Deck in Different Languages
Discover 'Deck' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'deck' is a structural platform built upon a vehicle or a building, often outdoors. It's a place of gathering, relaxation, and enjoyment, making it culturally significant across the globe. From barbecues on American decks to sunbathing on Scandinavian 'däck' or enjoying a cup of tea on a Japanese 'deck', this word resonates with many.
Historically, decks were used on ships for navigation and battle. The term 'poop deck' originates from the 'poop' or 'stern' of a ship, where the highest deck was located. Nowadays, decks adorn our homes, providing an extension of our living space.
Understanding the translation of 'deck' in different languages can enrich your cultural experiences. Here are a few:
- German: 'Deck'
- French: 'Pont'
- Spanish: 'Puente'
- Italian: 'Ponte'
- Japanese: 'デック (dekku)'
Explore more translations of 'deck' and learn how this simple word connects us all.
Deck
Deck in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dek | ||
| The Afrikaans word "dek" derives from the Dutch word "dek", meaning "cover" or "roof", and is also cognate with the English word "deck". | |||
| Amharic | የመርከብ ወለል | ||
| In addition to meaning "deck" in the marine sense, "የመርከብ ወለል" also means "wharf" or "pier" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | bene | ||
| The word "bene" also means "floor" or "platform" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | oche | ||
| The word "oche" can also refer to a type of divination tray used in traditional Igbo religious practices. | |||
| Malagasy | tokotanin-tsambo | ||
| The word "tokotanin-tsambo" can also mean "the place where one sleeps on a boat". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sitimayo | ||
| The word "sitimayo" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to refer to a "platform" or a "stage". | |||
| Shona | dhongi | ||
| "Dhongi" in Shona also signifies an artificial stage made with timber to support musicians at festivals. | |||
| Somali | sagxad | ||
| In Somali, 'sagxad' is cognate with 'saqaf' in Arabic, meaning roof or ceiling. | |||
| Sesotho | mokato | ||
| The word 'mokato' can also refer to a roof, implying that the deck is considered an extension or part of the main structure. | |||
| Swahili | staha | ||
| The word "staha" is derived from the Arabic word "sath" or "sahhah", meaning "surface" or "level". | |||
| Xhosa | kumgangatho | ||
| The word also derives from the verb “ukuqengqa,” meaning “to fight,” likely because the deck is the site of the final battles against opposing nations or ships. | |||
| Yoruba | dekini | ||
| In Yoruba, the word 'dekini' can alternatively refer to a person who is highly skilled and adept in their profession. | |||
| Zulu | emphemeni | ||
| The word "emphemeni" in Zulu can also refer to a platform or a stage. | |||
| Bambara | pɔn | ||
| Ewe | sãdzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igorofa | ||
| Lingala | kotyola | ||
| Luganda | deki | ||
| Sepedi | teka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pono so | ||
Deck in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ظهر السفينة | ||
| ظَهْر is ultimately derived from the Semitic root *ḍ-h-r, meaning 'back'. | |||
| Hebrew | סִיפּוּן | ||
| The Hebrew word for "deck" (סִיפּוּן) is derived from the Greek word "stephane" (στέφανος), meaning "crown" or "wreath". | |||
| Pashto | ډیک | ||
| The word "ډیک" (deck) in Pashto can also refer to a floor, or a stage in a theater. | |||
| Arabic | ظهر السفينة | ||
| ظَهْر is ultimately derived from the Semitic root *ḍ-h-r, meaning 'back'. | |||
Deck in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kuvertë | ||
| The Albanian word "kuvertë" has two meanings, "deck" and "envelope". | |||
| Basque | bizkarreko | ||
| The word "bizkarreko" can also be used to refer to the back or spine. | |||
| Catalan | coberta | ||
| Catalan "coberta" derives from the Late Latin word "cooperta," meaning "covering or lid," and originally referred to a ship's hull covering. | |||
| Croatian | paluba | ||
| The word "paluba" in Croatian also means the roof of a building or shed. | |||
| Danish | dæk | ||
| In Danish, "dæk" also means "tire" because the car deck covers the tires. | |||
| Dutch | dek | ||
| In Dutch, the word "dek" also refers to a roof, a floor, or a lid. | |||
| English | deck | ||
| "Deck" comes from Middle Dutch "dek," meaning "cover" or "roof." | |||
| French | plate-forme | ||
| In French, the word "plate-forme" also refers to a platform or stage. | |||
| Frisian | dek | ||
| In Frisian, "dek" can also refer to a roof or a floor, and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*þak" meaning "to cover". | |||
| Galician | cuberta | ||
| The Galician word "cuberta" derives from the Latin "cooperta", meaning "covered", and can also refer to a roofing structure or the ceiling of a ship. | |||
| German | deck | ||
| The German word "Deck" can also refer to the roof of a building or the upper floor of a house. | |||
| Icelandic | þilfari | ||
| Þilfari may be related to Þiðli (f.) "plank" or þíll (f.) "board" in modern Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | deic | ||
| Deic also means 'heat' or 'passion' in Irish, and is the origin of the term 'deice,' meaning to remove ice from an aircraft before takeoff. | |||
| Italian | mazzo | ||
| Besides meaning "deck" or "bundle," "mazzo" can also refer to a bouquet of flowers or the face of a playing card. | |||
| Luxembourgish | deck | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "deck" can also refer to a "pack of cards" (as in a deck of playing cards). | |||
| Maltese | gverta | ||
| The word "gverta" is derived from the Spanish word "cubierta", which means "cover" or "roof". | |||
| Norwegian | dekk | ||
| "Dekk" in Norwegian can also mean "tire" or "cover". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | área coberta | ||
| The Portuguese word "área coberta" translates to "covered area" in English, but can also refer to a type of balcony or terrace. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deic | ||
| The Gaelic word "deic" originated from the Old Norse word "dekk", but the meaning shifted from "roof" or "covering" to "deck" or "floor" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | cubierta | ||
| "Cubierta" also means "cover" or "covering" in Spanish, and it can refer to a variety of things, including a book cover, a roof, or a blanket. | |||
| Swedish | däck | ||
| "Däck" also means "tire" in English. Similarly, the English word "deck" also means "ceiling" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | dec | ||
| 'Dec' is a loanword from Middle English "dekke". It is also used in some dialects of English to refer to the roof of a house or a shelter. | |||
Deck in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | калода | ||
| "Калода" comes from the Slavic term "*goldь", denoting a group or a whole | |||
| Bosnian | paluba | ||
| The Bosnian word "paluba" is derived from the Turkish word "pağlubu", which means "floor" or "pavement" | |||
| Bulgarian | палуба | ||
| The word “палуба” derives from the Latin word “planca” meaning “plank,” and in Bulgarian, it can also refer to a floor or a balcony. | |||
| Czech | paluba | ||
| The word "paluba" is derived from the German "Planbuhne" and can also refer to a flat, planked surface. | |||
| Estonian | tekk | ||
| The Estonian word "tekk" derives from the Germanic root "thak", meaning "to cover", and shares a common origin with the English word "thatch". | |||
| Finnish | laivan kansi | ||
| The word "laivan kansi" literally translates to "ship's lid". | |||
| Hungarian | fedélzet | ||
| Fedélzet may originate from Old High German "fathel," meaning "plank," with further cognates in Germanic languages | |||
| Latvian | klāja | ||
| Klāja has multiple meanings, such as 'floor' and 'tablecloth', and originates from Old Norse, where it means 'cloth'. | |||
| Lithuanian | denio | ||
| The word "denio" in Lithuanian is thought to originate from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dhe-," meaning "to put" | |||
| Macedonian | палуба | ||
| The word "палуба" likely originates from the Slavic word for "swamp", suggesting its initial use as swampy lowland before referring to a deck. | |||
| Polish | pokład | ||
| "Pokład" in Polish can also mean "deposit" or "layer". | |||
| Romanian | punte | ||
| Romanian "punte" derives from the Latin word "pons", meaning "bridge", and can also refer to a drawbridge or a footbridge. | |||
| Russian | колода | ||
| The word "колода" (deck) in Russian can also refer to a large pile of firewood, a beehive, or a set of playing cards. | |||
| Serbian | палуба | ||
| In Russian, the word "палуба" also means "floor". In other Slavic languages, it can mean "platform" or "stage". | |||
| Slovak | paluba | ||
| The Slovak word "paluba" derives from the Italian word "palco" or the German word "Planke" meaning "platform" or "plank". | |||
| Slovenian | krov | ||
| In Russian the word “кров”, pronounced identically to Slovenian, means “roof”. Although in archaic language, “кров” (meaning “blood”) used to be synonymous to “protection”. Interestingly in old Slavic languages “blood” often had a metaphorical meaning of “family”. In modern Russian “кров” is often used to denote a sense of close connection, trust and reliability, as in a phrase “быть под чьей-то кровлей”, i.e. “being under somebody’s roof”. | |||
| Ukrainian | колода | ||
| "Колода" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kel" and has cognates in many Indo-European languages, such as "колоть", "колодка", and "колесо" in Ukrainian. | |||
Deck in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ডেক | ||
| In a nautical sense, "ডেক" refers to the horizontal surface of a ship, while in a card game, it denotes a set of cards with the same rank. | |||
| Gujarati | તૂતક | ||
| The Gujarati word "તૂતક" is a loanword from the English word "deck", which in nautical terms refers to the space on a ship where the guns are mounted. | |||
| Hindi | डेक | ||
| The Hindi word "डेक" (deck) is also used to refer to a deck of cards or a deck of playing cards. | |||
| Kannada | ಡೆಕ್ | ||
| The word "ಡೆಕ್" (deck) in Kannada also has alternate meanings such as "a pack of cards" and "a group of people working together". | |||
| Malayalam | ഡെക്ക് | ||
| "ഡെക്ക്" originated from the Dutch word "dek", which means "a covering or floor" in the context of ships, and in Malayalam it also refers to a playing card deck. | |||
| Marathi | डेक | ||
| The Marathi word "डेक" also refers to cards used in games like cards and tarots. | |||
| Nepali | डेक | ||
| The word 'deck' in Nepali means 'roof' or 'rooftop', but can also refer to the 'ceiling' or 'upper floor' of a building. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡੈੱਕ | ||
| The word "deck" originates from the Middle Dutch word "dek", meaning "to cover" or "to protect". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තට්ටුව | ||
| තට්ටුව (deck) shares the same etymology with තැට (plate) as both originate from the Dravidian root "*taṭṭi" meaning "flat surface". | |||
| Tamil | டெக் | ||
| The word டெக் is an alternate spelling of டேக் which means a playing card or a label. | |||
| Telugu | డెక్ | ||
| The word "deck" comes from the Middle Dutch word "dek," meaning "covering" or "surface." | |||
| Urdu | ڈیک | ||
| The term ڈیک (deck) in Urdu comes from the Old French verb “descouvrir,” meaning “to remove cover,” possibly referring to the opening of a box or chest. | |||
Deck in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 甲板 | ||
| "甲" in "甲板" originally refers to the first-tier soldiers in an army, who would stand in the forefront during the battle and are thus called the "front". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 甲板 | ||
| The term "甲板" (deck) originated from the first-level wooden floor of traditional Chinese buildings. | |||
| Japanese | デッキ | ||
| A possible alternate meaning of "デッキ" ("deck") is "terrace". | |||
| Korean | 갑판 | ||
| "갑판" is the Korean word for "deck", but it can also mean "lid" or "cover". | |||
| Mongolian | тавцан | ||
| The word "тавцан" can also mean "shelf" or "board" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကုန်းပတ် | ||
Deck in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kartu | ||
| In Javanese, 'kartu' also means 'paper', referring to the material used in traditional card games. | |||
| Javanese | geladak | ||
| The word "geladak" in Javanese can also refer to a wooden platform or a stage. | |||
| Khmer | នាវា | ||
| The word "នាវា" in Khmer comes from the Sanskrit word "nāvā", meaning "ship" or "boat." | |||
| Lao | ດາດຟ້າ | ||
| The Lao word ດາດຟ້າ may also refer to a raised platform or terrace, especially in a temple or palace. | |||
| Malay | dek | ||
| "Dek" derives from Old Malay "dangka" ("ship's deck") and "dekkeng" ("to cover, to roof"), cognate to the word "deck" in English and Dutch. | |||
| Thai | ดาดฟ้า | ||
| The word "ดาดฟ้า" (deck) in Thai can also refer to the flat roof of a building used for recreation or storage. | |||
| Vietnamese | boong tàu | ||
| "Boong tàu" (deck) in Vietnamese comes from the French word "pont" (bridge). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kubyerta | ||
Deck in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | göyərtə | ||
| The word "göyərtə" also means "sky" in Azerbaijani, reflecting its historical use as a wooden platform at the top of ships. | |||
| Kazakh | палуба | ||
| The word "палуба" is borrowed from Turkish "paluba" which means "the upper floor of a ship" | |||
| Kyrgyz | палуба | ||
| The word "палуба" (deck) comes from the Dutch word "plecht" which means "platform". | |||
| Tajik | саҳни киштӣ | ||
| In Turkic, "saḥn" also means "yard" and "court". | |||
| Turkmen | paluba | ||
| Uzbek | pastki | ||
| The term "pastki" in Uzbek can also refer to a balcony. | |||
| Uyghur | پالۋان | ||
Deck in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kāhiko | ||
| In Hawaiian, the verb form of “kāhiko” means “to strike or beat” and is often used in the context of war or self-defense. | |||
| Maori | rahoraho | ||
| The word 'rahoraho' can also refer to the platform of a waka (canoe) or the raised floor of a Marae (meeting house). | |||
| Samoan | fola | ||
| Fola is also known as 'afola' and means "to sit on" or "to assemble". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kubyerta | ||
| The word "kubyerta" can also refer to a set of playing cards or cutlery that complements a meal. | |||
Deck in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | imantata | ||
| Guarani | pyendavusu | ||
Deck in International Languages
| Esperanto | ferdeko | ||
| In English, the word 'deck' also refers to the playing surface of card games like poker and blackjack, and the stage on which a boxer fights. | |||
| Latin | ornare | ||
| "Ornare" also meant "to furnish" in Latin, as well as "to equip", "to arm", or "to provide". | |||
Deck in Others Languages
| Greek | κατάστρωμα | ||
| The word "κατάστρωμα" ultimately derives from the verb "στρώννυμι", meaning "to spread out", and originally referred to any type of paved surface. | |||
| Hmong | lawj xeeb | ||
| Lawj xeeb in Hmong means either "deck" or "floor". | |||
| Kurdish | banîya gemî | ||
| The word "banîya gemî" is also used to refer to the top of a house or a flat roof. | |||
| Turkish | güverte | ||
| Güverte is a Turkish word whose origin is uncertain. It may be derived from the Italian word coperta, which means | |||
| Xhosa | kumgangatho | ||
| The word also derives from the verb “ukuqengqa,” meaning “to fight,” likely because the deck is the site of the final battles against opposing nations or ships. | |||
| Yiddish | deck | ||
| In Yiddish, "deck" (דעק) can also mean "cover", "lid", or "ceiling". | |||
| Zulu | emphemeni | ||
| The word "emphemeni" in Zulu can also refer to a platform or a stage. | |||
| Assamese | ডেক | ||
| Aymara | imantata | ||
| Bhojpuri | डेक | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑެކް | ||
| Dogri | ज्हाजै दी छत्त | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kubyerta | ||
| Guarani | pyendavusu | ||
| Ilocano | arkos | ||
| Krio | dɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پشتی کەشتی | ||
| Maithili | तासक पत्ता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯖꯍꯥꯖꯀꯤ ꯂꯦꯞꯐꯝ | ||
| Mizo | khuhna | ||
| Oromo | lafa doonii isa irra keessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡେକ୍ | ||
| Quechua | carpeta | ||
| Sanskrit | नौतल | ||
| Tatar | палуба | ||
| Tigrinya | ባይታ | ||
| Tsonga | lwangu | ||