Essay in Different Languages
Discover 'Essay' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An essay is a piece of writing that delves into a particular topic or subject, presenting the author's perspective, ideas, and analysis. This form of writing has been instrumental in shaping cultural and intellectual discourse for centuries. From the philosophical musings of Michel de Montaigne to the personal reflections of Virginia Woolf, essays have given voice to some of the most profound and provocative thoughts in literature.
Moreover, the significance of essays extends beyond the realm of literature. They are used in academic and professional settings to argue a point, convey research findings, or provide a detailed explanation of a concept. In essence, essays are a versatile and powerful tool for communication and expression.
Understanding the translation of the word 'essay' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures approach this form of writing. For instance, in Spanish, an essay is known as 'ensayo,' while in German, it is called 'Essay.' In French, the term is 'essai,' and in Italian, it is 'saggio.'
Exploring these translations can offer a fascinating glimpse into the cultural nuances and historical contexts associated with the word 'essay.' Join us as we delve into the world of language and culture, and discover how this versatile form of writing is perceived and practiced around the globe.
Essay
Essay in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | opstel | ||
| "Opstel" derives from the Middle Dutch "opstel", meaning plan, outline or draft | |||
| Amharic | ድርሰት | ||
| The word 'ድርሰት' ('essay') in Amharic also refers to an academic thesis or dissertation, a written report or paper, and scientific research work. | |||
| Hausa | muqala | ||
| In literary usage, in some dialects, it is sometimes equated with rubuci, an Arabic loanword which itself can mean "writing" or "a form of writing" | |||
| Igbo | edemede | ||
| In some Igbo dialects, "edemede" can refer to an "argument" or a "debate." | |||
| Malagasy | lahatsoratra | ||
| The Malagasy word "lahatsoratra" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *surat, meaning "letter" or "book". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhani | ||
| The word 'nkhani' can also refer to a 'story' or 'tale' | |||
| Shona | rondedzero | ||
| 'Rondedzero' stems from the word 'rondwezero' meaning 'a thing to be thought about'. | |||
| Somali | maqaalka | ||
| "Maqaalka", meaning "essay", originates from the Arabic word "maqāla", which refers to a speech, discourse, or written composition. | |||
| Sesotho | moqoqo | ||
| The word "moqoqo" is cognate with the Zulu and Ndebele word "iqoqo" which means "gathering" | |||
| Swahili | insha | ||
| The Swahili word "insha" derives from the Arabic word "إنشاء" (inšāʾ), which means "creation" or "composition". | |||
| Xhosa | isincoko | ||
| Isincoko is a noun meaning 'essay' which is derived from the verb 'ukusinca' (to think). | |||
| Yoruba | aroko | ||
| The word 'aroko' (Yoruba for 'essay') can also refer to a type of Yoruba music. | |||
| Zulu | indzabambhalo | ||
| Indzabambhalo, in Zulu, can also refer to a message or record that is passed from one person to another. | |||
| Bambara | sɛbɛn | ||
| Ewe | nyadutsotso | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inyandiko | ||
| Lingala | komeka | ||
| Luganda | ekiwandiiko | ||
| Sepedi | taodišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | susutwerɛ | ||
Essay in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مقال | ||
| The word "مقال" is derived from the root "ق و ل", meaning "to speak" or "to say". | |||
| Hebrew | מַסָה | ||
| In biblical Hebrew, "מסה" (masa) means "test," "trial," or "proof" in addition to "essay." | |||
| Pashto | مقاله | ||
| The word مقاله (maqaala) originates from the Arabic word مقاله (maqalah), which means "speech" or "discourse." It is also related to the Persian word مقاله (maghalah), which means "article" or "treatise." | |||
| Arabic | مقال | ||
| The word "مقال" is derived from the root "ق و ل", meaning "to speak" or "to say". | |||
Essay in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ese | ||
| The word "ese" also means "it is" or "he/she is" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | saiakera | ||
| The Basque word "saiakera" could also mean "attempt" or "test". | |||
| Catalan | assaig | ||
| The word "assaig" in Catalan derives from the Latin "exagium," meaning "action of weighing," but also has the secondary meanings of "test" or "attempt" | |||
| Croatian | esej | ||
| In Croatian, 'esej' can also mean 'theme' or 'motif'. | |||
| Danish | historie | ||
| The word historie is derived from Latin historia, the Greek ἱστορία (historia), which means "inquiry". | |||
| Dutch | essay | ||
| The Dutch word 'essay' can also mean 'trial' or 'attempt'. | |||
| English | essay | ||
| The word “essay” derives from the French “essayer,” meaning “to try” or “to attempt,” and originally denoted a tentative or incomplete literary composition. | |||
| French | essai | ||
| The word 'essai' originates from the Latin word 'exagium', which means 'weighing' or 'testing'. Its alternate meanings in French include 'attempt', 'sample', and 'trial'. | |||
| Frisian | essay | ||
| In Frisian, it can also mean "to try" or "to examine". | |||
| Galician | ensaio | ||
| In Galician, "ensaio" can also mean "attempt" or "test". | |||
| German | aufsatz | ||
| In the 16th century, the German word "Aufsatz" also referred to a kind of head covering for women. | |||
| Icelandic | ritgerð | ||
| "Ritgerð" derives from "rita" (write) and "gerð" (act/deed), also meaning "discourse" or "treatise". | |||
| Irish | aiste | ||
| The Old Irish cognate of `aiste` was an abstract concept meaning "wisdom" or "knowledge" which was also used of a 'poetic composition', and the modern sense "essay" is probably the result of semantic narrowing. | |||
| Italian | saggio | ||
| "Saggio" originally meant a "test" or "trial". | |||
| Luxembourgish | aufsatz | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Aufsatz" can also refer to a written assignment in school or university. | |||
| Maltese | esej | ||
| The word 'esej' is derived from the French word 'essai', meaning 'attempt' or 'trial'. | |||
| Norwegian | essay | ||
| "Prøvepen" is an alternate meaning of "essay" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | redação | ||
| In Portuguese, "redação" can also refer to an editorial department of a newspaper or magazine. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | aiste | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "aiste" can also refer to a "piece of literary composition" or a "discourse". | |||
| Spanish | ensayo | ||
| Spanish word "ensayo" initially meant "attempt" or "test". | |||
| Swedish | uppsats | ||
| "Uppsats" comes from the German word "Aufsatz" which also refers to a kind of headdress or hairdo. | |||
| Welsh | traethawd | ||
| The term 'traethawd' derives from the Welsh word 'traethu', meaning 'discourse' or 'narrative'. It originally referred to a written or spoken piece that explored a particular subject in depth. | |||
Essay in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нарыс | ||
| The word "нарыс" in Belarusian originated from the Old Belarusian word "наръ", meaning "to narrate, to tell". | |||
| Bosnian | esej | ||
| The word "esej" derives from the French "essai", meaning "attempt" or "trial." | |||
| Bulgarian | есе | ||
| In Bulgarian, "есе" also translates as "attempt", "try", or "test". | |||
| Czech | esej | ||
| In Czech, "esej" can also refer to a short essay or a school assignment similar to an essay. | |||
| Estonian | essee | ||
| The word "essee" in Estonian is derived from the French word "essai", meaning "attempt" or "trial". | |||
| Finnish | essee | ||
| "Esse" is a Finnish word meaning "to be" and is also used as a prefix to the verb "to write" to mean "an essay". | |||
| Hungarian | esszé | ||
| "Esszé" means "small try" in Hungarian, originally referring to a coin of little value. | |||
| Latvian | eseja | ||
| In Latvian, word "eseja" has French origin (from "essai" - "attempt, trial"). | |||
| Lithuanian | esė | ||
| Etymology: French "essai" = "attempt, trial"; French "essaier" = "to try, to attempt"; Latin "exagium" = "weighing, examination" | |||
| Macedonian | есеј | ||
| In Macedonian, "есеј" (esey) shares its etymology with the French word "essai" (attempt), which captures the exploratory and experimental nature of the literary form. | |||
| Polish | praca pisemna | ||
| The word "Praca pisemna" derives from the Polish verb "pracować," meaning "to work" or "to labor," implying that an essay is the result of intellectual effort and composition. | |||
| Romanian | eseu | ||
| The Romanian word "eseu" has its ultimate Latin origin in the verb "exigere," meaning 'to examine thoroughly'. | |||
| Russian | сочинение | ||
| The word | |||
| Serbian | есеј | ||
| In Serbian, "есеј" (essay) is also a term for the philosophical genre "trial," where one tests their own or others' ideas. | |||
| Slovak | esej | ||
| The word "esej" is derived from the French word "essai", meaning "attempt" or "trial". | |||
| Slovenian | esej | ||
| The Slovenian word "esej" comes from the French word "essai," meaning "attempt" or "trial." | |||
| Ukrainian | есе | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'есе' likely derives from the French word 'essai' or the Latin word 'exagium,' both meaning 'weighing' or 'testing'. | |||
Essay in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রবন্ধ | ||
| The word "প্রবন্ধ" in Bengali also carries the meaning of a theological discussion or philosophical treatise, and is derived from the Sanskrit root "pra-bandh," which means "to bind together." | |||
| Gujarati | નિબંધ | ||
| The Gujarati word “નિબંધ” is derived from the Sanskrit word “निबन्ध” (nibandha), which originally meant “a literary composition or treatise.” | |||
| Hindi | निबंध | ||
| In Hindi, the word "निबंध" primarily means "an essay" but it also carries the meaning of "a composition" or "a treatise". | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಬಂಧ | ||
| "ಪ್ರಬಂಧ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रबन्ध", which means "discourse" or "treatise". | |||
| Malayalam | ഉപന്യാസം | ||
| Malayalam word “upanyasam” also means a religious discourse, a speech given by a teacher, or a written text by a student. | |||
| Marathi | निबंध | ||
| The word "निबंध" (essay) in Marathi primarily means "a literary composition that expresses the author's viewpoint on a particular topic" and is etymologically related to "निव+बंध" (niva + bandha), meaning "binding together" or "tying up," suggesting the assembling of ideas into a cohesive whole. | |||
| Nepali | निबन्ध | ||
| The word 'निबन्ध' originates from the Sanskrit word 'निबन्धन', which means 'to bind together' or 'to compose'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੇਖ | ||
| The word "ਲੇਖ" in Punjabi also means "account", "reckoning", "narrative", "record", or "writing". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රචනාව | ||
| The Sinhala word රචනාව, meaning "essay," also carries the meaning of "composition" and can refer to a written work on any subject. | |||
| Tamil | கட்டுரை | ||
| The Tamil word "கட்டுரை" has various meanings like composing something, tying something or a bundle, and also signifies a composition in prose, a treatise. | |||
| Telugu | వ్యాసం | ||
| Urdu | مضمون نویسی | ||
| The Urdu word "مضمون نویسی" derives from the Arabic "da-ma-na", meaning "to make clear", and is also used to refer to "content writing" or "copywriting". | |||
Essay in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 文章 | ||
| The word "文章" (essay) originally meant "clear patterns". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 文章 | ||
| In addition to "essay", "文章" also means "sentences" and "words" when read in isolation | |||
| Japanese | エッセイ | ||
| エッセイ (essei) derives from the French essai, meaning an attempt, a trial — originally a philosophical or political discourse. | |||
| Korean | 수필 | ||
| The word "수필" can also mean "travelogue" or "reminiscence" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | эссе | ||
| The Mongolian word "эссе" can also mean "an experience" or "a story." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာစီစာကုံး | ||
Essay in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | karangan | ||
| "Karangan" also means "work" or "product" in Indonesian, referring to the result of writing or other creative activities. | |||
| Javanese | karangan | ||
| Karangan, meaning 'composition' in Javanese, also refers to a form of traditional Javanese literature characterized by prose and poetry. | |||
| Khmer | អត្ថបទ | ||
| The word "អត្ថបទ" derives from Sanskrit and literally means "a connected series of sentences" or "a discourse". | |||
| Lao | ບົດຂຽນ | ||
| The Lao word ບົດຂຽນ (essay) originates from Pali and Sanskrit and also means a text, a treatise, or a composition. | |||
| Malay | karangan | ||
| The word 'karangan' also means 'composition' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'karangana'. | |||
| Thai | เรียงความ | ||
| เรียงความ comes from the French "essai" meaning "to attempt". In Thai, it also refers to a "composition". | |||
| Vietnamese | tiểu luận | ||
| The word "tiểu luận" ultimately derives from the French word "essai", meaning "attempt". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sanaysay | ||
Essay in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | inşa | ||
| The word "inşa" comes from Arabic, where it originally meant "construction" or "organization," later acquiring the meaning of "essay" or "composition." | |||
| Kazakh | эссе | ||
| Слово "эссе" в казахском языке происходит от французского "essai" и означает "опыт" или "исследование". | |||
| Kyrgyz | баян | ||
| The word "баян" also means "narration" or "telling" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | иншо | ||
| The word "иншо" in Tajik is borrowed from Arabic and literally means "that which is created". | |||
| Turkmen | düzme | ||
| Uzbek | insho | ||
| The word “insho” has Arabic roots and has the initial meaning of “to make, to do” in Arabic. Moreover, “insho” is the process of making something with one’s own hand, as well as an artistic creation. | |||
| Uyghur | ماقالە | ||
Essay in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pepa kākau moʻolelo | ||
| It is composed of various words and phrases, such as **pepa** meaning "paper" or "newspaper", **kākau** denoting "writing" or "to write", and **moʻolelo** signifying "a story" or "narrative". | |||
| Maori | tuhinga roa | ||
| In Maori, the word "tuhinga roa" also means "extended writing" or "lengthy account." | |||
| Samoan | tala tusia | ||
| This word's literal Samoan translation is "written tale," which could refer to traditional Polynesian storytelling forms as well as academic and creative essays. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sanaysay | ||
| The Tagalog word "sanaysay" originally meant "a composition in prose," but it also signifies "a piece of writing that expresses the author's opinion or perspective on a particular topic." | |||
Essay in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yant'a | ||
| Guarani | ha'ã | ||
Essay in International Languages
| Esperanto | eseo | ||
| The word "eseo" is derived from the French word "essai" which means "attempt" or "trial". In Esperanto, it can also refer to a scholarly article or a scientific paper. | |||
| Latin | medica inauguralis, | ||
| The word "medica inauguralis" may refer to the original inaugural speech of a professor of medicine in a medieval university or its printed form. | |||
Essay in Others Languages
| Greek | εκθεση ιδεων | ||
| The word 'Εκθεση ΙΔΕΩΝ' ultimately derives from the Greek word 'θέσις', meaning 'a putting forth'. | |||
| Hmong | sau ntawv | ||
| The word "sau ntawv" is a compound word in Hmong meaning "to write something" and "a book" or "a letter". | |||
| Kurdish | nivîsar | ||
| The term "nivîsar" can refer not only to an essay or scientific study, but also to a philosophical treatise in the context of Kurdish literature. | |||
| Turkish | makale | ||
| The word "makale" in Turkish may also refer to a newspaper article or a thesis, derived from the Arabic word "maqala" meaning "speech" or "discourse." | |||
| Xhosa | isincoko | ||
| Isincoko is a noun meaning 'essay' which is derived from the verb 'ukusinca' (to think). | |||
| Yiddish | עסיי | ||
| The Yiddish word "עסיי" also means "an opinion piece" and can be used to refer to any written work that expresses the author's thoughts or feelings. | |||
| Zulu | indzabambhalo | ||
| Indzabambhalo, in Zulu, can also refer to a message or record that is passed from one person to another. | |||
| Assamese | ৰচনা | ||
| Aymara | yant'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | निबंध | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޒުމޫނު | ||
| Dogri | मजमून | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sanaysay | ||
| Guarani | ha'ã | ||
| Ilocano | surat | ||
| Krio | ripɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ووتار | ||
| Maithili | लेख | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯔꯪꯡ | ||
| Mizo | thuziak | ||
| Oromo | barreeffama dheeraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରବନ୍ଧ | ||
| Quechua | willakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | निबंध | ||
| Tatar | сочинение | ||
| Tigrinya | ድርሰት | ||
| Tsonga | xitsalwana | ||