Inflation in Different Languages
Discover 'Inflation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Inflation is a term that affects us all, regardless of where we live or what language we speak. At its core, inflation refers to the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services in an economy increases over time. This economic concept has significant implications for individuals, businesses, and governments around the world. Understanding inflation is crucial for making informed decisions about spending, saving, and investing.
But the importance of inflation goes beyond economics. The word itself has cultural significance and is a part of our daily conversations. It's a term that we use to describe the rising cost of living, and it's a concept that has been discussed and analyzed for centuries. In fact, the ancient Romans were the first to recognize the phenomenon of inflation, and they even had a word for it: inflatio.
Given the global impact of inflation, it's not surprising that the word has been translated into many different languages. Here are just a few examples:
- Spanish: inflación
- French: inflation
- German: Inflation
- Mandarin: 通货膨胀
- Japanese: インフレーション
- Russian: инфляция
By understanding the translation of inflation in different languages, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural and linguistic diversity of our world.
Inflation
Inflation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | inflasie | ||
| In Afrikaans, 'inflasie' can also refer to 'pompousness' or 'exaggeration'. | |||
| Amharic | የዋጋ ግሽበት | ||
| The word "የዋጋ ግሽበት" (inflation) in Amharic literally means "the rise in the price of something." | |||
| Hausa | kumbura | ||
| Kumbura also means 'ballooning up' or 'enlarging', derived from the word 'kumbura', which refers to a 'big stomach' or 'potbelly'. | |||
| Igbo | onu oriri | ||
| It has alternate meanings which include 'to be filled with air', 'to puff up' and 'to swell'. | |||
| Malagasy | ny vidim-piainana | ||
| The term "ny vidim-piainana" is derived from the Malagasy words "vidim" (to rise) and "piainana" (price), and is used to describe the general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kufufuma | ||
| In Nyanja, "kufufuma" also means "to blow" or "to swell up". | |||
| Shona | inflation | ||
| The Shona word “kuvhunduka” refers to both inflation and swelling of the body, implying that inflation erodes one's assets and increases their burdens. | |||
| Somali | sicir bararka | ||
| "Sicir bararka" also means 'money to increase or grow,' which refers to the way prices go up or increase during inflation. | |||
| Sesotho | theko | ||
| The word "theko" in Sesotho also means "to rise" or "to increase" in a general sense, not just in relation to inflation. | |||
| Swahili | mfumuko wa bei | ||
| The Swahili word "mfumuko wa bei" literally translates to "swelling of the price", highlighting the notion of a general increase in prices. | |||
| Xhosa | ukunyuka kwamaxabiso | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukunyuka kwamaxabiso" does not translate directly to inflation, but is a broader term referring to the increase in prices of goods and services. | |||
| Yoruba | afikun | ||
| The Yoruba word "afikun" also means "exaggeration" or "telling lies without batting an eyelid, lying with a straight face"} | |||
| Zulu | ukwehla kwamandla emali | ||
| The Zulu word "ukwehla kwamandla emali" literally means "the falling of the strength of the money." | |||
| Bambara | funun | ||
| Ewe | dziyiyi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ifaranga | ||
| Lingala | komata ntalo | ||
| Luganda | yinfulesoni | ||
| Sepedi | infoleišene | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nneɛma boɔ sorokɔ | ||
Inflation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التضخم | ||
| The term "التضخم" "inflation" is also used to describe the increase in the volume of a gas or a liquid. | |||
| Hebrew | אִינפלַצִיָה | ||
| אינפלציה is also used figuratively in Hebrew to refer to any kind of disproportionate increase, both physical and metaphorical | |||
| Pashto | انفلاسیون | ||
| In Pashto, "انفلاسیون" can also refer to the act of adding air to something, such as a tire or balloon. | |||
| Arabic | التضخم | ||
| The term "التضخم" "inflation" is also used to describe the increase in the volume of a gas or a liquid. | |||
Inflation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | inflacioni | ||
| The word “inflacioni” in Albanian derives from the Latin “inflatio”, meaning “blowing” or “swelling”. | |||
| Basque | inflazioa | ||
| Inflazioa is also used in Basque to refer to a 'swelling'. | |||
| Catalan | inflació | ||
| The Catalan word “inflació” derives from the Latin word “inflatio” (a swelling, an inflation), also related to the English word “inflate” (to increase to more than the normal size, to puff out). | |||
| Croatian | inflacija | ||
| In Croatian, 'inflacija' is also used to refer to the act of inflating something, such as a balloon or a tire. | |||
| Danish | inflation | ||
| In Danish, "inflation" (inflation) means "inflation" (inflation) and also "inspiration" (inspiration). | |||
| Dutch | inflatie | ||
| In addition to its economic meaning, "inflatie" can also refer to a swelling or distension (med.) or a sudden and usually violent rise or surge (gen.). | |||
| English | inflation | ||
| "Inflation" comes from Latin "inflare," meaning "to inflate or puff up." In economics, it describes a general increase in price levels and decline in the value of money | |||
| French | inflation | ||
| The French word 'inflation' can also refer to the act of puffing out one's cheeks. | |||
| Frisian | ynflaasje | ||
| Galician | inflación | ||
| In Galician, "inflación" means "swelling" or "puffiness" in addition to "inflation". | |||
| German | inflation | ||
| In German, "Inflation" was used to describe the devaluation of money caused by too much printing of paper money after the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). | |||
| Icelandic | verðbólga | ||
| The Icelandic word verðbólga, which is used to refer to 'inflation', literally means 'price wave'. | |||
| Irish | boilsciú | ||
| The word 'boilsciú' is also used to refer to boiling water or a boil, and is cognate with the English word 'boil'. | |||
| Italian | inflazione | ||
| The Italian word "inflazione" has a second meaning of "swelling" or "tumor." | |||
| Luxembourgish | inflatioun | ||
| The word "Inflatioun" comes from the Latin word "inflatio", meaning "to blow up" or "to swell". | |||
| Maltese | inflazzjoni | ||
| The word 'inflazzjoni' derives from the Latin 'inflatio' meaning 'swelling', which refers to the increase in the price level of goods and services in an economy over time. | |||
| Norwegian | inflasjon | ||
| Inflation is the Norwegian equivalent of the English word "inflation" and is derived from the Latin word "inflatio" meaning "a blowing up". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | inflação | ||
| The word "inflação" in Portuguese is derived from the Latin word "inflatio," meaning "a blowing or swelling." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | atmhorachd | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "atmhorachd" can also mean "vaporization" or "evaporation". | |||
| Spanish | inflación | ||
| La palabra "inflación" también puede referirse a la acción de inflar o hinchar algo, o al aumento desmesurado de algo. | |||
| Swedish | inflation | ||
| Inflation (inflation) comes from the Latin word "inflare," meaning "to blow up." | |||
| Welsh | chwyddiant | ||
| The word 'chwyddiant' can also refer to a 'swollen or puffy' appearance. | |||
Inflation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | інфляцыя | ||
| The word "інфляцыя" in Belarusian also refers to the increase in the volume of money in circulation and the related rise in the price of goods. | |||
| Bosnian | inflacija | ||
| Inflacija dolazi od latinske riječi 'inflatio' koja znači 'nadmivanje'. | |||
| Bulgarian | инфлация | ||
| The word "инфлация" (inflation) comes from the Latin word "inflare", meaning "to blow up". | |||
| Czech | inflace | ||
| In Czech the noun "inflace" also means "flatulence". | |||
| Estonian | inflatsioon | ||
| "Inflatsioon" in Estonian shares the same etymology with the English word "inflation", but can also refer to the act of putting air into a tire. | |||
| Finnish | inflaatio | ||
| The Finnish word "inflaatio" also means "enthusiasm". | |||
| Hungarian | infláció | ||
| The word "infláció" is derived from the Latin word "inflatio" meaning "to blow up" or "to swell". | |||
| Latvian | inflācija | ||
| The Latvian word "inflācija" is derived from the Latin word "inflatio", meaning "a blowing into" or "a swelling". | |||
| Lithuanian | infliacija | ||
| "Infliacija" (inflation in English) is based on the Latin word "flare", which means "to blow". | |||
| Macedonian | инфлација | ||
| The Macedonian word "инфлација" also means "inflated tires". | |||
| Polish | inflacja | ||
| Inflacja in Polish originates from the Latin word inflare meaning to blow up or expand. | |||
| Romanian | inflația | ||
| In Romanian, "inflația" also means "swelling" or "bloating". | |||
| Russian | инфляция | ||
| The word "инфляция" can also refer to the expansion of a celestial body. | |||
| Serbian | инфлација | ||
| The term "инфлација" in Serbian is derived from the Latin word "inflatio" meaning "swelling". | |||
| Slovak | inflácia | ||
| In Slovak, "inflácia" is cognate to the Czech and Polish words for "inflation" but can also metaphorically refer to "hyperbole" or "exaggeration." | |||
| Slovenian | inflacija | ||
| The Slovenian word 'inflacija' is derived from the English word 'inflation' and means a continuous rise in the general price level. | |||
| Ukrainian | інфляція | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'інфляція' comes from the Latin verb 'flare', meaning 'to blow'. It originally described a surge in the money supply, but now refers to a general rise in prices. | |||
Inflation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মূল্যস্ফীতি | ||
| The word “মূল্যস্ফীতি” is derived from the Latin word “inflatio,” which means “to blow up.” | |||
| Gujarati | ફુગાવા | ||
| Inflation originates from Latin, meaning to blow up, and has had that meaning in English since as far back as 1533. | |||
| Hindi | मुद्रास्फीति | ||
| मुद्रास्फीति (मुद्रा + स्फीति) शब्द का अर्थ मुद्रा की मात्रा में वृद्धि से कीमतों का बढ़ना है। | |||
| Kannada | ಹಣದುಬ್ಬರ | ||
| The word 'ಹಣದುಬ್ಬರ' ('haṇadubbara') is derived from the words 'ಹಣ' ('haṇa') meaning 'money' and 'ದುಬ್ಬರ' ('dubbara') meaning 'increasing'. It can also refer to the widening of a gap or the bulging of something. | |||
| Malayalam | പണപ്പെരുപ്പം | ||
| പണപ്പെരുപ്പം in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit term 'mudra-sphutana', meaning an increase in the supply of coins. | |||
| Marathi | महागाई | ||
| The Marathi word "महागाई" (inflation) is derived from the Sanskrit word "महाग" (expensive) and the Marathi suffix "-ाई" (condition). | |||
| Nepali | मुद्रास्फीति | ||
| The term 'मुद्रास्फीति' in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word 'मुद्रा', meaning coin or currency, and 'स्फीति', meaning expansion. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਹਿੰਗਾਈ | ||
| "ਮਹਿੰਗਾਈ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "महङ्ग" (mahanga), which means "costly" or "expensive". Additionally, it can also refer to the economic concept of inflation, which is the sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over time. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උද්ධමනය | ||
| The Sinhala word "උද්ධමනය" means inflation and also denotes "rising of the heart" or "elation". | |||
| Tamil | வீக்கம் | ||
| The Tamil word "வீக்கம்" ('inflammation') also refers to the swelling of a body part or an increase in volume or size. | |||
| Telugu | ద్రవ్యోల్బణం | ||
| Urdu | مہنگائی | ||
| The Urdu word "مہنگائی" originally meant "famine" or "scarcity," but its meaning has shifted over time to refer to "inflation." | |||
Inflation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 通货膨胀 | ||
| 通货膨胀一词源于拉丁语inflate，意思是“吹气”、“扩张”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 通貨膨脹 | ||
| "通貨膨脹"在中文中可追溯到宋代，本指貨幣流通增多。 | |||
| Japanese | インフレーション | ||
| インフレーションはインフレータ（膨らませるもの）から派生し、経済学の用語で使われ始めた言葉であり、貨幣の流通量の増大によって物の値段が上がる経済状態を表しています。 | |||
| Korean | 인플레이션 | ||
| 인플레이션(inflation)은 라틴어 'inflate'에서 유래되었으며 '부풀어 오르는 것'을 의미합니다. | |||
| Mongolian | инфляци | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "инфляци" not only means "inflation" but also refers to a "puffing up" or "swelling" of something. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငွေကြေးဖောင်းပွမှု | ||
Inflation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | inflasi | ||
| The word "inflasi" comes from the Latin word "inflare", meaning "to blow up". | |||
| Javanese | inflasi | ||
| "Inflasi" berasal dari bahasa Sanskerta "inflati" yang berarti membengkak atau mengembang. | |||
| Khmer | អតិផរណា | ||
| "អតិផរណា" means "inflation" in Khmer and is derived from the Greek word "ἀναπλήρωσις" (anaplerosis), which means "replenishment" or "filling up". | |||
| Lao | ອັດຕາເງິນເຟີ້ | ||
| Malay | inflasi | ||
| The word "inflasi" in Malay can also mean "blow up" or "pump up". | |||
| Thai | เงินเฟ้อ | ||
| เงินเฟ้อ literally means 'expansion of money', from เงิน (money) + เฟ้อ (expand). | |||
| Vietnamese | lạm phát | ||
| The word 'lạm phát' is derived from the Latin 'inflatio' meaning 'to swell up' or 'to puff up.' | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inflation | ||
Inflation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | inflyasiya | ||
| The word "inflyasiya" is derived from the Latin word "inflatio", meaning "to blow up" or "to inflate". | |||
| Kazakh | инфляция | ||
| The word "инфляция" is derived from the Latin word "inflatio", meaning "a blowing up". | |||
| Kyrgyz | инфляция | ||
| Инфляция происходит от латинского слова "inflatio" означающего "вздутие". В экономике, инфляция это повышение цен на товары и услуги на протяжении длительного периода времени. | |||
| Tajik | таваррум | ||
| The word "таваррум" is derived from the Persian word "tavarrom" which means "expansion" or "bulge". | |||
| Turkmen | inflýasiýa | ||
| Uzbek | inflyatsiya | ||
| "Inflyatsiya" originated from the Latin word "inflare", which means "to inflate" or "to blow up". | |||
| Uyghur | پۇل پاخاللىقى | ||
Inflation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻonui kālā | ||
| The Hawaiian word "hoʻonui kālā" is a compound word composed of the words "hoʻo" meaning "to make" or "to cause," "nui" meaning "big" or "large," and "kālā" meaning "money." | |||
| Maori | pikinga | ||
| The Maori word “pikinga” can also mean “a thrust” or “a stab”. | |||
| Samoan | siʻitia o tau | ||
| The Samoan word for "inflation" "siʻitia o tau" literally means "increase in the cost of things." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | implasyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "implasyon" comes from the Spanish word "inflación", meaning "swelling" or "expansion". | |||
Inflation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | irxattawi | ||
| Guarani | viruguejy | ||
Inflation in International Languages
| Esperanto | inflacio | ||
| Esperanto "inflacio" is derived from Latin "inflatio" meaning "a blowing up" or "a swelling." | |||
| Latin | inflatio | ||
| In Latin, "inflatio" can also mean "swelling" or "exaggeration. | |||
Inflation in Others Languages
| Greek | πληθωρισμός | ||
| The Greek word "πληθωρισμός" originally referred to a filling or swelling, and only later gained its current economic meaning. | |||
| Hmong | nce nqi | ||
| The word "nce nqi" in Hmong specifically refers to the increase in the price of goods and services, rather than the general expansion of the money supply. | |||
| Kurdish | ji qîmetketin | ||
| Ji qîmetketin also means 'the increase in the prices of goods and services' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | şişirme | ||
| "Şişirme" in Turkish comes from the Persian word "şiş" which means "to swell" and the suffix "-ir" which indicates a causative form, hence "to cause to swell". | |||
| Xhosa | ukunyuka kwamaxabiso | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukunyuka kwamaxabiso" does not translate directly to inflation, but is a broader term referring to the increase in prices of goods and services. | |||
| Yiddish | ינפלאַציע | ||
| In Yiddish, it is written 'ינפלאַציע', but it is pronounced more like 'in-fla-tsi-eh' or 'in-fla-tzie'. It has the same meaning as in English. | |||
| Zulu | ukwehla kwamandla emali | ||
| The Zulu word "ukwehla kwamandla emali" literally means "the falling of the strength of the money." | |||
| Assamese | মুদ্ৰাস্ফীতি | ||
| Aymara | irxattawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | मुद्रास्फीति | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަކެތީގެ އަގުބޮޑުވުން | ||
| Dogri | मैंहगाई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inflation | ||
| Guarani | viruguejy | ||
| Ilocano | panagngina dagiti magatang | ||
| Krio | mɔni biznɛs tranga | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاوسان | ||
| Maithili | मुद्रास्फीति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯝꯈꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | thil hlutna pung chho | ||
| Oromo | gatiin qarshii gadi bu'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମୁଦ୍ରାସ୍ଫୀତି | ||
| Quechua | hatunyay | ||
| Sanskrit | अपमूल्यन | ||
| Tatar | инфляция | ||
| Tigrinya | ናይ ዋጋ ንህረት | ||
| Tsonga | ntlakuko wa minxavo | ||