Fourth in Different Languages
Discover 'Fourth' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fourth' holds a special significance in many cultures and languages around the world. As the ordinal form of the number four, it represents the idea of sequential progression and continuity. From the four cardinal directions to the four classical elements, the number four has been a powerful symbol in various cultural and philosophical systems.
Moreover, the concept of 'fourth' has been expressed in many fascinating ways across different languages. For instance, in Spanish, 'fourth' is 'cuarto' (kwar-toh), while in French, it is 'quatrième' (kat-ree-em). In German, it is 'vierter' (fee-air-ter), and in Japanese, it is 'yon' (yoan) followed by 'do' (doh), which means 'way' or 'method'. In Mandarin Chinese, it is 'sì' (srr-ee) followed by 'ge' (guh), which means 'rank' or 'place'.
Understanding the translation of 'fourth' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural and linguistic diversity of the world. It can also help us appreciate the unique ways in which different cultures conceptualize and express numerical concepts.
Fourth
Fourth in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vierde | ||
| Vierde is directly derived from the Dutch "vierde", meaning "fourth" in English | |||
| Amharic | አራተኛ | ||
| The name comes from the Amharic word 'ar', (meaning 'one'), and 'tatenh' (meaning 'three'), and the literal meaning is "one and three". | |||
| Hausa | na huɗu | ||
| The word "na huɗu" also means "four in a row" in the context of games, while "húɗu-húɗu" means "very slowly". | |||
| Igbo | nke anọ | ||
| Nke anọ translates as "fourth" in Igbo, but also refers to the "fourth in order" or "the last" in Igbo ordinal numbers, as it was the last number to be coined. | |||
| Malagasy | fahefatra | ||
| "Fahafatra" comes from the verb "afafy," which means "to divide, split, separate." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wachinayi | ||
| The Nyanja word 'wachinayi' can also refer to the fourth day of the week, Thursday. | |||
| Shona | chechina | ||
| The word "chechina" can also mean "the fourth time" or "during the fourth year" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | afraad | ||
| The Somali word 'afraad' also means 'individuals' or 'members', derived from the Arabic word 'afrad'. | |||
| Sesotho | ea bone | ||
| Ea bone also means 'side' in Sesotho, and can be used as an alternative for the word 'fahle' which means 'towards' or 'on the side'. | |||
| Swahili | nne | ||
| The word "nne" in Swahili also means "sister" or "cousin". | |||
| Xhosa | isine | ||
| The word 'Isine' can also be used to refer to the number of days in a week, month, or year. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹkẹrin | ||
| Ẹkẹrin is also commonly used as a placeholder to refer to a specific day during the week, usually a week from the day of the conversation. | |||
| Zulu | okwesine | ||
| In Zulu, the word "okwesine" also means "right hand" or "dexterity". | |||
| Bambara | naaninan | ||
| Ewe | enelia | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kane | ||
| Lingala | ya minei | ||
| Luganda | eky’okuna | ||
| Sepedi | ya bone | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nea ɛto so anan | ||
Fourth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الرابع | ||
| The word "الرابع" ("fourth") in Arabic also has the connotation of "the last" or "the final" in certain contexts. | |||
| Hebrew | רביעי | ||
| The Hebrew word "רביעי" also means "teacher" or "spiritual guide"} | |||
| Pashto | څلورم | ||
| The word "څلورم" in Pashto can also be used to refer to the fourth day of the week, Wednesday. | |||
| Arabic | الرابع | ||
| The word "الرابع" ("fourth") in Arabic also has the connotation of "the last" or "the final" in certain contexts. | |||
Fourth in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i katërti | ||
| i katërti is related to the Greek tetrártis and derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *kwetwóres which also gave rise to the Latin quattuor and the Slavic četyre. | |||
| Basque | laugarrena | ||
| In Basque the word "laugarrena" is both the ordinal and cardinal form of the number "four". | |||
| Catalan | quart | ||
| The Catalan word "quart" can also refer to a measure of capacity equivalent to a liter. | |||
| Croatian | četvrti | ||
| The word 'četvrti' also means 'a quarter' (of an hour) in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | fjerde | ||
| In Danish, 'fjerde' shares its etymological roots with 'fjær' (feather), suggesting a possible connection between the two concepts. | |||
| Dutch | vierde | ||
| "Vierde" in Dutch can also mean "greenish". | |||
| English | fourth | ||
| The word "fourth" originally meant "front" or "forward" in Old English, and is related to the words "fore" and "front" in Modern English. | |||
| French | quatrième | ||
| The word "Quatrième" in French derives from the Latin "Quartus", meaning "the fourth in order". | |||
| Frisian | fjirde | ||
| The Frisian word 'fjirde' also means 'quarter' and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'feorðe', meaning 'fourth'. | |||
| Galician | cuarto | ||
| Galician "cuarto" can also mean "room" or "quarter". | |||
| German | vierte | ||
| The word "vierte" in German also refers to a musical interval of four notes and a quarter of a circle. | |||
| Icelandic | fjórða | ||
| Fjórða, when used in Icelandic place names, denotes a farm that once paid 1/4 of a 'vatn' (a customary unit of land area) in tithes to the local church. | |||
| Irish | ceathrú | ||
| The Irish "ceathrú" shares a similar root to "quarter" and the Latin word for square or four "quattor" | |||
| Italian | il quarto | ||
| "Il quarto" in Italian can also refer to a room in a house, particularly a bedroom. | |||
| Luxembourgish | véierten | ||
| The term also means "40" in Luxembourgish, referencing when a person turns forty. | |||
| Maltese | ir-raba ' | ||
| The word "ir-raba'" in Maltese also means "quarter" in a time context, e.g. "ir-raba' ta' filgħodu" (quarter past eight). | |||
| Norwegian | fjerde | ||
| "Fjerde" also means "bay" or "estuary" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quarto | ||
| In Portuguese, "quarto" can also mean "bedroom" or a "room". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | an ceathramh | ||
| 'an ceathramh' is also used for the note 'treble' in music, and 'the fourth' in card games. | |||
| Spanish | cuarto | ||
| In Spanish, "cuarto" can mean both "fourth" and "room", and originates from the Latin "quartus" (fourth). | |||
| Swedish | fjärde | ||
| The word "fjärde" in Swedish, originally meaning "the distance between two hills", has also come to mean "quarter" and "one-fourth". | |||
| Welsh | pedwerydd | ||
| The word "pedwerydd" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "kʷetwarjos", which also means "four" in Breton and Irish. | |||
Fourth in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чацвёрты | ||
| The word "чацвёрты" in Belarusian cognates with "четверг" (Thursday) in Russian, as both words stem from the Proto-Slavic word "*četvьrtъ", meaning "quarter". | |||
| Bosnian | četvrti | ||
| In Bosnian, 'četvrti' can refer to both 'fourth' and 'Thursday', sharing a root with 'four' and 'quarter'. | |||
| Bulgarian | четвърти | ||
| The Bulgarian word "четвърти" also has the alternate meaning of "room". | |||
| Czech | čtvrtý | ||
| The Czech word "Čtvrtý" also means "a quarter hour", derived from its historical definition: the fourth hour, which was 9 a.m. | |||
| Estonian | neljas | ||
| The Estonian word "neljas" is cognate with the Finnish word "neljä" and the English word "four". | |||
| Finnish | neljäs | ||
| "Neljäs" also means "quadruple" or "quaternary" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | negyedik | ||
| The word "negyedik" comes from the Proto-Ugric word *ńekete, meaning "small". | |||
| Latvian | ceturtais | ||
| In Latvian, the word "ceturtais" also refers to an ancient Latvian lunar deity. | |||
| Lithuanian | ketvirta | ||
| The word "ketvirta" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷetwer-", meaning "four". It is cognate with the Latin word "quattuor" and the Greek word "τέσσερα" (téssera). | |||
| Macedonian | четврто | ||
| "Четврто" is also a synonym of "fourthly" and "fourth part of something." | |||
| Polish | czwarty | ||
| The word "czwarty" in Polish comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*čьtvьrtъ", which also means "quarter". | |||
| Romanian | al patrulea | ||
| In Romanian, the ordinal number "al patrulea" can also refer to the fourth day of the week, Wednesday. | |||
| Russian | четвертый | ||
| "Четвертый" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*ketvérъ", meaning "group of four". | |||
| Serbian | четврти | ||
| The word "четврти" also means "quarter" or "fourth part" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | štvrtý | ||
| The word "štvrtý" (fourth) is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*čьtъvьrtъ", meaning "one quarter of a whole", which also survives in the word "štvrť" (quarter). | |||
| Slovenian | četrti | ||
| "Četrt" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*četyre" meaning "four" and is also used to denote neighborhoods/districts/quarters in Ljubljana and other cities. | |||
| Ukrainian | четвертий | ||
| The word "четвертий" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *četvrъtъ, which also means "one quarter". | |||
Fourth in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চতুর্থ | ||
| The Bengali word 'চতুর্থ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चतुर्थ' (caturtha), meaning 'fourth'. | |||
| Gujarati | ચોથું | ||
| The word "ચોથું" ("fourth") in Gujarati can also be used to refer to the number of days after a new moon. | |||
| Hindi | चौथी | ||
| The word "चौथी" can also refer to the fourth lunar day of the Hindu calendar. | |||
| Kannada | ನಾಲ್ಕನೇ | ||
| The word "ನಾಲ್ಕನೆೇ" (nālkaneē) can also be used as a noun to mean "a quarter". | |||
| Malayalam | നാലാമത്തെ | ||
| Marathi | चौथा | ||
| चौथा, fourth, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चतुर' (chatur), meaning 'four' or 'quadruple'. | |||
| Nepali | चौथो | ||
| चौथो' (fourth) is derived from 'चतुर' (four) and can also mean 'a quarter' or 'a fourth part' | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੌਥਾ | ||
| The word "ਚੌਥਾ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "चतुर्थः" (caturthaḥ), meaning "fourth". It can also refer to the fourth day of the lunar month, or to the fourth part of something. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හතරවන | ||
| The word හතරවන (hatharavana) is related to the Sanskrit word 'chatvarah', meaning 'four'. | |||
| Tamil | நான்காவது | ||
| The word 'நான்காவது' (fourth) in Tamil is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *nal-, meaning 'four'. | |||
| Telugu | నాల్గవది | ||
| The word "నాల్గవది" (fourth) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *nāl, meaning "four". | |||
| Urdu | چوتھا | ||
| The word "چوتھا" can also refer to a quarter or a share of something. | |||
Fourth in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 第四 | ||
| The character 第 also appears in words like 弟子 (dìzǐ) "student" and 地点 (dìdiǎn) "location." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 第四 | ||
| It is also used as a measure word for generations, such as "第四代" (fourth generation). | |||
| Japanese | 第4 | ||
| 第四 is also the name of a flower card in Japanese flower cards (hanafuda) and is called "shi" when used as such. | |||
| Korean | 네번째 | ||
| 네번째 also means 'one's place in marriage' or 'a spouse' in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | дөрөв дэх | ||
| дөрөв дэх (fourth) comes from the Mongolic root for 'left side', referring to the fourth day of a multi-day festival that took place on the left (eastern) side of the camp. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စတုတ်ထ | ||
| The word စတုတ်ထ (fourth) can also be used to refer to the number four in general. | |||
Fourth in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keempat | ||
| The word "keempat" can also be used to indicate the fourth position in a sequence, or the fourth part of a whole. | |||
| Javanese | kaping papat | ||
| "kaping papat" also means "to the fourth generation, to a grandchild" or "on all fours, in a quadrupedal position" | |||
| Khmer | ទីបួន | ||
| The Khmer word ទីបួន comes from the Sanskrit word "catvar", which also means "fourth". | |||
| Lao | ສີ່ | ||
| The word "ສີ່" derives from Pali "cattāro" and Sanskrit "catvāra." | |||
| Malay | keempat | ||
| The Malay word "keempat" also means "a fourth part or share". | |||
| Thai | ประการที่สี่ | ||
| The word “ประการที่สี่” is also the title of the fourth chapter of the Thai national anthem. | |||
| Vietnamese | thứ tư | ||
| "Thứ tư" can also refer to Wednesday in Vietnamese because it is the fourth day of the week. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pang-apat | ||
Fourth in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dördüncü | ||
| The word "dördüncü" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "dört", meaning "four", and the Proto-Turkic suffix "-üncü", meaning "belonging to." | |||
| Kazakh | төртінші | ||
| The word "төртінші" (fourth) in Kazakh is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*tört" (four) and the suffix "-інші" (order). | |||
| Kyrgyz | төртүнчү | ||
| The word төртүнчү in Kyrgyz (fourth) is derived from the word төрт (four) and the suffix -үнчү, which indicates "the one who is fourth or in the fourth position." | |||
| Tajik | чорум | ||
| The word "чорум" can also refer to a quadrant of a circle. | |||
| Turkmen | dördünji | ||
| Uzbek | to'rtinchi | ||
| The Uzbek word "toʻrtinchi" is derived from Persian and means "fourth" and also "one fourth, a quarter". | |||
| Uyghur | تۆتىنچى | ||
Fourth in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka 'ehā | ||
| "Ka 'ehā" also means "to wait". | |||
| Maori | tuawha | ||
| The name for 'four' or 'fourth' in Maori, 'tuawha', may also mean 'to cut' or 'to divide'. | |||
| Samoan | tulaga fa | ||
| The word "tulaga fa" in Samoan can also mean "quarter" or "a quarter of something" | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pang-apat | ||
| The Tagalog word "pang-apat" can also refer to a fourth child in a family or a fourth part of something. | |||
Fourth in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pusiri | ||
| Guarani | irundyha | ||
Fourth in International Languages
| Esperanto | kvara | ||
| "Kvara" is also the name of a Georgian footballer. | |||
| Latin | quartus | ||
| "Quartus" is the masculine nominative singular form of a word in Latin meaning "fourth" that originates in PIE *kʷetwórtós | |||
Fourth in Others Languages
| Greek | τέταρτος | ||
| τέταρτος also means "quartan" (fever) when used in medicine. | |||
| Hmong | plaub | ||
| The word plaub is derived from an archaic word meaning 'part', and is related to the words for three and five. | |||
| Kurdish | çarem | ||
| Çarem (fourth) also means "remedy" or "solution" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | dördüncü | ||
| Dördüncü also means "a fourth part" in Turkish, similar to its Arabic origin "rubu'". | |||
| Xhosa | isine | ||
| The word 'Isine' can also be used to refer to the number of days in a week, month, or year. | |||
| Yiddish | פערטער | ||
| Although the word פערטער means 'fourth' in Yiddish, it is related to the English word 'fart' and shares some of the same connotations. | |||
| Zulu | okwesine | ||
| In Zulu, the word "okwesine" also means "right hand" or "dexterity". | |||
| Assamese | চতুৰ্থ | ||
| Aymara | pusiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | चउथा स्थान पर बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަތަރުވަނައެވެ | ||
| Dogri | चौथा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pang-apat | ||
| Guarani | irundyha | ||
| Ilocano | maikapat | ||
| Krio | di nɔmba 4 | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چوارەم | ||
| Maithili | चारिम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯤꯁꯨꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | palina a ni | ||
| Oromo | afraffaadha | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚତୁର୍ଥ | ||
| Quechua | tawa kaq | ||
| Sanskrit | चतुर्थः | ||
| Tatar | дүртенче | ||
| Tigrinya | ራብዓይ | ||
| Tsonga | xa vumune | ||