Swing in Different Languages
Discover 'Swing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'swing' holds a unique place in our global lexicon, transcending cultural boundaries with its significance and charm. It represents a rhythmic motion, a style of music, and even a carefree attitude. From the playful back-and-forth of children on a swing set to the infectious beats of jazz music, 'swing' embodies a sense of joy and freedom.
Historically, the Swing Era of the 1930s and 1940s left an indelible mark on the world of music, giving birth to a distinct sound that still resonates today. This period also popularized the dance style known as the 'Lindy Hop,' a lively and acrobatic dance that embodies the very essence of 'swing.'
Understanding the translation of 'swing' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures interpret and celebrate this concept. Here are a few examples:
- French: balançoire
- Spanish: balanceo
- German: Schaukel
- Italian: altalena
- Japanese: スウィング (suuingu)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'swing' translations in various languages, showcasing the global appeal and cultural significance of this versatile word.
Swing
Swing in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | swaai | ||
| The word "swaai" in Afrikaans may have originated from the Dutch word "sweien", meaning "to swing" or "to sway". | |||
| Amharic | መወዛወዝ | ||
| The word "መወዛወዝ" also means "to sway" or "to rock" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | lilo | ||
| "Lilo" shares an etymology with its Hausa near-homonym "lelo" and the Arabic word "layl," both of which mean "night," as it refers to a nighttime recreational activity. | |||
| Igbo | ngabiga | ||
| "Ngabiga" can also mean "oscillation" or "fluctuation" in Igbo, highlighting its versatile usage beyond its primary meaning as "swing". | |||
| Malagasy | savily | ||
| The word "savily" in Malagasy may also refer to a type of traditional dance. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kugwedezeka | ||
| The word "kugwedezeka" in Nyanja can also mean "to stagger" or "to sway". | |||
| Shona | swing | ||
| The Shona word "swing" can also mean "to hang" or "to be suspended". | |||
| Somali | lulid | ||
| The word "lulid" can also refer to swaying or vibrating. | |||
| Sesotho | sesa | ||
| The word "sesa" can also mean "to sway" or "to rock back and forth" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | swing | ||
| The Swahili word 'swing' may also refer to an act of cheating or deceit. | |||
| Xhosa | ujingi | ||
| In the Xhosa language, 'ujingi' also denotes a lively and bustling atmosphere. | |||
| Yoruba | golifu | ||
| The word 'golifu' in Yoruba also refers to the act of shaking or vibrating. | |||
| Zulu | jika | ||
| The word "jika" in Zulu also refers to a dance performed by Zulu women. | |||
| Bambara | búmusò | ||
| Ewe | dayidagbɔe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | swing | ||
| Lingala | dyemba | ||
| Luganda | okwesuuba | ||
| Sepedi | hwidinya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | rekora | ||
Swing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تأرجح | ||
| The verb تأرجح (ta’arjuḥ) does not only mean "to swing", it can also mean "to sway" or "to be suspended". | |||
| Hebrew | נַדְנֵדָה | ||
| "נַדְנֵדָה" comes from the Aramaic root נדף" to shake | |||
| Pashto | بدلول | ||
| The word “بدلول” is derived from the Arabic word “بدل”, meaning “exchange” or “alternative”. | |||
| Arabic | تأرجح | ||
| The verb تأرجح (ta’arjuḥ) does not only mean "to swing", it can also mean "to sway" or "to be suspended". | |||
Swing in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lëkundje | ||
| The word "lëkundje" can also refer to a vibration, oscillation, or swaying motion. | |||
| Basque | kulunka | ||
| The word "kulunka" can also refer to a swing in a child's cot or a small hand-held swing. | |||
| Catalan | gronxador | ||
| In Catalan, the word “gronxador” also refers to the act of enjoying a swing ride. | |||
| Croatian | ljuljačka | ||
| The word "ljuljačka" in Croatian is also used to refer to a specific type of playground equipment, a seesaw. | |||
| Danish | svinge | ||
| Danish "svinge" derives from Old Norse "svangr", meaning "flexible" or "pliable". | |||
| Dutch | schommel | ||
| In addition to meaning "swing," the Dutch word "schommel" also refers to a type of boat. | |||
| English | swing | ||
| The word "swing" can also refer to a type of music or a style of dancing. | |||
| French | balançoire | ||
| "Balançoire" also means "see-saw" in French, which is a type of swing with a long plank balanced in the middle. | |||
| Frisian | swaaie | ||
| The Frisian word "swaaie" is a cognate of the Dutch "zwaaien" (to swing), which is thought to be derived from the Proto-West-Germanic root "*swaighō" (to swing, to rock). | |||
| Galician | balance | ||
| No Galician, "balance" also means "scale" and is related to the Spanish word "balanza". | |||
| German | schwingen | ||
| The word 'Schwingen' can also refer to a traditional Swiss wrestling style or to the oscillation of a quantum mechanical wavefunction. | |||
| Icelandic | sveifla | ||
| The word "sveifla" in Icelandic can also refer to the act of swaying or oscillating, as well as to a type of traditional Icelandic dance. | |||
| Irish | swing | ||
| The verb 'swing' is derived from the Middle English verb 'swingen', meaning 'to beat or strike'. | |||
| Italian | swing | ||
| In Italian, "swing" can also refer to a type of dance or a genre of jazz music known as "swing jazz." | |||
| Luxembourgish | schwéngung | ||
| Maltese | jitbandal | ||
| "Jitbandal" is derived from the Italian "zitellone," meaning "a young bachelor." | |||
| Norwegian | svinge | ||
| "Svinge" can also mean "to beat", "to whip", or "to sway". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | balanço | ||
| In Portuguese, "balanço" can also mean "balance" or "financial statement." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | swing | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "swing" can also refer to a lively dance or a lively tune. | |||
| Spanish | columpio | ||
| "Columpio" is the diminutive of the word "columna" (column), and it refers to the way the swing is suspended from a fixed point. | |||
| Swedish | gunga | ||
| "gunga" also means to wobble, rock or sway. | |||
| Welsh | swing | ||
| The word "swing" is also used to refer to a type of dance or a style of music in Welsh. | |||
Swing in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | арэлі | ||
| The word "арэлі" is sometimes used figuratively to refer to a state of euphoria or exhilaration. | |||
| Bosnian | ljuljačka | ||
| The word "ljuljačka" in Bosnian is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound "lju" made when swinging, while its alternate meaning of "pendulum" reflects its similar motion. | |||
| Bulgarian | люлка | ||
| In Old Slavic, "люлька" meant any object that rocks; the original meaning is preserved in the name of the baby cradle. | |||
| Czech | houpačka | ||
| "Houpačka" is a diminutive form of "houpací lavice", which means "rocking bench". The word "houpat" (to swing) comes from the Proto-Slavic verb "xupati" (to jump). | |||
| Estonian | kiik | ||
| The Estonian word "kiik" likely shares an origin with the Latvian " | |||
| Finnish | keinu | ||
| The word "keinu" originally referred to a rocking cradle for a baby; also a cradle song. | |||
| Hungarian | hinta | ||
| "Hinta" derives ultimately from the Slavic word "*chъtati" (“to tremble, shake, swing"), thus being related to the English "to shake". | |||
| Latvian | šūpoles | ||
| The word | |||
| Lithuanian | sūpynės | ||
| The Lithuanian word for swing, "sūpynės," is derived from the verb "sūpuoti," meaning "to rock" or "to sway. | |||
| Macedonian | замав | ||
| The word "замав" also refers to a kind of seesaw in the shape of a ladder. | |||
| Polish | huśtawka | ||
| The word "huśtawka" is derived from the verb "hustać", which means to swing or sway. | |||
| Romanian | leagăn | ||
| The word "leagăn" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *lękati, which also means "to swing". | |||
| Russian | качели | ||
| Качели are a type of pendulum and the word comes from the Russian verb 'качать' which means 'to rock' or 'to swing'. | |||
| Serbian | свинг | ||
| In Serbian, "свинг" (swing) can also refer to a type of music genre or a state of being carefree and relaxed. | |||
| Slovak | hojdačka | ||
| In Czech, “houpačka” means “swing”. In Polish, “huśtawka” also means 'swing'. In Serbian, “hucka” means both “swing” and “cradle. | |||
| Slovenian | gugalnica | ||
| The word "gugalnica" is derived from the verb " gugati," meaning "to rock" or "to swing." | |||
| Ukrainian | гойдалки | ||
| The word "гойдалки" can also refer to a type of traditional Ukrainian dance performed on a swing. | |||
Swing in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দোল | ||
| In Bangladesh, "দোল" is a traditional swing but also refers to the celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્વિંગ | ||
| The word 'swing' in Gujarati, 'સ્વિંગ', is also a verb meaning to swing from a hanging rope or chain | |||
| Hindi | झूला | ||
| The word "झूला" (jhuula) likely originated from the Sanskrit word "झोला" (jhola), meaning "a bag" or "a cradle". It can also refer to a type of Indian folk dance in which women or girls twirl around holding the ends of a long cloth suspended from a central point. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ವಿಂಗ್ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malayalam | ഊഞ്ഞാലാടുക | ||
| Marathi | स्विंग | ||
| स्विंग - swing (as a verb), hang (as in a place), go up (as in an airplane) | |||
| Nepali | स्विing | ||
| In Hindi and Nepali, the word "swing" can also mean "temperament" or "mood". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਵਿੰਗ | ||
| In Punjabi, 'ਸਵਿੰਗ' ('swing') is also used to describe the act of swaying or oscillating, or as a metaphor for fluctuating or wavering. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැද්දීම | ||
| In addition to meaning "swing," පැද්දීම can refer to the "cycle or swing" in the sense of the "course, motion, or revolution" of an object or event. | |||
| Tamil | ஸ்விங் | ||
| In Tamil, "ஸ்விங்" (swing) can also refer to a particular type of traditional folk dance performed in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. | |||
| Telugu | స్వింగ్ | ||
| In Telugu, 'స్వింగ్' (swing) also refers to a rhythmic motion similar to swaying or rocking, making it a versatile term with dynamic connotations. | |||
| Urdu | سوئنگ | ||
| سوئنگ is also a measure of weight in gold. In this sense, one سوئنگ is equivalent to 1.6 grams | |||
Swing in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 摇摆 | ||
| The word “摇摆” in Chinese can also mean “to sway” or “to oscillate.” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 搖擺 | ||
| 搖擺 can also refer to swaying, wavering, or oscillating. | |||
| Japanese | スイング | ||
| The word "スイング" can also mean "to shift","to change","or "to move" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 그네 | ||
| "그네" is cognate with "그리다" meaning "to hang". | |||
| Mongolian | дүүжин | ||
| The Mongolian word "дүүжин" also means "to swing" as a verb, and is derived from the Mongolian word "дүү" (to bend). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လွှဲ | ||
| The word "လွှဲ" can also mean "to move from one place to another" or "to change one's position." | |||
Swing in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ayunan | ||
| The word "ayunan" is also used to refer to a type of traditional Indonesian lullaby. | |||
| Javanese | ayunan | ||
| In Javanese, "ayunan" can also refer to a type of traditional dance accompanied by singing. | |||
| Khmer | តំលៃ | ||
| In addition to meaning "swing," "តំលៃ" can also mean "value" or "price" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ແກວ່ງ | ||
| In addition to meaning "swing," the word "ແກວ່ງ" also means "to oscillate" or "to swing back and forth." | |||
| Malay | hayun | ||
| Hayun can also refer to the Malay folk dance movement of swinging the hips from side to side. | |||
| Thai | แกว่ง | ||
| The Thai word "แกว่ง" (kaeo) can also mean "to shake" or "to wave" an object. | |||
| Vietnamese | lung lay | ||
| In Vietnamese, "lung lay" can also refer to the oscillation or swaying motion of a suspended object or a body of water. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | indayog | ||
Swing in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yelləncək | ||
| The word "yelləncək" in Azerbaijani has alternate meanings such as "cradle" or "rocking chair" and is derived from the verb "yellənmək" which means "to sway" or "to swing". | |||
| Kazakh | әткеншек | ||
| The word "әткеншек" is also used in Kazakh to describe a type of baby cradle that is rocked back and forth. | |||
| Kyrgyz | селкинчек | ||
| The term “селкинчек” can refer both to a swing and to something fragile that can be easily broken, as well as a child | |||
| Tajik | босуръат | ||
| The word "босуръат" in Tajik comes from the Persian word "bosra" (literally, "to hang") and the suffix "-at" which denotes an object or instrument. | |||
| Turkmen | yrgyldamak | ||
| Uzbek | belanchak | ||
| Belanchak comes from the Uzbek word "belancha" meaning "to push or swing" and "ak" meaning "white". | |||
| Uyghur | swing | ||
Swing in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kowali | ||
| The Hawaiian word “kowali” or “kowali kaula” means swing or noose, and is likely derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *qulî, meaning "to coil or hang loose." | |||
| Maori | piu | ||
| The word "piu" can also refer to the act of swaying or rocking, or to a type of Maori dance accompanied by rhythmic chanting. | |||
| Samoan | taupega | ||
| The Samoan word "taupega" not only means "swing," but also has alternate meanings such as "to hesitate" and "to be indecisive." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | indayog | ||
| Indayog is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dolay', meaning 'to swing'. | |||
Swing in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ritmu | ||
| Guarani | ñemyatymói | ||
Swing in International Languages
| Esperanto | svingi | ||
| In Slavic languages, "swingi" means "holy" or "sacred". | |||
| Latin | adductius | ||
| Adductius is related to the concept of "leading," and shares a common root with the verb "adducere," meaning "to lead," "to bring," or "to draw closer." | |||
Swing in Others Languages
| Greek | κούνια | ||
| The word "κούνια" derives from the ancient Greek verb "κουνάω", meaning "to move or shake". | |||
| Hmong | viav vias | ||
| Viav vias is the term for the wooden swing used by the Hmong as a toy or for relaxation. | |||
| Kurdish | hejandin | ||
| The word 'hejandin' is also used to describe a type of Kurdish folk dance that involves swinging. | |||
| Turkish | sallanmak | ||
| "Sallanmak" is also used to describe the act of "shaking" or "vibrating." | |||
| Xhosa | ujingi | ||
| In the Xhosa language, 'ujingi' also denotes a lively and bustling atmosphere. | |||
| Yiddish | מאַך | ||
| In Yiddish, "מאַך" can also mean "to make" or "to do" | |||
| Zulu | jika | ||
| The word "jika" in Zulu also refers to a dance performed by Zulu women. | |||
| Assamese | ঝুলা | ||
| Aymara | ritmu | ||
| Bhojpuri | झूला | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްވިންގ | ||
| Dogri | झुलारा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | indayog | ||
| Guarani | ñemyatymói | ||
| Ilocano | i-uyauy | ||
| Krio | chenj | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جوڵانە | ||
| Maithili | झूला | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | then | ||
| Oromo | rarra'ee socho'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସୁଇଙ୍ଗ୍ | ||
| Quechua | kuskachay | ||
| Sanskrit | दोला | ||
| Tatar | селкенү | ||
| Tigrinya | ምውዝዋዝ | ||
| Tsonga | jolomba | ||