Legal in Different Languages
Discover 'Legal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'legal' holds immense significance in our lives, governing the way we interact, transact, and conduct ourselves in society. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it forms the backbone of laws and regulations that shape communities and nations worldwide. Understanding the translation of 'legal' in different languages can be a fascinating exploration of linguistic and cultural diversity.
For instance, the Spanish translation of 'legal' is 'legal', while in French, it is 'légal'. In German, the word for 'legal' is 'rechtsgültig', and in Japanese, it is '法的' (hou-teki). These translations not only offer insights into the legal systems of different countries but also highlight the unique linguistic nuances that make each language so special.
So, whether you're a global citizen, a language enthusiast, or someone with a keen interest in legal matters, knowing the translation of 'legal' in different languages can be both enlightening and practical. Let's delve into the world of legal translations and discover the rich cultural and linguistic heritage that awaits us!
Legal
Legal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wettig | ||
| The word "wettig" is derived from the Dutch word "wettig" meaning "lawful" or "legitimate"} | |||
| Amharic | ሕጋዊ | ||
| The word "ሕጋዊ" is derived from the Ge'ez word "ሕግ" meaning "law" or "decree." | |||
| Hausa | na shari'a | ||
| In Hausa, "na shari'a" also means "Islamic" or "Sharia-compliant" | |||
| Igbo | iwu | ||
| "Iwu" derives from the Igbo word "iwu" which means "law" or "custom". | |||
| Malagasy | ara-dalàna | ||
| The word "ara-dalàna" can also mean "what is right or appropriate" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | malamulo | ||
| Malamulo also means "to be allowed" or "to be accepted" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | zviri pamutemo | ||
| Somali | sharci ah | ||
| The word "sharci ah" in Somali can also refer to "religious law." | |||
| Sesotho | molaong | ||
| The word "molaong" can also mean "straight" or "correct" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | halali | ||
| "Halali" in Swahili can also mean "allowed" or "permitted." | |||
| Xhosa | esemthethweni | ||
| The word 'esemthethweni' can also refer to a person who upholds or enforces the law. | |||
| Yoruba | ofin | ||
| "Ofin" also means "law", "decree", and "regulation" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | zomthetho | ||
| The word "zomthetho" in Zulu comes from the root word "mthetho," which means "law" or "rule." | |||
| Bambara | dagalen | ||
| Ewe | le senu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | byemewe n'amategeko | ||
| Lingala | ya mibeko | ||
| Luganda | kya mateeka | ||
| Sepedi | semolao | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmara mu | ||
Legal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قانوني | ||
| The word "قانوني" (legal) in Arabic also has the connotation of "regular", "customary", or "established". | |||
| Hebrew | משפטי | ||
| The Hebrew word משפטי (mishpati) not only means "legal" but also "justice" or "judgment." | |||
| Pashto | قانوني | ||
| The Pashto word "قانوني" can also refer to someone with legal knowledge or a lawyer. | |||
| Arabic | قانوني | ||
| The word "قانوني" (legal) in Arabic also has the connotation of "regular", "customary", or "established". | |||
Legal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ligjore | ||
| The Albanian word "ligjore" is derived from the Latin word "legalis", meaning "lawful". It also has the alternate meaning of "fair" or "just". | |||
| Basque | legezkoa | ||
| In the 17th century, "legezkoa" had a different meaning than its current "legal" sense, but is now primarily used as an adjective for something lawful. | |||
| Catalan | legal | ||
| The word `legal` in Catalan derives from the Latin term `lex`, which also denotes the concept of law in the modern Spanish language and other Romance languages. | |||
| Croatian | pravni | ||
| The word "pravni" is derived from the Slavic root "pravo," meaning "right" or "justice." | |||
| Danish | gyldige | ||
| The word "gyldig" can also mean "valid" or "in effect". | |||
| Dutch | legaal | ||
| The word "legaal" can also mean "cool" or "awesome" in Dutch slang. | |||
| English | legal | ||
| The word 'legal' derives from the Latin word 'lex', meaning 'law', and can also refer to lawful or permissible actions or practices. | |||
| French | légal | ||
| The word 'légal' comes from Latin 'legalis' meaning 'of or pertaining to law' or 'in accordance with law'. | |||
| Frisian | legaal | ||
| The Frisian word "legaal" can also mean "normal" or "regular". | |||
| Galician | legal | ||
| German | legal | ||
| The word "legal" derives from the Latin word "lex" meaning "law" and in German it also has the meaning of "legitimate" or "lawful". | |||
| Icelandic | löglegur | ||
| "löglegur" can also refer to a "legitimate" or "proper" action. | |||
| Irish | dlíthiúil | ||
| DlÃthiúil derives from the Old Irish word dlÃthe, meaning "law". | |||
| Italian | legale | ||
| The Italian word "legale" can also mean "proper" or "fitting." | |||
| Luxembourgish | legal | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "legal" also means "legitimate" or "lawful." | |||
| Maltese | legali | ||
| "Legali" derives from the Latin "lēgālis" (legal), and in Maltese can also mean "representative" or "deputy". | |||
| Norwegian | lovlig | ||
| The word "lovlig" also has the meanings "permissible" and "legitimate." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | legal | ||
| In Portuguese, "legal" can also mean "cool" or "awesome" in slang. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | laghail | ||
| The word "laghail" in Scots Gaelic has its origins in the Old Norse word "lag" meaning "law" and can also refer to "justice", "right" or "fairness". | |||
| Spanish | legal | ||
| In Spanish, "legal" can also mean "loyal" or "legitimate". | |||
| Swedish | rättslig | ||
| The word 'Rättslig' in Swedish can also mean 'jurisdictional'. | |||
| Welsh | cyfreithiol | ||
| The Welsh word "cyfreithiol" derives from the Latin "ius" meaning "law". | |||
Legal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | юрыдычны | ||
| The word "юрыдычны" in Belarusian can also mean "formal" or "correct". | |||
| Bosnian | legalno | ||
| In Bosnian, the word "legalni" can also mean "lawful", "permissible", or "authorized". | |||
| Bulgarian | законно | ||
| The word "законно" in Bulgarian derives from the Old Slavic word "zakonъ", meaning "order, custom". | |||
| Czech | právní | ||
| The word "právní" comes from the Old Czech word "právo", which means "law" or "right". | |||
| Estonian | seaduslik | ||
| The word "seaduslik" in Estonian is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*sedos", meaning "order" or "decree". | |||
| Finnish | laillista | ||
| "Laillista" in Finnish means "legal" but can also refer to a traditional Finnish folk dance. | |||
| Hungarian | jogi | ||
| "Jogi" also means "a person who knows the law/law expert" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | likumīgi | ||
| The Latvian word "likumīgi" can also refer to something that is "proper" or "correct". | |||
| Lithuanian | teisėta | ||
| The Lithuanian word "teisėta" derives from the verb "teisti", meaning "to judge" or "to punish." | |||
| Macedonian | законски | ||
| The word "законски" comes from the Slavic root "zakon", which also means "law" or "commandment". | |||
| Polish | prawny | ||
| The word "prawny" in Polish, meaning "legal", is derived from the Latin word "ius", meaning "law". | |||
| Romanian | legal | ||
| In Romanian, the word "legal" can also refer to a type of embroidery | |||
| Russian | законный | ||
| The word "законный" can also mean "legitimate" or "lawful" | |||
| Serbian | правни | ||
| The word "правни" in Serbian also means "just" or "fair". | |||
| Slovak | legálne | ||
| The Slovak word "legálne" comes from the Latin word "legalis", which means "according to law". In addition to "legal", it can also mean "legitimately" or "lawfully". | |||
| Slovenian | pravno | ||
| The word "pravno" in Slovenian can also mean "fair" or "just". | |||
| Ukrainian | юридичний | ||
| The word "юридичний" is derived from the Latin word "iuris" meaning "law" and also shares a root with the word "юриспруденція" ("jurisprudence"). | |||
Legal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আইনী | ||
| আইনী is derived from the Arabic word 'qunun' which means 'rules', and is also a colloquial term for 'law'. | |||
| Gujarati | કાયદેસર | ||
| Originally derived from the Arabic word 'qaida' meaning 'rule or principle', 'કાયદેસર' (legal) is also used to refer to something that is proper and acceptable | |||
| Hindi | कानूनी | ||
| The word "कानूनी" is derived from the Arabic word "qanun", meaning "law" or "regulation". | |||
| Kannada | ಕಾನೂನುಬದ್ಧ | ||
| Malayalam | നിയമപരമായ | ||
| Marathi | कायदेशीर | ||
| The word "कायदेशीर" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कायदा" meaning "law" and the suffix "-शीर" meaning "related to". | |||
| Nepali | कानूनी | ||
| The word 'कानूनी' (legal) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कानून' (law), which itself is derived from the Persian word 'قانون' (rule, principle). Alternatively, it can also mean legitimate, constitutional, or lawful. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ" ("legal") is derived from the Arabic word "قانون" ("law"), which itself is derived from the Greek word "κανών" ("canon"). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නීතිමය | ||
| The word 'නීතිමය' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'न्यायिक' which means 'just' or 'righteous'. | |||
| Tamil | சட்டப்பூர்வமானது | ||
| சட்டப்பூர்வமானது (legal) also refers to the 'correct' way of doing something, such as the 'due process' of law, or following the established customs or rules of a given field. | |||
| Telugu | చట్టపరమైన | ||
| This word is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nyaya', meaning 'justice' or 'law'. | |||
| Urdu | قانونی | ||
| The word "قانونی" also means "legitimate" and "lawful" in Urdu. | |||
Legal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 法律 | ||
| In addition to "legal," the word "法律" also means "law" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 法律 | ||
| The word "法律" (fǎlǜ) can also refer to "law and regulations" or "rules and regulations" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 法的 | ||
| "法的" can be written with the kanji 法律 "law", but is most often written in hiragana to mean the more general abstract "legal or lawful." | |||
| Korean | 적법한 | ||
| The word "적법한" can also refer to someone or something that is "legitimate" or "authentic". | |||
| Mongolian | хууль ёсны | ||
| хууль ёсны derives from х/ө/ө/л/ (to follow), and ёс (rule). Thus it implies the need to follow rules, specifically in terms of law. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားဝင် | ||
Legal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hukum | ||
| "Hukum" in Indonesian, meaning "legal," derived from the Arabic word "hukm" meaning "judgment" or "commandment." | |||
| Javanese | sah | ||
| The Javanese word "sah" also refers to the process of making something legally binding. | |||
| Khmer | ស្របច្បាប់ | ||
| The word ស្របច្បាប់ is also used to describe something that conforms with a moral code or ethical principles. | |||
| Lao | ຖືກຕ້ອງຕາມກົດ ໝາຍ | ||
| Malay | sah | ||
| The word "sah" in Malay also carries connotations of agreement, validation, or being in compliance. | |||
| Thai | ถูกกฎหมาย | ||
| In Thai "ถูกกฎหมาย" can also refer to a "rightful" or "appropriate" action. | |||
| Vietnamese | hợp pháp | ||
| The word "hợp pháp" in Vietnamese, besides meaning "legal" as a result of government or administrative authorization, can also denote the "logical order" of things. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | legal | ||
Legal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qanuni | ||
| The word "qanuni" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a type of traditional stringed instrument. | |||
| Kazakh | заңды | ||
| The word "заңды" in Kazakh is also used to refer to something that is "lawful" or "legitimate". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мыйзамдуу | ||
| "Мыйзамдуу" originally meant "law-abiding" or "in accordance with the law". | |||
| Tajik | қонунӣ | ||
| The word "қонунӣ" can also mean "regular" or "lawful" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | kanuny | ||
| Uzbek | qonuniy | ||
| The word "qonuniy" is derived from the Arabic word "qanun" (law), and is also used to refer to statutory law or legislation. | |||
| Uyghur | قانۇنلۇق | ||
Legal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kū kānāwai | ||
| The literal meaning of "kū kānāwai" is "to stand upright by law." | |||
| Maori | ā-ture | ||
| Ā-ture can also refer to the physical act of carrying out a legal process, such as a court proceeding. | |||
| Samoan | faaletulafono | ||
| The Samoan word 'faaletulafono' also means 'according to the law,' 'lawful,' or 'legally'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ligal | ||
| The word "ligal" in Tagalog can also refer to something that is "correct" or "in order". | |||
Legal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chiqapa | ||
| Guarani | tekome'ẽhe'íva | ||
Legal in International Languages
| Esperanto | laŭleĝa | ||
| "Laŭleĝa" is derived from "laŭ" (according to) and "leĝo" (law), also meaning "statutory" or "lawful." | |||
| Latin | iuris | ||
| In Latin, "iuris" can also refer to "what is just" or "what is permissible" | |||
Legal in Others Languages
| Greek | νομικός | ||
| In ancient Greek, "νομικός" could also refer to currency or monetary standards. | |||
| Hmong | raug cai | ||
| The word "raug cai" also means "allowed" in Hmong, suggesting that legality entails permission or authorization. | |||
| Kurdish | mafî | ||
| The word "mafî" in Kurdish also means "belonging to me" or "mine". | |||
| Turkish | yasal | ||
| The Turkish word "yasal" comes from the Arabic word "yas", meaning "easy," and refers to the "facilitated" or "lawful" nature of legal matters. | |||
| Xhosa | esemthethweni | ||
| The word 'esemthethweni' can also refer to a person who upholds or enforces the law. | |||
| Yiddish | לעגאַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "לעגאַל" (legal) derives from the Latin word "legālis" or the German "legal", and also relates to the Yiddish word "ליגה" (league, alliance). | |||
| Zulu | zomthetho | ||
| The word "zomthetho" in Zulu comes from the root word "mthetho," which means "law" or "rule." | |||
| Assamese | আইনী | ||
| Aymara | chiqapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | कानूनी | ||
| Dhivehi | ޝަރުޢީ | ||
| Dogri | कनूनी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | legal | ||
| Guarani | tekome'ẽhe'íva | ||
| Ilocano | legal | ||
| Krio | gɛt di rayt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | یاسایی | ||
| Maithili | कानूनी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯥꯏꯟꯒꯤ ꯃꯈꯥ ꯄꯣꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | dan angin | ||
| Oromo | seera qabeessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଇନଗତ | | ||
| Quechua | legal | ||
| Sanskrit | वैधानिक | ||
| Tatar | юридик | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕጋዊ | ||
| Tsonga | xinawu | ||
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