Man in Different Languages
Discover 'Man' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'man' is simple, yet holds immense significance in our language and culture. It represents human beings as a whole, but more specifically, it has traditionally been used to refer to adult males. The concept of 'man' has been a central theme in literature, art, and philosophy, shaping the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
Moreover, the word 'man' has fascinating translations in different languages, shedding light on how various cultures view and define this basic unit of society. For instance, in Spanish, 'man' is 'hombre,' while in French, it's 'homme.' In Mandarin Chinese, it's 'ren,' and in Japanese, it's 'otoko.' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also cultural nuances and values.
Understanding the translations of 'man' in different languages can broaden your perspective and deepen your appreciation for the richness and complexity of human language and culture. So, let's explore some of these translations together.
Man
Man in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | man | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "man" can also mean "husband" or "male person". | |||
| Amharic | ሰው | ||
| Etymology of the word ሰው is unclear, but it likely derives from the Proto-Ethio-Semitic root *s-w-ʾ, meaning "to live". | |||
| Hausa | mutum | ||
| The Hausa word `mutum` also has the meanings `enemy` and `thief`. | |||
| Igbo | nwoke | ||
| The Igbo word 'Nwoke' can also refer to a husband or a male relative. | |||
| Malagasy | olona | ||
| "Olona" can derive from the Proto-Austronesian word *ulun, meaning "head" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | munthu | ||
| The word "munthu" in Nyanja can also refer to a person of either gender, especially an adult. | |||
| Shona | murume | ||
| The word "murume" in Shona is often translated as "man" but can also refer to a male child or an adult male relative. | |||
| Somali | nin | ||
| The word 'nin' in Somali derives from the Proto-Cushitic root */ŋʷ-/ 'person' and was formerly a word used to refer to either a male or female person. | |||
| Sesotho | motho | ||
| The word 'motho' also means 'person' or 'human being' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | mwanaume | ||
| The Swahili word "mwanaume" also refers to a male animal of any species, a husband, or a man of respect and stature. | |||
| Xhosa | umntu | ||
| In Xhosa, "umntu" may also refer to a being with human attributes, not necessarily of the male sex. | |||
| Yoruba | eniyan | ||
| Ẹni yàn translates to "one who chooses self" or a person of free will in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | indoda | ||
| "Indoda" can also mean "human being" or "person" in Zulu, regardless of gender. | |||
| Bambara | cɛ | ||
| Ewe | ŋutsu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuntu | ||
| Lingala | moto | ||
| Luganda | omusajja | ||
| Sepedi | monna | ||
| Twi (Akan) | barima | ||
Man in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رجل | ||
| رجل (rajul) in Arabic, meaning "man," also referred to the lower limb in Ancient Egyptian and was later adopted by Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | איש | ||
| The Hebrew word "איש" (ish) can also refer to a "husband," a "warrior," or a "nobleman." | |||
| Pashto | سړی | ||
| In Pashto, "سړی" not only means "man" but can also refer to a "person" or a "male individual." | |||
| Arabic | رجل | ||
| رجل (rajul) in Arabic, meaning "man," also referred to the lower limb in Ancient Egyptian and was later adopted by Arabic. | |||
Man in Western European Languages
| Albanian | njeri | ||
| The word 'njeri' derives from Proto-Indo-European '*mner-' ('mankind'), but can also refer to 'person' regardless of gender | |||
| Basque | gizon | ||
| The word "gizon" is also used in Basque to refer to a husband or a male child. | |||
| Catalan | home | ||
| The word "home" in Catalan also means "man", and it is cognate with the Latin word "homo" and the English word "human". | |||
| Croatian | čovjek | ||
| The word 'čovjek' is cognate with 'čovek' in other Slavic languages, sharing a common Proto-Slavic root. | |||
| Danish | mand | ||
| The word "mand" in Danish comes from the Old Norse word "maðr", which also meant "male human". | |||
| Dutch | mens | ||
| The word "mens" in Dutch also refers to a person's mind or opinion. | |||
| English | man | ||
| The Old English word "mann" referred both to humanity as a whole and to males. | |||
| French | homme | ||
| The French word "homme" derives from the Latin "homo" meaning "human being", but is today commonly used to refer exclusively to adult males. | |||
| Frisian | man | ||
| In Frisian, the word "man" can also refer to "husband" or "boyfriend." | |||
| Galician | home | ||
| While its main meaning is house or dwelling, "home" can also mean home country. | |||
| German | mann | ||
| The word "Mann" can also refer to a husband, human kind, or servants in certain contexts. | |||
| Icelandic | maður | ||
| In Icelandic, "maður" can also refer to a "person" regardless of gender, and derives from the Proto-Germanic term "manwaz" meaning "human being". | |||
| Irish | fear | ||
| The Irish word "fear" can also mean "husband", "hero" or "warrior". | |||
| Italian | uomo | ||
| The Italian word "uomo" ultimately derives from the Latin "homo", meaning "human being", and can also refer to a husband or boyfriend. | |||
| Luxembourgish | mann | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Mann" specifically refers to a male person, while "Mënsch" is the gender-neutral term for "human being." | |||
| Maltese | raġel | ||
| The etymology of 'raġel' is Arabic, and the word can also refer to an 'adult person', 'a married man', a 'male animal' or a 'noble' or 'honourable' person | |||
| Norwegian | mann | ||
| In Norwegian, "Mann" can also refer to a муж or fellow, and may have roots in Old Irish. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | homem | ||
| The Portuguese word "homem" derives from the Latin "homo", which originally meant "human being" and later acquired the specific meaning of "man". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dhuine | ||
| Dhuine is of uncertain origin, but may stem from the Proto-Celtic *dunio, meaning "warrior." | |||
| Spanish | hombre | ||
| "Hombre" can be used to refer to a man, a person, or mankind, and comes from the Latin "homine," meaning "human being." | |||
| Swedish | man | ||
| The word "man" in Swedish can also refer to a husband, an individual, or a representative of humanity. | |||
| Welsh | dyn | ||
| The word "dyn" in modern Welsh has cognates in other Celtic languages, including the Irish word "duine". | |||
Man in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чалавек | ||
| The word "чалавек" (man) in Belarusian is derived from the Old Slavonic "čelověko", meaning "one who speaks" | |||
| Bosnian | čoveče | ||
| In some local variants, “čoveče” (man) can be used as an interjection conveying a range of emotions, from astonishment to disappointment. | |||
| Bulgarian | човече | ||
| The word "човече" also has the meaning of "Hey you" or "Dude" in Bulgarian | |||
| Czech | muž | ||
| The Czech word "muž" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*mǫžь", also meaning "husband". | |||
| Estonian | mees | ||
| The word "mees" also refers to a male animal, such as a stallion or bull. | |||
| Finnish | mies | ||
| In Finnish, "mies" can also refer to a husband or spouse, and is related to the word "mees" meaning "we" in Estonian. | |||
| Hungarian | férfi | ||
| The Hungarian word "férfi" originated from the Old Hungarian word "férfi", which meant not only man, but also adult, husband and master. | |||
| Latvian | cilvēks | ||
| The word "cilvēks" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰel- "to shine, gleam". | |||
| Lithuanian | vyras | ||
| The word "vyras" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wer" meaning "to cover" or "to protect". | |||
| Macedonian | човекот | ||
| "Човекот" is the Macedonian word for "man" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "čьlověkъ", which means "human being" or "member of a community". | |||
| Polish | człowiek | ||
| The word «człowiek» originated in the Proto-Balto-Slavic word *kel-, meaning «to blow» (the same root as «oddech» (breath)). | |||
| Romanian | om | ||
| In Romanian, "om" can mean either "man" or "soul" depending on context. | |||
| Russian | мужчина | ||
| "Мужчина" also means "husband" and has an archaic meaning "mature and respectable person" | |||
| Serbian | човече | ||
| The word "човече" can also be used as an expression of surprise or disbelief. | |||
| Slovak | muž | ||
| The Slovak word "muž" can also refer to a husband or a male animal. | |||
| Slovenian | človek | ||
| The Slovenian word 'človek' comes from the Proto-Slavic form '*čelověk', which originally meant 'a member of the human race' and is cognate with the Latin word 'homo', of the same meaning. | |||
| Ukrainian | людина | ||
| The word "людина" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "ľudь", meaning "people" or "person". | |||
Man in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মানুষ | ||
| The word "মানুষ" (manush) in Bengali can also mean "human being" or "person", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "manuṣya", meaning "thinker". | |||
| Gujarati | માણસ | ||
| "માણસ" in Gujarati has a deeper meaning and etymology, referring to those who possess a sense of humanity and compassion. | |||
| Hindi | आदमी | ||
| Hindi word "आदमी" is derived from 'आद' which means "beginning" and 'मी' which refers to "mine", indicating the first or original one to whom everything belongs. | |||
| Kannada | ಮನುಷ್ಯ | ||
| While the word 'ಮನುಷ್ಯ' primarily means 'man' in Kannada, it also carries the implication of 'mind' and 'intellect' within its root. | |||
| Malayalam | മനുഷ്യൻ | ||
| The word "മനുഷ്യൻ" also means "a human being" or "the human race" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | माणूस | ||
| The word "माणूस" in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word "मानुष" meaning "human being" or "mortal". | |||
| Nepali | मानिस | ||
| The word | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਦਮੀ | ||
| The term 'ਆਦਮੀ' is also used in Punjabi to refer to a 'person' or a 'human' (irrespective of gender), reflecting the broader semantic range of the word 'man' in English. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිනිසා | ||
| The term 'minisa' is also used to describe an adult human being regardless of their sex or gender, making it functionally equivalent to 'human'. | |||
| Tamil | மனிதன் | ||
| The word "மனிதன்" derives from the root "மண்" meaning "earth", implying "one who is made of earth". | |||
| Telugu | మనిషి | ||
| The word "మనిషి" (man) also refers to a "human being" in general, regardless of gender. | |||
| Urdu | آدمی | ||
| آدمی (Aadmi) is derived from the Arabic word 'Adam', which means 'human being' or 'earthling'. | |||
Man in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 人 | ||
| In the oracle bones script, the word "人" depicts a person standing with arms akimbo. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 人 | ||
| 人 (rén) is also the base word for "person". | |||
| Japanese | おとこ | ||
| The word "おとこ" (otoko) can mean "husband", "male friend", or "man of a specific occupation" depending on the context. | |||
| Korean | 남자 | ||
| The word "남자" can also refer to a male animal. | |||
| Mongolian | хүн | ||
| The word "хүн" can also refer to a "person" or a "human being". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူ | ||
| "လူ" can also mean “person” or “human being" in a general sense. | |||
Man in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | manusia | ||
| The word "manusia" in Indonesian derives from the Sanskrit word "manushya," which means "human being" or "person" | |||
| Javanese | wong lanang | ||
| The term 'wong lanang' in Javanese also refers to a type of rice that is traditionally planted in the rainy season. | |||
| Khmer | បុរស | ||
| The word "បុរស" (pronounced "boros") derives from Sanskrit "puruṣa" meaning "human being," "male," or "soul." | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ຊາຍ | ||
| Malay | lelaki | ||
| The word "lelaki" is derived from Sanskrit and originally meant "a male person of the lower social class". | |||
| Thai | ชาย | ||
| The word "ชาย" in Thai has multiple meanings and can refer to the edge or rim of something, a type of cloth or fabric, or a male person. | |||
| Vietnamese | đàn ông | ||
| Đàn ông in Vietnamese is cognate to | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lalaki | ||
Man in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kişi | ||
| In Old Turkic, "kişi" meant "human being" or "person" and was also used as a polite way to address someone. | |||
| Kazakh | адам | ||
| The name 'адам' originates from Arabic (آدم), most likely from Akkadian (adamu) or Hebrew (אדמה - adamah) - soil/earth, referring to the Biblical story of Adam's creation from dust. | |||
| Kyrgyz | адам | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "адам" (a-dam) ultimately derives from the Mongolian word "adam" and also has the alternate meaning of "an individual" or "a person". | |||
| Tajik | мард | ||
| The Tajik word "мард" meaning "man" is cognate with Persian مَرد meaning the same and ultimately derives from Avestan mṛϑa- "man," which itself is cognate with Sanskrit mŗta- ""manly." Additionally, the word "мард" in modern Tajik also holds the connotation of a fearless and resolute person. | |||
| Turkmen | adam | ||
| Uzbek | kishi | ||
| Uzbek "kishi" can also translate as "person" and is derived from the Proto-Turkic "kiš" meaning "man". | |||
| Uyghur | man | ||
Man in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kāne | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kāne" also refers to a type of fish that is considered sacred to the god Kāne. | |||
| Maori | tangata | ||
| In Maori, 'tangata' can also refer to 'humanity' and 'people' as a collective noun. | |||
| Samoan | tamaloa | ||
| Tamaloa can also refer to a god in Samoan mythology, associated with the sea and storms. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lalaki | ||
| The word "lalaki" (man) in Tagalog (Filipino) is derived from the Proto-Austronesian root word *laki, which means "big" or "large." | |||
Man in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chacha | ||
| Guarani | kuimba'e | ||
Man in International Languages
| Esperanto | viro | ||
| The word "viro" can also mean "husband" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | vir | ||
| The Latin word "vir" can also refer to a "husband" or "warrior", and is the root of the English word "virile". | |||
Man in Others Languages
| Greek | άνδρας | ||
| Άνδρας originates from Proto-Indo-European word h₂nḗr "man," which also gave rise to Latin vir. | |||
| Hmong | tus txiv neej | ||
| The Hmong word "tus txiv neej" can also refer to a husband or father figure. | |||
| Kurdish | mêr | ||
| The word 'mêr' can also mean 'husband' or 'lord' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | adam | ||
| The word "adam" in Turkish also means "human" or "person," and has the same root as the word "adem" in Arabic, which means "created from earth." | |||
| Xhosa | umntu | ||
| In Xhosa, "umntu" may also refer to a being with human attributes, not necessarily of the male sex. | |||
| Yiddish | מענטש | ||
| The Yiddish word "מענטש" derives from Old High German "mennisko" and also encompasses a sense of virtue and humanity. | |||
| Zulu | indoda | ||
| "Indoda" can also mean "human being" or "person" in Zulu, regardless of gender. | |||
| Assamese | মানুহ | ||
| Aymara | chacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | आदमी | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިރިހެނާ | ||
| Dogri | माह्नू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lalaki | ||
| Guarani | kuimba'e | ||
| Ilocano | nataengan a lalaki | ||
| Krio | man | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پیاو | ||
| Maithili | व्यक्ति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯄꯥ | ||
| Mizo | mipa | ||
| Oromo | nama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମଣିଷ | ||
| Quechua | qari | ||
| Sanskrit | नरः | ||
| Tatar | кеше | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰብኣይ | ||
| Tsonga | wanuna | ||
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