Lady in Different Languages
Discover 'Lady' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lady' is a term of respect for a woman, especially one who is of high social position or great kindness and refinement. It has been used for centuries to signify a woman of noble birth, a well-bred and decorous woman, or a woman who is the head of a household or estate. The cultural importance of the word 'lady' cannot be overstated, as it has been used in literature, poetry, and song to describe women who possess grace, elegance, and poise.
Moreover, the translation of the word 'lady' in different languages can provide insight into how other cultures view and honor women. For instance, in Spanish, the word for 'lady' is 'señora', which is derived from the title of respect 'señor', meaning 'mister' or 'sir'. In French, the word for 'lady' is 'madame', which is a term of respect and politeness used to address a married woman. In German, the word for 'lady' is 'Frau', which is a title of respect and honor for a married woman.
In this article, we will explore the translations of the word 'lady' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of the term and providing a glimpse into how other cultures view and honor women.
Lady
Lady in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dame | ||
| The Afrikaans word for "lady," "dame," also means "widow and can also sometimes be used as a term of endearment for women. | |||
| Amharic | እመቤት | ||
| The word እመቤት can also refer to a female relative of a king or emperor. | |||
| Hausa | uwargida | ||
| 'Uwar gida' is the Hausa term for 'lady'. It literally translates to 'owner of the house' | |||
| Igbo | nwada | ||
| "Nwada" can also refer to a young, unmarried girl in some contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | vehivavy | ||
| The word "vehivavy" can also refer to a female ancestor or a female spirit in Malagasy culture. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dona | ||
| The word "dona" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is cognate with the Portuguese word "dona" (lady), which is of Latin origin "domina" (mistress). | |||
| Shona | mukadzi | ||
| Mukadzi is derived from the verb "kukunda", meaning to carry a child on one's back, highlighting the traditional role of women as mothers in Shona culture. | |||
| Somali | marwada | ||
| The word "marwada" in Somali can also signify "wife" or a "respectable, well-off" person, especially when it appears in compounds. | |||
| Sesotho | mofumahali | ||
| The word "mofumahali" has been suggested to mean both "lady" and "woman of a high standing or authority" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | mwanamke | ||
| The Swahili word "mwanamke" derives from the root "mama" meaning "mother" and the suffix "-ke" indicating femininity, suggesting a strong association between motherhood and womanhood in Swahili-speaking cultures. | |||
| Xhosa | inenekazi | ||
| This word also means "mother" or "wife" and is frequently used as a sign of respect, similar to the English "ma'am". | |||
| Yoruba | iyaafin | ||
| The word "iyaafin" in Yoruba has its roots in the words "iya" (mother) and "afin" (palace), suggesting the role of women in royal households. | |||
| Zulu | intokazi | ||
| In Zulu, 'intokazi' can also refer to a witch or diviner, likely due to the traditional association between women and spiritual practices. | |||
| Bambara | muso | ||
| Ewe | ɖetugbui | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umudamu | ||
| Lingala | elenge mwasi | ||
| Luganda | omumyaala | ||
| Sepedi | lekgarebe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔbaa | ||
Lady in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سيدة | ||
| The word "سيدة" (sayyida) also means "mistress" in the sense of female owner or ruler, and is used as a title of respect for women of high rank. | |||
| Hebrew | גברת | ||
| גברת also means "Mistress," but not in the modern sexual sense | |||
| Pashto | ښځه | ||
| The word "ښځه" (lady) in Pashto is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word "स्त्री" (woman) and the Avestan word "stərī" (female), suggesting a shared ancient Proto-Indo-European root. | |||
| Arabic | سيدة | ||
| The word "سيدة" (sayyida) also means "mistress" in the sense of female owner or ruler, and is used as a title of respect for women of high rank. | |||
Lady in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zonjë | ||
| "Zonjë" ultimately descends from the Greek "gynaika" meaning "woman". | |||
| Basque | andrea | ||
| The word 'andrea' may derive from the Latin 'femina' meaning 'woman' or 'wife'. | |||
| Catalan | senyora | ||
| In Catalan, "senyora" can also refer to a married woman or a woman who has had children. | |||
| Croatian | dama | ||
| "Dama" comes from the Latin "dominus" meaning "master of the house" and refers to the woman who rules the household. | |||
| Danish | dame | ||
| In Danish, the word 'dame' (lady) has the same etymology as the word 'dam', meaning 'female animal'. | |||
| Dutch | dame | ||
| The Dutch word "dame" can also mean a married woman or a dam. | |||
| English | lady | ||
| The word "lady" comes from the Old English word "hlæfdige," meaning "loaf-kneader," and was originally used to refer to a woman of high social status. | |||
| French | dame | ||
| In French, "Dame" can also mean "a woman of high rank" or "the wife of a knight". | |||
| Frisian | dame | ||
| In Saterland Frisian, "Dame" can also refer to the "Queen" in a deck of cards. | |||
| Galician | señora | ||
| In Galician, the word "señora" can also be used to refer to a married woman. | |||
| German | dame | ||
| In German, "Dame" is also a term used in some card games, such as "Dame" or "Dame und Bube" (Jack and Jill), where it refers to the queen. | |||
| Icelandic | kona | ||
| The word "kona" derives from the Old Norse word "kona", meaning "wife" or "woman". | |||
| Irish | bhean | ||
| "Bhean" in Irish has a shared root with "woman" in English. | |||
| Italian | signora | ||
| The word 'signora' comes from the Latin 'senior', meaning 'older' or 'senior', and was originally used to address married women. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dame | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Dam" derives from the Latin word "domina", meaning "mistress". | |||
| Maltese | mara | ||
| The term 'mara' in Maltese is also used to refer to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. | |||
| Norwegian | dame | ||
| The Norwegian word "dame" has an alternate meaning as a colloquial term for "mother". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | senhora | ||
| The word "senhora" in Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil) comes from the Latin word "seniora," meaning "older woman" or "mistress." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bhean | ||
| The feminine Gaelic noun "bhean" may also mean "wife" or, in some cases, "woman". | |||
| Spanish | dama | ||
| The word "dama" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "domina", meaning "mistress of the house". | |||
| Swedish | lady | ||
| The Swedish word "dam" can also mean "pond" or "checkers piece", unrelated to the meaning "lady". | |||
| Welsh | arglwyddes | ||
| The Welsh word "arglwyddes" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*arigant-lod-es_, meaning "silver-robed one". | |||
Lady in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | лэдзі | ||
| The word "лэдзі" is derived from the Old English word "hlæfdige," meaning "loaf-kneader." | |||
| Bosnian | damo | ||
| The word "damo" originally meant "damsel" and was later used as a respectful term for both married and unmarried girls, regardless of age. | |||
| Bulgarian | дама | ||
| In Bulgarian, "дама" ("lady") also means "queen" (in chess) and "wife" (in some specific contexts). | |||
| Czech | dáma | ||
| Dáma can refer to a female person of high social standing or a checker piece in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | daam | ||
| "Daam" is likely a variant of "daim" (lord, feudal lord), which in turn comes from the German "Dam". | |||
| Finnish | nainen | ||
| The word "nainen" in Finnish can also refer to "a wife". | |||
| Hungarian | hölgy | ||
| The word hölgy is derived from the Turkic term *halk,* meaning "people". | |||
| Latvian | dāma | ||
| Latvian "dāma" came to mean "lady" via the Polish "dama" and in the earlier stages, the German "Dame" | |||
| Lithuanian | panele | ||
| Panele is a Lithuanian diminutive of the female name Panna, which in turn derives from the Roman name Pantera. | |||
| Macedonian | дама | ||
| The word "дама" can also mean "queen" in a game of chess or "jack" in a deck of cards. | |||
| Polish | dama | ||
| The word "dama" in Polish can also mean "game of draughts" or, figuratively, "a woman who behaves like a lady" | |||
| Romanian | doamnă | ||
| The Romanian word "doamnă" for "lady" derives from the Latin "domina" meaning "mistress" or "lady of the house". | |||
| Russian | леди | ||
| The word "леди" (lady) derives from the Old English word "hlǣfdige" meaning "loaf-kneader", a reference to the domestic role of women, especially in relation to bread-making. | |||
| Serbian | дама | ||
| The word "дама" can also refer to a card game similar to "hearts" or "spades". | |||
| Slovak | pani | ||
| In Slovak, the word 'pani' can also be used to address a married woman or a woman of high social standing. | |||
| Slovenian | gospa | ||
| "Gospa" can refer to the Virgin Mary, the wife of a lord, or a respectable married woman. | |||
| Ukrainian | леді | ||
| The word "леді" (lady) in Ukrainian is derived from the Old English word "hlæfdige", meaning "loaf-kneader" or "lady of the house". | |||
Lady in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মহিলা | ||
| The word "মহিলা" can also refer to a wife or a woman of high status in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્ત્રી | ||
| "સ્ત્રી" (lady) is derived from Sanskrit and also means "wife" or "woman". | |||
| Hindi | महिला | ||
| The word 'महिला' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मही' (earth) and means 'the one who belongs to the earth'. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಹಿಳೆ | ||
| The word 'ಮಹಿಳೆ' (mahile) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'महिला' (mahila), which means 'great' or 'venerable'. It can also refer to a woman of high status, such as a queen or a goddess. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്ത്രീ | ||
| 'സ്ത്രീ' is also the name for 'Goddess Lakshmi', the Hindu goddess of wealth | |||
| Marathi | बाई | ||
| In Marathi, the word 'बाई' can also refer to a woman of lower or working-class status. | |||
| Nepali | महिला | ||
| The term 'महिला' (mahila) has roots in Sanskrit, where it denoted 'greatness' and 'power'. | |||
| Punjabi | .ਰਤ | ||
| The origin of the word ".ਰਤ" ("lady") in Punjabi is uncertain, but it may be linked to the Sanskrit word "ratri" ("night"). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාන්තාව | ||
| In Sinhala, the word 'කාන්තාව' ('lady') also means 'a woman who is beautiful, charming, or elegant'. | |||
| Tamil | பெண் | ||
| The Tamil word "பெண்" can also refer to a female animal, a wife, or a woman in general. | |||
| Telugu | లేడీ | ||
| The word "లేడీ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "लेडी" (leḍī), which comes from the Prakrit word "लेडिआ" (leḍiā), meaning "wife" or "beloved". | |||
| Urdu | عورت | ||
| The word "عورت" (aurat) in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "عورة" (awrah), meaning "that which should be hidden", and originally referred to the body parts that should be covered according to Islamic law. | |||
Lady in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 淑女 | ||
| "淑女" literally translates to a "virtuous young woman," with "淑" meaning "virtuous" and "女" meaning "young woman." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 淑女 | ||
| "淑女" originates from Chinese classics, originally meaning "good wife and wise mother" | |||
| Japanese | レディ | ||
| The word "レディ" in Japanese, besides meaning "lady", can also refer to a female knight or a female samurai. | |||
| Korean | 레이디 | ||
| The Sino-Korean word '레이디' ('lady') originates from the English word 'lady' and was likely introduced to Korean during the late 19th century. | |||
| Mongolian | хатагтай | ||
| 'Хамагтай' in Mongolian can also mean a 'mother-of-five' (a woman who has given birth to five children), and in the case of the 'Khamag Mongols' of Inner Mongolia, the term means 'the women of the Mongols'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမျိုးသမီး | ||
Lady in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | wanita | ||
| "Wanita" is derived from the Sanskrit word "vanita" meaning "desired one" or "beloved one." | |||
| Javanese | wanita | ||
| The word "wanita" is cognate with the word "wani" which means "brave" or "masculine", suggesting that women were historically perceived as possessing masculine qualities in Javanese culture. | |||
| Khmer | ស្ត្រី | ||
| The term is often conflated with the word 'ស្ត្រី' ('female') with whom it shares the same root word 'ស្រី' | |||
| Lao | ນາງ | ||
| The word “ນາງ” in Lao, besides meaning “lady | |||
| Malay | wanita | ||
| The Malay word "wanita" derives from the Sanskrit term "vanita", meaning "desired" or "beautiful woman". | |||
| Thai | ผู้หญิง | ||
| The word ผู้หญิง is the feminine form of ผู้ชาย, meaning 'man', derived from Sanskrit, and is used for young girls and women of any age. | |||
| Vietnamese | quý bà | ||
| "Quý bà" is a Vietnamese word that can also mean "noblewoman" or "madam". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ginang | ||
Lady in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | xanım | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "xanım" originates from the Turkic word "xatun", a title of respect that was bestowed upon royal females and noblewomen. | |||
| Kazakh | ханым | ||
| The word "ханым" shares its linguistic root with "хан" ("khan"), a historic Eurasian title of nobility, indicating its originally aristocratic associations. | |||
| Kyrgyz | айым | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "айым" is derived from the Persian word "āyīm" and has the alternate meaning of "moon". | |||
| Tajik | бону | ||
| The word "бону" can also refer to a type of female spirit in Tajik mythology. | |||
| Turkmen | hanym | ||
| Uzbek | xonim | ||
| "Xonim" also means "sister" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | خانىم | ||
Lady in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wahine | ||
| The word 'wahine' has dual meanings, 'woman' and 'wife', as Polynesian culture traditionally equated marriage with womanhood. | |||
| Maori | wahine | ||
| The etymology and alternate meanings of "wahine" include "woman," "wife," and "daughter." | |||
| Samoan | tamaitai | ||
| The word 'tamaitai' can also refer to a woman of high rank or a female chief. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ginang | ||
| Etymology and meanings of "ginang": (1) from "ginang" (Spanish for "lady"); (2) a prefix to female names. | |||
Lady in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | warmi | ||
| Guarani | kuñakarai | ||
Lady in International Languages
| Esperanto | sinjorino | ||
| The word "sinjorino" in Esperanto, meaning "lady", comes from the Old French word "seignorinne" meaning "mistress". | |||
| Latin | domina | ||
| Domina is a feminine form of 'dominus' meaning 'master', and could refer to a female slave owner, mistress, or noblewoman. | |||
Lady in Others Languages
| Greek | κυρία | ||
| The word "κυρία" (lady) derives from the ancient Greek word "κύριος" (lord, master) and can also be used as a formal or polite form of address to a married woman. | |||
| Hmong | poj niam | ||
| The term "poj niam" is derived from "poj," meaning "female," and "niam," meaning "elder sibling or elder female." | |||
| Kurdish | sitê | ||
| Kurdish "sitê" originally meant "daughter" and is still today a very common way of addressing female descendants respectfully. | |||
| Turkish | hanım | ||
| "Hanım" can also refer to a respectable married woman or the wife of a high-ranking official in the Ottoman Empire. | |||
| Xhosa | inenekazi | ||
| This word also means "mother" or "wife" and is frequently used as a sign of respect, similar to the English "ma'am". | |||
| Yiddish | דאַמע | ||
| The Yiddish word דאַמע ("lady") can also refer to a female ghost or spirit. | |||
| Zulu | intokazi | ||
| In Zulu, 'intokazi' can also refer to a witch or diviner, likely due to the traditional association between women and spiritual practices. | |||
| Assamese | মহিলা | ||
| Aymara | warmi | ||
| Bhojpuri | महिला | ||
| Dhivehi | އަންހެނާ | ||
| Dogri | जनानी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ginang | ||
| Guarani | kuñakarai | ||
| Ilocano | balasang | ||
| Krio | uman | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خانم | ||
| Maithili | माउगी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯄꯤ | ||
| Mizo | nutling | ||
| Oromo | dubartii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲେଡି | ||
| Quechua | mama | ||
| Sanskrit | स्त्री | ||
| Tatar | ханым | ||
| Tigrinya | ጓል | ||
| Tsonga | wansati | ||