Wedding in Different Languages
Discover 'Wedding' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Weddings are a universal symbol of love, commitment, and union between two people. They are a celebration of not just two individuals, but also the coming together of two families and the creation of a new one. The significance of this event transcends cultural boundaries, making it a topic of interest for a global audience.
Throughout history, weddings have held immense cultural importance across the world. From the grandeur of Indian weddings, which can last for several days, to the simplicity of traditional Japanese weddings, which emphasize the couple's connection to nature, each culture has its unique way of celebrating this special occasion. In Western cultures, the bride often wears a white dress, a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria's wedding in 1840. However, in many Eastern cultures, the bride wears red, a color associated with luck and prosperity.
Knowing the translation of the word 'wedding' in different languages can be a fun and interesting way to learn about other cultures. For example, in Spanish, 'wedding' is 'boda', while in French, it's 'mariage'. In German, it's 'Hochzeit', and in Italian, it's 'matrimonio'.
Wedding
Wedding in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | troue | ||
| The word "troue" in Afrikaans is also used to refer to a "celebration" or "party". | |||
| Amharic | ጋብቻ | ||
| Hausa | bikin aure | ||
| In Hausa, | |||
| Igbo | agbamakwụkwọ | ||
| "Agbamakwụkwọ" shares its root with the word for "book" and originally meant "the binding of books", referring to the covenant between a man and a woman. | |||
| Malagasy | fampakaram-bady | ||
| 'Fampakaram-bady' also means 'the joining of the feet'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ukwati | ||
| The word "ukwati" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*kwati", meaning "to marry". | |||
| Shona | muchato | ||
| The word "muchato" in Shona derives from the verb "kuchata" (to gather) and signifies the gathering of family and friends to witness the union of two people. | |||
| Somali | aroos | ||
| The word "aroos" also means "the bride's price" and is related to the verb "aroosay" meaning to marry. | |||
| Sesotho | lenyalo | ||
| Swahili | harusi | ||
| "Harusi" is a Swahili term for "wedding" and shares its root with the Arabic word "hadith" meaning "speech" or "conversation". | |||
| Xhosa | umtshato | ||
| Yoruba | igbeyawo | ||
| "Igbeyawo" literally means "the journey of marriage" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umshado | ||
| The Zulu word "umshado" originally referred to a type of reed mat used to cover the bride's hut during the wedding ceremony. | |||
| Bambara | furusiri | ||
| Ewe | srɔ̃ɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubukwe | ||
| Lingala | libala | ||
| Luganda | embaga | ||
| Sepedi | monyanya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ayeforɔhyia | ||
Wedding in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حفل زواج | ||
| The word "حفل زواج" does not literally translate to "wedding" in English, but rather to "wedding ceremony" or "marriage celebration". | |||
| Hebrew | חֲתוּנָה | ||
| The Hebrew word 'חֲתוּנָה' ('wedding') is cognate with the word 'חתן' ('groom') and the Akkadian word 'ḫatānu' ('to be joined'). | |||
| Pashto | واده | ||
| The Pashto word "wade" can also refer to a promise, a vow, or a covenant. | |||
| Arabic | حفل زواج | ||
| The word "حفل زواج" does not literally translate to "wedding" in English, but rather to "wedding ceremony" or "marriage celebration". | |||
Wedding in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dasma | ||
| The Albanian word 'dasma' is derived from the Slavic 'dasma', which means 'union, agreement'. | |||
| Basque | ezkontza | ||
| "Ezkontza" derives from the Basque word "ezkon", meaning "to join" or "to unite". | |||
| Catalan | casament | ||
| In Catalan literature of the 13th–15th centuries, "casament" also meant "dwelling" or "dwelling place." | |||
| Croatian | vjenčanje | ||
| The Croatian word "vjenčanje" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "v?n?cь", meaning "wreath" or "garland", which was often used to symbolize marriage in Slavic cultures. | |||
| Danish | bryllup | ||
| The Danish word "bryllup" comes from the Old Norse word "brúðlaup", which means "the bride's run". | |||
| Dutch | bruiloft | ||
| 'Bruiloft' is etymologically related to 'gebrouwen' (brewed) and 'brouwen' (to brew), which refers to the tradition of brewing special beer for wedding celebrations | |||
| English | wedding | ||
| The word 'wedding' comes from the Old English word 'wedd', which means 'pledge' or 'covenant'. | |||
| French | mariage | ||
| The French word "mariage" originally meant "to give in marriage" and is derived from the Latin "maritare," meaning "to marry off (a woman)." | |||
| Frisian | trouwerij | ||
| The Frisian word "trouwerij" is derived from the Old Frisian word "trouwe", meaning "faith" or "fidelity" | |||
| Galician | voda | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "voda" can also refer to the nuptial ceremony or the wedding reception. | |||
| German | hochzeit | ||
| The word "Hochzeit" is derived from the Middle High German "hochzît," meaning "high time" or "festival." | |||
| Icelandic | brúðkaup | ||
| The word 'brúðkaup' derives from Old Norse and originally meant the price paid by the groom to the bride's family in exchange for her hand in marriage. | |||
| Irish | bainise | ||
| The Irish word "bainise" is derived from the Old Irish word "benn", meaning "woman" or "wife", and "fes", meaning "feast". | |||
| Italian | nozze | ||
| The Italian word "nozze" derives from the Latin "nuptiae", meaning marriage or wedding, and can also refer to the wedding ceremony itself. | |||
| Luxembourgish | hochzäit | ||
| Maltese | tieġ | ||
| Tieġ's cognates appear in Arabic and Hebrew with meanings like 'festival' or 'feast'. | |||
| Norwegian | bryllup | ||
| The Norwegian word "bryllup" is derived from the Old Norse word "brúðlaup", meaning "bride's race" or "bride's journey". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | casamento | ||
| Originating from the Latin 'casamentum,' 'casamento' originally referred to 'home' or 'household' before taking on its current meaning of matrimony in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | banais | ||
| In some dialects and in Irish the noun "baile" is commonly used instead of "banais" | |||
| Spanish | boda | ||
| In some Latin American countries, "boda" refers to a particular type of wedding ceremony, typically involving a religious union and a reception. | |||
| Swedish | bröllop | ||
| Derived from the Old Norse word 'brudhlaup', meaning 'bride's run', referring to the ancient custom of the bride literally running away from her family to join her groom. | |||
| Welsh | priodas | ||
Wedding in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вяселле | ||
| Bosnian | vjenčanje | ||
| The word "vjenčanje" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "vĕnьčati", meaning "to crown" or "to put a wreath on". | |||
| Bulgarian | сватба | ||
| The word "сватба" in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*svoboda", meaning "freedom" or "liberty". | |||
| Czech | svatba | ||
| The word "svatba" derives from the Slavic root "svat" meaning "sacred" or "holy", and its cognate in Old Church Slavonic was "svętva". The word has preserved its original meaning in Slavic languages and is still used in the religious context to describe the sacrament of marriage. | |||
| Estonian | pulmad | ||
| In Estonian, "pulmad" means "wedding" and is derived from the word "pulu" meaning "bride". | |||
| Finnish | häät | ||
| "Häät" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *häitä, meaning "feast" or "celebration". | |||
| Hungarian | esküvő | ||
| The word 'esküvő' can also mean 'swearing-in ceremony' in Hungarian, highlighting the significance of oaths and promises in the context of marriage. | |||
| Latvian | kāzas | ||
| The word "kāzas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weiǵʰ-, meaning "to weave" or "to join." | |||
| Lithuanian | vestuvės | ||
| The word “Vestuvės” comes from the Proto-Baltic root *wedtuwos, which also means "to lead" or "to bring." | |||
| Macedonian | свадба | ||
| The word "Свадба" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "свѧдьба", meaning "a union, a marriage". | |||
| Polish | ślub | ||
| "Ślub" can also mean "vow" or "promise". | |||
| Romanian | nuntă | ||
| In Romanian, "nuntă" also refers to the wedding guests and attendees as a collective group. | |||
| Russian | свадьба | ||
| "свадьба" originated from the Proto-Slavic *svoboda meaning "liberty, freedom", which originally referred to the freedom of a young couple from parental authority. | |||
| Serbian | венчање | ||
| The word "венчање" also means "sacrament" or "religious ceremony" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | svadba | ||
| Svadba is a Slavic word derived from the Proto-Slavic word *svoboda, meaning "freedom" or "independence." | |||
| Slovenian | poroka | ||
| "Poroka" comes from the Slavic word "porok" which means "covenant" or "oath". | |||
| Ukrainian | весілля | ||
| The Ukrainian word "весілля" is also used to describe a traditional wedding feast or celebration. | |||
Wedding in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিবাহ | ||
| "বিবাহ" comes from the Sanskrit word "vivaha" meaning "marriage" or "union". | |||
| Gujarati | લગ્ન | ||
| The Gujarati word "લગ્ન" likely derives from the Sanskrit word "लग्न" (lagna), meaning "auspicious time" or "conjunction of planets" | |||
| Hindi | शादी | ||
| The word "शादी" also means "to join together" or "to unite" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಮದುವೆ | ||
| The word 'ಮದುವೆ' ('wedding' in Kannada) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मधु' ('honey') and 'विवाह' ('union'), thus literally meaning 'union in honey'. | |||
| Malayalam | കല്യാണം | ||
| The word derives from Sanskrit “kalyāṇa” through Old Malayalam “kalhāṇa”, and the term originally referred to auspicious festivities, good deeds, and good karma that lead to better rebirths, not only the nuptial ceremony itself. | |||
| Marathi | लग्न | ||
| The Marathi word "लग्न" ("wedding") derives from Sanskrit and has alternate meanings of "attachment" and "conjunction". | |||
| Nepali | विवाह | ||
| The Nepali word "विवाह" comes from the Sanskrit word "vivaha" which means both "marriage" and "sacrifice." | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਆਹ | ||
| The word "ਵਿਆਹ" is derived from Sanskrit "vivāha," meaning "choice" or "to bring home." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විවාහ | ||
| The word "විවාහ" (vivāha) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "विवाह" (vivāha), which means "to marry" or "to unite". | |||
| Tamil | திருமண | ||
| The etymology of "திருமண" can be traced to the Sanskrit root "mar" (to bind together), suggesting the sacred and binding nature of marriage. | |||
| Telugu | పెండ్లి | ||
| Urdu | شادی | ||
| The Urdu word "شادی" can also refer to joy, happiness, or rejoicing. | |||
Wedding in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 婚礼 | ||
| The Chinese word for "wedding" (婚礼) also means "etiquette ceremony" or "ceremonial rites." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 婚禮 | ||
| "婚禮" combines "婚" (marry) and "禮" (ritual, ceremony); in old days it refers to the ceremony after marrying | |||
| Japanese | 結婚式 | ||
| The word "結婚式" in Japanese can also refer to the marriage ceremony itself, or the reception that follows the ceremony. | |||
| Korean | 혼례 | ||
| The word "혼례" originally meant "rituals to harmonize spirits," as "혼" means "spirit" and "례" means "ritual" | |||
| Mongolian | хурим | ||
| The word "хурим" in Mongolian has an alternate meaning of "feast" or "banquet". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မင်္ဂလာဆောင် | ||
Wedding in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pernikahan | ||
| An alternative meaning of "pernikahan" is "marriage as an institution or state." | |||
| Javanese | mantenan | ||
| The word "mantenan" is also used to refer to the traditional Javanese свадеб (wedding) ceremony. | |||
| Khmer | មង្គលការ | ||
| In Khmer, the word "មង្គលការ" is also used to refer to the engagement ceremony that precedes the wedding ceremony. | |||
| Lao | ງານແຕ່ງດອງ | ||
| Malay | perkahwinan | ||
| The word 'perkahwinan' comes from the Sanskrit word 'vivāha', which means 'to marry'. | |||
| Thai | งานแต่งงาน | ||
| The Thai word งานแต่งงาน originally referred to the work or effort put into organizing weddings and only evolved into denoting 'wedding ceremony' during the 1950s. | |||
| Vietnamese | lễ cưới | ||
| In Vietnamese, "lễ cưới" has two meanings: the wedding ceremony itself and the wedding reception or party that follows. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasal | ||
Wedding in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | toy | ||
| "Toy" is also used in the meaning of "wedding feast" and comes from the Turkic root "toy" meaning "feast". | |||
| Kazakh | үйлену той | ||
| "Үйлену той" is derived from the words "үй" (home) and "лену" (to enter), and refers to the transition of a couple into a new home. | |||
| Kyrgyz | үйлөнүү | ||
| "Үйлөнүү” is both a compound of "home" and "to enter," and the traditional name for a yurt. | |||
| Tajik | тӯй | ||
| The Tajik word "тӯй" is derived from the Old Persian word "tavi", meaning "feast or celebration". This word is related to the words "to eat" and "to feast" in many Indo-European languages. | |||
| Turkmen | toý | ||
| Uzbek | to'y | ||
| The word "to'y" in Uzbek can also refer to a celebration or a holiday, or can be used as an exclamation of joy. | |||
| Uyghur | توي | ||
Wedding in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | aha hoʻomale | ||
| Aha Hoomale literally translates to "to make a home together" | |||
| Maori | marena | ||
| The Maori word "marena" is thought to have originated from the Proto-Polynesian word "malena", meaning "to desire" or "to long for". | |||
| Samoan | faaipoipopga | ||
| The Samoan word "faaipoipo" is derived from the Polynesian root "faaipo", meaning "to braid" or "to weave", and "ga", meaning "together" or "united". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasal | ||
| "Kasal" is the Tagalog term for marriage but is also a play on the words "ka" and "isa" (two as one) that refers to the marital union of two parties | |||
Wedding in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaqichasiwi | ||
| Guarani | menda | ||
Wedding in International Languages
| Esperanto | geedziĝo | ||
| "Geedziĝo" derives from the Esperanto words "ge" (of) and "edzi" (spouse) and literally means "state of being spouses." | |||
| Latin | nuptialem | ||
| The word "nuptialem" is derived from the Latin word "nubere," meaning "to veil" or "to cover with a veil," which was a customary Roman bridal ritual. | |||
Wedding in Others Languages
| Greek | γάμος | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "γάμος" can also refer to a marriage contract or a dowry in ancient Greek. | |||
| Hmong | tshoob kos | ||
| The Hmong word "tshoob kos" literally means "to give a skirt" and can also refer to a "bridal skirt" | |||
| Kurdish | dîlan | ||
| Derived from the Persian word "dil" (heart) and the suffix "-an" (place), "Dîlan" signifies the place where hearts come together. | |||
| Turkish | düğün | ||
| "Düğün" can also mean "knot" or "buttonhole" in Turkish | |||
| Xhosa | umtshato | ||
| Yiddish | חתונה | ||
| The Yiddish word "חתונה" (khatuna) derives from the Hebrew "חתן" (khatan), meaning "bridegroom," and is cognate with the Arabic "ختان" (khatan), which means "circumcision." | |||
| Zulu | umshado | ||
| The Zulu word "umshado" originally referred to a type of reed mat used to cover the bride's hut during the wedding ceremony. | |||
| Assamese | বিবাহ | ||
| Aymara | jaqichasiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बियाह | ||
| Dhivehi | ކައިވެނި | ||
| Dogri | ब्याह् | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasal | ||
| Guarani | menda | ||
| Ilocano | kasar | ||
| Krio | mared | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | زەماوەند | ||
| Maithili | विवाह | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | inneihna | ||
| Oromo | gaa'ela | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିବାହ | ||
| Quechua | casarakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | विवाह | ||
| Tatar | туй | ||
| Tigrinya | መርዓ | ||
| Tsonga | mucato | ||