Pale in Different Languages
Discover 'Pale' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'pale' holds a unique significance in our vocabulary, often used to describe something as lacking color or being light in comparison to its surroundings. It's a term that transcends visual description, entering the realm of emotion and health, where paleness can signify fear, illness, or lack of exposure to sunlight.
Culturally, the word 'pale' has been used in various contexts, from literature to historical references. Shakespeare, for instance, uses the term 'pale' in his famous play 'Romeo and Juliet', symbolizing death and despair. Historically, the 'Pale' was a term used in Ireland during English rule, denoting an area under direct English control.
Given its significance and cultural importance, one might wonder how 'pale' translates in different languages. After all, every language offers unique perspectives and nuances that can enrich our understanding of a word.
Here are a few examples: In Spanish, 'pale' translates to 'pálido'; in French, it's 'pâle'; in German, 'blass'; in Italian, 'pallido'; and in Russian, 'бледный' (bledyny).
Pale
Pale in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bleek | ||
| The Afrikaans word "bleek" originates from the Dutch word "bleek", meaning "pale" or "colourless." | |||
| Amharic | ፈዛዛ | ||
| "ፈዛዛ" can also refer to being faint, dull, or weak. | |||
| Hausa | kodadde | ||
| The word "kodadde" is derived from the Proto-Hausa term "*kɔ̀ːdàːdɛ̀ː", which originally meant "grayish white". | |||
| Igbo | icha mmirimmiri | ||
| Icha mmirimmiri is often used as an alternative word for 'white' or 'clear' in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | misy dikany | ||
| The Malagasy word "misy dikany" can also refer to someone who is weak or lacks strength. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wotuwa | ||
| In Chichewa, the word wotuwa is also used to describe something that is unripe or not properly developed. | |||
| Shona | pale | ||
| In Shona, the word "pale" can also mean "faded" or "light-colored" | |||
| Somali | cirro leh | ||
| The word "cirro leh" is related to the Proto-Cushitic root *siro-/*siro-/*siru- meaning "white" or "pale". | |||
| Sesotho | lerootho | ||
| The Sesotho word "lerootho" also refers to a kind of light yellow or beige dye extracted from the roots of the African potato. | |||
| Swahili | rangi | ||
| The word "rangi" in Swahili can also mean "color" or "stain". | |||
| Xhosa | luthuthu | ||
| The word luthuthu may also mean "to be very sick" in reference to leprosy. | |||
| Yoruba | bia | ||
| "Bia" can also refer to a type of traditional Yoruba attire and a Yoruba traditional drum and dance | |||
| Zulu | kuphaphathekile | ||
| Kuphaphathekile is derived from the root word -phatheka- meaning to bleach or turn pale. | |||
| Bambara | jɛ́ | ||
| Ewe | fu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibara | ||
| Lingala | konzuluka | ||
| Luganda | okusiibuuka | ||
| Sepedi | galoga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hoyaa | ||
Pale in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | باهت | ||
| The word (pale/faded) has a different meaning depending on its spelling and diacritical marks: (1) (باهت - Baahet) means dull or pale in color, and (2) (باحث - Baaheth) means a researcher or seeker of knowledge. | |||
| Hebrew | חיוור | ||
| In Aramaic 'חיוור' means 'to be white' while in Arabic it means 'to be yellow' | |||
| Pashto | پوړ | ||
| In Pashto, "پوړ" also refers to a type of flatbread, a flat stone, or a slab of stone used for grinding. | |||
| Arabic | باهت | ||
| The word (pale/faded) has a different meaning depending on its spelling and diacritical marks: (1) (باهت - Baahet) means dull or pale in color, and (2) (باحث - Baaheth) means a researcher or seeker of knowledge. | |||
Pale in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i zbehtë | ||
| Albanian "i zbehtë" derives from Proto-Albanian *b̥eh₂tém, which also meant 'white'. | |||
| Basque | zurbila | ||
| The word "zurbila" can also mean "white" or "bright" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | pàl·lid | ||
| Pàl·lid may also refer to the yellowish-green color of unripe fruit or to a state of emotional or mental weakness. | |||
| Croatian | blijeda | ||
| The Croatian word "blijeda" also means "light" or "faint," as in the phrase "blijeda svjetlost" (faint light). | |||
| Danish | bleg | ||
| The word "bleg" is also used in Danish to describe something that is faint or weak. | |||
| Dutch | bleek | ||
| In Dutch, 'bleek' can also mean 'light blue' or 'to bleach' something. | |||
| English | pale | ||
| Historically, the word "pale" has also been used to describe a palisade, a fence or wall made of pointed stakes. | |||
| French | pâle | ||
| The word "pâle" is derived from the Latin word "pallidus," meaning "pale" or "wan." | |||
| Frisian | bleek | ||
| Frisian "bleek" is related to "blaken," meaning to bleach, as well as to "bleiken," meaning to gleam. | |||
| Galician | pálido | ||
| The Galician word "pálido" can also mean "discolored" or "faded". | |||
| German | blass | ||
| "Blass" in German originally meant "white" and derives from Proto-Germanic *blakaz, which is also the root of English "bleach". | |||
| Icelandic | fölur | ||
| The word "fölur" is also used in Icelandic to describe the color of a horse's coat, and in Old Norse it referred to a horse's mane or tail. | |||
| Irish | pale | ||
| Irish 'pallid' may derive from Old Irish 'pell', meaning skin, and may be related to 'peel' in English. | |||
| Italian | pallido | ||
| The Italian word "pallido" also refers to something that is superficial or without substance. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bleech | ||
| The word "bleech" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Old High German "bleihhi", meaning "shining" or "white". | |||
| Maltese | ċar | ||
| The word "ċar" can also mean "white" or "faded". | |||
| Norwegian | blek | ||
| In Norwegian, "blek" also means "to bleach" or "to fade". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pálido | ||
| In Portuguese, "pálido" also means "sad". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bàn | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "bàn" can also mean "white" | |||
| Spanish | pálido | ||
| The word "pálido" can also mean "dim" or "faint," and is related to the Latin word "pallidus," meaning "pale" or "wan." | |||
| Swedish | blek | ||
| The word "blek" in Swedish also means "sheet" or "sign". | |||
| Welsh | gwelw | ||
| "Gwelw" derives from the Proto-Celtic *welwo-, meaning "shining, brilliant" or "white, pale, fair". | |||
Pale in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бледны | ||
| The word "бледны" (pale) in Belarusian is a shortened form of the word "небледны" (not pale), thus, in some contexts, it can have the opposite meaning | |||
| Bosnian | blijed | ||
| In the expression "bijed u obraz" (white/pale-faced), "bijed" likely derives from an ancient Indo-European root meaning "to gleam" or "to beam". | |||
| Bulgarian | блед | ||
| The name 'Bled' is derived from the Slavic word 'blědo', meaning 'white' or 'pale', and is shared by several geographical locations, including a town in Slovenia. | |||
| Czech | bledý | ||
| The word "bledý" in Czech can also refer to a person with a weak or sickly appearance. | |||
| Estonian | kahvatu | ||
| The word "kahvatu" also means "faint" or "slight" | |||
| Finnish | kalpea | ||
| Kalpea comes from the Proto-Finnic *kalbe, which means 'grey' or 'pale', and is related to the Estonian word 'halb' ('bad'). | |||
| Hungarian | sápadt | ||
| The word "sápadt" in Hungarian has cognates in other Uralic languages, such as Estonian "sapp" and Finnish "haapa" (which both mean "aspen"). | |||
| Latvian | bāls | ||
| The word "bāls" is also cognate with the Lithuanian word "baltas" meaning "white" and with the Old Prussian word "baltas" meaning "gray". | |||
| Lithuanian | išblyškęs | ||
| The root “blyš-” is likely derived from Proto-Indo-European “bhlei-”, meaning “shine” or “flash”. | |||
| Macedonian | блед | ||
| The word "Блед" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *blědъ, which also means "pale" or "light-colored" | |||
| Polish | blady | ||
| The Polish word "blady" can also refer to a type of gray fabric and, in a figurative sense, to someone who is insipid or dull. | |||
| Romanian | palid | ||
| The word "palid" in Romanian can also refer to a pale horse or a pale face. | |||
| Russian | бледный | ||
| "Бледный" is derived from Old Slavonic *blędz "wrong, astray" | |||
| Serbian | блед | ||
| The word "Блед" (pale) in Serbian can also mean "feeble" or "faint". | |||
| Slovak | bledý | ||
| The Slovak word "bledý" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *blědъ, which also meant "bright" or "shining." | |||
| Slovenian | bleda | ||
| Bledo, which means 'pale' in Slovenian, also appears in the word 'belina', which means 'whiteness'. | |||
| Ukrainian | блідий | ||
| The word "блідий" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *blědъ, meaning "white" or "shining". | |||
Pale in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফ্যাকাশে | ||
| In colloquial Bengali, "ফ্যাকাশে" (phakash) can informally mean "dull" or "uninteresting". | |||
| Gujarati | નિસ્તેજ | ||
| Hindi | पीला | ||
| The word "पीला" also refers to the color of gold or turmeric in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಸುಕಾದ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಮಸುಕಾದ" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *mu-, meaning "to become dark or dim" | |||
| Malayalam | ഇളം | ||
| The word "ഇളം" ("pale") in Malayalam also means "young" or "new". | |||
| Marathi | फिकट गुलाबी | ||
| "फिकट गुलाबी" originally referred to a light shade of rose pink. Now it can be used for any very light shade. | |||
| Nepali | फिक्का | ||
| The word "phikka" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pidi," which means "devoid of taste or flavour." | |||
| Punjabi | ਫ਼ਿੱਕੇ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුදුමැලි | ||
| The word 'සුදුමැලි' in Sinhala can also be used figuratively to mean 'insignificant' or 'worthless'. | |||
| Tamil | வெளிர் | ||
| The word "வெளிர்" in Tamil can also refer to the "outside" or "exterior" of something. | |||
| Telugu | లేత | ||
| The word "లేత" also means "young" or "tender" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | پیلا | ||
| "پیلا" is also a verb meaning "to turn pale" in Urdu. | |||
Pale in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 苍白 | ||
| 苍白 can also mean 'empty words, superficial' and 'cowardly' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蒼白 | ||
| It can also mean "green" as in "苍蝇" (fly) | |||
| Japanese | 淡い | ||
| 淡い (awai) also means "faint," "indistinct," or "weak." | |||
| Korean | 창백한 | ||
| Originally meant 'white' or 'blank', its meaning shifted to 'pale' as it was used to describe the complexion of weak or sick people. | |||
| Mongolian | цайвар | ||
| The word "цайвар" is derived from the Mongolian word "цай" which means "color". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြူရော | ||
| The Burmese word "ဖြူရော" can also refer to the color "white," in addition to "pale" | |||
Pale in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pucat | ||
| "Pucat" can also refer to being pale from rage, fear or fatigue. | |||
| Javanese | pucet | ||
| The Javanese word "pucet" can also refer to "bluish-green" or "white-faced" in certain contexts. | |||
| Khmer | ស្លេក | ||
| *ស្លេក* comes from a verb which means to be light and also refers to something white. | |||
| Lao | ສີຂີ້ເຖົ່າ | ||
| Malay | pucat | ||
| "Pucat" has the connotation of fear in its Malay roots and is also an Indonesian word for "white". | |||
| Thai | ซีด | ||
| The Thai word "ซีด" is related to the Sanskrit word "citra", meaning "bright" or "white", but has come to mean "pale" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhợt nhạt | ||
| In Vietnamese, the word "nhợt nhạt" can also mean "bland" or "tasteless". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maputla | ||
Pale in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | solğun | ||
| The word "solğun" can also mean "faded" or "withered". | |||
| Kazakh | бозғылт | ||
| The word "бозғылт" in Kazakh can also refer to something that is sickly or unhealthy. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кубарган | ||
| "Кубарган" is a cognate of the Turkish word "kapurgan" meaning "gray-haired". | |||
| Tajik | саманд | ||
| Though often used as a descriptor for the color of horses, the word "саманд" can be used for any light, neutral object. | |||
| Turkmen | reňkli | ||
| Uzbek | rangpar | ||
| "Rangpar" originates from the Persian word "rang" meaning "color" and "par" meaning "beyond," implying a color that is beyond the usual range. | |||
| Uyghur | سۇس | ||
Pale in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hākea | ||
| Hākea can also be used to mean "to wither," "to dry up," or "to fade away." | |||
| Maori | koma | ||
| Koma, meaning pale in Maori, can also mean faded, wan, or sickly. | |||
| Samoan | sesega | ||
| The Samoan word "sesega" also refers to a type of tree and the wood it produces. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | namumutla | ||
| The Tagalog word 'namumutla' can also mean 'sickly' or 'unwell'. | |||
Pale in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | t'ukha | ||
| Guarani | hesa'yju | ||
Pale in International Languages
| Esperanto | pala | ||
| The Esperanto word "pala" also means "shoulder blade" in Latin. | |||
| Latin | alba | ||
| The Latin word "alba" shares a root with "albus" and "albedo," all meaning "white." | |||
Pale in Others Languages
| Greek | χλωμός | ||
| The word "χλωμός" can also refer to young and tender plants or to yellowish-green leaves. | |||
| Hmong | daj ntseg | ||
| Daj ntseg (pale) also means 'yellow' or 'light in color' and is distinct from 'hlawv' (white). | |||
| Kurdish | spî | ||
| The word “spî” originates from the Proto-Indo-European word “*speu-“, meaning “to spit”. This root word is also found in other Indo-European languages such as Latin “spuere” (to spit), Greek “ptuein” (to spit), and Sanskrit “sthivati” (to spit). | |||
| Turkish | soluk | ||
| "Soluk" (pale) originated in the same Turkic root with "su" (water), indicating "lack of color, like water". | |||
| Xhosa | luthuthu | ||
| The word luthuthu may also mean "to be very sick" in reference to leprosy. | |||
| Yiddish | בלאַס | ||
| The word 'בלַאס' also means 'bashful', and comes from the Slavic word “blaznь”, or clown. | |||
| Zulu | kuphaphathekile | ||
| Kuphaphathekile is derived from the root word -phatheka- meaning to bleach or turn pale. | |||
| Assamese | শেঁতা | ||
| Aymara | t'ukha | ||
| Bhojpuri | फीका | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުދުވެފައިވުން | ||
| Dogri | भुस्सा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maputla | ||
| Guarani | hesa'yju | ||
| Ilocano | nalusiaw | ||
| Krio | layt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەنگ زەرد | ||
| Maithili | पीयर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | dang | ||
| Oromo | diimaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫିକା | ||
| Quechua | aya | ||
| Sanskrit | पाण्डुर | ||
| Tatar | алсу | ||
| Tigrinya | ሃሳስ | ||
| Tsonga | bawuluka | ||