Heaven in Different Languages
Discover 'Heaven' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Heaven, a concept that has captivated the human imagination for centuries, is often associated with the ultimate destination of the soul after death. It represents a place of eternal happiness, peace, and unity with the divine. This idea is not confined to a single culture or religion, making 'heaven' a universal word with diverse interpretations.
Throughout history, the concept of heaven has been a significant source of inspiration for artists, writers, and philosophers. It has also played a crucial role in shaping cultural practices, moral values, and spiritual beliefs worldwide. Moreover, the word 'heaven' has been translated into various languages, reflecting the global impact of this concept.
For instance, in Spanish, 'heaven' is 'cielo,' while in French, it is 'ciel.' In Mandarin Chinese, it is '天国' (tiān guó), and in Japanese, it is '天国' (tengoku). These translations not only offer insight into how different cultures perceive the afterlife but also highlight the linguistic richness of our global community.
Delving into the translations of 'heaven' in different languages provides a fascinating journey into the realms of culture, language, and spirituality. Read on to explore more fascinating translations and insights!
Heaven
Heaven in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hemel | ||
| The word "hemel" in Afrikaans is derived from the Middle Dutch word "hemel," which originally meant "a cover, a roof" and in its current usage refers both to the celestial sphere and the dwelling place of God. | |||
| Amharic | ሰማይ | ||
| The Amharic word "ሰማይ" also denotes the sky, clouds, and atmosphere, showcasing a multidimensional concept. | |||
| Hausa | sama | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of 'heaven' in Hausa, 'sama' can also mean 'sky', 'air', or 'weather'. | |||
| Igbo | eluigwe | ||
| "Eluigwe" is derived from two Igbo words: "elu" (sky) and "igwe" (chief), together meaning "chief of the sky". | |||
| Malagasy | any an-danitra | ||
| The word 'any an-danitra' also means 'what is above' in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumwamba | ||
| The Nyanja word "kumwamba" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Bantu root "*mbwa" (sky, heavens). | |||
| Shona | kudenga | ||
| In some dialects, "kudenga" can mean "the place where God dwells" or "the realm of the spirits." | |||
| Somali | samada | ||
| The word "samada" likely derives from Arabic, meaning "sky" or "paradise". | |||
| Sesotho | lehodimo | ||
| The word "lehodimo" is also used to refer to the "sky" or the "firmament". | |||
| Swahili | mbinguni | ||
| "Mbinguni" in Swahili is derived from the Bantu root *-bung- meaning "high". It can also refer to the upper world or the sky. | |||
| Xhosa | izulu | ||
| "Izulu," which in Xhosa literally refers to "heavens," may in some cases also refer figuratively to God. | |||
| Yoruba | ọrun | ||
| Ọ̀run has meanings beyond the concept of heaven; it can also be an elevated spiritual place, the sky, or a higher realm | |||
| Zulu | izulu | ||
| Izulu means both 'heaven' and 'sky' in Zulu, reflecting the traditional Zulu belief in an upper world of the sky where ancestral spirits reside. | |||
| Bambara | sankolo | ||
| Ewe | dziƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ijuru | ||
| Lingala | lola | ||
| Luganda | eggulu | ||
| Sepedi | legodimong | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsoro aheneman mu | ||
Heaven in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الجنة | ||
| The Arabic word "الجنة" ("al-janna") is also used to refer to a type of garden or paradise on Earth. | |||
| Hebrew | גן העדן | ||
| The Hebrew word for "heaven", "גן העדן", also means "the garden of Eden". | |||
| Pashto | جنت | ||
| The word “جنت” comes from Avestan “xᵛanvant-” meaning “joy, comfort, paradise”. | |||
| Arabic | الجنة | ||
| The Arabic word "الجنة" ("al-janna") is also used to refer to a type of garden or paradise on Earth. | |||
Heaven in Western European Languages
| Albanian | parajsë | ||
| "Parajsë" comes from the Persian word "firdaws" and also means "garden" or "orchard" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | zerua | ||
| The Basque word "zerua" is cognate with the Proto-Basque word "*zeru" meaning "rain" or "sky" and with the Iberian word "*zeri" meaning "top" or "above". | |||
| Catalan | cel | ||
| The word "cel" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "caelum", meaning "sky" or "heaven", and has also been used to refer to the celestial sphere or the abode of the gods. | |||
| Croatian | nebesa | ||
| "Nebesa" also means "the ceiling" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | himmel | ||
| The Danish word 'himmel' is related to the English word 'helmet' as both derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱeH- "to cover, hide, veil". | |||
| Dutch | hemel | ||
| Hemel is the Dutch word for "heaven," but it can also refer to the sky, the firmament, or the celestial sphere. | |||
| English | heaven | ||
| In Old English, "heaven" was used to refer to both the Christian concept of heaven and the physical sky. | |||
| French | paradis | ||
| "Paradis" comes from the Persian word pairi-daêza, which means "enclosed garden". | |||
| Frisian | himel | ||
| In Frisian, there is a connection between the words “himel” (heaven) and “hûs” (house), which was also present in Old English, Old Saxon, and Old High German. | |||
| Galician | ceo | ||
| Galician “ceo” means “sky,” “upper space,” “firmament” and is related to Latin “caelum.” | |||
| German | himmel | ||
| The word 'Himmel' also refers to the sky, canopy, or firmament. | |||
| Icelandic | himnaríki | ||
| 'Himnaríki' derives from Old Norse 'himinríki', meaning both 'heaven' in a religious sense and 'sky', as it was believed that the sky was located in a heavenly realm. | |||
| Irish | neamh | ||
| The word 'neamh' ('heaven') in Irish is also used to refer to 'a place of peace or tranquility'. | |||
| Italian | paradiso | ||
| The name 'Paradiso' derives from old Persian word 'pairi daēza' meaning 'enclosure' or 'park'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | himmel | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Himmel" is cognate with the English word "home" and refers to the upper room of a house. | |||
| Maltese | ġenna | ||
| In Maltese, 'ġenna' is derived from the Arabic word 'janna', meaning garden, but in a religious context it refers to paradise, the abode of the blessed after death. | |||
| Norwegian | himmel | ||
| The word “himmel” in Norwegian derives from “himin” in Proto-Germanic and originally meant “veil”, referring to the visible firmament covering the world. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | céu | ||
| The word "céu" came from the Latin "caelum" (sky, weather), with an Indo-European origin and cognates in various languages such as "Himmel" (German) and "heaven" (English). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neamh | ||
| In Scots Gaelic "neamh" can also mean "clouds" or "sky". | |||
| Spanish | cielo | ||
| "Cielo" derives from the Latin "caelum," which also refers to the sky and is related to the Greek "koilos," meaning "cavity." | |||
| Swedish | himmel | ||
| In Swedish, "himmel" can also mean "the sky", "the weather", or "the firmament". | |||
| Welsh | nefoedd | ||
| The Welsh "nefoedd" for "heaven" likely derives from the Old English "nefa" for "mist" or "cloud." | |||
Heaven in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нябёсы | ||
| The word “нябёсы” in Belarusian is related to the word “ неба ” (sky) and has the same root as “аблокі” (clouds) both meaning "high up" in the sky. | |||
| Bosnian | nebo | ||
| "Nebo" can also be a name for a Slavic deity or a male name. | |||
| Bulgarian | небето | ||
| The word "небето" in Bulgarian has no relation to the word "не" (no) and is a common Slavic word that comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *nebʰ- meaning "cloud, mist". | |||
| Czech | nebe | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, 'nebe' denotes both heaven and firmament. | |||
| Estonian | taevas | ||
| "Taevas" also means "sky" or "firmament" in Estonian and comes from the Proto-Finnic word "taivas". | |||
| Finnish | taivas | ||
| Taivas also means 'sky' and originates from an Old-Baltic root meaning 'expanse, open space'. This is also related to the Uralic root *taava, meaning 'expansive' or 'level'. | |||
| Hungarian | menny | ||
| The word "menny" in Hungarian comes from the Proto-Uralic word "*mene" meaning "above, high up". | |||
| Latvian | debesis | ||
| The Old Prussian word "debesis" (heaven) is a cognate of the Latvian word "debess" and the Lithuanian word "debesis" meaning "cloud." | |||
| Lithuanian | dangus | ||
| "Dangus" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *deḱ-, meaning "to shine". | |||
| Macedonian | рајот | ||
| The word "рајот" is cognate with the Serbian and Croatian word "raj" and both may derive from the Persian word "paridaiza". Similarly, the English word "paradise" also originates from the Persian "paridaiza". "Рајот" can also refer to a type of grape in Macedonia | |||
| Polish | niebo | ||
| The word "niebo" also has a secondary meaning of "sky" or "firmament", derived from the Proto-Slavic word "nebosъ" meaning "that which is above". | |||
| Romanian | cer | ||
| The Romanian word "cer" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ker-," which also meant "horn" and was used in religious contexts to refer to the points of light in the night sky. | |||
| Russian | небеса | ||
| The word "небеса" (heaven) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "небс" (sky). | |||
| Serbian | небеса | ||
| The Serbian word "небеса" (nebesa) is also used to refer to "sky" in a poetic context. | |||
| Slovak | nebo | ||
| "Nebo" is related to the Latin word "nebula" and to "nebe" (sky) and "nebetyčný", meaning "skyscraper", in Czech | |||
| Slovenian | nebesa | ||
| The word "nebesa" also means "sky" or "celestial" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | небо | ||
| The word "небо" (heaven) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *nebo, which also means "sky". | |||
Heaven in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বর্গ | ||
| The Bengali word "স্বর্গ" (shorgo), meaning "heaven," is derived from the Sanskrit "svarga," which also refers to the realm of the gods and a celestial abode of happiness. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્વર્ગ | ||
| The word "સ્વર્ગ" (pronounced "swarga") in Gujarati comes from the Sanskrit word "svarga," which means "sky" or "shining world." | |||
| Hindi | स्वर्ग | ||
| The word "स्वर्ग" (svarga) may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *swēr-, meaning "to shine" or "to be bright." | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ವರ್ಗ | ||
| "ಸ್ವರ್ಗ" means "heaven" in Kannada, but it also refers to the abode of the gods or paradise. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്വർഗ്ഗം | ||
| "സ്വർഗ്ഗം" comes from "svar" meaning "shine" and originally referred to the "sky". | |||
| Marathi | स्वर्ग | ||
| The Marathi word "स्वर्ग" (swarga) traces back to the Sanskrit root "svar" (to shine), implying a place of celestial brilliance. | |||
| Nepali | स्वर्ग | ||
| The Sanskrit word स्वर्ग is also used in Nepali to refer to the sky, as well as to a state of great happiness or bliss. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਵਰਗ | ||
| ਸਵਰਗ (heaven) in Punjabi can also refer to the three heavens of Hindu cosmology, or the abode of the gods. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්වර්ගය | ||
| Tamil | சொர்க்கம் | ||
| The word 'சொர்க்கம்' (heaven) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'svarga', which also means 'paradise' or 'the abode of the gods'. | |||
| Telugu | స్వర్గం | ||
| The word 'స్వర్గం' in Telugu is derived from Sanskrit word 'svarga' meaning 'bright' or 'shining'. | |||
| Urdu | جنت | ||
| The word 'جنت' (heaven) in Urdu also refers to a well-maintained garden or orchard. | |||
Heaven in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 天堂 | ||
| 天堂 (Tiāntáng) literally means 'hall of the celestial emperor' or 'the place where the celestial emperor lives'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 天堂 | ||
| The Chinese word "天堂" also refers to the highest level of a Chinese pagoda or temple. | |||
| Japanese | 天国 | ||
| The word "天国" (tengoku) in Japanese originated from the Buddhist concept of "heavenly realms" and can also refer to paradise or a state of supreme happiness. | |||
| Korean | 천국 | ||
| The word 천국 (heaven) derives from the Chinese phrase天國 (Tianguo), meaning heavenly kingdom, but later adopted a religious connotation. | |||
| Mongolian | диваажин | ||
| The word "диваажин" is of Turkic origin and means both "heaven" and "the upper world". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကောင်းကင် | ||
Heaven in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | surga | ||
| The Indonesian word "surga" has the same etymology as the Sanskrit word "svarga", which can mean both "heaven" and "paradise." | |||
| Javanese | swarga | ||
| In Javanese, 'swarga' or 'swarloka' has two meanings: 'heavenly world' and 'beautiful or pleasant place'. | |||
| Khmer | ស្ថានសួគ៌ | ||
| The word "ស្ថានសួគ៌" in Khmer derives from the Sanskrit word "svarga", which originally referred to a divine realm or the abode of the gods. | |||
| Lao | ສະຫວັນ | ||
| The word ສະຫວັນ is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word स्वर्ग meaning 'sky' or 'heavenly realm'. | |||
| Malay | syurga | ||
| The term 'syurga' is also used in Malay to refer to a state of great bliss or happiness. | |||
| Thai | สวรรค์ | ||
| "สวรรค์" (sawan) originated from the Sanskrit word "svarga" meaning "shining" or "sky". | |||
| Vietnamese | thiên đường | ||
| Thiên Đường also means Milky Way which is a cosmic phenomenon. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | langit | ||
Heaven in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cənnət | ||
| "Cənnət" (heaven) etymologically originates from the Old Persian word "*parāδaēza-" (enclosed garden), which in turn derives from the Akkadian word "pardesu" (orchard, park). | |||
| Kazakh | аспан | ||
| The Kazakh word "аспан" ('heaven') also denotes a traditional religious concept referring to the realm of ancestral spirits, and is thus etymologically related to words referring to ancestor, grandfather, or father. | |||
| Kyrgyz | асман | ||
| Kyrgyz "асман" comes from Persian "آسمان" and also signifies the "vault over one's head": the yurt (күн үй). | |||
| Tajik | осмон | ||
| The Tajik word "осмон" is thought to be derived from the Persian word "آسمان" (âsmân), which also means "heaven" or "sky." | |||
| Turkmen | jennet | ||
| Uzbek | jannat | ||
| The word "jannat" is derived from the Arabic word "jannah" and also refers to a garden or paradise. | |||
| Uyghur | جەننەت | ||
Heaven in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lani | ||
| In ancient Hawaiian, "lani" also meant "chief" or "royalty," reflecting the belief that heaven was the abode of the gods and kings. | |||
| Maori | rangi | ||
| The Maori word rangi may also refer to the sky, daylight, or weather. | |||
| Samoan | lagi | ||
| The word "lagi" also refers to the realm of the gods, the sky, and the ocean, and is cognate with the Hawaiian word "lani". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | langit | ||
| "Langit" in Tagalog derives from the Proto-Austronesian term for "up" and originally referred to the sky but also acquired an additional meaning as the realm of the spirits. | |||
Heaven in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alaxpacha | ||
| Guarani | ára | ||
Heaven in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĉielo | ||
| Ĉielo, meaning 'heaven' in Esperanto, derives from the Latin word 'caelum,' also meaning 'sky' or 'heaven.' | |||
| Latin | coelum | ||
| The Latin word "coelum" not only means "heaven" but also refers to the sky, the weather, and the celestial sphere. | |||
Heaven in Others Languages
| Greek | παράδεισος | ||
| The Greek word 'παράδεισος' originally referred to a Persian royal park or hunting ground, and later came to mean 'heaven' in Christian usage. | |||
| Hmong | ntuj | ||
| The word “ntuj” also means “up” or “above”. | |||
| Kurdish | ezman | ||
| In Kurdish, "ezman" means "heaven" or "sky", and is related to the word "ezdî" meaning "God". | |||
| Turkish | cennet | ||
| The word "cennet" in Turkish is derived from the Persian word "pardis" and also refers to a walled garden. | |||
| Xhosa | izulu | ||
| "Izulu," which in Xhosa literally refers to "heavens," may in some cases also refer figuratively to God. | |||
| Yiddish | הימל | ||
| The Yiddish word "הימל" is thought to be derived from the German "Himmel," which in turn originates from the Proto-Germanic term *heminaz. | |||
| Zulu | izulu | ||
| Izulu means both 'heaven' and 'sky' in Zulu, reflecting the traditional Zulu belief in an upper world of the sky where ancestral spirits reside. | |||
| Assamese | স্বৰ্গ | ||
| Aymara | alaxpacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | स्वर्ग | ||
| Dhivehi | ސުވަރުގެ | ||
| Dogri | सुरग | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | langit | ||
| Guarani | ára | ||
| Ilocano | langit | ||
| Krio | ɛvin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەهەشت | ||
| Maithili | स्वर्ग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁ꯭ꯋꯔꯒ | ||
| Mizo | vanram | ||
| Oromo | biyya waaqaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱର୍ଗ | ||
| Quechua | hanaq pacha | ||
| Sanskrit | स्वर्गः | ||
| Tatar | күк | ||
| Tigrinya | ገነት | ||
| Tsonga | matilo | ||