Central in Different Languages
Discover 'Central' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'central' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that is at the center or of great importance. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, from architecture and design to geography and urban planning. Understanding the concept of 'central' is crucial as it helps us grasp the idea of focus, priority, and interconnectivity.
Moreover, the translation of 'central' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how diverse cultures perceive and prioritize concepts. For instance, in Spanish, 'central' translates to 'central', in French it is 'central', while in German, it is 'zentral'. These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also offer a glimpse into the unique linguistic nuances of various languages.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or someone interested in expanding your linguistic repertoire, understanding the translation of 'central' in different languages can be a rewarding journey. Let's explore these translations and more!
Central
Central in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sentraal | ||
| The word "sentraal" in Afrikaans, like its cognate "central" in English, can also mean "main" or "principal". | |||
| Amharic | ማዕከላዊ | ||
| The word "ማዕከላዊ" can also refer to a central place or location. | |||
| Hausa | tsakiya | ||
| The word "tsakiya" also refers to the middle part of a body like the chest, waist, or head | |||
| Igbo | etiti | ||
| 'Eti' also means 'heart', referring to the heart of a matter. | |||
| Malagasy | foibe | ||
| The word "foibe" in Malagasy means "central", but can also refer to the central highlands of the country known as the "Central Plateau". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chapakati | ||
| The word "chapakati" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to a place where people gossip or gather. | |||
| Shona | pakati | ||
| "Pakati" in Shona also means "the main part" or "the heart of the matter." | |||
| Somali | dhexe | ||
| The word "dhexe" also means "middle". | |||
| Sesotho | bohareng | ||
| The word "bohareng" in Sesotho originates from the verb "ho boha" meaning "to give" or "to donate". | |||
| Swahili | katikati | ||
| The word “katikati” in Swahili also means "in the middle" or "among". | |||
| Xhosa | embindini | ||
| The word 'embindini' also has the alternate meaning of 'middle' or 'in the middle'. | |||
| Yoruba | aarin | ||
| Aarin can mean 'middle' in context. | |||
| Zulu | maphakathi | ||
| The word "maphakathi" can also refer to a gathering place or a center. | |||
| Bambara | cɛmancɛ la | ||
| Ewe | titina | ||
| Kinyarwanda | hagati | ||
| Lingala | na katikati | ||
| Luganda | wakati | ||
| Sepedi | bogareng bja | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mfinimfini | ||
Central in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وسط | ||
| The word "وسط" can also refer to the waist or middle of the body, an intermediary, a middleman, a moderator, a broker or go-between, or the middle of anything. | |||
| Hebrew | מֶרכָּזִי | ||
| מֶרכָּזִי may also mean 'focal', 'leading', or 'chief', and its root can also mean 'to gather' or 'to focus'. | |||
| Pashto | مرکزي | ||
| The word "مرکزي" (markazi) is derived from the Arabic word "مركز" (markaz), which means "center" or "headquarters." | |||
| Arabic | وسط | ||
| The word "وسط" can also refer to the waist or middle of the body, an intermediary, a middleman, a moderator, a broker or go-between, or the middle of anything. | |||
Central in Western European Languages
| Albanian | qendrore | ||
| The Albanian word "qendrore" (central) originally referred to the midpoint of a bowstring, and is related to the Latin "centrum" (center). | |||
| Basque | zentrala | ||
| The Basque word "zentrala" can also refer to a hydro-electric power plant. | |||
| Catalan | central | ||
| The Catalan word "central" comes from the Latin "centralis", meaning "of the center". | |||
| Croatian | središnji | ||
| The Croatian word 'središnji' originally meant 'in the middle', which later shifted to 'central'. | |||
| Danish | central | ||
| The Danish word "central" has the same meaning as the English word, and can also refer to a central point or a center of activity. | |||
| Dutch | centraal | ||
| The word "centraal" in Dutch can also refer to a central government or authority. | |||
| English | central | ||
| The word "central" originates from the Latin word "centrum," meaning "center" or "middle," and is related to the Greek word "kentron," meaning "point." | |||
| French | central | ||
| In French, the word "central" can also refer to a telephone exchange or a headquarters. | |||
| Frisian | sintraal | ||
| The word "sintraal" also means "midst" or "middle" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | central | ||
| “Central” also means “telephone exchange” in Galician. | |||
| German | zentral | ||
| In German, the word "zental" can mean either "central" or "ten thousand". | |||
| Icelandic | miðsvæðis | ||
| The word is a compound of "mið" and "svæði", which means "area", so "miðsvæðis" literally means "middle-area" or "central area". | |||
| Irish | lárnach | ||
| The word "lárnach" in Irish is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *larno-. | |||
| Italian | centrale | ||
| "Centrale" in Italian retains its Latin root and can refer to a place (like "power station"), an institution (like "a bank's HQ"), or someone or something holding a central position (like the "main artery"). | |||
| Luxembourgish | zentral | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "zentral" is derived from the French word "central" and can also refer to a place where public services are concentrated. | |||
| Maltese | ċentrali | ||
| Maltese word ċentrali can mean either 'central' or 'nerve center' depending on the context. | |||
| Norwegian | sentral | ||
| The word "sentral" in Norwegian originally meant "seat" or "throne". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | central | ||
| "Central" can also mean "telephone exchange" or "telephone operator" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | meadhan | ||
| The word “meadhan” also connotes a physical middle, a centre point between two others and a point of balance and equilibrium. | |||
| Spanish | central | ||
| The word "central" in Spanish can also mean "main" or "principal." | |||
| Swedish | central | ||
| The Swedish word "central" derives from the Latin word "centrum" which means "center" or "middle". The term "central" implies something at the center or core of a system, organization, geographic location, or concept and can refer to a headquarters, a main office, or a hub. | |||
| Welsh | canolog | ||
| Canalog derives from the Welsh words "can" (middle) and "awl" (all) | |||
Central in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цэнтральны | ||
| The word "цэнтральны" in Belarusian can also mean "main" or "most important". | |||
| Bosnian | centralno | ||
| The word "centralno" can also refer to the central part of a region or country. | |||
| Bulgarian | централен | ||
| The word "централен" can also mean "principal" or "main" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | centrální | ||
| The word "centrální" in Czech is an adjective meaning "central" and can also be used metaphorically to refer to something that is at the center of something else. | |||
| Estonian | keskne | ||
| "Keskne" is related to "keskmine" and "keskkond", and derives from the Proto-Finnic word *keks- | |||
| Finnish | keskeinen | ||
| Keskeinen derives from the word "keski", which means "middle" or "center". | |||
| Hungarian | központi | ||
| The word also means “public”, which may be related to the original meaning of “central” in Hungarian: “pertaining to or shared by all.” | |||
| Latvian | centrālā | ||
| The word "centrālā" can also refer to a telephone exchange or a power plant. | |||
| Lithuanian | centrinis | ||
| The word “centrinis” originates from the word “centras” (centre), but can also mean "medium", "neutral" or "moderate." | |||
| Macedonian | централно | ||
| Централно може да значи и "главно" како у административном, тако и у значењу најбитније.} | |||
| Polish | centralny | ||
| In Polish, the word "centralny" also has the meaning of "middle", as in "the middle finger" (palec centralny). | |||
| Romanian | central | ||
| In Romanian, "central" can also refer to a central power plant or the center of a city or administrative division. | |||
| Russian | центральный | ||
| The word "центральный" ("central") in Russian can also refer to the main office of an organization or institution. | |||
| Serbian | централни | ||
| The word "централни" can also mean "main" or "principal" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | centrálny | ||
| Besides 'central', centrálny can also mean 'centrifugal' or 'centralizing' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | osrednji | ||
| The word "osrednji" comes from the Latin word "centralis", which means "relating to the center". | |||
| Ukrainian | центральний | ||
| The word "центральний" can also mean "main" or "principal" in Ukrainian | |||
Central in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কেন্দ্রীয় | ||
| The Bengali word "কেন্দ্রীয়" derives from the Sanskrit word "केन्द्रिय" (kendra), which means "organ of sense" or "center of attention." | |||
| Gujarati | કેન્દ્રીય | ||
| The word "કેન્દ્રીય" (central) in Gujarati can also mean "related to the center or hub of something". | |||
| Hindi | केंद्रीय | ||
| In Sanskrit, "केंद्रीय" is derived from the root "कंद", meaning "to glow" or "to shine, indicating the radiance or importance of something central. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೇಂದ್ರ | ||
| ಕೇಂದ್ರ can also mean center, core, and focus in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കേന്ദ്ര | ||
| The word "കേന്ദ്ര" (kēndra) in Malayalam, meaning "central," is also used in astrology to refer to the 12 houses of the zodiac, each of which represents a different aspect of life. | |||
| Marathi | मध्यवर्ती | ||
| The word "मध्यवर्ती" can also refer to an intermediary or middleman. | |||
| Nepali | केन्द्रीय | ||
| The word "केन्द्रीय" is derived from the Sanskrit word "केन्द्र" meaning "center" or "core". It can also mean "main", "chief", or "principal". | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੇਂਦਰੀ | ||
| ਕੇਂਦਰੀ (kendrī) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kendra', meaning a 'place' or 'region'. It can also refer to a 'pivot' or 'turning-point'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මධ්යම | ||
| The Sinhala word "මධ්යම" (madhyama) derives from Sanskrit "मध्यम" (madhyama), meaning "middle, central" and is cognate with English "medium". | |||
| Tamil | மைய | ||
| In Tamil, the word மைய "central" also refers to an inked center dot used for drawing. | |||
| Telugu | కేంద్ర | ||
| కేంద్ర can also mean principal, cardinal, central figure, or essential. | |||
| Urdu | مرکزی | ||
| The word "مرکزی" (markazī) in Urdu also means "the center of a circle", "the middle point", and "the main point or focus of something". | |||
Central in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 中央 | ||
| The Chinese character "中央" can also refer to "the government" or "the highest authority". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 中央 | ||
| In addition to 'central', "中央" is also an antiquated Chinese architectural term referring to the 'main building' or 'central chamber'. | |||
| Japanese | 中央 | ||
| 中央 (chūō) can also mean "capital city" and is often used to refer to Tokyo, the de facto capital of Japan. | |||
| Korean | 본부 | ||
| The word "본부" can also mean "headquarters" or "main office". | |||
| Mongolian | төв | ||
| The word "төв" can also mean "middle" or "centre" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဗဟို | ||
| "ဗဟို" can also mean the heart or centre of something. | |||
Central in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pusat | ||
| The Indonesian word 'pusat' also has a different meaning, which is navel. | |||
| Javanese | tengah | ||
| The Javanese word "tengah" also means "middle" or "half". | |||
| Khmer | កណ្តាល | ||
| Lao | ໃຈກາງ | ||
| The word "ໃຈກາງ" (central) in Lao is also used to refer to the core or heart of something. | |||
| Malay | tengah | ||
| The word "tengah" in Malay is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *taŋah, meaning "middle" or "centre". | |||
| Thai | ศูนย์กลาง | ||
| ศูนย์กลาง (soonyaklang): the middle or core of something, a point of focus, a meeting point | |||
| Vietnamese | trung tâm | ||
| "Trung tâm" (central) is also a word of Sino-Vietnamese origin, derived from the Chinese word "中心" (zhongxin). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sentral | ||
Central in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mərkəzi | ||
| The word "mərkəzi" is derived from the Persian word "markaz", which means "center". | |||
| Kazakh | орталық | ||
| 'Орталық' is not only a Kazakh word meaning 'central', but also refers to a district within a city. | |||
| Kyrgyz | борбордук | ||
| The word "борбордук" is also used to refer to an organization that acts as a center or hub. | |||
| Tajik | марказӣ | ||
| The word "марказӣ" is derived from the Arabic word "مركز" meaning "center" or "main point". | |||
| Turkmen | merkezi | ||
| Uzbek | markaziy | ||
| The word "markaziy" shares its root with the Persian word "markaz" meaning "center" or "nucleus", and can also refer to a "central point" or "main place" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | central | ||
Central in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | waena | ||
| The Hawaiian word "waena" also means "between" or "among". | |||
| Maori | pokapū | ||
| Pokapū refers to both the literal center and the abstract core of something in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | ogatotonu | ||
| The word "ogatotonu" can also refer to the middle of a group of people or objects. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sentral | ||
| In Tagalog, "sentral" also means "essence" or "core" and is often used in the context of defining a person's character or a concept's fundamental nature. | |||
Central in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chika taypinkiwa | ||
| Guarani | central rehegua | ||
Central in International Languages
| Esperanto | centra | ||
| The Esperanto word "centra" derives from the Latin word "centrum," which means "center," and also has the connotation of "the most important point." | |||
| Latin | centralis | ||
| The term "centralis" ultimately descends from "centrum," which not only means the middle, but also the vital part of any being. | |||
Central in Others Languages
| Greek | κεντρικός | ||
| The word "κεντρικός" comes from the Greek word "κέντρον," meaning "center". | |||
| Hmong | nruab nrab | ||
| The Hmong word "nruab nrab" also refers to someone in a central position in the family, such as an older sibling. | |||
| Kurdish | navî | ||
| The Kurdish word "navî" also carries connotations of centrality, prominence, or core. | |||
| Turkish | merkezi | ||
| The word "merkezi" is derived from the Arabic word "markaz" and can also refer to a headquarters or hub. | |||
| Xhosa | embindini | ||
| The word 'embindini' also has the alternate meaning of 'middle' or 'in the middle'. | |||
| Yiddish | צענטראלע | ||
| The Yiddish word צענטראלע ('tsentrale') also means 'telephone exchange' in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | maphakathi | ||
| The word "maphakathi" can also refer to a gathering place or a center. | |||
| Assamese | কেন্দ্ৰীয় | ||
| Aymara | chika taypinkiwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | केंद्रीय बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ސެންޓްރަލް | ||
| Dogri | केंद्रीय | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sentral | ||
| Guarani | central rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | sentral | ||
| Krio | sentral | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناوەندی | ||
| Maithili | केन्द्रीय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯟꯠꯔꯦꯂꯒꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ ꯑꯦꯝ | ||
| Mizo | central-ah a awm | ||
| Oromo | giddu galeessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କେନ୍ଦ୍ରୀୟ | | ||
| Quechua | chawpi | ||
| Sanskrit | केन्द्रीय | ||
| Tatar | үзәк | ||
| Tigrinya | ማእከላይ | ||
| Tsonga | exikarhi ka | ||