Shower in Different Languages
Discover 'Shower' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A shower is a daily necessity for many of us, but have you ever stopped to think about the significance and cultural importance of this simple act? In many cultures, a shower represents not just physical cleanliness, but also spiritual and mental purification. From the invigorating showers of the Japanese onsen to the relaxing hammams of the Middle East, showers hold a special place in our global cultural heritage.
Moreover, the word 'shower' itself is a fascinating example of linguistic diversity. In Spanish, for example, the word is 'ducha', while in French it's 'douche'. In German, it's 'Dusche', and in Russian, it's 'душ' (pronounced 'dush'). These variations not only reflect different languages, but also different ways of experiencing and interpreting the world.
So why might someone want to know the translation of 'shower' in different languages? For travelers, it's a practical necessity. For language learners, it's a fun and interesting way to expand their vocabulary and understanding of different cultures. And for everyone, it's a reminder of the richness and diversity of our global linguistic heritage.
Shower
Shower in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stort | ||
| The word "stort" in Afrikaans can also refer to a heavy rain shower or a downpour. | |||
| Amharic | ሻወር | ||
| The word "ሻወር" in Amharic also means to "move quickly" and to "roam". | |||
| Hausa | shawa | ||
| The word "shawa" in Hausa can also mean "to cool off" or "to relax". | |||
| Igbo | ịsa ahụ | ||
| The Igbo word "ịsa ahụ" can also refer to the act of bathing or washing oneself. | |||
| Malagasy | fandroana | ||
| The word "fandroana" is also used to refer to a bathhouse or bathroom in Malagasy, particularly a communal public bathing area. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | shawa | ||
| The use of the word "shawa" in Nyanja is likely derived from the English word "shower" but has been assimilated into the Nyanja language and is often used more broadly to refer to bathing or washing in general. | |||
| Shona | shawa | ||
| The Shona word "shawa" may have originated from the Ndebele word "izisa" and is also used to describe water that flows in streams or rivers. | |||
| Somali | qubeys | ||
| "Qubays" is derived from the Arabic word "qabayis" meaning "canopy" or "shelter". | |||
| Sesotho | shaoara | ||
| The word "shaoara" also means "to sprinkle" or "to drizzle" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | oga | ||
| The Swahili word "oga" has multiple meanings and etymological connections that are not readily apparent from its primary definition of "shower." | |||
| Xhosa | ishawa | ||
| In isiXhosa, the word "ishawa" is also figuratively used to mean a "washout" or a "disaster." | |||
| Yoruba | iwe | ||
| The Yoruba word "iwe" also means "knowledge" or "book," as it is the medium through which knowledge is disseminated | |||
| Zulu | ishawa | ||
| "Ishawa" is also used to describe the act of sprinkling or spraying something with water. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛgɛn | ||
| Ewe | tsinyɔnyɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guswera | ||
| Lingala | kosokola | ||
| Luganda | okunaaba | ||
| Sepedi | šawara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dware | ||
Shower in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دش | ||
| Another meaning is "ram" or "male sheep". | |||
| Hebrew | מִקלַחַת | ||
| The Hebrew word "מִקלַחַת" also means a waterfall, and it derives from the verb "קלח", which can mean to flow, pour, or shoot out. | |||
| Pashto | شاور | ||
| The Pashto word "شاور" can also mean "to make noise" or "to cause a commotion". | |||
| Arabic | دش | ||
| Another meaning is "ram" or "male sheep". | |||
Shower in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dush | ||
| The Albanian word "dush" also means "to pound" or "to crush" and is related to the Persian "dukhesh" meaning "crush" or "pulverize". | |||
| Basque | dutxa | ||
| The word "dutxa" in Basque is of Latin origin, ultimately derived from "ducere" (to lead). | |||
| Catalan | dutxa | ||
| The Catalan word "dutxa" derives from the French word "douche," which itself comes from the Latin word "ducere," meaning "to lead". | |||
| Croatian | tuš | ||
| The word "tuš" in Croatian is derived from the French word "douche", which means "a jet of water" or "a shower". | |||
| Danish | bruser | ||
| "Bruser" derives from the French word "broyer", meaning "to crush", referring to the pounding action of water droplets." | |||
| Dutch | douche | ||
| In Dutch, the word "douche" originally meant "a small bath or basin," and is related to the French word "douche"} | |||
| English | shower | ||
| The word "shower" can also refer to a light rain or a sprinkling of something. | |||
| French | douche | ||
| Frisian | dûs | ||
| The word "dûs" in Frisian can also refer to a drizzle or light rain. | |||
| Galician | ducha | ||
| The Galician word "ducha" also means "bath" or "bathtub". | |||
| German | dusche | ||
| The word "Dusche" can also refer to a nozzle-like spray of liquid, not necessarily water. | |||
| Icelandic | sturtu | ||
| The Icelandic word sturtu likely originates from the 18th century French word ésturgeon, meaning "sturgeon", a large fish known for producing a lot of water. | |||
| Irish | cith | ||
| The Old Irish word "cith" also means 'rain', as well as 'the sea' in its modern usage. | |||
| Italian | doccia | ||
| "Doccia" derives from the Latin word "ducere" (to lead), referring to the directing of water. | |||
| Luxembourgish | duschen | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Dusche" can also refer to a nozzle or a spout, and "duschen" means "to rinse" or "to flush." | |||
| Maltese | doċċa | ||
| Though it's commonly used to mean "shower," "doċċa" literally translates to "rain" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | dusj | ||
| The word 'dusj' is derived from the French word 'douche', which originally meant a type of nozzle or pipe used to squirt water. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | chuveiro | ||
| The word "chuveiro" derives from the Latin word "pluere" meaning "to rain"} | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fras | ||
| The word "fras" also means "stream" or "rain" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | ducha | ||
| In Spanish, "ducha" originates from the French word "douche", meaning both a "shower" and a "cleansing spray". | |||
| Swedish | dusch | ||
| The word "dusch" originally meant "a sprinkle of rain" in Swedish, and can also refer to a "light rain" or "drizzle". | |||
| Welsh | cawod | ||
| In Welsh mythology, Cawod was the giant of the north who fought against the giant of the south, Nudd in a fight that created valleys. | |||
Shower in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | душ | ||
| The Belarusian word "душ" can also refer to a spirit, ghost, or soul. | |||
| Bosnian | tuš | ||
| Tuš is an archaic term for 'rain', still used in certain parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and derived from the Latin word 'tūsus' meaning 'beating'. | |||
| Bulgarian | душ | ||
| The word "душ" can also mean "soul" in Bulgarian, reflecting the spiritual significance of bathing in many cultures. | |||
| Czech | sprcha | ||
| The Czech word "sprcha" is often confused with "sprechen" (German for "speak"), resulting in the humorous misunderstanding of "speaking water". | |||
| Estonian | dušš | ||
| The Estonian word "dušš" ultimately derives from the French "douche", meaning either "shower" or "cold bath." | |||
| Finnish | suihku | ||
| The word "suihku" can also mean a "fountain" or a "jet" of water. | |||
| Hungarian | zuhany | ||
| The Hungarian word "zuhany" originally referred to a kind of rain or rainfall. | |||
| Latvian | duša | ||
| In the Slavic languages of the western and southern groups, “душ” is used to denote the soul of the deceased and the afterlife. | |||
| Lithuanian | dušas | ||
| "Dušas" is a loanword from French (douche) but it can also mean "soul" or "spirit" in a metaphorical sense. | |||
| Macedonian | туш | ||
| "Туш" (shower) also originates from French word "douche", which initially meant “a hole", but was later replaced by Italian equivalent. In Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian "туш" (tuš) is used primarily for showers | |||
| Polish | prysznic | ||
| The word "prysznic" in Polish is derived from the German word "Pritsche", meaning "plank", and was originally used to describe a cold water treatment involving lying on a wooden plank and being doused with water. | |||
| Romanian | duș | ||
| The Romanian word "duș" is derived from the Turkish word "duş" and also means "bath". | |||
| Russian | душ | ||
| The Russian word "душ" (shower) comes from the French "douche" (shower), which in turn comes from the Italian "doccia" (shower). | |||
| Serbian | туш | ||
| Туш, in Serbian, can also refer to a performance or composition for a large ensemble of wind or brass instruments. | |||
| Slovak | sprcha | ||
| The word 'sprcha' is derived from the German word 'spritzen', meaning 'to spray'. | |||
| Slovenian | tuš | ||
| The word "tuš" in Slovenian also refers to a particular type of pastry filled with cheese or meat. | |||
| Ukrainian | душ | ||
| The word "душ" can also mean "soul" or "spirit" in Ukrainian. | |||
Shower in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঝরনা | ||
| The word "ঝরনা" also means "cascade" in Bengali, referring to a waterfall or a rapid descent of water. | |||
| Gujarati | શાવર | ||
| The Gujarati word "શાવર" (shavar) can also mean "spout" or "jet of water". | |||
| Hindi | शावर | ||
| The Hindi word "शावर" can also mean "rain" or "downpour". | |||
| Kannada | ಶವರ್ | ||
| "ಶವರ್" also means "water snake" in Kannada and "corpse" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Malayalam | ഷവർ | ||
| The Malayalam word 'ഷവർ' ('shower') originated from the Portuguese word 'chuva', meaning 'rain'. | |||
| Marathi | शॉवर | ||
| The Marathi word "शॉवर" can also refer to the act of getting wet in the rain. | |||
| Nepali | नुहाउनु | ||
| "नुहाउनु" is derived from the Sanskrit root "स्ना" (snā), which means "to bathe" or "to wash." | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ਾਵਰ | ||
| The word "ਸ਼ਾਵਰ" ("shower") in Punjabi comes from the Persian word "شور" (" شور), meaning "salty water" or "brine." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ෂවර් | ||
| The Sinhala word "ෂවර්" (shower) is derived from the Portuguese word "chuvairo," which also means "shower." | |||
| Tamil | மழை | ||
| The Tamil word "மழை" (mazhai) has roots in the Proto-Dravidian word *mal-, meaning 'rain', and may also be related to the Sanskrit word "megha" (cloud). | |||
| Telugu | షవర్ | ||
| In Telugu, the word "షవర్" (shower) can also refer to a heavy downpour of rain or a cascade of water. | |||
| Urdu | شاور | ||
| In Urdu, “شاور” can also refer to a room for bathing or a person who gives baths. | |||
Shower in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 淋浴 | ||
| “淋浴”原指中医药浴疗法中的“淋药”手法，即把中药煎剂直接淋在患者身上，故称“淋浴”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 淋浴 | ||
| "淋" (lìn) means "to spread" or "to pour", while "浴" (yù) means "to bathe". Therefore, "淋浴" literally means "to spread water to bathe". | |||
| Japanese | シャワー | ||
| The word "シャワー" (shower) in Japanese derives from the English word "shower" and can also refer to a waterfall or a curtain. | |||
| Korean | 샤워 | ||
| "샤워" can also mean "water falling from the sky" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | шүршүүр | ||
| The Mongolian word "шүршүүр" can also refer to a waterfall. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရေချိုးခန်း | ||
Shower in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mandi | ||
| The word "mandi" can also refer to bathing in a river or lake. | |||
| Javanese | padusan | ||
| "Padusan" is a Javanese word that is related to the ritual of bathing before the Ramadan fasting month. It is derived from the root word "padus" meaning "to bathe" or "to clean oneself." | |||
| Khmer | ងូតទឹក | ||
| The word “ងូតទឹក” (“shower”) can also mean “dive” or “take a bath”. | |||
| Lao | ອາບ | ||
| The word "ອາບ" in Lao has the alternate meaning of "to bathe". | |||
| Malay | mandi | ||
| "Mandi" is also used to refer to the ritual bath before prayers in the Islamic religion. | |||
| Thai | อาบน้ำ | ||
| The Thai word "อาบน้ำ" (shower) comes from the Proto-Tai word *ʔaap, which also means "to bathe" or "to cleanse oneself". | |||
| Vietnamese | vòi sen | ||
| "Vòi sen" in Vietnamese can refer to both a showerhead and a sunflower because the former resembles the flower in shape. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | shower | ||
Shower in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | duş | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "duş" also means "rain" and "bathroom". | |||
| Kazakh | душ | ||
| In some contexts, "душ" can also refer to "spirit", "soul", or a "religious baptism" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | душ | ||
| The word "душ" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Persian word "dush", meaning "fine rain". | |||
| Tajik | душ | ||
| The word "душ" can also mean "soul" or "spirit" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | duş | ||
| Uzbek | dush | ||
| "Dush" (shower) is also used in Uzbek to refer to "feeling depressed". | |||
| Uyghur | مۇنچا | ||
Shower in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻauʻau | ||
| 'Auʻau' is the Hawaiian word for 'shower' and is a homophone of the word 'auʻau' that means 'to swim'. | |||
| Maori | ua | ||
| The word 'ua' can also refer to 'rain', 'water', 'urine' or a 'spring'. | |||
| Samoan | taʻele | ||
| Taʻele is also the Samoan word for the Tongan warrior class. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | shower | ||
| The Tagalog word "ligo" can also mean "to bathe" or "to take a dip in a body of water." | |||
Shower in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jarisiña | ||
| Guarani | jahuha | ||
Shower in International Languages
| Esperanto | duŝejo | ||
| The Esperanto word "duŝo" is derived from the French word "douche", meaning a "stream of water". | |||
| Latin | imbrem | ||
| The Latin word "imbrem" can also refer to a violent downpour or rainstorm. | |||
Shower in Others Languages
| Greek | ντους | ||
| The word "ντους" (shower) is derived from the French word "douche", meaning "a jet of water". | |||
| Hmong | da dej | ||
| The Hmong word "da dej" also means "to splash water", "to sprinkle water", "to pour water", and "to water plants". | |||
| Kurdish | serşo | ||
| The Kurdish word "serşo" can also refer to a "downpour" or "heavy rainfall". | |||
| Turkish | duş | ||
| The word "duş" is derived from the French word "douche" and originally meant "a stream of water". | |||
| Xhosa | ishawa | ||
| In isiXhosa, the word "ishawa" is also figuratively used to mean a "washout" or a "disaster." | |||
| Yiddish | שפּריץ | ||
| The origin of the Yiddish word "shprits" is uncertain, but it may be derived from the German word "spritzen," meaning "to spray" or "to squirt." | |||
| Zulu | ishawa | ||
| "Ishawa" is also used to describe the act of sprinkling or spraying something with water. | |||
| Assamese | শ্বাৱাৰ | ||
| Aymara | jarisiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | बौछार | ||
| Dhivehi | ފެންވެރުން | ||
| Dogri | न्हौना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | shower | ||
| Guarani | jahuha | ||
| Ilocano | arimukamok | ||
| Krio | shawa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەرماوکردن | ||
| Maithili | फुहार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯩꯊꯕ | ||
| Mizo | ruahsur | ||
| Oromo | rooba xiqqaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାୱାର | ||
| Quechua | ducha | ||
| Sanskrit | धारा | ||
| Tatar | душ | ||
| Tigrinya | መሕጸቢ | ||
| Tsonga | xawara | ||