Basic in Different Languages
Discover 'Basic' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'basic' is a small but powerful term, denoting the fundamental or essential aspects of something. It's a word that has permeated our cultural lexicon, often used to describe a foundational understanding or skill. But did you know that the word 'basic' has been traced back to the Latin word 'basis', meaning 'a step'? This historical context highlights the word's significance, as a 'step' is often the first of many that lead to a greater understanding or proficiency.
Moreover, the concept of 'basic' is universal, making it a valuable term to know in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, 'basic' translates to 'básico', while in French, it's 'basique'. In German, the word for 'basic' is 'grundlegend', and in Japanese, it's '基本的 (kihonteki).'
Understanding the translation of 'basic' in different languages can not only enhance your linguistic abilities but also provide insight into how other cultures view and approach fundamental concepts. So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, read on to discover the translations of 'basic' in various languages.
Basic
Basic in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | basies | ||
| The word "basies" in Afrikaans originated from the Latin ""basis"", which means "basis" or "foundation". "Basies" also holds this meaning in Afrikaans, but is also often used in a colloquial sense, to mean "simple" or "straightforward." | |||
| Amharic | መሰረታዊ | ||
| መሰረታዊ can also mean 'foundation' or 'principle', and it can sometimes be used in a negative sense to describe something as 'primitive' or 'unsophisticated'. | |||
| Hausa | na asali | ||
| The word 'na asali' has a broader meaning than just 'basic', and can be used to describe things that are simple, fundamental or traditional. | |||
| Igbo | nke nkiti | ||
| Igbo phrase “nke nkiti” is literally “nerves” or “sinews”, signifying foundational or essential elements of a person or system. | |||
| Malagasy | fototra | ||
| The word 'fototra' in Malagasy comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *pituq, meaning 'small' or 'short'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zoyambira | ||
| In Nyakyusa, a language from the neighboring country of Tanzania, 'zoyambira' means 'easy'. | |||
| Shona | basic | ||
| In Shona, "basic" (pakutanga) also means "the start" or "in the beginning." | |||
| Somali | aasaasiga ah | ||
| In Somali, "aas-aasiga ah" is also a term used in the context of traditional medicine and philosophy. | |||
| Sesotho | mantlha | ||
| Swahili | msingi | ||
| The word "msingi" in Swahili can also mean "foundation" or "principle". | |||
| Xhosa | esisiseko | ||
| It also means 'simplicity' or 'the beginning of something' in the context of the Xhosa language. | |||
| Yoruba | ipilẹ | ||
| Ipile, a Yoruba word for "basic," comes from "Ipile (foundation, starting point)," or "Ipinlẹ (essence, the core nature of something)." | |||
| Zulu | eziyisisekelo | ||
| The etymology of the Zulu word 'eziyisisekelo' ('basic') translates to 'foundation or base' | |||
| Bambara | kunfɔlɔ | ||
| Ewe | gɔmedzenu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | shingiro | ||
| Lingala | ya ntina | ||
| Luganda | kya bulijjo | ||
| Sepedi | ya motheo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mfiasesɛm | ||
Basic in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأساسي | ||
| The word comes from the Greek word | |||
| Hebrew | בסיסי | ||
| "בסיסי" in Hebrew is a loanword from French, derived from Greek. Its alternate meaning, "coarse," comes from Arabic. | |||
| Pashto | بنسټیز | ||
| The word "بنسټیز" (basic) in Pashto also means "foundational" or "fundamental". | |||
| Arabic | الأساسي | ||
| The word comes from the Greek word | |||
Basic in Western European Languages
| Albanian | themelore | ||
| Themelore derives from the Albanian word themë and could also mean "subject," "topic," or "lesson." | |||
| Basque | oinarrizkoa | ||
| The word "oinarrizkoa" in Basque can also mean "primordial" or "elementary". | |||
| Catalan | bàsic | ||
| The word "bàsic" comes from the Greek word "básis" which means "base". The original meaning of "bàsic" is therefore "fundamental". It is only in the last few centuries that "bàsic" has come to mean "simple". | |||
| Croatian | osnovni, temeljni | ||
| In Croatian, "Osnovni, temeljni" can also refer to the fundamental principles or concepts of something. | |||
| Danish | grundlæggende | ||
| In Danish, "grundlæggende" also means "fundamental" or "essential". | |||
| Dutch | basis | ||
| In Dutch, "basis" can also refer to a base or foundation of a structure or organization. | |||
| English | basic | ||
| The term "basic" emerged as a chemistry term but is now widely used as a synonym for "fundamental." | |||
| French | de base | ||
| In French, "de base" can mean basic or essential, depending on its context. | |||
| Frisian | basis | ||
| In Frisian, "basis" derives from the Greek "básis" meaning "foundation" or "support." | |||
| Galician | básico | ||
| Galician has retained the Spanish meaning of «basic» but also uses the word to mean «sufficient» or «necessary». | |||
| German | basic | ||
| The German word "Basis" (pronounced "bah-sis") literally translates to "base" or "foundation" and can refer to the underlying principles or elements of something. | |||
| Icelandic | grunn | ||
| In Icelandic, "grunn" comes from the Old Norse word "grund" meaning "ground" or "foundation," but it also has extended meanings like "principle" or "reason." | |||
| Irish | bunúsach | ||
| The Irish word 'bunúsach' is a derivative of the Irish word 'bun' meaning 'foundation', 'origin' or 'base'. | |||
| Italian | di base | ||
| The alternate meaning of "di base" in Italian is "fundamental" or "essential". | |||
| Luxembourgish | basis | ||
| The word "Basis" in Luxembourgish can also refer to the "fundamentals" or the "foundation" of something. | |||
| Maltese | bażiku | ||
| Maltese word "bażiku" is likely derived from French "bas" meaning "low" or "inferior" and ultimately goes back to Latin "bassus". | |||
| Norwegian | grunnleggende | ||
| The word "grunnleggende" comes from the Old Norse word "grunnleggja", meaning "to lay a foundation"} | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | básico | ||
| In Portuguese, "básico" can also mean elementary, essential, or fundamental. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bunaiteach | ||
| The Gaelic word "bunaiteach" not only means "basic" but also refers to something that is "fundamental" or "essential". | |||
| Spanish | básico | ||
| The Spanish word "básico" can also refer to a type of electrical outlet. | |||
| Swedish | grundläggande | ||
| The word grundläggande can also refer to a preparatory or fundamental course of study or instruction. | |||
| Welsh | syml | ||
| "Syml" in Welsh can also refer to the fundamental principles or structure of something, similar to the concept of "axiom" in English. | |||
Basic in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | асноўны | ||
| The word “асноўны” (“basic”) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *osnova, meaning “foundation”. | |||
| Bosnian | osnovno | ||
| The word "osnovno" in Bosnian may also mean "fundamental" or "primary". | |||
| Bulgarian | основен | ||
| Bulgarian "основен" originally meant "based on" and has the archaic sense of "fundamental". | |||
| Czech | základní | ||
| The word "základní" can also mean "fundamental" or "elementary" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | põhiline | ||
| The word "põhiline" also means "main" or "original" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | perus | ||
| The word "perus" is used in different contexts with slightly different meanings, for example in "peruskoulu" (comprehensive school), "perustus" (foundation), and "perustiedot" (basic knowledge). | |||
| Hungarian | alapvető | ||
| The Hungarian word "alapvető" ('basic') is a compound word derived from the words "alap" ('foundation') and "vető" ('throwing'). | |||
| Latvian | pamata | ||
| "Pamata" in Latvian can mean either "basic" or "fundamental" in English. | |||
| Lithuanian | pagrindinis | ||
| Also used to express a primary element or component | |||
| Macedonian | основни | ||
| The word "основни" can also mean "primary" or "elemental" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | podstawowy | ||
| The word 'podstawowy' comes from the Old Polish word 'podstawa', meaning 'foundation' or 'base'. | |||
| Romanian | de bază | ||
| The word "de bază" in Romanian can also mean "fundamental" or "primary." | |||
| Russian | основной | ||
| "Основной" can also refer to electrical grounding in Russian or the "mainline" of a drug in the context of addiction. | |||
| Serbian | основни | ||
| The Serbian word "основни" can also refer to the "foundations" or "basics" of something. | |||
| Slovak | základné | ||
| The word "základné" also means "fundamental" or "elementary" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | osnovno | ||
| The word 'osnovno' in Slovenian is also a noun that means 'base' or 'foundation'. | |||
| Ukrainian | основний | ||
| The word "основний" in Ukrainian shares the same origin as the word "base" in English, meaning "a foundation or starting point." | |||
Basic in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বেসিক | ||
| In Bengali the word "বেসিক" is also commonly used to denote "low-grade, inferior, or mediocre" quality. | |||
| Gujarati | પાયાની | ||
| The word "પાયાની" also means "fundamental" or "introductory" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | बुनियादी | ||
| "बुनियादी" (basic) originates from Persian "bunyad" (foundation), implying its foundational nature in Hindi as well. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೂಲ | ||
| ಮೂಲ also means "root" in Kannada, and "basic" is its transferred meaning | |||
| Malayalam | അടിസ്ഥാന | ||
| The word "അടിസ്ഥാന" (adhisthana) in Malayalam originates from the Sanskrit word "अधिस्तान" (adhisthana), meaning "foundation" or "base", and is often used to refer to the fundamental principles or underlying elements of something. | |||
| Marathi | मूलभूत | ||
| The Marathi word 'मूलभूत' comes from the Sanskrit word 'मूल' meaning 'root' or 'origin', and is related to the English word 'radical'. | |||
| Nepali | आधारभूत | ||
| "आधारभूत" also means 'fundamental' and is derived from the Sanskrit word "आधार". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੁੱ .ਲਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මූලික | ||
| The word 'මූලික' is cognate to the Sanskrit word 'मूलिक' (mūlika), which means 'root', and the Tamil word 'முதன்மை' (mutamai), which means 'primary'. | |||
| Tamil | அடிப்படை | ||
| The word "அடிப்படை" can also refer to the foundation or base of something. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రాథమిక | ||
| It can be used in the sense of something being most common or common, not just in the sense of being fundamental. | |||
| Urdu | بنیادی | ||
| Urdu word بنيادي derives from Arabic, meaning both "basic" and "fundamental", and is commonly used in the context of education, philosophy, and science. | |||
Basic in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 基本的 | ||
| 基本 additionally means 'basic principles' or 'elementary' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 基本的 | ||
| 基本的 (jī běn dí) literally means "foundationally standing". | |||
| Japanese | 基本 | ||
| The word "基本" (kihon) literally means "origin" or "base", and can also refer to fundamental principles or concepts. | |||
| Korean | 기본 | ||
| The word "기본" ("basic") in Korean can also mean "foundation" or "principle." | |||
| Mongolian | үндсэн | ||
| The word "үндсэн" ("basic") in Mongolian can also refer to something that is "fundamental" or "essential". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခြေခံ | ||
| The word ကႁဗႉခႈ can also mean ခႂငႂ in Burmese language. | |||
Basic in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dasar | ||
| In Old Javanese, 'dasar' referred to the foundation of a house, and also something which was true, firm and stable. | |||
| Javanese | dhasar | ||
| The word "dhasar" derives from the Sanskrit word "adhara" meaning "base" or "support". | |||
| Khmer | មូលដ្ឋាន | ||
| The term “មូលដ្ឋាន” originated from the Sanskrit word “मूल” meaning “root”, therefore it also has the meaning of “origin” or “foundation”. | |||
| Lao | ພື້ນຖານ | ||
| Malay | asas | ||
| "Asas" in Malay also means "foundation" or "principle". | |||
| Thai | ขั้นพื้นฐาน | ||
| "ขั้นพื้นฐาน" literally means "fundamental steps" and refers to learning that lays the foundation for more advanced skills or knowledge. | |||
| Vietnamese | căn bản | ||
| Căn bản also has the meaning "foundation", or "root" when referring to a subject, skill, or concept. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | basic | ||
Basic in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əsas | ||
| The word "əsas" in Azerbaijani originates from the Persian word "اصل" (asl), which means "root", "foundation", or "basis". | |||
| Kazakh | негізгі | ||
| The word "негізгі" in Kazakh can also mean "main", "fundamental", or "essential". | |||
| Kyrgyz | негизги | ||
| The word "негизги" can also refer to something that is primary or essential. | |||
| Tajik | асосӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "асосӣ" is derived from the Persian/Arabic word "asāsī", meaning "fundamental" or "principal". | |||
| Turkmen | esasy | ||
| Uzbek | asosiy | ||
| Asosiy derives from the Persian word 'us' (foundation) and has connotations of 'fundamental' or 'elementary'. | |||
| Uyghur | basic | ||
Basic in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumu | ||
| In Hawaiian, "kumu" can also refer to a teacher or expert in a particular field, such as "kumu hula" (hula instructor). | |||
| Maori | taketake | ||
| Taketake can also mean to start, or begin, and in this sense is often used in reference to genealogy or a person's history. | |||
| Samoan | faʻavae | ||
| "Faʻavae" in Samoan can also mean "principle" or "foundation". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | batayan | ||
| "Batayan" derives from the root word "batay", which means "to base" or "to ground" on something. | |||
Basic in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wasiku | ||
| Guarani | pererĩva | ||
Basic in International Languages
| Esperanto | baza | ||
| The word "baza" in Esperanto can refer to the base of a tree or other object. | |||
| Latin | basic | ||
| The Latin word "basicus" can also mean "royal" or "imperial". | |||
Basic in Others Languages
| Greek | βασικός | ||
| The term 'βασικός' derives from the Ancient Greek word 'βάσις' ('basis'), which signifies a foundation, base, or support. | |||
| Hmong | yooj yim | ||
| The word "yooj yim" can also be used to describe something that is simple or straightforward. | |||
| Kurdish | bingehîn | ||
| The word "bingehîn" also means "deep" or "profound" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | temel | ||
| Temel can also refer to a foundational concept, an element of a structure, or a cornerstone. | |||
| Xhosa | esisiseko | ||
| It also means 'simplicity' or 'the beginning of something' in the context of the Xhosa language. | |||
| Yiddish | יקערדיק | ||
| The word 'יקערדיק' ('basic') in Yiddish can also mean 'fundamental' or 'essential'. | |||
| Zulu | eziyisisekelo | ||
| The etymology of the Zulu word 'eziyisisekelo' ('basic') translates to 'foundation or base' | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰাথমিক | ||
| Aymara | wasiku | ||
| Bhojpuri | बुनियादी | ||
| Dhivehi | އާދައިގެ | ||
| Dogri | बुनियादी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | basic | ||
| Guarani | pererĩva | ||
| Ilocano | kadawyan | ||
| Krio | men | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بنەڕەتی | ||
| Maithili | मूलभूत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯉꯥꯏ ꯐꯗꯕ | ||
| Mizo | bulthut | ||
| Oromo | bu'uura | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମ basic ଳିକ | ||
| Quechua | qallariq | ||
| Sanskrit | आधारभूत | ||
| Tatar | төп | ||
| Tigrinya | መሰረታዊ | ||
| Tsonga | ntolovelo | ||