Gate in Different Languages
Discover 'Gate' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'gate' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, symbolizing entrance, transition, and opportunity. Throughout history, gates have served as more than just a functional feature in architecture; they've been embedded in our cultural consciousness, playing essential roles in stories, rituals, and landmarks worldwide. From the iconic 'City Gate' of ancient Rome to the majestic 'Lion Gate' of Mycenae, gates have captured our imagination and inspired awe.
Delving into the translations of 'gate' in different languages uncovers intriguing insights about how various cultures perceive and interact with this concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'puerta' reflects the solidity and permanence associated with grand entrances, while in Japanese, 'mon' highlights the gate's protective role as a threshold between spaces.
Join us as we explore the captivating world of gates through the lens of language and culture. Discover the diverse ways people around the globe have named and revered this powerful symbol.
Gate
Gate in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hek | ||
| "Hek" is also used colloquially to refer to a group of people, and especially a team (eg. a sports team). | |||
| Amharic | በር | ||
| በር can also refer to a "pass" or "gateway," especially in the context of travel or geography. | |||
| Hausa | kofa | ||
| Hausa "kofa" also means "obstacle" and "threshold." | |||
| Igbo | ọnụ ụzọ | ||
| The Igbo word 'Ọnụ ụzọ' can also refer to a person who serves as a mediator or ambassador. | |||
| Malagasy | vavahady | ||
| 'Vava' means 'mouth,' 'hady' means 'village.' Therefore, 'vavahady' literally means 'village mouth,' referring to the village's entrance. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | geti | ||
| In Nyanja, 'Geti' has the alternate meaning of 'passage through which people enter or leave'} | |||
| Shona | gedhi | ||
| The word "gedhi" can also refer to a wooden frame used as a bed, suggesting that in the past, gates may have been used to secure entrances to enclosures used for sleeping. | |||
| Somali | iridda | ||
| The word "iridda" may also refer to a narrow path or passageway. | |||
| Sesotho | keiti | ||
| The Sesotho word "Keiti" can also refer to a narrow opening or entrance. | |||
| Swahili | lango | ||
| The word "lango" in Swahili can also mean "door" or "entrance". | |||
| Xhosa | isango | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "Isango" also holds symbolic significance in Xhosa culture, representing the gateway to new beginnings and the transition between different life stages. | |||
| Yoruba | getii | ||
| The word "getii" can also mean "entrance" or "an opening through which people or animals can pass"} | |||
| Zulu | isango | ||
| In Zulu folklore, the word 'Isango' can also refer to a mythical doorway or entrance to the supernatural realm. | |||
| Bambara | da | ||
| Ewe | agbo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | irembo | ||
| Lingala | ekuke | ||
| Luganda | geeti | ||
| Sepedi | mojako | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pono | ||
Gate in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بوابة | ||
| "بوابه " is a loan-word from Greek that means "father" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | שַׁעַר | ||
| The word "שַעַר" ("gate") in Hebrew can also refer to hair or wool. | |||
| Pashto | ور | ||
| The word "ور" can also refer to a courtyard or a village in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | بوابة | ||
| "بوابه " is a loan-word from Greek that means "father" in Arabic. | |||
Gate in Western European Languages
| Albanian | porta | ||
| The Albanian word "porta" is derived from the Latin "porta" and also means "entrance" or "doorway". | |||
| Basque | atea | ||
| The Basque word "atea" (gate) also refers to an opening in a fence or wall, or a passageway leading to a building. | |||
| Catalan | porta | ||
| The Catalan word 'porta' comes from the Latin word 'porta', meaning 'gate', and also has the alternative meaning of 'door'. | |||
| Croatian | vrata | ||
| "Vrata" is also a Slavic pagan concept denoting a place where the sacred met the profane, and also a point of passage between the worlds of the living and the dead. | |||
| Danish | port | ||
| In Danish, the word "port" has a dual meaning, referring to both a physical gate and a drink made from fermented grapes. | |||
| Dutch | poort | ||
| In some parts of the Netherlands, "poort" can also refer to a small farm gate. | |||
| English | gate | ||
| The word "gate" originates from the Old English "geat," meaning an opening in a wall or fence, and has come to also refer to an electronic device that controls access to a computer system. | |||
| French | porte | ||
| The French word "porte" derives from the Latin "porta," meaning both a "gateway" and "doorway." | |||
| Frisian | stek | ||
| The word "stek" in Frisian can also refer to a part of a building or a piece of land. | |||
| Galician | porta | ||
| The word "porta" in Galician can also refer to a mountain pass or a door in a building. | |||
| German | tor | ||
| "Tor" is a borrowed word in German and comes from the Latin "turris", meaning tower. | |||
| Icelandic | hliðið | ||
| Hliðið is cognate with the word "lid" in English, as in "eyelid" and "portcullis". | |||
| Irish | geata | ||
| The word "geata" in Irish can also refer to a road or path. | |||
| Italian | cancello | ||
| In Latin, "cancello" (meaning "to fence in") originated from "cancer" (meaning "an enclosure") | |||
| Luxembourgish | paart | ||
| In the region of Echternach, "Paart" also means "gatehouse" or "archway". | |||
| Maltese | xatba | ||
| The word "xatba" in Maltese originally meant "aperture" or "hole", but came to mean "gate" due to the frequent use of gates to close holes in walls. | |||
| Norwegian | port | ||
| The word "port" in Norwegian also refers to a harbour entrance. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | portão | ||
| The Portuguese word "portão" comes from the Latin word "portatōrium", which means "gateway" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | geata | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "geata" cognate with the Irish "geata", which refers to a "chasm". | |||
| Spanish | portón | ||
| "Portón" comes from the Latin "porta" (door), but it specifically refers to a large door or gate that is used in fortified structures. | |||
| Swedish | port | ||
| The word "port" also refers to a wine that is fortified with brandy and is originally from Portugal. | |||
| Welsh | giât | ||
| In Welsh, the word "giât" can also refer to a small farm or a fence. | |||
Gate in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | брама | ||
| The word "брама" in Belarusian also means "arch" or "triumphal arch". | |||
| Bosnian | kapija | ||
| Kapija is the diminutive form of kap, a word originating from the Latin capere, meaning "to take" or "to seize." | |||
| Bulgarian | порта | ||
| The Bulgarian word "порта" (gate) is ultimately derived from the Latin word "porta" meaning "door". | |||
| Czech | brána | ||
| The Czech word "brána" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "brana", which also meant "defense". | |||
| Estonian | värav | ||
| The word "värav" also refers to a "goal" scored in sports such as soccer or hockey. | |||
| Finnish | portti | ||
| The word "portti" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "portti", which means "a passage" or "a way through". | |||
| Hungarian | kapu | ||
| "Kapu" also means a part of town, a district or a village, as well as a guild, an association or a society. | |||
| Latvian | vārti | ||
| The word "vārti" can also refer to a pass in a mountain range or a goal in a game. | |||
| Lithuanian | vartai | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vartai" can also mean "entrance" or "passageway". | |||
| Macedonian | порта | ||
| The word 'порта' is also the name for a type of traditional house in Macedonia | |||
| Polish | brama | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, the word 'brama' meant 'a barrier' or 'a passageway'. | |||
| Romanian | poartă | ||
| The term 'Poartă' is also used to name an ancient Romanian fortified tower. | |||
| Russian | ворота | ||
| The Russian word "Ворота" was borrowed from Old Slavic and is cognate with other Slavic words for "ворота", such as Polish "wrota". It originally meant "passage or entrance" and was not limited to gates for a building or a fence, but could also refer to passages between mountains или forests. | |||
| Serbian | капија | ||
| The word "капија" (kapija) is derived from the Latin word "cappula", meaning a wooden shutter or small door within a gate. | |||
| Slovak | brána | ||
| The word "brána" can also refer to a threshold, an aperture, or a door in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vrata | ||
| "Vrata" in Slovenian also means "door" and in Proto-Slavic likely referred to an opening in a wall. | |||
| Ukrainian | ворота | ||
| The word "ворота" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *vorta, which also means "door". It can also refer to a triumphal arch or a city gate. | |||
Gate in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গেট | ||
| "গেট" is also used as a synonym for a water channel. | |||
| Gujarati | દરવાજો | ||
| The Gujarati word for "gate" ("દરવાજો") is derived from the Sanskrit word "द्वार" (dvār) or the Persian word "در" (dar), both meaning "door" or "gateway". | |||
| Hindi | द्वार | ||
| The word 'द्वार' (door) in Hindi also means 'avenue', 'means', or 'opportunity'. | |||
| Kannada | ಗೇಟ್ | ||
| "ಗೇಟ್" (gate) also means "passage" or "way" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഗേറ്റ് | ||
| The word "ഗേറ്റ്" (gate) in Malayalam also means "to reach", "to obtain", or "to acquire". | |||
| Marathi | गेट | ||
| The Marathi word "गेट" (gate) is derived from the Sanskrit word "गति" (motion), and can also refer to a pass or a permit. | |||
| Nepali | ढोका | ||
| "ढोका" also means to trick or deceive | |||
| Punjabi | ਫਾਟਕ | ||
| The word 'ਫਾਟਕ' in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pataka', meaning 'banner' or 'flag'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගේට්ටුව | ||
| The Sinhalese word "ගේට්ටුව" (gēṭṭuva) is derived from Sanskrit "द्वार" (dvāra) meaning "door, entrance, or way" and also refers to "a barrier" or "a place of access". | |||
| Tamil | வாயில் | ||
| In Tamil, "வாயில்" means "gate" but also refers to the "entrance" of a city or building, or even the "mouth" of a person or animal. | |||
| Telugu | గేట్ | ||
| The word "గేట్" also refers to a dam or a pass in a mountain range. | |||
| Urdu | گیٹ | ||
| The word "گیٹ" (gate) in Urdu has Persian origins and can also mean "narrow passage" or "door". | |||
Gate in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 门 | ||
| The character '门' ('door' or 'gate') is also used figuratively to refer to a 'school' or 'sect' (as in 門派 'school or sect'), and it can also mean 'family' or 'clan' (as in 家族 'family' or 宗門 'clan'). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 門 | ||
| 門 can also mean 1) a school, 2) a family, 3) a division (category), 4) a way (method), 5) a door | |||
| Japanese | ゲート | ||
| "ゲート" is derived from the Dutch word "gat" meaning "entrance". | |||
| Korean | 문 | ||
| The word "문" (gate) also refers to a sentence, particularly in written language, and is cognate with the Japanese word "文" (sentence). | |||
| Mongolian | хаалга | ||
| In Mongolian, "хаалга" (gate) is also used to refer to entrances of buildings, tunnels, passes, and even the mouth of a river. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဂိတ် | ||
| The word ဂိတ် (gate) in Myanmar (Burmese) also has the meaning of "a narrow passage or opening". | |||
Gate in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gerbang | ||
| "Gerbang" also means "prologue" in Indonesian, derived from the Sanskrit word "garbha" meaning "womb" or "embryo". | |||
| Javanese | gapura | ||
| In Javanese, the word | |||
| Khmer | ច្រកទ្វារ | ||
| The word ច្រកទ្វារ derives from the Sanskrit word द्वार (dvāra) meaning "gateway" and can also refer to the main entrance of a temple. | |||
| Lao | ປະຕູຮົ້ວ | ||
| Malay | pintu gerbang | ||
| The word "pintu gerbang" also means "gateway" or "portal" in figurative contexts. | |||
| Thai | ประตู | ||
| The word "ประตู" (gate) in Thai also refers to a doorway, an entrance, or a portal. | |||
| Vietnamese | cánh cổng | ||
| "Cánh" in "cánh cổng" means "wing", referring to the two sides of the gate that open and close. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gate | ||
Gate in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qapı | ||
| The word also refers to the | |||
| Kazakh | қақпа | ||
| The word "Қақпа" also means "threshing" in Kazakh, referring to the process of separating grain from chaff. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дарбаза | ||
| The word 'дарбаза' may also be translated as 'door'. | |||
| Tajik | дарвоза | ||
| In addition to "gate," "Дарвоза" may also refer to an entrance, portal, or access point, as well as figuratively to a stage or phase in a process. | |||
| Turkmen | derwezesi | ||
| Uzbek | darvoza | ||
| The word "Darvoza" may have a Persian origin, derived from the word "Darwazeh", or an Arabic origin, derived from the word "Bab". | |||
| Uyghur | دەرۋازا | ||
Gate in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻīpuka | ||
| ʻīpuka also means "an enclosure, a pen, or a fence." | |||
| Maori | kūwaha | ||
| The word 'kūwaha' also refers to the mouth or entrance of a river. | |||
| Samoan | faitotoʻa | ||
| Faitoʻa (gate) is cognate with Fijian vatoʻa (door) and Tongan faitoʻa (doorway). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gate | ||
| The word "gate" in Tagalog can also refer to "entrance" or "doorway". | |||
Gate in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | punku | ||
| Guarani | okẽ | ||
Gate in International Languages
| Esperanto | pordego | ||
| "Pordego" can also refer to an arched opening or a doorway. | |||
| Latin | porta | ||
| "Porta" can also refer to the entrance or exit of a building, a door, a harbor, a city's entrance, a pass or mountain path, or the mouth of a river. | |||
Gate in Others Languages
| Greek | πύλη | ||
| The word "πύλη" is also used figuratively to refer to "an entrance" or "a way into something". | |||
| Hmong | rooj vag | ||
| The word 'rooj vag' can also refer to a city gate or a large door, and is derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word *roŋ³ vaŋ². | |||
| Kurdish | dergeh | ||
| The word "dergeh" derives from the Old Persian word "darga" meaning "doorway" and it also denotes "threshold" or "entrance" in the Kurdish language. | |||
| Turkish | kapı | ||
| Turkish "kapı" comes from Arabic origin "qūbbah," meaning "dome" or "vault" and it can also refer to a building's entranceway. | |||
| Xhosa | isango | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "Isango" also holds symbolic significance in Xhosa culture, representing the gateway to new beginnings and the transition between different life stages. | |||
| Yiddish | טויער | ||
| The word טויער can also be used to mean a 'door' or a 'passageway', and is related to the German word 'tor' and the Slavic word 'vrata'. | |||
| Zulu | isango | ||
| In Zulu folklore, the word 'Isango' can also refer to a mythical doorway or entrance to the supernatural realm. | |||
| Assamese | গেট | ||
| Aymara | punku | ||
| Bhojpuri | दरवाजा | ||
| Dhivehi | މައި ދޮރު | ||
| Dogri | दरवाजा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gate | ||
| Guarani | okẽ | ||
| Ilocano | aruangan | ||
| Krio | get | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەروازە | ||
| Maithili | केबाड़ी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯣꯡꯒꯥꯜ | ||
| Mizo | kawngkharpui | ||
| Oromo | balbala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫାଟକ | ||
| Quechua | punku | ||
| Sanskrit | द्वार | ||
| Tatar | капка | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣፍደገ | ||
| Tsonga | rihlampfu | ||