Twin in Different Languages
Discover 'Twin' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'twin' holds a special place in our hearts and minds, often evoking thoughts of symmetry, connection, and shared experiences. This concept has been celebrated across cultures, finding expression in various forms of art, literature, and tradition. Understanding the translation of 'twin' in different languages not only broadens our linguistic abilities but also deepens our appreciation for the cultural significance of this fascinating concept.
For instance, in Spanish, 'twin' is 'gemelo' or 'gemela' (for males and females, respectively). In French, it becomes 'jumeau' or 'jumelle', and in German, 'Zwilling' captures the idea of two beings united by a unique bond. These translations offer a glimpse into how different languages and cultures perceive and express the concept of twinhood.
Explore the list below to discover the translations of 'twin' in various languages, and gain a richer understanding of the cultural importance of this remarkable word.
Twin
Twin in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tweeling | ||
| The word "tweeling" in Afrikaans derives from the Dutch word "tweeling", which is a diminutive form of "twee", meaning "two". | |||
| Amharic | መንትያ | ||
| In Amharic, the word መንትያ not only refers to twins but can also mean "a pair of similar things." | |||
| Hausa | tagwaye | ||
| In Hausa, the word "tagwaye" is also used figuratively to refer to two closely related entities, such as the two parts of a pair of scissors. | |||
| Igbo | ejima | ||
| The Igbo word "ejima" also denotes a pair of identical things like two shoes, two eyes, etc. | |||
| Malagasy | kambana | ||
| The word "kambana" can also mean "pair" or "double" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mapasa | ||
| The Nyanja word 'mapasa' can also refer to a 'pair' of anything, not just twins. | |||
| Shona | mapatya | ||
| In Shona, "mapatya" is also used to describe "two objects with a common shape". | |||
| Somali | mataano | ||
| In Somali, the word "mataano" refers to identical or fraternal twins, and it is derived from the Proto-Somali root "*matan-", which means "to resemble" or "to be like". | |||
| Sesotho | lefahla | ||
| The word "lefahla" can also refer to a mirror image or double of something. | |||
| Swahili | pacha | ||
| In Swahili, 'pacha' not only means 'twin' but also a kind of plant commonly known as 'twin plant' or 'devil's claw'. | |||
| Xhosa | amawele | ||
| Yoruba | ibeji | ||
| The word 'ibeji' originally referred to twins born after a set of triplets | |||
| Zulu | iwele | ||
| The Zulu word "iwele" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-ele-, which also means "to join" or "to be united." | |||
| Bambara | filanin | ||
| Ewe | twin | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impanga | ||
| Lingala | lipasa | ||
| Luganda | twin | ||
| Sepedi | mafahla | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twin | ||
Twin in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التوأم | ||
| The word 'التوأم' (twin) comes from the Arabic root 'تا', which means 'to follow' or 'to come after', indicating two individuals arriving subsequently. | |||
| Hebrew | תְאוֹם | ||
| In Hebrew, "תְאוֹם" ("twin") is derived from the root "תאֹם," meaning "similarity" or "likeness." | |||
| Pashto | دوه | ||
| In Pashto, the word "دوه" (twin) also refers to double objects, such as a double room or a double mattress. | |||
| Arabic | التوأم | ||
| The word 'التوأم' (twin) comes from the Arabic root 'تا', which means 'to follow' or 'to come after', indicating two individuals arriving subsequently. | |||
Twin in Western European Languages
| Albanian | binjak | ||
| The word "binjak" in Albanian also means "mirror image" and is used to describe a perfect match or resemblance between two things. | |||
| Basque | bikia | ||
| In Proto-Basque, the word *biki- meant "pair", from which we derive the words "bikia" and "bikoti" that still exist today. | |||
| Catalan | bessó | ||
| Catalan word "bessó" derives from Latin "bissus" (double), also related to Latin "gemini" (twins). | |||
| Croatian | blizanac | ||
| The word "blizanac" also means "close up" in Croatian, referring to the proximity of twins. | |||
| Danish | tvilling | ||
| Tvilling comes from the Old Norse word "tví-burr", meaning "two-borne". | |||
| Dutch | tweeling | ||
| "Tweeling" is also sometimes used in Dutch to refer to Siamese twins. | |||
| English | twin | ||
| In Old English, 'twin' meant 'two-fold' or 'two-of-a-kind', and was not limited to human siblings | |||
| French | double | ||
| "Double" comes from the Latin word "duplex," which means "twofold" or "double." | |||
| Frisian | twilling | ||
| In Frisian, a "twilling" can also refer to a young boy or girl who is still unmarried. | |||
| Galician | xemelgo | ||
| In addition to "twin", "xemelgo" also means a "pair" or a "couple" of something in Galician. | |||
| German | zwilling | ||
| The word "Zwilling" can also refer to a pair of pliers or tongs, deriving from the Middle High German "zwilinc" meaning "double, paired". | |||
| Icelandic | tvíburi | ||
| In the sagas, 'tvíburi' could also refer to two closely-related persons or siblings, not exclusively twin brothers | |||
| Irish | cúpla | ||
| The Irish word 'cúpla' can also refer to a pair of things. | |||
| Italian | gemello | ||
| The Italian word "gemello" (twin) derives from the Latin word "geminus" (twin), which shares the same root as "gemini" (twins, the zodiac sign). | |||
| Luxembourgish | zwilling | ||
| The word "Zwilling" can also refer to a couple who are not married or two people who are very similar in appearance or character. | |||
| Maltese | tewmin | ||
| The Maltese word "tewmin" can also refer to a pair of objects or a group of two people. | |||
| Norwegian | tvilling | ||
| The Norwegian word "tvilling" has a Proto-Germanic root, "*twizlinga-," meaning "one of two", or "double." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gêmeo | ||
| In Portuguese, "gêmeo" can also refer to one of the two halves of a pair, such as gloves or shoes. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | càraid | ||
| 'Càraid' can refer to a platonic friend, lover, or a person with the same parents and a different father. | |||
| Spanish | gemelo | ||
| The word "gemelo" comes from the Latin word "gemellus", meaning "twin" or "double". | |||
| Swedish | tvilling- | ||
| The Swedish word "tvilling" can also refer to a child that is born from two different fathers. | |||
| Welsh | gefell | ||
| The word 'gefell' is also used as a term of endearment between close friends or family members. | |||
Twin in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | двайняты | ||
| Двайняты comes from the Belarusian word "двойня" ("pair") and is also used to refer to a group of three or more children born at the same time. | |||
| Bosnian | blizanac | ||
| The word 'blizanac' can refer to a double cherry or double plum, with two attached fruits resembling twins. | |||
| Bulgarian | близнак | ||
| Близнaк may refer either to twins (близнаци) or to Gemini (zodiac sign) (Зодия Близнаци). | |||
| Czech | dvojče | ||
| The word "dvojče" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "dvojь", meaning "two" or "pair". | |||
| Estonian | kaksik | ||
| The Estonian word "kaksik" also refers to a pair of playing cards of the same rank. | |||
| Finnish | kaksoset | ||
| Kaksoset derives from the word "kaksois", meaning "double", and refers to a pair of individuals or objects that originate together or share a common origin. | |||
| Hungarian | iker- | ||
| The word "iker-" in Hungarian comes from the Proto-Indo-European word *dwiko-, meaning "two" or "pair". | |||
| Latvian | dvīņi | ||
| Latvian "dvīņi" comes from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word *dъvěnē, meaning "one of a pair or set." | |||
| Lithuanian | dvynis | ||
| "Dvynis" also means "Gemini" in the context of astrology. | |||
| Macedonian | близнак | ||
| The word "близнак" in Macedonian also has the meaning of "double" or "pair". | |||
| Polish | bliźniak | ||
| The word "bliźniak" also means "a twin flame" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | gemeni | ||
| The Romanian word "gemeni" comes from Latin "geminus" which can also mean "double, similar" | |||
| Russian | близнец | ||
| The word "близнец" can also refer to the constellation Gemini or the zodiac sign of a person born between May 21 and June 21. | |||
| Serbian | близанац | ||
| The word 'близанац' (twin) has an alternate meaning in Serbian: a person who likes to be close and friendly with someone. | |||
| Slovak | dvojča | ||
| The Slovak word "dvojča" originates from the Proto-Slavic word "*dъvojь", meaning "a couple", and is thus etymologically unrelated to the English word "twin", which derives from the Old English word "twinn", meaning "two". | |||
| Slovenian | dvojčka | ||
| The word "dvojčka" literally translates to "one who doubles" or "pair of doubles" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | близнюк | ||
| The word 'близнюк' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *близъ, meaning 'near' or 'close'. | |||
Twin in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | যমজ | ||
| The term 'যমজ' shares a common origin with the Sanskrit term 'यम' (Yama), the Hindu god of death and the underworld, potentially suggesting a connection to the idea of life and its counterpart. | |||
| Gujarati | જોડિયા | ||
| The word "જોડિયા" is the Gujarati equivalent of the Sanskrit word "युग्म" meaning "pair". It is also used in a figurative sense to mean "companion" or "partner". | |||
| Hindi | जुड़वां | ||
| The word जुड़वां (twin) is derived from the Sanskrit word युज् (yuj), meaning 'to join' or 'to unite'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅವಳಿ | ||
| The word 'ಅವಳಿ' in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अवल' meaning 'pair' or 'couple'. | |||
| Malayalam | ഇരട്ട | ||
| "ഇരട്ട" also means "double, twofold" in Malayalam | |||
| Marathi | जुळे | ||
| Marathi जुळे likely derives from Skt युग्म 'pair' via the Prakrit जुग्गम, and it can also mean 'mate' or 'a pair of similar things' | |||
| Nepali | जुम्ल्याहा | ||
| जुम्ल्याहा also means "a pair of similar things" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜੌੜੇ | ||
| The word "ਜੌੜੇ" also refers to a pair of bullocks used for plowing in Punjab, which is likely due to their close working relationship. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිවුන් | ||
| The Sinhala word 'නිවුන්' also means 'joined together' or 'connected'. | |||
| Tamil | இரட்டை | ||
| "இரட்டை" in Tamil can also refer to a pair of oxen or a pair of something in general. | |||
| Telugu | జంట | ||
| The word "జంట" in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "यम" (yama), meaning "pair" or "twin". | |||
| Urdu | جڑواں | ||
| The Urdu word 'جڑواں' ('twin') can also mean 'pair', 'couple', or 'two similar things'. | |||
Twin in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 双胞胎 | ||
| 双胞胎字面意为“双胞”，也指两个相同的事物或概念。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 雙胞胎 | ||
| The word 「雙胞胎」can also refer to two items that are closely related, like two sides of a coin or two peas in a pod. | |||
| Japanese | ツイン | ||
| The word for "twin" in Japanese, "twin", comes from the English word "twin". The word is often used as a noun, but can also be used as an adjective. | |||
| Korean | 쌍 | ||
| The Korean word 쌍 (twin) can also refer to a pair, set, or double. | |||
| Mongolian | ихэр | ||
| Mongolic *eke-r/*ekir, possibly from Proto-Tungusic *keke/*kiki with assimilation or Proto-Mongolian *gekir/ *geki, both ultimately from Proto-Altaic *gege/*gigi meaning "sister's child", cognate with Turkish ikiz and Korean gegeu "twin" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမွှာ | ||
| "အမွှာ" is also derived from the Pali word "amacca" and can refer to a personal attendant or advisor. | |||
Twin in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kembar | ||
| The word "kembar" in Indonesian can also refer to the concept of duality, such as the two sides of a coin or the opposing forces of nature. | |||
| Javanese | kembar | ||
| In Javanese, "kembar" also refers to the number two, representing the duality of twins. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្លោះ | ||
| ភ្លោះ can also mean "to be the same size" or "to be in the same group". | |||
| Lao | ແຝດ | ||
| The Lao word for twin, ແຝດ, may also refer to a pair of bananas that grow together or a matched set of utensils or clothing. | |||
| Malay | kembar | ||
| The word 'kembar' also means 'double' or 'pair' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | แฝด | ||
| "แฝด" comes from "แผ่ด" meaning "to spread" from the spreading of the Siamese Crocodiles' tails during mating season. | |||
| Vietnamese | sinh đôi | ||
| Sinh đôi có nghĩa là “đẻ hai con trong một lần sinh con”, đôi khi cũng chỉ dùng để gọi một trong hai đứa trẻ song sinh. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kambal | ||
Twin in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əkiz | ||
| The word "əkiz" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "ekiz," meaning "to be born together." | |||
| Kazakh | егіз | ||
| There is a theory that the word 'егіз' is derived from the ancient Turkic word 'егізү', meaning 'to double' or 'to be doubled'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | эгиз | ||
| "Egiz" is related to the Mongolian word "ejig" meaning "elder brother" and the Tuvan word "ezi" meaning "mother" | |||
| Tajik | дугоник | ||
| The word "дугоник" in Tajik can also mean "a pair of things that are identical in shape or size". | |||
| Turkmen | ekiz | ||
| Uzbek | egizak | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "egizak" can also refer to two children with the same birthday but not necessarily twins. | |||
| Uyghur | twin | ||
Twin in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | māhoe | ||
| The word "māhoe" in Hawaiian also refers to a sticky sap extracted from the bark of the māhoe tree, used as glue. | |||
| Maori | mahanga | ||
| The word "mahanga" can also refer to an identical person or a reflection in a mirror. | |||
| Samoan | masaga | ||
| Masaga may also refer to a pair of fishhooks tied together. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kambal | ||
| According to Loarca, another meaning for "kambal" among the Kapampangans referred to the "children of a slave and a freeman and their descendants for four generations." | |||
Twin in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | gemelo | ||
| Guarani | gemelo | ||
Twin in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĝemelo | ||
| The word "ĝemelo" also means "one of a pair of equal but opposite things". | |||
| Latin | geminae | ||
| The word 'geminae' derives from the Latin root 'gem-' meaning 'to produce' or 'to bring forth' and is related to words like 'germen' (bud) and 'genesis' (origin). | |||
Twin in Others Languages
| Greek | δίδυμο | ||
| Δίδυμο also refers to the constellation and zodiac sign Gemini and two adjacent mountain peaks in Crete. | |||
| Hmong | ntxaib | ||
| The Hmong word "ntxaib" is related to the word for "to bear or give birth" | |||
| Kurdish | cêwî | ||
| In Kurdish, 'cêwî' can also refer to a pair of something, such as shoes or socks. | |||
| Turkish | ikiz | ||
| Ikiz shares its Proto-Turkic root with the verb | |||
| Xhosa | amawele | ||
| Yiddish | צווילינג | ||
| The word "tsvilling" (צווילינג) is a Yiddish term for "twin" which is derived from the German word "Zwilling". | |||
| Zulu | iwele | ||
| The Zulu word "iwele" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-ele-, which also means "to join" or "to be united." | |||
| Assamese | যমজ | ||
| Aymara | gemelo | ||
| Bhojpuri | जुड़वाँ बच्चा के नाम बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޓްވިން އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | जुड़वाँ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kambal | ||
| Guarani | gemelo | ||
| Ilocano | singin | ||
| Krio | twin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دوانە | ||
| Maithili | जुड़वाँ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇ꯭ꯔꯤꯅꯤꯇꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | twin a ni | ||
| Oromo | lamaan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯାଆଁଳା | ||
| Quechua | gemelo | ||
| Sanskrit | द्विजः | ||
| Tatar | игезәк | ||
| Tigrinya | ማንታ | ||
| Tsonga | mawele | ||