Shine in Different Languages
Discover 'Shine' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'shine' holds a special place in our hearts and vocabularies, symbolizing radiance, success, and positivity. Its cultural significance spans across various traditions, including the age-old practice of polishing armor to a brilliant shine, or the modern idiom 'to shine', meaning to excel or succeed. In English, 'shine' can also refer to a brilliant idea or a person's charisma.
Given its broad significance, it's no wonder that someone might want to know its translation in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, 'shine' translates to 'brillo', while in French, it's 'éclat'. In German, 'shine' becomes 'Glanz', and in Japanese, 'akarui' captures the essence of the word.
Exploring the translations of 'shine' in various languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into different cultural perspectives. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of language and culture, one word at a time, starting with 'shine'.
Shine
Shine in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skyn | ||
| The word "skyn" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "schijnen", meaning "to shine". | |||
| Amharic | አብራ | ||
| The word "አብራ" also means "to be clear" or "to be bright" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | haskaka | ||
| Hausa "haskaka" (shine) may derive from the name of a tree that exudes a sticky red gum, and also describes the act of polishing or rubbing. | |||
| Igbo | nwuo | ||
| In Igbo, the word "nwuo" also means "life" or "spirit". | |||
| Malagasy | hamirapiratra | ||
| "Hamirapiratra" is etymologically related to the verb "hamirapitra" (to make shine) and the noun "hamirapiratra" (a light source). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuwala | ||
| The verb kuwala refers to shining, glowing, or flashing and is derived from the word kuula (to look or see). | |||
| Shona | penya | ||
| The Shona word "penya" is also the name for a certain species of African python. | |||
| Somali | dhalaal | ||
| Additionally, "dhalaal" refers to the brilliance of the moon or stars and is often used in Somali poetry to evoke feelings of wonder and awe. | |||
| Sesotho | phatsima | ||
| Phatsima has been influenced by the word 'photograph', likely because they both relate to capturing images. | |||
| Swahili | uangaze | ||
| The Swahili term 'uangaze' also has the meaning of "to light up with joy" or "to glow with happiness". | |||
| Xhosa | khanya | ||
| 'Khanya' is also a male given name that means 'light' or 'hope'. | |||
| Yoruba | tàn | ||
| The Yoruba word "tàn" can also mean "to be finished" or "to be exhausted"} | |||
| Zulu | khanya | ||
| The Zulu word "khanya" can also refer to "knowledge" or "understanding". | |||
| Bambara | ka manamana | ||
| Ewe | klẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kumurika | ||
| Lingala | kongenga | ||
| Luganda | okwaaka | ||
| Sepedi | phadima | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔ | ||
Shine in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يلمع | ||
| The word 'يلمع' comes from the same root as the word 'light'. | |||
| Hebrew | זוהר | ||
| The word "זוהר" also refers to a holy book of Jewish mysticism in Aramaic. | |||
| Pashto | ځلیدل | ||
| The term 'ځلیدل' can refer to both physical and metaphorical types of illumination. | |||
| Arabic | يلمع | ||
| The word 'يلمع' comes from the same root as the word 'light'. | |||
Shine in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shkëlqim | ||
| The word 'shkëlqim' has its roots in the Proto-Albanian word '*sk’elg-m', which also meant 'to glitter'. | |||
| Basque | distira | ||
| The word "distira" also refers to the Basque dance that is performed on the day of San Pedro (June 29th) in the Basque town of Lezo. | |||
| Catalan | brillar | ||
| The verb "brillar" is derived from the Latin verb "brillare," which means "to sparkle" or "to gleam." | |||
| Croatian | sjaj | ||
| The verb 'sjati' meant 'to cut', and was connected to the noun 'sjekira', which means 'axe' in modern Croatian. | |||
| Danish | skinne | ||
| The Danish word "skinn" also refers to leather and means "shine" in Norwegian. | |||
| Dutch | schijnen | ||
| The verb "schijnen" can also mean "to seem" or "to appear". | |||
| English | shine | ||
| "Shine" derives from an Old English word referring to radiant light, but in modern usage can also mean to excel or be prominent. | |||
| French | éclat | ||
| Éclat derives from the Old French 'esclat' meaning ‘a splinter or chip’, from the Latin 'ex-clado', meaning 'to cleave off'. | |||
| Frisian | skine | ||
| In addition to "shine" "skine" may also mean "appear" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | brillar | ||
| In Galician, "brillar" can also mean "to glitter" or "to sparkle." | |||
| German | scheinen | ||
| The German word "scheinen" also means "to appear" or "to seem to be". | |||
| Icelandic | skína | ||
| The Icelandic term 'skína' may also refer to a lamp or light. | |||
| Irish | shine | ||
| 'Shine' (a period of good weather) derives from the Irish 'si na', meaning 'we are'. | |||
| Italian | brillare | ||
| In Italian, the verb 'brillare' not only means 'to shine,' but also refers to trembling or a shimmering effect. | |||
| Luxembourgish | blénken | ||
| In German, "Blenke" means "brightness" or "shine". | |||
| Maltese | jiddi | ||
| The word "jiddi" in Maltese can also refer to the act of cleaning or polishing. | |||
| Norwegian | skinne | ||
| The Norwegian word "skinne" also refers to railway tracks or the metal plates on a ship's hull. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | brilho | ||
| The Portuguese word "brilho" can also mean "sparkle", "brightness", or "polish", and is derived from the Latin word "brillare", meaning "to shine". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deàrrsadh | ||
| Derived from Old Irish "derg", which means "red" or "ruddy." | |||
| Spanish | brillar | ||
| The word "brillar" derives from the Latin word "brillare," meaning "to twinkle" or "to gleam." | |||
| Swedish | glans | ||
| In botany, the glans is the sticky substance that attracts insects to flowers. | |||
| Welsh | disgleirio | ||
| Disgleirio derives from the Proto-Celtic root *disk- ('to flash, shine'), cognate with Latin 'disco' and Irish 'dias' | |||
Shine in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бляск | ||
| The Belarusian word "бляск" also means "pale" or "faded". | |||
| Bosnian | sijati | ||
| The word 'sijati' comes from the Proto-Slavic word '*sijati' which also means 'to sow'. | |||
| Bulgarian | блясък | ||
| The word "блясък" can also mean "fame" or "brilliance". | |||
| Czech | lesk | ||
| In Czech, "lesk" is related to the Polish word "lask" meaning "grace, beauty, charm", and the Russian word "лёст" (lyost) meaning "flattery, adulation". | |||
| Estonian | sära | ||
| In archaic Estonian, "sära" meant "to be born" or "to be present". | |||
| Finnish | paistaa | ||
| The verb "paistaa" can also mean "to fry" or "to heat up". | |||
| Hungarian | ragyog | ||
| The word "ragyog" (shine) is derived from the Proto-Uralic root *raika- ("light"), which is also the origin of the Finnish word "raiku" (sparkle). | |||
| Latvian | spīdēt | ||
| The verb 'spīdēt' is an Indo-European root shared by many Germanic, Slavic, and Baltic languages, with cognates including 'speed', 'spin', and 'spit'. | |||
| Lithuanian | šviesti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "šviesti" originates from the Indo-European root *h₂ews- 'to burn, to light', and is cognate with words like 'sun', 'dawn', and 'star' in various Indo-European languages. | |||
| Macedonian | свети | ||
| The word "Свети" also means "holy" or "saint" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | blask | ||
| The word "blask" in Polish can also mean "a flash" or "a glimpse". | |||
| Romanian | strălucire | ||
| "Strălucire" can also mean "splendor", "brilliance", or "luster" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | блеск | ||
| The Russian word блеск is cognate with the English word "flash," and shares its sense of a quick burst of light. | |||
| Serbian | сјај | ||
| The word "сјај" also means "glamour" or "splendor" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | svietiť | ||
| "Svietiť" comes from Proto-Slavic "světъ", meaning "world" or "light". | |||
| Slovenian | sijaj | ||
| The word "sijaj" is etymologically related to the verb "sijati", which means "to sow" or "to scatter". | |||
| Ukrainian | блиск | ||
| The word "блиск" also refers to a type of fabric with a shiny surface, such as satin or silk. | |||
Shine in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চকচকে | ||
| "চকচকে" may also mean "glittery" or "shimmering" in English. | |||
| Gujarati | ચમકવું | ||
| "ચમકવું" is a Gujarati verb meaning to shine, and also refers to showing or presenting something, or illuminating something with a torch or other light source. | |||
| Hindi | चमक | ||
| The word "चमक" can also refer to "splendor" or "brilliance". | |||
| Kannada | ಹೊಳೆಯಿರಿ | ||
| The word "ಹೊಳೆಯಿರಿ" can also mean "to glow" or "to brighten". | |||
| Malayalam | തിളങ്ങുക | ||
| "തിളങ്ങുക" comes from the Proto-Dravidian *tilaŋ-, "to glisten, sparkle, glitter, or gleam." | |||
| Marathi | चमकणे | ||
| In some contexts, "चमकणे" is an idiom referring to a person being in high spirits. | |||
| Nepali | चम्कने | ||
| The verb "चम्कने" can also mean "to glitter" or "to sparkle." | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਮਕ | ||
| It also means a 'small spark' or a 'sparkling particle'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බැබළෙන්න | ||
| The verb බැබළෙන්න (babalen̆na) is cognate with the Tamil verb பளபளத்தல் (palapalattal) meaning "shine or glitter" suggesting a common Dravidian origin. | |||
| Tamil | பிரகாசிக்கவும் | ||
| Telugu | షైన్ | ||
| The word షైన్ (shain) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'chhāyā', meaning 'shadow' or 'shade'. | |||
| Urdu | چمکنا | ||
| The word 'چمکنا' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'chamk' meaning 'to shine' and 'to gleam,' which is also related to the English word 'gleam' | |||
Shine in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 闪耀 | ||
| The character 闪 ('shăn') in 闪耀 ('shine') was originally a pictogram representing a lightning bolt. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 閃耀 | ||
| "閃耀" means "Sparkle" but it also means "momentary". In Chinese, the word "耀" is a verb that means "flicker". The word "閃" is an ideogram which depicts a flash of lightning. | |||
| Japanese | 輝く | ||
| The word "輝く" can also refer to something that is brilliant or dazzling. | |||
| Korean | 광택 | ||
| In Korean, "광택" can also refer to a lacquer finish or varnish, emphasizing its ability to enhance the surface appearance of an object. | |||
| Mongolian | гэрэлтэх | ||
| The word "гэрэлтэх" can also mean "to sparkle" or "to glitter". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တောက်ပ | ||
| The word "တောက်ပ" can also refer to the act of shining or the quality of being shiny. | |||
Shine in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bersinar | ||
| "Bersinar" can also mean "to glow" or "to radiate" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | sumunar | ||
| The Javanese word for 'to shine', 'sumunar', is also used to describe the brilliance of a noble person. | |||
| Khmer | ចែងចាំង | ||
| The word "ចែងចាំង" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian root word "*caŋcaŋ" meaning "bright" or "shining". | |||
| Lao | ສ່ອງແສງ | ||
| Malay | bersinar | ||
| The word "bersinar" also means "to radiate" or "to glow" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | เปล่งประกาย | ||
| The word "เปล่งประกาย" (shine) is derived from the Sanskrit word "prakāśa" (light, brilliance). | |||
| Vietnamese | tỏa sáng | ||
| The word "tỏa sáng" can also mean "to emit light" or "to be radiant". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sumikat | ||
Shine in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | parıltı | ||
| The word "parıltı" may also refer to "luster" or "brightness" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жарқырау | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "жарқырау" can also mean "to be happy" or "to be brilliant". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаркыроо | ||
| The word "жаркыроо" can also refer to the act of reflecting light or heat. | |||
| Tajik | дурахшон | ||
| The word "дурахшон" has Sanskrit origins, derived from "dura" meaning "difficult" and "aksha" meaning "eye," implying something so dazzling that it is difficult to look at. | |||
| Turkmen | şöhle saç | ||
| Uzbek | porlash | ||
| The word "porlash" in Uzbek has origins in the Persian language and is related to the concept of "giving light" or "illumination". | |||
| Uyghur | پارلاق | ||
Shine in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻalohi | ||
| ʻAlohi also refers to a torch or fire, with the suffix -hi added to denote a quality or state. | |||
| Maori | whiti | ||
| The Maori phrase “kia ora” is used to greet someone, wish them well, or say goodbye. | |||
| Samoan | susulu | ||
| The word "susulu" in Samoan is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root word "*sulu", meaning "light" or "to shine." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ningning | ||
| The word "ningning" in Tagalog can also refer to a star or a glow. | |||
Shine in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | llijiña | ||
| Guarani | overa | ||
Shine in International Languages
| Esperanto | brili | ||
| The word "brili" is derived from the Latin verb "brillare", meaning "to shine", and is also related to the French word "briller" | |||
| Latin | luceat | ||
| The word "luceat" is derived from the Latin verb "lucere," meaning "to shine" or "to give light," and can also refer to the act of enlightenment or intellectual illumination. | |||
Shine in Others Languages
| Greek | λάμψη | ||
| The word "λάμψη" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *lewk-, meaning "to shine" or "to gleam". | |||
| Hmong | ci | ||
| The word "ci" can also refer to "the sun" or "brightness" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | birq | ||
| "Birq" also refers to lighting in Kurdish. Specifically in the context of lighting a house or a street. | |||
| Turkish | parlamak | ||
| The Turkish word "parlamak" comes from the Proto-Turkic verb "parl-", meaning "to burn, glow, or sparkle". | |||
| Xhosa | khanya | ||
| 'Khanya' is also a male given name that means 'light' or 'hope'. | |||
| Yiddish | שייַנען | ||
| The Yiddish word "שייַנען" ("shaynen") also means "to appear," "to look good," and "to seem."} | |||
| Zulu | khanya | ||
| The Zulu word "khanya" can also refer to "knowledge" or "understanding". | |||
| Assamese | জিলিকা | ||
| Aymara | llijiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | चमक | ||
| Dhivehi | ވިދުން | ||
| Dogri | चमकना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sumikat | ||
| Guarani | overa | ||
| Ilocano | agraniag | ||
| Krio | shayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | درەوشانەوە | ||
| Maithili | चमक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯉꯥꯜ | ||
| Mizo | engchhuak | ||
| Oromo | ifuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉଜ୍ଜ୍ୱଳ | ||
| Quechua | llipikyay | ||
| Sanskrit | दर्प | ||
| Tatar | балкып тор | ||
| Tigrinya | ምንጽብራቕ | ||
| Tsonga | vangama | ||