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
| Afrikaans | gunsteling | ||
| "Gunsteling" is derived from the Dutch word "gunst", meaning "favor", and the suffix "-ling", indicating a person or thing that receives favor. | |||
| Amharic | የሚወደድ | ||
| የሚወደድ (favorite) literally means "the one who is loved" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | fi so | ||
| "Fi so" is a shortened form of the phrase "fi son samu", which means "to find something that satisfies". | |||
| Igbo | ọkacha mmasị | ||
| The Igbo word "ọkacha mmasị" can also mean "the most precious thing" or "the most beloved person." | |||
| Malagasy | toerana 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. | |||
| Shona | kufarira | ||
| "Kufarira" also means "to love dearly" in Shona, signifying the special bond between someone or something beloved and oneself. | |||
| Somali | jecel | ||
| In some Somali dialects, "jecel" is also used to refer to a close friend or confidante. | |||
| Sesotho | ratang | ||
| Ratang in Sesotho can also mean 'sweet' (in reference to a song). | |||
| Swahili | kipendwa | ||
| The word "kipendwa" in Swahili is derived from the verb "kupenda," meaning "to love" or "to be fond of." | |||
| Xhosa | intandokazi | ||
| In Zulu, 'intandokazi' means 'princess' or 'wife of a chief'. | |||
| Yoruba | ayanfẹ | ||
| Although 'ayanfẹ' is commonly translated as 'favorite,' it more literally means 'one who brings joy' or 'one who brings peace.' | |||
| Zulu | intandokazi | ||
| In Zulu, "intandokazi" also means "sweetheart" or "lover". | |||
| Bambara | kɛrɛnkɛrɛnlen | ||
| Ewe | si wodina | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ukunda | ||
| Lingala | oyo balingaka | ||
| Luganda | -singa okwagalwa | ||
| Sepedi | mmamoratwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | apɛdeɛ | ||
Favorite in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مفضل | ||
| 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. | |||
| Hebrew | אהוב | ||
| The word "אהוב" (favorite) can also mean "beloved" or "dear" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | غوره | ||
| The Pashto word "غوره" can also refer to the tip or bud of a plant or flower | |||
| Arabic | مفضل | ||
| 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
| Albanian | i preferuar | ||
| The archaic form of "i preferuar" derives from the Latin word "praeferre," meaning "to carry out in front." | |||
| Basque | gogokoena | ||
| "Gogokoena" is a loanword from Spanish, "gozo," which in Spanish can also mean "enjoyment" or "happiness." | |||
| Catalan | favorit | ||
| The Catalan word "favorit" also means "godchild" or "favorite pupil". | |||
| Croatian | omiljeni | ||
| The original meaning of "omiljeni" was "scented" which comes from the fact that favorite people would wear sweet smelling flowers. | |||
| Danish | favorit | ||
| In Danish, "favorit" also means "the person or thing one likes best" or "the one who is preferred over others." | |||
| Dutch | favoriete | ||
| In Dutch, "favoriete" can also refer to a piece of jewelry or a preferred card in a game. | |||
| English | favorite | ||
| "Favorite" derives from the Latin word "favor," meaning "goodwill" or "kindness." | |||
| French | favori | ||
| Frisian | favoryt | ||
| Favoryt means both 'favorite' and 'wife of a prince', and comes from Latin 'favere' (= to favor). | |||
| Galician | favorito | ||
| In Galician, "favorito" can also refer to the winner of a competition | |||
| German | lieblings | ||
| The word "Lieblings" is derived from the Old High German word "liob", meaning "dear" or "beloved". | |||
| Icelandic | uppáhalds | ||
| Uppáhalds originated from a term referring to an offering to a deity (particularly Freyr) for good harvests. | |||
| Irish | is fearr leat | ||
| The phrase "is fearr leat" is the comparative form of "fearr," meaning "better," and therefore directly translates to "I prefer." | |||
| Italian | preferito | ||
| The Italian word "preferito" can also be used to mean "chosen beforehand" or "foreordained" | |||
| Luxembourgish | beléifsten | ||
| 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". | |||
| Maltese | favorit | ||
| In Maltese, "favorit" carries additional connotations of "beloved" or "esteemed" beyond its literal meaning of "favorite". | |||
| Norwegian | favoritt | ||
| 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 Gaelic | as fheàrr leotha | ||
| Spanish | favorito | ||
| Swedish | favorit- | ||
| "Favorit" in Swedish originally meant "a person in whom one places special confidence". | |||
| Welsh | hoff | ||
| 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
| Belarusian | любімы | ||
| The word "любімы" can also mean "beloved" or "dear" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | omiljeni | ||
| The word "omiljeni" in Bosnian comes from the Slavic word "mil" meaning "dear" or "beloved". | |||
| Bulgarian | любим | ||
| The Bulgarian word "любим" can also mean "beloved", "dear", or "sweetheart" | |||
| Czech | oblíbený | ||
| "Oblíbený" is a loan from Polish, and shares the root “lub” with “love” in many Slavic languages. | |||
| Estonian | lemmik | ||
| The Estonian word "lemmik" is also used to refer to a person who is loved or admired. | |||
| Finnish | suosikki- | ||
| Suosikki comes from the word suoda "to grant," meaning something that is "granted" or "gifted" and therefore preferred. | |||
| Hungarian | kedvenc | ||
| In old Hungarian the word "kedvenc" also meant "beloved one" or "lover". | |||
| Latvian | mīļākais | ||
| The Latvian word "mīļākais" is derived from the Proto-Baltic word *meiła-, meaning "cute" or "handsome". | |||
| Lithuanian | mėgstamiausias | ||
| The word "mėgstamiausias" is derived from the verb "mėgti", which means "to love" or "to like". | |||
| Macedonian | омилен | ||
| The word "омилен" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*lьubeti", meaning "to love". | |||
| Polish | ulubiony | ||
| "Ulubiony" in Polish shares the root with "ulubić" meaning to "to like fondly" and "luby" meaning "dear, loved one". | |||
| Romanian | favorită | ||
| The Romanian word "favorită" can also refer to a small piece of pastry or cake. | |||
| Russian | любимый | ||
| 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." | |||
| Serbian | омиљени | ||
| The word 'омиљени' originates from the Old Church Slavonic 'милъ', meaning 'dear' or 'beloved'. | |||
| Slovak | obľúbený | ||
| The word "obľúbený" can also refer to something that is "beloved" or "well-liked." | |||
| Slovenian | najljubši | ||
| The word "najljubši" is derived from the Slavic word "ljubiti", meaning "to love". | |||
| Ukrainian | улюблений | ||
| "Улюблений" comes from the verb "любити", meaning "to love", and is used for both inanimate and animate objects. | |||
Favorite in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রিয় | ||
| In Bengali, "প্রিয়" not only means "favorite" but also signifies "dear" or "beloved". | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રિય | ||
| The word "priya" can also refer to a beloved person, especially a wife or lover. | |||
| Hindi | पसंदीदा | ||
| The word पसंदीदा "pasandeeda" is also used in the context of love, or acceptance, depending on the context. | |||
| Kannada | ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ | ||
| The word "ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ" can also refer to a person or thing that is loved or cherished. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രിയപ്പെട്ടവ | ||
| Marathi | आवडते | ||
| The Marathi word "आवडते" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आवर्त्तते" which means "to repeat"} | |||
| Nepali | मनपर्ने | ||
| The word मनपर्ने comes from the Sanskrit word मनस् (manas), meaning "mind", and प्रिय (priya), meaning "dear" or "beloved." | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਸੰਦੀਦਾ | ||
| 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'" | |||
| Tamil | பிடித்தது | ||
| Telugu | ఇష్టమైన | ||
| In Telugu, “ఇష్టమైన” is also used to denote something that is pleasing, enjoyable, or agreeable. | |||
| Urdu | پسندیدہ | ||
| 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. | |||
| Korean | 특히 잘하는 | ||
| The word "특히 잘하는" literally means "doing particularly well" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | дуртай | ||
| "Дуртай" means "favorite" in Mongolian, but it can also mean "lover" or "sweetheart" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကြိုက်ဆုံး | ||
Favorite in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | favorit | ||
| In Indonesian, favorit can also refer to something that is most often used, such as a favorite road to travel or a favorite food. | |||
| Javanese | favorit | ||
| In Javanese, "favorit" is derived from the word "piyantun" meaning "favorite person" or "loved one". | |||
| Khmer | ចូលចិត្ត | ||
| The word "ចូលចិត្ត" ("favorite") in Khmer literally translates to "to enter the heart". | |||
| Lao | ມັກທີ່ສຸດ | ||
| Malay | kegemaran | ||
| Kegemaran can also mean passion or inclination in addition to favorite. | |||
| Thai | รายการโปรด | ||
| รายการโปรด was derived from the Sanskrit word "priya" which means "dear" or "beloved." | |||
| Vietnamese | yêu 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
| Azerbaijani | sevimli | ||
| The word "sevimli" also means "cute" in Azerbaijani, suggesting a fondness and affection for something or someone. | |||
| Kazakh | сүйікті | ||
| The word "сүйікті" in Kazakh can also mean "beloved" or "darling." | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүйүктүү | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "сүйүктүү" (favorite) also means "beloved one" or "person of the heart." | |||
| Tajik | дӯстдошта | ||
| The word "дӯстдошта" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "دوستداشتن" (doos-daa-shtan), which means "to love". | |||
| Turkmen | halaýan | ||
| Uzbek | sevimli | ||
| The Uzbek word "sevimli" can also mean "cute" or "adorable". | |||
| Uyghur | ياقتۇرىدىغان | ||
Favorite in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | punahele | ||
| "Punahele" can also mean "to cherish, to treasure" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | tino 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". | |||
| Samoan | fiafia 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
| Aymara | munata | ||
| Guarani | guerohoryvéva | ||
Favorite in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝatata | ||
| "Ŝatata" is derived from the root "ŝat" meaning "to love" and the suffix "-ata" meaning "the one being loved". | |||
| Latin | ventus | ||
| Ventus in Latin also signifies 'favorable wind' and is used in meteorology. | |||
Favorite in Others Languages
| Greek | αγαπημένη | ||
| "Αγαπημένη" in Greek means "favorite", but it also carries the ancient meaning of "beloved" or "dear one." | |||
| Hmong | nyiam | ||
| "Nyiam" can also mean "to want" or "to crave". | |||
| Kurdish | hezkirî | ||
| Hezkirî, 'the one to be kept, treasured,' also means 'to make beloved' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | favori | ||
| The word "favori" is derived from the French word "favori", meaning "favorite" or "well-liked". | |||
| Xhosa | intandokazi | ||
| In Zulu, 'intandokazi' means 'princess' or 'wife of a chief'. | |||
| Yiddish | באַליבט | ||
| באַליבט comes from the Slavic word balovanyj, meaning "spoiled" or "pampered" | |||
| Zulu | intandokazi | ||
| In Zulu, "intandokazi" also means "sweetheart" or "lover". | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰিয় | ||
| Aymara | munata | ||
| Bhojpuri | पसंदीदा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަމުދާ | ||
| Dogri | पसंदीदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paborito | ||
| Guarani | guerohoryvéva | ||
| Ilocano | kaykayat | ||
| Krio | bɛst | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خوازراو | ||
| Maithili | प्रिय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯝꯖꯕ | ||
| Mizo | duhbik | ||
| Oromo | jaallatamaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରିୟ | ||
| Quechua | munasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रिय | ||
| Tatar | яраткан | ||
| Tigrinya | ባህጊ | ||
| Tsonga | xirhandzwa | ||