Formal in Different Languages
Discover 'Formal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'formal' carries significant weight in our vocabulary, denoting something that is official, rigidly correct, or dignified. Its cultural importance is evident in various aspects of our lives, from the way we dress for formal events to the language we use in formal settings. Understanding the translation of 'formal' in different languages can open up a world of cultural nuances and etiquettes.
For instance, in Spanish, 'formal' translates to 'formal', while in French, it's 'formel'. In German, it's 'formell', and in Japanese, it's 'フォーマル' (pronounced as 'fōmaru'). These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also provide insights into how different cultures perceive and express formality.
Moreover, the historical context of 'formal' is fascinating. In English, the word's origins can be traced back to the Latin 'formalis', meaning 'belonging to or constituting a fixed form or rule'. This historical connection underscores the enduring significance of 'formal' in various languages and cultures.
Explore the translations of 'formal' in different languages below:
Formal
Formal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | formeel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "formeel" can also mean "conventional" or "traditional". | |||
| Amharic | መደበኛ | ||
| The term መደበኛ can also refer to a person or institution that observes rules, regulations, or protocols. | |||
| Hausa | m | ||
| Hausa has a word 'm' which means several things: (1) 'not,' (2) 'there is none,' (3) 'no,' and (4) 'nothing' | |||
| Igbo | anụmanụ | ||
| Igbo word 'anụmanụ' is related to 'nmanụ', a word describing something as 'proper' or 'done in the right way'. | |||
| Malagasy | matoanteny | ||
| The word "Matoanteny" in Malagasy has an alternate meaning of "reserved" or "shy". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwamwambo | ||
| The word "mwamwambo" can also be used to describe something that is "stiff" or "uncomfortable". | |||
| Shona | kurongeka | ||
| "Kurongeka" also means to be upright or erect. | |||
| Somali | rasmi ah | ||
| The Somali word "rasmi ah" originally meant "of the state", but now it is used to mean "official" or "formal". | |||
| Sesotho | semmuso | ||
| Semmuso, meaning "formal" in Sesotho, originally referred to the respectful behavior expected of individuals attending initiation ceremonies. | |||
| Swahili | rasmi | ||
| "Rasmi" also refers to a written agreement to marry. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokusesikweni | ||
| The word "ngokusesikweni" can also mean "with respect" or "in a respectful manner" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | lodo | ||
| Lodo is also a term for 'elder' which further supports the meaning 'seniority'. | |||
| Zulu | okusemthethweni | ||
| In Zulu, 'okusemthethweni' also refers to a legal court | |||
| Bambara | sariyakɔnɔ | ||
| Ewe | si le se nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kumugaragaro | ||
| Lingala | ndenge eyebana | ||
| Luganda | mubutongole | ||
| Sepedi | semmušo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | krataa so deɛ | ||
Formal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رسمي | ||
| In Arabic, the word "رسمي" ("rasmiy") originates from the root "رسم" (rasm), meaning "drawing, delineation, or boundary." | |||
| Hebrew | רִשְׁמִי | ||
| The word "רִשְׁמִי" also means "official" or "registered". | |||
| Pashto | رسمي | ||
| In Pashto, "رسمي" can also mean traditional, especially when describing clothing. | |||
| Arabic | رسمي | ||
| In Arabic, the word "رسمي" ("rasmiy") originates from the root "رسم" (rasm), meaning "drawing, delineation, or boundary." | |||
Formal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zyrtare | ||
| Albanian word "zyrtare" also means "official, public, recognized by law, solemn, legitimate". | |||
| Basque | formalak | ||
| Basque "formalak" also means "dressed up" or "in a uniform". | |||
| Catalan | formal | ||
| In Catalan, | |||
| Croatian | formalne | ||
| The Croatian word "formalne" (formal) can also refer to "formally" or "in a formal manner". | |||
| Danish | formel | ||
| The Danish word "formel" can also mean "formula" or "recipe." | |||
| Dutch | formeel | ||
| In Dutch, "formeel" can also mean "legally binding" or "in writing". | |||
| English | formal | ||
| "Formal" can also describe an animal or plant that has a characteristic shape or appearance. | |||
| French | formel | ||
| The French word "formel" can also refer to "chemical formula" or "formality." | |||
| Frisian | formeel | ||
| The Frisian word "formeel" is derived from the Middle Dutch "formel" and can also mean "stylish," "affected," or "artificial." | |||
| Galician | formal | ||
| German | formal | ||
| 'Formal', borrowed into English from French and ultimately deriving ultimately from Latin, is used in English with its primary and literal sense relating only to outward form, but in German, the word is also employed with the secondary meaning of 'serious' and even 'bored'. | |||
| Icelandic | formlegt | ||
| The word "formlegt" can also mean "correct" or "suitable" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | foirmiúil | ||
| Italian | formale | ||
| The Italian word "formale" comes from the Latin "formalis", meaning "pertaining to form", and can also mean "exterior" or "outward" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | formell | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "formell" also means "formidable". | |||
| Maltese | formali | ||
| The word "formali" is derived from the Latin word "formalis", meaning "pertaining to form". | |||
| Norwegian | formell | ||
| The word "formell" in Norwegian can also mean "in good shape". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | formal | ||
| Besides its primary meaning of "formal" or "proper", the word "formal" can also mean "dressed in a tuxedo" or "wearing a tailcoat". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | foirmeil | ||
| The Gaelic word 'foirmeil' is derived from the French word 'formel' which can also mean 'formula' or 'prescription' | |||
| Spanish | formal | ||
| "Formal" in Spanish can also mean "uniform" or "official". | |||
| Swedish | formell | ||
| Derived from Latin "formalis" (of or pertaining to form) by way of Middle French "formel". | |||
| Welsh | ffurfiol | ||
| Ffurfiol can also mean 'the act of forming' or 'formulation' in Welsh. | |||
Formal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | афіцыйная | ||
| The Belarusian word "афіцыйная" ("formal") derives from the Latin "officialis", meaning "pertaining to an office or duty". | |||
| Bosnian | formalno | ||
| Formalno (''formal'') can also refer to a dress code in written form, a document specifying the types of clothing that are permitted or required in a particular setting. | |||
| Bulgarian | официално | ||
| The Bulgarian word «официално» originates from Latin «officialis» and in Old Bulgarian ( старо-, църковно-славянски ) it mainly had another semantic component — «authentic». | |||
| Czech | formální | ||
| The Czech word "formální" derives from Latin "forma", but also means "pedantic" or "excessive". | |||
| Estonian | ametlik | ||
| "Ametlik" also means "official" or "administrative" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | muodollinen | ||
| "Muodollinen" comes from the word "muoto", which means "form" or "shape". | |||
| Hungarian | hivatalos | ||
| The word "hivatalos" originates from the Slavic word "vitati", meaning "to call" or "to invite". | |||
| Latvian | formāls | ||
| The word "formāls" in Latvian can also mean "official" or "ceremonial". | |||
| Lithuanian | formalus | ||
| The word 'formalus' in Lithuanian derives from Latin 'formalis' (meaning 'of or relating to form'), and also has the meaning 'pedantic' or 'stiff' in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | формално | ||
| The word "формално" also has the meanings "technically", "legally", and "officially". | |||
| Polish | formalny | ||
| Formalny also can be used in meanings like "official" or "ceremonial". | |||
| Romanian | formal | ||
| In Romanian, "formal" also means "correct or according to the rules". | |||
| Russian | формальный | ||
| Формальный is also a term in mathematics for a type of language or system. | |||
| Serbian | формалне | ||
| In Serbian, "формалне" can also mean "ceremonial", "official", or "conventional". | |||
| Slovak | formálne | ||
| Formálne can also mean 'to format' or 'to style' when referring to text or formatting data. | |||
| Slovenian | formalno | ||
| Formalno also means "pertaining to a fixed or recognizable form" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | формальний | ||
| In the Ukrainian language the word | |||
Formal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রথাগত | ||
| The word 'প্রথাগত' can also mean 'conventional' or 'traditional' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | .પચારિક | ||
| The word ".પચારિક" in Gujarati originates from the Sanskrit word "pachār" meaning "after" or "subsequent" and is often used to refer to something that follows a certain set of rules or conventions. | |||
| Hindi | औपचारिक | ||
| The word "औपचारिक" also means "ceremonial" and "conforming to established rules or conventions" | |||
| Kannada | formal ಪಚಾರಿಕ | ||
| ಪಚಾರಿಕ (pacaarika) derives from the Sanskrit word 'prayuktika', meaning 'practical or customary'. | |||
| Malayalam | formal പചാരികം | ||
| In a formal ceremony, attendees are typically expected to conform to societal norms and standards of dress and behavior. | |||
| Marathi | औपचारिक | ||
| "औपचारिक" means 'formal' in Marathi, but also means 'official' or 'ceremonial'. | |||
| Nepali | औपचारिक | ||
| औपचारिक is derived from the Sanskrit word "आचार" (aacara), meaning "conduct" or "custom." It can also mean "ceremonial" or "official." | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਸਮੀ | ||
| The word "ਰਸਮੀ" (formal) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "ऋषि" (rishi), meaning a sage, indicating a sense of tradition and decorum. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විධිමත් | ||
| The word "විධිමත්" (formal) in Sinhala likely derives from the Sanskrit term "विधि" (vidhi), meaning "rule" or "method". | |||
| Tamil | முறையான | ||
| The word "முறையான" in Tamil can also mean "regular" or "proper". | |||
| Telugu | అధికారిక | ||
| "అధికారిక" can also mean official, authentic, authoritative, ceremonial, authorized, regular, or prescribed | |||
| Urdu | رسمی | ||
| The word "رسمی" can also mean "customary" or "traditional" in Persian. | |||
Formal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 正式 | ||
| "正式" can also mean official, appropriate, or proper. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 正式 | ||
| 正式 literally means "real official" but means "formal" in modern Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | フォーマル | ||
| Formal can also be used to describe something official or conforming to established rules. | |||
| Korean | 형식적인 | ||
| The word "형식적인" is derived from the Chinese word "形式" meaning "form" and "-적" meaning "relating to". | |||
| Mongolian | албан ёсны | ||
| The word "албан ёсны" is also used to describe something that is correct or appropriate, especially in terms of behavior or appearance. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားဝင် | ||
| The word "တရားဝင်" is derived from the Pali word "dhamma" meaning "law" or "right". It can also refer to religious law or customs. | |||
Formal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | resmi | ||
| The word "resmi" originally meant "written" in Sanskrit and was later borrowed into Indonesian to mean "official" or "formal". | |||
| Javanese | resmi | ||
| The Javanese word "resmi" also means "official" and "proper". | |||
| Khmer | ជាផ្លូវការ | ||
| The word "ជាផ្លូវការ" is also used to describe something that is done according to the established rules and procedures. | |||
| Lao | ຢ່າງເປັນທາງການ | ||
| Malay | rasmi | ||
| In formal contexts, the Malay word "rasmi" is synonymous with "official". | |||
| Thai | เป็นทางการ | ||
| The Thai word "เป็นทางการ" (formal), like the French "le français", originally meant "related to paths, routes and roads." | |||
| Vietnamese | chính thức | ||
| The word "chính thức" in Vietnamese has its origin in the Chinese compound "正式" (zhèngshì), meaning "correct and formal". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pormal | ||
Formal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəsmi | ||
| Resmi derives from the Arabic word 'rasm' ( رسم ) meaning 'custom, rule'. | |||
| Kazakh | ресми | ||
| The word "ресми" can also refer to "official" or "authentic" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | расмий | ||
| The word "расмий" comes from the Arabic word "rasm", meaning "seal" or "official mark". | |||
| Tajik | расмӣ | ||
| The word "расмӣ" in Tajik also means "official" and is derived from the Arabic word "رسمي" (rasmī). | |||
| Turkmen | resmi | ||
| Uzbek | rasmiy | ||
| The word "rasmiy" can also mean "official" or "ceremonial". | |||
| Uyghur | رەسمىي | ||
Formal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūlana | ||
| Other meanings of kūlana include "orderly behavior and arrangement," "correct behavior," "proper, as in correct form," and "a method, practice or technique." | |||
| Maori | ōkawa | ||
| The word "ōkawa" can also mean "to be of high birth" or "to be of good standing". | |||
| Samoan | aloaʻia | ||
| The word "aloaʻia" in Samoan can also mean "reserved" or "bashful". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pormal | ||
| The word "pormal" in Tagalog originates from the Spanish word "formal" but has evolved to mean "right" or "correct" in many contexts. | |||
Formal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phurmala | ||
| Guarani | hekóicha | ||
Formal in International Languages
| Esperanto | formala | ||
| "Formala" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin "formalis", meaning "of or belonging to form", and has the alternate meaning of "relating to the observance of established forms or rules". | |||
| Latin | formal | ||
| The Latin word "formal" has meanings related to "outward appearance" and "prescribed form". | |||
Formal in Others Languages
| Greek | επίσημος | ||
| In Byzantine Greek, "επίσημος" also meant "official" or "imperial". | |||
| Hmong | kev | ||
| 'Kev' can mean 'formal' or 'serious', but it can also mean 'solid' or 'firm'. | |||
| Kurdish | şiklen | ||
| The word "şiklen" in Kurdish derives from the Persian word "shakl" meaning "form" or "shape". | |||
| Turkish | resmi | ||
| "Resmi" can also mean official, or certified. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokusesikweni | ||
| The word "ngokusesikweni" can also mean "with respect" or "in a respectful manner" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | פאָרמאַל | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "פאָרמאַל" can also refer to a type of Jewish religious song or a secular folk song. | |||
| Zulu | okusemthethweni | ||
| In Zulu, 'okusemthethweni' also refers to a legal court | |||
| Assamese | আনুষ্ঠানিক | ||
| Aymara | phurmala | ||
| Bhojpuri | औपचारिक | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަސްމީ | ||
| Dogri | रसमी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pormal | ||
| Guarani | hekóicha | ||
| Ilocano | pormal | ||
| Krio | ɔfishal | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فەرمی | ||
| Maithili | औपचारिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯡꯂꯣꯟꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯨꯡ ꯏꯅꯅ ꯄꯥꯡꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | dan pangngai | ||
| Oromo | idilee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଔପଚାରିକ | ||
| Quechua | formal | ||
| Sanskrit | औपचारिक | ||
| Tatar | формаль | ||
| Tigrinya | ስሩዕ | ||
| Tsonga | ximfumo | ||