Normal in Different Languages
Discover 'Normal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'normal' is one that we use all the time, often without giving it a second thought. But what does it really mean to be 'normal'? And how does the concept of normality vary from culture to culture? These are questions that have fascinated thinkers and philosophers for centuries, and which continue to be relevant today.
At its most basic level, 'normal' simply refers to that which is typical or usual. But the word can also carry with it a sense of conformity, of fitting in with a larger group or society. In some contexts, 'normal' can even be used as a synonym for 'healthy' or 'unremarkable'. Yet, what is considered 'normal' in one culture or society may be seen as strange or even abnormal in another.
Understanding the translations of 'normal' in different languages can give us valuable insights into the cultural norms and values of different societies. For example, in Spanish, 'normal' is 'normal', while in French, it is 'normal'. Meanwhile, in German, the word for 'normal' is 'normal', and in Japanese, it is ''.
So, whether you're a language learner looking to expand your vocabulary, or a cultural enthusiast seeking to better understand the world around you, exploring the translations of 'normal' is a great place to start.
Normal
Normal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | normaal | ||
| "Normaal" also means "ordinary", "common" or "regular". | |||
| Amharic | መደበኛ | ||
| The word 'መደበኛ' ('normal') in Amharic is derived from the verb 'ደበበ' ('to be equal') and originally meant 'corresponding'. | |||
| Hausa | na al'ada | ||
| "Na al'ada" is derived from the Arabic "al-'āda", meaning "the usual", while in everyday speech it can also refer to something "good". | |||
| Igbo | nkịtị | ||
| In addition to its usual meaning of 'regular' or 'ordinary,' the Igbo word 'nkịtị' can also refer to 'the way things are' or 'the status quo.' | |||
| Malagasy | ara-dalàna | ||
| The word | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wabwinobwino | ||
| Despite its seemingly positive connotation, the literal translation of the word "wabwinobwino" is "bad or ugly". | |||
| Shona | zvakajairika | ||
| The word "zvakajairika" is derived from the Shona verb "kujairika," meaning "to be in order" or "to be correct." | |||
| Somali | caadi ah | ||
| The term 'caadi ah,' meaning 'normal' in Somali, is rooted in Arabic and signifies something that is 'moderate' or 'regular.' | |||
| Sesotho | tloaelehileng | ||
| Swahili | kawaida | ||
| Kawaida also refers to tradition or established practice and can be used to describe cultural norms and values. | |||
| Xhosa | eqhelekileyo | ||
| The noun 'eqhelekileyo' is derived from the verb 'qheleka' ('to be accustomed to') and thus connotes something that is familiar or usual. | |||
| Yoruba | deede | ||
| The word "deede" is derived from the Yoruba word "dide" which means "to stand upright". It also means "to be straight", "to be correct", or "to be in order". This is the origin of the proverb "Igi deede ko gbogbo iru ojo ri" which means "An upright tree cannot see all kinds of days". This proverb is used to refer to someone who is always doing the right thing and is not always rewarded for it. | |||
| Zulu | evamile | ||
| The Zulu word 'evamile' derives from the Proto-Bantu root *-pʰami- 'to measure, to test' and has cognates in several other Bantu languages, including Swahili 'fami' and Tonga 'bhami' with similar meanings. | |||
| Bambara | o ka kan | ||
| Ewe | gbe sia gbe ƒe nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bisanzwe | ||
| Lingala | ya malamu | ||
| Luganda | ekya bulijjo | ||
| Sepedi | tlwaelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | daa daa | ||
Normal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عادي | ||
| "Normal" (عَادِي) could be "not uncommon" as in its literal definition, but it could also mean, in colloquial speech, "bad" as in "not great." | |||
| Hebrew | נוֹרמָלִי | ||
| The Hebrew word "נוֹרמָלִי" (normal) is derived from the Latin word "normalis", meaning "according to the rule" or "conforming to the standard". | |||
| Pashto | نورمال | ||
| Arabic | عادي | ||
| "Normal" (عَادِي) could be "not uncommon" as in its literal definition, but it could also mean, in colloquial speech, "bad" as in "not great." | |||
Normal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | normal | ||
| The Albanian word "normal" is derived from the Latin word "norma", meaning a standard or a rule. | |||
| Basque | normala | ||
| In Basque, "normala" can also refer to "right", "straight", or "level". | |||
| Catalan | normal | ||
| In Catalan, "normal" can also refer to a person's sexual orientation, specifically "heterosexual." | |||
| Croatian | normalan | ||
| The word "normalan" can also mean "usual" or "regular" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | normal | ||
| The Danish word 'normal' can also be used to mean 'perpendicular' in carpentry and masonry. | |||
| Dutch | normaal | ||
| The word "normaal" in Dutch can also mean "standard" or "average". | |||
| English | normal | ||
| The word "normal" originally meant "conforming to the standard," but now has the connotation of "average" or "expected." | |||
| French | ordinaire | ||
| The word "Ordinaire" can also refer to a meal or a type of wine. | |||
| Frisian | normaal | ||
| The Frisian word "normaal" can also refer to a specific dimension of building materials | |||
| Galician | normal | ||
| In Galician, the word "normal" can also mean "straight", as in not crooked or curved. | |||
| German | normal | ||
| In German, "normal" also means "perpendicular". | |||
| Icelandic | eðlilegt | ||
| The Icelandic word "eðlilegt" is derived from the Old Norse "eðli", meaning "nature" or "character". | |||
| Irish | gnáth | ||
| The word "gnáth" in Irish can also refer to "custom" or "habit". | |||
| Italian | normale | ||
| The feminine form, "normale," specifically refers to a school that prepares students to become teachers. | |||
| Luxembourgish | normal | ||
| The Luxembourgish word “normal” can also mean “crazy” or “simple”. | |||
| Maltese | normali | ||
| The Maltese word "normali" also translates to "everyday" and "ordinary" depending on the context | |||
| Norwegian | normal | ||
| The Norwegian word "normal" can also mean "perpendicular" or "at right angles". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | normal | ||
| In Portuguese, unlike in English, "normal" also means perpendicular or forming a right angle. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àbhaisteach | ||
| The word àbhaisteach, meaning "normal" in Scots Gaelic, also has connotations of regularity and customariness. | |||
| Spanish | normal | ||
| En español la palabra "normal" también puede referirse a una persona común y corriente. | |||
| Swedish | vanligt | ||
| "Vanligt" can also refer to "usual" in Swedish. However its most frequent meaning is "ordinary". | |||
| Welsh | arferol | ||
| The Welsh word 'arferol', meaning 'normal' originates from the word 'arfer', meaning 'habit'. | |||
Normal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нармальны | ||
| The word "нармальны" can also mean "straight" or "correct" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | normalno | ||
| In Serbian and Bosnian, normalno can also mean 'good' or 'ok'. | |||
| Bulgarian | нормално | ||
| The word 'нормално' in Bulgarian can also refer to something perpendicular, vertical, or standard. | |||
| Czech | normální | ||
| The Czech word "normální" can also mean "perpendicular" or "straight", deriving from the Latin "norma" meaning "rule" or "carpenter's square. | |||
| Estonian | normaalne | ||
| In Estonian, "normaalne" can also mean "okay" or "passable" depending on intonation and context. | |||
| Finnish | normaalia | ||
| The word 'normaalia' can also mean 'average' or 'standard' in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | normál | ||
| The word "Normál" in Hungarian can also refer to a type of brick or a standard size of paper. | |||
| Latvian | normāli | ||
| Historically, "normāli" meant "according to rule" and "not sick". | |||
| Lithuanian | normalus | ||
| The word "normalus" is derived from the Latin word "normalis," which means "conforming to type" or "regular." | |||
| Macedonian | нормално | ||
| In Old Macedonian, the term “нормално” had more spiritual connotations, referring to something in accordance with societal values and expectations. | |||
| Polish | normalna | ||
| The word "normalna" in Polish can also mean "level", "regular", or "standard" | |||
| Romanian | normal | ||
| In the 19th century, the term "normal" in Romanian started to be used in the medical sense and in science. | |||
| Russian | обычный | ||
| The word "обычный" can also mean "usual" or "customary" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | нормално | ||
| The Serbian word "нормално" can also mean "regularly" or "usually". | |||
| Slovak | normálne | ||
| In addition to its usual meaning, the Slovak word "normálne" can also be used to convey the idea of "that's to be expected, of course, without a doubt, or absolutely". | |||
| Slovenian | normalno | ||
| The word "normalno" can also mean "usually" or "ordinarily" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | нормальний | ||
| Normally, the word "нормальний" in Ukrainian means "regular" or "typical," but it can also have a connotation of "healthy" or "sane." | |||
Normal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সাধারণ | ||
| The word 'সাধারণ' in Bengali can also mean 'ordinary' or 'common'. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sadharana', which means 'common' or 'belonging to all'. | |||
| Gujarati | સામાન્ય | ||
| Hindi | साधारण | ||
| The word साधारण in Hindi can also mean common, general, usual, or average. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ | ||
| The word ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ, meaning normal, also has a connotation of 'common' or 'ordinary' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | സാധാരണ | ||
| The Malayalam word "സാധാരണ" can also mean "ordinary" or "common". | |||
| Marathi | सामान्य | ||
| The term "सामान्य" (sādhāran) can also mean "universal" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | सामान्य | ||
| "सामान्य" (normal) in Nepali can also mean "usual" or "ordinary". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਮ | ||
| The word 'ਆਮ' (aam) in Punjabi can also refer to the fruit 'mango' or to a specific variety of mango. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාමාන්යයි | ||
| Tamil | சாதாரண | ||
| The Tamil word 'சாதாரண' can also refer to something that is 'common', 'usual', or 'average'. | |||
| Telugu | సాధారణ | ||
| The word "సాధారణ" comes from Sanskrit and means "ordinary, regular" or "not special". | |||
| Urdu | عام | ||
| The Urdu word "عام" derives from the Arabic "ʿāmm", meaning both "general" and "public". | |||
Normal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 正常 | ||
| 正常 often refers to a state of balance or correctness, but can also mean 'normalcy' in the sense of 'average' or 'common'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 正常 | ||
| In Chinese, 正常 (zhèngcháng) can also mean "the correct state" or "the expected state". | |||
| Japanese | 正常 | ||
| The word "正常" can also mean "regular" or "standard". | |||
| Korean | 표준 | ||
| The word "표준" also means "standard" or "norm" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хэвийн | ||
| The word 'хэвийн' has additional meanings of 'standard' and 'ordinary'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပုံမှန် | ||
| The word ပုံမှန် (pronounced | |||
Normal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | normal | ||
| In Indonesian, the word 'normal' (normal) derives from the Dutch 'normaal' and also denotes 'perpendicular' or 'right-angled'. | |||
| Javanese | lumrahe | ||
| This word could also mean "in the usual way" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ធម្មតា | ||
| "ធម្មតា" also applies more broadly to concepts such as "ordinary" and "as usual". | |||
| Lao | ທຳ ມະດາ | ||
| Malay | biasa | ||
| The word "biasa" in Malay shares its root with the Sanskrit word "vyasah," meaning "different," suggesting an earlier meaning of "different from the norm," or "uncommon." | |||
| Thai | ปกติ | ||
| ปกติ can also mean "regular" or "usual" | |||
| Vietnamese | bình thường | ||
| 'Bình thường' also means 'water jug' or 'vase' in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | normal | ||
Normal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | normal | ||
| "Normal" also describes the state of a person who is in good health, and it can be used to describe something that is expected or usual. | |||
| Kazakh | қалыпты | ||
| The word "қалыпты" can also mean "typical", "ordinary", "usual", or "standard" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кадимки | ||
| Кадимки (normal) came from the Turkic word “kadim,” which means ancient, old. | |||
| Tajik | муқаррарӣ | ||
| The word "муқаррарӣ" can also refer to something that is established or determined. | |||
| Turkmen | adaty | ||
| Uzbek | normal | ||
| The Uzbek word "normal" can also refer to "standard" or "usual". | |||
| Uyghur | نورمال | ||
Normal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maʻamau | ||
| The word "maʻamau" can also mean "ordinary" or "standard" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | noa | ||
| Noa can also mean clear, free from obstacles, or unblemished | |||
| Samoan | masani | ||
| The word masani also refers to the 'ordinary' or 'basic' version of something, as in the phrase 'masani o le taumafataga,' which means 'the basic meal.' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | normal | ||
| In Tagalog, "normal" can also refer to "plain" or "unadorned. | |||
Normal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | nurmalaki | ||
| Guarani | jepigua | ||
Normal in International Languages
| Esperanto | normala | ||
| Latin | normalem | ||
| Latin “normalis” originally meant "according to a rule, square, or carpenter's level." | |||
Normal in Others Languages
| Greek | κανονικός | ||
| κανονικός in Greek originally referred to something made using a straight edge. | |||
| Hmong | ib txwm | ||
| The word 'ib txwm' can also refer to a type of rice that is commonly grown in the uplands of Laos and Thailand. | |||
| Kurdish | normal | ||
| In Kurdish, 'normal' also means 'common, usual, typical'. | |||
| Turkish | normal | ||
| The Turkish word "normal" also means "perpendicular" and derives from French "normale" and Latin "normalis" meaning "according to rule." | |||
| Xhosa | eqhelekileyo | ||
| The noun 'eqhelekileyo' is derived from the verb 'qheleka' ('to be accustomed to') and thus connotes something that is familiar or usual. | |||
| Yiddish | נאָרמאַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "נאָרמאַל" ("normal") can also mean "decent" or "respectable". | |||
| Zulu | evamile | ||
| The Zulu word 'evamile' derives from the Proto-Bantu root *-pʰami- 'to measure, to test' and has cognates in several other Bantu languages, including Swahili 'fami' and Tonga 'bhami' with similar meanings. | |||
| Assamese | স্বাভাৱিক | ||
| Aymara | nurmalaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | सामान्य | ||
| Dhivehi | އާދައިގެ | ||
| Dogri | आम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | normal | ||
| Guarani | jepigua | ||
| Ilocano | normal | ||
| Krio | nɔmal | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاسایی | ||
| Maithili | सामान्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯍꯧꯁꯥꯒꯨꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pangngai | ||
| Oromo | baratamaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାଧାରଣ | ||
| Quechua | kaqlla | ||
| Sanskrit | सामान्य | ||
| Tatar | нормаль | ||
| Tigrinya | ንቡር | ||
| Tsonga | ntolovelo | ||