Snow in Different Languages
Discover 'Snow' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Snow, the beautiful and serene precipitation of ice crystals, holds a special place in our hearts and cultures. Its pristine white blankets transform landscapes into winter wonderlands, inspiring awe and wonder worldwide. From cozying up by the fireplace to engaging in exhilarating winter sports, snow brings people together and adds a touch of magic to our lives. &
Snow
Snow in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sneeu | ||
| The Afrikaans word "sneeu" likely derives from the Dutch word "sneeuw", which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*snéigaz" | |||
| Amharic | በረዶ | ||
| The root በረደ (barrada) means to be cold or chill. | |||
| Hausa | dusar ƙanƙara | ||
| In Hausa, 'dusar ƙanƙara' primarily refers to snow, but it can also mean 'cold' or 'very cold weather'. | |||
| Igbo | snow | ||
| The Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | oram-panala | ||
| Oram-panala literally translates to 'ice-like water' in the Malagasy language. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chisanu | ||
| The word "chisanu" also means "winter" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | chando | ||
| Derived from Proto-Bantu root *chanda- 'to be cold, to rain'. | |||
| Somali | baraf | ||
| The Somali word "baraf" comes from the Arabic word "barad", meaning "cold", and can also refer to "ice" or "hail". | |||
| Sesotho | lehloa | ||
| The word "lehloa" also means "ice". | |||
| Swahili | theluji | ||
| The word "theluji" also means "whiteness" in Swahili, and is often associated with the purity and cleanliness of the snow. | |||
| Xhosa | ikhephu | ||
| The word 'ikhephu' in Xhosa originates from the Nguni word 'iqhwa', which also means 'frost' or 'hoarfrost'. | |||
| Yoruba | egbon | ||
| Egbon can also mean "white" or "pale" in Yoruba, and is used to describe the color of objects or substances. | |||
| Zulu | iqhwa | ||
| The word 'iqhwa' can also refer to the 'white-ness' of snow or a 'very white' object. | |||
| Bambara | nɛzi | ||
| Ewe | sno | ||
| Kinyarwanda | shelegi | ||
| Lingala | mbula mpembe | ||
| Luganda | omuzira | ||
| Sepedi | lehlwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sunoo | ||
Snow in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الثلج | ||
| "ثلج" (snow) comes from the root "ثلج" (to be cold) and is related to the words "ثلج" (ice) and "ثلجة" (icicle). | |||
| Hebrew | שֶׁלֶג | ||
| The Hebrew word "שֶׁלֶג" ('snow') also means 'frost' or 'hoarfrost'. | |||
| Pashto | واوره | ||
| The word "واوره" in Pashto has been suggested to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰwen-h₁-, meaning "to strike, to kill". | |||
| Arabic | الثلج | ||
| "ثلج" (snow) comes from the root "ثلج" (to be cold) and is related to the words "ثلج" (ice) and "ثلجة" (icicle). | |||
Snow in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bora | ||
| Albanian "bora" derives from Proto-Indo-European "bher-" (to bear, carry), suggesting snow as a burden on the land. | |||
| Basque | elurra | ||
| "Elurra' is derived from the Proto-Basque word 'elur', which also means 'white' | |||
| Catalan | neu | ||
| Originating as Latin 'nix, nivis'. Variant of the Castilian 'nieve'. | |||
| Croatian | snijeg | ||
| The word "snijeg" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *sněgъ, which also means "to snow". | |||
| Danish | sne | ||
| Danish "sne" from Middle Low German "snē," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European "*sneyǵʰ-." Scandinavian "snö" also from Proto-Indo-European "*sneyǵʰ-" (compare Old English "snāw") | |||
| Dutch | sneeuw | ||
| Sneeuw, a Dutch word for "snow," also refers to the "white of an egg" or a "fine powder," stemming from the Old Dutch "snee" meaning "cut" or "sheared." | |||
| English | snow | ||
| The word "snow" derives from the Old English word "snaw," which comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*snaiwaz" and the Proto-Indo-European word "*sneygwh". | |||
| French | neige | ||
| While French 'neige' comes from Latin 'nix', it may also be linked to the Sanskrit term 'sneha' meaning 'viscous substance'. | |||
| Frisian | snie | ||
| The Frisian word 'snie' comes from the Old Frisian 'snia' or 'snoe' and is cognate with other Germanic words for 'snow', such as the English word 'snow' | |||
| Galician | neve | ||
| The word neve in Galician comes from the Latin word nix, nivis, meaning "snow". | |||
| German | schnee | ||
| The German word "Schnee" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "snaiws", meaning "to snow" or "snow cover". | |||
| Icelandic | snjór | ||
| Icelandic "snjór" is cognate with "snow" in English and "snijeg" in Croatian, and is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *sneigʷh-. | |||
| Irish | sneachta | ||
| The Irish word "sneachta" may also refer to a shower of rain, hail or sleet. | |||
| Italian | neve | ||
| The word "neve" in Italian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sneigh-", meaning "to snow". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schnéi | ||
| The word "Schnéi" is derived from the Proto-Germanic *snaiws, which also gave rise to the English word "snow". | |||
| Maltese | borra | ||
| The Maltese word "borra" is derived from the Arabic word "barad" meaning "hail" | |||
| Norwegian | snø | ||
| "Snø" likely derives from the Proto-Germanic "sneiwa". The word also appears with an alternative meaning referring to mucus discharge in the nose. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | neve | ||
| The Portuguese word "neve" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *sneg-, meaning "to snow". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sneachda | ||
| The Gaelic word "sneachd" for "snow" is thought by some to stem from the Proto-Indo-European root *sneigʷ-, "to snow", also found in Latin "nix", "snow". | |||
| Spanish | nieve | ||
| The Spanish word "nieve" originates from the Latin word "nix," meaning "snow" and it can also refer to "naïveté" or "ignorance". | |||
| Swedish | snö | ||
| "Snö" can refer to snow in Swedish, but it also meant "to sail" in Old Norse. | |||
| Welsh | eira | ||
| The word "eira" in Welsh can also refer to a type of avalanche or a snowy region. | |||
Snow in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | снег | ||
| The Belarusian word | |||
| Bosnian | snijeg | ||
| "Snijeg" is of Slavic origin, derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sněgъ, which is related to the Sanskrit word *snigh- | |||
| Bulgarian | сняг | ||
| Сняг derives from the Proto-Slavic word *sněgъ, from the Proto-Indo-European root *sneh₂- "to snow". | |||
| Czech | sníh | ||
| The word "sníh" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sněgъ, which also means "snow". | |||
| Estonian | lumi | ||
| The Estonian word "lumi" for "snow" is thought to have originated from the Proto-Uralic word *lume, which also meant "ice". | |||
| Finnish | lumi | ||
| In ancient Finnish mythology, Lumi was the god of snow. | |||
| Hungarian | hó | ||
| Latvian | sniegs | ||
| "Sniegs" in Latvian also refers to a type of traditional Latvian headwear made from wool or linen | |||
| Lithuanian | sniego | ||
| Derived from Proto-Baltic *sniegas, perhaps related to Proto-Slavic *sněgъ, *sněgъ, and Proto-Armenian *sequn. | |||
| Macedonian | снег | ||
| The Macedonian word "снег" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*snьgъ", which is a cognate to the words "snow" in English and "schnee" in German. | |||
| Polish | śnieg | ||
| "Śnieg" is not only the Polish word for "snow," but also relates to "frost" and "hoarfrost" in Slavic languages. | |||
| Romanian | zăpadă | ||
| The Romanian word "zăpadă" comes from Proto-Slavic *sněgъ, and is cognate with words for "snow" in other Slavic languages, such as Russian "снег" (sneg), Polish "śnieg", and Czech "sníh". | |||
| Russian | снег | ||
| Alternate meanings of "снег" include "white" and "pure". | |||
| Serbian | снег | ||
| The Serbian word "снег" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sнѣgъ, which also means "rain". | |||
| Slovak | sneh | ||
| The word "sneh" derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*snēgъ". | |||
| Slovenian | sneg | ||
| The word “sneg” in Slovenian is related to the Latin word “nix” and the Old English word “snaw”. | |||
| Ukrainian | сніг | ||
| "сніг" derives from Proto-Slavic *sněgъ, meaning both "snow" and "winter". | |||
Snow in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তুষার | ||
| The word "তুষার" (snow) is possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "तुषार" (snow) or the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰyes-ar-" (to freeze). | |||
| Gujarati | બરફ | ||
| The Gujarati word "બરફ" (barf) is derived from the Persian word "برف" (barf) and can also refer to "hail". | |||
| Hindi | हिमपात | ||
| "हिमपात" is also a synonym for the Hindi word "अंधेरा" (darkness), which is derived from the Sanskrit word "तम" (darkness). | |||
| Kannada | ಹಿಮ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಹಿಮ" (snow) is related to the Sanskrit word "hima," which also means "cold" or "frost." | |||
| Malayalam | മഞ്ഞ് | ||
| In Malayalam, "മഞ്ഞ്" can also refer to a type of flower known as the Indian Laburnum. | |||
| Marathi | बर्फ | ||
| The word "बर्फ" (barf) in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word "वर्फ" (varf), which means hail. | |||
| Nepali | हिउँ | ||
| The word 'हिउँ' can also refer to hail. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਰਫ | ||
| The word "ਬਰਫ" (barf) in Punjabi, derived from Persian, refers to both natural snow and the hailstone type of precipitation. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හිම | ||
| The term may also refer to the color white or a cool temperature. | |||
| Tamil | பனி | ||
| The Tamil word "பனி" (snow) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पनि" (pani), meaning "water", and is related to the Indo-European root "*pa-," meaning "to drink". In Tamil, "பனி" can also refer to dew or frost on cold surfaces. | |||
| Telugu | మంచు | ||
| The Telugu word for snow, 'manchu,' shares roots with the Sanskrit word 'megha,' which means 'cloud,' indicating a connection between celestial phenomena and precipitation. | |||
| Urdu | برف | ||
| The word "برف" (snow) in Urdu is also used to describe a form of precipitation that is composed of small, white, crystalline particles. | |||
Snow in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 雪 | ||
| The character “雪” originally depicted falling snowflakes | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 雪 | ||
| In its early usage the character 雪 also refers to the color white. | |||
| Japanese | 雪 | ||
| In the Heian period, "雪" was also used to mean "whiteness" or "purity" and was often used in poetry. | |||
| Korean | 눈 | ||
| The word 눈 (pronounced "nun") is also used in Korean to mean "eye". | |||
| Mongolian | цас | ||
| The word "цас" in Mongolian is derived from the Proto-Mongolic root "*tsʰaɣ" and has alternate meanings such as "white" and "bright". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နှင်းကျ | ||
| The word "နှင်း" ("snow") in the Tai dialects of Myanmar such as Shan and Tai Lue is derived from the Proto-Tai word *naŋ, meaning "frost". | |||
Snow in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | salju | ||
| The word "salju" is derived from Sanskrit, meaning "frost" or "dew". In Indonesian it has the same meaning, though it can also refer to very cold weather that doesn't necessarily include snow. | |||
| Javanese | salju | ||
| In the Old Javanese language, "salju" referred to both snow and ashes from Mount Merapi eruptions. | |||
| Khmer | ព្រិល | ||
| The word "ព្រិល" (snow) is derived from the Sanskrit word "hrima", which means "frost" or "hail". | |||
| Lao | ຫິມະ | ||
| The Lao word for "snow" is also used to refer to the white flowers of some trees, or to describe something that is "white as snow" | |||
| Malay | salji | ||
| "Salji" also refers to a white, powdery mineral (snow white arsenic). | |||
| Thai | หิมะ | ||
| The word "หิมะ" comes from Pali, and while it has a secondary meaning of "cold", it only referred to snow in the past. | |||
| Vietnamese | tuyết | ||
| "Tuyết" is a word with a rich history in Vietnamese. It is derived from the Middle Vietnamese word "tuyet", which itself is likely derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*sut". The word "tuyết" has a number of alternate meanings, including "cold," "icy," "freezing," and "numbing." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | niyebe | ||
Snow in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qar | ||
| "Qar" also means "white" in Azerbaijani and is used in various phrases, such as "qar kimi ağartmaq" (to whitewash) or "qar kimi gülmək" (to smile broadly). | |||
| Kazakh | қар | ||
| In Kazakh, "қар" also refers to a white horse or a gray wolf. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кар | ||
| In Turkic languages, "кар" means both "snow" and "old age". | |||
| Tajik | барф | ||
| The word also appears in Persian as 'Barf'. | |||
| Turkmen | gar | ||
| Uzbek | qor | ||
| "Qor" may also refer to a type of eagle in Uzbek, known for its white feathers. | |||
| Uyghur | قار | ||
Snow in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hau | ||
| Hau is also the name of a type of tree in Hawaiian, the hau tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus), which is often associated with the concept of abundance and prosperity | |||
| Maori | hukarere | ||
| The word 'hukarere' derives from 'huka', a verb that means 'to blow', and 'rere', which means 'to go' | |||
| Samoan | kiona | ||
| The word "kiona" could also refer to the season of winter or a cold, snowy day in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | niyebe | ||
| The Tagalog word "niyebe" is cognate with the Spanish word "nieve", both ultimately derived from the Latin word "nix". | |||
Snow in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | khunu | ||
| Guarani | yrypy'avavúi | ||
Snow in International Languages
| Esperanto | neĝo | ||
| The Esperanto word "neĝo" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*sнѣgъ", which also gives rise to words for "snow" in various Slavic languages. | |||
| Latin | nix | ||
| The Latin word "nix" also refers to the Roman goddess of snow and ice. | |||
Snow in Others Languages
| Greek | χιόνι | ||
| The word "χιόνι" in Greek can also refer to a type of marble quarried in ancient Greece that was known for its white color. | |||
| Hmong | los daus | ||
| “Los daus” is derived from Proto-Mien-Yao *srau, a word for “ice”. | |||
| Kurdish | berf | ||
| The word "berf" in Kurdish can also refer to "ice" | |||
| Turkish | kar | ||
| The Turkish word "kar" is cognate to the Hungarian "hó", which also means "snow". | |||
| Xhosa | ikhephu | ||
| The word 'ikhephu' in Xhosa originates from the Nguni word 'iqhwa', which also means 'frost' or 'hoarfrost'. | |||
| Yiddish | שניי | ||
| In Yiddish, "שניי" ("shney") also means "Monday" in the Ashkenazi pronunciation and "Sunday" in the Sephardic pronunciation. | |||
| Zulu | iqhwa | ||
| The word 'iqhwa' can also refer to the 'white-ness' of snow or a 'very white' object. | |||
| Assamese | তুষাৰ | ||
| Aymara | khunu | ||
| Bhojpuri | बरफ | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްނޯ | ||
| Dogri | बर्फ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | niyebe | ||
| Guarani | yrypy'avavúi | ||
| Ilocano | niebe | ||
| Krio | sno | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەفر | ||
| Maithili | बरफ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯅ | ||
| Mizo | vur | ||
| Oromo | rooba cabbii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତୁଷାର | ||
| Quechua | lasta | ||
| Sanskrit | तुषार | ||
| Tatar | кар | ||
| Tigrinya | በረድ | ||
| Tsonga | gamboko | ||