Rain in Different Languages
Discover 'Rain' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Rain is a significant and culturally important natural phenomenon that has been experienced by humans for centuries. It is the life-giving liquid that nourishes the earth, allowing plants to grow and animals to thrive. Rain has been the inspiration for countless works of art, literature, and music, and it has played a crucial role in shaping the course of human history.
Throughout the world, rain is known by many different names, each reflecting the unique cultural and linguistic heritage of the people who use it. For example, in Spanish, rain is known as 'lluvia,' while in French, it is called 'pluie.' In German, the word for rain is 'Regen,' and in Japanese, it is '雨' (ame).
Understanding the translations of rain in different languages can help us to better appreciate the diversity and richness of human culture. It can also help us to communicate more effectively with people from different linguistic backgrounds, fostering a sense of global community and understanding.
Rain
Rain in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | reën | ||
| The Afrikaans word "reën" can also refer to a specific type of fine, steady rainfall. | |||
| Amharic | ዝናብ | ||
| The word "ዝናብ" also means "shower" in Amharic and shares its root with the word "zeena" (to rain). | |||
| Hausa | ruwan sama | ||
| In Hausa, 'ruwan sama' means 'rain', but the word 'sama' also means 'sky', and in some dialects it may refer to 'heaven'. | |||
| Igbo | mmiri ozuzo | ||
| The Igbo word for rain, "mmiri ozuzo," originally meant "water that falls from the sky." | |||
| Malagasy | orana | ||
| The word "orana" can also mean "blessing" or "greetings" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mvula | ||
| The word "mvula" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-vula-," which means "to pour forth" or "to rain." | |||
| Shona | mvura | ||
| The word "mvura" in Shona can also refer to any liquid or beverage | |||
| Somali | roob | ||
| In Somali, "roob" (rain) can also refer to a type of light rain or drizzle. | |||
| Sesotho | pula | ||
| In other Bantu languages, ‘pula’ refers to a river. | |||
| Swahili | mvua | ||
| The word 'mvua' in Swahili is also used figuratively to refer to 'blessings' or 'good fortune.' | |||
| Xhosa | imvula | ||
| The word "imvula" also means "blessings" or "good fortune"} | |||
| Yoruba | ojo | ||
| In Yoruba, "ojo" also refers to a day, with "ojo olom" specifically meaning "Sunday". | |||
| Zulu | imvula | ||
| The word "imvula" is derived from the proto-Bantu word "*bvula", and is cognate with the Swahili word "mvua" (rain), the Tswana word " pula" (rain), the Sotho word "pula" (rain), the Xhosa word "imvula" (rain) and the Ndebele word "imvura" (rain). | |||
| Bambara | sanji | ||
| Ewe | tsidzadza | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imvura | ||
| Lingala | mbula | ||
| Luganda | enkuba | ||
| Sepedi | pula | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsuo tɔ | ||
Rain in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تمطر | ||
| The word "تمطر" can also mean "to drizzle" or "to sprinkle" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | גֶשֶׁם | ||
| The Hebrew word "גֶשֶׁם" can also mean a "border" or a "bridge" | |||
| Pashto | باران | ||
| "باران" in Pashto derives from the Middle Persian compound "varānān" meaning "flood" or "heavy rain". | |||
| Arabic | تمطر | ||
| The word "تمطر" can also mean "to drizzle" or "to sprinkle" in Arabic. | |||
Rain in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shi | ||
| The word 'shi' (pronounced 'ˈiː') possibly derives from Proto-Albanian '*skih-ı', and the Illyrian '*shei-'. | |||
| Basque | euria | ||
| The Basque word "euria" may also refer to dew, drizzle, or snow, depending on context. | |||
| Catalan | pluja | ||
| In some dialects, "pluja" can also mean "storm" or "heavy rain." | |||
| Croatian | kiša | ||
| The Croatian word "kiša" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*kyša", which is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ĝʰus-yo-", meaning "to pour or flow", shared with many other languages, such as Latin "fundo" (to pour)} | |||
| Danish | regn | ||
| The Danish word "regn" has a cognate in Old Norse "regn", meaning "water" or "liquid". | |||
| Dutch | regen | ||
| In Dutch, the word "regen" is a cognate of the English word "rain", both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*reg-", meaning "to flow." | |||
| English | rain | ||
| The word | |||
| French | pluie | ||
| The word "pluie" (rain) comes from the Latin "pluvia" and is related to the English word "pluvial" (of or relating to rain). | |||
| Frisian | rein | ||
| In the Frisian language, the word "rein" can also refer to a boundary between fields or a path along such a boundary. | |||
| Galician | chuvia | ||
| The Galician word "chuvia" is derived from the Latin word "pluvia," meaning "rain." It also has a secondary meaning, referring to a light drizzle or mist. | |||
| German | regen | ||
| The word "Regen" in German also refers to movement or stirring, akin to the English word "regime". | |||
| Icelandic | rigning | ||
| "Rigna" means "rain" in Icelandic, but is also used figuratively to describe a person who is always complaining or whining. | |||
| Irish | báisteach | ||
| The word "báisteach" also refers to holy water. | |||
| Italian | pioggia | ||
| The Italian word "pioggia" comes from the Latin "pluvia," meaning "rain." The word is also sometimes used to refer to a "downpour"} | |||
| Luxembourgish | reen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Reen" is derived from Proto-French "reïn" and is cognate with English "rain," German "Regen," Russian "дождь" (dozhd)," "French "pluie," etc. | |||
| Maltese | xita | ||
| The root word 'x' can carry a connotation of liquid discharge: from perspiration of humans in the form of 'xaħta,' to excretions like 'xewka' and 'xilħ.'”} | |||
| Norwegian | regn | ||
| In Old Norse, "regn" also meant "water" or "stream". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | chuva | ||
| The word 'chuva' comes from the Latin word 'pluvia', meaning rain. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uisge | ||
| The Gaelic word "uisge" also means "water" and is related to the Irish word "uisce" and the Welsh word "dŵr" | |||
| Spanish | lluvia | ||
| "Lluvia" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "pluvia", meaning "rain". | |||
| Swedish | regn | ||
| The word "regn" is also used in Swedish to refer to rain that falls from the sky or precipitation. | |||
| Welsh | glaw | ||
| The Welsh word 'glaw' also refers to blue dye and blue or gray eyes. | |||
Rain in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дождж | ||
| In Belarusian, "дождж" (rain) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *reg-, meaning "to flow". It is also related to the English word "rainfall" and the German word "regen". | |||
| Bosnian | kiša | ||
| The word "kiša" can also mean "shower" or "sprinkle" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | дъжд | ||
| "Дъжд" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*dъžďь" which also meant "rain" and probably also referred to the god of the rain, who is also known as Даждбог "Dazhdbog" in Slavic folklore. | |||
| Czech | déšť | ||
| The word "déšť" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *desti, meaning 'rain' or 'pour'. It is related to the Latin word "distillatio," meaning 'to drip' or 'to fall in drops'. | |||
| Estonian | vihma | ||
| "Vihma" is thought to be derived from the older word "vihm" and may also be related to the Finnic word "vete" meaning "water". | |||
| Finnish | sade | ||
| The word "sade" in Finnish comes from the Proto-Finnic word "sate" which also means "rain". | |||
| Hungarian | eső | ||
| The Hungarian word "eső" also means "waterfall", referring to the falling nature of both rain and waterfalls. | |||
| Latvian | lietus | ||
| The word "lietus" in Latvian is cognate with "leiten" in German, and both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root "*leikw- " meaning "liquid". | |||
| Lithuanian | lietus | ||
| The Lithuanian word “lietus” (“rain”) may have the same Indo-European origin as “leaky,” “light,” or “lustrous.” | |||
| Macedonian | дожд | ||
| The word "дожд" is also used to refer to a type of mushroom that is harvested in the rain. | |||
| Polish | deszcz | ||
| The Polish term "deszcz" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*desti" and is cognate with the Latin "imber", meaning "heavy rain or downpour." | |||
| Romanian | ploaie | ||
| The Romanian word "ploaie" also has an archaic meaning of "flood". | |||
| Russian | дождь | ||
| The word "дождь" (rain) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dъžдь, which also meant "abundance" or "harvest." | |||
| Serbian | киша | ||
| The word "киша" could also refer to either a person who often cries or a kind of fabric. | |||
| Slovak | dážď | ||
| The word "dážď" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dъžдь, which also means "harvest" or "abundance". | |||
| Slovenian | dež | ||
| "Dež" in Slovenian originally meant "action" and is related to words for "doing" and "work" in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | дощ | ||
| The Ukrainian word "дощ" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *desti, meaning "rain" or "to rain", and is related to the English word "dew". | |||
Rain in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বৃষ্টি | ||
| The word "বৃষ্টি" (rain) derives from the Sanskrit word "वृष्टि" (vrishti), meaning "to pour". It can also figuratively refer to a heavy downpour or an abundance of something. | |||
| Gujarati | વરસાદ | ||
| વરસાદ is also used to refer to the monsoon season in India, which typically lasts from June to September. | |||
| Hindi | बारिश | ||
| The Hindi word "बारिश" (rain) is derived from the Sanskrit root "vrish," meaning "to pour". | |||
| Kannada | ಮಳೆ | ||
| The word "ಮಳೆ" in Kannada is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*maḷi", which also means "darkness" or "cloud". | |||
| Malayalam | മഴ | ||
| "മഴ" (mazha) is cognate with the Tamil word "மழை" (mazhai) and the Sanskrit word "मेघ" (megha), all meaning "cloud" or "rain Cloud". | |||
| Marathi | पाऊस | ||
| The word "पाऊस" is also used to refer to the sound of falling rain or footsteps. | |||
| Nepali | वर्षा | ||
| The word वर्षा ( वर्षा ) originates from the Sanskrit language. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੀਂਹ | ||
| The word "ਮੀਂਹ" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *meiǵʰ-, meaning "to wet" or "to flow". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වැස්ස | ||
| Sinhala "වැස්ස" (rain) is derived from Proto-Indo-European *wes-, meaning "to wet" or "to flow". It also connotes "fertility" or a "season of plenty". | |||
| Tamil | மழை | ||
| The Tamil word "மழை" is also used to denote a shower, drizzle or sprinkle. | |||
| Telugu | వర్షం | ||
| The word 'వర్షం' (rain) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'वर्षा' (varṣā), which also means 'rain'. In addition, 'వర్షం' can refer to a specific period of heavy rainfall. | |||
| Urdu | بارش | ||
| "بارش" also means "shower" in Urdu. | |||
Rain in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 雨 | ||
| The character 雨 (rain) can be combined with other radicals to form new characters such as 露 (dew), 雪 (snow), 雹 (hail), and 霖 (constant rain). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 雨 | ||
| 雨 is also an ancient Chinese currency used during the Shang dynasty | |||
| Japanese | 雨 | ||
| 雨 can also refer to a type of Japanese umbrella made from oiled paper. | |||
| Korean | 비 | ||
| The word "비" can also refer to a type of musical instrument or a particular sound in Korean music. | |||
| Mongolian | бороо | ||
| The Mongolian word "бороо" (rain) is thought to be onomatopoeic or derived from the verb "борох" (to drizzle). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မိုး | ||
| "မိုး" is also used to describe the season it occurs in, the monsoon season. | |||
Rain in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hujan | ||
| The word 'hujan' is derived from the Proto-Malayic word 'ujan', which also means 'rain' in other Austronesian languages such as Malay, Javanese, and Tagalog. | |||
| Javanese | udan | ||
| "Udan" in Javanese also refers to a traditional herbal medicine used to treat digestive issues. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្លៀង | ||
| "ភ្លៀង" (rain) also refers to a type of Khmer folk music played with a bamboo xylophone. | |||
| Lao | ຝົນ | ||
| The Lao word "ຝົນ" can also refer to "the rainy season" or "a period of heavy rainfall." | |||
| Malay | hujan | ||
| The word "hujan" in Malay is cognate with the Javanese word "ujan" and the Sundanese word "djur". | |||
| Thai | ฝน | ||
| The Thai word "ฝน" (rain) comes from the Sanskrit word "Varsha" which means "to fall". | |||
| Vietnamese | mưa | ||
| The Vietnamese word "mưa" can also mean "tear", "sorrow", or "sadness". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulan | ||
Rain in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yağış | ||
| "Yağış" also means "fat" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жаңбыр | ||
| The Kazakh word "жаңбыр" is cognate with the Mongolian word "зам" and the Oghuz Turkish word "yağmur." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жамгыр | ||
| In the Kyrgyz language, "жамгыр" not only means "rain," but is also used to describe "a sprinkle" or "raindrops." | |||
| Tajik | борон | ||
| The Tajik word "борон" also refers to a "spring" or "trickle of water". | |||
| Turkmen | ýagyş | ||
| Uzbek | yomg'ir | ||
| "Yomg'ir" has roots in Old Turkic and can also mean "dew" and "moisture" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | يامغۇر | ||
Rain in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ua | ||
| Ua in Hawaiian also refers to water in general, such as rivers, waterfalls, and waves. | |||
| Maori | ua | ||
| Ua may also mean "water" or "liquid" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | timu | ||
| Timu's alternate meaning in Samoan is 'a tear'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ulan | ||
| The Tagalog word "ulan" also means a type of banana plant, its leaf, or its flower bud. | |||
Rain in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jallu | ||
| Guarani | ama | ||
Rain in International Languages
| Esperanto | pluvo | ||
| The word "pluvo" has an alternative meaning of "rainfall" and is derived from the Latin "pluvia" (rain). | |||
| Latin | pluviam | ||
| The Latin word pluvia has similar roots to the English words "pluvial" and "plumb". Rain often falls in vertical drops, so plumb lines and rain share this vertical aspect. | |||
Rain in Others Languages
| Greek | βροχή | ||
| "Βροχή" also denotes the act of blessing by an Orthodox bishop, and in this sense is cognate with the English "benediction" from Latin "benedicere". | |||
| Hmong | nag | ||
| The word nag also means "water" or "stream" and is related to the Zhuang word nɛk, which means "water." | |||
| Kurdish | baran | ||
| In Kurmanji Kurdish, "baran" also refers to a kind of heavy snow that creates large, fluffy snowflakes and covers the ground in a thick white blanket. | |||
| Turkish | yağmur | ||
| The word "yağmur" in Turkish is also used to refer to the act of raining, especially when it is light. | |||
| Xhosa | imvula | ||
| The word "imvula" also means "blessings" or "good fortune"} | |||
| Yiddish | רעגן | ||
| The Yiddish word "רעגן" also means "movement" in Hebrew. | |||
| Zulu | imvula | ||
| The word "imvula" is derived from the proto-Bantu word "*bvula", and is cognate with the Swahili word "mvua" (rain), the Tswana word " pula" (rain), the Sotho word "pula" (rain), the Xhosa word "imvula" (rain) and the Ndebele word "imvura" (rain). | |||
| Assamese | বৰষুণ | ||
| Aymara | jallu | ||
| Bhojpuri | बरखा | ||
| Dhivehi | ވާރޭ | ||
| Dogri | बरखा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulan | ||
| Guarani | ama | ||
| Ilocano | tudo | ||
| Krio | ren | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باران | ||
| Maithili | बारिश | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯣꯡ | ||
| Mizo | ruah | ||
| Oromo | rooba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବର୍ଷା | ||
| Quechua | para | ||
| Sanskrit | वृष्टि | ||
| Tatar | яңгыр | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝናብ | ||
| Tsonga | mpfula | ||