Chair in Different Languages
Discover 'Chair' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Chairs are an essential part of our daily lives, often serving as a symbol of comfort, rest, and even power. From ancient thrones to modern office chairs, this simple piece of furniture has a rich cultural significance that spans continents and centuries. In many languages, the word for 'chair' reflects its importance as a functional and symbolic object.
For instance, in Spanish, the word for chair is 'silla,' which comes from the Latin 'sedile,' meaning 'seat.' In German, it's 'Stuhl,' derived from the Old High German 'stuol,' meaning 'place to stand.' In Japanese, the word is 'いす' (isu), which was borrowed from the Dutch 'stoel' during the Meiji period. These translations not only provide insight into the linguistic history of different cultures but also highlight the global ubiquity of the chair as a concept.
Below, you'll find a list of translations for the word 'chair' in various languages. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural scholar, or simply curious, this list is sure to provide some fascinating insights.
Chair
Chair in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stoel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "stoel" shares the same Germanic roots as the English words "stool" and "stall." | |||
| Amharic | ወንበር | ||
| In Ethiopian literature, the term ወንበር has also referred to other concepts like the seat of judgment and ecclesiastical office or rank of the church father. | |||
| Hausa | kujera | ||
| The Hausa word "kujera" also refers to a type of seat made from clay and covered with leather. | |||
| Igbo | oche | ||
| The word "oche" in Igbo also denotes a throne or a chair of authority. | |||
| Malagasy | seza | ||
| Seza also means 'to sit down' in Malagasy, reflecting the close association between the object and its function. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mpando | ||
| Mpando can also mean a stool that has a woven seat (sitanda) attached to three legs (miyendo). | |||
| Shona | chair | ||
| The word 'chair' in Shona can also refer to a 'throne' or a 'seat of authority' | |||
| Somali | kursi | ||
| The Somali word 'kursi' can also refer to a stool, bench, or throne. | |||
| Sesotho | setulo | ||
| The word 'setulo' is derived from the Zulu word 'isitulo' meaning 'small seat or stool' and is used in Sesotho to refer to an ordinary chair. | |||
| Swahili | mwenyekiti | ||
| The word "mwenyekiti" can also refer to a leader or chairperson, especially in a meeting or organization. | |||
| Xhosa | sihlalo | ||
| The word "sihlalo" is derived from the verb "hlala", meaning to sit, and can also refer to a seat or bench. | |||
| Yoruba | ijoko | ||
| The word "ijoko" in Yoruba can also refer to a meeting or gathering, or to the seat of a person of authority. | |||
| Zulu | isihlalo | ||
| The word 'isihlalo' shares its root with 'hlala' meaning 'to sit', and can also refer to a 'seat' or 'throne'. | |||
| Bambara | sɛsi | ||
| Ewe | zikpui | ||
| Kinyarwanda | intebe | ||
| Lingala | kiti | ||
| Luganda | entebe | ||
| Sepedi | setulo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akonnwa | ||
Chair in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كرسي | ||
| "كرسي" is also used to refer to an electric chair or a dentist's chair in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | כִּסֵא | ||
| כִּסֵא literally means throne, referring to the seat of honor of a king. | |||
| Pashto | چوکۍ | ||
| The word "چوکۍ" can also refer to a low wooden stool or a small table. | |||
| Arabic | كرسي | ||
| "كرسي" is also used to refer to an electric chair or a dentist's chair in Arabic. | |||
Chair in Western European Languages
| Albanian | karrige | ||
| The word "karrige" likely derives from the Greek word "καρέκλα" (karéḵla), meaning "small head, skull." | |||
| Basque | aulkia | ||
| The word "aulkia" (chair) derives from the Basque word "aulki" (throne) | |||
| Catalan | cadira | ||
| In Catalan, the word 'cadira' also refers to a type of sedan chair or a bishop's throne. | |||
| Croatian | stolica | ||
| In Serbian, "stolica" still sometimes refers to a small table. | |||
| Danish | stol | ||
| The Danish word "stol" is derived from the Old Norse word "stóll", which also means "throne" or "place of honor". | |||
| Dutch | stoel | ||
| The Dutch word "stoel" originally meant "throne" or "seat of authority," but its meaning has since expanded to include any type of chair. | |||
| English | chair | ||
| Derived from Latin 'cathedra', the word chair has also been used to refer to a sedan chair and a lecturer's position. | |||
| French | chaise | ||
| In Old French, "chaise" could refer to a cart, wagon, or sedan chair, while in modern French it specifically designates a chair. | |||
| Frisian | stoel | ||
| The Frisian word stoel is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic word *stōlaz, which could also mean 'bench' or 'throne'. | |||
| Galician | cadeira | ||
| Galician "cadeira" comes from the French "chaise" via Catalan and can also refer to a sedan chair. | |||
| German | stuhl | ||
| The word 'Stuhl' also means 'stool' in German. | |||
| Icelandic | stól | ||
| In Icelandic, "stól" originally and more commonly referred to a stool, with a backrest being referred to as a "stólsbaki" or "stóll". | |||
| Irish | cathaoir | ||
| The word 'cathaoir' has an extended meaning of 'throne' and etymologically derives from the Proto-Celtic word 'cathedra', which also meant 'chair'. | |||
| Italian | sedia | ||
| The Italian word "sedia" comes from the Latin word "sedes", meaning seat. | |||
| Luxembourgish | stull | ||
| The word "Stull" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a pedestal, a wooden frame, or a scaffolding | |||
| Maltese | siġġu | ||
| The word "siġġu" likely derives from the Arabic "kursi," and in Maltese can also mean "throne" or "seat of honor." | |||
| Norwegian | stol | ||
| The word "stol" is derived from Old Norse, where it originally referred to "seat" and only later took on the specific meaning of a chair. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cadeira | ||
| The word 'cadeira' in Portuguese derives from the Latin 'cathedra', meaning 'seat of authority', and in Brazil can also refer to a type of prison cell. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cathair | ||
| Cathair, in addition to meaning "chair" in Scots Gaelic, can also mean "a fort" in Irish Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | silla | ||
| The Spanish word "silla" (chair) can refer to a horse's saddle or a bishop's seat in a cathedral, deriving from the Latin word "sella" (saddle). | |||
| Swedish | stol | ||
| "Stol" can also refer to a ceremonial seat or place of authority. | |||
| Welsh | cadair | ||
| Cadair is also used in Welsh to refer to a summit or a throne. | |||
Chair in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крэсла | ||
| The word "крэсла" can also refer to a particular type of traditional Belarusian chair with a high back and armrests. | |||
| Bosnian | stolica | ||
| "Stolica" can also mean capital city, from Czech, and can refer to an ottoman or an animal footprint. | |||
| Bulgarian | председател | ||
| Председател (English: chairperson) can refer to the president of a country or the presiding officer of a legislative body in Bulgaria. | |||
| Czech | židle | ||
| "Židle" is a derivative of the Old Czech word "sedlo" (saddle), reflecting the fact that chairs were originally seen as "saddles for sitting at a table." | |||
| Estonian | tool | ||
| The Estonian word "tool" is derived from the Old Norse word "stóll", which also means "chair" or "seat". | |||
| Finnish | tuoli | ||
| The word "tuoli" comes from a Proto-Finnic word *tuolē- ('bench, throne'). It is found in Karelian tuoli 'seat' and Veps tüol 'bench' | |||
| Hungarian | szék | ||
| The Hungarian word "szék" can also mean "seat", "stool" or "bench" depending on the context and suffixes used. | |||
| Latvian | krēsls | ||
| The word "krēsls" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kres- meaning "to sit" or "to grow", and is related to the Latin word "crescere" ("to grow"). | |||
| Lithuanian | kėdė | ||
| The word "kėdė" in Lithuanian has Germanic roots and is related to the Old Saxon word "katha", meaning "basket" or "container". | |||
| Macedonian | стол | ||
| The word 'стол' (Macedonian for 'chair') also refers to a table. | |||
| Polish | krzesło | ||
| The Polish word "krzesło" may be derived from the Old Slavic word "křeslo" meaning "throne". | |||
| Romanian | scaun | ||
| The word "scaun" in Romanian is cognated with "Stuhl" (German) and "stoel" (Dutch), all ultimately deriving from a Proto-Germanic source referring to "a raised seat or platform." | |||
| Russian | стул | ||
| In Russian, the word “стул” can also refer to the stool produced as human bodily waste during defecation. | |||
| Serbian | столица | ||
| Столица additionally means 'capital' in Russian and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovak | stoličku | ||
| The word "stoličku" also means "stool" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | stol | ||
| The Slovenian word "stol" is a cognate of the German "Stuhl" and the English "stool". | |||
| Ukrainian | стілець | ||
| "стілець" can also mean "manure" or "throne" in Ukrainian | |||
Chair in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চেয়ার | ||
| The word "চেয়ার" in Bengali originates from the Prakrit word "chaira", meaning "a seat on which a person sits". | |||
| Gujarati | ખુરશી | ||
| The Gujarati word for "chair", "khursi", originates from Persian and has alternate meanings in different languages, such as a "seat" in Hindi and a "throne" in Punjabi. | |||
| Hindi | कुरसी | ||
| The word "कुरसी" in Hindi is derived from the Persian word "kursi", which originally referred to a footstool or low table. | |||
| Kannada | ಕುರ್ಚಿ | ||
| The word "ಕುರ್ಚಿ" (chair) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुर्चा" (kurcha), which means "seat" or "sitting place". | |||
| Malayalam | കസേര | ||
| The word "kasera" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kaṭasana", meaning "sitting on the ground". | |||
| Marathi | खुर्ची | ||
| The word "खुर्ची" in Marathi is derived from the Persian word "kursi", ultimately originating from the Latin word "cathedra" (meaning "seat") through the Greek word "καθέδρα" (kathedra). | |||
| Nepali | कुर्सी | ||
| "कुर्सी" is also an archaic synonym for "pillow" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੁਰਸੀ | ||
| "ਕੁਰਸੀ" is a Persian word which originally meant 'throne' or 'seat of honor'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පුටුව | ||
| The word 'පුටුව' is also used to refer to 'a seat or cushion'. | |||
| Tamil | நாற்காலி | ||
| The word "நாற்காலி" (nārkkāli) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word "चतुरश्र" (caturśra), meaning "four-cornered". It can also refer to a palanquin or a platform for carrying idols or other sacred objects. | |||
| Telugu | కుర్చీ | ||
| The word "కుర్చీ" in Telugu derives from the Sanskrit word "कुर्च्या" meaning "stool" or "low seat" and also shares its root with the word "κούριος" in Ancient Greek meaning "lord" or "master of the house", implying its importance and status as a seating arrangement for people of authority. | |||
| Urdu | کرسی | ||
| The word "کرسی" in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "كرسي" (kursi) meaning "throne". | |||
Chair in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 椅子 | ||
| 椅子, meaning "chair," also refers to a position, status, or seat in an organization or meeting. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 椅子 | ||
| 椅子 derived from 佇立 (zhùlì, to stand), which refers to the act of supporting the body with one's legs. | |||
| Japanese | 椅子 | ||
| The word "椅子" can also mean "throne" or "seat of honor" in a more formal context. | |||
| Korean | 의자 | ||
| The word 의자 (chair) is derived from the verb 앉다 (to sit) and originally referred to any place where one could sit. | |||
| Mongolian | сандал | ||
| The word "сандал" also refers to the wooden frame in a Mongolian yurt supporting its felt covering | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကုလားထိုင် | ||
| The word "ကုလားထိုင်" (chair) is derived from the Sanskrit word "kulaputra" meaning "son of a noble family". It initially referred to a type of seat reserved for high-ranking officials in the royal court. | |||
Chair in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kursi | ||
| Kursi is derived from the Sanskrit word "kuṭṭī," meaning "house" or "hut," and it originally referred to a small, low seat used for sitting on the floor. | |||
| Javanese | kursi | ||
| A Javanese word for 'chair', 'kursi' derives from Sanskrit 'kuricca' meaning 'footstool' | |||
| Khmer | កៅអី | ||
| The word "កៅអី" can also refer to a type of Khmer traditional hat. | |||
| Lao | ເກົ້າອີ້ | ||
| The word 'ເກົ້າອີ້' is cognate with the Thai word 'เก้าอี้' and the Khmer word 'កៅអី', all ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word 'कुरुक' | |||
| Malay | kerusi | ||
| The word "kerusi" in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word "kursi" and also refers to a podium or throne. | |||
| Thai | เก้าอี้ | ||
| Thai's "เก้าอี้" is etymologically related to Chinese "靠椅" meaning "leaning seat" and hence also refers to a type of sofa. | |||
| Vietnamese | cái ghế | ||
| Cái ghế is a loanword from the French word "chaise", meaning both "chair" and "carriage". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | upuan | ||
Chair in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kafedra | ||
| The word "kafedra" in Azerbaijani originates from the Arabic word "qafada", meaning "a footstool or a table". | |||
| Kazakh | орындық | ||
| The Kazakh word "орындық" originally meant "place" or "seat" and is cognate with the Mongolian word "орны" and the Turkic word "yer." | |||
| Kyrgyz | отургуч | ||
| The word отургуч (chair) in Kyrgyz also means 'stable' or 'lasting'. | |||
| Tajik | кафедра | ||
| In Tajikistan, "кафедра" can also refer to an academic department within a university. | |||
| Turkmen | oturgyç | ||
| Uzbek | kafedra | ||
| "kafedra" is also used to refer to a department within a university. | |||
| Uyghur | ئورۇندۇق | ||
Chair in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | noho | ||
| Noho (chair) originates from 'noho,' which means to live, dwell or sit down. | |||
| Maori | tuuru | ||
| In Southern dialects of Maori, "tuuru" can also mean "kneeling" or "on hands and knees." | |||
| Samoan | nofoa | ||
| The term originates from the word ''nofo'' meaning to sit and a suffix -''a'' signifying an instrument/object used as an object to sit on as a chair | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | upuan | ||
| "Upuan" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *supan, which referred to a platform to sit on. | |||
Chair in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qunuña | ||
| Guarani | apyka | ||
Chair in International Languages
| Esperanto | seĝo | ||
| The Esperanto word 'seĝo' ultimately derives from the Latin word 'sedes', meaning 'seat'. | |||
| Latin | sella | ||
| From Proto-Indo-European *sed-, related to Sanskrit sed- "to sit" and Greek hedros "well-seated". | |||
Chair in Others Languages
| Greek | καρέκλα | ||
| The word καρέκλα, meaning "chair" in Greek, also refers to the square-shaped head position in ballet. | |||
| Hmong | lub rooj zaum | ||
| The word "lub rooj zaum" can also refer to "stools," "beds," and "tables". | |||
| Kurdish | kûrsî | ||
| The word also denotes the 'throne' of God or other spiritual or religious figures. | |||
| Turkish | sandalye | ||
| "Sandal" means "plank, board" in Turkish, hence "sandalye" means "chair with a flat seat". | |||
| Xhosa | sihlalo | ||
| The word "sihlalo" is derived from the verb "hlala", meaning to sit, and can also refer to a seat or bench. | |||
| Yiddish | שטול | ||
| In Yiddish, 'שטול' can also refer to a stool or a bench, while in Modern Hebrew it specifically denotes a chair with armrests. | |||
| Zulu | isihlalo | ||
| The word 'isihlalo' shares its root with 'hlala' meaning 'to sit', and can also refer to a 'seat' or 'throne'. | |||
| Assamese | চকী | ||
| Aymara | qunuña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कुर्सी | ||
| Dhivehi | ގޮނޑި | ||
| Dogri | कुर्सी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | upuan | ||
| Guarani | apyka | ||
| Ilocano | tugaw | ||
| Krio | chia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کورسی | ||
| Maithili | कुर्सी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯧꯀ꯭ꯔꯤ | ||
| Mizo | thutthleng | ||
| Oromo | barcuma | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚେୟାର | ||
| Quechua | tiyana | ||
| Sanskrit | आसन्द | ||
| Tatar | урындык | ||
| Tigrinya | ወንበር | ||
| Tsonga | xitulu | ||