Book in Different Languages
Discover 'Book' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A book is more than just a bound stack of papers. It's a portal to other worlds, a repository of knowledge, and a trusted companion for many. From ancient scrolls to modern e-books, the medium may change, but the significance of the book remains constant. Throughout history, books have been the foundation of human knowledge and culture, shaping societies and influencing the course of history.
Did you know that the oldest known book is the Epic of Gilgamesh, dating back to 2100 BCE? Or that the concept of a 'library' can be traced back to ancient Sumeria, around 2600 BCE?
Understanding the translation of the word 'book' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural significance of books around the world. For example, in Spanish, a book is 'libro', while in German, it's 'Buch'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for book is '书' (shū), and in Japanese, it's '本' (hon).
Keep reading to discover more translations of the word 'book' in a variety of languages, and gain a new appreciation for the cultural importance of this timeless object.
Book
Book in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | boek | ||
| The Afrikaans word "boek" also means "a fine, a penalty, or a forfeit". | |||
| Amharic | መጽሐፍ | ||
| መጽሐፍ can also refer to scripture, law or any written material | |||
| Hausa | littafi | ||
| In the Hausa language, "littafi" also means "writing" and can refer to any written material, not just a bound volume. | |||
| Igbo | akwụkwọ | ||
| The Igbo word "akwụkwọ" also means "leaf" or "written paper," reflecting its historical use as a writing material. | |||
| Malagasy | boky | ||
| The word "boky" in Malagasy can also mean "chapter" or "section" of a book, as well as "volume" or "issue" of a periodical. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | buku | ||
| The word "buku" can also refer to a chapter in a book or a section of a document. | |||
| Shona | bhuku | ||
| In Shona, the word "bhuku" is a cognate of the Zulu word "ibhuku", which originally referred to a wooden writing tablet. | |||
| Somali | buugga | ||
| The word "buugga" in Somali can also mean a "tablet" or a "writ". | |||
| Sesotho | buka | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "buka" not only means "book" but also "to read" or "to study." | |||
| Swahili | kitabu | ||
| The word 'kitabu' is borrowed from Arabic and originally meant 'writing'. | |||
| Xhosa | incwadi | ||
| The word 'incwadi' can also refer to a letter, notebook, or any written material. | |||
| Yoruba | iwe | ||
| In some Yoruba dialects, 'iwe' also refers to a type of traditional woven cloth, while in others it's the name for the indigo dye used to color the cloth. | |||
| Zulu | incwadi | ||
| In Zulu, "incwadi" also means "a letter" or "a writing." | |||
| Bambara | gafe | ||
| Ewe | agbalẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igitabo | ||
| Lingala | mokanda | ||
| Luganda | ekitabo | ||
| Sepedi | puku | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nwomasua | ||
Book in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كتاب | ||
| The word "كتاب" (kitab) also means "writing" or "document" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | סֵפֶר | ||
| The Hebrew word 'ספר' ('sefer') originates from the Akkadian term 'sipru', which referred to a clay tablet used for writing. | |||
| Pashto | کتاب | ||
| The word "کتاب" in Pashto also means "written paper" or "document." | |||
| Arabic | كتاب | ||
| The word "كتاب" (kitab) also means "writing" or "document" in Arabic. | |||
Book in Western European Languages
| Albanian | libër | ||
| In Albanian, "libër" derives from Latin "liber" meaning both "book" and "inner bark of a tree," linking it to the historic use of tree bark as writing material. | |||
| Basque | liburua | ||
| Liburua also means “free” in Basque and is used in the name of several organisations. | |||
| Catalan | llibre | ||
| The plural form of "llibre" in Catalan is "llibres," and its Old Catalan form was "libre." | |||
| Croatian | knjiga | ||
| In Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian, "knjiga" can also refer to a division of a manuscript or a literary work. | |||
| Danish | bestil | ||
| The Danish word "bestil" not only means "book" but also "order" | |||
| Dutch | boek | ||
| The Dutch word "boek" stems from the Proto-Germanic word "bōkō", which means "beech tree". As wooden tablets made from beech were used for writing, the word "boek" came to refer to books. | |||
| English | book | ||
| The word "book" derives from the Old English word "bōc," meaning a written work or a collection of written works bound together. | |||
| French | livre | ||
| The French word “livre” comes from the Latin word meaning “tree bark”, which the Romans used to make the pages of scrolls. | |||
| Frisian | boek | ||
| The Frisian word "boek" has historically referred to the beech tree, which was used to make writing tablets in ancient times. | |||
| Galician | libro | ||
| "Libro" also means "free" in Galician, and shares the same etymology with the word "liber" in Latin. | |||
| German | buch | ||
| The word "Buch" in German is derived from the Old High German word "buoh", which originally meant "a beech tree" and later came to refer to a wooden tablet used for writing. | |||
| Icelandic | bók | ||
| The Icelandic word 'bók' is of Old Norse origin, and was originally a general term for written records, including legal documents and letters. | |||
| Irish | leabhar | ||
| "Leabhar" also means a "book" in Old Irish and is related to the Gaulish "lebar" and Breton "levr". | |||
| Italian | libro | ||
| "Libro" derives from Latin "liber" meaning "inner bark". In the past, books were made of papyrus or parchment sheets made of animal skin. Today, libros are made of wood pulp paper. | |||
| Luxembourgish | buch | ||
| The word 'Buch' in Luxembourgish, derived from Middle High German 'buoch', also means 'beech tree' in the context of forestry. | |||
| Maltese | ktieb | ||
| The word "ktieb" is a loanword from Arabic, where it originally meant a written document | |||
| Norwegian | bok | ||
| The word "bok" originally meant "beech tree", which was used to make writing tablets in ancient times. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | livro | ||
| The etymology of the Portuguese word "livro" comes from the Latin word "liber", which means "book" or "inner bark of a tree". This is because the first books were made from the inner bark of trees. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leabhar | ||
| Leabhar, originally meaning 'book' in Gaelic, can also refer to 'a manuscript, a newspaper, or a journal' | |||
| Spanish | libro | ||
| The Spanish word "libro" comes from the Latin word "liber", which could refer to the inner bark of trees, the layer used for writing on in ancient times. | |||
| Swedish | bok | ||
| Bok, the Swedish word for 'book', derives from the Old Norse word for 'beech tree', since the first books were made from beech planks. | |||
| Welsh | llyfr | ||
| The Welsh term "llyfr" comes from the Latin word "liber", which also means "book" or "bast". Its plural form is "llyfrau". | |||
Book in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кніга | ||
| The word "кніга" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *kniga, which also meant "scroll" or "writing-board". | |||
| Bosnian | knjiga | ||
| In Croatian, the word 'knjiga' also means 'account' or 'record'. | |||
| Bulgarian | книга | ||
| The word "Книга" (book) derives from the Proto-Slavic word "kъnigъ", which originally meant "a wooden tablet for writing". | |||
| Czech | rezervovat | ||
| In Polish, "rezervovat" means to book a table at a restaurant, in Czech it means to book a seat on a train. | |||
| Estonian | raamat | ||
| The Estonian word "raamat" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*rōmaz", meaning "alphabet". It is related to the words "runes" and "read". | |||
| Finnish | kirja | ||
| The Finnish word "kirja" also means "letter". | |||
| Hungarian | könyv | ||
| "Könyv" comes from the Turkish word "kün" ("day" or "sun"), and originally meant the leaves that ancient Turks marked with lines and wrote their history and accounts on. | |||
| Latvian | grāmata | ||
| "Grāmata" is derived from the Proto-Baltic "*gram-atā", meaning "letter" or "written sign". | |||
| Lithuanian | knyga | ||
| "Knyga" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *knig- meaning "to know, write," and is related to the Latin "cognoscere" and the Greek "ginoskein." | |||
| Macedonian | книга | ||
| The word "книга" can also refer to a chapter of a book. | |||
| Polish | książka | ||
| "Książka" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "kъniga", which originally meant "a piece of wood written on". | |||
| Romanian | carte | ||
| "Carte" is a Romanian word for "book" which is derived from the Latin word "charta" meaning "paper" or "document". | |||
| Russian | книга | ||
| The Russian word "книга" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "knigy", which meant "scroll" or "tablet". | |||
| Serbian | књига | ||
| The word "књига" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "kъnigъ", which in turn derives from the Gothic word "boka", meaning "letter" or "beech tree" (used for writing on). | |||
| Slovak | kniha | ||
| "Kniha" in Slovak ultimately originates from the Germanic languages, and it is related to the English word "knowledge." | |||
| Slovenian | knjigo | ||
| The word “knjigo” comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kniga, which also meant “writing” or “record”. | |||
| Ukrainian | книга | ||
| The word "книга" in Ukrainian shares an etymological root with the Slavic word for "know" and can also refer to a written record or document. | |||
Book in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বই | ||
| বই is also slang for a person who is naive or gullible in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પુસ્તક | ||
| The Gujarati word "પુસ્તક" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पुस्तक" (pustak), which means "manuscript". It can also refer to a "bundle" or "collection" of leaves, or to a "written document". | |||
| Hindi | पुस्तक | ||
| पुस्तक, Sanskrit word पुस्तक, comes from पुट (put) 'to cover' and सक (sak) 'to tie or gather together' indicating that it is a collection of written leaves bound or tied together. | |||
| Kannada | ಪುಸ್ತಕ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಪುಸ್ತಕ" is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "पुस्तक" (pustaka), which means "written document" or "book". | |||
| Malayalam | പുസ്തകം | ||
| "പുസ്തകം" is also the Malayalam word for "knowledge", "document" and other paper bound items. | |||
| Marathi | पुस्तक | ||
| The word 'पुस्तक' ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word 'पुस्तिका', which means 'handwritten scroll'. | |||
| Nepali | पुस्तक | ||
| The word 'पुस्तक' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pustaka', which means 'a handful of leaves'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਿਤਾਬ | ||
| The word "ਕਿਤਾਬ" (kitaab) in Punjabi is derived from the Arabic word "كتاب" (kitaab), which means "a written work" or "a book". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පොත | ||
| The word "පොත" can also refer to a document, a letter, or a scripture in Sinhala | |||
| Tamil | நூல் | ||
| The Tamil word "நூல்" also means "thread" or "string", reflecting the historical practice of writing on palm leaves strung together. | |||
| Telugu | పుస్తకం | ||
| పుస్తకం is derived from the Sanskrit word "pustaka", which means "a leaf for writing" or "a book". | |||
| Urdu | کتاب | ||
| The word "کتاب" in Urdu shares its etymology with the Latin "codex" and the Greek "βιβλίον", all referring to written material stored in pages. | |||
Book in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 书 | ||
| 书 (shu) can also refer to a document, letter, or writing in general. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 書 | ||
| 書 (book) can also mean letter, write, or a document in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 本 | ||
| “本” can also mean “source,” “base,” or “root” when used in compounds such as "本源 (source)" or "根本 (root)". | |||
| Korean | 책 | ||
| The word “책” can also refer to “volume” or “number” in the context of a series or publication. | |||
| Mongolian | ном | ||
| The word "ном" in Mongolian can also refer to a chapter of a book, a scroll, or a document. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာအုပ် | ||
| In Myanmar, 'စာအုပ်' doesn't just refer to a physical book but also to any written work, regardless of its format. | |||
Book in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | book | ||
| In Indonesian, 'buku' may also refer to sections or chapters within a larger publication. | |||
| Javanese | buku | ||
| Buku derives from the same root as buku 'knot', suggesting an original meaning of 'tied together pages'. | |||
| Khmer | សៀវភៅ | ||
| The word សៀវភៅ can also mean 'document', 'ledger', or 'record'. | |||
| Lao | ປື້ມ | ||
| ປື້ມ could also refer to a bamboo joint or a small basket used to hold items, and was originally written in the Khmer script as ប៊ុម (bum). | |||
| Malay | buku | ||
| The Malay word "buku" is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhūka" meaning "inner bark of a tree", as books were originally made from tree bark. | |||
| Thai | หนังสือ | ||
| "หนังสือ" in Thai can also refer to a set of documents, such as a contract or a law, or to a topic or subject of study. | |||
| Vietnamese | sách | ||
| The word "sách" comes from the Chinese word "冊", which means "a bamboo slip used for writing". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | aklat | ||
Book in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kitab | ||
| "Kitab" also means religious scripture in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | кітап | ||
| The Kazakh word "кітап" comes from the Arabic word "kitab" meaning "to write". | |||
| Kyrgyz | китеп | ||
| The word "китеп" in Kyrgyz initially meant "any written text inscribed on a solid surface". | |||
| Tajik | китоб | ||
| The word "китоб" in Tajik also means "knowledge," deriving from an Old Persian word for "inscription," and a Sanskrit word "ketu-bha" for "banner," which later took on the meaning of "book." | |||
| Turkmen | kitap | ||
| Uzbek | kitob | ||
| The word "kitob" also means "writing" or "text" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | كىتاب | ||
Book in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | puke | ||
| The word 'puke' also means 'to vomit' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | pukapuka | ||
| Pukapuka, which in Maori can also mean “to assemble” or “to gather together” | |||
| Samoan | tusi | ||
| Tusi originates from the Proto-Polynesian word *tuhi, meaning, 'to write,' 'mark,' or 'draw'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | libro | ||
| "Libro" in Tagalog derives from the Spanish "libro", which evolved from the Latin "liber", meaning "book, inner bark". | |||
Book in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | panka | ||
| Guarani | aranduka | ||
Book in International Languages
| Esperanto | libro | ||
| The Esperanto word "libro" is derived from the Latin word "liber", which originally meant "the inner bark of a tree", and was later used to refer to a book made from such bark. | |||
| Latin | liber | ||
| The Latin word "liber" refers not only to a "book" but also to the inner bark of trees, from which the material for ancient writing tablets was made. | |||
Book in Others Languages
| Greek | βιβλίο | ||
| The Greek word "Βιβλίο" is derived from the Phoenician "biblos" meaning papyrus plant, and its alternate meaning is letter, epistle. | |||
| Hmong | phau ntawv | ||
| The word "phau ntawv" is derived from the Chinese word "pu图" which means "book" or "document." | |||
| Kurdish | pirtûk | ||
| The word 'pirtûk' may have been derived from the Persian word 'partaw', meaning 'volume' or 'book'. | |||
| Turkish | kitap | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, 'kitap' referred to a section or 'quiver' of a book, while today it is used for the book as a whole. | |||
| Xhosa | incwadi | ||
| The word 'incwadi' can also refer to a letter, notebook, or any written material. | |||
| Yiddish | בוך | ||
| The Yiddish word "בוך" (book) is derived from the German "Buch" and also means "beech tree". | |||
| Zulu | incwadi | ||
| In Zulu, "incwadi" also means "a letter" or "a writing." | |||
| Assamese | কিতাপ | ||
| Aymara | panka | ||
| Bhojpuri | किताब | ||
| Dhivehi | ފޮތް | ||
| Dogri | कताब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | aklat | ||
| Guarani | aranduka | ||
| Ilocano | libro | ||
| Krio | buk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کتێب | ||
| Maithili | पुस्तक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯤꯛ | ||
| Mizo | lehkhabu | ||
| Oromo | kitaaba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପୁସ୍ତକ | ||
| Quechua | maytu | ||
| Sanskrit | पुस्तकम् | ||
| Tatar | китап | ||
| Tigrinya | መፅሓፍ | ||
| Tsonga | buku | ||