Double in Different Languages
Discover 'Double' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'double' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that is twice the size, amount, or extent of the original. It's a cultural cornerstone, appearing in various contexts such as mathematics, literature, and even in our daily lives. For instance, the concept of 'double trouble' suggests a situation that is doubly problematic, while 'doubling down' in gambling means to bet twice the original amount.
Given its importance, it's no surprise that people often seek to learn its translation in different languages. For example, in Spanish, 'double' translates to 'doble', in French to 'double', and in German to 'doppelt'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also provide insights into the linguistic and cultural nuances of different societies.
Explore the various translations of the word 'double' below and enrich your linguistic repertoire.
Double
Double in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dubbel | ||
| Dubbel also means "thick, heavy," as in the phrase "dubbel koffie" (strong coffee). | |||
| Amharic | ድርብ | ||
| The word "ድርብ" can also refer to a type of traditional Amharic poetry. | |||
| Hausa | biyu | ||
| Hausa "biyu" shares its root with "bi" meaning "two" and also appears in a variety of other words concerning twos or pairs. | |||
| Igbo | abuo | ||
| The Igbo word "abuo" can also mean "twin" or "duplicate". | |||
| Malagasy | avo roa heny | ||
| The word "avo roa heny" in Malagasy also means "two by two". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kawiri | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "kawiri" can also refer to a pair of something, or to two of something. | |||
| Shona | zvakapetwa | ||
| Somali | labanlaab | ||
| The word "labanlaab" can also refer to something that is balanced or evenly distributed. | |||
| Sesotho | habeli | ||
| The word "habeli" also means "pair" or "two of a kind" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | maradufu | ||
| Maradufu is also used in Swahili as a noun which refers to a 'twin'. "Ndugu maradufu" are siblings with different parents (half-siblings) whereas twins in the English sense of the word are "mapacha." | |||
| Xhosa | kabini | ||
| In Xhosa, kabini can also refer to a pair of twins, or to a double-storied house. | |||
| Yoruba | ilọpo meji | ||
| Ilọpo meji is also a term for the number two and can refer to a pair or couple. | |||
| Zulu | kabili | ||
| The Zulu word "kabili" also refers to a type of twin or a person who is part of a double act. | |||
| Bambara | siɲɛfila | ||
| Ewe | le eve | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kabiri | ||
| Lingala | mibale | ||
| Luganda | bbiri | ||
| Sepedi | gabedi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmienu | ||
Double in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مزدوج | ||
| In addition to meaning "double," "مزدوج" can also mean "rhymed" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | לְהַכפִּיל | ||
| The Hebrew word "לְהַכּפִּיל" can also mean "to cause to increase", "to multiply", or "to repeat". | |||
| Pashto | دوه چنده | ||
| "دوه چنده" can also mean "one after the other." | |||
| Arabic | مزدوج | ||
| In addition to meaning "double," "مزدوج" can also mean "rhymed" in Arabic. | |||
Double in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dyfish | ||
| "Dyfish" also means "the other one" or "the second one". | |||
| Basque | bikoitza | ||
| Bikoitza, in its archaic usage from the sixteenth, seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, may have denoted a person who is a twin; this is not possible to know, but in modern Basque this would be biki. | |||
| Catalan | doble | ||
| The word "doble" in Catalan may also refer to a type of ghost or spirit. | |||
| Croatian | dvostruko | ||
| "Dvostruko" also means "two times over" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | dobbelt | ||
| Dobbelt is derived from Old Norse 'dubb', meaning 'strong', or 'hard' or 'thick' | |||
| Dutch | dubbele | ||
| The word "dubbele" derives from Old Dutch "dubbil", meaning "to fold" and is related to English "duplication" and French "double". | |||
| English | double | ||
| The word 'double' derives from the Old French 'doble' meaning 'twofold', but can also refer to a counterpart, a lookalike, or an imposter. | |||
| French | double | ||
| “Double” in French can also refer to a person who is not sincere or who has a duplicitous nature. | |||
| Frisian | dûbel | ||
| The Frisian word "dûbel" is related to the English "double" and also means "to fold" or "to bend". | |||
| Galician | dobre | ||
| "Dobre" also refers in Galician to a piece of furniture consisting of two shelves. | |||
| German | doppelt | ||
| The Old High German root word for "doppelt" is "dubbelt," but also meant "folded" or "turned twice". | |||
| Icelandic | tvöfalt | ||
| Icelandic tvöfalt also means 'in half,' from Old Norse tvifalt ('in two folds.') | |||
| Irish | dúbailte | ||
| Dúbailte also means "a doubling, repetition or copy; substitute, assistant, deputy or representative, a twin." | |||
| Italian | doppio | ||
| The Italian word 'Doppio' can also refer to a strong coffee made with two shots of espresso. | |||
| Luxembourgish | duebel | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "duebel" derives from Latin "duplex" and refers to a duality or a pair of identical items. | |||
| Maltese | doppja | ||
| The word "doppja" is also used in Maltese to refer to a type of traditional Maltese boat. | |||
| Norwegian | dobbelt | ||
| In Norwegian, "dobbelt" can also refer to a fold or a loop. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | em dobro | ||
| "Em dobro" also means "twice as much", "in abundance" or "copiously" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dùbailte | ||
| "Dùbailte" can also refer to a person or item that is paired. | |||
| Spanish | doble | ||
| In Spanish, 'doble' can refer to a person's stunt double or a duplicate of an object. | |||
| Swedish | dubbel | ||
| The Swedish word "dubbel" can also mean "a coffee drink with extra espresso". | |||
| Welsh | dwbl | ||
| In Welsh, "dwbl" can also mean "sufficient" or "enough". | |||
Double in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | двайны | ||
| The word "двайны" (double) in Belarusian also refers to a measure of land area equal to two desyatinas. | |||
| Bosnian | dvostruko | ||
| Dvostruko is also an informal name for a 200 dinars bill, because its value is double the previous 100 dinars bill. | |||
| Bulgarian | двойно | ||
| The word "двойно" can also mean "twice" or "twofold" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dvojnásobek | ||
| The Czech word "dvojnásobek" can also be used to refer to an amount that is one-half of something. | |||
| Estonian | topelt | ||
| The word topelt derives from the Old Norse word "tuppelti," also meaning "double." | |||
| Finnish | kaksinkertainen | ||
| The word "kaksinkertainen" is derived from the words "kaksi" (two) and "kerta" (time), meaning "twice as much". It can also refer to something that is duplicated or repeated. | |||
| Hungarian | kettős | ||
| In Hungarian, a "kettős" can also refer to a musical duet or a type of folk dance. | |||
| Latvian | dubultā | ||
| The Latvian word "dubultā" originates from the Proto-Baltic word "*dubaltā" (two pieces). | |||
| Lithuanian | dvigubai | ||
| The Lithuanian word "dvigubai" is derived from the Slavic word "dvojb", which means "two fold" or "twice". | |||
| Macedonian | двојно | ||
| The word "двојно" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dъvojьnъ, which also means "twofold" or "doubled". | |||
| Polish | podwójnie | ||
| Podwójnie can also mean "in duplicate" or "in addition". | |||
| Romanian | dubla | ||
| In Romanian, "dubla" also refers to a type of traditional Romanian folk dance consisting of two people dancing in a circle with their arms crossed. | |||
| Russian | двойной | ||
| The word "двойной" in Russian can also refer to a "pair" or a "duplicate". | |||
| Serbian | двоструко | ||
| The root "дву" in "двоструко" means "two," but also appears in words related to division into parts. | |||
| Slovak | dvojitý | ||
| The Slovak word "dvojitý" not only means "double", but also "twin" and "ambiguous". | |||
| Slovenian | dvojno | ||
| Dvojno originates from the Old Slavic word 'dъva', meaning 'two', and originally referred to a pair of oxen used in plowing. | |||
| Ukrainian | подвійний | ||
| The word "подвійний" ("double") also has the secondary meaning of "doubtful" in Ukrainian. | |||
Double in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দ্বিগুণ | ||
| দ্বিগুণ comes from Sanskrit meaning two multiplied, but can also mean twice as much | |||
| Gujarati | ડબલ | ||
| "Double" in Gujarati also refers to a unit of weight equivalent to two annas. | |||
| Hindi | दोहरा | ||
| The term "दोहरा" (double) derives from the Sanskrit word "dwih," meaning "two" and has alternate implications in music, dance, and literature. | |||
| Kannada | ಡಬಲ್ | ||
| The word 'ಡಬಲ್' (double) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dviguna' which means 'twice' and can also refer to a pair or set of two. | |||
| Malayalam | ഇരട്ട | ||
| The Malayalam word 'ഇരട്ട' can also refer to a 'pair of' or 'set of two' objects, not necessarily implying duplication. | |||
| Marathi | दुप्पट | ||
| Marathi 'दुप्पट' comes from Sanskrit 'द्वि-गुणित', meaning 'two-fold', 'twice over' or 'repetition'. | |||
| Nepali | डबल | ||
| डबल, meaning 'double,' shares its root, 'du,' with Nepali 'dui,' Hindi 'do,' and English 'duo' and 'two.' | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਬਲ | ||
| The word 'ਡਬਲ' (double) in Punjabi can also refer to a type of drum used in traditional Punjabi music. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දෙගුණයක් | ||
| දෙගුණයක් (degunayak) means “twice” or “double” and is derived from the Sanskrit word “dviguṇa” meaning “twice as much”. | |||
| Tamil | இரட்டை | ||
| The word 'இரட்டை' derives from the Proto-Dravidian root *iraṭṭ- meaning 'two' or 'twin'. | |||
| Telugu | రెట్టింపు | ||
| Urdu | دگنا | ||
| دگنا can also mean 'worthless' as it originally referred to a coin that was no longer valid. | |||
Double in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 双 | ||
| "双" in Chinese can be used as a counting classifier for items used in pairs, such as gloves, earrings, or sandals. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 雙 | ||
| 雙 in Chinese can also mean a pair, a couple, or a set. | |||
| Japanese | ダブル | ||
| ダブル can also mean a stuntman or double agent in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 더블 | ||
| The Korean word "더블" can refer to both the quantity "double" and the music genre "dub". | |||
| Mongolian | давхар | ||
| The word "давхар" can also refer to a layer, level, or floor of a building. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နှစ်ဆ | ||
| "နှစ်ဆ" means "double" in Burmese, and is also used to refer to the second day of a two-day Buddhist holiday. | |||
Double in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dua kali lipat | ||
| "Dua kali lipat" can also refer to "twice as much" or being "in two places at once". | |||
| Javanese | dobel | ||
| The Javanese word "dobel" not only means "double", but also can refer to the sound made by a gong. | |||
| Khmer | ទ្វេ | ||
| The word "ទ្វេ" can also mean "both" or "two of a kind" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ສອງເທົ່າ | ||
| Malay | berganda | ||
| The root of "berganda" is the Sanskrit word "dviguna," meaning "two-fold." | |||
| Thai | สองเท่า | ||
| The word "สองเท่า" can also be used to mean "twice as much" or "a pair". | |||
| Vietnamese | gấp đôi | ||
| The word "gấp đôi" in Vietnamese is composed of two words: "gấp" (to fold) and "đôi" (two). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | doble | ||
Double in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ikiqat | ||
| The word "ikiqat" in Azerbaijani, derived from Arabic, also carries the meanings of "multiplication," "repetition," and "reinforcement." | |||
| Kazakh | екі есе | ||
| Екі есе can also refer to twins, or a pair of twins. | |||
| Kyrgyz | эки эсе | ||
| The word "эки эсе" in Kyrgyz is derived from the word "эки", meaning "two", and "эсе", meaning "time". It can also refer to something that is done twice or is double the amount. | |||
| Tajik | дучанд | ||
| The word "дучанд" comes from the Persian word "دوچند" (pronounced "dochand"), which also means "double". | |||
| Turkmen | goşa | ||
| Uzbek | ikki baravar | ||
| "Ikki baravar" in Uzbek may refer to both "double" and "twice as much". | |||
| Uyghur | double | ||
Double in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pālua | ||
| Pālua also denotes 'twins' or 'pairs'. | |||
| Maori | takirua | ||
| The word "takirua" in Maori can also refer to a pair of things, such as a pair of shoes or a pair of earrings. | |||
| Samoan | faʻalua | ||
| The Samoan word "faʻalua" also means "at once" or "suddenly" and is related to the word "lua", meaning "two". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | doble | ||
| The Tagalog word "doble" also refers to a type of bread that is made with two layers of dough. | |||
Double in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | paya | ||
| Guarani | kõi | ||
Double in International Languages
| Esperanto | duobla | ||
| The root "du" in "duobla" comes from the PIE root *duwo-, meaning "two". | |||
| Latin | geminus | ||
| Geminus in Latin can refer to the zodiacal sign Gemini or a twin, in addition to denoting "double". | |||
Double in Others Languages
| Greek | διπλό | ||
| The word "διπλό" (díplo) in Greek, meaning "double," derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰew- ("two") and is related to the Latin word "duplex" ("double") and the English word "double" | |||
| Hmong | ob npaug | ||
| The word "ob npaug" in Hmong, meaning "double," is also used to refer to twins or pairs. | |||
| Kurdish | dûcar | ||
| Dûcar is also spelled dukar or dúkar and has the alternate meaning "two". | |||
| Turkish | çift | ||
| "Çift" is also used to refer to a pair or set of two, or to a specific number of two. | |||
| Xhosa | kabini | ||
| In Xhosa, kabini can also refer to a pair of twins, or to a double-storied house. | |||
| Yiddish | טאָפּל | ||
| In Yiddish, "טאָפּל" is also used as a synonym for "twin" or "duplicate". | |||
| Zulu | kabili | ||
| The Zulu word "kabili" also refers to a type of twin or a person who is part of a double act. | |||
| Assamese | দুগুণ | ||
| Aymara | paya | ||
| Bhojpuri | दुगुना | ||
| Dhivehi | ދެފަަހަރު | ||
| Dogri | दुगना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | doble | ||
| Guarani | kõi | ||
| Ilocano | doble | ||
| Krio | tu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دوو هێندە | ||
| Maithili | दू बेर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯅꯤ | ||
| Mizo | thiang | ||
| Oromo | dachaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦୁଇଥର | | ||
| Quechua | iskaychasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | द्विद्वार | ||
| Tatar | икеләтә | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕፅፊ | ||
| Tsonga | kambirhi | ||