Examination in Different Languages
Discover 'Examination' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Examinations are a significant part of many cultures and education systems around the world. They serve as a tool to assess a person's knowledge, skills, and abilities in a particular area, and provide valuable feedback for improvement. The cultural importance of examinations cannot be overstated, as they often determine future opportunities and shape societal values.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of examination in different languages can provide unique insights into how other cultures approach assessment and learning. For example, in Spanish, examination is translated as 'examen,' while in French, it is 'examen' and in German, it is 'Prüfung.'
Throughout history, examinations have taken many forms, from the imperial examinations in ancient China to the standardized tests of today. No matter the context, examinations remain a universal aspect of education and personal growth. By exploring the translations of examination in different languages, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of this important concept.
Examination
Examination in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | eksamen | ||
| In its original Greek, "eksamen" means "weighing or testing." | |||
| Amharic | ምርመራ | ||
| The Amharic word "ምርመራ" can also mean "investigation, inquiry" in the context of law and justice. | |||
| Hausa | jarrabawa | ||
| In Hausa, "jarrabawa" is also used to refer to the process of experimentation or putting something to the test. | |||
| Igbo | ule | ||
| Ule (examination) in Igbo also means "a task or occupation." | |||
| Malagasy | fandinihana | ||
| The word "fandinihana" is also used to refer to a traditional Malagasy ceremony in which a child is presented to the ancestors. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kufufuza | ||
| "Kufufuza" also means "to examine" and "to search". | |||
| Shona | kuongorora | ||
| The Shona term ‘kuongorora’ is also used to describe the process of ‘inspection’ or ‘looking into something thoroughly’. | |||
| Somali | baaritaanka | ||
| The word 'baaritaanka' is derived from the Arabic word 'barīk' meaning 'to examine, inspect, or inquire' | |||
| Sesotho | tlhatlhobo | ||
| The word "tlhatlhobo" can also mean "research" or "investigation" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | uchunguzi | ||
| The Swahili word "uchunguzi" can also refer to "investigation" or "exploration." | |||
| Xhosa | uviwo | ||
| The word 'uviwo' can also refer to an 'exhibition'. | |||
| Yoruba | idanwo | ||
| "Idanwo" also means "interrogation" or "questioning" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlolwa | ||
| "Ukuholwa" is also used to refer to the act of being interrogated or questioned in a formal setting. | |||
| Bambara | sɛgɛsɛgɛli kɛli | ||
| Ewe | dodokpɔ wɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikizamini | ||
| Lingala | ekzamɛ ya kosala | ||
| Luganda | okukeberebwa | ||
| Sepedi | tlhahlobo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nhwehwɛmu a wɔyɛ | ||
Examination in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الفحص | ||
| The word "الفحص" can also refer to the act of testing or scrutinizing something. | |||
| Hebrew | בְּדִיקָה | ||
| In Hebrew, the word "בְּדִיקָה" can also refer to a test or a trial. | |||
| Pashto | ازموینه | ||
| The Pashto word "ازمون" (examination) originates from the Persian word "آزمون" which also means "trial" or "test". | |||
| Arabic | الفحص | ||
| The word "الفحص" can also refer to the act of testing or scrutinizing something. | |||
Examination in Western European Languages
| Albanian | provimi | ||
| The word "provimi" also denotes tests as in examinations or medical tests, as well as trials as in the case of a legal proceeding. | |||
| Basque | azterketa | ||
| The word "azterketa" comes from the verbs "aztertu" (to examine) and "ketea" (to make). | |||
| Catalan | examen | ||
| The Catalan word "examen" derives from the Latin "examen" meaning "the tongue of a balance" and was originally used to mean "a weighing, trial, or test". | |||
| Croatian | ispitivanje | ||
| The word 'ispitivanje' also means 'test' or 'trial' in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | undersøgelse | ||
| Undersøgelse also refers to the exploration and surveying of unknown territory or subjects. | |||
| Dutch | examen | ||
| The Dutch word 'examen' also means 'test (of a metal)'. | |||
| English | examination | ||
| In the 15th century, "examination" referred to the act of torture. | |||
| French | examen | ||
| In French, the word "examen" can also mean an insect swarm, derived from the Latin "examen" meaning "a flight of bees". | |||
| Frisian | eksamen | ||
| "Eksamen" in Frisian derives from the Latin "examen" (literally "a weighing"), and is cognate with other European words meaning "test" or "assessment". | |||
| Galician | exame | ||
| In Galician, "exame" is a synonym for "ensayo" (essay) and the plural form "exames" used to mean "classes" but is now archaic and only used in set phrases. | |||
| German | untersuchung | ||
| The word "Untersuchung" is derived from the Middle High German "undersuochen" meaning "to search" or "to look for". | |||
| Icelandic | próf | ||
| The word "próf" is derived from the Old Norse "prof" meaning "test" or "trial". | |||
| Irish | scrúdú | ||
| The verb 'scrúdú' ('to examine') derives from the Old Irish verb 'scrúd' ('to search') and is cognate with the Welsh 'ysgrifenu' ('to write'). | |||
| Italian | visita medica | ||
| Visita medica derives from Latin "visitare" meaning to frequent, to go to see, to call on, and it was used by Christians to mean "visiting" a holy place, relic, or sepulcher, in pilgrimage. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ënnersichung | ||
| Ënnersichung can also refer to the process of inspecting goods or performing a medical checkup, akin to the French 'examen'. | |||
| Maltese | eżami | ||
| "Eżami" comes from the Arabic word "imtiḥān" meaning "test" or "trial". | |||
| Norwegian | undersøkelse | ||
| Undersøkelse means investigation, survey, inspection, research, exploration, scrutiny, review, or analysis in Norwegian | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | exame | ||
| The word "exame" comes from the Greek "εξάμηνος" (exámenos), meaning "six months", and originally referred to the biannual exams taken by students at universities. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgrùdadh | ||
| The word 'sgrùdadh' is derived from the Gaelic root 'scrùd', meaning 'to scrutinize' or 'to examine carefully'. | |||
| Spanish | examen | ||
| The Spanish word "examen" comes from the Latin "examinare" meaning "to weigh" and also refers to the balance of a scale. | |||
| Swedish | undersökning | ||
| The word "undersökning" comes from the Old Norse word "undersókn", meaning "inquiry" or "investigation". | |||
| Welsh | arholiad | ||
| The Welsh word "arholiad" comes from the verb "arholi," meaning "to examine" or "to scrutinize." | |||
Examination in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | экспертыза | ||
| The word "экспертыза" in Belarusian is a cognate to the Russian "эксперт" and means "an expert". It is also used in the sense of "an expertise" or "an evaluation". | |||
| Bosnian | ispitivanje | ||
| Ispitivanje in Bosnian can also mean 'trial', 'test' or 'investigation'. | |||
| Bulgarian | преглед | ||
| The Bulgarian word "Преглед" also carries the meaning of "review". | |||
| Czech | zkouška | ||
| The word "zkouška" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *skus-, meaning "to taste" or "to try". | |||
| Estonian | läbivaatamine | ||
| In addition to meaning "examination," "läbivaatamine" also means "rehearsal." | |||
| Finnish | tentti | ||
| In Finnish, "tentti" also refers to "a place of inquiry" or "a place for investigation." | |||
| Hungarian | vizsgálat | ||
| Vizsgálat originates from Middle Hungarian "visgál", meaning "observe, research", from Proto-Hungarian "vizg" meaning "inspect". | |||
| Latvian | pārbaude | ||
| Pārbaude originates from the word "pārbaurīt", meaning "to look over again". | |||
| Lithuanian | ekspertizė | ||
| The word "ekspertizė" is borrowed from French "expertise", which originally meant "skill" or "knowledge". | |||
| Macedonian | испитување | ||
| The word "испитување" can also refer to a medical examination or a scientific experiment. | |||
| Polish | badanie | ||
| The Polish word "badanie" has Slavic roots and is related to the verb "badać," which means "to observe," "to explore," or "to investigate." | |||
| Romanian | examinare | ||
| The Romanian word "examinare" ultimately derives from the Latin verb "examinare", meaning "to weigh".} | |||
| Russian | осмотр | ||
| The word "осмотр" can also mean "review" or "inspection". | |||
| Serbian | преглед | ||
| The Serbian word "преглед" can also refer to a review of a book, movie, or event. | |||
| Slovak | vyšetrenie | ||
| The word "vyšetrenie" in Slovak can also refer to an investigation or a medical procedure. | |||
| Slovenian | izpit | ||
| Izpit's root iz- is also found in words meaning "out" or "out of". | |||
| Ukrainian | експертиза | ||
| The word "експертиза" is derived from the Latin word "expertus", meaning "experienced" or "tested". | |||
Examination in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরীক্ষা | ||
| The word "পরীক্ষা" can also mean "test", "trial", or "experiment". | |||
| Gujarati | પરીક્ષા | ||
| Hindi | इंतिहान | ||
| The word "इंतिहान" is derived from the Persian word "imtihan", meaning "test" or "trial". | |||
| Kannada | ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ | ||
| The word 'ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'परीक्षा' (pariksha), which means 'investigation', 'trial', or 'test'. | |||
| Malayalam | പരീക്ഷ | ||
| The Malayalam word "pariksha" is derived from the Sanskrit word "parikshana" and also refers to "testing" or "scrutinizing" something or someone. | |||
| Marathi | परीक्षा | ||
| "परीक्षा" (pariksha) is also used in Marathi to mean "knowledge, test, assessment, or trial." | |||
| Nepali | परीक्षा | ||
| The word "परीक्षा" can also mean "test" or "trial". | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਮਤਿਹਾਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විභාගය | ||
| The term "විභාගය" (examination) originates from the Sanskrit word "विभागः" (division), suggesting the process of separating different knowledge or concepts during an assessment. | |||
| Tamil | தேர்வு | ||
| The word "தேர்வு" also means "selection" or "choice" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | పరీక్ష | ||
| The word "పరీక్ష" was derived from Sanskrit words, "pari" meaning "around" and "iksha" meaning "to see" or "to look", thus implying a thorough investigation or assessment. | |||
| Urdu | امتحان | ||
| Urdu "امتحان" has a double meaning, the other one is "ordeal". | |||
Examination in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 检查 | ||
| The character '查' in '检查' originally represented a hand holding a stick used for torture | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 檢查 | ||
| The word '檢查' ('examination') comes from the words '檢' ('to inspect') and '查' ('to investigate') and also means 'checkup' in the medical sense. | |||
| Japanese | 検査 | ||
| The word "検査" is also used in Japanese to describe the act of checking or inspecting something. | |||
| Korean | 시험 | ||
| Originally “trial” or “test,” 시험 refers to an academic assessment but can also mean “experience” or “ordeal”. | |||
| Mongolian | шалгалт | ||
| The Mongolian word "шалгалт" also means "question" or "test". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာမေးပွဲ | ||
Examination in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pemeriksaan | ||
| The Indonesian word "pemeriksaan" also refers to the act of verifying, such as the examination of a suspect in a criminal investigation. | |||
| Javanese | pamriksan | ||
| "Pamriksan" also means "to investigate" in Old Javanese, derived from the Sanskrit word "parīkṣa" meaning "test" or "trial." | |||
| Khmer | ការពិនិត្យ | ||
| Lao | ການກວດກາ | ||
| Malay | pemeriksaan | ||
| The Malay word "pemeriksaan" also refers to a medical check-up. | |||
| Thai | การตรวจสอบ | ||
| In Thai, "การตรวจสอบ" also means "audit" and "scrutiny". | |||
| Vietnamese | kiểm tra | ||
| "Kiểm tra" also means "to inspect" or "to check" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsusuri | ||
Examination in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müayinə | ||
| The word "müayinə" in Azerbaijani originates from the Arabic word "muʿāyana" which means "inspection" or "examination of a person or thing." | |||
| Kazakh | сараптама | ||
| The word "сараптама" is derived from the Persian word "sar raftan", meaning "to go through". | |||
| Kyrgyz | экспертиза | ||
| Эксперт (от латинского «expertus», «опытный») – лицо, обладающее специальными знаниями и опытом в определённой сфере деятельности. | |||
| Tajik | имтиҳон | ||
| The word 'имтиҳон' is derived from the Arabic word 'imtiḥān', which means 'test' or 'trial'. | |||
| Turkmen | synag | ||
| Uzbek | imtihon | ||
| The word "imtihon" originally meant "trial" or "test" in Arabic. | |||
| Uyghur | تەكشۈرۈش | ||
Examination in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka hoʻokolokolo ʻana | ||
| Literally meaning "to make wise" in Hawaiian, ka hoʻokolokolo ʻana is a term that also refers to the process of testing the sharpness of an object through the act of shaving. | |||
| Maori | whakamātautau | ||
| The word "whakamātautau" in Māori not only means "examination" but also encompasses the broader concept of "investigation", "trial", or "inquest". | |||
| Samoan | suʻega | ||
| The word "suʻega" is derived from the verb "suʻe" which means "to seek" or "to ask". The term has extended its meaning from the physical and concrete act of searching or examining something to a more abstract and cognitive process of questioning, testing or scrutinizing something, or conducting an examination. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagsusuri | ||
| The word "pagsusuri" is derived from the root word "suri" which means "to examine" or "to investigate". It can also refer to the process of analyzing or scrutinizing something. | |||
Examination in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñakipaña | ||
| Guarani | examen rehegua | ||
Examination in International Languages
| Esperanto | ekzameno | ||
| The word “ekzameno” also means “test”, “interrogation”, “analysis”, “investigation”, or “review”. | |||
| Latin | examen | ||
| In Latin, "examen" originally referred to weighing scales and was then extended to mean the process of weighing or testing something, including a person's knowledge. | |||
Examination in Others Languages
| Greek | εξέταση | ||
| "εξέταση" comes from "εξετάζω" meaning "to examine, investigate, test." | |||
| Hmong | xeem | ||
| The word "xeem" is derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word "*kʰam", meaning "to examine" or "to investigate". | |||
| Kurdish | îmtîhan | ||
| The word "îmtîhan" also means "test" or "trial" in Kurdish, highlighting its broader metaphorical context beyond just academic assessments. | |||
| Turkish | muayene | ||
| Muayene is derived from the Arabic word "mu'ayyana" meaning "determined", while also carrying alternate meanings like "inspection" and "review" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | uviwo | ||
| The word 'uviwo' can also refer to an 'exhibition'. | |||
| Yiddish | דורכקוק | ||
| "דורכקוק" is also a slang term for a difficult or thorough ordeal or experience. | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlolwa | ||
| "Ukuholwa" is also used to refer to the act of being interrogated or questioned in a formal setting. | |||
| Assamese | পৰীক্ষা | ||
| Aymara | uñakipaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | परीक्षा दिहल गइल | ||
| Dhivehi | އިމްތިޙާނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | इम्तहान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsusuri | ||
| Guarani | examen rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | eksaminasion | ||
| Krio | ɛgzamin we dɛn de du | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تاقیکردنەوە | ||
| Maithili | परीक्षा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯀꯖꯥꯃꯤꯅꯦꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | exam neih a ni | ||
| Oromo | qormaata | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରୀକ୍ଷା | ||
| Quechua | examen | ||
| Sanskrit | परीक्षा | ||
| Tatar | экспертиза | ||
| Tigrinya | መርመራ ምግባር | ||
| Tsonga | ku kamberiwa | ||