Updated on March 6, 2024
The color of the sun and the symbol of success, golden is a word that evokes warmth, prosperity, and grandeur. Its significance goes beyond aesthetics, as it represents cultural ideals and historical contexts worldwide. For instance, in Chinese culture, golden signifies wealth and prestige, while in ancient Egypt, it was associated with the divine and immortality.
Given its cultural importance, you might want to know the translation of 'golden' in different languages. In Spanish, it's 'dorado'; in French, 'doré'; in German, 'golden'; in Japanese, 'kin-iro'; and in Russian, 'zolotoy'. These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also the universal appeal of the color and concept that golden represents.
Exploring the translations of 'golden' is a journey through language and culture, highlighting the unique ways that societies perceive and value this radiant hue. Join us as we delve deeper into the world of 'golden' in different languages.
Afrikaans | goue | ||
The word "goue" came from the Dutch word "goud" in the 1600s. | |||
Amharic | ወርቃማ | ||
The word "ወርቃማ" is derived from the Ge'ez word "ወርቅ" (gold), which has the same meaning in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | zinariya | ||
The Hausa word zinariya is related to the Arabic word zahab (gold) and the Hebrew word zahhav (gold). | |||
Igbo | ọla edo | ||
Igbo word ọla edo refers to both "golden" and "a kind of traditional bead (coral beads)" depending on the context. | |||
Malagasy | volamena | ||
Volamena, derived from vola (gold) and mena (beautiful), signifies the radiance and desirability of the golden hue. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | golide | ||
While 'golide' means 'golden' in Chichewa, it is also used to describe something that is very attractive or charming. | |||
Shona | ndarama | ||
Ndarama also means "to love" or "to be dear" in Shona. | |||
Somali | dahab ah | ||
"Dahab ah" is also the name given to the Somali shilling which comes in a golden color. | |||
Sesotho | khauta | ||
Khauta derives from the Proto-Bantu word "*gɔ́ndɔ́" meaning "gold", but also refers to the golden eagle used in Lesotho's coat of arms. | |||
Swahili | dhahabu | ||
Dhahabu may also refer to turmeric, which is widely used in Swahili cooking. | |||
Xhosa | igolide | ||
"Igolide" derives from the Zulu word "iligodi", meaning "gold of the gods." | |||
Yoruba | goolu | ||
The word "goolu" in Yoruba also signifies prosperity, abundance, or a person with a noble spirit. | |||
Zulu | igolide | ||
The word "igolide" in Zulu, meaning "golden," also refers to the color of ripe corn and the skin of light-skinned people. | |||
Bambara | sanu ye | ||
Ewe | sika | ||
Kinyarwanda | zahabu | ||
Lingala | ya wolo | ||
Luganda | zaabu | ||
Sepedi | gauta ya gauta | ||
Twi (Akan) | sika kɔkɔɔ | ||
Arabic | ذهبي | ||
ذهبي also refers to a musical genre in Gulf Arabic that expresses the joy of a wedding. | |||
Hebrew | זָהוּב | ||
The Hebrew word "זָהוּב" (zahav) not only means "golden" but also refers to the color "yellow" or "blonde". | |||
Pashto | طلایی | ||
In Pashto, "طلایی" can also denote something very valuable or of high quality. | |||
Arabic | ذهبي | ||
ذهبي also refers to a musical genre in Gulf Arabic that expresses the joy of a wedding. |
Albanian | i artë | ||
The word "i Artë" in Albanian also refers to the color of wheat. | |||
Basque | urrezkoa | ||
The word 'urrezkoa' comes from the Basque word 'urre' meaning 'gold', and can also refer to something precious or valuable. | |||
Catalan | daurat | ||
The Catalan word "daurat" also means "gilded" and derives from the Latin "deauratus". | |||
Croatian | zlatna | ||
The toponym «Zlatna» appears in Slavic languages and is the Slavic equivalent of the Germanic place-name element «Gulden». | |||
Danish | gylden | ||
In addition to its most literal meaning, Danish 'gylden' can also mean 'very good', 'excellent'. | |||
Dutch | gouden | ||
In Dutch, "gouden" can also mean "great". | |||
English | golden | ||
The word "golden" can also refer to something that is excellent, valuable, or special. | |||
French | d'or | ||
The French word "d'or" can also mean "of great value" or "excellent quality." | |||
Frisian | gouden | ||
Frisian "gouden" also means "golden" or "good" in English. | |||
Galician | dourado | ||
In Galician, the word "dourado" not only means "golden" but also refers to a type of fish, the bream, typically found in coastal waters. | |||
German | golden | ||
In German, the word "golden" also means "precious" or "valuable". | |||
Icelandic | gullna | ||
In Old Norse, 'gullna' also meant 'to shine' or 'to be bright', and was used in a metaphorical sense to describe something as being valuable or precious. | |||
Irish | órga | ||
The word "órga" can also refer to a period of 24 hours or to the sun. | |||
Italian | d'oro | ||
In Italian, "d'oro" can also refer to a type of high-carat gold or to an object made of pure gold. | |||
Luxembourgish | gëllen | ||
In Luxembourgish, "gëllen" is also used informally to describe something that is very good or impressive. | |||
Maltese | deheb | ||
The Maltese word "deheb" comes from the Arabic word "dahab", which means "gold". | |||
Norwegian | gylden | ||
The Norwegian word "gylden" can also refer to the golden section in mathematics, a proportion of 1:1.618 that is pleasing to the eye. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dourado | ||
The word "dourado" in Portuguese derives from the Latin word "deauratus," meaning "to gild" or "to cover with gold." | |||
Scots Gaelic | òrail | ||
In Irish mythology, the fianna (warriors) were led by Finn mac Cumaill, who had a magical dog named Bran, who had the ability to restore the dead to health with his breath. The dog's name is cognate with the Welsh Bran, which also means a raven. | |||
Spanish | dorado | ||
The word 'dorado' also refers to various fish species with golden scales found in tropical and subtropical waters. | |||
Swedish | gyllene | ||
"Gyllene" also refers to a type of bread that is baked with saffron, giving the dough a vibrant yellow hue. | |||
Welsh | euraidd | ||
From Middle Welsh euraid, ultimately from Proto-Celtic *esuro- which also gave rise to Latin aurum and Greek aurós. |
Belarusian | залацісты | ||
Belarusian “залацісты” comes from “золата” (gold), meaning "golden" or "shining like gold," but also figuratively means "dear" or "precious." | |||
Bosnian | zlatna | ||
The word "zlatna" in Bosnian can also mean "beautiful" or "precious". | |||
Bulgarian | златен | ||
In some contexts "златен" (literally "golden") also signifies "first-class", meaning a person or something else with great qualities, e.g. "златно дете" ("golden boy"). | |||
Czech | zlatý | ||
The Czech word "zlatý" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *zolto, meaning "yellow". It also refers to the former Czech currency. | |||
Estonian | kuldne | ||
"Kuldne" can also mean "expensive" or "valuable" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | kultainen | ||
As a metaphor "kultainen" may mean "wonderful", "precious", or "perfect". | |||
Hungarian | aranysárga | ||
Aranysárga's root in Hungarian, aranya, derives from the Latin aurum, and also carries the connotation of beauty | |||
Latvian | zeltaini | ||
The term zeltaini may also refer to the color of amber or the gold-colored hair of a young woman. | |||
Lithuanian | auksinis | ||
The word "auksinis" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ew-s-, meaning "to shine", and is related to the Latin word "aurum" (gold). | |||
Macedonian | златна | ||
Macedonian "златна", "golden", comes from the Proto-Slavic word '*zolto', related to the verb "*zeltiti", "to become yellow or green"", with reflexes in most other Slavic languages, but having cognates also in Iranian languages (e.g. Persian "zarīn") | |||
Polish | złoty | ||
The word 'złoty' can also refer to the Polish currency, which was named after the gold coins that were used in Poland in the past. | |||
Romanian | de aur | ||
De aur, "of gold," can also mean "of high quality" in Romanian. | |||
Russian | золотой | ||
The Russian word "золотой" can also refer to currency or a type of award. | |||
Serbian | златан | ||
In Serbian, "Златан" (pronounced "Zlatan") also means "prosperous" or "fortunate", and is often used as a masculine given name. | |||
Slovak | zlatá | ||
The Slovak word "zlatá" can also mean "honeydew melon" or "yellowhammer". | |||
Slovenian | zlato | ||
The word 'zlato' can also refer to 'gold' as a physical substance or to something valuable and precious. | |||
Ukrainian | золотий | ||
"Золотий" is also a common surname in Ukraine, derived from the occupation of a goldsmith. |
Bengali | সোনালী | ||
The word 'sonali' can also refer to the colour yellow or a type of fish that resembles gold. | |||
Gujarati | સુવર્ણ | ||
The word "સુવર્ણ" in Gujarati derives from Sanskrit and denotes both "golden" and "wealth". | |||
Hindi | स्वर्ण | ||
In addition to 'golden', the word 'स्वर्ण' also denotes purity, splendor, prosperity, and knowledge in Indian culture. | |||
Kannada | ಗೋಲ್ಡನ್ | ||
The Kannada word "ಗೋಲ್ಡನ್" can also refer to reddish yellow, or to something that is very good. | |||
Malayalam | സ്വർണ്ണം | ||
The term 'സ്വർണ്ണം' originates from the Sanskrit word 'suvarna' meaning 'good color' and refers to the desirable hue of gold. | |||
Marathi | सोनेरी | ||
सोनेरी ('golden') derives from सोना ('gold'), meaning 'of the color of gold' or 'of the nature of gold'. | |||
Nepali | सुनौलो | ||
"सुनौलो" also means "golden opportunity" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਸੁਨਹਿਰੀ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਸੁਨਹਿਰੀ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सुवर्ण" and also refers to a person with a good reputation or character, similar to the English "golden-hearted". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රන්වන් | ||
The word 'රන්වන්' ('golden') in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word 'hiranya', which also means 'gold' and 'sun'. | |||
Tamil | தங்கம் | ||
The Tamil word "தங்கம்" can also refer to gold jewelry or coins. | |||
Telugu | బంగారు | ||
The Telugu word 'బంగారు' is of Sanskrit origin. In Sanskrit the words 'bahur' and 'kanakar' meant gold. | |||
Urdu | سنہری | ||
سنہری (golden) can also mean "yellow," "bright," or "beautiful" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 金色的 | ||
金 or 色, or both characters together, could represent "gold". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 金色的 | ||
The alternate meaning of "金色的" is "made of gold". | |||
Japanese | ゴールデン | ||
The word ゴールデン (golden) is also used in Japanese to refer to the prime time slot in television programming, typically from 7pm to 9pm. | |||
Korean | 황금빛 | ||
The Korean word '황금빛' (golden) is also used to describe something that is bright or sparkling. | |||
Mongolian | алтан | ||
The word "алтан" in Mongolian also refers to a "golden seal" used by khans and other high-ranking officials. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရွှေ | ||
In Myanmar (Burmese), "ရွှေ" can also refer to a person of great wealth or influence |
Indonesian | keemasan | ||
"Keemasan" is the Indonesian word for "golden." It is derived from the word "emas," which means "gold." | |||
Javanese | emas | ||
In Javanese, the word "emas" not only means "golden" but also refers to the color "yellow," signifying purity and prosperity. | |||
Khmer | ពណ៌មាស | ||
The term "ពណ៌មាស" can also refer to a type of yellow flower or a fair-skinned person. | |||
Lao | ທອງ | ||
"ทอง" is the Lao word for "gold", but it can also refer to something that is "valuable" or "precious". | |||
Malay | keemasan | ||
In Old Malay, 'keemasan' also referred to the colour yellow, and in modern usage sometimes denotes a bright yellow colour | |||
Thai | ทอง | ||
"ทอง" (golden) can also mean "copper" or "money" in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | vàng | ||
In Vietnamese, "vàng" has alternate meanings such as "gold" and "luck". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ginto | ||
Azerbaijani | qızıl | ||
Qızıl can also refer to autumn or the color of autumn leaves in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | алтын | ||
The word "алтын" in Kazakh also refers to a currency, a traditional Kazakh jewelry, and a male name. | |||
Kyrgyz | алтын | ||
The word "алтын" can also mean "gold" in Kyrgyz, and is derived from the Old Turkic word "altun". | |||
Tajik | тиллоӣ | ||
The Tajik word "тиллоӣ" ("golden") is derived from the Persian word "تلا" ("gold"). | |||
Turkmen | altyn | ||
Uzbek | oltin | ||
The word "oltin" also means "yellow" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | ئالتۇن | ||
Hawaiian | gula | ||
In Hawaiian, "gula" signifies "gold" as well as "treasure" and "wealth". | |||
Maori | koura | ||
Koura is also the Maori name for crayfish, which have a rich golden or red colour | |||
Samoan | auro | ||
"Auro" is also the name of the breadfruit tree and its fruit. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | ginintuang | ||
The word "ginintuang" also signifies "treasured" and is traditionally associated with precious metals. |
Aymara | quri | ||
Guarani | óro rehegua | ||
Esperanto | ora | ||
The word "ora" also refers to the hour in Esperanto, as a remnant of its Proto-Indo-European ancestor. | |||
Latin | aureum | ||
The word "aureum" is derived from the Latin word "aurum," which not only means "gold" but also "yellow" or "orange". |
Greek | χρυσαφένιος | ||
The word χρυσαφένιος originates from the word χρυσός, which translates to “gold” | |||
Hmong | kub | ||
The word "kub" can also refer to a type of rice or the color of turmeric. | |||
Kurdish | zêrîn | ||
"Zêrîn" has historical connotations to the color 'red' in Kurdish and is a part of the vocabulary of many Kurdish tribes. | |||
Turkish | altın | ||
The word "altın" also means "gold" in Turkish, but it is also used to refer to something that is valuable or important. | |||
Xhosa | igolide | ||
"Igolide" derives from the Zulu word "iligodi", meaning "gold of the gods." | |||
Yiddish | גילדענע | ||
The word "גילדענע" (gil·de·ne) in Yiddish, aside from meaning "golden," also means "worthless" or "counterfeit." | |||
Zulu | igolide | ||
The word "igolide" in Zulu, meaning "golden," also refers to the color of ripe corn and the skin of light-skinned people. | |||
Assamese | সোণালী | ||
Aymara | quri | ||
Bhojpuri | सोना के रंग के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ރަންކުލައިގެ އެވެ | ||
Dogri | सोने दा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ginto | ||
Guarani | óro rehegua | ||
Ilocano | nabalitokan | ||
Krio | gold we gɛt gold | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | زێڕین | ||
Maithili | सोना के | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯅꯥꯒꯤ ꯇꯛꯃꯥꯟ꯫ | ||
Mizo | rangkachak a ni | ||
Oromo | warqee ta’e | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣ | ||
Quechua | qurimanta | ||
Sanskrit | सुवर्णम् | ||
Tatar | алтын | ||
Tigrinya | ወርቃዊ እዩ። | ||
Tsonga | ya nsuku | ||