Daughter in Different Languages
Discover 'Daughter' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'daughter' holds a profound significance in many cultures and families around the world. It represents the bond between a parent and child, and the continuation of family lineages. The term 'daughter' has been used in various historical and literary contexts to describe familial relationships, love, and responsibility.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'daughter' in different languages can provide valuable insights into different cultures and traditions. For instance, the word for 'daughter' in Spanish is 'hija,' which is derived from the Latin word 'filia.' Meanwhile, in Mandarin Chinese, 'daughter' is translated as '女儿' (nǚ'ér), reflecting the traditional Chinese cultural emphasis on filial piety and respect for one's ancestors.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or someone looking to strengthen your cultural competency, learning the translations of 'daughter' in various languages can be a rewarding and enlightening experience.
Daughter
Daughter in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dogter | ||
| The Afrikaans word "dogter" derives from the Dutch word "dochter" which originated from Middle Dutch "dochter", Old Dutch "dohter", and Proto-Germanic "*dōhter". | |||
| Amharic | ሴት ልጅ | ||
| The word "ሴት ልጅ" ("daughter") in Amharic is derived from the word "ሴት" ("woman") and "ልጅ" ("child"). | |||
| Hausa | 'ya | ||
| "Ya" can also mean "mother's younger sister" or "younger sister's child." | |||
| Igbo | ada | ||
| "Ada" also means "first"; as in the saying "Onye mbosi ada an'ala mbe," which means "A person who becomes rich first will enjoy his wealth." | |||
| Malagasy | vavy | ||
| The Malagasy word "vavy" can also mean "young girl" or "miss". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwana wamkazi | ||
| The word "mwana wamkazi" can also refer to a female descendant or relative, such as a niece or granddaughter. | |||
| Shona | mwanasikana | ||
| 'Mwanasikana' derives from the Proto-Bantu word *mu-suku-ána, meaning 'child who belongs to a household' | |||
| Somali | gabar | ||
| The word 'gabar' can also refer to a young woman, a girl, or a female child in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | morali | ||
| The word "morali" can also refer to a "female child" or a "young woman". | |||
| Swahili | binti | ||
| Binti is also used as a term of respect for a woman of high status or a princess. | |||
| Xhosa | intomba | ||
| The word 'intomba' in Xhosa can also refer to a young woman or a maiden. | |||
| Yoruba | ọmọbinrin | ||
| Ọmọbinrin, which means "female child" in Yoruba, can also refer to a "young woman" or a "maiden". | |||
| Zulu | indodakazi | ||
| The word "indodakazi" also signifies a 'helper' or 'provider' within the community. | |||
| Bambara | denmuso | ||
| Ewe | vi nyᴐnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukobwa | ||
| Lingala | mwana-mwasi | ||
| Luganda | omwaana ow'obuwala | ||
| Sepedi | morwedi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | babaa | ||
Daughter in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ابنة | ||
| The word "ابنة" can also mean "female cousin" in Arabic, deriving from the root "ابن" meaning "son or offspring". | |||
| Hebrew | בַּת | ||
| The Hebrew word “בת” (bat) is related to the Akkadian word “battu”, which means "young woman". | |||
| Pashto | لور | ||
| The Pashto word "لور" also means "girl" or "lass". | |||
| Arabic | ابنة | ||
| The word "ابنة" can also mean "female cousin" in Arabic, deriving from the root "ابن" meaning "son or offspring". | |||
Daughter in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vajza | ||
| The word "vajza" in Albanian shares a common Indo-European root with words meaning "young woman" in other languages such as Latin "virgo" and Sanskrit "vargika". | |||
| Basque | alaba | ||
| In Basque, the word “alaba” also means “praise” or “song of praise.” | |||
| Catalan | filla | ||
| The word "filla" in Catalan also means "spinning", referring to the traditional role of women in textile production. | |||
| Croatian | kći | ||
| "Kći" is derived from the Proto-Slavic *kyťi, which also meant "flower". | |||
| Danish | datter | ||
| In older Danish, "datter" was used as a general term for female offspring, including granddaughters and great-granddaughters. | |||
| Dutch | dochter | ||
| "Dochter" evolved from Middle Dutch "dochter", which originated from Old High German "tohter" and meant "child" or "female child". | |||
| English | daughter | ||
| The word 'daughter' derives from the Old English 'dohtor,' which meant 'a young woman or feminine child'. | |||
| French | fille | ||
| The word "fille" also means "girl" and is derived from the Latin word "filia". | |||
| Frisian | dochter | ||
| Frisian "dochter" ultimately derives from proto-Germanic *dōhter, which also yielded English "daughter", but "dochter" has also been used in Frisian to refer to an unrelated daughter-in-law. | |||
| Galician | filla | ||
| Galician "filla" derives from the Latin "filia" (daughter) and also means "maiden" or "young woman". | |||
| German | tochter | ||
| Tochter, like the English word daughter, also means a female descendant in any generation, as well as a female disciple or follower. | |||
| Icelandic | dóttir | ||
| In Old Norse, "dóttir" could also mean "the female one", indicating that it was used more broadly than just for immediate offspring. | |||
| Irish | iníon | ||
| "Iníon" can also mean "descendant" or "offspring." | |||
| Italian | figlia | ||
| The word "figlia" in Italian derives from the Latin "filia", and also means "disciple" or "female companion". | |||
| Luxembourgish | duechter | ||
| The word "Duechter" in Luxembourgish originally meant "female child" and is related to the German word "Tochter". | |||
| Maltese | bint | ||
| Maltese 'bint' can also mean an unmarried female of any age, a girl or a young woman. | |||
| Norwegian | datter | ||
| The term 'datter' is likely related to the term 'date' which in turn comes from the Latin 'datum' meaning 'date, day', ultimately deriving from 'dare' meaning 'to give' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | filha | ||
| The Portuguese word "filha" derives from the Latin word "filia", meaning "daughter" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nighean | ||
| In Gaelic poetry, the term can also mean the female lover of the warrior, a usage derived from its Proto-Celtic meaning of "young woman." | |||
| Spanish | hija | ||
| In pre-Roman Iberian languages, "hija" meant "young woman" and "daughter". | |||
| Swedish | dotter | ||
| The Swedish word "dotter" (daughter) is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*deh₂tēr". The word "dotter" is used in some dialects of Swedish to also refer to an unmarried woman, a woman who has given birth to a child, a stepmother, or the wife of a deceased person. | |||
| Welsh | merch | ||
| The word "merch" can also mean "girl" or "maiden" in Welsh. | |||
Daughter in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дачка | ||
| The term "дачка" also refers to a women's hair accessory in Belarusian culture, particularly a metal or beaded headband worn on special occasions. | |||
| Bosnian | ćerko | ||
| The word "ćerko" can also mean "my dear girl" or "my little darling" in some dialects of Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | дъщеря | ||
| The Bulgarian word "дъщеря" also refers to a stepdaughter or the daughter of a close friend. | |||
| Czech | dcera | ||
| "Dcera" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dъkti", meaning "child" or "offspring". | |||
| Estonian | tütar | ||
| In Estonian, "tütar" can also refer to a young woman or a girl, and is related to "tüdruk" (girl) and "tüüter" (maid). | |||
| Finnish | tytär | ||
| "Tytär" likely comes from the Proto-Uralic *tüter "daughter", but also originally meant "virgin" or "maiden". | |||
| Hungarian | lánya | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "lánya" in Hungarian can also refer to a young woman or unmarried girl. | |||
| Latvian | meita | ||
| The word "meita" also means "girl" and "young woman" in Latvian, and is related to the Proto-Indo-European root "*mei-t-ā" meaning "young woman". | |||
| Lithuanian | dukra | ||
| The term **dukra** is also occasionally used figuratively in reference to young female students or female members of a religious community. | |||
| Macedonian | ќерка | ||
| The word ќерка is derived from the Slavic word *kora, which originally meant a young girl. | |||
| Polish | córka | ||
| Some theories link the word "córka" to the Proto-Slavic *kerka meaning "maiden" or *korŭ meaning "female," while others see a connection to Proto-Slavic *čerka, meaning "to draw, to scratch," a reference to the role of unmarried women in milking cows. | |||
| Romanian | fiică | ||
| The Romanian word "fiică" derives from the Latin "filia", which also means "daughter" or "girl", and is related to the English word "filial". | |||
| Russian | дочь | ||
| The word "дочь" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dъkti", which also means "child" or "offspring". | |||
| Serbian | ћерка | ||
| "Ћерка", meaning "daughter" in Serbian, comes from the Old Church Slavonic "čеrka", which in turn originates from the Proto-Slavic "*kerka" meaning "daughter". | |||
| Slovak | dcéra | ||
| The word "dcéra" (daughter) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dъkti, meaning "child". | |||
| Slovenian | hči | ||
| The word "hči" in Slovenian, meaning "daughter," is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dъkti", also meaning "daughter," and is related to the Latin word "filia" and the Greek word "θυγάτηρ" (thygatēr). | |||
| Ukrainian | дочка | ||
| In Russian, the word "дочка" can also be used as a term of endearment for a young girl or a woman. | |||
Daughter in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কন্যা | ||
| The word 'কন্যা' can also mean 'a girl' or 'a young woman'. | |||
| Gujarati | પુત્રી | ||
| The word "પુત્રી" (putri) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "पुत्री" (putri), which also means "daughter". It is related to the word "पुत्र" (putra), which means "son". | |||
| Hindi | बेटी | ||
| The word ''beti'' can also refer to someone who helps you with a difficult task. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಗಳು | ||
| In archaic Kannada, the word 'ಮಗಳು' also meant a goddess while in Tulu and Malayalam, 'magal' means 'bride' and 'woman' respectively | |||
| Malayalam | മകൾ | ||
| The word "മകൾ" (daughter) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "मदर" (mother), implying the intimate bond between a daughter and her mother. | |||
| Marathi | मुलगी | ||
| "Mulagi" also means a "child" (regardless of the gender) and is found as a surname or in names like "Jijamata", "Balamurigi" (young child) etc. | |||
| Nepali | छोरी | ||
| In some parts of Nepal, "छोरी" can also refer to a young girl of marriageable age. | |||
| Punjabi | ਧੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word “ਧੀ” (dhee) holds significant cultural and religious connotations, signifying both a biological daughter and a symbol of divine favor or blessing. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දියණිය | ||
| Sinhala word දියණිය (daughter) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'duhitṛ' (daughter). | |||
| Tamil | மகள் | ||
| The word "மகள்" can also mean "the earth" or "the female principle" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | కుమార్తె | ||
| The name 'Kumārte' in Telugu likely originated from the Sanskrit term 'kumāri' which refers to a young unmarried girl. | |||
| Urdu | بیٹی | ||
| The word "بیٹی" (daughter) is also used as a term of endearment in Urdu, similar to "princess" or "sweetheart". | |||
Daughter in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 女儿 | ||
| 女儿 (nǚ'er) literally means 'girl child' in Chinese and is often used as a term of endearment for female children. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 女兒 | ||
| In classical Chinese, "女兒" (nǚ'ér) referred to young children regardless of gender, but its modern usage specifies females. | |||
| Japanese | 娘 | ||
| The word "娘" can also refer to a young woman in general or a woman's unmarried daughter. | |||
| Korean | 딸 | ||
| The Sino-Korean word 딸 (daughter) can also mean 'female descendant' or 'the daughter of a particular person'. | |||
| Mongolian | охин | ||
| The Mongolian word "охин" (daughter) is also used to refer to a "young woman" or "girl". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သမီး | ||
| The word သမီး (daughter) in Myanmar (Burmese) is also used to refer to a young woman who is not related to the speaker. | |||
Daughter in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | putri | ||
| The word "putri" can also mean "princess" or "female deity" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | putri | ||
| "Putri" also can refer to a noble princess, and a deity or goddess. | |||
| Khmer | កូនស្រី | ||
| កូនស្រី (daughter) is likely derived from the Sanskrit kumārī, meaning 'young woman' or 'maiden' | |||
| Lao | ລູກສາວ | ||
| The Lao word "ລູກສາວ" can also mean "children of a female" or "the daughter of a person with a lower social status" | |||
| Malay | anak perempuan | ||
| The word "anak perempuan" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word "*anak" meaning "child" and "*bahi" meaning "woman". It can also refer to a woman who is the youngest in her family or a child who is the only girl in her family. | |||
| Thai | ลูกสาว | ||
| ลูกสาว (luuk saao) originally meant 'children of the king's concubines' and only later acquired its current meaning. | |||
| Vietnamese | con gái | ||
| "Con gái" is a Vietnamese word that literally translates to "female child", but it can also be used as a term of endearment for a young woman or girl. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | anak na babae | ||
Daughter in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qızı | ||
| The word "qızı" can also refer to a "girl" or a "young woman" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қызы | ||
| The term "қызы" in Kazakh can also refer to a male's daughter or female's younger brother or sister. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыз | ||
| In some Kyrgyz dialects, "кыз" can also refer to a younger sister or female friend. | |||
| Tajik | духтар | ||
| The word "духтар" is derived from the Persian word "دختر", which also means "daughter" and is used in many other Iranian languages. | |||
| Turkmen | gyzy | ||
| Uzbek | qizim | ||
| Uzbek qizim "daughter" also carries the meanings "my dearest" and "my darling". | |||
| Uyghur | قىزى | ||
Daughter in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaikamahine | ||
| The word "kaikamahine" can also mean "young girl" or "maiden" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | tamāhine | ||
| The word 'tamāhine' can also refer to a young unmarried woman or a female child. | |||
| Samoan | afa'fine | ||
| The word 'afa'fine' is cognate with the Hawaiian word 'wahine', and both words come from the Proto-Polynesian word *fafine, which originally meant 'woman', but which later acquired the meaning of 'daughter' in many Polynesian languages. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | anak na babae | ||
| The term "anak na babae" can also refer to a female child regardless of the familial relationship. | |||
Daughter in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phuchha | ||
| Guarani | tajýra | ||
Daughter in International Languages
| Esperanto | filino | ||
| The term "filino" in Esperanto can also refer to a female feline. | |||
| Latin | filia | ||
| Filia can also refer to "love" or "affection" in a non-parental context and is the root of "filial," meaning "pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter." | |||
Daughter in Others Languages
| Greek | κόρη | ||
| "Κόρη" also denotes the female pupil of the eye and the virgin attendant of a deity. | |||
| Hmong | tus ntxhais | ||
| The word "tus ntxhais" originates from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word "*ntưɔj" and is cognate with similar words for "daughter" in other Hmong-Mien languages such as "ntưɔɛŋ" in White Hmong, and "ntưi" in Hmong Daw. | |||
| Kurdish | keç | ||
| The word "keç" in Kurdish also means "female goat" or "ewe" in some dialects. | |||
| Turkish | kız evlat | ||
| The Turkish word "kız evlat" literally translates to "girl child" and can also refer to a female offspring. | |||
| Xhosa | intomba | ||
| The word 'intomba' in Xhosa can also refer to a young woman or a maiden. | |||
| Yiddish | טאָכטער | ||
| "טאָכטער" also means "daughter-in-law" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | indodakazi | ||
| The word "indodakazi" also signifies a 'helper' or 'provider' within the community. | |||
| Assamese | জীয়েক | ||
| Aymara | phuchha | ||
| Bhojpuri | बेटी | ||
| Dhivehi | އަންހެން ދަރިފުޅު | ||
| Dogri | धी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | anak na babae | ||
| Guarani | tajýra | ||
| Ilocano | anak a babai | ||
| Krio | gal pikin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کچ | ||
| Maithili | धिया | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯆꯥꯅꯨꯄꯤ | ||
| Mizo | fanu | ||
| Oromo | intala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | daughter ିଅ | ||
| Quechua | churi | ||
| Sanskrit | पुत्री | ||
| Tatar | кызы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጓል | ||
| Tsonga | nhwana | ||