Change in Different Languages
Discover 'Change' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Change is a powerful and universal concept, one that has inspired countless philosophical debates, cultural shifts, and personal transformations. It signifies the movement from one state to another, the transition that occurs when something is altered or transformed. This idea is so fundamental to our existence that it has been explored in depth across various cultures and languages.
Throughout history, change has been both feared and embraced, often symbolizing the unknown or the possibility of something new. It's a concept that has been woven into the fabric of our societies, from the seasons that mark the passage of time to the technological advancements that have reshaped our world.
Understanding the translation of 'change' in different languages can offer unique insights into how different cultures view and approach this fundamental concept. For example, in Spanish, 'change' is 'cambio', while in French, it's 'changement'. In Mandarin, it's '变化' (biànhuà), and in Japanese, it's '変化' (henka).
Change
Change in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verander | ||
| The Afrikaans verb "verander" is cognate to the English verb "alter" and can also mean to "spoil" or to "exchange" | |||
| Amharic | ለውጥ | ||
| The word "change" in Amharic ("ለውጥ") also means "difference" and "exchange". | |||
| Hausa | canza | ||
| In Hausa, 'canza' is a noun meaning 'change', a verb meaning "to change or exchange something" or to have a "different appearance." | |||
| Igbo | mgbanwe | ||
| "Mgbanwe" in Igbo also refers to "alternation" or "succession" in the context of leadership or governance. | |||
| Malagasy | fiovana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fiovana" also means "something new". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sintha | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "sintha" also means "to alter, modify, or transform something." | |||
| Shona | chinja | ||
| In the Shona language, "chinja" not only means "change," but also "barter" or "exchange." | |||
| Somali | beddel | ||
| The word "beddel" can also refer to an "exchange" or "replacement" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | fetoha | ||
| The word "fetoha" in Sesotho can also refer to a transformation or metamorphosis. | |||
| Swahili | badilika | ||
| Badilika's cognates include 'badili' (exchange), which can mean 'barter' or 'trade' depending on context. | |||
| Xhosa | tshintsha | ||
| "Tshintsha" in Xhosa also has connotations of transformation and renewal. | |||
| Yoruba | ayipada | ||
| The word ayipada literally translates to "exchange hands," suggesting a transfer of possession or control. | |||
| Zulu | shintsha | ||
| The Zulu word 'shintsha' also means 'to alter, modify, or transform' and 'to exchange, swap, or barter'. | |||
| Bambara | ka yɛlɛma | ||
| Ewe | trɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impinduka | ||
| Lingala | kobongola | ||
| Luganda | okukyuusa | ||
| Sepedi | phetogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sesa | ||
Change in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يتغيرون | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "change" "يتغيرون" can refer to transforming oneself in order to fit better within society. | |||
| Hebrew | שינוי | ||
| The Hebrew word "שינוי" means both "change" and "alteration," and shares a root with "שני" meaning "two," highlighting the idea of duality in change. | |||
| Pashto | بدلول | ||
| The word “بدلول” can also mean “exchange” in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | يتغيرون | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "change" "يتغيرون" can refer to transforming oneself in order to fit better within society. | |||
Change in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndryshimi | ||
| The Albanian word "ndryshimi" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂leh₃ǵʰ-", meaning "to turn" or "to bend." | |||
| Basque | aldatu | ||
| In Basque, "aldatu" not only means "change" but also "exchange" and "replace". | |||
| Catalan | canvi | ||
| Canvi is a noun meaning change in Catalan, but it also derives from the French word change meaning exchange. | |||
| Croatian | promijeniti | ||
| "Promijeniti" has the same etymology as the English word "promise," deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root '*per-' meaning "to pass through" or "to move on." | |||
| Danish | lave om | ||
| The term 'lave om' originates from the nautical term 'at lave om' (to tack) which refers to the maneuver of changing course by turning the boat's bow through the wind. | |||
| Dutch | verandering | ||
| The word 'verandering' evolved from 'veranderinghe', which meant 'replacement' in Middle Dutch. | |||
| English | change | ||
| The word 'change' comes from the Old French word 'changer', which means 'to exchange'. | |||
| French | changement | ||
| The noun "changement" can mean either a change or the spare money left after a purchase. | |||
| Frisian | wikselje | ||
| The word "wikselje" is derived from an Old Frisian noun and verb meaning "exchange" and "to exchange". | |||
| Galician | cambio | ||
| The Galician word "cambio" can also mean "exchange" or "barter". | |||
| German | veränderung | ||
| The German word "Veränderung" can also refer to the difference between two values or quantities, similar to the English word "variance" | |||
| Icelandic | breyta | ||
| The word breyta also refers to breaking a wave in Old Norse. | |||
| Irish | athrú | ||
| "Aithre" or "athrach," two related Irish words meaning "change" or "strange," are both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂et-, "to change". | |||
| Italian | modificare | ||
| The word "modificare" in Italian means "to change", but it also has the alternative meaning of "to alter". | |||
| Luxembourgish | änneren | ||
| ännern is derived from the Middle High German "endern", which comes from Latin "alterare" meaning to change. | |||
| Maltese | bidla | ||
| In Medieval Arabic and Sicilian, the word "bidla" originally meant "replacement" or "barter". | |||
| Norwegian | endring | ||
| The word "endring" in Norwegian originates from the Old Norse word "endra," which means "to change" or "to alter." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mudança | ||
| "Mudança" can also mean "move" (as in to a new house) or "change of address" in Portuguese-speaking countries. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | atharrachadh | ||
| "Atharrachadh" may derive from the word for "ladder" or "rumble," and is also used to mean "alter" or "swap." | |||
| Spanish | cambio | ||
| Cambio originally meant "exchange" and can also mean "bill" or "gear" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | förändra | ||
| The word "förändra" is derived from the Old Norse word "frændra," which means "to alter". | |||
| Welsh | newid | ||
| The etymology of "newid" is unclear, with potential links to Irish "noí" and Latin "novus". It also has a rare secondary meaning of "a new thing". | |||
Change in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | змяніць | ||
| "Змяніць" in Belarusian can also mean "to exchange", coming from the Old Church Slavonic "měniti" (to exchange, change), which in turn came from Proto-Slavic "měniti" (to change). | |||
| Bosnian | promjena | ||
| The word "promjena" can also refer to the difference between two values or states. | |||
| Bulgarian | промяна | ||
| The word "промяна" has alternate meanings of "exchange" and "substitution" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | změna | ||
| The Czech word "změna" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*měn-" | |||
| Estonian | muutus | ||
| The Estonian word “muutus” is also related to the Finnish word “muutos” (change) and the Proto-Finnic word *muutos (change, transformation). | |||
| Finnish | muuttaa | ||
| The word "muuttaa" derives from the Proto-Uralic root "*mu(t)", which also means "to move" or "to transform". | |||
| Hungarian | változás | ||
| Valtozás, the Hungarian word for "change," also means "variety" or "transformation" | |||
| Latvian | mainīt | ||
| The Latvian word "mainīt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mei-", which means "to exchange" or "to barter". | |||
| Lithuanian | pakeisti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "pakeisti" is derived from the PIE root "key"- "to hide, cover". | |||
| Macedonian | промена | ||
| The word "промена" in Macedonian is also used to refer to an exchange of goods or services. | |||
| Polish | zmiana | ||
| The word "zmiana" is also used in Polish to refer to a chemical reaction. | |||
| Romanian | schimbare | ||
| The word 'schimbare' also means 'exchange' or 'substitution' in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | изменение | ||
| The Slavic root of the word "изменение" also carries the meaning of "deceitful"} | |||
| Serbian | промена | ||
| The word "промена" also has the alternate meaning of "stroll" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | zmeniť | ||
| The word "zmeniť" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "měniti", meaning "to exchange" or "to barter". | |||
| Slovenian | spremembe | ||
| The word "spremembe" (in English: change) is derived from the Slovene word "spremeniti" (to change), and is related to the Greek word "metamorphosis" (change) | |||
| Ukrainian | змінити | ||
| The word “змінити” in Ukrainian can also mean “to exchange” or “to barter” something. | |||
Change in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরিবর্তন | ||
| The Bengali word "পরিবর্তন" can also refer to "exchange" or "alternative". | |||
| Gujarati | બદલો | ||
| In Gujarati, "બદલો" also means "exchange" or "substitute". | |||
| Hindi | परिवर्तन | ||
| The Hindi word "परिवर्तन" ('change') originally meant 'to turn a new leaf', suggesting a complete transformation. | |||
| Kannada | ಬದಲಾವಣೆ | ||
| The word "ಬದಲಾವಣೆ" also connotes "substitution" or "replacement" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | മാറ്റം | ||
| The Malayalam word "മാറ്റം" (change) is derived from the Sanskrit word "वर्तमान" (present) and also means "exchange" or "alteration". | |||
| Marathi | बदल | ||
| The Marathi word 'बदल' shares the same etymology as the Sanskrit 'vṛtta', which can also refer to a 'circle', 'loop' or 'rotation'. | |||
| Nepali | परिवर्तन | ||
| The word "परिवर्तन" can also mean "exchange" or "substitution". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਦਲੋ | ||
| The word "ਬਦਲੋ" can also refer to "exchange" or "substitution". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වෙනස් කරන්න | ||
| "වෙනස් කරන්න" also means "to replace", "to substitute", "to exchange", "to transform", "to modify", "to alter", "to amend", "to correct", "to adjust", "to vary", "to deviate", "to depart from", "to turn aside from" | |||
| Tamil | மாற்றம் | ||
| மாற்றம் is a word with multiple meanings, all related to the concept of change, including 'difference' or 'transformation', but also 'conversion' or 'exchange'. | |||
| Telugu | మార్పు | ||
| The word "మార్పు" is derived from the root "మార్" which means "to alter" and can also refer to "modification", "transformation", or "evolution". | |||
| Urdu | تبدیلی | ||
| تبدیلی is derived from the Arabic word 'tabdil', meaning 'transformation' or 'exchange', and can also mean 'revolution' or 'metamorphosis' in Urdu. | |||
Change in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 更改 | ||
| 更改 (gǎnggǎi) means "to change," "to alter," or "to modify." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 更改 | ||
| "更改" also describes the "changing of the seasons" and is used as the Chinese title for Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". | |||
| Japanese | 変化する | ||
| The word 変化する (henkasuru) "to change" can also imply "to transform" or "to evolve" depending on context. | |||
| Korean | 변화 | ||
| 변화 is thought to be derived from the Middle Chinese word 'pin', which means 'to spin, to turn', or 'to change' | |||
| Mongolian | өөрчлөх | ||
| Originally related to the meaning "to turn around, go back, return to the previous place." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြောင်းလဲမှု | ||
Change in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perubahan | ||
| In many contexts, "perubahan" can also mean "reformation" or "progress" | |||
| Javanese | pangowahan | ||
| In Javanese, "pangowahan" can also refer to a state of transition or metamorphosis. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្លាស់ប្តូរ | ||
| Lao | ປ່ຽນແປງ | ||
| Malay | ubah | ||
| The word "ubah" in Malay can also mean "alter", "modify", or "transform". | |||
| Thai | เปลี่ยนแปลง | ||
| The Thai word for "change" can also refer to transformation or alteration of something. | |||
| Vietnamese | thay đổi | ||
| "Thay đổi" means not only "to change" but also "to switch" or "to replace". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbabago | ||
Change in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dəyişdirmək | ||
| "Dəyişdirmək" originates from the Old Turkic "tegir-" ("to turn, change") and is related to the Turkish "değiştirmek" and Kyrgyz "тегиз-" ("to change"). | |||
| Kazakh | өзгерту | ||
| "Өзгерту" was derived from Turkic "öğür" meaning "turn" and has an archaic Kazakh synonym - "бөгетіру", which means "prevent". | |||
| Kyrgyz | өзгөртүү | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "өзгөртүү" is also used to refer to the translation of a text from one language to another. | |||
| Tajik | тағир додан | ||
| The word "тағир додан" in Tajik originally meant "to give a new name". | |||
| Turkmen | üýtgetmek | ||
| Uzbek | o'zgartirish | ||
| The word "o'zgartirish" is derived from the root word "o'zgar-", which means "to change" or "to transform". | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆزگەرتىش | ||
Change in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻololi | ||
| "Hoʻololi" can be broken down into "hoʻo" (to cause or make) and "loli" (to turn or change). | |||
| Maori | panoni | ||
| The word “panoni” can also refer to a shift in direction or location. | |||
| Samoan | suia | ||
| The word "suia" can mean "to change" or, alternatively, a "young pig or boar born during the summer". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magbago | ||
| The word "magbago" comes from the root word "bago," which means "new" or "different." | |||
Change in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayjt'ayaña | ||
| Guarani | guerova | ||
Change in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝanĝi | ||
| The root of "ŝanĝi" is "ŝanĝ", meaning "to interchange, exchange, or change". | |||
| Latin | mutatio | ||
| In addition to "change," the Latin word "mutatio" can refer to an inn or posting station where horses were changed in Roman times. | |||
Change in Others Languages
| Greek | αλλαγή | ||
| "αλλαγή" is cognate with "αλλήλως" (mutually or alternatively) and "άλλος" (other), signifying "a passing into another state" | |||
| Hmong | hloov | ||
| The word "hloov" also refers to a type of Hmong music that expresses sorrow or longing. | |||
| Kurdish | gûherrandinî | ||
| The term "gûherrandinî" also refers to the process of transitioning from one state to another, such as from childhood to adulthood. | |||
| Turkish | değişiklik | ||
| Değişiklik's initial meaning was 'a different place' from the verb 'değiş' ('to change') but came to mean 'change' in the 19th century. | |||
| Xhosa | tshintsha | ||
| "Tshintsha" in Xhosa also has connotations of transformation and renewal. | |||
| Yiddish | טוישן | ||
| This word may also refer to money exchange or currency conversion. | |||
| Zulu | shintsha | ||
| The Zulu word 'shintsha' also means 'to alter, modify, or transform' and 'to exchange, swap, or barter'. | |||
| Assamese | সলনি কৰা | ||
| Aymara | mayjt'ayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | बदलल | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަދަލު | ||
| Dogri | बदलो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbabago | ||
| Guarani | guerova | ||
| Ilocano | baliwan | ||
| Krio | chenj | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گوڕین | ||
| Maithili | बदलू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯣꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thlak | ||
| Oromo | jijjiiruu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ | ||
| Quechua | tikray | ||
| Sanskrit | परिवर्तय | ||
| Tatar | үзгәртү | ||
| Tigrinya | ለውጢ | ||
| Tsonga | cinca | ||