Good in Different Languages
Discover 'Good' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'good' is a small but powerful term, encompassing a wide range of positive concepts such as excellence, virtue, and generosity. Its significance extends far beyond mere semantics, as it forms the very foundation of many cultural values and ethical systems. To know the translation of 'good' in different languages is to gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of human experience.
For instance, the German word 'gut' not only means 'good' but also implies capability and skill. Meanwhile, the Chinese character for 'good' (好) is composed of two parts - 'woman' and 'child' - suggesting the nurturing and protective qualities associated with goodness. In the African nation of Ghana, the word 'bra' means 'good' in the Twi language, reflecting the culture's emphasis on community and harmony.
Below, you will find a comprehensive list of translations for the word 'good' in various languages. Explore them, and discover the unique perspectives and values that each language and culture brings to this universal concept.
Good
Good in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | goed | ||
| The Afrikaans word "goed" originates from the Dutch word "goed" meaning "property" and refers to one's possessions or assets. | |||
| Amharic | ጥሩ | ||
| "ጥሩ" can also mean "healthy" or "delicious" depending on context. | |||
| Hausa | mai kyau | ||
| Mai kyau shares its root with other Hausa words meaning "good" or "beautiful", such as "kyawo" (beautiful person) and "kyakkyawa" (beautiful thing). | |||
| Igbo | ezi | ||
| In Igbo, the word "ezi" is often used in names referring to a person with good character or in proverbs. | |||
| Malagasy | tsara | ||
| The Malagasy word 'tsara', meaning "good", is also associated with concepts of beauty, well-being, and righteousness. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chabwino | ||
| "Chabwino" is cognate with "chabvuno" (knowledge or wisdom). | |||
| Shona | kugona | ||
| The morpheme `-ku-` in `kugona` is a form of the morpheme `ku-` used in infinitive constructions, while the root `-gon-` means "to be sweet"} | |||
| Somali | wanaagsan | ||
| Somali "wanaagsan" comes from Arabic "n`ama" meaning "good" or "blessing" but also "wealth or prosperity" and thus "beautiful" in reference to women's adornments. | |||
| Sesotho | hantle | ||
| The word "hantle" can also mean "very" or "well". | |||
| Swahili | nzuri | ||
| The Swahili word "nzuri" can also mean "beautiful" or "right". | |||
| Xhosa | kulungile | ||
| The word "Kulungile" in Xhosa also means "healthy." | |||
| Yoruba | dara | ||
| In Yoruba, 'dara' originally referred to a state of being 'healthy', highlighting the connection between physical well-being and goodness. | |||
| Zulu | kuhle | ||
| The word "kuhle" in Zulu also means "beautiful" or "attractive", and is related to the word "ukukha" (to shine). | |||
| Bambara | duman | ||
| Ewe | enyo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | byiza | ||
| Lingala | malamu | ||
| Luganda | kirungi | ||
| Sepedi | gabotse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | papa | ||
Good in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حسن | ||
| حسن (good) in Arabic derives from the Semitic root ḥ-s-n, which also signifies beauty, approval, and excellence | |||
| Hebrew | טוֹב | ||
| The Hebrew word "טוֹב" can also mean "pleasant" or "beneficial". | |||
| Pashto | ښه | ||
| The word "ښه" ("good") in Pashto is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wes-, meaning "to desire" or "to be well." | |||
| Arabic | حسن | ||
| حسن (good) in Arabic derives from the Semitic root ḥ-s-n, which also signifies beauty, approval, and excellence | |||
Good in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mirë | ||
| The word "mirë" is also used in Albanian to express "thank you," "very well," or "okay." | |||
| Basque | ona | ||
| The term 'ona' also refers to a 'good' type of weather and to an 'auspicious' time or day. | |||
| Catalan | bé | ||
| "Bé" also means "well" or something "OK" in Catalan, and it can be used as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun. | |||
| Croatian | dobro | ||
| The word 'dobro' can also refer to property, wealth, or an estate in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | godt | ||
| 'Godt' can also mean 'candy' or 'sweets' in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | mooi zo | ||
| The Afrikaans phrase "mooi so" also means "pretty thing" or "good-looking." | |||
| English | good | ||
| The word "good" originates from the Proto-Germanic word "gōdaz," meaning "suitable, appropriate, fitting." | |||
| French | bien | ||
| In the Old French language, "bien" also meant "well," an adverb still in use today. | |||
| Frisian | goed | ||
| The Frisian word "goed" can also mean "property" or "estate", derived from the Old Frisian word "gōd" or "gōd | |||
| Galician | bo | ||
| The word bo in Galician is also used as an interjection to express approval or admiration, similar to the English "well done" or the Spanish "bien hecho." | |||
| German | gut | ||
| German "gut" may derive from the Proto-Germanic "gudaz," which also meant "battle" or "war." | |||
| Icelandic | góður | ||
| "Góður" shares a root with "gefa" meaning "to give". Hence, one of its meanings is "generous". | |||
| Irish | maith | ||
| The word "maith" can also mean "well" or "nicely", and is cognate with the Welsh word "mad" and the Breton word "mat". | |||
| Italian | bene | ||
| “Bene” also means “well,” as in “well-being” (“benessere”). | |||
| Luxembourgish | gutt | ||
| The word "gutt" comes from the Old High German word "guot" and is related to the words "god" and "good". | |||
| Maltese | tajjeb | ||
| The Maltese word " tajjeb " ("good") is derived from Sicilian "tagghiari" ("to fix"), and can also mean: - to feel better - to agree | |||
| Norwegian | god | ||
| In Norwegian, “god” means “good” as in “godt” but without the | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | boa | ||
| "Boa" in Portuguese is etymologically derived from the Latin "bonua", and also means "snake boa constrictor". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | math | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "math" not only means "good" but also denotes prosperity, happiness, and success. | |||
| Spanish | bueno | ||
| "Bueno" in Spanish means not only "good," but also "okay," "healthy," or "tasty." | |||
| Swedish | bra | ||
| The word "bra" can also refer to a hilltop or a steep slope in Swedish, as well as the upper part of a mast. | |||
| Welsh | da | ||
| The Welsh word "da" has cognates in other Celtic languages, such as Irish "dea" and Breton "mat". | |||
Good in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | добра | ||
| "Добра" can also refer to "property" or "belongings". | |||
| Bosnian | dobro | ||
| The word "dobro" in Bosnian can also refer to the common good, well-being, or the abstract concept of virtue. | |||
| Bulgarian | добре | ||
| The word 'добре' can also mean 'well', 'okay', or 'all right' in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dobrý | ||
| Dobry, meaning "good" in Czech, is derived from the Proto-Slavic *dobrъ, which meant "useful" or "beneficial." | |||
| Estonian | hea | ||
| The word "hea" in Estonian also refers to a "good" or "strong" beverage, similar to "heady" in English. | |||
| Finnish | hyvä | ||
| The word "hyvä" is related to the word "hyvyys" (goodness) and can also convey a sense of health or well-being in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | jó | ||
| The Hungarian "jó" can also mean "right" or "proper". | |||
| Latvian | labi | ||
| The word "labi" also means "well" or "right" in Latvian, like in the phrase "darīt labi" (to do well). | |||
| Lithuanian | gerai | ||
| Cognate with “geras” in Latgalian, both derived from Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰéros | |||
| Macedonian | добро | ||
| The word "добро" is cognate with the Slavic words "dobro" ("good"), "dobry" ("kind"), "dobrota" ("goodness"), and the Latin words "bonus" ("good") and "bene" ("well"). | |||
| Polish | dobry | ||
| "Dobry" in Polish can also refer to a person who is kind and helpful. | |||
| Romanian | bun | ||
| "Bun" can also mean a bread roll in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | хорошо | ||
| "Хорошо" can also mean "alright" or "okay" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | добро | ||
| The Serbian word "Добро" (good) derives from the Proto-Slavic word "dobro" meaning "suitable, appropriate, worthy" | |||
| Slovak | dobre | ||
| In Slovak, 'dobre' can also mean 'well' or 'okay', and is used to express agreement or understanding. | |||
| Slovenian | dobro | ||
| The root 'dob' of 'dobro' relates to the Indo-European root 'dew', meaning 'to be suitable' or 'to be appropriate'. | |||
| Ukrainian | добре | ||
| In Ukrainian, "добре" has alternate meanings of "well" or "very". | |||
Good in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভাল | ||
| The word "ভাল" can also mean "healthy" or "well-being" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | સારું | ||
| The word "સારું" also means "complete" or "whole" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | अच्छा | ||
| The Hindi word "अच्छा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अच्छ" which means "to desire" or "to wish". | |||
| Kannada | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು | ||
| In Kannada, 'ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು' (olleyadu) holds multiple connotations, encompassing virtuous conduct, well-being, and the state of being beneficial or favorable. | |||
| Malayalam | നല്ലത് | ||
| "നല്ലത്" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*naḷ" meaning "well-being, happiness, prosperity". | |||
| Marathi | चांगले | ||
| The word "चांगले" also means "beautiful" or "handsome" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | राम्रो | ||
| The word "राम्रो" in Nepali means "good" but can also mean "handsome" or "beautiful". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੰਗਾ | ||
| ਚੰਗਾ has alternate meanings like 'suitable' and is derived from the Indo-Aryan root 'chag-' meaning 'to fit'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හොඳ | ||
| "හොඳ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सुन्दर" (sundara), meaning "beautiful" or "handsome". | |||
| Tamil | நல்ல | ||
| The Tamil word 'நல்ல' (nalla) can also mean 'auspicious', 'suitable', or 'wholesome'. | |||
| Telugu | మంచిది | ||
| మంచిది can also mean 'correct' and is used at the end of phrases to signify agreement or acceptance. | |||
| Urdu | اچھی | ||
| اچھی is the feminine form of the word "اچھا" which can also mean "all right" in Urdu. | |||
Good in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 好 | ||
| 好 may also signify that someone is beautiful, delicious, or a skilled performer. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 好 | ||
| In some contexts, 好 can also mean 'to love' or 'to like'. | |||
| Japanese | 良い | ||
| The word 良い (yoi) evolved from the Late Middle Japanese expression | |||
| Korean | 좋은 | ||
| "좋은" in Korean has cognates in Japanese ("よい") and Mongolian ("сайн") meaning "good" | |||
| Mongolian | сайн | ||
| In Khalkha Mongolian, "сайн" can also mean "healthy" or "correct". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကောင်းတယ် | ||
Good in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | baik | ||
| Ba[i]k also means 'repair' in Indonesian which can be seen from the word 'perbaikan' (repair). | |||
| Javanese | apik | ||
| The word "apik" in Javanese can also refer to something that is complete or whole. | |||
| Khmer | ល្អ | ||
| The Khmer word "ល្អ" (good), likely derived from the Sanskrit word "लवण" (salt), also means "salty" or "tasty". | |||
| Lao | ດີ | ||
| The word "ດີ" also means "yes" in Lao, as in "yes, I agree with you." | |||
| Malay | baik | ||
| "Baik" in Malay also means "correct" or "right". | |||
| Thai | ดี | ||
| It may derive from Old Khmer ឝី (/tiː/, 'appropriate') and is cognate to Vietnamese 'đúng' (/ɗuŋ/, 'correct'). | |||
| Vietnamese | tốt | ||
| "Tốt" also means "perfect" or "intact", as in "một gia đình tốt" (an intact family) or "một sức khỏe tốt" (good health). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuti | ||
Good in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaxşı | ||
| The word "yaxşı" is derived from Proto-Turkic *yaχşı, which also means "right" or "correct". | |||
| Kazakh | жақсы | ||
| The Kazakh word "жақсы" comes from the Old Turkic word "yaqşı". In addition to "good", it can also mean "right". In colloquial speech, it can also be used as an intensifier, similar to the English word "very". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жакшы | ||
| "Жакшы" also means "better" and was originally related to "жакында" ("near, close"), implying that something is "better" because it is "closer". | |||
| Tajik | хуб | ||
| The word "хуб" in Tajik, derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁su-, is also used to express beauty and moral excellence. | |||
| Turkmen | gowy | ||
| Uzbek | yaxshi | ||
| The word "yaxshi" is also used to refer to a person who is kind, generous, or hospitable. | |||
| Uyghur | ياخشى | ||
Good in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maikaʻi loa | ||
| The word 'maikaʻi loa' can also mean 'very good', 'excellent', or 'beautiful'. | |||
| Maori | pai | ||
| Pai translates to good in Maori, while the full saying "Ka pai" translates to "very good". | |||
| Samoan | lelei | ||
| The word 'lelei' is also a noun referring to a good friend or companion. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mabuti | ||
| The Tagalog word "mabuti" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "ma-buti" meaning "real" or "true." | |||
Good in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | waliki | ||
| Guarani | iporã | ||
Good in International Languages
| Esperanto | bone | ||
| Bone is also used to form adjectives meaning "very" or "really" (e.g. "bone malbela" = "really nasty"). | |||
| Latin | bonum | ||
| In Latin, "bonum" also refers to the philosophical concept of an intrinsic value that guides actions. | |||
Good in Others Languages
| Greek | καλός | ||
| In ancient Greek, καλός was used for physical beauty or moral virtue, as well as for nobility or high birth. | |||
| Hmong | zoo | ||
| The Hmong word "zoo" has cognates in other tonal languages, where it means "right, correct," and "proper," suggesting a link between goodness and correctness. | |||
| Kurdish | baş | ||
| "Baş" is a word with multiple meanings in Kurdish, including "head" and "good." | |||
| Turkish | iyi | ||
| In Turkish, the word 'iyi' can also mean 'well', 'nice', 'okay', or 'all right'. | |||
| Xhosa | kulungile | ||
| The word "Kulungile" in Xhosa also means "healthy." | |||
| Yiddish | גוט | ||
| The Yiddish word 'גוט' can also mean 'property' or 'wealth', deriving from the German word 'Gut'. | |||
| Zulu | kuhle | ||
| The word "kuhle" in Zulu also means "beautiful" or "attractive", and is related to the word "ukukha" (to shine). | |||
| Assamese | ভাল | ||
| Aymara | waliki | ||
| Bhojpuri | नीमन | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަނގަޅު | ||
| Dogri | चंगा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuti | ||
| Guarani | iporã | ||
| Ilocano | nasayaat | ||
| Krio | gud | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باش | ||
| Maithili | नीक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯐꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tha | ||
| Oromo | gaarii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭଲ | ||
| Quechua | allin | ||
| Sanskrit | शोभन | ||
| Tatar | яхшы | ||
| Tigrinya | ፅቡቅ | ||
| Tsonga | kahle | ||