Single in Different Languages
Discover 'Single' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'single' carries significant meaning and cultural importance across the globe. Its primary definition refers to one unit or item, as opposed to multiple or combined. However, 'single' has also come to describe a person who is not married or in a romantic relationship. This interpretation varies across cultures, giving the word a unique and intriguing cultural significance.
Throughout history, the concept of being 'single' has evolved. In ancient times, marriage was often a practical arrangement for political or financial gain, rather than a declaration of love. Today, many individuals choose to remain single for personal growth, career advancement, or simply because they haven't found the right person. This shift in societal norms highlights the evolving significance of the word 'single' and its cultural implications.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of 'single' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and value this concept. Here are a few sample translations:
- Spanish: soltero
- French: célibataire
- German: ledig
- Italian: single (yes, it's the same in Italian!)
- Japanese: 単身 (tanshin)
Single
Single in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | enkellopend | ||
| The word "enkellopend" is derived from the Dutch word "enkel", meaning "ankle", and "lopend", meaning "walking". It originally referred to someone who was unmarried or had no children. | |||
| Amharic | ነጠላ | ||
| The word "ነጠላ" (single) has a similar root to "ነጠለ" (to be far), suggesting the meaning of being "distant" from a romantic relationship. | |||
| Hausa | mara aure | ||
| The word "mara aure" also means "not shared" or "exclusive" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | otu | ||
| "Otu" in Igbo, besides meaning "single," also means "unity," or "coming together," reflecting the belief that unity can lead to greatness. | |||
| Malagasy | mpitovo | ||
| The root word 'pito' can also mean 'one of a pair.' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wosakwatiwa | ||
| "Wosakwatiwa" also refers to a person who is not married or has never been married. | |||
| Shona | vasina kuroora | ||
| The word "vasina kuroora" in Shona can also refer to a person who is not married, or to a person who is single and looking for a partner. | |||
| Somali | hal | ||
| The Somali word "hal" can also mean "one", "only", or "sole". | |||
| Sesotho | masoha | ||
| The word "masoha" can also mean "alone" or "lonely" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | moja | ||
| "Moja" also means "one" in Swahili and shares roots with "mume" (husband) and "mke" (wife), hinting at the idea of unity within a married couple. | |||
| Xhosa | ongatshatanga | ||
| The word "ongatshatanga" also means "complete" or "undivided" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | nikan | ||
| "Nikan" can also refer to the only or unique instance or quality of something. | |||
| Zulu | ongashadile | ||
| "Ongashadile" also means 'a single person' (not married). | |||
| Bambara | cɛganan | ||
| Ewe | ɖeka | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ingaragu | ||
| Lingala | moko | ||
| Luganda | -wuulu | ||
| Sepedi | tee | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ankonam | ||
Single in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | غير مرتبطة | ||
| In Arabic, "غير مرتبطة" (single) can also mean "not linked" or "not connected" in the context of technology. | |||
| Hebrew | יחיד | ||
| The word "יחיד" derives from proto-Semitic "*ʾaḥadū" meaning "unit" or "one" and is found in other Semitic languages such as Arabic ("waḥd") with the same meaning. | |||
| Pashto | واحد | ||
| واحد also denotes an important person and is occasionally employed for a deity. | |||
| Arabic | غير مرتبطة | ||
| In Arabic, "غير مرتبطة" (single) can also mean "not linked" or "not connected" in the context of technology. | |||
Single in Western European Languages
| Albanian | beqare | ||
| "Beqare" can also mean "lonely" or "miserable." | |||
| Basque | bakarra | ||
| Bakarra can also refer to a person who is poor or without resources. | |||
| Catalan | solter | ||
| The word "solter" also refers to a type of dance in Catalan culture. | |||
| Croatian | singl | ||
| Although the primary meaning of the Croatian word 'singl' is 'single', it can also refer to a musical record with just one track on each side. | |||
| Danish | enkelt | ||
| The Danish word "enkelt" is derived from the Old Norse "einkell" and also means "odd". | |||
| Dutch | single | ||
| In Dutch, "single" can also mean "single bed" or "one-bedroom apartment." | |||
| English | single | ||
| The word "single" originates from the Latin word "singularis," meaning "alone" or "unique." | |||
| French | célibataire | ||
| The term “Célibataire” was first used in the 13th century, and is derived from the Latin phrase “caelebs” which means "unmarried." | |||
| Frisian | inkel | ||
| The Frisian word "inkel" is derived from the Old Frisian word "enkeld" and also means "unique" or "lonely". | |||
| Galician | solteiro | ||
| In Galician, "solteiro" also means "lonely" or "unaccompanied". | |||
| German | single | ||
| The German word "Single" can also mean a record with one song on each side, similar to the English word "single". | |||
| Icelandic | smáskífa | ||
| The word "smáskífa" in Icelandic originally meant "a small boat." | |||
| Irish | singil | ||
| Singil (single) derives from Latin 'singularis', which means unique, or standing alone. | |||
| Italian | single | ||
| The Italian word 'single' can also mean 'unmarried'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | eenzel | ||
| "eenzel" has no alternate meaning, but in German, "einzeln" means "separate". | |||
| Maltese | waħdieni | ||
| The Maltese word "waħdieni" originates from the Arabic word "waḥīd" meaning "one" and has extended to mean "single" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | enkelt | ||
| "Enkelt" in Norwegian can also refer to something done with ease, without difficulty, or in a simple and straightforward manner. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | solteiro | ||
| The term 'solteiro' stems from the Latin 'solidus', meaning 'whole' or 'entire', as unmarried persons were considered self-sufficient. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | singilte | ||
| Despite the similarity, "singilte" is unrelated to the English "single". | |||
| Spanish | soltero | ||
| "Soltero" derives from the Latin "solitarius," and is related to the English word "solitary." | |||
| Swedish | enda | ||
| The Swedish word for "single", 'enda', also means 'the only' and used to refer to an object that was one-of-a-kind. | |||
| Welsh | sengl | ||
| The Welsh word "sengl" can also refer to an odd number or the remainder when dividing by two. | |||
Single in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адзінокі | ||
| "Адзінокі" is derived from the Proto-Slavic adjectival form *edinъ meaning "one", similar etymology as in English "lonely". In Polish, there are two words with opposite meaning: "samotny" meaning "lonely", while "jednostny" means "united". Belarusian and Ukrainian "однієї крові" has a different meaning than its Russian cognate "одной крови", which means "of one blood". | |||
| Bosnian | samac | ||
| Samac is also a fish, and shares the root with sam, meaning 'all' in Old Church Slavonic. | |||
| Bulgarian | неженен | ||
| В старобългарски език е имало и значение на „бездетен“ | |||
| Czech | singl | ||
| "Singl" is also a Czech word for "singles" (a type of table tennis). | |||
| Estonian | üksik | ||
| The Estonian word “üksik” (“single”) originally meant “left over” and has been used in this sense since at least the 13th century. | |||
| Finnish | yksittäinen | ||
| "Yksittäinen" is derived from "yksi", which means "one", and "täinen", a diminutive suffix. | |||
| Hungarian | egyetlen | ||
| The word "egyetlen" can also mean "unique" or "one and only". | |||
| Latvian | viens | ||
| In Latvian, the word "viens" can also mean "someone" or "a person". | |||
| Lithuanian | viengungis | ||
| The word "viengungis" may be related to the Latin word "vincula", meaning "bonds" or "ties", suggesting that the concept of being single is rooted in the idea of breaking away from bonds or relationships. | |||
| Macedonian | сингл | ||
| The word "сингл" (single) in Macedonian can also refer to a "one-way ticket" or "a single bed." | |||
| Polish | pojedynczy | ||
| "Pojedynczy" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*po-jedinь", meaning "by one", and is related to "jedyny" (only). | |||
| Romanian | singur | ||
| The Romanian word "singur" also means "the only one" or "a unique one" | |||
| Russian | не замужем | ||
| The phrase "не замужем" literally means "not under marriage". | |||
| Serbian | једно | ||
| The Serbian word "једно" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*jьdino", meaning "alone" or "solitary". | |||
| Slovak | slobodný | ||
| The word "slobodný" can also mean "free" or "independent" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | samski | ||
| A synonym for samski is "neporočen", while the adjective "samski" is derived from the Slavic root "sam-", meaning "alone". | |||
| Ukrainian | неодружений | ||
| The word "неодружений" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "neženiti sę", meaning "not to marry". | |||
Single in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | একক | ||
| "একক" comes from the Sanskrit word "eka" and also means "unique" or "one of a kind". | |||
| Gujarati | એકલુ | ||
| The Gujarati word "એકલુ" can also refer to a person who is lonely or isolated. | |||
| Hindi | एक | ||
| The word "एक" has several meanings in Hindi including, "the same", "only", "alone" and "unique." | |||
| Kannada | ಏಕ | ||
| The Kannada word ಏಕ (eka) also means "solitude" and can refer to "emptiness" or "lacking complement." | |||
| Malayalam | സിംഗിൾ | ||
| The word "സിംഗിൾ" (single) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "सिंह" (lion), which symbolizes strength, courage, and masculinity. | |||
| Marathi | एकल | ||
| The word "एकल" (single) in Marathi also means "alone" or "isolated". | |||
| Nepali | एकल | ||
| In Nepali, 'ekal' can also mean 'solitude' or 'isolation'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿੰਗਲ | ||
| ਸਿੰਗਲ (single) is derived from the Latin word 'singulus' meaning 'one at a time'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තනි | ||
| In Sinhala, තනි also can refer to a single item or unit. | |||
| Tamil | ஒற்றை | ||
| "ஒற்றை" is also used in Tamil to refer to a spy or an informer. | |||
| Telugu | సింగిల్ | ||
| The word 'సింగిల్' ('single') in Telugu has its roots in the Sanskrit word 'सिङ्गलः' ('singalah'), meaning 'alone' or 'single'. | |||
| Urdu | سنگل | ||
| The Urdu word 'سنگل' is also used to mean 'alone' or 'unmarried'. | |||
Single in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 单 | ||
| In addition to meaning "single," the Chinese character "单" can also mean "odd," "alone," or "bill." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 單 | ||
| In the phrase 「單打獨鬥」, the first character serves as a verb meaning to fight alone. | |||
| Japanese | シングル | ||
| The Japanese word "シングル" (shinguru) can also mean "unmarried" or "solo". | |||
| Korean | 단일 | ||
| In Korean, the word "단일" (single) can also mean "simple" or "basic". This is due to the fact that the word is derived from the Chinese characters "單" (one) and "一" (simple). | |||
| Mongolian | ганц бие | ||
| The word "ганц бие" "ganc bie" can also refer to an independent person who is not married or in a relationship. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ်ယောက်တည်း | ||
| Although ပ်ိခဌျ္ is often translated as "single" it is actually derived from an older term meaning "lonely or solitary". | |||
Single in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tunggal | ||
| The word 'tunggal' comes from the Proto-Austronesian word '*tuŋgal' ('one, unique'). | |||
| Javanese | jomblo | ||
| Jomblo can also mean a person who is not yet married or does not have a partner. | |||
| Khmer | នៅលីវ | ||
| The Khmer word នៅលីវ can also mean "free" or "available". | |||
| Lao | ດຽວ | ||
| The Lao word "ດຽວ" can also mean "together" or "alone" depending on the context. | |||
| Malay | bujang | ||
| The Malay word "bujang" can also refer to a bachelor, an unmarried male, especially in rural areas. | |||
| Thai | โสด | ||
| The word "โสด" originated from the Sanskrit word "svatantra" meaning "independent" or "free from obligations". | |||
| Vietnamese | độc thân | ||
| The Vietnamese word "Độc thân" comes from Chinese, where it originally meant "a person who lives alone" or "a person who does not have a spouse or children." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | walang asawa | ||
Single in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | subay | ||
| The word "subay" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "soldier" or "officer" in the military. | |||
| Kazakh | жалғыз | ||
| 'Жалғыз' also has connotations of loneliness, solitude, and abandonment. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бойдок | ||
| In the Kyrgyz language, "бойдок” is a word that can mean "single person" or "younger brother." | |||
| Tajik | муҷаррад | ||
| The word "муҷаррад" can also mean "mere" or "absolute" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýeke | ||
| Uzbek | bitta | ||
| The word “bitta” can also mean “each”, “one” or “per” depending on its context. | |||
| Uyghur | بويتاق | ||
Single in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻokahi | ||
| 'Okahi' also means 'to make whole' and was the name given to the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago as a group. | |||
| Maori | takakau | ||
| The Maori word "takakau" also refers to the single-stemmed cordyline tree found in New Zealand. | |||
| Samoan | nofofua | ||
| In Samoan, the word "nofofua" can also mean "unbroken" or "unconquered". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | walang asawa | ||
| In Filipino, "walang asawa" literally translates to "without a spouse" and implies legal marital status, unlike "binata/dalaga" which refers to biological/social readiness for marriage. | |||
Single in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sapa | ||
| Guarani | imenda'ỹ | ||
Single in International Languages
| Esperanto | sola | ||
| The Esperanto word "sola" (single) originates from the Latin word "solus" (alone), with a neutral ending added. | |||
| Latin | unum | ||
| In Latin, "unum" also signifies unity, harmony, or completeness. | |||
Single in Others Languages
| Greek | μονόκλινο | ||
| The word "μονόκλινο" also means "one bed" in Greek, and comes from the root "κλίνη" (bed). | |||
| Hmong | ib leeg | ||
| The word "ib leeg" in Hmong can also mean "alone" or "by oneself". | |||
| Kurdish | yekoyek | ||
| The word "yekoyek" in Kurdish can also mean "every" or "each". | |||
| Turkish | tek | ||
| The Turkish word "tek" derives from the Proto-Turkic root "tegi" meaning "alone," and also has meanings of "only" and "unique." | |||
| Xhosa | ongatshatanga | ||
| The word "ongatshatanga" also means "complete" or "undivided" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | סינגל | ||
| The Yiddish word "סינגל" is also used to refer to a type of record with only one song on each side. | |||
| Zulu | ongashadile | ||
| "Ongashadile" also means 'a single person' (not married). | |||
| Assamese | একক | ||
| Aymara | sapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | अकेला | ||
| Dhivehi | އެކަތި | ||
| Dogri | कल्ला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | walang asawa | ||
| Guarani | imenda'ỹ | ||
| Ilocano | agmaymaysa | ||
| Krio | nɔ mared | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تاک | ||
| Maithili | एकाकी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯃꯈꯛ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | mal | ||
| Oromo | qeenxee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଏକକ | ||
| Quechua | sapalla | ||
| Sanskrit | एकैकः | ||
| Tatar | ялгыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ነፀላ | ||
| Tsonga | xin'we | ||