Fly in different languages

Fly in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'fly' holds a significant place in our language and culture, transcending borders and languages. It can refer to the small insects that buzz around us during warm summer days or the ability to move through the air with wings, as exhibited by birds, planes, and superheroes. Moreover, 'fly' is also an adjective in English, often used to describe something as cool or stylish.

Throughout history, flies have appeared in various contexts, from Aesop's fables to scientific studies. They have been both admired for their aerial abilities and considered pests for their disease-spreading habits. Regardless, the word 'fly' remains a fascinating subject of study and conversation.

Understanding the translation of 'fly' in different languages can help us appreciate the nuances of various cultures and broaden our horizons. For instance, in Spanish, 'fly' is 'mosca', while in French, it's 'mouche'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for fly is '苍蝇' (cāngyíng), and in Japanese, it's 'ハエ' (hae).

Fly


Fly in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansvlieg
In 1943, "vlieg" was one of several South Africanisms put up for a referendum on acceptance as standard Dutch, though it was not chosen.
Amharicዝንብ
The Amharic word 'ዝንብ' is also used figuratively to describe someone who is annoying or persistent.
Hausatashi
"Tashi" in Hausa also means "to break" or "to destroy".
Igboofufe
"Ofufe" can also refer to a type of traditional Igbo dance.
Malagasymanidina
"Manidina" also refers to the act of flying in Malagasy.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kuuluka
The word "kuuluka" also means "to make a sound."
Shonabhururuka
The Shona word "bhururuka" can also refer to a type of herbal medicine used to treat malaria.
Somaliduuli
In Somali, "duuli" can also refer to a "bat".
Sesothofofa
The Sesotho word "fofa" is also an exclamation used to express surprise or astonishment.
Swahilikuruka
The word 'kuruka' in Swahili is sometimes used to refer to flying insects or birds, but it can also mean 'to rotate' or 'to circle'.
Xhosabhabha
The word "bhabha" can also refer to an insect or a bird, and is sometimes used to describe someone who is talkative or garrulous.
Yoruba
The Yoruba word "fò" not only means "fly" but can also refer to an "aeroplane" or "airplane" in the context of aviation.
Zuluukundiza
"Ukundiza" in Zulu not only means "fly," but also refers to the act of "fleeing" or "running away."
Bambaradimɔgɔ
Ewedzo
Kinyarwandakuguruka
Lingalakopumbwa
Lugandaokuguluka
Sepedifofa
Twi (Akan)tu

Fly in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicيطير
"يطير" (yatîr) also means "fly (as in the escape or quick motion of running), be high-spirited, be spirited, be proud, be arrogant, or be quick-moving".
Hebrewלטוס, זבוב
In Hebrew, "לטוס" can also mean "to fly" and "זבוב" can also mean "a fly".
Pashtoالوتنه
In Pashto, the word "الوتنه" can also refer to a type of small, edible fig.
Arabicيطير
"يطير" (yatîr) also means "fly (as in the escape or quick motion of running), be high-spirited, be spirited, be proud, be arrogant, or be quick-moving".

Fly in Western European Languages

Albanianfluturojnë
The Albanian word "fluturojnë" is derived from the Latin word "fluctuare," meaning "to move like a wave."
Basquehegan egin
"Hegan egin" literally means "to make flight", referring to the movement of the wings instead of the actual flight
Catalanvolar
In Catalan, "volar" also means "steal", coming from the Latin "volare" meaning "to fly".
Croatianletjeti
"Letjeti" is also a slang term for "to drive a car very fast."
Danishflyve
In old Nordic mythology, the concept of "flyve" was closely associated with spiritual journeys, with connotations of transcendence and otherworldly travel.
Dutchvlieg
The Dutch word “vlieg” can also refer to the action of fleeing, escaping, or running away.
Englishfly
The word "fly" has origins in the Old English word "fleogan," meaning "to flow swiftly."
Frenchmouche
Mouche shares the same Proto-Indo-European root "*mu-/*meu-" with English "mouse" and Persian "muš".
Frisianfleane
The word "fleane" in Frisian is also used to refer to an airplane or a kite.
Galicianvoar
The Galician word "voar" may come from the Latin "volare" or the Germanic "fliegen".
Germanfliege
In German "Fliege" can also refer to a type of aircraft or the act of running away.
Icelandicfluga
The word 'fluga' in Icelandic derives from the Old Norse word 'fluga', which meant an insect or any small creature with wings.
Irisheitilt
The Irish word "eitilt" can also refer to a type of Gaelic football or hurling stick.
Italianvolare
The Latin verb "volare" also means "to run" or "to move quickly."
Luxembourgishfléien
The word "fléien" also means "to flow" and is related to the German word "fließen".
Malteseitir
"It-tir" is also a name given to bees and ants.
Norwegianfly
In Norwegian, "fly" not only refers to the insect but also to "flee" and means "to float" in the sense of liquids or other non-solid entities.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)voar
The Portuguese word "voar" likely derives from the Latin verb "volare" (to fly), and is cognate with the English word "volant" (flying).
Scots Gaelicitealaich
Possibly from the same root as “ealadh” (“flight”) and “eilid” (“swan”).
Spanishvolar
Vol(v)ar, meaning both “to fly” and “to steal” in Spanish, originates from the Latin word “volare,” which had both meanings.
Swedishflyga
The word "flyga" originated as a verb meaning "to move quickly"}
Welshhedfan
The word "hedfan" can also refer to the act of running fast.

Fly in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianмуха
In Belarusian, "муха" can also refer to a small piece of dust or a freckle.
Bosnianletjeti
Bosnian has two verbs for fly; "letjeti," for flying through air, and "letati," for flying out somewhere to do something or meet someone
Bulgarianлетя
In Bulgarian, "летя" can also refer to a person who is very good at something or who is very fast.
Czechlétat
The word "létat" can also mean "to float" or "to hover" in the air.
Estonianlendama
The word "lendama" in Estonian can also refer to the act of jumping or leaping.
Finnishlentää
Lentää is a common verb in Finnish that means to fly, but it also has the extended meaning of to move quickly or to escape.
Hungarianlégy
The Hungarian word "légy" can also refer to moths and other flying insects.
Latvianlidot
In Polish, the word "lida" means "to float", suggesting a possible etymological connection to the Latvian word "lidot".
Lithuanianskristi
The word "skristi" in Lithuanian comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *sker-, meaning "to turn", "to twist", or "to bend".
Macedonianлетаат
The word летаат in Macedonian also has the metaphorical meaning of 'going fast'.
Polishlatać
In Polish, the verb "latać" can also mean "to patch up" or "to wander aimlessly."
Romaniana zbura
The Romanian word "a zbura" can also mean "to flee" or "to escape".
Russianлетать
The Russian word "летать" also has the figurative meaning of "to be very busy".
Serbianлетети
The word "летети" also means "glide" in Serbian.
Slovaklietať
The Slovak verb "lietať" also means "to be lazy", "to dawdle"
Slovenianleteti
The word 'leteti' can also refer to 'soar' or 'flutter' within the context of an aircraft or a bird respectively.
Ukrainianлітати
The Ukrainian word "літати" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *letati, meaning "to fly" or "to soar."

Fly in South Asian Languages

Bengaliউড়ে
Derived from the Sanskrit word 'ud', 'উড়ে' also means 'to rise' or 'to jump up' in Bengali.
Gujaratiઉડાન
Originally meaning 'to take to the wing', 'ઉડાન' also metaphorically means 'to take flight' in terms of one's career or reputation.
Hindiउड़ना
In Punjabi, the word "uddnaa" (उड़ना) means to "fly" but also conveys the emotions of joy and excitement.
Kannadaಫ್ಲೈ
ಫ್ಲೈ (fly) also means to leap or jump.
Malayalamപറക്കുക
The original meaning of the word "പറക്കുക" is a type of dance, similar to a whirling dervish, which can sometimes resemble bird flight.
Marathiउडणे
The Marathi word "उडणे" (fly) originally meant "to jump" and is related to the Hindi word "उछलना" (to bounce)
Nepaliउडान
The word "उडान" can also mean "leap" or "jump" in Nepali.
Punjabiਉੱਡ
The Punjabi word "ਉੱਡ" (fly) is also used to figuratively describe a person who is very outgoing or active.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)පියාසර කරන්න
The word "පියාසර කරන්න" (fly) in Sinhala is derived from the Prakrit word "piyaasiya" (to fly) and has an alternate meaning of "to soar or rise high in the air"
Tamil
The Tamil word 'ஈ' refers not only to the insect, but also to a star (especially the Pole Star) and the vowel sound 'i'.
Teluguఎగురు
The word "ఎగురు" also means "to dance", and is related to the Tamil word "எகுறு" (ekuru) which means "to leap".
Urduاڑنا
"اڑنا" can also mean to move quickly, to be scattered, to disappear, or to vanish.

Fly in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
飛 means a man spreading out his arms and legs in Oracle Bone Scripts, and is the same as the glyph for person, and it also can mean 'to send out' or 'to escape'.
Chinese (Traditional)
The character '飛' also means 'running quickly' in Chinese.
Japanese飛ぶ
飛ぶ in Japanese can also mean "to jump" or "to leap".
Korean파리
The Korean word "파리" (fly) is also used to refer to the capital of France, Paris.
Mongolianнисэх
The Mongolian word "нисэх" originated from the Altaic root "*nese-", meaning "to fly through the air".
Myanmar (Burmese)ယင်ကောင်

Fly in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianterbang
Did you know that "terbang" can also mean "to soar" or "to levitate" in Indonesian?
Javanesemabur
The Javanese word "mabur" originally referred to birds, but was later extended to include insects and other flying creatures.
Khmerហោះ
The Khmer word "ហោះ" not only means "to fly," but also "to rise," "to soar," or "to take off."
Laoບິນ
The Lao word "ບິນ" also means "to fly by airplane" and "to jump".
Malayterbang
Terbang is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root word *tabhaŋ, which could refer to "fly" or "sky" depending on the context.
Thaiบิน
The Thai word "บิน" ("fly") also means "to run away" or "to escape".
Vietnamesebay
"Bay" (to fly) comes from the word "bay" (a kind of tree with edible nuts).
Filipino (Tagalog)lumipad

Fly in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniuçmaq
The word "uçmaq" also means "to soar" and "to float" in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhұшу
The word "ұшу" in Kazakh also means "to run away" or "to escape".
Kyrgyzучуу
In addition to its primary meaning, "учуу" can also refer to "flight" or "aviation" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikпаридан
The word "паридан" comes from the Persian word "پريدن" (paridan), meaning "to fly".
Turkmenuçmak
Uzbekpashsha
The Uzbek word "pashsha" can also refer to a small or narrow object.
Uyghurچىۋىن

Fly in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianlele
Lele also means 'to float,' describing birds soaring through the air in Hawaiian.
Maorirere
Rere is also a term for a Maori dance that mimics the flight of hawks.
Samoanlele
The word "lele" in Samoan also means "to leap" or "to jump."
Tagalog (Filipino)lumipad
"Lumipad" (fly) can also refer to taking a leap of faith in Tagalog.

Fly in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarathuqtaña
Guaranimberu

Fly in International Languages

Esperantoflugi
The word "flugi" can also refer to an airplane or other flying machine in Esperanto.
Latinvolant
The Latin word "volant" can also mean "shuttle" or "spinning top".

Fly in Others Languages

Greekπετώ
The verb πετώ (peto) can also mean "to spread" or "to extend", as in "πετώ τα φτερά μου" (peto ta ftera mou, "I spread my wings").
Hmongya
The Hmong term 'yaw' which means to fly when it comes to animals and vehicles, and to jump when referring to humans.
Kurdishmêş
The word "mêş" in Kurdish also means "lamb" and is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰʰew- ('to shine'), which is also the origin of the English word "ewe".
Turkishuçmak
'Uçmak' also refers to 'escaping from a dangerous place' in Turkish, just like the verb 'voler' in French.
Xhosabhabha
The word "bhabha" can also refer to an insect or a bird, and is sometimes used to describe someone who is talkative or garrulous.
Yiddishפליען
The Yiddish word "פליען" not only means "to fly," but also "to flee" (as in escaping danger) and "to run off" (as in doing so illicitly).
Zuluukundiza
"Ukundiza" in Zulu not only means "fly," but also refers to the act of "fleeing" or "running away."
Assameseউৰা
Aymarathuqtaña
Bhojpuriउड़ल
Dhivehiއުދުހުން
Dogriउड्डना
Filipino (Tagalog)lumipad
Guaranimberu
Ilocanoagtayab
Krioflay
Kurdish (Sorani)فڕین
Maithiliमाछी
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯄꯥꯏꯕ
Mizothlawk
Oromobarrisuu
Odia (Oriya)ଉଡ
Quechuachuspi
Sanskritउड्डयते
Tatarоча
Tigrinyaንፈር
Tsongahaha

Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter