Learning how to say “cool” in different languages is a fun way to discover everyday expressions, slang, and casual vocabulary around the world. The English word cool can describe something stylish, impressive, fashionable, calm, or simply enjoyable.
Because “cool” has several meanings, translations can change depending on context. The list below focuses mainly on the casual meaning of “cool!” = great, awesome, or impressive.
Cool in 70 Languages
| Language | Native Word | Easy English Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| English | Cool | KOOL |
| Spanish | Genial | Heh-nee-AHL |
| French | Génial | Zhay-nee-AHL |
| German | Cool | KOOL |
| Italian | Forte | FOR-teh |
| Portuguese | Legal | Leh-GAHL |
| Dutch | Cool | KOOL |
| Swedish | Cool | KOOL |
| Norwegian | Kult | KOOLT |
| Danish | Fedt | FET |
| Finnish | Siisti | SEE-stee |
| Icelandic | Flott | FLOHT |
| Irish | Fionnuar | Fee-uh-NOO-er |
| Welsh | Gwych | GWIKH |
| Scottish Gaelic | Sgoinneil | SGON-yel |
| Polish | Fajny | FAI-nih |
| Czech | Super | SOO-per |
| Slovak | Super | SOO-per |
| Slovenian | Kul | KOOL |
| Croatian | Fora | FOH-rah |
| Serbian | Кул | KOOL |
| Bosnian | Kul | KOOL |
| Romanian | Mișto | MEESH-toh |
| Hungarian | Menő | MEH-noh |
| Greek | Τέλειο | TEH-lee-oh |
| Language | Native Word | Easy English Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Russian | Круто | KROO-toh |
| Ukrainian | Круто | KROO-toh |
| Belarusian | Крута | KROO-tah |
| Bulgarian | Яко | YAH-koh |
| Macedonian | Кул | KOOL |
| Albanian | Bukur | BOO-koor |
| Turkish | Havalı | Ha-va-LUH |
| Arabic | رائع | RAA-eh |
| Hebrew | מגניב | Mag-NEEV |
| Persian | باحال | BAA-haal |
| Kurdish | Xweş | KHWEHSH |
| Hindi | शानदार | Shan-DAAR |
| Urdu | زبردست | Za-BAR-dast |
| Punjabi | ਵਧੀਆ | Va-DHEE-ah |
| Bengali | দারুণ | DAA-roon |
| Gujarati | સરસ | Sa-RAS |
| Marathi | मस्त | MAST |
| Nepali | राम्रो | RAAM-roh |
| Sinhala | නියමයි | Nee-ya-MAI |
| Tamil | அருமை | Ah-roo-MAI |
| Telugu | అదిరింది | Ah-dee-RIN-dee |
| Kannada | ಅದ್ಭುತ | Ad-BHOO-ta |
| Malayalam | കിടിലൻ | Kee-di-LAN |
| Thai | เจ๋ง | JENG |
| Vietnamese | Tuyệt | TWEET |
| Indonesian | Keren | Keh-REN |
| Language | Native Word | Easy English Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Malay | Hebat | HEH-bat |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Astig | As-TEEG |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 酷 | KOO |
| Japanese | かっこいい | Kah-koh-EE |
| Korean | 멋져 | MUT-juh |
| Mongolian | Гоё | GOH-yoh |
| Burmese | မိုက်တယ် | MITE-tel |
| Khmer | ឡូយ | LOY |
| Lao | ເຈັງ | JENG |
| Swahili | Poa | POH-ah |
| Zulu | Kupholile | Koo-poh-LEE-leh |
| Afrikaans | Gaaf | KHAHF |
| Amharic | አሪፍ | Ah-RIF |
| Yoruba | Itura | Ee-TOO-rah |
| Hausa | Sanyi | SAN-yee |
| Māori | Rawe | RAH-weh |
| Hawaiian | Maikaʻi | Mai-KAI-ee |
| Samoan | Manaia | Mah-nah-EE-ah |
| Esperanto | Bonega | Boh-NEH-gah |
What Does “Cool” Mean?
The word cool has several meanings in English.
It can describe:
- Something fashionable or stylish
- Something impressive or exciting
- Something excellent or enjoyable
- A person who seems calm and confident
- A lower temperature, as in cool weather
For example:
“That jacket is cool.”
This can mean the jacket looks stylish.
“That was a cool movie!”
Here, cool means enjoyable or impressive.
“Cool, let’s go.”
In this expression, cool means okay, great, or agreed.
Because of these different meanings, there is not always one exact translation in another language.
How Do You Say Cool in Spanish?
A common casual translation is genial, meaning great, fantastic, or cool.
Example:
¡Qué genial! — How cool!
Depending on the country and context, Spanish speakers may also use guay or chévere.
How Do You Say Cool in French?
French commonly uses génial for “cool” when meaning great or awesome.
Example:
C’est génial ! — That’s cool!
For something fashionable or stylish, cool itself is also commonly used in modern French.
How Do You Say Cool in German?
German speakers commonly use cool, especially in casual modern speech.
Example:
Das ist cool! — That’s cool!
The word is widely understood as an English loanword.
How Do You Say Cool in Italian?
Forte can be used informally to express that something is cool, impressive, or great.
Example:
È forte! — It’s cool!
Italian speakers may also use figo in informal contexts for something cool or awesome.
How Do You Say Cool in Arabic?
A common way to express “cool” or “great” is رائع (rā’iʿ), meaning wonderful or fantastic.
In informal speech, expressions vary considerably across Arabic-speaking countries.
How Do You Say Cool in Hindi?
Hindi has several ways to express the idea of “cool,” depending on the context.
शानदार (shandaar) means excellent, wonderful, or impressive.
In casual Indian speech, English “cool” is also extremely common.
How Do You Say Cool in Urdu?
زبردست (zabardast) can express the idea of something being awesome, excellent, or cool.
Example:
یہ بہت زبردست ہے۔ — This is really cool.
The English word cool is also frequently used in informal Urdu conversations.
How Do You Say Cool in Chinese?
In Mandarin Chinese, 酷 (kù) is a very common modern translation of “cool,” especially for something stylish or fashionable.
Example:
很酷！ — Very cool!
How Do You Say Cool in Japanese?
Japanese commonly uses かっこいい (kakkoii) when describing something or someone as cool, stylish, or good-looking.
Example:
かっこいい！ — Cool! / That’s awesome!
The English-derived クール (kūru) can also be used, particularly for the idea of being calm or stylish.
How Do You Say Cool in Korean?
멋져 (meotjyeo) is a casual way to say “cool” or “awesome.”
Example:
정말 멋져! — Really cool!
Cool as Slang Around the World
One interesting thing about cool is that many languages have adopted the English word itself.
For example:
- German — cool
- Dutch — cool
- Swedish — cool
- Slovenian — kul
- Serbian — кул
- Chinese — 酷
- French — cool
- Korean — 쿨 can be used as a loanword in some contexts
This shows how international popular culture, music, movies, fashion, and social media influence everyday vocabulary.
Cool vs. Cold
It is important to distinguish cool from cold.
Cool usually means slightly cold or pleasantly low in temperature.
Cold means having a much lower temperature.
For example:
- The room is cool. — The room has a pleasantly low temperature.
- The water is cold. — The water has a low temperature.
But when you say “That car is cool,” you are usually talking about its style or appeal, not its temperature.
Why Learn “Cool” in Different Languages?
Learning casual words such as cool can help you sound more natural when communicating with people from different countries.
It can help you:
- Understand informal conversations
- Recognize slang and modern expressions
- Talk about fashion and entertainment
- Communicate while traveling
- Build everyday vocabulary
- Understand social media and popular culture
Related Words to “Cool”
Here are some useful English alternatives:
- Awesome
- Great
- Fantastic
- Amazing
- Excellent
- Stylish
- Impressive
- Wonderful
- Fun
- Amazing
- Hip
- Trendy
- Fashionable
- Chill
The best translation depends on which meaning you intend.
How to Remember “Cool” in Different Languages
A useful way to memorize these translations is to group similar forms together.
Some languages use the English loanword:
German — Cool
Dutch — Cool
Swedish — Cool
Slovenian — Kul
Serbian — Кул
Other languages have distinctive everyday expressions:
Russian — Круто
French — Génial
Spanish — Genial
Japanese — かっこいい
Korean — 멋져
Chinese — 酷
Learning five or ten at a time can make the full list much easier to remember.
Quick Reference: Cool in 10 Languages
| Language | Cool |
|---|---|
| English | Cool |
| Spanish | Genial |
| French | Génial |
| German | Cool |
| Italian | Forte |
| Portuguese | Legal |
| Russian | Круто |
| Hindi | शानदार |
| Chinese | 酷 |
| Japanese | かっこいい |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “cool” in Spanish?
A common translation is genial, although guay and chévere are also used depending on the region and context.
What is “cool” in French?
Génial is commonly used to mean great or cool. French also uses the English loanword cool.
What is “cool” in German?
German commonly uses cool as a modern informal expression.
What is “cool” in Hindi?
शानदार (shandaar) can mean excellent or impressive, while English cool is also commonly used in casual Hindi.
What is “cool” in Urdu?
زبردست (zabardast) can mean awesome, excellent, or cool.
What is “cool” in Chinese?
酷 (kù) is commonly used for “cool,” particularly when describing something stylish or impressive.
What is “cool” in Japanese?
かっこいい (kakkoii) is commonly used to describe someone or something as cool, stylish, or impressive.
What is “cool” in Korean?
멋져 (meotjyeo) is a casual Korean expression meaning cool or awesome.
Is “cool” the same in every language?
No. The exact translation depends on whether cool means stylish, impressive, calm, agreeable, or slightly cold. Some languages also borrow the English word directly.
Conclusion
The word “cool” is a great example of how everyday language changes across cultures. Some languages have their own expressions, while others have adopted the English word cool into casual speech.
From genial in Spanish and French to круто in Russian, 酷 in Chinese, かっこいい in Japanese, and 멋져 in Korean, these 70 translations show the many ways people express the idea of something being cool, great, stylish, or impressive.
Oliver Bennett is a UK-based language writer and editor with a passion for making language learning simple and engaging. He specializes in English grammar, vocabulary, spelling differences, and multilingual communication. His articles focus on practical language tips, clear explanations, and real-world examples that help students, writers, and English learners improve their skills. Oliver enjoys exploring the connections between different languages and cultures while creating educational content that is accurate, easy to understand, and reader-friendly. Through his work, he aims to make learning languages accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
