Bike in Different Languages
Discover 'Bike' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Bike
Afrikaans fiets | ||
Albanian biciklete | ||
Amharic ብስክሌት | ||
Arabic دراجة هوائية | ||
Armenian հեծանիվ | ||
Assamese মটৰচাইকেল | ||
Aymara wisikilita | ||
Azerbaijani velosiped | ||
Bambara nɛgɛso | ||
Basque bizikleta | ||
Belarusian ровар | ||
Bengali বাইক | ||
Bhojpuri बाइक | ||
Bosnian bicikl | ||
Bulgarian мотор | ||
Catalan bicicleta | ||
Cebuano biseklita | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 自行车 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 自行車 | ||
Corsican bicicletta | ||
Croatian bicikl | ||
Czech kolo | ||
Danish cykel | ||
Dhivehi ބައިސްކަލު | ||
Dogri बाइक | ||
Dutch fiets | ||
English bike | ||
Esperanto biciklo | ||
Estonian jalgratas | ||
Ewe gasɔ̃ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) bisikleta | ||
Finnish pyörä | ||
French bicyclette | ||
Frisian fyts | ||
Galician bicicleta | ||
Georgian ველოსიპედი | ||
German fahrrad | ||
Greek ποδήλατο | ||
Guarani apajerekõi | ||
Gujarati બાઇક | ||
Haitian Creole bisiklèt | ||
Hausa keke | ||
Hawaiian paikikala | ||
Hebrew אופניים | ||
Hindi बाइक | ||
Hmong tsheb tuam | ||
Hungarian bicikli | ||
Icelandic hjól | ||
Igbo igwe kwụ otu ebe | ||
Ilocano bisikleta | ||
Indonesian sepeda | ||
Irish rothar | ||
Italian bicicletta | ||
Japanese 自転車 | ||
Javanese pit | ||
Kannada ಬೈಕು | ||
Kazakh велосипед | ||
Khmer កង់ | ||
Kinyarwanda bike | ||
Konkani बायक | ||
Korean 자전거 | ||
Krio bayk | ||
Kurdish bike | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) پایسکڵ | ||
Kyrgyz велосипед | ||
Lao ລົດຖີບ | ||
Latin cursoriam | ||
Latvian velosipēds | ||
Lingala velo | ||
Lithuanian dviratis | ||
Luganda gaali | ||
Luxembourgish vëlo | ||
Macedonian велосипед | ||
Maithili बाइक | ||
Malagasy bisikileta | ||
Malay basikal | ||
Malayalam ബൈക്ക് | ||
Maltese rota | ||
Maori pahikara | ||
Marathi दुचाकी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯕꯥꯏꯛ ꯊꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo thirsakawr | ||
Mongolian дугуй | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) စက်ဘီး | ||
Nepali बाइक | ||
Norwegian sykkel | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) njinga | ||
Odia (Oriya) ବାଇକ୍ | ||
Oromo biskileettii | ||
Pashto موټرسايکل | ||
Persian دوچرخه | ||
Polish rower | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) bicicleta | ||
Punjabi ਸਾਈਕਲ | ||
Quechua bicicleta | ||
Romanian bicicletă | ||
Russian велосипед | ||
Samoan uila | ||
Sanskrit यन्त्रद्विचक्रिका | ||
Scots Gaelic baidhc | ||
Sepedi paesekela | ||
Serbian бицикл | ||
Sesotho baesekele | ||
Shona bhasikoro | ||
Sindhi بائيڪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) බයික් | ||
Slovak bicykel | ||
Slovenian kolo | ||
Somali baaskiil | ||
Spanish bicicleta | ||
Sundanese sapédah | ||
Swahili baiskeli | ||
Swedish cykel | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) bisikleta | ||
Tajik велосипед | ||
Tamil உந்துஉருளி | ||
Tatar велосипед | ||
Telugu బైక్ | ||
Thai จักรยาน | ||
Tigrinya ብሽክሌታ | ||
Tsonga xithuthuthu | ||
Turkish bisiklet | ||
Turkmen welosiped | ||
Twi (Akan) sakre | ||
Ukrainian велосипед | ||
Urdu موٹر سائیکل | ||
Uyghur ۋېلىسىپىت | ||
Uzbek velosiped | ||
Vietnamese xe đạp | ||
Welsh beic | ||
Xhosa ibhayisekile | ||
Yiddish בייק | ||
Yoruba keke | ||
Zulu ibhayisikili |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Fiets is derived from the French word ' bicyclette' and originally referred to a velocipede with a front wheel of at least a metre wide. |
| Albanian | The word "biciklete" is derived from the French word "bicyclette" and the Italian word "bicicletta". |
| Amharic | The word "ብስክሌት" is derived from the French word "bicyclette", which in turn comes from the Latin word "bis" (meaning "twice") and the Greek word "kyklos" (meaning "wheel"). |
| Arabic | Historically "دراجة هوائية" also meant "sewing machine" but fell out of use after "ماكينة خياطة" became more popular. |
| Armenian | The word "հեծանիվ" (bike) in Armenian is derived from the Persian word "سیکلت" (sīklet), which in turn comes from the French word "vélocipède" (literally "fast foot"). |
| Azerbaijani | Velosiped can also mean "train" or "carriage" in Azerbaijani. |
| Basque | "Bizikleta" is the fusion of the words "bizi" (path, way) and "kleta" (machine). |
| Belarusian | The word "ровар" in Belarusian derives from the Polish "rower" or the German "Radler". |
| Bengali | The word "বাইক" ('bike') can also refer to a bicycle or motorcycle in Bengali. |
| Bosnian | The word "bicikl" originated in French with the words "bi" meaning "two" and "cycle" meaning "wheel". |
| Bulgarian | Bulgarian word “мотор” can refer to either a motorcycle or an electric motor. |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "bicicleta" comes from the French "bicyclette," which itself comes from the Latin "bis" (two) and "rotare" (to roll). |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The term 自行车 literally translates to 'self-moving car' |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 自行車 can refer to either a bicycle or a motorbike |
| Corsican | The word "bicicletta" comes from the French "bicyclette" which is composed of "bi-" meaning "two", and "cycle" from Latin "cyclê" which means "wheel". |
| Croatian | "Bicikl" comes from the French word "bicyclette" but also means "spectacles" or "eyeglasses" in colloquial Croatian. |
| Czech | Kolo can also mean "wheel" in Czech, as in kolo od vozu, meaning "wheel of a wagon". |
| Danish | "Cykel" derives from the Greek "kuklos" (circle) via the French "cycle" and Latin "cyclus". |
| Dutch | The word 'fiets' in Dutch is derived from the French word 'vélocipède' which means 'fast foot'. |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "biciklo" is derived from the French "bicyclette" and the Spanish "bicicleta", both of which ultimately derive from the Latin "birotula" meaning "two-wheeled vehicle". |
| Estonian | The Estonian word "jalgratas" originates from the German "Fahrrad" and literally means "foot-wheel". |
| Finnish | "Pyörä" also means "wheel" in Finnish, and is cognate with the English word "sphere". |
| French | The French word "bicyclette" derives from the Greek word "kyklos" (meaning "wheel") and the Latin suffix "-ette" (meaning small). |
| Frisian | The word "fyts" in Frisian not only means "bike", but also a "fight" or "battle". |
| Galician | Galician "bicicleta" comes from the French "bicyclette" and the Latin "bi-(two)," "rota-(wheel)." |
| Georgian | The word "ველოსიპედი" is derived from the Greek words "velos" (wheel) and "pedos" (foot), reflecting the original foot-powered nature of bicycles. |
| German | German word "Fahrrad" literally translates to "driving wheel" or "riding wheel" |
| Greek | "Ποδήλατο" comes from the Greek words "πούς" (foot) and "δέος" (wheel). |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "બાઇક" can also refer to a motorcycle, which is a vehicle with two wheels and a motor. |
| Haitian Creole | "Bisiklèt" is derived from the French word "bicyclette" and the English word "bicycle." |
| Hausa | The word "keke" in Hausa can also mean "to tremble" or "to shake". |
| Hawaiian | The word "paikikala" is derived from the Hawaiian words "paikī" (to ride) and "kala" (wheel). |
| Hebrew | The word "אופניים" is derived from the plural form of the Greek word "δίκυκλος", meaning "two-wheeled." |
| Hindi | "बाइक" comes from the French "bicyclette," meaning "small two-wheeled vehicle." |
| Hmong | 'Tsheb tuam' literally means 'two-wheeled car'. |
| Hungarian | In Hungarian, the word "bicikli" comes from the French "bicyclette" but also refers to a "motorcycle," whereas "kerékpár" specifically means "bicycle." |
| Icelandic | The word "hjól" has an alternate meaning of "wheel" in Icelandic. |
| Igbo | Igwe kwụ otu ebe, also a play on Igbo words which means 'machine that is stationary in one location', is locally manufactured by a blacksmith. |
| Indonesian | The word "sepeda" is derived from the Dutch word "fiets" and originally referred to a two-wheeled vehicle with pedals. |
| Irish | The Irish word 'rothar' comes from the Greek word 'trochos', meaning 'wheel', and was originally used to describe a one-wheeled vehicle. |
| Italian | In Sicilian, "bicicletta" originally meant "small tricycle" and is a dialectal diminutive of "bicocca", which means "small hovel" or "cabin". |
| Japanese | 自転車 (jitensha) literally means "self-rotating-vehicle" in Japanese, as it is a vehicle that is propelled by the rider's own power. |
| Javanese | Javanese word "pit" means "bicycle," possibly derived from Dutch "fiets" |
| Kannada | "ಬೈಕು" (bike) is derived from the English word "bicycle" and also means "bicycle" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "велосипед" comes from the Russian word велосипед, which in turn comes from the French word vélocipède, meaning "fast foot". |
| Khmer | កង់ (kang) can also mean "a type of boat propelled by paddles" or "a stick or beam used to connect parts of a structure". |
| Korean | "자전거" literally means "self-turning wheel" in Korean. |
| Kurdish | The word "bike" is also used in the Kurdish language to refer to "motorcycle". |
| Kyrgyz | The Kyrgyz word "велосипед" also means "an individual of short stature". |
| Latin | The Latin word |
| Latvian | "Velosipēds" is derived from Latin "velox" ("swift") and Greek "pous" ("foot") or Latin "pedis" (gen. of "pes" - "foot"), referring to the speed and the use of feet to propel the vehicle. |
| Lithuanian | Lithuanian "dviratis" (bike) comes from the words "dviratinis" (two-wheeled) and "vežimas" (carriage). |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Vëlo" in Luxembourgish is derived from the French word "vélocipède", which means "fast foot". The word "vélo" was first used in Luxembourgish in the early 1900s and has since become the standard word for "bike". |
| Macedonian | The word "велосипед" ultimately derives from the Latin roots "vēlōx" (swift) and "pēs" (foot), suggesting its initial perception as a swift, foot-propelled device. |
| Malagasy | The word "bisikileta" is derived from the French word "bicyclette" and is cognate with the English word "bicycle". |
| Malay | The Malay word "basikal" has its roots in the Dutch word "fiets", which refers to the two-wheeled vehicle. |
| Malayalam | In Malayalam, 'bike' also refers to a bicycle, while in English it exclusively means a motorcycle. |
| Maltese | "Rota" likely derives from the Italian "ruota" (wheel), but may also refer to the Latin word "rota" (circle). |
| Maori | The word “pahikara” is also used in Maori to mean “to pedal” or “to cycle”. |
| Marathi | The word "दुचाकी" in Marathi literally translates to "two wheels", reflecting its function as a two-wheeled vehicle. |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word "дугуй" is derived from the Russian word "дуга" (arc) and refers to the shape of the bike's frame. |
| Nepali | Nepali "बाइक/bike" is derived from English "bicycle" and also means "motorcycle". |
| Norwegian | The word "sykkel" originated from the Norwegian word "sykle" meaning "to cycle" |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | Njinga can also mean a 'bicycle race' and 'the act of riding a bicycle'. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "موټرسايکل" can also refer to a motorbike, motorcycle, or any other two-wheeled vehicle. |
| Persian | !دوچرخه is composed of دو 'two' andچرخ'wheel'. It also can mean 'bicycle'. |
| Polish | The Polish word "rower" can also refer to a person who rows a boat or operates a rowing machine. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Bicicleta" derives from Latin "bi-" and "rota", meaning "two wheels". |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "bicicletă" comes from the French word "bicyclette". |
| Russian | The word "велосипед" is derived from the Latin word "velox" meaning "swift" and the Greek word "ped" meaning "foot". It was coined in France in the 19th century. |
| Samoan | The Samoan word "uila" also means "lightning". |
| Scots Gaelic | The term "baidhc" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "boat" or "craft" and is rooted in the Old Norse word "bátr". |
| Serbian | In Serbian, "бицикл" was originally used to describe a "high bicycle," but now it can refer to any type of bicycle. |
| Sesotho | "Baesekele" derives from the English "bicycle," but in Sesotho, it can also refer to a motorcycle. |
| Shona | In Shona, "bhasikoro" literally translates to "that which causes one to move faster." |
| Sindhi | "بائيڪ" is derived from the English word "bicycle" and refers to both a two-wheeled and a motorized vehicle in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "බයික්" (bike) in Sinhala is derived from the English word "bicycle" and has come to encompass any two-wheeled vehicle, including motorcycles. |
| Slovak | The word "bicykel" is derived from the Latin word "bi" meaning "two" and the Greek word "kyklos" meaning "circle". It originally referred to a two-wheeled velocipede with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel. |
| Slovenian | In Slovenian, "kolo" also means "wheel", and it shares roots with the English word "cycle". |
| Somali | Baaskiil is the Somali word for 'bicycle' and originates from the Italian word 'bicicletta'. |
| Spanish | The word "bicicleta" comes from the Latin "bis" (twice), "cyclus" (wheel), and the Greek "pedon" (foot), referring to its two wheels and foot-powered propulsion. |
| Sundanese | In West Java, 'sapédah' is a term for a bicycle while in East Java, it refers to a motorcycle. |
| Swahili | In Swahili, "baiskeli" can also mean "bicycle pump" or "bicycle rider." |
| Swedish | Cykel ultimately derives from the French word "cycle," meaning wheel, and "cykelbana" is the Swedish word for "cycle path." |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The name originated from the Spanish word "bicicleta", itself derived from the Latin "bis" (two) and "cyclus" (wheel). |
| Tajik | The word "велосипед" is derived from the French "vélocipède", meaning "fast foot". The Tajik word "дучарка" was used to refer to a bicycle until the mid-20th century. |
| Telugu | In Telugu, "బైక్" can specifically refer to a bicycle, while in English, "bike" exclusively refers to a motorcycle. |
| Thai | The word "จักรยาน" in Thai is derived from the Sanskrit word "cakra" meaning "wheel" and "yana" meaning "vehicle", thus literally translating to "wheel vehicle". |
| Turkish | Bisiklet is derived from the French word 'bicyclette', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'bis' (twice) and the Greek word 'kyklos' (wheel). |
| Ukrainian | "Велосипед" is derived from Greek words "велос" (swift, fast) and "педион" (field). |
| Urdu | The word 'موٹر سائیکل' in Urdu, comes from the English 'motorcycle', as this kind of vehicle was not originally from the Subcontinent |
| Uzbek | The word "velosiped" comes from the Latin words "velox" (swift) and "pes" (foot), and it originally referred to a type of tricycle invented in the 1800s. |
| Vietnamese | The word "xe đạp" is a fusion of the Chinese characters "xe" (car) and "đạp" (pedal), and can also refer to a tricycle. |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "beic" is derived from the Old English word "bicgle", meaning "small horse" or "pony". |
| Xhosa | The word ibhayisekile, or "bike", is a combination of the words ibhayisekeli, meaning "to spin" or "to rotate," and -ile, a suffix denoting an "instrument." |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word בייק can also refer to a leg, limb, or foot. |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word "keke" can also mean "quickly" or "speedily". |
| Zulu | In Zulu, 'ibhayisikili' is derived from 'ukubhayisa,' meaning 'to fear' or 'be astonished,' and 'isikili,' meaning 'metal.' |
| English | The word "bike" is derived from the Old Norse word "vik", meaning "bay" or "inlet", and was originally used to refer to a small wooden boat. |