Favorite in different languages

Favorite in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

Our favorite things bring us joy, comfort, and a sense of connection to the world around us. From cherished childhood memories to daily habits, the word 'favorite' carries significant weight in our lives. Its cultural importance transcends borders and languages, making it a universal concept that unites us all.

Did you know that the English word 'favorite' comes from the Latin 'favoritus,' meaning 'to show favor'? Or that in Japan, 'favorite' is translated to 'sukina mono,' which literally means 'what one likes'? In Spain, 'favorite' becomes 'favorito,' while in Germany, it's 'der Favorit.'

Understanding the translation of 'favorite' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural appreciation. It can help us connect with people from all over the world, learn about their customs and traditions, and even discover new favorite things along the way.

Join us as we explore the many translations of 'favorite' and delve into the fascinating history and significance behind this simple yet powerful word.

Favorite


Favorite in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansgunsteling
"Gunsteling" is derived from the Dutch word "gunst", meaning "favor", and the suffix "-ling", indicating a person or thing that receives favor.
Amharicየሚወደድ
የሚወደድ (favorite) literally means "the one who is loved" in Amharic.
Hausafi so
"Fi so" is a shortened form of the phrase "fi son samu", which means "to find something that satisfies".
Igboọkacha mmasị
The Igbo word "ọkacha mmasị" can also mean "the most precious thing" or "the most beloved person."
Malagasytoerana tena
The word "toerana tena" may stem from "toerana tena tiany", or the place that you really like.
Nyanja (Chichewa)wokondedwa
The root word 'konda' means 'to like', while the suffix '-edwa' denotes a passive form, indicating something that is liked.
Shonakufarira
"Kufarira" also means "to love dearly" in Shona, signifying the special bond between someone or something beloved and oneself.
Somalijecel
In some Somali dialects, "jecel" is also used to refer to a close friend or confidante.
Sesothoratang
Ratang in Sesotho can also mean 'sweet' (in reference to a song).
Swahilikipendwa
The word "kipendwa" in Swahili is derived from the verb "kupenda," meaning "to love" or "to be fond of."
Xhosaintandokazi
In Zulu, 'intandokazi' means 'princess' or 'wife of a chief'.
Yorubaayanfẹ
Although 'ayanfẹ' is commonly translated as 'favorite,' it more literally means 'one who brings joy' or 'one who brings peace.'
Zuluintandokazi
In Zulu, "intandokazi" also means "sweetheart" or "lover".
Bambarakɛrɛnkɛrɛnlen
Ewesi wodina
Kinyarwandaukunda
Lingalaoyo balingaka
Luganda-singa okwagalwa
Sepedimmamoratwa
Twi (Akan)apɛdeɛ

Favorite in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمفضل
The word "مفضل" also has the secondary meaning of "the most preferred" or "the one who is given preference over others" in the Arabic language.
Hebrewאהוב
The word "אהוב" (favorite) can also mean "beloved" or "dear" in Hebrew.
Pashtoغوره
The Pashto word "غوره" can also refer to the tip or bud of a plant or flower
Arabicمفضل
The word "مفضل" also has the secondary meaning of "the most preferred" or "the one who is given preference over others" in the Arabic language.

Favorite in Western European Languages

Albaniani preferuar
The archaic form of "i preferuar" derives from the Latin word "praeferre," meaning "to carry out in front."
Basquegogokoena
"Gogokoena" is a loanword from Spanish, "gozo," which in Spanish can also mean "enjoyment" or "happiness."
Catalanfavorit
The Catalan word "favorit" also means "godchild" or "favorite pupil".
Croatianomiljeni
The original meaning of "omiljeni" was "scented" which comes from the fact that favorite people would wear sweet smelling flowers.
Danishfavorit
In Danish, "favorit" also means "the person or thing one likes best" or "the one who is preferred over others."
Dutchfavoriete
In Dutch, "favoriete" can also refer to a piece of jewelry or a preferred card in a game.
Englishfavorite
"Favorite" derives from the Latin word "favor," meaning "goodwill" or "kindness."
Frenchfavori
Frisianfavoryt
Favoryt means both 'favorite' and 'wife of a prince', and comes from Latin 'favere' (= to favor).
Galicianfavorito
In Galician, "favorito" can also refer to the winner of a competition
Germanlieblings
The word "Lieblings" is derived from the Old High German word "liob", meaning "dear" or "beloved".
Icelandicuppáhalds
Uppáhalds originated from a term referring to an offering to a deity (particularly Freyr) for good harvests.
Irishis fearr leat
The phrase "is fearr leat" is the comparative form of "fearr," meaning "better," and therefore directly translates to "I prefer."
Italianpreferito
The Italian word "preferito" can also be used to mean "chosen beforehand" or "foreordained"
Luxembourgishbeléifsten
The word "beléifsten" is derived from the Old High German word "bilībistun", meaning "to believe" or "to love". In Luxembourgish, "beléifsten" retains its original meaning of "to believe" or "to trust", but it has also acquired the additional meaning of "favorite".
Maltesefavorit
In Maltese, "favorit" carries additional connotations of "beloved" or "esteemed" beyond its literal meaning of "favorite".
Norwegianfavoritt
The word "favoritt" can also mean "side dish" or "appetizer" in Norwegian, but has its origin in the French word "favori" meaning "favorite"
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)favorito
In Portuguese, "favorito" can also mean "bastard" or "illegitimate child".
Scots Gaelicas fheàrr leotha
Spanishfavorito
Swedishfavorit-
"Favorit" in Swedish originally meant "a person in whom one places special confidence".
Welshhoff
The term hoff also applies to a type of small-scale farming prevalent in pre-industrial Wales, where a tenant farmer pays rent to a landowner in the form of produce.

Favorite in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianлюбімы
The word "любімы" can also mean "beloved" or "dear" in Belarusian.
Bosnianomiljeni
The word "omiljeni" in Bosnian comes from the Slavic word "mil" meaning "dear" or "beloved".
Bulgarianлюбим
The Bulgarian word "любим" can also mean "beloved", "dear", or "sweetheart"
Czechoblíbený
"Oblíbený" is a loan from Polish, and shares the root “lub” with “love” in many Slavic languages.
Estonianlemmik
The Estonian word "lemmik" is also used to refer to a person who is loved or admired.
Finnishsuosikki-
Suosikki comes from the word suoda "to grant," meaning something that is "granted" or "gifted" and therefore preferred.
Hungariankedvenc
In old Hungarian the word "kedvenc" also meant "beloved one" or "lover".
Latvianmīļākais
The Latvian word "mīļākais" is derived from the Proto-Baltic word *meiła-, meaning "cute" or "handsome".
Lithuanianmėgstamiausias
The word "mėgstamiausias" is derived from the verb "mėgti", which means "to love" or "to like".
Macedonianомилен
The word "омилен" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*lьubeti", meaning "to love".
Polishulubiony
"Ulubiony" in Polish shares the root with "ulubić" meaning to "to like fondly" and "luby" meaning "dear, loved one".
Romanianfavorită
The Romanian word "favorită" can also refer to a small piece of pastry or cake.
Russianлюбимый
The Russian word "любимый" (lyubimy) also means "beloved" or "dear". While the word can be used to express favoritism, it has a more profound and affectionate connotation than merely "favorite."
Serbianомиљени
The word 'омиљени' originates from the Old Church Slavonic 'милъ', meaning 'dear' or 'beloved'.
Slovakobľúbený
The word "obľúbený" can also refer to something that is "beloved" or "well-liked."
Sloveniannajljubši
The word "najljubši" is derived from the Slavic word "ljubiti", meaning "to love".
Ukrainianулюблений
"Улюблений" comes from the verb "любити", meaning "to love", and is used for both inanimate and animate objects.

Favorite in South Asian Languages

Bengaliপ্রিয়
In Bengali, "প্রিয়" not only means "favorite" but also signifies "dear" or "beloved".
Gujaratiપ્રિય
The word "priya" can also refer to a beloved person, especially a wife or lover.
Hindiपसंदीदा
The word पसंदीदा "pasandeeda" is also used in the context of love, or acceptance, depending on the context.
Kannadaನೆಚ್ಚಿನ
The word "ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ" can also refer to a person or thing that is loved or cherished.
Malayalamപ്രിയപ്പെട്ടവ
Marathiआवडते
The Marathi word "आवडते" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आवर्त्तते" which means "to repeat"}
Nepaliमनपर्ने
The word मनपर्ने comes from the Sanskrit word मनस् (manas), meaning "mind", and प्रिय (priya), meaning "dear" or "beloved."
Punjabiਪਸੰਦੀਦਾ
The word "pasandeeda" in Punjabi is derived from the Persian word "pasand" meaning "choice" or "selection."
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ප්රියතම
"ප්රියතම" also means 'dear, beloved' or 'very dear or affectionate'"
Tamilபிடித்தது
Teluguఇష్టమైన
In Telugu, “ఇష్టమైన” is also used to denote something that is pleasing, enjoyable, or agreeable.
Urduپسندیدہ
The word "پسندیدہ" (pasandeeda) derives from the Persian word "پسند" (pasand), meaning "approval" or "consent". It also has a secondary meaning in Urdu, referring to a "beloved" or "darling" person.

Favorite in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)喜爱
喜爱, originally meaning "to love something," is a compound of 愛 "to love" and 喜 "to be happy; to delight in something."
Chinese (Traditional)喜愛
Japaneseお気に入り
The word お気に入り can also mean "bookmark" in Japanese, as it is used to mark web pages or other items that a user wishes to revisit.
Korean특히 잘하는
The word "특히 잘하는" literally means "doing particularly well" in Korean.
Mongolianдуртай
"Дуртай" means "favorite" in Mongolian, but it can also mean "lover" or "sweetheart"
Myanmar (Burmese)အကြိုက်ဆုံး

Favorite in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianfavorit
In Indonesian, favorit can also refer to something that is most often used, such as a favorite road to travel or a favorite food.
Javanesefavorit
In Javanese, "favorit" is derived from the word "piyantun" meaning "favorite person" or "loved one".
Khmerចូលចិត្ត
The word "ចូលចិត្ត" ("favorite") in Khmer literally translates to "to enter the heart".
Laoມັກທີ່ສຸດ
Malaykegemaran
Kegemaran can also mean passion or inclination in addition to favorite.
Thaiรายการโปรด
รายการโปรด was derived from the Sanskrit word "priya" which means "dear" or "beloved."
Vietnameseyêu thích
Yêu thích is a compound of "yêu" (love) and "thích" (like), suggesting a deep or strong preference.
Filipino (Tagalog)paborito

Favorite in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanisevimli
The word "sevimli" also means "cute" in Azerbaijani, suggesting a fondness and affection for something or someone.
Kazakhсүйікті
The word "сүйікті" in Kazakh can also mean "beloved" or "darling."
Kyrgyzсүйүктүү
The Kyrgyz word "сүйүктүү" (favorite) also means "beloved one" or "person of the heart."
Tajikдӯстдошта
The word "дӯстдошта" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "دوست‌داشتن" (doos-daa-shtan), which means "to love".
Turkmenhalaýan
Uzbeksevimli
The Uzbek word "sevimli" can also mean "cute" or "adorable".
Uyghurياقتۇرىدىغان

Favorite in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianpunahele
"Punahele" can also mean "to cherish, to treasure" in Hawaiian.
Maoritino pai
The word "tino pai" is translated as "favorite" in English, and it originates from the Maori language; "tino" means "great" or "very" while "pai" means "good".
Samoanfiafia i ai
The word "fiafia i ai" can also be used to describe something that is enjoyed or brings happiness to someone.
Tagalog (Filipino)paborito
'Paborito' in Tagalog is derived from Spanish 'favorito'. It also means 'to favor' in the sense of supporting a political candidate.

Favorite in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaramunata
Guaraniguerohoryvéva

Favorite in International Languages

Esperantoŝatata
"Ŝatata" is derived from the root "ŝat" meaning "to love" and the suffix "-ata" meaning "the one being loved".
Latinventus
Ventus in Latin also signifies 'favorable wind' and is used in meteorology.

Favorite in Others Languages

Greekαγαπημένη
"Αγαπημένη" in Greek means "favorite", but it also carries the ancient meaning of "beloved" or "dear one."
Hmongnyiam
"Nyiam" can also mean "to want" or "to crave".
Kurdishhezkirî
Hezkirî, 'the one to be kept, treasured,' also means 'to make beloved' in Kurdish.
Turkishfavori
The word "favori" is derived from the French word "favori", meaning "favorite" or "well-liked".
Xhosaintandokazi
In Zulu, 'intandokazi' means 'princess' or 'wife of a chief'.
Yiddishבאַליבט
באַליבט comes from the Slavic word balovanyj, meaning "spoiled" or "pampered"
Zuluintandokazi
In Zulu, "intandokazi" also means "sweetheart" or "lover".
Assameseপ্ৰিয়
Aymaramunata
Bhojpuriपसंदीदा
Dhivehiކަމުދާ
Dogriपसंदीदा
Filipino (Tagalog)paborito
Guaraniguerohoryvéva
Ilocanokaykayat
Kriobɛst
Kurdish (Sorani)خوازراو
Maithiliप्रिय
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯄꯥꯝꯖꯕ
Mizoduhbik
Oromojaallatamaa
Odia (Oriya)ପ୍ରିୟ
Quechuamunasqa
Sanskritप्रिय
Tatarяраткан
Tigrinyaባህጊ
Tsongaxirhandzwa

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