Soft in Different Languages
Discover 'Soft' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'soft' is simple, yet holds a world of significance. It describes a range of textures, from the smoothness of silk to the gentleness of a whisper. Softness is often associated with comfort, calmness, and even safety. It's no wonder then that the concept of softness is cherished across cultures, as evidenced by its varied translations in different languages.
Historically, soft materials like wool and silk have been symbols of wealth and status. In many cultures, soft toys are a child's first friend, teaching them about comfort and care. The word 'soft' itself comes from the Old English 'soft', meaning 'not hard, mild, gentle'.
Understanding the translation of 'soft' in different languages can open up a new world of cultural understanding. For instance, in Spanish, 'soft' translates to 'suave', in French to 'doux', and in German to 'weich'.
Explore the many facets of softness as we delve into its translations in various languages.
Soft
Soft in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sag | ||
| Afrikaans "sag" comes from Dutch "zacht" meaning "soft" and also "calm" or "quiet". | |||
| Amharic | ለስላሳ | ||
| Although it literally means soft, ለስላሳ is usually used to describe something that is easy, smooth, or fluent | |||
| Hausa | mai laushi | ||
| The Hausa word 'mai laushi' (meaning 'soft') is also used to refer to a person who is gentle or easygoing in nature. | |||
| Igbo | adụ | ||
| The Igbo word for "soft," adụ, also carries meanings of "tender," "gentle," and "supple." | |||
| Malagasy | malefaka | ||
| "Malefaka" can come from the Indonesian and Malay 'lemak' meaning 'fatty'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ofewa | ||
| The word "ofewa" in Nyanja also refers to a type of grass used for thatching roofs. | |||
| Shona | nyoro | ||
| The Shona word 'nyoro' can also mean 'to be flexible or elastic' or 'to be slack or loose'. | |||
| Somali | jilicsan | ||
| The word 'jilicsan' likely derives from the Proto-Cushitic root *l̩k, meaning 'to be flexible' or 'to be pliable'. | |||
| Sesotho | bonolo | ||
| The word "bonolo" in Sesotho also means "gentle," "calm," or "kind." | |||
| Swahili | laini | ||
| Its origin can be linked to the word 'lain', meaning 'smooth'. | |||
| Xhosa | ithambile | ||
| The word "ithambile" can also mean "tender" or "vulnerable". | |||
| Yoruba | asọ | ||
| The word "aṣọ" can also mean "cloth" or "fabric" in Yoruba, due to the soft, pliable nature of textiles. | |||
| Zulu | ithambile | ||
| Ithambile also means 'submissive' or 'passive' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | magan | ||
| Ewe | bᴐbᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yoroshye | ||
| Lingala | pete | ||
| Luganda | obugonvu | ||
| Sepedi | boleta | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mrɛ | ||
Soft in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ناعم | ||
| The Arabic word "ناعم" can also mean "smooth," "delicate," or "gentle." | |||
| Hebrew | רַך | ||
| The feminine form of "רַך" is "רַכָּה" which also means "tender". | |||
| Pashto | نرم | ||
| This word can also be used figuratively, for example 'نرم اخلاق' (meaning: gentle, courteous) or 'نرم گفتار' (meaning: soft-spoken). | |||
| Arabic | ناعم | ||
| The Arabic word "ناعم" can also mean "smooth," "delicate," or "gentle." | |||
Soft in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i butë | ||
| 'I butë' is closely related to Slavic 'butï' (бyтї), meaning 'to be' or 'to sit' and the Albanian 'bëj' (to do). | |||
| Basque | biguna | ||
| Biguna, meaning "soft", may also refer to "tender" or "delicate" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | suau | ||
| "Suau" also means "mild" or "calm" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | mekan | ||
| The Croatian word "mekan" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *mękyj, meaning "soft" or "yielding." | |||
| Danish | blød | ||
| The word 'blød' is derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*blautaz', meaning 'soft' or 'tender'. | |||
| Dutch | zacht | ||
| Zacht in Dutch can also mean 'quiet' or 'gentle', and is related to the German 'sanft'. | |||
| English | soft | ||
| The word "soft" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "softe," meaning "weak" or "delicate". | |||
| French | doux | ||
| The word doux in French comes from the Latin word 'dulcis', meaning sweet or pleasant, suggesting a broader connotation beyond mere softness. | |||
| Frisian | sêft | ||
| The Frisian word "sêft" also refers to something that is kind, compassionate, or gentle. | |||
| Galician | suave | ||
| Suave, in Galician, is also used to describe someone as kind, gentle, or mild-mannered. | |||
| German | sanft | ||
| Sanft is derived from Middle High German 'sanfte,' which can also mean 'calm, meek, or gentle.' | |||
| Icelandic | mjúkur | ||
| The word "mjúkur" in Icelandic has etymological links to the Old Norse word "mjúkr" meaning "soft" or "tender," and is also sometimes used to describe something that is "pliable" or "flexible." | |||
| Irish | bog | ||
| In Irish, the term "bog" has multiple meanings, including "soft" and areas of wet, peaty land. | |||
| Italian | morbido | ||
| "Morbido" also means "morbid" in Italian, with the same Latin root as "morte" (death). Morbid is a strong term, and its Italian usage is similar to its English one. It means "of or associated with disease or death" and can also refer to a person's fascination with death or decay. | |||
| Luxembourgish | mëll | ||
| The word 'mëll' is also used to describe something that is gentle, kind or pleasant. | |||
| Maltese | artab | ||
| The word "artab" is derived from the Arabic word "artab" which means "damp" or "moist". | |||
| Norwegian | myk | ||
| "Myk" also means "moist" or "wet" in some parts of Norway. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | suave | ||
| Suave in Portuguese can also mean gentle, pleasant, or sweet. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bog | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "bog" (pronounced "bogə") also refers to a type of wetland or marsh. | |||
| Spanish | suave | ||
| In Spanish, "suave" also means "gentle," "smooth," or "agreeable." | |||
| Swedish | mjuk | ||
| 'Mjuk' derives from the Proto-Germanic word 'meukjaz', meaning 'soft, weak, or cowardly'. | |||
| Welsh | meddal | ||
| The word 'meddal' can also mean 'meddlesome' or 'interfering' in Welsh. | |||
Soft in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мяккі | ||
| "мяккі" also means tender or gentle and can be used to describe food, weather, or music | |||
| Bosnian | mekan | ||
| The word "mekan" also refers to something that is yielding or easily cut or broken. | |||
| Bulgarian | мека | ||
| The word "мека" is also used figuratively in Bulgarian, to describe something gentle, pleasant, or soothing. | |||
| Czech | měkký | ||
| The Czech word "měkký" is etymologically related to the English "maggot". | |||
| Estonian | pehme | ||
| Also used as a synonym for "lazy" or "weak" in informal speech. | |||
| Finnish | pehmeä | ||
| "Pehmeä" also means "kind, gentle, mild" and it's related to the word "peace". | |||
| Hungarian | puha | ||
| "Puha" also means "fluffy" in Hungarian, referring to the softness and lightness of something. | |||
| Latvian | mīksts | ||
| Mīksts is also used to describe something that is weak or gentle. | |||
| Lithuanian | minkštas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "minkštas" may also refer to the soft part of bread, which is called the "minkštimas." | |||
| Macedonian | меки | ||
| The term "меки" can refer to various qualities of softness, including gentleness, tenderness, and vulnerability. | |||
| Polish | miękki | ||
| The word "miękki" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *mękъkъ, meaning "soft, tender." | |||
| Romanian | moale | ||
| The Romanian word "moale" is derived from the Latin "mollis", meaning "soft" or "supple." | |||
| Russian | мягкий | ||
| "Мягкий" also means "kind" and derives from the same root as "моя" ("my") and "мне" ("me"), hinting at the idea of comfort and protection. | |||
| Serbian | мекан | ||
| The Slavic word 'мекан' ('soft') is of Iranian origin, originating from the word 'maika' ('soft', 'tender') in the Proto-Slavic language. | |||
| Slovak | mäkký | ||
| Mäkký is a cognate of the Russian word мягкий, meaning "soft", and of the Polish word miękki, meaning "soft". It is also related to the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft". | |||
| Slovenian | mehko | ||
| The word "mehko" in Slovenian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *měkkъ, meaning "soft" or "tender." | |||
| Ukrainian | м'який | ||
| "М'який" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Slavic word *mękyj, meaning "soft" or "weak", and is related to the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft". Additionally, "м'який" also means "meek" or "gentle" in Ukrainian. | |||
Soft in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নরম | ||
| The word "নরম" in Bengali comes from the Sanskrit word "मृदु" (mridu), which also means "soft", but can also mean "gentle", "mild", or "tender". | |||
| Gujarati | નરમ | ||
| "નરમ" can also refer to a feminine, or weak person. | |||
| Hindi | मुलायम | ||
| मुलायम derives from the Sanskrit word 'mridu' meaning 'tender'. It is also associated with 'malai' (cream) and 'mayur' (peacock) | |||
| Kannada | ಮೃದು | ||
| 'ಮೃದು' is a Kannada word that is cognate with Sanskrit 'mṛdu', which also means 'soft'. | |||
| Malayalam | മൃദുവായ | ||
| മൃദു's roots are 'मृदु' (mṛdu) in Sanskrit, which refers to 'tender', 'delicate', or 'gentle'. | |||
| Marathi | मऊ | ||
| Nepali | नरम | ||
| The word 'नरम' can also mean 'gentle' or 'tender' in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਰਮ | ||
| "ਨਰਮ" (narma) also means delicate, pliable, supple, soothing, gentle, tender, or compassionate. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මෘදුයි | ||
| The word 'මෘදුයි' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मृदु', which means 'soft, tender, or gentle'. | |||
| Tamil | மென்மையான | ||
| The word | |||
| Telugu | మృదువైనది | ||
| Urdu | نرم | ||
| In addition to "soft," the word "نرم" can also mean "gentle," "meek," or "polite." | |||
Soft in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 柔软的 | ||
| 柔软的, from 柔 (soft, pliable) + 软 (soft, pliable) | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 柔軟的 | ||
| The word "柔軟的" also means "flexible" or "pliable" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 柔らかい | ||
| 柔らかい can also mean "tender," "meek," or "vulnerable." | |||
| Korean | 부드러운 | ||
| 부드러운's root word '부드러우다' referred to the behavior of a deer walking on soft ground. | |||
| Mongolian | зөөлөн | ||
| The word "зөөлөн" can also mean "gentle" or "kind". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပျော့ပျောင်းသည် | ||
Soft in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lembut | ||
| The Indonesian word "lembut" can also mean "polite" or "gentle". | |||
| Javanese | alus | ||
| The Javanese word 'alus' can also refer to the fineness of powder, smoothness of fabric, or politeness of speech. | |||
| Khmer | ទន់ | ||
| "ទន់" can also mean thin, as in a fine piece of fabric, or as a layer of something, or a small amount of something. | |||
| Lao | ອ່ອນ | ||
| The word "ອ່ອນ" can also mean "weak", "gentle", or "flexible" in Lao depending on the context. | |||
| Malay | lembut | ||
| Lembut is also used as a verb and means to soften something or to calm someone down. | |||
| Thai | อ่อนนุ่ม | ||
| The Thai word "อ่อนนุ่ม" literally means "soft as water." | |||
| Vietnamese | mềm mại | ||
| "Mềm mại" is also used to describe a gentle or delicate touch, or a person with a kind and gentle nature. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malambot | ||
Soft in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yumşaq | ||
| Yumşaq also means "tender" or "delicate". | |||
| Kazakh | жұмсақ | ||
| The Kazakh word "жұмсақ" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*jumušaq", which also means "weak" or "gentle". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жумшак | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жумшак" is also used to describe a person who is gentle or kind. | |||
| Tajik | мулоим | ||
| The word "мулоим" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "ملايم" (malāyim), which means "soft" or "gentle". It can also be used to describe a person who is kind or considerate. | |||
| Turkmen | ýumşak | ||
| Uzbek | yumshoq | ||
| The Uzbek word "yumshoq" is a cognate of the Turkish word "yumuşak," which also means "soft." | |||
| Uyghur | يۇمشاق | ||
Soft in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palupalu | ||
| Palupalu also refers to fine mats, as well as a soft rain or calm sea, suggesting a semantic extension from 'soft' to 'quiet' or 'soothing'. | |||
| Maori | ngohengohe | ||
| In some dialects, the word can also be a synonym for 'cooked' | |||
| Samoan | lemu | ||
| The word "lemu" can also refer to a type of taro that is soft and easily mashed. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | malambot | ||
| "Malambot" can also be used to describe something that is gentle, fragile, or weak. | |||
Soft in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jasa | ||
| Guarani | sỹi | ||
Soft in International Languages
| Esperanto | mola | ||
| "Mola" also means "mill" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | mollis | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning "soft", "mollis" can mean "weak", "effeminate", or "pliable". | |||
Soft in Others Languages
| Greek | μαλακός | ||
| "Μαλθακός" also means "smooth" in Modern Greek and can be used to describe the feel of a fabric or a person's skin. | |||
| Hmong | mos | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "soft," "mos" can also mean "weak," "flexible," or "tender." | |||
| Kurdish | nerm | ||
| In the Goran dialect of Kurdish, 'nerm' means both 'soft' and 'young of animals'. | |||
| Turkish | yumuşak | ||
| It can also mean 'gentle, compassionate, or smooth'. | |||
| Xhosa | ithambile | ||
| The word "ithambile" can also mean "tender" or "vulnerable". | |||
| Yiddish | ווייך | ||
| The word ווייך ('soft') comes from Middle High German 'weich', meaning 'to retreat' or 'to give way'. | |||
| Zulu | ithambile | ||
| Ithambile also means 'submissive' or 'passive' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | কোমল | ||
| Aymara | jasa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मोलायम | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޑު | ||
| Dogri | मलैम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malambot | ||
| Guarani | sỹi | ||
| Ilocano | nalukneng | ||
| Krio | saf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نەرم | ||
| Maithili | मुलायम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯊꯣꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | nem | ||
| Oromo | lallaafaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନରମ | ||
| Quechua | llanpu | ||
| Sanskrit | मृदु | ||
| Tatar | йомшак | ||
| Tigrinya | ልስሉስ | ||
| Tsonga | olova | ||