Woman in Different Languages
Discover 'Woman' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Woman
Afrikaans vrou | ||
Albanian grua | ||
Amharic ሴት | ||
Arabic النساء | ||
Armenian կին | ||
Assamese মহিলা | ||
Aymara warmi | ||
Azerbaijani qadın | ||
Bambara muso | ||
Basque emakumea | ||
Belarusian жанчына | ||
Bengali মহিলা | ||
Bhojpuri जनाना | ||
Bosnian žena | ||
Bulgarian жена | ||
Catalan dona | ||
Cebuano babaye | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 女人 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 女人 | ||
Corsican donna | ||
Croatian žena | ||
Czech žena | ||
Danish kvinde | ||
Dhivehi އަންހެނުން | ||
Dogri जनानी | ||
Dutch vrouw | ||
English woman | ||
Esperanto virino | ||
Estonian naine | ||
Ewe nyɔnu | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) babae | ||
Finnish nainen | ||
French femme | ||
Frisian frou | ||
Galician muller | ||
Georgian ქალი | ||
German frau | ||
Greek γυναίκα | ||
Guarani kuña | ||
Gujarati સ્ત્રી | ||
Haitian Creole fanm | ||
Hausa mace | ||
Hawaiian wahine | ||
Hebrew אִשָׁה | ||
Hindi महिला | ||
Hmong poj niam | ||
Hungarian nő | ||
Icelandic kona | ||
Igbo nwanyi | ||
Ilocano babai | ||
Indonesian wanita | ||
Irish bean | ||
Italian donna | ||
Japanese 女性 | ||
Javanese wanita | ||
Kannada ಮಹಿಳೆ | ||
Kazakh әйел | ||
Khmer ស្ត្រី | ||
Kinyarwanda umugore | ||
Konkani बायल | ||
Korean 여자 | ||
Krio uman | ||
Kurdish jin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ئافرەت | ||
Kyrgyz аял | ||
Lao ແມ່ຍິງ | ||
Latin femina | ||
Latvian sieviete | ||
Lingala mwasi | ||
Lithuanian moteris | ||
Luganda omukazi | ||
Luxembourgish fra | ||
Macedonian жена | ||
Maithili मउगी | ||
Malagasy vehivavy | ||
Malay wanita | ||
Malayalam സ്ത്രീ | ||
Maltese mara | ||
Maori wahine | ||
Marathi स्त्री | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯅꯨꯄꯤ | ||
Mizo hmeichhia | ||
Mongolian эмэгтэй | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) မိန်းမ | ||
Nepali महिला | ||
Norwegian kvinne | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mkazi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ମହିଳା | ||
Oromo dubartii | ||
Pashto ښځه | ||
Persian زن | ||
Polish kobieta | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) mulher | ||
Punjabi .ਰਤ | ||
Quechua warmi | ||
Romanian femeie | ||
Russian женщина | ||
Samoan fafine | ||
Sanskrit महिला | ||
Scots Gaelic boireannach | ||
Sepedi mosadi | ||
Serbian жена | ||
Sesotho mosali | ||
Shona mukadzi | ||
Sindhi عورت | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කාන්තාවක් | ||
Slovak žena | ||
Slovenian ženska | ||
Somali naag | ||
Spanish mujer | ||
Sundanese awéwé | ||
Swahili mwanamke | ||
Swedish kvinna | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) babae | ||
Tajik зан | ||
Tamil பெண் | ||
Tatar хатын-кыз | ||
Telugu స్త్రీ | ||
Thai ผู้หญิง | ||
Tigrinya ሰበይቲ | ||
Tsonga wansati | ||
Turkish kadın | ||
Turkmen aýal | ||
Twi (Akan) ɔbaa | ||
Ukrainian жінка | ||
Urdu عورت | ||
Uyghur ئايال | ||
Uzbek ayol | ||
Vietnamese đàn bà | ||
Welsh fenyw | ||
Xhosa umfazi | ||
Yiddish פרוי | ||
Yoruba obinrin | ||
Zulu owesifazane |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | “Vrou” is Dutch in origin and also means "wife" (as a married or engaged woman). |
| Albanian | "Grua" is also used colloquially to refer to a person's wife or a married woman. |
| Amharic | The word "ሴት" (woman) in Amharic traces its origins to the Cushitic word "set" (birth-giver). |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "النساء" not only means "woman" but also "women", and it is derived from the root word "ن-س-أ", which means "to forget". |
| Armenian | The word "կին" is also used as a term of address for a married woman, indicating respect and maturity. |
| Azerbaijani | The term “qadın” is also used in a broader sense, encompassing not only adult married women but also unmarried girls or female relatives. |
| Basque | "Emak" means "giving" and "ume" means "child". |
| Bengali | "Mahila", or 'woman' in Bengali, is derived from the Sanskrit words 'mahi,' which denotes the earth and its fertile nature. It implies both the earth's nurturance as well as the woman's capacity to create, sustain and grow." |
| Bulgarian | The word "жена" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*žena", which also means "wife" or "female." |
| Catalan | "Dona" originates from the Latin word "domina", meaning "lady" or "mistress", and also has the alternate meaning of "gift" or "offering". |
| Cebuano | Cebuano: the term “babaye” is of Malay origin and used in Indonesia as “babai”. This is also a Thai word which means “slave, serf, or maid”. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The character for "woman" (女) in Chinese has evolved over centuries and has different meanings in different contexts, sometimes representing the female gender, other times a goddess or a sorceress, and sometimes a slave or a servant. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "女" (woman) originally meant “weak” and “人” (person) indicated a type of human, so "女人" (woman) means a weak person. |
| Corsican | In medieval Corsica, the word "donna" referred to female aristocrats, as in other Romance languages. |
| Croatian | "Žena" shares its root with the Proto-Slavic "*žena" and the Sanskrit "jan-, jani-." These roots mean "to beget, to give birth" and also appear in the English words "kin" and "gender." |
| Czech | The Czech word "žena" is related to the Russian word "zhena" (wife), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Slavic *žena, meaning "woman, wife". |
| Danish | The word 'kvinde' derives from Old Norse 'kvendi', meaning 'female person' and was originally used as a generic term for both unmarried and married women. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word |
| Esperanto | Despite sounding like "virino" could mean "masculine" in Esperanto, it actually means "woman" because it is derived from the Latin word "vira" which also means "woman". |
| Estonian | The word "naine" in Estonian is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "naini", which originally meant "mistress of the house" or "female elder". It is also related to the Finnish word "nai", which means "wife" or "woman". |
| Finnish | Some theorize the Finnish word "nainen" (woman) originates from "nainen" (skin) or "naida" (to marry). |
| French | The word "femme" can also mean "wife" in French, and derives from the Latin "femina" meaning "young woman". |
| Galician | The Galician word "muller" also means "miller" (person who operates a mill) and "millstone" (stone used for grinding). |
| Georgian | The word "ქალი" (woman) shares its root with "ქული" (maiden), highlighting Georgian's connection to Indo-European languages like Greek and Sanskrit. |
| German | The word "Frau" in German derives from the Old High German word "frouwa", meaning "lady" or "mistress". |
| Greek | The term 'γυναίκα' (gynaika) in Greek derives from the Proto-Indo-European root '*gʷen-' ('woman'), akin to 'queen', and also meant 'wife' or 'bride' in ancient times. |
| Gujarati | The word 'સ્ત્રી' originally meant 'female' or 'wife', but it has also come to mean 'woman' in a more general sense. |
| Hausa | The Hausa word 'mace' is also used to refer to a type of traditional dance performed by women. |
| Hawaiian | "Wahine" can refer to both women and girls in Hawaiian, and is cognate with "fafine" in Samoan and "wahine" in Tahitian and Maori, all meaning "woman". |
| Hebrew | The word "אִשָׁה" can also mean "fire" or "flame" in Hebrew, highlighting the dual nature of women as both nurturing and protective. |
| Hindi | In Sanskrit, 'mahilā' refers to the earth or a woman of noble birth. |
| Hmong | 'Poj niam' is the Hmong word for 'woman' but it can also refer to the female spirit responsible for a woman's health and well-being. |
| Hungarian | The word "nő" meaning "woman" in Hungarian is derived from a Turcic word used for "wife" and ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European "*ǵenh₁-" root meaning "to be born, to give birth." |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "kona" is cognate with the English word "queen" and originally meant "wife". |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "nwanyi" also signifies femininity, motherhood, and the female essence. |
| Indonesian | The word 'wanita' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vanitha', meaning 'a lady or a young woman'. |
| Irish | The word "bean" in Irish can refer to a fairy woman or a female spirit, as well as a woman in general. |
| Italian | Donna is also used as a term of respect, similar to "lady" in English. |
| Japanese | 女性 (じょせい) is also pronounced 'じょせい' to mean 'normal, ordinary' |
| Javanese | "Wanita" in Javanese can also mean "moon" or "moonlight". |
| Kannada | The word |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "әйел" also historically meant "wife". |
| Khmer | There is no consensus about the etymology of the Khmer word for "woman" (ស្ត្រី), but it could be derived from a Mon-Khmer root word meaning "female". The word can also be used as a term of respect for an older woman. |
| Korean | "여자" has a historical secondary meaning of "shaman" and is cognate with Mandarin "nǚ" and "nǚ'er" ( |
| Kurdish | "Cin" is another variant of "jin" and it means "fairy" (in mythology). |
| Kyrgyz | The Kyrgyz word "аял" (ayal) is an archaic verb used to refer to 'walking', and in the plural form (аялдар) refers to a family's cattle. |
| Latin | Femina was also the name of a goddess of the underworld in Roman mythology. |
| Latvian | Sieviete is a Latvian word that ultimately derives from Proto-Slavic *sъnova, meaning 'wife' or 'daughter-in-law'. This word has also been used historically to refer to a woman of lower social status. |
| Lithuanian | The Baltic root **mot-** ('to give birth') is found in Slavic and Albanian vocabulary as well. |
| Luxembourgish | In 15th century Luxembourgish, "Fra" could mean "lady", "mistress" or "wife". |
| Macedonian | In Bulgarian the word "жена" means "wife" but in Macedonian it means "woman" |
| Malagasy | The word "vehivavy" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian feminine suffix "*-ay" or "*-i". |
| Malay | The term 'wanita' in Malay was formerly a gender-neutral word and was not exclusively associated with females or women. |
| Maltese | Maltese "mara" derives from Arabic "amara", meaning "to be sad", "in pain", or "sick". |
| Maori | Derived from the Proto-Polynesian word *wahine*, it also means "female" or "wife" in other Polynesian languages. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "स्त्री" (stri) derives from the Sanskrit word "स्त्री" (strī), which means "female" or "woman." |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word "эмэгтэй" has alternative meanings including "female", "wife", and "mistress". |
| Nepali | The word 'महिला' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'महिला,' which means 'great' or 'magnificent'. |
| Norwegian | "Kvinne" derives from the Old Norse "kvæn", meaning "wife", and is cognate with the English "queen" |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In Nyanja (Chichewa), "mkazi" can also refer to a "husband" or "resident." |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "ښځه" (pronounced "shpaza") also refers to an "intelligent" or "clever" woman. |
| Persian | The word 'زن' ('zan') is also used in Persian poetry to mean 'life' or 'world' in symbolic language. |
| Polish | The word "kobieta" shares its etymological roots with the word "kob", meaning "basket", due to the historic association of women with domestic duties. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "mulher" can also refer to a wife, a mistress, or a female servant, depending on the context. |
| Punjabi | .ਰਤ is also the name of the Indian musical note corresponding to the fourth note in the Western diatonic scale, also known as "ma". |
| Romanian | The word "femeie" is derived from the Latin word "femina", meaning "woman", and is cognate with words like "feminine" and "feminism". |
| Russian | The term 'женщина' in Russian derives from the word 'жена' ('wife') and originally implied the concept of 'belonging to a man'. |
| Samoan | The Samoan word "fafine" can also refer to a male who identifies as a woman or a transgender woman. |
| Scots Gaelic | In Classical Gaelic, boireannach meant "female" or "wife" but since the 13th century it has meant "woman" or "lady." |
| Serbian | "жена" is a Proto-Indo-European word that originally meant "wife" but came to mean "woman". |
| Sesotho | Mosali is also used to refer to a wife or a married woman specifically. |
| Shona | Mukadzi derives from the verb 'kuvaka', which means to 'cover', as women in Shona culture cover their bodies. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word “kántáwak” also means “woman” in a respectful sense. |
| Slovak | In Slovak, the word "žena" can also refer to a wife, while its root "žen" signifies the feminine gender. |
| Slovenian | "Ženska" originally comes from the Proto-Slavic word for "wife," and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "jāyā." It can also be used to refer to a female animal or plant. |
| Somali | "Naag" in Somali can also refer to a "snake" or a "young woman" |
| Spanish | The word 'mujer' (woman) in Spanish is thought to derive from the Latin word 'mulier', meaning 'woman' or 'wife'. |
| Sundanese | The word 'awéwé' in Sundanese originally meant 'mother', but later came to be used to refer to women in general. |
| Swahili | "Mwanamke" derives from the root "-ana" (to give birth) and suggests the role of women in childbearing. |
| Swedish | The word 'kvinna' is derived from the Old Norse term 'kvinna', which originally referred to both 'woman' and 'wife'. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "babae" in Tagalog also refers to a female animal, particularly a cow. |
| Tajik | The etymology of the word "зан" is uncertain, but it may be derived from the root "jan", meaning "life". |
| Tamil | The word "பெண்" in Tamil can also refer to a female deity or a she-animal. |
| Telugu | The Telugu word "స్త్రీ" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "*strī" meaning "woman" or "female". |
| Thai | "ผู้หญิง" (woman) comes from "ผู้" (person) and "หญิง" (female), a term originally used to refer to young ladies. |
| Turkish | In Ottoman Turkish, the word 'kadın' referred to the wife of the sultan, similar to 'hatun' in other Turkic languages. |
| Ukrainian | "Жінка" in Ukrainian is a derivative of "жизнь" ("life") which refers to the female sex. |
| Urdu | In Urdu, the word "عورت" is often used as a synonym for "wife" or "female," and can also refer to a woman's honor or virtue. |
| Uzbek | The word "ayol" is a Turkic word also meaning "moon". |
| Welsh | The word "fenyw" is also the root of the word "fennaidd" meaning "female". |
| Xhosa | In Xhosa, 'umfazi' (woman) literally translates to 'the giver of life', emphasizing the role of women in procreation and nurturing. |
| Yiddish | Its other meanings include (non-kosher) fruit, produce, and the feminine gender. |
| Yoruba | The word "obinrin" in Yoruba comes from the root "abire," meaning "to be born," and the suffix "-in," denoting gender, hence "one who is born." |
| Zulu | The Zulu word "owesifazane" can also refer to a "wife" or a "lady." |
| English | The word 'woman' derives from the Old English word 'wifman', meaning 'female human being' or 'wife'. |