Grass in different languages

Grass in Different Languages

Discover 'Grass' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Grass is a vital part of our ecosystem, providing a range of benefits from producing oxygen and reducing soil erosion to providing food and shelter for various animals. Its cultural significance is also immense, often symbolizing growth, renewal, and prosperity in many traditions and literature. For language and culture enthusiasts, understanding the translation of 'grass' in different languages can offer unique insights into the diverse ways different cultures perceive and interact with this common element of the natural world.

For instance, in Spanish, 'grass' is 'hierba', while in German, it's 'Gras'. In Japanese, it's '草 (kusa)', and in Swahili, it's 'mkazi'. Each of these translations not only reflects the linguistic diversity of different cultures but also provides a glimpse into how these cultures view and value grass in their unique contexts.

Explore the many translations of 'grass' in the list below and deepen your appreciation for the richness and diversity of global languages and cultures.

Grass


Grass in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansgras
The Afrikaans word "gras" also means "herb" or "vegetable".
Amharicሣር
In addition to its primary meaning of "grass," "ሣር" is also used figuratively to refer to vegetation in general, or to a grassy area.
Hausaciyawa
Grass in Hausa language is also called
Igboahịhịa
In some Igbo dialects, the word
Malagasyahitra
The word "ahitra" in Malagasy, meaning "grass," is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*qahiqay," which also means "grass."
Nyanja (Chichewa)udzu
The Nyanja word 'udzu' can also refer to 'weeds', 'pasture' or the act of 'grazing'.
Shonahuswa
The Shona word "huswa" also refers to a type of basket used for carrying grass or other materials.
Somalicawska
The word "cawska" in Somali also means "green" and can refer to vegetation in general, not just grass.
Sesothojoang
The word "joang" also refers to a type of grass used for thatching and making mats.
Swahilinyasi
In some African dialects, including Kisii and Meru, 'nyasi' also refers to a specific type of herb or plant used for thatching roofs.
Xhosaingca
The Xhosa word "ingca" can also refer to a type of grass mat used for sleeping or sitting on.
Yorubakoriko
"Koriko" also signifies "the first thing to appear" in Yoruba.
Zuluutshani
The Zulu word "utshani" can also refer to "vegetation" or "pastureland".
Bambarabin
Ewegbe
Kinyarwandaibyatsi
Lingalamatiti
Lugandaessubi
Sepedibjang
Twi (Akan)ɛsrɛ

Grass in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicنجيل
The word 'نجيل' can also refer to the 'turf' of a soccer field.
Hebrewדֶשֶׁא
דשא (desheh), from the root דשן (dashen), meaning "fat" or "fertile," also refers to the lush vegetation of springtime, which provided nourishment for grazing animals and symbolized abundance and prosperity.
Pashtoواښه
The Pashto word "واښه" also refers to a type of fibrous plant material used for making mats, ropes, and coarse cloth.
Arabicنجيل
The word 'نجيل' can also refer to the 'turf' of a soccer field.

Grass in Western European Languages

Albanianbar
The word "bar" in Albanian can also mean a "leaf" or a "blade of grass"
Basquebelarra
The word "belarra", which means "grass", is related to the verb "belartu", meaning "to sprout".
Catalanherba
"Herba" also refers to an aromatic plant in Catalan, and it comes from the Latin word "herba", which means "grass".
Croatiantrava
Originally meaning "green part of a plant", "trava" now usually refers to cereal crops.
Danishgræs
The word “græs” can refer to grass, turf, or pasturage.
Dutchgras
In Dutch, "gras" also refers to the green pigment of plants, "chlorophyll".
Englishgrass
Grass can also refer to cannabis or marijuana, which is a type of flowering plant in the genus Cannabis.
Frenchherbe
In Old French, "herbe" had the broader meaning of "plant" or "vegetable".
Frisiangers
"Gras" is also used to describe the green part of a plant.
Galicianherba
The Galician word "herba" originally meant any green plant and is related to the word "herb" in English.
Germangras
In German, the word "Gras" not only refers to "grass" but also to the "color green" and historically meant "herb".
Icelandicgras
The Icelandic word "gras" not only means "grass", but also refers to the color green and can be used to describe envy or greed.
Irishféar
Irish "féar" has cognates in the Proto-Celtic languages and has also been used in the context of a man, a hero, or a warrior.
Italianerba
The word "erba" derives from the Latin word "herba," which originally meant "herb" or "plant."
Luxembourgishgras
"Gras" can also refer to meat, but only in the sense of fried pork belly.
Malteseħaxix
The Maltese word "ħaxix" derives from the Arabic word for "grass" but can also refer to "marijuana" or "cannabis".
Norwegiangress
The word "gress" in Norwegian can also mean "growth" or "progress".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)relva
Portuguese relva ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁relh₁- ‎(“to be red, reddish”).
Scots Gaelicfeur
The Scots term "feur" for grass may derive its Gaelic origin from a word denoting "verdure."
Spanishcésped
The Spanish word "césped" derives from the Arabic "safsâf," meaning "poplar tree."
Swedishgräs
In Swedish, "gräs" can also refer to lawn, pasture, or herb.
Welshglaswellt
Glaswellt derives from the Proto-Celtic *glasto- or *glasto- meaning green.

Grass in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianтрава
In Belarusian, "трава" (grass) is also used to refer to herbs and plants used for medicinal purposes.
Bosniantrava
The word 'trava' in Bosnian can refer to various plants besides grass, including clover, alfalfa, and hay.
Bulgarianтрева
A similar term, "тръви" (trŭvi), specifically refers to medicinal herbs and spices.
Czechtráva
Czech "tráva" also means "marijuana" and is a slang term for "money".
Estonianrohi
"Rohi" in Estonian not only means "grass" but is also a euphemism for "cannabis".
Finnishruoho
"Ruoho" can also refer to hay or pasturage.
Hungarian
The word "fű" in Hungarian may also refer to herbs used for healing, or to tobacco.
Latvianzāle
Latvian "zāle" is an etymological cognate of Sanskrit "jīraka" which refers to cumin.
Lithuanianžolė
Lithuanian "žolė" can mean "grass", "herb", or "weed", and derives from the Proto-Baltic term *zalā, meaning "green."
Macedonianтрева
In the folklore of Macedonia, "трева" is also a euphemism for cannabis, especially in songs and folk tales.
Polishtrawa
In some Polish dialects, "trawa" can refer to a single blade of grass or even a hayloft.
Romanianiarbă
"Iarbă" also means "weed" in Romanian, a similar sense found in the English word "herb", which comes from Latin "herba" (grass) and originally meant any plant used in medicine or cooking.
Russianтрава
The Russian word "трава" (grass) can also refer to marijuana or other illicit substances in slang.
Serbianтрава
In Serbian, the word "трава" ("grass") is also used to refer to marijuana or other dried herbs.
Slovaktráva
The Slovak word "tráva" can mean "grass" or, colloquially, "marijuana".
Sloveniantrava
The word "trava" can also mean "herb" or "plant" in Slovenian.
Ukrainianтрави
The word "трави" can also refer to the card suit of clubs in Ukrainian.

Grass in South Asian Languages

Bengaliঘাস
In Bengali, ঘাস (grass) originated from the Sanskrit word "ghāsa" and additionally means vegetation more broadly.
Gujaratiઘાસ
The Gujarati word 'ઘાસ' (grass) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'घास' ('घ' = 'g' and 'स' = 's'), which also means 'grass'.
Hindiघास
The Hindi term "घास" (grass) also refers to the long, coarse hair that grows on the legs of some animals, such as horses and other equines.
Kannadaಹುಲ್ಲು
The word "ಹುಲ್ಲು" is also used in Kannada to refer to a large group of people or animals.
Malayalamപുല്ല്
The word "പുല്ല്" (pullu) can also refer to other vegetation like herbs, shrubs, creepers and even sprouts or grass like leaves of plants.
Marathiगवत
The word "गवत" derives from Sanskrit and also refers to a type of Ayurvedic medicine
Nepaliघाँस
The word 'घाँस' can also refer to a type of sweet dish made from milk and rice, similar to a pudding.
Punjabiਘਾਹ
The Punjabi word "ਘਾਹ" can also mean "hay" or "forage".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)තණකොළ
The word "තණකොළ" can also mean "hay" or "fodder" in Sinhala.
Tamilபுல்
The word "புல்" in Tamil can also refer to "a small plant with no woody stem" or "a group of people".
Teluguగడ్డి
The word "గడ్డి" can also refer to "hay" or "straw".
Urduگھاس
In Urdu, "گھاس" can also refer to any vegetation that grows on the ground, including weeds and shrubs.

Grass in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
In Chinese, "草" (cǎo) can also mean "draft" or "rough version".
Chinese (Traditional)
In Chinese, "草" (Cǎo) can also mean "draft" or "unrefined writing".
Japanese
The standalone kanji "草" also means "draft" or "manuscript".
Korean잔디
The word "잔디" can also refer to a type of Korean paper or a specific cut of meat.
Mongolianөвс
"Өвс" contains the root "өб-", which also appears in words like "өвөл" (winter), and the same root appears in the word "обь" (river) in some Turkic languages, possibly indicating a common origin.
Myanmar (Burmese)မြက်ပင်

Grass in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianrumput
Indonesian "rumput" is cognate with "rambut" (hair), suggesting it referred to the grass with long strands (like hair).
Javanesesuket
The Old Javanese word for "grass", "suket", can also mean "vegetables" or "leaves".
Khmerស្មៅ
In the Khmer language, the word "ស្មៅ" not only means "grass", but also refers to "vegetables" and "herbs", showcasing the connection between these concepts in the local culture and diet.
Laoຫຍ້າ
In some areas, ຫຍ້າ can carry the alternate meaning of "weed" referring to a plant growing where it is unwanted by a human being.
Malayrumput
"Rumput" also refers to weeds, shrubs, or aquatic plants in some contexts in Malay.
Thaiหญ้า
The Thai word "หญ้า" (grass) has an alternate meaning of "wild vegetables" or "weeds."
Vietnamesecỏ
"Cỏ" means "grass" in Vietnamese, and it can also be used figuratively to refer to a person who is easily influenced or taken advantage of.
Filipino (Tagalog)damo

Grass in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniot
The Azerbaijani word "ot" is used not only for "grass" but also for "herb", "vegetable" or "weed".
Kazakhшөп
The word "шөп" in Kazakh can also refer to plants in general, or to tobacco.
Kyrgyzчөп
The Kyrgyz word "чөп" can also refer to medicinal or harmful plants, or herbs in general.
Tajikалаф
Alaf might come from Persian آلاف "grass" and Arabic الآف "thousands". In some Iranian languages, alaf means "fodder".
Turkmenot
Uzbeko't
The word "o't" also refers to the first green shoots of plants that appear in spring.
Uyghurئوت-چۆپ

Grass in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianmauʻu
"Mauʻu" also refers to a type of fern that grows in wet, forested areas, and is known for its long, narrow leaves.
Maoritarutaru
"Tarutaru": Young leaves of ferns, especially of the "koru" variety that are considered a great delicacy
Samoanmutia
*Mutia* can refer to either an actual type of grass or the generic word for 'grass' in the Samoan language.
Tagalog (Filipino)damo
"Damo" in Tagalog also means "weeds" or "grass growing in a neglected area."

Grass in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraqura
Guaranika'avo

Grass in International Languages

Esperantoherbo
The word "herbo" in Esperanto originally referred to any medicinal substance, but its meaning later narrowed to specifically mean grass.
Latinherba
Herba or herbae (plural) was a more general term for all types of leaves, buds, and sprouts; it was cognate with the Greek word "chorton" with the same meaning.

Grass in Others Languages

Greekγρασίδι
The word "γρασίδι" comes from the Medieval Greek "γρασίδιον", which originally meant "pasture" or "meadow"
Hmongnyom
The Hmong word "nyom" also refers to a type of wild leafy vegetable.
Kurdishgîha
The Kurdish word "gîha", meaning "grass", also refers to plants in general, especially those used for healing.
Turkishçimen
"Çimen" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "çig" meaning "green". It also refers to the "young" or "tender" parts of plants.
Xhosaingca
The Xhosa word "ingca" can also refer to a type of grass mat used for sleeping or sitting on.
Yiddishגראָז
The Yiddish word "גראָז" (groz) can also refer to the herb marijuana, which is commonly known as "grass" in English slang.
Zuluutshani
The Zulu word "utshani" can also refer to "vegetation" or "pastureland".
Assameseঘাঁহ
Aymaraqura
Bhojpuriघास
Dhivehiވިނަ
Dogriघा
Filipino (Tagalog)damo
Guaranika'avo
Ilocanoruot
Kriogras
Kurdish (Sorani)گیا
Maithiliघास
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯅꯥꯄꯤ
Mizophul
Oromomarga
Odia (Oriya)ଘାସ
Quechualliwa
Sanskritतृणं
Tatarүлән
Tigrinyaሳዕሪ
Tsongabyanyi

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