Blue in Different Languages
Discover 'Blue' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Blue, the color of the vast sky and the deep ocean, holds a special significance in many cultures around the world. It is often associated with tranquility, stability, and wisdom. In art and design, blue is frequently used to evoke feelings of calm and reliability. Historically, blue pigments were highly prized for their rarity and durability, leading to the development of famous blue dyes like indigo and the expensive ultramarine derived from lapis lazuli.
Given its global importance, you might be interested in learning how to say 'blue' in different languages. In Spanish, for example, 'blue' is 'azul', while in French, it's 'bleu'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for blue is 'lan' (蓝), and in Japanese, it's 'ao' (青).
Exploring the translations of blue in various languages not only expands your vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the cultural significance of this color in different parts of the world. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations for the word 'blue' in multiple languages!
Blue
Blue in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | blou | ||
| The word 'blou' is derived from the Dutch word 'blauw', which means 'blue' or 'black'. | |||
| Amharic | ሰማያዊ | ||
| The word ሰማያዊ ('blue') is derived from the word ሰማይ ('sky') and originally meant 'sky-colored'. | |||
| Hausa | shuɗi | ||
| "Shuɗi" also means "green" and is derived from the word "shaɗa," which means "to be green or blue." | |||
| Igbo | acha anụnụ anụnụ | ||
| In Igbo, the word 'acha anụnụ anụnụ' is sometimes considered a reduplicative expression that emphasizes the intensity of the color blue. | |||
| Malagasy | manga | ||
| "Manga" also denotes the southeasternmost tip of Madagascar (Cape Sainte Marie) and a large freshwater lake in the south (Lake Manga).} | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | buluu | ||
| In some Central Malawian dialects, "buluu" refers to a deep shade of indigo, rather than the light blue "bulautu" | |||
| Shona | bhuruu | ||
| The word "bhuruu" in Shona can also mean "deep" or "dark" in certain contexts. | |||
| Somali | buluug | ||
| The word 'buluug' also means 'sky' or 'heavens' in Somali, highlighting the cultural significance of the color blue in Somali culture. | |||
| Sesotho | putsoa | ||
| Putsoa, which comes from the verb 'ho phetsa' meaning 'to smear,' also refers to a type of traditional beer. | |||
| Swahili | bluu | ||
| The Swahili word "bluu" originates from the Proto-Bantu word "*bulewa*, meaning "green" or "yellow". | |||
| Xhosa | luhlaza | ||
| The Xhosa word "luhlaza" can also refer to a shade of green and is derived from the Nguni language. | |||
| Yoruba | bulu | ||
| The Yorùbá word "búlú" can also refer to a person who is physically strong or brave. | |||
| Zulu | okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka | ||
| The Zulu word "okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka" can also refer to "the colour of the sky" or "green" depending on the context. | |||
| Bambara | bula | ||
| Ewe | bluᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubururu | ||
| Lingala | bleu | ||
| Luganda | bbululu | ||
| Sepedi | talalerata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bunu | ||
Blue in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أزرق | ||
| أزرق also signifies "green" in ancient Arabic literature. | |||
| Hebrew | כָּחוֹל | ||
| כָּחוֹל is a cognate to the word for “dark” (כָּחַל) in other Semitic languages. | |||
| Pashto | آبي | ||
| The Pashto word for "blue," "آبي" also means "cool" or "cold," like the water of a high mountain lake. | |||
| Arabic | أزرق | ||
| أزرق also signifies "green" in ancient Arabic literature. | |||
Blue in Western European Languages
| Albanian | blu | ||
| Blu can also be used to express sadness in the context of a song, e.g., "I am blu". | |||
| Basque | urdina | ||
| The Basque word "urdina" is related to the word "ur" meaning "water" and may have originally referred to the color of the sky or the sea. | |||
| Catalan | blau | ||
| The Catalan word "blau" (''blue'') derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning ''to shine''. | |||
| Croatian | plava | ||
| The Croatian word 'plava' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'plъvъ', which originally meant 'pale' or 'ash-grey'. | |||
| Danish | blå | ||
| The word "blå" derives from the Proto-Germanic term "blawaz" and is related to the English word "blue". | |||
| Dutch | blauw | ||
| The word "blauw" can also refer to a bruise and is used in the saying "zwart als een blauwe plek" (black as a bruise) to indicate deep sorrow. | |||
| English | blue | ||
| The word 'blue' derives from an Old High German word meaning 'shiny'. | |||
| French | bleu | ||
| "Bleu" comes from the Frankish word "blao," meaning "livid" or "dark." | |||
| Frisian | blau | ||
| The Frisian word "blau" is also used to describe something that has a greenish hue. | |||
| Galician | azul | ||
| The word "azul" is cognate with the Portuguese word "azul" and the Spanish word "azul" meaning "blue". | |||
| German | blau | ||
| The word "Blau" derives from the Germanic word "blawaz," meaning "bright" or "shining." | |||
| Icelandic | blátt | ||
| The word 'blátt' (blue) is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'blewaz' meaning 'shining' and is related to the English words 'bleach', 'blazing' and 'blister'. | |||
| Irish | gorm | ||
| The Irish word "gorm" originates from the Proto-Celtic root *gwermos, meaning "dark". | |||
| Italian | blu | ||
| Blu is an Italian word that can mean the shades of light, indigo and turquoise | |||
| Luxembourgish | blo | ||
| In Luxembourgish, 'blo' can also refer to the blueberry or someone with very fair hair. | |||
| Maltese | blu | ||
| The word "blu" in Maltese is a false cognate of English "blue" and actually refers to the colour "green". | |||
| Norwegian | blå | ||
| Blå derives from the Old Norse word 'blár', meaning 'dark or dim'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | azul | ||
| The Portuguese word "azul" derives from the Arabic "lāzaward," which originally referred to the mineral lapis lazuli. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gorm | ||
| The word "gorm" in Scots Gaelic has been suggested to be cognate with Greek "κύανος" (kuanos) via Proto-Indo-European, originally meaning "dark blue dye" or "azure". | |||
| Spanish | azul | ||
| "Azul" is derived from Arabic "lazaward," meaning "lapis lazuli," also the source for "azure". It also carries a sense of sadness in the phrase "estar de azul." | |||
| Swedish | blå | ||
| "Blå" can also refer to something bruised, such as "a black eye" | |||
| Welsh | glas | ||
| The Welsh word "glas" also means "green" and is related to the Proto-Celtic word "glastos", meaning "greenish-blue". | |||
Blue in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | блакітны | ||
| The word "блакітны" is also the name of a flower, the cornflower, and the mineral azurite. | |||
| Bosnian | plava | ||
| The word 'plava' can also refer to a type of fish known as the 'European chub'. | |||
| Bulgarian | син | ||
| The word "син" also means "son" in Bulgarian, a cognate of the English word "son". | |||
| Czech | modrý | ||
| Modrý can also refer to bruises or dark circles under the eyes. | |||
| Estonian | sinine | ||
| The word "sinine" originates from the Proto-Uralic word *sińe, meaning "dark". It is cognates with the Finnish word "sininen" and the Hungarian word "sötét". | |||
| Finnish | sininen | ||
| The word 'sininen' also means 'distant' or 'remote' in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | kék | ||
| The Hungarian word "kék" also means "pale," "bluish," "livid," "dull," "hazy," or "gray-blue." | |||
| Latvian | zils | ||
| Zils is also used in Latvian to describe something that is dull or gloomy. | |||
| Lithuanian | mėlyna | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "mėlyna" can also refer to the dark green color of leaves or unripe fruit. | |||
| Macedonian | сина | ||
| Besides its primary meaning as "blue", "сина" can also mean "bruise" or "hematoma" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | niebieski | ||
| The Polish word "niebieski" also refers to the color of sadness or melancholy. | |||
| Romanian | albastru | ||
| "Albastru" comes from the Albanian word "blë" or "alb", meaning "white," from Proto-Albanian *alb-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰ-,"white." | |||
| Russian | синий | ||
| "Синий" is similar in origin to English "azure", and its root means 'clear' or 'shining' | |||
| Serbian | плави | ||
| In Serbian, "Плави" (plavi) can also refer to a pale horse or a person with blond hair. | |||
| Slovak | modrá | ||
| Modrá, meaning "blue" in Slovak, originates from the Proto-Slavic word "modrъ", which also meant "dark, black". | |||
| Slovenian | modra | ||
| The Slovenian word "modra" is thought to be derived from an Indo-European word meaning "to be dark or gloomy." | |||
| Ukrainian | блакитний | ||
| The word «блакитний» is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhel-, meaning «to shine» or «to be white». | |||
Blue in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নীল | ||
| "নীল" is also an alternative name for the indigo plant. | |||
| Gujarati | વાદળી | ||
| The Gujarati word "વાદળી" originally meant "cloudy" or "foggy" and only later came to mean "blue". | |||
| Hindi | नीला | ||
| In Sanskrit, 'नीला' refers to the sapphire colour of the rain cloud, while 'नील' is indigo. | |||
| Kannada | ನೀಲಿ | ||
| The word "ನೀಲಿ" also refers to the color indigo in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | നീല | ||
| The word "നീല" (nīla) in Malayalam can also refer to the color indigo, as well as to the blue lotus flower. | |||
| Marathi | निळा | ||
| The Marathi word "निळा" (blue) is derived from the Sanskrit word "नील" (blue), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word "*nīla" (blue). | |||
| Nepali | निलो | ||
| As a given name, Nilo is an Indian name meaning "the moon" or "shining sapphire". | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੀਲਾ | ||
| "ਨੀਲਾ", derived from Sanskrit "नील" (nīla), is not just a color but also represents devotion, tranquility, and infinity in Sikhism and Indian culture." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිල් | ||
| The word "නිල්" can also mean "dark" or "black" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | நீலம் | ||
| In ancient Tamil literature, the word 'நீலம்' was originally used to describe indigo and later extended to mean 'blue' in general. | |||
| Telugu | నీలం | ||
| The word 'నీలం' also refers to a legendary precious stone associated with Lord Krishna. | |||
| Urdu | نیلے | ||
| The word "نیلے" can also refer to a type of indigo dye or a shade of purple | |||
Blue in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 蓝色 | ||
| "蓝色" (blue) originally meant "dark green" and was used to describe malachite, a type of green mineral. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 藍色 | ||
| The Chinese character "藍" originally referred to the indigo plant and its dye, and later extended to mean the color blue. | |||
| Japanese | 青い | ||
| The word "青い" in Japanese can also mean "immature" or "new to the job." | |||
| Korean | 푸른 | ||
| "푸른" (blue) can also refer to a pale color reminiscent of unripe fruits. | |||
| Mongolian | цэнхэр | ||
| "Цэнхэр" is also used to describe sadness or melancholy in Mongolian culture. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပြာ | ||
| The word "အပြာ" has an alternate meaning of "green", especially in certain contexts or for certain shades of green. | |||
Blue in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | biru | ||
| Biru is possibly loaned from the Portuguese word "azul" or the French word "bleu" | |||
| Javanese | biru | ||
| The word "Biru" in Indonesian and Javanese comes from the Portuguese word "Azul", meaning "sky" or a "light shade of blue". | |||
| Khmer | ខៀវ | ||
| "ខៀវ" can also mean 'green', particularly in reference to vegetation or unripe fruit. | |||
| Lao | ສີຟ້າ | ||
| Malay | biru | ||
| The Malay word "biru" is cognate with the Javanese "biru" and derives from Proto-Austronesian *biRuq | |||
| Thai | สีน้ำเงิน | ||
| The word "สีน้ำเงิน" derives from the Sanskrit word "नील" (nīla), meaning "dark blue". | |||
| Vietnamese | màu xanh da trời | ||
| The word "màu xanh da trời" literally translates to "color of the sky" and is used to describe light shades of blue. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asul | ||
Blue in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mavi | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "mavi" not only means "blue" but also refers to a type of turquoise-colored stone. | |||
| Kazakh | көк | ||
| The Kazakh word "көк" also means "sky" and "heaven". | |||
| Kyrgyz | көк | ||
| Besides its most common meaning, the word "Көк" also refers to the sky, water, and the blue or green color of the grass in spring. | |||
| Tajik | кабуд | ||
| The word 'кабуд' likely derives from Old Persian 'kabuta' meaning 'pigeon' due to their blue-grey plumage | |||
| Turkmen | gök | ||
| Uzbek | ko'k | ||
| The Uzbek word "ko'k" comes from the Persian word "kabūd," which also means "dark blue" or "black." | |||
| Uyghur | كۆك | ||
Blue in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | polū | ||
| The word "polū" in Hawaiian can refer to a deep or dark blue, and has also been historically applied to black as well. | |||
| Maori | kikorangi | ||
| The word "kikorangi" in Māori may also refer to the dark blue of the ocean or the deep blue of the sky. | |||
| Samoan | lanu moaga | ||
| The Samoan word "lanu moaga" translates as "blue," but also refers to the sea, which is perceived as having a bluish hue. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bughaw | ||
| The Tagalog word "bughaw" is also used to describe the color of a bruise, which is a purplish hue. | |||
Blue in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | larama | ||
| Guarani | hovy | ||
Blue in International Languages
| Esperanto | blua | ||
| Esperanto has also a form "blua" (from "bleu" in French), with an alternative meaning: inexperienced, naïve. | |||
| Latin | caeruleum | ||
| The word 'caeruleum' is derived from the Greek word 'κυάνεος' (kuaneos), which means 'dark blue' or 'navy blue'. | |||
Blue in Others Languages
| Greek | μπλε | ||
| The word μπλε derives from the Old French "ble" and ultimately originated in the Frankish word "blao", which also means "bluish" in modern Dutch. | |||
| Hmong | xiav | ||
| The word "xiav" can also refer to the color green in some dialects of Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | şîn | ||
| In Kurdish mythology, "şîn" also refers to a mythical creature depicted as a blue dragon. | |||
| Turkish | mavi | ||
| Mavi is also used in Turkish to refer to the sky, the sea, and the color of the eye, and is derived from the Persian word 'mavi' meaning 'blue, turquoise'. | |||
| Xhosa | luhlaza | ||
| The Xhosa word "luhlaza" can also refer to a shade of green and is derived from the Nguni language. | |||
| Yiddish | בלוי | ||
| In Yiddish, the word “בלוי” can also refer to wear and tear or an activity conducted for enjoyment. | |||
| Zulu | okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka | ||
| The Zulu word "okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka" can also refer to "the colour of the sky" or "green" depending on the context. | |||
| Assamese | নীলা | ||
| Aymara | larama | ||
| Bhojpuri | बूलू | ||
| Dhivehi | ނޫ | ||
| Dogri | नीला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asul | ||
| Guarani | hovy | ||
| Ilocano | asul | ||
| Krio | blu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شین | ||
| Maithili | नील | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯒꯣꯛ | ||
| Mizo | pawl | ||
| Oromo | cuquliisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନୀଳ | ||
| Quechua | anqas | ||
| Sanskrit | नील | ||
| Tatar | зәңгәр | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰማያዊ | ||
| Tsonga | wasi | ||