Activity in Different Languages
Discover 'Activity' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'activity' holds a significant place in our daily lives, encompassing various actions and pursuits that engage our minds and bodies. Its cultural importance is evident in the countless activities that define and shape societies worldwide. From physical exercises to artistic expressions, from intellectual pursuits to social engagements, activities reflect our diverse interests and passions.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'activity' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and engage in various pursuits. For instance, the French translation, 'activité', also means 'occupation', reflecting their appreciation for busy and productive lives. Meanwhile, the German translation, 'Tätigkeit', emphasizes the performance or execution of an action.
With this in mind, let's explore some translations of the word 'activity' in different languages:
Activity
Activity in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aktiwiteit | ||
| The Afrikaans word "aktiwiteit" is derived from the Latin word "actīvus", which means "active" or "lively." | |||
| Amharic | እንቅስቃሴ | ||
| The word 'እንቅስቃሴ' ('activity') in Amharic comes from the word 'እንቅስḳሰ' which means 'to be active, to move, to shake, to tremble' | |||
| Hausa | aiki | ||
| In Hausa, "aiki" is also a noun meaning "work". | |||
| Igbo | ọrụ | ||
| Ọrụ can also refer to a task, business, or trade, indicating the active or productive nature of the concept. | |||
| Malagasy | asa | ||
| Asa may also refer to a "group of people" or "family unit" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ntchito | ||
| The word 'ntchito' can also refer to 'work', 'job' or 'task' and is derived from the Bantu root '-tchit-' meaning 'to construct, make or fashion'. | |||
| Shona | chiitiko | ||
| The word 'chiitiko' has a wider meaning, including 'diligence' and 'industriousness'. | |||
| Somali | waxqabad | ||
| "Waxqabad" is a Somali word with a variety of meanings, including "action," "work," and "project." | |||
| Sesotho | ketsahalo | ||
| Ketsahalo derives from the root verb "tsahala" meaning "to play, to be happy"} | |||
| Swahili | shughuli | ||
| "Shughuli" derives from the Arabic word "shughl" meaning "occupation" or "business". | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| "Umsebenzi" also refers to traditional beer-making in South Africa. | |||
| Yoruba | aṣayan iṣẹ-ṣiṣe | ||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| The Zulu word "umsebenzi" can also refer to "work" or "job". | |||
| Bambara | baara | ||
| Ewe | nuwɔna | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibikorwa | ||
| Lingala | mosala | ||
| Luganda | eby'okukola | ||
| Sepedi | mošomo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwumadie | ||
Activity in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نشاط | ||
| "نشاط" can also mean 'liveliness' or 'vigour' in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | פעילות | ||
| In Modern Hebrew, the word "פעילות" (activity) also refers to a movement or organization, such as a political party or social group. | |||
| Pashto | فعالیت | ||
| In Pashto, "فعالیت" can also refer to a particular kind of event, often one that is religious or ceremonial in nature. | |||
| Arabic | نشاط | ||
| "نشاط" can also mean 'liveliness' or 'vigour' in Arabic. | |||
Activity in Western European Languages
| Albanian | aktiviteti | ||
| In Albanian, "aktivitet" also means "a thing that is happening" or "a state of being active" | |||
| Basque | jarduera | ||
| The Basque word "jarduera" comes from the Latin "iactūra", meaning "loss" or "outlay". | |||
| Catalan | activitat | ||
| The word "activitat" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "activus," meaning "energetic" or "lively." | |||
| Croatian | aktivnost | ||
| The Croatian word "aktivnost" also refers to a form of meditation or contemplation. | |||
| Danish | aktivitet | ||
| The Danish word "aktivitet" is derived from the Latin word "activus," meaning "active" or "energetic." | |||
| Dutch | werkzaamheid | ||
| The word "werkzaamheid" can also refer to efficacy or effectiveness. | |||
| English | activity | ||
| The word "activity" derives from the Latin "activus," meaning "quick" or "agile". | |||
| French | activité | ||
| The French word "activité" originally meant "energy" or "vitality", and is related to the Latin word "agere", meaning "to act" or "to do". | |||
| Frisian | aktiviteit | ||
| The word "aktiviteit" in Frisian is derived from the Latin word "activus", meaning "active". | |||
| Galician | actividade | ||
| In Galician, "actividade" can also mean "skill" or "ability". | |||
| German | aktivität | ||
| The German word "Aktivität" (activity) derives from the Latin word "actus", meaning an action or an active state of being. | |||
| Icelandic | virkni | ||
| The word `virkni` can also mean `effect` or `consequence`, and is derived from the Old Norse word `verk` meaning `work` or `deed`. | |||
| Irish | gníomhaíocht | ||
| Italian | attività | ||
| "Attività" is derived from the Latin word "actus," meaning "action" or "deed," and also refers to a business or commercial establishment in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | aktivitéit | ||
| Aktivitéit can also mean a business or a company, especially when it is made up of a small number of people. | |||
| Maltese | attività | ||
| In Maltese, "attività" can also refer to a business or commercial establishment. | |||
| Norwegian | aktivitet | ||
| The Proto-Germanic root of "aktivitet" is most likely *akras "a field": a place of intense "action". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | atividade | ||
| The Portuguese word "atividade" can also refer to a business, enterprise, or occupation. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gnìomh | ||
| The word "gnìomh" in Scots Gaelic also means "deed", "work", or "business". | |||
| Spanish | actividad | ||
| "Actividad" derives from the Latin verb "agere" (to do or act), and also relates to legal "acts". | |||
| Swedish | aktivitet | ||
| Aktivitet is derived from Latin actīvitās, meaning "a state of being active", and is related to the Latin verb agere, meaning "to do or act." | |||
| Welsh | gweithgaredd | ||
| The word "gweithgaredd" is derived from the Welsh word "gweithio," meaning "to work" or "to act." | |||
Activity in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзейнасць | ||
| "Dзейнасць" may also refer to a field of activity, occupation, or pursuit. | |||
| Bosnian | aktivnost | ||
| Aktivnost is the Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian equivalent of the Russian word "aktivnost", meaning "activity" but also implying "social activity" or involvement in social causes. | |||
| Bulgarian | дейност | ||
| The word "дейност" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "дѣти" (deti), meaning "to do". In modern Bulgarian, it has a broad meaning encompassing any type of purposeful action, including work, study, play, and leisure activities. | |||
| Czech | aktivita | ||
| "Aktivita" can also refer to a financial asset or liability in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | aktiivsus | ||
| The word "aktiivsus" also denotes "activism" in Estonian, like in the sentence: "Aktiivsus on oluline kodanikuühiskonna toimimiseks" (Activism is essential for the functioning of civil society). | |||
| Finnish | toiminta | ||
| Finnish "toiminta" can also mean "function" or "operation", mirroring its Swedish cognate "funktion". | |||
| Hungarian | tevékenység | ||
| Magyar szó, jelentése latinból ered, és eredetileg 'szorgoskodást', 'munkásság't jelentett. | |||
| Latvian | aktivitāte | ||
| The Latvian word "aktivitāte," meaning "activity," comes from the French word "activité" which is derived from the Latin word "activitas," meaning "vigorous action." | |||
| Lithuanian | veikla | ||
| The Lithuanian word "veikla" is related to the verb "veikti", which means "to do" or "to act", and also has a broader sense of "work" or "occupation." | |||
| Macedonian | активност | ||
| "Активност" е сродна на думата "акт" и "активен". Думата има и друго значениe - "имот". | |||
| Polish | czynność | ||
| Polish "czynność" comes from Proto-Slavic word meaning "action"} | |||
| Romanian | activitate | ||
| In Romanian, "activitate" has a second meaning not present in most other Romance languages: "tax". | |||
| Russian | деятельность | ||
| The Russian noun "деятельность" is derived from the verb "делать," meaning "to do" or "to make". | |||
| Serbian | активност | ||
| The word 'активност' is derived from the Latin word 'activus' meaning 'active' or 'agile'. | |||
| Slovak | činnosť | ||
| The word "činnosť" also means "action" or "function" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | dejavnosti | ||
| The Slovene word "dejavnosti" comes from a verb meaning "to do", and thus it has the same roots as the English word "deed" | |||
| Ukrainian | діяльність | ||
| The word діяльність is derived from the Proto-Slavic word дѣꙗ ( | |||
Activity in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ক্রিয়াকলাপ | ||
| The term "ক্রিয়াকলাপ" is also used in the scientific field of "kinetics", which refers to the study of the rate and mechanism of change. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રવૃત્તિ | ||
| The Gujarati word "પ્રવૃત્તિ" can also mean "behavior" or "conduct", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "pravrtti", meaning "to engage in"} | |||
| Hindi | गतिविधि | ||
| "गतिविधि" is a Sanskrit word composed of गति (motion, movement) and विधि (method, way), and can also refer to speed or velocity in physics. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆ | ||
| While "ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆ" is most commonly used in Kannada to mean "activity," it originally meant "cleverness" or "intelligence." | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രവർത്തനം | ||
| Marathi | क्रियाकलाप | ||
| "क्रियाकलाप" comes from Sanskrit and in Marathi it can mean both "activity" and "movement or motion" | |||
| Nepali | गतिविधि | ||
| The term 'गतिविधि' comes from the Sanskrit word 'गति' which means 'movement' or 'progress' and 'विधि' which means 'method'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਰਗਰਮੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸਰਗਰਮੀ" ("activity") is derived from the Sanskrit word "सक्रिय" ("active, energetic"), and in some contexts can also refer to "agitation" or "excitement." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ක්රියාකාරකම් | ||
| Tamil | நடவடிக்கை | ||
| நடவடிக்கை (naṭavaṭikkai) is not just an 'activity' but also refers to 'acting' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | కార్యాచరణ | ||
| The word "కార్యాచరణ" (kāryācaraṇa) in Telugu can also refer to a "practical implementation" or "action plan". | |||
| Urdu | سرگرمی | ||
| Urdu 'سرگرمی' also refers to 'entertainment' and originally meant 'preoccupation' in Persian. | |||
Activity in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 活动 | ||
| 活动 (huódòng) in Chinese can also refer to events or campaigns. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 活動 | ||
| The character "動" in "活動" originally meant "to move" or "to shake", and can still be used in this sense in some contexts. | |||
| Japanese | アクティビティ | ||
| アクティビティ (activity) also means "event" or "social gathering" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 활동 | ||
| The word “활동” can also mean “movement,” “exercise,” or “operation.” | |||
| Mongolian | үйл ажиллагаа | ||
| The word "үйл ажиллагаа" can also refer to an undertaking, pursuit, or occupation. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှုပ်ရှားမှု | ||
Activity in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | aktivitas | ||
| The word "aktivitas" in Indonesian also refers to the active form of a verb, as opposed to its passive form. | |||
| Javanese | kegiyatan | ||
| In Javanese, 'kegiyatan' derives from 'giyat' (diligence) and can also refer to the level of diligence or a lively atmosphere. | |||
| Khmer | សកម្មភាព | ||
| In Khmer, "សកម្មភាព" ("activity") also refers to a "sphere of activity" or a "range of action." | |||
| Lao | ກິດຈະ ກຳ | ||
| Malay | aktiviti | ||
| "Aktiviti" can also refer to a particular event or performance, as in "aktiviti kesenian" (an art event). | |||
| Thai | กิจกรรม | ||
| "กิจกรรม" derives from Sanskrit "kriya" (action) and also means "deed" and "occupation". | |||
| Vietnamese | hoạt động | ||
| The word "Hoạt động" can also mean "function" or "operation" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | aktibidad | ||
Activity in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fəaliyyət | ||
| The word "fəaliyyət" shares its root with the word "fəal" which means "active; energetic." | |||
| Kazakh | белсенділік | ||
| The word "белсенділік" can also refer to "initiation", "proactivism", or "activeness" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | иш-аракет | ||
| "Иш-аракет" originally meant "work and effort" but now more broadly means "activity". | |||
| Tajik | фаъолият | ||
| The word "фаъолият" comes from Arabic and is also used in Uzbek, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz. | |||
| Turkmen | işjeňlik | ||
| Uzbek | faoliyat | ||
| "Faoliyat" is also used to refer to the process or state of being active. | |||
| Uyghur | پائالىيەت | ||
Activity in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana | ||
| In Hawaiian, "hana" also refers to a job or occupation. | |||
| Maori | ngohe | ||
| The Maori word "ngohe" can also refer to a gathering or meeting. | |||
| Samoan | gaioiga | ||
| 'Gaioiga' can also refer to an object's function or use. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | aktibidad | ||
| "Aktibidad" comes from the Spanish word "actividad" and can also refer to a "project". | |||
Activity in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wakichawi | ||
| Guarani | mba'apo | ||
Activity in International Languages
| Esperanto | aktiveco | ||
| The Esperanto word "aktiveco" also means "property" or "assets", deriving from the Latin word "activus". | |||
| Latin | actio | ||
| The Latin term "actio," meaning "activity," also carried legal connotations referring to a cause of action or judicial proceeding. | |||
Activity in Others Languages
| Greek | δραστηριότητα | ||
| The word δραστηριότητα (drastiriotita) comes from the Greek root δρα- (dra-), meaning "to do" or "to act," which is also present in other words such as δράση (drasi, "action") and δραστικός (drastikos, "effective"). | |||
| Hmong | kev ua si | ||
| ``Kev ua si'' is also an umbrella term for all sports, games, and competitions. | |||
| Kurdish | çalakî | ||
| The word "çalakî" also means "playful" or "lively" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | aktivite | ||
| Aktivite derives from French "activité" meaning "energy" and "action". | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| "Umsebenzi" also refers to traditional beer-making in South Africa. | |||
| Yiddish | טעטיקייט | ||
| The Yiddish word "טעטיקייט" ("activity") shares its root with the German word "Tätigkeit" and the English word "deed". | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| The Zulu word "umsebenzi" can also refer to "work" or "job". | |||
| Assamese | কাৰ্যকলাপ | ||
| Aymara | wakichawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | गतिविधि | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަރަކާތް | ||
| Dogri | सरगर्मी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | aktibidad | ||
| Guarani | mba'apo | ||
| Ilocano | aktibidad | ||
| Krio | tin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چالاکی | ||
| Maithili | क्रिया-कलाप | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯕꯛ ꯊꯧꯔꯝ | ||
| Mizo | thiltih | ||
| Oromo | hojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକଳାପ | ||
| Quechua | ruwana | ||
| Sanskrit | गतिविधि | ||
| Tatar | эшчәнлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ንጥፈት | ||
| Tsonga | gingiriko | ||