Leg in Different Languages
Discover 'Leg' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The leg is a fundamental part of the human body, enabling us to stand, walk, and run. But the significance of the leg extends far beyond anatomy. Throughout history, the leg has been a powerful cultural symbol, often representing strength, freedom, and mobility. From ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to modern-day emojis, the leg is a universal image that transcends language and culture.
For language learners and cultural enthusiasts, understanding the translation of 'leg' in different languages can open up a world of new insights and connections. For example, in Spanish, 'pierna' refers to both the leg and thigh, while in French, 'jambe' specifically refers to the leg below the knee. In German, 'Bein' is used for both leg and limb, reflecting the language's broader definition of the term.
Whether you're traveling to a foreign country, studying a new language, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the translations of 'leg' in different languages is a fun and fascinating way to deepen your understanding of language and culture.
Leg
Leg in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | been | ||
| "Been" can also refer to a person's entire limb, from the hip to the toes. | |||
| Amharic | እግር | ||
| The Amharic word 'እግር' (egër) also figuratively means 'part'. | |||
| Hausa | kafa | ||
| The Hausa word 'ƙafa' (leg) also refers to a type of traditional drum made of a hollowed-out log covered with animal skin | |||
| Igbo | ụkwụ | ||
| In some contexts, the Igbo word "ụkwụ" can refer to a pillar, pole, or stick. | |||
| Malagasy | leg | ||
| In Maldivian, the word "leg" can also mean "a limb of a quadruped" or "a foot." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwendo | ||
| The word 'mwendo' can also refer to the journey itself, rather than just the body part. | |||
| Shona | gumbo | ||
| In Shona, the word "gumbo" can also refer to a traditional dance or to a type of tree. | |||
| Somali | lugta | ||
| In the Somali language, the term "lugta" may also refer to a person's gait or manner of walking. | |||
| Sesotho | leoto | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "leoto" can also mean "a branch of a tree" or "a tributary of a river." | |||
| Swahili | mguu | ||
| "Mguu" can also mean "foot" or "lower limb" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | umlenze | ||
| It is the origin of the word 'umlenze' which means 'leg' in Xhosa. It' | |||
| Yoruba | ẹsẹ | ||
| "Ẹsẹ" can also mean "a person of strength and agility." | |||
| Zulu | umlenze | ||
| The Zulu word for 'leg', 'umlenze', also refers to a specific musical instrument and a type of dance. | |||
| Bambara | sen | ||
| Ewe | ata | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ukuguru | ||
| Lingala | lokolo | ||
| Luganda | okugulu | ||
| Sepedi | leoto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nan | ||
Leg in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رجل | ||
| The word "رجل" in Arabic can also refer to a "man, gentleman, or a foot". | |||
| Hebrew | רגל | ||
| The word "רגל" (regel) can also refer to the base or foot of a mountain, a pedestal, or a staircase step in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | پښه | ||
| In Pashto, the word "پښه" can also refer to a section or division, and its plural form is commonly used to describe the members of a tribe or group. | |||
| Arabic | رجل | ||
| The word "رجل" in Arabic can also refer to a "man, gentleman, or a foot". | |||
Leg in Western European Languages
| Albanian | këmbë | ||
| "Këmbë" also refers to different parts of a bed or the main trunk of a tree branch, as well as the "limb" in the sense of a part of an organization. | |||
| Basque | hanka | ||
| The Basque word "hanka" can also refer to a "piece" or "part" of something. | |||
| Catalan | cama | ||
| In archaic Catalan, "cama" also meant "leg armor", which is where the word "camarlench" ("chamberlain") derives from | |||
| Croatian | noga | ||
| The Croatian word 'noga' can also refer to a foot, a limb, or a support. | |||
| Danish | ben | ||
| Danish "ben" can also mean "bone," "table leg," "piano leg," or "insect leg." | |||
| Dutch | been | ||
| "Been" in Dutch can also mean "bone" or "leg of meat". | |||
| English | leg | ||
| The word "leg" can also mean a support or base, such as the leg of a table. | |||
| French | jambe | ||
| The French word "jambe" evolved from the Latin "gamba", which originally meant both "leg" and "knee". | |||
| Frisian | skonk | ||
| Frisian word for "leg" "skonk" comes from the word "skenka" (to walk on shins), which is probably onomatopoeic | |||
| Galician | perna | ||
| The word "perna" can also refer to a type of shellfish or a tool for working with wood. | |||
| German | bein | ||
| The word "Bein" also means "bone" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | fótur | ||
| The Old Norse word "fótr" not only meant "leg" but also "foot" and "lower leg". | |||
| Irish | cos | ||
| The word "cos" can also mean "step" or "foot" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | gamba | ||
| The Italian word "gamba" can also refer to the stalk or stem of a mushroom or celery. | |||
| Luxembourgish | been | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Been" also means "bone" or "stone". | |||
| Maltese | riġel | ||
| Rigel derives from Proto-Semitic "rigl" and has cognates in other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and Syriac, all meaning "foot, leg". | |||
| Norwegian | bein | ||
| In Norwegian, 'bein' not only refers to a leg, but also to a bone. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | perna | ||
| "Perna" can also refer to a tool used in the textile industry or a kind of sea creature, such as a barnacle. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | chas | ||
| In the Gaelic name for the Isle of Man, 'Mannin', chas means 'foot' rather than 'leg'. | |||
| Spanish | pierna | ||
| The word "pierna" also means "leg" in Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, and Occitan. | |||
| Swedish | ben | ||
| "Ben" also means "bone" in Swedish, deriving from Old Norse "bein" with the same meaning. | |||
| Welsh | coes | ||
| The word "coes" also has the alternate meaning of "a stalk or stem". | |||
Leg in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нага | ||
| "Нага" is a word with several meanings in Belarusian: leg, pants, socks, and also a kind of braid in hair. | |||
| Bosnian | noga | ||
| The word "noga" is the same word in Polish and means "leg", but in Italian it means "nut". | |||
| Bulgarian | крак | ||
| In Bulgarian, 'крак' (krak) is also used colloquially as slang for 'foot' and, less commonly, as a term of endearment for a child. | |||
| Czech | noha | ||
| The word "noha" can also mean "foot" or "lower limb" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | jalg | ||
| The modern meaning of "jalg" as "leg" is etymologically likely secondary to the sense "footpath, lane" (cf. Finnish jalka). | |||
| Finnish | jalka | ||
| The word "jalka" is also used to refer to the foot of a table or other furniture. | |||
| Hungarian | láb | ||
| The word "láb" also means "foot" and can refer to the base of a tree or the pedestal of a statue. | |||
| Latvian | kāja | ||
| The word "kāja" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kek-, meaning "to go" or "to travel". In Latvian, the word can also refer to the leg of a table or chair. | |||
| Lithuanian | koja | ||
| The word "koja" originally meant "house", and the meaning "leg" is a result of metonymy. | |||
| Macedonian | нога | ||
| The word "нога" can also refer to the support structure of a table or chair. | |||
| Polish | noga | ||
| In Polish 'noga' is used not only to refer to a human leg but also a table leg or an animal paw. | |||
| Romanian | picior | ||
| The Romanian noun 'picior' can refer to the 'leg' of an animal or a type of traditional Romanian dance. | |||
| Russian | нога | ||
| The word "нога" also means "foot" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | нога | ||
| The word "нога" in Serbian can also refer to the leg of a table or chair. | |||
| Slovak | noha | ||
| "Noha" is also used to refer to the foot, or the lower part of the leg. | |||
| Slovenian | noga | ||
| The Slovenian word "noga" has an interesting etymological connection to the Sanskrit word for "foot," "nagas." | |||
| Ukrainian | нога | ||
| In ancient Greek the word “nokhos” (“branch”/“stalk”) may have meant | |||
Leg in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পা | ||
| Bengali "পা" (leg) may also mean foot, a step, or a measure of length, like the "foot" in English. | |||
| Gujarati | પગ | ||
| The word "પગ" can also refer to a meter or a foot (measurement unit). | |||
| Hindi | टांग | ||
| The word "टांग" (tāṅg) in Hindi also means "to hang" or "to suspend". | |||
| Kannada | ಕಾಲು | ||
| ಕಾಲು (kālu) also means "pillar". Kālu is borrowed from Sanskrit "Skanda" which means "to jump". | |||
| Malayalam | കാല് | ||
| "കാല്" also means time, era or stage in Malayalam | |||
| Marathi | पाय | ||
| In Marathi, "पाय" also refers to the base or foot of a tree or mountain. | |||
| Nepali | खुट्टा | ||
| The Hindi word 'khutta' (leg) is derived from the Hindi word 'khandan' (to divide), as the leg is used for dividing the body into two halves. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੱਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਲੱਤ" can also refer to a person's gait or manner of walking. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කකුල | ||
| The word "කකුල" in Sinhala also means "thigh". | |||
| Tamil | கால் | ||
| The word "கால்" ("leg" in English) also means a quarter (of a quantity). | |||
| Telugu | కాలు | ||
| In some contexts, "కాలు" can also refer to the length of time something takes to complete. | |||
| Urdu | ٹانگ | ||
| The word "ٹانگ" can also refer to a branch or limb of a tree or plant. | |||
Leg in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 腿 | ||
| "腿" (leg) is also used to refer to one of the four main arteries in the human body. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 腿 | ||
| 腿 (leg) is also used to refer to the hind legs of animals with four legs. | |||
| Japanese | 脚 | ||
| The Japanese word "脚" (ashi) also means "base" or "support" in the context of furniture or other objects. | |||
| Korean | 다리 | ||
| In Korean, the word "다리" also refers to bridges | |||
| Mongolian | хөл | ||
| "Хөл" in Mongolian can also mean a measurement of length, equivalent to about 2 meters. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခြေထောက် | ||
Leg in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kaki | ||
| "Kaki' is also a slang term for 'girlfriend' or 'boyfriend'. | |||
| Javanese | sikile | ||
| "Sikil" in Javanese can also mean "to fold one's leg." | |||
| Khmer | ជើង | ||
| The word "ជើង" also means feet or the base of something, and it can be used in the sense of a limb by which one walks. | |||
| Lao | ຂາ | ||
| In Lao, the word "ຂາ" can also refer to the base or foot of something, such as a pillar or a mountain. | |||
| Malay | kaki | ||
| Kaki can also refer to a 'pawn' in chess, a person's 'follower' or 'supporter', or a 'member' of a group. | |||
| Thai | ขา | ||
| The Thai word "ขา" can also refer to a branch of a tree, a leg of a table, a person's status or standing, or the base or support of something. | |||
| Vietnamese | chân | ||
| The Vietnamese word "Chân" not only means "leg", but also has other meanings such as "base" and "root". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | binti | ||
Leg in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ayaq | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "ayaq" initially meant only "foot", but during the centuries, its meaning has expanded to include the whole leg. | |||
| Kazakh | аяғы | ||
| Ayağı, meaning 'leg' in Kazakh, comes from the Proto-Turkic word "*ayaq", which also means 'foot'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бут | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "бут" is not only used to mean "leg" but also to refer to the "shank" and the "lower leg". | |||
| Tajik | пой | ||
| "пой" is also used to refer to the foot, knee, or ankle. | |||
| Turkmen | aýak | ||
| Uzbek | oyoq | ||
| In Uzbek, "oyoq" can refer to a leg, a foot, a limb, or a support | |||
| Uyghur | leg | ||
Leg in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wāwae | ||
| The Hawaiian word “wāwae” also means “footstep” or “pathway”. | |||
| Maori | waewae | ||
| "Waewae" can also refer to the bottom portion of a canoe. | |||
| Samoan | vae | ||
| The Samoan word "vae" also means "foot", "paw", or "legless". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | paa | ||
| In Tagalog, "paa" can also refer to an animal's foot or a tree's root. | |||
Leg in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chara | ||
| Guarani | tetyma | ||
Leg in International Languages
| Esperanto | kruro | ||
| The word "kruro" also means "shank" or "lower leg" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | crus | ||
| In Latin, "crus" can also refer to the shin, as well as a plant stem or the leg of an animal. | |||
Leg in Others Languages
| Greek | πόδι | ||
| The word πόδι can figuratively refer to the leg of a table, chair, or other piece of furniture. | |||
| Hmong | ceg | ||
| In the Hmong language, "ceg" refers to an object on the human body used for standing and walking, as well as the supports used to hold up a table or structure. | |||
| Kurdish | çîp | ||
| The Kurdish word "çîp" can also refer to the stem of a plant or the trunk of a tree. | |||
| Turkish | bacak | ||
| The word comes from Persian and literally means “to stick” and is related to other words for "pole" or "branch". | |||
| Xhosa | umlenze | ||
| It is the origin of the word 'umlenze' which means 'leg' in Xhosa. It' | |||
| Yiddish | פוס | ||
| The Yiddish word "פוס" (pus) can also refer to a type of demon, or an evil spirit. | |||
| Zulu | umlenze | ||
| The Zulu word for 'leg', 'umlenze', also refers to a specific musical instrument and a type of dance. | |||
| Assamese | ভৰি | ||
| Aymara | chara | ||
| Bhojpuri | पांव | ||
| Dhivehi | ފައި | ||
| Dogri | लत्त | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | binti | ||
| Guarani | tetyma | ||
| Ilocano | gurong | ||
| Krio | fut | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قاچ | ||
| Maithili | पएर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯡ | ||
| Mizo | ke | ||
| Oromo | luka | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗୋଡ | ||
| Quechua | chanka | ||
| Sanskrit | टङ्का | ||
| Tatar | аягы | ||
| Tigrinya | እግሪ | ||
| Tsonga | nenge | ||