Information in different languages

Information in Different Languages

Discover 'Information' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Information is the lifeblood of our modern world. It's the currency of the digital age, the key to making informed decisions, and the foundation of knowledge. But have you ever wondered how the word 'information' translates into different languages?

The word 'information' has roots in the Latin 'informare', meaning to shape or form. Throughout history, information has been shared through various mediums, from oral storytelling to written records, and today, through the digital world. The significance of information cannot be overstated, as it has the power to shape cultures, influence societies, and change lives.

Understanding the translation of 'information' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view and value knowledge. For example, in Spanish, 'information' is 'información', while in French, it's 'information'. Meanwhile, in Japanese, it's '情報 (jouhou)', and in Mandarin, it's '信息 (xìnxī)'.

Join us as we explore the translations of 'information' in a variety of languages, shedding light on the cultural importance of knowledge and the beauty of linguistic diversity.

Information


Information in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansinligting
The Afrikaans word "inligting" originates from the Dutch word "inlichting" meaning "enlightenment".
Amharicመረጃ
The root word መረ (mara) also denotes the action of measuring
Hausabayani
In some contexts, "bayani" can also refer to stories or narratives.
Igboozi
In the Igbo language, “ozi” can also mean “news,” “intel,” or “intelligence.”
Malagasyvaovao
The Malagasy word "vaovao" also means "news" or "a message".
Nyanja (Chichewa)zambiri
The word "zambiri" can also mean "news" or "rumor" in Nyanja.
Shonaruzivo
The word "ruzivo" is derived from the verb "kuziva," which means "to know" or "to understand."
Somalimacluumaad
The word "macluumaad" is derived from the Arabic word "ma'luma"," known".
Sesothotlhahisoleseding
'Tlhahisoleseding' is derived from the Sesotho word 'tlhahisolesedi', meaning 'a person who knows' or 'a wise person'.
Swahilihabari
Habari can also mean "news" and "gossip" in Swahili.
Xhosaulwazi
'Ulwazi' is a word that denotes 'information' in Xhosa, the language spoken in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is derived from the verb 'ukwazi', meaning 'to be able to' or 'to have the ability to do something'.
Yorubaalaye
The word "alaye" can also mean "revelation" or "disclosure" in Yoruba.
Zuluimininingwane
Imininingwane is derived from 'mininingwane' meaning 'small things' in Nguni, emphasising that information is a collection of details.
Bambarakunnafoni
Ewenumeɖeɖe
Kinyarwandaamakuru
Lingalansango
Lugandaobubaka
Sepeditshedimošo
Twi (Akan)asɛm

Information in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمعلومات
The Arabic word "معلومات" is derived from the root "علم" which means knowledge or science and is related to the word "عالم" meaning a scholar or scientist.
Hebrewמֵידָע
מֵידָע can also mean "knowledge" or "news."
Pashtoمعلومات
In Pashto, "معلومات" also refers to a particular type of herbal medicine.
Arabicمعلومات
The Arabic word "معلومات" is derived from the root "علم" which means knowledge or science and is related to the word "عالم" meaning a scholar or scientist.

Information in Western European Languages

Albanianinformacioni
The Albanian word "informacioni" ultimately derives from the Latin "informatio", meaning "to give form to," and is related to the English words "information" and "inform."
Basqueinformazioa
In Basque, "informazioa" also means "news", "intel", or "advice".
Catalaninformació
From Latin "formatio", "creation, formation, instruction"}
Croatianinformacija
The word 'informacija' derives from Latin 'informatio', meaning 'giving shape to', 'forming' or 'informing'.
Danishinformation
Danes say “efterretninger” for "intelligence" and "spionnyheder" for "classified information."
Dutchinformatie
The Dutch word "informatie" is derived from the Latin word "informatio," meaning "to give shape or form to something."
Englishinformation
The word 'information' derives from the Latin word 'informare', meaning 'to give form to' or 'to instruct'.
Frenchinformation
In French, the word "information" comes from the Latin word "informatio", meaning "to inform" or "to give shape". It shares the same root as the English word "form" and can also mean "instruction" or "knowledge".
Frisianynformaasje
"-formaasje" is derived from the Old English word "geformung", meaning "the act of forming or shaping".
Galicianinformación
The word "información" comes from the Latin word "informatio", which means "instruction" or "guidance".
Germaninformation
The German word "Information" is also used in a more specific sense to refer to a legal notice or announcement.
Icelandicupplýsingar
The word 'upplýsingar' is derived from the Old Norse word 'upplýsa', meaning 'to enlighten' or 'to make known'
Irishfaisnéis
The word "faisnéis" is derived from the Old Irish word "fáith," meaning "prophet," as in a person who has divine knowledge, and later evolved to mean "knowledge" or "information."
Italianinformazione
The Italian word "informazione" not only means "information," but also "news" and "accusation."
Luxembourgishinformatiounen
Malteseinformazzjoni
The Maltese word "informazzjoni" derives from Italian and ultimately from the Latin word "formare" meaning "to shape or form".
Norwegianinformasjon
Informasjon comes from Latin 'informatio', meaning 'an idea, a notion' and is related to 'form' ('shape').
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)em formação
The word "em formação" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) can also mean "in training" or "under construction".
Scots Gaelicfiosrachadh
The word "fiosrachadh" in Scots Gaelic is borrowed from the Old Norse word "fróðleikr," meaning "knowledge" or "wisdom".
Spanishinformación
In Spanish, "información" can also mean denunciation or accusation, due to its origin in the Latin word "informatio", meaning accusation or notification.
Swedishinformation
In Swedish, "information" can also mean "advice" or "instruction".
Welshgwybodaeth
"Gwybodaeth" is cognate with the Irish word "fionolach," and was originally used to refer to divine knowledge or wisdom.

Information in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianінфармацыя
The word "інфармацыя" is derived from Latin "informare", meaning "to give form to", and has the additional meaning of "enlightenment" in Russian.
Bosnianinformacije
The word "informacije" in Bosnian comes from the Latin word "informare", meaning "to give form or shape to".
Bulgarianинформация
The word “информация” derives from the Latin word “informare” (to inform).
Czechinformace
The Czech word "informace" can also refer to the process of informing rather than just the data being informed.
Estonianteavet
The word "teavet" in Estonian originally referred to "news" or "a message", and is related to the verb "teada" meaning "to know".
Finnishtiedot
"Tiedot" is the plural form of "
Hungarianinformáció
"Információ" is derived from Latin "informare" (to give shape, form, instruct), and also means “hint, news" in Hungarian.
Latvianinformāciju
The word "informāciju" in Latvian is derived from the Latin word "informatio," meaning "instruction" or "knowledge."
Lithuanianinformacija
The Lithuanian word "informacija" is cognate to the French and English "information" but also means "news" in Lithuanian.
Macedonianинформации
The word "информации" comes from the French word "information", which in turn comes from the Latin word "informatio", meaning "the act of giving form to something."
Polishinformacja
Although the Polish word "informacja" comes from the Latin word "informatio," it has the primary meaning of "notice," which is why notice boards in Poland are called "tablice informacyjne"
Romanianinformație
The Romanian word "informație" shares the same origin with the Latin verb "informare", meaning "to shape", or "to give form".
Russianинформация
The Russian word "Информация" derives from the French "information" which itself has roots in the Latin "informare" - "to shape into" (a form). In this original Latin sense, information could refer to providing any kind of 'form', not merely a report of a specific 'event'.
Serbianинформације
The root of the Serbian word "информације" ("information") originates from the Latin word "informare," meaning "to instruct" or "to form the mind."
Slovakinformácie
The word "informácie" is derived from the Latin word "informare", meaning "to give form" or "to shape."
Slovenianinformacije
The Slovene word 'informacije' derives from the Italian word 'informazione', which in turn comes from the Latin 'informare', meaning 'to give form' or 'to shape'.
Ukrainianінформація
The word "інформація" in Ukrainian can also mean "reference" or "data".

Information in South Asian Languages

Bengaliতথ্য
তথ্য is also the name of a famous Bengali novel by Bimal Kar, published in 1958.
Gujaratiમાહિતી
The word "માહિતી" (information) in Gujarati has its roots in the Sanskrit word "महति" (greatness), suggesting that information was considered of great value.
Hindiजानकारी
The Hindi word 'जानकारी' can also mean 'knowledge', 'intelligence', or 'acquaintance'.
Kannadaಮಾಹಿತಿ
The word 'ಮಾಹಿತಿ' comes from the Sanskrit word 'महिता', which means 'great' or 'important'.
Malayalamവിവരങ്ങൾ
വിവരങ്ങൾ is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vivrta' meaning 'open' or 'expanded'.
Marathiमाहिती
The word "माहिती" in Marathi derives from "माहित" (maahit), meaning "known" or "well-acquainted with".
Nepaliजानकारी
The word "जानकारी" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ज्ञा" (jñā), meaning "to know," and "अर्थ" (artha), meaning "object, meaning, or purpose."
Punjabiਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ
The Punjabi word "ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ" (information) is rooted in the Sanskrit word "jñāna" meaning knowledge, wisdom, or understanding, and is also related to the Persian word "khabar" meaning news or information.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)විස්තර
Tamilதகவல்
தகவல், in Tamil, derives its origin from the Sanskrit word 'tatva', meaning 'substance, fact' or 'the essential nature of something'.
Teluguసమాచారం
The word 'సమాచారం' also means 'intel' in English, and originated from Arabic through Persian.
Urduمعلومات
The Arabic word 'ma'lumāt' has the meaning 'known things' and it is derived from the root 'ʿalima' which means 'to know'.

Information in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)信息
The Chinese word "信息" ("information") can be traced back to Chinese philosophy, specifically the Yijing, which uses the characters "信" ("trust") and "息" ("breath") to denote the "connection between heaven and earth". Another interpretation is that "信" represents the flow of energy through the universe, while "息" refers to the changes within that energy.
Chinese (Traditional)信息
信息 has been interpreted as having a meaning of “to make known” in Chinese.
Japanese情報
The word '情報' is a combination of the characters '情' (emotion) and '報' (news), so it originally referred to reports based on feelings or observations.
Korean정보
The Sino-Korean word '정보' is also used in Chinese and Japanese, with the same meaning and pronunciation, and is derived from the Chinese word '情報'. In Chinese, '情報' can also refer to 'secret information' or 'intelligence'.
Mongolianмэдээлэл
The word ''мэдээлэл'' can also refer to ''intelligence'', ''news'', or ''knowledge''.
Myanmar (Burmese)သတင်းအချက်အလက်

Information in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianinformasi
"Informasi" originally meant "news about something" in Javanese.
Javaneseinformasi
In Javanese, 'Informasi' also means 'news' or 'message'
Khmerព័ត៌មាន
The word "ព័ត៌មាន" is also used informally to refer to news or announcements (similar to the English phrase "the news").
Laoຂໍ້ມູນ
The Lao word for "information" comes from the Sanskrit word "matra", which means "form". The word "ຂໍ້ມູນ" is also a homophone for the Lao word for "request", adding additional nuance to its meaning.
Malaymaklumat
The word "maklumat" is derived from the Arabic word "المعلومات" (al-ma`lumat), which means "knowledge" or "data."
Thaiข้อมูล
In Thai, "ข้อมูล" also means "facts"}
Vietnamesethông tin
The word "thông tin" also means "news" or "communication" in Vietnamese.
Filipino (Tagalog)impormasyon

Information in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniməlumat
"məlumat" is taken from Arabic "معلومة" and denotes something "well-known". In some dialects, it can mean "evidence".
Kazakhақпарат
The word "ақпарат" in Kazakh is derived from the Persian word "eftere", meaning "report" or "news."
Kyrgyzмаалымат
The word "маалымат" is a loanword from Arabic, where it originally meant "knowledge" or "notice".
Tajikмаълумот
The Tajik word "маълумот" derives from the Arabic "معلومة" meaning "knowledge". In addition, it refers to a type of folk song
Turkmenmaglumat
Uzbekma `lumot
The word "ma `lumot" in Uzbek has additional meanings such as "data" or "knowledge."
Uyghurئۇچۇر

Information in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianʻikepili
'Ikepili also means "the shape or form of knowledge and understanding."
Maorikorero
The word 'korero' is also used to refer to storytelling, a conversation, speech, news, or gossip.
Samoanfaʻamatalaga
'Faʻamatalaga' is a compound word made up of the root word 'tala' (to tell) and the prefix 'faʻa-' (to cause to).
Tagalog (Filipino)impormasyon
The Tagalog word "impormasyon" is derived from the Spanish word "información", which ultimately comes from the Latin word "informatio", meaning "a giving of form" or "an informing".

Information in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarayatiyäwi
Guaranimarandu

Information in International Languages

Esperantoinformoj
Esperanto's "informoj" is a calque of German "in-form" and the plural of "informo" (from Latin "informō"), meaning "to give form to" or "to teach."
Latinnotitia
In English, “notitia” is still sometimes used for the “scientific information” or knowledge of a specific area, such as “the notitia of natural science”.

Information in Others Languages

Greekπληροφορίες
Originally a philosophical term (Greek πληροφορία "full assurance," from πλήρης "full" and φόρος "bearing"), it came to be used in information theory in the 1940s, and now also in more general senses.
Hmongcov ntaub ntawv
"Cov ntaub ntawv" literally means "patterns of words" that are sewn together as a quilt.
Kurdishagahî
The word 'agahî' in Kurdish originates from the Persian word 'agâh', meaning 'aware' or 'informed'.
Turkishbilgi
Turkish "bilgi" (information) is cognate with "Belgesel" (documentary) as both derive from Arabic "belge" (document).
Xhosaulwazi
'Ulwazi' is a word that denotes 'information' in Xhosa, the language spoken in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is derived from the verb 'ukwazi', meaning 'to be able to' or 'to have the ability to do something'.
Yiddishאינפֿאָרמאַציע
The Yiddish word "אינפֿאָרמאַציע" is derived from the German "Information," and its alternate meaning is "knowledge."
Zuluimininingwane
Imininingwane is derived from 'mininingwane' meaning 'small things' in Nguni, emphasising that information is a collection of details.
Assameseতথ্য
Aymarayatiyäwi
Bhojpuriखबर
Dhivehiމަޢުލޫމާތު
Dogriजानकारी
Filipino (Tagalog)impormasyon
Guaranimarandu
Ilocanoimpormasion
Kriotin dɛn
Kurdish (Sorani)زانیاری
Maithiliजानकारी
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯏꯄꯥꯎ
Mizohriattirna
Oromoodeeffannoo
Odia (Oriya)ସୂଚନା
Quechuawillakuy
Sanskritसूचना
Tatarмәгълүмат
Tigrinyaሓበሬታ
Tsongamarungula

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