Husband in Different Languages
Discover 'Husband' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word husband holds a significant place in our lives, representing the special bond and commitment between two people in a marriage. Its cultural importance varies across different societies, but the essence of love, respect, and partnership remains the same. Understanding the translation of husband in various languages can provide valuable insights into different cultures and traditions.
Did you know that the term husband originates from the Old English word hūsbonda, which means house-bounder? This reflects the historical role of a husband as the head of the household and protector of the family. Over time, the meaning has evolved to encompass emotional support, companionship, and equality.
As we delve into the world of languages, you will find that the word for husband can be as fascinating and diverse as the cultures they represent. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: esposo
- French: mari
- German: Ehemann
- Italian: marito
- Japanese: otto
- Chinese: 老公 (lǎogōng)
- Russian: муж (muzh)
- Hindi: पति (pati)
Stay tuned for more fascinating translations and cultural insights about the word husband in different languages!
Husband
Husband in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | man | ||
| In Afrikaans, "man" not only means "husband" but also refers to a male person or mankind as a whole. | |||
| Amharic | ባል | ||
| The word "ባል" can also refer to a master or owner, and is cognate with the Arabic word "ba'l" meaning "lord" or "master". | |||
| Hausa | miji | ||
| The word "miji" can also refer to a "groom" or "male spouse". | |||
| Igbo | di | ||
| "Di" in Igbo can also mean "lord" or "master". | |||
| Malagasy | lehilahy | ||
| In the 18th century, 'lehilahy' meant 'man' or 'male', and 'vadi' was the primary word for 'husband'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwamuna | ||
| Shona | murume | ||
| The word 'murume' can also refer to a man or a male person in general, highlighting the broader context of masculinity and male identity in Shona culture. | |||
| Somali | ninkeeda | ||
| The term can also refer to a young man without a wife, although its primary meaning is a married man. | |||
| Sesotho | monna | ||
| ''Monna'' is also used figuratively to denote any male friend or acquaintance. | |||
| Swahili | mume | ||
| The Swahili word "mume" is derived from the Arabic word "mu'min" (believer), suggesting the role of a spouse as a source of support and faith. | |||
| Xhosa | umyeni | ||
| The word 'umyeni' is a cognate of the isiZulu word 'umyeni', which has a broader meaning of 'spouse' or 'partner'. | |||
| Yoruba | ọkọ | ||
| In the context of the Yoruba language, "ọkọ" can also refer to a "handle", signifying a tool or object that assists with a task or operation. | |||
| Zulu | umyeni | ||
| "Umyeni" also means "owner" or "lord" in Zulu and is related to the word "umnikazi" ("wife"), which originally meant "owner of the house". | |||
| Bambara | furucɛ | ||
| Ewe | srɔ̃ ŋutsu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umugabo | ||
| Lingala | mobali | ||
| Luganda | mwaami | ||
| Sepedi | molekane wa monna | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kunu | ||
Husband in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الزوج | ||
| Etymology: from the verb زَوّجَ (zawwaja) "to pair, to mate"} | |||
| Hebrew | בַּעַל | ||
| The Hebrew word "בַּעַל" also means "master, owner, lord" and was originally used to refer to the Canaanite god of storms and fertility. | |||
| Pashto | میړه | ||
| "میړه" can also refer to any male, or a young man who is brave and has reached the age of maturity. | |||
| Arabic | الزوج | ||
| Etymology: from the verb زَوّجَ (zawwaja) "to pair, to mate"} | |||
Husband in Western European Languages
| Albanian | burri | ||
| In the southern Gheg dialect of Albania, "burri" can also refer to a young man or a groom. | |||
| Basque | senarra | ||
| The word 'senarra' also refers to a married man of the town council. | |||
| Catalan | marit | ||
| The term 'marit' is also used in some Catalan dialects and is derived from the Latin 'maritus' and refers to a 'man' or 'male partner'. | |||
| Croatian | suprug | ||
| The Croatian word "suprug" also means "spouse" or "mate". It is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*suprъgъ", which had the same meaning. | |||
| Danish | ægtemand | ||
| The word 'ægtemand' comes from the Old Norse 'eiginmaðr,' meaning 'owner-man' or 'man of property'. | |||
| Dutch | man | ||
| In Dutch, the word "man" can also refer to a male person or a person in general, making it a homonym with multiple meanings. | |||
| English | husband | ||
| Husband was a term which originally meant 'master of a house' and could refer to both men and women. | |||
| French | mari | ||
| The word "mari" in French, which means "husband," comes from the Latin word "maritus," which means "married man". | |||
| Frisian | man | ||
| The word "man" in Frisian is derived from the Germanic word "manus", meaning "human being". | |||
| Galician | marido | ||
| In Galician, "marido" also refers to a kind of worm found in fruit. | |||
| German | mann | ||
| The word "Mann" in German can also refer to a "person" or "human being" in a general sense, and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "manwaz" meaning "human." | |||
| Icelandic | eiginmaður | ||
| Its meaning has extended to include 'master of the house' or 'landowner' and is used in legal language to refer to men who are not married but have children. | |||
| Irish | fear céile | ||
| The word 'fear céile' translates literally as 'man of the companion', implying that a man and woman were considered companions in a marriage. | |||
| Italian | marito | ||
| The word "marito" is derived from the Latin "maritus", meaning "married man" or "master of the house". | |||
| Luxembourgish | mann | ||
| "Mann" can also refer to a vassal, a servant or a person in general, as it is derived from the Latin "manere," meaning "to remain". | |||
| Maltese | raġel | ||
| The word "raġel" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "rajul" meaning "man" or "male". | |||
| Norwegian | mann | ||
| The word 'mann' in Norwegian derives from the Old Norse word 'maðr', meaning 'man', 'male', or 'human being'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | marido | ||
| In some parts of Brazil, "marido" can also mean "lover", while in the northeast of the country it can refer to a "male partner". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cèile | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "cèile" can also refer to a friend, companion, or guest, and is not limited to the meaning of "husband." | |||
| Spanish | marido | ||
| "Marido" comes from the Latin word "maritus", which also means "husband", and is related to "mas", meaning "male". | |||
| Swedish | make | ||
| In Old Swedish, the word "make" meant "man" or "male," and in some dialects, it still retains this meaning. | |||
| Welsh | gwr | ||
| The Welsh word "gwr" is cognate with Irish "fear" and Latin "vir", meaning "man". | |||
Husband in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | муж | ||
| The word "муж" (husband) comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*mǫžь", which also meant "man", "male", or "warrior" | |||
| Bosnian | muž | ||
| Interestingly, "muž" can also refer to a man's best friend or to close male friends. | |||
| Bulgarian | съпруг | ||
| The word "съпруг" (husband) can have its roots in the verb "съпрягам" (to join, to marry) in Church Slavonic. | |||
| Czech | manžel | ||
| The word "manžel" in Czech comes from ancient Proto-Slavic "*mǫžь", meaning "man", "male", or "manly". | |||
| Estonian | abikaasa | ||
| Abikaasa derives from a compound word meaning "a spouse who is not a brother or sister." | |||
| Finnish | aviomies | ||
| 'Aviomies' is a compound word meaning 'a man of marriage' and a formal word for 'husband' | |||
| Hungarian | férj | ||
| Though it now only means "husband", "férj" originally meant "man" or "male". | |||
| Latvian | vīrs | ||
| The word "vīrs" in Latvian originated from the Indo-European root *wih₂os, meaning "man" or "male". | |||
| Lithuanian | vyras | ||
| Vyras is also a Baltic term meaning "man", as in "vyriška " ("men's") and "vyriškumas " ("masculinity"). | |||
| Macedonian | сопруг | ||
| The word "сопруг" can also refer to a consort or a spouse of any gender. | |||
| Polish | mąż | ||
| In Polish, the word "mąż" not only means "husband" but also "man" and "male". | |||
| Romanian | soț | ||
| The word 'soț' is derived from the Latin 'socius', meaning 'companion', and also refers to the male partner in a marriage or other romantic relationship. | |||
| Russian | муж | ||
| The word муж in Russian can also refer to a male person, a man. | |||
| Serbian | муж | ||
| "Муж" in Serbian also means "male", "man" or "guy", depending on the context. | |||
| Slovak | manžel | ||
| The word 'manžel' is cognate not only to other Slavic languages like Czech, Russian and Polish but also to the Old Prussian word 'mans', 'man', and to Latin words like 'manus', meaning 'hand', and 'mancipare', signifying 'to give into someone's hand' or, more generally, 'to take control of'. | |||
| Slovenian | mož | ||
| The word "mož" can also mean "man" or "male". | |||
| Ukrainian | чоловік | ||
| The word "чоловік" is derived from the Slavic root meaning "man" and is also used to refer to any man, regardless of their marital status. | |||
Husband in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বামী | ||
| The word 'স্বামী' in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word 'स्वामी' (svāmi), meaning 'master' or 'lord'. | |||
| Gujarati | પતિ | ||
| The Gujarati word "પતિ" can also refer to the master of a house or a person who protects or sustains something. | |||
| Hindi | पति | ||
| 'पति' also means 'lord,' 'master,' or 'protector,' connoting a husband's traditional role as the head of the household. | |||
| Kannada | ಪತಿ | ||
| The term "ಪತಿ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "पति" (pati), meaning "lord" or "master", and can also refer to a priest or a sage. | |||
| Malayalam | ഭർത്താവ് | ||
| The root word "bharta" means one who carries, and in old Indian customs there was special emphasis on the husband as the carrier of his wife after the wedding. | |||
| Marathi | पती | ||
| The Marathi word "पती" (husband) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पति" (lord, master) and also refers to a husband's ownership rights over his wife. | |||
| Nepali | पति | ||
| The Sanskrit root of "पति" is also the root of "पाति" meaning "master", which is in turn derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*poteis" with the same root. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਤੀ | ||
| ਪਤੀ is also an epithet of Lord Shiva in Hinduism and is used to address males out of respect. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්වාමිපුරුෂයා | ||
| Tamil | கணவர் | ||
| In Tamil, the word கணவர் ('husband') can also refer to the husband of one's daughter or sister. | |||
| Telugu | భర్త | ||
| The word "భర్త" (husband) can also refer to "a supporter" or "a protector" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | شوہر | ||
| The Urdu word "شوہر" (husband) also means "owner" and derives from the Pahlavi "shuvhar," meaning "son-in-law". | |||
Husband in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 丈夫 | ||
| The character 侏 ("husband") can also mean "strong and manly" in Chinese | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 丈夫 | ||
| 丈夫 (literally “strong man”) referred to a warrior or a successful man in ancient China. | |||
| Japanese | 夫 | ||
| Historically, 夫 was used to refer to men in general, but over time its meaning has narrowed to mean “husband. | |||
| Korean | 남편 | ||
| The word '남편' (husband) in Korean shares the same etymology as the word '남성' (male), which is '남' (south), and is related to the idea of the husband being the head of the household and the protector of the family, who stays at home and looks after the family's affairs | |||
| Mongolian | нөхөр | ||
| The word "нөхөр" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sacara", meaning "companion" or "friend". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခင်ပွန်း | ||
| The word "ခင်ပွန်း" derives from the Proto-Burushaski term for "male elder brother" and originally referred to the husband of one's wife's older sister. | |||
Husband in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | suami | ||
| The word 'suami' in Indonesian also has meanings of 'friend' and 'close companion'. | |||
| Javanese | bojo lanang | ||
| The word "bojo lanang" can be etymologically broken down into "bojo" (husband or wife) and "lanang" (male gender), suggesting a general term for spouse without specific gender connotation. | |||
| Khmer | ប្តី | ||
| The Khmer word "ប្តី" is also used in the sense of "owner" or "master". | |||
| Lao | ຜົວ | ||
| The word "ຜົວ" also refers to a lover or male partner, not necessarily a husband. | |||
| Malay | suami | ||
| The Malay word "suami" is cognate with "swami", meaning "owner" or "lord" in Indo-European languages. | |||
| Thai | สามี | ||
| The word “สามี” can also mean “the owner of an object” or “the master of a servant”. | |||
| Vietnamese | người chồng | ||
| In Sino-Vietnamese, "người chồng" is derived from "丈人" meaning "father-in-law", but due to social factors in feudal times, the meaning shifted to "husband". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asawa | ||
Husband in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ər | ||
| The word "ər" is etymologically related to the Persian and Kurdish words "mar" and "mēr" (husband, man) | |||
| Kazakh | күйеу | ||
| The word "күйеу" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*küjü" meaning "groom" or "son-in-law". | |||
| Kyrgyz | күйөө | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "күйөө" is also used to refer to a "groom". | |||
| Tajik | шавҳар | ||
| The word "шавҳар" (husband) in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "شوهر" (husband). | |||
| Turkmen | adamsy | ||
| Uzbek | er | ||
| "Er" also means a "man," an "individual," or a "person" | |||
| Uyghur | ئېرى | ||
Husband in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kāne | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'kane' can have the metaphorical sense of 'the male portion of any paired thing'. | |||
| Maori | tane | ||
| Tane, in Maori, also refers to the god of the forest and birds, as well as the personification of the sky who separated Rangi (heaven) from Papa (earth). | |||
| Samoan | tane | ||
| The word 'tane' derives from the Proto-Polynesian word for 'man, male, or human'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | asawa | ||
| "Asawa" originally referred to any type of spouse, not only husbands, and comes from the same root as the word "asawaan," meaning "wedding ceremony." | |||
Husband in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chacha | ||
| Guarani | ména | ||
Husband in International Languages
| Esperanto | edzo | ||
| The word "edzo" can also mean "trainer" or "instructor" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | vir | ||
| Latin "vir" also refers to a warrior and was applied to men as a whole, and later came to mean a husband. | |||
Husband in Others Languages
| Greek | σύζυγος | ||
| "Σύζυγος" can refer to either a "husband" or a "wife." | |||
| Hmong | tus txiv | ||
| The Hmong word 'tus txiv' literally translates to 'the one who raises children', indicating the father's primary role as a caregiver. | |||
| Kurdish | mêr | ||
| In some Kurdish dialects, "mêr" can also refer to a "man" or "male". | |||
| Turkish | koca | ||
| The word "koca" originally meant "strong" or "great," and was used to refer to both men and women. | |||
| Xhosa | umyeni | ||
| The word 'umyeni' is a cognate of the isiZulu word 'umyeni', which has a broader meaning of 'spouse' or 'partner'. | |||
| Yiddish | מאן | ||
| The Yiddish word "מאן" (man) derives from the Hebrew "איש" (ish), meaning "man" or "husband," and ultimately from the Proto-Semitic root *ʾnš. | |||
| Zulu | umyeni | ||
| "Umyeni" also means "owner" or "lord" in Zulu and is related to the word "umnikazi" ("wife"), which originally meant "owner of the house". | |||
| Assamese | পতি | ||
| Aymara | chacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | खसम | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިރިމީހާ | ||
| Dogri | घरै-आहला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asawa | ||
| Guarani | ména | ||
| Ilocano | asawa a lalaki | ||
| Krio | maredman | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مێرد | ||
| Maithili | पति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯄꯨꯔꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pasal | ||
| Oromo | abbaa warraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱାମୀ | ||
| Quechua | qusa | ||
| Sanskrit | भर्ता | ||
| Tatar | ир | ||
| Tigrinya | በዓል ገዛ | ||
| Tsonga | nuna | ||