rumba

See also: Rumba

English

Alternative forms

• rhumba

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʊmbə/, /ˈɹʌmbə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

rumba (plural rumbas)

1. A slow-paced Cuban partner dance in 4:4 time.
   • 1982 December 27, Edward Rothstein, “Music: 40 Songs of Cuba”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN, archived from the original on 3 September 2023, page C12:

     The music of Cuba has had a worldwide influence on forms of song and dance. René Buch who conceived and directed a musical “collage” called “¡Habana!” at the Repertorio Español on East 27th Street, points out the influence on Spain, for example, which received ‘habaneras’ and ‘contradanzas’ from Cuba; in this century, in the 1920's, the “rumba” and such songs as “El Manisero” and “Siboney” made their way north to become part of United States culture.

Derived terms

• Roomba
• rumbalike

Translations

dance

• Armenian: ռումբա (hy) (ṙumba)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 倫巴舞 / 伦巴舞 (lúnbāwǔ)

• Czech: rumba (cs) f
• Finnish: rumba (fi)
• French: rumba (fr) f
• German: Rumba (de) m or f
• Hungarian: rumba (hu)
• Japanese: ルンバ (ja) (runba)
• Malay: rumba
• Norwegian: rumba
• Polish: rumba (pl) f
• Russian: ру́мба (ru) f (rúmba)
• Swahili: rumba (sw)
• Swedish: rumba (sv) c
• Tagalog: rumba

Verb

rumba (third-person singular simple present rumbas, present participle rumbaing, simple past and past participle rumbaed)

1. To dance the rumba.

Translations

to dance rumba

• Finnish: rumbata
• German: Rumba tanzen
• Hungarian: rumbázik
• Spanish: rumbear (es)

Anagrams

• Burma, umbra

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ˈrum.bə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈrum.ba]

Noun

rumba f (plural rumbes)

1. rumba (dance)

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Czech

Noun

rumba f

1. rumba

Declension

Declension of rumba (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	rumba	rumby
genitive	rumby	rumeb
dative	rumbě	rumbám
accusative	rumbu	rumby
vocative	rumbo	rumby
locative	rumbě	rumbách
instrumental	rumbou	rumbami

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “rumba”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrum.baː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: rum‧ba

Noun

rumba f (plural rumba's, diminutive rumbaatje n)

1. rumba

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrumbɑ/, [ˈrumbɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -umbɑ
• Syllabification^(key): rum‧ba
• Hyphenation^(key): rum‧ba

Noun

rumba

1. rumba (dance)
2. (figurative) fuss

Declension

Inflection of rumba (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		rumba	rumbat
genitive		rumban	rumbien
partitive		rumbaa	rumbia
illative		rumbaan	rumbiin
		singular	plural
nominative		rumba	rumbat
accusative	nom.	rumba	rumbat
	gen.	rumban
genitive		rumban	rumbien rumbain rare
partitive		rumbaa	rumbia
inessive		rumbassa	rumbissa
elative		rumbasta	rumbista
illative		rumbaan	rumbiin
adessive		rumballa	rumbilla
ablative		rumbalta	rumbilta
allative		rumballe	rumbille
essive		rumbana	rumbina
translative		rumbaksi	rumbiksi
abessive		rumbatta	rumbitta
instructive		—	rumbin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of rumba (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative rumbani rumbani accusative nom. rumbani rumbani gen. rumbani genitive rumbani rumbieni rumbaini rare partitive rumbaani rumbiani inessive rumbassani rumbissani elative rumbastani rumbistani illative rumbaani rumbiini adessive rumballani rumbillani ablative rumbaltani rumbiltani allative rumballeni rumbilleni essive rumbanani rumbinani translative rumbakseni rumbikseni abessive rumbattani rumbittani instructive — — comitative — rumbineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative rumbasi rumbasi accusative nom. rumbasi rumbasi gen. rumbasi genitive rumbasi rumbiesi rumbaisi rare partitive rumbaasi rumbiasi inessive rumbassasi rumbissasi elative rumbastasi rumbistasi illative rumbaasi rumbiisi adessive rumballasi rumbillasi ablative rumbaltasi rumbiltasi allative rumballesi rumbillesi essive rumbanasi rumbinasi translative rumbaksesi rumbiksesi abessive rumbattasi rumbittasi instructive — — comitative — rumbinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative rumbamme rumbamme accusative nom. rumbamme rumbamme gen. rumbamme genitive rumbamme rumbiemme rumbaimme rare partitive rumbaamme rumbiamme inessive rumbassamme rumbissamme elative rumbastamme rumbistamme illative rumbaamme rumbiimme adessive rumballamme rumbillamme ablative rumbaltamme rumbiltamme allative rumballemme rumbillemme essive rumbanamme rumbinamme translative rumbaksemme rumbiksemme abessive rumbattamme rumbittamme instructive — — comitative — rumbinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative rumbanne rumbanne accusative nom. rumbanne rumbanne gen. rumbanne genitive rumbanne rumbienne rumbainne rare partitive rumbaanne rumbianne inessive rumbassanne rumbissanne elative rumbastanne rumbistanne illative rumbaanne rumbiinne adessive rumballanne rumbillanne ablative rumbaltanne rumbiltanne allative rumballenne rumbillenne essive rumbananne rumbinanne translative rumbaksenne rumbiksenne abessive rumbattanne rumbittanne instructive — — comitative — rumbinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative rumbansa rumbansa accusative nom. rumbansa rumbansa gen. rumbansa genitive rumbansa rumbiensa rumbainsa rare partitive rumbaansa rumbiaan rumbiansa inessive rumbassaan rumbassansa rumbissaan rumbissansa elative rumbastaan rumbastansa rumbistaan rumbistansa illative rumbaansa rumbiinsa adessive rumballaan rumballansa rumbillaan rumbillansa ablative rumbaltaan rumbaltansa rumbiltaan rumbiltansa allative rumballeen rumballensa rumbilleen rumbillensa essive rumbanaan rumbanansa rumbinaan rumbinansa translative rumbakseen rumbaksensa rumbikseen rumbiksensa abessive rumbattaan rumbattansa rumbittaan rumbittansa instructive — — comitative — rumbineen rumbinensa

Derived terms

• rumbata

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Anagrams

• Burma, burma, umbra

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish, from rumbo (“route”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁum.ba/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

rumba f (plural rumbas)

1. rumba (dance)

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Anagrams

• bruma

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrumbɒ]
• Hyphenation: rum‧ba
• Rhymes: -bɒ

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Noun

rumba (plural rumbák)

1. rumba (dance)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	rumba	rumbák
accusative	rumbát	rumbákat
dative	rumbának	rumbáknak
instrumental	rumbával	rumbákkal
causal-final	rumbáért	rumbákért
translative	rumbává	rumbákká
terminative	rumbáig	rumbákig
essive-formal	rumbaként	rumbákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	rumbában	rumbákban
superessive	rumbán	rumbákon
adessive	rumbánál	rumbáknál
illative	rumbába	rumbákba
sublative	rumbára	rumbákra
allative	rumbához	rumbákhoz
elative	rumbából	rumbákból
delative	rumbáról	rumbákról
ablative	rumbától	rumbáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	rumbáé	rumbáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	rumbáéi	rumbákéi

Possessive forms of rumba

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	rumbám	rumbáim
2nd person sing.	rumbád	rumbáid
3rd person sing.	rumbája	rumbái
1st person plural	rumbánk	rumbáink
2nd person plural	rumbátok	rumbáitok
3rd person plural	rumbájuk	rumbáik

Etymology 2

rum +‎ -ba

Noun

rumba

1. illative singular of rum

   Jeget tesznek a rumba. ― They put ice in the rum.

Irish

Etymology

From English rumba, from Cuban Spanish.

Noun

rumba m (genitive singular rumba, nominative plural rumbaí)

1. rumba

Declension

Declension of rumba (fourth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative rumba rumbaí vocative a rumba a rumbaí genitive rumba rumbaí dative rumba rumbaí forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an rumba na rumbaí genitive an rumba na rumbaí dative leis an rumba don rumba leis na rumbaí

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “rumba”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “rumba”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “rumba”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrum.ba/
• Rhymes: -umba
• Hyphenation: rùm‧ba

Noun

rumba f (plural rumbe)

1. rumba

Anagrams

• bruma, umbra

Kambera

Noun

rumba

1. grass

Further reading

• Marian Klamer (1998), A Grammar of Kambera, Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 10

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrum.ba/
• Rhymes: -umba
• Syllabification: rum‧ba

Noun

rumba f

1. rumba

Declension

Declension of rumba

	singular	plural
nominative	rumba	rumby
genitive	rumby	rumb
dative	rumbie	rumbom
accusative	rumbę	rumby
instrumental	rumbą	rumbami
locative	rumbie	rumbach
vocative	rumbo	rumby

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “rumba”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁũ.bɐ/ [ˈhũ.bɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁũ.bɐ/ [ˈhũ.bɐ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈʁũ.bɐ/ [ˈχũ.bɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʁũ.bɐ/

• Hyphenation: rum‧ba

Noun

rumba f (plural rumbas)

1. rumba (dance)

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Cuban Spanish, from rumbo (“spree, party”), meaning evolved from "ostentation, pomp, leadership," perhaps originally "the course of a ship," from rombo (“rhombus”), referencing the compass, which is marked by a rhombus. See rhombus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrumba/ [ˈrũm.ba]
• Rhymes: -umba
• Syllabification: rum‧ba

Noun

rumba f (plural rumbas)

1. (Canary Islands, Caribbean, Venezuela, Colombia) party
2. rumba (Cuban dance)

Derived terms

• rumbear

Descendants

• → English: rumba
• → German: Rumba

Further reading

• “rumba”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “rumba”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
• “rumba”, in Diccionario Básico de Canarismos [Basic Dictionary of Canarianisms] (in Spanish), Canarian Academy of the Language [Spanish: Academia Canaria de La Lengua], 2010

Swahili

Etymology

Etymology tree

Spanish rumbabor.

English rumbabor.

Swahili rumba

Borrowed from English rumba.

Noun

rumba class IX (plural rumba class X)

1. rumba

   rumba ya Congo ― Congolese rumba

   • 2021 December 15, “Rumba ya Congo yashinda hadhi ya kulindwa na UNESCO”, in BBC News Swahili‎^[5]:

     Moja ya aina ya muziki na dansi yenye ushawishi mkubwa zaidi ya Kiafrika, rumba ya Congo, sasa ina hadhi ya kulindwa na Unesco.

     One of the most influential African music and dance forms, the Congolese rumba, now has UNESCO protected status.

Swedish

Noun

rumba c

1. rumba

Declension

Declension of rumba

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	rumba	rumbas
	definite	rumban	rumbans
plural	indefinite	rumbor	rumbors
	definite	rumborna	rumbornas

References

• “rumba”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “rumba”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “rumba”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈɾumba/ [ˈɾum.bɐ]
• Rhymes: -umba
• Syllabification: rum‧ba

Noun

rumba (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜓᜋ᜔ᜊ)

1. rumba (Cuban dance and music)

Anagrams

• Burma