Thin in Different Languages
Discover 'Thin' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'thin' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, describing something with little depth, volume, or density. It's a term we use daily, from describing physical objects to commenting on one's appearance. But did you know that the concept of 'thin' varies across cultures and languages?
For instance, in Japanese, 'thin' translates to 'hosoi' (薄い), which is also used to describe someone who is subtle or faint. In German, 'thin' becomes 'dünn', often associated with the efficiency and precision of German engineering. Meanwhile, in Swedish, 'thin' is 'tunn', which also means 'weak' or 'flimsy'. These translations not only help us understand the word better but also offer a glimpse into different cultural perspectives.
So, why should you learn the translations of 'thin' in various languages? Understanding how other cultures perceive 'thinness' can foster empathy and appreciation for cultural diversity. Plus, it's a fun and enlightening way to expand your linguistic repertoire!
Thin
Thin in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dun | ||
| The Afrikaans word "dun" is derived from the Dutch word "dun", which also means "thin". | |||
| Amharic | ቀጭን | ||
| The word 'ቀጭን' ('thin') in Amharic has an alternate meaning of 'fine', as in 'fine hair'. | |||
| Hausa | siriri | ||
| The noun "siriri" can also refer to the "thin or flat part of a tree bark which is used for wrapping kola nuts" in Hausa | |||
| Igbo | mkpa | ||
| "Mkpa" also refers to a type of traditional Igbo yam porridge | |||
| Malagasy | mahia | ||
| The word 'mahia' in Malagasy is related to the word 'mahavy' which means 'to lengthen' or 'to stretch'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | woonda | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) 'woonda' also means 'narrow' and is related to 'konda' (a verb meaning 'to narrow' or 'to confine'), 'kando' (a noun meaning 'a narrow passage'), and 'konda' (an adjective meaning 'narrow'). | |||
| Shona | mutete | ||
| The word "mutete" can also be figuratively used to mean "humble" or "respectful." | |||
| Somali | dhuuban | ||
| Dhuuban also means 'a thin person' or 'a person with a thin body' in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | tšesaane | ||
| The word "tšesaane" can also refer to something that is diluted or weak. | |||
| Swahili | nyembamba | ||
| The word "nyembamba" can also be used to describe something that is narrow or restricted. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhityile | ||
| The word "ibhityile" in Xhosa can also mean "frail" or "delicate" | |||
| Yoruba | tinrin | ||
| The word "tinrin" can also mean "to be spread out", "to be flat", or "to be in a wide or open space" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | mncane | ||
| "Mncani" is a Southern Bantu word for young boys during their stage of initiation. It also means thin in isiZulu. | |||
| Bambara | fasa | ||
| Ewe | lɛe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inanutse | ||
| Lingala | moke | ||
| Luganda | obutono | ||
| Sepedi | sese | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hweaa | ||
Thin in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نحيف | ||
| The word "نحيف" in Arabic means "thin" but also "skinny" or "slender". | |||
| Hebrew | רזה | ||
| The Hebrew word "רזה" (thin) also means "poor" or "emaciated" in Arabic, and "cheap" or "worthless" in Aramaic. | |||
| Pashto | نری | ||
| In Pashto, the word "نری" (nari) also refers to a specific type of thread used in traditional weaving. | |||
| Arabic | نحيف | ||
| The word "نحيف" in Arabic means "thin" but also "skinny" or "slender". | |||
Thin in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i hollë | ||
| "I hollë" also figuratively means "deprived of substance or value". | |||
| Basque | mehea | ||
| The word "mehea" can also mean "narrow" or "slender" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | prim | ||
| The Catalan word "prim" derives from the Latin word "primus" and also means "first" or "principal" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | tanka | ||
| The Croatian word "tanka" is not related to the Japanese style of short poetry with the same name, but rather comes from the Proto-Slavic word "tъnъkъ", meaning "thin" or "slender." | |||
| Danish | tynd | ||
| In Danish, "tynd" is not only used as an adjective referring to physical thinness but also figuratively to describe something "weak," "sparse," or "meagre" | |||
| Dutch | dun | ||
| In Dutch, the word "dun" also means "dark or gloomy". | |||
| English | thin | ||
| The word 'thin' is derived from the Old English word 'thynne', which meant 'stretched out' or 'slender'. | |||
| French | mince | ||
| The French word "mince" also means "chopped meat". | |||
| Frisian | tin | ||
| In the Frisian language tin is also a noun for garden or field. | |||
| Galician | delgada | ||
| In Portuguese, "delgada" means "a woman with an attractive figure, especially with a thin waist"} | |||
| German | dünn | ||
| The German word "dünn" can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic term "þunnuz", which also means "thin" and shares an etymological origin with the English word "thin". | |||
| Icelandic | þunnt | ||
| Þunnt is related to Þynna meaning "to make thin". | |||
| Irish | tanaí | ||
| Tanaí can also mean 'small, slight' or 'fine, subtle' | |||
| Italian | magro | ||
| In the context of agriculture, "magro" refers to poor-quality, nutrient-deficient soil. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dënn | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "dënn" comes from the Old High German word "dunni" and is related to the English word "thin". | |||
| Maltese | irqiq | ||
| Although the word "irqiq" itself comes from the Arabic word for "thin," it can also mean "flat," as in "irqiq tal-ħobż" (flatbread). | |||
| Norwegian | tynn | ||
| "Tynn" is probably related to the Old High German word "dunni", which means "thin" or "poor." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fino | ||
| The word 'fino' originated from the Latin 'finus,' meaning 'end, boundary,' and also refers to elegance and good taste in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tana | ||
| Tana can also mean 'to extend' or 'to stretch' in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | delgado | ||
| Delgado also means 'refined' in Spanish when referring to tastes, manners, and speech. | |||
| Swedish | tunn | ||
| The word "tunn" can also refer to a unit of weight, equivalent to approximately 48 pounds. | |||
| Welsh | tenau | ||
| The word "tenau" also means "light" or "fine" in Welsh. | |||
Thin in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | худы | ||
| The word "худы" can also refer to "bad or evil" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | tanka | ||
| The word "tanka" also means "thread" or "cord" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | тънък | ||
| The word "тънък" can also refer to something abstract, such as a subtle difference or a clever argument. | |||
| Czech | tenký | ||
| Its Slavic root is shared with 'tenký' (narrow), 'táhnout' (to pull), and the English 'tend' and 'tenuous'. | |||
| Estonian | õhuke | ||
| From Proto-Finno-Ugric *oŋu (thin), related to *oŋkō (hook), *oŋk (catch). Also related to Finnish | |||
| Finnish | ohut | ||
| "Ohut" also refers to the thin layer of ice covering a lake in winter. | |||
| Hungarian | vékony | ||
| The word "vékony" in Hungarian also has the meaning of "sharp". | |||
| Latvian | tievs | ||
| The Latvian word "tievs" is thought to derive from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning either "to split" or "to stretch". | |||
| Lithuanian | plonas | ||
| Lithuanian "plonas" (thin) is derived from the Proto-Baltic "plen-/", which also gave rise to Latvian "plāns" and Old Prussian "plano". | |||
| Macedonian | слаб | ||
| The word "слаб" can also mean "weak" or "feeble" in Macedonian | |||
| Polish | chudy | ||
| "Chudy" derives from Proto-Slavic *xudъ, meaning "bad," and is related to "chud," meaning "miracle" | |||
| Romanian | subţire | ||
| "Subţire" has Proto-Slavic root *sъtb, which means "fine" or "good." | |||
| Russian | тонкий | ||
| "Тонкий" also means "subtle" or "refined" | |||
| Serbian | танак | ||
| The word "танак" can also mean "flat" or "shallow" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | tenký | ||
| The word tenký also means "narrow" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | tanka | ||
| Slovene word "tanek" means "thin" and "cheap", similarly to German "dünn" and "gering" respectively. | |||
| Ukrainian | тонкий | ||
| Ukrainian "тонкий" can also mean "delicate", "subtle", or "sophisticated", depending on context. | |||
Thin in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাতলা | ||
| "পাতলা" can also mean 'loose' as in 'a loose fabric' or 'sparse' as in 'sparse hair'. | |||
| Gujarati | પાતળા | ||
| The word 'પાતળા' comes from the Sanskrit word 'patala' which means 'a leaf', referring to something that is thin like a leaf. | |||
| Hindi | पतला | ||
| The word 'पतला' (thin) likely originates from the Sanskrit word 'पत' ('fall'), which can also be interpreted as being 'thin' or 'frail' in some contexts. | |||
| Kannada | ತೆಳುವಾದ | ||
| The Kannada word "ತೆಳುವಾದ" also refers to a specific caste within the Indian social system. | |||
| Malayalam | നേർത്ത | ||
| The word 'നേർത്ത' can also mean 'straight' or 'right' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | पातळ | ||
| In certain contexts, "पातळ" can mean shallow, weak, or diluted. | |||
| Nepali | पातलो | ||
| The word "पातलो" also means "shallow" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਤਲਾ | ||
| The word "ਪਤਲਾ" in Punjabi can also refer to a type of pancake made with lentil flour. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිහින් | ||
| The word "සිහින්" can also mean "fine" or "delicate" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | மெல்லிய | ||
| The Tamil word "மெல்லிய" (mellīya) also relates to "soft" or "tender" in texture. | |||
| Telugu | సన్నని | ||
| Urdu | پتلی | ||
| Urdu word "پتلی" ("thin") also means "wife" in colloquial Punjabi and Hindi. | |||
Thin in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 瘦 | ||
| The character "瘦" can also mean "poor" or "weak". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 瘦 | ||
| 瘦 can also mean "poor" or "unfortunate" | |||
| Japanese | 薄い | ||
| "薄い" (usui) also means 'pale' and 'superficial'. | |||
| Korean | 얇은 | ||
| "얇은" (thin) is derived from the Middle Korean word "얇", meaning "to be loose or spacious". | |||
| Mongolian | нимгэн | ||
| "Нимгэн" is used to describe a slim person, a thin piece of paper, or a narrow passage. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပါးလွှာသော | ||
Thin in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tipis | ||
| The word "tipis" also means "to peel" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | lancip | ||
| In archaic Javanese, "lancip" can also mean "small". | |||
| Khmer | ស្គម | ||
| The word "ស្គម" can also mean "to be soft" or "to be shallow". | |||
| Lao | ບາງ | ||
| In Lao, "ບາງ" (บาง) can also be used to mean "few", "several", or "some". | |||
| Malay | kurus | ||
| The word "kurus" can also mean "lean" or "skinny" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ผอม | ||
| Vietnamese | gầy | ||
| "Gầy" derives from the Khmer word "gay" meaning "to have been born" and "to have a small body." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manipis | ||
Thin in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nazik | ||
| In Azeri, the word "nazik" not only means "thin" but also "gentle" or "graceful." | |||
| Kazakh | жіңішке | ||
| "Жіңішке" is derived from the word "жіп", meaning "thread", and refers to something that is narrow or slender. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ичке | ||
| The word "ичке" also means "narrow" or "tight" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | тунук | ||
| The word "тунук" can also refer to "narrow" or "shallow" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | inçe | ||
| Uzbek | ingichka | ||
| The word "ingichka" can also mean "narrow" or "slender" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | نېپىز | ||
Thin in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lahilahi | ||
| The word 'lahilahi' can also refer to 'embarrassment' or 'shyness'. | |||
| Maori | angiangi | ||
| The word "angiangi" can also refer to "very soft", "soft and tender", or "flexible". | |||
| Samoan | manifinifi | ||
| The word "manifinifi" also means "weak" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | payat | ||
| "Payat" also means "hungry" in Tagalog. | |||
Thin in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juch'usa | ||
| Guarani | po'i | ||
Thin in International Languages
| Esperanto | maldika | ||
| The word "maldika" in Esperanto comes from the Lithuanian word "maldukas" (skinny) and also means "skinny" or "scrawny". | |||
| Latin | tenues | ||
| The Latin word "tenues" can also refer to the voiceless stops /p/, /t/, and /k/, which are produced with a thinner airstream than their voiced counterparts. | |||
Thin in Others Languages
| Greek | λεπτός | ||
| The word λεπτός can also refer to someone who is subtle or astute. | |||
| Hmong | nyias | ||
| The Hmong word "nyias" also means "slender" or "narrow" in English. | |||
| Kurdish | zirav | ||
| The word 'zirav' also refers to a kind of fine silk or gold thread used in embroidery. | |||
| Turkish | ince | ||
| The word "ince" can also mean "fine" or "delicate", and is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*iŋgi". | |||
| Xhosa | ibhityile | ||
| The word "ibhityile" in Xhosa can also mean "frail" or "delicate" | |||
| Yiddish | דין | ||
| "דין" in Yiddish can also refer to noise, chaos, or confusion. | |||
| Zulu | mncane | ||
| "Mncani" is a Southern Bantu word for young boys during their stage of initiation. It also means thin in isiZulu. | |||
| Assamese | পাতল | ||
| Aymara | juch'usa | ||
| Bhojpuri | पातर | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިމަ | ||
| Dogri | पतला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manipis | ||
| Guarani | po'i | ||
| Ilocano | naingpis | ||
| Krio | stret kɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لاواز | ||
| Maithili | पातर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | liver | ||
| Oromo | qalloo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପତଳା | | ||
| Quechua | tullu | ||
| Sanskrit | कृशः | ||
| Tatar | нечкә | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀጢን | ||
| Tsonga | lala | ||