Bag in Different Languages
Discover 'Bag' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'bag' is a common and versatile item in our daily lives, used to carry and protect various items. From the practical paper bag to the stylish designer handbag, this simple object has been an essential part of human culture for centuries. The humble bag has even found its way into idiomatic expressions, such as 'airing one's dirty laundry in public' or 'letting the cat out of the bag.'
The significance of the bag extends beyond its practical uses. In many cultures, bags are symbolic of status, wealth, and identity. For example, in some African societies, intricately woven and beaded bags are cherished as symbols of social standing and femininity. Meanwhile, in Japan, the traditional furoshiki cloth is used to wrap and carry items, reflecting the country's emphasis on minimalism and sustainability.
Understanding the translation of 'bag' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural significance of this item around the world. Here are a few examples:
- French: sac
- Spanish: bolsa
- German: Tasche
- Mandarin: 袋 (dài)
- Japanese: バッグ (baggu)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'bag' translations in various languages, perfect for travelers, language learners, and culture enthusiasts alike.
Bag
Bag in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sak | ||
| The word "sak" in Afrikaans can also refer to a sack, a sackcloth, or a pocket. | |||
| Amharic | ሻንጣ | ||
| The word "ሻንጣ" is derived from the French word "chant" meaning "to sing". | |||
| Hausa | jaka | ||
| The word "jaka" can also mean "a kind of mat" or "a type of basket" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | akpa | ||
| In some Igbo dialects, "akpa" can also refer to a type of basket used for carrying farm produce or other items. | |||
| Malagasy | bag | ||
| The word "bag" (kitapo) also means "book" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chikwama | ||
| The word "chikwama" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to the skin that forms on a wound when it's healing and the folds on an individual's skin, such as those under the elbows. | |||
| Shona | bhegi | ||
| The word 'bhegi' can also mean 'wet' or 'soaked' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | boorso | ||
| The Somali word "boorso" is cognate with the Oromo word "boorsoo" and the Afar word "boorsi," all meaning "bag" | |||
| Sesotho | mokotla | ||
| The Sesotho word 'mokotla', which refers to a container, has its roots in the Proto-Bantu language, where '-kotl-' signified 'to carry something on one's shoulder'. | |||
| Swahili | begi | ||
| The word "begi" in Swahili is derived from Persian via Arabic and originally meant "wallet". | |||
| Xhosa | ibhegi | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "ibhegi" also refers to a particular type of indigenous fruit basket woven from grass. | |||
| Yoruba | apo | ||
| 'Apo' also means the skin or hide of animals. | |||
| Zulu | isikhwama | ||
| The Zulu word 'isikhwama' can also mean 'a container for carrying things on one's back. ' | |||
| Bambara | saki | ||
| Ewe | kotoku | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igikapu | ||
| Lingala | saki | ||
| Luganda | ensawo | ||
| Sepedi | mokotla | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔtɔ | ||
Bag in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كيس | ||
| In Arabic, "كيس" (bag) can also mean "intelligent" when used to describe a person, or a "purse" when associated with women. | |||
| Hebrew | תיק | ||
| The word "תיק" in Hebrew can also refer to a legal case or a dossier. | |||
| Pashto | کڅوړه | ||
| The Pashto word "کڅوړه" can also refer to a bowl or dish. | |||
| Arabic | كيس | ||
| In Arabic, "كيس" (bag) can also mean "intelligent" when used to describe a person, or a "purse" when associated with women. | |||
Bag in Western European Languages
| Albanian | çantë | ||
| In addition to meaning "bag," "çantë" can also refer to a "handbag" or "purse" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | poltsa | ||
| Poltsa, 'purse' in modern Basque, originally referred to a leather bag made from the stomach of larger animals. | |||
| Catalan | bossa | ||
| The word "bossa" in Catalan also refers to a bulge, a pocket, a space, or a groove. | |||
| Croatian | torba | ||
| Croatian word "torba" comes from Turkish "torba" (bag), but also denotes a part of traditional Croatian folk costume or, figuratively, a trouble, hardship. | |||
| Danish | taske | ||
| The word "taske" is related to the Middle Dutch word "tasc" which derives from the Old French word "tasche" meaning "bag" or "case". | |||
| Dutch | zak | ||
| The word "zak" can also mean "a sack" or "a bag" in English. | |||
| English | bag | ||
| The word “bag” can also refer to a small amount of something or informal clothes. | |||
| French | sac | ||
| The word 'sac' in French can also refer to a type of street or alley. | |||
| Frisian | pûde | ||
| The word "pûde" (Frisian for "bag") has cognates in several Germanic languages, such as the English "pod" and German "Beutel." | |||
| Galician | bolsa | ||
| In Galician, "bolsa" can also refer to a stock market exchange. | |||
| German | tasche | ||
| The word "Tasche" has origins in French and Latin, and may also refer to a pouch as used by a hunter. | |||
| Icelandic | taska | ||
| The word "taska" in Icelandic is often used for small, portable bags meant to carry books or other personal items, but can also refer to a satchel or shoulder bag. | |||
| Irish | mála | ||
| "Mála" also means "luggage" or "suitcase" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | borsa | ||
| "Borsa" is derived from "bursa," an ancient Greek coin pouch, and can also mean "stock exchange" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | täsch | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Täsch" is derived from the Old French word "tasche" and is cognate with the English word "task" and the German word "Tasche". | |||
| Maltese | borża | ||
| The origin of the Maltese word "borża" is uncertain, with hypotheses linking it to the Italian word "borsa" and the Arabic word "burj". | |||
| Norwegian | bag | ||
| The word "bag" in Norwegian can also mean "pocket", "container", or "envelope". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bolsa | ||
| "Bolsa" in Portuguese can also refer to a financial exchange or scholarship. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | poca | ||
| Its origin is uncertain but a possible link is with the Latin "poca" (flask). | |||
| Spanish | bolso | ||
| The Spanish word "bolso" comes from the Late Latin "bursa", meaning "purse" or "wallet". | |||
| Swedish | väska | ||
| The word 'väska' in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word 'veskja', meaning 'bag' or 'pouch'. | |||
| Welsh | bag | ||
| The Welsh word bag can also refer to a trap. | |||
Bag in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сумка | ||
| "Сумка" in Belarusian can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic word "sъka", meaning "to tie" or "to fasten". | |||
| Bosnian | torba | ||
| The word "torba" in Bosnian is thought to come from the Old Turkic word for "skin" or "hide", reflecting its historical usage as a type of animal skin bag. | |||
| Bulgarian | чанта | ||
| Bulgarian "чанта" (bag) originated in the Old Bulgarian word "шьтъ" (to sew), which suggests a handcrafted origin. | |||
| Czech | taška | ||
| The word "taška" can also be used in Czech to refer to a woman's purse or a briefcase. | |||
| Estonian | kott | ||
| The Estonian word “kott” is a cognate of the German word “Sack”, meaning “bag”. | |||
| Finnish | laukku | ||
| "Laukku" is a Finnish word that can refer to a variety of bags, including a suitcase, a handbag, or a backpack. | |||
| Hungarian | táska | ||
| "Táska" also means "portfolio" like in "oktatási minisztériumi táska" (portfolio of the Ministry of Education). | |||
| Latvian | soma | ||
| The Latvian word "soma", which means "bag", originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *seǵʰ- "to follow, pursue," and is related to the Sanskrit word "saha" meaning "together," and "samana" meaning "assembly, multitude." | |||
| Lithuanian | maišas | ||
| The word "maišas" in Lithuanian can also mean a "pocket" or a "sack". | |||
| Macedonian | торба | ||
| The word "торба" can also refer to a difficult or unpleasant situation. | |||
| Polish | torba | ||
| The word "torba" can also mean "wallet" or "purse" in some Slavic languages. | |||
| Romanian | sac | ||
| The Romanian word "sac" can also mean "suit" or "sackcloth". | |||
| Russian | мешок | ||
| "Мешок" can also mean "a blow", "a punch", or to "fall into a trap; get busted". | |||
| Serbian | кеса | ||
| The word "кеса" also means a type of purse or moneybag, especially one worn around the waist. | |||
| Slovak | taška | ||
| The word "taška" is a diminutive of "taš" and also means pocket. | |||
| Slovenian | torba | ||
| In Slovenian, "torba" is related to a word for a type of mushroom, which could mean that the original meaning was a leather mushroom sack. | |||
| Ukrainian | сумка | ||
| The Ukrainian word "сумка" is derived from the Turkic "sumka" and can also refer to a saddlebag or a military satchel. | |||
Bag in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | থলে | ||
| The word "থলে" (bag) in Bengali also refers to a "sack" or "container". | |||
| Gujarati | થેલી | ||
| The word "થેલી" is derived from Sanskrit "sthala" and can also refer to a small sack or pouch. | |||
| Hindi | बैग | ||
| The word "बेग" (bag) is derived from the Persian word "بگ" (bag), which ultimately comes from the Turkic word "baga" (bag, sack). | |||
| Kannada | ಚೀಲ | ||
| The word "ಚೀಲ" can also mean a "pouch" or "pocket" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ബാഗ് | ||
| The word 'ബാഗ്' in Malayalam can also refer to a tiger's enclosure or a large cage used for hunting. | |||
| Marathi | पिशवी | ||
| In addition to meaning "bag," the word "पिशवी" can also refer to a "flattened pouch" or a "small flattish parcel."} | |||
| Nepali | झोला | ||
| "झोला" in Nepali can also refer to a type of indigenous Nepali music. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੈਗ | ||
| "ਬੈਗ" can also refer to a bundle or sack in Punjabi, originating from the Sanskrit word "bhaga" meaning "share" or "portion". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බෑගය | ||
| The Sinhala word "බෑගය" (bag) is derived from the Sanskrit word "भाग" (bhaga), meaning "portion" or "share". | |||
| Tamil | பை | ||
| The Tamil word பை, derived from the Sanskrit भाण्ड (bhāṇḍa), has the alternate meaning of a vessel. | |||
| Telugu | బ్యాగ్ | ||
| Urdu | بیگ | ||
| The word "بیگ" can also mean "baggage" or "luggage". | |||
Bag in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 袋 | ||
| 袋, which can also refer to a pocket, originates from the ancient Chinese word “dai” meaning “a big cloth container”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 袋 | ||
| The character 袋 (bag) is also used in the phrase 口袋公園 (pocket park), which is named after the way the park usually fits into a small or empty area in the city. | |||
| Japanese | バッグ | ||
| "バッグ" also refers to a band or company of musicians in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 가방 | ||
| "가방" can mean either "bag" or "briefcase" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | цүнх | ||
| "цүнх" is thought to have derived from the Mongolian root word "цүнс", which means "to hold," and also relates to the Evenk "сүнэ" and "сунун", which also mean "bag." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိတ် | ||
| The term "အိတ်” (bag) originates from the Mon language where it means “container”. | |||
Bag in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tas | ||
| "Tas" is a type of bag used to store items, but it can also be used figuratively to refer to a person's belongings or possessions. | |||
| Javanese | tas | ||
| The Javanese word "tas" is derived from the Sanskrit word "thas", which means "to contain". | |||
| Khmer | កាបូប | ||
| The word 'កាបូប' (bag) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कपूर' (kapura), which originally meant 'camphor'. | |||
| Lao | ຖົງ | ||
| The word ຖົງ can also refer to a purse or satchel, and is related to the Thai word "ถุง" (thung) | |||
| Malay | beg | ||
| The Malay word "beg" can also mean "to ask for something persistently or as a favor" | |||
| Thai | ถุง | ||
| The word "ถุง" in Thai can also refer to a container made of cloth or paper, or to the amount of something that can be contained in such a container. | |||
| Vietnamese | túi | ||
| "Túi" also means "pocket", "money pouch" or "womb" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bag | ||
Bag in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çanta | ||
| The word "çanta" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "chandan", meaning "wood" or "sandalwood", as bags were often made from these materials in the past. | |||
| Kazakh | сөмке | ||
| "Сөмке" derives from the Turkic root "cüm" meaning "to cover" or "to hide," indicating its purpose as a container that conceals contents. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сумка | ||
| The word "сумка" can also mean "pocket" or "purse" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | халта | ||
| The word "халта" is derived from the Persian word "خالتہ" (khālteh), meaning "case", "pouch" or "bag". | |||
| Turkmen | sumka | ||
| Uzbek | sumka | ||
| The word "sumka" meaning "bag" comes from Mongolian language and also has a meaning of "capacious bag for storing or transporting heavy loads" in the Kazakh language. | |||
| Uyghur | سومكا | ||
Bag in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | eke | ||
| The Hawaiian word for 'bag', 'eke', also refers to a type of fishing net with a long, narrow shape. | |||
| Maori | putea | ||
| The origin of the Maori word "putea" is uncertain, but it may possibly come from the same Proto-Polynesian root as the Samoan word "pute", meaning "to swell". | |||
| Samoan | ato | ||
| The word "ato" also refers to a bundle carried by a person or group. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bag | ||
| In Tagalog, “bag” can also refer to a portion (e.g., of land) or a part (e.g., of the body). | |||
Bag in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wayaqa | ||
| Guarani | voko | ||
Bag in International Languages
| Esperanto | sako | ||
| Esperanto's "sako" comes from the French "sac" but also means "jacket". | |||
| Latin | lapides sacculi | ||
| "Lapides sacculi" was a type of coin used for counting purposes in ancient Rome. | |||
Bag in Others Languages
| Greek | τσάντα | ||
| In medieval Greek, 'τσάντα' also referred to a type of pouch used by farmers to hold seeds. | |||
| Hmong | hnab | ||
| The word 'hnab' can also refer to a woven basket used for carrying things on one's back. | |||
| Kurdish | tûr | ||
| The etymology of word 'tûr' ('bag') in Kurdish is unclear and it is debated whether it is of Proto-Indo-European or Caucasian origin. | |||
| Turkish | sırt çantası | ||
| Sırt çantası, literally 'back sack' in Turkish, is a type of backpack. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhegi | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "ibhegi" also refers to a particular type of indigenous fruit basket woven from grass. | |||
| Yiddish | זעקל | ||
| " זעקל" Yiddish for "bag" may derive from the German "Sackel" which means "pouch" or "wallet" | |||
| Zulu | isikhwama | ||
| The Zulu word 'isikhwama' can also mean 'a container for carrying things on one's back. ' | |||
| Assamese | মোনা | ||
| Aymara | wayaqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | थइला | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަބަސް | ||
| Dogri | थैल्ला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bag | ||
| Guarani | voko | ||
| Ilocano | bag | ||
| Krio | bag | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جانتا | ||
| Maithili | झोरा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯥꯎ | ||
| Mizo | ipte | ||
| Oromo | korojoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟାଗ | ||
| Quechua | wayaqa | ||
| Sanskrit | भ्रस्ता | ||
| Tatar | сумка | ||
| Tigrinya | ቦርሳ | ||
| Tsonga | nkwama | ||