Rose in Different Languages
Discover 'Rose' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ah, the rose - a symbol of beauty, love, and war throughout history. This flower has captivated our senses and inspired countless works of art, literature, and music. From Shakespeare's sonnets to the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites, the rose has held a significant place in our cultural imagination.
But did you know that the word 'rose' is translated differently across languages, reflecting the diverse ways in which cultures have interacted with this flower? For example, in Spanish, the word for rose is 'rosa', while in French, it's 'rose'. In Japanese, the word is 'ばら' (bara), and in Arabic, it's 'ورد' (ward).
Understanding the translations of 'rose' in different languages can offer a fascinating glimpse into the cultural significance of this flower around the world. So whether you're a language enthusiast, a gardener, or a history buff, join us as we explore the many meanings of 'rose' in different languages.
Rose
Rose in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | opgestaan het | ||
| In German the cognate verb 'stehen' (to stand) is also used in the context of resurrection. | |||
| Amharic | ተነሳ | ||
| The Amharic verb "ተነሳ" can have several meanings, including "to stand up", "to arise", "to begin", and "to revolt". | |||
| Hausa | ya tashi | ||
| The word "ya tashi" (rose) in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "warda", which also means "flower". | |||
| Igbo | bilie | ||
| The Igbo word "bilie" also means "beautiful" and is often used to describe women. | |||
| Malagasy | rose | ||
| In Malagasy, "Rose" also means "love" and is often used as a woman's name. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | duwa | ||
| The word "duwa" can also mean "flower" or "blossom" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | akasimuka | ||
| The Shona word 'akasimuka' also means 'dawn' or 'sunrise', suggesting a connection between the emergence of the rose and the daily renewal of light. | |||
| Somali | kacay | ||
| In Somali, the word "kacay" can also refer to a type of acacia tree and its pink flowers, which are similar in appearance to roses. | |||
| Sesotho | tsohile | ||
| In Sesotho, "tsohile" is also a term for "the act of loving affectionately" or "tender affection." | |||
| Swahili | kufufuka | ||
| The word "kufufuka" in Swahili also means "to bloom" or "to flourish". | |||
| Xhosa | wavuka | ||
| Wavuka also means "to rise early in the morning" or "to come up". | |||
| Yoruba | dide | ||
| The Yoruba word 'dide' can also mean 'to shine' or 'to be bright'. | |||
| Zulu | wavuka | ||
| The Zulu word for 'rose', 'wavuka', comes from the verb 'vukana', meaning 'to wake up'. | |||
| Bambara | roso ye | ||
| Ewe | rose | ||
| Kinyarwanda | roza | ||
| Lingala | rose | ||
| Luganda | rose | ||
| Sepedi | rosa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | rose | ||
Rose in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ارتفع | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "rose," ارتفع also means "to rise, ascend, or increase." | |||
| Hebrew | ורד | ||
| The word "ורד” in Hebrew also refers to a type of gold coin minted during the Ottoman era, and to the act of "descending." | |||
| Pashto | ګلاب | ||
| The Pashto word "ګلاب" not only means "rose", but also "flower" in general and "fragrance". | |||
| Arabic | ارتفع | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "rose," ارتفع also means "to rise, ascend, or increase." | |||
Rose in Western European Languages
| Albanian | trëndafil | ||
| The word "trëndafil" is derived from the Persian word "gul" meaning "flower," and it is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰel-/*ǵhol-", which also gives rise to the English word "rose" | |||
| Basque | arrosa | ||
| The word "arrosa" in Basque also refers to a type of thornless bramble and is possibly related to the Proto-Basque word "harri" (stone). | |||
| Catalan | rosa | ||
| The word "rosa" also refers to the color pink in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | ruža | ||
| "Ruža" also means "pink" (the color) in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | rose | ||
| In Danish, "rose" ("rosen") also refers to a small, red sausage made from pork and beef. | |||
| Dutch | roos | ||
| The Dutch word "roos" can also refer to a type of medicinal ointment or a reddish hue. | |||
| English | rose | ||
| As a verb, 'rose' means to increase or ascend. | |||
| French | rose | ||
| "Rose" in French can also refer to a compass or an ornamental window rosette. | |||
| Frisian | roas | ||
| The word "roas" is derived from the Proto-West Germanic word "*rausô" and is related to the Old English word "rōse". | |||
| Galician | rosa | ||
| In Galician, "rosa" also refers to the color "pink" and is sometimes used as an affectionate term of address. | |||
| German | rose | ||
| The German noun "Rose" (flower) comes from Latin "rosa", which in turn is borrowed from Ancient Greek "rhodon". | |||
| Icelandic | hækkaði | ||
| The word "hækkaði" can also mean "increased" or "went up" in Icelandic, highlighting its connection to the concept of elevation or ascent. | |||
| Irish | rós | ||
| In Irish, 'rós' also means 'promontory' or 'headland' and is cognate with the Welsh word 'rhos' meaning 'moor' or 'heath'. | |||
| Italian | rosa | ||
| "Rosa" is a Latin feminine name meaning "rose" and a common Italian surname. | |||
| Luxembourgish | opgestan | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "opgestan" originally meant "to stand up" and was only later used to refer to the flower. | |||
| Maltese | tela | ||
| Tela can also refer to various types of fabric or textiles in Maltese, possibly derived from the Latin "tela" meaning "web" or "fabric". | |||
| Norwegian | rose | ||
| In Norwegian, "rose" also refers to a popular type of Norwegian sweet flatbread. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rosa | ||
| In Portuguese, "rosa" can also refer to a shade of pink, or a wind instrument resembling a hunting horn | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ròs | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, 'ròs' can mean 'headland' or 'woodland glade' as well as 'rose'. | |||
| Spanish | rosa | ||
| In the Romanic languages, 'rosa' comes from the Greek 'rodon', and is related to words such as 'red' and 'ruddy'. | |||
| Swedish | reste sig | ||
| The Swedish word "reste" can also refer to other plants besides roses, such as the peony or mallow plant. | |||
| Welsh | rhosyn | ||
| Rhosyn, the Welsh word for "rose," has ancient Celtic roots and may also refer to a mythical flower that grants wishes. | |||
Rose in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ружа | ||
| The word "ружа" (rose) in Belarusian also refers to a type of folk dance. | |||
| Bosnian | ruža | ||
| The word 'ruža' is a Slavic word related to 'růže' (rose) in Czech and Slovak and 'ружа' (ruža) in Serbian. | |||
| Bulgarian | роза | ||
| The word "роза" also means "pink" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | růže | ||
| The term "růže" may also refer to a small, round cake that has a sweet filling and is coated in chocolate | |||
| Estonian | tõusis | ||
| The verb tõusis in Estonian also means “to rise” or "to get up." | |||
| Finnish | ruusu- | ||
| The word "ruusu" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *raus-, meaning "reed". It may also refer to a "reddish skin discoloration" or "inflammation of the skin". | |||
| Hungarian | rózsa | ||
| "Rózsa" can also be the name of "Rosalia"} | |||
| Latvian | pieauga | ||
| Pieauga is the poetic word for "rose" in Latvian, but it also means "bud" or "blossom" of any plant. | |||
| Lithuanian | pakilo | ||
| "Pakilo" is a diminutive form of "paka", which in turn derives from the Proto-Slavic "*pako" meaning "plant, shoot". | |||
| Macedonian | роза | ||
| "Роза" is the same in Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, and Ukrainian. | |||
| Polish | róża | ||
| The word "Róża" is a diminutive of the Polish word "rózga" (twig), and was originally used to refer to a small twig or branch. | |||
| Romanian | trandafir | ||
| The word "Trandafir" is derived from the Persian word "gul-e-tafriz" (meaning "frozen rose"), which refers to the rose's ability to withstand cold temperatures. | |||
| Russian | роза | ||
| "Роза" в русском языке означает не только цветок, но и «розу ветров» – древний навигационный инструмент. | |||
| Serbian | ружа | ||
| In Serbian, "ружа" (rose) is also a poetic term for a beautiful woman. | |||
| Slovak | ruža | ||
| The word "ruža" (rose) in Slovak is derived from the Slavic word "ruža" meaning "red", referring to the color of the flower. | |||
| Slovenian | vrtnica | ||
| Vrtnica is a diminutive of 'vrt' (garden), meaning a 'small garden', a name later transferred to this flower. | |||
| Ukrainian | троянда | ||
| The word 'троянда' is derived from the Greek word 'rhodon' and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European word 'were-dh-', meaning 'to cut' or 'to cut off'. | |||
Rose in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গোলাপ | ||
| The Bengali word "গোলাপ" is a loanword from the Persian word "gulāb" which means both "rose" and "rose water". | |||
| Gujarati | ગુલાબ | ||
| The word "ગુલાબ" comes from Persian and has many regional variations, including "گل" (gol), "گول" (gul), or "กุหลาบ" (kulap). | |||
| Hindi | गुलाब का फूल | ||
| The word "गुलाब का फूल" (rose) originates from the Persian word "gul", meaning "flower". | |||
| Kannada | ಗುಲಾಬಿ | ||
| The word "ಗುಲಾಬಿ" also means "pink" in Kannada, referring to the color of the flower. | |||
| Malayalam | റോസ് | ||
| The etymology of the Malayalam word റോസ് derives from Persian, meaning "flower" and is related to the English word "rose". | |||
| Marathi | गुलाब | ||
| The word 'गुलाब' (rose) is derived from the Persian word 'gul', meaning 'flower'. | |||
| Nepali | गुलाफ | ||
| The word "गुलाफ" can also mean "rose water" or "rose essential oil" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੁਲਾਬ | ||
| The word "ਗੁਲਾਬ" (rose) in Punjabi is derived from the Persian word "gul" (flower), which is a cognate of the Latin word "flos" (flower). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රෝස | ||
| "රෝස" also means "rose-apple" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | உயர்ந்தது | ||
| Telugu | గులాబీ | ||
| The word 'గులాబీ' can also refer to the color pink or a type of sweet dish. | |||
| Urdu | گلاب | ||
| "گلاب" is a Persian and Urdu word which also means "rose water". | |||
Rose in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 玫瑰 | ||
| 玫瑰 in Chinese means 'rose' in English, but its literal meaning translates to 'wood' (木) 'rose' (瑰) and the 'rose flower' is also a symbol of the revolutionary movement in China. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 玫瑰 | ||
| "玫瑰" in Chinese can mean either "rose" or "pink". | |||
| Japanese | ローズ | ||
| The Japanese word ローズ can also refer to a rose-petal-like mark left by a kiss. | |||
| Korean | 장미 | ||
| The word "장미" (rose) in Korean is derived from the Chinese word "薔薇" (qiángwēi), which means "thorny plant". | |||
| Mongolian | сарнай | ||
| The Mongolian word "сарнай" for "rose" derives from the Persian "gul" and has an alternate meaning of "whistling sound". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နှင်းဆီ | ||
Rose in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mawar | ||
| "Mawar" is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit "malati", also referring to the "jasmine" flower | |||
| Javanese | wungu | ||
| In addition to "rose", "wungu" also means "purple" in Javanese, derived from the Sanskrit word "vanguka" meaning "purple". | |||
| Khmer | បានកើនឡើង | ||
| The word "បានកើនឡើង" can also refer to an increase or rise in quantity, value, or intensity. | |||
| Lao | ກຸຫລາບ | ||
| The word "ກຸຫລາບ" is derived from the Pali word "กุสุมาล" meaning "flower". | |||
| Malay | mawar | ||
| The term "mawar" may also refer to a type of traditional Malay pastry or a type of Malay traditional gong. | |||
| Thai | ดอกกุหลาบ | ||
| ดอกกุหลาบ (rose) comes from the Sanskrit word "กุล" meaning "family" and "กุลลา" meaning "young woman of a family." | |||
| Vietnamese | hoa hồng | ||
| The Vietnamese word for "rose", "hoa hồng", literally translates to "pink flower" and is also used to refer to other pink flowers like peonies | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | rosas | ||
Rose in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gül | ||
| "Gül" (rose) in Azerbaijani is a cognate of the Persian "gol" (flower). | |||
| Kazakh | роза | ||
| The word "Роза" in Kazakh translates to "rose" and comes from the Persian word "gul". | |||
| Kyrgyz | роза | ||
| Слово "роза" в кыргызском языке имеет персидское происхождение и также используется для обозначения "нефтяной розы" ("розы из нефти") – традиционного кыргызского блюда. | |||
| Tajik | садбарг | ||
| Садбарг (rose) is the loan-word of Arabic origin originally referring to the type of rose called Damascus rose, while the native Tajik word for rose is гул. | |||
| Turkmen | gül boldy | ||
| Uzbek | gul | ||
| The word 'gul' also refers to a garden in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆرلىدى | ||
Rose in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | rose | ||
| The Hawaiian word “rose” is a loanword from English, but also means “flower” more generally. | |||
| Maori | rohi | ||
| In Maori, "rohi" can also refer to a young woman of marriageable age. | |||
| Samoan | rosa | ||
| In Samoan, "rosa" can also refer to the color "pink" or the flower "hibiscus". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | rosas | ||
| The Tagalog word "rosas" is also used to describe something that is beautiful or excellent. | |||
Rose in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | rosa satänwa | ||
| Guarani | rosa | ||
Rose in International Languages
| Esperanto | leviĝis | ||
| In Esperanto, the word "leviĝis" also means "arose" or "rose (verb)". | |||
| Latin | rosa | ||
| The term 'rosa' in Latin can refer to any species of rose as well as the color or hue thereof. | |||
Rose in Others Languages
| Greek | τριαντάφυλλο | ||
| The word 'τριαντάφυλλο' is derived from the Persian word 'gul', meaning 'flower'. | |||
| Hmong | sawv | ||
| The Hmong word "sawv" primarily refers to the rose flower, but it can also mean "to ask" or "to invite" in different contexts. | |||
| Kurdish | gûl | ||
| The Kurdish word "gûl" can also describe a beautiful person, or refer to a type of mystical creature in stories. | |||
| Turkish | gül | ||
| The Turkish word "gül" not only means "rose", but also "laughter" or "smile". | |||
| Xhosa | wavuka | ||
| Wavuka also means "to rise early in the morning" or "to come up". | |||
| Yiddish | רויז | ||
| The Yiddish word "רויז" (royz) is derived from the Middle High German "rôse" and also means "rust" or "reddish-brown". | |||
| Zulu | wavuka | ||
| The Zulu word for 'rose', 'wavuka', comes from the verb 'vukana', meaning 'to wake up'. | |||
| Assamese | গোলাপ ফুল | ||
| Aymara | rosa satänwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | गुलाब हो गइल | ||
| Dhivehi | ރޯޒް ކޮށްލިއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | गुलाब हो गया | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | rosas | ||
| Guarani | rosa | ||
| Ilocano | rosas | ||
| Krio | ros bin de | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گوڵ | ||
| Maithili | गुलाब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯣꯖ ꯇꯧꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | rose a ni | ||
| Oromo | rose | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗୋଲାପ | ||
| Quechua | rosa | ||
| Sanskrit | गुलाबम् | ||
| Tatar | роза | ||
| Tigrinya | ጽጌረዳ | ||
| Tsonga | rose | ||