Wet in Different Languages
Discover 'Wet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'wet' holds a significant place in our daily lives, describing the state of something being covered in, or having the presence of, liquid. It's a simple term, yet it carries a world of meaning, from the freshness of morning dew to the power of a stormy sea. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, art, and language itself. For instance, in English folklore, the 'wet blanket' is a party pooper, while in Chinese, 'wet' (湿/shī) is a radical found in characters related to water and moisture.
Given its universal relevance, knowing the translation of 'wet' in different languages can enrich your vocabulary and cultural understanding. For example, in Spanish, 'wet' is 'mojado' (moh-HAH-do), and in Japanese, it's 'nureta' (nu-REH-ta). These translations not only help in communication but also offer a glimpse into the unique ways other cultures perceive and express this basic concept.
Wet
Wet in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | nat | ||
| "Nat" is not to be confused with the "Natte" of "Nattegal" (nightingale) | |||
| Amharic | እርጥብ | ||
| "እርጥብ" comes from the Ge'ez word "arṭeba" meaning "to moisten". | |||
| Hausa | jika | ||
| Hausa word 'jika' is also used for the act of soaking something in a liquid. | |||
| Igbo | mmiri | ||
| 'Mmili' literally translates to 'the giver of life' in Igbo language as it connotes purity, blessing and abundance. | |||
| Malagasy | fahavaratra | ||
| The word | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | yonyowa | ||
| Shona | nyorova | ||
| Somali | qoyan | ||
| The Somali word "qoyan" has an alternate meaning of "weak" or "feeble" | |||
| Sesotho | metsi | ||
| The related noun 'metsi' in Sesotho can refer to any liquid, including alcoholic beverages, not just water. | |||
| Swahili | mvua | ||
| The word 'mvua' in Swahili shares etymological roots with other Bantu languages and may have originally meant 'to rain' or 'rainfall'. | |||
| Xhosa | kumanzi | ||
| The word "kumanzi" in Xhosa has an alternate meaning of "abundance" or "plenty." | |||
| Yoruba | tutu | ||
| The Yoruba word 'tutu' can also be used to emphasize a statement, meaning 'very'. | |||
| Zulu | kumanzi | ||
| "Kumanzi" in Zulu has roots in the word "ama" which refers to water and "khanda" meaning "to fall". | |||
| Bambara | ɲigin | ||
| Ewe | ƒo tsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | itose | ||
| Lingala | mai | ||
| Luganda | okutoba | ||
| Sepedi | thapile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fɔ | ||
Wet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مبلل | ||
| The verb "بَلّ" (to wet) comes from the Semitic root "بل" meaning to make or become moist, and is cognate with the Hebrew verb "בָלַל" (to confuse) | |||
| Hebrew | רָטוֹב | ||
| "רָטוֹב" (wet) is derived from the root "רטב," meaning "to moisten," and has an alternate meaning of "moist," used to describe food. | |||
| Pashto | لوند | ||
| Arabic | مبلل | ||
| The verb "بَلّ" (to wet) comes from the Semitic root "بل" meaning to make or become moist, and is cognate with the Hebrew verb "בָלַל" (to confuse) | |||
Wet in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i lagur | ||
| The Albanian word "i lagur" ('wet') may be derived from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to pour". In some Albanian dialects, it can also mean "heavy rain" or "swamp". | |||
| Basque | bustia | ||
| The word comes from Latin *bustum* meaning "crematorium" or even "grave." | |||
| Catalan | mullat | ||
| The word "mullat" can also mean "subdued" or "faded" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | mokra | ||
| The word "mokra" can also refer to a female otter or a swampy area in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | våd | ||
| The word 'våd' is also used in Danish to describe something that is 'difficult' or 'troublesome'. | |||
| Dutch | nat | ||
| In Dutch dialects, "nat" can also mean "drunk" or "naked". | |||
| English | wet | ||
| "Wet" was borrowed into English during the 13th century from Old Norse "våtr". It can also refer to a drink containing alcohol | |||
| French | humide | ||
| The French word | |||
| Frisian | wiet | ||
| The Frisian word "wiet" can also mean "white" or a "meadow". | |||
| Galician | mollado | ||
| In Galician, "mollado" can also refer to "soft" or "tender" when used to describe bread or pastry. | |||
| German | nass | ||
| The word "nass" also means "drunk" in German, and is related to the English word "in a snit". | |||
| Icelandic | blautur | ||
| The word "blautur" in Icelandic is cognate with the English word "blue" and originally meant "bluish". | |||
| Irish | fliuch | ||
| The word 'fliuch' is related to the word 'flow'. | |||
| Italian | bagnato | ||
| Bagnato is derived from the Latin word 'balneum' meaning 'bath'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | naass | ||
| The word "naass" in Luxembourgish derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sneigw-" which also means "to snow" and is related to the German word "nass" and the French word "neige" | |||
| Maltese | imxarrab | ||
| The Arabic word "imxarrab" can also refer to a person who is drunk or disheveled. | |||
| Norwegian | våt | ||
| Vått's historical meaning is 'to be ready for harvest' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | molhado | ||
| "Molhado" originates from the Latin word "mollis," meaning "soft" or "pliable," and is related to "mole," meaning "softly" or "delicately." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fliuch | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word 'fliuch' not only means 'wet', but also 'moist' and 'green'. | |||
| Spanish | mojado | ||
| "Mojado" in Spanish can also mean "undocumented immigrant" in US Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | våt | ||
| "Våt" in Swedish is connected to the English word "water" in the sense that "våt" comes from the Proto-Norse word "vātr", which also gave us the English word "water". | |||
| Welsh | gwlyb | ||
| The word 'gwlyb' can also refer to a 'tear' or 'drop', or the act of 'weeping'. | |||
Wet in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мокры | ||
| Slavic languages use the Proto-Slavic root *mokrъ, meaning “dipped, soaked, wet.” | |||
| Bosnian | mokro | ||
| The Bosnian word | |||
| Bulgarian | мокър | ||
| Bulgarian word “мокър” may also mean “drunk” in some contexts. | |||
| Czech | mokrý | ||
| The word "mokrý" in Czech comes from Proto-Slavic "mokrъ", meaning both "wet" and "moist". | |||
| Estonian | märg | ||
| The word "märg" in Estonian is cognate with "murky" in English and "mörk" in Swedish, reflecting their shared Proto-Indo-European root meaning "darkness" or "dimness". | |||
| Finnish | märkä | ||
| "Märkä" also means "rotten" or "putrid" in some Finnish dialects. | |||
| Hungarian | nedves | ||
| The word "nedves" also means "humid" or "moist" in Hungarian, and comes from the Proto-Uralic root "*neðʷa" meaning "wet". | |||
| Latvian | slapjš | ||
| The Latvian word "slapjš" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Baltic root "*slapias", meaning "wet, damp, moist". It is also related to the Lithuanian word "šlapias", meaning "wet", and the Old Prussian word "slapis", meaning "damp, wet". | |||
| Lithuanian | šlapias | ||
| The Lithuanian word "šlapias" is cognate with the Latin word "slippare" (to slide) and the German word "schlüpfrig" (slippery). | |||
| Macedonian | влажни | ||
| The word "влажни" is also used to describe something that is humid or moist. | |||
| Polish | mokro | ||
| The word 'mokro' can also mean 'damp' or 'moist'. Additionally, it may refer to the act of immersing something in liquid. | |||
| Romanian | umed | ||
| The Romanian word "umed" (wet) originates from the Latin word "humidus", meaning moist or wet. | |||
| Russian | мокрый | ||
| "Мокрый" in Russian can also refer to a person who is drunk or emotionally distressed. | |||
| Serbian | мокар | ||
| The term "мокар" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *mokrъ, meaning "wet" or "damp." | |||
| Slovak | mokrý | ||
| The word "mokrý" originally meant "damp" or "moist". | |||
| Slovenian | mokro | ||
| In the past, | |||
| Ukrainian | мокрий | ||
| "Мокрий" is derived from Proto-Slavic *mokrъ, meaning "wet," and is related to the Russian word "мокрый" and the Polish word "mokry." | |||
Wet in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভেজা | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "wet," ভেজা can also mean "moist" or "damp". | |||
| Gujarati | ભીનું | ||
| Hindi | भीगा हुआ | ||
| The word 'भीगा हुआ' also refers to something that is saturated, like a cloth soaked in water. | |||
| Kannada | ಒದ್ದೆ | ||
| "ಒದ್ದೆ" may also mean sticky or mushy, like the consistency of dough. | |||
| Malayalam | ആർദ്ര | ||
| Marathi | ओले | ||
| Nepali | भिजेको | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit word 'vij' (विज), meaning 'to sprinkle'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਿੱਲਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තෙත් | ||
| "තෙත්" is an adjective that can also mean "moist". | |||
| Tamil | ஈரமான | ||
| The Tamil word ஈரமான also means "moist" or "damp" and is related to the word ஈரம் which means "moisture" or "dampness". | |||
| Telugu | తడి | ||
| The word "తడి" can also mean "juice", "moisture", "dampness", or "humidity". | |||
| Urdu | گیلا | ||
| The word "گیلا" can also mean "damp" or "moist" in Urdu. | |||
Wet in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 湿 | ||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 濕 | ||
| In Taiwan, 濕 (shī) also means humid and sultry weather conditions. | |||
| Japanese | ウェット | ||
| ウェット can also mean "naive" or "green" when describing a person's personality or experience. | |||
| Korean | 젖은 | ||
| "젖은" is used as both a noun and verb, and is often used to describe physical appearance. | |||
| Mongolian | нойтон | ||
| The word "нойтон" in Mongolian can also mean "soft", "tender", or "flabby". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိုစွတ်သော | ||
Wet in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | basah | ||
| "Basah" can also mean "fresh" or "new" in Indonesian, as in "daun basah" (fresh leaves) or "mobil basah" (new car). | |||
| Javanese | teles | ||
| Though it means "wet," the Javanese word "teles" has other connotations such as cold or damp. | |||
| Khmer | សើម | ||
| "សើម" can also refer to the state of being slightly drunk. | |||
| Lao | ປຽກ | ||
| Malay | basah | ||
| The word "basah" is also used in Thai with the meaning of "fresh", "new", and "raw". | |||
| Thai | เปียก | ||
| The word "เปียก" can also mean "drunk" or "intoxicated". | |||
| Vietnamese | ướt | ||
| In the 16th century, "ướt" was a noun that referred to a "kind of fish trap". It only came to mean "wet" in the 20th century. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | basa | ||
Wet in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nəm | ||
| The Azerbaijani word | |||
| Kazakh | дымқыл | ||
| The word "дымқыл" in Kazakh also figuratively means "sad" or "unlucky". | |||
| Kyrgyz | нымдуу | ||
| The word "нымдуу" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*nïm" meaning "moisture" or "dampness". | |||
| Tajik | тар | ||
| The Tajik word "тар" comes from either the Proto-Indo-Iranian "*tra-/*tar-" or the Proto-Indo-European "*ter-/*tr-" and is related to words like "tear", "torrent", and "transpire"} | |||
| Turkmen | çygly | ||
| Uzbek | ho'l | ||
| The word "ho'l" in Uzbek is also used to describe liquids, moisture, and dampness. | |||
| Uyghur | ھۆل | ||
Wet in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pulu | ||
| In addition to meaning "wet", "pulu" can also mean "to rinse" or "to wash" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | mākū | ||
| In Maori, “mākū” is also the name of a freshwater fish that is typically found in small streams and rivers. | |||
| Samoan | susu | ||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | basang basa | ||
| The Tagalog word "basang-basa" literally translates to "soaked wet" and can also be used figuratively to describe someone who is very emotional, especially sadness. | |||
Wet in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | junt'u | ||
| Guarani | hykue | ||
Wet in International Languages
| Esperanto | malseka | ||
| The word 'malseka' likely comes from the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'moist'. | |||
| Latin | infectum | ||
| In Latin, "infectum" can also refer to incomplete work, something unfinished or not colored. | |||
Wet in Others Languages
| Greek | βρεγμένος | ||
| The word "βρεγμένος" in Greek also means "soaked" or "drenched". | |||
| Hmong | ntub | ||
| "Ntub" in Hmong is derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien *n̥tub, which also means 'to wash' or 'to bathe'. | |||
| Kurdish | şil | ||
| The word 'şil' also means 'fresh' in Kurdish, and is related to the word 'şîr', which means 'milk'. | |||
| Turkish | ıslak | ||
| The word "ıslak" can also refer to a person who is emotionally sensitive or delicate. | |||
| Xhosa | kumanzi | ||
| The word "kumanzi" in Xhosa has an alternate meaning of "abundance" or "plenty." | |||
| Yiddish | נאַס | ||
| "Nasse" can be used to describe not only "wet" objects, but also "drunk" states in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | kumanzi | ||
| "Kumanzi" in Zulu has roots in the word "ama" which refers to water and "khanda" meaning "to fall". | |||
| Assamese | ভিজা | ||
| Aymara | junt'u | ||
| Bhojpuri | गील | ||
| Dhivehi | ތެތް | ||
| Dogri | गिल्ला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | basa | ||
| Guarani | hykue | ||
| Ilocano | nabasa | ||
| Krio | sok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تەڕ | ||
| Maithili | भीजल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯆꯣꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | huh | ||
| Oromo | jiidhaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଓଦା | ||
| Quechua | nuyu | ||
| Sanskrit | आर्द्रम् | ||
| Tatar | дым | ||
| Tigrinya | ርሑስ | ||
| Tsonga | tsakama | ||