Embrace in Different Languages
Discover 'Embrace' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'embrace' holds a profound significance in our lives, symbolizing acceptance, inclusion, and a warm, welcoming attitude. It transcends cultural boundaries and is a universal concept that resonates with people across the globe. Embracing someone or something is to hold it close, to cherish it, and to make it a part of oneself. This simple act carries a deep cultural importance, as it reflects the values of compassion, kindness, and unity.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'embrace' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural exchange. For instance, in Spanish, 'embrace' is 'abrazo', while in French, it is 'étreindre'. In German, the word for 'embrace' is 'umarmen', and in Japanese, it is '抱きclose' (dakihold). These translations not only provide a linguistic understanding but also offer a glimpse into the cultural nuances and values associated with the act of embracing.
So, join us as we explore the many translations of 'embrace' and delve deeper into the rich cultural significance of this powerful word.
Embrace
Embrace in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | omhels | ||
| "Omhels" is derived from the Dutch word "omhelzen", which also means "embrace", and is ultimately of Germanic origin. | |||
| Amharic | እቅፍ | ||
| "እቅፍ" also means "to take refuge in" and "to put between one's arms". | |||
| Hausa | runguma | ||
| 'Runguma' originates from the Hausa word ' runguma ', meaning 'to hold' or 'to clasp.' | |||
| Igbo | makụọ | ||
| In Igbo, the word "makụọ" can also refer to a specific type of dance or to a close and intimate friendship. | |||
| Malagasy | dia mandamaka | ||
| The Malagasy word "dia mandamaka" may derive from the Proto-Austronesian root *damaq, "to touch lightly". It also refers figuratively to a "warm welcome." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukumbatira | ||
| The word 'kukumbatira' may also refer to the act of enveloping or encompassing something. | |||
| Shona | kumbundira | ||
| 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. | |||
| Somali | isku duub | ||
| The word "isku duub" can also refer to a romantic relationship or a close friendship. | |||
| Sesotho | kopa | ||
| 'Kopa' in Sesotho shares the same linguistic origin as 'hold together' in Indo-European languages. | |||
| Swahili | kukumbatia | ||
| The Swahili word "kukumbatia" also means "to hug tightly" or "to cuddle." | |||
| Xhosa | ukwamkela | ||
| "Ukwamkela" can also mean "to accept" or "to welcome" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | faramọ | ||
| Beyond its primary meaning of "embrace," "faramọ" also denotes "to cherish tightly" or "to hold dear," extending its affectionate connotation. | |||
| Zulu | ukwanga | ||
| In Zulu, the word "ukwanga" also refers to a ceremonial gathering during which a new bride and groom are blessed before their marriage. | |||
| Bambara | ka dasun | ||
| Ewe | kpla asi akᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhobera | ||
| Lingala | koyamba | ||
| Luganda | okuwambaatira | ||
| Sepedi | gokarela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | gye to mu | ||
Embrace in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تعانق | ||
| While the primary meaning of "تعانق" is "embrace," it also has connotations of "union," "intertwining," and "affection." | |||
| Hebrew | לְחַבֵּק | ||
| The word 'לְחַבֵּק' ('embrace') is related to the Hebrew word 'חֵבֶק' ('bosom') and the Arabic word 'حِضْن' ('embrace'). | |||
| Pashto | غیږ نیول | ||
| "غیږ نیول" is also used figuratively to mean "to support" or "to take under one's protection". | |||
| Arabic | تعانق | ||
| While the primary meaning of "تعانق" is "embrace," it also has connotations of "union," "intertwining," and "affection." | |||
Embrace in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përqafoj | ||
| Përqafoj in Albanian has an additional sense of | |||
| Basque | besarkatu | ||
| 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. | |||
| Catalan | abraçar | ||
| The verb "abraçar" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "amplexari", which means "to embrace" or "to clasp with the arms." | |||
| Croatian | zagrljaj | ||
| The word "zagrljaj" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*zogrъti", which means "to warm" or "to protect". | |||
| Danish | omfavne | ||
| The word "omfavne" in Danish, besides its literal meaning "embrace", is also used figuratively to mean "to encompass" or "to include". | |||
| Dutch | omhelzing | ||
| 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". | |||
| English | embrace | ||
| The word 'embrace' derives from the Latin 'in bracchiis' meaning 'within the arms', and signifies a close holding or clasp. | |||
| French | embrasse | ||
| Embrasser can also mean to hug, kiss, or clasp in French. | |||
| Frisian | omearmje | ||
| The Frisian word "omearmje" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*armjaz", meaning "arm, embrace". | |||
| Galician | abrazo | ||
| In Galician, "abrazo" not only means "embrace" but also refers to the upper part of the human trunk and the back | |||
| German | umarmung | ||
| The word "Umarmung" in German, meaning "embrace," might also refer to a strong sense of solidarity or a heartfelt longing. | |||
| Icelandic | faðma | ||
| The Icelandic word "faðma" not only means "embrace" but also refers to a unit of measurement roughly equivalent to two arms' length. | |||
| Irish | glacadh | ||
| The word 'glacadh' also has the alternate meanings of 'clasp' and 'grasp' | |||
| Italian | abbraccio | ||
| The word 'abbraccio' is derived from the Latin word 'amplexus', meaning 'enclosure' or 'embrace'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ëmfaassen | ||
| 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". | |||
| Maltese | iħaddnu | ||
| The word "iħaddnu" can also refer to the act of hugging or holding something close to one's body. | |||
| Norwegian | omfavne | ||
| The term "omfavne" in Norwegian is derived from the Old Norse word "omfamna" with the same meaning. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | abraço | ||
| In Brazilian slang, 'abraço' can also be a synonym of 'beer', as in 'Vamos tomar um abraço' ('Let's go and drink some beer'). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gabh a-steach | ||
| In some contexts, gabh a-steach can also mean 'to seize' or 'to grasp'. | |||
| Spanish | abrazo | ||
| The term "abrazo" can also refer to a dance or a special hug in Argentina. | |||
| Swedish | omfamning | ||
| 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." | |||
| Welsh | cofleidio | ||
| From the Latin **copulatio** meaning 'bond' or 'union', cofleidio is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word *kom-bleid-i-. | |||
Embrace in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абняць | ||
| The word "абняць" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *obĭjati, meaning "to surround, encircle, or embrace". | |||
| Bosnian | zagrljaj | ||
| In Serbian, the word "zagrljaj" also has the metaphorical meaning of protection and support. | |||
| Bulgarian | прегръщам | ||
| The word “прегръщам” also means | |||
| Czech | objetí | ||
| The word 'objětí' can also refer to the act of hugging or holding something tightly. | |||
| Estonian | embama | ||
| The Estonian word "embama" has multiple meanings, including "embrace", "to wrap oneself in", and "to hold something tightly. | |||
| Finnish | omaksua | ||
| The word "omaksua" also refers to "adoption" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | ölelés | ||
| "Ölelés" is a noun that came into Hungarian from the verb "öl" (kill). Other meanings, in addition to "embrace", include "killing" and "murder". | |||
| Latvian | apskāviens | ||
| The word "apskāviens" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sekw-, meaning "to follow" or "to accompany." | |||
| Lithuanian | apkabinti | ||
| The word "apkabinti" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kemb- and shares a common origin with the English word "compact". | |||
| Macedonian | прегратка | ||
| The word "прегратка" in Macedonian can also mean "partition" or "bulkhead". | |||
| Polish | uścisk | ||
| 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. | |||
| Romanian | îmbrăţişare | ||
| 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 | обнимать | ||
| The word "обнимать" can also mean "to wrap around", "to enclose", "to clasp", or "to hold tightly". | |||
| Serbian | загрљај | ||
| The word "загрљај" derives from the verb "загрлити," meaning "to hug" or "to clasp." | |||
| Slovak | objať | ||
| "Objať" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "obъjati" via "objati" and also connotes "to surround". | |||
| Slovenian | objem | ||
| The word 'objem' also means 'volume' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | обійми | ||
| The word "обійми" can also refer to the arms or a hug (from "обіймати", "to hold in arms, to hug"). | |||
Embrace in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আলিঙ্গন | ||
| The word 'আলিঙ্গন' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'आलिंगन', which means "to embrace" or "to clasp". | |||
| Gujarati | આલિંગવું | ||
| આલિંગવું originates from Sanskrit and carries the same meaning in Hindi and Marathi, suggesting a shared cultural understanding of the act of embracing. | |||
| Hindi | आलिंगन | ||
| 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. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ | ||
| "ಅಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ" (embrace) is also used to denote "to support", "to adopt", or "to take on" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പുണരുക | ||
| "പുണരുക" is also the name of one of the six types of sandhis (combination of two words) in Malayalam grammar. | |||
| Marathi | आलिंगन | ||
| The word 'आलिंगन' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'आलिंग' meaning 'to cling'. | |||
| Nepali | अंगालो | ||
| In Hindi, 'Angaalo' means 'fire', but in Nepali, it means 'embrace'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਲੇ ਲਗਾਓ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වැලඳගන්න | ||
| "වැලඳගන්න" can also mean "to catch" or "to hold" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | தழுவி | ||
| "தழுவி" also refers to joining and embracing ideas or concepts, particularly in the context of intellectual or spiritual pursuits. | |||
| Telugu | ఆలింగనం చేసుకోండి | ||
| Urdu | گلے لگائیں | ||
Embrace in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 拥抱 | ||
| The word "拥抱" also means to welcome someone enthusiastically or to accept something wholeheartedly. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 擁抱 | ||
| 擁抱 is also a Chinese word referring to a hug or embrace. | |||
| Japanese | 擁する | ||
| The word "擁する" can also mean "to possess" or "to hold". | |||
| Korean | 포옹 | ||
| The Korean word 포옹 can also refer to a type of traditional Korean wrestling. | |||
| Mongolian | тэврэх | ||
| In Mongolian, the verb "тэврэх" can also mean "to go around" or "to surround". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပွေ့ဖက် | ||
| The term "ပွေ့ဖက်" also means "to clasp" and is derived from the Mon word "pwe" which means "to hold". | |||
Embrace in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | merangkul | ||
| "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. | |||
| Javanese | ngrangkul | ||
| "Ngrangkul" can also mean "to hug" or "to hold tightly" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ឱប | ||
| "ឱប" can also mean to clasp something between the two palms, or to hold something against one's chest. | |||
| Lao | ກອດ | ||
| The word "ກອດ" can also refer to the act of holding something or someone close, or of encircling something | |||
| Malay | peluk | ||
| The word 'peluk' is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word '*pǝluk', which originally meant 'to wrap around' or 'to bind'. | |||
| Thai | โอบกอด | ||
| The word "โอบกอด" comes from Sanskrit "आभरण" (aabharana) which can mean "wearing, covering, concealing", "clothing" or a "wrap"} | |||
| Vietnamese | ôm hôn | ||
| 'Ôm hôn' is also a term for 'hug' in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | yakapin | ||
Embrace in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qucaqlamaq | ||
| The word "qucaqlamaq" in Azerbaijani can also mean "to hug" or "to clasp in one's arms." | |||
| Kazakh | қамту | ||
| The word "қамту" also has meanings such as "to contain" and "to encompass". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кучакташуу | ||
| Tajik | ба оғӯш гирифтан | ||
| 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. | |||
| Turkmen | gujakla | ||
| Uzbek | quchoqlamoq | ||
| 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". | |||
| Uyghur | قۇچاقلاش | ||
Embrace in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | apo | ||
| The Hawaiian word "apo" also means "to hold or carry under the arm" | |||
| Maori | awhi | ||
| Awhi is a Maori word meaning 'to embrace', 'to enfold someone in one's arms' or 'to protect'. | |||
| Samoan | fusi | ||
| The word "fusi" can also refer to a hug or a dance, and is related to the word "fusifusi" meaning "to cuddle". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | yakapin | ||
| The word "yakapin" may also refer to embracing something metaphorically, like an ideology or a cause. | |||
Embrace in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhumantaña | ||
| Guarani | hupytypa | ||
Embrace in International Languages
| Esperanto | brakumi | ||
| In the plural it refers to the arms or hands with which one embraces. | |||
| Latin | amplexum | ||
| The word "amplexum" also refers to a form of Roman wrestling and the act of grafting one vine to another. | |||
Embrace in Others Languages
| Greek | εναγκαλισμός | ||
| "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. | |||
| Hmong | puag rawv | ||
| The word 'puag rawv' also means 'to love' and 'to care for' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | himbêzkirin | ||
| 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. | |||
| Turkish | kucaklamak | ||
| Xhosa | ukwamkela | ||
| "Ukwamkela" can also mean "to accept" or "to welcome" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אַרומנעמען | ||
| The Yiddish word 'אַרומנעמען' can also mean 'understand', 'acknowledge', 'accept', 'contain', or 'include'. | |||
| Zulu | ukwanga | ||
| In Zulu, the word "ukwanga" also refers to a ceremonial gathering during which a new bride and groom are blessed before their marriage. | |||
| Assamese | আঁকোৱালি লোৱা | ||
| Aymara | qhumantaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | गले मिलल | ||
| Dhivehi | ބައްދާލުން | ||
| Dogri | कलावा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | yakapin | ||
| Guarani | hupytypa | ||
| Ilocano | arakupen | ||
| Krio | ɔg | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لەخۆگرتن | ||
| Maithili | आलिंगन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯟꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | kuah | ||
| Oromo | haammachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଲିଙ୍ଗନ କର | ||
| Quechua | marqay | ||
| Sanskrit | आलिङ्गनं करोतु | ||
| Tatar | кочаклау | ||
| Tigrinya | ምቅባል | ||
| Tsonga | vukarha | ||