Curriculum in Different Languages
Discover 'Curriculum' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, a 'curriculum' is a comprehensive plan for learning, typically used in an educational context. It outlines the goals, objectives, and content to be taught over a specified period of time. But the significance of the curriculum goes beyond the classroom; it shapes societies and cultures by defining what knowledge and skills are valued.
Throughout history, curricula have reflected and reinforced societal norms and values. In ancient Greece, the curriculum centered around rhetoric, philosophy, and mathematics, reflecting the importance of these subjects in shaping well-rounded citizens. In medieval Europe, the curriculum was heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, with a focus on theology and Latin.
Understanding the translation of 'curriculum' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural importance placed on education around the world. For example, in Spanish, 'curriculum' is 'currículum,' while in German, it's 'Lehrplan.' In Mandarin, it's '课程大纲 (kè chéng dà gāng),' which translates to 'course outline.'
By exploring the translations of 'curriculum' in different languages, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of education and the diverse ways in which knowledge is valued and transmitted around the world.
Curriculum
Curriculum in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | leerplan | ||
| The Afrikaans word "leerplan" ultimately derives from the German "Lehrplan" ("teaching plan") and is also used in Dutch and Indonesian. | |||
| Amharic | ሥርዓተ ትምህርት | ||
| Hausa | manhaja | ||
| The root of the word manhaja comes from the Arabic verb 'nahaja,' which means 'to follow a way' or 'to guide'. | |||
| Igbo | usoro ọmụmụ | ||
| Malagasy | fandaharam-pianarana | ||
| The word "fandaharam-pianarana" is made up of the words "fandaharam" ("education") and "pianarana" ("learning"), and it was originally a term for the traditional Malagasy education system. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | maphunziro | ||
| The word "maphunziro" in Nyanja is the plural of "phunziro," which means "lesson" or "teaching." | |||
| Shona | zvidzidzo | ||
| The word "zvidzidzo" can be broken down into two parts: "zvi" (plural form) and "dzidzo" (knowledge). This reflects the idea of a curriculum as a collection of knowledge and skills. | |||
| Somali | manhajka | ||
| In Arabic, the root word "manhaj" means "path" or "way," and "ka" is a diminutive suffix, indicating that "manhajka" is a small or specific path. | |||
| Sesotho | kharikhulamo | ||
| The word "kharikhulamo" is derived from the Sesotho word "khari" meaning "book" and "kulama" meaning "to read". Its alternative meanings include "syllabus" and "course outline". | |||
| Swahili | mtaala | ||
| The word 'mtaala' can also mean 'study' or 'research' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ikharityhulam | ||
| The word "ikharityhulam" in Xhosa is derived from the verb "ukharityhula," which means "to guide or direct." | |||
| Yoruba | iwe eko | ||
| The word "iwe eko" in Yoruba literally means "book of learning" or "book for learning" and not "curriculum". | |||
| Zulu | lwezifundo | ||
| The Zulu word "lwezifundo" can also refer to the subject matter taught in a curriculum. | |||
| Bambara | kalanbolodacogo | ||
| Ewe | nusɔsrɔ̃ɖoɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | integanyanyigisho | ||
| Lingala | manaka ya kelasi | ||
| Luganda | ensoma y’ebisomesebwa | ||
| Sepedi | kharikhulamo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adesua nhyehyɛe | ||
Curriculum in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | منهاج دراسي | ||
| In Arabic, " منهاج دراسي" (curriculum) literally means "a path to study." | |||
| Hebrew | תכנית לימודים | ||
| The Hebrew word "תכנית לימודים", which means curriculum, is a compound of the words תכנית, meaning "program" or "plan" and the word " לימודים", meaning something that one learns or is studied | |||
| Pashto | درسي نصاب | ||
| The word "درسي نصاب" in Pashto originated from the Arabic word "درس" (daras) meaning "lesson" and the Persian word "نصاب" (nasab) meaning "arrangement". | |||
| Arabic | منهاج دراسي | ||
| In Arabic, " منهاج دراسي" (curriculum) literally means "a path to study." | |||
Curriculum in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kurrikula | ||
| The word "kurrikula" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "curriculum", which originally meant a racetrack, and has also been used to refer to a course of study or a set of subjects taught in a school or university. | |||
| Basque | curriculuma | ||
| The word 'curriculum' is derived from the Latin word 'currere', meaning 'to run' or 'to pursue', and it is used in Basque to refer to an ordered series of courses or subjects that are taken in order to complete a particular course of study. | |||
| Catalan | currículum | ||
| Catalan "currículum" can also be a "course of studies," from Latin curriculum, "racecourse." | |||
| Croatian | kurikulum | ||
| The Croatian word "kurikulum" comes from the Latin word "curriculum", meaning "course". It can also refer to the "curriculum vitae"—a résumé or CV | |||
| Danish | læseplan | ||
| The word "læseplan" is derived from the Old Norse words "lesa" (to read) and "plan" (table) and originally referred to a schedule of readings. | |||
| Dutch | curriculum | ||
| In Dutch, "curriculum" also refers to a resume, a life story, or a list of courses to be taken. | |||
| English | curriculum | ||
| Derived from the Latin word 'currere,' which means 'to run,' 'curriculum' denotes a 'course of study,' a set of learning resources, or a track for horse racing. | |||
| French | curriculum | ||
| In French, "curriculum" can also refer to a resume or a career path. | |||
| Frisian | learplan | ||
| Learplan derives from the Low German word **Lehrplan**. | |||
| Galician | currículo | ||
| Galician "currículo" can also refer to a "certificate of studies" or a "resume". | |||
| German | lehrplan | ||
| The German word "Lehrplan" can also refer to a "course of study", a "teaching plan", or a "syllabus". | |||
| Icelandic | námskrá | ||
| The word námaskrá is derived from the Old Norse words nám "book" and skrá "list". | |||
| Irish | curaclam | ||
| In Irish, "curaclam" is derived from the Latin "curriculum," meaning "a course of study" and "curro," meaning "to run." | |||
| Italian | curriculum | ||
| The word "curriculum" comes from the Latin word "currere," meaning "to run" or "to proceed." | |||
| Luxembourgish | léierplang | ||
| Maltese | kurrikulu | ||
| The Maltese word "kurrikulu" is derived from the Latin word "curriculum", meaning "a race course" or "a path to be followed". | |||
| Norwegian | læreplanen | ||
| The Norwegian word "lærerplanen" originates from the German word "lehrplan" and also refers to a "school plan". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | currículo | ||
| The Portuguese word "currículo" can also refer to a resume. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | curraicealam | ||
| The word "curraicealam" in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Latin "currere", meaning "to run", and "calamus", meaning "reed pen". In traditional Gaelic education, a reed pen was used to write on a wax tablet, and the word "curraicealam" came to refer to the path or course of study laid out for students. | |||
| Spanish | plan de estudios | ||
| "Plan de estudios" literally means "study plan" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | läroplanen | ||
| Läroplanen comes from the verb 'att lära' (to learn) and the suffix '-plan' (design), meaning 'learning design'. | |||
| Welsh | cwricwlwm | ||
| The origin of the Welsh word 'cwricwlwm' is obscure, but it could be related to the Latin 'curriculum'. | |||
Curriculum in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вучэбная праграма | ||
| Bosnian | kurikulum | ||
| Bosnia uses the word 'kurikulum' as the Latin word, but also for 'educational programme, syllabus'. | |||
| Bulgarian | учебна програма | ||
| The Bulgarian word "учебна програма" (curriculum) literally translates to "teaching program". | |||
| Czech | osnovy | ||
| The word "osnovy" also means "foundations" and "basis" in Czech, reflecting its role as the core building blocks of education. | |||
| Estonian | õppekava | ||
| The Estonian word "õppekava" is derived from the word "õppi", meaning "to learn", and "kava", meaning "plan". This highlights the concept of a curriculum as a structured plan for learning. | |||
| Finnish | opetussuunnitelma | ||
| The word “opetussuunnitelma” is derived from two roots: “oppi-” (learning), and “-suunnitelma” (plan), giving it the literal meaning of “learning plan”. | |||
| Hungarian | tanterv | ||
| In addition to its educational sense, the word "tanterv" can also refer to a detailed plan for any endeavor. | |||
| Latvian | mācību programma | ||
| The term "mācību programma" can also refer to a specific set of courses or subjects taught at an educational institution. | |||
| Lithuanian | mokymo planas | ||
| The word "mokymo planas" is derived from the Lithuanian words "mokyti" (to teach) and "planas" (plan). | |||
| Macedonian | наставна програма | ||
| The word "наставна програма" also means "teaching program" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | program | ||
| In Polish, the word "program" can also mean "computer software". | |||
| Romanian | curriculum | ||
| The Romanian word "curriculum" is derived from the Latin "currere," meaning "to run," and refers to a course of study or the content of a program of study. | |||
| Russian | учебная программа | ||
| The word "учебная программа" (curriculum) derives from the Old Russian word "учить" (to study). | |||
| Serbian | наставни план и програм | ||
| "Nastavni plan i program" is a noun phrase that literally means "instructional plan and curriculum". | |||
| Slovak | učivo | ||
| Its alternate meaning is "a learned subject" or "a subject of study." | |||
| Slovenian | učni načrt | ||
| The Slovenian word "učni načrt" can also refer to a syllabus or a lesson plan. | |||
| Ukrainian | навчальна програма | ||
| The Ukrainian word "навчальна програма" comes from the Old Slavonic word "програма", derived from the Greek word "programma" (a public notice). | |||
Curriculum in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাঠ্যক্রম | ||
| The term "পাঠ্যক্রম" in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "पाठ्यक्रम (pāṭhyakrama)", which literally means "course of study". | |||
| Gujarati | અભ્યાસક્રમ | ||
| Hindi | पाठ्यक्रम | ||
| In Hindi, the word "पाठ्यक्रम" (curriculum) can also mean "course outline" or "lesson plan". | |||
| Kannada | ಪಠ್ಯಕ್ರಮ | ||
| The term 'ಪಠ್ಯಕ್ರಮ' can also refer to a 'syllabus' or 'course of study' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പാഠ്യപദ്ധതി | ||
| പാഠ്യപദ്ധതി is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pathyakram' meaning 'a course of study' and refers to the content and organization of educational courses. | |||
| Marathi | अभ्यासक्रम | ||
| "अभ्यासक्रम (Abhiyasakram)" means "course" in English and also refers to educational material, like textbooks and notes, necessary for a course. | |||
| Nepali | पाठ्यक्रम | ||
| पाठ्यक्रम is derived from the Sanskrit word 'पाठ' (lesson) and 'क्रम' (order), meaning a set of lessons arranged in a logical sequence. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਾਠਕ੍ਰਮ | ||
| ਪਾਠਕ੍ਰਮ (curriculum) is also used to refer to a course of study, especially one that is prescribed by an educational institution. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විෂයමාලාව | ||
| The word "විෂයමාලාව" can also refer to the subjects offered in a particular course or program of study. | |||
| Tamil | பாடத்திட்டம் | ||
| Telugu | పాఠ్యాంశాలు | ||
| Urdu | نصاب | ||
| The word "نصاب" in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "نَصَابٌ" which means "portion" or "amount", and it can also refer to a "prescribed amount" or "minimum quantity" in various contexts. | |||
Curriculum in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 课程 | ||
| "课程"源于唐代，本意为科举制度中的科目，后引申为学习内容的安排。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 課程 | ||
| 課程的本義指馬車經過的路，後來引申至學科、教授內容或學習進度。 | |||
| Japanese | カリキュラム | ||
| In Japan, "カリキュラム" (curriculum) also refers to the outline of a school term, including subjects and schedules, and can be used in other contexts such as training programs or workshops. | |||
| Korean | 과정 | ||
| In older uses of the word "과정" (curriculum), it also referred to the process or procedure of something. | |||
| Mongolian | сургалтын хөтөлбөр | ||
| The word "сургалтын хөтөлбөр" (curriculum) originates from the Latin word "currere" (to run), and originally referred to the course of study followed by students in a university. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သင်ရိုးညွှန်းတမ်း | ||
Curriculum in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kurikulum | ||
| "Kurikulum" derives from the Latin "currere" (to run) and originally meant "a racecourse or chariot ride." | |||
| Javanese | kurikulum | ||
| In Javanese, "kurikulum" can also refer to a collection of traditional medicinal recipes. | |||
| Khmer | កម្មវិធីសិក្សា | ||
| Lao | ຫຼັກສູດ | ||
| Malay | kurikulum | ||
| The Malay word "kurikulum" comes from the Portuguese and Spanish word "currículo", meaning "a course of study". | |||
| Thai | หลักสูตร | ||
| หลักสูตร (lak sùt) also means 'main principle' or 'outline' in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | chương trình giáo dục | ||
| The word chương trình giáo dục literally means 'educational program' or 'course of study'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kurikulum | ||
Curriculum in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tədris planı | ||
| The word "tədris planı" comes from the Arabic word "tadris", meaning "to teach" or "instruction", and the Persian word "plan", meaning "scheme" or "outline". | |||
| Kazakh | оқу жоспары | ||
| The word "оқу жоспары" in Kazakh can be divided into two parts: "оқу" (study) and "жоспар" (plan), suggesting its role in outlining the academic journey. | |||
| Kyrgyz | окуу планы | ||
| The term “окуу планы” in Kyrgyz can also refer to a specific plan or outline indicating the topics covered in a course or programme of study. | |||
| Tajik | барномаи таълимӣ | ||
| The word «барномаи таълимӣ» (curriculum) is a compound word derived from the Persian root «бар» (top) and the Arabic suffix «-нама» (book), thus originally meaning «an account of the top». In modern-day Tajik, it is also a synonym of the loanword «программа» (program). | |||
| Turkmen | okuw meýilnamasy | ||
| Uzbek | o'quv dasturi | ||
| The word "o'quv dasturi" is derived from the Arabic word "dastur" meaning "rule" or "instruction." | |||
| Uyghur | دەرسلىك | ||
Curriculum in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | papa kuhikuhi | ||
| The word `papa kuhikuhi` literally translates to a `guiding mat`. | |||
| Maori | marautanga | ||
| Marautanga can mean 'curriculum' or more broadly 'knowledge, lore, wisdom'. | |||
| Samoan | mataupu aoaoina | ||
| The word 'mataupu aoaoina' can also refer to the educational journey or educational attainment level. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kurikulum | ||
| The word "kurikulum" in Tagalog is derived from the Spanish word "currículo", which means "course of study" or "syllabus". | |||
Curriculum in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | currículo uka tuqita yatxataña | ||
| Guarani | mbo’esyry rehegua | ||
Curriculum in International Languages
| Esperanto | instruplano | ||
| The Esperanto word "instruplano" is derived from the Latin words "instruere" (to instruct) and "planus" (flat). | |||
| Latin | curriculum vitae | ||
| "Curriculum Vitae" derives from the Latin phrase "cursus vitae" which means "the course of one's life". | |||
Curriculum in Others Languages
| Greek | διδακτέα ύλη | ||
| The word "διδακτέα ύλη" originally meant "the material to be taught" in ancient Greek. | |||
| Hmong | cov ntaub ntawv kawm | ||
| Kurdish | mufredatê | ||
| The term "mufredatê" is derived from the Arabic word "mufradat" meaning "vocabulary" or "individual words", hinting at the fundamental role of vocabulary in shaping educational curricula. | |||
| Turkish | müfredat | ||
| The word "müfredat" is derived from the Arabic word "فرد" (fard), which means "single" or "individual" in Turkish, and the suffix "-at" which indicates plurality. | |||
| Xhosa | ikharityhulam | ||
| The word "ikharityhulam" in Xhosa is derived from the verb "ukharityhula," which means "to guide or direct." | |||
| Yiddish | קעריקיאַלאַם | ||
| קעריקיאַלאַם is a Yiddish word that also means an index of names of books and chapters. | |||
| Zulu | lwezifundo | ||
| The Zulu word "lwezifundo" can also refer to the subject matter taught in a curriculum. | |||
| Assamese | পাঠ্যক্ৰম | ||
| Aymara | currículo uka tuqita yatxataña | ||
| Bhojpuri | पाठ्यक्रम के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މަންހަޖެވެ | ||
| Dogri | पाठ्यक्रम दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kurikulum | ||
| Guarani | mbo’esyry rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | kurikulum ti kurikulum | ||
| Krio | di kɔrikulu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەنهەجی خوێندن | ||
| Maithili | पाठ्यक्रम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯔꯤꯀꯨꯂꯃꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯥꯡꯗꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯝ ꯊꯃꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | curriculum a ni | ||
| Oromo | kaarikulamii kaarikulamii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାଠ୍ୟକ୍ରମ | ||
| Quechua | curriculum nisqa yachay | ||
| Sanskrit | पाठ्यक्रमः | ||
| Tatar | укыту планы | ||
| Tigrinya | ስርዓተ ትምህርቲ | ||
| Tsonga | kharikhulamu | ||