Dream in Different Languages
Discover 'Dream' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Dreams have fascinated humans for centuries, holding significant meaning and cultural importance across the globe. They are often seen as a window into our subconscious, revealing our deepest desires, fears, and thoughts. Historically, dreams have inspired works of art, literature, and scientific discoveries. For instance, the periodic table was inspired by a dream of its creator, Dmitri Mendeleev!
Given the importance of dreams, it's no surprise that people might want to know how to say 'dream' in different languages. After all, understanding this simple word in various languages can help break down barriers and foster connections with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Here are some translations of the word 'dream' in different languages: Spanish - sueño, French - rêve, German - Traum, Italian - sogno, Chinese - 梦 (mèng), Japanese - 夢 (yume), and Korean - 꿈 (kkum).
Dream
Dream in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | droom | ||
| In Afrikaans "droom" can also refer to a ghost or phantom. | |||
| Amharic | ህልም | ||
| The Amharic word 'ህልም' (dream) also denotes a 'vision' or 'wish'. | |||
| Hausa | mafarki | ||
| In Hausa, the word "mafarki" can also refer to a visionary experience or a revelation. | |||
| Igbo | nrọ | ||
| In Igbo, "nrọ" can also signify "thought" or "desire". | |||
| Malagasy | manonofy | ||
| The Malagasy word "manonofy" also means "expectation" or "vision". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lota | ||
| The word "lota" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to refer to the act of dreaming or the state of being asleep and dreaming. | |||
| Shona | kurota | ||
| The word "kurota" in Shona also means "to hope" and is related to the word "kuronga," which means "to plan" or "to intend." | |||
| Somali | riyo | ||
| The word "riyo" in Somali also refers to a state of unconsciousness or a vision. | |||
| Sesotho | lora | ||
| The Sesotho word "lora" also means "thought" or "mind". | |||
| Swahili | ndoto | ||
| The Swahili word "ndoto" can also refer to a vision or an illusion. | |||
| Xhosa | phupha | ||
| The word "phupha" has a rich history and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-fup-", meaning "to blow", and suggests an underlying connection between dreams and the movement of air during respiration. | |||
| Yoruba | ala | ||
| "Ala" also refers to a Yoruba deity and a type of musical rhythm. | |||
| Zulu | phupha | ||
| The word 'phupha' is also used to refer to 'the afterlife' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | sugon | ||
| Ewe | drɔ̃e | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurota | ||
| Lingala | ndoto | ||
| Luganda | okuloota | ||
| Sepedi | toro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | daeɛ | ||
Dream in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حلم | ||
| حلم also means 'wisdom, good sense, or sound judgment' and comes from the root ح ل م meaning 'to be patient or forbearing'. | |||
| Hebrew | חולם | ||
| The Hebrew word "חולם" can also refer to a certain kind of vowel marking in the Hebrew alphabet with a shape similar to two dots. | |||
| Pashto | خوب | ||
| The word "خوب" in Pashto also means "good" or "beautiful". | |||
| Arabic | حلم | ||
| حلم also means 'wisdom, good sense, or sound judgment' and comes from the root ح ل م meaning 'to be patient or forbearing'. | |||
Dream in Western European Languages
| Albanian | enderroj | ||
| The word "enderroj" in Albanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *en- + *der- (to sleep). | |||
| Basque | ametsa | ||
| Amets is a Basque word that can also mean 'aim', 'desire', or 'intention'. | |||
| Catalan | somiar | ||
| "Somiar" shares roots with the word "somni" (also meaning "dream") and the Latin word "somnus" (meaning "sleep") | |||
| Croatian | san | ||
| The word "san" in Croatian is derived from a Proto-Slavic word meaning "shadow" and is also related to the word "sanja" meaning "to dream". | |||
| Danish | drøm | ||
| The word "drøm" in Danish is cognate with the English word "dream", both deriving from the Proto-Germanic word *draugmaz, meaning "deception" or "phantom." | |||
| Dutch | droom | ||
| In addition to "dream", "droom" can also mean "room" in Dutch and originate from the Old Dutch word "dram", meaning "space". | |||
| English | dream | ||
| The word "dream" comes from the Old English word "drēam," which originally meant "joy" or "music." | |||
| French | rêver | ||
| The word "rêver" comes from the Latin word "ravidus," meaning "wild" or "furious," and was originally used to describe the delirium or hallucinations caused by illness, particularly malaria. | |||
| Frisian | dream | ||
| The Frisian word "dream" can also mean "joy" or "happiness." | |||
| Galician | soñar | ||
| In Galician, 'soñar' can also mean 'to have a nightmare' or 'to worry'. | |||
| German | traum | ||
| The word 'Traum' is also used in German to refer to a 'vision' or 'fantasy'. | |||
| Icelandic | draumur | ||
| The word "draumur" also refers to a type of poem about mythological events and heroes. | |||
| Irish | aisling | ||
| The Irish "aisling" derives through Middle Irish "adsuain" from "an suan " - "the sleep". | |||
| Italian | sognare | ||
| The Italian word "sognare" also means "to imagine" or "to hope for". | |||
| Luxembourgish | dreemen | ||
| Maltese | ħolma | ||
| "Ħolma" in Maltese is also the female form of the surname "Holm". | |||
| Norwegian | drøm | ||
| The Norwegian word "drøm" is related to the Swedish "drömma" and Danish "drømme", and is derived from a common Germanic root meaning "to make a buzzing sound" or "to whisper". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sonhe | ||
| The word "sonhe" in Portuguese is derived from the Latin "somnium," and also means "sleep." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bruadar | ||
| 'Bruadar' has multiple meanings in Scots Gaelic, including 'dream', 'illusion', and 'fantasy'. | |||
| Spanish | sueño | ||
| The noun "sueño" can be etymologically linked to the Latin term "somnium", which refers to dreams, and the verb "dormir", which means "to sleep". | |||
| Swedish | dröm | ||
| In Swedish, the word "dröm" can also refer to a "longing" or an "aspiration". | |||
| Welsh | breuddwyd | ||
| The Welsh word "breuddwyd" is also etymologically related to the word "breuddwydion" which means "phantoms" or "apparitions" | |||
Dream in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мара | ||
| The word "мара" derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*mar-", meaning "phantom" or "delusion", and is related to the Latvian word "mûrs" ("nightmare"). | |||
| Bosnian | san | ||
| The word "san" in Bosnian is of Slavic origin and also used to describe a state of drowsiness or an experience of sleeplessness. | |||
| Bulgarian | мечта | ||
| The word "мечта" is derived from the Slavic word "metati", which means "to throw" or "to cast". | |||
| Czech | sen | ||
| The noun sen has a root word in Old Church Slavonic "sonъ" and is cognate with the Polish sen, Russian "сон", Bulgarian "сън" and Serbo-Croatian "сан". | |||
| Estonian | unistus | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Finnic word *uni, meaning "slumber", "sleep", or "nap" | |||
| Finnish | unelma | ||
| The word "unelma" also means "goal" or "ambition" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | álom | ||
| The Hungarian word "álom" comes from the Proto-Finno-Ugric word *unelma, meaning "hope" or "expectation." | |||
| Latvian | sapnis | ||
| The word "sapnis" in Latvian is derived from the verb "sapņot" meaning "to dream", and is cognate with the Slavic word "son" meaning "sleep". | |||
| Lithuanian | sapnuoti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "sapnuoti" is possibly derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sop-no-/*sop-nu-", meaning "to fall asleep" or "to sleep". | |||
| Macedonian | сон | ||
| In certain western dialects of Macedonian, "сон" can also mean "sleep" while in the eastern dialects it means solely "dream". | |||
| Polish | marzenie | ||
| The word "marzenie" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "merznǫti", meaning "to freeze", and is related to the word "mróz" ("frost") and "marznąć" ("to get cold"). | |||
| Romanian | vis | ||
| In Latin, "vis" refers to a force or power. | |||
| Russian | мечтать | ||
| Мечта́ть in Russian shares a root with меч (mêč) - "sword" and is used metaphorically to describe "swords swinging" in someone's head. | |||
| Serbian | сањати | ||
| "Сањати" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sъnъ, meaning both "sleep" and "dream." | |||
| Slovak | sen | ||
| The word "sen" is also used figuratively to mean an ideal or aspiration. | |||
| Slovenian | sanje | ||
| "Sanje" derives from the Proto-Slavic "sъnъ", meaning "shadow" or "phantom." | |||
| Ukrainian | мрія | ||
| The Ukrainian word | |||
Dream in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বপ্ন | ||
| স্বপ্ন is a cognate of the Sanskrit word 'swapna' and can also mean 'hope' or 'aspiration' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્વપ્ન | ||
| The word "સ્વપ્ન" (svapn) derives from the Sanskrit word "svapna," meaning "sleep" or "state of sleeping," and is related to the word "swap" (to breathe) | |||
| Hindi | ख्वाब | ||
| The word ख्वाब originated from the Arabic word 'khwab' meaning 'sleep' or 'nap'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕನಸು | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ಕನಸು" not only refers to dreams, but also to thoughts, aspirations, or imagination. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്വപ്നം | ||
| The word "സ്വപ്നം" in Malayalam can also mean 'hope' or 'wish', suggesting that dreams are not just nocturnal experiences but aspirations that shape our reality. | |||
| Marathi | स्वप्न | ||
| "स्वप्न" in Marathi is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word "स्वप्न", which means "to sleep". | |||
| Nepali | सपना | ||
| "Sapna" is a word of Sanskrit origin that has many different meanings, including a wish, desire, hope, or expectation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੁਪਨਾ | ||
| The word "ਸੁਪਨਾ" (dream) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "swapna" meaning "sleep" or "to see". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිහින | ||
| The Sinhala word සිහින (dream) is related to the Sanskrit word स्मृति (memory) and also means 'memory'. | |||
| Tamil | கனவு | ||
| The Tamil word 'கனவு' ('dream') also refers to 'thought,' 'imagination,' or 'expectation,' | |||
| Telugu | కల | ||
| The word "కల" also means "thought" or "idea" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | خواب | ||
| "خواب" can also mean "a nap" or "a siesta" in Urdu. | |||
Dream in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 梦想 | ||
| "梦想" (dream) literally means "thinking of longing". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 夢想 | ||
| In Chinese, "夢想" can also refer to a "hope" or "aspiration." | |||
| Japanese | 夢 | ||
| The word "夢" can also mean "ambition" or "illusion" in Japanese, depending on the context. | |||
| Korean | 꿈 | ||
| The word "꿈" in Korean can also refer to "thought" or "idea". | |||
| Mongolian | мөрөөдөх | ||
| "Мөрөөдөх" means "to dream" but it can also mean "to think about" or "to imagine". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိမ်မက် | ||
Dream in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mimpi | ||
| The Indonesian word "mimpi" can also refer to a nightmare. | |||
| Javanese | ngimpi | ||
| The Javanese word "ngimpi" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*kanipay" meaning "to see in one's sleep or to have a vision." | |||
| Khmer | សុបិន្ត | ||
| The word "សុបិន្ត" can also mean "to hope" or "to wish". | |||
| Lao | ຝັນ | ||
| In Thai and Lao, the word for "dream" is " ฝัน ", but it can also mean "illusion" or "false belief". | |||
| Malay | impian | ||
| The word 'impian' is also used figuratively to refer to an 'ambition' or 'aspiration' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ฝัน | ||
| The verb 'ฝัน' can mean not only to dream, but also to create a belief system or to imagine a vision. | |||
| Vietnamese | mơ | ||
| The word "mơ" in Vietnamese can also mean "apricot" or "plum". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pangarap | ||
Dream in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yuxu | ||
| The word 'yuxu', meaning 'dream,' originates from a Turkic source and holds alternate meanings such as 'hope' and 'wish'. | |||
| Kazakh | арман | ||
| The word «Арман» derives from the ancient Türkic words «ар» (to think) and «ман» (existence). Originally, it meant not only «мечта» (dream), but also «надежда» (hope). | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыял | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кыял" also means "imagination" or "vision." | |||
| Tajik | орзу | ||
| The word "орзу" has other meanings, such as "thought" or "will". | |||
| Turkmen | düýş gör | ||
| Uzbek | orzu qilish | ||
| "Orzu qilish" in Uzbek also means "to wish" or "to desire". | |||
| Uyghur | چۈش | ||
Dream in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | moeʻuhane | ||
| The Hawaiian word "moeʻuhane" is a cognate of the Māori word "moe" meaning "to sleep". | |||
| Maori | moemoea | ||
| In Maori mythology, 'moemoea' also designates the spirit of a deceased person, who watches over the living from the underworld. | |||
| Samoan | miti | ||
| In Samoan, "miti" can also refer to a tree, connecting the concepts of dreams and nature. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pangarap | ||
| The word "pangarap" in Tagalog is derived from the Sanskrit word "prapti" meaning "to attain" or "to achieve". | |||
Dream in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amta | ||
| Guarani | kerecha | ||
Dream in International Languages
| Esperanto | revo | ||
| The word "revo" may stem from various Esperanto and international roots, potentially meaning "revelation" or bearing connections to the concept of "revealing" something. | |||
| Latin | somnium | ||
| Derived from the ancient Proto-Indo-European word “swépnos,” Somnium also refers to sleep or slumber in Latin. | |||
Dream in Others Languages
| Greek | όνειρο | ||
| The Greek word "όνειρο" can also refer to the state of being dazed or absent-minded | |||
| Hmong | kev npau suav | ||
| In addition to meaning "dream," "kev npau suav" can also refer to "soul" | |||
| Kurdish | xewn | ||
| The Kurdish word “xewn” is thought to derive from an Indo-European root *sweh2-n, which also appears in Sanskrit svapna-, Greek húpnos, and Slavic sonъ, among others. | |||
| Turkish | rüya | ||
| "Rüya" also means "vision" or "illusion" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | phupha | ||
| The word "phupha" has a rich history and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-fup-", meaning "to blow", and suggests an underlying connection between dreams and the movement of air during respiration. | |||
| Yiddish | חלום | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "חלום" can also mean an illusion or fantasy. | |||
| Zulu | phupha | ||
| The word 'phupha' is also used to refer to 'the afterlife' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | সপোন | ||
| Aymara | amta | ||
| Bhojpuri | सपना | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުވަފެން | ||
| Dogri | सुखना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pangarap | ||
| Guarani | kerecha | ||
| Ilocano | tagtagainep | ||
| Krio | drim | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خەون | ||
| Maithili | स्वप्न | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯪ | ||
| Mizo | mumang | ||
| Oromo | abjuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱପ୍ନ | ||
| Quechua | puñuy | ||
| Sanskrit | स्वप्न | ||
| Tatar | хыял | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕልሚ | ||
| Tsonga | norho | ||