Housing in Different Languages
Discover 'Housing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Housing is a fundamental aspect of our lives, providing us with shelter and a sense of security. It's not just a physical structure, but also a cultural concept that varies greatly around the world. From high-rise apartments in bustling cities to traditional homes in rural villages, the way we live reflects our values, traditions, and way of life.
Understanding the translation of housing in different languages can provide insight into these cultural differences and similarities. For example, in Spanish, housing is 'vivienda,' while in French it's 'logement.' In Mandarin, it's '房子 (fángzǐ),' and in Japanese, it's '家 (ie).' These translations not only help us communicate with people from different backgrounds, but also broaden our perspective on the world around us.
In this list, you'll find the translations of housing in over 50 languages, from Arabic to Zulu. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and educate you on the global significance of housing.
Housing
Housing in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | behuising | ||
| "Behuising" can also refer to the case or shell that makes up the body of an insect, or to any type of protective or supportive structure, such as a casing, a housing, or a container. | |||
| Amharic | መኖሪያ ቤት | ||
| The word "መኖሪያ ቤት" can also refer to a boarding house or hostel. | |||
| Hausa | gidaje | ||
| The word «gidaje» was coined from «gida» («home») and the suffix «-je» («belonging to») to mean «belonging to home» or «housing» in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ | ||
| The Igbo word "ụlọ" can also refer to a room, building, or shelter. | |||
| Malagasy | trano | ||
| "Trano" is also used to refer to a village or a group of houses. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyumba | ||
| The word "nyumba" also has a secondary meaning of "home," and is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*-mba" meaning "to put, place". | |||
| Shona | dzimba | ||
| "Dzimba" is also used to refer to the living space of the ancestors (vadzimu) in Shona culture. | |||
| Somali | guryaha | ||
| "Gur yaha" is sometimes used figuratively like the verb "degaan" (staying), "Gur" indicating home. | |||
| Sesotho | matlo | ||
| The word "matlo" can also refer to a temporary shelter or a place of refuge. | |||
| Swahili | nyumba | ||
| The word "nyumba" in Swahili also refers to a person's home, family, or household. | |||
| Xhosa | izindlu | ||
| In Xhosa, 'izindlu' literally translates to 'the houses', representing the communal nature of housing. | |||
| Yoruba | ibugbe | ||
| The phrase "ti kọ́ ibugbe", which literally means "to learn housing" in Yoruba, refers to the traditional Yoruba method of learning architecture. | |||
| Zulu | izindlu | ||
| The word 'Izindlu' (housing) is derived from the word 'Indlu' (house), which originally meant 'shelter' or 'place to sleep' in Nguni languages. | |||
| Bambara | sow jɔli | ||
| Ewe | aƒewo tutu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amazu | ||
| Lingala | ndako ya kofanda | ||
| Luganda | amayumba | ||
| Sepedi | dintlo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adan a wɔde tua ho ka | ||
Housing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | السكن | ||
| The term | |||
| Hebrew | דיור | ||
| דיור (diur) also means "dwelling place" as in Exodus 15:17 and is cognate with the Akkadian word "diru" with the same meaning. | |||
| Pashto | کور | ||
| The word "کور" is of Persian or Sanskrit origin and has been used in Pashto for centuries. | |||
| Arabic | السكن | ||
| The term | |||
Housing in Western European Languages
| Albanian | strehimit | ||
| The word 'strehimit' in Albanian comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *teg- ('to cover') and is related to words like 'tectum' in Latin. | |||
| Basque | etxebizitza | ||
| The Basque word "etxebizitza" also means "life at home". | |||
| Catalan | habitatge | ||
| The Catalan word "habitatge" derives from the Latin "habitare" (to dwell) and refers not only to housing but also to the act of inhabiting or dwelling in a place. | |||
| Croatian | kućište | ||
| An alternate meaning of 'kućište' in Croatian is a place name meaning 'a place where there used to be a house' | |||
| Danish | boliger | ||
| The word "boliger" in Danish is derived from the Old Norse word "bōligr," meaning "dwelling" or "abode." | |||
| Dutch | huisvesting | ||
| The Dutch word "huisvesting" has two parts, "huis" (house) and "vesting" (place of defense), meaning "a place to live and defend oneself." | |||
| English | housing | ||
| The word "housing" originates from the Old Norse word "hūs", meaning "house". It can also refer to the act of providing shelter or accommodation for people or animals. | |||
| French | logement | ||
| The word "logement" can also refer to the placing of goods or troops in a particular location or establishment. | |||
| Frisian | húsfesting | ||
| The etymology of "húsfesting" originates in "hús" (house) and "festing" (fastening), implying a sense of securing a house in place. | |||
| Galician | vivenda | ||
| In Latin, Galician's ancestor language, "vivenda" refers to the process of "living", whereas in Galician it's the place in which one lives | |||
| German | gehäuse | ||
| The word "Gehäuse" originally meant "carapace" or "shell" and is related to the English word "case." | |||
| Icelandic | húsnæði | ||
| Húsnæði is derived from the Old Norse word húsnøð, meaning 'shelter'. It can also refer to a person's living quarters or accommodation. | |||
| Irish | tithíocht | ||
| The word 'tithíocht' in Irish can also refer to the act of housing or providing shelter. | |||
| Italian | alloggi | ||
| The word "alloggi" comes from the Old Italian word "allogare," which means "to place" or "to put in a place." | |||
| Luxembourgish | wunnengen | ||
| The word "Wunnengen" is derived from the Old High German word "wunnigunga", meaning "dwelling" or "habitation". | |||
| Maltese | akkomodazzjoni | ||
| "Akkomodazzjoni" is formed from the Italian "accomodazione" meaning "provision of something or service", coming from the Latin "adcommodare" which means "to adapt something to suit a need". | |||
| Norwegian | bolig | ||
| The Proto-Germanic form of “bolig” is *buliją, cognate with Modern English “building”. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | habitação | ||
| The word "habitação" has Latin roots and also means "habit" or "custom" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taigheadas | ||
| The Gaelic word "taigheadas" has several meanings, including "house, household, family, clan, or tribe." | |||
| Spanish | alojamiento | ||
| The Spanish word "alojamiento" may also refer to a temporary or emergency dwelling. | |||
| Swedish | hus | ||
| The word "hus" can also refer to a person's spouse or partner. | |||
| Welsh | tai | ||
| The word "tai" can also refer to a "family group" or "household" in Welsh. | |||
Housing in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жыллё | ||
| Беларуское слово «жыллё» происходит от древнеславянского слова «жило», что означает «жилище». | |||
| Bosnian | stanovanje | ||
| The word "stanovanje" can also refer to a "situation" or "condition" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | жилище | ||
| "Жилище" also means "living" and is a cognate of the English word "dwell". | |||
| Czech | bydlení | ||
| The Czech word "bydlení" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *bydl-, meaning "to live" or "to stay". It is cognate with the Polish word "bydlenie" and the Russian word "жить" (zhit'). | |||
| Estonian | eluase | ||
| Eluase is a compound word in Estonian deriving from “elu”, meaning “life”, and “ase”, meaning “place” or “location”. | |||
| Finnish | asuminen | ||
| The word "asuminen" can also refer to dwelling, residence, or living space. | |||
| Hungarian | ház | ||
| This word is cognate with the Turkish "ev" and the Mongolian "ger", both words also meaning "house" or "dwelling". | |||
| Latvian | mājoklis | ||
| The word "mājoklis" comes from the Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Baltic roots *dom- and *sed-, meaning, respectively, "to build" and "to dwell in". | |||
| Lithuanian | būsto | ||
| Lithuanian word "būstas" is likely a cognate of the Latvian word "būda," meaning booth, hut, or shed. | |||
| Macedonian | домување | ||
| The word "домување" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "domъ", meaning "house" or "home". | |||
| Polish | mieszkaniowy | ||
| "Mieszkaniowy" is derived from the word "mieszkanie". In Polish, the word "mieszkanie" can also refer to a flat, an apartment, or a room | |||
| Romanian | locuințe | ||
| "Locuințe" is the Romanian word for "housing", derived from the Latin word "locus" meaning "place". | |||
| Russian | корпус | ||
| The word originally meant "the human body," as in the expression "корпус корабля" (body of a ship), where the ship is "animated" by a mast. | |||
| Serbian | становање | ||
| The Serbian word "становање" also refers to "residency", "domicile" or "place of living". | |||
| Slovak | bývanie | ||
| The Slovak word "bývanie" is derived from the verb "bývať", which means "to dwell" or "to live in". | |||
| Slovenian | nastanitev | ||
| The word nastanitev in Slovene is derived from the verb nastaniti or “to inhabit” or “to settle”. | |||
| Ukrainian | житло | ||
| The Ukrainian word "житло" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*žitъ", meaning "to live", and is related to the words "жити" (to live), "життя" (life), and "житниця" (granary). | |||
Housing in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হাউজিং | ||
| The word "হাউজিং" can also refer to the act of providing shelter or accommodation. | |||
| Gujarati | હાઉસિંગ | ||
| Housing (હાઉસિંગ) can also refer to the act of providing a house or shelter for someone or something. | |||
| Hindi | आवास | ||
| "आवास" (housing) derives from the Sanskrit word "वास" (residence) and can also refer to a dwelling or place of abode. | |||
| Kannada | ವಸತಿ | ||
| The word "ವಸತಿ" in Kannada can also refer to a dwelling or a residence. | |||
| Malayalam | പാർപ്പിട | ||
| Marathi | गृहनिर्माण | ||
| The word 'गृहनिर्माण' is a compound of 'गृह' (house) and 'निर्माण' (construction). | |||
| Nepali | आवास | ||
| The Nepali word "आवास" (housing) also connotes "place of residence" and "dwelling place". | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਾ .ਸਿੰਗ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਹਾ .ਸਿੰਗ" is thought to derive from the Sanskrit word "वासः" (vāsaḥ) which means "to live" or "dwelling". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිවාස | ||
| The word "නිවාස" can also be interpreted as "residence" or "abode" in the context of accommodation. | |||
| Tamil | வீட்டுவசதி | ||
| Telugu | గృహ | ||
| The word "గృహ" (housing) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "गृह" (house), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰre-, meaning "to protect" or "to enclose." | |||
| Urdu | رہائش | ||
| رہائش also means "domicile" and "abode" in Persian and is related to the word "rest". | |||
Housing in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 住房 | ||
| The character “住” in “住房” originally meant “to stand still” and later extended to mean “to dwell”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 住房 | ||
| 住房 is sometimes used figuratively to refer to a person's "accommodation" or their "lodging". | |||
| Japanese | ハウジング | ||
| In addition to its standard meaning of "housing," the word "ハウジング" can also refer to a "case" or "covering" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 주택 | ||
| 주택 is a Sino-Korean word, combining the Mandarin word "住" (주) meaning "to reside" and "宅" (택) meaning "house". | |||
| Mongolian | орон сууц | ||
| The word "орон сууц" can also mean "home" or "abode". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိုးအိမ် | ||
Housing in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perumahan | ||
| The term "perumahan" in Indonesian derives from the Dutch word "perwoning," meaning "habitation" or "dwelling." | |||
| Javanese | omah | ||
| 'Omah' in Javanese is a cognate of 'rumah' in Indonesian and 'home' in English, ultimately derived from Proto-Austronesian *Rumaq. | |||
| Khmer | លំនៅដ្ឋាន | ||
| The word "លំនៅដ្ឋាន" can also refer to a place where people live, such as a house or an apartment. | |||
| Lao | ທີ່ຢູ່ອາໃສ | ||
| Malay | perumahan | ||
| "Perumahan" also refers to a housing complex or estate. | |||
| Thai | ที่อยู่อาศัย | ||
| Thai "ที่อยู่อาศัย" (housing) comes from the Sanskrit "sthiti" (existence, being). | |||
| Vietnamese | nhà ở | ||
| Nhà ở also refers to a specific style of Vietnamese vernacular architecture. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pabahay | ||
Housing in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mənzil | ||
| "Mənzil" can also be understood as "stage" or a step towards a goal | |||
| Kazakh | тұрғын үй | ||
| The word "тұрғын үй" can also refer to a "building" or "house" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | турак жай | ||
| The word "турак жай" ("housing") in Kyrgyz also refers to a specific type of housing called a "tүр" which is a traditional Kyrgyz yurt. | |||
| Tajik | манзил | ||
| The word "манзил" also refers to a halting place for a traveler or a stage in a journey in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýaşaýyş jaýy | ||
| Uzbek | uy-joy | ||
| The Uzbek word "uy-joy" derives from the Persian compound word "khāneh-jāy" and originally meant "the place where a family dwells." | |||
| Uyghur | تۇرالغۇ | ||
Housing in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale noho | ||
| Hale noho is derived from the words "hale" (house) and "noho" (sit or reside). | |||
| Maori | whare | ||
| The word 'whare' in Maori has both literal and spiritual meanings, referring to physical structures as well as sacred spaces and ancestral connections. | |||
| Samoan | fale | ||
| The Samoan word "fale" can also refer to a meeting house or a church, and is cognate with other Polynesian languages such as Tongan and Māori. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pabahay | ||
| The word "pabahay" can also refer to a "dwelling place" or "shelter". | |||
Housing in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | utanaka | ||
| Guarani | óga rehegua | ||
Housing in International Languages
| Esperanto | loĝejo | ||
| The word "loĝejo" is used to indicate the "dwelling of a private individual" or "a house". | |||
| Latin | habitationi | ||
| The Latin word 'habitationi' derives from the verb 'habito,' meaning 'to dwell' or 'to inhabit' | |||
Housing in Others Languages
| Greek | στέγαση | ||
| The word "στέγαση" can also refer to a shelter or a dwelling. | |||
| Hmong | tsev nyob | ||
| The Hmong word "tsev nyob" is derived from the Chinese word "shàng jiā," meaning "to live in a house." | |||
| Kurdish | xanî | ||
| The word "xanî" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰen- ("to build"), and is cognate with words such as "house" in English, "Haus" in German, and "خانه" (khāneh) in Persian. | |||
| Turkish | konut | ||
| The word "Konut" can also refer to a "place of retreat" or "shelter." | |||
| Xhosa | izindlu | ||
| In Xhosa, 'izindlu' literally translates to 'the houses', representing the communal nature of housing. | |||
| Yiddish | האָוסינג | ||
| The word "האָוסינג" in Yiddish (translated as "housing" in English) traces its roots back to Middle Low German "hūsing." This suggests a connection to the German term "Haus," meaning "house". | |||
| Zulu | izindlu | ||
| The word 'Izindlu' (housing) is derived from the word 'Indlu' (house), which originally meant 'shelter' or 'place to sleep' in Nguni languages. | |||
| Assamese | গৃহ নিৰ্মাণ | ||
| Aymara | utanaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | आवास के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޯހިޔާވަހިކަން | ||
| Dogri | आवास | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pabahay | ||
| Guarani | óga rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | balay | ||
| Krio | os fɔ bil os | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خانووبەرە | ||
| Maithili | आवास | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯎꯖꯤꯡ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | in sakna tur | ||
| Oromo | mana jireenyaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗୃହ | ||
| Quechua | wasikuna | ||
| Sanskrit | आवासः | ||
| Tatar | торак | ||
| Tigrinya | መንበሪ ኣባይቲ | ||
| Tsonga | tindlu ta vutshamo | ||