Guy in Different Languages
Discover 'Guy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'guy' is a common term used to refer to a man or a boy in English-speaking cultures. But did you know that the term has fascinating historical contexts and cultural significance? Originally, 'guy' was a pejorative term used to describe an unattractive or clumsy man, derived from the name of Guy Fawkes, a notorious 17th-century English Catholic rebel. However, over time, the term has evolved to become a more general and friendly term for men.
Moreover, the word 'guy' has been adopted and adapted in various languages and cultures around the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'guy' translates to 'chico,' while in French, it is 'mec.' In German, 'guy' is 'Typ,' and in Japanese, it is 'otoko no ko.' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also cultural differences in how men are perceived and addressed.
Understanding the translations of 'guy' in different languages can help break down cultural barriers and foster global connections. So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a traveler, or someone looking to expand your cultural knowledge, exploring the various translations of 'guy' is a great place to start.
Guy
Guy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ou | ||
| The word "ou" in Afrikaans also means "old man" or "father" and is used as a term of respect or endearment. | |||
| Amharic | ወንድ | ||
| The word "ወንድ" can also refer to a male person or a husband in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | saurayi | ||
| The word "saurayi" can also refer to a young man or a male friend. | |||
| Igbo | ihọd | ||
| The Igbo word "Ihọd" is etymologically related to "ahọ" meaning "mouth" and "di" meaning "to eat," suggesting a historical association between "guys" and "food providers." | |||
| Malagasy | lehilahy | ||
| The word "lehilahy" comes from the Malay "laki-laki," meaning "male" or "man." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mnyamata | ||
| The word 'mnyamata' also means "boy". | |||
| Shona | mukomana | ||
| The word “mukomana” has the same root as the word “mukombe” meaning a pot or calabash indicating that in the past a “mukomana” was someone who carried around a container for carrying water. | |||
| Somali | nin | ||
| The word "nin" in Somali can also refer to a young man or a slave. | |||
| Sesotho | moshemane | ||
| The origin of 'moshemane' is unknown, but one hypothesis suggests it derives from the Sesotho word 'shema' ('listen'), implying one who is receptive and respectful when addressed. | |||
| Swahili | kijana | ||
| Etymology: from Arabic "kayyis" "cunning", related to Arabic "kayyasa" "to act cunningly". | |||
| Xhosa | mfo | ||
| Mfana ('guy') is also used to refer to a young man or a son, and is the diminutive form of 'indoda' ('man'). | |||
| Yoruba | eniyan | ||
| "Eniyan" (person) in Yoruba also means "one who possesses strength" or "the powerful one". | |||
| Zulu | umfana | ||
| The Zulu word "umfana" has its origin in the Proto-Bantu term "*mfana" which also means "child". | |||
| Bambara | cɛ | ||
| Ewe | ɖekakpui | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umusore | ||
| Lingala | mwana-mobali | ||
| Luganda | omusajja | ||
| Sepedi | mothaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | barima | ||
Guy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شاب | ||
| شاب (shaab) means 'young man' but also 'a people' or 'nation' in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | בָּחוּר | ||
| בָּחוּר shares a root with בָּחַן, meaning to test, suggesting a young man is one who is being tested for worthiness. | |||
| Pashto | هلک | ||
| The Pashto word "هلک" derives from an Iranian language, where it meant "child", and it is still used in that sense in other Iranian languages like Baluchi, Tajiki, and Ossetic. | |||
| Arabic | شاب | ||
| شاب (shaab) means 'young man' but also 'a people' or 'nation' in Arabic. | |||
Guy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | djalë | ||
| The Albanian word "djalë" is cognate with Latin "iuvenis," meaning "young," and can also refer to a "lad," or "youth." | |||
| Basque | tipo | ||
| "Tipo" can also mean "type" or "kind" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | paio | ||
| The word "paio" originally referred to farmhands and later to young men in general, but it can also mean "pair" or "couple". | |||
| Croatian | momak | ||
| Momak is a term for a young man, or a sweetheart, and derives from the Serbo-Croatian verb, "moći," meaning "can" or "be able to." | |||
| Danish | fyr | ||
| The Danish word "fyr" is derived from the Old Norse word "fegr," meaning "beautiful". In Danish, "fyr" can also mean "lighthouse." | |||
| Dutch | kerel | ||
| The word “kerel” is of the same root as the English “karl” and German “Kerl,” which originally referred to a “free man,” then later a “peasant,” and finally a “fellow” or “guy.” | |||
| English | guy | ||
| The word "guy" originally meant "effigy" or "scarecrow". | |||
| French | gars | ||
| In French, "gars" has also been used colloquially to refer to a boy or young man, or even a male servant. | |||
| Frisian | keardel | ||
| The Frisian word "keardel" can also mean "fellow" or "friend". | |||
| Galician | cara | ||
| In Galician, "cara" can also refer to a friend or confidant, as in "unha cara amiga" meaning "a friendly face."} | |||
| German | kerl | ||
| The word "Kerl" is derived from the Middle High German word "kerle," meaning "man" or "fellow," and is also related to the Old English word "ceorl," meaning "freeman" or "peasant." | |||
| Icelandic | gaur | ||
| The word "gaur" in Icelandic can also refer to a hole in the ground or a type of bird, specifically a puffin. | |||
| Irish | guy | ||
| "Guy" is an Irish surname of Norman origin. It is derived from the Old French personal name Guy, which was in turn derived from the Germanic name Wido. | |||
| Italian | tipo | ||
| The Italian word "tipo" can also mean "type" or "kind". | |||
| Luxembourgish | typ | ||
| Typ can also mean 'type' or 'error' depending on context | |||
| Maltese | raġel | ||
| The word "raġel" derives from the Arabic word "raǧul" meaning "man", and is also used in a generic sense to refer to a person of any gender. | |||
| Norwegian | fyr | ||
| "Fyr" also means "lighthouse" in Norwegian and comes from the Old Norse word "fyr" meaning "fire." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cara | ||
| In Brazil, "cara" derives from Tupi-Guarani and means "white person," while in Portugal it evolved from Latin "cara" meaning "face". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ghille | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "ghille" can also refer to a "lad" or a "servant". | |||
| Spanish | chico | ||
| The word "chico" in Spanish can mean "small" or "young" in addition to meaning "guy". | |||
| Swedish | kille | ||
| "Kille" also means "kid" in Norwegian and "child" in Icelandic. | |||
| Welsh | boi | ||
| The word 'boi' in Welsh is also a term of endearment, similar to 'lad' or 'chap' in English. | |||
Guy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | хлопец | ||
| The word 'хлопец' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'chľopьcь', which originally meant 'boy, young servant', and has since acquired the additional meaning of 'guy'. | |||
| Bosnian | momak | ||
| Momak, meaning 'guy' in Bosnian, also has the archaic meaning of 'young warrior', and is used in various phrases and idioms. | |||
| Bulgarian | човек | ||
| Човек in Bulgarian can also mean “people” or “person”. | |||
| Czech | chlap | ||
| The term chlap can also refer to a peasant or farmer. | |||
| Estonian | kutt | ||
| The word "kutt" can also mean "cut" in Estonian, which is likely a cognate of the English word "cut". | |||
| Finnish | kaveri | ||
| The word "kaveri" is likely derived from the Karelian word "kaverin", meaning "friend." | |||
| Hungarian | fickó | ||
| Despite its informal use as a synonym for "boy" or "lad", the word "fickó" originally signified a type of tree stump used as a makeshift chair. | |||
| Latvian | puisis | ||
| The term “puisis” can alternatively refer to trees. | |||
| Lithuanian | vaikinas | ||
| The word "vaikinas" is derived from the Lithuanian word "vaikas", meaning "child" or "boy". | |||
| Macedonian | момче | ||
| The Macedonian word 'момче' can also refer to a boy or a lad. | |||
| Polish | chłopak | ||
| The word 'chłopak' may also refer to a male child or a rural youth. | |||
| Romanian | tip | ||
| Tip has the additional Romanian meaning of "character". | |||
| Russian | парень | ||
| The word "парень" also means "steam" in Russian, referring to the steam created by a samovar (a traditional Russian tea urn). | |||
| Serbian | момак | ||
| The Serbian word "момак" can also refer to an unmarried man or a boy. | |||
| Slovak | chlap | ||
| The Slovak word "chlap" originated from the Proto-Slavic "*xlapъ", which also meant "slave". | |||
| Slovenian | fant | ||
| The word "fant" derives from the German "Fant" meaning "dandy" or "fop" and is used colloquially to refer to a young man perceived as fashionable or stylish. | |||
| Ukrainian | хлопець | ||
| The Ukrainian word "хлопець" (guy) originally referred to an unmarried young man or servant and is related to the Russian word "холоп" (serf). | |||
Guy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লোক | ||
| The word "লোক" (lok) in Bengali can also mean "people" or "group of people". | |||
| Gujarati | વ્યક્તિ | ||
| In the context of human anatomy, the Gujarati word વ્યક્તિ can also refer to "the body". | |||
| Hindi | पुरुष | ||
| The word "पुरुष" in Hindi also means "member of a caste or community" and "male human being". | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "व्यक्ति" meaning 'body', 'person' and also 'individual'. | |||
| Malayalam | guy | ||
| In Malayalam, "guy" (ഗയ) also refers to a sacred pilgrimage site and a festival associated with it. | |||
| Marathi | माणूस | ||
| "माणूस" is derived from the Sanskrit word "mānuṣa", meaning "human being" or "man". | |||
| Nepali | केटा | ||
| The word "केटा" (guy) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "कितव" (gambler), and is also used to refer to a gambler or a cheat. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੁੰਡਾ | ||
| "ਮੁੰਡਾ" can also refer to a child, a boy, a servant, or a pupil in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිනිහා | ||
| In Sinhala, “මිනිහා” also means a male human as a member of the species Homo sapiens. | |||
| Tamil | பையன் | ||
| "பையன்" means both "man" and "child" in Tamil and is also sometimes used to refer to "someone's husband." | |||
| Telugu | వ్యక్తి | ||
| Urdu | لڑکے | ||
| The word "لڑکے" (laṛke) is derived from the Persian word "لڑکا" (laṛkā), which originally meant "boy" but has since come to be used more generally to mean "a person", "a fellow", or "a dude". | |||
Guy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 家伙 | ||
| 在中国，「家伙」一词也有「物件」、「物品」的意思，与英语中的「thing」或「item」类似。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 傢伙 | ||
| "傢伙"在古代指兵器，到了近代才引申為人的意思。 | |||
| Japanese | 男 | ||
| 男 (nan) also means 'male' in Japanese. Originally pronounced as *wo* in Old Japanese *oto*. | |||
| Korean | 사람 | ||
| 사람 (saram) literally means "person" in Korean, but can also refer to a "guy" or "fellow" in a more informal context. | |||
| Mongolian | залуу | ||
| The word "залуу" can also mean "young" or "youth". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကောင်လေး | ||
Guy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | orang | ||
| The word "orang" also means "human" or "person" in the Indonesian language. | |||
| Javanese | wong lanang | ||
| The term 'wong lanang' can also refer to a male deity or a male ancestral spirit in Javanese mythology. | |||
| Khmer | បុរស | ||
| បុរស (poros) derives from Sanskrit पुरुष (puruṣa) meaning "man," "person," or "soul." | |||
| Lao | guy | ||
| In Lao, the word "Guy" can also refer to a type of traditional handwoven fabric known as "sinh". | |||
| Malay | lelaki | ||
| The Malay word “lelaki” is closely related to the Acehnese word “laké,” which carries a similar connotation and is used to denote men or human males. | |||
| Thai | ผู้ชาย | ||
| In Thai, the word "ผู้ชาย" also means "male" and is derived from Sanskrit "puruṣa" meaning "person" or "man". | |||
| Vietnamese | chàng | ||
| The word "chàng" can also mean "husband" or "lover" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lalaki | ||
Guy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | oğlan | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | жігіт | ||
| The Kazakh word "жігіт", meaning "guy", also signifies courage and a strong physique. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жигит | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жигит" also has an alternate meaning in Kyrgyz, referring to a "warrior" or "hero". | |||
| Tajik | бача | ||
| The word "бача" in Tajik can also mean "young boy" or "servant". | |||
| Turkmen | ýigit | ||
| Uzbek | yigit | ||
| The word 'yigit' can also refer to a young hero or warrior in Uzbek culture. | |||
| Uyghur | يىگىت | ||
Guy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kāne | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kāne" can also refer to a husband or a priest. | |||
| Maori | taane | ||
| The word "taane" can also refer to a male deity or a husband and father in Maori mythology. | |||
| Samoan | aliʻi | ||
| The Samoan word "ali" also has the meanings "king", "noble", "person of high rank", "ruler" and "chief" | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lalaki | ||
| "Lalaki" is a Tagalog word that originally meant "male person," but now it is commonly used to refer to any male, regardless of age. | |||
Guy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | may maya | ||
| Guarani | tekove | ||
Guy in International Languages
| Esperanto | ulo | ||
| The word "ulo" in Esperanto also means "an animal that lives in a burrow" and comes from the Polish word "ul" with the same meaning. | |||
| Latin | guido | ||
| In Latin, the word "Guido" derives from the Germanic name "Wido," which means "wide wood" or "forest guardian." | |||
Guy in Others Languages
| Greek | ο τύπος | ||
| In Greek, the word "ο τύπος" can refer to a person, such as "the guy next door" or "the guy in the store", but it can also refer to a type or category of things | |||
| Hmong | yawg | ||
| Yawg can also mean "boyfriend" or "husband". | |||
| Kurdish | xort | ||
| The word "xort" in Kurdish can also refer to a "young man" or a "son". | |||
| Turkish | insan | ||
| From the Arabic verb 'uns' (to soften) due to the gentle personality attributed to some guys. | |||
| Xhosa | mfo | ||
| Mfana ('guy') is also used to refer to a young man or a son, and is the diminutive form of 'indoda' ('man'). | |||
| Yiddish | באָכער | ||
| The Yiddish word "באָכער" (bakher) may derive from the Middle High German "bachen" and Old High German "bahho" meaning "small stream" or "brook" and also "a young man who does housework". | |||
| Zulu | umfana | ||
| The Zulu word "umfana" has its origin in the Proto-Bantu term "*mfana" which also means "child". | |||
| Assamese | যুৱক | ||
| Aymara | may maya | ||
| Bhojpuri | लोग | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިރިހެނެއް | ||
| Dogri | दोस्त | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lalaki | ||
| Guarani | tekove | ||
| Ilocano | lalaki | ||
| Krio | man | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوڕێ | ||
| Maithili | व्यक्ति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯟꯨꯄꯥ | ||
| Mizo | mipa | ||
| Oromo | nama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲୋକ | ||
| Quechua | wayna | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यक्ति | ||
| Tatar | егет | ||
| Tigrinya | ወዲ | ||
| Tsonga | wanuna | ||