Side in Different Languages
Discover 'Side' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'side' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, with meanings ranging from the physical ('the side of a building') to the abstract ('on the side of caution'). Culturally, 'taking sides' in a conflict or debate is a universal concept that has shaped societies and histories. Even in everyday life, we use the word 'side' to describe our preferences, allegiances, and perspectives.
Moreover, the word 'side' has fascinating historical contexts. For instance, in ancient Rome, the term 'dexter' referred to the 'right side,' symbolizing power and authority. Meanwhile, the 'sinister' left side was associated with treachery and evil.
Given its significance and cultural importance, you might want to know the translation of 'side' in different languages. Here are a few examples: 'lado' in Spanish, 'coté' in French, 'Seite' in German, 'tsuuchou' in Japanese, and 'bir' in Turkish. Discovering these translations can offer unique insights into how different cultures perceive and use this versatile word.
Side
Side in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kant | ||
| The word 'kant' in Afrikaans, meaning 'side', likely originated from the Old Saxon word 'kant', meaning 'edge' or 'rim', and is related to the English word 'cant' which means 'to tilt or tip' | |||
| Amharic | ጎን | ||
| Hausa | gefe | ||
| "Gefe" can also refer to a part, segment, or aspect of something. | |||
| Igbo | n'akụkụ | ||
| Other alternate meanings of "n'akụkụ" are "portion" and "area." | |||
| Malagasy | lafiny | ||
| The word "lafiny" can also mean "limit" or "edge" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mbali | ||
| The word "mbali" also denotes a direction, such as "on the side" or "to the side". | |||
| Shona | divi | ||
| The word "divi" in Shona can also refer to the side of a hill or mountain. | |||
| Somali | dhinac | ||
| The word "dhinac" in Somali also means "part" or "share". | |||
| Sesotho | lehlakoreng | ||
| The word 'lehlakoreng' also refers to the 'other side of something', or the 'opposite side'. | |||
| Swahili | upande | ||
| The word "upande" can also mean "aspect" or "direction". | |||
| Xhosa | icala | ||
| The word "icala" in Xhosa, besides meaning "side," also refers to the edge of a thing, or to a place where one thing meets another. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹgbẹ | ||
| The word "ẹgbẹ" can also refer to a group, party, or faction, indicating its broader connotation of "grouping" or "affiliation". | |||
| Zulu | uhlangothi | ||
| "Uhlangothi" in Zulu can also be used to mean "one's side of a story" or "an opinion". | |||
| Bambara | kɛrɛ | ||
| Ewe | axa | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ruhande | ||
| Lingala | mopanzi | ||
| Luganda | oludda | ||
| Sepedi | lehlakore | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkyɛn | ||
Side in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جانب | ||
| The word "جانب" in Arabic can also refer to a direction, aspect, or part of something. | |||
| Hebrew | צַד | ||
| In Rabbinic Hebrew, the word צַד means 'the way to behave' or 'justice'. | |||
| Pashto | اړخ | ||
| The word "اړخ" can also mean "aspect" or "direction" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | جانب | ||
| The word "جانب" in Arabic can also refer to a direction, aspect, or part of something. | |||
Side in Western European Languages
| Albanian | anësore | ||
| The word "anësore" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *anë, meaning "side" or "direction". | |||
| Basque | alde | ||
| The Basque word "alde" can also mean "direction," "towards," or "towards the side." | |||
| Catalan | lateral | ||
| In Catalan, "lateral" can also refer to a "sidecar" or a "back street". | |||
| Croatian | strana | ||
| The word 'strana' in Croatian is cognate to the Russian and Polish words 'сторона' and 'strona', all deriving from the Proto-Slavic word '*storna', meaning 'side', 'part', or 'direction'. | |||
| Danish | side | ||
| In Danish, "side" can also refer to a page of a book. | |||
| Dutch | kant | ||
| In Dutch, "kant" can also refer to a type of lace, derived from the city of "Cante" (Caen) in France where it was first produced. | |||
| English | side | ||
| Archaic meanings of "side" include "long garment" and "broad belt". | |||
| French | côté | ||
| French "côté" derives from the Latin "costa" meaning "rib," which also gave rise to "coast," "costal," and "costcotomy." | |||
| Frisian | side | ||
| In Frisian, the word "side" can also mean "wing" or "flank". | |||
| Galician | lateral | ||
| In Galician, "lateral" can also refer to the side of a building facing north. | |||
| German | seite | ||
| The word “Seite” can also refer to a page in a book or the face of a die. | |||
| Icelandic | hlið | ||
| The word 'hlið' also means 'doorway', 'gate', 'opening', and 'slope' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | taobh | ||
| The Irish word 'taobh' shares its root with words for breast and rib cage in other Celtic languages. | |||
| Italian | lato | ||
| The word "lato" in Italian can also refer to a musical note or a type of brick. | |||
| Luxembourgish | säit | ||
| From Middle High German "sīte" "string, cord" | |||
| Maltese | ġenb | ||
| Maltese "ġenb" derives from Arabic "janb" and can also mean "manner" or "respect". | |||
| Norwegian | side | ||
| The Norwegian word "side" can also refer to a page in a book or a stitch in knitting. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lado | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese, "lado" is slang for a significant other. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taobh | ||
| In archaic Gaelic, taobh was used to refer to the direction of the wind, and the verb taobhaich meant to turn or tilt. | |||
| Spanish | lado | ||
| The Spanish word "lado" comes from the Latin word "latus", which can also mean " flank"", "width"", or "direction". | |||
| Swedish | sida | ||
| "Sida" can also mean "page" or "institution" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | ochr | ||
| The word "ochr" in Welsh can also refer to a border or edge, as in the phrase "ochr y ffordd" (edge of the road). | |||
Side in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бок | ||
| The word "бок" derives from a Proto-Slavic root, meaning either "the side of the body", "side of something", or "to push". | |||
| Bosnian | strana | ||
| In older Bosnian, strana also meant "direction" or "region". | |||
| Bulgarian | страна | ||
| The word "страна" can also refer to a country or region. | |||
| Czech | postranní | ||
| Postranní originally comes from the word "stran" meaning "region", and thus refers to anything on the side of something else | |||
| Estonian | küljel | ||
| The Estonian word "küljel" is cognate with the Finnish word "kylki", both deriving from the Proto-Uralic word *küle "side, flank, rib". | |||
| Finnish | puolella | ||
| The word "puolella" can also refer to a direction or a position in relation to something else. | |||
| Hungarian | oldal | ||
| The word 'oldal' also means 'page' in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | pusē | ||
| The word "pusē" in Latvian is cognate with "push" in English and has the additional meaning of "half" as in "pusaudži" (teenagers). | |||
| Lithuanian | pusėje | ||
| "Pusėje" derives from the Indo-European root *paus- "at the back, behind" or *pau- "few". | |||
| Macedonian | страна | ||
| The word "страна" in Macedonian can also refer to a geographic region or a political entity, similar to the English word "country". | |||
| Polish | bok | ||
| The Polish word "bok" can also mean "flank" in the context of a military formation. | |||
| Romanian | latură | ||
| In Romanian, "latură" can also mean "aspect" or "feature", which reflects its Latin root "latus" meaning "broad" or "wide". | |||
| Russian | боковая сторона | ||
| The word "боковая сторона" derives from the word "бок", which means "flank". | |||
| Serbian | страни | ||
| The word "страни" in Serbian has the same etymology as the word "страна" (country), suggesting a historical connection between the concepts of "side" and "country". | |||
| Slovak | strane | ||
| The word "strane" also means "abroad" or "outside" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | strani | ||
| The word "strani" also means "other" or "foreign" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | стороні | ||
| The word "стороні" can also mean "party" or "camp" in a conflict. | |||
Side in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাশ | ||
| The Bengali word "পাশ" also refers to the "act of passing an examination". | |||
| Gujarati | બાજુ | ||
| The word 'બાજુ' ('side') in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bahu', which means 'arm'. | |||
| Hindi | पक्ष | ||
| The word 'पक्ष' (side) also denotes a 'wing' in Sanskrit and can refer to 'favoring' or 'supporting' someone. | |||
| Kannada | ಸೈಡ್ | ||
| "ಸೈಡು" (saidu) means "side" in Kannada. In another sense, it also means "waist" in some dialects." | |||
| Malayalam | വശം | ||
| The word "വശം" not only means "side" in Malayalam, but also refers to "power" or "control." | |||
| Marathi | बाजूला | ||
| The word 'बाजूला' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'बाहु', which means 'arm' or 'shoulder'. | |||
| Nepali | छेउ | ||
| The word "छेउ" also refers to the edge of a field, a bank of a river, or a boundary area. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਾਸੇ | ||
| The word "ਪਾਸੇ" in Punjabi can also refer to a direction or a turn. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැත්ත | ||
| පැත්ත can also mean direction ('east', 'west', 'north', or 'south') in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | பக்க | ||
| The word "பக்க" also means "page" or "direction" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | వైపు | ||
| The word 'వైపు' in Telugu can also mean 'direction' or 'towards'. | |||
| Urdu | پہلو | ||
| The word "پہلو" also means "aspect" or "phase" in Urdu, indicating a broader range of meanings beyond physical dimensions. | |||
Side in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 侧 | ||
| 侧 is a component of 测, which has an alternate meaning of "to infer". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 側 | ||
| "側" can also refer to a concubine, which was often the wife of a lord's vassal. | |||
| Japanese | 側 | ||
| The character "側" (soku) originally meant "near" or "beside" and was used to indicate proximity or adjacency. | |||
| Korean | 측면 | ||
| "측면" also has the meaning of a situation, circumstance or aspect | |||
| Mongolian | тал | ||
| The Mongolian word "тал" can also refer to a "half" or a "part" of something. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘေးထွက် | ||
Side in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sisi | ||
| The word "sisi" can also mean "edge", "bound", "limit", or "border". | |||
| Javanese | sisih | ||
| "Sisih" also means "to avoid" when referring to the avoidance of other people. | |||
| Khmer | ចំហៀង | ||
| The word “ចំហៀង” can alternatively mean “corner” or “edge” when placed in front of certain words. | |||
| Lao | ຂ້າງ | ||
| The word "ຂ້າງ" can also mean "next to" or "adjacent to". | |||
| Malay | sisi | ||
| The word "sisi" in Malay can also refer to a side dish or an edge of something. | |||
| Thai | ด้านข้าง | ||
| In Thai, the word "ด้านข้าง" can also refer to the "aspects" or "facets" of something. | |||
| Vietnamese | bên | ||
| Bên can also mean 'way, manner', as in 'làm bên này' ('do it this way'). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gilid | ||
Side in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yan | ||
| The word "yan" in Azerbaijani also has the meaning of "flank" or "wing" in a military context. | |||
| Kazakh | жағы | ||
| The word "жағы" in Kazakh can also mean "cheek" or "direction" depending on the context. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жагы | ||
| The word "жагы" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a spouse, a comrade, or a friend | |||
| Tajik | тараф | ||
| In Persian, "tarafah" means "party" or "side of a group". Hence, "tarafdar" means "supporter" or "the one who takes the side of a group". | |||
| Turkmen | tarapy | ||
| Uzbek | yon tomon | ||
| "Yon tomon" can also mean "one side" or "a certain side" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | side | ||
Side in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻaoʻao | ||
| 'Ao'ao also means "alongside," "beside," "lateral," "side by side," "in company with," "in common with," "equally with," "of the same rank," "companion," "associate," "colleague," "mate," "equal," "peer," and "partner." | |||
| Maori | taha | ||
| In Maori, "taha" can also refer to aspects or dimensions, such as physical, mental, spiritual, whānau (family), and whenua (land). | |||
| Samoan | itu | ||
| In Samoan, "itu" is also used to refer to the back or underside of something, or to the opposite side of something else. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tagiliran | ||
| In Tagalog, the word "tagiliran" also refers to a slope, edge or shore, or to the side of a body of water. | |||
Side in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | thiya | ||
| Guarani | yke | ||
Side in International Languages
| Esperanto | flanko | ||
| The Esperanto word "flanko" can also refer to a sheet of paper or a side of a die. | |||
| Latin | latus | ||
| The word "latus" can also refer to the width or breadth of an object in Latin. | |||
Side in Others Languages
| Greek | πλευρά | ||
| Πλευρά also refers to the ribcage, as well as the sides of an object or figure. | |||
| Hmong | sab | ||
| The word 'sab' can also refer to the 'edge' of something, or to the 'slope' of a hill. | |||
| Kurdish | hêl | ||
| The Kurdish word "hêl" has the same etymology as the word "hevdîtin", which means "friendship" in Kurdish, and originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*k̂́weldh-." | |||
| Turkish | yan | ||
| The word "yan" in Turkish can also mean "near" or "beside". | |||
| Xhosa | icala | ||
| The word "icala" in Xhosa, besides meaning "side," also refers to the edge of a thing, or to a place where one thing meets another. | |||
| Yiddish | זייַט | ||
| זייַט is likely an altered Slavic borrowing from Middle High German | |||
| Zulu | uhlangothi | ||
| "Uhlangothi" in Zulu can also be used to mean "one's side of a story" or "an opinion". | |||
| Assamese | এফালৰ | ||
| Aymara | thiya | ||
| Bhojpuri | भाग | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަރާތް | ||
| Dogri | तरफ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gilid | ||
| Guarani | yke | ||
| Ilocano | igid | ||
| Krio | say | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لا | ||
| Maithili | पक्ष | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯥꯀꯜ | ||
| Mizo | sir | ||
| Oromo | gara | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱ | ||
| Quechua | waqta | ||
| Sanskrit | पृष्ठभाग | ||
| Tatar | ягы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጎኒ | ||
| Tsonga | tlhelo | ||