Dress in Different Languages
Discover 'Dress' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A dress is more than just a piece of clothing. It's a symbol of cultural identity, personal expression, and special occasions. From the elegant white gowns of Western weddings to the vibrant kimonos of Japan, dresses have played a significant role in societies around the world.
The word 'dress' itself has an interesting history. Did you know that it comes from the Old English 'drasian,' meaning 'to make clothes'? Over time, the term evolved to specifically refer to a woman's garment that hangs from the shoulders and covers the body.
Understanding the translation of 'dress' in different languages can open up new doors to cultural exploration. For example, in Spanish, 'dress' is 'vestido.' In French, it's 'robe.' In German, it's 'Kleid.' And in Russian, it's 'платье' (plat'ye).
Exploring these translations not only enriches our vocabulary but also deepens our appreciation for the diversity and beauty of global cultures. So why not take the first step on this fascinating journey? Discover the many ways to say 'dress' in different languages below.
Dress
Dress in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aantrek | ||
| The verb 'aantrek' ('to dress') in Afrikaans also means 'to assume' or 'to take on'. | |||
| Amharic | አለባበስ | ||
| The word 'አለባበስ' also refers to a type of loose-fitting cotton garment worn by both men and women in the Ethiopian church, similar to a cassock. | |||
| Hausa | riguna | ||
| The Hausa word riguna, meaning "dress," is derived from the Yoruba word "agbada," meaning "flowing gown." | |||
| Igbo | uwe | ||
| The Igbo word "uwe" originally referred to a type of woven cotton cloth but now encompasses all types of clothing. | |||
| Malagasy | akanjo | ||
| The word "akanjo" comes from the root word "kanja", meaning "to wear" or "to clothe". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kavalidwe | ||
| The word "kavalidwe" in Nyanja also refers to a type of traditional Chichewa dance performed by women while wearing elaborately decorated attire. | |||
| Shona | chipfeko | ||
| The word "chipfeko" is also used to refer to the traditional dress worn by women in some Shona communities. | |||
| Somali | labis | ||
| Somali "labis" can also refer to a style of clothing worn by women in the Horn of Africa region. | |||
| Sesotho | moaparo | ||
| The word "moaparo" is possibly related to the verb "ho apara", meaning "to cover oneself" | |||
| Swahili | nguo | ||
| In Swahili, "nguo" also denotes a piece of animal skin worn over the shoulders or as a covering during sleep. | |||
| Xhosa | isinxibo | ||
| The word "isinxibo" in Xhosa can also refer to a shirt or blouse. | |||
| Yoruba | imura | ||
| The Yoruba word "imura" can also refer to a cloth generally, as well as being the collective name for an "ensemble" of the different pieces of attire typically worn by women, usually including a blouse, wrapper, scarf, and gele head-wrap. | |||
| Zulu | ingubo | ||
| The Zulu word "ingubo" is also used to refer to a type of traditional garment worn by young women during initiation ceremonies. | |||
| Bambara | fini | ||
| Ewe | awu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imyambarire | ||
| Lingala | elamba | ||
| Luganda | ekiteteeyi | ||
| Sepedi | seaparo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | afadeɛ | ||
Dress in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فستان | ||
| The Arabic word "فستان" is derived from the Italian word "vestina" and the Latin word "vestis", both meaning "a garment." | |||
| Hebrew | שמלה | ||
| The Hebrew word "שמלה" (dress) is related to the Arabic word "ثوب" (clothes) and the Akkadian word "simlah" (garment). | |||
| Pashto | کالي | ||
| The word "کالي" in Pashto also refers to a type of traditional female clothing worn in the Pashtun culture. | |||
| Arabic | فستان | ||
| The Arabic word "فستان" is derived from the Italian word "vestina" and the Latin word "vestis", both meaning "a garment." | |||
Dress in Western European Languages
| Albanian | veshje | ||
| "Veshje" can also mean "clothes" or "attire" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | jantzi | ||
| The word "jantzi" in Basque also refers to the clothing or attire of a specific group, such as a uniform or traditional costume | |||
| Catalan | vestit | ||
| The word "vestit" in Catalan also refers to a garment worn by men, such as a vest or a waistcoat. | |||
| Croatian | haljina | ||
| "Haljina" is a South Slavic word ultimately derived from PIE *(h₂)el- ( | |||
| Danish | kjole | ||
| The word "kjole" is derived from the Old Norse word "kjóll", which originally meant "skirt" or "tunic". | |||
| Dutch | jurk | ||
| The word "jurk" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "roc" which meant "skirt". | |||
| English | dress | ||
| "Dress" can also refer to a style of presentation or the way something is prepared. | |||
| French | robe | ||
| "Robe" can also refer to any piece of clothing that is worn over other garments, like a coat or gown. | |||
| Frisian | jurk | ||
| The word "jurk" derives from the Old Frisian word "iorke" or "jurke", | |||
| Galician | vestido | ||
| In Galician, "vestido" can also mean "outfit" or "clothes". | |||
| German | kleid | ||
| The word "Kleid" is also used to refer to clothing worn by a clergyman, a garment worn by a mourner, a theatrical costume, a protective garment, or a cover for a wound. | |||
| Icelandic | klæða sig | ||
| The verb 'klæða sig' originally meant 'to cloth oneself' and can still be used in this sense. | |||
| Irish | gúna | ||
| The Old Irish word 'gúna' also referred to a large cloth covering a bride and groom in the marriage bed. | |||
| Italian | vestito | ||
| "Vestito" derives from the Latin word "vestire" meaning "to clothe" and can also refer to a suit, costume, or clothing in general. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kleed | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Kleed" is derived from the German word "Kleid" and can also refer to a woman's skirt or petticoat. | |||
| Maltese | libsa | ||
| The word "libsa" in Maltese is a derivative of the Arabic term "libs", which also translates as dress or attire. | |||
| Norwegian | kjole | ||
| The word "kjole" is derived from Old Norse "kjǫttr" meaning "woman's skirt" and later evolved to mean "gown" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vestir | ||
| "Vestir" has its etymological roots in the latin "vestire", which means "to cover". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | èideadh | ||
| Èideadh has the same root as "eagal" (fear, anxiety), implying that the concept of "dress" was linked to modesty and covering up in Gaelic culture. | |||
| Spanish | vestir | ||
| The verb 'vestir' comes from the Latin word 'vestire', which also means 'to cover' or 'to put on clothes'. | |||
| Swedish | klänning | ||
| The Swedish word "klänning" is thought to originate from the Middle Low German word "kleninge", meaning "small garment". | |||
| Welsh | gwisg | ||
| The Welsh word 'gwisg' is cognate with the Breton 'gwisk' and the Irish 'guais', which originally meant 'guise'. | |||
Dress in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сукенка | ||
| The word can also be used to refer to a 'gown' or a 'skirt'. | |||
| Bosnian | haljina | ||
| The word "haljina" is derived from the Turkish word "hil'at", meaning "robe of honour" or "court dress". | |||
| Bulgarian | рокля | ||
| The word "рокля" also means "a long, loose gown" and is related to the word "рок" (sleeve). | |||
| Czech | šaty | ||
| The word "šaty" can also refer to a "gown" or "attire" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | kleit | ||
| The word "kleit" also means "gown" or "robe" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | pukeutua | ||
| Pukeutua is also used to refer to the action of "putting on" a garment. | |||
| Hungarian | ruha | ||
| The word "ruha" in Hungarian is likely derived from the Proto-Slavic word "rukati," meaning "to hand-make" or "to sew." | |||
| Latvian | kleita | ||
| The term "kleita" in Latvian originated from the German word "Kleid" and its meaning has evolved from "dress" to also encompass "gown" and "robe" | |||
| Lithuanian | suknelė | ||
| The word “suknelė” literally means “a piece of cloth to spin” in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | фустан | ||
| The word "фустан" in Macedonian is derived from the Turkish word "fistan" and can also refer to a type of long, loose-fitting robe worn by men. | |||
| Polish | sukienka | ||
| The word 'sukienka' is derived from the Old Polish word 'suknia', meaning 'a piece of cloth'. | |||
| Romanian | rochie | ||
| The Romanian word "rochie" originates from the Slavic word "rukavija", meaning "garment with sleeves". | |||
| Russian | платье | ||
| In Russian, the word "платье" (dress) is derived from the verb "плыть" (to float), alluding to the flowing and graceful nature of gowns. | |||
| Serbian | хаљина | ||
| The word 'хаљина' is derived from the Arabic word 'хил‘а', meaning 'robe' or 'tunic'. | |||
| Slovak | šaty | ||
| Slovak "šaty" derives from "ošata" (basket), as dresses were originally made of woven material, like baskets. | |||
| Slovenian | obleko | ||
| The word 'obleko' can also refer to 'clothing' worn outside of the home | |||
| Ukrainian | сукня | ||
| The Ukrainian word "сукня" can also mean "cloth", "fabric", or "material", reflecting its origin in the Proto-Slavic root "*sukno" with the same meaning. | |||
Dress in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পোশাক | ||
| The word "পোশাক" also means "clothes" or "garment" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ડ્રેસ | ||
| "Dress" in English can mean a garment worn by women and girls or a style of grooming, while in Gujarati, it mainly means a style of grooming (personal appearance). | |||
| Hindi | परिधान | ||
| The word 'परिधान' can also mean 'clothes' or 'attire' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಉಡುಗೆ | ||
| In Kannada, "ಉಡುಗೆ" also refers to attire worn by male deities and ceremonial costumes. | |||
| Malayalam | വസ്ത്രം | ||
| Marathi | पोशाख | ||
| The word "पोशाख" in Marathi can also refer to a costume, attire, or uniform. | |||
| Nepali | लुगा | ||
| The word "luga" in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "lug" meaning "cloth" or "garment". | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਹਿਰਾਵਾ | ||
| "ਪਹਿਰਾਵਾ" (pehraavā) is also used in Punjabi to refer to the outer garment worn by Sikhs that is often mistaken for a turban, the "pag." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇඳුම | ||
| The Sinhala word "ඇඳුම" can also refer to a shirt or blouse, or to the act of wearing clothes. | |||
| Tamil | உடை | ||
| The word "உடை" ("dress") in Tamil shares a root with "வட" (north) and "மடை" (embankment). | |||
| Telugu | దుస్తులు | ||
| దుస్తులు derives from the Proto-Dravidian word *tuni-, meaning 'garment' or 'cloth'. | |||
| Urdu | لباس | ||
| The word "لباس" in Urdu also means "garment" or "attire" and is derived from the Arabic word "libas" meaning "to put on". | |||
Dress in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 连衣裙 | ||
| 连衣裙 originally referred to connecting or joining multiple pieces of clothing using a waist cord (裙). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 連衣裙 | ||
| 連衣裙 is also a word that refers to a one-piece garment worn by women. | |||
| Japanese | ドレス | ||
| "ドレス" is also used specifically for a woman's formal gown. | |||
| Korean | 드레스 | ||
| The Korean word "드레스" can also refer to a "suit" or "tailored clothing". | |||
| Mongolian | хувцас | ||
| "Хувцас" is also used colloquially to refer to everyday clothing or a person's wardrobe. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စားဆင်ယင် | ||
| စားဆင်ယင် shares the same etymology with “dinner” or “dining”, as it originally implied an activity or the occasion for wearing fine garments | |||
Dress in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gaun | ||
| "Gaun" is related to Sanskrit "ghaṭikā" meaning "a garment". | |||
| Javanese | klambi | ||
| The word "klambi" shares its root with the word "klambu," which refers to a mosquito net, suggesting its original use as a protective covering. | |||
| Khmer | ស្លៀកពាក់ | ||
| Lao | ແຕ່ງຕົວ | ||
| Malay | pakaian | ||
| "Pakaian" in Malay also means 'the act of wearing (clothes)' similar to 'pakaian' in Indonesian that means 'to wear' | |||
| Thai | แต่งตัว | ||
| แต่งตัว is used to mean 'dress' but also means 'decorate' or 'wear clothes'. | |||
| Vietnamese | trang phục | ||
| Trang phục can also be used in Vietnamese when discussing dressing or disguising in a general sense, including when used in reference to a specific costume. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | damit | ||
Dress in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | paltar | ||
| The word "paltar" can also refer to "clothes" or "garments" as a whole or to a "suit". | |||
| Kazakh | көйлек | ||
| The Kazakh word "көйлек" originally referred to a long, loose shirt worn by both men and women, and is cognate with the Kyrgyz term "көйнөк" and the Mongolian term "хөлөг". | |||
| Kyrgyz | көйнөк | ||
| The word "көйнөк" is also used to refer to a "shirt" or "tunic", and is related to the Turkic word "könçek", meaning "long-sleeved garment". | |||
| Tajik | либос | ||
| The word "либос” also corresponds to a form of clothing in Persian, Arabic and Turkic languages. | |||
| Turkmen | köýnek | ||
| Uzbek | kiyinish | ||
| The word "kiyinish" can also refer to the act of wearing clothes, or to clothing in general. | |||
| Uyghur | كىيىم | ||
Dress in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lole | ||
| The Hawaiian word "lole" not only means "dress" but also "garment" or "cloth". | |||
| Maori | kakahu | ||
| In Maori mythology, the kakahu is the garment worn by the atua (gods). | |||
| Samoan | ofu | ||
| The Samoan word "ofu" originates from the Proto-Polynesian term "wufu", indicating its widespread use throughout the Polynesian islands.} | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | damit | ||
| The Tagalog word "damit" is ultimately derived from the Spanish word "camisa. | |||
Dress in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | isi | ||
| Guarani | sái | ||
Dress in International Languages
| Esperanto | robo | ||
| The Esperanto word "robo" is derived from the Polish word "szata", meaning "garment" or "gown". | |||
| Latin | habitu | ||
| In Latin, "habitu" can also mean "condition" or "demeanor" | |||
Dress in Others Languages
| Greek | φόρεμα | ||
| The word "φόρεμα" (dress) derives from the verb "φέρω" (to wear), and in ancient Greek, it referred to a loose-fitting garment worn by both men and women. | |||
| Hmong | hnav | ||
| The Hmong word "hnav" also refers to a woman's top and skirt ensemble. | |||
| Kurdish | lebas | ||
| The Kurdish word "lebas" can also refer to a type of traditional outer garment worn by men and women. | |||
| Turkish | elbise | ||
| The word "elbise" in Turkish is of Arabic or Greek or Persian origin and also refers to "garments" in general. | |||
| Xhosa | isinxibo | ||
| The word "isinxibo" in Xhosa can also refer to a shirt or blouse. | |||
| Yiddish | קלייד | ||
| The Yiddish word "קלייד" (kleid) comes from the German word "Kleid," which also means "dress." | |||
| Zulu | ingubo | ||
| The Zulu word "ingubo" is also used to refer to a type of traditional garment worn by young women during initiation ceremonies. | |||
| Assamese | পোছাক | ||
| Aymara | isi | ||
| Bhojpuri | पहिनावा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހެދުން | ||
| Dogri | पैहनावा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | damit | ||
| Guarani | sái | ||
| Ilocano | bistida | ||
| Krio | drɛs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جل | ||
| Maithili | कापिड़ पहनू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯤꯔꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | thawmhnaw | ||
| Oromo | uffachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପୋଷାକ | ||
| Quechua | pacha | ||
| Sanskrit | परिधानं | ||
| Tatar | кием | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀምሽ | ||
| Tsonga | ambala | ||