Generation in Different Languages
Discover 'Generation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'generation' carries great significance as it represents the ongoing cycle of birth and growth, where groups of individuals are connected by shared experiences and cultural contexts. It's a vital concept that bridges the past, present, and future, allowing us to understand and appreciate the evolution of societies, traditions, and ideas.
Through history, generations have shaped our world, from the 'Baby Boomers' to 'Generation X', 'Millennials', and 'Generation Z'. Each has left an indelible mark, driven by unique perspectives and circumstances. Understanding these distinctions can foster empathy, collaboration, and innovation among people of all ages and backgrounds.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'generation' in different languages can be both fascinating and useful. For instance, in Spanish, it's 'generación', in French 'génération', in German 'Generation', in Mandarin '世代' (shì dài), and in Japanese '世代 (sedai)'. This knowledge not only enriches our linguistic abilities but also deepens our appreciation for the global cultural tapestry.
Generation
Generation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | generasie | ||
| In Afrikaans, "generasie" also refers to the totality of people living around the same time regardless of age group. | |||
| Amharic | ትውልድ | ||
| The Amharic word ትውልድ (tə-wə-lə-d) has various meanings, including 'generation' and 'family', and shares its root with the Ge'ez term for 'birth'. | |||
| Hausa | tsara | ||
| The word "tsara" in Hausa can also refer to a group of people born around the same time or sharing a common ancestor. | |||
| Igbo | ọgbọ | ||
| The Igbo word ọgbọ (generation) is also used as a term for a secret society that initiates boys into adulthood. | |||
| Malagasy | taranaka | ||
| The word "taranaka" can also mean "time", indicating the temporal sequence of generations. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | m'badwo | ||
| The word comes from the word "badwo", which refers to the "group of children or people of similar age". | |||
| Shona | chizvarwa | ||
| The word "chizvarwa" also refers to "clan or lineage" in Shona | |||
| Somali | jiilka | ||
| Somali word 'jiilka': Arabic origin - 'al-jil' meaning 'a generation', 'a kind', 'a class' of people. | |||
| Sesotho | moloko | ||
| In 18th-century Lesotho, "moloko" also referred to a "lineage" or "family group" | |||
| Swahili | kizazi | ||
| The word 'kizazi' in Swahili can also mean 'a brood of chickens' or 'a group of locusts'. | |||
| Xhosa | isizukulwana | ||
| "Isizukulwana" is the Xhosa word for "generation" and also refers to a "set" or "group". | |||
| Yoruba | iran | ||
| "Ìran" is used to refer to a group of siblings of the same rank in the family. | |||
| Zulu | isizukulwane | ||
| The Zulu word 'isizukulwane' can also refer to a 'race' or 'people' or even one's 'own kind' or 'nation'. | |||
| Bambara | zenerasiyɔn | ||
| Ewe | dzidzime | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibisekuruza | ||
| Lingala | molongo ya bato | ||
| Luganda | omulembe | ||
| Sepedi | tlhagišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ | ||
Generation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | توليد | ||
| "توليد" can also mean production, generation, supply, provision, procreation or birth. | |||
| Hebrew | דוֹר | ||
| While the common meaning of דוֹר is "generation," it can also mean "age" or "life span". | |||
| Pashto | نسل | ||
| The word "نسل" in Pashto can also refer to the "family line" or "lineage". | |||
| Arabic | توليد | ||
| "توليد" can also mean production, generation, supply, provision, procreation or birth. | |||
Generation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | brezi | ||
| The word "brezi" in Albanian also has meanings of "group" and "crowd". | |||
| Basque | belaunaldia | ||
| "Belaunaldia" also means "generation" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | generació | ||
| “Generació” literally means “procreation” in Catalan, hinting at the ongoing renewal of language. | |||
| Croatian | generacija | ||
| The Croatian word "generacija" is derived from the Latin word "generatio," which means "birth" or "origin." | |||
| Danish | generation | ||
| The word "generation" comes from the Latin word "generātio" "(birth, descent, creation)", from generare, meaning "to beget, to bring forth, to produce." | |||
| Dutch | generatie | ||
| Generatie also means 'type' in Dutch, such as 'gas generatie' ('gas type'). | |||
| English | generation | ||
| The word "generation" derives from the Latin "generatio," meaning "birth, family, stock, origin, source." | |||
| French | génération | ||
| The French word "génération" also means "birth" or "lineage". | |||
| Frisian | generaasje | ||
| The Frisian word "generaasje" can also refer to a brood, batch, or a single unit of time, such as a year. | |||
| Galician | xeración | ||
| German | generation | ||
| The German word "Generation" also means a musical or literary genre that is characterized by shared experiences and values | |||
| Icelandic | kynslóð | ||
| The word "kynslóð" derives from the Proto-Germanic noun "kunþi-", meaning "kinship." | |||
| Irish | giniúint | ||
| The term 'giniúint' originates from the Latin word 'generatio,' which also means 'source, race, or descent'. | |||
| Italian | generazione | ||
| The word "generazione" can also mean "kind", "stock", "breed" or "race" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | generatioun | ||
| The word "Generatioun" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a group of people with similar tastes, beliefs, or values. | |||
| Maltese | ġenerazzjoni | ||
| In Maltese, "ġenerazzjoni" can refer to the passing of time or a group of people born around the same time. | |||
| Norwegian | generasjon | ||
| The word "generasjon" in Norwegian can also refer to a "group of people who share some common characteristic". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | geração | ||
| In Portuguese, 'geração' ('generation') also means 'power generation' or 'generation of electric power' | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ginealach | ||
| The word "ginealach" also means "race" or "kind". | |||
| Spanish | generacion | ||
| The Spanish word "Generacion" can refer to either biological generations or to cultural or political cohorts. | |||
| Swedish | generation | ||
| The word "generation" shares its root with the word "genus", meaning "kind" or "group" and it can also refer to a specific group of people within a population who share a common experience. | |||
| Welsh | cenhedlaeth | ||
| The word "cenhedlaeth" can also refer to a "nation" or "clan" in Welsh, and is cognate with the Irish word "chineál" and the Scottish Gaelic word "cinneadh." | |||
Generation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пакаленне | ||
| Bosnian | generacija | ||
| The word 'generacija' in Bosnian can also refer to a group of people with a particular characteristic or who were born during a particular period. | |||
| Bulgarian | поколение | ||
| The word “поколение” has its origin in the word for birth and has the alternate meaning of the origin, the beginning of something. | |||
| Czech | generace | ||
| The word "generace" in Czech shares the etymology with the word "geneza". Both stem from Greek "genesis" meaning "birth" or "origin". | |||
| Estonian | põlvkond | ||
| Põlvkond is also used to refer to a class or grouping of people, e.g. students in the same grade or year of study. | |||
| Finnish | sukupolvi | ||
| In Finnish, the word "sukupolvi" also carries the meanings "family line, lineage" and "generation, age cohort". | |||
| Hungarian | generáció | ||
| The word "generáció" also has a meaning of "genre" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | paaudze | ||
| The word "paaudze" in Latvian also refers to a period of around 30 years. | |||
| Lithuanian | karta | ||
| The word ‘karta’ is the archaic or literary term, in modern terminology replaced by ‘karta’ or ‘giminė'. | |||
| Macedonian | генерација | ||
| "Генерација" in Macedonian can also refer to a group of people born and living during the same period in history, or to the process of generating something. | |||
| Polish | pokolenie | ||
| In Polish, "Pokolenie" can also refer to a historical period or a group of people born around the same time. | |||
| Romanian | generaţie | ||
| Romanian word "generaţie" also means "gender" and comes from Latin "generatio". | |||
| Russian | поколение | ||
| In Russian, "поколение" also means "generation of machines" or "set of equipment". | |||
| Serbian | генерација | ||
| The Serbian word "генерација" originally meant "birth" or "offspring" and is related to the verb "рађати" (to give birth). | |||
| Slovak | generácie | ||
| The Slovak word "generácia" also denotes a group of people or things sharing similar or common characteristics. | |||
| Slovenian | generacije | ||
| The word "generacije" in Slovenian also means "genealogy" or "lineage". | |||
| Ukrainian | покоління | ||
| The word 'покоління' in Ukrainian can also refer to a layer of soil, a group of things or people that follow one another in line, a phase or stage of development. | |||
Generation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রজন্ম | ||
| The word "প্রজন্ম" in Bengali also carries the connotation of "lineage" or "ancestry". | |||
| Gujarati | પે generationી | ||
| In Gujarati, "પે generationી" also means "people of the same age group". | |||
| Hindi | पीढ़ी | ||
| The Hindi word पीढ़ी can also refer to a type of traditional Indian bed or couch. | |||
| Kannada | ಪೀಳಿಗೆ | ||
| The word "ಪೀಳಿಗೆ" (generation) comes from the Sanskrit word "पीडन" (pīḍana), meaning "to press or grind". | |||
| Malayalam | തലമുറ | ||
| The word 'തലമുറ' ('generation') in Malayalam also means 'the act of bowing down' in the language's older sense, derived from 'തല' ('head') and 'മുറ' ('turn'). | |||
| Marathi | पिढी | ||
| The word "पिढी" in Marathi can also refer to a type of furniture used in the kitchen or a wooden platform for storing grains. | |||
| Nepali | जेनेरेसन | ||
| "जेनेरेसन" (generation) also means "production" or "creation" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀ | ||
| The word "ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀ" (generation) can also mean "a group of people born and living during the same time" or "a set of people descended from a common ancestor" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරම්පරාව | ||
| Tamil | தலைமுறை | ||
| The Tamil word 'தலைமுறை' may also refer to 'a series', 'a period' or 'a group of people who share the same characteristics'. | |||
| Telugu | తరం | ||
| The word "తరం" also means "a row" or "a line". | |||
| Urdu | نسل | ||
| "نسل" (generation) comes from the Arabic root "ن-س-ل" (to produce offspring), and can also refer to lineage, descendants, or a class of people. | |||
Generation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 代 | ||
| "代" can also mean "on behalf of" or "instead of". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 代 | ||
| The word "代" also means "on behalf of" or "in place of". | |||
| Japanese | 世代 | ||
| The characters in 世代 can also mean 'birth', 'era', 'times', and 'human life'. | |||
| Korean | 세대 | ||
| 세대 (generation) comes from the Chinese word 世代, which means 'era' or 'period of time' | |||
| Mongolian | үе | ||
| "Үе" (generation) is also used to describe a period of time, especially in historical or geological contexts, and can refer to a group of people or things that share similar characteristics or experiences. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မျိုးဆက် | ||
Generation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | generasi | ||
| In Indonesian, | |||
| Javanese | generasi | ||
| In Javanese, 'generasi' also refers to a group of students who graduate in the same time frame or from the same educational institution. | |||
| Khmer | ជំនាន់ | ||
| Lao | ລຸ້ນ | ||
| ລຸ້ນ (generation) can also mean "to succeed" or "in continuation of" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | generasi | ||
| The word "generasi" comes from the Sanskrit word "janma", which means "birth" or "origin". | |||
| Thai | รุ่น | ||
| Generation in Thai, pronounced “ruean”, can also mean “model”, “group”, “level”, “class”, “batch”, “set”, or “round”. | |||
| Vietnamese | thế hệ | ||
| "Thế hệ" can also mean a kind, variety, group (of things), phase (of time), level, series or a layer (of something). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | henerasyon | ||
Generation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nəsil | ||
| The word "nəsil" is derived from the Arabic word "nasl", which also means "lineage" or "descent". | |||
| Kazakh | ұрпақ | ||
| The Kazakh word "ұрпақ" can also refer to "descendants" or "progeny."} | |||
| Kyrgyz | муун | ||
| The word "муун" also means "origin" or "clan" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | насл | ||
| The word "насл" can also mean "tribe" or "people" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | nesil | ||
| Uzbek | avlod | ||
| The word "avlod" (generation) is derived from the Persian word "avlad" meaning "child" or "descendant" and can also refer to lineage or ancestry. | |||
| Uyghur | ئەۋلاد | ||
Generation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hanauna | ||
| The word "hanauna" is also used to denote a "clan" or "lineage" within a community. | |||
| Maori | whakatupuranga | ||
| The word "whakatupuranga" can also refer to a group of people related by descent, such as a clan or lineage. | |||
| Samoan | tupulaga | ||
| 'Tupulaga' can also mean 'lineage', 'stock', or 'clan' in Samoan | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | henerasyon | ||
| The word 'henerasyon' in Tagalog also means 'set' or 'kind' | |||
Generation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jinirasyuna | ||
| Guarani | avakuéra ojojaveguáva | ||
Generation in International Languages
| Esperanto | generacio | ||
| In the singular form, "generacio" may also refer to the process of generation. | |||
| Latin | generation | ||
| The Latin word "generatio" originally meant "the act of begetting or producing" and later took on the meaning of "a single stage in the sequence of descent from an ancestor". | |||
Generation in Others Languages
| Greek | γενιά | ||
| "Γενιά" in Greek not only refers to the time between generations, but also to a generation itself (eg "η γενιά του '30"). | |||
| Hmong | tiam | ||
| The word "tiam" can also be used to refer to a person's age group or social cohort. | |||
| Kurdish | bend | ||
| The word "bend" in Kurdish has an alternate meaning of "a group of people who live at the same time, a generation." | |||
| Turkish | nesil | ||
| "Nesil" is a Turkish word of Arabic origin meaning both "generation" and "descendants". | |||
| Xhosa | isizukulwana | ||
| "Isizukulwana" is the Xhosa word for "generation" and also refers to a "set" or "group". | |||
| Yiddish | דור | ||
| Yiddish "דור" also refers to a "cycle," "period of time," or "stage". | |||
| Zulu | isizukulwane | ||
| The Zulu word 'isizukulwane' can also refer to a 'race' or 'people' or even one's 'own kind' or 'nation'. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰজন্ম | ||
| Aymara | jinirasyuna | ||
| Bhojpuri | पीढ़ी | ||
| Dhivehi | ޖެނެރޭޝަން | ||
| Dogri | पीढ़ी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | henerasyon | ||
| Guarani | avakuéra ojojaveguáva | ||
| Ilocano | henerasion | ||
| Krio | pipul dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نەوە | ||
| Maithili | पीढ़ी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯔꯣꯟ ꯁꯨꯔꯣꯟ | ||
| Mizo | thlah chhawng | ||
| Oromo | dhaloota | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପି generation ଼ି | ||
| Quechua | ruway | ||
| Sanskrit | पीढ़ी | ||
| Tatar | буын | ||
| Tigrinya | ወለዶ | ||
| Tsonga | rixaka | ||