Hole in Different Languages
Discover 'Hole' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'hole' is a cavity or hollow space in a solid body, a missing part where something was removed, or a small opening through which something can pass. This simple word holds great significance in various fields, from physics and mathematics to biology and engineering. Holes play a crucial role in our daily lives, from the holes in the Swiss cheese we eat to the holes in the socks we wear. They even have cultural importance, as seen in idioms like 'to hole up' or 'a hole in one' in golf.
Moreover, the word 'hole' has fascinating historical contexts. For instance, in ancient times, people believed that a 'holy hole' or 'holy well' had healing powers. Today, these 'holy holes' are popular tourist destinations, attracting visitors from around the world.
Understanding the translation of 'hole' in different languages can help us appreciate the diversity of cultures and languages. Here are some sample translations:
- French: trou
- Spanish: hoyo
- German: Loch
- Mandarin: 孔 (kǒng)
- Japanese: 穴 (ana)
Hole
Hole in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gat | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'gat' is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic *gatą, which also meant 'hole' and is still used in English as a dialectal term for 'opening' or 'passage'. | |||
| Amharic | ቀዳዳ | ||
| The word "ቀዳዳ" can also refer to a gap or a shortcoming, both in a physical and a metaphorical sense. | |||
| Hausa | rami | ||
| Although "rami" means "hole" in Hausa, it is also used to describe the interior of a house, a cave, or any enclosed space. | |||
| Igbo | onu | ||
| The word "onu" in Igbo also refers to an opening through which something passes, like a passageway or window. | |||
| Malagasy | lavaka | ||
| The Malagasy word "lavaka" can also refer to a type of gully erosion common to the island nation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dzenje | ||
| Dzenje also means the entrance to a house or a village, or an opening in a fence or wall. | |||
| Shona | gomba | ||
| In the Shona language, the word "gomba" signifies not only a "hole" but also a cavity, pit, or empty space within an object. | |||
| Somali | god | ||
| The word "god" (hole) in Somali shares etymology with the word "gaad" meaning "to open". | |||
| Sesotho | lesoba | ||
| The word 'lesoba' can also mean 'a trap' or 'a snare' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | shimo | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "hole," "shimo" can also refer to a well, grave, or pit. | |||
| Xhosa | umngxuma | ||
| The word "umngxuma" can also refer to a gap or an opening | |||
| Yoruba | iho | ||
| The noun "iho" in Yoruba also means "an opening"} | |||
| Zulu | umgodi | ||
| The noun 'umgodi', when prefixed by a locative pronoun, means a place or thing inside something. | |||
| Bambara | dingɛ | ||
| Ewe | do | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwobo | ||
| Lingala | libulu | ||
| Luganda | ekinnya | ||
| Sepedi | lešoba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tokuro | ||
Hole in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الفجوة | ||
| The word "الفجوة" (al-fajw) in Arabic refers to a gap, opening, or hole but can also denote a period of time or the absence of something. | |||
| Hebrew | חור | ||
| The word "חור" in Hebrew can also refer to a cave, a ruin, or a gap. | |||
| Pashto | سوري | ||
| The word "سور" can also mean "cave" or "hollow" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الفجوة | ||
| The word "الفجوة" (al-fajw) in Arabic refers to a gap, opening, or hole but can also denote a period of time or the absence of something. | |||
Hole in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vrimë | ||
| The etymology is uncertain, though it may be related to Germanic, Slavic, Celtic, or Albanian words for "hole" or "pit." | |||
| Basque | zuloa | ||
| "Zuloa" derives from "zulu" ('dark', 'blind', or 'deep'), and from that comes also "eztula" ('cough', from an alteration of the throat). | |||
| Catalan | forat | ||
| "Forat" is cognate with Latin "forare" (to bore, pierce), French "forer" (to drill), "forage" (drilling) and "forêt" (drill), and Spanish "forar" (to bore, pierce). | |||
| Croatian | rupa | ||
| In some dialects of Croatian, the word "rupa" can also refer to a "gap" or "opening" in a surface. | |||
| Danish | hul | ||
| Hul (Danish for "hole") also means "cavity" or "hollow spot". | |||
| Dutch | gat | ||
| "Gat" can derive from the Indo-European root "*ghedh-", meaning "to seize, catch, hold" or "*gha-", meaning "to gape". | |||
| English | hole | ||
| Etymology: hole (n.) "cavity" comes from Old English "hol" of the same meaning, akin to German "hohle" and Dutch "hol" both meaning "hollow". Also, a hole in golf refers to a small cavity in the ground where the flag stick is placed. | |||
| French | trou | ||
| The word "trou" can also mean "worry" or "annoyance" in French, and is related to the Old French word "truier," meaning "to bore" or "to pierce. | |||
| Frisian | gat | ||
| The word "gat" in Frisian can also refer to a canal, a street, or a gap in a fence. | |||
| Galician | burato | ||
| "Burato" shares its etymology with the Castillian "burato" (coarse fabric) and the French "bure" (rough fabric). | |||
| German | loch | ||
| In Bavarian, the word 'Loch' also means an unlit attic space. | |||
| Icelandic | gat | ||
| Gat, meaning "hole" in Icelandic, is a cognate of the Old Norse "gat", which also meant "path" or "road". | |||
| Irish | poll | ||
| The Irish word "poll" can also refer to a head or skull | |||
| Italian | buco | ||
| The origin of the word "buco" is unclear, though it is attested as early as the 13th century and is related to the French word "bouche" (mouth). | |||
| Luxembourgish | lach | ||
| The term "Lach" in Luxembourgish, derived from the Old High German word "lahha" or the Old Norse word "lok", originally referred to a hollowed-out space used for storage or shelter. | |||
| Maltese | toqba | ||
| The word "toqba" derives from the Arabic "thuqba", which refers to the holes in a sieve. | |||
| Norwegian | hull | ||
| The word "hull" in Norwegian can also refer to a ship's body or a peapod. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | orifício | ||
| The word "orifício" comes from the Latin word "orificium", meaning "opening". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | toll | ||
| In Scottish Gaelic, the word "toll" can also mean "toll" or a "toll-keeper". | |||
| Spanish | agujero | ||
| Agujero in Spanish also refers to a loophole or error, a cavity, a gap or opening, a flaw or defect. | |||
| Swedish | hål | ||
| In Swedish, "hål" can be used in the phrase "hålla hål på något" which literally means "to keep a hole on something" but figuratively means "to keep an eye on something." | |||
| Welsh | twll | ||
| A hole in the ground is known as 'twll mawn'. | |||
Hole in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзірка | ||
| The word "дзірка" also refers to an opening made in the earlobe for wearing an earring | |||
| Bosnian | rupa | ||
| The Bosnian word "rupa" can also mean "mine" or "pit". | |||
| Bulgarian | дупка | ||
| "Дупка" in Bulgarian also refers to something very bad, nasty or terrible, e.g.: "Това е пълна ДУПКА" | |||
| Czech | otvor | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic "otvor" denoted an opening, gate or window. | |||
| Estonian | auk | ||
| In South Estonian dialects, the word "auk" can also refer to a narrow strait between two islands. | |||
| Finnish | reikä | ||
| "Reikä can also refer to a hole in someone's head." | |||
| Hungarian | lyuk | ||
| "Lyuk" is a word used to refer to a hole in Hungarian. It derives from the Slavic word "luko" meaning "bow" and "luk" meaning "corner". | |||
| Latvian | caurums | ||
| Latvian word "caurums" originates from the ancient Lithuanian language and is related to words "kirvis" (axe) and "kertasi" (to cut). | |||
| Lithuanian | skylė | ||
| The word "skylė" in Lithuanian shares its root with the word "sklypas" (plot of land), both deriving from the Indo-European root "*skel" (to cut) | |||
| Macedonian | дупка | ||
| The Macedonian word for "hole" also means "trap" or "pit" and has the same Slavic origin as the Russian word for "hole" (дырка). | |||
| Polish | otwór | ||
| The word "otwór" (hole) derives from the Proto-Slavic word, "otvorъ" meaning opening or aperture. | |||
| Romanian | gaură | ||
| The word "gaură" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰew- meaning "to enclose, to cover". | |||
| Russian | отверстие | ||
| The word "отверстие" comes from the Old Russian word "отверстити", meaning "to open". It can also refer to an opening in a wall, a door, or a window. | |||
| Serbian | рупа | ||
| The word "рупа" can also refer to a pockmark, pit, gap, aperture or cavity. | |||
| Slovak | diera | ||
| The word "diera" also refers to a musical instrument similar to a flute. | |||
| Slovenian | luknja | ||
| While the most common meaning of "luknja" is "hole", it can also mean "cavity" or "pit". | |||
| Ukrainian | отвір | ||
| In Slavic languages, a cognate word “отворити” means “to open”, whereas “отвір” refers specifically to the resulting opening, such as a hole. | |||
Hole in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গর্ত | ||
| গর্ত is a homophone of the word গত ('past') and shares the same etymology, both coming from Sanskrit गत ('gone'). | |||
| Gujarati | છિદ્ર | ||
| The Gujarati word "છિદ્ર" (hole) is derived from the Sanskrit word "छिद्र" (hole), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱey-" (to split). | |||
| Hindi | छेद | ||
| "छेद" also means "fault, flaw, or defect". | |||
| Kannada | ರಂಧ್ರ | ||
| "ರಂಧ್ರ" also means "cavity, aperture, opening, passage, or orifice" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ദ്വാരം | ||
| The word "ദ്വാരം" also means "gate" or "door" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Marathi | भोक | ||
| The Marathi word 'भोक' (hole) also means 'hunger' in Sanskrit. | |||
| Nepali | प्वाल | ||
| The word "प्वाल" (hole) in Nepali may also refer to a hollow or cavity in the body or a gap or opening in a surface. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੋਰੀ | ||
| The word "ਮੋਰੀ" can also mean "a hiding place" or "a secret passage". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කුහරය | ||
| In Sinhalese, 'hole' can also refer to a cavity in a body part, an empty space or container, a fault or defect, or a space within a system. | |||
| Tamil | துளை | ||
| The Tamil word "துளை" can also refer to a cavity, burrow, or perforation, and may be cognate with the Proto-Dravidian word *tuḷu, signifying a cavity or hollow. | |||
| Telugu | రంధ్రం | ||
| Urdu | سوراخ | ||
| "سوراخ" is related to the Persian word "سوراخ" and the Arabic word "ثقب" which also mean "hole". | |||
Hole in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 孔 | ||
| "孔" also means "a person with great knowledge or talent". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 孔 | ||
| The character "孔" may also have the alternate meaning of "Confucius" or a person with great knowledge or ability. | |||
| Japanese | 穴 | ||
| "穴" (hole) also means a place where something is located or an opportunity. | |||
| Korean | 구멍 | ||
| The word '구멍' is also used figuratively to refer to a flaw or weakness. | |||
| Mongolian | нүх | ||
| "Нүх" (hole) also refers to the openings on a garment to put one's arms and legs. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပေါက် | ||
Hole in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lubang | ||
| 'Lubang' is also an archaic Indonesian word for 'house' or 'room', reflecting its Proto-Austronesian root, *qubaŋ. | |||
| Javanese | bolongan | ||
| In Javanese, "bolongan" (hole) stems from Sanskrit "bhulanga" (serpent) and is also used to describe a cave. | |||
| Khmer | រន្ធ | ||
| The word “រន្ធ” or “rɔ:ndɔh” literally means “hole, cavity or passageway” but can figuratively mean “an opportunity”. | |||
| Lao | ຂຸມ | ||
| In addition to meaning "hole," ຂຸມ can also refer to a "den," "cavity," or "opening." | |||
| Malay | lubang | ||
| Although "lubang" generally means "hole," it can also refer to a "cave" or an "orifice" of a body part, such as the mouth or nose. | |||
| Thai | หลุม | ||
| The word "หลุม" is derived from the Mon language and is related to the word "ละม" meaning "ditch". | |||
| Vietnamese | hố | ||
| The word "hố" also refers to a depression in the ground that is larger than a hole and smaller than a cave. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | butas | ||
Hole in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dəlik | ||
| In Old Turkic, the word "dəlik" meant "wide, open". In modern Azerbaijani, it is also used as a slang term for "prison" or "jail". | |||
| Kazakh | тесік | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Turkic *tešik, the word "тесік" is also a verb meaning "to pierce" or "to drill". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тешик | ||
| The word "тешик" also means "empty" or "hollow" in Kyrgyz, and is related to the word "теш" meaning "to dig". | |||
| Tajik | сӯрох | ||
| The word "сӯрох" (hole) in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "sūrx" meaning "opening". | |||
| Turkmen | deşik | ||
| Uzbek | teshik | ||
| "Teshik" in Uzbek comes from Proto-Turkic "*tešük" meaning "aperture in the ground" and has been used figuratively since at least the 15th century, meaning "lack" or "deficiency." | |||
| Uyghur | تۆشۈك | ||
Hole in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | puka | ||
| The word "puka" can also refer to a window, a gap, an opening, or a break. | |||
| Maori | kōhao | ||
| The word "kōhao" in Māori also means "a place where something is hidden" or "a secret place". | |||
| Samoan | pu | ||
| Pu can also refer to an animal's den, a place of refuge, or a place of concealment. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | butas | ||
| "Butas" also refers to a small room or dwelling, likely due to its small and enclosed nature. | |||
Hole in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | p'iya | ||
| Guarani | kuára | ||
Hole in International Languages
| Esperanto | truo | ||
| The Esperanto word "truo" comes from the Latin word "trua", which also means "hole". | |||
| Latin | foraminis | ||
| Foraminis (meaning "hole" in Latin) originates from the Greek word "pora," meaning "hole, opening, or pore." | |||
Hole in Others Languages
| Greek | τρύπα | ||
| The word "τρύπα" (trypa) in Greek has Indo-European roots and is related to the Latin word "terebrare" (to bore), implying its primary meaning of "hole" but also extending to the concept of "perforation" or "opening." | |||
| Hmong | lub qhov | ||
| The word "lub qhov" can also mean "den" or "cave" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | qûl | ||
| The word “qûl” can also mean: a trap for catching animals, a type of grain storage device, or a cave. | |||
| Turkish | delik | ||
| The Turkish word "delik" not only means "hole" but also "crazy" or "eccentric" when used figuratively. | |||
| Xhosa | umngxuma | ||
| The word "umngxuma" can also refer to a gap or an opening | |||
| Yiddish | לאָך | ||
| The Yiddish word "לאָך" (lokh) can also refer to a prison cell or a hiding place. | |||
| Zulu | umgodi | ||
| The noun 'umgodi', when prefixed by a locative pronoun, means a place or thing inside something. | |||
| Assamese | ফুটা | ||
| Aymara | p'iya | ||
| Bhojpuri | छैद | ||
| Dhivehi | ލޯވަޅު | ||
| Dogri | सराख | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | butas | ||
| Guarani | kuára | ||
| Ilocano | buttaw | ||
| Krio | ol | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کون | ||
| Maithili | बिल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯍꯣꯕ | ||
| Mizo | kua | ||
| Oromo | qaawwa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗର୍ତ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | uchku | ||
| Sanskrit | छिद्र | ||
| Tatar | тишек | ||
| Tigrinya | ነዃል | ||
| Tsonga | mbhovo | ||