Bike in Different Languages
Discover 'Bike' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ah, the humble bike. A symbol of freedom, adventure, and sustainable transportation, the bike has been a trusted companion for people of all ages and backgrounds for over a century. From the first chain-driven bicycle, the 'boneshaker', invented in 1863, to the sleek and sophisticated models we see today, the bike has come a long way.
Beyond its practical uses, the bike holds a special place in our collective cultural imagination. From the thrill of the Tour de France to the nostalgia of a leisurely Sunday ride, bikes evoke a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and joy. And let's not forget the environmental benefits - bikes produce zero emissions, making them a smart choice for our planet's future.
So why might someone want to know the translation of 'bike' in different languages? Well, for one, it's a fun and interesting way to explore the world's diverse languages and cultures. Plus, if you're a cycling enthusiast planning a trip abroad, knowing the local word for 'bike' can come in handy!
Without further ado, here are some translations of 'bike' in different languages:
Bike
Bike in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | fiets | ||
| Fiets is derived from the French word ' bicyclette' and originally referred to a velocipede with a front wheel of at least a metre wide. | |||
| Amharic | ብስክሌት | ||
| 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"). | |||
| Hausa | keke | ||
| The word "keke" in Hausa can also mean "to tremble" or "to shake". | |||
| Igbo | igwe kwụ otu ebe | ||
| 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. | |||
| Malagasy | bisikileta | ||
| The word "bisikileta" is derived from the French word "bicyclette" and is cognate with the English word "bicycle". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | njinga | ||
| Njinga can also mean a 'bicycle race' and 'the act of riding a bicycle'. | |||
| Shona | bhasikoro | ||
| In Shona, "bhasikoro" literally translates to "that which causes one to move faster." | |||
| Somali | baaskiil | ||
| Baaskiil is the Somali word for 'bicycle' and originates from the Italian word 'bicicletta'. | |||
| Sesotho | baesekele | ||
| "Baesekele" derives from the English "bicycle," but in Sesotho, it can also refer to a motorcycle. | |||
| Swahili | baiskeli | ||
| In Swahili, "baiskeli" can also mean "bicycle pump" or "bicycle rider." | |||
| Xhosa | ibhayisekile | ||
| 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." | |||
| Yoruba | keke | ||
| The Yoruba word "keke" can also mean "quickly" or "speedily". | |||
| Zulu | ibhayisikili | ||
| In Zulu, 'ibhayisikili' is derived from 'ukubhayisa,' meaning 'to fear' or 'be astonished,' and 'isikili,' meaning 'metal.' | |||
| Bambara | nɛgɛso | ||
| Ewe | gasɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bike | ||
| Lingala | velo | ||
| Luganda | gaali | ||
| Sepedi | paesekela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sakre | ||
Bike in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دراجة هوائية | ||
| Historically "دراجة هوائية" also meant "sewing machine" but fell out of use after "ماكينة خياطة" became more popular. | |||
| Hebrew | אופניים | ||
| The word "אופניים" is derived from the plural form of the Greek word "δίκυκλος", meaning "two-wheeled." | |||
| Pashto | موټرسايکل | ||
| The Pashto word "موټرسايکل" can also refer to a motorbike, motorcycle, or any other two-wheeled vehicle. | |||
| Arabic | دراجة هوائية | ||
| Historically "دراجة هوائية" also meant "sewing machine" but fell out of use after "ماكينة خياطة" became more popular. | |||
Bike in Western European Languages
| Albanian | biciklete | ||
| The word "biciklete" is derived from the French word "bicyclette" and the Italian word "bicicletta". | |||
| Basque | bizikleta | ||
| "Bizikleta" is the fusion of the words "bizi" (path, way) and "kleta" (machine). | |||
| Catalan | bicicleta | ||
| The Catalan word "bicicleta" comes from the French "bicyclette," which itself comes from the Latin "bis" (two) and "rotare" (to roll). | |||
| Croatian | bicikl | ||
| "Bicikl" comes from the French word "bicyclette" but also means "spectacles" or "eyeglasses" in colloquial Croatian. | |||
| Danish | cykel | ||
| "Cykel" derives from the Greek "kuklos" (circle) via the French "cycle" and Latin "cyclus". | |||
| Dutch | fiets | ||
| The word 'fiets' in Dutch is derived from the French word 'vélocipède' which means 'fast foot'. | |||
| English | bike | ||
| 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. | |||
| French | bicyclette | ||
| The French word "bicyclette" derives from the Greek word "kyklos" (meaning "wheel") and the Latin suffix "-ette" (meaning small). | |||
| Frisian | fyts | ||
| The word "fyts" in Frisian not only means "bike", but also a "fight" or "battle". | |||
| Galician | bicicleta | ||
| Galician "bicicleta" comes from the French "bicyclette" and the Latin "bi-(two)," "rota-(wheel)." | |||
| German | fahrrad | ||
| German word "Fahrrad" literally translates to "driving wheel" or "riding wheel" | |||
| Icelandic | hjól | ||
| The word "hjól" has an alternate meaning of "wheel" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | rothar | ||
| The Irish word 'rothar' comes from the Greek word 'trochos', meaning 'wheel', and was originally used to describe a one-wheeled vehicle. | |||
| Italian | bicicletta | ||
| In Sicilian, "bicicletta" originally meant "small tricycle" and is a dialectal diminutive of "bicocca", which means "small hovel" or "cabin". | |||
| Luxembourgish | vëlo | ||
| 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". | |||
| Maltese | rota | ||
| "Rota" likely derives from the Italian "ruota" (wheel), but may also refer to the Latin word "rota" (circle). | |||
| Norwegian | sykkel | ||
| The word "sykkel" originated from the Norwegian word "sykle" meaning "to cycle" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bicicleta | ||
| "Bicicleta" derives from Latin "bi-" and "rota", meaning "two wheels". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | baidhc | ||
| The term "baidhc" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "boat" or "craft" and is rooted in the Old Norse word "bátr". | |||
| Spanish | bicicleta | ||
| 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. | |||
| Swedish | cykel | ||
| Cykel ultimately derives from the French word "cycle," meaning wheel, and "cykelbana" is the Swedish word for "cycle path." | |||
| Welsh | beic | ||
| The Welsh word "beic" is derived from the Old English word "bicgle", meaning "small horse" or "pony". | |||
Bike in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ровар | ||
| The word "ровар" in Belarusian derives from the Polish "rower" or the German "Radler". | |||
| Bosnian | bicikl | ||
| The word "bicikl" originated in French with the words "bi" meaning "two" and "cycle" meaning "wheel". | |||
| Bulgarian | мотор | ||
| Bulgarian word “мотор” can refer to either a motorcycle or an electric motor. | |||
| Czech | kolo | ||
| Kolo can also mean "wheel" in Czech, as in kolo od vozu, meaning "wheel of a wagon". | |||
| Estonian | jalgratas | ||
| The Estonian word "jalgratas" originates from the German "Fahrrad" and literally means "foot-wheel". | |||
| Finnish | pyörä | ||
| "Pyörä" also means "wheel" in Finnish, and is cognate with the English word "sphere". | |||
| Hungarian | bicikli | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "bicikli" comes from the French "bicyclette" but also refers to a "motorcycle," whereas "kerékpár" specifically means "bicycle." | |||
| Latvian | velosipēds | ||
| "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 | dviratis | ||
| Lithuanian "dviratis" (bike) comes from the words "dviratinis" (two-wheeled) and "vežimas" (carriage). | |||
| Macedonian | велосипед | ||
| The word "велосипед" ultimately derives from the Latin roots "vēlōx" (swift) and "pēs" (foot), suggesting its initial perception as a swift, foot-propelled device. | |||
| Polish | rower | ||
| The Polish word "rower" can also refer to a person who rows a boat or operates a rowing machine. | |||
| Romanian | bicicletă | ||
| The Romanian word "bicicletă" comes from the French word "bicyclette". | |||
| Russian | велосипед | ||
| 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. | |||
| Serbian | бицикл | ||
| In Serbian, "бицикл" was originally used to describe a "high bicycle," but now it can refer to any type of bicycle. | |||
| Slovak | bicykel | ||
| 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 | kolo | ||
| In Slovenian, "kolo" also means "wheel", and it shares roots with the English word "cycle". | |||
| Ukrainian | велосипед | ||
| "Велосипед" is derived from Greek words "велос" (swift, fast) and "педион" (field). | |||
Bike in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাইক | ||
| The word "বাইক" ('bike') can also refer to a bicycle or motorcycle in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | બાઇક | ||
| The Gujarati word "બાઇક" can also refer to a motorcycle, which is a vehicle with two wheels and a motor. | |||
| Hindi | बाइक | ||
| "बाइक" comes from the French "bicyclette," meaning "small two-wheeled vehicle." | |||
| Kannada | ಬೈಕು | ||
| "ಬೈಕು" (bike) is derived from the English word "bicycle" and also means "bicycle" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ബൈക്ക് | ||
| In Malayalam, 'bike' also refers to a bicycle, while in English it exclusively means a motorcycle. | |||
| Marathi | दुचाकी | ||
| The word "दुचाकी" in Marathi literally translates to "two wheels", reflecting its function as a two-wheeled vehicle. | |||
| Nepali | बाइक | ||
| Nepali "बाइक/bike" is derived from English "bicycle" and also means "motorcycle". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਾਈਕਲ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බයික් | ||
| The word "බයික්" (bike) in Sinhala is derived from the English word "bicycle" and has come to encompass any two-wheeled vehicle, including motorcycles. | |||
| Tamil | உந்துஉருளி | ||
| Telugu | బైక్ | ||
| In Telugu, "బైక్" can specifically refer to a bicycle, while in English, "bike" exclusively refers to a motorcycle. | |||
| Urdu | موٹر سائیکل | ||
| The word 'موٹر سائیکل' in Urdu, comes from the English 'motorcycle', as this kind of vehicle was not originally from the Subcontinent | |||
Bike in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 自行车 | ||
| The term 自行车 literally translates to 'self-moving car' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 自行車 | ||
| 自行車 can refer to either a bicycle or a motorbike | |||
| Japanese | 自転車 | ||
| 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. | |||
| Korean | 자전거 | ||
| "자전거" literally means "self-turning wheel" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | дугуй | ||
| The Mongolian word "дугуй" is derived from the Russian word "дуга" (arc) and refers to the shape of the bike's frame. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စက်ဘီး | ||
Bike in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sepeda | ||
| The word "sepeda" is derived from the Dutch word "fiets" and originally referred to a two-wheeled vehicle with pedals. | |||
| Javanese | pit | ||
| Javanese word "pit" means "bicycle," possibly derived from Dutch "fiets" | |||
| Khmer | កង់ | ||
| កង់ (kang) can also mean "a type of boat propelled by paddles" or "a stick or beam used to connect parts of a structure". | |||
| Lao | ລົດຖີບ | ||
| Malay | basikal | ||
| The Malay word "basikal" has its roots in the Dutch word "fiets", which refers to the two-wheeled vehicle. | |||
| Thai | จักรยาน | ||
| The word "จักรยาน" in Thai is derived from the Sanskrit word "cakra" meaning "wheel" and "yana" meaning "vehicle", thus literally translating to "wheel vehicle". | |||
| Vietnamese | xe đạp | ||
| The word "xe đạp" is a fusion of the Chinese characters "xe" (car) and "đạp" (pedal), and can also refer to a tricycle. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bisikleta | ||
Bike in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | velosiped | ||
| Velosiped can also mean "train" or "carriage" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | велосипед | ||
| The Kazakh word "велосипед" comes from the Russian word велосипед, which in turn comes from the French word vélocipède, meaning "fast foot". | |||
| Kyrgyz | велосипед | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "велосипед" also means "an individual of short stature". | |||
| Tajik | велосипед | ||
| 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. | |||
| Turkmen | welosiped | ||
| Uzbek | velosiped | ||
| 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. | |||
| Uyghur | ۋېلىسىپىت | ||
Bike in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paikikala | ||
| The word "paikikala" is derived from the Hawaiian words "paikī" (to ride) and "kala" (wheel). | |||
| Maori | pahikara | ||
| The word “pahikara” is also used in Maori to mean “to pedal” or “to cycle”. | |||
| Samoan | uila | ||
| The Samoan word "uila" also means "lightning". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bisikleta | ||
| The name originated from the Spanish word "bicicleta", itself derived from the Latin "bis" (two) and "cyclus" (wheel). | |||
Bike in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wisikilita | ||
| Guarani | apajerekõi | ||
Bike in International Languages
| Esperanto | biciklo | ||
| 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". | |||
| Latin | cursoriam | ||
| The Latin word | |||
Bike in Others Languages
| Greek | ποδήλατο | ||
| "Ποδήλατο" comes from the Greek words "πούς" (foot) and "δέος" (wheel). | |||
| Hmong | tsheb tuam | ||
| 'Tsheb tuam' literally means 'two-wheeled car'. | |||
| Kurdish | bike | ||
| The word "bike" is also used in the Kurdish language to refer to "motorcycle". | |||
| Turkish | bisiklet | ||
| Bisiklet is derived from the French word 'bicyclette', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'bis' (twice) and the Greek word 'kyklos' (wheel). | |||
| Xhosa | ibhayisekile | ||
| 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 | בייק | ||
| The Yiddish word בייק can also refer to a leg, limb, or foot. | |||
| Zulu | ibhayisikili | ||
| In Zulu, 'ibhayisikili' is derived from 'ukubhayisa,' meaning 'to fear' or 'be astonished,' and 'isikili,' meaning 'metal.' | |||
| Assamese | মটৰচাইকেল | ||
| Aymara | wisikilita | ||
| Bhojpuri | बाइक | ||
| Dhivehi | ބައިސްކަލު | ||
| Dogri | बाइक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bisikleta | ||
| Guarani | apajerekõi | ||
| Ilocano | bisikleta | ||
| Krio | bayk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پایسکڵ | ||
| Maithili | बाइक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯥꯏꯛ ꯊꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | thirsakawr | ||
| Oromo | biskileettii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାଇକ୍ | ||
| Quechua | bicicleta | ||
| Sanskrit | यन्त्रद्विचक्रिका | ||
| Tatar | велосипед | ||
| Tigrinya | ብሽክሌታ | ||
| Tsonga | xithuthuthu | ||