Singer in Different Languages
Discover 'Singer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A singer is more than just a person who can carry a tune. Singers are the storytellers, the emotion-bearers, and the soul of music. From opera to pop, soul to rock, singers have been captivating audiences for centuries and continue to be a vital part of human culture and connection.
The significance of singers cannot be overstated. They have the power to evoke emotions, bring people together, and even inspire social change. Think of the civil rights anthems of the 1960s, or the protest songs of today's political climate. Singers have always been at the forefront of cultural movements, using their voices to make a difference.
Moreover, the art of singing is universal, with singers found in every corner of the globe. This makes knowing the translation of the word 'singer' in different languages all the more interesting and enriching. For example, in Spanish, a singer is called 'un cantante', while in French, they are 'un chanteur'. In German, a singer is 'ein Sänger', and in Japanese, '歌手' (utaitesu).
So, whether you're a budding singer yourself, a language enthusiast, or simply a music lover, exploring the translations of 'singer' in different languages is a great way to deepen your appreciation for this timeless art form and the diverse cultures that embrace it.
Singer
Singer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sanger | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "sanger" can also refer to the act of burning or scorching something. | |||
| Amharic | ዘፋኝ | ||
| The term ዘፋኝ also carries the connotation of a storyteller or bard in the Amharic language. | |||
| Hausa | mai rairayi | ||
| In Hausa, 'mai rairayi' also means a performer in a traditional play. | |||
| Igbo | onye ukwe | ||
| "Onye ukwe" literally means "child of Ukwe", a legendary Igbo musician known for his melodious voice and exceptional skill on the flute. | |||
| Malagasy | mpihira | ||
| Mpihira can also mean "one who lives near the water's edge" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | woyimba | ||
| Woyimba in Nyanja has a dual meaning: 'singer' and 'one who speaks the language of the spirits' | |||
| Shona | muimbi | ||
| The word 'muimbi' is also used to refer to a musical instrument, typically a drum or rattle. | |||
| Somali | fanaan | ||
| Fanaan in Somali can also mean a skilled person, or a skilled person in any field. | |||
| Sesotho | sebini | ||
| 'Sebini' is also used in Sesotho to mean 'a praise animal' or 'a song that praises' | |||
| Swahili | mwimbaji | ||
| The Swahili word 'mwimbaji' also means 'composer' as it comes from the verb 'kuimba' meaning 'to sing, to make music'. | |||
| Xhosa | imvumi | ||
| The Xhosa word "imvumi" can also refer to a "praise singer" or a "poet". | |||
| Yoruba | akorin | ||
| The word "akorin" in Yoruba also means "praise singer." | |||
| Zulu | umculi | ||
| The Zulu word "umculi" can also refer to a praise poet or a musician who plays the uhadi, a traditional string instrument. | |||
| Bambara | dɔnkilidala | ||
| Ewe | hadzila | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuririmbyi | ||
| Lingala | moyembi | ||
| Luganda | omuyimbi | ||
| Sepedi | moopedi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwontoni | ||
Singer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مغني | ||
| The word "مغني" (singer) is derived from the Arabic root غ ن ي (gh-n-y), which means "to sing" or "to chant". | |||
| Hebrew | זמר | ||
| The word "זמר" (singer) can also refer to a melodic chant or a nightingale. | |||
| Pashto | سندرغاړی | ||
| In Pashto, 'سندرغاړی' not only refers to a singer, but also to a type of bird known for its melodious singing. | |||
| Arabic | مغني | ||
| The word "مغني" (singer) is derived from the Arabic root غ ن ي (gh-n-y), which means "to sing" or "to chant". | |||
Singer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | këngëtar | ||
| In Albanian, the word "këngëtar" is derived from "këngë", meaning "song", but can also refer to a performer of other musical genres like rap or hip-hop. | |||
| Basque | abeslaria | ||
| The word "abeslaria" in Basque comes from the verb "abes" ("to sing") and the suffix "-lari" ("one who does something"). | |||
| Catalan | cantant | ||
| The word “cantant” in Catalan can also refer to a person who is singing, rather than a professional singer. | |||
| Croatian | pjevač | ||
| The Croatian word "pjevač" originally referred to a male nightingale and was only later used to describe human vocalists. | |||
| Danish | sanger | ||
| The word "sanger" in Danish not only means "singer" but can also refer to a "hymn" or "chant". | |||
| Dutch | zanger | ||
| The word "zanger" is derived from the Old Dutch word "sangari", meaning "one who sings". It can also refer to someone who writes songs. | |||
| English | singer | ||
| A person who sings or a machine that produces musical tones. | |||
| French | chanteur | ||
| French "chanteur" originally comes from Latin "cantare" (to sing), and also means "blackmailer". | |||
| Frisian | sjonger | ||
| In Middle Dutch, "sanger" meant a musician who played a string instrument. | |||
| Galician | cantante | ||
| In Galician, 'cantante' also means 'beggar' or 'poor person'. | |||
| German | sänger | ||
| In the context of mediaeval guilds, a 'Sänger' refers to someone reciting or presenting epic songs. | |||
| Icelandic | söngvari | ||
| Söngvari is an Icelandic word cognate with the English word 'son' and derives from the Old Norse word 'songvari', meaning a 'son of song'. | |||
| Irish | amhránaí | ||
| The Irish word 'amhránaí' is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *swen-, meaning 'to sound', and is cognate with words like 'swan' and 'symphony' in English. | |||
| Italian | cantante | ||
| "Cantante" can also refer to a dialect or jargon, especially in the context of thieves or beggars. | |||
| Luxembourgish | sängerin | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Sängerin" can also refer to a female singer in a choir. | |||
| Maltese | kantant | ||
| The word 'kantant' derives from the Italian 'cantante' and in Maltese can also refer to a 'chanterelle' mushroom. | |||
| Norwegian | sanger | ||
| In Norwegian, the term "sanger" can also refer to a person who sings hymns or a type of small, sweetened bread. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cantor | ||
| In Portugal, "cantor" also refers to a priest who leads a choir, similar to a choirmaster. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | seinneadair | ||
| The Gaelic word "seinneadair" can also mean "chanter" and originates from the Old Irish "senchanair." | |||
| Spanish | cantante | ||
| The word "cantante" in Spanish, derived from the Latin "cantare," also means "to enchant" or "to bewitch". | |||
| Swedish | sångare | ||
| "Sångare" comes from the Old Norse word "song" meaning "song" or "singing" | |||
| Welsh | canwr | ||
| Welsh 'canwr' is derived from the root 'can' meaning 'song', and is cognate with the Breton 'kaner', which retains the original sense of both 'singer' and 'song'. | |||
Singer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спявак | ||
| The word "спявак" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*pěti", meaning "to sing". | |||
| Bosnian | pjevačica | ||
| The word 'pjevačica' is a feminine form of the word 'pjevač' ('singer') and can also refer to a female choir. | |||
| Bulgarian | певец | ||
| The word "певец" can also refer to a poet or bard in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | zpěvák | ||
| The word "zpěvák" can also refer to a person who sings in a choir or other vocal ensemble. | |||
| Estonian | laulja | ||
| In mythology, Laulja refers to the goddess of spring in Estonian folklore. | |||
| Finnish | laulaja | ||
| The word "laulaja" derives from "laulu" ("song"), which itself originates from the Proto-Finnic word "*lau̯lɔʔa". | |||
| Hungarian | énekes | ||
| Énekes originally referred to those who could sing in the church on top of a hill, but now it means someone who sings in general. | |||
| Latvian | dziedātāja | ||
| "Dziedātāja" comes from the verb "dziedāt" which means "to sing" and the suffix "-tāja" which indicates an agent or doer of an action. | |||
| Lithuanian | dainininkas | ||
| "Dainininkas" originally meant a person who knows songs. | |||
| Macedonian | пејач | ||
| The word "пејач" is derived from the verb "пејам", which means "to sing" and can also refer to "someone who sings in a choir". | |||
| Polish | piosenkarz | ||
| The word "piosenkarz" in Polish refers to a singer of religious songs, while "piosenkarka" refers to a secular singer. | |||
| Romanian | cântăreaţă | ||
| The word "cântăreaţă" in Romanian also refers to "scales" and "a type of bird". | |||
| Russian | певец | ||
| The word "певец" (singer) derives from the Proto-Slavic term "*pěti", meaning "to sing" or "to recite". | |||
| Serbian | певачица | ||
| The word 'певачица' in Serbian can also refer to a female singer who performs traditional folk songs. | |||
| Slovak | spevák | ||
| The word "spevák" also means "a bird" in Slovak, likely due to the singing capabilities of some bird species. | |||
| Slovenian | pevka | ||
| The word "pevka" is a feminine form of the word "pevec" and is also used to refer to a "bird songstress." | |||
| Ukrainian | співак | ||
| The word співак is also used for the name and the species of a bird of the genus Luscinia (nightingale). | |||
Singer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গায়ক | ||
| The word "গায়ক" can also refer to someone who chants religious texts or a person who begs for alms. | |||
| Gujarati | ગાયક | ||
| The word 'ગાયક' (gaayak) can also be used to refer to a 'poet' or 'composer' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | गायक | ||
| Hindi 'गायक' (singer) derives from the root 'gay' (to sing) and was originally applied to bards, musicians, and actors. | |||
| Kannada | ಗಾಯಕ | ||
| The word "ಗಾಯಕ" in Kannada, meaning "singer", can also refer to a person who makes a living by singing or a person who has a good voice for singing. | |||
| Malayalam | ഗായകൻ | ||
| The word ഗായകൻ is often used as a title for male singers in Malayalam, but it can also refer to a choir or a group of singers. | |||
| Marathi | गायक | ||
| The Marathi word "गायक" also refers to a type of bird called the Asian koel. | |||
| Nepali | गायक | ||
| The word "गायक" (singer) derives from the Sanskrit word "गाय͟क" meaning "who sings songs" | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਾਇਕ | ||
| ਗਾਇਕ means 'singer' but also the 'necklace of Krishna' and derives from the Sanskrit word 'gaayaka' meaning 'one who chants' or 'one who sings the Sama Veda'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගායකයා | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit word 'gāyana', which means 'musical performance'. Also refers to a musician or vocalist in a musical ensemble. | |||
| Tamil | பாடகர் | ||
| "பாடகர்" (paadakkar) literally means "one who reads (a song)", alluding to the tradition of singing from written texts in ancient times. | |||
| Telugu | గాయకుడు | ||
| In Telugu, the word `గాయకుడు` (gāyakuḍu) also refers to a snake charmer and a minstrel. | |||
| Urdu | گلوکار | ||
| The word 'گلوکار' is derived from the Arabic word 'غنا' meaning 'to sing' and the Persian suffix '-کار' indicating a profession. | |||
Singer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 歌手 | ||
| "歌手" originally referred to a musical performer who composed and sang their own songs, unlike "乐手" who focused on playing instruments. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 歌手 | ||
| The word "歌手" can also refer to a "songster" or a "minstrel", emphasizing the aspect of performance. | |||
| Japanese | 歌手 | ||
| The word "歌手" (singer) in Japanese is derived from the verb "歌う" (to sing) and can also refer to a musician or performer in general. | |||
| Korean | 가수 | ||
| The word 가수 originally derives from the Chinese word 唱歌手 (literally "song-singing hand"). | |||
| Mongolian | дуучин | ||
| The Mongolian word "дуучин" refers not only to a "singer" but also to a "songwriter" or "composer". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဆိုတော် | ||
Singer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penyanyi | ||
| "Penyanyi" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "*saŋit" meaning "sound" or "music", and is related to the words "nyanyi" ("to sing") and "lagu" ("song"). | |||
| Javanese | penyanyi | ||
| The word "penyanyi" in Javanese is derived from the word "nyanyi" ("to sing") and the suffix "-i" ("one who does something"). | |||
| Khmer | អ្នកចំរៀង | ||
| អ្នកចំរៀង refers to one who sings, plays musical instruments, or composes musical pieces. | |||
| Lao | ນັກຮ້ອງ | ||
| Malay | penyanyi | ||
| The word 'penyanyi' is derived from the Old Javanese word 'penyanyi', meaning 'one who performs songs'. | |||
| Thai | นักร้อง | ||
| The word "นักร้อง" comes from the Sanskrit word "नर्तक" (nartaka), which means "dancer". | |||
| Vietnamese | ca sĩ | ||
| In Vietnamese, "ca sĩ" has the double meaning of "singer" and "music teacher". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mang-aawit | ||
Singer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müğənni | ||
| The word "müğənni" is also used figuratively to refer to a charming and eloquent orator or preacher. | |||
| Kazakh | әнші | ||
| The Kazakh word "әнші" also refers to a kind of shaman that performs ceremonies while riding a horse. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ырчы | ||
| The word "ырчы" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*ırčı" and can also refer to a shaman or fortune teller. | |||
| Tajik | сароянда | ||
| The word "сароянда" can also refer to a musician or a poet. | |||
| Turkmen | aýdymçy | ||
| Uzbek | ashulachi | ||
| The Uzbek word "ashulachi" has its roots in the Arabic "ashula" (song, music) and is also associated with the Indian "ashula" (improvisational folk song). | |||
| Uyghur | ناخشىچى | ||
Singer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea mele | ||
| "Mea mele" is also a term for a type of Hawaiian chant or song, often performed with a traditional ukulele. | |||
| Maori | kaiwaiata | ||
| The word 'kaiwaiata' can mean 'singing teacher', 'song-maker' as well as 'singer'. | |||
| Samoan | pese pese | ||
| Pese pese, meaning 'singer', is also used in other Polynesian languages to denote 'dance, song', and 'chant' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mang-aawit | ||
| The Filipino word "mang-aawit" comes from the root word "awit" which means song, tune, air. | |||
Singer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jayllt'iri | ||
| Guarani | puraheihára | ||
Singer in International Languages
| Esperanto | kantisto | ||
| In Esperanto, "kantisto" can also refer to a musical instrument or a type of bird. | |||
| Latin | cantor | ||
| In Latin, "cantor" also refers to a religious official or a member of a choir. | |||
Singer in Others Languages
| Greek | τραγουδιστής | ||
| "Τραγουδιστής" is derived from "τραγούδι" (song), which in turn comes from the verb "τραγουδώ" (to sing), ultimately tracing back to the ancient Greek verb "τραγῳδέω" (to sing tragedy). | |||
| Hmong | singer | ||
| The Hmong word "singer," pronounced as "hu nkauj nkauv ncauj," literally translates to "person with a beautiful speaking or chanting voice." | |||
| Kurdish | stranbêj | ||
| In Zazaki -a close relative of Kurdish- stranbêj also means 'a lover of poetry'. | |||
| Turkish | şarkıcı | ||
| The word "şarkıcı" may refer to a singing bird or a person who sings songs, both in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | imvumi | ||
| The Xhosa word "imvumi" can also refer to a "praise singer" or a "poet". | |||
| Yiddish | זינגער | ||
| The Yiddish word 'זינגער' can also refer to a sewing machine, named after its inventor Isaac Merritt Singer. | |||
| Zulu | umculi | ||
| The Zulu word "umculi" can also refer to a praise poet or a musician who plays the uhadi, a traditional string instrument. | |||
| Assamese | গায়ক | ||
| Aymara | jayllt'iri | ||
| Bhojpuri | गायक | ||
| Dhivehi | ލަވަކިޔާމީހާ | ||
| Dogri | गतार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mang-aawit | ||
| Guarani | puraheihára | ||
| Ilocano | agkankanta | ||
| Krio | pɔsin we de siŋ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گۆرانی بێژ | ||
| Maithili | गायक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯩꯁꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | zaithiam | ||
| Oromo | faarfataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗାୟକ | ||
| Quechua | takiq | ||
| Sanskrit | गायकः | ||
| Tatar | җырчы | ||
| Tigrinya | ደራፊ | ||
| Tsonga | xiyimbeleri | ||