Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'every' is a small but powerful term that holds great significance in many languages and cultures around the world. It is a determiner that is used to indicate the inclusion of all members of a group or category, and it is an essential part of our daily communication. From expressions like 'every day' and 'everyone' to 'everything' and 'everywhere,' this versatile word helps us describe and understand the world around us.
Beyond its practical use, the word 'every' also carries cultural importance. For example, in some languages, the translation of 'every' reflects unique cultural perspectives or linguistic nuances. In Japanese, the word 'subete' (すべて) can also mean 'all' or 'whole,' reflecting the language's holistic worldview. Meanwhile, in Arabic, the word 'kull' (كل) can be used to express 'every' or 'all,' but it also has religious connotations, as it is used in the Quran to refer to God's omnipotence.
Understanding the translation of 'every' in different languages can also be fascinating for language learners and cultural enthusiasts. By exploring how this simple word is expressed in various tongues, we can gain insights into the ways that different cultures perceive and categorize the world.
Here are some translations of the word 'every' in various languages:
Afrikaans | elke | ||
The word "elke" in Afrikaans derives from the Dutch "elken", meaning "each" but has shifted in meaning over time. | |||
Amharic | እያንዳንዱ | ||
The word "እያንዳንዱ" can also mean "each" or "a number of" in Amharic and is often used to describe a group of people or things that are not all the same. | |||
Hausa | kowane | ||
Kowane also means "completely" in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | bụla | ||
The word "bụla" in Igbo can also mean "all" or "the whole." | |||
Malagasy | rehetra | ||
The word 'rehetra' is thought to be derived from the Arabic word 'kullu', meaning 'all'. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | aliyense | ||
'Aliyense' may also mean 'all of' or 'every one'. | |||
Shona | zvese | ||
The word "zvese" in Shona can also mean "all together" or "at once." | |||
Somali | kasta | ||
In Somali, "kasta" means both "every" and "everything". | |||
Sesotho | e mong le e mong | ||
The term "e mong le e mong" is often used to denote an unspecified "everyone" in most cases, but also "no one" in some specific cases. | |||
Swahili | kila | ||
The word 'kila' is also used to mean 'per' or 'for each', as in 'kila mtu' ('each person'). | |||
Xhosa | yonke | ||
In addition to the primary meaning of "every," "yonke" can also refer to "each" or "all" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | gbogbo | ||
The word "gbogbo" in Yoruba comes from the Proto-West-Atlantic root "*gɔŋgɔŋ", meaning "heap" or "pile". | |||
Zulu | konke | ||
The Zulu word "konke" can also mean "all". | |||
Bambara | bɛɛ | ||
Ewe | ɖe sia ɖe | ||
Kinyarwanda | buri | ||
Lingala | nyonso | ||
Luganda | buli | ||
Sepedi | mang le mang | ||
Twi (Akan) | biara | ||
Arabic | كل | ||
The word "كل" derives from the Semitic root "k-l-l" meaning "all" or "whole". | |||
Hebrew | כֹּל | ||
The word "כֹּל" can also mean "whole" or "all". | |||
Pashto | هر | ||
The word "هر" in Pashto can also mean "each" or "any". | |||
Arabic | كل | ||
The word "كل" derives from the Semitic root "k-l-l" meaning "all" or "whole". |
Albanian | çdo | ||
The term "çdo" in Albanian is of Proto-Indo-European origin and shares the same root of the Greek "hekaton" ("one hundred"). | |||
Basque | bakoitza | ||
The word "bakoitza" is also used as an indefinite pronoun meaning "each one" or "everyone." | |||
Catalan | cada | ||
Cada also means "any" and is cognate with the Spanish cada and Italian cadauno. | |||
Croatian | svaki | ||
The word "svaki" could also mean "other person's", especially of one's kin. | |||
Danish | hver | ||
'Hver' may also mean 'each' or 'any' | |||
Dutch | elke | ||
The word "elke" is derived from the Old Dutch word "elc," which itself comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*elka-," meaning "other, another, or each." | |||
English | every | ||
The word 'every' comes from the Old English word 'æfre,' which originally meant 'always.' | |||
French | chaque | ||
The word "chaque" comes from the Old French "chascun," which means "each one". | |||
Frisian | elk | ||
The Frisian word “elk” can be used not only to express the concept of “all” or “every”, but also in the sense of “always” or “regularly” (as in West Frisian elk jier = every year). | |||
Galician | cada | ||
The Galician word "cada" comes from the Latin "quattuor", meaning "four", and can also mean "each" or "any". | |||
German | jeder | ||
The word 'jeder' is declined according to gender and case, and is derived from the Old German word 'jedera,' meaning 'every person'. | |||
Icelandic | sérhver | ||
The word sérhver is related to the Old English word "self-here", meaning "by itself". It can also mean "each" or "one at a time". | |||
Irish | gach | ||
The Irish word "gach" is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word "śákyah" (capable) and the Greek word "hekástos" (each). | |||
Italian | ogni | ||
The word "ogni" in Italian can also be used to mean "each" or "any". | |||
Luxembourgish | all | ||
Despite sounding similar in modern French, Luxembourgish "all" more closely resembles "allé" than true French "tout." | |||
Maltese | kull | ||
"Kull" originally meant "any" and developed to mean "every" as a calque on the Italian "ogni". | |||
Norwegian | hver | ||
In Old Norse, "hver" also meant "each one" and was originally derived from the Proto-Germanic word *kweþara, meaning "who" or "one who." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cada | ||
"Cada" comes from the Latin adverb "quattuor", meaning "four", referring to the ancient division of the day into four parts. | |||
Scots Gaelic | a h-uile | ||
The word "a h-uile" can also mean "especially" or "in particular". | |||
Spanish | cada | ||
Cada is also used to mean 'each', emphasizing individuality within the group. | |||
Swedish | varje | ||
The word 'varje' is a contraction of the Swedish phrase 'var och en', meaning 'each and every one'. | |||
Welsh | bob | ||
The Welsh word “bob” has an alternate meaning of “a tail” or “bobtail”. |
Belarusian | кожны | ||
The word 'кожны' in Belarusian can also mean 'skin' or 'leather'. | |||
Bosnian | svaki | ||
Bosnian "svaki" and Croatian "svaki" are both derived from Proto-Slavic *sъvьkъ, meaning "each" or "every". | |||
Bulgarian | всеки | ||
In Bulgarian, "всеки" also means "each", "any", or "everyone" depending on context. | |||
Czech | každý | ||
The word "každý" was originally formed from the reflexive pronoun "se" and the genitive form of the indefinite pronoun "kdo" (who) | |||
Estonian | iga | ||
The word "iga" in Estonian can also mean "each" or "per". | |||
Finnish | joka | ||
The word "joka" can also be used to mean "who" or "which" in Finnish. | |||
Hungarian | minden | ||
The word "minden" could also mean "all" in Hungarian, and it is derived from the Proto-Uralic word "*menkē". | |||
Latvian | katrs | ||
Katrs also appears in the word | |||
Lithuanian | kiekvienas | ||
It is possibly related to the phrase “kiek vien as” meaning “as many as” or “as much as” and was later reduced to “kiekvienas”. The word “kiek” means “how much” and “vienas” “one”. It is also possible it was derived from “kiek vienas” meaning “each one” and was later conflated into one word. | |||
Macedonian | секој | ||
The word 'секој' is also used in Macedonian with the meaning 'any'. For example, 'Дај ми секоја книга!' ('Give me any book!') | |||
Polish | każdy | ||
The word "każdy" also means "each" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *kъždu, meaning "every", "each". | |||
Romanian | fiecare | ||
The word "fiecare" in Romanian originates from the Proto-Slavic term *vьsekъ, which also meant "every" or "each." | |||
Russian | каждый | ||
The word "каждый" in Russian can also mean "each" or "every single one". | |||
Serbian | сваки | ||
The Serbian word "сваки" can also mean "each one" or "every single one". | |||
Slovak | každý | ||
The word "každý" in Slovak can also mean "each" or "anyone". | |||
Slovenian | vsak | ||
While "vsak" is often translated to mean "all" or "every", it can also mean someone who is omnivorous and thus a glutton. | |||
Ukrainian | кожен | ||
Historically, “кожен” meant “skin” and was used in reference to “each” through the phrase “a piece of skin” meaning “each piece” which eventually evolved to the meaning “each” and became used without the object “skin”. |
Bengali | প্রতি | ||
The word প্রতি also means "towards" or "in the direction of" in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | દરેક | ||
"દરેક" is a Gujarati word that can mean "all" (as a collective) or "each" (as an individual) depending on the context. | |||
Hindi | हर एक | ||
In Awadhi, the word "हर एक" can also mean "each other". | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದೂ | ||
ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದೂ (prattyondoo) in Kannada can also refer to each one, all, every time, or the whole. | |||
Malayalam | എല്ലാം | ||
The word "எல்லாம்" is also used to represent the concept of totality, implying the inclusion of all objects or items within a specified category or set. | |||
Marathi | प्रत्येक | ||
प्रत्येक originates from the Sanskrit word 'pratyekam', meaning 'each' or 'individually'. | |||
Nepali | हरेक | ||
Etymology uncertain: possibly from Tibetan ག་ལེགས་ "well done," which in turn is from Old Tibetan ལེགས་ "well" with prefixation. Possibly onomatopoeic, perhaps from ཧར་ "hard." Alternate meanings: 1. (colloquial) a little bit, slightly | |||
Punjabi | ਹਰ | ||
The word ਹਰ can also be used to mean "green", derived from Sanskrit "harit". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සියලු | ||
The word “සියලු” is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷel- (“wheel, circle”), suggesting a sense of totality. | |||
Tamil | ஒவ்வொன்றும் | ||
Telugu | ప్రతి | ||
"ప్రతి" (every) is derived from the Sanskrit word "prati" meaning "towards" or "in return". | |||
Urdu | ہر کوئی | ||
The Urdu word for "every" can also mean "each", "all", or "everyone." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 每一个 | ||
In Chinese "每一个" is a combination of the characters "一" (one), "每" (each), and "个" (individual), and literally means "one and every single individual." | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 每一個 | ||
每 is also a surname of ancient China. 每 (pronounce as mǔ) is also a unit of measure for wine (equivalent to 2 litres). | |||
Japanese | すべて | ||
The word "すべて" can also refer to "all things" or "the whole world" | |||
Korean | ...마다 | ||
"마다" is also used as a counter suffix, indicating that an action is performed repeatedly or at regular intervals. | |||
Mongolian | бүгд | ||
The word "бүгд" is derived from the word "бүх", which means "all" or "entire". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုင်း | ||
Indonesian | setiap | ||
The Indonesian word "setiap" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *sa-b* which also means "every". | |||
Javanese | saben | ||
The word 'saben' can also refer to the 'first' or 'initial' in a series. | |||
Khmer | រាល់ | ||
រាល់ derives from the Sanskrit word रल, meaning 'together, all, or combined' | |||
Lao | ທຸກ | ||
ທຸກ (every) is derived from the Sanskrit word द्रु (dru), meaning "to run" or "to move quickly." | |||
Malay | setiap | ||
The Indonesian/Malay word "setiap" originates from the Sanskrit "sapta" meaning "seven" but has since come to mean "every" or "all" in modern contexts. | |||
Thai | ทุก | ||
"ทุก" is also an abbreviation of "ตุกลำ" ('statue ship') or a boat-style royal raft. | |||
Vietnamese | mỗi | ||
The word "mỗi" in Vietnamese is derived from the Mon-Khmer word "moi" meaning "piece, unit, or portion." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | bawat | ||
Azerbaijani | hər | ||
"Hər" is thought to have come from the Proto-Altaic word *har "all" or the word *har "single" of Turkic origin. | |||
Kazakh | әрқайсысы | ||
Kyrgyz | ар бир | ||
The word "ар бир" can also mean "each" or "one by one". | |||
Tajik | ҳар | ||
The word "ҳар" in Tajik can also mean "each" or "any". | |||
Turkmen | hersi | ||
Uzbek | har bir | ||
"Har bir" can also mean "any" or "all" in Uzbek, depending on context. | |||
Uyghur | ھەر بىر | ||
Hawaiian | kēlā me kēia | ||
Kēlā and kēia are used in pairs as an intensifier, with the sense of "both one and the other," "the one and the other," and hence "all," "every." | |||
Maori | ia | ||
The word "ia" can also refer to the "self" or "being" in Maori, providing a deeper dimension to its meaning. | |||
Samoan | uma | ||
It's possible that "uma" can also be used to mean "some" in Samoan, although a different word is usually used. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | bawat | ||
"Bawat" likely derives from the Sanskrit "prati" meaning "towards, in the direction of." |
Aymara | sapa | ||
Guarani | ñavo | ||
Esperanto | ĉiu | ||
The Esperanto word "ĉiu" is derived from the Latin "queque", meaning "each or every one". | |||
Latin | omne | ||
The word "omne" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₁meh₃-," meaning "all". |
Greek | κάθε | ||
"Κάθε" can also mean "each" or "all" in Greek. | |||
Hmong | txhua | ||
"Txhua" can also refer to "everything" or "everyone" depending on the context. | |||
Kurdish | herkes | ||
The word "herkes" in Kurdish also means "everyone" and is derived from the Persian word "har kas". | |||
Turkish | her | ||
The word "her" also means "each" and "one". | |||
Xhosa | yonke | ||
In addition to the primary meaning of "every," "yonke" can also refer to "each" or "all" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | יעדער | ||
The word "יעדער" evolved from the Middle High German word "iedere", meaning "every" or "each". | |||
Zulu | konke | ||
The Zulu word "konke" can also mean "all". | |||
Assamese | প্ৰত্যেক | ||
Aymara | sapa | ||
Bhojpuri | हरेक | ||
Dhivehi | ކޮންމެ | ||
Dogri | हर | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | bawat | ||
Guarani | ñavo | ||
Ilocano | kada | ||
Krio | ɛvri | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هەموو | ||
Maithili | सभ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯗꯤꯡꯃꯛ | ||
Mizo | engpawh | ||
Oromo | tokkoon tokkoon | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ | ||
Quechua | sapa | ||
Sanskrit | प्रत्येकं | ||
Tatar | һәрбер | ||
Tigrinya | ኩሉ | ||
Tsonga | xihi na xihi | ||