Marriage in Different Languages
Discover 'Marriage' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Marriage, a significant and time-honored institution, has been a cornerstone of human culture for centuries. Its significance extends beyond the simple union of two individuals, often symbolizing a commitment to shared values, goals, and a lifetime together. The cultural importance of marriage varies across the globe, with each society attributing unique customs, rituals, and expectations to this esteemed bond.
Delving into the translations of marriage in different languages offers a fascinating glimpse into the cultural nuances that shape this universal concept. For instance, the French translation of marriage is 'mariage,' which reflects the country's rich history of royal weddings and elaborate celebrations. Meanwhile, in Japan, the term 'kekkon' embodies the harmonious blending of two families and the beauty of tradition. In Russia, 'brak' signifies a union that is both legally and spiritually binding.
As you explore the world through the lens of language, you'll uncover even more intriguing translations and cultural insights that highlight the enduring significance and adaptability of the institution of marriage.
Marriage
Marriage in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | huwelik | ||
| Derived from the Dutch word "huwelijk", which is in turn derived from the Old High German word "hīwī", meaning "wife" or "woman". | |||
| Amharic | ጋብቻ | ||
| The word "ጋብቻ" also means "joining or fitting together". | |||
| Hausa | aure | ||
| The word "aure" is derived from the Arabic word "zawaj" or "zawaj al-mut'ah," signifying a temporary marriage contract. | |||
| Igbo | ndọ | ||
| Igbo word 'ndọ' also means 'family' and 'home' | |||
| Malagasy | fanambadiana | ||
| The word "fanambadiana" is derived from the root word "ambadi" meaning "exchange" or "barter". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ukwati | ||
| Other interpretations of uku-kwati include the "taking" or "holding" of something. | |||
| Shona | muchato | ||
| The Shona word "muchato" can also refer to a "union" or "alliance" in a non-marital context. | |||
| Somali | guurka | ||
| "Guurka" in Somali can also refer to a form of marriage where a woman is given to another woman to look after and raise (similar to a foster daughter) and the man will be the father of any children that are born. | |||
| Sesotho | lenyalo | ||
| The word 'lenyalo' is derived from the verb 'nyala', which means 'to fetch' or 'to marry', highlighting the traditional practice of a groom 'fetching' his bride from her family. | |||
| Swahili | ndoa | ||
| The Proto-Bantu root of Swahili "ndoa" is also the root of the words for "home" and "clan" in various Bantu languages. | |||
| Xhosa | umtshato | ||
| 'Umtshato' also means the bride's home village or homestead | |||
| Yoruba | igbeyawo | ||
| The Yoruba word 'igbeyawo' also means 'a place of learning', alluding to the educational and preparatory aspect of marital life. | |||
| Zulu | umshado | ||
| "Umshado" is also used figuratively to refer to a strong bond or relationship between people or things, similar to the concept of "matrimony" in English. | |||
| Bambara | furu | ||
| Ewe | srɔ̃ɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushyingirwa | ||
| Lingala | libala | ||
| Luganda | obufumbo | ||
| Sepedi | lenyalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awareɛ | ||
Marriage in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زواج | ||
| The word 'زواج' also denotes 'binding' or 'joining' and is used in the context of tying a knot or rope. | |||
| Hebrew | נישואים | ||
| The word "נישואים" (marriage) is derived from the root "נשׂא" (carry), implying the joining together of two people carrying each other's burdens. | |||
| Pashto | واده | ||
| In Pashto, the word "واده" also refers to a contract or agreement, highlighting the legal and social significance of marriage in the culture. | |||
| Arabic | زواج | ||
| The word 'زواج' also denotes 'binding' or 'joining' and is used in the context of tying a knot or rope. | |||
Marriage in Western European Languages
| Albanian | martesë | ||
| The term "martesë" is a derivative of the Proto-Albanian word *merte-, meaning "to take a wife". | |||
| Basque | ezkontza | ||
| In the Basque language, ezkontza also means 'covenant' and 'agreement'. | |||
| Catalan | matrimoni | ||
| The word "matrimoni" in Catalan has its origins in the Latin word "matrimonium", which means "union of a man and a woman". | |||
| Croatian | brak | ||
| In Chakavian dialect, the word 'brak' also means 'storm' or 'trouble'. | |||
| Danish | ægteskab | ||
| The Danish word "ægteskab" originally referred to a contract between two families, rather than a bond between two individuals. | |||
| Dutch | huwelijk | ||
| The term "huwelijk" in Dutch originates from the Old High German "hīwilīhī", which means "family" or "cohabitation". | |||
| English | marriage | ||
| The word marriage is derived from the Old French word 'mariage' and the Latin word 'maritagium', both meaning 'union' or 'alliance'. | |||
| French | mariage | ||
| The French word "mariage" comes from the Latin word "maritare," meaning "to marry," and is related to the English word "marry." | |||
| Frisian | houlik | ||
| The Frisian word "houlik" is thought to be related to the Dutch word "huwelijk" (meaning "marriage"), and the German word "heilig" (meaning "holy"). | |||
| Galician | matrimonio | ||
| The word "matrimonio" in Galician can also refer to the wedding ceremony or the institution of matrimony. | |||
| German | ehe | ||
| "Ehe" comes from Old High German "ewa" meaning "law" or "custom." | |||
| Icelandic | hjónaband | ||
| Hjónaband comes from the word band (bond) and hjón (couple). | |||
| Irish | pósadh | ||
| The word "pósadh" is derived from the Old Irish word "pósad," meaning "settlement" or "agreement." | |||
| Italian | matrimonio | ||
| The word matrimonio derives from the Latin "mater", meaning mother, indicating the primary role of women in ancient Roman society. | |||
| Luxembourgish | hochzäit | ||
| The word "Hochzäit" originates from the Middle High German word "hōchzīt", meaning "great day" or "feast day". | |||
| Maltese | żwieġ | ||
| "Żwieġ" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "zawāj" meaning "to join", and is also related to the word "zawjah" meaning "side" or "direction". | |||
| Norwegian | ekteskap | ||
| The word "ekteskap" originally referred to a union between two people, regardless of gender, but its meaning shifted towards marriage specifically in the 19th century. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | casamento | ||
| The word "casamento" in Portuguese is derived from the Latin "casamentum", meaning "a joining together", and also refers to the act of building a house or dwelling. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | pòsadh | ||
| The word "pòsadh" has several meanings related to matrimony, including marriage, wedding, ceremony, spouse, husband or wife and the marriage contract itself. | |||
| Spanish | matrimonio | ||
| Despite its similarity to 'matrimony' in English, 'matrimonio' is related to 'madre' (mother) and refers to the relationship between a mother and her child | |||
| Swedish | äktenskap | ||
| The word "äktenskap" is derived from the Old Norse word "ektarskapr", meaning "union of equals" or "state of being married". | |||
| Welsh | priodas | ||
| The Welsh word "priodas" derives from "priod," meaning "period," and "awdur," meaning "rule," signifying the lasting union under a shared covenant. | |||
Marriage in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шлюб | ||
| The word “шлюб” has a homophone in Russian and can also refer to a “faulty item” in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | brak | ||
| Bosnian "brak" also means "defect" or "flaw" in Serbo-Croatian languages and is cognate with "брак" in Russian. | |||
| Bulgarian | брак | ||
| The Bulgarian word "брак" also refers to "defect" or "flaw" in an object, indicating a second possible meaning related to quality or imperfections. | |||
| Czech | manželství | ||
| The word "manželství" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *mьnьžьstvo, which originally meant "exchange of gifts". | |||
| Estonian | abielu | ||
| The word "abielu" is derived from the Old Prussian word "abilan", meaning "to hold". It can also refer to a covenant or a vow. | |||
| Finnish | avioliitto | ||
| The word "avioliitto" derives from the Old Norse words "af" (off, from) and "ljótha" (to join), meaning "to separate from" or "to enter into a separate union." | |||
| Hungarian | házasság | ||
| "Házasság" originally meant "household," but it gained its current meaning in the 12th century. | |||
| Latvian | laulība | ||
| "Laulība" is also a name for the song in opera. | |||
| Lithuanian | santuoka | ||
| The word "santuoka" comes from the word "szentas", meaning sacred, which reflects its religious and cultural significance. | |||
| Macedonian | брак | ||
| The Macedonian word for marriage, “брак”, also means “defect”. | |||
| Polish | małżeństwo | ||
| Etymology of "małżeństwo": "małż" (meaning "oyster") + "-eństwo" (suffix forming collective nouns), originally referring to "the state of being married to a spouse" in the context of an arranged marriage based on negotiations between families, thus resembling a trade transaction where the bride and groom were compared to two oysters. | |||
| Romanian | căsătorie | ||
| "Căsătorie, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷes- ("to dwell, settle"), also means "abode" in Romanian." | |||
| Russian | брак | ||
| "Брак" can also mean "defect" in Russian, which is etymologically related to the Latin word "bracus" (meaning "short, deformed"). | |||
| Serbian | брак | ||
| The word "брак" in Serbian can also refer to a defect or flaw, highlighting the potential imperfections in a union. | |||
| Slovak | manželstvo | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "házasság" (marriage) comes from the word "ház" (house) and the suffix "-ság" (state or condition), suggesting the idea of marriage as a household unit. | |||
| Slovenian | poroka | ||
| "Poroka" originally meant an agreement in general. | |||
| Ukrainian | шлюб | ||
| "Шлюб" (marriage) originated from the word "слюб", with "с" being an archaic prefix of unity or totality. "Шлюб" also means "defect" or "imperfection" when applied to manufactured goods. | |||
Marriage in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিবাহ | ||
| "বিবাহ" is also a synonym for "agreement" in Bengali, as in "বিবাহ-পত্র" (marriage license). | |||
| Gujarati | લગ્ન | ||
| The word 'લગ્ન' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लक्ष्ण' ('lakshan'), meaning 'mark' or 'sign', and refers to the auspicious marks that are made on the bride and groom's foreheads during the wedding ceremony. | |||
| Hindi | शादी | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of 'marriage', 'शादी' (shaadi) has the alternate meanings of 'a wedding ceremony' and 'a wedding procession'. | |||
| Kannada | ಮದುವೆ | ||
| The word "ಮದುವೆ" is derived from the root "madhva," meaning "sweetness," suggesting the sweetness of a union between two individuals. | |||
| Malayalam | വിവാഹം | ||
| The Malayalam word "വിവാഹം" is originally derived from the Sanskrit phrase "विवाह" meaning "to lead or carry home," later also coming to signify "the act or practice of marrying". | |||
| Marathi | लग्न | ||
| The Marathi word "लग्न" (lagn), besides meaning "marriage," also refers to a specific and auspicious period in the Hindu lunar calendar. | |||
| Nepali | विवाह | ||
| Nepali word "विवाह" derives from the Sanskrit word "वि+वाह" meaning "entering" "carrying" referring to the groom carrying the bride in traditional Nepali weddings. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਆਹ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਵਿਆਹ" (vyah) is a cognate of the Sanskrit word "विवाह" (vivāha), meaning both "marriage" and "wedding feast." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විවාහ | ||
| විවාහ is derived from the Sanskrit root 'vivvah', which also means 'to divide', referring to the union of two families through marriage. | |||
| Tamil | திருமணம் | ||
| The word 'திருமணம்' has the alternate meaning of 'auspiciousness' and is derived from the words 'திரு' (auspicious) and 'மணம்' (union). | |||
| Telugu | వివాహం | ||
| The Telugu word "వివాహం" can be literally interpreted as "entering a life together." | |||
| Urdu | شادی | ||
| The Urdu word "شادی" (marriage) also has the alternate meaning of "happiness" or "joy". | |||
Marriage in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 婚姻 | ||
| The character 姻 in 婚姻 is also used in the word姻親, which refers to relatives by marriage. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 婚姻 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, "婚姻" originally referred to the bond between two families, not just between two individuals. | |||
| Japanese | 結婚 | ||
| 結婚 is a combination of 結 (musubu, | |||
| Korean | 결혼 | ||
| The word '결혼' combines the hanja characters '결' ('to tie') and '혼' ('soul'), indicating a deep bond between the couple. | |||
| Mongolian | гэрлэлт | ||
| The word "гэрлэлт" is derived from the Mongolian word "гэр" (home) and can also mean "to settle down" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လက်ထပ်ထိမ်းမြား | ||
Marriage in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pernikahan | ||
| "Pernikahan" is also an Indonesian term for "wedding" and is derived from the root word "nikah" meaning "to wed". | |||
| Javanese | palakrama | ||
| Palakrama literally means "to play together" and is also used to refer to playing musical instruments together in gamelan music. | |||
| Khmer | អាពាហ៍ពិពាហ៍ | ||
| Lao | ການແຕ່ງງານ | ||
| Malay | perkahwinan | ||
| The word "perkahwinan" is derived from "kahwin", which means "to marry", and the prefix "per-", which indicates a state or condition. | |||
| Thai | การแต่งงาน | ||
| The Thai word "การแต่งงาน" (marriage) literally translates to "the act of decorating." | |||
| Vietnamese | kết hôn | ||
| The word "kết hôn" can also mean to bind or unite, which reflects the traditional Vietnamese practice of marriage being an enduring bond. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasal | ||
Marriage in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | evlilik | ||
| "Evlilik" is derived from the Persian word "evlenmek," meaning "to marry" or "to get married." | |||
| Kazakh | неке | ||
| The word "неке" has origins in the Arabic word "nikah" and is also used to refer to a wedding ceremony in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | нике | ||
| The word "нике" also means "a pact" or "an agreement" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | издивоҷ | ||
| The word "издивоҷ" is derived from the Arabic word "zawāj" and can also refer to a religious ceremony or union. | |||
| Turkmen | nika | ||
| Uzbek | nikoh | ||
| The word "nikoh" also refers to the Islamic marriage ceremony. | |||
| Uyghur | نىكاھ | ||
Marriage in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | male male | ||
| The Hawaiian word "male male" (meaning "marriage") originates from the word "ma" meaning "to assemble" and "le" meaning "to bind". | |||
| Maori | marena | ||
| In Maori, "marena" can also mean "companion" or "beloved one" | |||
| Samoan | faʻaipoipoga | ||
| The word "faʻaipoipoga" can also refer to a "wedding ceremony" or an "arrangement". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasal | ||
| "Kasal," meaning "marriage," can also refer to "the act of joining two things together." | |||
Marriage in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaqichasiwi | ||
| Guarani | menda | ||
Marriage in International Languages
| Esperanto | geedzeco | ||
| The word 'geedzeco' in Esperanto is derived from the Yiddish word 'gedzeke' meaning 'wedding ring'. | |||
| Latin | matrimonium | ||
| The Latin term "matrimonium" originally referred to the legal status of a woman in a household, regardless of her marital status. | |||
Marriage in Others Languages
| Greek | γάμος | ||
| The word 'γάμος' has roots in the Proto-Indo-European language and is related to words meaning 'to join' or 'to come together'. | |||
| Hmong | kev sib yuav | ||
| The word "kev sib yuav" is a compound word meaning "to unite with someone you love". | |||
| Kurdish | mahrî | ||
| The word 'mahrî' also refers to matrimony and marriage gifts in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | evlilik | ||
| "Evlilik" is also used in Turkish to refer to the institution of marriage, as well as the ceremony and legal proceedings associated with it. | |||
| Xhosa | umtshato | ||
| 'Umtshato' also means the bride's home village or homestead | |||
| Yiddish | חתונה | ||
| Yiddish word חתונה (khatunah), or khaseneh, derives from the Hebrew word חתן (khatán), meaning "bridegroom." | |||
| Zulu | umshado | ||
| "Umshado" is also used figuratively to refer to a strong bond or relationship between people or things, similar to the concept of "matrimony" in English. | |||
| Assamese | বিবাহ | ||
| Aymara | jaqichasiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बियाह | ||
| Dhivehi | ކައިވެނި | ||
| Dogri | ब्याह् | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasal | ||
| Guarani | menda | ||
| Ilocano | panagasawa | ||
| Krio | mared | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوسەرگیری | ||
| Maithili | बिहा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | inneihna | ||
| Oromo | gaa'ela | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିବାହ | ||
| Quechua | casarakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | पाणिग्रहणम् | ||
| Tatar | никах | ||
| Tigrinya | መርዓ | ||
| Tsonga | vukati | ||