Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fine' is a small but mighty term, with a wide range of meanings and uses in the English language. It can be an adjective describing something as small, thin, or detailed, or it can be used to express approval or agreement. 'Fine' can also be a noun, referring to a penalty or payment, or a verb, meaning to impose a fine.
Beyond its everyday usage, the word 'fine' has a rich cultural and historical significance. For example, in music, 'fine' is used to indicate the point at which a repeated section should end. And in art, 'finesse' is a term used to describe the skill and delicacy of touch in the execution of a piece.
Given its versatility and importance, it's no wonder that someone might want to know the translation of 'fine' in different languages. Whether you're traveling to a foreign country, studying a new language, or simply expanding your cultural knowledge, understanding the nuances of this simple but powerful word can be a valuable tool.
Here are just a few examples of how 'fine' is translated in different languages:
Afrikaans | fyn | ||
In the Afrikaans term "fynskrif", the word "fyn" does not mean "fine", but "small" or "neat". | |||
Amharic | ደህና | ||
This is the most common usage of “ደህና,” meaning both 'alright' and 'healthy' at the same time. | |||
Hausa | lafiya | ||
The word "lafiya" in Hausa can also mean "health" or "well-being". | |||
Igbo | ezi | ||
In addition to its primary meaning of "okay," ezi has the secondary meaning of "easy" or "convenient" in Igbo. | |||
Malagasy | tsara | ||
The word "TSARA" can also mean "beautiful" or "good" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chabwino | ||
The word "chabwino" can also mean "good" or "beautiful" in Nyanja. | |||
Shona | zvakanaka | ||
The word "zvakanaka" in Shona is a combination of the words "zva" and "kanaka", meaning "of" and "good" respectively. | |||
Somali | ganaax | ||
The word "ganaax" can also mean "very much" or "a lot". | |||
Sesotho | hantle | ||
Sesotho's 'hantle' also means 'many' in English, indicating abundance. | |||
Swahili | vizuri | ||
The word "vizuri" in Swahili can also mean "well" or "good" when used in a general sense or to describe a state of being. | |||
Xhosa | kulungile | ||
Kulungile is also the name of a township in South Africa, as well as a suburb of East London. | |||
Yoruba | itanran | ||
The word "itanran" in Yoruba can also refer to a type of traditional Yoruba music or dance. | |||
Zulu | kulungile | ||
The word "kulungile" in Zulu can also mean "good\,"well", or "correct"} | |||
Bambara | a kan ɲi | ||
Ewe | enyo | ||
Kinyarwanda | neza | ||
Lingala | malamu | ||
Luganda | omutango | ||
Sepedi | tefišo | ||
Twi (Akan) | kama | ||
Arabic | غرامة | ||
In Arabic, "غرامة" also refers to compensation for an injury or wrong, such as "blood money." | |||
Hebrew | בסדר גמור | ||
The Hebrew word "בסדר גמור" literally means "in good order". | |||
Pashto | ښه | ||
In Pashto, the word "ښه" not only means "fine" but also "good" or "well". | |||
Arabic | غرامة | ||
In Arabic, "غرامة" also refers to compensation for an injury or wrong, such as "blood money." |
Albanian | gjobë | ||
The Albanian word "gjobë" has an Indo-European origin and is cognate with the Greek "zēmia" and the Latin "damnum", both meaning "loss" or "damage." | |||
Basque | ondo | ||
The Basque word "ondo" is a homophone with two distinct roots and meanings. | |||
Catalan | bé | ||
The word "bé" in Catalan can mean the opposite of "ugly" but also "good" or "fine" depending on the context. | |||
Croatian | fino | ||
The word "fino" in Croatian shares the same Latin root "finis" with the English "fine", meaning "end" or "boundary". | |||
Danish | bøde | ||
In Danish, the word "bøde" is also used to refer to a type of payment made to a priest or the church in exchange for forgiveness of sins. | |||
Dutch | prima | ||
The Dutch word "prima" is also used to describe something that is excellent or of high quality. | |||
English | fine | ||
The word "fine" originally meant "good" or "excellent" and was derived from the Latin word "finis," meaning "end" or "goal." | |||
French | bien | ||
"Bien" can also mean "goods" or "property" in French, derived from the Latin word "bona" meaning "the good things." | |||
Frisian | moai | ||
The Frisian word “moai” comes from the Old Frisian word “moie” meaning beautiful or handsome. | |||
Galician | ben | ||
The word "ben" in Galician derives from the Latin word "bene", meaning "well" or "good". | |||
German | fein | ||
The German word "fein" originally meant "pure" and is related to the Latin word "finis" (end, border). | |||
Icelandic | fínt | ||
The word "fínt" in Icelandic can also mean "pretty" or "beautiful". | |||
Irish | go breá | ||
Derived from Old Irish 'gebaim', the modern Irish 'gabhaim' meaning 'I take' | |||
Italian | bene | ||
The Italian word "bene" derives from the Latin "bene," meaning "well" or "good," and can also refer to "a good deed" or "an advantage." | |||
Luxembourgish | fein | ||
In Luxembourgish, "fein" can also mean "pretty", "nice", or "elegant". | |||
Maltese | multa | ||
The Maltese word "multa" is derived from the Latin word "multa," which originally meant "payment" or "sacrifice" and was used in a legal context to refer to a fine or penalty. | |||
Norwegian | fint | ||
The Norwegian word "fint" can also mean "clever" or "good-looking." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bem | ||
The word "bem" can also mean "good" or "well", depending on the context. | |||
Scots Gaelic | gu math | ||
The word "gu math" can also mean "well" or "as well as" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
Spanish | multa | ||
The noun "multa" (fine) derives from the Latin word "multa" (penalty), which also meant "multitude." | |||
Swedish | bra | ||
In Swedish, "bra" also means "good" or "well". | |||
Welsh | iawn | ||
Iawn's Proto-Celtic ancestor, *ēws-t-o-, is cognate with Latin augustus and Irish óe, 'noble'. |
Belarusian | выдатна | ||
The word "выдатна" in Belarusian can also mean "outstanding" or "eminent". | |||
Bosnian | u redu | ||
Red is a common word for fine in Slavic languages and u redu means 'in order' in Bosnian, similar to u redu in Serbo-Croatian. | |||
Bulgarian | глоба | ||
"Глоба" can also mean "penalty", "forfeit" or "indemnity". | |||
Czech | pokuta | ||
The Czech word "pokuta" is related to the verb "pokoušet", which means "to attempt". | |||
Estonian | hästi | ||
The word "hästi" can also mean "well" or "good" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | hieno | ||
Although the word "hieno" in Finnish means "fine" in English, it also has other meanings in different contexts. | |||
Hungarian | bírság | ||
The word "bírság" originates from the Slavic word "brisa", meaning "punishment" or "penalty." | |||
Latvian | labi | ||
The term “labi” is also used in a non-literal sense in Latvian and can be used to express feelings or perceptions of quality. For example, “laba filma” could be translated into English as either “the movie is fine” or “the movie is good”. | |||
Lithuanian | gerai | ||
The Lithuanian word “gerai” is also used as an adverb to describe a manner that is “right” or “well.” | |||
Macedonian | парична казна | ||
"Парична казна" comes from "казна" (treasure, money) and originally meant "treasury punishment". | |||
Polish | w porządku | ||
"W porządku" originally meant "in order" and was used to describe things that were in good condition or working properly. | |||
Romanian | amenda | ||
The word "amenda" in Romanian comes from the Latin "amanda", meaning "loss" or "damage". | |||
Russian | хорошо | ||
"Хорошо" can mean "very well," "well," or "okay," and it can also mean "it would be nice if..." and can be used in sarcastic contexts. | |||
Serbian | добро | ||
The word "добро" (pronounced "dobro") can also mean "good" or "kind" in Serbian, depending on the context. | |||
Slovak | fajn | ||
The word "fajn" in Slovak is derived from the German word "fein", meaning "fine" or "elegant"} | |||
Slovenian | v redu | ||
"V redu" can also mean "in order" or "in line" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | чудово | ||
The word "чудово" can also refer to the town of Chudovo in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. |
Bengali | ঠিক আছে | ||
"ঠিক আছে" is cognate with the Hindi word "thik hai," which was derived from the Persian word "thik," meaning "correct" or "right." | |||
Gujarati | સરસ | ||
"સરસ" (fine) means "good, tasty, beautiful, excellent" and comes from Sanskrit "सौरभ्य" (saurabhya), meaning "fragrance, pleasant smell." | |||
Hindi | ठीक | ||
The word 'ठीक' in Hindi can also mean 'accurate' or 'correct', and is related to the Sanskrit word 'tishtha', meaning 'to stand' or 'to be firm'. | |||
Kannada | ದಂಡ | ||
The word "ದಂಡ" (daṇḍa) in Kannada has roots in Sanskrit and can mean both "fine" (as a penalty) or a "military or police force". | |||
Malayalam | പിഴ | ||
The Malayalam word 'പിഴ' (piza) originates from the Sanskrit word 'piḍa' meaning 'affliction' or 'pain' and is also used to refer to a 'mistake' or 'error'. | |||
Marathi | ठीक आहे | ||
The Marathi word "ठीक आहे" (tee-kah aa-hey) originally meant "it is correct," and still retains that meaning, as well as having the connotation of "being in good health," similar to English "fine." | |||
Nepali | ठीक छ | ||
ठीक छ derives from Thik (correct) and Chha (is); it can also mean 'ok' or 'acceptable' depending on the context. | |||
Punjabi | ਠੀਕ ਹੈ | ||
The Punjabi word “thik” means “okay”, “correct”, “accurate” or “right” and is cognate with the Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bengali word “thik”, with similar meaning. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හොඳයි | ||
The word හොඳයි also means "good" or "satisfactory" in Sinhala. | |||
Tamil | நன்றாக இருக்கிறது | ||
Telugu | జరిమానా | ||
The word "జరిమానా" derives from the Persian word "jarīma", meaning "crime" or "punishment", and is also used in other Indian languages. | |||
Urdu | ٹھیک | ||
The Urdu word "ٹھیک" (fine) can also mean "correct" or "accurate". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 精细 | ||
"精细" originally referred specifically to the fineness of silk, in contrast to the coarser texture of cotton or hemp. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 精細 | ||
精細 may refer to the physical property or the state of a process or result. | |||
Japanese | 罰金 | ||
The kanji 罰金 can also be used to refer to a fine imposed by the police for a traffic violation. | |||
Korean | 좋아 | ||
"좋아" also means "I like it" in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | зүгээр | ||
Зүгээр is related to the word зү (zü) meaning 'straight', 'correct', 'right' and зүй (züi) 'custom', 'regulation', 'law'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကောင်းပါတယ် | ||
Indonesian | baik | ||
The Indonesian word "baik" is related to the Malay word "baik" and ultimately derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *baqay, meaning "good." | |||
Javanese | ora apa-apa | ||
"Ora apa-apa" in Javanese means "it's nothing" but can also be used dismissively as "whatever" or "who cares" | |||
Khmer | ល្អ | ||
The word ល្អ in Khmer, derived from Sanskrit, is an umbrella term meaning "good," "beautiful," "excellent," and "pleasant," signifying an overall favorable state. | |||
Lao | ປັບໄຫມ | ||
Malay | baiklah | ||
Baiklah was originally derived from Sanskrit and meant "to say", "to call" or "to ask". In Javanese, the word "baik" means "good". | |||
Thai | ละเอียด | ||
ละเอียด can also mean detailed, meticulous, or accurate in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | khỏe | ||
"Khỏe" also means "healthy" in Vietnamese, and is related to the word "khoán" (to calculate, to plan), suggesting a sense of balance and well-being. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ayos lang | ||
Azerbaijani | yaxşı | ||
The word "yaxşı" can also mean "well" or "good", and is related to the Turkish word "iyi". | |||
Kazakh | жақсы | ||
"Жақсы" in Kazakh, meaning "good," derives from the Proto-Turkic verb *jaq- "to be good, suitable, convenient". | |||
Kyrgyz | жакшы | ||
The word "жакшы" can also mean "good" or "well" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | хуб | ||
The origin of the word “хуб” is Persian (Persian: خوب). The original meaning of this word is good. | |||
Turkmen | gowy | ||
Uzbek | yaxshi | ||
In Uzbek, "yaxshi" also means "good" and is cognate with the Turkish word "iyi" with the same meaning. | |||
Uyghur | جەرىمانە | ||
Hawaiian | maikaʻi | ||
The Hawaiian word "maika'i" means more than just "fine"; it also connotes goodness, excellence, and beauty. | |||
Maori | pai | ||
The word "pai" can also refer to "good" or "excellence" in Maori, and is related to the word "pā" meaning "fortification" or "stronghold". | |||
Samoan | manuia | ||
Manuia derives from the Proto-Polynesian words *manawa* (“good, successful, pleasing, lucky”) and *-fia* (“causative”). | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | ayos lang | ||
"Ayos lang" also means "okay" or "all right" in Tagalog and is used to express agreement or give permission. |
Aymara | waliki | ||
Guarani | multa | ||
Esperanto | bone | ||
In Esperanto, "bone" can also mean "good" or "well". In English, "bone" can also mean "good" or "something excellent". | |||
Latin | denique | ||
Denique can also be translated as "finally, in short, or in a word." |
Greek | πρόστιμο | ||
The word "πρόστιμο" in Greek comes from the ancient Greek "προεστὼς". It meant "he who stands first", a magistrate or leader. | |||
Hmong | nplua | ||
The Hmong word "nplua" can also refer to the quality of a person's voice or appearance. | |||
Kurdish | baş | ||
The Kurdish word "baş" can also refer to "the top" or "the main thing". | |||
Turkish | ince | ||
The Turkish word "ince" can also mean "thin", "subtle", or "delicate". | |||
Xhosa | kulungile | ||
Kulungile is also the name of a township in South Africa, as well as a suburb of East London. | |||
Yiddish | פייַן | ||
Yiddish derives the word "פייַן" from Middle High German "fin", meaning "good" or "excellent". | |||
Zulu | kulungile | ||
The word "kulungile" in Zulu can also mean "good\,"well", or "correct"} | |||
Assamese | জৰিমনা | ||
Aymara | waliki | ||
Bhojpuri | नीक | ||
Dhivehi | ހިމުން | ||
Dogri | ठीक | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ayos lang | ||
Guarani | multa | ||
Ilocano | nasayaat | ||
Krio | fayn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | باش | ||
Maithili | बढ़ियां | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯔꯦ | ||
Mizo | tha | ||
Oromo | nagaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଭଲ ଅଛି | ||
Quechua | allinmi | ||
Sanskrit | दण्डः | ||
Tatar | әйбәт | ||
Tigrinya | ደሓን | ||
Tsonga | lulamile | ||