Downtown in Different Languages
Discover 'Downtown' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Downtown – it's a word that instantly evokes images of bustling streets, towering skyscrapers, and vibrant city life. But did you know that the term 'downtown' is uniquely American, with no direct translation in many languages? This highlights its cultural significance, as a symbol of urbanization and progress that has been adopted by cities around the world.
Originating in the late 17th century, 'downtown' was used to describe the lower, business district of a city, as opposed to the 'uptown' residential areas. Today, it's a term that represents the heart of a city, a place where culture, commerce, and community intersect.
Understanding the translation of 'downtown' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights. For instance, in Spanish, 'downtown' translates to 'centro', reflecting its central role in city life. In French, it's 'centre-ville', while in German, it's 'Innenstadt'. Each translation offers a unique perspective on how different cultures perceive and interact with their urban spaces.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, join us as we delve into the translations of 'downtown' in various languages. You might just discover a new perspective on your own city!
Downtown
Downtown in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sentrum | ||
| The Afrikaans word "sentrum" originates from the Dutch word "centrum", which in turn has its roots in the Latin word "centrum" meaning "center". | |||
| Amharic | መሃል ከተማ | ||
| Hausa | cikin gari | ||
| 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." | |||
| Igbo | ogbe ndịda | ||
| "Ogbe ndịda" is a compound word meaning "market of the south". It is derived from "ogbe" (market) and "ndịda" (south). | |||
| Malagasy | afovoan-tanàna | ||
| The word "afovoan-tanàna" literally means "place where the city is". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtawuni | ||
| Mtawuni, which translates to 'town centre,' originated from 'mtauni,' a Swahili term for administrative headquarters. | |||
| Shona | mudhorobha | ||
| The word mudhorobha can also mean a place where people gather to sell or buy goods | |||
| Somali | magaalada hoose | ||
| In Somali, "magaalada hoose" translates to "lower city," reflecting the traditional placement of cities on lower ground near rivers. | |||
| Sesotho | teropong | ||
| The word 'teropong' in Sesotho can also refer to a lookout point or a small hill from which a view can be had. | |||
| Swahili | katikati ya jiji | ||
| The word "katikati ya jiji" also means "city centre" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | edolophini | ||
| This word has an alternate meaning of "town center". | |||
| Yoruba | aarin ilu | ||
| 'Aarin ilu,' meaning 'downtown,' also means 'within the town.' | |||
| Zulu | edolobheni | ||
| The word "edolobheni" derives from the word "idolobha", meaning "town", and is often used to refer to the central business district. | |||
| Bambara | dugu cɛmancɛ la | ||
| Ewe | dua ƒe titina | ||
| Kinyarwanda | rwagati | ||
| Lingala | na katikati ya engumba | ||
| Luganda | mu kibuga wakati | ||
| Sepedi | toropong ya ka tlase | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kurow no mfinimfini | ||
Downtown in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وسط البلد | ||
| Hebrew | מרכז העיר | ||
| The word 'מרכז העיר' literally means 'the center of the city' and can also refer to the central business district or the city center. | |||
| Pashto | مرکز | ||
| The word "مرکز" (downtown) in Pashto originally meant "centre" or "middle" and is also used to refer to the central government. | |||
| Arabic | وسط البلد | ||
Downtown in Western European Languages
| Albanian | në qendër të qytetit | ||
| 'Në qendër' can also mean 'at the centre' when you're referring to a specific place within a city's centre. | |||
| Basque | erdigunea | ||
| The Basque word "erdigunea" derives from the words "erdi" meaning "middle" and "gune" meaning "place" or "zone" | |||
| Catalan | al centre de la ciutat | ||
| "Centre" comes from the Latin "centrum", meaning "center", and "ciutat" comes from the Latin "civitas", meaning "city". | |||
| Croatian | u centru grada | ||
| The phrase 'u centru grada' literally translates to 'in the center of the town' in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | i centrum | ||
| 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 | binnenstad | ||
| The word "binnenstad" has similar roots as "binnen" and "stad" which means "inside" and "city". | |||
| English | downtown | ||
| 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. | |||
| French | centre ville | ||
| The etymology of "centre ville" goes back to the Latin word "centrum" (centre) and the Old French word "vile" (town). | |||
| Frisian | binnenstêd | ||
| 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 | no centro da cidade | ||
| 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 | innenstadt | ||
| The German word "Innenstadt" can also mean the city centre, inner city, or central business district. | |||
| Icelandic | miðbænum | ||
| The term "miðbænum" translates to "in the city centre" in Icelandic and can also refer to the central business district of a city. | |||
| Irish | downtown | ||
| The word "Downtown" has another meaning in Irish, "An Teile Thiar", referring to the west end of a town or city. | |||
| Italian | centro | ||
| The word "centro" in Italian can also mean "heart" or "central point". | |||
| Luxembourgish | matten | ||
| 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". | |||
| Maltese | downtown | ||
| The Maltese word "beltin" derives from Arabic "balad" meaning "town" or "city center". | |||
| Norwegian | sentrum | ||
| The word "sentrum" is derived from the Latin word "centrum", meaning "center". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | centro da cidade | ||
| The word 'centro da cidade' literally means 'city center' in Portuguese and can also refer to the central business district of a city. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | downtown | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "downtown" also means "in town" or "in the centre of town." | |||
| Spanish | centro de la ciudad | ||
| 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. | |||
| Swedish | stadens centrum | ||
| 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." | |||
| Welsh | downtown | ||
| In Welsh, "downtown" translates to "canol tref" which literally means "city center". | |||
Downtown in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цэнтр горада | ||
| Bosnian | downtown | ||
| Bosnian 'centar' refers to both city 'downtown' and the core 'centre' (e.g. of city). | |||
| Bulgarian | в центъра | ||
| The word "в центъра" can also refer to the middle of a square or other open space. | |||
| Czech | v centru města | ||
| “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. | |||
| Estonian | kesklinnas | ||
| The word's second element 'linn' ('city') refers to the central business district, while 'kesk' ('centre') implies a more geographical centre. | |||
| Finnish | keskustassa | ||
| This word originated from the word "keskus", which means "center" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | belváros | ||
| 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. | |||
| Latvian | centrs | ||
| 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 | miesto centre | ||
| The word "miesto centre" literally translates to "city centre" in Lithuanian and is a calque from the German word "Stadtzentrum". | |||
| Macedonian | центарот на градот | ||
| Polish | śródmieście | ||
| 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. | |||
| Romanian | centrul orasului | ||
| "Centrul orasului" is a combination of the words "centru" (center) and "oras" (city), meaning the city's business district or central area. | |||
| Russian | центр города | ||
| 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/. | |||
| Serbian | центар града | ||
| The word "Центар града" can be used to refer to the central business district of a city. | |||
| Slovak | v centre mesta | ||
| The Slovak word "v centre mesta" literally translates to "in the centre of the city". | |||
| Slovenian | v središču mesta | ||
| "V središču mesta" literally means "in the center of the city", emphasizing its central location. | |||
| Ukrainian | центр міста | ||
| The Ukrainian word for "downtown," "центр міста," literally means "city center." | |||
Downtown in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শহরের কেন্দ্রস্থল | ||
| 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. | |||
| Gujarati | ડાઉનટાઉન | ||
| The word 'downtown' in Gujarati, 'ડાઉનટાઉન', means 'lower town' or the area around a harbour or river. | |||
| Hindi | शहर | ||
| The word 'शहर' can also mean 'countryside' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kshetra', meaning 'field'. | |||
| Kannada | ಡೌನ್ಟೌನ್ | ||
| "ಡೌನ್ಟೌನ್" is an English word adopted into Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഡ ow ൺട own ൺ | ||
| The word "ഡowൺട own ൺ" is derived from the English word "downtown" which means the central business district of a city. | |||
| Marathi | डाउनटाउन | ||
| Nepali | डाउनटाउन | ||
| The word is thought to originate from the old English word 'duntun', meaning 'fortified hill'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਾ .ਨਟਾownਨ | ||
| The word "ਡਾ .ਨਟਾownਨ" ("downtown") is derived from the English word "downtown" and refers to the central business district of a city or town. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නගරයේ | ||
| "නගරයේ" is a noun meaning 'the central and most populous part of a city or town'. | |||
| Tamil | நகர | ||
| The word 'நகர' ('downtown') in Tamil can also refer to a 'city' or 'town'. | |||
| Telugu | డౌన్ టౌన్ | ||
| Originally referred to the lower part of a city near the riverfront; sometimes refers to the central business district | |||
| Urdu | شہر | ||
| The word "شہر" is derived from the Persian word "شهر" meaning "city" and has alternate meanings such as "capital" or "metropolis". | |||
Downtown in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 市中心 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 市中心 is a term that literally means 'market center', which can often be found in many historic cities in China. | |||
| Japanese | ダウンタウン | ||
| "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". | |||
| Korean | 도심 | ||
| 도심 means 'downtown' but also 'city center' or 'the heart of the city'. | |||
| Mongolian | хотын төвд | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြို့လယ် | ||
Downtown in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pusat kota | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Javanese | kutha | ||
| The word "kutha" can also refer to a "city" or "town" in Javanese, not just "downtown". | |||
| Khmer | ទីប្រជុំជន | ||
| Lao | ຕົວເມືອງ | ||
| Malay | pusat bandar | ||
| Its literal translation is "city center" and it can also refer to traditional villages' squares or the capital of a province. | |||
| Thai | ตัวเมือง | ||
| Originally, "ตัวเมือง" meant "royal residence" and referred to the fortified city center where the ruler resided. | |||
| Vietnamese | trung tâm thành phố | ||
| 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. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | downtown | ||
Downtown in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şəhər | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "şəhər" can also mean "town, city" or "municipality". | |||
| Kazakh | қала орталығы | ||
| The word "қала орталығы" can also refer to the central part of a city, especially the business district. | |||
| Kyrgyz | шаардын борбору | ||
| Tajik | маркази шаҳр | ||
| In Persian, “markaz-e shahr” also refers to a “central marketplace”, often surrounded by walls. | |||
| Turkmen | şäheriň merkezi | ||
| Uzbek | shahar markazida | ||
| The word "shahar markazida" is derived from the Persian word "shahr" meaning "city" and "markaz" meaning "center". | |||
| Uyghur | شەھەر مەركىزى | ||
Downtown in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kulanakauhale | ||
| 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. | |||
| Maori | taone nui | ||
| The word "taone nui" (downtown) is a loanword from the English word "town" | |||
| Samoan | taulaga | ||
| Taulaga can also mean 'harbour', as in 'Taulaga O Fonoti', the name for the town of Apia from a song written in 1905. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bayan | ||
| The Tagalog word "bayan" also means "town" or "municipality" and originated from the Sanskrit word "bhajana" meaning "community". | |||
Downtown in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | marka taypinxa | ||
| Guarani | táva mbytépe | ||
Downtown in International Languages
| Esperanto | urbocentro | ||
| 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. | |||
| Latin | urbe | ||
| The word "urbe" in Latin derives from the root "urbs," meaning "city" or "urban area." | |||
Downtown in Others Languages
| Greek | κέντρο | ||
| "Κέντρο" (downtown) derives from the word "κέντρον" (center), signifying the focal point of activity and commerce in a city. | |||
| Hmong | plawv nroog | ||
| 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. | |||
| Kurdish | navbajar | ||
| The word "navbajar" also has the connotation of "place where the ships stop" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | şehir merkezi | ||
| The word "şehir merkezi" in Turkish, meaning "downtown," is derived from the Persian word "shahr-i markaz," meaning "center city." | |||
| Xhosa | edolophini | ||
| This word has an alternate meaning of "town center". | |||
| Yiddish | ונטערשטאָט | ||
| The word "וונטערשטאָט" (unterstat, literally "under-city") is Yiddish for "downtown". | |||
| Zulu | edolobheni | ||
| The word "edolobheni" derives from the word "idolobha", meaning "town", and is often used to refer to the central business district. | |||
| Assamese | ডাউনটাউন | ||
| Aymara | marka taypinxa | ||
| Bhojpuri | डाउनटाउन में भइल | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑައުންޓައުންގައެވެ | ||
| Dogri | डाउनटाउन च | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | downtown | ||
| Guarani | táva mbytépe | ||
| Ilocano | sentro ti siudad | ||
| Krio | daun tawn na di siti | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناوەندی شار | ||
| Maithili | डाउनटाउन मे | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯥꯎꯅꯇꯥꯎꯟꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ ꯌꯨ.ꯑꯦꯁ | ||
| Mizo | khawpui chhungah | ||
| Oromo | magaalaa guddoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡାଉନ୍ ଟାଉନ୍ | ||
| Quechua | llaqta ukhupi | ||
| Sanskrit | नगरस्य मध्यभागे | ||
| Tatar | шәһәр үзәгендә | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣብ ማእከል ከተማ | ||
| Tsonga | exikarhi ka doroba | ||