Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'in' is a small but powerful preposition, with a wide range of uses and meanings in English. It can indicate location, time, agency, and more. Its significance extends far beyond English, however, as similar words exist in languages around the world.
The word 'in' has cultural importance as well. It's used in idioms, expressions, and proverbs that reflect the values and beliefs of English-speaking cultures. For example, the phrase 'in deep' can refer to being in trouble or in a difficult situation, while 'in love' describes a state of romantic affection.
Knowing the translation of 'in' in different languages can be useful for travelers, language learners, and anyone interested in global culture. It can also shed light on the similarities and differences between languages and cultures. For example, the Spanish word 'en', like the English 'in', can indicate location or time. However, it's also used to express a relationship of means or instrumentality, similar to the English 'with'.
In the following list, you'll find translations of 'in' in a variety of languages, from Spanish and French to Chinese and Arabic. Explore these translations, and discover the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the world.
Afrikaans | in | ||
The Afrikaans word "in" can also mean "inside" or "within". | |||
Amharic | ውስጥ | ||
"ውስጥ" can also mean "in" in a more metaphorical sense, such as "in the midst of" or "in the middle of." | |||
Hausa | a cikin | ||
The word "a cikin" derives from the Proto-West Chadic prefix *aː- for "place", which is also found in the word "gida" for "house". This prefix appears in many Chadic languages, including Hausa, Bole, and Tera. | |||
Igbo | n'ime | ||
The Igbo word "n'ime" can also refer to the interior or essence of something. | |||
Malagasy | in | ||
The Malagasy word "in" can also mean "to" or "at". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkati | ||
The word 'mkati' is also used to mean 'inside' or 'within' when referring to a three-dimensional space. | |||
Shona | mukati | ||
"Mukati" can also refer to the inner side, or the area within something. | |||
Somali | gudaha | ||
The word 'gudaha' is related to the word 'gude', meaning 'inside' or 'the inner part of something', and is also used as a postposition to denote the location of something within a container or enclosed space. | |||
Sesotho | ka hare | ||
The word 'ka hare' has an extended meaning of 'within', and is commonly used to indicate movement and location inside a specified area. | |||
Swahili | ndani | ||
The Swahili word "ndani" also refers to internal organs or personal space. | |||
Xhosa | phakathi | ||
The term 'phakathi' can be translated to 'in the middle', 'among', 'within' or 'at the centre'. | |||
Yoruba | ninu | ||
Ninu' also means 'in charge of' hence the phrase 'eni ti n'inu owo' meaning 'the person in charge of money'. | |||
Zulu | phakathi | ||
"Phakathi" is a noun which also means "depth" in Zulu, and comes from the verb "-phakatha," which means "to pierce" or "to enter deeply." | |||
Bambara | kɔnɔ | ||
Ewe | eme | ||
Kinyarwanda | in | ||
Lingala | na | ||
Luganda | mu | ||
Sepedi | ka | ||
Twi (Akan) | mu | ||
Arabic | في | ||
The Arabic preposition في ('fī') originates from the Proto-Semitic preposition b(i), which also means 'in'. | |||
Hebrew | ב | ||
The word "ב" in Hebrew may also mean "into" or "to" depending on context, and its use is similar to the Latin "in" and Ancient Greek "εις". | |||
Pashto | په | ||
The word "په" also means "under" or "below" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | في | ||
The Arabic preposition في ('fī') originates from the Proto-Semitic preposition b(i), which also means 'in'. |
Albanian | në | ||
The word "në" comes from the Proto-Albanian word "*në", cognate with the Latin "in" and the Greek "ἐν". | |||
Basque | urtean | ||
Basque urtean "in" is also used to express the agent or instrument in passive voice constructions. | |||
Catalan | dins | ||
In Catalan, "dins" can also mean "inside" or "within". | |||
Croatian | u | ||
While "u" almost always means "in" in Croatian, it can also have the meaning of "near" or "at" and sometimes even implies possession. | |||
Danish | i | ||
The Danish word "i" can also mean "inside" or "within". | |||
Dutch | in | ||
The Dutch word "in" can also mean "into" or "within". | |||
English | in | ||
"In" also means "inside" or "within" in general, referring to anything that is enclosed by something else. | |||
French | dans | ||
From the Latin word "de intus," meaning "from within." | |||
Frisian | yn | ||
In Frisian, "yn" can also mean 'within', 'in the presence of', or 'during'. | |||
Galician | dentro | ||
Galician "dentro" also means "inside", "within", "center", and "interior". | |||
German | im | ||
The German prefix "im" derives from the Middle High German "in dem", meaning "in the" and denotes location within something. | |||
Icelandic | í | ||
"í" is not only used as "in" in Icelandic, but also as "inside" and "within", as seen in the phrase "í húsinu" (inside the house). | |||
Irish | in | ||
In Irish, "in" can refer to an island or a meadow. | |||
Italian | in | ||
The Italian word "in" can also mean "within" or "into" in English. | |||
Luxembourgish | an | ||
The Luxembourgish word "an" is borrowed from French and originally meant "into" or "towards" a place, but has since lost its directional connotation. | |||
Maltese | fi | ||
The Maltese word "fi" can also mean "at" or "on" depending on context. | |||
Norwegian | i | ||
The word "i" also means "inside" or "within" in Norwegian. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dentro | ||
The term "dentro" can also refer to internal parts, hidden aspects, or concealed information. | |||
Scots Gaelic | a-steach | ||
Scots Gaelic 'a-steach' is derived from Old Irish 'astech' meaning 'into, within', from Proto-Celtic *ad-steg-, also found in Welsh 'ystwyth', Old Cornish 'steth' and Breton 'ez-dre'. | |||
Spanish | en | ||
The word "en" in Spanish can also mean "on" or "at" depending on the context, and its plural form is "enes". | |||
Swedish | i | ||
Although 'i' can also mean 'he' or 'she' in the third person singular and 'they' in the third person plural, when used as a preposition, it means 'in'. | |||
Welsh | yn | ||
Derived from Proto-Celtic *en "in, within" or possibly from *eni "inwards" or *en- "near to". |
Belarusian | у | ||
The word "у" (in) in Belarusian can also mean "at" or "near". | |||
Bosnian | u | ||
'U', the Bosnian word that can either mean in or into. | |||
Bulgarian | в | ||
The preposition "в" can also mean "into", "at", "on", "to", or "over" depending on the context. | |||
Czech | v | ||
The Czech word "v" can also mean "on" or "at", depending on the context. | |||
Estonian | aastal | ||
The word "aastal" also means "years" or "duration" in Estonian, referring to the passing of time. | |||
Finnish | sisään | ||
The word "sisään" comes from the Proto-Uralic word "*sisään_", which also means "inside" or "interior". | |||
Hungarian | ban ben | ||
The word "ban ben" derives from the Proto-Uralic word *pen(e), meaning "inside", and is used in other Uralic languages, such as the Komi language where it means "in it". | |||
Latvian | iekšā | ||
The word "iekšā" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *(h)enǵh- "narrow" and is related to words like "inside" in English and "innen" in German. | |||
Lithuanian | į | ||
The Lithuanian word "į" not only means "in" but also serves as a verbal prefix expressing movement toward something, resulting in word forms like įeiti (to enter), įlįsti (to crawl in), and įbėgti (to run in). | |||
Macedonian | во | ||
In addition to meaning "in," "во" can also mean "into," "at," or "on" depending on context. | |||
Polish | w | ||
The Polish letter "w" can also mean "into", "inside", "during", or "at". | |||
Romanian | în | ||
The Romanian word "în" is derived from the Latin preposition "in" and, in addition to its primary meaning of "in", can also mean "into", "within", "on", "at", or "during". | |||
Russian | в | ||
The Russian preposition “в” (in) can be used figuratively to mean a state or circumstance, such as “в беде” (in trouble). | |||
Serbian | у | ||
The word "у" (in) in Serbian finds similar usage and carries the meaning of an object's position in the context of another object's existence. | |||
Slovak | v | ||
The Slovak word "v" also means "into" and "at". | |||
Slovenian | v | ||
V in Slovenian can also mean 'into' (as in 'going into a room'), 'at' (as in 'being at home'), or 'on' (as in 'living on a street'). | |||
Ukrainian | в | ||
The word "в" in Ukrainian, derived from Proto-Slavic *vъ, can also mean "into" or "on". |
Bengali | ভিতরে | ||
The word "ভিতরে" can also mean "inside" or "within" in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | માં | ||
The word "માં" ("in" in Gujarati) can also refer to a mother's love or the goddess Amba. | |||
Hindi | में | ||
में is also used as a question particle equivalent to the English 'is it?' or 'are they?' | |||
Kannada | ಸೈನ್ ಇನ್ | ||
The Kannada word "ಸೈನ್ ಇನ್" or "in" originated from the English word "sign in", meaning to enter a system or account. | |||
Malayalam | അകത്ത് | ||
The word "അകത്ത്" ultimately derives from the Proto-Dravidian root "*ak-, *ag-" meaning "inside, interior." | |||
Marathi | मध्ये | ||
मध्ये also has the meanings in between, inside and amongst | |||
Nepali | भित्र | ||
The word 'भित्र' also means 'interior' or 'inside' in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਵਿੱਚ | ||
ਵਿੱਚ's primary meaning is 'in' but it can also mean 'into', 'within', 'by', 'among', 'during', 'at', 'on', 'over' | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තුල | ||
"තුල" also means "inside" or "within". | |||
Tamil | இல் | ||
The word "இல்" ("in") in Tamil may also refer to "house" or "home", as in the compound word "வீடு இல்" (house). | |||
Telugu | లో | ||
లో ('in') can also connote 'during' or 'pertaining to'. | |||
Urdu | میں | ||
The word 'میں' also means 'within' and in the context of time, 'during'. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 在 | ||
The character '在' also means 'to exist' and 'to be present'. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 在 | ||
在 originally means 'to come', which can be reflected by its use as a suffix on verbs of motion. | |||
Japanese | に | ||
The particle "に" is also an abbreviation for "日本に" (nihon ni), meaning "in Japan" or "to Japan." | |||
Korean | 에 | ||
The word 에 can also mean 'to' or 'on' depending on the context. | |||
Mongolian | онд | ||
Although "онд" means "in" primarily, it also means "on top of" and "under". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | in | ||
The word "in" can also mean "within" or "inside" in Myanmar (Burmese). |
Indonesian | di | ||
The Indonesian word "di" is also the Indonesian pronunciation of the English word "the" | |||
Javanese | ing | ||
The morpheme "ing" ("in") can also mean "to" or "at" in the context of time or direction. | |||
Khmer | ក្នុង | ||
The word "ក្នុង" can also mean "within" or "inside". | |||
Lao | ໃນ | ||
The word "ໃນ" can also mean "to be present" or "to have been there". | |||
Malay | dalam | ||
The word "dalam" also means "pregnant" and originates from the Proto-Austronesian word "*daləm" meaning "inside" or "interior". | |||
Thai | ใน | ||
The Thai word "ใน" can also refer to the "insides" or "interior" of something. | |||
Vietnamese | trong | ||
The word "trong" is derived from the Old Vietnamese word "trỏng" meaning "inside" or "interior". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sa | ||
Azerbaijani | in | ||
In Azerbaijani, "in" can also mean "one of; within; into." | |||
Kazakh | жылы | ||
The Kazakh word "жылы" ("in") can also be used to mean "in the course of" or "on the way to". | |||
Kyrgyz | in | ||
The Kyrgyz word "in" also means "inside" and "within". | |||
Tajik | дар | ||
The Tajik word "дар" can also mean "inside", "within", or "in the midst of". | |||
Turkmen | içinde | ||
Uzbek | yilda | ||
The word "yilda" can also refer to "during" or "throughout" a period of time. | |||
Uyghur | in | ||
Hawaiian | i loko o | ||
“I loko o” can also refer to “within, by means of, because of, or for the purpose of” in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | i roto i | ||
The word "i roto i" can also mean inside, within, or among | |||
Samoan | i totonu | ||
The Samoan word "i totonu" can also be translated as "within", "inside", or "at the center". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | sa | ||
The Tagalog word 'sa' originated from the Proto-Austronesian *saŋ which also means 'at' or 'towards'. |
Aymara | ukana | ||
Guarani | pe | ||
Esperanto | en | ||
The Esperanto preposition 'en' can also mean 'at' or 'on', depending on the context. | |||
Latin | apud | ||
"Apud" is a Latin preposition that originally meant "at the home of" and can also be translated as "near" or "at the place of." |
Greek | σε | ||
The Greek word 'σε' can also mean 'on' or 'at' depending on the context. | |||
Hmong | hauv | ||
The Hmong word "hauv" can also mean "inside" or "within". | |||
Kurdish | li | ||
Li in Kurdish can also mean 'to,' 'at,' 'with,' 'upon,' or 'from,' and in some contexts, 'as' or 'like'. | |||
Turkish | içinde | ||
"İçinde" also means "inside" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | phakathi | ||
The term 'phakathi' can be translated to 'in the middle', 'among', 'within' or 'at the centre'. | |||
Yiddish | אין | ||
The Yiddish " אין " can mean "without" and is the origin of the English word "enough". | |||
Zulu | phakathi | ||
"Phakathi" is a noun which also means "depth" in Zulu, and comes from the verb "-phakatha," which means "to pierce" or "to enter deeply." | |||
Assamese | ভিতৰত | ||
Aymara | ukana | ||
Bhojpuri | में | ||
Dhivehi | އެތެރެ | ||
Dogri | च | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sa | ||
Guarani | pe | ||
Ilocano | iti | ||
Krio | in | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | لە | ||
Maithili | में | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯟ | ||
Mizo | chhung | ||
Oromo | keessa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଭିତରେ | ||
Quechua | in | ||
Sanskrit | इत्यस्मिन् | ||
Tatar | .әр сүзнең | ||
Tigrinya | አብ ውሽጢ | ||
Tsonga | endzeni | ||