Cloud in Different Languages
Discover 'Cloud' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Have you ever looked up at the sky and seen a fluffy, white cloud floating by? These natural wonders have inspired artists, poets, and daydreamers for centuries. But the word 'cloud' has taken on a whole new meaning in the digital age. In technology, 'cloud' refers to a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.
The cultural significance of clouds is vast, spanning across various art forms, literature, and mythology. For instance, in Japanese culture, clouds are often associated with spirituality and transcendence. In ancient Greece, clouds were believed to be the homes of the gods.
Understanding the translation of 'cloud' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how different cultures perceive and interpret this natural phenomenon. Here are some translations of the word 'cloud' in various languages:
Cloud
Cloud in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wolk | ||
| In the 13th century, "wolk" also meant "wool". | |||
| Amharic | ደመና | ||
| The word ደመና originally referred to a type of cloth, specifically a large piece of cotton or linen used as a wrap. | |||
| Hausa | girgije | ||
| The word "girgije" can also mean "to be covered or obscured" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | igwe ojii | ||
| Igwe ojii, the Igbo word for "cloud" also connotes heavenly bodies such as the stars and moon. | |||
| Malagasy | rahona | ||
| "Rahona" may derive from the Proto-Austronesian root *laŋit, meaning "sky, heaven". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtambo | ||
| Mtambo (cloud) is also used as a metaphor for troubles or difficulties in Chichewa. | |||
| Shona | gore | ||
| In Shona, "gore" also refers to a thick growth of vegetation or a place with dense foliage. | |||
| Somali | daruur | ||
| The Somali word "daruur" also refers to a type of mythical creature associated with storms and thunder. | |||
| Sesotho | leru | ||
| The word "leru" also refers to a shade or parasol, hinting at the cloud's function as a protector from the sun's rays. | |||
| Swahili | wingu | ||
| In Swahili, "wingu" not only refers to a cloud but also to a state of confusion or uncertainty. | |||
| Xhosa | ilifu | ||
| Xhosa: "ilifu" also refers to the spiritual state or quality that guides and protects one's life path. | |||
| Yoruba | awọsanma | ||
| The Yoruba word "awọsanma" for "cloud" might also mean "what is spread in the sky." | |||
| Zulu | ifu | ||
| In Zulu, "ifu" can also refer to a "group" or "flock" of people or animals | |||
| Bambara | kabanɔgɔ | ||
| Ewe | lilikpo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igicu | ||
| Lingala | mapata | ||
| Luganda | ekire | ||
| Sepedi | leru | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsumuna | ||
Cloud in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | غيم | ||
| The Arabic word for cloud, غيم, may also refer to darkness and mist. | |||
| Hebrew | ענן | ||
| ענן, besides its literal meaning as a cloud, also means "a multitude" or "a group" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | وريځ | ||
| Pashto وريظ (warz) is also used to mean rain or fog. | |||
| Arabic | غيم | ||
| The Arabic word for cloud, غيم, may also refer to darkness and mist. | |||
Cloud in Western European Languages
| Albanian | re | ||
| The word "re" in Albanian is also used to refer to the | |||
| Basque | hodei | ||
| The Basque word "hodei" also means "shadow" and is related to the Proto-Basque word "odoi" meaning "dark". | |||
| Catalan | núvol | ||
| The Catalan word "núvol" ultimately derives from the Latin word "nebula", meaning "mist" or "fog". | |||
| Croatian | oblak | ||
| In some Croatian dialects, the word "oblak" can also refer to a "rainstorm" or "cloudiness". | |||
| Danish | sky | ||
| "Sky" also means "shade" and is derived from the Old Norse word "skuggi". | |||
| Dutch | wolk | ||
| In German, "wolk" means "wool" as well as "cloud", and is cognate with the English word "wool". | |||
| English | cloud | ||
| The word 'cloud' originally referred to a large rock or stone, and is related to the German word 'klippe'. | |||
| French | nuage | ||
| In Old French, "nuage" originally meant "rain" or "snowfall". | |||
| Frisian | wolk | ||
| In Saterland Frisian, 'wolk' can also refer to a 'lump' or a 'roll', such as a roll of dough. | |||
| Galician | nube | ||
| In Galician, "nube" can also mean "wedding" or "foggy, wet weather". | |||
| German | wolke | ||
| The German word "Wolke" is cognate with the English "walk," and originally meant a "wool-like ball." | |||
| Icelandic | ský | ||
| The word "ský" is cognate with the English word "sky" and can also mean "shade" or "shelter" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | scamall | ||
| The Irish word "scamall" may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root "skeg"- ("to leap, jump"), referring to the ever-changing nature of clouds. | |||
| Italian | nube | ||
| In Italian, "nube" is derived from the Latin word "nubes" and can also refer to a large mass of smoke, dust, or insects. | |||
| Luxembourgish | wollek | ||
| The word "Wollek" is derived from the Middle High German word "wolke", which means "wool" or "cotton". | |||
| Maltese | sħab | ||
| In Maltese, the word "sħab" can also refer to fog, vapor, or mist | |||
| Norwegian | sky | ||
| In Norwegian, "himmel" means "cloud" but also "sky". The word "sky" is derived from the Old Norse word "ský", meaning "cloud" or "heaven". The word "sky" is also used in other Germanic languages, such as German, Dutch, and Swedish. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nuvem | ||
| In Portuguese, "nuvem" means "cloud" in both Portugal and Brazil, deriving from the Latin word "nubes". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgòth | ||
| "Sgòth" can also mean 'shelter' and is cognate to 'scutum' (shield) in Latin. | |||
| Spanish | nube | ||
| The etymology of "nube" ("cloud" in Spanish) may be linked to the Latin "nubes", meaning "to cover" or "to veil." | |||
| Swedish | moln | ||
| The word "moln" is thought to derive from the Old Norse word "molna", meaning "fine rain". | |||
| Welsh | cwmwl | ||
| The Welsh word 'cwmwl' is cognate with the Cornish word 'kemwol' and the Breton word 'koumoul', all stemming from the same Proto-Celtic word. | |||
Cloud in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | воблака | ||
| The word "воблака" can also refer to a large body of liquid, such as a lake or sea. | |||
| Bosnian | oblak | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "cloud," the word "oblak" can also refer to the upper part of a building, such as an attic. | |||
| Bulgarian | облак | ||
| The word "облак" (cloud) shares its root with "облакаться" (to dress oneself), hinting at the enveloping nature of clouds. | |||
| Czech | mrak | ||
| The word "mrak" also means "darkness" or "shadow" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | pilv | ||
| The Estonian word "pilv" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*pilwe" meaning "cloud" or "dust". | |||
| Finnish | pilvi | ||
| Pilvi, meaning "cloud" in Finnish, is related to Persian "palva" and Sanskrit "parvata" (mountain). | |||
| Hungarian | felhő | ||
| "Felhő" also refers to the cloudy, opaque quality of other phenomena such as hair or soup. | |||
| Latvian | mākonis | ||
| Etymology: probably derives from PIE *meh₂k- or *meh₃k-, "dark cloud". | |||
| Lithuanian | debesis | ||
| "Debesis" is a Lithuanian word that comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "dheubh-", meaning "to rise, to swell, to grow". In ancient Lithuania, the word "debesis" was also used to refer to a deity associated with the sky and weather. | |||
| Macedonian | облак | ||
| The word "облак" is cognate with the Russian and Polish words "облако" and "obłok", respectively, which all derive from the Proto-Slavic root *oblakъ, meaning "cloud" or "fog." | |||
| Polish | chmura | ||
| In Sanskrit 'chmur' meant 'thunder', whereas its Polish equivalent 'chmura' means a 'thunderhead' or 'storm-cloud'. | |||
| Romanian | nor | ||
| The Romanian word "nor" is derived from the Indo-European root *h₂enh₂-, meaning "to cover" or "to protect". | |||
| Russian | облако | ||
| Etymology: from Proto-Slavic *oblako, from PIE root *h₂elbʰ- ("white"). | |||
| Serbian | облак | ||
| The word 'облак' in Serbian is similar to its meaning in Russian and is also used for 'internet cloud'. | |||
| Slovak | oblak | ||
| In Slovak, "oblak" can also refer to a type of pancake. | |||
| Slovenian | oblak | ||
| The word 'oblak' also refers to an island or a continent in Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian. | |||
| Ukrainian | хмара | ||
| The Ukrainian word "хмара" has Slavic roots, and can also refer to a large quantity or multitude. | |||
Cloud in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মেঘ | ||
| The origin of "মেঘ" is "মিহ", an Indo-European word for mist and rain. | |||
| Gujarati | વાદળ | ||
| "વાદળ" can also mean 'a group of people' or 'a crowd' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | बादल | ||
| The word "बादल" (cloud) in Hindi also refers to a multitude or crowd. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೋಡ | ||
| Malayalam | മേഘം | ||
| The word "മേഘം" also means "rain" and "water" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | ढग | ||
| The word "ढग" (cloud) in Marathi is also used to refer to a large collection of insects or birds in flight. | |||
| Nepali | बादल | ||
| The word "बादल" can also mean "shadow" or "darkness" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੱਦਲ | ||
| The word "ਬੱਦਲ" in Punjabi can also refer to a flock of birds in flight. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වලාකුළු | ||
| Tamil | மேகம் | ||
| The word மேகம் (cloud) is cognate with the ancient Proto-Dravidian word (𑀫𑀯𑀔𑀣, *meka) and other Dravidian languages such as Malayalam | |||
| Telugu | మేఘం | ||
| The word "మేఘం" derives from the Sanskrit word "megha" and also refers to gathering of a large number of objects or people. | |||
| Urdu | بادل | ||
| The word "بادل" can also mean "exchange" or "alternation" in Urdu. | |||
Cloud in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 云 | ||
| The character 云 (cloud) is also used to represent 'speech' or 'talk' in Chinese slang. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 雲 | ||
| 雲 can also be used in compound words like "雲彩" (rainbow) and "雲梯" (ladder). | |||
| Japanese | 雲 | ||
| The word 雲 (kumo) also means "crowd" or "group" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 구름 | ||
| The word "구름" can also refer to a group of people or things, or a state of confusion or uncertainty. | |||
| Mongolian | үүл | ||
| The Mongolian word "үүл" (cloud) also refers to a type of fabric or felt used in traditional Mongolian clothing. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိမ်တိုက် | ||
| The root word of "တိမ်တိုက်" comes from the Austroasiatic languages, meaning "sky". It is cognate with the Mon word "dəŋ" and the Vietnamese word "đám mây", both meaning "cloud". | |||
Cloud in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | awan | ||
| The word 'awan' in Indonesian shares its root with the Sanskrit word 'abhra', also meaning 'cloud'. The word 'awan' has taken on a metaphorical meaning of 'shadow' or 'doubt'. Additionally, in certain contexts, it can also refer to a 'veil' or 'covering'. | |||
| Javanese | awan | ||
| The word "awan" in Javanese originally refers to something that covers or obscures vision. | |||
| Khmer | ពពក | ||
| ពពក (cloud) is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *paŋapaŋ, meaning 'fluffy' or 'cotton-like', and is cognate with Malay 'awan' and Fijian 'abua'. | |||
| Lao | ຟັງ | ||
| The word "ຟັງ" also means "to hear" in Lao, similar to the English word "eavesdrop" (to listen secretly). | |||
| Malay | awan | ||
| Although it usually means 'cloud,' 'awan' also refers to people of mixed Chinese and Malay heritage in Southeast Asia. | |||
| Thai | เมฆ | ||
| เมฆ originally referred to "dust" and "dirt", possibly related to the Old Khmer word "เมฆ" meaning "earth" or "soil". | |||
| Vietnamese | đám mây | ||
| The Vietnamese word "đám mây" can also refer to a group of people or things, or a meeting or gathering. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulap | ||
Cloud in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bulud | ||
| The term "bulud" is derived from the Old Turkic word "bulut", which referred to both clouds and fog. | |||
| Kazakh | бұлт | ||
| The Kazakh word "бұлт" also means "fog" or "mist." | |||
| Kyrgyz | булут | ||
| The word "булут" is thought to derive from the Proto-Turkic word "*buluŋ", meaning "mist", and also relates to the word "булак" ("spring") and the verb "булоо" ("to become"). | |||
| Tajik | абр | ||
| The word "абр" is derived from the Persian word "ابر" and is also used in Uzbek, Kazakh, and Turkish to mean "cloud". | |||
| Turkmen | bulut | ||
| Uzbek | bulut | ||
| The word "bulut" in Uzbek also means "fluffy" or "soft" in Turkish and "thick" or "dense" in Tatar. | |||
| Uyghur | بۇلۇت | ||
Cloud in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻōpua | ||
| ʻŌpua can also refer to a spring or well, or a small hill or knoll. | |||
| Maori | kapua | ||
| "Kapua" can also refer to breath or steam. | |||
| Samoan | ao | ||
| "Ao" also means "darkness," "night," or "shade" | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ulap | ||
| The Filipino word for cloud, "ulap", is also used metaphorically to mean "trouble" or "difficulty". | |||
Cloud in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qinaya | ||
| Guarani | arai | ||
Cloud in International Languages
| Esperanto | nubo | ||
| The word "nubo" is derived from the Latin "nubes", meaning "cloud". | |||
| Latin | nubes | ||
| "Nubes" in Latin also refers to a shower of rain or snow. | |||
Cloud in Others Languages
| Greek | σύννεφο | ||
| The word 'σύννεφο' is derived from the Greek roots 'συν' (together) and 'νέφος' (mist), indicating a collection of visible water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere. | |||
| Hmong | huab | ||
| Although "huab" means "cloud" in Hmong today, it originally meant "rain". | |||
| Kurdish | ewr | ||
| The word "ewr" in Kurdish also refers to fog or mist and ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éws-os meaning "dawn, early morning". | |||
| Turkish | bulut | ||
| The word "bulut" in Turkish is derived from the Mongolian word "bolut", meaning "fog" or "mist". | |||
| Xhosa | ilifu | ||
| Xhosa: "ilifu" also refers to the spiritual state or quality that guides and protects one's life path. | |||
| Yiddish | וואָלקן | ||
| The Yiddish word "וואָלקן" (wolken) is derived from the Old High German word "wolkan" meaning "to roll" and is cognate with the Modern English word "walk". | |||
| Zulu | ifu | ||
| In Zulu, "ifu" can also refer to a "group" or "flock" of people or animals | |||
| Assamese | ডাৱৰ | ||
| Aymara | qinaya | ||
| Bhojpuri | बादल | ||
| Dhivehi | ވިލާ | ||
| Dogri | बद्दल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulap | ||
| Guarani | arai | ||
| Ilocano | ulep | ||
| Krio | klawd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەور | ||
| Maithili | मेघ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩꯆꯤꯜ | ||
| Mizo | chhum | ||
| Oromo | duumessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମେଘ | ||
| Quechua | puyu | ||
| Sanskrit | मेघ | ||
| Tatar | болыт | ||
| Tigrinya | ደበና | ||
| Tsonga | papa | ||