Girlfriend in Different Languages
Discover 'Girlfriend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'girlfriend' is a culturally significant term that carries a range of meanings across different societies and languages. At its most basic level, a girlfriend is a female friend or companion, but the term is often used to describe a romantic partner or significant other. The significance of this word cannot be understated, as it represents a deep emotional connection between two people, and is a term that is used to describe some of the most important relationships in our lives.
Beyond its personal significance, the word 'girlfriend' has also played a role in shaping popular culture and language. From romantic comedies to music lyrics, the term has been used in countless ways to express love, affection, and friendship. Moreover, the word has a rich historical context, with roots in various cultural and linguistic traditions.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of 'girlfriend' in different languages can be a fascinating and enlightening experience. By exploring the many different ways that this word is expressed around the world, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture.
Here are some sample translations of the word 'girlfriend' in different languages:
Girlfriend
Girlfriend in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vriendin | ||
| The name "vriendin" is derived from the original meaning "friend", and is only used to refer to female friends in modern Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | የሴት ጓደኛ | ||
| Literally meaning "companion of a woman", "የሴት ጓደኛ" can also refer to a male friend or an intimate partner of either gender. | |||
| Hausa | budurwa | ||
| "Budurwa" means "young maiden" in Hausa, not "girlfriend. | |||
| Igbo | enyi nwanyị | ||
| The Igbo word "enyi nwanyị" literally means "female friend," indicating a broader meaning than the English term "girlfriend." | |||
| Malagasy | sipany | ||
| Malagasy "sipany" "girlfriend" is a cognate of "sipana" "friend" and "sipa" "to touch or greet". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bwenzi | ||
| The word "bwenzi" may also refer to a female cousin or a close female friend in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | musikana | ||
| The word 'musikana' in Shona can also mean 'young woman', 'daughter', or 'girl' depending on the context. | |||
| Somali | saaxiibtiis | ||
| 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. | |||
| Sesotho | kharebe | ||
| The word 'kharebe' in Sesotho, meaning 'girlfriend,' is derived from the idea of 'being dear' or 'valuable'. | |||
| Swahili | mpenzi | ||
| The Swahili word 'mpenzi' can also mean 'lover' or a 'beloved' in a more general sense. | |||
| Xhosa | intombi | ||
| The Xhosa word 'intombi' can also refer to a young woman or girl, similar to the Zulu word 'intombi.' | |||
| Yoruba | ọrẹbinrin | ||
| The word "ọrẹbinrin" can also mean "female friend" or "sister" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | intombi | ||
| The word 'intombi', meaning 'girlfriend' in Zulu, is likely derived from the word 'ntombi', which means 'girl'. | |||
| Bambara | sungurun | ||
| Ewe | ahiãvi nyɔnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukunzi | ||
| Lingala | likango | ||
| Luganda | omwagalwa ow'obuwala | ||
| Sepedi | lekgarebe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpena | ||
Girlfriend in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صديقة | ||
| The word "صديقة" in Arabic, meaning "close friend" or "confidant," can also refer to a "female companion" or "lover" in some contexts. | |||
| Hebrew | חֲבֵרָה | ||
| 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. | |||
| Pashto | انجلۍ | ||
| The word "انجلۍ" can also refer to a "female friend" or a "beloved one" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | صديقة | ||
| The word "صديقة" in Arabic, meaning "close friend" or "confidant," can also refer to a "female companion" or "lover" in some contexts. | |||
Girlfriend in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e dashura | ||
| The Albanian word "e dashura" comes from the Latin word "amor", meaning "love". | |||
| Basque | neska-lagun | ||
| The word "neska-lagun" in Basque originates from the Basque words "neska" (girl) and "lagun" (friend). | |||
| Catalan | nòvia | ||
| The word "nòvia" can also mean "fiancée" or "bride" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | djevojka | ||
| The word "djevojka" also means "young girl" or "maiden" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | kæreste | ||
| The word "kæreste" is derived from the Old Norse word "kæra," meaning "dear" or "beloved." | |||
| Dutch | vriendin | ||
| In the Netherlands, the word "vriendin" can also refer to a female friend, not necessarily a romantic partner. | |||
| English | girlfriend | ||
| The word "girlfriend" dates back to 1659, originally meaning "friend," "sweetheart," or "female companion." | |||
| French | petite amie | ||
| The French word "petite amie" literally translates to "little friend" and is a term of endearment for a female companion. | |||
| Frisian | freondinne | ||
| 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 | moza | ||
| 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 | freundin | ||
| 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". | |||
| Icelandic | kærasta | ||
| "Kærasta" is the feminine form of the Icelandic word for "love," "kær." | |||
| Irish | chailín | ||
| 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 | fidanzata | ||
| The word | |||
| Luxembourgish | frëndin | ||
| The word "Frëndin" is derived from the Old High German word "friunt", meaning "friend" or "lover". | |||
| Maltese | ħabiba | ||
| The Maltese word "ħabiba" may derive from the Arabic word "habiba," meaning "beloved one." | |||
| Norwegian | kjæreste | ||
| Besides referencing a girlfriend, "kjæreste" is an archaic term for "bride" or "fiancée". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | namorada | ||
| The word 'namorada' comes from the Arabic word 'nawara', which means 'flower'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leannan | ||
| The term 'leannan' also appears in Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic, where it historically meant 'mistress' or 'lover' (not wife) | |||
| Spanish | novia | ||
| The word "Novia" in Spanish is derived from the Latin word "nupta," meaning "bride". | |||
| Swedish | flickvän | ||
| 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. | |||
| Welsh | gariad | ||
| The word "gariad" (girlfriend) is ultimately derived from an early form of "gar" (love) but has also been used to refer to female relatives. | |||
Girlfriend in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сяброўка | ||
| The Belarusian word "сяброўка" (girlfriend) also means "friend", emphasizing the platonic nature of the relationship. | |||
| Bosnian | djevojka | ||
| Djevojka is derived from the Slavic word | |||
| Bulgarian | приятелка | ||
| The word "приятелка" comes from the Slavic word "priyati", meaning "friend", and can also mean "female friend". | |||
| Czech | přítelkyně | ||
| Přítelkyně, meaning "girlfriend" in Czech, has alternate meanings such as "lady friend" or "female companion". | |||
| Estonian | sõbranna | ||
| The word "sõbranna" originally meant "female friend" but has evolved to mean specifically "girlfriend" in modern Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | tyttöystävä | ||
| In Finnish, "tyttöystävä" literally translates to "girl friend", highlighting the companionable aspect of the relationship. | |||
| Hungarian | barátnő | ||
| The word "barátnő" originally meant "female friend" and is related to the words "barát" (friend) and "társ" (companion). | |||
| Latvian | draudzene | ||
| This name originally referred to "sister by marriage" | |||
| Lithuanian | mergina | ||
| The word "mergina" in Lithuanian may also refer to "maiden" or "lass". | |||
| Macedonian | девојка | ||
| The term "девојка" in Macedonian originally meant "young woman", and later acquired the secondary meaning of "girlfriend". | |||
| Polish | dziewczyna | ||
| 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. | |||
| Romanian | iubita | ||
| The word "iubita" derives from the Latin word "amor", meaning "love", and also shares its root with the Italian word "amata", meaning "beloved". | |||
| Russian | любимая девушка | ||
| The word "любимая девушка" (literally "beloved girl") has a more romantic and affectionate connotation than the English word "girlfriend". | |||
| Serbian | девојка | ||
| Девојка (dēvojka) can also mean 'girl' or 'maiden' and is related to the Old Slavic word for 'daughter', 'devojka'. | |||
| Slovak | priateľka | ||
| The word "priateľka" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *prijatelь*, meaning "friend". | |||
| Slovenian | dekle | ||
| "Dekle" in Slovenian is a cognate of the Russian word "devka," which originally referred to a young unmarried servant or a peasant girl. | |||
| Ukrainian | подруга | ||
| The word "подруга" can also refer to "a female acquaintance, friend, colleague". | |||
Girlfriend in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বান্ধবী | ||
| 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. | |||
| Gujarati | ગર્લફ્રેન્ડ | ||
| The word "ગર્લફ્રેન્ડ" can also refer to a female friend, or a woman who is romantically involved with a man. | |||
| Hindi | प्रेमिका | ||
| The word "प्रेमिका" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रेम" (love) and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *preh₁- (to love). | |||
| Kannada | ಗೆಳತಿ | ||
| The word ಗೆಳತಿ (girlfriend) is also sometimes used to refer to a female friend or companion. | |||
| Malayalam | കാമുകി | ||
| Marathi | मैत्रीण | ||
| The word "मैत्रीण" in Marathi can also refer to a female friend, confidant, or companion. | |||
| Nepali | प्रेमिका | ||
| Punjabi | ਸਹੇਲੀ | ||
| The word "ਸਹੇਲੀ" can also mean "companion" or "friend", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "saheli". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පෙම්වතිය | ||
| Tamil | காதலி | ||
| The word "காதலி" (kaathali) in Tamil can also refer to a "female friend" or "lover" in a broader sense. | |||
| Telugu | స్నేహితురాలు | ||
| In Indian English, the word "girlfriend" may be used to mean a mistress, not just a female friend. | |||
| Urdu | گرل فرینڈ | ||
| "گرل فرینڈ" is literally translated to "girl friend" but is used primarily in an Urdu speaking context for "wife". | |||
Girlfriend in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 女朋友 | ||
| The term "女朋友" can also refer to a platonic female friend. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 女朋友 | ||
| 女朋友 (nǚ péng yǒu) can also mean a female friend who is very close to the speaker. | |||
| Japanese | ガールフレンド | ||
| Korean | 여자 친구 | ||
| The Korean word '여자 친구' is also used to refer to a 'female friend' or 'acquaintance' with no romantic connotation. | |||
| Mongolian | найз охин | ||
| The word "найз охин" (girlfriend) in Mongolian literally translates to "beloved daughter". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ချစ်သူ | ||
| The term "ချစ်သူ" can also refer to a romantic interest or lover of any gender, not just a girlfriend specifically. | |||
Girlfriend in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pacar perempuan | ||
| The Indonesian word "pacar perempuan" is a compound word that means "girlfriend" but it can also mean "boyfriend" or "lover". | |||
| Javanese | pacare | ||
| Khmer | មិត្តស្រី | ||
| In ancient Khmer, "មិត្តស្រី" referred to a female "friend" or "companion", and only later evolved to exclusively mean "girlfriend". | |||
| Lao | ແຟນ | ||
| The word ແຟນ is borrowed from the English word "friend" and thus has a more general meaning than "girlfriend". | |||
| Malay | teman wanita | ||
| The term 'teman wanita' (literally 'female friend') has no romantic connotations, and is used to refer to any female friend, regardless of relationship status. | |||
| Thai | แฟน | ||
| The Thai word "แฟน" originally meant "friend" but now exclusively means "girlfriend" or "boyfriend". | |||
| Vietnamese | bạn gái | ||
| Bạn gái is also a term used to refer to a female friend. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasintahan | ||
Girlfriend in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəfiqə | ||
| 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. | |||
| Kazakh | қыз | ||
| The word "қыз" can also refer to "daughter". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүйлөшкөн кыз | ||
| Tajik | дӯстдухтар | ||
| The word "дӯстдухтар" can also refer to a female friend or companion. | |||
| Turkmen | gyz dost | ||
| Uzbek | qiz do'sti | ||
| The Uzbek word "qiz do'sti" also translates to "female friend" or "sister" and often carries connotations of respect and admiration. | |||
| Uyghur | قىز دوستى | ||
Girlfriend in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wahine aloha | ||
| "Wahine aloha" literally translates to "beloved woman," but it can also mean "lover" or "mistress." | |||
| Maori | kaumeahine | ||
| The word 'kaumeahine' has a dual meaning as both 'girlfriend' and 'the goddess Hine-te-iwaiwa who is associated with fishing and the sea'. | |||
| Samoan | uo teine | ||
| The word "uo teine" can also mean "a female friend" or "a sister". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasintahan | ||
Girlfriend in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | nuwya | ||
| Guarani | kichiha | ||
Girlfriend in International Languages
| Esperanto | koramikino | ||
| The word "koramikino" derives from "koramiko", the Esperanto word for "friend". | |||
| Latin | amica | ||
Girlfriend in Others Languages
| Greek | φιλενάδα | ||
| Φιλενάδα is the feminine form of φιλένας, a Greek word meaning friend or comrade. | |||
| Hmong | tus hluas nkauj | ||
| 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. | |||
| Kurdish | hevalê | ||
| The word "hevalê" has an alternate meaning of "friend" in Kurdish, particularly in the context of close friendships or comradeship. | |||
| Turkish | kız arkadaşı | ||
| The Turkish word 'kız arkadaşı' literally means 'female friend', indicating the broader cultural view of female relationships. | |||
| Xhosa | intombi | ||
| The Xhosa word 'intombi' can also refer to a young woman or girl, similar to the Zulu word 'intombi.' | |||
| Yiddish | כאַווערטע | ||
| In Yiddish, "כאַווערטע" can also refer to a female companion or friend, with the connotation of a close relationship. | |||
| Zulu | intombi | ||
| The word 'intombi', meaning 'girlfriend' in Zulu, is likely derived from the word 'ntombi', which means 'girl'. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰেমিকা | ||
| Aymara | nuwya | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रेमिका | ||
| Dhivehi | ގާލްފްރެންޑް | ||
| Dogri | गर्लफ्रेंड | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasintahan | ||
| Guarani | kichiha | ||
| Ilocano | nobia | ||
| Krio | galfrɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کچە هاوڕێ | ||
| Maithili | प्रेमिका | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯡꯁꯤꯅꯕ ꯅꯨꯄꯤ | ||
| Mizo | bialnu | ||
| Oromo | hiriyaa durbaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗର୍ଲଫ୍ରେଣ୍ଡ | ||
| Quechua | salla | ||
| Sanskrit | महिलामित्र | ||
| Tatar | дус кыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ናይ ፍቕሪ መሓዛ ጓል | ||
| Tsonga | muhlekisani wa xisati | ||