Deep in Different Languages
Discover 'Deep' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'deep' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that is not only physically deep but also metaphorically profound. It carries a sense of intensity, knowledge, and even mystery. Throughout history, the concept of 'deep' has been explored in various cultural contexts, from the deep ocean abyss to the depths of human emotion.
For instance, in Greek mythology, the Titan Cronus castrated his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea, causing the sea to foam and give birth to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, from the 'deep' (βαθύς in Greek). In Japanese, 'deep' (フカイ) is used to describe not only physical depth but also the depth of one's emotions and thoughts.
Understanding the translation of 'deep' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and express this concept. It can also help us appreciate the richness and diversity of human language and culture.
Deep
Deep in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | diep | ||
| Afrikaans "diep" can also mean "low", as in "the sun is low in the sky". | |||
| Amharic | ጥልቅ | ||
| The Amharic word "ጥልቅ" also conveys a sense of "seriousness" or "importance". | |||
| Hausa | zurfi | ||
| In some contexts, "zurfi" may refer to the depth of a body of water or the intensity of an emotion. | |||
| Igbo | miri emi | ||
| Miri emi also means 'very well' | |||
| Malagasy | lalina | ||
| The word "lalina" in Malagasy not only means "deep" but also connotes intensity or profoundness. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zakuya | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "zakuya" also means "hidden" or "difficult to find". | |||
| Shona | zvakadzika | ||
| The Shona word 'zvakadzika' also means 'very' or 'exceedingly', emphasizing the intensity or magnitude of something. | |||
| Somali | qoto dheer | ||
| Sesotho | tebileng | ||
| While its original meaning in Sesotho was 'the depths of a whirlpool,' tebileng later came to refer to any depth or hollow. | |||
| Swahili | kina | ||
| The word "kina" in Swahili can also refer to a feeling of sadness or disappointment. | |||
| Xhosa | nzulu | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "nzulu" also refers to mystical realms or spiritual depths. | |||
| Yoruba | jin | ||
| The Yoruba word "jin" also means "to be immersed in"} | |||
| Zulu | kujule | ||
| The word "kujule" can also mean "to drown" or "to sink" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | dun | ||
| Ewe | goglo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | byimbitse | ||
| Lingala | mozindo | ||
| Luganda | buziba | ||
| Sepedi | tlase | ||
| Twi (Akan) | emu dɔ | ||
Deep in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عميق | ||
| The Arabic word "عميق" (deep) also means "profound" or "spiritual". | |||
| Hebrew | עָמוֹק | ||
| In 1 Kings 20:30, the Hebrew word עָמוֹק appears and some scholars suggest it could mean "high" or "upper". | |||
| Pashto | ژور | ||
| The word "ژور" also means "depth" but only in compounds like "دژور" (darkness) and "لژور" (abyss). | |||
| Arabic | عميق | ||
| The Arabic word "عميق" (deep) also means "profound" or "spiritual". | |||
Deep in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i thellë | ||
| "Thellë" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*telh₂-" meaning "to support" and is cognate with Greek "θόλος" (thólos) "dome, vaulted building". | |||
| Basque | sakona | ||
| "Sakona" also means "bottom" and is related to the verb "sakondu" ("to put", "to hide"). | |||
| Catalan | profund | ||
| In Catalan, "profund" comes from the Latin "profundus" (deep), and also refers to a person who is intense and thoughtful. | |||
| Croatian | duboko | ||
| The Croatian word "duboko" is also used to describe a person's character, meaning "profound" or "thoughtful". | |||
| Danish | dyb | ||
| In Danish, "dyb" also refers to the depth of knowledge or emotion, and can be used figuratively to describe a profound experience. | |||
| Dutch | diep | ||
| Diep is a cognate of the English word 'deep', and can also refer to a low-lying area, such as a ditch or valley. | |||
| English | deep | ||
| The word 'deep' derives from the Old English deop, which referred to underwater or underground depths. Figuratively, it can also denote a profound or intense emotion or understanding. | |||
| French | profond | ||
| "Profond" can refer not only to physical depth, but also figuratively to emotional or philosophical depth as well, as an adjective or an adverb. | |||
| Frisian | djip | ||
| "Djip" in Frisian means "deep" and is related to "diep" in Dutch and "dep" in English, also meaning "deep". | |||
| Galician | profundo | ||
| The Galician word "profundo" is also used to refer to the sea or the depths of the sea. | |||
| German | tief | ||
| In German "tief" also means “serious” or “sad" (as in “in deep thought” or “a deep sigh” respectively). | |||
| Icelandic | djúpt | ||
| Djúpt comes from the Proto-Germanic *deupa-, meaning "to dip" or "to sink". | |||
| Irish | domhain | ||
| The word "domhain" can also refer to the oceans or the underworld in Irish mythology. | |||
| Italian | in profondità | ||
| The Italian word 'in profondità' can also mean 'thoroughly' or 'in detail'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | déif | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "déif" is etymologically related to the German word "tief" and the English word "deep" and can also mean "profound" or "intense". | |||
| Maltese | fond | ||
| In Maltese, 'fond' can also mean 'a small, secluded bay' or 'a hollow space or hole'. | |||
| Norwegian | dyp | ||
| The Norwegian word "dyp" can also mean "deep sea" or "ocean". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | profundo | ||
| The Portuguese word "profundo" can also mean "profound" or "thorough". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | domhainn | ||
| The Gaelic word "domhainn" is likely cognate with "domhan," meaning "world," highlighting the interconnectedness of depth and the vastness of existence. | |||
| Spanish | profundo | ||
| "Profundo" also means "thorough" or "in-depth". | |||
| Swedish | djup | ||
| Djup can also mean 'thorough' or 'profound', similar to 'deep' in English. | |||
| Welsh | dwfn | ||
| The Welsh word "dwfn" can also refer to a valley or a gorge. | |||
Deep in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | глыбокі | ||
| The word "глыбокі" can also refer to something that is difficult to understand or comprehend. | |||
| Bosnian | duboko | ||
| The word "duboko" can also mean "hollow". | |||
| Bulgarian | дълбок | ||
| "Дълбок" originally meant "long" or "tall," and retains this meaning in some contexts. | |||
| Czech | hluboký | ||
| The word "hluboký" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "głъbokъ", which also means "dull" or "dark". | |||
| Estonian | sügav | ||
| Estonian word "sügav" also contains an implied connotation of mystery, danger and darkness. | |||
| Finnish | syvä | ||
| "Syvä" is also used as a noun meaning an abyss, a very deep place. | |||
| Hungarian | mély | ||
| "Mély" comes from the same Proto-Indo-European root as "moisten", "millstone", "grind" and "mud". | |||
| Latvian | dziļi | ||
| "Dziļi" is also used figuratively to mean "very" or "considerably," as in "dziļi ieinteresēts" ("very interested"). | |||
| Lithuanian | giliai | ||
| The word "giliai" likely derives from the same Indo-European root as "gulf" and "abyss." | |||
| Macedonian | длабоко | ||
| "Длабоко" can also mean "precisely" or "thoroughly" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | głęboki | ||
| The word "głęboki" in Polish can also mean "profound" or "thorough". | |||
| Romanian | adânc | ||
| «Adânc» may originate from Turkish «derin» or the Hungarian word «edény» ('vessel'), and is etymologically related to the Romanian word «fund» ('bottom'). | |||
| Russian | глубокий | ||
| глубокий shares an etymological root with the verb 'to drown' (тонуть), as well as the noun 'abyss' (бездна). | |||
| Serbian | дубоко | ||
| The Serbian word "дубоко" can also mean "thoroughly" or "completely". | |||
| Slovak | hlboko | ||
| The term 'hlboko' is originally borrowed from the Old Slavic language via 'gъlbъkъ', which refers in Polish to the verb 'to swallow' ('łyknąć'). | |||
| Slovenian | globoko | ||
| "Globoko" is also a village in northwestern Slovenia near the Italian border, and a town in southern Croatia. | |||
| Ukrainian | глибокий | ||
| The word "глибокий" can also mean "thoughtful" or "insightful". | |||
Deep in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গভীর | ||
| "গভীর" is also used to describe a person's intelligence or understanding, or the intensity of an emotion. | |||
| Gujarati | .ંડા | ||
| The Gujarati word ".ંડા", apart from meaning "deep,", may also refer "thoroughly,", or even "completely" or "greatly." | |||
| Hindi | गहरा | ||
| The word "गहरा" (deep) in Hindi also means "dense" or "thick" in physical contexts, such as a dense forest or thick fog. | |||
| Kannada | ಆಳವಾದ | ||
| The word 'ಆಳವಾದ' has an alternate meaning of 'deeply buried' or 'hidden'. | |||
| Malayalam | ആഴത്തിലുള്ള | ||
| The Malayalam word "ആഴത്തിലുള്ള" ("deep") is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word "गम्भीर" ("deep, profound"), which also carries the connotation of "serious, weighty". | |||
| Marathi | खोल | ||
| "खोल" in Marathi can also mean "wide" or "expansive". | |||
| Nepali | गहिरो | ||
| The Nepali word "गहिरो" derives from the verb "गहर्नु" meaning "to dip" or "to immerse", suggesting its association with depth. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡੂੰਘਾ | ||
| The word "ਡੂੰਘਾ" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "गम्भीर" and the Hindi word "गहरा", all of which mean "deep" or "profound". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගැඹුරු | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "ගැඹුරු" not only means "deep," but also refers to the ocean's depths and, figuratively, to profound knowledge or emotions. | |||
| Tamil | ஆழமான | ||
| "ஆழமான" also means "profound" or "thorough". | |||
| Telugu | లోతైన | ||
| The word "లోతైన" comes from the Sanskrit word "लोथ (lotha)", which means "to roll or wallow", and is also related to the word "లోత (lotha)", which means "a deep hole or pit". | |||
| Urdu | گہری | ||
| The word "گہری" can also mean "thoughtful" or "intelligent" in Urdu. | |||
Deep in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 深 | ||
| The simplified Chinese character "深" originally depicted the profile of a person in water. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 深 | ||
| The Chinese character 深 means 'profound,' 'abstruse,' and 'dark' and is a phonetic loan from a Middle Chinese character meaning 'dark' | |||
| Japanese | 深い | ||
| The word "深い" (fukai, deep) also means "difficult to understand" or "profound". | |||
| Korean | 깊은 | ||
| Originally, "깊은" meant "to bury" or "to sink", and this basic meaning is still preserved in its modern usage. | |||
| Mongolian | гүн | ||
| In Mongolian, гүн is related to the Turkish word "gün" meaning "sun", implying a connection between celestial heights and the depths below. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နက်ရှိုင်းသည် | ||
Deep in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dalam | ||
| In Indonesian, "dalam" can also mean "in" or "inside" of something. | |||
| Javanese | jero | ||
| The word "jero" in Javanese can also refer to the inside or core of something. | |||
| Khmer | ជ្រៅ | ||
| The word "ជ្រៅ" is also used to describe a person's personality, such as someone who is "deep" in thought. | |||
| Lao | ເລິກ | ||
| "ເລິກ" also means "to finish" or "to come to an end". | |||
| Malay | dalam | ||
| "Dalam" also refers to "inside", "within", or "contained within something else." | |||
| Thai | ลึก | ||
| "ลึก" can also mean "difficult to understand" or "complicated". | |||
| Vietnamese | sâu | ||
| The word 'sâu' can also refer to time periods and personal relationships. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malalim | ||
Deep in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dərin | ||
| In addition to "deep," "dərin" can also mean "dense" and is related to "duru" (clear, transparent). | |||
| Kazakh | терең | ||
| The word "терең" can also mean "secret" or "mysterious" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | терең | ||
| The word "терең" in Kyrgyz originally meant "bottom" but gradually evolved to mean "deep". | |||
| Tajik | чуқур | ||
| "Чуқур" (deep) may refer to both a depth or a pothole, and comes from Persian. | |||
| Turkmen | çuň | ||
| Uzbek | chuqur | ||
| The word "chuqur" also refers to a specific unit of linear measurement in Central Asia, equal to approximately 6.28 kilometers or 3.9 miles. | |||
| Uyghur | چوڭقۇر | ||
Deep in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hohonu | ||
| The word _hohonu_ is also used to describe hidden or profound things, such as spiritual or emotional depths. | |||
| Maori | hohonu | ||
| The Maori word "hohonu" not only means "deep" but also refers to the depth of a person's knowledge or understanding. | |||
| Samoan | loloto | ||
| In Samoan, the word "loloto" can also mean "hidden" or "secret". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | malalim | ||
| The word "malalim" can also mean "profound" or "intense". | |||
Deep in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manqha | ||
| Guarani | hypýva | ||
Deep in International Languages
| Esperanto | profunda | ||
| Esperanto has borrowed "profunda" from Latin, where it originally meant "poured out". | |||
| Latin | altum | ||
| Originally 'altum' meant 'high' or 'above', but it later acquired the meaning of 'deep' or 'below', possibly due to its use in nautical contexts. | |||
Deep in Others Languages
| Greek | βαθύς | ||
| "Βαθύς" is associated with the concepts of "stable," "secure," and "solid." | |||
| Hmong | tob | ||
| The word "tob" can also mean "very" or "too" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | kûr | ||
| The Kurdish word "kûr" also means "a deep and vast hole in the ground" in Armenian. | |||
| Turkish | derin | ||
| The Turkish word "derin" can also mean "profound" or "difficult to understand". | |||
| Xhosa | nzulu | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "nzulu" also refers to mystical realms or spiritual depths. | |||
| Yiddish | טיף | ||
| The Yiddish word "טיף" is derived from the Aramaic word "טוּב" meaning "good," and also has the alternate meaning of "great" in some contexts. | |||
| Zulu | kujule | ||
| The word "kujule" can also mean "to drown" or "to sink" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | গভীৰ | ||
| Aymara | manqha | ||
| Bhojpuri | गहिर | ||
| Dhivehi | ފުން | ||
| Dogri | डूंहगा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malalim | ||
| Guarani | hypýva | ||
| Ilocano | naadalem | ||
| Krio | dip | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قووڵ | ||
| Maithili | गंहीर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯨꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thuk | ||
| Oromo | gadi fagoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗଭୀର | ||
| Quechua | uku | ||
| Sanskrit | अधः | ||
| Tatar | тирән | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥሉቅ | ||
| Tsonga | enta | ||