Apartment in Different Languages
Discover 'Apartment' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An apartment, often referred to as a 'flat' in certain cultures, is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Its significance lies in its ability to provide private and independent living spaces within a larger structure. The concept of apartments has been around for centuries, with ancient civilizations such as the Romans and Greeks creating multi-unit residential buildings.
The cultural importance of apartments cannot be overstated. In many urban areas around the world, apartments are the primary form of housing, providing a home for millions of people. They come in all shapes and sizes, from high-rise buildings in bustling cities to walk-up units in quiet neighborhoods. Apartments have also played a significant role in shaping our social and cultural landscapes, providing a unique setting for community-building and social interaction.
Understanding the translation of the word 'apartment' in different languages can be both fascinating and practical. For instance, the French call it 'appartement,' while the Spanish say 'apartamento.' In Germany, it's 'Wohnung,' and in Japan, it's 'apato.' Knowing these translations can help break down language barriers and foster cross-cultural communication.
Apartment
Apartment in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | woonstel | ||
| The word "woonstel" derives from the Dutch word "woonstal", meaning "dwelling place for animals". | |||
| Amharic | አፓርትመንት | ||
| In English, "apartment" can also refer to a group of rooms for a particular purpose. The word comes from French and originally referred to a division of a building by a horizontal boundary. | |||
| Hausa | ɗakin kwana | ||
| The word ɗakin kwana in Hausa means "bedroom" and is derived from the words ɗaki ("room") and kwana ("night"). | |||
| Igbo | ulo | ||
| "Ulo" is an Igbo word for "house" or "room" and it originates from the Proto-Benue-Congo word "*lo" meaning "house". | |||
| Malagasy | trano | ||
| Trano is derived from the Proto-Austronesian root *tRuma 'house' which also gave rise to rumah in Indonesian and Malay. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyumba | ||
| The Nyanja word "nyumba" can also refer to a house or building, not just an apartment. | |||
| Shona | furati | ||
| In Shona, "furati" also means "a single room in a shared house" or "a small house made of clay". | |||
| Somali | guri dabaq ah | ||
| The term 'guri dabaq ah' is a composite term meaning 'house on top of another' and denotes a shared or multi-unit building. | |||
| Sesotho | folete | ||
| The word "folete" in Sesotho is derived from the English word "flat" and the Tswana word "lelapa" (hut). | |||
| Swahili | ghorofa | ||
| The word 'ghorofa', meaning 'apartment' in Swahili, is derived from the Arabic word 'ghurfah', meaning 'room' or 'chamber'. | |||
| Xhosa | yonke iflethi okanye indlu ekwicomplex | ||
| The word "yonke iflethi" is derived from the Zulu word "ifulethi", which means "flat". The word "indlu ekwicomplex" is derived from the English word "complex", which refers to a collection of flats. | |||
| Yoruba | iyẹwu | ||
| The word 'iyẹwu' may also refer to a communal farm or a plot of land allocated to a particular family in a village. | |||
| Zulu | ifulethi | ||
| The term 'ifulethi' is also used to refer to a type of traditional Zulu hut that is typically round and made of mud and thatch. | |||
| Bambara | so | ||
| Ewe | xɔhaya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inzu | ||
| Lingala | ndako | ||
| Luganda | enju | ||
| Sepedi | phapoši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | daberɛ | ||
Apartment in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شقة | ||
| The Arabic term "شقة" (apartment) derives from the verb "شقّ" (to cut or divide), as apartments are typically divided into separate rooms. | |||
| Hebrew | דִירָה | ||
| The word "דִירָה" also means "step stool" in Hebrew, a possible reference to the act of stepping into an apartment. | |||
| Pashto | اپارتمان | ||
| اپارتمان also means "a place to stay temporarily" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | شقة | ||
| The Arabic term "شقة" (apartment) derives from the verb "شقّ" (to cut or divide), as apartments are typically divided into separate rooms. | |||
Apartment in Western European Languages
| Albanian | apartament | ||
| "Apartament" is a foreign word adopted into Albanian, derived from Latin "apartare" (separate), similar to the meanings of "apartment" in various other languages. | |||
| Basque | apartamentua | ||
| "Apartamentua" is related to the Latin word "eparare" meaning "to separate". | |||
| Catalan | apartament | ||
| The Catalan word "apartament" derives from the Latin word "apartamentum" (Latin for "separation"), and means "apartment" in English. | |||
| Croatian | apartman | ||
| The word 'apartman' in Croatian is derived from the French word 'appartement,' which refers to a division of a larger building. | |||
| Danish | lejlighed | ||
| The Danish word "lejlighed" also refers to an "opportunity" or "occasion". | |||
| Dutch | appartement | ||
| The Dutch word "appartement" originates from the French word "appartement", meaning "room" or "suite". | |||
| English | apartment | ||
| Apartment originally referred to a group of rooms that were either a part of a larger building or a complete separate building, and can be used to refer to either a small house or a single room in a modern context. | |||
| French | appartement | ||
| The word "appartement" derives from the Old French word "apartement," meaning a furnished room or suite of rooms. | |||
| Frisian | appartemint | ||
| The word "appartemint" in Frisian can also refer to a separate part of a house or building, such as a room or a flat. | |||
| Galician | apartamento | ||
| In Galician, "apartamento" could also refer to a set of rooms on different floors connected by a single internal staircase | |||
| German | wohnung | ||
| "Wohnung" is a compound of the Gothic word "wunian" (to dwell) and the Proto-West-Germanic root "*ung" (enclosed space). | |||
| Icelandic | íbúð | ||
| The word 'íbúð' literally translates to 'living abode' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | árasán | ||
| "Árasán" derives from the Latin word "area" meaning "a paved space" and originally referred to a threshing floor. | |||
| Italian | appartamento | ||
| "Appartamento" originally meant a room or set of rooms within a larger building, and only later came to refer to an independent dwelling unit. | |||
| Luxembourgish | appartement | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Appartement" can also refer to a "flat" or a "room in a shared house". | |||
| Maltese | appartament | ||
| Maltese "appartament" is derived from the Italian "appartamento," meaning both "apartment" and "room." | |||
| Norwegian | leilighet | ||
| Leilighet is derived from the Old Norse word 'læge', meaning 'to lie', implying a place to lie down or dwell permanently. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | apartamento | ||
| The word "apartamento" in Portuguese can also refer to a set of rooms in a palace or a monastery or a room for temporary use | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àros | ||
| 'Àros' can also mean 'dwelling', 'house' or 'palace' in Gaelic, and 'dwelling' in Old Irish. | |||
| Spanish | departamento | ||
| In Mexico, "Departamento" can also refer to an administrative unit at the state level within the Federal District. | |||
| Swedish | lägenhet | ||
| The word "lägenhet" derives from the Old Swedish "lægh", meaning "to place". It can also refer to a "position" or "situation". | |||
| Welsh | fflat | ||
| A flat is not typically referred to as | |||
Apartment in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кватэра | ||
| "Кватэра" derives from the German word "Quartier" (military camp) and originally meant "military dormitory". | |||
| Bosnian | stan | ||
| The word "stan" in Bosnian can also mean "habitat" or "living space". | |||
| Bulgarian | апартамент | ||
| The word "апартамент" in Bulgarian also has the alternate meaning of "a room in a monastery" derived from the Italian word "appartamento". | |||
| Czech | byt | ||
| The Czech word "byt" (apartment) shares the same etymology as "being," reflecting the idea of a dwelling as a place where life unfolds. | |||
| Estonian | korter | ||
| The word "korter" may also refer to a "row house" or "section of a building" in addition to an apartment, and is likely derived from the German word "Viertel" meaning "quarter" or "district". | |||
| Finnish | huoneisto | ||
| "Huoneisto" is cognate with the Estonian word "hoone" meaning "building" and the Karelian word "kodi" meaning "home". | |||
| Hungarian | lakás | ||
| The word "lakás" in Hungarian is derived from the verb "lakik", meaning "to dwell" or "to live". | |||
| Latvian | dzīvoklis | ||
| The word "dzīvoklis" derives from the verb "dzīvot," meaning "to live," indicating its primary purpose as a living space. | |||
| Lithuanian | butas | ||
| The word "butas" may also refer to a "wooden house" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | стан | ||
| The origin of the Macedonian word "стан" may derive from the Persian word "istan," meaning "dwelling place." | |||
| Polish | apartament | ||
| In Polish, "apartament" initially referred to a room in a royal palace, but its meaning later expanded to include rooms in noble residences and eventually apartments in general. | |||
| Romanian | apartament | ||
| The Romanian word "apartament" derives from the French "appartement" and ultimately the Latin "ad parietem," meaning "by the wall." | |||
| Russian | квартира | ||
| The word "квартира" (apartment) originally meant a rented room or lodging. | |||
| Serbian | стан | ||
| In Russian, "стан" means "military camp" but comes from Old Church Slavonic where it means "place, stop, stay". | |||
| Slovak | byt | ||
| The word byt also means 'being' in Slovak, and is related to the Old Church Slavonic 'byti', meaning 'to exist'. | |||
| Slovenian | stanovanje | ||
| The word "stanovanje" also means "residence" or "stay" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | квартира | ||
| The word "квартира" is derived from the Latin word "quaternum", meaning "a set of four". This is because, in the past, apartments were typically divided into four rooms. | |||
Apartment in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অ্যাপার্টমেন্ট | ||
| The Bengali word "অ্যাপার্টমেন্ট" (apartment) is derived from the English word "apartment", which itself comes from the Latin word "apparatus", meaning "preparation" or "arrangement". | |||
| Gujarati | એપાર્ટમેન્ટ | ||
| The Gujarati word "એપાર્ટમેન્ટ" is derived from the French word "appartement". In French, it means a set of rooms in a building that is rented or leased to a tenant. | |||
| Hindi | फ्लैट | ||
| The Hindi word "फ्लैट" comes from the English word "flat", which originally meant "level or even" and later came to refer to a one-story dwelling. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಪಾರ್ಟ್ಮೆಂಟ್ | ||
| The word "ಅಪಾರ್ಟ್ಮೆಂಟ್" (apartment) comes from the Latin word "dispartire", meaning "to divide" or "to separate". | |||
| Malayalam | അപ്പാർട്ട്മെന്റ് | ||
| The word 'അപ്പാർട്ട്മെന്റ്' comes from the French word 'appartement', which itself derives from the Latin word 'adpartare', meaning 'to separate'. | |||
| Marathi | अपार्टमेंट | ||
| The word 'अपार्टमेंट' is derived from the French word "appartement," which means a set of rooms on one floor of a building. | |||
| Nepali | अपार्टमेन्ट | ||
| The term "apartment" can refer to a large residential building that is divided into individual living units or a single room in such a building. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਪਾਰਟਮੈਂਟ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਅਪਾਰਟਮੈਂਟ" is of English origin and is used to refer to a set of rooms that are used as a dwelling, typically in a larger building. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මහල් නිවාසය | ||
| Tamil | அடுக்குமாடி இல்லங்கள் | ||
| Telugu | అపార్ట్మెంట్ | ||
| The word "అపార్ట్మెంట్" is derived from the French word "appartement", which originally meant a room or suite of rooms in a palace or large house. | |||
| Urdu | اپارٹمنٹ | ||
| "اپارٹمنٹ" is derived from the French word "appartement", which originally meant a room or suite of rooms in a palace or large house, and later came to refer to a self-contained housing unit. | |||
Apartment in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 公寓 | ||
| 公寓 (gōngyù) is a Mandarin loanword from Japanese apartments, called “apaato,” adopted from the English phrase “a partment house.” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 公寓 | ||
| 公寓, 亦作 "公寓", 意为 "楼房", 或 "大厦", 也指 "寓所". | |||
| Japanese | アパート | ||
| アパートメント or アパート ('apartment') is derived from the Latin word "apparatus" meaning "fitting" or "furnishing". | |||
| Korean | 아파트 | ||
| 아파트 also means ‘apartment’ in Spanish, French, and Italian. | |||
| Mongolian | орон сууц | ||
| "орон сууц" can also mean "residence" or "housing". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုက်ခန်း | ||
Apartment in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | apartemen | ||
| The word "Apartemen" in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word "appartement". It can also refer to a separate room or compartment within a larger building such as a house or palace. | |||
| Javanese | apartemen | ||
| In Javanese, the word "apartemen" can also refer to a "room" or a "house". | |||
| Khmer | ផ្ទះល្វែង | ||
| The word "ផ្ទះល្វែង" literally means "small house" in Khmer, reflecting the traditional view of apartments as small, affordable dwellings. | |||
| Lao | ອາພາດເມັນ | ||
| Malay | pangsapuri | ||
| The Malay word "pangsapuri" is derived from the Sanskrit "pañcasthala", meaning "five-storeyed building". | |||
| Thai | อพาร์ทเม้น | ||
| The word 'apartment' is derived from the Latin word 'apparatus', meaning 'something prepared' or 'equipment', and has come to refer to a room or set of rooms intended as living quarters. | |||
| Vietnamese | căn hộ, chung cư | ||
| The word "căn hộ, chung cư" is derived from the Cantonese words "fon ho", meaning "separate house". In modern usage, it can refer to a wide range of residential units from small studios to large luxury apartments. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | apartment | ||
Apartment in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mənzil | ||
| The word "mənzil" in Azerbaijani also means "stage" or "resting place". | |||
| Kazakh | пәтер | ||
| The Kazakh word "пәтер" ultimately stems from the English word "flat," meaning an apartment on one level of a building. | |||
| Kyrgyz | батир | ||
| The word "батир" in Kyrgyz has a secondary meaning of "hero" or "warrior". | |||
| Tajik | квартира | ||
| The word "квартира" comes from the French word "quartier", which means "district" or "neighborhood." | |||
| Turkmen | kwartira | ||
| Uzbek | kvartira | ||
| The word "kvartira" also means "dormitory" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تۇرالغۇ | ||
Apartment in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale noho | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'hale noho' literally translates as 'house to sit in,' reflecting the concept of a dwelling as a place to reside and relax. | |||
| Maori | whare noho | ||
| The word "whare noho" comes from the Maori words "whare", meaning "house" or "dwelling", and "noho", meaning "to stay" or "to live". It is also used to refer to a temporary shelter or a place to stay for a short period of time. | |||
| Samoan | fale mautotogi | ||
| The term "fale mautotogi" is a derivative of the Polynesian root words "fale" meaning "house" and "mautotogi" meaning "permanent settlement" or "village". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | apartment | ||
| The Tagalog (Filipino) word "apartment" can also mean a "room" or a "suite" in English. | |||
Apartment in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tipartamintu | ||
| Guarani | mboja'oha | ||
Apartment in International Languages
| Esperanto | apartamento | ||
| 'Apartamento' is derived from the Spanish word 'apartamento', which means 'separation' or 'division'. In Esperanto, it retains this meaning and can also refer to a distinct part of a building. | |||
| Latin | apartment | ||
| The word "apartment" comes from the Latin "appartare," meaning "to separate." | |||
Apartment in Others Languages
| Greek | διαμέρισμα | ||
| "Διαμέρισμα" derives ultimately from the ancient word "merizomai" (μερίζοµαι) meaning "to share". | |||
| Hmong | chav tsev | ||
| In its earliest usage in Hmong, 'chav tsev' actually meant a house used to store tools and grain. | |||
| Kurdish | mal | ||
| The word "mal" in Kurdish also refers to a tribe or a group of families living together and sharing a common ancestor. | |||
| Turkish | apartman | ||
| The Turkish word "apartman" derives from the French word "appartement" and also refers to a block of flats, a building containing multiple apartments. | |||
| Xhosa | yonke iflethi okanye indlu ekwicomplex | ||
| The word "yonke iflethi" is derived from the Zulu word "ifulethi", which means "flat". The word "indlu ekwicomplex" is derived from the English word "complex", which refers to a collection of flats. | |||
| Yiddish | וווינונג | ||
| "וווינונג" is the Yiddish word for "apartment", derived from the German word "Wohnung" (dwelling), which is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*wunōnō" (to dwell). | |||
| Zulu | ifulethi | ||
| The term 'ifulethi' is also used to refer to a type of traditional Zulu hut that is typically round and made of mud and thatch. | |||
| Assamese | এপাৰ্টমেণ্ট | ||
| Aymara | tipartamintu | ||
| Bhojpuri | अपार्टमेंट | ||
| Dhivehi | އެޕާޓްމަންޓް | ||
| Dogri | अपार्टमेंट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | apartment | ||
| Guarani | mboja'oha | ||
| Ilocano | siled | ||
| Krio | ajɔynin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شوقە | ||
| Maithili | कोनो बड़का भवन मे कमराक समूह | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯈꯜ | ||
| Mizo | pindan | ||
| Oromo | gamoo namni hedduun itti galu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆପାର୍ଟମେଣ୍ଟ | ||
| Quechua | apartamento | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रकोष्ठ | ||
| Tatar | фатир | ||
| Tigrinya | ክፍሊ | ||
| Tsonga | yindlo | ||