Boat in Different Languages
Discover 'Boat' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A boat is more than just a vessel that floats on water. It's a symbol of exploration, adventure, and freedom. From the ancient Egyptian reed boats to the modern-day luxury yachts, boats have played a significant role in human culture and history. They have been essential for trade, transportation, and even warfare.
Did you know that the word 'boat' has different translations in various languages, reflecting the unique maritime traditions and histories of different cultures? For instance, in Spanish, a boat is 'barco,' while in German, it's 'Boot.' In Japanese, it's 'fune,' and in Russian, it's 'судно' (pronounced 'sudno').
Understanding these translations not only broadens your vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the rich maritime heritage of different nations. So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a history buff, or a sailing aficionado, learning the translations of 'boat' is a fascinating journey in itself.
Boat
Boat in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | boot | ||
| In Afrikaans, "boot" can also refer to a "trunk" or "luggage compartment" of a vehicle. | |||
| Amharic | ጀልባ | ||
| The word "ጀልባ" is derived from the Geez word "ገልባ", which also means "ship" or "boat." | |||
| Hausa | jirgin ruwa | ||
| The word 'jirgin ruwa' is derived from the Arabic word 'jurh', meaning 'small boat', and 'ruwa', meaning 'water'. | |||
| Igbo | ụgbọ mmiri | ||
| "Ụgbọ mmiri" (boat) is also used figuratively to mean a "means of transport" or "vehicle." | |||
| Malagasy | sambo | ||
| SAMBO also means "to sail" in Malagasy | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bwato | ||
| The word "bwato" can also refer to a canoe or a raft in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | igwa | ||
| The etymology of "igwa" is still contested and may derive from either a Bantu, Nama, or Khoi language. | |||
| Somali | doon | ||
| The word "doon" in Somali can also refer to a river or stream. | |||
| Sesotho | sekepe | ||
| Sesotho word 'sekepe' may derive from an extinct Khoisan language, where it means 'to float'. | |||
| Swahili | mashua | ||
| Mashua, a type of boat used in the Indian Ocean, derives from the Arabic word 'mashuwa', meaning 'raft' or 'float'. | |||
| Xhosa | isikhephe | ||
| The word "isikhephe" in Xhosa can also refer to a container used for storing liquids or small objects. | |||
| Yoruba | ọkọ oju-omi kekere | ||
| Zulu | isikebhe | ||
| The word "isikebhe" can also refer to a canoe or other small boat used for fishing or transportation on water. | |||
| Bambara | bato | ||
| Ewe | tɔdziʋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwato | ||
| Lingala | masuwa | ||
| Luganda | elyaato | ||
| Sepedi | seketswana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | subonto | ||
Boat in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قارب | ||
| The word "قارب" can also refer to a canoe, barge, or raft depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
| Hebrew | סִירָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "סִירָה" (pronounced "sirah") originally referred to a wooden structure that could float on water, and only later came to exclusively mean "boat". | |||
| Pashto | بېړۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "بېړۍ" also refers to a large shallow dish or bowl, likely due to its resemblance to the shape of a boat. | |||
| Arabic | قارب | ||
| The word "قارب" can also refer to a canoe, barge, or raft depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
Boat in Western European Languages
| Albanian | varkë | ||
| The Albanian word "varkë" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*werǵʰ-", which means "to turn". | |||
| Basque | txalupa | ||
| The word "txalupa" in Basque comes from the Spanish word "chalupa," meaning a small boat or rowboat, but it can also refer to a type of traditional Basque fishing boat. | |||
| Catalan | vaixell | ||
| From the Medieval Latin "vassellum" meaning "small vessel". | |||
| Croatian | čamac | ||
| The word "čamac" is derived from the Latin word "camerum," meaning "curved chamber." | |||
| Danish | båd | ||
| The Danish word "båd" shares an etymological root with the English word "bath", both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bheue-" meaning "to swell". | |||
| Dutch | boot | ||
| In Dutch, the word "boot" can also mean "trunk" or "boot" of a car. | |||
| English | boat | ||
| The word "boat" is derived from the Old English word "bāt" and is related to the Old Norse word "bátr" and the German word "Boot." | |||
| French | bateau | ||
| "Bateau" has several meanings, such as "small boat", "part of a bridge or dam", or "deck" in a theater. | |||
| Frisian | boat | ||
| In Frisian, "boat" can also refer to a specific type of traditional flat-bottomed boat used for fishing or transportation. | |||
| Galician | barco | ||
| The word "barco" is derived from Latin "barca", ultimately from an Illyrian root *barc, meaning ship. | |||
| German | boot | ||
| The German word "Boot" also has the alternate meaning of "boot", as in footwear. | |||
| Icelandic | bátur | ||
| "Bátur" shares its root with "batr," meaning a round wooden container, and is the origin of the Dutch word "boot," which also means boat. | |||
| Irish | bád | ||
| The word "bád" is also used figuratively in Irish to refer to a person's health or fortune. | |||
| Italian | barca | ||
| The word "barca" is derived from the Latin word "barca" meaning "small boat". | |||
| Luxembourgish | boot | ||
| Boor (boot) can also mean anger in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | dgħajsa | ||
| This word comes from an Arabic word, daws, that also means boat and it is usually used to refer to rowing boats. | |||
| Norwegian | båt | ||
| The Norwegian word "båt" is cognate with the English "boat" and the German "Boot", and can also refer to a container, box, or basket. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | barco | ||
| Portuguese "barco" comes from the Late Latin "barcus" from the Old High German "barco" or "barcho" meaning "small boat". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bàta | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "bàta" may also refer to a vessel made of leather or rubber used to carry water or milk. | |||
| Spanish | bote | ||
| "Bote" originally referred to a type of small wooden container or leather bag. | |||
| Swedish | båt | ||
| The word "båt" likely comes from the Proto-Norse word "bátr", meaning "log" or "plank." | |||
| Welsh | cwch | ||
| Cwch can also be used figuratively for shelter or the human body, and is similar to the usage of 'coracle' in English. | |||
Boat in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | лодка | ||
| Лодка originally meant either a ship or a boat and could refer to a ship sailing along a river or a ferry to cross a river. | |||
| Bosnian | brod | ||
| In Slavic languages "brod" also means "pass" | |||
| Bulgarian | лодка | ||
| "Лодка" is also a term for a specific type of traditional Bulgarian boat | |||
| Czech | loď | ||
| The Czech word "loď" comes from a Proto-Slavic root meaning "hollowed out trunk" and is related to other Slavic words such as "lad'ja" and "led'' | |||
| Estonian | paat | ||
| "Paat" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*pāta", meaning "log", and is related to the Finnish word "pata" (pot, saucepan). | |||
| Finnish | vene | ||
| The word vene also means veins or veins of a leaf or fin. | |||
| Hungarian | hajó | ||
| The Hungarian word “hajó” derives from the Proto-Turkic “käbi” meaning “vessel” | |||
| Latvian | laiva | ||
| The Latvian word "laiva" is of Indo-European origin, related to the English word "ship" and the Sanskrit word "nava" meaning "boat." | |||
| Lithuanian | valtis | ||
| The word "valtis" possibly originates from the Indo-European root "welt" meaning "to turn" or "to roll". | |||
| Macedonian | брод | ||
| The word "брод" also means "ford" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | łódź | ||
| The Polish word 'łódź' also refers to the city of Łódź, the second-largest city in Poland. | |||
| Romanian | barcă | ||
| The term "barcă" is thought to derive from the Celtic word "barca" meaning a small, narrow boat, similar to a canoe. | |||
| Russian | лодка | ||
| "Лодка" is cognate with "ладья" ("Ladya"), the name of a chess piece known in English as "rook" due to its resemblance to the tower of a castle. | |||
| Serbian | чамац | ||
| The word "чамац" (boat) in Serbian is derived from the Hungarian word "csónak" (boat), which in turn is derived from the Slavic word "čoln" (boat). | |||
| Slovak | čln | ||
| The word "čln" is related to the Czech word "člun" and the Proto-Slavic word "*čelno" meaning "forehead". | |||
| Slovenian | čoln | ||
| Its etymological origin is in the Late Latin word *colonus* which also meant "peasant", due to the fact that boats were often carved out of tree trunks. | |||
| Ukrainian | човен | ||
| The word "човен" also means "hollow" in Ukrainian, likely due to boats typically having a hollowed-out interior. | |||
Boat in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নৌকা | ||
| The word "নৌকা" can also refer to a type of traditional Bengali folk song, or to a specific type of Bengali musical instrument. | |||
| Gujarati | બોટ | ||
| "બોટ" is a homonym, meaning it has the same spelling but different meanings depending on context. | |||
| Hindi | नाव | ||
| {"text": "The word "नाव" derives from the Sanskrit word "navah" meaning "new," and can also refer to a trough or channel."} | |||
| Kannada | ದೋಣಿ | ||
| "ದೋಣಿ" also means "a hollow or cavity within a body part" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ബോട്ട് | ||
| "ബോട്ട്" (boat) is cognate with "बोट" (boat) in Hindi and "नाव" (boat) in Marathi, all derived from Sanskrit "नौ" (nau), meaning "boat" or "vessel". | |||
| Marathi | बोट | ||
| The Marathi word "बोट" (boat) is also used to metaphorically refer to a person's hands or fingers. | |||
| Nepali | डु boat्गा | ||
| The word "डु boat्गा" can also refer to a small, flat-bottomed boat used for crossing rivers or lakes. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਿਸ਼ਤੀ | ||
| The word "ਕਿਸ਼ਤੀ" in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "कष्ट" (kaṣṭa), meaning "wood" or "timber", and is also related to the Persian word "کشتی" (kishti), meaning "boat". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බෝට්ටුව | ||
| The word "බෝට්ටුව" can also mean "a large, flat-bottomed boat used for transporting goods or passengers on rivers or canals" | |||
| Tamil | படகு | ||
| The Tamil word "படகு" is also used to refer to a type of bird known as the "water hen". | |||
| Telugu | పడవ | ||
| "పడవ" (boat) is derived from Proto-Dravidian word *paṭa 'canoe, boat, vessel', and may be cognate with the words for 'board', 'plank' and 'raft' in other Dravidian languages. | |||
| Urdu | کشتی | ||
| In Farsi, ''کشتی'' also refers to a wrestling tournament. | |||
Boat in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 船 | ||
| 船's original meaning was a carrying tool, referring to the 'carriage' and 'car' from '车', the 'vessel' from '皿', and the 'wooden object' from '木'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 船 | ||
| In some contexts, the Chinese character "船" can also refer to a type of military or police vessel. | |||
| Japanese | ボート | ||
| ボート (bōto) is a Japanese word derived from the Portuguese word “bote”, which originally meant a small boat. | |||
| Korean | 보트 | ||
| The word 보트 can also refer to a water-tight container for holding rice. | |||
| Mongolian | завь | ||
| The word "завь" is also used in Mongolian poetry to symbolize a traveler's longing for home or a distant land. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှေ | ||
| The word "လှေ" can also refer to a type of traditional Burmese boat used for fishing or transportation. | |||
Boat in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perahu | ||
| "Perahu" is also a common noun referring to a wooden canoe or small fishing boat in many Southeast Asian languages, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. | |||
| Javanese | prau | ||
| The word "prau" in Javanese can also refer to a type of traditional sailing vessel used in the archipelago, typically with a single mast and outrigger. | |||
| Khmer | ទូក | ||
| "ទូក" (boat) is also used to refer to a type of Cambodian longboat. | |||
| Lao | ເຮືອ | ||
| The word ເຮືອ can also be used to refer to a particular type of boat used in Laos, the longboat. | |||
| Malay | perahu | ||
| "Perahu" is a loanword from Portuguese "parau", and a cognate of French "prou" and English "prow" | |||
| Thai | เรือ | ||
| The word "เรือ" can also refer to a type of traditional Thai boat race. | |||
| Vietnamese | thuyền | ||
| The word "thuyền" also refers to a type of Vietnamese folk music similar to a lullaby. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bangka | ||
Boat in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qayıq | ||
| The word "qayıq" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Turkic form “*qāyïq,” which also means "boat". | |||
| Kazakh | қайық | ||
| The word "қайық" may also refer to a type of wooden bowl or bucket used in households. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кайык | ||
| The word "кайык" in Kyrgyz derives from the Old Turkic word "qaγïγ" meaning "to row". | |||
| Tajik | киштӣ | ||
| The word "киштӣ" can also refer to a ship or a vessel. | |||
| Turkmen | gaýyk | ||
| Uzbek | qayiq | ||
| "Qayiq" is derived from the Persian word "ghaik", meaning "small boat". | |||
| Uyghur | كېمە | ||
Boat in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | moku | ||
| The Hawaiian word "moku" can also be used to refer to a district, a large land division, or a particular island. | |||
| Maori | poti | ||
| Poti can also refer to a receptacle or container, such as a basket or a pot. | |||
| Samoan | vaʻa | ||
| In Samoa, | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bangka | ||
| "Bangka" can also mean a "fishing weir". | |||
Boat in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yampu | ||
| Guarani | yga | ||
Boat in International Languages
| Esperanto | boato | ||
| The Esperanto word "boato" also means "rumor" in Portuguese. | |||
| Latin | navis | ||
| The Latin word "navis" can also refer to a temple or a box or chest. | |||
Boat in Others Languages
| Greek | σκάφος | ||
| The word "σκάφος" originally meant "hollow" or "carved" and was used to describe a variety of objects, including boats, dishes, and even coffins. | |||
| Hmong | nkoj | ||
| The Hmong word 'nkoj' is likely a borrowing of the Khmer word for 'boat' (នាវ), which is itself derived from the Sanskrit word for 'ship' (नौ). | |||
| Kurdish | qeyik | ||
| The word "qeyik" in Kurdish derives from the Persian word "qeyq" meaning "boat" or "rowboat". | |||
| Turkish | tekne | ||
| In Turkish, "tekne" can also refer to a wooden tray or coffin. | |||
| Xhosa | isikhephe | ||
| The word "isikhephe" in Xhosa can also refer to a container used for storing liquids or small objects. | |||
| Yiddish | שיפל | ||
| The Yiddish word "shipel" also means "a small ship" in Old High German, but in Yiddish, it can also refer to a specific type of flat-bottomed boat used on the Vistula River. | |||
| Zulu | isikebhe | ||
| The word "isikebhe" can also refer to a canoe or other small boat used for fishing or transportation on water. | |||
| Assamese | নাও | ||
| Aymara | yampu | ||
| Bhojpuri | नाव | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޯޓު | ||
| Dogri | किश्ती | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bangka | ||
| Guarani | yga | ||
| Ilocano | bangka | ||
| Krio | bot | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەلەم | ||
| Maithili | नाव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤ | ||
| Mizo | lawng | ||
| Oromo | bidiruu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡଙ୍ଗା | ||
| Quechua | wanpuq | ||
| Sanskrit | नौका | ||
| Tatar | көймә | ||
| Tigrinya | ጃልባ | ||
| Tsonga | xikwekwetsu | ||