Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'yours' is a simple yet powerful expression of possession and connection. It signifies ownership and belonging, creating a bond between the speaker, the object, and the person it is addressed to. This word has been used in various forms of communication, from personal letters to business transactions, and has been translated into many languages around the world.
Culturally, the word 'yours' holds great importance as it reflects the values and beliefs of different societies. For instance, in some cultures, ownership is highly valued, while in others, sharing and community are more important. Understanding the translation of 'yours' in different languages can provide insight into these cultural differences and promote cross-cultural communication.
Moreover, the word 'yours' has a rich historical context. In ancient times, people used various forms of expression to convey ownership, which evolved over time into the modern word 'yours'. Exploring these historical contexts can help us appreciate the complexity and diversity of human language and culture.
With this in mind, let's take a look at the translations of 'yours' in different languages:
Afrikaans | joune | ||
Amharic | ያንተ | ||
The word "ያንተ" also derives from the Geez word "እኔ" which means "I", but is only used to address superiors, and can be compared to the informal use of "tu" in French or Spanish. | |||
Hausa | naku | ||
In Hausa, "naku" is sometimes used colloquially to refer to someone's favorite activity or possession. | |||
Igbo | nke gi | ||
The phrase "nke gi" can also be used as a term of endearment for a loved one. | |||
Malagasy | anao | ||
The word "anao" in Malagasy shares its root with the Indonesian and Malay word "engkau" and the Polynesian word "koe", all of which mean "you" in their respective languages. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | zanu | ||
Nyanja 'zanu' has also been used to refer to 'a gift' by Ngoni speakers, which is thought to have originated from 'zanu' meaning 'to receive.' | |||
Shona | zvako | ||
The word "zvako" in the Shona language has its origins in the Proto-Bantu word "*wa-ko," meaning "related to you". | |||
Somali | taada | ||
Somali "taada" also means "you are". | |||
Sesotho | ea hau | ||
In Setswana, "hau" can mean either me or yours when used in "me he" or "hau he" respectfully. | |||
Swahili | wako | ||
The Swahili word "wako" can also mean "belonging to you" or "your responsibility." | |||
Xhosa | eyakho | ||
The word "eyakho" in Xhosa can also refer to a possessive pronoun indicating ownership or belonging to someone. | |||
Yoruba | tirẹ | ||
"Tirẹ" also conveys ownership by the speaker and a lack of it (by the speaker) for a 3rd party. | |||
Zulu | eyakho | ||
In Zulu, "eyakho" not only means "yours," but can also mean "your place" or "your home." | |||
Bambara | aw ta ye | ||
Ewe | tɔwò | ||
Kinyarwanda | ibyawe | ||
Lingala | ya yo | ||
Luganda | ebibyo | ||
Sepedi | ya gago | ||
Twi (Akan) | wo deɛ | ||
Arabic | خاصة بك | ||
The word "خاصة بك" in Arabic can also mean "custom-made" or "tailor-made". | |||
Hebrew | שלך | ||
"שלך" can be both masculine and feminine as well as being a noun or pronoun in modern Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | ستاسو | ||
The Pashto word ستاسو (yours) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *tewos-, meaning 'your'. It is cognate with the Sanskrit word तव (tava), the Greek word τεός (teos), and the Latin word tuus. | |||
Arabic | خاصة بك | ||
The word "خاصة بك" in Arabic can also mean "custom-made" or "tailor-made". |
Albanian | tuajat | ||
The word "tuajat" in Albanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tewe" meaning "thou," and is cognate with the English word "thou". | |||
Basque | zurea | ||
The word "zurea" in Basque can also mean "belonging to you" or "related to you". | |||
Catalan | vostre | ||
"Vostre" in Catalan can also mean "Your Honor" or "Your Worship", and is often used to address judges or other officials. | |||
Croatian | tvoja | ||
The word "tvoja" also has the possessive meaning of "your" in Croatian, referring to a feminine noun. | |||
Danish | din | ||
In Old Norse, "dinn" meant "mighty, grand, strong, or brave." | |||
Dutch | de jouwe | ||
"De jouwe" can also refer to a person's love interest or significant other. | |||
English | yours | ||
"Yours" derives etymologically from a combination of the Old English words | |||
French | le tiens | ||
Frisian | dines | ||
The word 'dines' is also used in West Frisian, where it means 'your'. | |||
Galician | teu | ||
In Galician, "teu" is the possessive form of the second person pronoun "ti," meaning "you" in the singular. | |||
German | deine | ||
The word "deine" can also refer to a female's genitive case of the personal pronoun "du" (you). | |||
Icelandic | þitt | ||
In Old Norse, "þitt" could also refer to a legal claim or right to something. | |||
Irish | mise | ||
The word "mise" (yours) in Irish is an example of a lenited form of the genitive case of the Irish first-person singular pronoun "mé" (I). | |||
Italian | il tuo | ||
In Italian, "il tuo" can also mean "your life" or "your destiny". | |||
Luxembourgish | ären | ||
The Luxembourgish word "ären" derives from the Old High German word "euer" and is related to the English word "your". | |||
Maltese | tiegħek | ||
The word "tiegħek" is derived from the Semitic root word "DYK", meaning "property" or "belonging to". | |||
Norwegian | din | ||
The Old Norse form "ðinn" is cognate with the English "thine" and the German "dein". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sua | ||
Sua comes from the Latin pronoun "sua", meaning "his, hers, its" or "their". | |||
Scots Gaelic | leatsa | ||
The word 'leatsa' is a polite form of 'your' that is used when speaking to someone who is older or more respected than you. | |||
Spanish | tuyo | ||
The word "tuyo" comes from the Latin word "tuus", meaning "your", and is related to the Spanish words "tu" (you) and "tú" (your). | |||
Swedish | din | ||
The word "din" also means "noise" or "commotion" in Swedish, related to the English word "din". | |||
Welsh | eich un chi | ||
"Eich un chi" has a secondary meaning of "a certain" |
Belarusian | ваша | ||
"Ваша" can also be used as an adjective meaning "your" in the sense of belonging to a group, such as "ваша честь" ("Your Honor"). | |||
Bosnian | tvoj | ||
The word 'tvoj' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'tvojь' which also meant 'your' in Proto-Indo-European. | |||
Bulgarian | твоя | ||
The word "твоя" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*tъvojь", which also means "your" | |||
Czech | vaše | ||
The term 'vaše' is also used as a formal polite term of address, often translated as 'you' or 'Your Excellency'. | |||
Estonian | sinu oma | ||
The word "sinu" can also mean "thy" or "your" in a more formal or archaic sense. | |||
Finnish | sinun | ||
The word "sinun" in Finnish can also refer to the possessive form of the second-person singular pronoun "sinä" (you). | |||
Hungarian | a tiéd | ||
"A tiéd" is the short form of the phrase "Ez a te tulajdonod", which means "this is your property". | |||
Latvian | tavs | ||
In Latvian, the word “tavs” has an additional meaning, referring to an object that belongs to an unspecified person or thing. | |||
Lithuanian | tavo | ||
In addition to the standard meaning of "yours," "tavo" can also be used to refer to someone's significant other or spouse. | |||
Macedonian | твое | ||
The word "твое" also has the alternate meaning of "your" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | twój | ||
The word "Twój" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*tъvojь", which also means "your", and is related to the Latin word "tuus". | |||
Romanian | a ta | ||
The Romanian word "a ta" also means "of yours" or "belonging to you". | |||
Russian | твой | ||
The word "твой" can also be used in a figurative sense to indicate possession or belonging, e.g. "мой любимый цветок" (my favorite flower). | |||
Serbian | твоја | ||
The Serbian word "твоја" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*tvoja", which also means "your" in other Slavic languages. | |||
Slovak | tvoj | ||
The Slovak word "tvoj" is also used to refer to a spouse or lover. | |||
Slovenian | tvoja | ||
The word "tvoja" in Slovenian originates from the Proto-Slavic word "*tuja" meaning "that" or "strange". | |||
Ukrainian | ваш | ||
Ukrainian word "ваш" is a masculine form of the possessive adjective meaning "your". It can also be used as a formal way of addressing someone. |
Bengali | তোমার | ||
The word 'তোমার' also has the meaning of 'as you wish' or 'as you feel like'. | |||
Gujarati | તમારું | ||
The word "તમારું" can also refer to "belonging to you" or "under your control" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | आपका अपना | ||
"आपका अपना" translates as "yours" but can also refer to an object that is exclusively personal to the speaker." | |||
Kannada | ನಿಮ್ಮದು | ||
The term "ನಿಮ್ಮದು" also signifies "your concern". | |||
Malayalam | താങ്കളുടെ | ||
"താങ്കളുടെ" is a polite second person pronoun in Malayalam, typically used to refer to someone who is older, of higher status, or unfamiliar. | |||
Marathi | आपले | ||
The word "आपले" (aapale) in Marathi can also refer to a formal or respectful way of addressing someone, similar to the English "you" or "your". | |||
Nepali | तिम्रो | ||
The etymology of "तिम्रो" traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root "tewe" meaning "you", also related to the English "thou". | |||
Punjabi | ਤੁਹਾਡਾ | ||
The word 'ਤੁਹਾਡਾ' can also be used to address someone respectfully, similar to the English 'Your Honor' or 'Your Majesty'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔබේ | ||
The Sinhala word ඔබේ (obe) originates from the Sanskrit word 'tava', meaning 'your', and it refers to something that belongs to or is associated with the second person. | |||
Tamil | உங்களுடையது | ||
Telugu | మీదే | ||
Urdu | تمہارا | ||
The word "تمہارا" comes from the Sanskrit word "tava", meaning "your" or "belonging to you". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 你的 | ||
你的(nǐ de) means “you” (the second person personal pronoun) in Mandarin, whereas 你地(néi dei) is used in Cantonese. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 你的 | ||
您的 (nin de), your in a formal context, is used to show respect. It is the character 您的 simplified and is usually used with the subject to denote reverence. | |||
Japanese | あなたのもの | ||
While "あなたのもの" does indeed mean "yours", it can also be translated as "something that belongs to you". | |||
Korean | 당신 것 | ||
The Korean word "당신 것" has a more specific meaning in the singular, meaning one object, whereas the plural refers to more than one object. | |||
Mongolian | чинийх | ||
The word "чинийх" also means "your (plural)" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | မင်း | ||
The word “မင်း” can also be used to refer to a person of lower status. |
Indonesian | milikmu | ||
"Milikmu" literally means "in your possession" in Indonesian, derived from the Javanese word "milik" (possession) and the first-person possessive suffix "-mu" | |||
Javanese | duwekmu | ||
The word "duwekmu" can be broken down into "duwe" (to own) and "mu" (possessive pronoun), meaning "the one you own" or "your possession." | |||
Khmer | របស់អ្នក | ||
Lao | ຂອງທ່ານ | ||
ຂອງທ່ານ is a Lao phrase that can also mean "it is yours" or "it belongs to you". | |||
Malay | milik anda | ||
"Milik anda" literally means "your property" in Malay. | |||
Thai | ของคุณ | ||
The Thai word | |||
Vietnamese | của bạn | ||
The Vietnamese word "của bạn" can also mean "your" in the sense of belonging to you or being yours. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | inyo | ||
Azerbaijani | sizin | ||
The root word of "sizin" is likely from Turkish."Senin", Turkish for “belonging to you”, derives from “sen.” "Sen," in its earliest forms meant “person." | |||
Kazakh | сенікі | ||
The Kazakh word "сенікі" (yours) shares the same root with the word "сен" (you), suggesting a sense of possession or belonging. | |||
Kyrgyz | сеники | ||
The word | |||
Tajik | азони шумо | ||
The Tajik word | |||
Turkmen | seniňki | ||
Uzbek | seniki | ||
The word "seniki" can also mean "self" or "yourself" when used in a possessive sense. | |||
Uyghur | سىزنىڭ | ||
Hawaiian | kāu | ||
The word "kāu" also means "belonging to you" or "your loved ones" in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | nau | ||
The Maori word "nau" can also mean "now" or "today". | |||
Samoan | a oe | ||
The Samoan word "a oe" means "yours" and is a contraction of the phrase "a e oe", meaning "for you". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | inyo | ||
Inyo is also used as an alternate form of "ninyo" which means "doll" or "toy". |
Aymara | jumanakankiwa | ||
Guarani | nde mba’éva | ||
Esperanto | via | ||
In Polish, "via" or "viać" means "to blow (the wind) or to hang (meat)." | |||
Latin | tua | ||
"Tua" originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tewe" meaning "you". |
Greek | δικος σου | ||
"Δικος σου" is derived from the Greek word "δικη", meaning "justice" or "right", and originally referred to something that was "rightfully yours" or "belonging to you". | |||
Hmong | koj tuaj mis kas | ||
The phrase "koj tuaj mis kas" is a term of endearment meaning "my precious one" or "my darling." | |||
Kurdish | ya te | ||
The etymology of "ya te" is unclear, but it may be related to the Persian word "tū", meaning "you". | |||
Turkish | seninki | ||
The word 'seninki' comes from the possessive pronoun 'senin' with the suffix '-ki', which can also mean 'the one belonging to you'. | |||
Xhosa | eyakho | ||
The word "eyakho" in Xhosa can also refer to a possessive pronoun indicating ownership or belonging to someone. | |||
Yiddish | דייַן | ||
The Yiddish word 'דייַן' ('dayn') can also mean 'judge' and is derived from the Hebrew word 'דין' ('din'), meaning 'law' or 'judgment'. | |||
Zulu | eyakho | ||
In Zulu, "eyakho" not only means "yours," but can also mean "your place" or "your home." | |||
Assamese | আপোনাৰ | ||
Aymara | jumanakankiwa | ||
Bhojpuri | राउर हऽ | ||
Dhivehi | ތިބާގެއެވެ | ||
Dogri | तेरा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | inyo | ||
Guarani | nde mba’éva | ||
Ilocano | ti kukuam | ||
Krio | yu yon | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هی تۆ | ||
Maithili | अहाँक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯈꯣꯌꯒꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | i ta a ni | ||
Oromo | kan keessan | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ତୁମର | ||
Quechua | qanpa | ||
Sanskrit | तव | ||
Tatar | синеке | ||
Tigrinya | ናትካ | ||
Tsonga | ya wena | ||