Wash in Different Languages
Discover 'Wash' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'wash' holds great significance in our daily lives, as it represents the act of cleaning oneself or objects with water and soap. This simple action is a universal necessity, making 'wash' a culturally important term across the globe.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'wash' in different languages can be fascinating and useful. For instance, the word for 'wash' in Spanish (lavar) and French (laver) share a common Latin root, while in Japanese (あらう or 洗う) and Mandarin (洗 or xiyàn), the characters directly reference the action of cleaning.
Delving into the historical context, the ancient Romans were known for their public bathhouses, where 'wash' was a crucial part of social life. Today, the concept of 'wash' transcends language barriers and unites us in the pursuit of cleanliness and hygiene.
Join us as we explore the various translations of 'wash' in different languages, providing you with a unique glimpse into the world's diverse cultures and histories.
Wash
Wash in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | was | ||
| The Afrikaans word "was" can also mean "wet" or "moist". | |||
| Amharic | ታጠብ | ||
| The word "ታጠብ" can also mean "to anoint" or "to purify". | |||
| Hausa | wanka | ||
| The term "wanka" originates from the Gwari language and is used in Hausa to describe the process of washing objects or clothes. | |||
| Igbo | saa | ||
| In the Igbo language, the word "saa" carries additional meanings beyond washing, such as cleansing, purification, and even forgiveness. | |||
| Malagasy | sasao madio | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusamba | ||
| Kusamba, meaning 'wash' in Nyanja, can also mean 'cleanse' or 'purify' in a broader sense. | |||
| Shona | geza | ||
| The word "geza" and its derivatives "geza-geza" and "gezesa" are also used to mean "to wash away" or "to purify". | |||
| Somali | dhaq | ||
| "Dhaq" is an alternative term for "clean" in Somali, often used in a religious context to denote spiritual purification. | |||
| Sesotho | hlatsoa | ||
| The word 'hlatsoa' may also mean 'to purify' or 'to cleanse' in a ritual sense. | |||
| Swahili | osha | ||
| Osha is a word in Swahili that also means "to rub on" or "to apply" | |||
| Xhosa | hlamba | ||
| Hlamba also means 'clean' in Xhosa, which reflects the importance of washing in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yoruba | wẹ | ||
| The word "wẹ" can also refer to the act of bathing or cleaning something. | |||
| Zulu | geza | ||
| The Zulu word 'geza' means 'to wash', and is also used figuratively to mean 'to cleanse' or 'to purify'. | |||
| Bambara | ka ko | ||
| Ewe | nya nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukaraba | ||
| Lingala | kosokola | ||
| Luganda | -yoza | ||
| Sepedi | hlatswa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | horo | ||
Wash in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | غسل | ||
| The verb "غسل" is used with several meanings, most of which are religious, such as the ritual cleansing before prayers and the washing of the body after death, but it is also used in contexts like "غسل اليدين" which means "washing the hands". | |||
| Hebrew | לִשְׁטוֹף | ||
| The word "לִשְׁטוֹף" also has the secondary meaning of to clean or rinse. | |||
| Pashto | مينځل | ||
| The term "مينځل" is often used in Pashto with its literal meaning of "wash", but in certain contexts, it can carry alternate meanings such as "to purify" or "to rinse". | |||
| Arabic | غسل | ||
| The verb "غسل" is used with several meanings, most of which are religious, such as the ritual cleansing before prayers and the washing of the body after death, but it is also used in contexts like "غسل اليدين" which means "washing the hands". | |||
Wash in Western European Languages
| Albanian | larë | ||
| The word "larë" is also used figuratively to mean "to cleanse"} | |||
| Basque | garbitu | ||
| The word | |||
| Catalan | rentar | ||
| The Catalan word "rentar" is derived from the Latin word "rendere," which means "to return" or "to give back." | |||
| Croatian | pranje | ||
| The Slavic verb "pranje" (to wash) is related to the English word "prayer" and suggests purification. | |||
| Danish | vask | ||
| The word "vask" also means "sink" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | wassen | ||
| Wassen also means 'grow' in Dutch, related to 'wax' in English. | |||
| English | wash | ||
| The verb 'wash' comes from the Old English word 'wascan', meaning 'to wash', and is related to the words 'water' and 'wet'. | |||
| French | laver | ||
| The French word "laver" originally meant "to wash" but now also refers to a sink or washbasin. | |||
| Frisian | waskje | ||
| While the Frisian word "waskje" most commonly means "to wash", it can also refer to the act of rinsing or cleaning. | |||
| Galician | lavar | ||
| "Lavar" can also refer to a type of seaweed or to a very heavy rainfall. | |||
| German | waschen | ||
| In Old High German, | |||
| Icelandic | þvo | ||
| The Icelandic word "þvo" is cognate with the English word "thaw", both deriving from the Proto-Germanic word *þwahaną. | |||
| Irish | nigh | ||
| The Irish word 'nigh' can also mean 'to wash one's hands' or 'to purify oneself'. | |||
| Italian | lavaggio | ||
| The word "lavaggio" (wash) derives from the Latin root "lavare" (to bathe) and has the same root as the English word "lavatory". | |||
| Luxembourgish | wäschen | ||
| The verb "wäschen" could be rooted in the Old High German word "wascan" and originally meant "rub, press". | |||
| Maltese | aħsel | ||
| The root word "ħasil" is of Arabic origin, meaning "wash" or "to wash". | |||
| Norwegian | vask | ||
| The word "vaske" also means "to clean" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lavar | ||
| In Portugal, "lavar" can also mean to "clean", especially in the context of cleaning wounds or other surfaces. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nigh | ||
| Scots Gaelic 'nigh' can also refer to the action of rubbing something, or of soaking a surface or item with a liquid | |||
| Spanish | lavar | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "wash," "lavar" can also refer to purifying or cleansing something, or to repairing or fixing something. | |||
| Swedish | tvätta | ||
| Tvätta can also refer to cleansing one's soul by confessing one's sins and thereby being released from guilt. | |||
| Welsh | golch | ||
| The Welsh word "golch" can also mean "a creek". | |||
Wash in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | памыцца | ||
| The word "памыцца" shares its origin with the word "мыло" ("soap") and the verb "мыть" ("wash"). | |||
| Bosnian | oprati | ||
| The verb 'oprati' shares its etymological root with 'apr' (water) in Old Church Slavonic. | |||
| Bulgarian | мия | ||
| The word "мия" (wash) is related to the words "мея" (to clean) and "мило" (soap), suggesting a semantic connection between washing, cleaning, and using soap. | |||
| Czech | umýt | ||
| "Umýt" (to wash) can also mean "to launder" or "to clean" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | pesta | ||
| The etymological root of the word "pesta" is from the Proto-Uralic root * pesta-. | |||
| Finnish | pestä | ||
| The word "pestä" in Finnish is derived from the Proto-Uralic verb *pestä, meaning "to wet, moisten, or bathe". | |||
| Hungarian | mosás | ||
| The word "mosás" also means "laundry" in Hungarian, which refers to the process of washing clothes. | |||
| Latvian | mazgāt | ||
| The word "mazgāt" in Latvian is related to other Baltic words like Lithuanian "mazgoti" and Prussian "masgan", all referring to the act of cleansing. | |||
| Lithuanian | plauti | ||
| The noun "plauti" is of Slavic origin and also denotes the act of bathing, while its verb form means "to rinse". | |||
| Macedonian | мијат | ||
| The Slavic root | |||
| Polish | myć się | ||
| The Polish word "myć się" is cognate with the English word "moist" and can also mean "to wet" or "to freshen up." | |||
| Romanian | spalare | ||
| The Romanian word "spalare" is derived from an older word "spala", which means "wash" or "bathe". It also has an alternate meaning in the medical context, referring to the process of debridement or cleaning a wound. | |||
| Russian | мыть | ||
| In the past, the Russian word “мыть” was used to describe baptism in the Old Church Slavonic language, and was related to the words “миро” (myrrh) and “масло” (oil). | |||
| Serbian | опрати | ||
| The word "опрати" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *oprati, meaning "to bathe". | |||
| Slovak | umyť | ||
| Slovak verb "umyť" derives from the Proto-Slavic *umiti, meaning "to wet". | |||
| Slovenian | pranje | ||
| The root word "pran" is common to many Slavic languages and has the meaning of "washing" or "cleaning." | |||
| Ukrainian | мити | ||
| The word "мити" can also refer to the process of washing dishes or clothes. | |||
Wash in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধুয়ে ফেলুন | ||
| ধুয়ে ফেলুন can also mean to remove or get rid of something completely. | |||
| Gujarati | ધોવું | ||
| As a noun, Gujarati ''ધોવું'' can also mean washing, clothes, laundry, cleansing, cleansing, laundering, cleansing, cleansing, scrubbing, or scouring. | |||
| Hindi | धुलाई | ||
| धुलाई is also used to mean 'dry cleaning', especially of suits or other formal garments in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ತೊಳೆಯಿರಿ | ||
| The word "ತೊಳೆಯಿರಿ" can also mean to cleanse, to purify, or to remove impurities. | |||
| Malayalam | കഴുകുക | ||
| "കഴുകുക" may also mean "to scrape" or "to pluck off" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | धुवा | ||
| The word "धुवा" in Marathi can also refer to the act of rubbing or polishing something. | |||
| Nepali | धुनु | ||
| The word "धुनु" is derived from the Sanskrit word "धाव", meaning "to flow" or "to run". | |||
| Punjabi | ਧੋਵੋ | ||
| In Punjabi, 'dhona' not only means 'to wash' but also refers to 'removing' or 'getting rid of something'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සේදීම | ||
| The word "සේදීම" (wash) in Sinhala also means "to cleanse" or "to purify". | |||
| Tamil | கழுவுதல் | ||
| Telugu | కడగడం | ||
| "కడగడం" in Telugu can also mean to rub or strike something." | |||
| Urdu | دھونا | ||
| دھونا also refers to the act of laundering clothes. | |||
Wash in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 洗 | ||
| The character 洗 can also mean 'cleanse, purify, rinse, or baptize'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 洗 | ||
| 洗 (洗潔 or 洗滌) can also mean "to purify" or "to cleanse". | |||
| Japanese | 洗う | ||
| The on'yomi reading of 洗う, "sen,'' can also mean to dye (布を染める) something or to develop (写真を現像する) something, like a photo. | |||
| Korean | 빨래 | ||
| 빨래 in Korean is not only used to refer to the process of cleaning clothes but also to the items that are being washed, such as laundry or clothes. | |||
| Mongolian | угаах | ||
| No extra information about the etymology or alternate meanings of "угаах" was found. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဝတ်လျှော် | ||
Wash in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mencuci | ||
| The Indonesian word "mencuci" is a homophone for both the verb "to wash" and the noun for "laundry." | |||
| Javanese | ngumbah | ||
| "Ngumbah" is a term used throughout the Javanese-speaking region and is cognate with the Indonesian "mencuci". | |||
| Khmer | លាង | ||
| The word លាង comes from Proto-Austronesian word *laŋəŋ which means both "to wash or bathe" as well as "to flow". | |||
| Lao | ລ້າງ | ||
| "ລ້າງ" can also refer to rinsing, cleansing, or clearing something. | |||
| Malay | basuh | ||
| The word 'basuh' is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *basu, meaning to bathe or cleanse. | |||
| Thai | ล้าง | ||
| In the phrase "ล้างหนี้" (làng née), "ล้าง" takes on the meaning of "to clear" or "to pay off". | |||
| Vietnamese | rửa | ||
| "Rửa" is derived from the verb "rượt," meaning to pursue, and can also mean to cleanse or remove impurities. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maghugas | ||
Wash in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yumaq | ||
| The word "yumaq" is also used to refer to a large, round ball of thread or yarn. | |||
| Kazakh | жуу | ||
| The verb "жуу" can also mean "to rinse" or "to launder". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жуу | ||
| In Kyrgyzstan, the word "жуу" is used not only to describe "washing" something, but also to denote a traditional ritual cleansing. | |||
| Tajik | шустан | ||
| The word "шустан" in Tajik also refers to the act of cleaning one's hands and face before prayer. | |||
| Turkmen | ýuw | ||
| Uzbek | yuvish | ||
| "Yuvinch" can also be a personal name in Uzbek, most commonly a female given name. | |||
| Uyghur | يۇيۇش | ||
Wash in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | holoi | ||
| The term is also used in a metaphorical sense, such as to describe the cleansing of sorrow, or as an honorific in the names of certain chiefs or high priests, e.g. Holokūhewa and Holoʻiʻi. | |||
| Maori | horoi | ||
| Horoi is also a term for removing tapu (sacredness) through the process of sprinkling water. | |||
| Samoan | mulumulu | ||
| Muluti is the Samoan word to wash or to rinse and is cognate with terms for | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | maghugas | ||
| The term may have come from the root word "hugas" which also means "scrub" or "rinse". | |||
Wash in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jariña | ||
| Guarani | johéi | ||
Wash in International Languages
| Esperanto | lavi | ||
| The Esperanto word "lavi" shares its root with the Latin word "lavare" and the English word "lave". | |||
| Latin | lava | ||
| The Latin word "lava" also refers to a torrent of water or a heavy rainfall. | |||
Wash in Others Languages
| Greek | πλύση | ||
| The word "πλύση" (wash) derives from the verb "πλύνω" (to wash), which is cognate with the Sanskrit word "plu" (to bathe). | |||
| Hmong | ntxuav | ||
| The Hmong term | |||
| Kurdish | cil | ||
| Kurdish "cil" derives from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰel-. | |||
| Turkish | yıkama | ||
| Yıkama, 'yıkamak' fiilinden türemiş olup 'yıkanma' anlamındadır. Ayrıca 'yıkama işlemi' veya 'yıkama makinesi' anlamında da kullanılır. | |||
| Xhosa | hlamba | ||
| Hlamba also means 'clean' in Xhosa, which reflects the importance of washing in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yiddish | וואַשן | ||
| Zulu | geza | ||
| The Zulu word 'geza' means 'to wash', and is also used figuratively to mean 'to cleanse' or 'to purify'. | |||
| Assamese | ধুৱা | ||
| Aymara | jariña | ||
| Bhojpuri | धुलाई | ||
| Dhivehi | ދޮތުން | ||
| Dogri | धोना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | maghugas | ||
| Guarani | johéi | ||
| Ilocano | bugguan | ||
| Krio | was | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شوشتن | ||
| Maithili | धोनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯝꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | su | ||
| Oromo | dhiquu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧୋଇ ଦିଅ | | ||
| Quechua | taqsay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रधाव् | ||
| Tatar | юу | ||
| Tigrinya | ምሕጻብ | ||
| Tsonga | hlantswa | ||