Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'drop' is simple, yet holds a world of significance. It represents the smallest unit of liquid, but also signifies a sudden decrease or cease in activity. Moreover, 'drop' holds cultural importance, such as in the well-known phrase 'a stitch in time saves nine,' where 'drop' refers to a stitch that, if not quickly corrected, may lead to greater problems. The word 'drop' also appears in various idiomatic expressions, such as 'drop in the ocean' and 'drop dead gorgeous.'
Given its significance and cultural importance, one might wonder how 'drop' translates in different languages. In Spanish, 'drop' is 'gota;' in French, 'goutte;' in German, 'Tropfen;' in Mandarin, '滴' (dī); and in Japanese, '滴' (shizuku).
Exploring the translations of 'drop' in various languages offers a glimpse into the diversity and richness of global languages and cultures. Join us as we delve deeper into the world of 'drop' translations.
Afrikaans | val | ||
In Afrikaans the word "val" can also mean "to fall" or "to collapse". | |||
Amharic | ጣል ያድርጉ | ||
The phrase "ጣል ያድርጉ" ("drop") comes from the gesture of dropping something, which involves moving the hand downwards and releasing the object. | |||
Hausa | sauke | ||
The word "sauke" also can mean "cause to fall". | |||
Igbo | dobe | ||
"Dòbe" is the root word of some idioms and phrases like "ndò dòbe m" (my spit), "dòbe na nku" (drip), "dòbe na ala" (fall or stoop), which reflects the Igbo's rich lexicon and cultural nuances and imagery. | |||
Malagasy | mitete | ||
"Mitete" in Malagasy can also mean "an insignificant thing" or "a small portion of something." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | dontho | ||
The word "dontho" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "to fail". | |||
Shona | donhedza | ||
In Shona, the word "Donhedza" can also refer to a "tear drop" or "a single bead of sweat". | |||
Somali | hoos u dhac | ||
In Somali 'hoos u dhac', 'hoos' means down, and 'dhac' means to fall from a distance. | |||
Sesotho | lerotholi | ||
Lerotholi originates from the Proto-Bantu word *doga-, meaning 'to drip' or 'to fall'. It has a secondary meaning of 'a small amount of liquid'. | |||
Swahili | tone | ||
In Swahili, "tone" means "drop" and is related to the word "tona," meaning "to drip." | |||
Xhosa | ukuhla | ||
The word "ukuhla" can also mean "to fail" or "to be lacking". | |||
Yoruba | ju silẹ | ||
The word "ju silẹ" can also mean "to abandon" or "to let go" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | iconsi | ||
The word "iconsi" also refers to a small amount or something very little. | |||
Bambara | k'a bila ka bin | ||
Ewe | ge | ||
Kinyarwanda | igitonyanga | ||
Lingala | kokwea | ||
Luganda | ettondo | ||
Sepedi | lerothodi | ||
Twi (Akan) | gyae mu | ||
Arabic | قطرة | ||
The word قطر or قطرة (drop) stems from the word Cataract and in ancient Arabic denoted the flow of fluid and anything that descends. | |||
Hebrew | יְרִידָה | ||
The word "יְרִידָה" also means "descent" or "decline". | |||
Pashto | غورځول | ||
The Pashto word "غورځول" ("drop") can also refer to "dropping" a topic, "dropping" out of school, or "dropping" a lawsuit. | |||
Arabic | قطرة | ||
The word قطر or قطرة (drop) stems from the word Cataract and in ancient Arabic denoted the flow of fluid and anything that descends. |
Albanian | rënie | ||
The Albanian word 'rënie' derives from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵh- ('to wet') and shares a cognate with Sanskrit 'rekhas' ('line') and Latin 'rigo' ('to wet'). | |||
Basque | jaitsi | ||
The word "jaitsi" can also be used to refer to a "raindrop" or a "tear" in Basque. | |||
Catalan | tirar | ||
The word "tirar" can also mean to shoot, pull, or throw in Catalan. | |||
Croatian | pad | ||
In Croatian, the word "pad" also means "sediment" or "precipitation". | |||
Danish | dråbe | ||
Danish "dråbe" is cognate with English "drop" and German "Tropfen" | |||
Dutch | laten vallen | ||
The Dutch word "laten vallen" can also mean "to let go" or "to abandon". | |||
English | drop | ||
Drop can also mean to lower oneself quickly, or to give birth to young. | |||
French | laissez tomber | ||
In French, "laissez tomber" not only means "drop" but also to abandon or let go of something. | |||
Frisian | falle | ||
The word "falle" in Frisian originates from the Proto-Germanic "fallan", cognate with the Dutch "vallen", English "fall" and German "fallen" | |||
Galician | soltar | ||
Galician "soltar" derives from the Latin "solutus," which means "released" or "loosened" in different contexts. | |||
German | fallen | ||
The German word for "fallen" has roots in Middle High German "vallen" which means to "come down" or "go to ruin." | |||
Icelandic | dropi | ||
The Icelandic word "dropi" can also refer to a raindrop, a tear, or a small amount of liquid. | |||
Irish | scaoil | ||
The Irish word "scaoil" can also mean "to let go", "to separate", or "to disperse". | |||
Italian | far cadere | ||
"Far cadere", from Latin "facere cadere", means not only "to make fall", but also "to fail" or "to ruin" something. | |||
Luxembourgish | falen | ||
The verb "falen" can also be used to describe a sudden fall in prices, such as in the stock market. | |||
Maltese | qatra | ||
While 'qatra' means 'drop' in Maltese, its root word is Arabic 'qaTaRa' which also means 'to cut' or 'to cut off'. | |||
Norwegian | miste | ||
The Norwegian word "miste" is derived from the Old Norse word "mistr", which means "cloud" or "fog", suggesting a connection between drops and the moisture in the air. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | solta | ||
In Portuguese, the word "solta" can also mean "release", "let go", or "free". | |||
Scots Gaelic | leig às | ||
"Leig às" can also mean "let off" or "set free" | |||
Spanish | soltar | ||
"Soltar" also means to release or let go of something, as in "soltar la mano de alguien" (to let go of someone's hand). | |||
Swedish | släppa | ||
In Swedish, 'släppa' can also mean to 'let go', 'release', or 'forgive'. | |||
Welsh | gollwng | ||
"Gollwng" can also mean "to drip", "to leak" or "to fall as drops" in Welsh. |
Belarusian | падзенне | ||
Падзенне (drop) is a cognate of "padanie" (fall) in Russian, derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pad- (to fall). | |||
Bosnian | kap | ||
"Kap" is also a measure of the volume of a liquid, equivalent to approximately 250 milliliters. | |||
Bulgarian | изпускайте | ||
The verb "изпускайте" in Bulgarian also means to let go, to release, or to emit. | |||
Czech | upustit | ||
The verb "upustit" originally meant to let go of something and then "to drop" became its secondary meaning. | |||
Estonian | tilk | ||
In Estonian, "tilk" is also used figuratively to mean a small quantity of liquid, akin to the English "drop," or to indicate a small amount or instance of something. | |||
Finnish | pudota | ||
The word "Pudota" is also a slang word for "to fall for someone". | |||
Hungarian | csepp | ||
The Hungarian word "csepp" also has the meaning of "small amount" or "little bit". | |||
Latvian | nomest | ||
In some old Latvian dialects it can also mean to | |||
Lithuanian | lašas | ||
In Latvian, the word "laša" means "rain". | |||
Macedonian | капка | ||
In Macedonian, "капка" (drop) is also the name of an old-time dance, and is figuratively used to refer to little but impactful events. | |||
Polish | upuszczać | ||
In Polish, "upuszczać" also means "to let go" or "to abandon". | |||
Romanian | cădere brusca | ||
The Romanian word "cădere brusca" is a calque of the English "drop". Both terms have the same meaning, but they also have different connotations. "Cădere brusca" is often used in a more technical sense, while "drop" is more commonly used in everyday speech. | |||
Russian | падение | ||
The Russian word "падение" can also refer to a fall or decline, or an error or mistake. | |||
Serbian | кап | ||
The word "кап" can also refer to a small, round piece of metal or glass used for decoration on clothing or jewelry. | |||
Slovak | pokles | ||
Pokles can also refer to a decline or decrease in something, such as a drop in temperature or a drop in stock prices. | |||
Slovenian | padec | ||
In Slavic languages, 'padec' (drop) is cognate with 'padek' (case, declension), suggesting a connection between the notions of falling and grammatical change. | |||
Ukrainian | крапля | ||
The word "крапля" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*krapati", meaning "to drip". |
Bengali | ড্রপ | ||
The Bengali word 'ড্রপ' (drop) can also refer to a small quantity of liquid or a unit of measurement. | |||
Gujarati | છોડો | ||
The word "છોડો" can also mean "to leave" or "to abandon" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | ड्रॉप | ||
The word 'ड्रॉप' in Hindi can also mean 'to fall' or 'to let go'. | |||
Kannada | ಡ್ರಾಪ್ | ||
The Kannada word 'ಡ್ರಾಪ್' can also mean 'a small amount' or 'a little bit'. | |||
Malayalam | ഡ്രോപ്പ് | ||
The Malayalam word "ഡ്രോപ്പ്" is also used to describe the action of putting something in a liquid or the sound of something dripping. | |||
Marathi | थेंब | ||
The term "थेंब" derives from the Sanskrit word “बिंदु,” meaning “small part.” | |||
Nepali | छोड्नुहोस् | ||
छोड्नुहोस् is derived from the Sanskrit word | |||
Punjabi | ਬੂੰਦ | ||
The word "ਬੂੰਦ" can also refer to a small amount or portion, such as a drop of milk in tea. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පහත වැටෙන්න | ||
Derived from Pali "pataati" - to fall down; other meanings include "to decline" or "to fail". | |||
Tamil | கைவிட | ||
கைவிட refers to both the action of letting something drop, as well as abandoning something or someone. | |||
Telugu | డ్రాప్ | ||
"డ్రాప్" can also mean "to let fall" or "to give up." | |||
Urdu | ڈراپ | ||
The word "ڈراپ" can also mean "to drip" or "to fall" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 下降 | ||
"下降" (drop) can also mean "descend" or "fall." | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 下降 | ||
下降 in Chinese is not only a noun meaning a drop, but also a verb meaning to decline or deteriorate. | |||
Japanese | 落とす | ||
The Japanese verb "落とす" can also mean "to solve", "to omit", or "to fail" depending on the context. | |||
Korean | 하락 | ||
하락 is also a unit of measurement of area specifically used in North Korea - a 하락 is approximately 7 acres. | |||
Mongolian | унах | ||
Монгол 'унах' ('падать') связан с 'хун' ('расширяться') и 'хум' ('проваливаться'); ср. халха-монг. 'ухнах' ('закапываться') и бурят. 'охнахо' ('проваливаться'). | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ်စက် | ||
Indonesian | penurunan | ||
"Penurunan" (drop) also means the period of time when a new queen begins to lay eggs in an active bee colony. | |||
Javanese | nyelehake | ||
The word "nyelehake" also means "to put something down gently" or "to set something down". | |||
Khmer | ទម្លាក់ | ||
The word "ទម្លាក់" can also mean "to discard" or "to throw away" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ລຸດລົງ | ||
ລຸດລົງ may also refer to a steep slope, a cliff, a waterfall, a descent, a decline, a decrease, or a reduction. | |||
Malay | jatuh | ||
In some contexts, "jatuh" can also mean "to die" in Malay. | |||
Thai | หล่น | ||
The Thai word "หล่น" can also mean "missing" or "lost", and is used in the context of things that have been dropped or forgotten. | |||
Vietnamese | rơi vãi | ||
"Rơi vãi" (drop): "Rơi" means "to fall", "vãi" means "to scatter". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | drop | ||
Azerbaijani | damcı | ||
The word "damcı" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "dam", meaning "drop", and is cognate with the Turkish word "damla", also meaning "drop". | |||
Kazakh | түсіру | ||
The Kazakh word "түсіру" also means "to lower" or "to reduce. | |||
Kyrgyz | таштоо | ||
"Таштоо" also means "to let fall" or "to make fall" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | партофтан | ||
The word “партофтан” can also mean “tear,” especially in the context of the expression “партофтан рихтан,” which means “to shed tears.” | |||
Turkmen | düşmek | ||
Uzbek | tushirish | ||
The word “tushirish” originates from the Mongolian word “tosgoro” meaning “to shed (tears)” | |||
Uyghur | drop | ||
Hawaiian | kulu | ||
In Hawaiian, "kulu" refers to both a "drop" and a "to be in a state of trance". | |||
Maori | maturuturu | ||
Maturuturu means "drop" in Māori, but also refers to "a series of drops" and "a small drop that hangs from something". | |||
Samoan | pa'ū | ||
The word "pa'ū" in Samoan can also refer to a type of skirt worn by women. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | patak | ||
The word "patak" has a similar meaning as "tikas": a drop of rain, or a drop of water. |
Aymara | ch'aqa | ||
Guarani | mondoho | ||
Esperanto | faligi | ||
"Faligi" derives from "falo" meaning "fall". It can mean "to fall", "to fall off", or "to drop", as well as "to hang". | |||
Latin | stillabunt | ||
Stillabunt, a Latin verb meaning "to drop", derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *steli- ("to trickle"). |
Greek | πτώση | ||
Πτώση also means "case" (in the grammatical sense), likely deriving from the Ancient Greek verb "πίπτω" ("pipto"), meaning "to fall". | |||
Hmong | poob | ||
In Hmong, the word "poob" (meaning "drop") can also be used to refer to a "small piece" or a "single item". | |||
Kurdish | dilopkirin | ||
The term 'dilopkirin' can also refer to 'saliva' or 'drool' in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | düşürmek | ||
"Düşürmek" can also mean "to cause to become pregnant". | |||
Xhosa | ukuhla | ||
The word "ukuhla" can also mean "to fail" or "to be lacking". | |||
Yiddish | פאַלן | ||
פאַלן also means ‘to die’ and is an equivalent to the word ‘נפֿטר’ (‘neftar’) in modern Hebrew | |||
Zulu | iconsi | ||
The word "iconsi" also refers to a small amount or something very little. | |||
Assamese | টোপাল | ||
Aymara | ch'aqa | ||
Bhojpuri | गिरल | ||
Dhivehi | ވެއްޓުން | ||
Dogri | बूंद | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | drop | ||
Guarani | mondoho | ||
Ilocano | itinnag | ||
Krio | drɔp | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | کەوتن | ||
Maithili | बूंद | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯗꯕ | ||
Mizo | far | ||
Oromo | gadi bu'uu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଡ୍ରପ୍ | ||
Quechua | wichiy | ||
Sanskrit | बिन्दुः | ||
Tatar | төшү | ||
Tigrinya | ጠብታ | ||
Tsonga | wisa | ||