Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'cell' holds immense significance in various fields, from biology to technology. In biology, a cell is the basic unit of life, a building block that makes up all living organisms. In technology, a cell refers to a battery unit that powers mobile devices. This versatile word has cultural implications too, with 'cell' being used to describe a small room in a prison or a monastic residence. Moreover, the word 'cell' has been a part of pivotal historical moments, such as the development of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, who coined the term 'cell' to describe the basic unit of a telephone exchange. With such a wide range of uses and meanings, it's no wonder that someone might want to know the translation of 'cell' in different languages.
Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
Afrikaans | sel | ||
In Afrikaans, "sel" can also mean "prison cell" or "jail cell." | |||
Amharic | ሴል | ||
"ሴል" can also refer to a monastic cell or a honeycomb. | |||
Hausa | cell | ||
Hausa cell is used in biological, imprisonment, or religious contexts e.g., "kwayar jiki" (body cell), "kurkuku" (prison cell), "masallachi" (mosque cell). | |||
Igbo | cell | ||
Igbo word "cell" (sɛl) could also mean "hut". | |||
Malagasy | sela | ||
While “sela” means “cell” in Malagasy, it also refers to a room or a house. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | selo | ||
"Selo" in Nyanja can also refer to a cell phone sim card. | |||
Shona | sero | ||
"Sero" is also used to mean a bee hive. | |||
Somali | qolka | ||
In Somali, the word "qolka" can also refer to a room or compartment. | |||
Sesotho | sele | ||
Also refers to a cell battery and a cell phone | |||
Swahili | seli | ||
The Swahili word seli is also an alternative form of the word sili which means "metal ring" | |||
Xhosa | iseli | ||
"Iseli" is also used to refer to the stomach or a womb. | |||
Yoruba | sẹẹli | ||
The word "sẹẹli" (cell) in Yoruba also refers to the smallest unit of a living organism. | |||
Zulu | iseli | ||
The word "iseli" in Zulu, besides meaning "cell," also means "inner room" | |||
Bambara | selili | ||
Ewe | gaxɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | selire | ||
Lingala | selile | ||
Luganda | ekatoffaali | ||
Sepedi | sele | ||
Twi (Akan) | nnaduafie | ||
Arabic | زنزانة | ||
Originally, "زنزانة" in Arabic denoted a place of prayer isolated from everyday life. | |||
Hebrew | תָא | ||
תָא also means "chest" or "trunk" in Hebrew, like in the chest used for a burial. | |||
Pashto | حجره | ||
Pashto word "حجره" is derived from the Arabic word "حجرة", meaning "room", "chamber", or "small enclosure". | |||
Arabic | زنزانة | ||
Originally, "زنزانة" in Arabic denoted a place of prayer isolated from everyday life. |
Albanian | qelizë | ||
The word "qelizë" can also refer to a small room or a compartment, originating from the Greek word "κελί" (keli), meaning "small room". | |||
Basque | zelula | ||
The Basque word "zelula" derives from the Latin "cellula" but also denotes a "granary" or "storeroom". | |||
Catalan | cel·la | ||
From Latin cella 'small room, chamber, storeroom', ultimately from PIE *kel- 'cover, shelter'. | |||
Croatian | stanica | ||
The term "stanica" in Croatian can also refer to a train or bus stop, as well as to a prison cell, while in Polish and Ukrainian its primary meaning is "place", "location" or "camp" | |||
Danish | celle | ||
"Celle" also means "storeroom", "dungeon" and "Monastic room". | |||
Dutch | cel | ||
In Dutch, "cel" can also refer to a prison cell or a monk's cell. | |||
English | cell | ||
The word "cell" originally referred to a small room or compartment. | |||
French | cellule | ||
The word 'cellule' is derived from the Latin word 'cellula', which means 'small room'. | |||
Frisian | sel | ||
The Frisian word "sel" can also refer to a prison cell, a monastery cell, or a small room. | |||
Galician | cela | ||
German | zelle | ||
In German, "Zelle" can also refer to a prison cell or a monastery cell. | |||
Icelandic | klefi | ||
In Icelandic, "klefi" is a diminutive form of "klefi" (cell) and refers to a small room or compartment. | |||
Irish | cill | ||
The Irish word "cill" can also refer to a monastery or church, deriving from the Latin "cella" meaning "small room or chamber". | |||
Italian | cellula | ||
From the Latin word "cellula" meaning "small room" or "compartment"} | |||
Luxembourgish | zell | ||
In Luxembourgish "Zell" can also refer to the "jail". | |||
Maltese | ċellula | ||
"Ċellula" can also mean "monk's cell" or "prison cell" in Maltese | |||
Norwegian | celle | ||
In Norwegian, "celle" is related to words for "home" or "room" in other Germanic languages like "hall" in English. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | célula | ||
In Portuguese, the word "célula" also means "cell phone" or "prison cell". | |||
Scots Gaelic | cealla | ||
Cealla derives from Proto-Celtic *kelia, meaning both "cell" and "church". | |||
Spanish | célula | ||
"Célula" proviene del latín "cella", que significa "pequeña habitación" o "cavidad". | |||
Swedish | cell | ||
In Swedish, "cell" can also refer to a room in a monastery or prison. | |||
Welsh | cell | ||
The Welsh word "cell" originally meant "hiding place" or "retreat" and is related to the English word "cellar". |
Belarusian | клетка | ||
The Belarusian word "клетка" means "cage" in Russian. | |||
Bosnian | ćelija | ||
The word "ćelija" in Bosnian can also refer to a monk's cell or a prison cell. | |||
Bulgarian | клетка | ||
"Клетка" originally referred to a monk's small room and is related to the verb "клеть" (to confine)." | |||
Czech | buňka | ||
The Czech word "buňka" comes from the German word "Bunke", meaning "bin" or "compartment". | |||
Estonian | kamber | ||
The word "kamber" also means "chamber" or "room" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | solu | ||
The word "solu" is related to the word "solmu" (knot), indicating the interconnected nature of cells. | |||
Hungarian | sejt | ||
"Sejt" is derived from the Latin word "cella" (meaning "small room" or "compartment") | |||
Latvian | šūna | ||
The word “šūna” in Latvian originally referred to a barn or a small wooden house, and only began to mean “cell” in the 19th century. | |||
Lithuanian | ląstelė | ||
"ląstelė" also refers to a monastery cell, a bee cell, a prison cell, or a unit of a battery. | |||
Macedonian | ќелија | ||
The word 'ќелија' also means 'monastery cell' in Macedonian, derived from the Greek 'κελλίον'. | |||
Polish | komórka | ||
In Polish, "komórka" not only means "cell" but also a small apartment or a prison cell. | |||
Romanian | celulă | ||
In Romanian, the word "celulă" is derived from the Latin word "cella", meaning "small room" or "chamber". | |||
Russian | ячейка | ||
In Russian, "ячейка" can also refer to a prison cell or a storage unit in a honeycomb. | |||
Serbian | ћелија | ||
The Serbian word 'ћелија' can also mean 'monk's cell' or 'prison cell'. | |||
Slovak | bunka | ||
The word "bunka" in Slovak also refers to a small room or a unit of something, especially when it's part of a larger structure or group. | |||
Slovenian | celica | ||
Slovenian word "celica" also means "prison cell" and is a homophone of "celilo" (a small wound or sore). | |||
Ukrainian | клітинку | ||
"Клітинку" is of the same etymology with "клонити", referring to a place for leaning against. |
Bengali | কোষ | ||
"কোষ" (cell) comes from Sanskrit "koṣa" (a container) and is cognate with the Persian "kus" (palace). | |||
Gujarati | કોષ | ||
In Gujarati, "કોષ" (pronounced "kosh") also refers to a dictionary or glossary. | |||
Hindi | सेल | ||
The Hindi word "सेल" (cell) can also mean a jail or prison. | |||
Kannada | ಕೋಶ | ||
The word "ಕೋಶ" (kōśa) in Kannada, meaning "cell," originates from the Sanskrit word "कोश" (kōśa), meaning "sheath" or "covering," referring to the cell membrane. | |||
Malayalam | സെൽ | ||
The word "സെൽ" derives from the Latin word "cella" and also refers to a room, chamber, or enclosed space. | |||
Marathi | सेल | ||
The Marathi word "सेल" comes from the Sanskrit word "शेल" (śela), meaning "stone" or "rock". | |||
Nepali | सेल | ||
सेल can mean either a room or a battery in English. | |||
Punjabi | ਸੈੱਲ | ||
"ਸੈੱਲ" in Punjabi can also mean a room, a hall, a house, or a monastery. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කොටුව | ||
"කොටුව" (cell) comes from the Portuguese "cota," meaning "share" or "portion;" | |||
Tamil | செல் | ||
The Tamil word "செல்" (cell) also means "go" or "proceed". | |||
Telugu | సెల్ | ||
The word "సెల్" (cell) can also refer to a room in a monastery or prison. | |||
Urdu | سیل | ||
The word "سیل" can also mean "flood" or "torrent" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 细胞 | ||
“细胞”的本义是“僧房”,后才引申为“组织的最小单位”的含义。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 細胞 | ||
“细胞”一词源自拉丁语“cella”,意为“小房间”,指生物体内的基本结构和功能单位。 | |||
Japanese | 細胞 | ||
"細胞" is also written as "細胞質," which means cytoplasm, referring to the substance of the cytoplasm. | |||
Korean | 세포 | ||
The word 세포 originates from the Latin word cella ('small room') but also means an organizational unit within a structure or society. | |||
Mongolian | эс | ||
In Mongolian, the word "эс" (cell) also refers to a "clan" or "tribe" in a broader sense. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆဲလ် | ||
The word "ဆဲလ်" in Myanmar derives from the Pali word "kheḷa", meaning "room" or "chamber". |
Indonesian | sel | ||
The Indonesian word "sel" is derived from the Malay word "sal", which originally referred to a type of cage or pen. | |||
Javanese | sel | ||
In Javanese, the word "sel" can also refer to a temple or a place of worship. | |||
Khmer | កោសិកា | ||
In chemistry, **កោសិកា** refers to the unit cell of a crystalline structure. | |||
Lao | ຈຸລັງ | ||
The word "ຈຸລັງ" ("cell") in Lao can also refer to a "room" or a "compartment". | |||
Malay | sel | ||
In Malay, "sel" can also mean "prison" or "chamber," derived from the root word "selit," meaning "to squeeze" or "to enclose." | |||
Thai | เซลล์ | ||
The word 'เซลล์' can also refer to a solitary confinement chamber in a Thai prison. | |||
Vietnamese | ô | ||
The word "ô" originated from the French word "haut" and originally meant "up" | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | cell | ||
Azerbaijani | hüceyrə | ||
The word "hüceyrə" in Azerbaijani, like its English cognate "cell," can also refer to a monastic room or a small chamber. | |||
Kazakh | ұяшық | ||
"Ұяшық" also means "nest" and "cage" in Kazakh, reflecting the interconnectedness of life forms and the concept of containment. | |||
Kyrgyz | клетка | ||
Клетка (cell) has alternate meanings in Kyrgyz, such as the inner room of a yurt, a cage, or a hole in the ground. | |||
Tajik | ҳуҷайра | ||
Ҳуҷайра is an Arabic loanword meaning both "cell" and "room". | |||
Turkmen | öýjük | ||
Uzbek | hujayra | ||
The word "hujayra" comes from the Arabic word "ḥujayrah", meaning "small room" or "chamber". In Uzbek, "hujayra" can also refer to a prison cell or a room in a mosque. | |||
Uyghur | cell | ||
Hawaiian | pūnaewele | ||
The Hawaiian word "pūnaewele" can also refer to a honeycomb or a net. | |||
Maori | pūtau | ||
In New Zealand, the word pūtau is a Maori term for an underground storage cellar or pit, traditionally used to store crops. | |||
Samoan | sela | ||
“Sela” (cell) can also be used in Samoan to describe the chambers of a coconut, or the cells within a battery. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | selda | ||
The word "selda" is derived from the Spanish word "celda", which in turn comes from the Latin word "cella", meaning "small room" or "chamber." |
Aymara | silula | ||
Guarani | koty'i | ||
Esperanto | ĉelo | ||
The word "ĉelo" comes from the French word "cellule" and can also mean "room" or "compartment" in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | cellulam | ||
Cellulam can also refer to a small room or a monk's cell in Latin. |
Greek | κύτταρο | ||
The Greek word "κύτταρο" also refers to a honeycomb, a small hollow space, or a hollow vessel. | |||
Hmong | ntawm tes | ||
'Ntawv tes' is a compound word, meaning 'square' and 'box' in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | koşik | ||
Koşik is also used to denote a prison cell or a small room. | |||
Turkish | hücre | ||
Hücre comes from Arabic "hujra" (room), also meaning "prison", "mosque", "tomb". | |||
Xhosa | iseli | ||
"Iseli" is also used to refer to the stomach or a womb. | |||
Yiddish | צעל | ||
The Yiddish word "צעל" (pronounced "tsel") can also mean "pain" or "sorrow" in the language's Biblical and medieval contexts. | |||
Zulu | iseli | ||
The word "iseli" in Zulu, besides meaning "cell," also means "inner room" | |||
Assamese | কোষ | ||
Aymara | silula | ||
Bhojpuri | कक्ष | ||
Dhivehi | ސެލް | ||
Dogri | कोठरी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | cell | ||
Guarani | koty'i | ||
Ilocano | sellula | ||
Krio | sɛl | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | خانە | ||
Maithili | कक्ष | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯈꯜ | ||
Mizo | pindan | ||
Oromo | seelii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କକ୍ଷ | ||
Quechua | pukullu | ||
Sanskrit | कोशिका | ||
Tatar | күзәнәк | ||
Tigrinya | ዋህዮ | ||
Tsonga | sele | ||
Rate this app!
Type in any word and see it translated into 104 languages. Where possible, you'll also get to hear its pronunciation in languages your browser supports. Our goal? To make exploring languages straightforward and enjoyable.
Turn words into a kaleidoscope of languages in a few simple steps
Just type the word you're curious about into our search box.
Let our auto-complete nudge you in the right direction to quickly find your word.
With a click, see translations in 104 languages and hear pronunciations where your browser supports audio.
Need the translations for later? Download all the translations in a neat JSON file for your project or study.
Utilize our Free Word Finder to ease your search for the perfect word. It's an excellent tool for anyone looking to quickly elevate their word game expertise without any cost.
Improve clarity and impact in your communication by leveraging this writing aid tool. It’s invaluable for anyone serious about writing.
Embrace multilingual skills by accessing multilingual pronunciation guides on this easy-to-use platform.
Type in your word and get translations in a flash. Where available, click to hear how it's pronounced in different languages, right from your browser.
Our smart auto-complete helps you quickly find your word, making your journey to translation smooth and hassle-free.
We've got you covered with automatic translations and audio in supported languages for every word, no need to pick and choose.
Looking to work offline or integrate translations into your project? Download them in a handy JSON format.
Jump into the language pool without worrying about costs. Our platform is open to all language lovers and curious minds.
It's simple! Type in a word, and instantly see its translations. If your browser supports it, you'll also see a play button to hear pronunciations in various languages.
Absolutely! You can download a JSON file with all the translations for any word, perfect for when you're offline or working on a project.
We're constantly growing our list of 3000 words. If you don't see yours, it might not be there yet, but we're always adding more!
Not at all! We're passionate about making language learning accessible to everyone, so our site is completely free to use.