Copy in Different Languages
Discover 'Copy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'copy' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often used to refer to written or printed matter, as well as the process of reproducing or duplicating text or content. Its cultural importance is evident in the publishing, advertising, and design industries, where 'copy' refers to the written text that accompanies visuals or products. But have you ever wondered what 'copy' is called in other languages?
Understanding the translation of 'copy' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures approach and value written communication. For instance, in Spanish, 'copy' is translated as 'copia,' while in German, it's 'Kopie.' In French, 'copy' is 'copie' as well, reflecting the language's influence on English. And in Japanese, 'copy' is 'コピー' (ko-pi-i), which is written in katakana, a script used for foreign words.
By learning these translations, you can not only expand your cultural knowledge but also enhance your communication skills when working with international colleagues or clients. So, let's explore the many translations of 'copy' and see how this simple word connects us all.
Copy
Copy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kopie | ||
| The word "kopie" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "copie" meaning "copy", and can also refer to a ranch or farm. | |||
| Amharic | ቅጅ | ||
| The word 'ቅጅ' has an alternate meaning of 'tracing paper'. | |||
| Hausa | kwafa | ||
| The word "kwafa" also means "to steal" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | oyiri | ||
| In the Igbo language, "oyiri" can mean either "copy" or "trace". | |||
| Malagasy | dika mitovy | ||
| The word "dika mitovy" in Malagasy can also mean "make a copy", "reproduce", or "imitate". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutengera | ||
| The word "kutengera" in Nyanja can also mean "to buy" or "to borrow", suggesting the idea of acquiring something that already exists. | |||
| Shona | kopi | ||
| Shona "kopi" can also refer to the act of copying. | |||
| Somali | nuqul | ||
| In Arabic, the word "nuqul" also means "moving" or "transferring". | |||
| Sesotho | kopitsa | ||
| The word "kopitsa" is sometimes used to refer to a pile of hay.} | |||
| Swahili | nakala | ||
| The word "nakala" in Swahili can also mean "a written statement" or "a record of events." | |||
| Xhosa | ikopi | ||
| The word "ikopi" in Xhosa also means "to trace" or "to follow". | |||
| Yoruba | ẹda | ||
| In addition to "copy," ẹda or ìdá can also mean "likeness," "image," or "representation." | |||
| Zulu | ikhophi | ||
| Its variant form 'ikofi' can mean either 'a copy' or 'to pretend to eat'. | |||
| Bambara | kopi kɛ | ||
| Ewe | kɔpi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kopi | ||
| Lingala | kopi ya kopi | ||
| Luganda | okukoppa | ||
| Sepedi | khopi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | copy | ||
Copy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نسخ | ||
| The word "نسخ" also means "to cancel" or "to repeal" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | עותק | ||
| עותק in Hebrew derives from the root עתק, meaning "to transplant" or "to duplicate", and can also refer to a "specimen" or "exemplar." | |||
| Pashto | کاپي | ||
| The Pashto word "کاپي" can also refer to a type of traditional Afghan headwear made of sheepskin. | |||
| Arabic | نسخ | ||
| The word "نسخ" also means "to cancel" or "to repeal" in Arabic. | |||
Copy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kopjoj | ||
| The Albanian word "kopjoj" is derived from the Latin "copia," meaning "abundance" or "plenty." | |||
| Basque | kopiatu | ||
| The Basque word "kopiatu" is derived from the Latin "copiare," meaning "to make a copy" or "to imitate." | |||
| Catalan | còpia | ||
| Catalan "còpia" also means "abundance" or "plenty". | |||
| Croatian | kopirati | ||
| The Croatian word "kopirati" is derived from the Latin word "copia", meaning "abundance" or "plenty." | |||
| Danish | kopi | ||
| The Danish word "kopi" can also refer to a book printed from movable type that is a facsimile or imitation of an early manuscript that is handwritten. | |||
| Dutch | kopiëren | ||
| The word "kopiëren" in Dutch derives from the Latin "copia," meaning "abundance," and has evolved to also mean "to reproduce" something. | |||
| English | copy | ||
| The word 'copy' originates from the Latin 'copia' meaning 'abundance' or 'plenty'. | |||
| French | copie | ||
| The French word "copie" can also refer to a student's written work, a musical score, or a painting. | |||
| Frisian | kopy | ||
| The word "kopy" in Frisian, meaning "a copy", is derived from the Latin word "copia", meaning "abundance" or "wealth". | |||
| Galician | copiar | ||
| The Galician word "copiar" evolved from Latin "copiare", meaning "to provide" or "to furnish". | |||
| German | kopieren | ||
| Etymologically derived from 'koppen', meaning 'to strike' or 'to cut off', 'Kopieren' also refers to 'to imitate' or 'to fake'. | |||
| Icelandic | afrita | ||
| The word "afrita" in Icelandic stems from the Latin word "scribere" and originally referred to the art of writing. | |||
| Irish | cóip | ||
| Cóip, a loanword from English, has an alternate meaning in Irish, 'a tuft or lock of wool or hair' | |||
| Italian | copia | ||
| "Copia" derives from the Latin word "copia," meaning "abundance" or "plenty," and has also been used to refer to an amount of food served at a meal in the past. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kopéieren | ||
| Maltese | kopja | ||
| The word "kopja" is derived from the Latin word "copia", meaning "abundance" or "plenty". | |||
| Norwegian | kopiere | ||
| The word "kopiere" in Norwegian can also mean "to make a model" or "to reproduce something." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cópia de | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese, "cópia de" can also mean "transcript of" or "extract from" when referring to official documents. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leth-bhreac | ||
| The word "leth-bhreac" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "left-handed" or "unlucky." | |||
| Spanish | copiar | ||
| The Spanish word "copiar" originates from the Latin "copia," which means "abundance" or "plenty." | |||
| Swedish | kopiera | ||
| The word "kopiera" is derived from the Latin word "copia", meaning "abundance" or "wealth". | |||
| Welsh | copi | ||
| The Welsh word "copi" can also refer to a "group" or a "copyhold tenure". | |||
Copy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | копія | ||
| The word "копія" in Belarusian can also be a synonym for "duplicate" and "reproduction". | |||
| Bosnian | kopiraj | ||
| The word "kopiraj" is also derived from the French word "copier", meaning "to imitate" or "to transcribe" | |||
| Bulgarian | копие | ||
| The word "копие" also means "spear" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | kopírovat | ||
| Czech "kopírovat" comes from "ko" („with”) and píra ("quill") meaning "to write using quill". | |||
| Estonian | koopia | ||
| The word "koopia" comes from the Greek word "kopos", meaning "to cut" or "to strike", and refers to the creation of a duplicate by incision or stamping. | |||
| Finnish | kopio | ||
| "Kopio" also means "feces" in the dialect of southwestern Finland. | |||
| Hungarian | másolat | ||
| In Hungarian, "másolat" (which means "copy") also conveys the notion of "second", and can be used to refer to a subordinate or assistant. | |||
| Latvian | kopija | ||
| "Kopija" can be used as a synonym for "duplicate", "counterfeit", "simulation", or "fabrication" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | kopija | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "kopija" can also mean "carbon copy", "duplicate", or "imitation". | |||
| Macedonian | копија | ||
| The word "копија" originates from the Latin word "copia", meaning "abundance" or "plenty". | |||
| Polish | kopiuj | ||
| The word "kopiuj" in Polish originated from the German word "kopieren", meaning "to copy". | |||
| Romanian | copie | ||
| "Copie" in Romanian can also refer to a handwritten document or a script. | |||
| Russian | копировать | ||
| The Russian word "копировать" (copy) is derived from the Latin word "copia" (abundance). | |||
| Serbian | копија | ||
| The word "копија" also has an alternate meaning of "bastard". | |||
| Slovak | kópia | ||
| The Slovak word "kópia" also has the alternate meaning of "cheat sheet". | |||
| Slovenian | kopirati | ||
| The word 'kopirati' is derived from the French word 'copier', which means 'to make a copy'. | |||
| Ukrainian | копію | ||
| The word "копію" in Ukrainian can also refer to a document that has been certified as an authentic copy of the original. | |||
Copy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুলিপি | ||
| "অনুলিপি" also means "manuscript" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | નકલ | ||
| A 'nakal' is not just a physical or digital imitation, it's also an embodiment, an alternative expression or an impersonation. | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिलिपि | ||
| The word 'प्रतिलिपि' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'प्रति' (meaning 'towards') and 'लिपि' (meaning 'mark'), suggesting 'a mark made towards something'. | |||
| Kannada | ನಕಲಿಸಿ | ||
| ನಕಲಿಸಿ derives from the root ನಕಲ್, meaning 'to copy, imitate, or reproduce,' and can also refer to a duplicate or forgery. | |||
| Malayalam | പകർത്തുക | ||
| "പകർത്തുക" means to "spread" or "transmit", for example a disease or rumour. | |||
| Marathi | प्रत | ||
| The word "प्रत" can also mean "duplicate" or "instance" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | कापी | ||
| The word "कापी" in Nepali can also refer to a notebook or exercise book, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "कापिक", meaning "cloth to write on". | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾੱਪੀ | ||
| The word 'ਕਾੱਪੀ' is also used in Punjabi to refer to a small earthenware cup for holding liquids. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පිටපත | ||
| From Sanskrit पटपत्रिकापत्र (paṭapatrakāpatra, "a copy of a document"). | |||
| Tamil | நகல் | ||
| நகல் (nakal) also means 'replica' or 'imitation' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | కాపీ | ||
| The Telugu word "కాపీ" (kāpī) is borrowed from the English word "copy" and can also mean "tea". | |||
| Urdu | کاپی | ||
| The word "کاپی" in Urdu can also refer to a small notebook or a type of Indian bread. | |||
Copy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 复制 | ||
| 复制 (fù zhì) can also mean 'reproduction' or 'replication' in a biological or technical context. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 複製 | ||
| The Chinese character 複製 can also mean 'to multiply', 'to duplicate', or 'to reproduce'. | |||
| Japanese | コピー | ||
| The word "コピー" (kopi) originated from the Dutch word "kopie" which means "duplicate" or "imitation", and was originally used in Japanese to refer to handwritten or mechanical copies of documents. | |||
| Korean | 부 | ||
| "부(copy)" originally meant "to write after seeing." This meaning is still used in some compounds, such as 부자(copyist) or 부서(department). | |||
| Mongolian | хуулбарлах | ||
| The verb хуулбарлах can also mean 'to imitate' or 'to mimic'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကူးယူပါ | ||
Copy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | salinan | ||
| The word "salinan" in Indonesian can also mean "carbon copy" or "photocopy". | |||
| Javanese | nyalin | ||
| The Javanese word | |||
| Khmer | ចម្លង | ||
| The word "ចម្លង" is derived from the Sanskrit word "chamlong", meaning "to draw" or "to trace over". | |||
| Lao | ສຳ ເນົາ | ||
| This word is borrowed from Thai and derives from the Sanskrit word "samjna," which means "name" or "mark." | |||
| Malay | salinan | ||
| Salinan can also refer to a loan agreement, a document, or a manuscript. | |||
| Thai | สำเนา | ||
| The word "สำเนา" can also mean "photocopy" or "duplicate." | |||
| Vietnamese | sao chép | ||
| The Vietnamese word "sao chép" originally meant "imitation" or "copying a mold", reflecting the traditional techniques of making copies from existing sources. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kopya | ||
Copy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | surəti | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "surəti" originates from the Arabic "ṣūrah", meaning "form" or "image", and can also refer to a "portrait", "picture". | |||
| Kazakh | көшірме | ||
| The word "көшірме" can also mean "reproduction" or "imitation" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | көчүрүү | ||
| "Көчүрүү" can also refer to an "expedience", or a way for a nomadic society to overcome a hardship by using a temporary, portable, or indirect approach. | |||
| Tajik | нусха | ||
| The word "nuskha" is derived from the Arabic word "naskh," meaning "to copy or transcribe." | |||
| Turkmen | göçürmek | ||
| Uzbek | nusxa ko'chirish | ||
| The Uzbek word "nusxa ko'chirish" originally meant "to rewrite a book" but now also means "to copy". | |||
| Uyghur | كۆپەيتىلگەن | ||
Copy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kope | ||
| In Hawaiian, "kope" also means "to cut" or "to break something off". | |||
| Maori | tārua | ||
| The word tārua has several additional meanings, including 'example', 'pattern', and 'type'. | |||
| Samoan | kopi | ||
| The word 'kopi' in Samoan also means 'to imitate' or 'to mimic'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kopya | ||
| The Tagalog word "kopya" can also refer to plagiarism or an imitation. | |||
Copy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | copia | ||
| Guarani | copia | ||
Copy in International Languages
| Esperanto | kopii | ||
| "Kopii" is a rare word from the roots "ko" and "pii," the latter of which is a rarer root that also appears in the words "kopii", "kupi", and "kupli". | |||
| Latin | exemplum | ||
| Late Latin exemplum "copy" is a derivative of Latin exemplare "model, specimen" (ultimately from eximere "to take out"). | |||
Copy in Others Languages
| Greek | αντίγραφο | ||
| The word „αντίγραφο“ derives from the Ancient Greek noun „άντίγραφο“ meaning „writer” or „scribe”, but was used to describe both the writer and the writings themselves. | |||
| Hmong | daim ntawv theej | ||
| Daim ntawv theej, a compound of three words that means 'to make write again', has an implied subject that is the person copying. | |||
| Kurdish | kopî | ||
| In Farsi, the word "kopî" (کپی) means both "copy" and "monkey." | |||
| Turkish | kopya | ||
| The Turkish word "kopya" can also mean "duplicate" or "imitation", and is derived from the Greek word "kopos" meaning "toil" or "labor". | |||
| Xhosa | ikopi | ||
| The word "ikopi" in Xhosa also means "to trace" or "to follow". | |||
| Yiddish | קאָפּיע | ||
| The Yiddish word "קאָפּיע" (kopye) also means "document" as opposed to "original" and is used in the expression "קאָפּיע פֿון אַ פֿאַקט" (kopye fun a fakt) "a certified copy (of a document)" | |||
| Zulu | ikhophi | ||
| Its variant form 'ikofi' can mean either 'a copy' or 'to pretend to eat'. | |||
| Assamese | কপি কৰক | ||
| Aymara | copia | ||
| Bhojpuri | कॉपी कइल जा सकेला | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮޕީ | ||
| Dogri | नकल की | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kopya | ||
| Guarani | copia | ||
| Ilocano | kopiaen | ||
| Krio | kɔpi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆپی بکە | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिलिपि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯄꯤ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | copy rawh | ||
| Oromo | waraabuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କପି କରନ୍ତୁ | | ||
| Quechua | copia | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतिलिपि | ||
| Tatar | күчереп алу | ||
| Tigrinya | ቅዳሕ | ||
| Tsonga | kopi ya kona | ||