Tight in Different Languages
Discover 'Tight' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'tight' holds a significant place in many languages and cultures, often used to describe a variety of concepts ranging from physical closeness to emotional intimacy. Its cultural importance is evident in idioms and phrases, such as 'tight-knit community' or 'tighten your seatbelt,' that have made their way into everyday language. Understanding the translation of 'tight' in different languages can help break down barriers and foster better communication among people from diverse backgrounds.
Did you know that 'tight' translates to 'stramm' in German, reflecting the language's emphasis on precision and order? Or that in Spanish, 'tight' becomes 'apretado,' a term that also means 'nervous' or 'anxious'? These translations offer a glimpse into the unique cultural contexts and nuances of different languages.
In this list, you'll find translations of 'tight' in over 50 languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, this resource is sure to expand your cultural and linguistic horizons.
Tight
Tight in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | styf | ||
| The word "styf" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "stijf", which also means "stiff" or "rigid". | |||
| Amharic | አጥብቆ | ||
| The word "አጥብቆ" can also mean "meticulously" or "thoroughly". | |||
| Hausa | matse | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Chadic word /*mátʃi/ meaning "squeeze, press, or grab" | |||
| Igbo | uko | ||
| "Uko" in Igbo can also mean "a small knot," alluding to the tight grip of a knot. | |||
| Malagasy | mafy | ||
| The word "mafy" in Malagasy, meaning "tight," derives from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *mape(p)/*mape(k)/*mape(t), meaning "to wrap, fold, or bundle." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zolimba | ||
| In Chichewa, "zolimba" also refers to "a small, cylindrical container made of clay or wood, used for storing salt or other condiments." | |||
| Shona | yakasimba | ||
| The word 'yakasimba' shares a root with 'simba', meaning to grip something tightly, and also refers to the act of hugging someone tightly as a sign of affection or consolation. | |||
| Somali | dhagan | ||
| In the Somali proverb "Nin dhagan kama dhaqo", "dhagan" does not mean "tight" but refers to a type of fish and means "to be stingy." | |||
| Sesotho | tlamahane | ||
| In Sesotho, "tlamahane" also means "to be confined" or "to be squeezed". | |||
| Swahili | kubana | ||
| "Kubana" also means "to be close, nearby" or "to be on top". | |||
| Xhosa | iqine | ||
| While the word "iqine" primarily means "tight" in Xhosa, it can also refer to someone who is stingy or reluctant to spend money. | |||
| Yoruba | ju | ||
| The Yoruba word "ju" can refer to tightness or firmness, or to a close relationship. | |||
| Zulu | ziqinile | ||
| The word 'ziqinile' can also refer to a person who is very secretive or who keeps their emotions close to their chest. | |||
| Bambara | ncɔyin | ||
| Ewe | mía | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukomera | ||
| Lingala | kokangama | ||
| Luganda | okunyweeza | ||
| Sepedi | tiišitše | ||
| Twi (Akan) | petee | ||
Tight in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ضيق | ||
| The Arabic word "ضيق" (dayiq) also means "anxiety"} | |||
| Hebrew | הדוק | ||
| The Hebrew word "הדוק" can also mean "strong", "intense", or "firmly attached." | |||
| Pashto | تنګ | ||
| The Pashto word "تنګ" also refers to a narrow passage or a difficult situation. | |||
| Arabic | ضيق | ||
| The Arabic word "ضيق" (dayiq) also means "anxiety"} | |||
Tight in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shtrënguar | ||
| The word "shtrënguar" in Albanian can also mean "to bind"} | |||
| Basque | estua | ||
| "Estua" in Basque also means "very", "much" or "exceedingly." | |||
| Catalan | atapeït | ||
| "Atacar" (to tie), "atapeïda" (heap) both come from Arabic, but the word "atapeït" has also been related to Greek and Basque. | |||
| Croatian | čvrsto | ||
| The Croatian word "čvrsto" ("tight") means "firm" in Serbian, and "solid" in Polish. | |||
| Danish | tæt | ||
| The word "tæt" can also mean "dense" or "close-knit" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | krap | ||
| "Krap" (tight) is related to the Dutch phrase "op een krappe dag" (meaning "on a short day"), implying that something that is tight would fit better on a shorter day. | |||
| English | tight | ||
| The word 'tight' derives from the Old English term 'tid,' signifying 'proper' or 'orderly,' and it retains this connotation in phrases like 'keep your room tidy'. | |||
| French | serré | ||
| The word "serré" in French can also mean "closely packed" or "dense". | |||
| Frisian | strak | ||
| The word "strak" has the same root as "stretch" and is also related to "straight" and "strong". | |||
| Galician | axustado | ||
| The word "axustado" also means "narrow" or "confined" in Galician. | |||
| German | fest | ||
| The German word "fest" can also mean "firm" or "solid" and is related to the English word "fast". | |||
| Icelandic | þétt | ||
| Þétt was originally used to describe the condition of a thread that is pulled tight. | |||
| Irish | daingean | ||
| "Daingean" also serves as the name for several towns and villages in Ireland. | |||
| Italian | stretto | ||
| In Italian, "stretto" can also refer to the narrowest part of a strait, such as the Strait of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy. | |||
| Luxembourgish | enk | ||
| The word "enk" in Luxembourgish comes from the Proto-Germanic "*angwaz" meaning "narrow" and is related to the Old English word "enge" and the Modern German word "eng". | |||
| Maltese | issikkat | ||
| The word "issikkat" comes from the Turkish "sıkı" and the Italian "stretto," both of which also mean "tight." | |||
| Norwegian | stramt | ||
| The word "stramt" in Norwegian comes from the Old Norse word "strangr," meaning "severe" or "difficult." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | justa | ||
| The Portuguese word "justa" also refers to a medieval combat sport akin to jousting. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teann | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word 'teann' can also mean 'firm' or 'inflexible', both physically and figuratively. | |||
| Spanish | apretado | ||
| The Spanish word "apretado" can also mean "busy" or "crowded". | |||
| Swedish | tajt | ||
| The Swedish word 'tajt' also means 'close' or 'compact', and can be used to describe spatial relationships or social bonds. | |||
| Welsh | yn dynn | ||
| "Yn dynn" can also mean "tight" in the sense of being stingy, miserly, or close-fisted. | |||
Tight in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цесна | ||
| The word "цесна" can also refer to a type of fish called a tench. | |||
| Bosnian | čvrsto | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "tight," "čvrsto" can also mean "firm" or "solid." | |||
| Bulgarian | стегнат | ||
| The word "стегнат" can also mean precise or accurate. | |||
| Czech | těsný | ||
| The word "těsný" is cognate with the Latin "tenuis" meaning "thin" or "weak" and with the English "tense". | |||
| Estonian | tihe | ||
| The Estonian word "tihe" also means "dense" or "thick". | |||
| Finnish | tiukka | ||
| "Tiukka" also means tough or difficult and can be used to describe a situation or person. | |||
| Hungarian | szoros | ||
| Szoros is also a word for 'narrow straits'. | |||
| Latvian | saspringts | ||
| The word "saspringts" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sperǵ-," meaning "to bind" or "to tie." | |||
| Lithuanian | ankštus | ||
| The Lithuanian word "ankštus" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *eng-, meaning "narrow," which also appears in the English word "anguish." | |||
| Macedonian | тесни | ||
| Tesni in Macedonian can also mean 'narrow' | |||
| Polish | mocno | ||
| The adjective 'mocno' is a comparative adjective that derives from a hypothetical form of Old Polish meaning 'power' or 'property', and thus is synonymous with adjectives like 'greatly', 'very' or 'much'. | |||
| Romanian | strâmt | ||
| The word "strâmt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ster-/*stri-" meaning "to stretch, extend." | |||
| Russian | плотно | ||
| "Плотно" can also mean "firmly" in Russian, such as in the phrase "крепко сжат" (firmly clenched). | |||
| Serbian | тесно | ||
| "Тесно" can also mean "narrow" or "close" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | tesný | ||
| The word “tesný” is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *tьsьnъ, meaning “narrow” or “confined.” It is related to the Russian word “тесный” (tesnyy), meaning “narrow” or “cramped,” and the Polish word “ciasny” (ciasny), meaning “narrow” or “tight.” | |||
| Slovenian | tesno | ||
| The Slovene word 'tesno' (tight) derives from the Proto-Slavic root *tьsnъ, meaning 'narrow'. | |||
| Ukrainian | щільно | ||
| The word "щільно" in Ukrainian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *tьsьnъ, meaning "tight" or "compact". | |||
Tight in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | টাইট | ||
| The word 'tight' also means 'closely connected' in Bengali, like a 'tight-knit family'. | |||
| Gujarati | કડક | ||
| The word "કડક" can also mean "bitter" or "harsh". | |||
| Hindi | तंग | ||
| 'तंग' also means 'annoyed' or 'harassed' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಗಿಯಾದ | ||
| The word "ಬಿಗಿಯಾದ" in Kannada originally referred to a horse that was well-saddled or a person who was well-dressed. | |||
| Malayalam | ഇറുകിയ | ||
| The word 'ഇറുകിയ' in Malayalam can also mean 'narrow' or 'constricted'. | |||
| Marathi | घट्ट | ||
| The word "घट्ट" in Marathi can also mean "dense" or "close-knit". | |||
| Nepali | कडा | ||
| "कडा" is related to "कडा" (hard) and "कठिन" (difficult), and all three are derived from the Sanskrit root "कठ्" (to be hard or difficult). | |||
| Punjabi | ਤੰਗ | ||
| "ਤੰਗ" (tight) in Punjabi can also mean "narrow" or "uncomfortable". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තදින් | ||
| The word "තදින්" in Sinhala can also mean "firm" or "strong". | |||
| Tamil | இறுக்கம் | ||
| Telugu | గట్టిగా | ||
| గట్టిగా can also mean strong, firm, or robust depending on the context. | |||
| Urdu | تنگ | ||
| Urdu "تنگ" also means "narrow" and "difficult, constricted" as an adjective, and "embarrassment" and "distress" as a noun. | |||
Tight in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 紧 | ||
| The character "紧" also means "urgent" or "pressing". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 緊 | ||
| The word "緊" (tight) in Chinese (Traditional) can also mean "urgent" or "closely connected." | |||
| Japanese | タイト | ||
| In Japanese, "タイト" also means "schedule" or "appointment." | |||
| Korean | 빠듯한 | ||
| The literal meaning of the Korean word "빠듯한" is “to be fast (빠르다)”, and over time this word gradually diverged in meaning to also mean "tight". | |||
| Mongolian | хатуу | ||
| In addition to meaning "tight," хатуу can also refer to narrowness. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တင်းကျပ်စွာ | ||
Tight in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ketat | ||
| "Ketat" also means "serious" or "strict" when used to describe a person or a regulation. | |||
| Javanese | kenceng | ||
| The Javanese word "kenceng" has cognates in various other Austronesian languages, where it commonly means "string" or "rope". | |||
| Khmer | តឹង | ||
| The word "tight" in Khmer has alternate meanings including "tense", "stretched out", and "difficult". | |||
| Lao | ແຫນ້ນ | ||
| Malay | ketat | ||
| Ketat is also an Indonesian word that means 'strict' or 'rigorous' | |||
| Thai | แน่น | ||
| แน่น (nên) is an archaic word derived from Pali and has the same meaning as น่าน (nan). | |||
| Vietnamese | chặt chẽ | ||
| “Chặt chẽ” shares the same etymology with “sát cánh” and refers to the intimacy and unity of soldiers fighting shoulder to shoulder. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masikip | ||
Tight in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sıx | ||
| The word "sıx" in Azerbaijani is cognate to "dar" in Turkish and "tنگ" in Farsi, all meaning "narrow or constricted." | |||
| Kazakh | тығыз | ||
| The word "тығыз" in Kazakh can also mean "dense" or "thick". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бекем | ||
| The word "бекем" is derived from the Turkic root "beŋ" meaning "to be strong". | |||
| Tajik | қатъӣ | ||
| The word "қатъӣ" also means "strict" or "firm" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | berk | ||
| Uzbek | qattiq | ||
| The word "qattiq" in Uzbek can also refer to something that is difficult or demanding. | |||
| Uyghur | چىڭ | ||
Tight in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | piliki | ||
| The word "piliki" can also mean "clingy" or "adhesive" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | kikī | ||
| The Maori word "kikī" also means "to press" or "to be stuck". | |||
| Samoan | fufusi | ||
| Fufusi can also mean 'to hug' or 'to embrace' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | masikip | ||
| The word "masikip" in Tagalog can also refer to a crowded or cramped space. | |||
Tight in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mulljata | ||
| Guarani | jopypópe | ||
Tight in International Languages
| Esperanto | streĉita | ||
| The word "streĉita" in Esperanto can also mean "stretched" or "tense". | |||
| Latin | stricta | ||
| Derived from the Latin word 'stringere' (to draw tight), 'stricta' also means 'drawn', 'bound', or 'narrow' in certain contexts. | |||
Tight in Others Languages
| Greek | σφιχτός | ||
| The word "σφιχτός" (tight) is related to the verb "σφίγγω" (to squeeze) and the noun "σφίγμα" (constriction). | |||
| Hmong | nruj | ||
| In Hmong, "nruj" not only means "tight" but also refers to something that is "dense" or "crowded". | |||
| Kurdish | zixt | ||
| The Kurdish word "zixt" is derived from Middle Persian and originally meant "strong," "powerful," or "hard." | |||
| Turkish | sıkı | ||
| The word "sıkı" also means "solid" or "dense" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | iqine | ||
| While the word "iqine" primarily means "tight" in Xhosa, it can also refer to someone who is stingy or reluctant to spend money. | |||
| Yiddish | ענג | ||
| Yiddish "ענג" derives from Old High German "engi" meaning "near" or "narrow," and is related to English "narrow" and "strait. | |||
| Zulu | ziqinile | ||
| The word 'ziqinile' can also refer to a person who is very secretive or who keeps their emotions close to their chest. | |||
| Assamese | টান | ||
| Aymara | mulljata | ||
| Bhojpuri | सकेत | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަންދު | ||
| Dogri | कासमां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masikip | ||
| Guarani | jopypópe | ||
| Ilocano | nairut | ||
| Krio | tayt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تووند | ||
| Maithili | कसल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯆꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tawt | ||
| Oromo | cimsee qabuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଠିନ | ||
| Quechua | kichki | ||
| Sanskrit | सुश्लिष्टः | ||
| Tatar | тыгыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ፀቢብ | ||
| Tsonga | boha swinene | ||