Beat in Different Languages
Discover 'Beat' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'beat' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, with a wide range of meanings that can refer to rhythm, sound, physical attack, or even emotional exhaustion. Its cultural importance is evident in music, literature, and even in our everyday language. For instance, the phrase 'beat generation' represents a post-World War II literary movement, while the iconic song 'All You Need is Love' by The Beatles has left an indelible mark on music history.
Given its significance, one might wonder how 'beat' is translated in different languages, as understanding these nuances can enrich our cross-cultural communication. For example, in Spanish, 'beat' can be translated as 'ritmo' (rhythm) or 'golpe' (hit), while in French, it can be translated as 'battement' (rhythm) or 'coup' (hit).
Exploring the translations of 'beat' in various languages can shed light on the cultural differences and similarities in how we perceive and express rhythm, sound, and emotion. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of language and culture.
Beat
Beat in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | klop | ||
| The word "klop" can also refer to a knock or a rap on a door. | |||
| Amharic | ድብደባ | ||
| The word ድብደባ can mean both "rhythm" and "beat". | |||
| Hausa | doke | ||
| The Hausa word "doke" also implies "to strike a bargain" in a marketplace. | |||
| Igbo | tie aka | ||
| The Igbo verb "tie aka" ("beat") also means "cut" or "injure" when used in certain contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | gadona | ||
| The word "gadona" in Malagasy can also mean "to break" or "to crush". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumenya | ||
| "Kumenya" (beat) comes from the Proto-Bantu root "-men-" meaning "to hit" or "to strike". In Nyanja, it can also mean "to defeat" or "to overcome". | |||
| Shona | kurova | ||
| The word "kurova" can also mean "to beat up" or "to assault" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | garaacid | ||
| "Garaacid" also refers to a type of traditional Somali dance, characterized by rhythmic footwork and body movements. | |||
| Sesotho | otloa | ||
| In addition to meaning 'beat', "otloa" can also mean 'to knead' when used with a reflexive pronoun | |||
| Swahili | piga | ||
| "Piga" also means "to play an instrument" or "to hunt" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubetha | ||
| In some contexts, the verb 'ukubetha' can mean 'to beat with force' or 'to pound', while in others, it can refer to 'beating down on a surface' or 'playing a drum'. | |||
| Yoruba | lu | ||
| The Yoruba word "lu" has additional meanings such as "to strike," "to pound," or "to knock." | |||
| Zulu | shaya | ||
| The Zulu word 'shaya' is derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-ka-ya', meaning 'to strike', and also carries the implication of 'to make submissive' or 'to overcome'. | |||
| Bambara | ka bugɔ | ||
| Ewe | ƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukubita | ||
| Lingala | kobeta | ||
| Luganda | okukuba | ||
| Sepedi | betha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hwe | ||
Beat in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تغلب | ||
| The Arabic word "تغلب" (beat) is related to the concept of "overcoming" and can also imply "prevailing over an opponent" or "gaining victory". | |||
| Hebrew | להיות ב | ||
| The word "להיות ב" in Hebrew can also refer to being in the state of waiting, being located in a place, or being in an emotional state. | |||
| Pashto | وهل | ||
| The word وهل is also used to refer to the sound of something beating or vibrating and can also mean to palpitate. | |||
| Arabic | تغلب | ||
| The Arabic word "تغلب" (beat) is related to the concept of "overcoming" and can also imply "prevailing over an opponent" or "gaining victory". | |||
Beat in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mundi | ||
| Mundi (beat) derives from the Latin | |||
| Basque | jipoitu | ||
| Jipoitu can also refer to a person who is always getting into trouble or who is unlucky. | |||
| Catalan | batre | ||
| The word "batre" in Catalan is a cognate of the French "battre" and the English "batter" and originally referred to the action of pounding or striking with a flat object. | |||
| Croatian | pobijediti | ||
| The Croatian word 'pobijediti' also means 'to win' or 'to conquer'. | |||
| Danish | slå | ||
| The Danish word "slå" can also mean "to cut down" (a tree or bush) or "to slaughter" (an animal). | |||
| Dutch | ritme | ||
| The word "ritme" originates from the Greek "rhythmos," meaning "regular, flowing movement." | |||
| English | beat | ||
| The word "beat" can also mean a measured rhythm or a specific musical genre, and is related to the Old English word "beatan" meaning "to pound" or "to strike". | |||
| French | battre | ||
| "Battre" is derived from the Latin word "battuere" (to strike), and can also mean "to flutter" or "to clap". | |||
| Frisian | slaan | ||
| "Slaan" in Frisian can also refer to the act of slamming or throwing something. | |||
| Galician | bater | ||
| The Galician word "bater" (beat) can also mean "to clap". | |||
| German | schlagen | ||
| Schlagen can also mean "to propose a toast" or "to play a musical instrument". | |||
| Icelandic | slá | ||
| In Icelandic, "slá" does not only mean "to beat" but can also refer to the act of gambling, making a sound, or striking a musical instrument. | |||
| Irish | buille | ||
| Buille also means 'blow,' which is etymologically linked to 'beat.' | |||
| Italian | battere | ||
| The word "battere" also means "to fly" or "to flap" in Italian, deriving from the Latin word "battuere". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schloen | ||
| The word "schloen" is derived from the French word "esclandre" which means "scandal" or "uproar". It can also mean "to make a big fuss" or "to exaggerate". | |||
| Maltese | taħbit | ||
| The Maltese word "taħbit" can refer to a musical beat, or it can mean "a beating" or "a throbbing" in a non-musical context. | |||
| Norwegian | slå | ||
| The Norwegian verb "slå" also means "to throw," "to hit," "to strike," and "to play (an instrument)" depending on the context. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | batida | ||
| The word "batida" in Portuguese can also refer to an alcoholic beverage. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | buille | ||
| The term 'buille' also refers to a tool or an instrument used for beating or striking. | |||
| Spanish | golpear | ||
| The word "golpear" can also mean "to knock" or "to hit". | |||
| Swedish | slå | ||
| The word "slå" in Swedish can also mean "to strike" (as in e.g. a match), "to cut" (as in e.g. grass), "to ring" (as in e.g. a bell), "to throw" (as in e.g. a ball), or "to close" (as in e.g. a door). | |||
| Welsh | curo | ||
| The word `curo` in Welsh also refers to a type of musical rhythm or beat. | |||
Beat in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | біць | ||
| The Belarusian word "біць" can also refer to a unit of measurement for grain, a type of cloth or fabric, or the act of striking with the fist. | |||
| Bosnian | pobijediti | ||
| The word "pobijediti" in Bosnian has Indo-European roots and is related to the English word "victory". | |||
| Bulgarian | бийте | ||
| The word "бийте" ("beat") also means "to hit" or "to strike" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | porazit | ||
| The word "porazit" in Czech can also mean "to defeat" or "to overcome". | |||
| Estonian | rütm | ||
| The Estonian word "rütm" derives from the Swedish word "rytm" which, in turn, derives from the Greek word "ῥυθμός" (rhythm). | |||
| Finnish | lyödä | ||
| "Lyödä" can also refer to the act of playing a musical instrument. | |||
| Hungarian | üt | ||
| The Hungarian word "üt" can also refer to the act of hitting, striking, or knocking something. | |||
| Latvian | pārspēt | ||
| The Proto-Indo-European root "per" that "pārspert" originates from may also mean "to pass through," as seen in "perforate" and "port." | |||
| Lithuanian | mušti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "mušti" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*meus-", meaning "to strike" or "to push". | |||
| Macedonian | бие | ||
| The word "бие" can also be used to describe the process of washing clothes by hand. | |||
| Polish | bić | ||
| In Polish slang, «bić» can also mean "to deceive", "to rip off" or "to betray". | |||
| Romanian | bate | ||
| In Romanian, "bate" can also mean "to stir" or "to whip". | |||
| Russian | бить | ||
| The Russian word "бить" also has connotations of "to strike" or "to affect strongly". | |||
| Serbian | победити | ||
| The verb 'победити' originally referred to overcoming a challenge or obstacle rather than physical victory. | |||
| Slovak | poraziť | ||
| Slovak "poraziť" is cognate with Polish "porazić," meaning to "defeat" or "overcome." | |||
| Slovenian | premagati | ||
| The word "premagati" (beat) in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*preg-ъ", which also means "to cross" or "to surpass". | |||
| Ukrainian | бити | ||
| "Бити" in Ukrainian also has the alternate meaning of "to flow", like a river, or "to run" rapidly, like a horse. | |||
Beat in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বীট | ||
| বীট (''beat'') can also mean to search for or explore something thoroughly. | |||
| Gujarati | હરાવ્યું | ||
| The Gujarati word "હરાવ્યું" originates from the Sanskrit root "han," meaning "to strike" or "to kill." | |||
| Hindi | हराना | ||
| हराना (beat) in Hindi also means 'to lose' | |||
| Kannada | ಬೀಟ್ | ||
| In Kannada, "ಬೀಟ್" (beat) also means "part" or "a portion of something." | |||
| Malayalam | അടിക്കുക | ||
| The Malayalam word 'അടിക്കുക' can also mean 'to set off' or 'to start'. | |||
| Marathi | विजय | ||
| The word "विजय" can also mean "victory" or "triumph". | |||
| Nepali | कुट्नु | ||
| The Nepali word “कुट्नु” (beat) is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word “कुट्टयति” which also has the meaning of rubbing. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੁੱਟਿਆ | ||
| The word "ਕੁੱਟਿਆ" can alternatively mean "beaten by a stick" or "beaten up as punishment" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පහර | ||
| The Sinhala word "පහර" (beat) likely derives from the Dravidian root "paṟai", meaning "hit" or "strike". | |||
| Tamil | அடி | ||
| The word 'அடி' (beat) in Tamil can also refer to a foot, a base, or a step. | |||
| Telugu | బీట్ | ||
| The Telugu word 'బీట్' can also refer to a small piece of land measuring about 120 cents. | |||
| Urdu | شکست دی | ||
| It is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰew- meaning "to strike" and is cognate with the English word "beat". | |||
Beat in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 击败 | ||
| In Chinese, "击败" can also mean "defeat" or "overcome". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 擊敗 | ||
| 擊 combines 攴 (attack), and 貝 (money) and has been used since the Spring and Autumn Period. 敗 includes 皿 (bowl), and 豵 (fall), and dates back to the Warring States Period | |||
| Japanese | ビート | ||
| In Japanese, the word "ビート" (beat) also refers to a rhythm of music and a particular style of poetry that originated in the Edo period. | |||
| Korean | 박자 | ||
| The word "박자" can also refer to the timing or rhythm of music. | |||
| Mongolian | цохих | ||
| "Цохих" has an alternate meaning of "come upon", possibly derived from the sound of horse hooves. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရိုက်တယ် | ||
Beat in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengalahkan | ||
| In Malay, "mengalahkan" also means "to defeat" or "to surpass". | |||
| Javanese | ngalahake | ||
| The word "ngalahake" in Javanese can also mean "to win" or "to surpass". | |||
| Khmer | វាយ | ||
| The word "វាយ" (beat) in Khmer can also mean "to attack" or "to strike". | |||
| Lao | ທຸບຕີ | ||
| The word "ທຸບຕີ" ("beat") in Lao is derived from the Sanskrit word "tudati," which also means "push" or "pierce." | |||
| Malay | pukul | ||
| In Malay, the word 'pukul' can also mean 'to strike', 'to hit', 'to knock', 'to pound', or 'to tap'. | |||
| Thai | ตี | ||
| In Central Thai, "ตี" means "beat," but in Northern Thai it can also mean "to touch". | |||
| Vietnamese | tiết tấu | ||
| The word "tiết tấu" also means "rhythm" or "tempo" in music. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matalo | ||
Beat in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qalib gəlmək | ||
| In some Turkic languages "qəlib gəlmək" also means "to arrive" or "to land" | |||
| Kazakh | ұру | ||
| The Kazakh word "ұру" can be used as a noun "ұр", meaning "offspring", or a verb meaning "to breed". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сабоо | ||
| Kyrgyz verb «сабоо» means «beat» in Russian and «strike» in English. | |||
| Tajik | задан | ||
| "Задан" is also a Persian word meaning "task" or "duty". | |||
| Turkmen | ur | ||
| Uzbek | mag'lub etish | ||
| The word "mag'lub etish" in Uzbek is derived from the Arabic word "maghlūb", meaning "overcome" or "defeated". | |||
| Uyghur | beat | ||
Beat in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paʻi | ||
| In addition, paʻi has historical significance with the ancient Hawaiian practice of kapa (bark cloth) making. | |||
| Maori | whiua | ||
| Whiua in Maori can also mean a bundle of food and is derived from the word whu which means to wrap or to twist. | |||
| Samoan | sasa | ||
| The verb 'sasa' can also mean 'to tap' or 'to knock', and is cognate with the Tongan word 'tasa'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matalo | ||
| The word "matalo" can also refer to "killing" or "slaying" in Tagalog. | |||
Beat in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | atipjaña | ||
| Guarani | tytýi | ||
Beat in International Languages
| Esperanto | bati | ||
| The Esperanto word "bati" also means "to lay bricks" in French, and "to baptize" in Russian. | |||
| Latin | ictum | ||
| The Latin word "ictum" also means "a stroke" or "a shock", indicating its close association with rhythmic movement and physical impact. | |||
Beat in Others Languages
| Greek | ρυθμός | ||
| Ancient Greek "ρυθμός" (rhythm) relates to fluidity & flow, unlike the strict, measured nature of its English counterpart & refers to "a due or proper measure." | |||
| Hmong | yeej | ||
| "Yeev" is also the name given to the Hmong drum | |||
| Kurdish | lêdan | ||
| The word "lêdan" can also refer to the concept of "dominating" or "subduing" someone. | |||
| Turkish | dövmek | ||
| 'Döv' (beat) derives from the verb 'davmak' (to summon someone), which is a derivative of the word for 'fight' | |||
| Xhosa | ukubetha | ||
| In some contexts, the verb 'ukubetha' can mean 'to beat with force' or 'to pound', while in others, it can refer to 'beating down on a surface' or 'playing a drum'. | |||
| Yiddish | קלאַפּן | ||
| In Yiddish, "קלאַפּן" can also mean to applaud, knock, or clap. | |||
| Zulu | shaya | ||
| The Zulu word 'shaya' is derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-ka-ya', meaning 'to strike', and also carries the implication of 'to make submissive' or 'to overcome'. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰহাৰ কৰা | ||
| Aymara | atipjaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | मारल | ||
| Dhivehi | ތެޅުން | ||
| Dogri | रहाना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matalo | ||
| Guarani | tytýi | ||
| Ilocano | bauten | ||
| Krio | bit | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لێدان | ||
| Maithili | ताल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯨꯕ | ||
| Mizo | vua | ||
| Oromo | reebuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | beat | ||
| Quechua | atipay | ||
| Sanskrit | आघातः | ||
| Tatar | кыйнау | ||
| Tigrinya | ምሽናፍ | ||
| Tsonga | mabelo | ||