Business in Different Languages
Discover 'Business' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'business' holds immense significance in our daily lives, shaping the way we work, consume, and interact with one another. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it drives economies, fosters innovation, and provides a means for individuals and societies to prosper. But have you ever wondered how 'business' translates in different languages around the world?
Understanding the word 'business' in various languages can open doors to new opportunities and connections. For instance, the German term 'Geschäft' not only refers to a commercial activity but also carries a connotation of skill and expertise. Meanwhile, the Japanese 'tsuuchouhou' embodies the spirit of harmony and cooperation essential for successful business relationships. And in Spanish, 'negocio' goes beyond the mere act of buying and selling, encompassing the idea of a venture or enterprise.
Join us as we embark on a linguistic journey, exploring the fascinating world of 'business' in different languages. Here's a sneak peek at some of the terms we'll encounter:
- German: Geschäft
- Japanese: 通帳 (tsuuchouhou)
- Spanish: Negocio
Business
Business in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | besigheid | ||
| Afrikaans "besigheid" is cognate to Dutch "bezigheid" ('occupation'), a derivative of Dutch "bezig" ('busy'). | |||
| Amharic | ንግድ | ||
| Hausa | kasuwanci | ||
| The word 'kasuwanci' originates from the Arabic word 'kasb', meaning 'to acquire' or 'to earn', and is used in Hausa to refer to any type of commercial activity. | |||
| Igbo | azụmahịa | ||
| The word "azụmahịa" has its roots in the Igbo words "azụ" (buy) and "mahịa" (sell), reflecting the commercial nature of business. | |||
| Malagasy | raharaham-barotra | ||
| The word | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bizinesi | ||
| The word 'bizinesi' in Nyanja is also related to the concept of 'occupation' or 'trade'. | |||
| Shona | bhizinesi | ||
| The Shona word 'bhizinesi' is an adaptation of the English word 'business', but it can also refer to a type of association or society. | |||
| Somali | ganacsi | ||
| "Ganacsi" comes from the Arabic word "kanz" meaning "treasure" and was adopted by Somali merchants doing business in the Middle East. | |||
| Sesotho | khoebo | ||
| The word 'khoebo' also refers to the concept of 'profit' or 'capital' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | biashara | ||
| The Swahili word "biashara" originates from the Arabic word "tijarah" meaning "commerce" or "trade". | |||
| Xhosa | ishishini | ||
| The word 'ishishini' in Xhosa shares the same root with the verb 'shiya', meaning 'to leave', possibly referring to the act of leaving one's home to conduct business elsewhere. | |||
| Yoruba | iṣowo | ||
| Ìṣowo in Yoruba can also refer to trade, commerce, or a commercial transaction. | |||
| Zulu | ibhizinisi | ||
| Bambara | ko | ||
| Ewe | dᴐwᴐna | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubucuruzi | ||
| Lingala | mosala | ||
| Luganda | bizinensi | ||
| Sepedi | kgwebo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwadie | ||
Business in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اعمال | ||
| The word "اعمال" also means "deeds" in Arabic, emphasizing the active and result-oriented nature of business. | |||
| Hebrew | עֵסֶק | ||
| "עֵסֶק" is derived from the verb *עסֵק* meaning "to be busy or occupied," referring not only to commerce, but to any type of occupation. | |||
| Pashto | سوداګري | ||
| The word "سوداګري" comes from the Persian word "سودا" meaning "trade" or "commerce". | |||
| Arabic | اعمال | ||
| The word "اعمال" also means "deeds" in Arabic, emphasizing the active and result-oriented nature of business. | |||
Business in Western European Languages
| Albanian | biznesi | ||
| The word "biznesi" derives from the Turkish word "iş" meaning "work", or "değil" meaning "affair". | |||
| Basque | negozioa | ||
| Negozioa (business) derives from an old term, "denegazoa", meaning "thing that can be used or sold." | |||
| Catalan | negocis | ||
| In Catalan, "negocis" can also mean "a bad deal" or "a tricky situation". | |||
| Croatian | poslovanje | ||
| The Croatian word 'poslovanje' can also be used to refer to banking or financial transactions. | |||
| Danish | forretning | ||
| The word "forretning" is derived from the Old Norse word "forræða", meaning "supplies" or "goods". | |||
| Dutch | bedrijf | ||
| The Dutch word "bedrijf" can also refer to a "work" or "occupation". | |||
| English | business | ||
| The word "business" originates from the Old French word "businesse," meaning diligence, care, or occupation. | |||
| French | affaires | ||
| The French word "affaires" is derived from the Latin word "afficere," meaning "to do something to or for someone," and can also refer to personal concerns or matters. | |||
| Frisian | bedriuw | ||
| The word "bedriuw" is related to the verb "bedriuwe" (to move, to do), and originally meant "activity, work, trade". | |||
| Galician | negocio | ||
| The word "negocio" in Galician can also mean "concern" or "worry". | |||
| German | geschäft | ||
| In Old High German, "Geschäft" referred to an act or a task. | |||
| Icelandic | viðskipti | ||
| The word "viðskipti" is derived from the Old Norse word "viðskipti," meaning "intercourse, exchange." | |||
| Irish | gnó | ||
| "Gnó" also means "knowledge, skill, work, business, or concern." | |||
| Italian | attività commerciale | ||
| "Attività commerciale" literally means "commercial activity" in Italian, and can also refer to a "store" or "shop". | |||
| Luxembourgish | geschäft | ||
| Maltese | negozju | ||
| "Negozju" derives from the Sicilian "nicòziu" and ultimately from the Greek "νέος, νέα, νέον" (neos) "young, new," referring to business enterprises. | |||
| Norwegian | virksomhet | ||
| The Norwegian word "virksomhet" is related to the German "wirken", "to work", and originally referred to any kind of activity or employment. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | o negócio | ||
| In Portuguese, "o negócio" can alternately mean a deal, matter, or interest, beyond its meaning of business. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gnìomhachas | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "gnìomhachas" can also mean "conduct" or "behaviour". | |||
| Spanish | negocio | ||
| The word "negocio" comes from the Latin word "negotium," which means "not leisure" indicating that business is not a form of leisure. | |||
| Swedish | företag | ||
| The Swedish word "företag" is derived from the Old Norse word "fyrirtaekja" meaning "to undertake something." | |||
| Welsh | busnes | ||
| The Welsh word 'busnes' (meaning 'business') can also refer to a 'situation' or a 'matter'. | |||
Business in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бізнес | ||
| The word "бізнес" in Belarusian is derived from the Polish word "biznes", which itself is derived from the Yiddish word "biznis", meaning "occupation" or "livelihood." | |||
| Bosnian | posao | ||
| "Posao" can also mean "occupation" or "employment" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | бизнес | ||
| In Bulgarian, "бизнес" can also mean "problem" or "trouble". | |||
| Czech | podnikání | ||
| In Czech, the word "podnikání" has a literal meaning of "going under something" or "taking action". | |||
| Estonian | äri | ||
| Äri also means 'affair', 'dealings' or 'concern'. | |||
| Finnish | liiketoimintaa | ||
| The Finnish word "liiketoimintaa" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic word *likwo-," meaning "body" or "form". | |||
| Hungarian | üzleti | ||
| "Üzleti" also refers to transactions in general in Turkish, where it comes from. | |||
| Latvian | bizness | ||
| The word “Bizness” also means a small, privately-owned company in slang. | |||
| Lithuanian | verslo | ||
| The Lithuanian word "verslo" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *werg- meaning "to turn" or "to twist." | |||
| Macedonian | бизнис | ||
| The Macedonian word "бизнис" is derived from the Greek word "βιομηχανία" (biomēchania), meaning "industry". It can also refer to "trade" or "commerce". | |||
| Polish | biznes | ||
| "Biznes" (business) comes from German "Geschäft" (affair, business), from "schaffen" (to act, work). | |||
| Romanian | afaceri | ||
| The Romanian word "afaceri" derives from the Turkish "afer," meaning "act" or "case," and entered Romanian lexicon in the 18th century. | |||
| Russian | бизнес | ||
| The word "бизнес" can also mean "occupation" or "profession" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | посао | ||
| The term "posao" can also refer to a task, duty, or job, and is derived from the Slavic word "posъl" meaning "sending" or "mission." | |||
| Slovak | podnikania | ||
| The word "podnikania" also refers to an undertaking or an attempt, reflecting its original meaning as a venture or enterprise. | |||
| Slovenian | posel | ||
| The word "posel" comes from the medieval German word "posen", meaning "to send", and refers to the sending of goods or services in exchange for money. | |||
| Ukrainian | бізнес | ||
| The word "бізнес" is derived from the Old East Slavic word "бысь" (bys), meaning "occupation", and cognate with the English word "busy". | |||
Business in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্যবসা | ||
| "ব্যবসা" originally meant "residence" or "occupation". | |||
| Gujarati | બિઝનેસ | ||
| The Gujarati word "બિઝનેસ" is derived from the English word "business" and has the same meaning. | |||
| Hindi | व्यापार | ||
| The word व्यापार derives from व्या+पर+आ, meaning 'exchange of goods or services'. | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯವಹಾರ | ||
| The word "ವ್ಯವಹಾರ" can also refer to "trade" or "commerce". | |||
| Malayalam | ബിസിനസ്സ് | ||
| The word "ബിസിനസ്സ്" originally meant "being busy" or "activity" in Malayalam, but now exclusively refers to business or occupation. | |||
| Marathi | व्यवसाय | ||
| व्यवसाय (business) is also a term used in Vedic astrology to refer to one's occupation or profession based on their birth chart. | |||
| Nepali | व्यापार | ||
| The Nepali word व्यापार ( व्यापार ) comes from the Sanskrit word 'Vyapara' (व्यापार), which means 'occupation', 'profession', or 'trade'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ | ||
| Originally, 'ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ' meant a caravan of traders, later evolving to mean the transactions and commercial activities they carried out. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ව්යාපාරික | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "ව්යාපාරික" not only means "business" but also refers to someone who is engaged in commercial activities. | |||
| Tamil | வணிக | ||
| The Tamil word "வணிக" (vaņika) can also refer to trade, commerce, or transaction, and is cognate with the Sanskrit term "vanik" which has similar meanings. | |||
| Telugu | వ్యాపారం | ||
| Urdu | کاروبار | ||
| The word 'کاروبار' originally meant 'to turn' or 'to move', and is related to the Persian word 'کاروانسرا', meaning 'caravan stop'. | |||
Business in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 商业 | ||
| "商業" also refers to commercial affairs; trade and commerce. It is a more formal and older form of the word "生意" (business); similar to the formal/informal difference between "commerce" and "business" in English. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 商業 | ||
| The word "商業" literally means "commercial things" but is also used to refer to commercial activities. | |||
| Japanese | ビジネス | ||
| The term "ビジネス" (business) in Japanese originally meant "occupation." Although this meaning is rarely used today, the concept remains in the word. | |||
| Korean | 사업 | ||
| The word "사업" (business) in Korean originally meant "occupation" or "calling" and was used to describe activities such as farming, fishing, and trade. | |||
| Mongolian | бизнес | ||
| The Mongolian word "бизнес" also incorporates the meaning of "affairs". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စီးပွားရေး | ||
Business in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bisnis | ||
| The Indonesian word "bisnis" originally referred to an undertaking, but its meaning has since expanded to include commerce and other commercial activities. | |||
| Javanese | bisnis | ||
| The Javanese word "bisnis" can also mean "conversation" or "discussion". | |||
| Khmer | អាជីវកម្ម | ||
| Lao | ທຸລະກິດ | ||
| Malay | perniagaan | ||
| The Malay word "perniagaan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "vânijjya", meaning "trade" or "commerce." | |||
| Thai | ธุรกิจ | ||
| The Thai word "ธุรกิจ" is derived from Sanskrit and has connotations of "religious merit-making" and "obligation". | |||
| Vietnamese | kinh doanh | ||
| "Kinh doanh" derives from the Chinese word "經營" (jīngyíng), which originally meant "to manage a household or estate". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | negosyo | ||
Business in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | biznes | ||
| "Biznes" also refers to an individual who is engaged in commercial activities, similar to the English term "businessman" or "businesswoman" | |||
| Kazakh | бизнес | ||
| The Kazakh word "бизнес" is derived from the English word "business" and also means "affair" or "concern". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бизнес | ||
| The word "бизнес" comes from English, but it is also used in Kyrgyz to refer to a person's occupation or trade. | |||
| Tajik | бизнес | ||
| The Tajik word "бизнес" originates from Persian and also means "industry" or "work". | |||
| Turkmen | biznes | ||
| Uzbek | biznes | ||
| In Uzbek, "biznes" is also used colloquially to describe a small-scale, informal business or occupation. | |||
| Uyghur | سودا | ||
Business in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoihana | ||
| 'Oihana' comes from the Polynesian root word 'fanga' meaning 'branch' and was originally used to describe a 'profession' or 'occupation'. | |||
| Maori | pakihi | ||
| In the Eastern Polynesian languages, the word pakihi is also a plant, a type of lichen used in dyeing. | |||
| Samoan | pisinisi | ||
| The word 'pisinisi' may have originated from the English word 'business', which was likely introduced to Samoa during colonial times. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | negosyo | ||
| The Tagalog word "negosyo" (business) is derived from the Spanish word "negocio", which also means "affair" or "transaction". | |||
Business in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alakipa | ||
| Guarani | ñemuharenda | ||
Business in International Languages
| Esperanto | komerco | ||
| "Komerco" derives from the Latin word "commercium," which means "trade" or "exchange." | |||
| Latin | negotium | ||
| In Latin, "negotium" also means "troublesome affair" or "difficulty," capturing the potential challenges associated with commerce. | |||
Business in Others Languages
| Greek | επιχείρηση | ||
| "Επιχείρηση" is the product of the combination of two Greek words: "επί" (epi), meaning "to, by, on, concerning, for, after, at, over, up" and "χείρ" (cheir), meaning "hand". Thus, the original sense of "επιχείρηση" is "to undertake something that requires effort" and hence the meanings it took in Byzantine Greek for "attack, attempt, project, endeavour" and modern Greek the meaning for "attempt", for a work in an experimental stage, for the project, for the attempt to achieve a difficult plan or work for someone, even to attack someone to do something. | |||
| Hmong | kev lag luam | ||
| The word "kev lag luam" is derived from the Hmong root word "kev" (work) and "lag luam" (activity, trade), so it literally translates to work-activity, or work-related activity. | |||
| Kurdish | dikan | ||
| The word 'dikan' in Kurdish originates from Persian and has the alternate meaning of 'shop' or 'store'. | |||
| Turkish | iş | ||
| The word "iş" (business) in Turkish is derived from the word "işlemek" (to work), which can also mean "to do", "to perform", or "to engage in an activity". | |||
| Xhosa | ishishini | ||
| The word 'ishishini' in Xhosa shares the same root with the verb 'shiya', meaning 'to leave', possibly referring to the act of leaving one's home to conduct business elsewhere. | |||
| Yiddish | געשעפט | ||
| The Yiddish word 'געשעפט' ('business') can also refer to a store or shop and is cognate with the German word 'Geschäft' with the same meanings. | |||
| Zulu | ibhizinisi | ||
| Assamese | ব্যৱসায় | ||
| Aymara | alakipa | ||
| Bhojpuri | कारोबार | ||
| Dhivehi | ވިޔަފާރި | ||
| Dogri | बपार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | negosyo | ||
| Guarani | ñemuharenda | ||
| Ilocano | negosio | ||
| Krio | biznɛs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بزنس | ||
| Maithili | व्यवसाय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯔꯕꯥꯔ | ||
| Mizo | sumdawnna | ||
| Oromo | hojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟବସାୟ | ||
| Quechua | qatuna | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यवसायः | ||
| Tatar | бизнес | ||
| Tigrinya | ስራሕቲ ንግዲ | ||
| Tsonga | bindzu | ||