File in Different Languages
Discover 'File' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'file' holds great significance in our daily lives, especially in the digital age. It refers to a collection of data or information stored in a computer system, usually with a specific name and format. The cultural importance of files is evident in how they have transformed the way we work, learn, and communicate.
Moreover, the word 'file' has an interesting historical context. Before the digital era, a 'file' was a folder or container used to store physical documents. This shows how the meaning of the word has evolved with technology.
Knowing the translation of 'file' in different languages can be useful for global communication and collaboration. For instance, the French translation is 'fichier', while in Spanish, it is 'archivo'. In German, it is 'Datei', and in Japanese, it is 'ファイル' (pronounced 'fa-i-ru').
Learning these translations can not only enhance your language skills but also provide insights into how different cultures perceive and interact with this fundamental concept of the digital world.
File
File in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lêer | ||
| The word "lêer" comes from the Dutch "leer" and can also refer to a class, course of study, or lesson. | |||
| Amharic | ፋይል | ||
| The word "ፋይል" in Amharic can also refer to a rope or string, or a line or row. | |||
| Hausa | fayil | ||
| In Hausa, "fayil" can also refer to a folder or directory for managing files or a document containing information or instructions. | |||
| Igbo | faịlụ | ||
| Igbo word "faịlụ" also means "bundle" or "group" in some contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | rakitra | ||
| The word rakitra in Malagasy can also mean 'a set of things arranged in a row', and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word 'rekhā' meaning 'line'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | fayilo | ||
| "Fayilo" is derived from the English word "file" but can also colloquially refer to a folder. | |||
| Shona | faira | ||
| "faira" can also mean "to file documents" or "to sharpen an axe or hoe" | |||
| Somali | faylka | ||
| In Somali, 'faylka' can also mean 'to file away' or 'to put something in order'. | |||
| Sesotho | faele | ||
| The word "faele" can also refer to a row or line of people or objects. | |||
| Swahili | faili | ||
| The word "faili" can also refer to a document or a case in court. | |||
| Xhosa | ifayile | ||
| The word "ifayile" in Xhosa can also refer to a group of people who share a common purpose or goal. | |||
| Yoruba | faili | ||
| The Yoruba verb "fa" means "to spread" or "to lay out," as well as "to write" | |||
| Zulu | ifayela | ||
| In Zulu, the word "ifayela" also refers to a "case" in a court of law | |||
| Bambara | papiye | ||
| Ewe | agbalẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | dosiye | ||
| Lingala | dosie | ||
| Luganda | fayilo | ||
| Sepedi | faele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | faale | ||
File in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ملف | ||
| Arabic "ملف" derives from Latin "folium" via French "feuille", meaning both "file" and "leaf of a book." | |||
| Hebrew | קוֹבֶץ | ||
| The word "קוֹבֶץ" also means "collection" or "compendium" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | دوتنه | ||
| "دوتنه" is also used in the sense of 'a rank or row' in Pashto | |||
| Arabic | ملف | ||
| Arabic "ملف" derives from Latin "folium" via French "feuille", meaning both "file" and "leaf of a book." | |||
File in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dosje | ||
| The word "dosje" in Albanian is derived from the French word "dossier" and can also refer to a briefcase or folder. | |||
| Basque | fitxategia | ||
| In ancient Basque, fitxategi referred to a specific type of archive, kept in the castle tower, and meant "written document archive". | |||
| Catalan | dossier | ||
| The Catalan word "dossier" comes from the French word "dossier", which in turn comes from the Latin word "dos", meaning "back". | |||
| Croatian | datoteka | ||
| The word "datoteka" is a portmanteau of "data" and "oteka", which means "shelf" or "compartment" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | fil | ||
| The Danish word "fil" also means "elephant", likely deriving from the old Danish "filephant" which itself originated with Latin "elephantus". | |||
| Dutch | het dossier | ||
| The word "dossier" dates back to the 13th century and originally referred to a collection of documents tied together with a ribbon. | |||
| English | file | ||
| The word 'file' comes from the Latin 'filum' meaning 'thread', and can also refer to a line of people or a row of data. | |||
| French | fichier | ||
| The word "fichier" also means "a list of documents or items kept in one place". | |||
| Frisian | map | ||
| The noun "map" also means "a group of horses" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | arquivo | ||
| "Arquivo" is also used in Galician to refer to the storage organ of the nervous system of mollusks. | |||
| German | datei | ||
| In German, "Datei" also refers to a quantity of a commodity, a batch, or a set. | |||
| Icelandic | skjal | ||
| The word "skjal" is also used to refer to a legal document or a record of some sort | |||
| Irish | comhad | ||
| The Irish word "comhad" also has the alternate meaning of "a bond, obligation or debt to another". | |||
| Italian | file | ||
| The Italian word "fila" can also mean a "queue" or a "line". | |||
| Luxembourgish | datei | ||
| The term 'Datei' originates from the German language, where it carries the connotation of a collection of related documents or items, stored as a cohesive unit. | |||
| Maltese | fajl | ||
| The word "fajl" in Maltese is borrowed from Arabic and has the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Norwegian | fil | ||
| The Norwegian word "fil" can also refer to a male elephant. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | arquivo | ||
| The Portuguese term "arquivo" shares etymological roots with "archaeology", as both words ultimately derive from the Greek "arkheion", meaning "an administrative building". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | faidhle | ||
| The Gaelic word “faidhle” can also mean “evidence” or a “proof of debt”. | |||
| Spanish | archivo | ||
| The Spanish word "archivo" can also refer to a historical record or document repository, akin to an archive. | |||
| Swedish | fil | ||
| The word "fil" derives from the Proto-Germanic "*filan" meaning "to split" or "to polish". | |||
| Welsh | ffeil | ||
| In addition to meaning "file", in Welsh "ffeil" also means "layer" and "flap". | |||
File in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | файл | ||
| The word "файл" in Belarusian, aside from meaning a "file" in English, may also refer to "a folder". | |||
| Bosnian | file | ||
| Bosnian 'fajla' has an alternate meaning of 'line' or 'row' | |||
| Bulgarian | файл | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "файл" can also mean "archive" or "dossier". | |||
| Czech | soubor | ||
| The word "soubor" in Czech also means "collection, group, or set" and comes from the verb "sbírat" (to collect). | |||
| Estonian | faili | ||
| The word "faili" can also refer to a folder, directory or a case in court in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | tiedosto | ||
| The word "tiedosto" in Finnish derives from "tieto" (data) and "osto" (purchase), originally referring to purchasing data from a computer vendor. | |||
| Hungarian | fájl | ||
| The word "fájl" also means "pain" in Hungarian, and originates from the Latin "flagellum", meaning "whip". | |||
| Latvian | failu | ||
| The word “failu” (file) in Latvian also means “to fall” or “to drop” in its primary meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | failą | ||
| The Lithuanian word "failą" can also refer to a collection of documents or a stack of papers. | |||
| Macedonian | досие | ||
| The word "досие" is derived from the French word "dossier", which originally meant "a collection of papers tied together". | |||
| Polish | plik | ||
| In Polish, "plik" can also refer to a fold or a crease, as in the phrase "plik w papierze" (a fold in the paper). | |||
| Romanian | fişier | ||
| The Romanian word "fișier" derives from the French word "fichier", which ultimately comes from the Latin word "filum" (thread). | |||
| Russian | файл | ||
| The Russian word "файл" can also refer to a line or a queue. | |||
| Serbian | датотека | ||
| Although "досије" is the primary term for file in Serbian, "датотека" is used to refer specifically to computer files. | |||
| Slovak | spis | ||
| The word "spis" in Slovak can also refer to a register or collection of documents. | |||
| Slovenian | mapa | ||
| The word "mapa" in Slovenian also has the alternate meaning of "folder" or "directory" in the context of a computer file system. | |||
| Ukrainian | файл | ||
| The word 'файл' in Ukrainian can also mean a 'document' or an 'archive'. | |||
File in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফাইল | ||
| The Bengali word "ফাইল" (file) can also refer to a row or line, such as in a spreadsheet or table. | |||
| Gujarati | ફાઇલ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ફાઇલ" can also refer to a "drawer in a desk" and is cognate to the English "file", both being ultimately derived from the Latin "filum", meaning "thread or wire." | |||
| Hindi | फ़ाइल | ||
| In Hindi, the word "फ़ाइल" can also refer to an application on a computer or a group of documents or data stored together. | |||
| Kannada | ಫೈಲ್ | ||
| The word 'ಫೈಲ್' can also mean 'to fall' or 'to drop' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഫയൽ | ||
| The word "ഫയൽ" in Malayalam can also mean "a line or row". | |||
| Marathi | फाईल | ||
| The word "फाईल" (file) in Marathi can also refer to a row or line in a document or table. | |||
| Nepali | फाईल | ||
| The Nepali word "फाईल" (file) can also mean a "line" or a "row". | |||
| Punjabi | ਫਾਈਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਫਾਈਲ" can also refer to the act of filing documents, or to a document that is part of a legal case. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගොනුව | ||
| "ගොනුව" can also refer to a folder or a document in a computer system. | |||
| Tamil | கோப்பு | ||
| The Tamil word "கோப்பு" can also mean "bunch" or "bundle". | |||
| Telugu | ఫైల్ | ||
| "ఫైల్" (file) in Telugu may also refer to a row, line, series, or sequence. | |||
| Urdu | فائل | ||
| The Urdu word "فائل" can also mean "a queue or line of people or things". | |||
File in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 文件 | ||
| "文件" can also mean "document" or "proof" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 文件 | ||
| 文件 (wénjiàn) in Traditional Chinese, also means "document" in its alternate meaning. | |||
| Japanese | ファイル | ||
| "ファイル" also means "line" or "row" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 파일 | ||
| The Korean word "파일" (file) can also mean "heap" or "pile". | |||
| Mongolian | файл | ||
| In Mongolian, "файл" also means "folder, directory" and is derived from the Russian word "файл" with the same meaning. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖိုင် | ||
| In Burmese, the word "ဖိုင်" does not just mean "file"—it can also refer to a "suit" (as in a deck of playing cards). | |||
File in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengajukan | ||
| "Mengajukan" can also mean "to propose" or "to submit." | |||
| Javanese | ngajukake | ||
| "Ngajukake" in Javanese can also refer to the process of submitting documents or a request to a superior or official. | |||
| Khmer | ឯកសារ | ||
| "ឯកសារ" derives from Sanskrit "ekasāra", meaning "essence" or "summary", and can also refer to a collection of documents or a computer file. | |||
| Lao | ແຟ້ມ | ||
| The word ແຟ້ມ (file) is derived from the French word "feuille", meaning "sheet". | |||
| Malay | fail | ||
| "Fail" also means "layer" or "row" in Malay, as in a "row of plants." | |||
| Thai | ไฟล์ | ||
| In Thai, the word "ไฟล์" can also mean a "line". | |||
| Vietnamese | tập tin | ||
| The word "tập tin" in Vietnamese shares the same root as "fascinate" in English, both derived from the Latin "fascis" meaning "bundle". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | file | ||
File in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fayl | ||
| The word "fayl" in Azerbaijani also means "elephant" and is derived from the Arabic word "fīl" with the same meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | файл | ||
| The word "файл" in Kazakh also means "a row" or "a line". | |||
| Kyrgyz | файл | ||
| Файл (Kyrgyz) means 'folder', from Russian 'папка' | |||
| Tajik | файл | ||
| The Tajik word файл (fayl) also means “folder” in English. | |||
| Turkmen | faýl | ||
| Uzbek | fayl | ||
| The word "fayl" also means "abundance" or "generosity" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ھۆججەت | ||
File in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | faila | ||
| "Faila" in Hawaiian can also refer to a rasp, grater, or a saw, especially one used for sharpening or smoothing. | |||
| Maori | konae | ||
| The Maori word 'konae' can also refer to a type of bird known as the 'takahe' or a 'line of people'. | |||
| Samoan | faila | ||
| The word fai also means ‘thing' or ‘item' but the most common meaning is ‘file'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | file | ||
| In Tagalog, the word "file" can also mean a row or line, specifically in relation to standing in line or queuing. | |||
File in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | archiwu | ||
| Guarani | tapykuererekahai | ||
File in International Languages
| Esperanto | dosiero | ||
| "Dosiero" also means "the part of the body where one wears clothes" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | lima | ||
| The Latin word "lima" also refers to a snail fish or a type of bean. | |||
File in Others Languages
| Greek | αρχείο | ||
| The word αρχείο derives from the verb αρχίζω, meaning "to begin," and originally referred to a beginning or introduction to a book. | |||
| Hmong | ntawv | ||
| The word "ntawv" can be written using the Chinese character "刀" (knife), representing its function as a cutting tool. | |||
| Kurdish | dosî | ||
| The word "dosî" in Kurdish can also refer to a criminal record or a folder containing documents. | |||
| Turkish | dosya | ||
| The word "dosya" is derived from the Persian word "dastah" meaning "document" and it can also refer to a bundle of papers | |||
| Xhosa | ifayile | ||
| The word "ifayile" in Xhosa can also refer to a group of people who share a common purpose or goal. | |||
| Yiddish | טעקע | ||
| The Yiddish word 'טעקע' also means 'folder' in the modern sense of the word, e.g. a file folder or a file in a computer operating system. | |||
| Zulu | ifayela | ||
| In Zulu, the word "ifayela" also refers to a "case" in a court of law | |||
| Assamese | ফাইল | ||
| Aymara | archiwu | ||
| Bhojpuri | फाइल | ||
| Dhivehi | ފައިލް | ||
| Dogri | फाइल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | file | ||
| Guarani | tapykuererekahai | ||
| Ilocano | urnosen | ||
| Krio | fayl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فایل | ||
| Maithili | फाइल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯔꯤꯒꯨꯝꯕ ꯑꯃꯒꯤ ꯏ ꯄꯥꯎ ꯈꯣꯝꯖꯤꯟꯗꯨꯅ ꯊꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | lehkha pawimawh | ||
| Oromo | dosee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫାଇଲ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | kipu | ||
| Sanskrit | संचिका | ||
| Tatar | файл | ||
| Tigrinya | መዝገብ | ||
| Tsonga | fayili | ||