Parent in Different Languages
Discover 'Parent' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'parent' holds immense significance in our lives, as it represents the individuals who nurture and support us through our journey. Parents are often the first teachers and role models for children, shaping their values, beliefs, and behaviors. This word carries cultural importance across the globe, with various languages having their own unique translations.
Understanding the translation of 'parent' in different languages can provide insight into cultural values and traditions. For instance, in Chinese, 'parent' is translated to '父母' (fùmǔ), which emphasizes the collective role of both father and mother. Meanwhile, in Swahili, 'parent' is 'mzazi,' reflecting the respect and honor given to parents in Swahili-speaking communities.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'parent' in various languages can be beneficial for travelers, language learners, and those working with multicultural communities. It can foster cross-cultural communication, promote inclusivity, and demonstrate respect for diverse backgrounds.
Here are a few translations of the word 'parent' to pique your interest:
Parent
Parent in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ouer | ||
| The word "ouer" has been used in Afrikaans since at least 1658, and is derived from an archaic Dutch spelling of the word "ouder" meaning older or elder. | |||
| Amharic | ወላጅ | ||
| The root word “ወለደ” from which “ወላጅ” is derived means to give birth, hence “ወላጅ” originally meant mother but over time came to refer to both parents. | |||
| Hausa | iyaye | ||
| Iyaye is derived from the word 'yaaye', which means 'mother', and is often used to refer to both parents or the mother in particular. | |||
| Igbo | nne na nna | ||
| 'Nne na nna' is also used to refer to a couple who are the parents of a child or children. | |||
| Malagasy | ray aman-dreny | ||
| Ray aman-dreny is also used figuratively to refer to ancestors, elders, or respected members of society and is sometimes translated as "those who have given birth." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kholo | ||
| The word comes from a Proto-Bantu root signifying "birth, procreation". | |||
| Shona | mubereki | ||
| "Mubereki" in Shona originally meant "father" or "master of the house". | |||
| Somali | waalid | ||
| The word 'waalid' also refers to a guardian or a caretaker. | |||
| Sesotho | motsoali | ||
| The word "motsoali" may also refer to an ancestor or guardian. | |||
| Swahili | mzazi | ||
| The Swahili word "mzazi" derives from the proto-Bantu word "-zadi" meaning "to give birth" and can also mean "caretaker" or "guardian". | |||
| Xhosa | umzali | ||
| The term 'umzali' in Xhosa can also refer to a grandparent, a term of respect for an older person, or a term of endearment. | |||
| Yoruba | obi | ||
| In Yoruba, "obi" also refers to a palace, indicating the power and authority associated with parents. | |||
| Zulu | umzali | ||
| The word "umzali" also has the alternate meaning of "ancestor" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | bangebaga | ||
| Ewe | dzila | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umubyeyi | ||
| Lingala | moboti | ||
| Luganda | omuzadde | ||
| Sepedi | motswadi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔwofo | ||
Parent in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأبوين | ||
| The word "الأبوين" in Arabic can also refer to one's ancestors or guardians. | |||
| Hebrew | הוֹרֶה | ||
| The word "הוֹרֶה" derives from the root "יר" meaning "to shoot", and originally meant "one who conceives and bears children". | |||
| Pashto | مور او پلار | ||
| In Persian and some other IE dialects, it has the same meaning (parent) but comes at the end of a phrase, as an attachment to the name, meaning 'father of' or 'mother of' (e.g., Cyrus the Great is 'کوروش مورِ'} | |||
| Arabic | الأبوين | ||
| The word "الأبوين" in Arabic can also refer to one's ancestors or guardians. | |||
Parent in Western European Languages
| Albanian | prindi | ||
| The Albanian word "prindi" is also a short form of "prindër", which can mean "progenitor" or "ancestor". | |||
| Basque | guraso | ||
| "Guraso" in Basque also means "mouth" and is derived from "aho" (mouth) and "raso" (piece). | |||
| Catalan | pare | ||
| Catalan "pare" is cognate with English "peer" and means not only "parent" but also "senior official." | |||
| Croatian | roditelj | ||
| The Croatian word 'roditelj' ('parent') is derived from the Slavic root 'rod', meaning 'family' or 'birth'. | |||
| Danish | forælder | ||
| The word "forælder" derives from the Old Norse word "foreldre", meaning "one who goes before" or "ancestor and descendant". | |||
| Dutch | ouder | ||
| The Dutch word "ouder" (parent) is also used to refer to an older person (senior), especially in formal or official settings. | |||
| English | parent | ||
| The word 'parent' is derived from the Latin word 'parens,' which means 'one who brings forth,' and is also related to the words 'parere' ('to bear') and 'partus' ('birth'). | |||
| French | parent | ||
| The French word "parent" derives from the Latin "parens", meaning "one who brings forth" or "one who begets". | |||
| Frisian | parent | ||
| In Frisian, the word "mem" can mean both "mom" and "parent". | |||
| Galician | pai | ||
| In Galician, the word "pai" can also be used to refer to a father-in-law or a godfather. | |||
| German | elternteil | ||
| "Elternteil" is also used in German to describe someone who is only the parent of only one of the two children of a couple. | |||
| Icelandic | foreldri | ||
| Derived from the word "eldri", meaning "grandfather" or "ancestor", "foreldri" also has historical and archaic meanings of "forebears" or "forefathers". | |||
| Irish | tuismitheoir | ||
| Italian | genitore | ||
| Genitore shares an origin with "genero," and so traditionally referred only to fathers, while "genitrice" was used for mothers. | |||
| Luxembourgish | elteren | ||
| Etymology: 'elter' (old; person of elder age) | |||
| Maltese | ġenitur | ||
| The Maltese word "ġenitur" comes from the Latin word "genitor", meaning "father", but can also refer to both parents | |||
| Norwegian | foreldre | ||
| The word "foreldre" derives from the Old Norse word "forelldrar", meaning "those who give birth or bring up." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pai | ||
| Curiously, "pai" in Portuguese also means "country" or "native land". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | pàrant | ||
| "Pàrant" is also used to mean "a child who has not reached maturity." | |||
| Spanish | padre | ||
| Padre, meaning "father" in Spanish, derives from the Latin "pater," denoting a father or patriarch. | |||
| Swedish | förälder | ||
| Swedish word "förälder" derives from old Norse word "foreldre," which literally means "the elder," signifying respected elderly person within a kinship group. | |||
| Welsh | rhiant | ||
| The Welsh word "rhiant" originally meant "lord, prince, or chieftain" before it came to mean "parent". | |||
Parent in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бацька | ||
| In Belarusian, the word "бацька" also has the specific meaning of "father" and is used in this sense in official documents and formal settings. | |||
| Bosnian | roditelj | ||
| In some Slavic languages 'roditelj' can mean 'relative'. | |||
| Bulgarian | родител | ||
| "Родител" can also refer to "begetter" or "progenitor" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | rodič | ||
| The word "rodič" in Czech can also refer to a "birthmark" or a "midwife". | |||
| Estonian | vanem | ||
| The word "vanem" also refers to an elder or more experienced person in Estonian culture. | |||
| Finnish | vanhempi | ||
| "Vanhempi" can also refer to a senior or elder, not necessarily a parent. | |||
| Hungarian | szülő | ||
| The term szülő can also be used to refer solely to the mother. | |||
| Latvian | vecāks | ||
| "Vecāks" also means "older" in Latvian, and is related to the words "vecums" (age) and "vecis" (old man). | |||
| Lithuanian | tėvas | ||
| "Tėvas" also carries the meaning of "father" and comes from the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root "*tewós" which is the root of "father" in various Indo-European languages. | |||
| Macedonian | родител | ||
| In Macedonian, "родител" (parent) is also used in a wider sense to denote a progenitor of any person, thing, or idea. | |||
| Polish | rodzic | ||
| The word "rodzic" can also refer to a progenitor, ancestor, or forefather. | |||
| Romanian | mamă | ||
| Mamă can also mean "motherly," "tender," or "caring." | |||
| Russian | родитель | ||
| The word "родитель" can also mean "ancestor" or "forefather" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | родитељ | ||
| The word "родитељ" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*roditi", meaning "to give birth", and also refers to a guardian or mentor. | |||
| Slovak | rodič | ||
| The word "rodič" can also refer to a godparent or a relative (in a wider sense). | |||
| Slovenian | starš | ||
| The word 'starš' derives from the Proto-Slavic word '*starъ', meaning 'old'. | |||
| Ukrainian | батько | ||
| In Ukrainian, «батько» may also denote a godparent, godfather, or priest | |||
Parent in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পিতামাতা | ||
| "পিতামাতা" means "parent", "father" or "mother". The word is derived from Sanskrit "pitri", meaning "father" and "mata", meaning "mother". | |||
| Gujarati | માતાપિતા | ||
| The word "માતાપિતા" (parent) in Gujarati is also sometimes used to refer to a person's spouse's parents. | |||
| Hindi | माता-पिता | ||
| The word "माता-पिता" in Hindi is composed of two words: "माता" meaning "mother" and "पिता" meaning "father". | |||
| Kannada | ಪೋಷಕರು | ||
| The term "ಪೋಷಕರು" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "poṣaka," which means "nourisher" or "sustainer." | |||
| Malayalam | രക്ഷകർത്താവ് | ||
| Marathi | पालक | ||
| The word "पालक" can also mean a "guardian" or "caretaker" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | अभिभावक | ||
| The word 'अभिभावक' ('parent') in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit root 'पातृ', meaning 'protector' or 'guardian' | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਾਪੇ | ||
| The word "ਮਾਪੇ" can also mean "measurement" or "dimension" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දෙමාපිය | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit: दैतापितर (daitāpitara) meaning "maternal grandmother's father" | |||
| Tamil | பெற்றோர் | ||
| The word "பெற்றோர்" (parent) in Tamil can alternately mean "those who care for" or "those who protect". | |||
| Telugu | తల్లిదండ్రులు | ||
| Urdu | والدین | ||
| The term 'والدین' (parent) originates from the Arabic root 'ولد' (to give birth), emphasizing the biological and genetic connection between parents and their children. | |||
Parent in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 父母 | ||
| "父母" originally referred to older relatives; it gradually took on its current meaning during the Tang Dynasty. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 父母 | ||
| 父母 (parent) is a compound of 父母 (mother) and 父母 (father). | |||
| Japanese | 親 | ||
| "親" (oya) in Japanese can also refer to "relatives" or "close friends". | |||
| Korean | 부모의 | ||
| The word "parent" originates from 1500–10, perhaps via French parenting from Latin parens (genitive parentis) "parent." In Korean, it is written as 부모님, which also means "one's parents" or "a person's parents." | |||
| Mongolian | эцэг эх | ||
| The Mongolian word "эцэг эх" ("parent") is cognate with the Chinese "父亲" ("father") and "母亲" ("mother"). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မိဘ | ||
| "မိဘ" in Burmese is used not only for biological parents but also for teachers, monks, and other figures who provide guidance and support. | |||
Parent in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | induk | ||
| The word "induk" also has the meaning of "origin" or "source" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | wong tuwa | ||
| The word "wong tuwa" originally meant "old person" but later became a term of respect for parents. | |||
| Khmer | ឪពុកម្តាយ | ||
| The word "ឪពុកម្តាយ" (pronounced "oh-pook-mtaoy") can also mean "father", "mother", or "both father and mother" depending on the context. | |||
| Lao | ພໍ່ແມ່ | ||
| Malay | ibu bapa | ||
| In archaic Malay, "ibu" means "mother" and "bapa" means "father." | |||
| Thai | ผู้ปกครอง | ||
| ผู้ปกครอง also refers to "guardian" and is composed of the words ผู้ (classifier for humans) + ปกครอง (to control, to rule) | |||
| Vietnamese | cha mẹ | ||
| In Vietnamese, "cha mẹ" also refers to one's father and mother specifically, rather than parents in general. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magulang | ||
Parent in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | valideyn | ||
| "Valideyn" is derived from the Arabic word "vâlideyn", which literally means "two progenitors" or "two creators". | |||
| Kazakh | ата-ана | ||
| The word "ата-ана" means "parent" in Kazakh, but the term can also refer to a guardian or any person who plays a parental role in a child's life. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ата-эне | ||
| Kyrgyz word "ата-эне" means "father-mother" (parents), as "ата" means "father" and "эне" means "mother". | |||
| Tajik | волидайн | ||
| "Волидайн" is derived from the Persian word "walidiyya", meaning "parents". | |||
| Turkmen | ene-atasy | ||
| Uzbek | ota-ona | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "ota-ona" can also refer to one's ancestors or elders. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاتا-ئانا | ||
Parent in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makua | ||
| In Tongan, “makua” means “male elder or father”. | |||
| Maori | matua | ||
| "Matua" can also mean "ancestor" or "elder," and is used as a term of respect for older people. | |||
| Samoan | matua | ||
| "Matua" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "matuqa", which also means "elder" or "chief." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magulang | ||
| "Magulang" also means "responsible" and may be used in a non-familial context. | |||
Parent in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | awki tayka | ||
| Guarani | túva ha sy | ||
Parent in International Languages
| Esperanto | gepatro | ||
| The word | |||
| Latin | parente | ||
| The Latin term parens (plural parentes) is also used in the more specific sense of «father» (pater) or «mother» (mater). | |||
Parent in Others Languages
| Greek | μητρική εταιρεία | ||
| The word "μητρική εταιρεία" ("parent") can also refer to a parent company (a company that owns other companies). | |||
| Hmong | niam txiv | ||
| The word "niam txiv" is also used to refer to ancestors or elders in Hmong culture. | |||
| Kurdish | dê û bav | ||
| The word "dê û bav" literally translates to "mother and father" but can also be used as a general term for "parents". | |||
| Turkish | ebeveyn | ||
| The word "ebeveyn" is a compound noun, derived from the words "ebe" (a term of endearment for father) and "veyn" (a term of endearment for mother), and can be interpreted as "the owner of the father and the mother" (of a newborn). | |||
| Xhosa | umzali | ||
| The term 'umzali' in Xhosa can also refer to a grandparent, a term of respect for an older person, or a term of endearment. | |||
| Yiddish | פאָטער | ||
| The word "פאָטער" can also mean a guardian or a person in charge. | |||
| Zulu | umzali | ||
| The word "umzali" also has the alternate meaning of "ancestor" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | পিতৃ-মাতৃ | ||
| Aymara | awki tayka | ||
| Bhojpuri | अभिभावक के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބެލެނިވެރިޔާއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | माता-पिता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magulang | ||
| Guarani | túva ha sy | ||
| Ilocano | nagannak | ||
| Krio | mama ɔ papa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دایک و باوک | ||
| Maithili | अभिभावक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯃꯥ-ꯃꯄꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | nu leh pa | ||
| Oromo | warra | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପିତାମାତା | | ||
| Quechua | tayta mama | ||
| Sanskrit | मातापिता | ||
| Tatar | ата-ана | ||
| Tigrinya | ወላዲ | ||
| Tsonga | mutswari | ||