Family in Different Languages
Discover 'Family' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Family, a word that transcends language and culture. It signifies a group of individuals, related by blood, marriage, or shared experiences, forming a fundamental social structure. The concept of family is deeply ingrained in every society, shaping our values, traditions, and ways of life.
Throughout history, family has been a cornerstone of human civilization. From ancient Rome's 'familia' to the Chinese 'jia', families have provided love, support, and a sense of belonging. They have been the bedrock of communities, passing down customs, languages, and heritage from one generation to the next.
Understanding the translation of 'family' in different languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into diverse cultural perspectives. For instance, the German 'Familie' emphasizes the importance of lineage, while the Swahili 'Jamii' extends the concept to include community.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'family' in various languages, from the familiar to the exotic. This journey will take you through a rich tapestry of cultures, highlighting the universal bond of family that unites us all.
Family
Family in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | familie | ||
| In Afrikaans, "familie" can also refer to one's extended family or relatives. | |||
| Amharic | ቤተሰብ | ||
| Etymology uncertain but could derive from the Ge'ez word for "house" and "birth" | |||
| Hausa | iyali | ||
| 'Iyali' is also used to refer to the wider social network of extended family, clan and friends. | |||
| Igbo | ezinụlọ | ||
| The Igbo word "ezinụlọ" combines "eze" (king) and "nụlọ" (to inherit), suggesting a family unit ruled by a patriarch or matriarch. | |||
| Malagasy | family | ||
| Malagasy "fianakaviana" does not specifically mean "parents and children," but rather "all those related through a common ancestor." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | banja | ||
| The word "banja" can also refer to a group of people living together or a group of people united by a common interest or purpose. | |||
| Shona | mhuri | ||
| The word "mhuri" also refers to a group of close relatives or friends who live together. | |||
| Somali | qoyska | ||
| Qoyska derives from the Arabic word "ahl," which refers to one's household, clan, or dependents. | |||
| Sesotho | lelapa | ||
| The word "lelapa" is derived from the verb "lapa", meaning "to take care of", or "to look after". It is related to the word "lerapa", meaning "love". | |||
| Swahili | familia | ||
| "Familia" is a Swahili word borrowed from Portuguese, where it also means "family", but derives from the Latin word "familia", which specifically means slaves and servants in addition to family members. | |||
| Xhosa | usapho | ||
| In precolonial Xhosa culture, the term 'usapho' was not limited to the nuclear family but could also include a wide network of extended family members. | |||
| Yoruba | ebi | ||
| Ebi can also mean "household" or "lineage" depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
| Zulu | umndeni | ||
| 'Umndeni' also has a wider meaning, referring to the entire human race. | |||
| Bambara | denbaya | ||
| Ewe | ƒome | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuryango | ||
| Lingala | libota | ||
| Luganda | amaka | ||
| Sepedi | lapa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abusua | ||
Family in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أسرة | ||
| The Arabic word “أسرة” derives from a root meaning “base” or “foundation,” alluding to the family as the core unit of society. | |||
| Hebrew | מִשׁפָּחָה | ||
| The Hebrew word מִשׁפָּחָה (mishpaḥah) also means "clan" or "tribe". | |||
| Pashto | کورنۍ | ||
| In Pashto, "کورنۍ" (family) is cognate with the Dari word "خاندان" (family) and the Sanskrit word "कुल" (family, clan). | |||
| Arabic | أسرة | ||
| The Arabic word “أسرة” derives from a root meaning “base” or “foundation,” alluding to the family as the core unit of society. | |||
Family in Western European Languages
| Albanian | familja | ||
| The Albanian word "familja" is derived from the Latin word "familia," which originally denoted a household, servants, and slaves. | |||
| Basque | familia | ||
| The Basque word "familia" is derived from the Latin "familia", meaning "household" or "estate", and retains the same meaning in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | família | ||
| The word "família" in Catalan originally referred to a group of servants or slaves belonging to the same master. | |||
| Croatian | obitelj | ||
| The word 'obitelj' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'obitь' (dwell), and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word 'obitьľь' (dwelling, monastery). | |||
| Danish | familie | ||
| The Danish word "familie" derives from the Latin "familia", meaning "household" or "the group of people living in one's house", and also from the Proto-Norse "familija", meaning "kindred". | |||
| Dutch | familie | ||
| The Dutch word "familie" is derived from the Latin word "familia", which originally referred to a group of slaves belonging to a single master. | |||
| English | family | ||
| The word "family" derives from the Latin "familia", originally referring to a household and its slaves. | |||
| French | famille | ||
| "Famille" derives from the Latin "familia" meaning "household, servants, slaves." | |||
| Frisian | famylje | ||
| The word "famylje" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*familjō" and is related to the Latin word "familia", meaning "household or family." | |||
| Galician | familia | ||
| In Galician, "familia" can also refer to a person's household or a group of people who live together. | |||
| German | familie | ||
| The German word 'Familie' comes from the Latin 'familia', which originally referred to a group of slaves and servants belonging to one household. | |||
| Icelandic | fjölskylda | ||
| The word "fjölskylda" literally means "many" ("fjöl") and "bound together" ("skylda"). | |||
| Irish | teaghlach | ||
| The Irish word "teaghlach" is thought to derive from "tegh" (house) and "fochlaimhe" (under protection), indicating the family's role in providing shelter and safeguarding its members. | |||
| Italian | famiglia | ||
| In addition to its meaning as a family, 'famiglia' is a noun that indicates the servants of a household, particularly in historical contexts. | |||
| Luxembourgish | famill | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Famill" is derived from the Latin word "familia", meaning "household" or "extended family". | |||
| Maltese | familja | ||
| "Familja" is derived from the Latin word "familia", meaning "household" or "extended family". | |||
| Norwegian | familie | ||
| The Norwegian word "familie" can also refer to a group of animals living together, such as a pride of lions or a school of fish. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | família | ||
| The word "família" in Portuguese derives from the Latin "familia", meaning "household" or "community of servants and slaves." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teaghlach | ||
| The word 'teaghlach' in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a household, a clan, or a religious community. | |||
| Spanish | familia | ||
| In Latin, "familia" referred to all the slaves and servants of a household in addition to blood relatives. | |||
| Swedish | familj | ||
| "Familj" is a Swedish word for "family" that originally meant "household". It is also used to refer to a group of people who are related to each other by blood or marriage. | |||
| Welsh | teulu | ||
| The Welsh word "teulu" also has meanings including "household" and "lineage". | |||
Family in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сям'я | ||
| Belarusian word “сям’я” has the same root as English “family,” derived from Latin “familia,” meaning “household” or “group of servants.” | |||
| Bosnian | porodica | ||
| The word 'porodica' comes from the Proto-Slavic 'poroda', which meant 'giving birth'. The Proto-Slavic word comes from the Proto-Indo-European root '*per-' ('to give birth'). | |||
| Bulgarian | семейство | ||
| The word "семейство" in Bulgarian can also refer to a "family" in terms of a taxonomic group of organisms or a "set" of things. | |||
| Czech | rodina | ||
| The Czech word 'rodina' originally meant only a mother and her children. | |||
| Estonian | pere | ||
| Estonian word "pere" likely originated from the Proto-Finnic term for a kinship group, and it can also refer to a household or a lineage. | |||
| Finnish | perhe | ||
| The word "perhe" is cognate with various words for "house" in other Uralic languages, suggesting an original meaning related to dwelling or lineage. | |||
| Hungarian | család | ||
| The word "család" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *čol which means "lineage" or "clan". | |||
| Latvian | ģimene | ||
| The word “ģimene” (“family”) comes from the Proto-Indo-European root “*ǵʰémenos” (“guest-friend relationship, host-guest relationship”). | |||
| Lithuanian | šeima | ||
| The word "šeima" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*seh₂-," meaning "to bind"} | |||
| Macedonian | семејство | ||
| The word for "family" in Macedonian, "семејство," also has the alternate meaning of "surname" or "lineage." | |||
| Polish | rodzina | ||
| "Rodzina" (family) derives from "rodzić" (to give birth), "rodzaj" (kind), and denotes a kinship group with common ancestors. | |||
| Romanian | familie | ||
| The Romanian word "familie" is derived from the Latin word "familia", which meant "household" or "extended family group", including slaves and servants. | |||
| Russian | семья | ||
| The word "семья" also means "seven" (the number) in Russian, as the traditional Russian family was thought to consist of seven members: father, mother, and five children. | |||
| Serbian | породица | ||
| The word 'породица' also means 'tribe' or 'clan' and is related to the word 'род', which means 'birth' or 'origin'. | |||
| Slovak | rodina | ||
| Rodina is also related to the word 'rod', which means 'clan' or 'lineage' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | družina | ||
| The Slavic root of "družina" means "companion" and the term can also refer to a military or political retinue. | |||
| Ukrainian | сім'я | ||
| The word "сім'я" also has the meaning of "seed" in Ukrainian, reflecting the traditional importance of family and procreation in Ukrainian culture. | |||
Family in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরিবার | ||
| The Bengali word "পরিবার" is thought to derive from the Sanskrit word "परिवार" (parivāra) and may also imply the extended group of people related through blood, marriage or adoption. | |||
| Gujarati | કુટુંબ | ||
| The word "કુટુંબ" in Gujarati also has a broader meaning of "lineage" or "clan" and can refer to a group of people who share a common ancestor. | |||
| Hindi | परिवार | ||
| The Sanskrit word "परिवार" literally means "to protect" and can also refer to a group of people living under the same roof or a collection of things. | |||
| Kannada | ಕುಟುಂಬ | ||
| The word "ಕುಟುಂಬ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुटुम्ब" (kutumb), which means a "group of kinsmen". The term "kutumb" (family) is often used to describe a joint family or an extended family. | |||
| Malayalam | കുടുംബം | ||
| The word 'കുടുംബം' comes from the Sanskrit word 'kuṭumba', meaning 'house' or 'clan'. | |||
| Marathi | कुटुंब | ||
| "कुटुंब" (family) comes from the Sanskrit word "कुटुम्ब," which literally means "house of fire". | |||
| Nepali | परिवार | ||
| The word "परिवार" can also refer to a group of people who are closely connected to each other, such as a community or a group of friends. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਰਿਵਾਰ | ||
| The word 'ਪਰਿਵਾਰ' ('family') in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'परिवार' ('group of people') and is often associated with the concept of a joint family, where multiple generations live together under one roof. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පවුලක් | ||
| The Sinhala word "පවුලක්" derives from the Sanskrit word "parivara", meaning "entourage" or "retainers". | |||
| Tamil | குடும்பம் | ||
| "குடும்பம்" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kumbha", meaning "a cooking pot, | |||
| Telugu | కుటుంబం | ||
| The word "కుటుంబం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुटुंब" (kutumb), which means "family", "lineage", or "clan". | |||
| Urdu | کنبہ | ||
| "کنبہ" is also used in Urdu to refer to a household or a set of relatives sharing a common ancestor. | |||
Family in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 家庭 | ||
| "家庭" literally means "home-rule" and can also mean "household" and "family matters." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 家庭 | ||
| 家庭 (family) literally means "same hearth" and it's also used to refer to "household" or "family economics". | |||
| Japanese | 家族 | ||
| The individual characters of "家族" (family) in Japanese mean "house" ("家") and "member" ("族"). | |||
| Korean | 가족 | ||
| The Hanja of "가족" originally referred to "one's own people" or "lineage", and later came to mean "family." | |||
| Mongolian | гэр бүл | ||
| The Mongolian word 'гэр бүл' primarily refers to 'family' but can also mean 'house' or 'home'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မိသားစု | ||
Family in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keluarga | ||
| The word 'keluarga' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kula' meaning 'clan' or 'lineage', and also has the alternate meaning of 'household' or 'extended family'. | |||
| Javanese | kulawarga | ||
| The word 'kulawarga' in Javanese derives from Sanskrit and also means 'clan'. | |||
| Khmer | គ្រួសារ | ||
| The word "គ្រួសារ" originally meant "clan" and is related to the Sanskrit word "kula", which also means "clan". | |||
| Lao | ຄອບຄົວ | ||
| The term "ຄອບຄົວ" also refers to the broader family or clan beyond one's immediate household | |||
| Malay | keluarga | ||
| The Malay word "keluarga" also refers to a group of people who are closely linked by blood or marriage. | |||
| Thai | ครอบครัว | ||
| ครอบครัว comes from Sanskrit word कुटुम्ब (kutumba), meaning 'clan' or 'family'. | |||
| Vietnamese | gia đình | ||
| The Vietnamese word "gia đình" is derived from the Chinese characters "家丁", meaning "household servants" or "family members", reflecting the Confucian emphasis on family hierarchy. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamilya | ||
Family in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ailə | ||
| "Ailə" derives from the Arabic word "ahl" (meaning "people, family") and ultimately from the Proto-Semitic *ʔal- "kinship group". | |||
| Kazakh | отбасы | ||
| "Отбасы" also means "people of one hearth" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | үй-бүлө | ||
| The word "үй-бүлө" originated from the word "үй" (house) + "бүлө" (tribe), suggesting that families were originally thought of as small tribes living in the same house. | |||
| Tajik | оила | ||
| The word "оила" in Tajik can also refer to a household or a group of people related by blood or marriage. | |||
| Turkmen | maşgala | ||
| Uzbek | oila | ||
| The word "oila" originates from the Turkic word "awul" or "ayul", meaning "village" or "tribe" | |||
| Uyghur | ئائىلە | ||
Family in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ohana | ||
| The word 'ohana' in Hawaiian can also refer to an extended family, community, or group of people who are closely connected. | |||
| Maori | whanau | ||
| The Maori word 'whanau' also signifies a collective group of people with a shared ancestry, connected through birth or adoption. | |||
| Samoan | aiga | ||
| 'Aiga' literally means 'a group of people,' indicating an extended family that includes not only close relatives but also extended kin. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pamilya | ||
| "Pamilya" comes from the Spanish "familia", but can also refer to a close-knit group of people, such as a clan or tribe. | |||
Family in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wila masi | ||
| Guarani | ogaygua | ||
Family in International Languages
| Esperanto | familio | ||
| The Esperanto word "familio" is derived from the Latin word "familia", which means "household, family, or group of servants". | |||
| Latin | familia | ||
| "Familia" also refers to a slave household or domestic servants in Latin | |||
Family in Others Languages
| Greek | οικογένεια | ||
| Οικογένεια derives from οίκος ('house, estate') + γένος ('race, origin'), referring to those who shared a house and lineage. | |||
| Hmong | tsev neeg | ||
| In Hmong language, “family” is called “tsev neeg,” where “tsev” refers to a house and “neeg” means people. Therefore, the term “tsev neeg” literally translates to "house people" and highlights the importance of home as a central concept in Hmong family life. | |||
| Kurdish | malbat | ||
| The word "malbat" can also refer to a household or a lineage. | |||
| Turkish | aile | ||
| "Aile" is also used to refer to the | |||
| Xhosa | usapho | ||
| In precolonial Xhosa culture, the term 'usapho' was not limited to the nuclear family but could also include a wide network of extended family members. | |||
| Yiddish | משפּחה | ||
| The Yiddish word "משפּחה" also means "household" or "clan", reflecting the extended family structures common in Jewish communities. | |||
| Zulu | umndeni | ||
| 'Umndeni' also has a wider meaning, referring to the entire human race. | |||
| Assamese | পৰিয়াল | ||
| Aymara | wila masi | ||
| Bhojpuri | परिवार | ||
| Dhivehi | ޢާއިލާ | ||
| Dogri | परिवार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamilya | ||
| Guarani | ogaygua | ||
| Ilocano | pamilia | ||
| Krio | famili | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خێزان | ||
| Maithili | परिवार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯃꯨꯡ ꯃꯅꯨꯡ | ||
| Mizo | chhungkua | ||
| Oromo | maatii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରିବାର | ||
| Quechua | ayllu | ||
| Sanskrit | परिवारं | ||
| Tatar | гаилә | ||
| Tigrinya | ስድራ | ||
| Tsonga | ndyangu | ||