Shade in Different Languages
Discover 'Shade' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Shade is a simple word with a multitude of meanings and significance. It can refer to the shadow cast by an object, a cool respite from the sun, or a subtle hint of criticism. Culturally, shade has a rich history, often symbolizing protection, mystery, or even death in various mythologies and literature. For language enthusiasts, understanding the translation of 'shade' in different languages can offer a fascinating glimpse into cultural nuances.
For instance, in Spanish, 'shade' translates to 'sombra'. In French, it's 'ombre', while in German, it's 'Schatten'. These translations not only help us navigate language barriers but also reveal how different cultures perceive and value this concept.
Moreover, the word 'shade' has been creatively used in expressions such as 'shade throwing', a form of subtle insult, or 'shady', referring to something suspicious or dubious. Understanding these cultural and linguistic nuances can enrich our communication and foster a deeper connection with people from different backgrounds.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'shade' in various languages, from the romantic Italian 'ombra' to the Russian 'ten' via the Japanese 'kage'. This journey will not only enhance your vocabulary but also provide a captivating exploration of cultural diversity.
Shade
Shade in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skaduwee | ||
| Skaduwee is also an old word for an umbrella. | |||
| Amharic | ጥላ | ||
| The word "ጥላ" can also refer to a protective covering, such as an umbrella or a hat. | |||
| Hausa | inuwa | ||
| Hausa 'inuwa' for 'shade' may be related to the word 'inuwar', which refers to a place of shelter or protection. | |||
| Igbo | ndo | ||
| Igbo scholars believe "ndo" may mean "to cover" or "to obstruct" as it derives from the verb "ndu" (cover, obstruct). | |||
| Malagasy | alokaloka | ||
| The Malagasy word "alokaloka" can also mean "privacy" or "seclusion." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mthunzi | ||
| Mthunzi can also mean a 'secret' or 'confidential information'. | |||
| Shona | mumvuri | ||
| The word 'mumvuri' in Shona originated from the Proto-Bantu word '*mùfùri', meaning 'darkness' or 'night'. | |||
| Somali | hooska | ||
| Hooska is also used figuratively to mean | |||
| Sesotho | moriti | ||
| In Sesotho, "moriti" is also used in other contexts to refer to "darkness" or "ignorance." | |||
| Swahili | kivuli | ||
| Kivuli also means 'a ghost' or 'soul' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | umthunzi | ||
| The word "umthunzi" originally referred to the shadow of a mountain or hill, and only later came to mean "shade" in general. | |||
| Yoruba | iboji | ||
| The word 'iboji' is a homonym in Yoruba, where it can alternately mean 'shade' when referring to objects or locations, or a 'mark' when referring to people. | |||
| Zulu | umthunzi | ||
| 'Umthunzi' also refers to a place beneath the eaves or under a roof of a hut. | |||
| Bambara | ka dibi don | ||
| Ewe | vɔvɔli | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igicucu | ||
| Lingala | elili | ||
| Luganda | okusiiga | ||
| Sepedi | moriti | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sum | ||
Shade in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الظل | ||
| The word 'ظل' has two alternate meanings, 'darkness' and 'protection,' originating from two different Arabic roots | |||
| Hebrew | צֵל | ||
| The origin of the word “צֵל” (shade) is likely a derivative of the root צלל which means “to dive”. | |||
| Pashto | سیوري | ||
| The word "سیوري" means "shadow" in Pashto and is derived from the Persian word "سایه". | |||
| Arabic | الظل | ||
| The word 'ظل' has two alternate meanings, 'darkness' and 'protection,' originating from two different Arabic roots | |||
Shade in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hije | ||
| The Albanian word "hije" derives from the Proto-Albanian form *ḫīya and is cognate with Latin "hiems" (winter), Greek "χείμα" (khéima) (winter), and Avestan "zaya" (winter). | |||
| Basque | itzala | ||
| Basque “itzala” is related to “itzi” (“dark”) and was probably influenced by the Latin word “oculus”.”} | |||
| Catalan | ombra | ||
| The Catalan word "ombra" also means "shadow", "darkness", or "phantom". | |||
| Croatian | hlad | ||
| The Croatian word "hlad" is also used to refer to a cooler or refrigerator. | |||
| Danish | skygge | ||
| The Danish word "skygge" also means "shadow" or "figure". | |||
| Dutch | schaduw | ||
| The Dutch word schaduw shares a root with the English shadow and German Schatten | |||
| English | shade | ||
| "Shade" derives from the Old English "scadw" meaning "shadow" or "shelter," but it can also refer to a place for shade, a gradual variation in color, or an expression of emotion. | |||
| French | ombre | ||
| "Ombre" also means "shadow" in French. | |||
| Frisian | skaad | ||
| "Skaad" can also mean "shadow" or "darkness" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | sombra | ||
| In Galician, "sombra" can also mean "ghost" or "spectre". | |||
| German | schatten | ||
| Schatten is derived from Proto-Germanic *skettaną, meaning "to project, to shoot out" and is related to Sanskrit chāyā meaning "shade, shadow." | |||
| Icelandic | skugga | ||
| The Icelandic word "skugga" derives from the Old Norse word "skuggi", which means "shadow", "obscurity", or "darkness". | |||
| Irish | scáth | ||
| The word "scáth" also means "protection" or "shelter" in Irish, reflecting its role as a barrier against the sun's rays. | |||
| Italian | ombra | ||
| "Ombra" also means "mannequin" and "shadow" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schied | ||
| The word "Schied" can also refer to a veil worn by women as part of mourning attire. | |||
| Maltese | dell | ||
| The Maltese word "dell" can also refer to a valley or a meadow. | |||
| Norwegian | skygge | ||
| The word "skygge" is derived from the Old Norse word "skuggi", meaning "shadow" or "darkness", and is related to the English word "shadow". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sombra | ||
| Sombra's original Latin root 'umbra' also refers to the region on a sundial that doesn't receive sunlight. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgàil | ||
| In Old Irish, "sgàil" also had the meaning of "reflection". | |||
| Spanish | sombra | ||
| Sombra, meaning 'shade' in Spanish, has the alternate meanings of 'phantom' and 'dark figure' in Spanish folk culture. | |||
| Swedish | skugga | ||
| "Skugga" in Swedish comes from the Old Norse word "skuggi", which means "shadow" or "darkness". | |||
| Welsh | cysgod | ||
| The word "cysgod" also has the alternate meaning of "ghost". | |||
Shade in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цень | ||
| "Цень" also means "shadow" in Old Belarusian, while in modern Belarusian it means "shade", "shadow", or "darkness". | |||
| Bosnian | sjena | ||
| It also refers to an old monetary unit used in Bosnia and Herzegovina. | |||
| Bulgarian | сянка | ||
| The word "сянка" has been used in Bulgarian since the 14th century, and is cognate with the Russian word "тень" (ten'), meaning "shadow." | |||
| Czech | odstín | ||
| The word "odstín" also means "shadow", "hue", or "nuance" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | varju | ||
| In Estonian, the word "varju" also means "refuge" or "protection," reflecting its original sense of "that which covers or protects." | |||
| Finnish | sävy | ||
| Sävy (shade) can also refer to "hue" or "color" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | árnyék | ||
| Árnyék shares a root with the verb 'árnyékol', meaning 'to shade', or 'to obscure', and the word 'árnyalat', meaning 'tone' or 'hue', giving insights into its semantic field. | |||
| Latvian | ēna | ||
| "Ēna" can also refer to ghosts in Latvian, reflecting a belief that ghosts are shadows of the deceased. | |||
| Lithuanian | atspalvis | ||
| The word "atspalvis" also means "tint" or "reflection" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | сенка | ||
| The word "сенка" can also refer to a type of mushroom, or to the shadow of a tree. | |||
| Polish | cień | ||
| In Polish, "cień" also refers to a silhouette, trace, or a ghost. | |||
| Romanian | umbră | ||
| The Romanian word "umbră" also has the meaning of "ghost or spirit" in literary language and folklore. | |||
| Russian | тень | ||
| "Тень" can also mean "shadow" or "specter." | |||
| Serbian | сена | ||
| "Сена" can also mean a type of fishnet or a small, flattish basket. | |||
| Slovak | tieň | ||
| "Tieň" also means "shadow" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | senca | ||
| The word "senca" is related to the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱeh₂s-, meaning "to cover" or "to protect". | |||
| Ukrainian | тінь | ||
| The Ukrainian word "тінь" has been used in the sense of "spirit" since 1073 and derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*tьnь", which means "darkness, shadow, shade". | |||
Shade in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ছায়া | ||
| The word "ছায়া" also means "shadow" or "reflection" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | શેડ | ||
| In English, "shade" is also a noun referring to a region or condition. | |||
| Hindi | छाया | ||
| In Sanskrit, 'छाया' also means 'wife' or 'daughter'. | |||
| Kannada | ನೆರಳು | ||
| The word "ನೆರಳು" (shade) in Kannada also means "coolness" or "comfort". | |||
| Malayalam | തണല് | ||
| The Malayalam word "തണല്" (shade) also refers to a "place where something is hidden" or "a secret place" | |||
| Marathi | सावली | ||
| The word "सावली" is also used in Marathi to refer to a "shadow", or a "phantom". | |||
| Nepali | छायाँ | ||
| The word 'छायाँ' in Nepali derives from Sanskrit, meaning both 'shade' and 'shadow'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੰਗਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਰੰਗਤ" also refers to the appearance of a person's skin. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සෙවන | ||
| In Sinhalese, "සෙවන" also means "shelter" or "protection". | |||
| Tamil | நிழல் | ||
| The Tamil word `நிழல்` (shade) is cognate with the Sanskrit word `निशा` (night), both deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root `*nekʷt-` "night". | |||
| Telugu | నీడ | ||
| The word "నీడ" in Telugu also means "the form of an object cast on a surface by the interception of light, a shadow". | |||
| Urdu | سایہ | ||
| The word 'سایہ' can also mean 'protection' or 'shelter', and is likely derived from the Sanskrit word 'छाया' (chhāyā), meaning 'shadow'. | |||
Shade in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 阴影 | ||
| 阴影 (yīnyǐng) also refers to the dark side of a person or situation in Chinese culture. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 陰影 | ||
| 陰影 can also mean 'secret,' while 影 alone can mean 'influence' or 'ghost'. | |||
| Japanese | シェード | ||
| 'シェード' (shade) can originally mean 'blinds', 'lamp shade', or 'hat'. | |||
| Korean | 그늘 | ||
| "그늘" also means "a person with little power or influence" or "a back-up." | |||
| Mongolian | сүүдэр | ||
| In Mongolian, the word 'сүүдэр' can also refer to an umbrella or a canopy. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရိပ် | ||
| In Burmese folk belief, 'arrip' is also believed to refer to a spirit or entity associated with shadows or dark areas. | |||
Shade in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | naungan | ||
| "Naungan" is also used figuratively to mean "protection" or "support". | |||
| Javanese | iyub-iyub | ||
| The Javanese word "iyub-iyub" has the same root as "uba" which means "dark" or "shadow" | |||
| Khmer | ម្លប់ | ||
| The word "ម្លប់" in Khmer likely derives from the Mon word "မ်ပ" (pronounced "mləp") which also means "shade". | |||
| Lao | ຮົ່ມ | ||
| Malay | naungan | ||
| The word "naungan" also means "protection" or "shelter" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ร่มเงา | ||
| The word "ร่มเงา" is a compound word that means "umbrella" and "shade", and is also used to describe a shelter from the sun or rain. | |||
| Vietnamese | bóng râm | ||
| In Chinese, the character pair 冰 度 ("bóng râm") has the same meanings as the Vietnamese pair and also the additional meaning of "an image in a mirror" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lilim | ||
Shade in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kölgə | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "kölgə" ultimately derives from Persian "kolāgē" which also means "companion, escort, protector, or ally". | |||
| Kazakh | көлеңке | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "көлеңке" can also mean "silhouette" or "shadow". | |||
| Kyrgyz | көлөкө | ||
| The word "көлөкө" can also be used to mean "to overshadow" or "to protect". | |||
| Tajik | соя | ||
| "Соя" (shade) in Tajik derives from the Persian word "sāye" meaning "shadow", also used as a suffix for "owner of" or "expert in" | |||
| Turkmen | kölege | ||
| Uzbek | soya | ||
| The Uzbek word for "shade" is "soya," which is also the name of a type of bean. | |||
| Uyghur | سايە | ||
Shade in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | malu | ||
| The Hawaiian word "malu" also means "to be protected or hidden" and "to be ashamed or embarrassed." | |||
| Maori | whakamarumaru | ||
| The word “whakamarumaru” refers primarily to providing shade or sheltering, but it also carries the connotations of protection, fostering, and nurturing something or someone. | |||
| Samoan | paolo | ||
| The word 'paolo' can also refer to a type of tree or a place for relaxation. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lilim | ||
| Lilim is also sometimes used to refer to ghosts or spirits believed to dwell among the living and can sometimes be seen as apparitions, hence its alternate meaning as a shade, ghost, apparition, or phantom. | |||
Shade in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'amaka | ||
| Guarani | ta'anga | ||
Shade in International Languages
| Esperanto | ombro | ||
| The word "ombro" in Esperanto comes from the Latin word "umbra", which means "shadow". | |||
| Latin | umbra | ||
| In Latin, "umbra" also referred to the dark region on Earth's surface during an eclipse and to the ghostly shades of the underworld. | |||
Shade in Others Languages
| Greek | απόχρωση | ||
| The word "απόχρωση" derives from the Greek word "χρώμα" (color) and the prefix "από" (from), meaning "a departure from color" or "a variation of color." | |||
| Hmong | ntxoov ntxoo | ||
| The word "ntxoo ntxoo" can also mean "umbrella" or "awning." | |||
| Kurdish | sî | ||
| The word "sî" (shade) in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "sāye" with the same meaning, and also carries the connotation of protection, support, or shelter. | |||
| Turkish | gölge | ||
| "Gölge" also means "reflection" in Turkic languages, hinting at its connection to the watery darkness of a deep forest or cave. | |||
| Xhosa | umthunzi | ||
| The word "umthunzi" originally referred to the shadow of a mountain or hill, and only later came to mean "shade" in general. | |||
| Yiddish | שאָטן | ||
| Yiddish "שאָטן" has another meaning: "a ghost, specter, or phantom". | |||
| Zulu | umthunzi | ||
| 'Umthunzi' also refers to a place beneath the eaves or under a roof of a hut. | |||
| Assamese | ছাঁ পৰা ঠাই | ||
| Aymara | ch'amaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | छेंह | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިޔާ | ||
| Dogri | छां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lilim | ||
| Guarani | ta'anga | ||
| Ilocano | linong | ||
| Krio | kɔba | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سێبەر | ||
| Maithili | छाया | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | daihlim | ||
| Oromo | gaaddisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଛାଇ | ||
| Quechua | llantu | ||
| Sanskrit | छाया | ||
| Tatar | күләгә | ||
| Tigrinya | ፅላል | ||
| Tsonga | ndzhuti | ||