Furniture in Different Languages
Discover 'Furniture' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Furniture is an integral part of our daily lives, providing functionality, comfort, and often serving as a reflection of our personal style. From sofas and chairs to tables and beds, furniture pieces have cultural significance around the world, with unique designs and uses varying by region and history.
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians were among the first to use furniture, creating ornate pieces for their pharaohs? Or that in Japan, tatami mats have been the primary flooring material for centuries, often accompanied by low-to-the-ground furniture? Understanding the translation of furniture in different languages can offer a glimpse into these rich cultural histories and traditions.
Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- French: meuble
- Spanish: mueble
- German: Möbel
- Mandarin: 家具 (jiājù)
- Japanese: 家具 (kagu)
Discover the beauty of language and culture through the translations of furniture in this comprehensive list.
Furniture
Furniture in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | meubels | ||
| "Meubels" in Afrikaans is derived from the Middle Dutch word "meuble", which also means "furniture". | |||
| Amharic | የቤት ዕቃዎች | ||
| Hausa | kayan daki | ||
| The Hausa word 'kayan daki' may stem from the word 'kaya,' which means 'home,' and 'daki,' which means 'inside.' | |||
| Igbo | oche | ||
| In Igbo, 'oche' can also mean 'home', as in 'izu oche', meaning 'home cooking'. | |||
| Malagasy | furniture | ||
| The Malagasy word "furniture" can also mean "a house or home" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mipando | ||
| "Mipando" can also refer to a traditional Nyanja dance accompanied by drums and songs. | |||
| Shona | midziyo | ||
| 'midziyo' also refers to 'treasures' in the figurative, not material, sense. | |||
| Somali | alaabta guriga | ||
| Alaabta guriga derives from the Arabic words "alat" ("tools") and "bait" ("house"), highlighting the utility and domestic nature of furniture in Somali culture. | |||
| Sesotho | thepa ea ka tlung | ||
| The word "thepa ea ka tlung" can also mean "bedding" or "household goods". | |||
| Swahili | fanicha | ||
| In Swahili, 'fanicha' derives from Arabic 'farsh' meaning 'mattress or bedding', likely influenced by the Omani presence in coastal East Africa. | |||
| Xhosa | ifanitshala | ||
| The word 'ifanitshala' can also refer to a type of tree or wood used in furniture making. | |||
| Yoruba | aga | ||
| Aga, pronounced similarly to 'egg', initially referred to a single chair rather than the current more general usage for 'furniture'. | |||
| Zulu | ifenisha | ||
| I'm not aware of any alternate meanings of the Zulu word 'ifenisha'. | |||
| Bambara | minɛw | ||
| Ewe | nunᴐdzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibikoresho | ||
| Lingala | biloko ya ndako | ||
| Luganda | eby'embaawo | ||
| Sepedi | fenišara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akonnwa | ||
Furniture in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أثاث المنزل | ||
| The word "أثاث المنزل" in Arabic comes from the verb "أثاث" meaning "to furnish" and "المنزل" meaning "the house". | |||
| Hebrew | רְהִיטִים | ||
| "רְהִיטִים" (rehitim, "furniture") is related to the verb רָחָה (racha, to spread out), from its use to describe the way furniture is arranged | |||
| Pashto | فرنیچر | ||
| The Pashto word "فرنیچر" is ultimately derived from the French word "fournir", meaning "to furnish or supply". | |||
| Arabic | أثاث المنزل | ||
| The word "أثاث المنزل" in Arabic comes from the verb "أثاث" meaning "to furnish" and "المنزل" meaning "the house". | |||
Furniture in Western European Languages
| Albanian | orendi | ||
| The Albanian word "orendi" is thought to derive from the Proto-Albanian *orindo, meaning "a seat or bench". | |||
| Basque | altzariak | ||
| In Old Basque and in medieval texts "altzariak" also refers to a room's equipment and provisions. | |||
| Catalan | mobles | ||
| The word "mobles" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "mobilis" which means 'movable', reflecting the portable nature of furniture. | |||
| Croatian | namještaj | ||
| The word "namještaj" likely derives from the Proto-Slavic *naměsto "instead, in place of". | |||
| Danish | møbel | ||
| The word møbel is derived from the Danish word "movabel", which can mean moveable, and is related to the German word "möbel" and the English word "mobile". | |||
| Dutch | meubilair | ||
| While "meubilair" translates to "furniture" in English, it carries an alternate meaning of "personal properties", often referring to the movable elements of a furnished house or an estate's contents, excluding things like real estate, money, securities, or documents. | |||
| English | furniture | ||
| The word "furniture" derives from the Old French word "fourniture," meaning "supplies or equipment," and ultimately from the Latin word "fornire," meaning "to furnish or supply." | |||
| French | meubles | ||
| The word "meubles" (literally "movables") in French originally referred to any movable property, not just furniture. | |||
| Frisian | meubilêr | ||
| The term 'meubilêr' is of French origin and originally referred to furnishings that were both practical and decorative. | |||
| Galician | mobles | ||
| In Galician, the word "mobles" also refers to the movable property of a person, like cattle or other livestock. | |||
| German | möbel | ||
| The German word "Möbel" is derived from the Middle French "meubles" meaning "movables" and came into the German language in the 17th century. | |||
| Icelandic | húsgögn | ||
| The word húsgögn, 'furniture' in Icelandic, is composed of 'hús' (house), and 'gögn' (data, facts). | |||
| Irish | troscán | ||
| The word "troscán" comes from the Old Irish word "trosc", meaning "a beam or rafter", and is related to the French word "trousseau", meaning "a bundle or set of clothes or household items". | |||
| Italian | mobilia | ||
| The Italian term "mobilia" shares its origin with the English word "mobile," both stemming from the Latin word "mobilis," meaning "moveable." | |||
| Luxembourgish | miwwelen | ||
| "Miwwelen" is cognate with the German word "Möbel" and originally referred to all movable possessions, including cattle. | |||
| Maltese | għamara | ||
| The word 'għamara' is derived from the Arabic word 'ghāmarah', which means 'a piece of furniture', 'an ornament', or 'a thing that fills' | |||
| Norwegian | møbler | ||
| The word "møbler" originates from the Old Norse "mbl"," a type of wooden box or piece of furniture. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mobília | ||
| In Portuguese, "mobília" derives from the Latin "mobilia", meaning "movable goods". This reflects the historically portable nature of furniture. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àirneis | ||
| Àirneis, the Scots Gaelic word for "furniture," derives from the Proto-Celtic "*arnitos," meaning "utensil" or "implement." | |||
| Spanish | mueble | ||
| The word "mueble" comes from the Latin "mobilis," meaning "moveable," and also refers to assets or movable property. | |||
| Swedish | möbel | ||
| The word 'möbel' in Swedish originally referred to loose items of furniture, such as tables and chairs, but later came to include fixed items such as built-in cupboards and shelves. | |||
| Welsh | dodrefn | ||
| The word "dodrefn" is derived from the Latin "domus" (house) and "refectio" (restoration). | |||
Furniture in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мэбля | ||
| The word “мэбля” has German roots and means “movable property”. | |||
| Bosnian | namještaj | ||
| The word "namještaj" is derived from the Slavic word "nam" meaning "on" or "upon" and "mjesta" meaning "place", suggesting its purpose of providing a place to sit or rest upon. | |||
| Bulgarian | мебели | ||
| The word "мебели" is derived from the Turkish word "mebel" meaning "couch". | |||
| Czech | nábytek | ||
| Nábytek, "furniture" in Czech, is derived from the word "nábyt", meaning "vessel" or "tool." | |||
| Estonian | mööbel | ||
| Mööbel comes from the German word "Möbel", ultimately derived from the Latin word "mobilis" (movable). | |||
| Finnish | huonekalut | ||
| "Huonekalut" is a compound of "huone" ("room") and "kalut" ("stuff"), so it literally means "room stuff". | |||
| Hungarian | bútor | ||
| The Hungarian word "bútor" likely originates from the Latin word "furnus", meaning "oven" or "stove". | |||
| Latvian | mēbeles | ||
| The word "mēbeles" can also mean "property" or "estate". | |||
| Lithuanian | baldai | ||
| The word "baldai" may also refer to the act of arranging furniture or the furniture industry. | |||
| Macedonian | мебел | ||
| The word "Мебел" (furniture) is likely derived from the Arabic word "موبيليا" (mobilia), which ultimately originates from the Latin word "mobilis" (movable). | |||
| Polish | meble | ||
| The Polish word "meble" is derived from the German "Möbel", | |||
| Romanian | mobila | ||
| In Romanian, the word "mobila" is derived from the Latin word "mobilis," meaning "moveable" or "easily moved," and is used to refer to furniture because it is often designed to be portable and rearrangeable. | |||
| Russian | мебель | ||
| The word "мебель" is derived from the French word "meuble", which means "a piece of furniture" or "a movable object". It can also refer to the collection of furniture in a room or building. | |||
| Serbian | намештај | ||
| The word "nameštaj" is derived from the Old Slavic word "naměštiti", meaning "to arrange or set up". | |||
| Slovak | nábytok | ||
| The Slovak word "nábytok" derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*nabъtь", meaning "to gain" or "to acquire", and originally denoted "possessions" or "wealth". | |||
| Slovenian | pohištvo | ||
| "Pohištvo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic term "pohyštь", which means "things that are placed". | |||
| Ukrainian | меблі | ||
| The word 'меблі' ultimately derives from the Gothic word for 'table'. | |||
Furniture in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আসবাবপত্র | ||
| "আসবাবপত্র" is most likely derived from the Persian words "āsās" (foundation) and "bābat" (article). | |||
| Gujarati | ફર્નિચર | ||
| The word 'ફર્નિચર' (furniture) in Gujarati can also mean 'stuff' or 'personal belongings'. | |||
| Hindi | फर्नीचर | ||
| The word "furniture" originated from the Old French word "fourniture" meaning "provisions", and later referred to a collection of furnishings, and eventually "movable items in a room" in the 17th century. | |||
| Kannada | ಪೀಠೋಪಕರಣಗಳು | ||
| In Kannada, the word “ಪೀಠೋಪಕರಣಗಳು” can also refer to instruments and tools rather than just furniture | |||
| Malayalam | ഫർണിച്ചർ | ||
| The word "furniture" is used in Malayalam to describe "things used in a house or office" and derived from the Portuguese word "furnichar" meaning "equipment" or "utensils". | |||
| Marathi | फर्निचर | ||
| The word "फर्निचर" (furniture) in Marathi can also refer to the furnishings and decorations of a room or building. | |||
| Nepali | फर्नीचर | ||
| The Nepali word "फर्नीचर" is derived from the French word "fourniture", meaning "supplies" or "equipment." | |||
| Punjabi | ਫਰਨੀਚਰ | ||
| The word 'furniture' is derived from the French word 'fourniture', meaning 'supplies' or 'equipment'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගෘහභාණ්ඞ | ||
| In Sinhala, "ගෘහභාණ්ඞ" also refers to household items or appliances not necessarily meant for everyday use or comfort. | |||
| Tamil | தளபாடங்கள் | ||
| The word "தளபாடங்கள்" literally translates to "that which is spread out on the floor" | |||
| Telugu | ఫర్నిచర్ | ||
| The word ఫర్నిచర్ or "furniture" also refers to the accessories of a ship that are not considered part of the ship's equipment. | |||
| Urdu | فرنیچر | ||
Furniture in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 家具类 | ||
| The word "家具类" can also refer to "furniture" in various contexts, such as "furniture industry" or "furniture design". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 家具類 | ||
| 家具類 is a collective term for all household items including furniture, fixtures, and furnishings. | |||
| Japanese | 家具 | ||
| 家具 (kagu) is the Japanese pronunciation of the Portuguese word “caju”, derived from the Tupi language and originally referring to the cashew nut. | |||
| Korean | 가구 | ||
| In Sino-Korean, "ga" has other meanings like "house" or "building," but not "furniture." | |||
| Mongolian | тавилга | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "тавилга" refers not only to furniture but also to the process of furnishing a space. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပရိဘောဂ | ||
Furniture in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mebel | ||
| The word "mebel" in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word "meubel", which means "furniture". | |||
| Javanese | prabotan | ||
| "Prabotan" is also used to refer to tools, equipment, or utensils. | |||
| Khmer | គ្រឿងសង្ហារឹម | ||
| This word can sometimes also refer to "tools". | |||
| Lao | ເຟີນີເຈີ | ||
| The word "ເຟີນີເຈີ" comes from the English word "furniture", which refers to movable objects that are used to furnish a room or building. | |||
| Malay | perabot | ||
| Malay "perabot" (furniture) is cognate to "perobahan" (changing), as furniture is often used to furnish or change the look of a room. | |||
| Thai | เฟอร์นิเจอร์ | ||
| เฟอร์นิเจอร์ comes from the French word "fourniture", meaning "provision" or "supply". | |||
| Vietnamese | đồ nội thất | ||
| "Đồ nội thất" comes from the Chinese word "家具" (jiājù), which originally meant "household utensils" but has since come to mean "furniture" specifically. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | muwebles | ||
Furniture in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mebel | ||
| In the old Azerbaijani language, the word | |||
| Kazakh | жиһаз | ||
| The Kazakh word "жиһаз" also means "dowry" or "household items." | |||
| Kyrgyz | эмерек | ||
| "Эмерек" also means "any object", "thing", or "stuff" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | мебел | ||
| The Tajik word "мебел" is derived from the French word "meuble" which means "movable" or "piece of furniture." | |||
| Turkmen | mebel | ||
| Uzbek | mebel | ||
| The Uzbek term "mebel" is a borrowed word from the Turkic language meaning "household goods". | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆي جاھازلىرى | ||
Furniture in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lako hana | ||
| ʻLako' also carries alternate meanings of equipment and tools for working; the suffix ‘hana’ translates to work and action. | |||
| Maori | taonga taonga | ||
| The word 'taonga taonga' literally translates to 'sacred things', reflecting the significance of furniture in Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | meaafale | ||
| The word 'meaafale' comes from the words 'mea' ('thing') and 'afale' ('house'), hence it translates to 'things of the house' or furniture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasangkapan sa bahay | ||
Furniture in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | muwlinaka | ||
| Guarani | ogapy rembiporu | ||
Furniture in International Languages
| Esperanto | mebloj | ||
| The Esperanto word "mebloj" originates from the French word "meuble" meaning "piece of furniture" or "single item of furniture." | |||
| Latin | supellectilem | ||
| Supellectilem, or “furniture” in Latin, can also refer to other household items, such as tools, utensils, food, and clothing. | |||
Furniture in Others Languages
| Greek | έπιπλα | ||
| The word "έπιπλα" is derived from the ancient Greek word "πίπτω", meaning "to fall", and originally referred to objects that were placed on the floor. | |||
| Hmong | rooj tog | ||
| The word "rooj tog" can also refer to a household, a group of people living together. | |||
| Kurdish | navmalî | ||
| The word "navmalî" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "namal", meaning "felt". | |||
| Turkish | mobilya | ||
| "Mobilya" comes from the Spanish word "mobilia," meaning "moveable goods," and ultimately from the Latin word "mobilis," meaning "moveable." | |||
| Xhosa | ifanitshala | ||
| The word 'ifanitshala' can also refer to a type of tree or wood used in furniture making. | |||
| Yiddish | מעבל | ||
| The Yiddish word "מעבל" derives from the German "Möbel" and ultimately from the French "meuble," which both mean "furniture." | |||
| Zulu | ifenisha | ||
| I'm not aware of any alternate meanings of the Zulu word 'ifenisha'. | |||
| Assamese | আচবাব | ||
| Aymara | muwlinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | काठ के बनल सामान | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަރްނީޗަރ | ||
| Dogri | फर्नीचर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | muwebles | ||
| Guarani | ogapy rembiporu | ||
| Ilocano | muebles | ||
| Krio | tin dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کەلوپەلی ماڵەوە | ||
| Maithili | फर्नीचर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯄꯨ ꯀꯥꯛꯊꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | bungbel | ||
| Oromo | meeshaalee mana keessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆସବାବପତ୍ର | ||
| Quechua | mueble | ||
| Sanskrit | उपस्कर | ||
| Tatar | җиһаз | ||
| Tigrinya | ናይ ገዛ ኣቕሓ | ||
| Tsonga | vhanichara | ||