Pair in Different Languages
Discover 'Pair' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'pair' is a simple term that carries significant meaning in English and many other languages. At its core, a pair refers to two things that go together, such as shoes, gloves, or even partners in a dance. This concept of two things coming together is not only important in our daily lives but also holds cultural significance in various traditions and practices around the world.
For instance, in Chinese culture, the concept of a pair is often associated with balance and harmony, as seen in the traditional Yin and Yang symbol. Similarly, in many Western cultures, the idea of a 'pair' is often used to describe romantic partners or life-long companions.
Given the global significance of this term, it's no wonder that people might want to know its translation in different languages. Understanding how to say 'pair' in various languages can help facilitate communication and build connections with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Here are some translations of the word 'pair' in different languages:
Pair
Pair in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | paar | ||
| In 16th-century Middle Dutch, 'paar' meant 'a set of two matched things', and was derived from the Latin 'par' ('equal'). | |||
| Amharic | ጥንድ | ||
| "ጥንድ" (pair) is derived from the root "ጥን" (to be together, to be joined), and is also used to refer to twins or married couples | |||
| Hausa | biyu | ||
| The word biyu in Hausa can also refer to the number two as a grammatical element or two items as a collective whole. | |||
| Igbo | ụzọ | ||
| In Igbo, "ụzọ" can also refer to a path, road, or way of life | |||
| Malagasy | miaraka tsiroaroa | ||
| In Malagasy, the term "Miaraka tsiroaroa" is not only used in the sense of a couple or a pair, but also has the underlying meaning of "to be together until the end". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | awiriawiri | ||
| The word originates from two words meaning "one" and "another" | |||
| Shona | vaviri | ||
| The word 'vaviri' also means 'two' in Shona, similar to the English word 'pair'. | |||
| Somali | labo | ||
| The Somali word "labo" is derived from the Proto-Cushitic root *-(ʔ)lab- "to cleave". | |||
| Sesotho | para | ||
| The word "para" in Sesotho can also mean "to split" or "to separate". | |||
| Swahili | jozi | ||
| Jozi is a borrowing from Arabic "zawj" meaning "pair" and is also used in Kiswahili to mean "spouse". | |||
| Xhosa | isibini | ||
| The Xhosa word 'isibini' means 'pair' and can also refer to a couple or a set of similar or related things. | |||
| Yoruba | bata | ||
| The word "bata" not only means "pair" in Yoruba but also "footwear" or "dance". | |||
| Zulu | ngababili | ||
| The word 'ngababili' also means 'double' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | fila | ||
| Ewe | nu eve | ||
| Kinyarwanda | couple | ||
| Lingala | mibale | ||
| Luganda | omugogo | ||
| Sepedi | phere | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nta | ||
Pair in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زوج | ||
| The word "زوج" in Arabic can also refer to a "spouse" or "mate", particularly in the context of marriage. | |||
| Hebrew | זוג | ||
| זוג (pair) is an ancient word with roots in both Hebrew and Sanskrit, and it retains an alternate meaning of 'yoke'. | |||
| Pashto | جوړه | ||
| The Pashto word "جوړه" ("pair") also refers to an agreement between two individuals or groups, a match, or a couple. | |||
| Arabic | زوج | ||
| The word "زوج" in Arabic can also refer to a "spouse" or "mate", particularly in the context of marriage. | |||
Pair in Western European Languages
| Albanian | palë | ||
| The etymology of "palë" is unclear but it likely derives from the reconstructed Proto-Albanian "pālis" meaning "side" or "part". | |||
| Basque | bikotea | ||
| Bikotea also means 'a pair of oxen' in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | parell | ||
| Catalan word "parell" has a double etymology: Latin "par" and Greek "pareilos", which convey "similar" and "equal" respectively. | |||
| Croatian | par | ||
| The Croatian word "par" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "para", meaning "pair" or "couple." | |||
| Danish | par | ||
| The Danish word "par" can also refer to a team or a couple. | |||
| Dutch | paar- | ||
| "Paar" can also refer to a set of two similar or matching things. | |||
| English | pair | ||
| The word 'pair' derives from the Latin word 'par', meaning 'equal' or 'similar'. | |||
| French | paire | ||
| In French, "paire" can also refer to a couple, a set, or a pair of animals pulling a wagon. | |||
| Frisian | pear | ||
| Frisian "pear" means "pair" but can also be used to refer to a single thing, like an object or animal. | |||
| Galician | par | ||
| In Galician, "par" can also mean "equal" or "similar". | |||
| German | paar | ||
| The German word "Paar" originally referred to a brace of birds that would fly together during mating season. | |||
| Icelandic | par | ||
| In Icelandic, "par" can refer to a married couple, a couple in a romantic relationship, or a group of two people who are close friends. | |||
| Irish | péire | ||
| The Irish word "péire" also has the meaning of "sum", "amount", or "quantity". | |||
| Italian | paio | ||
| The word "paio" can also refer to a set of bells or to the sticks used to play them. | |||
| Luxembourgish | koppel | ||
| In Luxembourgish, 'Koppel' originally meant 'bond' or 'lock' in Middle High German, before it came to mean 'pair'. | |||
| Maltese | par | ||
| Maltese 'par' (pair) originates from Italian 'paio'. Both words mean 'a set of two'. | |||
| Norwegian | par | ||
| The Norwegian word "par" can also mean an odd number. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | par | ||
| In Portuguese, "par" can also mean "odd" or "uneven," as in a number of objects that cannot be divided into equal pairs. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | paidhir | ||
| The word "paidhir" is cognate with the English word "pedestal". | |||
| Spanish | par | ||
| In Spanish, "par" has nautical usage in the form of a pair of oars or a sail with its yard. | |||
| Swedish | par | ||
| In Swedish, "par" can also refer to a couple in a relationship or a group of animals that live together. | |||
| Welsh | pâr | ||
| The Welsh word "pâr" may also mean "couple" or "mate" in the sense of a breeding pair of animals. | |||
Pair in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пара | ||
| The word "пара" in Belarusian can also mean "steam". | |||
| Bosnian | par | ||
| The word 'par' derives from the Proto-Slavic form *parъ, which also meant 'dispute' or 'argument'. | |||
| Bulgarian | двойка | ||
| The word "двойка" can also mean a "two", a "grade of two", or a "team of two" | |||
| Czech | pár | ||
| The word "pár" can also mean "a few" or "some" in Czech, as in the phrase "pár dnů" (a few days). | |||
| Estonian | paar | ||
| Derived from Proto-Finnic *para, related to the Hungarian pár and Finnish pari. | |||
| Finnish | pari | ||
| "Pari" can also mean "good" or "even number" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | pár | ||
| “Pár” can also mean “a few” or “some”. | |||
| Latvian | pāris | ||
| The Latvian word "pāris" comes from the Indo-European word *per-, meaning "to go across," and is related to the English word "ferry." | |||
| Lithuanian | pora | ||
| "Pora" also means "time" in Lithuanian, derived from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word "*porъ". So, "porą" means "a pair" and "porą" also means "for a while". | |||
| Macedonian | пар | ||
| The word "пар" can also mean "steam" or "vapour" in Macedonian, which is related to its use in the term "парно греење" (central heating). | |||
| Polish | para | ||
| In Polish, "para" can also refer to a couple, a set of two, or a team. | |||
| Romanian | pereche | ||
| The term 'pereche' likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to combine" or "to tie up," and initially meant two things that are connected. | |||
| Russian | пара | ||
| In Russian, "пара" can mean not only "pair," but also "steam," "couple," or "sailboat," depending on context. | |||
| Serbian | пар | ||
| The Serbian word "пар" (pair) also means "steam" or "vapor" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *parъ, which had the same meaning. | |||
| Slovak | pár | ||
| The word 'pár' can also mean 'a few' or 'several' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | par | ||
| The noun 'par' (pair) also means 'an odd number of things' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | пара | ||
| The word "пара" (pair) also means "a couple", "a pair of shoes", "a match". | |||
Pair in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জোড় | ||
| The word "জোড়" can also refer to a couple or a team. | |||
| Gujarati | જોડ | ||
| The word "જોડ" in Gujarati can also mean a couple, a match, or a junction | |||
| Hindi | जोड़ा | ||
| The Hindi word "जोड़ा" can also mean "a yoke for bullocks" or "a couple of oxen". | |||
| Kannada | ಜೋಡಿ | ||
| The word ಜೋಡಿ can also be used to mean 'couple', 'mates' or 'partners'. | |||
| Malayalam | ജോഡി | ||
| "ജോഡി" is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "युग" (meaning 'pair', 'couple') or the Tamil word "ஜோடி" (meaning 'a pair'). In some contexts, it can also refer to a 'couple' of people or a 'set' of objects. | |||
| Marathi | जोडी | ||
| The word "जोडी" can also refer to a couple, a team, or a set of two. | |||
| Nepali | जोडी | ||
| The word "जोडी" is derived from the Sanskrit word "युग", meaning "two" or "pair." | |||
| Punjabi | ਜੋੜਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යුගල | ||
| The word "යුගල" also means "couple" or "mate" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | ஜோடி | ||
| The Tamil word "ஜோடி" can also refer to a group of singers or dancers who perform together. | |||
| Telugu | జత | ||
| జత is also used to refer to a match or a set of similar things. | |||
| Urdu | جوڑا | ||
| The word “جوڑا” can also refer to “twins.” | |||
Pair in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 对 | ||
| The word "对" also refers to a specific arrangement of four characters in Chinese poetry, where the second and fourth characters rhyme. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 對 | ||
| 對 in Chinese can also mean 'to face', 'to compare', or 'to check'. | |||
| Japanese | ペア | ||
| "ペア" (pair) is a loanword from English, and the original Japanese word for "pair" is "番" (ban). | |||
| Korean | 쌍 | ||
| 쌍 (雙) can also mean "both" or "double" and is used in various combinations, such as 쌍둥이 (twins), 쌍꺼풀 (double eyelids), 쌍문 (double doors), and 쌍곡선 (hyperbola). | |||
| Mongolian | хос | ||
| In Mongolian, "хос" not only means "pair" but also "both" and "each other." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စုံတွဲတစ်တွဲ | ||
Pair in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pasangan | ||
| Pasangan can also refer to a married couple or partners in a romantic relationship. | |||
| Javanese | pasangan | ||
| The word "pasangan" can refer to two separate objects in Javanese and also means "partner" or "spouse" | |||
| Khmer | គូ | ||
| The word "គូ" can also refer to a team or a group of people working together. | |||
| Lao | ຄູ່ | ||
| ຄູ່ can also mean 'friend', 'companion', or 'partner'. | |||
| Malay | berpasangan | ||
| The Malay word "berpasangan" has Javanese roots and can refer not only to pairs but also to relationships or companionships. | |||
| Thai | คู่ | ||
| คู่ (pair) can also mean "a companion" or "a couple" and is related to the word "คู่กัน (together)". | |||
| Vietnamese | đôi | ||
| "Đôi" in Vietnamese is a prefix denoting two people with a close or romantic relationship, or a group of two things | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pares | ||
Pair in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cüt | ||
| In addition to meaning "pair", "cüt" also means "equal" and "double" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жұп | ||
| In Kazakh, "жұп" has multiple meanings including "double," "both," "similar," and "even (numbers)" while in Turkish it means "thin," "weak," or "skinny." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жуп | ||
| The Kyrgyz word “жуп” can also mean “a match” between two socks, shoes, or gloves. | |||
| Tajik | ҷуфт | ||
| The word “ҷуфт” also means “a complete set of something” in Tajik, such as a set of clothes or dishes. | |||
| Turkmen | jübüt | ||
| Uzbek | juftlik | ||
| The word "juftlik" in Uzbek has Persian roots and can also refer to a type of Uzbek rug with symmetrical patterns. | |||
| Uyghur | جۈپ | ||
Pair in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pālua | ||
| Pālua means 'two' in Hawaiian but can also refer to a spouse, friend, or colleague. | |||
| Maori | takirua | ||
| Takirua can also refer to two objects that are joined together or a set of two. | |||
| Samoan | paga | ||
| The Samoan word "paga" also means "to share" or "to divide", representing the concept of two becoming one. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pares | ||
| The word 'pares' can also refer to a Tagalog dish consisting of a beef stew. | |||
Pair in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | parisa | ||
| Guarani | papyjoja | ||
Pair in International Languages
| Esperanto | paro | ||
| The root "*par-/*per-" means "to give birth to, to produce" and is found in words like "parent" and "parity". | |||
| Latin | par | ||
| "Par" also means "equal" or "alike" in Latin. | |||
Pair in Others Languages
| Greek | ζεύγος | ||
| 'Ζεύγος' also refers to a yoke which harnessed animals together, thus implying the idea of 'union' or 'couple' | |||
| Hmong | khub | ||
| The word "khub" also means "to double" and "to multiply" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | cot | ||
| In Kurdish, "cot" has historical and cultural meanings related to the concept of a 'couple' within the context of marriage, extending beyond the mere notion of two. | |||
| Turkish | çift | ||
| Çift can also mean 'double' in Turkish, as in 'çift katlı' ('double-storied'). | |||
| Xhosa | isibini | ||
| The Xhosa word 'isibini' means 'pair' and can also refer to a couple or a set of similar or related things. | |||
| Yiddish | פּאָר | ||
| "פּאָר" (pair) is also used informally to mean "lots" or "a lot" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ngababili | ||
| The word 'ngababili' also means 'double' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | যোৰা | ||
| Aymara | parisa | ||
| Bhojpuri | जोड़ा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕެއަރ | ||
| Dogri | जोड़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pares | ||
| Guarani | papyjoja | ||
| Ilocano | agkadua | ||
| Krio | bay tu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جووت | ||
| Maithili | जोड़ा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯡꯕꯥ | ||
| Mizo | kawppui | ||
| Oromo | cimdii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯୋଡି | | ||
| Quechua | masa | ||
| Sanskrit | युग्म | ||
| Tatar | пар | ||
| Tigrinya | ጽምዲ | ||
| Tsonga | swimbirhi | ||