Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'anywhere' is a small but powerful term that signifies a sense of boundless possibility. It represents the idea of being able to go, do, or find something in any location, without restriction. This concept holds great significance in various cultures, as it embodies freedom, exploration, and the spirit of adventure.
Throughout history, the idea of going anywhere has inspired countless stories, expeditions, and discoveries. From ancient mariners venturing into uncharted waters to modern-day digital nomads working remotely from any corner of the globe, the concept of 'anywhere' transcends geographical boundaries and fosters a sense of interconnectedness.
Understanding the translation of 'anywhere' in different languages can be a fun and enlightening experience for language enthusiasts and travelers alike. Here are a few examples:
Afrikaans | oral | ||
In Afrikaans, "oral" can also mean "orally" or "by mouth." | |||
Amharic | በየትኛውም ቦታ | ||
The word "በየትኛውም ቦታ" is derived from the root word "በይት" (house) and literally means "in every house." | |||
Hausa | ko'ina | ||
The Hausa word "ko'ina" also means "everywhere" or "the whole place." | |||
Igbo | ebe obula | ||
The Igbo word "ebe obula" can also mean "at all," "in any place," or "everywhere." | |||
Malagasy | na aiza na aiza | ||
The Malagasy phrase "na aiza na aiza" can also mean "everywhere". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulikonse | ||
The word 'kulikonse' can also be used to mean 'everywhere' in Nyanja. | |||
Shona | chero kupi | ||
The etymology of "chero kupi" likely originates from the phrase "chero upi", where "upi" means "it has ended". The phrase implies "the journey is over". This meaning of completion is expressed by "kupi", a variant of "upi", as well. | |||
Somali | meel kasta | ||
Meel kasta literally translates to "any place" but can also mean "everywhere" or "someplace" | |||
Sesotho | kae kapa kae | ||
The words "kae" and "kapa" each mean "where" in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | mahali popote | ||
The Swahili word "mahali popote" literally translates to "any place". | |||
Xhosa | naphi na | ||
In Xhosa, 'naphi na' means anywhere when used alone, but when used with a complement it takes on a more specific meaning based on that complement. | |||
Yoruba | nibikibi | ||
The word "nibikibi" can also mean "everyplace" or "all over the place." | |||
Zulu | noma kuphi | ||
"Noma kuphi" does not mean "anywhere" in Zulu, it is the Zulu idiom for "wherever". | |||
Bambara | yɔrɔ o yɔrɔ | ||
Ewe | le afi sia afi | ||
Kinyarwanda | ahantu hose | ||
Lingala | esika nyonso | ||
Luganda | wonna wonna | ||
Sepedi | kae goba kae | ||
Twi (Akan) | baabiara | ||
Arabic | في أى مكان | ||
في أى مكان, despite being written with the definite article, can mean "any place" as well as "the place". | |||
Hebrew | בְּכָל מָקוֹם | ||
"בְּכָל מָקוֹם" is a compound of the words "בְּ" (in, at, on), "כָּל" (every, all), and "מָקוֹם" (place). | |||
Pashto | هرچیرې | ||
"هرچيرې" means "whereabouts" or "location" in Pashto. It is often used to describe a place that is unknown or not well-defined. | |||
Arabic | في أى مكان | ||
في أى مكان, despite being written with the definite article, can mean "any place" as well as "the place". |
Albanian | kudo | ||
In some dialects it also means "not here". | |||
Basque | edozein lekutan | ||
The word "edozein lekutan" can also be used to mean "in any place, time, or manner" in Basque. | |||
Catalan | on sigui | ||
«On sigui» is a common translation of «anywhere», but it also means «wherever». | |||
Croatian | bilo gdje | ||
The phrase "bilo gdje" literally means "white where", alluding to the white spots on a dalmatian dog. | |||
Danish | overalt | ||
Overalt comes from the Old Danish phrase 'hver vegne alt,' which literally translates to 'all over the place.' | |||
Dutch | overal | ||
Dutch "overal" has an Old Germanic root meaning "upper world" or "sky". | |||
English | anywhere | ||
The initial form of "anywhere" was "an anywhere," which evolved into the current form through a process called "haplology." | |||
French | nulle part | ||
The French phrase "nulle part" literally means "no part". | |||
Frisian | oeral | ||
"oeral" (meaning "anywhere") in Frisian derives from the Proto-West Germanic word "ubiroal", meaning "everywhere". | |||
Galician | en calquera lugar | ||
"En calquera lugar" means "anywhere". "Calquera" literally means "any". "Cal" means "lime". "Cara" means "face". | |||
German | irgendwo | ||
The German word "irgendwo" is derived from "irgendein" and "wo" and also means "somehow". | |||
Icelandic | hvar sem er | ||
The word "hvar sem er" in Icelandic has additional meanings such as "wherever" and "anywhere you may be". | |||
Irish | áit ar bith | ||
The word 'áit ar bith' literally translates to 'a place on the earth' | |||
Italian | dovunque | ||
"Dovunque" comes from the Latin "ubi-que" (everywhere) and is also the basis of the word "ubiquity" (omnipresence). | |||
Luxembourgish | iwwerall | ||
The word "iwwerall" originates from the German word "überall", which also means "anywhere". | |||
Maltese | kullimkien | ||
The Maltese word "kullimkien" is derived from the Arabic "kullu maqān," meaning "every place." | |||
Norwegian | hvor som helst | ||
The Norwegian word "hvor som helst" is derived from the Old Norse phrase "hvar sem helst", meaning "wherever" or "everywhere".} | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | qualquer lugar | ||
The Portuguese word "qualquer lugar" ultimately derives from the Latin expression "quale loco", meaning "in what place". | |||
Scots Gaelic | àite sam bith | ||
The phrase "àite sam bith" is also used to mean "anywhere at all" or "everywhere". | |||
Spanish | en cualquier sitio | ||
The expression "en cualquier sitio" literally means "in any site". | |||
Swedish | var som helst | ||
The Swedish word 'var som helst' literally means 'where as any', with 'som' being the indefinite singular or plural form of the relative or interrogative pronoun 'vilken' (which, what), the particle 'helst' meaning 'most' (in the sense of 'most readily', 'of all', or 'at all'). | |||
Welsh | unrhyw le | ||
The word 'unrhyw le' is also used to mean 'nowhere' when it is preceeded by 'dim' ('not') |
Belarusian | дзе заўгодна | ||
The word "дзе заўгодна" also means "wherever", "where one pleases", and "in any direction." | |||
Bosnian | bilo gdje | ||
The word "bilo gdje" in Bosnian is derived from the Slavic root "*bydlъ", meaning "to be". It can also mean "a little bit" or "some". | |||
Bulgarian | навсякъде | ||
The word 'навсякъде' ('anywhere') in Bulgarian is etymologically related to the Old Church Slavonic word 'всѣ' ('every'), which also served as the basis for 'всѣхъ' ('everywhere') | |||
Czech | kdekoli | ||
Kdekoli can also be used as an adverb meaning "at any time". | |||
Estonian | kõikjal | ||
It also means the Finnish word "kaikki" (all) and the Northern Sami word "guhkki" (everywhere). | |||
Finnish | missä vain | ||
The word "missä vain" can also mean "only where" or "only if", depending on the context. | |||
Hungarian | bárhol | ||
The word bárhol is a composed form, made up from the words 'bár' ('where', 'which') and 'hol' ('where'). | |||
Latvian | jebkur | ||
The word "jebkur" in Latvian may also refer to "in any case" or "at any time". | |||
Lithuanian | bet kur | ||
The word "bet kur" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷer-/*kʷerj-" meaning "to turn, wind". | |||
Macedonian | било каде | ||
The word "било каде" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "biti", meaning "to be", and the suffix "-kade", meaning "place". It can also mean "everywhere" or "in any place". | |||
Polish | gdziekolwiek | ||
The Polish word "gdziekolwiek" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *kъde, meaning "where," and the suffix "-kolwiek," meaning "ever." | |||
Romanian | oriunde | ||
In Romanian, the word "oriunde" can also mean "in any respect" or "in any case". | |||
Russian | везде | ||
"Везде" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "visvatah" meaning "from all sides". | |||
Serbian | било куда | ||
The word “било куда” can also mean “somehow”, “anyhow” or “for some reason”. | |||
Slovak | kdekoľvek | ||
The word "kdekoľvek" is a combination of "kde" ("where") and "koľvek" ("any") and can also mean "everywhere" or "in any place" | |||
Slovenian | kjerkoli | ||
The word 'kjerkoli' stems from the Old Slavic 'ker' ('where'), and 'koli' ('any'). | |||
Ukrainian | де завгодно | ||
The Ukrainian word "де завгодно" is a combination of "де" (where) and "завгодно" (as one likes), meaning "wherever one wishes". |
Bengali | কোথাও | ||
‘কোথাও’ শব্দটি ‘কোন’ ও ‘স্থান’ শব্দদ্বয়ের যুক্তাক্ষর, যার অর্থ হয় ‘কোন জায়গা’ বা ‘যে কোনও জায়গায়’ | |||
Gujarati | ગમે ત્યાં | ||
The Gujarati word "ગમે ત્યાં" ("anywhere") literally means "wherever you like," implying freedom of choice and the absence of constraints. | |||
Hindi | कहीं भी | ||
कहीं भी is derived from the word कहीं ('somewhere') and the suffix -भी ('also'), meaning 'in any place'. | |||
Kannada | ಎಲ್ಲಿಯಾದರೂ | ||
ಎಲ್ಲಿಯಾದರೂ is commonly used in spoken Kannada to indicate "any" location, but its literal meaning is "in whatever place it may be". | |||
Malayalam | എവിടെയും | ||
The word "എവിടെയും" (anywhere) comes from the Proto-Dravidian root "*uṭi" meaning "to sit, dwell". | |||
Marathi | कोठेही | ||
The word "कोठेही" comes from "कोठेही" (whereabouts) and is also used in the sense of wherever, somewhere, or everywhere. | |||
Nepali | जहाँसुकै | ||
The word is also used in the context of "at any point in time" (समयमा पनि) in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਕਿਤੇ ਵੀ | ||
The word “ਕਿਤੇ ਵੀ” literally means “some place also”, indicating a place not specified but existing somewhere. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඕනෑම තැනක | ||
The term is an amalgamation of three Sanskrit words: kva (where), api (even), and asya (this). | |||
Tamil | எங்கும் | ||
Telugu | ఎక్కడైనా | ||
Urdu | کہیں بھی | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 任何地方 | ||
“任何地方”也可以表示“不管哪个地方”,如“任何地方都有可能有危险”。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 任何地方 | ||
"任何地方",由「任何」和「地方」两个词组成,意思是「任何一个地方」或「所有地方」. | |||
Japanese | どこでも | ||
"ドコデモ" derives from "何処出も" or "何処処も" meaning "all places". In modern Japanese, it usually means "anywhere". Alternatively, it can mean (1) the same place or place again, or (2) an unspecified or unknown place as in "where". | |||
Korean | 어딘가에 | ||
The word "어딘가에" can also mean "somewhere" or "any place". | |||
Mongolian | хаана ч байсан | ||
The word "хаана ч байсан" is a combination of the words "хаана" (where) and "ч байсан" (it was), and it can also mean "wherever", "everywhere", or "in any place". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘယ်နေရာမဆို | ||
Indonesian | dimana saja | ||
The Indonesian term 'dimana saja' literally translates to 'in any place'. | |||
Javanese | nang endi wae | ||
"Nang endi wae" is a combination of the words "nang" (in), "endi" (where), and "wae" (indeed), carrying the nuanced meaning of "literally anywhere." | |||
Khmer | គ្រប់ទីកន្លែង | ||
Lao | ທຸກບ່ອນ | ||
Malay | di mana sahaja | ||
"Di mana sahaja" is a Malay phrase that means "anywhere" and is derived from the words "di," "mana," and "sahaja." | |||
Thai | ได้ทุกที่ | ||
The Thai word "ได้ทุกที่" can be translated to "anywhere" and can only be understood as that to Western audiences, which results in confusion when foreigners attempt to use the phrase to describe something more literal. | |||
Vietnamese | bất cứ nơi nào | ||
Bất cứ nơi nào is derived from the Chinese word “不可任意所”, meaning “not arbitrarily anywhere.” | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kahit saan | ||
Azerbaijani | hər yerdə | ||
The word "hər yerdə" in Azerbaijani can also mean "everywhere". It comes from the root "yer" (meaning "place") and the suffix "-də" (meaning "in"). | |||
Kazakh | кез келген жерде | ||
Kyrgyz | каалаган жерде | ||
Tajik | дар ҳама ҷо | ||
"Дар ҳама ҷо" is also used to describe "common" or "public" places like mosques, hospitals, and parks. | |||
Turkmen | islendik ýerde | ||
Uzbek | har qanday joyda | ||
The Uzbek word "har qanday joyda" literally translates to "every place" and is used to refer to both physical and abstract locations. | |||
Uyghur | ھەر قانداق جايدا | ||
Hawaiian | ma nā wahi āpau | ||
"Ma nā wahi āpau" is an alliterative Hawaiian phrase that can also refer to "all the time" or "in all respects". | |||
Maori | ki hea | ||
The word "ki hea" can also mean "to where" or "to what place". | |||
Samoan | soʻo se mea | ||
The Samoan word “so‘o se mea” can also mean “in any case” or “whatever”. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kahit saan | ||
"Kahit saan" literally means "in any where" but the "in" part dropped from common usage. |
Aymara | kawkhans utji | ||
Guarani | oimeraẽ hendápe | ||
Esperanto | ien ajn | ||
The Esperanto word "ien ajn" literally translates to "one place," but it does not specify which place. | |||
Latin | huc | ||
The Latin word "huc" can also mean "to this place" or "hither." |
Greek | οπουδήποτε | ||
Οπουδήποτε comes from the Greek words "ὅπου" (where) and "δήποτε" (ever), hence its meaning "anywhere." | |||
Hmong | qhov twg | ||
The word "qhov twg" is composed of "qhov" (place) and "twg" (which), and can also mean "everywhere" or "any place." | |||
Kurdish | herder | ||
The word "herder" in Kurdish also means "shepherd" or "nomad". | |||
Turkish | herhangi bir yer | ||
The word "herhangi bir yer" in Turkish was originally used to mean "a place where there is no one." | |||
Xhosa | naphi na | ||
In Xhosa, 'naphi na' means anywhere when used alone, but when used with a complement it takes on a more specific meaning based on that complement. | |||
Yiddish | ערגעץ | ||
In Yiddish, the word 'ערגעץ', pronounced 'ergets,' is a variant spelling of 'עֶרגעץ' ('ergetz'). | |||
Zulu | noma kuphi | ||
"Noma kuphi" does not mean "anywhere" in Zulu, it is the Zulu idiom for "wherever". | |||
Assamese | যিকোনো ঠাইতে | ||
Aymara | kawkhans utji | ||
Bhojpuri | कहीं भी होखे | ||
Dhivehi | ކޮންމެ ތަނެއްގައެވެ | ||
Dogri | कहीं भी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kahit saan | ||
Guarani | oimeraẽ hendápe | ||
Ilocano | sadinoman | ||
Krio | ɛnisay we de | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | لە هەر شوێنێک | ||
Maithili | कतहु | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯐꯝ ꯑꯃꯗꯥ ꯍꯦꯛꯇꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | khawi hmunah pawh | ||
Oromo | bakka kamittuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯେକ anywhere ଣସି ଠାରେ | | ||
Quechua | maypipas | ||
Sanskrit | कुत्रापि | ||
Tatar | теләсә кайда | ||
Tigrinya | ኣብ ዝኾነ ቦታ | ||
Tsonga | kun’wana ni kun’wana | ||