Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, 'educate' means to give knowledge or teach someone a skill. But it's so much more than that. Education is the foundation of personal growth, cultural development, and societal progress. It's the key to unlocking opportunities and breaking down barriers. That's why understanding the word 'educate' in different languages is crucial in our increasingly interconnected world.
Consider the Latin translation, 'educare', which means 'to draw out'. This interpretation emphasizes the idea of drawing out a person's potential, rather than simply filling their head with facts. Or take the Chinese translation, 'jiaoyu', which combines the characters for 'teach' and 'nurture'. This reflects the holistic approach to education in Chinese culture, where teaching is seen as a process of nurturing the whole person, both intellectually and morally.
Exploring the word 'educate' in different languages not only enriches our understanding of its significance and cultural importance, but also highlights the beauty and diversity of languages around the world. So, let's embark on this linguistic journey together and discover how 'educate' translates in various languages.
Afrikaans | opvoed | ||
Opvoed is derived from Old Dutch opvoeden meaning "to bring up" and is cognate with the English word "upbringing". | |||
Amharic | ማስተማር | ||
Derived from the Ge'ez word 'stmr', meaning 'to show, demonstrate' | |||
Hausa | ilimantarwa | ||
Ilimantarwa derives from the Arabic word 'ilm (knowledge), suggesting a strong emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge as the foundation of education. | |||
Igbo | kuziere | ||
The word "kuziere" can also mean "to bring up" or "to nurture" in Igbo. | |||
Malagasy | hanabe | ||
In the traditional sense, "hanabe" in Malagasy also refers to the preparation of a child for adulthood rather than the formal imparting of knowledge. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | phunzitsa | ||
The word 'phunzitsa' is derived from the root word 'phunzi', which means 'to learn' or 'to understand'. In some contexts, 'phunzitsa' can also refer to 'teaching' or 'instructing'. | |||
Shona | dzidzisa | ||
"Dzidzisa" also means "to sow" in Shona, reflecting the traditional association between education and agriculture. | |||
Somali | waxbarid | ||
In some contexts, "waxbarid" can also mean "to train" or "to discipline." | |||
Sesotho | ruta | ||
The word 'ruta' can also refer to grooming, teaching or bringing up. | |||
Swahili | kuelimisha | ||
The word "kuelimisha" is derived from the Arabic word "علم" (ʻilm), which means "knowledge" or "science". | |||
Xhosa | fundisa | ||
The Xhosa word "fundisa" is derived from the Zulu word "funda," meaning "to learn." | |||
Yoruba | eko | ||
The word "eko" in Yoruba not only means "educate" but also refers to knowledge, school, and the brain. | |||
Zulu | fundisa | ||
The word "fundisa" derives from the root "funda", meaning "to build" or "to establish". | |||
Bambara | kalan kɛ | ||
Ewe | fia nu ame | ||
Kinyarwanda | kwigisha | ||
Lingala | koteya bato | ||
Luganda | okusomesa | ||
Sepedi | ruta | ||
Twi (Akan) | kyerɛkyerɛ | ||
Arabic | تعليم | ||
The word "تعليم" can also mean "mark" or "sign" in Arabic. | |||
Hebrew | לְחַנֵך | ||
The Hebrew word 'לְחַנֵך' ('educate') also means 'to dedicate' or 'to inaugurate' in the context of religious ceremonies. | |||
Pashto | روزنه ورکول | ||
The word "روزنه ورکول" in Pashto originally meant "to light a fire" or "to kindle", and only later came to mean "to educate". | |||
Arabic | تعليم | ||
The word "تعليم" can also mean "mark" or "sign" in Arabic. |
Albanian | edukoj | ||
The word "edukoj" comes from the Latin word "educere", meaning "to lead out". | |||
Basque | hezi | ||
"Hezi" can also mean "breed" or "raise livestock". | |||
Catalan | educar | ||
The word "educar" in Catalan originates from the Latin word "educare", meaning "to lead out or bring up". | |||
Croatian | obrazovati | ||
The verb "obrazovati" also means "to create" or "to form". | |||
Danish | uddanne | ||
The word "uddanne" is derived from the Old Norse word "udan," which means "to bring up" or "to raise." | |||
Dutch | onderwijzen | ||
The Dutch verb 'onderwijzen' is derived from the Middle Dutch word 'onderwisen', which originally meant 'to instruct in the faith'. | |||
English | educate | ||
The word "educate" derives from the Latin "educare," meaning "to bring up, rear, or nourish." | |||
French | éduquer | ||
The French word "éduquer" derives from the Latin "educare", meaning "to lead out, to bring up". | |||
Frisian | opliede | ||
The Frisian word "opliede" is derived from the Old Frisian word "oplieden", which originally meant "to bring up" or "to raise". In modern Frisian, it is used exclusively in the sense of "to educate". | |||
Galician | educar | ||
In Galician, "educar" can also mean "to breed" or "to raise" animals. | |||
German | erziehen | ||
"Erziehen" comes from "er-zieh-en" - to pull up, and in old usage also meant "to feed (livestock)". | |||
Icelandic | mennta | ||
The word 'mennta' comes from the Old Norse word 'menta' ('to think'), thus it's related to the English words 'mental' and 'mentality'. | |||
Irish | oideachas | ||
The word "oideachas" can also refer to the act of fostering or nurturing something. | |||
Italian | educare | ||
The Latin verb "educare" originally referred to the act of raising or bringing up a child. | |||
Luxembourgish | educéieren | ||
"Educéieren" derives from the Latin "educare", meaning to "lead out" or "bring up". | |||
Maltese | teduka | ||
The word "teduka" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "educare," which means "to bring up" or "to nurture." | |||
Norwegian | utdanne | ||
The word Utdanne has roots in Old Norse and means 'to bring up' or 'to nourish'. Originally, the word was used to refer to the upbringing of children, but it has since come to be used in a more general sense to refer to the process of education. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | educar | ||
"Educar" is derived from Latin "educare," which meant "to lead forth," and can also mean "to train" or "to raise" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | oideachadh | ||
The word 'oideachadh' is derived from the Gaelic word 'oide' meaning 'teacher' or 'scholar'. | |||
Spanish | educar | ||
In Spanish, "educar" derives from the Latin "educare," meaning "to lead out" or "to bring up." | |||
Swedish | utbilda | ||
Utbilda, meaning "educate", is derived from the Old Norse word "bilda"} | |||
Welsh | addysgu | ||
The Welsh word 'addysgu' (educate) is derived from the Proto-Celtic *ad-sko- and is cognate with Latin 'disco' (learn) and the English 'school' |
Belarusian | выхоўваць | ||
The word “выхоўваць” (educate) comes from the Proto-Slavic word “*vъzъchovattь”, meaning “to raise”. | |||
Bosnian | obrazovati | ||
The word 'obrazovati' derives from the Old Slavonic root 'obraz', meaning both 'image' and 'form'. It shares this root with words like 'obr(a)z', 'obrazac', 'obrati', and 'obrazina'. | |||
Bulgarian | възпитавам | ||
The word "възпитавам" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "въспитати", which originally meant "to raise" or "to bring up". | |||
Czech | vzdělávat | ||
The Czech word "vzdělávat" originates from "vzdělat", meaning "to cultivate" or "to improve", signifying the nurturing aspect of education. | |||
Estonian | harida | ||
The Estonian word "harida" also means "to rear" or "to cultivate" in the sense of growing crops. | |||
Finnish | kouluttaa | ||
"Kouluttaa" has a secondary meaning of "to train". | |||
Hungarian | oktat | ||
The word "oktat" in Hungarian derives from the Latin "octo" (eight), referring to the eight-year elementary education system during the Middle Ages. | |||
Latvian | izglītot | ||
The word "izglītot" comes from the German word "ausbilden" and originally meant "to train". It can also mean "to civilize". | |||
Lithuanian | auklėti | ||
The word "auklėti" is derived from the verb "aukti", to grow, and refers to the process of cultivating or nurturing the mind | |||
Macedonian | едуцира | ||
The word "едуцира" comes from the Latin word "educare," which means to bring up or rear. | |||
Polish | kształcić | ||
Kształcić means 'to form', 'to shape', 'to mold', or 'to educate' in Polish. | |||
Romanian | educa | ||
The word "educa" in Romanian is related to the Latin verb "educare" (to nourish, to feed), suggesting the idea of nurturing the mind. | |||
Russian | обучать | ||
Обучать' can also mean to 'train' or 'to teach' in Russian. | |||
Serbian | васпитавати | ||
The word "васпитавати" can also mean "to nurture" or "to raise" in Serbian. | |||
Slovak | vzdelávať | ||
The word "vzdelávať" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*vьzdelati", meaning "to work on, to cultivate" or "to make intelligent," and is related to the word "vzdelanie" ("education"). | |||
Slovenian | izobraževati | ||
The word "izobraževati" in Slovenian is derived from the Slavic root "obraz", meaning "image" or "form," suggesting that education involves the shaping or transformation of the mind. | |||
Ukrainian | виховувати | ||
The word 'виховувати' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vychov-, meaning 'to lead, to guide', and is related to the words 'education' and 'upbringing'. |
Bengali | শিক্ষিত করা | ||
The Bengali word "শিক্ষিত করা" also means "to civilize" or "to refine". | |||
Gujarati | શિક્ષિત | ||
શિક્ષિત (shikshit) comes from Sanskrit and is related to 'knowledge', 'instruction', and 'learning'. | |||
Hindi | शिक्षित | ||
The Hindi word "शिक्षित" can also mean "trained" or "disciplined." | |||
Kannada | ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ | ||
"ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ" derives from the Sanskrit root "śiks" meaning "to learn," and also bears the connotation of "discipline and punishment." | |||
Malayalam | അഭ്യസിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് | ||
Marathi | शिकवणे | ||
The word "शिकवणे" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शिक्ष," which means "teaching."} | |||
Nepali | शिक्षित | ||
The word "शिक्षित" can also mean "educated", "knowledgeable", or "civilized". | |||
Punjabi | ਸਿੱਖਿਅਤ | ||
"ਸਿੱਖਿਅਤ" also means "to train, to teach, to make one learn," and also "to correct" and "to discipline". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දැනුවත් කරන්න | ||
Tamil | கல்வி | ||
The Tamil word 'கல்வி' shares an etymological root with 'கல்' ('stone') and carries the meaning of 'chiseling or inscribing' on a stone tablet. | |||
Telugu | చదువు | ||
చదువు can also refer to the process of learning, studying, or gaining knowledge. | |||
Urdu | تعلیم | ||
The term تعلیم also refers to the knowledge or lessons derived from any experience, incident or narrative. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 教育 | ||
教育 in Chinese (Simplified) can also refer to raising children, cultivating personal character, cultivating plants or animals, and training or instructing others. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 教育 | ||
The first character 教 in "教育" means teaching, and the second character 育 means growing and nourishing, implying the process of cultivating knowledge and wisdom in students. | |||
Japanese | 教育する | ||
The kanji for 'education' (教育) literally means 'to pull out the child,' reflecting the traditional belief that education is about fostering potential from within. | |||
Korean | 기르다 | ||
The word "기르다" (educate) shares its origin with the word "길러 (raise)", and can also mean "to nurture" or "to care for". | |||
Mongolian | сургах | ||
The Mongolian word "сургах" derives from the verb "сургуули", meaning "to study" or "to learn", and is cognate with the Turkish word "sürmek" (to pull, drag, or drive). | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပညာတတ် | ||
In addition to the common meaning of "educate," ပညာတတ် can also mean "to acquire knowledge or skill." |
Indonesian | mendidik | ||
"Mend" is a Middle English word that means “make whole,” “restore to health,” and “repair.” It derives ultimately from the Latin "medēri," which means “heal.” | |||
Javanese | ndhidhik | ||
The Javanese word "ndhidhik" can also refer to the process of training animals, particularly horses. | |||
Khmer | អប់រំ | ||
The word "អប់រំ" also means "to nourish" or "to nurture" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ສຶກສາອົບຮົມ | ||
Malay | mendidik | ||
In Malay, the word "mendidik" has its roots in the Sanskrit term "vidya," which refers to knowledge and wisdom. | |||
Thai | ให้ความรู้ | ||
The Thai word "ให้ความรู้" (educate) also means "to enlighten" and "to give knowledge or information to". | |||
Vietnamese | giáo dục | ||
Giáo dục means both "educate" in general and "raise livestock" in the animal husbandry context. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | turuan | ||
Azerbaijani | tərbiyə etmək | ||
The word "tərbiyə etmək" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "tarbiya", meaning "training" or "upbringing". | |||
Kazakh | білім беру | ||
The Kazakh word "білім беру" ("educate") derives from the Proto-Turkic verb "bil-" meaning "to know". | |||
Kyrgyz | билим берүү | ||
The Kyrgyz word "билим берүү" can also mean "to give knowledge" or "to teach someone something." | |||
Tajik | таълим медиҳанд | ||
The word "таълим медиҳанд" in Tajik ultimately derives from the Classical Arabic word "تعليم" (taʿlīm), meaning "education", "instruction", or "teaching." | |||
Turkmen | bilim bermek | ||
Uzbek | tarbiyalash | ||
The Uzbek word "tarbiyalash" (educate) derives from the Arabic "tarbiya" (breeding) and can also mean "upbringing" or "nurturing." | |||
Uyghur | تەربىيىلەش | ||
Hawaiian | aʻo | ||
The word "aʻo" also conveys meanings of "to teach; to be wise; to make known; to enlighten;" to bring out to the light or from the dark." | |||
Maori | whakaakona | ||
The Maori word "whakaakona" shares its root "ako" with the noun "akonga" (student), suggesting a reciprocal relationship between teaching and learning. | |||
Samoan | aʻoaʻo | ||
The word aʻoaʻo can be interpreted as either the act of educating/teaching or the knowledge acquired through the process. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | turuan | ||
"Turuan" can also mean "lesson" or "instruction". |
Aymara | yatichaña | ||
Guarani | ohekombo’e | ||
Esperanto | eduki | ||
The word "eduki" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "educere", meaning "to lead out". In addition to its primary meaning, it can also refer to "to raise" or "to bring up". | |||
Latin | educo | ||
The Latin word "Educo" also means "to lead out, or to bring up", as in "to lead out of ignorance". |
Greek | εκπαιδεύσει | ||
The term is derived from the Greek root word ''paideia'', meaning ''upbringing'' or ''education''. | |||
Hmong | kawm ntawv | ||
The Hmong word "kawm ntawv" also means "to teach" and "to learn". | |||
Kurdish | gîhandin | ||
The Kurdish word "gîhandin" has cognates in other Indo-European languages, such as the Sanskrit word "jihvā", which means "tongue". | |||
Turkish | eğitmek | ||
The Turkish word "Eğitmek," meaning "to educate," comes from the Persian word "ākhīdan," meaning "to teach." | |||
Xhosa | fundisa | ||
The Xhosa word "fundisa" is derived from the Zulu word "funda," meaning "to learn." | |||
Yiddish | דערציען | ||
In Yiddish, the word 'דערציען' ('educate') also refers to raising a child, while in modern Hebrew it primarily means teaching. | |||
Zulu | fundisa | ||
The word "fundisa" derives from the root "funda", meaning "to build" or "to establish". | |||
Assamese | শিক্ষিত কৰা | ||
Aymara | yatichaña | ||
Bhojpuri | शिक्षित करे के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ތަޢުލީމު ދިނުން | ||
Dogri | शिक्षित करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | turuan | ||
Guarani | ohekombo’e | ||
Ilocano | edukaren | ||
Krio | ɛdyukeshɔn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پەروەردەکردن | ||
Maithili | शिक्षित करब | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯖꯨꯀꯦꯁꯟ ꯄꯤꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | zirtirna pe rawh | ||
Oromo | barsiisuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଶିକ୍ଷିତ କର | | ||
Quechua | yachachiy | ||
Sanskrit | शिक्षयति | ||
Tatar | укыту | ||
Tigrinya | ምምሃር | ||
Tsonga | dyondzisa | ||