Dirty in Different Languages
Discover 'Dirty' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'dirty' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, signifying something unclean or morally impure. Its cultural importance is evident in various forms of art, literature, and media, where the concept of dirt and grime is often used metaphorically to convey deeper meanings. For instance, the phrase 'dirty hands' is often used to describe someone involved in questionable activities, while 'dirty dancing' has become a popular cultural phenomenon.
Moreover, the word 'dirty' has fascinating historical contexts. During the Victorian era, for example, the word was used to describe anything that was considered taboo or vulgar. Today, the word continues to evolve, taking on new meanings in different cultures and contexts.
Understanding the translation of 'dirty' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and interpret this concept. Here are a few sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- Dirty (English) - Schmutzig (German)
- Dirty (English) - Sucio (Spanish)
- Dirty (English) - Sale (French)
Dirty
Dirty in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vuil | ||
| The Afrikaans word "vuil" derives from the Proto-West Germanic word "*wuljaz", meaning "dirty, polluted". | |||
| Amharic | ቆሻሻ | ||
| The word "ቆሻሻ" can also mean "worthless" or "useless" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | datti | ||
| Hausa has multiple words that translate to 'dirty' in English: 'datti', 'kazami', and 'mai ƙazanta'. 'Datti' is often used to describe physical dirtiness, while 'kazami' suggests moral impurity and 'mai ƙazanta' is less common. | |||
| Igbo | unyi | ||
| In Igbo, "unyi" is often used to refer to a state of ritual impurity, as distinct from physical uncleanliness. | |||
| Malagasy | maloto | ||
| The Malagasy word 'maloto' can also refer to a type of traditional Malagasy dance or to the act of cleaning oneself. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zauve | ||
| The word "zauve" also means "bad" or "filthy" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | tsvina | ||
| The word "tsvina" in Shona can also refer to a type of wild pumpkin. | |||
| Somali | wasakh ah | ||
| The word "wasakh ah" can also be used to describe the smell of unwashed clothes or the dirt on a person's hands. | |||
| Sesotho | ditshila | ||
| The word ditshila can also mean 'bad luck', 'evil', or 'curse' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | chafu | ||
| The word "chafu" also means "mixed" or "impure" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | emdaka | ||
| The word 'emdaka' is also used to refer to a type of traditional dance performed by women in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yoruba | idọti | ||
| The Yoruba word "idọti" can also refer to "filth" or "pollution". | |||
| Zulu | kungcolile | ||
| "Kungcolile" can also mean "filthy," "soiled," or "polluted" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | nɔgɔlen | ||
| Ewe | ƒo ɖi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwanda | ||
| Lingala | mbindo | ||
| Luganda | -kyaafu | ||
| Sepedi | ditqhila | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fi | ||
Dirty in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قذر | ||
| The word "قذر" (dirty) is derived from the verb "قذر" (to be dirty), which in turn comes from the root "ق د ر" (to be dirty, impure, or stained). | |||
| Hebrew | מְלוּכלָך | ||
| מְלוּכלָך derives from the root 'לכלך' ('to soil') and may also refer to something 'stained' or 'soiled'. | |||
| Pashto | چټل | ||
| The word "چټل" can also refer to "unfit" or "useless", and its feminine form "چټله" means "ugly". | |||
| Arabic | قذر | ||
| The word "قذر" (dirty) is derived from the verb "قذر" (to be dirty), which in turn comes from the root "ق د ر" (to be dirty, impure, or stained). | |||
Dirty in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i ndyrë | ||
| The Albanian word "i ndyrë" also signifies "indecent" or "disgusting" in a non-literal sense. | |||
| Basque | zikina | ||
| The word "zikina" also has the alternate meaning of "miserly" or "stingy" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | brut | ||
| The word "brut" in Catalan also means "crude oil"} | |||
| Croatian | prljav | ||
| Prljav shares the same root as "prlina", which is a Slavic word for "soot". | |||
| Danish | snavset | ||
| The word 'snavset' is of Middle Low German origin, and its original meaning was 'to cut or tear'. | |||
| Dutch | vuil | ||
| The word "vuil" in Dutch also means "foul" or "mean". | |||
| English | dirty | ||
| The word 'dirty' can also refer to something that is morally wrong or impure. | |||
| French | sale | ||
| In French, "sale" also means "room" or "hall", and in that sense derives from the Latin "sala". | |||
| Frisian | smoarch | ||
| The word 'smoarch' in Frisian, meaning 'dirty', is related to the Dutch word 'smerig', and originally meant 'painful' or 'smarting'. | |||
| Galician | sucio | ||
| In Galician, "sucio" also means "stingy". | |||
| German | dreckig | ||
| Dreckig can also mean 'poor' or 'miserly' in some German dialects. | |||
| Icelandic | skítugur | ||
| Skítugur also means 'naughty' or 'mischievous'. | |||
| Irish | salach | ||
| The word 'salach' has an alternate meaning of 'filthy'. | |||
| Italian | sporco | ||
| Sporco, from the Late Latin spurcus meaning both "dirty" and "disgusting", is related to English "spurn" and "sparrow", whose names derive from its unappealing qualities. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dreckeg | ||
| It is derived from the Westphalian word 'dreckig' meaning 'dirty' | |||
| Maltese | maħmuġ | ||
| The word "maħmuġ" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "maḥmūd" meaning "praised" and has the archaic sense of "precious". | |||
| Norwegian | skitten | ||
| The word "skitten" can also be used to describe a person who is unpleasant or untidy. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sujo | ||
| The word 'sujo' can also mean 'ugly', 'unclean', 'bad', 'unpleasant', 'unhealthy', 'sickly', or 'disgusting' | |||
| Scots Gaelic | salach | ||
| The word 'salach' also means 'dirty linen' or 'rags' in Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | sucio | ||
| "Sucio" derives from Latin "sordido", meaning "defiled" or "polluted." | |||
| Swedish | smutsig | ||
| In the 17th century, 'smutsig' was considered a slang word for 'drunk' rather than 'dirty'. | |||
| Welsh | budr | ||
| "Budr" comes from "buidr", meaning "rotten", "corrupt", and "worthless". The plural "bydrau" refers to "rotten things". | |||
Dirty in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | брудны | ||
| The word "брудны" can also refer to "dishonest" or "unfair". | |||
| Bosnian | prljav | ||
| The word "prljav" in Bosnian can also mean "indecent" or "obscene" in a more abstract sense. | |||
| Bulgarian | мръсен | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "мръсен" also has connotations of "naughty" or "vulgar." | |||
| Czech | špinavý | ||
| The word "špinavý" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "spina", meaning "dirt" or "grime." | |||
| Estonian | räpane | ||
| The word 'räpane' is derived from the Proto-Finnic word 'räpänä', which means 'rotten' or 'decayed'. | |||
| Finnish | likainen | ||
| The word "likainen" can also refer to something that is stained or contaminated. | |||
| Hungarian | piszkos | ||
| It can also be an adjective to describe someone who is mean or dishonest, perhaps originating from a person with unwashed hands handling food making it dirty. | |||
| Latvian | netīrs | ||
| The Latvian word "netīrs" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ney-, meaning "to wash, to cleanse" and is cognate with the English word "neat". | |||
| Lithuanian | purvinas | ||
| The word "purvinas" in Lithuanian derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "peu-" meaning "to rot", and it can also mean "nasty" or "disgusting". | |||
| Macedonian | валкани | ||
| The word "валкани" in Macedonian is of Proto-Slavic origin and is related to the word "валя" (to roll). | |||
| Polish | brudny | ||
| The etymology of "brudny" is related to a Proto-Slavic root that also means "to boil". | |||
| Romanian | murdar | ||
| The Romanian word "murdar" may derive from the Persian "murdār", meaning "corpse", or from the Latin "mordere", meaning "to bite". | |||
| Russian | грязный | ||
| In Russian, грязный can be used to describe someone who is morally or spiritually impure. | |||
| Serbian | прљав | ||
| "Прљав" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *porlъ, meaning both "dirty" and "ashamed." | |||
| Slovak | špinavý | ||
| The Slovak word "špinavý" can also mean "stained" or "muddy". | |||
| Slovenian | umazan | ||
| Umazan, meaning "dirty" in Slovenian, can also refer to a state of chaos or confusion, similar to the English phrase "a mess". | |||
| Ukrainian | брудний | ||
| The word "брудний" (brudnyy) in Ukrainian can also mean "unfavorable" or "unpleasant". | |||
Dirty in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নোংরা | ||
| "নোংরা" is also used to describe something that is impure or not clean, such as “tainted food” | |||
| Gujarati | ગંદા | ||
| The Gujarati word "ગંદા" can also mean "foul-smelling" or "unclean". | |||
| Hindi | गंदा | ||
| "गंदा" (gandā) is a Hindi word that can also mean 'unwholesome' or 'evil', derived from the Sanskrit word 'gandha' (scent) or 'gandha' (fragrance), and is related to the English word 'stink'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೊಳಕು | ||
| The word "ಕೊಳಕು" can also mean "muddy" or "cloudy" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | അഴുക്കായ | ||
| The word 'അഴുക്കായ' can also mean 'unclean' or 'impure' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | गलिच्छ | ||
| "गलिच्छ" can also mean "disgusting" or "offensive". | |||
| Nepali | फोहोर | ||
| The word 'फोहोर' in Nepali can also refer to waste or trash. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੰਦਾ | ||
| The word "ਗੰਦਾ" can also mean "unclean", "impure", or "contaminated" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අපිරිසිදු | ||
| The word "අපිරිසිදු" ("dirty") in Sinhala (Sinhalese) originally meant "unclean" or "impure" in a religious context. | |||
| Tamil | அழுக்கு | ||
| The word 'அழுக்கு' also refers to 'lack of clarity' or 'confusion' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | మురికి | ||
| The word "మురికి" can also refer to "impure" or "impurity". | |||
| Urdu | گندا | ||
| The word "گندا" can also mean "unclean", "impure", or "indecent". | |||
Dirty in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 脏 | ||
| The character "脏" can also mean "viscera" or "internal organs" in Chinese traditional medicine. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 臟 | ||
| In Traditional Chinese, 臟 (zàng) also means "inner organs". | |||
| Japanese | 汚れた | ||
| The word "汚れた" has a secondary meaning of "corrupted" or "tainted". | |||
| Korean | 더러운 | ||
| The word 더러운 (dirty) can also mean "impure" or "unclean" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | бохир | ||
| The word "бохир" can also mean "unclean" or "impure" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ညစ်ပတ်တယ် | ||
Dirty in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kotor | ||
| The word "kotor" can also mean "filthy", "unclean", or "polluted". | |||
| Javanese | reged | ||
| The word "reged" in Javanese can also mean "grimy" or "soiled." | |||
| Khmer | កខ្វក់ | ||
| The word 'កខ្វក់' is also used to describe something or someone that is unpleasant or disgusting. | |||
| Lao | ເປື້ອນ | ||
| The word ເປື້ອນ (dirty) originates from the word ປື້ອນ (to throw or fling), implying the act of throwing or getting something dirty on oneself.} | |||
| Malay | kotor | ||
| The word "kotor" can also mean "impure", "unclean", or "filthy". | |||
| Thai | สกปรก | ||
| สกปรก in Thai also refers to something untidy, messy, or out of place | |||
| Vietnamese | dơ bẩn | ||
| The word "dơ bẩn" can also mean "unclean" or "polluted" in other contexts. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | marumi | ||
Dirty in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çirkli | ||
| The word "çirkli" in Azerbaijani also means "ugly" or "unattractive". | |||
| Kazakh | лас | ||
| The word "лас" in Kazakh can also mean "to smear" or "to rub". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кир | ||
| The word "кир" also means "pollution" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ифлос | ||
| The word "ифлос" can also mean "unclean" or "impure". It originates from the Persian word "ифлос". | |||
| Turkmen | hapa | ||
| Uzbek | iflos | ||
| "Iflos" may also mean "worthless" or "unfortunate" and has a colloquial alternate form, "iflosa" | |||
| Uyghur | مەينەت | ||
Dirty in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lepo | ||
| The word 'lepo' can also mean 'slippery' or 'oily' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | paru | ||
| The Māori word 'paru' means 'brownish black', but can also refer to 'dirt' or 'soot', due to its association with dark colors. | |||
| Samoan | palapala | ||
| The word 'palapala' in Samoan can also refer to something that is not clear or distinct. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | marumi | ||
| "Marumi" is a euphemism for pregnancy that's rarely used nowadays but can still be heard in the countryside. | |||
Dirty in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | q'añu | ||
| Guarani | ky'a | ||
Dirty in International Languages
| Esperanto | malpura | ||
| "Malpura" in Esperanto is etymologically based on "malpuri" (to purify) indicating the act of removing impurities. | |||
| Latin | sordidum | ||
| The Latin 'sordidum' (dirty) could also refer to 'a poor man' or 'a miserly man'. | |||
Dirty in Others Languages
| Greek | βρώμικος | ||
| βρώμικος has the same root with βρώμα, meaning food, thus, in some older texts, it may mean 'smelly' or 'having a strong odor', which may be pleasant. | |||
| Hmong | qias neeg | ||
| "Qias neeg" literally means "to not wash" in Hmong | |||
| Kurdish | qirêjî | ||
| The word "qirêjî" in Kurdish also means "unclean" or "impure", and is related to the Arabic word "qirāj" meaning "filth" or "impurity". | |||
| Turkish | kirli | ||
| The Turkish word 'kirli' originally meant 'dark', but later took on the meaning of 'dirty' due to the association between darkness and uncleanliness. | |||
| Xhosa | emdaka | ||
| The word 'emdaka' is also used to refer to a type of traditional dance performed by women in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yiddish | גראָב | ||
| The etymology of "grayb" is likely to be from West Yiddish via Central Yiddish "grebe." However, this might have been associated with Slavic words meaning "to rake together" and with Modern Yiddish "greyben" or "greybn" meaning "to dig." | |||
| Zulu | kungcolile | ||
| "Kungcolile" can also mean "filthy," "soiled," or "polluted" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | লেতেৰা | ||
| Aymara | q'añu | ||
| Bhojpuri | गंदा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުތުރު | ||
| Dogri | गंदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | marumi | ||
| Guarani | ky'a | ||
| Ilocano | narugit | ||
| Krio | dɔti | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پیس | ||
| Maithili | गंदा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯃꯣꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | bal | ||
| Oromo | xuraa'aa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମଇଳା | ||
| Quechua | qanra | ||
| Sanskrit | मलिनम् | ||
| Tatar | пычрак | ||
| Tigrinya | ረሳሕ | ||
| Tsonga | thyakile | ||