Afrikaans vriendin | ||
Albanian e dashura | ||
Amharic የሴት ጓደኛ | ||
Arabic صديقة | ||
Armenian ընկերուհի | ||
Assamese প্ৰেমিকা | ||
Aymara nuwya | ||
Azerbaijani rəfiqə | ||
Bambara sungurun | ||
Basque neska-lagun | ||
Belarusian сяброўка | ||
Bengali বান্ধবী | ||
Bhojpuri प्रेमिका | ||
Bosnian djevojka | ||
Bulgarian приятелка | ||
Catalan nòvia | ||
Cebuano uyab | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 女朋友 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 女朋友 | ||
Corsican fidanzata | ||
Croatian djevojka | ||
Czech přítelkyně | ||
Danish kæreste | ||
Dhivehi ގާލްފްރެންޑް | ||
Dogri गर्लफ्रेंड | ||
Dutch vriendin | ||
English girlfriend | ||
Esperanto koramikino | ||
Estonian sõbranna | ||
Ewe ahiãvi nyɔnu | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) kasintahan | ||
Finnish tyttöystävä | ||
French petite amie | ||
Frisian freondinne | ||
Galician moza | ||
Georgian შეყვარებული | ||
German freundin | ||
Greek φιλενάδα | ||
Guarani kichiha | ||
Gujarati ગર્લફ્રેન્ડ | ||
Haitian Creole mennaj | ||
Hausa budurwa | ||
Hawaiian wahine aloha | ||
Hebrew חֲבֵרָה | ||
Hindi प्रेमिका | ||
Hmong tus hluas nkauj | ||
Hungarian barátnő | ||
Icelandic kærasta | ||
Igbo enyi nwanyị | ||
Ilocano nobia | ||
Indonesian pacar perempuan | ||
Irish chailín | ||
Italian fidanzata | ||
Japanese ガールフレンド | ||
Javanese pacare | ||
Kannada ಗೆಳತಿ | ||
Kazakh қыз | ||
Khmer មិត្តស្រី | ||
Kinyarwanda umukunzi | ||
Konkani इश्टीण | ||
Korean 여자 친구 | ||
Krio galfrɛn | ||
Kurdish hevalê | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) کچە هاوڕێ | ||
Kyrgyz сүйлөшкөн кыз | ||
Lao ແຟນ | ||
Latin amica | ||
Latvian draudzene | ||
Lingala likango | ||
Lithuanian mergina | ||
Luganda omwagalwa ow'obuwala | ||
Luxembourgish frëndin | ||
Macedonian девојка | ||
Maithili प्रेमिका | ||
Malagasy sipany | ||
Malay teman wanita | ||
Malayalam കാമുകി | ||
Maltese ħabiba | ||
Maori kaumeahine | ||
Marathi मैत्रीण | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯅꯨꯡꯁꯤꯅꯕ ꯅꯨꯄꯤ | ||
Mizo bialnu | ||
Mongolian найз охин | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ချစ်သူ | ||
Nepali प्रेमिका | ||
Norwegian kjæreste | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) bwenzi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଗର୍ଲଫ୍ରେଣ୍ଡ | ||
Oromo hiriyaa durbaa | ||
Pashto انجلۍ | ||
Persian دوست دختر | ||
Polish dziewczyna | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) namorada | ||
Punjabi ਸਹੇਲੀ | ||
Quechua salla | ||
Romanian iubita | ||
Russian любимая девушка | ||
Samoan uo teine | ||
Sanskrit महिलामित्र | ||
Scots Gaelic leannan | ||
Sepedi lekgarebe | ||
Serbian девојка | ||
Sesotho kharebe | ||
Shona musikana | ||
Sindhi گرل فرينڊ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) පෙම්වතිය | ||
Slovak priateľka | ||
Slovenian dekle | ||
Somali saaxiibtiis | ||
Spanish novia | ||
Sundanese kabogoh | ||
Swahili mpenzi | ||
Swedish flickvän | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) kasintahan | ||
Tajik дӯстдухтар | ||
Tamil காதலி | ||
Tatar дус кыз | ||
Telugu స్నేహితురాలు | ||
Thai แฟน | ||
Tigrinya ናይ ፍቕሪ መሓዛ ጓል | ||
Tsonga muhlekisani wa xisati | ||
Turkish kız arkadaşı | ||
Turkmen gyz dost | ||
Twi (Akan) mpena | ||
Ukrainian подруга | ||
Urdu گرل فرینڈ | ||
Uyghur قىز دوستى | ||
Uzbek qiz do'sti | ||
Vietnamese bạn gái | ||
Welsh gariad | ||
Xhosa intombi | ||
Yiddish כאַווערטע | ||
Yoruba ọrẹbinrin | ||
Zulu intombi |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The name "vriendin" is derived from the original meaning "friend", and is only used to refer to female friends in modern Afrikaans. |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "e dashura" comes from the Latin word "amor", meaning "love". |
| Amharic | Literally meaning "companion of a woman", "የሴት ጓደኛ" can also refer to a male friend or an intimate partner of either gender. |
| Arabic | The word "صديقة" in Arabic, meaning "close friend" or "confidant," can also refer to a "female companion" or "lover" in some contexts. |
| Armenian | The word "Ընկերուհի" in Armenian can also mean "friend" or "female companion", indicating a broad range of platonic and romantic relationships. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "rəfiqə" in Azerbaijani is often used as a term of endearment and can refer to a close friend or companion of either gender. |
| Basque | The word "neska-lagun" in Basque originates from the Basque words "neska" (girl) and "lagun" (friend). |
| Belarusian | The Belarusian word "сяброўка" (girlfriend) also means "friend", emphasizing the platonic nature of the relationship. |
| Bengali | The word "বান্ধবী" (bandhabi) in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "bandhu," meaning "friend," and was originally used to refer to a close female friend or companion. |
| Bosnian | Djevojka is derived from the Slavic word |
| Bulgarian | The word "приятелка" comes from the Slavic word "priyati", meaning "friend", and can also mean "female friend". |
| Catalan | The word "nòvia" can also mean "fiancée" or "bride" in Catalan. |
| Cebuano | The word "uyab" in Cebuano can also refer to "sweetheart", "darling", "beloved", or "lover." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The term "女朋友" can also refer to a platonic female friend. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 女朋友 (nǚ péng yǒu) can also mean a female friend who is very close to the speaker. |
| Corsican | Corsican "fidanzata" derives from Latin "fidanciata" through Italian "fidanzata" and means "betrothed." |
| Croatian | The word "djevojka" also means "young girl" or "maiden" in Croatian. |
| Czech | Přítelkyně, meaning "girlfriend" in Czech, has alternate meanings such as "lady friend" or "female companion". |
| Danish | The word "kæreste" is derived from the Old Norse word "kæra," meaning "dear" or "beloved." |
| Dutch | In the Netherlands, the word "vriendin" can also refer to a female friend, not necessarily a romantic partner. |
| Esperanto | The word "koramikino" derives from "koramiko", the Esperanto word for "friend". |
| Estonian | The word "sõbranna" originally meant "female friend" but has evolved to mean specifically "girlfriend" in modern Estonian. |
| Finnish | In Finnish, "tyttöystävä" literally translates to "girl friend", highlighting the companionable aspect of the relationship. |
| French | The French word "petite amie" literally translates to "little friend" and is a term of endearment for a female companion. |
| Frisian | The word "freondinne" is rooted in Old Frisian, where it meant a woman or a male friend before taking its modern meaning as "girlfriend". |
| Galician | The term 'moza' is derived from the Late Latin word 'mulier', meaning 'woman' or 'wife', and was originally used in the 13th century to refer to a young girl or female servant, before acquiring its present meaning of 'girlfriend' in the 16th century. |
| German | The word "Freundin" derives from the Middle High German "vriundinne" meaning "female friend", and in some contexts can also mean "woman friend" as opposed to a "male friend". |
| Greek | Φιλενάδα is the feminine form of φιλένας, a Greek word meaning friend or comrade. |
| Gujarati | The word "ગર્લફ્રેન્ડ" can also refer to a female friend, or a woman who is romantically involved with a man. |
| Haitian Creole | The word "mennaj" likely originated from the word "femme en ménage" in French, which means "housewife" or "woman in a household". |
| Hausa | "Budurwa" means "young maiden" in Hausa, not "girlfriend. |
| Hawaiian | "Wahine aloha" literally translates to "beloved woman," but it can also mean "lover" or "mistress." |
| Hebrew | חֲבֵרָה comes from the verb חָבַר (chabar), meaning to join or connect, and is used in different contexts, including in the legal sense to refer to a company or an incorporated entity. |
| Hindi | The word "प्रेमिका" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रेम" (love) and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *preh₁- (to love). |
| Hmong | Literally meaning "beautiful flowers that bloom in the backyards" in Hmong, "tus hluas nkauj" is often used to refer to "girlfriend" in the Hmong language. |
| Hungarian | The word "barátnő" originally meant "female friend" and is related to the words "barát" (friend) and "társ" (companion). |
| Icelandic | "Kærasta" is the feminine form of the Icelandic word for "love," "kær." |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "enyi nwanyị" literally means "female friend," indicating a broader meaning than the English term "girlfriend." |
| Indonesian | The Indonesian word "pacar perempuan" is a compound word that means "girlfriend" but it can also mean "boyfriend" or "lover". |
| Irish | In addition to meaning "girlfriend," the word "chailín" is also occasionally used as a term of endearment for a young girl or a female friend. |
| Italian | The word |
| Kannada | The word ಗೆಳತಿ (girlfriend) is also sometimes used to refer to a female friend or companion. |
| Kazakh | The word "қыз" can also refer to "daughter". |
| Khmer | In ancient Khmer, "មិត្តស្រី" referred to a female "friend" or "companion", and only later evolved to exclusively mean "girlfriend". |
| Korean | The Korean word '여자 친구' is also used to refer to a 'female friend' or 'acquaintance' with no romantic connotation. |
| Kurdish | The word "hevalê" has an alternate meaning of "friend" in Kurdish, particularly in the context of close friendships or comradeship. |
| Lao | The word ແຟນ is borrowed from the English word "friend" and thus has a more general meaning than "girlfriend". |
| Latvian | This name originally referred to "sister by marriage" |
| Lithuanian | The word "mergina" in Lithuanian may also refer to "maiden" or "lass". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Frëndin" is derived from the Old High German word "friunt", meaning "friend" or "lover". |
| Macedonian | The term "девојка" in Macedonian originally meant "young woman", and later acquired the secondary meaning of "girlfriend". |
| Malagasy | Malagasy "sipany" "girlfriend" is a cognate of "sipana" "friend" and "sipa" "to touch or greet". |
| Malay | The term 'teman wanita' (literally 'female friend') has no romantic connotations, and is used to refer to any female friend, regardless of relationship status. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "ħabiba" may derive from the Arabic word "habiba," meaning "beloved one." |
| Maori | The word 'kaumeahine' has a dual meaning as both 'girlfriend' and 'the goddess Hine-te-iwaiwa who is associated with fishing and the sea'. |
| Marathi | The word "मैत्रीण" in Marathi can also refer to a female friend, confidant, or companion. |
| Mongolian | The word "найз охин" (girlfriend) in Mongolian literally translates to "beloved daughter". |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The term "ချစ်သူ" can also refer to a romantic interest or lover of any gender, not just a girlfriend specifically. |
| Norwegian | Besides referencing a girlfriend, "kjæreste" is an archaic term for "bride" or "fiancée". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "bwenzi" may also refer to a female cousin or a close female friend in Nyanja (Chichewa). |
| Pashto | The word "انجلۍ" can also refer to a "female friend" or a "beloved one" in Pashto. |
| Persian | "دوست دختر" literally means "friend girl" in Persian. |
| Polish | The word "dziewczyna" in Polish is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*devica", meaning "young woman", and is related to the words for "maiden" and "virgin" in other Slavic languages. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word 'namorada' comes from the Arabic word 'nawara', which means 'flower'. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਸਹੇਲੀ" can also mean "companion" or "friend", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "saheli". |
| Romanian | The word "iubita" derives from the Latin word "amor", meaning "love", and also shares its root with the Italian word "amata", meaning "beloved". |
| Russian | The word "любимая девушка" (literally "beloved girl") has a more romantic and affectionate connotation than the English word "girlfriend". |
| Samoan | The word "uo teine" can also mean "a female friend" or "a sister". |
| Scots Gaelic | The term 'leannan' also appears in Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic, where it historically meant 'mistress' or 'lover' (not wife) |
| Serbian | Девојка (dēvojka) can also mean 'girl' or 'maiden' and is related to the Old Slavic word for 'daughter', 'devojka'. |
| Sesotho | The word 'kharebe' in Sesotho, meaning 'girlfriend,' is derived from the idea of 'being dear' or 'valuable'. |
| Shona | The word 'musikana' in Shona can also mean 'young woman', 'daughter', or 'girl' depending on the context. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "گرل فرينڊ" can also be used to refer to a female friend or companion. |
| Slovak | The word "priateľka" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *prijatelь*, meaning "friend". |
| Slovenian | "Dekle" in Slovenian is a cognate of the Russian word "devka," which originally referred to a young unmarried servant or a peasant girl. |
| Somali | Saaxiibtiis derives from the word "Saaxib" meaning friend, and is often used to refer to close female friendships as well as romantic relationships, reflecting the fluid nature of gender roles in traditional Somali society. |
| Spanish | The word "Novia" in Spanish is derived from the Latin word "nupta," meaning "bride". |
| Sundanese | The word "kabogoh" is also used as a term of endearment for a man's wife or female friend. |
| Swahili | The Swahili word 'mpenzi' can also mean 'lover' or a 'beloved' in a more general sense. |
| Swedish | The word "flickvän" is composed of the Swedish words for "girl" and "friend" and can also refer to a female companion in a non-romantic context. |
| Tajik | The word "дӯстдухтар" can also refer to a female friend or companion. |
| Tamil | The word "காதலி" (kaathali) in Tamil can also refer to a "female friend" or "lover" in a broader sense. |
| Telugu | In Indian English, the word "girlfriend" may be used to mean a mistress, not just a female friend. |
| Thai | The Thai word "แฟน" originally meant "friend" but now exclusively means "girlfriend" or "boyfriend". |
| Turkish | The Turkish word 'kız arkadaşı' literally means 'female friend', indicating the broader cultural view of female relationships. |
| Ukrainian | The word "подруга" can also refer to "a female acquaintance, friend, colleague". |
| Urdu | "گرل فرینڈ" is literally translated to "girl friend" but is used primarily in an Urdu speaking context for "wife". |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "qiz do'sti" also translates to "female friend" or "sister" and often carries connotations of respect and admiration. |
| Vietnamese | Bạn gái is also a term used to refer to a female friend. |
| Welsh | The word "gariad" (girlfriend) is ultimately derived from an early form of "gar" (love) but has also been used to refer to female relatives. |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word 'intombi' can also refer to a young woman or girl, similar to the Zulu word 'intombi.' |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, "כאַווערטע" can also refer to a female companion or friend, with the connotation of a close relationship. |
| Yoruba | The word "ọrẹbinrin" can also mean "female friend" or "sister" in Yoruba. |
| Zulu | The word 'intombi', meaning 'girlfriend' in Zulu, is likely derived from the word 'ntombi', which means 'girl'. |
| English | The word "girlfriend" dates back to 1659, originally meaning "friend," "sweetheart," or "female companion." |