Idea in Different Languages
Discover 'Idea' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An 'idea' is a powerful thing - it's the spark that ignites innovation, creativity, and progress. From the momentous breakthroughs of great philosophers and scientists, to the lightbulb moments that shape our daily lives, ideas have the potential to change the world.
The significance of ideas extends beyond the realm of personal achievement or historical milestones. Ideas are the currency of human connection, the foundation of cultural exchange, and the driving force behind social evolution. They transcend borders, languages, and generations, uniting us in our shared quest for knowledge and understanding.
Given the profound impact of ideas, it's no wonder that people across the globe are interested in their translation and interpretation in different languages. For instance, the Italian equivalent of 'idea' is 'idea', while in Spanish, it's 'idea'. In German, the word for 'idea' is 'Idee', and in French, it's 'idée'.
In this article, we delve deeper into the fascinating world of ideas, exploring their cultural importance, historical contexts, and the myriad ways they are expressed in different languages.
Idea
Idea in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | idee | ||
| The Afrikaans word "idee" derives from the Dutch word "idee" and the French word "idée," both ultimately originating from the Greek word "idein" meaning "to see". | |||
| Amharic | ሀሳብ | ||
| While it derives from the root | |||
| Hausa | ra'ayi | ||
| "Ra'ayi" in Hausa can also mean 'viewpoint', 'opinion', or 'judgement'. | |||
| Igbo | echiche | ||
| "Echiche" also means "knowledge" or "understanding" in Igbo, and is related to the word "chi," meaning "spirit" or "life force." | |||
| Malagasy | hevitra | ||
| The word "hevitra" can also refer to a plan or a project. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lingaliro | ||
| The Nyanja (Chichewa) word 'lingaliro' can also refer to 'thought', 'opinion', 'concept', or 'notion'. | |||
| Shona | pfungwa | ||
| The word "pfungwa" is connected to the concept of "thinking" and derives from the Proto-Bantu root "*-fungu-." | |||
| Somali | fikrad | ||
| The word "fikrad" in Somali can also refer to a plan, intention, or purpose. | |||
| Sesotho | mohopolo | ||
| The word "mohopolo" in Sesotho also means "a mental image" or "a fancy" | |||
| Swahili | wazo | ||
| The word "wazo" can also refer to a thought, a plan, or a scheme. | |||
| Xhosa | umbono | ||
| The word "umbono" can also refer to a plan, a proposal, or a suggestion. | |||
| Yoruba | imọran | ||
| "Imọran" can also mean "advice" or "counsel" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umqondo | ||
| The Zulu word "umqondo" derives from the verb "-qonda," meaning "to think" or "to understand." | |||
| Bambara | hakilina | ||
| Ewe | susu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igitekerezo | ||
| Lingala | likanisi | ||
| Luganda | ekirowoozo | ||
| Sepedi | kgopolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwenmpɔ | ||
Idea in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فكرة | ||
| The Arabic word "فكرة" is ultimately derived from the Greek word "idéa" and has also been influenced by Persian. | |||
| Hebrew | רַעְיוֹן | ||
| רַעְיוֹן (reʿyon) comes from Semitic "rʿy" "to see", which is also the origin of Hebrew "ראי" (reʾi) "to gaze". In Biblical Hebrew, it can also denote thought or a plan. | |||
| Pashto | نظر | ||
| The Pashto word "نظر" also refers to a type of mystical power, often attributed to holy men. | |||
| Arabic | فكرة | ||
| The Arabic word "فكرة" is ultimately derived from the Greek word "idéa" and has also been influenced by Persian. | |||
Idea in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ideja | ||
| The Albanian word "ideja" is derived from the Greek word "idea" meaning "form" or "shape", and also carries the connotation of an "inner essence" or "notion. | |||
| Basque | ideia | ||
| The word "ideia" in Basque can also mean "opinion", "concept", or "thought". It comes from the Greek word "idea" meaning "form" or "image". | |||
| Catalan | idea | ||
| "Idea" comes from the Greek word "εἶδος" (eidos), which also means "form" or "shape". | |||
| Croatian | ideja | ||
| The Croatian word "ideja" is derived from the Greek word "idea" meaning "form" or "pattern". | |||
| Danish | ide | ||
| The word "ide" in Danish can also refer to a type of fish or to a verb meaning "to ruminate". | |||
| Dutch | idee | ||
| Derived from Greek "eidos" meaning "form" or "appearance" and related to the English word "idol". | |||
| English | idea | ||
| The word 'idea' derives from the Greek word 'eidos', which can also refer to a 'form' or 'appearance'. | |||
| French | idée | ||
| The word "idée" in French can also refer to a mental image, a concept, or a plan. | |||
| Frisian | idee | ||
| In Frisian, "idee" can also mean "image" or "intention". | |||
| Galician | idea | ||
| En galego, a palabra "idea" provén do grego "εἶδος" (éidos), que significa "forma" ou "aspecto externo | |||
| German | idee | ||
| The word "Idee" in German also refers to a preliminary sketch of a painting or sculpture. | |||
| Icelandic | hugmynd | ||
| The Icelandic word "hugmynd" shares an etymology with the English word "mind" and can also refer to a "mental image" or "intention." | |||
| Irish | smaoineamh | ||
| Italian | idea | ||
| The word "idea" comes from the Greek word "ἰδέα" (idéa), which means "form" or "appearance". | |||
| Luxembourgish | iddi | ||
| The word "Iddi" in Luxembourgish also means "fancy" or "opinion". | |||
| Maltese | idea | ||
| In Maltese, "idea" is also used to refer to a "thought" or "opinion" | |||
| Norwegian | idé | ||
| The Old Norse word "idh" is related to the verb "vita" ("to know"), meaning "idé" (idea) can be understood as the result of a mental process. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | idéia | ||
| Derived from the Ancient Greek word ἰδέα (idéa), "idéia" can also mean "image". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beachd | ||
| The word "beachd" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a purpose, goal or intention. | |||
| Spanish | idea | ||
| En español, "idea" también puede referirse a una "imagen" o a una "noción". | |||
| Swedish | aning | ||
| Aning can also be the shortened form of aningen which means 'slightly'. This is often used when describing something positive, like aningen glad, which means 'slightly glad'. | |||
| Welsh | syniad | ||
| The word "syniad" is also used in Welsh to refer to a "notion" or "opinion". | |||
Idea in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ідэя | ||
| The word “ідэя” can mean “form” in the context of sculpture. | |||
| Bosnian | ideja | ||
| The word "ideja" in Bosnian derives from the Ancient Greek word "idéa", which means "form" or "essence". | |||
| Bulgarian | идея | ||
| The word "идея" is derived from the Greek word "idea", which means "form" or "essence". | |||
| Czech | nápad | ||
| The word "nápad" originally meant "sudden attack" or "ambush" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | idee | ||
| The Estonian word "idee" is derived from the French word "idée", which in turn comes from the Greek word "εἶδος" (eidos), meaning "form" or "essence." | |||
| Finnish | idea | ||
| The Finnish word "idea" is derived from the Greek word "eidos", meaning "form" or "image" | |||
| Hungarian | ötlet | ||
| "Ötlet" can also refer to a spark or flash. | |||
| Latvian | ideja | ||
| Word "ideja" was influenced by Latin word "idea" through German (die Idee) in 18th century when German literature became popular throughout Europe | |||
| Lithuanian | idėja | ||
| "Idėja" is derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eyd- or *h₁yés-, meaning "to see, perceive." | |||
| Macedonian | идеја | ||
| The Macedonian word "идеја" ultimately derives from the Greek word "ἰδέα," meaning "form" or "essence." | |||
| Polish | pomysł | ||
| It is derived from the verb - 'pomysleć', from the Proto-Slavic verb *mysliti, both meaning to think. | |||
| Romanian | idee | ||
| The word "idee" comes from the French "idée", which is derived from the Greek "idea" (form, shape). | |||
| Russian | идея | ||
| In Russian, the word "идея" can also mean "form" or "appearance" of an object. | |||
| Serbian | идеја | ||
| The word "идеја" is borrowed from Greek, where it means "a form" or a "model". | |||
| Slovak | nápad | ||
| Nápad originates from the Proto-Slavic word *nopadъ, meaning "to fall upon". | |||
| Slovenian | ideja | ||
| The word "ideja" in Slovenian is derived from the Greek word "eidos" meaning "form" or "essence". | |||
| Ukrainian | ідея | ||
| "Ідея” is also the name of a Ukrainian literary journal published in Canada since 1948. | |||
Idea in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধারণা | ||
| ধারণা (dhārana) means 'carrying' in Sanskrit. | |||
| Gujarati | વિચાર | ||
| The Gujarati word "વિચાર" (idea) originates from the Sanskrit word "विचारणम्" (investigation), implying the process of examining and analyzing thoughts. | |||
| Hindi | विचार | ||
| विचार also means 'thought, consideration, reflection, contemplation, deliberation, opinion, view, belief, principle, theory, doctrine, philosophy, ideology, system of thought, point of view, perspective, viewpoint, standpoint, position, attitude, frame of mind, mindset, mentality, disposition, mood, frame of reference, frame of mind, frame of thinking, way of thinking, trend of thought, current of thought, line of thought, train of thought, stream of thought, flow of thought, flight of thought, flight of fancy, reverie, daydream, reverie, fantasy, dream, trance, hallucination, illusion, apparition, phantom, vision, ghost, specter, apparition, phantom, wraith, spirit, soul, psyche, mind, consciousness, self, person, individual, soul, being, entity, existence, essence, substance, nature, character, quality, attribute, property, feature, aspect, dimension, facet, side, aspect, phase, angle, view, perspective, slant, bias, prejudice, preconception, stereotype, assumption, presupposition, axiom, postulate, theorem, law, principle, rule, regulation, canon, standard, criterion, measure, gauge, benchmark, guideline, parameter, limit, boundary, constraint, restriction, prohibition, taboo, imperative, mandate, obligation, duty, responsibility, requirement, necessity, must, have to, ought to, should, need to, will have to, must not, cannot, may not, might not, cannot, may not, might not, could not, should not, ought not to, need not, will not have to. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಲ್ಪನೆ | ||
| The word "ಕಲ್ಪನೆ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "कल्पना" (kalpana), which means "to create, imagine, or invent". | |||
| Malayalam | ആശയം | ||
| The word "ആശയം" (idea) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "आशय" (intention, purpose), and also means "aim" or "goal" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | कल्पना | ||
| In Vedic Sanskrit, the word "क्ल्पना" (kalpana) meant "to think" or "to suppose". | |||
| Nepali | विचार | ||
| The word 'विचार' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'चि', meaning 'to perceive' or 'to reflect upon'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਚਾਰ | ||
| The Punjabi word ਵਿਚਾਰ (vichar) originally meant 'to deliberate' and 'to think', but has also come to mean 'idea' in contemporary usage. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අදහස | ||
| "අදහස" can also be used to refer to the mind, intelligence, or intellect. | |||
| Tamil | யோசனை | ||
| The Tamil word "யோசனை" can also refer to "thinking" or "planning". | |||
| Telugu | ఆలోచన | ||
| The Telugu word "ఆలోచన" (idea) might come from the Proto-Dravidian root "*al-u-" meaning "to think" or "to meditate". | |||
| Urdu | خیال | ||
| The word "خیال" in Urdu originates from the Arabic word "خيال" meaning "image" or "imagination". | |||
Idea in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 理念 | ||
| 理念 comes from 理 and 念, meaning 'theory' and 'thinking' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 理念 | ||
| "理念" (idea, principle) is homophonous with "里念" (thinking within), which emphasizes the internal process of concept formation. | |||
| Japanese | 考え | ||
| The word 考え (kangaeru) originally meant "to exchange words," implying a process of dialog and exchange with others. | |||
| Korean | 생각 | ||
| The Korean word | |||
| Mongolian | санаа | ||
| Sanaa (санаа) also means "thought, mind, reason, opinion, consideration, design, intention, or project" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ်ကူး | ||
Idea in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ide | ||
| The word "ide" in Indonesian can also mean "thought" or "mind". | |||
| Javanese | ide | ||
| "Ide" is also used in Javanese to describe something strange or unexpected. | |||
| Khmer | គំនិត | ||
| The Khmer word គំនិត (komnit) comes from the Sanskrit word कल्पना (kalpanā), meaning "imagination" or "fancy." | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຄິດ | ||
| Malay | idea | ||
| The Malay word "idea" derives from the Sanskrit word "dhyeya", meaning "mental perception, notion, or aim". | |||
| Thai | ความคิด | ||
| The word 'ความคิด' can also refer to 'opinion' or 'belief', highlighting its subjective nature as an abstract concept. | |||
| Vietnamese | ý tưởng | ||
| "Ý tưởng" is derived from the Chinese word "意义" (yìsi), meaning "significance" or "meaning." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | idea | ||
Idea in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fikir | ||
| "Fikir" also means "thought", "opinion", "intention", and "plan" in Turkish. | |||
| Kazakh | идея | ||
| The Kazakh word "идея" also means "thought". | |||
| Kyrgyz | идея | ||
| The word "идея" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Sanskrit word "idej" meaning "to see". | |||
| Tajik | идея | ||
| The word "идея" can also refer to a concept, a plan, or a design. | |||
| Turkmen | ideýa | ||
| Uzbek | g'oya | ||
| The word "g'oya" is derived from the Arabic word "qada," which means "decree, determination" | |||
| Uyghur | ئىدىيە | ||
Idea in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manaʻo | ||
| Manaʻo literally translates to "thought" or "intention" in Hawaiian and can also refer to a strong desire or wish. | |||
| Maori | whakaaro | ||
| Whakaaro also means "to think," and is cognate with the Rarotongan word "akaro," meaning "to consider." | |||
| Samoan | manatu | ||
| The word "manatu" can also mean "thought", "belief", or "opinion" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | idea | ||
| The Tagalog word "idea" also refers to a concept, notion, or opinion. | |||
Idea in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amuyu | ||
| Guarani | temimo'ã | ||
Idea in International Languages
| Esperanto | ideo | ||
| "Ide" is often used to create new Esperanto words relating to abstract thoughts, such as "ideologio" (ideology). | |||
| Latin | idea | ||
| The Latin word "idea" originally meant "form" or "shape". | |||
Idea in Others Languages
| Greek | ιδέα | ||
| In Greek, "ιδέα" can also refer to the form in which a being manifests itself | |||
| Hmong | lub tswv yim | ||
| Lub tswv yim is a compound word made up of the words "lub" (heart) and "tswv yim" (mind), which suggests that an idea is something that comes from the heart and mind. | |||
| Kurdish | fikir | ||
| "Fikir" can also mean "opinion" or "thought". | |||
| Turkish | fikir | ||
| "Fikir" may also refer to a thought, an opinion, a plan, a notion, or a concept. | |||
| Xhosa | umbono | ||
| The word "umbono" can also refer to a plan, a proposal, or a suggestion. | |||
| Yiddish | געדאַנק | ||
| The Yiddish word for "idea," געדאַנק, comes from the German "Gedanke," which means "thought" or "concept." | |||
| Zulu | umqondo | ||
| The Zulu word "umqondo" derives from the verb "-qonda," meaning "to think" or "to understand." | |||
| Assamese | ধাৰণা | ||
| Aymara | amuyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | विचार | ||
| Dhivehi | ޚިޔާލު | ||
| Dogri | बचार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | idea | ||
| Guarani | temimo'ã | ||
| Ilocano | balabala | ||
| Krio | pɔynt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بیرۆکە | ||
| Maithili | विचार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜ | ||
| Mizo | ngaihtuahna | ||
| Oromo | yaada | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧାରଣା | ||
| Quechua | yuyay | ||
| Sanskrit | विचारं | ||
| Tatar | идея | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓሳብ | ||
| Tsonga | kungu | ||