ukulele

See also: Ukulele, ukulélé, and ʻukulele

English

A ukulele.

Alternative forms

• eukaleli, ukelele (obsolete)
• ukalele (rare)
• ʻukulele

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian ʻukulele, from ʻuku (“flea”) + lele (“jump, jumping”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /juː.kəˈleɪ.li/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (Standard Hawaiian English) IPA^(key): /ˈʔukuˈlɛlɛ/
• Rhymes: -eɪli
• Hyphenation: u‧ku‧le‧le

Noun

ukulele (plural ukuleles) (music)

1. A small four-stringed guitar.

Derived terms

• banjolele
• banjo ukulele
• guitalele
• uke
• ukelin
• ukulelelike
• ukulelist

Descendants

• → Czech: ukulele
• → Finnish: ukulele
• → German: Ukulele
• → Indonesian: ukulele
• → Malay: ukulele
• → Portuguese: uquelele, (unadapted form) ukelele, uculele, (unadapted form) ukulele
• → Swedish: ukulele
• → Turkish: ukulele

Translations

small four-stringed guitar

• Arabic: أُكْلَال m (ʔuklāl)

  Egyptian Arabic: اوكوليله f (ukulēle)

• Biak: yuk
• Bulgarian: укуле́ле n (ukuléle)
• Burmese: ယူးခလေလီ၊ (my) (yu:hka.leli|)
• Catalan: ukulele (ca) m, ukelele (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 烏克麗麗 / 乌克丽丽 (zh) (wūkèlìlì), 夏威夷吉他 (Xiàwēiyí jítā), 尤克里里 (zh) (yóukèlǐlǐ), 尤克里里琴 (yóukèlǐlǐqín), 夏威夷四弦琴 (zh) (Xiàwēiyí sìxiánqín)

• Czech: ukulele (cs) n
• Danish: ukulele
• Esperanto: ukulelo
• Estonian: ukulele (et) sg
• Finnish: ukulele (fi)
• French: ukulélé (fr) m
• German: Ukulele (de) f
• Hawaiian: ʻukulele
• Hebrew: יוּקוּלֶלֶה (yukulele), אוּקוּלֵלֵה (ukulele), יוּקולֶיְלִי m (yukuleyli)
• Hungarian: ukulele (hu)
• Indonesian: ukulele (id)
• Irish: ucailéile f
• Italian: ukulele (it) m or f
• Japanese: ウクレレ (ja) (ukurere)
• Kazakh: укулеле (ukulele)
• Korean: 우쿨렐레 (ukullelle)
• Latvian: ukulele (lv) f, havajiešu ģitāra f
• Malay: ukulele
• Māori: kuturere, ukurere
• Marathi: उकुलेले m (ukulele)
• Persian: یوکللی (yukoleli)
• Polish: ukulele (pl) n
• Portuguese: uquelele (pt) m, uculele (pt) m, ukelele (pt) m, ukulele (pt) m
• Russian: укуле́ле (ru) n (ukuléle), гава́йская гита́ра f (gavájskaja gitára)
• Serbo-Croatian: ukulele (sh) n
• Spanish: ukelele (es), guitarra hawaiana f
• Swahili: ukulele
• Swedish: ukulele (sv) c
• Thai: อูกูเลเล (th)
• Turkish: ukulele
• Ukrainian: укуле́ле (uk) n (ukuléle)
• Volapük: kuelel
• Welsh: iwcalili m or f
• Xhosa: ukulele
• Yiddish: אוקולעלע f (ukulele)

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from English ukulele, from Hawaiian ʻukulele, from ʻuku (“flea”) + lele (“jump, jumping”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈukulɛlɛ]
• Hyphenation: uku‧le‧le

Noun

ukulele n or f

1. (music) ukulele

Declension

when feminine:

Declension of ukulele (soft feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	ukulele	ukulele
genitive	ukulele	ukulelí
dative	ukuleli	ukulelím
accusative	ukuleli	ukulele
vocative	ukulele	ukulele
locative	ukuleli	ukulelích
instrumental	ukulelí	ukulelemi

Indeclinable when neuter.

Further reading

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

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from English ukelele, from Hawaiian ʻukulele, from ʻuku (“flea”) + lele (“jump, jumping”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈukulele/, [ˈukuˌle̞le̞]
• Rhymes: -ele
• Syllabification^(key): u‧ku‧le‧le
• Hyphenation^(key): uku‧le‧le

Noun

ukulele

1. (music) ukulele

Declension

Inflection of ukulele (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		ukulele	ukulelet
genitive		ukulelen	ukulelejen
partitive		ukulelea	ukuleleja
illative		ukuleleen	ukuleleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ukulele	ukulelet
accusative	nom.	ukulele	ukulelet
	gen.	ukulelen
genitive		ukulelen	ukulelejen ukulelein rare
partitive		ukulelea	ukuleleja
inessive		ukulelessa	ukuleleissa
elative		ukulelesta	ukuleleista
illative		ukuleleen	ukuleleihin
adessive		ukulelella	ukuleleilla
ablative		ukulelelta	ukuleleilta
allative		ukulelelle	ukuleleille
essive		ukulelena	ukuleleina
translative		ukuleleksi	ukuleleiksi
abessive		ukuleletta	ukuleleitta
instructive		—	ukulelein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ukulele (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ukuleleni ukuleleni accusative nom. ukuleleni ukuleleni gen. ukuleleni genitive ukuleleni ukulelejeni ukuleleini rare partitive ukuleleani ukulelejani inessive ukulelessani ukuleleissani elative ukulelestani ukuleleistani illative ukuleleeni ukuleleihini adessive ukulelellani ukuleleillani ablative ukuleleltani ukuleleiltani allative ukulelelleni ukuleleilleni essive ukulelenani ukuleleinani translative ukulelekseni ukuleleikseni abessive ukulelettani ukuleleittani instructive — — comitative — ukuleleineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ukulelesi ukulelesi accusative nom. ukulelesi ukulelesi gen. ukulelesi genitive ukulelesi ukulelejesi ukuleleisi rare partitive ukuleleasi ukulelejasi inessive ukulelessasi ukuleleissasi elative ukulelestasi ukuleleistasi illative ukuleleesi ukuleleihisi adessive ukulelellasi ukuleleillasi ablative ukuleleltasi ukuleleiltasi allative ukulelellesi ukuleleillesi essive ukulelenasi ukuleleinasi translative ukuleleksesi ukuleleiksesi abessive ukulelettasi ukuleleittasi instructive — — comitative — ukuleleinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ukulelemme ukulelemme accusative nom. ukulelemme ukulelemme gen. ukulelemme genitive ukulelemme ukulelejemme ukuleleimme rare partitive ukuleleamme ukulelejamme inessive ukulelessamme ukuleleissamme elative ukulelestamme ukuleleistamme illative ukuleleemme ukuleleihimme adessive ukulelellamme ukuleleillamme ablative ukuleleltamme ukuleleiltamme allative ukulelellemme ukuleleillemme essive ukulelenamme ukuleleinamme translative ukuleleksemme ukuleleiksemme abessive ukulelettamme ukuleleittamme instructive — — comitative — ukuleleinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ukulelenne ukulelenne accusative nom. ukulelenne ukulelenne gen. ukulelenne genitive ukulelenne ukulelejenne ukuleleinne rare partitive ukuleleanne ukulelejanne inessive ukulelessanne ukuleleissanne elative ukulelestanne ukuleleistanne illative ukuleleenne ukuleleihinne adessive ukulelellanne ukuleleillanne ablative ukuleleltanne ukuleleiltanne allative ukulelellenne ukuleleillenne essive ukulelenanne ukuleleinanne translative ukuleleksenne ukuleleiksenne abessive ukulelettanne ukuleleittanne instructive — — comitative — ukuleleinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ukulelensa ukulelensa accusative nom. ukulelensa ukulelensa gen. ukulelensa genitive ukulelensa ukulelejensa ukuleleinsa rare partitive ukuleleaan ukuleleansa ukulelejaan ukulelejansa inessive ukulelessaan ukulelessansa ukuleleissaan ukuleleissansa elative ukulelestaan ukulelestansa ukuleleistaan ukuleleistansa illative ukuleleensa ukuleleihinsa adessive ukulelellaan ukulelellansa ukuleleillaan ukuleleillansa ablative ukuleleltaan ukuleleltansa ukuleleiltaan ukuleleiltansa allative ukulelelleen ukulelellensa ukuleleilleen ukuleleillensa essive ukulelenaan ukulelenansa ukuleleinaan ukuleleinansa translative ukulelekseen ukuleleksensa ukuleleikseen ukuleleiksensa abessive ukulelettaan ukulelettansa ukuleleittaan ukuleleittansa instructive — — comitative — ukuleleineen ukuleleinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• baritoniukulele
• konserttiukulele
• sopraanoukulele
• tenoriukulele

Further reading

• “ukulele”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (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

Indonesian

Sebuah ukulele.

Etymology

Borrowed from English ukelele, from Hawaiian ʻukulele.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ukuˈlele/ [u.kuˈle.le]
• Rhymes: -ele
• Syllabification: u‧ku‧le‧le

Noun

ukulélé (plural ukulele-ukulele)

1. (music) ukulele

Further reading

• “ukulele”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Malay

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English ukelele, from Hawaiian ʻukulele.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌukuˈlele/ [ˌu.kuˈle.le]
• Rhymes: -ele
• Hyphenation: u‧ku‧le‧le

Noun

ukulélé (Jawi spelling اوکوليلي, plural ukulele-ukulele or ukulele²)

1. (music) ukelele

Further reading

• "ukulele" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Polish

ukulele

Etymology

Borrowed from English ukulele.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /u.kuˈlɛ.lɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlɛ
• Syllabification: u‧ku‧le‧le

Noun

ukulele n (indeclinable) (music)

1. ukulele (small four-stringed guitar)

Further reading

• ukulele in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• ukulele in PWN's encyclopedia

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English ukulele.

Noun

ukulele m (plural ukuleles)

1. alternative spelling of uculele

Further reading

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

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English ukulele, from Hawaiian ʻukulele, from ʻuku (“flea”) + lele (“jump, jumping”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɵkɵˈleːlɛ/

Noun

ukulele c

1. (music) ukulele

Declension

Declension of ukulele

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	ukulele	ukuleles
	definite	ukulelen	ukulelens
plural	indefinite	ukuleler	ukulelers
	definite	ukulelerna	ukulelernas

Declension of ukulele

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	ukulele	ukuleles
	definite	ukulelen	ukulelens
plural	indefinite	ukulelar	ukulelars
	definite	ukulelarna	ukulelarnas

References

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

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from English ukulele, from Hawaiian ʻukulele, from ʻuku (“flea”) + lele (“jump, jumping”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /u.ku.leˈle/

Noun

ukulele (definite accusative ukuleleyi, plural ukuleleler)

1. (music) ukulele

Declension

Declension of ukulele

singular plural nominative ukulele ukuleleler definite accusative ukuleleyi ukuleleleri dative ukuleleye ukulelelere locative ukulelede ukulelelerde ablative ukuleleden ukulelelerden genitive ukulelenin ukulelelerin Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular ukulelem ukulelelerim 2nd singular ukulelen ukulelelerin 3rd singular ukulelesi ukuleleleri 1st plural ukulelemiz ukulelelerimiz 2nd plural ukuleleniz ukuleleleriniz 3rd plural ukuleleleri ukuleleleri definite accusative singular plural 1st singular ukulelemi ukulelelerimi 2nd singular ukuleleni ukulelelerini 3rd singular ukulelesini ukulelelerini 1st plural ukulelemizi ukulelelerimizi 2nd plural ukulelenizi ukulelelerinizi 3rd plural ukulelelerini ukulelelerini dative singular plural 1st singular ukuleleme ukulelelerime 2nd singular ukulelene ukulelelerine 3rd singular ukulelesine ukulelelerine 1st plural ukulelemize ukulelelerimize 2nd plural ukulelenize ukulelelerinize 3rd plural ukulelelerine ukulelelerine locative singular plural 1st singular ukulelemde ukulelelerimde 2nd singular ukulelende ukulelelerinde 3rd singular ukulelesinde ukulelelerinde 1st plural ukulelemizde ukulelelerimizde 2nd plural ukulelenizde ukulelelerinizde 3rd plural ukulelelerinde ukulelelerinde ablative singular plural 1st singular ukulelemden ukulelelerimden 2nd singular ukulelenden ukulelelerinden 3rd singular ukulelesinden ukulelelerinden 1st plural ukulelemizden ukulelelerimizden 2nd plural ukulelenizden ukulelelerinizden 3rd plural ukulelelerinden ukulelelerinden genitive singular plural 1st singular ukulelemin ukulelelerimin 2nd singular ukulelenin ukulelelerinin 3rd singular ukulelesinin ukulelelerinin 1st plural ukulelemizin ukulelelerimizin 2nd plural ukulelenizin ukulelelerinizin 3rd plural ukulelelerinin ukulelelerinin