Like in Different Languages
Discover 'Like' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'like' is a small but powerful part of our daily vocabulary. It has many meanings and uses, including expressing fondness, making comparisons, and even as a filler word in casual conversation. Its significance and cultural importance cannot be overstated, as it has been used in various ways throughout history and across different cultures.
For example, in Latin, 'like' can be translated as 'placent,' while in Spanish, it's 'gustar.' In French, 'like' can be expressed as 'aimer,' and in German, it's 'mögen.' These translations not only help us understand the word's meaning in different languages but also offer a glimpse into the unique cultural contexts that shape how we communicate.
So, why might someone want to know the translation of 'like' in different languages? For one, it can enhance our cross-cultural communication skills and deepen our understanding of other cultures. Additionally, it can be a fun and interesting way to learn a new language and connect with people from around the world.
Like
Like in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | soos | ||
| Afrikaans "soos" derives from Old French "sus" and can also mean "as if, similar, resembling." | |||
| Amharic | እንደ | ||
| The word "እንደ" can also mean "according to" or "in the manner of". | |||
| Hausa | kamar | ||
| Hausa "kamar" also means "to want" and "to be willing." | |||
| Igbo | dị ka | ||
| Dị ka can refer to both similarity and comparison and derive from the word ‘dì’, meaning ‘to be.’ | |||
| Malagasy | toy ny | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | monga | ||
| The word "monga" also means "similar" or "such as" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | senge | ||
| The word "senge" in Shona can also mean "as if" or "similar to". | |||
| Somali | sida | ||
| An alternate meaning of “sida” is “to look, stare, or gaze”. | |||
| Sesotho | joalo ka | ||
| While "joalo ka" most often means "like" in Sesotho, it can also mean "such as" or "in the same way." | |||
| Swahili | kama | ||
| In Swahili, "kama" can also refer to a preposition meaning "as" or a conjunction meaning "if". | |||
| Xhosa | njenge | ||
| Although it means "like," "njenge" can also be understood as similar to "as if" in English. | |||
| Yoruba | fẹran | ||
| Zulu | njenge | ||
| The form njengo may be a loan from Tswana "ntshongo", similarly meaning "like". | |||
| Bambara | i n'a fɔ | ||
| Ewe | di | ||
| Kinyarwanda | nka | ||
| Lingala | kolinga | ||
| Luganda | okwaagala | ||
| Sepedi | rata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | te sɛ | ||
Like in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مثل | ||
| The word 'مثل' in Arabic can also mean 'example', 'parable', or 'proverb'. | |||
| Hebrew | כמו | ||
| The word "כמו" can also be used to mean "in accordance with" or "in a similar manner". | |||
| Pashto | خوښول | ||
| The Pashto word "خوښول" can also mean "to please" or "to desire". | |||
| Arabic | مثل | ||
| The word 'مثل' in Arabic can also mean 'example', 'parable', or 'proverb'. | |||
Like in Western European Languages
| Albanian | si | ||
| "Si" can also be used to indicate a wish or preference, as in "Do you want some coffee?" - "Si, please." | |||
| Basque | bezala | ||
| In some contexts, "bezala" can carry connotations of "in the manner of". | |||
| Catalan | m'agrada | ||
| The Catalan word "M'agrada" comes from the Latin expression "Mihi placet" (it pleases me). | |||
| Croatian | kao | ||
| "Kao" can also mean "as" or "for example" or even "to look like". | |||
| Danish | synes godt om | ||
| The verb 'synes godt om' comes from an old Danish word that meant 'to see well', and is still sometimes used in that sense. | |||
| Dutch | leuk vinden | ||
| The Dutch word "Leuk vinden" ("to like") literally means "to find pleasing" or "to find joyful." | |||
| English | like | ||
| The word 'like' can also be used to express approval or preference, as in 'I like your dress'. | |||
| French | comme | ||
| In its archaic or literary uses, “comme” can also mean “as” | |||
| Frisian | lykas | ||
| In addition to meaning "like" or "similar to", "lykas" can also mean "as" or "equal to" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | como | ||
| The word "como" in Galician can also mean "as" or "how". | |||
| German | mögen | ||
| Mögen's original meaning in Old High German was 'to be able; to have power, strength' | |||
| Icelandic | eins og | ||
| The Icelandic word "eins og" ("like") has a similar meaning to "þvílíkt og" ("such as"), but only in informal contexts. | |||
| Irish | mhaith | ||
| Mhaith can also mean 'well' or 'good' in certain contexts. | |||
| Italian | piace | ||
| The Italian word 'piace' comes from the Latin 'placere', meaning 'to please'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gär | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "gär" can also refer to a measurement used in forestry, equal to about 38.08 cubic feet (1.08 cubic meters). | |||
| Maltese | bħal | ||
| The word "bħal" in Maltese can also mean "as if" or "similar to". | |||
| Norwegian | som | ||
| In the context of a sentence, "som" can also mean a "manner in which some action is done," such as "som vanlig." (as usual). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gostar | ||
| "Gostar" is derived from the Latin word "gustare," meaning "to taste," and in Portuguese, it can refer to both preference and enjoyment. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mar | ||
| The word "mar" in Gaelic is cognate to the Latin "magis," and is related to words meaning "greater" and "more abundant." | |||
| Spanish | me gusta | ||
| In Spanish, "me gusta" can also be used to express that something is enjoyable or pleasing. | |||
| Swedish | tycka om | ||
| "Tycka om", "to think of", has evolved from the sense "to think" and the old phrase "ha tycke (till någon)", "to have (a) liking (for someone)" | |||
| Welsh | fel | ||
| "Fel" is also a contraction of the phrase "i'r un fel," which literally translates to "in the one like" and means similar. | |||
Like in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падабаецца | ||
| The Belarusian word "падабаецца" is derived from the noun "падаба", which means "desire" or "will". | |||
| Bosnian | kao | ||
| "Kao" can also mean "while" or "as" in the sense of comparison. | |||
| Bulgarian | като | ||
| The word "като" in Bulgarian can also mean "as" or "similar to". | |||
| Czech | jako | ||
| The word “jako” can also mean “such a” or “like this,” depending on the context of the sentence. | |||
| Estonian | meeldib | ||
| The word "meeldib" is derived from the word "meel", which means "mind" or "soul", and indicates that something is pleasing to the mind or spirit. | |||
| Finnish | kuten | ||
| Besides "like," "kuten" can mean "likewise" and "as." | |||
| Hungarian | mint | ||
| The Hungarian word "menta" is a cognate of German "Meinte" (opinion). | |||
| Latvian | patīk | ||
| Patīk, “like” in the Latvian language, comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *pet-, meaning “to spread out, extend, or fly”. | |||
| Lithuanian | kaip | ||
| The word "Kaip" can also mean "how" or "as" in Lithuanian, and it is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷi- "to ask, to inquire". | |||
| Macedonian | допаѓа | ||
| Though derived from the Proto-Slavic, the root of the word has various meanings across other Slavic languages, including "to be decent or proper" in Bulgarian, "to suit" in Russian, and "to fit" in Polish | |||
| Polish | lubić | ||
| The Polish word "lubić" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*ľubiti" meaning "to love, cherish" and is cognate with the Russian "любить" (lyubit'). | |||
| Romanian | ca | ||
| The word "ca" derives from the Latin word "quam" and originally meant "than" rather than "like". | |||
| Russian | нравиться | ||
| The Russian verb нравиться derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "nravъ"" (character), and literally means "to be to one's character," meaning to suit one's tastes or preferences. | |||
| Serbian | као | ||
| "Као" is also used in the context of approximation, i.e. "kao tri", which means "around three." | |||
| Slovak | páči sa mi to | ||
| The word "páči sa mi to" in Slovak also has a meaning of "it looks good". | |||
| Slovenian | všeč | ||
| The word "všeč" also has the archaic meaning of "all" or "everything". | |||
| Ukrainian | подібно до | ||
| In Ukrainian, this word can also mean "similarly," "accordingly," or "as is usual." | |||
Like in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পছন্দ | ||
| The word "পছন্দ" in Bengali has an alternate meaning of "choice" or "preference". | |||
| Gujarati | ગમે છે | ||
| In Gujarati, "ગમે છે" (game che) not only means "to like" but also implies "to be pleasing," "to be acceptable," or "to be agreeable." | |||
| Hindi | पसंद | ||
| While "पसंद" means "choice" in Hindi, it derives from the Persian word "پسند" meaning "approval" or "appreciation" | |||
| Kannada | ಹಾಗೆ | ||
| The word "ಹಾಗೆ" (hāge) in Kannada can also mean "just like that" or "just as it is". | |||
| Malayalam | പോലെ | ||
| The word "പോലെ" can also mean "similar" or "as" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | आवडले | ||
| The word 'आवडले' comes from the Sanskrit root 'वद', meaning 'to speak', and originally meant 'to be pleased with something' or 'to enjoy something'. | |||
| Nepali | जस्तै | ||
| The word "जस्तै" comes from the verb "जस्त" meaning "to resemble" and the suffix "-ै" indicating "likeness or comparison". | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਸੰਦ ਹੈ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਪਸੰਦ ਹੈ' can also refer to a person's affection or fondness for something or someone. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මෙන් | ||
| Sinhala "මෙන්" is derived from Sanskrit "यथा" meaning "in proportion to". | |||
| Tamil | போன்ற | ||
| "போன்ற" (pōṉṟa) was originally a combination of "போல்" (pōl) meaning "like" and "ன்ற" (ṉṟa) meaning "a kind". In ancient Tamil, it was used to describe an approximation or a comparison. | |||
| Telugu | వంటి | ||
| The word "వంటి" can also mean "such as" or "for example". | |||
| Urdu | پسند ہے | ||
| This word shares the same root as words meaning "to test" and "to select", indicating a deeper connection between liking and making a choice. | |||
Like in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 喜欢 | ||
| It can also mean, as an intransitive verb, 'to enjoy', 'to prefer', or 'to be inclined' towards something, as in '我喜欢音乐' ('I enjoy music'), '我喜欢看书' ('I prefer reading books'), or '我喜欢旅行' ('I am inclined towards travelling'). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 喜歡 | ||
| The Traditional Chinese character 喜歡 can also mean an interest in, a hobby, or a favorite. | |||
| Japanese | お気に入り | ||
| The word "お気に入り" literally means "favorite" or "something that is liked" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 처럼 | ||
| In Korean, "처럼" (cheoreom) can also mean "as if" or "like it seemed". | |||
| Mongolian | дуртай | ||
| The word "дуртай" in Mongolian can also mean "good," "pleasant," or "fine." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြိုက်တယ် | ||
Like in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | suka | ||
| Suka's archaic meaning in Indonesian is 'pleasure'. It is also used in Malay and Javanese with the same meaning. | |||
| Javanese | kaya | ||
| "Kaya" has a similar but more colloquial meaning to "kados" which is "similar to" | |||
| Khmer | ចូលចិត្ត | ||
| The term 'ចូលចិត្ត' in Khmer originates from the Sanskrit word 'chitta', meaning 'mind' or 'heart', thus emphasizing the emotional connection implied by 'like'. | |||
| Lao | ຄື | ||
| The word ຄື can also mean "identical to," "indeed," or "that is to say." | |||
| Malay | suka | ||
| Thai | ชอบ | ||
| The Thai word "ชอบ" (like) derives from Sanskrit and also means "to love", "to desire", or "to be pleased with". | |||
| Vietnamese | giống | ||
| Giống can also mean "similar" or "alike" and is commonly used in phrases like "giống như" (just like). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gaya ng | ||
Like in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kimi | ||
| The word "kimi" in Azerbaijani can also mean "similar to" or "resembling". | |||
| Kazakh | сияқты | ||
| The Kazakh word "сияқты" not only means "like," but also "resembling", "seeming like," "looking like," and "similar to." | |||
| Kyrgyz | сыяктуу | ||
| The word "сыяктуу" in Kyrgyz can also refer to manner, quality, or similarity. | |||
| Tajik | мисли | ||
| The word "мисли" can also mean "opinion" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýaly | ||
| Uzbek | kabi | ||
| The word "kabi" can also mean "as" or "similar to" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | like | ||
Like in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makemake | ||
| Makemake's other meaning in Hawaiian is 'to desire'. | |||
| Maori | rite | ||
| Maori 'rite' is derived from the word 'rite' in English, but also has the meaning of 'way' or 'manner'. | |||
| Samoan | pei | ||
| The Samoan word "pei" originates from the Proto-Polynesian word "pei", but it also has an alternate meaning of "to agree". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gaya ng | ||
| The phrase "gaya ng" can also be used to mean "in the manner of" or "according to". | |||
Like in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | justaña | ||
| Guarani | arohory | ||
Like in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝati | ||
| "Ŝati" comes from the Esperanto word "ŝajnigi," meaning "to pretend," and was originally used to denote a feeling of pretense. | |||
| Latin | tamquam | ||
| Tamquam can also mean "as if" or "just as" in Latin. | |||
Like in Others Languages
| Greek | σαν | ||
| In modern Greek, "σαν" can also mean "as if" or "pretending to be". | |||
| Hmong | nyiam | ||
| Hmong word "nyiam" also means "to agree with". | |||
| Kurdish | çawa | ||
| The Kurdish word "çawa" also means "how," "what about," "what is like," and "what for." | |||
| Turkish | sevmek | ||
| In some cases “sevmek” can also mean “to cherish” or “to be fond of”. | |||
| Xhosa | njenge | ||
| Although it means "like," "njenge" can also be understood as similar to "as if" in English. | |||
| Yiddish | ווי | ||
| The Yiddish word "ווי" also means "how" and is sometimes used to express surprise or exasperation. | |||
| Zulu | njenge | ||
| The form njengo may be a loan from Tswana "ntshongo", similarly meaning "like". | |||
| Assamese | পচন্দ কৰা | ||
| Aymara | justaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | पसन | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަހަލަ | ||
| Dogri | पसंद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gaya ng | ||
| Guarani | arohory | ||
| Ilocano | kasla | ||
| Krio | lɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | حەزپێکردن | ||
| Maithili | पसिन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | duh | ||
| Oromo | akka | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରି | ||
| Quechua | munasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | इव | ||
| Tatar | кебек | ||
| Tigrinya | ምፍታው | ||
| Tsonga | fana | ||