Dig in Different Languages
Discover 'Dig' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'dig' is a versatile and vital part of many languages, carrying various meanings that have shaped human communication. At its core, 'dig' signifies the act of digging or excavating, but it also extends to expressions of understanding, enthusiasm, and even food enjoyment!
Throughout history, digging has allowed us to build civilizations, unearth ancient artifacts, and grow our food. Culturally, 'dig' has inspired idioms and phrases that reflect our emotions, interests, and connections with one another. For instance, when we 'dig' someone or something, we show approval and appreciation.
Given the word's significance and cultural importance, learning its translations in different languages can enrich your conversations and understanding of various cultures. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: excavar, cavar
- French: creuser, s'intéresser
- German: graben, mögen
- Mandarin: 挖 (wā), 喜欢 (xǐhuān)
- Japanese: 掘る (horu), 好き (suki)
Discover more translations of 'dig' and deepen your engagement with global cultures!
Dig
Dig in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | jy | ||
| The Afrikaans word "jy" has an alternate spelling of "gy" and is cognate with the Dutch "jij" (you). | |||
| Amharic | አንቺ | ||
| The word "አንቺ" in Amharic can also refer to an act of excavating or creating a hole, as well as a groove or channel. | |||
| Hausa | kai | ||
| In the phrase "kai maka," "kai" means "hole." | |||
| Igbo | gị | ||
| Igbo word "gị" can also mean "do" or "perform" an action | |||
| Malagasy | ianareo | ||
| The Malagasy word "ianareo" not only means "to dig" but also signifies "to bury", especially with respect to burying the dead. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | inu | ||
| The word "inu" also means "to search" or "to investigate". | |||
| Shona | iwe | ||
| The Shona verb "iwe" also means "to excavate" or "to extract". | |||
| Somali | adiga | ||
| The Somali word 'adiga' can also mean 'you' in the singular second person. | |||
| Sesotho | uena | ||
| One possible etymology of the Sesotho word "uena" is that it originates from the Nguni word "ukumba," meaning "to dig or excavate." | |||
| Swahili | wewe | ||
| In Swahili, 'wewe' also denotes 'you', the second person singular pronoun, often used in familiar terms. | |||
| Xhosa | wena | ||
| The word "wena" in Xhosa can also mean "to remove" or "to separate" | |||
| Yoruba | ìwọ | ||
| The spelling ''ìwọ'' in Yoruba also means ''you'' in English, depending on the context of its usage in a sentence. | |||
| Zulu | wena | ||
| The term "wena" may also denote a place or an event in a spatial or temporal sense. | |||
| Bambara | i | ||
| Ewe | wò | ||
| Kinyarwanda | wowe | ||
| Lingala | yo | ||
| Luganda | ggwe | ||
| Sepedi | wena | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wo | ||
Dig in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أنت | ||
| "أنت" can also mean "you" and "to lead" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | אתה | ||
| The word "אתה" (dig) can also be a pronoun that means "you." | |||
| Pashto | تاسو | ||
| The word "تاسو" also means "to dig up" in Persian and "to hollow out" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Arabic | أنت | ||
| "أنت" can also mean "you" and "to lead" in Arabic. | |||
Dig in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ti | ||
| "Ti" [dig] is also commonly used with the meaning of "to get into" or "to become part of" something. | |||
| Basque | zuk | ||
| The Basque word 'zuk' also means 'you', and is related to the word 'zuzen', meaning 'straight'. | |||
| Catalan | vostè | ||
| "Vostè" is derived from Latin "vos", used in polite third-person address. | |||
| Croatian | vas | ||
| The word "vas" can also mean "village" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | du | ||
| The Danish word "du" can also mean "you" or "thou". | |||
| Dutch | u | ||
| The word "u" in Dutch is derived from the Latin "fossa", meaning "ditch". It can also mean "grave" or "pit". | |||
| English | dig | ||
| The verb "dig" comes from the Middle English word "diken," which means "to strike or pierce." | |||
| French | toi | ||
| "Toi" comes from the Old French word "tuier" which also meant to "kill" and is related to the English word "toll" | |||
| Frisian | jo | ||
| The Frisian word 'jo' also means 'you' in English. | |||
| Galician | ti | ||
| The word "ti" in Galician, meaning "dig," is also related to the English word "tine," referring to the prongs of a pitchfork. | |||
| German | sie | ||
| German "Sie" also means "they" like the English personal pronoun | |||
| Icelandic | þú | ||
| The Icelandic word "þú" can also be used as a form of address for a familiar second-person singular, similar to the English "thou". | |||
| Irish | tú | ||
| In Irish, "tú" can also refer to a small hill or mound. | |||
| Italian | tu | ||
| "Tu" in Italian can also mean "you" (singular, informal), and comes from the Latin "tu" and the Proto-Indo-European root "*teu-." | |||
| Luxembourgish | dir | ||
| The word "Dir" in Luxembourgish can also mean "you" in the formal sense or "you all" in the informal sense. | |||
| Maltese | int | ||
| Maltese "int" may originate from the Arabic word "'int", meaning "to thrust", or it may have an alternate meaning of "to pick" or "to gather". | |||
| Norwegian | du | ||
| The Norwegian word "du" derives from the Old Norse term meaning "to push" or "to thrust". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vocês | ||
| In Brazil, "vocês" is also used as a formal pronoun for politeness, but it is not the case in Portugal. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | thu | ||
| In older Gaelic, 'thu' meant both 'dig' and 'cut', with 'dig' being the primary meaning. | |||
| Spanish | tú | ||
| The Spanish word "tú" derives from the Latin word "tu" meaning "you" and is also related to the English word "thou". | |||
| Swedish | dig | ||
| The Swedish word "dig" can also mean "cool" or "awesome". | |||
| Welsh | ti | ||
| The word "ti" also means "to cover" or "to conceal" in Welsh. | |||
Dig in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вы | ||
| "Вы" can also mean "to dig through" or "to dig up" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | ti | ||
| The word "ti" in Bosnian is also used to describe the act of carving or engraving. | |||
| Bulgarian | ти | ||
| The word "ти" also means "you" in the second person plural in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | vy | ||
| "Vy" can refer to the digging tool or the action of carving something | |||
| Estonian | sina | ||
| The word "sina" also means "you" in the second person singular in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | sinä | ||
| Despite being derived from Germanic, "sinä" originally meant "this" or "here". Only later did it acquire its present meaning. | |||
| Hungarian | te | ||
| The Hungarian word "te" (dig) probably originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *dheǵʰ- (to set or fix), which is also the source of the English word "do". | |||
| Latvian | jūs | ||
| The word "jūs" also means "you" (second person plural) in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | tu | ||
| The Lithuanian word "tu" also means "you" in the singular and informal second person, but it can also be used as a reflexive pronoun meaning "yourself". | |||
| Macedonian | ти | ||
| "Ти" (dig) is a verb that can also mean to poke, prod, or search. | |||
| Polish | ty | ||
| Ty means 'you' in Polish but was originally used as a form of address to superiors. | |||
| Romanian | tu | ||
| The Romanian word "tu" also means "you" in singular accusative or nominative pronoun form. | |||
| Russian | ты | ||
| The word "ты" (ty) can also mean 'you' in the Russian language. | |||
| Serbian | ти | ||
| The Serbian word "ти" can also refer to the "body" or the "self." | |||
| Slovak | ty | ||
| The word "ty" can also mean "you" in the Slovak language. | |||
| Slovenian | ti | ||
| Slovenian 'ti' comes from Proto-Slavic *titi, meaning 'to cut, crush, strike, beat, etc.' | |||
| Ukrainian | ти | ||
| "Ти" in Ukrainian can also refer to "you" in the informal singular or plural. | |||
Dig in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আপনি | ||
| "আপনি" (dig) is an onomatopoeia derived from the sound a hoe or spade makes when it hits the ground. | |||
| Gujarati | તમે | ||
| The term "તમે" can also be used to mean "you", or as a verb meaning "to eat". | |||
| Hindi | आप | ||
| The Hindi word "आप" is an imperative form of the verb "आपना" (āpnā), which means "to acquire; to gain."} | |||
| Kannada | ನೀವು | ||
| The Kannada verb "ನೀವು" can also mean "to push" or "to thrust". | |||
| Malayalam | നിങ്ങൾ | ||
| The word "dig" in Malayalam (നിങ്ങൾ) can also mean "you" in the plural form. | |||
| Marathi | आपण | ||
| The word "आपण" ("dig") in Marathi also means "one" or "self", implying the idea of self-excavation or introspection. | |||
| Nepali | तपाईं | ||
| The term 'तपाईं' can also signify deep respect for the individual. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤੁਸੀਂ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔයා | ||
| "ඔයා" also means "you" in colloquial Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | நீங்கள் | ||
| நீங்கள் can also mean a measurement of length equal to about 1 yard. | |||
| Telugu | మీరు | ||
| In Telugu, "మీరు" can also refer to 'you' as a respectful second-person singular pronoun. | |||
| Urdu | تم | ||
| The word "تم" in Urdu has additional meanings like "foundation" or "grave" beyond its primary meaning of "dig". | |||
Dig in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 您 | ||
| 您 is a respectful way to address a person in Chinese. It is often used in formal settings or when speaking to someone older or superior. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 您 | ||
| The word "您" also means "you (formal)" in Chinese and is pronounced "nín" in Mandarin. | |||
| Japanese | 君は | ||
| 君は was borrowed into Japanese from Portuguese and now has two distinct readings depending on the kanji used. | |||
| Korean | 당신 | ||
| The Korean word "당신" can also be used as a polite form of "you". | |||
| Mongolian | та | ||
| The Mongolian word "Та" can also mean "to strike" or "to carve". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မင်း | ||
| In Old Burmese, "မင်း" also meant "to search for something." | |||
Dig in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kamu | ||
| The colloquial meaning of "kamu" in Indonesian, which means "you," is also found in its cognates in other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Javanese | sampeyan | ||
| Sampeyan has several meanings in Javanese, including 'you' (formal), 'your', and 'dig' depending on context. | |||
| Khmer | អ្នក | ||
| The word “អ្នក” can also mean “scoop” or “scrape” in Khmer, suggesting its diverse range of uses related to excavation or removal of substances. | |||
| Lao | ເຈົ້າ | ||
| The word ເຈົ້າ is also used to refer to a small hoe used for gardening. | |||
| Malay | awak | ||
| "Awak" is derived from Sanskrit "udak" meaning "to dig up" and also refers to "a place where water springs up" in the Malay language. | |||
| Thai | คุณ | ||
| 'คุณ' is also the Thai word for 'you', which is a homonym to the word for 'dig'. | |||
| Vietnamese | bạn | ||
| In slang, **ban** can also mean "to criticize" or "to gossip." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ikaw | ||
Dig in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sən | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "Sən" (dig) shares an etymology with the Turkic word "sindi" (break), denoting the act of breaking the ground. | |||
| Kazakh | сен | ||
| The word "сен" also means "to pierce" or "to bore" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сен | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "сен" can also refer to a specific type of digging tool. | |||
| Tajik | шумо | ||
| The word шумо, meaning "to dig," in Tajik is likely derived from the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word "to excavate." | |||
| Turkmen | sen | ||
| Uzbek | siz | ||
| The word "siz" in Uzbek also means "excavate" or "dredge". | |||
| Uyghur | سىز | ||
Dig in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻo ʻoe | ||
| ʼO ʼoe, meaning "to dig" in Hawaiian, derives from Proto-Austronesian *ququr, which also meant "to dig". | |||
| Maori | koe | ||
| In Maori, | |||
| Samoan | oe | ||
| The word "oe" also denotes the process of scooping, as in the extraction of a coconut from its husk. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ikaw | ||
| The Tagalog word "ikaw" also means "you" and is related to the Malay "engkau" and Javanese "kowe". | |||
Dig in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juma | ||
| Guarani | nde | ||
Dig in International Languages
| Esperanto | vi | ||
| The Esperanto word "vi" also means "us" in Latin and "we" in Old Prussian. | |||
| Latin | vos | ||
| "Vos" in Latin also means "voice" or "thou" (2nd person singular subject pronoun). | |||
Dig in Others Languages
| Greek | εσείς | ||
| The word "εσείς" also means "you" in Greek, and is derived from the Old Greek word "σφέ"} | |||
| Hmong | koj | ||
| The Hmong word "koj" also means "to sow (seeds)" and "to plant (plants)". | |||
| Kurdish | hûn | ||
| The Kurdish word "hûn" can also refer to "a hole dug in the ground". | |||
| Turkish | sen | ||
| Its other meanings include "to understand" and "a measure of weight in Iran" | |||
| Xhosa | wena | ||
| The word "wena" in Xhosa can also mean "to remove" or "to separate" | |||
| Yiddish | דו | ||
| The Yiddish word "דו" (dig) is also used in the sense of "to search for" or "to investigate". | |||
| Zulu | wena | ||
| The term "wena" may also denote a place or an event in a spatial or temporal sense. | |||
| Assamese | আপুনি | ||
| Aymara | juma | ||
| Bhojpuri | रऊवाॅं | ||
| Dhivehi | ތިބާ | ||
| Dogri | तूं | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ikaw | ||
| Guarani | nde | ||
| Ilocano | sika | ||
| Krio | yu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تۆ | ||
| Maithili | अहां | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯗꯣꯝ | ||
| Mizo | nangmah | ||
| Oromo | ati | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତୁମେ | ||
| Quechua | qam | ||
| Sanskrit | त्वम् | ||
| Tatar | син | ||
| Tigrinya | ንስኻ | ||
| Tsonga | wena | ||