King in Different Languages
Discover 'King' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'king' holds immense significance in many cultures and societies around the world. Historically, a king is the ruler of a country or region, often inheriting the position by birthright. Kings have wielded immense power and influence, shaping the course of history and leaving their mark on society, politics, and art.
Kings have been celebrated in folklore, literature, and media, often depicted as heroic figures or wise leaders. From Shakespeare's Henry V to Disney's Simba, the figure of the king has captivated audiences for centuries.
Understanding the translation of the word 'king' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural significance of this powerful figure. For example, in Spanish, the word for king is 'rey,' while in German, it is 'könig.' In Russian, the word for king is 'король' (korol'), and in Japanese, it is '王' (ou).
Exploring the translations of the word 'king' can also reveal interesting historical contexts and linguistic connections. For example, the Old English word for king, 'cyning,' is related to the word 'kin,' meaning family or group. This connection highlights the importance of family and lineage in the historical role of the king.
King
King in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | koning | ||
| The word "koning" can also refer to a chess piece or a playing card. | |||
| Amharic | ንጉስ | ||
| In Amharic, "ንጉስ" is derived from an ancient root term meaning "to lead" and can also mean "champion" or "hero." | |||
| Hausa | sarki | ||
| In some parts of Niger, "sarki" refers to the chief of a village. | |||
| Igbo | eze | ||
| The word "eze" in Igbo can also refer to a god or spirit. | |||
| Malagasy | malagasy | ||
| The word 'Malagasy' in Malagasy can also refer to the Malagasy language or the people of Madagascar. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mfumu | ||
| The Nyanja word 'mfumu' also has other meanings, including 'forefather' and 'ancestor'. | |||
| Shona | mambo | ||
| Etymology: Shona "mamba", possibly from the Proto-Bantu root "*mbamba" (chief). | |||
| Somali | boqorka | ||
| The word "boqorka" can also refer to a traditional Somali elder who holds authority and wisdom. | |||
| Sesotho | morena | ||
| The word 'morena' can also refer to a respected elder or a person in a position of authority. | |||
| Swahili | mfalme | ||
| The Swahili word "mfalme" also means "ruler" and "sovereign". | |||
| Xhosa | kumkani | ||
| Kumkani, meaning ‘king’, is also used for ‘lord’ in the Nguni languages and, more specifically, for ‘God’ among the Zulu. | |||
| Yoruba | ọba | ||
| The word "ọba" in Yoruba also refers to the head of a large extended family or compound. | |||
| Zulu | inkosi | ||
| In Zulu, 'inkosi' not only signifies 'king' but also a revered individual, an embodiment of authority and leadership. | |||
| Bambara | masakɛ | ||
| Ewe | fia | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwami | ||
| Lingala | mokonzi | ||
| Luganda | kabaka | ||
| Sepedi | kgošikgolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔhene | ||
King in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ملك | ||
| The Arabic word "ملك" also means "possession" or "property." | |||
| Hebrew | מלך | ||
| The Hebrew word "מלך" (melech, "king") also has the alternate meaning of "counselor" or "advisor". | |||
| Pashto | پاچا | ||
| The word "پاچا" can also mean "grandfather" or "old man" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | ملك | ||
| The Arabic word "ملك" also means "possession" or "property." | |||
King in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbret | ||
| The Albanian word 'mbret' is cognate with 'imperator' in Latin, indicating its derivation from the Roman Empire. | |||
| Basque | erregea | ||
| In the Basque language, "erregea" shares common ancestry with the words for "king" in Germanic languages such as Old English "ric". | |||
| Catalan | rei | ||
| The Catalan word "rei" originates from the Latin word "rex", meaning "king" or "ruler". | |||
| Croatian | kralj | ||
| The Croatian word "kralj" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*korlь", meaning "ruler", and is cognate with other Slavic languages like Polish "król" and Russian "король". | |||
| Danish | konge | ||
| The word "konge" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*kuningaz", meaning "leader". | |||
| Dutch | koning | ||
| The Dutch word "koning" is also used to refer to the female monarch, "koningin". | |||
| English | king | ||
| Both 'kin' and 'king' are derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰénos, meaning 'race' or 'family'. | |||
| French | roi | ||
| The French word "roi" originates from the Frankish word "rik" meaning "ruler" or "chieftain". | |||
| Frisian | kening | ||
| The Frisian word "kening" (king) is a cognate of Old English "cyning" (king), not Modern English "king," due to a sound shift from a palatalized velar (/gʲ/) to an alveolar (/dʒ/), which can also be heard in Modern English words such as "bridge" and "judge." | |||
| Galician | rei | ||
| The word "rei" in Galician is derived from the Latin word "rex," which also means "king" and is widely used in other Indo-European languages. | |||
| German | könig | ||
| The German word "König" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "kuningaz", meaning "descendant".} | |||
| Icelandic | konungur | ||
| "Konungur" is the Icelandic word for "king." It is related to the Old Norse word "konungr" (also meaning "king"), which is itself derived from the Proto-Germanic word “kuningaz” (meaning "king" or "leader"). | |||
| Irish | rí | ||
| The word "Rí" (king) in Irish also has the meanings "leader" or "chief". | |||
| Italian | re | ||
| The Italian word "re" is derived from the Latin word "rex" and also means "musical note". | |||
| Luxembourgish | kinnek | ||
| The word 'Kinnek', meaning 'king' in Luxembourgish, is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'kuningaz' and is related to the English word 'king'. | |||
| Maltese | sultan | ||
| The word "sultan" derives from the Arabic word "sulṭān", meaning "authority" or "power". | |||
| Norwegian | konge | ||
| The Norwegian word "konge" can also refer to a "chess piece". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rei | ||
| From the Latin 'rex', related to Sanskrit 'raj' ('to rule'). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | rìgh | ||
| The word "rìgh" is cognate with the Old Irish "rí" and the Welsh "rhi" and originally referred to a minor territorial ruler, only later coming to mean "king". | |||
| Spanish | rey | ||
| The word "Rey" in Spanish, meaning "king," originated from the Late Latin word "rex," which also meant "king" and had a similar root as the word "regere," meaning "to rule." | |||
| Swedish | kung | ||
| Kung can also mean 'young cow' or 'young man' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | brenin | ||
| Related to 'barn' and 'bran' as in 'raven', implying 'black' or 'dark king'. | |||
King in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цар | ||
| "Цар" is the Belarusian spelling of the Slavic word "tsar", ultimately derived from the Latin "caesar". | |||
| Bosnian | kralju | ||
| The word "kralju" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *korlь, meaning "ruler" or "prince." | |||
| Bulgarian | крал | ||
| The word "крал" (king) in Bulgarian also has the meaning of "thief" or "robber". | |||
| Czech | král | ||
| The word "král" is also used colloquially to refer to a large piece of bread | |||
| Estonian | kuningas | ||
| The word "kuningas" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰréh₁no- "to grow old". | |||
| Finnish | kuningas | ||
| The Finnish word "kuningas" is also the name of a checkers piece. | |||
| Hungarian | király | ||
| In Old Hungarian, "király" meant "ruler of a people" or "chief", but today it only means "king". | |||
| Latvian | karalis | ||
| The word "karalis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḳr̥- "to rule, to guard" and is cognates with Slavic "korol" and Lithuanian "karalius" | |||
| Lithuanian | karalius | ||
| In Proto-Baltic, "karalius" originally meant "army leader". | |||
| Macedonian | крал | ||
| The word "крал" can also refer to a male rabbit or hare in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | król | ||
| The word 'król' has also been used colloquially to refer to the largest card in a deck, or to the first piece of wood used in a campfire. | |||
| Romanian | rege | ||
| The Romanian word "rege" comes from the Latin "rex" and also means "ruler" or "sovereign". | |||
| Russian | король | ||
| The word "король" (korol) is also used in Russian as a term of endearment for a young boy. | |||
| Serbian | краљу | ||
| "Краљ" (king) derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*korlь" meaning "prince, leader, or ruler." | |||
| Slovak | kráľ | ||
| The word "kráľ" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *korlь, which also means "prince" or "ruler". | |||
| Slovenian | kralj | ||
| The word 'kralj' is cognate with the German 'König', originally meaning 'man'. | |||
| Ukrainian | король | ||
| "Король" in Ukrainian means both "king" and a certain type of wood grouse (Tetrao urogallus) | |||
King in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রাজা | ||
| The word "রাজা" (king) stems from the Sanskrit word "rajan," meaning "ruler" or "sovereign." | |||
| Gujarati | રાજા | ||
| The Gujarati word "રાજા" also signifies "a man" or "a chief," not just a "king." | |||
| Hindi | राजा | ||
| The word "राजा" (king) in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word "rajan," meaning "ruler" or "great man" | |||
| Kannada | ರಾಜ | ||
| The word "ರಾಜ" (king) comes from the Sanskrit word "raj", which means "to shine" or "to rule". | |||
| Malayalam | രാജാവ് | ||
| The word "രാജാവ്" comes from the Sanskrit word "rājan", which means "ruler" or "lord". | |||
| Marathi | राजा | ||
| The Sanskrit word "rājan" is believed to have originated from the root "rājj" meaning "to shine" or "to rule". It is also used as a title for a deity or a divine being in Hinduism, and has been adopted into several other Indian languages, including Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | राजा | ||
| The Nepali word "राजा" can also be used to refer to a landlord, a powerful or influential person, or a god. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਾਜਾ | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'raja' is the root of many words in Punjabi including 'raj', meaning 'rule', and 'rajneeti', meaning 'politics'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රජ | ||
| The word "රජ" can also refer to a deity or a person of high rank, such as a chief or a lord. | |||
| Tamil | ராஜா | ||
| The word 'ராஜா' stems from Sanskrit and means 'a ruler or sovereign', cognate with Latin 'rex' (king). | |||
| Telugu | రాజు | ||
| The word "రాజు" in Telugu, besides meaning "king," also signifies "lord," "manager," and "ruler." | |||
| Urdu | بادشاہ | ||
| بادشاہ, meaning "king" in Urdu, derives from the Persian "pādshah," which itself comes from the Avestan "xšaθra-" ("kingdom") and "pati-" ("lord"). | |||
King in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 王 | ||
| The character "王" is composed of the character "玉" (jade) on the left and the character "令" (command) on the right, indicating that ancient kings were revered as possessors of authority and wisdom. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 王 | ||
| The character "王" (king) was originally a pictograph of a person standing on a hill, and also has meanings of "to rule", "ruler", and "prince". | |||
| Japanese | キング | ||
| The word "キング" can also mean "the kingpiece in chess" or "a dominant or influential person in a particular field". | |||
| Korean | 왕 | ||
| The Korean word "왕" can also refer to a type of Chinese chess piece or a rank in martial arts. | |||
| Mongolian | хаан | ||
| The Mongolian word "хаан" (king) originally meant "ruler of the world" and was used for the great khans of the Mongol Empire. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘုရင် | ||
King in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | raja | ||
| Raja can also refer to large birds in Indonesian, such as the Raja Udang (kingfisher). | |||
| Javanese | raja | ||
| In Javanese, "raja" can also mean a noble or high-ranking person in a court or a deity. | |||
| Khmer | ស្តេច | ||
| While ស្តេច (sdech) means "king" in Khmer, it also has a broader meaning of "lord" or "ruler", with various historical uses referring to different ranks of nobility. | |||
| Lao | ກະສັດ | ||
| Malay | raja | ||
| In Sanskrit and Malay "Raja" means "ruler", but in Tamil "Raja" means a military general. | |||
| Thai | กษัตริย์ | ||
| The Thai word "กษัตริย์" is derived from the Sanskrit word "क्षत्रिय" (kṣatriya), which originally referred to the warrior caste in ancient Indian society. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhà vua | ||
| Nhà vua in Vietnamese derives from the Chinese characters 家主, where 家 means family and 主 means leader or master. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hari | ||
King in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kral | ||
| The word "kral" is of Turkic origin and is related to the words "kiral" (king) in Turkish, "qrall" (king) in Tatar, and "qral" (king) in Kazakh. | |||
| Kazakh | патша | ||
| In Kazakh, "патша" is also used for "husband", likely originating from the concept of a husband as "king of the household." | |||
| Kyrgyz | падыша | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, padishah also means the spouse of the Ottoman sultan or empress. | |||
| Tajik | подшоҳ | ||
| The word "подшоҳ" (king) in Tajik ultimately derives from the Persian "pādeshāh", meaning "emperor". | |||
| Turkmen | patyşa | ||
| Uzbek | shoh | ||
| Uzbek "shoh" originates from Persian "shahanshah," designating a high-ranking sovereign ruler. | |||
| Uyghur | پادىشاھ | ||
King in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mōʻī | ||
| "Mōʻī" is also the name of a type of Hawaiian fish, meaning "chief of the fishes". | |||
| Maori | kingi | ||
| In Māori, the word 'kingi' can also refer to the king of a playing card suit or a chess piece. | |||
| Samoan | tupu | ||
| In some Polynesian languages, the word "tupu" also means "to grow", reflecting the king's role as caretaker of the land and its people. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hari | ||
| The word "hari" is cognate with the Malay word "raja" and the Sanskrit word "raja", both of which mean "king". | |||
King in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | riyi | ||
| Guarani | réi | ||
King in International Languages
| Esperanto | reĝo | ||
| Esperanto's "reĝo" (king) originates from the Proto-Indo-European base *reg- (to rule). | |||
| Latin | rex | ||
| "Rex" derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₃rḗǵs, meaning "ruler", and is related to the Sanskrit word "rāj" (रज्), meaning "to rule". | |||
King in Others Languages
| Greek | βασιλιάς | ||
| The Greek word for 'king', βασιλιάς ('vasilias'), originally meant 'master of the house' and is related to the word βασίλειος ('vasileios'), meaning 'royal' or 'imperial'. | |||
| Hmong | huab tais | ||
| Hmong word "huab tais" is an inversion of the Chinese words "tais huab" which mean "large flower". | |||
| Kurdish | qiral | ||
| In Kurdish, 'qiral' also means 'the first step of a journey'. | |||
| Turkish | kral | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "kral" is used to refer to a "lion", while in Arabic it means "to read." | |||
| Xhosa | kumkani | ||
| Kumkani, meaning ‘king’, is also used for ‘lord’ in the Nguni languages and, more specifically, for ‘God’ among the Zulu. | |||
| Yiddish | קעניג | ||
| The Yiddish word קעניג also has a secondary meaning of "small shopkeeper". | |||
| Zulu | inkosi | ||
| In Zulu, 'inkosi' not only signifies 'king' but also a revered individual, an embodiment of authority and leadership. | |||
| Assamese | ৰজা | ||
| Aymara | riyi | ||
| Bhojpuri | राजा | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަސްގެފާނު | ||
| Dogri | राजा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hari | ||
| Guarani | réi | ||
| Ilocano | ari | ||
| Krio | kiŋ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پاشا | ||
| Maithili | राजा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ | ||
| Mizo | lal | ||
| Oromo | mootii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରାଜା | ||
| Quechua | inka | ||
| Sanskrit | राजा | ||
| Tatar | патша | ||
| Tigrinya | ንጉስ | ||
| Tsonga | hosinkulu | ||