Similar in Different Languages
Discover 'Similar' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'similar' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, allowing us to identify and describe things that share common characteristics or traits. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it forms the foundation of how we categorize and understand the world around us. From a young age, we learn to group objects based on their similarities, making it a fundamental concept in education and communication.
Moreover, the ability to recognize similarities between different things is not just a human trait, but also a survival mechanism present in many animals. This shared characteristic highlights the interconnectedness of life and the universality of this concept.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of 'similar' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and categorize the world. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: similar
- French: semblable
- German: ähnlich
- Mandarin: 相似 (xiāng sì)
- Japanese: 似ている (nit suite iru)
Similar
Similar in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | soortgelyk | ||
| The Afrikaans word "soortgelyk" is derived from the Dutch word "soortgelijk", which also means "similar", and is composed of the elements "soort" ("type, kind") and "gelijk" ("equal, like"). | |||
| Amharic | ተመሳሳይ | ||
| The word 'ተመሳሳይ' is derived from the root 'መሰል' (to resemble), and is also used to describe something that is 'equal' or 'equivalent'. | |||
| Hausa | kama | ||
| Hausa word **kama** is also used to express the idea of 'as if'. | |||
| Igbo | yiri | ||
| Yiri, meaning 'similar', derives from the verb 'ri' ('to do'). | |||
| Malagasy | similar | ||
| "mitovy" is an alternative word with the same meaning, but is found in a smaller variety of grammatical situations. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ofanana | ||
| Oifanana, or ofanana, may also be used to express closeness in time. | |||
| Shona | zvakafanana | ||
| The word "zvakafanana" is also used to describe the similarity of two objects or situations that are analogous, or have comparable properties. | |||
| Somali | la mid ah | ||
| The word ''la mid ah'' can also refer to a mirror image or reflection. | |||
| Sesotho | tšoanang | ||
| “Tšoanang” can also mean “exactly like” (the original) in addition to meaning “similar.” | |||
| Swahili | sawa | ||
| As a noun, "sawa" additionally means "agreement"} | |||
| Xhosa | ngokufanayo | ||
| Xhosa has several words for things that are similar; "ngokufanayo" is one, and it can also mean "in the same way." | |||
| Yoruba | iru | ||
| The word 'iru' also means 'likeness' and 'image' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | okufanayo | ||
| Okufanayo in Zulu can also mean 'the same' or 'alike'. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɔgɔn | ||
| Ewe | sᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bisa | ||
| Lingala | ndenge moko | ||
| Luganda | okwefaananyiriza | ||
| Sepedi | swanago | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sɛ | ||
Similar in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مماثل | ||
| In geology, the term 'similar' refers to 'parallel' geological features. | |||
| Hebrew | דוֹמֶה | ||
| The root of the Hebrew word "דוֹמֶה" ("similar") is "דמה" ("blood"), possibly referring to the shared genetic makeup of similar individuals. | |||
| Pashto | ورته | ||
| The word "ورته" in Pashto can also mean "such", "like", or "as" and is related to the word "ورتو" which means "this kind". | |||
| Arabic | مماثل | ||
| In geology, the term 'similar' refers to 'parallel' geological features. | |||
Similar in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i ngjashëm | ||
| The Albanian word "i ngjashëm" comes from the Proto-Albanian word "*ng-shem", which also means "likeness" or "resemblance". | |||
| Basque | antzekoa | ||
| The Basque term "antzekoa" can be traced back to the root "antza," meaning "appearance" or "likeness." | |||
| Catalan | similar | ||
| Simil comes from the Latin simile, meaning "to compare (to)" or "to imitate". | |||
| Croatian | sličan | ||
| The word "sličan" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъlьnъ, meaning "beautiful" or "handsome". | |||
| Danish | lignende | ||
| The word "lignende" in Danish can also mean "likeness" or "resemblance". | |||
| Dutch | vergelijkbaar | ||
| The Dutch word "vergelijkbaar" comes from the verbs "ver- ("to compare") and "gelijken" ("to resemble"). | |||
| English | similar | ||
| The word "similar" comes from the Latin word "similis," which means "like" or "resembling." | |||
| French | similaire | ||
| "Similaire" is also a French word meaning "macaque" or "monkey." | |||
| Frisian | ferlykber | ||
| The word "ferlykber" also means "much" or "great" in the Frisian language. | |||
| Galician | semellante | ||
| In Galician, “semellante” also means “imitation” or “copy”. | |||
| German | ähnlich | ||
| "Ähnlich" comes from the Old High German word "analih", meaning "equal" or "alike". | |||
| Icelandic | svipað | ||
| The word "svipað" derives from the Old Norse word "svipr", meaning "appearance, likeness". | |||
| Irish | cosúil leis | ||
| Cosúil leis can also mean 'seem, appear', which can give it a more speculative connotation | |||
| Italian | simile | ||
| The Italian word "simile" derives from the Latin word "similis", meaning "similar", and has the same meaning in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ähnlech | ||
| It shares its Germanic roots with English "like" and is related to the Latin word "similis". | |||
| Maltese | simili | ||
| Simili (similar) in Maltese comes from the Italian word "simile" with the same meaning, but also means "twin". | |||
| Norwegian | lignende | ||
| The Norwegian word "lignende" originates from the Old Norse word "líkneski" meaning "resemblance". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | semelhante | ||
| The word "semelhante" originally meant "to resemble" or "to be like" in Old Portuguese, but has since evolved to mean "similar". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | coltach | ||
| The archaic and rarely used word "coltach" can also mean "beautiful" or "handsome". | |||
| Spanish | similar | ||
| The Spanish word "similar" comes from the Latin "similis," meaning "like" or "resembling" | |||
| Swedish | liknande | ||
| Liknande comes from the Old Norse líkr and originally meant 'body' or 'form'. | |||
| Welsh | tebyg | ||
| Tebyg has additional uses referring to equality, as well as being comparable or of an equal value, in the sense of being appropriate or good enough to serve as a replacement for another. | |||
Similar in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падобныя | ||
| The word падобныя also has an old meaning - "equal"} | |||
| Bosnian | slično | ||
| Slično can also mean "similarly" or "like" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | подобен | ||
| The word "подобен" also means "suitable" or "appropriate" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | podobný | ||
| The term 'podobný' has Slavic roots and is related to the words 'po' (after) and 'dobrý' (good), implying something that follows after or close to something that is good or desirable. | |||
| Estonian | sarnased | ||
| "Sarna" in "sarnased" means similar, same or alike. "Nase" means face, nose or mouth. Therefore sarnased can also mean "having similar noses." | |||
| Finnish | samanlainen | ||
| The word "samanlainen" comes from the suffix "-lainen", which denotes similarity or belonging to a group. | |||
| Hungarian | hasonló | ||
| The Hungarian word "hasonló" (similar) comes from the Old Hungarian word " hasonlít " (to resemble), which is related to the Slavic word "spodobiti" (to compare). | |||
| Latvian | līdzīgi | ||
| "Līdzīgi" comes from "līdz", meaning "together" or "equal". | |||
| Lithuanian | panašus | ||
| The word "panašus" in Lithuanian, meaning "similar", originates from the verb "panėti", which means "to put together". | |||
| Macedonian | слични | ||
| The word "слични" also has a connotation of "flattering" or "complimentary" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | podobny | ||
| The Polish word "podobny" also means "like" or "resembling". | |||
| Romanian | similar | ||
| The Romanian word "similar" comes from the Latin word "similis", meaning "like" or "resembling". | |||
| Russian | аналогичный | ||
| The word "аналогичный" comes from the Greek prefix "ана-" (meaning "similar") and the root "лог-" (meaning "word, reason, speech"). | |||
| Serbian | слично | ||
| The word "слично" in Serbian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъličьnъ, which originally meant "resembling" or "related". | |||
| Slovak | podobný | ||
| The word "podobný" can also mean "inclined" or "prone". | |||
| Slovenian | podobno | ||
| The word "podobno" also means "similarly" and "likely" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | подібні | ||
| The word "подібні" is also used in the sense of "alike" or "comparable". | |||
Similar in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুরূপ | ||
| The word "অনুরূপ" in Bengali can also mean "appropriate" or "conforming to a standard". | |||
| Gujarati | સમાન | ||
| The word "સમાન" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सम" (sama), meaning "equal" or "identical". | |||
| Hindi | समान | ||
| The word "समान" can also mean "equal" or "alike" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೋಲುತ್ತದೆ | ||
| Malayalam | സമാനമായത് | ||
| "സമാനമായത്" also means "alike, comparable, even, equal, equivalent, identical, like, matching, parallel, same, similar" | |||
| Marathi | समान | ||
| The Marathi word "समान" can also refer to "equal" or "uniform". | |||
| Nepali | समान | ||
| समान also means "the beginning of the second half of a night" or "the middle of the night" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਮਾਨ | ||
| The word 'ਸਮਾਨ' in Punjabi can also refer to luggage or baggage. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමාන | ||
| In Sinhala, "සමාන" also means "equal," "identical," or "equivalent." | |||
| Tamil | ஒத்த | ||
| Etymology: From Proto-Dravidian *utti 'one, same'. Cognates include Kannada ottu 'one, same'. Alternate meaning: unity, agreement. | |||
| Telugu | సారూప్యత | ||
| సారూప్యత ('similar') ultimately stems from the Sanskrit term 'sārūpyam' ('of a similar form'), indicating a connection to 'rūpa' ('form'). | |||
| Urdu | اسی طرح | ||
| The word “اسی طرح” can also mean “in the same way” or “after all”. | |||
Similar in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 类似 | ||
| 类似 in Chinese also means 'similar in type, kind or nature'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 類似 | ||
| The first character, 類, can also refer to "category" or "type" while the second character, 似, signifies "resemblance" | |||
| Japanese | 同様 | ||
| The word "同様" can also mean "in the same way" or "in the same manner". | |||
| Korean | 비슷한 | ||
| "비슷하다" means to be close to something in terms of appearance, character, or quality. It also can mean to be nearly right or correct. | |||
| Mongolian | ижил төстэй | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလားတူ | ||
Similar in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | serupa | ||
| The word 'serupa' can also mean 'like' in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | padha | ||
| The term 'padha' (similar) may also refer to the concept of 'equality' in the Javanese language and culture. | |||
| Khmer | ស្រដៀងគ្នា | ||
| Lao | ຄ້າຍຄືກັນ | ||
| Malay | serupa | ||
| The Indonesian word "serupa" also refers to something superficial and illusory | |||
| Thai | คล้ายกัน | ||
| "คล้ายกัน" also means 'to embrace,' like in 'เธอโอบกอดฉัน' ('she embraced me'). | |||
| Vietnamese | giống | ||
| "Giống" can also mean "species", "kind", "race", or "group", and can be used in a variety of contexts, such as biology, botany, and sociology. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katulad | ||
Similar in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | oxşar | ||
| The word "oxşar" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "hamšahr" meaning "fellow townsman" or "neighbor." | |||
| Kazakh | ұқсас | ||
| The Kazakh word "ұқсас" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*uqsak" and also means "to be in harmony" | |||
| Kyrgyz | окшош | ||
| The word "окшош" also means "matching" or "appropriate" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | монанд | ||
| Although the Tajik word "монанд" means "similar" in English, there are some alternate definitions that are more nuanced than a simple translation can convey. | |||
| Turkmen | meňzeş | ||
| Uzbek | o'xshash | ||
| The word 'o'xshash' also means 'comparable' in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئوخشىشىپ كېتىدۇ | ||
Similar in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | like | ||
| Like can also be used to express emotion, as in "Aloha wau ia 'oe," meaning "I love you." | |||
| Maori | rite | ||
| The Maori word 'rite' can also mean 'to be cooked' or 'to be heated'. | |||
| Samoan | tali tutusa | ||
| The Samoan word "tali tutusa" translates to "similar" in English and is also used to describe something that is "level" or "even". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | katulad | ||
| "Katulad" in Tagalog can also mean "likeness", "resemblance", and "equivalent". | |||
Similar in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | niy kipka | ||
| Guarani | joguaha | ||
Similar in International Languages
| Esperanto | simila | ||
| The word 'simila' is derived from the Latin word 'similis'. | |||
| Latin | similis | ||
| "Similis" in Latin also refers to "a flattened image or imitation" or a "counterfeit coin." | |||
Similar in Others Languages
| Greek | παρόμοιος | ||
| The word “παρόμοιος” (“similar”) stems from the preposition “παρά” (“near”) and “όμοιος” (“the same”) and literally means “being near the same.” | |||
| Hmong | zoo sib xws | ||
| The phrase literally means “like each other” or “of the same kind.” | |||
| Kurdish | nêzbûn | ||
| The word "nêzbûn" is derived from the Old Kurdish word "nêzbe", meaning "closeness, proximity". | |||
| Turkish | benzer | ||
| The Turkish word "benzer" is related to the word "ben" meaning "I, me" and is also used to mean "resembles". | |||
| Xhosa | ngokufanayo | ||
| Xhosa has several words for things that are similar; "ngokufanayo" is one, and it can also mean "in the same way." | |||
| Yiddish | ענלעך | ||
| The Yiddish word 'ענלעך' ('similar') originates from the Hebrew word 'עול' ('yoke'), referring to two things being joined together like a yoke. | |||
| Zulu | okufanayo | ||
| Okufanayo in Zulu can also mean 'the same' or 'alike'. | |||
| Assamese | একেধৰণৰ | ||
| Aymara | niy kipka | ||
| Bhojpuri | एके निहन | ||
| Dhivehi | އެއްގޮތް | ||
| Dogri | इक्कै जनेहा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katulad | ||
| Guarani | joguaha | ||
| Ilocano | agpada ti | ||
| Krio | fiba | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوشێوە | ||
| Maithili | समान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯟꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | inang | ||
| Oromo | walfakkaataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମାନ | ||
| Quechua | kaqlla | ||
| Sanskrit | संरूप | ||
| Tatar | охшаш | ||
| Tigrinya | ተመሳሳሊ | ||
| Tsonga | fana | ||