Give in Different Languages
Discover 'Give' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'give' is simple, yet powerful. It signifies the act of bestowing, donating, or contributing something to someone. This small word carries a significant weight in our daily lives, fostering a sense of community, generosity, and kindness. Its cultural importance is evident across the globe, as many traditions and customs revolve around giving and receiving.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'give' in different languages can enrich our cultural experiences and enhance our communication with people from diverse backgrounds. For instance, in Spanish, 'give' is 'dar,' while in French, it's 'donner.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for 'give' is '给,' which is pronounced as 'gěi.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'give' is 'あげる' (ageru).
Exploring the translations of 'give' in various languages can also reveal fascinating historical contexts and linguistic nuances. So, let's delve into the world of language and culture and discover how 'give' is expressed in different parts of the world.
Give
Give in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gee | ||
| In Afrikaans, “gee” not only means “give”, but is also used as an exclamation expressing surprise or exasperation. | |||
| Amharic | ስጥ | ||
| The word "ስጥ" can also mean "to put" or "to place". | |||
| Hausa | ba | ||
| In Hausa, "ba" can also mean "to permit" or "to allow". | |||
| Igbo | nye | ||
| In Umuahia, the word "nye" can mean "to give" or "to pay". | |||
| Malagasy | omeo | ||
| "Omeo" also means "take" in Malagasy, which suggests that giving and taking are often intertwined in the Malagasy concept of generosity. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | perekani | ||
| The word "perekani" can also mean "to pass on" or "to hand over" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kupa | ||
| "Kupa" in Shona means "to give", and is also the root of the word "kupfeka" which means "to wear clothes". | |||
| Somali | sii | ||
| The word "sii" can refer to the giving of a physical object, or to the offering of a feeling, such as affection. | |||
| Sesotho | fana | ||
| The Sesotho word "fana" can also mean "to lose" or "to spend". | |||
| Swahili | toa | ||
| Toa is an alternate spelling of toa which means to forgive. | |||
| Xhosa | nika | ||
| The verb nikela in Xhosa, meaning 'to give someone', comes from the word inika meaning 'to put or place something somewhere'. | |||
| Yoruba | fun | ||
| The Yoruba word 'fun' also means 'to bring', 'to fetch', or 'to send' | |||
| Zulu | nika | ||
| The Zulu word "nika" can also mean "offer" or "allow". | |||
| Bambara | ka di | ||
| Ewe | na | ||
| Kinyarwanda | tanga | ||
| Lingala | kopesa | ||
| Luganda | okuwa | ||
| Sepedi | fa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ma | ||
Give in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يعطى | ||
| The word "يعطى" is derived from the root word "عطا", which also means "gift" or "donation". | |||
| Hebrew | לָתֵת | ||
| The Hebrew word "לָתֵת" can also refer to "to permit" or "to allow". | |||
| Pashto | ورکړئ | ||
| The Pashto word ورکړئ also refers to providing charity or alms. | |||
| Arabic | يعطى | ||
| The word "يعطى" is derived from the root word "عطا", which also means "gift" or "donation". | |||
Give in Western European Languages
| Albanian | jep | ||
| The word "jep" in Albanian shares roots with the Latin "capio" and Greek "λαµβάνω" meaning "to take". | |||
| Basque | eman | ||
| In some dialects in Navarre "eman" has also meanings like "to let" in its semantic field or even the meaning of "to sell". | |||
| Catalan | donar | ||
| The word "donar" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "donare", which also means "to give". | |||
| Croatian | dati | ||
| In Croatian, the word 'dati' not only means 'to give', but also 'to put' or 'to place' something somewhere. | |||
| Danish | give | ||
| In Danish, "give" can also mean "to take" or "to give up". | |||
| Dutch | geven | ||
| The word "geven" in Dutch can also mean "to produce" or "to yield". | |||
| English | give | ||
| The word 'give' derives from the Old English word 'giefan', meaning 'to cause to have', and is related to the Dutch word 'geven', the German word 'geben', and the Swedish word 'giva' | |||
| French | donner | ||
| The word "donner" also means "to give" in French, but it can also mean "to strike" or "to hit". | |||
| Frisian | jaan | ||
| The Frisian word "jaan" can be traced back to the Middle Dutch verb "geven" (meaning "to give") and the Old High German noun "gibe" (meaning "gift"). | |||
| Galician | dar | ||
| The Galician word "dar" can also mean "to put" or "to lay". | |||
| German | geben | ||
| The German word "geben" is cognate with the English word "gift" and originally meant "to grant" or "to hand over". | |||
| Icelandic | gefa | ||
| The term 'gefa' can also mean 'grant', 'produce' or 'pay', and traces back to the Proto-Germanic verb 'gebô' | |||
| Irish | tabhair | ||
| The Irish word 'tabhair' is cognate with the Gaulish 'tabirim' meaning 'offer' | |||
| Italian | dare | ||
| In its original meaning, "dare" meant "to offer" or "to promise" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ginn | ||
| The word 'ginn' is also used in Luxembourgish to refer to the past tense or subjunctive form of the verb 'to give'. | |||
| Maltese | agħti | ||
| "Agħti" can also mean "put" or "add" | |||
| Norwegian | gi | ||
| GI comes from the Old Norse verb 'gefa', which could mean either 'to give' or 'to marry'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dar | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "dar" also means "to donate" or "to offer". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | thoir | ||
| The word "thoir" in Scots Gaelic has Proto-Indo-European roots shared with the English word "dower". | |||
| Spanish | dar | ||
| The word "dar" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "dare", which means "to give". It also has the alternate meaning of "to lend". | |||
| Swedish | ge | ||
| The Swedish word "ge" is also used in the phrase "ge akt", meaning "to give up" or "surrender". | |||
| Welsh | rhoi | ||
| The Welsh word "rhoi" also has the alternate meanings of "to put" and "to make." | |||
Give in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | даць | ||
| The Belarusian word "даць" (dats), in addition to its primary meaning of "give," also has meanings like "allow" in specific contexts, such as "даць спаць" (dats spać) meaning "allow someone to sleep." | |||
| Bosnian | daj | ||
| The word "daj" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *deǵ- meaning "to give". | |||
| Bulgarian | дай | ||
| The Bulgarian word "дай" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dajь", which also means "to seize" or "to grab." | |||
| Czech | dát | ||
| Dát in Czech can also mean "to put" or "to make". | |||
| Estonian | andma | ||
| The word "andma" is related to the Finnish word "antaa" and the Hungarian word "adni", all sharing the meaning of "give". | |||
| Finnish | antaa | ||
| Antaa has alternative meanings such as 'grant' and 'afford'. | |||
| Hungarian | adni | ||
| The Hungarian word "adni" comes from the Proto-Uralic word *anta- "give", which also appears in Finnish as "antaa" and in Estonian as "anda." | |||
| Latvian | dot | ||
| The word "dot" (to give) possibly comes from Estonian/Livonian "anda" or Prussian "dåt" with the same meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | duoti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "duoti" is likely derived from an extinct Proto-Balto-Slavic root word referring to placing one thing inside another. | |||
| Macedonian | даваат | ||
| The word "даваат" comes from Proto-Slavic *davati and can also mean "to put, set, place, lay". | |||
| Polish | dać | ||
| The word "dać" is also used in Polish to denote "to allow" and "to grant". | |||
| Romanian | da | ||
| Romanian "da" comes from Proto-Indo-European "de-h₁-mi". It can also mean "yes", "here" or "take". | |||
| Russian | дать | ||
| The word | |||
| Serbian | дати | ||
| "Дати" is a Serbian word that can also mean "to let," "to allow," or "to permit." | |||
| Slovak | dať | ||
| The verb "dať" can also mean "put" or "place", and is likely derived from the Proto-Slavic root *dad- | |||
| Slovenian | dajte | ||
| The word 'dajte' is derived from Proto-Slavic *dajь ('to give') and is cognate with the Latin 'dare' ('to give'). | |||
| Ukrainian | дати | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "дати" has an archaic meaning of "put". | |||
Give in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দিতে | ||
| The word "দিতে" ( dite ) also means "to spend" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | આપો | ||
| ભતાભી, 'to give'—from Skt. অপ (० ेेेे, ०ेे), 'to give', ॕूेेे, 'to put down' | |||
| Hindi | देना | ||
| The Hindi word 'देना' (denā) also carries the meanings of 'to grant,' 'to bestow upon,' and 'to supply'. | |||
| Kannada | ನೀಡಿ | ||
| ನೀಡು is derived from the Sanskrit word 'ni-da' which means 'to place' or 'to appoint'. It can also mean 'to offer' or 'to grant'. | |||
| Malayalam | കൊടുക്കുക | ||
| The Malayalam word 'കൊടുക്കുക' (give) is also used in the sense of 'to hand over', 'to present', 'to offer', and 'to pay'. | |||
| Marathi | द्या | ||
| The word "द्या" in Marathi can also be used to denote permission or allowance. | |||
| Nepali | दिनु | ||
| In Sanskrit, the root "da" is the origin of many verbs related to giving and receiving. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੇਣਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਦੇਣਾ" (give) can also mean "to put" or "to place". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දෙන්න | ||
| In Sinhala, "දෙන්න" (denna) has an alternate meaning of "offer" in addition to its primary meaning of "give". | |||
| Tamil | கொடுங்கள் | ||
| Telugu | ఇవ్వండి | ||
| "ఇవ్వండి" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *itt-, found in other Dravidian languages such as Tamil and Kannada, and has cognates in other Indo-European languages such as Latin "dare" and Russian "davai". | |||
| Urdu | دینا | ||
| دینا (Deena) is primarily used to refer to the act of giving something to someone, but it can also imply granting permission, offering support, or providing information. | |||
Give in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 给 | ||
| Though it primarily means "give" or "offer," 给 (gěi) can also mean "make a sound or signal" and "face toward or be opposite each other." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 給 | ||
| The Chinese character "給" can also mean "to supply", "to grant", or "used for". | |||
| Japanese | 与える | ||
| The word "与える" can also mean "to grant" or "to bestow". | |||
| Korean | 주기 | ||
| The Korean word '주기' can also mean 'period', 'cycle', or 'frequency', reflecting its semantic connection to the concept of 'giving something' or 'making something available' over time. | |||
| Mongolian | өгөх | ||
| The Mongolian word "өгөх" also means "to offer" or "to hand over something to someone". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပေး | ||
| The term "ပေး" also refers to the action of passing something, such as a message or a gift, to someone else. | |||
Give in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | memberikan | ||
| The word "memberikan" comes from the root word "beri", which means "to give". It can also be used to mean "to grant", "to bestow", or "to confer". | |||
| Javanese | menehi | ||
| The word "menehi" also means "to bestow" or "to grant" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្តល់ឱ្យ | ||
| The word "ផ្តល់ឱ្យ" can also mean "to provide" or "to supply" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ໃຫ້ | ||
| The word "ໃຫ້" can also be used as a transitive verb meaning "to make" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | memberi | ||
| The word "memberi" in Malay also refers to the process of offering or providing something. | |||
| Thai | ให้ | ||
| In Thai, "ให้" may also refer to "permission" or "an opportunity". | |||
| Vietnamese | đưa cho | ||
| The Vietnamese word "đưa cho" can be literally translated as "to lead or bring to", reflecting its original function as a verb for conveying objects. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magbigay | ||
Give in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | vermək | ||
| The word "vermək" in Azerbaijani comes from the Old Turkic word "bermek," meaning "to bestow" or "to offer." | |||
| Kazakh | беру | ||
| The Kazakh word "беру" can also mean "to take" or "to receive". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бер | ||
| The word "бер" can also mean "give back" or "return" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | додан | ||
| The Tajik word "додан" can also be used to express the concepts of "to hand over" or "to transfer." | |||
| Turkmen | ber | ||
| Uzbek | berish | ||
| Berish, meaning 'to give', can also mean 'to take', 'to bring' or 'to pay'. | |||
| Uyghur | بەر | ||
Give in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hāʻawi | ||
| Hāʻawi's original meaning was "to make an offering" and its other meanings include "to dedicate" and "to provide." | |||
| Maori | hoatu | ||
| The word 'hoatu' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root word 'fatu' meaning 'to bestow' or 'to hand over'. | |||
| Samoan | foai atu | ||
| The word "foai atu" can also mean to offer, present, or distribute something. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magbigay | ||
| "Magbigay" comes from the root word "bigay," which can also mean "donation," "gift," or "present." | |||
Give in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | churaña | ||
| Guarani | me'ẽ | ||
Give in International Languages
| Esperanto | doni | ||
| Esperanto's 'doni' also means 'to make a gift of', 'to bestow' and 'to present'. | |||
| Latin | dare | ||
| In Latin, 'dare' also means 'to offer', 'to present', or 'to produce'. | |||
Give in Others Languages
| Greek | δίνω | ||
| The word "δίνω" in Greek also means "turn" or "move", and is related to the English word "dynamic". | |||
| Hmong | muab | ||
| Muab in Hmong can also mean to pay, offer, or hand over something. | |||
| Kurdish | dayin | ||
| The Kurdish word "dayin" also has meanings such as "to provide," "to hand over," and "to pay." | |||
| Turkish | vermek | ||
| "Vermek" also means "to beat/hit" in Turkish, which is a usage seen in certain dialects. | |||
| Xhosa | nika | ||
| The verb nikela in Xhosa, meaning 'to give someone', comes from the word inika meaning 'to put or place something somewhere'. | |||
| Yiddish | געבן | ||
| The Yiddish word "געבן" also means "to pay" or "to allow". | |||
| Zulu | nika | ||
| The Zulu word "nika" can also mean "offer" or "allow". | |||
| Assamese | দিয়া | ||
| Aymara | churaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | दिहीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިނުން | ||
| Dogri | देओ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magbigay | ||
| Guarani | me'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | ited | ||
| Krio | gi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێدان | ||
| Maithili | दिय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pe | ||
| Oromo | kennuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦିଅ | ||
| Quechua | quy | ||
| Sanskrit | देहि | ||
| Tatar | бир | ||
| Tigrinya | ሃብ | ||
| Tsonga | nyika | ||