Interpretation in Different Languages
Discover 'Interpretation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'interpretation' carries significant weight in our world, bridging gaps between languages, cultures, and ideas. It represents the act of explaining the meaning of something, be it words, gestures, or symbols, in a way that can be understood by others. This cultural importance is evident in various fields, such as art, literature, and diplomacy, where interpretation plays a crucial role in facilitating understanding and communication.
Moreover, the concept of interpretation has a rich historical context. For instance, the ancient practice of dream interpretation was once considered a divine art, used to uncover hidden truths and messages from the gods. Today, interpretation remains a vital tool in many aspects of our lives, from legal proceedings to musical performances.
Understanding the translation of 'interpretation' in different languages can open up new avenues of cultural exploration and exchange. Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- French: interprétation
- Spanish: interpretación
- German: Interpretation
- Mandarin: 解释 (jiěshì)
- Japanese: 解釈 (kaisetsu)
- Arabic: تفسير (tafsīr)
Explore the world of language and culture through the lens of interpretation - the possibilities are endless!
Interpretation
Interpretation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | interpretasie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "interpretasie" has the same etymology as the English word "interpretation", but it can also refer to the act of interpreting a dream. | |||
| Amharic | ትርጓሜ | ||
| ትርጓሜ also means 'translation' in Amharic, and is derived from the root word 'ወራ' ('to speak'). | |||
| Hausa | fassara | ||
| The word "fassara" can also mean "explanation" or "clarification" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | nkọwa | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "interpretation," nkịwa also refers to "explanation," "description," and "representation" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fandikana | ||
| The word "fandikana" comes from the root word "fandika", meaning "to translate" or "to interpret". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumasulira | ||
| The Nyanja word 'kumasulira' has several meanings beyond 'interpretation', including 'to ask for the meaning or purpose' and 'to explain or clarify'. | |||
| Shona | dudziro | ||
| "Dudzira" can also refer to a musical genre featuring a traditional mbira-style beat, accompanied by other instruments including guitars and drums. | |||
| Somali | fasiraadda | ||
| Fasiraad is a word in Somalia that can mean a variety of things such as interpretation, translation, clarification, solution, answer, meaning, understanding, comprehension, or even elucidation | |||
| Sesotho | tlhaloso | ||
| tlhaloso is also derived from the root word "tlhaloha" meaning to explain, describe, or give an account of something. | |||
| Swahili | tafsiri | ||
| The term 'tafsiri' derives from Arabic and can also refer to a 'translation'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukutolika | ||
| 'Ukutulika' derives from the root '-tulika-' meaning 'to make appear', 'to reveal'. | |||
| Yoruba | itumọ | ||
| "Itumọ" means "interpretation" in Yoruba, but the word "tumọ" in it also means "to mean" or "to have a purpose"} | |||
| Zulu | ukuhumusha | ||
| -Ukuhumusha means "to interpret, translate, explain, or clarify." | |||
| Bambara | faamuyali | ||
| Ewe | gɔmeɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gusobanura | ||
| Lingala | ndimbola ya makambo | ||
| Luganda | okutaputa | ||
| Sepedi | tlhathollo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkyerɛase | ||
Interpretation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ترجمة | ||
| The Arabic word "ترجمة" (tarjama), meaning "interpretation," also refers to "translation," "biography," and "introduction" in different contexts. | |||
| Hebrew | פרשנות | ||
| "פרשנות" in Hebrew can also be derived from Hebrew root of the word "פרס" which is a coin and refer to its flip and side which might have different meaning | |||
| Pashto | تشریح | ||
| The word "تشریح" in Pashto can also refer to the process of dissection or analysis. | |||
| Arabic | ترجمة | ||
| The Arabic word "ترجمة" (tarjama), meaning "interpretation," also refers to "translation," "biography," and "introduction" in different contexts. | |||
Interpretation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | interpretimi | ||
| The word "interpretimi" can also mean "translation" or "explanation" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | interpretazioa | ||
| The Basque word "interpretazioa" derives from Latin "interpretationem" and also means "commentary" or "annotation". | |||
| Catalan | interpretació | ||
| The Catalan word "interpretació" ultimately derives from the Latin word "interpretatio," which means "explanation" or "commentary." | |||
| Croatian | tumačenje | ||
| The Croatian word "tumačenje" can also mean "explanation" or "commentary". | |||
| Danish | fortolkning | ||
| Fortolkning derives from German "verdolmetschen" (to interpret) and is related to the words "tolk" (interpreter) and "tolkning" (interpretation). | |||
| Dutch | interpretatie | ||
| "Interpretatie" can also mean "performance" or "execution" in Dutch. | |||
| English | interpretation | ||
| The word "interpretation" can also refer to the explanation or clarification of something. | |||
| French | interprétation | ||
| The French word "interprétation" can also refer to the act of performing a musical piece. | |||
| Frisian | ynterpretaasje | ||
| "Ynterpretaasje" is the Frisian word for "interpretation," but it can also mean "explanation" or "translation." | |||
| Galician | interpretación | ||
| In Galician, "interpretación" can also mean "mediation" or "translating from a language to the sign language of deaf people". | |||
| German | interpretation | ||
| The German word "Interpretation" can refer to "acting skills" or a "stage play". | |||
| Icelandic | túlkun | ||
| The word "túlkun" is derived from the Old Norse word "túlka", meaning "to explain" or "to translate", and is cognate with the English word "to tell". | |||
| Irish | léiriú | ||
| The word "léiriú" in Irish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ley-, meaning "to loosen" or "to separate". | |||
| Italian | interpretazione | ||
| The Italian word "interpretazione" also means "translation" or "performance". | |||
| Luxembourgish | interpretatioun | ||
| The word "Interpretatioun" comes from the Latin word "interpretatio," which means "explanation" or "exposition." | |||
| Maltese | interpretazzjoni | ||
| Interpretazzjoni's root, "interpretari," in Latin means "to explain" and can also imply mediation | |||
| Norwegian | tolkning | ||
| The word comes from the Old Norse word "tolka", meaning "to tell" or "to explain". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | interpretação | ||
| The Portuguese word "interpretação" can also mean "translation" or "performance." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mìneachadh | ||
| The Gaelic term "mìneachadh" can also refer to "explanation", or "account". | |||
| Spanish | interpretación | ||
| The Spanish word "interpretación" can also mean "performance" in the context of music or drama. | |||
| Swedish | tolkning | ||
| Swedish word "tolkning" is derived from "tolk" meaning "to translate", thus "tolkning" also means "a translation" | |||
| Welsh | dehongli | ||
| The term is also used in Welsh to refer to a formal document that is drawn up in order to explain or clarify the terms of a legal agreement. | |||
Interpretation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | інтэрпрэтацыя | ||
| Bosnian | interpretacija | ||
| The word "interpretacija" can also mean "exposition" or "rendering" in the context of music or art. | |||
| Bulgarian | интерпретация | ||
| The word “интерпретация” can also mean “performance” in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | výklad | ||
| The Czech word "výklad" can also mean "display" or "showcase", as in a shop window. | |||
| Estonian | tõlgendamine | ||
| The word "tõlgendamine" also means "translation" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | tulkinta | ||
| "Tulkinta" is also used to refer to a translation or a performance of a piece of art. | |||
| Hungarian | értelmezés | ||
| In Hungarian, "értelmezés" can not only mean "interpretation," but also "understanding," "exposition," or "explanation." | |||
| Latvian | interpretācija | ||
| The Latvian word "interpretācija" derives from the Latin word "interpretatio," which means "explanation" or "translation." | |||
| Lithuanian | interpretacija | ||
| In Lithuanian, "interpretacija" can also refer to a performance by a musician or actor. | |||
| Macedonian | толкување | ||
| The word "толкување" (interpretation) in Macedonian also means "commentary" or "exegesis." | |||
| Polish | interpretacja | ||
| The word "interpretacja" comes from the Latin verb "interpretari," meaning "to explain or translate." | |||
| Romanian | interpretare | ||
| The Romanian word "interpretare" stems from Latin "interpretari" and also connotes "performance" or "stage play". | |||
| Russian | интерпретация | ||
| Интерпретация (interpretation) is derived from the Latin word “interpretari” meaning “to explain” and also carries the connotation of “to translate”. | |||
| Serbian | тумачење | ||
| The word "тумачење" can also refer to explaining a dream or a vision. | |||
| Slovak | tlmočenie | ||
| Slovak "tlmočenie" comes from German "Dolmetschen" and means interpreting with the spoken word, whereas "preklad" means interpreting with the written word. | |||
| Slovenian | interpretacija | ||
| The word 'interpretacija' also means 'explaining' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | інтерпретація | ||
| Інтерпретація is derived from the Latin word “interpretari,” meaning “to explain” or “to translate.” | |||
Interpretation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্যাখ্যা | ||
| The word "ব্যাখ্যা" (interpretation) is derived from the Sanskrit root "वि (vi)" meaning "apart" and "ख्या (khya)" meaning "to tell". | |||
| Gujarati | અર્થઘટન | ||
| Origin: From Sanskrit अर्थ (artha) "meaning, sense, object" + घटन (ghatana) "happening, event". | |||
| Hindi | व्याख्या | ||
| The word व्याख्या has several alternate meanings including 'a written exposition or commentary', 'explanation' and 'exposition'. | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನ | ||
| The word 'ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನ' ('interpretation') in Kannada also refers to the explanation of a word or concept. | |||
| Malayalam | വ്യാഖ്യാനം | ||
| Marathi | व्याख्या | ||
| In Marathi, the word 'व्याख्या' can also mean 'explanation, exposition, commentary, elucidation, annotation, translation, definition, meaning, sense, signification, rendering'. | |||
| Nepali | व्याख्या | ||
| The Nepali word 'व्याख्या' may also refer to the meaning or explanation of a text or utterance. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਆਖਿਆ | ||
| "ਵਿਆਖਿਆ" is a word with Sanskrit origins that is connected to the terms "interpretation," "explanation," and "commentary." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අර්ථ නිරූපණය | ||
| Tamil | விளக்கம் | ||
| The word 'விளக்கம்' comes from the root 'விளங்கு', meaning 'to shine', and refers to the ability to understand or make something clear by removing obscurity or confusion. | |||
| Telugu | వివరణ | ||
| "వివరణ" also refers to the process of revealing or making something clear or understandable, or to the detailed account of something. | |||
| Urdu | تشریح | ||
| The word "تشریح" in Urdu can also refer to the act of dissecting or performing an autopsy. | |||
Interpretation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 解释 | ||
| 解釋 (解释) can also mean "to explain" or "to clarify". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 解釋 | ||
| 在古代漢語中，「解釋」也指破解、解開、解決、消除等意思。 | |||
| Japanese | 解釈 | ||
| 解釈 is also used when translating between dialects. | |||
| Korean | 해석 | ||
| Originally, the word "해석" meant "to translate Chinese texts." | |||
| Mongolian | тайлбар | ||
| The word "тайлбар" in Mongolian can also refer to a translation or commentary. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနက် | ||
| The word "အနက်" can also mean "meaning" or "significance" in Myanmar (Burmese). | |||
Interpretation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penafsiran | ||
| "Penafsiran" means "interpretation" but also "the action of interpreting or explaining something, especially a dream, omen, or other sign or event." | |||
| Javanese | interpretasi | ||
| The Javanese word "interpretasi" can also refer to the process of creating art, such as painting or dance. | |||
| Khmer | ការបកស្រាយ | ||
| Lao | ການຕີລາຄາ | ||
| Malay | tafsiran | ||
| "Tafsiran" is also a type of Malaysian traditional dance which involves whirling movements. | |||
| Thai | การตีความ | ||
| การตีความ can also refer to an "interpretation dance", a type of dance that expresses the choreographer's personal interpretation of a particular piece of music. | |||
| Vietnamese | diễn dịch | ||
| The word "diễn dịch" can also refer to the process of translating texts from one language to another or to explain complex concepts in simpler terms. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | interpretasyon | ||
Interpretation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təfsir | ||
| In Arabic language, the word təfsir means an exegesis or explanation and interpretation of the Qur'anic revelations | |||
| Kazakh | түсіндіру | ||
| The word "түсіндіру" can also mean "explanation" or "clarification". | |||
| Kyrgyz | чечмелөө | ||
| The word "чечмелөө" can also mean "translation", "explanation", or "commentary" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | тафсир | ||
| In Tajik, "тафсир" can also mean "explanation", "commentary", or "exegesis." | |||
| Turkmen | düşündiriş | ||
| Uzbek | sharhlash | ||
| Sharhlash derives from the root word "sharhl", meaning "to explain" or "to unfold". | |||
| Uyghur | چۈشەندۈرۈش | ||
Interpretation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | unuhi | ||
| The Hawaiian word "unuhi" not only means "interpretation", but also refers to the interpretation of dreams, visions, or prophecies. | |||
| Maori | whakamaoritanga | ||
| Derived from 'whakamaori', a word for a process of adaptation, change, and translation. The term whakamaoritanga also refers to the processes involved in translating and adapting Maori language, culture and values. | |||
| Samoan | faʻamatala upu | ||
| The word faʻamatala upu also literally means "to talk the word" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | interpretasyon | ||
| The word "interpretasyon" is derived from the Spanish word "interpretación" and has other meanings such as "performance" or "explanation". | |||
Interpretation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhanañchaña | ||
| Guarani | interpretación rehegua | ||
Interpretation in International Languages
| Esperanto | interpreto | ||
| Esperanto's "interpreto" also means "act as an interpreter". | |||
| Latin | interpretatione | ||
| The word "interpretatione" is derived from the Latin "interpres", meaning "mediator" or "go-between." | |||
Interpretation in Others Languages
| Greek | ερμηνεία | ||
| The word "ερμηνεία" is derived from the Greek root "ερμην", which can also mean "to translate" or "to explain." | |||
| Hmong | kev txhais lus | ||
| The first word "kev" means "the act of" and the second word "txhais lus" means "to translate or interpret a language" | |||
| Kurdish | jêfêhmî | ||
| The word "jêfêhmî" originates from the Arabic word "fahm" (understanding) and has similar meanings in other Iranian languages such as Persian and Pashto. | |||
| Turkish | yorumlama | ||
| Yorumlama also means 'commentary' or 'criticism' when used in a more literary context. | |||
| Xhosa | ukutolika | ||
| 'Ukutulika' derives from the root '-tulika-' meaning 'to make appear', 'to reveal'. | |||
| Yiddish | ינטערפּריטיישאַן | ||
| Zulu | ukuhumusha | ||
| -Ukuhumusha means "to interpret, translate, explain, or clarify." | |||
| Assamese | ব্যাখ্যা | ||
| Aymara | qhanañchaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | व्याख्या के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަފްސީރުކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | व्याख्या करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | interpretasyon | ||
| Guarani | interpretación rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | interpretasion | ||
| Krio | intapriteshɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لێکدانەوە | ||
| Maithili | व्याख्या करब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯟꯇꯔꯞꯔꯤꯇꯦꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hrilhfiahna a ni | ||
| Oromo | hiika | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା | ||
| Quechua | interpretación nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | व्याख्या | ||
| Tatar | тәрҗемә итү | ||
| Tigrinya | ትርጉም ምሃብ | ||
| Tsonga | nhlamuselo | ||