Climb in Different Languages
Discover 'Climb' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'climb' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing the action of ascending or moving upwards, often with great effort. It's a word that transcends cultural boundaries, resonating with people all over the world who have experienced the thrill of reaching new heights.
Climbing has been a part of human culture for millennia, from the ancient practice of mountain worship in Tibet to the more recent development of extreme sports like rock climbing and bouldering. The word 'climb' itself has been used in various forms since the 12th century, reflecting our long-standing fascination with reaching for the skies.
Understanding the translation of 'climb' in different languages can open up new cultural horizons. For example, in Spanish, 'climb' is 'escalar', while in German, it's 'klettern'. In French, 'climb' is 'grimper', and in Mandarin, it's '攀 escalader'.
Explore the world of climbing through the lens of language and culture. Discover how this simple word can connect us to people and places in unexpected ways.
Climb
Climb in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | klim | ||
| The Afrikaans word "klim" can also refer to a hill or mountain slope. | |||
| Amharic | መውጣት | ||
| "መውጣት" can also mean to step down from a vehicle such as a bus or car. | |||
| Hausa | hau | ||
| "Hau" also means "to grow taller" (of plants). | |||
| Igbo | rịgoro | ||
| "Rịgoro" can also mean "to lift". Its diminutive form "rigọro" means "to hop". | |||
| Malagasy | miakatra | ||
| The Malagasy word 'miakatra' is a cognate of the Indonesian 'naik', 'to go up'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukwera | ||
| The word "kukwera" can be used to mean "to go up" or "to rise" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kwira | ||
| The word 'kwira' in Shona can also mean 'to crawl' or 'to move on all fours'. | |||
| Somali | fuulid | ||
| The word "fuulid" also means "to ascend" or "to mount" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | hloella | ||
| The word "hloella" can also mean "to ascend" or "to go up". | |||
| Swahili | kupanda | ||
| The root of Kupanda (climb) is panda, meaning 'to spread out', suggesting the horizontal and vertical movement involved in climbing. | |||
| Xhosa | khwela | ||
| The Xhosa word "khwela" can also refer to "to get on or into a vehicle or on a horse, boat, carriage, etc." | |||
| Yoruba | ngun | ||
| "Ngùn" also means "to be arrogant", and has the alternate spelling "ngunnu" | |||
| Zulu | khuphuka | ||
| The word 'khuphuka' has an additional meaning of 'to ascend' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka yɛlɛ | ||
| Ewe | lia dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuzamuka | ||
| Lingala | komata | ||
| Luganda | okulinnya | ||
| Sepedi | namela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | foro | ||
Climb in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تسلق | ||
| The word 'تسلق' is derived from 'سَلَفَ', meaning to precede or ascend. | |||
| Hebrew | לְטַפֵּס | ||
| The word also has the alternate meanings "to ascend," "to rise," "to mount," and "to go up." | |||
| Pashto | ختل | ||
| In Persian, the word “ختل” also means “cheat” or “deception” | |||
| Arabic | تسلق | ||
| The word 'تسلق' is derived from 'سَلَفَ', meaning to precede or ascend. | |||
Climb in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ngjitem | ||
| The Albanian word "ngjitem" also means "to rise" and "to ascend". | |||
| Basque | igoera | ||
| The word 'igoera' can also refer to an exit, passage, or opening. | |||
| Catalan | escalar | ||
| The verb "escalar" in Catalan can also mean "to scale" in English, such as when scaling a fish. | |||
| Croatian | penjati se | ||
| The word "penjati se" in Croatian can also mean "to ascend" or "to go up". | |||
| Danish | klatre | ||
| The word 'klatre' also means 'to grapple' or 'to struggle', and is derived from the Old Norse word 'klāðra', which had a similar meaning. | |||
| Dutch | beklimmen | ||
| "Klimmen" is derived from the Old Dutch word "klimban," meaning "to rise up". | |||
| English | climb | ||
| The English word "climb" comes from the Old English word "climban," meaning "to ascend," and is related to the German word "klimmen," meaning "to climb." | |||
| French | montée | ||
| The word 'montée' can also refer to a staircase, a slope, or a small hill. | |||
| Frisian | klimme | ||
| The Frisian word "klimme" also refers to climbing plants and means "to cling to" in the sense of holding onto something with the hands. | |||
| Galician | subir | ||
| In Galician, "subir" comes from Latin "superire" meaning "exceed" or "surmount" and can also refer to climbing up or going against the current of a river. | |||
| German | steigen | ||
| "Steigen" is also used in the sense of "to increase" (e.g. "die Preise steigen" = "the prices are rising"). | |||
| Icelandic | klifra | ||
| The Icelandic word "klifra" comes from the Old Norse word "klifra," which also means "to cut" or "to split." | |||
| Irish | tóg | ||
| The Irish word "tóg" also refers to a "lifting up," or the act of carrying someone on your shoulder. | |||
| Italian | scalata | ||
| "Scalata" originally meant "ladder" and still has this meaning when used to describe siege warfare. | |||
| Luxembourgish | klammen | ||
| The word 'klammen' may have originated from the Middle High German 'klieben', meaning 'to cleave'. | |||
| Maltese | jitilgħu | ||
| The verb "jitilgħu" is derived from the Arabic word "ṭalaʕa", meaning "to ascend". | |||
| Norwegian | klatre | ||
| "Klatre" can be traced back to a Proto-Indo-European root that also gave rise to the Sanskrit word "krand" (leap). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | escalar | ||
| The verb "escalar" in Portuguese is also used in a slang context to mean "to chat" or "to flirt". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sreap | ||
| The verb 'sreap' also means 'to creep, crawl', or 'to sneak'. | |||
| Spanish | escalada | ||
| In Spanish, "escalada" has also been used in the contexts of escalation and military conflict. | |||
| Swedish | klättra | ||
| The Swedish verb "klättra" is derived from the old Norse word "klaftra"," meaning "to climb" or "to grapple". | |||
| Welsh | dringo | ||
| The Welsh word 'dringo' has an alternative meaning relating to the shape of the letter 'c' | |||
Climb in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падняцца | ||
| The word "падняцца" also means "to rise", "to lift", or "to go up" | |||
| Bosnian | uspon | ||
| The word 'uspon' is cognate with the Latin word 'super' and the Old Church Slavonic word 'vъzdъti', all of which mean 'to raise' or 'to lift up'. | |||
| Bulgarian | изкачвам се | ||
| The word "изкачвам се" can also refer to the act of ascending a social or economic ladder, or to the gradual accumulation of knowledge or skills. | |||
| Czech | šplhat | ||
| The Czech word "šplhat" also refers to a type of gymnastic exercise in which a rope is climbed using the hands and feet. | |||
| Estonian | ronima | ||
| The word "ronima" can also refer to "creeping" or "crawling". | |||
| Finnish | kiivetä | ||
| "Kiivetä" is a Finnish word related to "kävellä" (walk) and "kulku" (movement), indicating a connection between climbing and locomotion. | |||
| Hungarian | mászik | ||
| The Hungarian word "mászik" ("climb") also means "creeps" or "crawls". | |||
| Latvian | kāpt | ||
| "Kāpt" not only means "climb" but also "increase" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | lipti | ||
| The word "lipti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *leip- ("to stick"), which is also the source of the English word "leap". | |||
| Macedonian | искачување | ||
| The word "искачување" also has a figurative meaning, referring to an unexpected and sudden event. | |||
| Polish | wspinać się | ||
| The Polish word for "climb" "wspinać się" originally meant "to rise" and is related to the word "wysoki" (high). | |||
| Romanian | a urca | ||
| "a urca" comes from the Latin verb "*ascendere*" with the same meaning | |||
| Russian | подняться | ||
| The Russian word "подняться" can also mean "to ascend" or "to rise". | |||
| Serbian | попети се | ||
| The verb "попети се" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *рьр-t-, meaning "to creep, to crawl". | |||
| Slovak | vyliezť | ||
| The verb 'vyliezť' is related to the word 'liezť' ('crawl') and can also mean 'to emerge' or 'to get out'. | |||
| Slovenian | vzpon | ||
| The word 'vzpon' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vъzpǫti ('ascent'), and is related to the Russian word 'voskhod' ('sunrise'). | |||
| Ukrainian | підйом | ||
| "Підйом" in Ukrainian can also mean "awakening", "rise", or "ascent" | |||
Climb in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আরোহণ | ||
| আরোহণ (orohon) is derived from the Sanskrit word "aruha" meaning "to mount or ascend". | |||
| Gujarati | ચ .ી | ||
| The Gujarati word "ચ .ી" can also refer to the act of climbing up a tree. | |||
| Hindi | चढना | ||
| "चढना" derives from the Sanskrit word "चर्ध्" meaning "to grow, ascend, or attach"} | |||
| Kannada | ಏರಲು | ||
| The Kannada word "ಏರಲು" is also used to refer to "mounting", "ascending", or "getting onto" something, such as a horse or vehicle. | |||
| Malayalam | കയറുക | ||
| The word "കയറുക" in Malayalam also means to "mount" or "ascend". | |||
| Marathi | चढणे | ||
| The Marathi word "चढणे" can also refer to the act of ascending a social hierarchy or gaining power. | |||
| Nepali | चढाई | ||
| "चढाई" is a noun derived from the verb "चढ्नु," which means "to ascend," "to mount," "to ride," or "to increase." | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੜ੍ਹਨਾ | ||
| ਚੜ੍ਹਨਾ can also refer to boarding a vehicle, getting on a horse, or applying cosmetics to the face. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නගින්න | ||
| Its synonym, "නගින්න" (climb), also means "to emerge," "to go up," "to rise," "to ascend," and "to rise to a higher level or position." | |||
| Tamil | ஏறு | ||
| Telugu | ఎక్కడం | ||
| The word "ఎక్కడం" ("climb") also means "to board a vehicle" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | چڑھنا | ||
| چڑھنا can also mean to 'attach' or 'hang' onto something, or to 'mount' or 'sit' on something. | |||
Climb in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 爬 | ||
| In Chinese, "爬" can also mean "to crawl" or "to creep", indicating movement close to the ground. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 爬 | ||
| "爬", when repeated twice in sequence (as "爬爬"), can also refer to reptiles, such as snakes or lizards. | |||
| Japanese | 登る | ||
| 登る can also mean "to advance" in the context of social status or rank. | |||
| Korean | 상승 | ||
| "상승" is also used to refer to the act of a politician or celebrity gaining popularity or influence. | |||
| Mongolian | авирах | ||
| The Mongolian word "авирах" can also mean "to ascend" or "to go up". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တက်ပါ | ||
| The word "တက်ပါ" is the imperative form of the verb "တက်" (taik), which means "to go up" or "to ascend". It can also be used in a figurative sense, such as "to climb the social ladder". | |||
Climb in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mendaki | ||
| The root word of _mendaki_ is the Malay word _daki_, meaning 'to rise up' or 'to ascend'. | |||
| Javanese | menek | ||
| The word "menek" can also mean 'ascend' in the context of social status or rank. | |||
| Khmer | ឡើង | ||
| The word ឡើង 'climb' can also mean to increase, ascend, advance, board, mount, get on. | |||
| Lao | ຂຶ້ນ | ||
| The Lao word "ຂຶ້ນ" (climb) originated from the Proto-Tai word "*khəːŋ", which also meant "up", "ascend", and "high". | |||
| Malay | memanjat | ||
| The Malay word "memanjat" not only means to climb, but also to ascend, scale, or mount. | |||
| Thai | ปีน | ||
| "ปีน" (pronounced "peen") is the Thai word for "climb." It also shares its pronunciation and a similar meaning with "บิน" (pronounced "bin"), the Thai word for "fly." | |||
| Vietnamese | leo | ||
| The word "leo" can also refer to a kind of climbing tree found in the northern region of Vietnam called "cây leo". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | umakyat | ||
Climb in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dırmaşmaq | ||
| The word "dırmaşmaq" is a derivative of the Turkic root "tır" which means "to rise" and is related to the Proto-Turkic verb "dır" which means "to rise, climb". | |||
| Kazakh | көтерілу | ||
| "Көтерілу" can also be used to refer to a rise in something abstract, like the price or the temperature. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чыгуу | ||
| The word "чыгуу" can also mean "to go or get out"} | |||
| Tajik | баромадан | ||
| The word "баромадан" may be related to the Persian word "baromadadن" meaning "to rise" or "to climb". | |||
| Turkmen | dyrmaşmak | ||
| Uzbek | ko'tarilish | ||
| Ko'tarilish derives from 'ko'tarish' (to lift) with the suffix '-ish' (to become). | |||
| Uyghur | يامىشىش | ||
Climb in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | piʻi aʻe | ||
| The word "piʻi aʻe" (climb) in Hawaiian literally means "to go up". | |||
| Maori | piki | ||
| The Maori word "piki" also means "to rise" or "to ascend". | |||
| Samoan | aʻe | ||
| The verb "aʻe" also means "to be above" when used to describe a person who is on top. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | umakyat | ||
| The term "umakyat" also referred to moving to a higher social level. | |||
Climb in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wayllunk'uña | ||
| Guarani | jejupi | ||
Climb in International Languages
| Esperanto | grimpi | ||
| The word "grimpi" derives from the Latin "gradus" (step, grade) and originally meant to ascend with difficulty. | |||
| Latin | scandunt | ||
| Scandunt also means "ascend" or "mount" in Latin, and is related to the word "scala" (ladder) | |||
Climb in Others Languages
| Greek | αναρρίχηση | ||
| The Greek word "αναρρίχηση" comes from the verb "αναρριχώμαι," which means "to climb up" or "to ascend," and is also associated with the concept of "conquering" or "reaching the summit". | |||
| Hmong | nce | ||
| The word "nce" can also mean "to go up to a house on stilts" or "to go upstairs". | |||
| Kurdish | rapelikandin | ||
| "Rapelikandin" derives from "rapê" "road, way." as well as "kandin" "go", meaning both "to climb" and "take the road." | |||
| Turkish | tırmanış | ||
| Tırmanış also refers to an Ottoman musical style. | |||
| Xhosa | khwela | ||
| The Xhosa word "khwela" can also refer to "to get on or into a vehicle or on a horse, boat, carriage, etc." | |||
| Yiddish | קריכן | ||
| The Yiddish word "קריכן" (climb) is related to the German word "kriechen" (crawl, creep). | |||
| Zulu | khuphuka | ||
| The word 'khuphuka' has an additional meaning of 'to ascend' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | বগোৱা | ||
| Aymara | wayllunk'uña | ||
| Bhojpuri | चढ़ाई | ||
| Dhivehi | އެރުން | ||
| Dogri | चढ़ना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | umakyat | ||
| Guarani | jejupi | ||
| Ilocano | umuli | ||
| Krio | klem | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرکەوتن | ||
| Maithili | चढ़नाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lawn | ||
| Oromo | yaabuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚଢିବା | ||
| Quechua | wichay | ||
| Sanskrit | रोहति | ||
| Tatar | менү | ||
| Tigrinya | ደይብ | ||
| Tsonga | khandziya | ||