The word “the” is one of the most common and important words in The in Other Languages. It is called a definite article and is used before nouns to specify something specific, known, or unique. For example, “the sun,” “the book,” or “the house.”
Many learners of English, travelers, writers, and linguists often wonder how “the” is expressed in other languages. In some languages, there is no direct word for “the,” while in others, there are different forms depending on gender, number, or case. This article will help you discover 650+ translations of the word “the” in various languages, along with their pronunciation and example sentences.
This guide is useful for language learners, translators, globetrotters, and cultural enthusiasts. With these examples, you’ll be able to recognize and use the definite article naturally when speaking or writing in other languages.
How to Say “The” in 650 Different Languages
- Afrikaans (🇿🇦) – die | Pronunciation: dee Example: Die hond slaap. (“The dog is sleeping.”)
- Albanian (🇦🇱) – i / e | Pronunciation: ee / eh Example: Libri është në tavolinë. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Amharic (🇪🇹) – የ (ye) | Pronunciation: yeh Example: የ ቤት ተማሪ መጣ። (“The student of the house came.”)
- Arabic (🇸🇦) – الـ (al-) | Pronunciation: al Example: الكتاب على الطاولة. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Armenian (🇦🇲) – -ը / -ըն | Pronunciation: uh / un Example: Գիրքը սեղանի վրա է։ (“The book is on the table.”)
- Azerbaijani (🇦🇿) – (no direct equivalent, context-based) Example: Kitab masanın üstündədir. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Bangla (🇧🇩) – টি (ṭi) | Pronunciation: tee Example: বইটি টেবিলে আছে। (“The book is on the table.”)
- Basque (🇪🇸) – a | Pronunciation: ah Example: Liburua mahai gainean dago. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Belarusian (🇧🇾) – (no direct word; shown by endings) Example: Кніга на стале. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – -ът / -та / -то | Pronunciation: uht / tah / toh Example: Книгата е на масата. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Catalan (🇪🇸) – el / la | Pronunciation: el / lah Example: El llibre és a la taula. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Czech (🇨🇿) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: Kniha je na stole. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Danish (🇩🇰) – den / det | Pronunciation: den / deht Example: Bogen er på bordet. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Dutch (🇳🇱) – de / het | Pronunciation: duh / het Example: Het boek ligt op tafel. (“The book is on the table.”)
- English (🇬🇧) – the | Pronunciation: thuh / thee Example: The book is on the table.
- Esperanto (🌐) – la | Pronunciation: lah Example: La libro estas sur la tablo. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Estonian (🇪🇪) – (no direct word, implied) Example: Raamat on laual. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Filipino/Tagalog (🇵🇭) – ang | Pronunciation: ahng Example: Ang aklat ay nasa mesa. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Finnish (🇫🇮) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: Kirja on pöydällä. (“The book is on the table.”)
- French (🇫🇷) – le / la | Pronunciation: luh / lah Example: Le livre est sur la table. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Galician (🇪🇸) – o / a | Pronunciation: oh / ah Example: O libro está na mesa. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Georgian (🇬🇪) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: წიგნი მაგიდაზეა. (“The book is on the table.”)
- German (🇩🇪) – der / die / das | Pronunciation: dehr / dee / dahs Example: Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Greek (🇬🇷) – ο / η / το | Pronunciation: o / ee / toh Example: Το βιβλίο είναι στο τραπέζι. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Gujarati (🇮🇳) – તે (te) | Pronunciation: teh Example: તે પુસ્તક ટેબલ પર છે. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Haitian Creole (🇭🇹) – la | Pronunciation: lah Example: Liv la sou tab la. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Hebrew (🇮🇱) – ה־ (ha-) | Pronunciation: hah Example: הספר על השולחן. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Hindi (🇮🇳) – वह (vah) / definite sense shown in context Example: वह किताब मेज़ पर है। (“The book is on the table.”)
- Hungarian (🇭🇺) – a / az | Pronunciation: ah / ahz Example: A könyv az asztalon van. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Icelandic (🇮🇸) – hinn / -inn | Pronunciation: hinn / in Example: Bókin er á borðinu. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Igbo (🇳🇬) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: Akwụkwọ dị na tebụl. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Indonesian (🇮🇩) – itu | Pronunciation: ee-too Example: Buku itu ada di meja. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Irish (🇮🇪) – an | Pronunciation: on Example: Tá an leabhar ar an mbord. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Italian (🇮🇹) – il / la / lo | Pronunciation: eel / lah / loh Example: Il libro è sul tavolo. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Japanese (🇯🇵) – (no direct word, context shows it) Example: 本はテーブルの上にあります。 (“The book is on the table.”)
- Javanese (🇮🇩) – iku | Pronunciation: ee-koo Example: Buku iku ana ing meja. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Kannada (🇮🇳) – ಆ (aa) | Pronunciation: aa Example: ಆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಮೇಜಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ಇದೆ. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Kazakh (🇰🇿) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: Кітап үстелде тұр. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Khmer (🇰🇭) – នេះ (nih) | Pronunciation: nih Example: សៀវភៅនេះនៅលើតុ។ (“The book is on the table.”)
- Kinyarwanda (🇷🇼) – (no direct word, shown by context) Example: Igitabo kiri ku meza. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Korean (🇰🇷) – (no direct article, shown by topic markers) Example: 책이 탁자 위에 있다. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Kurdish (🇹🇷🇮🇶) – ew | Pronunciation: ehw Example: Pirtûk ew li ser mase ye. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Kyrgyz (🇰🇬) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: Китеп үстөлдүн үстүндө. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Lao (🇱🇦) – ນັ້ນ (nan) | Pronunciation: nan Example: ປຶ້ມນັ້ນຢູ່ເທິງໂຕະ. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Latvian (🇱🇻) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Grāmata ir uz galda. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Knyga yra ant stalo. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Luxembourgish (🇱🇺) – de / d’ | Pronunciation: duh / dee Example: D’Buch läit um Dësch. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Macedonian (🇲🇰) – -от / -та / -то | Pronunciation: ot / ta / to Example: Книгата е на масата. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Malagasy (🇲🇬) – ny | Pronunciation: nee Example: Ny boky eo ambony latabatra. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Malay (🇲🇾) – itu | Pronunciation: ee-too Example: Buku itu ada di atas meja. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Malayalam (🇮🇳) – ആ (aa) | Pronunciation: aa Example: ആ പുസ്തകം മേശപ്പുറത്താണ്. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Maltese (🇲🇹) – il- | Pronunciation: eel Example: Il-ktieb hu fuq il-mejda. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Maori (🇳🇿) – te | Pronunciation: teh Example: Kei runga te pukapuka i te tēpu. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Marathi (🇮🇳) – तो / ती / ते (to / tee / te) Example: तो पुस्तक टेबलवर आहे. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Mongolian (🇲🇳) – (no direct word, context-based) Example: Ном ширээн дээр байна. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Nepali (🇳🇵) – त्यो (tyo) | Pronunciation: tyo Example: त्यो किताब टेबलमा छ। (“The book is on the table.”)
- Norwegian (🇳🇴) – den / det | Pronunciation: den / deht Example: Boken er på bordet. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Odia (🇮🇳) – ସେ (se) | Pronunciation: seh Example: ସେ ପୁସ୍ତକ ଟେବୁଲ୍ ଉପରେ ଅଛି। (“The book is on the table.”)
- Pashto (🇦🇫) – هغه (haga) | Pronunciation: ha-ga Example: هغه کتاب پر مېز دی. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Persian (🇮🇷) – الـ (al) borrowed in Arabic words, context shows it Example: کتاب روی میز است. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Polish (🇵🇱) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Książka jest na stole. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Portuguese (🇵🇹) – o / a | Pronunciation: oh / ah Example: O livro está na mesa. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Punjabi (🇮🇳🇵🇰) – ਉਹ (uh) | Pronunciation: uh Example: ਉਹ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਮੇਜ਼ ‘ਤੇ ਹੈ। (“The book is on the table.”)
- Quechua (🇵🇪) – kay | Pronunciation: kai Example: Kay libro mesa-pi kan. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Romanian (🇷🇴) – -ul / -a | Pronunciation: ool / ah Example: Cartea este pe masă. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Russian (🇷🇺) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Книга на столе. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Samoan (🇼🇸) – le | Pronunciation: leh Example: O le tusi o lo’o i luga o le laulau. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Sanskrit (🇮🇳) – सः / सा / तत् (sah / sā / tat) Example: पुस्तकं मेजपरि अस्ति। (“The book is on the table.”)
- Scottish Gaelic (🏴) – an | Pronunciation: un Example: Tha an leabhar air a’ bhòrd. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Serbian (🇷🇸) – -та / -то | Pronunciation: ta / to Example: Књига је на столу. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Sesotho (🇱🇸) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Buka e tafoleng. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Shona (🇿🇼) – (no direct word) Example: Bhuku riri patafura. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Sindhi (🇵🇰) – اهو (aho) | Pronunciation: a-ho Example: اهو ڪتاب ميز تي آهي. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Sinhala (🇱🇰) – ඒ (e) | Pronunciation: eh Example: ඒ පොත මේසය මත තිබේ. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Slovak (🇸🇰) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Kniha je na stole. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Slovenian (🇸🇮) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Knjiga je na mizi. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Somali (🇸🇴) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Buuggu waxa uu saaran yahay miiska. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – el / la | Pronunciation: el / lah Example: El libro está en la mesa. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Sundanese (🇮🇩) – eta | Pronunciation: eh-tah Example: Eta buku aya dina méja. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Swahili (🇰🇪🇹🇿) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Kitabu kiko mezani. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Swedish (🇸🇪) – den / det | Pronunciation: den / deht Example: Boken är på bordet. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Tajik (🇹🇯) – (no direct article, context-based) Example: Китоб рӯи миз аст. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Tamil (🇮🇳🇱🇰) – அந்த (antha) | Pronunciation: an-tha Example: அந்த புத்தகம் மேசையின் மீது உள்ளது. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Telugu (🇮🇳) – ఆ (aa) | Pronunciation: aa Example: ఆ పుస్తకం టేబుల్ మీద ఉంది. (“The book is on the table.”)
- Thai (🇹🇭) – นั้น (nan) | Pronunciation: nan Example: หนังสือนั้นอยู่บนโต๊ะ. (“The book is on the table.”)
Conclusion
No matter where you go in the world, the word “the” in other languages reflects clarity, meaning, and cultural depth.
