Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'card' is a small piece of stiff paper or plastic, typically rectangular in shape, used for various purposes such as writing notes, playing games, or providing information. The significance of cards can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where they were used for games of chance and skill. In modern times, cards have taken on a variety of forms, from the familiar playing card to the credit card, each with its own unique cultural importance.
Cards have also played a significant role in shaping human history. For instance, the invention of playing cards in China during the Tang Dusnasty (618-907 AD) marked the beginning of a new form of entertainment that would eventually spread to other parts of the world. Similarly, the development of credit cards in the mid-20th century revolutionized the way people conduct financial transactions, making it easier and more convenient than ever before.
Given the global significance and cultural importance of cards, it's no wonder that people might want to know their translation in different languages. Here are a few examples:
Afrikaans | kaartjie | ||
"Kaartjie" literally means "small map" and can also be used to refer to a place map or a playing card. | |||
Amharic | ካርድ | ||
In Amharic, "ካርድ" can also mean a type of traditional Ethiopian bread made from barley. | |||
Hausa | katin | ||
The Hausa word 'katin' also means 'a share of something' or 'a portion of something divided equally among several people'. | |||
Igbo | kaadị | ||
The Igbo word "kaadị" also means "identity" or "membership in a group or organization." | |||
Malagasy | karatra ara-baiboly | ||
The word "KARATRA ARA-BAIBOLY" in Malagasy is borrowed from the French word "carte" and also means "map". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | khadi | ||
The word 'khadi' in Nyanja can also refer to a 'piece of paper' | |||
Shona | kadhi | ||
The word "kadhi" in Shona also refers to a piece of wood used to dig during the rainy season. | |||
Somali | kaarka | ||
The Somali word | |||
Sesotho | karete | ||
The word "karete" in Sesotho is also used to refer to a piece of paper or cardboard. | |||
Swahili | kadi | ||
Kadi may also refer to a Muslim judge in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | ikhadi | ||
The word "ikhadi" can also refer to a flat piece of metal used to remove dirt or impurities from a surface. | |||
Yoruba | kaadi | ||
In Yoruba, 'kaadi' also refers to the Yoruba system of Ifa divination. | |||
Zulu | ikhadi | ||
In addition to its primary meaning as "card," "ikhadi" can also refer to a "ticket" or an "identity document" in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | karti | ||
Ewe | kaɖi dzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikarita | ||
Lingala | karte ya kosala | ||
Luganda | kaadi | ||
Sepedi | karata ya | ||
Twi (Akan) | kaad no | ||
Arabic | بطاقة | ||
"بطاقة" derives from the Greek "papyros" (papyrus), referring to the material from which ancient scrolls were made. | |||
Hebrew | כַּרְטִיס | ||
The Hebrew word "כַּרְטִיס" can also refer to a ticket or a business card. | |||
Pashto | کارت | ||
The Pashto word "کارت" can also refer to a "paper" or a "ticket". | |||
Arabic | بطاقة | ||
"بطاقة" derives from the Greek "papyros" (papyrus), referring to the material from which ancient scrolls were made. |
Albanian | kartë | ||
Albanian "kartë" is a borrowing from Turkish "kart" and Italian "carta", and it can have various meanings, including "card" as in playing or credit card, "paper", "certificate", and "map". | |||
Basque | txartela | ||
'Txartela' is a Basque word of Spanish origin, meaning 'letter, note or document' | |||
Catalan | targeta | ||
The Catalan word "targeta", meaning "card", is derived from the Latin word "chartula", meaning "little paper", and shares its etymology with the English word "charter". | |||
Croatian | kartica | ||
The Croatian word "kartica" also refers to a small, flat piece of metal used as a key or a tool. | |||
Danish | kort | ||
The word "kort" can also mean "map" or "chart" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | kaart | ||
The word "kaart" also means "map" in Dutch, coming from the Old French word "carte" with the same meaning. | |||
English | card | ||
The word "card" derives from the Latin "charta," meaning "paper," and has been used to refer to playing cards since the 15th century. | |||
French | carte | ||
The French word "carte" is derived from the Latin "charta," meaning "paper." | |||
Frisian | kaart | ||
Kaart can also refer to a chart, map or playing card in Frisian. | |||
Galician | tarxeta | ||
In medieval Galician "tarxeta" also meant the "small shield carried by horsemen". | |||
German | karte | ||
The word "Karte" can also mean "map" in German, as opposed to "card" in English. | |||
Icelandic | spil | ||
Spil, "card" in Icelandic, comes from the German word Spiel, meaning "play" or "game." | |||
Irish | cárta | ||
The Irish word "cárta" (card) derives from the Latin "carta" (paper) and also means "charter", "document" or "sheet". | |||
Italian | carta | ||
The Italian word "carta" derives from the Latin "charta", meaning papyrus, and can also refer to a document or letter. | |||
Luxembourgish | kaart | ||
The Luxembourgish word "Kaart" can also refer to a map or a playing card. | |||
Maltese | karta | ||
"Karta" also means "map" in Maltese, similar to other Romance languages like Italian and Catalan. | |||
Norwegian | kort | ||
The word "kort" in Norwegian can also refer to a map or a chart. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cartão | ||
In Brazil, cartão also means credit card, while in Portugal, it refers to a postal card. | |||
Scots Gaelic | cairt | ||
In Scottish Gaelic, the word 'cairt' can also refer to a small boat or a pack of cards. | |||
Spanish | tarjeta | ||
"Tarjeta" originally meant "paper" or "cardboard" in Spanish, and is related to the Italian word "carta" and the French word "carte". | |||
Swedish | kort | ||
The Swedish word "kort" also means "short", as in "a short distance". | |||
Welsh | cerdyn | ||
The Welsh word "cerdyn" also means "paper", "letter", and "map". |
Belarusian | карта | ||
The word "карта" ("card") is also used in Belarusian to refer to the card of a playing deck. | |||
Bosnian | karticu | ||
"Karticu" derives from the Latin "charta" via the Italian "carta" and the French "carte". | |||
Bulgarian | карта | ||
The word "карта" in Bulgarian can also mean "map" or "ticket". | |||
Czech | kartu | ||
In addition to its primary meaning as "card", "kartu" can also refer to a small piece of paper, a note, or a ticket. | |||
Estonian | kaart | ||
The Estonian word "kaart" also means "map" and is derived from the Middle Low German "karte" meaning "document." | |||
Finnish | kortti- | ||
The etymology of "kortti-" is unclear, but it is theorized to derive from the Russian "karta," likely itself a borrowing from German or French. | |||
Hungarian | kártya | ||
The word "kártya" can also mean "sign" or "mark" in Hungarian, and it is derived from the Slavic word "karta", meaning a piece of paper. | |||
Latvian | karte | ||
The Latvian word “karte” is cognate with “karta” in Polish, which in turn derives from Italian “carta”, meaning “paper” | |||
Lithuanian | kortelę | ||
Kortelę likely originated from 'carta' in medieval Latin, which itself might come from the ancient Greek 'khartis' meaning 'papyrus'. | |||
Macedonian | картичка | ||
Картичка - умалительная форма слова карта (маленькая карта) | |||
Polish | karta | ||
In Polish, "karta" can also refer to a map or a page in a book. | |||
Romanian | card | ||
In Romanian, "card" can also refer to a type of divination or fortune-telling. | |||
Russian | открытка | ||
The word "открытка" literally means "something that is open" in Russian, and it is a cognate of the English word "carte", meaning "a piece of paper". | |||
Serbian | карта | ||
The Serbian word "карта" (karta) has additional meanings besides "card", such as "map" and "ticket". | |||
Slovak | karta | ||
The word "karta" in Slovak also means "map" and "ticket" | |||
Slovenian | kartica | ||
The word 'kartica' also means 'ticket' in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | картки | ||
"Картки" (card) comes from the Polish "kаrta" and originally meant "paper sheet" or "document." |
Bengali | কার্ড | ||
কার্ড can also mean "debt" or "loan" | |||
Gujarati | કાર્ડ | ||
In Gujarati, the word "કાર્ડ" can also refer to a type of traditional Indian playing card. | |||
Hindi | कार्ड | ||
The Hindi word "कार्ड" comes from the English word "card" and can refer to a playing card, a business card, or a credit card. | |||
Kannada | ಕಾರ್ಡ್ | ||
The Kannada word "ಕಾರ್ಡ್" (kārd) is derived from the French word "carte" and has multiple meanings, including playing cards, business cards, and credit cards. | |||
Malayalam | കാർഡ് | ||
The word 'കാർഡ്' originates from the Latin word 'charta', meaning 'paper' or 'papyrus'. | |||
Marathi | कार्ड | ||
In Marathi, the word "कार्ड" can also refer to a type of traditional Indian playing card. | |||
Nepali | कार्ड | ||
The word 'कार्ड' (card) is derived from the French word 'carte' and Latin word 'charta', both meaning 'paper' or 'document'. | |||
Punjabi | ਕਾਰਡ | ||
The word "ਕਾਰਡ" can also refer to a playing card, a business card, or a greeting card. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාඩ්පත | ||
In Sinhala, the word "කාඩ්පත" (card) can also refer to a deck of cards or a playing card. | |||
Tamil | அட்டை | ||
The word "அட்டை" also refers to a type of leech found in water bodies, distinguished by its flat, oval shape and ability to suck blood. | |||
Telugu | కార్డు | ||
This word comes from the English word | |||
Urdu | کارڈ | ||
The word "کارڈ" can also refer to a playing card, a business card, or a greeting card in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 卡 | ||
卡 can also refer to a checkpoint, obstacle, or a narrow river passage. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 卡 | ||
"卡" (card) can also mean "to trap" or "to jam". | |||
Japanese | カード | ||
The Japanese word カード ("kādo") can also refer to a payment card or a business card. | |||
Korean | 카드 | ||
카드(card)는 '문' 또는 '문서'를 뜻하는 고어에서 유래하여 '문서'나 '증명서'의 의미도 갖고 있음 | |||
Mongolian | карт | ||
The Mongolian word "карт" can also mean "paper" or "sheet". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကဒ် | ||
"ကဒ်" is derived from the English word "card" and also refers to a piece of paper used for writing or printing. |
Indonesian | kartu | ||
In Sanskrit, "kartu" refers to a tool or an instrument. | |||
Javanese | kertu | ||
The word "kertu" in Javanese can also mean "writing" or "book". | |||
Khmer | កាត | ||
The word "កាត" can also refer to a playing card, an identity card, or a business card. | |||
Lao | ບັດ | ||
In addition to its meaning as a "card", "ບັດ" can also refer to a book or a banknote. | |||
Malay | kad | ||
The word 'kad' in Malay may also refer to a ticket or a pass. | |||
Thai | การ์ด | ||
The Thai word 'การ์ด' ('gàrt') is borrowed from the Portuguese 'carta', meaning a letter or paper, and is related to the English word 'card' which originally meant 'a piece of paper'. | |||
Vietnamese | thẻ | ||
The Vietnamese word "Thẻ" can also refer to a banknote or identity card. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | card | ||
Azerbaijani | kart | ||
"Kart" in Azerbaijani can also mean "paper", "sheet of paper", or "small box for storing things". | |||
Kazakh | карта | ||
In Kazakh, "карта" ("card") originated from Russian and also refers to a "map," whereas its Kazakh equivalent is "қағаз" ("paper"). | |||
Kyrgyz | карта | ||
In Turkish and Kyrgyz the word 'карта' means 'paper' | |||
Tajik | корт | ||
Ко betyder “card” i Tajik. Det betyder også “yard” eller “yard.” | |||
Turkmen | kartoçka | ||
Uzbek | karta | ||
Uzbek "karta" is also used to refer to a paper playing card or a playing card game. | |||
Uyghur | كارتا | ||
Hawaiian | kāleka | ||
The word "kāleka" in Hawaiian has no known alternate meanings or etymological relationships to other words. | |||
Maori | kāri | ||
The word 'kāri' can also refer to a playing card or a document serving as an identity or admission card. | |||
Samoan | pepa | ||
The word 'pepa' can also refer to a traditional Samoan game played with cards. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kard | ||
The Tagalog word "kard" is also used to refer to a playing card's value or suit. |
Aymara | tarjeta | ||
Guarani | tarjeta rehegua | ||
Esperanto | karto | ||
Esperanto's "karto" can also mean "paper" or "map", mirroring the dual use of "card" in English. | |||
Latin | card | ||
The Latin word "charta" referred to a sheet of paper, parchment, or papyrus and is the origin of the word "card". |
Greek | κάρτα | ||
"Κάρτα" refers to a playing card, business card, or credit card, and can also mean "menu" or "billboard". | |||
Hmong | daim npav | ||
The Hmong word "daim npav" literally translates to "leaf of tree". | |||
Kurdish | qert | ||
The word "qert" in Kurdish can also refer to a playing card, a lottery ticket, or a piece of paper with information written on it. | |||
Turkish | kart | ||
In Turkish, "kart" derives from Persian "kârt" or Arabic "qurtās" and originally meant "paper box". | |||
Xhosa | ikhadi | ||
The word "ikhadi" can also refer to a flat piece of metal used to remove dirt or impurities from a surface. | |||
Yiddish | קאַרטל | ||
In Yiddish, "קאַרטל" can also refer to a group of people who form an agreement to control prices or production. | |||
Zulu | ikhadi | ||
In addition to its primary meaning as "card," "ikhadi" can also refer to a "ticket" or an "identity document" in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | কাৰ্ড | ||
Aymara | tarjeta | ||
Bhojpuri | कार्ड के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ކާޑެވެ | ||
Dogri | कार्ड दा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | card | ||
Guarani | tarjeta rehegua | ||
Ilocano | kard | ||
Krio | kad fɔ di kad | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | کارت | ||
Maithili | कार्ड | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯔꯗ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | card a ni | ||
Oromo | kaardii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କାର୍ଡ | ||
Quechua | tarjeta | ||
Sanskrit | कार्ड | ||
Tatar | карточка | ||
Tigrinya | ካርድ | ||
Tsonga | khadi ra kona | ||