Updated on March 6, 2024
The concept of 'brand' transcends simple logos or company names; it encapsulates the essence of identity and reputation in the market. This term, integral to commerce and culture alike, holds the power to communicate values, aspirations, and the unique proposition of a business or product. Understanding the significance of a brand helps to navigate the complex landscape of consumer choices and preferences. Given its cultural importance, knowing the brand in different languages can be crucial for businesses looking to expand globally, appealing to a broader, more diverse audience. Moreover, the word 'brand' has fascinating roots, with historical contexts varying across cultures, making its translation even more compelling. For instance, 'Marca' in Spanish or 'Marque' in French not only illustrates the linguistic diversity but also reflects cultural nuances in perception and value attribution. Let's delve into the intriguing translations of brand and uncover its global resonance.
Afrikaans | handelsmerk | ||
"Handelsmerk" originally referred to the physical marks made on cattle to distinguish ownership, but now generally refers to any mark or identifier that distinguishes a product or service. | |||
Amharic | የምርት ስም | ||
The Amharic word "የምርት ስም" can also refer to a mark or sign used to identify a particular product or service. | |||
Hausa | alama | ||
The word "alama" comes from the Arabic word "'alama", meaning "sign" or "mark". | |||
Igbo | ika | ||
The Igbo word "ika" also denotes a type of yam and the back, as in "azu ika" (back of the yam). | |||
Malagasy | marika | ||
The word "marika" can also refer to a "mark" or "sign." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtundu | ||
The word "mtundu" in Nyanja not only means "brand", but also has alternate meanings such as "type" or "kind". | |||
Shona | muchiso | ||
In the Shona language, "muchiso" can also refer to a group of people with similar qualities or a distinctive characteristic. | |||
Somali | summad | ||
The word "summad" can also refer to a mark burned into something, such as a cow, to identify ownership. | |||
Sesotho | cha | ||
Sesotho's word for "cha" can also mean "a mark left by heat or burning" | |||
Swahili | chapa | ||
The word "chapa" can also mean "stamp" or "imprint" in Swahili, indicating its association with the act of branding or marking. | |||
Xhosa | uphawu | ||
'Uphawu', which translates as "brand", can also mean "symbol", "badge" or "crest" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | burandi | ||
Burundi, meaning 'thunder' or 'lightning' in the Yoruba language, was founded as a brand of men's underwear. | |||
Zulu | sha | ||
“Sha” is used in a variety of contexts, including as a noun and a verb, such as “sha umlilo” (“light a fire”) or “shaya umthetho” (“break the law”). | |||
Bambara | mariki | ||
Ewe | nudzadzra ŋkɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikirango | ||
Lingala | marke | ||
Luganda | bulandi | ||
Sepedi | leswao | ||
Twi (Akan) | adeban | ||
Arabic | علامة تجارية | ||
The Arabic word "علامة تجارية" can also translate as "trademark" in English. | |||
Hebrew | מותג | ||
The Hebrew word "מותג" (''motág'') is a loanword from Aramaic that originally meant "stamp" or "seal". | |||
Pashto | نښه | ||
In Pashto, "نښه" has a secondary meaning of "sign" or "mark" and originates from the Persian word "نِشان", which carries a similar meaning. | |||
Arabic | علامة تجارية | ||
The Arabic word "علامة تجارية" can also translate as "trademark" in English. |
Albanian | markë | ||
The Albanian word "markë" is cognate with the Latin "marca (boundary, frontier)" and the Germanic "mark (boundary, sign)". Its initial meaning was "border, frontier", but over time it came to mean "sign, mark" and eventually "brand". | |||
Basque | marka | ||
In Basque, 'marka' originally referred to the demarcation of territory, but later came to mean 'brand' or 'trademark'. | |||
Catalan | marca | ||
The Catalan word "marca" derives from the Germanic word "marka", meaning "frontier" or "boundary", and carries the connotation of a distinctive sign or symbol. | |||
Croatian | marka | ||
In Croatian, "marka" also means "stamp" or "postage stamp". | |||
Danish | mærke | ||
The Danish word "mærke" can also refer to a badge or label. | |||
Dutch | merk | ||
"Merk" is cognate with the English word "mark," reflecting its origin in the act of marking or labeling something. | |||
English | brand | ||
The term 'brand' originally referred to a mark burned into livestock to indicate ownership. | |||
French | marque | ||
The French word "marque" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "merk-" meaning "to make a mark" and is cognate with the English word "march". | |||
Frisian | merk | ||
"Mark" as a Frisian word also means "coin". | |||
Galician | marca | ||
In Galician, "marca" can also refer to a boundary or limit, often associated with land ownership or territorial borders. | |||
German | marke | ||
The German word "Marke" derives from the Old High German "marka," meaning "boundary sign" or "border," and has developed the additional meaning of "brand" in the sense of a distinctive mark or identity. | |||
Icelandic | merki | ||
It is derived from Icelandic "merki", meaning both "sign" and "brand". | |||
Irish | branda | ||
In Irish, the word "branda" refers to both a burn or scar as well as a brand on livestock. | |||
Italian | marca | ||
The word "marca" in Italian can also refer to a mark, a boundary, or a border. | |||
Luxembourgish | mark | ||
"Mark" also means "boundary" in Luxembourgish, relating to the boundary stones in old Luxembourgish cities. | |||
Maltese | marka | ||
In Maltese, "marka" can also mean "stamp" or "sign". | |||
Norwegian | merke | ||
The word "merke" comes from the Old Norse word "mark" meaning "boundary", "sign", or "trace". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | marca | ||
In Portuguese, "marca" also refers to a boundary or limit, such as a border or landmark, deriving from the Proto-Germanic word "marka" meaning "boundary". | |||
Scots Gaelic | branda | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "branda" can also mean "a drop or a speck". | |||
Spanish | marca | ||
The word "marca" originally meant "border" or "frontier" in Latin, and is related to the words "mark" and "march" in English. | |||
Swedish | varumärke | ||
'Varumärke' literally translates to 'goods' (vara) 'mark' (märke) | |||
Welsh | brand | ||
Welsh word "brand" comes from Old English word "brand", which meant sword or piece of burning wood. |
Belarusian | марка | ||
The word "марка" can also refer to a stamp or a postal stamp in Belarusian. | |||
Bosnian | marka | ||
The word 'marka' can also mean 'stamp' or 'postage stamp' in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | марка | ||
The word "марка" also has the alternate meaning of "postage stamp". | |||
Czech | značka | ||
The word "značka" in Czech can also refer to a mark, sign, or label. | |||
Estonian | bränd | ||
"Bränd" in Estonian also means a piece of burning wood | |||
Finnish | brändi | ||
The word "brändi" also means "schnapps" in Finnish, which is a distilled alcoholic beverage flavored with fruits, herbs or spices. | |||
Hungarian | márka | ||
Hungarian "márka" (brand) derives from the Germanic *markōn (boundary), cognate with modern English "mark" | |||
Latvian | zīmols | ||
Zīmols derives from "zīme" ("sign"), and was originally used to refer to identification marks for livestock. | |||
Lithuanian | prekės ženklą | ||
In modern Lithuanian, the word "prekės ženklas" is used to refer to a brand, while in old Lithuanian it meant simply "a sign". | |||
Macedonian | бренд | ||
The word "бренд" in Macedonian, derived from the Middle Dutch "branden" meaning "to burn", also holds the alternative meaning of "firewood". | |||
Polish | marka | ||
The word "Marka" in Polish can also refer to a postage stamp, a postage due label, or a brand name. | |||
Romanian | marca | ||
In Romanian, "marca" also means "stamp" or "sign", and derives from the Old Slavic "marka" with the same meaning. | |||
Russian | марка | ||
The Russian word "марка" can literally mean "stamp" or "postage stamp". | |||
Serbian | марка | ||
The Serbian word "Марка" also refers to the German currency, the Deutsche Mark. | |||
Slovak | značka | ||
The Slovak word "značka" can also mean "sign", "mark", or "label". | |||
Slovenian | blagovno znamko | ||
In the field of finance, the word "blagovna znamka" can also be used to translate the English "securitization", especially the translation of its legal instrument "security" as "blagovna znamka". | |||
Ukrainian | торгова марка | ||
In Ukrainian, "торгова марка" is also used for "trademark." |
Bengali | ব্র্যান্ড | ||
The Bengali word "ব্র্যান্ড" can also refer to a type of sweet dish similar to crème brûlée. | |||
Gujarati | બ્રાન્ડ | ||
The Gujarati word 'બ્રાન્ડ' can also refer to a type of fire, a brand used in branding cattle, or a type of musical instrument. | |||
Hindi | ब्रांड | ||
Derived from the Old Norse 'brandr', meaning a torch or a mark made by burning, 'brand' in English can also refer to a mark of ownership on animals. | |||
Kannada | ಬ್ರಾಂಡ್ | ||
In Kannada, "ಬ್ರಾಂಡ್" can also refer to a mark or symbol of identification, such as a livestock brand. | |||
Malayalam | ബ്രാൻഡ് | ||
"ബ്രാൻഡ്" is derived from the Middle Dutch "branden", meaning burning. It can also refer to cattle that had been burnt with a specific mark to identify or categorize them. | |||
Marathi | ब्रँड | ||
The Marathi word 'ब्रँड' comes from the English word 'brand', but it also means 'mark' or 'stamp'. | |||
Nepali | ब्राण्ड | ||
The word "ब्रण्ड" also means "clan" or "caste" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਦਾਗ | ||
The word "ਦਾਗ" can also mean "stain" or "scar" in Punjabi. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වෙළඳ නාමය | ||
The word 'වෙළඳ නාමය' (brand) in Sinhala is derived from the Portuguese word 'branda', meaning to burn or to stamp. | |||
Tamil | பிராண்ட் | ||
The word 'brand' in Tamil, 'பிராண்ட்', is adapted from the English word 'brand', which originally referred to a mark burned into livestock to indicate ownership. | |||
Telugu | బ్రాండ్ | ||
The word "brand" is derived from the Old English word "brandr", meaning "firewood torch used for branding cattle". | |||
Urdu | برانڈ | ||
The Urdu word "برانڈ" can also refer to a type of rice or a variety of sugarcane, while in Persian it means a piece of charcoal. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 牌 | ||
The character "牌" can also refer to a sign, a tablet, or a playing card. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 牌 | ||
The word 牌(pái) means 'tablet' or 'card', reflecting its origin as a physical token of identification. | |||
Japanese | ブランド | ||
ブランド means a branding iron and originally referred to the burning of livestock to distinguish ownership. | |||
Korean | 상표 | ||
The Korean word "상표" (brand) literally translates to "trademark," highlighting its legal and commercial significance. | |||
Mongolian | брэнд | ||
In Mongolian, "брэнд" can be used to refer to a brand of clothing, a trademark, or a label that guarantees authenticity. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကုန်အမှတ်တံဆိပ် | ||
Indonesian | merek | ||
The word "merek" in Indonesian also has alternate meanings such as "type" or "variety" in the context of plants, animals, or objects. | |||
Javanese | merek | ||
The Javanese word "merek" can also mean "mark", "trace", or "scar". | |||
Khmer | យីហោ | ||
The word "យីហោ" originated from the Chinese word "牌子" (pái zi), which carries the same meaning. | |||
Lao | ຍີ່ຫໍ້ | ||
The Lao word for "brand" (ຍີ່ຫໍ້) is derived from the Thai word "yim" (ยี่) meaning "seal" and "hom" (ห้อม) meaning "enclose or surround." | |||
Malay | jenama | ||
The Malay word 'jenama' originates from the Sanskrit word 'jñā', meaning 'knowledge' or 'cognition'. | |||
Thai | ยี่ห้อ | ||
ยี่ห้อ is a loanword from Portuguese marca, used to indicate a brand or mark of ownership. | |||
Vietnamese | nhãn hiệu | ||
The Sino-Vietnamese word nhãn hiệu ('brand') is an abbreviation of nhãn hiệu hàng hóa (literally 'goods label'). | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tatak | ||
Azerbaijani | marka | ||
The word "marka" also means "stamp" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | бренд | ||
Бренд means both "brand" and "tag" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | бренд | ||
Слово «бренд» имеет много значений и смыслов, но все они так или иначе связаны с понятием качества. | |||
Tajik | бренд | ||
In Tajik, "бренд" also refers to a type of fabric woven from cotton or silk. | |||
Turkmen | markasy | ||
Uzbek | tovar belgisi | ||
The Uzbek word "tovar belgisi" literally means "commodity sign" and is also used to refer to "logo". | |||
Uyghur | ماركا | ||
Hawaiian | momoku ahi | ||
"Momoku ahi" also refers to a "branding iron", an instrument used to burn an identifying mark on cattle, livestock, or another object. | |||
Maori | waitohu | ||
The word 'waitohu' also refers to a 'mark' or 'sign' made on a tree by a surveyor to indicate the boundary of a land block. | |||
Samoan | ituaiga | ||
The word 'ituaiga' in Samoan can also refer to a 'family' or a 'group' of people. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tatak | ||
The Tagalog word "tatak" can also refer to a distinctive characteristic, quality, or style. |
Aymara | chimpu | ||
Guarani | téra | ||
Esperanto | marko | ||
The Esperanto word “marko” may also refer to a monetary unit once used in the German Empire and other countries. | |||
Latin | notam | ||
In Latin, "notam" also means "mark" or "sign". |
Greek | μάρκα | ||
The word "μάρκα" can also refer to a monetary unit used in various countries, including Germany and Estonia. | |||
Hmong | hom | ||
The word "hom" in Hmong can also refer to a type of bamboo used in making baskets and mats. | |||
Kurdish | şanika şewatê | ||
The Kurdish word "şanika şewatê" is related to the ancient Proto-Indo-European word "*h₁sew-," which means "to burn." | |||
Turkish | marka | ||
In Turkish, 'marka' also refers to a traditional unit of currency and a stamp or postage. | |||
Xhosa | uphawu | ||
'Uphawu', which translates as "brand", can also mean "symbol", "badge" or "crest" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | סאָרט | ||
This word may derive from "сорт" which refers to "quality" in Russian (from which the modern Hebrew "סוֹרְט" also derives) reflecting the original emphasis on quality over the commercial aspects of branding. | |||
Zulu | sha | ||
“Sha” is used in a variety of contexts, including as a noun and a verb, such as “sha umlilo” (“light a fire”) or “shaya umthetho” (“break the law”). | |||
Assamese | ব্ৰেণ্ড | ||
Aymara | chimpu | ||
Bhojpuri | ब्रांड | ||
Dhivehi | ބްރޭންޑް | ||
Dogri | ब्रांड | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tatak | ||
Guarani | téra | ||
Ilocano | marka | ||
Krio | mak | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | براند | ||
Maithili | मार्का | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯃꯤꯡ | ||
Mizo | chhinchhiah | ||
Oromo | maqaa oomishaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ରାଣ୍ଡ | ||
Quechua | marca | ||
Sanskrit | चिह्न | ||
Tatar | бренд | ||
Tigrinya | ስም ምህርቲ | ||
Tsonga | muxaka | ||