Lean in Different Languages
Discover 'Lean' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lean' holds a significant meaning in various contexts, including a slim figure, an efficient business model, or a simple lifestyle. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, art, and everyday conversations worldwide.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'lean' in different languages can be a gateway to appreciating cultural nuances and expanding your linguistic abilities. For instance, in Spanish, 'lean' translates to 'delgado', while in French, it is 'maigre'. In German, the word for 'lean' is 'schlank', and in Japanese, it is '痩せた' (yasete).
Interestingly, the concept of 'lean' has historical roots in ancient Greek philosophy, where it was closely linked to the idea of moderation and balance. Today, it continues to inspire minimalist movements and sustainable living practices.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or someone looking to deepen their understanding of the word 'lean', exploring its translations in different languages can be an enriching experience.
Lean
Lean in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | maer | ||
| Maer is the older Germanic word for 'lean' and is still used in Dutch, Swedish, and Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ዘንበል | ||
| "ዘንበል" (lean) is derived from the root "ዘና" (to make thin) and can also mean "narrow" or "tightly fitted." | |||
| Hausa | durƙusa | ||
| The word "durƙusa" in Hausa also means "to bow down" or "to kneel". | |||
| Igbo | dabere | ||
| While it means 'lean' in Igbo, 'dabere' also connotes the virtues of being 'trustworthy' and 'reliable'. | |||
| Malagasy | mahia | ||
| The term 'mahia' is also used in Malagasy to refer to a type of traditional alcoholic beverage distilled from various local ingredients. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsamira | ||
| In Nyanja, "tsamira" can also mean "to be narrow" or "to be thin" | |||
| Shona | onda | ||
| The word "onda" in Shona also means "to be thin or emaciated". | |||
| Somali | caato | ||
| The Somali word "caato" can also mean "dry" or "thin". | |||
| Sesotho | otlolohile | ||
| 'Otlholohile' may also refer to a person who is lazy or idle. | |||
| Swahili | konda | ||
| "Konda" can also refer to a type of tree in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ngqiyame | ||
| The Xhosa word "ngqiyame" can also mean "to be poor" or "to be in need". | |||
| Yoruba | titẹ si apakan | ||
| "Titẹ si akaan" literally translates to "being close to one's bones", which figuratively suggests a lack of flesh on one's frame, hence leanness. | |||
| Zulu | ukuncika | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuncika' also means to be slender, thin, or bony. | |||
| Bambara | ka jɛngɛn | ||
| Ewe | blɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kunanuka | ||
| Lingala | moke | ||
| Luganda | okwesigama | ||
| Sepedi | otile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twere | ||
Lean in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الخالية من | ||
| The word "الخالية من" (lean) is derived from the Arabic root "خ ل و" (to be empty or void), suggesting the concept of removing or reducing something. | |||
| Hebrew | רָזֶה | ||
| רָזֶה, meaning "lean," is also related to the term סוֹד (sod), meaning "secret," implying a hidden, unseen aspect to leanness | |||
| Pashto | نری | ||
| نری "lean, thin" comes from Middle Iranian *narak- and is cognate with Persian ناریک "slender, small" (from Middle Persian nārak-, from Old Persian naraka-). | |||
| Arabic | الخالية من | ||
| The word "الخالية من" (lean) is derived from the Arabic root "خ ل و" (to be empty or void), suggesting the concept of removing or reducing something. | |||
Lean in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ligët | ||
| "Ligët" can also mean "graceful" or "agile" in Albanian, deriving from the Proto-Albanian word *likwóts, meaning "pliable" or "flexible". | |||
| Basque | argala | ||
| The word "argala" is also used in Basque to describe a thin and bony animal. | |||
| Catalan | magre | ||
| The Catalan word "magre" is of Latin origin and is related to the words "magnus" (great) and "macer" (thin or lean). | |||
| Croatian | mršav | ||
| The word "mršav" can also refer to someone who is stingy or miserly. | |||
| Danish | læne | ||
| The word "læne" in Danish can also mean "to borrow" or "to lend". | |||
| Dutch | slank | ||
| Dutch "slank" also means "cunning" or "shrewd" besides "lean". | |||
| English | lean | ||
| The word "lean" also means "angle or curve" and comes from the Old English word "hlynian" meaning "to incline or slope." | |||
| French | maigre | ||
| Maigre can mean 'skinny' but also 'sparse' or 'stingy'. | |||
| Frisian | meager | ||
| Frisian word "meager" can also mean "thin or skimpy" like a fabric texture, deriving from Old English "mæger" meaning "thin". | |||
| Galician | delgada | ||
| In Galician, "delgada" is also used to refer to a type of traditional Galician pancake. | |||
| German | lehnen | ||
| The German verb "lehnen" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "legh-", meaning "to lie" or "to recline". It is related to the English word "lay" and the Latin word "locus" (place). | |||
| Icelandic | halla | ||
| The word 'halla' in Icelandic can also refer to a lean-to structure or a type of traditional Icelandic folk song. | |||
| Irish | lean | ||
| In Irish, the word "leann" means "mead" and is related to the Welsh word "llynn". | |||
| Italian | magra | ||
| The Italian word "magra" is derived from the late Latin "macra", which meant both "thin" and "scanty". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schlank | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "schlank" can also refer to a person who is quick or agile. | |||
| Maltese | dgħif | ||
| In Maltese, the word "dgħif" can also mean "thin" or "dilute", and its origin is unknown | |||
| Norwegian | lene seg | ||
| The word "lene" in Norwegian also means "to recline" or "to lean back". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | magro | ||
| The word "magro" is derived from the Latin word "macer," meaning "thin" or "lean." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lean | ||
| Scots Gaelic "leann" (meaning "child") and "lean/linn" (meaning "pool") are not related to English "lean" (meaning "skinny"). | |||
| Spanish | apoyarse | ||
| Apoyarse can also mean "to trust" or "to rely on", emphasizing reliance rather than physical movement. | |||
| Swedish | mager | ||
| The word "mager" can also refer to the lean part of a piece of meat, or to a person who is thin and scrawny. | |||
| Welsh | heb lawer o fraster | ||
| The Welsh expression "heb lawer o fraster" is related to "trawsder", meaning "stout, thick" or "plump" and "braster", meaning "proud". | |||
Lean in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | худы | ||
| Худы (lean) is derived from the Old Belarusian word худѣи (lean, thin), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic word *hudъ, meaning “thin, slender”. | |||
| Bosnian | mršav | ||
| The Bosnian word 'mršav' likely originated from the word 'maršav,' which shares its meaning with the French word 'maigre.' | |||
| Bulgarian | постно | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "postno" can also mean "fasting" (as in abstaining from food) as it derives from the Old Church Slavonic word for "fast" ("post"). | |||
| Czech | opírat se | ||
| "Opírat se" means "to lean on" and is related to the word "opora" („support") and "opěrný" („supporting"). | |||
| Estonian | lahja | ||
| The word "lahja" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*lahki" which means "open, loose" and is related to the Estonian word "lahtine" which means "open" | |||
| Finnish | nojata | ||
| The word also denotes a 'lean', thin person. | |||
| Hungarian | sovány | ||
| "Sovány" means "lean" in Hungarian but also "hungry" in Mongolian. | |||
| Latvian | liekties | ||
| "Liekties" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "leig-," also found in English "lie," "lean" and "lazy". | |||
| Lithuanian | liesas | ||
| In Lithuanian, "liesas" also means "pale" or "without fat or grease on the surface." | |||
| Macedonian | посно | ||
| Macedonian word "посно" derives from Old Church Slavonic "постьный" and, in addition to "lean" can also mean "fasting" or "fasting food". | |||
| Polish | pochylać się | ||
| The word "pochylać się" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *počьnąti, meaning "to begin" or "to start". | |||
| Romanian | a se sprijini | ||
| "A se sprijini" can also mean "to rely" or "to depend" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | опираться | ||
| "Опираться" also means "to trust" or "to rely on". | |||
| Serbian | нагнути | ||
| "Нагнути" can also mean "to bend over" or "to stoop down" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | chudý | ||
| The word "chudý" in Slovak can also mean "poor" or "needy". | |||
| Slovenian | vitka | ||
| The word 'vitka' may also refer to a thin or narrow band or strip | |||
| Ukrainian | худий | ||
| The word "худий" in Ukrainian can also refer to "skinny", "slim", or "poor". | |||
Lean in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রোগা | ||
| The word "রোগা" in Bengali is cognate with the word "रोग" (disease) in Sanskrit. | |||
| Gujarati | દુર્બળ | ||
| The word "દુર્બળ" also means "difficult" or "weak" in Gujarati, but is commonly used to refer to physical leanness. | |||
| Hindi | दुबला | ||
| The word "दुबला" or "dublā" in Hindi shares its etymology with the English word "double", both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dwe-bʰlo-", meaning "twice". | |||
| Kannada | ನೇರ | ||
| The word "ನೇರ" can also mean "straight", "direct", or "honest" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | മെലിഞ്ഞ | ||
| In Malayalam, 'മെലിഞ്ഞ' ('lean') also denotes a person of slight build. | |||
| Marathi | दुबळा | ||
| The word "दुबळा" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "दुर्बल," which also means "weak" or "frail." | |||
| Nepali | दुबै | ||
| The word **दुबै** also exists in Hindi to mean 'thin/narrow' as an alternate meaning. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਰਬੀ | ||
| The word "charbi" is derived from the Sanskrit word "charman," meaning "skin," and can also refer to the outer layer of food or the fat covering an animal's body. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කෙට්ටු | ||
| The derivative 'කෙට්ටුම' is used to refer to the characteristic of being brief or concise, and can be used to describe a person's speech or writing. | |||
| Tamil | ஒல்லியான | ||
| Telugu | లీన్ | ||
| The Telugu word "లీన్" ("lean") can also mean "attached to" or "inclined towards". | |||
| Urdu | دبلی پتلی | ||
| The word "دبلی پتلی" can also refer to a person who is malnourished or emaciated. | |||
Lean in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 靠 | ||
| 靠 (kào) can also mean 'depend on', 'rely on', or 'trust'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 靠 | ||
| The character '靠' can also mean 'trust' or 'rely on'. | |||
| Japanese | リーン | ||
| Lean (リーン) is pronounced with a long 'e' sound (pronounced 'lay-n') to refer to lean cuisine or the Toyota Production System. | |||
| Korean | 기대다 | ||
| 기대다 can also mean 'to expect' or 'to look forward to' something. | |||
| Mongolian | туранхай | ||
| "Туранхай" is also used with the meaning of "having little fat; thin, meagre." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိန် | ||
| The word "ပိန်" also means "to be crooked" or "to be bent". | |||
Lean in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kurus | ||
| The word "kurus" in Indonesian, which means "lean" or "thin," is thought to have originated from the Proto-Austronesian word *kulut, which also means "thin" or "slender." | |||
| Javanese | ramping | ||
| In Javanese, the word "ramping" primarily means "leaning" but can also refer to someone who is quick-witted or agile. | |||
| Khmer | គ្មានខ្លាញ់ | ||
| The word "គ្មានខ្លាញ់" is related to the Sanskrit word "krshna" meaning "dark" or "black" and can also refer to a dark or black horse. | |||
| Lao | ບໍ່ຕິດ | ||
| Malay | bersandar | ||
| "Bersandar" also means "to depend on" and "to rely on". | |||
| Thai | ยัน | ||
| In Thai, "ยัน" can also mean "to support", "to prop up", or "to press against". | |||
| Vietnamese | dựa vào | ||
| The word "dựa vào" can also mean to rely on or depend on something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sandalan | ||
Lean in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | arıq | ||
| "Arıq" means also "pure". The root "ar" in common Turkic languages refers both to "purification from sins or dirt", as well to "thin" in size. | |||
| Kazakh | сүйену | ||
| The Kazakh word "сүйену" can also refer to the act of seeking support or relying on someone or something. | |||
| Kyrgyz | арык | ||
| "Арык" in Kyrgyz means "stream" or "channel that delivers water to crops". The word has the same root as the word "аруу" which means "clean" or "pure." | |||
| Tajik | лоғар | ||
| In other dialects of the Persian language, "лоғар" and "логерда" mean "tall" and "skinny." | |||
| Turkmen | arkaýyn | ||
| Uzbek | oriq | ||
| The word 'oriq' is possibly derived from the Persian 'nâzook', meaning 'delicate, elegant'. | |||
| Uyghur | ئورۇق | ||
Lean in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wīwī | ||
| "Wīwī" can also refer to the act of bending over.} | |||
| Maori | hiroki | ||
| The word hiroki in Maori also has alternate meanings including "narrow", "thin", and "slender." | |||
| Samoan | paee | ||
| In Samoan, the word "paee" can also refer to food, especially meat | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sandalan | ||
| The verb "sandalan" can also mean "to lean against" or "to rely on" in Tagalog. | |||
Lean in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alt'aña | ||
| Guarani | porãguerojera | ||
Lean in International Languages
| Esperanto | malgrasa | ||
| Esperanto's "malgrasa" also means "bad fat" and comes from "mal" (bad) + "grasa" (fat). | |||
| Latin | inniti | ||
| The Latin word 'inniti' also means to rest on or to rely on. | |||
Lean in Others Languages
| Greek | άπαχος | ||
| The word "άπαχος" (lean) is derived from the Greek word "απαχής", meaning "delicate" or "gentle." | |||
| Hmong | lean | ||
| The word "lean" comes from the Old English word "hlǣnian," which means "to support" or "to prop up." | |||
| Kurdish | paldan | ||
| The Kurdish word "paldan" is thought to be related to the Persian word "paradan," meaning "to be lean or thin." | |||
| Turkish | yağsız - yağsız | ||
| Yağsız ('lean') comes from 'yağ' ('fat') + '-sız' ('lacking'), meaning 'fat-free'. | |||
| Xhosa | ngqiyame | ||
| The Xhosa word "ngqiyame" can also mean "to be poor" or "to be in need". | |||
| Yiddish | דאַר | ||
| In Yiddish, "דאַר" can mean both "lean" and "thin" in a more general sense, while in some Yiddish dialects, it also means "narrow". | |||
| Zulu | ukuncika | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuncika' also means to be slender, thin, or bony. | |||
| Assamese | ক্ষীণ | ||
| Aymara | alt'aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | दुबला | ||
| Dhivehi | ލީން | ||
| Dogri | लिस्सा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sandalan | ||
| Guarani | porãguerojera | ||
| Ilocano | agsanggir | ||
| Krio | lin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خوار بوونەوە | ||
| Maithili | झुकल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | awn | ||
| Oromo | hirkachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପତଳା | | ||
| Quechua | kumuy | ||
| Sanskrit | कृशः | ||
| Tatar | арык | ||
| Tigrinya | ምግዳም | ||
| Tsonga | khegela | ||