Digital in Different Languages
Discover 'Digital' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'digital' has become a fundamental part of our modern vocabulary, reflecting the shift from analog to digital technology that has transformed our world. Its significance extends far beyond the realm of electronics, as it also represents a cultural movement towards greater connectivity, accessibility, and innovation. Understanding the translation of 'digital' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures have embraced or resisted this technological revolution.
For instance, did you know that 'digital' translates to 'digital' in Spanish and French, but to 'finger number' in German ('Fingernummer')? Or that in Japanese, 'digital' is written as 'デジタル' (dejitaru), reflecting the language's unique phonetic and logographic script? These translations not only reveal linguistic differences but also cultural attitudes towards digital technology.
In this article, we explore the translations of 'digital' in 10 different languages, shedding light on the global impact of digital technology and the rich diversity of human language and culture. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural scholar, or simply curious about the world around you, this article is sure to provide fascinating insights and inspiration.
Digital
Digital in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | digitale | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "digitale" can refer to a medicinal plant, often called foxglove in English, known for its heart-regulating properties. | |||
| Amharic | ዲጂታል | ||
| ዲጂታል (digital) is also derived from the Latin word "digitus," meaning finger or toe, and refers to the use of fingers or toes for counting or calculating. | |||
| Hausa | dijital | ||
| In Hausa, "dijital" can also refer to something valuable, useful or excellent. | |||
| Igbo | dijitalụ | ||
| Igbo “dijitalụ” comes from English “digital,” but is often mistakenly conflated with “digit” and thus sometimes refers to fingers (as in the saying “isi dijitalụ asa,” meaning 'fingers are not equal'). | |||
| Malagasy | hafanàm-po | ||
| The word "Hafanàm-po" in Malagasy, meaning "digital," originates from the French phrase "faire fanà", meaning "to do by hand." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | digito | ||
| The Nyanja word "digito" can also refer to finger | |||
| Shona | digital | ||
| The word 'digital' in Shona also means 'finger' or 'toe' and can refer to a physical extremity as well as a digital device. | |||
| Somali | dijitaal ah | ||
| The word "dijitaal ah" in Somali comes from the English word "digital" and is used to describe anything related to computers or technology. | |||
| Sesotho | dijithale | ||
| The Sesotho word "dijithale" (which means "digital") derives from the English word "digital". | |||
| Swahili | dijiti | ||
| Dijiti, meaning "fingers" in Swahili, is also used to refer to numbers and counting. | |||
| Xhosa | yedijithali | ||
| The word 'yedijithali' can also refer to something that is precise, accurate, or perfect. | |||
| Yoruba | oni nọmba | ||
| The etymology of the Yoruba word "oni nọmba" ("digital") is uncertain, but some scholars believe it derives from the Yoruba words "ọni" ("time") and "nọmba" ("number"), suggesting a connection between digital technology and the concept of time. | |||
| Zulu | yedijithali | ||
| The Zulu word 'yedijithali' has an alternative meaning of 'electronic' or 'computerised'. | |||
| Bambara | nizɛrikan na | ||
| Ewe | dijitaalmɔ̃ dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imibare | ||
| Lingala | numérique | ||
| Luganda | digito | ||
| Sepedi | dijithale | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dijitaal | ||
Digital in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رقمي | ||
| In Arabic, the word "رقمي" (ruqmi) is also used to describe something that is "numerical" or "related to numbers". | |||
| Hebrew | דִיגִיטָלי | ||
| In modern Hebrew, דיגיטלי can also mean 'digitalis' in the botanical sense. | |||
| Pashto | ډیجیټل | ||
| Arabic | رقمي | ||
| In Arabic, the word "رقمي" (ruqmi) is also used to describe something that is "numerical" or "related to numbers". | |||
Digital in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dixhital | ||
| The etymology of the word "dixhital" is unclear, but one possibility is that it is derived from "decadal," meaning relating to the number 10. | |||
| Basque | digitala | ||
| The word "Digitala" in Basque is derived from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger", and also refers to the finger-shaped plant known as foxglove. | |||
| Catalan | digital | ||
| "Digital" in Catalan can also mean "thimble" if written with the accent mark: "dígital" | |||
| Croatian | digitalni | ||
| The word 'digitalni' in Croatian comes from Latin and also means 'related to a finger' | |||
| Danish | digital | ||
| In Danish, "digital" also refers to the index finger or thumb and the act of "snapping" the finger or thumb. | |||
| Dutch | digitaal | ||
| In Dutch "digitaal" can also mean "related to a finger", as "digital print" means "fingerprint". | |||
| English | digital | ||
| The word "digital" comes from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger", which was used to count on one's fingers. | |||
| French | numérique | ||
| Numérique derives from the French word "numéro" (number) and also means "numerical". | |||
| Frisian | digitaal | ||
| Digitaal (or dizjitale, Frisian for 'digital') is a Frisian cognate of the English word 'digit', having the same root (Latin, 'digitus'): a part of the body used for counting. | |||
| Galician | dixital | ||
| Galician word "dixital" derives from the Latin "dígitus" meaning "finger". | |||
| German | digital | ||
| The German word "digital" can also refer to the finger or thumb, or the number ten. | |||
| Icelandic | stafrænt | ||
| The word "stafrænt" has the alternate meaning of "digital" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | digiteach | ||
| The word 'digiteach' in Irish also means 'finger' or 'toe'. | |||
| Italian | digitale | ||
| "Digitale" in Italian can also mean "foxglove" (the plant), from the Latin "digitalis," which refers to the finger-like shape of its flowers. | |||
| Luxembourgish | digital | ||
| Maltese | diġitali | ||
| The Maltese word "diġitali" comes from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger", and refers to the use of fingers to count or calculate. | |||
| Norwegian | digital | ||
| The Norwegian word "digital" can also refer to thimbles used in sewing. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | digital | ||
| Em português, "digital" significa também "de forma fácil e rápida". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | didseatach | ||
| The word 'didseatach' originally referred to the finger or thumb. | |||
| Spanish | digital | ||
| De origen latín, "digital" proviene de la palabra "digitus" que significa "dedo". | |||
| Swedish | digital | ||
| The word "digital" in Swedish can also refer to the human finger or toe. | |||
| Welsh | digidol | ||
| Digidol, meaning 'digital' in Welsh, derives from 'digid', referring to the action of 'digging' in digital photography. | |||
Digital in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | лічбавы | ||
| Belarusian word "лічбавы" ("digital") originates from "лічба" ("digit, number") but it only used to describe digital data in computing context in contrast to Russian where it can also describe devices operating by digits, like watches. | |||
| Bosnian | digitalni | ||
| "Digitalni" may also mean "finger" or "thumb" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | дигитален | ||
| "Дигитален" can also mean "finger" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | digitální | ||
| Digitální can also mean 'electronic' in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | digitaalne | ||
| "Digitaalne" originates from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger", hence it refers to counting, arithmetic, and numbers. | |||
| Finnish | digitaalinen | ||
| The word "digitaalinen" is derived from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger" or "toe", and refers to the use of fingers or toes to count or calculate. | |||
| Hungarian | digitális | ||
| A "digitális" szó "ujjat" is jelent latin eredete miatt, és így kapcsolódik a számjegyekhez és a számítástechnikához. | |||
| Latvian | digitāls | ||
| The word "digitāls" in Latvian comes from the Latin word "digitalis", meaning "of the finger". | |||
| Lithuanian | skaitmeninis | ||
| The word "skaitmeninis" is derived from the Lithuanian word "skaitmuo", meaning "digit", and is cognate with the English word "decimal". | |||
| Macedonian | дигитални | ||
| The word "дигитални" in Macedonian can also refer to "numbers" or "digits" in a more general sense. | |||
| Polish | cyfrowy | ||
| The term 'cyfrowy' comes from the Latin word 'digitus' (meaning 'finger'), referring to counting using fingers in ancient systems. | |||
| Romanian | digital | ||
| In Romanian, "digital" can also mean "thumb" or "finger". | |||
| Russian | цифровой | ||
| The word "цифровой" can also mean "numeric" or "digit-based" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | дигитални | ||
| The Serbian word "дигитални" can also refer to something that is done with fingers. | |||
| Slovak | digitálny | ||
| Digitálny comes from the Latin word digitus, meaning "finger". This is a reference to the way we use our fingers to interact with digital devices. | |||
| Slovenian | digitalno | ||
| The Slovenian word "digitalno" can also refer to the use of digits, especially in mathematical calculations. | |||
| Ukrainian | цифровий | ||
| The word "цифровий" can also mean "numeric" or "digit-based" in mathematics and computing. | |||
Digital in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ডিজিটাল | ||
| ডোলের বাড়িতে তালা লাগিয়েছিলে, তাই তাকে ডিজিটাল ডায়রে গলিয়ে মারতে পারছো না। | |||
| Gujarati | ડિજિટલ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ડિજિટલ" ("digital") is also used to describe something related to fingers, toes, or the human body. | |||
| Hindi | डिजिटल | ||
| The term 'डिजिटल' comes from the Latin word 'digitus', meaning 'finger' or 'toe', as early digital computers used fingers to input data. | |||
| Kannada | ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ | ||
| In addition to its common meaning, "digital" in Kannada can also refer to a type of traditional folk music. | |||
| Malayalam | ഡിജിറ്റൽ | ||
| "ഡിജിറ്റൽ" is derived from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger", as it originally referred to counting on one's fingers. | |||
| Marathi | डिजिटल | ||
| Nepali | डिजिटल | ||
| In Nepali, “डिजिटल” also means “relating to computing”. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਿਜੀਟਲ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඩිජිටල් | ||
| Tamil | டிஜிட்டல் | ||
| டிஜிட்டல் is sometimes used in Tamil for | |||
| Telugu | డిజిటల్ | ||
| 'Digital' in Telugu is an adjective that means 'related to fingers' (డిజిటల్) | |||
| Urdu | ڈیجیٹل | ||
| The word "ڈیجیٹل" (digital) is derived from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger" or "toe". Originally, a "digital" system was one that used fingers or toes to represent numbers or other information. | |||
Digital in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 数字 | ||
| 数字 (shùzì) is also used to refer to numbers or the concept of quantity in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 數字 | ||
| 數字 (shù zì) originally meant 'counting words' but now refers primarily to numeric digits and the digital age. | |||
| Japanese | デジタル | ||
| The word "デジタル" (dejitaru) is a loanword from English adopted into Japanese in the Meiji period, and also means "finger" or "digit". | |||
| Korean | 디지털 | ||
| 디지털 is often mistaken to have come from the English word 'digital', but it is actually derived from Latin 'digitus', which means 'finger' or 'toe'. | |||
| Mongolian | дижитал | ||
| The Mongolian word "дижитал" has an alternate meaning of "electric" or "electron". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒီဂျစ်တယ် | ||
Digital in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | digital | ||
| "Jari" juga berarti "digital" dalam bahasa Indonesia, yang berasal dari kata Latin "digitus" yang berarti "jari". | |||
| Javanese | digital | ||
| The Javanese word "digital" can also refer to "fingernails" or "toenails". | |||
| Khmer | ឌីជីថល | ||
| The word "ឌីជីថល" (digital) also has the alternate meaning of "digit" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ດິຈິຕອນ | ||
| The word "ດິຈິຕອນ" is cognate with the English word "digit", both deriving from the Latin word "digitus", meaning "finger". | |||
| Malay | digital | ||
| The Malay word "digital" can also refer to the fingers or toes. | |||
| Thai | ดิจิทัล | ||
| The Thai word "ดิจิทัล" (digital) can also mean "electronic" or "numeric". | |||
| Vietnamese | kỹ thuật số | ||
| "Kỹ thuật số" (digital) xuất phát từ Latin "digitus" (ngón tay), liên quan đến cách đếm bằng ngón tay trong hệ thống đếm thập phân.} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | digital | ||
Digital in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəqəmsal | ||
| Kazakh | сандық | ||
| The word "сандық" also means "chest" or "box" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | санарип | ||
| The term "санарип" originates from the Latin word "digitalis", referring to a finger or a digit, alluding to computer data represented in discrete units. | |||
| Tajik | рақамӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "рақамӣ" is derived from the Arabic word "رقمي", meaning "numerical". | |||
| Turkmen | sanly | ||
| Uzbek | raqamli | ||
| "Raqamli" is a relatively recent addition to the Uzbek language, and derives its roots from the Arabic word "raqam", which means "number". | |||
| Uyghur | رەقەملىك | ||
Digital in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kikohoʻe | ||
| "Kikohoʻe" also means "to count on one's fingers or toes" and is related to "hoʻohelu" ("to count"). | |||
| Maori | mamati | ||
| The Maori word "mamati" also means "numb" or "without feeling". | |||
| Samoan | faafuainumera | ||
| Fa'afuainumera is an ancient Samoan word used to describe something that is very valuable or precious. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | digital | ||
| "Digital" is also related to the Tagalog word "daliri," which means "fingers," as in "counting fingers and toes." | |||
Digital in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | digital ukan uñt’ayata | ||
| Guarani | digital rehegua | ||
Digital in International Languages
| Esperanto | cifereca | ||
| The word 'cifereca' is derived from the Esperanto word 'cifero', meaning 'number'. | |||
| Latin | digital | ||
| "Digitus" (finger) is the origin of "digital," used in ancient Rome to count. | |||
Digital in Others Languages
| Greek | ψηφιακό | ||
| The Greek word "ψηφιακό" (digital) is derived from "ψηφίς" (pebble), used in ancient Greece for voting or counting. | |||
| Hmong | digital | ||
| In Hmong, 'digital' (dijita) also means 'to record'. | |||
| Kurdish | dîjîtal | ||
| The word "dîjîtal" in Kurdish also means "electronic", "computational", or "numerical". | |||
| Turkish | dijital | ||
| "Dijital" has alternative archaic meanings like "pertaining to the finger" or "finger-shaped" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | yedijithali | ||
| The word 'yedijithali' can also refer to something that is precise, accurate, or perfect. | |||
| Yiddish | דיגיטאַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "דיגיטאַל" ("digital") also means "finger" and "thumb". | |||
| Zulu | yedijithali | ||
| The Zulu word 'yedijithali' has an alternative meaning of 'electronic' or 'computerised'. | |||
| Assamese | ডিজিটেল | ||
| Aymara | digital ukan uñt’ayata | ||
| Bhojpuri | डिजिटल के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑިޖިޓަލް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | डिजिटल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | digital | ||
| Guarani | digital rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | digital | ||
| Krio | dijital | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دیجیتاڵی | ||
| Maithili | डिजिटल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯤꯖꯤꯇꯦꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯄꯤꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | digital a ni | ||
| Oromo | dijiitaalaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡିଜିଟାଲ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | digital nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | डिजिटल | ||
| Tatar | санлы | ||
| Tigrinya | ዲጂታላዊ ምዃኑ ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | xidijitali | ||