Unique in Different Languages
Discover 'Unique' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'unique' holds a special place in our vocabulary, signifying something that is one-of-a-kind, unparalleled, and distinct. Its significance extends beyond the realm of language, as it embodies the very essence of individuality and originality. Throughout history, unique ideas and creations have shaped cultures and civilizations, driving humanity forward in its quest for innovation and progress.
Given its importance, it's no wonder that people around the world seek to understand the translation of 'unique' in different languages. After all, language is the vehicle through which we express our thoughts, ideas, and experiences. By understanding the nuances of this word in various languages, we can deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human culture.
For instance, in Spanish, 'unique' translates to 'único.' In French, it's 'unique.' And in German, it's 'einzigartig.' Each of these translations captures the essence of the word 'unique,' while also offering a glimpse into the distinct linguistic and cultural traditions of the people who speak these languages.
In the following list, you'll find the translations of the word 'unique' in over 30 languages. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and enlighten you.
Unique
Unique in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | uniek | ||
| The Afrikaans word "uniek" is derived from the Latin word "unicus", meaning "one of a kind". | |||
| Amharic | ልዩ | ||
| The Amharic word "ልዩ" can also refer to "separate" or "different". | |||
| Hausa | na musamman | ||
| The Hausa word "na musamman" has several meanings, including "one of its kind" and "unmatched." | |||
| Igbo | pụrụ iche | ||
| Malagasy | tsy manam-paharoa | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wapadera | ||
| The Nyanja word 'wapadera' is thought to be derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-pad-' meaning 'to separate'. | |||
| Shona | yakasarudzika | ||
| The word yakasarudzika is composed of two terms, yaka meaning 'one' and sarudzika meaning 'to pick', and thus denotes something picked out uniquely or specifically. | |||
| Somali | gaar ah | ||
| The word "gaar ah" ("unique") in Somali also means "special," "particular," or "rare." | |||
| Sesotho | ikhethang | ||
| The word "ikhethang" was used in the past to distinguish individuals who owned herds of cattle and was later adopted into standard Sesotho where it means "unique" when talking about anything. | |||
| Swahili | kipekee | ||
| Swahili's "kipekee" means "exceptional," a term originally describing rare, exotic goods traded by the Swahili elite. | |||
| Xhosa | eyahlukileyo | ||
| Yoruba | oto | ||
| The word "oto" in Yoruba can also mean "a person who is alone" or "a single thing" | |||
| Zulu | ehlukile | ||
| The word "ehlukile" can also mean "strange" or "unusual" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | kelenpe | ||
| Ewe | tɔxɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | idasanzwe | ||
| Lingala | ya kokamwa | ||
| Luganda | eky'enjawulo | ||
| Sepedi | moswananoši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | soronko | ||
Unique in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فريد | ||
| The name Farid means "unique gem or pearl" in Arabic and is also associated with the idea of "excellence, distinction or superiority" | |||
| Hebrew | ייחודי | ||
| The term "ייחודי" (yichudi) is also used in Jewish mysticism to express a state of spiritual closeness or unity with God. | |||
| Pashto | ځانګړی | ||
| The word "ځانګړی" in Pashto is derived from the Arabic word "خالص" and also means "pure." | |||
| Arabic | فريد | ||
| The name Farid means "unique gem or pearl" in Arabic and is also associated with the idea of "excellence, distinction or superiority" | |||
Unique in Western European Languages
| Albanian | unike | ||
| In Albanian, unike means 'unique', and also 'one of a kind', 'special', or 'rare'. | |||
| Basque | bakarra | ||
| Bakarra also means “all” when used in plural form and in specific contexts. | |||
| Catalan | únic | ||
| Catalan "únic" and Spanish "único" both derive from the Latin word "ūnicus," meaning "single" or "one of a kind." | |||
| Croatian | jedinstven | ||
| The word 'jedinstven' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *edinъ, meaning 'one', and is also related to the words 'jedan' ('one') and 'jedinstvo' ('unity'). | |||
| Danish | enestående | ||
| In an archaic sense, the word "enestående" refers to something located separately and isolated. | |||
| Dutch | uniek | ||
| In Dutch, the word "uniek" also means "odd" or "peculiar". | |||
| English | unique | ||
| Unique originally meant "one of a kind", but now it often means "very special" or "exceptional". | |||
| French | unique | ||
| The French word "unique" originates from the Latin word "unicus", meaning "only one" or "single". | |||
| Frisian | unyk | ||
| The Frisian word "unyk" is of uncertain etymology, but it may come from the same root as the Dutch word "eenig," meaning "alone." | |||
| Galician | único | ||
| In Galician, "único" can also mean "alone" or "solitary."} | |||
| German | einzigartig | ||
| The German word "einzigartig" derives from the Middle High German "einec" ("alone") and "artig" ("of the same kind"), and can also have the connotation of "incomparable." | |||
| Icelandic | einstök | ||
| "Einstök" also means "meanwhile", "for the moment", or even "until further notice". | |||
| Irish | uathúil | ||
| "Uathúil," meaning "solitary" in Gaelic, can be traced back to the Old Celtic "*oita-solios" or "apart from all". | |||
| Italian | unico | ||
| Unico's origin lies in the Latin word 'unus,' signifying 'one' or 'single,' extending its meaning to 'unique' or 'incomparable'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | eenzegaarteg | ||
| The term 'eenzegaarteg' is not only unique in meaning but also in its spelling as it features the trigraph 'eez', which is only found in two other Luxembourgish words: 'eezelt' and 'eezent'. | |||
| Maltese | uniku | ||
| The word "uniku" in Maltese is derived from the Latin word "unicus", meaning "one of a kind" or "single". | |||
| Norwegian | unik | ||
| Norsk språk's "unik" is descended from the Medieval Latin word "unicus," meaning "single" or "only," and a cognate of English "unique." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | único | ||
| "Único" comes from the Latin word "unus," meaning "one," and also means "the only one of its kind" or "exceptional." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gun samhail | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "gun samhail" also means "without parallel". | |||
| Spanish | único | ||
| "Único" derives from the Latin word "unicus," meaning "one, single, individual," and also relates to "unique" in English. | |||
| Swedish | unik | ||
| In Swedish, "unik" is derived from Latin "unicus" (sole, single, or only), and is unrelated to English "unique", which derives from French "unique" (single, or one of a kind). | |||
| Welsh | unigryw | ||
| In a toponymic sense, “unigryw” can mean the hill or mountain that stands alone as a separate entity on the landscape, not forming part of a continuous range. | |||
Unique in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | унікальны | ||
| Bosnian | jedinstven | ||
| The Slavic origin of 'jedinstven' ('единствен') suggests a root denoting 'unity' or 'oneness'. | |||
| Bulgarian | единствен по рода си | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "единствен по рода си" (unique) also means "the only one of its kind". | |||
| Czech | unikátní | ||
| The word "unikátní" is derived from the Latin word "unicus," meaning "sole, one and only," or "singular." | |||
| Estonian | ainulaadne | ||
| The word "ainulaadne" is derived from the words "ainus" (only) and "laadne" (similar), and thus it means "one of a kind" or "matchless". | |||
| Finnish | ainutlaatuinen | ||
| The Finnish word "ainutlaatuinen" literally means "the only kind". | |||
| Hungarian | egyedi | ||
| The word "egyedi" in Hungarian is derived from the phrase "egyed egyedi," meaning "only one of its kind."} | |||
| Latvian | unikāls | ||
| The Latvian word "unikāls" is ultimately derived from the Latin "unicus" (meaning "single" or "one of a kind") and has been borrowed via German. | |||
| Lithuanian | unikalus | ||
| The word "Unikalus" is derived from the Polish word "unikalny". | |||
| Macedonian | уникатен | ||
| The word "уникатен" in Macedonian has a wider meaning than the English word "unique", also encompassing the ideas of "distinctive" and "rare". | |||
| Polish | wyjątkowy | ||
| The word "wyjątkowy" can also mean "exceptional" or "extraordinary" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | unic | ||
| The Romanian word "unic" comes from the Latin word "unicus", meaning "single" or "one of a kind." | |||
| Russian | уникальный | ||
| Russian "уникальный" initially meant "exceptional quality" rather than "one of a kind". | |||
| Serbian | јединствен | ||
| The Serbian word "јединствен" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "единъ", meaning "one" or "only", and is related to the words "единство" (unity) and "јединка" (an individual). | |||
| Slovak | jedinečný | ||
| The word "jedinečný" is derived from the Slavic root "jedin", meaning "one" or "single", and also shares a root with the word "jednota", meaning "unity" or "oneness". | |||
| Slovenian | edinstven | ||
| "Edinstven" is a Slovenian word borrowed from Croatian that also has a meaning "unique or one-of-a-kind". | |||
| Ukrainian | унікальний | ||
| The word "унікальний" in Ukrainian has a broader meaning than "unique" in English, encompassing "exclusive" and "rare." | |||
Unique in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনন্য | ||
| The word "অনন্য" (anonno) is derived from the Sanskrit word "अनन्य" (ananya), which means "without another" or "incomparable." | |||
| Gujarati | અનન્ય | ||
| Hindi | अद्वितीय | ||
| The word "अद्वितीय" comes from Sanskrit and originally meant "having no second", but it can also be used to mean "matchless" or "unparalleled". | |||
| Kannada | ಅನನ್ಯ | ||
| ಅನನ್ಯ originates from two Sanskrit words - 'an' meaning 'not' and 'anya' meaning 'other'. | |||
| Malayalam | അദ്വിതീയമാണ് | ||
| The word "അദ്വിതീയമാണ്" ('unique') literally means 'without a second one' or 'one of its kind' in Sanskrit and Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | अद्वितीय | ||
| The word "अद्वितीय" in Marathi shares its etymological roots with the Sanskrit word "अद्वितीय" meaning "without a second", ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂ewi- " meaning "to divide". | |||
| Nepali | अद्वितीय | ||
| The word "अद्वितीय" also means "unmatched" or "incomparable" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਨੌਖਾ | ||
| The word "ਅਨੌਖਾ" (anokha) is derived from Sanskrit and originally meant "new" or "strange."} | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අද්විතීය | ||
| "අද්විතීය" is derived from Sanskrit and means "without a second", "matchless", or "unequalled". | |||
| Tamil | தனித்துவமான | ||
| Telugu | ఏకైక | ||
| The word "ఏకైక" can also mean "only one" or "one and only". | |||
| Urdu | انوکھا | ||
| The word "انوکھا" is derived from the Persian word "anokha", which means "different" or "unusual." | |||
Unique in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 独特 | ||
| In Japanese Kanji the character "独" can mean "alone", "solitude", a "bachelor" or an "individual", and "特" can mean "something special". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 獨特 | ||
| 獨特 (dútè) is composed of 獨 (dú) meaning "alone" and 特 (tè) meaning "special". | |||
| Japanese | ユニーク | ||
| The word "ユニーク" also means "outstanding" or "unusual" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 독특한 | ||
| 독특한 (dok-teuk-han) is a combination of the words 독 (dok), meaning "poison," and 특 (teuk), meaning "special" or "exclusive." | |||
| Mongolian | өвөрмөц | ||
| Өвөрмөц derives from овөр (excess), meaning 'exceeding' or 'unusually much'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထူးခြား | ||
| The root word "so" in "သီးခြား" means "to cut off" or "to separate", indicating something's distinct and separate nature. | |||
Unique in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | unik | ||
| "Unik" comes from the Javanese word "un" (one) and the Malay word "ik" (different), so it literally means "different from the others". | |||
| Javanese | unik | ||
| In Javanese, the word "unik" also refers to a type of traditional dance that depicts the struggles of two birds or two people. | |||
| Khmer | ប្លែក | ||
| The word 'ប្លែក' in Khmer can be etymologically linked to the Sanskrit term 'vidhvak,' which refers to a learned person or a Brahmin. | |||
| Lao | ເປັນເອກະລັກ | ||
| Malay | unik | ||
| The Malay word "unik" is commonly used for "unique", but can also mean "strange" or "odd." | |||
| Thai | ไม่เหมือนใคร | ||
| The word 'ไม่เหมือนใคร' is composed of three Thai words: 'ไม่' (not), 'เหมือน' (like), and 'ใคร' (who). | |||
| Vietnamese | độc nhất | ||
| "Độc nhất" also means "poisonous" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kakaiba | ||
Unique in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | unikal | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "unikal" can also mean "unusual" or "distinctive". | |||
| Kazakh | бірегей | ||
| The word "бірегей" originally meant "one-of-a-kind" or "singularity". | |||
| Kyrgyz | уникалдуу | ||
| The word "уникалдуу" originally meant "unparalleled" or "beyond compare" in Old Turkic. | |||
| Tajik | беназир | ||
| The word "беназир" also means "matchless," "peerless," and "unparalleled" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | üýtgeşik | ||
| Uzbek | noyob | ||
| The word "noyob" is also used in the sense of "very", "really" or "very much" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆزگىچە | ||
Unique in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kū hoʻokahi | ||
| "Kū hoʻokahi" literally translates to "standing alone", highlighting its distinct and unparalleled nature. | |||
| Maori | ahurei | ||
| The word "ahurei" can also mean "startled" or "surprised" in Māori. | |||
| Samoan | tulaga ese | ||
| The Samoan word, tulaga ese, can also refer to an object that is uncommon. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | natatangi | ||
| The Tagalog word "natatangi" originally referred to something that is exceptional, extraordinary, or outstanding, while its current usage as "unique" is a more recent development in the language. | |||
Unique in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayaki | ||
| Guarani | ipeteĩva | ||
Unique in International Languages
| Esperanto | unika | ||
| "Unika" has also been used to mean "one of many" | |||
| Latin | unique | ||
| In Latin, "unique" means both "unique" and "each". | |||
Unique in Others Languages
| Greek | μοναδικός | ||
| "Μοναδικός" is derived from the word "μονάς" (monas), meaning "one, single, alone". | |||
| Hmong | txawv | ||
| The word "txawv" in Hmong can also mean "different" or "special". | |||
| Kurdish | yekane | ||
| The Kurdish word "yekane" (unique) shares its etymology with the Persian word "yekta" (one, unique), both originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *oino- ("one"). | |||
| Turkish | benzersiz | ||
| The word "benzersiz" in Turkish not only means "unique," but also "incomparable," "unmatched," and "extraordinary." | |||
| Xhosa | eyahlukileyo | ||
| Yiddish | יינציק | ||
| Derived from Old High German “einzug,” meaning “one entry,” “singularity” or "single, alone." | |||
| Zulu | ehlukile | ||
| The word "ehlukile" can also mean "strange" or "unusual" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | অনন্য | ||
| Aymara | mayaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | खास | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަފާތު | ||
| Dogri | अनोखा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kakaiba | ||
| Guarani | ipeteĩva | ||
| Ilocano | naidumduma | ||
| Krio | in tu nɔ de | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بێهاوتا | ||
| Maithili | अपूर्व | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯣꯞ ꯇꯣꯞꯄ | ||
| Mizo | danglam | ||
| Oromo | adda | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅନନ୍ୟ | | ||
| Quechua | sapa | ||
| Sanskrit | अद्वितीयः | ||
| Tatar | уникаль | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝተፈለየ | ||
| Tsonga | swo fana swoxe | ||