Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'across' is a common and simple term, but it holds a significant place in our language and communication. It is used to describe the action or state of something extending from one side to the other, or the act of moving from one side to the other. This word has been used in various historical and cultural contexts, including literature, music, and art, making it a culturally important term.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'across' in different languages can be beneficial for individuals who are interested in language and culture, or for those who are traveling or communicating with people from different linguistic backgrounds. For instance, in Spanish, 'across' is translated as 'a través de', while in French, it is 'travers'. In German, it is 'überqueren', and in Japanese, it is '横切る'.
In this article, we will explore the significance and cultural importance of the word 'across', as well as its translations in different languages. So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a traveler, or someone who simply loves learning new things, this article is for you!
Afrikaans | dwarsoor | ||
The word "dwarsoor" is derived from the Dutch word "dwarsdoor", which means "straight through". | |||
Amharic | ማዶ | ||
"ማዶ" is derived from the Cushitic term "*màdò", meaning "to pass". | |||
Hausa | fadin | ||
An alternative meaning of "fadin" is the "other side of a river, stream or ravine". | |||
Igbo | n'ofe | ||
The word "n'ofe" can also refer to the "other side" of a river or a body of water. | |||
Malagasy | manerana | ||
The word "manerana" also means "bridge" or "pathway". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuwoloka | ||
The word "kuwoloka" in Nyanja can also mean "to pass by" or "to cross over". | |||
Shona | kuyambuka | ||
Derived from the archaic Shona verb 'kuyama', meaning 'to go over'. | |||
Somali | guud ahaan | ||
The word "guud ahaan" is also used figuratively as a preposition to mean "over, on, upon". | |||
Sesotho | ka mose | ||
"Ka mose" can also mean "on the other side" or "in the opposite direction". | |||
Swahili | hela | ||
The Swahili word "hela" has a second meaning as "property" or "money". | |||
Xhosa | ngaphaya | ||
In Xhosa, "ngaphaya" also connotes the idea of "being on the other side of something" or "beyond" something. | |||
Yoruba | kọja | ||
Kọja is a homophone also meaning "to be enough" or "to reach a goal". | |||
Zulu | ngaphesheya | ||
Ngaphesheya can also mean 'on the other side of' or 'beyond' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | cɛ | ||
Ewe | to eme | ||
Kinyarwanda | hakurya | ||
Lingala | na | ||
Luganda | okusomoka | ||
Sepedi | kgabaganya | ||
Twi (Akan) | twam | ||
Arabic | بجانب | ||
The word "بجانب" can also mean "beside" or "next to" in Arabic. | |||
Hebrew | ברחבי | ||
The word 'barchavi' is also used in the context of a cross-section of society or a variety of topics. | |||
Pashto | په پار | ||
The word 'په پار' is also used in Pashto to mean 'the other side of' or 'the other side of a river'. | |||
Arabic | بجانب | ||
The word "بجانب" can also mean "beside" or "next to" in Arabic. |
Albanian | përtej | ||
"Përtej" derives from Proto-Albanian *perdhei and is cognate with Ancient Greek "πέρη" (péré) "opposite shore, distant land". | |||
Basque | zehar | ||
In Basque, "zehar" can also mean "through", "across", or "during". | |||
Catalan | a través de | ||
The Catalan phrase 'a través de' derives from the Latin 'transversus', meaning 'turned across'. | |||
Croatian | preko | ||
Preko derives from the Proto-Slavic word *prek, meaning 'across' or 'over'. | |||
Danish | et kors | ||
"Et kors" can also mean "to fail" or "an intersection" | |||
Dutch | aan de overkant | ||
The Dutch idiom "aan de overkant" ("across") also means "on the other side of something that separates or divides". | |||
English | across | ||
The word "across" derives from Middle English and Old English, meaning "on the other side" or "in opposition to". It has come to mean "from one side to the other" or "in a crosswise direction". | |||
French | à travers | ||
The French phrase "à travers" also means "through" or "by means of" or "in spite of" and is derived from Old French "atravès" from Vulgar Latin "atraversus". | |||
Frisian | oer | ||
The Old Frisian word “oer” also has the meaning “by means of”, similar to the Dutch “door”. This usage of oer still occurs in compounds, such as oerien (“to earn”) and oordiel (“verdict”, from “oer” and “diel”, meaning “part”). | |||
Galician | a través | ||
"A través" can also mean "through", "during", or "after". | |||
German | über | ||
The German word 'über' can also mean 'above', 'beyond', or 'on top of' something. | |||
Icelandic | þvert yfir | ||
Þvert yfir is an Icelandic directional phrase meaning 'across' or 'crosswise'. It is composed of the words þvert (adverb) meaning 'directly' and yfir (preposition) meaning 'over' or 'across'. | |||
Irish | trasna | ||
In Irish, "trasna" also means perpendicular, cross-eyed, and contrary. | |||
Italian | attraverso | ||
In Tuscan, "attraverso" can also mean "through" or "from one side to the other". | |||
Luxembourgish | iwwer | ||
The "iwwer" in "iwwermoien", which means "good morning", actually means "over". This is because in the past people used to greet those above them first. | |||
Maltese | madwar | ||
The word "madwar" can also mean "around" or "surrounding" in Maltese. | |||
Norwegian | på tvers | ||
"På tvers" also means "contrariness" or "in opposition," from Old Norse "þvert," "oblique." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | através | ||
Atrevés in Portuguese comes from the Latin adverb “transversus“ (turned or directed across) and was originally used to mean “obliquely” or “slanting”. | |||
Scots Gaelic | tarsainn | ||
"Tarsainn" can also mean "the cross" in Scottish Gaelic, indicating its deep connection to the concept of crossing. | |||
Spanish | a través de | ||
In Spanish, the expression "a través de" can also mean "by means of" or "through the medium of." | |||
Swedish | tvärs över | ||
"Tvärs över" derives from "tvär" ("crosswise"), denoting "cutting across". | |||
Welsh | ar draws | ||
The Welsh word "ar draws" also means "on foot" or "walking". |
Belarusian | папярок | ||
The word "папярок" also has the alternate meaning of "on the other side" in Belarusian. | |||
Bosnian | preko puta | ||
It is a calque from the German "gegenüber" with the same meaning. | |||
Bulgarian | през | ||
The word "през" in Bulgarian is cognate with the Russian word "через" and the Polish word "przez", all meaning "through" or "across". | |||
Czech | přes | ||
The word "přes" can also mean "over" or "through" and is related to the Proto-Slavic word "*peres" meaning "to cross". | |||
Estonian | üle | ||
Üle, in addition to its primary meaning of "across," can also mean "over," "more than," or "too much." | |||
Finnish | poikki | ||
In Estonian, "poikki" means "in two pieces". | |||
Hungarian | át | ||
The word "át" also means "to take over" or "to switch over" in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | pāri | ||
"Pāri" is also used to indicate "exceedingly" or "too much." | |||
Lithuanian | skersai | ||
The word “skersai” derives from the Proto-Indo-European base “*t(e)h₂wers-” meaning “to turn, twist”. | |||
Macedonian | преку | ||
The word "преку" in Macedonian can also mean "over" or "on the other side". | |||
Polish | przez | ||
The word "przez" in Polish also means "through, by, during, or for". | |||
Romanian | peste | ||
The Romanian word "peste" can also mean "over" or "on the other side of." | |||
Russian | через | ||
"Через" also means "via" and is often used to indicate an intermediary or a means of doing something. | |||
Serbian | преко | ||
The word "преко" can also mean "too much", "excessively", or "beyond". | |||
Slovak | naprieč | ||
The word "naprieč" has two synonyms, "priečne" and " priečky" which mean "transversal" and " crossbars", respectively. | |||
Slovenian | čez | ||
The word "čez" also means "over", | |||
Ukrainian | поперек | ||
"Поперек" can also mean "unpleasantly" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | ওপারে | ||
"ওপারে" is derived from the Sanskrit word "upari" and also means "opposite direction". | |||
Gujarati | સમગ્ર | ||
The word "સમગ્ર" also means "entire", "all", "whole", or "complete" and comes from the Sanskrit root "sam" (together) and "agra" (tip or extremity). | |||
Hindi | भर में | ||
The word 'भर में' can also mean 'in' or 'within' in Hindi. | |||
Kannada | ಅಡ್ಡಲಾಗಿ | ||
ಅಡ್ಡಲಾಗಿ is also used to refer to something that is placed in a horizontal position. | |||
Malayalam | കുറുകെ | ||
The word "kurakey" can also mean "opposite" or "contrary". | |||
Marathi | ओलांडून | ||
"ओलांडून" is a Marathi preposition that also has the alternate meanings of "passing through" and "overcoming". | |||
Nepali | पार | ||
The word "पार" in Nepali has two meanings: one referring to an end or limit, and the other referring to the act of crossing to the other side of something. | |||
Punjabi | ਪਾਰ | ||
The word "ਪਾਰ" also means "edge" or "shore" in Punjabi. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හරහා | ||
The word "හරහා" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पार" (pāra), meaning "shore" or "edge". | |||
Tamil | குறுக்கே | ||
In Tamil, குறுக்கே can also mean 'in opposition' or 'blocking the way'. | |||
Telugu | అంతటా | ||
అంతటా can also mean 'everywhere' or 'throughout'. | |||
Urdu | اس پار | ||
The word "اس پار" can also mean "on the other side" or "opposite." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 跨越 | ||
"跨越" can also refer to "stride", "step over" or "span over" in other contexts. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 跨越 | ||
跨越 originally meant to straddle two horses | |||
Japanese | 全体 | ||
The word "全体" (zentai) also means "the whole" or "all". | |||
Korean | 건너서 | ||
Korean word "건너서" derives from word "건너" (past) and an affix "-서" indicating spatial position or relationship. | |||
Mongolian | даяар | ||
The word "даяар" can also mean "opposite" or "facing each other" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြတ်ပြီး | ||
Indonesian | menyeberang | ||
The word "menyeberang" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*sebeRaŋ", which also means "to go across". | |||
Javanese | nyabrang | ||
The word "nyabrang" is derived from the word "barang", which means "goods" or "merchandise". It originally referred to the act of transporting goods across a river or other body of water. | |||
Khmer | ឆ្លងកាត់ | ||
Lao | ຂ້າມ | ||
ຂ້າມ (khaam) in Lao, is cognate with other Tai languages, meaning "to cross over to the other side or from one side to another side". | |||
Malay | seberang | ||
The word "seberang" can also mean "the other side" or "the opposite side" in Malay. | |||
Thai | ข้าม | ||
ข้าม (kham) can also mean 'to ignore', 'to pass over', or 'to cross over'. | |||
Vietnamese | băng qua | ||
"Băng qua" is derived from the Hán character " băng" (崩) meaning "to collapse" or "to break apart". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sa kabila | ||
Azerbaijani | qarşıdan | ||
The word "qarşıdan" can also mean "opposite" or "facing" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | қарсы | ||
Қарсы (pronounced kar-sy) also means opposition or resistance in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | каршы | ||
The word "каршы" can also refer to a direction or to an opposite side. | |||
Tajik | дар саросари | ||
Дарь саросари has no alternate meanings or etymologies | |||
Turkmen | üstünde | ||
Uzbek | bo'ylab | ||
The word "bo'ylab" can mean either "across" or "according to" in Uzbek | |||
Uyghur | across across | ||
Hawaiian | ma kēlā ʻaoʻao | ||
Ma kēlā ʻaoʻao also means 'at the other side' or 'near the other side'. | |||
Maori | whakawhiti | ||
Whakawhiti is also a Maori word that can refer to a transitional state or passing through a boundary. | |||
Samoan | i talaatu | ||
"I talaatu" is an alternate form of the word "i lataa" ( | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | sa kabila | ||
Sa kabila also means 'to oppose' or 'to contradict' when used in a figurative sense. |
Aymara | ukana | ||
Guarani | ambue gotyo | ||
Esperanto | trans | ||
In Esperanto, "trans" has the additional meaning of "more than" or "beyond". | |||
Latin | per | ||
Latin "per" can function as a noun or adverb, with meanings ranging from "through" and "by" to "in" and "during". |
Greek | απέναντι | ||
" απέναντι" is also used figuratively to mean "opposite" or "in opposition to". | |||
Hmong | thoob plaws | ||
The word "thoob plaws" can also mean "to go through" or "to pass by" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | li ser | ||
Kurdish li ser, like French traverser, can also mean 'to get through', 'to overcome'. | |||
Turkish | karşısında | ||
The word "karşısında" is also used to mean "in the presence of" or "in front of". | |||
Xhosa | ngaphaya | ||
In Xhosa, "ngaphaya" also connotes the idea of "being on the other side of something" or "beyond" something. | |||
Yiddish | אריבער | ||
The Yiddish word 'ariber' is derived from German 'herüber' (over), which is in turn derived from Old High German 'heru' (back) and 'uber' (over). | |||
Zulu | ngaphesheya | ||
Ngaphesheya can also mean 'on the other side of' or 'beyond' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | ইমূৰৰ পৰা সিমূৰলৈ | ||
Aymara | ukana | ||
Bhojpuri | आरपार | ||
Dhivehi | ހުރަސް | ||
Dogri | आर-पार | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sa kabila | ||
Guarani | ambue gotyo | ||
Ilocano | ballasiw | ||
Krio | krɔs | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرانسەر | ||
Maithili | आर-पार | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯡꯝ ꯂꯥꯟꯅ | ||
Mizo | paltlang | ||
Oromo | qaxxaamura | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ | | ||
Quechua | chimpapi | ||
Sanskrit | तिरश्चीनम् | ||
Tatar | аша | ||
Tigrinya | ሰገር | ||
Tsonga | tsemakanya | ||