Flame in Different Languages
Discover 'Flame' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'flame' holds a special significance in our lives, often symbolizing warmth, passion, and transformation. From the dancing flames of a campfire to the flickering flame of a candle, these fiery tongues have captivated us for centuries, shaping our cultures and stories. Did you know that the ancient Greeks believed that fire was one of the four basic elements of the universe? Or that the Olympic flame is a symbol of continuity, representing the link between the ancient and modern Games?
Understanding the translation of 'flame' in different languages can offer a unique glimpse into the cultural importance of this natural phenomenon. For instance, in Spanish, 'flame' is 'llama', in French, it's 'flamme', while in German, it's 'Flamme'. These translations not only help us communicate across linguistic boundaries but also allow us to appreciate the beauty and significance of flame in various cultural contexts.
Flame
Flame in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vlam | ||
| "Vlam" can also refer to a sharp pain, a sudden outburst of anger or a great passion. | |||
| Amharic | ነበልባል | ||
| The word ነበልባል may also refer to a type of bird known as a blue-naped mousebird. | |||
| Hausa | harshen wuta | ||
| The word "harshen wuta" can also refer to the act of using harsh language or cursing someone | |||
| Igbo | oku | ||
| "Oku" in Igbo also means "spirit" or "deity" and comes from "oku," meaning "to burn" or "consume." | |||
| Malagasy | lelafo | ||
| The Malagasy word "lelafo" is a derivative of the Proto-Austronesian root "*lapaw" meaning "fire" or "flame". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lawi | ||
| The word "lawi" can refer to both a "flame" and a "firebrand" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | murazvo | ||
| The Shona word "murazvo" can also refer to the red or orange color of flames. | |||
| Somali | olol | ||
| "Olol" is also used to refer to a fire-bringer or a light-bringer in Somali mythology. | |||
| Sesotho | lelakabe | ||
| The word 'lelakabe' can also refer to a type of red or orange bead used in traditional Sesotho jewelry or spiritual practices. | |||
| Swahili | mwali | ||
| The word "mwali" can also mean "heat" | |||
| Xhosa | idangatye | ||
| The Xhosa word "idangatye" can also mean "anger" or "zeal". | |||
| Yoruba | ina | ||
| The word "ina" in Yoruba can also refer to a type of tree, the flame tree or the royal poinciana (Delonix regia). | |||
| Zulu | ilangabi | ||
| In Zulu, "ilangabi" is derived from the word "langa", meaning "sun", and is often used to refer to the flames burning on the sun's surface. | |||
| Bambara | tasuma | ||
| Ewe | dzobibi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | flame | ||
| Lingala | mɔ́tɔ ya mɔ́tɔ | ||
| Luganda | ennimi z’omuliro | ||
| Sepedi | kgabo ya mollo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ogyaframa | ||
Flame in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لهب | ||
| The word "لهب" can refer to both fire and its burning sensation. | |||
| Hebrew | לֶהָבָה | ||
| The word "להבה" (flame) in Hebrew also has the alternate meaning of "inspiration" or "ardor". | |||
| Pashto | لمبه | ||
| The Pashto term "لمبه" (flame) has multiple meanings, including "light" or "fire" in other contexts | |||
| Arabic | لهب | ||
| The word "لهب" can refer to both fire and its burning sensation. | |||
Flame in Western European Languages
| Albanian | flakë | ||
| The word "flakë" in Albanian is related to the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰleh₂, meaning "to shine". | |||
| Basque | garra | ||
| The alternative etymology for the word “garra” means a “rock” which often occurs near volcanoes. | |||
| Catalan | flama | ||
| In Catalan, the word "flama" comes from the Latin word "flamma", but it also means "flower" in its plural form, "flames". | |||
| Croatian | plamen | ||
| Danish | flamme | ||
| The word "flamme" in Danish can also refer to a type of pastry similar to a French crêpe but made with yeast and often filled with fruit or cheese. | |||
| Dutch | vlam | ||
| The Dutch word "vlam" originates from the Proto-Germanic verb "*flammanan," also found in the English word "flame". | |||
| English | flame | ||
| The word "flame" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhel-, meaning "to shine" or "to burn". | |||
| French | flamme | ||
| The word "flamme" also means "passion" or "ardor" in French. | |||
| Frisian | flam | ||
| The Frisian word "flam" also means "flattery" or "nonsense", derived from the Old Saxon "flemm" meaning "foolish talk". | |||
| Galician | chama | ||
| The Galician word "chama" also means "call" and derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʰey-mo-" (to call) alongside the Latin word "clamo" (I cry out). | |||
| German | flamme | ||
| In German, "Flamme" also refers to a type of pancake or pastry filling. | |||
| Icelandic | logi | ||
| The word "logi" is theorized to mean more accurately "afterburn" as the "g" sound in Old Norse was often inserted as a euphonic sound into words or as alliteration without semantic purpose. | |||
| Irish | lasair | ||
| The word 'lasair' in Irish can also mean 'brightness', 'light', or 'beauty'. | |||
| Italian | fiamma | ||
| The etymology of "fiamma" (flame) in Italian can be traced back to the Latin "flamma" (blaze), which originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhel-," meaning "to shine" or "to burn." | |||
| Luxembourgish | flaam | ||
| The word "Flaam" in Luxembourgish has the same root as "flamme" in French and "flame" in English, all deriving from the Latin "flamma". | |||
| Maltese | fjamma | ||
| Maltese "fjamma" is derived from the Arabic "lamma," meaning "spark". | |||
| Norwegian | flamme | ||
| In Norwegian, "flamme" can also mean "flamboyance" or "exaggeration." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | chama | ||
| Chama can also refer to the upper surface of fire or fire-based phenomena. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lasair | ||
| Scots Gaelic lasair may derive from the verb las which means 'to burn'. | |||
| Spanish | fuego | ||
| The Spanish word "fuego" can also refer to a fire as an uncontrolled occurrence, a gunfight, or passion or ardor. | |||
| Swedish | flamma | ||
| In Swedish, "flamma" is also used figuratively to describe a person's lively and passionate nature. | |||
| Welsh | fflam | ||
| "Fflam" is the Welsh word for "flame," and is also thought to be the root of the word "flamorous," meaning "showy or extravagant." | |||
Flame in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | полымя | ||
| The word "полымя" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "polti", meaning "to burn" or "to blaze". | |||
| Bosnian | plamen | ||
| The Bosnian word "plamen" has the additional meanings of "love" or "desire". | |||
| Bulgarian | пламък | ||
| The word "пламък" (flame) in Bulgarian is rooted in the Proto-Slavic word *polmenъ, which also meant "hot". This suggests an ancient connection between fire and heat in Slavic culture. | |||
| Czech | plamen | ||
| Czech "plamen" also means "the flame of life" or "spirit", reflecting that life is a flame that can be extinguished. | |||
| Estonian | leek | ||
| The noun 'leek' is a cognate of the German 'leuchten', meaning 'to shine'. | |||
| Finnish | liekki | ||
| "liekki" is a cognate of the word "lakko" ("strike") and can also mean "a sudden flash or outburst of anger". | |||
| Hungarian | láng | ||
| "Láng" is also a Hungarian surname, and it can also be used as a first name in Hungarian." | |||
| Latvian | liesma | ||
| The word "liesma" can also refer to a person with a strong will or determination and to a type of traditional Latvian song. | |||
| Lithuanian | liepsna | ||
| The word "liepsna" is also related to Lithuanian word “lepti,” which means “to stick,” referring to how flames seem to cling to objects. | |||
| Macedonian | пламен | ||
| The word "пламен" also refers to a "fiery spirit" or "ardor" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | płomień | ||
| "Płomień" also means "passion" or "ardor" in Polish | |||
| Romanian | flacără | ||
| The word "flacără" is likely of Slavic or Gothic origin and may also share a connection to the word "flavus", Latin for "yellow"} | |||
| Russian | пламя | ||
| The word "пламя" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *polme, which originally meant "fire" or "heat". | |||
| Serbian | пламен | ||
| The word "пламен" also means "ardent" or "passionate" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | plameň | ||
| The word "plameň" also means "love" or "passion" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | plamen | ||
| The word 'plamen' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pyľmъ, meaning 'fire' | |||
| Ukrainian | полум'я | ||
| The word "полум'я" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *polmь, and is cognate with the Russian word "полмя" and the Polish word "płomień." | |||
Flame in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শিখা | ||
| The word "শিখা" (shikha) also means "peacock feather" in Sanskrit, signifying a symbol of beauty and grace. | |||
| Gujarati | જ્યોત | ||
| The literal meaning of the Gujarati word 'જ્યોત' (pronounced “jyot”) comes from the Sanskrit word ''jyoti'', but it is also a feminine name common in Gujarat, especially among the Jain communities. | |||
| Hindi | ज्योति | ||
| In Sanskrit 'ज्योति', which means 'flame', can also refer to 'knowledge'. Additionally, in the feminine form, 'jyoti' is also a common name in India. | |||
| Kannada | ಜ್ವಾಲೆ | ||
| The term "ಜ್ವಾಲೆ" (jwale) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jval" (झ्वल), which means "to burn brightly". | |||
| Malayalam | തീജ്വാല | ||
| The word "തീജ്വാല" in Malayalam is derived from the combination of "തീ" (fire) and "ജ്വാല" (flame), symbolizing a brilliant and intense flame. | |||
| Marathi | ज्योत | ||
| The Sanskrit word "jyoti" (light, splendor) is the source of its Marathi cognate "jyot" and also its alternate meanings such as "knowledge" or "enlightenment." | |||
| Nepali | ज्वाला | ||
| In Sanskrit, "ज्वाला" (jvālā) originally meant "light" or "brightness." | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਾਟ | ||
| The word "ਲਾਟ" ("flame") in Punjabi also means "a large group of people" or "a crowd". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගිනිදැල් | ||
| The Sinhalese word "ගිනිදැල්" can also be used to describe the fireflies, a type of nocturnal insect that produces light. | |||
| Tamil | சுடர் | ||
| சுடர் (flame) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *cūḍ- 'to burn', and is cognate with Malayalam ചൂട് (chūṭ), Telugu చుండు (chuṇḍu), and Kannada ಚುಡ (chuḍa). | |||
| Telugu | మంట | ||
| The word "మంట" also refers to the act of burning, as well as to a burning sensation such as a fever. | |||
| Urdu | شعلہ | ||
| The Urdu word "شعلہ" is also used metaphorically to refer to a person who is passionate or fiery. | |||
Flame in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 火焰 | ||
| Chinese character 火焰, which is pronounced as huǒ yàn in Mandarin, is composed of the characters 火(fire) and 炎(heat and light), and means 'flame'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 火焰 | ||
| 火焰 is a Chinese compound word that literally means "fiery radiance". | |||
| Japanese | 火炎 | ||
| "火炎" (kaen) can also mean "great calamity" or "disaster" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 불꽃 | ||
| The Korean word "불꽃" can also mean "spark" or "firework". | |||
| Mongolian | дөл | ||
| The Mongolian word "дөл" has alternate meanings of "fierce" and "fire". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မီးလျှံ | ||
| The name ဇြလ် ("flammable") might come from ဆြအ, "fire, flame" and ျခုွ, "to spread". | |||
Flame in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | api | ||
| The word 'api' can also refer to 'fire' or 'heat' in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | kobongan | ||
| In Javanese, "kobongan" can also refer to a stove, fireplace, or campfire, or a place where something is burned. | |||
| Khmer | អណ្តាតភ្លើង | ||
| The Khmer word 'អណ្តាតភ្លើង' originates from the Sanskrit word 'antaḥ-prabhā,' which literally means 'light within' or 'inner glow'. | |||
| Lao | ແປວໄຟ | ||
| Malay | nyalaan | ||
| The word "nyalaan" can also refer to the light emitted by a firefly or a glow-in-the-dark object. | |||
| Thai | เปลวไฟ | ||
| เปลวไฟ is also a kind of traditional Thai silk weaving pattern. | |||
| Vietnamese | ngọn lửa | ||
| The word "ngọn lửa" can also refer to the tips of hair, grass, or trees, and is related to the word "ngọn" meaning "tip" or "peak". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | apoy | ||
Flame in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | alov | ||
| The word "alov" in Azerbaijani also has the alternate meaning of "spark". | |||
| Kazakh | жалын | ||
| The Kazakh word "жалын" (flame) can also colloquially refer to "ardor" or "enthusiasm." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жалын | ||
| The word "жалын" also means "shine, glow, or sparkle" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | аланга | ||
| The word "аланга" in Tajik is also used to refer to the color of a horse with a reddish or yellowish-red coat. | |||
| Turkmen | ýalyn | ||
| Uzbek | alanga | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "alanga" also means "red light" or "sunset glow". | |||
| Uyghur | يالقۇن | ||
Flame in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lapalapa | ||
| In Hawaiian, "lapalapa" means "to burn" but in Māori, it means "young and inexperienced". | |||
| Maori | mura | ||
| Also refers to "a blaze" or "the red plumage of a kaka parrot" | |||
| Samoan | mumū | ||
| The word "mumū" can also refer to a kind of breadfruit dish in Samoan cuisine. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | siga | ||
| In Ilocano, 'siga' also means 'bright' or 'luminous'. | |||
Flame in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | nina naktäwi | ||
| Guarani | tatatĩ | ||
Flame in International Languages
| Esperanto | flamo | ||
| The word "flamo" in Esperanto also means "flame". | |||
| Latin | flamma | ||
| `Flamma` also means "priest" in Latin, which is related to the sacred fire used by the priests in religious ceremonies. | |||
Flame in Others Languages
| Greek | φλόγα | ||
| The word "φλόγα" (flame) also means "strong desire" in Greek, coming from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhelg- meaning "to swell, to burst forth". | |||
| Hmong | nplaim taws | ||
| The Hmong word "nplaim taws" also means "fire" and "light." | |||
| Kurdish | agir | ||
| The Kurdish word "agir" also means "bright" or "shining" in the context of light or fire. | |||
| Turkish | alev | ||
| In Turkish mythology, Alevinism is a mystical sect that believes in the existence of seven flames (alevs) in the human body. | |||
| Xhosa | idangatye | ||
| The Xhosa word "idangatye" can also mean "anger" or "zeal". | |||
| Yiddish | פלאַם | ||
| The Yiddish word "פלאַם" (flame) may also be used metaphorically to refer to a person's passion or enthusiasm. | |||
| Zulu | ilangabi | ||
| In Zulu, "ilangabi" is derived from the word "langa", meaning "sun", and is often used to refer to the flames burning on the sun's surface. | |||
| Assamese | শিখা | ||
| Aymara | nina naktäwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | लौ के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އަލިފާންގަނޑެވެ | ||
| Dogri | लौ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | apoy | ||
| Guarani | tatatĩ | ||
| Ilocano | gil-ayab | ||
| Krio | flame we de bɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بڵێسەی ئاگر | ||
| Maithili | लौ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯩꯁꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | meialh a ni | ||
| Oromo | abidda | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜ୍ୱଳନ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | nina rawray | ||
| Sanskrit | ज्वाला | ||
| Tatar | ялкын | ||
| Tigrinya | ሃልሃልታ | ||
| Tsonga | langavi | ||