Leave in Different Languages
Discover 'Leave' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'leave' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a wide range of concepts such as departing, allowing, or abandoning. Its cultural importance is evident in various idiomatic expressions and phrases, such as 'leave no stone unturned' or 'leave well enough alone.' Understanding the translations of 'leave' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances of various societies.
For instance, the German word 'verlassen' not only means 'to leave' but also carries a sense of abandonment. Meanwhile, the French 'laisser' implies a permissive action, aligning with their language's emphasis on politeness and diplomacy. In Japanese, 'deru' is used to express leaving a place, while 'suwaru' means to leave something alone.
Exploring the translations of 'leave' in different languages can enrich one's linguistic repertoire and cultural competence. Here are some translations to get you started:
Leave
Leave in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verlaat | ||
| The Afrikaans word "verlaat" can also mean "to abandon", "to relinquish", or "to desert". | |||
| Amharic | ተወው | ||
| ተወው also means 'to desert', 'to abandon', 'to give up', and 'to forsake' | |||
| Hausa | tafi | ||
| In addition to signifying "leave" as a verb, "tafi" also means a departure. | |||
| Igbo | pụọ | ||
| In some contexts, "pụọ" implies a permanent departure, separation, or abandonment. | |||
| Malagasy | fialan-tsasatra | ||
| The word "fialan-tsasatra" in Malagasy also means "departure" or "leave-taking". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chokani | ||
| "Chokani" also means "to escape" in some contexts. | |||
| Shona | ibva | ||
| Ibva in Shona can also mean "to quit," "to depart," or "to end." | |||
| Somali | bax | ||
| Bax is also used as an imperative verb, meaning "stop" or "hold your horses." | |||
| Sesotho | tloha | ||
| The word "tloha" can also refer to "the head" or "the top". | |||
| Swahili | ondoka | ||
| "Ondoka" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-ndok-", meaning "to leave, depart, or go away." | |||
| Xhosa | hamba | ||
| "Hambisa" is the reciprocal form of "hamba" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | fi silẹ | ||
| In Yoruba, "fi silẹ" can also mean "to hand over" or "to give up" | |||
| Zulu | hamba | ||
| The Zulu word hamba also means "go" or "walk" and is related to the Xhosa word "hamba," which means "move." | |||
| Bambara | ka taa | ||
| Ewe | aŋgba | ||
| Kinyarwanda | genda | ||
| Lingala | kolongwa | ||
| Luganda | genda | ||
| Sepedi | tloga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahomegyeɛ | ||
Leave in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | غادر | ||
| The origin of the verb 'غادر' traces back to the Akkadian word 'gadiru' meaning 'to separate'. | |||
| Hebrew | לעזוב | ||
| The word "לעזוב" can also mean to "abandon" or to "forsake." | |||
| Pashto | پرېږده | ||
| The Pashto word "پرېږده" (pronounced "/preʒda/") is related to the Dari Persian verb "گذشتن" ("/gozaʃtæn/"), which also means "to leave." | |||
| Arabic | غادر | ||
| The origin of the verb 'غادر' traces back to the Akkadian word 'gadiru' meaning 'to separate'. | |||
Leave in Western European Languages
| Albanian | largohem | ||
| Largohem is a derivative of "largonj", a word that means "to abandon" in Proto-Indo-European. | |||
| Basque | utzi | ||
| In certain Basque dialects, the word can also mean "abandon" or "abandonment". | |||
| Catalan | marxar | ||
| The verb "marxar" is thought to come from the Latin word "marcare," meaning "to mark" or "to set a boundary," and was likely extended to mean "to depart" because leaving often involves marking a boundary or crossing a threshold. | |||
| Croatian | napustiti | ||
| Napustiti, meaning "to leave" in Croatian, derives from the verb "pustiti" (to let go). | |||
| Danish | forlade | ||
| The verb 'forlade' in Danish, meaning 'to leave', is linguistically descended from 'at forlade', meaning 'to abandon' or 'to forsake'. | |||
| Dutch | laten staan | ||
| In its original sense, "laten staan" meant "let stand", referring to not moving or interfering with something, a usage still found in the expression "iets laten staan voor wat het is" (to leave something for what it is). | |||
| English | leave | ||
| Etymology: Old English "læfan," meaning "to let go of, permit." | |||
| French | laisser | ||
| The word 'laisser' also means 'to let', 'to abandon', or 'to allow'. | |||
| Frisian | ferlitte | ||
| The verb `ferlitte` in Frisian is cognate with the English verb `leave` and the German verb `lassen` (to leave, let, or allow). | |||
| Galician | marchar | ||
| "Marchar" in Galician derives from the Latin "martiare" meaning "to prepare for war" or "enlist in the army". | |||
| German | verlassen | ||
| The word 'verlassen' in German has its roots in the Old High German word 'farlâzan', meaning 'to let go'. | |||
| Icelandic | fara | ||
| The Icelandic 'fara', which means 'to depart or go', is derived from the Proto-Germanic verb 'farana' ('going, passing, or driving'). | |||
| Irish | fág | ||
| Also means 'get,' 'receive,' 'obtain,' 'procure,' 'take,' 'gain,' or 'win' | |||
| Italian | partire | ||
| The word 'partire' comes from the Latin 'partire', meaning 'to divide', and is also used in Italian to mean 'to share'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | verloossen | ||
| Maltese | titlaq | ||
| The Arabic word "talaq" (طلاق) is also used in Maltese to refer to the act of separating from a wife. | |||
| Norwegian | permisjon | ||
| Permisjon comes from the French word permission, meaning «leave or authorization». | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sair | ||
| The verb "sair" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) derives from the Latin "exire", meaning "to go out". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fàg | ||
| The word "fàg" can also mean "to let" or "to allow" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | salir | ||
| "Salir" also means "to go out" or "to get out" in Spanish, and comes from the Latin "salire," meaning "to leap" or "to jump." | |||
| Swedish | lämna | ||
| The word "lämna" derives from the Old Norse word "leifar," which means "to let go, abandon, or leave." | |||
| Welsh | gadael | ||
| The word 'gadael' can also refer to a parting or farewell in Welsh and is related to the Welsh word 'gad' meaning 'to go' or 'to quit'. | |||
Leave in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пакінуць | ||
| As an aside, the archaic meaning of ‘abandon’ is still current in the Belarusian verb ‘пакінуць’.”} | |||
| Bosnian | ostavi | ||
| The verb 'ostavi' can also mean 'to bequeath' or 'to abandon'. | |||
| Bulgarian | оставете | ||
| The word "оставете" can also mean "let it be" or "leave something for someone." | |||
| Czech | odejít | ||
| The word "odejít" also means "to die" or "to depart". | |||
| Estonian | lahkuma | ||
| In Estonian, the word "lahkuma" can also mean "to depart" or "to set out on a journey." | |||
| Finnish | lähteä | ||
| The word "lähteä" can also refer to the act of starting out on a journey or embarking on a new project. | |||
| Hungarian | elhagy | ||
| It's a loanword from Turkish, where "el" means "hand" or "away", and "hagy" means "to let". | |||
| Latvian | aiziet | ||
| The Latvian word "aiziet" can also mean "to die" or "to depart". | |||
| Lithuanian | palikti | ||
| The word "palikti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *plek- meaning "to braid" or "to twist". | |||
| Macedonian | заминете | ||
| The word "заминете" comes from the Proto-Slavic *zъminǫti and also means "to depart" and "to go away." | |||
| Polish | wychodzić | ||
| In the original etymology, the word 'wychodzić' meant 'to come out'. | |||
| Romanian | părăsi | ||
| The Romanian word "părăsi" has roots in Latin, deriving from "parēre" meaning "to appear" or "to emerge." | |||
| Russian | уехать | ||
| The word "уехать" can also refer to "going away" or "traveling". | |||
| Serbian | остави | ||
| The Serbian word "остави" can also mean to "let", "abandon", "withdraw", or "resign". | |||
| Slovak | odísť | ||
| The word "odísť" also means "to depart," "to die," and "to pass out" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | dopusti | ||
| The word “dopusti” can also mean “to allow” or “to admit” in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | залишати | ||
| The Ukrainian word “залишати” is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ostaviti, which also means “to remain”. | |||
Leave in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ছেড়ে দিন | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit “chad,” meaning to abandon or relinquish. | |||
| Gujarati | રજા | ||
| The Gujarati word "રજા" has Indo-Aryan roots, stemming from Sanskrit root "rañj-," meaning "to please," suggesting the idea of taking leave for relaxation. | |||
| Hindi | छोड़ना | ||
| In Hindi, the verb 'छोड़ना' can also mean to abandon, desert, give up, or release something or someone. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಡಿ | ||
| In addition to meaning "leave," "ಬಿಡಿ" also carries a meaning of "separate, set aside," or "distinguish from others." | |||
| Malayalam | വിട്ടേക്കുക | ||
| The word "വിട്ടേക്കുക" (leave) in Malayalam also means "to abandon, forsake, or let go" and is often used in the context of relationships or possessions. | |||
| Marathi | सोडा | ||
| The word "सोडा" in Marathi can also mean to "release" or "let go". | |||
| Nepali | छोड | ||
| छोड can refer to both the noun “leave” and the verb “to leave.” | |||
| Punjabi | ਛੱਡੋ | ||
| The word 'ਛੱਡੋ' can also mean 'to let go', 'to abandon', or 'to forgive'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිවාඩු | ||
| The word "නිවාඩු" (leave) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "निवात" (nivāta), meaning "rest" or "shelter". | |||
| Tamil | விடுங்கள் | ||
| "விடுங்கள்" means not only "leave" but also "release, quit, discharge, liberate"} | |||
| Telugu | వదిలి | ||
| The Telugu word "వదిలి" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian verb *paṭa-, which also has the meaning of "move" in other modern South Dravidian languages. | |||
| Urdu | چھوڑ دو | ||
| The word "چھوڑ دو" can also be used to mean "to let go" or "to abandon". | |||
Leave in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 离开 | ||
| "离开", in addition to meaning "leave", also means "to turn around" in archaic Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 離開 | ||
| 離開 comes from two ancient characters: "去" (go), and "開" (open), alluding to an action of "moving forward". | |||
| Japanese | 去る | ||
| "去る" originally meant "to die" or "to go to the other side". This archaic meaning is still found in "成仏する" (to pass away). | |||
| Korean | 떠나다 | ||
| 떠나다 is cognate with the Japanese word | |||
| Mongolian | явах | ||
| "Явах" is derived from the verb "явах" and can also mean "to go", "to travel" or "to wander". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထွက်ခွာသွားသည် | ||
Leave in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | meninggalkan | ||
| “Meninggalkan” can also mean “to forsake” or “to abandon” in Indonesian, and is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *tinggal. | |||
| Javanese | budhal | ||
| The word "budhal" in Javanese can also refer to the departure of a person or vehicle. | |||
| Khmer | ចាកចេញ | ||
| In Khmer, "ចាកចេញ" can mean "to leave," "to exit," or "to depart." | |||
| Lao | ອອກຈາກ | ||
| "ອອກຈາກ" (leave) is also used to indicate that something is removed or excluded from something else. | |||
| Malay | pergi | ||
| "Pergi" in Indonesian means "to go", but in Malay, it also means "to leave". | |||
| Thai | ออกจาก | ||
| ออกจาก" can also mean "to abandon," "to quit" or "to get out of." | |||
| Vietnamese | rời khỏi | ||
| "Rời khỏi" literally means "away from the core" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | umalis | ||
Leave in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | buraxın | ||
| The word "buraxın" is derived from the Persian word "barkhāstan" meaning "to rise" or "to stand up". It is also used as a polite way to tell someone to go away. | |||
| Kazakh | кету | ||
| 'Кету' also means 'to leave someone behind' or 'to escape' in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кетүү | ||
| 'Кетүү' (leave) is derived from the Proto-Turkic root *ket-, meaning to go or depart. It also shares a root with the Kyrgyz word 'кетмен' (hoe), suggesting a connection between leaving and preparing the land. | |||
| Tajik | рухсатӣ | ||
| In Tajik, the word "рухсатӣ" can also mean "vacation", "holiday", or "permission". | |||
| Turkmen | git | ||
| Uzbek | qoldiring | ||
| "Qoldiring" in Uzbek, meaning "leave," can also refer to the act of saving or depositing something. | |||
| Uyghur | كەت | ||
Leave in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | haalele | ||
| The word "haalele" can also refer to a person who has left their homeland or a person who is no longer welcome in a place. | |||
| Maori | waiho | ||
| The word 'waiho' can also mean 'to rest' or 'to cease' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | alu ese | ||
| The Samoan word "alu ese" can also mean "to travel" or "to depart". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | umalis ka na | ||
| "Umalis ka na" can be literally translated as "leave and go," implying an immediate departure. | |||
Leave in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaytaña | ||
| Guarani | sẽ | ||
Leave in International Languages
| Esperanto | foriri | ||
| The Esperanto word "foriri" originally meant "to go away on foot". It can also mean to leave a job, a home, or a relationship. | |||
| Latin | relinquo | ||
| Relinquo is related to the word "relict" and also means "leave behind" or "abandon". | |||
Leave in Others Languages
| Greek | άδεια | ||
| In ancient Greek, “άδεια” meant not only leave but also leisure, exemption, or forgiveness. | |||
| Hmong | tawm | ||
| Tawm also means "to stay" in Hmong but with a specific connotation - to stay behind or be left behind | |||
| Kurdish | terikandin | ||
| The word "terikandin" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "tark kardan" meaning "to abandon" or "to give up". It can also mean "to depart" or "to leave behind". | |||
| Turkish | ayrılmak | ||
| The word "ayrılmak" in Turkish also means "separate" or "go away" and comes from the Proto-Turkic root *ayr- "to separate; to be different; to go". | |||
| Xhosa | hamba | ||
| "Hambisa" is the reciprocal form of "hamba" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | לאָזן | ||
| The Yiddish word לאָזן ('leave') derives from the Hebrew word עזב ('forsake') and is cognate with the German word lassen ('let'). | |||
| Zulu | hamba | ||
| The Zulu word hamba also means "go" or "walk" and is related to the Xhosa word "hamba," which means "move." | |||
| Assamese | যোৱা | ||
| Aymara | jaytaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | छुट्टी | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިއުން | ||
| Dogri | छुट्टी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | umalis | ||
| Guarani | sẽ | ||
| Ilocano | pumanaw | ||
| Krio | lɛf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جێهێشتن | ||
| Maithili | छुट्टी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯗꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | kalsan | ||
| Oromo | gad dhiisi | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଛାଡ | ||
| Quechua | saqiy | ||
| Sanskrit | त्यजतु | ||
| Tatar | китү | ||
| Tigrinya | ውፃእ | ||
| Tsonga | suka | ||