pula

See also: Appendix:Variations of "pula"

Languages (32)

English

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Acehnese • Albanian • Cebuano • Central Bikol • Chichewa • Dalmatian • Finnish • Galician • Indonesian • Italian • Maguindanao • Malay • Northern Sotho • Norwegian Nynorsk • Pipil • Pitjantjatjara • Polish • Portuguese • Romanian • Romansh • Sotho • Spanish • Swedish • Tagalog • Tausug • Tswana • Turkish • Volapük • Waray-Waray • West Makian • Xhosa

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Page categories

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Bantu *mbúdà

Tswana pulabor.

Proto-Bantu *mbúdà

Northern Sotho pulabor.

Proto-Bantu *mbúdà

Sotho pulabor.

English pula

Borrowed from Tswana pula, Northern Sotho pula, and Sotho pula (“rain”), all from Proto-Bantu *mbúdà (“rain”), from Proto-Atlantic-Congo *-buda (“rain, rain cloud”)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pʊlə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) enPR: po͞olʹä, IPA^(key): /puːlɑː/
• Homophone: puller (UK, non-rhotic)

Noun

pula (countable and uncountable, plural pulas)

1. (Southern Africa, uncountable) Rain, used as an expression of greeting or good luck.
   • 2020 March 31, Government of Botswana, “State of Public Emergency — S.I. No. 59 of 2020”, in Republic of Botswana Government Gazette Extraordinary‎^[1], archived from the original on 28 November 2025, page C213:

     Given under my hand and the Public Seal at Gaborone this 31st day of March, 2020. / PULA!

2. (countable) The currency of Botswana, divided into 100 thebe.

Anagrams

• Palu, Paul, ULPA, paul

Acehnese

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Austronesian *mula

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pula/

Verb

pula

1. to plant

Derived terms

• meupula
• peumula
• peunula
• teupula

Albanian

Noun

pula

1. inflection of pulë:
   1. definite nominative singular
   2. indefinite nominative/accusative plural

Cebuano

Alternative forms

• puwa — Metro Cebu, Bohol, Leyte

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pula.

Pronunciation

• (Sialo) IPA^(key): /puˈla/ [puˈl̪a]
• (Metro Cebu, Bohol, Leyte) IPA^(key): /puˈwa/ [ˈpwa]
• Hyphenation: pu‧la

Adjective

pulá (Badlit spelling ᜉᜓᜎ)

1. red (color)
   • 1985 — Surban, Max, Nabali ang Krismas Tri, Nabali ang Krismas Tri [Performed by Max Surban]

     […] / Taas ang among krismas tri / Tumoy sungko sa kisame / Daghan ang mga suga / May pula, asul ug berde / […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Noun

pulá

1. red (color)
2. egg yolk

Central Bikol

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pula.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /puˈla/ [puˈl̪a]
• Hyphenation: pu‧la

Adjective

pulá (plural purula, Basahan spelling ᜉᜓᜎ)

1. red (color)

Derived terms

• kapulahan
• magpula
• mamula
• papula
• pulahan
• pulahon

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: pu‧la
• IPA^(key): /ˈpula/ [ˈpu.l̪a]

Adjective

pulá (plural purula, Basahan spelling ᜉᜓᜎ)

1. mute (a person unable to speak)

   Coordinate terms: bungog, buta

Derived terms

• magpula
• makapula
• mapula
• pulahon

Chichewa

Etymology

Cognate with Yao (Africa) -jipula (“to remove from the fire”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpu.ɽa/

Verb

-pula (infinitive kupúla)

1. to take off an object from a fire

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Applicative: -pulira
  • Causative: -pulitsa
  • Negative: -sapula
  • Passive: -pulidwa
  • Reduplicative: -pulapula
  • Repetitive: -pulanso
  • Stative: -puka

• Nominal derivations:
  • chipula (“knife”)

References

• Steven Paas (2016), Oxford Chichewa-English/English - Chichewa Dictionary‎^[2], Oxford University Press, page 475

Dalmatian

Etymology

Possibly from Vulgar Latin *pūbula, from Latin pūbes, or more likely from pulla, feminine of pullus. Compare Romanian pulă, Aromanian pulã, Catalan and Spanish polla.

Noun

pula f

1. (anatomy) penis

Finnish

Etymology

Originally an opening in the ice into which a man has fallen or may fall. Probably onomatopoeic imitating the associated sound of water, compare pulahtaa (possibly a back-formation).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpulɑ/, [ˈpulɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ulɑ
• Syllabification^(key): pu‧la
• Hyphenation^(key): pu‧la

Noun

pula

1. shortage [with elative ‘of’]
2. (economy) an economic crisis characterized by shortage of goods and/or means to buy them; a depression, slump
3. trouble, scrape, pinch, deep water, urgent situation

   olla pulassa ― to be in trouble

   joutua pulaan ― to get in trouble

Declension

Inflection of pula (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		pula	pulat
genitive		pulan	pulien
partitive		pulaa	pulia
illative		pulaan	puliin
		singular	plural
nominative		pula	pulat
accusative	nom.	pula	pulat
	gen.	pulan
genitive		pulan	pulien pulain rare
partitive		pulaa	pulia
inessive		pulassa	pulissa
elative		pulasta	pulista
illative		pulaan	puliin
adessive		pulalla	pulilla
ablative		pulalta	pulilta
allative		pulalle	pulille
essive		pulana	pulina
translative		pulaksi	puliksi
abessive		pulatta	pulitta
instructive		—	pulin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

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

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pulani pulani accusative nom. pulani pulani gen. pulani genitive pulani pulieni pulaini rare partitive pulaani puliani inessive pulassani pulissani elative pulastani pulistani illative pulaani puliini adessive pulallani pulillani ablative pulaltani puliltani allative pulalleni pulilleni essive pulanani pulinani translative pulakseni pulikseni abessive pulattani pulittani instructive — — comitative — pulineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pulasi pulasi accusative nom. pulasi pulasi gen. pulasi genitive pulasi puliesi pulaisi rare partitive pulaasi puliasi inessive pulassasi pulissasi elative pulastasi pulistasi illative pulaasi puliisi adessive pulallasi pulillasi ablative pulaltasi puliltasi allative pulallesi pulillesi essive pulanasi pulinasi translative pulaksesi puliksesi abessive pulattasi pulittasi instructive — — comitative — pulinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pulamme pulamme accusative nom. pulamme pulamme gen. pulamme genitive pulamme puliemme pulaimme rare partitive pulaamme puliamme inessive pulassamme pulissamme elative pulastamme pulistamme illative pulaamme puliimme adessive pulallamme pulillamme ablative pulaltamme puliltamme allative pulallemme pulillemme essive pulanamme pulinamme translative pulaksemme puliksemme abessive pulattamme pulittamme instructive — — comitative — pulinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pulanne pulanne accusative nom. pulanne pulanne gen. pulanne genitive pulanne pulienne pulainne rare partitive pulaanne pulianne inessive pulassanne pulissanne elative pulastanne pulistanne illative pulaanne puliinne adessive pulallanne pulillanne ablative pulaltanne puliltanne allative pulallenne pulillenne essive pulananne pulinanne translative pulaksenne puliksenne abessive pulattanne pulittanne instructive — — comitative — pulinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative pulansa pulansa accusative nom. pulansa pulansa gen. pulansa genitive pulansa puliensa pulainsa rare partitive pulaansa puliaan puliansa inessive pulassaan pulassansa pulissaan pulissansa elative pulastaan pulastansa pulistaan pulistansa illative pulaansa puliinsa adessive pulallaan pulallansa pulillaan pulillansa ablative pulaltaan pulaltansa puliltaan puliltansa allative pulalleen pulallensa pulilleen pulillensa essive pulanaan pulanansa pulinaan pulinansa translative pulakseen pulaksensa pulikseen puliksensa abessive pulattaan pulattansa pulittaan pulittansa instructive — — comitative — pulineen pulinensa

Derived terms

• jättää pulaan
• pulaan (“into difficulties”)
• pulassa (“in a pinch”)
• pulia (“to swim”)

compounds

• aikapula
• asuntopula
• bensiinipula
• elintarvikepula
• energiapula
• halipula
• hallituspula
• hoitajapula
• kalustopula
• luottamuspula
• lääkäripula
• opettajapula
• pula-aika
• pulakausi
• pulavuosi
• raaka-ainepula
• rahapula
• runsaudenpula
• ruokapula
• talouspula
• tavarapula
• työvoimapula
• vesipula

Further reading

• “pula”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (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

• Paul, lupa

Galician

Verb

pula

1. inflection of pulir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative
2. inflection of pular:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Indonesian

Etymology

Inherited from Malay pula.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈpula/ [ˈpu.la]
• Rhymes: -ula
• Syllabification: pu‧la

Adverb

pula

1. also

   Synonym: juga

Further reading

• “pula”, 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

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpu.la/
• Rhymes: -ula
• Hyphenation: pù‧la

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin āplūda.

Noun

pula f (plural pule)

1. chaff

Etymology 2

From pulizia, regional variant of polizia.

Noun

pula f (invariable)

1. (slang) the police, the fuzz, the cops

   Synonym: polizia

Anagrams

• lupa

Maguindanao

Noun

pula

1. paddle

Malay

Alternative forms

• pulak (colloquial)

Pronunciation

• (schwa-variety) IPA^(key): /ˈpulə/ [ˈpu.lə]
  • Rhymes: -lə, -ə
• (Literary Standard, /a/-variety) IPA^(key): /ˈpula/ [ˈpu.la]
  • Rhymes: -la, -a
• Hyphenation: pu‧la

Adverb

pula (Jawi spelling ڤولا)

1. instead; on the other hand; however (indicating a contrast or an unexpected action).

   Orang lain sibuk bekerja, dia tidur pula.

   Others are busy working, [but] he sleeps instead.

   Saya ingatkan dia marah, rupa-rupanya dia suka pula.

   I thought he was angry, turns out he likes it instead.

2. then; next; in turn (indicating a sequence or a shift to a new subject).

   Sekarang giliran awak pula.

   Now it is your turn (next).

   Selepas makan, dia membaca buku pula.

   After eating, he read a book (next).

3. also; too; as well; either; again.

   Mengapa pula saya yang kena pergi?

   Why do I have to go as well?

4. (particle) used to show surprise, exasperation, or to add emphasis (often untranslated or translated as "now" or "on earth").

   Mana pula kunci kereta aku ni?

   Where on earth is my car key?

Descendants

• > Indonesian: pula

Further reading

• "pula" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017
  (also see "pula" at PRPM first version)

Northern Sotho

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mbúdà.

Noun

pula

1. rain

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

pula (present tense puler, past tense pulte, past participle pult, passive infinitive pulast, present participle pulande, imperative pul)

1. alternative form of pule

Pipil

Etymology

From Spanish plátano (“plantain”).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ˈpula/

Noun

pula (plural pujpula)

1. plantain

   Asi se siwat wan se takat kiwikat se pula tishkal

   A woman and a man arrived and brought roasted plantain

Pitjantjatjara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpʊlɐ]

Pronoun

pula (third person dual, accusative pulanya, possessive/purposive pulampa, locative pulala)

1. they two

Related terms

Pitjantjatjara personal pronouns (nominative case)

	singular	dual	plural
first person	ngayulu (I) Bound form: -ṉa	ngali (we two) Bound form: -li	nganaṉa (we, more than two) Bound form: -la
second person	nyuntu (you) Bound form: -n	nyupali (you two)	nyura (you, more than two)
third person	paluṟu (he/she/it)	pula (they two)	tjana (they, more than two) Bound form: -ya

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpu.la/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ula
• Syllabification: pu‧la

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French poule.

Noun

pula f

1. pool (supply of resources)
2. stake (wager or pledge)
3. (card games) pool, stakes, the pot (money available to be won)

   Synonym: stawka

Declension

Declension of pula

	singular	plural
nominative	pula	pule
genitive	puli	pul, puli
dative	puli	pulom
accusative	pulę	pule
instrumental	pulą	pulami
locative	puli	pulach
vocative	pulo	pule

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

pula

1. third-person singular present of pulać

Further reading

• “pula”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[4] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “pula”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[5] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpu.lɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpu.lɐ/

• Hyphenation: pu‧la

Etymology 1

Noun

pula m (plural pulas)

1. pula (the currency of Botswana)

Etymology 2

Noun

pula m or f (plural pulas)

1. (Angola) white person

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

pula

1. inflection of pular:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative
2. inflection of polir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “pula”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “pula”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “pula”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Definite form of pulă, probably from Latin pulla, feminine of pullus (“offspring, child, cub, chick, etc.”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpula]

Adverb

pula

1. (vulgar, intensifies adjectives) fucking

   Sunt obosit în pula mea!

   I'm fucking tired!

Interjection

pula

1. (vulgar, slang) bullshit! (expression of disbelief)

   E ușor, pula!

   It's easy, bullshit!

Noun

pula

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of pulă

Romansh

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

pula f (plural pulas)

1. (Surmiran) butterfly, moth

Alternative forms

• bella (Sursilvan)
• bula (Sursilvan, Sutsilvan)

Synonyms

• (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader) spler
• (Rumantsch Grischun) tgiralla
• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Surmiran) tschitta
• (Puter) chüralla
• (Vallader) splerin

Etymology 2

From Latin pulla (“hen”).

Noun

pula f (plural pulas)

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan, Surmiran) hen

Synonyms

• (Rumantsch Grischun) giaglina
• (Sursilvan) gaglina
• (Sutsilvan) gagliegna
• (Surmiran) gagligna
• (Puter) gillina
• (Vallader) giallina

Sotho

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mbúdà.

Noun

pula class 9/10 (plural lipula)

1. rain

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpula/ [ˈpu.la]
• Rhymes: -ula
• Syllabification: pu‧la

Verb

pula

1. inflection of pulir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Swedish

Etymology

From dialectal pula (“work, toil, pound, hit, have sex, mate, and more”). Compare Danish pule, Icelandic púla. Perhaps the same word as Middle Low German pulen (“extricate with the fingers”), and cognate with Old English pullian (“to pluck, pull”). See also pulla (“finger”).

Verb

pula (present pular, preterite pulade, supine pulat, imperative pula)

1. (colloquial) to tinker, to potter

   Synonyms: påta, pyssla

2. (with a particle like ner (“down”) or in (“in”)) to stuff (press, compressing or scrunching)

   Han pulade ner papperslappen i fickan

   He stuffed the piece of paper into his pocket

3. (colloquial, regional) to rub snow in someone's face

   Synonyms: snöpula, mula

Conjugation

Conjugation of pula (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	pula		pulas
supine	pulat		pulats
imperative	pula		—
imper. plural1	pulen		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	pular	pulade	pulas	pulades
ind. plural1	pula	pulade	pulas	pulades
subjunctive2	pule	pulade	pules	pulades
present participle		pulande
past participle		—

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

References

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

Tagalog

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pula. Compare Aklanon puea and Asi puya.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /puˈla/ [pʊˈla]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: pu‧la

Noun

pulá (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜓᜎ)

1. red (color)

Adjective

pulá (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜓᜎ)

1. red (color)

Derived terms

• alukpula
• himula
• kalabasang pula
• Krus na Pula
• langkawas na pula
• mamula
• mapula
• pula ng itlog
• pulahan
• pulang asukal
• pumula

See also

Colors in Tagalog · kulay (layout · text)

puti	abo, gris	itim
pula; krimson	kahel; kayumanggi	dilaw; krema
kulay-dayap	lungti, lungtian, berde
turkesa	bughaw-langit, asul	bughaw, asul
lila, biyoleta; nila, tayom	mahenta; ube, morado, haban, purpura	rosas, kalimbahin

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈpulaʔ/ [ˈpuː.lɐʔ]
• Rhymes: -ulaʔ
• Syllabification: pu‧la

Noun

pulà (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜓᜎ)

1. adverse criticism; act of finding fault with another

   Synonyms: pintas, pamimintas, pista, pamimista

Derived terms

• magpula
• pagpula
• pagpupula
• pulaan
• pulangitan

See also

• puna

Anagrams

• ulap, Lupa, lupa

Tausug

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pula.

Pronunciation

• (Sinūgan Parianun) IPA^(key): /pula/ [pʊˈla]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: pu‧la

Noun

pula (Sulat Sūg spelling فُلَ)

1. red

Adjective

pula (Sulat Sūg spelling فُلَ)

1. red

Derived terms

• mapula
• miyula
• pula ulum
• pulahun
• pumula

Tswana

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *mbúdà.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpu.la/

Noun

pula class 9/10 (plural dipula)

1. rain
2. pula (currency)
3. a popular toast

Turkish

Noun

pula

1. dative singular of pul

Volapük

Noun

pula

1. genitive singular of pul

Waray-Waray

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *pula.

Adjective

pulá

1. red

West Makian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpu.l̪a/

Verb

pula

1. (ditransitive) to give

   Synonym: pi

2. (ditransitive) to sell

   Synonym: pi

Conjugation

Conjugation of pula (action verb)

		singular	plural
			inclusive	exclusive
1st person		topula	mopula	apula
2nd person		nopula	fopula
3rd person	inanimate	ipula	dopula
	animate
imperative		nupula, pula	fupula, pula

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[6], Pacific linguistics

Xhosa

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

-pula^?

1. (transitive) to rinse

   Synonyms: -hlambulula, -pulusha

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.