Individual in Different Languages
Discover 'Individual' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'individual' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a single person as opposed to a group or society. Its cultural importance is paramount, as it lies at the heart of our understanding of personal identity, autonomy, and self-expression. Knowing the translation of 'individual' in different languages can be a window into the nuances of other cultures and their values. For instance, in Spanish, 'individual' is 'individuo,' while in French, it's 'individu.' In German, the word is 'Einzelperson,' and in Japanese, it's 'kojin' (個人).
Did you know that the term 'individual' was first used in English in the late 15th century, derived from the Latin 'individuus' meaning 'indivisible'? This historical context highlights the philosophical significance of the word, emphasizing the idea of a unique, indivisible entity. Understanding these cultural and historical contexts can enrich our appreciation of the word and its significance in different languages and cultures.
Individual
Individual in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | individu | ||
| The Afrikaans word "individu" derives from the Latin "individuum", meaning "indivisible" or "an entity that is not divided." | |||
| Amharic | ግለሰብ | ||
| "ግለሰብ" comes from the Ge'ez term "እግልስ" (church), where each parishioner is considered an individual. | |||
| Hausa | mutum | ||
| The Hausa word "mutum" also means "a person". | |||
| Igbo | onye obula | ||
| "Onye obula" literally means "the one that comes out from" in Igbo, indicating the emergence of an individual from the collective group. | |||
| Malagasy | olona | ||
| The word "olona" in Malagasy can also refer to a person, a human being, or an individual. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | payekha | ||
| The word 'payekha' can also mean 'person' and 'soul' in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | mumwe nemumwe | ||
| The Shona word "mumwe nemumwe" derives from the concept of "one by one," emphasizing the unique and distinct nature of each individual. | |||
| Somali | shaqsi | ||
| It is sometimes also used to refer to "someone" or "who". | |||
| Sesotho | motho ka mong | ||
| Motho ka mong' is also used to refer to a person as a separate entity within a group. | |||
| Swahili | mtu binafsi | ||
| Mtu binafsi literally translates to "a whole person". As such, its connotation can also be "a human being" or "personhood". | |||
| Xhosa | umntu ngamnye | ||
| 'Umntu ngamnye' is sometimes used to indicate a single person, but can also be used to denote a collective or an individual representative of a group. | |||
| Yoruba | olúkúlùkù | ||
| The term 'olúkúlùkù' can also refer to an elder who is in charge of taking care of children. | |||
| Zulu | umuntu ngamunye | ||
| In addition to its meaning of 'individual,' 'umuntu ngamunye' has the alternate meaning of 'person' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | kelenaya | ||
| Ewe | ame ɖeka | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuntu ku giti cye | ||
| Lingala | moto moko | ||
| Luganda | omuntu ssekinnomu | ||
| Sepedi | ka noši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ankorɛankorɛ | ||
Individual in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فرد | ||
| In Arabic, the word "فرد" can also mean "single", "odd", or "unique". | |||
| Hebrew | אִישִׁי | ||
| The word "אִישִׁי" (''ishi'') in Hebrew can also mean "husband". | |||
| Pashto | فرد | ||
| The word "فرد" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "فرد" meaning "one", and also refers to a person's character or personality. | |||
| Arabic | فرد | ||
| In Arabic, the word "فرد" can also mean "single", "odd", or "unique". | |||
Individual in Western European Languages
| Albanian | individual | ||
| In Albanian, the word 'individ' can also refer to a 'person'. | |||
| Basque | banakakoa | ||
| The word originates in two words, the first of which, “bana”, has to do with something done, and the second of which is “kakoa”, which suggests a specific action and implies that one is doing, carrying, or creating. | |||
| Catalan | individual | ||
| The first written source of the word in the 13th century suggests that it was used with the modern meaning, but another source from the same century suggests that it only meant “member of a species”, implying that the modern sense derives from a different medieval word. | |||
| Croatian | pojedinac | ||
| The word 'pojedinac' is a derivative of the verb 'pojiti,' meaning 'to feed or provide for', hence denoting 'an entity capable of self-sustenance' | |||
| Danish | individuel | ||
| The Danish word "individuel" derives from the Latin word "individuus", meaning "indivisible" or "inseparable". | |||
| Dutch | individueel | ||
| The word "individueel" in Dutch also means "indivisible", like in "individueel deel" = "indivisible part". | |||
| English | individual | ||
| The word 'individual' comes from the Latin word 'individuus', meaning 'indivisible'. It is also related to the word 'person', which comes from the Latin word 'persona', meaning 'mask' or 'role'. | |||
| French | individuel | ||
| The French word "individuel" derives from the Latin "individuum," meaning "indivisible," and can also refer to a "unique instance" or "single entity." | |||
| Frisian | yndividueel | ||
| The Frisian word "yndividueel" is also used to describe something that is unique or special. | |||
| Galician | individual | ||
| German | individuell | ||
| The word 'Individuell' derives from Latin 'individuus', meaning 'inseparable whole'. | |||
| Icelandic | einstaklingur | ||
| The Icelandic word "einstaklingur" originally meant "member of the parliament" but gradually acquired its current meaning of "individual". | |||
| Irish | aonair | ||
| The word "aonair" in Irish can also mean "solitary" or "alone". | |||
| Italian | individuale | ||
| The Italian word "individuale" comes from the Latin word "individuus," which means "indivisible." | |||
| Luxembourgish | individuell | ||
| The word "individuell" can also refer to "private" or "custom" in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | individwali | ||
| The word "individwali" in Maltese derives from the Italian word "individuale", meaning "separate entity". | |||
| Norwegian | individuell | ||
| The Norwegian word "individuell" also has a historical meaning "separate", from Latin "individuus" (literally meaning "indivisible") | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | individual | ||
| In Portuguese, "individual" can also mean "unique" or "special". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fa leth | ||
| The word "fa leth" originates from the Old Gaelic "fo leth," meaning "half-person," implying a person's individuality and separateness. | |||
| Spanish | individual | ||
| The Spanish word "individual" can also mean "whole", "undivided", "inseparable", or "unique". | |||
| Swedish | enskild | ||
| The word 'enskild' derives from the Old Norse word 'einskilldr', which means 'separated' or 'alone'. | |||
| Welsh | unigolyn | ||
| The word "unigolyn" may also refer to the concept of being solitary or apart. | |||
Individual in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | індывідуальны | ||
| Bosnian | pojedinac | ||
| The Bosnian word "pojedinac" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*jedinъ", meaning "one". | |||
| Bulgarian | индивидуален | ||
| The word "индивидуален" can also mean "custom-made" or "personal". | |||
| Czech | individuální | ||
| Individuum comes from the Latin word "individuus" which means "indivisible" | |||
| Estonian | individuaalne | ||
| The word "individuaalne" can also mean "unique" or "custom-made" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | yksilö | ||
| The word "yksilö" derives from the Proto-Finnic word "*yksijälgö", meaning "one who treads alone". | |||
| Hungarian | egyedi | ||
| The word "Egyedi" is also used to describe something that is unique or one-of-a-kind. | |||
| Latvian | individuāls | ||
| Individuāls comes from the Latin word "individuum," meaning "indivisible." | |||
| Lithuanian | individualus | ||
| Individualus, meaning 'unique', and individas, meaning 'person', both stem from the same root, 'in-', denoting 'not'. | |||
| Macedonian | индивидуална | ||
| The term "индивидуална" in Macedonian has a nuanced meaning of "individuality" or "personal character," encompassing the unique qualities and traits that define a person's identity. | |||
| Polish | indywidualny | ||
| "Indywidualny" in Polish also means "unique" or "one-of-a-kind". | |||
| Romanian | individual | ||
| The Romanian word "individ" derives from the Latin "individuum," meaning indivisible or an entity on its own. | |||
| Russian | индивидуальный | ||
| "Индивидуальный" в русском языке в том числе означает "единичный", "особый", "неповторимый" | |||
| Serbian | појединац | ||
| The Serbian word "појединац" also means a "tree stump." | |||
| Slovak | individuálne | ||
| The word "individuálne" can also mean "custom-made" or "tailor-made" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | posameznik | ||
| The word 'posameznik' comes from 'posam', meaning 'alone' or 'separate', thus referring to someone who stands out from the collective. | |||
| Ukrainian | індивідуальна | ||
| The Ukrainian word "індивідуальна" comes from the Latin word "individuum" which means "an indivisible unit." | |||
Individual in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বতন্ত্র | ||
| The word "স্বতন্ত্র" (individual) in Bengali comes from the Sanskrit word "स्वतन्त्र" (svatantra), meaning "self-reliant" or "independent." | |||
| Gujarati | વ્યક્તિગત | ||
| The Gujarati word "વ્યક્તિગત" can also mean "private" or "personal" depending on the context of the sentence. | |||
| Hindi | व्यक्ति | ||
| The word "व्यक्ति" comes from the Sanskrit root "vi-kṛṣ", meaning "to distinguish". It can also mean "a person", "a form", or "a manifestation". | |||
| Kannada | ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ | ||
| The Kannada word "ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ" (individual) is derived from the Sanskrit word "व्यक्त" (to distinguish) and means "distinctive" or "peculiar." | |||
| Malayalam | വ്യക്തി | ||
| The word "വ്യക്തി" can refer to "body, person, or human being," "a single person considered apart from a group," "individual, separate, or distinct," or "the individuality of a person." | |||
| Marathi | वैयक्तिक | ||
| The word 'वैयक्तिक' in Marathi can also mean 'unique' or 'personal'. | |||
| Nepali | व्यक्तिगत | ||
| The word "व्यक्तिगत" is derived from the Sanskrit word "व्यक्ति" meaning "a person" or "an individual". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਅਕਤੀਗਤ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තනි | ||
| "තනි" is also used to refer to an item, or a single or unique entity. | |||
| Tamil | தனிப்பட்ட | ||
| "தனிப்பட்ட" means "one, particular, certain" and also refers to "singleness, separation, individuality". | |||
| Telugu | వ్యక్తిగత | ||
| The Telugu term "స్వతరయమైన " which is used as synonym for व्यक्तगयत ( individual ) originates from Sanskrit | |||
| Urdu | انفرادی | ||
| Originally 'انفرادی' was used to mean 'solitary' and also 'a single person'. Now it is almost exclusively used to mean 'individual'. | |||
Individual in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 个人 | ||
| The first character (个) means 'single' while the second (人) means 'person'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 個人 | ||
| The 字 (character) has the connotation of "cannot be divided". | |||
| Japanese | 個人 | ||
| 個人 (kojin) can also refer to a personal computer. | |||
| Korean | 개인 | ||
| In Korean, the word "개인" can also refer to the body (as opposed to mind), and thus, it is sometimes seen in compounds with the meaning "bodily" or "personal". | |||
| Mongolian | хувь хүн | ||
| The word "хувь хүн" is etymologically related to "хувь" meaning "fate" or "destiny," suggesting that the individual is shaped by their unique circumstances. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ် ဦး ချင်း | ||
Individual in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | individu | ||
| The Indonesian word "individu" originates from the Dutch word "individu", which is derived from the Latin word "individuum", meaning "indivisible". | |||
| Javanese | individu | ||
| The Javanese word "individu" can also refer to a person's shadow, reflecting the belief in the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual realms. | |||
| Khmer | បុគ្គល | ||
| The word "បុគ្គល" ("individual") in Khmer originates from the Sanskrit word "पुद्गल" (pudgala) or Pali word ""पुग्गल"" (puggala), both meaning "person" or "individual." | |||
| Lao | ບຸກຄົນ | ||
| The Lao word ບຸກຄົນ (บุคคล) is cognate with the Khmer and Thai បុគ្គល (บุคคล), both derived from Sanskrit पुद्गल (pudgala) meaning "person". | |||
| Malay | individu | ||
| The Malay word "individu" can also refer to a specific person or entity. | |||
| Thai | รายบุคคล | ||
| รายบุคคล (rai bukkhon) derives from Sanskrit and also means 'in detail'. | |||
| Vietnamese | cá nhân | ||
| The term "cá nhân" can also mean "single-handed person, person alone" or a character from a drama | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | indibidwal | ||
Individual in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fərdi | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "fərdi" can also mean "separate" or "single". | |||
| Kazakh | жеке | ||
| The word "жеке" in Kazakh can also refer to one's personal qualities or characteristics. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жеке | ||
| The word "жеке" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "jenka", meaning "alone" or "single". | |||
| Tajik | инфиродӣ | ||
| The word "инфиродӣ" in Tajik originates from Persian and can also mean "personal" or "private". | |||
| Turkmen | şahsy | ||
| Uzbek | individual | ||
| The word "individual" originates from the Latin words "in- (not)" and "dividuus (divisible)".} | |||
| Uyghur | يەككە | ||
Individual in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pākahi | ||
| The word 'pākahi' in Hawaiian can also refer to a single fish or a portion of food. | |||
| Maori | takitahi | ||
| The term 'takitahi' in Maori can also refer to 'one person', 'a single entity', or 'a unit'. | |||
| Samoan | tagata taʻitoʻatasi | ||
| The word "tagata taʻitoʻatasi" also refers to a group that forms a single entity | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | indibidwal | ||
| The Tagalog word "indibidwal" is derived from the Spanish word "individuo", which means "individual" or "person." | |||
Individual in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sapamaynitjama | ||
| Guarani | teko'año | ||
Individual in International Languages
| Esperanto | individuo | ||
| The Esperanto word "individuo" (individual) derives from the Latin "individuum" (indivisible), referring to the indivisibility of a person. | |||
| Latin | singula | ||
| Latin 'singula' derives from Proto-Indo-European '*sem-' ('separate'), cognate with Sanskrit 'sakti' ('ability'). | |||
Individual in Others Languages
| Greek | άτομο | ||
| In ancient Greek, "άτομο" could also refer to an indivisible unit of matter. | |||
| Hmong | tus neeg | ||
| The Hmong word "tus neeg" can also refer to a person's soul or spirit. | |||
| Kurdish | şexsî | ||
| The word "şexsî" is derived from the Arabic word "shakhsi" which means "personal" or "private". | |||
| Turkish | bireysel | ||
| The original meaning of "bireysel" is "the state of two" due to its Persian roots "bi" meaning "two" and "rey" meaning "form/state". | |||
| Xhosa | umntu ngamnye | ||
| 'Umntu ngamnye' is sometimes used to indicate a single person, but can also be used to denote a collective or an individual representative of a group. | |||
| Yiddish | יחיד | ||
| The Yiddish term 'יחיד' ('individual') has roots in Hebrew, where it meant 'unique,' and in Aramaic, where it meant 'a particular one.' | |||
| Zulu | umuntu ngamunye | ||
| In addition to its meaning of 'individual,' 'umuntu ngamunye' has the alternate meaning of 'person' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | ব্যক্তিকেন্দ্ৰিক | ||
| Aymara | sapamaynitjama | ||
| Bhojpuri | बेकती | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަކި ފަރުދު | ||
| Dogri | माहनू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | indibidwal | ||
| Guarani | teko'año | ||
| Ilocano | indibidual | ||
| Krio | pɔsin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تاکە کەسی | ||
| Maithili | व्यक्तिगत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏ ꯑꯃꯃꯝ | ||
| Mizo | mimal | ||
| Oromo | dhuunfaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ | ||
| Quechua | sapalla | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यक्तिगत | ||
| Tatar | индивидуаль | ||
| Tigrinya | ውልቀ ሰብ | ||
| Tsonga | un'we | ||