Pregnant in different languages

Pregnant in Different Languages

Discover 'Pregnant' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'pregnant' holds great significance in many cultures, marking a moment of profound joy, anticipation, and transformation. Its translation into different languages offers a glimpse into the diverse ways people around the world express this life-changing experience.

Did you know that in Latin, 'pregnant' is 'gravidus'? Or that in Ancient Egyptian, the word for pregnant is 'heq'? These translations not only represent the physical state of expecting a child but also symbolize cultural beliefs and values surrounding motherhood and new life.

Understanding the translation of 'pregnant' in various languages can enrich our cross-cultural communication and foster a sense of global community. It can also help travelers navigate foreign healthcare systems or allow language learners to expand their vocabulary in a more personal and meaningful way.

Join us as we explore the fascinating translations of 'pregnant' in different languages, from 'enceinte' in French to 'hamelant' in Estonian. Let's celebrate the beauty of language and the universal experience of pregnancy together.

Pregnant


Pregnant in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansswanger
The Afrikaans word "swanger" is derived from the Dutch "zwanger", which also meant "burdened" or "weighed down".
Amharicእርጉዝ
Hausamai ciki
The Hausa word "mai ciki" literally translates as "owner of a belly", referring to the growth of a fetus within the mother's abdomen during pregnancy.
Igboime
The Igbo word "ime" also connotes "fat" or "overweight" in some contexts.
Malagasybevohoka
Malagasy "bevohoka" may be derived from "vohoka", meaning "to carry something on one's back", implying a woman carrying her pregnancy.
Nyanja (Chichewa)woyembekezera
The word 'woyembekezera' in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to mean 'concealing' or 'keeping something hidden'.
Shonanepamuviri
The word "nepamuviri", meaning "pregnant" in Shona, shares etymological roots with terms related to "carrying" or "bearing".
Somaliuur leedahay
The Somali word for "pregnant," uur leedahay, translates literally to "having a fetus."
Sesothomoimana
The word "moimana" in Sesotho also has the alternate meaning of "person with a large belly."
Swahilimjamzito
The word 'mjamzito' in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word 'hamil', which also means 'pregnant'.
Xhosaukhulelwe
Xhosa word "ukhulelwe" shares its origin with the Zulu word "khulelwe" and the Swati word "khulelwe", which all mean "to become pregnant".
Yorubaaboyun
In Yoruba, "aboyun" can also refer to a woman who is expecting a child for the first time.
Zuluukhulelwe
The word "ukhulelwe" can also refer to the early stages of pregnancy when the fetus is still small.
Bambarakɔnɔma
Ewefɔfu
Kinyarwandaatwite
Lingalazemi
Lugandaokubeera olubuto
Sepediimile
Twi (Akan)nyem

Pregnant in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicحامل
The word "حامل" is derived from the root word "حمل" meaning "to bear" or "to carry", and can also refer to someone who carries a heavy burden or a message.
Hebrewבְּהֵרָיוֹן
The word "בְּהֵרָיוֹן" is derived from the root "הר" (mountain), alluding to the pregnant woman's belly resembling a mountain.
Pashtoامیندواره
The Pashto word "امیندواره" is derived from the Arabic word "حامل" which also means "pregnant" in English.
Arabicحامل
The word "حامل" is derived from the root word "حمل" meaning "to bear" or "to carry", and can also refer to someone who carries a heavy burden or a message.

Pregnant in Western European Languages

Albanianshtatzënë
The term "shtatzënë" derives from the Proto-Albanian root "*statъ", meaning "to stand", and is related to the word "shtëpi" (house), indicating the woman's status as the "keeper of the house" during pregnancy.
Basquehaurdun
In Basque, “haurdun” (pregnant) is derived from
Catalanembarassada
"Embarassada" originates from the late Latin "*imbarassare", meaning "held in a net".
Croatiantrudna
The word "trudna" in Croatian also means "difficult" or "hard" in Serbian, hinting at the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy.
Danishgravid
In Danish, "gravid" also means "pregnant with meaning"
Dutchzwanger
The word 'zwanger' is derived from the Old Dutch word 'swoengeren', meaning 'to swing', and is related to the English word 'swing'.
Englishpregnant
The word "pregnant" derives from the Latin "praegnans," meaning "before birth," and is related to the verb "gignere," meaning "to beget."
Frenchenceinte
In architecture, "enceinte" (enclosure) refers to the outer wall or fortification surrounding a city or castle.
Frisianswier
"Swier" in Frisian is related to the German word "schwer" which means "heavy", and the Old English word "swær", with a similar meaning.
Galicianembarazada
In Galician the word "embarazada" can also mean perplexed or complicated.
Germanschwanger
The word "schwanger" is derived from the Middle High German word "swanger", which means "heavy" or "burdened".
Icelandicólétt
Ólétt stems from the word "líf" (life) and the word "ó" (river) and was originally used to describe a fertilized egg, but later came to be used to describe the state of pregnancy.
Irishag iompar clainne
Italianincinta
Luxembourgishschwanger
The word "schwanger" in Luxembourgish is derived from the German word "schwanger" with the same meaning, and is also used in the sense of "heavy" or "weighed down".
Maltesetqila
The Maltese word 'tqila' is derived from the Semitic root 'T-Q-L', meaning 'heavy', reflecting the weight associated with pregnancy.
Norwegiangravid
The Norwegian word 'gravid' can also mean 'serious' or 'important'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)grávida
In Portuguese, the word "grávida" comes from the Latin "gravis" ("heavy"), referring to the increased weight of a pregnant woman.
Scots Gaelictrom
The word 'trom' in Scots Gaelic is derived from Old Irish 'tromm' meaning 'heavy'.
Spanishembarazada
In Spanish, the word "embarazada" originally meant "hindered" before it took on its current meaning of "pregnant".
Swedishgravid
Gravid means 'grey' in Swedish and is related to the Old Norse word 'grár', meaning 'grey'
Welshyn feichiog
The Welsh word "yn feichiog" can also refer to "having an idea".

Pregnant in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianцяжарная
The word "цяжарная" also means "difficult" or "hard" in Belarusian
Bosniantrudna
The word "trudna" is also used in Bosnian to describe a difficult situation or a hard task.
Bulgarianбременна
The Bulgarian word "бременна" is a derivative of the Old Slavic root "breg", which means "to swell" or "to be heavy."
Czechtěhotná
The word "těhotná" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *těgъti, meaning "to be heavy" or "to be weighed down".
Estonianrase
The Estonian word "rase" comes from the Proto-Uralic "*rasa-, *ratsi" which also meant "fat". In Southern Estonian dialects the word means "a large, fat pig."
Finnishraskaana
The Finnish word "raskaana" has roots in old Germanic, possibly from the word "hrakan", which meant "to heap up" or "to grow". This is because pregnancy was often seen as a growth process.
Hungarianterhes
"Terhes" can also mean "burdened" or "heavy" in Hungarian, reflecting the physical and emotional weight of pregnancy.
Latviangrūtniece
The word "grūtniece" is derived from the verb "grūt" meaning "to be heavy".
Lithuaniannėščia
The word "nėščia" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ne- "new" and is related to words like "nascent" and "natal" in English.
Macedonianбремена
The word бремена derives from the Old Church Slavonic word брѣмѧ, meaning "burden" or "load."
Polishw ciąży
The word "w ciąży" can also mean "in danger" or "in trouble" in Polish slang.
Romaniangravidă
The Romanian word "gravidă" derives from the Latin "gravidus", "heavy", and the Proto-Indo-European "gʷerh₃-, "heavy".
Russianбеременная
The word "беременная" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *bermenъ, meaning "to carry".
Serbianтрудна
Derived from the Proto-Slavic word *trǫdъ meaning "hardship, suffering or labor," which is also the root of the word "trud" meaning "labor" in Serbian.
Slovaktehotná
Tehotná also means 'heavy' in Slovak.
Sloveniannoseča
The word 'noseča' derives from the Proto-Slavic root *nosъ, meaning 'to bear' or 'to carry'.
Ukrainianвагітна
The word “вагітна” (“pregnant”) in Ukrainian comes from Proto-Slavic word “vьgъ”, meaning “to go” or “to move”.

Pregnant in South Asian Languages

Bengaliগর্ভবতী
গর্ভবতী শব্দের আক্ষরিক অর্থ হল "গর্ভে অবস্থানরত"।
Gujaratiગર્ભવતી
The word 'ગર્ભવતી' in Gujarati finds its origin in the Sanskrit term 'garbhavatī,' which signifies 'carrying a womb' or 'being pregnant.'
Hindiगर्भवती
Kannadaಗರ್ಭಿಣಿ
The word "ಗರ್ಭಿಣಿ" in Kannada literally means "holding a fetus" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "garbha" meaning "womb".
Malayalamഗർഭിണിയാണ്
Marathiगर्भवती
In Marathi, "गर्भवती" also means "fertile" or "fruitful".
Nepaliगर्भवती
"गर्भवती" is derived from the Sanskrit word "garbha" meaning "womb" and "avati" meaning "to hold". It can also refer to a woman who has recently given birth.
Punjabiਗਰਭਵਤੀ
The word 'ਗਰਭਵਤੀ' ('pregnant') in Punjabi is rooted in Sanskrit and literally translates to 'bearing a child' or 'having a child in the womb'.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ගර්භනී
The Sinhala term
Tamilகர்ப்பிணி
"கர்ப்பிணி" (pregnant) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word "garbha" meaning "womb" or "fetus".
Teluguగర్భవతి
The Telugu word "గర్భవతి" is derived from the Sanskrit word "garbhavatī", meaning "carrying a child".
Urduحاملہ
حامل‎ can also mean 'carrying' or 'bearing' in Urdu, and is related to the word 'hamal', meaning 'burden' or 'load'.

Pregnant in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
In early Chinese medical writings, the character "孕" referred to both pregnancy and the idea of "nurturing" and "conceiving."
Chinese (Traditional)
The character 孕 can also be used to mean 'nurture' or 'raise'.
Japanese妊娠中
妊娠中 is also used to describe non-human pregnancy.
Korean충만한
The word "충만한" can also mean "full" or "abundant" in Korean.
Mongolianжирэмсэн
The word "жирэмсэн" is a derived form of the Mongolian word "жир" meaning "fat, meat," which is itself related to an old Mongolian verb *čer- "to grow, become, develop," from which also come Mongolian "жирах" - "to grow," "жирсэн" - "fat."
Myanmar (Burmese)ကိုယ်ဝန်ဆောင်

Pregnant in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianhamil
Hamil derives from an old Malay word meaning "carry" or "bear," and is cognate with the Tagalog word "dala" and Javanese word "gendong," all meaning the same.
Javanesemeteng
Meteng can also mean 'full' or 'abundant' in a non-pregnancy context.
Khmerមានផ្ទៃពោះ
"មានផ្ទៃពោះ" literally means "to have a big belly" and is used to describe people who are either pregnant or overweight.
Laoຖືພາ
The word “ຖືພາ” in Lao comes from the Sanskrit word “garbha,” meaning womb or fetus.
Malaymengandung
Mengandung's original meaning in Old Malay was 'to embrace' or 'to hold something close'.
Thaiตั้งครรภ์
The word "ตั้งครรภ์" in Thai can also mean "to be pregnant with an idea or plan".
Vietnamesecó thai
The word "có thai" can also refer to a woman becoming pregnant or to the status of being pregnant for the first time.
Filipino (Tagalog)buntis

Pregnant in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanihamilə
"Hamilə" (pregnant) comes from the Arabic "hamala", meaning "to carry a burden".
Kazakhжүкті
The word "жүкті" in Kazakh has been suggested to be related to the word "жүк", meaning "burden" or "load", possibly reflecting the perceived physical and emotional weight of pregnancy.
Kyrgyzкош бойлуу
"Кош бойлуу" literally means "with a child in the womb" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikҳомиладор
The word "ҳомиладор" is derived from the Persian word "hamil", meaning "pregnant" or "with child".
Turkmengöwreli
Uzbekhomilador
Homilador is also used to refer to a woman who is about to give birth or who has just given birth.
Uyghurھامىلدار

Pregnant in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianhapai
The word "hapai" also means "to carry a burden or load" in Hawaiian, reflecting the physical and emotional weight of pregnancy.
Maorihapū
The word "hapū" in Māori can also mean "tribe" or "subtribe", indicating the interconnectedness of family and community with the concept of pregnancy and childbirth.
Samoanmaʻito
The Samoan word "ma'ito" is cognate with the Tongan "ma'ito" (also meaning "pregnant"), the Tahitian "maito" (meaning "to give birth"), and the Māori "maitō" (meaning "to bear").
Tagalog (Filipino)buntis
The Tagalog word "buntis" also refers to a pregnant animal, a swelling, or a bulge.

Pregnant in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarausuri
Guaranihyeguasu

Pregnant in International Languages

Esperantograveda
The term graveda comes from a Proto-Indo-European verb meaning "to be heavy" (compare with the English "grave"), and is cognate with words like gravid and gravity.
Latingravidam
The Latin word "gravidam" is derived from the verb "gravo" meaning "to weigh down", alluding to the heavy sensation experienced during pregnancy.

Pregnant in Others Languages

Greekέγκυος
The Greek word "έγκυος" can also mean "secured with, pledged to".
Hmongxeeb tub
The word "xeeb tub" can also refer to a pregnant woman's belly.
Kurdishdûcan
In some Kurdish dialects, "dûcan" can also refer to a woman who has recently given birth.
Turkishhamile
"Hamile" sözcüğünün Arapça kökenli "hamala" kelimesinden geldiği ve "taşımak, yüklenmek" anlamlarını da içerdiği bilinir.
Xhosaukhulelwe
Xhosa word "ukhulelwe" shares its origin with the Zulu word "khulelwe" and the Swati word "khulelwe", which all mean "to become pregnant".
Yiddishשוואַנגער
"שוואַנגער" can also mean "to be very busy" or "to be weighed down" in Yiddish.
Zuluukhulelwe
The word "ukhulelwe" can also refer to the early stages of pregnancy when the fetus is still small.
Assameseগৰ্ভৱতী
Aymarausuri
Bhojpuriगभर्वती
Dhivehiބަނޑުބޮޑު
Dogriआशाबैंती
Filipino (Tagalog)buntis
Guaranihyeguasu
Ilocanomasikug
Kriogɛt bɛlɛ
Kurdish (Sorani)دووگیان
Maithiliगाभीन
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯃꯤꯔꯣꯟꯕꯤ
Mizorai
Oromoulfa
Odia (Oriya)ଗର୍ଭବତୀ
Quechuawiksayuq
Sanskritगर्भवती
Tatarйөкле
Tigrinyaጥንስቲ
Tsongavuyimana

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