Fishing in Different Languages
Discover 'Fishing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Fishing is a significant and culturally important activity that has been practiced by humans for thousands of years. It has played a crucial role in providing sustenance and shaping communities around the world. From commercial fishing operations to recreational fishing trips, this pastime has stood the test of time and remains a popular activity today.
Moreover, the word 'fishing' itself holds fascinating historical contexts and interesting facts. For instance, did you know that the ancient Egyptians were known to fish as far back as 4000 BC? Or that the sport of fishing was once a popular form of entertainment in medieval Europe?
Understanding the translation of 'fishing' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exchange and appreciation. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: 'pesca'
- French: 'pêche'
- Mandarin: '捕鱼' (bǔ yú)
- Japanese: '釣り' (tsuri)
- Russian: 'рыбалка' (rybal'ka)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations of 'fishing' in various languages, providing a glimpse into the rich cultural diversity of this timeless activity.
Fishing
Fishing in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | visvang | ||
| Visvang is derived from Middle Dutch "visschen vangen" (catching fish) and Old Dutch "vissfang" (catching fish). | |||
| Amharic | ማጥመድ | ||
| The Amharic word "ማጥመድ" (fishing) also means "to catch" or "to seize". | |||
| Hausa | kamun kifi | ||
| The word "kamun kifi" is a combination of the words "kamun" and "kifi", which mean "catch" and "fish" respectively. | |||
| Igbo | ịkụ azụ | ||
| The word "ịkụ azụ" in the Igbo language can also refer to the act of "chasing or pursuing" something. | |||
| Malagasy | fanjonoana | ||
| The word "fanjonoana" derives from the words "fano" (to catch) and "trondro" (fish), indicating the specific act of catching fish. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusodza | ||
| The word "kusodza" in Nyanja can also mean "to search" or "to investigate". | |||
| Shona | hove | ||
| The word "hove" in Shona can also mean "to hunt" or "to chase". | |||
| Somali | kalluumaysiga | ||
| The Somali word "kalluumaysiga" can also refer to the act of catching marine animals for food or other purposes. | |||
| Sesotho | ho tšoasa litlhapi | ||
| Swahili | uvuvi | ||
| Uvuvi in Swahili is derived from the Proto-Bantu word *bubi, likely meaning "to hunt, to catch, to capture". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuloba | ||
| The word "ukuloba" in Xhosa comes from the Proto-Bantu word "-loba", meaning "to catch" or "to seize". | |||
| Yoruba | ipeja | ||
| The Yoruba word 'ipeja' can also loosely translate to 'a place of waiting with intent', reflecting the patience required throughout the fishing process. | |||
| Zulu | ukudoba | ||
| 'Ukudoba' is a Zulu word that can also mean 'to hunt' or 'to pursue'. | |||
| Bambara | mɔni | ||
| Ewe | tɔƒodede | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuroba | ||
| Lingala | koboma mbisi | ||
| Luganda | okuvuba | ||
| Sepedi | go rea dihlapi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpataayi | ||
Fishing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صيد السمك | ||
| The term "صيد السمك" can refer to both catching fish and hunting wild animals. | |||
| Hebrew | דיג | ||
| The Hebrew word "דיג" (fishing) is thought to be derived from the Akkadian word "dīku", which means "to net" or "to ensnare", suggesting its ancient origins in the practice of netting fish. | |||
| Pashto | کب نیول | ||
| The word کب نیول is derived from the verb نیول (to fish), which is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ney- (to weave). | |||
| Arabic | صيد السمك | ||
| The term "صيد السمك" can refer to both catching fish and hunting wild animals. | |||
Fishing in Western European Languages
| Albanian | peshkimi | ||
| The word "peshkimi" in Albanian is derived from the verb "peshkoj" which also means "to catch fish", "to fish". | |||
| Basque | arrantza | ||
| The word "arrantza" derives from the Proto-Basque root "*arrant" and originally meant "to hunt" or "to catch". | |||
| Catalan | pescar | ||
| The word "pescar" in Catalan originally derived from the Latin word "piscari" and also refers to harvesting or extracting from the ground. | |||
| Croatian | ribarstvo | ||
| Ribarstvo's etymology derives from the Slavic word 'riba', meaning 'fish' and the suffix '-arstvo', indicating an occupation, profession, or activity. | |||
| Danish | fiskeri | ||
| The Danish word "fiskeri" comes from the Old Norse word "fiski", which means "to catch fish". | |||
| Dutch | vissen | ||
| "Vissen" in Dutch also means "to dream" or "to hope". | |||
| English | fishing | ||
| The word "fishing" can also refer to the process of searching for or attempting to obtain something, such as information or opportunities. | |||
| French | pêche | ||
| The word "pêche" in French can also refer to a kind of fruit, the peach. | |||
| Frisian | fiskje | ||
| "Fiskje" in Frisian can also refer to a small fish or a fishing trip. | |||
| Galician | pesca | ||
| The word "pesca" in Galician also refers to the "pesca de altura", a type of professional fishing in the open sea. | |||
| German | angeln | ||
| The word 'Angeln' in German also refers to the historical region of Angeln in Schleswig-Holstein. | |||
| Icelandic | veiði | ||
| Veiði can also refer to a flock of sheep or a herd of cattle when grazing. | |||
| Irish | iascaireacht | ||
| The Irish word 'iascaireacht' can also refer to a 'fishing net', a 'fisherman's occupation', or the 'fishing right' | |||
| Italian | pesca | ||
| "Pesca" can also mean "harvest" or "crop" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | fëscherei | ||
| Maltese | sajd | ||
| The Maltese word "sajd" (fishing) is likely derived from the Arabic word "sayd" (hunting), via the Norman French word "seigne" (seine). | |||
| Norwegian | fiske | ||
| The Norwegian word «fiske» can also mean «a small amount of food». | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pescaria | ||
| The word "pescaria" in Portuguese derives from the Latin "piscarius," meaning belonging to fish or fishing. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iasgach | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "iasgach" derives from the Old Irish "iascach" and the Proto-Celtic "es-k(o)" meaning "of fish". | |||
| Spanish | pescar | ||
| The Spanish word "pescar" has its roots in Latin "piscari," meaning "to catch fish," and in Portuguese "pescar," meaning "to fish." | |||
| Swedish | fiske | ||
| The word "fiske" also means "a fish market" and is derived from the Old Norse word "fiskr" meaning "fish". | |||
| Welsh | pysgota | ||
| The word 'pysgota' may originate from the Old Welsh term 'pysc' for 'fish,' and is related to the Latin verb 'piscari,' meaning 'to fish.' | |||
Fishing in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рыбалка | ||
| The word "рыбалка" can also refer to a fishing rod, a fishing net, or a fishing boat. | |||
| Bosnian | ribolov | ||
| "Ribolov" shares the same root word as the Russian word "рыболов" (rybolov), where "рыба" (ryba) means "fish" and "лов" (lov) means "catch" or "hunt." | |||
| Bulgarian | риболов | ||
| "Риболов" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*ryba", meaning "fish", and the suffix "-лов", meaning "catching". | |||
| Czech | rybolov | ||
| The term "rybolov" also applies to the industry and science of fishing. | |||
| Estonian | kalapüük | ||
| "Kalapüük" comes from "kala" ("fish") and "püük" ("to hunt; to catch"), meaning literally "fish hunt". In the past, the word was also used as shorthand for recreational fishing. | |||
| Finnish | kalastus | ||
| The word "kalastus" also means "disruption" or "a disturbance" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | halászat | ||
| Halászat, the Hungarian word for fishing, originates from the Proto-Germanic word *haila, meaning 'health'. Originally, halászat signified a type of healthy food, rather than the specific activity of catching fish. | |||
| Latvian | makšķerēšana | ||
| The word "makšķerēšana" is derived from the Old Prussian word "maskara", meaning "lure". | |||
| Lithuanian | žvejyba | ||
| The word "žvejyba" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰei- "to catch, grab, seize" which is also the root for the word "žvejas" (fisherman) in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | риболов | ||
| "Риболов" derives from the Slavic root *ryba, "fish". Its alternate meaning is "fish stock" (a collection of fish in a body of water). | |||
| Polish | wędkarstwo | ||
| The word "wędkarstwo" in Polish originated from the word "wędka" meaning "fishing rod" and is used to describe the activity of fishing as a sport or recreation. | |||
| Romanian | pescuit | ||
| The Romanian word "pescuit" also has the meaning of "profit", potentially coming from a Medieval Latin word "piscatum", meaning "harvest" or "profit". | |||
| Russian | ловит рыбу | ||
| The Russian word for fishing, "ловит рыбу", also means "to catch fish". | |||
| Serbian | риболов | ||
| The word "риболов" in Serbian comes from the Old Slavic word "*ryba", meaning "fish". | |||
| Slovak | rybolov | ||
| "Rybolov" is a term used in Slovak to refer to both recreational and commercial fishing practices. | |||
| Slovenian | ribolov | ||
| The word 'ribolov' is derived from the Slavic root 'ryb' meaning 'to catch fish' | |||
| Ukrainian | риболовля | ||
| The word "риболовля" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "рыба", meaning "fish", and the suffix "-ловля", which indicates an action or process. | |||
Fishing in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মাছ ধরা | ||
| In Bengali, "মাছ ধরা" (mats dhoro) can also mean to "catch" or "trap" something, not just fish. | |||
| Gujarati | માછીમારી | ||
| "માછીમારી" is also used to refer to a specific type of net used for fishing in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | मछली पकड़ने | ||
| The word 'मछली पकड़ने' ('machli pakadne') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'matsyagraha', which literally means 'catching fish' or 'fishing'. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೀನುಗಾರಿಕೆ | ||
| The word "ಮೀನುಗಾರಿಕೆ" can also refer to the process of catching fish for food or other purposes. | |||
| Malayalam | മീൻപിടുത്തം | ||
| The Malayalam word 'മീൻപിടുത്തം' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मत्स्यबन्धन' (matsya-bandhana), which means 'fastening fish'. In addition to its literal meaning of 'fishing', the word can also be used figuratively to refer to the act of trapping or ensnaring someone. | |||
| Marathi | मासेमारी | ||
| The root word "matsyamarika" means "of fishes and water sports" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Nepali | माछा मार्नु | ||
| The Nepali word "माछा मार्नु" can also mean "to hunt", especially in traditional and religious contexts. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੜਨ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਫੜਨ" can also mean "catching something with hands" or "getting hold of something". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මාඵ ඇල්ලීම | ||
| In Sinhala, "මාඵ ඇල්ලීම" doesn't only mean "fishing" but also refers to a game played by children where they attempt to catch each other's hands while singing a rhyme. | |||
| Tamil | மீன்பிடித்தல் | ||
| The word "மீன்பிடித்தல்" can also refer to the act of catching fish in a net or by hand. | |||
| Telugu | ఫిషింగ్ | ||
| In Telugu, 'ఫిషింగ్' (fishing) can also refer to a type of online fraud where personal information is collected through deceptive emails or websites. | |||
| Urdu | ماہی گیری | ||
| In Persian, ماهی گیری may also refer to a type of embroidery, while in Arabic, it can mean astrology or astronomy. | |||
Fishing in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 钓鱼 | ||
| 钓鱼 (diào yú) originally referred to 'baiting' or 'luring,' before it came to mean 'fishing' specifically. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 釣魚 | ||
| The character 釣 can also mean 'to hang', and is seen in the word 弔唁, meaning 'to express condolences' | |||
| Japanese | 釣り | ||
| "釣り" is also used in the expressions "嘘をつく" (to tell a lie) and "からかう" (to tease)" | |||
| Korean | 어업 | ||
| The Korean word "어업" (eo-eop) originally referred to the industry of catching whales. | |||
| Mongolian | загас барих | ||
| The word "загас барих" literally means "to grab fish" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငါးဖမ်းခြင်း | ||
| The Burmese word for fishing, "nga pham chin," also refers to the act of hunting fish rather than catching them with a hook and line. | |||
Fishing in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penangkapan ikan | ||
| The word "penangkapan ikan" can also refer to the act of catching criminals or suspects. | |||
| Javanese | mancing | ||
| Khmer | នេសាទ | ||
| The Khmer word "នេសាទ" (fishing) also means "hunter" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Lao | ການຫາປາ | ||
| The word "ການຫາປາ" can also refer to the process of searching for or obtaining something difficult to find. | |||
| Malay | memancing | ||
| The word 'memancing' in Malay comes from the word 'mancing' which means to 'hook' or to 'lure'. | |||
| Thai | ตกปลา | ||
| The word "ตกปลา" also means "to fall into a trap" or "to be caught" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | đánh bắt cá | ||
| The term "đánh bắt cá" in Vietnamese can also refer to a form of gambling known as "fishing for crabs". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pangingisda | ||
Fishing in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | balıqçılıq | ||
| The term comes from the Turkic word 'balıq', meaning 'fish', and '-çılıq', meaning 'the act of'. | |||
| Kazakh | балық аулау | ||
| The Kazakh word "балық аулау" also refers to the process of hunting seals in the Caspian Sea. | |||
| Kyrgyz | балык уулоо | ||
| Tajik | моҳидорӣ | ||
| The word "моҳидорӣ" in Tajik can also mean "fishing gear" or "fishery". | |||
| Turkmen | balyk tutmak | ||
| Uzbek | baliq ovlash | ||
| The Uzbek word "baliq ovlash" can also refer to "whale hunting", reflecting the Turkic origins of the Uzbek language. | |||
| Uyghur | بېلىق تۇتۇش | ||
Fishing in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lawaiʻa | ||
| 'Lawai'a' in Hawaiian can also refer to a specific fishing method involving a large net held upright by poles. | |||
| Maori | hī ika | ||
| It can also refer to seafaring, hunting, or food gathering involving water. | |||
| Samoan | fagota | ||
| Fagota in Samoan can also mean "fishhook" or "fish trap". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pangingisda | ||
| "Pangingisda" can also mean "fishery" in scientific context, or the art of fishing in general. | |||
Fishing in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | challwa katur saraña | ||
| Guarani | pirakutu | ||
Fishing in International Languages
| Esperanto | fiŝkaptado | ||
| Fiŝkaptado is also used to refer to the sport of angling, especially for recreation or competition. | |||
| Latin | piscantur | ||
| Piscantur can also mean 'to seek or catch something', as in 'piscari gloriam', meaning 'to seek glory'. | |||
Fishing in Others Languages
| Greek | αλιεία | ||
| In modern Greek "αλιεία" (alicia) refers to sea fishing and it is not synonymous with "θηραμα". "Θήραμα" (thirama) is applied to hunting while "αλιεία" (alicia) is associated with the sea. | |||
| Hmong | nuv ntses | ||
| The word "nuv ntses" can also mean "to hunt" or "to trap" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | masîvanî | ||
| "Masîvanî" is the Kurdish word for "fishing" and may derive from the Middle Persian "masîgav" (meaning "fish" and "fishhook") rather than from the Proto-Indo-European word "*pisk-os" (meaning "fish") that is the origin of most words for "fish" in Europe and the Indian subcontinent. | |||
| Turkish | balık tutma | ||
| The Turkish word "Balık tutma" means "to fish", coming from the noun "balık" (fish) and the verb "tutmak" (to hold or catch). | |||
| Xhosa | ukuloba | ||
| The word "ukuloba" in Xhosa comes from the Proto-Bantu word "-loba", meaning "to catch" or "to seize". | |||
| Yiddish | פישערייַ | ||
| The Yiddish word "פישערייַ" ("fishing") derives from the German "Fischerei" and also refers to the "fishing industry". | |||
| Zulu | ukudoba | ||
| 'Ukudoba' is a Zulu word that can also mean 'to hunt' or 'to pursue'. | |||
| Assamese | মাছ ধৰা | ||
| Aymara | challwa katur saraña | ||
| Bhojpuri | मछरी मारे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސްވެރިކަން | ||
| Dogri | मछी पकड़ना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pangingisda | ||
| Guarani | pirakutu | ||
| Ilocano | panagkalap | ||
| Krio | fɔ fishin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕاوەماسی | ||
| Maithili | माछ मारब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯥ ꯐꯥꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | sangha man | ||
| Oromo | qurxummii qabuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାଛ ଧରିବା | | ||
| Quechua | challwakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | मत्स्यपालनम् | ||
| Tatar | балык тоту | ||
| Tigrinya | ምግፋፍ ዓሳ | ||
| Tsonga | ku phasa tinhlampfi | ||