Touch in Different Languages
Discover 'Touch' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'touch' holds a profound significance in our daily lives, signifying the physical sensation of contact between two objects or beings. It goes beyond the mere act of feeling, as it plays a crucial role in building connections, expressing emotions, and conveying empathy. Throughout history, the power of touch has been recognized in various cultural contexts, from the healing touch of a physician to the tender touch of a loved one.
Given the importance of touch, it's no wonder that people might want to know its translation in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, touch is 'tocar', while in French, it's 'toucher'. In German, the word for touch is 'berühren', and in Japanese, it's 'ささやく' (sasayaku).
By learning the translation of touch in different languages, we not only expand our vocabulary but also deepen our appreciation for the cultural nuances surrounding this universal human experience.
Touch
Touch in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | raak | ||
| The word "raak" in Afrikaans originates from the Dutch word "raken", meaning "to touch, hit, or attain". | |||
| Amharic | መንካት | ||
| The Amharic word መንካት (menkat) also means 'contagion' or 'infection'. | |||
| Hausa | tabawa | ||
| "Tabawa" in Hausa can also refer to a feeling of sadness or melancholy. | |||
| Igbo | metu | ||
| Metu in Igbo can also refer to a physical fight or disagreement. | |||
| Malagasy | mikasika | ||
| The word 'mikasika' can also refer to the act of searching for something by hand. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukhudza | ||
| Kukhudza is also used to mean "pick up" or "collect". | |||
| Shona | bata | ||
| "Bata" also means "to take care of" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | taabasho | ||
| The word "taabasho" can also mean "contact" or "relationship" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | thetsana | ||
| In the plural, -thetsana means 'to be on good terms.' | |||
| Swahili | gusa | ||
| The noun "gusa" also means a "finger" in Swahili, which can explain why verbs like "kugusa" (to touch) and "kugusa gusa" (to caress) exist in the language. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuchukumisa | ||
| In the past ukuchukumisa meant 'to steal' but is now mainly used in the sense of 'to touch'. | |||
| Yoruba | fi ọwọ kan | ||
| The term 'fi ọwọ kan' (touch) may also be used in a figurative sense to denote the act of influencing, guiding, or having a controlling effect on someone or something. | |||
| Zulu | thinta | ||
| In Zulu, "thinta" also means "don't interfere" or "keep out". | |||
| Bambara | ka maga | ||
| Ewe | ka asi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukoraho | ||
| Lingala | kosimba | ||
| Luganda | okukwaata | ||
| Sepedi | kgoma | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sɔ mu | ||
Touch in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لمس. اتصال. صلة | ||
| The word "لمس. اتصال. صلة" in Arabic comes from the root "مس" meaning "to touch, to feel, to handle" and can also mean "connection, contact, relation, association, union". | |||
| Hebrew | לגעת | ||
| The word 'לגעת' can also be translated as 'to make contact', 'to get involved' or 'to come into contact' | |||
| Pashto | لمس | ||
| The word "لمس" (touch) in Pashto also means "to feel" or "to experience". | |||
| Arabic | لمس. اتصال. صلة | ||
| The word "لمس. اتصال. صلة" in Arabic comes from the root "مس" meaning "to touch, to feel, to handle" and can also mean "connection, contact, relation, association, union". | |||
Touch in Western European Languages
| Albanian | prek | ||
| The Albanian word "prek" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*prek-*, which also appears in Slavic languages. | |||
| Basque | ukitu | ||
| The word "ukitu" has also been linked to the Proto-Basque root "-(k)it-", meaning "to feel or experience." | |||
| Catalan | tocar | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, 'tocar' in Catalan can also mean 'to ring' (a bell), 'to play' (an instrument), or 'to belong' (to a group). | |||
| Croatian | dodir | ||
| In ancient Slavic languages, the word "dodir" also meant "sense" or "feeling". | |||
| Danish | røre ved | ||
| "Røre ved" can also mean "to concern" or "to have an effect on" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | aanraken | ||
| "Aanraken" originally meant 'to take' or 'to capture,' and it is related to the German word 'anrühren' ('to touch')." | |||
| English | touch | ||
| The word "touch" derives from the Old English term "toccan," meaning "to bring close". | |||
| French | toucher | ||
| The French word "toucher" derives from the Latin "tangere," meaning "to touch," and also carries the additional meanings of "to move" and "to affect emotionally." | |||
| Frisian | oanreitsje | ||
| Oanreitsje, the Frisian word for touch, is originally an archaic word for 'reaching out' | |||
| Galician | tocar | ||
| In Galician, "tocar" also means "to play a musical instrument". | |||
| German | berühren | ||
| The verb "berühren" also means to affect emotionally or to mention briefly. | |||
| Icelandic | snerta | ||
| The word "snerta" in Icelandic also means "to graze, to brush against, to glance off". | |||
| Irish | teagmháil | ||
| Italian | toccare | ||
| From Latin "tangere" meaning "to come into contact with" or "to move or strike lightly". Also used in the sense of "to concern" or "to belong to". In music, it can mean "to play" or "to perform on" an instrument. | |||
| Luxembourgish | beréieren | ||
| The Luxembourgish verb _beréieren_ is derived from the Old High German _ruren_ meaning _to touch_ but can also mean _to concern_ and is cognate with the English _to rove_. | |||
| Maltese | tmiss | ||
| The word "tmiss" is a contraction of the phrase "ta' messa," meaning "it's a touch" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | ta på | ||
| "Ta på" can also mean "to put on", as in clothing or makeup. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tocar | ||
| In Portuguese, "tocar" can also mean "to play (a musical instrument)" or "to phone (someone)". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | suathadh | ||
| The Gaelic word "suathadh" originally referred to light physical contact with the intention of bringing good luck or protection | |||
| Spanish | toque | ||
| The word 'toque' can also mean 'hat' in Spanish, derived from the French word 'toquet'. | |||
| Swedish | rör | ||
| "Rör" also means "pipe" in Swedish, as in the phrase "vattenrör" (water pipe). | |||
| Welsh | cyffwrdd | ||
| The word "cyffwrdd" can also mean "affable" or "kindly" in Welsh. | |||
Touch in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дакранацца | ||
| The word "дакранацца" is a cognate of the Russian word "дотронуться" and has the alternate meaning of "to reach out for". | |||
| Bosnian | dodirnite | ||
| "Dodirnite" also means "do not touch" in Bosnian and is written as "Не додируј" in Serbian and "Ne dodiruj" in Croatian. | |||
| Bulgarian | докосване | ||
| The Bulgarian word "докосване" can also mean "to feel", "to sense", or "to perceive". | |||
| Czech | dotek | ||
| The word "dotek" in Czech also means "feeling" or "contact". | |||
| Estonian | puudutada | ||
| "Puudutada" also means "affect" or "concern" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | kosketus | ||
| The word 'kosketus' (touch) has a broader meaning in Finnish than just physical contact; it can also be used to describe emotional or mental connections. | |||
| Hungarian | érintés | ||
| The Hungarian word "érintés" also means "contact" or "relationship". | |||
| Latvian | pieskarties | ||
| The word "pieskarties" comes from a root word meaning "to approach" or "to come near". Its alternate meanings include "to contact" and "to reach out for". | |||
| Lithuanian | paliesti | ||
| The word "paliesti" in Lithuanian derives from the Proto-Baltic word "palieti,* meaning "to touch," and is related to the Latin word "palpatio," meaning "to touch gently." | |||
| Macedonian | допир | ||
| The Macedonian word "допир" also has the meaning of "contact" in a non-physical sense. | |||
| Polish | dotknąć | ||
| The Polish word "dotknąć" also means "to move" or "to shift". | |||
| Romanian | atingere | ||
| The Romanian word "atingere" derives from the Latin verb "attingere," meaning "to graze" or "to brush against." | |||
| Russian | прикоснуться | ||
| "Прикоснуться" is also used figuratively in Russian, meaning to "affect" or "influence" something. | |||
| Serbian | додирните | ||
| The word "додирните" in Serbian also has a secondary meaning of "to relate to" or "to concern". | |||
| Slovak | dotknúť sa | ||
| "Dotknúť sa" is similar to the Russian "do trogat' | |||
| Slovenian | dotik | ||
| Another meaning of "dotik" is "contact" or "touching each other". | |||
| Ukrainian | дотик | ||
| The word “дотик” (touch) in Ukrainian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dotъkъ, which also means “point” or “mark”. | |||
Touch in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্পর্শ | ||
| "স্পর্শ" (touch) comes from Sanskrit "स्पर्श" (sparsha), which can also mean "sense of touch" or "contact". | |||
| Gujarati | સ્પર્શ | ||
| "સ્પર્શ" also refers to the sense of touch or the ability to perceive physical contact. | |||
| Hindi | स्पर्श | ||
| स्पर्श (sparśa) is cognate with the Sanskrit verb 'sprś' (to touch), from the Proto-Indo-European root *spers-, which also gives rise to the English word 'sparse'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಪರ್ಶ | ||
| The alternative meaning of "ಸ್ಪರ್ಶ" includes "love" or "feeling". | |||
| Malayalam | സ്പർശിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | स्पर्श | ||
| स्पर्श (sparsh) is a Sanskrit and Marathi word that means 'touch', but it can also refer to the sense of touch, contact, or a connection. | |||
| Nepali | टच | ||
| The archaic verb 'टिँची' refers to scratching or drawing patterns, while 'टोकी' originally meant 'to pick up'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਛੂਹ | ||
| The word 'ਛੂਹ' ('touch') in Punjabi also means 'feeling' or 'emotion'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්පර්ශ කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | தொடு | ||
| "தொடு" is a Tamil verb meaning "to touch", but is also used in the sense of "to begin", "to start", or "to initiate". | |||
| Telugu | తాకండి | ||
| "తాకండి" is derived from the verb "తాకు" (to touch) and means "touch" or "make contact with". However, it can also be used figuratively to refer to "affect" or "influence". | |||
| Urdu | ٹچ | ||
| The word "ٹچ" in Urdu can also mean "to join" or "to be connected to". | |||
Touch in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 触摸 | ||
| 触摸 can also mean 'to play a musical instrument'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 觸摸 | ||
| Japanese | 接する | ||
| 接する can also refer to the act of contacting someone or something, such as a person or organization. | |||
| Korean | 접촉 | ||
| The word "접촉" also means "contact" or "connection" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хүрэх | ||
| In Mongolian, the verb form of the word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိ | ||
| The word "ထိ" (touch) in Myanmar (Burmese) can also mean "to feel" or "to reach". | |||
Touch in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menyentuh | ||
| Menyentuh, when used adjectivally, also means "moving", as in "hati yang menyentuh" or "a moving heart" | |||
| Javanese | tutul | ||
| "Tutul" also means "to meet" in Javanese, highlighting the significance of interpersonal connections and the concept of encountering another person on a deeper level beyond superficial contact. | |||
| Khmer | ប៉ះ | ||
| The word "ប៉ះ" in Khmer can also mean "to connect", "to join", or "to be in contact with". | |||
| Lao | ແຕະ | ||
| The Lao word "ແຕະ" also means "to apply makeup" or "to put on a patch on someone's body for medicinal purposes" | |||
| Malay | sentuhan | ||
| The word "sentuhan" can also mean "a hint or suggestion", or "a contact or connection". | |||
| Thai | สัมผัส | ||
| The word "สัมผัส" also means "to experience" or "to feel". | |||
| Vietnamese | chạm | ||
| "Chạm" also means to graze (a surface), to collide with, to meet, or to happen.} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hawakan | ||
Touch in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | toxun | ||
| In Turkish, the word "dokun" also means "touch" but it is not related to the Azerbaijani word "toxun" | |||
| Kazakh | түрту | ||
| The Kazakh word "түрту" has no alternate meanings and is solely used to denote the action of touching. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тийүү | ||
| The word 'тийүү' in Kyrgyz, besides meaning 'touch', can also refer to 'reaching out' or 'feeling'. | |||
| Tajik | ламс кунед | ||
| In Tajik, the verb "ламс кунед" (touch) is derived from the Persian word "lamse kardann," which also means "to feel" or "to experience." | |||
| Turkmen | degmek | ||
| Uzbek | teginish | ||
| The word "teginish" in Uzbek can also refer to a "feeling" or "sensation". | |||
| Uyghur | touch | ||
Touch in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻopā | ||
| Hawaiian word "hoʻopā" (touch) also means "to affect, influence, or cause to happen". | |||
| Maori | pa | ||
| The Maori word "pa" also means "fortified village" or "enclosure". | |||
| Samoan | tago | ||
| The word 'tago' can also mean 'hit', 'tap', or 'push' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hawakan | ||
| The Tagalog word "hawakan" (to touch) is related to the Malay word "pegang" (to hold). | |||
Touch in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tuki | ||
| Guarani | poko | ||
Touch in International Languages
| Esperanto | tuŝi | ||
| The word "tuŝi" in Esperanto also has the alternate meaning of "to affect" or "to influence". | |||
| Latin | tactus | ||
| The Latin word "tactus" is the root of the English word "contact" | |||
Touch in Others Languages
| Greek | αφή | ||
| In ancient Greek, "αφή" also referred to "feeling" or "emotion". | |||
| Hmong | kov | ||
| The word "kov" also means "to knock" or "to hit" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | pêbûn | ||
| The word “pêbûn” can also mean “to make contact with” or “to get in touch with”. | |||
| Turkish | dokunma | ||
| "Dokunma" also means "don't touch" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuchukumisa | ||
| In the past ukuchukumisa meant 'to steal' but is now mainly used in the sense of 'to touch'. | |||
| Yiddish | אָנרירן | ||
| The verb "אָנרירן" ("onriren") is also used in the sense of "to get involved in something", especially in a negative way, like "don't touch it!" | |||
| Zulu | thinta | ||
| In Zulu, "thinta" also means "don't interfere" or "keep out". | |||
| Assamese | স্পৰ্শ | ||
| Aymara | tuki | ||
| Bhojpuri | छूअऽ | ||
| Dhivehi | އަތްލުން | ||
| Dogri | छूहना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hawakan | ||
| Guarani | poko | ||
| Ilocano | sagiden | ||
| Krio | tɔch | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەست لێدان | ||
| Maithili | छूनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯦꯡꯕꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | khawih | ||
| Oromo | tuquu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ପର୍ଶ କରନ୍ତୁ | | ||
| Quechua | tuqpina | ||
| Sanskrit | स्पर्श | ||
| Tatar | кагылу | ||
| Tigrinya | ምንካእ | ||
| Tsonga | khumba | ||