Host in Different Languages
Discover 'Host' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'host' carries with it a significant weight of meaning, denoting everything from a person who welcomes guests into their home, to a computer that serves data to other computers on a network. Culturally, being a good host is often seen as a mark of respect and kindness, with many societies placing great importance on hospitality.
But did you know that the word 'host' has its roots in ancient Latin, or that in some languages, the word for 'host' can also mean 'guest' or 'stranger'? In fact, in many cultures, the concept of a 'host' is closely tied to that of community and social cohesion, reflecting the importance of welcoming others into our lives and sharing our resources with those around us.
Whether you're a language learner looking to expand your vocabulary, a cultural enthusiast seeking to deepen your understanding of the world around you, or simply someone who loves to explore the rich tapestry of human language and culture, exploring the many translations of the word 'host' is a great place to start.
Host
Host in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gasheer | ||
| The word "gasheer" in Afrikaans derives from the French "gacier" and ultimately the Vulgar Latin "gassarius". | |||
| Amharic | አስተናጋጅ | ||
| አስተናጋጅ derives from አስተናገደ "cause to speak," alluding to welcoming a guest with polite conversation | |||
| Hausa | mai gida | ||
| Mai gida (host) is believed to have derived from the Hausa phrase "mai gida na gida," meaning "the owner of the house." | |||
| Igbo | onye nnabata | ||
| The Igbo word "onye nnabata" (literally "one who sits before someone") also denotes a patron or protector. | |||
| Malagasy | miaramila | ||
| The word "miaramila" can also refer to a group of people attending an event or a meeting. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wolandila | ||
| "Wolandila" comes from the verb "landila," meaning "to be accompanied, escorted". | |||
| Shona | mushanyi | ||
| "Mushanyi" also means "a person who serves or attends to visitors" | |||
| Somali | martigeliye | ||
| "Martigeliye" is derived from the Arabic word "marhaban" or the Persian word "marhaba," both meaning "welcome." | |||
| Sesotho | moamoheli | ||
| The word 'moamoheli' can also refer to a house or a hostel. | |||
| Swahili | mwenyeji | ||
| "Mwenyeji" can also refer to a landlord or property owner. | |||
| Xhosa | umphathi | ||
| In one sense, "umphathi" refers specifically to a host who welcomes guests to a home or gathering. | |||
| Yoruba | gbalejo | ||
| The word 'gbalejo' in Yoruba, meaning 'host', also refers to a type of traditional Yoruba drum used for entertainment and religious purposes. | |||
| Zulu | umphathi | ||
| "Umphathi" also means "owner of the house" or "landlord" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | jatigi | ||
| Ewe | aƒetᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | nyiricyubahiro | ||
| Lingala | moto ayambi bapaya | ||
| Luganda | okukyaaza | ||
| Sepedi | monggae | ||
| Twi (Akan) | deɛ ɔgye ahɔhoɔ | ||
Host in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مضيف | ||
| The word "مضيف" also refers to a "home" or "location" in Arabic, conveying the sense of welcoming and providing shelter. | |||
| Hebrew | מנחה | ||
| The term 'מנחה' was also used in ancient times to refer to the sacrifice or offering given to gods | |||
| Pashto | کوربه | ||
| The word "کوربه" in Pashto also means "owner" or "master". | |||
| Arabic | مضيف | ||
| The word "مضيف" also refers to a "home" or "location" in Arabic, conveying the sense of welcoming and providing shelter. | |||
Host in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mikpritës | ||
| The word "mikpritës" in Albanian is derived from the Greek word "mikros" meaning "small" and "protos" meaning "first". | |||
| Basque | ostalaria | ||
| The word "ostalaria" comes from the Latin word "hospes" and originally meant "guest" or "stranger." | |||
| Catalan | amfitrió | ||
| The word "amfitrió" in Catalan, like in English, derives from the Greek word "amphitryōn", meaning "host" or "lord of the house." | |||
| Croatian | domaćin | ||
| The word "domaćin" originally meant "a wealthy man" and also referred to the head of a household or a landlord | |||
| Danish | vært | ||
| The word "vært" is related to the Old Norse word "verja", meaning "to defend or protect". | |||
| Dutch | gastheer | ||
| The Dutch word "gastheer" is etymologically related to the Old English word "gæst" meaning "guest", and originally meant "receiver of guests", with the modern meaning of "host" developing later. | |||
| English | host | ||
| The word 'host' is derived from Old English 'hōs' meaning enemy, army, and the Latin word for guest, 'hospes'. | |||
| French | hôte | ||
| French word 'hôte' is derived from the word 'hospes', meaning guest or stranger and refers to a person who is received and treated with hospitality in a house. | |||
| Frisian | gasthear | ||
| The Frisian word "geasthear" has a cognate in the Dutch "gastheer," but its original meaning is more like "guest"} | |||
| Galician | anfitrión | ||
| In Galician, "anfitrión" is derived from Latin "amphitryon" and also means "master of the house" or "leader of a clan". | |||
| German | gastgeber | ||
| In German, "Gastgeber" originally referred to both the host and their house, with the meaning of "house" later being replaced by "guest" | |||
| Icelandic | gestgjafi | ||
| The word "gestgjafi" is derived from the Old Norse word "gestr", meaning "guest", and "gjafi", meaning "giver". | |||
| Irish | óstach | ||
| Óstach is also used to refer to the Eucharist in Irish, highlighting its role as a sacred offering. | |||
| Italian | ospite | ||
| In medieval Latin, the word "hospes" originally referred to a guest or stranger, but it later came to mean both "guest" and "host" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | hosten | ||
| The word "hosten" in Luxembourgish also means "to cough". | |||
| Maltese | ospitanti | ||
| "Ospitanta" (feminine of "ospitant") and "ospti" (meaning "to host" as a verb) come from the Italian "ospite" | |||
| Norwegian | vert | ||
| The word "vert" in Norwegian can also mean "worthy" or "deserving". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | hospedeiro | ||
| In medical contexts, "hospedeiro" can also refer to an individual who carries a pathogenic organism without showing symptoms. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | aoigh | ||
| The word "aoigh" in Scots Gaelic, with similar forms in other Celtic languages, means "guest" or "host," likely based on a Proto-Celtic root meaning "stranger" or "foreigner." | |||
| Spanish | anfitrión | ||
| The word "anfitrión" is derived from the Greek words "anaphora" (repetition) and "hys" (pig). | |||
| Swedish | värd | ||
| Värd is a homonym that can refer to either "host" or "worth" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | gwesteiwr | ||
| The Welsh word "gwesteiwr" can also refer to a guest, a stranger, or a foreigner. | |||
Host in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гаспадар | ||
| "Гаспадар": from Old East Slavic, "гость" (guest), possibly due to the Slavic custom of welcoming guests into the family. | |||
| Bosnian | domaćin | ||
| In Serbian and Croatian, the word 'domaćin' has the alternate meanings of 'householder' and 'master of the house'. | |||
| Bulgarian | домакин | ||
| The word "домакин" in Bulgarian also means "breadwinner" or "head of the household". | |||
| Czech | hostitel | ||
| In Czech "hostitel" also means "parasite" and comes from the same Proto-Slavic root as "guest". | |||
| Estonian | peremees | ||
| The word "peremees" shares its root with "pere", meaning family, indicating the host's role as the head of a household. | |||
| Finnish | isäntä | ||
| 'Isäntä' comes from the word 'isä' ('father') and means 'the master or owner of the household'. In modern Finnish, 'isäntä' is also used for a person hosting an event or party. | |||
| Hungarian | házigazda | ||
| The word "házigazda" derives from the Hungarian words "ház" (house) and "gazda" (host, owner) and originally referred to the owner of a house who would host guests. | |||
| Latvian | saimnieks | ||
| In the 16th century, "saimnieks" also began to be used as a term for the ruler of a large estate, and later for the ruler of a parish. | |||
| Lithuanian | vedėjas | ||
| "Vedėjas" can also mean "manager" or "leader" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | домаќин | ||
| The word "домаќин" can also refer to a person who owns a house or is responsible for its upkeep. | |||
| Polish | gospodarz | ||
| "Gospodarz" originally meant "master of the house" and is related to the word "gospodka" (small house). | |||
| Romanian | gazdă | ||
| The etymology of the word "gazdă" is linked to the Latin "hospes" with the meaning of "stranger." | |||
| Russian | хозяин | ||
| The word "хозяин" can also mean "owner", "master", or "boss". | |||
| Serbian | домаћин | ||
| The word "домаћин" in Serbian ultimately derives from Proto-Slavic *domъ, which is related to Latin *domus "house", but also carries secondary meanings such as "family member" and "husband". | |||
| Slovak | hostiteľ | ||
| "Hostiteľ" also means "compere" or "master of ceremonies" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | gostitelj | ||
| In Czech language, the same word also means "guest". | |||
| Ukrainian | господар | ||
| The Ukrainian word господар (host) ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰós-potis, meaning "lord" or "master". | |||
Host in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হোস্ট | ||
| The word "হোস্ট" can also mean "sacrifice" or "victim" in a religious context. | |||
| Gujarati | યજમાન | ||
| This Gujarati word is derived from the Sanskrit word 'yajmana' which means 'sacrificer' or the person who performs a sacrifice. | |||
| Hindi | मेज़बान | ||
| In Persian, the word "mezban" originally meant "innkeeper" or "housekeeper". | |||
| Kannada | ಅತಿಥೆಯ | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ಅತಿಥೆಯ" can also refer to a guest, reflecting the reciprocal relationship between host and guest in traditional Indian culture. | |||
| Malayalam | ഹോസ്റ്റ് | ||
| In Malayalam, 'ഹോസ്റ്റ്' is also used to refer to a person who presides over a gathering or event. | |||
| Marathi | होस्ट | ||
| The Marathi word "होस्ट" (host) is derived from the Sanskrit word "हविस" (havis), which refers to an offering made to a deity. | |||
| Nepali | होस्ट | ||
| The word "host" derives from Old English and refers to someone who entertains guests or to the animal that carries a parasite. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੋਸਟ | ||
| The word "host" originates from the Latin word "hospes", meaning both "guest" and "host", or "stranger". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සත්කාරක | ||
| In Sinhala, 'සත්කාරක' can also refer to a welcoming or friendly reception, as well as a person's reputation or hospitality. | |||
| Tamil | தொகுப்பாளர் | ||
| தொகுப்பாளர் may also refer to a gathering of people or a collection of things in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | హోస్ట్ | ||
| In Telugu, "హోస్ట్" also refers to a person who invites guests to their home or a place where people gather for a particular purpose. | |||
| Urdu | میزبان | ||
| "میزبان" can also mean "master", "lord", "owner" or "husband" in Urdu. | |||
Host in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 主办 | ||
| 主办 in Chinese can also mean "sponsor" or "organize". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 主辦 | ||
| 主辦 (zhǔbàn) is a Chinese word meaning "to organize" or "to oversee" an event or activity. | |||
| Japanese | ホスト | ||
| "ホスト" is also a Japanese word that literally means "guest" or "visitor." | |||
| Korean | 주최자 | ||
| The Korean word "주최자" can also refer to the person who pays for a meal, or to the person who presides over a meeting or event. | |||
| Mongolian | хост | ||
| "Host" in Mongolian can also mean "owner" or "master". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိမ်ရှင် | ||
| Originally, it meant 'house owner', but now also refers to those who are in charge of an event, ceremony or function. | |||
Host in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tuan rumah | ||
| The term | |||
| Javanese | host | ||
| The Javanese word "host" can refer to a guest, a host, or a spirit.} | |||
| Khmer | ម្ចាស់ផ្ទះ | ||
| Lao | ເຈົ້າພາບ | ||
| ເຈົ້າພາບ is the word "father." In some contexts its alternate meaning is the same as in English; however in other situations "ເຈົ້າ" (lord and ruler, master and owner, or great or high) refers to a king in the context of a "ພາບ" or a painting, picture, photograph and image or "ຮູບ" and figure and shape. | |||
| Malay | tuan rumah | ||
| "Tuan rumah" also means "master" or "lord" in Malay, reflecting the hierarchical nature of traditional Malay society. | |||
| Thai | เจ้าภาพ | ||
| เจ้าภาพ can also refer to a person who provides financial support to a religious event or ceremony. | |||
| Vietnamese | tổ chức | ||
| The word "tổ chức" can also mean "organization" or "institution" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | host | ||
Host in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ev sahibi | ||
| The word "ev sahibi" in Azerbaijani can also mean "landlord" or "owner of a house". | |||
| Kazakh | хост | ||
| The word "хост" in Kazakh can also refer to "owner" or "master". | |||
| Kyrgyz | хост | ||
| The word "хост" ("host") in Kyrgyz can have multiple meanings, including "army", "troops", "gathering", and "feast". | |||
| Tajik | мизбон | ||
| "Мизон" (host) is etymologically related to "мез" (table) and "бон" (above), implying a person who presides over a table. | |||
| Turkmen | alyp baryjy | ||
| Uzbek | mezbon | ||
| The Uzbek word "mezbon" is derived from the Persian word "mizban", which also means "host". | |||
| Uyghur | host | ||
Host in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻokipa | ||
| The word is used to describe the act of hosting in the context of traditional Hawaiian culture. | |||
| Maori | manaaki | ||
| Manaaki also means to honor, care for, show respect, or protect. | |||
| Samoan | talimalo | ||
| The Samoan word "talimalo" can also mean "to serve food" or "to entertain guests" | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | host | ||
| The Tagalog word "host" also means "master of ceremonies" or "one who entertains guests". | |||
Host in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amphitriyuna | ||
| Guarani | ogajára | ||
Host in International Languages
| Esperanto | gastiganto | ||
| Esperanto’s “gastiganto” also means “a species that benefits from another species’ presence.” | |||
| Latin | exercitum | ||
| The Latin "exercitum" can refer to a military or a civil administrative district. | |||
Host in Others Languages
| Greek | πλήθος | ||
| The word "πλήθος" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pleth-", meaning "to fill" or "to overflow". It can also mean a "crowd" or a "multitude". | |||
| Hmong | tswv | ||
| The Hmong word "tswv" can also mean "to lead" or "to guide." | |||
| Kurdish | mazûban | ||
| The word mazûban (host) derives from the Kurdish word mazdûr (helper or worker) and the Persian suffix -ban (keeper or caretaker). | |||
| Turkish | ev sahibi | ||
| Ev sahibi is literally 'house-owner' and is used for both the owner and tenant in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | umphathi | ||
| In one sense, "umphathi" refers specifically to a host who welcomes guests to a home or gathering. | |||
| Yiddish | באַלעבאָס | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַלעבאָס" may also refer to a rich or important person, or to a husband or master of the house. | |||
| Zulu | umphathi | ||
| "Umphathi" also means "owner of the house" or "landlord" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | আঁত ধৰোঁতা | ||
| Aymara | amphitriyuna | ||
| Bhojpuri | जजमान | ||
| Dhivehi | މެހެމާންދާރީ އަދާކުރާ ފަރާތް | ||
| Dogri | मेजबान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | host | ||
| Guarani | ogajára | ||
| Ilocano | pangen | ||
| Krio | pɔsin we de trit strenja fayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خانەخوێ | ||
| Maithili | मेजबान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯨꯝꯕꯨ | ||
| Mizo | kaihruai | ||
| Oromo | keessummeessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହୋଷ୍ଟ | ||
| Quechua | qurpachaq | ||
| Sanskrit | निमन्त्रकः | ||
| Tatar | алып баручы | ||
| Tigrinya | መዳለዊ | ||
| Tsonga | murhurheli | ||