Homeless in Different Languages
Discover 'Homeless' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Homeless
Afrikaans haweloos | ||
Albanian i pastrehë | ||
Amharic ቤት አልባ | ||
Arabic بلا مأوى | ||
Armenian անօթեւան | ||
Assamese গৃহহীন | ||
Aymara jan utani | ||
Azerbaijani evsiz | ||
Bambara so tɛ mɔgɔ minnu bolo | ||
Basque etxerik gabe | ||
Belarusian бяздомныя | ||
Bengali গৃহহীন | ||
Bhojpuri बेघर लोग के बा | ||
Bosnian beskućnici | ||
Bulgarian бездомник | ||
Catalan sense sostre | ||
Cebuano wala’y balay | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 无家可归 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 無家可歸 | ||
Corsican senza casa | ||
Croatian beskućnik | ||
Czech bez domova | ||
Danish hjemløs | ||
Dhivehi ގެދޮރު ނެތް މީހުންނެވެ | ||
Dogri बेघर | ||
Dutch dakloos | ||
English homeless | ||
Esperanto senhejmuloj | ||
Estonian kodutud | ||
Ewe aƒemanɔsitɔwo | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) walang tirahan | ||
Finnish kodittomia | ||
French sans abri | ||
Frisian dakleas | ||
Galician sen fogar | ||
Georgian უსახლკარო | ||
German obdachlos | ||
Greek άστεγος | ||
Guarani ndorekóiva hóga | ||
Gujarati બેઘર | ||
Haitian Creole sanzabri | ||
Hausa marasa gida | ||
Hawaiian home ʻole | ||
Hebrew חֲסַר בַּיִת | ||
Hindi बेघर | ||
Hmong tsis muaj tsev nyob | ||
Hungarian hajléktalan | ||
Icelandic heimilislaus | ||
Igbo enweghị ebe obibi | ||
Ilocano awan pagtaenganna | ||
Indonesian tuna wisma | ||
Irish gan dídean | ||
Italian senzatetto | ||
Japanese ホームレス | ||
Javanese wisma | ||
Kannada ಮನೆಯಿಲ್ಲದವರು | ||
Kazakh үйсіз | ||
Khmer គ្មានទីលំនៅ | ||
Kinyarwanda abadafite aho baba | ||
Konkani घरबसले | ||
Korean 노숙자 | ||
Krio we nɔ gɛt os | ||
Kurdish bêmal | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) بێماڵ | ||
Kyrgyz үй-жайсыз | ||
Lao ນອນຕາມຖະຫນົນ | ||
Latin profugo | ||
Latvian bezpajumtnieki | ||
Lingala bazangi ndako | ||
Lithuanian benamiai | ||
Luganda abatalina mwasirizi | ||
Luxembourgish obdachlos | ||
Macedonian бездомници | ||
Maithili बेघर | ||
Malagasy tsy manan-kialofana | ||
Malay tiada tempat tinggal | ||
Malayalam ഭവനരഹിതർ | ||
Maltese bla dar | ||
Maori kainga kore | ||
Marathi बेघर | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯌꯨꯝ ꯂꯩꯇꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo chenna nei lo | ||
Mongolian орон гэргүй | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) အိုးမဲ့အိမ်မဲ့ | ||
Nepali बेघर | ||
Norwegian hjemløs | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) opanda pokhala | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଭୂମିହୀନ | | ||
Oromo mana hin qabne | ||
Pashto بې کوره | ||
Persian بی خانمان | ||
Polish bezdomny | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) sem teto | ||
Punjabi ਬੇਘਰ | ||
Quechua mana wasiyuq | ||
Romanian fără adăpost | ||
Russian бездомный | ||
Samoan leai ni fale | ||
Sanskrit निराश्रयम् | ||
Scots Gaelic gun dachaigh | ||
Sepedi ba hloka magae | ||
Serbian бескућници | ||
Sesotho ho hloka lehae | ||
Shona vasina pokugara | ||
Sindhi بي گهر | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නිවාස නැති | ||
Slovak bezdomovec | ||
Slovenian brezdomci | ||
Somali guri la’aan | ||
Spanish vagabundo | ||
Sundanese euweuh imah | ||
Swahili wasio na makazi | ||
Swedish hemlös | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) walang tirahan | ||
Tajik бехонумон | ||
Tamil வீடற்றவர்கள் | ||
Tatar йортсыз | ||
Telugu నిరాశ్రయుల | ||
Thai ไม่มีที่อยู่อาศัย | ||
Tigrinya ገዛ ዘይብሎም | ||
Tsonga lava pfumalaka makaya | ||
Turkish evsiz | ||
Turkmen öýsüz | ||
Twi (Akan) a wonni afie | ||
Ukrainian бездомний | ||
Urdu بے گھر | ||
Uyghur ئۆي-ماكانسىز | ||
Uzbek uysiz | ||
Vietnamese vô gia cư | ||
Welsh digartref | ||
Xhosa abangenamakhaya | ||
Yiddish היימלאָז | ||
Yoruba aini ile | ||
Zulu abangenamakhaya |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | 'Haweloos', Afrikaans for 'homeless', stems from 'have loos' or 'without shelter'. |
| Albanian | The word "i pastrehë" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "pastor", meaning "shepherd". Pastrehë is used to describe poor shephards who are away from their homes for months while pasturing the sheep. |
| Amharic | In Amharic, the word "ቤት አልባ" (bēt albā) can also mean "without a house" or "without a home." |
| Arabic | The word "بلا مأوى" literally means "without a haven" in Arabic. |
| Azerbaijani | In Azerbaijani, the word “evsiz” literally means “without home,” but it can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who is lonely or without support. |
| Basque | "Etxerik gabe" means "without a house" in Basque. |
| Belarusian | The word "бяздомныя" (homeless) in Belarusian comes from the Old Slavic word "бездомъ" (without a home). |
| Bengali | গৃহহীন (meaning homeless) can also mean "one who does not have a wife" but it is now obsolete. |
| Bosnian | The word "beskućnici" also means "people without a home" in Bosnian. |
| Bulgarian | The word "бездомник" also means "a wanderer, a vagrant" in Bulgarian. |
| Catalan | This word is a compound of the noun "sens" (meaning "without") and the noun "sostre" (meaning "roof"), so it originally meant "roofless". |
| Cebuano | "wala’y balay" literally translates to "without a house" in Cebuano. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The Chinese word for "homeless" is literally "without a home to return to." |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 無家可歸 literally means "without a home to return to" suggesting the displacement of people from their homes. |
| Corsican | The Corsican equivalent, «senza casa», is also used to mean "homeless" in Italian and "without home" in Spanish. |
| Croatian | "Beskućnik" derives from Turkish "bes" ("five") which refers to the Ottoman tax of "five-akçe" collected per non-Muslim family without a home. |
| Czech | The Czech word "bez domova" has a broader meaning than "homeless", also encompassing people without a permanent residence or address |
| Danish | The word "hjemløs" literally means "without a home" in Danish. |
| Dutch | The word "dakloos" in Dutch is derived from "dak" (roof) and "loos" (deprived), implying a lack of shelter overhead. |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "senhejmuloj" is a compound word made up of the prefix "sen-" (without) and the word "hejmo" (home). |
| Estonian | Kodutud means 'house-roof-less' and is related to the word katus ('roof'), so the word originally meant 'without a roof', but later became less specific, just meaning 'house-less'. |
| Finnish | The Finnish word 'kodittomia' ('homeless') can also be used to refer to 'animals without a home'. |
| French | The word "sans abri" is derived from the Latin phrase "sine arbore" meaning "without a tree". |
| Frisian | The word "dakleas" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰek- meaning "to take, to give" and originally meant "beggar". |
| Galician | "Sen fogar" in Galician literally translates to "without fire," suggesting the loss of warmth and comfort associated with a home. |
| German | The word derives from Middle High German obdach, meaning 'roof' and los, 'loose' or 'detached'. |
| Greek | The word "άστεγος" literally translates to "without a roof" or "lacking a home" and is used in both a literal and figurative sense. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word 'બેઘર' ('beghar') comes from the Sanskrit word 'विघर' ('vighar'), meaning 'to wander' or 'to be without a home,' reflecting the nomadic lifestyle of some communities. |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "sanzabri" can also refer to a person who is poor or in need. |
| Hausa | The Hausa word 'marasa gida' literally means 'one who does not have a house'. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, the word "home ʻole" literally means "without a home" but can also carry deeper cultural significance, reflecting ancestral displacement and loss of identity. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "חֲסַר בַּיִת" can also refer to someone who lacks a spiritual home or a sense of belonging. |
| Hindi | The word 'बेघर' literally means 'without a house', and can also refer to someone who has lost their home due to circumstances beyond their control. |
| Hmong | "Tsis muaj tsev nyob" is often translated as "homeless" but can also mean "without a house". |
| Hungarian | The word 'hajléktalan' originally meant 'without refuge', and only came to mean 'homeless' in the late 1700s. |
| Icelandic | Heimilislaus is a compound word in Icelandic that directly translates as "without a home". Beyond its primary usage, heimilislaus can also be used in a more metaphorical sense, indicating a lack of comfort, security, or familiarity. |
| Igbo | "Enweghị ebe obibi" means "without a place to live" but can also be translated as "vagabond," "hobo," or even "tramp". |
| Indonesian | "Tuna wisma" is derived from the Sanskrit words "tuna" (lacking) and "wisma" (home), meaning "lacking a home." |
| Irish | The word 'gan dídean' literally means 'without shelter' or 'without protection'. |
| Italian | The word "senzatetto" could also mean someone who left their home and family to live a life of renunciation and piety. |
| Japanese | The loanword "ホームレス" came to Japanese via English from Latin and has its roots in the phrase "sine domo". |
| Javanese | In Javanese, the word "wisma" not only means "homeless," but also refers to a guest house or a place of lodging. |
| Kannada | The word "ಮನೆಯಿಲ್ಲದವರು" can also refer to people who live in temporary or transitional housing. |
| Kazakh | The word "үйсіз" can also mean "poor" or "needy" in Kazakh. |
| Korean | The word "노숙자" (homeless) literally means "one who spends the night on the street" in Korean. |
| Kurdish | The Kurdish word "bêmal" can also mean "without property" or "poor" in a broader sense. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "үй-жайсыз" in Kyrgyz has two alternate meanings: "uninhabited" and "lonely." |
| Latin | The noun "profugo" can also mean "exile" and the verb "profugere" can mean "flee" or "run away". |
| Latvian | The word "bezpajumtnieki" is derived from the Latvian word "pajumte", meaning "shelter". Originally, it referred to people who did not have shelter, but it now also includes those who live in temporary accommodation or on the streets. |
| Lithuanian | In Lithuanian, the word "benamiai" can also refer to a "landless person". |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "Obdachlos" is derived from the German word "Obdachlosigkeit", which means "homelessness". |
| Macedonian | The term "бездомници" in Macedonian can refer to both people without a home and to animals without an owner. |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "tsy manan-kialofana" can also mean "without a roof over one's head" or "without a place to live". |
| Malay | Tiada tempat tinggal literally means 'no place of residence' in Malay, but is most commonly used to refer to individuals without a permanent home. |
| Malayalam | The word 'homeless' in Malayalam, 'ഭവനരഹിതർ' (bhavanarahithar), literally means 'devoid of a dwelling place'. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word 'bla dar' comes from Arabic 'bēit dār' (House of Residence) and is also found in Sicilian, Spanish and Catalan |
| Maori | Kainga kore literally means "without home", and refers to the social condition of homelessness, not to the state of a house. |
| Marathi | The word "बेघर" can also mean "unhoused" or "without a home". |
| Mongolian | The word "орон гэргүй" can also refer to someone who is uprooted or displaced from their homeland, or to a person who is socially isolated or marginalized. |
| Nepali | The word 'बेघर' in Nepali, often translated as 'homeless', also carries the meanings of 'lost' and 'dispersed' from its Sanskrit origins. |
| Norwegian | The word 'hjemløs' literally means 'homeless' in Norwegian, but it can also refer to someone who is displaced or has lost their home. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ''Opanda pokhala'', commonly translated as ''homeless'', is literally ''without fireplace(s)'' in Chichewa. |
| Pashto | Literal translation of "بې کوره" into English is "without home" while its more metaphorical meaning in Pashto is "unhappy, distraught," and "frustrated." |
| Persian | The word "بی خانمان" literally translates to "without a home" in Persian, and it can also refer to a person who has lost their home due to natural disasters or other circumstances. |
| Polish | "Bezdomny" can also mean "childless" in Polish. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "sem teto" is a literal translation of "without roof", but it also has the extended meaning of "homeless". |
| Punjabi | ਬੇਘਰ, or 'beghar', also means 'vagrant' or 'wanderer' in Punjabi. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "fără adăpost" can also mean "shelterless" or "without a roof over one's head". |
| Russian | The word "бездомный" is derived from the Old Russian word "безьдомье", which means "lack of home or shelter". It is also related to the word "дом", meaning "home". Historically, the term was mainly used to describe beggars and vagrants, but nowadays its meaning has expanded and it can also refer to people who live in temporary or inadequate housing. |
| Samoan | "Leai ni fale" literally means "without a house" in Samoan. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Gaelic word “gun dachaigh” (“homeless”) is also used to describe people who have been forced to flee their homes, such as refugees or asylum seekers. |
| Serbian | The word "бескућници" in Serbian is derived from the word "кућа" (house) and the prefix "без" (without), meaning "without a house". |
| Sesotho | The term "ho hloka lehae" can also be figuratively applied to individuals who are dispossessed or destitute, lacking a sense of belonging or security. |
| Shona | In Shona, 'vasina pokugara' refers to people who do not have a permanent home and often live on the streets or in temporary shelters. |
| Sindhi | The word "بي گهر" in Sindhi also means "without value" or "useless." |
| Slovak | The word 'bezdomovec' in Slovak literally translates as 'without a home' |
| Slovenian | The term 'brezdomci' is the plural of the Slovenian word 'brezdomc', which literally translates to 'without a home' or 'without a house'. |
| Somali | The word "guri la’aan" can be literally translated as 'a place without shade,' highlighting the vulnerability of those who lack shelter. |
| Spanish | The word "vagabundo" originally referred to a "wandering worker" and can also mean "tramp" or "vagrant". |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, the word "euweuh imah" literally means "without a house". |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "wasio na makazi" ("homeless") literally means "those without a home." |
| Swedish | The word "hemlös" originates from the Old Norse word "heimlaus", meaning "without a home". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Walang tirahan literally translates to "without (a) dwelling place," hence its association to homelessness. |
| Tajik | The word "бехонумон" ultimately derives from the Persian "bē-χān" (without-home), and can also refer to a "refuge" or "sanctuary". |
| Tamil | The word "வீடற்றவர்கள்" primarily refers to people who lack a permanent abode, but it can also be used figuratively to describe those who are excluded or marginalized from society. |
| Telugu | The word "నిరాశ్రయుల" (homeless) is derived from the Sanskrit words "निरा" (without) and "आश्रय" (shelter), meaning "without shelter or protection". |
| Thai | The word 'homeless' (ไม่มีที่อยู่อาศัย) in Thai can also refer to people who live in temporary shelters or on the streets. |
| Turkish | "Evsiz" is a word in Turkish derived from "ev," which means "house" and "siz," which means "lacking" or "without." Therefore, the word "evsiz" literally means someone without a home. |
| Ukrainian | The word |
| Urdu | The word 'بے گھر' is derived from Persian and literally means 'without home'. |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "uysiz" is thought to be derived from the Persian word "bi-khāne" meaning "without home". |
| Vietnamese | In Vietnamese, vô gia cư literally means 'without residence'. |
| Welsh | The word "digartref" is derived from the Welsh words "dig" (lack) and "artref" (home), and can also mean "refugee" or "exile". |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word “abangenamakhaya” derives from the Zulu word “abangenamakhaya,” which means "non-house people". |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "היימלאָז" (heymlоyz) likely derives from the German word "heimlos," meaning "homeless" or "without a home." |
| Yoruba | "Aini ile" can be used to refer to someone who is in a temporary shelter or who cannot provide a permanent address |
| Zulu | "Abangenamakhaya" is a Zulu word that literally translates to "those who are waiting for a home". |
| English | The word 'homeless' originates from the Old English word 'hamleas', meaning 'without a home or village'. |