Moon in Different Languages
Discover 'Moon' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The moon, our shimmering nighttime companion, has been a source of fascination and inspiration for humans across the globe and throughout history. Its soft, gentle light has guided sailors, poets, and lovers, while its phases have marked the passage of time in countless cultural traditions. Indeed, the moon is so significant that many languages have multiple words to describe its different aspects and appearances.
Translating the word 'moon' into different languages not only reveals fascinating insights into how other cultures view this celestial body, but also provides a glimpse into their broader worldview and mythology. For example, in Hindi, the moon is known as 'Chandra,' which also means 'shining' or 'moonlight.' In Maori, the moon is called 'Marama,' which also refers to the concept of brightness or illumination. And in Japanese, the moon is 'Tsuki,' which is often used in poetry and song to evoke a sense of longing or nostalgia.
In this article, we explore the many translations of the word 'moon' in different languages, shedding light on the cultural significance and beauty of this awe-inspiring celestial body.
Moon
Moon in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | maan | ||
| While maan means 'moon' in Afrikaans, it can also refer to a blemish on someone's face. | |||
| Amharic | ጨረቃ | ||
| The Amharic word 'ጨረቃ' is derived from the Proto-Semitic root *qmr, meaning 'bright' or 'shine'. | |||
| Hausa | wata | ||
| In Hausa, 'wata' also denotes a period of 7 days or a week. | |||
| Igbo | ọnwa | ||
| Ọnwụ (moon) is derived from the Igbo word "ọnwụ" meaning "that which dies and returns to life," referring to the moon's waxing and waning. | |||
| Malagasy | volana | ||
| The word "volana" also means "month" in Malagasy, as the lunar cycle determines the length of a month. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwezi | ||
| The word "mwezi" can also refer to a month or a menstrual period in the Nyanja (Chichewa) language. | |||
| Shona | mwedzi | ||
| The Shona word for 'moon', 'mwedzi', also refers to the concept of time, as in 'mwedzi wegore' (month of the year). | |||
| Somali | dayax | ||
| The word "dayax" also means "light" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | khoeli | ||
| The word "khoeli" in Sesotho is also a term of endearment for a sweetheart or lover. | |||
| Swahili | mwezi | ||
| In some Bantu languages, "mwezi" is used to denote the month rather than the lunar object because its cycle determines the length of the month. | |||
| Xhosa | inyanga | ||
| The Xhosa word 'inyanga' also means 'traditional healer' or 'a person who is trained in traditional medicine'. | |||
| Yoruba | oṣupa | ||
| "Oṣupa" also means "the one that counts" in Yoruba, because it is used to measure time. | |||
| Zulu | inyanga | ||
| The Zulu word "inyanga" also refers to a traditional healer or herbalist. | |||
| Bambara | kalo | ||
| Ewe | dzinu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ukwezi | ||
| Lingala | sanza | ||
| Luganda | omwezi | ||
| Sepedi | ngwedi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsrane | ||
Moon in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القمر | ||
| In Arabic, "القمر" is not only the celestial body we know as "moon", but also refers to "beauty" or "beloved". | |||
| Hebrew | ירח | ||
| The Hebrew word "ירח" can also refer to the month or a menstrual cycle. | |||
| Pashto | سپوږمۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "سپوږمۍ" can also refer to beautiful, bright, shiny, or fair women. | |||
| Arabic | القمر | ||
| In Arabic, "القمر" is not only the celestial body we know as "moon", but also refers to "beauty" or "beloved". | |||
Moon in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hëna | ||
| While 'hëna' in Albanian means 'moon', in many Slavic languages, it originally meant 'woman', and the word for 'moon' was 'měsíc' - from 'měriti', meaning 'to measure', as the moon was the calendar of the ancient Slavs. | |||
| Basque | ilargia | ||
| Ilargia's origin is uncertain, but may be related to Basque 'il(h)ar' ('light') or Latin 'luna' ('moon'). | |||
| Catalan | lluna | ||
| The Catalan word lluna (moon) is related to the Latin word luna, which also means moon. | |||
| Croatian | mjesec | ||
| The word "mjesec" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "měsęc", which also means "month". | |||
| Danish | måne | ||
| Although "måne" (moon) in Danish comes from the same Proto-Germanic root as "moon" in English, it can also refer to a "lunar month". | |||
| Dutch | maan | ||
| ''Maan'' is also used figuratively to mean a period of time that is typically a month (e.g., ''deze maan'', this month). | |||
| English | moon | ||
| The word "moon" originates from the Old English word "mona," which may be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "me(n)-", meaning "to measure." | |||
| French | lune | ||
| The noun "lune" in French also refers to the crescent shape formed by the curved edges of a fingernail. | |||
| Frisian | moanne | ||
| 'Moanne', Frisian for 'moon', is a cognate to 'mana', a Polynesian word that means 'supernatural ability' and to 'moon' in many Indo-European and Finno-Ugric languages. Its root, PIE *meh₁n-s, also meant 'month', suggesting a lunar calendar. | |||
| Galician | lúa | ||
| In some old documents 'lúa' also refers to a type of bread and 'lúa nova' (new moon) to the new wheat harvested in summer. | |||
| German | mond | ||
| Mond shares the same Germanic root as the English word 'month', as the moon cycle was used to track time. | |||
| Icelandic | tungl | ||
| The word "tungl" in Icelandic derives from the Old Norse word "tungl" and has no alternate meanings. | |||
| Irish | ghealach | ||
| Ghealach may originate from Proto-Celtic *ǵel- 'to shine', indicating it once meant 'the shining one' | |||
| Italian | luna | ||
| The Italian word 'Luna' comes from the Latin word 'Luna,' which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root 'leuk-,' meaning 'bright.' | |||
| Luxembourgish | mound | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Mound" derives its origin not only from the Latin word "Mensis", meaning month, but also potentially shares a root with "Mond" in German and "Máninn" in Proto-Germanic. | |||
| Maltese | qamar | ||
| The word "qamar" ('moon') in Maltese, originates from the Arabic word "qamar", meaning "orb, circle". | |||
| Norwegian | måne | ||
| The Norwegian word "måne" is cognate with the English word "moon" and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*mēnōn". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lua | ||
| The word "lua" is derived from the Latin word "luna" and also means "madness" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ghealach | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "ghealach" can also refer to a month or a lunar cycle in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | luna | ||
| "Luna" is the Latin word for "moon" and is also a common feminine name in Spanish-speaking countries. | |||
| Swedish | måne | ||
| The word "måne" may derive from the Proto-Germanic "*mǣnōn", believed to stem from the Proto-Indo-European root "*meh₂-n". However, in a poetic context, the word may also refer to the month of January. | |||
| Welsh | lleuad | ||
| The Welsh word "lleuad" may also refer to the concept of "illumination" or "splendor". | |||
Moon in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | месяц | ||
| The word "Месяц" can also refer to the period of time equivalent to one full lunar cycle, i.e. a month. | |||
| Bosnian | moon | ||
| The word "moon" (mjesec) in Bosnian is cognate with the Latin word "mensis" (month), both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*meh₁nseh₂-" (to measure). | |||
| Bulgarian | луна | ||
| "Луна" in Bulgarian may come from the ancient Indo-European root "leuk-" meaning "light" or "shine" | |||
| Czech | měsíc | ||
| The word "měsíc" also means "month" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | kuu | ||
| "Kuu" is also the archaic Estonian word for "month" and "time". | |||
| Finnish | kuu | ||
| The word "kuu" may be related to the Proto-Uralic word *koj, meaning "lightbulb." | |||
| Hungarian | hold | ||
| The Hungarian word "hold" can also refer to the hollow of a tree or a ship's cargo hold. | |||
| Latvian | mēness | ||
| The word "mēness" in Latvian is related to the word "mēnešu", meaning "month". | |||
| Lithuanian | mėnulis | ||
| The name 'mėnulis' was used in ancient Baltic culture to refer to the phases of the moon. | |||
| Macedonian | месечина | ||
| The word "месечина" shares the same root with the word "measure" in English, as it was originally used to mark the passage of time based on the moon's phases. | |||
| Polish | księżyc | ||
| "Księżyc" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*měsęcь" which also meant "month". Hence the word "miesiąc" ("month") in modern Polish. | |||
| Romanian | luna | ||
| In Romanian, "luna" can also refer to the month, derived from the Latin word "luna" meaning "moonlight." | |||
| Russian | луна | ||
| The Russian word "Луна" shares etymological roots with "light" in many languages such as Sanskrit, Latin, and Old English, suggesting its ancient association with illumination. | |||
| Serbian | месец | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic the word "měsęcь" originally referred to both "moon" and "month". | |||
| Slovak | mesiac | ||
| The Slovak word "mesiac" also means "month" or "the period of one full rotation of the Moon around the Earth." | |||
| Slovenian | luna | ||
| Ukrainian | місяць | ||
| The word "місяць" also means "month" in Ukrainian. | |||
Moon in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চাঁদ | ||
| The word "চাঁদ" (moon) in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "चंद्र" (candra), which also means "moon" or "shining". | |||
| Gujarati | ચંદ્ર | ||
| The word 'ચંદ્ર' (moon) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चंद्र' (chandra), which means 'bright' or 'shining'. | |||
| Hindi | चांद | ||
| The Hindi word "चांद" (moon) shares its root with the Indo-Iranian word meaning "to shine" or "to be bright." | |||
| Kannada | ಚಂದ್ರ | ||
| The word ಚಂದ್ರ originates from the Sanskrit word चंद्र which means 'shining'. In Kannada, it can also refer to a spot or blemish on the skin. | |||
| Malayalam | ചന്ദ്രൻ | ||
| The word 'ചന്ദ്രൻ' is also used as a male name in Malayalam, referring to the moon-like qualities of beauty and serenity. | |||
| Marathi | चंद्र | ||
| The name 'Chandra' also refers to a lunar day in the Hindu calendar and a specific phase of the moon, the full moon. | |||
| Nepali | चन्द्रमा | ||
| "चन्द्रमा" is the Sanskrit word for the Moon, but in Nepali, it can also refer to the day of the full moon or a month, which in the lunar calendar would begin on that day. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੰਦ | ||
| ਚੰਦ derives from Sanskrit 'chandra', meaning 'luminous', 'shining' or 'beautiful'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සඳ | ||
| The Sinhala word 'සඳ' (moon) is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱel- ('to shine'). | |||
| Tamil | நிலா | ||
| "நிலா" also refers to the first menses and the phase of the moon at which the first menses occurs. | |||
| Telugu | చంద్రుడు | ||
| The word may come from the Sanskrit word 'candra' meaning 'shining'. In Hindu mythology, 'Chandra' is often personified as the moon god who married 27 daughters of the celestial sage Daksha. | |||
| Urdu | چاند | ||
| چاند also means 'a piece of cloth' or 'a piece of paper' in Hindi and Sanskrit. | |||
Moon in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 月亮 | ||
| 月亮, also an idiom, means the bright spot on an object, e.g. the bright spot in a black pupil, the white in a black nail, the moon in a starry sky. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 月亮 | ||
| 月亮 derives from two ancient Chinese words, one representing light and one representing month. | |||
| Japanese | 月 | ||
| In Japanese, the word for moon, 月 (pronounced tsuki), can also be translated as "month" or "the tenth". | |||
| Korean | 달 | ||
| The Korean word '달' for 'moon' derives from 'Tal' which meant 'fire' or 'sun', reflecting the perception of the moon as a glowing orb. | |||
| Mongolian | сар | ||
| "Сар" is a Turkic word that also means "yellow" or "pale" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လ | ||
| The word "လ" also denotes the number "8" in traditional Burmese numerology. | |||
Moon in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bulan | ||
| "Bulan" is also used to refer to the menstrual cycle or a month, as it is related to the moon's phases. | |||
| Javanese | rembulan | ||
| The Javanese word "rembulan" (moon) is also used to refer to a "month" or a "full moon". | |||
| Khmer | ព្រះច័ន្ទ | ||
| The word ព្រះច័ន្ទ originates from the Sanskrit word 'candrah' and also refers to the 'white' day in astronomy. | |||
| Lao | ເດືອນ | ||
| The word ເດືອນ also means "month" in Lao, as the Lao lunar calendar is based on the moon's phases. | |||
| Malay | bulan | ||
| The Malay word "bulan" not only means "moon", but also "month" because traditional Malay calendars were based on the cycles of the moon. | |||
| Thai | ดวงจันทร์ | ||
| The word "ดวงจันทร์" (duang chan) is derived from the Sanskrit word candra (moon) and has the alternate meaning of a "person's destiny" in Thai folklore. | |||
| Vietnamese | mặt trăng | ||
| "Mặt trăng" literally means "the water surface face" in Sino-Vietnamese. In modern Vietnamese, "nước" can mean "water" or "country". Therefore, "mặt trăng" can also mean "the country's face". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buwan | ||
Moon in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ay | ||
| The word "ay" is also used in Azerbaijani to refer to the "month" or a "period". | |||
| Kazakh | ай | ||
| The Kazakh word "ай" ("moon") can indicate "calendar months" and "the moon's age" depending on the context. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ай | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "ай" for "moon" is related to the Turkish word "ay" and the Mongolian word "sar". | |||
| Tajik | моҳ | ||
| The Tajik word "моҳ" is thought to derive from an ancient Iranian language, and is related to the word for "month" in English, suggesting its association with the concept of time. | |||
| Turkmen | aý | ||
| Uzbek | oy | ||
| The word "oy”, meaning "moon" in Uzbek, is possibly derived from the Proto-Turkic “oy”, which also meant "month." | |||
| Uyghur | ئاي | ||
Moon in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mahina | ||
| The word "mahina" can also refer to a lunar month or a woman's menstrual cycle in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | marama | ||
| Marama, beyond its literal meaning of "moon," also denotes "light," "radiance," and "halo" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | masina | ||
| The word "masina" also means "light" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | buwan | ||
| "Buwan" also refers to a month or a calendar month. | |||
Moon in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phaxsi | ||
| Guarani | jasy | ||
Moon in International Languages
| Esperanto | luno | ||
| "Luno" is an Esperanto word that has additional connotations of "lunatic," "eccentric," and "dreamy." | |||
| Latin | luna | ||
| In Latin, 'luna' is related to 'luc,' meaning 'light,' and referred to both the moon and a goddess personifying it. | |||
Moon in Others Languages
| Greek | φεγγάρι | ||
| The Greek word 'φεγγάρι' originally meant 'something that lightens' or 'something that shines' and referred to any celestial body. | |||
| Hmong | lub hli | ||
| The Hmong word for 'moon,' lub hli, is similar to the word 'lub hli,' meaning 'flower,' referencing their similar beauty. | |||
| Kurdish | hêv | ||
| In Kurdish, the word "hêv" originally meant "night" but later shifted to mean "moon" due to the moon's association with the night. | |||
| Turkish | ay | ||
| The word "ay" also means "month" in Turkish, reflecting the connection between the lunar cycle and timekeeping. | |||
| Xhosa | inyanga | ||
| The Xhosa word 'inyanga' also means 'traditional healer' or 'a person who is trained in traditional medicine'. | |||
| Yiddish | לבנה | ||
| "לבנה" means "moon" in Yiddish and also refers to a woman's "period". | |||
| Zulu | inyanga | ||
| The Zulu word "inyanga" also refers to a traditional healer or herbalist. | |||
| Assamese | চন্দ্ৰ | ||
| Aymara | phaxsi | ||
| Bhojpuri | चाँद | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަނދު | ||
| Dogri | चन्न | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buwan | ||
| Guarani | jasy | ||
| Ilocano | bulan | ||
| Krio | mun | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مانگ | ||
| Maithili | चंद्रमा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥ | ||
| Mizo | thla | ||
| Oromo | addeessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର | ||
| Quechua | killa | ||
| Sanskrit | शशांक | ||
| Tatar | ай | ||
| Tigrinya | ወርሒ | ||
| Tsonga | n'weti | ||