Bill in Different Languages
Discover 'Bill' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bill' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often representing a formal request for payment or a piece of legislation. But delve deeper, and you'll find a wealth of cultural importance and historical contexts associated with this simple term.
For instance, in the natural world, a 'bill' is the hard, curved, or flattened mouth part of a bird, used for breaking open the seeds, fruits, or insects that form its diet. This dual meaning - a tool for sustenance and a financial necessity - reveals the richness and versatility of language.
Given this word's wide-ranging significance, it's no surprise that people across the globe might want to know its translation in different languages. Here are just a few examples:
- French: facture
- Spanish: cuenta
- German: Rechnung
- Italian: conto
- Chinese: 账单 (zhàngdān)
- Japanese: bills (ビル)
Stay tuned for a more comprehensive list of 'bill' translations, showcasing the diversity and beauty of language and culture around the world.
Bill
Bill in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rekening | ||
| In Afrikaans "rekening" derives from the Dutch "rekening" and may also refer to an invoice, account, or a plan, amongst other things. | |||
| Amharic | ሂሳብ | ||
| In Amharic, "ሂሳብ" (hisab) derives from Arabic and also means "account" or "reckoning". | |||
| Hausa | lissafi | ||
| The word "lissafi" in Hausa can also refer to a "receipt" or a "statement of account". | |||
| Igbo | ụgwọ | ||
| "Ụgwọ" also means payment, and in some contexts "tax". | |||
| Malagasy | volavolan-dalàna | ||
| The Malagasy word 'volavolan-dalàna' is derived from the Malay word 'wang', meaning 'money', and the Malagasy word 'dalàna', meaning 'road' or 'way'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bilu | ||
| The Nyanja word for 'bill' derives from the English word 'bill' and also means 'beak' or 'lip'. | |||
| Shona | bhiri | ||
| The word "bhiri" can also refer to a promissory note, voucher, or other written evidence of a debt. | |||
| Somali | biilka | ||
| The word "biilka" is derived from the Proto-Somali word "*biilkē", meaning "invoice or receipt." | |||
| Sesotho | bili | ||
| The word "bili" can also refer to a type of bird or a small container for carrying liquids or other substances. | |||
| Swahili | muswada | ||
| *Muswada* (bill) likely derives from the *swahili muswaada*, which itself derives from Arabic المسودة, *al-musawwadah*, meaning "the draft." | |||
| Xhosa | ibhili | ||
| The word 'ibhili' derives from the Proto-Bantu root word *-bilya, which means 'to cleave' or 'to split'. | |||
| Yoruba | iwe-owo | ||
| "Iwe-owo" also means "book" or "document" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isikweletu | ||
| Isikweletu, meaning 'bill', is a cognate of the word 'isikwele' meaning 'square' or 'rectangular' and is also related to the word 'ukukwela' meaning 'to mount' or 'to climb' | |||
| Bambara | sariya bolo | ||
| Ewe | febugbalẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | fagitire | ||
| Lingala | faktire | ||
| Luganda | esente ezibanjibwa | ||
| Sepedi | molaokakanywa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛka | ||
Bill in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مشروع قانون | ||
| The word "مشروع قانون" translates to "bill" in English and also refers to a draft of a law before it's passed. | |||
| Hebrew | שטר כסף | ||
| In ancient Hebrew, "שטר כסף" meant a promissory note, while in modern Hebrew it refers to a banknote. | |||
| Pashto | بل | ||
| The Pashto word "بل" has alternative meanings and spellings such as "bool" or "boll", and originates from an early Indo-European language. | |||
| Arabic | مشروع قانون | ||
| The word "مشروع قانون" translates to "bill" in English and also refers to a draft of a law before it's passed. | |||
Bill in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fature | ||
| Faturë is derived from the Italian word "fattura" and the Latin word "factura" (meaning "deed" or "making") and has come to mean "invoice" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | faktura | ||
| In Basque, faktura also means invoice and receipt. | |||
| Catalan | factura | ||
| In Catalan, "factura" also means "invoice" or "receipt". | |||
| Croatian | račun | ||
| "Račun" can also mean "mathematics calculation" or "account" in Croatian | |||
| Danish | regning | ||
| The word "regning" is homonymous, meaning it sounds the same as an otherwise unrelated and distinctly spelled word "regn","rain". | |||
| Dutch | bill | ||
| Dutch word "bek" meaning "mouth" is cognate with English word "beak", which is a homonym of the English word "bill". | |||
| English | bill | ||
| In addition to referring to a document stating a financial obligation, "bill" also means the beak of a bird (from Old Norse "bilar") or to address formally (possibly from Medieval Latin "billa," meaning list). | |||
| French | facture | ||
| The French word "facture" derives from the Latin "factura" meaning "the work of making," and can also refer to the appearance, texture, or construction of an object. | |||
| Frisian | rekken | ||
| In modern Dutch, the word "rekening" (bill) is still used, while in Frisian it has changed to "rekken". | |||
| Galician | factura | ||
| In Galician, "factura" is also used to refer to a receipt or an invoice. | |||
| German | rechnung | ||
| Rechnung shares its etymology with the verb rechnen (to count) and also carries the meaning of 'calculation' or 'computation'. | |||
| Icelandic | frumvarp | ||
| The word "frumvarp" is thought to originally mean "first cast" and was used to refer to casting the first draft of a law. | |||
| Irish | bille | ||
| In Irish, "bille" also refers to the visor of a helmet or a peak on a cap | |||
| Italian | conto | ||
| The Italian word "conto" originates from the Latin word "computus," meaning "calculation" or "account." | |||
| Luxembourgish | gesetzesprojet | ||
| The word “Gesetzesprojet” (bill) is a French loanword, and its cognate in French, “projet de loi,” shares one of its alternative meanings: a draft law. | |||
| Maltese | kont | ||
| Kont also connotes an account or a bank account in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | regning | ||
| The word "regning" can also refer to a "sum" or "amount", as in "den totale regninga" (the total sum). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | conta | ||
| "Conta" also means "story" or "tale" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bile | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word 'bile' can also mean 'mouth', 'lip', or 'beak'. | |||
| Spanish | cuenta | ||
| In Old Spanish, "cuenta" also meant a counting operation or a group of beads in a rosary. | |||
| Swedish | räkningen | ||
| "Räkningen" also means "the counting" in Swedish, coming from "räkna" (to count). | |||
| Welsh | bil | ||
| The Welsh name "Bil" has no relation to the English term for a draft law. | |||
Bill in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рахунак | ||
| The word "рахунак" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "račьnъ", meaning "account, computation". | |||
| Bosnian | račun | ||
| The word "račun" has an additional meaning: "calculation, reckoning". | |||
| Bulgarian | сметка | ||
| The Bulgarian word for 'bill' is also used to mean 'count' or 'reckoning'. | |||
| Czech | účtovat | ||
| "Účtovat" can also mean "to account" or "to enter into an account". | |||
| Estonian | arve | ||
| The word arve "bill" derives from a Germanic language but in Estonian its meanings have split: in everyday usage it now mostly refers to an invoice, whereas in law it denotes a formal legal document. | |||
| Finnish | laskuttaa | ||
| Finnish 'laskuttaa' ('to bill') is also an old verb that meant 'to count, calculate', as well as 'to speak, tell'. | |||
| Hungarian | számla | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "számla" used for a bill can also mean "invoice" or "account". | |||
| Latvian | rēķins | ||
| "Rēķins" derives from the Proto-Baltic noun *reikˀinas, meaning "sum", from the Proto-Indo-European noun *reikˀs, meaning "to assemble, arrange." | |||
| Lithuanian | sąskaita | ||
| The word "sąskaita" in Lithuanian has other meanings, including "account" or "invoice". | |||
| Macedonian | сметка | ||
| The Macedonian word "сметка" (bill) also means "account", "calculation" or "measure." | |||
| Polish | rachunek | ||
| "Rachunek" is related to the act of counting, calculation, or accounting, and can also refer to a statement or invoice that presents a list of charges or debts. | |||
| Romanian | factură | ||
| The Romanian word "factură" comes from the Hungarian "faktura," which in turn comes from the German "Faktur" (invoice), ultimately derived from the Latin "factura" (act of making). | |||
| Russian | счет | ||
| The word "счет" in Russian can also mean "account" or "score". | |||
| Serbian | рачун | ||
| Рачун can also mean account, reckoning, reason, or consideration. | |||
| Slovak | účet | ||
| Účet has another meaning in Slovak, a financial document containing a list of transactions with their values. | |||
| Slovenian | račun | ||
| "Račun" comes from the Venetian "rachugno," meaning an arithmetic calculation | |||
| Ukrainian | вексель | ||
| The Ukrainian word "вексель" ultimately derives from the Middle Latin "cambium" and has meanings parallel to "exchange" and "currency". | |||
Bill in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিল | ||
| In Bengali, "বিল" (bill) can also refer to large expanses of freshwater, especially in eastern India. | |||
| Gujarati | બિલ | ||
| બિલ is also a common nickname for people named William. | |||
| Hindi | बिल | ||
| The word "बिल" in Hindi can also mean a bird's beak or a bull. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಲ್ | ||
| The word "ಬಿಲ್" (bill) has additional meanings in Kannada, including a "curved blade" or a "sword". | |||
| Malayalam | ബിൽ | ||
| The word "ബിൽ" in Malayalam also refers to a beak, like the one a bird has. | |||
| Marathi | बिल | ||
| "बिल" (bill) in Marathi can also mean "a piece of paper" or "a draft of a document." | |||
| Nepali | बिल | ||
| The Nepali word "बिल" is derived from the English word "bill" and can also refer to a document presenting a charge for goods or services. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਿੱਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਬਿੱਲ" (bill) can also refer to a "bull" or a "draft of a law" | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බිල්පත | ||
| The word 'බිල්පත' ('bill') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'patra' meaning 'leaf' or 'page'. It can also refer to a 'book' or a 'list'. | |||
| Tamil | ர சி து | ||
| The word ர சி து (bill) is derived from the root word 'சீட்டு' (chit), meaning an account or invoice. | |||
| Telugu | బిల్లు | ||
| The word "బిల్లు" in Telugu can also refer to a "note" or "letter". | |||
| Urdu | بل | ||
| The word "بل" (bill) in Urdu originates from the Persian word "برات" (barat), meaning a document acknowledging a debt. | |||
Bill in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 法案 | ||
| In addition to invoices, "法案" can also refer to draft laws and documents that specify specific policies or rules. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 法案 | ||
| The Chinese word "法案" can also refer to a legal proceeding or a lawsuit | |||
| Japanese | ビル | ||
| "ビル" (bill) can also refer to a type of building in Japanese, such as an office building or apartment building. | |||
| Korean | 계산서 | ||
| 계산서 is cognate with the Chinese word 計算書 (jìsuànshū, 'calculation document'), which has the same meaning. | |||
| Mongolian | тооцоо | ||
| 'Тооцоо' can also mean 'calculation' or 'reckoning' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဥပဒေကြမ်း | ||
| The word "ဥပဒေကြမ်း" is a loanword from the English language, and it originally meant "a document that sets out the terms of a proposed law". However, in modern Burmese, the word is often used to refer to any proposed law, regardless of whether or not it has been drafted into a formal document. | |||
Bill in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tagihan | ||
| The Indonesian word "tagihan" is also used to mean "accusation" or "charge." | |||
| Javanese | tagihan | ||
| The Javanese word "tagihan" is related to the Indonesian word "utang" (debt) and the Malay word "tugih" (to demand). | |||
| Khmer | វិក័យប័ត្រ | ||
| The Khmer word វិក័យប័ត្រ is derived from Pali and has the alternate meaning of "official document or certificate." | |||
| Lao | ໃບບິນ | ||
| Malay | bil | ||
| In addition to its more common meaning, "bil" can also refer to a type of traditional Malay musical instrument. | |||
| Thai | บิล | ||
| The Thai word "บิล" (bill) can also refer to a "receipt" or a "menu". | |||
| Vietnamese | hóa đơn | ||
| “Hóa đơn” cũng có nghĩa là hợp chất hữu cơ có nguyên tử oxy liên kết với hai nguyên tử khác. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bill | ||
Bill in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qanun layihəsi | ||
| The word "qanun layihəsi" is derived from the Arabic word "qanun", meaning "law", and the Persian word "layihə", meaning "plan" or "project". | |||
| Kazakh | шот | ||
| The Kazakh word "шот" is derived from Old Turkic "çöt" and can also refer to a "pocket" | |||
| Kyrgyz | эсеп | ||
| 'эсеп' means 'account' as well as 'bill' in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | вексел | ||
| The Tajik word "вексел" (bill) comes from the Russian word "вексель" (bill), which in turn comes from the Dutch word "wissel" (bill). | |||
| Turkmen | faktura | ||
| Uzbek | qonun loyihasi | ||
| Uyghur | تالون | ||
Bill in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pila | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'pila' refers to a pile or heap, and is also used to denote a bill or invoice. | |||
| Maori | pire | ||
| The word "pire" can also refer to a type of bird, or to a kind of Maori cloak. | |||
| Samoan | pili | ||
| The word 'pili' can also mean 'beak' or 'the end of a stick'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | singil | ||
| The Tagalog word "singil" (bill) originates from the Spanish word "single" meaning an itemized account of charges, or from the Hokkien Chinese word "sing" meaning "account". | |||
Bill in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phaktura | ||
| Guarani | kuatiarepykue | ||
Bill in International Languages
| Esperanto | fakturo | ||
| The Esperanto word “fakturo” is derived from the Latin word “factura” meaning “making” or “doing,” and in English, it can also refer to a list of goods sent or services provided. | |||
| Latin | libellum | ||
| The Latin word "libellum" not only means "bill" but also denotes a petition or written accusation. | |||
Bill in Others Languages
| Greek | νομοσχέδιο | ||
| The Greek word "νομοσχέδιο" literally translates to "draft law". | |||
| Hmong | daim nqi | ||
| Daim nqi derives from the Hmong words "daim" (money) and "nqi" (to ask for). | |||
| Kurdish | hesab | ||
| The Akkadian word "ḫesbu" or "ḫiṣbu" (bill, receipt) is thought to be cognate with the Kurdish word "hesab". | |||
| Turkish | fatura | ||
| The Turkish word "fatura" originates from the Arabic word "fawtūra," meaning "inventory" or "statement." | |||
| Xhosa | ibhili | ||
| The word 'ibhili' derives from the Proto-Bantu root word *-bilya, which means 'to cleave' or 'to split'. | |||
| Yiddish | רעכענונג | ||
| The word רעכענונג in Yiddish is a loanword from German Rechnung and has the alternate meaning of 'arithmetic'. | |||
| Zulu | isikweletu | ||
| Isikweletu, meaning 'bill', is a cognate of the word 'isikwele' meaning 'square' or 'rectangular' and is also related to the word 'ukukwela' meaning 'to mount' or 'to climb' | |||
| Assamese | বিল | ||
| Aymara | phaktura | ||
| Bhojpuri | बिल | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިލް | ||
| Dogri | बिल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bill | ||
| Guarani | kuatiarepykue | ||
| Ilocano | babayadan | ||
| Krio | pe mɔni | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پسوولە | ||
| Maithili | विधेयक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯤꯜ | ||
| Mizo | man zat | ||
| Oromo | kaffaltii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିଲ୍ | ||
| Quechua | factura | ||
| Sanskrit | देयकं | ||
| Tatar | исәп-хисап | ||
| Tigrinya | ክፍሊት | ||
| Tsonga | koxa | ||