Voice in Different Languages
Discover 'Voice' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'voice' carries significant meaning and cultural importance across languages and regions. It represents not only a physical ability to speak but also symbolizes one's unique perspective, identity, and power to express. Throughout history, the voice has been a tool for storytelling, communication, and connection among people worldwide.
Did you know that the word 'voice' has roots in Latin, where 'vox' means 'sound' or 'voice'? Or that in Ancient Greece, 'phone' was used to describe the voice, which eventually evolved into the modern Greek word for sound? Understanding the translation of 'voice' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into the cultural nuances and historical contexts of various societies.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or someone looking to expand your vocabulary, exploring the translations of 'voice' in different languages can be a rewarding and enlightening experience. Here are some translations to get you started:
Voice
Voice in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stem | ||
| Stem's Afrikaans definition includes 'vote' and is related to the 'throat' in an anatomical sense. | |||
| Amharic | ድምፅ | ||
| The word "ድምፅ" can also mean "sound" or "noise" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | murya | ||
| The term "muryar rawa" or "muryar halittu" represents the phenomenon of echo or reverberation. | |||
| Igbo | olu | ||
| The Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | feon'ny | ||
| The word "feon'ny" in Malagasy can also mean "speech" or "language." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mawu | ||
| The word "mawu" in Nyanja can also refer to a person's reputation or fame in the community. | |||
| Shona | izwi | ||
| In Shona, the word 'izwi' also signifies a song or a musical instrument, reflecting the interconnectedness of voice, music, and expression within the culture. | |||
| Somali | cod | ||
| In Somali, | |||
| Sesotho | lentsoe | ||
| Swahili | sauti | ||
| In Swahili, "sauti" can also refer to a person's reputation or the public opinion about them. | |||
| Xhosa | ilizwi | ||
| "Ilizwi (voice in isiXhosa) is derived from the verb "ukuzwa" (to hear), thus connecting it to the act of perceiving sound. | |||
| Yoruba | ohun | ||
| "Ohun" (voice) also refers to the Yoruba tonal language, the language spoken by the Yoruba people in Nigeria. | |||
| Zulu | izwi | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'izwi' also refers to a speaker, opinion, or authority. | |||
| Bambara | kan | ||
| Ewe | gbeɖiɖi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ijwi | ||
| Lingala | mongongo | ||
| Luganda | eddoboozi | ||
| Sepedi | lentšu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛnne | ||
Voice in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صوت | ||
| "صوت" means either a loud, distinct sound in general or, specifically, the human ability to produce a variety of sound frequencies by means of vocal cords in the larynx | |||
| Hebrew | קוֹל | ||
| The Biblical Hebrew word "קוֹל" also denotes "power" as in a "voice of thunder." | |||
| Pashto | غږ | ||
| The Pashto word "غږ" (voice) may also refer to the throat or to wind. | |||
| Arabic | صوت | ||
| "صوت" means either a loud, distinct sound in general or, specifically, the human ability to produce a variety of sound frequencies by means of vocal cords in the larynx | |||
Voice in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zëri | ||
| "Zëri" (voice) is a word of Indo-European origin (from the Proto-Indo-European word *gʷʰers-, meaning "to perceive, sense") | |||
| Basque | ahotsa | ||
| "Ahotsa" is also used to refer to the opinion of a group of people. | |||
| Catalan | veu | ||
| The Catalan word "veu" also carries the meaning of "opinion" or "position". | |||
| Croatian | glas | ||
| In older Croatian texts, 'glas' sometimes referred to different languages or dialects. | |||
| Danish | stemme | ||
| The Danish word "stemme" also means "vote", stemming from the archaic meaning of "to make oneself heard". | |||
| Dutch | stem | ||
| The Dutch word "stem" can also refer to a person or group holding a dominant position. | |||
| English | voice | ||
| The word 'voice' derives from the Latin 'vox', meaning 'sound' or 'cry' | |||
| French | voix | ||
| The French word "voix" originally meant "path" or "way", but later came to mean "voice". | |||
| Frisian | lûd | ||
| The word "lûd" in Frisian can also mean "sound" or "noise". | |||
| Galician | voz | ||
| The word "voz" in Galician is derived from the Latin word "vox", which means "sound", and it can also refer to a vote, a message, or a speaker's authority. | |||
| German | stimme | ||
| "Stimme" can also refer to a specific part of a piano, a vote in an election, and a tuning peg in music | |||
| Icelandic | rödd | ||
| Rödd may also colloquially refer to the "right to vote" in the Alþingi (Icelandic parliament), which has historically been based on wealth rather than a popular vote, or a "share" in a fishing boat. | |||
| Irish | guth | ||
| The Old Irish word "gúth" could also mean "lip," which was considered the primary organ of speech in pre-Christian Celtic languages. | |||
| Italian | voce | ||
| The Italian word "voce" originates from the Latin "vox," meaning both "voice" and "word." | |||
| Luxembourgish | stëmm | ||
| The word "Stëmm" is related to the German "Stimme" and the English "stem". | |||
| Maltese | vuċi | ||
| Derived from Arabic 'sawt', 'vuċi' has taken on a dual connotation, referring to a person's speech and their overall reputation. | |||
| Norwegian | stemme | ||
| Stemme is a cognate of the English word “stammer,” referencing the physical action of creating sound. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | voz | ||
| "Voz" is a homophone in Portuguese, meaning both "voice" and "the passive voice". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | guth | ||
| The element | |||
| Spanish | voz | ||
| "Voz" derives from the Late Latin "vox, vocis" but also relates to the word "vote" as in a person's right to choose. | |||
| Swedish | röst | ||
| While "röst" shares its etymology with "voice," its alternate meaning is "vote" | |||
| Welsh | llais | ||
| The word "llais" also refers to a tone or melody in Welsh traditional singing. | |||
Voice in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | голас | ||
| Bosnian | glas | ||
| The Bosnian word “glas” means “voice” and derives from the Proto-Slavic word “glosъ,” which also means “voice” or “speech”. | |||
| Bulgarian | глас | ||
| The word "глас" in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *golsъ, meaning "sound" or "noise". | |||
| Czech | hlas | ||
| The noun "hlas" (voice) comes from the Proto-Slavic verb "glusati" (to make a noise). | |||
| Estonian | hääl | ||
| The word "hääl" can also mean "vote" in Estonian, as in "oma hääle andmine" (to cast one's vote). | |||
| Finnish | ääni | ||
| The word "ääni" is related to the word "äänekäs" ("loud") and has an archaic meaning of "noise". | |||
| Hungarian | hang | ||
| The Hungarian word for 'voice', 'hang', also means 'instrument' or 'sound'. | |||
| Latvian | balss | ||
| The word "balss" in Latvian possibly derives from Proto-Balto-Slavic "balsas" or "galsas", meanings "sound," "din," "noise", or "rumor". | |||
| Lithuanian | balsas | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "balsas" also refers to the resonance of a musical instrument or the sound produced by an animal. | |||
| Macedonian | глас | ||
| "Глас" is often a poetic name for the rooster used metaphorically in folk songs. | |||
| Polish | głos | ||
| The word "głos" in Polish can also mean "vote". | |||
| Romanian | voce | ||
| The Romanian word "voce" can also mean "vote" | |||
| Russian | голос | ||
| In Russian, "голос" (voice) was originally related to "говорить" (to speak) and meant "loud singing or shouting," but by the 19th century, it had become synonymous with "voice". | |||
| Serbian | глас | ||
| As the word | |||
| Slovak | hlas | ||
| The word "hlas" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Slavic root *gъlosъ, meaning "sound" or "noise". | |||
| Slovenian | glas | ||
| The word "glas" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*golso" and also means "vote" or "rumor". | |||
| Ukrainian | голос | ||
| The word "голос" also means "vote" in Ukrainian. | |||
Voice in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কণ্ঠস্বর | ||
| The Sanskrit term "kantha" is found in "kanthasvara," which literally translates as "throat sound" or "sound produced from the throat." | |||
| Gujarati | અવાજ | ||
| The Gujarati word "અવાજ" can also mean "sound", "noise", or "opinion". | |||
| Hindi | आवाज़ | ||
| The word 'आवाज़' can also mean 'sound' or 'noise'. | |||
| Kannada | ಧ್ವನಿ | ||
| In Kannada, ಧ್ವನಿ (dhvani) also refers to a philosophical concept of resonance or suggestion beyond the literal meaning of words. | |||
| Malayalam | ശബ്ദം | ||
| The word "ശബ്ദം" also means "language" or "speech" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | आवाज | ||
| In the Marathi language, "आवाज" can also mean "sound" or "noise." | |||
| Nepali | आवाज | ||
| In Sanskrit and Old Nepali "आवाज" referred to a call for help rather than a sound. | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਵਾਜ਼ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਆਵਾਜ਼" (āvāz) is derived from the Persian word "آواز" (āvāz) and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *aw- "to call, speak". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හඬ | ||
| "හඬ" (voice) in Sinhala can also refer to a sound or noise made by a person or thing. | |||
| Tamil | குரல் | ||
| The Tamil word "குரல்" can also refer to an expression of opinion or to a person of authority. | |||
| Telugu | వాయిస్ | ||
| In Telugu, "వాయిస్" can also refer to the act of speaking, a person's manner of speaking, or a particular sound or pitch. | |||
| Urdu | آواز | ||
| The Urdu word "آواز" can also mean "sound" or "music" and is cognate with the Persian word "آواز" with the same meanings. | |||
Voice in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 语音 | ||
| 音声 is also used in Chinese to refer to speech recognition technology. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 語音 | ||
| "語音" in Chinese can also mean "language" or "phonetics". | |||
| Japanese | ボイス | ||
| The word "ボイス" (voice) can also refer to a person's singing voice or to a particular vocal quality. | |||
| Korean | 목소리 | ||
| The word '목소리' (voice) in Korean can also refer to a person's opinion or beliefs. | |||
| Mongolian | дуу хоолой | ||
| The word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အသံ | ||
| The word "အသံ" also means "sound", "tone", or "language" | |||
Voice in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | suara | ||
| The word "suara" can also refer to a tone, a sound, or a noise. | |||
| Javanese | swara | ||
| Swara is a Javanese word with the same pronunciation as the Sanskrit word, meaning not only voice but also musical notes | |||
| Khmer | សំលេង | ||
| Lao | ສຽງ | ||
| Malay | suara | ||
| The verb 'suara' also means to 'make a noise' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | เสียง | ||
| The word "เสียง" also has homophonic meanings, including "bell, chime, and sound effect". | |||
| Vietnamese | tiếng nói | ||
| "Tiếng nói" can also mean "dialect" or "language" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | boses | ||
Voice in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səs | ||
| The word "səs" can also refer to a "sound" or a "noise" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | дауыс | ||
| The Kazakh word "дауыс" derives from the Proto-Turkic verb *tav- meaning "to speak, call, or utter." | |||
| Kyrgyz | үн | ||
| Kyrgyz word "үн" can also refer to a sound, a musical note or a melody. | |||
| Tajik | овоз | ||
| "Овоз" (voice) is cognate with Persian آواز (āvāz, song) and comes from the Proto-Iranian root *√ā- “to sing, speak” | |||
| Turkmen | ses | ||
| Uzbek | ovoz | ||
| Uzbek "ovoz" derives from Persian "awaz" meaning both "voice" and "sound" and shares cognates with "vocal" in English and "voz" in Spanish. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاۋاز | ||
Voice in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | leo | ||
| The word "leo" also refers to the sound made by a bell, gong, or drum, and in certain contexts can mean "to sound" or "to ring". | |||
| Maori | reo | ||
| In Maori, the word "reo" can also refer to language or dialect. | |||
| Samoan | leo | ||
| The Samoan word "leo" can also mean "sound of a bell", "cry", or "roar". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | boses | ||
| The word "boses" can also refer to a person's tone of voice or their manner of speaking. | |||
Voice in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aru | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽsẽ | ||
Voice in International Languages
| Esperanto | voĉo | ||
| Latin | vox | ||
| In Latin, "vox" also means "will" or "opinion". | |||
Voice in Others Languages
| Greek | φωνή | ||
| The word 'φωνή' can also refer to 'sound,' 'speech,' 'language,' 'dialect,' 'accent,' or a 'musical note'. | |||
| Hmong | lub suab | ||
| In Hmong mythology, "lub suab" (voice) can refer to a spirit that can control or influence a person's speech or actions. | |||
| Kurdish | deng | ||
| An alternative meaning of "deng" in Kurdish is "sound", as in the "sound of music". In Persian, "deng" means "drum". In Old and Middle English, "deng" refers to "noise", especially a loud, resonant, and disagreeable noise. | |||
| Turkish | ses | ||
| The word "ses" in Turkish not only means "voice", but also "sound", "noise", and "vibration". | |||
| Xhosa | ilizwi | ||
| "Ilizwi (voice in isiXhosa) is derived from the verb "ukuzwa" (to hear), thus connecting it to the act of perceiving sound. | |||
| Yiddish | קול | ||
| The Yiddish word "קול" ("voice") can also mean "sound", "noise", "speech", or "rumour". | |||
| Zulu | izwi | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'izwi' also refers to a speaker, opinion, or authority. | |||
| Assamese | কণ্ঠ | ||
| Aymara | aru | ||
| Bhojpuri | आवाज | ||
| Dhivehi | އަޑު | ||
| Dogri | अवाज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | boses | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽsẽ | ||
| Ilocano | timek | ||
| Krio | vɔys | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەنگ | ||
| Maithili | आबाज | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯟꯖꯦꯜ | ||
| Mizo | aw | ||
| Oromo | sagalee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱର | ||
| Quechua | rimay | ||
| Sanskrit | ध्वनि | ||
| Tatar | тавыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ድምፂ | ||
| Tsonga | rito | ||