Consumption in Different Languages
Discover 'Consumption' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'consumption' holds a significant place in our lives, often associated with the idea of using up resources or the purchasing power of individuals. Its cultural importance is evident in the way it shapes economic theories, environmental debates, and even our daily habits.
Delving into the translations of 'consumption' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into how various cultures perceive and interact with this concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'consumption' is 'consumo'; in French, it's 'consommation'; and in German, it's 'Konsum'. These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances in the way these countries approach and regulate consumption.
Understanding the word 'consumption' in a global context can be intriguing, enlightening, and even fun. It's a journey that takes you through languages, cultures, and histories, offering a unique perspective on this everyday term.
Consumption
Consumption in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verbruik | ||
| "Verbruik" in Afrikaans is also used in the sense of "usage" or "utilization" in English. | |||
| Amharic | ፍጆታ | ||
| The word ፍጆታ can also be used to refer to the act of eating or drinking something. | |||
| Hausa | amfani | ||
| While not a direct cognate, the word 'amfani' shares the same root with the word 'fa'ani', which means 'to use' | |||
| Igbo | oriri | ||
| In Igbo, the word 'oriri' also has the alternate meaning of 'the act of borrowing or lending money or goods'. | |||
| Malagasy | fihinanana | ||
| The word "fihinanana" is derived from the root word "fihinana," which means "to eat" or "to consume." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumwa | ||
| The word "kumwa" also means "to drink" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | kunwa | ||
| Shona "kunwa" can also mean "drinking" or "smoking," reflecting the association between consumption and substance use. | |||
| Somali | cunid | ||
| The word "cunid" also means "disposal" or "disappearance" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | tshebediso | ||
| The word "tshebediso" can also refer to the act of using or consuming something, or to the state of being consumed or used up. | |||
| Swahili | matumizi | ||
| In Swahili, the word "matumizi" can also mean "usage," "employ," or "apply." | |||
| Xhosa | ukusetyenziswa | ||
| The word "ukusetyenziswa" in Xhosa has additional meanings such as "employment" and "consumption." | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| Agbara's homonym means strength or power | |||
| Zulu | ukusetshenziswa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukusetshenziswa" literally means "to be made to work" and can also refer to the act of using something up, such as consuming resources or time. | |||
| Bambara | dunmuli | ||
| Ewe | nu ɖuɖu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukoresha | ||
| Lingala | komela | ||
| Luganda | okumalawo | ||
| Sepedi | tšhomišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ne di | ||
Consumption in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | استهلاك | ||
| The word "استهلاك" also means "using up" or "running out" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | צְרִיכָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "צְרִיכָה" (consumption) also means "need" or "requirement." | |||
| Pashto | مصرف | ||
| In Pashto, "مصرف" also translates to "expenditure", emphasizing not just the act of consuming but also its associated monetary expenses. | |||
| Arabic | استهلاك | ||
| The word "استهلاك" also means "using up" or "running out" in Arabic. | |||
Consumption in Western European Languages
| Albanian | konsumi | ||
| The word "konsumi" (consumption) in Albanian can also refer to a meal or a treat. | |||
| Basque | kontsumoa | ||
| The word "kontsumoa" means "action of using something up" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | consum | ||
| "Consum" in Catalan originates from the Latin "consumptum," meaning "completion" or "destruction," implying the act of using something up or exhausting it. | |||
| Croatian | potrošnja | ||
| "Potrošnja" derives from the verb "potresti" meaning "to shake; to use up" but the root "pros" points to the process of "asking, requiring, consuming" that is also found in "prositi" (to beg), "prorok" (prophet) and "prosjak" (beggar). | |||
| Danish | forbrug | ||
| The word "forbrug" originally meant "use of firewood". | |||
| Dutch | consumptie | ||
| In Dutch, "consumptie" besides meaning "consumption" can also denote the drinks or snacks actually consumed, or the charge for them, or even the act of consuming | |||
| English | consumption | ||
| The word 'consumption' originally referred to the act of consuming, but now also refers to the disease tuberculosis. | |||
| French | consommation | ||
| Consommation can also mean the drink one enjoys at the end of a meal in French, a connotation lost in English. | |||
| Frisian | konsumpsje | ||
| The term "konsumpsje" in Frisian can also refer to a social gathering where food and drinks are shared. | |||
| Galician | consumo | ||
| In Galician, "consumo" also means "spending" or "use." | |||
| German | verbrauch | ||
| The word "Verbrauch" stems from Middle High German's "verbrūchen", meaning "spend" or "use up". | |||
| Icelandic | neysla | ||
| This word is probably a loanword from an Old Scandinavian word cognate with the Swedish word "näsla", meaning "nettle". | |||
| Irish | caitheamh | ||
| The Irish word "caitheamh" means "consumption" in English but can also refer to "spending" or "eating." | |||
| Italian | consumo | ||
| The word "consumo" derives from the Latin "consumere", meaning "to use up", suggesting a wide range of meanings beyond "consumption" in English. | |||
| Luxembourgish | konsum | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Konsum" also refers to a supermarket chain, established in 1925. | |||
| Maltese | konsum | ||
| Maltese 'konsum' shares the root word 'consume' in English, meaning to use up. | |||
| Norwegian | forbruk | ||
| The word "forbruk" derives from the Old Norse "forbrúka," meaning "to destroy" or "to use up." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | consumo | ||
| "Consumo" is also used in Portuguese to refer the act of consuming something, as in "consumo de alimentos" (consumption of food). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | caitheamh | ||
| The verb form can also mean 'to spend' (of time or money). | |||
| Spanish | consumo | ||
| The Spanish word "consumo" ultimately derives from the Latin "consumere," meaning "to use up" or "to destroy. | |||
| Swedish | konsumtion | ||
| "Konsumtion" can mean either "consumption" or "consumerism" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | defnydd | ||
| Defnydd can also mean 'use', 'consumption', 'expenditure', 'usage', or 'application'. | |||
Consumption in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спажыванне | ||
| The word "спажыванне" can also refer to the act of using or utilizing something, especially in a way that depletes or exhausts it. | |||
| Bosnian | potrošnja | ||
| The word 'potrošnja' in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'potrъbъ', meaning 'need' or 'demand'. | |||
| Bulgarian | консумация | ||
| The Bulgarian word "консумация" also means "celebration of a marriage". | |||
| Czech | spotřeba | ||
| The word "spotřeba" also means "need" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | tarbimine | ||
| Tarbimine is a loanword from Russian and is related to the verb 'tarvitama,' meaning 'to use.' | |||
| Finnish | kulutus | ||
| The word "kulutus" in Finnish originates from the verb "kuluttaa", meaning "to consume" or "to spend". | |||
| Hungarian | fogyasztás | ||
| The Hungarian word "fogyasztás" also means "purchase" or "consumption" in an economic sense. | |||
| Latvian | patēriņš | ||
| Latvian word "patērinš'' originates in Old-Prussian word ''patturis'', meaning "a container." | |||
| Lithuanian | vartojimas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vartojimas" can also refer to "usage" or "expenditure". | |||
| Macedonian | потрошувачката | ||
| The Macedonian word "потрошувачката" is derived from the verb "трошам" (to consume) and means the act or process of consuming goods and services. | |||
| Polish | konsumpcja | ||
| The word "konsumpcja" derived from the Latin "consumptio" and also means "wasting" or "destruction". | |||
| Romanian | consum | ||
| Besides the medical sense, in Romanian "consum" can also refer to a product or object's use, expenditure, or the act of completing something. | |||
| Russian | потребление | ||
| In Russian, "потребление" can have the additional meanings of "consumption" and "demand". | |||
| Serbian | потрошња | ||
| In Serbian, the word "потрошња" can also mean "waste" or "spending". | |||
| Slovak | spotreba | ||
| The word "spotreba" is derived from "spotrebovať" meaning "to use up" and also refers to "demand" or "usage". | |||
| Slovenian | poraba | ||
| The word "poraba" can also mean "usage" or "utilization" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | споживання | ||
| The word "споживання" in Ukrainian can also refer to the process of using or depleting a resource. | |||
Consumption in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | খরচ | ||
| In Sanskrit, "kṣhār" means "alkali" or "caustic substance", and in Bengali, "khār" refers to a type of alkaline earth, such as potash or soda. | |||
| Gujarati | વપરાશ | ||
| The word "વપરાશ" in Gujarati can also mean "usage" or "practice", depending on the context. | |||
| Hindi | सेवन | ||
| The word "सेवन" (consumption) in Hindi can also mean "use" or "intake", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "सेवन" (to consume, to use). | |||
| Kannada | ಬಳಕೆ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಬಳಕೆ" can also mean "usage" or "utilization". | |||
| Malayalam | ഉപഭോഗം | ||
| The word 'ഉപഭോഗം' is cognate with Sanskrit 'उपभोग' ('enjoyment') but in Malayalam, it has come to mean 'consumption' or 'expenditure'. | |||
| Marathi | वापर | ||
| The word 'वापर' (vāpar) in Marathi, besides meaning 'consumption', also means 'use'. | |||
| Nepali | उपभोग | ||
| The word "उपभोग" can also refer to "utilization" or "enjoyment" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਖਪਤ | ||
| In addition to its medical meaning, the Punjabi word 'ਖਪਤ' (consumption) has several other meanings, including 'spending' and 'destruction'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරිභෝජනය | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "පරිභෝජනය" also carries connotations of use or utilization, akin to its English counterpart "consumption." | |||
| Tamil | நுகர்வு | ||
| The Tamil word **நுகர்வு** (consumption) also means "enjoyment" and "experience." | |||
| Telugu | వినియోగం | ||
| In Telugu, "వినియోగం" (consumption) can also refer to the concept of "expenditure" or "utilization". | |||
| Urdu | کھپت | ||
| Urdu 'کھپت' means consumption, while the alternate Sanskrit origin 'क्षपण' means destruction. | |||
Consumption in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 消费 | ||
| 消费 is also used to refer to "spending" or "the act of buying goods and services" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 消費 | ||
| Originally referred to the destruction of goods, 消費 is often used to refer to personal spending, but can also mean "dissipation". | |||
| Japanese | 消費 | ||
| The Chinese character "費" in "消費" also appears in "浪費" (extravagance) | |||
| Korean | 소비 | ||
| In Korean, the word "소비" (consumption) also means "enjoyment" or "expenditure". | |||
| Mongolian | хэрэглээ | ||
| In Mongolian, 'хэрэглээ' also means 'use, usage, application, utilization, employment, operation, running, functioning, or activity.' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စားသုံးမှု | ||
Consumption in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | konsumsi | ||
| The Indonesian word "konsumsi" can also mean "usage" or "utilization" in some contexts. | |||
| Javanese | konsumsi | ||
| In Javanese, "konsumsi" also refers to the practice of buying goods or services for immediate use rather than for long-term storage. | |||
| Khmer | ការប្រើប្រាស់ | ||
| The Khmer word for "consumption" is derived from the Sanskrit word "karya", which means "action" or "work". | |||
| Lao | ການບໍລິໂພກ | ||
| Malay | penggunaan | ||
| Penggunaan can also refer to the act of using something for a particular purpose. | |||
| Thai | การบริโภค | ||
| In addition to consumption, 'การบริโภค' also refers to consumption of resources, ideas, etc. | |||
| Vietnamese | tiêu dùng | ||
| "Tiêu dùng" (consumption) also refers to the act of "spending money" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkonsumo | ||
Consumption in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istehlak | ||
| Istehlak in Azerbaijani also refers to the economic concept of "depreciation" or the decline in the value of an asset over time. | |||
| Kazakh | тұтыну | ||
| 'Тұтыну' also refers to the physiological need of an organism for food and water | |||
| Kyrgyz | керектөө | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "керектөө" can also refer to the process of using or employing something. | |||
| Tajik | истеъмол | ||
| ИСТЪМОЛ means to drink something or to use some electricity (or other resources) | |||
| Turkmen | sarp etmek | ||
| Uzbek | iste'mol | ||
| "Iste'mol" also means "to use" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىستېمال | ||
Consumption in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻai ʻana | ||
| ʻAi ʻana can also refer to the consumption of kapu foods or the giving and receiving of food within a Hawaiian ceremony, ritual, or event. | |||
| Maori | kohi | ||
| Kohi can also mean 'to long for', 'to desire' or 'to covet' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | faʻaaogaina | ||
| The word fa'aaogaina is also used to describe the physical process by which someone or something is consumed. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkonsumo | ||
| In Tagalog, "pagkonsumo" also refers to the process of using a product or service. | |||
Consumption in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tukhawi | ||
| Guarani | hi'upyje'u | ||
Consumption in International Languages
| Esperanto | konsumado | ||
| The Esperanto word "konsumado" also means "perfected" or "completed." | |||
| Latin | consummatio | ||
| The Latin word "consummatio" signifies not only the act of consuming but also the state of being complete or perfect. | |||
Consumption in Others Languages
| Greek | κατανάλωση | ||
| The word "κατανάλωση" can also refer to the depreciation of assets. | |||
| Hmong | kev noj | ||
| The Hmong word "kev noj" can also refer to tuberculosis or other lung diseases. | |||
| Kurdish | xerc | ||
| Xerc is also a term used in literature to describe a wasting away or atrophy. | |||
| Turkish | tüketim | ||
| The word "tüketim" in Turkish also refers to the act of using or spending something, such as energy or resources. | |||
| Xhosa | ukusetyenziswa | ||
| The word "ukusetyenziswa" in Xhosa has additional meanings such as "employment" and "consumption." | |||
| Yiddish | קאַנסאַמשאַן | ||
| The Yiddish word "קאָנסאַמשאַן" (consumption) can also refer to "tuberculosis" | |||
| Zulu | ukusetshenziswa | ||
| The Zulu word "ukusetshenziswa" literally means "to be made to work" and can also refer to the act of using something up, such as consuming resources or time. | |||
| Assamese | সেৱন | ||
| Aymara | tukhawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | खपत | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޭނުންކުރެވޭ މިންވަރު | ||
| Dogri | खपत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkonsumo | ||
| Guarani | hi'upyje'u | ||
| Ilocano | panangbusbus | ||
| Krio | ɔmɔs yu yuz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەکارهێنان | ||
| Maithili | उपभोग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯖꯤꯟꯅꯕꯒꯤ ꯆꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | hmanralna | ||
| Oromo | fayyadama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟବହାର | ||
| Quechua | consumo | ||
| Sanskrit | उपभोग | ||
| Tatar | куллану | ||
| Tigrinya | ምህላኽ | ||
| Tsonga | ku dya | ||