Check in Different Languages
Discover 'Check' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'check' holds immense significance in our daily lives, often serving as a call to action or a confirmation of a completed task. From the financial context of writing a check to the social scene of 'checking in' on social media, this versatile word has made its mark in various aspects of our culture. Its importance transcends borders, making it a valuable term to know in different languages.
Did you know that the English word 'check' has origins in the Old French 'eschec', meaning 'a check in the game of chess'? This game, which has roots in ancient India, spread to Europe through Persia and the Islamic Empire, bringing with it the term we use today. In many languages, the word for 'check' still reflects its chess origins, offering a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of language and culture.
Below, you'll find a list of translations for 'check' in different languages, from Spanish and French to Mandarin and Arabic. Expand your linguistic repertoire and discover the rich history behind this simple, yet powerful, word.
Check
Check in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tjek | ||
| The Afrikaans word "tjek" is derived from the English word "cheque", but it can also mean "to check" or "to verify". | |||
| Amharic | ቼክ | ||
| The word 'ቼክ' ('check') in Amharic also refers to a traditional garment worn during marriage ceremonies. | |||
| Hausa | duba | ||
| The word duba in Hausa originates from the Arabic word 'dabb' which means 'to follow' or 'to pursue', implying the act of examining or checking. | |||
| Igbo | nlele | ||
| The Igbo word "nlele" can also refer to a type of traditional dance performed by women. | |||
| Malagasy | taratasim-bola | ||
| "Taratasim-bola", or a check, is derived from the French spelling of "tarâtsim" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cheke | ||
| The Nyanja word "cheke" can also refer to a "receipt" or "invoice". | |||
| Shona | cheki | ||
| Cheki is also the Shona word for "to observe" or "to witness." | |||
| Somali | hubi | ||
| In Somali, "hubi" can also refer to the act of inspecting or examining something. | |||
| Sesotho | hlahloba | ||
| The Sesotho word 'hlahloba' also means 'examine', 'inspect', 'investigate', and 'scrutinize'. | |||
| Swahili | angalia | ||
| The word "angalia" is derived from the Kongo word "langala" which means "to look" or "to inspect". | |||
| Xhosa | khangela | ||
| The word "khangela" is derived from the Old Xhosa word "ukhangela", meaning "to seek" or "to inquire. | |||
| Yoruba | ṣayẹwo | ||
| The Yoruba term "ṣayẹwo" is also utilized in traditional contexts, with diviners employing it in the examination of divination materials like cowry shells, palm nuts, or the Ifa oracle. | |||
| Zulu | hlola | ||
| The word "hlola" in Zulu can also be used to mean "to look at" or "to examine". | |||
| Bambara | waritasɛbɛn | ||
| Ewe | le ŋku ɖe eŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | genzura | ||
| Lingala | kotala | ||
| Luganda | okukebera | ||
| Sepedi | lekola | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hwɛ | ||
Check in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التحقق من | ||
| In Arabic, "التحقق من" can refer to a financial "cheque", while in Lebanese it's also used as "email". In Egyptian, it means "to ensure". | |||
| Hebrew | חשבון | ||
| The Hebrew word "חשבון" (check) shares its etymological root with the Arabic word "حساب" (account) | |||
| Pashto | چیک | ||
| The word "چیک" in Pashto can also refer to a type of fabric, specifically a cotton or silk fabric with a checkered pattern. | |||
| Arabic | التحقق من | ||
| In Arabic, "التحقق من" can refer to a financial "cheque", while in Lebanese it's also used as "email". In Egyptian, it means "to ensure". | |||
Check in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kontrolloni | ||
| Kontrolloni has additional meanings including 'control over' or 'control of' | |||
| Basque | egiaztatu | ||
| The Basque word "egiaztatu" also means "to clarify" or "to determine the truth of something." | |||
| Catalan | comprovar | ||
| Although "comprovar" is a synonym of "verificar" (meaning "to check"), it's also used in Catalan to mean "to verify experimentally". | |||
| Croatian | ček | ||
| The word "ček" in Croatian can also refer to a "hook", likely due to its similar sound to the word "hook" in English. | |||
| Danish | kontrollere | ||
| Kontrollere is related to the French word contrôler, which has a broader meaning of 'to supervise' or 'to regulate'. | |||
| Dutch | controleren | ||
| The Dutch word "controleren" can also mean "to inspect" or "to supervise" | |||
| English | check | ||
| The word 'check' originated in the Middle English word 'chek,' meaning a movement in chess. It can also refer to a financial draft giving authority to withdraw money from a bank account or a pattern used in textiles, fashion, or painting. | |||
| French | vérifier | ||
| The word "vérifier" comes from the Latin "verificare," meaning "to prove or verify," and also shares a root with the word "vrai," meaning "true." | |||
| Frisian | kontrôle | ||
| In Frisian, kontrôle can also mean "control" or "test". | |||
| Galician | comprobar | ||
| The verb "comprobar" has Latin origin and comes from the verb "comprobare" (to make firm), while in the Galician language it also means "to prove or verify something." | |||
| German | prüfen | ||
| "Prüfen" also means "to verify; test; scrutinize; inspect; or examine" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | athuga | ||
| The Icelandic word "athuga" finds its roots in the Old Norse word "athugun, | |||
| Irish | seiceáil | ||
| "Seiceáil" may derive from the Old Irish *seichim* meaning "to leap" or "to move violently," which is also the root of the noun "seiche" in English, referring to a standing wave in a body of water. | |||
| Italian | dai un'occhiata | ||
| "Dai un'occhiata" is a phrase used to invite someone to look at something. It can also be used to ask someone to look into something, such as a problem or a situation. | |||
| Luxembourgish | iwwerpréiwen | ||
| Maltese | iċċekkja | ||
| 'Iċċekkja' comes from the Italian 'sceccare', originally meaning 'dry'. | |||
| Norwegian | kryss av | ||
| The Norwegian "kryss av" (check) possibly derives from the French "faire croix" (to make a cross). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | verifica | ||
| Verifica (Port.) was inherited from Latin "verificare" meaning to establish the truth of something | |||
| Scots Gaelic | thoir sùil | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "thoir sùil" can also refer to a glance or inspection, rather than just a financial check. | |||
| Spanish | cheque | ||
| "Cheque" comes from the exchequer, the British treasury, where payments were checked against funds, hence the alternate Spanish meaning "pagaré" (promissory note). | |||
| Swedish | kolla upp | ||
| "Kolla upp" is a colloquial Swedish term likely derived from the old-fashioned expression "kolla av". | |||
| Welsh | gwirio | ||
| The Welsh word 'gwirio' for 'check' shares the same etymology as the French word 'vérifier' and the Spanish word 'verificar', having all descended from the Latin word 'verificare' ('to make true'). | |||
Check in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | праверыць | ||
| The Belarusian word "праверыць" ("check") also means "to test" or "to verify". | |||
| Bosnian | ček | ||
| The original Bosnian word for "check" was "šek", later replaced by "ček" under Croatian influence. | |||
| Bulgarian | проверете | ||
| The Bulgarian word "проверете" can also be translated as "verify", "test", or "examine". | |||
| Czech | šek | ||
| A "šek" can mean not only a "check" in the context of banking, but also the game of "checkers." | |||
| Estonian | kontrollima | ||
| The word "Kontrollima" in Estonian is derived from the German word "Kontrolle" which means "control." | |||
| Finnish | tarkistaa | ||
| The word "tarkistaa" also means "to clarify", "to revise", and "to correct". | |||
| Hungarian | jelölje be | ||
| The word "jelölje be" in Hungarian is a cognate of the German word "zeichnen," meaning "to draw" or "to mark. | |||
| Latvian | pārbaudīt | ||
| Pārbaudīt is originally derived from the verb pārbaudīt (to check) and the noun pārbaudījums (trial). | |||
| Lithuanian | patikrinti | ||
| Patikrinti originates from the verb tikrinti, which derives from the noun tikrumas (certainty) and ultimately from the Indo-European root *teik- (to reach, stretch out). | |||
| Macedonian | провери | ||
| The Macedonian word "провери" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *provĕriti, which also meant "to test" or "to examine." | |||
| Polish | czek | ||
| In Polish, "czek" also refers to a type of financial instrument resembling a Western bank draft. | |||
| Romanian | verifica | ||
| Verifica in Romanian also means "proof", | |||
| Russian | проверять | ||
| The word "проверять" can also mean "to verify" or "to test". | |||
| Serbian | проверавати | ||
| The Serbian word "проверавати" (check) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "повѣрѧти" (to believe), and it can also mean "to verify" or "to confirm". | |||
| Slovak | skontrolovať | ||
| The verb "skontrolovať" is derived from the French word "contrôler", meaning "to verify" or "to examine." | |||
| Slovenian | preverite | ||
| The word "preverite" in Slovenian can also mean "to verify" or "to inspect". | |||
| Ukrainian | перевірити | ||
| The verb "перевірити" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*ver-/*vor-", meaning "to turn" or "to roll". | |||
Check in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চেক | ||
| The word "check" can also mean "a test of someone's knowledge or ability, typically one set by a teacher or examiner for students to complete." | |||
| Gujarati | તપાસો | ||
| The Gujarati word "તપાસો" originates from the Sanskrit word "तपसा" meaning "examination, scrutiny" and also holds the alternate meaning of "to investigate, to scrutinize". | |||
| Hindi | जाँच | ||
| "जाँच" also means "to search" or "to examine" in Hindi, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "जांच", meaning "to investigate". | |||
| Kannada | ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ | ||
| ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ (parīkṣīsi) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'parīkṣa' meaning 'to see again' or 'to examine'. | |||
| Malayalam | ചെക്ക് | ||
| The Malayalam word "ചെക്ക്" originated from Portuguese, and has dual usage as a financial instrument (check) and an act of inspection (check). | |||
| Marathi | तपासा | ||
| The Marathi word "तपासा" derives from the Sanskrit root "तप," meaning "to heat" or "to refine," hinting at the idea of examining something meticulously to ascertain its accuracy or authenticity. | |||
| Nepali | जाँच गर्नुहोस् | ||
| The word "जाँच गर्नुहोस्" in Nepali is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *kark- meaning "to cut, carve, score" and is cognate with the English word "carve". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੈਕ | ||
| 'ਚੈਕ' (check) is also used to refer to a 'cheque' (a written order to a bank to pay money). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | චෙක් පත | ||
| The Sinhala word "චෙක් පත" ("check") originates from the Hindustani word "chak" ("document") and also refers to a "certificate" or "receipt". | |||
| Tamil | காசோலை | ||
| The word "காசோலை" (kācōlai) is derived from the Sanskrit word "kaṣa-laya" meaning "money house". | |||
| Telugu | తనిఖీ | ||
| It is related to the Persian word 'tanqih' meaning 'revising, editing, investigating'. | |||
| Urdu | چیک کریں | ||
| In Urdu, چک کریں can also refer to the act of verifying or confirming something. | |||
Check in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 检查 | ||
| 检查 can also mean 'to examine' or 'to inspect' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 檢查 | ||
| "檢查" (check) also means "inspection" or "examination" in Chinese (Traditional). | |||
| Japanese | 小切手 | ||
| 小切手 (kogitte) comes from the Dutch word "wisselbrief" which literally means "exchange letter". | |||
| Korean | 검사 | ||
| '검사' also means 'prosecutor' and it is used in the name of the Ministry of Justice's department that investigates crimes, '검찰청' (Office of the Public Prosecutor). | |||
| Mongolian | шалгах | ||
| The word 'шалгах' (check) is derived from the Proto-Mongolic root *čʰal- meaning 'to look'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စစ်ဆေးပါ | ||
Check in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | memeriksa | ||
| The word "memeriksa" also has the meanings "to examine" and "to investigate". | |||
| Javanese | mriksa | ||
| "Mriksa" also means "to examine" or "to review". | |||
| Khmer | ពិនិត្យ | ||
| Lao | ກວດສອບ | ||
| "ກວດສອບ" derives from Sanskrit "gopita", meaning "protected", which later evolved to its current sense of "examining for accuracy". | |||
| Malay | periksa | ||
| The Malay word "periksa" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "pārikśā", meaning "to try, examine, or investigate". | |||
| Thai | ตรวจสอบ | ||
| The Thai word "ตรวจสอบ" also means "to investigate" or "to verify". | |||
| Vietnamese | kiểm tra | ||
| The word "kiểm tra" also means "check" from a list or "inspect." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | suriin | ||
Check in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yoxlayın | ||
| "Yoхlayın" sözcüğü Türkçede "yoklayın" anlamına gelir ve eski Türkçede "yoklama" anlamındaki "yoklamak" fiilinden türemiştir. | |||
| Kazakh | тексеру | ||
| The Kazakh word "тексеру" ("check") is derived from Arabic, where it initially referred to "proof" and "evidence" before taking on its current meaning. | |||
| Kyrgyz | текшерүү | ||
| The word "текшерүү" can also mean "to examine" or "to verify" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | тафтиш кунед | ||
| Turkmen | barlaň | ||
| Uzbek | tekshirish | ||
| The word "tekshirish" also carries the additional meaning of "to verify" or "to confirm" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تەكشۈرۈش | ||
Check in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaha | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "kaha" can also refer to a "boundary" or "demarcation point". | |||
| Maori | taki | ||
| Taki, meaning "to examine" and "to verify," is a common term for "check" in Te Reo Maori. | |||
| Samoan | siaki | ||
| The Samoan word "siaki" also means to "examine" or "review". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | suriin | ||
| The word "suriin" in Tagalog (Filipino) originated from the Spanish word "surtir", meaning "to supply" or "to inspect" | |||
Check in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñjaña | ||
| Guarani | vichea | ||
Check in International Languages
| Esperanto | kontroli | ||
| Derived from the English word "control," "kontroli" can also mean "verify" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | reprehendo | ||
| The verb "reprehendo" means not only to "check", but also to "blame, censure, or criticize" | |||
Check in Others Languages
| Greek | έλεγχος | ||
| The word "έλεγχος" in Greek can also mean "test" or "examination". | |||
| Hmong | kos | ||
| The word 'kos' can also mean 'to inspect' or 'to examine' in Hmong, which is related to its meaning as a check. | |||
| Kurdish | berçavkirinî | ||
| The word "berçavkirinî" can also refer to a wooden plank with a handle used for cleaning the dirt of the plow and other agricultural machinery in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | kontrol | ||
| The word "Kontrol" is a loanword from French and it also means "control" in Turkish, just like its original language. | |||
| Xhosa | khangela | ||
| The word "khangela" is derived from the Old Xhosa word "ukhangela", meaning "to seek" or "to inquire. | |||
| Yiddish | טשעק | ||
| The Yiddish word "טשעק" can also refer to a quarrel or dispute, a sense derived from the idea of a "check" as a hindrance or obstruction. | |||
| Zulu | hlola | ||
| The word "hlola" in Zulu can also be used to mean "to look at" or "to examine". | |||
| Assamese | পৰীক্ষা কৰক | ||
| Aymara | uñjaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | जाँच | ||
| Dhivehi | ޗެކް | ||
| Dogri | चेक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | suriin | ||
| Guarani | vichea | ||
| Ilocano | kitaen | ||
| Krio | chɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پشکنین | ||
| Maithili | जांच | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯡꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | dap | ||
| Oromo | sakatta'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯାଞ୍ଚ କରନ୍ତୁ | | ||
| Quechua | chiqaqchay | ||
| Sanskrit | अनुशीलय | ||
| Tatar | тикшерегез | ||
| Tigrinya | አፃሪ | ||
| Tsonga | cheka | ||