Whisper in Different Languages
Discover 'Whisper' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Whispering is a universal form of quiet communication that transcends language barriers. A whisper can signify intimacy, secrecy, or even danger, making it a culturally significant act across the globe. Have you ever wondered how to say 'whisper' in different languages? Understanding this term in various languages can enrich your conversations and cultural experiences. For instance, in Spanish, 'whisper' is 'susurro', while in French, it's 'chuchotement'. In German, it's 'flüstern', and in Japanese, it's 'sasayaki'.
Moreover, whispers have played intriguing roles in history. In ancient Rome, whispering was a preferred method of communication in the Senate, as it prevented eavesdropping. In various cultures, whispering has been associated with superstitions, such as bringing bad luck or awakening spirits. Thus, exploring the word 'whisper' in different languages can lead to fascinating discoveries.
Whisper
Whisper in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | fluister | ||
| The word "fluister" derives from the Middle Dutch word "fluisteren," which means "to whisper" or "to talk softly." | |||
| Amharic | ሹክሹክታ | ||
| Hausa | waswasi | ||
| The Hausa word "waswasi" comes from the Arabic word "waswasa," which means "whisper" or "instigation." | |||
| Igbo | gbanye onu | ||
| The word “gbanye onu” can also mean “to say something so only the intended recipient can hear” in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | bitsika | ||
| The word "bitsika" in Malagasy can also mean "secret" or "confidential information." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kunong'oneza | ||
| Kunong'oneza originates from the Bantu root '-nong'ona', meaning 'to speak softly'. | |||
| Shona | zevezeve | ||
| The word "zevezeve" in Shona, which means "whisper," also relates to a style of traditional singing accompanied by drumming and clapping. | |||
| Somali | codbaahiye | ||
| The Somali word "codbaahiye" can also refer to a "secret" or "confidential matter". | |||
| Sesotho | hoeshetsa | ||
| "Hoeshetsa" is derived from the word "hoesa" (to talk), which implies a soft and secretive form of communication. | |||
| Swahili | kunong'ona | ||
| "Kunong'ona" (to whisper) is also an idiom in Swahili meaning to spread false information quietly. | |||
| Xhosa | sebeza | ||
| The Xhosa word 'sebeza' can also refer to the act of informing someone of a secret matter. | |||
| Yoruba | kẹlẹkẹlẹ | ||
| Zulu | kuhleba | ||
| "Kuhleba" in Zulu finds its roots from the word "khuka," meaning to smell or inhale, suggesting that the act of whispering involves quietly breathing out words. | |||
| Bambara | ŋùnuŋunu | ||
| Ewe | dali | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwongorera | ||
| Lingala | konguniangunia | ||
| Luganda | akaama | ||
| Sepedi | hwenahwena | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ka no bɔkɔɔ | ||
Whisper in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | همسة | ||
| The word "همسة" ("whisper") derives from the root "ه̉م̉س" ("to be quiet") and is related to the word "همس" ("to whisper"). | |||
| Hebrew | לַחַשׁ | ||
| The Hebrew word "לחש" can also mean "magic spell" or "incantation," as seen in the biblical verse "ולחש על המכים" (Exodus 7:11). | |||
| Pashto | څاڅکی | ||
| The word “څاڅکی” can also refer to a 'secret' or 'gossip'. | |||
| Arabic | همسة | ||
| The word "همسة" ("whisper") derives from the root "ه̉م̉س" ("to be quiet") and is related to the word "همس" ("to whisper"). | |||
Whisper in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pëshpëritje | ||
| The Albanian word "pëshpëritje" is related to the Proto-Albanian word "*pëshpër" and the Proto-Indo-European root "*pes-kow-," meaning "to squeak, creak." | |||
| Basque | xuxurlatu | ||
| The Basque word "xuxurlatu" also means "to murmur" or "to say something secretly". | |||
| Catalan | xiuxiuejar | ||
| The word "xiuxiuejar" comes from the onomatopeia for whispering. | |||
| Croatian | šapat | ||
| The word "šapat" can also refer to a "secret", "rumor", or "gossip". | |||
| Danish | hviske | ||
| The word "hviske" is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound "hvis", meaning "a sound resembling a whisper". | |||
| Dutch | fluisteren | ||
| "Fluisteren" can also mean the sound made by wind or leaves or the very low sound of a musical instrument | |||
| English | whisper | ||
| The term 'whisper' comes from the Old English word 'wisprian,' meaning 'to speak quietly,' and is related to the Dutch 'fluisteren' and German 'flüstern'. | |||
| French | chuchotement | ||
| Chuchotement can also mean 'a whispery noise' or 'a hint'. | |||
| Frisian | flústerje | ||
| The Frisian word "flústerje" may derive from the Old Frisian word "flustrian," meaning "to whisper," or from the Proto-Germanic word "*hlustrōn," meaning "to listen." | |||
| Galician | murmurar | ||
| Galician "murmurar" can also mean "to grumble" or "to complain in a low voice". | |||
| German | flüstern | ||
| "Flüstern" is related to the Old English word "flysteran" which means to talk in hushed tones, and the Old Norse word "flustra" meaning whisper. | |||
| Icelandic | hvísla | ||
| The Old Norse cognate of "hvísla" was "hvísl", which means "hiss, noise" and is onomatopoeic. | |||
| Irish | cogar | ||
| Cogar is also used to refer to the sound of the wind in the trees or the sound of waves breaking on the shore. | |||
| Italian | sussurro | ||
| The word 'sussurro' can also refer to a secret or rumor. | |||
| Luxembourgish | flüsteren | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "flüsteren" originates from the German word "flüstern", which means "to whisper". | |||
| Maltese | whisper | ||
| The Maltese word "whisper" comes from the Arabic word "waswasa", which means "to whisper". It can also mean "to gossip" or "to spread rumors". | |||
| Norwegian | hviske | ||
| Hviske (pronounced “vhee-sk-eh”) is thought to have originated from Proto-Germanic “hwasjanan,” meaning to “swish” or “rustle.” | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sussurro | ||
| "Sussurro" comes from the Latin *subsurdus* meaning "half-deaf" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uisge-beatha | ||
| "Uisge-beatha" is also the Scots Gaelic name for the drink whisky, translating to "water of life." | |||
| Spanish | susurro | ||
| The Latin origin of "susurro" also gives rise to related words such as "murmur" and "sussurate". | |||
| Swedish | viska | ||
| In Proto-Germanic, “*wiskōn” referred to the noise made by horses or donkeys as well as whispers and curses | |||
| Welsh | sibrwd | ||
| The word "sibrwd" can also refer to a soft murmuring sound or a secret communication. | |||
Whisper in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шэптам | ||
| Bosnian | šapat | ||
| In Bosnian, "šapat" can also refer to the rustling of leaves, the sound of water flowing, or a secret conversation. | |||
| Bulgarian | шепнеш | ||
| The word "шепнеш" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *šepъ, meaning "sound" or "noise". | |||
| Czech | šepot | ||
| The word šepot comes from the Old Czech word šeptati, meaning "to rustle". | |||
| Estonian | sosistama | ||
| The word “sosistama” is a derivative of the verb “sosima”, which means to whisper or to murmur. | |||
| Finnish | kuiskaus | ||
| Finnish "kuiskaus" and Swedish "kvissla" (to whistle) originate from the same source, and the words share the idea of a quiet, barely perceptible noise. | |||
| Hungarian | suttogás | ||
| Suttogás is derived from the word 'sut', meaning 'to slide', referring to the subtle motion of the lips when whispering. | |||
| Latvian | čukstēt | ||
| The Latvian word "čukstēt" is also used in Lithuanian (čiùstis) and is likely of Slavic origin, perhaps influenced by the Polish "szeptać" ("whisper"). | |||
| Lithuanian | šnabždėti | ||
| The word 'šnabždėti' also has a dialectal meaning of 'to snore'. | |||
| Macedonian | шепоти | ||
| The word "шепоти" is also used to refer to someone who is a gossip or a tale-bearer. | |||
| Polish | szept | ||
| "Szept" etymologically derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sep-" meaning "to speak". | |||
| Romanian | şoaptă | ||
| The Romanian word "şoaptă" is derived from the Latin "susurrus" and also means "murmur" or "rustle". | |||
| Russian | шептать | ||
| The word "шептать" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "šepotati", meaning "to rustle". Today it means "to whisper", but it can also be used to describe the rustling of leaves or the sound of the wind. | |||
| Serbian | шапутати | ||
| The word "шапутати" in Serbian also means "to murmur" or "to mumble". | |||
| Slovak | šepkať | ||
| The word "šepkať" in Slovak also means "to rustle" or "to murmur", possibly derived from the sound of rustling leaves or murmuring water. | |||
| Slovenian | šepetati | ||
| "Šepetati" is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound of breathing during whispering. | |||
| Ukrainian | пошепки | ||
| Пошепки is a cognate of “шушукать” and “шептать” in Russian and originally referred to rustling noises | |||
Whisper in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফিসফিস | ||
| Gujarati | બબડાટ | ||
| Hindi | फुसफुसाना | ||
| The word 'फुसफुसाना' (to whisper) literally means to make a 'blown-out' sound, and is thought to be onomatopoeic in origin. | |||
| Kannada | ಪಿಸುಮಾತು | ||
| Malayalam | മന്ത്രിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | कुजबुजणे | ||
| The Marathi word "कुजबुजणे" also means to murmur or speak in a low or indistinct voice. | |||
| Nepali | फुसफुस | ||
| The word "फुसफुस" is also used to refer to a kind of plant known as "cat's whiskers" or "cat's tail" in English. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੁੱਫੜ | ||
| The word "ਫੁੱਫੜ" can also refer to the lungs in Punjabi, highlighting the connection between breath and speech. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විහඟි | ||
| The word "විහඟි" can also mean "messenger", as in the case of a bird carrying a message. | |||
| Tamil | இரகசியம் பேசு | ||
| Telugu | గుసగుస | ||
| Urdu | سرگوشی | ||
| The word | |||
Whisper in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 耳语 | ||
| The character "耳" in "耳语" is used as a measure word for "words" in Chinese, meaning "耳语" can also mean "a few words". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 耳語 | ||
| "耳語" (whisper) literally means "ear speech" in Chinese (Traditional). | |||
| Japanese | ささやく | ||
| "ささやく" can also mean "to be a voice of someone who has passed away". | |||
| Korean | 속삭임 | ||
| "속삭임" literally means | |||
| Mongolian | шивнэх | ||
| The Mongolian word "шивнэх" can also mean "to speak softly" or "to murmur". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုးတိုးလေး | ||
Whisper in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bisikan | ||
| "Bisikan" also means "secret" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | bisik-bisik | ||
| The word "bisik-bisik" in Javanese is derived from the root word "bisik" meaning "to whisper", and the reduplication of the word indicates a repeated or ongoing action. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្សឹប | ||
| The word "ខ្សឹប" comes from the Proto-Austroasiatic root *ksap, meaning "to speak softly". | |||
| Lao | ກະຊິບ | ||
| The word "ກະຊິບ" can also refer to the rustling of leaves. | |||
| Malay | bisik | ||
| "Bisik" comes from the Proto-Austronesian root *bisik, which also means "secret" in several other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Thai | กระซิบ | ||
| The word "กระซิบ" literally means "close to the ear" in Thai and is derived from a Sanskrit term | |||
| Vietnamese | thì thầm | ||
| In Vietnamese, "thì thầm" can also mean "to confide in" or "to divulge a secret". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bulong | ||
Whisper in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pıçıltı | ||
| Pıçıltı in Azeri comes from the Turkish word | |||
| Kazakh | сыбырлау | ||
| Kyrgyz | шыбыроо | ||
| The word "шыбыроо" also means "to gossip" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | пичир-пичир кардан | ||
| Turkmen | pyşyrdady | ||
| Uzbek | pichirlash | ||
| The verb | |||
| Uyghur | - دەپ پىچىرلىدى | ||
Whisper in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hāwanawana | ||
| Hāwanawana also means "to speak" or "to talk" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | komuhumuhu | ||
| In Maori, 'komuhumuhu' also means 'a gentle breeze' and refers to the 'whispering' movement of leaves in the wind. | |||
| Samoan | musumusu | ||
| "Musumusu" is the onomatopoeic word for a whisper, and so is the name of a quiet and shy type of banana. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pabulong | ||
| The word pabulong is derived from the Tagalog word 'bulong', which means 'to murmur' or 'to speak in a low voice'. | |||
Whisper in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uxuri | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽñemi | ||
Whisper in International Languages
| Esperanto | flustras | ||
| "Flustras" comes from the Latin "flustro," which originally meant "to deceive" or "to mock". | |||
| Latin | vix parvam stillam | ||
| "vix parvam stillam" can also be translated to "scarcely a tiny drop" in Latin. | |||
Whisper in Others Languages
| Greek | ψίθυρος | ||
| In ancient Greek, "ψίθυρος" also meant "rustling" or "murmuring" of leaves or water. | |||
| Hmong | ntxhi | ||
| "Ntxhi" derives from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word "*ntʰɔŋ", meaning "to talk secretly". | |||
| Kurdish | pispisî | ||
| The word "pispisî" can also refer to a type of small bird, particularly one that makes a chirping sound. | |||
| Turkish | fısıltı | ||
| The word | |||
| Xhosa | sebeza | ||
| The Xhosa word 'sebeza' can also refer to the act of informing someone of a secret matter. | |||
| Yiddish | שעפּטשען | ||
| The word "шептать" means "whisper" in Russian, and is also used in Yiddish to mean "to speak quietly or confidentially". | |||
| Zulu | kuhleba | ||
| "Kuhleba" in Zulu finds its roots from the word "khuka," meaning to smell or inhale, suggesting that the act of whispering involves quietly breathing out words. | |||
| Assamese | ফুচফুচাই কোৱা | ||
| Aymara | uxuri | ||
| Bhojpuri | फुसफुसाईल | ||
| Dhivehi | ނޭވާ އަޑުން ވާހަކަ ދެއްކުން | ||
| Dogri | फुसर-फुसर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bulong | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽñemi | ||
| Ilocano | arasaas | ||
| Krio | tɔk saful wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چرپە | ||
| Maithili | फुसफुसानाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯤꯔꯣꯟ ꯇꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hrilhru | ||
| Oromo | asaasuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫୁସ୍ଫୁସ୍ | ||
| Quechua | wararay | ||
| Sanskrit | घूर्घायेत् | ||
| Tatar | пышылдау | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕሹኽሹኽ | ||
| Tsonga | hlevetela | ||