Olympic in Different Languages
Discover 'Olympic' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The Olympic Games, known simply as 'Olympic' in short, are a symbol of global unity, friendly competition, and the celebration of human potential. With a rich history that dates back to ancient Greece, the Olympic Games have evolved into a major cultural event that transcends borders and languages. Every four years, people from all corners of the world gather to witness this spectacular display of athleticism, sportsmanship, and cultural exchange.
Understanding the translation of 'Olympic' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural significance of this event in various countries. For instance, in Spanish, 'Olympic' is translated as 'olímpico,' while in French, it becomes 'olympique.' In Mandarin Chinese, the translation is '奥林匹克' (àolínpǐkè), and in Japanese, it's 'オリンピック' (orinpikku).
Delving into these translations not only enriches our linguistic abilities but also deepens our appreciation for the global impact of the Olympic Games. Join us as we explore the various translations of 'Olympic' in different languages, and discover the fascinating stories behind them.
Olympic
Olympic in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | olimpiese | ||
| The word "Olimpiese" in Afrikaans is derived from the Greek word "Όλυμπος" (Olympus), the mountain where the gods lived in Greek mythology. | |||
| Amharic | ኦሎምፒክ | ||
| The word "ኦሎምፒክ" (Olympic) comes from the Greek word "Ὀλύμπια" (Olympia), which refers to the ancient Olympic Games held in Olympia, Greece. | |||
| Hausa | gasar olympic | ||
| A possible derivation of "Gasar Olympic" is "Gasar Al-Awla"," meaning the first competition or the competition of the firsts. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the Olympic Games are generally considered to be the most prestigious sporting event in the world, and therefore could be seen as the "first" or "best" competition. | |||
| Igbo | olimpik | ||
| Igbo 'Olimpik,' from English 'Olympic,' may also refer to an impressive accomplishment or a grand spectacle. | |||
| Malagasy | lalao olaimpika | ||
| The word "Lalao Olaimpika" is derived from the French word "olympique," which itself comes from the Latin word "olympicus," meaning "of or relating to the Olympic Games." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | olimpiki | ||
| Olimpiki is a Nyanja word that can also mean "athletic". | |||
| Shona | olimpiki | ||
| Olimpiki (Olympic) in Shona is derived from the Greek word 'Olympiakoi', referring to the Olympic Games held in Greece. | |||
| Somali | olombikada | ||
| The word | |||
| Sesotho | liolimpiki | ||
| The word 'Liolimpiki' literally means 'the one of Olympia', referring to the ancient Greek city. | |||
| Swahili | olimpiki | ||
| Etymology: From the Greek word 'Olympia', the site of the ancient Olympic Games. | |||
| Xhosa | olimpiki | ||
| "Olimpiki" is also an alternate spelling of "Olimpi", which means "a competition between athletes from different parts of the world that is held every four years," in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | olimpiiki | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "Olimpiiki" is a loanword from English, meaning "Olympic". | |||
| Zulu | olimpiki | ||
| The word 'Olimpiki' in Zulu also means 'the place where the sun rises'. | |||
| Bambara | olɛnpi | ||
| Ewe | olympic-fefewɔƒea | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imikino olempike | ||
| Lingala | olympique | ||
| Luganda | olympics | ||
| Sepedi | diolimpiki | ||
| Twi (Akan) | olympic | ||
Olympic in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأولمبية | ||
| The term "Olympic" is derived from the ancient Greek city of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were first held in honor of Zeus. | |||
| Hebrew | אוֹלִימְפִּי | ||
| בשימוש עממי "אולימפי" עשוי לתאר גם משהו נעלה, מפואר או מרשים במיוחד. | |||
| Pashto | اولمپیک | ||
| Arabic | الأولمبية | ||
| The term "Olympic" is derived from the ancient Greek city of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were first held in honor of Zeus. | |||
Olympic in Western European Languages
| Albanian | olimpike | ||
| The Albanian word "Olimpike" is derived from the Latin "Olympica" and also denotes ancient and modern Olympic Games, sports competitions, and events. | |||
| Basque | olinpikoa | ||
| The word "Olinpikoa" in Basque comes from the Greek word "Olympia", which refers to the site of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. | |||
| Catalan | olímpic | ||
| The Catalan word “Olímpic” can also refer to a person participating in the Olympics or to a sports venue used in the Olympics. | |||
| Croatian | olimpijski | ||
| Olimpijski is derived from Greek Ὄλυμπος (Olympus), the home of the gods in Greek mythology. | |||
| Danish | olympisk | ||
| Olympisk means 'Olympic' in Danish but also 'Olympian' and refers to the mythical Greek mountain and the site of the Olympic games. | |||
| Dutch | olympisch | ||
| In Dutch, the word "Olympisch" is also used to mean "great" or "magnificent". | |||
| English | olympic | ||
| The term 'Olympic' originates from Olympia in the Peloponnese of Greece, which is the birthplace of the ancient Olympic games. | |||
| French | olympique | ||
| The word 'olympique' in French can also mean 'heavenly' or 'divine', referring to the mythological Mount Olympus. | |||
| Frisian | olympysk | ||
| Oarsum as it sounds, Olympysk doesn't mean 'rowing match' in Frisian, but 'Olympic'. | |||
| Galician | olímpico | ||
| "Olímpico" is also used in Galician as an adjective meaning "excellent" or "outstanding". | |||
| German | olympisch | ||
| Olympisch can also mean divine, heavenly, or celestial in German, reflecting the association of the Olympic Games with Mount Olympus in Greek mythology. | |||
| Icelandic | ólympískt | ||
| The Icelandic word "Ólympískt" also means "heavenly" or "divine". | |||
| Irish | oilimpeach | ||
| The word "Oilimpeach" derives from the Greek "Olympiakos" meaning of, or relating to, Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. | |||
| Italian | olimpico | ||
| Olimpico also means "divine" or "heavenly" in Italian, stemming from the Greek word "Olympus," where the gods resided in mythology. | |||
| Luxembourgish | olympesch | ||
| The word "Olympesch" can also refer to the ancient Olympic Games or to the Greek mountain range where they were held. | |||
| Maltese | olimpiku | ||
| The word "Olimpiku" in Maltese can also mean "Olympic spirit" or "Olympic values". | |||
| Norwegian | ol | ||
| "OL" (Olympic) in Norwegian also means "beer". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | olímpico | ||
| In Portuguese, 'olímpico' refers to both the Olympics and Mount Olympus, home to the Greek gods, due to their shared etymological root. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oiliompaics | ||
| Scots Gaelic "Oiliompaics" also refers to the "Olympus Mountain" or a "Mountain Gathering". | |||
| Spanish | olímpico | ||
| In Spanish, "olímpico" can also refer to the grandeur or importance of something. | |||
| Swedish | olympiska | ||
| "Olympiska" can also be used as a common noun meaning "athletic" or "sporty." | |||
| Welsh | olympaidd | ||
| Welsh "Olympaidd" (Olympic) stems from the Greek "Olympias" via French and Latin, but is also used as a female name. | |||
Olympic in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | алімпійскі | ||
| Bosnian | olimpijski | ||
| "Olimpijski" means "Olympic" in Bosnian, but it can also refer to the sports complex in Sarajevo. | |||
| Bulgarian | олимпийски | ||
| The word "Олимпийски" (Olympic) in Bulgarian also means "celestial" or "divine". | |||
| Czech | olympijský | ||
| The Czech word "olympijský" comes from the Greek word "οlympios", meaning "of or belonging to Mount Olympus". | |||
| Estonian | olümpia | ||
| In Estonian, the word "olümpia" also refers to the national sports federation and to the national sports museum. | |||
| Finnish | olympia- | ||
| Finnish "olympia-" also means a "type of wool underwear". | |||
| Hungarian | olimpiai | ||
| In Hungarian, "olimpiai" also means "heavenly" or "divine, from "Olimposz", name of the Greek sacred mountain (Mount Olympus). | |||
| Latvian | olimpiskais | ||
| The word "Olimpiskais" (Olympic) is derived from the Latin word "Olympus", meaning "mountain of the gods". | |||
| Lithuanian | olimpinis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "Olimpinis" derives from Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the Greek gods. | |||
| Macedonian | олимписки | ||
| Олимписки (Olympic) can also refer to the Olympic mountains in Greece | |||
| Polish | olimpijski | ||
| The Polish word "olimpijski" is derived from the Latin "Olympicus", meaning "of or relating to Olympia", the site of the ancient Olympic Games. | |||
| Romanian | olimpic | ||
| "Olimpic is the Romanian word for "Olympic". It is derived from the Latin word "Olympicus", which means "of or pertaining to Mount Olympus", the home of the Greek gods. | |||
| Russian | олимпийский | ||
| The word Олимпийский (Olympic) in Russian can also mean 'majestic' or 'grand' and is often used to describe large-scale events or projects. | |||
| Serbian | олимпијски | ||
| The etymology of the word "Олимпијски" ("Olympic") in Serbian can be traced back to the ancient Greek word "Ολυμπιακός" ("Olympiakos"), which originally referred to the inhabitants of the region of Elis where the Olympic Games were held. | |||
| Slovak | olympijské | ||
| The Slovak word "Olympijské" originates from the Latin word "Olympicus" meaning "Olympian". | |||
| Slovenian | olimpijski | ||
| Olimpijski is a relatively uncommon name in Slovenia, but it does exist and is a reference to the Olympics, not to Mount Olympus and the Greek gods. | |||
| Ukrainian | олімпійський | ||
| The Ukrainian word “олімпійський” comes from the Ancient Greek word | |||
Olympic in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অলিম্পিক | ||
| অলিম্পিক মূল গ্রিক শব্দ 'অলিম্পিয়া' থেকে নেওয়া হয়েছে। | |||
| Gujarati | ઓલિમ્પિક | ||
| Hindi | ओलिंपिक | ||
| ओलिंपिक शब्द ग्रीस के माउंट ओलिंपस से आया है, जहाँ ग्रीक पौराणिक कथाओं के अनुसार देवता रहते थे। | |||
| Kannada | ಒಲಿಂಪಿಕ್ | ||
| Malayalam | ഒളിമ്പിക് | ||
| The term "ഒളിമ്പിക്" is derived from the Greek city of Olympia, which was once the site of the Olympic Games. | |||
| Marathi | ऑलिम्पिक | ||
| Nepali | ओलम्पिक | ||
| The word 'ओलम्पिक' is derived from the ancient Greek word 'Ολύμπιος' (Olympios), which means 'of or relating to Mount Olympus'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਓਲੰਪਿਕ | ||
| The word 'ਓਲੰਪਿਕ' is derived from 'Olympia', a sanctuary in Greece where the Olympic Games were held. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔලිම්පික් | ||
| Tamil | ஒலிம்பிக் | ||
| In Tamil, there is no direct equivalent for 'Olympic'. The term is borrowed from English and used in its original form. | |||
| Telugu | ఒలింపిక్ | ||
| The word "ఒలింపిక్" (Olympic) comes from the Greek word "Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες" (Olympia Agones) and the Latin word "Olympiaca". | |||
| Urdu | اولمپک | ||
| The word "اولمپک" is derived from the name of Mount Olympus, the sacred mountain of the Greek gods. | |||
Olympic in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 奥林匹克 | ||
| 奥运一词来自希腊语，意为“奥林匹亚”，是古希腊一个举办祭祀宙斯和举行竞技比赛的圣地。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 奧林匹克 | ||
| 奧林匹克一名源自古希臘地名奧林匹亞，以當地舉辦的奧林匹克運動會而得名。 | |||
| Japanese | オリンピック | ||
| In Japanese, オリンピック (Olympic) can also refer to the Olympics as a whole or to a specific Olympic Games. | |||
| Korean | 올림피아 경기 | ||
| 올림피아는 그리스에 있는 성역의 이름이며, 제우스를 기리는 축제 올림피아 경기를 치렀던 곳. | |||
| Mongolian | олимпийн | ||
| "Олимпийн" (Olympic) is also used to refer to the gods of Mount Olympus in Mongolian mythology. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိုလံပစ် | ||
Olympic in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | olimpiade | ||
| Kata "Olimpiade" berasal dari bahasa Yunani "Ολυμπιάς" (Olympias), yang berarti sebuah periode empat tahun antara dua penyelenggaraan Olimpiade. | |||
| Javanese | olimpiade | ||
| In Javanese, Olimpiade is often used to refer to the festival of Sekaten which commemorates the birth of Muhammad. | |||
| Khmer | អូឡាំពិក | ||
| The word "អូឡាំពិក" is derived from the Greek word "Ολυμπία", which refers to the sacred site of Olympia where the ancient Olympic Games were held. | |||
| Lao | ໂອລິມປິກ | ||
| Malay | olimpik | ||
| The Malay term 'Olimpik' is used not just in a sports context, but also for events such as a business competition. | |||
| Thai | โอลิมปิก | ||
| คำว่า “โอลิมปิก” มาจากคำว่า “โอลิมเปีย” ซึ่งเป็นสถานที่ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ในกรีซโบราณ | |||
| Vietnamese | olympic | ||
| Ngoài ý nghĩa là "Liên quan đến Thế vận hội", "Olympic" còn có thể chỉ dãy núi Olympic ở Washington, Hoa Kỳ và một hệ núi lửa ở Hy Lạp. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | olympic | ||
Olympic in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | olimpiya | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "Olimpiya" is also used in the meaning of "national football cup of Azerbaijan". | |||
| Kazakh | олимпиада | ||
| Термин «Олимпиада» происходит от греческого слова «Олимпия», которое означает «священная роща» или «место, где находятся боги». | |||
| Kyrgyz | олимпиада | ||
| In Kyrgyz the word “Olympics,” has an extended meaning as a synonym for any sports competition. | |||
| Tajik | олимпӣ | ||
| Turkmen | olimpiýa | ||
| Uzbek | olimpiya o'yinlari | ||
| Olimpiya o'yinlari is derived from the ancient Greek word "Olympia," the site of the original Olympic Games held in honor of Zeus. | |||
| Uyghur | ئولىمپىك | ||
Olympic in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | 'olumepika | ||
| 'Olumepika' derives from the Greek 'Olympos', a name of Mount Olympus home of the Greek gods, and 'pikai' which means "race". | |||
| Maori | orimipia | ||
| The Maori word "Orimipia" is derived from the Greek word "Olympos," which refers to the mountain where the Greek gods resided. | |||
| Samoan | olimipeka | ||
| Olimipeka is a word that is derived from the Greek word "Olympia", which means "a place of the Olympic Games". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | olimpiko | ||
| The Tagalog word "Olimpiko" is derived from the Spanish word "olímpico," which in turn comes from the Greek word "olympionikos," meaning "victorious at Olympia." | |||
Olympic in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | olímpico ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Guarani | olímpico rehegua | ||
Olympic in International Languages
| Esperanto | olimpika | ||
| Latin | olympiae | ||
| In Latin, "Olympiae" referred to the Olympic Games or Mount Olympus, home to the gods of Greek mythology. | |||
Olympic in Others Languages
| Greek | ολυμπιακός | ||
| The word "ολυμπιακός" can also mean "of Olympus," referring to the mountain where the ancient Greek gods were said to reside. | |||
| Hmong | kev olympic | ||
| Olympic is also a given name derived from the French word for Mount Olympus. | |||
| Kurdish | olîmpîk | ||
| The word "Olîmpîk" in Kurdish refers to someone who is physically strong and healthy, and is also used to describe athletes and sportspeople. | |||
| Turkish | olimpiyat | ||
| In Turkish, the word Olimpiyat derives from the French 'olympique', referring to the Olympic Games. It is also used in a more general sense to mean 'grand spectacle', or 'extraordinary event'. | |||
| Xhosa | olimpiki | ||
| "Olimpiki" is also an alternate spelling of "Olimpi", which means "a competition between athletes from different parts of the world that is held every four years," in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אָלימפּיק | ||
| The Yiddish word for "Olympic" contains an additional meaning, a "young man". | |||
| Zulu | olimpiki | ||
| The word 'Olimpiki' in Zulu also means 'the place where the sun rises'. | |||
| Assamese | অলিম্পিক | ||
| Aymara | olímpico ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | ओलंपिक में भइल | ||
| Dhivehi | އޮލިމްޕިކް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | ओलंपिक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | olympic | ||
| Guarani | olímpico rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | olimpiada | ||
| Krio | olimpik gem dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئۆڵۆمپیاد | ||
| Maithili | ओलंपिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯂꯦꯝꯄꯤꯛꯁꯇꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ ꯌꯨ.ꯑꯦꯁ | ||
| Mizo | olympic a ni | ||
| Oromo | olompikii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଲିମ୍ପିକ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | olímpico nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | ओलम्पिक | ||
| Tatar | олимпия | ||
| Tigrinya | ኦሎምፒክ | ||
| Tsonga | tiolimpiki | ||