Leaf in Different Languages
Discover 'Leaf' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A leaf is a flat, often green organ of a plant, responsible for photosynthesis, the process of converting sunlight into energy. This vital process sustains life on Earth, making leaves a fundamental element of our ecosystem. Beyond their biological significance, leaves hold cultural importance across the globe.
For instance, in many Eastern cultures, leaves symbolize peace, prosperity, and harmony. In Japan, the maple leaf is a national emblem, reflecting the country's appreciation for nature's beauty. Meanwhile, in some Indigenous American cultures, leaves are used in healing rituals, emphasizing their spiritual significance.
Understanding the translation of 'leaf' in different languages can provide unique insights into these cultural nuances. For example, in Spanish, 'hoja' (HOH-hah) is used, while in German, it's 'Blatt' (blahht). In French, you'd say 'feuille' (fœj).
Explore the list below to learn more about the word 'leaf' in various languages, deepening your understanding and appreciation of the world's rich linguistic and cultural diversity.
Leaf
Leaf in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | blaar | ||
| The word "blaar" in Afrikaans, meaning "leaf", is derived from the Old Dutch word "blad". This further evolved in Middle Dutch in the 14th century to "blader" and "blare". Later, in the 16th century, the word was modified to "blaar" in modern Dutch and Afrikaans | |||
| Amharic | ቅጠል | ||
| ቅጠል also refers to a page of a book or a chapter of a book. | |||
| Hausa | ganye | ||
| The word "ganye" is derived from the Proto-Chadic word "*gani", meaning "leaf". | |||
| Igbo | akwukwo | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "akwukwo" can also refer to a pamphlet, a newspaper, or a book in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | ravina | ||
| Though 'ravina' in Malagasy means 'leaf,' it also may refer to the 'leaves' of a book or paper. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsamba | ||
| In addition to meaning "leaf," tsamba, can also refer to a "leaf-bundle," "chapter," or, in the context of music and dance, "rhythm". | |||
| Shona | shizha | ||
| The Shona word for 'leaf', "shizha," also refers to a flat metal object, such as a blade, and can be used in the context of metalwork. | |||
| Somali | caleen | ||
| "Caleen" also means 'money', as one used leaves for commerce before coins became common. | |||
| Sesotho | lekhasi | ||
| Lekhasi' (leaf): also means, 'page of a book', or a 'chapter in a book'. | |||
| Swahili | jani | ||
| In some Bantu languages, 'jani' refers to the leaf of a specific plant. | |||
| Xhosa | igqabi | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'igqabi' can also refer to 'a page' in a book. | |||
| Yoruba | ewe | ||
| The word "ewe" in Yoruba also means "letter" or "book page." | |||
| Zulu | iqabunga | ||
| In the Zulu language, "iqabunga" refers to the blade of a grass leaf, while the entire leaf is called "ulwa". | |||
| Bambara | bulu | ||
| Ewe | aŋgba | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikibabi | ||
| Lingala | nkasa | ||
| Luganda | ekikoola | ||
| Sepedi | lehlare | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahaban | ||
Leaf in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ورقة الشجر | ||
| In Arabic, "ورقة الشجر" can also refer to a page from a book or a document. | |||
| Hebrew | עלה | ||
| עלה is also a Hebrew verb that means "to ascend" or "to go up". | |||
| Pashto | پا .ه | ||
| The word "پا .ه" in Pashto, meaning "leaf," also has the alternate meaning of "page" in the context of a book or manuscript. | |||
| Arabic | ورقة الشجر | ||
| In Arabic, "ورقة الشجر" can also refer to a page from a book or a document. | |||
Leaf in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fletë | ||
| The word "fletë" in Albanian derives from Proto-Indo-European "*bhel- (to sprout, grow)" and also means "leaflet, page, lamina, flake, layer, plate, sheet, panel, slab". | |||
| Basque | hostoa | ||
| The word **hostoa** is related to the Latin word "hostia" meaning "victim" or "sacrifice" and could also mean "sacrifice" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | full | ||
| In Catalan, the noun "full" may also refer to a blade in the context of knives or to a sheet of paper or fabric. | |||
| Croatian | list | ||
| In Croatian, 'list' has additional meanings, including 'paper used for writing', 'a written document', and 'a set of data organized in a sequence'. | |||
| Danish | blad | ||
| Blad, meaning "leaf" in Danish, is related to the Old Norse verb "blaða," meaning "to blow" or "to flap," likely referencing the fluttering of leaves in the wind. | |||
| Dutch | blad | ||
| The word "blad" in Dutch is cognate with the English word "blade" and originally meant "something flat". Its other meaning, "page", originates from the use of parchment and paper sheets in codexes. | |||
| English | leaf | ||
| The word 'leaf' derives from the Old English word 'leaf', which meant both 'leaf' and 'page'. | |||
| French | feuille | ||
| "Feuille" can also refer to sheets on a calendar or a stack of paper, or the pages of a newspaper. | |||
| Frisian | blêd | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "leaf", "blêd" can also refer to a piece of metal used to form a blade. | |||
| Galician | folla | ||
| The word 'folla' also means 'crowd' or 'heap' in Galician, and comes from the Latin word 'folia' (foliage). | |||
| German | blatt | ||
| The German word "Blatt" can also refer to a newspaper or a sheet of paper. | |||
| Icelandic | lauf | ||
| The word "lauf" in Icelandic can also refer to a palm or a sole of a foot. | |||
| Irish | duille | ||
| The word 'duille' in Irish can also refer to a 'leaflet' or 'paper' used for writing or printing. | |||
| Italian | foglia | ||
| The Italian word "foglia" derives from the Latin word "folia", which also means "leaf". | |||
| Luxembourgish | blat | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Blat" can also be used as a synonym for "page", particularly when referring to written materials like books or magazines. | |||
| Maltese | werqa | ||
| The Maltese word "werqa" ultimately derives from the Arabic "waraqa" meaning "paper", but has also come to mean "leaf" in the sense of a plant's foliage. | |||
| Norwegian | blad | ||
| The word 'blad' also means 'magazine' in Norwegian, originating from the folded, paper pages bound together which resemble leaves. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | folha | ||
| "Folha" can also mean a "page", "layer", or "sheet". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | duilleach | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "duilleach" can also refer to a piece of kelp or a sheet of ice. | |||
| Spanish | hoja | ||
| In Ecuador, "hoja" also refers to a playing card. | |||
| Swedish | blad | ||
| In old Swedish, 'blad' was used as a word for any thin slice or object and could even refer to ice floating on water. | |||
| Welsh | deilen | ||
| "Deilen" can also refer to a page of a book or a sheet of paper. | |||
Leaf in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ліст | ||
| Belarusian "ліст" translates to English as "letter", sharing an etymology with the word for "sheet". | |||
| Bosnian | list | ||
| "List" is also used in Bosnian with a meaning similar to its English equivalent "wish." | |||
| Bulgarian | лист | ||
| The word 'лист', meaning leaf in Bulgarian, derives from a Proto-Indo-European root 'lepd', meaning to peel. | |||
| Czech | list | ||
| The Czech word "list" is cognate with "list" in English, both deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *ley-s- "to cut, strip off." | |||
| Estonian | leht | ||
| The word "leht" in Estonian is also used to refer to a page of a book or newspaper. | |||
| Finnish | puun lehti | ||
| "Puun lehti" can also refer to a piece of paper used for writing, as it was traditionally written on birch bark. | |||
| Hungarian | levél növényen | ||
| The Hungarian word “levél” (meaning “leaf”) derives from the Proto-Finnic word “leht” and is cognate to the Finnish word “lehti” and Estonian “leht”. | |||
| Latvian | lapu | ||
| Lapu can also refer to foliage, a playing card suit, or the pages of a book in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | lapelis | ||
| The word "lapelis" is also used in botany to refer to a small leaf that grows at the base of a larger one. | |||
| Macedonian | лист | ||
| "Лист" also means a "sheet" or a "piece of paper" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | liść | ||
| In Polish, "liść" can also refer to a page of a book or a sheet of paper. | |||
| Romanian | frunze | ||
| The word "frunze" in Romanian originates from the Slavic word "list" meaning "leaf", as well as from the Latin word "fronti" meaning "brow" or "forehead". | |||
| Russian | лист | ||
| "Лист" is a homonym in Russian, meaning both "leaf" and "sheet". | |||
| Serbian | лист | ||
| The word "лист" in Serbian can also mean "letter" or "sheet of paper". This is because the same root word is used in both cases. | |||
| Slovak | list | ||
| In Slovak, "list" can also mean "a written or printed document with an orderly arrangement of items, such as a shopping list or a task list." | |||
| Slovenian | list | ||
| The Slovene word "list" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ple-, meaning "to pluck", and is also related to the English word "list" (a list of items). In Slovenian, "list" can also mean "a roll of paper" or "a sheet of paper used for writing or drawing"} | |||
| Ukrainian | лист | ||
| In Ukrainian, "лист" (leaf) also means "sheet of paper" because paper was once made from the inner bark of trees. | |||
Leaf in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাত | ||
| In Sanskrit, "पत्र" (patra) means both "leaf" and "letter," reflecting the ancient practice of writing on leaves. | |||
| Gujarati | પર્ણ | ||
| પર્ણ can also refer to the leaf of a palm tree, a type of silk garment, or a part of a book. | |||
| Hindi | पत्ती | ||
| The word पत्ती (pattee) can also refer to a card in a deck, or a share certificate. | |||
| Kannada | ಎಲೆ | ||
| In Kannada, "ಎಲೆ" (ele) refers not only to a leaf but also to a page, sheet, or plank. | |||
| Malayalam | ഇല | ||
| 'ഇല' can also refer to a group of houses that belong to a particular class or social group. | |||
| Marathi | पाने | ||
| पाने can also refer to a betel leaf, a type of leaf used in various cultural practices in South Asia. | |||
| Nepali | पात | ||
| Nepali 'पात' originates from Sanskrit 'patra' (leaf), also related to English 'father' (pater)'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੱਤਾ | ||
| In Punjabi, 'pattā' can also mean a piece of land given for free or reduced-rate cultivation. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කොළ | ||
| The word "කොළ" also refers to young, tender leaves used as a vegetable in Sinhalese cuisine. | |||
| Tamil | இலை | ||
| The word "இலை" (leaf) in Tamil can also refer to various other plant parts, such as petals, sepals, and even the entire plant. | |||
| Telugu | ఆకు | ||
| The Telugu word "ఆకు" (leaf) also refers to a type of traditional Indian clothing made with leaves stitched together. | |||
| Urdu | پتی | ||
| پتی or پتّا can also mean 'a playing card', 'a slip of paper', or 'a note'. In Indian English and Pakistani English these words are commonly used to denote a piece of paper money. | |||
Leaf in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 叶 | ||
| The Chinese character "叶" can also mean "a generation" or "a class". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 葉 | ||
| In Chinese, 「葉」 can also refer to a page in a book or a playing card. | |||
| Japanese | 葉 | ||
| The character 葉 (ha) also means "page" or "sheet" and is related to the character 頁 (ketsu), which specifically means "page". | |||
| Korean | 잎 | ||
| 잎 can also refer to a blade (as in a sword) or a petal of a flower. | |||
| Mongolian | навч | ||
| The word навч (leaf) is cognate with the English word `needle' and the Russian word `игла' (needle). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရွက် | ||
| The Burmese word "အရွက်" can also refer to the leaves of a book or the pages of a notebook. | |||
Leaf in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | daun | ||
| In Indonesian, "daun" can also mean "a sheet of paper" or "a page of a book". | |||
| Javanese | rwaning | ||
| In Javanese, "rwaning" refers to a single leaf, while "godhong" represents a collection of leaves on a branch. | |||
| Khmer | ស្លឹក | ||
| "ស្លឹក" can also refer to a page in a book or a piece of paper. | |||
| Lao | ໃບ | ||
| In certain contexts, it can also refer to 'pages' or 'chapters'. | |||
| Malay | daun | ||
| The word "daun" also refers to the playing cards that represent the suits of a tree branch and a betel nut tree | |||
| Thai | ใบไม้ | ||
| In addition to meaning "leaf," "ใบไม้" (bai mai) can also mean a playing card or a lottery ticket. | |||
| Vietnamese | lá cây | ||
| The word "Lá cây" has been used in Vietnamese since at least the 16th century, and is thought to be derived from the Austroasiatic word "la," meaning "leaf." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dahon | ||
Leaf in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yarpaq | ||
| Besides its literal meaning as 'leaf', 'yarpaq' can also refer to a piece of paper or a thin layer of material. | |||
| Kazakh | жапырақ | ||
| Kyrgyz | жалбырак | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "жалбырак" does not only mean "leaf", but also refers to a "page" in a book. | |||
| Tajik | барг | ||
| The Tajik word "барг" can also refer to the leaves of a book. | |||
| Turkmen | ýaprak | ||
| Uzbek | barg | ||
| "Barg" can also mean "fate" or "share" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | يوپۇرماق | ||
Leaf in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lau | ||
| Lau can also refer to the leaves of a book, pages, or a division of a book. | |||
| Maori | rau | ||
| The word "rau" in Maori also signifies growth, abundance, and prosperity. | |||
| Samoan | lau | ||
| The Samoan word 'lau' can also refer to a chapter, section, or division in a book, document, or other written work. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | dahon | ||
| The word "dahon" also means "page" in Tagalog, derived from the Spanish word "hoja" (leaf). | |||
Leaf in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | lamina | ||
| Guarani | togue | ||
Leaf in International Languages
| Esperanto | folio | ||
| The Esperanto word "folio" can also refer to a two-column page of a book or a page number. | |||
| Latin | folium | ||
| "Folium" can also refer to a thin sheet of metal. | |||
Leaf in Others Languages
| Greek | φύλλο | ||
| The word "φύλλο" can also mean page, layer, or petal in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | nplooj ntoos | ||
| "Nplooj ntoos" can also refer to a page, a sheet, or a document in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | pel | ||
| The word "pel" in Kurdish is also used to refer to the blade of a knife or the tongue of a bell. | |||
| Turkish | yaprak | ||
| The word "Yaprak" in Turkish shares its etymology with the Sanskrit word "patra," meaning "leaf" or "page. | |||
| Xhosa | igqabi | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'igqabi' can also refer to 'a page' in a book. | |||
| Yiddish | בלאַט | ||
| In Yiddish, "blat" can also refer to a sheet of paper or a page of a book. | |||
| Zulu | iqabunga | ||
| In the Zulu language, "iqabunga" refers to the blade of a grass leaf, while the entire leaf is called "ulwa". | |||
| Assamese | পাত | ||
| Aymara | lamina | ||
| Bhojpuri | पतई | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަތް | ||
| Dogri | पत्ता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dahon | ||
| Guarani | togue | ||
| Ilocano | bulong | ||
| Krio | lif | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەڵا | ||
| Maithili | पत्ती | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯝꯅꯥ | ||
| Mizo | hnah | ||
| Oromo | baala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପତ୍ର | ||
| Quechua | rapi | ||
| Sanskrit | पर्ण | ||
| Tatar | яфрак | ||
| Tigrinya | ቆጽሊ | ||
| Tsonga | tluka | ||