Four in Different Languages
Discover 'Four' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The number four holds great significance in various cultures and languages around the world. In mathematics, it is the first number to be even and composite, making it a fundamental concept in many mathematical theories. In Chinese culture, the number four is considered unlucky due to its phonetic similarity to the word for 'death.' However, in Japanese, the word for four, 'shi,' is also associated with 'beginning' or 'life,' giving it a more positive connotation.
Moreover, the number four is also associated with many interesting facts and historical contexts. For instance, ancient civilizations such as the Mayans and Egyptians used base-4 counting systems in their calendars and mathematics. Additionally, many traditional folktales and stories feature the number four prominently, symbolizing balance, harmony, and completeness.
Given the rich history and cultural significance of the number four, it's no wonder that people might be interested in learning its translation in different languages. Here are some translations of the number four in various languages:
Four
Four in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vier | ||
| "Vier" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*fewraz" and is related to the Latin word "vir" ("man"). | |||
| Amharic | አራት | ||
| "አራት" (four) is possibly related to the word "አራ" (arm) | |||
| Hausa | hudu | ||
| The Hausa word hudu is thought to be derived from the Proto-Chadic root *udu, which also meant "four". | |||
| Igbo | anọ | ||
| "Anọ" also means "time" in Igbo and the word is usually duplicated to mean "repeatedly" or "several times". | |||
| Malagasy | efatra | ||
| The Malagasy word "EFATRA" may also mean "a lot" or "many". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zinayi | ||
| The word 'zinayi' also means 'a small group of four or five people' or 'a group of four things'. | |||
| Shona | ina | ||
| The word 'ina' also means 'they' in Shona, reflecting its origin as a collective term for a group of people or things. | |||
| Somali | afar | ||
| Its root word, 'far', means 'to divide', indicating its original meaning may have been 'a quarter'. | |||
| Sesotho | tse 'ne | ||
| The Sesotho word "tse 'ne" can also refer to something that is "small," "young," or "inferior" | |||
| Swahili | nne | ||
| The word "nne" in Swahili also means "oneness" or "unity" and is closely related to the concept of "harmony". | |||
| Xhosa | zine | ||
| The Xhosa word "Zine" is derived from the verb "ukuzina", meaning "to dance" or "to move rhythmically". | |||
| Yoruba | mẹrin | ||
| "Mẹrin" also means to count to four in the Yoruba language. | |||
| Zulu | ezine | ||
| 'Ezine' translates to 'four,' and can also symbolize totality or completeness in Zulu philosophy. | |||
| Bambara | naani | ||
| Ewe | ene | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bine | ||
| Lingala | minei | ||
| Luganda | bana | ||
| Sepedi | tše nne | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anan | ||
Four in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أربعة | ||
| The word "أربعة" can also refer to a "quartet", a group of four musicians or singers. | |||
| Hebrew | ארבע | ||
| The Hebrew word "ארבע" is related to the word "ערב" (evening), as both words are derived from the Akkadian word "erbu" (four). | |||
| Pashto | څلور | ||
| The word "څلور" is derived from the Proto-Iranian word "*ćatwār" and is related to the word "چار" in Persian and "चार" in Hindi. | |||
| Arabic | أربعة | ||
| The word "أربعة" can also refer to a "quartet", a group of four musicians or singers. | |||
Four in Western European Languages
| Albanian | katër | ||
| The word "katër" in Albanian may have Indo-European roots and is cognate with "catuor" in Latin and "tetra" in Greek. | |||
| Basque | lau | ||
| The plural form of "lau" is "lauk" and it can also mean "feet". | |||
| Catalan | quatre | ||
| The word "quatre" in Catalan can also refer to a group of four musicians or singers, especially in the context of traditional Catalan music. | |||
| Croatian | četiri | ||
| "Četiri" also means "to read" or "to interpret" in Russian. | |||
| Danish | fire | ||
| The Danish word "fire" can also refer to a "celebratory bonfire"} | |||
| Dutch | vier | ||
| The word "vier" in Dutch can also refer to a unit of measurement equivalent to approximately 500 meters. | |||
| English | four | ||
| The word "four" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kwetwer-", meaning "four". | |||
| French | quatre | ||
| "Quatre" can also mean "room", from the Latin "quadra" (a square), or colloquially "money". | |||
| Frisian | fjouwer | ||
| In Frisian, "fjouwer" is also used to refer to the four suits in a deck of cards. | |||
| Galician | catro | ||
| The word "catro" derives from the Latin "quattuor" and is also used in Portuguese and Italian. | |||
| German | vier | ||
| In German, "vier" shares an etymological root with "virus" and "venom". | |||
| Icelandic | fjórir | ||
| The Icelandic word "fjórir" is cognate with the English word "four" and the German word "vier". | |||
| Irish | ceathrar | ||
| Ceathrar is also used in Irish to refer to a group of four people or things. | |||
| Italian | quattro | ||
| The Italian word "quattro" derives from the Etruscan word "qutur" and shares its root with the Indo-European word "ketwer" meaning "four". | |||
| Luxembourgish | véier | ||
| Véier is cognate with English "wire" (German "Wehr") and refers to the four strands of a woven fence. | |||
| Maltese | erbgħa | ||
| 'Erbgħa' may also refer to the Christian feast day of the same name, celebrated on the Wednesday after Easter Sunday. | |||
| Norwegian | fire | ||
| Fire is the Norwegian word for 'four' and the word for 'fire' is 'brann' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quatro | ||
| "Quatro" in Portuguese is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*kwetwóres", meaning "four". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceithir | ||
| "Ceithir" is the Scots Gaelic word for "four", and it is also related to the Irish word "ceathair" and the Welsh word "pedwar", all of which come from the Proto-Celtic word "*kʷetwar-." | |||
| Spanish | cuatro | ||
| "Cuatro" in Spanish can also refer to a four-stringed guitar used in Latin American music. | |||
| Swedish | fyra | ||
| The word "fyra" is derived from the Old Norse word "fjórir" and also means "team" or "group of four". | |||
| Welsh | pedwar | ||
| In addition to meaning "four," the word "pedwar" can mean "quadrangle" or "rectangle." | |||
Four in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чатыры | ||
| The Belarusian word "чатыры" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*četyre", which also means "four" in many other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bosnian | četiri | ||
| The word "četiri" in Bosnian derives from Proto-Slavic "*četyre" and is cognate with the words for "four" in most other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | четири | ||
| "Четвори" means both "four" and "quadruple", as in "четвори близнаци," or "quadruplets." | |||
| Czech | čtyři | ||
| The word "čtyři" could possibly have been derived from "čtvero," which means "quadruple," or "četa," which means "group of four." | |||
| Estonian | neli | ||
| In Võro, neli can also mean 40 (kümne neli) or 400 (saja neli). | |||
| Finnish | neljä | ||
| "Neljä" in Finnish is cognate with "něšto" ( | |||
| Hungarian | négy | ||
| Hungarian 'négy' (four) is cognate with Mordvin 'niľe' and Finnish 'neljä'. | |||
| Latvian | četri | ||
| In some dialects, "četri" can also signify a large number or an unspecified quantity. | |||
| Lithuanian | keturi | ||
| In Lithuanian, "keturi" also refers to the fourth day of the week, Thursday. | |||
| Macedonian | четири | ||
| Чeтири (chetiri) is a number word that also shares the same root as the word 'quarter' in English. | |||
| Polish | cztery | ||
| The word "cztery" has the same root as "czwartek," meaning "Thursday," as both derive from the Old Polish root "czetw" meaning "fourth." | |||
| Romanian | patru | ||
| The word "patru" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷetwóres" and cognates with words for "four" in many other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Russian | четыре | ||
| The word "четыре" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*četyre", which is related to the Indo-European word "*kʷetwóres", meaning "four". | |||
| Serbian | четири | ||
| The word "четири" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ketvory, which also meant "two". It is cognate with the English word "quarter". | |||
| Slovak | štyri | ||
| The word "štyri" has been used in various forms in Slavic languages for at least 2,000 years and is related to the words for "four" in many other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Slovenian | štiri | ||
| Štiri shares its root with the name of the four directions – vzhod, zahod, jug, and sever, all of them containing the root *stir-. | |||
| Ukrainian | чотири | ||
| The Ukrainian word "чотири" ("four") derives ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷetwór-*, meaning 'four'. | |||
Four in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চার | ||
| The word "char" in Bengali also refers to a sandbar or island in a river, sharing its root with the Sanskrit word "char" meaning "to move." | |||
| Gujarati | ચાર | ||
| "ચાર" can also mean a group of four people, such as four friends or four musicians. | |||
| Hindi | चार | ||
| The word "चार" can also mean "direction" or "side". | |||
| Kannada | ನಾಲ್ಕು | ||
| The word "ನಾಲ್ಕು" (nālku) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *nālku, meaning "four". | |||
| Malayalam | നാല് | ||
| The Malayalam word "നാല്" ("four") is possibly derived from the Proto-Dravidian *nal, as evidenced by words for "four" in other Dravidian languages, such as Kannada's ನಾಲ್ಕು (nālku). | |||
| Marathi | चार | ||
| चार, the Marathi word for "four," also refers to a small, four-legged wooden stool used for sitting. | |||
| Nepali | चार | ||
| The word "चार" can also mean "a group of four" or "a quarter". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਾਰ | ||
| The word 'ਚਾਰ' (four) also derives from Sanskrit word 'चार' which means to move around. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හතර | ||
| In Sinhala, "හතර" also means "in a group of four, in a set of four, a set of four things, a group of four people, a group of four things, a group of four persons, a group of four persons, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group 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things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, a group of four things, | |||
| Tamil | நான்கு | ||
| The word "நான்கு" also means "four" in the Tamil language. | |||
| Telugu | నాలుగు | ||
| In the Telangana dialect of Telugu, "నాలుగు" can sometimes refer to something broken or damaged. | |||
| Urdu | چار | ||
| In Urdu, “چار” (chār) originates from Sanskrit “chatvāri,” meaning “four” and also symbolizes a multitude. | |||
Four in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 四 | ||
| "四" also means "the world" or "all around" in ancient Chinese | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 四 | ||
| The character "四" (four) in Traditional Chinese is an ancient pictogram depicting a spider with eight legs. | |||
| Japanese | 四 | ||
| The character "四" (four) is composed of three strokes in the form of three horizontal strokes stacked on top of each other. | |||
| Korean | 네 | ||
| 네 (four) can also mean 'yes' as an affirmative response in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | дөрөв | ||
| "Дөрөв" can also mean "horse" or "stallion" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လေး | ||
| "လေး" means both "four" and "heavy" in Myanmar. | |||
Four in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | empat | ||
| Empat also means "square" in Indonesian, referring to the four sides of a square. | |||
| Javanese | papat | ||
| “Papat” can also mean to “cut,” “separate,” or “tear apart”. | |||
| Khmer | បួន | ||
| បួន derives from Sanskrit 'catvāra', but can also refer to a quarter, such as a quarter of a day (six hours). | |||
| Lao | ສີ່ | ||
| The Lao word ສີ່ derives from the Proto-Tai word *si(ː) which also means "four" in Standard Thai (สี่) and in Zhuang (si). | |||
| Malay | empat | ||
| The word "empat" is cognate with words for "four" in other Austronesian languages, such as "apat" in Filipino and "pat" in Javanese. | |||
| Thai | สี่ | ||
| In the word "สี่" "si" (four), the "ส" "so" represents the number "สาม" "sam" (three) and the "ี่" "ee" represents the sound of "เอ" "ae". | |||
| Vietnamese | bốn | ||
| 'Bốn' comes from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word 'p-r̥oŋ', meaning 'four' or 'many'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | apat | ||
Four in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dörd | ||
| The word "dörd" also means "quadrilateral". | |||
| Kazakh | төрт | ||
| The Kazakh word "төрт" not only means "four", but is also a unit of measurement for the length of the index finger. | |||
| Kyrgyz | төрт | ||
| Төрт means both "four" and "evening" in Kyrgyz, a coincidence with the English word "quarter". | |||
| Tajik | чор | ||
| The Tajiki word "чор" also has alternate meanings such as "thief", "thief", and "dark". | |||
| Turkmen | dört | ||
| Uzbek | to'rt | ||
| The word "to'rt" in Uzbek not only means "four" but is also used to denote the cardinal direction north. | |||
| Uyghur | تۆت | ||
Four in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻehā | ||
| The word ʻehā is a Proto-Austronesian word meaning "to separate (in many ways)." | |||
| Maori | tokowha | ||
| "Tokowha," the Maori word for "four," also refers to a group of four people, as in a quartet. | |||
| Samoan | fa | ||
| The Samoan word 'fa' can also mean 'a part' or 'a piece' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | apat | ||
| The Tagalog word "apat" is cognated with the Malay word "empat" and the Sanskrit word "catvarah", all meaning "four". | |||
Four in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pusi | ||
| Guarani | irundy | ||
Four in International Languages
| Esperanto | kvar | ||
| Esperanto's "kvar" may also refer to a type of musical quartet. | |||
| Latin | quattuor | ||
| "Quattuor" also means "army" in Latin, likely from an archaic meaning of "four-part," i.e. an army of foot soldiers, cavalry, archers, and charioteers. | |||
Four in Others Languages
| Greek | τέσσερα | ||
| Τέσσερα, like δεξιά and δεξιός derive from one root meaning "right" or "correct" and originally meant "the right amount". | |||
| Hmong | plaub | ||
| In some regions, "plaub" can also mean "full" or "all of them. | |||
| Kurdish | çar | ||
| In the old Kurdish calendar, "çar" also denoted the fourth month or the first month of the summer season. | |||
| Turkish | dört | ||
| The word "dört" is also used to mean "square" in Turkish, as in "dörtgen" (rectangle) or "kare" (square). | |||
| Xhosa | zine | ||
| The Xhosa word "Zine" is derived from the verb "ukuzina", meaning "to dance" or "to move rhythmically". | |||
| Yiddish | פיר | ||
| The Yiddish word "פיר" (fir) can also mean "fur" or "a fur coat" | |||
| Zulu | ezine | ||
| 'Ezine' translates to 'four,' and can also symbolize totality or completeness in Zulu philosophy. | |||
| Assamese | চাৰিটা | ||
| Aymara | pusi | ||
| Bhojpuri | चार गो के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަތަރު... | ||
| Dogri | चार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | apat | ||
| Guarani | irundy | ||
| Ilocano | uppat | ||
| Krio | 4 | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چوار | ||
| Maithili | चारि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | pali | ||
| Oromo | afur | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚାରି | ||
| Quechua | tawa | ||
| Sanskrit | चतुः | ||
| Tatar | дүрт | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣርባዕተ | ||
| Tsonga | mune | ||