Glad in Different Languages
Discover 'Glad' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'glad' is a small but powerful term that carries a significant weight in the English language. Expressing happiness, joy, or contentment, it's a word we use frequently to convey our positive emotions. But did you know that 'glad' has roots in Old English, and is related to the word 'glade', which means 'pleasant' or 'agreeable'?
Moreover, the cultural importance of 'glad' cannot be overstated. In many Western cultures, expressing gladness is a way to build social connections and show appreciation. And in other cultures, the concept of gladness is expressed through unique words and phrases that reflect their own linguistic and cultural heritage.
Understanding the translation of 'glad' in different languages can help us bridge cultural divides and deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture.
For example, in Spanish, 'glad' translates to 'feliz', while in French, it's 'heureux'. In German, 'glad' becomes 'glücklich', and in Japanese, 'glad' is translated as 'ureshii'.
Glad
Glad in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bly | ||
| The Afrikaans word "bly" is derived from a Proto-West Germanic word meaning "to shine" or "to be happy". | |||
| Amharic | ደስ ብሎኛል | ||
| The word "ደስ ብሎኛል" can also mean "to be happy" or "to be delighted." | |||
| Hausa | murna | ||
| The word "murna" in Hausa can also mean "joyful" or "elated" | |||
| Igbo | ọ gladụ | ||
| Ọ gladụ is a homophone for 'glad', but also references a state of fullness, abundance or completion. | |||
| Malagasy | faly | ||
| "Faly" is used as both a greeting and an expression of happiness, and can be translated as both "welcome!" and "great!" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wokondwa | ||
| Nyanja speakers may use 'wokondwa' to refer to being content and happy as well. | |||
| Shona | ndinofara | ||
| The word "ndinofara" can also mean "I am satisfied" or "I am content". | |||
| Somali | faraxsan | ||
| The word "faraxsan" is related to the words "farxad" (joy) and "farxo" (to be happy) in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | thabile | ||
| The word "thabile" can also refer to a state of contentment or satisfaction. | |||
| Swahili | furahi | ||
| The word 'furaha' is shared with the Somali word 'farax', both tracing back to an Arabic origin meaning joy or delight. | |||
| Xhosa | ndiyavuya | ||
| The Xhosa word "ndiyavuya" can also mean "I am pleased" or "I am happy." | |||
| Yoruba | inu didun | ||
| The word 'inu didun' literally translates to 'sweet inside', which captures its connotation of heartfelt joy and contentment. | |||
| Zulu | ngijabule | ||
| The Zulu word 'ngijabule' is derived from the verb 'jabula', meaning 'to rejoice'. It carries the connotation of a deep and heartfelt sense of happiness. | |||
| Bambara | nisɔndiyalen | ||
| Ewe | dzidzᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ndishimye | ||
| Lingala | esengo | ||
| Luganda | okusanyuka | ||
| Sepedi | thabile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anigyeɛ | ||
Glad in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سعيد | ||
| The Arabic word "سعيد" (sa`īd) can also mean "fortunate," "lucky," or "blessed." | |||
| Hebrew | שַׂמֵחַ | ||
| The word "שַׂמֵחַ" can also mean "to cause to be happy" or "to rejoice" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | خوښ | ||
| The Pashto word "خوښ" ("khosh") also has connotations of "pleasant" or "delightful". | |||
| Arabic | سعيد | ||
| The Arabic word "سعيد" (sa`īd) can also mean "fortunate," "lucky," or "blessed." | |||
Glad in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i lumtur | ||
| The word "i lumtur" in Albanian comes from the Proto-Albanian word "*lumn-tür", meaning "illuminated" or "bright". | |||
| Basque | pozik | ||
| The Basque word "pozik" also means "comfortable" and "satisfied" in some dialects. | |||
| Catalan | content | ||
| The Catalan word "content" derives from Latin "contentus," also meaning "satisfied" and "grateful." | |||
| Croatian | radostan | ||
| Radostan is a Slavic word that has the same root as the word for "joy" (radost) | |||
| Danish | glad | ||
| Danish "glad" (happy) likely comes from the old Norse "glaðr" (bright, radiant), itself from the Proto-Germanic *gʰladą (smooth, shining). | |||
| Dutch | blij | ||
| "Blij" in Dutch comes from the Proto-Germanic word "bleithiz," meaning both "glad" and "cowardly." | |||
| English | glad | ||
| The Old English word "glæd" meant "bright, shining," and was cognate with the German word "glänzend," meaning "gleaming." | |||
| French | heureux | ||
| The word "heureux" derives from the Latin word "felix", meaning "fortunate" or "lucky". | |||
| Frisian | bliid | ||
| Frisian 'bliid' shares the origin with English and German 'blood': it meant 'warm of blood, cheerful' | |||
| Galician | contento | ||
| In Galician, the word "contento" also has the alternate meaning of "satisfied" or "having no complaints". | |||
| German | froh | ||
| Froh also means "pious" and is related to the Old High German "fro", meaning "lord" or "master." | |||
| Icelandic | feginn | ||
| "Feginn" is used to denote someone who has recently died and returned to life, a usage not found in other Germanic languages. | |||
| Irish | sásta | ||
| The word 'sásta' originates from the Proto-Celtic form *sasti- and can also mean 'satisfaction' or 'contentment'. | |||
| Italian | lieto | ||
| The word "lieto" also means "fertile" in Italian, as a place where life grows and flourishes. | |||
| Luxembourgish | frou | ||
| The word frou ('glad' or 'happy'), is also used for the name of Luxembourgish and German female first names derived from this root, such as Freda ('peaceful', 'tranquil'), or Frederika ('powerful queen') | |||
| Maltese | kuntent | ||
| The Maltese word "kuntent" originates from the Latin word "contentus", meaning "satisfied" or "contented." | |||
| Norwegian | glad | ||
| "Glad" in Norwegian can also mean "smooth" or "even". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | feliz | ||
| Port. 'feliz' comes from Lat. 'felix' which also means 'fecund' | |||
| Scots Gaelic | toilichte | ||
| The Scots Gaelic verb "toilichte" also means "to please" or "to delight" in the present tense. | |||
| Spanish | alegre | ||
| The Spanish word "alegre" derives from the Arabic "al-gharib", meaning "the stranger" or "the foreigner." | |||
| Swedish | glad | ||
| The word "glad" in Swedish can also mean "smooth" or "bare". | |||
| Welsh | falch | ||
| The Welsh word "falch" can also refer to a "wall" or a "ridge". | |||
Glad in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рады | ||
| Рады derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "радѣти", meaning "to take care, to be concerned about". | |||
| Bosnian | drago mi je | ||
| The word "drago mi je" in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *dragъ, meaning "dear" or "precious". | |||
| Bulgarian | радвам се | ||
| The Bulgarian word "радвам се" is a cognate of the Russian word "радоваться," both deriving from the Proto-Slavic word "*radovati se" meaning "to rejoice" | |||
| Czech | rád | ||
| The Czech word "rád" can also mean "willingly" or "with pleasure". | |||
| Estonian | rõõmus | ||
| "Rõõmus" is also synonymous with "funny" in Estonian, and both meanings are derived from the Proto-Finnic root *räme- "bad, ugly". | |||
| Finnish | iloinen | ||
| "Iloinen" is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric word *ila, which means "joyful, happy, merry". | |||
| Hungarian | boldog | ||
| "Boldog" in Hungarian also means "blessed" and is related to the Turkic word "bulgaq" meaning "wealth" or "prosperity". | |||
| Latvian | prieks | ||
| The word "prieks" originally meant "sacrifice" and is cognate with the Lithuanian word "prakaitas" (sweat). | |||
| Lithuanian | džiaugiuosi | ||
| The word "džiaugiuosi" also means "I bathe" in Lithuanian, possibly because water is associated with joy and purification. | |||
| Macedonian | среќен | ||
| The word "sreќen" also means "lucky" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | zadowolony | ||
| The word "zadowolony" shares a root with the verb "zadowolić" (to satisfy), and both are derived from the Old Slavonic word "dovolьnъ" (sufficient). | |||
| Romanian | bucuros | ||
| The word 'bucuros' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *berdъ, which also means 'quick' or 'eager'. | |||
| Russian | довольный | ||
| Russian "довольный" also means "satisfactory" and comes from the Old Church Slavonic root *dovolьn* "sufficient". | |||
| Serbian | драго ми је | ||
| The phrase "драго ми је" literally translates to "it is dear to me". | |||
| Slovak | rád | ||
| The Slovak word "rád" not only means "glad" but also "willing" or "happy to do something". | |||
| Slovenian | vesel | ||
| The Slovene word "vesel" (joyful), like the English "festival," comes from the Latin word for feast or holiday ("festum"). | |||
| Ukrainian | рада | ||
| Although “рада” (Rada) means “glad” in Ukrainian, it is also the name of the Ukrainian parliament, established in the early 20th century. | |||
Glad in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আনন্দিত | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'ānanda' (joy, delight), 'ānandi' (joyful, delighted), and 'ānandi-ta' (state of joy). | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રસન્ન | ||
| The Gujarati word "પ્રસન્ન" is derived from the Sanskrit root "prasad", meaning "favour" or "gift". | |||
| Hindi | प्रसन्न | ||
| The word 'प्रसन्न' has a deeper meaning than just 'glad', signifying 'fully pleased' or 'thoroughly delighted'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗಿದೆ | ||
| The term "ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗಿದೆ" (glad) in Kannada originates from the Sanskrit word "santushta" meaning "satisfied" or "contented". | |||
| Malayalam | സന്തോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്നു | ||
| Marathi | आनंदी | ||
| "आनंदी" in Marathi is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "ānanda" meaning "enjoyment" or "bliss". | |||
| Nepali | खुशी | ||
| The word | |||
| Punjabi | ਖੁਸ਼ | ||
| The alternate meaning of "ਖੁਸ਼" is "fragrant" which also relates to the state of being happy. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සතුටුයි | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "සතුටුයි" can mean either "glad" or "satisfied", depending on the context. | |||
| Tamil | மகிழ்ச்சி | ||
| The Tamil word 'மகிழ்ச்சி' ('glad') is derived from the root word 'மகிழ்,' which means 'to rejoice' or 'to be pleased'. | |||
| Telugu | ఆనందంగా ఉంది | ||
| Originally derived from the word 'ānandam' which refers to a supreme form of bliss in ancient Vedic texts and is often used in a spiritual context. | |||
| Urdu | خوشی | ||
| خوشی is also the name of a flower (in Hindi, ख़ुशी) known as "Touch-me-not" or "Mimosa Plant" (Mimosa Pudica). | |||
Glad in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 高兴 | ||
| 高兴, an expression that can also mean 'high-spirited' or 'exuberant', traces its etymology to the concept of 'high spirit' or 'high heart'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 高興 | ||
| "高" means "high," "興" means "excitement," but together they mean "glad." | |||
| Japanese | 嬉しい | ||
| The word 「嬉しい」(urushii) likely derives from the archaic word 「うれし」(ureshi), meaning "to be joyful," itself thought to be derived from "uruwashii" ("beautiful to behold"). | |||
| Korean | 기쁜 | ||
| The word '기쁜' is also used to describe a state of contentment or satisfaction, similar to the English word 'happy'. | |||
| Mongolian | баяртай байна | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝမ်းသာပါတယ် | ||
| The term is also used in Burmese to express relief or satisfaction. | |||
Glad in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | senang | ||
| Senang may also mean 'easy' in Indonesian, as in "It was senang to do". | |||
| Javanese | bungah | ||
| As a Javanese word, "bungah" initially referred to "flower" or "tree" before evolving to mean "glad". | |||
| Khmer | រីករាយ | ||
| The word "រីករាយ" (glad) is derived from the Sanskrit word "ramya," meaning "delightful" or "charming." | |||
| Lao | ດີໃຈ | ||
| "ດີໃຈ" can also mean "beautiful" or "pretty" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | gembira | ||
| The word "gembira" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "gempita," which meant "to tremble or shake," and was originally an onomatopoeic reference to the feeling of elation or happiness. | |||
| Thai | ดีใจ | ||
| The word "ดีใจ" can also mean "to be happy" or "to be delighted" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | vui vẻ | ||
| "Vui vẻ" has a secondary meaning, "unsteady," as in "vui vẻ trên chiếc thuyền" (unsteady on the boat). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masaya | ||
Glad in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sevindim | ||
| "Sevindim" is a verb meaning "rejoice" or "be glad". Its etymology is unclear but it is possibly related to "sevinç", meaning joy, which came into Azerbaijani via Ottoman Turkish from Arabic "surūr" (joy). | |||
| Kazakh | қуанды | ||
| The Kazakh word "қуанды" is derived from the Old Turkic word "qud", meaning "to be pleased" or "to be happy." | |||
| Kyrgyz | кубанычтуу | ||
| The word "кубанычтуу" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a state of contentment or satisfaction. | |||
| Tajik | хурсанд | ||
| The word “хурсанд” is derived from Old Persian “хуш” and “раанд,” meaning “good” and “thought,” respectively. | |||
| Turkmen | begenýärin | ||
| Uzbek | xursandman | ||
| "Xursand" is related to the Avestan word "xvarsand" meaning "healthy". | |||
| Uyghur | خۇشال | ||
Glad in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hauʻoli | ||
| In Old Hawaiian 'hauʻoli' also meant 'to be in good health or well-being' | |||
| Maori | koa | ||
| "Koa" also means "very," "greatly," "thoroughly," "completely," or "entirely." | |||
| Samoan | fiafia | ||
| The word "fiafia" can also mean "enjoyment", "fun", or "entertainment" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | masaya | ||
| The Tagalog word 'masaya' shares the same root as the word 'saya' meaning 'skirt', possibly due to the association between wearing skirts and joyful occasions. | |||
Glad in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kuntintu | ||
| Guarani | vy'a | ||
Glad in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĝoja | ||
| "Ĝoja" derives from the French "joie", with a circumflex added to match the stress pattern of Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | gaudeo | ||
| The Latin verb gaudeo, meaning "to rejoice," is also the root of the word "gaudy," meaning "flashy or showy." | |||
Glad in Others Languages
| Greek | χαρούμενος | ||
| The word 'χαρούμενος' can also mean 'joyful' or 'cheerful' in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | zoo siab | ||
| Zoo siab is the Hmong word for happiness, and is derived from the word zoob, meaning "to love". | |||
| Kurdish | dilfireh | ||
| The word 'dilfireh' also means 'heartening' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | memnun | ||
| "Memnun" also refers to contentment and satisfaction. | |||
| Xhosa | ndiyavuya | ||
| The Xhosa word "ndiyavuya" can also mean "I am pleased" or "I am happy." | |||
| Yiddish | צופרידן | ||
| The Yiddish word "צופרידן" (tsufriden) is derived from the German word "zufrieden", which means "satisfied" or "content". | |||
| Zulu | ngijabule | ||
| The Zulu word 'ngijabule' is derived from the verb 'jabula', meaning 'to rejoice'. It carries the connotation of a deep and heartfelt sense of happiness. | |||
| Assamese | আনন্দিত | ||
| Aymara | kuntintu | ||
| Bhojpuri | खुश | ||
| Dhivehi | އުފާވުން | ||
| Dogri | खुश | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masaya | ||
| Guarani | vy'a | ||
| Ilocano | naragsak | ||
| Krio | gladi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆشحاڵ | ||
| Maithili | खुशी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯦꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lawm | ||
| Oromo | gammaduu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଖୁସି | ||
| Quechua | kusisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रसन्नः | ||
| Tatar | шат | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕጉስ | ||
| Tsonga | tsakile | ||