Modest in Different Languages
Discover 'Modest' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Modest
Afrikaans beskeie | ||
Albanian modest | ||
Amharic ልከኛ | ||
Arabic متواضع | ||
Armenian համեստ | ||
Assamese বিনয়ী | ||
Aymara muristu | ||
Azerbaijani təvazökar | ||
Bambara mɔgɔsɛbɛ | ||
Basque apala | ||
Belarusian сціплы | ||
Bengali বিনয়ী | ||
Bhojpuri आडंबरहीन | ||
Bosnian skroman | ||
Bulgarian скромен | ||
Catalan modest | ||
Cebuano makasaranganon | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 谦虚 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 謙虛 | ||
Corsican modestu | ||
Croatian skroman | ||
Czech skromný | ||
Danish beskeden | ||
Dhivehi މޮޑެސްޓް | ||
Dogri सिद्धा-सादा | ||
Dutch bescheiden | ||
English modest | ||
Esperanto modesta | ||
Estonian tagasihoidlik | ||
Ewe si le sue | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) mababang-loob | ||
Finnish vaatimaton | ||
French modeste | ||
Frisian beskieden | ||
Galician modesto | ||
Georgian მოკრძალებული | ||
German bescheiden | ||
Greek μετριόφρων | ||
Guarani jejapo'ỹva | ||
Gujarati વિનમ્ર | ||
Haitian Creole modès | ||
Hausa suna fadin | ||
Hawaiian akahai | ||
Hebrew צָנוּעַ | ||
Hindi मामूली | ||
Hmong coj tus | ||
Hungarian szerény | ||
Icelandic hófstillt | ||
Igbo obi umeala | ||
Ilocano napakumbaba | ||
Indonesian sederhana | ||
Irish measartha | ||
Italian modesto | ||
Japanese 控えめ | ||
Javanese andhap asor | ||
Kannada ಸಾಧಾರಣ | ||
Kazakh қарапайым | ||
Khmer សុភាពរាបសា | ||
Kinyarwanda kwiyoroshya | ||
Konkani मवाळ | ||
Korean 겸손한 | ||
Krio ɔmbul | ||
Kurdish mutewazî | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) خاکی | ||
Kyrgyz жөнөкөй | ||
Lao ຈຽມຕົວ | ||
Latin verecundus | ||
Latvian pieticīgs | ||
Lingala koyeba bandelo | ||
Lithuanian kuklus | ||
Luganda obuwombeefu | ||
Luxembourgish bescheiden | ||
Macedonian скромен | ||
Maithili मामूली | ||
Malagasy tsotra | ||
Malay sederhana | ||
Malayalam എളിമ | ||
Maltese modest | ||
Maori mahaki | ||
Marathi विनम्र | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯆꯝꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
Mizo zahawm | ||
Mongolian даруухан | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကျိုးနွံ | ||
Nepali भद्र | ||
Norwegian beskjeden | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) modzichepetsa | ||
Odia (Oriya) ନମ୍ର | ||
Oromo murtaawaa | ||
Pashto متل | ||
Persian فروتن | ||
Polish skromny | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) modesto | ||
Punjabi ਨਿਮਰ | ||
Quechua modesto | ||
Romanian modest | ||
Russian скромный | ||
Samoan tauagafau | ||
Sanskrit शालीन | ||
Scots Gaelic modhail | ||
Sepedi ikokobetšago | ||
Serbian скроман | ||
Sesotho inyenyefatsa | ||
Shona zvine mwero | ||
Sindhi معمولي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නිහතමානී | ||
Slovak skromný | ||
Slovenian skromen | ||
Somali suubban | ||
Spanish modesto | ||
Sundanese saderhana | ||
Swahili kiasi | ||
Swedish blygsam | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) mababang-loob | ||
Tajik хоксор | ||
Tamil சாதாரண | ||
Tatar тыйнак | ||
Telugu నమ్రత | ||
Thai เจียมเนื้อเจียมตัว | ||
Tigrinya ምጥን ዝበለ | ||
Tsonga mpimo wutsongo | ||
Turkish mütevazı | ||
Turkmen sada | ||
Twi (Akan) ne ketewa mu | ||
Ukrainian скромний | ||
Urdu معمولی | ||
Uyghur ھايالىق | ||
Uzbek kamtarona | ||
Vietnamese khiêm tốn | ||
Welsh cymedrol | ||
Xhosa ukuthozama | ||
Yiddish באַשיידן | ||
Yoruba iwonba | ||
Zulu nesizotha |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "beskeie" is derived from the Dutch word "bescheiden", which also means "modest". It can also mean "humble" or "unassuming". |
| Albanian | Modest in Albanian can also mean "low" or "humble". |
| Amharic | The word "ልከኛ" can also refer to someone who is not talkative or expressive. |
| Arabic | The word "متواضع" (modest) also has the connotation of "humble" or "lowly" in Arabic. |
| Armenian | In Armenia, the word “համեստ” is also used to describe something that is humble, unassuming, or lacking in affectation. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "təvazökar" derives from the Persian word "tāvazō" which means "low, humble". |
| Basque | "Apala" is originally from the Spanish word "apacible" ( |
| Belarusian | Слово «сціплы» походить від латинського «scrupulus», що означає «камінчик у взутті». |
| Bengali | "বিনয়ী" is also used to describe a person who is submissive or even obsequious. |
| Bosnian | The word "skroman" can also mean "humble" or "unassuming" in Bosnian. |
| Bulgarian | Bulgarian "скромен" also means "humble" or "with no pretentions" in some contexts, and has the same Slavic root as the English "scrum" |
| Catalan | The Catalan noun "modèstia" (modesty) comes from Latin "molestia" meaning disturbance or annoyance |
| Cebuano | "Makasaranganon" is also a term used to refer to a group of people from Makassar, Indonesia. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The Chinese character '谦' in '谦虚' (modest) originally meant 'lowly' and 'humble' and was often used in a self-deprecating way. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 謙虛 derives from 謙遜 (qiānxùn) 'to give up, yield' (to superior force or opinion), and 虛 (xū) 'empty'. In Buddhism, it means 'emptying oneself'. |
| Corsican | Corsican "modestu" derives from the Latin "modestus", meaning "moderate" or "restrained". |
| Croatian | While skroman in Croatian only means "modest," its Russian and Polish cognates also mean "penurious" and "stingy," respectively. |
| Czech | The word "skromný" derives from the word "skroma" („a piece of land”), which denotes humility and willingness to share. |
| Danish | The word 'beskeden' is derived from the German word 'bescheiden', meaning 'wise' or 'prudent'. |
| Dutch | The adjective "bescheiden" in Dutch derives from the Old High German "biskeiden", meaning "to separate and distinguish, understand reasonably, decide upon". |
| Esperanto | "Modesta" in Esperanto can also mean "low" or "humble". |
| Estonian | "Tagasihoidlik" is derived from the verb "tagasi hoida", meaning to hold back, and implies reserve and restraint. |
| Finnish | "Vaatimaton" is a Finnish word that is often translated as "modest" in English, but it can also mean "unassuming" or "humble." |
| French | The word "modeste" is derived from the Latin word "modestus," meaning "moderate" or "temperate." |
| Frisian | The word "beskieden" in Frisian is derived from the Old Frisian word "besciedan," which means "to command" or "to inform." |
| Galician | In Galician, the word "modesto" can also mean "a small, rural area". |
| German | The word "bescheiden" is derived from the Middle High German word "bescheiden," meaning "wise," "prudent," or "discreet." |
| Greek | The word "μετριόφρων" can also mean "moderate" or "temperate" in Greek. |
| Gujarati | The word "વિનમ્ર" is derived from the Sanskrit word "vinamra", which means "bending down" or "humble", and is related to the word "nam", meaning "to bow down". |
| Haitian Creole | The Haitian Creole word "modès" is derived from the French word "modeste" and also means "shy" or "timid". |
| Hausa | The Hausa word 'suna fadin' also means 'to be humble' or 'to be well-mannered'. |
| Hawaiian | The word "akahai" in Hawaiian can also mean "humble", "meek", or "unassuming". |
| Hebrew | The root of "צָנוּעַ" appears in the Bible referring to "covering" or "hiding" which gives us a sense of its original meaning. |
| Hindi | मामूली is also used to describe something that is simple or plain, a meaning most likely derived from the word मामल (legal case) and माँगना (to ask). |
| Hmong | The expression can also be used in the context of a married woman, which means that her "co" is covered by "tus" |
| Hungarian | "Szerény" ultimately derives from the Latin word "serenus", which means "peaceful" or "calm". |
| Icelandic | The word "hófstillt" can also refer to calmness or composure in Icelandic. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "obi umeala" can also refer to "the heart of the poor" or "the heart of the common man." |
| Indonesian | The Indonesian word "sederhana" comes from the Sanskrit word "sudharana", meaning "easy" or "uncomplicated". |
| Irish | Measartha can also mean "moderate" or "limited" in Irish. |
| Italian | "Modesto" in Italian can also mean "moderate" or "fair." |
| Japanese | 控えめ (tsutsumashī) comes from 慎む (tsutsushimu), meaning to exercise caution or discretion. |
| Javanese | The word "andhap asor" in Javanese originally meant "unseen and unheard". |
| Kannada | The word "ಸಾಧಾರಣ" can also mean "common" or "usual" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The word "қарапайым" can also refer to something that is "simple" or "unpretentious". |
| Khmer | The word "សុភាពរាបសា" is derived from the Sanskrit word "subhāva" meaning "nature" and "prāpasa" meaning "to attain". It can also mean "good character" or "virtue". |
| Korean | 겸손 has the additional meaning of “humble” and is derived from the Chinese characters 謙(겸) meaning “to yield” and 遜(손) meaning “to retreat or defer.” |
| Kurdish | The word "mutewazî" has another meaning in Kurdish: "balanced". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "жөнөкөй" in Kyrgyz can also mean "simple" or "plain". |
| Lao | The Lao word ຈຽມຕົວ can also mean "to be shy" or "to be reserved." |
| Latin | The word "verecundus" has an alternative meaning of "reverent" or "respectful", and is derived from "vereri", meaning "to fear" or "to reverence." |
| Latvian | Etymology: from "piety" which refers to deep religious feeling or devotion. |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "kuklus" has Slavic roots and is related to the Russian словом "kukol," meaning "idol" or "doll." |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, the word "bescheiden" can refer to both "modest" and "ashamed". |
| Macedonian | The word "скромен" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "скромь", which means "humility" or "lowliness". |
| Malagasy | The word "tsotra" in Malagasy can also mean "straight, simple, direct". |
| Malay | The word 'sederhana' can also mean 'simple', 'plain' or 'humble'. |
| Malayalam | The word "എളിമ" in Malayalam can also refer to being humble, unassuming, or respectful. |
| Maltese | In Maltese, "modest" can be slang for "crazy" |
| Maori | The word "mahaki" in Maori also refers to someone who is shy, or reserved. |
| Marathi | The word "विनम्र" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "विनम्र" meaning "humble" or "courteous". |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word "даруухан" can also mean "meek" or "humble". |
| Nepali | The word "भद्र" can also mean "auspicious" or "fortunate". |
| Norwegian | Historically, the word "beskjeden" had an alternate meaning of "reasonable" in addition to "modest". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'modzichepetsa' in Nyanja can also mean 'to be ashamed' or 'to be shy'. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "متل" can also refer to the concept of "being in balance" or "being equal". |
| Persian | The word "فروتن" in Persian has the alternate meaning of "humble". |
| Polish | "Skromny" means modest, but can also describe someone or something that's simple, plain, or lacking ornamentation. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Brazil, "modesto" can also mean "simple" or "unpretentious". |
| Punjabi | The word "ਨਿਮਰ" is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "नम्र", which means "bent" or "bowed". |
| Romanian | In Romanian, "modest" can also refer to moderate or reasonable amounts of something. |
| Russian | "Скромный" (modest) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *skromъ, meaning "lean, thin, narrow". |
| Samoan | Tauagafau also means 'bashful,' 'shamefaced,' 'reserved,' or 'timid' in Samoan. |
| Scots Gaelic | In English, "modest" means "free from vanity", but in Gaelic, "modhail" also has a sense of "of good character". |
| Serbian | "Скромност" (skromnost), meaning modesty or humility, derives from "скршити" (skršiti) meaning "to break". |
| Sesotho | The word "inyenyefatsa" in Sesotho is derived from "inyenya," meaning "spider," and "fatsa," meaning "spinning web," which together refer to the cautious and intricate nature of modesty. |
| Shona | The Shona word "zvine mwero" literally means "to have a lot of blood", and is used to describe someone who is modest or humble. |
| Sindhi | The word "معمولي" is also used to refer to the common measurement unit in Sindh, which is known as "seer". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | In a secondary sense 'nihathamani' also carries the meaning 'not being haughty' |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "skromný" comes from the Czech word "skromny" and the Latin word "scromnis", which means "scrupulous". |
| Slovenian | The adjective "skromen" is derived from the Indo-European root *sker- meaning "to cut, to separate" and has connotations of "humble" or "plain". |
| Somali | "Suubban" can also mean "quietly respectful". |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the word "modesto" also means "humble" and "moderate". |
| Sundanese | The word "saderhana" can also mean "simple" or "plain" in Sundanese. |
| Swahili | The Swahili word 'kiasi' comes from the Proto-Bantu word '-asi' meaning 'a little bit'. |
| Swedish | The word "blygsam" can also mean "shy" or "reserved" in Swedish, and originates from the Proto-Germanic word "blaga-samja", meaning "able to understand, capable". |
| Tajik | The word “хоксор” also means “modest” in Tajik. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "சாதாரண" ("modest") is a compound of "சதா" ("constant") and "ஆரவார" ("noise"), suggesting something that is "not noisy or flashy". |
| Telugu | The Telugu word "నమ్రత" (namrata) comes from the Sanskrit word "नम्र" (namra), which means 'bent' or 'supple', and is related to the concept of humility or modesty. |
| Thai | The Thai word "เจียมเนื้อเจียมตัว" (modest) literally translates to "knowing one's own flesh and knowing one's own body." |
| Turkish | Mütevazı also refers to buildings that cover a small area and are not as tall as the surrounding buildings or are very close to the ground. |
| Ukrainian | The word "скромний" (modest) in Ukrainian derives from the Proto-Slavic root *skromъ, meaning "close, narrow, constrained". |
| Urdu | The Persian word "mo`tadil" (meaning "moderate") is the etymological root of "معمولی" (modest). |
| Uzbek | The word "kamtarona" in Uzbek originally meant "to be humble" or "to be ashamed", but it now also means "modest". |
| Vietnamese | "Khiêm tốn" literally translates as "to humble oneself" and also carries the meaning of "to be humble, modest, unpretentious, or reserved" in Vietnamese. |
| Welsh | The word "cymedrol" is derived from the Brythonic Celtic word "kymedrolos", meaning "concealed" or "reserved." |
| Xhosa | "Ukuthozama" in Xhosa also refers to the act of lowering oneself in a humble or respectful manner. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word באַשיידן may also mean "unassuming" or "humble". |
| Yoruba | Iwónbá also refers to politeness or humility. |
| Zulu | The Zulu word ‘nesizotha’ is a compound word made up of ‘neso’ meaning ‘to be low’ or ‘humble’ and ‘izotha’ meaning ‘a bottom or an end’. |
| English | The word `modest` originates from the Latin word `modestus`, meaning `moderate` or `unassuming`. |