Kid in Different Languages
Discover 'Kid' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'kid' is a small but mighty term, holding a wealth of significance and cultural importance. Originally derived from Old Norse and Middle English, 'kid' has come to refer to a young goat, as well as a child or young person in modern English. This dual meaning speaks to the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world, reminding us that we, too, are part of the larger web of life.
Moreover, the word 'kid' has been adopted and adapted into various languages and cultures around the world, each with its own unique connotations and nuances. For example, in Spanish, 'kid' is translated to 'niño' or 'niña,' while in French, it becomes 'enfant.' In Mandarin Chinese, the term 'értóng' is used to denote a young goat, while 'háizimen' refers to children.
Understanding the translations of 'kid' in different languages can offer valuable insights into the cultural contexts and histories of the places we visit, live in, and connect with. Join us as we explore the many meanings and manifestations of this versatile word, shedding light on the rich tapestry of language and culture that connects us all.
Kid
Kid in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bokkie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "bokkie" is derived from the Dutch word "bokje" (little billy goat), and is also used to refer to a small antelope. | |||
| Amharic | ልጅ | ||
| The word 'ልጅ' can also refer to a young person or child, as opposed to an adult. | |||
| Hausa | yaro | ||
| The word "yaro" in Hausa can also refer to a young man or a servant. | |||
| Igbo | nwa ewu | ||
| The Igbo word "nwa ewu" can also refer to a small, playful child. | |||
| Malagasy | zanak'osy | ||
| In Malagasy, "zanak'osy" can also refer to a child adopted through the "tromba" ceremony, where a living person is possessed by an ancestor. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwana | ||
| The word "mwana" originates from Proto-Bantu *mʷánà, which means child, and has cognates such as "mwana" in Swahili and "mwanamwana" in Malagasy. | |||
| Shona | kid | ||
| In Shona, 'kid' can also refer to a small goat or sheep, a playful young person, or a leather pouch. | |||
| Somali | cunug | ||
| The word 'cunug' in Somali is a diminutive form of 'canug', which means 'child' or 'offspring'. | |||
| Sesotho | ngoana | ||
| *Ngoana* used to mean 'child of the chief' or 'someone of high rank' before it was used to refer to all children. | |||
| Swahili | mtoto | ||
| The word "mtoto" in Swahili, meaning "child" or "young one", also refers to a small bird in Kenya. | |||
| Xhosa | umntwana | ||
| The word "umntwana" in Xhosa can also refer to a young goat or a nephew or niece. | |||
| Yoruba | omo kekere | ||
| "Omo kekere" is a diminutive form of the Yoruba word "omo" (child), and it can also refer to a young person or a person of small stature. | |||
| Zulu | ingane | ||
| In Zulu, 'ingane' has alternate meanings of 'child', 'youth', or 'young person'. | |||
| Bambara | baden | ||
| Ewe | gbɔ̃vi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwana | ||
| Lingala | mwana | ||
| Luganda | omwaana | ||
| Sepedi | mapimpane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abɔfra | ||
Kid in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طفل | ||
| "طفل" is a derivative of root verb "طفل" meaning "to have children" or "to be immature." | |||
| Hebrew | יֶלֶד | ||
| The word "יֶלֶד" can also refer to a "young animal" | |||
| Pashto | ماشوم | ||
| 'ما شوم' derives from the Persian root 'ماشوم' (innocent, naive) and refers to a naive or inexperienced person | |||
| Arabic | طفل | ||
| "طفل" is a derivative of root verb "طفل" meaning "to have children" or "to be immature." | |||
Kid in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kec | ||
| The word "kec" in Albanian originally referred to a young goat but came to be used for "kid" as well. | |||
| Basque | umea | ||
| Umea is also a Basque term for 'child' or 'youngster', and can be used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Catalan | nen | ||
| The term "nen" in Catalan is a contraction of the word "infant" meaning "child" and was originally only used for males, but in modern Catalan the term is used for both boys and girls. | |||
| Croatian | dijete | ||
| In Croatian, "dijete" also refers to a baby or an infant, and derives from the Proto-Slavic word *dětije, meaning "child." | |||
| Danish | barn | ||
| Danish 'barn' comes from Old Norse 'barn' meaning 'child' and is also the origin of the English word 'born'. | |||
| Dutch | kind | ||
| The Dutch word "kind" has two meanings: "child" and "type, sort, race, or genus" as in "animal kind" or similar expressions. | |||
| English | kid | ||
| In the 18th century, the word 'kid' in English was initially used as short for kidnapping. | |||
| French | enfant | ||
| The word "enfant" originally meant "mute" or "unable to speak" in Old French, derived from the Latin word "infans." | |||
| Frisian | kid | ||
| In Frisian, 'kid' additionally means 'to tease' or 'to joke'. | |||
| Galician | neno | ||
| In Galician, "neno" can also refer to the grandson of someone's sibling. | |||
| German | kind | ||
| The German word "Kind" can also mean "boy" or "girl" and is often used in this sense in fairy tales and children's stories. | |||
| Icelandic | krakki | ||
| Krakki can also mean 'small fry' or 'worthless item' (krakkarnir) in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | kid | ||
| The word "kid" in Irish can also mean "a young goat" or "a bundle of sticks". | |||
| Italian | ragazzo | ||
| The word "ragazzo" comes from the Venetian "ragazzio", which means "young boy". | |||
| Luxembourgish | kand | ||
| The word "Kand" is also used in a colloquial sense to mean "child" or "young person". | |||
| Maltese | gidi | ||
| The Maltese word 'gidi' comes from Old Occitan or Old Catalan 'guidar' (to lead) and also means ‘leader, chief’. | |||
| Norwegian | gutt | ||
| The word "gutt" is related to the old Norse word "goði", meaning "chieftain" or "priest", and is a common term of endearment in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | criança | ||
| In Brazil, "criança" is also used to refer to domestic helpers under the age of 18, known as "criadas" - a term now considered archaic and potentially offensive in some contexts. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leanaibh | ||
| The Gaelic word "leanaibh" can also refer to a child or offspring. | |||
| Spanish | niño | ||
| "Niño" in Spanish originally referred to both male and female children, but now only refers to male children. | |||
| Swedish | unge | ||
| Unge is also a term for young animals, such as 'calf' or 'foal'. | |||
| Welsh | plentyn | ||
| The word "plentyn" is cognate with the Irish and Scottish Gaelic "leanbh" and the Breton "pluent", and is also the stem of several derived terms for children and childhood. | |||
Kid in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзіця | ||
| The word "дзіця" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *děťę, meaning "child" or "young animal". | |||
| Bosnian | dijete | ||
| "Dijete" comes from the Slavic word "dete", meaning "child", and also means "kid goat" or "young animal". | |||
| Bulgarian | хлапе | ||
| The word "хлапе" in Bulgarian is also related to the Slavic word "хлоп", meaning "a young servant" or "a boy, a lad". | |||
| Czech | dítě | ||
| "Dítě" can be used to mean a child or fetus. | |||
| Estonian | poiss | ||
| The word "poiss" meaning "boy" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*poika" meaning "son". | |||
| Finnish | lapsi | ||
| Lapsi is also the Finnish word for 'fallen', as in the Biblical story about Adam and Eve, suggesting a connection between innocence and the state of having 'fallen'. | |||
| Hungarian | kölyök | ||
| "Kölyök" also means "puppy" or "colt" in Hungarian | |||
| Latvian | bērns | ||
| The word "bērns" in Latvian also has the alternate meaning of "child" or "minor". | |||
| Lithuanian | vaikas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vaikas" also means "child" and is related to the Latin word "infans" (infant). | |||
| Macedonian | дете | ||
| The word "дете" in Macedonian, besides its primary meaning of "kid", also refers to a male child, typically a toddler or young boy. | |||
| Polish | dziecko | ||
| The word 'dziecko' likely originated from the Proto-Slavic word 'děťǫ', meaning 'young animal' or 'offspring'. | |||
| Romanian | copil | ||
| The word "copil" in Romanian can also refer to a "child" or "offspring" in a broader sense, including both humans and animals. | |||
| Russian | дитя | ||
| Russian "дитя" is cognate with English "daughter" due to an intermediary Slavic form meaning "young girl". | |||
| Serbian | дете | ||
| The word 'дете' also carries the older Slavic meaning of 'act', as seen in 'дете' 'vlasti'. | |||
| Slovak | dieťa | ||
| "Dieťa" also means "diet" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | otrok | ||
| "Otrok" in Slovenian can also refer to an individual of undetermined age or marital status. | |||
| Ukrainian | дитина | ||
| The word "дитина" is also commonly used to refer to a child or young person, rather than specifically an animal. | |||
Kid in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ছাগলছানা | ||
| The Bengali word "ছাগলছানা" can also refer to a young goat or a small child. | |||
| Gujarati | બાળક | ||
| In English, the word "kid" can also refer to a young goat, or to leather made from the skin of a young goat. | |||
| Hindi | बच्चा | ||
| "बच्चा" also means "young animal" in Hindi, and is related to the English word "calf" which means "young cow or deer". | |||
| Kannada | ಮಗು | ||
| The word ಮಗು (kid) in Kannada also means 'child', 'son', and 'infant'. | |||
| Malayalam | കൊച്ചു | ||
| The word "കൊച്ചു" is also used affectionately to refer to young children or friends, akin to the English "little one". | |||
| Marathi | करडू | ||
| The word "करडू" can also refer to a small child or a young animal. | |||
| Nepali | बच्चा | ||
| The Nepali word 'बच्चा' not only means 'kid' in English, but it also refers to 'child' or 'calf.' | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੱਚਾ | ||
| The word 'ਬੱਚਾ' can also refer to a young animal, such as a goat kid or a calf. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ළමයා | ||
| The word "ළමයා" derives from the Proto-Indo-Aryan term "*lyu-mo-s" meaning "child". | |||
| Tamil | குழந்தை | ||
| In Tamil, the word "குழந்தை" (kuzhandaikk) not only means "kid" but can also refer to a "child" or a "youngster". | |||
| Telugu | పిల్లవాడిని | ||
| Urdu | بچہ | ||
| The word "بچہ" (bacha) in Urdu, which means "child", can also refer to a "young animal" or figuratively to an "inexperienced person". | |||
Kid in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 小子 | ||
| "小子" (kid) can refer to a young animal, especially a goat or a sheep, in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 小子 | ||
| 小子 means "young boy" in Chinese, also used as a casual term of address for a young person. | |||
| Japanese | キッド | ||
| In Japanese, kid (キッド) can mean both "kid (young goat)" and "kidnapping." | |||
| Korean | 아이 | ||
| 아이 can also mean a small child, especially a baby | |||
| Mongolian | хүүхэд | ||
| "Хүүхэд" can also mean "child" or "son" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကလေး | ||
| The word "ကလေး" is also used to address children affectionately in Myanmar. | |||
Kid in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | anak | ||
| The Proto-Austronesian root of "anak" also gave rise to the words "anak" in Malay, "anak" in Tagalog, and "keiki" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Javanese | bocah | ||
| The term 'bocah' in Javanese is derived from the word 'bocah-bocah', meaning 'small' or 'young', and can also refer to offspring or descendants of animals. | |||
| Khmer | ក្មេង | ||
| The word "ក្មេង" can also be used to refer to someone who is immature or inexperienced. | |||
| Lao | ເດັກນ້ອຍ | ||
| Malay | anak | ||
| The word "anak" in Malay also refers to a river tributary or a branch of a tree. | |||
| Thai | เด็ก | ||
| "Kid" may be an alternate way to translate "เด็ก" in some contexts due to its broader range of meanings (e.g., young goat or young of other animals), but the standard translation is "child." | |||
| Vietnamese | đứa trẻ | ||
| The word "đứa trẻ" in Vietnamese can also refer to a young animal or a young plant. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bata | ||
Kid in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | uşaq | ||
| "Uşaq" also means "young" or "inexperienced" in some contexts. | |||
| Kazakh | бала | ||
| The word "бала" in Kazakh can also mean "baby" or "child". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бала | ||
| The word "бала" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a child or a young person. | |||
| Tajik | бача | ||
| In Tajik, “бача” can also refer to a young, unmarried male or a servant, depending on context. | |||
| Turkmen | çaga | ||
| Uzbek | bola | ||
| The Uzbek word "bola" also means "toy", likely derived from the Persian word "bacheh" (child). | |||
| Uyghur | kid | ||
Kid in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | keiki | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'keiki' was originally a respectful term for a child rather than a casual synonym for 'kid' as it is often used today. | |||
| Maori | tamaiti | ||
| The Māori word 'tamaiti' is also a compound meaning 'young man' or 'young woman', derived from the words 'tama' (male child) and 'iti' (small). | |||
| Samoan | tamaititi | ||
| The word "tamaititi" can also refer to a young nobleman or someone of respect. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bata | ||
| In Tagalog, "bata" not only means "kid" but also refers to a "young coconut" or a "young animal" | |||
Kid in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wawa | ||
| Guarani | mitã | ||
Kid in International Languages
| Esperanto | infano | ||
| The Esperanto word 'infano' is derived from the Latin word 'infans', meaning 'infant' or 'child'. | |||
| Latin | hedum in frusta concerperet | ||
| The word "hedum" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰédʰos, meaning "young goat". | |||
Kid in Others Languages
| Greek | παιδί | ||
| The Greek word 'παιδί' ('paidí') also means 'child', originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *ped-. | |||
| Hmong | menyuam | ||
| The Hmong word 'menyuam' is also used to refer to a playful or young person, similar to the English 'lad' or 'sprite'. | |||
| Kurdish | zarok | ||
| The word "zarok" in Kurdish also has the alternate meaning of "a small animal". | |||
| Turkish | çocuk | ||
| The Turkish word "çocuk" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "çöğük" meaning "young animal" or "cub". | |||
| Xhosa | umntwana | ||
| The word "umntwana" in Xhosa can also refer to a young goat or a nephew or niece. | |||
| Yiddish | קינד | ||
| Yiddish "קינד" (kind) is related to the Middle High German "kint," meaning "child" or "descendant," and is cognate with the English "kin." | |||
| Zulu | ingane | ||
| In Zulu, 'ingane' has alternate meanings of 'child', 'youth', or 'young person'. | |||
| Assamese | শিশু | ||
| Aymara | wawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | बच्चा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުއްޖާ | ||
| Dogri | बच्चा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bata | ||
| Guarani | mitã | ||
| Ilocano | ubing | ||
| Krio | jok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | منداڵ | ||
| Maithili | नेना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | naupang | ||
| Oromo | daa'ima | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପିଲା | ||
| Quechua | warma | ||
| Sanskrit | शिशु | ||
| Tatar | бала | ||
| Tigrinya | ህፃን | ||
| Tsonga | n'wana | ||