Height in Different Languages
Discover 'Height' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Height: such a simple word, yet it holds a world of significance. It's a measure of our physical selves, a defining characteristic that can influence our self-perception and how others view us. But height is more than just a number; it's a concept that transcends language and culture.
Throughout history, height has been a symbol of power and status. From the towering pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of modern cities, our structures reflect our desire to reach new heights. In many cultures, tall stature is associated with leadership and strength, while in others, it's seen as a sign of beauty and grace.
Given its cultural importance, it's no surprise that the word 'height' has been translated into countless languages around the world. Whether you're traveling to a foreign country or simply expanding your linguistic horizons, understanding the translation of 'height' can open up new avenues of communication and cultural appreciation.
So, without further ado, let's explore the many translations of the word 'height' in different languages. From the romance of Italian to the precision of German, the lyrical beauty of Japanese to the richness of Arabic, the word 'height' takes on new dimensions in these languages and more.
Height
Height in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hoogte | ||
| The word "hoogte" in Afrikaans also means "elevation" and "altitude". | |||
| Amharic | ቁመት | ||
| The word "ቁመት" in Amharic also means "dignity" or "stature". | |||
| Hausa | tsawo | ||
| "Tsawo" has additional meanings such as "a long staff", "the act of measuring," and "a measure of length". | |||
| Igbo | ịdị elu | ||
| "Idị elu" (height) is a noun in Igbo that derives from the root "elụ" (to live) and implies the extent or range of one's existence or being. | |||
| Malagasy | hahavony | ||
| The Malagasy word "hahavony" also means "sky" and is related to the word "havana" which means "cloud". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutalika | ||
| The word "kutalika" is a verb that means "to climb" or "to ascend" in Chichewa. | |||
| Shona | kukwirira | ||
| The word "kukwirira" can also refer to "to grow taller" or "to increase in size or amount". | |||
| Somali | dherer | ||
| The word "dherer" (height) in Somali is derived from the Proto-Somali word "*dheer" meaning "long or tall". | |||
| Sesotho | bophahamo | ||
| The Sesotho word "bophahamo" can also be used to refer to one's height or elevation in a metaphorical sense, such as "a person of great height" or "a mountain of great elevation". | |||
| Swahili | urefu | ||
| "Urefu" can also mean "longitudinal extent", "size", or "scale". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuphakama | ||
| The word 'ukuphakama' is composed of 'phakam--' meaning 'to rise', so literally it mean 'a rise upwards'. | |||
| Yoruba | iga | ||
| The Yoruba word "iga" may also refer to the traditional home of Yoruba chiefs and monarchs | |||
| Zulu | ukuphakama | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuphakama' also refers to 'altitude', 'elevation', and 'high stature'. | |||
| Bambara | janya | ||
| Ewe | kᴐkᴐme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | uburebure | ||
| Lingala | molai | ||
| Luganda | obuwanvu | ||
| Sepedi | bogodimo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tenten | ||
Height in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ارتفاع | ||
| The word "ارتفاع" can also refer to an increase or escalation, or to the act of raising or lifting something up. | |||
| Hebrew | גוֹבַה | ||
| Hebrew גוֹבַה derives from the Proto-Semitic G-B-H root, indicating “back,” “hump,” or “hill”. | |||
| Pashto | لوړوالی | ||
| The word "لوړوالی" can also be used to refer to the length of time something has been going on. | |||
| Arabic | ارتفاع | ||
| The word "ارتفاع" can also refer to an increase or escalation, or to the act of raising or lifting something up. | |||
Height in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lartësia | ||
| The word "lartësia" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*lārtësi" which may be related to the Illyrian word "*lard" meaning "mountain peak" or "summit". | |||
| Basque | altuera | ||
| A synonym for altuera in the Basque language is garaiera, but it can also refer to the elevation of a place. | |||
| Catalan | alçada | ||
| "Alçada" means height, but also means the act of raising something or the place where something is raised. | |||
| Croatian | visina | ||
| Croatian "visina" can also mean "altitude" or "size". | |||
| Danish | højde | ||
| In older Danish, "højde" was used to refer to a high place, such as a hill or mountain. | |||
| Dutch | hoogte | ||
| "Hooge" can also be used to mean "proud", which suggests "hoogte" stems from earlier concepts of "high status" and "elevation". | |||
| English | height | ||
| The word 'height' shares an etymological root with 'hold', as it derives from an Old English word meaning 'to seize' or 'to hold'. | |||
| French | la taille | ||
| In English, "la taille" is a loanword, meaning either "the size, usually of an object" or "the waist on a person's clothing." | |||
| Frisian | hichte | ||
| In Eastern Frisian the word also exists as 'hiechte', derived from 'hoog' (German for tall) and is usually applied to buildings. | |||
| Galician | altura | ||
| In Galician, "altura" can also mean "dignity" or "elevation of spirit". | |||
| German | höhe | ||
| The word "Höhe" can also refer to altitudes, elevation, or the highest point of something. | |||
| Icelandic | hæð | ||
| In Old Norse, "hæð" also meant "heath" or "upland". | |||
| Irish | airde | ||
| The Irish word "airde" is also derived from the Proto-Indo-European "er-", meaning "to rise". | |||
| Italian | altezza | ||
| The word "altezza" also means "highness" or "nobility," especially in reference to royal or noble titles. | |||
| Luxembourgish | héicht | ||
| Maltese | għoli | ||
| Maltese 'għoli' originates from Arabic 'ghala', meaning 'to rise or climb', and also refers to 'high prices' or 'cost of living'. | |||
| Norwegian | høyde | ||
| Høyde can also refer to an area of flat or gently elevated land in Norwegian | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | altura | ||
| "Altura" comes from the Latin word "altus", meaning "high" or "deep", but it can also refer to the level or intensity of a feeling, situation or sound. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àirde | ||
| The Gaelic term "àirde" also connotes "honour", "nobility", and "elevation of rank" | |||
| Spanish | altura | ||
| The word "altura" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "altitudo", which means "elevation" or "loftiness". | |||
| Swedish | höjd | ||
| The word "höjd" can also mean "highlight" or "focus point". | |||
| Welsh | uchder | ||
| The word "uchder" also means "higher" or "upper" in Welsh. | |||
Height in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вышыня | ||
| Bosnian | visina | ||
| "Visina" also means "cherry" in Bosnian, coming from the old Slavic word "višnja". | |||
| Bulgarian | височина | ||
| The word "височина" also means "altitude" and "elevation" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | výška | ||
| The word "výška" is derived from the PIE root *wei- "to bend," and is related to the words "větve" "branch" and "východ" "east". | |||
| Estonian | kõrgus | ||
| The word "kõrgus" is also used to refer to a person's social status or rank, derived from the concept of physical elevation. | |||
| Finnish | korkeus | ||
| "Korkeus" can also refer to a musical chord inversion consisting of three tones, where the middle tone is the lowest one, such as the first inversion of a triad (C-E-G)" | |||
| Hungarian | magasság | ||
| In Hungarian, "magasság" can also refer to someone's social status or rank. | |||
| Latvian | augstums | ||
| The word "augstums" also refers to the upper part of a plant or the elevation of a celestial body. | |||
| Lithuanian | ūgio | ||
| The word "ūgis" also means "stature" or "figure" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | висина | ||
| The word "висина" also means "altitude" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | wysokość | ||
| The word "wysokość" in Polish comes from the Old Slavic word "vysokъ", which means "high" or "tall", and is related to the Sanskrit word "ucсh", which means "high" or "lofty". | |||
| Romanian | înălţime | ||
| The word "înălțime" in Romanian is derived from the Latin word "in altum" which means "toward the heights". | |||
| Russian | высота | ||
| "Высота" also means altitude, prominence, or stature. | |||
| Serbian | висина | ||
| "Висина" shares the same root with the Slavic verb "вити" ("to hang, to make a nest") | |||
| Slovak | výška | ||
| "Výška" can also mean "altitude" or "elevation". | |||
| Slovenian | višina | ||
| "Visina" comes from "visok" (tall, high), which can also mean "noble" or "distinguished." | |||
| Ukrainian | висота | ||
| The word | |||
Height in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উচ্চতা | ||
| উচ্চতা, also a homophone of "উচ্ছতা," refers to both "height" and "highness" | |||
| Gujarati | .ંચાઇ | ||
| The word '.ંચાઇ' (height) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱel-, meaning 'to rise' or 'to grow'. | |||
| Hindi | ऊंचाई | ||
| The Sanskrit word "ऊंच" means "high" or "elevated," and is also used in the Hindi word "ऊंचाई." | |||
| Kannada | ಎತ್ತರ | ||
| The word "ಎತ್ತರ" also means "loftiness" or an "elevated place" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉയരം | ||
| In Malayalam, "ഉയരം" also means "altitude" or "elevation". | |||
| Marathi | उंची | ||
| उंची in Marathi shares its origin with the Hindi word ऊंचा, both being derived from the Proto-Indo-Aryan term *ūñcáḥ, meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. | |||
| Nepali | उचाई | ||
| The word "उचाई" is derived from the Sanskrit word "उच्चता" meaning "elevation" or "high position". | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਚਾਈ | ||
| Punjabi "ਉਚਾਈ" means vertical elevation, altitude, length from top to bottom, tallness, or peak and originates from Sanskrit "उच्छ्रायः" (ucchrāyaḥ). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උස | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit word “ūrdhva” meaning “up”, it is also a measurement of liquid in culinary context. | |||
| Tamil | உயரம் | ||
| "உயரம்" originates from the Old Tamil word "உயர்" meaning "to rise" and has secondary meanings such as "elevation," "loftiness," and "high position." | |||
| Telugu | ఎత్తు | ||
| ఎత్తు (height) has alternate meanings in Telugu including "rank" and "stature". | |||
| Urdu | اونچائی | ||
Height in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 高度 | ||
| 高度 (height) originated from a verb meaning "to compare heights" and was originally written as "高低." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 高度 | ||
| "高度" (height) can also mean "advanced" or "high-level" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 高さ | ||
| 高さ also refers to the musical scale range or pitch in Japanese, and derives from the word 'high note'. | |||
| Korean | 신장 | ||
| "신장" can also refer to the kidneys, which are the organs responsible for filtering waste products from the blood. | |||
| Mongolian | өндөр | ||
| The Mongolian word "өндөр" (öndör) also means "tall" or "high". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမြင့် | ||
Height in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tinggi | ||
| The Indonesian word "tinggi" also means "tall" or "high" and has the alternate meaning of "esteem" or "respect". | |||
| Javanese | dhuwure | ||
| The word also means "up," "over," or "high position" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | កម្ពស់ | ||
| The word "កម្ពស់" can also refer to the height of the water level in a body of water or the height of a sound. | |||
| Lao | ລະດັບຄວາມສູງ | ||
| The word ລະດັບຄວາມສູງ has a similar form and meaning to the word ระดับความสูง in Thai. | |||
| Malay | ketinggian | ||
| The term 'ketinggian' can also refer to the elevated status or the level to which a society has developed. | |||
| Thai | ความสูง | ||
| In mathematics, "ความสูง" also translates to "altitude" when describing points or elements within a geometrical shape such as a triangle or prism. | |||
| Vietnamese | chiều cao | ||
| "Chiều cao" is also used in Vietnamese to refer to the height of a sound or musical note, analogous to the English use of "pitch" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | taas | ||
Height in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hündürlük | ||
| "Hündürlük" is a cognate of the Turkish word "hündürlük" and is related to the Azerbaijani verb "hündürmek" meaning "to raise" or "to elevate". | |||
| Kazakh | биіктігі | ||
| The word "биіктігі" can also refer to the altitude of a place or the pitch of a sound. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бийиктик | ||
| The word "бийиктик" also means "greatness" or "importance" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | баландӣ | ||
| The word "баландӣ" also refers to the height of a note in music. | |||
| Turkmen | beýikligi | ||
| Uzbek | balandlik | ||
| The word "balandlik" (height) in Uzbek has similar roots to "balance" and "altitude" in English and "altitudo" in Latin, all meaning "position above the ground." | |||
| Uyghur | بوي ئېگىزلىكى | ||
Height in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiʻekiʻe | ||
| Kiʻekiʻe is the Hawaiian word for height, but it also means to be proud or arrogant. | |||
| Maori | teitei | ||
| In some parts of New Zealand, "teitei" can also refer to a tall person. | |||
| Samoan | maualuga | ||
| The word 'maualuga' can refer to actual height as well as metaphorical heights such as status or importance. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | taas | ||
| The Tagalog word "taas" can also refer to the act of raising or elevating something. | |||
Height in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alayqata | ||
| Guarani | yvatekue | ||
Height in International Languages
| Esperanto | alteco | ||
| The Esperanto word "alteco" also means "altitude" and "loftiness". | |||
| Latin | altitudo | ||
| "Altitudo" can also refer to depth, as well as abstract concepts such as intensity or dignity. | |||
Height in Others Languages
| Greek | ύψος | ||
| The word "ύψος" can also mean "loftiness" or "elevation" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | qhov siab | ||
| This word can also mean 'length' of time | |||
| Kurdish | bilindî | ||
| The word "bilindî" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhel-, meaning "to swell" or "to be large". | |||
| Turkish | yükseklik | ||
| "Yükseklik" comes from the Arabic word "yuksak" and can also mean "elevation" or "altitude." | |||
| Xhosa | ukuphakama | ||
| The word 'ukuphakama' is composed of 'phakam--' meaning 'to rise', so literally it mean 'a rise upwards'. | |||
| Yiddish | הייך | ||
| It is related to the German "hoch" and derives from the Proto-Germanic *hauhaz "high". | |||
| Zulu | ukuphakama | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuphakama' also refers to 'altitude', 'elevation', and 'high stature'. | |||
| Assamese | উচ্চতা | ||
| Aymara | alayqata | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊँचाई | ||
| Dhivehi | އުސްމިން | ||
| Dogri | उंचाई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | taas | ||
| Guarani | yvatekue | ||
| Ilocano | kinatayag | ||
| Krio | ayt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرزی | ||
| Maithili | ऊंचाई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯋꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sanzawng | ||
| Oromo | hojjaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉଚ୍ଚତା | ||
| Quechua | sayay | ||
| Sanskrit | औनत्यम् | ||
| Tatar | биеклек | ||
| Tigrinya | ቁመት | ||
| Tsonga | ku leha | ||