Computer in Different Languages
Discover 'Computer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At the heart of modern society lies the computer, a machine that has revolutionized the way we live, work, and communicate. From its early origins as a simple calculating device to the powerful, multi-functional tools we know today, the computer has had a profound impact on our cultural and economic landscape. But have you ever wondered how this remarkable invention is referred to in other languages?
Understanding the translation of 'computer' in different languages can offer a unique insight into the cultural significance of this technology around the world. For example, in Spanish, a computer is known as 'ordenador', reflecting its role in organizing and processing information. Meanwhile, in German, it is called 'Computer', a direct translation from English that highlights the global influence of this technology. And in Japanese, a computer is referred to as 'コンピュータ' (konpyuuta), a phonetic transcription of the English word.
By exploring these translations, we can gain a new appreciation for the cultural importance of the computer and the ways in which different societies have adapted to this technology. So, let's delve into the world of language and culture and discover how the word 'computer' is translated around the globe!
Computer
Computer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rekenaar | ||
| The word "rekenaar" is derived from the Dutch word "rekenen" meaning "to calculate". | |||
| Amharic | ኮምፒተር | ||
| The Amharic term "ኮምፒተር" (computer) is a loanword from the English language, adapted through transliteration of the original spelling, "computer." | |||
| Hausa | kwamfuta | ||
| The Hausa word 'kwamfuta' is derived from the English word 'computer' and literally means 'counting machine'. | |||
| Igbo | kọmputa | ||
| The Igbo word 'kọmputa' originates from the English word 'computer' and has no additional meanings in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | kajimirindra | ||
| The Malagasy word "kajimirindra" is derived from the Sanskrit words "kaja" (number) and "mirindra" (excellent), reflecting the computer's ability to perform complex calculations accurately. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kompyuta | ||
| The Nyanja word "kompyuta" comes from the English word "computer", and is also used to refer to a "calculator". | |||
| Shona | kombiyuta | ||
| The Shona word 'kombiyuta' is derived from the Afrikaans word 'kompuiter', which in turn comes from the English word 'computer'. | |||
| Somali | kombiyuutarka | ||
| "Kombiyuutarka" is the Somali word for "computer", and it is derived from the English word "computer". | |||
| Sesotho | khomphuta | ||
| The Sesotho word "khomphuta" is derived from the English word "computer" and is also used to refer to a television set. | |||
| Swahili | kompyuta | ||
| In Swahili, “kompyuta,” derived from English, originally meant "accountant". | |||
| Xhosa | ikhompyutha | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ikhompyutha' comes from the English word 'computer', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'computare', meaning 'to calculate'. | |||
| Yoruba | komputa | ||
| The Yoruba word "komputa" is derived from the English word "computer" and is primarily used to refer to desktop and laptop computers. | |||
| Zulu | ikhompyutha | ||
| "Ikhompyutha" is a Zulu word derived from the English word "computer", but it has also come to be used figuratively to refer to a person who is particularly skilled at using computers. | |||
| Bambara | ɔridinatɛri | ||
| Ewe | kɔmpuita | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mudasobwa | ||
| Lingala | ordinatere | ||
| Luganda | kompuuta | ||
| Sepedi | khomphutha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɔmputa | ||
Computer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الحاسوب | ||
| The word "الحاسوب" (computer) in Arabic is derived from the verb "حسب" (to calculate) and originally referred to a person who performed calculations. | |||
| Hebrew | מַחשֵׁב | ||
| The Hebrew word for "computer", "מַחשֵׁב", literally means "calculator". | |||
| Pashto | کمپیوټر | ||
| The word is derived from the word "calculate" and the Latin word "putare", meaning "to think". | |||
| Arabic | الحاسوب | ||
| The word "الحاسوب" (computer) in Arabic is derived from the verb "حسب" (to calculate) and originally referred to a person who performed calculations. | |||
Computer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kompjuter | ||
| "Kompjuter" is derived from the English word "computer" and also means "calculator" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | ordenagailua | ||
| 'Ordenagailua' is derived from Latin 'ordena' ('order') and Basque suffix '-gailu' ('instrument'). Its literal meaning is 'ordering instrument'. | |||
| Catalan | ordinador | ||
| In Catalan, "ordinador" can also refer to a schedule or organiser, highlighting its role as a tool for organising and planning. | |||
| Croatian | računalo | ||
| Računalo is the Croatian word for "computer," but it also means "calculator" or "account." | |||
| Danish | computer | ||
| In Danish, "computer" can also be used to refer to a person who works on computers or does data processing. | |||
| Dutch | computer | ||
| In Dutch, the word "computer" can also refer to a person who calculates or measures. | |||
| English | computer | ||
| The word 'computer' derives from Old French 'computor', meaning 'calculator' | |||
| French | ordinateur | ||
| The French word "ordinateur" originally meant "calculator", highlighting its initial role in numerical computation. | |||
| Frisian | kompjûter | ||
| Frisian has two words for 'computer': 'kompjûter' from English and 'rekener' from Dutch. | |||
| Galician | ordenador | ||
| In Galician, "ordenador" also means "organizer" or "one who orders". | |||
| German | computer | ||
| The word "Computer" in German can also mean "accountant" or "calculator" | |||
| Icelandic | tölvu | ||
| "Tölva" is a compound word derived from the Icelandic words "tala" (number) and "völva" (prophetess). | |||
| Irish | ríomhaire | ||
| Italian | computer | ||
| The Italian word "computer" comes from the Latin word "computare", meaning "to calculate". | |||
| Luxembourgish | computer | ||
| Computer als Zählmaschin, Rechner oder Rechenmaschine. | |||
| Maltese | kompjuter | ||
| In Maltese, "kompjuter" can mean "computer" or a "calculating machine". | |||
| Norwegian | datamaskin | ||
| "Datamaskin" is a Norwegian word for "computer" derived from the English word "data" and the Norwegian word "maskin" meaning "machine". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | computador | ||
| In Portuguese, 'computador' comes from the Latin 'computare,' meaning 'to calculate,' and was first used in the 18th century to refer to a person who performed mathematical calculations. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | coimpiutair | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "coimpiutair" is derived from the Gaelic word "coimhead" meaning "to see" and "putair" meaning "to count". | |||
| Spanish | computadora | ||
| In Spanish, "computadora" refers to a computer, but its etymology derives from "computare", meaning "to calculate". | |||
| Swedish | dator | ||
| The Swedish word "dator" originates from the Latin word "dator," which means "giver" or "provider." | |||
| Welsh | cyfrifiadur | ||
| Cyfrifiadur comes from 'cyfrifiad' (calculation), and the root word 'cyfrif' (number), meaning literally 'that which does calculations'. | |||
Computer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кампутар | ||
| The Belarusian word "кампутар" comes from the Russian word "компьютер", which in turn comes from the English word "computer". It can also mean "computing machine" or "electronic brain" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | računara | ||
| The word "računara" comes from the verb "računati" which means "to calculate" and the suffix "-ara" which indicates a female person or an object that performs an action. | |||
| Bulgarian | компютър | ||
| The word "компютър" comes from the Old Bulgarian word "сѫполагати" (săpolagati), which means "to calculate" or "to reckon". | |||
| Czech | počítač | ||
| The Czech word "počítač" also means "calculator". | |||
| Estonian | arvuti | ||
| The word | |||
| Finnish | tietokone | ||
| The word "tietokone" is derived from the words "tieto" (knowledge) and "kone" (machine). | |||
| Hungarian | számítógép | ||
| In Hungarian, "számítógép" literally means "counting machine", highlighting its original purpose as a calculating device. | |||
| Latvian | dators | ||
| "Dators" is also a type of a type of large predatory fish. | |||
| Lithuanian | kompiuteris | ||
| The word "kompiuteris" is derived from the French word "computer". | |||
| Macedonian | компјутер | ||
| The Macedonian word "компјутер" comes from the English word "computer", but can also refer specifically to a desktop computer. | |||
| Polish | komputer | ||
| The word "komputer" in Polish is derived from "komputować," meaning to calculate, and also has the obsolete meaning of "godfather." | |||
| Romanian | calculator | ||
| In Romanian, the word "calculator" also means "adding machine" or "abacus", and "computer" is translated as "calculator electronic". | |||
| Russian | компьютер | ||
| The Russian word "компьютер" is borrowed from English and has the alternate meaning of "calculator". | |||
| Serbian | рачунар | ||
| The Serbian word 'računar' originates from the verb 'računati' meaning 'to count' or 'to calculate'. | |||
| Slovak | počítač | ||
| In computational theory, a počítač is a Turing machine, or any other device capable of carrying out the same computations. | |||
| Slovenian | računalnik | ||
| The word 'računalnik' literally means 'something that calculates' in Slovenian, highlighting its primary function. | |||
| Ukrainian | комп'ютер | ||
| The Ukrainian word "комп'ютер" (computer) is derived from the French word "compter" (to count). | |||
Computer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কম্পিউটার | ||
| The word "computer" in Bengali comes from the Sanskrit word "gaṇaka," meaning "calculator." | |||
| Gujarati | કમ્પ્યુટર | ||
| The word 'computer' in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कम्प्यूट' (compūṭ), meaning 'to reckon' or 'to calculate'. | |||
| Hindi | संगणक | ||
| The word संगणक (computer) originates from the Sanskrit word 'sangana', which means 'to calculate or compute'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ | ||
| コンピューター (computer) は、日本語で計算機を意味する言葉で、英語の compute (計算する) に由来します。 | |||
| Malayalam | കമ്പ്യൂട്ടർ | ||
| Marathi | संगणक | ||
| The word "संगणक" in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit word "संगणना" (saṅgaṇanā), meaning "calculation" or "computation." | |||
| Nepali | कम्प्युटर | ||
| The word "कम्प्युटर" is derived from the Latin word "computare," meaning "to calculate." | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੰਪਿ .ਟਰ | ||
| The word "ਕੰਪਿ .ਟਰ" is derived from the English word "compute" which means to calculate or perform mathematical operations. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරිගණක | ||
| The word "පරිගණක" (computer) is derived from the Sanskrit word "parisamkhya" meaning "calculation" or "enumeration". | |||
| Tamil | கணினி | ||
| The word "கணினி" originally referred to a person who performed calculations, and also means "to calculate" or "to compute" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | కంప్యూటర్ | ||
| The word "कंप्यూट" (compute) derives from the Latin "computāre," meaning to count or reckon. | |||
| Urdu | کمپیوٹر | ||
| The Urdu word 'کمپیوٹر' is derived from the English word 'computer' and originally meant 'calculator'. | |||
Computer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 电脑 | ||
| 电脑 also refers to an electronic brain used to simulate a human brain's calculating function | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 電腦 | ||
| 電腦 (traditional Chinese for "computer") literally means "electric brain" (電: electric, 腦: brain). | |||
| Japanese | コンピューター | ||
| The word "コンピューター" (computer) in Japanese means "calculation equipment" or "computing machine" when directly translated. | |||
| Korean | 컴퓨터 | ||
| "컴퓨터" is a Korean word derived from the English word "computer", which means "computer", "electronic digital computer", or "human computer that calculates". | |||
| Mongolian | компьютер | ||
| The word "компьютер" can also mean "calculator" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကွန်ပျူတာ | ||
Computer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | komputer | ||
| In Indonesian, "komputer" also means "calculator." | |||
| Javanese | komputer | ||
| The Javanese word "komputer" also means "calculator" or "counting machine". | |||
| Khmer | កុំព្យូទ័រ | ||
| Lao | ຄອມພິວເຕີ | ||
| Malay | komputer | ||
| In Malay, "komputer" also refers to "computor", a person who computes. | |||
| Thai | คอมพิวเตอร์ | ||
| The Thai word "คอมพิวเตอร์" (computer) originates from the Sanskrit word "कम्प्यूट" (comput), meaning "to calculate". | |||
| Vietnamese | máy vi tính | ||
| The word "máy vi tính" literally translates to "counting machine" in Vietnamese, highlighting its original purpose in performing calculations. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kompyuter | ||
Computer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kompüter | ||
| Azerbaijani word "kompüter" is the derivative of "to calculate" in English. | |||
| Kazakh | компьютер | ||
| The Kazakh word "компьютер" also refers to the Kazakh alphabet and the Cyrillic alphabet used to write Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | компьютер | ||
| The word "компьютер" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Russian word "компьютер" and can also refer to a "calculator" or "processor" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | компютер | ||
| The Tajik word "компютер" is a Russian borrowing and is used in the same sense in both languages. | |||
| Turkmen | kompýuter | ||
| Uzbek | kompyuter | ||
| The word "kompyuter" also means "assistant" or "companion" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | كومپيۇتېر | ||
Computer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kamepiula | ||
| Kamepiula is also the name of an ancient Polynesian god, which is where it draws the second half of its name from. | |||
| Maori | rorohiko | ||
| The Maori word "rorohiko" is derived from the words "roro" (to think) and "hiko" (to move or travel), suggesting that a computer is a tool for thought that moves or travels information. | |||
| Samoan | komepiuta | ||
| The word "komepiuta" can mean either "computer" or "television" in Samoan.} | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | computer | ||
| In Filipino, "kompyuter" can also refer to a "calculator". | |||
Computer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | atamiri | ||
| Guarani | mohendaha | ||
Computer in International Languages
| Esperanto | komputilo | ||
| The word "komputilo" derives from the Latin "computare," meaning "to calculate" or "to reckon." | |||
| Latin | computatrum | ||
| In Latin, the term "computatrum" originally referred to a mathematician or accountant, and only later came to mean "computer". | |||
Computer in Others Languages
| Greek | υπολογιστή | ||
| The Greek word "υπολογιστή" comes from the verb "υπολογίζω" (hypologízo), which means "to calculate" or "to estimate". | |||
| Hmong | khoos phis tawj | ||
| The word 'khoos phis tawj' literally means 'think speak hear' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | komûter | ||
| The word "komûter" can also be used to refer to a device that converts one type of signal or data to another, such as an audio or video converter. | |||
| Turkish | bilgisayar | ||
| The word 'bilgisayar' is the Turkish equivalent of 'computer', derived from the words 'bilgi' (knowledge) and 'sayar' (counter). | |||
| Xhosa | ikhompyutha | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ikhompyutha' comes from the English word 'computer', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'computare', meaning 'to calculate'. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָמפּיוטער | ||
| "קאָמפּיוטער" is also used informally to refer to someone who is very good at mental calculations. | |||
| Zulu | ikhompyutha | ||
| "Ikhompyutha" is a Zulu word derived from the English word "computer", but it has also come to be used figuratively to refer to a person who is particularly skilled at using computers. | |||
| Assamese | কম্পিউটাৰ | ||
| Aymara | atamiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | कंपूटर | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮމްޕިއުޓަރު | ||
| Dogri | कंप्यूटर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kompyuter | ||
| Guarani | mohendaha | ||
| Ilocano | kompiuter | ||
| Krio | kɔmpyuta | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆمپیوتەر | ||
| Maithili | कंप्युटर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯝꯄ꯭ꯌꯨꯇꯔ | ||
| Mizo | computer | ||
| Oromo | koompiitara | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କମ୍ପ୍ୟୁଟର | ||
| Quechua | computadora | ||
| Sanskrit | संगणक | ||
| Tatar | компьютер | ||
| Tigrinya | ኮምፒዩተር | ||
| Tsonga | khomphyuta | ||