Expensive in different languages

Expensive in Different Languages

Discover 'Expensive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'expensive' is a common term that carries significant meaning in our daily lives. It refers to something that costs a lot of money or resources, often associated with high quality, luxury, or rarity. But did you know that the concept of 'expensive' varies greatly across different cultures and languages?

For instance, in Mandarin Chinese, the word for 'expensive' is 'guì' (贵), which also means 'noble' or 'honorable'. This linguistic connection highlights the cultural importance placed on expensive items as symbols of prestige and status. Meanwhile, in Japanese, the word for 'expensive' is 'takai' (高い), which is also used to describe 'tall' or 'lofty' objects, reflecting the country's appreciation for aesthetics and elegance.

Understanding the translations of 'expensive' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and societal values of various countries. It can also help travelers and businesspeople navigate foreign markets and communicate more effectively with local communities.

In this article, we will explore the fascinating translations of 'expensive' in 10 different languages, shedding light on the diverse ways that people around the world perceive and value costly items. Stay tuned!

Expensive


Expensive in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansduur
"Duur" is derived from Old Dutch "dure" and German "teuer" and has the alternate meaning of "difficult".
Amharicውድ
The word "ውድ" also means "beloved" or "dear" and is often used to describe a treasured possession.
Hausatsada
The word "tsada" also means "difficult" or "hard" in Hausa.
Igbodị oke ọnụ
The Igbo word "dị oke ọnụ" literally translates to "being very expensive," capturing the extent of the expense.
Malagasylafo
The word "lafo" means 'expensive' in Malagasy and is also used to describe something that is valuable or precious.
Nyanja (Chichewa)okwera mtengo
The word "okwera mtengo" can also mean "to be of high value" or "to be prestigious" in Nyanja (Chichewa).
Shonazvinodhura
The word "zvinodhura" is derived from the word "zvino" which means "now" and "dhura" which means "difficult".
Somaliqaali ah
The word "qaali ah" in Somali also means "precious" or "valuable."
Sesothotheko e phahameng
"Theko" could also refer to a traditional Sesotho house that is round and has a thatched roof.
Swahilighali
The word "ghali" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "ghālī", which also means "expensive".
Xhosakubiza
The word "Kubiza” can also be used to describe something that has a high value or is precious.
Yorubagbowolori
"Gbowolori" is believed to have originated from "gb'owo l'ori" meaning "carry money on the head" signifying great wealth.
Zulukuyabiza
The word 'kuyabiza' comes from the verb 'ukubiza', which means 'to make noise', 'to shout'.
Bambaragɛlɛn
Ewexᴐ asi
Kinyarwandabihenze
Lingalantalo mingi
Lugandaomuwendo gwa waggulu
Sepeditura
Twi (Akan)aboɔden

Expensive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمكلفة
مكلفة is derived from the Arabic verb كلف which means 'to burden (someone) with'.
Hebrewיָקָר
The word "יָקָר" (yakar) not only means "expensive" but also "precious," "valuable," or "highly esteemed."
Pashtoګران
The word "ګران" in Pashto derived from the Persian word "گران" (expensive), which is also related to the Sanskrit word "गुरु" (heavy).
Arabicمكلفة
مكلفة is derived from the Arabic verb كلف which means 'to burden (someone) with'.

Expensive in Western European Languages

Albaniane shtrenjtë
The Albanian word "e shtrenjtë" is derived from the Latin word strēnuus. In Latin, strēnuus means strong, active or energetic.
Basquegarestia
In Basque, the word “garestia” can also mean “expensive” or “difficult to do”.
Catalancar
Catalan "car" can also mean a "face" or "countenance".
Croatianskup
The word 'skup' in Croatian is derived from 'skopiti', which means 'to collect', suggesting the concept of 'gathering' something valuable.
Danishdyrt
The Danish word "dyrt" is cognate with the English word "dear," which originally meant "precious" or "beloved."
Dutchduur
The Dutch word "duur" is thought to come from an Old English word meaning "heavy" or "difficult".
Englishexpensive
The word "expensive" comes from the Latin word "expensus," which means "to weigh out" or "to spend."
Frenchcoûteux
The word “coûteux” comes from the Latin “constare”, meaning to stand firm.
Frisiandjoer
The word "djoer" in Frisian is thought to be derived from the Middle Dutch word "diere", which also means "expensive".
Galiciancaro
The word "caro" in Galician can also refer to meat, probably due to its high price in the past.
Germanteuer
The word "teuer" is derived from the Old High German word "tiuri", which means "precious" or "valuable".
Icelandicdýrt
The Icelandic word "dýrt" ("expensive") originates from the Old Norse word "dýrr," meaning "precious" or "valuable," which likely derived from the Proto-Germanic word ‘‘*deuraz,** meaning "deer." This connection hints at the perceived value and importance of deer as a resource in ancient Germanic societies.
Irishdaor
The word 'daor' can also mean 'difficult' or 'hard to do'.
Italiancostoso
"Costoso" derives from the Latin "constare," meaning "to stand firm" or "to have a fixed price," hence its sense of "expensive."
Luxembourgishdeier
The word "deier" in Luxembourgish ultimately derives from the Old High German word "tiuri", meaning "precious" or "valuable".
Maltesegħali
The word 'għali' is also used to refer to something of high value, such as a precious object or a person's good qualities.
Norwegiandyrt
The word «dyrt» most likely has an origin in «dyre», meaning «animal», possibly because of using animal skins as a currency in early Norway.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)caro
In Latin, "caro" means "flesh" or "meat", and in Portuguese, it has the extended meaning of "something that is highly valued or desired, and therefore expensive."
Scots Gaelicdaor
The Scots Gaelic word "daor" also means "difficult" and is used as an intensive in some parts of Scotland.
Spanishcostoso
"Costoso" comes from the Latin word "constosus" and can also mean abundant, profuse, or plentiful.
Swedishdyr
The Swedish word "dyr" originally meant "animal", and is related to the English word "deer" and the Latin word "fera".
Welshdrud
Drud in Welsh also refers to a 'turn' in a sequence, or to 'going around' or 'circling'.

Expensive in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianдорага
The word "дорага" in Belarusian also means "road".
Bosnianskupo
The word "skupo" can also mean "stingy" or "miserly" in Bosnian.
Bulgarianскъпо
The word "скъпо" also has the archaic meaning of "valuable" in Bulgarian, which is reflected in its related forms such as "скъп" (dear) and "ценен" (valuable).
Czechdrahý
The term “drahý” initially signified “dear” (as in “beloved”) but came to mean “expensive” when precious and expensive commodities came to central Europe from Western markets during the Middle Ages.
Estoniankallis
The word «kallis» can also mean «precious», «valuable» or even «priceless».
Finnishkallis
Despite its origin in the Swedish word 'kallis', it has a distinct meaning in Finnish as it refers to something costly or valuable rather than endearing.
Hungariandrága
The etymology of "drága" can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic word "dragъ" meaning "precious, dear, expensive" or "beloved, dear".
Latviandārga
"Dārga" originates from the Slavic word "drogъ", meaning "costly" or "valuable."
Lithuanianbrangu
The word "brangu" in Lithuanian has several related meanings, including "valuable" and "precious".
Macedonianскапи
The word 'скапи' derives from the Proto-Slavic root *skop-, meaning 'to save' or 'to hoard', suggesting its original meaning was 'valuable' or 'prized'.
Polishkosztowny
The word "kosztowny" can also mean "valuable" or "precious".
Romanianscump
The word 'scump' is derived from the Slavic word 'skup', meaning 'stingy' or 'miserly'.
Russianдорого
The Russian word “дорого” (expensive) can also mean “dear,” as in a person who is close to one’s heart.
Serbianскупо
"Скупо" can also mean "stingy" in Serbian, hinting at the negative connotation associated with high prices.
Slovakdrahý
The Slovak word "drahý" also means "dear" or "precious" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dorgъ" meaning "valuable".
Sloveniandrago
The word 'drago' also refers to a precious stone or gem.
Ukrainianдорого
The word "дорого" also means "dear" in Ukrainian, referring to a person or thing that is loved or valued.

Expensive in South Asian Languages

Bengaliব্যয়বহুল
"ব্যয়বহুল" comes from the word "ব্যয়" (cost), and literally means "bearing cost".
Gujaratiખર્ચાળ
The word "ખર્ચાળ" is derived from the verb "ખરચવું" (to spend), and it literally means "that which is spent".
Hindiमहंगा
The word "महंगा" originated from the Sanskrit word "महत", meaning "great" or "important".
Kannadaದುಬಾರಿ
It is used as a euphemism to refer to something that is not physically expensive (for example, the bride in a marriage is commonly referred to as "ದುಬಾರಿ" by her in-laws)
Malayalamചെലവേറിയത്
The word "ചെലവേറിയത്" in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "chal" meaning "to move", and it can also refer to something that is extravagant or costly.
Marathiमहाग
The word "महाग" is derived from the Sanskrit words "मह" meaning "great" and "ग" meaning "to go".
Nepaliमहँगो
The word "महँगो" comes from the Sanskrit word "महर्ग" meaning "costly" or "dear".
Punjabiਮਹਿੰਗਾ
The Punjabi word ਮਹਿੰਗਾ, meaning "expensive," is derived from the Persian word "mahang," which also means "expensive," suggesting a historical trading and linguistic exchange between the two languages.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)මිල අධිකයි
Tamilவிலை உயர்ந்தது
The term is derived from the word "nilai", meaning"value" or "worth" in Tamil.
Teluguఖరీదైనది
The word "ఖరీదైనది" in Telugu originates from the Sanskrit word "kṛta", meaning "bought or acquired".
Urduمہنگا
The word 'مہنگا' is derived from the Persian word 'مه,' meaning 'moon' and 'گانا,' meaning 'to sing,' alluding to the belief that the moon influences prices.

Expensive in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)昂贵
昂贵 in Simplified Chinese literally means "head up". The "head" refers to the cost, and "up" means high.
Chinese (Traditional)昂貴
昂貴 is also an abbreviation of "昂首向天,窮途而歸" (with head up to the sky, returning home in desperation)
Japanese高価な
The word 高価な "koukana" is derived from the Chinese vocabulary 貴い "toi" (precious, valuable) and 高い "takai" (high), which were later combined and converted to kun'yomi.
Korean비싼
비싼 in Korean is related to the word 비치다, which means to shine or glitter.
Mongolianүнэтэй
"Үнэтэй" can also mean "valuable" or "precious"
Myanmar (Burmese)စျေးကြီး

Expensive in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmahal
The word "mahal" in Indonesian is thought to have originated from the Arabic word "ghali", meaning "precious" or "valuable".
Javaneselarang
The Javanese word 'larang' has an alternative meaning, 'forbidden', reflecting the taboo surrounding the mention of specific words or acts in certain contexts, such as funeral rites or royal court matters.
Khmerថ្លៃណាស់
The word can also be used to describe non-material things
Laoລາຄາແພງ
Malaymahal
The Malay word "mahal" can also refer to a palace, suggesting its grandeur and value.
Thaiเเพง
The word "เเพง" can also mean "difficult" or "rare".
Vietnameseđắt
The word "đắt" can also mean "rare" or "valuable" in Vietnamese.
Filipino (Tagalog)mahal

Expensive in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanibahalı
The word "bahalı" also means "esteemed" or "valuable" in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhқымбат
The Kazakh word "қымбат" can also mean "valuable" or "precious."
Kyrgyzкымбат
The word "кымбат" (expensive) in Kyrgyz is derived from the Persian word "ghīmat" (value, worth). It also means "valuable" or "precious" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikгарон
The Tajik word "гарон" may also be a variation of the word "гаразон", which is a type of large tent.
Turkmengymmat
Uzbekqimmat
Uzbek "qimmat" is a loanword from Persian "qīmat" meaning "worth" or "price".
Uyghurقىممەت

Expensive in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianpipiʻi
The word "pipiʻi" may also mean "difficult" or "troublesome" in Hawaiian.
Maoriutu nui
The Maori word utu nui means 'expensive', and is sometimes extended as a way of describing something that is overly expensive as utu nui rawa, which literally means 'very expensive'.
Samoantaugata
The word "taugata" in Samoan can also mean "valuable" or "precious".
Tagalog (Filipino)mahal
In addition to 'expensive,' the Tagalog word 'mahal' can also mean 'beloved' or 'treasured'.

Expensive in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajila
Guaranihepy

Expensive in International Languages

Esperantomultekosta
"Multekosta" is a compound of "multe" (much) and "kosti" (cost), so it literally means "much cost."
Latinpretiosa
The term 'pretiosa' is derived from the Latin verb 'pretiari', meaning 'to set a price', and also denoted something 'of great value'.

Expensive in Others Languages

Greekακριβός
The word ακριβός, in addition to meaning "expensive," is also used in Ancient Greek to refer to something "precise" or "exact."
Hmongkim
The Hmong word "kim" can also refer to a precious object or something of high value.
Kurdishbiha
The word "biha" can also refer to a specific type of valuable fabric or a large amount of money.
Turkishpahalı
The etymology of 'pahalı' in Turkish traces back to Persian "baha(y)li", which also bears meanings of 'price', 'wealth' and 'valuable'.
Xhosakubiza
The word "Kubiza” can also be used to describe something that has a high value or is precious.
Yiddishטײַער
The Yiddish word "טײַער" also means "dear" in the sense of beloved or precious.
Zulukuyabiza
The word 'kuyabiza' comes from the verb 'ukubiza', which means 'to make noise', 'to shout'.
Assameseদামী
Aymarajila
Bhojpuriमहँग
Dhivehiއަގުބޮޑު
Dogriमैंहगा
Filipino (Tagalog)mahal
Guaranihepy
Ilocanonangina
Kriodia
Kurdish (Sorani)گران بەها
Maithiliमहग
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯇꯥꯡꯕ
Mizomanto
Oromoqaalii
Odia (Oriya)ମହଙ୍ଗା
Quechuallunpay
Sanskritबहुमूल्यम्‌
Tatarкыйммәт
Tigrinyaክባር
Tsongadurha

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