Paint in Different Languages
Discover 'Paint' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Paint, a simple word that holds immense significance in our lives. It is not just a substance used to coat surfaces, but also a powerful tool for self-expression and storytelling. From ancient cave paintings to modern-day street art, paint has played a crucial role in cultural expression and communication. It has the ability to transform a simple canvas into a masterpiece, a room into a sanctuary, and a cityscape into an open-air gallery.
Moreover, the word 'paint' itself is a testament to the richness and diversity of human languages. For instance, in Spanish, it's 'pintura', in French, it's 'peinture', in German, it's 'Farbe', in Russian, it's 'краска', in Japanese, it's 'ペイント (peinto)', in Chinese, it's '绘画 (huìhuà)', and in Arabic, it's 'الطلاء (al ṭalā')'. Each language offers a unique perspective on this versatile medium.
So, whether you're an artist, a language enthusiast, or simply curious, understanding the translation of 'paint' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and artistic inspiration.
Paint
Paint in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verf | ||
| In medieval Dutch, 'verf' referred to the dyes used in the wool trade. | |||
| Amharic | ቀለም | ||
| ቀለም (paint/dye) and ቁልፍ (lock) have the same origin but different meanings | |||
| Hausa | fenti | ||
| In certain Hausa dialects, "fenti" can also refer to a shade of red or to the action of applying cosmetic powder to the face. | |||
| Igbo | agba | ||
| The Igbo word for 'paint' can also mean 'mark' or 'decorate' with a different tone. | |||
| Malagasy | hoso-doko | ||
| The word "hoso-doko" can also mean "paint, dye, or color" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | utoto | ||
| The Nyanja word 'utoto' also refers to a type of traditional red dye derived from a tree root. | |||
| Shona | penda | ||
| The word "penda" can also refer to the act of applying makeup or decorating something. | |||
| Somali | rinji | ||
| The same word "rinji" also refers to the act of "drawing" in the Somali language. | |||
| Sesotho | pente | ||
| The word "pente" can also be used to refer to a paintbrush. | |||
| Swahili | rangi | ||
| The word 'rangi' in Swahili is derived from the Proto-Bantu *lânzi, meaning 'to smear', and can also refer to the act of decorating or coloring. | |||
| Xhosa | ipeyinti | ||
| Ipeyinti, meaning 'paint' in Xhosa, originates from the word 'peyinta', which refers to the act of applying color to a surface. | |||
| Yoruba | kun | ||
| In Yoruba, 'kun' may refer to either a type of traditional paint or the act of applying paint. | |||
| Zulu | upende | ||
| The Zulu word "upende" derives from the Nguni language family and also means "to apply a substance (such as oil or dye) to the body or skin of a person or animal." | |||
| Bambara | pɛntiri | ||
| Ewe | aŋɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | irangi | ||
| Lingala | kotya langi | ||
| Luganda | okusiiga | ||
| Sepedi | pente | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ka aduro | ||
Paint in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رسم | ||
| The Arabic word for "paint" (رسم) comes from the word meaning "draw," as the first artists would draw using brushes. | |||
| Hebrew | צֶבַע | ||
| The Hebrew word "צֶבַע" can also mean "dye" or "color", and it derives from the Akkadian word "ṣebū", meaning "to dye". | |||
| Pashto | رنګ | ||
| In Pashto, "رنګ" means "color" but also refers to the act of dying fabric. | |||
| Arabic | رسم | ||
| The Arabic word for "paint" (رسم) comes from the word meaning "draw," as the first artists would draw using brushes. | |||
Paint in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bojë | ||
| "Bojë" also means "stain" and "dye". | |||
| Basque | margotu | ||
| The Basque word **margotu** 'to paint' is derived from the word **marra** 'mark', perhaps under the influence of the Spanish *marcar* 'to mark' | |||
| Catalan | pintura | ||
| The Catalan word "pintura" originally meant "what is depicted" and is related to the Latin word "pictura". | |||
| Croatian | boja | ||
| The word "boja" can also mean "color" or "dye" and is related to the word "boj" which means "battle" or "struggle." | |||
| Danish | maling | ||
| The Danish word "maling" originally referred to any coloring agent but now means specifically paint. | |||
| Dutch | verf | ||
| The Dutch word "verf" originated from an old Indo-European root meaning "to color" or "to dye" but is also related to the word "varnish". | |||
| English | paint | ||
| The word "paint" derives from the Latin "pingere" meaning "to depict," from the Proto-Indo-European root "peik-", meaning "to mark" or "decorate." | |||
| French | peindre | ||
| The French word "peindre" also has the alternate meaning of "to express one's feelings". | |||
| Frisian | fervje | ||
| The word 'fervje' also means 'colour' and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'ferwjan', meaning 'to dye' or 'to colour' | |||
| Galician | pintar | ||
| In Galician, "pintar" can also mean "to draw" or "to sketch". | |||
| German | farbe | ||
| The word 'Farbe' in German has additional meanings beyond 'paint', including 'color' and 'dye'. | |||
| Icelandic | mála | ||
| In Icelandic, "mála" also means "to speak" or "to draw". | |||
| Irish | péint | ||
| In Irish, "péint" also means ""a dot or speckle"" and is cognate with the Welsh word "paent" ""a spot, stain"". | |||
| Italian | dipingere | ||
| The Italian term 'dipingere' derives from the Latin word 'dispingere', meaning 'to separate' or 'to mark' with distinct lines. | |||
| Luxembourgish | molen | ||
| The word "molen" can also be referred to "mohlen", which is the German word for the verb 'to grind'. It refers to the use of grinding stones in the process of paint making. | |||
| Maltese | żebgħa | ||
| The Maltese word "żebgħa" comes from the Arabic word "صباغة" (ṣibāgha), meaning "dyeing" or "painting". | |||
| Norwegian | maling | ||
| The word "maling" can also refer to a particular type of paint used for artistic purposes, such as oil painting or watercolor painting. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pintura | ||
| The Portuguese word "pintura" is derived from the Latin "pictura," meaning "a painting" or "a drawing." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | peant | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "peant" also refers to a type of punishment involving a rod or belt. | |||
| Spanish | pintar | ||
| In Spanish, "pintar" can also mean "to draw" or "to color", highlighting the close relationship between these artistic activities. | |||
| Swedish | måla | ||
| The verb "måla" can mean "to paint" or "to mark a field". The word has been borrowed from Middle Low German "malen". | |||
| Welsh | paent | ||
| The word "paent" is derived from the Latin word "pigmentum", meaning "colour" or "dye". | |||
Paint in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | фарба | ||
| The word "фарба" (paint) in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pьrbъ, which also meant "dye". | |||
| Bosnian | boje | ||
| The word "boje" can also refer to a "dye" or a "stain" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | боя | ||
| The word "боя" in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *bojь, meaning "battle" or "fight"} | |||
| Czech | malovat | ||
| "Malovat" in Czech also has the alternate meaning of "to draw". | |||
| Estonian | värvi | ||
| "Värvi" also means "color" in Estonian, sharing a root with words like "vermillion" and "variant". | |||
| Finnish | maali- | ||
| The word "maali" can also refer to a goal scored in ice hockey or football, or to the finish line of a race. | |||
| Hungarian | festék | ||
| "Festék" is derived from the Slavic word "fest" meaning "dyed" and its cognate in other Finno-Ugric languages also means "dye" or "paint". | |||
| Latvian | krāsot | ||
| The Latvian word "krāsot" comes from the Proto-Baltic root *kers-, meaning "to scratch or scrape", and is related to the Lithuanian word "karsyti" and the Old Prussian word "kirsnan", both meaning "to scratch or itch." | |||
| Lithuanian | tapyti | ||
| In Lithuanian, "tapyti" is also used to mean "to cover or smear something", suggesting its connection to the act of spreading paint. | |||
| Macedonian | боја | ||
| "Боја" can also mean "color" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | farba | ||
| In Polish, "farba" also means color, dye, or pigment. | |||
| Romanian | a picta | ||
| The Romanian word "a picta" originally meant "to draw" and is related to the Latin word "pingere" with the same meaning. | |||
| Russian | покрасить | ||
| "Покрасить" derives from the Old Church Slavonic "краска" (paint), akin to "красивый" (beautiful). | |||
| Serbian | боје | ||
| The word "боје" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *boj-, meaning "to color". | |||
| Slovak | maľovať | ||
| The verb "maľovať" also means "to draw" and derives from the Proto-Slavic word *malovati, meaning "to smear, to paint". | |||
| Slovenian | barva | ||
| In the Gorenjska region of Slovenia, "barva" also refers to a "stripe or furrow" in a field. | |||
| Ukrainian | фарба | ||
| The word "фарба" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *parva, which originally meant "dye" or "color." | |||
Paint in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পেইন্ট | ||
| The word 'পেইন্ট' in Bengali comes from the Portuguese word 'pintar', which means 'to paint' or 'to decorate'. | |||
| Gujarati | પેઇન્ટ | ||
| In English, the word "paint" refers to both the substance used to color and protect surfaces and the act of applying it, while in Gujarati, "પેઇન્ટ" specifically refers to the act of applying the substance. | |||
| Hindi | रंग | ||
| The word "रंग" (paint) in Hindi can also refer to "hue", "color", or "shade". | |||
| Kannada | ಬಣ್ಣ | ||
| "ಬಣ್ಣ" also means a caste or group in Kannada, as it is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "Varna" which has the same meaning. | |||
| Malayalam | പെയിന്റ് | ||
| The word "പെയിന്റ്" originates from the Sanskrit word "पिष्ट" (pishta), meaning "to paste". It originally referred to any substance used to color or protect surfaces, including henna paste and body paint. | |||
| Marathi | रंग | ||
| The word "रंग" can also refer to the caste or group of people who make and apply paint. | |||
| Nepali | रंग | ||
| Nepali word "रंग" also means "hue" and comes from the Sanskrit word "रंज" (ranj) meaning "to dye" or "to color." | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੇਂਟ | ||
| The Punjabi word ਪੇਂਟ or पेंट (paint) originated from French 'peindre', ultimately from Latin 'pingere' - meaning to paint or to decorate. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තීන්ත | ||
| The Sinhala word "තීන්ත" can also refer to the ink used for writing purposes. | |||
| Tamil | பெயிண்ட் | ||
| The word 'பெயிண்ட்' in Tamil also has the meaning 'to speak' or 'to tell'. | |||
| Telugu | పెయింట్ | ||
| The word "పెయింట్" (paint) in Telugu also refers to makeup applied on the face or body. | |||
| Urdu | پینٹ | ||
| In Urdu, "پینٹ" (paint) can also mean "picture" or "portrait". | |||
Paint in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 涂料 | ||
| "涂" (tu) refers to "to spread" while "料" (liao) refers to "material," meaning the literal definition of "涂料" is "spreadable material." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 塗料 | ||
| "塗" has the meaning of applying something to a surface, and "料" refers to the material used for the application. | |||
| Japanese | ペイント | ||
| The word "ペイント" (paint) in Japanese can also refer to the act of painting or the result of painting, similar to the English usage. | |||
| Korean | 페인트 | ||
| The Korean word "페인트" (paint) is derived from the English word "paint", but it also has the additional meaning of "makeup". | |||
| Mongolian | будаг | ||
| The word "будаг" originally referred to the act of coating something with a substance such as oil or fat, and could also mean "greasy" or "oily" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆေးသုတ်သည် | ||
Paint in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | cat | ||
| The Indonesian word "cat" can also refer to a small amount, or a bit. | |||
| Javanese | cet | ||
| "Cet" also means "stain" or "dye" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ថ្នាំលាប | ||
| ថ្នាំលាប is also used to refer to traditional Khmer medicine applied externally to the skin. | |||
| Lao | ທາສີ | ||
| The Lao word ທາສີ (paint) comes from the Sanskrit word स्थासन (sthāsana), meaning “standing, fixed”. | |||
| Malay | cat | ||
| In 17th-century Malaccan Malay, 'cat' also means 'Chinese ink'. | |||
| Thai | สี | ||
| "สี" also means a dye, a tint or a hue. | |||
| Vietnamese | sơn | ||
| Sơn derives from the Chinese word "shān", which means "cinnabar", a red mineral pigment used in traditional Chinese painting. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pintura | ||
Paint in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çəkmək | ||
| The word "çəkmək" can also mean "to draw" or "to pull" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | бояу | ||
| The term "бояу" can also refer to a natural or artificial material used to create colors in textiles, pottery, or other artistic and industrial applications. | |||
| Kyrgyz | боёк | ||
| The word "боёк" in Kyrgyz has a possible origin from the word "боя" in Mongolian, meaning "to dye". | |||
| Tajik | ранг | ||
| В персидском языке слово "rang" также имеет значения "цвет", "оттенок", "окраска", "краска", "крашение", "рисунок", "узор", "орнамент", "тон". | |||
| Turkmen | boýag | ||
| Uzbek | bo'yamoq | ||
| The verb "bo'yamoq" can also be used as a noun, meaning "paint" or "dye" in Uzbek | |||
| Uyghur | رەڭ | ||
Paint in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pena | ||
| Pena can also mean to draw or depict, or the act of drawing or depicting. | |||
| Maori | peita | ||
| 'Peita' is not only the Maori word for 'paint', but also the name of a Maori goddess whose spirit guards the sacred arts of painting and carving. | |||
| Samoan | vali | ||
| In Samoan, "vali" also refers to the act of applying paint or makeup, and can be used to describe someone who is skilled at doing so. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pintura | ||
| The word "pintura" in Tagalog (Filipino) derives from the Spanish word "pintura," which means "painting" or "paint." | |||
Paint in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | saminchaña | ||
| Guarani | ta'ãnga | ||
Paint in International Languages
| Esperanto | farbo | ||
| The word "farbo" is derived from the Latin word "farbum", meaning "dye" or "colour" | |||
| Latin | circumlinisti stibio | ||
| Etymology: "circumlinisti", "anointed around" + stibium, "antimony". | |||
Paint in Others Languages
| Greek | χρώμα | ||
| The word "χρώμα" (paint) in Greek derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "k̂h₂rew-," meaning "to rub, scratch, or scrape," and is related to the English word "chrome." | |||
| Hmong | xim | ||
| Xim can also refer to a type of fruit (similar to a guava) that is used to make dye, or to a type of traditional clothing | |||
| Kurdish | reng | ||
| In Kurdish, "reng" comes from Old Persian "rañg" which means both "color" and "dye". | |||
| Turkish | boya | ||
| The word "boya" in Turkish has Persian roots and also has the meaning of "dye". | |||
| Xhosa | ipeyinti | ||
| Ipeyinti, meaning 'paint' in Xhosa, originates from the word 'peyinta', which refers to the act of applying color to a surface. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַרבן | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַרבן" (paint) is derived from the Middle High German "varwe" (color), which in turn comes from the Old French "verve" (liveliness, exuberance). | |||
| Zulu | upende | ||
| The Zulu word "upende" derives from the Nguni language family and also means "to apply a substance (such as oil or dye) to the body or skin of a person or animal." | |||
| Assamese | ৰং সনা | ||
| Aymara | saminchaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | पेंट | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުލަޖެއްސުން | ||
| Dogri | पेंट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pintura | ||
| Guarani | ta'ãnga | ||
| Ilocano | pintura | ||
| Krio | pent | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆیاغ | ||
| Maithili | रंग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯆꯨ ꯁꯪꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rawng | ||
| Oromo | qalama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରଙ୍ଗ | ||
| Quechua | llinpiy | ||
| Sanskrit | चित्र | ||
| Tatar | буяу | ||
| Tigrinya | ስእሊ | ||
| Tsonga | penda | ||