How to say “gay” in 31 languages
Every one of these is a word that turns up in ordinary speech, not a dictionary curiosity — the number beside it is where it ranks in that language.
It is commonest in Urdu, where گے is the 45th most used word.
- Bosnian gej a gay person, homosexual #1,463
- Bulgarian гей gay man, homosexual man #1,060
- Croatian gej a gay person, homosexual #2,377
- Czech gay gay male #1,465
- Dutch homo gay, homosexual #1,349
- Estonian gei a gay person #1,427
- Finnish homo gay man #1,952
- French gay #1,503
- Georgian გეი gay man #171
- German schwul #2,346
- Greek γκέι #1,315
- Hebrew הומו gay man #972
- Hindi समलैंगिक homosexual, gay #2,036
- Icelandic hommi a homosexual male, a gay male #916
- Indonesian gay gay, homosexual #1,645
- Italian gay #1,089
- Korean 게이 gay man #884
- Latvian gejs gay, homosexual #2,484
- Lithuanian gėjus a gay man #931
- Macedonian геј gay, homosexual #1,386
- Persian گی a gay man, a male homosexual #2,052
- Polish gejem #2,358
- Romanian gay #1,675
- Serbian gej a gay person, homosexual #1,295
- Slovenian gej #668
- Spanish gay gay, homosexual #1,349
- Swedish bög a homosexual male; gay, fag, queer, poof #2,070
- Tamil கேய் gay; a homosexual man #1,043
- Telugu గే #672
- Urdu گے gay, homosexual #45
- Vietnamese vui merry; joyful; gay #234
Knowing the word is the easy half.
Using it with someone who speaks the language is the half that sticks.