Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'cover' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often used to describe a variety of objects, actions, and concepts. From providing protection to serving as a musical performance, the versatility of this term is truly remarkable.
Culturally, covers have played a crucial role in various traditions and practices worldwide. For instance, in religious ceremonies, worshippers often use ornate covers to adorn sacred objects. Similarly, in the world of music, cover songs have allowed artists to pay tribute to their favorite musicians and introduce classic tunes to new audiences.
Given its wide-ranging applications, you might be interested in knowing the translation of 'cover' in different languages. Not only can this knowledge enhance your linguistic abilities, but it can also provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and utilize this term.
For example, in Spanish, 'cover' translates to 'cubierta,' while in French, it becomes 'couverture.' Meanwhile, in German, the word 'Abdeckung' is used, and in Japanese, 'オーバー' (over) is the term of choice. These translations offer a fascinating glimpse into the diverse ways in which cultures express the concept of 'cover.'
Afrikaans | omslag | ||
The Afrikaans word "omslag" comes from the Dutch word "omslag", which can also mean "envelope" or "wrapper". | |||
Amharic | ሽፋን | ||
Hausa | murfin | ||
The word “murfin” is likely related to the word “mu’rufi”, which means veil or blanket. | |||
Igbo | mkpuchi | ||
The word "mkpuchi" can also refer to a lid or a roof. | |||
Malagasy | matoan-dahatsoratra | ||
MATOAN-DAHATSORATRA is also the word for 'protection', 'shield' and 'roofing' | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chophimba | ||
It derives from the word 'kuphimba' meaning to close an area, opening, or hole. | |||
Shona | chifukidzo | ||
"Chifukidzo" is also a type of Shona pottery used for carrying water or beer. | |||
Somali | dabool | ||
"Dab" can also mean "fire" so some speculate that "dabool" refers to something blocking or quenching fire, i.e. a lid covering burning charcoal in a clay oven. | |||
Sesotho | sekoaelo | ||
The word "sekoaelo" in Sesotho can also refer to a lid, a roof, or a protection or shield from danger. | |||
Swahili | funika | ||
"Funika" is a noun that also means a bag, case, wrapper, or envelope. | |||
Xhosa | isiciko | ||
The word "isiciko" can also refer to a "blanket" or "bedspread" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | ideri | ||
Ideri also means "umbrella" and is a cognate of the Edo word "ide". | |||
Zulu | ikhava | ||
In Zulu, ikhava also refers to the roof thatching or sheets which are used to cover the roof. | |||
Bambara | ka datugu | ||
Ewe | akpa | ||
Kinyarwanda | igifuniko | ||
Lingala | ezipeli | ||
Luganda | ekisaanikizo | ||
Sepedi | šireletša | ||
Twi (Akan) | kata so | ||
Arabic | التغطية | ||
It may also mean "shelter" or "excuse". | |||
Hebrew | כיסוי | ||
כיסוי can also mean "excuse" or "pretext" | |||
Pashto | پوښ | ||
The verb 'پوښ' ('cover') can also be used figuratively to mean to hide something, protect it or to conceal it. | |||
Arabic | التغطية | ||
It may also mean "shelter" or "excuse". |
Albanian | mbulesë | ||
In older dialects, the word "mbulesë" also meant a "cloak or mantle" worn by women | |||
Basque | estalkia | ||
Estalkia is the Basque word for cover but also can mean 'to lie face upwards' or 'to be on top of something'. | |||
Catalan | coberta | ||
In Catalan, «coberta» also refers to a shelter, a roof, or a lid. | |||
Croatian | pokriti | ||
The Croatian word "pokriti" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pokryti, which also means "to bury" or "to hide". | |||
Danish | dække over | ||
The Danish word "dække over" can also mean "to conceal" or "to hide". | |||
Dutch | hoes | ||
The Dutch word "hoes" also refers to a garment, a type of scarf or hood worn by women in the past. | |||
English | cover | ||
"Cover" originally meant "to take one's place" or "to replace". It has also been used to mean "to clothe" or "to protect". | |||
French | couverture | ||
In French, the word "couverture" not only denotes a cover but also refers to the blend of cocoa solids and cocoa butter that enrobes chocolate, known as "couverture chocolate." | |||
Frisian | omslach | ||
"Omslach" can also mean "circumstance" or "complication". | |||
Galician | tapa | ||
"Tapa" also means "lid", and is the origin of the Spanish "tapa", a small dish served with a drink. | |||
German | startseite | ||
The word "Startseite" literally means "starting page" or "home page" in German. | |||
Icelandic | þekja | ||
The Icelandic word "þekja" is cognate with the English word "thatch," and both words derive from the Proto-Germanic root "*þeka-." | |||
Irish | clúdach | ||
The Irish word "clúdach" can also refer to a veil or cloak. | |||
Italian | copertina | ||
The word 'copertina' also refers to the paper wrapper that encloses a pamphlet or a book | |||
Luxembourgish | iwwerdecken | ||
Iwwerdecken is derived from Old High German 'obardakh' and Proto-Indo-European root 'upers', meaning 'over, on top'. | |||
Maltese | għata | ||
The Maltese word 'għata' can also refer to the 'act of hiding' or 'the state of being hidden'. | |||
Norwegian | dekke | ||
In Norwegian, the word "dekke" has additional meanings including "a horse blanket" or "a deck of cards." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cobrir | ||
The word "cobrir" derives from the Latin verb "cooperire", meaning "to cover". In Brazil, it also means "to steal" or "to swindle". | |||
Scots Gaelic | còmhdach | ||
The word "còmhdach" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "protection" or "shelter". | |||
Spanish | cubrir | ||
Cubrir, which means 'cover' in Spanish, also means 'to fill', 'to occupy', 'to meet', and 'to fulfill' in the sense of a duty or promise. | |||
Swedish | omslag | ||
"Omslag" also means "revolution" in the sense of a major change, or a change for the better. | |||
Welsh | gorchudd | ||
The word "gorchudd" also relates to the noun "cuddio", meaning "concealment" and the verb "gorchuddio", to "overwhelm" or "cover over". |
Belarusian | вечка | ||
Although the most common meaning of "вечка" in Belarusian is "cover", it can also mean "small piece of something". | |||
Bosnian | poklopac | ||
"Poklopac" originally denoted the lid of a pot, and is derived from "poklopiti," which means to close something with a lid. | |||
Bulgarian | покрийте | ||
The word "Покрийте" can also be used to mean "to protect". | |||
Czech | pokrýt | ||
The Czech word "pokrýt" is cognate with the English word "cover", having been derived ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root which also underlies the Latin verb "operire" and the English noun "coverlet. | |||
Estonian | kate | ||
The word "kate" also means "roof" in Estonian, highlighting its role in protecting and covering. | |||
Finnish | peite | ||
The verb "peite" is related to "peitto" (blanket), a loanword from Swedish "päls" meaning "fur". | |||
Hungarian | borító | ||
The word "borító" can also refer to a jacket or a shawl in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | piesegt | ||
"Piesegt" in archaic Latvian also means to cover by weaving, e.g. with a thin layer of snow. | |||
Lithuanian | viršelis | ||
The Lithuanian word "viršelis" can also refer to the top or outer surface of an object. | |||
Macedonian | прекривка | ||
"Прекривка" (cover) comes from the verb "прекривам" (to cover), which is cognate to the German "verhüllen" and "bedecken" | |||
Polish | pokrywa | ||
Pokrywa also refers to the ceiling of a room and is related to the verb 'pokrywać' (to cover up). | |||
Romanian | acoperi | ||
The word "acoperi" in Romanian also refers to the act of protecting or concealing something or someone, which is derived from the sense of "covering over". | |||
Russian | покрытие | ||
The word "покрытие" can also mean "coating" or "surface" in Russian. | |||
Serbian | поклопац | ||
The Serbian word "поклопац" also means "lid" or "cover for a pot". | |||
Slovak | kryt | ||
The word "kryt" can also mean a "shelter", such as a bomb shelter or an animal shelter. | |||
Slovenian | pokrov | ||
In Old Church Slavonic, the word "pokrov" also means "protection". | |||
Ukrainian | покриття | ||
The Ukrainian noun "покриття" can also refer to a roof or a floor. |
Bengali | আবরণ | ||
"আবরণ" can also refer to a wrap, cloak, or veil. | |||
Gujarati | કવર | ||
The origin of the Gujarati word "કવર" may lie in the Indo-Aryan root word "kvr̥," meaning "cover." | |||
Hindi | आवरण | ||
The word "आवरण" can also refer to a veil or a cloak, as well as a layer of skin or tissue. | |||
Kannada | ಕವರ್ | ||
ಕವರ್ ('cover') may also refer to a letter or an envelope or a small room or shelter in Kannadam | |||
Malayalam | കവർ | ||
'കവർ' has the same Sanskrit root as 'cover', both meaning 'to conceal'. | |||
Marathi | कव्हर | ||
The word "कव्हर" ("cover") in Marathi also means "to protect" or "to hide". | |||
Nepali | कभर | ||
The word "कभर" (cover) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "कम्बर" meaning "waist" or "hip". | |||
Punjabi | ਕਵਰ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਕਵਰ" ("cover") is also used to mean "lid" or "top". It is derived from the Sanskrit word "कवरः" ("cover") which has the same meaning. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආවරණය | ||
In ancient Sinhala, the word is associated with the meaning of an envelope used in writing letters in palm leaf manuscripts | |||
Tamil | கவர் | ||
The Tamil word "கவர்" (kavar) has multiple meanings, including "captivate", "control", "shield", and "defend". | |||
Telugu | కవర్ | ||
Also means 'to guard', 'to surround' and 'to protect'. | |||
Urdu | ڈھانپیں | ||
The word "ڈھانپیں" (/ḍhānpeŋ/) in Urdu derives from the Sanskrit word "छादन" (/chhādana/), meaning "to cover". It can also refer to a "bedspread" or "veil". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 盖 | ||
The word "盖" can also mean "to build" or "to rule" in Chinese. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 蓋 | ||
In Chinese, 蓋 also means the top of a hat or a cap. | |||
Japanese | カバー | ||
"カバー" is a loanword from English and can also mean "to conceal" or "to protect" | |||
Korean | 덮개 | ||
The word "덮개" is closely related to the word "덮다" (to cover) and can also refer to a lid, top, or anything that serves as a covering or protection. | |||
Mongolian | бүрхэвч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အဖုံး | ||
Indonesian | penutup | ||
Penutup can also refer to a conclusion or closing, as it is often used in formal writing to wrap up a section or document. | |||
Javanese | panutup | ||
The Javanese word "panutup" can also refer to a closing curtain or a door. | |||
Khmer | គម្រប | ||
The word "គម្រប" is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "krampa" (a kind of coverlet, bodice or girdle) which in turn derives from the root "kram", meaning "to tie". | |||
Lao | ກວມເອົາ | ||
Malay | penutup | ||
The word "penutup" originated from the word "tutup" which means "to close" or "to cover" in Malay | |||
Thai | ปก | ||
'ปก' can also mean 'the front board of a book'. | |||
Vietnamese | che | ||
The word "che" can also mean "lid" or "hat" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | takip | ||
Azerbaijani | qapaq | ||
"Qapaq" also means "cap" or "capstone" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | қақпақ | ||
The word "қақпақ" can also refer to a type of percussion instrument similar to a tambourine | |||
Kyrgyz | жапкыч | ||
In Turkish, the cognate word "yapak" can also mean "sleeve" or "collar". | |||
Tajik | сарпӯш | ||
Although the Tajik word "сарпӯш" (cover) shares a similar root with the Persian word "سرپوش" (lid), it also has an alternate meaning of "hat". | |||
Turkmen | gapagy | ||
Uzbek | qopqoq | ||
The verb "qoqmoq" can mean both "cover" and "open". The verb itself can be a homophone of itself as a suffix meaning "to be (adjective)". | |||
Uyghur | cover | ||
Hawaiian | uhi | ||
'Uhi' also means 'to heal' or 'to protect', as in a covering that shields or protects something. | |||
Maori | taupoki | ||
In Maori, the word "taupoki" also refers to a garment worn by women that covers the lower body, similar to a skirt or kilt. | |||
Samoan | ufiufi | ||
In Samoan, "ufiufi" can also refer to a type of coconut leaf mat used for roofing or wrapping food. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | takip | ||
In Tagalog, 'takip' can also mean 'to monitor' or 'to keep an eye on something' |
Aymara | jark'aña | ||
Guarani | mo'ã | ||
Esperanto | kovrilo | ||
The word "kovrilo" in Esperanto can also refer to a quilt or a blanket. | |||
Latin | cover | ||
The Latin word 'cover' can also mean 'to hide' or 'to conceal'. |
Greek | κάλυμμα | ||
"Κάλυμμα" in Modern Greek not only means "cover" but also "veiling garment," an ancient traditional dress worn by Greek women. | |||
Hmong | npog | ||
The word "npog" can also mean "to hide" or "to conceal" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | lihêv | ||
The word "lihêv" in Kurdish also means "to put on" or "to wear" something. | |||
Turkish | örtmek | ||
Örtmek also has the alternate meaning "to protect" and carries a religious nuance when used as "örten" or in the phrase "örtünmek" meaning "to veil" in Islam. | |||
Xhosa | isiciko | ||
The word "isiciko" can also refer to a "blanket" or "bedspread" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | דעקל | ||
The Yiddish word "דעקל" (dek) is both a noun meaning "cover" and an abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase "דער קל", meaning "the voice". | |||
Zulu | ikhava | ||
In Zulu, ikhava also refers to the roof thatching or sheets which are used to cover the roof. | |||
Assamese | আৱৰণ | ||
Aymara | jark'aña | ||
Bhojpuri | ढँकल | ||
Dhivehi | ކަވަރ | ||
Dogri | कवर | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | takip | ||
Guarani | mo'ã | ||
Ilocano | kalluban | ||
Krio | kɔba | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕووپۆش | ||
Maithili | छाप देनाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯏꯈꯨꯝ | ||
Mizo | khuh | ||
Oromo | uwwisuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଆବରଣ | | ||
Quechua | qatay | ||
Sanskrit | आवरणं | ||
Tatar | каплау | ||
Tigrinya | ሽፋን | ||
Tsonga | phutsela | ||