Mean in Different Languages
Discover 'Mean' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'mean' holds a multitude of meanings and has captured the interest of people across the globe. Its significance ranges from expressing the average of a set of numbers to describing a person's unkind behavior. The concept of 'mean' has also been explored in various cultural contexts, including literature and mathematics.
For instance, in literature, the phrase 'The pen is mightier than the sword' highlights the power of words, or 'meaning', to shape our world. In mathematics, the 'mean' refers to various ways of calculating averages, such as the arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic means. Moreover, the word 'mean' has been used in popular phrases like 'scot-free', which originally meant 'free from penalty', but has evolved to mean 'escaping without punishment'.
Given the word's cultural importance and various meanings, it's no surprise that someone might want to know its translation in different languages. Understanding the nuances of this word in various languages can provide valuable insights into the cultures that use them. Here are a few translations of the word 'mean' in different languages:
Mean
Mean in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beteken | ||
| The Afrikaans word "beteken" is derived from the Dutch word "betekenen", which means "to signify" or "to imply". | |||
| Amharic | ማለት | ||
| The Semitic root **MLK** shared by many languages in the Afro-Asiatic family is likely a cognate of "ማለት" and contributes to its meaning and function. | |||
| Hausa | nufin | ||
| The word "nufin" in Hausa can also mean "bad" or "wicked." | |||
| Igbo | pụtara | ||
| The Igbo word "pụtara" also means "go out" or "come out". | |||
| Malagasy | fanahy | ||
| The word "fanahy" also means "hot" in the northern dialects of Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutanthauza | ||
| The word 'kutanthauza' in Chichewa also means to be stingy or selfish. | |||
| Shona | zvinoreva | ||
| The Shona word "zvinoreva" is derived from the verb "kureva", meaning "to say" or "to speak". It can also refer to a person who is harsh or cruel in speech. | |||
| Somali | macnaheedu | ||
| In Somali, | |||
| Sesotho | bolela | ||
| Bolela also means "to become ill" or "to be painful" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | maana | ||
| In Swahili, `maana` not only means "mean," but also "understanding," "sense," or "significance." | |||
| Xhosa | kuthetha | ||
| Kuthetha can also mean 'to speak', 'to talk' or 'to utter'. | |||
| Yoruba | tumọ si | ||
| "Tumọ si" is also used to express "thinking" or "supposing" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | kusho | ||
| The word kusho is derived from the root word ku-sha, which means to cut off, separate, or divide. | |||
| Bambara | kɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | egɔmee nye | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bivuze | ||
| Lingala | elakisi | ||
| Luganda | okutegeeza | ||
| Sepedi | ra | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyerɛ | ||
Mean in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يعني | ||
| يعني is derived from the Arabic root ع n ى (ayn-nūn-ya), meaning "to intend, to indicate, or to signify". | |||
| Hebrew | מתכוון | ||
| The word "מתכוון" can also refer to "intention" or "goal". | |||
| Pashto | مطلب | ||
| The word "مطلب" in Pashto can also refer to a "chapter" or a "section" in a text or a book. | |||
| Arabic | يعني | ||
| يعني is derived from the Arabic root ع n ى (ayn-nūn-ya), meaning "to intend, to indicate, or to signify". | |||
Mean in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mesatar | ||
| "Mesatar" derives from the Latin word "medius", meaning average or moderate, which has a similar usage in other Indo-European languages like Greek, Italian, and French. | |||
| Basque | batez bestekoa | ||
| The Basque word "batez bestekoa" can also refer to "the average" or "the ordinary". | |||
| Catalan | significar | ||
| In etymology, the word "significar" is a contraction of "signe ficar", or "to fix signs". | |||
| Croatian | znači | ||
| The Croatian word "znači" can also mean "therefore" or "so". | |||
| Danish | betyde | ||
| The Danish word "betyde" derives from the Old Norse "byðja", which originally meant "to command" or "to ask for". | |||
| Dutch | gemeen | ||
| The Dutch adjective 'gemeen' may originally derive from 'gemeen maken' ('making common') | |||
| English | mean | ||
| "Mean," meaning "common" or "ordinary," derives from the Old English word "gemæne." | |||
| French | signifier | ||
| In French, "signifier" can also mean to signify, to indicate, or to denote. | |||
| Frisian | betsjutte | ||
| The Old English cognate of “betsjutte” is “bētan,” meaning “to repair,” and is related to the Dutch “boeten,” meaning “to atone for.” | |||
| Galician | media | ||
| In Galician, "media" can also refer to the waist or middle of a person or thing. | |||
| German | bedeuten | ||
| The word "bedeuten" can also mean "to signify" or "to denote". | |||
| Icelandic | vondur | ||
| "Vondur" also refers to an evil spirit, and possibly to an old female spirit or supernatural creature that caused sickness. | |||
| Irish | mean | ||
| The noun 'mean' in Irish also means 'the middle'. | |||
| Italian | significare | ||
| "Significare" derives from the Latin "signum" (sign) and "facere" (to make), thus meaning "to make a sign" or "to give a signal" | |||
| Luxembourgish | heeschen | ||
| The word "heeschen" is derived from the Old High German word "heizan", meaning "to hate". | |||
| Maltese | jfisser | ||
| The word “jfisser” (mean) has Arabic roots as it is derived from the Arabic verb “jassas” signifying "to feel out, to test, to try". | |||
| Norwegian | mener | ||
| The Norwegian word "mener" derives from the Old Norse word "meina", meaning "to think" or "to understand". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | significar | ||
| The word "significar" in Portuguese can also mean "to indicate" or "to denote". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ciallachadh | ||
| Ciallachadh in Scots Gaelic can also refer to "insolence" or "disrespectful language". | |||
| Spanish | media | ||
| The Spanish word "media" derives from the Latin "medius" meaning "middle" and can also refer to the median or middle value of a set of data. | |||
| Swedish | betyda | ||
| The word can also refer to 'importance' or 'value'. | |||
| Welsh | cymedrig | ||
| In Welsh, 'cymedrig' can also mean 'average' or 'mediocre'. | |||
Mean in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | азначае | ||
| In linguistics, | |||
| Bosnian | znači | ||
| The word "znači" in Bosnian is also used as a coordinating conjunction, equivalent to "so" or "therefore" in English. | |||
| Bulgarian | означава | ||
| The word "означава" can also mean "to signify" or "to indicate" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | znamenat | ||
| The Czech word "znamenat" can also refer to a flag or banner. | |||
| Estonian | tähendab | ||
| The Estonian word "tähendab" also signifies "to denote" or "to be significant". | |||
| Finnish | tarkoittaa | ||
| The word "tarkoittaa" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*tarkoittaa", meaning "to intend, to purpose" | |||
| Hungarian | átlagos | ||
| The word "átlagos" in Hungarian originally meant "average", but it has since come to also mean "mean". | |||
| Latvian | nozīmē | ||
| The verb "nozīmē" in Latvian is cognate with the verb "mean" in English, both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *men-, meaning "to think, to intend, to have in mind". It is used in a similar way to "mean" in English, to express the significance or intention behind something. | |||
| Lithuanian | reiškia | ||
| The word „reiškia“ in Lithuanian also means „to display“ or „to point out“. | |||
| Macedonian | значи | ||
| The word "значи" in Macedonian can also mean "therefore" or "namely". | |||
| Polish | oznaczać | ||
| The Polish word "oznaczać" also means "to mark" or "to signify". | |||
| Romanian | rău | ||
| "Rău" has the same root as "rană" (wound), "răni" (to wound), "rănit" (wounded), meaning "that which causes wounds". | |||
| Russian | значить | ||
| "Значить" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*znati", meaning "to know" or "to be acquainted with." | |||
| Serbian | значити | ||
| The verb "значити" derives from the noun "знак" (sign), implying the action of ascribing significance to something. | |||
| Slovak | znamenajú | ||
| The Slovak word "znamenajú" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *zъnati, meaning "to know" or "to understand." | |||
| Slovenian | pomeni | ||
| The word "pomeni" also means "a meaning" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pomenъ, which also means "a meaning". | |||
| Ukrainian | маю на увазі | ||
| "Маю на увазі" (mean) in Ukrainian has connotations of "intend". The word's root "ма́ти" means "to have; to possess," and "Ува́га" means "attention," hence "to have in one's attention," or "to intend." | |||
Mean in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মানে | ||
| The Bengali word "মানে" (mean) is etymologically linked to the Sanskrit word "मान" (respect), and also means "signification" or "interpretation". | |||
| Gujarati | મીન | ||
| The term "mean" can also refer to the average value of a set of numbers or quantities. | |||
| Hindi | मीन | ||
| The Hindi word 'मीन' (mean) can also refer to "average" or "ordinary". | |||
| Kannada | ಸರಾಸರಿ | ||
| The word 'ಸರಾಸರಿ' in Kannada can also refer to 'average' or 'ordinary'. | |||
| Malayalam | ശരാശരി | ||
| The word ശരാശരി also refers to "average" or "ordinary" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | म्हणजे | ||
| In Marathi, 'म्हणजे' (mean) can also be used to indicate a statement of fact or a conclusion. | |||
| Nepali | अर्थ | ||
| The root “अर्थ” (artha) derives from Sanskrit and may also refer to “purpose, wealth or meaning.” | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਤਲਬ | ||
| The word “ਮਤਲਬ” is also used to express the meaning or purpose of something, and it comes from the Sanskrit word “matala,” which means “thought, meaning, or purpose.” | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මධ්යන්ය | ||
| The word "මධ්යන්ය" in Sinhala is derived from the Pali word "majjhena", meaning "middle". In addition to its meaning of "mean" or "average", it can also refer to the "middle path" or the "moderate approach". | |||
| Tamil | சராசரி | ||
| 'சராசரி' also means 'average' when used in a different context | |||
| Telugu | అర్థం | ||
| In Telugu, the word "అర్థం" (artham) can also refer to "understanding" or "significance." | |||
| Urdu | مطلب | ||
| "مطلب" (mean) can also refer to a request, demand, or purpose in Urdu. | |||
Mean in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 意思 | ||
| Originally "意思" meant "thought" or "idea". In the Tang dynasty, it also gained the meaning of "meaning" or "purpose". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 意思 | ||
| The word "意思" can also mean "thought" or "intention". | |||
| Japanese | 平均 | ||
| In Japanese, "平均" can also refer to an average or normal person, place, or thing, as in "平均的な日本人" (an average Japanese person). | |||
| Korean | 평균 | ||
| 평균 (mean) was derived from the Chinese character 平 (equal), indicating a concept of average or balance. | |||
| Mongolian | гэсэн үг | ||
| The word "гэсэн үг" means "to say" or "to mean" in Mongolian, and is the past tense of the verb "гэх" (to say). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆိုလိုတာက | ||
Mean in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berarti | ||
| The word 'berarti' in Indonesian can also mean 'to signify', 'to denote', or 'to stand for'. | |||
| Javanese | tegese | ||
| "Tegese" (mean) is also an abbreviation of "teteg sepis" (only silent) in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | មានន័យថា | ||
| "មានន័យថា" also means "to have or to be" and is used quite frequently in that sense. | |||
| Lao | ໝາຍ ຄວາມວ່າ | ||
| Malay | bermaksud | ||
| The Malay word "bermaksud" can also mean "to intend" or "to have a purpose". | |||
| Thai | ค่าเฉลี่ย | ||
| In Thai, 'ค่าเฉลี่ย' can also refer to a monetary 'average'. | |||
| Vietnamese | nghĩa là | ||
| The word "nghĩa là" can also be used to indicate the purpose or intention of an action. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ibig sabihin | ||
Mean in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | demək | ||
| In Old Turkic, the word also meant "thought" or "wish" | |||
| Kazakh | білдіреді | ||
| The Kazakh word "білдіреді" can also mean "to explain", "to notify". or "to tell". | |||
| Kyrgyz | орточо | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "орточо" is also used to describe something that is "ordinary" or "plain". | |||
| Tajik | маънои | ||
| "Маънои" is a noun in Tajiki and means "meaning", "sense", "significance", "intention", etc. | |||
| Turkmen | diýmekdir | ||
| Uzbek | anglatadi | ||
| The word "anglatadi" can also refer to a "swindler" or "deceiver" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | مەنىسى | ||
Mean in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manaʻo | ||
| "Manaʻo" in Hawaiian can also refer to thought or intention. | |||
| Maori | tikanga | ||
| "Tikanga" has been used in contemporary times to refer to correct, appropriate, and moral protocols, customs, and behaviour. | |||
| Samoan | uiga | ||
| The word "uiga" can have various connotations in Samoan, including "wicked," "disobedient," or even "lazy." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ibig sabihin | ||
| The word "ibig sabihin" in Tagalog is derived from the root word "ibig" (to love) and the suffix "-an" (action or state), and can also mean "to love" or "to care for". | |||
Mean in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñanchaña | ||
| Guarani | he'ise | ||
Mean in International Languages
| Esperanto | malbona | ||
| Esperanto's "malbona" comes from Latin mal- "badly" and bonus "good", and thus literally translates to "bad-good". | |||
| Latin | medium | ||
| In addition to signifying "mean," "intermediate"—as in the "medium" between two numbers or extremes, the Latin word can mean "neutral"} | |||
Mean in Others Languages
| Greek | σημαίνω | ||
| The term σημαίνω in Greek can indicate both to mean and to signify. | |||
| Hmong | txhais li cas | ||
| The term "txhais li cas" has multiple layers of meaning in Hmong, ranging from "cruel" and "harsh" to "unfair" and "unreasonable." | |||
| Kurdish | dilxerab | ||
| Dilxerab in Kurdish is related to the Persian word 'del az rab', and has a secondary sense of 'distant' with an additional connotation of being 'difficult to approach'. | |||
| Turkish | anlamına gelmek | ||
| In Turkish, the word "anlamına gelmek" comes from the Arabic word "amel" which means "work" or "action". | |||
| Xhosa | kuthetha | ||
| Kuthetha can also mean 'to speak', 'to talk' or 'to utter'. | |||
| Yiddish | מיין | ||
| Yiddish "מיין" comes from Old High German "min" and can also mean "my" or "mine" | |||
| Zulu | kusho | ||
| The word kusho is derived from the root word ku-sha, which means to cut off, separate, or divide. | |||
| Assamese | অৰ্থ | ||
| Aymara | uñanchaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | माने | ||
| Dhivehi | ގޯސް | ||
| Dogri | कमीना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ibig sabihin | ||
| Guarani | he'ise | ||
| Ilocano | kayat a saoen | ||
| Krio | min | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | واتە | ||
| Maithili | मतलब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯏꯕꯗꯤ | ||
| Mizo | suaksual | ||
| Oromo | jechuun | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅର୍ଥ | ||
| Quechua | ninan | ||
| Sanskrit | अर्थः | ||
| Tatar | уртача | ||
| Tigrinya | ማለት | ||
| Tsonga | vula | ||