College in Different Languages
Discover 'College' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
College, a term that signifies a place of higher education and learning, holds immense significance in many cultures around the world. It's a stepping stone towards a brighter future, where young minds are shaped and prepared for the professional world. The cultural importance of college extends beyond academics, as it's often a place where lifelong friendships are formed, and students discover their passions and interests.
Moreover, understanding the translation of the word 'college' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how various cultures perceive higher education. For instance, in Spanish, 'college' is translated as 'colegio,' but it generally refers to secondary school. In German, 'college' is 'College,' and in French, it's 'collège,' which again refers to secondary school. The English term 'college' that we're familiar with is translated as 'université' in French and 'Hochschule' in German, referring to a place of higher education.
Join us as we explore the translations of the word 'college' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances of education across the globe.
College
College in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kollege | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'kollege' is derived from the Dutch word 'college', which originally meant a meeting or gathering. | |||
| Amharic | ኮሌጅ | ||
| The Amharic word 'ኮሌጅ' ('college') is derived from the French 'collège', which was in turn derived from the Medieval Latin word meaning 'a body associated with a church or a monastic order' | |||
| Hausa | kwaleji | ||
| The word "kwaleji" in Hausa derives from the Arabic word "kulliyya," which means "a faculty or department of a university." | |||
| Igbo | kọleji | ||
| In Igbo, "kọleji" can also refer to a group of people who share a common goal or interest. | |||
| Malagasy | ambaratonga ambony | ||
| The word "ambaratonga ambony" literally means "high house" in Malagasy, reflecting the concept of higher education being taught in a central location. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | koleji | ||
| The word "koleji" in Nyanja (Chichewa) comes from the English word "college" and can also mean "secondary school" or "boarding school". | |||
| Shona | koreji | ||
| The name 'koreji' comes from the Portuguese word 'colégio,' which means "educational institution." | |||
| Somali | kulleejo | ||
| Kulleejo derives from the Arabic word "kulliyah," meaning "wholeness" or "totality," and refers to an institution of higher learning or a faculty within a university. | |||
| Sesotho | k'holejeng | ||
| The word "k'holejeng" is thought to be derived from a Sanskrit word for "temple" or "school". | |||
| Swahili | chuo kikuu | ||
| Chuo kikuu in Swahili means 'university' and is made up of 'chuo', which can mean 'institution of higher learning', and 'kikuu', which can mean 'great', 'large', or 'important'. | |||
| Xhosa | kwikholeji | ||
| The word "kwikholeji" derives from the English word "college" and also means "school" or "university" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | kọlẹji | ||
| The word "kọlẹji" in Yoruba originally meant "a group of people who gather to learn or discuss". | |||
| Zulu | ikolishi | ||
| The word "ikolishi" originally meant "a place of learning" or "a school" in Zulu, but has since come to specifically mean "college". | |||
| Bambara | kolɛzi | ||
| Ewe | kɔledzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kaminuza | ||
| Lingala | eteyelo | ||
| Luganda | ettendekero | ||
| Sepedi | kholetšhe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kolegyi | ||
College in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كلية | ||
| The Arabic word "كلية" (college) also means "faculty" or "department" in an academic institution. | |||
| Hebrew | מִכלָלָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "מִכלָלָה" (college) is derived from the root "כלל" (comprehensive), and can also mean "institute" or "academy". | |||
| Pashto | کالج | ||
| In Pashto, "کالج" (college) also refers to a religious school or monastery. | |||
| Arabic | كلية | ||
| The Arabic word "كلية" (college) also means "faculty" or "department" in an academic institution. | |||
College in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kolegj | ||
| The word 'kolegj' in Albanian derives from the Latin word 'collegium', meaning 'a body of persons united for a common purpose' or 'a group of colleagues'. | |||
| Basque | unibertsitatea | ||
| The Basque word for 'college', "unibertsitatea", is a compound word formed from "univertso", meaning 'universe' and "tatea", meaning 'place' which when put together refers to the place where many things are found and learned. | |||
| Catalan | universitat | ||
| The Catalan word "universitat" derives from the Latin word "universitas", meaning "a community" or "a corporation". | |||
| Croatian | koledž | ||
| College derives from the Latin word | |||
| Danish | kollegium | ||
| In Danish, "kollegium" is also a collective term for a group of teachers or scholars affiliated with a university or other academic institution. | |||
| Dutch | college | ||
| The Dutch word "college" can also refer to a board or committee, especially one that advises a government or organization. | |||
| English | college | ||
| College comes from the Latin 'collegium,' meaning a group or association, often with the purpose of education. | |||
| French | université | ||
| The French word "Université" derives from the Latin "universitas", meaning "a whole" or "a body of people". | |||
| Frisian | universiteit | ||
| The Frisian word "Universiteit" is borrowed from Latin and French, where it means "community". | |||
| Galician | universidade | ||
| The word "universidade" in Galician comes from the Latin word "universitas", which originally meant a guild or corporation. | |||
| German | hochschule | ||
| The word "Hochschule" is derived from the Middle High German words "hôch" (high) and "schule" (school), and has the broader meaning of "Institution of Higher Education." | |||
| Icelandic | háskóli | ||
| The Icelandic word "háskóli" derives from the Old Norse word "háskóli", meaning "high school" or "higher education institution". | |||
| Irish | coláiste | ||
| The word "Coláiste" is derived from the Latin word "Collegium", meaning "a community or society." | |||
| Italian | università | ||
| Università derives from the Latin 'universitas', meaning 'whole', 'group', or 'corporation'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | fachhéichschoul | ||
| Maltese | kulleġġ | ||
| The Maltese "kulleġġ" comes from the Italian "collegio", but also means "school" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | høyskole | ||
| In Norwegian, "høyskole" originally meant "high school" but now almost exclusively means "college". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | faculdade | ||
| In Portuguese, "faculdade" can refer to a university faculty or department, as well as a college or university degree. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | colaiste | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "colaiste" derives from the Latin word "collegium", meaning "a gathering of people", or "a body of persons united for a common purpose." | |||
| Spanish | universidad | ||
| 'Universidad' is derived from the Latin 'universitas', meaning 'a whole', or 'a corporation or guild'. | |||
| Swedish | högskola | ||
| "Högskola" comes from Old Norse "háskóli" meaning "high school", but in English the "high" was assumed to refer to education level. | |||
| Welsh | coleg | ||
| Coleg derives from the Latin "collegium" and was used in ecclesiastical and musical contexts as well as in education | |||
College in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | каледж | ||
| The Belarusian word "каледж" can also refer to a type of secondary school that provides vocational training. | |||
| Bosnian | koledž | ||
| The word "koledž" in Bosnian originates from the Latin word "collegium", meaning "group of colleagues" or "society." | |||
| Bulgarian | колеж | ||
| The word "колеж" in Bulgarian is derived from the French word "collège", which means "secondary school" or "university." | |||
| Czech | vysoká škola | ||
| Vysoká škola" comes from the word "vyska", meaning height, and the word "škola", meaning school. It was originally used to refer to higher education institutions that provided a more advanced level of study than lower-level schools. | |||
| Estonian | kolledž | ||
| The word "kolledž" is derived from the Latin "collegium", meaning "a body of colleagues" or "a group of associates". | |||
| Finnish | college | ||
| In Finnish, "college" can also refer to a certain level of education (roughly equivalent to a bachelor's degree). | |||
| Hungarian | főiskola | ||
| The word "főiskola" (college) originates from the German word "Hauptschule" (main school). | |||
| Latvian | koledža | ||
| "Koledža" also denotes "college of higher education" or "teacher training institute" | |||
| Lithuanian | kolegija | ||
| The word "kolegija" is derived from the Latin word "collegium", which originally meant a group of people united by a common purpose or profession. | |||
| Macedonian | колеџ | ||
| The Macedonian word "колеџ" is derived from the Latin word "collegium", which means "a body of colleagues" or "a society". In English, "college" has additional meanings, such as a constituent unit of a university or a place of residence for students. | |||
| Polish | szkoła wyższa | ||
| Szkoła Wyższa is also used to refer to a type of private higher education institution in Poland, similar to a university. | |||
| Romanian | colegiu | ||
| In Romanian, "colegiu" can also refer to a type of high school that prepares students for higher education. | |||
| Russian | колледж | ||
| The Russian word "колледж" originally meant "council" or "board" and was borrowed from the Latin word "collegium." | |||
| Serbian | колеџ | ||
| The word "колеџ" (college) in Serbian comes from the Latin word "collegium", which means "a body of colleagues". | |||
| Slovak | vysoká škola | ||
| The Slovak word "vysoká škola" literally means "high school" but it is used for colleges and universities. | |||
| Slovenian | kolidž | ||
| The word "kolidž" in Slovenian, derived from the French "collège", originally referred only to a high school, but its meaning has since expanded to encompass higher education institutions. | |||
| Ukrainian | коледж | ||
| The word "коледж" can also mean "secondary school" or "lyceum" in Ukrainian. | |||
College in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কলেজ | ||
| In Indian English, "college" may refer to either a higher secondary school or a higher education institution (university), while in Bangladeshi English, it denotes the latter. | |||
| Gujarati | ક collegeલેજ | ||
| The word 'ક collegeલેજ' in Gujarati originates from the Latin word 'collegium', which referred to a group of people with a common purpose, including educational institutions. | |||
| Hindi | कॉलेज | ||
| The word "कॉलेज" (college) originates from the Latin word "collegium", meaning "a body of colleagues" or "a society of persons". | |||
| Kannada | ಕಾಲೇಜು | ||
| ಕಾಲೇಜು is derived from the Latin word 'collegium', meaning 'a body of colleagues' or 'a group of persons associated for a common purpose'. | |||
| Malayalam | കോളേജ് | ||
| The word "കോളേജ്" (college) comes from the Latin word "collegium", meaning "a group of colleagues". | |||
| Marathi | कॉलेज | ||
| The word "कॉलेज" in Marathi can also refer to a group of people with similar interests or a team of musicians. | |||
| Nepali | कलेज | ||
| The word 'कलेज' (college) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कला' (kala), meaning 'art' or 'skill'. It initially referred to educational institutions specializing in arts and crafts. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਲਜ | ||
| The word "ਕਾਲਜ" (college) can also mean "a collection of related buildings or institutions". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විදුහල | ||
| විදුහල is derived from Sanskrit and originally meant 'a place where knowledge is imparted'. | |||
| Tamil | கல்லூரி | ||
| The Tamil word "கல்லூரி" (kalloori), like the Latin "collegium," originally referred not solely to institutions of higher learning, but a body associated for some common purpose. | |||
| Telugu | కళాశాల | ||
| The word "కళాశాల" (college) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "कालशाला" (workshop), indicating its original purpose as a place of learning and skill acquisition. | |||
| Urdu | کالج | ||
| The word کالج may also refer to other types of educational institutions or groups of people with shared interests. | |||
College in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 学院 | ||
| 学院 also means 'academy', 'institute', 'conservatory', and 'school'. In ancient China, a college was the equivalent of a modern university. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 學院 | ||
| 學院 (xué yuàn) refers to an educational institution, but originally meant an academic community or group of scholars. | |||
| Japanese | カレッジ | ||
| カレッジ is the Japanese transcription of the English word "college", but it can also refer to a private high school or preparatory school, especially those emphasizing college entrance preparation. | |||
| Korean | 칼리지 | ||
| 한글 '칼리지'는 영어 'college'에서 유래했으며 원래는 사찰이나 교회 부설 학교를 의미했습니다. | |||
| Mongolian | коллеж | ||
| The Mongolian word "коллеж" derives from the French word "collège" and can also refer to a school or an educational institution. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကောလိပ် | ||
| The word "ကောလိပ်" (college) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the English word "college" and has the same meaning in both languages | |||
College in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perguruan tinggi | ||
| "Perguruan tinggi" is the Indonesian word for "college" or "university," and it literally means "high learning place". | |||
| Javanese | kuliah | ||
| In Indonesian and Malay, the term also refers to a meeting or assembly, and the word has roots in Sanskrit, where its original form denoted group discussion. | |||
| Khmer | មហាវិទ្យាល័យ | ||
| The Khmer word “mរុ⁄ង᠋•ន⁄បៃ•ត•” is derived from the Sanskrit word “mमहाविद्” meaning “great seat of learning” or “university”. | |||
| Lao | ວິທະຍາໄລ | ||
| Malay | kolej | ||
| The word "kolej" in Malay is derived from the Tamil word "kōḻi" meaning "hall". It can also refer to a university or a residential hall for students. | |||
| Thai | วิทยาลัย | ||
| The word 'วิทยาลัย' (college) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vidyalaya', meaning 'place of learning'. It can also refer to schools for specific disciplines, such as medical schools or law schools in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | trường đại học | ||
| The word "trường đại học" can also mean "university" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kolehiyo | ||
College in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kollec | ||
| 'Kollec' derives from the French 'collège', meaning 'group, community, or guild'. | |||
| Kazakh | колледж | ||
| The word "колледж" also means "lyceum" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | колледж | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "колледж" also means "secondary vocational school" or "vocational school". | |||
| Tajik | коллеҷ | ||
| The word "коллеҷ" comes from the Latin word "collegium", which means "a body of persons united for a common purpose." | |||
| Turkmen | kollej | ||
| Uzbek | kollej | ||
| Uyghur | ئالىي مەكتەپ | ||
College in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kulanui | ||
| The word "kulanui" also means "many birds" in Hawaiian, reflecting the large number of students who attend college. | |||
| Maori | kāreti | ||
| In Ngāpuhi, 'kāreti' also means 'to teach' or 'to show', while in K'te, 'kā' means 'to be at' and 'reti' means 'a meeting' or 'a council'. | |||
| Samoan | kolisi | ||
| The Samoan word 'kolisi' shares the same Polynesian root word for education as 'school' ('āoga') and means both 'education' and 'place of education'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kolehiyo | ||
| The Tagalog word "kolehiyo" comes from the Spanish word "colegio", which could mean various educational institutions, such as a grammar school, a high school or a college. | |||
College in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | masi | ||
| Guarani | mbo'ehaovusu | ||
College in International Languages
| Esperanto | kolegio | ||
| The Esperanto word "kolegio" is derived from the Latin word "collegium", which means "a group of persons associated for a common purpose". It can also refer to a boarding school or a university. | |||
| Latin | collegium | ||
| In ancient Rome, collegium was a corporate body, a guild of priests or other professionals, or a group of officials. | |||
College in Others Languages
| Greek | κολλέγιο | ||
| In Greek, "Κολλέγιο" can also refer to an institution of higher education, typically offering undergraduate or graduate programs and typically associated with a university. | |||
| Hmong | tsev kawm ntawv qib siab | ||
| Kurdish | zanko | ||
| The word "zanko" is derived from the Persian word "zanj", meaning "school" or "university". | |||
| Turkish | kolej | ||
| The word "kolej" in Turkish originates from the French word "collège" and initially referred to secondary schools, but now commonly refers to higher education institutions. | |||
| Xhosa | kwikholeji | ||
| The word "kwikholeji" derives from the English word "college" and also means "school" or "university" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָלעדזש | ||
| In Yiddish, "קאָלעדזש" (kolezsh) can also refer to the building where a yeshiva is located. | |||
| Zulu | ikolishi | ||
| The word "ikolishi" originally meant "a place of learning" or "a school" in Zulu, but has since come to specifically mean "college". | |||
| Assamese | মহাবিদ্যালয় | ||
| Aymara | masi | ||
| Bhojpuri | कालेज | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮލެޖް | ||
| Dogri | कालेज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kolehiyo | ||
| Guarani | mbo'ehaovusu | ||
| Ilocano | kolehiyo | ||
| Krio | kɔlɛj | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆلێژ | ||
| Maithili | महाविद्यालय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯂꯦꯖ | ||
| Mizo | zirna in | ||
| Oromo | koolleejjii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଲେଜ | ||
| Quechua | hatun yachay wasi | ||
| Sanskrit | महाविद्यालयं | ||
| Tatar | колледж | ||
| Tigrinya | ኮሌጅ | ||
| Tsonga | kholichi | ||