Journey in Different Languages
Discover 'Journey' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'journey' holds a special place in our hearts and minds, signifying not just physical travel, but personal growth and transformation as well. Throughout history and across cultures, journeys have been celebrated as rites of passage, opportunities for self-discovery, and Routes to adventure and enlightenment. From Odysseus' epic voyage in Greek mythology to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, journeys have inspired countless stories and shaped our collective imagination.
Given its significance, it's no surprise that the word 'journey' has been translated into countless languages, each with its own unique cultural context and nuance. For example, in Spanish, 'journey' is translated as 'viaje,' while in French, it's 'voyage.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for journey is '旅程' (lǚ chéng), which combines the characters for 'travel' and 'succession' or 'series,' emphasizing the idea of a continuous process or path.
Whether you're planning a physical trip, exploring new ideas, or embarking on a personal transformation, understanding the many translations of 'journey' can enrich your experience and deepen your appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture.
Journey
Journey in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | reis | ||
| Reis, the Afrikaans word for 'journey', stems from the Dutch word 'reizen' and shares its meaning in English. | |||
| Amharic | ጉዞ | ||
| "ጉዞ" can also refer to a pilgrimage to a holy site, or to life's journey. | |||
| Hausa | tafiya | ||
| Derived from Arabic, 'tafiya' can also mean a trip, a passage, a voyage, a campaign, a course, or an expedition. | |||
| Igbo | njem | ||
| In the Igbo language, "njem" also means "to suffer" or "to endure hardship." | |||
| Malagasy | dia | ||
| "Dia" can also refer to the verb "to go" or the noun "a path" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ulendo | ||
| The word "ulendo" can also mean "travel", "trip", or "expedition" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | rwendo | ||
| The Shona word "rwendo" also designates an ordeal or a challenge that one undergoes, making "rwendo rwuupenyu" the "journey of life" or the life experience. | |||
| Somali | safarka | ||
| Safarka, a Somali word that refers to a journey, possibly originates from the Arabic Safar, which means the second month of the Islamic calendar. | |||
| Sesotho | leeto | ||
| Leeto derives from the verb leeta "to carry, to transport" and can mean any journey but especially a trading trip. | |||
| Swahili | safari | ||
| In Swahili, 'safari' denotes any excursion, not confined to wildlife and can translate to 'business trip' or 'road trip'. | |||
| Xhosa | uhambo | ||
| "-hambo" in "uhambo" also means "to walk" or "to go" in Xhosa | |||
| Yoruba | irin ajo | ||
| Irin ajo can also mean walking from one place to another without a particular destination. | |||
| Zulu | uhambo | ||
| ‘Uhambo’ shares a root with the word ‘kuhamba’, which means ‘to walk’, ‘to wander’, ‘to travel’, ‘to go on a journey’, or ‘to set out on a journey’. | |||
| Bambara | taama | ||
| Ewe | mᴐzɔ̃zᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urugendo | ||
| Lingala | mobembo | ||
| Luganda | ssaffaali | ||
| Sepedi | leeto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akwantuo | ||
Journey in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رحلة | ||
| رحلة, meaning "journey" in Arabic, can also indicate a "group" or "set," as in a group of travelers | |||
| Hebrew | מסע | ||
| In Biblical Hebrew, "מסע" also denotes a "military expedition" or a "stage of a journey". | |||
| Pashto | سفر | ||
| The word "سفر" also means "chapter" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | رحلة | ||
| رحلة, meaning "journey" in Arabic, can also indicate a "group" or "set," as in a group of travelers | |||
Journey in Western European Languages
| Albanian | udhëtim | ||
| The Albanian word "udhëtim" also means "excursion" or "trip" and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wedh-", meaning "to go" or "to travel". | |||
| Basque | bidaia | ||
| The Basque word "bidaia" comes from the word "bide" (way or path), and means "to set out on a journey" | |||
| Catalan | viatge | ||
| "Viatge" derives from the medieval Latin "viaticus", meaning "provisions for a journey", thus encompassing the material, human, and spiritual elements required for the undertaking. | |||
| Croatian | putovanje | ||
| The word 'putovanje' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pet-, which means 'to travel' or 'to go'. | |||
| Danish | rejse | ||
| The Danish word "rejse" is related to the Old Norse word "reisa", which means "to rise", and can also refer to a trip or movement. | |||
| Dutch | reis | ||
| The Dutch word "reis" not only means "journey", but also "giant" in Frisian and "branch" in Old High German. | |||
| English | journey | ||
| The word "journey" derives from the Old French word "journee," meaning "a day's travel." | |||
| French | périple | ||
| The word "périple" also refers to a written account of a voyage. | |||
| Frisian | reis | ||
| In Frisian, "reis" means "journey," but it can also be used colloquially to refer to the act of moving or travelling about | |||
| Galician | viaxe | ||
| The Galician word 'viaxe' originates from the Latin word 'viaticum' meaning 'provisions for a journey', with the suffix '-age' denoting the act of travelling. | |||
| German | reise | ||
| The word "Reise" shares its roots with the Old High German word "rīsa," meaning "to rise" or "to depart." | |||
| Icelandic | ferðalag | ||
| "Ferðalag" also means "an expedition" or "a trip" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | turas | ||
| In Irish usage, "turas" can also mean a pilgrim's journey, or a pilgrimage tour. | |||
| Italian | viaggio | ||
| The Italian word "viaggio" comes from the Latin "viaticum," meaning "provisions for a journey". | |||
| Luxembourgish | rees | ||
| The word "Rees" also denotes a path or route, or a trip or excursion. | |||
| Maltese | vjaġġ | ||
| "Vjaġġ" can also refer to a procession, a pilgrimage, or a voyage. | |||
| Norwegian | reise | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "reise" can also refer to a trip or an excursion. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | viagem | ||
| The term "viagem" in Portuguese (both for Portugal and Brazil) can also mean "trip". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | turas | ||
| Turas can also refer to a turn or circuit, or a spell or incantation. | |||
| Spanish | viaje | ||
| The word "viaje" derives from the Latin "viaticum," meaning "provisions for a journey". | |||
| Swedish | resa | ||
| In Swedish, "resa" can also refer to a vacation or traveling abroad. | |||
| Welsh | taith | ||
| Taith derives from the Proto-Celtic word *teɸi "a journey, travel." | |||
Journey in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падарожжа | ||
| Bosnian | putovanje | ||
| The term "putovanje" also signifies a way of life that is nomadic. | |||
| Bulgarian | пътуване | ||
| The Bulgarian word "пътуване" comes from the Old Slavic word "pǫtь" meaning "way" | |||
| Czech | cesta | ||
| The word "cesta" in Czech is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*kъstis", meaning "piece, part". | |||
| Estonian | teekond | ||
| The Estonian word "teekond" may also refer to a specific point on a journey or the duration of a journey. | |||
| Finnish | matka | ||
| Cognate with Estonian matk, from Proto-Uralic *mata, compare to Hungarian menet. | |||
| Hungarian | utazás | ||
| "Utazás" comes from "út", "way" in English, but originally it meant "change of place" | |||
| Latvian | ceļojums | ||
| The word "ceļojums" derives from the Proto-Baltic root "kel-_", meaning "to go". | |||
| Lithuanian | kelionė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "kelionė" is also related to the Sanskrit word "kalyana," meaning "auspicious" or "fortunate." | |||
| Macedonian | патување | ||
| The word "патување" in Macedonian can also refer to a trip or expedition. | |||
| Polish | podróż | ||
| The word "podróż" derives from the Proto-Slavic *podъ-roza, meaning "division of the road". | |||
| Romanian | călătorie | ||
| The Romanian word "călătorie" also means "trip" or "adventure" | |||
| Russian | поездка | ||
| The Russian word "поездка" is derived from the verb "поездить", meaning "to travel or ride." | |||
| Serbian | путовање | ||
| The Serbian word 'путовање' (journey) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pǫtъ, meaning 'path' or 'way'. | |||
| Slovak | cesta | ||
| In addition to meaning "journey" in Slovak, "cesta" also signifies "road" and "street". | |||
| Slovenian | potovanje | ||
| The word »potovanje« also means »travelling« but also the act of writing poetry or writing lyrics for songs. | |||
| Ukrainian | подорож | ||
| The word 'подорож' is believed to be derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'doroga', meaning a 'route' or a 'path'. | |||
Journey in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভ্রমণ | ||
| The word 'ভ্রমণ' also refers to a circle, circumference, or tour, as in the phrase 'নাদভ্রমণ' ('vocalization'). | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રવાસ | ||
| Hindi | यात्रा | ||
| The word 'यात्रा' in Hindi is derived from Sanskrit, meaning 'to protect' or 'to go abroad'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಯಾಣ | ||
| "ಪ್ರಯಾಣ" can also refer to "a trip in a vehicle, esp. a ship." | |||
| Malayalam | യാത്രയെ | ||
| Marathi | प्रवास | ||
| "प्रवास" is related to the Sanskrit word "वास" (stay) indicating that a journey is simply staying somewhere other than one's original place. | |||
| Nepali | यात्रा | ||
| "यात्रा" can mean both "journey" and "travel". | |||
| Punjabi | ਯਾਤਰਾ | ||
| The word 'ਯਾਤਰਾ' (journey) derives from the Sanskrit word 'यात्रा' (journey, pilgrimage) and is also related to 'यात' (go) and 'यात्र' (traveler). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගමන | ||
| The word 'ගමන' (journey) in Sinhala also means 'moving' or 'going' and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gem- ('to go'). | |||
| Tamil | பயணம் | ||
| The word "பயணம்" can also mean "a course of action" or "a mode of travel" in Tamil, akin to its Sanskrit root "पथ" (path). | |||
| Telugu | ప్రయాణం | ||
| "ప్రయాణం" is also used as a name for a type of traditional Telugu musical performance that tells a story through singing and instrumental music. | |||
| Urdu | سفر | ||
| In Persian, the word سفر means 'book', especially one containing holy texts. | |||
Journey in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 旅程 | ||
| 旅程 (Lǚchéng) is also used to refer to the path taken by a heavenly body or the course of a life. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 旅程 | ||
| 旅程 was borrowed from the Buddhist term "Yatra", meaning "pilgrimage". | |||
| Japanese | 旅 | ||
| The kanji '旅' (journey) is also used in the word '旅行' (travel), which can refer to a journey taken for leisure or pleasure. | |||
| Korean | 여행 | ||
| The word "여행" (journey) originally meant "to travel far away" and was related to the word "역" (station) | |||
| Mongolian | аялал | ||
| "Aya" translates as "leg" and "lal" as "to take", hence "journey". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခရီး | ||
| The word "ခရီး" comes from the Pali word "cariya" and can also mean "pilgrimage" or "a person's life." | |||
Journey in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perjalanan | ||
| The word 'perjalanan' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pravasana', meaning 'migration' or 'sojourn'. | |||
| Javanese | lelungan | ||
| "Lelungan" can also refer to a specific ritualistic journey undertaken by Javanese royalty. | |||
| Khmer | ការធ្វើដំណើរ | ||
| Lao | ການເດີນທາງ | ||
| Malay | perjalanan | ||
| "Perjalanan" literally translates to "movement", but also refers to any form of travel over distance, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. | |||
| Thai | การเดินทาง | ||
| In Thai, "การเดินทาง" also refers to a travel or expedition, often with a religious or spiritual purpose. | |||
| Vietnamese | hành trình | ||
| "Hành trình" also means "action" or "behavior" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paglalakbay | ||
Journey in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səyahət | ||
| "Səyahət" means "travel" in Azerbaijani, it is pronounced as "syah-hat". | |||
| Kazakh | саяхат | ||
| The Kazakh word "саяхат" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "سياحة" (sayāḥa), meaning "to travel" or "to wander". | |||
| Kyrgyz | саякат | ||
| The word "саякат" can also refer to a nomad's move to new pastures. | |||
| Tajik | сафар | ||
| The word “сафар” is borrowed from the Arabic language, where it has a broader meaning that includes travel and commerce. | |||
| Turkmen | syýahat | ||
| Uzbek | sayohat | ||
| The Uzbek word "sayohat" originally meant "a caravan journey", and this meaning is still preserved in some contexts. | |||
| Uyghur | سەپەر | ||
Journey in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | huakaʻi | ||
| The term "huakaʻi" also denotes a type of traditional Hawaiian canoe with an outrigger. | |||
| Maori | haerenga | ||
| The word "haerenga" can also refer to a group of people traveling together. | |||
| Samoan | faigamalaga | ||
| The word 'faigamalaga' can also refer to an extended period of travel or a quest. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | paglalakbay | ||
| "Paglalakbay" also means "travel" or "voyage" and comes from the root word "lakbay" meaning "to travel". | |||
Journey in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'usasiwi | ||
| Guarani | guatapuku | ||
Journey in International Languages
| Esperanto | vojaĝo | ||
| The base of vojaĝo is the word 'vojo', 'way' | |||
| Latin | iter | ||
| The Latin word "iter" can also refer to a sacrifice or an army's march. | |||
Journey in Others Languages
| Greek | ταξίδι | ||
| "Ταξίδι" comes from the verb "τάσσω," meaning "to set in order," and originally referred to a military expedition. | |||
| Hmong | lus | ||
| The word "lus" in Hmong also means "to live" or "to reside". | |||
| Kurdish | gerr | ||
| The word "gerr" in Kurdish is a loanword from Persian derived from "raftan", ultimately meaning "to go" | |||
| Turkish | seyahat | ||
| The word 'seyahat' originally meant 'to move the horses' in ancient Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | uhambo | ||
| "-hambo" in "uhambo" also means "to walk" or "to go" in Xhosa | |||
| Yiddish | נסיעה | ||
| The word "נסיעה" is also used in Yiddish to refer to a single ride or trip, especially in a vehicle. | |||
| Zulu | uhambo | ||
| ‘Uhambo’ shares a root with the word ‘kuhamba’, which means ‘to walk’, ‘to wander’, ‘to travel’, ‘to go on a journey’, or ‘to set out on a journey’. | |||
| Assamese | যাত্ৰা | ||
| Aymara | ch'usasiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | सफर | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަތުރު | ||
| Dogri | जात्तरा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paglalakbay | ||
| Guarani | guatapuku | ||
| Ilocano | biahe | ||
| Krio | patrol | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەشت | ||
| Maithili | यात्रा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯡꯆꯠ | ||
| Mizo | zinkawng | ||
| Oromo | imala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯାତ୍ରା | ||
| Quechua | illay | ||
| Sanskrit | यात्रा | ||
| Tatar | сәяхәт | ||
| Tigrinya | መንገዲ | ||
| Tsonga | rendzo | ||