Exercise in Different Languages
Discover 'Exercise' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Exercise: it's a simple word that carries a world of meaning. More than just physical activity, exercise represents a commitment to health, well-being, and personal growth. It's a cultural cornerstone, a universal language that transcends borders and connects us all. From the gym to the great outdoors, exercise is a vital part of our daily lives.
But did you know that the word 'exercise' has fascinating translations in different languages? In Spanish, for example, 'exercise' becomes 'ejercicio.' In French, it's 'exercice.' And in German, it's 'Übung.' Each translation offers a unique cultural perspective, shedding light on how different societies view and approach physical activity.
So why should you care about the translation of exercise in different languages? For starters, it's a fun and interesting way to explore new cultures. Plus, understanding these translations can help you connect with people from around the world, building bridges across languages and fostering global understanding.
Without further ado, here are some translations of the word 'exercise' in different languages. Get ready to expand your cultural horizons and discover the beauty of language!
Exercise
Exercise in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oefening | ||
| The Afrikaans word "oefening" originates from the Dutch word "oefening" and also means "practice" or "rehearsal". | |||
| Amharic | የአካል ብቃት እንቅስቃሴ | ||
| The word "exercise" comes from the Latin word "exercere," meaning "to train" or "to practice." | |||
| Hausa | motsa jiki | ||
| The term "motsa jiki" in Hausa does not only refer to physical exercise, but can also be used metaphorically to describe any type of physical exertion, such as manual labor. | |||
| Igbo | mmega ahụ | ||
| Mmega ahụ (exercise) etymologically means 'to make the body sweat' or 'to cause the body to sweat'. | |||
| Malagasy | fanazaran-tena | ||
| The word "fanazaran-tena" (exercise) in Malagasy literally translates to "body stretching". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuchita masewera olimbitsa thupi | ||
| Shona | kurovedza muviri | ||
| Somali | jimicsi | ||
| "Jimicsi" is also used to refer to physical education, or the practice of keeping oneself fit. | |||
| Sesotho | boikoetliso | ||
| The term 'boikoetliso' shares its root with the word 'koetlisa', which means 'to cause to become'. | |||
| Swahili | mazoezi | ||
| The word 'mazoezi' also refers to the practice of witchcraft in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | umthambo | ||
| Umthambo also means 'bones' and is used in the context of playing a wind instrument such as the flute. | |||
| Yoruba | ere idaraya | ||
| The word 'ere idaraya' in Yoruba literally means 'play for fitness'. | |||
| Zulu | ukuzivocavoca umzimba | ||
| Ukuzivocavoca umzimba, meaning exercise, literally translates to 'to cause the body to shake' | |||
| Bambara | degeli | ||
| Ewe | kamedede | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imyitozo | ||
| Lingala | ngalasisi | ||
| Luganda | dduyilo | ||
| Sepedi | itšhidulla | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwumadie | ||
Exercise in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ممارسه الرياضه | ||
| It also means 'to do', 'to practice', and 'to carry out' something. | |||
| Hebrew | תרגיל | ||
| תרגיל also means "drill" (for practice) in Hebrew, which derives from the root "to repeat" (רגל) | |||
| Pashto | تمرین | ||
| The Pashto word "تمرین" is derived from the Arabic word "تَمْرين" which means "training" or "practice". | |||
| Arabic | ممارسه الرياضه | ||
| It also means 'to do', 'to practice', and 'to carry out' something. | |||
Exercise in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ushtrim | ||
| Albanian "ushtrim" originates from a Latin word that means "practice," similar to the English word "exercis" | |||
| Basque | ariketa | ||
| "Ariketa" can also refer to a test, an exercise to test someone's ability. | |||
| Catalan | exercici | ||
| In Catalan, "exercici" also means a written document showing income and expenditure, akin to an English "exercise book". | |||
| Croatian | vježbati | ||
| "Vježba" (exercise) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *vьz-je-ti, which means "to lift up" or "to raise up". | |||
| Danish | dyrke motion | ||
| The word "dyrke motion" also means cultivating motion, implying a more conscious and engaged approach to exercise. | |||
| Dutch | oefening | ||
| The word "oefening" originally meant "experience" or "practice" and only later came to mean "physical exercise". | |||
| English | exercise | ||
| "Exercise" comes from the Latin "exercere" meaning "to train, bring up, or employ". | |||
| French | exercice | ||
| En français, « exercice » désigne aussi un devoir scolaire ou une activité religieuse. | |||
| Frisian | oefenje | ||
| The Frisian word "oefenje" is derived from the Middle Dutch "oefeninghe", which means both "practice" and "exercise". | |||
| Galician | exercicio | ||
| The word "exercicio" comes from the Latin "exercitium", meaning "training" or "practice". | |||
| German | übung | ||
| The word "Übung" is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wert-," meaning "to turn, move," and is related to the English word "to work." | |||
| Icelandic | hreyfingu | ||
| The word 'hreyfingu' is derived from 'hreyfa', meaning 'to move'. | |||
| Irish | aclaíocht | ||
| The Irish word "aclaíocht" has an obscure etymology, and it also means "feat of agility or daring", perhaps via acrobatic movements involved in athletic activities. | |||
| Italian | esercizio | ||
| In Italian, "esercizio" can also mean "establishment" or "practice". | |||
| Luxembourgish | übung | ||
| Übung (Luxembourgish) derives from the French "ouvrage" (work) and thus also means "work" in its wider sense, e.g. a written work. | |||
| Maltese | eżerċizzju | ||
| The word "eżerċizzju" is derived from the Latin "exercitus", meaning "armed force". It can also refer to the mental or physical activity undertaken to improve skills, knowledge, or fitness. | |||
| Norwegian | trening | ||
| The origin of "trening" is the Old Norse "træna", meaning "to become accustomed". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | exercício | ||
| The Portuguese word "exercício" also means "duty" or "function". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eacarsaich | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "eacarsaich" is likely derived from the Irish "eacharsach," meaning "horseplay" or "rough play." | |||
| Spanish | ejercicio | ||
| "Ejercicio" also means "act" or "procedure" in Spanish, as in "a legal exercise (or proceeding)." | |||
| Swedish | träning | ||
| Träning is also used as a verb that means "to train" or "to practice". | |||
| Welsh | ymarfer corff | ||
| Ymarfer corff is a Welsh word for 'exercise' that literally translates to 'practicing the body'. | |||
Exercise in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | практыкаванне | ||
| Bosnian | vježba | ||
| "Vježba" is a Slavic word derived from "vežati", meaning "to tie", as in the act of tying oneself to a task and performing it regularly. | |||
| Bulgarian | упражнение | ||
| Упражнение (Bulgarian exercise) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ǫpręgnǫti which meant "to harness, prepare". | |||
| Czech | cvičení | ||
| The word "cvičení" can also mean "practice" or "rehearsal". | |||
| Estonian | võimlemine | ||
| The word "võimlemine" also has the alternate meaning of "gymnastics". | |||
| Finnish | harjoittele | ||
| "Harjoittele" is derived from "harjoittaa," meaning "to practice" or "to accustom oneself to something." | |||
| Hungarian | gyakorlat | ||
| "Gyakorlat" also means "practice" and originates from the verb "gyakorol", which means "to exercise/practice." | |||
| Latvian | vingrinājums | ||
| “Vingrinājums” originally meant “bending” or “straining” in Latvian, but now commonly refers to physical activity. | |||
| Lithuanian | pratimas | ||
| The word "pratimas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pret", meaning "to stretch, extend". | |||
| Macedonian | вежбање | ||
| The word "вежбање" comes from the verb "вежбам" which means "to practice" or "to train". | |||
| Polish | ćwiczenie | ||
| Ćwiczenie, ultimately derived from the Latin "exercitare" (to train), initially meant "action" or "practice" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | exercițiu | ||
| In Romanian, "exercițiu" can also mean "homework" or "financial exercise". | |||
| Russian | упражнение | ||
| The word "упражнение" in Russian also means practice, an action, or execution. | |||
| Serbian | вежбање | ||
| The word "вежбање" in Serbian derives from the Slavic root "vezati" meaning "to bind" or "to tie," and can also refer to the act of training or drilling. | |||
| Slovak | cvičenie | ||
| "Cvičenie" in Slovak can also refer to a military maneuver or drill. | |||
| Slovenian | vadba | ||
| The word vadba ultimately stems from a Proto-Slavic verb "*vaditi", meaning "to call" or "to invite," with its derivative meaning of "practice" developing later from a Proto-Slavic noun "*vaba" or "*vodba," meaning "invitation" or "guidance." | |||
| Ukrainian | вправа | ||
| The word 'вправа' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'pravda', meaning 'law' or 'justice'. | |||
Exercise in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুশীলন | ||
| The word 'অনুশীলন' derives from the Sanskrit root 'anu-siksa-', meaning 'to follow after' or 'to learn by practice'. | |||
| Gujarati | કસરત | ||
| The Gujarati word "કસરત" (kasrat) is a loanword from the Sanskrit word "कृश" (kriśa), meaning "thin" or "lean", suggesting the physical exertion associated with exercise. | |||
| Hindi | व्यायाम | ||
| The word "व्यायाम" comes from the Sanskrit root "yam", which means "to control or restrain", and is often used to refer to the practice of yoga or other forms of physical or mental discipline. | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯಾಯಾಮ | ||
| This word derives from Sanskrit and also means "diligence" or "effort." | |||
| Malayalam | വ്യായാമം | ||
| As well as "exercise" in the context of physical activity, व्यायामं may also mean a type of spiritual or contemplative practice aimed at calming the mind and sharpening cognitive faculties. | |||
| Marathi | व्यायाम | ||
| "व्यायाम" (व्याय+आयाम) also means "spending within one's means" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | व्यायाम | ||
| The word 'व्यायाम' comes from the Sanskrit root 'yam', meaning 'to control or restrain', and refers to the control and training of the body and mind. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਸਰਤ | ||
| The word "kasrat" originates from the Arabic word "kasara", meaning "to be deficient" or "to be in need". Its alternate meaning in Punjabi and Hindi is "hardship" or "difficulty". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ව්යායාම | ||
| "ව්යායාම" (exercise) derives from the Sanskrit word "व्ययाम" (vyāyāma), meaning "exertion, effort". In Sinhala, it also refers to "physical or mental exertion" or "spiritual discipline" | |||
| Tamil | உடற்பயிற்சி | ||
| Telugu | వ్యాయామం | ||
| The word "వ్యాయామం" is derived from the root "vyayama," which means "to exert oneself" or "to make an effort." | |||
| Urdu | ورزش | ||
| The word "ورزش" can also mean "play" or "sport". | |||
Exercise in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 行使 | ||
| 行使 (xíng shǐ) also means "to perform" or "to carry out". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 行使 | ||
| "行使" (xing4shi3) is also a noun that means "exercising" a power, authority, or right. | |||
| Japanese | 運動 | ||
| Originally, "運動" meant an "activity", and was also a Buddhist term referring to the "actions of a Buddha's life." | |||
| Korean | 운동 | ||
| "운동" (exercise) also means "movement" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | дасгал хийх | ||
| The word "дасгал хийх" can also mean "to practice" or "to train". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လေ့ကျင့်ခန်း | ||
Exercise in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | olahraga | ||
| "Olahraga" is a combination of the Indonesian words "olah" (to move) and "raga" (body). | |||
| Javanese | olahraga | ||
| The word 'olahraga' in Javanese also means 'to play a game for enjoyment'. | |||
| Khmer | ធ្វើលំហាត់ប្រាណ | ||
| It is also used figuratively to refer to any kind of effort. | |||
| Lao | ອອກກໍາລັງກາຍ | ||
| Malay | senaman | ||
| The term 'senaman' comes from the Sanskrit word 'saman' meaning 'equal' or 'balanced', suggesting that exercise should bring about physical and mental equilibrium. | |||
| Thai | ออกกำลังกาย | ||
| In Thai, ออกกำลังกาย can also mean "to make an effort" or "to exert oneself". | |||
| Vietnamese | tập thể dục | ||
| The word "tập thể dục" in Vietnamese is derived from the Chinese words "集體" and "鍛鍊", meaning "collective" and "training" respectively. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ehersisyo | ||
Exercise in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | idman | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "idman" comes from Arabic, and can also refer to sports, games, physical training and gymnastics | |||
| Kazakh | жаттығу | ||
| Жаттығу (exercise) derives from the Kazakh word "жату" (to lie down) and is used in the context of physical exercises, sports, and mental training | |||
| Kyrgyz | көнүгүү | ||
| Tajik | машқ | ||
| "Машк" also means "rehearsal" and is used in the phrase "машк кардан" (to rehearse). | |||
| Turkmen | maşk | ||
| Uzbek | jismoniy mashqlar | ||
| In addition to referring to "exercise" or "physical activity," "jismoniy mashqlar" can also mean "physical work" or "physical labor" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | چېنىقىش | ||
Exercise in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoikaika kino | ||
| The word "hoʻoikaika kino" in Hawaiian literally means "to make the body hard or strong". | |||
| Maori | whakakori tinana | ||
| The term 'whakakori tinana' is a compound word that literally translates to 'to make the body work' or 'to engage in physical training' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | faamalositino | ||
| The word "faamalositino" can also mean "to cause to be tired" or "to make someone sweat". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ehersisyo | ||
| The Tagalog word "ehersisyo" is a borrowing from the Spanish word "ejercicio", which has the same meaning of "exercise". | |||
Exercise in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ijirsisyu | ||
| Guarani | tembiaporã | ||
Exercise in International Languages
| Esperanto | ekzerco | ||
| The Esperanto word "ekzerco" is derived from the Latin word "exercere," which means "to practice," and it can also mean "practice" or "training" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | exercitium | ||
| Exercitium means not only 'exercise' but also 'training, task, duty, practice' in Latin. | |||
Exercise in Others Languages
| Greek | άσκηση | ||
| The Greek word "άσκηση" is also related to the concept of "asceticism" in Christianity | |||
| Hmong | kev tawm dag zog | ||
| The Hmong word for exercise, "kev tawm dag zog," literally means "to do work to strengthen the body." | |||
| Kurdish | fêre | ||
| The Kurdish word | |||
| Turkish | egzersiz yapmak | ||
| The word 'egzersiz yapmak' in Turkish can also refer to the act of practicing a particular skill or technique. | |||
| Xhosa | umthambo | ||
| Umthambo also means 'bones' and is used in the context of playing a wind instrument such as the flute. | |||
| Yiddish | געניטונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "געניטונג" also refers to "amusement" which is connected to the German phrase "sich genügen tun," meaning "to get enjoyment for oneself. | |||
| Zulu | ukuzivocavoca umzimba | ||
| Ukuzivocavoca umzimba, meaning exercise, literally translates to 'to cause the body to shake' | |||
| Assamese | ব্যায়াম | ||
| Aymara | ijirsisyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | वर्जिश | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަސްރަތު | ||
| Dogri | कसरत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ehersisyo | ||
| Guarani | tembiaporã | ||
| Ilocano | panagwatwat | ||
| Krio | ɛksasayz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەشق | ||
| Maithili | व्यायाम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯖꯦꯜ ꯇꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | insawizawi | ||
| Oromo | shaakala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟାୟାମ | ||
| Quechua | ejercitar | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यायामः | ||
| Tatar | күнегүләр | ||
| Tigrinya | ልምምድ | ||
| Tsonga | tiolola | ||