Identity in Different Languages
Discover 'Identity' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Identity, such a simple word, yet it holds a profound meaning that shapes our existence. It is the essence of who we are, our beliefs, values, and experiences that make us unique. Our identity is the foundation of our self-image and how we interact with the world around us.
The significance of identity extends beyond personal levels, playing a crucial role in cultural contexts. It helps define communities, nations, and civilizations, preserving their heritage and traditions. Identity, in this sense, becomes a powerful tool for cultural preservation and celebration.
Given the importance of identity, it's not surprising that many languages have their own translations for this term. For instance, in Spanish, identity is 'identidad'; in French, it's 'identité'; in German, 'Identität'; in Mandarin, '身份' (shēn fèn); in Japanese, '身元' (mibun); and in Arabic, 'هوية' (hūwiyya).
Understanding the translation of identity in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and express this concept. It can also foster cross-cultural understanding and appreciation, enriching our global community.
Identity
Identity in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | identiteit | ||
| The word "identiteit" in Afrikaans has a separate meaning of "identity card". | |||
| Amharic | ማንነት | ||
| Hausa | ainihi | ||
| In Hausa, "ainihi" can also refer to a person's individuality and unique qualities. | |||
| Igbo | njirimara | ||
| Njirimara is also an Igbo word for 'lineage', which serves as the primary form of identification for Igbos | |||
| Malagasy | maha- | ||
| The word "maha-" in Malagasy can also mean "big" or "great". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chizindikiritso | ||
| Shona | chitupa | ||
| In Shona, the word "chitupa" can also refer to an identity card or a badge. | |||
| Somali | aqoonsiga | ||
| Aqoonsiga is also used to describe the personal information associated with an individual's identity, such as their name, address, and date of birth. | |||
| Sesotho | boitsebiso | ||
| Boitsebiso derives from the verb bitsa, meaning 'to create', and can refer to something that is distinctive or distinguishing as well as to identity. | |||
| Swahili | kitambulisho | ||
| The Swahili word "kitambulisho" can also refer to a passport or other form of identification. | |||
| Xhosa | isazisi | ||
| 'Isazisi' also means 'trace' or 'mark' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | idanimo | ||
| "Idanimo" is a Yoruba word meaning "identity". | |||
| Zulu | ubunikazi | ||
| The Zulu word 'ubunikazi' can also refer to the unique qualities or attributes of an individual. | |||
| Bambara | boyoro | ||
| Ewe | dzeside | ||
| Kinyarwanda | indangamuntu | ||
| Lingala | nkombo | ||
| Luganda | ebikukwatako | ||
| Sepedi | boitsebišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adida | ||
Identity in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هوية | ||
| In Arabic, “هوية” (identity) also means “nature, essence, or quality.” | |||
| Hebrew | זהות | ||
| ההגייה האשכנזית 'אַיידִינְט' משמרת את ההיגוי ההיסטורי, בעוד שההגייה המזרחית מקבילה להגייה המודרנית באנגלית (איידֶנְטִיטִי) | |||
| Pashto | پیژندنه | ||
| The word "پیژندنه" in Pashto can also refer to the act of recognizing or identifying something or someone. | |||
| Arabic | هوية | ||
| In Arabic, “هوية” (identity) also means “nature, essence, or quality.” | |||
Identity in Western European Languages
| Albanian | identiteti | ||
| The Albanian word 'identiteti' derives from the French word 'identité', meaning 'sameness' or 'being the same'. | |||
| Basque | identitatea | ||
| The word "identitatea" in Basque is derived from the Latin word identitas , and it can also mean "personality" in some contexts. | |||
| Catalan | identitat | ||
| The etymology of the Catalan word "identitat" is the Latin word "identitas", meaning "sameness" or "selfsameness". | |||
| Croatian | identitet | ||
| The word “identitet” comes from the Latin word “identitas,” which means “the same” or “oneness.” | |||
| Danish | identitet | ||
| In Danish, 'identitet' has two additional meanings, 'equality' and 'sameness'. | |||
| Dutch | identiteit | ||
| Dutch "identiteit" also encompasses the meaning of "samenhorigheid" (togetherness) and "gelijkheid" (equality). | |||
| English | identity | ||
| The word “identity” is derived from the Latin word “idem,” meaning “the same.” | |||
| French | identité | ||
| "Identité" comes from Latin "identitas", itself formed by "idem" (same) and "esse" (to be). Its meanings have extended beyond the simple idea of "sameness". | |||
| Frisian | identiteit | ||
| The word "identiteit" in Frisian is derived from the Latin word "identitas", which means "sameness" or "oneness". | |||
| Galician | identidade | ||
| In Galician, "identidade" can also refer to personal documents proving one's identity. | |||
| German | identität | ||
| Das Wort "Identität" leitet sich vom lateinischen Wort "idem" ab, was "dasselbe" bedeutet, und kann auch "Gleichheit" oder "Einheit" im Sinne von Selbstheit bezeichnen. | |||
| Icelandic | sjálfsmynd | ||
| The word 'sjálfsmynd' can also refer to a person's self-image or self-perception. | |||
| Irish | féiniúlacht | ||
| Italian | identità | ||
| The Italian word “identità” derives from the Latin term “ identitas,” meaning “the condition of something being the same as itself.” | |||
| Luxembourgish | identitéit | ||
| The word 'Identitéit' is derived from the French word 'identité' and can also refer to a person's sense of self and individuality. | |||
| Maltese | identità | ||
| The Maltese term "identità" originates from the Latin word "identitas", which means "sameness" or "oneness". | |||
| Norwegian | identitet | ||
| Norw. identitet, Dan. identitet, Swed. identitet all derives from Fr. identité 'identity' and Lat. identitas 'sameness, identity' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | identidade | ||
| "Identidade" is a Portuguese word derived from the Latin "identitas," meaning "sameness" or "oneness," and in Portuguese it can also mean "ID card" or "passport." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dearbh-aithne | ||
| Dearbh-aithne is also used in Scots Gaelic to mean 'true knowledge' or 'certainty'. | |||
| Spanish | identidad | ||
| The Spanish word "identidad" comes from the Latin "identitas" and can also refer to "equality". | |||
| Swedish | identitet | ||
| The word "identitet" can also refer to the concept of "sameness" or "unity" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | hunaniaeth | ||
| The alternative use of the noun 'hunaniaeth' means 'subjectivity'. | |||
Identity in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ідэнтычнасць | ||
| The Belarusian word 'ідэнтычнасць' ('identity') is derived from the Greek word 'ταυτότης' ('identity'), which in turn is derived from the word 'αὐτός' ('self'). | |||
| Bosnian | identitet | ||
| In Bosnian, "identitet" also refers to a personal ID card issued by the government for identification purposes. | |||
| Bulgarian | самоличност | ||
| The Bulgarian word "самоличност" is derived from the Slavic root *čьlověkъ, meaning "man", and the suffix *-ьnь, indicating "quality" or "property", hence "humanity" or "personhood." | |||
| Czech | identita | ||
| In Czech, "identita" is not only used for "identity", but also for the "equation of two quantities" in mathematics. | |||
| Estonian | identiteet | ||
| The Estonian word "identiteet" is derived from the Latin word "identitas", which means "sameness" or "oneness". | |||
| Finnish | henkilöllisyys | ||
| The Finnish word 'henkilöllisyys' is related to 'henkilö', 'person', and originally meant 'bodily integrity' or 'personal qualities'. | |||
| Hungarian | identitás | ||
| The Hungarian word "identitás" derives from the Latin word "identitas", which ultimately comes from the Indo-European root *sm̥-, meaning "one, same". This suggests that the word "identity" has roots in the idea of unity or sameness. | |||
| Latvian | identitāte | ||
| The Latvian word "identitāte" also means "personality". | |||
| Lithuanian | tapatybė | ||
| "Tapatybė" also means "exactness," reflecting the word's origin in the Proto-Indo-European root *tepen-, meaning "to stretch out," and its connection to words like "tape" and "tension." | |||
| Macedonian | идентитет | ||
| Polish | tożsamość | ||
| Polish "tożsamość" comes from French "identité" and Latin "idem" (the same), also sharing its root with "samiec" (male) and "sama" (female). | |||
| Romanian | identitate | ||
| In Romanian, "identitate" can also refer to a mathematical function that returns the same value as its input. | |||
| Russian | личность | ||
| In Russian, "личность" (identity) also refers to a person's individuality, their unique character traits, and their social status. | |||
| Serbian | идентитет | ||
| The Serbian word "identitet" comes from the Latin word "identitas", meaning "sameness" or "oneness". It can also refer to a person's sense of self or their unique characteristics. | |||
| Slovak | identita | ||
| The term "identita" comes from Latin "identitas", "sameness". | |||
| Slovenian | identiteta | ||
| The word "identiteta" comes from the Latin word "identitas", which means "sameness". | |||
| Ukrainian | ідентичність | ||
| "Ідентичність" (identity) comes from Latin "idem" (the same) and can also mean personality, consciousness, or self-worth. | |||
Identity in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরিচয় | ||
| The word "পরিচয়" is derived from the Sanskrit word "परिचयः" which means "introduction" or "acquaintance". | |||
| Gujarati | ઓળખ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ઓળખ" can also be used to refer to the act of being familiar with someone or something. | |||
| Hindi | पहचान | ||
| पहचान, 'pechan', also means 'to recognize' | |||
| Kannada | ಗುರುತು | ||
| The word "ಗುರುತು" derives from the Sanskrit word "gurutas", meaning "weightiness" or "importance". | |||
| Malayalam | ഐഡന്റിറ്റി | ||
| Marathi | ओळख | ||
| The Marathi word "ओळख" can also refer to a "trademark" or "identifier". | |||
| Nepali | पहिचान | ||
| The word "पहिचान" (identity) can also refer to a mark, sign, or characteristic that distinguishes one person or thing from another. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਛਾਣ | ||
| The word "ਪਛਾਣ" (identity) is derived from the Sanskrit word "pratigya" (promise, vow), and also means "sign, mark, or recognition" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අනන්යතාවය | ||
| The Sinhalese word "අනන්යතාවය" comes from the Sanskrit word "अनन्यता" meaning "one's own peculiar characteristic, specific nature, distinctiveness". | |||
| Tamil | அடையாளம் | ||
| The word 'அடையாளம்' (identity) also means 'proof' and 'recognition' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | గుర్తింపు | ||
| The word 'గుర్తింపు' can also refer to a mark or sign that distinguishes something. | |||
| Urdu | شناخت | ||
| شناخت" in Urdu can also mean recognition, understanding, or perception. | |||
Identity in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 身份 | ||
| 身份 can also refer to one's social status or position in society. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 身份 | ||
| "身份", traditionally written as "身分", originally meant "status" or "social position". | |||
| Japanese | 身元 | ||
| Japanese term '身元,' meaning 'identity,' also denotes social standing and background. | |||
| Korean | 정체 | ||
| The word "정체" in Korean also means "suspicious". | |||
| Mongolian | таних тэмдэг | ||
| The word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝိသေသလက္ခဏာ | ||
| Derived from Pṅli "višēēa" meaning "distinctive" or "special characteristic (of something). " | |||
Identity in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | identitas | ||
| The Indonesian word "identitas" also has the alternate meaning of "character" or "personality". | |||
| Javanese | identitas | ||
| In Javanese, "identitas" can also refer to a person's social status or rank. | |||
| Khmer | អត្តសញ្ញាណ | ||
| The word "attasangnhana" derives from the Sanskrit "atmasamjṇa" (self-awareness), or "attamsamjana" (a consciousness of oneself), which is made up of two components: "atta" (self) and "samjṇa" (awareness). | |||
| Lao | ຕົວຕົນ | ||
| Malay | identiti | ||
| The word "identiti" in Malay also has connotations of "personality" or "self-concept". | |||
| Thai | เอกลักษณ์ | ||
| In Thailand, "เอกลักษณ์" is also the name of the traditional Thai system of medicine. | |||
| Vietnamese | danh tính | ||
| Danh tính also means "name" in Vietnamese, such as in the expressions "danh tính thật" (real name) and "danh tính bí mật" (secret name). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakakilanlan | ||
Identity in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şəxsiyyət | ||
| "Şəxsiyyət" derives from the Arabic "shakhṣ" (person): its root suggests "a being whose reality is recognized outwardly." | |||
| Kazakh | жеке басын куәландыратын | ||
| Kyrgyz | иденттүүлүк | ||
| The word "иденттүүлүк" can also mean "equality" or "sameness" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ҳувият | ||
| The word “ҳувият” can also mean “character” or “nature” in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | şahsyýet | ||
| Uzbek | shaxsiyat | ||
| The term "shaxsiyat" stems from the Persian word "shakhsiyyat" and can also refer to "personality" or "reputation". | |||
| Uyghur | كىملىك | ||
Identity in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻike ʻike | ||
| ʻike ʻike (identity) derives from an early Proto-Polynesian term meaning knowledge or intelligence | |||
| Maori | tuakiri | ||
| "Tuakiri" derives from "tu" (stand) and "akiri" (set in order), indicating establishing one's identity. | |||
| Samoan | faasinomaga | ||
| It can refer to one's name, family, tribe, village, or anything that distinguishes an individual from others within society, including social standing, rank, or reputation. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkakakilanlan | ||
| The word "pagkakakilanlan" can also refer to recognition, identification, or acquaintance. | |||
Identity in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | khititansa | ||
| Guarani | herakuaáre | ||
Identity in International Languages
| Esperanto | identeco | ||
| The word "identeco" is a portmanteau of the words "identiga" and "eco" | |||
| Latin | identitatem | ||
| The Latin word “identitatem” also means “sameness” or “oneness”. | |||
Identity in Others Languages
| Greek | ταυτότητα | ||
| "Ταυτότητα" shares the root "ταυτό- ("the same") with "ταυτολογία ("tautology") and stems from "ταυτόν"(also meaning "same"/"the same")." | |||
| Hmong | yog leejtwg tiag | ||
| The Hmong word "yog leejtwg tiag" can also mean "one of the same kind". | |||
| Kurdish | nasname | ||
| The etymology of the term "nasname" may be traced back to the Old Persian word "nāma" (name) | |||
| Turkish | kimlik | ||
| Kimlik derives from the Arabic word "kami" meaning "as, like, and similar" and implies "to become similar to something or somebody". | |||
| Xhosa | isazisi | ||
| 'Isazisi' also means 'trace' or 'mark' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אידענטיטעט | ||
| The Yiddish word "אידענטיטעט" (identyṭeṭ) is derived from the German "Identität," which in turn comes from the Latin "identitas," meaning "sameness" or "oneness." | |||
| Zulu | ubunikazi | ||
| The Zulu word 'ubunikazi' can also refer to the unique qualities or attributes of an individual. | |||
| Assamese | পৰিচয় | ||
| Aymara | khititansa | ||
| Bhojpuri | पहिचान | ||
| Dhivehi | އައިޑެންޓިޓީ | ||
| Dogri | पंछान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakakilanlan | ||
| Guarani | herakuaáre | ||
| Ilocano | identidad | ||
| Krio | udat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناسنامە | ||
| Maithili | पहचान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯛꯇꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | nihna | ||
| Oromo | eenyummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରିଚୟ | ||
| Quechua | riqsichiq | ||
| Sanskrit | चिह्नं | ||
| Tatar | үзенчәлек | ||
| Tigrinya | መንነት | ||
| Tsonga | vutitivi | ||