Green in Different Languages
Discover 'Green' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Green, a color that signifies life, growth, renewal, and nature. It holds cultural importance across the globe, often representing harmony with the environment and good luck. In Ireland, it's associated with St. Patrick's Day and the country's lush landscapes. In Islam, green is one of the most revered colors, symbolizing paradise and happiness.
Understanding the translation of 'green' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exchange and understanding. For instance, in Spanish, 'green' is 'verde'. In French, it's 'vert', and in German, it's 'grün'. Imagine traveling to these countries and being able to discuss the beautiful parks, the vibrant gardens, or the sustainable practices in the local language.
Moreover, the word 'green' has interesting historical contexts. During the Industrial Revolution, 'green' became a symbol of the environmental movement, leading to phrases like 'green politics' and 'green energy'. Knowing the translation of 'green' in various languages can help you appreciate these cultural nuances and global issues better.
Green
Green in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | groen | ||
| "Groen" is also used adjectivally in Afrikaans, e.g. a "groen" person is an inexperienced or naive person. | |||
| Amharic | አረንጓዴ | ||
| In the past, "አረንጓዴ" also referred to young women who were not yet mature, similar to the Latin "viridis". | |||
| Hausa | koren | ||
| "Koren" is also a type of grass that grows after the rain, hence its association with the color of new beginnings | |||
| Igbo | acha akwụkwọ ndụ | ||
| The Igbo word for green, acha akwụkwọ ndụ, can also mean a book, referring to the color of books in the colonial period. | |||
| Malagasy | maitso | ||
| The Malagasy word "maitso" is of Proto-Malayo-Polynesian origin and is cognate with the Malay word "hijau" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wobiriwira | ||
| In Chicheŵa, "wobiriwira" also refers to unripe or sour foods, and green or immature plants. | |||
| Shona | girinhi | ||
| Girini, the word for green in Shona, also refers to envy and jealousy. | |||
| Somali | cagaaran | ||
| Cagaaran in Somali is also a verb meaning 'to green' something. | |||
| Sesotho | tala | ||
| "Tala" also means "grass" or "to graze" in Sesotho, reflecting the close relationship between green vegetation and grazing animals in the region's ecosystem. | |||
| Swahili | kijani | ||
| The word 'kijani' in Swahili is derived from the Proto-Bantu word '*-kila-' meaning 'be green' or 'be young'. | |||
| Xhosa | luhlaza | ||
| "Luhlu" (grass) refers to the green vegetation cover and is also associated with the color green. | |||
| Yoruba | alawọ ewe | ||
| While the word "alawọ ewe" itself does not carry any distinct etymological origin, its root word "alawọ" denotes a broader concept of colors and shades. | |||
| Zulu | luhlaza okotshani | ||
| In isiZulu, "luhlaza" also means "immature" or "unripe" when used to describe fruit. | |||
| Bambara | binkɛnɛ | ||
| Ewe | gbemu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyatsi | ||
| Lingala | vert | ||
| Luganda | kiragala | ||
| Sepedi | talamorogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahabanmono | ||
Green in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أخضر | ||
| In Arabic, the word "أخضر" (akhdar) not only refers to the color green, but also has the extended meaning of "unripe", "fresh", or "young." | |||
| Hebrew | ירוק | ||
| Despite meaning 'green' in color, 'ירוק' (yarok) is used to signify immaturity, inexperience, or freshness, or to describe unripe fruit. | |||
| Pashto | شین | ||
| The Pashto word "شین" also means "emerald" or "jade". | |||
| Arabic | أخضر | ||
| In Arabic, the word "أخضر" (akhdar) not only refers to the color green, but also has the extended meaning of "unripe", "fresh", or "young." | |||
Green in Western European Languages
| Albanian | jeshile | ||
| The Albanian word "jeshile" is also used in the idiom "u bë jeshile," which means "to become jealous." | |||
| Basque | berdea | ||
| The word 'berdea' is of Proto-Basque origin and derives from the word '*berdi' which also means 'new'. | |||
| Catalan | verd | ||
| "Verd" is a word with multiple origins: from the Latin "viridis", the Vulgar Latin "veridis" and the Occitan-Catalan "vert". | |||
| Croatian | zeleno | ||
| Originally, the word meant "herb" or "grass", coming from *zelъ, which is cognate to words like "celery" and "salad". | |||
| Danish | grøn | ||
| "Grøn" can mean "inexperienced" or "unripe" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | groen | ||
| The Dutch word "groen" can also refer to a novice or young person, and originates from the 16th-century term for an inexperienced soldier. | |||
| English | green | ||
| The word 'green' is derived from the Old English word 'grene,' which means 'grassy' or 'growing.' | |||
| French | vert | ||
| The French word 'vert' derives from the same Latin word ('viridis') as 'evergreen', and its original meanings were closer to 'raw' or 'fresh'. | |||
| Frisian | grien | ||
| In addition to meaning "green," the West Frisian word "grien" also means "young," "raw," or "unripe," and is related to the Dutch word "groen" and the English word "green," both of which have similar additional meanings. | |||
| Galician | verde | ||
| The Galician word "verde" originates from the Latin word "viridis", meaning "green", and also carries the connotation of "immature" or "inexperienced" | |||
| German | grün | ||
| In early Old High German and Proto-Germanic, the word "grun" meant "grass" as well as "green," as in the English "evergreen." | |||
| Icelandic | grænn | ||
| In Icelandic, "grænn" can mean either light green or dark green, depending on context. | |||
| Irish | glas | ||
| The word "glas" in Irish meant both "gray" and "green" in Old Irish, but now only means "green". | |||
| Italian | verde | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "verde" can refer to a certain grape variety and, archaically, to a road.} | |||
| Luxembourgish | gréng | ||
| The word 'Gréng' originally meant 'new' and is related to the French 'grain' which also means 'new' and the German 'grün' which means 'green'. | |||
| Maltese | aħdar | ||
| The Maltese word "aħdar" is cognate with the Arabic word "aẖḍar," which also means "green," and with the Hebrew word "yarok," which has a broader meaning of "fresh," "moist," or "green." | |||
| Norwegian | grønn | ||
| In Old Norse, grønn meant "grass-like" or "growing". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | verde | ||
| The word "verde" in Portuguese also refers to "immature" or "unripe". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uaine | ||
| Uaine was formerly used of the yellow colour of gold, though in Scots Gaelic usage its meaning altered to green. | |||
| Spanish | verde | ||
| The Spanish word "verde" can also mean "unripe" or "inexperienced". | |||
| Swedish | grön | ||
| The word "grön" in Swedish can also refer to unripe or fresh, and was originally derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*grōniz," meaning "grass." | |||
| Welsh | gwyrdd | ||
| The Welsh word 'gwyrdd' may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root '*gwei-' meaning 'life force' or 'to grow'. | |||
Green in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | зялёны | ||
| "Зялёны" is derived from the Proto-Slavic *zelenъ, meaning "young, fresh," and is related to the word "зело" ("very") in Russian. | |||
| Bosnian | zelena | ||
| Zelena is also used in Bosnia to mean 'fresh, unripe fruit' or 'raw, unprocessed wool'. | |||
| Bulgarian | зелено | ||
| Bulgarian "зелено" (green) from Proto-Slavic "zeleno", which also means "plant, grass, vegetable". | |||
| Czech | zelená | ||
| "Zelená" also means "vegetable" in Czech, and is related to the old Slavic word "zel" meaning "herb". | |||
| Estonian | roheline | ||
| The Estonian word “roheline” also has a meaning of “fresh” and is related to the word “rohi,” which means “grass.” | |||
| Finnish | vihreä | ||
| It's the word for "grass" and related concepts, and is possibly related to the old Finnish name of the birch tree "värhi"} | |||
| Hungarian | zöld | ||
| "Zöld" comes from the Proto-Uralic root "*šärnä" meaning "yellow-green, green". | |||
| Latvian | zaļa | ||
| The Latvian word "zaļa" shares the Proto-Indo-European root, "gʰel-/gʰol-", with words "green" and "yellow" in the Germanic languages and "yellow" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Lithuanian | žalias | ||
| "Žalias" can also mean "raw" or "unripe" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | зелена | ||
| Зеле́н in the Old Belarusian meant "fresh". | |||
| Polish | zielony | ||
| Zielony can also refer to unripe or immature fruits and vegetables, as well as to inexperienced or naive people. | |||
| Romanian | verde | ||
| In Romanian, 'verde' has the alternate meaning of 'young' or 'immature', likely deriving from the Latin 'viridis' meaning 'fresh' or 'flourishing'. | |||
| Russian | зеленый | ||
| This word also means “unripe” and, in some contexts, “naive” or “inexperienced”. | |||
| Serbian | зелена | ||
| The word "зелена" also means "immature" or "inexperienced" in Serbian, similar to the English word "green". | |||
| Slovak | zelená | ||
| The word "zelená" in Slovak can also mean "vegetables" or "greens" in the context of food. | |||
| Slovenian | zelena | ||
| The word 'zelena' also means 'herb' in Slovenian, likely deriving from the Proto-Slavic word for 'grass'. | |||
| Ukrainian | зелений | ||
| The Ukrainian word "зелений" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zelenъ, which also means "unripe" or "raw". | |||
Green in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সবুজ | ||
| The word "সবুজ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शव्" (śav), meaning "corpse," and may also refer to "freshness" and "immaturity" | |||
| Gujarati | લીલા | ||
| The word "લીલા" also means "playful" or "sportful" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | हरा | ||
| The word 'हरा' in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'हरि', meaning 'yellow' or 'gold'. It can also refer to a mixture of blue and yellow, or to a light shade of green. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಸಿರು | ||
| The Kannada word "ಹಸಿರು" ("green") also refers to freshness or vegetation. | |||
| Malayalam | പച്ച | ||
| From Sanskrit पच् 'to cook', meaning 'raw, unripe, green' | |||
| Marathi | हिरवा | ||
| The word 'हिरवा' is also used to refer to 'fresh' or 'young' in Marathi.} | |||
| Nepali | हरियो | ||
| In Nepali, 'हरियो' (green) can also refer to inexperience or youthfulness. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਰਾ | ||
| ਹਰਾ (hara) is also used to describe something that is unripe or fresh. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හරිත | ||
| The word "හරිත" (harita) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "हरित" (harita), which means "yellow" or "golden-green". | |||
| Tamil | பச்சை | ||
| The word "பச்சை" in Tamil can also mean "raw", "unripe", or "immature". | |||
| Telugu | ఆకుపచ్చ | ||
| Urdu | سبز | ||
| "سبز" also means "fresh" or "new" in Urdu. | |||
Green in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 绿色 | ||
| 绿色 also means 'environmentally friendly' in Chinese and is a popular term used to promote environmental awareness and action. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 綠色 | ||
| 綠色 originally meant "blue" or "azure" but was later borrowed to represent "green" as a secondary meaning. | |||
| Japanese | 緑 | ||
| "緑" means "green," but it also means "leaves," "vegetation," or "plants" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 초록 | ||
| The word '초록' also means 'youthful' or 'unripe' in Korean, reflecting its association with the color of young plant leaves. | |||
| Mongolian | ногоон | ||
| The word 'ногоон' (green) is likely derived from the Mongolian word 'ног', meaning 'young', and refers to the vibrant color of new plants. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အစိမ်း | ||
Green in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hijau | ||
| The word "hijau" also has a figurative meaning of "immature" or "inexperienced". | |||
| Javanese | ijo | ||
| In the archaic Javanese language, the word "ijo" can also refer to "immature" or "young" and is a cognate of the word "ijo" in Sundanese | |||
| Khmer | បៃតង | ||
| The word "បៃតង" in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "patra" meaning "leaf". It also has the alternate meaning of "unripe" or "immature". | |||
| Lao | ສີຂຽວ | ||
| Lao "ສີຂຽວ" is spelled "green" in the Tai Lue alphabet and is the same word that refers to the color of a banana leaf. | |||
| Malay | hijau | ||
| The word "hijau" also means "young" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | เขียว | ||
| The Thai word "เขียว" (green) is derived from the Austroasiatic root "*kraw" meaning "new, fresh, or immature". | |||
| Vietnamese | màu xanh lá | ||
| In Vietnamese, the word "màu xanh lá" has an alternate meaning as a slang term for raw, inexperienced people or situations. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | berde | ||
Green in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaşıl | ||
| "Yaşıl" also means "fresh" or "young" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жасыл | ||
| "жасыл" in Kazakh means not only "green" but also "young, immature, fresh, and inexperienced." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жашыл | ||
| The word "жашыл" can also mean "young" or "immature" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | сабз | ||
| The word "сабз" also means "fresh" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýaşyl | ||
| Uzbek | yashil | ||
| The word "yashil" is derived from Persian and also means "young" or "immature" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | يېشىل | ||
Green in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ōmaʻomaʻo | ||
| The word ōmaʻomaʻo in Hawaiian also describes the state of being green, immature, or unripe. | |||
| Maori | kākāriki | ||
| The word "kākāriki" can also refer to a small green parrot found in New Zealand. | |||
| Samoan | lanu meamata | ||
| The word 'lanu meamata' can also mean 'envy' or 'jealousy' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | berde | ||
| "Berde" (green) originates from the Spanish word "verde." However, in some Philippine dialects, it can also imply "blue" or "unripe" fruits. | |||
Green in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'uxña | ||
| Guarani | hovyũ | ||
Green in International Languages
| Esperanto | verda | ||
| Esperanto's "verda" is derived from the Latin "viridis," which also meant "fresh, new, vigorous" | |||
| Latin | viridi, | ||
| The word "viridi" can also refer to "fresh" or "vigorous" in Latin. | |||
Green in Others Languages
| Greek | πράσινος | ||
| πράσινος, a term used to describe something green, is also used colloquially to mean something fake or counterfeit | |||
| Hmong | ntsuab | ||
| "Ntsuab" can refer to the color green, the Hmong language, or the Hmong people. | |||
| Kurdish | kesk | ||
| The word "Kesk" also means "unripe" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | yeşil | ||
| The word "yeşil" also means "lush" and is related to the word "yeşilmek" meaning "to become green or verdant". | |||
| Xhosa | luhlaza | ||
| "Luhlu" (grass) refers to the green vegetation cover and is also associated with the color green. | |||
| Yiddish | גרין | ||
| Yiddish "גרין" can refer to money, youth, or fresh food. | |||
| Zulu | luhlaza okotshani | ||
| In isiZulu, "luhlaza" also means "immature" or "unripe" when used to describe fruit. | |||
| Assamese | সেউজীয়া | ||
| Aymara | ch'uxña | ||
| Bhojpuri | हरियर | ||
| Dhivehi | ފެހި | ||
| Dogri | सैल्ला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | berde | ||
| Guarani | hovyũ | ||
| Ilocano | berde | ||
| Krio | grin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەوز | ||
| Maithili | हरियर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯁꯪꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hring | ||
| Oromo | magariisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସବୁଜ | ||
| Quechua | qumir | ||
| Sanskrit | हरित | ||
| Tatar | яшел | ||
| Tigrinya | ቆፅለዋይ | ||
| Tsonga | rihlaza | ||