Free in Different Languages
Discover 'Free' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'free' holds a special significance in our lives, representing liberty, independence, and absence of constraints. Its cultural importance is evident in various historical movements and philosophies that have championed freedom and autonomy. But have you ever wondered how 'free' is translated in different languages around the world?
Understanding the translation of 'free' in various languages can provide valuable insights into cultural nuances and societal values. For instance, in German, 'free' translates to 'frei,' which also means exempt or spared. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'free' is translated as 'jiyū,' a term that embodies the concept of self-determination and autonomy. In Russian, 'svobodny' is the word for 'free,' reflecting the country's rich history of fighting for freedom and independence.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, learning the translation of 'free' in different languages can be a fascinating journey. Here are some translations to get you started:
Free
Free in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vry | ||
| In Afrikaans "vry" means "free" but also has the archaic meaning of "joyful". | |||
| Amharic | ፍርይ | ||
| In certain contexts, "ፍርይ" can also denote "release", "deliverance", or "exemption." | |||
| Hausa | kyauta | ||
| The word "kyauta" in Hausa can also refer to a gift or present. | |||
| Igbo | n'efu | ||
| The word "n'efu" in Igbo originally meant "to cut off" or "to separate", but over time it came to mean "free". | |||
| Malagasy | maimaim-poana | ||
| Derived from the Malay "ma-ma" (to give) and from the Indonesian "poana" (to receive), "maimaim-poana" originally meant "to give and receive for free". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kwaulere | ||
| The word 'kwaulere' is also a name for a type of fish trap. | |||
| Shona | mahara | ||
| The word 'mahara' is also used to describe an act of giving without expecting anything in return | |||
| Somali | bilaash ah | ||
| The word 'bilaash ah' in Somali also means 'without cost or charge'. | |||
| Sesotho | mahala | ||
| Mahala translates to "free" but also refers to "the common people" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | bure | ||
| The Swahili word "bure" can also refer to something that is bad or evil. | |||
| Xhosa | simahla | ||
| The Xhosa word 'simahla' also refers to something that is not difficult to do. | |||
| Yoruba | ọfẹ | ||
| "Ọfẹ" also means "without payment". | |||
| Zulu | mahhala | ||
| Mahhala is Zulu word related to "freedom" or "freedom of movement" and is thought to be derived from the concept of a clear or open path. | |||
| Bambara | ka kunmabɔ | ||
| Ewe | femaxe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuntu | ||
| Lingala | ofele | ||
| Luganda | bwereere | ||
| Sepedi | lokologile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | de ho | ||
Free in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مجانا | ||
| "مجانا" is said to originate from "مجّانا" which is the broken plural form of "مجّان". The word "مجّان" means "slave" and it might be that "مجّاناً" originally referred to something that is done without the involvement or help of a slave. | |||
| Hebrew | חינם | ||
| The Hebrew word "חינם" means "free," but can also mean "in vain" or "without cost." | |||
| Pashto | وړیا | ||
| The word "وړیا" in Pashto can also mean "independent" or "liberated". | |||
| Arabic | مجانا | ||
| "مجانا" is said to originate from "مجّانا" which is the broken plural form of "مجّان". The word "مجّان" means "slave" and it might be that "مجّاناً" originally referred to something that is done without the involvement or help of a slave. | |||
Free in Western European Languages
| Albanian | falas | ||
| It may be derived from Proto-Indo-European *pelh₁- (“to divide”) or Proto-Albanian *faljo (“to escape”). | |||
| Basque | doan | ||
| Doan also refers to the state of freedom from oppression, slavery or confinement in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | gratuït | ||
| The word "gratuït" (Catalan for "free") comes from the Latin word "gratuitus", which can also mean "voluntary". | |||
| Croatian | besplatno | ||
| "Besplatno" also means "unlucky" or "unsuccessful" in Croatian slang. | |||
| Danish | ledig | ||
| The word "ledig" can also refer to a vacancy or an opening. | |||
| Dutch | vrij | ||
| The word 'vrij' in Dutch also means 'open' or 'unoccupied', and is related to the English word 'free' | |||
| English | free | ||
| The word 'free' traces its etymology to the Proto-Germanic root 'frijaz', meaning 'beloved', and has had historical connotations of nobility and liberality, reflecting its original meaning in Old English. | |||
| French | libre | ||
| The word "libre" in French can also mean "book" or "available" depending on the context. | |||
| Frisian | frij | ||
| The Frisian word "frij" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "frijaz", meaning "beloved" or "desirable". | |||
| Galician | de balde | ||
| The Galician word "de balde" comes from the Latin "valde," and also means "a lot" or "very much." | |||
| German | kostenlos | ||
| The word 'kostenlos' literally translates to 'without costs' in German. | |||
| Icelandic | ókeypis | ||
| "Ókeypis" derives from the Old Norse word "auknum", meaning "without additional payment" | |||
| Irish | saor | ||
| The Irish word "saor" not only means "free", but also "noble" or "skilled." | |||
| Italian | gratuito | ||
| In Italian, "gratuito" can also mean "unwarranted" or "unfounded". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fräi | ||
| Maltese | libera | ||
| In Maltese, "libera" not only means "free" but also refers to a type of traditional Maltese folk song typically sung at weddings, religious feasts, or other festive occasions. | |||
| Norwegian | gratis | ||
| In Norwegian, "gratis" has an alternate meaning of "cheerful," possibly originating from the Middle Latin "gratus," meaning "pleasing." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | livre | ||
| The word "livre" in Portuguese can also mean "book". This is due to the fact that books were historically expensive and thus only available to the wealthy, who were considered "free". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | an-asgaidh | ||
| The Gaelic word “an-asgaidh” is used in Scottish Gaelic to describe something that is both “at leisure” and also of "no use". | |||
| Spanish | gratis | ||
| In Spanish, "gratis" can also mean "thank you" or "please". | |||
| Swedish | fri | ||
| The word "fri" in Swedish can also mean "generous" or "open-handed". | |||
| Welsh | am ddim | ||
| The word "am ddim" can also mean "nothing" or "gratis" in Welsh. | |||
Free in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бясплатна | ||
| In Polish, a cognate of “бясплатна” means “vain” or “useless”. | |||
| Bosnian | besplatno | ||
| The word "besplatno" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "бесплатьно", which originally meant "without pay" or "gratis". | |||
| Bulgarian | безплатно | ||
| The word "Безплатно" comes from the Old Church Slavonic "безъ плътъ", meaning "without payment". | |||
| Czech | volný, uvolnit | ||
| It also means "idle", "lazy" or "unused" (volný čas "free time"). | |||
| Estonian | tasuta | ||
| In Estonian, "tasuta" also means "without charge" or "gratis". | |||
| Finnish | vapaa | ||
| The word "vapaa" is also the word for "empty", but its literal meaning is empty of slaves, so "free". | |||
| Hungarian | ingyenes | ||
| The Hungarian word "ingyenes" (free) derives from the Slavic root "inj" or "inji", meaning "other, different" or "not this one", indicating something obtained without compensation or payment. | |||
| Latvian | bez maksas | ||
| "Bez maksas" can also refer to something given "without purpose". | |||
| Lithuanian | laisvas | ||
| The word "Laisvas" in Lithuanian can also mean "unoccupied" or "vacant". | |||
| Macedonian | бесплатно | ||
| Derived from the Greek word "ατελής" (ate̱le̱s), meaning "exempt from a payment or tax". | |||
| Polish | wolny | ||
| In Polish, "wolny" also means "slow" or "inactive", contrasting its common meaning of "free". | |||
| Romanian | gratuit | ||
| In Romanian, "gratuit" also means "without pay", as in "gratuitous advice". | |||
| Russian | свободный | ||
| In Russian, "свободный" can also mean "available" or "unoccupied." | |||
| Serbian | бесплатно | ||
| The word "бесплатно" in Serbian derives from the Old Slavic word "бьсть", meaning "gift" or "donation". | |||
| Slovak | zadarmo | ||
| The word "zadarmo" in Slovak originally meant "without a gift". | |||
| Slovenian | prost | ||
| The word 'prost' also means 'generous' and can be used as a greeting or a toast in some contexts. | |||
| Ukrainian | безкоштовно | ||
| The word "безкоштовно" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*bezъ", meaning "without", and "*kosьтъ", meaning "cost" or "expense". | |||
Free in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিনামূল্যে | ||
| "বিনামূল্যে" derives from the Sanskrit word "vimūlya," meaning "without price" | |||
| Gujarati | મફત | ||
| The Gujarati word "મફત" originates from the Persian word "مفت" (mift) which also means "free". | |||
| Hindi | नि: शुल्क | ||
| The Hindi word नि:शुल्क (ni:śulk) literally means 'without charge' and can also refer to things that are available without financial burden | |||
| Kannada | ಉಚಿತ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಉಚಿತ" also refers to leisure time or being at one's disposal. | |||
| Malayalam | സൗ ജന്യം | ||
| The word 'സൗ ജന്യം' in Malayalam literally means 'born of oneself', implying something that is not subject to external control or influence. | |||
| Marathi | फुकट | ||
| Phukat is derived from the Sanskrit 'phukta' which means 'blown' or 'winnowed' and implies that something has been removed without effort hence it is 'free'. | |||
| Nepali | सित्तैमा | ||
| The word "सित्तैमा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सिद्ध" meaning "accomplished" and "मा" meaning "without." | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੁਫਤ | ||
| The word 'ਮੁਫਤ' originated from the Persian word 'muft' which means 'cheap' or 'free of charge.' | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිදහස් | ||
| The Sinhala word "නිදහස්" (free) is derived from the Sanskrit word "निर्धास्त" (nir-dhasta), meaning "without fear" or "secure". | |||
| Tamil | இலவசம் | ||
| இலவசம் also means being without cost, charge, or expense. | |||
| Telugu | ఉచితం | ||
| The word "ఉచితం" derives from the Sanskrit word "utsyah," meaning "enthusiasm" or "excitement." | |||
| Urdu | مفت | ||
| The word 'مفت' has its roots in the Persian language and literally means 'gratis' or 'without charge'. | |||
Free in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 自由 | ||
| 自由 ('free') can also mean 'leisure' or 'relaxed' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 自由 | ||
| 自由 evolved from "zì yóu" in Middle Chinese meaning "self-existence". | |||
| Japanese | 自由 | ||
| The character 自由 (free) is often used in Japanese to refer to the concept of "liberty" or "independence". | |||
| Korean | 비어 있는 | ||
| The term "비어 있다" (free) originates from the Buddhist concept of "emptiness," which refers to the inherent lack of an essential or fixed nature of all things. | |||
| Mongolian | үнэгүй | ||
| The Mongolian word 'үнэгүй' can also mean 'gratis', 'without cost', or 'unpaid'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခမဲ့ | ||
Free in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gratis | ||
| The Indonesian word "gratis" originated from the Latin word "gratis" which also means "free of charge". | |||
| Javanese | gratis | ||
| In Javanese, "gratis" can also refer to something that is obtained without effort or as a bonus or extra. | |||
| Khmer | ឥតគិតថ្លៃ | ||
| The term 'ឥតគិតថ្លៃ' ('free') is also used in Khmer to describe something that is 'worthless' or 'insignificant'. | |||
| Lao | ບໍ່ເສຍຄ່າ | ||
| The Lao word "ບໍ່ເສຍຄ່າ" literally means "not losing money" and is often used to describe things that are free of charge. | |||
| Malay | percuma | ||
| The word 'percuma' originates from the Sanskrit word 'pramāṇa', meaning 'proof, evidence'. In this sense, 'percuma' refers to something that is evident or obvious, and therefore does not require payment. | |||
| Thai | ฟรี | ||
| The Thai word "ฟรี" (free) comes from the Pali language and has a rich history and various meanings, including "generous", "unrestricted", and "gratis". | |||
| Vietnamese | miễn phí | ||
| "Miễn phí" shares the same origin as "mien" (exempt), and also means "free of charge". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | libre | ||
Free in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pulsuz | ||
| The word "pulsuz" is derived from the Persian word "pul" (money) and the suffix "-suz" (without), meaning "without money". | |||
| Kazakh | тегін | ||
| The word "Тегін" can also mean "naturally" or "by nature" in Kazakh, and is related to the word "туған" which means "born" or "native". | |||
| Kyrgyz | акысыз | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "акысыз" can also refer to something that is gratuitous or undeserved. | |||
| Tajik | озод | ||
| The word "озод" is a cognate of "Azād" in Persian, and its etymology can be traced back to the Avestan word "āzāta," meaning "unborn, not produced." | |||
| Turkmen | mugt | ||
| Uzbek | ozod | ||
| The word "ozod" can also mean "independent" or "liberated". | |||
| Uyghur | ھەقسىز | ||
Free in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manuahi | ||
| The word "manuahi" also means "free" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | koreutu | ||
| The English word 'free' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pri-, meaning 'to love' or 'to be dear'. | |||
| Samoan | leai se totogi | ||
| Leai se totogi comes from the verb 'totogi', which means 'to pay' or 'to compensate', and the negative prefix 'leai', meaning 'not'. Therefore, 'leai se totogi' literally means 'not to pay', which is how the concept of 'free' is expressed in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | libre | ||
| "Libre" in Tagalog may also refer to a book or publication. | |||
Free in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhisphita | ||
| Guarani | reiguáva | ||
Free in International Languages
| Esperanto | senpaga | ||
| The word "senpaga" is derived from the Latin word "sine" meaning "without" and the Esperanto word "pago" meaning "payment". | |||
| Latin | liber | ||
| "Liber" can refer to the inner bark of a tree (especially papyrus), used as early writing material, hence the related word "library" | |||
Free in Others Languages
| Greek | ελεύθερος | ||
| The Greek word "ελεύθερος" originally meant "belonging to one's self" and also referred to the state of being a freeman or citizen, as opposed to a slave. | |||
| Hmong | pub dawb | ||
| The word 'pub dawb' (free) in Hmong also refers to the freedom from obligations or restrictions. | |||
| Kurdish | belaş | ||
| The term 'belaş' is also commonly used in Kurdish colloquial language, meaning 'effortless' or 'without any cost'. | |||
| Turkish | bedava | ||
| The Turkish word "bedava" originates from the Persian "bad-e-hava", meaning "spoiled by the air" or "worthless". | |||
| Xhosa | simahla | ||
| The Xhosa word 'simahla' also refers to something that is not difficult to do. | |||
| Yiddish | פרייַ | ||
| The Yiddish word "פרייַ" (frei) also means "serene, tranquil, calm," as in "a tranquil mind" | |||
| Zulu | mahhala | ||
| Mahhala is Zulu word related to "freedom" or "freedom of movement" and is thought to be derived from the concept of a clear or open path. | |||
| Assamese | বিনামূলীয়া | ||
| Aymara | qhisphita | ||
| Bhojpuri | बेपइसा के | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިލޭ | ||
| Dogri | अजाद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | libre | ||
| Guarani | reiguáva | ||
| Ilocano | libre | ||
| Krio | fri | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئازاد | ||
| Maithili | मुक्त | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯤꯡ ꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | zalen | ||
| Oromo | bilisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାଗଣା | | ||
| Quechua | qispisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | निःशुल्कः | ||
| Tatar | бушлай | ||
| Tigrinya | ነፃ | ||
| Tsonga | tshunxeka | ||