Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'our' is a small but powerful expression of possession and inclusivity. It signifies something that is shared or jointly owned, fostering a sense of community and belonging. This simple word carries significant cultural importance across the globe, as it helps to define relationships and connections between people and the world around them.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'our' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into cultural nuances and differences. For instance, in some languages, there may be multiple ways to say 'our' depending on the context, such as distinguishing between 'our' (including the person you are speaking to) and 'our' (excluding the person you are speaking to).
For example, in Spanish, 'nuestro' is used when the subject is masculine, while 'nuestra' is used for feminine nouns. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'watashitachi no' is used for 'our' in a general sense, while 'ore no' is used to refer to 'my/our' in a more informal or masculine context.
In this article, we will explore the translations of 'our' in various languages, shedding light on the unique cultural and linguistic perspectives that shape our understanding of this simple but powerful word.
Afrikaans | ons | ||
Amharic | የእኛ | ||
The word "የእኛ" can also mean "ours" in the sense of belonging to a specific group or community. | |||
Hausa | namu | ||
Namu can also refer to one's group of peers. | |||
Igbo | nke anyi | ||
The Igbo word "nke anyi" (our) also translates to "the one that belongs to us" or "that which is ours." | |||
Malagasy | ny | ||
Malagasy "ny" can also mean "the" and "your" depending on context and other grammatical markers | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | wathu | ||
The word “wathu” can also mean "those" or "that one" in Chichewa. | |||
Shona | vedu | ||
As a noun, "vedu" refers to a type of plant found in Zimbabwe. | |||
Somali | our | ||
"Our" has a feminine form, "naga" (our), used before nouns that start with a consonant. | |||
Sesotho | ea rona | ||
"Ea rona" can be used in a more inclusive way to refer to "ours" when including oneself, whereas "ea ba rona" is used for "ours" when not including oneself. | |||
Swahili | yetu | ||
The word "yetu" in Swahili can also mean "ours" or "us," in addition to its primary meaning of "our." | |||
Xhosa | yethu | ||
The word 'yethu' can also be used as an expression of unity, meaning 'we are one'. | |||
Yoruba | wa | ||
The word 'wa' in Yoruba can also refer to a group of people, a family, or a community, emphasizing a sense of shared identity and belonging. | |||
Zulu | yethu | ||
The word 'yethu' can also refer to a specific group of people, such as a family or community. | |||
Bambara | an | ||
Ewe | míaƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | yacu | ||
Lingala | ya biso | ||
Luganda | ffe | ||
Sepedi | -a rena | ||
Twi (Akan) | yɛn | ||
Arabic | لنا | ||
The Arabic word "لنا" (lanā) can also refer to an indirect object pronoun or the preposition "for". | |||
Hebrew | שֶׁלָנוּ | ||
Historically, the word could also be spelled without a ם (mem) at the end, and it's still pronounced that way in Yemenite Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | زموږ | ||
The Pashto word "زموږ" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*me-/*meH-", meaning "me" or "I", and is cognate with the English word "my". | |||
Arabic | لنا | ||
The Arabic word "لنا" (lanā) can also refer to an indirect object pronoun or the preposition "for". |
Albanian | tonë | ||
Tonë is derived from the Proto-Albanian *tūn or *tō, cognates of the Illyrian *Tūno and the Venetian "to" (the form of address used in Venetian).} | |||
Basque | gure | ||
In Old Basque “gure” also meant “your” and was used when addressing someone who was respected or admired. | |||
Catalan | nostre | ||
Catalan "nostre" derives from Latin "noster" (our), also related to French "notre" (our). | |||
Croatian | naše | ||
The word 'naše' can be used as a possessive adjective, meaning 'our', or as a noun, meaning 'ours'. | |||
Danish | vores | ||
The word 'vores' in Danish also refers to the plural form of 'vor', meaning 'our' in English. | |||
Dutch | onze | ||
The Dutch word "onze" can also refer to "the number eleven". | |||
English | our | ||
Our can also be a noun meaning a period of time or a sequence of events. | |||
French | notre | ||
The word "notre" in French can also be used to refer to a close friend or a lover. | |||
Frisian | ús | ||
The Frisian word "ús" is also a contraction of the words "ut" (out) and "siet" (sight), meaning "out of sight". | |||
Galician | o noso | ||
The Galician word "o noso" has the same etymology as the Spanish word "nuestro", both derived from the Latin word "noster". Unlike in Spanish, "o noso" can also mean "the nose". | |||
German | unser | ||
The word "unser" in German can also refer to a type of grease or fat, especially the one used for lubricating machinery. | |||
Icelandic | okkar | ||
The word 'okkar' in Icelandic is derived from the Old Norse word 'várr', which meant 'our' but also 'dear' or 'precious'. | |||
Irish | ár | ||
The word "ár" in Irish is a contraction of the words "a" (our) and "muid" (us), and can also mean "that which belongs to us". | |||
Italian | nostro | ||
The term "nostro" is used in finance to refer to accounts held by banks for other banks in foreign currencies. | |||
Luxembourgish | eis | ||
“Eis” can come from the medieval German word “unse” or the old French word “nos”. | |||
Maltese | tagħna | ||
The Maltese word 'tagħna' is derived from the Arabic word 'tāʿin' ('our') and also means 'ours', though this usage is now mostly archaic. | |||
Norwegian | våre | ||
Våre can also mean "spring" in Norwegian. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nosso | ||
The word "nosso" derives from the Latin word "noster", which means "of ours". It is used to indicate possession, belonging, or association. | |||
Scots Gaelic | ar | ||
In Scottish Gaelic, "ar" can mean "of" and is used to form the genitive case. | |||
Spanish | nuestra | ||
The word "nuestra" comes from the Latin word "nostra", which means "our". | |||
Swedish | vår | ||
Vår, meaning 'spring' in Swedish, is related to the English word 'warm' and the German word 'wahr', signifying the coming of warmer weather and longer days. | |||
Welsh | ein | ||
The Welsh word "ein" can also mean "a" or "an" in certain contexts. |
Belarusian | наша | ||
The word "наша" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *naša, meaning "belonging to us". | |||
Bosnian | naš | ||
The word 'naš' can also refer to the state of being drunk. | |||
Bulgarian | нашата | ||
The word "нашата" can also refer to a "woman who is our own" or "a woman who belongs to us", depending on the context. | |||
Czech | náš | ||
The Czech word "náš" not only means "our", but also refers to "our people," "our nation," "my darling," or "my dear". | |||
Estonian | meie | ||
In Estonian, "meie" is also used as a personal pronoun in the first person plural, meaning "we". | |||
Finnish | meidän | ||
Meidän comes from the Proto-Finnic word meiden, which is a possessive pronoun meaning "our". | |||
Hungarian | a mi | ||
The phrase 'a mi' in Hungarian can also be translated as 'to me' or 'to us' in English, depending on context. | |||
Latvian | mūsu | ||
The word "mūsu" can also be used to refer to a group of people, such as a family or a community. | |||
Lithuanian | mūsų | ||
The word "mūsų" may have originated from the Proto-Baltic stem "*mūz-ūs". It can also be used as a possessive pronoun referring to a group of people. | |||
Macedonian | нашите | ||
The word can also be used to refer to a group of people who share a common interest or goal. | |||
Polish | nasz | ||
In Old Polish, "nasz" meant "common" as well as "our", which is reflected in its synonyms "wspolec" and "pospolit". | |||
Romanian | al nostru | ||
The Romanian word "al nostru" not only means "our", but also "the ours". | |||
Russian | наш | ||
The Russian word "наш" ("our") can also refer to "belonging to us" or "suitable for us". | |||
Serbian | наш | ||
In Serbian, the word "наш" can also refer to the collective noun "family" or to the possessive form of the pronoun "we". | |||
Slovak | náš | ||
The word "náš" in Slovak can also mean "own" or "native". | |||
Slovenian | naš | ||
The word "naš" in Slovenian can also refer to the concept of "belonging together" or "unity". | |||
Ukrainian | наш | ||
In Ukrainian, “наш” means “ours” in English, but can also refer to something associated with a person's homeland. |
Bengali | আমাদের | ||
The word 'আমাদের' also means 'our' in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | અમારા | ||
The word "અમારા" can also refer to the royal "we", indicating the speaker is in a position of authority. | |||
Hindi | हमारी | ||
The word "हमारी" (our) in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word "अस्माकम्" (asmakam), which also means "our". | |||
Kannada | ನಮ್ಮ | ||
The word "ನಮ್ಮ" also has the alternate meaning of "mine" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | ഞങ്ങളുടെ | ||
The word "ഞങ്ങളുടെ" is also used to refer to a group of people who are close to each other, such as family or friends. | |||
Marathi | आमचे | ||
"आमचे" can also refer to the first person singular possessive pronoun in Marathi, meaning "my". | |||
Nepali | हाम्रो | ||
The word 'हाम्रो' in Nepali originates from the Sanskrit word 'asmāka', meaning 'belonging to us'. | |||
Punjabi | ਸਾਡਾ | ||
The word 'ਸਾਡਾ' ('our') in Punjabi can also refer to collective or shared ownership, like 'our village' or 'our country' | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අපගේ | ||
අපගේ also means “the other one’s”, referring to a group, as opposed to the speaker’s. | |||
Tamil | நமது | ||
நமது is a possessive pronoun in Tamil that translates to 'our'. It is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *nām- 'we' and is related to the Sanskrit word नः (naḥ) meaning 'us'. | |||
Telugu | మా | ||
మా is also used as an honorific suffix attached to names of respected people. | |||
Urdu | ہمارا | ||
"ہمارا" (our) derives from the Old Indo-Aryan "asmāka" and is related to the Latin "nos" and the Greek "hēmeis". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 我们的 | ||
我们的 in Chinese can also mean "ours". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 我們的 | ||
我們的 (wǒmen de) also means 'the people'. | |||
Japanese | 私たちの | ||
“私たちの” translates to “belonging to us.” | |||
Korean | 우리의 | ||
우리의 can also mean "we" as in "우리의 나라는 아름답다" (Our country is beautiful). | |||
Mongolian | бидний | ||
The word "бидний" can also refer to the Mongolian nomadic ger (yurt). | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ငါတို့ | ||
The word "our" translates to "ငါတို့" (nga to) in Burmese, but it can also refer to a plural "you" when speaking to someone respectfully. |
Indonesian | kami | ||
The word 'kami' might also refer to clothing or an informal second person singular pronoun. | |||
Javanese | kita | ||
In Javanese, "kita" can also mean "me" or "we" if the speaker considers the addressee as part of one community or family. | |||
Khmer | របស់យើង | ||
The word "របស់យើង" can also be used to refer to something that is shared or common between people. | |||
Lao | ຂອງພວກເຮົາ | ||
Malay | kami | ||
The Malay word "kami" also refers to "all of us" when a person includes him- or herself in a group of people. | |||
Thai | ของเรา | ||
"ของเรา" can also be translated as "of ours" and is most commonly used to indicate ownership. | |||
Vietnamese | của chúng tôi | ||
"Của chúng tôi" translates to "our" in Vietnamese, however it is not to be mistaken for "của mình," which also translates to "our" but is instead considered possessive, referring to something personally belonging to the speaker. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ating | ||
Azerbaijani | bizim | ||
"Bizim" also means "our home" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | біздің | ||
In Kazakh, the word "Біздің" can also refer to the plural form of the possessive pronoun "менің" ("my"). | |||
Kyrgyz | биздин | ||
The word "биздин" in Kyrgyz can also refer to "common" or "joint" ownership, and is often used in the context of community property. | |||
Tajik | мо | ||
The word "мо" is also an abbreviated form of the possessive pronoun "моний" (my). | |||
Turkmen | biziň | ||
Uzbek | bizning | ||
The word "bizning" in Uzbek can also be used to refer to the possessive pronoun "his" when used with nouns referring to men. | |||
Uyghur | بىزنىڭ | ||
Hawaiian | kā mākou | ||
The word "kā mākou" also means "for us" or "to us" in Hawaiian, emphasizing the recipient of an action or object. | |||
Maori | ta maatau | ||
Samoan | tatou | ||
The dual-pronoun 'tatou' represents both the exclusive 'we' (not including the listener) and the inclusive 'we' (including the listener). | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | ang aming | ||
The word "ang aming" in Tagalog can also mean "the our" or "our the". |
Aymara | jiwasanki | ||
Guarani | ñande | ||
Esperanto | nia | ||
The word "nia" can also mean "of us" or "among us" in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | nostrorum | ||
The plural form, nostrorum, is often used in a possessive sense, meaning "belonging to us" or "of our own." |
Greek | μας | ||
The word 'μας' is also used in formal contexts, including prayer and poetry, and it can also mean 'you' (plural) in Cyprus and other areas. | |||
Hmong | peb | ||
In the Hmong language, the term "peb" is a possessive pronoun used to indicate plural possession, and it can have different connotations based on the specific dialect and context in which it is used. | |||
Kurdish | yên me | ||
The word "yên me" in Kurdish is also used as a reflexive pronoun, meaning "ourselves". | |||
Turkish | bizim | ||
Bizim: the Turkish possessive pronoun "our" can also be used figuratively to indicate familiarity or affection, e.g. "bizim sokak" ("our street"). | |||
Xhosa | yethu | ||
The word 'yethu' can also be used as an expression of unity, meaning 'we are one'. | |||
Yiddish | אונדזער | ||
אונדזער may also refer to the first Yiddish newspaper and the first Jewish socialist periodical in the Russian language. | |||
Zulu | yethu | ||
The word 'yethu' can also refer to a specific group of people, such as a family or community. | |||
Assamese | আমাৰ | ||
Aymara | jiwasanki | ||
Bhojpuri | हमन क | ||
Dhivehi | އަހަރެމެންގެ | ||
Dogri | साढ़ा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ating | ||
Guarani | ñande | ||
Ilocano | mi | ||
Krio | wi | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هی ئێمە | ||
Maithili | हमरासभक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯩꯈꯣꯏꯒꯤ | ||
Mizo | kan | ||
Oromo | keenya | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଆମର | ||
Quechua | ñuqanchikpa | ||
Sanskrit | अस्माकम् | ||
Tatar | безнең | ||
Tigrinya | ናትና | ||
Tsonga | hina | ||