Liberal in Different Languages
Discover 'Liberal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'liberal' holds great significance in today's political and cultural landscape. Derived from the Latin 'liber,' meaning 'free,' this term has evolved to represent a wide range of beliefs and values, generally associated with progressive views on social issues, support for government intervention in economic affairs, and a commitment to individual rights and freedoms.
Throughout history, liberal ideas have been instrumental in shaping modern societies, from the abolition of slavery to the fight for women's suffrage. The term 'liberal' has also been adopted and adapted in various cultural contexts, leading to a rich tapestry of translations that reflect the unique history and values of different nations.
For instance, in Spanish, 'liberal' translates to 'liberal' or 'generous,' while in German, it becomes 'liberal' or 'freisinnig.' In Russian, the term 'либеральный' (liberal'nyy) carries connotations of both political and economic freedom. Understanding these translations can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances of different societies and deepen our appreciation for the global impact of liberal ideas.
Join us as we explore the many translations of the word 'liberal' and delve into the fascinating history and cultural importance of this influential term.
Liberal
Liberal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | liberaal | ||
| In Afrikaans, "liberaal" can also refer to a person of mixed-race or a member of the Liberal Party. | |||
| Amharic | ሊበራል | ||
| Hausa | mai sassaucin ra'ayi | ||
| In Hausa, "mai sassaucin ra'ayi" (literally "the one with a broad mind") can also refer to someone who is open to new ideas and perspectives. | |||
| Igbo | emesapụ aka | ||
| The word "emesapụ aka" also means "generous" or "one who gives freely". | |||
| Malagasy | liberaly | ||
| The Malagasy word "liberaly" is derived from the French word "liberal" and can also mean "free" or "generous". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | owolowa manja | ||
| The word 'owolowa manja' can be literally translated as 'sweet-talking person'. | |||
| Shona | vakasununguka | ||
| The word 'vakasununguka' in Shona (meaning 'liberal') is etymologically related to the concept of 'freedom' and 'independence'. | |||
| Somali | deeqsi ah | ||
| In Somali, the word "deeqsi ah" literally means "one who gives". | |||
| Sesotho | bolokolohi | ||
| In Sesotho, the word 'bolokolohi' comes from the root 'lokoloha', meaning 'to set free', and also means 'generous' or 'tolerant'. | |||
| Swahili | huria | ||
| "Huria" also means "freedom" or "liberty" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | inkululeko | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'inkululeko' can also mean 'freedom' or 'independence'. | |||
| Yoruba | o lawọ | ||
| Yoruba 'o lawọ' may also refer to 'the condition of a person who has no restrictions on his personal life' | |||
| Zulu | evulekile | ||
| 'Evulekile' can also mean 'well-behaved' or 'well-mannered' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | liberal ye | ||
| Ewe | ablɔɖemenyawo gbɔ kpɔkpɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuntu | ||
| Lingala | liberal | ||
| Luganda | liberal | ||
| Sepedi | tokologo ya tokologo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahofadifo | ||
Liberal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ليبرالية | ||
| In Arabic, "ليبرالية" has its roots in the same Latin word, "liberalis", but retains a more classical connotation, closer to its original sense of "pertaining to freedom." | |||
| Hebrew | לִיבֵּרָלִי | ||
| המילה לִיבֵּרָלִי מקורה במילה הלטינית liberalis שפירושה ״חופשי״. | |||
| Pashto | لیبرال | ||
| The word "liberal" comes from the Latin word "liber", which means "free". | |||
| Arabic | ليبرالية | ||
| In Arabic, "ليبرالية" has its roots in the same Latin word, "liberalis", but retains a more classical connotation, closer to its original sense of "pertaining to freedom." | |||
Liberal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | liberal | ||
| "Liberal" is derived from the Albanian word "libera" meaning "free". | |||
| Basque | liberala | ||
| The word "liberala" can also mean "free" or "unrestricted" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | liberal | ||
| Liberal derives from Latin liber (“free”) and is used as both an adjective and a noun, like in 'liberal arts', referring to an educational curriculum based on the humanities. | |||
| Croatian | liberalni | ||
| The word 'liberalni' is often used in Croatian to refer to a person or group of people who are progressive or socially liberal | |||
| Danish | liberal | ||
| In old Danish “liberal” (“liberal”) originally referred to a type of coat that was worn by academics. | |||
| Dutch | liberaal | ||
| The Dutch word "liberaal" can also mean "generous" or "open-handed". | |||
| English | liberal | ||
| The word "liberal" originated in Ancient Rome, where it was used to describe a person who was free and had citizen rights. | |||
| French | libéral | ||
| In French, « libéral » can also be used for people, to mean someone tolerant, broad-minded or open. | |||
| Frisian | liberaal | ||
| The Frisian word "liberaal" originates from the Latin word "liberalis" and also means "generous" or "tolerant". | |||
| Galician | liberal | ||
| The Galician word "liberal" can also mean "generous", "abundant" or "free-flowing". | |||
| German | liberale | ||
| In German, the word "Liberale" (liberal) emerged from the Latin word "liberalis," meaning "generous," but it also has political connotations referring to supporters of individual rights and representative government. | |||
| Icelandic | frjálslyndur | ||
| In Icelandic, "frjálslyndur" can also mean "generous" or "open-handed". | |||
| Irish | liobrálacha | ||
| The word 'liobrálacha' derives from the Latin 'liberalis', meaning 'free', and can also refer to someone who is generous or open-minded. | |||
| Italian | liberale | ||
| Italian "liberale" can also refer to someone enrolled in an academic department that teaches the arts. | |||
| Luxembourgish | liberal | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "liberal" can also refer to a free-thinking person or someone with progressive views. | |||
| Maltese | liberali | ||
| The word "liberali" can also refer to a member or an advocate of a political party in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | liberal | ||
| In Norwegian, "liberal" can also refer to a "generous" person, not just someone with progressive political views. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | liberal | ||
| In Portuguese, "liberal" can also mean "generous" or "broad-minded." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | libearalach | ||
| The word "libearalach" in Scots Gaelic could also refer to someone who is generous or open-handed. | |||
| Spanish | liberal | ||
| El término "liberal" proviene del latín "liberalis", que significa "propio de un hombre libre" o "generoso". | |||
| Swedish | liberal | ||
| The word "liberal" comes from the Latin word "liber", meaning "free or unrestricted". | |||
| Welsh | rhyddfrydol | ||
| Rhyddfrydol can be traced back to the Greek term 'Eleutheria,' which implies both liberation and independence. | |||
Liberal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ліберальны | ||
| Bosnian | liberalni | ||
| The word 'liberalni' in Bosnian can also mean 'generous' or 'open-minded'. | |||
| Bulgarian | либерален | ||
| The word 'либерален' comes from the French word 'libéral', which means 'free' or 'generous'. | |||
| Czech | liberální | ||
| The word "liberální" in Czech also means "charitable" or "merciful". | |||
| Estonian | liberaalne | ||
| The word "liberaalne" can also mean "generous" or "broad-minded" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | liberaali | ||
| The word "liberaali" in Finnish can also be used to refer to a freemason. | |||
| Hungarian | liberális | ||
| The Hungarian word "liberális" derives from the Latin word "liber", meaning "free" and also refers to the free cities within the Kingdom of Hungary. | |||
| Latvian | liberāls | ||
| Latvian's "liberāls" is derived from Latin "liber" (free), and retains the meanings "free, frank, open" along with "liberal". | |||
| Lithuanian | liberalus | ||
| Lithuanian "liberalus" comes from Latin "liberalis" meaning "generous" | |||
| Macedonian | либерален | ||
| The word also means ‘spacious, abundant’ as found in the noun ‘либерална количина’ (liberal amount). | |||
| Polish | liberał | ||
| The Polish word 'liberał' can also refer to the person who practices liberalism in art, literature, religion, etc. | |||
| Romanian | liberal | ||
| In Romanian, "liberal" can also refer to a person who is open-minded and tolerant of different views | |||
| Russian | либеральный | ||
| The Russian word "либеральный" also has a secondary meaning of "generous" or "open-handed". | |||
| Serbian | либерални | ||
| The word "либерални" also has meanings related to "open-mindedness" or "generous". | |||
| Slovak | liberálny | ||
| The word "liberálny" in Slovak also means "generous" or "magnanimous". | |||
| Slovenian | liberalno | ||
| The Slovenian word "liberalno" also has the additional meaning of "free-thinking", which is not present in the English word "liberal". | |||
| Ukrainian | ліберальний | ||
| The Ukrainian word "ліберальний" ("liberal") shares a common etymological origin with the Latin "liber" ("free"), emphasizing the concept of individual freedom and autonomy. | |||
Liberal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উদার | ||
| The word "উদার" can also mean "generous" or "open-minded" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ઉદાર | ||
| The etymology of Gujarati "ઉદાર" (liberal) is the Sanskrit "udar" meaning generous, noble or magnanimous. | |||
| Hindi | उदार | ||
| The Hindi word 'उदार' also means generous, open-minded and forgiving. | |||
| Kannada | ಉದಾರವಾದಿ | ||
| The word ಉದಾರವಾದಿ (Udāra vādhi) means 'liberal' in Kannada and is derived from the Sanskrit word उदार (Udāra), which means 'broad-minded' or 'generous'. | |||
| Malayalam | ലിബറൽ | ||
| "The term "ലിബറൽ" ("liberal") is derived from the Latin word "liber" meaning "free, unrestricted," and can also mean "generous, open-handed." | |||
| Marathi | उदारमतवादी | ||
| The word 'उदारमतवादी' in Marathi can also refer to a person who is broad-minded or tolerant in general. | |||
| Nepali | उदार | ||
| The word 'उदार' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'udāra', meaning 'generous' or 'noble'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਦਾਰ | ||
| 'ਉਦਾਰ' (liberal) also means 'generous' or 'broad-minded' in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලිබරල් | ||
| The word "liberalist" in Sinhala also refers to a generous or tolerant person, as well as someone who is open to new ideas. | |||
| Tamil | தாராளவாத | ||
| The word 'தாராளவாத' is also used to describe a person who is open-minded and tolerant. | |||
| Telugu | ఉదారవాది | ||
| The word "ఉదారవాది" (liberal) can also mean "generous" or "broad-minded" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | آزاد خیال | ||
| The word "آزاد خیال" can also mean "free-thinking" or "broad-minded". | |||
Liberal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 自由主义的 | ||
| 自由主义的既可以是开放的，宽容的，也可以是激进的，无政府主义的或社会主义的。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 自由派 | ||
| 自由派，在日文裡是指支持自由主義或社會主義的人 | |||
| Japanese | リベラル | ||
| The word "リベラル" can also mean "generous" or "open-minded" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 선심 쓰는 | ||
| 선심 쓰는 (liberal) in Korean can also mean "generous" or "kind-hearted." | |||
| Mongolian | либерал | ||
| The Mongolian word 'либерал' also means 'generous' and 'forgiving'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လစ်ဘရယ် | ||
| The word “လစ်ဘရယ်” comes from the English word “liberal” and refers to someone who is tolerant of the opinions of others and who believes in the importance of liberty and equality. | |||
Liberal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | liberal | ||
| The word "liberal" (liberalis) derives from the Latin word "liber" meaning "free". Therefore, the term originally referred to a person who supported political freedom. | |||
| Javanese | liberal | ||
| In Javanese, the word "liberal" is also used to describe a type of rice field that is suitable for growing rice during the rainy season. | |||
| Khmer | សេរី | ||
| "សេរី" can also mean "easy", "effortless", or "without difficulty" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ເສລີພາບ | ||
| Malay | liberal | ||
| The Malay word 'liberal' can also refer to a person who is generous or open-handed. | |||
| Thai | เสรีนิยม | ||
| The term “เสรีนิยม” originally comes from the Latin word “liber, | |||
| Vietnamese | phóng khoáng | ||
| "Phóng khoáng" is also used colloquially to describe a person who is uninhibited or reckless. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | liberal | ||
Liberal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | liberal | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "liberal" can also mean "generous" or "open-minded". | |||
| Kazakh | либералды | ||
| The word "либералды" is derived from the Russian word "либерал" and means "liberal". It can also be used to refer to a person who is open-minded and tolerant of different views. | |||
| Kyrgyz | либералдык | ||
| Tajik | либералӣ | ||
| The word "либералӣ" can also be used to describe someone who is free-thinking or open-minded. | |||
| Turkmen | liberal | ||
| Uzbek | liberal | ||
| The word "liberal" in Uzbek can also mean "generous" or "broad-minded". | |||
| Uyghur | liberal | ||
Liberal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lokomaikaʻi | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "lokomaikaʻi" may also refer to kindness, generosity, or hospitality. | |||
| Maori | manaakitanga | ||
| The word "manaakitanga" in Maori also means "hospitality" or "generosity". | |||
| Samoan | saoloto | ||
| The word 'saoloto' can also mean 'the whole world or people of the world', and the term 'sa' can be translated as 1) world, 2) universe, 3) people in the world, or 4) the inhabitants of a country, state, village, etc. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | liberal | ||
| In Tagalog, the term "liberal" can also refer to someone who is generous or kind. | |||
Liberal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | liberal satawa | ||
| Guarani | liberal rehegua | ||
Liberal in International Languages
| Esperanto | liberala | ||
| The Esperanto word "liberala" also means "generous" in English. | |||
| Latin | liberali | ||
| In Latin, "liberali" could refer to anything related to "free men" or the "liberal arts". | |||
Liberal in Others Languages
| Greek | φιλελεύθερος | ||
| 'Φιλελεύθερος' comes from the Greek words 'φίλος' (friend) and 'ελεύθερος' (free), and its root meaning is 'free friend'. | |||
| Hmong | ywj siab | ||
| 'Ywj siab' can mean either 'liberal' or 'lazy' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | dilfireh | ||
| The word "dilfireh" is a compound word formed by "dil" meaning "heart" and "fireh" meaning "spacious". | |||
| Turkish | liberal | ||
| In Turkish, "liberal" also refers to a specific political party called the "Liberal Democratic Party." | |||
| Xhosa | inkululeko | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'inkululeko' can also mean 'freedom' or 'independence'. | |||
| Yiddish | ליבעראל | ||
| The Yiddish word "ליבעראל" ('liberal') can also mean "lover" or "paramour". | |||
| Zulu | evulekile | ||
| 'Evulekile' can also mean 'well-behaved' or 'well-mannered' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | liberal | ||
| Aymara | liberal satawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | उदारवादी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ލިބަރަލް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | उदारवादी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | liberal | ||
| Guarani | liberal rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | liberal | ||
| Krio | libal | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لیبڕاڵ | ||
| Maithili | उदारवादी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯤꯕꯔꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | liberal a ni | ||
| Oromo | liberal | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉଦାରବାଦୀ | ||
| Quechua | liberal nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | उदारवादी | ||
| Tatar | либераль | ||
| Tigrinya | ሊበራላዊ ምዃኑ ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | ntshunxeko | ||