Couple in Different Languages
Discover 'Couple' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'couple' is a small but powerful term, often used to describe two people who are connected in some way. Whether it's a romantic couple, a couple of friends, or just two things that go together, the significance of this word cannot be overstated.
Throughout history and across cultures, the concept of a couple has held great importance. In many societies, couples are seen as the building blocks of families and communities, and the relationship between two people can be a source of great strength and support.
For those interested in language and culture, exploring the translations of the word 'couple' can be a fascinating journey. For example, in Spanish, a couple is 'una pareja', while in French, it's 'un couple'. In German, the word is 'ein Paar', and in Italian, it's 'una coppia'.
By learning these translations, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural nuances and similarities that exist around the world. So whether you're planning a romantic getaway, studying a new language, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the translations of the word 'couple' is a great place to start.
Couple
Couple in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | paartjie | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'paartjie' is derived from the Dutch word 'paard', meaning 'horse'. Couples were originally referred to as a pair of horses harnessed together to pull a wagon. | |||
| Amharic | ባልና ሚስት | ||
| Hausa | ma'aurata | ||
| The word "ma'aurata" in Hausa also refers to a pair of objects that are similar or complementary. | |||
| Igbo | di na nwunye | ||
| The word "di na nwunye" in Igbo literally means "he is with a woman". | |||
| Malagasy | mpivady | ||
| The word "mpivady" in Malagasy can also mean "partner" or "peer". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | banja | ||
| The word "banja" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the verb "kubanja" meaning "to join". It can also refer to a group of people or animals. | |||
| Shona | vaviri | ||
| In Shona, the word "vaviri" can refer to a pair, a group of two or three people, or a set of things.} | |||
| Somali | lamaane | ||
| "Lamaane" in Somali can also refer to a group of two animals or plants. | |||
| Sesotho | banyalani | ||
| "Banyalani" is a Sesotho word whose singular "motalana" means "one who is loved" or "lover." | |||
| Swahili | wanandoa | ||
| 'Wanandoa' also refers to a group of people traveling together | |||
| Xhosa | isibini | ||
| The word "isibini" in Xhosa also means "a pair of things tied or fastened together" or "a pair of pliers". | |||
| Yoruba | tọkọtaya | ||
| "Tọkọtaya" literally means "a man and a woman" in Yoruba, showcasing its focus on heterosexual relationships. | |||
| Zulu | izithandani | ||
| In Zulu, 'izithandani' also means 'lovers' or 'sweethearts'. | |||
| Bambara | cɛ ni muso | ||
| Ewe | srɔ̃tɔwo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | couple | ||
| Lingala | mobali na mwasi | ||
| Luganda | abantu babiribabiri | ||
| Sepedi | bobedi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awarefoɔ | ||
Couple in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زوجان | ||
| It also refers to a married pair, and the number two in games like backgammon. | |||
| Hebrew | זוּג | ||
| In Hebrew, the word "זוּג" can also mean "a pair of shoes" or "a span of oxen." | |||
| Pashto | جوړه | ||
| The Pashto word "جوړه" (couple) is also used to refer to a "pair" of objects or a "set" of things. | |||
| Arabic | زوجان | ||
| It also refers to a married pair, and the number two in games like backgammon. | |||
Couple in Western European Languages
| Albanian | çift | ||
| The word "çift" in Albanian has several etymological sources, depending on the region, some of which also share the meaning of "pair". | |||
| Basque | bikotea | ||
| In Basque, "bikotea" literally translates to "two together," highlighting the importance of duality within the concept of a couple. | |||
| Catalan | parella | ||
| The word "parella" also means "pair" in the sense of a matching set of two items, such as a pair of shoes or a pair of scissors. | |||
| Croatian | par | ||
| The word "par" originates from the Slavic root "*porъ", meaning "a pair" or "a yoke", and is related to the English word "pair". | |||
| Danish | par | ||
| The word "par" in Danish can also refer to a team, a group of people working together, or a match or competition. | |||
| Dutch | paar | ||
| In Dutch, "paar" can also refer to two things that match, like socks or shoes. | |||
| English | couple | ||
| The word "couple" has historically been used to refer to a pair of items, a bond, or a unit of measure. | |||
| French | couple | ||
| The French word "couple" can also refer to a verse composed of two lines, or a set of two objects that are connected. | |||
| Frisian | pear | ||
| The Frisian word "pear" is a cognate of the English word "pair" and originally meant "a set of two". | |||
| Galician | parella | ||
| In Galician, the word "parella" can also refer to a pair of oxen used for plowing. | |||
| German | paar | ||
| "Paar" also means an odd number (i.e. any number not divisible by two). | |||
| Icelandic | par | ||
| Par can also refer to 12 pieces of something, as in a dozen. | |||
| Irish | lánúin | ||
| The word 'lánúin' can also mean 'a pair' or 'a team', and derives from the Irish word for 'full' | |||
| Italian | coppia | ||
| The Italian word 'coppia' is derived from the Latin 'copula', meaning 'link' or 'bond', and can also refer to a pair of physical or abstract entities. | |||
| Luxembourgish | koppel | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Koppel" can also refer to a pasture or a leash for animals. | |||
| Maltese | koppja | ||
| The Maltese word for 'couple' is 'koppja' and is likely to derive from the Sicilian word 'coppia', which in turn comes from the Latin 'copula'. The word 'koppja' can also refer to a pair of scissors. | |||
| Norwegian | par | ||
| In Old Norse, "par" referred specifically to a married pair, while "kjon" referred to any pair. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | casal | ||
| "Casal" can also refer to a small country farm or a married couple. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | càraid | ||
| "Caraid" also means "a friend" in Scots Gaelic, a similar meaning to the Latin "carus" from which it originates. | |||
| Spanish | pareja | ||
| In some South American countries, "pareja" also refers to a single person in a romantic relationship. | |||
| Swedish | par | ||
| In some contexts, "par" can mean either "an odd number" or "a group of three". | |||
| Welsh | cwpl | ||
| The Welsh word 'cwpl' originally meant 'yoke' or 'pair' and is related to the English word 'couple'. | |||
Couple in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пара | ||
| In Belarusian, the word "пара" can also mean "steam" or "pair of horses" depending on the context. | |||
| Bosnian | par | ||
| Bosnian 'par' means 'couple,' or 'equal' and comes from the Latin 'par,' the former of which is a contraction of 'paritas,' sharing a root with 'parts' as in 'separate.' | |||
| Bulgarian | двойка | ||
| The Slavic root of "двойка" also refers to division in two - e.g., in the word "двойник" (twin). | |||
| Czech | pár | ||
| Pár also means 'a few', similar to the French 'quelques'. | |||
| Estonian | paar | ||
| The word "paar" comes from the Proto-Uralic root *para, meaning "pair, two, or couple." | |||
| Finnish | pari | ||
| The Finnish word "pari" can also mean "even" or "fair", and may be related to the Proto-Indo-European word "pareo" meaning "to join". | |||
| Hungarian | párosít | ||
| The word párosít derives from the Hungarian word 'pár' (pair), which can also mean 'even', 'similar', or 'complementary'. | |||
| Latvian | pāris | ||
| The word "pāris" also means "pair" or "few" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | pora | ||
| The word "pora", meaning "couple" in Lithuanian, derives from the Old Lithuanian word "para", meaning "pair". | |||
| Macedonian | двојка | ||
| The word двојка ('couple') in Macedonian, meaning 'two', derives from the Slavic term 'двојъ'. Likewise, 'двойня' ('twins') has a similar etymology. | |||
| Polish | para | ||
| The word "para" also means "steam" and is used in the context of cooking or industrial processes. | |||
| Romanian | cuplu | ||
| The Romanian word "cuplu" also means "a pair of oxen" or "a pair of horses used for pulling a plow", and comes from the Latin "copula" (bond, strap). | |||
| Russian | пара | ||
| The word пара also means 'steam', as in a bathhouse. | |||
| Serbian | пар | ||
| The word "пар" originally meant "steam" and still has that meaning in modern Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | pár | ||
| The Slovak word "pár" can mean "several" or "a pair of shoes" in addition to "couple". | |||
| Slovenian | par | ||
| The word "par" in Slovenian can also refer to a team of horses or oxen used for plowing. | |||
| Ukrainian | пара | ||
| The Ukrainian word "пара" also means "steam" and shares Proto-Slavic roots with the English word "pair". | |||
Couple in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দম্পতি | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit 'dam'- 'husband', indicating the traditional gendered relationship. | |||
| Gujarati | દંપતી | ||
| "દંપતી" is cognate with "dam-pat" of Sanskrit, meaning "one who protects the house (pat) and rules (dam) over it"} | |||
| Hindi | जोड़ा | ||
| The Hindi word 'जोड़ा' not only means 'couple', but also 'a pair' and 'a suit (of clothes)'. | |||
| Kannada | ದಂಪತಿಗಳು | ||
| The Kannada word "ದಂಪತಿಗಳು" can also refer to a pair of oxen used for ploughing. | |||
| Malayalam | ദമ്പതികൾ | ||
| In Malayalam, the word "ദമ്പതികൾ" can refer to any group of several people. It doesn't have to be a pair. | |||
| Marathi | जोडी | ||
| The word 'जोडी' also means a measure of one and a half, similar to the English 'score' (20). | |||
| Nepali | जोडी | ||
| The word "जोडी" can also refer to a pair of animals used for breeding or a pair of playing cards. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜੋੜਾ | ||
| “ਜੋੜਾ” derives from the Sanskrit word “युग” (“yug”), and it can mean a “pair,” “era,” or “a period of time”. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යුවළක් | ||
| The word "යුවළක්" is derived from the Sanskrit word "युगलम्" (yugalam), meaning "pair" or "couple", and can also refer to a pair of musical instruments or a type of ancient Indian verse. | |||
| Tamil | ஜோடி | ||
| The word 'ஜோடி' also refers to a unit of measurement for pairs of objects in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | జంట | ||
| The word "జంట" can also refer to a pair of animals, a group of people, or a combination of two things. | |||
| Urdu | جوڑے | ||
| The word "joṛe" (Urdu) comes from the Persian word "juz" meaning "part". Thus, "joṛe" can also mean "pair". | |||
Couple in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 一对 | ||
| 一对 derives from two tally sticks and refers to a single piece, rather than two. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 一對 | ||
| The word “一對” means “one pair,” and is used for matching items like chopsticks or shoes. | |||
| Japanese | カップル | ||
| The word "カップル" is not native to Japanese, but rather comes from the English word "couple," with a pronunciation that has shifted due to transliteration into the Japanese language. | |||
| Korean | 두 | ||
| The word "두" (du) in Korean can also refer to the number "two" or a pair of things. | |||
| Mongolian | хосууд | ||
| The word "хосууд" is also used to refer to a pair of animals in the same way as "хос". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စုံတွဲ | ||
| The word “စုံတွဲ” can also mean a 'pair' or 'set' of things, such as a pair of shoes or a set of dishes. | |||
Couple in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pasangan | ||
| Pasangan can also refer to pairs or sets of something. | |||
| Javanese | pasangan | ||
| The Javanese word "pasangan" has several meanings, including "a pair", "a match", or "a mate" | |||
| Khmer | ប្តីប្រពន្ធ | ||
| Lao | ຄູ່ຜົວເມຍ | ||
| Malay | pasangan | ||
| The word "pasangan" also means "a pair of something" or "a match." | |||
| Thai | คู่ | ||
| คู่ (couple) also means “a pair” e.g., a pair of shoes (คู่รองเท้า), a pair of chopsticks (คูาตะเกียบ), or a pair of scissors (คู่กรรไกร). | |||
| Vietnamese | cặp đôi | ||
| The word "cặp đôi" can also refer to a pair of objects or animals. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-asawa | ||
Couple in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cüt | ||
| In the Azerbaijani language, the word "cüt" can also mean "pair" or "two pieces of something." | |||
| Kazakh | жұп | ||
| The word "жұп" also has other meanings such as "pair", "even number", and "match." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жубайлар | ||
| The word 'жубайлар' can also be used to refer to two people who are married, but not necessarily in a romantic relationship. | |||
| Tajik | ҷуфти | ||
| The word "ҷуфти" can also mean "two of a kind" or "a pair of something" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | jübüt | ||
| Uzbek | er-xotin | ||
| The word "er-xotin" in Uzbek comes from the Persian words "er" (man) and "xotin" (woman). | |||
| Uyghur | couple | ||
Couple in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻelua | ||
| The Hawaiian word ʻelua also means “two” and “both” and is cognate with the Tahitian ruah.”} | |||
| Maori | tokorua | ||
| Tokorua is a compound word meaning 'two together', and can also refer to a pair of things or a group of two. | |||
| Samoan | ulugaliʻi | ||
| The word "ulugaliʻi" in Samoan is derived from the words "ulu" (head) and "galiʻi" (to join), and can also refer to a group of people or a gathering. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mag-asawa | ||
| "Mag-asawa" comes from the Tagalog words "mag-" (together) and "asawa" (spouse), but it can also refer to a couple in a romantic relationship. | |||
Couple in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chacha warmi | ||
| Guarani | ñemoirũ | ||
Couple in International Languages
| Esperanto | paro | ||
| The word "paro" is derived from the French word "paire" which also means "couple". | |||
| Latin | duobus | ||
| Duobus is the dative and ablative dual form of the Latin numeral duo, meaning "two". | |||
Couple in Others Languages
| Greek | ζευγάρι | ||
| ζευγάρι in Greek derives from the word ζυγός (zygos) meaning "yoke" & also refers to a pair of draft animals harnessed together | |||
| Hmong | khub niam txiv | ||
| The word "khub niam txiv" can also refer to a pair of things, such as a pair of shoes or a pair of chopsticks. | |||
| Kurdish | cotik | ||
| Cotik also means 'marriage' or a 'married couple' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | çift | ||
| The word "çift" originally meant "a pair of oxen". It also refers to the number "two". | |||
| Xhosa | isibini | ||
| The word "isibini" in Xhosa also means "a pair of things tied or fastened together" or "a pair of pliers". | |||
| Yiddish | פּאָר | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּאָר" can also mean "a few". | |||
| Zulu | izithandani | ||
| In Zulu, 'izithandani' also means 'lovers' or 'sweethearts'. | |||
| Assamese | দম্পতি | ||
| Aymara | chacha warmi | ||
| Bhojpuri | जोड़ा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދެމަފިރިން | ||
| Dogri | जोड़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-asawa | ||
| Guarani | ñemoirũ | ||
| Ilocano | agasawa | ||
| Krio | tu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دووانە | ||
| Maithili | जोड़ी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯇꯩ ꯃꯅꯥꯎ | ||
| Mizo | kawpchawi | ||
| Oromo | jaalalleewwan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦମ୍ପତି | ||
| Quechua | masa | ||
| Sanskrit | युग्म | ||
| Tatar | пар | ||
| Tigrinya | ፅምዲ | ||
| Tsonga | vumbirhi | ||