Depth in Different Languages
Discover 'Depth' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'depth' carries a wealth of meaning, denoting both physical measurement and abstract concepts such as intensity, seriousness, or significance. Its cultural importance is evident in its use across various disciplines, from psychology and philosophy to physics and mathematics. Understanding the nuances of 'depth' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and interact with the world around them.
For instance, in Spanish, 'depth' translates to 'profundidad,' which also means 'bottom' or 'lowest part.' In German, 'Tiefe' not only refers to 'depth' but also to 'melancholy' or 'sadness,' reflecting the language's rich emotional vocabulary. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'depth' is translated as 'sinkō,' which also means 'understanding' or 'insight,' highlighting the language's holistic approach to knowledge and perception.
Below, you'll find a list of translations of 'depth' in various languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural and linguistic diversity of this simple yet profound word.
Depth
Depth in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | diepte | ||
| Diepte means 'depth' in both Afrikaans and Dutch, while its etymology also includes Indo-European roots meaning 'fat' or 'abundant'. | |||
| Amharic | ጥልቀት | ||
| Alternately, the word ጥልቀት has also been understood as meaning "to go under" | |||
| Hausa | zurfin | ||
| 'Zurfin' is derived from the Arabic 'zorf', meaning 'container', and can also refer to a 'hole' or 'depression'. | |||
| Igbo | omimi | ||
| "Omimi" also means "deep thought" or "wisdom" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | lalina | ||
| The word "lalina" in Malagasy can also refer to the abyss or the unknown. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuya | ||
| Kuya also means 'deep hole', 'abyss', and 'gulf'. | |||
| Shona | kudzika | ||
| The word "kudzika" can also mean "to be deep" or "to go deep". | |||
| Somali | qoto dheer | ||
| Qoto dheer, often translated as “depth,” also refers to the “height” or “level” of something from a horizontal or vertical perspective. | |||
| Sesotho | botebo | ||
| The word 'botebo' (depth) and 'bo' (two) could be similar because the concept of depth involves the measurement from a surface to a lower elevation. | |||
| Swahili | kina | ||
| The Swahili word **kina** also means "the base or core of something", "the essence or substance of something", "the interior or inner part of something", or "the most important or central part of something." | |||
| Xhosa | ubunzulu | ||
| The Xhosa word "ubunzulu" also means "greatness" or "importance". | |||
| Yoruba | ijinle | ||
| "Ijinle" also means "the ocean" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukujula | ||
| The word 'ukujula' also means 'to be deep' or 'to go deep' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | dunya | ||
| Ewe | goglome | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubujyakuzimu | ||
| Lingala | bozindo | ||
| Luganda | obuwanvu | ||
| Sepedi | botebo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | emu dɔ | ||
Depth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عمق | ||
| The Arabic word "عمق" (depth) also has meanings of "innermost" and "most profound". | |||
| Hebrew | עוֹמֶק | ||
| "עוֹמֶק" also means "the core" or "the heart" of something. | |||
| Pashto | ژوروالى | ||
| The word "ژوروالى" can also refer to the deep sea or ocean. | |||
| Arabic | عمق | ||
| The Arabic word "عمق" (depth) also has meanings of "innermost" and "most profound". | |||
Depth in Western European Languages
| Albanian | thellesi | ||
| "Thellesi" is of Proto-Albanian origin, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰelh-, meaning "to hide, or cover". | |||
| Basque | sakonera | ||
| The Basque word "sakonera" also means "root" or "foundation" and comes from the Proto-Basque root *SAKON- meaning "deep" or "far". | |||
| Catalan | profunditat | ||
| Profunditat, 'depth' in Catalan, comes from the Latin word 'profundus' meaning 'deep' or 'profound'. | |||
| Croatian | dubina | ||
| The word "dubina" can also mean "abyss" or "gulf" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | dybde | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "depth," "dybde" can also refer to the profundity of thought or emotion. | |||
| Dutch | diepte | ||
| In Dutch, 'diepte' ('depth') can have multiple meanings, including the intensity or profoundness of an experience or feeling. | |||
| English | depth | ||
| In Old English, “depth” referred to “deep water” or “the ocean” but, like other words deriving from this Proto-Indo-European root, over time it broadened in meaning to include nonaquatic profundity. | |||
| French | profondeur | ||
| The word "profondeur" derives from the Latin "profundus" meaning "deep", and also relates to "profondeurs" meaning "the abyss". | |||
| Frisian | djipte | ||
| Djipte is related to the Old Frisian 'djūp', the Dutch 'diep' and the German 'tief', all of which mean 'depth'. | |||
| Galician | profundidade | ||
| The Galician word "profundidade" also means "profundity" and "abstruseness" in Portuguese. | |||
| German | tiefe | ||
| The German word "Tiefe" can also refer to low or deep tones in music and poetry, and to an emotional state of sadness or melancholy | |||
| Icelandic | dýpt | ||
| In Icelandic, "dýpt" also refers to the "abyss of hell" | |||
| Irish | doimhneacht | ||
| Doimhneacht can also mean 'abyss,' 'mystery,' or 'profoundness'. | |||
| Italian | profondità | ||
| In Italian, 'profondità' also means 'profundity' and can refer to the depth of thought or emotion. | |||
| Luxembourgish | déift | ||
| In Old Luxembourgish, the word "Déift" originally referred to the depth of a river, but now has a more general meaning of depth in general. | |||
| Maltese | fond | ||
| The word "fond" in Maltese can also refer to a recess or a niche. | |||
| Norwegian | dybde | ||
| In Norwegian, in addition to its primary meaning of "depth", "dybde" can also refer to "a sense of profoundness or insight". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | profundidade | ||
| The word 'profundidade' in Portuguese has an alternate feminine form, 'profundeza', and derives from the Latin word 'profundus' meaning 'deep'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | doimhneachd | ||
| The Scottish Gaelic word "doimhneachd" can also refer to profundity, intensity, or sincerity. | |||
| Spanish | profundidad | ||
| In marine navigation, "profundidad" can refer to the lowest level of the hold, the bilge. | |||
| Swedish | djup | ||
| The Swedish word "djup" can also mean a deep lake or the abyss. | |||
| Welsh | dyfnder | ||
| The Welsh word "dyfnder" can also mean "mystery" or "secret". | |||
Depth in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | глыбіня | ||
| The word "глыбіня" can also refer to the abyss or the depths of an ocean | |||
| Bosnian | dubina | ||
| "Dubina" also refers to a hole in a rock or tree and can be translated as "hollow". | |||
| Bulgarian | дълбочина | ||
| The word "дълбочина" can also mean "thoroughness" or "completeness" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | hloubka | ||
| Hloubka can also refer to a depression in a surface or a low pressure system in meteorology. | |||
| Estonian | sügavus | ||
| The Estonian word sügavus can also be used to refer to the intensity of a feeling or the seriousness of a problem. | |||
| Finnish | syvyys | ||
| The word "syvyys" can also refer to the "profoundness" or "darkness" of something. | |||
| Hungarian | mélység | ||
| The Hungarian word "mélység" not only means "depth" but also "abyss" and "the depths of hell". | |||
| Latvian | dziļums | ||
| "Dziļums" also means "abyss" or a large, fathomless body of water. | |||
| Lithuanian | gylis | ||
| The word "gylis" can also refer to the thickness or volume of an object (for example, water), a characteristic of its texture (for example, that of snow), and, figuratively, to the profoundness of an argument or concept. | |||
| Macedonian | длабочина | ||
| "Длабочина" (depth) in Macedonian also refers to a specific type of net or trap used for fishing. | |||
| Polish | głębokość | ||
| In Polish, "głębokość" also means "seriousness", "gravity", or "profundity" | |||
| Romanian | adâncime | ||
| The word "adâncime" comes from the Slavic word "dĭnŭ" which means "bottom" or "base". | |||
| Russian | глубина | ||
| Serbian | дубина | ||
| The word "дубина" can also refer to a wooden club or a simpleton in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | hĺbka | ||
| The word "hĺbka" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *głъbъ, meaning "deep" or "hollow." | |||
| Slovenian | globino | ||
| The word "globino" may have origins in Old Church Slavonic as "glubina" or Proto-Slavic languages as "glǫbina." | |||
| Ukrainian | глибина | ||
| The word "глибина" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *gъlbina, which had the same meaning. | |||
Depth in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গভীরতা | ||
| The word "গভীরতা" can also refer to the intensity or extent of something | |||
| Gujarati | .ંડાઈ | ||
| The word "undaai" also means "depth of thought" or "profoundness". | |||
| Hindi | गहराई | ||
| गहराई derives from the Sanskrit term 'गम्भीर,' which also means 'serious' or 'grave.' | |||
| Kannada | ಆಳ | ||
| While ಆಳ (āḷ) primarily means "depth," it can also refer to a "mine pit," "bottom of a well," or "the middle of a lake" | |||
| Malayalam | ആഴം | ||
| The Malayalam word "ആഴം" ("depth") is derived from the Dravidian root *ālj-*, which also means "below" or "deep". | |||
| Marathi | खोली | ||
| The word "खोली" in Marathi has an alternate meaning of "room". | |||
| Nepali | गहिराई | ||
| "गहिराई" (gahirai) is derived from Sanskrit "gambhira," which also means "deep" or "low-pitched." | |||
| Punjabi | ਡੂੰਘਾਈ | ||
| The word "ਡੂੰਘਾਈ" can also refer to the intensity or seriousness of a feeling, emotion, or situation. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගැඹුර | ||
| The word "ගැඹුර" (depth) comes from the word "ගැඹිර" (deep) which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word "*gʰembʰ-" (to sink). | |||
| Tamil | ஆழம் | ||
| "ஆழம்" in Tamil means "depth" in English and is also used for "profound" or "depth of emotion." | |||
| Telugu | లోతు | ||
| "లోతు" (depth) also refers to the distance from the surface of a liquid to its bottom. | |||
| Urdu | گہرائی | ||
| "گہرائی" is also used figuratively to mean "intensity" or "profundity". | |||
Depth in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 深度 | ||
| 深度 refers to a physical measurement of distance or the degree of abstract concepts, and the word is often used figuratively, particularly to signify a profound understanding of a subject. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 深度 | ||
| 深度, from 深 (deep, profound, dark, dense) and 度 (measure, extent); also means 'intensity' or 'degree' of a certain thing | |||
| Japanese | 深さ | ||
| "深さ" also means "darkness" or "seriousness" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 깊이 | ||
| In Korean, 깊이 (geuphi) can also refer to 'profoundly' or 'thoroughly,' beyond its primary meaning of 'depth'. | |||
| Mongolian | гүн | ||
| The Mongolian word "гүн" also means "weight" and "importance". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အတိမ်အနက်ကို | ||
Depth in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kedalaman | ||
| The Indonesian word "kedalaman" can also refer to the "bottom" or "depths" of a container or space. | |||
| Javanese | ambane | ||
| The word "ambane" in Javanese can also refer to "the distance between two things" or "the distance between two points in time". | |||
| Khmer | ជម្រៅ | ||
| The Khmer word "ជម្រៅ" can also mean "deep sleep" or "to be in a trance". | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມເລິກ | ||
| Malay | kedalaman | ||
| "Kedalaman" also means "thoroughness" or "intensity" in certain contexts. | |||
| Thai | ความลึก | ||
| The word "ความลึก" can also mean "mystery" or "complexity" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | chiều sâu | ||
| The Vietnamese word "chiều sâu" translates to "depth" in English, but it also carries secondary meanings of "dimension", "layer", and "intimacies", reflecting the nuances of the Vietnamese language. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lalim | ||
Depth in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dərinlik | ||
| The word "dərinlik" has its roots in the Persian word "durna" meaning "crane". | |||
| Kazakh | тереңдік | ||
| The word "тереңдік" in Kazakh also means "sincerity" or "honesty". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тереңдик | ||
| Тереңдик derives from Old Turkic "tegir", meaning "round" or "circle". | |||
| Tajik | чуқурӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "чуқурӣ" can also refer to a pit, hole, or well | |||
| Turkmen | çuňlugy | ||
| Uzbek | chuqurlik | ||
| The word "chuqurlik" comes from the Persian word "chughur", meaning "deep". | |||
| Uyghur | چوڭقۇرلۇق | ||
Depth in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hohonu | ||
| "Hohonu" means "deep" or "depth", and can also refer to the deep sea, depths of the abyss, or hidden depths of emotion. | |||
| Maori | hohonu | ||
| In some dialects hoho-nu refers to the bottom, and in particular, of the sea (i.e. a lake bottom) | |||
| Samoan | loloto | ||
| The Samoan word "loloto" also means "secret" and "mystery". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lalim | ||
| "Lalim" also refers to the profundity or thoroughness of an action or thought. | |||
Depth in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manqha | ||
| Guarani | hypy'ũ | ||
Depth in International Languages
| Esperanto | profundo | ||
| In Esperanto, "profundo" also refers to something being thorough or deep-reaching. | |||
| Latin | profundum | ||
| "Profundum" derives from "pro" (forward), and "fund" (base), and has alternate meanings such as "essence" and "heart". | |||
Depth in Others Languages
| Greek | βάθος | ||
| The Ancient Greek word "βάθος" also meant "high and lofty" and it's thought to derive from the Indo-European root "bhadh" meaning "to delve, dig". | |||
| Hmong | tob | ||
| 'Tob' can also be spelled 'tuab', or 'too' depending on tone. | |||
| Kurdish | kûrî | ||
| The word 'kûrî' also means 'abyss,' 'gulf,' and 'bottom' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | derinlik | ||
| "Derinlik" derives from the Persian word "derun" which itself is an antonym of "berun" (outer). | |||
| Xhosa | ubunzulu | ||
| The Xhosa word "ubunzulu" also means "greatness" or "importance". | |||
| Yiddish | טיפעניש | ||
| "טיפעניש" can also be used to describe an abyss, a profound or unfathomable space or mystery. | |||
| Zulu | ukujula | ||
| The word 'ukujula' also means 'to be deep' or 'to go deep' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | গভীৰতা | ||
| Aymara | manqha | ||
| Bhojpuri | गहराई | ||
| Dhivehi | ފުންމިން | ||
| Dogri | गैहराई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lalim | ||
| Guarani | hypy'ũ | ||
| Ilocano | kinaadalem | ||
| Krio | dip | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قووڵی | ||
| Maithili | गहराई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯨꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thukzawng | ||
| Oromo | gadi fageenya | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗଭୀରତା | ||
| Quechua | ukun | ||
| Sanskrit | गहनता | ||
| Tatar | тирәнлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕምቈት | ||
| Tsonga | vuenti | ||