Day in Different Languages
Discover 'Day' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'day' carries great significance in our lives, as it represents the period of light between one night and the next. It's a time of productivity, activity, and warmth, and it's no surprise that it holds cultural importance across the globe. From the bustling markets of Marrakech at dawn, to the serene cherry blossom views of Kyoto at daytime, 'day' is a universal concept that transcends language and cultural barriers.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'day' in different languages can be a fun and enlightening experience for language enthusiasts and culture explorers alike. For instance, did you know that 'day' translates to 'día' in Spanish and 'jour' in French? Or that in Hawaiian, a day is referred to as 'la'?
Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of language and culture, and discover how the simple word 'day' is expressed in various corners of the world.
Day
Day in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dag | ||
| "Dag" can also refer to a person who is unpleasant or unkind | |||
| Amharic | ቀን | ||
| The Amharic word ቀን (day) also refers to a period of 24 hours, as opposed to ሌሊት (night) which only refers to the nighttime. | |||
| Hausa | rana | ||
| The root of the word **rana** in Hausa may come from the Arabic term ranu for “light.” | |||
| Igbo | ụbọchị | ||
| In Igbo, the word 'ụbọchị' also refers to a particular type of traditional fabric worn by men. | |||
| Malagasy | andro | ||
| The word "andro" also means "sun" in Malagasy, and in many other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsiku | ||
| In Nyanja, "tsiku" can also refer to a period of time or a specific occasion. | |||
| Shona | zuva | ||
| 'Zuva' also means 'to grow' or 'to sprout', linking the concept of time to the growth and renewal of life. | |||
| Somali | maalin | ||
| In the Somali language, "maalin" also means "time" or "season". | |||
| Sesotho | letsatsi | ||
| 'Letsatsi' can also refer to a 'particular date', a 'term' or 'period', a 'day's work', and an 'era' or 'epoch'. | |||
| Swahili | siku | ||
| 'Siku' shares an etymology with the English word 'seek' | |||
| Xhosa | usuku | ||
| "Usuku" can also refer to the sun or sunlight. | |||
| Yoruba | ọjọ | ||
| Ọjọ's other meanings include 'sun' and 'time', and it derives from the Proto-Benue-Congo root *jo meaning 'sun'. | |||
| Zulu | usuku | ||
| Zulu word "usuku" (day) is also used in the sense of "time". | |||
| Bambara | don | ||
| Ewe | ŋkeke | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umunsi | ||
| Lingala | mokolo | ||
| Luganda | olunaku | ||
| Sepedi | letšatši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | da | ||
Day in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يوم | ||
| The Arabic word "يوم" (day) can also mean "life" or "fate", derived from the Proto-Semitic word for "age" or "lifetime". | |||
| Hebrew | יְוֹם | ||
| "יום", "day" as a time period as opposed to "לילה", "night", is based off the Semitic root "אום", "mother", similar to the English word "maternal", as it refers to the dawning or the birth of a new day. | |||
| Pashto | ورځ | ||
| The Pashto word "ورځ" (day) is also used to indicate "a lifetime" or "age". | |||
| Arabic | يوم | ||
| The Arabic word "يوم" (day) can also mean "life" or "fate", derived from the Proto-Semitic word for "age" or "lifetime". | |||
Day in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ditë | ||
| The Albanian word "ditë" (day) derives from Proto-Indo-European "*diē(w)" and is cognate with English "day" and Sanskrit "diivas". | |||
| Basque | eguna | ||
| The word "eguna" in Basque is also used to mean "sun" and "noon". | |||
| Catalan | dia | ||
| The word "dia" in Catalan also refers to the deity of the day, and is a cognate of the ancient Greek word "Zeus". | |||
| Croatian | dan | ||
| The word 'dan' is also used to indicate a holiday or an important date, such as Easter or Christmas. | |||
| Danish | dag | ||
| The Danish word "dag" also means "rain" or "to rain". | |||
| Dutch | dag | ||
| The word "dag" in Dutch can also mean "piece of cloth" or "to wipe". | |||
| English | day | ||
| The word "day" comes from the Old English word "dæg," which is cognate with the German word "Tag," the Dutch word "dag," and the Swedish word "dag." | |||
| French | journée | ||
| In the Middle Ages, "journée" could also refer to a battle or to a military unit that fought in it. | |||
| Frisian | dei | ||
| Frisian "dei" may also refer to daylight, daytime, or a period of time. | |||
| Galician | día | ||
| The Galician word "día" derives from the Latin word "dies", which originally meant "light". | |||
| German | tag | ||
| The word 'Tag' also refers to the 'dew' covering vegetation, especially in the morning, which is also called 'Tau' in German. | |||
| Icelandic | dagur | ||
| The Icelandic word "dagur" is cognate with the English word "dew" and is thought to have originally meant "dawn" or "the time when dew falls". | |||
| Irish | lá | ||
| The Irish word "lá" originally meant "a period" before coming to mean "a day" and, by extension, "an occasion" and even "a festival". | |||
| Italian | giorno | ||
| "Giorno" derives from the Latin "diurnus", meaning "pertaining to the daytime", and is cognate to "journal". | |||
| Luxembourgish | dag | ||
| Dag, pronounced like English 'dock', can also mean a male, especially one that is young. | |||
| Maltese | jum | ||
| Maltese 'jum' derives from Arabic 'yawm', and originally could also mean 'time', 'when' or 'now'. | |||
| Norwegian | dag | ||
| In Old Norse, "dag" (day) also referred to a span of time of varying length, including the time between sunrise and sunset or a 24-hour period. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dia | ||
| The word "dia" (day) in Portuguese comes from the Latin word "dies," which also means "fate" or "destiny." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | latha | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "latha" also means "weather" or "period of time" besides "day". | |||
| Spanish | día | ||
| In pre-Columbian Mayan culture, "día" had a sacred connotation of "god" due to the cyclical nature of time. | |||
| Swedish | dag | ||
| The Swedish word "dag" can also refer to a period, a daily record of events, or an appointed date or event, similar to the English "diary" and "agenda". | |||
| Welsh | dydd | ||
| The word "Dydd" can also refer to a 24-hour period or the period between sunrise and sunset | |||
Day in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзень | ||
| This Slavic word is related to the Latin word "dies" and the ancient Greek word "Zeus" | |||
| Bosnian | dan | ||
| The word "dan" is also used to refer to specific days of the week, such as "danas" (today) or "ponedeljak" (Monday). | |||
| Bulgarian | ден | ||
| The word "ден" can also mean "bottom" or "floor" in Bulgarian, deriving from the Proto-Slavic word "dьno" meaning "bottom". | |||
| Czech | den | ||
| The Czech word "den" also means "bottom" or "floor" in some contexts. | |||
| Estonian | päeval | ||
| The word "päeval" is also used to refer to daytime. | |||
| Finnish | päivä | ||
| In addition to meaning "day", "päivä" also appears in some compounds in the sense of "clear sky", "dryness", or "shine". | |||
| Hungarian | nap | ||
| In Hungarian, "nap" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*nokʷts" meaning "night". | |||
| Latvian | diena | ||
| The Latvian word "diena" also refers to a period of 12 daylight hours, from dawn to dusk, known as a "diurnal cycle" or "daylight period". | |||
| Lithuanian | dieną | ||
| The word „dieną" can also mean „today" or "the current day" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | ден | ||
| The word "ден" ("day") is derived from Proto-Slavic *dьnь and also means "today" and "nowadays". | |||
| Polish | dzień | ||
| The word "dzień" in Polish can also refer to a period of 24 hours, or to the time between sunrise and sunset. | |||
| Romanian | zi | ||
| The Romanian word "zi" is related to the Latin word "dies" and has the same meaning of "day". | |||
| Russian | день | ||
| The Russian word 'день' can also refer to 'light' or 'daylight', reflecting its Proto-Slavic origins. | |||
| Serbian | дан | ||
| The word "дан" can also refer to the "time" and "the present moment" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | deň | ||
| The word "deň" is also used in Slovak to refer to a "period of time" or a "specific day". | |||
| Slovenian | dan | ||
| "Dan" also means "gift" in Slovene, and it derives from the Proto-Slavic word *danъ, which also means "day". It is related to words like "day" in English. | |||
| Ukrainian | день | ||
| "День" also means "money" in Ukrainian | |||
Day in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দিন | ||
| In Bengali, "দিন" (din) can mean not only "day," but also "fate," "luck," or "fortune." | |||
| Gujarati | દિવસ | ||
| The Gujarati word "દિવસ" (day) is derived from the Sanskrit word "दिवास" (daylight), which is believed to have roots in the Proto-Indo-European word "*dyēws" (sky). | |||
| Hindi | दिन | ||
| Hindi word "दिन" (day) originally meant "shine" and also means "fate". | |||
| Kannada | ದಿನ | ||
| "ದಿನ" is the Kannada word for "day" but can also mean "direction" or "place". | |||
| Malayalam | ദിവസം | ||
| The Malayalam word "ദിവസം" (divasam) originates from the Sanskrit term "divasa," meaning "shining one," or "heavenly body." | |||
| Marathi | दिवस | ||
| The Marathi word "दिवस" comes from the Sanskrit word "दिवास" (divas), meaning "sunlight" or "day". | |||
| Nepali | दिन | ||
| The word 'दिन' can also mean 'side' or 'direction' in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦਿਨ | ||
| The word "ਦਿਨ" can also refer to a "calendar date" or a "specific period of time". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දින | ||
| The word "දින" (day) in Sinhala also means "time" or "period." | |||
| Tamil | நாள் | ||
| The word "நாள்" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "*ŋaːɭ". Its alternate meanings include "time", "season", "age", and "era". | |||
| Telugu | రోజు | ||
| The Telugu word "రోజు" (day) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "rocana" (light), and is also used to refer to the sun or the dawn. | |||
| Urdu | دن | ||
| The word "دن" can also mean "brightness" or "light". | |||
Day in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 天 | ||
| The character "天" (day) is also used to refer to the sky, heaven, or the natural world. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 天 | ||
| 天 (Tiān) can also mean 'sky', 'heaven', 'God', or 'nature' depending on the context. | |||
| Japanese | 日 | ||
| The kanji "日" (pronounced "hi" or "nichi") also signifies "sun", and the Japanese word for "Japan" ("Nihon" or "Nippon") means "source of the sun". | |||
| Korean | 일 | ||
| The Korean word "일" can also mean "work" or "affair" | |||
| Mongolian | өдөр | ||
| The Mongolian word "өдөр" is also used to refer to the sun, as in "өдөр гарлаа" (the sun rose). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နေ့ | ||
| နေ့ can also refer to a specific time in the past or the near future. | |||
Day in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hari | ||
| The word 'hari' originally meant 'sun' or 'light' in Old Javanese, but its meaning has since expanded to include 'day' and 'time'. | |||
| Javanese | dina iki | ||
| Javanese 'dina iki' and Bugis 'dinengi' derive from Proto-Austronesian *dinaqi 'today' that also means 'night' in some languages. | |||
| Khmer | ថ្ងៃ | ||
| The Khmer word "ថ្ងៃ" (day) has origins in the Sanskrit word "दिन्" (day), which also means "sun" or "light". | |||
| Lao | ມື້ | ||
| Malay | hari | ||
| The Malay word "hari" is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "ahar" (day). It can also mean "meeting" or "time for". | |||
| Thai | วัน | ||
| The word "วัน" in Thai can also mean "sun" or "time". | |||
| Vietnamese | ngày | ||
| "Ngày" derives from the Hán Nôm word „娘“, meaning young woman or daughter. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | araw | ||
Day in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gün | ||
| "Gün" also means "sun" in Azerbaijani, deriving from the Proto-Turkic word *kün "sun". | |||
| Kazakh | күн | ||
| The Kazakh word | |||
| Kyrgyz | күн | ||
| The word "күн" in Kyrgyz also means "sun" and is related to the Mongolian word "хиан" meaning "heaven." | |||
| Tajik | рӯз | ||
| The word "рӯз" also means "age" and "time" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | gün | ||
| Uzbek | kun | ||
| The word "kun" in Uzbek is cognate with the word "kun" in Turkish, meaning "sun". | |||
| Uyghur | كۈن | ||
Day in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lā | ||
| The Hawaiian word "lā" originally meant "sun" or "deity," and it only later came to mean "day". | |||
| Maori | rā | ||
| In Māori, the word “rā” can also refer to the sun, and as a result, the word can be used to describe a person’s complexion. | |||
| Samoan | aso | ||
| The word "aso" also means "sun" in Samoan, reflecting the close relationship between time and the celestial body in the culture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | araw | ||
| The word "araw" in Tagalog also means "sun" and is related to the words for "light" and "fire" in other Austronesian languages. | |||
Day in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uru | ||
| Guarani | ára | ||
Day in International Languages
| Esperanto | tago | ||
| The Esperanto word "tago" also means "period" or "span of time". | |||
| Latin | dies | ||
| The word "dies" in Latin also means "part of a day" or "a period of time". | |||
Day in Others Languages
| Greek | ημέρα | ||
| The word "ημέρα" in Greek is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*h₂éwsōs", meaning "dawn" or "morning light". | |||
| Hmong | hnub | ||
| In Proto-Hmong-Mien, the word "hnub" would have also meant "sun". | |||
| Kurdish | roj | ||
| The word "roj" in Kurdish comes from the Proto-Indo-European word "*h₂reǵs-", which also gives rise to the English word "reckon". | |||
| Turkish | gün | ||
| The word "gün" in Turkish also means "sun" or "dawn", sharing a common root with the English word "day". | |||
| Xhosa | usuku | ||
| "Usuku" can also refer to the sun or sunlight. | |||
| Yiddish | טאָג | ||
| The Yiddish word "טאָג" can also mean "dawn" or "daylight". | |||
| Zulu | usuku | ||
| Zulu word "usuku" (day) is also used in the sense of "time". | |||
| Assamese | দিন | ||
| Aymara | uru | ||
| Bhojpuri | दिन | ||
| Dhivehi | ދުވަސް | ||
| Dogri | दिन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | araw | ||
| Guarani | ára | ||
| Ilocano | aldaw | ||
| Krio | de | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕۆژ | ||
| Maithili | दिन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ | ||
| Mizo | ni | ||
| Oromo | guyyaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦିନ | ||
| Quechua | punchaw | ||
| Sanskrit | दिनं | ||
| Tatar | көн | ||
| Tigrinya | መዓልቲ | ||
| Tsonga | siku | ||