Stranger in Different Languages
Discover 'Stranger' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word stranger carries a wealth of significance and cultural importance across the globe. Often, it represents someone unfamiliar or outside our immediate social circle. Yet, encounters with strangers can lead to profound connections, as depicted in numerous literary works and films. Moreover, understanding the translation of 'stranger' in different languages enriches our cross-cultural communication and demonstrates respect for diverse backgrounds.
For instance, the German translation is 'Fremder,' reflecting their philosophical concept of 'Fremdsein' or 'strangeness.' In Japanese, 'tasha' signifies a stranger, while 'uketamo shimasu' is a polite phrase to say 'I will receive/help (from a stranger).' In the African language of Zulu, 'umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu' translates to 'a person is a person through other persons,' emphasizing the collective nature of their society and the value placed on human connection, even with strangers.
Discover more translations of 'stranger' and deepen your appreciation for the world's rich linguistic and cultural diversity.
Stranger
Stranger in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vreemdeling | ||
| The word 'vreemdeling' in Afrikaans, meaning 'stranger', is derived from the Dutch word 'vreemdeling', which also means 'stranger' or 'foreigner'. | |||
| Amharic | እንግዳ | ||
| "እንግዳ" (ängəda) comes from Proto-Semitic *ʾinkid- "one who belongs" and is cognate with other Semitic words for "stranger" such as Arabic "غريب (gharīb)" | |||
| Hausa | baƙo | ||
| The word "baƙo" in Hausa can also refer to a guest or a visitor. | |||
| Igbo | onye obia | ||
| Onye obia, the word for "stranger" in Igbo, is also used to describe the "spirit double" of a child. | |||
| Malagasy | vahiny | ||
| The etymology of the word "vahiny" is not fully understood, but it may be derived from the Malayo-Polynesian root word "pahi", meaning "guest" or "visitor." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mlendo | ||
| "Mlendo" is also used to refer to an enemy or someone from a different tribe. | |||
| Shona | mutorwa | ||
| Mutorwa, meaning 'stranger', likely derives from the verb 'kutora' (to take), alluding to the idea of taking or bringing something foreign. | |||
| Somali | shisheeye | ||
| The term "shisheeye" is also used to refer to a foreigner or an unidentified person. | |||
| Sesotho | osele | ||
| Osele's literal meaning is "the one who's from over there; a foreigner." | |||
| Swahili | mgeni | ||
| "Mgeni" also means "guest" in Swahili | |||
| Xhosa | umntu wasemzini | ||
| The term "umntu wasemzini" can also refer to a foreigner or someone who is not from the same area as the speaker. | |||
| Yoruba | alejò | ||
| The word "àlejò" is related to the verb "àlejò", meaning "to avoid" or "to flee", suggesting that strangers were seen as people to be wary of. | |||
| Zulu | umfokazi | ||
| The Zulu word "umfokazi" can also refer to a newcomer or a visitor. | |||
| Bambara | dunan | ||
| Ewe | amedzro | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umunyamahanga | ||
| Lingala | mopaya | ||
| Luganda | mugenyi | ||
| Sepedi | moeng | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔhɔhoɔ | ||
Stranger in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شخص غريب | ||
| The Arabic word "شخص غريب" literally means "an unknown face" and can refer to a stranger, alien, or foreigner. | |||
| Hebrew | זָר | ||
| The word 'זָר' ('zar') in Hebrew, meaning 'stranger', also has connotations of being distant, unfamiliar, or foreign. | |||
| Pashto | اجنبی | ||
| This word is derived from the Arabic word "أجنبي" (ajnabī), meaning "foreigner" or "outsider." | |||
| Arabic | شخص غريب | ||
| The Arabic word "شخص غريب" literally means "an unknown face" and can refer to a stranger, alien, or foreigner. | |||
Stranger in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i huaj | ||
| The word "i huaj" (stranger) in Albanian is thought to derive from the Proto-Albanian root "*swedhjōs," which also meant "foreigner" or "enemy." | |||
| Basque | arrotza | ||
| The word 'arrotza' in Basque is also used to refer to a type of rice dish, reflecting the influence of rice cultivation in the Basque Country. | |||
| Catalan | desconegut | ||
| In Catalan, the word "desconegut" also means "unknown", "not known", or "without knowledge of." | |||
| Croatian | stranac | ||
| The Croatian word 'stranac' derives from the Slavic root 'stra-', meaning 'side,' and can also refer to 'foreigner' or 'guest'. | |||
| Danish | fremmed | ||
| "Fremmed" in Danish initially meant "not domestic", from "frem" (outward) and "hjemme" (home), thus simply referring to someone from abroad, not specifically from another country. | |||
| Dutch | vreemdeling | ||
| In Old Dutch the word "vreemd" meant "evil" or "wrong", so "vreemdeling" literally translates to "wrong-doer". | |||
| English | stranger | ||
| The word 'stranger' originally meant 'foreigner' or 'outsider' and has evolved to include a wider range of meanings. | |||
| French | étranger | ||
| The French word "étranger" derives from the Latin word "extraneus" meaning "external" or "foreign". | |||
| Frisian | frjemd | ||
| The word "frjemd" in Frisian originates from the Old English word "fremed" and can also mean "hostile". | |||
| Galician | estraño | ||
| The Galician word "estraño" also means "foreign" and "odd or unusual". | |||
| German | fremder | ||
| The word "Fremder" in German can also refer to a foreign exchange student or a traveler, highlighting the nuance that a stranger may become familiar over time. | |||
| Icelandic | ókunnugur | ||
| 'Ókunnugur' also means 'unknown' and is related to the word 'kunnátta' which means 'knowledge'. | |||
| Irish | strainséir | ||
| The word "strainséir" also means "senior" or "elder", and is used as a term of respect for older people. | |||
| Italian | sconosciuto | ||
| The word "sconosciuto" in Italian is derived from the Latin word "cognoscere," meaning "to know," with the prefix "s-" negating the meaning; thus, "sconosciuto" means "unknown" | |||
| Luxembourgish | friem | ||
| "Friem" is possibly derived from Old High German "firiha" or Old Saxon "frewi," both of which indicate a friend or acquaintance rather than a stranger. | |||
| Maltese | barrani | ||
| Despite coming from Arabic "al-barrani", "barrani" in Maltese is a more specific term for a foreigner not originating from a Muslim country. | |||
| Norwegian | fremmed | ||
| Fremmed originates from Old Norse and can also mean 'strange' or 'alien'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | desconhecido | ||
| The Portuguese word "desconhecido" shares its etymology with the verb "conhecer" (to know), implying an absence of knowledge or familiarity. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | coigreach | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "coigreach" originally meant "foreigner" or "outsider". | |||
| Spanish | desconocido | ||
| Desconocido, meaning 'unknown' in Spanish, also suggests 'lack of recognition' or 'not known'. | |||
| Swedish | främling | ||
| The etymology of "främling" is "foreigner" or "outlander". | |||
| Welsh | dieithryn | ||
| The term 'dieithryn', meaning 'stranger', is derived from 'dyeithrio' (to come from outside) | |||
Stranger in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | незнаёмы | ||
| The Belarusian word "незнаёмы" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *znati, meaning "to know" or "to be familiar with," and thus literally means "not known" or "not familiar." | |||
| Bosnian | stranac | ||
| In Bosnian, "stranac" also means "foreigner" and can refer to someone who is not from the speaker's country. | |||
| Bulgarian | непознат | ||
| The word "непознат" is derived from the Slavic root "znati", meaning "to know", thus its original meaning is "unknown" or "unfamiliar". | |||
| Czech | cizinec | ||
| The word "cizinec" also refers to a foreigner or an alien. | |||
| Estonian | võõras | ||
| The word "võõras" can also mean "foreign" or "alien", and is related to the Finnish word "vieras" with the same meanings. | |||
| Finnish | muukalainen | ||
| Muukalainen may refer to an alien, a foreigner, or a non-human being in Finnish | |||
| Hungarian | idegen | ||
| "Idegen" also means "alien" in Hungarian, as in "an alien from outer space". | |||
| Latvian | svešinieks | ||
| The term “svešinieks” in Latvian also means “alien” in the sense of an extraterrestrial being. | |||
| Lithuanian | svetimas | ||
| "Svetimas" is cognate with the Latvian "svešs" and the Slavic word "svůj" meaning "one's own" | |||
| Macedonian | странец | ||
| The word "странец" in Macedonian can also refer to a foreigner or an alien. | |||
| Polish | nieznajomy | ||
| The word 'nieznajomy' in Polish is derived from the Slavic root 'nezna', meaning 'unknown'. | |||
| Romanian | străin | ||
| The Romanian word "străin" ultimately comes from the Latin word "extraneus", meaning "foreign" or "from outside". | |||
| Russian | незнакомец | ||
| "Незнакомец" is derived from the Proto-Slavic *nezna- "not knowing" + *komъ "someone": thus "he who is not known". | |||
| Serbian | странац | ||
| "Странац" also means "foreigner" and "guest" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | cudzinec | ||
| The word 'cudzinec' derives from the Proto-Slavic word for 'alien', while it also colloquially means 'foreigner' or 'guest'. | |||
| Slovenian | neznanec | ||
| The word "neznanec" comes from "neznati", meaning "not knowing" or "unknown"", and is related to "znati", meaning "to know". | |||
| Ukrainian | незнайомець | ||
| The word "незнайомець" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic word "neznati", meaning "not to know". | |||
Stranger in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অপরিচিত | ||
| The word "অপরিচিত" (stranger) in Bengali has its roots in Sanskrit, where "apari" means "away" and "chita" means "known". | |||
| Gujarati | અજાણી વ્યક્તિ | ||
| In its broader sense, “અજાણી વ્યક્તિ” can also refer to an “unfamiliar” or “unknown” person, place, or thing, not just a stranger | |||
| Hindi | अजनबी | ||
| "अजनबी" originates from Persian "ajnabee," meaning "foreigner" or "outsider." In certain Indian dialects, it can also denote a guest or someone unfamiliar in a social context. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಪರಿಚಿತ | ||
| The word 'ಅಪರಿಚಿತ' also means 'unknown' or 'unfamiliar' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | അപരിചിതൻ | ||
| The word 'അപരിചിതൻ' (aparijithan) in Malayalam literally means 'not familiar' or 'unknown'. | |||
| Marathi | अनोळखी | ||
| The word 'अनोळखी' in Marathi can also refer to a foreign or unknown person or thing, or to a feeling of alienation or unfamiliarity. | |||
| Nepali | अपरिचित | ||
| The word "अपरिचित" (stranger) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "अपरिचित" (unfamiliar), which is composed of the prefix "अ" (not) and the root "परिचित" (familiar). | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਜਨਬੀ | ||
| In addition to meaning "stranger," the word "ਅਜਨਬੀ" also refers to someone who is unfamiliar or unusual in appearance or behavior. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආගන්තුකය | ||
| ආගන්තුකය may also refer to someone from the same community, but has been separated for a long time, such as an old friend. | |||
| Tamil | அந்நியன் | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit, the term ‘அந்நியன்’ is also used to refer to ‘one who is not intimate’ or an ‘enemy’. | |||
| Telugu | అపరిచితుడు | ||
| The Sanskrit root word 'परि' ('pari', meaning 'around' or 'near'), yields both 'परिचत' ('parichata', meaning 'familiar') and 'अप-परि-चित' ('aparichata', meaning 'unfamiliar'), from which 'అపరిచితుడు' ('aparichatudu') is derived. | |||
| Urdu | اجنبی | ||
| The word "اجنبی" (ajnabi) in Urdu can also refer to someone who is unfamiliar or unknown, or someone who is not a native of a particular place. | |||
Stranger in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 陌生人 | ||
| 陌生人's original meaning was 'unfamiliar person', but it later extended to 'one who is not a relative or friend' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 陌生人 | ||
| "陌生人"源自於"生（陌生）", 意指不熟悉的人。」 | |||
| Japanese | ストレンジャー | ||
| The Japanese word "ストレンジャー" can also refer to a "stranger in a foreign land" or an "alien" in science fiction. | |||
| Korean | 낯선 사람 | ||
| "낯선 사람" derives from the adjective "낯설다," meaning "unfamiliar" or "strange." | |||
| Mongolian | үл таних хүн | ||
| "Yul tanikh khun" also means "a spirit that one does not know" or "a person that one does not know" in Mongolian | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူစိမ်း | ||
Stranger in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | orang asing | ||
| The Indonesian word 'orang asing' can also refer to foreigners or non-Indonesian citizens. | |||
| Javanese | wong liyo | ||
| The term "wong liyo" can also refer to outsiders or foreigners, emphasizing their distinctiveness and difference from the local community. | |||
| Khmer | ជនចម្លែក | ||
| While "ជនចម្លែក" primarily refers to "strangers" in Khmer, it also carries connotations of "guests" or "foreigners" in specific contexts. | |||
| Lao | ຄົນແປກຫນ້າ | ||
| Malay | orang asing | ||
| In Indonesian and Malay, "orang asing" literally translates to "different person". | |||
| Thai | คนแปลกหน้า | ||
| The Thai word "คนแปลกหน้า" ("stranger") also has the alternate meaning of "outsider". | |||
| Vietnamese | người lạ | ||
| The word "người lạ" (stranger) in Vietnamese also has the connotation of someone who is "different" or "unfamiliar." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | estranghero | ||
Stranger in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qərib | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "qərib" also refers to a recently deceased person's family or relatives. | |||
| Kazakh | бейтаныс | ||
| The word "бейтаныс" (stranger) in Kazakh is derived from the Persian word "beyganeh" meaning "foreign" or "unknown." | |||
| Kyrgyz | чоочун | ||
| The word "чоочун" in Kyrgyz also means "guest" and "alien". | |||
| Tajik | бегона | ||
| The Tajik word "бегона" (stranger) also refers to a type of flower in English. | |||
| Turkmen | nätanyş | ||
| Uzbek | begona | ||
| Uzbek "begona" from Persian "bi-gāna" meaning "stranger" or "not known". | |||
| Uyghur | ناتونۇش | ||
Stranger in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | malihini | ||
| Malihini also means "visitor" and was the term used to refer to foreigners after Captain Cook's arrival in the 18th century. | |||
| Maori | tangata tauhou | ||
| The Maori word "tangata tauhou" originally meant "new person" or "new arrival", but now refers to "stranger" or "foreigner". | |||
| Samoan | tagata ese | ||
| In Samoan, "tagata ese" can also refer to a non-Samoan person or an outsider, while "ese" alone means "foreigner" or "outsider". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | estranghero | ||
| The Tagalog word "estranghero" derives from the Old Spanish word "estranjero", which means "foreigner" or "alien". | |||
Stranger in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayja | ||
| Guarani | hekomarãva | ||
Stranger in International Languages
| Esperanto | fremdulo | ||
| “Fremdulo” literally means “strange guest,” thus combining two synonyms for “stranger” and creating the idea of a stranger as a guest. | |||
| Latin | sive peregrinus | ||
| The phrase "sive peregrinus" can be translated from Latin to English as either "or stranger" or as "either alien". | |||
Stranger in Others Languages
| Greek | ξένος | ||
| The word "ξένος" can also mean "guest" or "friend" in Greek, indicating that a stranger is not necessarily an enemy. | |||
| Hmong | neeg txawv | ||
| Neeg txawv can also refer to someone a Hmong person has never seen, but is related to through marriage | |||
| Kurdish | xerîb | ||
| In the Sorani dialect of Kurdish, "xerîb" also refers to a non-Kurdish person, or a foreigner. | |||
| Turkish | yabancı | ||
| The word "yabancı" in Turkish, derived from "yaban", meaning "wild" or "foreign," also carries the connotation of "alien" or "outsider." | |||
| Xhosa | umntu wasemzini | ||
| The term "umntu wasemzini" can also refer to a foreigner or someone who is not from the same area as the speaker. | |||
| Yiddish | פרעמדער | ||
| The Yiddish word "פרעמדער" (fremdər) is ultimately derived from the Old German word "fremidi," meaning "foreign" or "strange." | |||
| Zulu | umfokazi | ||
| The Zulu word "umfokazi" can also refer to a newcomer or a visitor. | |||
| Assamese | অচিনাকি | ||
| Aymara | mayja | ||
| Bhojpuri | अजनबी | ||
| Dhivehi | ނުދަންނަ މީހެއް | ||
| Dogri | पराया | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | estranghero | ||
| Guarani | hekomarãva | ||
| Ilocano | gannaet | ||
| Krio | strenja | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بێگانە | ||
| Maithili | अपरिचित | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯇꯣꯞ | ||
| Mizo | hmelhriatloh | ||
| Oromo | orma | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅପରିଚିତ | ||
| Quechua | mana riqsisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | वैदेशिक | ||
| Tatar | чит кеше | ||
| Tigrinya | ጋሻ | ||
| Tsonga | tiviweki | ||