Auto in Different Languages
Discover 'Auto' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'auto' is a versatile term that has made its way into various languages and cultures around the world. Derived from the Greek word 'autos' meaning 'self,' this prefix has been adopted in numerous fields, including technology, transportation, and biology. Its significance is undeniable, as it often denotes self-reliance, automation, and independence.
In the realm of transportation, 'auto' is most commonly associated with automobiles – a cultural icon and a symbol of freedom in many societies. The invention of the automobile revolutionized personal transportation and reshaped urban landscapes. Today, cars are an integral part of our daily lives, connecting us to our communities and facilitating our mobility.
Given its global impact, it's no surprise that the word 'auto' has been incorporated into numerous languages. Here are a few translations to pique your curiosity:
- German: Auto
- French: Auto
- Spanish: Auto
- Italian: Auto
- Russian: Авто (Avto)
- Japanese: オート (Ōto)
- Chinese: 汽车 (Qìchē)
Auto
Auto in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | motor | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "motor" is used to refer to both a vehicle and an engine. | |||
| Amharic | ራስ-ሰር | ||
| In Ethiopia, the term 'auto' may informally refer to an automobile or more specifically a public taxi. | |||
| Hausa | mota | ||
| In Hausa, the word 'mota' can also refer to a 'bicycle', 'motorcycle', or 'machine'. | |||
| Igbo | akpaaka | ||
| In Igbo, the word "akpaaka" also means "something that is carried"} | |||
| Malagasy | fiara | ||
| The word 'fiara' is likely derived from the French word 'voiture', which also means 'automobile'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | galimoto | ||
| The word "galimoto" is the Chichewa equivalent of the Afrikaans word "karretjie" and the Dutch word "kar". | |||
| Shona | auto | ||
| In Shona, "auto" is short for "autobushi," meaning "bus." | |||
| Somali | baabuur | ||
| Despite its apparent foreign origin, the word "baabuur" in Somali is thought to have derived from the Arabic "bābūr" meaning "steam". | |||
| Sesotho | likoloi | ||
| Likoloi is a noun in Sesotho that means "car", which is derived from the Greek word "auto". | |||
| Swahili | otomatiki | ||
| The Swahili word "otomatiki" can also refer to a car. | |||
| Xhosa | ezenzekelayo | ||
| Ezenzekelayo is a neologism adopted from the English word 'automobile' | |||
| Yoruba | auto | ||
| The Yoruba word 'auto' can mean 'to drive' or 'to go' and ultimately comes from the English word 'automobile'. | |||
| Zulu | okuzenzakalelayo | ||
| The Zulu word "okuzenzakalelayo" translates directly as "that which makes its own way", reflecting the self-propelled nature of an automobile. | |||
| Bambara | auto | ||
| Ewe | auto | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imodoka | ||
| Lingala | auto | ||
| Luganda | auto | ||
| Sepedi | auto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | auto | ||
Auto in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تلقاءي | ||
| The word "تلقاءي" (auto) in Arabic also means "spontaneous" or "of one's own accord". | |||
| Hebrew | אוטומטי | ||
| The term "אוטומטי" is rooted in the Greek term "auto" for "self" and can refer to the ability of something to act independently. | |||
| Pashto | ګاډی | ||
| The Pashto word "ګاډی" ("auto") derives from the Persian word "گادی" and ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰéh₂-dhih₂-+", meaning "to ride." | |||
| Arabic | تلقاءي | ||
| The word "تلقاءي" (auto) in Arabic also means "spontaneous" or "of one's own accord". | |||
Auto in Western European Languages
| Albanian | automatike | ||
| The word "automatike" in Albanian is derived from the Greek word "automatos", which means "self-acting" or "automatic". | |||
| Basque | auto | ||
| In Basque, besides being a car, | |||
| Catalan | automàtic | ||
| In Catalan, "automàtic" can also mean "self-propelled" or "mechanical". | |||
| Croatian | auto | ||
| In Croatian, "auto" is used to refer to "car" or "transportation" and comes from the Greek word "autos," meaning "self". | |||
| Danish | auto | ||
| The word "auto" can also refer to a bicycle in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | auto | ||
| The word "auto" in Dutch can also refer to a car or a vehicle. | |||
| English | auto | ||
| The word "auto" derives from the Greek term "autos," meaning "self" or "one's own," and is frequently used as a prefix to denote self-operation or automated features in various contexts. | |||
| French | auto | ||
| In French, "auto" can also mean a signature or an autograph. | |||
| Frisian | auto | ||
| In Frisian, "auto" can also mean "engine" or "motor", reflecting its Latin origin "automatus", meaning "self-acting". | |||
| Galician | auto | ||
| The word "auto" derives from the Greek "autos," (self) and also can mean a "vehicle" or a "public document". | |||
| German | auto | ||
| Auto means "self" in ancient greek and is the root of several words in modern languages such as "automatic" or "autonomy" | |||
| Icelandic | farartæki | ||
| The word 'farartæki' literally translates to 'traveling thing' in Icelandic, showcasing its original broad meaning encompassing any vehicle used for travel. | |||
| Irish | uathoibríoch | ||
| Italian | auto | ||
| "Auto" in Italian can also refer to a public transportation bus, not just a car. | |||
| Luxembourgish | auto | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Auto" can also refer to a car or a bus. | |||
| Maltese | auto | ||
| In Maltese, "auto" is both a contraction of "awtomatiku" (automatic) and a word for "bus" | |||
| Norwegian | auto | ||
| The Norwegian word "auto" can also refer to a car. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | auto | ||
| Auto (Port.) originally comes from Gr. αὐτός, with meanings such as “by itself”, “self”. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fèin-ghluasadach | ||
| Spanish | auto | ||
| The word "auto" in Spanish can also mean "bus" or "car." | |||
| Swedish | bil | ||
| 'Bil' is a cognate of 'by' (village) and also means 'car' in some of the Nordic languages. | |||
| Welsh | awto | ||
| The Welsh word "awto" can also refer to a "self" or "one's own". | |||
Auto in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | аўто | ||
| In Belarusian, "аўто" can also refer to a specific type of horse-drawn sleigh. | |||
| Bosnian | auto | ||
| The word "auto" in Bosnian also means "bus" when used in compound words such as "autobus" or "auto-prevoznik". | |||
| Bulgarian | автоматичен | ||
| The word "Автоматичен" originally comes from the Greek word "αὐτόματος" (automatos), meaning "self-acting" or "spontaneous." | |||
| Czech | auto | ||
| The Czech word "auto" has a second meaning of "bus". As in "autobus" (bus). | |||
| Estonian | automaatne | ||
| "Automaatne" derives from an old Greek word for "self". | |||
| Finnish | auto | ||
| Finnish "auto" can refer to either a car or a gun, and it comes from the Proto-Finnic word "auto" meaning "vehicle". | |||
| Hungarian | auto | ||
| In Hungarian, "auto" can also refer to a bus or a car part. | |||
| Latvian | auto | ||
| In Latvian, "auto" can also mean "self-propelled vehicle" or "automobile". | |||
| Lithuanian | automatinis | ||
| "Automatinis" in Lithuanian can also refer to something that operates on its own, without external intervention. | |||
| Macedonian | автоматско | ||
| The word "автоматско" can also refer to a machine or a firearm in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | automatyczny | ||
| The word "automatyczny" is derived from the Greek word "automatos" which means "self-acting" or "self-moving". It is also related to the German word "Auto" which means "car". | |||
| Romanian | auto | ||
| In Romanian, 'auto' can also mean 'per se' or 'directly'. | |||
| Russian | авто | ||
| The word "авто" (auto) in Russian shares its Latin origin with the English word "auto," meaning "self," and can also refer to "vehicle" or "automobile." | |||
| Serbian | ауто | ||
| The word "ауто" has Greek origin and comes from a word "αὐτόν" which means self or "αύτός", which stands for one. From those words, came another Greek words "αὐτοκίνητον", that translates in "automobile" and "αυτόνομος" or "autonomous" | |||
| Slovak | auto | ||
| The word "auto" can also mean "bus" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | samodejno | ||
| Derived from Greek "autos" (self), "samodejno" also means "done by itself". | |||
| Ukrainian | авто | ||
| The Ukrainian word "авто" (auto) derives from the Greek "autos," meaning "self," and is also used in contexts of "automobile" and "autopilot." | |||
Auto in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অটো | ||
| অটো শব্দটি গ্রিক শব্দ ‘ἀὐτός’ (autos) থেকে আগত, যার অর্থ ‘নিজেই’ | |||
| Gujarati | ઓટો | ||
| The Gujarati word for "auto", ઓટો, derived from the Greek autos and originally referred to a self-propelled vehicle. | |||
| Hindi | ऑटो | ||
| The word "ऑटो" is derived from the Greek word "autos", meaning "self". | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ವಯಂ | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ಸ್ವಯಂ" can also refer to the concept of "self" or "selfhood". | |||
| Malayalam | യാന്ത്രികം | ||
| യാന്ത്രികം (auto) is also used to describe something that is automatic or mechanical. | |||
| Marathi | ऑटो | ||
| In Marathi, "ऑटो" (auto) originated from the earlier "ऑटोमोटिव्ह" (automotive), which referred to vehicles in general and not just three-wheeled autorickshaws. | |||
| Nepali | स्वत: | ||
| स्वत: can also mean "of its own accord" or "independently". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਟੋ | ||
| The word "ਆਟੋ" ("auto") in Punjabi can also mean "flour" or "automatic." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්වයංක්රීය | ||
| The word "ස්වයංක්රීය" can also refer to a machine or system that operates automatically, without any external input. | |||
| Tamil | ஆட்டோ | ||
| The word 'auto' in Tamil can also refer to a 'self' or 'automatically'. | |||
| Telugu | దానంతట అదే | ||
| The word "auto" is derived from the Greek word "auto" meaning "self" and can also refer to a type of four-wheeled vehicle. | |||
| Urdu | آٹو | ||
| The word "آٹو" (auto) in Urdu can also refer to a rickshaw or a tricycle. | |||
Auto in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 汽车 | ||
| 汽车 can be separated into two characters: "汽 (gas)" and "车 (vehicle)", thus forming the concept of "gasoline-powered vehicle". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 汽車 | ||
| 汽車 in Chinese can also refer to "train", "machine car", or "carriage". | |||
| Japanese | 自動 | ||
| 自動 means not only "auto" but also "spontaneous," with its root characters being "self" and "action." | |||
| Korean | 자동 | ||
| "자동" can mean "automatic" or "automobile" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | авто | ||
| In Mongolian, "авто" (auto) is a loanword from Russian and means "vehicle" or "car", but can also refer to "autobiography" or "automatic transmission". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အော်တို | ||
| The word "အော်တို" originated from the Greek word "αὐτός" meaning "self". Other meanings include "car" or "automobile". In Myanmar, it is mainly used to refer to two-wheeled motorcycles particularly ones that are semi-automatic. | |||
Auto in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mobil | ||
| The word "mobil" in Indonesian derives from the abbreviation of "otomobil" and can also refer to a vehicle with four or more wheels. | |||
| Javanese | otomatis | ||
| In Indonesian, "otomatis" (from the Greek "automaton") can also refer to a person who acts mechanically, without thought or emotion. | |||
| Khmer | រថយន្ត | ||
| The word "រថយន្ត" is derived from the Sanskrit words "ratha" (chariot) and "yana" (vehicle), and also means "chariot" or "carriage" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ລົດໃຫຍ່ | ||
| Malay | automatik | ||
| "Automatik" (auto) is also Malay for "automatic" | |||
| Thai | อัตโนมัติ | ||
| The term "อัตโนมัติ" is derived from the Greek words "autos," meaning "self," and "matos," meaning "machine," referring to its ability to operate independently. | |||
| Vietnamese | tự động | ||
| The word "Tự động" also means "self-propelled" or "self-moving" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sasakyan | ||
Auto in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | avtomatik | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word “avtomatik” is used in reference to the automatic mode, such as “avtomatik pulemyot” (automatic machine gun) | |||
| Kazakh | автоматты | ||
| The word "автоматты" (auto) in Kazakh can also refer to a type of traditional folk dance. | |||
| Kyrgyz | авто | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "авто" can also mean "car" or "vehicle" in English. | |||
| Tajik | худкор | ||
| The word "худкор" in Tajik originates from the Persian word "خودکار" which means "by itself" or "automatically" | |||
| Turkmen | awtoulag | ||
| Uzbek | avtomatik | ||
| In Uzbek, "avtomatik" can also refer to an automatic firearm or a type of bicycle. | |||
| Uyghur | auto | ||
Auto in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaʻa | ||
| Kaʻa can also refer to "canoe," "boat," or "raft." | |||
| Maori | motuka | ||
| The word "motuka" can also refer to a small island, a canoe, or a type of fishing net in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | taʻavale | ||
| ʻAvale comes from the word ʻaʻala (to carry), emphasizing the idea of "carrying people". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | awtomatiko | ||
| In Tagalog, "awtomatiko" also refers to self-propelled vehicles and equipment. | |||
Auto in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | auto | ||
| Guarani | auto | ||
Auto in International Languages
| Esperanto | aŭtomata | ||
| The word aŭtomata is derived from the Greek word "automatos" meaning "self-acting" or "moving of its own accord". | |||
| Latin | auto | ||
| The Latin term "auto" derives from the Greek word "autos," meaning "self" or "own." | |||
Auto in Others Languages
| Greek | αυτο | ||
| The word "αυτο" ("auto") in Greek can also mean "self" or "oneself". | |||
| Hmong | nws pib | ||
| The word "nws pib" can also mean "a horse of many colors" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | oto | ||
| "Oto" in Kurdish also refers to a small wooden box or bag for storing small items. | |||
| Turkish | oto | ||
| Oto is the Turkish word for 'car' but also means 'self' in Greek, 'sound' in Japanese, and 'island' in Maori. | |||
| Xhosa | ezenzekelayo | ||
| Ezenzekelayo is a neologism adopted from the English word 'automobile' | |||
| Yiddish | auto | ||
| The Yiddish word "אוטאָ" (auto) can also mean "automatically" or "self-acting." | |||
| Zulu | okuzenzakalelayo | ||
| The Zulu word "okuzenzakalelayo" translates directly as "that which makes its own way", reflecting the self-propelled nature of an automobile. | |||
| Assamese | অটো | ||
| Aymara | auto | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऑटो के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އޮޓޯ | ||
| Dogri | ऑटो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sasakyan | ||
| Guarani | auto | ||
| Ilocano | auto | ||
| Krio | ɔto | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئۆتۆماتیکی | ||
| Maithili | ऑटो | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯇꯣ | ||
| Mizo | auto | ||
| Oromo | auto | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଟୋ | ||
| Quechua | auto | ||
| Sanskrit | ऑटो | ||
| Tatar | автомобиль | ||
| Tigrinya | auto | ||
| Tsonga | auto | ||