Eye in Different Languages
Discover 'Eye' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The eye, a small organ with a big impact. It's not just the window to our soul, but also the organ that allows us to perceive the world in all its beauty and complexity. From the bright blue of the sky to the warm brown of a loved one's eyes, the eye captures and interprets the colors and shapes that make up our visual experience.
The eye holds great cultural significance as well. In many cultures, the eye is considered a symbol of protection, wisdom, and knowledge. The Eye of Horus in ancient Egypt, the all-seeing eye in many Western cultures, and the evil eye in various Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures all speak to the power and importance of the eye in human society.
Given its significance and the diversity of human cultures, it's no wonder that the word for 'eye' varies so widely across languages. For example, in Spanish, the word for eye is 'ojo', while in French it's 'œil'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for eye is '眼', and in Japanese, it's '目'.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, learning the translations of the word 'eye' in different languages can open up new worlds of understanding and appreciation.
Eye
Eye in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oog | ||
| In 17th century Dutch, "oog" meant "appearance" or "aspect". | |||
| Amharic | አይን | ||
| "አይን" means the same thing as "eye" but it can mean "spring water". | |||
| Hausa | ido | ||
| "Ido" is also the Hausa word for a "seed" (particularly a shea nut or melon seed). | |||
| Igbo | anya | ||
| The word "anya" is also used to refer to a person's appearance or physical features. | |||
| Malagasy | maso | ||
| The Malagasy word "maso" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word for "eye," "*mata". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | diso | ||
| The Nyanja word "diso" can also refer to the "sun" or "moon" in the context of astrology. | |||
| Shona | ziso | ||
| The word 'ziso' in Shona is cognate with the word 'iso' meaning 'sun' in several other Bantu languages. | |||
| Somali | isha | ||
| The word "isha" (eye) in Somali also has the alternate meaning of "pupil". | |||
| Sesotho | leihlo | ||
| While 'leihlo' is Sesotho for 'eye', it can also refer to a spring, a type of stone used for grinding, and a hole or cavity. | |||
| Swahili | jicho | ||
| Swahili 'jicho' also means 'goal' or 'objective', derived from the Arabic 'ajal' for 'due date' | |||
| Xhosa | iliso | ||
| The word “iliso” also refers to a spirit who protects one from seeing unpleasant things, thus safeguarding their mental health. | |||
| Yoruba | oju | ||
| The word "oju" in Yoruba, meaning "eye," also has other meanings, such as "view," "aspect," or "direction." | |||
| Zulu | iso | ||
| The Zulu word "iso" also means "a hole" or "a space," and is related to the word "isikhala," meaning "space" or "room." | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛ | ||
| Ewe | ŋku | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ijisho | ||
| Lingala | liso | ||
| Luganda | eriiso | ||
| Sepedi | leihlo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ani | ||
Eye in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عين | ||
| The word "عين" in Arabic can also refer to a spring of water or a source of knowledge. | |||
| Hebrew | עַיִן | ||
| Besides its primary meaning as "eye," "עַיִן" in Hebrew can also signify a spring, a source, or a point of focus. | |||
| Pashto | سترګه | ||
| سترګه is related to the Persian 'cheshm' and the Sanskrit 'cakṣus', both denoting organs of sight. | |||
| Arabic | عين | ||
| The word "عين" in Arabic can also refer to a spring of water or a source of knowledge. | |||
Eye in Western European Languages
| Albanian | syri | ||
| The word "syri" has the alternate meaning of "a magical source or object believed to cause harm, typically in the form of a gaze or stare." | |||
| Basque | begi | ||
| The word "begi" can also refer to a "spring" or "source" in Basque, reflecting the idea of water as the "eye" of a landscape. | |||
| Catalan | ull | ||
| In the Aranese dialect of Catalan, "ull" also means "egg". | |||
| Croatian | oko | ||
| The Croatian word 'oko' shares a common root with the Latin 'oculus' and the English 'ocular' | |||
| Danish | øje | ||
| "Øje" also means "moment" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | oog | ||
| The Dutch word "oog" is of Indo-European origin and is related to the English word "eye" and the German word "Auge". | |||
| English | eye | ||
| The word 'eye' derives from the Old English 'eage', which also meant 'island' and is related to 'eyot'. | |||
| French | œil | ||
| "Œil" comes from the Latin word "oculus," which also means "eye". | |||
| Frisian | each | ||
| The Frisian word 'each' not only means 'eye', but is also used in a figurative sense to refer to something very important or dear. | |||
| Galician | ollo | ||
| "Ollo" is also used to refer to the hole or opening of certain things, like a needle or a key. | |||
| German | auge | ||
| The word "Auge" in German is also used in the sense of a "bud" (of a plant) or a "loop" (in a rope). | |||
| Icelandic | auga | ||
| The Icelandic word "auga" has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as "auge" in German or "eye" in English, and derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₃ekʷ-“, meaning "to see". | |||
| Irish | súil | ||
| The term 'súil' in Irish is also used metaphorically to refer to a person's watchfulness or attention. | |||
| Italian | occhio | ||
| "Occhio" also means "loop", "hole" and, figuratively, "attention", "care", "notice", "regard", "thought". | |||
| Luxembourgish | aen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Aen" is derived from the Old High German word "ouga", meaning "eye", and is related to the English word "eye". It can also refer to the "pupil of the eye" or "iris". | |||
| Maltese | għajn | ||
| The word 'għajn' derives from the Arabic word 'ayn', meaning 'gushing泉' or 'well', and can also refer to a water source or spring. | |||
| Norwegian | øye | ||
| "Øye" in Norwegian also refers to a small, narrow opening or hole. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | olho | ||
| In Portuguese, "olho" can also refer to the center of a flower, the knob of a door, or the knot in a piece of wood. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sùil | ||
| It can also mean "needle", and is related to the Irish "súil na bó" (cow's eye), a type of flower. | |||
| Spanish | ojo | ||
| The word "ojo" in Spanish can also refer to the center of a storm or to a type of bean. | |||
| Swedish | öga | ||
| In Old Norse, 'auga' was used to mean both 'eye' and 'hole' or 'opening'. | |||
| Welsh | llygad | ||
| In addition to "eye," "llygad" also means "source" or "spring." | |||
Eye in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вока | ||
| The word "вока" originated from the Proto-Slavic word *oko, which also means "window". | |||
| Bosnian | oko | ||
| “OKO” is also used figuratively to refer to a person’s vigilance or insight, or to a flaw or defect. | |||
| Bulgarian | око | ||
| In Bulgarian "oko" also means ringlet or curl. | |||
| Czech | oko | ||
| The Czech word "oko" can also refer to a window, a loop, or the hole in a needle. | |||
| Estonian | silma | ||
| The Estonian word "silma" is derived from an ancient Finno-Ugric word for "to look", which also has meanings of "bud" or "eye" in other Uralic languages such as Hungarian. | |||
| Finnish | silmä | ||
| Finnish word "silmä" also means "a bud" or "a sprout", etymologically related to English "seed". | |||
| Hungarian | szem | ||
| Hungarian "szem" can also refer to the pupil of the eye or a seed of grain. | |||
| Latvian | acs | ||
| The word "acs" is also used to refer to the eye of a needle or the loop on a button. | |||
| Lithuanian | akis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "akis" also has the metaphorical meanings of "spring", "bud", "eye of a needle" and "a sharp point". | |||
| Macedonian | око | ||
| The word "око" (eye) in Macedonian shares a common etymology with the Latin word "oculus" and the Proto-Indo-European word "*h₃ekʷ-", meaning "to see". | |||
| Polish | oko | ||
| "Oko" can also mean "window" in Polish (when referring to a small one in a door). | |||
| Romanian | ochi | ||
| "Ochi" can also mean "mesh" or "loop" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | глаз | ||
| The word "глаз" also denotes "a bud" on a plant. | |||
| Serbian | око | ||
| The Serbian word 'oko' not only means 'eye' but also 'loop' or 'circle'. | |||
| Slovak | oko | ||
| The Slovak word "oko" originally meant "window" and is related to the Latin word "oculus." | |||
| Slovenian | oko | ||
| The word "oko" can also refer to a circle or oval and is related to the word "okroglo" (round). | |||
| Ukrainian | око | ||
| The Ukrainian word "око" originally referred to a window, then to an eye in the human face, and later to an eye in general. | |||
Eye in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চক্ষু | ||
| "চক্ষু" can also mean a circular hole or opening for passing light or air | |||
| Gujarati | આંખ | ||
| Gujarati "આંખ" originally meant "hook or needle" and is the source of the word "aanaa" (to bring or fetch). | |||
| Hindi | आंख | ||
| The word "आंख" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अक्षि" meaning "to see" and also refers to "knowledge" and "vision". | |||
| Kannada | ಕಣ್ಣು | ||
| In Sanskrit, "eye" is "चक्षु" (chakshu) which evolved to "akshu" in Prakrit and "kan" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കണ്ണ് | ||
| In Malayalam, the word 'കണ്ണ്' not only refers to the organ of vision but also metaphorically represents 'knowledge' or 'intuition'. | |||
| Marathi | डोळा | ||
| The word "डोळा" also refers to a "loop", or a "circle" | |||
| Nepali | आँखा | ||
| The word 'आँखा' in Nepali originates from the Sanskrit word 'अक्षि', which also means 'eye' or 'vision'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅੱਖ | ||
| "ਅੱਖ" can also mean the bud of a plant or a spring in the ground. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇස | ||
| The Sinhala word “ඇස” ('eye') is also used to refer to a hole, such as the eye of a needle, a keyhole, or a window. | |||
| Tamil | கண் | ||
| The Tamil word "கண்", meaning "eye", has a secondary meaning as a verb, meaning "to guard" or "to watch over". | |||
| Telugu | కన్ను | ||
| "కన్ను" in Telugu is also used to denote "pupil", "iris" or "the faculty of sight" in the context of medicine or anatomy. | |||
| Urdu | آنکھ | ||
| In Urdu, the word "آنکھ" also refers to a type of grain disease. | |||
Eye in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 眼 | ||
| The word "眼" can also mean "to look" or "to see". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 眼 | ||
| The character 眼 literally means a door of the face. | |||
| Japanese | 眼 | ||
| The character "眼" can also mean "hole" or "spot" | |||
| Korean | 눈 | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "eye," the Korean word "눈" can also refer to a hole, a knot, or a bud. | |||
| Mongolian | нүд | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မျက်လုံး | ||
| မျက်လုံး is the anatomical term for "eye" and is found in most compounds meaning "eye", but is also used in religious texts to mean "insight, supernatural vision, divine knowledge, etc." | |||
Eye in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mata | ||
| Mata can also mean 'spring' in Indonesian, originating from the Old Javanese word 'mata air' ('water source'). | |||
| Javanese | mripat | ||
| "Mripat" in Javanese also denotes a source or means to perceive, including spiritually. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្នែក | ||
| The Khmer word "ភ្នែក" for "eye" is also used to refer to the Buddhist concept of the third eye. | |||
| Lao | ຕາ | ||
| The word ຕາ "ตา" is also used to refer to the sun and planets when appearing near or at the horizon; this latter usage is borrowed from the Khmer word ដែក "dæk". | |||
| Malay | mata | ||
| The Malay word for 'eye', 'mata', can also mean the 'edge' of a forest. | |||
| Thai | ตา | ||
| "ตา" also means "grandparent" in Thai | |||
| Vietnamese | con mắt | ||
| "Con mắt" can also mean a roundish shaped fruit such as avocado, pear or mango due to their resemblance to an eye shape. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mata | ||
Eye in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | göz | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | көз | ||
| "Көз" also refers to a spring, a hole, or the eye of a needle | |||
| Kyrgyz | көз | ||
| The Kyrgyz word “көз” also means a source, a spring, a lake, a well, a hollow, a hole, an opening, and a cavity. | |||
| Tajik | чашм | ||
| In Farsi, "чашм” (chashm) can also refer to a "source" or "spring", as in the term "chashm-e zendeh", meaning "living spring." | |||
| Turkmen | göz | ||
| Uzbek | ko'z | ||
| The word "ko'z" in Uzbek also means "mirror", and is related to the Persian word "cheshm" and the Turkish word "göz". | |||
| Uyghur | eye | ||
Eye in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maka | ||
| The word "maka" in Hawaiian can also mean "a source of knowledge or wisdom". | |||
| Maori | karu | ||
| The Maori word 'karu' not only means 'eye', but also refers to a type of shellfish. | |||
| Samoan | mata | ||
| "Mata" also refers to any of the following: the mesh of a net, a window, the face of a cliff, the mouth of a river, a door, the edge of a knife blade, the point of a spear or a fishhook, the hole for inserting the lashing for the outrigger float, the eye of a cyclone or hurricane, the nucleus of a coconut or other fruit surrounded by a fibrous husk or skin, or the core of a tree. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mata | ||
| The word "mata" also relates to the concepts of "observation" and "awareness" in Tagalog. | |||
Eye in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | nayra | ||
| Guarani | tesa | ||
Eye in International Languages
| Esperanto | okulo | ||
| *Okulo* might be connected to Ancient Latin *ocularis* and Modern Italian *oculare* or Romanian *ochi* ( | |||
| Latin | oculus | ||
| Besides meaning "eye," "oculus" can also mean "window," "opening," or "gemstone." | |||
Eye in Others Languages
| Greek | μάτι | ||
| The word "μάτι" (eye) in Greek also means "evil eye" or "envy". | |||
| Hmong | qhov muag | ||
| Derived from Middle Chinese 'kəʔ-mwaʔ', meaning 'eye' or 'to see'. | |||
| Kurdish | çav | ||
| The Kurdish word "çav" can also refer to the "face of a watch" or the "head" of a nail or other object. | |||
| Turkish | göz | ||
| In Turkish, "göz" can also refer to a type of knot used in traditional Turkish embroidery. | |||
| Xhosa | iliso | ||
| The word “iliso” also refers to a spirit who protects one from seeing unpleasant things, thus safeguarding their mental health. | |||
| Yiddish | אויג | ||
| In the expression "dos oyg tsumakhn", "oyg" means "lid". This is from German "Auge" meaning "eye", as well as "eyelid" | |||
| Zulu | iso | ||
| The Zulu word "iso" also means "a hole" or "a space," and is related to the word "isikhala," meaning "space" or "room." | |||
| Assamese | চকু | ||
| Aymara | nayra | ||
| Bhojpuri | आँख | ||
| Dhivehi | ލޯ | ||
| Dogri | अक्ख | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mata | ||
| Guarani | tesa | ||
| Ilocano | mata | ||
| Krio | yay | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چاو | ||
| Maithili | आँखि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯠ | ||
| Mizo | mit | ||
| Oromo | ija | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଖି | ||
| Quechua | ñawi | ||
| Sanskrit | नेत्र | ||
| Tatar | күз | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓይኒ | ||
| Tsonga | tihlo | ||