Updated on March 6, 2024
The word landscape holds a profound significance in our lives, often serving as a reflection of the world around us. It goes beyond mere scenery, embodying cultural, historical, and even political narratives. Have you ever wondered how this word is translated in different languages, and what it reveals about the cultures that use them?
For instance, the German translation of landscape is Landschaft, which also refers to a rural district or a region. In contrast, the Chinese translation, ◄───► 山水 ─╗── (shān shuǐ), literally means 'mountains and water', emphasizing the country's topographical and artistic influences.
Understanding the translation of landscape in various languages can open up a world of cultural insights. Here are some translations to get you started:
Afrikaans | landskap | ||
The Afrikaans word "landskap" can also refer to a specific type of administrative division in South Africa or Namibia, equivalent to a province or district. | |||
Amharic | የመሬት አቀማመጥ | ||
Hausa | wuri mai faɗi | ||
"Wuri mai faɗi" in Hausa can also mean "flat ground" or "open field". | |||
Igbo | odida obodo | ||
In Igbo, "odida obodo" can also refer to a map, a plan or design, and a boundary or border. | |||
Malagasy | tontolo | ||
Tontolo shares a root with the verb 'mitontolo' ('to spread or set out') | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | malo | ||
The word "malo" can also refer to a plain, field, or open area. | |||
Shona | landscape | ||
The word "landscape" was originally used to designate the appearance of the land itself rather than any image of that land. | |||
Somali | muuqaalka | ||
The Somali word "muuqaalka" also means "appearance" and is related to the verb "muuqan" which means "to appear" or "to look like". | |||
Sesotho | ponahalo ea naha | ||
The words "pona" meaning "beautiful" and "halo" meaning "world" combine to form the word "ponahalo ea naha". | |||
Swahili | mandhari | ||
The word "mandhari" in Swahili is also used to refer to a painting or photograph of a landscape. | |||
Xhosa | imbonakalo-mhlaba | ||
"Imbonakalo-mhlaba" can also refer to the view from a high place. | |||
Yoruba | ala-ilẹ | ||
The Yoruba word "ala-ilẹ" literally means "face of the earth" or "surface of the ground". | |||
Zulu | ukwakheka kwezwe | ||
The Zulu word "ukwakheka kwezwe" also means "the face of the earth" or "the shape of the earth". | |||
Bambara | dugufɛrɛ | ||
Ewe | anyigbã ƒe kpɔkpɔme | ||
Kinyarwanda | imiterere | ||
Lingala | paysage | ||
Luganda | ettaka | ||
Sepedi | ponagalo ya naga | ||
Twi (Akan) | asase bɔbea | ||
Arabic | المناظر الطبيعيه | ||
The Arabic word derives from the same root as the Latin word "contemplari," meaning "to gaze at," emphasizing the act of observing and connecting with the natural environment. | |||
Hebrew | נוֹף | ||
The word "נוֹף" ("landscape") also means "a view" or "a horizon" in Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | منظره | ||
The Pashto word "منظره" also means "scenery" and "view". | |||
Arabic | المناظر الطبيعيه | ||
The Arabic word derives from the same root as the Latin word "contemplari," meaning "to gaze at," emphasizing the act of observing and connecting with the natural environment. |
Albanian | peisazhit | ||
The Albanian word "peisazhit" derives from the French word "paysage", which originally meant "countryside" or "region". | |||
Basque | paisaia | ||
The Basque word "paisaia" shares cognates with "paysage" in French and "paesaggio" in Italian, both meaning "landscape". | |||
Catalan | paisatge | ||
The Catalan word "paisatge" can also refer to a painting or tapestry depicting a landscape. | |||
Croatian | krajolik | ||
The word 'krajolik' in Croatian is derived from the Old Slavic word 'kraj', meaning 'border' or 'edge', and refers to the outer appearance or the natural features of a terrain. | |||
Danish | landskab | ||
'Landskab' also refers to a particular geographical region, and its inhabitants. | |||
Dutch | landschap | ||
The Dutch word "landschap" originally meant "a piece of land that has been reclaimed from the sea or a river." | |||
English | landscape | ||
The word "landscape" comes from the Dutch words "land" and "schap" meaning "a region or territory" and "shape" respectively. | |||
French | paysage | ||
The word 'paysage' is derived from the Old French word 'peis', meaning 'country' or 'region'. | |||
Frisian | lânskip | ||
The Frisian word "lânskip" is derived from the Old Frisian word "lânskib", meaning "a piece of land" or "a cultivated field." | |||
Galician | paisaxe | ||
The Galician word "paisaxe" comes from the Latin "pagus" (village) and also means "countryside". | |||
German | landschaft | ||
The word "Landschaft" in German also refers to a political or administrative territory, like a county or province. | |||
Icelandic | landslag | ||
In Icelandic, the word "landslag" holds a rich etymology, encompassing both its primary definition of "landscape" and a historical connotation as the division of a country or region into districts. | |||
Irish | tírdhreach | ||
"Tírdhreach" means "landscape" in Irish but also has meanings of "face of the land," "countryside," and "terrain." | |||
Italian | paesaggio | ||
The word "paesaggio" derives from the Latin "pagus," meaning "countryside" or "village," and originally referred to a rural or agricultural area. | |||
Luxembourgish | landschaft | ||
Als landschaft (luxemburgisch) bezeichnet man im übertragenen Sinne die Verwaltung einer Gemeinde. | |||
Maltese | pajsaġġ | ||
Maltese "pajsaġġ" comes from the Italian "paesaggio", which in turn derives from the Latin "pagus", meaning "countryside" or "village". | |||
Norwegian | landskap | ||
In Norwegian, "landskap" can also refer to a traditional county or administrative unit. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | panorama | ||
In Portuguese, "panorama" also refers to a painting or a film that offers a wide view of a scene. | |||
Scots Gaelic | sealladh-tìre | ||
Spanish | paisaje | ||
"paisaje" derives from the Latin "pagus", which means "countryside" or "region" and in turn from the Greek "pagos" meaning "settlement" or "hamlet". | |||
Swedish | landskap | ||
"Landskap" also means province and refers to the historical provinces of Sweden. | |||
Welsh | tirwedd | ||
"Tirwedd" derives from the Welsh words "tir" (land) and "gwedd" (appearance or aspect), thus literally meaning "land's appearance." |
Belarusian | пейзаж | ||
The word 'пейзаж' is a borrowing from the French 'paysage', and also means 'country'. | |||
Bosnian | pejzaž | ||
The word "pejzaž" (landscape) comes from the Italian word "paese" meaning "countryside". It also refers to a genre of art depicting natural scenery. | |||
Bulgarian | пейзаж | ||
The Bulgarian word "пейзаж" comes from the French word "paysage", which originally meant "countryside" or "country scenery". | |||
Czech | krajina | ||
The word "krajina" in Czech also refers to a border region or frontier. | |||
Estonian | maastik | ||
The word "maastik" is also used to refer to the surface of a planet or the environment in a play or a movie. | |||
Finnish | maisema | ||
The word "maisema" also refers to a genre of Finnish folk music that features lyrics depicting Finnish nature and landscapes. | |||
Hungarian | tájkép | ||
"Tájkép" derives from the Hungarian word "táj" (region) and the Turkish word "kef" (pleasure). | |||
Latvian | ainava | ||
The word "ainava" in Latvian is derived from a Proto-Indo-European base *ein- meaning "to see" and is related to "view" and "panorama". | |||
Lithuanian | peizažas | ||
Peizažas derives from the French word "paysage", meaning "countryside" or "scenery". | |||
Macedonian | пејзаж | ||
The term "пејзаж" (landscape) comes from the French "paysage", but in Macedonian it also denotes a broader concept, including any type of scenery or environment. | |||
Polish | krajobraz | ||
The word "krajobraz" derives from the Old Polish phrase "kraj obraz", meaning "the image of the land." | |||
Romanian | peisaj | ||
In Romanian, "peisaj" comes from French "paysage," which is itself derived from Late Latin "pagensis" meaning "of the country," from Latin "pagus" meaning "village" or "district." | |||
Russian | пейзаж | ||
The Russian word "пейзаж" derives from the Dutch "peisage" and its meaning has expanded from "view" or "image" to include the broader concept of "landscape." | |||
Serbian | пејзаж | ||
The word "пејзаж" (landscape) in Serbian may also refer to a "stage set" or "backdrop", particularly in the context of theater or filmmaking. | |||
Slovak | krajina | ||
The word "krajina" is also used to refer to a region or a country. | |||
Slovenian | pokrajina | ||
"Pokrajina" derives from "po" (under), "kraj" (edge), and the suffix "-ina": "what is under the edge". | |||
Ukrainian | краєвид | ||
The word "краєвид" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "край", meaning "edge" or "border", and "вид", meaning "view". Thus, it literally means "a view from the edge" or "a view of the surroundings". |
Bengali | ল্যান্ডস্কেপ | ||
ল্যান্ডস্কেপ (landscape) শব্দটির উৎপত্তি সুইডিশ শব্দ 'landskap' থেকে, যার অর্থ 'অঞ্চল' | |||
Gujarati | લેન્ડસ્કેપ | ||
The Gujarati word "લેન્ડસ્કેપ" (landscape) comes from the English word "landscape" and has the same meaning in English. | |||
Hindi | परिदृश्य | ||
"परिदृश्य" (landscape) in Hindi can also mean "circumstance" or "situation". | |||
Kannada | ಭೂದೃಶ್ಯ | ||
The Kannada word "ಭೂದೃಶ್ಯ" comes from the Sanskrit word "दृश्य", meaning "that which is seen", and is used to describe a natural scene or a painting representing one. | |||
Malayalam | ലാൻഡ്സ്കേപ്പ് | ||
The word | |||
Marathi | लँडस्केप | ||
The word 'लँडस्केप' ('landscape') is derived from the Dutch word 'landschap', which means 'a piece of land'. | |||
Nepali | परिदृश्य | ||
Though the word परिदृश्य originates from Sanskrit 'दृश्यम्' meaning 'something seen', it also signifies the concept of 'change over time' in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਲੈਂਡਸਕੇਪ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਲੈਂਡਸਕੇਪ" is derived from the English word "landscape", which itself comes from the Dutch word "landschap" meaning "a piece of land". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | භූ දර්ශනය | ||
Tamil | இயற்கை | ||
இயற்கை' is also a term used to describe nature, the natural environment, or the natural world. | |||
Telugu | ప్రకృతి దృశ్యం | ||
The word 'ప్రకృతి దృశ్యం' is a compound word that originated from the Sanskrit words 'प्रकृति' (nature) and 'दृश्य' (scenery), thus meaning 'a view of nature'. | |||
Urdu | زمین کی تزئین | ||
The word "landscape" derives from the Dutch "landschap," meaning "a piece of land". It can also refer to a painting or photograph of a natural scene. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 景观 | ||
It's also used as a suffix in the compound word of "风景名胜"} | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 景觀 | ||
The word "景觀" can be decomposed into "景" (view) and "觀" (to look at), suggesting not only the physical environment but also the subjective experience of observing it. | |||
Japanese | 風景 | ||
Originally written as "風情" in kanji, meaning "style" or "atmosphere", the word "風景" also retains this meaning in modern Japanese. | |||
Korean | 경치 | ||
The word "경치" originates from Chinese and originally meant "view" or "scene". | |||
Mongolian | ландшафт | ||
The Mongolian word "ландшафт" can also refer to the physical features of a region, such as its mountains, rivers, and valleys | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှုခင်း | ||
Indonesian | pemandangan | ||
'Pemandangan' originates from the Malay word 'pandang', meaning 'to look' or 'to see'. | |||
Javanese | malang | ||
The word "malang" in Javanese also refers to a feeling of deep sadness or longing. | |||
Khmer | ទេសភាព | ||
The word "ទេសភាព" (landscape) is closely related to "ទេស" (place) and "ភាព" (quality or state), conveying a sense of a place's unique and enduring qualities. | |||
Lao | ພູມສັນຖານ | ||
Malay | pemandangan | ||
The word 'pemandangan' is derived from the root word 'pandang', which means 'to look' or 'to observe'. | |||
Thai | ภูมิทัศน์ | ||
The Thai word "ภูมิทัศน์" (literally "earth-view") is derived from the Sanskrit words "bhumi" (earth) and "darsana" (view). In addition to its primary meaning of "landscape," it can also refer to a "worldview," "philosophy," or "ideology." | |||
Vietnamese | phong cảnh | ||
"Phong cảnh" literally means "wind-view," but it is also used to describe a "beautiful scene" or a "painting of nature." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tanawin | ||
Azerbaijani | mənzərə | ||
The word "mənzərə" (landscape) in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "manzara," meaning "view" or "scene."} | |||
Kazakh | ландшафт | ||
The Kazakh word 'ландшафт' ('landscape') comes from the Russian word 'ландшафт' ('landscape'), which in turn is based on the Dutch word 'landschap' ('landscape') and originally meant a piece of land that had been cultivated. | |||
Kyrgyz | пейзаж | ||
The word "пейзаж" is of French origin and means "part of the earth's surface that is visible from a single viewpoint". | |||
Tajik | манзара | ||
The word "манзара" comes from the Persian word "manzar" meaning "view" or "scene". | |||
Turkmen | peýza | ||
Uzbek | manzara | ||
Manzara has also been used to indicate "a beautiful and vast area of land." | |||
Uyghur | مەنزىرە | ||
Hawaiian | ʻāina ʻāina | ||
'Āina 'āina' in Hawaiian can refer to both 'land' and 'food'. | |||
Maori | whenua | ||
The word 'whenua' in Māori also refers to the placenta, the land, and the earth, reflecting the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world. | |||
Samoan | laufanua | ||
The term 'laufanua' also refers to the area of land on the coastal side of a traditional Samoan village. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tanawin | ||
The word "tanawin" likely originates from the root word "tanaw" meaning to view or see. |
Aymara | paysaji | ||
Guarani | ñupyso | ||
Esperanto | pejzaĝo | ||
The Esperanto word "pejzaĝo" derives from the French word "paysage" which originally meant "countryside". | |||
Latin | orbis terrarum | ||
The term "Orbis Terrarum" has been used to describe the whole world since the Roman Empire, but was originally used to describe a circular piece of land. |
Greek | τοπίο | ||
The word "τοπίο" originated from the Middle French word "paysage", meaning "countryside" or "region". | |||
Hmong | toj roob hauv pes | ||
In Hmong, 'toj roob hauv pes' translates to 'landscape,' an area that has been cultivated, with the phrase literally meaning 'middle field and garden.' | |||
Kurdish | dorhalî | ||
The word "dorhalî" can also refer to a specific type of Kurdish folktale or to a topographic feature such as a mountain pass. | |||
Turkish | manzara | ||
Manzara is a Turkish word of Persian origin that can also mean “view” or “scenery”. | |||
Xhosa | imbonakalo-mhlaba | ||
"Imbonakalo-mhlaba" can also refer to the view from a high place. | |||
Yiddish | לאַנדשאַפט | ||
The Yiddish word "לאַנדשאַפט" also means "countryside" or "farmland". | |||
Zulu | ukwakheka kwezwe | ||
The Zulu word "ukwakheka kwezwe" also means "the face of the earth" or "the shape of the earth". | |||
Assamese | ভূচিত্ৰ | ||
Aymara | paysaji | ||
Bhojpuri | परिदृश्य | ||
Dhivehi | ލޭންޑްސްކޭޕް | ||
Dogri | कुदरती नजारा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tanawin | ||
Guarani | ñupyso | ||
Ilocano | ladawan ti daga | ||
Krio | land | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاسۆیی | ||
Maithili | परिदृश्य | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯝꯃꯤꯠ ꯇꯨꯝꯃꯤꯠ | ||
Mizo | leilung | ||
Oromo | taa'umsa lafaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଲ୍ୟାଣ୍ଡସ୍କେପ୍ | ||
Quechua | paisaje | ||
Sanskrit | भूप्रदेश | ||
Tatar | пейзаж | ||
Tigrinya | ኣቀማምጣ መሬት | ||
Tsonga | ndhawu | ||