Barrier in Different Languages
Discover 'Barrier' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'barrier' is a powerful word that represents a variety of physical and metaphorical obstacles. From a towering fence to a challenging language gap, barriers can be intimidating. Yet, they also offer opportunities for growth and understanding. Consider the cultural significance of the Great Wall of China, a physical barrier that has come to symbolize the strength and resilience of a nation. Or the linguistic barriers that, when overcome, can lead to richer, more meaningful connections with people from around the world.
Understanding the translations of 'barrier' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and address obstacles. For example, in Spanish, 'barrier' is 'barrera,' while in German, it's 'Barriere.' In French, it's 'barrière,' and in Japanese, it's 'バリア (baria).'
By exploring these translations, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the ways in which language shapes our perceptions and experiences. So let's break down those barriers and build bridges of understanding instead.
Barrier
Barrier in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | versperring | ||
| "Versperring" is a compound word that refers to a physical barrier and is derived from Dutch "versperren" (to block, barricade). | |||
| Amharic | መሰናክል | ||
| In Amharic, መሰናክል (masenakel) refers to a line separating two sides, or, in another sense, to one of the two sides separated by such a line. | |||
| Hausa | shinge | ||
| In Hausa, the word "shinge" can also mean a fence or a wall, indicating its use as a physical barrier to restrict access or movement. | |||
| Igbo | ihe mgbochi | ||
| The Igbo word "ihe mgbochi" can also refer to a "means of prevention" or a "measure taken to obstruct something" | |||
| Malagasy | sakana | ||
| The word "sakana" in Malagasy can also mean "threshold" or "boundary". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chotchinga | ||
| The word "chotchinga" can also mean "gate" or "obstacle". | |||
| Shona | chipingamupinyi | ||
| The word "chipingamupinyi" can also refer to a barricade or an obstruction. | |||
| Somali | caqabad | ||
| Sesotho | mokoallo | ||
| The word "mokoallo" is derived from the Sotho word "koma" which means to cross over, and the suffix "-allo" which denotes the result of a completed action. | |||
| Swahili | kizuizi | ||
| The Swahili word "kizuizi" has roots in Bantu and can refer to both physical and abstract barriers | |||
| Xhosa | isithintelo | ||
| The word "isithintelo" can also refer to a shield or protection against something harmful. | |||
| Yoruba | idena | ||
| Idena is also the name for the goddess of death and the afterlife | |||
| Zulu | isithiyo | ||
| The Zulu word isithiyo, meaning 'barrier,' also refers to a traditional fence made from woven saplings and reeds. | |||
| Bambara | bariyɛri | ||
| Ewe | mɔxexe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bariyeri | ||
| Lingala | lopango | ||
| Luganda | ekitangira | ||
| Sepedi | lepheko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akwansideɛ | ||
Barrier in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حاجز | ||
| The word 'حاجز' can also refer to a filter.} | |||
| Hebrew | מַחסוֹם | ||
| The word "מַחסוֹם" can also refer to a military checkpoint or a mental block, and is derived from the root "ח.ס.ם" meaning "to block" or "to restrain." | |||
| Pashto | خنډ | ||
| The Pashto word "خنډ" not only means "barrier" but also "knot" and "obstacle". | |||
| Arabic | حاجز | ||
| The word 'حاجز' can also refer to a filter.} | |||
Barrier in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pengesë | ||
| The word "pengesë" in Albanian shares an etymology with the word "fence" in English, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European "*bʰenǵʰ-sós". | |||
| Basque | oztopo | ||
| The word "oztopo" is used in Basque to mean "obstacle" or "difficulty". It is composed of the words "oz" (meaning "step") and "topo" (meaning "place"), and thus literally means "step-place" or "place where one must step". It can also be used figuratively to mean a "hindrance" or an "impediment". | |||
| Catalan | barrera | ||
| The Catalan word "barrera" derives from the Old French word "barriere," which means "a defensive construction or fence." The word "barrera" is still used in this sense today and can also refer to other types of obstacles or obstructions. | |||
| Croatian | prepreka | ||
| The Croatian word "prepreka" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *prěpьrěka, meaning "obstacle" or "hindrance". | |||
| Danish | barriere | ||
| In Danish, "barriere" can also refer to a wheelchair ramp or a fence surrounding a property. | |||
| Dutch | barrière | ||
| The Dutch word 'barrière' can also mean a line of defense, a fortification, or a toll gate. | |||
| English | barrier | ||
| The word "barrier" derives from the Old French "barriere," and shares a root with the word "bar" as well as "barricade." | |||
| French | barrière | ||
| In the field of fashion and textiles, the word "barrière" is used to refer to a type of vertical quilting stitch. | |||
| Frisian | barriêre | ||
| The Frisian word "barriêre" can also refer to a toll booth or a fence. | |||
| Galician | barreira | ||
| "Barreira" can also mean a "shoal", a stretch of shallow water hindering navigation or a fishing net with weights to keep it vertical in the water. | |||
| German | barriere | ||
| The German word "Barriere" is derived from the French word "barrière" meaning "gate" or "obstacle." | |||
| Icelandic | hindrun | ||
| As a place name, "Hindrun" refers to a rocky ridge that obstructed a route. | |||
| Irish | bacainn | ||
| The word "bacainn" (barrier) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bheg-", which also gave rise to the word "bealach" (road). | |||
| Italian | barriera | ||
| The word "barriera" derives from the French "barrière" and the Latin "barra," both meaning "crossbar" or "wooden pole." | |||
| Luxembourgish | barrière | ||
| The word "Barrière" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a gate, a fence, or a toll. | |||
| Maltese | barriera | ||
| The word "barriera" in Maltese can also refer to a traditional type of fortified enclosure or tower. | |||
| Norwegian | barriere | ||
| "Barriere" is an archaic word in Norwegian, but it has the same root as "barre" (meaning "bar") in French and other Romance languages. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | barreira | ||
| In Portuguese "barreira" can also refer to a fishing net or a reef. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bacadh | ||
| In Scottish Gaelic, "Bacadh" also refers to a shelter for livestock or a defensive wall surrounding a fortification. | |||
| Spanish | barrera | ||
| In the context of bullfighting, the Spanish word "barrera" refers to the front section of the stands for the most expensive seats. | |||
| Swedish | barriär | ||
| The Swedish word "barriär" is derived from the French word "barrière", both ultimately originating from the Late Latin word "barra" meaning "bar" or "bolt". | |||
| Welsh | rhwystr | ||
| The Welsh word "rhwystr" derives from the Proto-Celtic stem "*rogi-strā", meaning "hindrance, obstacle". | |||
Barrier in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бар'ер | ||
| In Belarusian, "бар'ер" also refers to a hurdle in a race or a technical obstacle in a sport. | |||
| Bosnian | barijera | ||
| The word "barijera" comes from the French word "barrière", which means "obstacle" or "hindrance". | |||
| Bulgarian | бариера | ||
| In Bulgarian, "бариера" can also mean "fence" or "gate" | |||
| Czech | bariéra | ||
| The word "bariéra" is derived from the French word "barrière," which originally meant "pole," "fence," or "gate." | |||
| Estonian | tõke | ||
| The word "tõke" is etymologically related to "toke" ("prick") and "tõugata" ( "to push"). | |||
| Finnish | este | ||
| The word "este" in Finnish is cognate with the Estonian "aita" and the Karelian "aitau" meaning "fence". | |||
| Hungarian | akadály | ||
| The word "akadály" is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric word *akata "to block" and the suffix `-ly` "nominal". | |||
| Latvian | barjera | ||
| The word “barjera” is a loan from Russian "барьер" (bar'yer). | |||
| Lithuanian | barjeras | ||
| The Lithuanian word "barjeras" can also mean "obstacle" or "hindrance". | |||
| Macedonian | бариера | ||
| The word "бариера" has Slavic and Persian roots, and can also mean "obstacle", "limitation", or "checkpoint". | |||
| Polish | bariera | ||
| In Polish, "bariera" also denotes a traffic light or a railway crossing. | |||
| Romanian | barieră | ||
| The term "barieră" in Romanian comes from the French word "barrière", meaning "fence" or "hurdle". | |||
| Russian | барьер | ||
| "Барьер" также обозначает "реку" в старославянском языке. | |||
| Serbian | препрека | ||
| The word "препрека" also means "obstacle" or "difficulty" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | bariéra | ||
| The word "bariéra" comes from the French word "barrière", meaning "fence" or "obstacle". | |||
| Slovenian | pregrado | ||
| The noun 'pregrado' in Slovenian also means 'partition'. | |||
| Ukrainian | бар'єр | ||
| Бар'єр (barrier) derives from the French word 'barrière' and originally referred to a fortified military obstacle. | |||
Barrier in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাধা | ||
| "বাধা" comes from Sanskrit "bandh" meaning "bond" or "chain", also related to English "bind" | |||
| Gujarati | અવરોધ | ||
| The word "અવરોધ" in Gujarati, derived from Sanskrit, can also refer to an impediment or obstacle to progress or development. | |||
| Hindi | बैरियर | ||
| The word "बैरियर" is derived from the French word "barrière", which means "a fence or obstacle". | |||
| Kannada | ತಡೆಗೋಡೆ | ||
| The word "ತಡೆಗೋಡೆ" can also refer to obstacles or difficulties encountered in life. | |||
| Malayalam | തടസ്സം | ||
| "തടസ്സം" can mean "hurdle," "obstruction," "impediment," and "obstacle." | |||
| Marathi | अडथळा | ||
| The Marathi word "अडथळा" ("barrier") is cognate with the Gujarati word "અડચણ" ("obstacle"). | |||
| Nepali | बाधा | ||
| Nepali "बाधा" also means "obstacle". It's derived from the Sanskrit "badh" meaning "to bind". | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੁਕਾਵਟ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බාධකයක් | ||
| Tamil | தடை | ||
| In Tamil, 'தடை' also refers to a religious prohibition or a pause in music. | |||
| Telugu | అడ్డంకి | ||
| In Telugu, "అడ్డంకి" can also refer to an obstacle or hindrance in a task or journey. | |||
| Urdu | رکاوٹ | ||
Barrier in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 屏障 | ||
| 屏障 (bǐngzhàng) is also used as a Buddhist term for "screen" or "curtain", such as the "jewel curtain" (bǎozhàng) that separates the Buddha from his disciples. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 屏障 | ||
| 屏障 can also mean a protective or isolating layer, such as a sound barrier or a language barrier. | |||
| Japanese | バリア | ||
| バリア can also refer to "aura" or "energy field" in the context of anime or video games. | |||
| Korean | 장벽 | ||
| 장벽 (jangbyeok) derives from the Sino-Korean words 장 (zhang) meaning 'long' and 벽 (bi) meaning 'wall'. | |||
| Mongolian | хаалт | ||
| The word "хаалт" also means "obstacle" or "impediment". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အတားအဆီး | ||
Barrier in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pembatas | ||
| "Pembatas" also means "limiter" and originates from the Dutch word "beperkt" meaning "limited". | |||
| Javanese | alangan | ||
| The word “alangan” in Javanese is often used metaphorically to describe obstacles or challenges. | |||
| Khmer | របាំង | ||
| In some contexts, របាំង can mean "guardrail" or "rail". In the context of a Buddhist monastery, it can refer to the boundary that separates monks and nuns. | |||
| Lao | ສິ່ງກີດຂວາງ | ||
| Malay | penghalang | ||
| The word "penghalang" comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *pəŋalan, meaning "partition" or "fence". | |||
| Thai | อุปสรรค | ||
| The word "อุปสรรค" can also refer to a "problem" or "obstacle" in a more general sense, not just a physical barrier. | |||
| Vietnamese | rào chắn | ||
| "Rào chắn" is derived from the Vietnamese word "rào", meaning "fence", and "chắn", meaning "to block", suggesting both physical and conceptual blockages. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hadlang | ||
Barrier in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | baryer | ||
| The word "baryer" in Azerbaijani comes from the French word "barrière", which means "obstacle", and also has the alternate meaning of "border". | |||
| Kazakh | тосқауыл | ||
| The word "тосқауыл" also means "obstacle or hindrance" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тосмо | ||
| In Old Turkic, "тосмо" meant "border" or "end". In Tuvan, it specifically means "state border". | |||
| Tajik | монеа | ||
| The word "монеа" can also refer to the "obstacle" that prevents something from happening. | |||
| Turkmen | päsgelçilik | ||
| Uzbek | to'siq | ||
| The Uzbek word "to'siq" is an etymological descendant of the Middle Persian word "dastag" and can also refer to obstacles like obstacles like walls or dams | |||
| Uyghur | توساق | ||
Barrier in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pale | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'pale' has an alternate meaning of 'to surround' or 'to enclose'. | |||
| Maori | ārai | ||
| In Māori, the word 'ārai' can also refer to a protective measure, such as a charm or talisman. | |||
| Samoan | papupuni | ||
| Papupuni also refers to the wooden barriers in a taro patch; a stone platform or enclosure in front of a house, church or other building; or a fence of coconut logs separating sections of a village. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hadlang | ||
| Hadlang derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *daRaŋ, meaning "something that prevents passage." | |||
Barrier in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jark'aqa | ||
| Guarani | apañuãi | ||
Barrier in International Languages
| Esperanto | baro | ||
| The word "baro" in Esperanto is also used to refer to the atmosphere, atmospheric pressure, or the boundary of a phase transition. | |||
| Latin | obice | ||
| The Latin word "obice" also means "obstacle", "impediment", or "difficulty". | |||
Barrier in Others Languages
| Greek | εμπόδιο | ||
| The word "εμπόδιο" derives from the verb "εμποδίζω", meaning "to hinder" or "to obstruct". | |||
| Hmong | txoj laj kab | ||
| The Hmong word "txoj laj kab" refers to a physical or conceptual obstruction that serves as a boundary or obstacle. | |||
| Kurdish | bend | ||
| The Kurdish word "bend" originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhendh-," which also gave rise to the English word "bind". | |||
| Turkish | bariyer | ||
| In Turkish, "bariyer" can also refer to a toll booth or checkpoint. | |||
| Xhosa | isithintelo | ||
| The word "isithintelo" can also refer to a shield or protection against something harmful. | |||
| Yiddish | שלאַבאַן | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "шлабаҥ" can also mean "fence" or "obstacle." | |||
| Zulu | isithiyo | ||
| The Zulu word isithiyo, meaning 'barrier,' also refers to a traditional fence made from woven saplings and reeds. | |||
| Assamese | বাধা | ||
| Aymara | jark'aqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | रोड़ा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބެރިއަރ | ||
| Dogri | रकाबट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hadlang | ||
| Guarani | apañuãi | ||
| Ilocano | serra | ||
| Krio | sɔntin we stɔp yu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەربەست | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिबंध | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯛꯇ ꯈꯥꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | daltu | ||
| Oromo | dhorkaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିବନ୍ଧକ | | ||
| Quechua | harkana | ||
| Sanskrit | रोध | ||
| Tatar | киртә | ||
| Tigrinya | መከላኸሊ | ||
| Tsonga | xirhalanganyi | ||