Well in Different Languages
Discover 'Well' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'well' holds a profound significance in many languages and cultures around the world. It can be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb, and its meanings range from a source of water to a state of good health. Moreover, 'well' is a common expression used to introduce a question or a statement, highlighting its cultural importance in everyday conversations.
For language enthusiasts and travelers, understanding the translations of 'well' in different languages can be a gateway to exploring new cultures and connecting with people from various linguistic backgrounds. For instance, in Spanish, 'well' translates to 'bien', while in French, it is 'bien' as well. In German, 'well' can be translated to 'gut', and in Japanese, it is 'いい (ii).'
Delving deeper into the word 'well' uncovers fascinating historical contexts and interesting facts. For example, in Old English, 'well' was spelled 'wella', and it was used to refer to a natural spring or a hole in the ground used to extract water. Today, the word 'well' has evolved to encompass a broader range of meanings and uses, making it a crucial element of many languages and cultures.
Join us as we explore the various translations of 'well' in different languages and cultures, shedding light on the rich linguistic diversity that exists in our world.
Well
Well in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wel | ||
| "Wel" comes from the Dutch "wel" and "welle" which can mean something is good. Afrikaans also includes an archaic and biblical use for "wel" meaning "very". | |||
| Amharic | ደህና | ||
| The word "ደህና" in Amharic could also mean "peace" or "hello" depending on the context. | |||
| Hausa | da kyau | ||
| The Hausa word | |||
| Igbo | nke ọma | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "well," "nke ōma" in Igbo can also refer to "good fortune" or "something good happening." | |||
| Malagasy | tsara | ||
| TSARA also means "good" or "beautiful" in Malagasy | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chabwino | ||
| In Nyanja, "chabwino" can also mean "good" or "excellent" in addition to its meaning of "well." | |||
| Shona | tsime | ||
| The word "tsime" in Shona is derived from the root word "tsama," meaning "to draw water," and also refers to a type of clay pot used for carrying water. | |||
| Somali | si fiican | ||
| The word "si fiican" can also be used to express other concepts such as "good" or "acceptable". | |||
| Sesotho | hantle | ||
| The name likely references the common shape of wells in ancient times, which were cylindrical and thus resemble dumbbells. | |||
| Swahili | vizuri | ||
| The Swahili word "vizuri" can also mean "healthy" or "good-looking." | |||
| Xhosa | kakuhle | ||
| The word 'kakuhle' in isiXhosa, meaning "well," can also be used to express approval or agreement. | |||
| Yoruba | daradara | ||
| The word "daradara" in Yoruba can also refer to a water pump or a borehole. | |||
| Zulu | kahle | ||
| Kahle also refers to traditional Zulu beer made from pearl millet or sorghum and can refer to a place of safety or security. | |||
| Bambara | kɔsɛbɛ | ||
| Ewe | vudo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | neza | ||
| Lingala | malamu | ||
| Luganda | bulungi | ||
| Sepedi | gabotse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛyɛ | ||
Well in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حسنا | ||
| The word | |||
| Hebrew | נו | ||
| The Hebrew word "נו" ("well") is also used as an interjection expressing surprise, disappointment, or confirmation. | |||
| Pashto | ښه | ||
| The Pashto word "ښه" also has the alternate meaning of "good". | |||
| Arabic | حسنا | ||
| The word | |||
Well in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mirë | ||
| The word "mirë" can also mean "good," "fine," "okay," or "healthy." | |||
| Basque | ondo | ||
| Basque "ondo" derives from a Proto-Basque word meaning "the place where water is born." | |||
| Catalan | bé | ||
| The Catalan word "bé" can also mean "good" or "nice". | |||
| Croatian | dobro | ||
| The word "dobro" in Croatian also means "good" and "kindness". | |||
| Danish | godt | ||
| The word | |||
| Dutch | goed | ||
| The Dutch word "goed" can also mean "good" or "property". | |||
| English | well | ||
| The word | |||
| French | bien | ||
| "Bien" can also mean "property" or "wealth" in French. | |||
| Frisian | goed | ||
| Goed can also refer to a person who has a good heart, or to the state of having good health. | |||
| Galician | ben | ||
| In Galician, 'ben' also refers to the state of a person or thing that is in good condition | |||
| German | gut | ||
| In German, "Gut" can also refer to an estate, a farm, or a manor. | |||
| Icelandic | jæja | ||
| The word | |||
| Irish | bhuel | ||
| The Irish word "bhuel" can also mean "good," "fine," or "well-being." | |||
| Italian | bene | ||
| The Italian word "bene" can also mean "asset, property," or "profit". | |||
| Luxembourgish | gutt | ||
| The word "gutt" can also refer to a valley or a sewer in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | tajjeb | ||
| The Maltese word "tajjeb" is related to the Arabic "tab" (good) and Hebrew "tov" (good), and also means "right", "correct", or "appropriate" in some contexts. | |||
| Norwegian | vi vil | ||
| “Vi vil” means “we want” in Norwegian, but it literally means “we will”. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bem | ||
| 'Bem' is short for 'benemérito' or 'benfeitor' (benefactor), and is not related to 'bom' (good). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uill | ||
| In Gaelic, uill (meaning well, or spring, or even well-being or comfort) is also used in other phrases like: Tha an uisge gu math and is an alternative spelling of uill in Scots. | |||
| Spanish | bien | ||
| The word "bien" in Spanish traces its roots to the Latin "bene," meaning "good," and can also convey "rightly" or "correctly. | |||
| Swedish | väl | ||
| "Väl" derives from the Proto-Germanic word "wala". Cognates of "väl" in other Germanic languages include "weal" in English, "wohl" in German, and "wel" in Dutch. | |||
| Welsh | wel | ||
| The Welsh word "wel" may derive from the Proto-Celtic "*uelo, | |||
Well in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | добра | ||
| The Russian word "добра", meaning "good" could be an etymological relative of the Belarusian "добра". | |||
| Bosnian | dobro | ||
| The word "dobro" in Bosnian is cognate with the Russian "добро" (good), Polish "dobro", and German "gut". | |||
| Bulgarian | добре | ||
| The word "добре" has other meanings in Bulgarian, including "good", "right", and "fine". | |||
| Czech | studna | ||
| The word "studna" is also used to refer to a collection of water that gathers at the bottom of a well or a spring. | |||
| Estonian | hästi | ||
| The word “hästi” can also mean “very,” as in the phrase “hästi tore,” which means “very good.” | |||
| Finnish | hyvin | ||
| In medieval Swedish, "hyvin" meant "to be in good condition". | |||
| Hungarian | jól | ||
| The Hungarian word "jól" derives from the Proto-Uralic root *kele-, meaning "good" or "beautiful." | |||
| Latvian | labi | ||
| The word "labi" meaning "well" is derived from the Proto-Balto-Slavic "*leb-/"" meaning "to pour". | |||
| Lithuanian | gerai | ||
| Lithuanian "gerai" also means "good" and is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰer- meaning "to praise" or "to desire." | |||
| Macedonian | добро | ||
| The word 'добро' can also mean 'good', 'kind', or 'nice' in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | dobrze | ||
| "Dobrze" in Polish can also mean "good" or "correct". | |||
| Romanian | bine | ||
| The Romanian word "bine" also means "good" or "well" in English. | |||
| Russian | хорошо | ||
| The Russian word "хорошо" can also mean "beautiful" or "good-looking." | |||
| Serbian | па | ||
| The Serbian word "па" can also refer to an exclamation of surprise or admiration, as well as a particle used for emphasis. | |||
| Slovak | dobre | ||
| 'Dobre' is used not only as an adjective but also to express agreement like 'OK' in English. | |||
| Slovenian | no | ||
| The Slavic word "no" means "well" in Slovenian, but also "but" in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | ну | ||
| The Ukrainian word “Ну” can also mean “so” or “okay,” depending on context. | |||
Well in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আমরা হব | ||
| The Sanskrit origin of "আমরা" translates to "we", whereas "হব" stems from "হওয়া", meaning "to become," highlighting a collective aspiration for transformation. | |||
| Gujarati | સારું | ||
| The Gujarati word "સારું" also means "good" or "nice" in English. | |||
| Hindi | कुंआ | ||
| In Hindustani, the word "कुंआ" can also refer to a person who digs wells | |||
| Kannada | ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ | ||
| Malayalam | നന്നായി | ||
| The word "நന്നായി" ("well") in Malayalam comes from the Proto-Dravidian root *nan-, meaning "good" or "beautiful". | |||
| Marathi | चांगले | ||
| The Marathi word 'चांगले' ('changle') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चङ्गल' ('changa'), which means 'well' or 'good'. | |||
| Nepali | राम्रो | ||
| राम्रो, which is primarily associated with goodness or virtue, derives from Tibetan and is semantically equivalent to ‘very’ in English, indicating an additional level of intensification. | |||
| Punjabi | ਖੈਰ | ||
| The word "ਖੈਰ" is also used in Punjabi to express a sense of relief or gratitude. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හොඳින් | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "හොඳින්" can also mean "properly" or "correctly". | |||
| Tamil | நன்றாக | ||
| நன்றாக can also mean healthy, proper, or good-looking. | |||
| Telugu | బాగా | ||
| The word "బాగా" comes from the Sanskrit word "वसु" meaning "good" or "prosperous". | |||
| Urdu | ٹھیک ہے | ||
Well in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 好 | ||
| "好/hǎo" in Chinese can mean 'good', 'positive', 'right', or 'satisfactory'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 好 | ||
| Japanese | 上手 | ||
| "上手" can be written in Chinese characters as "上手", which originally referred to the position "above" or "up" relative to someone. | |||
| Korean | 잘 | ||
| Korean word "잘" derives from "잘하다" meaning "to be good at," while "잘" in Chinese means "so" or "thus." | |||
| Mongolian | сайн | ||
| The Mongolian word сайн derives from the Turkic word "saŋ" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကောင်းပြီ | ||
Well in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | baik | ||
| The word "baik" in Indonesian can also mean "good" or "nice". | |||
| Javanese | uga | ||
| The word 'uga' in Javanese can also refer to a 'hole' or 'gap'. | |||
| Khmer | ល្អ | ||
| The word "ល្អ" can also mean "beautiful" in Khmer, signifying a positive or pleasing state. | |||
| Lao | ດີ | ||
| Apart from meaning “well,” the word “ດີ” also serves as the imperative form of the verb “to do” in Lao. | |||
| Malay | dengan baik | ||
| The Malay phrase "dengan baik" can also mean "in good health" or "in a satisfactory manner." | |||
| Thai | ดี | ||
| The Thai word "ดี" (dī) derives from the Sanskrit word "dvi" meaning "two" and has additional meanings such as "good," "right," or "correct." | |||
| Vietnamese | tốt | ||
| The word "tốt" in Vietnamese can also mean "beautiful" or "good". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuti | ||
Well in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaxşı | ||
| "Yaxşı" also means "good" in Azerbaijani and comes from the Old Turkic word "yakşı" with the same meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | жақсы | ||
| The word "жақсы" (well) in Kazakh also means "handsome" or "beautiful". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жакшы | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жакшы", meaning "well" or "good," has a similar root to the Kazakh word "жақсы", which also means "well" or "good." | |||
| Tajik | хуб | ||
| Although the word "хуб" means "well", it can also be used as a suffix to denote a sense of "being" or "character." | |||
| Turkmen | gowy | ||
| Uzbek | yaxshi | ||
| The word "yaxshi" in Uzbek is derived from the Old Turkic word "yaḳşı", meaning "good", "right", or "beautiful". | |||
| Uyghur | ياخشى | ||
Well in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maikaʻi | ||
| In the Hawaiian language, the word "maikaʻi" not only means "well" in the sense of health or goodness, but also in the sense of beauty, kindness, or politeness. | |||
| Maori | pai | ||
| The Maori word "pai" can also mean "good" or "correct". | |||
| Samoan | manuia | ||
| The word "manuia" also means "good health" or "prosperity" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | well | ||
| "Well" (noun) is called "balon" in Tagalog. "Balon" literally means "container". It is related to the word "balon" which means "ball", an object used as a container for air. | |||
Well in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | waliki | ||
| Guarani | iporã | ||
Well in International Languages
| Esperanto | nu | ||
| The Esperanto word "nu" is derived from Polish "no" and has the alternate meaning of "so" in some contexts. | |||
| Latin | bene | ||
| The Latin word "bene" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bʰeh₂-", meaning "to shine, flourish, or be happy". | |||
Well in Others Languages
| Greek | καλά | ||
| The term "Καλά" in Greek can not only refer to one's well-being but also to beauty, wealth, or possessions. | |||
| Hmong | zoo | ||
| The word 'zoo' in Hmong can also refer to a spring or fountain. | |||
| Kurdish | baş | ||
| The word "baş" also means "top" or "head" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | iyi | ||
| The Turkish word "iyi" can also mean "good" or "alright". | |||
| Xhosa | kakuhle | ||
| The word 'kakuhle' in isiXhosa, meaning "well," can also be used to express approval or agreement. | |||
| Yiddish | נו | ||
| The Yiddish word "נו" is related to the German word "nun" and the English word "now" | |||
| Zulu | kahle | ||
| Kahle also refers to traditional Zulu beer made from pearl millet or sorghum and can refer to a place of safety or security. | |||
| Assamese | বাৰু | ||
| Aymara | waliki | ||
| Bhojpuri | ठीक | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަޅު | ||
| Dogri | ठीक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuti | ||
| Guarani | iporã | ||
| Ilocano | naimbag | ||
| Krio | wɛl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باش | ||
| Maithili | ठीक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯔꯦ | ||
| Mizo | awle | ||
| Oromo | gaarii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭଲ | ||
| Quechua | allin | ||
| Sanskrit | कूपः | ||
| Tatar | әйбәт | ||
| Tigrinya | ደሓን | ||
| Tsonga | swinene | ||