Glance in Different Languages
Discover 'Glance' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'glance' is a quick, indirect look or observation, a fleeting moment that can convey curiosity, interest, or even dismissal. This simple yet significant word has found its way into various aspects of culture, from literature to film, often signifying a meaningful exchange of energy or information.
Historically, a glance could hold great power, as seen in the ancient Greek practice of 'glancing back' during the Olympic Games. It was believed that the athlete who glanced back first would lose the race, highlighting the importance of focus and determination.
Understanding the word 'glance' in different languages can help us appreciate the nuances of this action in various cultures. For instance, in Spanish, a glance is 'un vistazo' (pronounced: oon bes-tah-zo), while in French, it's 'un coup d'oeil' (pronounced: uhn koo doy). In German, it's 'einen Blick' (pronounced: ayn-en blik), and in Japanese, it's '一瞥' (pronounced: ichibu), which literally means 'one glance'.
Discover more translations of 'glance' in our comprehensive list below, and deepen your understanding of this universal human experience.
Glance
Glance in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | blik | ||
| The word "blik" in Afrikaans shares its origin with the Dutch word "blik," which can also mean "can" or "tin. | |||
| Amharic | እይታ | ||
| The word "እይታ" can also refer to the evil eye or the power of sight. | |||
| Hausa | kallo | ||
| In some other dialects, "kallo" can mean "to wink" or "to peek". | |||
| Igbo | ilekiri | ||
| "Ilekiri" also refers to a type of hairstyle where hair is cut short and styled forward. | |||
| Malagasy | jerena | ||
| The word "jerena" also means "to spy" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyang'ana | ||
| The verb kuyang'ana in Nyanja can also mean "to look at." | |||
| Shona | ziso | ||
| "Ziso" in Shona has alternate meanings including "eyesight", "vision", and "the ability to see". | |||
| Somali | jaleecada | ||
| The word "jaleecada" can also refer to the glow of fire or the gleam in an eye. | |||
| Sesotho | nyarela | ||
| The word "nyarela" also means "to look at something carefully or intently" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | mtazamo | ||
| The Swahili word "mtazamo" can also refer to a point of view, perspective, or outlook. | |||
| Xhosa | krwaqu | ||
| Xhosa word 'krwaqu' means 'glance' but can also refer to a 'quick, light touch' or 'gentle caress'. | |||
| Yoruba | kokan | ||
| The word "kokan" in Yoruba, can also mean to "gaze" or "stare". | |||
| Zulu | athi nhla | ||
| The word "athi nhla" can also refer to a glimpse, a quick look, or a glance over something. | |||
| Bambara | ka lajɛ | ||
| Ewe | da ŋku ɖe edzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kureba | ||
| Lingala | kobwaka lisu | ||
| Luganda | okukuba eriiso | ||
| Sepedi | kgerulo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hwɛ mu | ||
Glance in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لمحة | ||
| The word "لمحة" derives from the Arabic root "ل م ح" (lam-mim-ha), meaning "to have a glimpse" or "to perceive something briefly". It is also related to the word "لحظ" (laḥẓ), meaning "a moment" or "an instant." | |||
| Hebrew | מַבָּט | ||
| The word 'מַבָּט' ('glance') in Hebrew can also mean 'view', 'sight', or 'look'. | |||
| Pashto | نظر | ||
| In the Pashto language, the word "نظر" can also refer to a person's vision or eyesight. | |||
| Arabic | لمحة | ||
| The word "لمحة" derives from the Arabic root "ل م ح" (lam-mim-ha), meaning "to have a glimpse" or "to perceive something briefly". It is also related to the word "لحظ" (laḥẓ), meaning "a moment" or "an instant." | |||
Glance in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shikim | ||
| Shikim is thought to come from the Proto-Albanian word *skek-, which could either mean "to jump" or "to wink". | |||
| Basque | begirada | ||
| The Basque word "begirada" also means "sight" (as the sense of sight), "view", "look" or "gaze". | |||
| Catalan | mirada | ||
| Catalan noun 'mirada' refers to a 'look, gaze, or stare,' and also evokes the 'act of aiming at, pointing, or directing toward something.' | |||
| Croatian | pogled | ||
| The word 'pogled' can also refer to a person's worldview, perspective, or opinion. | |||
| Danish | blik | ||
| The Danish word "blik" is related to the English "blick" meaning "cast a sidelong glance" | |||
| Dutch | oogopslag | ||
| From Middle Dutch "ope", meaning "open" and "opslach" meaning "strike". | |||
| English | glance | ||
| The word "glance" originates from the Old French word "glanchier", meaning "to slide" or "to slip". The word can also refer to a quick look or momentary glimpse of something. | |||
| French | coup d'oeil | ||
| In French, "coup d'oeil" means "glance" but also refers to a quick mental calculation or assessment. | |||
| Frisian | eachopslach | ||
| The Frisian word "eachopslach" is cognate with the Dutch word "oogopslag" and the Old English word "eagopslæge", all meaning "glance". | |||
| Galician | ollada | ||
| The word "ollada" can also be used to refer to a quick or furtive glance in Galician. | |||
| German | blick | ||
| In German, the word "Blick" also means "lightning". | |||
| Icelandic | svipinn | ||
| Svipinn is a related to the verb "svipa" (to move around quickly), and originally meant the movement of the eyes when glancing. | |||
| Irish | sracfhéachaint | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "glance," "sracfhéachaint" can also mean "observation," "notice," or "survey." | |||
| Italian | occhiata | ||
| "Occhiata" also refers to a small Mediterranean fish with large eyes | |||
| Luxembourgish | bléck | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Bléck" is cognate with the German word "Blick", both derived from an Old High German word meaning "lightning". | |||
| Maltese | daqqa t'għajn | ||
| Norwegian | blikk | ||
| The word "blikk" also means "can" or "tin can" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | relance | ||
| "Relance" can also mean "reminder" or "second service in tennis" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sùil | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "sùil" not only means "glance" but also "eye" and "sun". | |||
| Spanish | vistazo | ||
| The word "vistazo" can also mean "view" or "prospect" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | blick | ||
| The word "blick" may also refer to the bright spot on the shell of a snail. | |||
| Welsh | cipolwg | ||
| In some dialects of Welsh, "cipolwg" can mean "peep" or "furtive look" | |||
Glance in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | позірк | ||
| In Belarusian the word 'позірк' also means 'view' or 'sight', and originates from a Proto-Slavic word meaning 'to look'. | |||
| Bosnian | pogled | ||
| "Pogled" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "po-gleda", meaning "look, sight, or view"} | |||
| Bulgarian | поглед | ||
| The word "поглед" derives from the Old Slavonic word "погледати" meaning "to look at". | |||
| Czech | pohled | ||
| In Czech, "pohled" can also mean "view" or "landscape," reflecting its origin in the verb "pohlédnout," meaning "to look at." | |||
| Estonian | pilk | ||
| The Estonian word "pilk" also means "squint" and shares a common origin with "pilk" in English, derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kel-", meaning "to squint" or "to look sideways". | |||
| Finnish | vilkaisu | ||
| The word "vilkaisu" is derived from the verb "vilkkua", which means "to flicker" or "to wink". | |||
| Hungarian | pillantás | ||
| Pillantas can also refer to an ephemeral and elusive glance. | |||
| Latvian | skatiens | ||
| The word “Skatiens” in the Latvian language is rooted from the word “Skatities”, meaning “To Look At” and is mostly associated with the act or motion of the eye to look or gaze at something. | |||
| Lithuanian | žvilgsnis | ||
| "Žvilgsnis" is derived from the word "žvilti" meaning "to sparkle" or "to glitter". | |||
| Macedonian | поглед | ||
| "Поглед" can also mean "viewpoint" or "perspective" | |||
| Polish | spojrzenie | ||
| The word 'spojrzenie' derives from the verb 'spojrzeć,' which originally meant 'to become aware of' or 'to notice'. | |||
| Romanian | privire | ||
| The Romanian word "privire" also means "sight" or "gaze". | |||
| Russian | взгляд | ||
| "Взгляд" is a Slavic word that also means "opinion, point of view, perspective" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | поглед | ||
| In Bulgarian, "поглед" means not only "glance" but also "view" or "sight". | |||
| Slovak | pohľad | ||
| The word "pohľad" also means "view" or "scenery" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | pogled | ||
| The word 'pogled' also has the alternate meaning of 'view', derived from its Proto-Slavic root meaning 'to look'. | |||
| Ukrainian | погляд | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "погляд" also refers to a person's worldview or perspective. | |||
Glance in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | এক পলক দেখা | ||
| The word "glance" can also mean a quick look or a passing thought. | |||
| Gujarati | નજર | ||
| "નજર" (glance) is derived from the Sanskrit word "दृष्टि" (disti), meaning "vision" or "sight". | |||
| Hindi | झलक | ||
| "झलक" is a Hindi word for "glance" derived from the Sanskrit word "jalaka" which means "flame". This is because a glance is like a brief flash of light. | |||
| Kannada | ನೋಟ | ||
| The word "ನೋಟ" (nōṭa) in Kannada can also mean "appearance", "look", or "view" | |||
| Malayalam | ഒറ്റനോട്ടത്തിൽ | ||
| The Malayalam word "ഒറ്റനോട്ടത്തിൽ" literally means "a single glance", but can also be used to mean "at first sight" or "in a single instance". | |||
| Marathi | एक नजर | ||
| The word "एक नजर" in Marathi means "a quick look" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "drishti," meaning "sight" or "vision." | |||
| Nepali | झलक | ||
| झलक (jhalak), the Nepali word for 'glance,' originates from the Sanskrit word 'jarha,' meaning 'to twinkle.' | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਜ਼ਰ | ||
| The word "ਨਜ਼ਰ" can also mean "gift" or "sacrifice" in various contexts. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බැලූ බැල්මට | ||
| Tamil | பார்வை | ||
| "பார்வை" can mean not only "glance" but also "watch" or "show". | |||
| Telugu | చూపు | ||
| The word "చూపు" can also refer to a "performance" or a "way of looking at something". | |||
| Urdu | نظر | ||
| In Persian, the word "نظر" can also mean "opinion" or "intention", indicating its broader semantic field beyond just a momentary gaze. | |||
Glance in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 扫视 | ||
| 扫视'一词还可指“扫雷游戏”，源自扫雷游戏英文名minesweeper中sweep的含义 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 掃視 | ||
| 掃視 is a compound word meaning 'to look across', but 'to sweep' is also one of its meanings. | |||
| Japanese | 一目 | ||
| The word "一目" is composed of the characters "一" (one) and "目" (eye), and can also refer to a single item, a unit of measurement, or a glimpse of something. | |||
| Korean | 섬광 | ||
| The Korean word "섬광" has a dual meaning, referring to both a "glance" and a "flash of light". | |||
| Mongolian | харц | ||
| The word "харц" (/xarts/) literally means "a black stone" in Mongolian, referring to its coal-like colour similar to obsidian's. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ်ချက် | ||
Glance in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sekilas | ||
| The word "sekilas" in Indonesian is derived from the word "seketika", meaning "momentarily". | |||
| Javanese | sekilas | ||
| The word "sekilas" in Javanese can also refer to a "quick thought" or a "momentary sensation". | |||
| Khmer | ក្រឡេកមើល | ||
| The word "ក្រឡេកមើល" also means "to look out of the corner of one's eye" or "to squint". | |||
| Lao | ເບິ່ງ | ||
| The word "ເບິ່ງ" can sometimes be used as a noun meaning "view" or "sight". | |||
| Malay | sepintas lalu | ||
| Literally translated as "an instant ago", "sepintas lalu" is a Malay phrase that may also mean "briefly" or "momentarily". | |||
| Thai | ชำเลือง | ||
| In Thai, the word "ชำเลือง" can also mean "to peek" or "to steal a glance". | |||
| Vietnamese | nhìn lướt qua | ||
| In Vietnamese, "nhìn lướt qua" can also mean "take a quick look at something" or "scan something quickly". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sulyap | ||
Glance in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | baxış | ||
| The word "baxış" can also mean "look" or "view" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | көзқарас | ||
| The word "көзқарас" in Kazakh also means "worldview" or "perspective". | |||
| Kyrgyz | көз чаптыруу | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "көз чаптыруу" not only means "glance," but also "evil eye" or "curse." | |||
| Tajik | нигоҳ | ||
| The word "нигоҳ" can also mean "attention" or "care" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | seret | ||
| Uzbek | qarash | ||
| The word "qarash" in Uzbek is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "qarγï", meaning "to look" or "to see". | |||
| Uyghur | قاراش | ||
Glance in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka nānā ʻana | ||
| A verb meaning to glance, spy, peek, peep, look sideways, or view, and in the causative form 'ho'onāna'ana a noun meaning 'sight', 'vision', or 'appearance'. | |||
| Maori | titiro ake | ||
| Titiro ake also means 'stare' in Maori and can be translated as 'gazing' in English. | |||
| Samoan | tilotilo | ||
| Tilotilo can also mean "to wink" or "to give a knowing look" | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sulyap | ||
| The word "sulyap" also means "look askance" in Tagalog. | |||
Glance in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñtaña | ||
| Guarani | ma'ẽ | ||
Glance in International Languages
| Esperanto | rigardo | ||
| Esperanto's "rigardo" comes from the French word "regard" (view) sharing a root with "rigor" (stiffness) | |||
| Latin | aspectu | ||
| The word "aspectu" can also mean "respect" or "point of view". | |||
Glance in Others Languages
| Greek | ματιά | ||
| The word "ματιά" also means "small eye" in Modern Greek, referring to the small "evil eye" charm worn for protection. | |||
| Hmong | nuam muag | ||
| The word "nuam muag" can also mean "to look at with favor" or "to approve of" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | nerîn | ||
| Kurdish "nerîn" may be derived from the Old Persian word "nerik" meaning "man" or "hero". | |||
| Turkish | bakış | ||
| Bakış' is thought to be derived from the verb 'bakmak,' meaning 'to look' and 'to face,' and can refer to the physical location from which one looks or a glance. | |||
| Xhosa | krwaqu | ||
| Xhosa word 'krwaqu' means 'glance' but can also refer to a 'quick, light touch' or 'gentle caress'. | |||
| Yiddish | בליק | ||
| The Yiddish word "בליק" also means "shine" or "sparkle" and derives from the German "blicken". | |||
| Zulu | athi nhla | ||
| The word "athi nhla" can also refer to a glimpse, a quick look, or a glance over something. | |||
| Assamese | দৃষ্টি | ||
| Aymara | uñtaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | झलक | ||
| Dhivehi | ބެލުން | ||
| Dogri | झमाका | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sulyap | ||
| Guarani | ma'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | agtalyaw | ||
| Krio | luk kwik wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چاوتروکان | ||
| Maithili | झलक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯠꯌꯦꯡ ꯌꯦꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thlir | ||
| Oromo | mil'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଝଲକ | ||
| Quechua | qway | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रभा | ||
| Tatar | караш | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓይኒ | ||
| Tsonga | cingela | ||