Miss in Different Languages
Discover 'Miss' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'miss' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a range of concepts from a person who is absent to an action that fails to happen. Its cultural importance is evident in its widespread use in literature, music, and everyday conversations. For instance, the term 'miss' is used to show affection towards young girls and women in many English-speaking cultures. Moreover, the phrase 'you'll be missed' highlights the positive impact a person has had on the lives of others.
Given its broad applicability, one might be interested in knowing the translations of 'miss' in different languages to better communicate and understand this concept in various cultural contexts. For example, in Spanish, 'miss' can be translated to 'señorita' or 'missed' to 'extrañado'. In French, 'miss' can be translated to 'mademoiselle' or 'regretté'. In German, 'miss' can be translated to 'Fräulein' or 'vermissen'. In Russian, 'miss' can be translated to 'devushka' or 'не хватает'. These translations not only provide linguistic insights but also open doors to understanding cultural nuances associated with the word 'miss'.
Miss
Miss in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | mis | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "mis" can also mean "mistress" or "lady", deriving from the Dutch word "mevrouw". | |||
| Amharic | ናፍቆት | ||
| The word "ናፍቆት" in Amharic can also refer to a feeling of sadness or regret. | |||
| Hausa | rasa | ||
| The word "rasa" in Hausa language has its roots in the Arabic word "rassa" meaning "to notice" or "to observe". | |||
| Igbo | na-atụ uche | ||
| The Igbo word "na-atụ uche" can also mean "to be anxious" or "to be worried". | |||
| Malagasy | miss | ||
| The Malagasy word "miss" can also refer to "to reject" or "to refuse". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuphonya | ||
| The word "kuphonya" can also mean "to fail" or "to make a mistake" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kusuwa | ||
| The Shona word "kusuwa" can also mean "to fail" or "to be lacking". | |||
| Somali | seeg | ||
| The word "seeg" in Somali can also refer to an opening or gap and comes from the Proto-Somali word "*seeg". | |||
| Sesotho | hloloheloa | ||
| The word "hloloheloa" can also refer to a sense of loss or longing. | |||
| Swahili | kukosa | ||
| The word 'kukosa' can also mean 'to be in short supply' or 'to lack something'. | |||
| Xhosa | ndiphose | ||
| The word "ndiphose" can also mean "to fail to hit a target" or "to err". | |||
| Yoruba | padanu | ||
| "Padanu" can also mean "vanish" or "disappear" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | uphuthelwe | ||
| The Zulu word "uphuthelwe" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Bambara | ka jɛ̀ | ||
| Ewe | da ƒu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | miss | ||
| Lingala | kozanga | ||
| Luganda | okusubwa | ||
| Sepedi | fetilwe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fe | ||
Miss in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يغيب | ||
| The word يغيب (verb) can also mean 'to set' (of the sun), 'to disappear,' or 'to be absent'. | |||
| Hebrew | עלמה | ||
| The Hebrew word "עלמה" can also mean "hidden" or "unknown". | |||
| Pashto | یادول | ||
| The word "یادول" can also mean "remember" or "call to mind" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | يغيب | ||
| The word يغيب (verb) can also mean 'to set' (of the sun), 'to disappear,' or 'to be absent'. | |||
Miss in Western European Languages
| Albanian | humbas | ||
| Etymology of "humbas" is uncertain, but it may come from the Turkish "hum" (anger) or "humbur" (nonsense). | |||
| Basque | andereñoa | ||
| The word "andereñoa" refers to someone who comes from another village or region | |||
| Catalan | senyoreta | ||
| The word 'senyoreta' is also used as a polite form of address for young unmarried women in Catalonia, similar to the French word 'mademoiselle'. | |||
| Croatian | propustiti | ||
| The Croatian verb "propustiti" also means "to fail", "to neglect" or "to omit". | |||
| Danish | gå glip af | ||
| The verb 'gå glip af' literally means 'go slip away from', but today only has the meaning of 'miss' in Danish | |||
| Dutch | mevrouw | ||
| "Mevrouw" is derived from "mijn vrouw" (my wife) and was used as a polite way to address a married woman in the Netherlands. | |||
| English | miss | ||
| The word "miss" can also mean "to avoid" or "to fail to hit." | |||
| French | manquer | ||
| The verb 'manquer' has a wide range of meanings in French, including 'to fail', 'to lack', and 'to miss someone' or 'something'. | |||
| Frisian | misse | ||
| "Misse" can also mean "to lack something" or "to fail to attain" in Frisian | |||
| Galician | señorita | ||
| In Galician, "señorita" is a term of respect for unmarried women of any age, and is not solely used for young women, as it is in Spanish, or for female children, as it is in Latin America. | |||
| German | fräulein | ||
| "Fräulein" is used to address girls and unmarried women in German, while "Miss" is used for unmarried women in English. | |||
| Icelandic | sakna | ||
| Icelandic "sakna" also means "to be lacking" and derives from the Old Norse word "sakna" meaning "to be without". | |||
| Irish | chailleann | ||
| The Irish word "chailleann" is of Scottish origin and has additional meanings such as "girl" or "young woman". | |||
| Italian | perdere | ||
| "Perdere" may also mean "to waste" or "to destroy" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | vermëssen | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "vermëssen" can also mean "to measure" or "to lack something" depending on context. | |||
| Maltese | miss | ||
| In Maltese, "miss" can also refer to a young unmarried woman or a mistress, similar to its archaic usage in English. | |||
| Norwegian | gå glipp av | ||
| The phrase "gå glipp av" literally means "to go out of the lap" in Norwegian and is primarily used to express the regret of missing out on something. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | senhorita | ||
| The word "senhorita" is used in Portuguese, but originates from Spanish, where it is the feminine form of "señor" (lord) and has the same meaning as "Miss" or "Ms" in English | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ionndrainn | ||
| Scots Gaelic "ionndrainn" literally means "missing the road", and also has connotations of straying, losing, or being absent. | |||
| Spanish | pierda | ||
| "Perder" (to miss) shares a root with "perder" (to lose) and "perdición" (perdition), as in eternal torment. | |||
| Swedish | fröken | ||
| Fröken is also used as a title for young women of lesser social standing, particularly in rural areas. | |||
| Welsh | colli | ||
| The word "colli" in Welsh can also refer to a valley or a pass. | |||
Miss in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сумаваць | ||
| “Сумаваць” (miss) is a term in Belarusian football that can also mean “to lose.” | |||
| Bosnian | nedostajati | ||
| "Nedostajati" shares its root with the Old Church Slavonic word "nedostojati", meaning "to be unworthy". | |||
| Bulgarian | мис | ||
| "Мис" is also an abbreviation of "Международен институт за социология" ("International Institute of Sociology") | |||
| Czech | slečna, minout | ||
| The word "slečna" also means "young lady" when used as a noun. | |||
| Estonian | igatsema | ||
| The root "iga" in "igatsema" means a longing and desire and is related to the Hungarian "kívánok", which in addition to "want" also means "wish" and "crave". | |||
| Finnish | neiti | ||
| The word "neiti" also means "maiden" or "virgin" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | hiányzik | ||
| In the sense of a missing object, "hiányzik" is related to "hiány" (lack). | |||
| Latvian | garām | ||
| The word "garām" in Latvian can also mean "too far" or "bypassing". | |||
| Lithuanian | praleisti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "praleisti" also means to "skip" or "to omit". | |||
| Macedonian | госпоѓица | ||
| The word "Госпоѓица" also means "madam" or "lady". | |||
| Polish | tęsknić | ||
| The Polish word "tęsknić" is rooted in the Proto-Slavic *tǫskъ, which originally meant "longing" or "yearning". | |||
| Romanian | domnișoară | ||
| "Domnișoară" is a Romanian noun meaning "miss", derived from the Latin word "domina" meaning "lady" or "mistress". | |||
| Russian | скучать | ||
| The word "скучать" also means "to bore" | |||
| Serbian | госпођица | ||
| The word 'госпођица' ('miss') is derived from the Slavic word 'господь' ('lord'), indicating the high status accorded to unmarried women in traditional Serbian society. | |||
| Slovak | chýbať | ||
| The verb "chýbať" also means "to lack" in Slovak, a meaning that's been lost in English. | |||
| Slovenian | zgrešiti | ||
| The word "zgrešiti" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "grěšiti", meaning "to sin". | |||
| Ukrainian | міс | ||
| The Ukrainian word "міс" can also mean "place" or "spot". | |||
Miss in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হারানো | ||
| The Bengali word হারানো translates to "lose," "be defeated," or "get rid of." | |||
| Gujarati | ચૂકી | ||
| "ચૂકી" also means "error" in Gujarati, but it originally meant "to lose". | |||
| Hindi | कुमारी | ||
| In Sanskrit, "कुमारी" also refers to a young unmarried woman, a princess, or the goddess Durga. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಿಸ್ | ||
| Kannada's "ಮಿಸ್" also means "mist" or "fog" in English. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉന്നംതെറ്റുക | ||
| In the phrase | |||
| Marathi | चुकले | ||
| The Marathi word "चुकले" traces its roots back to the Sanskrit verb "चुक्" meaning "to slip or err," and is often used figuratively to express a sense of regret or disappointment. | |||
| Nepali | मिस | ||
| The word "mis" in Nepali also refers to the plant cumin, likely derived from its Sanskrit origins where the word "misa" means "cumin." | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਿਸ | ||
| "ਮਿਸ" (miss) is likely derived from Old Persian "misan," meaning "to go" or "to send." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිස් | ||
| The word "මිස්" (miss) originally meant "to fail to remember" and has been used in Sinhala since the 13th century. | |||
| Tamil | செல்வி | ||
| செல்வி, originally meaning 'prosperity' in Tamil, came to be used as a title for unmarried women and eventually as a standalone feminine name. | |||
| Telugu | మిస్ | ||
| In Telugu, "మిస్" ("miss") can also mean "forget". Specifically, it implies forgetting an event or task, not a person, similar to the English phrase "I forgot to do something" | |||
| Urdu | مس | ||
| The Urdu word 'مس' ('miss') can also refer to 'copper' and 'a small weight or measurement of anything'. | |||
Miss in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 小姐 | ||
| 小姐 is also commonly used as an honorific or title of respect for unmarried women. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 小姐 | ||
| Japanese | お嬢 | ||
| The word お嬢 is derived from the Middle Japanese word 御娘 (おむすめ), meaning "princess". | |||
| Korean | 미스... | ||
| When used as an honorific prefix, '미스...' is used to address unmarried women and is sometimes translated as 'Miss' in English. | |||
| Mongolian | мисс | ||
| The Mongolian word "мисс" can also refer to a respectful form of address for unmarried women. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လွမ်းတယ် | ||
| လွမ်း means "to yearn for" and is derived from Sanskrit word "vraman" which means "to wander". | |||
Miss in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rindu | ||
| Though the Indonesian word "Rindu" means "miss", it is derived from the Portuguese word "Saudade". | |||
| Javanese | kangen | ||
| The word "kangen" in Javanese also has the meanings of "longing" or "yearning" for someone or something that is not present or is distant. | |||
| Khmer | នឹក | ||
| The Khmer word "នឹក" originally meant "to think of", and still does in some contexts. | |||
| Lao | ຄິດຮອດ | ||
| The Lao word "คิดฮอด" (pronounced "kit-hot") is derived from the Sanskrit word "स्मृति" (pronounced "smriti"), which means "memory" or "remembrance". It can also refer to a feeling of longing or nostalgia for someone or something that is absent or has been lost. | |||
| Malay | rindu | ||
| "Rindu" in Malay, besides meaning "miss," can also mean "a feeling of longing or desire for something or someone." | |||
| Thai | นางสาว | ||
| The word "นางสาว" originally meant "new bride" in Thai, but its meaning has shifted over time to refer to an unmarried woman. | |||
| Vietnamese | cô | ||
| The Vietnamese word "cô" can also be used to address a woman respectfully, or to refer to a teacher of either gender. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | miss | ||
Miss in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | darıxmaq | ||
| In the 18th century, "darıxmaq" also meant "to be forgotten". | |||
| Kazakh | сағындым | ||
| The term "сағындым" in Kazakh can also refer to a longing or desire for something that is absent or unattainable. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сагындым | ||
| The Kyrgyz word | |||
| Tajik | пазмон шудам | ||
| The word "пазмон шудам" can also mean "to be at a loss" or "to be disappointed" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | sypdyrmak | ||
| Uzbek | sog'indim | ||
| The Uzbek word "sog'indim" is derived from the Persian word "sog", meaning "sorrow", and is used to express a sense of emptiness or longing for something or someone absent. | |||
| Uyghur | miss | ||
Miss in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | haʻo | ||
| The word "haʻo" in Hawaiian also means "to be lost" or "to be missing". | |||
| Maori | ngaro | ||
| The word "ngaro" in Maori can also mean "to disappear" or "to be lost". | |||
| Samoan | misia | ||
| The formal Samoan equivalent of "miss" is "fafagu"," and "misia" (pronounced "miss-yah") is used colloquially to address an adult woman in a formal and respectful way. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | miss | ||
| In Tagalog, "miss" also means "to avoid" or "to evade". | |||
Miss in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayjt'asiña | ||
| Guarani | techaga'u | ||
Miss in International Languages
| Esperanto | fraŭlino | ||
| In German, "Fräulein" is a respectful form of address for an unmarried woman and is the origin of the Esperanto word "fraŭlino". | |||
| Latin | miss | ||
| The noun "miss" derives from an Old English word meaning "a mistake" but its verb form has Indo-European roots related to the Latin "mittere" meaning "to send". | |||
Miss in Others Languages
| Greek | δεσποινίδα | ||
| The word "δεσποινίδα" (miss) in Greek originally meant "lady of the house" and was used to address unmarried women of high social status. | |||
| Hmong | nco | ||
| The Hmong word "nco" can also mean to be lacking, want, or need something. | |||
| Kurdish | revandin | ||
| The word "revandin" can also refer to a type of traditional Kurdish dance. | |||
| Turkish | özlemek | ||
| "Özlemek" is related to the word "öz", meaning "essence" or "nature". | |||
| Xhosa | ndiphose | ||
| The word "ndiphose" can also mean "to fail to hit a target" or "to err". | |||
| Yiddish | פאַרפירן | ||
| פאַרפירן can be used similarly to "to lead someone on" in English. | |||
| Zulu | uphuthelwe | ||
| The Zulu word "uphuthelwe" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Assamese | বাদ পৰি যোৱা | ||
| Aymara | mayjt'asiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कुमारी | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަނދާންވުން | ||
| Dogri | कुमारी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | miss | ||
| Guarani | techaga'u | ||
| Ilocano | aglangan | ||
| Krio | mis | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بیرکردن | ||
| Maithili | चूक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯪꯗꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thelh | ||
| Oromo | yaaduu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମିସ୍ | ||
| Quechua | chinkay | ||
| Sanskrit | भ्रमः | ||
| Tatar | сагыну | ||
| Tigrinya | ናፍቅ | ||
| Tsonga | hupa | ||