Tree in Different Languages
Discover 'Tree' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Trees have been a source of fascination and reverence for humans since the dawn of time. They are not only essential for our planet's health and survival, but they also hold great cultural and spiritual significance across the globe. From the ancient Celtic tree alphabet to the sacred Bodhi tree of Buddhism, trees have been symbols of wisdom, growth, and continuity in many cultures.
Moreover, the word 'tree' itself is fascinating, with numerous translations and connotations in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, it's 'árbol,' while in German, it's 'Baum.' In Japanese, the word 'ki' means 'tree,' but it also refers to the concept of life force or energy. Similarly, in Hindi, 'vriksha' means tree, and it's a term of endearment for someone who is strong and reliable.
Exploring the translations of 'tree' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and linguistic curiosities. So, let's delve into the diverse and fascinating world of the word 'tree' in various languages!
Tree
Tree in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | boom | ||
| In Afrikaans, "boom" also means "barrier" or "obstacle" | |||
| Amharic | ዛፍ | ||
| The Amharic word ዛፍ (tree) originates from an ancient Semitic root signifying 'growth' or 'flourishing,' and its cognates can be found in other Semitic languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic. | |||
| Hausa | itace | ||
| Itace is derived from the root "it" meaning "stand" and is also used to refer to a pillar or post. | |||
| Igbo | osisi | ||
| Osisi, meaning 'tree' in Igbo, is derived from the Proto-Benue-Congo root *si, indicating plant life and vegetation. | |||
| Malagasy | hazo | ||
| "Hazo" also means "the trunk of a tree" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtengo | ||
| The word "mtengo" in Nyanja (Chichewa) originates from the Proto-Bantu root "-tenga" meaning "to be erect, stand." | |||
| Shona | muti | ||
| The word muti can also refer to a pole used for fencing, or a stick. | |||
| Somali | geed | ||
| The term 'geed' also signifies life, endurance, and strength in Somali culture, reflecting the profound relationship between trees and human society. | |||
| Sesotho | sefate | ||
| "sefate" or other forms such as "sefate"/"mefata"/"lifate" derives from a single common root, -fata, which is associated with a state or condition (condition of length). | |||
| Swahili | mti | ||
| The Swahili term "mti" derives from Proto-Bantu Bantu "*muti", originally meaning "medicine" or "tree used for medicine." | |||
| Xhosa | umthi | ||
| Umthi also refers to trees as a collective of people or a generation of people. | |||
| Yoruba | igi | ||
| The word 'igi' can also refer to the trunk or branches of a tree, or to the wood from which they are made. | |||
| Zulu | isihlahla | ||
| The Zulu word 'isihlahla' can also refer to a person or a family lineage. | |||
| Bambara | yiri | ||
| Ewe | ati | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igiti | ||
| Lingala | nzete | ||
| Luganda | omuti | ||
| Sepedi | mohlare | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dua | ||
Tree in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شجرة | ||
| The word "شجرة" has many meanings in Arabic, including tree, bush, shrub, and plant. | |||
| Hebrew | עֵץ | ||
| In Hebrew, עֵץ (etz) not only refers to trees but also to wood, timber, and any rigid or strong object made of wood. | |||
| Pashto | ونه | ||
| The Pashto word for "tree" ("ونه") derives from the Proto-Indo-Iranian term *wr̥kṣa-, meaning "tree" or "wood." | |||
| Arabic | شجرة | ||
| The word "شجرة" has many meanings in Arabic, including tree, bush, shrub, and plant. | |||
Tree in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pemë | ||
| The Albanian word "pemë" has a cognate in Latin "pomus" and is related to English "pomology" (the study of fruit and fruit trees). | |||
| Basque | zuhaitza | ||
| The word 'zuhaitza' in Basque shares its root with the word for 'pillar', indicating the importance of trees as structural elements in traditional Basque houses. | |||
| Catalan | arbre | ||
| "Arbre" in Catalan can refer either to a tree as a living plant, or to a wooden mast on a ship. | |||
| Croatian | stablo | ||
| Stablo means 'tree' in Croatian, but is related to the words 'stand', 'stop' and 'stable' as it refers to something that is firmly rooted in the ground. | |||
| Danish | træ | ||
| The word "træ" also means "wood" or "timber". | |||
| Dutch | boom | ||
| It originated as a euphemism for a gallows and also means the act of hitting, knocking, or pounding. | |||
| English | tree | ||
| The word "tree" comes from the Old English word "trēow," which originally meant "wood" or "timber." | |||
| French | arbre | ||
| The word 'arbre' in French also refers to the mast of a ship and to the genealogical tree. | |||
| Frisian | beam | ||
| The Frisian word "beam," which means "beam" and is cognate with the English "beam" of the same meaning and the English "beam" meaning "ray of light," is related to the Greek language word "phos," meaning "light." | |||
| Galician | árbore | ||
| "Árbode" (tree) probably derives from "arbos" (tree in Gaulish Latin; the origin of modern Galician "árbole"), a word of Celtic origin; hence, it is cognate with the word "arbre" meaning "tree" in Catalan and Spanish | |||
| German | baum | ||
| The word "Baum" also has the alternate meaning of "master builder" in German and is cognate with the English word "beam" | |||
| Icelandic | tré | ||
| The word 'tré' has additional meanings beyond 'tree', including 'wood' or 'timber' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | crann | ||
| The word "crann" in Irish ultimately derives from the Proto-Celtic "*kranno-," meaning both "tree" and "wood". | |||
| Italian | albero | ||
| The word "albero" in Italian shares its etymology with the Latin word "arbor", and in some contexts can also mean "mast" (of a ship). | |||
| Luxembourgish | bam | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Bam" can refer to any large plant with a woody stem or trunk. | |||
| Maltese | siġra | ||
| The word "siġra" comes from the Arabic word "shajarah", which also means "tree". | |||
| Norwegian | tre | ||
| The word "tre" is also a homonym for the number three in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | árvore | ||
| "árvore" is a cognate of the Latin word "arbor" which also means "tree". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | craobh | ||
| “Craobh” can be also used to refer to family relations as ancestors (in which case it is always preceded by “cinnidh,” as in “cinnidh craobh” – “ancestor” – literally: “family tree”). | |||
| Spanish | árbol | ||
| "Árbol" also means "mast" of a ship or "axle" of a carriage in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | träd | ||
| In Swedish, "träd" comes from the Old Norse word "træ", which also meant "wooden beam". | |||
| Welsh | coeden | ||
| "Coeden" also refers to a "grove of trees" or a "wood" in Welsh. | |||
Tree in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дрэва | ||
| The word "дрэва" likely derives from the Indo-European root "*drewh-", meaning "wood" or "tree". | |||
| Bosnian | drvo | ||
| "Drvo" also means "wood" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | дърво | ||
| The Slavic word “дърво” (“tree”) also means “timber, wood, or firewood.” | |||
| Czech | strom | ||
| The word "strom" also means "current" or "flow" in Czech, as in "electricity" or "water. | |||
| Estonian | puu | ||
| "Puu" can also mean "a wooden stick used for hitting" and "a kind of spirit" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | puu | ||
| "Puu" also means "stick", such as a matchstick or a stick of wood on fire. | |||
| Hungarian | fa | ||
| Hungarian "fa" also means "wooden" or "wood" and is cognate with the English word "fire". | |||
| Latvian | koks | ||
| The word "koks" in Latvian originates from the Indo-European root "*keh₂-", meaning "stake" or "pole". | |||
| Lithuanian | medis | ||
| "Medis" can also figuratively refer to a person or a family that has deep roots in a particular place or community. | |||
| Macedonian | дрво | ||
| The word "дрво" is derived from Proto-Slavic *dervъ, meaning both "tree" and "wood." | |||
| Polish | drzewo | ||
| The word "drzewo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *drevъ, meaning "wood" or "timber." | |||
| Romanian | copac | ||
| The word "copac" comes from the Albanian word "kupë" and originally meant "stem". Alternatively, it can also refer to a device used to pull in a fishing net or an instrument for crushing flax and hemp. | |||
| Russian | дерево | ||
| The word 'дерево' has roots in many Slavic languages and its literal meaning used to be 'a substance growing in one place'. | |||
| Serbian | дрво | ||
| The Serbian word "дрво" not only means "tree", but also refers to a large piece of wood. | |||
| Slovak | strom | ||
| The word "strom" in Slovak also means "pillar", "column", or "pole". | |||
| Slovenian | drevo | ||
| The Slovenian word 'drevo' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'dьrvo' and also refers to the cosmic tree of life in Slavic mythology. | |||
| Ukrainian | дерево | ||
| The Ukrainian word "дерево" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*deru-," meaning "firm," "solid," or "wood." | |||
Tree in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গাছ | ||
| "গাছ" means "plant" in Bengali, and also refers to a "stake". | |||
| Gujarati | વૃક્ષ | ||
| In the ancient Sanskrit language, the word "वृक्ष" (vrksa) meant "to grow, to cover," and was related to the Greek "δρυς" (drys), also meaning "tree, wood," and to the Latin "robur," meaning "oak." | |||
| Hindi | पेड़ | ||
| "पेड़" derives from the Sanskrit word पाद /पाद:, meaning "foot," because they are firmly rooted to the ground. | |||
| Kannada | ಮರ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಮರ" is also used to refer to the wooden doorframe or wooden crossbeam for a doorway or window in a house. | |||
| Malayalam | വൃക്ഷം | ||
| The word "വൃക്ഷം" (tree) is also used to refer to a "clan" or "family" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | झाड | ||
| झाड (jhāḍ) and वृक्ष (vṛkṣa) are both Sanskrit terms for 'tree', but झाड generally denotes a smaller plant while वृक्ष is used for larger ones. | |||
| Nepali | रूख | ||
| The word "tree" in Nepali, "रूख", also means "obstacle" or "problem". | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੁੱਖ | ||
| The word "ਰੁੱਖ" (tree) in Punjabi has its roots in the Sanskrit word "वृक्ष" (vṛkṣa), meaning "to grow" or "to increase." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගස | ||
| As the name suggests, 'ගස' ('tree') can also mean 'body'. | |||
| Tamil | மரம் | ||
| "Maram" (tree) in Tamil also represents a person who speaks truth and wisdom as a synonym as well an elder person as one of several meanings. | |||
| Telugu | చెట్టు | ||
| "చెట్టు" is a word used in Telugu to describe a tree, but it also has the alternate meaning of "to stand up or to rise". | |||
| Urdu | درخت | ||
| In Persian the word "درخت" comes from the word "در" (door, gate) and "خت" (closure), referring to the way trees block the path and create shade like a closed gate. | |||
Tree in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 树 | ||
| 树 originally meant "residence", but the character is now used to represent the concept of "tree" | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 樹 | ||
| In traditional Chinese, the word 樹 can also refer to "planting" or "setting up" something. | |||
| Japanese | 木 | ||
| The character 木 (tree) also appears in words like 林 (forest) and 柴 (firewood). | |||
| Korean | 나무 | ||
| '나무' originally denoted a branch, and then spread to larger meanings including a bush and a tree. | |||
| Mongolian | мод | ||
| The Mongolian word "мод" (mod), meaning "tree", shares the same root as the English word "meadow". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သစ်ပင် | ||
Tree in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pohon | ||
| Although "pohon" means "tree" in Indonesian, the word can also refer to other large plants like bamboo. | |||
| Javanese | wit | ||
| The word "wit" in Javanese also means "knowledge" or "wisdom". | |||
| Khmer | ដើមឈើ | ||
| There is a Khmer word for | |||
| Lao | ຕົ້ນໄມ້ | ||
| Malay | pokok | ||
| The word "pokok" has several homonyms, including "principal" or "basic" (of something) and "item" (in a list). | |||
| Thai | ต้นไม้ | ||
| "ต้น" means "base" or "origin" while "ไม้" means "wood", so "ต้นไม้" literally means "base/origin of wood" (i.e. tree). | |||
| Vietnamese | cây | ||
| Cây also means "plant" or "herb". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | puno | ||
Tree in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ağac | ||
| "Ağac" is related to the word "ağıl". Ağıl initially referred to trees that grew close together and later on to the stables that were made from wood. | |||
| Kazakh | ағаш | ||
| The word 'ағаш' ('tree') has alternate meanings such as 'wood', 'timber', and 'staff' in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дарак | ||
| The word дарак 'tree' is of Turkic origin and also means 'fork' | |||
| Tajik | дарахт | ||
| The word "дарахт" in Tajik comes from the Persian word "درخت" (derakht), which means "tree" and further from the Avestan word "darəga-," which means "firm, solid, stout, strong, enduring, steadfast, long-lived, lasting, firm believer, devout, follower, friend, comrade, ally, assistant, helper, champion, protector, guardian, supporter." | |||
| Turkmen | agaç | ||
| Uzbek | daraxt | ||
| The word "daraxt" is derived from the Persian word "daraxt" and has the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Uyghur | دەرەخ | ||
Tree in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumulāʻau | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kumulāʻau" is also used to refer to a grove, collection, or group of trees. | |||
| Maori | rakau | ||
| The word 'rakau' in Maori also means 'weapon' or 'tool' | |||
| Samoan | laau | ||
| The Samoan word "laau" is an archaic word for plant, and it is still used to mean plant in some dialects. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | puno | ||
| The word "puno" in Tagalog has Austronesian roots and is also used to refer to a post or pillar. | |||
Tree in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | quqa | ||
| Guarani | yvyra | ||
Tree in International Languages
| Esperanto | arbo | ||
| The word "arbo" in Esperanto can also refer to a stand or collection of trees. | |||
| Latin | arbor | ||
| In Latin, 'arbor' can also mean 'axis' or 'center' in addition to 'tree'. | |||
Tree in Others Languages
| Greek | δέντρο | ||
| The Greek word "δέντρο" has possible pre-Greek roots relating to the concept of growth or height. | |||
| Hmong | ntoo | ||
| When used in compound words, the term "ntoo" can also describe items or substances made from wood. | |||
| Kurdish | dar | ||
| The word 'dar' also refers to wood or timber in some contexts, especially in construction or carpentry. | |||
| Turkish | ağaç | ||
| "Ağaç" also means "master" in Ottoman Turkish, especially when referring to the head of a household or a clan. | |||
| Xhosa | umthi | ||
| Umthi also refers to trees as a collective of people or a generation of people. | |||
| Yiddish | בוים | ||
| The Yiddish word "בוים" (boym, pronounced like the English "boy") also refers to a large wooden barrel. | |||
| Zulu | isihlahla | ||
| The Zulu word 'isihlahla' can also refer to a person or a family lineage. | |||
| Assamese | গছ | ||
| Aymara | quqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | पेड़ | ||
| Dhivehi | ގަސް | ||
| Dogri | बूहटा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | puno | ||
| Guarani | yvyra | ||
| Ilocano | kayo | ||
| Krio | tik | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | درەخت | ||
| Maithili | गाछ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯨꯎꯄꯥꯃꯕꯤ | ||
| Mizo | thingkung | ||
| Oromo | muka | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗଛ | ||
| Quechua | sacha | ||
| Sanskrit | वृक्षः | ||
| Tatar | агач | ||
| Tigrinya | ኦም | ||
| Tsonga | nsinya | ||