Dance in Different Languages
Discover 'Dance' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Dance: a simple word, yet it holds a profound significance in our lives. It is a universal language that transcends borders and connects us all. From the rhythmic beats of African tribal dances to the elegant pirouettes of ballet, dance has been an integral part of every culture, playing a crucial role in storytelling, celebration, and self-expression. It's not just about moving your body to the beat; it's about communicating emotions, sharing traditions, and fostering community spirit.
Given its cultural importance, it's no surprise that the word 'dance' has been translated into various languages, each with its unique nuances and connotations. For instance, in Spanish, dance translates to 'baile', in French - 'danse', in German - 'Tanz', in Russian - 'танец' (tants), and in Japanese - 'ダンス' (dansu).
Exploring these translations offers a fascinating glimpse into how different cultures perceive and engage with this art form. So, let's delve deeper into the world of dance in different languages!
Dance
Dance in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dans | ||
| "Dans" is the Afrikaans word for "dance" and is derived from either the French word "danser" or the Dutch word "dansen". | |||
| Amharic | ዳንስ | ||
| The word 'ዳንስ' is likely of Ge’ez origin, possibly from 'ደንደሰ', meaning 'to stomp'. | |||
| Hausa | rawa | ||
| The word 'rawa' in Hausa can also mean 'a dance party' or 'a dance competition'. | |||
| Igbo | agba egwu | ||
| "Agba egwu" also means "to play" or "to perform" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | mandihy | ||
| The Malagasy word "mandihy" can also mean a "song" or a "story", emphasizing the interconnectedness of these forms of oral tradition in Malagasy culture. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuvina | ||
| The Nyanja word "kuvina" can also refer to a type of dance performed by women. | |||
| Shona | kutamba | ||
| Kutamba in Shona means 'to gather', which is why it is now more commonly used to refer to a gathering with music and dancing. | |||
| Somali | dheelid | ||
| The term "dheelid" can also refer to a specific type of traditional Somali music. | |||
| Sesotho | motjeko | ||
| The word "motjeko" also means "a small bundle of grass used for thatching" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kucheza | ||
| The Swahili word 'kucheza' not only means 'to dance' but also carries the broader connotation of 'to play' or 'to have fun'. | |||
| Xhosa | umdaniso | ||
| "UmDaniso" (dance) derives from the verb "ukudanisa" (to cause to dance), which also means "to shake" or "to move rapidly." | |||
| Yoruba | ijó | ||
| The Yorùbá word "ijó" can also refer to a "dance festival" or a "dance troupe." | |||
| Zulu | umdanso | ||
| "Umdanso" is also used to refer to a traditional Zulu dance accompanied by singing and drumming. | |||
| Bambara | dɔ̀n | ||
| Ewe | ɖu ɣe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubyina | ||
| Lingala | kobina | ||
| Luganda | okuzina | ||
| Sepedi | tantsha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sa | ||
Dance in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الرقص | ||
| The word "رقص" in Arabic also means "swaying" or "jerking". | |||
| Hebrew | לִרְקוֹד | ||
| "רקד" in Hebrew comes from a word for a type of grape vine and means to step lightly and spring. | |||
| Pashto | نڅا | ||
| The word "نڅا" derives from Old Iranian and has cognates in other Indo-European languages like Sanskrit "nṛtya-" (dance). | |||
| Arabic | الرقص | ||
| The word "رقص" in Arabic also means "swaying" or "jerking". | |||
Dance in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vallëzimi | ||
| The word "Vallëzimi" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "valsalia" meaning a dance movement or a ballroom dance | |||
| Basque | dantza | ||
| The word "dantza" comes from an Indo-European root meaning "shake" or "vibrate". | |||
| Catalan | dansa | ||
| In Catalan, the word "dansa" also refers to a type of traditional music, often played on the flabiol (a wooden flute) and accompanied by a drum. | |||
| Croatian | ples | ||
| The word 'ples' can also refer to the venue where dancing takes place in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | dans | ||
| In Danish, "dans" can also refer to a specific type of folk dance performed by couples. | |||
| Dutch | dans | ||
| The Dutch word "dans" (dance) has alternate archaic meanings such as "a path", "a journey", and "a way". | |||
| English | dance | ||
| The word 'dance' originates from the Old French word 'danser', which in turn derives from the Late Latin verb 'dantiare', meaning 'to beat time'. | |||
| French | danse | ||
| The word "danse" comes from the Old French word "danser", which in turn comes from the Latin word "saltare", meaning "to jump". | |||
| Frisian | dûnsje | ||
| The word "dûnsje" may derive from "dînsje" ("to rush, dart"), or via Old Frisian and Old Saxon from Proto-Germanic "dinsan" ("to strike, swing") | |||
| Galician | danza | ||
| In Galician, "danza" also refers to a type of folk dance from the region. | |||
| German | tanzen | ||
| "Tanzen" can be traced back to the Middle High German word "tenzen", meaning "to stretch" or "to spin." | |||
| Icelandic | dans | ||
| Icelandic 'dans' means 'dance,' whereas French 'dans', from Latin deintus, means 'inside'. | |||
| Irish | damhsa | ||
| The word "damhsa" can mean either "dance" or "a game" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | danza | ||
| The word 'danza' comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *dens-, meaning 'to stretch' or 'to move rhythmically'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | danzen | ||
| The word "danzen" also refers to the act of moving rhythmically to music, especially in a celebratory or social context. | |||
| Maltese | żfin | ||
| "Żfin" has an Arabic etymology and also means "to jump" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | danse | ||
| The word "danse" in Norwegian originated from the French word "danse" and the old Norse word "dans" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dança | ||
| In Brazil, "dançar" can also refer to a specific traditional music and dance style from the state of Minas Gerais. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dannsa | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "dannsa" also refers to a specific type of Highland dance performed at weddings and other celebrations. | |||
| Spanish | danza | ||
| In Italian, "danza" originally meant "tension", "stretching", or "strain". | |||
| Swedish | dansa | ||
| Dansa (dance) is cognate with English dance and Norwegian dans, and is derived from Old Norse dans, meaning 'dance'. | |||
| Welsh | dawns | ||
| In Welsh, the word "dawns" can also mean "beginning" or "origin" | |||
Dance in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | танцаваць | ||
| "Танцаваць" derives from a word meaning "beat time" and is related to words meaning "thunder" and "knock". | |||
| Bosnian | ples | ||
| The word "ples" can also refer to a song that accompanies a dance. | |||
| Bulgarian | танц | ||
| The word "танц" in Bulgarian comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "тънецъ", which means "step" or "motion". | |||
| Czech | tanec | ||
| The word "tanec" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *teth-," which means "to beat" or "to thresh." | |||
| Estonian | tantsima | ||
| The Estonian word "tantsima" has also been used to refer to the art of fencing | |||
| Finnish | tanssi | ||
| The word "tanssi" also means "to dance" in Estonian, and is related to the Latin word "tenere" meaning "to hold". | |||
| Hungarian | tánc | ||
| The word "tánc" also means "row" or "order" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | dejot | ||
| The Latvian word "dejot" has Indo-European roots and is cognate with the Sanskrit "damsu" and the Greek "demō," both of which refer to "dancing". | |||
| Lithuanian | šokis | ||
| The word "šokis" in Lithuanian originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *k̂ei-, meaning "to jump" or "to hop". | |||
| Macedonian | танцување | ||
| The word "танцување" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *tantь, meaning "to stretch". | |||
| Polish | taniec | ||
| The word "taniec" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *tantьcь, which is of unknown origin. | |||
| Romanian | dans | ||
| The Romanian word for dance, dans, derives from the French word danse, ultimately coming from the Latin saltare, meaning "to jump". | |||
| Russian | танцевать | ||
| The word "танцевать" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *tьnčiti, meaning "to stretch". It is related to the English word "tense" and the Latin word "tendere", meaning "to stretch" or "to strain". This suggests that the original meaning of "танцевать" was "to move rhythmically", rather than specifically "to dance". | |||
| Serbian | плес | ||
| The word "плес" is also used in Russia to denote a wide part of a river. | |||
| Slovak | tancovať | ||
| The etymological root of "tancovať" is from the Proto-Slavic word *tǫkati, meaning "to strike, pound". | |||
| Slovenian | ples | ||
| The word 'ples' in Slovenian ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European root *plē- 'to fill, be full', and is related to the words 'plenty' and 'plenitude'. | |||
| Ukrainian | танцювати | ||
| In Ukrainian, | |||
Dance in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নাচ | ||
| The word "নাচ" (dance) in Bengali shares an etymological root with "naṭya" (drama) in Sanskrit. | |||
| Gujarati | નૃત્ય | ||
| The word "નૃત્ય" is derived from the Sanskrit word "nritya", which means "to dance" or "to move rhythmically". It can also refer to a specific type of Indian classical dance, typically performed by women. | |||
| Hindi | नृत्य | ||
| The word "नृत्य" is also used in Hindi to refer to a type of religious ritual dance, typically performed in temples or other sacred spaces. | |||
| Kannada | ನೃತ್ಯ | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ನೃತ್ಯ" (dance) can also mean "a graceful movement or gesture". | |||
| Malayalam | നൃത്തം | ||
| The word 'നൃത്തം' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'नृत्' meaning 'to dance', and also refers to a specific type of Indian classical dance. | |||
| Marathi | नृत्य | ||
| The word "नृत्य" (dance) in Marathi originates from the Sanskrit word "नृत्त" (movement, dance), which is derived from the root "नृत्" (to dance). | |||
| Nepali | नृत्य | ||
| The word "नृत्य" (dance) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "नृत्त" (dance), which in turn comes from the root "नृत्" (to dance). | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਾਚ | ||
| The word "ਨਾਚ" (naach) in Punjabi is derived from Sanskrit "nṛtya", meaning "to act" or "to gesture," suggesting its origins in theatrical performances. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නර්තනය | ||
| "නර්තනය" comes from the Sanskrit word "නෘත" meaning "to leap or jump". In Sinhala, it can also refer to a religious ceremony or ritual. | |||
| Tamil | நடனம் | ||
| The Tamil word நடனம் derives from the root 'nat' meaning 'to make a pleasing sound', hinting at the harmonious rhythms associated with dance. | |||
| Telugu | నృత్యం | ||
| The word "నృత్యం" can also refer to a specific group of eight types of Indian classical dance described in the Natyashastra. | |||
| Urdu | رقص | ||
| The word "رقص" in Urdu originated from the Persian word "رقص" meaning "to make a dance movement." | |||
Dance in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 舞蹈 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, 舞蹈 was also used to describe a type of military formation used to intimidate the enemy. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 舞蹈 | ||
| 舞蹈, as a noun, also means "choreography" or "dance movement". | |||
| Japanese | ダンス | ||
| The word "ダンス" (dance) in Japanese is derived from the English word "dance", but it can also refer to a specific type of Japanese music with a strong beat. | |||
| Korean | 댄스 | ||
| The word 댄스 (dance) in Korean can refer to the physical activity or the musical genre, as in English. | |||
| Mongolian | бүжиглэх | ||
| The Mongolian word "бүжиглэх" can refer to both dancing and juggling. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကခုန် | ||
| "ကခုန်" can also mean "to move around actively", "to be busy", or "to have fun". | |||
Dance in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menari | ||
| The word "menari" in Indonesian originates from the Sanskrit word "nrt" meaning "to leap" or "to move rhythmically". | |||
| Javanese | joget | ||
| The word "joget" in Javanese is derived from the Sanskrit word "yoga", meaning "union" and "to join", and it refers to a traditional Javanese dance that is characterized by its graceful and fluid movements. | |||
| Khmer | រាំ | ||
| The word "រាំ" ("dance") in Khmer comes from the Sanskrit word "राम्" (rām), meaning "to play" or "to frolic." | |||
| Lao | ເຕັ້ນ | ||
| The word "ເຕັ້ນ" in Lao can also be used to refer to a type of traditional dance performed by young Lao women during courtship. | |||
| Malay | menari | ||
| "Menari" also derives from "tari" (dance) from Sanskrit and can mean to behave or to play (an instrument or game). | |||
| Thai | เต้นรำ | ||
| เต้นรำ derives from Sanskrit त्रि ताल, or 'tri tāla': 'three' + 'rhythm'. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhảy | ||
| The word "nhảy" also means to "jump" or "leap". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sayaw | ||
Dance in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəqs edin | ||
| The word "rəqs edin" is derived from the Persian word "raqs", which means "dance" or "to dance." | |||
| Kazakh | би | ||
| The word "би" can also mean "to jump" or "to leap" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бийлөө | ||
| The word "бийлөө" is derived from the verb "бий" (to jump, to leap), and shares a common root with the word "бий" (leader, chief). | |||
| Tajik | рақс кардан | ||
| The word "рақс кардан" can also mean "to shake" or "to move rhythmically" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | tans ediň | ||
| Uzbek | raqs | ||
| "Raqs" can also mean "joyful" or "happy" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۇسسۇل | ||
Dance in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hulahula | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word 'hula' can also refer to a type of spiritual chant and prayer. | |||
| Maori | kanikani | ||
| In Maori, 'kanikani' can also refer to any form of lively or vigorous movement, including sports, games, or even certain types of work. | |||
| Samoan | siva | ||
| The word "siva" can also refer to a specific type of dance performed by a group of men or women. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sayaw | ||
| The word "sayaw" in Tagalog also means "movement" or "swaying". | |||
Dance in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | thuqhu | ||
| Guarani | jeroky | ||
Dance in International Languages
| Esperanto | danci | ||
| Although "danci" means "dance", it can also refer to any rhythmical movement of the body. | |||
| Latin | exultant lusibus | ||
| The Latin phrase "exultant lusibus" translates as "leaping joyfully" in English. | |||
Dance in Others Languages
| Greek | χορός | ||
| The Greek word "χορός" can also refer to a specific type of traditional Greek folk dance performed in a circle. | |||
| Hmong | kev seev cev | ||
| Kev seev cev has a similar meaning to the word "move" and is composed of two smaller words "kev seev" (to move your body) and "cev" (to turn). | |||
| Kurdish | dans | ||
| Dans is a loanword from French meaning 'dance', and is also a colloquial word for 'party'. | |||
| Turkish | dans | ||
| The word "dans" in Turkish also has the alternate meaning of "a kind of tax collected on animals or livestock". | |||
| Xhosa | umdaniso | ||
| "UmDaniso" (dance) derives from the verb "ukudanisa" (to cause to dance), which also means "to shake" or "to move rapidly." | |||
| Yiddish | טאַנצן | ||
| The Yiddish word "טאַנצן" (dance) is derived from the Germanic "dansen," the French "danser," or the Romanian "ţintari" | |||
| Zulu | umdanso | ||
| "Umdanso" is also used to refer to a traditional Zulu dance accompanied by singing and drumming. | |||
| Assamese | নৃত্য | ||
| Aymara | thuqhu | ||
| Bhojpuri | नाच | ||
| Dhivehi | ނެށުން | ||
| Dogri | डांस | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sayaw | ||
| Guarani | jeroky | ||
| Ilocano | sala | ||
| Krio | dans | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەما | ||
| Maithili | नाच | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯖꯒꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | lam | ||
| Oromo | shubbisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନୃତ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | tusuy | ||
| Sanskrit | नृत्यं | ||
| Tatar | бию | ||
| Tigrinya | ሳዕስዒት | ||
| Tsonga | cina | ||