Hair in Different Languages
Discover 'Hair' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Hair is a significant part of our identity and culture. It can express our personality, style, and even our beliefs. From flowing locks to close-cropped cuts, the way we style our hair can communicate a wealth of information about ourselves. But did you know that the word for hair can vary greatly across different languages, reflecting unique cultural attitudes and traditions?
For example, in Spanish, hair is cabello, while in French it's cheveux. In Mandarin Chinese, hair is translated as 发 (fā), and in Japanese, it's 髪 (kami). These translations not only help us communicate in different languages, but they also offer a glimpse into the cultural significance of hair in different parts of the world.
So why might someone want to know the translation of hair in different languages? Whether you're traveling, studying a new language, or simply interested in language and culture, understanding these translations can enrich your understanding of the world and its diverse peoples.
Below, you'll find a list of translations of the word hair in 20 different languages. Explore, learn, and enjoy!
Hair
Hair in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hare | ||
| The Afrikaans word "hare" (pronounced "hah-ruh") does not only mean "hair", but can also refer to a rabbit or hare. | |||
| Amharic | ፀጉር | ||
| The word "ፀጉር" (hair) is derived from the Semitic root *śʿr, meaning "to grow". | |||
| Hausa | gashi | ||
| The Hausa word "gashi" can also refer to "fur" or "wool" depending on the context. | |||
| Igbo | ntutu | ||
| "Ntutu" in Igbo derives from the root word "ntù" meaning "to grow out". | |||
| Malagasy | dia singam-bolo | ||
| "Dia singam-bolo" in Malagasy derives from the verb "singa" (to tear); "bolo" (feathers) was later substituted for "bolo" (to be round), the original word. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsitsi | ||
| In Nyanja, "tsitsi" can also refer to a woman's hairstyle | |||
| Shona | bvudzi | ||
| In some African cultures, "bvudzi" is also used to refer to fur, wool, feathers, or other body coverings on animals or birds. | |||
| Somali | timaha | ||
| "Timaha" can also be used to figuratively refer to one's lineage, ancestry or family history. | |||
| Sesotho | moriri | ||
| It can be used for grass or vegetation that covers the land | |||
| Swahili | nywele | ||
| The word "nywele" in Swahili also refers to the hair of animals, fibres, or plant filaments. | |||
| Xhosa | iinwele | ||
| 'Iinwele' can also refer to the mane of a horse or a lion and feathers on a bird. | |||
| Yoruba | irun | ||
| Irun is also the Yoruba word for 'thought' | |||
| Zulu | izinwele | ||
| Zulu word izinwele meaning 'hair' is related to isiZulu word isinwele meaning hair of an animal such as a cow or a goat. | |||
| Bambara | kunsigi | ||
| Ewe | ɖa | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umusatsi | ||
| Lingala | nsuki | ||
| Luganda | enviiri | ||
| Sepedi | moriri | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nwi | ||
Hair in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شعر | ||
| The word "شعر" in Arabic also means "poetry" or "verse". | |||
| Hebrew | שיער | ||
| In the Talmud, "שיער" also referred to wool as a "covering over the skin". | |||
| Pashto | ويښتان | ||
| The word "ويښتان" in Pashto, in addition to its primary meaning of "hair," can also refer to fur, wool, or other similar fibrous materials covering the bodies of animals and plants. | |||
| Arabic | شعر | ||
| The word "شعر" in Arabic also means "poetry" or "verse". | |||
Hair in Western European Languages
| Albanian | flokët | ||
| Flokët comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *wl̥kʷ- meaning 'to tear, pull', also found in fletë 'bark' and flok 'wool' | |||
| Basque | ilea | ||
| "Ilea" also means "thread, rope" in the sense of something slender, flexible, and capable of binding. | |||
| Catalan | cabell | ||
| In some cases, cabell can refer to a single strand of hair, while in others it refers to the entire head of hair. | |||
| Croatian | dlaka | ||
| "Dlaka" also means "sliver" in Croatian, which is a thin metal strip used for decorative purposes. | |||
| Danish | hår | ||
| In Old Norse, the word "hår" also referred to the fur or feathers of animals and birds. | |||
| Dutch | haar- | ||
| The word "haar" in Dutch is also used to refer to a fine misty rain. | |||
| English | hair | ||
| The Old English word 'hær' meant both 'hair' and 'garment made of hair', and 'herr' was the name given to coarse undyed wool. | |||
| French | cheveux | ||
| "Cheveux" comes from Latin *capillus* (hair on head) or *capillata*(hairy). | |||
| Frisian | hier | ||
| Hier can also mean 'hay' or 'flax' in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | pelo | ||
| The word "pelo" can also refer to "fur" or "plumage" in Galician. | |||
| German | haar | ||
| In some cases, "Haar" can refer to a "group" of things or a "collection" of animals. | |||
| Icelandic | hár | ||
| In some old texts, "hár" can refer to any part of a horse's mane or tail, especially if it is long and flowing. | |||
| Irish | gruaig | ||
| The word "gruaig" has roots in the Proto-Celtic word for "tree" and is likely related to the Sanskrit word "jangha" meaning "foreleg". | |||
| Italian | capelli | ||
| In Italian, "capelli" not only refers to hair on the head, but also to the bristles of a brush or broom. | |||
| Luxembourgish | hoer | ||
| Etymology unknown, but possibly connected to the Middle Frankish loanword "hāra" (meaning "grey") and the Old High German word "hār" (meaning "grey hair"). | |||
| Maltese | xagħar | ||
| The word "xagħar" derives from the Arabic word "sha'r," and it can also refer to wool or fur in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | hår | ||
| The word "hår" is cognate with the English word "hair" and the German word "Haar", all derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰers-. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cabelo | ||
| The word "cabelo" originates from the Latin word "capillus" and can also refer to bristles, feathers, or horsehair. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | falt | ||
| “Falt” is also used as shorthand for “wig” and “head of hair”. | |||
| Spanish | pelo | ||
| Besides "hair", in Spanish "pelo" also refers to a nap on fabrics, the fuzz on plants, or anything hairy. | |||
| Swedish | hår | ||
| Hår, in Old Norse "hár", meaning "grey, old", also referred to flax fibers or horsehair used for sewing or rope-making. | |||
| Welsh | gwallt | ||
| Welsh "gwallt" is cognate with Irish "folt" (hair) and possibly with Latin "vellus" (fleece). | |||
Hair in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | валасы | ||
| The word "валасы" in Belarusian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *vlasъ, meaning "wool" or "hair." | |||
| Bosnian | kosa | ||
| Kosa can also mean 'braid' | |||
| Bulgarian | коса | ||
| The word "коса" also means "braid" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | vlasy | ||
| "Vlasy" comes from an Old Slavic word that originally meant "wool", and is related to words like "volna" (wool) in Russian, "wełna" (wool) in Polish, and "wolle" (wool) in German. | |||
| Estonian | juuksed | ||
| The word "juuksed" is likely derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*jukka" meaning "feather" or "fur", indicating that hair was seen as a type of covering similar to feathers or fur. | |||
| Finnish | hiukset | ||
| The word "hiukset" is also used in Finnish to refer to the bristles on a brush or the fur on an animal. | |||
| Hungarian | haj | ||
| The word "haj" in Hungarian can also refer to a sprout, shoot, or bud on a plant. | |||
| Latvian | matiem | ||
| The word "matiem" can also refer to a type of fabric or a small piece of land. | |||
| Lithuanian | plaukai | ||
| In Lithuanian the word plaukai means "hair" however it also carries a secondary sense of "feathers" as in the case of the phrase "pauðððio plunksna ("peacock feather"). | |||
| Macedonian | коса | ||
| The word "коса" means "braid" in Russian, while in Bulgarian it refers to a "sickle". | |||
| Polish | włosy | ||
| The word "włosy" in Polish is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "vlasъ", meaning "hair" or "fur". | |||
| Romanian | păr | ||
| The Romanian word "păr" comes from the Latin word "pilus", meaning "hair", but it can also refer to a wig or a feather. | |||
| Russian | волосы | ||
| The word "волосы" originated from the Proto-Slavic word *vъlna, meaning "wool" or "sheepskin". | |||
| Serbian | коса | ||
| In Serbian, the word "коса" can also refer to a scythe or a geographical braid of land | |||
| Slovak | vlasy | ||
| "Vlasy" is derived from Proto-Slavic "*volsъ" "wool" but also meant "long horsehair" | |||
| Slovenian | lasje | ||
| The word 'las' can also refer to the string of a musical instrument or the fibers of certain plants. | |||
| Ukrainian | волосся | ||
| The word "волосся" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*volsa", meaning "wool" or "hair". It is cognate with the Russian word "волосы" ("hair") and the Polish word "włosy" ("hair"). | |||
Hair in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চুল | ||
| The Bengali word চুল also refers to the thread of a loom. | |||
| Gujarati | વાળ | ||
| The word "વાળ" also means "a turn, bend, or loop" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | बाल | ||
| In Hinduism, the term 'bal' also refers to the sacrifice of hair, symbolizing a renunciation of worldly attachments. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೂದಲು | ||
| ಕೂದಲು also means 'to be born', possibly due to the ancient association between hair and the beginning of life. | |||
| Malayalam | മുടി | ||
| The word 'മുടി' can also mean "the crown of a tree" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Marathi | केस | ||
| The word "केस" in Marathi can also refer to a "case" in a legal context or a "matter" or "issue" that needs to be addressed. | |||
| Nepali | कपाल | ||
| In Sanskrit, **कपाल** refers to a skull or forehead but not to hair, while in Nepali it means hair. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਾਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਵਾਲ" (hair) is derived from the Sanskrit word "वाला" (tail). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හිසකෙස් | ||
| The word "හිසකෙස්" is derived from the Sanskrit word "केशः" (keśaḥ), meaning "hair" or "a lock of hair". | |||
| Tamil | முடி | ||
| The word 'முடி' ('hair') in Tamil also means 'an end' or 'completion'. | |||
| Telugu | జుట్టు | ||
| In Telugu, the word 'జుట్టు' can also refer to 'locks of hair' or 'braids'. | |||
| Urdu | بال | ||
| The feminine Urdu word "بال" (hair) derived from Persian and Arabic meaning either "wing", "feather or "highest" | |||
Hair in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 头发 | ||
| 头发's first character, "发", can also mean "to grow." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 頭髮 | ||
| 頭髮 can also mean 'thread' (of cloth) or 'wire' (in electricity). | |||
| Japanese | ヘア | ||
| The word ヘア (he'a) can also refer to the fur of animals or the bristles of a brush. | |||
| Korean | 머리 | ||
| The word "머리" can also refer to the head of a person or animal | |||
| Mongolian | үс | ||
| "Үс" is a common Turkic word meaning "hair" or "wool", and is related to the Mongolian word "üs" meaning "sheep". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆံပင် | ||
| While the word 'ဆံပင်' (sampiN) primarily means 'hair' in Burmese, it can also refer to 'wool', 'fur', or 'thread-like structures'. | |||
Hair in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rambut | ||
| The word “rambut” in Indonesian originates from the Proto-Austronesian word * rambut which also means "leaves on the stem of palm". | |||
| Javanese | rambut | ||
| In Javanese, the word "rambut" can also refer to the fur or hair of animals and plants. | |||
| Khmer | សក់ | ||
| The word "សក់" can also refer to "mane" or "wool". | |||
| Lao | ຜົມ | ||
| The word ຜົມ also refers to eyebrows and eyelashes in colloquial Lao. | |||
| Malay | rambut | ||
| {"text": "The word "rambut" is cognate with "rambulu" in Sanskrit and means "forest, hair or foliage."} | |||
| Thai | ผม | ||
| "ผม" also means "l" or "I" in Thai, as it is a homophone that sounds like "phom". | |||
| Vietnamese | tóc | ||
| The word 'tóc' also refers to the threads in fabrics and the fibers in materials. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buhok | ||
Hair in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | saç | ||
| "Saç" also means "thin tree branch" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | шаш | ||
| "Шаш" in Kazakh, besides "hair," can also mean "a handful of cut grass used as fodder" or "a thin rope tied from horsehair." | |||
| Kyrgyz | чач | ||
| "Чач" can also refer to the root system of plants in the Kyrgyz language. | |||
| Tajik | мӯй | ||
| "Мӯй" can also refer to a thin thread or fiber. | |||
| Turkmen | saç | ||
| Uzbek | soch | ||
| This word also means “wool” or “nap” in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | چاچ | ||
Hair in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lauoho | ||
| Lāuoho literally means 'sun (or daylight) on the head' | |||
| Maori | makawe | ||
| The Māori word for "hair" "makawe" shares its root word "kawe" with the word for "carry". | |||
| Samoan | lauulu | ||
| The word 'lauulu' can also refer to the leaves of a tree or leaves used for thatching a roof. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | buhok | ||
| "Buhok" in Tagalog can also refer to the fibers of plants or the bristles of animals. | |||
Hair in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ñik'uta | ||
| Guarani | áva | ||
Hair in International Languages
| Esperanto | haroj | ||
| An old spelling of | |||
| Latin | capillum | ||
| Capillum, which means 'hair' in Latin, also shares a root word with capillary tubes used in electrophoresis. | |||
Hair in Others Languages
| Greek | μαλλιά | ||
| The Greek word “μαλλιά” also means “wool,” deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *welh₁n, meaning “to twist, turn”. | |||
| Hmong | plaub hau | ||
| The word "plaub hau" can also refer to the hair of animals or feathers of birds. | |||
| Kurdish | por | ||
| The word "por" can also refer to a type of grass or a kind of fabric. | |||
| Turkish | saç | ||
| "Saç" refers to both "hair" and "scatter" in Turkish and is thought to derive from the root word "saçmak," meaning "to scatter." | |||
| Xhosa | iinwele | ||
| 'Iinwele' can also refer to the mane of a horse or a lion and feathers on a bird. | |||
| Yiddish | האָר | ||
| The Yiddish word 'האָר' ('haar') likely derives from the Old High German word 'hār' ('hair'), which is cognate with the English word 'hair'. | |||
| Zulu | izinwele | ||
| Zulu word izinwele meaning 'hair' is related to isiZulu word isinwele meaning hair of an animal such as a cow or a goat. | |||
| Assamese | চুলি | ||
| Aymara | ñik'uta | ||
| Bhojpuri | बार | ||
| Dhivehi | އިސްތަށިގަނޑު | ||
| Dogri | बाल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buhok | ||
| Guarani | áva | ||
| Ilocano | buok | ||
| Krio | ia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قژ | ||
| Maithili | केस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯝ | ||
| Mizo | sam | ||
| Oromo | rifeensa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କେଶ | ||
| Quechua | chukcha | ||
| Sanskrit | केशः | ||
| Tatar | чәч | ||
| Tigrinya | ፀጉሪ | ||
| Tsonga | nsisi | ||