Helicopter in Different Languages
Discover 'Helicopter' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by rotors. This aerial vehicle has been a significant innovation in the world of transportation and defense, enabling vertical take-off and landing, as well as hovering in one place. The helicopter has become a cultural icon, appearing in various forms of media and even lending its name to popular phrases like 'helicopter parenting.'
Understanding the translation of the word 'helicopter' in different languages can provide insight into how various cultures perceive and interact with this remarkable invention. For instance, in Spanish, a helicopter is known as 'helicóptero,' while in French, it's called 'hélicoptère.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word is '直升飞机' (zhí sheng fēi jī), which literally means 'vertical takeoff aircraft.'
Stay tuned to learn more fascinating translations of the word 'helicopter' in different languages!
Helicopter
Helicopter in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | helikopter | ||
| The Afrikaans word "helikopter" is derived from the Greek word "helikos" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), and can also refer to a type of wind turbine. | |||
| Amharic | ሄሊኮፕተር | ||
| The word ሄሊኮፕተር is of Greek origin, combining the words for "helix" and "pteron" to mean "spiral wing." | |||
| Hausa | helikofta | ||
| In Hausa, 'helikofta' derives from the Greek 'helikos' (spiral) and 'pteron' (wing), referring to the rotating blades of the aircraft. | |||
| Igbo | helikopta | ||
| The word is a loanword from the English word "helicopter." | |||
| Malagasy | angidimby | ||
| The word "angidimby" is a combination of the Malagasy words "angidy" (sky) and "dimby" (iron), referring to the helicopter's ability to fly through the sky like iron. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | helikopita | ||
| In Chichewa, the word "helikopita" also refers to a type of traditional hat worn by men, similar to a beret. | |||
| Shona | chikopokopo | ||
| The word "chikopokopo" is also used to refer to a "bicycle" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | helikobtar | ||
| The word "helikobtar" is borrowed from English and its literal meaning is "spiral flier." | |||
| Sesotho | helikopthara | ||
| The word "helikopthara" is a loanword from the Greek word "helikopteros", meaning "spiral staircase", and is named for its propeller that creates a spiral wind current. | |||
| Swahili | helikopta | ||
| "Helikopta" is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), referring to the helicopter's rotating blades. | |||
| Xhosa | ntaka | ||
| In Xhosa, 'ntaka' is not only 'helicopter' but also 'bird' and 'kite' | |||
| Yoruba | baalu | ||
| In Ijebu dialect, "baalu" refers to the wings of a bird | |||
| Zulu | indiza enophephela emhlane | ||
| The word "indiza enophephela emhlane" is derived from the verbs "enza" (to make), "phephela" (to blow), and "emhlane" (back). It thus literally means "that which makes the wind blow at the back." | |||
| Bambara | ɛlikopɛri | ||
| Ewe | helikɔpta si wotsɔna ƒoa ʋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kajugujugu | ||
| Lingala | hélicoptère | ||
| Luganda | nnamunkanga | ||
| Sepedi | helikopotara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | helikopta a wɔde di dwuma | ||
Helicopter in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هليكوبتر | ||
| The word هليكوبتر is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), reflecting the aircraft's rotating blades. | |||
| Hebrew | מַסוֹק | ||
| The word "מסוק" (helicopter) in Hebrew comes from the Hebrew root "מס" (to ascend), reflecting its ability to take off and land vertically. | |||
| Pashto | چورلکه | ||
| In Pashto, the term "چرخلكه" literally translates to "little wheel" and was coined due to the spinning rotors that lift a helicopter. | |||
| Arabic | هليكوبتر | ||
| The word هليكوبتر is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), reflecting the aircraft's rotating blades. | |||
Helicopter in Western European Languages
| Albanian | helikopter | ||
| The Albanian word for helicopter, "helikopter," comes from the Greek word "helikoptero," meaning "spiral-winged." | |||
| Basque | helikopteroa | ||
| The Basque word for "helicopter", "helikopteroa", is likely derived from the Greek word "helikos", meaning "spiral". | |||
| Catalan | helicòpter | ||
| The word 'helicòpter' comes from the Greek words 'helix' meaning 'spiral' and 'pteron' meaning 'wing'. | |||
| Croatian | helikopter | ||
| "Helikopter" derives from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing) but can also refer to a type of insect in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | helikopter | ||
| Dutch | helikopter | ||
| In Dutch, the word "helikopter" can also mean "helipad". | |||
| English | helicopter | ||
| The term "helicopter" was first used in 1861 by French inventor Gustave Ponton d'Amecourt to describe a type of aerial screw that he had designed. | |||
| French | hélicoptère | ||
| The French word "hélicoptère" comes from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Frisian | helikopter | ||
| The Frisian word "helikopter" is derived from the Greek word "helikos", meaning "spiral", and the Latin word "pteron", meaning "wing". | |||
| Galician | helicóptero | ||
| In Galician, "helicóptero" is derived from the Greek word "helikos" (meaning "spiral") and "pteron" (meaning "wing"). | |||
| German | hubschrauber | ||
| The German word "Hubschrauber" literally translates to "hover-hover". | |||
| Icelandic | þyrla | ||
| The word 'þyrla' is a combination of the words 'þyrla' (whirlwind) and 'þyrnir' (thorns), likely referring to the helicopter's spinning blades. | |||
| Irish | héileacaptar | ||
| The word "héileacaptar" literally means "flying machine" in Irish, from "héil" (flight) and "captar" (machine). | |||
| Italian | elicottero | ||
| The Italian word "elicottero" derives from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Luxembourgish | helikopter | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Helikopter" can also refer to a dragonfly, a type of insect. | |||
| Maltese | ħelikopter | ||
| "Ħelikopter" in Maltese is an adaptation of the English word "helicopter", which in turn is derived from the Ancient Greek words "helix" and "pteron", meaning "spiral" and "wing" respectively. | |||
| Norwegian | helikopter | ||
| Helikopter is derived from the words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | helicóptero | ||
| "Helicóptero" is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | heileacoptair | ||
| The word 'heileacoptair' is derived from the Greek words 'heliko' (spiral) and 'pteron' (wing). | |||
| Spanish | helicóptero | ||
| The word "helicóptero" derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), highlighting its characteristic spiral-shaped rotor blades. | |||
| Swedish | helikopter | ||
| "Helikopter" comes from Greek "helix" and "pteron," meaning "spiral" and "wing." | |||
| Welsh | hofrennydd | ||
| Hofrennydd is also the name of a legendary Welsh giant who was so tall that his feet were on the ground when his head was in the clouds. | |||
Helicopter in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | верталёт | ||
| "Верталёт" originates from the Russian word "вертолёт" which in turn comes from French "hélicoptère" (a combination of "hélice" (propeller) and "ptère" (wing)) | |||
| Bosnian | helikopter | ||
| The word 'helikopter' is also used in Bosnian to refer to a helicopter that is used for military purposes. | |||
| Bulgarian | хеликоптер | ||
| В българския език думата „хеликоптер“ може да означава и „малко дете“. | |||
| Czech | helikoptéra | ||
| The Czech word "helikoptéra" means "helicopter" and comes from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Estonian | helikopter | ||
| The Estonian word "helikopter" is derived from the Greek word "helikos"} | |||
| Finnish | helikopteri | ||
| In Finnish, "helikopteri" is a loanword from French, where "hélicoptère" literally means "spiral wing". | |||
| Hungarian | helikopter | ||
| The word 'helikopter' comes from the Greek words for 'helix' and 'pteron', which mean 'spiral' and 'wing'. | |||
| Latvian | helikopters | ||
| "Helikopters" is a masculine noun in Latvian, derived from the Greek words "helix", which means "spiral" or "to turn", and "pteros", meaning "wings" or "feathered". | |||
| Lithuanian | sraigtasparnis | ||
| The word "sraigtasparnis" is derived from the Lithuanian words "sraigtas" (propeller) and "sparnas" (wing). | |||
| Macedonian | хеликоптер | ||
| The word "хеликоптер" ("helicopter") in Macedonian is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), reflecting its unique rotating blades. | |||
| Polish | śmigłowiec | ||
| The Polish word "śmigłowiec" is derived from the word "śmigło", which means "propeller", and refers to the rotating blades that provide lift and propulsion for the aircraft. | |||
| Romanian | elicopter | ||
| In Romanian, "elicopter" also refers to a toy helicopter made of light materials. | |||
| Russian | вертолет | ||
| The Russian word "вертолет" derives from the French words "hélico" (meaning "spiral") and "ptère" (meaning "wing"). | |||
| Serbian | хеликоптер | ||
| The word 'хеликоптер' also means 'helix' or 'spiral' in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | vrtuľník | ||
| The word "vrtulník" is derived from the Czech word "vrtat", meaning "to drill" or "to spin", and the suffix "-ník", which denotes a person or thing that performs an action. | |||
| Slovenian | helikopter | ||
| The Slovenian word "helikopter" is derived from the French word "hélicoptère," which in turn comes from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Ukrainian | вертоліт | ||
| The word "вертоліт" (helicopter) in Ukrainian is derived from the French word "hélicoptère", which in turn comes from the Greek words "helikos" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
Helicopter in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হেলিকপ্টার | ||
| The word 'হেলিকপ্টার' ('helicopter') is derived from the Greek 'helix' meaning 'spiral' and 'pteron' meaning 'wing' | |||
| Gujarati | હેલિકોપ્ટર | ||
| The word "helicopter" comes from the Greek words for "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Hindi | हेलीकॉप्टर | ||
| The word 'helicopter' is derived from the Greek words 'helix' (spiral) and 'pteron' (wing), referring to its rotating blades. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆಲಿಕಾಪ್ಟರ್ | ||
| The word ಹೆಲಿಕಾಪ್ಟರ್ "helicopter" is derived from the Greek words helix (ἕλιξ) "spiral" and pteron (πτερόν) "wing". | |||
| Malayalam | ഹെലികോപ്റ്റർ | ||
| The word helicopter is derived from the Greek words 'helix' (spiral) and 'pteron' (wing), referring to its unique rotor system. | |||
| Marathi | हेलिकॉप्टर | ||
| The word "हेलिकॉप्टर" (helicopter) comes from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pter" (wing). | |||
| Nepali | हेलिकप्टर | ||
| The word "हेलिकप्टर" (helicopter) in Nepali is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੈਲੀਕਾਪਟਰ | ||
| The word 'ਹੈਲੀਕਾਪਟਰ' ('helicopter') is a portmanteau of the Greek words 'helix' (spiral) and 'pteron' (wing), and is defined as a powered rotorcraft that flies using the lift generated by its rotating wings. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හෙලිකොප්ටරය | ||
| The Sinhala word "හෙලිකොප්ටරය" is derived from the Greek words "helix" and "pteron", meaning "spiral" and "wing" respectively, thus referring to the rotary-winged nature of the aircraft. | |||
| Tamil | ஹெலிகாப்டர் | ||
| The word "ஹெலிகாப்டர்" (helicopter) in Tamil is derived from the Greek words "helikos" (helix, spiral) and "pteron" (wing). | |||
| Telugu | హెలికాప్టర్ | ||
| Urdu | ہیلی کاپٹر | ||
| The name 'helicopter' comes from the Greek word 'helikos,' which means spiral or whorl, and 'pteron,' which means wing. | |||
Helicopter in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 直升机 | ||
| "直" means "straight", "升" means "rise", and "机" means "machine". So the word "直升机" means "a machine that rises straight up". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 直升機 | ||
| 「直升機」一詞的「直升」源自於英文「helicopter」的直譯，而「機」則意指飛行器。 | |||
| Japanese | ヘリコプター | ||
| The word ヘリコプター is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), referring to the rotating blades that provide lift and thrust. | |||
| Korean | 헬리콥터 | ||
| 헬리콥터(Helicopter)는 그리스어로 나선형을 뜻하는 '헬릭스'와 날개를 의미하는 '프테론'이 합쳐져 만들어졌습니다. | |||
| Mongolian | нисдэг тэрэг | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရဟတ်ယာဉ် | ||
Helicopter in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | helikopter | ||
| "Helikopter" in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch "helikopter", which in turn comes from the French "hélicoptère". The word's root is the Greek "helix", meaning "spiral". | |||
| Javanese | helikopter | ||
| In Javanese, "helikopter" is sometimes used to refer to a type of large dragonfly. | |||
| Khmer | ឧទ្ធម្ភាគចក្រ | ||
| Lao | ເຮລິຄອບເຕີ | ||
| The Lao word ເຮລິຄອບເຕີ is derived from the English word "helicopter", which itself comes from the Greek word "helix" meaning "spiral" and "pteron" meaning "wing". | |||
| Malay | helikopter | ||
| In Malay the word "helikopter" can also be used to describe a person who is clumsy or lacks coordination. | |||
| Thai | เฮลิคอปเตอร์ | ||
| เฮลิคอปเตอร์ (helicopter) มาจากภาษากรีก helix หมายถึง เกลียว และ pteron หมายถึง ปีก | |||
| Vietnamese | máy bay trực thăng | ||
| "Máy bá y" literally translates to "flying machine", and "trực thăng" originates from "thẳng cánh", which means "take off vertically." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | helicopter | ||
Helicopter in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | helikopter | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "helikopter" is also an alternate spelling for "helikopter" in English. | |||
| Kazakh | тікұшақ | ||
| "тікұшақ" (helicopter) comes from Kazakh words "тік" (straight, vertical) and "ұшақ" (airplane), meaning "airplane that flies vertically." | |||
| Kyrgyz | тик учак | ||
| The word "тик учак" likely derives from the Russian "вертолет" (vertolyot), though some propose it's a portmanteau of Kyrgyz "тик" ("straight") and "учак" ("plane") due to its vertical takeoff. | |||
| Tajik | чархбол | ||
| The word "чархбол" in Tajik is derived from two Persian words: "чарх" meaning "wheel" and "бол" meaning "wing". | |||
| Turkmen | dikuçar | ||
| Uzbek | vertolyot | ||
| Uyghur | تىك ئۇچار | ||
Helicopter in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | helekopa | ||
| In Hawaiian, "helekopa" is derived from "hele" (to fly) and "kopa" (to ascend), reflecting the aircraft's ability to take off and land vertically. | |||
| Maori | topatopa | ||
| The word "topatopa" originates from the sound made by a helicopter's rotors. | |||
| Samoan | helikopa | ||
| In Samoan, "helikopa" combines "heli" (from Greek for "spiral") and "kopa" (from Maori for "to rise"). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | helikoptero | ||
| The word "helikoptero" is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), reflecting its rotating blades. | |||
Helicopter in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | helicóptero ukampi | ||
| Guarani | helicóptero rehegua | ||
Helicopter in International Languages
| Esperanto | helikoptero | ||
| The Esperanto word "helikoptero" is derived from the Greek words "helix" (spiral) and "pteron" (wing), referring to the rotating blades of a helicopter. | |||
| Latin | helicopter | ||
| "Helicopter" derives from "helik(os)", meaning "spiral" and "pter(on)" meaning "wing." | |||
Helicopter in Others Languages
| Greek | ελικόπτερο | ||
| Ελικόπτερο (helicopter) is derived from the Greek words έλικας (helix, spiral) and πτερόν (wing). | |||
| Hmong | nyoob hoom qav taub | ||
| The term "nyoob hoom qav taub" literally means "dragonfly that carries people" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | helîkopter | ||
| Heli pter (helîkopter) kelimesi, Yunanca “helix” (sarmal) ve “pteron” (kanat) kelimelerinden türemiştir ve Türkçe’ye Fransızcadan geçmiştir. | |||
| Turkish | helikopter | ||
| Due to the rotating blades of the helicopter, the sound of "Helikopter, Helikopter" is perceived, which is why the word "Helikopter" has come to represent the helicopter in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ntaka | ||
| In Xhosa, 'ntaka' is not only 'helicopter' but also 'bird' and 'kite' | |||
| Yiddish | העליקאָפּטער | ||
| In Yiddish, the word העליקאָפּטער is also used to refer to a windsock. | |||
| Zulu | indiza enophephela emhlane | ||
| The word "indiza enophephela emhlane" is derived from the verbs "enza" (to make), "phephela" (to blow), and "emhlane" (back). It thus literally means "that which makes the wind blow at the back." | |||
| Assamese | হেলিকপ্টাৰ | ||
| Aymara | helicóptero ukampi | ||
| Bhojpuri | हेलीकाप्टर से गाड़ी चलावे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހެލިކޮޕްޓަރެވެ | ||
| Dogri | हेलीकाप्टर दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | helicopter | ||
| Guarani | helicóptero rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | helikopter | ||
| Krio | ɛlikopta we dɛn kin yuz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێلیکۆپتەر | ||
| Maithili | हेलीकॉप्टर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯦꯂꯤꯀꯣꯞꯇꯔꯗꯥ ꯆꯠꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | helicopter hmanga kal a ni | ||
| Oromo | helikooptara | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହେଲିକପ୍ଟର | ||
| Quechua | helicóptero nisqapi | ||
| Sanskrit | हेलिकॉप्टर | ||
| Tatar | вертолет | ||
| Tigrinya | ሄሊኮፕተር | ||
| Tsonga | xihahampfhuka-phatsa | ||