Category in Different Languages
Discover 'Category' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word category is a fundamental concept in many fields, from philosophy and linguistics to mathematics and computer science. It refers to a group or class of things that have characteristics in common. This cultural importance is reflected in the various ways the word is translated across different languages.
For example, in Spanish, the word for category is categoría. In French, it's catégorie. In German, it's Kategorie. In Mandarin Chinese, it's 类别 (lèi bié). In Japanese, it's カテゴリー (kategori). In Russian, it's категория (kategoriiá).
Understanding the translation of category in different languages can help us appreciate the cultural nuances and linguistic differences that exist around the world. It can also be a useful tool for anyone studying a foreign language or conducting international business.
Category
Category in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kategorie | ||
| Afrikaans adopted "kategorie" from Dutch "categorie", which derives from Latin "categorema" (statement), and Greek "kategoria" (accusation). | |||
| Amharic | ምድብ | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ምድብ" also means "group" or "type". | |||
| Hausa | rukuni | ||
| A rukuni can be a category of something, a department, or a group of people. | |||
| Igbo | udi | ||
| The Igbo word "ụdị" can also refer to "type," "kind," or "sort," and can be applied to a wide range of things. | |||
| Malagasy | sokajy | ||
| The word "sokajy" in Malagasy derives from the Arabic word "suq" (market), indicating its historical association with trade and exchange. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gulu | ||
| The Nyanja word 'gulu' is also used to refer to a group or type of people. | |||
| Shona | chikamu | ||
| "Chikamu" can also mean "a group of people with similar characteristics" or "a type of thing." | |||
| Somali | qaybta | ||
| The word "qaybta" can also refer to a group of people sharing similar characteristics or interests. | |||
| Sesotho | sehlopha | ||
| 'Sehlopha', a Sesotho term meaning 'category', also refers to a group or type of people, animals or things sharing similar characteristics. | |||
| Swahili | jamii | ||
| "Jamii" can also mean "society" or "community" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | udidi | ||
| "Udi di" also means 000, i.e. nothing, and can be used to indicate something that does not exist or to indicate that something is impossible or not worth considering. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹka | ||
| 'Eka' is an ordinal number that means 'first' when it's followed by names of months, and 'only' when followed by other nouns. | |||
| Zulu | isigaba | ||
| The Zulu word "isigaba" shares a root with the word "isigaba sabakhwezeli", meaning "the category of the deceased". | |||
| Bambara | suguya | ||
| Ewe | hatsotso | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyiciro | ||
| Lingala | lolenge | ||
| Luganda | olubu | ||
| Sepedi | legoro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔfa | ||
Category in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الفئة | ||
| The word الفئة can also mean 'group', 'party', or 'sect' in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | קטגוריה | ||
| Pashto | کټګورۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "کټګورۍ" is derived from the Greek word "κατηγορία", which means "accusation" or "charge". | |||
| Arabic | الفئة | ||
| The word الفئة can also mean 'group', 'party', or 'sect' in Arabic. | |||
Category in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kategori | ||
| The word 'kategori' is also used to refer to a place where something is kept, such as a storage room or a filing cabinet. | |||
| Basque | kategoria | ||
| The Basque word 'kategoria' is also used to refer to a 'rank' or 'order' in a hierarchy. | |||
| Catalan | categoria | ||
| "Categoria" also means "class" or "rank" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | kategorija | ||
| The word kategorija is derived from the Ancient Greek word κατηγορία, meaning 'predicate'. | |||
| Danish | kategori | ||
| The Danish word "kategori" can also mean "kind", "sort", or "type". | |||
| Dutch | categorie | ||
| Dutch "categorie" stems from Ancient Greek "kategoria," meaning "accusation," "charge," and "predication." | |||
| English | category | ||
| "Category" comes from 'kategoria,' Greek for 'to accuse,' from 'katēgorein,' 'to make a charge against,' ultimately from 'agora,' meaning 'marketplace' and 'assembly.'" | |||
| French | catégorie | ||
| The word catégory can also mean "category" in English. It can also mean "accusation" or "blame". | |||
| Frisian | kategory | ||
| The Frisian word "kategory" originates from the Greek "kategoria", meaning "accusation" or "predicate". | |||
| Galician | categoría | ||
| German | kategorie | ||
| The German word 'Kategorie' is derived from the Greek word 'kategoria', which originally meant 'accusation'. | |||
| Icelandic | flokkur | ||
| In Old Norse, flokkur also meant 'army' or 'troop'. | |||
| Irish | chatagóir | ||
| The Irish word "chatagóir" ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word "kategoria," meaning "accusation, predicate, or quality." | |||
| Italian | categoria | ||
| The Italian word "categoria" derives from the Ancient Greek "kategoria," meaning "accusation" or "predicate." | |||
| Luxembourgish | kategorie | ||
| In Luxembourgish the word "Kategorie" also means "box" or "drawer". | |||
| Maltese | kategorija | ||
| The word "kategorija" is derived from the Greek word "kategoria", meaning "predication" or "statement". | |||
| Norwegian | kategori | ||
| The word 'kategori' stems from the Greek word 'katēgoría' which means 'accusation, charge, allegation' and is related to 'katēgoreō', which means 'accuse' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | categoria | ||
| In Portuguese, 'categoria' can also refer to a class, rank, or type. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | roinn-seòrsa | ||
| Spanish | categoría | ||
| “Categoría” ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word “katēgoría” meaning “accusation”. | |||
| Swedish | kategori | ||
| The word "kategori" derives from Ancient Greek "κατηγορία", meaning "accusation" or "predicate". | |||
| Welsh | categori | ||
| Categori means both 'category' and 'chair' in Welsh, coming from the French 'categorie' and Latin 'cathedra', respectively. | |||
Category in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | катэгорыя | ||
| Усе славянские языки имеют слово "категория" для обозначения философского понятия | |||
| Bosnian | kategorija | ||
| Kategorija in Bosnian comes from the Greek word "kategoria" meaning "accusation". | |||
| Bulgarian | категория | ||
| The word "категория" is derived from the Greek word "kategoria", which means "accusation" or "charge", and was later used by Aristotle to refer to a class of things sharing common characteristics. | |||
| Czech | kategorie | ||
| In Czech, "kategorie" can also refer to a type of sports event | |||
| Estonian | kategooria | ||
| The Estonian word "kategooria" derives from the Greek word "kategoria", meaning "statement" or "accusation." | |||
| Finnish | kategoria | ||
| The Finnish word 'kategoria' also has the meanings of 'article' and 'category', 'genre' or 'class' in philosophical and logical contexts. | |||
| Hungarian | kategória | ||
| In Greek it refers to an accusation and a prosecutor's office. | |||
| Latvian | kategorijā | ||
| Derived from Greek "kategoria", meaning both "statement" and "accusation". | |||
| Lithuanian | kategorija | ||
| In English, the word "category" has the same root as the Greek word "kategoria," meaning "accusation." | |||
| Macedonian | категорија | ||
| The word "категорија" is derived from Ancient Greek "κατηγορία", meaning "accusation" or "predicate" but has changed meanings over time and now commonly means "category" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | kategoria | ||
| The word "Kategoria" in Polish is derived from the Greek word "kategoria", meaning "accusation" or "predicate" and can also refer to a broader classification or division of things. | |||
| Romanian | categorie | ||
| Romanian "categorie" is derived from Greek "κατηγορία" ("charge, accusation"). | |||
| Russian | категория | ||
| The word "категория" can also refer to a class or rank in a hierarchy or classification system. | |||
| Serbian | категорија | ||
| The word "категорија" can also refer to a philosophical category or to a class of people. | |||
| Slovak | kategórie | ||
| The word "kategórie" in Slovak can also refer to a grammatical category or a rank in a hierarchical system. | |||
| Slovenian | kategoriji | ||
| The word “kategoriji” derives from the Greek word “kategoria,” which means “assertion” or “predicate.” | |||
| Ukrainian | категорії | ||
| The Ukrainian word «категорії» is derived from the Ancient Greek word «κατηγορία» (kategoria), which means «accusation» or «charge». | |||
Category in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিভাগ | ||
| বিভাগ can also refer to a political or administrative division, a class or group of people, or a subject or area of study. | |||
| Gujarati | વર્ગ | ||
| "વર્ગ" also means "class" or "grade" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | वर्ग | ||
| Hindi "वर्ग" (category), also meaning "class" in the context of grade level in school. | |||
| Kannada | ವರ್ಗ | ||
| ವರ್ಗ also means a 'row' which is a set of data arranged in a horizontal row in a table. "ವರ್ಗ" (row) comes from Sanskrit "वर्गः (vargah)" - to turn, to place in rows. | |||
| Malayalam | വിഭാഗം | ||
| The word "വിഭാഗം" may also be used in the senses of "class" or "division". | |||
| Marathi | श्रेणी | ||
| The Marathi word श्रेणी (shreNI) also means 'rank', 'grade', 'step', or 'class'. | |||
| Nepali | कोटि | ||
| While 'कोटि' typically means 'category', it also holds other meanings like 'type' and 'class' | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ | ||
| The word "ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ" ("category") in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "श्रेणी" ("series"), which itself is derived from the root "शृ" ("to go"). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වර්ගය | ||
| The word "වර්ගය" (category) in Sinhala also means "kind" or "type". | |||
| Tamil | வகை | ||
| The Tamil term "வகை" can also refer to a type, kind, or variety. | |||
| Telugu | వర్గం | ||
| The word "వర్గం" (category) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "वर्ग" (class, variety), which is also the root of the word "वर्गिकरण" (classification). | |||
| Urdu | قسم | ||
| The word قِسْم originates from the Arabic word قَسم, meaning division, portion, or classification. | |||
Category in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 类别 | ||
| The word 类别 (lèibie) was derived from the combination of two Chinese characters, 类 (lèi), meaning “kind or type,” and 别 (bié), meaning “to distinguish” or “to differentiate.” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 類別 | ||
| "類" in "類別" means "a type" and "別" means "separating" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | カテゴリー | ||
| The Japanese word "カテゴリー" derives from the Greek "κατηγορία" meaning "condition, accusation". | |||
| Korean | 범주 | ||
| In addition to "category", "범주" also means "predicate" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "pra-da-ju", meaning "to put forth". | |||
| Mongolian | ангилал | ||
| The word "ангилал" can also mean "classification" or "order" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမျိုးအစား | ||
Category in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kategori | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "kategori" is also used to refer to a specific type of traditional Javanese puppet known as a "lakon". | |||
| Javanese | kategori | ||
| In Javanese, kategori also means a type of traditional dance. | |||
| Khmer | ប្រភេទ | ||
| ប្រភេទ (category) is cognate with the term "type" (a kind or class) in Thai, Lao and Burmese, and may have been borrowed via Sanskrit. | |||
| Lao | ປະເພດ | ||
| Malay | kategori | ||
| The Indonesian borrowing 'kategori' derives from Greek 'kategoria' (accusation, charge) via Latin. | |||
| Thai | ประเภท | ||
| Originally an honorific or polite address in Thai, the word "ประเภท" later came to mean "category" through a metonymic shift. | |||
| Vietnamese | thể loại | ||
| The word "thể loại" literally means "body of something" in Vietnamese and can also refer to "style" or "genre" in various contexts. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kategorya | ||
Category in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kateqoriya | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "kateqoriya" is derived from the Greek word "kategoria", meaning "accusation" or "predicate" in logic and philosophy. | |||
| Kazakh | санат | ||
| In Kazakh, "санат" can also refer to a rank or an occupation, similar to the English word "profession." | |||
| Kyrgyz | категория | ||
| "Категория" in Kyrgyz can also mean "condition" or "situation". | |||
| Tajik | категория | ||
| In Tajik, “категория” also means “rank”. | |||
| Turkmen | kategoriýasy | ||
| Uzbek | toifasi | ||
| Uzbek 'toifasi' is derived from the Persian word 'taifeh', which means 'class' or 'group' | |||
| Uyghur | تۈرى | ||
Category in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | waeʻano | ||
| The word “waeʻano” also means a “class of students” in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | kāwai | ||
| In Maori, 'kāwai' can also refer to a particular type of mullet fish or a traditional Maori dance accompanied by a chorus. | |||
| Samoan | vaega | ||
| The etymology of "vaega" is "to be a part of" or "to make up a whole". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kategorya | ||
Category in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kasta | ||
| Guarani | hendápe | ||
Category in International Languages
| Esperanto | kategorio | ||
| The Esperanto word "kategorio" comes from the Ancient Greek word "kategoria" and also means "accusation". | |||
| Latin | genus | ||
| The Latin word "genus" can also refer to birth, descent, kind, race, or stock. | |||
Category in Others Languages
| Greek | κατηγορία | ||
| "Κατηγορία" also means "accusation" in Greek, a meaning that is not present in the English word "category." | |||
| Hmong | qeb | ||
| The word "qeb" in Hmong can also mean "kind" or "type". | |||
| Kurdish | liq | ||
| In some Kurdish dialects, liq can also refer to a type of poem or a group of people sharing a common identity. | |||
| Turkish | kategori | ||
| While 'kategori' (category) comes from French 'catégorie', 'katar' originates in Arabic and denotes 'row, level, layer'. | |||
| Xhosa | udidi | ||
| "Udi di" also means 000, i.e. nothing, and can be used to indicate something that does not exist or to indicate that something is impossible or not worth considering. | |||
| Yiddish | קאַטעגאָריע | ||
| Zulu | isigaba | ||
| The Zulu word "isigaba" shares a root with the word "isigaba sabakhwezeli", meaning "the category of the deceased". | |||
| Assamese | শ্ৰেণী | ||
| Aymara | kasta | ||
| Bhojpuri | श्रेणी | ||
| Dhivehi | ކެޓަގަރީ | ||
| Dogri | वर्ण | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kategorya | ||
| Guarani | hendápe | ||
| Ilocano | kategoria | ||
| Krio | kayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جۆر | ||
| Maithili | वर्ग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯡꯂꯨꯞ | ||
| Mizo | bithliahna | ||
| Oromo | ramaddii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବର୍ଗ | ||
| Quechua | ñiqichana | ||
| Sanskrit | कोटी | ||
| Tatar | категориясе | ||
| Tigrinya | ምደባ | ||
| Tsonga | xiyenge | ||