Less in Different Languages
Discover 'Less' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'less' holds a significant place in our language, often used to convey a smaller quantity or degree. Its cultural importance is evident in its widespread use across different languages and cultures. Understanding the translation of 'less' in various languages can provide valuable insights into the nuances of different languages and cultures.
Did you know that 'less' translates to 'menso' in Esperanto, a constructed international auxiliary language? Or that in Japanese, 'less' can be translated to '少し', which also means 'a little'? These translations not only help us understand the word 'less' in different languages but also offer a glimpse into the unique ways different cultures express the concept of a smaller amount.
Explore the list below to discover how 'less' is translated in various languages, and broaden your understanding of language and culture.
Less
Less in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | minder | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "minder" may also indicate a small child or an assistant to a child. | |||
| Amharic | ያነሰ | ||
| The word "ያነሰ" can also refer to "small" or "few". | |||
| Hausa | kadan | ||
| "Kadan" also means "subordinate" or "wife of an emir or other high ranking official". | |||
| Igbo | mpekarị | ||
| "Mpekarị" could also imply 'below', 'underneath' or 'at a lower level." | |||
| Malagasy | kely kokoa | ||
| In the Malagasy language, "Kely kokoa" is a phrase that has a more specific meaning than simply "less"; it connotes a reduction of quantity or degree in a deliberate manner, implying a carefully considered adjustment. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zochepa | ||
| The word is derived from the Proto-Bantu term *cokipa (to remain). | |||
| Shona | zvishoma | ||
| "Zvishoma" is derived from the verb "kushoma", meaning "to reduce" or "to diminish". | |||
| Somali | ka yar | ||
| "Ka yar" etymologically means "cut", and can be figuratively used to mean "reduce, diminish, or abate." | |||
| Sesotho | nyane | ||
| -Nyane' is also the root for the words '-nyaniso' (to be honest), and '-nyanya-fatshe' (ancestors). | |||
| Swahili | chini | ||
| The word “chini” can also mean 'down' or 'lower' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphantsi | ||
| The word "ngaphantsi" in Xhosa is an antonym of the word "feziwe" (more), and is often used to describe the quantity of something that is below average or less than expected. | |||
| Yoruba | ti o kere | ||
| The Yoruba word "Ti o kere" can also mean "inferior" or "younger" depending on the context. | |||
| Zulu | ngaphansi | ||
| The Zulu word "Ngaphansi" can also mean "inferior" or "lower" in rank or status. | |||
| Bambara | dcnni | ||
| Ewe | do le eme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | munsi | ||
| Lingala | moke | ||
| Luganda | katono | ||
| Sepedi | nnyane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kumaa | ||
Less in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أقل | ||
| The word "أقل" can also mean "few" or "little" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | פָּחוּת | ||
| The word "פָּחוּת" can also mean "inferior" or "imperfect". | |||
| Pashto | کم | ||
| The Pashto word "کم" can also mean "small" or "few" in other contexts. | |||
| Arabic | أقل | ||
| The word "أقل" can also mean "few" or "little" in Arabic. | |||
Less in Western European Languages
| Albanian | me pak | ||
| The Albanian word "me pak" also means "almost" or "a little bit". | |||
| Basque | gutxiago | ||
| "Gutxiago" can mean "few" or "little" depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
| Catalan | menys | ||
| In Catalan, 'menys' can also mean 'minus' in mathematics or be part of the idiom 'sense menys' ('without hesitation'). | |||
| Croatian | manje | ||
| Manje has alternate meanings: "a small amount" and "a few". | |||
| Danish | mindre | ||
| The Danish word "mindre" derives from the Old Norse "minnr," also meaning "small" or "inferior." | |||
| Dutch | minder | ||
| Dutch 'minder' is cognate with English 'minor' or 'minority' and thus means both 'smaller' and 'of lesser importance' | |||
| English | less | ||
| 'Less' shares an origin with 'left', which in turn shares an origin with 'light'. | |||
| French | moins | ||
| In Old French, "Moins" could also mean "minus" or "subtract" similar to modern "moins" in mathematics. | |||
| Frisian | minder | ||
| In Saterland Frisian, "minder" has an additional alternate meaning of "smaller". | |||
| Galician | menos | ||
| The Galician word "menos" also means "except". | |||
| German | weniger | ||
| "Weniger" also means "fewer" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | minna | ||
| The Icelandic word "minna" ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic element "minwiz," meaning "lacking" or "smaller than the expected quantity" | |||
| Irish | níos lú | ||
| Italian | di meno | ||
| Also an idiom meaning "not to mention" or "what's more" | |||
| Luxembourgish | manner | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "manner" means "less" but can also mean "but". | |||
| Maltese | inqas | ||
| The word "inqas" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "naqas" meaning "to decrease or diminish". | |||
| Norwegian | mindre | ||
| The word "mindre" is derived from the Old Norse word "minnr, | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | menos | ||
| In Portuguese, "Menos" can also mean "except" or "minus the exception of". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nas lugha | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word for "less" is also often used to mean "fewer" as well, which is sometimes confusing for native English speakers as the distinction between the two is made in English. | |||
| Spanish | menos | ||
| Derived from the Latin word "minus," "menos" also denotes contempt or a lack of importance in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | mindre | ||
| Mindre is cognate with the English 'minor' and German 'minder'. | |||
| Welsh | llai | ||
| "Llai" can be confused with "llai" (church) due to their similar pronunciation and spelling. | |||
Less in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | менш | ||
| The Belarusian word “менш” has a homonym meaning “a man”, which originated from German “Mensch”. | |||
| Bosnian | manje | ||
| The word "manje" can also mean "younger" or "smaller" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | по-малко | ||
| По-малко originated from Old Church Slavonic, where it meant 'small'. | |||
| Czech | méně | ||
| "Méně" is thought to come from a Proto-Slavic term "menjьjь", possibly related to a Proto-Indo-European root "men-" (small). | |||
| Estonian | vähem | ||
| "Vähe" is possibly an altered form of the Proto-Finnic */wæŋe/ ("little, small"), which also gave rise to the Finnish "vähä" and the Sami "væŋŋa" | |||
| Finnish | vähemmän | ||
| Vähemmän is also the comparative of vähä, meaning 'small', so it literally means 'less small' in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | kevésbé | ||
| Kevésbé is also used as an adverb in Hungarian, meaning "not so much" or "to a lesser extent" | |||
| Latvian | mazāk | ||
| The word "mazāk" in Latvian also has the alternate meaning of "too little" or "not enough." | |||
| Lithuanian | mažiau | ||
| Mažiau derives from the Old Lithuanian word "mažas" meaning "little". | |||
| Macedonian | помалку | ||
| The word "помалку" can also mean "slowly" or "gradually" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | mniej | ||
| The word "mniej" can also mean "scarcely" or "seldom" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | mai puțin | ||
| "Mai puțin" can also mean "more specifically" or "rather" in the sense of "or rather". | |||
| Russian | меньше | ||
| "Меньше" (less) may also mean "lesser" or "younger" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | мање | ||
| "Мање" in Serbian can also mean "faulty" or "imperfect". | |||
| Slovak | menej | ||
| The Slovak word "menej" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *mьnějь, which also meant "smaller" or "younger". | |||
| Slovenian | manj | ||
| The Slovenian word "manj" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "mьnьgь" meaning "small" or "few". | |||
| Ukrainian | менше | ||
| "Меньше" is a cognate of the Russian word "меньший" (menshiy), which means "smaller" or "younger". | |||
Less in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কম | ||
| "কম" is also a type of citrus fruit known as a sour orange. | |||
| Gujarati | ઓછું | ||
| The word "ઓછું" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "ऋण" and means "debt" or "obligation" in that language. | |||
| Hindi | कम से | ||
| The word 'कम से' in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कम', which means 'to decrease' or 'to become less'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಡಿಮೆ | ||
| The word "ಕಡಿಮೆ" also means "decrease" and "cut down". | |||
| Malayalam | കുറവ് | ||
| The word "കുറവ്" (less) in Malayalam also means "deficiency" or "lack". | |||
| Marathi | कमी | ||
| The Marathi word "कमी" ("kami"), which means "less" or "deficiency," also refers to a "shortcoming" or "flaw." | |||
| Nepali | थोरै | ||
| The word "थोरै" likely originates from the Sanskrit word "थोरः" (thoraḥ) meaning "few" or "small". | |||
| Punjabi | ਘੱਟ | ||
| The word "ਘੱਟ" can also mean "diminished" or "inferior". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අඩු | ||
| "අඩු" is a verb meaning "to reduce" and is related to the noun "අඩ" meaning "half". | |||
| Tamil | குறைவாக | ||
| குறைவாக can also refer to something being 'low' or 'insufficient'. | |||
| Telugu | తక్కువ | ||
| "తక్కువ" is also used to mean "inferior", "deficient" or "insignificant". | |||
| Urdu | کم | ||
| The word "کم" can also mean "few" or "deficient". | |||
Less in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 减 | ||
| 减 in Chinese (Simplified) can also mean to cancel, reduce, subtract, or decrease. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 減 | ||
| 减 in Chinese is also a tool used to measure weight, which dates back to the Warring States Period of ancient China (475-221 BC). | |||
| Japanese | もっと少なく | ||
| The word "もっと少なく" (less) can also mean "very small" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 적게 | ||
| The Korean term "적게" originally meant "short" and is used in this sense in various expressions. | |||
| Mongolian | бага | ||
| The word "бага" can also mean "small" or "young" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နည်းသော | ||
| The word "နည်းသော" in Myanmar (Burmese) derived from Pali "naya" meaning "rule or law" and has different usage from Modern Tibetan "nye" or "nyid" meaning "self". | |||
Less in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kurang | ||
| Javanese | kurang | ||
| The Javanese word "kurang" can also mean "lack" or "deficiency". | |||
| Khmer | តិច | ||
| The word "តិច" can also mean "small" or "short" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຫນ້ອຍ | ||
| The word "ຫນ້ອຍ" in Lao can also mean "small", making it a versatile term used to describe both quantity and size. | |||
| Malay | kurang | ||
| Kurang in Malay also means 'lack', 'disadvantage', or 'insufficient'. | |||
| Thai | น้อยกว่า | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of "less," "น้อยกว่า" can also mean "younger" or "more minor" in some contexts. | |||
| Vietnamese | ít hơn | ||
| The word "ít hơn" can also be used to refer to a small number or quantity of something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mas kaunti | ||
Less in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | az | ||
| The word "az" in Azerbaijani also means "small" or "little". | |||
| Kazakh | аздау | ||
| The word “Аздау” in Kazakh is the opposite of “көп” (meaning “more” or “many”). | |||
| Kyrgyz | азыраак | ||
| The Kyrgyz word 'азыраак' (less) is derived from the root 'аз' (small) and can also mean 'a little bit'. | |||
| Tajik | камтар | ||
| This word may be traced back to the Farsi word کمتر (kamtar). | |||
| Turkmen | az | ||
| Uzbek | kamroq | ||
| The word "Kamroq" in Uzbek can also mean "modest" or "humble". | |||
| Uyghur | ئاز | ||
Less in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | emi iho | ||
| Less commonly, emi iho may mean 'to come down' or 'to be low' as in elevation. | |||
| Maori | iti iho | ||
| In Te Reo Maori, the word “iti iho” literally means “small down”, where “iti” means “small” and “iho” means “down”. | |||
| Samoan | laititi | ||
| The word "laititi" can also refer to a small amount or quantity. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mas kaunti | ||
| "Mas kaunti" can also mean "smaller" or "younger" in certain contexts. | |||
Less in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juk'a | ||
| Guarani | mbovy | ||
Less in International Languages
| Esperanto | malpli | ||
| "Malpli" is a calque from Latin "minus" via Esperanto "mal+" and "pli" (which originally meant "to flow") | |||
| Latin | minus | ||
| In Latin, "minus" also means "small" or "inferior," and derives from the root "mei-", meaning "small or less." | |||
Less in Others Languages
| Greek | πιο λιγο | ||
| The Greek word "πιο λιγo" (less) derives from the Ancient Greek word "λίγος" (few, small). | |||
| Hmong | tsawg dua | ||
| "Tsawg dua" literally means "a little bit" or "some" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | kêmtir | ||
| The word "kêmtir" in Kurdish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kem- "to cut, shorten, decrease". | |||
| Turkish | az | ||
| The Arabic origin "az" may also mean "insufficient" and "deficient" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphantsi | ||
| The word "ngaphantsi" in Xhosa is an antonym of the word "feziwe" (more), and is often used to describe the quantity of something that is below average or less than expected. | |||
| Yiddish | ווייניקער | ||
| The word "ווייניקער" comes from the Middle High German word "wēnic" meaning "small" or "few". | |||
| Zulu | ngaphansi | ||
| The Zulu word "Ngaphansi" can also mean "inferior" or "lower" in rank or status. | |||
| Assamese | কম | ||
| Aymara | juk'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | कम | ||
| Dhivehi | މަދުން | ||
| Dogri | घट्ट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mas kaunti | ||
| Guarani | mbovy | ||
| Ilocano | basbassit | ||
| Krio | nɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کەمتر | ||
| Maithili | कम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯝꯗꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tlemzawk | ||
| Oromo | gad bu'aa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କମ୍ | ||
| Quechua | pisi | ||
| Sanskrit | न्यूनम् | ||
| Tatar | кимрәк | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝወሓደ | ||
| Tsonga | switsongo | ||