Year in Different Languages
Discover 'Year' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'year' holds a profound significance in our lives, representing the time it takes for the Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun. This astronomical event sets the foundation for how we measure and track time, creating a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries. But did you know that the word 'year' can be translated into different languages, each with its own unique cultural context?
For instance, in Spanish, 'year' is translated as 'año,' which originates from the Latin word 'annus.' In Mandarin Chinese, 'year' is translated as ' nián,' a term that also signifies 'season' or 'era.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'year' is expressed as 'toshi,' which shares the same root as the word 'toshigami,' a Shinto deity representing the New Year.
Delving into the translations of 'year' in different languages not only expands our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the rich cultural tapestry that makes up our global community. Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of translations for the word 'year' in various languages, providing a fascinating journey through the world of language and culture.
Year
Year in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | jaar | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'jaar' is derived from the Dutch word 'jaar' and is also related to the English word 'year'. | |||
| Amharic | አመት | ||
| The word "አመት" ("year") in Amharic also denotes a 12-month agricultural season. | |||
| Hausa | shekara | ||
| The etymology of the Hausa term | |||
| Igbo | afọ | ||
| The Igbo word "afọ" can also refer to a "seed" or the "time for planting". | |||
| Malagasy | taom- | ||
| The Malagasy word | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chaka | ||
| Shona | gore | ||
| Gore also means 'the end' or 'the remainder' of something. | |||
| Somali | sanadka | ||
| The word 'sanadka' also refers to a period of twelve lunar months | |||
| Sesotho | selemo | ||
| In Sesotho, "selemo" can also mean a full moon or a period of 12 months, or 364.5 days. | |||
| Swahili | mwaka | ||
| Although "mwaka" most commonly means "year", it comes from the same root as "-kuweka" ("to place, set, put") and "wekera" ("place for"). | |||
| Xhosa | unyaka | ||
| The Xhosa word "unyaka" originally meant "fruit" but was applied to the concept of a "year" based on the seasonal availability of fruits. | |||
| Yoruba | odun | ||
| "Odun" can also mean "harvest" or "festival" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | unyaka | ||
| The Zulu word "unyaka" also refers to a period of 12 lunar months, known as a lunar year. | |||
| Bambara | san | ||
| Ewe | ƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwaka | ||
| Lingala | mbula | ||
| Luganda | omwaka | ||
| Sepedi | ngwaga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | afe | ||
Year in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عام | ||
| The Arabic word "عام" can also mean "universal", "general" or "public." | |||
| Hebrew | שָׁנָה | ||
| The word "שָׁנָה" in Hebrew also means "to change" or "to repeat". | |||
| Pashto | کال | ||
| The Pashto word "کال" (kāl) also means "time" or "age". | |||
| Arabic | عام | ||
| The Arabic word "عام" can also mean "universal", "general" or "public." | |||
Year in Western European Languages
| Albanian | viti | ||
| The Albanian word "viti" is derived from the Latin word "vita" meaning "life" and also has the connotation of a "season". | |||
| Basque | urtea | ||
| The word "urtea" is related to "ur" (water) in Basque, suggesting the importance of the water cycle in Basque culture. | |||
| Catalan | curs | ||
| The word "curs" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "cursus", meaning "course" or "run", and also refers to an academic year or a specific class. | |||
| Croatian | godina | ||
| The word 'godina' shares its root with the word 'god' meaning 'hour' or 'time'. | |||
| Danish | år | ||
| The word "år" also means "rowing" and comes from the Indo-European root "er- " meaning "to move". | |||
| Dutch | jaar | ||
| The word "jaar" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*jēraz," meaning "season," and is related to the English word "year" and the German word "Jahr." | |||
| English | year | ||
| The word 'year' stems from the Old English geār and Proto-Germanic jēraz, also referring to a 'harvest,' 'season' or 'spring.' | |||
| French | an | ||
| The French word "an" comes from the Latin word "annus", which also means "year". | |||
| Frisian | jier | ||
| The Frisian word "jier" derives from the Proto-Germanic "*jērą" and may also refer to the annual gathering of the community. | |||
| Galician | ano | ||
| German | jahr | ||
| In Middle High German, “Jar” meant “time” in a general sense, such as the time to wait until a crop is ripe for harvesting or until someone pays back a loan. | |||
| Icelandic | ári | ||
| Ári can also refer to an | |||
| Irish | bhliain | ||
| The Irish word "bhliain" originates from the Proto-Celtic *bliđina, which also meant "time" or "season." | |||
| Italian | anno | ||
| The word "anno" comes from the Latin term "annus," denoting a 12 month period and the annual cycle of seasons. | |||
| Luxembourgish | joer | ||
| The word "Joer" is derived from the Latin "annus" and also refers to the biblical year, which lasts from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. | |||
| Maltese | sena | ||
| The word "sena" is derived from Arabic and originally meant "age" or "time". | |||
| Norwegian | år | ||
| År is cognate with Old High German jār, meaning "harvest", and Latin hornus, meaning "of this year".} | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ano | ||
| "Ano" also derives from Latin annus and can mean, by extension, an epoch or event | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bliadhna | ||
| The word "bliadhna" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*wletos" meaning "year", which is also the origin of the Welsh word "blwyddyn" and the Irish word "bliain". | |||
| Spanish | año | ||
| The word "año" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "annus", which also means "growth" or "circle", due to the cyclical nature of the year. | |||
| Swedish | år | ||
| In the past, 'år' referred to a season and was often used in place of the word 'harvest' | |||
| Welsh | flwyddyn | ||
| The Welsh word | |||
Year in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | год | ||
| "Год" (year) possibly derives from the Old English "gear", which meant "revolving, turning," and is related to the Old Slavic *godъ, meaning "time". | |||
| Bosnian | godine | ||
| The root of the word 'godine' is 'god', which also means 'fit', referring to the period when the nature is in its most fertile and productive phase. | |||
| Bulgarian | година | ||
| The Bulgarian word "година" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "godъ" and can also mean "disaster" or "calamity". | |||
| Czech | rok | ||
| Czech word "rok" comes from Proto-Slavic year measure, related to the German "reckon" | |||
| Estonian | aasta | ||
| Derived from a cognate of Proto-Finnic *ajasta, meaning "time". | |||
| Finnish | vuosi | ||
| The word "vuosi" is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root *wode, meaning "time" or "season". | |||
| Hungarian | év | ||
| The Hungarian word "év" comes from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root "iwe," meaning "time." | |||
| Latvian | gadā | ||
| The word "gadā" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰodh- meaning "season" or "year". It is also cognate with the Sanskrit word "vatsara" meaning "year". | |||
| Lithuanian | metus | ||
| Metus also means "fear" in Latin and shares a common root with the Sanskrit word "mita", meaning "measured or limited." | |||
| Macedonian | година | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, "година" meant "time" or "season," and in Serbo-Croatian, it can also refer to "bad luck" or "misfortune." | |||
| Polish | rok | ||
| The word 'rok' also means 'fate' in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | an | ||
| In Romanian, "an" also means "spring" and "age," stemming from Latin "annus" (year) and "annata" (crop). | |||
| Russian | год | ||
| "Год" in Russian is a cognate of the English "year" and "yearn" and is related to the Greek word "hora", which means "season". | |||
| Serbian | године | ||
| Serbian "године" means "years" in plural and "of the year" in singular. | |||
| Slovak | rok | ||
| The word "rok" in Slovak originates from the Proto-Slavic word *lěto, which also means "summer". | |||
| Slovenian | leto | ||
| The word "leto" in Slovenian originated from the Proto-Slavic word "leto" meaning "period". It is cognate with English "year" and Russian "лето" (leto). | |||
| Ukrainian | рік | ||
| The word “рік” in Ukrainian also means “a point in time; a moment; a period of time”. | |||
Year in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বছর | ||
| The Bengali word "বছর" (year) is derived from the Sanskrit word "वर्ष" (vṛṣa), which means "rain" or "rainy season." | |||
| Gujarati | વર્ષ | ||
| "વર્ષ" (year - time) was derived from ancient Sanskrit "वर्षति" (varshati), which means "to rain". Hence, "a year" is the duration between two monsoons in the ancient Indian concept. | |||
| Hindi | साल | ||
| Sal and Saala in Hindi both mean Brother-in-law and Brother-in-law's family, but Saala is also used in the sense of being a friend too. | |||
| Kannada | ವರ್ಷ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ವರ್ಷ' ('year') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'वर्ष' ('rain'), suggesting its connection to agricultural cycles and the monsoon seasons in the region. | |||
| Malayalam | വർഷം | ||
| Marathi | वर्ष | ||
| The Marathi word वर्ष (varsha) also means 'rain' and 'downpour', reflecting the significance of monsoon rains in the region. | |||
| Nepali | बर्ष | ||
| The word "बर्ष" in Nepali shares its root with the Sanskrit "वृष्" and the Proto-Indo-European "*wers-," meaning "to rain" or "to pour." | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਾਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸਾਲ" can also refer to a plough shaft or an axe handle. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වර්ෂය | ||
| In Sanskrit, වර්ෂය derives from the verbal root वृष्, "to pour, flow, rain" (cognate to Latin versus, vortex). | |||
| Tamil | ஆண்டு | ||
| The term "ஆண்டு" can refer to a single year or to the concept of a year in general | |||
| Telugu | సంవత్సరం | ||
| Urdu | سال | ||
| The word 'سال' (year) in Urdu is derived from the Persian word 'سال' which also means 'age' and is used in a similar context. | |||
Year in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 年 | ||
| 年 can also mean 'good harvest' or refer to annual events, such as festivals or celebrations. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 年 | ||
| 年 (year) is composed of禾 (grain) and 人 (person), which represents the harvest (harvesting the crops), i.e. the end of a cycle, hence a "year". | |||
| Japanese | 年 | ||
| "年" (とし, toshi) originally meant "good harvest" and is also used to signify "age," as in "何年" (なんねん, nannen, "how many years"). | |||
| Korean | 년 | ||
| 년 (年) also refers to 'harvest'. | |||
| Mongolian | жил | ||
| The word "жил" also refers to a 12-year calendar cycle in Mongolian and Tibetan cultures. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နှစ် | ||
| The Myanma word | |||
Year in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tahun | ||
| The Old Javanese "tawn" or "tawun" originally referred to the rice-planting season but came to mean "year" and was influenced by the Sanskrit "varsa". | |||
| Javanese | taun | ||
| The Javanese word "taun" also means "season" or "monsoon" and is related to the Malay word "tahun" and the Indonesian word "tahun", both meaning "year". | |||
| Khmer | ឆ្នាំ | ||
| "ឆ្នាំ" is also used to refer to an age group or generation of people born around the same time. | |||
| Lao | ປີ | ||
| ປີ is also the Lao word for | |||
| Malay | tahun | ||
| "Tahun" is thought to be derived from Proto-Austronesian "(ta)qun" meaning "season". | |||
| Thai | ปี | ||
| The Thai word "ปี" not only means "year", but also has the connotation of "a specific period", as in a "rainy year" or a "harvest year". | |||
| Vietnamese | năm | ||
| The word "năm" also means "to wait" or "to expect" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | taon | ||
Year in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | il | ||
| In Azerbaijani, | |||
| Kazakh | жыл | ||
| Жыл is also used to measure the age of animals, with each "жыл" representing a year of life. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жыл | ||
| Kyrgyz жыл “year” is cognate to Mongolian жил 'year' and Turkish yıl 'year', ultimately deriving from a Proto-Turkic root. | |||
| Tajik | сол | ||
| The word "сол" in Tajik is a cognate of the Persian word "سال" meaning both "year" and "the sun" | |||
| Turkmen | ýyl | ||
| Uzbek | yil | ||
| Yil is also used in Uzbek to describe a twelve-year calendar cycle and may be derived from the Arabic word for month "ay" or from the Turkic root "y" (to walk, go) | |||
| Uyghur | يىل | ||
Year in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makahiki | ||
| Makahiki also refers to a festival honoring the god Lono in ancient Hawai'i. | |||
| Maori | tau | ||
| The Maori word "tau" also refers to the seasons and growth cycles, symbolizing renewal and abundance. | |||
| Samoan | tausaga | ||
| "Tausaga" comes from proto-Polynesian "*ta:husa", meaning "time, season, or year." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | taon | ||
| "Taon" is cognate to "zaman" in many Indonesian and Malayo-Polynesian languages, both meaning "time" or "year". | |||
Year in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mara | ||
| Guarani | ary | ||
Year in International Languages
| Esperanto | jaro | ||
| Esperanto's "jaro" may also refer to a "harvest" or a "large amount." | |||
| Latin | annos singulos | ||
| "Annos singulos" can also refer to a period of time during the Roman Empire, known as an "indiction cycle," lasting 15 years. | |||
Year in Others Languages
| Greek | έτος | ||
| Έτος (έτος, étos): from the Proto-Indo-European word *wer- meaning “to turn” | |||
| Hmong | xyoo | ||
| The Hmong word “xyoo” can also mean an age or era. | |||
| Kurdish | sal | ||
| Sal ('year') in Kurdish also derives from the Old-Iranian form of 'wheel', related to the concept of yearly cycles. | |||
| Turkish | yıl | ||
| The word "yıl" is related to the Sanskrit word "kala", meaning "measure" or "time". | |||
| Xhosa | unyaka | ||
| The Xhosa word "unyaka" originally meant "fruit" but was applied to the concept of a "year" based on the seasonal availability of fruits. | |||
| Yiddish | יאָר | ||
| The Yiddish word "יאָר" (pronounced "yor") is a cognate of the Germanic word *jēraz-, but unlike in Germanic, Yiddish uses a cognate of Latin *annus to refer to the current or the upcoming year, which is where English "year" comes from. | |||
| Zulu | unyaka | ||
| The Zulu word "unyaka" also refers to a period of 12 lunar months, known as a lunar year. | |||
| Assamese | বছৰ | ||
| Aymara | mara | ||
| Bhojpuri | बरिस | ||
| Dhivehi | އަހަރު | ||
| Dogri | ब'रा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | taon | ||
| Guarani | ary | ||
| Ilocano | tawen | ||
| Krio | ia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ساڵ | ||
| Maithili | साल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯍꯤ | ||
| Mizo | kum | ||
| Oromo | waggaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବର୍ଷ | ||
| Quechua | wata | ||
| Sanskrit | वर्ष | ||
| Tatar | ел | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓመት | ||
| Tsonga | lembe | ||