Cap in Different Languages
Discover 'Cap' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'cap' is more than just a piece of clothing that protects our heads from the elements. It's a symbol of identity, status, and cultural significance. Throughout history, caps have been used to denote everything from a person's profession to their social standing. For example, in medieval Europe, judges wore caps as a symbol of their authority, while in modern-day America, a graduate's mortarboard cap signifies their academic achievement.
Caps also have a rich cultural history. In many African countries, caps are an important part of traditional dress, while in Japan, the iconic 'rising sun' cap is a symbol of national pride. And who can forget the ever-present baseball cap, which has become a staple of casual wear in many parts of the world?
Given the importance of caps in different cultures, it's no wonder that people might want to know how to say 'cap' in different languages. Whether you're traveling to a foreign country and want to know how to ask for a cap in the local language, or you're simply interested in learning more about the world around you, knowing the translation of 'cap' can be a fun and useful piece of knowledge.
Here are some translations of 'cap' in different languages to get you started:
Cap
Cap in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | doppie | ||
| Afrikaans 'doppie' derives from the Zulu and Xhosa word 'idolopi', which means 'cap' or 'hat'. | |||
| Amharic | ካፕ | ||
| The word "cap" in Amharic can also refer to a hat or a lid, and is derived from the Proto-Ethiopian word "*kʷappa". | |||
| Hausa | hula | ||
| The Hausa word "hula" can also refer to a type of ceremonial headwear or a conical straw hat. | |||
| Igbo | okpu | ||
| 'Okpu' can also refer to an important person, especially one holding a position of authority, similar to the English phrase 'big hat'. | |||
| Malagasy | cap | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "Cap" can also mean "hat" or "lid". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kapu | ||
| The word "kapu" can also refer to a "hood" or a "lid." | |||
| Shona | chivharo | ||
| The word chivharo (cap) is also used metaphorically to refer to the head. | |||
| Somali | dabool | ||
| The term 'dabool' can also refer to the top or lid of a container. | |||
| Sesotho | cap | ||
| The Sesotho word "cap" can also mean "to cover" or "to put on a hat". | |||
| Swahili | kofia | ||
| The word 'kofia' may have originated from the Arabic word 'kufi' referring to a type of Muslim skullcap. | |||
| Xhosa | ikepusi | ||
| The word "ikepusi" also refers to a type of woven hat worn by Xhosa men and women. | |||
| Yoruba | fila | ||
| Besides its primary meaning as "cap", the Yoruba word "fila" is also a unit of currency and an ancient name for the Yoruba ethnic group | |||
| Zulu | ikepisi | ||
| The word 'ikepisi' also refers to a type of traditional Zulu headdress made of cowhide or goat hide. | |||
| Bambara | cap | ||
| Ewe | cap | ||
| Kinyarwanda | cap | ||
| Lingala | cap | ||
| Luganda | cap | ||
| Sepedi | kepisi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | cap | ||
Cap in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قبعة | ||
| The word "قبعة" is derived from the Arabic verb "قبع" meaning "to sit". It can also refer to a hat, a helmet, or a turban. | |||
| Hebrew | כובע | ||
| "כובע" (cap) comes from the Persian word "kubh" (hat) via Arabic "qubba" (dome). | |||
| Pashto | ټوپۍ | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ټوپۍ" can refer to various types of caps, including the traditional "pakol" cap worn by Pashtun men. | |||
| Arabic | قبعة | ||
| The word "قبعة" is derived from the Arabic verb "قبع" meaning "to sit". It can also refer to a hat, a helmet, or a turban. | |||
Cap in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kapak | ||
| Albanian "kapak" (cap) may originate in Proto-Albanian *kapakъ from Proto-Slavic *klobuk with the same meaning. | |||
| Basque | txapela | ||
| The word txapela, or 'cap', in the Basque language has many other meanings, such as 'hat', 'beret', and 'helmet'. | |||
| Catalan | cap | ||
| The Catalan word "cap" can also mean "head" or "end". | |||
| Croatian | kapa | ||
| "Kapa" is a type of hat worn in Croatia, and also a loanword from Italian and Turkish, meaning "gate" or "door." | |||
| Danish | kasket | ||
| The word "kasket" is a cognate of the French word "casquette", which is a type of cap with a visor. | |||
| Dutch | cap | ||
| The Dutch word 'kap' can mean 'cape', 'hat' or 'pot lid' | |||
| English | cap | ||
| As a verb, "cap" can mean to surpass or complete something, or to deceive or trick someone. | |||
| French | casquette | ||
| "Casquette" can also mean a type of haircut or a small, rounded basket used in markets. | |||
| Frisian | hoed | ||
| The Frisian word "hoed" can refer to the heads of animals or birds as well as a type of headgear or bonnet. | |||
| Galician | gorra | ||
| Galician "gorra" likely comes from the Medieval French "gorre" (nightcap), though it could be related to the English "cap" (skullcap), "cork" (plug) or "gore." | |||
| German | deckel | ||
| "Deckel" originally meant a "board" or "slab" and is related to the word "Deck". Hence its use as a term for a "cap" on a container. | |||
| Icelandic | húfa | ||
| Icelandic "húfa" derives from Old Norse "huf" ("head covering, cap"), cognate with German "Haube" ("bonnet, hood") | |||
| Irish | caipín | ||
| Derived from the Latin 'cappa', a capín is the type of hood worn by traditional Irish women | |||
| Italian | cap | ||
| The Italian word "cap" can also refer to a cape or a promontory. | |||
| Luxembourgish | cap | ||
| "Kap" is also used in the Luxembourgish word for "to understand", meaning someone has understood something. | |||
| Maltese | għatu | ||
| The word "għatu" also refers to a "cover" in Maltese, which is related to its Arabic etymology, "ghatāʾ". | |||
| Norwegian | lokk | ||
| The word "lokk" can also refer to the lid of a container or the cover of a book. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | boné | ||
| The word "boné" is derived from the French word "bonnet" and can also refer to a bonnet or a hat worn by women. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cap | ||
| The word "cap" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "head" or "top". | |||
| Spanish | hacia | ||
| "Hacia" comes from the Latin word "facies," meaning face, and has the same origin as the French word "face." | |||
| Swedish | keps | ||
| "Kepsen" may also refer to a person's skull or the top of their head | |||
| Welsh | cap | ||
| The word 'cap' in Welsh can also mean 'to cut' or 'to geld'. | |||
Cap in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шапка | ||
| The word "шапка" can also refer to a specific type of round, fur-trimmed hat worn by married women in traditional Belarusian costume. | |||
| Bosnian | kapa | ||
| The Bosnian word "kapa" can also refer to a "lid" or "cover" for a container, deriving from the Proto-Slavic word "*kъpa" with the same meaning. | |||
| Bulgarian | шапка с козирка | ||
| The word "шапка с козирка" also refers to a type of traditional hat worn by Bulgarian men. | |||
| Czech | víčko | ||
| The Czech word "víčko" originally referred to the eyelid but gained its current meaning in the 17th century. | |||
| Estonian | kork | ||
| The word "kork" is derived from the Germanic word "kork", which originally meant "plug" or "stopper". | |||
| Finnish | korkki | ||
| "Korkki" also means "bark" in old Finnish or in dialects; in addition, it can refer to the floating tissue of plants, and the cork layer under the tree bark. | |||
| Hungarian | sapka | ||
| "Sepke" is the original Hungarian word for this headgear, which was replaced by the Turkish "sapka" during the Ottoman rule. | |||
| Latvian | vāciņš | ||
| "Vāciņš" is derived from the word "vakt" (to pull), referring to the act of pulling the cap onto the head. | |||
| Lithuanian | dangtelis | ||
| The word "dangtelis" can also refer to a lid, cover, or roof. | |||
| Macedonian | капаче | ||
| The word "капаче" has a secondary meaning of "strong" or "mighty" in Macedonian | |||
| Polish | czapka | ||
| The word "czapka" originally referred to a type of fur hat worn by men, particularly in the winter. | |||
| Romanian | capac | ||
| The Romanian word "capac" ("cap") is derived from the Latin word "cappa" ("cloak") and cognate with the French word "cap" ("hood") and the Spanish word "capa" ("cape"). | |||
| Russian | кепка | ||
| Serbian | капа | ||
| Капа is derived from the Latin "cappa" meaning "cape" and initially referred to the long coat worn by the Orthodox clergy. | |||
| Slovak | čiapka | ||
| The word "čiapka" is derived from the Hungarian word "sapka", meaning "fur cap" or "hat". | |||
| Slovenian | pokrovček | ||
| The word 'pokrovček' can also be used to refer to a lid or cover. | |||
| Ukrainian | шапка | ||
| The word "шапка" also means "hat" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *šapka, meaning "head covering." | |||
Cap in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ক্যাপ | ||
| The Bengali word "ক্যাপ" comes from the English word "cap" and means a type of covering for the head. | |||
| Gujarati | કેપ | ||
| The English word "cap" originates from the Latin word "cappa", meaning "a cloak". | |||
| Hindi | टोपी | ||
| "टोपी" can also be a word for a hat or a turban, and it is derived from the Persian word "tuppi", meaning "head covering". | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ಯಾಪ್ | ||
| In English, the word "cap" can also refer to the highest point or limit of something. | |||
| Malayalam | തൊപ്പി | ||
| The word "തൊപ്പി" can also refer to a small hut or a type of snake gourd | |||
| Marathi | टोपी | ||
| The word "टोपी" in Marathi can also refer to a type of sweet dish made from semolina and sugar. | |||
| Nepali | टोपी | ||
| Did you know that 'टोपी' shares its etymology with the Russian word 'шапка' and the English 'cap', likely originating from Proto-Indo-European '*ḱáput-' meaning 'head'? | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੈਪ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਕੈਪ" (cap) derives from the English "cap", which refers to the head covering, while in Punjabi, it additionally means "a lie or a false claim." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තොප්පිය | ||
| The word "තොප්පිය" in Sinhala is derived from the Tamil word "தொப்பி" ("toppi") and the Portuguese word "touca". It can also refer to a hat or head covering. | |||
| Tamil | தொப்பி | ||
| The Tamil word தொப்பி ('thoppee') also refers to a type of flat bread, possibly from its resemblance to a beret's shape. | |||
| Telugu | టోపీ | ||
| The Telugu word "టోపీ" (cap) is derived from the Persian word "تُوپي" (topi), which means a small rounded head covering. | |||
| Urdu | ٹوپی | ||
| In Urdu, the word "ٹوپی" not only refers to a cap but also to a large cooking pot or a type of sweet dish. | |||
Cap in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 帽 | ||
| The character '帽' can also be used to refer to a hat, a lid, a cover, or an umbrella. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 帽 | ||
| The Chinese character 帽 (mào) can also refer to a head covering worn by Buddhist monks or nuns. | |||
| Japanese | キャップ | ||
| In Japanese, the word "キャップ" (cap) can also mean "leader" or "manager". | |||
| Korean | 캡 | ||
| The word "캡" (cap) can also refer to a type of Korean head covering similar to a beanie hat. | |||
| Mongolian | таг | ||
| The word "таг" in Mongolian can also refer to a small piece of cloth used to cover a wound. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဦး ထုပ် | ||
| The literal translation meaning of ဦး ထုပ် is to tie your hair up; and is worn at the back of the head. | |||
Cap in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | topi | ||
| In Indonesian, 'topi' can also refer to a type of headgear worn in traditional dance performances. | |||
| Javanese | tutup | ||
| In Javanese, "tutup" can also refer to a lid, a cover, or a closure. | |||
| Khmer | មួក | ||
| The term "មួក" could also refer to a monk's alms bowl or the top of a palm tree. | |||
| Lao | ຫລວງ | ||
| ຫລວງ (luang) can be used not only as the word for "cap" in Lao, but it also means "sacred" or "royal" in many Tai languages. | |||
| Malay | topi | ||
| The term "topi" is a borrowing from the English word "topi". The latter is in itself a loan-word deriving originally from the Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) "topee," referring to the pith helmet used by European troops in India. | |||
| Thai | หมวก | ||
| The word "หมวก" (cap) in Thai originated from an Old Khmer word meaning "to cover the head." | |||
| Vietnamese | mũ lưỡi trai | ||
| The term "mũ lưỡi trai" literally translates to "hat with a brim", referring to the brim that extends out from the front of the cap. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | takip | ||
Cap in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qapaq | ||
| The word "qapaq" in Azerbaijani, meaning "cap", is derived from the Persian word "ghāp" or "qap", meaning "cover" or "lid". | |||
| Kazakh | қақпақ | ||
| Etymology is unknown; the form "қақпақ" probably mimics the sounds of horse bells. | |||
| Kyrgyz | капкак | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "капкак" can also refer to a type of traditional Kyrgyz horse headwear consisting of a metal plate covered by a piece of felt. | |||
| Tajik | cap | ||
| The word "cap" in Tajik originally meant "head covering" but now also refers to a type of hat or lid. | |||
| Turkmen | gapak | ||
| Uzbek | qopqoq | ||
| In the Oghuz languages, "qopqoq" also refers to a type of falconry hood traditionally used in hunting. | |||
| Uyghur | cap | ||
Cap in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pāpale | ||
| The word "pāpale" also refers to a feather cloak worn by Hawaiian nobility. | |||
| Maori | potae | ||
| The Maori word "potae" can also refer to a bowl or container, or the back of the head. | |||
| Samoan | pulou | ||
| The Samoan word "pulou" can also refer to a kind of headdress worn by women. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | takip | ||
| The word "takip" also means "to follow" in Tagalog. | |||
Cap in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | cap | ||
| Guarani | cap | ||
Cap in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĉapo | ||
| The Esperanto word "ĉapo" derives from the Romanian "șapcă" or the Hungarian "sapka". | |||
| Latin | c | ||
| The Latin word "c" can also refer to "the tip of a horn" or "a point" in general. | |||
Cap in Others Languages
| Greek | καπάκι | ||
| "Καπάκι" (cap) is also used in Greek to mean "lid" or "cover" of a container, and "a hard blow on the head". | |||
| Hmong | cap | ||
| The Hmong word "cap" can also refer to a type of hat worn by Hmong women. | |||
| Kurdish | devik | ||
| The word "devik" also refers to a type of headwear worn by women in the Kurdish region of Turkey, known as a "serbend" or "puşi". | |||
| Turkish | şapka | ||
| Şapka also shares the same root as the Hungarian word "sapka," which means "hat". | |||
| Xhosa | ikepusi | ||
| The word "ikepusi" also refers to a type of woven hat worn by Xhosa men and women. | |||
| Yiddish | היטל | ||
| In Yiddish, "היטל" also means "hat tax" or "Jewish poll tax" | |||
| Zulu | ikepisi | ||
| The word 'ikepisi' also refers to a type of traditional Zulu headdress made of cowhide or goat hide. | |||
| Assamese | cap | ||
| Aymara | cap | ||
| Bhojpuri | टोपी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކެޕް | ||
| Dogri | टोपी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | takip | ||
| Guarani | cap | ||
| Ilocano | cap | ||
| Krio | kap | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | cap | ||
| Maithili | टोपी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯦꯞ | ||
| Mizo | cap | ||
| Oromo | cap | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କ୍ୟାପ୍ | ||
| Quechua | cap | ||
| Sanskrit | cap | ||
| Tatar | капка | ||
| Tigrinya | cap | ||
| Tsonga | xihuku | ||