Distinction in Different Languages
Discover 'Distinction' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'distinction' carries great significance in expressing the difference or contrast between two things. It is a culturally important term, used in various fields such as art, education, and social status, to highlight unique qualities and individuality. Understanding the translation of 'distinction' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and express the concept.
For instance, in Spanish, 'distinción' not only refers to the difference between two things but also implies a sense of refinement and elegance. In German, 'Unterscheidung' carries a similar meaning, but with a stronger emphasis on the cognitive process of differentiating one thing from another. Meanwhile, in Japanese, ' distinction' is translated as '区別 (kubetsu),' which reflects the language's minimalist approach to expressing complex ideas.
Below, you will find a list of translations of the word 'distinction' in various languages, providing a glimpse into the diverse ways cultures express this concept.
Distinction
Distinction in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | onderskeid | ||
| The word "onderskeid" in Afrikaans came from the Dutch word "onderscheid" which also means distinction. | |||
| Amharic | ልዩነት | ||
| The word also implies "diversity," "difference," "specialness," and "uniqueness." | |||
| Hausa | bambanci | ||
| In Hausa, "bambanci" also refers to the marks on the forehead of sacrificial animals. | |||
| Igbo | ọdịiche | ||
| In the context of linguistics, the word "ọdịiche" also refers to the differentiation of phonemes or morphemes in a language. | |||
| Malagasy | fanavahana | ||
| In Malagasy, 'fanavahana' is derived from 'fanaovana,' meaning 'action or act of separating,' and 'hahana,' meaning 'clear or evident.' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusiyanitsa | ||
| Shona | mutsauko | ||
| In Shona, the word "mutsauko" can also refer to a mark or sign that distinguishes something or a type of dance. | |||
| Somali | kala soocid | ||
| In Somali, the word "kala soocid" also means "classification" and "discrimination." | |||
| Sesotho | phapang | ||
| The noun phapang is also used to denote "a boundary" or "a space in between." | |||
| Swahili | tofauti | ||
| Tofauti was borrowed from Arabic "t_f_w_t" meaning difference or distinction. | |||
| Xhosa | umahluko | ||
| "Umahluko" is a Xhosa word that refers to differences or variations in form, nature, or quality. | |||
| Yoruba | adayanri | ||
| "Adayanri" also means the art used in traditional Yoruba clothing to signify royalty, power, or a special occasion. | |||
| Zulu | umehluko | ||
| The Zulu word "umehluko" can also refer to a difference or a distinction in social status. | |||
| Bambara | danfara | ||
| Ewe | vovototodedeameme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutandukanya | ||
| Lingala | bokeseni | ||
| Luganda | okwawukana | ||
| Sepedi | phapano | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsonsonoe a ɛda ntam | ||
Distinction in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تمييز | ||
| تمييز can also mean 'discrimination', a loanword from French 'discrimination'. | |||
| Hebrew | הבחנה | ||
| It is also used in the sense of "discrimination". | |||
| Pashto | توپیر | ||
| توپیر | |||
| Arabic | تمييز | ||
| تمييز can also mean 'discrimination', a loanword from French 'discrimination'. | |||
Distinction in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dallim | ||
| The word "dallim" in Albanian can also mean "difference" or "dispute". | |||
| Basque | bereizketa | ||
| The word bereizketa, in addition to meaning distinction, can be broken down into its component parts: "berei" (separate) and "izketa" (action of). | |||
| Catalan | distinció | ||
| The Catalan word 'distinció' is derived from the Latin 'distinctio', which means 'separation' or 'difference', and can also refer to a honor or award. | |||
| Croatian | razlika | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, "rаzlokъ" means divorce, but this meaning is not used in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | forskel | ||
| The Danish word "forskel" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic word *skerjaną, meaning "to divide or separate." | |||
| Dutch | onderscheid | ||
| The Dutch word "onderscheid" can also refer to "difference" or "discrimination". | |||
| English | distinction | ||
| Arising from the Latin distinguere 'to separate' and distinguere 'to mark out', the English word 'distinction' can also refer to a difference, contrast or division, or a mark of special honor or recognition | |||
| French | distinction | ||
| The word "distinction" comes from the Latin word "distinguere", meaning "to separate" or "to mark out". | |||
| Frisian | ûnderskied | ||
| The word "ûnderskied" means "distinction" in Frisian, and is related to the Dutch word "onderscheid" (also meaning "distinction"). | |||
| Galician | distinción | ||
| In Galician, the term "distinción" can also refer to a type of tax or charge levied on certain transactions or goods. | |||
| German | unterscheidung | ||
| The German word "Unterscheidung" also means "difference" and is derived from the Middle High German word "unterscheiden," meaning "to divide". | |||
| Icelandic | aðgreining | ||
| The Icelandic term 'aðgreining' (distinction) derives from the Old Norse 'aðgreiningr' (separation, difference). | |||
| Irish | idirdhealú | ||
| The term 'idirdhealú' may also refer to 'difference' or 'contrast'. | |||
| Italian | distinzione | ||
| The Italian word 'distinzione' also means 'elegance' or 'grace' and derives from the Latin 'distinctio', meaning 'separation'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ënnerscheed | ||
| The word "Ënnerscheed" is derived from the Germanic word "underskeid" and was already used in Old High German. | |||
| Maltese | distinzjoni | ||
| "Distinzjoni" in Maltese also has the meaning "difference". | |||
| Norwegian | forskjell | ||
| The word "forskjell" derives from the Old Norse word "forskothr", meaning "difference" or "distinction." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | distinção | ||
| In Portuguese, "distinção" also means "graduation" or "academic degree" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cliù | ||
| The word "cliù" in Scots Gaelic also means "reputation" or "fame". | |||
| Spanish | distinción | ||
| The Spanish word "distinción" can also mean "a difference" or "a mark of excellence". | |||
| Swedish | åtskillnad | ||
| Åtskillnad, which originally meant 'distinction', was later influenced by the German word 'Absonderung', which carries a stronger meaning of 'separation'. | |||
| Welsh | rhagoriaeth | ||
| The word "rhagoriaeth" derives from the root "rhagori" meaning "to excel" or "to be superior". | |||
Distinction in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адрозненне | ||
| The Belarusian word "адрозненне" is derived from the Old East Slavic word "розно", meaning "apart" or "different". | |||
| Bosnian | distinkcija | ||
| The Bosnian word 'distinkcija' is derived from the Latin word 'distinctio' meaning 'a separation or division'. | |||
| Bulgarian | разграничение | ||
| The word "разграничение" also means "demarcation" or "boundary". | |||
| Czech | rozdíl | ||
| The word "rozdíl" can also mean "difference" or "contrast". | |||
| Estonian | vahe | ||
| "Vahe" can also mean "difference", "interval" or "gap". | |||
| Finnish | ero | ||
| The Finnish word "ero" can also mean love, difference, separation, disconnection, or even a hero. | |||
| Hungarian | megkülönböztetés | ||
| Megkülönböztetés: in Hungarian, the word can also mean “discrimination,” a negative distinction based on characteristics such as race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. | |||
| Latvian | atšķirība | ||
| Etymology: From Latin discriminare, meaning to separate, distinguish | |||
| Lithuanian | skirtumas | ||
| "Skirtumas" also means "agreement" in some contexts. | |||
| Macedonian | разлика | ||
| Polish | różnica | ||
| "Różnica" is related to "roznica" (retail trade), as both words derive from "rozdzielić" (to separate). | |||
| Romanian | distincţie | ||
| The Romanian word "distincţie" comes from the Latin word "distinctio", which means "division" or "difference". | |||
| Russian | различие | ||
| "Различие" can also mean "variety" or "difference". | |||
| Serbian | разликовање | ||
| The Serbian word "razlikovanje" can also mean "discrimination" or "difference" depending on the context. | |||
| Slovak | rozlíšenie | ||
| The word "rozlíšenie" is a homograph, having two different meanings depending on accent placement: "rozlíšenie" (distinction) and "rozlíšenie" (resolution). | |||
| Slovenian | razlikovanje | ||
| The word "razlikovanje" in Slovenian derives from the Proto-Slavic root *razlikъ, which also means "difference" or "disagreement". | |||
| Ukrainian | розрізнення | ||
| The Ukrainian word "розрізнення" comes from the Old Slavonic term "рАзрѣзнити" "to differentiate", which is a calque of the Greek "διακρίνειν" "to separate", also the root of words like "discreet". | |||
Distinction in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পার্থক্য | ||
| "পার্থক্য" literally means "difference", but it can also refer to "discrimination" or "bias". | |||
| Gujarati | ભેદ | ||
| The word 'ભેદ' comes from the Sanskrit word 'भेद' and can also mean 'division' or 'difference' | |||
| Hindi | भेद | ||
| The word "भेद" can also mean "secret" or "mystery" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ | ||
| The word "ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ" also means "difference", "contrast", and "variation" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വ്യത്യാസം | ||
| "വ്യത്യാസം" has its origin from Sanskrit "vishesh" which literally means difference. | |||
| Marathi | भेद | ||
| The Marathi word "भेद" also means "secret" or "mystery". | |||
| Nepali | भेद | ||
| The word 'भेद' also carries the connotations of 'difference', 'discrimination' and even the act of 'dividing' or 'splitting'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅੰਤਰ | ||
| The word "ਅੰਤਰ" (antar) in Punjabi can also refer to "difference" or "gap". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වෙනස | ||
| The Sinhala word වෙනස (wænasa) may also refer to difference in quality or degree. | |||
| Tamil | வேறுபாடு | ||
| The Tamil word "வேறுபாடு" can also refer to difference in nature, quality or state. | |||
| Telugu | వ్యత్యాసం | ||
| వ్యత్యాసం word is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vi' that means separate and 'kram' that means step. | |||
| Urdu | امتیاز | ||
| The Arabic etymology of "emtiyāz" denotes a sign, a mark, and a separation or division; the Persian equivalent, "imtiyāz," signifies a difference and a mark of favor. | |||
Distinction in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 区别 | ||
| 区别 also means 'to differentiate' and is made up of the characters 'to separate' (bie) and 'difference' (ju), which together mean 'to make a distinction'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 區別 | ||
| "區" means district and "別" means separate or different, together they mean distinction. | |||
| Japanese | 区別 | ||
| In Japanese, 区別 does not have the connotation of social class or status, but rather refers to a difference in quality or type. | |||
| Korean | 구별 | ||
| "구별" means "classification" in Sino-Korean but also "area" or "police station" in native Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | ялгаа | ||
| Mongolian word "ялгаа" (distinction) literally means "to cut off". Related words are "to tear", "to split", and "to dissect". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဂုဏ်ထူး | ||
Distinction in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perbedaan | ||
| "Perbedaan" derives from Proto-Austronesian "*pira". Malay "beza" is a doublet with a distinct root. | |||
| Javanese | bedanipun | ||
| The word "bedanipun" in Javanese can also refer to differences in social status or rank. | |||
| Khmer | ភាពខុសគ្នា | ||
| ភាពខុសគ្នា (distinction) can also refer to a mark or sign showing the difference between two things. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມແຕກຕ່າງ | ||
| Malay | perbezaan | ||
| The word "perbezaan" can also mean "difference" or "disparity" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ความแตกต่าง | ||
| The Thai word “ความแตกต่าง” (distinction) is derived from the Sanskrit word “vibhakti,” meaning “difference.” | |||
| Vietnamese | sự phân biệt | ||
| The word "sự phân biệt" in Vietnamese can also mean "discrimination" or "difference". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakaiba | ||
Distinction in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fərq | ||
| The word "fərq" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "farq", which also means "difference" or "variation". | |||
| Kazakh | айырмашылық | ||
| Kyrgyz | айырмачылык | ||
| Tajik | фарқият | ||
| The word "фарқият" (distinction) in Tajik also means "difference" and "contrast". | |||
| Turkmen | tapawutlandyrmak | ||
| Uzbek | farqlash | ||
| "Farqlash" originates from the Arabic word "farq" (difference), and also means "divergence" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | پەرقلەندۈرۈش | ||
Distinction in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻokoʻa | ||
| 'Ō' is a classifier associated with certain types of things having an interior space, such as houses and caves. | |||
| Maori | wehewehe | ||
| The word 'wehewehe' also means 'separation' or 'division' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | eseʻesega | ||
| The word eseʻesega, meaning distinction, comes from the word eseʻese which means different. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkakaiba | ||
Distinction in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yaqhachasiña | ||
| Guarani | distinción rehegua | ||
Distinction in International Languages
| Esperanto | distingo | ||
| "Distingo" is a borrowed term that means a difference, separation or partition. | |||
| Latin | distinction | ||
| In Latin, 'distinctio' also means 'separation' or 'division'. | |||
Distinction in Others Languages
| Greek | διάκριση | ||
| The Greek word "διάκριση" can also mean "discrimination" or "difference" and derives from the verb "διακρίνω" (to discern, distinguish). | |||
| Hmong | qho uas txawv | ||
| The Hmong verb 'qho uas txawv' can also refer to 'to separate' or 'to differentiate' in addition to its primary meaning of 'to distinguish'. | |||
| Kurdish | ferqîdîtinî | ||
| The word "ferqîdîtinî" comes from the Persian word "farq", meaning "distinction" or "difference". | |||
| Turkish | ayrım | ||
| Ayrım'ın 'ayırmak'tan gelmesi, 'farklılık' ile 'ayrılık' anlamında da kullanılabilmesine neden olmuştur. | |||
| Xhosa | umahluko | ||
| "Umahluko" is a Xhosa word that refers to differences or variations in form, nature, or quality. | |||
| Yiddish | אונטערשייד | ||
| The Yiddish word "אונטערשייד" (untersheyd) derives from the German word "Unterschied" and also means "difference" or "discrepancy". | |||
| Zulu | umehluko | ||
| The Zulu word "umehluko" can also refer to a difference or a distinction in social status. | |||
| Assamese | পাৰ্থক্য | ||
| Aymara | yaqhachasiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | भेद के बात कइल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަފާތުކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | भेद करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakaiba | ||
| Guarani | distinción rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | pannakaiduma | ||
| Krio | difrɛns | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جیاوازی | ||
| Maithili | भेद | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯦꯟꯅꯕꯥ ꯊꯝꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | thliar hranna | ||
| Oromo | adda bahuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାର୍ଥକ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | sapaqchay | ||
| Sanskrit | भेदः | ||
| Tatar | аерма | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍልልይ ምግባር | ||
| Tsonga | ku hambanisiwa | ||