Flower in Different Languages
Discover 'Flower' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A flower, in its most simple definition, is the reproductive part of a plant. But it is so much more than that. Flowers signify beauty, growth, and life. They have been used for centuries in art, literature, and religion to convey emotions and meaning. From the ancient Egyptians who used lotus flowers in their funeral rituals to the Victorians who communicated through the language of flowers, these botanical wonders hold great cultural importance.
Understanding the translation of the word 'flower' in different languages can open up a world of cultural discovery. For instance, in Spanish, 'flor' not only refers to a flower but also to the best part or essence of something. In Japanese, 'hana' represents not just the physical flower but also the fleeting nature of beauty and life.
Join us as we explore the translations of the word 'flower' in various languages, delving into their unique cultural significance and historical contexts.
Flower
Flower in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | blom | ||
| While "blom" means "flower" in Afrikaans, it also referred to "wheat" in Dutch. | |||
| Amharic | አበባ | ||
| Hausa | fure | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "flower," the word "fure" can also refer to a blossoming tree or to a woman's hairstyle, and bears semantic resemblance to "furu" ("spring") and "fure (to be beautiful) | |||
| Igbo | ifuru | ||
| The etymology of the Igbo word "ifuru" (flower) is uncertain, but it may be related to the word "ifi" (spirit). | |||
| Malagasy | voninkazo | ||
| The Malagasy word "voninkazo" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "quninga", meaning "tree" or "plant". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | duwa | ||
| The word "duwa" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is related to "lua," meaning "to sprout" or "germinate." | |||
| Shona | ruva | ||
| The word "ruva" is often used to figuratively refer to a beautiful woman or to something that is pleasing or appealing. | |||
| Somali | ubax | ||
| The word "ubax" has the alternate meaning of "beauty" or "radiance" in the Somali language. | |||
| Sesotho | palesa | ||
| The word "palesa" is also used to refer to the blossom or bloom of a flower, and can have metaphorical meanings such as "beauty" or "radiance". | |||
| Swahili | maua | ||
| The Swahili word 'maua' can also mean 'blossoming' or 'flowering'. | |||
| Xhosa | intyatyambo | ||
| Intyatyambo, the Xhosa word for "flower," can also refer to a maiden or young woman. | |||
| Yoruba | ododo | ||
| The Yoruba word "ododo" also refers to a type of fabric with a flower pattern. | |||
| Zulu | imbali | ||
| Ibali can also refer to something beautiful or to a special occasion. | |||
| Bambara | filɛri | ||
| Ewe | seƒoƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | indabyo | ||
| Lingala | fololo | ||
| Luganda | ekimuli | ||
| Sepedi | letšoba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nhwiren | ||
Flower in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زهرة | ||
| The Quran uses the word (زهرة) to mean 'prosperity' rather than 'flower', as it is commonly known. | |||
| Hebrew | פֶּרַח | ||
| The Hebrew word פרח ("perah") also means "to spread out," hinting at a flower's unfolding petals. | |||
| Pashto | ګل | ||
| The word "ګل" ("flower") in Pashto is also used to refer to other objects of beauty, such as stars and women. | |||
| Arabic | زهرة | ||
| The Quran uses the word (زهرة) to mean 'prosperity' rather than 'flower', as it is commonly known. | |||
Flower in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lule | ||
| The word "lule" is also used as a term of endearment for a loved one. | |||
| Basque | lorea | ||
| The word "lorea", although meaning "flower", comes from the Roman goddess Flora, patroness of flowers and springtime. | |||
| Catalan | flor | ||
| The Catalan word "flor" also means "flour". | |||
| Croatian | cvijet | ||
| Croatian "cvijet" derives from Proto-Slavic "*světъ", meaning "light" or "bright". | |||
| Danish | blomst | ||
| Though the Danish word "blomst" derives from the Old Norse "blómi," it also holds an antiquated meaning of "a mineral". | |||
| Dutch | bloem | ||
| The word "bloem" in Dutch can also refer to the flour used in baking. | |||
| English | flower | ||
| From Old French "flur" (flower), ultimately from Latin "flos" (flower), related to "florere" (to bloom). | |||
| French | fleur | ||
| The French word "fleur" derives from the Latin "flos" meaning "flower", and also shares its feminine gender with "flos" and related words in other Romance languages like Italian "fiore" and Spanish "flor". Its plural is "fleurs". | |||
| Frisian | blom | ||
| In Old Frisian, 'blom', besides the modern 'flower' also has the meaning of a 'flower-shaped ornament' and is the root for the words 'blomeftich' ('decoration') and 'blomke' (small flower). | |||
| Galician | flor | ||
| In Galician, "flor" also means "top layer". | |||
| German | blume | ||
| In Low German, the word Blume also means 'blossom', 'plant' and 'tree'. | |||
| Icelandic | blóm | ||
| In Old Norse, "blóm" also meant "hue" or "complexion". | |||
| Irish | bláth | ||
| Bláth also means "flame" and is related to the English word "bloom" | |||
| Italian | fiore | ||
| In Italian, the word "fiore" can also mean "excellence" or the "best part" of something. | |||
| Luxembourgish | blumm | ||
| Blumm can also refer to a bloom, a state of prosperity, or a period of great activity. | |||
| Maltese | fjura | ||
| The word "fjura" is derived from the Proto-Semitic word "*pary-/*parw-/*parj-/*parz-", meaning "to bear fruit". | |||
| Norwegian | blomst | ||
| In Norwegian, "blomst" can also refer to the blossom of a plant or the bloom of a flower. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | flor | ||
| The word "flor" comes from the Latin word "flos" which also means "flower" and is cognate with the English word "flour" from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhlē- meaning "to blossom, flourish". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | flùr | ||
| In Gaelic ‘flùr’ is a common word for ‘flower’ and also denotes a ‘grass’ | |||
| Spanish | flor | ||
| The Spanish word "flor" also means "best" and derives from the Latin word "flos" meaning "flower or choice part." | |||
| Swedish | blomma | ||
| In modern Swedish, "blomma" can also refer to a colorful piece of fabric, and is used in the name "blommönstrad", which means "flowered". | |||
| Welsh | blodyn | ||
| The word "blodyn" also means "daughter" in Welsh. | |||
Flower in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кветка | ||
| The word "кветка" in Belarusian can also refer to a type of decorative fabric or clothing. | |||
| Bosnian | cvijet | ||
| The word "cvijet" is derived from a Proto-Slavic noun meaning "blossom". | |||
| Bulgarian | цвете | ||
| In Bulgarian, "цвете" (flower) also refers to the color of a suit in a deck of cards, similar to "suit" in English. | |||
| Czech | květ | ||
| The Czech word "květ" also means "blossom" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *květъ, meaning "to bloom." | |||
| Estonian | lill | ||
| The flower's name comes from the archaic verb "lillama" (to swing) and relates to the delicate motion of flowers in the wind. | |||
| Finnish | kukka | ||
| The word kukka (flower) also derives from Estonian kukk ('rooster'). It is a cognate with Old Church Slavonic cětu ('blossom'). | |||
| Hungarian | virág | ||
| The word "virág" is cognate with the Finnish word "virko" (fresh) and the Estonian word "värsk" (fresh). | |||
| Latvian | zieds | ||
| The word "zieds" also means "growth" or "development" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | gėlė | ||
| "Gėlė" comes from Lithuanian "gelti", meaning to sting, and the Proto-Indo-European base "*gʰel-, *gʰelh-", which also refers to something yellow or green. | |||
| Macedonian | цвеќе | ||
| The word "цвеќе" has various meanings and forms in Macedonian, including "petal", "bunch of flowers", and "flower decoration". | |||
| Polish | kwiat | ||
| Polish 'kwiat' derives from Proto-Slavic 'cvěti', a cognate of English 'bloom'. It originally denoted any blossomed plant or the time of blossoming. | |||
| Romanian | floare | ||
| In Romanian, "floare" derives from the Latin "florem" (flower), which also meant "choice" or "best part," reflecting the beauty and value attributed to flowers. | |||
| Russian | цветок | ||
| The Russian word "цветок" (flower) derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*kvḗtъ", meaning "to flourish". | |||
| Serbian | цвет | ||
| In Russian, the flower 'carnation' is often referred to as "гвоздика", the cognate of „цвет„. | |||
| Slovak | kvetina | ||
| "Kvetina" also means "mistress" or "girlfriend" in Slovak slang. | |||
| Slovenian | cvet | ||
| The word "cvet" may derive from *kwet-, which also appears in Latin "flos, floris, " meaning "a blossom, a flower." | |||
| Ukrainian | квітка | ||
| The word "квітка" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*květъ" meaning "bloom" or "blossom" and is related to the Latin word "flos" meaning "flower". | |||
Flower in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফুল | ||
| The word "ফুল" (flower) is also used in Bengali to refer to young girls or children. | |||
| Gujarati | ફૂલ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ફૂલ" also refers to an offering or ornament made of real or artificial flowers in traditional Indian rituals. | |||
| Hindi | फूल | ||
| The word "फूल" (flower) also means "to bloom" or "to blossom" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೂವು | ||
| The word "ಹೂವು" also means "blossom" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പുഷ്പം | ||
| The word "പുഷ്പം" in Malayalam is derived from Sanskrit and can also mean "bloom", "blossom", or "ornament". | |||
| Marathi | फूल | ||
| The word "फूल" can also mean "a full moon" or "a lump of something" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | फूल | ||
| 'फूल' also refers to a group of four and the plural form of the word 'child'. Sometimes written as 'फूल' or 'फुल्' it can be used to denote someone who is overly sensitive. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੁੱਲ | ||
| The word "ਫੁੱਲ" also refers to a period of time, specifically the day of a wedding. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මල | ||
| In the context of Buddhism, the word "මල" can also refer to the "five senses" (comparable to the "pancha khandha" in Sanskrit). | |||
| Tamil | பூ | ||
| The Tamil word "பூ" (flower) originates from the Sanskrit word "पुष्प" (puṣpa), meaning "ornament" or "decoration."} | |||
| Telugu | పువ్వు | ||
| పువ్వు (flower) is the shortened form of Sanskrit पुष्प (pushpa), which also means 'a blossom'. | |||
| Urdu | پھول | ||
| The word "پھول" (flower) in Urdu also refers to a young girl or a beautiful woman. | |||
Flower in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 花 | ||
| The word "花" can also mean "to spend" or "to blossom" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 花 | ||
| The word "花" (flower) in Traditional Chinese can also mean "pattern", "design", or "money". | |||
| Japanese | 花 | ||
| The character 花 (hana) also refers to playing cards in Japanese, with its origin in the flower patterns found on the backs of playing cards. | |||
| Korean | 꽃 | ||
| "꽃" means both "flower" and "a small amount" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | цэцэг | ||
| The Mongolian word "цэцэг" can also refer to the "blossom of a plant" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပန်း | ||
| The word ပန်း is thought to have originated from the Mon word ပန်း which means | |||
Flower in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bunga | ||
| The Indonesian word 'bunga' comes from the Sanskrit language, where it originally referred to a 'reward', 'interest' or 'profit'. | |||
| Javanese | kembang | ||
| The Javanese word "kembang" also means "to open or bloom" and is often used in the context of flowers. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្កា | ||
| The Khmer word "ផ្កា" (flower) also means "beautiful person" in a poetic sense. | |||
| Lao | ດອກໄມ້ | ||
| ດອກໄມ້ is of Pali origin and its root word in Pali is "puppa" meaning "flower of a tree", from which "pushpa" also derives, in Sanskrit. | |||
| Malay | bunga | ||
| In Indonesian, "bunga" also signifies interest paid on loans. | |||
| Thai | ดอกไม้ | ||
| In Thai, "ดอกไม้" (flower) also refers to beautiful women or patterns with floral motifs. | |||
| Vietnamese | bông hoa | ||
| Bông hoa "bông" is the Vietnamese word for "cotton". Bông hoa "hoa" is the Vietnamese word for "flower". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bulaklak | ||
Flower in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gül | ||
| The word "gül" in Azerbaijani can also mean "rose" or "smile," deriving from the Persian word "gol." | |||
| Kazakh | гүл | ||
| The Kazakh word "гүл" shares its origin with the Persian word "gul" meaning "rose" or "flower". | |||
| Kyrgyz | гүл | ||
| "Гүл" also means a "smile" and has the connotation "shining like a flower". | |||
| Tajik | гул | ||
| The word “гул” ('gul') is often used in Tajik poetry and songs to refer to a beautiful woman. | |||
| Turkmen | gül | ||
| Uzbek | gul | ||
| In Uzbek, "gul" can also mean "red," "rose," "damask," "face," "cheek," or "a beloved." | |||
| Uyghur | گۈل | ||
Flower in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pua | ||
| Pua can also refer to a fragrant flower, used as a symbol of beauty and love, or as an emblem of royalty and divinity. | |||
| Maori | putiputi | ||
| The word "putiputi" can also refer to a star or a constellation | |||
| Samoan | fugalaʻau | ||
| The word "fugalaʻau" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "*fuŋa" meaning "to grow" or "to blossom". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bulaklak | ||
| Etymology: 'bulaklak' possibly comes from 'bulak,' meaning 'cotton,' referencing the soft, fluffy appearance of flowers. | |||
Flower in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | panqara | ||
| Guarani | yvoty | ||
Flower in International Languages
| Esperanto | floro | ||
| The word "floro" is a derivative of the Latin word "flos", meaning flower. | |||
| Latin | flos | ||
| "Flos" also pertains to 'abundance' or 'choice', as in 'flos mercatorum' or 'best seller.' | |||
Flower in Others Languages
| Greek | λουλούδι | ||
| The Greek word "λουλούδι" is a diminutive form of "λούλου", which originally meant "rose". | |||
| Hmong | paj | ||
| The word "paj" is also used to refer to a deceased person's funeral.} | |||
| Kurdish | kûlîlk | ||
| The word "kûlîlk" in Kurdish is also used to refer to the bloom of a plant, a blossom, or a flower in full bloom. | |||
| Turkish | çiçek | ||
| "Çiçek" can also mean "smallpox" or "measles" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | intyatyambo | ||
| Intyatyambo, the Xhosa word for "flower," can also refer to a maiden or young woman. | |||
| Yiddish | בלום | ||
| "Bloom" in Yiddish can also refer to a period of prosperity or growth, or to a flush of excitement or emotion. | |||
| Zulu | imbali | ||
| Ibali can also refer to something beautiful or to a special occasion. | |||
| Assamese | ফুল | ||
| Aymara | panqara | ||
| Bhojpuri | फूल | ||
| Dhivehi | މާ | ||
| Dogri | फुल्ल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bulaklak | ||
| Guarani | yvoty | ||
| Ilocano | sabong | ||
| Krio | flawa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گوڵ | ||
| Maithili | फूल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩ | ||
| Mizo | pangpar | ||
| Oromo | abaaboo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫୁଲ | ||
| Quechua | wayta | ||
| Sanskrit | पुष्पं | ||
| Tatar | чәчәк | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕንበባ | ||
| Tsonga | xiluva | ||