Fair in Different Languages
Discover 'Fair' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fair' holds a significant place in many languages and cultures around the world. Derived from the Old English word 'fæger,' it has evolved to mean more than just physical attractiveness. Today, 'fair' is often used to describe something as just, equitable, or reasonable. It also refers to occasions where people gather to enjoy various forms of entertainment, such as fairs and festivals.
Throughout history, fairs have served as important social and economic events. They have been places for trade, commerce, and the exchange of ideas. In medieval Europe, for example, fairs were crucial for the growth of towns and cities. In many parts of the world, fairs continue to be an integral part of cultural celebrations and traditions.
Given its significance and cultural importance, it's not surprising that many people are interested in learning the translation of 'fair' in different languages. Below is a list of translations of the word 'fair' in various languages, from Spanish and French to Mandarin and Japanese.
Fair
Fair in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | regverdig | ||
| In Afrikaans, "regverdig" is a cognate of the Dutch word "rechtvaardig" and the Old English word "rihtwis" and can also mean "righteous" or "just". | |||
| Amharic | ፍትሃዊ | ||
| "ፍትሃዊ" can also refer to someone who is just or equitable. | |||
| Hausa | gaskiya | ||
| The Hausa word 'gaskiya' (fair) shares the same root with the Arabic word 'sadiq' (honest, steadfast). | |||
| Igbo | ngosi | ||
| In Old Igbo, 'ngosi' means 'younger brother', and can be used as a term of endearment for the youngest child in an Igbo family. | |||
| Malagasy | ara-drariny | ||
| "Ara-drariny" shares its root with "drariny", which means "beautiful face". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilungamo | ||
| The word "chilungamo" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to equity, fairness, or justice. | |||
| Shona | zvakanaka | ||
| The word "zvakanaka" in Shona is derived from the root "kanaka," which means "to be beautiful" or "to be good." | |||
| Somali | cadaalad ah | ||
| "Cadaalad ah" is not only used in Somali to mean "fair" but also in Arabic to mean "justice". | |||
| Sesotho | hlokang leeme | ||
| In addition to meaning 'fair,' hlokang leeme can also refer to a person with a light complexion who is not necessarily white. | |||
| Swahili | haki | ||
| The word "haki" in Swahili also means "justice" or "truth". | |||
| Xhosa | enobulungisa | ||
| The word "enobulungisa" is also used to describe something that is beautiful or pleasant. | |||
| Yoruba | itẹ | ||
| Itẹ (fair) is cognate with the word 'tẹ̀' (to be right, proper or accurate), hence the implication of ethical fairness and justice. | |||
| Zulu | okulungile | ||
| In one possible etymology, the word derives from the verb uku-lunga, meaning “to put in order, or to adjust, to put right, to mend, repair, make better, set to rights (a state of affairs that is wrong)”. | |||
| Bambara | fisa | ||
| Ewe | ekɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurenganura | ||
| Lingala | bosembo | ||
| Luganda | -lungi katono | ||
| Sepedi | lokilego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pɛrepɛre | ||
Fair in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | معرض | ||
| The Arabic word "معرض" can refer to an exhibition, a showcase, or a fair. | |||
| Hebrew | יריד | ||
| "יריד" also means "descent" in Hebrew, likely originating from the verb ירד (yarad), "to descend". | |||
| Pashto | عادلانه | ||
| In Pashto, "عادلانه" can also mean "just" or "rightly distributed." | |||
| Arabic | معرض | ||
| The Arabic word "معرض" can refer to an exhibition, a showcase, or a fair. | |||
Fair in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i ndershëm | ||
| The Albanian word "i ndershëm" has alternative meanings, including "honourable", "righteous", and "truthful."} | |||
| Basque | azoka | ||
| The word "azoka" ("fair") also derives from "az\ŋ" ("out"), possibly referring to outdoor markets. | |||
| Catalan | fira | ||
| The modern Catalan word "fira" derives from the Latin "feria" ( | |||
| Croatian | pravedan | ||
| The word “pravedan” in Croatian has also been used historically to convey the notion of | |||
| Danish | retfærdig | ||
| Retfærdig in Danish has the same origin as 'righteous' in English, and comes from an old Norse word meaning 'straight' or 'level'. | |||
| Dutch | eerlijk | ||
| "Eerlijk" is an old word related to "eer" (honor). | |||
| English | fair | ||
| The word “fair” derives from the Old English word “fæger,” which means “beautiful” or “pleasing to the eye.” | |||
| French | juste | ||
| In French, "juste" also means "precise" and "upright". | |||
| Frisian | earlik | ||
| In Frisian, “earlik” can mean both “fair” and “early” while also being related to the Old Frisian word for “morning”. | |||
| Galician | xusto | ||
| The word "xusto" in Galician derives from the Latin "iustus", meaning not only "just" but also "righteous", "honest" or "upright." | |||
| German | messe | ||
| The German word "Messe" (fair) originates from the Latin word "missio" (dismissal), referring to the closing of a market day. | |||
| Icelandic | sanngjörn | ||
| Icelandic "sanngjörn" also means "genuine" or "authentic." | |||
| Irish | cothrom | ||
| The word "cothrom" can also mean "opportunity" or "situation" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | giusto | ||
| The Italian word "giusto" derives from the Latin word "iustus" and can also mean "rightful", "appropriate", or "accurate". | |||
| Luxembourgish | gerecht | ||
| The word "gerecht" derives from the Old High German word "gariht", meaning "ordered" or "approved". | |||
| Maltese | ġust | ||
| The term 'ġust' also means 'just', 'precise' or 'exact' | |||
| Norwegian | rettferdig | ||
| The Norwegian word "rettferdig" is derived from the Old Norse word "réttvíss", meaning "in accordance with the law or custom". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | justo | ||
| The Portuguese word "justo" is derived from the Latin word "iustus", which means "upright" or "righteous". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | meadhanach math | ||
| The term meadhanach math translates literally as “the middle of good” and is often used to describe moderately good weather. | |||
| Spanish | justa | ||
| The word "justa" in Spanish originates from the Latin word "iustitia", meaning "justice". | |||
| Swedish | rättvist | ||
| "Rättvist" can also mean "justice" or "straight" and derives from "rätt", meaning "right" or "straight". | |||
| Welsh | ffair | ||
| The word "ffair" in Welsh can also refer to "a market" or "a festival". | |||
Fair in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | справядлівы | ||
| The Belarusian word "справядлівы" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *pravda* (meaning "justice" or "truth"), and shares etymological roots with the words "правдивый" (Russian) and "prawy" (Polish). | |||
| Bosnian | fer | ||
| The word "fer", meaning light or pale in Bosnian, also shares a root with "fair" in English, which can mean "light-complexioned" or "beautiful". | |||
| Bulgarian | честно | ||
| "Честно" can also mean "frankly" or "openly". | |||
| Czech | veletrh | ||
| The word "veletrh" comes from the German word "Messe" and originally referred to a large gathering or market. | |||
| Estonian | õiglane | ||
| The word "õiglane" can also mean "straight" or "right", referring to a path or direction. | |||
| Finnish | reilu | ||
| The word "reilu" is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*reg-", meaning "to straighten" or "to make straight". | |||
| Hungarian | becsületes | ||
| The word "becsületes" comes from the word "becsület," which means "honor" | |||
| Latvian | godīgi | ||
| The Latvian word "godīgi" also means "honestly" and "truthfully". | |||
| Lithuanian | šviesus | ||
| "Šviesus" also means "sacred" and "holy" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | фер | ||
| In some Slavic languages, such as Macedonian, the word "фер" can also mean "market" or "bazaar".} | |||
| Polish | targi | ||
| The word "targi" in Polish also means "trade" or "exhibition". | |||
| Romanian | corect | ||
| The Romanian word "corect" is derived from the Latin word "correctus", meaning "to set right" or "to correct". | |||
| Russian | честно | ||
| "Честно" is also sometimes used to mean "frankly" or "to be honest". | |||
| Serbian | поштено | ||
| The word 'поштено' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *po-stiti, meaning 'to protect'. | |||
| Slovak | fér | ||
| Fér is not just an adjective meaning fair, but can also mean 'man' or 'husband', with its origin in Proto-Slavic. | |||
| Slovenian | pošteno | ||
| "Pošteno" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "pъstъ", meaning "post", and shares a root with "poštiti" and "postati". | |||
| Ukrainian | справедливий | ||
| The word "справедливий" (spravèdlyvyj) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pravъ, meaning "right" or "correct". | |||
Fair in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফর্সা | ||
| The term 'ফর্সা' ('fair') in Bengali can also be used to denote purity or clarity, as in the case of transparent water. | |||
| Gujarati | વાજબી | ||
| The Gujarati word “વાજબી” (“fair”) is derived from an Arabic word which means “appropriate”, with alternate meanings including “worthwhile”, “suitable”, and “rightful”. | |||
| Hindi | निष्पक्ष | ||
| "निष्पक्ष" is a Hindi word that is derived from the Sanskrit word "निष्पक्षपात," which literally means "without bias". | |||
| Kannada | ನ್ಯಾಯೋಚಿತ | ||
| The word "ನ್ಯಾಯೋಚಿತ" (nyāyōcita) in Kannada has the same root as "justice" in English, deriving from the Latin word "ius" meaning "law." | |||
| Malayalam | ന്യായമായ | ||
| The word "ന്യായമായ" can also mean "reasonable" or "just" in Malayalam | |||
| Marathi | योग्य | ||
| योग्य could also mean "capable" or "suitable" in the Marathi language. | |||
| Nepali | निष्पक्ष | ||
| The word "निष्पक्ष" (fair) also means "neutral" or "impartial" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੇਲਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਮੇਲਾ" (mela) is derived from the Sanskrit word "मिल" (mil), meaning "to meet", and refers to a gathering of people for a specific purpose, such as a religious festival or a commercial event. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාධාරණ | ||
| The word "සාධාරණ" also means "just" or "reasonable" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | நியாயமான | ||
| The Tamil word "நியாயமான" can also mean "just" or "equitable" in English. | |||
| Telugu | సరసమైన | ||
| The Telugu word "సరసమైన" (sarasamaina) derives from the Sanskrit word "सरेस्" (sares), meaning "fluid, clear, fresh". | |||
| Urdu | منصفانہ | ||
| The word "منصفانہ" originates from the Arabic word "an-nasf," which means "half" or "equal parts." | |||
Fair in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 公平 | ||
| 公平 in Chinese means both fair and equal and is a conflation of 公, which means public, and 平, which means flat and even. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 公平 | ||
| 公平 (fair) literally means 'level scales' in Chinese, referring to the scales used in ancient China to weigh goods fairly. | |||
| Japanese | フェア | ||
| In Japanese, "フェア" can also mean "festival" or "exposition." | |||
| Korean | 공정한 | ||
| The word "공정한" can also mean "impartial" or "just". | |||
| Mongolian | шударга | ||
| "Шударга" is an alternate form of "шудургу" which means "white and red". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မျှတ | ||
| မျှတ originated from the Pali word "mihita" meaning "suitable" or "balanced". | |||
Fair in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | adil | ||
| The word adil has its roots in Arabic, and also refers to the concept of "justice" in Islamic law. | |||
| Javanese | adil | ||
| "Adil" in Javanese can also mean "a balance" like a pair of scales. | |||
| Khmer | យុត្តិធម៌ | ||
| Lao | ຍຸດຕິ ທຳ | ||
| Malay | adil | ||
| The Malay word 'adil' is also used as a term of address for a chief or ruler. | |||
| Thai | ยุติธรรม | ||
| ยุติธรรม (fair) comes from the Sanskrit word न्याय (nyāya), meaning "justice". | |||
| Vietnamese | hội chợ | ||
| Hội chợ in Vietnamese literally means market gathering and also refers to festive activities held at Buddhist pagodas or in villages. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | patas | ||
Fair in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ədalətli | ||
| The word "ədalətli" comes from the Arabic word "عدل" (adl), which means "justice". | |||
| Kazakh | әділ | ||
| The word "әділ" is derived from the Arabic word "عدل" (adl), which also means "justice" or "equity". | |||
| Kyrgyz | адилеттүү | ||
| The word "адилеттүү" can also mean "just" or "righteous" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | одилона | ||
| The word "одилона" can also mean "justice" or "honesty" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýarmarka | ||
| Uzbek | adolatli | ||
| The word "adolatli" is derived from the Arabic word "adl," which means "justice" or "equity." | |||
| Uyghur | ئادىل | ||
Fair in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaulike | ||
| "Kaulike" can also mean "moderate" or "middling". | |||
| Maori | ataahua | ||
| The word 'ataahua' (fair) in Māori can also mean beautiful, pleasing to the eye, or delightful. | |||
| Samoan | talafeagai | ||
| The word 'talafeagai' in Samoan has the alternate meaning of 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | patas | ||
| The word 'patas' in Tagalog can also mean 'light' or 'not heavy' | |||
Fair in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | justu | ||
| Guarani | oiporãva | ||
Fair in International Languages
| Esperanto | justa | ||
| The word "justa" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "iustus" meaning "just" or "righteous", and it also has the alternate meaning of "precise" or "exact". | |||
| Latin | aequum | ||
| Aequum is connected with the concept of equality and is also used as a synonym for iustum (just). | |||
Fair in Others Languages
| Greek | έκθεση | ||
| The word "έκθεση" can also mean "exposition" or "exhibition", reflecting its origins in the verb "εκτίθεμαι" (to expose, display). | |||
| Hmong | ncaj ncees | ||
| The word "ncaj ncees" also means "good-looking" and "honest" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | adîl | ||
| The word "adîl" in Kurdish originates from the Arabic word "عدل" (adl), which carries the same meaning of "fair" or "just." | |||
| Turkish | adil | ||
| The word "adil" in Turkish can also refer to "just" or "equitable" in a legal or moral sense. | |||
| Xhosa | enobulungisa | ||
| The word "enobulungisa" is also used to describe something that is beautiful or pleasant. | |||
| Yiddish | גערעכט | ||
| The Yiddish word "גערעכט" can also mean "righteous" or "just". | |||
| Zulu | okulungile | ||
| In one possible etymology, the word derives from the verb uku-lunga, meaning “to put in order, or to adjust, to put right, to mend, repair, make better, set to rights (a state of affairs that is wrong)”. | |||
| Assamese | মেলা | ||
| Aymara | justu | ||
| Bhojpuri | सुंदर | ||
| Dhivehi | އިންސާފު | ||
| Dogri | गोरा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | patas | ||
| Guarani | oiporãva | ||
| Ilocano | naparbeng | ||
| Krio | du tin tret | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دادپەروەرانە | ||
| Maithili | गोर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯡꯂꯣꯟ ꯆꯨꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | dik | ||
| Oromo | walqixxee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମେଳା | ||
| Quechua | allinlla | ||
| Sanskrit | उचितः | ||
| Tatar | ярминкә | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍትሓዊ | ||
| Tsonga | ringanana | ||