Income in Different Languages
Discover 'Income' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Income is a significant word that carries cultural importance across the globe. It refers to money earned from various sources, such as employment, investments, or businesses. Income is crucial for individuals and societies, as it enables people to meet their basic needs, achieve financial security, and improve their quality of life. Understanding the concept of income in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view and value work, wealth, and economic mobility.
For instance, in Spanish, income translates to 'ingreso,' while in French, it is 'revenu.' In German, the word for income is 'Einkommen,' and in Japanese, it is 'income' or '入力' (nyūryoku). These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances in how income is perceived and prioritized.
In this article, we will explore the translations of income in various languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this important concept. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of income translations that will broaden your understanding of global economic perspectives.
Income
Income in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | inkomste | ||
| The Afrikaans word "inkomste" is derived from the Dutch word "inkomst" which originally meant "entrance". Hence the double meaning denoting both income and entrance. | |||
| Amharic | ገቢ | ||
| The verb ገባ (gäba) means "to enter" and is the root of the noun ገቢ (gäbi), which thus means "that which enters" the household or business. | |||
| Hausa | kudin shiga | ||
| Hausa "kudin shiga" is etymologically linked to "shiga" which means entry, income being a form of entry. | |||
| Igbo | ego | ||
| "Ego" in Igbo can also refer to one's self, spirit, or personality. | |||
| Malagasy | fidiram-bola | ||
| "Fidiram-bola" can also mean "gift of money" or "payment of a debt". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ndalama | ||
| The word ndalama derives from the term ndala, which means "to have" or "to possess" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | mari | ||
| Shona word 'mari' originates from the word 'mare' meaning 'to be fruitful or prosperous'. | |||
| Somali | dakhliga | ||
| The word "dakhliga" can also refer to revenue, earnings, or profits. | |||
| Sesotho | chelete | ||
| The word "chelete" in Sesotho has the related meanings of "wealth" and "currency". | |||
| Swahili | mapato | ||
| The Swahili word 'mapato' originally referred to the profits from a raid, but now has a more general meaning of income or revenue. | |||
| Xhosa | ingeniso | ||
| The word "ingeniso" also means "earnings" and is derived from the verb "ukungenisa", meaning "to bring in" or "to earn". | |||
| Yoruba | owo oya | ||
| The word "owo oya" can also mean "money that is brought in from farm work." | |||
| Zulu | imali engenayo | ||
| The word "imali engenayo" does not have any alternate meanings in Zulu beyond "income." | |||
| Bambara | sɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | gakpɔkpɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amafaranga yinjiza | ||
| Lingala | salere | ||
| Luganda | ennyingiza | ||
| Sepedi | letseno | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sikanya | ||
Income in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الإيرادات | ||
| The word "الإيرادات" (al-īrādāt) can also mean "revenue" or "returns" in the context of economics. | |||
| Hebrew | הַכנָסָה | ||
| Although the word הכנסה means "income" today, its original meaning was entry or entrance, and it still has that meaning in certain contexts. | |||
| Pashto | عاید | ||
| The root of the word "عاید" is "عودت" which means "to return". This suggests that income is seen as something that comes back or returns. | |||
| Arabic | الإيرادات | ||
| The word "الإيرادات" (al-īrādāt) can also mean "revenue" or "returns" in the context of economics. | |||
Income in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të ardhura | ||
| "Të ardhura" derives from Proto-Indo-European roots related to "to go" or "to arrive". | |||
| Basque | errenta | ||
| In Basque, "errenta" can also mean "rent" or "rental fee". | |||
| Catalan | ingressos | ||
| The word "ingressos" in Catalan can also mean "ingress" or "entry". | |||
| Croatian | prihod | ||
| The word "prihod" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "priti", meaning "to arrive" or "to come", suggesting a connection between income and the arrival of resources. | |||
| Danish | indkomst | ||
| “Indkomst” is derived from the Old Norse “innkoma,” meaning “coming in,” and it can also refer to a person’s ability to support themselves. | |||
| Dutch | inkomen | ||
| The Dutch word "inkomen" is etymologically related to the German word "Einkommen" and originally meant "coming in" or "going in". | |||
| English | income | ||
| The word "income" derives from the Old French word "encombre", meaning "to meet" or "to come together". | |||
| French | le revenu | ||
| The French word 'le revenu' derives from the Latin verb 'revenire', meaning 'to come back' or 'to return'. | |||
| Frisian | ynkommen | ||
| The word 'ynkommen' also means 'received' or 'arrived' in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | ingresos | ||
| The word ingresos also has alternative meanings in Galician, such as "entries" or "accessions" | |||
| German | einkommen | ||
| The word "Einkommen" in German derives from the Old High German "inkoman", meaning "what comes in." | |||
| Icelandic | tekjur | ||
| The word can also refer to the proceeds of a transaction or the earnings from a business. | |||
| Irish | ioncam | ||
| The word 'ioncam' has its origins in the Middle Irish word 'ionchoimhe', which means 'property, possessions or wealth'. | |||
| Italian | reddito | ||
| The Italian word "reddito" comes from the Latin word "reditus," which can also mean "return" or "profit" | |||
| Luxembourgish | akommes | ||
| The word "Akommes" is derived from the Middle High German "ankomen", meaning "to arrive" or "to come in", and originally referred to the arrival of goods or money. | |||
| Maltese | dħul | ||
| The word "dħul" in Maltese can also mean "entrance" or "inlet" | |||
| Norwegian | inntekt | ||
| The word "inntekt" is derived from the Old Norse word "inntaka", meaning "to take in" or "to gather in." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | renda | ||
| In Portuguese, "renda" not only means "income" but can also refer to lace, a finely crafted fabric featuring openwork patterns. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teachd-a-steach | ||
| In Scots Gaelic the word "teachd-a-steach" means literally "coming in" and can also refer to "imports" or "revenue". | |||
| Spanish | ingresos | ||
| "Ingresos" in Spanish also refers to "entries" in the sense of "entrances" or "doorways". | |||
| Swedish | inkomst | ||
| The Swedish word "inkomst" is derived from the Old Norse word "innkoma", which means "to come in" or "to enter." | |||
| Welsh | incwm | ||
| The word "incwm" is derived from the Welsh word "inc" meaning "to receive" and "cwym" meaning "to enclose" or "contain". | |||
Income in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | даход | ||
| The word “даход” comes from the Old Belarusian word “приход”, meaning both “income” and “arrival”. | |||
| Bosnian | dohodak | ||
| The word dohodak is derived from Old Slavic do-hoditi and can also refer to an income producer, such as the fruit from a tree, the milk from a farm animal, or any other regular produce. | |||
| Bulgarian | доход | ||
| The Bulgarian word "доход" is an Old Slavic loanword which, apart from meaning "income", can also refer to a crop yield or produce. | |||
| Czech | příjem | ||
| The word "příjem" also has a secondary meaning, "reception", derived from its root "jímat", meaning "to receive, accept, or absorb".} | |||
| Estonian | sissetulek | ||
| The Estonian word "sissetulek" also has the alternate meaning of "inflow" and is related to the verb "sisenema," meaning "to enter." | |||
| Finnish | tulo | ||
| "Tulo" derives from the verb "tulla" (to come) and initially meant a stream or something flowing in, but later acquired the sense of "income." | |||
| Hungarian | jövedelem | ||
| The word 'jövedelem' is derived from the verb 'jönni' (to come) and the noun 'elem' (element), signifying the incoming flow of elements that contribute to financial stability. | |||
| Latvian | ienākumiem | ||
| The word "ienākumi" is a derivative of the verb "ienākt" meaning to come in or arrive. | |||
| Lithuanian | pajamos | ||
| Cognate with Latvian "pajami" and Sanskrit "pradhāna", meaning "chief, foremost" or "head of a household". | |||
| Macedonian | приход | ||
| The word приход in Macedonian also means "the act of arriving" and "a parish". | |||
| Polish | dochód | ||
| The word "dochód" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dochodъ, meaning "that which comes in." | |||
| Romanian | sursa de venit | ||
| In Romanian, "sursa de venit" has two possible origins, either "source that flows out" or "to jump/spring from". | |||
| Russian | доход | ||
| The Russian word "доход" (income) derives from the verb "доходить" (to reach, to arrive), implying the attainment or acquisition of something. | |||
| Serbian | доходак | ||
| The word "dohodak" initially meant "what one reaches" and later came to mean "income". | |||
| Slovak | príjem | ||
| In Czech, "příjem" also means "welcome" and derives from the verb "přijmout" (to accept). | |||
| Slovenian | dohodek | ||
| The Slovene word "dohodek" originates from the Slavic verb "dohajati" meaning to arrive or gather. | |||
| Ukrainian | доходу | ||
| The word "доходу" in Ukrainian also refers to a part of a plant (especially a fruit) that is suitable for consumption | |||
Income in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আয় | ||
| আয় (income) comes from the Sanskrit word 'आय' (aaya), which literally means 'effort' or 'exertion'. | |||
| Gujarati | આવક | ||
| Income is derived from the old French word “avenyr”, meaning “to flow toward”, which was originally applied to flowing water and later came to refer to a financial income. | |||
| Hindi | आय | ||
| The term आय is derived from the Sanskrit word "āgata" (आगत), meaning "that which is come". | |||
| Kannada | ಆದಾಯ | ||
| The word "ಆದಾಯ" can also mean "income tax" or "revenue" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വരുമാനം | ||
| The Malayalam word "വരുമാനം" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वरुण". In Sanskrit, Varuna signifies not only income but also rain and wealth. | |||
| Marathi | उत्पन्न | ||
| The Marathi word "उत्पन्न" (income) originates from the Sanskrit word "उत्पादन" (production), indicating its broader meaning of "product" or "output."} | |||
| Nepali | आय | ||
| The word "आय" ("income") in Nepali originated from the Sanskrit word "आयम्" ("revenue") and also means "effort". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਮਦਨੀ | ||
| The word "ਆਮਦਨੀ" (āmadanī) is derived from the Persian word "آمدن" (āmadan), which means "to come" or "to arrive". It can also refer to the proceeds of a sale or the rent received from property. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආදායම් | ||
| The word ආදායම් originates from the Sanskrit word 'aagama', meaning 'arriving' or 'coming in', and is related to the concept of 'inflow'. | |||
| Tamil | வருமானம் | ||
| The word 'வருமானம்' (varumaanam) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word 'व्रु' (vru) meaning 'to grow', and thus originally referred not only to income but also to a person's general financial prosperity. | |||
| Telugu | ఆదాయం | ||
| The Telugu word "ఆదాయం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आदाय" (ādāya), meaning "taking" or "acquisition." | |||
| Urdu | آمدنی | ||
| The Urdu word "آمدنی" originates from the Arabic word "آمَد", which means "arrival" or "coming", indicating the flow of financial resources. | |||
Income in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 收入 | ||
| 收入, also read in Mandarin as 'shòurù', means to 'receive' or 'collect'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 收入 | ||
| 收入 can also mean "to enter"} | |||
| Japanese | 所得 | ||
| The word "所得" (pronounced "shotoku") can also refer to "gain" or "profit" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 수입 | ||
| The Korean word 수입 is derived from the Chinese word '歲入', which means 'yearly income'. | |||
| Mongolian | орлого | ||
| In Mongolian, "орлого" also means "receipt" or "income statement." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝင်ငွေ | ||
Income in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pendapatan | ||
| The word "pendapatan" is also used to refer to "revenue" or "earnings" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | penghasilan | ||
| The Javanese word "penghasilan" can also mean "production" or "harvest". | |||
| Khmer | ប្រាក់ចំណូល | ||
| Lao | ລາຍໄດ້ | ||
| Malay | pendapatan | ||
| "Pendapatan" also means a place where someone comes to or lives in, particularly a place of shelter or refuge. | |||
| Thai | รายได้ | ||
| The word 'รายได้' derives from the Sanskrit word 'आगत' ('aagat'), meaning 'to arrive' or 'to come'. | |||
| Vietnamese | thu nhập = earnings | ||
| The word "thu nhập" (income) derives from Chinese and literally means "receive" (thu) "enter" (nhập). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kita | ||
Income in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gəlir | ||
| The word "gəlir" in Azerbaijani can also refer to "yield" or "product". | |||
| Kazakh | табыс | ||
| The Kazakh word "табыс" originally meant "profit" or "gain" but now also refers to "income". | |||
| Kyrgyz | киреше | ||
| The word "киреше" may be derived from an Old Turkic verb meaning "to take" or "to receive", and is related to the Mongolian word "кирээ" and the Tungusic word "кирэ." | |||
| Tajik | даромад | ||
| The term "даромад" is also used in Tajik to refer to "profit" or "revenue" in a commercial context. | |||
| Turkmen | girdeji | ||
| Uzbek | daromad | ||
| The word "daromad" is derived from the Persian word "dāramūd", which means "arrival" or "coming in". | |||
| Uyghur | كىرىم | ||
Income in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loaʻa kālā | ||
| The Hawaiian word "loaʻa kālā" literally translates to "found money", referencing the traditional practice of gathering valuables by explorers. | |||
| Maori | moni whiwhi | ||
| The literal translation of "moni whiwhi" is "obtained money", referring to the process of acquiring income. | |||
| Samoan | tupemaua | ||
| 'Tupemaua' also means 'to be paid' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kita | ||
| The Tagalog word "kita" can also refer to "earnings" or "profit". | |||
Income in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mantaña | ||
| Guarani | jeike | ||
Income in International Languages
| Esperanto | enspezoj | ||
| Esperanto for "income," "enspezoj" also means the "amount of spending" in this planned economy. | |||
| Latin | reditus | ||
| Reditus in Latin can also mean "return" or "coming back", reflecting its connection to the idea of receiving something back. | |||
Income in Others Languages
| Greek | εισόδημα | ||
| "εισόδημα": { "etymology": "From εισέρχομαι (eiserchomai, “to go into, to enter"), from εν (en, “in”) + έρχομαι (erchomai, “to come"), thus originally meaning "that which comes in," or revenue"}} | |||
| Hmong | cov nyiaj tau los | ||
| The word "cov nyiaj tau los" is derived from the verb "tau" which means "to receive" and the noun "nyiaj" which means "money". | |||
| Kurdish | hatin | ||
| The Kurdish word "hatin" is also used to refer to a person's wages, earnings, or profits | |||
| Turkish | gelir | ||
| The word "Gelir" in Turkish is derived from the verb "gelmek" meaning "to come", implying that income is something that comes to you. | |||
| Xhosa | ingeniso | ||
| The word "ingeniso" also means "earnings" and is derived from the verb "ukungenisa", meaning "to bring in" or "to earn". | |||
| Yiddish | האַכנאָסע | ||
| The Yiddish word "האַכנאָסע" (hakhnoese) derives from the Hebrew word "הכנסה" (hakhnaso) meaning "income" or "revenue". | |||
| Zulu | imali engenayo | ||
| The word "imali engenayo" does not have any alternate meanings in Zulu beyond "income." | |||
| Assamese | উপাৰ্জন | ||
| Aymara | mantaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कमाई | ||
| Dhivehi | ޢަމްދަނީ | ||
| Dogri | औंदन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kita | ||
| Guarani | jeike | ||
| Ilocano | sueldo | ||
| Krio | mɔni | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | داهات | ||
| Maithili | आमदनी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯒꯥ | ||
| Mizo | lakluh | ||
| Oromo | galii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆୟ | ||
| Quechua | yaykumuq | ||
| Sanskrit | आय | ||
| Tatar | керем | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣታዊ | ||
| Tsonga | muholo | ||