic root word for "love" in Korean, and is used in compounds such as 애인 (lover) and 애정 (affection). | |||
| Mongolian | хүүхэд | ||
| The Mongolian word "хүүхэд" can also mean "descendant" or "offspring". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကလေး | ||
| The word "ကလေး" can also refer to a "young animal" or "a younger person". | |||
Child in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | anak | ||
| "Anak" is derived from Proto-Austronesian "*anak" (child, offspring), but also means "son" and "younger sibling" in various Indonesian dialects. | |||
| Javanese | bocah | ||
| Javanese word "bocah" derives from "bochah" which can also mean "a person who is inexperienced" | |||
| Khmer | កូន | ||
| The word "កូន" can also refer to a young animal, a person of low rank, or a disciple. | |||
| Lao | ເດັກນ້ອຍ | ||
| Malay | anak | ||
| The word "anak" in Malay also means "son" or "daughter" and can be used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Thai | เด็ก | ||
| The Thai word "เด็ก" derives from Pali, meaning both "young, small, or insignificant" and "a boy". | |||
| Vietnamese | đứa trẻ | ||
| "Đứa trẻ" can also mean "the young one", especially in the animal kingdom, or a young plant or seedling. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | anak | ||
Child in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | uşaq | ||
| "Uşaq" also means "disciple" in Azerbaijani and is used in this sense in Sufism. | |||
| Kazakh | бала | ||
| The word "бала" in Kazakh can also mean "hero" or "leader". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бала | ||
| "Бала" can also refer to "boy", "calf", or "baby camel" | |||
| Tajik | кӯдак | ||
| The Tajik word "кӯдак" is related to the Sanskrit word "कुमार" (kumāra), which also means "child". | |||
| Turkmen | çaga | ||
| Uzbek | bola | ||
| "Bola" in Uzbek, is the second born of a family, and it's also used to refer to a boy of any age | |||
| Uyghur | بالا | ||
Child in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | keiki | ||
| The word 'keiki' is also used to refer to a younger sibling, a godchild, or a student | |||
| Maori | tamaiti | ||
| The word "tamaiti" can also refer to the younger sibling, regardless of gender. | |||
| Samoan | tamaititi | ||
| The term 'tamaititi' can also refer to a young sibling regardless of gender. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | anak | ||
| Derived from Proto-Austronesian *anak, meaning 'offspring', 'young', or 'child'. Also used in a figurative sense to refer to disciples, followers, or subordinates. | |||
Child in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wawa | ||
| Guarani | mitã | ||
Child in International Languages
| Esperanto | infano | ||
| The word "infano" is derived from the French word "enfant" and also means "descendant" or "minor". | |||
| Latin | puer | ||
| "Puer" was also used in Latin to refer to a male slave, especially one who worked as a cupbearer. | |||
Child in Others Languages
| Greek | παιδί | ||
| The Greek word "παιδί" can also refer to a young servant or slave. | |||
| Hmong | menyuam | ||
| The word "menyuam" also refers to nephews and nieces when addressing them from a parental perspective. | |||
| Kurdish | zarok | ||
| In Kurdish, the word "zarok" can also refer to a "descendant" or a "pupil". | |||
| Turkish | çocuk | ||
| "Çocuk" is the Turkish word for "child", but it also has the alternate meaning of "slave" or "serf". | |||
| Xhosa | umntwana | ||
| The Xhosa word "umntwana" can refer to both a human child and a young animal. | |||
| Yiddish | קינד | ||
| The Yiddish word "kind(er)" also refers to a male teenager or young adult. | |||
| Zulu | ingane | ||
| "Ingane" also refers to the younger brother, sister, cousin, nephew, or niece of one's own parents or siblings. | |||
| Assamese | শিশু | ||
| Aymara | wawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | बच्चा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުޑަކުއްޖާ | ||
| Dogri | बच्चा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | anak | ||
| Guarani | mitã | ||
| Ilocano | ubing | ||
| Krio | pikin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | منداڵ | ||
| Maithili | नेना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | naupang | ||
| Oromo | daa'ima | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପିଲା | ||
| Quechua | warma | ||
| Sanskrit | बालः | ||
| Tatar | бала | ||
| Tigrinya | ህፃን | ||
| Tsonga | n'wana | ||