Cousin in Different Languages
Discover 'Cousin' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'cousin' is a small but powerful term that connects us to our extended family and cultural background. It signifies a special bond of shared ancestry, often celebrated in various cultural traditions and rituals. From a linguistic perspective, the translation of 'cousin' in different languages can reveal fascinating insights into cultural norms and family structures.
For instance, in Spanish, 'cousin' is 'primo/a', while in French, it's 'cousin/cousine'. In some languages, such as Arabic, the translation of 'cousin' can vary depending on whether the cousin is from the mother's or father's side of the family. In Urdu, a paternal cousin is 'ammi ka bhai/bhen' and a maternal cousin is 'phuphi/phupha ka bhai/bhen'. These distinctions reflect the importance of lineage and family ties in different cultures.
Exploring the translations of 'cousin' in various languages can be a fun and enlightening journey, opening up a world of cultural discovery and appreciation.
Cousin
Cousin in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | neef | ||
| The Afrikaans word "neef" originally meant "sister's son" and is related to the Old English word "nefa", meaning "nephew". | |||
| Amharic | ያክስት | ||
| The word "ያክስት" in Amharic, besides its literal meaning of "cousin", can also refer to "relative" or "kin" in a broader sense. | |||
| Hausa | dan uwan | ||
| Hausa 'da'n ùwa (brother's son) and 'yar' ùwa (sister's daughter, brother's daughter, sister’s son) | |||
| Igbo | nwa nwanne nna | ||
| The Igbo word "nwa nwanne nna" is derived from the root "nna" meaning "father" and "nwanne" meaning "sibling", indicating a sibling of one's father. It can also refer to a first cousin on the father's side and sometimes to a second cousin on the mother's side. | |||
| Malagasy | mpiray tam-po | ||
| The Malagasy word "mpiray tam-po" not only means "cousin," but also denotes a bond of close friendship. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | msuweni | ||
| "Msuweni" in Nyanja can also refer to a friend or sibling of the same age. | |||
| Shona | muzukuru | ||
| The word "muzukuru" in Shona is a contraction of the phrase "mwana wazukuru," which means "child of an aunt or uncle." | |||
| Somali | inaadeer | ||
| The word 'inaadeer', meaning 'cousin' in Somali, also shares a root with 'nadiif',' meaning 'clean' and 'pure'. | |||
| Sesotho | motsoala | ||
| "Motsoala", meaning "cousin" in Sesotho, is derived from the word "tsoala", meaning "to join" or "to connect". | |||
| Swahili | binamu | ||
| 'Binamu' is a Swahili word that can also mean 'uncle' or 'aunt'. | |||
| Xhosa | umzala | ||
| The word 'umzala' can also refer to a sibling of the opposite sex, and is often used as a term of endearment or respect for a close friend. | |||
| Yoruba | egbon | ||
| The term "egbon" also signifies a sense of respect, especially from the younger to the older person. | |||
| Zulu | umzala | ||
| 'Umzala' also means 'person of the same age' or 'person of the same age group' | |||
| Bambara | kanimɛ | ||
| Ewe | nɔvi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mubyara | ||
| Lingala | cousin | ||
| Luganda | kizibwe | ||
| Sepedi | motswala | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nua | ||
Cousin in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ولد عم | ||
| The Arabic word "ولد عم" (wuld 'amm) literally means "son of the maternal uncle". | |||
| Hebrew | בת דודה | ||
| The Hebrew word 'bat duda' literally translates to 'daughter of an uncle,' reflecting the traditional matrilineal kinship system in the ancient Near East. | |||
| Pashto | د کاکا، ماما، ترور زوی یا لور | ||
| Arabic | ولد عم | ||
| The Arabic word "ولد عم" (wuld 'amm) literally means "son of the maternal uncle". | |||
Cousin in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kushëriri | ||
| The word "kushëriri" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *kʷi̥séri, which is of uncertain origin. | |||
| Basque | lehengusua | ||
| Lehengusu may derive from Lehengusuak, which could also mean “younger cousin of our father,” which later transformed to lehengu, and with an ending -su, became lehengusu or lehenguusu to indicate “younger female cousin, male or female cousin, maternal uncle, etc.” | |||
| Catalan | cosí | ||
| The word "cosí" can also refer to a person who is like a cousin, but not related by blood. | |||
| Croatian | rođak | ||
| "Rodak" also means "compatriot" or "fellow countryman" in the context of kinship by shared nationality and language. | |||
| Danish | fætter | ||
| The Danish word "fætter" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*fadēr", meaning "father's brother". | |||
| Dutch | neef | ||
| In Dutch, the word "neef" can also refer to a "nephew" or a "niece" | |||
| English | cousin | ||
| The word 'cousin' is derived from the Latin word 'consobrinus', meaning 'child of a sister' or 'child of a brother' | |||
| French | cousin | ||
| In French, "cousin" can also refer to a fly, a male deer, or a male swan. | |||
| Frisian | omkesizze | ||
| In Saterland Frisian the word 'omkesizze' can also mean 'niece' | |||
| Galician | curmá | ||
| Galician "curmá" derives from Vulgar Latin "consobrinus" and is related to Spanish "cuñado" (brother-in-law). | |||
| German | cousin | ||
| The word for "cousin" in German is also the word for "uncle," "aunt," or "first degree relative" depending on context. | |||
| Icelandic | frændi | ||
| "Frændi" comes from Old Norse "frændi" meaning "relative" or "kinsman" and is related to the German word "Freund" meaning "friend". | |||
| Irish | col ceathrar | ||
| The Irish word 'col ceathrar' is a composite of 'col' (descendant) and 'ceathrar' (four), implying a person related within four generations, regardless of the line of descent. | |||
| Italian | cugino | ||
| The Italian word 'cugino' is derived from the Latin word 'consobrinus', meaning 'child of a first cousin'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | koseng | ||
| The German word "Geschwisterkind" and the French "cousin" are related to "Koseng" and also mean "cousin". | |||
| Maltese | kuġin | ||
| The Maltese word "kuġin" is derived from the Latin "consanguineus" (literally "of the same blood") and is related to English "kinship" and French "cousin." | |||
| Norwegian | fetter | ||
| The Norwegian word "fetter" may also refer to a first cousin once removed. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | primo | ||
| The word "primo" can also mean "first cousin" or "excellent" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | co-ogha | ||
| The Gaelic word "co-ogha" can also mean "nephew" or "niece". | |||
| Spanish | prima | ||
| Prima can also mean first class, first in a series, first quality, first-rate, first in time, and most important. | |||
| Swedish | kusin | ||
| The Swedish word “kusin” can also refer to your second cousin or maternal or paternal aunt or uncle. | |||
| Welsh | cefnder | ||
| The word 'cefnder' is a mutation of 'cyfnither' or 'cenedl', both of which mean 'family'. | |||
Cousin in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | стрыечны брат | ||
| The Belarusian word "стрыечны брат" also refers to male second cousins once or twice removed, as well as third and fourth cousins. | |||
| Bosnian | rođak | ||
| Rodak can mean both maternal and paternal cousin, as the distinction between the two did not exist in the traditional Bosnian family structure. | |||
| Bulgarian | братовчед | ||
| The Bulgarian word "братовчед" (cousin) is cognate with the Russian word "брат" (brother), and originally meant "son of one's uncle". | |||
| Czech | bratranec | ||
| The word "bratranec" in Czech comes from the Old Czech word "bratr", meaning "brother", and the suffix "-anec", which indicates a familial relationship. | |||
| Estonian | nõbu | ||
| The word 'nõbu' is cognate with the Finnish word 'serkku', both ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *swesōr, meaning 'sister' or 'brother-in-law'. | |||
| Finnish | serkku | ||
| "Serkku" originally meant "younger relative" and "sibling" in Old Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | unokatestvér | ||
| Originally meant "younger brother's brother", from the word "öcs" ("younger brother") and the suffix "-testvér" ("sibling"). | |||
| Latvian | brālēns | ||
| The word "brālēns" is derived from the Proto-Baltic word *brālis, which also means "brother". | |||
| Lithuanian | pusbrolis | ||
| The Lithuanian word pusbrolis "cousin" might have originated from the Proto-Indo-European word "*bhrāter-swel-os" meaning "brother's son". | |||
| Macedonian | братучед | ||
| The Macedonian word "братучед" is also used for "son of a sibling's cousin". | |||
| Polish | kuzyn | ||
| The word "kuzyn" can also mean "second cousin" or "cousin-in-law" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | văr | ||
| The word "văr" in Romanian can also refer to a male friend or a brother-in-law. | |||
| Russian | двоюродная сестра | ||
| Двоюродный sibling historically referred to any male relative but in the 19th century narrowed to the modern meaning of a cousin. | |||
| Serbian | рођак | ||
| The word рођак in Serbian is a cognate with the Russian родич and the Sanskrit बन्धु (bandhu). | |||
| Slovak | bratranec | ||
| In Slovak, the word 'bratranec' can also refer to a male cousin's wife. | |||
| Slovenian | bratranec | ||
| The word “bratranec” derives from a Proto-Slavic word meaning “brother of a sibling” and is related to Russian “brát” (“brother”). | |||
| Ukrainian | двоюрідний брат | ||
| The Ukrainian word "двоюрідний брат" (cousin) derives from the Old Russian words "двоюродный" (second) and "брат" (brother). | |||
Cousin in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কাজিন | ||
| Derived from French word 'cousin' meaning 'relative' or 'sister' | |||
| Gujarati | પિતરાઇ ભાઇ | ||
| Hindi | चचेरा भाई | ||
| The word "चचेरा भाई" can also refer to a "second cousin" or "first cousin once removed". | |||
| Kannada | ಸೋದರಸಂಬಂಧಿ | ||
| Malayalam | കസിൻ | ||
| The word "കസിൻ" (cousin) in Malayalam also means "a close friend" or "a relative". | |||
| Marathi | चुलतभाऊ | ||
| The word "चुलतभाऊ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "चुल", meaning "hearth". Hence, "चुलतभाऊ" originally referred to a cousin who shared the same hearth, and by extension, a close relative | |||
| Nepali | भान्जा | ||
| Nepali "भान्जा" is related to "bha" in "bhai" (brother) and is a term of affection for one's sister's son, while the term for one's maternal uncle is "मामा". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਚੇਰਾ ਭਰਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ous ාති සහෝදරයා | ||
| The term 'ous' (ou /ˈaʊ/) is the result of a shift from the Middle English term 'cosin' derived from the Anglo-Norman term 'cusin' meaning 'kinsman' | |||
| Tamil | உறவினர் | ||
| The Tamil word "உறவினர்" can also refer to "relatives" in general, not just "cousins". | |||
| Telugu | కజిన్ | ||
| "కజిన్" refers to a 'cousin', but it can also mean a 'brother-in-law' or 'sister-in-law'. | |||
| Urdu | کزن | ||
| The word "كزن" (cousin) is derived from the Arabic word "كازن" (companion), implying a close kinship. | |||
Cousin in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 表姐 | ||
| 表姐 can also mean the female partner of one's uncle, or the wife of one's older brother. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 表姐 | ||
| '表姐' means 'female paternal first cousin', 'female maternal second cousin', 'female elder maternal second cousin' | |||
| Japanese | いとこ | ||
| "いとこ" can also refer to a niece or nephew, or a close friend. | |||
| Korean | 사촌 | ||
| The Korean word 사촌 (sasun) derives from the Middle Chinese word 四寸 (sìcùn), which originally meant 'four inches', but was later extended to mean 'relatives within four degrees of kindred'. | |||
| Mongolian | үеэл | ||
| The word 'үеэл' is also used to refer to a brother-in-law or sister-in-law. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝမ်းကွဲ | ||
Cousin in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sepupu | ||
| Sepupu shares the same etymology as 'cousin,' derived from the Latin word 'consobrinus,' meaning 'child of a father's or mother's sibling' | |||
| Javanese | seduluré | ||
| The word "seduluré" in Javanese comes from the same root as the word "dulur", which means "sibling", indicating a close familial relationship. | |||
| Khmer | បងប្អូនជីដូនមួយ | ||
| Lao | ພີ່ນ້ອງ | ||
| The word "ພີ່ນ້ອງ" can also be used to refer to a sibling of the opposite sex, or a close friend. | |||
| Malay | sepupu | ||
| The word "sepupu" in Malay can also refer to a sibling's spouse or a sibling's sibling's spouse. | |||
| Thai | ลูกพี่ลูกน้อง | ||
| "ลูกพี่ลูกน้อง" is a compound word consisting of the words "ลูกพี่" (older sibling) and "ลูกน้อง" (younger sibling), thus denoting a relationship that is both of an older and a younger sibling. | |||
| Vietnamese | anh chị em họ | ||
| "Anh chị em họ" can also refer to cousins, siblings, nephews or nieces in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pinsan | ||
Cousin in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əmiuşağı | ||
| "Əmiuşağı" can also mean "nephew" or "niece" | |||
| Kazakh | немере ағасы | ||
| The Kazakh word "немере ағасы" has a literal translation as "a person like a cousin" and also can refer to a close male friend or a trusted confidant. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кузен | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "Кузен" can also refer to a brother or sister of the same sex as the speaker. | |||
| Tajik | ҷияни | ||
| The word "ҷияни" (cousin) in Tajik can also refer to a niece or nephew. | |||
| Turkmen | daýy | ||
| Uzbek | amakivachcha | ||
| The word "amakivachcha" can also mean "uncle" or "aunt". | |||
| Uyghur | نەۋرە تۇغقان | ||
Cousin in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoa hānau | ||
| The Hawaiian word "hoa hānau" is derived from the words "hoa" (friend) and "hānau" (birth), and can refer to a close friend who is like family. | |||
| Maori | whanaunga | ||
| The term "whanaunga" can also refer to a broader group of relatives or kin, beyond the immediate cousins. | |||
| Samoan | kasegi | ||
| Kasegi also means "brother or sister's son". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pinsan | ||
| "Pinsan" is derived from the Spanish "primo/prima" and originally referred to godchildren. | |||
Cousin in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jila masi | ||
| Guarani | tiora'y | ||
Cousin in International Languages
| Esperanto | kuzo | ||
| The alternate meaning of "kuzo" is "an acquaintance or relative by marriage." | |||
| Latin | cognata | ||
| Cognata in Latin can also mean 'related' or 'similar'. | |||
Cousin in Others Languages
| Greek | ξαδερφος ξαδερφη | ||
| The Greek word 'ξαδερφος/ξαδερφη' is derived from the Latin 'consobrinus' (literally 'brother's daughter') | |||
| Hmong | npawg tooj | ||
| Although it literally translates to "older younger sibling," it is a broad term that encompasses all cousins of any generation or gender | |||
| Kurdish | pismam | ||
| The origin of the word pismam in Kurdish, its etymology, is unclear, but some suggest an origin in the word for elder relative. | |||
| Turkish | hala kızı | ||
| "Hala kızı" literally means "aunt's daughter" in Turkish, but it is also used to refer to a female first cousin. | |||
| Xhosa | umzala | ||
| The word 'umzala' can also refer to a sibling of the opposite sex, and is often used as a term of endearment or respect for a close friend. | |||
| Yiddish | שוועסטערקינד | ||
| The Yiddish word "שוועסטערקינד" (cousin) is derived from the German word "Schwesterkind", meaning "sibling's child". | |||
| Zulu | umzala | ||
| 'Umzala' also means 'person of the same age' or 'person of the same age group' | |||
| Assamese | মাহী | ||
| Aymara | jila masi | ||
| Bhojpuri | चचेरा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދެބެންގެ ދެދަރި | ||
| Dogri | परतेर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pinsan | ||
| Guarani | tiora'y | ||
| Ilocano | kasinsin | ||
| Krio | kɔzin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئامۆزا | ||
| Maithili | पितियौत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯛꯃꯤꯟꯅꯗꯕ ꯏꯆꯤꯜ ꯏꯅꯥꯎ | ||
| Mizo | unau | ||
| Oromo | ilmaan obbolootaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜ୍ୱାଇଁ | ||
| Quechua | primo | ||
| Sanskrit | भ्रातृव्यः | ||
| Tatar | туган | ||
| Tigrinya | ወዲ ሓው አቦ | ||
| Tsonga | khazi | ||