Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'grade' carries significant meaning in our daily lives, especially in the context of education and measurement. It's a universal term that signifies a level of achievement or a unit of measurement. But did you know that the concept of grading students has been around since the 17th century? The practice became popular in the United States in the late 19th century and has since become a standard method of evaluating student performance worldwide.
Moreover, the word 'grade' has cultural importance beyond education. It's also used to describe the slope of a road or the quality of a product. In some cultures, the term is used to describe social hierarchies, while in others, it's used to describe the difficulty level of a hiking trail.
Understanding the translation of 'grade' in different languages can be fascinating and useful for travelers, language learners, and people interested in global culture. Here are a few sample translations:
Stay tuned for a more comprehensive list of translations of the word 'grade' in different languages.
Afrikaans | graad | ||
The Afrikaans word "graad" originates from the French word "grade", derived from the Latin "gradus" meaning "step". | |||
Amharic | ደረጃ | ||
The word ደረጃ can also mean "shelf" or "stage". | |||
Hausa | daraja | ||
The word "daraja" in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "daraja" which means "class" or "degree". | |||
Igbo | ọkwa | ||
Igbo word "ọkwa" also means "position", "status" or "rank." | |||
Malagasy | kilasy | ||
The term "kilasy" can also refer to a class of students or to a classroom. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kalasi | ||
The word 'kalasi' also means 'class', as in a group of students receiving instruction together. | |||
Shona | giredhi | ||
In Shona, 'giredhi' also means a place where people are taught and tested in knowledge and skills. | |||
Somali | fasalka | ||
The word "fasalka" can also refer to a group of people or animals that are classified together. | |||
Sesotho | sehlopheng | ||
Swahili | daraja | ||
Swahili 'daraja' also means 'bridge', likely due to the similar function of both in allowing for passage across gaps. | |||
Xhosa | grade | ||
The word 'grade' in Xhosa can also mean 'to measure' or 'to estimate'. | |||
Yoruba | ite | ||
The word "ite" in Yoruba also means "stone" or "rock". | |||
Zulu | ibanga | ||
The word 'ibanga' can also refer to a level in a hierarchy or the rank of a person within a group. | |||
Bambara | jala | ||
Ewe | ɖoƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | amanota | ||
Lingala | bapoint | ||
Luganda | guleedi | ||
Sepedi | kereiti | ||
Twi (Akan) | aba | ||
Arabic | درجة | ||
The Arabic word درجة means not only "grade" but also "step" and "degree" (e.g. of temperature) | |||
Hebrew | כיתה | ||
The word "כיתה" can also refer to a "sect" or "party" in Hebrew, derived from the root "כת" (kat), meaning "to write" or "to mark."} | |||
Pashto | درجه | ||
In Pashto, "درجه" can also mean "temperature" or "degree of a person's rank or status." | |||
Arabic | درجة | ||
The Arabic word درجة means not only "grade" but also "step" and "degree" (e.g. of temperature) |
Albanian | gradë | ||
The word "grad" in Gheg Albanian can also mean "granary", a cognate of "grind" in Proto-Albanian and possibly of "grain" in Proto-Indo-European. | |||
Basque | kalifikazioa | ||
The Basque word 'kalifikazioa' comes from the Latin word 'qualificatio', which can also mean 'rank' or 'designation'. | |||
Catalan | grau | ||
The Catalan word "grau" is a homonym with multiple meanings, including "degree" and "step". | |||
Croatian | razred | ||
The word "razred" in Croatian can also mean a class of people or a category or rank. | |||
Danish | karakter | ||
In Polish, "karakter" also means "mark" or "rating" in addition to "grade". | |||
Dutch | rang | ||
The word "rang" in Dutch can also mean "row", "series", or "order". | |||
English | grade | ||
The word "grade" derives from the Latin "gradus", meaning "step" or "stage", and can refer to a level of quality, a slope, or a ranking. | |||
French | classe | ||
The French word 'classe' comes from the Latin word 'classis', meaning 'a group of people called to military service'. | |||
Frisian | klasse | ||
The Frisian word "klasse" can also refer to a group, category, or set of individuals sharing similar characteristics. | |||
Galician | grao | ||
The Galician word "grao" can also refer to a step, a pace, or a ladder step. | |||
German | klasse | ||
The word "Klasse" also means "social class" in German, a meaning which is not present in English. | |||
Icelandic | bekk | ||
In the term "bekkjarstofa" ("classroom"), "bekk" refers to the rows of seats on which students sit. | |||
Irish | grád | ||
The Irish word "grád" is cognate with the Latin word "gradus" and can also mean "step" or "degree". | |||
Italian | grado | ||
"Grado" comes from the Latin "gradus", which refers to a step or level, and can also mean university degree, or military rank. | |||
Luxembourgish | grad | ||
The Luxembourgish word "Grad" comes from the Old High German "grād"," meaning an enclosure, hence its usage for fortification and then "castle". | |||
Maltese | grad | ||
The Maltese word "grad" derives from the Latin "gradus" (step, degree). | |||
Norwegian | karakter | ||
The word "karakter" in Norwegian is also used to refer to one's personality or moral qualities. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | grau | ||
The word "grau" also means "intoxicated" or "drunk" in Portuguese slang. | |||
Scots Gaelic | ìre | ||
Ìre ('grade') is the same word as 'ire' in English, originally meaning anger or wrath, also found in the phrase 'set on fire'. | |||
Spanish | grado | ||
"Grado" derives from the Latin "gradus" (step), hence one's military rank or academic standing. | |||
Swedish | kvalitet | ||
The word 'kvalitet', meaning grade in Swedish, shares an etymology with the word 'quality' in English, both deriving from the Latin word 'qualitas'. | |||
Welsh | gradd | ||
The word "gradd" also means "step" or "degree" in Welsh. |
Belarusian | гатунак | ||
"Гатунак" in Belarusian can also refer to a type of traditional dance or a mischievous person. | |||
Bosnian | razred | ||
The word "razred" in Bosnian also means "class" or "division". | |||
Bulgarian | степен | ||
Besides denoting an academic grade, степен ('step, level') also means 'dimension, power, degree, step, level, extent, stage, rank' | |||
Czech | školní známka | ||
In Czech, "školní známka" literally means "a sign from a school", referring to its original nature of being handwritten notes attached to students' papers and not numeric grades as they are known in English. | |||
Estonian | hinne | ||
"Hinne" comes from the German "hinnen", meaning "from here." | |||
Finnish | arvosana | ||
Arvosana means "grade" in Finnish, but originally comes from the word "arvo," meaning "value" or "worth." | |||
Hungarian | fokozat | ||
The Hungarian word "fokozat" (grade) originates from the verb "fokoz" (to increase), referring to the process of moving up in rank or status. | |||
Latvian | pakāpe | ||
The word "pakāpe" is related to the verb "kāpt" (to climb), suggesting a hierarchical structure. | |||
Lithuanian | laipsnio | ||
The word "laipsnis" can also refer to a scientific degree or a trigonometric degree. | |||
Macedonian | одделение | ||
In Russian, the word "отделение" means not only "grade" but also "department". | |||
Polish | stopień | ||
The word "stopień" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*stopь", meaning "step" or "stage". | |||
Romanian | grad | ||
In Romanian, "grad" not only means "grade" but also "city" or "hail". | |||
Russian | оценка | ||
The word "оценка" in Russian can also mean an assessment or an evaluation. | |||
Serbian | разред | ||
The Serbian word "разред", meaning "class" or "grade", is derived from Proto-Slavic *razrědъ, meaning "series" or "order". It is also related to the Czech word "řad" and the Polish word "rzad", both meaning "row" or "series". | |||
Slovak | stupeň | ||
Stupeň in Slovak can also mean "step", "stage", or "level" | |||
Slovenian | razred | ||
The word 'razred' in Slovenian can also refer to a military unit, a social class, or a group of people with a similar level of education or skill. | |||
Ukrainian | сорт | ||
"сорт" is also used in Ukrainian to refer to a variety or type of something. |
Bengali | শ্রেণী | ||
The word "শ্রেণী" originated from the Sanskrit word " श्रेणी" referring to a set, series or group. | |||
Gujarati | ગ્રેડ | ||
The Gujarati word "ગ્રેડ" comes from the English word "grade", which in turn comes from the Latin word "gradus", meaning "step" or "level." | |||
Hindi | ग्रेड | ||
"ग्रेड" शब्द की व्युत्पत्ति लैटिन "gradus" से हुई है, जिसका अर्थ है "कदम" या "डिग्री"। | |||
Kannada | ಗ್ರೇಡ್ | ||
In Kannada, the word "ಗ್ರೇಡ್" (grade) is also used to describe a stage in one's education (for example, primary grade, secondary grade). | |||
Malayalam | ഗ്രേഡ് | ||
The word 'ഗ്രേഡ്' can also mean 'slope' in Malayalam, referring to the inclination of a surface. | |||
Marathi | ग्रेड | ||
In Marathi, the word "ग्रेड" ("grade") can also refer to a level of quality or merit. | |||
Nepali | ग्रेड | ||
This word can refer to a 'step,' 'ladder,' or 'position' as well but is usually found in combination with another word such as a 'slope' or 'steep' to refer to an 'incline' or 'gradient.' | |||
Punjabi | ਗ੍ਰੇਡ | ||
The word "grade" in Punjabi can also refer to a class of students or a rank or quality. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ශ්රේණියේ | ||
Tamil | தரம் | ||
தரம் ('grade') also means 'nature', 'sort', 'class', 'condition', and 'state'. | |||
Telugu | గ్రేడ్ | ||
The word "గ్రేడ్" can also refer to a class of rice or a degree of quality. | |||
Urdu | گریڈ | ||
The word "گریڈ" can also mean "to grind" or "to crush" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 年级 | ||
年级 can also mean 'class' or 'level' in Chinese, or 'annual' when used as a prefix. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 年級 | ||
年級, 年資, 歲數, 等級, 年限, 層級 | |||
Japanese | グレード | ||
"グレード" can also mean "quality" or "rank". | |||
Korean | 등급 | ||
The Korean word "등급" can also mean "rank" or "level". | |||
Mongolian | зэрэг | ||
The word "зэрэг" can also mean "rank", "level", or "status" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အတန်း | ||
Indonesian | kelas | ||
The word "kelas" is derived from the Portuguese word "classe". In Indonesian, it can also refer to a group of people or animals with similar characteristics. | |||
Javanese | sasmita | ||
Sasmita can also mean "mark" or "sign" in Javanese. | |||
Khmer | ថ្នាក់ | ||
The Khmer word "ថ្នាក់" can also refer to "class" in the sense of a social class or group of people with similar status or background. | |||
Lao | ຊັ້ນ | ||
The word “ຊັ້ນ” (“grade”) can also refer to a “class”, a “floor” in a building or, figuratively, a “level” or “stage” of development. | |||
Malay | gred | ||
The word "gred" in Malay can also refer to a rank or level within an organization. | |||
Thai | เกรด | ||
"เกรด" is derived from the French "grade" meaning "step" and is also a measure of rice quality in Thai culture. | |||
Vietnamese | cấp | ||
In Vietnamese, the word "cấp" also means "level" or "rank" and can refer to hierarchical structures or the level of a person in an organization or society | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | grado | ||
Azerbaijani | sinif | ||
The word "sinif" in Azerbaijani also means "class" and is derived from Arabic "صنف" ( صنف ) - "category", "kind". It is believed that the word was adopted into Azerbaijani through Persian. | |||
Kazakh | баға | ||
In Kazakh, "баға" (grade) can also refer to "price" or "value". | |||
Kyrgyz | класс | ||
The word "класс" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a social stratum or a type of school. | |||
Tajik | синф | ||
In Persian, the word "синф" also means "class" or "category." | |||
Turkmen | synp | ||
Uzbek | sinf | ||
The word "sinf" also means "zero" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | دەرىجىسى | ||
Hawaiian | papa | ||
The alternate meaning of "papa" is "flat" or "level surface". | |||
Maori | kōeke | ||
The word "kōeke" in Maori can also refer to a step or platform. | |||
Samoan | vasega | ||
The word 'vasega' can also refer to a wooden trough or dish, an altar or sacred place, and a level or station in society. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | grade | ||
In Tagalog, "grade" can also mean "step" or "rank". |
Aymara | kraru | ||
Guarani | kuaara'ã techaukaha | ||
Esperanto | grado | ||
The Esperanto word "grado" can also mean "degree" (of temperature or angle) or "rank" (in the military). | |||
Latin | gradus | ||
The Latin word "gradus" can also refer to a step, a degree, or a rank. |
Greek | βαθμός | ||
The word "βαθμός" can also mean "step" or "degree" in Greek, indicating a progression or level of intensity. | |||
Hmong | qib | ||
The Hmong word 'Qib' can also refer to a 'generation' within a clan. | |||
Kurdish | sinif | ||
The word "sinif" in Kurdish can also refer to a species or a kind. | |||
Turkish | derece | ||
The word "derece" can refer to an angle, a level, or a degree of something such as intensity or difficulty. | |||
Xhosa | grade | ||
The word 'grade' in Xhosa can also mean 'to measure' or 'to estimate'. | |||
Yiddish | גראַד | ||
The Yiddish word "גראַד" also has the alternate meaning of "straight". | |||
Zulu | ibanga | ||
The word 'ibanga' can also refer to a level in a hierarchy or the rank of a person within a group. | |||
Assamese | শ্ৰেণী | ||
Aymara | kraru | ||
Bhojpuri | कक्षा | ||
Dhivehi | ގްރޭޑް | ||
Dogri | ग्रेड | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | grado | ||
Guarani | kuaara'ã techaukaha | ||
Ilocano | grado | ||
Krio | mak | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پلە | ||
Maithili | दरजा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯛ | ||
Mizo | pawl | ||
Oromo | kutaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଗ୍ରେଡ୍ | ||
Quechua | ñiqi | ||
Sanskrit | वर्ग | ||
Tatar | класс | ||
Tigrinya | ክፍሊ | ||
Tsonga | giredi | ||