Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'her' is a small but powerful pronoun, often used to indicate a female person or object. It carries great significance in many cultures, as it represents women and girls who are an integral part of society. 'Her' is also a crucial word in literature, music, and everyday conversations, making it essential for effective communication.
Throughout history, 'her' has been used in various contexts, from ancient literature to modern-day feminist movements. For instance, in the epic poem 'Beowulf,' the phrase 'her on healfa' referred to 'on the side of the lady.' This illustrates the historical importance of the word 'her' in expressing respect and admiration for women.
Understanding the translation of 'her' in different languages can be fascinating and enlightening. It not only helps you appreciate the nuances of various languages but also deepens your connection with diverse cultures. Here are some translations of 'her' in several languages:
Afrikaans | haar | ||
The word "haar" in Afrikaans can also refer to a fine mist or drizzle. | |||
Amharic | እሷ | ||
"እሷ" can be used in the context of "she did" but it can also be used in the third person as "he/ she/ they did". | |||
Hausa | ta | ||
In Hausa, the word "ta" has a variety of alternate meanings, including the pronoun "it" and the possessive pronoun "hers." | |||
Igbo | ya | ||
"Ya" in Igbo means "her" but also means "you" in the plural form. | |||
Malagasy | ny | ||
In Malagasy, "ny" also means "the" and is used for objects and non-personal subjects | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | iye | ||
The Nyanja word "iye" can also mean "mother", demonstrating the close connection between the concepts of ownership and kinship in Nyanja culture. | |||
Shona | iye | ||
The word 'iye' can also refer to 'mother' in the Shona language. | |||
Somali | iyada | ||
Iyada' is derived from the root word 'iya' meaning 'belonging to', indicating ownership or possession, and is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to something associated with a person or thing. | |||
Sesotho | hae | ||
The Sesotho word "hae" has alternate meanings including "it" or "that" and is an archaic form of "she". | |||
Swahili | yake | ||
The word "yake" in Swahili is also used to mean "its" or "his/her/their property". | |||
Xhosa | yena | ||
The Xhosa word "yena" also means "alone". | |||
Yoruba | rẹ | ||
The word "rẹ" can also mean "it" or "one" in Yoruba, and is derived from the Proto-Benue-Congo root */-rV/. | |||
Zulu | wakhe | ||
The word 'wakhe' is the objective form of the Zulu third-person singular feminine pronoun, which does not translate directly to English and is also used in the possessive sense. | |||
Bambara | ale | ||
Ewe | eƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | we | ||
Lingala | ye | ||
Luganda | ye | ||
Sepedi | gagwe | ||
Twi (Akan) | ne | ||
Arabic | لها | ||
In Maghrebi Arabic, the word "لها" can have alternate meanings such as "to her" or "for her." | |||
Hebrew | שֶׁלָה | ||
The word "שֶׁלָה" can also be used to express possession, meaning "hers" or "its". | |||
Pashto | د هغې | ||
The Pashto word "د هغې" also means "her house" or "her place." | |||
Arabic | لها | ||
In Maghrebi Arabic, the word "لها" can have alternate meanings such as "to her" or "for her." |
Albanian | asaj | ||
The Albanian word "asaj" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *asā, meaning "she" | |||
Basque | bere | ||
"Bere" in Basque can also mean "hers" or "her own". | |||
Catalan | ella | ||
In some Catalan-speaking regions, "ella" can also be used as a diminutive form of the name "Elena". | |||
Croatian | nju | ||
"Nju" can also mean "her" in Croatian. | |||
Danish | hende | ||
In Danish, "hende" can also mean "that" or "it" depending on the context. | |||
Dutch | haar | ||
Dutch "haar" can also mean "hair" or "she" as an object in a sentence | |||
English | her | ||
"Her" can also be a possessive pronoun for "he". | |||
French | sa | ||
"Sa" can also mean "his," "hers," or "its," depending on context, and comes from the Latin possessive adjectives "sua" (feminine), "suus" (masculine/feminine), and "suum" (neuter). | |||
Frisian | har | ||
In Frisian, "har" can also mean "here" or "hither." | |||
Galician | ela | ||
Ela shares its etymology with Latin "ilia" and has other meanings, such as "the other part" or "beyond". | |||
German | ihr | ||
In some parts of Germany, "ihr" can be both the second-person plural and the third-person feminine possessive. | |||
Icelandic | hana | ||
In Icelandic, "hana" also means "she" and was originally used to refer to both genders. | |||
Irish | léi | ||
The word "léi" can also mean "with her" or "to her" in Irish, depending on the context. | |||
Italian | sua | ||
"Sua" has a secondary meaning in Italian, "yours". This usage is restricted to formal situations, such as when a server addresses a customer. | |||
Luxembourgish | hir | ||
In Luxembourgish, the word “hir” can also refer to a woman or a young girl. | |||
Maltese | tagħha | ||
The Maltese word "tagħha" (her) is borrowed from Sicilian "tagghjà", which is an archaic form of "taglia" (cut). | |||
Norwegian | henne | ||
The word "henne" can also be used to refer to a female chicken. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dela | ||
In Portuguese, "dela" can also mean "it's hers" or "it belongs to her". | |||
Scots Gaelic | rithe | ||
The word "rithe" in Scots Gaelic is also used to refer to a female deer. | |||
Spanish | su | ||
"Su" can also be used as a possessive adjective meaning "his, her, its, or your." | |||
Swedish | henne | ||
The word "henne" in Swedish can also mean "to her" or "for her". | |||
Welsh | hi | ||
The Welsh word "hi" can also mean "here" or "this" depending on context. |
Belarusian | яе | ||
The word "яe" means "her". However, it can also mean "of her" or "hers". | |||
Bosnian | ona | ||
The word "ona" also means "it" when referring to a feminine inanimate object. | |||
Bulgarian | нея | ||
The Bulgarian word "нея" (her) is cognate with the Russian word "её" (her), both deriving from the Proto-Slavic form "*jeji". | |||
Czech | její | ||
Její can also mean "it" in a feminine context, or a possessive pronoun meaning "its". | |||
Estonian | tema | ||
"Tema" can mean both "her" and "theme" in Estonian, both derived from Proto-Finno-Ugric *temi. | |||
Finnish | hänen | ||
In Estonian, "hänen" means "her" while in Finnish it means "him". | |||
Hungarian | neki | ||
In Hungarian, "neki" is also an informal way to address someone, similar to "you" in English. | |||
Latvian | viņu | ||
In Proto-Indo-European, “viņu” likely meant “him/her,” while in modern Latvian it evolved to refer specifically to “her.” | |||
Lithuanian | ją | ||
"Ją" can also be used as a pronoun or as an imperative form of "to take". | |||
Macedonian | неа | ||
The Macedonian word "неа" can also mean "mama" or "mommy" in some dialects. | |||
Polish | jej | ||
The Polish word "jej" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "je" meaning "she" and also has a second meaning of "of her". | |||
Romanian | a ei | ||
The word "a ei" in Romanian derives from the Latin possessive adjective "suus" which originally meant "own". | |||
Russian | ее | ||
The Russian word "её" (her) is cognate with the English word "her" but can also be used to refer to someone's wife or mistress. | |||
Serbian | њеној | ||
The Old Church Slavonic word "jej-j", which "njej" is derived from, was also used as a form of the genitive case of words "ja" (I) and "ty" (you) with the meaning of "mine" and "yours". | |||
Slovak | ju | ||
'Ju' is also used in Slovak as an archaic form of the word 'her' but also as an archaic form of 'they' or 'them'. | |||
Slovenian | njo | ||
In the Prekmurje dialect, "njo" can also mean "you" (plural, informal). | |||
Ukrainian | її | ||
Її is a possessive pronoun that can also mean "its" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | তার | ||
The word "তার" (her) in Bengali can also mean "his" or "its" depending on the context. | |||
Gujarati | તેણીના | ||
The word "તેણીના" ("her") is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *se- for "she". | |||
Hindi | उसके | ||
The word "उसके" in Hindi can also mean "his" or "its", depending on the context. | |||
Kannada | ಅವಳು | ||
The word "ಅವಳು" also means "she" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | അവളുടെ | ||
The word "അവളുടെ" in Malayalam can also refer to the female possessive pronoun "hers," emphasizing ownership or belonging. | |||
Marathi | तिला | ||
तिला can also mean 'oil' or 'sesame seeds' depending on context | |||
Nepali | उनको | ||
The Nepali word "उनको" can also refer to someone who is not present. | |||
Punjabi | ਉਸ ਨੂੰ | ||
The word "उस को" (her) in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word "तस्यै" (tasyai), meaning "to her" or "for her". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇයගේ | ||
"ඇයගේ" also means "his" in the 3rd person singular gender neutral form of Sinhala possessive pronouns. | |||
Tamil | அவள் | ||
The word "அவள்" derives from the Proto-Dravidian root "*aval", meaning "she" or "woman." | |||
Telugu | ఆమె | ||
The word "ఆమె" can also refer to a goddess or a female deity in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | اسے | ||
The word "اسے" also means "to him/her" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 她的 | ||
"她的" can also read as "tāmen de", meaning "their". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 她的 | ||
她的 in Chinese is also used in the sense of "his" when referring to a person of unknown gender or when the gender is irrelevant. | |||
Japanese | 彼女 | ||
The character "女" in "彼女" means "woman", while "彼" means "person". It can also be used as "that woman" or "the woman over there" when it's not clear who you're talking about. | |||
Korean | 그녀 | ||
The Korean word "그녀" can also refer to a "lady" or a "female person" | |||
Mongolian | түүнийг | ||
The word "түүнийг" in Mongolian can also mean "him," "it," or "its," and is a third person singular object pronoun. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | သူမ | ||
In addition to meaning "her," the word "သူမ" ("tha.ma") can also be used as a respectful term of address for a woman. |
Indonesian | -nya | ||
Javanese | dheweke | ||
Although the word "dheweke" is commonly understood to mean "her" in Javanese, it can also be used as a polite form of the pronoun "you." | |||
Khmer | នាង | ||
"នាង" is derived from the Sanskrit term "nāyikā", which means "heroine" or "female protagonist". | |||
Lao | ນາງ | ||
The Lao word "ນາງ" (her) can also mean "lady" or "Ms.". | |||
Malay | dia | ||
The word "dia" translates to "she" but can also be used as a third personal pronoun to refer to a person of any gender as long as gender is irrelevant to the context. | |||
Thai | เธอ | ||
The Thai word "เธอ" (meaning "her") can also be used as an honorific in a similar way as "you". | |||
Vietnamese | cô ấy | ||
Cô ấy also has meanings such as “to be like” or “to appear”. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kanya | ||
Azerbaijani | onun | ||
The Azerbaijani word "onun" can also mean "his" or "its" depending on the context. | |||
Kazakh | ол | ||
"ол" (her) comes from the Old Turkic word "ol" meaning "self, this." | |||
Kyrgyz | аны | ||
The Kyrgyz word "аны" can also mean "dear" or "respected" when used as an honorific. | |||
Tajik | вай | ||
The word "вай" in Tajik can also refer to the third person feminine singular possessive pronoun, meaning "hers". | |||
Turkmen | ol | ||
Uzbek | uni | ||
The Uzbek word "uni" can also mean "his", "hers", or "theirs" depending on context and the vowel used (u, o, or oʻ). | |||
Uyghur | her | ||
Hawaiian | ʻo ia | ||
'O ia" can also be used as a term for a male chief. | |||
Maori | ia | ||
The Maori word "ia" can also refer to female pronouns, the subject marker for third person singular, and as a possessive pronoun. | |||
Samoan | ia | ||
Ia is also the name of a Samoan dance and a type of ceremonial headdress. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | siya | ||
The word "siya" in Tagalog also means "himself" or "herself," making it a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun. |
Aymara | jupana | ||
Guarani | i | ||
Esperanto | ŝia | ||
The Esperanto word "ŝia" (her) comes from the French possessive pronoun "sa" (his, her, its), which is derived from the Latin possessive adjective "suus" (one's own). | |||
Latin | eius | ||
The word "eius" can also mean "one's", "her own", or "his own" in Latin. |
Greek | αυτήν | ||
The word "αυτήν" also means "one" or "the one" in Greek, particularly in feminine contexts. | |||
Hmong | nws nws | ||
"Nws nws" is sometimes translated to "she", "her", "him", "his", "it" "its" in English, and it can refer to an animate or inanimate thing. | |||
Kurdish | ew | ||
The word "ew" in Kurdish also means "yes" in Turkish. | |||
Turkish | ona | ||
Ona, meaning "her" in Turkish, derives from the Proto-Turkic "*on" (she) and has cognates in other Turkic languages like Azerbaijani, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz. | |||
Xhosa | yena | ||
The Xhosa word "yena" also means "alone". | |||
Yiddish | זי | ||
The Yiddish word "zi" comes from the Hebrew word "zi" meaning "this" and the Yiddish word "di" meaning "the". | |||
Zulu | wakhe | ||
The word 'wakhe' is the objective form of the Zulu third-person singular feminine pronoun, which does not translate directly to English and is also used in the possessive sense. | |||
Assamese | তাইক | ||
Aymara | jupana | ||
Bhojpuri | ऊनकर | ||
Dhivehi | އޭނާ | ||
Dogri | ओहदी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kanya | ||
Guarani | i | ||
Ilocano | kaniana | ||
Krio | i | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەو | ||
Maithili | ओकर | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯍꯥꯛ | ||
Mizo | ani | ||
Oromo | kan ishee | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ତାଙ୍କୁ | ||
Quechua | payta | ||
Sanskrit | तस्याः | ||
Tatar | herәр сүзнең | ||
Tigrinya | ንሳ | ||
Tsonga | yena | ||