Bend in Different Languages
Discover 'Bend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bend' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting the action or state of curving or changing direction. It's a simple term with a wide range of applications, from physics to yoga, and from everyday conversations to cultural references.
Culturally, 'bend' has been used in various phrases and idioms that have become part of our everyday language. For instance, bending over backwards signifies going out of one's way to help or please someone. This phrase is used globally, demonstrating the word's universal appeal and importance.
Given its significance and cultural importance, you might be interested in knowing its translation in different languages. Here are a few examples: in Spanish, 'bend' translates to 'doblar'; in French, it's 'plier'; in German, it's 'biegen'; in Italian, it's 'piegare'.
Stay tuned to learn more about the word 'bend' in various languages and cultures!
Bend
Bend in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | buig | ||
| In Afrikaans, "buig" can also refer to the arch of a bridge or the bow of a ship. | |||
| Amharic | መታጠፍ | ||
| The word 'መታጠፍ' can also refer to twisting and folding. | |||
| Hausa | lanƙwasa | ||
| "Lanƙwasa" also means "to turn" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ehulata | ||
| An alternate meaning of “ehulata” is “to incline” | |||
| Malagasy | bend | ||
| In Malagasy, "bend" can also mean "to bend someone over". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukhotetsa | ||
| "Kukhotetsa" can also refer to causing inconvenience or making someone feel uneasy. | |||
| Shona | bend | ||
| The word "bend" in Shona also refers to a place or area. | |||
| Somali | foorarsan | ||
| The word "foorarsan" can also mean "to make crooked" or "to curve" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | koba | ||
| Also means 'to be crooked or twisted' | |||
| Swahili | pinda | ||
| The word "pinda" in Swahili can also refer to a type of peanut or a ball made of cassava flour. | |||
| Xhosa | ukugoba | ||
| The word "ukugoba" can also mean "to avoid" or "to evade" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | tẹ | ||
| The word "tẹ" can also mean to "ask forgiveness" or "respect" someone. | |||
| Zulu | ukugoba | ||
| In certain contexts, "ukugoba" can also refer to "lowering" or "humbling" someone or something. | |||
| Bambara | ka gɔlɔn | ||
| Ewe | bɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kunama | ||
| Lingala | kogumba | ||
| Luganda | okugooma | ||
| Sepedi | koba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | koa | ||
Bend in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ينحني | ||
| The word "ينحني" also refers to submission or humility. | |||
| Hebrew | לְכּוֹפֵף | ||
| The original meaning of the word "לְכּוֹפֵף" was "to bow down". | |||
| Pashto | تاوول | ||
| The word "تاوول" in Pashto can also refer to the act of interpreting or explaining something. | |||
| Arabic | ينحني | ||
| The word "ينحني" also refers to submission or humility. | |||
Bend in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përkulem | ||
| The verb "përkulem" in Albanian derives from the Latin verb "incurvo" with the same meaning. | |||
| Basque | okertu | ||
| The Basque word "okertu" is derived from the Proto-Basque form "*okerto" and also means "to turn". | |||
| Catalan | doblegar-se | ||
| "Doblegar-se" is the Spanish verb “doblarse,” to fold or bend, plus -se (reflexive verb ending), so the meaning translates to “to bend oneself," similar to "to stoop.” | |||
| Croatian | savijati se | ||
| The word "savijati se" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sъviti, meaning "bind" or "turn". | |||
| Danish | bøje | ||
| "Bøje" also means "buoy" and "exercise" and comes from the Proto-Germanic word "bugjan," meaning "to bow". | |||
| Dutch | bocht | ||
| The Dutch word "bocht", meaning "bend", likely originates from the Old Frisian word "bocht". It can also refer to a curve or turn in a road, river, or other linear feature. | |||
| English | bend | ||
| Derived from Middle English benden meaning "to stretch or strain." | |||
| French | pliez | ||
| The word "pliez" in French comes from the Latin word "plicare", meaning "to fold" or "to plait". | |||
| Frisian | bûge | ||
| The word "bûge" can also refer to a bow or curve, or the act of bowing or bending. | |||
| Galician | dobrar | ||
| Galician word "dobrar" can also mean to double or to repeat (an action). | |||
| German | biege | ||
| In architecture, "Biege" means "curved roof tile" and in gymnastics, "flexion of the extremities," with "elbow flexion" as "Ellbogenbeuge." | |||
| Icelandic | beygja | ||
| The word 'beygja' also means 'to force' or 'to persuade' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | bend | ||
| The Irish word "bend" is also used to refer to a mountain pass. | |||
| Italian | piegare | ||
| Piega (bend) derives from Latin plica, fold or plait; the related noun is piega (fold), and pieghevole (foldable). | |||
| Luxembourgish | béien | ||
| "Béien" is used to describe the bending of a physical object, but can also figuratively refer to the bending of rules or principles. | |||
| Maltese | liwja | ||
| The word "liwja" also refers to the part of the body where the leg connects to the hip. | |||
| Norwegian | bøye | ||
| The word "bøye" can also mean "buoy" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dobrar | ||
| In nautical terms, "dobrar" means to round a cape or headland. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lùb | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "lùb" can also refer to the rounded shape of a person's back or a curved object. | |||
| Spanish | curva | ||
| "Curva" comes from the Latin "curvare," meaning "to bend," and can also refer to a curve in a graph or a bend in a river. | |||
| Swedish | böja | ||
| Böja also means "to change" or "to decline" (grammar). | |||
| Welsh | plygu | ||
| The verb 'plygu' has been derived from the Indo-European root 'plek' and shares the same origin with words such as 'plait,' 'placate,' and 'flexible'. | |||
Bend in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сагнуць | ||
| The word "сагнуць" also means "to obey" or "to submit" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | saviti | ||
| The word "saviti" can also refer to the act of bending something or the state of being bent. | |||
| Bulgarian | извивам | ||
| The Bulgarian verb "извивам" ("bend") also means "to apologize" or "to justify oneself". | |||
| Czech | ohyb | ||
| Ohýb can also refer to the bow of a string instrument or a curve in a road. | |||
| Estonian | painutada | ||
| The word "painutada" in Estonian can also mean "to bow", "to fold", and "to incline". | |||
| Finnish | taivuta | ||
| "Taivuta" shares its origin with the word "taivas" ("heaven"), as they both descend from the same Proto-Uralic word. | |||
| Hungarian | hajlít | ||
| In Hungarian, the word hajlík also refers to a person with an unyielding will | |||
| Latvian | locīt | ||
| The Latvian word "locīt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *lek- ("to bend, curve"), which is also found in English words like "lock" and "leg". | |||
| Lithuanian | sulenkti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "sulenkti" can also be translated as "convince" or "induce". | |||
| Macedonian | се наведнуваат | ||
| The verb "се наведнуваат" in Macedonian can also mean "to bow" or "to stoop." | |||
| Polish | zakręt | ||
| In Polish, the word "zakręt" can also refer to an awkward situation or a predicament. | |||
| Romanian | apleca | ||
| The Romanian word for "bend" comes from the Latin word "aplicare," meaning "to apply"} | |||
| Russian | сгибаться | ||
| In 18th-century Russia, "сгибаться" was also used as a euphemism for "to die". | |||
| Serbian | савити | ||
| The root of the word савити comes from the Proto-Slavic word *sъniti, which also means "curve, bow, arch" | |||
| Slovak | ohnúť | ||
| The word "ohnúť" can also mean "to break" or "to defeat" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | upognite se | ||
| Upognite se is etymologically connected to Slovene verb 'pokati' - to crack/pop/burst by a sound. | |||
| Ukrainian | згинати | ||
| The root of the word «згинати» («bend») is a Proto-Slavic word which evolved through different forms to become «гинати» («bend») in Bulgarian and «згибать» («bend») in Russian | |||
Bend in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাঁকানো | ||
| In Bengali, “বঁাকানো” (“bend”) also refers to the process of weaving yarn into fabric, highlighting its versatility and connection to textile arts. | |||
| Gujarati | વાળવું | ||
| The term "વાળવું" (bend) originates from the Sanskrit word "val" meaning "to twist" or "to turn," suggesting its ancient roots in describing twisting or turning actions. | |||
| Hindi | झुकना | ||
| The word "झुकना" may also refer to "to bow down", "to yield" or "to obey" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಾಗಿ | ||
| "ಬಾಗಿ" can also be used to describe the act of "requesting" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വളയുക | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "valaya" means "bangle" or "bracelet", suggesting that the Malayalam word "വളയുക" may have originated from this root. | |||
| Marathi | वाकणे | ||
| वाकणे can also mean to twist, turn, or curve, and comes from the Sanskrit root 'vak' meaning 'to turn' or 'to bend'. | |||
| Nepali | बाङ्गो | ||
| बाङ्गो has the alternate meaning of "crooked", and the word possibly originates from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *baŋ "curve". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੋੜੋ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਮੋੜੋ" (moṛō) is also used to refer to a "fold" or a "corner". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නැමී | ||
| The word 'නැමී' in Sinhala can also mean 'to agree' or 'to obey'. | |||
| Tamil | வளைவு | ||
| The word "வளைவு" in Tamil can also refer to a bend in a river or road. | |||
| Telugu | వంగి | ||
| The word "వంగి" can also mean "a type of plant" or "a part of a garment" in Telugu | |||
| Urdu | موڑنا | ||
| موڑنا is derived from the verb "مڑنا" meaning "to turn", and can also be used to describe "a twist" or "a coil". | |||
Bend in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 弯曲 | ||
| 弯曲 can also mean "to make a request", "to ask for", "to solicit". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 彎曲 | ||
| "彎曲" can also mean "crooked" or "devious" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 曲げる | ||
| "曲げる" (mageru) means "to bend" in Japanese. The character "曲" can also mean "melody," and appears in many Japanese musical terms. | |||
| Korean | 굽히다 | ||
| The word "굽히다" also means "to bow" or "to submit". | |||
| Mongolian | нугалах | ||
| 'Нугалах' can also mean to 'dodge', 'avoid' or 'elude'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကွေး | ||
| The word ကွေး can also mean "to coil" or "to twist," which suggests its origin in the Sanskrit word "kuṭila." In modern Burmese, ကွေး is often used to convey bending or curving in different directions. | |||
Bend in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tikungan | ||
| "Tikungan" has a secondary meaning as a place of ambush or a place where someone can hide. | |||
| Javanese | mbengkongaken | ||
| The term "mbengkongaken" in Javanese can also mean to distort or twist something. | |||
| Khmer | ពត់ | ||
| The word ពត់ can also mean "to turn" or "to change direction". | |||
| Lao | ງໍ | ||
| The verb "ງໍ" in Lao also has the alternate meaning of "to ask for/request", likely related to the physical act of bowing down in respect. | |||
| Malay | selekoh | ||
| The Malay word "selekoh" (bend) is thought to originate from the Proto-Austronesian word *siku, which also means "elbow". | |||
| Thai | โค้งงอ | ||
| "โค้งงอ" in Thai can also refer to a bend that is not straight or a curved line. | |||
| Vietnamese | bẻ cong | ||
| The word "bẻ cong" can also mean "to change someone's mind" or "to break something into smaller pieces" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | yumuko | ||
Bend in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əyilmək | ||
| "Əyilmək" is also used to mean "to yield" and "to obey" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | иілу | ||
| The Kazakh word "иілу" can also mean "to give birth" or "to become" in some contexts. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бүгүү | ||
| The word "бүгүү" also means "to fold" or "to wrap" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | хам кардан | ||
| The word "хам кардан" in Tajik is also used to refer to the act of folding or doubling something | |||
| Turkmen | egilmek | ||
| Uzbek | egilish | ||
| In some Central Asian languages, egilish also means 'to turn over, tip over' and 'to bend over, stoop' | |||
| Uyghur | ئېگىلىش | ||
Bend in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūlou | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kūlou" can also refer to a humpback whale, a hump on an animal's back, and a bow in a canoe. | |||
| Maori | whakapiko | ||
| In Maori, “whakapiko” can refer to bending something physically or figuratively, such as an argument or a person’s will | |||
| Samoan | loloʻu | ||
| The word "loloʻu" in Samoan may also refer to a type of conch shell, a traditional Samoan necklace, or a Samoan dance move. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | yumuko | ||
| The Tagalog word "yumuko" can also mean "to bow down" or "to submit to someone's authority". | |||
Bend in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | suk'aña | ||
| Guarani | mopẽ | ||
Bend in International Languages
| Esperanto | fleksi | ||
| The root word "fleks" comes from Latin and entered the language via French where it originally meant "knee". | |||
| Latin | flecte | ||
| The Latin noun "flexus" means both "bending" and "bay" (of the sea) | |||
Bend in Others Languages
| Greek | στροφή | ||
| The word "στροφή" in Greek also refers to a poetic stanza or refrain. | |||
| Hmong | khoov | ||
| The Hmong word "khoov" can also refer to a bend in a river. | |||
| Kurdish | xwarkirin | ||
| The word "xwarkirin" in Kurdish can also mean "to move" or "to change shape." | |||
| Turkish | bükmek | ||
| The word "Bükmek" can also refer to "distorting" or "wrapping" something. | |||
| Xhosa | ukugoba | ||
| The word "ukugoba" can also mean "to avoid" or "to evade" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | בייגן | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "בייגן" also means "to interpret" or "to translate". | |||
| Zulu | ukugoba | ||
| In certain contexts, "ukugoba" can also refer to "lowering" or "humbling" someone or something. | |||
| Assamese | বেঁকা কৰা | ||
| Aymara | suk'aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | झुक जाइल | ||
| Dhivehi | ގުދުވުން | ||
| Dogri | झुकना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | yumuko | ||
| Guarani | mopẽ | ||
| Ilocano | killuen | ||
| Krio | bɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چەمانەوە | ||
| Maithili | झुकानाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tikul | ||
| Oromo | dabsuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବଙ୍କା | ||
| Quechua | qiwiy | ||
| Sanskrit | नमयति | ||
| Tatar | иелү | ||
| Tigrinya | ምዕጻፍ | ||
| Tsonga | khotsa | ||