Relative in Different Languages
Discover 'Relative' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'relative' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a relationship or connection to something or someone. Its cultural importance is evident in various traditions, family structures, and social systems around the world. Understanding the translation of 'relative' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and value relationships.
For instance, the term for 'relative' in Spanish is 'pariente,' which stems from the Latin 'parentem' meaning 'parent.' In Japanese, 'relative' is '関係者 (kankeisha),' emphasizing the connection or context between individuals. Meanwhile, in Swahili, 'relative' is 'ndugu,' which also means 'brother' or 'sister,' highlighting the close-knit familial bonds in Swahili-speaking cultures.
Exploring the translations of 'relative' in various languages can open up a world of cultural understanding and appreciation. Here are some translations to get you started:
Relative
Relative in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | familielid | ||
| Afrikaans 'familielid' derives from Dutch "familieled", itself coming from Latin "familia" (household), but "lid" also means "member". | |||
| Amharic | ዘመድ | ||
| "ዘመድ" means "relative" but in some phrases means the "relational aspect of something". | |||
| Hausa | dangi | ||
| The word "dangi" in Hausa can also refer to a spouse or sibling. | |||
| Igbo | ikwu | ||
| The Igbo word "ikwu" can also mean "joint" or "connection," highlighting the interconnected nature of family relationships. | |||
| Malagasy | havana | ||
| "Havana" can be a contraction of "havana tsy nateraka", meaning "relative who was not born (in the family)". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wachibale | ||
| Derived from the verb 'kuwacha' meaning 'to be close to'. | |||
| Shona | hama | ||
| It's also the root of the verb 'kukhama', 'to bear fruit' or 'to be fruitful' | |||
| Somali | qaraabo | ||
| The word "qaraabo" is derived from the Arabic word "qarib", which means "close" or "near". | |||
| Sesotho | mong ka wena | ||
| In some contexts, "mong ka wena" can also mean "friend". | |||
| Swahili | jamaa | ||
| The word 'jamaa' can also refer to a clan, tribe, or community | |||
| Xhosa | isalamane | ||
| While the word "isalamane" literally translates to "relative," it can also refer to an in-law, cousin, uncle, nephew, etc. | |||
| Yoruba | ojulumo | ||
| The word 'ọ̀jọ́ ọ̀mọ̀' (relative) in Yoruba also refers to members of the extended family, such as cousins and nephews. | |||
| Zulu | isihlobo | ||
| In Zulu, "isihlobo" can also refer to a person's "clan" | |||
| Bambara | limaanaw | ||
| Ewe | ƒometɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mwene wabo | ||
| Lingala | etali | ||
| Luganda | ow'ekika | ||
| Sepedi | motswalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | busuani | ||
Relative in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نسبيا | ||
| Hebrew | קרוב משפחה | ||
| "קרוב משפחה" means "related" in Aramaic, from which Hebrew borrowed the term. | |||
| Pashto | اړونده | ||
| The Pashto word "اړونده" also means "related" or "relevant" in English. | |||
| Arabic | نسبيا | ||
Relative in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të afërm | ||
| "Të afërm" comes from Proto-Albanian "*h₂e-per-eh₂" with reflexes in Slavic and other Indo-European languages referring to familial relations. | |||
| Basque | erlatiboa | ||
| Its plural form, "erlatibo" is used in Basque to mean "family". | |||
| Catalan | parent | ||
| The Catalan word "parent" comes from the Latin word "parens", which means "father" or "mother". | |||
| Croatian | srodnik | ||
| In Slavic languages, -rod- means 'family' and is found in words like 'brother', 'father', 'son' and 'srodnik' | |||
| Danish | i forhold | ||
| In addition to the common meaning, "i forhold" can also mean "compared to" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | familielid | ||
| The Dutch word 'familielid' ('relative') is cognate with the English word 'familial'. | |||
| English | relative | ||
| The word "relative" can also mean "pertaining to or measured with reference to something else". | |||
| French | relatif | ||
| In French, the word "relatif" also means "subjective" or "conditional". | |||
| Frisian | relative | ||
| In Frisian, the word "relative" can also mean "relative importance" or "relative clause". | |||
| Galician | parente | ||
| The word "parente" also means "godfather" or "godmother" in Galician | |||
| German | relativ | ||
| The German word "relativ" can also mean "comparative" and is derived from the Latin word "relativus" meaning "concerning". | |||
| Icelandic | ættingi | ||
| Ættingi is also a common noun referring to a family, clan, or kindred. | |||
| Irish | gaol | ||
| The Irish word "gaol" also means "relationship" or "connection". | |||
| Italian | parente | ||
| The word "parente" comes from the Latin word "parens," meaning "parent" or "ancestor." | |||
| Luxembourgish | relativ | ||
| "Relativ" derives from the French word "relatif", which in turn comes from the Latin "relativus", meaning "having relation to" | |||
| Maltese | qarib | ||
| The word "qarib" in Maltese also means "neighbor" or "close acquaintance". | |||
| Norwegian | slektning | ||
| "Slektning" traces back to "slekt", meaning "lineage, family connection". Its Old Norse form was "slekt", stemming from "slækt", meaning "that which is brought forth". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | relativo | ||
| The word "relativo" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) is based on the Latin word "relativus" which has various meanings including "pertaining to" or "with reference to". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | càirdeach | ||
| Cairdeach also means 'friend' and is derived from the word 'car', meaning 'love'. | |||
| Spanish | relativo | ||
| En español "relativo" también puede referirse a un adverbio, a un pronombre o a la palabra clave de una proposición subordinada | |||
| Swedish | släkting | ||
| Släkting means "relative" and is cognate with English "slacker", meaning someone who avoids work or doesn't pull their weight. | |||
| Welsh | perthynas | ||
| "Perthynas" also means "belonging", "connection", or "relationship". | |||
Relative in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сваяк | ||
| In Belarusian, "сваяк" also refers to a brother-in-law or sister-in-law, deriving from the Proto-Slavic word for "one's own". | |||
| Bosnian | srodnik | ||
| The word 'srodnik' is derived from the Old Slavonic word 'sъrodьnikъ', which originally meant 'person of the same kind'. | |||
| Bulgarian | роднина | ||
| The term | |||
| Czech | relativní | ||
| The Czech word "relativní" can also mean "comparative" or "subjective." | |||
| Estonian | sugulane | ||
| The Estonian word "sugulane" is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric word *suk, meaning "bone" or "kin". It is related to the Finnish word "suku" and the Hungarian word "szül". In addition to its core meaning of "relative," "sugulane" can also refer to a "family member" or a "kindred spirit." | |||
| Finnish | suhteellinen | ||
| The Finnish word "suhteellinen" also means "proportional" or "comparative". | |||
| Hungarian | relatív | ||
| A "relatív" szó a "relatio" latin szóból ered, amely "jelentést" vagy "összehasonlítást" jelent. | |||
| Latvian | radinieks | ||
| The word "radinieks" can also refer to a "distant relative" or a "relative by marriage". | |||
| Lithuanian | giminaitis | ||
| The word "giminaitis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gen-", meaning "to beget, give birth to". | |||
| Macedonian | роднина | ||
| "Роднина" also refers to the extended family | |||
| Polish | krewny | ||
| Krewny, a Polish word for "relative", is related to "krew" meaning "blood" and also "krewny" meaning "family" in the Kashubian language. | |||
| Romanian | relativ | ||
| In Romanian, "relativ" is not only an adjective meaning "relative" or "comparative" but also a noun meaning "relation" or "connection." | |||
| Russian | родственник | ||
| The word "родственник" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *rodъ, meaning "birth" or "lineage." | |||
| Serbian | релативан | ||
| The word "релативан" is derived from the Latin word "relativus," meaning "having reference to." | |||
| Slovak | príbuzný | ||
| Pribuzny has the alternate meanings "related" and "closely connected" in the context of blood relations | |||
| Slovenian | sorodnik | ||
| The word 'sorodnik' is derived from the Old Slavic word 'sorodŭ', meaning 'of the same kind' or 'akin'. It is also related to the Russian word 'сродник' (srodnik), which has the same meaning. | |||
| Ukrainian | відносний | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'відносний' (relative) also means 'comparable' or 'approximate'. | |||
Relative in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আপেক্ষিক | ||
| আপেক্ষিক শব্দটির আক্ষরিক অর্থ 'সাপেক্ষতার সঙ্গে' বা 'সম্পর্কিত'। এই শব্দটি ল্যাটিন শব্দ 'রেলেটিভাস' থেকে এসেছে। | |||
| Gujarati | સંબંધિત | ||
| Hindi | सापेक्ष | ||
| In Hindi, "सापेक्ष" ("relative") can mean something in relation to another, a reference point, or a time or place | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಪೇಕ್ಷ | ||
| The word "ಸಾಪೇಕ್ಷ" can also mean "conditional" or "contingent" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ആപേക്ഷികം | ||
| "ആപേക്ഷികം" can also mean 'related to' or 'concerned with' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | नातेवाईक | ||
| नातेवाईक (nǎtēvāīka), a Marathi word for 'relative', is derived from the Sanskrit word नाता (nāta) meaning 'relation', and वाईक (vāīka) meaning 'belonging to'. | |||
| Nepali | सापेक्ष | ||
| The word सापेक्ष ("relative") in Nepali can also mean "comparative," "correlative," or "proportionate." | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਿਸ਼ਤੇਦਾਰ | ||
| The word "ਰਿਸ਼ਤੇਦਾਰ" can also refer to a person who is not necessarily a blood relative, but is considered a part of the family due to close emotional ties. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාපේක්ෂ | ||
| This word has a special meaning which relates to grammatical relationships, such as that of a subject to an object. | |||
| Tamil | உறவினர் | ||
| The word உறவினர் ('relative') can also refer to a group of people who are related to each other | |||
| Telugu | సాపేక్ష | ||
| The word "సాపేక్ష" can also refer to "proportionate" or "comparative". | |||
| Urdu | رشتہ دار | ||
| رشتہ دار can also mean a 'connection' or 'relationship' | |||
Relative in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 相对的 | ||
| “相对的”最初表示“相关”或“比较”的意思，后来才引申出“亲戚”的含义。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 相對的 | ||
| The word '相對的' (relative) in Chinese (Traditional) can also mean 'comparative' or 'correlative'. | |||
| Japanese | 相対的 | ||
| In Japanese, "相対的" has the additional nuance of "comparative" and is used to compare different things in a context. | |||
| Korean | 상대적인 | ||
| "상대적인" is also used in Korean to mean "comparative" or "proportionate." | |||
| Mongolian | харьцангуй | ||
| The word 'khartsanguy' is derived from the Mongolian word 'khartsa' meaning 'lineage' or 'family'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆွေမျိုး | ||
Relative in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | relatif | ||
| The word "relatif" can also mean "relative to" or "in relation to" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | sedulur | ||
| Sedulur ('sibling') in Javanese can also refer to a friend, colleague, neighbor, or fellow member of a social group. | |||
| Khmer | សាច់ញាតិ | ||
| Lao | ພີ່ນ້ອງ | ||
| Malay | saudara | ||
| In the Indonesian language, the term | |||
| Thai | ญาติ | ||
| "ญาติ" means a "relative" but is also used to specify "kindred" or even "species". | |||
| Vietnamese | quan hệ | ||
| "Quan hệ" also means "relationship" and "intimacy" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kamag-anak | ||
Relative in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nisbi | ||
| The word "nisbi" is derived from the Arabic word "nisbah", meaning "portion" or "relation". | |||
| Kazakh | салыстырмалы | ||
| The word "салыстырмалы" ("relative") in Kazakh can also mean "proportional", "comparative", or "variable." | |||
| Kyrgyz | салыштырмалуу | ||
| Tajik | нисбӣ | ||
| "Нисбӣ" is also used to denote "proportional/comparative" and "approximate" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | garyndaş | ||
| Uzbek | nisbiy | ||
| The Arabic word "nisbi" means "relative" in Uzbek, but is also used to describe something as being "indirect." | |||
| Uyghur | تۇغقان | ||
Relative in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoahānau | ||
| Hoahānau also means "to be born" or "birth," which is reflected in its literal meaning, "to make a relative." | |||
| Maori | whanaunga | ||
| Whanaunga can also mean 'spouse' and 'clan' | |||
| Samoan | aiga | ||
| {"text": "Samoan word "aiga" means both "family" and "house," reflecting the cultural importance of family in Samoan society."} | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kamag-anak | ||
| The word "kamag-anak" in Tagalog originates from the root word "mag-anak" which means "to be related" or "to be kindred" to someone. | |||
Relative in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kipka | ||
| Guarani | hesegua | ||
Relative in International Languages
| Esperanto | parenco | ||
| Esperanto 'parenco' means 'relative,' but its root word 'parenti' in Latin meant only 'father' and not 'mother.' | |||
| Latin | aliquid | ||
| The Latin word "aliquid" can also mean "something" or "a certain something." | |||
Relative in Others Languages
| Greek | συγγενής | ||
| The Greek word "συγγενής" derives from the root "γένος" (genos), meaning "birth, origin, family," and signifies a deep bond rooted in shared ancestry. | |||
| Hmong | tus txheeb ze | ||
| Tus txheeb ze (relative in English) translates as 'child that we raised by hand' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | meriv | ||
| The Kurdish word 'meriv' can also refer to a 'brother' or 'sister-in-law' | |||
| Turkish | akraba | ||
| "Akraba", meaning "relative" in Turkish, is derived from the Arabic word "qurb", meaning "closeness" or "proximity". | |||
| Xhosa | isalamane | ||
| While the word "isalamane" literally translates to "relative," it can also refer to an in-law, cousin, uncle, nephew, etc. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָרעוו | ||
| The Yiddish word "קאָרעוו" derives from the Hebrew word "קָרוֹב" (qarov), meaning "near" or "related." | |||
| Zulu | isihlobo | ||
| In Zulu, "isihlobo" can also refer to a person's "clan" | |||
| Assamese | সম্পৰ্কীয় | ||
| Aymara | kipka | ||
| Bhojpuri | नातेदार | ||
| Dhivehi | ގާތްތިމާގެ މީހުން | ||
| Dogri | रिश्तेदार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kamag-anak | ||
| Guarani | hesegua | ||
| Ilocano | kabagian | ||
| Krio | fambul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خزم | ||
| Maithili | संबंधी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯤ ꯃꯇꯥ | ||
| Mizo | laina | ||
| Oromo | fira | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମ୍ପର୍କୀୟ | ||
| Quechua | ayllu | ||
| Sanskrit | संबंधी | ||
| Tatar | туган | ||
| Tigrinya | ዘመድ | ||
| Tsonga | xaka | ||