Summer in different languages

Summer in Different Languages

Discover 'Summer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Summer, the sun-soaked season of warmth and vitality, holds a special place in cultures around the world. As the days grow longer and the temperatures rise, people from diverse backgrounds celebrate the unique charm of this radiant time of year. From the balmy beaches of Brazil, where summer is known as 'verão,' to the picturesque lavender fields of France, where the season is called 'été,' the concept of summer transcends geographical boundaries.

Summer's significance extends beyond its association with leisure and recreation. Historically, summer has been a time of agricultural abundance, with ripe fruits and vegetables symbolizing prosperity and nourishment. Moreover, various cultural festivals and traditions are deeply intertwined with the summer season, further emphasizing its global importance.

Delving into the translations of 'summer' in different languages not only broadens our linguistic horizons but also offers a fascinating glimpse into the unique ways diverse cultures perceive and celebrate this vibrant season. Join us as we explore the captivating world of 'summer' in various languages, from the romantic 'estate' in Italy to the exotic 'canícula' in Spain.

Summer


Summer in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanssomer
In earlier forms of the language (before 1972), "somer" used to be the word for "holiday".
Amharicበጋ
The word "በጋ" (summer) is derived from the Proto-Semitic root *bG, meaning "to ripen", and is related to the Arabic word "bgh", meaning "to be ripe".
Hausabazara
The word "bazara" can also refer to the heat of the sun or a drought.
Igbondaeyo
"Ndaeyo" is also used to refer to the dry season in Igbo culture, which typically spans from November to March.
Malagasyvanin-taona mafana
The word "vanin-taona mafana" literally means the "the hot season".
Nyanja (Chichewa)chilimwe
The etymology of "chilimwe" is uncertain, but one theory is that it derives from the verb "kulima", meaning "to cultivate", suggesting a link between summer and the agricultural season.
Shonachirimo
The noun "chirimo" primarily means "summer" in Shona, but can also refer to "heat" or "dryness."
Somalixagaaga
The word "xagaaga" also refers to a specific period of the year between August 15 and September 14.
Sesothohlabula
"Hlabula" (summer) comes from the verb "hlaba" (to reap), suggesting the season of harvest.
Swahilimajira ya joto
The Swahili word "majira ya joto" is derived from the Arabic word "muharrat" (summer). In Arabic, "muharrat" also means "heat" and "drought", highlighting the strong association between summer and these phenomena in the region.
Xhosaihlobo
In isiXhosa, the word 'Ihlobo' not only means 'summer' but also refers to the 'season of heat'.
Yorubaooru
"Ooru" also means "town" or "city" in Yoruba.
Zuluehlobo
The word "ehlobo" also means "heat" in Zulu, indicating the association between summer and hot weather.
Bambarak'a ta zuwɛnkalo ka taa sɛtanburukalo la
Ewedzomeŋɔli
Kinyarwandaicyi
Lingalaeleko ya molunge
Lugandaobudde bw'akasana
Sepediselemo
Twi (Akan)ahuhuroberɛ

Summer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicالصيف
In Classical Arabic, "الصيف" could also mean "the direction of the sunrise".
Hebrewקַיִץ
The Hebrew word "קַיִץ" originally referred to the end of the dry season, when rivers and streams receded and the air was hot and dry.
Pashtoدوبی
The word "دوبی" can alternatively mean "a double bedsheet made of cotton" in Pashto.
Arabicالصيف
In Classical Arabic, "الصيف" could also mean "the direction of the sunrise".

Summer in Western European Languages

Albanianverë
"Verë" (summer) in Albanian is also the word for "fruit" because fruit ripens in the summer.
Basqueuda
The Basque word
Catalanestiu
The Catalan word "estiu" is derived from the Latin "aestas", meaning "hot season", and is cognate with the French "été" and the Italian "estate".
Croatianljeto
The word "ljeto" in Croatian originates from the Proto-Slavic term "lěto", which originally meant "year" and was later used to refer specifically to the warm season.
Danishsommer
The word sommer is the same word as the English word summer.
Dutchzomer
The Dutch word 'zomer' shares the root word with other words for the same season in several Germanic languages such as German 'sommer', Swedish 'sommar', Norwegian 'sommer' and English 'summer'.
Englishsummer
The word "summer" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sems-," meaning "warm season".
Frenchété
The word "été" in French is derived from the Latin word "aestas," meaning "season of warmth".
Frisiansimmer
Frisian "simmer" is likely derived from an ancient Indo-European root meaning "warm" or "hot".
Galicianverán
The Galician word "verán" originates from the Latin word "veranum", meaning "of spring", and also signifies the season of growth and renewal.
Germansommer-
In German, "Sommer-" can also refer to a type of fruit or the color "yellow"
Icelandicsumar
Sumar's Old Norse cognate sumar meant 'warm season' and its verb sumra 'to go warm'.
Irishsamhradh
The word 'samhradh' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sem-, meaning 'warm season'.
Italianestate
In Italian, the word "estate" also means "estate" (in the sense of "landed property").
Luxembourgishsummer
"Summer" in Luxembourgish also means "top, top part" or "upper part of a tree, upper part of a plant".
Maltesesajf
"Sajf" in Maltese comes from the Arabic "sajf", meaning "ripe fruit".
Norwegiansommer
Etymology: Old Norse somar meaning 'season of sunshine'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)verão
The word "verão" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), derived from the Latin "verare", initially meant "to flourish".
Scots Gaelicsamhradh
Samhradh shares an origin with "summer" and also translates to "midyear" in Scots Gaelic.
Spanishverano
Verano, derived from 'ver', meaning 'green', is also used to denote lush vegetation or the greenness of summer.
Swedishsommar
The Swedish word "sommar" is cognate with the English word "summer", both ultimately deriving from the Proto-Germanic word "*sumaraz".
Welshhaf
The Welsh word "haf" derives from the Proto-Celtic root "*samā" and is cognate with the English "summer" and Latin "aestas".

Summer in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianлета
"Лета" also means "years" in Belarusian, possibly indicating a connection to the time needed for crops to mature during the summer months.
Bosnianljeto
The Slavic word 'ljeto' originally meant 'year', and its use to denote 'summer' in Bosnian is a semantic shift.
Bulgarianлятото
The word "лятото" shares a root with the word "ляг" (meaning "to lie down" or "to sleep"), due to the common perception of summer as a time of rest and relaxation.
Czechléto
The word "léto" in Czech can also refer to the period of time between Easter and Pentecost, known as "golden summer".
Estoniansuvi
The word "suvi" derives from Slavic languages, and it initially referred to a longer period including both spring and summer.
Finnishkesä
According to some theories, "kesä" is derived from the word "kehrätä", meaning "to spin", possibly referring to the sun's movement in the sky.
Hungariannyári
The word "nyári" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word "*näri", meaning "hot" or "heat".
Latvianvasara
The Latvian word "vasara" also refers to a beekeeper's veil or helmet worn to protect the face from bee stings.
Lithuanianvasara
The word "vasara" is related to the Sanskrit word "vasara" meaning "day" or "sun".
Macedonianлето
The word "лето" (summer) in Macedonian shares its origin with the Greek word "aestas" and has the alternate meaning of "year" in Old Church Slavonic.
Polishlato
The word "lato" is also a slang term for "alcohol" in Polish.
Romanianvară
The Romanian word "vară" is a cognate of the Latin verb "verare," meaning "to flourish."
Russianлето
The word лето also means "year" in Old Church Slavonic, and its original meaning was "warm season"
Serbianлето
The Serbian word "лето" also refers to a period of 100 years.
Slovakleto
Leto is also a common name for the Slavic sun goddess, Lada
Slovenianpoletje
The Slovenian word "poletje" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *pьľtьje, meaning "warm season".
Ukrainianліто
"Літо" is also a Proto-Slavic root meaning "to pour" and is the origin of the word "лити" ("to pour") in Ukrainian.

Summer in South Asian Languages

Bengaliগ্রীষ্ম
The word "গ্রীষ্ম" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ग्रीष्म" (grīṣma), which originally meant "sun, heat" and later came to mean "summer".
Gujaratiઉનાળો
ઉનાળો is also used as a slang term for a very hot or humid day.
Hindiगर्मी
"गर्मी" is also a slang term for a quarrel or argument in Hindi.
Kannadaಬೇಸಿಗೆ
The word "ಬೇಸಿಗೆ" (bēsige) in Kannada also refers to the hot season or the period of intense heat.
Malayalamവേനൽ
വേനൽ also means "the south" and shares a root with words like "vanam" (forest) and "veena" (musical instrument).
Marathiउन्हाळा
The Marathi word 'उन्हाळा' (summer) is derived from the root 'उष्ण' (hot), and also refers to the hot season in traditional Indian astrology, lasting from mid-April to mid-June.
Nepaliगर्मी
The word "गर्मी" can also refer to heat or warmth.
Punjabiਗਰਮੀ
The word "ਗਰਮੀ" also has an alternate meaning of "heat" or "warmth".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ගිම්හානය
In Sinhala, the word ගිම්හානය (gimhana) not only refers to the summer season but also denotes a period of extreme heat and drought.
Tamilகோடை
The word "கோடை" comes from the Sanskrit word "grīṣma," which translates to "hot season.
Teluguవేసవి
వేసవి is a month in Telugu calendar, and is the first part of the monsoon season.
Urduموسم گرما
The word 'موسم گرما' is also used to refer to the rainy season in South Asia.

Summer in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)夏季
"夏季" also refers to a Chinese solar term which lasts from about July 6 to 22 in the Gregorian calendar.
Chinese (Traditional)夏季
The character '夏' in '夏季' first appears in the oracle bone scripts during the Shang dynasty, depicting a farmer working in a field.
Japanese
The kanji character '夏' (summer) is derived from '者' (person) and '火' (fire), indicating the intense heat and activity of the season.
Korean여름
여름 is also used to indicate the hottest day during a given season
Mongolianзун
"Зун" is a homonym, meaning both "summer" and "east" in Mongolian.
Myanmar (Burmese)နွေရာသီ

Summer in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmusim panas
In addition to "summer", "musim panas" also means a "hot, dry season" in tropical climates.
Javanesepanas
In Javanese folklore, 'panas' means the season when rice is planted.
Khmerរដូវក្តៅ
The Khmer word "រដូវក្តៅ" can also refer to the time period from March to May.
Laoລະດູຮ້ອນ
Malaymusim panas
The Malay word "musim panas" comes from the Sanskrit word "grīṣma" (ग्रीष्म), which also means "summer".
Thaiฤดูร้อน
The word "ฤดูร้อน" also means "hot season" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "grīṣma" meaning "hot season".
Vietnamesemùa hè
"Mùa hè" comes from "mùa" (season) and "hè" (hot), referring to the hot season.
Filipino (Tagalog)tag-init

Summer in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniyay
The word "yay" also means "time" in the Azerbaijani language, and is the 2nd person singular possessive form of the word "ya" ("summer").
Kazakhжаз
In Kazakh, "жаз" also means "green pasture" and "greenery"
Kyrgyzжай
In Kyrgyz, the word "жай" also refers to the warmest season in general, including spring and autumn.
Tajikтобистон
The word "тобистон" is derived from the Persian word "таъбистан" (summer) and is also cognate with the Russian word "лето" (summer).
Turkmentomus
Uzbekyoz
Uzbek "yoz" has an Iranian origin, meaning "warmth" in Persian, and is also used in other Turkic languages with similar meaning.
Uyghurياز

Summer in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankauwela
"Kauwela" is derived from "kau" (season) and "wela" (hot), and can also refer to drought.
Maoriraumati
The Maori word "raumati" not only denotes "summer" but also signifies "warmth" and "comfort".
Samoantaumafanafana
The word "taumafanafana" in Samoan not only means "summer", but also "the season of plenty" and "the time of abundance".
Tagalog (Filipino)tag-araw
The Tagalog word "tag-araw" literally translates to "sun season" or "sun days".

Summer in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajallupacha
Guaraniarahaku

Summer in International Languages

Esperantosomero
Somero is a cognate of "summer" in the Romance languages, and also means "shallow" or "superficial" in Spanish and Portuguese.
Latinaestas
Aestas is the Latin word for "summer" and is also the root of the word "estival," meaning "of or relating to summer."

Summer in Others Languages

Greekκαλοκαίρι
"Καλοκαίρι" is derived from "καλός" (kalos, "beautiful") and "καιρός" (kairos, "weather"), referring to the pleasant weather associated with the season.
Hmonglub caij ntuj sov
Summer is also known as "the season of heat."
Kurdishhavîn
The word 'havîn' is used in some Kurdish dialects to refer to 'harvest' as well.
Turkishyaz
"Yaz" is also an abbreviation for "yazılım" (software) in Turkish.
Xhosaihlobo
In isiXhosa, the word 'Ihlobo' not only means 'summer' but also refers to the 'season of heat'.
Yiddishזומער
The Yiddish word "זומער" (zumer) can also refer to a "buzz" or "humming sound".
Zuluehlobo
The word "ehlobo" also means "heat" in Zulu, indicating the association between summer and hot weather.
Assameseগ্ৰীষ্ম
Aymarajallupacha
Bhojpuriगरमी
Dhivehiހޫނު މޫސުން
Dogriसोहा
Filipino (Tagalog)tag-init
Guaraniarahaku
Ilocanokalgaw
Kriosɔma
Kurdish (Sorani)هاوین
Maithiliगर्मी
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯀꯥꯂꯦꯟꯊꯥ
Mizonipui
Oromoganna
Odia (Oriya)ଗ୍ରୀଷ୍ମ
Quechuarupay pacha
Sanskritग्रीष्म
Tatarҗәй
Tigrinyaክረምቲ
Tsongaximumu

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