High in Different Languages
Discover 'High' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
High
High in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hoog | ||
| Although it means 'high', 'hoog' can also refer to 'drunk', a meaning it shares only with its cognate 'hooch'. | |||
| Amharic | ከፍተኛ | ||
| The word "ከፍተኛ" can also mean "top" or "upper" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | babba | ||
| The word "babba" in Hausa can also mean "to swell up" or "to be arrogant." | |||
| Igbo | elu | ||
| The Igbo word "elu" also means "heaven" or "sky" in some contexts, extending its semantic range beyond physical height. | |||
| Malagasy | avo | ||
| The word "avo" in Malagasy can also mean "chief" or "master". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkulu | ||
| The alternative meaning of the Nyanja word "mkulu" is "elder". | |||
| Shona | kumusoro | ||
| The word 'kumusoro' can also be used to mean 'the top' or 'the highest point'. | |||
| Somali | sare | ||
| The word "sare" in Somali also refers to a kind of grass or reed used for thatching roofs or making baskets. | |||
| Sesotho | phahameng | ||
| The word "phahameng" has an alternate meaning in Sesotho, referring to something that is "difficult" or "challenging". | |||
| Swahili | juu | ||
| The Swahili word "juu" also means "top" or "above", and is related to the verb "jua" ("to know"). | |||
| Xhosa | phezulu | ||
| The word "phezulu" also means "up" or "above" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | giga | ||
| Yoruba word for "high" 'giga' means "to be great" as well as "to be many" and "to be tall" | |||
| Zulu | phezulu | ||
| The Zulu word "phezulu" can also refer to "upwards" or "on top of". | |||
| Bambara | jamanjan | ||
| Ewe | kɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | muremure | ||
| Lingala | likolo | ||
| Luganda | waggulu | ||
| Sepedi | godimo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | soro | ||
High in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عالي | ||
| The word "عالي" also means "noble" or "exalted" in Arabic, suggesting a position of honor or esteem. | |||
| Hebrew | גָבוֹהַ | ||
| The word "גָבוֹהַ" can also mean "tall" or "great". | |||
| Pashto | لوړ | ||
| The Pashto word "لوړ" can also mean "loud" or "great", and is related to the Persian word "بلند" meaning "high". | |||
| Arabic | عالي | ||
| The word "عالي" also means "noble" or "exalted" in Arabic, suggesting a position of honor or esteem. | |||
High in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i lartë | ||
| The Albanian word "i lartë" has ancient Greek origins, where "lartos" meant "fine" or "delicate". In modern Greek, it means "thin". | |||
| Basque | altua | ||
| "Altua" is closely related to the Basque word "alto" which also means "high" and is the probable origin of the Spanish word "alto." | |||
| Catalan | alt | ||
| "Alt" in Catalan may derive from the Latin "altus" (high) or the Germanic "hold" (high ground), possibly via a pre-Romance substratum. | |||
| Croatian | visoko | ||
| In Croatian, the word visoko shares its root with the words visina (altitude) and visor (height). | |||
| Danish | høj | ||
| In Danish, "høj" can also mean "cairn" or "mound". | |||
| Dutch | hoog | ||
| The word hoog in Dutch also refers to a noble or exalted social class. | |||
| English | high | ||
| The word 'high' originated from the Old English word 'hēah,' meaning 'tall' or 'elevated,' and has evolved to encompass a range of meanings, including height, intensity, and intoxication. | |||
| French | haute | ||
| The word "haute" in French comes from the Latin "altus," meaning "high," and also has the alternate meanings of "tall," "loud," and "deep." | |||
| Frisian | heech | ||
| The Frisian word "heech" is also used as an adverb meaning "very" and as an adjective meaning "tall". | |||
| Galician | alto | ||
| Galician "alto" is cognate with Latin "altus" and retains the latter's meaning of "deep" in addition to "high." | |||
| German | hoch | ||
| The word 'hoch' can also mean 'respected' in German, as in 'hoher Herr' or 'hohe Dame' ('high sir' or 'high lady'). | |||
| Icelandic | hár | ||
| The Icelandic word "hár" is also the name of a bird of prey, derived from its loud call. | |||
| Irish | ard | ||
| The Irish word "ard" also means "great" or "noble" and is the origin of the English word "admiral". | |||
| Italian | alto | ||
| In the 16th century the word 'alto' was used not only as an adjective but also as an adverb meaning 'loud'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | héich | ||
| The Luxembourgish word for "high", "héich", derives from Middle High German and is cognate with English "high" | |||
| Maltese | għoli | ||
| "Għoli" also means "tall", "lofty", "elevated", or "exalted" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | høy | ||
| The word 'høy' (high) in Norwegian comes from the Proto-Germanic word 'hauhs', which also meant 'high' or 'tall'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alto | ||
| "Alto" also means "stop" when referring to traffic signs, "tall" when describing a person, "deep" when describing the sea or a voice, or "large" when describing a sum of money. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àrd | ||
| In some parts of Scotland, "àrd" is used to mean "pregnant." | |||
| Spanish | alto | ||
| Alto is also a noun meaning "stand" and is related to the word "altar" from the Latin *altus*. | |||
| Swedish | hög | ||
| The word "hög" can also refer to a pile, a heap, or a burial mound in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | uchel | ||
| The Welsh word "uchel" also means "bird" or "sky" and derives from the Proto-Celtic *ud-selo- "high, above". | |||
High in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | высокі | ||
| The word "высокі" also means "tall, lofty, majestic, exalted, superb, grandiose" | |||
| Bosnian | visoko | ||
| The word 'visoko' can also refer to a Bosnian town or a famous Bosnian pyramid. | |||
| Bulgarian | високо | ||
| The word "Високо" can also mean "tall" or "elevated" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | vysoký | ||
| "Vysoký" can also mean "tall". This is because the word derives from the Proto-Slavic root *vysъkъ, which meant "high" but also "tall". | |||
| Estonian | kõrge | ||
| The Estonian word "kõrge" is thought to have evolved from an archaic form meaning "to grow" and shares a root with the German "hoch." | |||
| Finnish | korkea | ||
| The word "korkea" also means "dear" or "prized" in colloquial Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | magas | ||
| The word "magas" can also refer to a granary or a tower. | |||
| Latvian | augsts | ||
| Augsts, in Latvian, is cognate with the English word "august" | |||
| Lithuanian | aukštas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "aukštas" can also refer to a story in a building and derives ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂ewǵ-", meaning "to increase". | |||
| Macedonian | високо | ||
| The word “високо“ can derive from the word “висок“ (tall), which derives from the Proto-Slavic word “vysokъ (high) | |||
| Polish | wysoki | ||
| The word "wysoki" means not only "high" in English, but also "tall", "lofty" and "elevated". | |||
| Romanian | înalt | ||
| The word "înalt" in Romanian is derived from the Latin word "altus", meaning "high" or "deep". | |||
| Russian | высоко | ||
| In Old Russian, "высоко" also meant "expensive." | |||
| Serbian | високо | ||
| The word "високо" can also mean "tall" or "loud". | |||
| Slovak | vysoká | ||
| "Vysoká" derives from Proto-Slavic *vъsokъ and also means "university" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | visoko | ||
| "Visoko" has been attested in many Slavic languages since the 6th century; its original meaning was "something hanging down", which later changed through a process of euphemism, as is common with other words for "high". | |||
| Ukrainian | високий | ||
| The word "високий" in Ukrainian also has an archaic meaning of "tall" or "long" and is related to the word "вись" meaning "to hang". | |||
High in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উচ্চ | ||
| "উচ্চ" also means "distinguished" and can be used in front of positions like "উচ্চ কমিশনার" (High Commissioner). | |||
| Gujarati | ઉચ્ચ | ||
| The word "ઉચ્ચ" (high) can also mean "tall", "elevated", or "of high quality" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | उच्च | ||
| The word "उच्च" also means "noble" or "superior" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆಚ್ಚು | ||
| "ಹೆಚ್ಚು" also means 'more' in the sense of 'quantity' or 'greater'. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉയർന്ന | ||
| Malayalam 'ഉയർന്ന' is used in the same sense as 'high' in English to describe something that is above average, or to express a sense of superiority or elevation, but can also mean 'to lift' or 'to rise'. | |||
| Marathi | उच्च | ||
| उच्च comes from the Sanskrit word ऊच् meaning "lift" and also refers to "a high place" | |||
| Nepali | उच्च | ||
| The word "उच्च" in Nepali can also mean "upper", "elevated" or "noble". | |||
| Punjabi | ਉੱਚ | ||
| The word 'ਉੱਚ' is also used to refer to a high place or elevation, and in a figurative sense, to a high or exalted state of being. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉහළ | ||
| In Sinhala, ඉහළ (ihala) can also refer to the upper parts of a tree, a building, or a body of water, or to an elevated social or economic position. | |||
| Tamil | உயர் | ||
| "உயர்" comes from the Proto-Dravidian root *uy, which also means "to rise". | |||
| Telugu | అధిక | ||
| The word "అధిక" in Telugu can also mean "more" or "extra". | |||
| Urdu | اونچا | ||
| The word "اونچا" can also mean "noble" or "lofty" in Urdu. | |||
High in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 高 | ||
| The character '高' also refers to 'excellent, noble' or 'above, surpass', and is a common component in words related to altitude or status. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 高 | ||
| 高 (gao) can also mean esteemed, noble, grand, important, honorable, or dignified. | |||
| Japanese | 高い | ||
| The word "高い" can also mean "expensive" or "tall". | |||
| Korean | 높은 | ||
| The word "높은" also means "noble" or "lofty" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | өндөр | ||
| "Өндөр" is derived from the Mongolian verb "өндөрөх" meaning "to raise" or "to lift". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြင့်သည် | ||
High in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tinggi | ||
| The Indonesian word "tinggi" is cognate with the Malay "tinggi" and the Javanese "tin" and "tiing", all of which mean "high". | |||
| Javanese | dhuwur | ||
| The Javanese word "dhuwur" can also mean "tall" or "elevated". | |||
| Khmer | ខ្ពស់ | ||
| The word ខ្ពស់ (Khpsor) can also mean tall, elevated, or eminent. | |||
| Lao | ສູງ | ||
| In Thai, "สูง" (pronounced "sung") also means "tall, elevated, or long in vertical dimension". | |||
| Malay | tinggi | ||
| The root of the word "tinggi" is "tinggal" (to remain), suggesting a sense of elevation or permanence. | |||
| Thai | สูง | ||
| The word "สูง" also means "tall" or "great" in Thai, and is often used to describe people or objects that are elevated or superior. | |||
| Vietnamese | cao | ||
| The Vietnamese word "cao" can also mean "skillful" or "clever." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mataas | ||
High in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yüksək | ||
| "Yüksək" is related with the word "yük" (burden, load) and originally meant "loaded, heavy". | |||
| Kazakh | жоғары | ||
| The Kazakh word "жоғары" also means "above", "upwards", "higher", and "top". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жогорку | ||
| The term "жогорку" (high) is etymologically related to the word for an "eagle," and also signifies "sovereign." | |||
| Tajik | баланд | ||
| The word "баланд" can also refer to a type of eagle or a high mountain pass. | |||
| Turkmen | beýik | ||
| Uzbek | yuqori | ||
| Yuqori originates from the Old Turkic word *YuxrÏ, also sharing cognates with Mongolian, Siberian and Central Asian Turkic languages. | |||
| Uyghur | ئېگىز | ||
High in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiʻekiʻe | ||
| In the Hawaiian language, the word “kiʻekiʻe” can also refer to nobility, honor, or status. | |||
| Maori | teitei | ||
| The archaic or poetic Māori word 'teitei' can also refer to something 'excellent' or 'exalted'. | |||
| Samoan | maualuga | ||
| The word "maualuga" in Samoan can refer to the sky, a high place, or something that is above average in size or quality. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mataas | ||
| The Tagalog word "mataas" also means "tall" or "deep" depending on the context. | |||
High in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jach'a | ||
| Guarani | yvate | ||
High in International Languages
| Esperanto | alta | ||
| The Esperanto word "alta" is derived from the Latin word "altus," meaning "high" or "deep." | |||
| Latin | altum | ||
| The Latin word "altum" also refers to the deep sea, and is the root of the word "altitude." | |||
High in Others Languages
| Greek | υψηλός | ||
| υψηλός also means "sublime" and "honorable". | |||
| Hmong | siab | ||
| The Hmong word 'siab' ('high') is etymologically linked to 'sib' ('ascend'), highlighting the correlation between elevation and altitude. | |||
| Kurdish | bilind | ||
| The Kurdish word 'bilind' derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰel- ('to swell, rise') and shares cognates with English 'balloon' and 'blister'. | |||
| Turkish | yüksek | ||
| The Turkish word "yüksek" also means "noble", "great" or "loud". | |||
| Xhosa | phezulu | ||
| The word "phezulu" also means "up" or "above" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | הויך | ||
| Its etymology is similar to Yiddish 'הויל' or 'העי' which mean 'noise', hence the phrase 'זיין צו הויך' meaning to be too loud | |||
| Zulu | phezulu | ||
| The Zulu word "phezulu" can also refer to "upwards" or "on top of". | |||
| Assamese | ওখ | ||
| Aymara | jach'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊँच | ||
| Dhivehi | އުސް | ||
| Dogri | उच्चा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mataas | ||
| Guarani | yvate | ||
| Ilocano | nangato | ||
| Krio | ay | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرز | ||
| Maithili | ऊंच | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sang | ||
| Oromo | ol aanaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉଚ୍ଚ | ||
| Quechua | hatun | ||
| Sanskrit | उच्चैः | ||
| Tatar | биек | ||
| Tigrinya | ላዕሊ | ||
| Tsonga | henhla | ||