Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'cultural' holds immense significance in our world today, as it encapsulates the myriad of traditions, beliefs, and practices that make up human society. It is a term that transcends borders, connecting us all through our shared human experiences. Understanding the cultural importance of different communities can foster empathy, promote diversity, and encourage global unity.
Moreover, delving into the translations of 'cultural' in various languages can offer fascinating insights into how different cultures perceive and value their own unique identities. For instance, the Spanish translation of 'cultural' is 'cultural', which stems from the Latin 'cultura', meaning 'to cultivate'. This etymology highlights the idea that culture is something that is carefully nurtured and developed over time.
With this in mind, exploring the translations of 'cultural' in different languages can be a rewarding journey for anyone interested in language and cultural diversity. Here are some translations to get you started:
Afrikaans | kulturele | ||
The Afrikaans word "kulturele" shares the same etymology as the English word "culture," derived from the Latin "cultura" meaning "cultivation." | |||
Amharic | ባህላዊ | ||
Hausa | na al'ada | ||
The word "na al'ada" in Hausa can also mean "traditional" or "customary." | |||
Igbo | omenala | ||
The Igbo word "omenala" derives from the root word "omen" meaning "custom and tradition." | |||
Malagasy | ara-kolontsaina | ||
The first part of the word “ara-kolontsaina” “ara” means “time” referring to the concept of “culture” as being a specific moment in history. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chikhalidwe | ||
The word 'chikhalidwe' also means 'custom' or 'tradition'. | |||
Shona | tsika nemagariro | ||
Somali | dhaqan | ||
The word "dhaqan" in Somali also refers to traditions, customs, and practices | |||
Sesotho | setso | ||
The word "setso" can also refer to the cultural customs and practices of a particular group of people | |||
Swahili | kitamaduni | ||
"Kitamaduni" shares its root with "maduni", which means "traditions" or "customs". | |||
Xhosa | inkcubeko | ||
The word 'inkcubeko' is derived from the Xhosa verb 'uku nquba,' meaning 'to dive into something,' suggesting that engaging with culture is like diving into a deep body of water. | |||
Yoruba | asa | ||
The Yoruba word "asa" can also refer to a person's character, nature, or disposition. | |||
Zulu | amasiko | ||
Amasiko also loosely means 'customs or traditions'. | |||
Bambara | laadalakow la | ||
Ewe | dekɔnuwo | ||
Kinyarwanda | umuco | ||
Lingala | culturel | ||
Luganda | eby’obuwangwa | ||
Sepedi | setšo | ||
Twi (Akan) | amammerɛ mu | ||
Arabic | ثقافي | ||
ثقافي is also used to describe a person who is knowledgeable and well-rounded. | |||
Hebrew | תַרְבּוּתִי | ||
The word תַרְבּוּתִי comes from the root ת-ר-ב meaning to grow or multiply, referring to the idea of cultivation and growth in the context of culture. | |||
Pashto | کلتوري | ||
The Pashto word "کلتوري" (kelturi) is derived from Persian and Sanskrit, and also carries the meaning of "civilized" and "educated". | |||
Arabic | ثقافي | ||
ثقافي is also used to describe a person who is knowledgeable and well-rounded. |
Albanian | kulturore | ||
The word "kulturore" in Albanian also refers to "civilized" or "refined" behavior. | |||
Basque | kulturala | ||
The word “kulturala” in Basque is a neologism adapted from Spanish in the 19th century after the Basque orthography was reformed by Arturo Kanpion. | |||
Catalan | cultural | ||
In Catalan, "cultural" refers to a "cultivated" or "agricultural" form of land, in addition to its more common meaning of "related to culture". | |||
Croatian | kulturni | ||
The word "kulturni" in Croatian can also refer to "cultured" or "refined." | |||
Danish | kulturel | ||
"Kulturel" can also mean "fermented" in some regional dialects. | |||
Dutch | cultureel | ||
In Dutch, "cultureel" can also refer to an activity or event with an elevated cultural status, such as a concert or exhibition. | |||
English | cultural | ||
"Cultural" comes from the Latin "cultura," meaning "cultivation" or "care." | |||
French | culturel | ||
The word "culturel" in French can also refer to a microbe culture, in addition to its common meaning of "cultural". | |||
Frisian | kultureel | ||
The Dutch word "cultuur" and the English word "culture" ultimately originate from the Latin word "cultus" which means "worship" (specifically "care of the gods") or, more generally, "cultivation". | |||
Galician | cultural | ||
Culturalmente (Galician) derives from the Latin "cultura", meaning "to cultivate". | |||
German | kulturell | ||
The German word "kulturell" can also mean "intellectual" or "refined". | |||
Icelandic | menningarlegt | ||
It stems from menning which comes from hugr/huga (`heart`) and minni (`memory`). Historically, it has also meant spiritual and religious life. | |||
Irish | cultúrtha | ||
In Irish, 'cultúrtha' is derived from the Latin word 'cultura', meaning 'cultivation', and refers to the development and refinement of knowledge, beliefs, and practices. | |||
Italian | culturale | ||
The Italian word 'culturale' derives from the Latin 'cultura,' meaning both 'agriculture' and 'cultivation of the mind'. | |||
Luxembourgish | kulturell | ||
The word 'kulturell' in Luxembourgish can also refer to something refined or sophisticated. | |||
Maltese | kulturali | ||
Maltese "kulturali" (cultural) also means "interesting" or "entertaining", sharing a root with "kultura" (culture) and "kultivazzjoni" (cultivation). | |||
Norwegian | kulturell | ||
The word 'kulturell' can also refer to the artistic and intellectual life of a society, or to the customs and beliefs of a particular group of people. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cultural | ||
In Portuguese, "cultural" can also mean "cultivated" or "refined". | |||
Scots Gaelic | cultarail | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "cultarail" can also mean "agriculture" or "cultivation". | |||
Spanish | cultural | ||
"Cultural" can refer not just to culture in the sense of the arts or customs, but also to the cultivation of the land or of living beings. | |||
Swedish | kulturell | ||
Kulturell can also refer to bacteria cultures. | |||
Welsh | diwylliannol | ||
The word 'diwylliannol' is derived from the Welsh word 'diwylliant', which means 'culture' or 'civilization' and is related to the Latin word 'civilitas', meaning 'citizenship' or 'politeness'. |
Belarusian | культурнай | ||
Belarusian “культурнай” comes from the Proto-Slavic “*kъltura” which also means "worship" and "religion". | |||
Bosnian | kulturni | ||
Kulturni literally means 'cultured', and may be applied to people, places, or objects in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | културен | ||
"културен" is cognate with the Serbian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, and Russian equivalents of "cultured", as opposed to the unrelated word with the same meaning borrowed from French ("културологичен"). | |||
Czech | kulturní | ||
The Czech word "kulturní" is derived from the German word "kulturell", which in turn comes from the Latin word "cultura", meaning "cultivation" or "tilling". | |||
Estonian | kultuuriline | ||
In Estonian, "kultuuriline" (cultural) is also used to refer to something that is refined, sophisticated, or aesthetically pleasing. | |||
Finnish | kulttuurinen | ||
‘Kulttuurinen’ is a loanword that entered Finnish from German and is cognate to the word ‘culture’. | |||
Hungarian | kulturális | ||
The word “kulturális” in Hungarian originally meant “civilized”, as opposed to “barbaric,” and is derived from the Latin word “cultura,” meaning “cultivation.” | |||
Latvian | kultūras | ||
"Kultūras" is derived from the word "kult", meaning "to cultivate". Its meaning is extended to encompass both physical cultivation (of land) and the cultivation of the mind. | |||
Lithuanian | kultūrinis | ||
"Kultūrinis" (cultural) originates from the verb "kulti" (to cultivate) and shares a root with "kultūra" (culture), "kultas" (cult), "kultūristai" (bodybuilders), "kultūringa" (refined, cultured), and "nekultūringa" (uncultured). | |||
Macedonian | културен | ||
The word 'културен' (cultural) in Macedonian comes from the Latin word 'cultura', which referred to the cultivation of the land. | |||
Polish | kulturalny | ||
The Polish word "kulturalny" also means "polite" or "well-mannered". | |||
Romanian | cultural | ||
The word 'cultural' originated in Germany from 'Kultur' meaning "cultivation or development of the mind", which was subsequently imported into French in 1830 as 'culture'", ultimately arriving in Romania. | |||
Russian | культурный | ||
The Russian word культурный has more complex connotations, encompassing concepts such as 'cultivation,' 'politeness,' and even 'intelligence'. | |||
Serbian | културни | ||
"Културни" means not only "cultural" but also "educated" in Serbian. | |||
Slovak | kultúrne | ||
The word "kultúrne" also refers to a specific genre of Slovak music popular in the early 20th century. | |||
Slovenian | kulturni | ||
The word 'kulturni' can also refer to a specific type of cultural event, such as a festival or exhibition. | |||
Ukrainian | культурні | ||
Bengali | সাংস্কৃতিক | ||
The word "সাংস্কৃতিক" can also mean "relating to culture" or "having a cultural background". | |||
Gujarati | સંસ્કૃતિક | ||
"સંસ્કૃતિક" (cultural) can literally mean "of one's own culture" or "native" in Gujarati, similar to "cultural" in English. | |||
Hindi | सांस्कृतिक | ||
The Hindi word 'सांस्कृतिक' comes from the Sanskrit word 'संस्कृति', which means 'culture, refinement or civilization'. | |||
Kannada | ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ | ||
The word 'ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ' in Kannada is derived from Sanskrit 'संस्कृत' (saṃskṛta) meaning 'refined', 'cultured', or 'educated' and refers to the refinement and cultivation of human beings, especially through education, art, and literature. | |||
Malayalam | സാംസ്കാരിക | ||
Marathi | सांस्कृतिक | ||
The Marathi word for cultural, सांस्कृतिक, derives from the Sanskrit "sanskar," meaning "a refined practice" or "a habit." | |||
Nepali | सांस्कृतिक | ||
The Hindi word “संस्कृतिक” comes from the Sanskrit word “samskriti”, which means | |||
Punjabi | ਸਭਿਆਚਾਰਕ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සංස්කෘතික | ||
Tamil | கலாச்சார | ||
கலாச்சாரம் (kalāchāram) is also the name for the art form in Tamil Nadu and the style of Carnatic music that originated there. | |||
Telugu | సాంస్కృతిక | ||
Cultural is derived from the Latin "cultus" which means "worship" or "cultivation". | |||
Urdu | ثقافتی | ||
ثقافتی is derived from an Arabic root meaning “to cultivate” or “to refine,” and it can also refer to the collective cultural practices and beliefs of a society. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 文化 | ||
文化 is also used to refer to 'cultivation' of a person, in the sense of 'raising' or 'refining' their character. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 文化 | ||
文化 derives from 文 and 化, which respectively mean 'character' and 'education, transformation'; it originally pertained to education but later evolved to denote all forms of civilization. | |||
Japanese | 文化的 | ||
While written using the same characters as the English word “culture,” in Japanese, it means “civilized.” | |||
Korean | 문화적 | ||
It can be traced back to the Chinese word '文化' (wenhua), which originally meant 'literary education' or 'civilization'. | |||
Mongolian | соёлын | ||
The Mongolian word "соёлын" is cognate to the Turkic word "söz", meaning "word" or "speech." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ယဉ်ကျေးမှု | ||
Indonesian | kultural | ||
The word 'kultural' in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word 'cultureel' and also refers to traditional arts and customs. | |||
Javanese | budaya | ||
The word "budaya" in Javanese also means "agriculture" or "farming". | |||
Khmer | វប្បធម៌ | ||
The word "វប្បធម៌" is derived from the Sanskrit words "su" (well) and "budh" (to grasp), meaning "good grasp". | |||
Lao | ວັດທະນະ ທຳ | ||
Malay | budaya | ||
The word "budaya" comes from the Sanskrit word "buddhi," meaning "intellect" or "reason." | |||
Thai | วัฒนธรรม | ||
The word 'วัฒนธรรม' (cultural) in Thai literally means 'cultivation of culture'. | |||
Vietnamese | văn hóa | ||
In Vietnamese, "văn hóa" can also refer to an individual's refinement and education. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pangkultura | ||
Azerbaijani | mədəni | ||
The word "mədəni" also means "civilized" or "cultured" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | мәдени | ||
The Kazakh word "мәдени" also has the alternate meaning of "educated" and is related to the word "мәдениет" meaning "culture". | |||
Kyrgyz | маданий | ||
The word "маданий" (cultural) in Kyrgyz is derived from the Arabic word "مَدني" (madani), which means "civic" or "urban." | |||
Tajik | фарҳангӣ | ||
The word "фарҳангӣ" (cultural) in Tajik has its roots in the Persian word "farhang" meaning "culture, civilization, refinement." | |||
Turkmen | medeni | ||
Uzbek | madaniy | ||
The word "madaniy" in Uzbek is derived from the Arabic word "madaniya", which can also mean "civilization" or "urbanity". | |||
Uyghur | مەدەنىيەت | ||
Hawaiian | moʻomeheu | ||
The word "moʻomeheu" can also mean education or training in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | ahurea | ||
"Ahurea" also means "mythology" and "traditional teachings". | |||
Samoan | aganuu | ||
The word "aganuu" in Samoan can also refer to the "way of life" or "traditions" of a particular culture. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kultural | ||
The Tagalog word "kultural" also refers to traditional practices and values of a group of people. |
Aymara | cultural sata uñt’atawa | ||
Guarani | cultural rehegua | ||
Esperanto | kultura | ||
"Kultura" comes from polish language where it means the same as in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | culturae | ||
The plural form "culturae" in Latin can refer to both "cultural" ideas and the more physical sense of "cultivation," such as agriculture, or cultivation of oneself and one's mind. |
Greek | πολιτιστικός | ||
In Greek, “πολιτιστικός” is not only related to culture but can also refer to civilization, refinement, education, and cultivation. | |||
Hmong | kab lis kev cai | ||
The word "kab lis kev cai" can also mean "traditional" or "customary". | |||
Kurdish | çandeyî | ||
The word "çandeyî" (cultural) in Kurdish also means "beauty" or "aesthetics". | |||
Turkish | kültürel | ||
Kültürel can mean either "related to cultivation of natural resources" or "related to human culture and customs" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | inkcubeko | ||
The word 'inkcubeko' is derived from the Xhosa verb 'uku nquba,' meaning 'to dive into something,' suggesting that engaging with culture is like diving into a deep body of water. | |||
Yiddish | קולטורעל | ||
The Yiddish word "קולטורעל" directly translates to "cultural" in English. | |||
Zulu | amasiko | ||
Amasiko also loosely means 'customs or traditions'. | |||
Assamese | সাংস্কৃতিক | ||
Aymara | cultural sata uñt’atawa | ||
Bhojpuri | सांस्कृतिक बा | ||
Dhivehi | ސަގާފީ ގޮތުންނެވެ | ||
Dogri | सांस्कृतिक | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pangkultura | ||
Guarani | cultural rehegua | ||
Ilocano | kultural | ||
Krio | kɔlchɔral | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | کولتووری | ||
Maithili | सांस्कृतिक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯂꯆꯔꯦꯂꯒꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | culture lam hawi | ||
Oromo | aadaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସାଂସ୍କୃତିକ | ||
Quechua | cultural | ||
Sanskrit | सांस्कृतिक | ||
Tatar | культуралы | ||
Tigrinya | ባህላዊ | ||
Tsonga | ndhavuko | ||