Wear in Different Languages
Discover 'Wear' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'wear' holds a significant place in our daily lives, as it relates to the clothes and accessories we put on, as well as the impact or effect of time on objects. Its cultural importance is evident in fashion trends, occupational safety, and even in idioms like 'wear many hats' or 'wear your heart on your sleeve.'
Understanding the translation of 'wear' in different languages can provide valuable insights into various cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'wear' translates to 'llevar,' which also means 'to carry' or 'to bring,' reflecting the language's rich vocabulary and versatile grammar.
Moreover, tracing the historical context of 'wear' uncovers fascinating facts. For example, in Old English, 'wear' was spelled 'wearian' or 'worian,' which also meant 'to destroy' or 'to decay,' highlighting the word's connection to the passage of time and erosion.
With that in mind, let's explore the translations of 'wear' in various languages, from French and German to Mandarin and Japanese.
Wear
Wear in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dra | ||
| The Afrikaans word "dra" is also used in a figurative sense, meaning "to suffer" or "to endure". | |||
| Amharic | መልበስ | ||
| The word "መልበስ" ("wear") is used to describe the act of putting on clothing, but it can also refer to the clothing itself. | |||
| Hausa | sa | ||
| The Hausa word 'sa' also means 'to put on', 'to don', and 'to cover'. | |||
| Igbo | eyi | ||
| The Igbo term 'eyi' can also refer to the act of donning attire or garments. | |||
| Malagasy | anaovan'ireo | ||
| The word "anaovan'ireo" in Malagasy can also mean "to use" or "to cover oneself with something." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuvala | ||
| The word 'kuvala' can also mean 'to cover' or 'to wrap up'. | |||
| Shona | pfeka | ||
| The word 'pfeka' in Shona can also mean 'carry on one's back', 'hold something upright', or 'be worn out' if it's repeated twice, such as 'kupfeka pfeka'. | |||
| Somali | xirasho | ||
| In its most frequent literal sense, "xirasho" denotes the action of adorning oneself in garments, but this term is frequently used figuratively in the context of donning other items, like tools or weapons; assuming roles, responsibilities, or identities.} | |||
| Sesotho | apara | ||
| The word 'apara' also means 'to take off', as when removing a shirt or pants. | |||
| Swahili | vaa | ||
| The word "vaa" also means "put on" or "apply" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | nxiba | ||
| The word "nxiba" can also refer to a type of traditional Xhosa attire. | |||
| Yoruba | wọ | ||
| The Yoruba word 'wọ' can also mean 'to enter' or 'to cover'. | |||
| Zulu | gqoka | ||
| The word "gqoka" also means "to put on" or "to dress up" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka don | ||
| Ewe | do | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwambara | ||
| Lingala | kolata | ||
| Luganda | okwambala | ||
| Sepedi | apara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hyɛ | ||
Wear in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | البس، ارتداء | ||
| The verb "البس" (lbisa) in Arabic can also mean "to put on" or "to cover" something, while "ارتداء" (irtidaa) specifically refers to wearing clothing or an outfit. | |||
| Hebrew | לִלבּוֹשׁ | ||
| The word "לִלבּוֹשׁ" also means "to enter into a suit" in the sense of taking on a new role or character, such as a new job or a new relationship. | |||
| Pashto | اغوستل | ||
| The word "اغوستل" also means "to dress", "to put on clothing", and "to cover something with cloth or other material" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | البس، ارتداء | ||
| The verb "البس" (lbisa) in Arabic can also mean "to put on" or "to cover" something, while "ارتداء" (irtidaa) specifically refers to wearing clothing or an outfit. | |||
Wear in Western European Languages
| Albanian | veshin | ||
| The word "veshin" in Albanian also refers to the act of putting on clothes. | |||
| Basque | higadura | ||
| In Basque, 'higadura' also refers to a 'joint' (e.g. in the body or in wood). | |||
| Catalan | desgast | ||
| "Desgast" comes from the Latin "de" (of) and "gastare" (to spend), and it also means "expenditure" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | nositi | ||
| In Croatian, 'nositi' not only refers to wearing clothes, but also to carrying or holding something | |||
| Danish | have på | ||
| The word «på» (a preposition meaning roughly «on») is cognate with «up». | |||
| Dutch | slijtage | ||
| The word "slijtage" in Dutch does not only mean wear in the sense of clothing or materials, but also in the sense of age or experience. | |||
| English | wear | ||
| The verb 'wear' originates from the Old English word 'werian', meaning 'to clothe, cover, or protect'. | |||
| French | porter | ||
| The word "porter" in French can also mean "to bear" or "to carry". | |||
| Frisian | drage | ||
| Frisian word "drage" is related to Proto-Germanic "*dragan", meaning "to pull". | |||
| Galician | desgaste | ||
| The Galician word "desgaste" is derived from the Latin word "disgastare", meaning to waste or consume. | |||
| German | tragen | ||
| In certain contexts, 'tragen' can also mean 'to support' or 'to carry a burden'. | |||
| Icelandic | klæðast | ||
| The Icelandic word "klæðast" has cognates in some other Germanic languages, such as the Danish "klæde", and the English "clad", which both mean "clothed". | |||
| Irish | chaitheamh | ||
| "Chaitheamh" means "expend" and is cognate with "cost" and "expense" in English. | |||
| Italian | indossare | ||
| The word "indossare" derives from Latin *induere* meaning "to wear" and later also "to assume responsibility". | |||
| Luxembourgish | droen | ||
| The verb "droen" can also mean "tolerate" or "bear". | |||
| Maltese | jilbsu | ||
| The word "jilbsu" is derived from the Arabic word "libasu," meaning "dress" or "clothing." | |||
| Norwegian | ha på | ||
| "Ha på" can also mean "put on" or "to have on". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vestem | ||
| The word "vestem" comes from the Latin word "vestis", which also means "clothes". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | caitheamh | ||
| The word "caitheamh" can also refer to consumption, spending, or expenditure. | |||
| Spanish | vestir | ||
| The Spanish word "vestir" derives from the Latin word "vestio," meaning "to clothe" or "to dress," and also has the alternate meanings of "to invest" or "to endow with dignity or authority." | |||
| Swedish | ha på sig | ||
| The word "ha på sig" literally means "to have on oneself". | |||
| Welsh | gwisgo | ||
| The word 'gwisgo' in Welsh is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gwes-, meaning 'to put on' or 'to clothe'. | |||
Wear in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | насіць | ||
| The word "насіць" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *nositi, which also means "to carry" or "to bring". | |||
| Bosnian | habanje | ||
| "Habati" also means "hold" or have in one's possession. | |||
| Bulgarian | износване | ||
| Bulgarian "износване" ("wear") also means "impairment" as in value impairment. | |||
| Czech | mít na sobě | ||
| The Czech word "mít na sobě" can also refer to holding or having something in one's possession. | |||
| Estonian | kandma | ||
| The Estonian word "kandma" not only means "to wear", but it can also refer to carrying something or bearing a burden. | |||
| Finnish | pitää päällä | ||
| The expression "pitää päällä" may also refer to the action of keeping something running, operating, or activated. | |||
| Hungarian | viselet | ||
| Viselet is thought to derive from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root *wīš-, meaning "to dress", also found in Finnish "vaatteet" (clothes) and Estonian "riietus" (clothing). | |||
| Latvian | valkāt | ||
| Latvian word “valkāt” can also mean “to walk around” or “to move around.” | |||
| Lithuanian | dėvėti | ||
| "Dėvėti" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dʰewh-/", which also gives us "duoti" (give) and "deva" (god). | |||
| Macedonian | носат | ||
| The word "носат" (wear) in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *nòsiti and is cognate with the English word "nose". | |||
| Polish | nosić | ||
| The word "nosić" in Polish derives from the Proto-Slavic root *nosti, which also meant "carry". | |||
| Romanian | purta | ||
| «Purta» is a Proto-Indo-European root that also appears in the Latin « portare» (to carry), the Sanskrit «prati» (towards, against) and the Ancient Greek «πρὸς» (towards). | |||
| Russian | носить | ||
| "Носить" is also used to mean "bear" or "to give birth to". In this sense, the same root is also found in English, e.g., the noun "nativity". | |||
| Serbian | носити | ||
| The Serbian word "носити" can also mean "to carry" or "to transport". | |||
| Slovak | nosiť | ||
| The word "nosiť" in Slovak has alternate meanings such as "to carry" or "to bear". | |||
| Slovenian | obraba | ||
| The word "obraba" can also refer to the process of machining or manufacturing. | |||
| Ukrainian | носити | ||
| The verb "носити" ("to wear") in Ukrainian also has the meaning of "to carry," and is related to the noun "ноша" ("burden"). | |||
Wear in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরা | ||
| "পরা" can also refer to 'to take care of' or 'to handle' something. | |||
| Gujarati | વસ્ત્રો | ||
| The word "વસ્ત્રો" (pronounced "vastro") in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "vastra" meaning "cloth" or "garments". | |||
| Hindi | पहन लेना | ||
| पहन लेना, 'to wear,' originally meant 'to be taken away,' but through a process of semantic reversal, came to mean 'to have in one's possession. | |||
| Kannada | ಧರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ | ||
| 'ಧರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ' means 'to wear' in Kannada, and is derived from the Sanskrit root 'dhṛ' meaning 'to hold'. It also means 'to assume' or 'to take on' a particular role or identity. | |||
| Malayalam | ധരിക്കുക | ||
| The Malayalam word "ധരിക്കുക" also means "to assume (a role)" or "to have the appearance of." | |||
| Marathi | परिधान करा | ||
| The word "परिधान करा" ("wear") in Marathi originates from the Sanskrit root "परि+धान," meaning "to put on or cover." | |||
| Nepali | लगाउनु | ||
| The verb 'लगाउनु' ('wear') can also mean 'to attach' or 'to apply', suggesting its connection to the concept of joining or fitting something in place. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਹਿਨੋ | ||
| The word "ਪਹਿਨੋ" ("wear") in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "पहनति" ("clothing") and also means "to cover oneself with clothing". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අඳින්න | ||
| In Old Sinhala, the word "අඳින්න" initially meant "to clothe" or "to protect". | |||
| Tamil | அணிய | ||
| அணிய ('to wear') in Tamil can also refer to adorn, decorate, and equip. | |||
| Telugu | ధరించడం | ||
| The word "ధరించడం" (wear) can also mean "to hold on to" or "to possess" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | پہننا | ||
| The word "پہننا" also means to "put on" or "don" in Urdu. | |||
Wear in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 穿 | ||
| 發" can also mean "pervades" or "go through". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 穿 | ||
| 穿 (Traditional Chinese) is most commonly used to indicate wearing clothing, but figuratively, it extends to putting on a façade or carrying or containing something, such as responsibility or a disease. | |||
| Japanese | 着る | ||
| 着る, meaning 'to wear', is cognate with 着く 'to attach', suggesting an original meaning of 'to make something adhere to (one's body).' | |||
| Korean | 입고 있다 | ||
| 입고 있다 ('wear') is a compound word meaning 'put on the body' from the verb 입다 ('put on') and the noun 몸 ('body'). | |||
| Mongolian | өмсөх | ||
| The Mongolian verb "өмсөх" (wear) is derived from the verb "өм" (to put on) and the suffix "-сөх" (to make, to become). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝတ်ဆင် | ||
| ဝတ်ဆင် (wear) likely derives from Mon-Khmer languages and is related to Thai "wɔɔt" and Khmer "vat\/voat" (tie, wrap, put on). | |||
Wear in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | memakai | ||
| "Memakai" in Indonesian can also mean "to apply" or "to use", as in "memakai obat" (to apply medicine) or "memakai kosmetik" (to use cosmetics). | |||
| Javanese | nyandhang | ||
| The Javanese word "nyandhang" can also refer to "bearing" or "carrying" something immaterial, such as a responsibility or an emotion. | |||
| Khmer | ពាក់ | ||
| The Khmer word "ពាក់" can also mean "take one's share of," especially as a noun used in compound terms to refer to a fee for using something (e.g., "ទឹកពាក់" for a water fee). | |||
| Lao | ໃສ່ | ||
| The Lao verb ໃສ່, meaning "to wear," is cognate with the Thai word ใส่, meaning "to put on, dress in, wear." | |||
| Malay | memakai | ||
| Memakai, which means "to use" in Indonesian, also carries the implication of putting on clothing. | |||
| Thai | สวมใส่ | ||
| The word 'สวมใส่' can also mean to put on or don something, such as a piece of clothing or an accessory. | |||
| Vietnamese | mặc | ||
| The Vietnamese word "mặc" originally referred to the action of putting on clothing, but now also carries the extended meaning of adhering to or following something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magsuot | ||
Wear in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | geyinmək | ||
| The word "geyinmək" also means "to dress up" or "to put on clothes" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | кию | ||
| The word "кию" in Kazakh can also refer to the act of "putting on" clothing or accessories. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кийүү | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кийүү" can also refer to "dressing up" or "putting on clothes". | |||
| Tajik | пӯшидан | ||
| The word "пӯшидан" also means "to cover" or "to put on" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | geýmek | ||
| Uzbek | kiyish | ||
| The word "kiyish" also means "to put on clothes" in Uzbek, which is similar to its meaning in other Turkic languages. | |||
| Uyghur | كىيىش | ||
Wear in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kāhiko | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'kāhiko' refers to traditional forms of clothing, dance, and chant. | |||
| Maori | kakahuria | ||
| The word "kakahuria" can also mean "to be tired" or "to be sleepy" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | ofu | ||
| "Ofu" has the alternate meanings of "to put on" and "to fit". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magsuot | ||
| "Magsuot" is also derived from the Malay word "suot" (wear), which is cognate with the English word "suit" (a set of clothes). | |||
Wear in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
| Guarani | ñemonde | ||
Wear in International Languages
| Esperanto | porti | ||
| The word "porti" can also mean "to have on oneself" or "to carry" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | new | ||
| The Latin word | |||
Wear in Others Languages
| Greek | φορούν | ||
| "Φορών" has its roots in the ancient Greek verb "φέρω" (phero), meaning "to carry" or "to bear." | |||
| Hmong | hnav | ||
| Historically, "hnav" was also used to describe the clothing worn by the spirits, who were believed to possess humans, particularly those who were ill. | |||
| Kurdish | hilgirtin | ||
| In Akkadian, “hilgirtin” denotes the “covering” made with the skin of the ram. | |||
| Turkish | giyinmek | ||
| "Giyinmek" comes from "geyinmek" and this from Proto-Turkic *key- meaning "to put on", from Proto-Altaic *kay- "to put, lay" | |||
| Xhosa | nxiba | ||
| The word "nxiba" can also refer to a type of traditional Xhosa attire. | |||
| Yiddish | טראָגן | ||
| The Yiddish word "טראָגן" (trogn) is derived from the Old High German word "tragan," meaning "to carry" or "to bear." | |||
| Zulu | gqoka | ||
| The word "gqoka" also means "to put on" or "to dress up" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | পিন্ধা | ||
| Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | पहिनल | ||
| Dhivehi | ލުން | ||
| Dogri | पाओ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magsuot | ||
| Guarani | ñemonde | ||
| Ilocano | agkawes | ||
| Krio | wɛr | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پۆشین | ||
| Maithili | पहिरू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | ha | ||
| Oromo | uffachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରିଧାନ | ||
| Quechua | mawka | ||
| Sanskrit | धारयतु | ||
| Tatar | кием | ||
| Tigrinya | ተኸደን | ||
| Tsonga | ambala | ||