Sand in Different Languages
Discover 'Sand' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Sand
Afrikaans sand | ||
Albanian rërë | ||
Amharic አሸዋ | ||
Arabic الرمل | ||
Armenian ավազ | ||
Assamese বালি | ||
Aymara ch'alla | ||
Azerbaijani qum | ||
Bambara cɛncɛn | ||
Basque harea | ||
Belarusian пясок | ||
Bengali বালু | ||
Bhojpuri बालू | ||
Bosnian pijesak | ||
Bulgarian пясък | ||
Catalan sorra | ||
Cebuano balas | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 砂 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 砂 | ||
Corsican rena | ||
Croatian pijesak | ||
Czech písek | ||
Danish sand | ||
Dhivehi ވެލި | ||
Dogri रेत | ||
Dutch zand | ||
English sand | ||
Esperanto sablo | ||
Estonian liiv | ||
Ewe ke | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) buhangin | ||
Finnish hiekka | ||
French le sable | ||
Frisian sân | ||
Galician area | ||
Georgian ქვიშა | ||
German sand | ||
Greek άμμος | ||
Guarani yvyku'i | ||
Gujarati રેતી | ||
Haitian Creole sab | ||
Hausa yashi | ||
Hawaiian one | ||
Hebrew חוֹל | ||
Hindi रेत | ||
Hmong xuab zeb | ||
Hungarian homok | ||
Icelandic sandur | ||
Igbo ájá | ||
Ilocano darat | ||
Indonesian pasir | ||
Irish gaineamh | ||
Italian sabbia | ||
Japanese 砂 | ||
Javanese wedhi | ||
Kannada ಮರಳು | ||
Kazakh құм | ||
Khmer ខ្សាច់ | ||
Kinyarwanda umucanga | ||
Konkani रेंव | ||
Korean 모래 | ||
Krio sansan | ||
Kurdish qûm | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) خۆڵ | ||
Kyrgyz кум | ||
Lao ຊາຍ | ||
Latin harenae | ||
Latvian smiltis | ||
Lingala zelo | ||
Lithuanian smėlis | ||
Luganda omusenyu | ||
Luxembourgish sand | ||
Macedonian песок | ||
Maithili बालू | ||
Malagasy fasika | ||
Malay pasir | ||
Malayalam മണല് | ||
Maltese ramel | ||
Maori one | ||
Marathi वाळू | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯂꯩꯉꯣꯏ | ||
Mizo vut | ||
Mongolian элс | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) သဲ | ||
Nepali बालुवा | ||
Norwegian sand | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mchenga | ||
Odia (Oriya) ବାଲି | ||
Oromo cirracha | ||
Pashto شګه | ||
Persian شن | ||
Polish piasek | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) areia | ||
Punjabi ਰੇਤ | ||
Quechua aqu | ||
Romanian nisip | ||
Russian песок | ||
Samoan oneone | ||
Sanskrit वालुका | ||
Scots Gaelic gainmheach | ||
Sepedi santa | ||
Serbian песак | ||
Sesotho lehlabathe | ||
Shona jecha | ||
Sindhi واري | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) වැලි | ||
Slovak piesok | ||
Slovenian pesek | ||
Somali ciid | ||
Spanish arena | ||
Sundanese keusik | ||
Swahili mchanga | ||
Swedish sand | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) buhangin | ||
Tajik рег | ||
Tamil மணல் | ||
Tatar ком | ||
Telugu ఇసుక | ||
Thai ทราย | ||
Tigrinya ሑጻ | ||
Tsonga sava | ||
Turkish kum | ||
Turkmen gum | ||
Twi (Akan) anwea | ||
Ukrainian пісок | ||
Urdu ریت | ||
Uyghur قۇم | ||
Uzbek qum | ||
Vietnamese cát | ||
Welsh tywod | ||
Xhosa isanti | ||
Yiddish זאַמד | ||
Yoruba iyanrin | ||
Zulu isihlabathi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "sand" can also refer to "grit" or "soil." |
| Albanian | In Albanian, "rërë" not only means "sand" but also refers to "a sandy area". |
| Amharic | The Amharic word "አሸዋ" ("sand") can also refer to "the sand of glass" in a figurative sense. |
| Arabic | The word "الرمل" can also refer to a poetic meter in Arabic literature known as "ar-Ramal". |
| Armenian | The Armenian word ավազ may also derive from the Akkadian language, meaning "to flow like water." |
| Azerbaijani | "Qum" also means "sea" in Azerbaijani. |
| Basque | Hare(a) is also the name of a type of small beach in the Basque Country, usually sheltered from the waves by cliffs or rocks. |
| Belarusian | Belarusian "пясок" derives from Old East Slavic песъкъ meaning "dust" or "fine sand". |
| Bengali | "বালুক" (baluk) is the Sanskrit word for sand, which is also used in many other Indo-Aryan languages, including Bengali. |
| Bosnian | The etymology of "pijesak" derives from Proto-Slavic "pьsъ" and is related to the words "pješčan/pjesak" (sand) in Serbo-Croatian. |
| Bulgarian | The Bulgarian word "пясък" is cognate to the Old Church Slavonic "пѣс(ъ)къ", which in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*peis-, *pish-" meaning "to grind". |
| Catalan | In some parts of Catalonia, "sorra" can also mean "dirt" or "soil". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "balas" is derived from the Sanskrit word "valukas," which also means "sand." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The character "砂" can also refer to a type of gemstone or a unit of measurement for gold. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "砂" can also refer to the coarse or rough texture of a gemstone. |
| Corsican | The Corsican word “rena” also means “kidney” and ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word “nephroi” (kidneys). |
| Croatian | The word "pijesak" also means "fine sand" used in construction. |
| Czech | The word "písek" also refers to the South Bohemian city of Písek, named after the sand deposits on which it was built. |
| Danish | In Danish, "sand" can also refer to a small amount of money or a short period of time. |
| Dutch | "Zand" also means a sandy area with dunes along the shore. |
| Esperanto | The word "sablo" in Esperanto is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sabel-", which also gave rise to the English word "sand" and the French word "sable". |
| Estonian | It is thought that the word "liiv" may be derived from the ancient Finnish word "hieva", meaning "dry". It is also cognate with the Latvian word "sīks", meaning "fine". |
| Finnish | Hiekka may also refer to a sandy type of soil in Finnish, or it may refer to small, dry snow crystals. |
| French | In French, “le sable” can also refer to a fine powder made from precious stones, or to the gritty particles found in urine. |
| Frisian | The word "sân" can also mean "ground" or "floor" in Frisian, and is cognate with the Dutch word "zand" and the English word "sand". |
| Galician | Galician 'area' also means 'threshing floor'. |
| Georgian | The word "ქვიშა" also means "gravel" or "fine stones" in Georgian. |
| German | Der Begriff "Sand" im Deutschen bezieht sich auch auf feinkörnigen Staub oder Kies. |
| Greek | The Greek word |
| Gujarati | The word "રેતી" in Gujarati comes from the Sanskrit root "ret" meaning "to flow", and also refers to a type of riverbed |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "sab" (sand) is also used to refer to small particles or bits of something, such as dust or sugar |
| Hausa | Although it is commonly associated with deserts, 'yashi' (sand) can also refer to sediment or granules of various types in Hausa. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, the word 'one' also means 'red earth' and is the namesake of an ancient chief named Ka-one. |
| Hebrew | The word "חוֹל" ("khol") in Hebrew also means "weakness"} |
| Hindi | रेत ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word 'iriṆā' meaning 'dry' and relates to similar words in many Indo-European languages like 'arena' (Latin), 'sand' (English) and 'άμμος' (Greek). |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "xuab zeb" also means "grain of sand" in a more literal sense, referring to the individual particles that make up sand. |
| Hungarian | In Hungarian, the word "homok" not only refers to "sand" but also to the concept of "emptiness" or "lack of substance". |
| Icelandic | In Icelandic, "sandur" can also refer to a large area of barren land covered in sand or gravel. |
| Igbo | Ájá may also mean 'beach' or 'seashore' in Igbo. |
| Indonesian | The word "pasir" in Indonesian also means "riverbank," perhaps a reference to the sandy, sediment-filled shore common along rivers. |
| Irish | The word 'gaineamh' in Irish derives from the Old Irish 'gáine', which in turn is likely derived from Proto-Celtic '*gannā' meaning "rock" or "grit". |
| Italian | The word "sabbia" derives from the Latin "sabulum" (sand), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*psam- " (sand). |
| Japanese | 砂 (すな, suna) can also mean “small stones” or “gravel”. |
| Javanese | According to the Javanese dictionary, the word "wedhi" can also mean "earth", "land", or "soil" |
| Kannada | In Kannada, the word "ಮರಳು" can also refer to a type of fish found in the ocean. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "құм" also refers to a sandy area, especially a desert. |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "ខ្សាច់" is also used to refer to small grains or particles, such as the granules in a medicine or the grains of rice in a dish. |
| Korean | The Korean word "모래" (sand) is derived from the Middle Korean word "마래" (sand), which is thought to be derived from the Proto-Koreanic word *mar-. |
| Kurdish | The Kurdish word "qûm" also refers to a specific type of soil with a high sand content found in certain regions. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "кум" can also refer to a sandy soil or a desert. |
| Lao | In Lao, ຊາຍ can also mean a male person or a person's husband. |
| Latin | In botany 'harenae' refers to coarse sand. |
| Latvian | The word "smiltis" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *smilt-, meaning "fine sand" or "dust." |
| Lithuanian | The Slavic root "*pěsъkъ" was borrowed via Old Prussian "*smēlis" or Old Polish "*piasek". |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, 'sand' can also refer to the 'hourglass' or 'time' |
| Macedonian | The word "песок" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic word *pěsъkъ, meaning "sand, gravel, dust". It also has the alternate meaning of "the shore". |
| Malagasy | "Fasika" can also mean "hour" or "time" in Malagasy, likely stemming from its use in measuring the flow of time as an hourglass. |
| Malay | "Pasir" can also refer to granulated sugar, as in "pasir gula" (sugar sand). |
| Malayalam | The word "മണല്" (sand) is likely derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*manal" with the same meaning. |
| Maltese | "Ramel" derives from Arabic "ramlah" meaning "sand" or "shore" and also refers to a "sandy beach" in Maltese. |
| Maori | The word "one" can also refer to a beach, a stretch of coastline, or the inhabitants of a beach community. |
| Marathi | The term "वाळू" derives from Sanskrit "vālukā" or "vāla," meaning "sand" or "hair," hinting at its fine grains. |
| Mongolian | The word 'элс' may also refer to the Mongolian province of Govi-Altai, known for its vast desert area. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | "သဲ" (sand) can also refer to granular substances such as sugar, salt or rice in Myanmar (Burmese). |
| Nepali | The word 'baluwa' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'valukā', which refers to fine sand or gravel. |
| Norwegian | The word "sand" can also refer to a sandy area, such as a beach or desert. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In Nyanja (Chichewa), 'mchenga' means 'sand' and it is also slang for 'money'. |
| Pashto | The word "شګه" also means "sand" in Pashto |
| Persian | The Persian word "شن" can also refer to the grit in a whetstone used for sharpening knives. |
| Polish | The word "piasek" is also used to refer to the fine particles that are produced when something is ground or crushed. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Areia" also means 'small gravel' and comes from the Gothic word *ariza*. |
| Punjabi | "ਰੇਤ" (sand) in Punjabi is also used figuratively to refer to a multitude or a large number of something. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "nisip" is derived from the Latin word "glarea" and can also mean "gravel". |
| Russian | The word песок originated from the Proto-Slavic word *pěsъkъ, which also meant dust or soil. |
| Samoan | In Samoan, “oneone” is also a term of endearment for a child. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word "gainmheach" is the diminutive form of "gaineamh," and its modern meaning of "sand" only emerged in the 16th century. |
| Serbian | The Serbian word "песак" (sand) likely originates from the Proto-Slavic word "pěsъkъ" meaning "fine sand." |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, 'lehlabathe' also refers to a small type of edible seed found in the mountains. |
| Shona | Jecha originates from the name of a place named Jecha near Rusape where soil erosion created extensive deposits of white sand |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "واري" (sand) stems from the Sanskrit term "vārika," indicating grains that flow. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | In Sinhala, “වැලි” (sand) is also used figuratively to mean “a large number of people” or “a crowd.” |
| Slovak | The word 'piesok' is also used in Slovak to refer to fine-grained soil that is not necessarily composed of sand. |
| Slovenian | The word "pesek" is a Slavic word, related to the Sanskrit word "pasika" |
| Somali | Somali ciid "sand" comes from Arabic sa'īd "dry, barren" or "happy, blessed" and has alternate meanings of barren ground and blessing. |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the word 'arena' can also refer to the place where gladiatorial contests were held. |
| Sundanese | The word 'keusik' is also used to describe anything that is fine or dusty, such as flour or powder. |
| Swahili | The word "mchanga" can also refer to a financial contribution or fundraiser |
| Swedish | In Swedish, "sand" can also refer to a "sandy beach" or a "sandbank". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "buhangin" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*buhaŋin" meaning "fine sand or gravel". |
| Tajik | The Russian word "пег" (stick), which is used as a term in the Soviet game "lapta," originated from the Tajik word "рег" (sand), because it was played on a strip of sandy soil. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "மணல்" not only means 'sand', but can also mean 'grain' or 'gravel'. |
| Telugu | The word "ఇసుక" is likely derived from the Dravidian root word "iśa", meaning "to be soft" or "to be fine". |
| Thai | In Thai, "ทราย" (sand) can also refer to sugar crystals or the powder in certain cosmetics. |
| Turkish | The Turkish word “kum” is also used to refer to the sediment found in the kidneys and bladder. |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word "пісок" also means "sugar" in some contexts, particularly in Western Ukraine. |
| Urdu | The word "ریت" in Urdu also means "custom" or "tradition". |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, "qum" has additional meanings such as "desert" or "arid land". |
| Vietnamese | The word "cát" can also refer to "sandals", and is likely derived from the Chinese word "jia", meaning "footwear". |
| Welsh | The Welsh word 'tywod' is etymologically related to the Latin 'tutela', meaning 'protection', and may have originally meant 'protective covering'. |
| Xhosa | The word "isanti" in Xhosa can also refer to a very fine type of sand used for sanding or polishing. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "זאַמד" can also refer to "fine dust" and is related to the German word "Sand". |
| Yoruba | The word "iyanrin" in Yoruba can also refer to a granular substance or a sandy area. |
| Zulu | "Isihlabathi" can also refer to "gravel","sand used to sharpen the blade of an ax or spear," or "sand mixed with water for plastering floors" |
| English | The word "sand" derives from the Old English word "sand" which meant "sandy soil" and the Old Saxon word "sand" meaning "fine gravel". |