Bridge in Different Languages
Discover 'Bridge' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath, such as a body of water, a valley, or a road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. Throughout history, bridges have played a crucial role in connecting communities, enabling trade and cultural exchange, and shaping the course of civilizations. From the ancient Roman aqueducts to the modern-day suspension bridges, these architectural marvels have captured our imagination and inspired awe.
Moreover, the word 'bridge' holds a special place in many languages and cultures around the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'puente' not only refers to a physical structure but also to a period of time between holidays or events. In Japanese, 'hashi' is a common term for bridge, and it also denotes the chopsticks used in daily life. Understanding the translation of 'bridge' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the history, customs, and worldview of the people who speak them.
Here are some fascinating translations of 'bridge' in various languages, inviting you to explore the rich tapestry of human culture and language:
Bridge
Bridge in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | brug | ||
| The word "brug" in Afrikaans can also refer to a footbridge or a gangway on a ship. | |||
| Amharic | ድልድይ | ||
| The word ድልድይ (bridge) can also mean "crossing" or "junction". | |||
| Hausa | gada | ||
| In some dialects, gada can refer to both an elevated passage over water and a traditional house frame | |||
| Igbo | akwa | ||
| The Igbo word "akwa" can also refer to a "threshold" or "gateway". | |||
| Malagasy | tetezana | ||
| Tetezana, meaning "bridge" in Malagasy, shares a root with the word "tezana," meaning "to join together." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mlatho | ||
| The word 'mlatho' is also used to refer to the 'spine' in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | zambuko | ||
| The word "zambuko" can also refer to a musical instrument made from a hollow gourd with a hole in the side. | |||
| Somali | buundada | ||
| The word "buundada" is derived from the Proto-Cushitic root *bVr, which also means "to cross". | |||
| Sesotho | borokho | ||
| The word "borokho" can also mean "causeway" or "pass" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | daraja | ||
| 'Daraja' also means 'class' or 'rank' in Swahili, derived from the Arabic word 'daraja' meaning 'step' or 'degree'. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhulorho | ||
| "Ibhulorho" also means "to cross over" or "to go beyond" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | afara | ||
| "Afara" in its alternative meaning refers to a ladder. | |||
| Zulu | ibhuloho | ||
| The Zulu word "ibhuloho" is borrowed from Portuguese "ponte", also meaning bridge, and ultimately from Latin "pons pontis". | |||
| Bambara | pɔn | ||
| Ewe | agbasasã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikiraro | ||
| Lingala | pont | ||
| Luganda | olutindo | ||
| Sepedi | leporogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twene | ||
Bridge in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جسر | ||
| The Arabic word "جسر" (jisr) can also refer to a bridgehead, a causeway, or a dam. | |||
| Hebrew | לְגַשֵׁר | ||
| "לְגַשֵׁר" is linked to the noun "גֶּשֶׁר" (bridge), which, in turn, comes from the root "גָּשַׁר" (approach). It also shares this root with the verb "גָּשַׁשׁ" (probe) and the noun "גִּישָׁה" (approach). | |||
| Pashto | پل | ||
| The word "پل" in Pashto also means "wing". | |||
| Arabic | جسر | ||
| The Arabic word "جسر" (jisr) can also refer to a bridgehead, a causeway, or a dam. | |||
Bridge in Western European Languages
| Albanian | urë | ||
| The word "urë" in Albanian may also refer to a type of measure used in construction. | |||
| Basque | zubia | ||
| In Basque the word "zubia" does not only mean "bridge" but also "tooth". | |||
| Catalan | pont | ||
| In Catalan, the word "pont" can also mean "ferry port" or "landing stage." | |||
| Croatian | most | ||
| The word "most" has Slavic roots, and also means a platform, a scaffold or a weir in various Slavic languages. | |||
| Danish | bro | ||
| Danish "bro" is a loanword from Swedish, and originally meant "the ground". | |||
| Dutch | brug | ||
| The Dutch word "brug" (bridge) derives from the Indo-European root "bhereg-" meaning "to go across" and is related to the English word "ferry". | |||
| English | bridge | ||
| The word "bridge" is derived from the Old English word "brycg," meaning "planked way," and is related to the Dutch word "brug" and the German word "Brücke." | |||
| French | pont | ||
| The word “pont” in French can also refer to a ferryboat that transports people and vehicles across a body of water. | |||
| Frisian | brêge | ||
| The Frisian word "brêge" is etymologically related to the English "bridge" and can also mean "pier" or "jetty". | |||
| Galician | ponte | ||
| Galician "ponte" can also mean "ferry terminal" or "wharf". | |||
| German | brücke | ||
| The word "Brücke" in German can also refer to a group of artists, the "Die Brücke" who were active in the early 20th century. | |||
| Icelandic | brú | ||
| The word "brú" can also refer to a plank of wood, a bridge of boats, or a part of a boat. | |||
| Irish | droichead | ||
| Droichead derives from two Old Irish words: droch meaning 'bad' and áth meaning 'ford', and originally meant 'bad crossing'. | |||
| Italian | ponte | ||
| The word "ponte" is derived from the Latin word "pons", and has many alternate meanings in Italian, including: "pontoon" and "gangplank". | |||
| Luxembourgish | bréck | ||
| The word "Bréck" is related to the Latin word "pons", meaning "bridge". | |||
| Maltese | pont | ||
| Similar to Italian, "pont" can also refer to boat decks in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | bro | ||
| In Norwegian, "bro" also means "brother". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ponte | ||
| Ponte is a variant of "ponte" in Spain, meaning "stake", and "pond" in France. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | drochaid | ||
| The Gaelic word "drochaid" may also mean "ladder" or "way". | |||
| Spanish | puente | ||
| Puente, meaning 'bridge' in Spanish, derives from the Latin word 'pontem', which in addition to indicating a structure for crossing a river or other body of water, also meant 'plank'. | |||
| Swedish | bro | ||
| The Swedish word “bro” can also refer to trousers or a pair of siblings. | |||
| Welsh | bont | ||
| The word "bont" can also refer to a plank or board in Welsh. | |||
Bridge in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мост | ||
| The Belarusian word "мост" comes from Old East Slavic and has the same root as words like "мостить" which means "to lay down a path". | |||
| Bosnian | most | ||
| Most can also refer to part of the body, and a measure for wine. | |||
| Bulgarian | мост | ||
| "мост" can also mean "the gap between two generations" or "an opening in the ice"} | |||
| Czech | most | ||
| Most is a common Czech word for bridge, but it can also mean trap, snare, or ambush. | |||
| Estonian | sild | ||
| The word "sild" originates from the Proto-Finnic word "silta" meaning "bridge" or "gangway on a boat." | |||
| Finnish | silta | ||
| The term "silta" in Finnish may have originated from the word "silta-akseli," meaning a beam or plank serving as a bridge. | |||
| Hungarian | híd | ||
| The word 'híd' also has meanings related to music and dance | |||
| Latvian | tilts | ||
| The word "tilts" in Latvian also refers to "tilting" or "swaying" (intransitive verb), or "tilting" (transitive verb). | |||
| Lithuanian | tiltas | ||
| "Tiltas" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root "*tiltas, | |||
| Macedonian | мост | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "мост" can also refer to a dental bridge or an anatomical bridge (e.g., the bridge of the nose). | |||
| Polish | most | ||
| The word 'most' has multiple meanings in Polish, including 'power', 'strength' or 'authority'. | |||
| Romanian | pod | ||
| The Romanian word "pod" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ped-," which also gave rise to cognates such as the English word "path" and the Russian word "pute" (road). | |||
| Russian | мост | ||
| The Russian word "мост" also means "the deck of a string instrument" or "an arch over a river". | |||
| Serbian | мост | ||
| The word "мост" can also refer to a dam, a dike, or a viaduct. | |||
| Slovak | most | ||
| In most Slavic languages, the word "most" originally meant "a path for crossing obstacles" but gained more specific meanings later on. | |||
| Slovenian | most | ||
| In Slovenian, the word "most" can also mean "a lot" or "very". | |||
| Ukrainian | міст | ||
| The same word can refer to a city or town, an exchange market, or even a type of ancient Ukrainian warship. | |||
Bridge in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্রিজ | ||
| The term "ব্রিজ" is sometimes used figuratively to refer to a connection or a passage linking two things. | |||
| Gujarati | પુલ | ||
| "Pūl" has an alternative meaning of "a small pond or lake". | |||
| Hindi | पुल | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning as "bridge", "पुल" is also used in a figurative sense to describe a connection or pathway between two things. | |||
| Kannada | ಸೇತುವೆ | ||
| ಸೇತುವೆ in Kannada was derived from the Sanskrit word `setu` meaning "that which leads to or over". | |||
| Malayalam | പാലം | ||
| The word "പാലം" (bridge) derives from the Sanskrit term "पल (pal)", meaning "to protect or to guard". | |||
| Marathi | पूल | ||
| "पूल" (pūl) is also used in Marathi to refer to a small bridge used to cross a seasonal river or stream. | |||
| Nepali | पुल | ||
| "पुल" (bridge) in Nepali also means "a group of four cards of the same rank" in card games. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬ੍ਰਿਜ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਬ੍ਰਿਜ" also refers to a type of classical dance form originating from North India. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පාලම | ||
| The word "පාලම" (bridge) in Sinhala is derived from the Pali word "pālam" and the Sanskrit word "pālam" meaning "to cross over". | |||
| Tamil | பாலம் | ||
| Tamil word "பாலம்" not only means "bridge" but also "sacrifice" and "milk". | |||
| Telugu | వంతెన | ||
| The word 'వంతెన' is also used to refer to a platform or stage. | |||
| Urdu | پل | ||
| The word "پل" in Urdu, meaning "bridge," is derived from the Sanskrit word "setu, | |||
Bridge in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 桥 | ||
| "桥" in Chinese, besides its common meaning of a structure, can also refer to a musical instrument, an auspicious event, or a term in Chinese chess. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 橋 | ||
| The Chinese character "橋" (bridge) is also used to represent "connection" and "passage". | |||
| Japanese | ブリッジ | ||
| ブリッジ (bridge) can also be short for ブリッジミックス (bridge mix), a Japanese ice cream flavour combining both ice cream and sherbet. | |||
| Korean | 다리 | ||
| The word "다리" in Korean can also mean "leg". | |||
| Mongolian | гүүр | ||
| Mongolian "гүүр" derives from Turkish "köprü", a cognate of Persian "pool" and Ancient Greek "pérā" in "peráō" ("I cross over"), via Silk Road trade. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တံတား | ||
| The word "တံတား" (bridge) in Myanmar (Burmese) also means "a way to cross a river or a stream." | |||
Bridge in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jembatan | ||
| Jembatan is Indonesian for "bridge", and also an alternate spelling of Jembitan, meaning "span, distance between two supports of a bridge." | |||
| Javanese | kreteg | ||
| In Javanese, "kreteg" also refers to a particular traditional wooden footbridge structure common in villages. | |||
| Khmer | ស្ពាន | ||
| The Khmer word "ស្ពាន" (bridge) is derived from the Sanskrit word "setu" (bridge) and also means "crossing place". | |||
| Lao | ຂົວ | ||
| The word 'ຂົວ' ('bridge') in Lao can also mean 'connection' or 'passage'. | |||
| Malay | jambatan | ||
| The word "jambatan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "jambu" meaning "rose apple". | |||
| Thai | สะพาน | ||
| The word "สะพาน" (bridge) in Thai can also refer to a wooden board or plank that is used as a crossing or walkway. | |||
| Vietnamese | cầu | ||
| Cầu (bridge) in Vietnamese also means "request" or "ask". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tulay | ||
Bridge in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | körpü | ||
| "Körpü" also means "body" or "corpse" in Azerbaijani, similar to its Persian origin "karp" meaning "body". | |||
| Kazakh | көпір | ||
| The word "көпір" also refers to the part of the body between the nose and mouth that people touch in greeting. | |||
| Kyrgyz | көпүрө | ||
| Its origin is linked to the Persian word "пул" ("bridge"), which itself comes from the Arabic word "جسر" ("bridge") | |||
| Tajik | пул | ||
| The word “пул” in Tajik also means a pond or a body of water. | |||
| Turkmen | köpri | ||
| Uzbek | ko'prik | ||
| The word "ko'prik" is derived from the Persian word "kopruk" and also means "crossing" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | كۆۋرۈك | ||
Bridge in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | alahaka | ||
| In Hawaiian, "alahaka" can also refer to a path, road, or trail. | |||
| Maori | piriti | ||
| Piriti is also a word for 'to bind' or 'to fasten', reflecting the bridge's role as a connector. | |||
| Samoan | alalaupapa | ||
| Another alternate meaning of alalaupapa is "the path or the bridge between life and death, a spiritual bridge". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tulay | ||
| The Tagalog word “tulay” is cognate with “taraw” in Ilocano and “tuwad” in Bicol, all of them ultimately originating from the Old Malay word “taraw.” | |||
Bridge in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chaka | ||
| Guarani | jehasaha | ||
Bridge in International Languages
| Esperanto | ponto | ||
| The word "ponto" in Esperanto is likely derived from the Latin word "pons" which also means "bridge". | |||
| Latin | pontem | ||
| 'Pontem' derives from an Indo-European root meaning "to make pass" and can also refer to a way of escape. | |||
Bridge in Others Languages
| Greek | γέφυρα | ||
| The word γέφυρα, 'bridge' in Greek, may also refer to a musical instrument or a type of shoe. | |||
| Hmong | choj | ||
| The Hmong word "choj" derives from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word "*kʰɔn", meaning "bridge" or "crossing." | |||
| Kurdish | pir | ||
| The Kurdish word "pir" for "bridge" also refers to a mountain pass, a high point in a ridge, and a ford. | |||
| Turkish | köprü | ||
| Köprü also refers to a type of folk dance in Turkey with a leader and followers. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhulorho | ||
| "Ibhulorho" also means "to cross over" or "to go beyond" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | בריק | ||
| The Yiddish word בריק is borrowed from the German Brücke meaning “bridge” and from the Slavic bridgj which means “bank or shore”. | |||
| Zulu | ibhuloho | ||
| The Zulu word "ibhuloho" is borrowed from Portuguese "ponte", also meaning bridge, and ultimately from Latin "pons pontis". | |||
| Assamese | সেঁতু | ||
| Aymara | chaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | पुल | ||
| Dhivehi | ފާލަން | ||
| Dogri | पुल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tulay | ||
| Guarani | jehasaha | ||
| Ilocano | rangtay | ||
| Krio | brij | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پرد | ||
| Maithili | पुल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯣꯡ | ||
| Mizo | lei | ||
| Oromo | riqicha | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସେତୁ | ||
| Quechua | chaka | ||
| Sanskrit | सेतु | ||
| Tatar | күпер | ||
| Tigrinya | ድልድል | ||
| Tsonga | buloho | ||