Head in Different Languages
Discover 'Head' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Head
Head in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kop | ||
| The word "kop" in Afrikaans can also refer to a hill or a cup. | |||
| Amharic | ጭንቅላት | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ጭንቅላት" can also mean "skull" or "brain". | |||
| Hausa | kai | ||
| The term "kai" in Hausa also refers to a prominent or important person, a leader or elder. | |||
| Igbo | isi | ||
| "Isi" also means "beginning" or "origin" in Igbo, as in "isi ubochi" (the beginning of the day). | |||
| Malagasy | lohany | ||
| The word "lohany" can also mean "knowledge" or "wisdom" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mutu | ||
| Mutu can also refer to the top, summit, or end of something in Nyanja | |||
| Shona | musoro | ||
| The Shona word 'musoro' can also mean 'a top of a hill' or 'a person who is a leader'. | |||
| Somali | madaxa | ||
| The Somali word "madaxa" is also used to refer to the "boss" or "leader" of a group | |||
| Sesotho | hlooho | ||
| The word "hlooho" is related to the Proto-Bantu word "*tu-ntu", also meaning "head". | |||
| Swahili | kichwa | ||
| The noun 'kichwa' can also refer to a leader or chief. | |||
| Xhosa | intloko | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "intloko" (head) can also refer to a person of high rank or authority. | |||
| Yoruba | ori | ||
| "Ori" also means "destiny" in Yoruba, hinting at the head's symbolic importance as the seat of one's fate. | |||
| Zulu | ikhanda | ||
| "Ikhanda" can also mean "thought" or "idea" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | kunkolo | ||
| Ewe | ta | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umutwe | ||
| Lingala | moto | ||
| Luganda | omutwe | ||
| Sepedi | hlogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tire | ||
Head in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رئيس | ||
| The word "رئيس" can also refer to a leader, chief, or president. | |||
| Hebrew | רֹאשׁ | ||
| The Hebrew word "רֹאשׁ" also refers to a "chieftain" or a "beginning." | |||
| Pashto | سر | ||
| The Pashto word "سر" can also refer to a chapter or section of a book. | |||
| Arabic | رئيس | ||
| The word "رئيس" can also refer to a leader, chief, or president. | |||
Head in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kokë | ||
| The word "kokë" is derived from Proto-Albanian *koko, related to Ancient Greek "κώκαλον" (skull, bean). | |||
| Basque | burua | ||
| The Basque word "buru" ("head") is also used figuratively to refer to a person's intelligence or understanding. | |||
| Catalan | cap | ||
| In Catalan, "cap" can also refer to a headland or promontory, derived from the Latin "caput" meaning "head". | |||
| Croatian | glava | ||
| In Serbian, 'glava' also means 'life' or 'soul', and in its old form 'glava' meant 'person' | |||
| Danish | hoved | ||
| In Danish, **hoved** is also used to mean 'main' or 'primary', as in 'hovedperson' (main person). | |||
| Dutch | hoofd | ||
| The Dutch word "hoofd" not only means "head", but also "main" or "chief". | |||
| English | head | ||
| The word 'head' can also refer to the leader of an organization or group, or to the main point or topic of a discussion. | |||
| French | tête | ||
| The word "tête" in French also means "chapter" or "heading" in a book or document. | |||
| Frisian | holle | ||
| "Holle" is also used to denote a cave, hole, or recess; the round part of a loaf of bread; a wooden clog; or a wooden board on the bottom of a cart. | |||
| Galician | cabeza | ||
| In Galician, "cabeza" can also mean "cattle" or "livestock, " likely deriving from its role as the head of the herd. | |||
| German | kopf | ||
| 'Kopf' derives from the Old High German 'kopf' meaning 'cup', 'vessel', 'calyx', 'head'. | |||
| Icelandic | höfuð | ||
| Its genitive form, höfðs, denotes a mountain pass or cape in Icelandic geography. | |||
| Irish | ceann | ||
| Ceann also means "top" or "end" and is cognate with "brain" and "skull." | |||
| Italian | testa | ||
| "Testa" has multiple meanings in Italian, depending on the context. In addition to its primary meaning of "head," it can also refer to a clay pot, a shield, a skull, or a stubborn person. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kapp | ||
| The word "Kapp" in Luxembourgish also means "top" or "cap". | |||
| Maltese | ras | ||
| The Maltese word "ras" can also mean "promontory" or "cape", derived from the Arabic word "raʾs" with the same meaning. | |||
| Norwegian | hode | ||
| The word “hode” meaning “head” in Norwegian is derived from the root word “hǫfuð”, meaning “head” in Old Norse. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cabeça | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese, "cabeça" can also mean "leader" or "the most important person in a group." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceann | ||
| The word "Ceann" in Scots Gaelic shares its origin with the "Caput" in Latin, meaning both "head" and "chapter". | |||
| Spanish | cabeza | ||
| Cabeza can also refer to a leader or chief, as in 'el cabeza de la familia' (the head of the family). | |||
| Swedish | huvud | ||
| Huvud is also related to the German word "Haupt", which means "head", and the English word "hood". | |||
| Welsh | pen | ||
| Historically, 'pen' also meant 'end' or 'top' and was used in these senses in Welsh poetry and the Mabinogion. | |||
Head in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | галава | ||
| "Галава" (head) derives from Proto-Slavic *golv-a and shares a root with "голова" (head) in Russian. | |||
| Bosnian | glava | ||
| "Glaveš" (pl. glave) is the name for the traditional leather shoes worn by the peasants of central and eastern Bosnia during the 19th century. | |||
| Bulgarian | глава | ||
| In Bulgarian, "глава" can also mean "chapter" or "issue of a periodical". | |||
| Czech | hlava | ||
| The word "hlava" is related to the Slavic word "glava" which means "primary" or "important" and is also found in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Estonian | pea | ||
| The Estonian word "pea" can also refer to the head of a vegetable, such as a cabbage. | |||
| Finnish | pää | ||
| "Pää" is also an antiquated Finnish name for an unmarried woman or an orphan | |||
| Hungarian | fej | ||
| The word "fej" in Hungarian can also refer to the top of a mountain or a hill, or the head of a nail. | |||
| Latvian | galva | ||
| In some dialects, it also means "skull" or "hair". | |||
| Lithuanian | galva | ||
| In medical language, “galva” can also refer to the skull cap covering the brain instead of the whole head | |||
| Macedonian | главата | ||
| Главата - In Macedonian, "главата" has additional meanings: top of a plant, hilltop, summit | |||
| Polish | głowa | ||
| The word "głowa" can also refer to the first page of a book or other document, as well as to the person in charge of a group or organization. | |||
| Romanian | cap | ||
| The Romanian word "capac" means "hat" and finds its roots in the Proto-Slavic word *kopytъ, meaning something round or curved. | |||
| Russian | голова | ||
| The Russian word "голова" can also refer to a chief or leader. | |||
| Serbian | глава | ||
| The word 'глава' can also refer to a 'chapter' in a book or a 'leader' of an organization. | |||
| Slovak | hlava | ||
| The word 'hlava' also means 'chapter' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | glavo | ||
| The word "glavo" in Slovenian can also mean "chapter" or "garlic bulb". | |||
| Ukrainian | керівник | ||
| The word "керівник" is a Ukrainian word derived from the Old East Slavic word "корм" meaning "ship", "vessel", or "fleet", so the term literally meant "a leader of the ship". Thus, the modern meaning of the word "керівник" is derived from the historical fact that the first leaders of the Ukrainian state were the Vikings, who came from Scandinavia across the seas. | |||
Head in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মাথা | ||
| The Bengali word "মাথা" (head) can also refer to a person's intelligence or mental capacity. | |||
| Gujarati | વડા | ||
| The Gujarati word "વડા" "head" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वदन" "face" | |||
| Hindi | सिर | ||
| "सिर" is also used to refer to the upper part of anything, like the head of a nail or the top of a mountain. | |||
| Kannada | ತಲೆ | ||
| In Sanskrit, ತಲೆ originates from 'tala', meaning 'the base or sole'. In Marathi, the word is pronounced 'tale' and refers to the lower part or end of something, suggesting that the initial meaning of 'tala' may have been 'bottom' or 'base'. | |||
| Malayalam | തല | ||
| The etymology of 'തല' in Malayalam is uncertain, but it may be related to the Tamil word 'தலை' and the Telugu word 'తల', both meaning 'head'. | |||
| Marathi | डोके | ||
| In old Marathi, 'डोके' meant 'skull' or 'crown of the head'. | |||
| Nepali | टाउको | ||
| The word "टाउको" also refers to the "top" or "beginning" of something, as in the phrase "टाउको उठाउनु" (to raise one's head). | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਰ | ||
| In Punjabi, "sir" also refers to a senior or a respectable person, derived from Sanskrit's "shira" meaning "skull" and "chief".} | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හිස | ||
| Sinhala 'හිස' (head) is also a poetic term for 'mind'. | |||
| Tamil | தலை | ||
| தலை (head) also means 'chief' as in 'the head of the state'. | |||
| Telugu | తల | ||
| The word "తల" also means "intelligence" or "cleverness" in the context of a person's character. | |||
| Urdu | سر | ||
| The word "سر" has several other meanings in Urdu, including "secret", "matter", and "chapter". | |||
Head in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 头 | ||
| 头 can also mean 'boss' because in feudal society bosses often wore the highest and largest hats. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 頭 | ||
| 頭 in Traditional Chinese can also refer to the beginning, the first, or the chief of something. | |||
| Japanese | 頭 | ||
| In Japanese, "頭" (head) is also used to mean chief or boss. | |||
| Korean | 머리 | ||
| 머리 has alternative meanings of “hair” and “topic”. | |||
| Mongolian | толгой | ||
| Tolгой (Толгой) translates to 'vertex' and refers to the pointed shape of the head, the crown of the head, and the top of the head. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဦး ခေါင်း | ||
| The word for head, ဦး (oʊ) has another alternate meaning, which means an honorific term used for a man. | |||
Head in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kepala | ||
| The Indonesian word "kepala" is derived from Sanskrit "kapala", meaning "skull" or "bowl". | |||
| Javanese | sirah | ||
| The word 'sirah' in Javanese also refers to the tip of a tree branch or a piece of clothing wrapped around the head. | |||
| Khmer | ក្បាល | ||
| In ancient Khmer, the word “ក្បាល” also referred to the first of a series or the most important part. | |||
| Lao | ຫົວ | ||
| "ຫົວ" also means chief, leader, owner, or head of a group. | |||
| Malay | kepala | ||
| The word "kepala" can also mean "boss" or "leader" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ศีรษะ | ||
| In Sanskrit, "shirsh" means "top" or "crown," implying the head's position at the top of the body. | |||
| Vietnamese | cái đầu | ||
| "Đầu (cái đầu)", besides its main meaning 'head', also mean 'the beginning of sth' or 'the main part, the most important part of...'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulo | ||
Head in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | baş | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "baş" has alternate meanings such as "beginning" and "the most important part of something." | |||
| Kazakh | бас | ||
| The word "бас" also means "chief" or "head" in the sense of a leader. | |||
| Kyrgyz | баш | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "баш" (head) also denotes a "chief" or a "leader". | |||
| Tajik | сар | ||
| In Tajik, "сар" (head) also refers to a unit of measurement equal to 16 kilograms. | |||
| Turkmen | kellesi | ||
| Uzbek | bosh | ||
| The word "bosh" also means "empty" or "vain". | |||
| Uyghur | head | ||
Head in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | poʻo | ||
| The word 'poʻo' also means "chieftain" and "leader" and is a term of respect when addressing someone in a position of authority, such as a teacher or parent. | |||
| Maori | upoko | ||
| The Māori word "upoko" also means "a person's power, authority, or mana, especially the right to speak on behalf of a group," and is closely associated with the concept of tapu. | |||
| Samoan | ulu | ||
| The Samoan word "ulu" also means "coconut".} | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ulo | ||
| In Tagalog, "ulo" may also refer to a tree stump or a mountain peak, highlighting its semantic extension beyond the physical head. | |||
Head in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | p'iqi | ||
| Guarani | akã | ||
Head in International Languages
| Esperanto | kapo | ||
| The Esperanto word "kapo" has alternate meanings including "chief" and "captain". | |||
| Latin | caput | ||
| Caput in Latin also meant "life" or "essence," and thus was used to refer to the source of a river, the beginning of a book, or the capital city of a province. | |||
Head in Others Languages
| Greek | κεφάλι | ||
| The word also means 'headstrong' or 'obstinate' in Modern Greek, while in Ancient Greek it also meant 'source' or 'chapter' | |||
| Hmong | taub hau | ||
| The word "taub hau" can also mean "mind" or "intellect" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | ser | ||
| The word "ser" in Kurdish can also refer to the leader of a group or the top of a tree. | |||
| Turkish | baş | ||
| The word 'baş' also means 'beginning, top, and chief' in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | intloko | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "intloko" (head) can also refer to a person of high rank or authority. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָפּ | ||
| Yiddish "קאָפּ" is related to the German "Kopf" and derives from the Indo-European root "*kap-ut-" meaning "head". | |||
| Zulu | ikhanda | ||
| "Ikhanda" can also mean "thought" or "idea" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | মূৰ | ||
| Aymara | p'iqi | ||
| Bhojpuri | कपार | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޯ | ||
| Dogri | सिर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulo | ||
| Guarani | akã | ||
| Ilocano | ulo | ||
| Krio | ed | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەر | ||
| Maithili | माथ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯀꯣꯛ | ||
| Mizo | lu | ||
| Oromo | mataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମୁଣ୍ଡ | ||
| Quechua | uma | ||
| Sanskrit | शिरः | ||
| Tatar | баш | ||
| Tigrinya | ርእሲ | ||
| Tsonga | nhloko | ||