Honest in Different Languages
Discover 'Honest' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Honesty is a universal value, cherished by cultures and societies all over the world. It signifies a commitment to truth and transparency, and is often associated with integrity, reliability, and trust. An honest person is someone who values the truth over deception, and who strives to act with sincerity and authenticity in all their interactions.
Throughout history, honesty has been celebrated as a virtue of the highest order. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to modern-day philosophers and spiritual leaders, the importance of honesty has been consistently emphasized as a key component of ethical behavior and moral character.
Given the significance of honesty in so many different cultural and historical contexts, it's not surprising that people all over the world might be interested in learning how to say
Honest
Honest in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | eerlik | ||
| The Afrikaans word "eerlik" is derived from the Dutch word "eerlijk", meaning "honorable" or "notable" | |||
| Amharic | ታማኝ | ||
| The Amharic word "ታማኝ" (honest) is said to derive from the root "አመን" (believe) and thus signifies someone who is trustworthy or reliable. | |||
| Hausa | mai gaskiya | ||
| The term "mai gaskiya" can also refer to 'sincerity' or 'integrity' in Hausa language, emphasizing its significance beyond mere 'honesty'. | |||
| Igbo | eziokwu | ||
| The Igbo word "eziokwu" means "truth" or "honesty", and its root "kwu" means "to speak" | |||
| Malagasy | marina | ||
| The word 'marina' can also refer to a type of fish, a place where boats are kept, or a place where salt is produced. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | moona mtima | ||
| Moona mtima in Nyanja can also mean "straightforward" or "frank". | |||
| Shona | akatendeka | ||
| The word "akatendeka" can also mean "to be pure" or "to be genuine" | |||
| Somali | daacad | ||
| The word "daacad" can also be used to describe something that is genuine, authentic, or true. | |||
| Sesotho | tšepahala | ||
| The word "tšepahala" is also used to refer to someone who is straightforward and does not hide their thoughts or feelings. | |||
| Swahili | mwaminifu | ||
| mwaminifu can also mean "faithful" or "loyal". | |||
| Xhosa | ethembekileyo | ||
| In certain contexts, the word 'ethembekileyo' can also refer to faithfulness or reliability. | |||
| Yoruba | ooto | ||
| 'Ooto' can also mean 'true' or 'real'. | |||
| Zulu | qotho | ||
| In Zulu, "qotho" can also refer to a type of beer or someone who is straightforward or blunt. | |||
| Bambara | sɛbɛ | ||
| Ewe | toa nyateƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inyangamugayo | ||
| Lingala | bosolo | ||
| Luganda | -mazima | ||
| Sepedi | potego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nokorɛ | ||
Honest in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صادق | ||
| The word "صادق" (honest) in Arabic originally meant "to be sincere or truthful" and is related to the word "صِدق" (truth). | |||
| Hebrew | יָשָׁר | ||
| יָשָׁר is derived from the root 'ישר' meaning 'straight' or 'direct', and can also refer to 'uprightness' or 'integrity' | |||
| Pashto | صادق | ||
| The word "صادق" also means "truthful" and "loyal" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | صادق | ||
| The word "صادق" (honest) in Arabic originally meant "to be sincere or truthful" and is related to the word "صِدق" (truth). | |||
Honest in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i ndershem | ||
| The word ndershem ultimately derives from Latin `sincerus` ( | |||
| Basque | zintzoa | ||
| The word "zintzoa" can also refer to something of a simple, pure, or plain nature. | |||
| Catalan | honest | ||
| Catalan word 'honest' derives from the Latin word 'honestus' and also means 'chaste' and 'honorable'. | |||
| Croatian | pošten, čestit | ||
| The Croatian word "pošten, čestit" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*čьstъ", meaning "pure, innocent, genuine". | |||
| Danish | ærlig | ||
| The word "ærlig" is derived from the Old Norse word "jarl", meaning "nobleman" or "chieftain", implying trustworthiness and integrity. | |||
| Dutch | eerlijk | ||
| In Dutch, "eerlijk" is literally "of honor" and can also mean "fair" or "respectable." | |||
| English | honest | ||
| The word "honest" derives from the Latin "honestus" meaning "honorable, respectable" | |||
| French | honnête | ||
| In Old French, "honnête" meant "honorable, noble or virtuous"} | |||
| Frisian | earlik | ||
| In Frisian, "earlik" can also refer to "noble" or "genuine". | |||
| Galician | honesto | ||
| In Galician, "honesto" can also mean "noble" or "decorous", and is related to the Portuguese word "honesto" and the Spanish word "honesto". | |||
| German | ehrlich | ||
| Ehrlich is derived from the German word "Ehre," which means both "honor" and "truth." | |||
| Icelandic | heiðarlegur | ||
| The word is derived from the old Norse word | |||
| Irish | macánta | ||
| Macánta is also a surname, an Irish form of the English word Makenty, which means "son of the honest one." | |||
| Italian | onesto | ||
| "Onesto" can also refer to a person who is good at playing a game. | |||
| Luxembourgish | éierlech | ||
| The word "éierlech" is derived from the Old High German word "êra" meaning "honour" or "respect". | |||
| Maltese | onest | ||
| The Maltese word "onest" is derived from the Italian word "onesto" and also means "modest". | |||
| Norwegian | ærlig | ||
| The ær in ærlig is related to the Latin aēr, and thus also to the word air, referring to the open and breathable space of honesty. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | honesto | ||
| The word "honesto" in Portuguese can also mean "decent" or "respectable." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | onarach | ||
| In Gaelic, "onarach" can also mean honorable, virtuous or respectable. | |||
| Spanish | honesto | ||
| Honesto, in Spanish, also refers to decorum or propriety, and derives from the Latin honestus, meaning "honorable" or "respectable."} | |||
| Swedish | ärliga | ||
| "Ärliga rum" were the servants quarters, where the servants were not allowed to steal or cheat the owners of the house. | |||
| Welsh | onest | ||
| The spelling 'onest' is a more modern variation of 'onest' and is influenced by the English word 'honest'. | |||
Honest in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сумленны | ||
| Bosnian | iskreno | ||
| "Iskreno" also means "sincerely" or "cordially". | |||
| Bulgarian | честен | ||
| The word "честен" is also related to "чест" (honor), both deriving from the Proto-Slavic root *čьstъ. | |||
| Czech | upřímný | ||
| The word "upřímný" also means "sincere" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | aus | ||
| The word “aus” also means “strict,” and likely derives from the Proto-Finnic “ausa,” meaning “narrow” | |||
| Finnish | rehellinen | ||
| The word "rehellinen" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*rekti", meaning "straight", which originally referred to the path of the sun. | |||
| Hungarian | becsületes | ||
| "Becsületes" comes from the name of the currency of the Árpáds from the 13th century, the "bács". | |||
| Latvian | godīgi | ||
| The root "god-" also refers to "year" in Latvian (gads). | |||
| Lithuanian | nuoširdus | ||
| The word "nuoširdus" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerd-, meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish", suggesting a sense of genuineness and integrity. | |||
| Macedonian | искрен | ||
| The Slavic root "iskr" in 'iskren' means 'genuine,' 'true,' or 'real'; it is derived from the same Proto-Indo-European root as Greek 'akris', meaning 'pure' or 'unmixed'. | |||
| Polish | szczery | ||
| The word "szczery" derives from the Old Polish word "szczery", meaning "true" or "genuine" | |||
| Romanian | sincer | ||
| The Romanian word "sincer" also means "sincere" in Latin, French, and Spanish, indicating a shared etymological root for the concept of honesty across these languages. | |||
| Russian | честный | ||
| The word "честный" in Russian can also mean "noble" or "respectable". | |||
| Serbian | искрен | ||
| The word 'искрен' is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'искpь', meaning 'fire' or 'spark' | |||
| Slovak | čestný | ||
| The word 'čestný' in Slovak can also be used to describe something that is honorable, respectable, or held in high esteem. | |||
| Slovenian | pošteno | ||
| The word "pošteno" in Slovenian also means "fair" or "decent." | |||
| Ukrainian | чесний | ||
| The word "чесний" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*čьstь", meaning "honor" or "integrity." | |||
Honest in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সৎ | ||
| "সৎ" is also used in the sense of "pure", "sincere", "upright", or "true" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રામાણિક | ||
| પ્રામાણિક comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-, meaning 'to pass', 'to go through or beyond', or 'to cross'. | |||
| Hindi | ईमानदार | ||
| ईमानदार derives from the Arabic word 'iman', meaning faith. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕ | ||
| ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕ refers to “the act of being true in thought and action” or “not given to deceiving or lying” among many other related concepts. | |||
| Malayalam | സത്യസന്ധൻ | ||
| Marathi | प्रामाणिक | ||
| "प्रामाणिक" (honest) in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit word "प्रामाणिकः" (rightful, trustworthy). | |||
| Nepali | इमान्दार | ||
| The word is derived from the Sanskrit word 'imand', meaning 'faith' or 'trust'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਮਾਨਦਾਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවංක | ||
| 'අවංක' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'वक्र' (vakra), meaning 'crooked' or 'bent'. However, in Sinhala, it has come to mean the opposite, i.e., 'straight' or 'honest'. | |||
| Tamil | நேர்மையான | ||
| The word 'நேர்மையான' originally meant 'straight' or 'direct' and was only later applied to moral character. | |||
| Telugu | నిజాయితీ | ||
| The word "నిజాయితీ" originates from the Persian word "rast", meaning "truthful" or "straightforward." | |||
| Urdu | ایماندار | ||
| Derived from the Arabic term 'iman' (faith), 'aiman dar' (honest) in Urdu, also connotes trust or trustworthiness in addition to honesty, implying a deeper moral conviction in a person's character. | |||
Honest in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 诚实 | ||
| The character 诚 (cheng) in 诚实 (honest) derives from religious oaths in oracle bone script and bronzeware inscriptions where a witness's honesty was implored. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 誠實 | ||
| 誠實 derives from 誠, which in oracle bone scripts depicts a sacrificial vessel with offerings, conveying purity and integrity. | |||
| Japanese | 正直 | ||
| The word "正直" (chōjiki) can also mean "to be fair" or "to be impartial". | |||
| Korean | 정직한 | ||
| 정직 (jeongjik) means honest, but it can also mean 'upright' or 'aboveboard'. | |||
| Mongolian | шударга | ||
| The Mongolian word "шударга" is derived from the Mongolian word "шуд" meaning "straight" or "correct". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရိုးသားတယ် | ||
| The word comes from the word "ပရိုသ" (to make clear) to emphasize that an honest person will not have any secrets and will reveal everything clearly. | |||
Honest in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jujur | ||
| The Indonesian word "jujur" is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "jujurya", meaning "truthful". It can also refer to being righteous, straightforward, or sincere. | |||
| Javanese | jujur | ||
| Jujur ('honest') in Javanese also means 'to sell' or 'to trade' and is thought to be related to the word 'ujung' ('end') as transactions mark the end of the bargaining process. | |||
| Khmer | ស្មោះត្រង់ | ||
| Lao | ຊື່ສັດ | ||
| ຊື່ສັດ (literally means "being a true animal") connotes honest and sincere behavior, especially towards others. | |||
| Malay | jujur | ||
| The word "jujur" comes from the Proto-Malay language and is derived from Proto-Austronesian *dusus which means "straight", and also exists in other Indonesian words such as "lurus" | |||
| Thai | ซื่อสัตย์ | ||
| "ซื่อสัตย์" derives from the word "ซื่อ" (honesty) and "สัตย์" (truth), and can also mean "genuine" and "loyal". | |||
| Vietnamese | thật thà | ||
| "Thật thà" comes from the Sino-Vietnamese phrase "thực tình thực dạ" meaning "genuine in word and heart", and also has an alternate meaning of "frank" and "not devious or deceitful". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tapat | ||
Honest in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dürüst | ||
| The word "dürüst" in Azerbaijani derives from the Persian word "durust", meaning "correct, proper, upright" and is also related to the Armenian word "durn", meaning "good, right, just". | |||
| Kazakh | адал | ||
| The word "адал" is derived from the Persian word "adalat" and also means "justice" or "fairness". | |||
| Kyrgyz | чынчыл | ||
| "Чынчыл" is also the name for a small rodent native to South America. | |||
| Tajik | ростқавл | ||
| The word "ростқавл" can also refer to a person who is trustworthy and reliable. | |||
| Turkmen | dogruçyl | ||
| Uzbek | halol | ||
| The word "halol" can also refer to "lawful" or "permissible" in Islamic law. | |||
| Uyghur | سەمىمىي | ||
Honest in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoiaʻiʻo | ||
| 'Oia'i'o means 'firm', or 'to persevere' and comes from 'oi', a verb 'to strive for'. | |||
| Maori | pono | ||
| The word "pono" in Maori can also mean "truth", "correctness", or "accuracy". | |||
| Samoan | faamaoni | ||
| The word 'fa'a'moni' derives from the Proto-Samoan term 'fa'a'māoni' meaning 'to be careful' or 'to be cautious'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matapat | ||
| The word "matapat" is derived from the root word "tapat", meaning "direct" or "straightforward". It can also refer to something that is unwavering or constant. | |||
Honest in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhanachuymani | ||
| Guarani | tekoporã | ||
Honest in International Languages
| Esperanto | honesta | ||
| Esperanto's "honesta" derives from the Latin word for "honorable," implying social respect and integrity. | |||
| Latin | honestus | ||
| The Latin word "honestus" derives from "honos", meaning "honour" or "reputation". | |||
Honest in Others Languages
| Greek | τίμιος | ||
| In Ecclesiastical Greek, "τίμιος" also means "worthy of honor or respect". | |||
| Hmong | ncaj ncees | ||
| The Hmong word "ncaj ncees" is derived from the verb "ncaj" (to cut) and can also mean "to cut straight" or "to be correct". | |||
| Kurdish | dilpaqij | ||
| Dilpaqijs' root word 'paqij' is the same root word as the word for 'trust'. | |||
| Turkish | dürüst | ||
| Dürüst comes from Persian and originally meant 'truthful, faithful, sincere', with the sense of 'honest' developing in the 17th century. | |||
| Xhosa | ethembekileyo | ||
| In certain contexts, the word 'ethembekileyo' can also refer to faithfulness or reliability. | |||
| Yiddish | ערלעך | ||
| The Yiddish word "ערלעך" ("ehrlekh") also means "real" or "genuine". | |||
| Zulu | qotho | ||
| In Zulu, "qotho" can also refer to a type of beer or someone who is straightforward or blunt. | |||
| Assamese | সত্ | ||
| Aymara | qhanachuymani | ||
| Bhojpuri | ईमानदार | ||
| Dhivehi | ތެދުވެރި | ||
| Dogri | ईमानदार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tapat | ||
| Guarani | tekoporã | ||
| Ilocano | nalinteg | ||
| Krio | ɔnɛs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕاستگۆ | ||
| Maithili | इमानदार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯛꯆꯦꯜ ꯁꯦꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rinawm | ||
| Oromo | amanamaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସଚ୍ଚୋଟ | ||
| Quechua | sumaq sunqu | ||
| Sanskrit | सत्यरतः | ||
| Tatar | намуслы | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓቀኛ | ||
| Tsonga | kuva na ntiyiso | ||