Spanish in Different Languages
Discover 'Spanish' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world, is a beautiful and rich language that holds immense significance in today's globalized world. As the official language of 20 countries, Spanish is a cultural cornerstone that connects people across continents. Its lyrical sound and rhythm have made it a popular language for music, literature, and film, making it a vital part of the world's cultural heritage.
Moreover, knowing the translation of Spanish in different languages can be beneficial for travel, business, and education. For instance, 'Spanish' translates to 'espagnol' in French, 'español' in German, and 'spagnolo' in Italian. Understanding these translations can help break down language barriers and foster cross-cultural communication.
But Spanish's significance goes beyond its cultural importance. It is also a language with a fascinating history, with roots in Latin and Arabic. Its evolution and adaptation over centuries reflect the historical and cultural exchanges that have shaped the world as we know it today.
In the following list, we will explore how the word 'Spanish' translates in various languages, shedding light on the linguistic and cultural diversity of our world.
Spanish
Spanish in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | spaans | ||
| The Afrikaans word "Spaans" also means "swollen" or "bloated". | |||
| Amharic | ስፓንኛ | ||
| Hausa | sifeniyanci | ||
| Sifeniyanci is a Hausa word that originates from the Arabic "Isbaniyan" which also refers to the country of Spain. | |||
| Igbo | asụsụ spanish | ||
| The Igbo word "Asụsụ Spanish" literally translates to "the mouth of Spain." | |||
| Malagasy | fikarohana | ||
| The word "Fikarohana" in Malagasy also means "study" or "investigation". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chisipanishi | ||
| Chisipanishi derives from the Portuguese-Afrikaans word "Spanjia" for "Spain" | |||
| Shona | chispanish | ||
| The word “ChiSpanish” also refers to the language commonly used by people of Hispanic origin, who live mainly in the central provinces of Manica, Sofala, and Zambezia. | |||
| Somali | isbaanish | ||
| The word "Isbaanish" derives from the Arabic "Isbaniyah," also the origin of the English word "Spain."} | |||
| Sesotho | sepanishe | ||
| The word 'Sepanishe' in Sesotho is derived from the Spanish word 'España', which means 'Spain' in English. | |||
| Swahili | kihispania | ||
| The Swahili word "Kihispania" is derived from the Arabic word "Hispania", which means "land of the rabbits". | |||
| Xhosa | spanish | ||
| Yoruba | ede sipeeni | ||
| 'Ede Sipeeni' is possibly derived from 'Sipeeni,' the Yoruba name for the Spaniards during the slave trade era due to their use of sabres | |||
| Zulu | ispanishi | ||
| ISpanishi (Spanish) also refers to a type of dance popular in the 1920s and 30s in South Africa. | |||
| Bambara | ɛsipaɲɔli | ||
| Ewe | spaniagbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyesipanyoli | ||
| Lingala | espagnole | ||
| Luganda | olusupeyini | ||
| Sepedi | sepeniši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | spanish | ||
Spanish in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأسبانية | ||
| الأسبانية تعني أيضًا "أشياء باهظة الثمن" في اللهجة المصرية العامية. | |||
| Hebrew | ספרדית | ||
| בערבית, "ספרדית" פירושה "שפת המערב", משום שספרד נמצאת מערבית למדינות ערב. | |||
| Pashto | هسپانیه ایی | ||
| The word "هسپانیه ایی" in Pashto comes from the Middle Persian word "*spāniyaka*", which is ultimately derived from the Latin word "Hispania". The word "هسپانیه ایی" can also refer to the people or culture of Spain. | |||
| Arabic | الأسبانية | ||
| الأسبانية تعني أيضًا "أشياء باهظة الثمن" في اللهجة المصرية العامية. | |||
Spanish in Western European Languages
| Albanian | spanjisht | ||
| The alternative Albanian word for "Spanjisht", "Sherbe“, originally meant "the (people or language) of Serbia/Servia". | |||
| Basque | gaztelania | ||
| The Basque word '*gaztelania*' derives from the term '*gaztela*' ('the lands of castles'), referring to the Castile region of Spain. | |||
| Catalan | espanyol | ||
| In the Middle Ages, the word "Espanyol" also referred to the inhabitants of the Occitan region of Languedoc, due to their proximity to Catalonia. | |||
| Croatian | španjolski | ||
| The word "Španjolski" comes from the Italian word "Spagnuolo" or the Latin word "Hispaniōlus", meaning "Spanish". | |||
| Danish | spansk | ||
| In Danish, "spansk" also means "unusual" or "strange". | |||
| Dutch | spaans | ||
| In Dutch, the term "Spaans" can also refer to a type of paint or lacquer originating from Spain during the 16th century. | |||
| English | spanish | ||
| The word "Spanish" can also refer to the people or culture of Spain. | |||
| French | espagnol | ||
| Le mot "Espagnol" peut aussi désigner un type de tissu de laine ou un cheval de race ibérique. | |||
| Frisian | spaansk | ||
| Galician | español | ||
| German | spanisch | ||
| Spanisch also means 'wall' in German and refers to the walls built to protect against the Moors. | |||
| Icelandic | spænska, spænskt | ||
| The word "spænska" may also refer to people from Spain or the Spanish language. | |||
| Irish | spainnis | ||
| The Irish word "Spainnis" (Spanish) originally meant "the language of the new people," referring to the Normans who arrived in Ireland in the 12th century. | |||
| Italian | spagnolo | ||
| In Italian, the word "spagnolo" can also refer to a type of large, reddish-brown horse. | |||
| Luxembourgish | spuenesch | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Spuenesch" can also refer to the Luxembourgish language itself, as it is a Romance language closely related to Spanish. | |||
| Maltese | spanjol | ||
| The word "Spanjol" in Maltese is derived from the word "Spanyol" in Spanish, meaning "Spanish". | |||
| Norwegian | spansk | ||
| Ordet «Spansk» betyr opprinnelig «romersk» eller «latinsk», og ikke «spansk». | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | espanhol | ||
| "Espanhol" deriva do latim "Hispaniolus" (relativo a "Hispânia", Península Ibérica) e também significa "espada" (ferramenta de corte). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | spàinneach | ||
| The word "Spàinneach" derives from a root meaning "hispanus", a term referring to someone from or connected to "Hispania" — the ancient name used by the Romans for the Iberian Peninsula. | |||
| Spanish | español | ||
| La palabra "Español" también puede referirse a la lengua española o a una persona de habla española. | |||
| Swedish | spanska | ||
| In Swedish, "Spanska" can also refer to the game "shuffleboard" or a "spanner" (tool). | |||
| Welsh | sbaeneg | ||
Spanish in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | іспанскі | ||
| The Belarusian word "Іспанскі" can also refer to the Spanish language or people, not just to Spain. | |||
| Bosnian | španski | ||
| "Španski" can also mean "of or pertaining to cards" | |||
| Bulgarian | испански | ||
| The word "Испански" is also used in Bulgarian to refer to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1920. | |||
| Czech | španělština | ||
| Španělština also refers to the Spaniel dog breed. The origin of this double meaning is unknown. | |||
| Estonian | hispaania keel | ||
| The term “Hispaania keel” originally applied to the Latin spoken in former Roman province Hispania and not to Castilian (now modern Spanish) until much later. | |||
| Finnish | espanja | ||
| Espanja can also mean 'to become visible' in Finnish, which is related to the word 'avata' (to open), ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European '*h₂webh-', meaning 'to weave'. | |||
| Hungarian | spanyol | ||
| In Hungarian, "spanyol" can also refer to a breed of cherry originating in the Spanish region of Extremadura. | |||
| Latvian | spāņu | ||
| Vārds "spāņu" latviešu valodā var attiekties arī uz cilvēkiem, kas dzīvo Spānijā vai runā spāņu valodā. | |||
| Lithuanian | ispanų | ||
| The word "Ispanų" can also refer to the Spanish flu or the Spanish language. | |||
| Macedonian | шпански | ||
| Шпански (Shpanski) is also a slang term for "drunk" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | hiszpański | ||
| 'Hiszpański' comes from the Italian 'Hispano' ('Spain', 'Spanish'), which, turn, comes from 'Hispalis', the former name for Seville. Therefore, the name of modern Spain and the demonym 'Spanish' ultimately come from the name Seville. | |||
| Romanian | spaniolă | ||
| "Spaniolă" can refer to the Spanish language or to the people of Spain, or to the 1918 flu pandemic in Romania. | |||
| Russian | испанский язык | ||
| The Russian equivalent of "Hispanic," "испаноязычный," can sometimes be interpreted as referring to all Latinx language speaking peoples of the Americas. | |||
| Serbian | шпански | ||
| The Serbian word "шпански" can also refer to the "spa" wellness treatment. | |||
| Slovak | španielsky | ||
| "Španielsky" pôvodne znamenalo „patríci Rímskej ríši". | |||
| Slovenian | španski | ||
| "Španski" also means "pertaining to a deck of cards" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | іспанська | ||
| Іспанська also refers to a Spanish dance with fast footwork and castanets. | |||
Spanish in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্পেনীয় | ||
| স্পেনীয় শব্দটি ল্যাটিন "হিস্পানিয়াস" থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ হল "খরগোশের দেশ।" | |||
| Gujarati | સ્પૅનિશ | ||
| Hindi | स्पेनिश | ||
| स्पेनिश शब्द का अर्थ 'इस्पानिया' से है, जो 'फोनीशियन भूमि' के लिए लैटिन है। | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಪ್ಯಾನಿಷ್ | ||
| Malayalam | സ്പാനിഷ് | ||
| The word "Spanish" is of unknown etymology, but some theories trace it to ancient Mediterranean peoples, such as the Etruscans. | |||
| Marathi | स्पॅनिश | ||
| Nepali | स्पेनिश | ||
| The word 'स्पेनिश' also refers to a certain variety of tobacco, a breed of sheep and a type of cherry. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਪੈਨਿਸ਼ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්පාඤ්ඤ | ||
| 斯佩恩在僧伽罗语中也是“西班牙”的意思。 | |||
| Tamil | ஸ்பானிஷ் | ||
| Telugu | స్పానిష్ | ||
| Urdu | ہسپانوی | ||
| The term "ہسپانوی" can also refer to the people of Spain or the Spanish language. | |||
Spanish in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 西班牙文 | ||
| "西班牙"一词来自拉丁语“Hispania”，意为“兔子的土地”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 西班牙文 | ||
| 西班牙文來自西班牙的古稱「西班牙」，意為「西班牙的語言」 | |||
| Japanese | スペイン語 | ||
| "スペイン語"はスペイン語ではなく、ポルトガル語で「スペイン語」を意味します。 | |||
| Korean | 스페인의 | ||
| 스페인의는 "스페인"을 뜻하는 스페인어에서 유래된 "스페인의"를 의미하는 접미사로, "스페인식"이나 "스페인에 속한" 등의 뜻으로 사용됩니다. | |||
| Mongolian | испани | ||
| The word "Испани" (Spanish) in Mongolian is derived from the ethnonym "Испаан" (Ispan), which was used to refer to the Spanish and Portuguese. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စပိန်ဘာသာစကား | ||
Spanish in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | orang spanyol | ||
| Di Indonesia, 'Orang Spanyol' juga kadang digunakan untuk merujuk pada orang-orang keturunan Spanyol-Filipina yang tinggal di Indonesia. | |||
| Javanese | spanyol | ||
| Istilah Spanyol juga digunakan untuk menyebut orang atau benda yang berasal dari negara tersebut. | |||
| Khmer | អេស្ប៉ាញ | ||
| The word "អេស្ប៉ាញ" can also refer to the Spanish language or to Spain itself. | |||
| Lao | ສະເປນ | ||
| Malay | sepanyol | ||
| The word "Sepanyol" in Malay can also refer to the language spoken in Spain, as well as the people of Spain. | |||
| Thai | ภาษาสเปน | ||
| ภาษาสเปน เป็นคำยืมมาจากโปรตุเกส "Espanha" ซึ่งแผลงมาจากภาษาละติน "Hispania" ที่แปลว่า "ดินแดนของชาวไอบีเรียน" | |||
| Vietnamese | người tây ban nha | ||
| The word "người Tây Ban Nha" in Vietnamese can also refer to people from other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico, Argentina, or Colombia. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | espanyol | ||
Spanish in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | i̇span | ||
| İspan in Azerbaijani literally means "related to Spain", and it's not to be confused with "ispaniyalı" which means "a person from Spain". | |||
| Kazakh | испан | ||
| "Испан" is also an archaic term for a type of horse, and a Kazakh name for the male Spanish donkey. | |||
| Kyrgyz | испанча | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "Испанча" can also refer to the Spanish language or people of Spanish descent. | |||
| Tajik | испанӣ | ||
| Испанӣ is also used to refer to a kind of dance in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ispan | ||
| Uzbek | ispaniya | ||
| "Ispaniya" sözcüğünün Özbekçedeki anlamı "İspanyolca" anlamı dışında "hisli, sevimli" anlamlarına da gelir. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىسپانچە | ||
Spanish in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kepania | ||
| The word "Kepania" in Hawaiian also refers to a type of sweet potato. | |||
| Maori | paniora | ||
| The word "Paniora" also has alternate meanings in Māori slang, such as "crazy" and "drunk." | |||
| Samoan | sipaniolo | ||
| In Samoan, the word "Sipaniolo" can also refer to people from the Philippines or other Spanish-speaking countries. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kastila | ||
| In the context of the Philippines, “Kastila” can also refer to the “Spanish East Indies,” the name of the Spanish colony that once administered the Philippines. | |||
Spanish in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ispañula | ||
| Guarani | karaiñe'ẽ | ||
Spanish in International Languages
| Esperanto | hispana | ||
| "Hispana" is also a female adjective that was borrowed into Esperanto for the purpose of indicating the nationality of a woman. | |||
| Latin | spanish | ||
| Spanish derives from ``Hispanus``, which is the Latin form of ``Hispania``, the name the Romans gave to the Iberian Peninsula. | |||
Spanish in Others Languages
| Greek | ισπανικά | ||
| "Ισπανικά" can also refer to a card game played with a Spanish deck. | |||
| Hmong | lus mev | ||
| Lus Mev can also mean 'Portuguese' or 'Mexican' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | îspanyolî | ||
| Îspanyolî ('Spanish') in Kurdish can also refer to the Romansh language spoken in Switzerland, due to historical associations between the Romansh and Spanish languages. | |||
| Turkish | i̇spanyol | ||
| İspanyol kelimesi Latincedeki 'Hispania' kelimesinden gelmektedir. | |||
| Xhosa | spanish | ||
| Yiddish | שפּאַניש | ||
| שפּאַניש alternatively refers to a Sephardic Jewish person of Spanish descent, or to a person from Spain; it also can refer to the Ladino language spoken by Sephardic Jews. | |||
| Zulu | ispanishi | ||
| ISpanishi (Spanish) also refers to a type of dance popular in the 1920s and 30s in South Africa. | |||
| Assamese | স্পেনিছ | ||
| Aymara | ispañula | ||
| Bhojpuri | स्पेनिश | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްޕެނިޝް | ||
| Dogri | स्पेनिश | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | espanyol | ||
| Guarani | karaiñe'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | español | ||
| Krio | spanish | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئیسپانی | ||
| Maithili | स्पेनिश | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯄꯦꯟꯒꯤ ꯂꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | spanish | ||
| Oromo | ispaanishii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ପାନିସ୍ | ||
| Quechua | español | ||
| Sanskrit | स्पेनी भाषा | ||
| Tatar | испан | ||
| Tigrinya | ስጳኛ | ||
| Tsonga | spanish | ||