Gently in Different Languages
Discover 'Gently' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'gently' holds a special place in our hearts and languages, as it evokes a sense of care, kindness, and respect. It is a word that transcends cultural boundaries and is understood in various languages around the world. From the French 'doucement' to the Spanish 'suavemente', the word 'gently' carries the same gentle touch and soothing tone. In German, it is 'sanft' and in Japanese, 'やさしく' (yasashiku).
But why is it important to know the translation of 'gently' in different languages? Understanding this word in various languages can help us communicate more effectively and sensitively with people from different cultures. It can also deepen our appreciation for the beauty and richness of different languages and cultures.
Moreover, the word 'gently' has a fascinating history. It comes from the Old English word 'gyltlice', which means 'fitly, becomingly'. Over time, it has evolved to mean what it does today - with a gentle and light touch. So, let's explore the different translations of 'gently' and learn more about the cultures and languages they come from.
Gently
Gently in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | saggies | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word 'saggies' can also refer to a type of loose-fitting pants. | |||
| Amharic | በቀስታ | ||
| በቀስታ is also used figuratively to mean 'in a calm manner' or 'without haste' | |||
| Hausa | a hankali | ||
| In Hausa, 'a hankali' can also mean 'discreetly' or 'secretly'. | |||
| Igbo | nwayọ | ||
| The Igbo word "nwayọ" has other meanings, including "slowly" and "quietly." | |||
| Malagasy | moramora | ||
| In Malagasy, "moramora" is also used to describe a type of canoe and a traditional dance. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | modekha | ||
| The word "modekha" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the root word "deka", meaning "to be soft" or "to be gentle. | |||
| Shona | zvinyoro nyoro | ||
| The word "zvinyoro nyoro" can be used to describe the way something moves or sounds, or to describe a person's character. | |||
| Somali | si tartiib ah | ||
| The word "si tartiib ah" can also mean "peacefully" or "calmly" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ka bonolo | ||
| The word "ka bonolo" can also mean "carefully" or "with caution". | |||
| Swahili | kwa upole | ||
| 'Kwa upole' can also mean 'humbly' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ngobunono | ||
| The word "ngobunono" is also used to describe something that is slow or gentle, like a breeze. | |||
| Yoruba | jẹjẹ | ||
| The word "jẹjẹ" is also used in Yoruba to describe someone who is calm or peaceful. | |||
| Zulu | ngobumnene | ||
| The Zulu word 'ngobumnene' is a composite of 'ngobu' ('softness') and 'mnenene' ('smallness'). | |||
| Bambara | nɔgɔya la | ||
| Ewe | blewuu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | witonze | ||
| Lingala | na malɛmbɛ | ||
| Luganda | mpola mpola | ||
| Sepedi | ka bonolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | brɛoo | ||
Gently in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بلطف | ||
| From the verb 'لطف' (to be kind), it originally meant 'by favour' or 'with kindness'. | |||
| Hebrew | בעדינות | ||
| The word "בעדינות" is derived from the root word "עדין", meaning "delicate" or "fine." | |||
| Pashto | په نرمۍ سره | ||
| The Pashto word "په نرمۍ سره" is derived from the word "نرم," which means "soft" or "gentle." It can also be used to describe something that is done in a delicate or careful manner. | |||
| Arabic | بلطف | ||
| From the verb 'لطف' (to be kind), it originally meant 'by favour' or 'with kindness'. | |||
Gently in Western European Languages
| Albanian | butësisht | ||
| Butësisht is also used to describe the sound of a whisper, or the movement of a breeze. | |||
| Basque | astiro-astiro | ||
| "Astiro-astiro" derives from the root "asti", meaning "quietly" or "slowly", and the reduplication suffix "-ti-/-di-", which emphasizes the action. | |||
| Catalan | suaument | ||
| The word "suaument" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "suavis", meaning "sweet" or "pleasant". | |||
| Croatian | nježno | ||
| The word "nježno" is derived from the Slavic root "neg" meaning "not" and the verb "žeti" meaning "to desire." | |||
| Danish | forsigtigt | ||
| Forsagtigt is the Danish cognate of the Norwegian forsakte, which means to renounce or abandon something. | |||
| Dutch | voorzichtig | ||
| The word "voorzichtig" derives from the word "voorzien," which means "to provide." | |||
| English | gently | ||
| Gentle, originally meaning 'well-born', retains its original sense in heraldry, where it refers to the first and highest rank of nobility. | |||
| French | doucement | ||
| The French word "doucement" derives from the Latin word "dulcis," meaning "sweet" or "agreeable." | |||
| Frisian | sêft | ||
| The word "sêft" in Frisian can also refer to a soft breeze or a gentle caress. | |||
| Galician | con suavidade | ||
| Galician 'con suavidade' derives from the Latin 'suavitās' ('pleasantness, sweetness'), related to 'suadere' ('to advise, persuade'). | |||
| German | sanft | ||
| The word "sanft" originally meant "yielding" or "pliant". | |||
| Icelandic | varlega | ||
| 'Varlega' is a contraction of 'vara' (care) and 'lega' (play). | |||
| Irish | go réidh | ||
| The Irish word "go réidh" (genitive of "rua","red") can also mean "to smooth" or "to plane" (wood). | |||
| Italian | delicatamente | ||
| "Delicatamente," meaning "gently" in Italian, comes from the Latin word "delicatus," meaning "charming." | |||
| Luxembourgish | sanft | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "sanft" also means "smooth" and "calm". | |||
| Maltese | bil-mod | ||
| The Maltese word "bil-mod" has an alternate meaning of "with gentleness". | |||
| Norwegian | skånsomt | ||
| The word "skånsomt" is derived from the Old Norse word "skǫnsamr," which means "prudent" or "discreet." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | suavemente | ||
| In Portuguese, "suavemente" also means "softly" or "smoothly". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gu socair | ||
| The phrase "gu socair" can also mean "softly" or "quietly" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | suavemente | ||
| The Spanish word "suavemente" also means "smoothly" and "pleasantly," which are all related to the literal meaning of "gently." | |||
| Swedish | försiktigt | ||
| The Swedish word "försiktigt" comes from the Old Norse word "fyrsir" which means "attentive, careful, cautious" | |||
| Welsh | yn ysgafn | ||
| The initial mutated 'n' of 'ysgafn' is used for emphasis in colloquial speech and may also appear in formal Welsh in words like ysgafndroed ('nimble') for poetic effect. | |||
Gently in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мякка | ||
| "Мякка": from Proto-Slavic *mękъkъ, the source of the same word in Russian, or from the Proto-Baltic word mêkšnas (Lithuanian minkštas, Latvian mīksts, Old Prussian minxti), cognate to the Germanic *mēkwas (English meek, German milde, Old Norse mjúkr)" | |||
| Bosnian | nežno | ||
| The word 'nežno' can also mean 'tenderly' or 'delicately'. | |||
| Bulgarian | нежно | ||
| The word "нежно" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "něžьno", which also means "tender". | |||
| Czech | jemně | ||
| The word 'jemně' has the rare additional meaning 'slightly' which is preserved in the word 'jemný' (meaning tender, soft). | |||
| Estonian | õrnalt | ||
| The word "õrnalt" in Estonian may also refer to "softly", "delicately", or "tenderly". | |||
| Finnish | varovasti | ||
| The word "varovasti" in Finnish can also mean "cautiously" or "carefully". | |||
| Hungarian | gyengéden | ||
| The word "gyengéden" comes from the Proto-Hungarian word "*genge", meaning "weak" or "soft". | |||
| Latvian | maigi | ||
| The word "maigi" can also mean "softly" or "mildly" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | švelniai | ||
| The word "švelniai" in Lithuanian is cognate with the word "świeżo" in Polish, meaning "fresh" or "new". | |||
| Macedonian | нежно | ||
| "Нежно" also means "softly, delicately" and it can be used to describe light or touch. | |||
| Polish | łagodnie | ||
| "Łagodnie" in Polish can also refer to the weather being mild. | |||
| Romanian | cu blândețe | ||
| The phrase "cu blândețe" may also refer to "with softness" or "with a gentle touch". | |||
| Russian | нежно | ||
| The word "нежно" in Russian can also refer to emotions, sensations, and appearances, conveying a sense of delicacy, sweetness, or tenderness. | |||
| Serbian | нежно | ||
| The word "нежно" in Serbian also has the connotation of "delicately" or "affectionately". | |||
| Slovak | jemne | ||
| "Jemne" is also used as a verb meaning "to groan" or "to moan". | |||
| Slovenian | nežno | ||
| The word "nežno" is derived from the Slavic root *něgъ*, meaning "soft" or "tender". | |||
| Ukrainian | ніжно | ||
| The Ukrainian word "ніжно" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "nęgъ", which also meant "tender" and "affectionate." | |||
Gently in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আলতো করে | ||
| The word "আলতো করে" originated from the Sanskrit word "अल्पतस्" meaning "softly" or "lightly." | |||
| Gujarati | નરમાશથી | ||
| Hindi | धीरे | ||
| The word "धीरे" is derived from the Sanskrit word "दीर्घ" meaning "long" or "extended," suggesting a slow and deliberate movement. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ | ||
| Malayalam | സ ently മ്യമായി | ||
| The word "സ ently മ്യമായി" in Malayalam can also mean "softly" or "kindly." | |||
| Marathi | हळूवारपणे | ||
| The Sanskrit word "haluka" means gentle, slow, or light. | |||
| Nepali | बिस्तारै | ||
| The Nepali word "बिस्तारै" can also mean "slowly" or "gradually". | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਰਮੀ ਨਾਲ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මෘදු ලෙස | ||
| Tamil | மெதுவாக | ||
| Telugu | శాంతముగా | ||
| The Telugu word "శాంతముగా" ("gently") can also mean "peacefully" or "quietly". | |||
| Urdu | آہستہ سے | ||
Gently in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 轻轻地 | ||
| "轻轻地" originally meant "calmly" and was associated with water. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 輕輕地 | ||
| 輕輕地 is also used to mean 'lightly' or 'slightly' | |||
| Japanese | やさしく | ||
| やさしく comes from the root word やさ（やさしい）, which means "quiet" or "humble." | |||
| Korean | 부드럽게 | ||
| The verb 부드럽다 (budureopda), meaning "to be gentle or soft," derives from the onomatopoeic word 부드부드 (budubud), imitating the sound of something soft.} | |||
| Mongolian | зөөлөн | ||
| In Mongolic languages, this word is related to the verb "зөөх" ("to carry in a vessel") and may carry this meaning in archaic forms. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ညင်ညင်သာသာ | ||
Gently in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lembut | ||
| "Lembut" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *lembuR, meaning "soft" or "tender". | |||
| Javanese | alon-alon | ||
| "Alon-alon" also means "slow" in Indonesian, "slowly" or "gently" in Javanese, and "step by step" in Sundanese. | |||
| Khmer | ទន់ភ្លន់ | ||
| Lao | ຄ່ອຍໆ | ||
| Malay | dengan lembut | ||
| Dengan lemah-lembut has a different meaning in Indonesian, which is "impotent". | |||
| Thai | ค่อยๆ | ||
| The term “ค่อยๆ” is likely derived from a verb meaning “to gradually make an adjustment in order to attain harmony. | |||
| Vietnamese | dịu dàng | ||
| In the Tay-Nung language, "dịu dàng" means "cold, frigid". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malumanay | ||
Gently in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nəzakətlə | ||
| The word "nəzakətlə" in Azerbaijani also means "elegantly" or "delicately." | |||
| Kazakh | ақырын | ||
| The word "ақырын" in Kazakh also means "slowly" or "quietly". | |||
| Kyrgyz | акырын | ||
| "Акырын" means "slowly" or "calmly" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | мулоимона | ||
| The word "мулоимона" is derived from the Persian word "mulāimón" which means "soft" or "tender". | |||
| Turkmen | ýuwaşlyk bilen | ||
| Uzbek | muloyimlik bilan | ||
| The word "muloyimlik bilan" can also mean "leniently" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاستا | ||
Gently in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mālie | ||
| The term "mālie" can also refer to a gentle breeze and, in some Polynesian languages, a type of dance. | |||
| Maori | ngawari | ||
| Maori word "ngawari" has other meanings such as "tender", "sensitive", "frail", and "dainty". | |||
| Samoan | lemu | ||
| The word "lemu" can also refer to something soft, delicate, or tender in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | marahan | ||
| The word "marahan" also means "with care" or "with caution" in Tagalog. | |||
Gently in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | llamp’u chuymampiwa | ||
| Guarani | mbeguekatu | ||
Gently in International Languages
| Esperanto | milde | ||
| The root word "mildi" has alternate meanings including "to be weak, soft, or tender" as well as "to be smooth or calm". | |||
| Latin | suaviter | ||
| "Suaviter" also means "sweetly" in Latin, reflecting the close connection between the senses of taste and touch. | |||
Gently in Others Languages
| Greek | απαλά | ||
| In Byzantine Greek, απαλά also meant 'immediately' or 'straightaway'. | |||
| Hmong | maj mam muab | ||
| "Maj mam muab" is also used as a term to express "carefully" or "diligently" | |||
| Kurdish | sivikî | ||
| The word "sivikî" in Kurdish has an alternate meaning of "slowly" or "with care". | |||
| Turkish | nazikçe | ||
| The word 'nazikçe' is derived from the Persian word 'nazuk' meaning 'delicate'. | |||
| Xhosa | ngobunono | ||
| The word "ngobunono" is also used to describe something that is slow or gentle, like a breeze. | |||
| Yiddish | דזשענטלי | ||
| The word "דזשענטלי" is a borrowing from English which has acquired a somewhat archaic flavor | |||
| Zulu | ngobumnene | ||
| The Zulu word 'ngobumnene' is a composite of 'ngobu' ('softness') and 'mnenene' ('smallness'). | |||
| Assamese | লাহে লাহে | ||
| Aymara | llamp’u chuymampiwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | धीरे से कहल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޑުމަޑުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | धीरे-धीरे | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malumanay | ||
| Guarani | mbeguekatu | ||
| Ilocano | siaalumamay | ||
| Krio | saful saful wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بە نەرمی | ||
| Maithili | धीरे-धीरे | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯞꯅꯥ ꯇꯞꯅꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | zawi zawiin | ||
| Oromo | suuta jedhee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧୀରେ ଧୀରେ | ||
| Quechua | sumaqllata | ||
| Sanskrit | मृदुतया | ||
| Tatar | әкрен генә | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀስ ኢሉ | ||
| Tsonga | hi ku olova | ||