Brick in Different Languages
Discover 'Brick' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Bricks are an essential part of our built environment, with a rich history that spans continents and cultures. Originated over 5,000 years ago in ancient civilizations, bricks have been the foundation of monumental architecture, from the Great Wall of China to the Colosseum in Rome. Bricks symbolize strength, resilience, and the power of human ingenuity.
Understanding the translation of 'brick' in different languages is not only a fun way to explore cultural diversity but also provides practical value. Whether you're an architect working on an international project, a student studying abroad, or a traveler planning a global adventure, knowing the local term for 'brick' can enrich your experience and facilitate communication.
Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- French: brique
- Spanish: ladrillo
- German: Ziegel
- Mandarin: Zhuan (�zuane)
- Japanese: Renga (レンガ)
Discover more translations of 'brick' and deepen your appreciation for the cultural significance of this humble yet powerful building block.
Brick
Brick in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | baksteen | ||
| In Old Dutch (pre-1150) and medieval Dutch (1150-1500) "baksteen" meant simply "stone" or "rock". In modern Dutch the word refers specifically to a "brick". | |||
| Amharic | ጡብ | ||
| The word ጡብ (brick) can also refer to a type of Ethiopian bread, further alluding to its rectangular shape. | |||
| Hausa | bulo | ||
| The word "bulo" in Hausa is cognate to the word "buru" in the closely-related Gwandara language, which means "stone". | |||
| Igbo | brik | ||
| The Igbo word 'brik' also refers to the 'floor/ground' | |||
| Malagasy | biriky | ||
| The word "biriky" in Malagasy, meaning "brick", is derived from the Arabic word "birik", meaning "water tank". The word "birik" was later adopted into Swahili as "biriki", which then spread to Madagascar via trade and cultural exchange. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | njerwa | ||
| The word "njerwa" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-dzela-" meaning "to build" and can also refer to a type of clay or mud used in construction. | |||
| Shona | zvidhinha | ||
| The word 'zvidhinha' is also used to refer to a type of small, round stone found in some parts of Zimbabwe. | |||
| Somali | leben | ||
| The word "leben" can also refer to a rectangular stone used in building houses in Somalia. | |||
| Sesotho | setene | ||
| Setene is a cognate word with isiXhosa 'isitya', which means 'pot', and Zulu 'isitsha', which means 'plate'. | |||
| Swahili | matofali | ||
| In northern Tanzania, 'matofali' may also mean 'red clay' or 'burnt earth'. | |||
| Xhosa | isitena | ||
| The word "isitena" in Xhosa, meaning "brick," is also used to refer to other hard, red objects like certain types of soil. | |||
| Yoruba | okuta | ||
| The Yoruba word "okuta" also means "stone" or "rock" and is related to the word "okùn," which means "heavy." | |||
| Zulu | isitini | ||
| The Zulu word "isitini" also means "something heavy" in reference to its weight. | |||
| Bambara | biriki | ||
| Ewe | kpe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amatafari | ||
| Lingala | briki | ||
| Luganda | ettofaali | ||
| Sepedi | setena | ||
| Twi (Akan) | breke | ||
Brick in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قالب طوب | ||
| Some claim that the word "قالب طوب" derived from "قلب" (heart), meaning "the heart of the building". | |||
| Hebrew | לְבֵנָה | ||
| לבנה' refers not only to the common building material, but also to the moon in certain contexts. | |||
| Pashto | خښته | ||
| The Pashto word "خښته" also refers to "dry land" and "a small piece of land allotted to each tribe member for grazing livestock" | |||
| Arabic | قالب طوب | ||
| Some claim that the word "قالب طوب" derived from "قلب" (heart), meaning "the heart of the building". | |||
Brick in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tulla | ||
| The Albanian word "tulla" comes from the Latin word "tegula," which originally referred to roof tiles and later bricks. | |||
| Basque | adreilua | ||
| The word "adreilua" has been attested since the 12th century and is likely a loanword from Latin "laterculus" (tile). | |||
| Catalan | maó | ||
| The Catalan word "maó" derives from Arabic word "ma'ún" meaning "clay" or "adobe", reflecting its ancient use as a building material. | |||
| Croatian | cigla | ||
| The word "cigla" is derived from the Latin word "tegula", meaning "tile" or "roof tile". | |||
| Danish | mursten | ||
| The Danish word "mursten" is derived from the Old Norse word "múr", meaning "wall", and "steinn", meaning "stone". | |||
| Dutch | steen | ||
| "Steen" means brick in Dutch, and was originally derived from the Germanic word "stain." It is also sometimes used generically to refer to hard natural substances like rock or stone. | |||
| English | brick | ||
| "Brick" can refer to a loaf of compressed tea, a rectangular block of compressed cannabis, or a small briquette of coal. | |||
| French | brique | ||
| The French term "brique" also refers to a rectangular shape or a shade of red, and originates from the Middle Dutch word "brieken" meaning "to break." | |||
| Frisian | bakstien | ||
| The word "bakstien" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "backsteen," which means "stone baked in a kiln." | |||
| Galician | ladrillo | ||
| In Galician, "ladrillo" also refers to the "first rays of dawn" and "a type of traditional Galician bagpipe". | |||
| German | backstein | ||
| "Backstein" (brick) is a compound of "backen" (to bake) and "Stein" (stone), referring to the process of hardening bricks through baking. | |||
| Icelandic | múrsteinn | ||
| The word "múrsteinn" literally means "stone for a wall" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | bríce | ||
| The word "bríce" in Irish can also refer to a small speckled trout or a kind of plant used for dyeing cloth. | |||
| Italian | mattone | ||
| The name dates back to the ancient Latin 'materia', originally used to refer to wood and building materials. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zillen | ||
| The word "Zillen" is also used colloquially to refer to a small, rectangular piece of paper or cardboard. | |||
| Maltese | briks | ||
| The Maltese word "briks" is derived from the Italian word "breccia", meaning "rubble" or "stone fragments". | |||
| Norwegian | murstein | ||
| The term "murstein" derives from the Old Norse word "múr", meaning "wall" and "stein", meaning "stone". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tijolo | ||
| In Brazil, "tijolo" also refers to a type of small, rectangular cheese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | breige | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word for brick, 'breige', also means 'speckled' or 'freckled', reflecting the traditional use of bricks for paving. | |||
| Spanish | ladrillo | ||
| The Spanish word "ladrillo" comes from the Latin word later, lateris, "brick", and means "tile" in some parts of Spain. | |||
| Swedish | tegel | ||
| The word 'tegel' is derived from the Old Swedish word 'tighel' meaning 'tile' or 'brick,' ultimately from the Middle Low German word 'tegel,' which in turn comes from the Latin word 'tegula,' meaning 'tile'. | |||
| Welsh | brics | ||
| The Welsh word "brics" can also refer to a "speck" or "freckle". | |||
Brick in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цэгла | ||
| "Цэгла" is likely derived from Polish "cegła" and Ukrainian "цегла" (both meaning "brick") which in turn derive from German "ziegel" (also meaning "brick"). | |||
| Bosnian | cigla | ||
| The word 'cigla' in Bosnian is derived from the Latin word 'tegula', which also means 'tile'. | |||
| Bulgarian | тухла | ||
| The word 'тухла' derives from the Proto-Slavic root *tъxlъ, meaning 'something thick' or 'a lump'. | |||
| Czech | cihlový | ||
| The word "cihlový" also means "brick-colored". | |||
| Estonian | telliskivi | ||
| The word "telliskivi" is thought to derive from the Estonian word "tellis" (brick) and the Finnish word "kivi" (stone). | |||
| Finnish | tiili | ||
| The word | |||
| Hungarian | tégla | ||
| The word 'tégla' also refers to a kind of sweet bun filled with jam and sprinkled with sugar. | |||
| Latvian | ķieģelis | ||
| The Latvian word "ķieģelis" likely derives from a Russian "кирпич", which in turn originates from the Greek word "κεραμίδιον" ("roof tile"). | |||
| Lithuanian | plyta | ||
| Lithuanian for "brick", "plyta" also describes other flat, usually rectangular things like the wooden plank in "lenta plyta" (cutting board) or the metal base of something like a bed in "lova plyta." | |||
| Macedonian | тула | ||
| The word "тула" can also refer to a type of fish similar to a catfish called a "тула". | |||
| Polish | cegła | ||
| "Cegła" originates from "tegula", a Latin word for "roof tile" | |||
| Romanian | cărămidă | ||
| "Cărămidă" originally meant a red stone, hence the name of the city of Câmpulung Moldovenesc, whose name comes from the Romanian "cîmp" (field) and "lung" (long), and the Slavic word "moldavan" (Moldovian), meaning the "long field of the red stone." | |||
| Russian | кирпич | ||
| The Russian word "кирпич" has its origins in the Old Russian word "плинфа", which means "flat stone" or "tile". | |||
| Serbian | цигла | ||
| The word "цигла" can also refer to a roofing tile or a type of oven used for baking bread. | |||
| Slovak | tehla | ||
| The word "tehla" might come from Latin "tegula" (roof tile) | |||
| Slovenian | opeka | ||
| Opekarna is a Slovenian word for brick kiln. | |||
| Ukrainian | цегла | ||
| "Цегла" (brick) also means "trouble" or "problem" colloquially in Ukrainian. | |||
Brick in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইট | ||
| The word "ইট" can also refer to a type of coin or a weight measure. | |||
| Gujarati | ઈંટ | ||
| The word "ઈંટ" ("brick") in Gujarati can also refer to a block of wood used for building. | |||
| Hindi | ईंट | ||
| The Hindi word 'ईंट' (brick) also refers to a type of sweet, layered cake popular in some parts of India. | |||
| Kannada | ಇಟ್ಟಿಗೆ | ||
| The word "ಇಟ್ಟಿಗೆ" is of Prakrit origin. It has also been used in the sense of "a house or building" in some Kannada lexicons. | |||
| Malayalam | ഇഷ്ടിക | ||
| The word "ഇഷ്ടിക" is derived from the Sanskrit word "อิษฎिका" (iṣṭikā), meaning "burnt brick". | |||
| Marathi | वीट | ||
| In Marathi, 'वीट' not only refers to a brick, but also connotes firmness, resoluteness, or durability. | |||
| Nepali | ईंट | ||
| " ईंट " का वैकल्पिक अर्थ " पत्थर की मूर्ति " है। | |||
| Punjabi | ਇੱਟ | ||
| The word 'ਇੱਟ' can also refer to the Indian musical instrument known as the 'ektara'. It consists of a long wooden stick with a gourd at one end and one or two strings stretched over it. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගඩොල් | ||
| The word "ගඩොල්" (brick) is derived from the Sanskrit word "गृहद्वार" (house-door), indicating its original use in building the walls of houses. | |||
| Tamil | செங்கல் | ||
| The Tamil word 'செங்கல்' primarily refers to a 'brick' but it also signifies 'copper', with the word's etymology potentially originating from the root 'செம்' ('red') and referring to the reddish hue of both bricks and copper. | |||
| Telugu | ఇటుక | ||
| The word "ఇటుక" (brick) is also used to refer to a small piece of something, such as a piece of wood or metal. | |||
| Urdu | اینٹ | ||
| The word "اینٹ" (brick) in Urdu is derived from the Sanskrit word "iṣṭikā" (brick). | |||
Brick in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 砖 | ||
| 砖 (pinyin zhuan) is also an ancient Chinese measurement unit, one brick being approximately equal to 15 cm. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 磚 | ||
| The character "磚" (brick) is made up of the radicals "土" (earth) and "言" (speech), suggesting its original meaning of "earth that is spoken to" or "earth that is molded by words". | |||
| Japanese | レンガ | ||
| レンガ is also the name for a popular brand of microwaveable instant ramen in Japan, known for its thick tonkotsu pork bone broth. | |||
| Korean | 벽돌 | ||
| The word "벽돌" also means "a small, thick book." | |||
| Mongolian | тоосго | ||
| The word "тоосго" (brick) in Mongolian is derived from the Old Turkic word "toγuš" meaning "burnt". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အုတ် | ||
| The word can also be used figuratively to refer to something that is solid or unyielding. | |||
Brick in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bata | ||
| The word "bata" in Indonesian is thought to originate from the Chinese word "batah", which also means "brick" in English. | |||
| Javanese | bata | ||
| Bata can also mean 'tile' or 'block' and is thought to stem from the Proto-Austronesian term wqtaq. | |||
| Khmer | ឥដ្ឋ | ||
| The word ឥដ្ឋ derives from the Sanskrit word "idā" meaning "to fix". | |||
| Lao | ອິດ | ||
| The term ອິດ also refers to the act of rubbing and kneading a person's body as a traditional healing practice. | |||
| Malay | batu bata | ||
| The word "batu bata" also means "red brick" in Malay, which is reflected in its literal meaning of "red stone". | |||
| Thai | อิฐ | ||
| The Thai word for brick, "อิฐ," originates from the Sanskrit word "istakā," which means "burnt brick." | |||
| Vietnamese | gạch | ||
| The word "gạch" can also refer to a line or stroke, such as in writing or drawing. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ladrilyo | ||
Brick in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kərpic | ||
| The word "kərpic" in Azerbaijani is an ancient loanword from Greek "keramis" meaning "pottery" or "tile". | |||
| Kazakh | кірпіш | ||
| The word "кірпіш" is derived from the Persian word "kirpich", which means "unbaked brick" or "adobe". In Kazakh, it has also been used to refer to the hard, red, fired bricks that are commonly used in construction, as well as the bricks used to pave roads. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыш | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кыш" can also mean "winter" or "construction material". | |||
| Tajik | хишт | ||
| The word "хишт" in Tajik can also refer to a "sun-dried clay brick". | |||
| Turkmen | kerpiç | ||
| Uzbek | g'isht | ||
| The word "g'isht" is likely derived from the Persian word "khesht", meaning "brick" or "tile". | |||
| Uyghur | خىش | ||
Brick in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pōhaku lepo | ||
| "Lepo" also means "heavy" or "dull" in Hawaiian, a possible reference to the weight and durability of bricks. | |||
| Maori | pereki | ||
| The word "pereki" can also refer to the process of making bricks or the place where bricks are made. | |||
| Samoan | piliki | ||
| The Samoan word "piliki" may also refer to a type of taro or a tool used for breaking coconuts. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | brick | ||
| "Brick" in Filipino also refers to "gold" and "a lump of something" | |||
Brick in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | latrillu | ||
| Guarani | yvy'atã | ||
Brick in International Languages
| Esperanto | briko | ||
| "Briko" is derived from the English word "brick" and also means "piece" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | fictilis | ||
| The adjective "fictilis" in Latin can also mean "made of clay" or "fictitious, feigned, imaginary". | |||
Brick in Others Languages
| Greek | τούβλο | ||
| In Cyprus, the word "τούβλο" also refers to a traditional Cypriot dessert made of semolina served with nutmeg and cinnamon. | |||
| Hmong | cib | ||
| The word "cib" in Hmong can also refer to a stone or a piece of wood. | |||
| Kurdish | krêmît | ||
| The word 'krêmît' in Kurdish has multiple meanings, including 'brick', 'building block', and 'tile'. | |||
| Turkish | tuğla | ||
| The word 'tuğla' comes from the Persian word 'tūkhalah', meaning 'dried brick'. In some contexts, it can also refer to a block of wood or metal. | |||
| Xhosa | isitena | ||
| The word "isitena" in Xhosa, meaning "brick," is also used to refer to other hard, red objects like certain types of soil. | |||
| Yiddish | ציגל | ||
| "ציגל" in Yiddish sometimes references a "brick" or "block" in a figurative sense, similar to "blockhead" in English. | |||
| Zulu | isitini | ||
| The Zulu word "isitini" also means "something heavy" in reference to its weight. | |||
| Assamese | ইটা | ||
| Aymara | latrillu | ||
| Bhojpuri | ईंट | ||
| Dhivehi | ބްރިކް | ||
| Dogri | इट्ट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ladrilyo | ||
| Guarani | yvy'atã | ||
| Ilocano | pader | ||
| Krio | blɔk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خشت | ||
| Maithili | ईटा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯦꯛ | ||
| Mizo | leirawhchan | ||
| Oromo | xuuphii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଇଟା | ||
| Quechua | ladrillo | ||
| Sanskrit | इष्टिका | ||
| Tatar | кирпеч | ||
| Tigrinya | ጡብ | ||
| Tsonga | xitina | ||