Lip in Different Languages
Discover 'Lip' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lip' holds a significant place in our daily conversations and expressions. It's not just a body part, but a powerful tool for communication, expressing emotions, and forming words. Throughout history, lips have played a crucial role in various cultural contexts, from ancient rituals to modern beauty standards.
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians painted their lips with red ochre and carmine to symbolize royalty and divine power? Or that in some African cultures, a lip plate is a sign of maturity and social status? These fascinating facts highlight the importance of lips across different cultures and societies.
If you're interested in language and culture, you might want to know the translation of 'lip' in different languages. Here are a few examples to pique your curiosity:
- Spanish: 'labio'
- French: 'lèvre'
- German: 'Lippe'
- Mandarin: '唇' ('chún')
- Japanese: '唇' ('kuchibiru')
Lip
Lip in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lip | ||
| In Afrikaans, "lip" can also refer to the edge of a cliff or the rim of a cup. | |||
| Amharic | ከንፈር | ||
| The Amharic word "ከንፈር" is also used figuratively to refer to "the brim of something". | |||
| Hausa | lebe | ||
| 'Lebe' may also refer to a kiss, a smile, or the edge of something. | |||
| Igbo | egbugbere ọnụ | ||
| The Igbo word "egbugbere ọnụ" translates literally to "the fence of the mouth," a phrase highlighting its protective and containing function. | |||
| Malagasy | molotra | ||
| The Malagasy word "molotra" also refers to the edge, border, or rim of an object, such as a lake or forest. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mlomo | ||
| "Mlomo" is also used to refer to the "edge" of something, such as a cliff or a riverbank. | |||
| Shona | muromo | ||
| The word "muromo" can also refer to the edge of something, such as the edge of a river or the edge of a plate. | |||
| Somali | dibnaha | ||
| This word is related to other words for "mouth" or "opening" throughout the Cushitic family of languages, indicating a linguistic connection that predates writing. | |||
| Sesotho | molomo | ||
| The word "molomo" in Sesotho originally referred to a wound, later becoming associated with lips. | |||
| Swahili | mdomo | ||
| Mdomo in Bantu languages means 'mouth' and is the etymological origin of the Swahili and Comorian terms | |||
| Xhosa | umlomo | ||
| The word "Umlomo" in Xhosa also refers to the edge of a container, the brim of a hat, or the rim of a wheel. | |||
| Yoruba | ète | ||
| "Ètè" means "lip" in Yoruba but also refers to the "edge" of something, such as a pot or a leaf. | |||
| Zulu | udebe | ||
| "Udebe" also means "edge" or "rim" in Zulu, as in the rim of a pot or the edge of a cliff. | |||
| Bambara | dawolo | ||
| Ewe | nuyi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umunwa | ||
| Lingala | mbɛbu | ||
| Luganda | emimwa | ||
| Sepedi | molomo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anofafa | ||
Lip in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شفة | ||
| The word "شفة" (lip) in Arabic also refers to the brim of a vessel or the edge of a wound. | |||
| Hebrew | שָׂפָה | ||
| The word "שָׂפָה" in Hebrew also means "language". This is because in ancient times, people used their lips to communicate orally. | |||
| Pashto | شونډي | ||
| The Pashto word "شونډي" (lip) also refers to the edge of a container or a wound. | |||
| Arabic | شفة | ||
| The word "شفة" (lip) in Arabic also refers to the brim of a vessel or the edge of a wound. | |||
Lip in Western European Languages
| Albanian | buzë | ||
| "Buzë" in Albanian can also mean "edge" or "border". | |||
| Basque | ezpaina | ||
| The word "ezpaina" in Basque also refers to the surface of a liquid or the edge of an opening. | |||
| Catalan | llavi | ||
| In Catalan, "llavi" can also mean "key" or "valve." | |||
| Croatian | usnica | ||
| While the word "usnica" primarily means "lip" in Croatian, it can also refer to a type of plant known as "lichen". | |||
| Danish | læbe | ||
| The word "læbe" in Danish can also refer to the edge of a cup or glass, or the brim of a hat. | |||
| Dutch | lip- | ||
| The word "lip" in Dutch can also originate from the word "leb" in Old High German, meaning "edge". | |||
| English | lip | ||
| Archaic synonyms of 'lip' include 'beaver', 'labrum', 'mufti', 'rictus' and 'lappet'. | |||
| French | lèvre | ||
| The word 'lèvre' is derived from the Latin word 'labrum', meaning 'rim' or 'edge'. | |||
| Frisian | lippe | ||
| The Frisian word "lippe" may be related to the Germanic term "lep" meaning "edge" or "brim." | |||
| Galician | beizo | ||
| The word "beizo" is likely derived from the Latin word "bucca", meaning "cheek". | |||
| German | lippe | ||
| In addition to being a body part, "Lippe" in German can also refer to a geographical region in northwest Germany. | |||
| Icelandic | vör | ||
| Vör means "spring" as well as "lip" in Icelandic, a phenomenon found in several other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Irish | liopa | ||
| The Irish word 'liopa' also refers to the edge or lip of a container or opening. | |||
| Italian | labbro | ||
| The word "labbro" can also refer to the rim or edge of a container or a musical instrument. | |||
| Luxembourgish | lip | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Lip" can also refer to a type of bread roll. | |||
| Maltese | xoffa | ||
| The word "xoffa" in Maltese also has other meanings, including "mouth" and "edge". | |||
| Norwegian | leppe | ||
| The word "leppe" in Norwegian can also refer to the brim of a hat or the edge of a cup. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lábio | ||
| The word "lábio" in Portuguese comes from the Latin "labium", which means "edge" or "margin". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lip | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "lip" can also mean "border." | |||
| Spanish | labio | ||
| The word "labio" can also refer to the edge of a wound or a fissure in geology. | |||
| Swedish | läpp | ||
| Cognate with the English "lap", "läpp" is used as a general term for the folds of skin surrounding any opening or edge | |||
| Welsh | gwefus | ||
| "Gwefus" is also a Welsh word for "edge" or "border". | |||
Lip in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | губа | ||
| The Belarusian word "губа" (lip) also means "bay" or "gulf" and is cognate with the Russian word "губа" (lip). | |||
| Bosnian | usna | ||
| The word "usna" is also used to refer to the edge of a cup or glass. | |||
| Bulgarian | устна | ||
| In Russian, "устна" can also refer to the written or spoken word, or to a promise. | |||
| Czech | ret | ||
| In Slavic languages, “ret” is often used to describe a corner or edge, as in the word “horeto” (edge of a mountain) in Slovak. | |||
| Estonian | huul | ||
| The word "huul" in Estonian is a borrowing from Proto-Germanic, and can also refer to a brim or a fringe. | |||
| Finnish | huuli | ||
| "Huuli" likely originates from the Proto-Finnic word *huuli "edge, frame, ledge of a pot," and is related to the verb *huoltaa "to take care of". | |||
| Hungarian | ajak | ||
| "Ajak" is also a slang word for "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" in some Hungarian dialects. | |||
| Latvian | lūpa | ||
| The word "lūpa" can also refer to a "slope" or a "lip-shaped edge" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | lūpa | ||
| In Proto-Indo-European, *ǵʰnébʰos has the meanings "lip" and "jaw". | |||
| Macedonian | усна | ||
| The word "усна" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *ǫsa, which also means "edge" or "rim". | |||
| Polish | warga | ||
| The word "warga" in Polish is cognate with the English word "wart" and refers to a small, benign growth on the skin. | |||
| Romanian | buze | ||
| The Romanian word "buze" is also used to refer to a type of musical instrument made from a reed or pipe. | |||
| Russian | губа | ||
| "Губа" can also refer to "a small bay". | |||
| Serbian | усна | ||
| The word "усна" ("lip") in Serbian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ǫsъna, which also means "mouth" or "edge". | |||
| Slovak | ret | ||
| The word "ret" in Slovak is cognate with the English word "reed", both ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European "*h₃reǵ-" | |||
| Slovenian | ustnica | ||
| The word "ustnica" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "ǫstъ" meaning "mouth". It also has a secondary meaning in modern Slovenian as "embouchure" or "lips" on a musical instrument. | |||
| Ukrainian | губа | ||
| The word "губа" can also refer to a "bay" or "gulf" in Ukrainian, stemming from an Old Slavonic root meaning "inward curve". | |||
Lip in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঠোঁট | ||
| The word "ঠোঁট" has historically also been used to refer to the "beak" of a bird in Bengali literature. | |||
| Gujarati | હોઠ | ||
| The word હોઠ (''hōth'') does not only mean ''lip'' in Gujarati but also ''edge'' or ''border''. | |||
| Hindi | ओंठ | ||
| The word "ओंठ" (lip) is derived from the Sanskrit word "ष्ठिव" (stiv), which also means "to kiss". | |||
| Kannada | ತುಟಿ | ||
| The word "ತುಟಿ" (tuTi) in Kannada, meaning "lip", is a derivation of the Sanskrit word "तुण्ड" (tuNDa), which also means "mouth". It is related to the Proto-Dravidian root "*tuN" meaning "to eat". Variant forms of the word include "ತುಟಿಗ" (tuTiga), "ತುಟಿರು" (tuTiru), and "ತುಟುರ" (tuTura). | |||
| Malayalam | ചുണ്ട് | ||
| In Malayalam, the word "ചുണ്ട്" not only refers to the lip but also to the edge or boundary of something, such as a riverbank or the edge of a cloth. | |||
| Marathi | ओठ | ||
| The word "ओठ" is a cognate of the Hindi word "ओठ" and the Sanskrit word "ओष्ठ", all of which mean "lip" | |||
| Nepali | ओठ | ||
| In Nepali, the word "ओठ" also refers to the "edges of a wound". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹਾਂ | ||
| The word can also refer to a type of wind instrument consisting of a pipe with a hollow ball attached to one end. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තොල් | ||
| The word 'තොල්' can also refer to the edge of a pot or a plate. | |||
| Tamil | உதடு | ||
| The word "உதடு" can also mean "the edge of something", like the edge of a pot or a well. | |||
| Telugu | పెదవి | ||
| "పెదవి" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "paṭ-, paṭ-pi" meaning "to speak" referring to the role of lips in speech. | |||
| Urdu | ہونٹ | ||
| The word "ہونٹ" (lip) is also used to refer to the "edge of something" or to "border". | |||
Lip in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 唇 | ||
| The word "唇" (lip) also refers to the edge of a vessel or a piece of fabric in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 唇 | ||
| In Chinese tradition, the upper lip has been associated with the mustache and thus with virility and manliness. | |||
| Japanese | リップ | ||
| "リップ" (rippu) can also mean "lipstick" in Japanese, derived from the English word "lip". | |||
| Korean | 말뿐인 | ||
| The word "말뿐인" in Korean can also mean "empty talk" or "mere words" | |||
| Mongolian | уруул | ||
| The word "уруул" (lip) in Mongolian comes from the verb "урах" (to kiss), and also means "kiss" in some dialects. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နှုတ်ခမ်း | ||
Lip in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bibir | ||
| Bibir, meaning "lips" in Indonesian, derives from a Sanskrit word denoting "trembling" or "quivering," reflecting the lips' movement during speech. | |||
| Javanese | lambe | ||
| The word "lambe" also has a figurative meaning, referring to "talking excessively or gossiping". | |||
| Khmer | បបូរមាត់ | ||
| In Khmer, the word "បបូរមាត់" ("lip") can also refer to a "slanderous person" or "someone who is bad-tempered". | |||
| Lao | ສົບ | ||
| "ສົບ" derives from Proto-Southwestern Tai *sop (Proto-Tai *sohp) and is likely a loanword from Austroasiatic (likely Khmer or Vietic). | |||
| Malay | bibir | ||
| The Malay word 'bibir' ('lip') also means 'edge', 'border', or 'margin'. | |||
| Thai | ริมฝีปาก | ||
| The word "ริมฝีปาก" (lip) in Thai comes from the Sanskrit word "ริม" (rim) and "ฝีปาก" (mouth). | |||
| Vietnamese | môi | ||
| The Vietnamese word "môi" also means "edge" or "opening," as in the case of the opening of a container or the edge of a blade. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | labi | ||
Lip in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dodaq | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "dodaq" can also refer to an "edge" or "border" in other contexts | |||
| Kazakh | ерін | ||
| The Kazakh word "ерін" also means "shore" or "coast". | |||
| Kyrgyz | эрин | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "эрин" also refers to the edge or margin of something, such as a bowl or a riverbank. | |||
| Tajik | лаб | ||
| The word "лаб" ("lip") in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "لب" and is also used in Uzbek and other Turkic languages. | |||
| Turkmen | dodak | ||
| Uzbek | lab | ||
| In Uzbek, "lab" signifies not only "lip" but also "the brim of a vessel". | |||
| Uyghur | lip | ||
Lip in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lehelehe | ||
| Lehelehe, meaning "lip," also refers to "the edge, rim, or border" of something. | |||
| Maori | ngutu | ||
| Ngutu, meaning 'lip' in Māori, is also a term used to describe a meeting place or threshold. | |||
| Samoan | laugutu | ||
| According to some sources, it may also refer to the edge of something, like the edge of a cup or bowl. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | labi | ||
| In Tagalog, the word "labi" can also refer to the edge or border of something. | |||
Lip in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | laka ch’akha | ||
| Guarani | juru | ||
Lip in International Languages
| Esperanto | lipo | ||
| The Esperanto word "lipo" can also mean "fat" or "grease" in some contexts. | |||
| Latin | labrum | ||
| In medicine, a labrum is a cartilaginous structure that surrounds a joint | |||
Lip in Others Languages
| Greek | χείλος | ||
| The word 'χείλος' also means 'edge', 'rim', or 'lip' in the sense of a raised border. | |||
| Hmong | di ncauj | ||
| The Hmong word "di ncauj" comes from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word *m-n̥awʔ, which also means "face" or "head". The Proto-Hmong-Mien word may be related to the Chinese word "面" (miàn), which also means "face". | |||
| Kurdish | lêv | ||
| The word "lêv" can also refer to the edge of a cup or bowl in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | dudak | ||
| Dudak, meaning 'lip' or 'edge' in Turkish, derives from the Turkic word 'dud' for 'edge' or 'mouth'. | |||
| Xhosa | umlomo | ||
| The word "Umlomo" in Xhosa also refers to the edge of a container, the brim of a hat, or the rim of a wheel. | |||
| Yiddish | ליפּ | ||
| The Yiddish word "ליפּ" (lip) may derive from the Old High German word "leffa" (lip) or the Old Saxon word "leppa" (lip). | |||
| Zulu | udebe | ||
| "Udebe" also means "edge" or "rim" in Zulu, as in the rim of a pot or the edge of a cliff. | |||
| Assamese | ওঁঠ | ||
| Aymara | laka ch’akha | ||
| Bhojpuri | होंठ के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ތުންފަތެވެ | ||
| Dogri | होठ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | labi | ||
| Guarani | juru | ||
| Ilocano | bibig | ||
| Krio | lip | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لێو | ||
| Maithili | ठोर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯤꯞ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | lip a ni | ||
| Oromo | funyaan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଓଠ | ||
| Quechua | simi | ||
| Sanskrit | अधरः | ||
| Tatar | ирен | ||
| Tigrinya | ከንፈር | ||
| Tsonga | nomu | ||