Red in Different Languages
Discover 'Red' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Red is a vibrant and powerful color, evoking emotions ranging from love and passion to danger and warning. Its significance is deeply rooted in various cultures and histories worldwide. For instance, in Chinese culture, red symbolizes happiness, prosperity, and good fortune. In contrast, Native American tribes associate red with the life-giving power of the sun. The ancient Egyptians used red ochre in their burial rituals, signifying life and resurrection.
Given its rich symbolism, it's no wonder that someone might want to learn the translation of 'red' in different languages. After all, understanding cultural nuances and color symbolism can enrich our interactions and deepen our connections with people from diverse backgrounds.
Here are a few translations to pique your curiosity:
- French: rouge
- Spanish: rojo
- German: rot
- Italian: rosso
- Japanese: 赤 (aka)
- Korean: 붉 (bulgeun)
- Russian: красный (krasny)
Red
Red in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rooi | ||
| Rooi also means a low red sand dune; an area where red-fleshed watermelons or grapes are grown; or a redhead. | |||
| Amharic | ቀይ | ||
| The word ቀይ can also refer to the color of the soil or the color of a person's skin. | |||
| Hausa | ja | ||
| Hausa "ja" may also refer to "rust" or the "colour of blood". | |||
| Igbo | uhie uhie | ||
| "Uhie uhie" can also mean "beautiful," "lovely," or "attractive." | |||
| Malagasy | mena | ||
| MENA can also refer to a kind of red wood or a red substance used as a dye or cosmetic. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chofiira | ||
| The word 'chofiira' may also mean 'blood' or 'dark red' depending on context. | |||
| Shona | tsvuku | ||
| 'Tsvuku' also refers to a type of red soil found in Zimbabwe and other parts of Southern Africa. | |||
| Somali | casaan | ||
| The word "casaan" in Somali can also refer to a type of red clay used in traditional pottery. | |||
| Sesotho | khubelu | ||
| The word "khubelu" can also refer to blood, which is considered a sacred substance in Sesotho culture. | |||
| Swahili | nyekundu | ||
| The word "nyekundu" in Swahili is derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-kundi, meaning "to coagulate" or "to thicken". | |||
| Xhosa | bomvu | ||
| The word bomvu has a secondary meaning of 'cooked', and can be used in expressions like 'ukubomba bomvu' ('to burn until red-hot') | |||
| Yoruba | pupa | ||
| In Yoruboid languages, the word pupa may also refer to the color orange. | |||
| Zulu | okubomvu | ||
| The Zulu word "okubomvu" can also refer to something that is forbidden or dangerous. | |||
| Bambara | bilema | ||
| Ewe | dzẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umutuku | ||
| Lingala | motane | ||
| Luganda | -myuufu | ||
| Sepedi | khubedu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɔkɔɔ | ||
Red in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أحمر | ||
| The word 'أحمر' can also refer to 'wine'. In the Quran, the phrase 'خمر أحمر' is used to describe 'red wine' or 'wine with a reddish hue'. | |||
| Hebrew | אָדוֹם | ||
| "אֲדוֹם" is cognate with the Akkadian word "admu" (blood) and the Arabic "ahmar" (ruddy). | |||
| Pashto | سور | ||
| سور also means 'rust' or 'to become rusty' in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | أحمر | ||
| The word 'أحمر' can also refer to 'wine'. In the Quran, the phrase 'خمر أحمر' is used to describe 'red wine' or 'wine with a reddish hue'. | |||
Red in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e kuqe | ||
| The word “e kuqe” in Albanian comes from the Proto-Albanian word “*kuka” meaning “red, brown, yellow,” while the word “e verdhë” (yellow) originates from Proto-Indo-European “*gʰelH-,” meaning “green.” | |||
| Basque | gorria | ||
| "Gorria" (red) comes from the Proto-Basque word *gorr- (hot), meaning "burning" and "lively". | |||
| Catalan | vermell | ||
| "Vermell" is derived from the Latin "vermiculus," meaning "little worm". | |||
| Croatian | crvena | ||
| The word 'Crvena' (red) in Croatian also has the alternate meaning of 'beautiful'. | |||
| Danish | rød | ||
| The Danish word "rød" can refer to both the red color and red wine. | |||
| Dutch | rood | ||
| In Dutch, the word "rood" can also mean "angry" or "flushed." | |||
| English | red | ||
| The word "red" comes from the Old English word "read" meaning "ruddy" or "reddish". | |||
| French | rouge | ||
| The word "rouge" also means "blush" or "face paint" in French. | |||
| Frisian | read | ||
| It is also used for the name of cattle, especially in the compound raed-fear `red-bull` | |||
| Galician | vermello | ||
| The Galician word "vermello" can also refer to copper or bronze, as well as reddish-brown or purple-red. | |||
| German | rot | ||
| Besides 'red', 'rot' also means 'rotten' in German, sharing its origin with the English word 'rot'. | |||
| Icelandic | rautt | ||
| Rauður can also refer to a red dye or a redhead. | |||
| Irish | dearg | ||
| "Deag" can also mean "good" or "virtuous" in Irish, illustrating the semantic extension of color terms into moral evaluations. | |||
| Italian | rosso | ||
| In ancient Latin, "rosso" was also used as a noun meaning "rust" or "reddish-brown oxide". | |||
| Luxembourgish | rout | ||
| The word "Rout" came to Luxembourgish by way of French, but ultimately originates from Old Norse | |||
| Maltese | aħmar | ||
| "Aħmar" can also mean "angry" or "embarrassed" in Maltese slang. | |||
| Norwegian | rød | ||
| The word "rød" is the Norwegian equivalent of the word "red" in English, but it can also refer to the color of certain fruits and vegetables, such as carrots and tomatoes. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vermelho | ||
| The word "vermelho" is also used in Portuguese to describe a light orange color. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dearg | ||
| The word "dearg" also refers to the reddish brown color of peat smoke. | |||
| Spanish | rojo | ||
| The word "rojo" is related to the Latin word "rubeus," meaning "reddish". | |||
| Swedish | röd | ||
| The word "röd" in Swedish can also mean "pink" or "rose-colored". | |||
| Welsh | coch | ||
| Coch is a common Welsh term for "red", but it can also refer to reddish-brown or auburn hair. | |||
Red in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чырвоны | ||
| In the past, чырвоны was also used to describe any beautiful or bright object. | |||
| Bosnian | crvena | ||
| The word "crvena" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "krŭvenŭ", which also means "blood" in Bosnian and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | червен | ||
| "Червен" also means "July" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | červené | ||
| In Czech, "Červené" can also refer to wine or a blush on one's face, and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "čьrvenъ". | |||
| Estonian | punane | ||
| Punane can also refer to various shades of purple, not just red. | |||
| Finnish | punainen | ||
| Punainen, besides meaning 'red', is derived from 'puna' ('dye') but may refer to various dye colors depending on dye used, such as 'scarlet', 'crimson', or 'purple'. | |||
| Hungarian | piros | ||
| The Hungarian word "piros" is also used to describe blushing or embarrassment, and is thought to be related to the Sanskrit word "pippala", meaning "red pepper". | |||
| Latvian | sarkans | ||
| The term also refers to the red dye made from madder or saffron. | |||
| Lithuanian | raudona | ||
| Its plural is "raudonės", referring to measles or scarlet fever. | |||
| Macedonian | црвено | ||
| "Црвено" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *čьrvьnъ, which originally meant "worm" or "maggot". | |||
| Polish | czerwony | ||
| Czerwony, an adjective meaning "red" in Polish, derives from the Proto-Slavic root *čьrvenъ, initially referring to the reddish color of worms. | |||
| Romanian | roșu | ||
| "Roșu" is also used to describe the color of the Romanian flag, which is a combination of blue, yellow, and red. | |||
| Russian | красный | ||
| The word "красный" in Russian not only means "red", but also "beautiful", "fair", "good", and even "lucky". | |||
| Serbian | црвена | ||
| The Serbian word "црвена" is cognate with the English word "crimson" and the Old Church Slavonic word "чрьвенъ". | |||
| Slovak | červená | ||
| The word "červená" can also refer to the color of blood or a type of worm used as fishing bait. | |||
| Slovenian | rdeča | ||
| The verb 'rdeča' also means 'to blush' or 'to turn red' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | червоний | ||
| "Червоний" is also used in Ukrainian heraldics to refer to the color gules, or dark red. | |||
Red in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লাল | ||
| The Bengali word "লাল" (red) also refers to anything valuable or highly esteemed, such as a highly skilled person or a rare gemstone. | |||
| Gujarati | લાલ | ||
| The word "লাল" "red" in Gujarati, besides meaning "red" also means "lovely" or "beautiful", especially when used to describe people but also occasionally used for objects. | |||
| Hindi | लाल | ||
| The word "लाल" can also refer to "lust" or "greed" in Hindi, as it shares a root with the word "लोभ" (greed). | |||
| Kannada | ಕೆಂಪು | ||
| In ancient Kannada texts, "ಕೆಂಪು" referred to wealth and prosperity | |||
| Malayalam | ചുവപ്പ് | ||
| The Malayalam word "ചുവപ്പ്" (red) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *cupa- meaning "to be red or yellow". | |||
| Marathi | लाल | ||
| Nepali | रातो | ||
| The word "रातो" can also refer to the color green in some contexts, especially in the context of vegetables and plants. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਾਲ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਲਾਲ" (lāl) can also refer to a person who is passionate or fiery, similar to its use in Hindi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රතු | ||
| "රතු" (red) is cognate with Tamil "சிவப்பு" (red) and Kannada "ಕೆಂಪು" (red), and all derive from the Proto-Dravidian word *śempu. | |||
| Tamil | சிவப்பு | ||
| The word 'சிவப்பு' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'शिव' meaning 'auspicious' and also refers to the cardinal direction 'east'. | |||
| Telugu | ఎరుపు | ||
| "ఎరుపు" signifies not only the color red but can also denote "wealth" or "abundance" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | سرخ | ||
| The word can be traced back to proto-indo-Iranian, where it denoted 'golden', and even further to 'blood' in proto-uralic | |||
Red in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 红 | ||
| "红" can also mean "to blush" or "to be successful". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 紅 | ||
| In ancient Chinese texts, "紅" could also refer to "pink", "purple", or "rainbow". | |||
| Japanese | 赤 | ||
| The Chinese character "赤" also represents the color "dark red" or "brown" in some Chinese words | |||
| Korean | 빨간 | ||
| } | |||
| Mongolian | улаан | ||
| In Mongolian, 'улаан' (red) can also refer to 'good fortune', 'success', or 'happiness' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနီေရာင် | ||
| အနီေရာင် primarily means "red" in Burmese, but can also refer to the cardinal direction "south." | |||
Red in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | merah | ||
| "Merah" also means "embarrassed" or "shy" when used as a verb in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | abang | ||
| In Javanese, 'abang' also signifies strength, bravery, and royalty, embodying both its literal and abstract attributes. | |||
| Khmer | ក្រហម | ||
| The word ក្រហម is derived from Sanskrit “rakta” meaning “red” and “blood,” which is shared by many Indic languages such as Bengali and Hindi. | |||
| Lao | ສີແດງ | ||
| The Lao word for red, ສີແດງ (si daeng), is also used to describe the color orange, and is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word for "sun", meaning "golden". | |||
| Malay | merah | ||
| The word "merah" also means "angry" or "embarrassed" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | สีแดง | ||
| The word "สีแดง" in Thai is related to the words for "blood" and "morning." | |||
| Vietnamese | đỏ | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "đỏ" can also mean "ripe", "mature", or "lucky" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pula | ||
Red in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qırmızı | ||
| The word "qırmızı" is also used in Azerbaijani to describe various shades of pink and purple, which were traditionally considered variations of red in the Azerbaijani cultural context. | |||
| Kazakh | қызыл | ||
| In Kazakh mythology, "қызыл" can represent the east, the place where the sun rises and new life begins. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кызыл | ||
| The word "Кызыл" not only means "red" in Kyrgyz, but also has a broader meaning of "beautiful" or "attractive." | |||
| Tajik | сурх | ||
| The word "сурх" can also mean "gold" in some contexts and is closely related to the Old Persian word "zaranya" meaning "golden," which in turn comes from the root "*ǵʰelh₃-" meaning "to shine." | |||
| Turkmen | gyzyl | ||
| Uzbek | qizil | ||
| In Turkic languages, "qizil" also means "golden" or "gilded" | |||
| Uyghur | قىزىل | ||
Red in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ulaʻula | ||
| Ulaʻula is associated with many meanings, including blood, war, bravery, or an offering to gods. | |||
| Maori | whero | ||
| Whero, meaning "red" in Maori, also symbolizes strength, vitality and aggression. | |||
| Samoan | lanu mumu | ||
| "Lanu mumu" literally means "red" in Samoan, but it can also refer to a person's blood or their anger. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pula | ||
| "Pula" in Tagalog can also refer to a type of itchy skin rash or to feeling shy or embarrassed. | |||
Red in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wila | ||
| Guarani | pytã | ||
Red in International Languages
| Esperanto | ruĝa | ||
| The word "ruĝa" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁rewǵ-, meaning "reddish-brown". | |||
| Latin | rubrum | ||
| In late Latin, rubrum also referred to an ornate or elaborate capital letter, or to the text written in red ink that was used to introduce important texts. | |||
Red in Others Languages
| Greek | το κόκκινο | ||
| The word "κόκκινο" in Greek can also refer to a type of red wine, "red thread" (運命の赤い糸, "the red thread of destiny") or a "red light district". | |||
| Hmong | xim liab | ||
| The Hmong word “xim liab” originates from the Chinese word “xiànlián” which means “to show one’s face”; this is a metaphor for being bold and confident. | |||
| Kurdish | sor | ||
| In some dialects, ''sor'' refers to a darker shade of red known as ''crimson'' or ''maroon''. | |||
| Turkish | kırmızı | ||
| "Kırmızı" shares the same root as the word "kıra"," which refers to open grassy fields in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | bomvu | ||
| The word bomvu has a secondary meaning of 'cooked', and can be used in expressions like 'ukubomba bomvu' ('to burn until red-hot') | |||
| Yiddish | רויט | ||
| The Yiddish word "רויט" also means "beautiful" or "precious", especially in a context of human qualities and relationships. | |||
| Zulu | okubomvu | ||
| The Zulu word "okubomvu" can also refer to something that is forbidden or dangerous. | |||
| Assamese | ৰঙা | ||
| Aymara | wila | ||
| Bhojpuri | लाल | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަތް | ||
| Dogri | लाल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pula | ||
| Guarani | pytã | ||
| Ilocano | nalabbaga | ||
| Krio | rɛd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سوور | ||
| Maithili | लाल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sen | ||
| Oromo | diimaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନାଲି | ||
| Quechua | puka | ||
| Sanskrit | रक्त | ||
| Tatar | кызыл | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀይሕ | ||
| Tsonga | tshuka | ||