Cabinet in Different Languages
Discover 'Cabinet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Cabinets have been an essential part of our lives for centuries, serving as storage spaces for our most valued possessions. From ancient Egyptian sarcophaguses to the ornate cabinets of Renaissance Europe, these pieces have held historical significance and cultural importance. The word 'cabinet' itself is derived from the Old French word 'cabinet', meaning 'a small room'. Today, it is used to describe a variety of furniture pieces that store and display items.
Understanding the translation of 'cabinet' in different languages can provide insight into how other cultures view and use these important pieces of furniture. For example, in Spanish, a cabinet is called 'un armario', while in German, it is known as 'ein Schrank'. In French, the word is 'un cabinet', and in Italian, it is 'un mobile'. These translations not only offer a glimpse into the linguistic differences between cultures but also highlight the global significance of the cabinet as a functional and decorative piece of furniture.
Cabinet
Cabinet in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kabinet | ||
| In Afrikaans, "kabinet" can also refer to a small cupboard or storage unit. | |||
| Amharic | ካቢኔ | ||
| "ካቢኔ" (kabine) is also a term for "closet," derived from the French term "cabinet," which originally meant "room." | |||
| Hausa | hukuma | ||
| The word "hukuma" also means "government" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | kabinet | ||
| Originally a derogatory word, "kabinet" in Igbo now means "office" or "group in power". | |||
| Malagasy | kabinetra | ||
| The Malagasy word "kabinetra" is derived from the French word "cabinet", which means "small room" or "closet". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nduna | ||
| The word "nduna" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "leader" or "chief". | |||
| Shona | kabhineti | ||
| The word 'kabhineti' in Shona also means 'a place where things are kept', similar to the English word 'cupboard'. | |||
| Somali | golaha wasiirada | ||
| The word "golaha wasiirada" is a compound word meaning "council of ministers" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | kabinete | ||
| The word "kabinete" in Sesotho also refers to a cupboard or a filing cabinet. | |||
| Swahili | baraza la mawaziri | ||
| The term "baraza la mawaziri" derives from the Persian word "bargah," meaning "the emperor's presence." | |||
| Xhosa | ikhabhinethi | ||
| The word "ikhabhinethi" is derived from the English word "cabinet," which in turn comes from the French word "cabinet," meaning "small room". | |||
| Yoruba | minisita | ||
| The word 'minisita' is borrowed from English and it is a Yoruba word for 'ministry'. | |||
| Zulu | ikhabhinethi | ||
| The word "iKhabhinethi" (cabinet) in Zulu is derived from the Dutch "kabinet", meaning "small room". | |||
| Bambara | kabinɛ | ||
| Ewe | nudzraɖoƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inama y'abaminisitiri | ||
| Lingala | biro | ||
| Luganda | kabineeti | ||
| Sepedi | kabinete | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aban mu mpanimfoɔ | ||
Cabinet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خزانة | ||
| The Arabic word "خزانة" can also mean "treasury" or "wardrobe". | |||
| Hebrew | קבינט | ||
| In Hebrew, the word "קבינט" can also refer to a group or council of advisors, or to a collection of documents or files. | |||
| Pashto | کابینه | ||
| کابینه is also used metaphorically to refer to a group of advisors or ministers. | |||
| Arabic | خزانة | ||
| The Arabic word "خزانة" can also mean "treasury" or "wardrobe". | |||
Cabinet in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kabinet | ||
| The Albanian word 'kabinet' can trace its origin to the French word 'cabinet' and can also mean 'office'. | |||
| Basque | kabinete | ||
| The Basque word "kabinete" derives from the French word "cabinet" and also means "ministry" or "secretariat". | |||
| Catalan | gabinet | ||
| The Catalan word 'gabinet' comes from the French 'cabinet', but in Catalan it can also refer to a toilet or restroom. | |||
| Croatian | ormar | ||
| The word "ormar" in Croatian could also refer to a large wooden chest that is used for storing food and supplies. | |||
| Danish | skab | ||
| The Danish word "skab" is related to the English word "cupboard", both deriving from the Middle Low German "schapp". | |||
| Dutch | kabinet | ||
| In Dutch, 'kabinet' can also refer to a government or council of ministers. | |||
| English | cabinet | ||
| In the 17th century, 'cabinet' meant a private room for reflection; today it also means a group of government ministers. | |||
| French | cabinet | ||
| The word "cabinet" can also refer to a private meeting of government ministers or to a government department, as in "the Prime Minister's cabinet". | |||
| Frisian | kabinet | ||
| The word 'kabinet' in Frisian also means 'small room' or 'closet'. | |||
| Galician | gabinete | ||
| In Galician, "gabinete" can also refer to a group of advisors or a consultation room. | |||
| German | kabinett | ||
| The German word "Kabinett" can also refer to a group of ministers, a meeting room or a collection of works of art. | |||
| Icelandic | skápur | ||
| The word "skápur" can also refer to a bookcase, wardrobe, or cupboard, and is derived from the Old Norse word "skapr" meaning "box" or "chest." | |||
| Irish | comh-aireachta | ||
| The Irish word comh-aireachta derives from "aire", a term that originally meant "noble" or "overlord." | |||
| Italian | consiglio dei ministri | ||
| The Italian phrase "Consiglio dei ministri" directly translates to "Council of Ministers" in English. | |||
| Luxembourgish | cabinet | ||
| In Luxembourgish, “Cabinet” can also refer to a group of ministers or a government department. | |||
| Maltese | kabinett | ||
| The word "kabinett" can also refer to a medical laboratory or a small kitchen. | |||
| Norwegian | kabinett | ||
| The word "kabinett" can also refer to a small room or private office in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gabinete | ||
| The Portuguese word "gabinete" can also refer to a private office or study, or to a group of advisors to a head of state or government. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | caibineat | ||
| "Caibineat" is derived from the French "cabinet", originally meaning a "small room". | |||
| Spanish | gabinete | ||
| In Spanish, the word 'gabinete' can also refer to a room or office used for consultation or meetings. | |||
| Swedish | skåp | ||
| The Swedish word "skåp" derives from the Old Norse "skápr" or "skáp", which referred to a cupboard or storage box. | |||
| Welsh | cabinet | ||
| Welsh cabanet was borrowed into English in the 16th century, where it was first used to mean a small room used for storage. | |||
Cabinet in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шафа | ||
| 'Шафа' is related to words in other Slavic languages connected to 'to conceal.' | |||
| Bosnian | kabinet | ||
| In Bosnian language, the word 'kabinet' is a false friend that refers to a restroom or toilet | |||
| Bulgarian | шкаф | ||
| In Russian, the word «шкаф» also has the colloquial meaning of «closet», and the slang meaning of «safe». | |||
| Czech | skříň | ||
| The word "skříň" derives from the Old Czech word "skryně", meaning "box" or "chest." | |||
| Estonian | kapp | ||
| "Kapp" comes from the German "Kappe" which has the same meaning and ultimately derives from the Latin word "cappa" which referred to a long-sleeved coat or mantle. | |||
| Finnish | kaappi | ||
| "Kaappi" also means cupboard in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | szekrény | ||
| The word "szekrény" in Hungarian is derived from the Romanian word "sicriu," which means "coffin." | |||
| Latvian | skapis | ||
| The word "skapis" can also mean "shelf" or "cupboard" depending on the context. | |||
| Lithuanian | kabinetas | ||
| "Kabinetas" comes from Arabic "kūbba" meaning "vault" through Polish "gabinet" or German "Kabinett". | |||
| Macedonian | кабинет | ||
| In French, the word "cabinet" originally referred to a small private room, while in English it meant a small chest or cupboard for storing valuables. | |||
| Polish | gabinet | ||
| The Polish word "gabinet" can also refer to a doctor's office or a study. | |||
| Romanian | cabinet | ||
| The word "cabinet" has the same meaning in Romanian, but it also means "ministry" or "government." | |||
| Russian | кабинет | ||
| Curiously enough, 'кабинет', from German 'Kabinett', initially designated a study and then a private or confidential room, whereas a more conventional 'шкаф' is German for 'cupboard'. | |||
| Serbian | кабинет | ||
| In Serbian, "кабинет" can also refer to a private study or doctor's office. | |||
| Slovak | skrinka | ||
| The word "skrinka" likely derives from the Proto-Slavic "*skrinja", meaning "box" or "chest". | |||
| Slovenian | kabinet | ||
| Slovenian "kabinet" also means "toilet" or "outhouse" while "omara" is used exclusively to mean "cabinet". | |||
| Ukrainian | шафа | ||
| The word "шафа" (cabinet) comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*šapa" (shelter), which is also the root of the words "шалаш" (tent) and "шапка" (hat). | |||
Cabinet in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মন্ত্রিসভা | ||
| The word "মন্ত্রিসভা" (cabinet) also refers to the assembly of ministers advising the head of government in some countries. | |||
| Gujarati | કેબિનેટ | ||
| This word has also been used to denote a small room containing the secret treasure of some rich person. | |||
| Hindi | मंत्रिमंडल | ||
| मंत्रिमंडल also refers to a group of ministers or advisors to a ruler or head of state. | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ಯಾಬಿನೆಟ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಕ್ಯಾಬಿನೆಟ್" can also refer to a group of advisors to the king or a council of ministers. | |||
| Malayalam | മന്ത്രിസഭ | ||
| Marathi | कपाट | ||
| In Sanskrit, "khapata" refers to a door or window, but "kapaat" has been extended to mean "cabinet" or "cupboard" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | क्याबिनेट | ||
| The Nepali word 'क्याबिनेट' is derived from the French word 'cabinet', which originally meant a small room, and eventually came to refer to a group of advisors to a head of state. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੈਬਨਿਟ | ||
| The word "ਕੈਬਨਿਟ" also refers to a group of ministers who advise the head of state or government. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මණ්ඩල | ||
| The word 'මණ්ඩල' can also mean a group of people or an organization. | |||
| Tamil | மந்திரி சபை | ||
| Telugu | క్యాబినెట్ | ||
| The word "క్యాబినెట్" (cabinet) comes from the French word "cabinet" which means "small room" or "private chamber". | |||
| Urdu | کابینہ | ||
| "کابینہ" is an Urdu word that can be alternatively used to refer to a closet or a group of people in power, like a council or government ministry. | |||
Cabinet in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 内阁 | ||
| "内阁" is literally "inner court" and originally referred to the emperor's palace's innermost courtyard but later came to be the name for the emperor's advisory council. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 內閣 | ||
| 閣 is used in the term 內閣, meaning "cabinet" or "council of ministers," and is distinct from 樓閣. | |||
| Japanese | 戸棚 | ||
| 戸棚 derives from the word 戸 (door) and 棚 (shelf), a reference to its original design as a cupboard with doors that encase shelves. | |||
| Korean | 내각 | ||
| "내각" (cabinet) comes from the combination of two Chinese characters, "內" (inner) and "殼" (shell), likely due to the protective or secretive nature of a cabinet's contents. | |||
| Mongolian | кабинет | ||
| "Кабинет" can also mean "study" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကက်ဘိနက် | ||
| The word “cabinet” is derived from Italian “cabinetto,” meaning “a small room”. | |||
Cabinet in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kabinet | ||
| In Indonesian, "kabinet" can also refer to a cupboard or a small room. | |||
| Javanese | kabinet | ||
| "Lemari kayu jati ukir dengan motif kembang" merupakan arti lain kata "kabinet" dalam Bahasa Jawa | |||
| Khmer | គណៈរដ្ឋមន្រ្តី | ||
| Lao | ຕູ້ | ||
| The Lao word "ຕູ້" (cabinet) is cognate with the Thai word "ตู้" (cabinet, wardrobe), originating from the Khmer word "ទូ" (closet, shelf). | |||
| Malay | kabinet | ||
| "Kabinet" in Malay originally referred to a small room for storage, derived from the Dutch word "kabinet," meaning "closet". | |||
| Thai | คณะรัฐมนตรี | ||
| The term 'คณะรัฐมนตรี' (cabinet) in Thai also refers to a group or committee that advises the king or the government. | |||
| Vietnamese | buồng | ||
| "Buồng" comes from the word "buồng" (room), and is also used to refer to a small room, or a person's private space. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | cabinet | ||
Cabinet in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kabinet | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "kabinet" can also mean "closet" or "wardrobe". | |||
| Kazakh | шкаф | ||
| The word "шкаф" ("cabinet") in Kazakh also means "locker" or "wardrobe". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кабинет | ||
| "Кабинет" в киргизском языке также может означать "небольшая комната для работы или приема гостей" | |||
| Tajik | ҷевон | ||
| The word "ҷевон" is derived from the Persian word "jevān" meaning "young" or "juvenile". | |||
| Turkmen | kabinet | ||
| Uzbek | kabinet | ||
| "Kabinet" in Uzbek can also refer to a group of people, such as a government council or a scientific advisory committee. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىشكاپ | ||
Cabinet in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale kuhina | ||
| Hale kuhina loosely translates to "house of advisors" and can also refer to the "throne room" of a chief. | |||
| Maori | rūnanga | ||
| The word "rūnanga" also refers to a Maori council or meeting house. | |||
| Samoan | kapeneta | ||
| The word 'kapeneta' in Samoan is cognate with the Tongan word 'kapineta' and the English word 'cabinet' through the early European settlers. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gabinete | ||
| In Tagalog, "gabinete" also refers to a group of officials advising the president, similar to a cabinet in English. | |||
Cabinet in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arkirinakapa | ||
| Guarani | mburuvichakoty | ||
Cabinet in International Languages
| Esperanto | kabineto | ||
| "Kabineto" (cabinet) derives from the name of a Japanese cupboard, and means storage space in general. | |||
| Latin | armarium | ||
| Armarium in Latin can also refer to a bookcase or a wardrobe. | |||
Cabinet in Others Languages
| Greek | υπουργικό συμβούλιο | ||
| In Greek, the cabinet is also called "υπουργικό συμβούλιο", which translates to "board of ministers". | |||
| Hmong | txee | ||
| The word "txee" can also refer to a chest or a coffin. | |||
| Kurdish | şêwr | ||
| The word "şêwr" derives from the Indo-European root "*kwer-", meaning "to turn, wind" or "to bend". | |||
| Turkish | kabine | ||
| The word "kabine" in Turkish can also refer to a small compartment or niche in a wall. | |||
| Xhosa | ikhabhinethi | ||
| The word "ikhabhinethi" is derived from the English word "cabinet," which in turn comes from the French word "cabinet," meaning "small room". | |||
| Yiddish | קאַבינעט | ||
| "קאַבינעט" (cabinet) is also a Yiddish word that derives from the French word for "cabin" via German and Polish. | |||
| Zulu | ikhabhinethi | ||
| The word "iKhabhinethi" (cabinet) in Zulu is derived from the Dutch "kabinet", meaning "small room". | |||
| Assamese | কেবিনেট | ||
| Aymara | arkirinakapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मंत्रिमंडल | ||
| Dhivehi | ކެބިނެޓު | ||
| Dogri | कैबिनट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | cabinet | ||
| Guarani | mburuvichakoty | ||
| Ilocano | kabinet | ||
| Krio | say fɔ kip tin dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کابنە | ||
| Maithili | मंत्रिमंडल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯄꯨ | ||
| Mizo | pindan te | ||
| Oromo | angaa'ota mootummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କ୍ୟାବିନେଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | gabinete | ||
| Sanskrit | मन्त्रिपरिषद् | ||
| Tatar | кабинет | ||
| Tigrinya | ካቢነ | ||
| Tsonga | khabinete | ||