Conversation in different languages

Conversation in Different Languages

Discover 'Conversation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Conversation: it's a simple word, yet it holds a world of meaning. Conversations are the lifeblood of human connection, the bridges that link us to one another. They're how we share ideas, tell stories, and understand the world around us. But the significance of conversation goes beyond the personal. It's a cultural phenomenon, a universal language that transcends borders and connects us all.

Consider the fact that, despite our diverse languages and dialects, the structure of conversation remains remarkably consistent across cultures. We take turns speaking, listen actively, and respond appropriately. It's a testament to the fundamental human need for connection and communication.

Moreover, understanding the translation of conversation in different languages can open up new worlds of cultural understanding. For instance, did you know that in Japanese, 'conversation' is 'tsuuchou' (通帳)? Or that in Spanish, it's 'conversación'? These translations not only provide a linguistic insight but also a cultural one.

So, join us as we delve into the translations of conversation in various languages. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or just someone curious about the world, there's something here for everyone.

Conversation


Conversation in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansgesprek
The Afrikaans word "gesprek" is derived from the Dutch word "gesprek", which can also mean "discussion", "discourse", or "debate".
Amharicውይይት
The term 'ውይይት' has a shared Indo-European root with ‘conversation’ and ‘colloquy’
Hausahira
The Hausa word "hira" also refers to a gathering of friends for social interaction or storytelling.
Igbomkparịta ụka
Malagasyresaka
The word "resaka" in Malagasy can also refer to a "ripple" or "wave" on water.
Nyanja (Chichewa)zokambirana
The word "zokambirana" also means "to share a meal" in Nyanja, highlighting the importance of conversation during communal dining experiences.
Shonahurukuro
The Shona term "hurukuro" can also refer to a particular type of bird known for its vocalizations
Somaliwadahadal
Wada is an imperative verbal noun in Somali, with wad meaning 'speak' and hadi meaning 'this place'.
Sesothopuisano
The word "puisano" also means "speech" or "communication".
Swahilimazungumzo
The word "mazungumzo" originates from the Arabic word "muhadithah", which means "dialogue" or "conversation."
Xhosaincoko
The word "incoko" can also refer to a "group of people engaged in conversation" or a "topic of conversation" in Xhosa.
Yorubaibaraẹnisọrọ
Ibaraẹnisọrọ also means "to be in good terms with someone"}
Zuluingxoxo
In Zulu, 'ingxoxo' also means 'a matter' or 'an issue', implying that conversation is a social process of addressing and resolving shared concerns.
Bambaramasala
Ewedzeɖoɖo
Kinyarwandaikiganiro
Lingalalisolo
Lugandaemboozi
Sepedipoledišano
Twi (Akan)nkɔmmɔdie

Conversation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمحادثة
The word 'محادثة' is derived from the root word 'حدَث', which means 'to happen' or 'to take place'.
Hebrewשִׂיחָה
The Hebrew word שיח “conversation” also means “shrub”, possibly due to the idea of multiple branches of communication growing from a central trunk.
Pashtoخبرې
In Pashto, the word "خبرې" can also mean "news" or "information", originating from the Persian word "khabar" which has the same meanings.
Arabicمحادثة
The word 'محادثة' is derived from the root word 'حدَث', which means 'to happen' or 'to take place'.

Conversation in Western European Languages

Albanianbisedë
Albanian "bisedë" is related to "besë" ("promise") and reflects the trust needed for a meaningful conversation.
Basqueelkarrizketa
Elkarrizketa comes from the Basque word elkar, meaning "together", and hitz, meaning "word".
Catalanconversa
The word "conversa" in Catalan can also mean "Jewish person who converted to Christianity in Medieval Spain" or "person in a monastic community following the rule of Saint Benedict".
Croatianrazgovor
In Croatian, razgovor also means 'interview', or 'discussion' (such as on a radio or TV series).
Danishsamtale
The word 'samtale' comes from the Old Norse words 'samr' (together) and 'tala' (to speak), and can also refer to a 'dialogue' or 'chat'.
Dutchgesprek
Gesprek also means "woven" or "braided" in Dutch.
Englishconversation
The word "conversation" derives from the Latin "conversari," meaning "to keep company with, associate with, live with."
Frenchconversation
In French, the word "conversation" can also mean "relationship" or "conduct", highlighting the multifaceted nature of human interactions.
Frisianpetear
Petear comes from the French word "parler" meaning "to speak" and originally referred to the act of gossiping
Galicianconversa
A 'conversa' can refer to either the physical space where Galician is spoken, as opposed to a 'fala' which is the same but referring to an Asturian-Leonese-influenced area, or it can refer to a social space, such as the one created during 'xuntanzas', social meetings where the purpose is usually the preservation and dissemination of Galician language.
Germankonversation
"Konversation" can also refer to a musical ensemble consisting of a group of instruments playing together.
Icelandicsamtal
The word 'samtal' also means 'talk' or 'discussion'.
Irishcomhrá
The word 'comhrá' is derived from the Proto-Celtic word '*kom-rog-i̯a', meaning 'conversation'.
Italianconversazione
The Italian word "conversazione" can also mean a social gathering or a lecture given at such a gathering.
Luxembourgishgespréich
The word "Gespréich" is a compound of the words "ge-" ("together") and "spréchen" ("to speak"), hence its original meaning is "speaking together".
Maltesekonversazzjoni
The Maltese word 'konversazzjoni', meaning 'conversation' in English, was influenced by the Italian word 'conversazione', indicating a 'social gathering for a lively exchange of views'.
Norwegiansamtale
The Norwegian word “samtale” is cognate with the English word “simultaneous,” indicating the idea of 'same time' speech.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)conversação
The Portuguese word "conversação" can also refer to an informal gathering where people chat and exchange ideas.
Scots Gaeliccòmhradh
Spanishconversacion
"Conversación" derives from "convergere," the Latin root meaning "come together," and the suffix "-ción," indicating action. It can also refer to a specific topic discussed among friends.
Swedishkonversation
In Swedish, 'konversation' can also refer to a musical conversation between instruments.
Welshsgwrs
The word "sgwrs" is cognate with the Irish "comhrá", meaning "conversation", and the Breton "komz", meaning "speech".

Conversation in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianразмова
"Размова" is also used in Belarusian to mean an "interview" or an "interrogation".
Bosnianrazgovor
Razgovor is also an old Slavic word for dispute or quarrel
Bulgarianразговор
The word разговор is derived from the Proto-Slavic term *govoriti*, meaning "to speak" and cognate with the English "gabble"
Czechkonverzace
The Czech word "konverzace" also means "a conversation with a lady at a party".
Estonianvestlus
"Vestlus" (conversation) shares its root with "vest" (bow), reflecting the idea of respectfully acknowledging someone before initiating a conversation.
Finnishkeskustelu
The word "keskustelu" literally means "a central path".
Hungarianbeszélgetés
The word "beszélgetés" in Hungarian derives from "beszámít", meaning both "to include" and "to count on".
Latviansaruna
In Sanskrit, the word "saruna" means "to speak or converse".
Lithuanianpokalbis
Pokalbis derives from kalbėti, 'to speak', as in kalba, 'language'.
Macedonianразговор
The word "разговор" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*govoriti", meaning "to speak", and is related to the Russian word "говор" (speech, talk).
Polishrozmowa
"Rozmowa" is also a colloquial term for "interview" or "interrogation" in Polish.
Romanianconversaţie
In Romanian, "conversaţie" also denotes the action of turning someone into a Catholic (especially when referring to Jews who converted during the Spanish Inquisition).
Russianразговор
The word "разговор" also means "talk" or "speech" in Russian.
Serbianразговор
The Serbian word 'razgovor' comes from the Proto-Slavic root meaning 'to speak, tell, show'
Slovakkonverzácia
"Konverzácia" is a Slovak word derived from the Latin verb "conversari", meaning "to associate with" or "to have dealings with".
Slovenianpogovor
The Slovenian word 'pogovor' can also mean 'agreement' or 'negotiation', and is related to the word 'pogodba', meaning 'contract'.
Ukrainianрозмова
"Розмова" comes from "роз-" - "apart" and "мова" - "speech", so it can also mean "dividing the speech".

Conversation in South Asian Languages

Bengaliকথোপকথন
The word "কথোপকথন" derives from the Sanskrit words "katha" (speech) and "upakatha" (a short story), and its meanings include "dialogue" and "recitation"
Gujaratiવાતચીત
"વાતચીત" comes from Sanskrit, where "vach" means "speech" and "chit" means "thought".
Hindiबातचीत
The Hindi word "बातचीत" is derived from the Sanskrit words "वाद" meaning "speech" and "चित्त" meaning "mind".
Kannadaಸಂಭಾಷಣೆ
The word "ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆ" (sambhashane) in Kannada can also mean "discussion", "dialogue", or "chat".
Malayalamസംഭാഷണം
"സംഭാഷണം" (conversation) is derived from the Sanskrit word "sam-ava-shash" meaning "to speak together."
Marathiसंभाषण
"संभाषण" comes from "सं" (with, together) and "भाषण" (speech), thus its literal meaning is "speaking together".
Nepaliकुराकानी
The word 'कुराकानी' derives from two words: 'कुरा' (talk) and 'कानी' (ear), and can also mean gossip or chit-chat.
Punjabiਗੱਲਬਾਤ
The word "ਗੱਲਬਾਤ" literally means "talking-conversation" in Punjabi, highlighting the interactive and reciprocal nature of conversations.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සාකච්ඡාව
In Sinhala, සාකච්ඡාව can also refer to an exchange of views or a debate, highlighting its broader usage beyond everyday conversation.
Tamilஉரையாடல்
The word "உரையாடல்" derives from the Tamil roots "உரை" (speech) and "ஆடல்" (dance), which together convey the idea of a rhythmic exchange of words.
Teluguసంభాషణ
The word "సంభాషణ" comes from the Sanskrit word "संभाषा" (sam-bhaasha), meaning "speaking together" or "exchange of words".
Urduگفتگو
The Urdu word "گفتگو" comes from the Persian word "گفت و گو", meaning "talk" and "chat" and is also the root of the English word "dialogue".

Conversation in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)会话
The second definition of "会话" is a talk that discusses a set of specified subjects between members of a panel who often have specific areas of expertise
Chinese (Traditional)會話
會話"(conversation) is also used in the sense of "meeting" or "interview."
Japanese会話
会話 also means “mutual agreement” in legal matters, and as such can appear in phrases like “契約の会話” (agreement to contract).
Korean대화
"대화" initially meant "to exchange words" and its current meaning of "conversation" was established in the 1910s.
Mongolianяриа
In Khitan, 'iar' meant 'to say', and this could be the source of Mongolian 'iariy' ('to speak').
Myanmar (Burmese)စကားပြောဆိုမှု
This word can also mean "negotiation" or "exchange of words".

Conversation in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianpercakapan
The Indonesian word "percakapan" derives from the Sanskrit word "parikrama" which means "walking around".
Javanesepacelathon
In Javanese, "pacelathon" also means "to talk slowly and deliberately"
Khmerការសន្ទនា
Laoການສົນທະນາ
Malayperbualan
The word 'perbualan' is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word '*paR-buRaq', which means 'to speak'.
Thaiการสนทนา
"การสนทนา" can also refer to a "gathering" or "forum"
Vietnamesecuộc hội thoại
The Vietnamese word "cuộc hội thoại" literally means "a string of meetings", and can also refer to a discussion between just two people, not just a multi-person group.
Filipino (Tagalog)pag-uusap

Conversation in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanisöhbət
The word "söhbət" can also mean "a gathering of friends or family for a convivial chat" in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhәңгіме
Kyrgyzсүйлөшүү
Tajikгуфтугӯ
The word "гуфтугӯ" (conversation) is derived from the Persian word "گفتگو" (conversation), which is composed of the verb "گفتن" (to speak) and the noun "گو" (speech).
Turkmensöhbetdeşlik
Uzbeksuhbat
The word "suhbat" in Uzbek, derived from Arabic, also carries the meaning of companionship or society.
Uyghurسۆھبەت

Conversation in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankamailio ana
Although kamailio ana can mean "conversation," it may also refer to "talking to" or "speaking with" someone.
Maorikorerorero
Korerorero, meaning 'conversation', can also refer to 'a group' or 'a meeting' in Maori.
Samoantalanoaga
The Samoan word "tālānōaga," which translates to "conversation," can also refer to a "story" or a "recital" in the extended sense of a conversation that takes place between individuals.
Tagalog (Filipino)usapan
Usapan is derived from the root word "usap" which means "to speak" or "to talk".

Conversation in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraaruskipawi
Guaraniñomongeta

Conversation in International Languages

Esperantokonversacio
The Esperanto word "konversacio" can also refer to a particular form of poetry.
Latincolloquium
In ancient Rome, "colloquium" was not only a dialogue but also a private meeting between an important person and their client.

Conversation in Others Languages

Greekσυνομιλία
In Ancient Greek, "συνομιλία" referred to any intellectual exchange and could sometimes even mean "reading together".
Hmongkev sib tham
The word "kev sib tham" is derived from the phrase "kev thooj sib hais," which means "to speak and share words with each other."
Kurdishkêfî
The Kurdish word "kêfî" can also mean "mood" or "state of mind".
Turkishkonuşma
"Konuşma" can also refer to "speech" (as in public address) due to its derivation from the word "konuşmak" which means both"to speak" and "to converse".
Xhosaincoko
The word "incoko" can also refer to a "group of people engaged in conversation" or a "topic of conversation" in Xhosa.
Yiddishשמועס
The Yiddish word "שמועס" can also refer to a gossip or a tall tale.
Zuluingxoxo
In Zulu, 'ingxoxo' also means 'a matter' or 'an issue', implying that conversation is a social process of addressing and resolving shared concerns.
Assameseকথা-বাৰ্তা
Aymaraaruskipawi
Bhojpuriबतकही
Dhivehiވާހަކަ
Dogriगल्ल-बात
Filipino (Tagalog)pag-uusap
Guaraniñomongeta
Ilocanopanagsao
Kriotɔk
Kurdish (Sorani)گفتوگۆ
Maithiliबातचीत
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯋꯥꯔꯤ ꯋꯥꯇꯥꯏ ꯁꯥꯕ
Mizoinbiakna
Oromohaasaa
Odia (Oriya)ବାର୍ତ୍ତାଳାପ |
Quechuarimanakuy
Sanskritसंवादः
Tatarсөйләшү
Tigrinyaዝርርብ
Tsongambhurisano

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