Western in Different Languages
Discover 'Western' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The term 'western' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, evoking images of a particular lifestyle, culture, and geographical region. Originating in the Western world, primarily Europe and North America, this term has been used to describe a wide range of concepts – from literature and film to fashion and cuisine. The cultural importance of the 'western' world has been felt for centuries, shaping societies and influencing global trends.
But why should you care about the translation of 'western' in different languages? In today's interconnected world, understanding cultural nuances and linguistic differences is crucial. By knowing the translation of 'western' in various languages, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse cultures that exist around the globe. For instance, in Spanish, 'western' is translated as 'occidental,' while in French, it becomes 'occidental' as well. In German, the term 'westlich' is used, and in Japanese, the word 'seiyō' represents 'western.'
Delving into the translations of 'western' offers a fascinating glimpse into how different cultures perceive and interpret this term. So, let's explore these translations and learn more about the world around us!
Western
Western in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | westelike | ||
| The Afrikaans word "westelike" can also refer to the sunset or the direction from which the sun sets. | |||
| Amharic | ምዕራባዊ | ||
| Hausa | yamma | ||
| In Gwandara, "yamma" is the name for a traditional garment worn by women | |||
| Igbo | odida anyanwu | ||
| The Igbo word 'odida anyanwu' literally means 'where the sun sets'. | |||
| Malagasy | andrefana | ||
| The word ANDREFANA has no alternate meanings. It comes from the Malagasy words "andrefany" (sunset) and "ana" (side). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumadzulo | ||
| The word "kumadzulo" in Nyanja (Chichewa) literally means "where the sun sets" or "the west". | |||
| Shona | kumadokero | ||
| The word "kumadokero" is also used figuratively to describe someone who is cunning or manipulative. | |||
| Somali | galbeed | ||
| The word "galbeed" is also used to refer to the Arabic language, as well as the direction of prayer for Muslims. | |||
| Sesotho | bophirimela | ||
| Bophirimela is also a name of a village in the Free State province of South Africa. | |||
| Swahili | magharibi | ||
| The word "magharibi" is also used in Swahili to refer to a type of coffee or tea made with spices and roasted peanuts. | |||
| Xhosa | entshona | ||
| The word "entshona" in Xhosa is also used to refer to the sunset or the evening. | |||
| Yoruba | oorun | ||
| The word "oorun" in Yoruba also has the alternate meaning of "the right hand side". | |||
| Zulu | entshonalanga | ||
| The Zulu word "entshonalanga" derives from the phrase "intonga shona ilanga," meaning "the side where the sun sets." | |||
| Bambara | tilebin fɛ | ||
| Ewe | ɣetoɖoƒe gome | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iburengerazuba | ||
| Lingala | na wɛsti | ||
| Luganda | eby’amaserengeta | ||
| Sepedi | bodikela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atɔe fam | ||
Western in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الغربي | ||
| The word الغربي can also refer to someone who lives in the Maghreb region of North Africa. | |||
| Hebrew | מערבי | ||
| The term "מערבי" can also refer to a type of musical genre, specifically Western and Eastern popular music from the 1960s and 70s. | |||
| Pashto | لویدیځ | ||
| The word "لویدیځ" has no other meanings in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الغربي | ||
| The word الغربي can also refer to someone who lives in the Maghreb region of North Africa. | |||
Western in Western European Languages
| Albanian | perëndimore | ||
| The word "perëndimore" is derived from the Albanian word "perëndim" meaning "west", and also has the alternate meaning of "foreign" or "non-Albanian". | |||
| Basque | mendebaldekoa | ||
| The element "mende" in mendebaldekoa, meaning "west", comes from the same Indo-European root as English "down" and Latin "meridies" or "noon". | |||
| Catalan | occidental | ||
| Croatian | zapadni | ||
| The word "zapadni" (western) in Croatian also means "unpleasant" or "awkward". | |||
| Danish | vestlig | ||
| "Vestlig" is derived from the Old Norse word "vestr", meaning "west", and also has the alternate meaning of "left", as in the left side of something. | |||
| Dutch | westers | ||
| The Dutch word "westers" can also mean "westernized" or "Europeanized" in a historical context. | |||
| English | western | ||
| The term "western" can also refer to a genre of film or literature set in the American frontier or the American West. | |||
| French | occidental | ||
| Occidental is derived from the Latin "occidentalis" meaning "setting" or "going down", referring to the setting of the sun in the west. | |||
| Frisian | western | ||
| It comes from the Old Frisian word "westers" and means "west". The Old Frisian word "wester" is derived from the Old Saxon word "westar" meaning "west". | |||
| Galician | occidental | ||
| German | western | ||
| The word "Western" in German can also refer to a type of movie or TV show set in the American Old West. | |||
| Icelandic | vestrænn | ||
| The word "vestrænn" is also used as a name for two different types of Icelandic sheep. | |||
| Irish | thiar | ||
| The Irish word "thiar" may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *terkʷ-, meaning "to turn" or "to twist". | |||
| Italian | occidentale | ||
| In Italian, "occidentale" can also refer to the sunset or to something that comes from the west, such as the wind or rain. | |||
| Luxembourgish | westlech | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "westlech" is cognate to the English word "westerly", which is an older word derived from "west". | |||
| Maltese | tal-punent | ||
| The word "tal-punent" (literally meaning "of the sunset") is often used in Maltese to mean "the West", particularly in the context of international relations. | |||
| Norwegian | vestlig | ||
| The word "vestlig" is derived from the Old Norse word "vestr", meaning "westwards". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ocidental | ||
| The word "ocidental" in Portuguese can also mean "western", as in the direction, or "occult", as in the supernatural. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iar | ||
| The word "iar" in Scots Gaelic also means "later" or "afterwards". | |||
| Spanish | occidental | ||
| "Occidente" (west) derives from the Latin word for "setting sun". | |||
| Swedish | västra | ||
| The word Västra comes from the Old Norse term "vestr". | |||
| Welsh | gorllewinol | ||
| This word is derived from the root "gor" (meaning "to go" or "to set out") and the suffix "-llewinol" (meaning "the direction of the setting sun"). | |||
Western in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | заходняй | ||
| The word "заходняй" ("western") originally referred to Western Europe in the 14th century, which was the most advanced region of Europe at the time. | |||
| Bosnian | zapadni | ||
| The term 'zapadni' in Bosnian may refer to geographic directions, political affiliations, or cultural attributes. | |||
| Bulgarian | западен | ||
| Западен is derived from the root "zapad" which means "west", but can also refer to geographic areas in Bulgaria or Slovakia. | |||
| Czech | západní | ||
| The Czech word "západní" not only means "western" but can also refer to the setting sun or a decline. | |||
| Estonian | läänepoolne | ||
| "Läänepoolne" ("western") derives from "lääs" ("west") which in turn stems from "lääne" ("west") that is cognate with the Sanskrit "rašanā" ("rein") and Greek "lasso" ("noose, rope"). | |||
| Finnish | läntinen | ||
| It is etymologically related to the word 'Länsi', which means 'west' in Finnish, and to the word 'Läntinen', which means 'western' in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | nyugati | ||
| The Hungarian word "nyugati" can also refer to a person or thing from the west | |||
| Latvian | rietumu | ||
| "Rietumu" literally means "sunset" or "going down" in Latvian, reflecting the direction of the setting sun. | |||
| Lithuanian | vakarietiškas | ||
| The word "vakarietiškas" in Lithuanian is derived from the word "vakarai", meaning "west", and ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European word "*wes-", meaning "to shine". | |||
| Macedonian | западен | ||
| The word "западен" is also used in Macedonian to refer to the direction towards the west or to something that is located in the west. | |||
| Polish | zachodni | ||
| Historically, "zachodni" meant "beyond the Odra River" as opposed to "wschodni" ("eastern") which meant "beyond the Vistula River" | |||
| Romanian | occidental | ||
| In Romanian, "occidental" can also mean "sunset" or "evening". | |||
| Russian | западный | ||
| The word "западный" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *zapadъ, meaning "west" or "setting sun". | |||
| Serbian | западни | ||
| The word "западни" in Serbian can also mean "deception" or "trap", likely deriving from the fact that the west was seen as a land of danger and uncertainty. | |||
| Slovak | západný | ||
| The word "západný" can also mean "sunset" or "the west" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | zahodni | ||
| The word 'zahodni' can also mean 'evening' or 'sunset' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | західний | ||
| The Ukrainian word “західний” (western) derives from the Slavic word “захід” (sunset), and originally meant “located towards the sunset”. | |||
Western in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পশ্চিমা | ||
| The word | |||
| Gujarati | પશ્ચિમ | ||
| The word પશ્ચિમ (paścim) ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word pashcha ('afterwards', 'westwards') and is used to mean 'the western part', 'the other side' or 'sunset'. | |||
| Hindi | वेस्टर्न | ||
| The Hindi word "वेस्टर्न" can also refer to a type of movie genre that depicts the American Old West. | |||
| Kannada | ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ | ||
| Malayalam | പടിഞ്ഞാറ് | ||
| }പടിഞ്ഞാറ്' is derived from the word 'പടി', meaning step, and refers to the direction where the sun steps down, or sets. | |||
| Marathi | पाश्चात्य | ||
| In Marathi, 'पाश्चात्य' can also refer to Western countries, their culture, or the Occidental world. | |||
| Nepali | पश्चिमी | ||
| The word "पश्चिमी" (western) in Nepali can also refer to the direction of sunset or the western part of a country. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੱਛਮੀ | ||
| The word 'ਪੱਛਮੀ' ('western') in Punjabi can also refer to the direction 'west' or the Western Hemisphere. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බටහිර | ||
| The Sinhala word "බටහිර" (baṭahira) derives from the Sanskrit "पश्चिम" (paścima) and also means "late afternoon" or "sunset" | |||
| Tamil | மேற்கு | ||
| Telugu | పశ్చిమ | ||
| The Telugu word "పశ్చిమ" or "paschima" is also related to the Tamil word "pascim", which means north. | |||
| Urdu | مغربی | ||
| مغربی in modern usage is often associated with the 'western world', but it's also used to describe the western portion or direction of something | |||
Western in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 西 | ||
| 西 in Simplified Chinese can also mean 'evening' when used as a stand-alone word, 'finish' after a verb, or 'previous' before nouns. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 西 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, “西”(western) was also used to refer to the left side of the body. | |||
| Japanese | 西部 | ||
| The Japanese word "西部" (seibu) is also used to refer to the "Western world" or "Europe". | |||
| Korean | 서부 사람 | ||
| The Korean word "서부 사람" (western) can also refer to cowboys in a more colloquial sense, in addition to its more common definition of "western region". | |||
| Mongolian | баруун | ||
| The word "баруун" (western) also means "right" or "correct" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနောက်ဘက် | ||
Western in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | barat | ||
| Barat's other meaning is 'for sale' in Indonesian, stemming from Arabic 'be't' (house) and 'ra' (sell). | |||
| Javanese | mangulon | ||
| In Javanese, the word "mangulon" has additional meanings, including "going to an appointment" or "visiting someone". | |||
| Khmer | ខាងលិច | ||
| This word can also be used to describe sunset, afternoon, or the direction from which the sun rises. | |||
| Lao | ທິດຕາເວັນຕົກ | ||
| Malay | barat | ||
| The word "barat" can also refer to the direction of Mecca, a sacred place in Islam and a point of reference for Muslims worldwide. | |||
| Thai | ตะวันตก | ||
| "ตะวันตก" (Western) refers to countries that developed from European civilizations and their colonies. | |||
| Vietnamese | miền tây | ||
| The word "miền Tây" can also refer to the Mekong Delta region in southern Vietnam. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kanluran | ||
Western in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qərb | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "qərb" not only means "western" but also refers to the "direction of the setting sun" and the "west-facing side of something". | |||
| Kazakh | батыс | ||
| "батыс" (western) in Kazakh can also mean "sunset" or "dusk". | |||
| Kyrgyz | батыш | ||
| The word "батыш" can also refer to "sunset" or "the place where the sun sets" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ғарбӣ | ||
| The word "ғарбӣ" in Tajik is derived from the Arabic "غرب", which also refers to the sunset or the direction of prayer towards Mecca. | |||
| Turkmen | günbatar | ||
| Uzbek | g'arbiy | ||
| Uyghur | west | ||
Western in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | komohana | ||
| The word komohana, meaning "western" in Hawaiian, is derived from the root word "komo", meaning "to descend" or "to set" (as in the sun). | |||
| Maori | hauauru | ||
| In Maori, 'hauauru' can also refer to the wind coming from the west or the west itself. | |||
| Samoan | sisifo | ||
| The Samoan word "sisifo" also means "sunset" or "evening." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kanluranin | ||
| The Tagalog word "kanluranin" can also refer to a person from the west or a Westernized person. | |||
Western in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | inti jalant tuqinkir jaqinaka | ||
| Guarani | kuarahyreike gotyo | ||
Western in International Languages
| Esperanto | okcidenta | ||
| The word 'Okcidenta' also means 'of the Western Church' due to its roots in Latin 'occidentalis' ('western' and 'setting sun'). | |||
| Latin | occidentis | ||
| "Occidentis" is derived from the Latin word "occidere," meaning "to fall": when the sun sets, it appears to fall below the horizon. | |||
Western in Others Languages
| Greek | δυτικός | ||
| The word "δυτικός" (western) in Greek can also refer to the direction of sunset or the land of the setting sun (the west). | |||
| Hmong | sab hnub poob | ||
| The term "sab hnub poob" can also refer to the direction towards which the sun sets. | |||
| Kurdish | rajava | ||
| Raja comes from the Persian word Raha meaning "sunset" hence the geographic term "west". | |||
| Turkish | batı | ||
| "Batı" originated from the old Uyghur word "bat" meaning "sunset, west" and entered Turkish through Old Turkic. | |||
| Xhosa | entshona | ||
| The word "entshona" in Xhosa is also used to refer to the sunset or the evening. | |||
| Yiddish | מערב | ||
| The Yiddish "מערב" (me'rav) is borrowed from Hebrew and also means "evening". | |||
| Zulu | entshonalanga | ||
| The Zulu word "entshonalanga" derives from the phrase "intonga shona ilanga," meaning "the side where the sun sets." | |||
| Assamese | পশ্চিমীয়া | ||
| Aymara | inti jalant tuqinkir jaqinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | पश्चिमी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުޅަނގުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | पश्चिमी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kanluran | ||
| Guarani | kuarahyreike gotyo | ||
| Ilocano | laud | ||
| Krio | na di wɛst pat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕۆژئاوایی | ||
| Maithili | पश्चिमी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯦꯁ꯭ꯇꯔꯟ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | chhim lam a ni | ||
| Oromo | dhihaatti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପଶ୍ଚିମ | ||
| Quechua | occidental nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | पश्चिमाम् | ||
| Tatar | көнбатыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ምዕራባዊ እዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ya le vupela-dyambu | ||