Bank in Different Languages
Discover 'Bank' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bank' holds immense significance in our daily lives, often associated with finance, savings, and security. But did you know that the term has a rich cultural and historical context too? Derived from the Italian 'banca' meaning 'bench', it originally referred to the benches where moneylenders in medieval Italy conducted their business. Over time, the word has evolved, taking on various connotations across different cultures and languages.
Given its global importance, it's no surprise that the word 'bank' has been translated into numerous languages, reflecting unique cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, it translates to 'banco', in French to 'banque', and in German to 'Bank'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also provide fascinating insights into the history and evolution of banking around the world.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, exploring the translations of the word 'bank' offers an engaging journey into the world of finance, culture, and linguistics.
Bank
Bank in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bank | ||
| The Afrikaans word "bank" can also refer to a bench, ledge, or embankment, derived from Middle Dutch "banke" with the same meaning | |||
| Amharic | ባንክ | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ባንክ" is also synonymous with "chair". | |||
| Hausa | banki | ||
| The word "banki" can also mean "riches" or "wealth" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ akụ | ||
| The Igbo term 'ụlọ akụ' originally denoted a storage place where seeds and dried fruit were kept | |||
| Malagasy | banky | ||
| The Malagasy word "banky" has no other meanings beyond "bank" in English. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | banki | ||
| In Nyanja, "banki" may also refer to a small mound of earth or sand. | |||
| Shona | bank | ||
| In Shona, "bhangi" can also refer to a type of traditional beer made from sorghum. | |||
| Somali | bangiga | ||
| The word "bangiga" in Somali is derived from the English word "bank" and has the alternate meaning of "financial institution". | |||
| Sesotho | banka | ||
| The word "banka" in Sesotho originated from the word "bank" in English or Dutch, and it can also refer to a bench or seat. | |||
| Swahili | benki | ||
| It is likely that the Swahili word Benki may have been borrowed from one of the Niger-Congo languages, like Hausa, Songhay or Manding, where it means 'vault'. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhanki | ||
| The word "ibhanki" in Xhosa can also mean "the place where money is kept" or "the place where money is exchanged". | |||
| Yoruba | banki | ||
| The word "banki" also means "river" in Yoruba and derives from the Proto-Benue-Congo language. | |||
| Zulu | ibhange | ||
| The word ibhange derives from the Zulu word ibhamu, meaning "hut" or "shelter." | |||
| Bambara | waribon | ||
| Ewe | gadzraɖoƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | banki | ||
| Lingala | banki | ||
| Luganda | banka | ||
| Sepedi | panka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sikakorabea | ||
Bank in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مصرف | ||
| In Arabic, the word "مصرف" ("masraf") originally referred to a place for exchanging coins or money, and its root "صرف" ("sarf") means "exchange" or "expenditure." | |||
| Hebrew | בַּנק | ||
| The Hebrew word "בַּנק" (bank) stems from the Italian word "banca", both meaning "bench". | |||
| Pashto | بانک | ||
| The word "بانک" also means "side; edge; margin" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | مصرف | ||
| In Arabic, the word "مصرف" ("masraf") originally referred to a place for exchanging coins or money, and its root "صرف" ("sarf") means "exchange" or "expenditure." | |||
Bank in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bankë | ||
| The word "bankë" in Albanian also means "edge" or "slope", referring to the raised land along a river or the edge of a hill. | |||
| Basque | bankua | ||
| The Basque word "bankua" also means "bench" or "table". | |||
| Catalan | banc | ||
| "banc" in Catalan can also refer to a sandbank, bench, or curbstone, reflecting its Latin origins in "bancus," meaning "bench". | |||
| Croatian | banka | ||
| Croatian word 'banka' derives not from 'banco', but Slavic word for box, chest or vault. | |||
| Danish | bank | ||
| The word "bank" in Danish also means "slope" or "edge", and originates from the Old Norse word "bakki". | |||
| Dutch | bank | ||
| In Dutch, "bank" can also refer to a "dike" or a "bench". | |||
| English | bank | ||
| The word "bank" originally referred to a long, flat area of land along a river, where people could store their valuables during floods. | |||
| French | banque | ||
| The word "banque" in French, meaning "bank", is derived from the Italian word "banco", meaning "table" or "bench". | |||
| Frisian | bank | ||
| The word "bank" in Frisian can also refer to a sandbank or a dike. | |||
| Galician | banco | ||
| The Galician word "banco" can also refer to a sandbank or to a group of fish swimming together. | |||
| German | bank | ||
| The German word "Bank" also means "bench" or "sofa". | |||
| Icelandic | banka | ||
| The word "banka" in Icelandic has been used since the 15th century, with its origin possibly derived from the Old Norse word "banki" meaning "table" or the German word "bank" signifying "bench". | |||
| Irish | banc | ||
| The Irish word "banc" also means a "table", "bench", and "judge's seat" and is derived from Old Irish "bennach". | |||
| Italian | banca | ||
| The Italian word "banca" derives from the Proto-West Germanic "bank" meaning "bench" or "counter", and was later used for the financial institution where money was exchanged and deposited. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bank | ||
| The word 'Bank' also means 'slope' or 'side' in Luxembourgish, referring to the sloping embankments of a river. | |||
| Maltese | bank | ||
| The word "bank" in Maltese can also refer to a "bench" or a "heap" of something. | |||
| Norwegian | bank | ||
| The Norwegian word "bank" can also refer to a sandbank or a slope on a road. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | banco | ||
| The word "banco" in Portuguese derives from the Germanic word "banki" and the Latin "bancus," both meaning "bench" or "table." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | banca | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, 'banca' means 'hill' or 'peak', and may have its origins in the Latin word 'bancus', meaning 'table'. | |||
| Spanish | banco | ||
| Banco can also mean: table, shelf, bench, sandbank, or reef. | |||
| Swedish | bank | ||
| In Swedish, "bank" can also refer to a steep slope or hillside. | |||
| Welsh | banc | ||
| The word 'banc' in Welsh can also refer to a bench or a mound of earth. | |||
Bank in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | банк | ||
| The word "банк" (bank) in Belarusian can also refer to a bench or a row of objects. | |||
| Bosnian | banka | ||
| The word "banka" in Bosnian can also refer to a pile of banknotes. | |||
| Bulgarian | банка | ||
| 'Банка' in Bulgarian, besides 'bank', can also mean 'jar' or 'tin can'. | |||
| Czech | banka | ||
| The word "banka" has multiple meanings in Czech, including "bank", "bench", and "table". | |||
| Estonian | pank | ||
| The word "pank" in Estonian comes from the German word "bank", which means "bench" or "table". | |||
| Finnish | pankki | ||
| The word "pankki" in Finnish comes from the Italian word "banca", meaning "table" or "counter", and ultimately derives from the Latin word "bancus", meaning "bench". | |||
| Hungarian | bank | ||
| The Hungarian word "part" can also refer to a shore or the side of a river. | |||
| Latvian | banka | ||
| In Latvian, "banka" can also refer to a small bench or a type of traditional Latvian boat. | |||
| Lithuanian | bankas | ||
| Bankas is derived from the Italian word "banca" which means "counter". The term "bank" can also refer to a bench or table. | |||
| Macedonian | банка | ||
| In Russian, банка can also refer to a 'jar', 'can', or 'tin'. | |||
| Polish | bank | ||
| The word "bank" in Polish can also mean "jar" or "container". | |||
| Romanian | bancă | ||
| In Romanian, "bancă" can also refer to a bench, making it a homonym with the financial institution. | |||
| Russian | банка | ||
| "Банка" (bank) can also refer to a can or jar. | |||
| Serbian | банка | ||
| The word "банка" in Serbian can also refer to a glass jar or a can, and is derived from the Italian word "banca" meaning "bench". | |||
| Slovak | breh | ||
| The word "breh" can also mean "shore" or "riverbank". | |||
| Slovenian | banka | ||
| "Banka" originally referred to a bench or table used for money exchange, and was derived from the Italian word "banca" meaning "bench". | |||
| Ukrainian | банку | ||
| The word "банку" (bank) in Ukrainian also refers to a glass jar. | |||
Bank in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্যাংক | ||
| The word "ব্যাংক" (bank) in Bengali originally meant "a heap of earth", later becoming associated with "a depository for money" due to the practice of safeguarding valuable materials in such mounds. | |||
| Gujarati | બેંક | ||
| The Gujarati word "બેંક" can also mean "a row" or "a series." | |||
| Hindi | बैंक | ||
| The word "बैंक" can also refer to a collection of objects or a large amount of something. | |||
| Kannada | ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್ | ||
| The word "ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್" can also refer to a river bank or a raised platform. | |||
| Malayalam | ബാങ്ക് | ||
| "ബാങ്ക്" also means "sound" or "announcement" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | बँक | ||
| The Marathi word "बँक" (bank) originates from the Portuguese word "banca", meaning "table" or "counter". | |||
| Nepali | बैंक | ||
| The Nepali word "बैंक" (bank) derives from the Sanskrit word "वणिज्" (vanij), meaning "trade" or "commerce." | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੈਂਕ | ||
| In Punjab, the term 'Bank' also refers to a raised area next to a river often made to prevent flooding | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බැංකුව | ||
| The Sinhala word "බැංකුව" (bank) originates from the Portuguese word "banco" meaning "bench" or "table." | |||
| Tamil | வங்கி | ||
| The word "வங்கி" (vanki) also means a bracelet or an armlet in Tamil, emphasizing its traditional role as a place for safekeeping valuable items. | |||
| Telugu | బ్యాంక్ | ||
| The word "బ్యాంక్" in Telugu also refers to a bench or the raised platform in a field used for transplantation. | |||
| Urdu | بینک | ||
| The Urdu word "بینک" ('bank') is derived from the Persian word "بنگ" ('shop, storehouse'), which in turn comes from the Sanskrit word "वाणिज्य" ('commerce, trade') | |||
Bank in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 银行 | ||
| The Chinese character 行 ("bank") originally referred to the embankments of rivers to prevent flooding; only later did it take on its financial meaning. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 銀行 | ||
| 銀行, literally "a storehouse of silver or money," derives from the silver and gold stored in vaults by ancient Chinese merchants. | |||
| Japanese | バンク | ||
| The word "バンク" (bank) in Japanese can also refer to a "banked turn" in skateboarding or snowboarding. | |||
| Korean | 은행 | ||
| 은행(銀行)은 원래 흙을 모아둔 둑을 의미했으나, 나중에 돈을 모아 관리하는 기관을 의미하게 되었다. | |||
| Mongolian | банк | ||
| The Mongolian word "банк" not only refers to financial institutions, but can also mean "bench" or "shore" in various contexts. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘဏ် | ||
| ဘဏ် can also mean "to store" or "to put away" in Myanmar (Burmese). | |||
Bank in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bank | ||
| In Indonesian, "bank" derives from the French word "banque" and also means "shore" or "riverbank". | |||
| Javanese | bank | ||
| The Javanese word "bank" can also refers to the river embankment. | |||
| Khmer | ធនាគារ | ||
| "ធនាគារ" originally meant "a warehouse for treasures" or "a place to store money and valuables". | |||
| Lao | ທະນາຄານ | ||
| In Thai, the word "bank" (ธนาคาร) is derived from the Sanskrit word "nagara" meaning "city", referring to the urban location of these institutions. | |||
| Malay | bank | ||
| The word 'bank' in Malay can also refer to the edge of a river or stream, or a high embankment. | |||
| Thai | ธนาคาร | ||
| The word "ธนาคาร" in Thai derives from Sanskrit and literally means "storehouse of money" or "treasury". | |||
| Vietnamese | ngân hàng | ||
| "Ngân hàng" is a compound noun consisting of "ngân" (silver) and "hàng" (store) | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bangko | ||
Bank in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bank | ||
| "bank" in Azerbaijani also means the side of a river or a place where plants are grown | |||
| Kazakh | банк | ||
| The Kazakh word "банк" may also refer to "a steep river bank" or "the side of a ravine". | |||
| Kyrgyz | банк | ||
| The Kyrgyz term "банк" comes from the Russian word "банк" and originally meant "usury". | |||
| Tajik | бонк | ||
| The word “бонк” also means “slope” in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | bank | ||
| Uzbek | bank | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "bank" is borrowed from the Persian word "bānkah", which also means "bench" or "table". | |||
| Uyghur | بانكا | ||
Bank in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | panakō | ||
| The Hawaiian word "panakō" is borrowed from the English word "bank" and has the same meaning. | |||
| Maori | peeke | ||
| The Maori word "peeke" derives from the Proto-Polynesian term "*paki" meaning "cliff" or "steep bank". | |||
| Samoan | faletupe | ||
| It could also mean a storehouse, treasury or depository. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bangko | ||
| The word "bangko" in Tagalog also refers to a wooden bench or platform used for seating or sleeping. | |||
Bank in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wanku | ||
| Guarani | viruñeñongatuha | ||
Bank in International Languages
| Esperanto | banko | ||
| In Esperanto, "banko" can also refer to a lottery game similar to bingo. | |||
| Latin | ripae | ||
| The word "ripae" is cognate with "rivus" (stream), suggesting a connection between riverbanks and flowing water. | |||
Bank in Others Languages
| Greek | τράπεζα | ||
| 'Τράπεζα' originated from the 'trápeza' a table where Athenian bankers (trapezitai) transacted business. | |||
| Hmong | txhab nyiaj | ||
| The term 'txhab nyiaj' in Hmong is a literal translation of 'money house'; it means both a physical bank building and the concept of a bank. | |||
| Kurdish | banke | ||
| The word "banke" can also refer to a "hill" or "slope" in Kurdish, highlighting its connection to elevated terrain and the concept of a vault or treasury. | |||
| Turkish | banka | ||
| The Turkish word "banka" is derived from the Italian word "banca", which means money changer or bench. In Italian, "banco" also means table, so "banka" originally referred to the table where money was exchanged. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhanki | ||
| The word "ibhanki" in Xhosa can also mean "the place where money is kept" or "the place where money is exchanged". | |||
| Yiddish | באַנק | ||
| The Yiddish word for 'bank', 'באַנק', can also refer to a gambling table, bench, or a collection of items. | |||
| Zulu | ibhange | ||
| The word ibhange derives from the Zulu word ibhamu, meaning "hut" or "shelter." | |||
| Assamese | বেংক | ||
| Aymara | wanku | ||
| Bhojpuri | बैंक | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޭންކް | ||
| Dogri | बैंक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bangko | ||
| Guarani | viruñeñongatuha | ||
| Ilocano | bangko | ||
| Krio | bank | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بانک | ||
| Maithili | बैंक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯡꯂꯨꯞ | ||
| Mizo | luikam | ||
| Oromo | baankii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟାଙ୍କ | ||
| Quechua | banco | ||
| Sanskrit | कोश | ||
| Tatar | банк | ||
| Tigrinya | ባንኪ | ||
| Tsonga | bangi | ||