White in Different Languages
Discover 'White' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
White is a color of purity, simplicity, and peace. It is the color of snow, clouds, and wedding gowns. In many cultures, white is associated with cleanliness, goodness, and spirituality. For example, in Western cultures, a bride wears white to symbolize her purity and innocence. In Eastern cultures, white is the color of mourning and is worn to funerals.
Moreover, white has a special significance in many religions. In Christianity, white is the color of resurrection and eternal life. In Buddhism, white is the color of the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. In Hinduism, white is the color of peace, purity, and truth.
Given its cultural importance, you might want to know the translation of white in different languages. Here are some examples: in Spanish, white is 'blanco'; in French, it is 'blanc'; in German, it is 'weiß'; in Italian, it is 'bianco'; in Chinese, it is '白 (bái)'; in Japanese, it is '白 (shiro)'; in Arabic, it is 'أبيض (abyaḍ)'; in Hindi, it is 'सफेद (safed)'.
As you can see, the word white has a rich history and cultural significance. By learning its translations in different languages, you can deepen your understanding of the world and connect with people from different cultures.
White
White in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wit | ||
| The Afrikaans word "wit" can also refer to "sense" or "understanding". | |||
| Amharic | ነጭ | ||
| The word "ነጭ" also means "clean, pure, or clear" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | fari | ||
| "Fari" can also mean "clear" or "transparent" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ọcha | ||
| "Ọcha" also means "good" or "clean" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fotsy | ||
| The Malagasy word "fotsy" also means "pure" or "holy". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zoyera | ||
| The phrase 'pa zoyera' ('in whiteness') conveys the sense of an action executed with sincerity, purity, or fairness, highlighting the positive connotations associated with the color white in Nyanja culture. | |||
| Shona | chena | ||
| The Shona word "chena" can also mean "white-skinned person" or "albino". | |||
| Somali | cad | ||
| The Somali word "cad" also means "good" or "beautiful". | |||
| Sesotho | tšoeu | ||
| "Tšoeu" in Sesotho can also mean "light" or "bright", or be used to describe something that is clean or shiny. | |||
| Swahili | nyeupe | ||
| In old Swahili, nyeupe also meant 'clean'. | |||
| Xhosa | mhlophe | ||
| The word 'mhlophe' in Xhosa can also mean 'shining', 'clear' or 'unblemished'. | |||
| Yoruba | funfun | ||
| The Yoruba word "funfun" also refers to anything of good or pure quality or character. | |||
| Zulu | okumhlophe | ||
| In isiZulu, the word 'okumhlophe' can also mean 'purity' or 'innocence'. | |||
| Bambara | jɛman | ||
| Ewe | ɣi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | cyera | ||
| Lingala | mpembe | ||
| Luganda | kyeeru | ||
| Sepedi | tšhweu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fitaa | ||
White in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أبيض | ||
| The word | |||
| Hebrew | לבן | ||
| The word "לבן" can also refer to the moon or ivory in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | سپین | ||
| The word "سپین" in Pashto not only means "white" but also "pure" and "clear". | |||
| Arabic | أبيض | ||
| The word | |||
White in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e bardhe | ||
| The Albanian word "e bardhe" comes from the Proto-Albanian word "*bardʰā", which originally meant "shining" or "dazzling". | |||
| Basque | zuria | ||
| The word "zuria" in Basque also refers to happiness or purity, and is related to the word "zuri" in Albanian and "zhuri" in Old Slavic, both meaning "yellow." | |||
| Catalan | blanc | ||
| The Catalan word "blanc" also means "empty" or "blank". | |||
| Croatian | bijela | ||
| The Croatian word 'bijela' shares an etymological ancestor with Albanian 'bellë' and English 'fair', all meaning 'beautiful' in their respective languages, suggesting a common thread connecting 'white' with 'beauty'. | |||
| Danish | hvid | ||
| The Danish word "hvid" derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*hwitaz" which also meant "bright" or "shining". | |||
| Dutch | wit | ||
| In Dutch, "wit" also refers to a "joke" or "pun" | |||
| English | white | ||
| The word "white" derives from the Middle English word "whit," meaning "a small amount" or "a bit," and was originally used to describe a pale or faint color. | |||
| French | blanc | ||
| Derived from Late Latin "blancus", and likely influenced by Frankish, German, and Celtic, blanc is cognate with "blank" and can carry both positive and negative meanings. | |||
| Frisian | wyt | ||
| The Frisian word 'Wyt' can also mean 'bright' or 'shining', and is related to the English word 'white'. | |||
| Galician | branco | ||
| In Galician, "branco" can also refer to anything pure, clean, or unblemished, not just the color white. | |||
| German | weiß | ||
| The German word 'Weiß' is related to the Old High German word 'wīȥ' meaning 'to consecrate' which in turn is likely derived from an older Indo-European root meaning 'to see' or 'to shine'. | |||
| Icelandic | hvítt | ||
| In Icelandic, | |||
| Irish | bán | ||
| Irish bán derives from the Proto-Celtic *banno- (white), but also retains the Proto-Indo-European meaning 'woman'. | |||
| Italian | bianca | ||
| The Italian word "bianca" can also refer to a "blank" or "empty space". | |||
| Luxembourgish | wäiss | ||
| The word "wäiss" in Luxembourgish is likely derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*hwitaz" meaning "white," but it also has the figurative meaning of "innocent" or "pure." | |||
| Maltese | abjad | ||
| The word "abjad" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "abjad" meaning "alphabet," and is also used to refer to the traditional Semitic abjads, which are writing systems that represent individual consonants but not vowels. | |||
| Norwegian | hvit | ||
| Hvit in Norwegian can also mean 'pure', 'bright', or 'holy'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | branco | ||
| The Portuguese word "branco" originates from the Germanic word "blank" meaning "bright" and refers not only to the color white but also to a lack of color, like an unpainted wall. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | geal | ||
| The word "geal" ("white") in Scots Gaelic shares a root with the word "gealach" ("moon"). | |||
| Spanish | blanco | ||
| The word "blanco" in Spanish can also refer to a target or a specific piece of a target in archery. | |||
| Swedish | vit | ||
| The word 'vit' is also used in the expression 'vitt hus', meaning 'the government' or 'the White House'. | |||
| Welsh | gwyn | ||
| The name "Gwyn" can also refer to a legendary Welsh prince or a type of Welsh sheep. | |||
White in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | белы | ||
| The word “white”, “white-yellow”, “shiny”, “pure”, “beautiful” and “clean”, and also used as the name for the color white in most Slavic languages and Lithuanian; from Proto-Slavic "bělь", from Proto-Indo-European "*bʰel-", also found in Sanskrit "bhalas", meaning "forehead", and the Old English word "blaec", which evolved into modern-day "black". | |||
| Bosnian | bijela | ||
| The Bosnian word “bijela” also has an archaic meaning of “clear, pure” in an abstract sense, which can be seen in its use in the idiom “bijelo jutro” (“clear morning”). | |||
| Bulgarian | бял | ||
| The word "бял" ("white") finds its origins in Slavic dialects during the late 8th and early 9th century, when the meaning of the term was related to "shine" and "light". | |||
| Czech | bílý | ||
| The word | |||
| Estonian | valge | ||
| "Valge" in Estonian also means "free". | |||
| Finnish | valkoinen | ||
| The word "valkoinen" can also mean "pale" or "fair-haired" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | fehér | ||
| 'Fehér' is a color word that also means 'pure' or 'clean' in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | balts | ||
| Etymology of "balts" in Latvian: "balts" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhel-", meaning "to shine". | |||
| Lithuanian | baltas | ||
| The word "baltas" is also used to describe the colour of a horse's coat, as well as that of some flowers and fruits. | |||
| Macedonian | бело | ||
| "Бело" is derived from прасловенскiй *bělъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelH-.“} | |||
| Polish | biały | ||
| In Old Polish, 'biały' also denoted the concept of 'brightness' and was used in such contexts as 'biały dzień' ('broad daylight'). | |||
| Romanian | alb | ||
| The Romanian word "alb" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *albh-, meaning "white" or "shining." | |||
| Russian | белый | ||
| "белый" in Russian has multiple etymological roots, including "bright," "shining," and "pure," and also refers to a light gray or off-white shade. | |||
| Serbian | бео | ||
| The word 'beo' is an abbreviation of the Old Serbian verb 'beljeti' ('to become white'). | |||
| Slovak | biely | ||
| In Slovak "biely" also refers to the colour of the metal tin or light shades of gray. | |||
| Slovenian | belo | ||
| The word 'belo' also refers to the color of skin, especially in the context of beauty standards and racial stereotypes. | |||
| Ukrainian | білий | ||
| The Ukrainian word "білий" also refers to unpainted, natural wood or ivory, and can be used to describe the color of skin or hair. | |||
White in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সাদা | ||
| "সাদা" (white) in Bengali can also refer to "simple", "plain", or "honest". | |||
| Gujarati | સફેદ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'shveta' translates to 'white', while in Gujarati it becomes 'safed', sharing the same root. | |||
| Hindi | सफेद | ||
| सफ़ेद शब्द संस्कृत के 'श्वेत' शब्द से आया है, जिसका अर्थ है 'शुद्ध' या 'बिना दाग वाला'। | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಳಿ | ||
| The word "ಬಿಳಿ" (white) is also used to describe the color of gold in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വെള്ള | ||
| The word "വെള്ള" in Malayalam can also mean "pale" or "clear", such as the color of water. | |||
| Marathi | पांढरा | ||
| The word 'पांढरा' ('white') in Marathi also means 'pale', 'faded' or 'colourless'. | |||
| Nepali | सेतो | ||
| The term "सेतो" in Nepali is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word "श्वेत" and its alternate meaning is "pure." | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਿੱਟਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුදු | ||
| "සුදු" (white) in Sinhala also means "clear", "clean", or "pure". | |||
| Tamil | வெள்ளை | ||
| The Tamil word "வெள்ளை" ("white") also means "purity", "cleanliness", and "clarity" in the context of morality and spirituality. | |||
| Telugu | తెలుపు | ||
| The word "తెలుపు" in Telugu can also mean "brightness" or "clarity". | |||
| Urdu | سفید | ||
| سفید can also mean 'blank' or 'unblemished' in Urdu, derived from the Persian word 'sefid' meaning 'pure' or 'clean'. | |||
White in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 白色 | ||
| "白色" can also mean "neutral" or "insipid" in Chinese (Simplified). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 白色 | ||
| 白色 can mean not only white but also emptiness depending on context. | |||
| Japanese | 白い | ||
| Derived from the Old Japanese adjective "sirosi", meaning "new" or "clean" and later becoming associated with the color of snow and cloth. | |||
| Korean | 하얀 | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of 'white,' '하얀' can also refer to 'blank paper' or 'unfamiliar, distant person' in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | цагаан | ||
| The word "цагаан" comes from the Proto-Mongolic word "*čaγan" and shares a root with the Chinese word for white, "白" (bái). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဖြူ | ||
| Apart from meaning "white," the word "အဖြူ" can also be interpreted as "lacking in knowledge" or "not experienced." | |||
White in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | putih | ||
| The word "putih" also refers to cleanliness, purity, and goodness in Indonesian culture. | |||
| Javanese | putih | ||
| "Putih" in Javanese can also mean "clean, pure, sacred," or "beautiful." | |||
| Khmer | ស | ||
| The term 'ស' (white) also has connotations of 'clear, pure, clean, or light' in Khmer culture. | |||
| Lao | ສີຂາວ | ||
| Malay | putih | ||
| "Putih" also means "pure" or "clean" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | สีขาว | ||
| Some believe the term 'สีขาว' is derived from 'ศรี' meaning 'beauty' and 'ขาว' meaning 'clear' | |||
| Vietnamese | trắng | ||
| "Trắng" không chỉ có nghĩa đen là màu trắng, mà còn có nghĩa bóng là "trống rỗng, không có gì", được dùng để chỉ "khoảng không" hay "trang giấy trắng". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | puti | ||
White in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ağ | ||
| " Ağ " also means " net " or a " mesh" in Turkish. | |||
| Kazakh | ақ | ||
| "Ақ", meaning "white" in Kazakh, also refers to purity, blessing, or something valuable or special. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ак | ||
| The word "Ак" in Kyrgyz also means "pure" or "clean". | |||
| Tajik | сафед | ||
| Сафед also refers to a type of melon in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ak | ||
| Uzbek | oq | ||
| In old texts, "oq" also signifies "milk". "Oq" as a loanword from Persian, meant "grey". Also, white and black horses were named "oq" and "qora" respectively. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاق | ||
White in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | keʻokeʻo | ||
| Keʻokeʻo can also refer to | |||
| Maori | ma | ||
| The Maori word "ma" can also refer to "clear," "bright," or "clean." | |||
| Samoan | lanu paʻepaʻe | ||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | maputi | ||
| The Tagalog word "maputi" originally meant "clear" or "bright" and was only later applied to the color white. | |||
White in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | janq'u | ||
| Guarani | morotĩ | ||
White in International Languages
| Esperanto | blanka | ||
| The word "blanka" is also used in Esperanto to describe colorless or transparent things. | |||
| Latin | album | ||
| In Latin, "album" can also refer to an official register, or a list of names, often used in religious ceremonies. | |||
White in Others Languages
| Greek | άσπρο | ||
| The word 'άσπρο' can also refer to 'innocence' or 'purity' in Greek | |||
| Hmong | dawb | ||
| The word 'dawb' (white) in Hmong can also refer to the color of rice or the whiteness of a person's teeth. | |||
| Kurdish | spî | ||
| The Kurdish word "spî" also means "pure" or "clean". | |||
| Turkish | beyaz | ||
| The word "beyaz" in Turkish ultimately derives from the Persian word "spêd", meaning "white". | |||
| Xhosa | mhlophe | ||
| The word 'mhlophe' in Xhosa can also mean 'shining', 'clear' or 'unblemished'. | |||
| Yiddish | ווייַס | ||
| In Yiddish, "ווייַס" (veys) can also mean "pale" or "blank", and it has derived from the Middle High German word "wîz". | |||
| Zulu | okumhlophe | ||
| In isiZulu, the word 'okumhlophe' can also mean 'purity' or 'innocence'. | |||
| Assamese | বগা | ||
| Aymara | janq'u | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊजर | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުދު | ||
| Dogri | चिट्टा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | puti | ||
| Guarani | morotĩ | ||
| Ilocano | puraw | ||
| Krio | wayt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سپی | ||
| Maithili | उजर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | var | ||
| Oromo | adii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧଳା | ||
| Quechua | yuraq | ||
| Sanskrit | श्वेतः | ||
| Tatar | белый | ||
| Tigrinya | ፃዕዳ | ||
| Tsonga | basa | ||