Spring in Different Languages
Discover 'Spring' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Spring, the season of renewal and growth, holds a special place in many cultures and languages around the world. As the days grow longer and warmer, we witness the rebirth of nature, with flowers blooming and trees regaining their leaves. This transformation signifies hope, optimism, and the triumph of life over death. It's no wonder that numerous languages have unique words to capture the essence of this vibrant season.
Moreover, the word 'spring' has fascinating historical contexts and interesting facts associated with it. For instance, did you know that the term 'spring' as a season comes from the Old English 'springan,' which means 'to jump or leap'? This is likely a reference to the way plants and animals 'spring' back to life during this time of year.
Understanding the translation of 'spring' in different languages can enrich your cultural knowledge and broaden your vocabulary. Here are a few examples to pique your curiosity:
- French: printemps
- Spanish: primavera
- German: Frühling
- Mandarin: 春季 (chūn jié)
- Japanese: 春 (haru)
Spring
Spring in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lente | ||
| The Afrikaans word “lente” is both the name of a season and the plant from which the fabric linen is made. | |||
| Amharic | ፀደይ | ||
| The Amharic word ፀደይ also refers to "the first day of the month of Meskerem" and "a person of good character." | |||
| Hausa | bazara | ||
| Hausa word “Bazara” also refers to "a place where trade goods and services are exchanged" indicating its ancient socio-economic importance. | |||
| Igbo | mmiri | ||
| Mmiri, which can also mean 'water', derives from the Proto-Benue-Congo root, *mi/*mu (water); related words from this source include the Duala min 'liquid' and the Ibibio mmim 'rain'. | |||
| Malagasy | lohataona | ||
| The Malagasy word 'lohataona' shares its root with the word 'lohataony', meaning 'to sprout' or 'to blossom'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kasupe | ||
| In some dialects, the word "kasupe" can also refer to a river that flows from a spring. | |||
| Shona | chitubu | ||
| In addition to 'spring', 'chitubu' also denotes a 'season' or 'year' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | guga | ||
| In Somali, "guga" is a term not just for spring but also for the season of plenty and fertility. | |||
| Sesotho | selemo | ||
| Its variant 'selemo' is derived from the root word 'lema', 'to germinate'. | |||
| Swahili | chemchemi | ||
| "Chemchemi" is also used figuratively in Swahili to refer to the source or wellspring of something. | |||
| Xhosa | intwasahlobo | ||
| The Xhosa word "intwasahlobo" is thought to mean both "spring" (i.e. the season) and "time of new life". | |||
| Yoruba | orisun omi | ||
| The word "orisun omi" literally means "the beginning of water" and refers to the source of a river or stream. | |||
| Zulu | intwasahlobo | ||
| The Zulu word "intwasahlobo" shares the same root with the word "isitshalo" (seedling). | |||
| Bambara | k'a ta marisikalo la ka taa bila mɛkalo | ||
| Ewe | gagᴐdɔ̃e | ||
| Kinyarwanda | isoko | ||
| Lingala | printemps | ||
| Luganda | sepulingi | ||
| Sepedi | seruthwane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asuso | ||
Spring in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ربيع | ||
| ربيع also means a meadow or fresh green pasture, an abode, or any place of delight or amusement. | |||
| Hebrew | אביב | ||
| The Hebrew word "אביב" (Aviv) is also used to refer to "green vegetation" or a "young animal". | |||
| Pashto | پسرلی | ||
| The Pashto word "پسرلی" (spring) may also refer to the young of an animal or a plant. | |||
| Arabic | ربيع | ||
| ربيع also means a meadow or fresh green pasture, an abode, or any place of delight or amusement. | |||
Spring in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pranverë | ||
| The word “pranverë” in Albanian is derived from Proto-Albanian “*prinu + vere”, meaning literally “new summer” (cognate with Aromanian “primvār" and Romanian “primăvară”). | |||
| Basque | udaberria | ||
| The Basque word "udaberria" may be related to the Basque word "uda" meaning "summer", and the suffix "-berri" meaning "new". | |||
| Catalan | primavera | ||
| The word "primavera" in Catalan shares its root with the Latin word "primus," meaning "first," as spring is the first season of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. | |||
| Croatian | proljeće | ||
| The word 'proljeće' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *prolьtьje, meaning 'the time when the earth thaws'. | |||
| Danish | forår | ||
| The word "forår" comes from the Old Norse word "fár", which means "travel" or "journey". | |||
| Dutch | voorjaar | ||
| "Voorjaar" means "spring" in Dutch, but it also shares the same root as the German word "Frühling" (spring) and the English word "vernal" (relating to spring). | |||
| English | spring | ||
| The word "spring" can also refer to a metal coil used to store energy or a natural source of water emerging from the earth. | |||
| French | printemps | ||
| The word "printemps" derives from the Latin "prima tempestas," meaning "first season" or "season of the beginning". | |||
| Frisian | maitiid | ||
| Maitiid is also used to refer to the meadow flower fritillaria meleagris. | |||
| Galician | primavera | ||
| In Galician, "primavera" also means "a young lamb" or "the firstborn of a flock"} | |||
| German | frühling | ||
| The German word "Frühling" can refer to both the season and the movement of jumping. | |||
| Icelandic | vor | ||
| "Vor" also means a sore on a horse's back. | |||
| Irish | earrach | ||
| "Earrach" can also refer to a type of land that is used for temporary pasture. | |||
| Italian | primavera | ||
| The word "primavera" in Italian also means "the first green of the season" or "the season of the first green of the season". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fréijoer | ||
| "Freijoer" is derived from Middle Low German and Old Dutch "vrijar", which means "to woo" and hints to the custom to go on a date in spring. | |||
| Maltese | rebbiegħa | ||
| The word "rebbiegħa" in Maltese originates from the Arabic word "rabī" meaning "the season of growth" and also refers to the spring season in the liturgical calendar | |||
| Norwegian | vår | ||
| The word "vår" is related to the Old Norse word "vǫr", meaning "guardian" or "watchman". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | primavera | ||
| The Portuguese word "primavera" comes from the Latin word "primaveris" which means "the first green of the year." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | earrach | ||
| In Gaelic mythology, 'earrach' is also the name of the goddess of spring. | |||
| Spanish | primavera | ||
| Primavera's origin is in the Latin word 'primum', meaning 'first', and 'ver', meaning 'green' or 'vegetation'. | |||
| Swedish | vår | ||
| The word "vår" also refers to an old Scandinavian goddess representing springtime. | |||
| Welsh | gwanwyn | ||
| Gwanwyn's literal meaning in Welsh is 'white heat', referring to the sun's warmth awakening the earth. | |||
Spring in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вясна | ||
| The word "вясна" in Belarusian originally referred to the equinox, later gaining the meaning of spring. | |||
| Bosnian | proljeće | ||
| "Proljeće" comes from the verb "prolijevati" (to pour) and refers to the rain showers that often occur during this season. | |||
| Bulgarian | пролетта | ||
| "Пролетта" (spring) is a derivative from the verb "пръскам" (sprinkle), related to the freshness and new life brought by the season. | |||
| Czech | jaro | ||
| In Polish, "jaro" (spring) derives from the word "jarzyć" (to make bright), referring to the lengthening of days. | |||
| Estonian | kevad | ||
| The word "kevad" in Estonian comes from the Proto-Finnic word *kevät, meaning "spring" or "warm season". | |||
| Finnish | kevät | ||
| The Finnish word "kevät" is also related to the words "keveys" (lightness) and "kiihtyä" (to accelerate), suggesting a sense of renewal and invigorating energy associated with springtime. | |||
| Hungarian | tavaszi | ||
| Tavasszal a fa "kihajt"= "ki-haj-t" azaz "kihaj"-t (haj=hajtás, sarjadás) | |||
| Latvian | pavasaris | ||
| "Pavasaris" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wes- meaning "to shine" or "to be warm". | |||
| Lithuanian | pavasaris | ||
| The word "pavasaris" in Lithuanian originates from the verb "pavesti" meaning "to go up" or "to ascend", signifying the rise of water levels and the emergence of new life during springtime. | |||
| Macedonian | пролет | ||
| The word "пролет" also refers to a small window frame in a larger window frame. | |||
| Polish | wiosna | ||
| The word 'wiosna' in Polish is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'vesna', meaning 'new' or 'young'. | |||
| Romanian | arc | ||
| In Romanian, the word "arc" can also mean "arch" or "bow". | |||
| Russian | весна | ||
| "Весна" can also mean the time of day just before sunset. | |||
| Serbian | пролеће | ||
| The word "proleće" in Serbian is cognate with the word "prolet" in French and "prole" in English, both of which mean "offspring". | |||
| Slovak | jar | ||
| Slovak "jar" derives from Proto-Slavic "*jarъ" meaning "hot season" as opposed to "*zima" meaning "cold season". | |||
| Slovenian | pomlad | ||
| The word "pomlad" is also used to describe a young woman in her prime. | |||
| Ukrainian | весна | ||
| The word "весна" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "vasant", meaning "spring" or "beginning." | |||
Spring in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বসন্ত | ||
| It is also a raag, a season, a god of love and the annual festival of colors in India. | |||
| Gujarati | વસંત | ||
| The word "વસંત" (vasant) also signifies the "awakening" of nature, the return of life after the winter's lull. | |||
| Hindi | वसंत | ||
| "वसंत' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vas', meaning 'to shine' or 'to dwell', and can also refer to the deity of spring in Hindu mythology. | |||
| Kannada | ವಸಂತ | ||
| "Vasanta" in Kannada is derived from Sanskrit "vasanthah," meaning "the one who dwells" or "the season of flowers." | |||
| Malayalam | സ്പ്രിംഗ് | ||
| "Spring" in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "spriha" meaning "desire," and can also refer to the season or a type of fountain. | |||
| Marathi | वसंत ऋतू | ||
| The word वसंत ऋतू means "spring" in Marathi, originating from the Sanskrit word "vasanta" which also means "spring". | |||
| Nepali | वसन्त | ||
| 'वसन्त' (vasanta) is also a Sanskrit term referring to the god of the season. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਸੰਤ | ||
| The word 'ਬਸੰਤ' also refers to a specific musical genre, a religious holiday, and a type of yellow flower associated with the spring season. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වසන්තය | ||
| The word "වසන්තය" (vasanthaya) in Sinhala can also refer to the season of growth and prosperity. | |||
| Tamil | வசந்த | ||
| The word "வசந்த" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वसंत" (vasanta), which means "spring" or "the season of spring". | |||
| Telugu | వసంత | ||
| The Sanskrit root of వసంత is 'vas', meaning 'to shine' or 'to dwell', also referring to the season when plants and animals come to life and blossom. | |||
| Urdu | بہار | ||
| The word "بہار" (spring) in Urdu is etymologically linked to the Persian "bahar", which originally referred to the fragrant wind bringing the first signs of spring. | |||
Spring in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 弹簧 | ||
| 弹簧 is also the name of a Chinese chess move, in which one piece threatens to take the other's general within two moves by moving parallel to it. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 彈簧 | ||
| The character "彈" in "彈簧" also means "to bounce" or "to shoot", indicating the spring's ability to recoil and store energy. | |||
| Japanese | 春 | ||
| The character "春" (haru) in Japanese originally meant "warmth" or "light" and is still used in this sense in some contexts, such as the phrase "春眠暁を覚えず" (haru-min akazome wo oboezu, lit. "in the spring, one does not notice the dawn") which refers to the feeling of grogginess and laziness often experienced in the morning during the spring season. | |||
| Korean | 봄 | ||
| The word 봄 is also used to refer to the beginning or start of something, such as the beginning of a new year. | |||
| Mongolian | хавар | ||
| The word "хавар" (spring) derives from the Mongolian root "хав" (to warm up, to thaw). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နွေ ဦး | ||
| It's also the name of a Burmese month (February to March). | |||
Spring in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | musim semi | ||
| "Musim semi" is an Indonesian term for spring, which literally means "raw season" and is also a synonym for "beginning season." | |||
| Javanese | spring | ||
| In Javanese, "spring" can also mean "to sprout" or "to grow". | |||
| Khmer | និទាឃរដូវ | ||
| The word "និទាឃរដូវ" in Khmer originally referred to the hottest time of the year but now refers to the spring season. | |||
| Lao | ລະດູໃບໄມ້ປົ່ງ | ||
| The Lao word for "spring" can also refer to the dry season. | |||
| Malay | musim bunga | ||
| The Malay word "musim bunga" literally means "flower season" and also refers to the rainy season in Malaysia, typically occurring from March to November. | |||
| Thai | ฤดูใบไม้ผลิ | ||
| The Thai word for spring, 'ฤดูใบไม้ผลิ', literally translates to 'season of falling leaves', reflecting the natural phenomenon of trees shedding their foliage during this time of the year. | |||
| Vietnamese | mùa xuân | ||
| The word "mùa xuân" also means "new year" in Vietnamese culture, representing renewal and rebirth. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tagsibol | ||
Spring in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaz | ||
| The etymology of "yaz" is obscure, but it has alternate meanings such as "summer"} | |||
| Kazakh | көктем | ||
| "Көктем" is derived from the Turkic word "kök" meaning "green" or "bud". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаз | ||
| The word "жаз" can also refer to a specific area of a river where water is shallow and fast-moving. | |||
| Tajik | баҳор | ||
| The word “баҳор” (spring) originates from the Old Iranian “*vahar-” which also meant “year, season”. | |||
| Turkmen | bahar | ||
| Uzbek | bahor | ||
| The word "bahor" derives from the Old Persian word "*vahara-", meaning "to carry" or "to flow". In some dialects, it also refers to a "flood" or "large amount of water". | |||
| Uyghur | باھار | ||
Spring in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | punawai | ||
| The word punawai also means 'well' or 'pool' and is related to the word wai meaning 'water'. | |||
| Maori | puna | ||
| Maori "puna" can also refer to a place where a person was buried or hid. | |||
| Samoan | tautotogo | ||
| The word "tautotogo" can also refer to the place where water is collected, or a well. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tagsibol | ||
| The word “tagsibol” can also mean “dawn” or “sunrise”. | |||
Spring in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'uxñapacha | ||
| Guarani | arapoty | ||
Spring in International Languages
| Esperanto | printempo | ||
| Printempo is a compound of the words "princo" (beginning) and "tempo" (time). | |||
| Latin | fons | ||
| Latin fons, from fōns (genitive fontis) refers also to "a sacred spring, a fountain" | |||
Spring in Others Languages
| Greek | άνοιξη | ||
| "Άνοιξη" (spring) derives from the ancient Greek word "ανοίγω" (anoigo), meaning "to open," as spring is the time of year when nature "opens up" after winter. | |||
| Hmong | caij nplooj ntoo hlav | ||
| The Hmong word "caij nplooj ntoo hlav" can also refer to the season of spring or the act of springing up. | |||
| Kurdish | bihar | ||
| The word "bihar" also has the meaning of "year" or "season" in Kurdish language. | |||
| Turkish | ilkbahar | ||
| "Ilkbahar" derives from the Turkic word "ilk" (first) and "bahar" (season), thus meaning "the first season". | |||
| Xhosa | intwasahlobo | ||
| The Xhosa word "intwasahlobo" is thought to mean both "spring" (i.e. the season) and "time of new life". | |||
| Yiddish | פרילינג | ||
| The Yiddish word 'פרילינג' ('spring') also means 'joy' and 'freedom', and is related to the German word 'Frühling' ('spring'). | |||
| Zulu | intwasahlobo | ||
| The Zulu word "intwasahlobo" shares the same root with the word "isitshalo" (seedling). | |||
| Assamese | বসন্ত | ||
| Aymara | ch'uxñapacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | स्प्रिंग | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްޕްރިންގ | ||
| Dogri | ब्हार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tagsibol | ||
| Guarani | arapoty | ||
| Ilocano | ubbug | ||
| Krio | kɔmɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەهار | ||
| Maithili | वसंत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯅꯤꯡꯊꯥ | ||
| Mizo | bultanna | ||
| Oromo | arfaasaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବସନ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | pawqar mita | ||
| Sanskrit | वसन्तः | ||
| Tatar | яз | ||
| Tigrinya | ፅድያ | ||
| Tsonga | ximun'wana | ||