Buy in Different Languages
Discover 'Buy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'buy' holds immense significance in our daily lives as it represents the exchange of goods and services, a crucial aspect of human civilization. Tracing back to ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Egypt, we find evidence of early forms of buying and selling, which eventually evolved into the sophisticated marketplaces we know today. This cultural importance extends to languages worldwide, making it fascinating to explore the translations of 'buy' in different tongues.
For instance, in Spanish, 'buy' translates to 'comprar', while in French, it's 'acheter'. In Mandarin, the world's most spoken language, 'buy' becomes '买', pronounced as 'mǎi'. These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also offer insights into cultural nuances and commercial practices.
Delving into the translations of 'buy' can be an enlightening journey, opening doors to understanding global commerce and social behaviors. Below, we have compiled a list of 'buy' translations in various languages to spark your curiosity and inspire cross-cultural exploration.
Buy
Buy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | koop | ||
| The Afrikaans word "koop" derives from the Dutch word "kopen," which can also mean "to bargain" or "to acquire." | |||
| Amharic | ይግዙ | ||
| The word ይግዙ can also mean 'to take' or 'to seize' in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | saya | ||
| In Hausa, 'saya' can also refer to 'payment' or 'bribery'. | |||
| Igbo | zụta | ||
| In informal Igbo, "zụta" can also mean "steal" or "appropriate something without permission." | |||
| Malagasy | buy | ||
| The word "Buy" in Malagasy can also refer to the act of renting or borrowing something. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gula | ||
| The word gula is also used in some contexts to mean 'acquire or obtain', not necessarily through purchase. | |||
| Shona | tenga | ||
| The Shona word 'tenga' can also refer to a purchase or an acquisition. | |||
| Somali | iibso | ||
| The word "iibso" in Somali can also mean "to purchase" or "to acquire". | |||
| Sesotho | reka | ||
| "Reka" also means "to get" or "to obtain". | |||
| Swahili | nunua | ||
| The Swahili word 'nunua' is derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-nuna', with additional meanings of 'get', 'obtain', and 'acquire'. | |||
| Xhosa | thenga | ||
| The word "thenga" in Xhosa can also mean "to get" or "to receive". | |||
| Yoruba | ra | ||
| The Yoruba word "ra" is cognate with other Niger-Congo languages, such as the Igbo word "re," and also means "receive". | |||
| Zulu | thenga | ||
| The Zulu word 'thenga' also means 'to acquire' or 'to earn'. | |||
| Bambara | ka san | ||
| Ewe | ƒle | ||
| Kinyarwanda | buy buy | ||
| Lingala | kosomba | ||
| Luganda | okugula | ||
| Sepedi | reka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tɔ | ||
Buy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يشترى | ||
| The word "يشترى" can also mean "to hire" or "to rent" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | לִקְנוֹת | ||
| The Hebrew word 'liknot' is related to the Aramaic 'kenei,' as well as the Akkadian and Ugaritic roots 'kn' and 'knr,' which all have to do with weight, property, and goods | |||
| Pashto | وپیرئ | ||
| The word "وپیرئ" also means "to take as a spouse". | |||
| Arabic | يشترى | ||
| The word "يشترى" can also mean "to hire" or "to rent" in Arabic. | |||
Buy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | blej | ||
| The word "blej" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "bleo", which means "to take" or "to acquire". | |||
| Basque | erosi | ||
| 'Erosi' in Basque is also used to refer to a fine paid as compensation for a murder. | |||
| Catalan | comprar | ||
| The Catalan word "comprar" derives from the Latin "comparare," meaning "to gather" or "to put together." | |||
| Croatian | kupiti | ||
| The word 'kupiti' in Croatian also means 'take' or 'receive' in some contexts, as in 'kupiti knjigu' or 'kupiti platu'. | |||
| Danish | købe | ||
| The Danish word "købe" originally meant "to barter" or "to trade," and is related to the English word "cheap." | |||
| Dutch | kopen | ||
| The verb 'kopen' is cognate with the English 'cheap', with both originating from the Proto-Germanic word 'kaupon' | |||
| English | buy | ||
| The term 'buy' derives from the Old Norse word 'bya,' meaning to exchange one's property for something of value. | |||
| French | acheter | ||
| The French word "acheter" (to buy) comes from the Old French word "achater," which in turn is derived from the Latin word "captare" (to seize, to catch). | |||
| Frisian | keapje | ||
| The word 'keapje' is derived from the Old Frisian word 'keapa', meaning 'barter'. It can also refer to a purchase made at a market or fair. | |||
| Galician | mercar | ||
| "mercar" is derived from Latin "mercari" (to trade) and can also mean "to trade" or "to barter" in Galician | |||
| German | kaufen | ||
| The word "Kaufen" is derived from the Old High German word "koufon", which means "to receive or take possession of something." | |||
| Icelandic | kaupa | ||
| "Kaupa" in Icelandic also refers to "goods" or "merchandise" and derives from the Old Norse word "kaupa", meaning "bargain" or "trade". | |||
| Irish | cheannach | ||
| The word 'cheannach' in Irish is derived from the Proto-Celtic word 'kemb', meaning 'to take' or 'to seize'. | |||
| Italian | acquistare | ||
| The Italian word 'acquistare' ultimately derives from the Latin 'ad quaerere', meaning 'to seek', and originally meant 'to acquire'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kafen | ||
| The verb "kafen" can also mean "to catch" or "to get" in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | jixtru | ||
| The word "jixtru" is derived from the Italian word "comprare" which also means "to buy". | |||
| Norwegian | kjøpe | ||
| The word "kjøpe" is derived from the Old Norse word "kaupa, | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comprar | ||
| The word 'Comprar' may derive from the Latin 'comperare', whose root refers to 'to get or acquire'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceannaich | ||
| Cèannaich, meaning 'buy', comes from Old Irish 'cennach', to bargain or haggle. | |||
| Spanish | comprar | ||
| The word 'comprar' in Spanish comes from the Latin 'comparare,' meaning 'to put together or make a pair.' | |||
| Swedish | köpa | ||
| The Swedish word "köpa" also means "to strike" or "to beat" in a physical sense. | |||
| Welsh | prynu | ||
| The word 'prynu' can also be used to mean 'purchase' or 'procure'. | |||
Buy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | купіць | ||
| The word купіць also means "to obtain" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | kupiti | ||
| The verb 'kupiti' derives from the Proto-Slavic word 'kupiti', meaning 'to collect' or 'to trade'. | |||
| Bulgarian | купува | ||
| "Купува" comes from the Proto-Slavic "kupiti" which also means "to beg" or "to beseech". | |||
| Czech | koupit | ||
| The word "koupit" originally meant "to strike" or "to beat", and it is still used in this sense in some contexts. | |||
| Estonian | osta | ||
| Osta is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *ostaa, which means "to obtain" or "to acquire". | |||
| Finnish | ostaa | ||
| "Ostaa" is derived from "ostu", which refers to something gained through effort or compensation. | |||
| Hungarian | megvesz | ||
| The Hungarian word "megvesz" can also mean "to deceive" or "to trick". | |||
| Latvian | pirkt | ||
| The Latvian word "pirkt" not only means "to buy," it is also derived from the word "pirce," which means "glove."} | |||
| Lithuanian | pirkti | ||
| Pirkti also means to get or to take, similar to how "take" or "get" can mean "buy" in English | |||
| Macedonian | купи | ||
| The word "купи" also means "to buy" in Bulgarian, so it is often used in Macedonian colloquial speech to refer to the act of buying something. | |||
| Polish | kup | ||
| Kup in Polish can also refer to a stack of hay or straw. | |||
| Romanian | cumpără | ||
| The Romanian word "cumpără" derives from the pre-Slavic root *kump- (to buy, to gather). | |||
| Russian | купить | ||
| "Купить" derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*kup-iti", which means both "to buy" and "to trade". | |||
| Serbian | купити | ||
| The word "купити" can also mean "to acquire" or "to receive" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | kúpiť | ||
| The word "kúpiť" is derived from the Old Czech word "kúpiti", which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*kupiti" meaning "to gather, collect". | |||
| Slovenian | kupi | ||
| "Kupi" can refer to a purchase made on credit, as well as one paid for in cash. | |||
| Ukrainian | купити | ||
| The word "купити" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kupiti, which also meant "to acquire" or "to get". | |||
Buy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কেনা | ||
| The word "কেনা" also means "to gain" or "to acquire" something. | |||
| Gujarati | ખરીદી | ||
| The word "ખરીદી" can also mean "purchase" or "procurement" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | खरीद | ||
| "खरीद" can also refer to the act of obtaining something by giving something in return or in exchange. | |||
| Kannada | ಖರೀದಿಸಿ | ||
| "ಖರೀದಿಸಿ" is derived from "ಖರೀ" (purchase) and "ದಿ" (suffix indicating action). It can also mean "to acquire" or "to obtain". | |||
| Malayalam | വാങ്ങാൻ | ||
| The word "വാങ്ങാൻ" in Malayalam has an alternative meaning, which is "to accept" or "to take" something. | |||
| Marathi | खरेदी | ||
| The word "खरेदी" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "krī" meaning "to do" or "to make". | |||
| Nepali | किन्नुहोस् | ||
| 'किन्नुहोस्' (buy) is derived from Sanskrit 'krinai' (to buy) but can also mean 'to acquire' or 'to obtain' | |||
| Punjabi | ਖਰੀਦੋ | ||
| ਖਰੀਦੋ (buy) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'krīṇa' which also means 'to purchase'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිලදී ගන්න | ||
| Tamil | வாங்க | ||
| The word "வாங்க" in Tamil, besides meaning "buy," also means "come in" or "welcome." | |||
| Telugu | కొనుగోలు | ||
| Urdu | خریدنے | ||
| The word "خریدنے" can also mean "to acquire" or "to obtain" in Urdu. | |||
Buy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 购买 | ||
| 购买's (买) original meaning is to exchange goods with other goods, not necessarily with money. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 購買 | ||
| "購買" in Traditional Chinese can also mean "to purchase, procure, procure goods, purchase property, or obtain." | |||
| Japanese | 購入 | ||
| 購入 is also used to mean "to obtain" or "to acquire" something that is not necessarily purchased with money. | |||
| Korean | 구입 | ||
| 구입 is an abbreviation of 구해 오는 입, which means 'to fetch something'. | |||
| Mongolian | худалдан авах | ||
| No information about the etymology or alternate meanings of "худалдан авах" were found. The literal meaning is "to buy." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝယ်ပါ | ||
| The word "ဝယ်ပါ" can also be used as a polite request to someone to do something. | |||
Buy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | membeli | ||
| The word "membeli" originates from the Proto-Austronesian word "*be[C]eli" meaning "to trade". | |||
| Javanese | tuku | ||
| In Javanese, "tuku" also means "to trade" or "to barter". | |||
| Khmer | ទិញ | ||
| "ទិញ" can also mean "to borrow" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຊື້ | ||
| The word "ຊື້" can also mean "to hire" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | beli | ||
| In Old Malay, 'beli' also referred to the act of stealing or acquiring something without permission. | |||
| Thai | ซื้อ | ||
| "ซื้อ" (to buy) derives from Old Khmer "cu" (to buy, to take) and has the alternate meaning of "to take" in some dialects of Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | mua | ||
| The Vietnamese word "mua" also refers to the act of hiring something or someone. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bumili | ||
Buy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | almaq | ||
| The word "almaq" derives from the Arabic word "إشترى" (ishtara), meaning "to buy". | |||
| Kazakh | сатып алу | ||
| The word "сатып алу" can also mean "to gain" or "to acquire" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сатып алуу | ||
| Сатып алуу can also mean to acquire or obtain something. | |||
| Tajik | харидан | ||
| The word "харидан" can also mean "to take" or "to receive" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | satyn al | ||
| Uzbek | sotib olish | ||
| “Sotib olish” comes from the Persian word “kharid”, meaning “purchase” or “acquisition”. | |||
| Uyghur | سېتىۋېلىش | ||
Buy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūʻai | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word “kūʻai” has an additional meaning of “to trade, exchange, or barter.” | |||
| Maori | hoko | ||
| Hoko can also mean to obtain, procure, get, or receive. | |||
| Samoan | faatau | ||
| The Samoan word "faatau" can also refer to a market or a shop. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bumili ka | ||
| The word "bumili ka" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *beli, meaning "to buy" or "to trade". | |||
Buy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alaña | ||
| Guarani | jogua | ||
Buy in International Languages
| Esperanto | aĉeti | ||
| The Esperanto word "aĉeti" is derived from the Latin "accipere," meaning "to receive" or "to accept." | |||
| Latin | buy | ||
| Latin word "emere" also signifies to take or receive, like the English word "buy". | |||
Buy in Others Languages
| Greek | αγορά | ||
| The word "αγορά" also refers to a marketplace or assembly in ancient Greece. | |||
| Hmong | yuav | ||
| The Hmong word "yuav" can also mean "spend" or "consume". | |||
| Kurdish | kirrîn | ||
| The word "kirrîn" comes from the Persian word "kharidan" and also means "purchase". | |||
| Turkish | satın almak | ||
| The verb "satın almak" originates from the Arabic word "štirāʾ" meaning "to buy" and its Turkish suffix "-mak" indicating the infinitive form. | |||
| Xhosa | thenga | ||
| The word "thenga" in Xhosa can also mean "to get" or "to receive". | |||
| Yiddish | קויפן | ||
| The Yiddish word "קויפן" ultimately derives from the Proto-Semitic root *K-P-N, meaning to acquire or possess, and is related to the Hebrew word "קנות" (kenot), which also means to acquire or possess. | |||
| Zulu | thenga | ||
| The Zulu word 'thenga' also means 'to acquire' or 'to earn'. | |||
| Assamese | ক্ৰয় কৰা | ||
| Aymara | alaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | किनायिल | ||
| Dhivehi | ގަތުން | ||
| Dogri | खरीदो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bumili | ||
| Guarani | jogua | ||
| Ilocano | gatangen | ||
| Krio | bay | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کڕین | ||
| Maithili | खरीदू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lei | ||
| Oromo | bituu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କିଣ | | ||
| Quechua | rantiy | ||
| Sanskrit | क्रीडातु | ||
| Tatar | сатып ал | ||
| Tigrinya | ግዛእ | ||
| Tsonga | xava | ||