Far in Different Languages
Discover 'Far' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'far' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting distance and separation. It's a word that transcends cultural boundaries, appearing in various forms across different languages. Yet, its simplicity belies the rich cultural nuances it carries. For instance, in German, 'fern' not only means 'far' but also 'distant' or 'remote' in time, imbuing the word with a sense of nostalgia.
Moreover, 'far' has been a muse for many poets and writers, inspiring beautiful verses and prose. Its historical context is also intriguing; during the Age of Exploration, 'far' was often used to describe the vast, uncharted territories that lay beyond the known world.
Understanding the translation of 'far' in different languages can open up new cultural horizons. It can help us appreciate the subtle differences in how different cultures perceive and express distance.
So, let's embark on a linguistic journey and explore the various translations of 'far' in different languages. From the French 'loin' to the Spanish 'lejos', the Italian 'lontano' to the Russian 'далеко' (daleko), 'far' reveals a world of cultural diversity and richness.
Far
Far in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ver | ||
| The word "ver" in Afrikaans can also mean "different" or "strange" | |||
| Amharic | ሩቅ | ||
| In colloquial Amharic, | |||
| Hausa | nisa | ||
| The word "nisa" in Hausa can mean "far away" or "distant" as well as "foreign" or "exotic." | |||
| Igbo | tere aka | ||
| Tere aka also means 'a long time ago' or 'a long time from now' and is used to refer to a period of time that is significantly distant from the present. | |||
| Malagasy | lavitra | ||
| "Lavitra" may derive from "lavo vitra" or "afo lakana"; "avo" is an adjective describing something distant and "lakana" can mean a border or endpoint. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutali | ||
| The word "kutali" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to the end or extremity of something, such as the edge of a field or the tip of a pencil. | |||
| Shona | kure | ||
| In Shona, the word "kure" also means "to bury" or "to cover. | |||
| Somali | fog | ||
| The Somali word 'fog' can also refer to a type of grass or a person who is distant or aloof. | |||
| Sesotho | hole | ||
| The Sesotho word "hole" also means "outside" or "exterior". | |||
| Swahili | mbali | ||
| The Swahili word 'mbali' also implies distance in time or space. | |||
| Xhosa | kude | ||
| Xhosa 'kude' (far, distant, remote, not close) has a figurative sense of 'a long time ago'. | |||
| Yoruba | jinna | ||
| "Jinna" in Yoruba can also refer to a long period of time. | |||
| Zulu | kude | ||
| The Zulu word 'kude' also means 'to be away from or distant' or 'to be distant in time or space'. | |||
| Bambara | jan | ||
| Ewe | si gbᴐ didi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kure | ||
| Lingala | mosika | ||
| Luganda | wala | ||
| Sepedi | kgole | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ware | ||
Far in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بعيدا | ||
| The Arabic word "بعيدا" is related to the word "بعيد" meaning "distant" but can also mean "far from" or "estranged" in some contexts | |||
| Hebrew | רָחוֹק | ||
| The word רָחוֹק (raḥoq) can refer to both physical distance as well as metaphorical distance, such as being emotionally or intellectually remote | |||
| Pashto | لرې | ||
| The word "لرې" ("far") in Pashto can also mean "long" or "extensive". | |||
| Arabic | بعيدا | ||
| The Arabic word "بعيدا" is related to the word "بعيد" meaning "distant" but can also mean "far from" or "estranged" in some contexts | |||
Far in Western European Languages
| Albanian | larg | ||
| The word 'larg' in Albanian is a cognate of the Latin 'longus', meaning long or extended in space, indicating its connection to the concepts of distance or length. | |||
| Basque | urrun | ||
| "Urrun" can mean "long" or "distant" too, depending on the context. | |||
| Catalan | lluny | ||
| "Lluny" (Catalan for "far") is the same or very similar in almost every Romance language, being also related to the English words "lunar" and "lunatic". | |||
| Croatian | daleko | ||
| The word 'daleko' in Croatian is also used to describe something that is difficult to achieve or understand. | |||
| Danish | langt | ||
| The word 'langt' (far) has Germanic roots, related to 'length' and 'long' in English. | |||
| Dutch | ver | ||
| Dutch "ver" is closely related to Old English "feor", which also means "far" and is the origin of the English word "far". | |||
| English | far | ||
| "Far" derives from Middle English and means distant or remote, but also from Old English "ferian" meaning 'to travel', and from Latin "fera" meaning wild beast. | |||
| French | loin | ||
| Le mot « loin » peut également désigner une partie du corps dans un contexte culinaire (le morceau entre les deux cuisses et les reins, le filet). | |||
| Frisian | fier | ||
| The Frisian word "fier" has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as "far" in English, "fjerr" in Norwegian, and "fjärran" in Swedish. | |||
| Galician | lonxe | ||
| In ancient Galician, "lonxe" also meant "foreign" or "different". | |||
| German | weit | ||
| The word "weit" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*waiþa-," meaning "wide" or "broad." | |||
| Icelandic | langt | ||
| The word "langt" can also mean "long" or "lengthy". | |||
| Irish | i bhfad | ||
| The Irish word "i bhfad" can also mean "in the presence of" or "in the company of." | |||
| Italian | lontano | ||
| The word "lontano" has ancient roots and can also mean "distant in time" or "obscure" and "hidden." | |||
| Luxembourgish | wäit | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "wäit" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*waiþaz", related to the English word "wide" and the German word "weit". | |||
| Maltese | bogħod | ||
| The word "bogħod" is also used figuratively to mean "distant" or "disconnected." | |||
| Norwegian | langt | ||
| Originally meant a "stretch," and is also used in modern Norwegian to describe the "stretching" of something. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | longe | ||
| In Old Portuguese, the word "longe" meant "length". The current meaning "far" was inherited from Latin "longus". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fada | ||
| In Gaelic mythology, the Fada are a group of supernatural beings akin to fairies. | |||
| Spanish | lejos | ||
| The word "lejos" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "longĭus", meaning "long" or "distant". | |||
| Swedish | långt | ||
| The word “långt” can also mean a distance in Swedish, as in “det är långt till butiken” (“it is a long way to the store”). | |||
| Welsh | bell | ||
| The word "bell" in Welsh can also mean "mouth". | |||
Far in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | далёка | ||
| The word "далёка" in Belarusian also means "distant" and "remote" | |||
| Bosnian | daleko | ||
| Daleko, in the Slavonic languages, derives from a root meaning "long," as in dalek (Polish), delji (Serbian), and dolek (Russian). | |||
| Bulgarian | далеч | ||
| The Slavic root behind the word | |||
| Czech | daleko | ||
| The word "daleko" can also mean "in the distance" or "a long way away". | |||
| Estonian | kaugel | ||
| The word 'kaugel' in Estonian is possibly derived from the Proto-Finnic root *kau̯k̯a, meaning 'distance' or 'length', which is also the likely origin of the Finnish word 'kaukana' ('far'). | |||
| Finnish | kaukana | ||
| The word can also mean 'strange or foreign'. It is related to 'kaukopuhelin', meaning 'telephone' but literally translating to 'distanced talker'. | |||
| Hungarian | messze | ||
| The Hungarian word "messze" originated from the Old Hungarian word "mezsgye" meaning "border". | |||
| Latvian | tālu | ||
| The word "tālu" also means "distant" and "remote". | |||
| Lithuanian | toli | ||
| "Toli" in Lithuanian is cognate with the Sanskrit "tīra" and Avestan "thyara" meaning "shore". | |||
| Macedonian | далеку | ||
| "Далеку" in Macedonian can also refer to being emotionally distant or removed from something. | |||
| Polish | daleko | ||
| The Polish word "daleko" is commonly translated as "far," but it can also mean "long-lasting" or "difficult and troublesome." | |||
| Romanian | departe | ||
| The word "departe" comes from the Latin word "departare," meaning "to separate" or "to go away from." | |||
| Russian | далеко | ||
| "Далеко" may also mean "long ago" or "for a long time" in Russian; and is related to the word "age" in English. | |||
| Serbian | далеко | ||
| The word "далеко" also means "distant", "remote" or "long". | |||
| Slovak | ďaleko | ||
| The word "ďaleko" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dalь, meaning "distance" or "space". | |||
| Slovenian | daleč | ||
| The word "daleč" can also mean "alien" or "different" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | далеко | ||
| "Далеко" can mean "long ago" or "in the distance" in Ukrainian. | |||
Far in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনেক দূরে | ||
| অনেক দূরে এর আক্ষরিক অর্থ 'যা অনেক বেশি দূরে', এবং এটি 'অনেক অধিক' বা 'অত্যধিক' অর্থেও ব্যবহার করা হয়। | |||
| Gujarati | દૂર | ||
| The word "દૂર" is also used to describe something that is difficult or impossible to achieve. | |||
| Hindi | दूर | ||
| दूर (far) is a cognate of the English word "door," as both derive from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dʰwer-" meaning "door" or "gate." | |||
| Kannada | ದೂರದ | ||
| The word "ದೂರದ" can also mean "distant in time" or "remote in space" | |||
| Malayalam | ബഹുദൂരം | ||
| The Malayalam word 'ബഹുദൂരം' (bahoodooram) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bahudhura' (बहुधुरा), which means 'in many ways' or 'thoroughly'. | |||
| Marathi | आतापर्यंत | ||
| The word "आतापर्यंत" can also mean "until now" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | टाढा | ||
| टाढा is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tīra' meaning 'shore' or 'bank', and also has the alternate meaning of 'distant' or 'remote' in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੂਰ | ||
| The word "ਦੂਰ" can also mean "different" or "away". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දුර | ||
| දුර (Dura) also refers to a Sinhala measurement unit of distance, equivalent to about 1.5 kilometres. | |||
| Tamil | இதுவரை | ||
| The word "இதுவரை" in Tamil can also mean "up to this point" or "so far". | |||
| Telugu | దురముగా | ||
| The word "దురముగా" can also be used to describe someone who is arrogant or haughty. | |||
| Urdu | دور | ||
| In Urdu, "دور" can also mean "period" or "cycle", derived from the Persian word "دور" meaning "revolution". | |||
Far in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 远 | ||
| The word "远" can also mean "distant in time" or "deep." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 遠 | ||
| 遠 (Yuǎn) originally meant "high" or "elevated" and later extended to mean "distant". | |||
| Japanese | はるかに | ||
| "はるかに", meaning "far", originates from the word "はるか" (distant place) and the suffix "に" (towards). | |||
| Korean | 멀리 | ||
| 멀리 can also mean "not close" or "distant" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хол | ||
| The word "хол" can also refer to the back of something or the edge of a surface. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝေး | ||
| The etymology of the Myanmar word "ဝေး" ("far") is uncertain, but it may be related to the Akha word "wɛ́ː", which also means "far" and is thought to be a loanword from an Austroasiatic language. | |||
Far in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jauh | ||
| The word "jauh" is also used figuratively to mean "distant" or "remote" in terms of relationships or emotions. | |||
| Javanese | adoh | ||
| The word "adoh" is derived from the Sanskrit word "āyata" which means "distant" or "long" and can also mean "to extend". | |||
| Khmer | ឆ្ងាយ | ||
| The word "ឆ្ងាយ" also means "different" or "separate" in Khmer, suggesting a broader concept of distance encompassing physical and abstract notions. | |||
| Lao | ໄກ | ||
| In Northern Dialect Lao, ໄກ can also mean 'outside one's house or compound'. | |||
| Malay | jauh | ||
| The Malay word "jauh" is cognate with the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word "*zahaw", which means "distant, far away." | |||
| Thai | ไกล | ||
| ไกล derives from the Proto-Austroasiatic word *kaːl, shared with Vietnamese "xa", Lao "kǎay", and Khmer "keal". | |||
| Vietnamese | xa | ||
| "Xa" can also refer to distance or a place that is not close. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malayo | ||
Far in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | uzaq | ||
| "Uzaq" means "far" in Azerbaijani. It also refers to "a distant relative" in the Oghuz languages spoken in Turkey, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and parts of Iran and Iraq. | |||
| Kazakh | алыс | ||
| The Kazakh word "алыс" also means "wide", "spacious" or "distant in time". | |||
| Kyrgyz | алыс | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "алыс" not only means "far" but also refers to a specific type of horse race. | |||
| Tajik | дур | ||
| The word "дур" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Iranian *dura-, and is cognate with the English "door". | |||
| Turkmen | uzakda | ||
| Uzbek | uzoq | ||
| "Uzoq" has an alternate meaning of "lonely" or "isolated" in Uzbek | |||
| Uyghur | far | ||
Far in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loa | ||
| In old Hawaiian, "loa" could also mean "very" or a superlative form of "big" or "great." | |||
| Maori | tawhiti | ||
| Tawhiti also refers to the distant, spiritual world where the gods dwell. | |||
| Samoan | mamao | ||
| In Samoan, "mamao" is the opposite of "lata" (to be near), and refers to great distance, either spatial or metaphorical. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | malayo | ||
| "Malayô" also means "long" or "tall" in Tagalog. | |||
Far in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaya | ||
| Guarani | mombyry | ||
Far in International Languages
| Esperanto | malproksime | ||
| The word "malproksime" also means "improperly" or "badly". | |||
| Latin | tantum | ||
| 'Tantum' also means 'only' and is used in the genitive case after the neuter singular of superlatives, e.g. tantum optimi 'the best only'. | |||
Far in Others Languages
| Greek | μακριά | ||
| "Μακριά" also means "away from" or "remote" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | deb | ||
| The word "deb" also means "away" or "distant" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | dûr | ||
| The Kurdish word | |||
| Turkish | irak | ||
| The word "Irak" in Turkish also refers to a large area of land or an open field. | |||
| Xhosa | kude | ||
| Xhosa 'kude' (far, distant, remote, not close) has a figurative sense of 'a long time ago'. | |||
| Yiddish | ווייט | ||
| The Yiddish word "ווייט" (veyt) derives from the Middle High German word "wīt," meaning "broad" or "wide." | |||
| Zulu | kude | ||
| The Zulu word 'kude' also means 'to be away from or distant' or 'to be distant in time or space'. | |||
| Assamese | দূৰ | ||
| Aymara | jaya | ||
| Bhojpuri | ओहटा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދުރު | ||
| Dogri | दूर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malayo | ||
| Guarani | mombyry | ||
| Ilocano | adayo | ||
| Krio | fa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دوور | ||
| Maithili | दूर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯥꯞꯄ | ||
| Mizo | hla | ||
| Oromo | fagoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବହୁତ ଦୂର | ||
| Quechua | karu | ||
| Sanskrit | दूरम् | ||
| Tatar | ерак | ||
| Tigrinya | ርሑቅ | ||
| Tsonga | kule | ||