Knee in Different Languages
Discover 'Knee' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The knee, a simple hinge joint connecting the thigh and the shin, plays a significant role in our mobility. It's the point where two of our strongest bones, the femur and tibia, meet, allowing us to stand, walk, run, and bend. But the knee's significance extends beyond anatomy.
Knees have cultural importance across the globe. In Japan, people greet each other by bowing, a gesture that involves bending the knee. In many African cultures, kneeling is a sign of respect. And in various religious practices, kneeling is a form of prayer.
Given its significance and cultural importance, you might want to know the word 'knee' in different languages. It's a small step towards understanding the richness of global languages and cultures.
Here are a few translations to start with:
- Spanish: rodilla
- French: genou
- German: Knie
- Mandarin: 膝盖 (xīgài)
- Japanese: 膝 (hiza)
- Arabic: الركبة (ar-rakbah)
Knee
Knee in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | knie | ||
| Although "knie" in Afrikaans means "knee", the word is also used in a figurative sense to refer to "a point of difficulty". | |||
| Amharic | ጉልበት | ||
| "ጉልበት" (knee) may be an adaptation of the Greek γυνα (knee), via Coptic Ⲅⲱⲃⲉⲗⲑ (goulbel) or Ge'ez ጉልባ (goulba)" | |||
| Hausa | gwiwa | ||
| The Hausa word "gwiwa" also means "a type of bean" in other languages. | |||
| Igbo | ikpere | ||
| Ikpere can also refer to a person's 'age-grade', or to the season of year when new yams are harvested. | |||
| Malagasy | lohalika | ||
| The word "lohalika" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word for "leg", *qaqay. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bondo | ||
| The word 'bondo' can also refer to a type of traditional beer made from fermented millet or sorghum. | |||
| Shona | ibvi | ||
| The word 'ibvi' derives from the Proto-Bantu word '*ibwi', meaning 'joint' or 'link'. | |||
| Somali | jilibka | ||
| "Jilibka" also means the part of a person lying between the chest and the hips, or the part of an animal lying between the shoulders and the hip. | |||
| Sesotho | lengole | ||
| The word "lengole" in Sesotho can also mean "the part of a tree just above the roots". | |||
| Swahili | goti | ||
| The word "goti" in Swahili can also refer to several types of traditional games involving hitting or kicking objects. | |||
| Xhosa | idolo | ||
| In Xhosa, "idolo" can also refer to a person who is very weak or sick. | |||
| Yoruba | orokun | ||
| The word "orokun" in Yoruba can also be used to refer to a "person with a very fat or clumsy body". | |||
| Zulu | idolo | ||
| The Zulu word "idolo" also means "thigh" or "leg". | |||
| Bambara | kunbere | ||
| Ewe | klo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ivi | ||
| Lingala | libolongo | ||
| Luganda | evviivi | ||
| Sepedi | khuru | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kotodwe | ||
Knee in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الركبة | ||
| ركبة al-rukba: a knee, the joint of the leg at the knee. | |||
| Hebrew | הברך | ||
| The Hebrew word "הברך" (knee) also has the alternate meanings of "bend" or "blessing". | |||
| Pashto | زنګون | ||
| In Pashtu, the word "زنګون" also refers to a large joint of meat, particularly that of a sheep. | |||
| Arabic | الركبة | ||
| ركبة al-rukba: a knee, the joint of the leg at the knee. | |||
Knee in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gju | ||
| The Albanian word "gju" can also refer to the knee of a hill or mountain | |||
| Basque | belauna | ||
| The word 'belauna' has an alternative meaning of 'generation'. | |||
| Catalan | genoll | ||
| The Catalan word "genoll" derives from the Latin "geniculum" and also means "joint". | |||
| Croatian | koljeno | ||
| Derived from Proto-Slavic *kolěno, meaning 'joint' or 'limb' | |||
| Danish | knæ | ||
| The word "knæ" is related to the word "kne" in German and "genu" in Latin, all meaning "knee". | |||
| Dutch | knie | ||
| "Knie" is related to the Old English word "cneo" and the German word "Knie", both meaning "knee". Another meaning of "knie" in Dutch is "node". | |||
| English | knee | ||
| The word "knee" derives from the Old English word "cneow," which also meant "hill" or "mound." | |||
| French | le genou | ||
| The French word "le genou" also means "a bend, an angle, or a joint". | |||
| Frisian | knibbel | ||
| The word "knibbel" in Frisian, meaning "knee", is cognate with the English word "knee" and the Dutch word "knie". | |||
| Galician | xeonllo | ||
| In ancient Galician, "xeonllo" also meant "leg" or "thigh". | |||
| German | knie | ||
| The word "Knie" is also used in German to refer to the knob on a door or window. | |||
| Icelandic | hné | ||
| Hné is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *hnewaz, meaning 'bone' or 'joint'. | |||
| Irish | glúin | ||
| The word "glúin" in Irish also means "relationship" or "offspring". | |||
| Italian | ginocchio | ||
| The word "ginocchio" comes from the Latin word "genu", which also means "knee". | |||
| Luxembourgish | knéi | ||
| The word 'Knéi' in Luxembourgish is derived from the Old High German word 'chniu', meaning 'knee' or 'bend'. | |||
| Maltese | irkoppa | ||
| The Maltese word "irkoppa" is derived from the Arabic word "rukbah" and means "knee", but can also refer to the "leg" or the "thigh". | |||
| Norwegian | kne | ||
| "Kne" also means "to know, to be familiar with something" or "to knead". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | joelho | ||
| The word "joelho" can also refer to the articulation points of animals and the elbows of some reptiles and amphibians. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | glùin | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "glùin" can mean not only "knee" but also "generation" or "family line". | |||
| Spanish | rodilla | ||
| The word 'rodilla' may be cognate with the Latin word 'rotula', meaning 'small wheel', due to the kneecap's resemblance to a wheel. | |||
| Swedish | knä | ||
| The word 'knä' also has alternate meanings, such as 'hill' and 'knot'. | |||
| Welsh | pen-glin | ||
| The Welsh word 'pen-glin' literally means 'head of the knee', referring to the kneecap. | |||
Knee in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | калена | ||
| The word "калена" is believed to have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵénu-", meaning "knee", and is related to the English word "knee". | |||
| Bosnian | koljeno | ||
| The word 'koljeno' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'kolěno', meaning 'joint' or 'link', and also refers to a generation or a family line. | |||
| Bulgarian | коляно | ||
| The word "коляно" can also be used to refer to a "bend" or "curve" in various contexts, such as pipes or roads. | |||
| Czech | koleno | ||
| The Czech word "koleno" can also refer to a pig's knuckle, or to a bend in a pipe. | |||
| Estonian | põlv | ||
| In Estonian folk beliefs, the knee was considered a sacred place, believed to be the seat of strength and virility. | |||
| Finnish | polvi | ||
| The Finnish word "polvi" also refers to the joint of a finger or toe, or a sharp bend in a river. | |||
| Hungarian | térd | ||
| Tér means 'space' in Hungarian, and its use for 'knee' stems from ancient beliefs about the knee being a sacred place, a site where the body connects to the divine. | |||
| Latvian | ceļgals | ||
| "Ceļgals" in Latvian ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European *ǵen-u-, meaning "knee". It is cognate with the English word "knee" and the Latin word "genu". The word "ceļgals" can also refer to the bend or joint in a tree branch. | |||
| Lithuanian | kelio | ||
| The word "kelio" is also used to refer to the path of a river. | |||
| Macedonian | колено | ||
| The word "колено" in Macedonian also refers to a generation, a group of people born around the same time. | |||
| Polish | kolano | ||
| The word "kolano" is also used in Polish to refer to a type of pasta similar to macaroni. | |||
| Romanian | genunchi | ||
| The word "genunchi" also means "generations" in Romanian, deriving from the Latin "genus" (family, generation). | |||
| Russian | колено | ||
| The word "колено" can also mean a generation or a segment of a limb in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | колено | ||
| In Serbian, 'колено' can also refer to a 'generation or family line'. | |||
| Slovak | koleno | ||
| Koleno can also refer to an elbow or a joint between two bones, as well as a bend or angle in a pipe. | |||
| Slovenian | koleno | ||
| The word "koleno" also refers to a type of dance in Slovenian folklore. | |||
| Ukrainian | коліно | ||
| The word 'коліно' in Ukrainian also refers to the part of the garment covering the knee. | |||
Knee in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হাঁটু | ||
| The Bengali word 'হাঁটু' is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'जानु' or the Prakrit word 'जाणु' meaning 'knee'. | |||
| Gujarati | ઘૂંટણ | ||
| The word "knee" (ઘૂંટણ) in Gujarati also means "a bend or angle in something". | |||
| Hindi | घुटना | ||
| The word "घुटना" (knee) in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word " गुह्" (to conceal), probably because the knee is often hidden from view when sitting | |||
| Kannada | ಮೊಣಕಾಲು | ||
| The word "ಮೊಣಕಾಲು" can also refer to a type of musical instrument used in traditional Kannada music. | |||
| Malayalam | കാൽമുട്ട് | ||
| Marathi | गुडघा | ||
| The word "गुडघा" is also used to refer to a "hinge" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | घुँडा | ||
| The word "घुँडा" derives from the Sanskrit word "गुल्फ" which originally meant "ankle", but now means "knee" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੋਡੇ | ||
| "ਗੋਡੇ" (knee) is derived from Sanskrit "goda" meaning "ball, sphere" referring to the spherical shape of the kneecap. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දණහිස | ||
| The word "දණහිස" (knee) is derived from the Sanskrit word "janu" and also refers to the "angle" of a joint in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | முழங்கால் | ||
| The word "முழங்கால்" (knee) in Tamil also refers to the "joint of a bamboo" or a "segment of a sugar cane". | |||
| Telugu | మోకాలి | ||
| “మోకాలి” (knee) derives from Sanskrit “muhulati” or “mankulati” indicating a “bend” or a “joint” which in general terms also means one of the 22 joints in the human body that is movable. | |||
| Urdu | گھٹنے | ||
Knee in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 膝盖 | ||
| 膝盖 (xīɡāi), literally "thigh cap," can refer to other body parts such as the patella or calf. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 膝蓋 | ||
| The Chinese character "膝" (knee) in Traditional Chinese refers to the bone and joint that forms the knee. It is written with a top "bone" radical and a bottom "sit" radical to depict a person squatting on their haunches. | |||
| Japanese | 膝 | ||
| The word 膝 (knee) also has the alternate meaning of "to be involved in" and can be used in phrases like 「膝を深く入れる」 (to be deeply involved) | |||
| Korean | 무릎 | ||
| "무릎" is also used to mean "generation" because it's the area where the upper and lower legs meet, hence generations meet. | |||
| Mongolian | өвдөг | ||
| Өвдөг, meaning knee, is related to the root word өв or "to bend". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒူး | ||
| The Burmese word "ဒူး" (knee) also has the alternate meaning of "a kind of tree". | |||
Knee in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lutut | ||
| "Lutut" can also refer to the part of a shirt sleeve that covers the elbow. | |||
| Javanese | dhengkul | ||
| The word "dhengkul" also means "angle" or "corner" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ជង្គង់ | ||
| Lao | ຫົວເຂົ່າ | ||
| Malay | lutut | ||
| The word "lutut", meaning "knee" in Malay, also refers to the elbow, as in other Austronesian languages, such as Javanese and Tagalog. | |||
| Thai | เข่า | ||
| The Thai word "เข่า" also means "to kneel" and "to worship." | |||
| Vietnamese | đầu gối | ||
| Đầu gối, literally means 'head of the leg', is etymologically related to the word 'head' (đầu). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tuhod | ||
Knee in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | diz | ||
| "Diz" is derived from the Persian word "dazh", which also means "knee". | |||
| Kazakh | тізе | ||
| "Тізе" is an archaic term for the upper thigh in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тизе | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "тизе" is also used to refer to the "joint" or "bend" of something. | |||
| Tajik | зону | ||
| The word "зону" can also refer to the "elbow" or "ankle" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | dyz | ||
| Uzbek | tizza | ||
| The word "tizza" is a diminutive form of "tiz" which originally meant "thigh", later shifting to mean "knee". | |||
| Uyghur | تىز | ||
Knee in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuli | ||
| In Hawaiian, "kuli" also means "foot, leg, or thigh." | |||
| Maori | turi | ||
| In Māori, "turi" also refers to a knee joint that is exposed or protruding, and can be used figuratively to describe someone who is particularly stubborn. | |||
| Samoan | tulivae | ||
| The word "tulivae" originally referred to a person's or animal's leg from the knee down, but over time came to refer to the knee specifically. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tuhod | ||
| In ancient Tagalog, 'tuhod' also meant 'to kneel' or 'to bow down'. | |||
Knee in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qunquri | ||
| Guarani | tenypy'ã | ||
Knee in International Languages
| Esperanto | genuo | ||
| The Esperanto word “genuo” is derived from the Latin word “genu” and also means “generation” or “lineage”. | |||
| Latin | genu | ||
| "Genu" in Latin can refer to the physical knee joint, or the genealogical knee as in the phrase "genu unius" (the knee of one, a grandchild). | |||
Knee in Others Languages
| Greek | γόνατο | ||
| The word | |||
| Hmong | lub hauv caug | ||
| The Hmong word "lub hauv caug" can also refer to someone's legs or thighs. | |||
| Kurdish | çog | ||
| The word 'çog' is also used in a figurative sense to signify 'to bend' or 'to submit'. Additionally, in some local dialects it may carry the connotation of 'the thigh'. | |||
| Turkish | diz | ||
| In Turkish, "diz" also means "row", "line", or "knee-deep". | |||
| Xhosa | idolo | ||
| In Xhosa, "idolo" can also refer to a person who is very weak or sick. | |||
| Yiddish | קני | ||
| The Yiddish word 'kayni' can also refer to the knee of a garment or the part of a garment that covers the knee. | |||
| Zulu | idolo | ||
| The Zulu word "idolo" also means "thigh" or "leg". | |||
| Assamese | আঁঠু | ||
| Aymara | qunquri | ||
| Bhojpuri | घुटना | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަކޫ | ||
| Dogri | गोड्डा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tuhod | ||
| Guarani | tenypy'ã | ||
| Ilocano | tumeng | ||
| Krio | ni | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەژنۆ | ||
| Maithili | ठेहुन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯎ | ||
| Mizo | khup | ||
| Oromo | jilba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଣ୍ଠୁ | ||
| Quechua | muqu | ||
| Sanskrit | जानुक | ||
| Tatar | тез | ||
| Tigrinya | ብርኪ | ||
| Tsonga | tsolo | ||