Downtown in Different Languages
Discover 'Downtown' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Downtown
Afrikaans sentrum | ||
Albanian në qendër të qytetit | ||
Amharic መሃል ከተማ | ||
Arabic وسط البلد | ||
Armenian քաղաքի կենտրոնում | ||
Assamese ডাউনটাউন | ||
Aymara marka taypinxa | ||
Azerbaijani şəhər | ||
Bambara dugu cɛmancɛ la | ||
Basque erdigunea | ||
Belarusian цэнтр горада | ||
Bengali শহরের কেন্দ্রস্থল | ||
Bhojpuri डाउनटाउन में भइल | ||
Bosnian downtown | ||
Bulgarian в центъра | ||
Catalan al centre de la ciutat | ||
Cebuano lungsod | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 市中心 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 市中心 | ||
Corsican centru cità | ||
Croatian u centru grada | ||
Czech v centru města | ||
Danish i centrum | ||
Dhivehi ޑައުންޓައުންގައެވެ | ||
Dogri डाउनटाउन च | ||
Dutch binnenstad | ||
English downtown | ||
Esperanto urbocentro | ||
Estonian kesklinnas | ||
Ewe dua ƒe titina | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) downtown | ||
Finnish keskustassa | ||
French centre ville | ||
Frisian binnenstêd | ||
Galician no centro da cidade | ||
Georgian ქალაქის ცენტრში | ||
German innenstadt | ||
Greek κέντρο | ||
Guarani táva mbytépe | ||
Gujarati ડાઉનટાઉન | ||
Haitian Creole anba lavil | ||
Hausa cikin gari | ||
Hawaiian kulanakauhale | ||
Hebrew מרכז העיר | ||
Hindi शहर | ||
Hmong plawv nroog | ||
Hungarian belváros | ||
Icelandic miðbænum | ||
Igbo ogbe ndịda | ||
Ilocano sentro ti siudad | ||
Indonesian pusat kota | ||
Irish downtown | ||
Italian centro | ||
Japanese ダウンタウン | ||
Javanese kutha | ||
Kannada ಡೌನ್ಟೌನ್ | ||
Kazakh қала орталығы | ||
Khmer ទីប្រជុំជន | ||
Kinyarwanda rwagati | ||
Konkani शाराच्या मध्यभागांत | ||
Korean 도심 | ||
Krio daun tawn na di siti | ||
Kurdish navbajar | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ناوەندی شار | ||
Kyrgyz шаардын борбору | ||
Lao ຕົວເມືອງ | ||
Latin urbe | ||
Latvian centrs | ||
Lingala na katikati ya engumba | ||
Lithuanian miesto centre | ||
Luganda mu kibuga wakati | ||
Luxembourgish matten | ||
Macedonian центарот на градот | ||
Maithili डाउनटाउन मे | ||
Malagasy afovoan-tanàna | ||
Malay pusat bandar | ||
Malayalam ഡ ow ൺട own ൺ | ||
Maltese downtown | ||
Maori taone nui | ||
Marathi डाउनटाउन | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯗꯥꯎꯅꯇꯥꯎꯟꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ ꯌꯨ.ꯑꯦꯁ | ||
Mizo khawpui chhungah | ||
Mongolian хотын төвд | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) မြို့လယ် | ||
Nepali डाउनटाउन | ||
Norwegian sentrum | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mtawuni | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଡାଉନ୍ ଟାଉନ୍ | ||
Oromo magaalaa guddoo | ||
Pashto مرکز | ||
Persian مرکز شهر | ||
Polish śródmieście | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) centro da cidade | ||
Punjabi ਡਾ .ਨਟਾownਨ | ||
Quechua llaqta ukhupi | ||
Romanian centrul orasului | ||
Russian центр города | ||
Samoan taulaga | ||
Sanskrit नगरस्य मध्यभागे | ||
Scots Gaelic downtown | ||
Sepedi toropong ya ka tlase | ||
Serbian центар града | ||
Sesotho teropong | ||
Shona mudhorobha | ||
Sindhi شهر جو مرڪز | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නගරයේ | ||
Slovak v centre mesta | ||
Slovenian v središču mesta | ||
Somali magaalada hoose | ||
Spanish centro de la ciudad | ||
Sundanese kota | ||
Swahili katikati ya jiji | ||
Swedish stadens centrum | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) bayan | ||
Tajik маркази шаҳр | ||
Tamil நகர | ||
Tatar шәһәр үзәгендә | ||
Telugu డౌన్ టౌన్ | ||
Thai ตัวเมือง | ||
Tigrinya ኣብ ማእከል ከተማ | ||
Tsonga exikarhi ka doroba | ||
Turkish şehir merkezi | ||
Turkmen şäheriň merkezi | ||
Twi (Akan) kurow no mfinimfini | ||
Ukrainian центр міста | ||
Urdu شہر | ||
Uyghur شەھەر مەركىزى | ||
Uzbek shahar markazida | ||
Vietnamese trung tâm thành phố | ||
Welsh downtown | ||
Xhosa edolophini | ||
Yiddish ונטערשטאָט | ||
Yoruba aarin ilu | ||
Zulu edolobheni |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "sentrum" originates from the Dutch word "centrum", which in turn has its roots in the Latin word "centrum" meaning "center". |
| Albanian | 'Në qendër' can also mean 'at the centre' when you're referring to a specific place within a city's centre. |
| Azerbaijani | In Azerbaijani, the word "şəhər" can also mean "town, city" or "municipality". |
| Basque | The Basque word "erdigunea" derives from the words "erdi" meaning "middle" and "gune" meaning "place" or "zone" |
| Bengali | The word "downtown" originally referred to the part of a city where the main businesses were located, but it now often refers to the central business district of a city. |
| Bosnian | Bosnian 'centar' refers to both city 'downtown' and the core 'centre' (e.g. of city). |
| Bulgarian | The word "в центъра" can also refer to the middle of a square or other open space. |
| Catalan | "Centre" comes from the Latin "centrum", meaning "center", and "ciutat" comes from the Latin "civitas", meaning "city". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "lungsod" originally meant "city", and is still the common term for both cities and municipalities on many smaller Philippine islands. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 市中心最早指城市中贸易和商业的核心区域，如上海的十六铺、武汉的汉口镇、广州的西关、北京的东安市场等。 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 市中心 is a term that literally means 'market center', which can often be found in many historic cities in China. |
| Corsican | Centru cità, which literally means "city center," can also refer to urban neighborhoods and municipalities. |
| Croatian | The phrase 'u centru grada' literally translates to 'in the center of the town' in Croatian. |
| Czech | “Centru města” is a Czech phrase that literally translates to “in the center of the city” and refers to the downtown area of a city. |
| Danish | The word "i centrum" is Danish and it is made up of the preposition "i" which means "in" and the noun "centrum" which is borrowed from Latin and means "centre". Therefore, the direct translation of "i centrum" is "in the centre". |
| Dutch | The word "binnenstad" has similar roots as "binnen" and "stad" which means "inside" and "city". |
| Esperanto | The word "urbocentro" is derived from the Esperanto words "urbo" (city) and "centro" (centre), and it can also refer to the central part of a city, its business district, or its historical centre. |
| Estonian | The word's second element 'linn' ('city') refers to the central business district, while 'kesk' ('centre') implies a more geographical centre. |
| Finnish | This word originated from the word "keskus", which means "center" in Finnish. |
| French | The etymology of "centre ville" goes back to the Latin word "centrum" (centre) and the Old French word "vile" (town). |
| Frisian | In the context of the province of Fryslân, the word "binnenstêd" is also used to refer to the city centres of smaller towns and villages. |
| Galician | The Galician "no centro da cidade" comes from the Latin "in medium urbis" ("in the middle of the city") and refers not only to the city centre, but also to the central part of any populated place. |
| German | The German word "Innenstadt" can also mean the city centre, inner city, or central business district. |
| Greek | "Κέντρο" (downtown) derives from the word "κέντρον" (center), signifying the focal point of activity and commerce in a city. |
| Gujarati | The word 'downtown' in Gujarati, 'ડાઉનટાઉન', means 'lower town' or the area around a harbour or river. |
| Haitian Creole | The term "anba lavil" is derived from the French phrase "en bas de la ville," meaning "down the town" or "the lower part of town." |
| Hausa | The term "cikin gari" in Hausa refers to the center or core of a town or city, and can also be translated as "the heart of the town." |
| Hawaiian | Kulanakauhale, a compound of 'kulanaka' ('in the middle of the land') and 'auhale' ('place of gathering'), traditionally referred to a gathering place or central meeting point within a community. |
| Hebrew | The word 'מרכז העיר' literally means 'the center of the city' and can also refer to the central business district or the city center. |
| Hindi | The word 'शहर' can also mean 'countryside' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kshetra', meaning 'field'. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "plawv nroog" refers to both the downtown area of a city and a large gathering of people, highlighting its dual nature as a central hub for both commerce and community. |
| Hungarian | The word "belváros" comes from the Hungarian words "bel" (inner) and "város" (city), and can also refer to the historic city center of a Hungarian settlement. |
| Icelandic | The term "miðbænum" translates to "in the city centre" in Icelandic and can also refer to the central business district of a city. |
| Igbo | "Ogbe ndịda" is a compound word meaning "market of the south". It is derived from "ogbe" (market) and "ndịda" (south). |
| Indonesian | Pusat kota originally meant 'earth's navel' or the center of the universe in Javanese, and is related to the Sanskrit word 'puspa' meaning 'flower' and 'pusara' meaning 'tomb'. |
| Irish | The word "Downtown" has another meaning in Irish, "An Teile Thiar", referring to the west end of a town or city. |
| Italian | The word "centro" in Italian can also mean "heart" or "central point". |
| Japanese | "Downtown" can be read as "machi no naka" which refers to the "heart of the city" in addition to meaning "the business district of a city". |
| Javanese | The word "kutha" can also refer to a "city" or "town" in Javanese, not just "downtown". |
| Kannada | "ಡೌನ್ಟೌನ್" is an English word adopted into Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The word "қала орталығы" can also refer to the central part of a city, especially the business district. |
| Korean | 도심 means 'downtown' but also 'city center' or 'the heart of the city'. |
| Kurdish | The word "navbajar" also has the connotation of "place where the ships stop" in Kurdish. |
| Latin | The word "urbe" in Latin derives from the root "urbs," meaning "city" or "urban area." |
| Latvian | The word "centrs" in Latvian derives from the French word "centre" and can also refer to a hub or focal point, such as a main square or intersection. |
| Lithuanian | The word "miesto centre" literally translates to "city centre" in Lithuanian and is a calque from the German word "Stadtzentrum". |
| Luxembourgish | Matten may be a phonetic loan of the French word "mettre", which means "to place" or "to put", and was used in the sense of a market place in medieval Latin. Alternatively, it may be derived from the Germanic word *matja-, which means "meadow" or "common land". |
| Malagasy | The word "afovoan-tanàna" literally means "place where the city is". |
| Malay | Its literal translation is "city center" and it can also refer to traditional villages' squares or the capital of a province. |
| Malayalam | The word "ഡowൺട own ൺ" is derived from the English word "downtown" which means the central business district of a city. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "beltin" derives from Arabic "balad" meaning "town" or "city center". |
| Maori | The word "taone nui" (downtown) is a loanword from the English word "town" |
| Nepali | The word is thought to originate from the old English word 'duntun', meaning 'fortified hill'. |
| Norwegian | The word "sentrum" is derived from the Latin word "centrum", meaning "center". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | Mtawuni, which translates to 'town centre,' originated from 'mtauni,' a Swahili term for administrative headquarters. |
| Pashto | The word "مرکز" (downtown) in Pashto originally meant "centre" or "middle" and is also used to refer to the central government. |
| Persian | مرکز شهر, "center of city," can also refer to the center of a neighborhood, village, or even business or a house in Persian |
| Polish | The Polish word "śródmieście" literally translates as "middle town" and is used to refer to the city centre, but can also refer to the entire central district of a city. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word 'centro da cidade' literally means 'city center' in Portuguese and can also refer to the central business district of a city. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਡਾ .ਨਟਾownਨ" ("downtown") is derived from the English word "downtown" and refers to the central business district of a city or town. |
| Romanian | "Centrul orasului" is a combination of the words "centru" (center) and "oras" (city), meaning the city's business district or central area. |
| Russian | As a borrowed term from English, 'центр города' is sometimes translated back to English as 'center city', with 'center' pronounced in the English manner, i.e., /ˈsɛntər/. |
| Samoan | Taulaga can also mean 'harbour', as in 'Taulaga O Fonoti', the name for the town of Apia from a song written in 1905. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word "downtown" also means "in town" or "in the centre of town." |
| Serbian | The word "Центар града" can be used to refer to the central business district of a city. |
| Sesotho | The word 'teropong' in Sesotho can also refer to a lookout point or a small hill from which a view can be had. |
| Shona | The word mudhorobha can also mean a place where people gather to sell or buy goods |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi equivalent of "downtown", شهر جو مرڪز, originated from its geographical placement "مرڪز", signifying the hub of town and marketplace within a city "شهر". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "නගරයේ" is a noun meaning 'the central and most populous part of a city or town'. |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "v centre mesta" literally translates to "in the centre of the city". |
| Slovenian | "V središču mesta" literally means "in the center of the city", emphasizing its central location. |
| Somali | In Somali, "magaalada hoose" translates to "lower city," reflecting the traditional placement of cities on lower ground near rivers. |
| Spanish | The word "centro de la ciudad" literally means "center of the city," but it is used to refer to the downtown area of a city. |
| Sundanese | The word "kota" has various meanings in different Sundanese dialects, including 'city', 'town', 'district', or even 'country'. |
| Swahili | The word "katikati ya jiji" also means "city centre" in Swahili. |
| Swedish | Stadens centrum is a compound word consisting of "staden" ("the city") and "centrum" ("center") and literally means something like "the city's center" or "the heart of the city." |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "bayan" also means "town" or "municipality" and originated from the Sanskrit word "bhajana" meaning "community". |
| Tajik | In Persian, “markaz-e shahr” also refers to a “central marketplace”, often surrounded by walls. |
| Tamil | The word 'நகர' ('downtown') in Tamil can also refer to a 'city' or 'town'. |
| Telugu | Originally referred to the lower part of a city near the riverfront; sometimes refers to the central business district |
| Thai | Originally, "ตัวเมือง" meant "royal residence" and referred to the fortified city center where the ruler resided. |
| Turkish | The word "şehir merkezi" in Turkish, meaning "downtown," is derived from the Persian word "shahr-i markaz," meaning "center city." |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word for "downtown," "центр міста," literally means "city center." |
| Urdu | The word "شہر" is derived from the Persian word "شهر" meaning "city" and has alternate meanings such as "capital" or "metropolis". |
| Uzbek | The word "shahar markazida" is derived from the Persian word "shahr" meaning "city" and "markaz" meaning "center". |
| Vietnamese | Trung tâm thành phố, còn được gọi là trung tâm thành phố hoặc trung tâm, là khu vực thương mại chính của một thành phố và thường là nơi có hoạt động mua sắm, ăn uống, giải trí và văn hóa sôi động nhất. |
| Welsh | In Welsh, "downtown" translates to "canol tref" which literally means "city center". |
| Xhosa | This word has an alternate meaning of "town center". |
| Yiddish | The word "וונטערשטאָט" (unterstat, literally "under-city") is Yiddish for "downtown". |
| Yoruba | 'Aarin ilu,' meaning 'downtown,' also means 'within the town.' |
| Zulu | The word "edolobheni" derives from the word "idolobha", meaning "town", and is often used to refer to the central business district. |
| English | The word 'downtown' originated in the mid-19th century, initially referring to the lower portion of a city along a riverfront where goods were unloaded and stored. |