Afrikaans omhels | ||
Albanian përqafoj | ||
Amharic እቅፍ | ||
Arabic تعانق | ||
Armenian գրկել | ||
Assamese আঁকোৱালি লোৱা | ||
Aymara qhumantaña | ||
Azerbaijani qucaqlamaq | ||
Bambara ka dasun | ||
Basque besarkatu | ||
Belarusian абняць | ||
Bengali আলিঙ্গন | ||
Bhojpuri गले मिलल | ||
Bosnian zagrljaj | ||
Bulgarian прегръщам | ||
Catalan abraçar | ||
Cebuano gakos | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 拥抱 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 擁抱 | ||
Corsican abbraccià | ||
Croatian zagrljaj | ||
Czech objetí | ||
Danish omfavne | ||
Dhivehi ބައްދާލުން | ||
Dogri कलावा | ||
Dutch omhelzing | ||
English embrace | ||
Esperanto brakumi | ||
Estonian embama | ||
Ewe kpla asi akᴐ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) yakapin | ||
Finnish omaksua | ||
French embrasse | ||
Frisian omearmje | ||
Galician abrazo | ||
Georgian ჩახუტება | ||
German umarmung | ||
Greek εναγκαλισμός | ||
Guarani hupytypa | ||
Gujarati આલિંગવું | ||
Haitian Creole anbrase | ||
Hausa runguma | ||
Hawaiian apo | ||
Hebrew לְחַבֵּק | ||
Hindi आलिंगन | ||
Hmong puag rawv | ||
Hungarian ölelés | ||
Icelandic faðma | ||
Igbo makụọ | ||
Ilocano arakupen | ||
Indonesian merangkul | ||
Irish glacadh | ||
Italian abbraccio | ||
Japanese 擁する | ||
Javanese ngrangkul | ||
Kannada ಅಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ | ||
Kazakh қамту | ||
Khmer ឱប | ||
Kinyarwanda guhobera | ||
Konkani आपणावप | ||
Korean 포옹 | ||
Krio ɔg | ||
Kurdish himbêzkirin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) لەخۆگرتن | ||
Kyrgyz кучакташуу | ||
Lao ກອດ | ||
Latin amplexum | ||
Latvian apskāviens | ||
Lingala koyamba | ||
Lithuanian apkabinti | ||
Luganda okuwambaatira | ||
Luxembourgish ëmfaassen | ||
Macedonian прегратка | ||
Maithili आलिंगन | ||
Malagasy dia mandamaka | ||
Malay peluk | ||
Malayalam പുണരുക | ||
Maltese iħaddnu | ||
Maori awhi | ||
Marathi आलिंगन | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯀꯣꯟꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo kuah | ||
Mongolian тэврэх | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ပွေ့ဖက် | ||
Nepali अंगालो | ||
Norwegian omfavne | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) kukumbatira | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଆଲିଙ୍ଗନ କର | ||
Oromo haammachuu | ||
Pashto غیږ نیول | ||
Persian پذیرفتن | ||
Polish uścisk | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) abraço | ||
Punjabi ਗਲੇ ਲਗਾਓ | ||
Quechua marqay | ||
Romanian îmbrăţişare | ||
Russian обнимать | ||
Samoan fusi | ||
Sanskrit आलिङ्गनं करोतु | ||
Scots Gaelic gabh a-steach | ||
Sepedi gokarela | ||
Serbian загрљај | ||
Sesotho kopa | ||
Shona kumbundira | ||
Sindhi قبول ڪريو | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) වැලඳගන්න | ||
Slovak objať | ||
Slovenian objem | ||
Somali isku duub | ||
Spanish abrazo | ||
Sundanese nangkeup | ||
Swahili kukumbatia | ||
Swedish omfamning | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) yakapin | ||
Tajik ба оғӯш гирифтан | ||
Tamil தழுவி | ||
Tatar кочаклау | ||
Telugu ఆలింగనం చేసుకోండి | ||
Thai โอบกอด | ||
Tigrinya ምቅባል | ||
Tsonga vukarha | ||
Turkish kucaklamak | ||
Turkmen gujakla | ||
Twi (Akan) gye to mu | ||
Ukrainian обійми | ||
Urdu گلے لگائیں | ||
Uyghur قۇچاقلاش | ||
Uzbek quchoqlamoq | ||
Vietnamese ôm hôn | ||
Welsh cofleidio | ||
Xhosa ukwamkela | ||
Yiddish אַרומנעמען | ||
Yoruba faramọ | ||
Zulu ukwanga |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "Omhels" is derived from the Dutch word "omhelzen", which also means "embrace", and is ultimately of Germanic origin. |
| Albanian | Përqafoj in Albanian has an additional sense of |
| Amharic | "እቅፍ" also means "to take refuge in" and "to put between one's arms". |
| Arabic | While the primary meaning of "تعانق" is "embrace," it also has connotations of "union," "intertwining," and "affection." |
| Armenian | "Գրկել" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *gher-, meaning "to seize, grasp." |
| Azerbaijani | The word "qucaqlamaq" in Azerbaijani can also mean "to hug" or "to clasp in one's arms." |
| Basque | The Basque word "besarkatu" shares its root with the word "bear" (animal) and the verb "to bear" (endure), suggesting a notion of physical strength and resilience in the act of embracing. |
| Belarusian | The word "абняць" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *obĭjati, meaning "to surround, encircle, or embrace". |
| Bengali | The word 'আলিঙ্গন' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'आलिंगन', which means "to embrace" or "to clasp". |
| Bosnian | In Serbian, the word "zagrljaj" also has the metaphorical meaning of protection and support. |
| Bulgarian | The word “прегръщам” also means |
| Catalan | The verb "abraçar" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "amplexari", which means "to embrace" or "to clasp with the arms." |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "gakos" is thought to have originated from the Proto-Austronesian word *gakus, meaning "to clasp" or "to hold tightly." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word "拥抱" also means to welcome someone enthusiastically or to accept something wholeheartedly. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 擁抱 is also a Chinese word referring to a hug or embrace. |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "abbraccià" also means "to hug" or "to cuddle". |
| Croatian | The word "zagrljaj" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*zogrъti", which means "to warm" or "to protect". |
| Czech | The word 'objětí' can also refer to the act of hugging or holding something tightly. |
| Danish | The word "omfavne" in Danish, besides its literal meaning "embrace", is also used figuratively to mean "to encompass" or "to include". |
| Dutch | The second definition for the Dutch word "omhelzing" is a "warm greeting in which two or more people hug". This is different from the definition "act of holding or squeezing in one's arms". |
| Esperanto | In the plural it refers to the arms or hands with which one embraces. |
| Estonian | The Estonian word "embama" has multiple meanings, including "embrace", "to wrap oneself in", and "to hold something tightly. |
| Finnish | The word "omaksua" also refers to "adoption" in Finnish. |
| French | Embrasser can also mean to hug, kiss, or clasp in French. |
| Frisian | The Frisian word "omearmje" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*armjaz", meaning "arm, embrace". |
| Galician | In Galician, "abrazo" not only means "embrace" but also refers to the upper part of the human trunk and the back |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "chachuteba" originates from the Georgian phrase "chakhva tvis", which literally translates to "warm the back," referring to the comfort and security provided by an embrace. |
| German | The word "Umarmung" in German, meaning "embrace," might also refer to a strong sense of solidarity or a heartfelt longing. |
| Greek | "Εναγκαλισμός" in Greek means 'embrace', but it also refers to the ritual purification of a newborn, or to a 're-enactment of the death of Christ' in the Eastern Orthodox Church. |
| Gujarati | આલિંગવું originates from Sanskrit and carries the same meaning in Hindi and Marathi, suggesting a shared cultural understanding of the act of embracing. |
| Haitian Creole | The word "anbrase" in Haitian Creole derives from the French word "embrasser", meaning "to kiss" and "to hug". |
| Hausa | 'Runguma' originates from the Hausa word ' runguma ', meaning 'to hold' or 'to clasp.' |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word "apo" also means "to hold or carry under the arm" |
| Hebrew | The word 'לְחַבֵּק' ('embrace') is related to the Hebrew word 'חֵבֶק' ('bosom') and the Arabic word 'حِضْن' ('embrace'). |
| Hindi | The word 'आलिंगन' can also refer to a hug, clasp, or embrace of any kind, including a loving embrace, a friendly embrace, or even a hostile embrace, depending on the context. |
| Hmong | The word 'puag rawv' also means 'to love' and 'to care for' in Hmong. |
| Hungarian | "Ölelés" is a noun that came into Hungarian from the verb "öl" (kill). Other meanings, in addition to "embrace", include "killing" and "murder". |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "faðma" not only means "embrace" but also refers to a unit of measurement roughly equivalent to two arms' length. |
| Igbo | In Igbo, the word "makụọ" can also refer to a specific type of dance or to a close and intimate friendship. |
| Indonesian | "Merangkul" derives from "rangkul" (to hold in one's arms), which also means "arm" in the context of a weapon, suggesting an embrace with force or protection. |
| Irish | The word 'glacadh' also has the alternate meanings of 'clasp' and 'grasp' |
| Italian | The word 'abbraccio' is derived from the Latin word 'amplexus', meaning 'enclosure' or 'embrace'. |
| Japanese | The word "擁する" can also mean "to possess" or "to hold". |
| Javanese | "Ngrangkul" can also mean "to hug" or "to hold tightly" in Javanese. |
| Kannada | "ಅಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ" (embrace) is also used to denote "to support", "to adopt", or "to take on" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The word "қамту" also has meanings such as "to contain" and "to encompass". |
| Khmer | "ឱប" can also mean to clasp something between the two palms, or to hold something against one's chest. |
| Korean | The Korean word 포옹 can also refer to a type of traditional Korean wrestling. |
| Kurdish | The word "himbêzkirin" is derived from the Kurdish words "himbêz" (bosom) and "kirin" (to take) and is also used to refer to the act of hugging or holding someone close. |
| Lao | The word "ກອດ" can also refer to the act of holding something or someone close, or of encircling something |
| Latin | The word "amplexum" also refers to a form of Roman wrestling and the act of grafting one vine to another. |
| Latvian | The word "apskāviens" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sekw-, meaning "to follow" or "to accompany." |
| Lithuanian | The word "apkabinti" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kemb- and shares a common origin with the English word "compact". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "ëmfaassen" in Luxembourgish shares etymological roots with the Middle French word "embracier", both originating from the Latin word "amplectī" meaning "to embrace" or "to surround". |
| Macedonian | The word "прегратка" in Macedonian can also mean "partition" or "bulkhead". |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "dia mandamaka" may derive from the Proto-Austronesian root *damaq, "to touch lightly". It also refers figuratively to a "warm welcome." |
| Malay | The word 'peluk' is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word '*pǝluk', which originally meant 'to wrap around' or 'to bind'. |
| Malayalam | "പുണരുക" is also the name of one of the six types of sandhis (combination of two words) in Malayalam grammar. |
| Maltese | The word "iħaddnu" can also refer to the act of hugging or holding something close to one's body. |
| Maori | Awhi is a Maori word meaning 'to embrace', 'to enfold someone in one's arms' or 'to protect'. |
| Marathi | The word 'आलिंगन' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'आलिंग' meaning 'to cling'. |
| Mongolian | In Mongolian, the verb "тэврэх" can also mean "to go around" or "to surround". |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The term "ပွေ့ဖက်" also means "to clasp" and is derived from the Mon word "pwe" which means "to hold". |
| Nepali | In Hindi, 'Angaalo' means 'fire', but in Nepali, it means 'embrace'. |
| Norwegian | The term "omfavne" in Norwegian is derived from the Old Norse word "omfamna" with the same meaning. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'kukumbatira' may also refer to the act of enveloping or encompassing something. |
| Pashto | "غیږ نیول" is also used figuratively to mean "to support" or "to take under one's protection". |
| Persian | The Persian word "پذیرفتن" also carries the alternative meaning of "to accept", derived from its original Indo-European root meaning “to take”. |
| Polish | The Polish word 'uścisk,' meaning 'embrace,' is etymologically related to the word 'cisnąć,' meaning 'to throw' or 'to fling,' suggesting the 'throwing' of oneself into another's arms. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Brazilian slang, 'abraço' can also be a synonym of 'beer', as in 'Vamos tomar um abraço' ('Let's go and drink some beer'). |
| Romanian | The word "îmbrăţişare" in Romanian derives from the Slavic word "obъjati" meaning "to hug" and can also refer to an emotional connection or a tight hold. |
| Russian | The word "обнимать" can also mean "to wrap around", "to enclose", "to clasp", or "to hold tightly". |
| Samoan | The word "fusi" can also refer to a hug or a dance, and is related to the word "fusifusi" meaning "to cuddle". |
| Scots Gaelic | In some contexts, gabh a-steach can also mean 'to seize' or 'to grasp'. |
| Serbian | The word "загрљај" derives from the verb "загрлити," meaning "to hug" or "to clasp." |
| Sesotho | 'Kopa' in Sesotho shares the same linguistic origin as 'hold together' in Indo-European languages. |
| Shona | The word 'kumbundira' in Shona is derived from the stem 'kumb', which means 'to hold', thus further reinforcing the concept of embracing as a form of holding someone close. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "වැලඳගන්න" can also mean "to catch" or "to hold" in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | "Objať" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "obъjati" via "objati" and also connotes "to surround". |
| Slovenian | The word 'objem' also means 'volume' in Slovenian. |
| Somali | The word "isku duub" can also refer to a romantic relationship or a close friendship. |
| Spanish | The term "abrazo" can also refer to a dance or a special hug in Argentina. |
| Sundanese | In other Sundanese dialects, "nangkeup" can also mean "to hold" or "to carry in one's arms." |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "kukumbatia" also means "to hug tightly" or "to cuddle." |
| Swedish | The word "omfamning" is composed of "om" (around) and "famna" (hold), thus having the original meaning of "to hold someone in your arms and heart." |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "yakapin" may also refer to embracing something metaphorically, like an ideology or a cause. |
| Tajik | The Tajik phrase 'ба оғӯш гирифтан' is a figurative term that literally translates to 'to take into the arms' and is similar to the English phrase 'to embrace,' representing a sense of love, care, or affection. |
| Tamil | "தழுவி" also refers to joining and embracing ideas or concepts, particularly in the context of intellectual or spiritual pursuits. |
| Thai | The word "โอบกอด" comes from Sanskrit "आभरण" (aabharana) which can mean "wearing, covering, concealing", "clothing" or a "wrap"} |
| Ukrainian | The word "обійми" can also refer to the arms or a hug (from "обіймати", "to hold in arms, to hug"). |
| Uzbek | The word "quchoqlamoq" in Uzbek is thought to be derived from the word "quch", which means "arm". This suggests that the original meaning of the word was "to take someone in one's arms". In modern Uzbek, the word can also be used to mean "to hug" or "to hold someone close". |
| Vietnamese | 'Ôm hôn' is also a term for 'hug' in Vietnamese. |
| Welsh | From the Latin **copulatio** meaning 'bond' or 'union', cofleidio is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word *kom-bleid-i-. |
| Xhosa | "Ukwamkela" can also mean "to accept" or "to welcome" in Xhosa. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word 'אַרומנעמען' can also mean 'understand', 'acknowledge', 'accept', 'contain', or 'include'. |
| Yoruba | Beyond its primary meaning of "embrace," "faramọ" also denotes "to cherish tightly" or "to hold dear," extending its affectionate connotation. |
| Zulu | In Zulu, the word "ukwanga" also refers to a ceremonial gathering during which a new bride and groom are blessed before their marriage. |
| English | The word 'embrace' derives from the Latin 'in bracchiis' meaning 'within the arms', and signifies a close holding or clasp. |