Night in Different Languages
Discover 'Night' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'night' holds a profound significance in various cultures and languages around the world. As the contrasting counterpart to day, night signifies the cessation of daylight and the beginning of a period of rest, relaxation, and often mystery. Historically, night has been a time for storytelling, a backdrop for myths and legends, and a source of inspiration for poets and artists. Moreover, night's cultural importance is evident in various celebrations and rituals that take place after sunset, such as Diwali, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.
Given its significance, you might be interested in knowing the translation of 'night' in different languages. After all, understanding the nuances of a foreign language can provide valuable insights into a culture's history, traditions, and worldview. For instance, the German word for night, 'Nacht,' reflects the language's tendency towards guttural sounds, while the Spanish word, 'noche,' highlights the language's melodic and romantic qualities.
Night
Night in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | nag | ||
| Although etymologically unrelated to the English word "nag" (annoy), it can also mean "to bother" or "to nag" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ለሊት | ||
| The Amharic word "ለሊት" not only means "night" but also "darkness" and "mystery". | |||
| Hausa | dare | ||
| In Hausa, the word "dare" can refer to both "night" and "darkness". | |||
| Igbo | n'abalị | ||
| The Igbo word "n'abalị" has alternate meanings of "darkness" and "the unknown". | |||
| Malagasy | alina | ||
| The word "alina" in Malagasy is of Proto-Austronesian origin, with related words in other Malayo-Polynesian languages. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | usiku | ||
| The Nyanja word 'usiku' originates from the Proto-Bantu word *usiku, meaning 'darkness'. | |||
| Shona | husiku | ||
| The word 'husiku' may also refer to 'twilight'. | |||
| Somali | habeen | ||
| An alternative meaning of "habeen" in the Somali language is "the dark hour of the night right after sunset." | |||
| Sesotho | bosiu | ||
| Bosiu, meaning "night" in Sesotho, is also the name of a mountain in Lesotho where King Moshoeshoe I founded his kingdom in 1824. | |||
| Swahili | usiku | ||
| The word "usiku" can also refer to a period of time, or to darkness. | |||
| Xhosa | busuku | ||
| The Xhosa word for night, 'busuku', originated from the Zulu word 'busuku', meaning 'darkness' or 'shadow'. | |||
| Yoruba | alẹ | ||
| The word "alẹ" in Yoruba can also refer to "an appointment" or "a secret meeting". | |||
| Zulu | ebusuku | ||
| The etymology of 'ebusuku' is unclear, but it may be related to the Proto-Bantu root *busu, meaning 'darkness', or *buki, meaning 'to be dark'. | |||
| Bambara | su | ||
| Ewe | zã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ijoro | ||
| Lingala | butu | ||
| Luganda | ekiro | ||
| Sepedi | bošego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anadwo | ||
Night in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ليل | ||
| The Arabic word "ليل" (night) is also used to refer to the color blue in some contexts, likely due to the association between night and the dark blue hue of the night sky. | |||
| Hebrew | לַיְלָה | ||
| The word "לַיְלָה" can also mean "obscurity", "darkness", or "terror" in the Bible. | |||
| Pashto | شپه | ||
| The Pashto word "شپه" also refers to the period between sunset and midnight. | |||
| Arabic | ليل | ||
| The Arabic word "ليل" (night) is also used to refer to the color blue in some contexts, likely due to the association between night and the dark blue hue of the night sky. | |||
Night in Western European Languages
| Albanian | natën | ||
| The Albanian word 'natën' may also refer to an 'appointment' or 'engagement'. | |||
| Basque | gaua | ||
| The Basque word "gaua" is cognate with the Latin "nox" and the Irish "nóimh," both meaning "night," and can also refer to darkness, obscurity, or sleep. | |||
| Catalan | nit | ||
| In Catalan, "nit" is sometimes used to refer to the evening or twilight, and can also be used to describe a short period of time, like a moment or an instant. | |||
| Croatian | noć | ||
| The Croatian word "noć" is related to words such as "nyght" in English, "nacht" in German, and "noc" in Polish, all derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *nekʷt-, meaning "darkness". | |||
| Danish | nat | ||
| "Nat" in Danish also means "dark, cloudy weather," perhaps referring to the overcast of the night sky during winter months. | |||
| Dutch | nacht | ||
| The word "nacht" is cognate with "night" in English, stemming from the Proto-Germanic word "*naktis". | |||
| English | night | ||
| From the Old English word niht, related to the Dutch word nacht and the German word nacht, all meaning 'night'. | |||
| French | nuit | ||
| In French, the word "nuit" comes from the Latin "nox," meaning "night." | |||
| Frisian | nacht | ||
| The Frisian word "nacht" is cognate with the English word "night" and ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic word "nahti". | |||
| Galician | noite | ||
| "Noite" comes from the Latin word "noctem", which also means "night", and is related to the Greek word "νύξ" (nyx), which means "night" in Ancient Greek. | |||
| German | nacht- | ||
| The word "Nacht-" can also refer to something that is dark or mysterious. | |||
| Icelandic | nótt | ||
| Icelandic word "nótt" is derived from Proto-Germanic *nahts, which also means "darkness". | |||
| Irish | oíche | ||
| The word 'oíche' in Irish also means 'darkness' or 'shadow'. | |||
| Italian | notte | ||
| "Notte" in Italian derives from the Latin "nox" and also means "dark" or "black". | |||
| Luxembourgish | nuecht | ||
| The word "Nuecht" derives from the Old High German word "naht", which also means "night". | |||
| Maltese | lejl | ||
| In Maltese, the word "lejl" is derived from the Arabic word "layl" and can also refer to an evening social event or gathering. | |||
| Norwegian | natt | ||
| The word "natt" likely comes from the Proto-Germanic word "nahts," meaning "darkness" or "night". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | noite | ||
| The Portuguese word "noite" ultimately derives from the Latin "nox" (night), but in Brazil it can also mean "evening". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oidhche | ||
| The word "oidhche" is related to the Proto-Indo-European word "nekwts" meaning "night" and is cognate with the Latin word "nox". | |||
| Spanish | noche | ||
| The word "noche" may derive from the Latin "nox" and has synonyms such as "velada" and "madrugada" | |||
| Swedish | natt | ||
| The word "natt" is cognate with "night" in English and "nacht" in German, deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *nekwt-, meaning "dark" or "night". | |||
| Welsh | nos | ||
| Welsh "nos" shares a root with "nocturnal" and the Latin "nox" | |||
Night in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ноч | ||
| Belarusian "ноч" derives from a Proto-Slavic root meaning "to spend the night" and is related to the Russian "ночевать" (to spend the night) and Polish "nocleg" (lodging). | |||
| Bosnian | noć | ||
| "Noc", meaning the night, is used in Bosnian as a synonym for a state of misfortune, similar to "bad luck." | |||
| Bulgarian | нощ | ||
| The Slavic etymology is cognate to Sanskrit *nakta- 'night', Avestan *naxta-, Greek νύξ (núx, 'night'). | |||
| Czech | noc | ||
| The word "noc" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *noktь, which also means "darkness". This connection can still be seen in the related words "noční" (nocturnal) and "nocovina" (night camp). | |||
| Estonian | öö | ||
| 'Öö' might also refer to the twilight or the whole period of darkness. | |||
| Finnish | yö- | ||
| Its origin is unclear, but it may be related to Proto-Uralic *yo- or *ye- "the night". | |||
| Hungarian | éjszaka | ||
| "Éjszaka" (night) originates from Turkic and originally meant "the end of the day". | |||
| Latvian | nakts | ||
| Latvian "nakts" stems from Proto-Baltic ņaktus "darkness." | |||
| Lithuanian | naktis | ||
| Naktis is related to Russian noch' (night), Serbian noć and Old Church Slavonic nošti, and probably to English night. | |||
| Macedonian | ноќ | ||
| The Macedonian word “ноќ”, derived from the Proto-Slavic “noktĭ”, also means a period or occasion of darkness, obscurity, distress, evil, or ignorance. | |||
| Polish | noc | ||
| The word "noc" in Polish is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "noktъ", which also means "darkness". | |||
| Romanian | noapte | ||
| The Romanian word "noapte" has Slavic origins, meaning "to fall, to descend, to come upon". | |||
| Russian | ночь | ||
| The word "ночь" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "nokti", which shares a common root with the English word "night" and the German word "Nacht". | |||
| Serbian | ноћ | ||
| The Serbian word 'ноћ' also refers to an 'unpleasant event' or something 'unwelcome or unexpected'. | |||
| Slovak | noc | ||
| "Noc" originates from Proto-Slavic "*noktis", related to Latin "nox" and Sanskrit "nakt". | |||
| Slovenian | noč | ||
| The word "noč" in Slovenian shares the same root as the English word "night" and the Latin word "nox", both stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *nekʷt-. | |||
| Ukrainian | ніч | ||
| The word "ніч" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "nokti", which is related to the Latin word "nox", meaning "night". | |||
Night in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রাত | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit word 'ratri', 'রাত' also signifies darkness, obscurity, or the period of sleep. | |||
| Gujarati | રાત્રે | ||
| The word "રાત્રે" can also mean "in the evening" or "during the night". | |||
| Hindi | रात | ||
| The word "रात" (night) is derived from the Sanskrit word "रात्रि" (night) and the Proto-Indo-European root "*nekwt-," meaning "night" or "darkness". | |||
| Kannada | ರಾತ್ರಿ | ||
| 'ರಾತ್ರಿ' is ultimately derived from Proto-Dravidian *ñāḷ, meaning 'day' or 'sun'. | |||
| Malayalam | രാത്രി | ||
| In Malayalam, "രാത്രി" (rātri) is derived from Sanskrit रात्रि (rātri), meaning "night," and also has alternate meanings such as "darkness" or "ignorance." | |||
| Marathi | रात्री | ||
| The word 'रात्री' is also used to refer to the evening or dusk | |||
| Nepali | रात | ||
| रात is an ancient Indo-European word shared by all major Indo-Aryan languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਾਤ | ||
| "ਰਾਤ" in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "rātri," which means "darkness". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රෑ | ||
| The Sinhala word "රෑ" (night) also refers to the period from sunset to sunrise, or to darkness. | |||
| Tamil | இரவு | ||
| The word "இரவு" in Tamil can also refer to darkness, sleep, or the state of being hidden or obscure. | |||
| Telugu | రాత్రి | ||
| The word "రాత్రి" in Telugu not only means "night" but also refers to "darkness" and "lack of visibility". | |||
| Urdu | رات | ||
| The word "رات" (night) in Urdu shares an etymology with the English word "night" from the Proto-Indo-European root *nekʷt-, "night." | |||
Night in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 晚 | ||
| Chinese character “晚”(wǎn): 1) late; 2) evening | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 晚 | ||
| The word "晚" can also mean "late" or "evening". | |||
| Japanese | 夜 | ||
| '夜' consists of the characters '月' ('moon') and '見' ('see'). It can also mean 'evening' or 'nighttime'. | |||
| Korean | 밤 | ||
| In the archaic Korean and Jeju dialects, | |||
| Mongolian | шөнө | ||
| "Шөнө" also means "a small amount". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ည | ||
| The term "ည" can also refer to a period of sleep or the period from sunset to sunrise, and is derived from the Pali word "nihantā" meaning "to lie down."} | |||
Night in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | malam | ||
| "Malam" in Indonesian, originally meant "dark" and only later developed the meaning of "night". | |||
| Javanese | wengi | ||
| "Wengi" can also mean "evil" or "disaster" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | យប់ | ||
| យប់ can also mean "darkness" or "ignorance". | |||
| Lao | ຄືນ | ||
| The word "ຄືນ" is also used in Lao to mean "past" or "back". | |||
| Malay | malam | ||
| The word "malam" in Malay can also refer to the state of being dark, dim, or unclear. | |||
| Thai | กลางคืน | ||
| "กลางคืน" can also mean "midnight" or "in the middle of the night". | |||
| Vietnamese | đêm | ||
| Besides its literal meaning, "đêm" can also mean "black," "dark," "darkness," and "secret." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gabi | ||
Night in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gecə | ||
| "Gecə" also means "occasion", "occurrence", "event" or "case". | |||
| Kazakh | түн | ||
| The Kazakh word “түн” for “night” is also used to refer to “darkness,” “black,” or “blackness.” | |||
| Kyrgyz | түн | ||
| The word "түн" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*tün" and also means "darkness" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | шаб | ||
| The word "shab" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *nekʷt-, which means "dark" or "black". | |||
| Turkmen | gije | ||
| Uzbek | kecha | ||
| The word "kecha" also means "yesterday" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | كېچە | ||
Night in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pō | ||
| Hawaiian word "pō" shares ancestry with the Sanskrit word "upa" meaning "to conceal". | |||
| Maori | po | ||
| Po is often paired with ra, meaning sun or day, to encompass the full cycle of time. | |||
| Samoan | po | ||
| The Samoan word "po" can also refer to periods of darkness or sleep, such as "po pogisa" (dawn) or "po mālōlō" (midnight). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gabi | ||
| The word "gabi" also refers to the evening or the time after sunset. | |||
Night in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aruma | ||
| Guarani | pyhare | ||
Night in International Languages
| Esperanto | nokte | ||
| 'Nokte' is also used to refer to the 'northern sky' in astronomy. | |||
| Latin | noctis | ||
| 'Noctis' in Latin can also refer to darkness, secrecy, or ignorance. | |||
Night in Others Languages
| Greek | νύχτα | ||
| The word “Νύχτα”, or “night” in English, is also used figuratively to describe periods of darkness or hardship | |||
| Hmong | tsaus ntuj | ||
| The Hmong word "tsaus ntuj" can also mean "darkness" or "the unknown." | |||
| Kurdish | şev | ||
| The Kurdish word “şev” (night) also refers to the period of time between sunset and sunrise, as well as to the darkness that envelops during that time. | |||
| Turkish | gece | ||
| In Turkish, 'gece' also refers to 'darkness, obscurity', and the 'absence of light' | |||
| Xhosa | busuku | ||
| The Xhosa word for night, 'busuku', originated from the Zulu word 'busuku', meaning 'darkness' or 'shadow'. | |||
| Yiddish | נאַכט | ||
| In Yiddish, "נאַכט" (nakht) can also refer to someone who works the night shift, or a night watchman. | |||
| Zulu | ebusuku | ||
| The etymology of 'ebusuku' is unclear, but it may be related to the Proto-Bantu root *busu, meaning 'darkness', or *buki, meaning 'to be dark'. | |||
| Assamese | নিশা | ||
| Aymara | aruma | ||
| Bhojpuri | रात | ||
| Dhivehi | ރޭގަނޑު | ||
| Dogri | रात | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gabi | ||
| Guarani | pyhare | ||
| Ilocano | rabii | ||
| Krio | nɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شەو | ||
| Maithili | रात्रि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯗꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | zan | ||
| Oromo | halkan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରାତି | ||
| Quechua | tuta | ||
| Sanskrit | निशा | ||
| Tatar | төн | ||
| Tigrinya | ምሸት | ||
| Tsonga | madyambu | ||
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