Fee in Different Languages
Discover 'Fee' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fee' is a small but significant part of our daily lives, representing the cost we pay for goods, services, or access to certain privileges. Its cultural importance is evident in every transaction we make, from the grocery store to the gas station, and even in the intangible realm of digital commerce. But what about the rest of the world? How is this concept translated and understood in different languages and cultures?
Understanding the translation of 'fee' in various languages can provide valuable insights into the economic systems and cultural norms of different societies. For example, in German, 'fee' translates to 'Gebühr', which also carries the connotation of a fine or levy. Meanwhile, in Spanish, 'fee' becomes 'tarifa', a term that can refer to anything from a utility bill to a parking meter rate. And in Japanese, 'fee' is 'フィー' (フィー), reflecting the influence of English in modern Japanese culture.
By exploring the many translations of 'fee', we can gain a new appreciation for the diversity and complexity of global economic systems, as well as the universal human experience of exchange and commerce. So, let's delve into the fascinating world of 'fee' in different languages!
Fee
Fee in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | fooi | ||
| The Afrikaans word "fooi" is derived from the Dutch word "fooi", which originally meant "tip" or "gratuity". | |||
| Amharic | ክፍያ | ||
| The word "ክፍያ" (fee) also means "payment" or "compensation" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | kudin | ||
| The word “kudin” can also mean | |||
| Igbo | ego | ||
| In the Igbo language, "ego" has the alternate meaning of "wealth" or "money". | |||
| Malagasy | saran'ny | ||
| Saran'ny is also an alternate name for the Malagasy songbird, the fody. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chindapusa | ||
| In some contexts, 'chindapusa' signifies a dowry, an obligatory payment from the groom's family to the bride's. | |||
| Shona | mubhadharo | ||
| The Shona word "mubhadharo" can also mean "compensation" or "payment for services rendered". | |||
| Somali | khidmadda | ||
| The word 'khidmadda' is derived from the Arabic word 'khidma', meaning 'service', and is also used to refer to 'expenses' or 'charges'. | |||
| Sesotho | tefiso | ||
| In Sesotho, 'tefiso' is also used to imply 'a sacrifice or reparation', as in 'o etsa tefiso' (to make amends). | |||
| Swahili | ada | ||
| The Swahili word "ada" can also refer to a custom, tradition, or practice. | |||
| Xhosa | umrhumo | ||
| The word 'umrhumo' can also refer to the 'price of a bride' in Xhosa culture, and it originates from the word 'rhumba,' meaning 'to bargain'. | |||
| Yoruba | ọya | ||
| Ọ̀ya is also the name of an Òrìṣà, who is the goddess of the Niger river, the tempestuous wind and rain. | |||
| Zulu | imali | ||
| "I-Mali" is a cognate of the Swahili word "Mali" meaning "treasure" or "wealth". | |||
| Bambara | sɔngɔ | ||
| Ewe | fe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amafaranga | ||
| Lingala | motanga | ||
| Luganda | sente | ||
| Sepedi | tšhelete | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sikatua | ||
Fee in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رسوم | ||
| The Arabic word "رسوم" can also refer to customs duties, dues or royalties. | |||
| Hebrew | תַשְׁלוּם | ||
| תַשְׁלוּם derives from the biblical Hebrew root שׁ.ל.ם (sh.l.m), meaning "to be complete" or "to fulfill a payment." | |||
| Pashto | فیس | ||
| In Pashto, the word "فیس" can also mean "face". | |||
| Arabic | رسوم | ||
| The Arabic word "رسوم" can also refer to customs duties, dues or royalties. | |||
Fee in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tarifë | ||
| The Albanian word "tarifë" comes from the Italian word "tariffa" which in turn comes from the Arabic word "تعرفة" (ta'rifah) meaning "announcement" or "notification." | |||
| Basque | kuota | ||
| The word "kuota" in Basque comes from the Latin "quota" and can also mean "allotment" or "share". | |||
| Catalan | quota | ||
| "Quota" in Catalan can also refer to a share or a part. | |||
| Croatian | pristojba | ||
| "Pristojba" comes from the verb "pristojati" meaning "to stand by". Originally, it referred to a payment made to officials for standing by to resolve disputes. | |||
| Danish | betaling | ||
| The Danish word "betaling" comes from the Middle Low German term "betalinge" or the Dutch word "betaling" | |||
| Dutch | vergoeding | ||
| The word "vergoeding" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "vergoeden", meaning "to compensate for" or "to make amends for". | |||
| English | fee | ||
| "Fee" comes from Old English and originally referred to cattle or livestock, as well as payment for goods and services. | |||
| French | frais | ||
| The word "frais" is derived from the Latin word "frēsus", meaning "consumed". | |||
| Frisian | honorarium | ||
| In modern West Frisian, "honoraar" can also be rendered as "beluning" | |||
| Galician | taxa | ||
| In Galician, "taxa" can also refer to the fare for public transportation. | |||
| German | gebühr | ||
| The word "Gebühr" derives from medieval Latin "debere," meaning "to owe," and can also signify "custom" or "duty."} | |||
| Icelandic | gjald | ||
| Despite meaning "fee," "gjald" is likely derived from the Old Norse for "requital" or "payment." | |||
| Irish | táille | ||
| Italian | tassa | ||
| Tassa can also mean "tax" and traces its etymology from the Latin verb "taxare," meaning "to assess or value." | |||
| Luxembourgish | kotisatioun | ||
| The word 'Kotisatioun' derives from the French word 'cotisation', which originally meant 'contribution' or 'membership fee'. | |||
| Maltese | miżata | ||
| From Arabic "ajrah" (wage), "miżata" originally referred to a payment for the use of property, but now has a more general meaning of "fee". | |||
| Norwegian | avgift | ||
| Avgift, "fee" in Norwegian, can also refer to a religious tax paid to the state, or the amount paid for a particular privilege. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | taxa | ||
| The word "taxa" can also refer to a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cìs | ||
| Scottish Gaelic 'cìs' ultimately derives from the Latin 'census', meaning either 'fee' or 'rent', and is a cognate of English 'census' and 'assess'. | |||
| Spanish | cuota | ||
| The word 'cuota' in Spanish stems from the Latin 'cohors', meaning a group of people contributing to a common fund. | |||
| Swedish | avgift | ||
| "Avgift" derives from "avgift", meaning "to give"} | |||
| Welsh | ffi | ||
| The Welsh word "ffi" is borrowed from the Latin word "feudum," meaning "inherited land held by a vassal in return for service to a lord." | |||
Fee in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | плата | ||
| The Belarusian word "плата" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "плата" meaning "payment" or "reward" | |||
| Bosnian | naknada | ||
| The word "naknada" also means "reparation" or "compensation" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | такса | ||
| The word “такса” is also used in contexts outside monetary transactions, often to denote general access, membership or use, in which case it is usually preceded by the word "членски" (membership), meaning "membership fee", or other types. | |||
| Czech | poplatek | ||
| The word "poplatek" comes from the verb "poplatit" (to pay), which in turn comes from the noun "plat" (payment). | |||
| Estonian | tasu | ||
| Estonian word "tasu" derives from a Proto-Uralic root meaning "to pay with livestock". | |||
| Finnish | maksu | ||
| "Maksu" (tribute, payment, fee, tax) originates from the Germanic word *makô-, which means “settlement, accord, agreement”. | |||
| Hungarian | díj | ||
| The word "díj" derives from the Slavic "dyjь", meaning "part, share". | |||
| Latvian | maksa | ||
| The word "maksa" shares its root with the Latvian word for "payment" ("maksājums") and with the Sanskrit word for "reward" ("makshah"). | |||
| Lithuanian | rinkliava | ||
| "Rinkliava" can also refer to a levy or a tax. | |||
| Macedonian | надоместок | ||
| ''Надоместок'' in its older form ''надместок'' (''nadmestok'') may be derived from ''надо'' (''nado'')—'over' and ''месток'' (''mestok'')—'place', hence 'additional', 'supplementary', or from ''на'', ''до'' (''na'', ''do'')—'on', 'to', and ''месток'' (''mestok'')—'place', hence 'on place', 'in place', or 'to place'. | |||
| Polish | opłata | ||
| The Polish word "opłata" (fee) derives from the verb "opłacać" (to pay), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic root *opl-, meaning "to take over" or "to take possession of." | |||
| Romanian | taxa | ||
| The plural form 'taxe' is also used in Romanian and may refer to multiple types of taxes, while the singular form mainly refers to a fee. | |||
| Russian | плата | ||
| The Russian word «плата» for "fee" is a cognate of the English "plat". It also means "payment", "salary", and "rent" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | надокнада | ||
| The word "надокнада" in Serbian also means "compensation" or "recompense". | |||
| Slovak | poplatok | ||
| The word "poplatok" in Slovak can also mean "a request" or "a question". | |||
| Slovenian | pristojbina | ||
| The word "pristojbina" can also refer to a legal concept similar to a privilege or entitlement. | |||
| Ukrainian | плата | ||
| "Плата" in Ukrainian has Proto-Indo-European origins, and can also refer to "payment" and "remuneration." | |||
Fee in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফি | ||
| In Bengali, "ফি" (fee) also means "tip" or "bribe" in some contexts. | |||
| Gujarati | ફી | ||
| In Gujarati, "ફી" can also refer to the trunk of a tree or a wooden plank. | |||
| Hindi | शुल्क | ||
| The Hindi word "शुल्क" (fee) derives from the Sanskrit word "शुल्क" (tax, toll), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kel-, meaning "to collect, drive, or gather." | |||
| Kannada | ಶುಲ್ಕ | ||
| The word "ಶುಲ್ಕ" can also mean "toll" or "tax" in Kannada, showcasing its varied applications in financial contexts. | |||
| Malayalam | ഫീസ് | ||
| The Malayalam word "ഫീസ്" is also used to refer to the act of weaving. | |||
| Marathi | फी | ||
| The Marathi word "फी" also means "a large, deep well with steps on one side"} | |||
| Nepali | शुल्क | ||
| The word शुल्क originates from the Sanskrit word 'śulka' meaning 'customs duty' and in Hindi it means 'fine' as well as 'fee'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੀਸ | ||
| The word "ਫੀਸ" (fee) in Punjabi can also refer to a bribe or a tip. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගාස්තු | ||
| "ගාස්තු" is a word borrowed from Portuguese "custo" (cost), ultimately from Latin "constare" (to stand, to cost). | |||
| Tamil | கட்டணம் | ||
| The word "கட்டணம்" (fee) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word "कटण" (cutting) and also means "boundary" or "limitation". | |||
| Telugu | ఫీజు | ||
| The word "ఫీజు" ("fee") is derived from the Medieval Latin "feodum" and ultimately from an Old High German term meaning "cattle", reflecting the use of livestock as payment in ancient times. | |||
| Urdu | فیس | ||
| The word "فیس" (fee) in Urdu comes from the Persian word "فیس" (fees), which itself comes from the Arabic word "فیس" (fee) | |||
Fee in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 费用 | ||
| The character "费" in "费用" (fee) originally meant "to spend" and is also used in the word "浪费" (waste). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 費用 | ||
| "費用" (pronounced `fèi yòng`) also means `expenditure` in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 費用 | ||
| 費用 originally meant 'travelling expenses', hence it also means 'travel' and 'cost, expenses'. | |||
| Korean | 회비 | ||
| "회비" is sometimes used to refer to dues paid to a group or organization, such as a membership fee or club dues. | |||
| Mongolian | төлбөр | ||
| The Mongolian word "төлбөр" also has meanings such as "rent" or "payment". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြေး | ||
| The word "ကြေး" also means "money" or "silver" in Myanmar (Burmese), and is derived from the Mon language. | |||
Fee in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | biaya | ||
| The root word `biaya` can also refer to a dowry in Minangkabau culture. | |||
| Javanese | ragad | ||
| 'ragad' also means 'tax' or 'cost' in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ថ្លៃសេវា | ||
| "ថ្លៃសេវា" is a general term for payment for goods or services, and is related to the word "ថ្លៃ" (price). | |||
| Lao | ຄ່າ ທຳ ນຽມ | ||
| คำว่า 'ค่าธรรมเนียม' มีรากศัพท์มาจากภาษาบาลี 'ธัมโม' แปลว่า กฎเกณฑ์ และ 'เนยฺยม' แปลว่า ยึดถือปฏิบัติ | |||
| Malay | bayaran | ||
| "Bayaran" can also refer to bribes, hush money, or payments for criminal activities. | |||
| Thai | ค่าธรรมเนียม | ||
| "ค่าธรรมเนียม" also means "merit" or "value". | |||
| Vietnamese | học phí | ||
| Học phí is a compound word derived from the Chinese word 學費, which means 'cost of learning' or 'tuition'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bayad | ||
Fee in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | haqq | ||
| The word "haqq" in Azerbaijani, meaning "fee" in English, also holds the deeper meaning of "rightful entitlement" or "what is due." | |||
| Kazakh | төлем | ||
| The Kazakh word "төлем" can also refer to a form of tax or payment made to the government | |||
| Kyrgyz | акы | ||
| The word "акы" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Mongolian word "aha", meaning "payment" or "compensation". | |||
| Tajik | пардохт | ||
| Пардохт comes from the Persian word "pard" meaning "veil or cover", as fees often cover the financial burden of an object or act. | |||
| Turkmen | ýygym | ||
| Uzbek | haq | ||
| The word "haq" in Uzbek, meaning "fee," also refers to a person's rights, privileges, and entitlements. | |||
| Uyghur | ھەق | ||
Fee in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | uku | ||
| The Hawaiian word "uku" also means "to pay" or "to give". | |||
| Maori | utu | ||
| "Utu" can also refer to reciprocity, compensation, revenge, atonement, payback, or a ritual gift. | |||
| Samoan | totogifuapauina | ||
| Totogifuapauina (fee) relates to one's obligation to the village and family after a death within the aiga, which can be paid in material goods or through services within the Samoan communal system known as fa'a Samoa | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bayad | ||
| The word "bayad" in Tagalog can also refer to a form of mutual aid among neighbors where they take turns helping each other with tasks. | |||
Fee in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chani | ||
| Guarani | mba'erepy | ||
Fee in International Languages
| Esperanto | kotizo | ||
| The Esperanto word "kotizo" derives from the Latin word "cotidie" (meaning "every day"), implying a regular payment. | |||
| Latin | feodo | ||
Fee in Others Languages
| Greek | τέλη | ||
| In ancient Greek, “τέλη” referred to religious rituals or sacrifices performed to appease the gods and ensure their favor. | |||
| Hmong | tus nqi | ||
| The word "tus nqi" can also refer to a "gift" or "contribution" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | xerc | ||
| The word "xerc" can also mean "salary" or "expenses" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | ücret | ||
| The word "ücret" is derived from the Arabic word "ujrat" meaning "wage" or "salary" | |||
| Xhosa | umrhumo | ||
| The word 'umrhumo' can also refer to the 'price of a bride' in Xhosa culture, and it originates from the word 'rhumba,' meaning 'to bargain'. | |||
| Yiddish | אָפּצאָל | ||
| The word "אָפּצאָל" in Yiddish is derived from the German "Abzahlung", meaning "instalment", and can also refer to a "payment for a debt" or a "sacrifice". | |||
| Zulu | imali | ||
| "I-Mali" is a cognate of the Swahili word "Mali" meaning "treasure" or "wealth". | |||
| Assamese | মাচুল | ||
| Aymara | chani | ||
| Bhojpuri | शुल्क | ||
| Dhivehi | ފީ | ||
| Dogri | फीस | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bayad | ||
| Guarani | mba'erepy | ||
| Ilocano | babayadan | ||
| Krio | fi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کرێ | ||
| Maithili | शुल्क | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯤ | ||
| Mizo | man | ||
| Oromo | kaffaltii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦେୟ | ||
| Quechua | payllay | ||
| Sanskrit | शुल्कः | ||
| Tatar | түләү | ||
| Tigrinya | ክፍሊት | ||
| Tsonga | ntsengo | ||