Phrase in Different Languages
Discover 'Phrase' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A phrase is a group of words that forms a meaningful unit in a sentence. It's a fundamental building block of language, used to convey complex ideas and emotions. Phrases can be found in every corner of our cultural landscape, from literature and poetry to music and film.
The significance of phrases goes beyond mere communication. They can encapsulate entire philosophies, inspire movements, and even change the course of history. Take, for example, the famous phrase 'I have a dream' spoken by Martin Luther King Jr., which became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement. Or the phrase 'E pluribus unum,' which appears on the Seal of the United States and symbolizes the union of many states into one nation.
Understanding phrases in different languages can open up new worlds of cultural knowledge and appreciation. For instance, the French phrase 'joie de vivre' (joy of living) captures a certain je ne sais quoi that is often associated with French culture. Meanwhile, the German phrase 'schadenfreude' (harm-joy) describes a feeling of pleasure derived from someone else's misfortune, which has no direct English equivalent.
In this list, you'll find translations of the word 'phrase' in a variety of languages, from Spanish and Mandarin to Arabic and Swahili. Whether you're a language learner, a cultural enthusiast, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and enlighten.
Phrase
Phrase in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | frase | ||
| The word 'frase' is often used in Afrikaans to mean 'sentence', but it can also refer to a 'phrase' or 'clause'. | |||
| Amharic | ሐረግ | ||
| The word "ሐረግ" in Amharic can also refer to a "paragraph" or a "section" of a written work. | |||
| Hausa | magana | ||
| Hausa magana is cognate with the Arabic makan "speech" and may be derived from the Arabic root ma-k-na "to speak, utter." | |||
| Igbo | ahịrịokwu | ||
| 'Ahịrịokwu' literally means 'a row of words'. | |||
| Malagasy | andian-teny | ||
| The word "andian-teny" can also mean "sentence" or "speech". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mawu | ||
| It can also refer to the subject and complement that follow an exclamation. | |||
| Shona | mutsara | ||
| The word "mutsara" can also mean "statement" or "remark" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | weedh | ||
| The word "weedh" in Somali can also refer to a kind of grass or plant. | |||
| Sesotho | poleloana | ||
| poleloana is the plural form of leloana, which means "word" | |||
| Swahili | kifungu | ||
| Kifungu is a Swahili word that can also mean 'passage' or 'section' of a text. | |||
| Xhosa | ibinzana | ||
| The Xhosa word "ibinzana" can also refer to a "saying" or "proverb." | |||
| Yoruba | gbolohun ọrọ | ||
| Zulu | ibinzana | ||
| 'Ibinzana' is a term for both 'phrase' and 'phraseology' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | kumasen | ||
| Ewe | nyatiatia | ||
| Kinyarwanda | interuro | ||
| Lingala | maloba | ||
| Luganda | ekigambo | ||
| Sepedi | sekafoko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkasasini | ||
Phrase in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | العبارة | ||
| In Arabic, 'phrase' is rendered as 'العبارة', a noun meaning a group of words expressing a thought, or in some contexts, 'expression' | |||
| Hebrew | מִשׁפָּט | ||
| המשמעות המקורית של מִשׁפָּט היא 'דין' או 'משפט'. | |||
| Pashto | جمله | ||
| The Pashto word "جمله" can also mean "sentence" in English. | |||
| Arabic | العبارة | ||
| In Arabic, 'phrase' is rendered as 'العبارة', a noun meaning a group of words expressing a thought, or in some contexts, 'expression' | |||
Phrase in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fraza | ||
| Fraza is thought to have originated from the Arabic phrase, 'fa'rasa'. This was later picked up by Persian, Italian, then English, and finally Albanian. | |||
| Basque | esaldia | ||
| The word "esaldia" can also refer to a "sentence" or "expression" in Basque, not just a "phrase". | |||
| Catalan | frase | ||
| In the Catalan dialect of Valencia, the word "frase" refers exclusively to a sentence spoken by someone who is not the main speaker or character. | |||
| Croatian | fraza | ||
| "Fraza" can also mean "slang," "cliché," or "empty words." | |||
| Danish | udtryk | ||
| It is derived from the Old Norse 'út' meaning 'out,' and 'rik' meaning 'direction' or 'course.' | |||
| Dutch | uitdrukking | ||
| "Uitdrukking" in Dutch can also refer to a facial expression or an artistic impression. | |||
| English | phrase | ||
| The word "phrase" comes from the Greek word "phrasis", which means "expression" or "speech". | |||
| French | phrase | ||
| The French "phrase" derives from the Greek "phrasis" (φράσις), meaning "speech". | |||
| Frisian | útdrukking | ||
| "Útdrukking" is cognate with English "utterance" (German "Äußerung"), reflecting the original meaning "the act of expressing something in speech or writing." | |||
| Galician | frase | ||
| A Galician "frase" can also refer to a saying or proverb. | |||
| German | phrase | ||
| Phrase can also mean 'sentence' or 'slogan'. | |||
| Icelandic | setningu | ||
| The word "setningu" in Icelandic can also mean "sentence" in the grammatical sense. | |||
| Irish | abairt | ||
| The term 'abairt' also refers to the 'speech' of a story's narrator. | |||
| Italian | frase | ||
| In Italian, "frase" can also mean "sentence" or refer to a musical phrase. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ausdrock | ||
| The word "Ausdrock" in Luxembourgish is derived from the German word "Ausdruck" and the French word "expression", both meaning "expression" or "phrase." | |||
| Maltese | frażi | ||
| The etymology of 'frażi' is a bit uncertain, but it is likely derived from the Italian 'frase' | |||
| Norwegian | uttrykk | ||
| The Old Norse term "ytryggja" referred both to an "utterance" and to the "impression of something on something else." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | frase | ||
| The Portuguese word "frase" can also refer to a sentence or a clause. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | abairt | ||
| In Irish Gaelic, 'abairt' means 'speech' or 'saying'. | |||
| Spanish | frase | ||
| En español, "frase" también puede referirse a un dicho, proverbio o expresión idiomática. | |||
| Swedish | fras | ||
| The Swedish word "fras" originally meant "tale" or "saying" but has since come to mean "phrase." | |||
| Welsh | ymadrodd | ||
| The word 'ymadrodd' is derived from the words 'ym' (together) and 'adroddiad' (report), meaning 'a collection of words put together to express a thought'. | |||
Phrase in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | фраза | ||
| Белорусское слово "фраза" происходит от французского "phrase", которое, в свою очередь, восходит к греческому "phrasis" - "выражение". | |||
| Bosnian | fraza | ||
| In Bosnian, "fraza" can also be used to describe a cliché. | |||
| Bulgarian | фраза | ||
| Фраза is a homograph that may refer to "phrase" or "opinion" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | fráze | ||
| Czech "fráze" also refers to a musical cadence that marks the conclusion of a phrase, and not necessarily containing a "sentence". | |||
| Estonian | fraas | ||
| Fraas derives from Early Modern Dutch "fraes" meaning "nonsense" or "foolish talk". | |||
| Finnish | lause | ||
| In Finnish, "lause" also means "sentence" or "clause in a sentence". | |||
| Hungarian | kifejezés | ||
| Kifejezés ( "phrase" in Hungarian) derives from the verb "fejez" (meaning "to express, to say, to tell") and the suffix "-és", which indicates an action or process. | |||
| Latvian | frāze | ||
| The word "frāze" in Latvian has the same etymology as the English word "phrase" and can also refer to a "sentence" or "expression" | |||
| Lithuanian | frazė | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "frazė" can also refer to a musical phrase, or a sequence of notes played together. | |||
| Macedonian | фраза | ||
| The word "фраза" can also mean "sentence" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | wyrażenie | ||
| "Wyrażenie" also means "expession" or "look" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | fraza | ||
| The Romanian word "fraza" also means "sentence" and derives from the Latin word "phrasis." | |||
| Russian | фраза | ||
| Фраза can also mean "turn of speech" or "expression." | |||
| Serbian | фраза | ||
| Фраза (фраза) в русском языке означает не только устойчивое сочетание слов, но и вводное слово, выражающее отношение автора высказывания к содержанию речи. | |||
| Slovak | fráza | ||
| "Fráza" is also used to denote a cliché or a common saying. | |||
| Slovenian | fraza | ||
| Slovene "fraza" originally meant a witty saying; another meaning is a musical phrase. | |||
| Ukrainian | фраза | ||
| The word "фраза" derives from the Greek "φράσις," indicating "a thought expressed in words" or "a manner of speech." | |||
Phrase in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাক্যাংশ | ||
| The Bengali word "বাক্যাংশ" can also mean a sentence without a finite verb. | |||
| Gujarati | શબ્દસમૂહ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the term "samuha" means "group" or "collection", and "abdha" means "ocean" or "vastness". Thus, "shabdasamuha" literally translates to "an ocean of words". | |||
| Hindi | मुहावरा | ||
| The Hindi word "मुहावरा" is derived from the Arabic word "muhaawara", which means "conversation" or "idiom." | |||
| Kannada | ನುಡಿಗಟ್ಟು | ||
| The word "ನುಡಿಗಟ್ಟು" derives from the Kannada words "ನುಡಿ" (speech) and "ಗಟ್ಟು" (bond), indicating a cohesive group of words that express a complete thought or idea. | |||
| Malayalam | പദപ്രയോഗം | ||
| Marathi | वाक्यांश | ||
| The word "वाक्यांश" can also mean "expression" or "sentence". | |||
| Nepali | वाक्यांश | ||
| "वाक्यांश" is the Nepali equivalent of the English word "phrase", but it can also mean "sentence" or "clause". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਾਕਾਂਸ਼ | ||
| The Punjabi word "வாக்கிய" can refer to a set of words forming a meaningful unit that is shorter than a sentence, as well as a sentence itself. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වාක්ය ඛණ්ඩය | ||
| Tamil | சொற்றொடர் | ||
| The word "சொற்றொடர்" can also mean "a sequence of words" or "a short group of words that has a specific meaning when used together." | |||
| Telugu | పదబంధం | ||
| The word "పదబంధం" can also mean "collection of words" or "expression". | |||
| Urdu | جملہ | ||
| Urdu "جملہ" is derived from the Arabic "جمله" meaning "group", "class", or "kind". | |||
Phrase in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 短语 | ||
| 短语的“短”表示简短，“语”表示语言 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 短語 | ||
| 短語是從簡短的語句引申出的意思，可以短到只有一個字 | |||
| Japanese | フレーズ | ||
| "フレーズ" is thought to derive from the French word "phrase" meaning "sentence", but can also mean "slang". | |||
| Korean | 구 | ||
| The word "구" in Korean can also refer to "a piece of writing" or "a passage from a text." | |||
| Mongolian | хэллэг | ||
| The word хэллэг can also derive from Chinese 歇后語 (xiēhòuyŭ) in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာပိုဒ်တိုများ | ||
Phrase in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | frasa | ||
| The word "frasa" can also mean "idiom" or "slogan" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | ukara | ||
| **Etymology:** From Old Javanese ᮝꠥꦏꦫ *ukara*, from Sanskrit *ukti* "utterance, speech". | |||
| Khmer | ឃ្លា | ||
| "ឃ្លា" can also refer to a type of traditional Khmer basket woven from bamboo or rattan. | |||
| Lao | ປະໂຫຍກ | ||
| The word ປະໂຫຍກ can also refer to a proverb or a sentence that expresses a complete thought. | |||
| Malay | frasa | ||
| "Frasa" in Malay can also mean a passage from a book, usually longer than a stanza in a poem, which is read or sung in a musical form known as "dikir barat". | |||
| Thai | วลี | ||
| วลี also means "sentence" in Thai, "phrase" being its alternate meaning. | |||
| Vietnamese | cụm từ | ||
| The word "cụm từ" literally means "group of words" in Vietnamese and can refer to both phrases and expressions. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | parirala | ||
Phrase in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ifade | ||
| The word "ifade" in Azerbaijani also means "expression" or "statement". | |||
| Kazakh | фраза | ||
| The Russian word "фраза" comes from the Greek word "φράσις", meaning "expression" or "turn of phrase". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сөз айкашы | ||
| Tajik | ибора | ||
| The word "ибора" also means "expression", "term", or "idiom" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | söz düzümi | ||
| Uzbek | ibora | ||
| The word "ibora" in Uzbek also refers to a type of poetic refrain. | |||
| Uyghur | جۈملە | ||
Phrase in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | māmalaʻōlelo | ||
| The Hawaiian word "māmalaʻōlelo" can also refer to a proverb, a saying, a maxim, or a motto. | |||
| Maori | kīwaha | ||
| The Maori word 'kīwaha' also refers to the mouth or lips of a person or animal. | |||
| Samoan | fasifuaitau | ||
| The word "fasifuaitau" in Samoan can also refer to a sentence or a statement. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | parirala | ||
Phrase in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aru | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽ'apesã | ||
Phrase in International Languages
| Esperanto | frazo | ||
| The Esperanto word 'frazo' is derived from the French word 'phrase', which means 'a short, pithy saying'. | |||
| Latin | phrase | ||
| The Latin "phrase" also refers to the formula to calculate a musical interval (e.g. "phrase of the whole tone"). | |||
Phrase in Others Languages
| Greek | φράση | ||
| The word "φράση" originally meant "a question" or "an oracle's response". | |||
| Hmong | kab lus | ||
| The word "kab lus" can also mean "sentence" or "paragraph" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | hevok | ||
| In Kurdish, "hevok" can also mean "expression", "sentence", or "word". | |||
| Turkish | ifade | ||
| In Turkish, the word "ifade" can also mean "facial expression" or "statement". | |||
| Xhosa | ibinzana | ||
| The Xhosa word "ibinzana" can also refer to a "saying" or "proverb." | |||
| Yiddish | פראַזע | ||
| The Yiddish word "פראַזע" can also refer to a sentence or a period in music. | |||
| Zulu | ibinzana | ||
| 'Ibinzana' is a term for both 'phrase' and 'phraseology' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | বাক্যাংশ | ||
| Aymara | aru | ||
| Bhojpuri | मुहावरा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޖުމްލަ | ||
| Dogri | वाक्य | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | parirala | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽ'apesã | ||
| Ilocano | paset ti keddeng | ||
| Krio | wɔd dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گرێ | ||
| Maithili | मुहावरा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯍꯩ ꯀꯡꯂꯨꯞ | ||
| Mizo | thuhlawm | ||
| Oromo | gaalee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାକ୍ୟାଂଶ | ||
| Quechua | rimay | ||
| Sanskrit | सम्पुट | ||
| Tatar | гыйбарә | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓረግ | ||
| Tsonga | xivulwa | ||