Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'launch' holds a special significance in our daily lives, often symbolizing the beginning of something new and exciting. Whether it's the launch of a rocket, a business, or a product, this word carries a sense of anticipation, progress, and success. Its cultural importance is evident in various global celebrations, such as the annual Bastille Day military parade in France, where the French President 'launches' the parade by saying 'Go!' ('Allez!')
Understanding the translation of 'launch' in different languages can open doors to cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper connection with people around the world. For instance, the Spanish translation of 'launch' is 'lanzamiento,' while in German, it's 'Start' or 'Startschuss.' In Japanese, the term is '発射 (hassha),' and in Chinese, it's '发射 (fāshè).'
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of language and culture through the lens of the word 'launch.' Discover how this term is interpreted in various languages, and learn how to use it to engage with a global audience.
Afrikaans | bekendstelling | ||
"Bekendstelling" in Afrikaans not only means "launch" but also "announcement" or "proclamation." | |||
Amharic | ማስጀመር | ||
Hausa | ƙaddamar | ||
The Hausa word "ƙaddamar" has Arabic origin, sharing the root "ق د م" with the word "قادم" (coming) in Arabic, indicating its connotation of initiation or beginning. | |||
Igbo | igba egbe | ||
"Igba egbe" can be literally translated to "to break calabash". In the Igbo traditional wedding, it is the breaking of kola nut by the groom in the bride's family home as a sign of acceptance." | |||
Malagasy | fandefasana | ||
The Malagasy word 'fandefasana' also means 'to push or shove someone or something'. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyambitsa | ||
Etymology: Kuya is to put in water, mbira is a canoe or small boat, so kuyambitsa is putting into water, that is, launching. | |||
Shona | kuvhura | ||
The word "kuvhura" also means "to open" or "to reveal" in Shona. | |||
Somali | bilaabid | ||
Bilaabid, originally meaning "to start a race or journey," has come to mean "to launch" in Somali. | |||
Sesotho | tsebisa | ||
The word "tsebisa" also means to "set off or start something" in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | uzinduzi | ||
The word 'uzinduzi' also means 'creation' or 'invention' in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | qalisa | ||
Qalisa also means "to go out" or "to come out" in some Xhosa dialects. | |||
Yoruba | ifilọlẹ | ||
The Yoruba word "ifilọlẹ" can also refer to the initial payment on a purchase or the act of releasing something into the air. | |||
Zulu | qalisa | ||
In the Zulu language, 'qalisa' also means to 'start' or 'initiate' something, implying the beginning of a journey or undertaking. | |||
Bambara | daminɛ | ||
Ewe | ɖoe anyi | ||
Kinyarwanda | gutangiza | ||
Lingala | kobanda | ||
Luganda | okutongoza | ||
Sepedi | hloma | ||
Twi (Akan) | bue ano | ||
Arabic | إطلاق | ||
The word "إطلاق" in Arabic also means "dismissal" or "release", derived from the root "طلق" meaning "to throw" or "to let go". | |||
Hebrew | לְהַשִׁיק | ||
לְהַשִׁיק also means 'to toast', and the noun הַשָׁקָה ('launch') can also refer to a toast or the act of touching two cups together. | |||
Pashto | په لاره اچول | ||
په لاره اچول can also mean "the way forward" or "the next step" in Pashto, connoting more than just the physical act of launching something. | |||
Arabic | إطلاق | ||
The word "إطلاق" in Arabic also means "dismissal" or "release", derived from the root "طلق" meaning "to throw" or "to let go". |
Albanian | nisja | ||
The word "Nisja" in Albanian has Slavic origins and can also mean "to begin" or "to set off". | |||
Basque | abiarazi | ||
"Abearazi" is a Basque word that has been incorporated to Standard Spanish, with the meaning of "launch" (e.g. a rocket) | |||
Catalan | llançament | ||
The word "llançament" comes from the Latin word "lancea", meaning "spear", and has the additional meaning of a "throw" or "cast" in Spanish. | |||
Croatian | lansiranje | ||
The Croatian word "lansiranje" is a Slavic word possibly derived from Polish "lądowanie" or Czech "landování", which both refer to landing rather than launching. | |||
Danish | lancering | ||
Lancering is a cognate of the French word lancer; both words having a common origin in the Medieval Latin lanceare. | |||
Dutch | lancering | ||
In Dutch, "lancering" can also refer to the act of taking on a difficult or dangerous task. | |||
English | launch | ||
The word "launch" also refers to a vessel's being "put in the water" | |||
French | lancement | ||
The word "lancement" in French also means "spear throw" or "javelin throw" and derives from the Latin word "lancea" meaning "spear". | |||
Frisian | lansearje | ||
The word "lansearje" comes from the Middle Dutch "lancherren", which originated from the Old French word "lancier", meaning "to throw or hurl." | |||
Galician | lanzamento | ||
This word comes from the Spanish "lanzamiento", and it also means "throw up". | |||
German | starten | ||
The German word 'starten' also means to begin, initiate, or set something in motion. | |||
Icelandic | sjósetja | ||
The word "sjósetja" in Icelandic is derived from the Old Norse word "sjösetja," meaning "to set out to sea." | |||
Irish | lainseáil | ||
Laínseáil can be traced back to Middle Irish and ultimately derives from Latin 'lancea', meaning 'spear'. | |||
Italian | lanciare | ||
"Lanciare" also means "to throw" or "to hurl" in Italian. | |||
Luxembourgish | starten | ||
The Luxembourgish word "starten" is derived from the German word "starten" and can also mean "to jump" or "to startle". | |||
Maltese | tnedija | ||
The word "tnedija" is a Semitic loanword likely borrowed from the Arabic word "nedwā" (ندوة) meaning "seminar, assembly" | |||
Norwegian | lansering | ||
The Norwegian word "lansering" can also mean "the act of landing at a port or airport" or "the act of launching a boat into water". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lançamento | ||
In Portuguese, 'lançamento' also refers to a financial transaction (credit/debit). | |||
Scots Gaelic | cur air bhog | ||
Cur air bhog was originally a term for a sea launch, and the word bhog means to cast, throw or drive. | |||
Spanish | lanzamiento | ||
The meaning "launch" for lanzamiento derives from its root word 'lanzar,' meaning "to throw." | |||
Swedish | lansera | ||
The word "lansera" in Swedish can also mean to "introduce" or "present" something. | |||
Welsh | lansio | ||
Llansio also means 'yard for launching boats' in Welsh, and 'slip' (of a dock) |
Belarusian | запуск | ||
In Belarusian, the word "запуск" (launch) can also refer to the start of a new program, project, or machine. | |||
Bosnian | lansiranje | ||
Bosnian "lansiranje" (launch) comes from Italian "lancia" (lance). | |||
Bulgarian | стартиране | ||
The verb "стартирам" (startiram) is derived from the French "partir" (to leave), the Italian "partire" and the Latin "partior" (to share). | |||
Czech | zahájení | ||
"Zahájení" is derived from the Czech word "začátek," meaning "beginning". | |||
Estonian | käivitamine | ||
"Käivitamine" (launch) in Estonian can also refer to starting up a computer or engine. | |||
Finnish | tuoda markkinoille | ||
The Finnish word "tuoda markkinoille" literally translates to "to bring to the market". | |||
Hungarian | dob | ||
"Dob" is derived from the Old Slavic word dobrъ, which means "good" and was used as a military command to "attack". | |||
Latvian | palaišana | ||
The Latvian word "palaišana" ('launch') also means a 'send-off' or a 'farewell' party. | |||
Lithuanian | paleidimas | ||
Paleidimas is a Lithuanian noun meaning “launch” and is related to paleista, a conjugated form of the verb paleisti, which means “to release” or “to send forth”. | |||
Macedonian | лансира | ||
The word "лансира" also means "to introduce" or "to put into circulation" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | uruchomić | ||
Uruchomić derives from the word "ruch" (movement) and implies putting something into motion, or "uruchamiając" it. | |||
Romanian | lansa | ||
The Romanian word "lansa" is derived from the French "lancer" and can also mean "spear" or "javelin". | |||
Russian | запускать | ||
The verb "запускать" also means to start a process or to run a program in Russian. | |||
Serbian | лансирање | ||
The word "лансирање" can also be used to refer to "starting a new business", "introducing a new product or idea". | |||
Slovak | spustenie | ||
The word "spustenie" has an alternate meaning of "release" or "triggering" in the context of mechanisms or computer programs. | |||
Slovenian | kosilo | ||
The word 'kosilo' also means a 'midday meal', derived from the verb 'kosati' (to mow), as it was traditionally the time when farmers returned home from the field. | |||
Ukrainian | запуск | ||
The Ukrainian word "запуск" also means "start-up" or "commencement." |
Bengali | শুরু করা | ||
In Bengali, the word "শুরু করা" can also mean "to initiate" or "to begin". | |||
Gujarati | લોંચ | ||
The Gujarati word "લોંચ" also means "a lump" or "a piece of cloth". | |||
Hindi | प्रक्षेपण | ||
The word "प्रक्षेपण" can also mean "projection" or "interpolation" in the mathematical sense. | |||
Kannada | ಉಡಾವಣೆ | ||
The word "ಉಡಾವಣೆ" ("launch") in Kannada can also refer to the act of sending something into the air or setting it in motion. | |||
Malayalam | സമാരംഭിക്കുക | ||
Marathi | प्रक्षेपण | ||
The word "प्रक्षेपण" ("launch") also means "projection" or "emission" in Marathi. | |||
Nepali | प्रक्षेपण | ||
The word "प्रक्षेपण" in Nepali can also mean "shooting" or "propulsion". | |||
Punjabi | ਚਲਾਓ | ||
The word "ਚਲਾਓ" can also mean "to drive" or "to operate" in Punjabi. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දියත් කිරීම | ||
The word 'දියත් කිරීම' can also refer to the act of releasing or issuing something, such as a product or a statement. | |||
Tamil | ஏவுதல் | ||
The word "ஏவுதல்" in Tamil can also mean "to send" or "to throw with force". | |||
Telugu | ప్రయోగం | ||
ప్రయోగం (prayōgam) can also mean "experiment", "practice", "employment", "use", or "application" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | لانچ | ||
The word "لانچ" ("launch") in Urdu can also mean "to throw" or "to begin"} |
Chinese (Simplified) | 发射 | ||
"发射" also means 'issue (a new currency) or a document'. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 發射 | ||
發射 originally meant “send forth an arrow”. It still retains this meaning and can be used metaphorically. | |||
Japanese | 打ち上げ | ||
打ち上げ (uchiage) derives from the verb | |||
Korean | 시작하다 | ||
시작하다 (始作하다) is also used in the meaning of 'to start doing something for the first time', such as starting a new job or project. | |||
Mongolian | эхлэх | ||
"Эхлэх" is also used to mean "to go out or begin a journey" or "to let out or release something." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လွှတ်တင် | ||
Indonesian | meluncurkan | ||
The word "meluncurkan" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *lancar, which also means "to flow" or "to glide". | |||
Javanese | ngluncurake | ||
"Ngluncurake" is derived from the word "luncur" (to slide) and the suffix "-ake" (to cause to do something), meaning "to cause to slide". | |||
Khmer | បើកដំណើរការ | ||
Lao | ເປີດຕົວ | ||
Malay | pelancaran | ||
The word 'pelancaran' in Malay can also refer to 'issuance', 'disposal', or 'firing'. | |||
Thai | เปิด | ||
The word "เปิด" (launch) in Thai can also mean "to open" or "to begin". | |||
Vietnamese | phóng | ||
Phóng in Vietnamese can also mean to let go, release, or emit. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ilunsad | ||
Azerbaijani | başlamaq | ||
The verb "başlamaq" (launch) in Azerbaijani also means "to start". | |||
Kazakh | іске қосу | ||
In Kazakh, «іске қосу» can also refer to «to set in motion» or «to activate». | |||
Kyrgyz | ишке киргизүү | ||
The word "ишке киргизүү" can also mean "to put into operation" or "to start something" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | оғоз | ||
The word "оғоз" also means "departure" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | işe girizmek | ||
Uzbek | ishga tushirish | ||
"Ishga tushirish" is sometimes used in Uzbek to mean "to put into operation" or to start something. | |||
Uyghur | قويۇپ بېرىش | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻolana | ||
Hoʻolana also means "to send off, to start, to begin, to initiate, to set in motion, to put in operation, to turn on, to activate, to trigger, to release, to let go, to loosen, to slacken, to relax, to ease, to relieve, to comfort, to soothe, to refresh, to restore, to rejuvenate." | |||
Maori | whakarewatanga | ||
The term "whakarewatanga" literally means "to cause to unfold," highlighting the process of something new emerging from something established. | |||
Samoan | tatalaina | ||
The Samoan word "tatalaina" also means "to put in the water" or "to cast off". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | ilunsad | ||
The word “ilunsad” also means to “attack” or “charge” in Tagalog. |
Aymara | jaqtaña | ||
Guarani | myasãi | ||
Esperanto | lanĉi | ||
"Lanĉi" is etymologically related to "lango" which means "to throw". | |||
Latin | lorem | ||
"Lorem" is possibly of Indo-European origin, with cognates in several languages, such as Greek (λόγχη) and Armenian (լորդ). |
Greek | εκτόξευση | ||
Εκτόξευση can also refer to an unexpected surge or increase, such as in prices or emotions. | |||
Hmong | tua tawm | ||
The word "tua tawm" also means "to put on" or "to wear" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | destpêkirin | ||
The word "destpêkirin" in Kurdish can also mean "to start" or "to initiate". | |||
Turkish | başlatmak | ||
The word "başlatmak" also means "to initiate" and is used particularly when starting a new action. | |||
Xhosa | qalisa | ||
Qalisa also means "to go out" or "to come out" in some Xhosa dialects. | |||
Yiddish | קאַטער | ||
The Yiddish word "קאַטער" can also mean "catheter" or "caterer", depending on the context. | |||
Zulu | qalisa | ||
In the Zulu language, 'qalisa' also means to 'start' or 'initiate' something, implying the beginning of a journey or undertaking. | |||
Assamese | মুক্তি দিয়া | ||
Aymara | jaqtaña | ||
Bhojpuri | शुरुआत | ||
Dhivehi | ލޯންޗު | ||
Dogri | लांच | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ilunsad | ||
Guarani | myasãi | ||
Ilocano | igayang | ||
Krio | sɛn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەکارخستن | ||
Maithili | शुरू | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯧꯗꯣꯛꯄ | ||
Mizo | kapchhuak | ||
Oromo | jalqabsiisuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଉନ୍ମୋଚନ | | ||
Quechua | qallariy | ||
Sanskrit | प्रक्षेपनम् | ||
Tatar | җибәрү | ||
Tigrinya | ኣወንጭፍ | ||
Tsonga | simeka | ||