Letter in Different Languages
Discover 'Letter' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A letter is a written or printed communication directed to a person, usually sent via mail or delivery service. Letters have been a significant means of communication for centuries, allowing people to convey thoughts, feelings, and information over long distances. They hold cultural importance as historical records and artifacts, providing insight into the language, customs, and social contexts of different time periods.
Did you know that the oldest known letter, discovered in Egypt, dates back to 2000 BC? Or that in ancient Rome, letters were often dictated to scribes who would then write them out? These fascinating historical contexts highlight the enduring significance of letters as a form of communication.
Understanding the translation of the word 'letter' in different languages can be useful for travelers, language learners, and anyone interested in global culture. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: carta
- French: lettre
- German: Brief
- Mandarin: 信 (xìn)
- Japanese: 手紙 (tesuji)
- Russian: письмо (pis'mo)
Letter
Letter in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | brief | ||
| The Afrikaans word "brief" can also mean a legal document or a short summary of a case in court. | |||
| Amharic | ደብዳቤ | ||
| The word "ደብዳቤ" is derived from the Ge'ez root "כתב" meaning "to write" and can also refer to a message written on a scroll or other material. | |||
| Hausa | wasika | ||
| "Wasika" in Hausa can also refer to a document or a message. | |||
| Igbo | leta | ||
| The Igbo word 'leta' also means 'speech' or 'language'. | |||
| Malagasy | taratasy | ||
| The Malagasy word 'taratasy' is a derivative of the Arabic word 'tarasul,' meaning 'to correspond' or 'to exchange messages'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kalata | ||
| "Kalata" also means "message" or "piece of paper" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | tsamba | ||
| In the Shona language, the word "tsamba" can also mean "message" or "news". | |||
| Somali | warqad | ||
| Warqad can also refer to the 'page' of a book or a document, or to a 'flat object' such as a plate or a piece of paper | |||
| Sesotho | lengolo | ||
| In the SeSotho language, 'lengolo' derives from the root word 'goloza' meaning 'to swallow whole'. | |||
| Swahili | barua | ||
| The Swahili word "barua" can also refer to a book or a document. | |||
| Xhosa | ileta | ||
| The word 'ileta' can also mean message, news, report, or document in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | lẹta | ||
| The Yoruba word "lẹta" can also refer to a "stamp" or "seal". | |||
| Zulu | incwadi | ||
| Incwadi, meaning "letter" in Zulu, can also refer to a book, document, or message. | |||
| Bambara | bataki | ||
| Ewe | lɛta | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibaruwa | ||
| Lingala | mokanda | ||
| Luganda | ebbaluwa | ||
| Sepedi | lengwalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | lɛtɛ | ||
Letter in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رسالة | ||
| "رسالة" is derived from (رسل) meaning "messengers", implying information transmitted by a messenger. It can also refer to a mission or message from God, as in "رسالات السماء". | |||
| Hebrew | מִכְתָב | ||
| The Hebrew word מִכְתָב means both "letter of the alphabet" and "written document". | |||
| Pashto | خط | ||
| "خط" means "handwriting" in Pashto, and is related to the word "خطاطی" (khattati), which means "calligraphy". | |||
| Arabic | رسالة | ||
| "رسالة" is derived from (رسل) meaning "messengers", implying information transmitted by a messenger. It can also refer to a mission or message from God, as in "رسالات السماء". | |||
Letter in Western European Languages
| Albanian | letër | ||
| The word "letër" in Albanian derives from the Latin word "littera", meaning "letter of the alphabet" or "writing." | |||
| Basque | gutuna | ||
| The word gutuna in Basque has the additional meaning of "letter" or "missive", and is related to the word "gutu" meaning "voice" or "sound." | |||
| Catalan | carta | ||
| The Catalan word "carta" also means "chart" or "map" and comes from the Latin word "charta", meaning "paper" or "papyrus." | |||
| Croatian | pismo | ||
| The Croatian word 'pismo' also refers to the Cyrillic alphabet used in Serbian, unlike the Latin alphabet used in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | brev | ||
| Brev is derived from the Dutch word brief, which originally meant 'letter' or 'order' and is related to the English word 'brief'. | |||
| Dutch | brief | ||
| Originally, a 'brief' was a summary of a case given to a lawyer in writing. | |||
| English | letter | ||
| In addition to "a written message", "letter" can also refer to a single character in the alphabet or a document sent by post. | |||
| French | lettre | ||
| "Lettre" is also used to refer to the individual characters of a written alphabet. | |||
| Frisian | letter | ||
| In Frisian, "letter" means both the literal letters in the alphabet as well as a person that is a "man of distinction", similar to the word "gentleman" in English. | |||
| Galician | carta | ||
| "Carta" also means "map" in Galician as well as "charter" in Portuguese and Spanish. | |||
| German | brief | ||
| In German the word "Brief" also means "letter" but it is derived from the Latin word "brevis" meaning "short". | |||
| Icelandic | bréf | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "bréf" also refers to a piece of paper or a document, and is thought to derive from the Old Norse word "bref", meaning "a small piece of wood or bone used for writing or engraving." | |||
| Irish | litir | ||
| In Irish, "litir" not only means letter, but also a syllable, a unit of sound in speech or writing | |||
| Italian | lettera | ||
| The Italian word "lettera" can also refer to an encyclical or a document with official or legal status. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bréif | ||
| Bréif can also refer to a document or a message. | |||
| Maltese | ittra | ||
| The word 'ittra' in Maltese is derived from the Latin word 'littera', meaning 'letter of the alphabet'. | |||
| Norwegian | brev | ||
| The word "brev" in Norwegian can also refer to the playing cards of a spade suit. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | carta | ||
| The word 'carta' in Portuguese originally meant 'charter' and referred to documents granting privileges or rights. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | litir | ||
| The Gaelic word "litir" comes from the Latin "litera", meaning both "letter" and "literature". | |||
| Spanish | letra | ||
| In Spanish, "letra" can also refer to song lyrics, or the typeface used to write. | |||
| Swedish | brev | ||
| The word "brev" is derived from the Low German word "bref" and can also refer to a document or written communication. | |||
| Welsh | llythyr | ||
| The word "llythyr" in Welsh can also refer to a "message" or a "missive". | |||
Letter in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ліст | ||
| The word "ліст" in Belarusian is cognate with the Russian word "лист" and originally referred to a tree leaf, hence the green color of Belarusian stamps. | |||
| Bosnian | pismo | ||
| The Bosnian word "pismo" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "pisati", which means "to write" or "to draw." | |||
| Bulgarian | писмо | ||
| The word "писмо" ("letter") also refers to the Cyrillic alphabet as a writing system. | |||
| Czech | dopis | ||
| Dopis' shares etymological roots with 'dopisovat' ('to write a letter'), 'píšu' ('I write') and 'píseň' ('song') | |||
| Estonian | kiri | ||
| The word "kiri" in Estonian can also refer to a piece of fabric, a layer or stratum, or a written message carved into a surface. | |||
| Finnish | kirje | ||
| "Kirje" comes from the Proto-Finnic root *kirje- and originally meant "a written document". | |||
| Hungarian | levél | ||
| In modern Hungarian, "levél" can also mean "leaf" or "page (of a book)." | |||
| Latvian | vēstule | ||
| Cognate with Russian "вѣсти" meaning "news" in Russian and "vest" meaning "sign" in Latin. | |||
| Lithuanian | laiškas | ||
| The word "laiškas" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *leikʷ- "to leave". | |||
| Macedonian | писмо | ||
| The word 'писмо' is etymologically related to the word 'писати', which means 'to write'. | |||
| Polish | list | ||
| The word 'lista' in Polish originally meant 'a border' or 'a strip of land' and was only later applied to written documents. | |||
| Romanian | scrisoare | ||
| "Scrisoare" is derived from the Latin "scribere" (to write) and also means "deed" or "certificate" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | письмо | ||
| "Письмо" in Russian can also refer to scripture or written communication in general. | |||
| Serbian | писмо | ||
| The word “писмо” (“letter”) also has an alternate meaning which is the Cyrillic alphabet script used as the writing system for Serbian and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovak | list | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "letter", list in Slovak can also refer to an inventory or collection. | |||
| Slovenian | pismo | ||
| The word 'pismo' comes from the Proto-Slavic word '*pьsmo' (writing), itself deriving from the Old Slavonic word 'писъмо' (writing), and is also the origin of the Czech and Croatian word for letter ('psaní' and 'pismo'). | |||
| Ukrainian | лист | ||
| The word 'лист' ('letter') in Ukrainian also refers to a 'leaf' on a tree and derives from the Proto-Slavic word 'listъ', meaning a flat or thin object. | |||
Letter in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিঠি | ||
| চিঠি or চীঠি denotes a letter (a written message) or a type of bird (sparrow). | |||
| Gujarati | પત્ર | ||
| "પત્ર" in Gujarati can also refer to 'leaves' of plants or a 'document' used as an evidence. | |||
| Hindi | पत्र | ||
| The Hindi word 'पत्र' (letter) also refers to leaves, and can mean "an inscribed document," or "a newspaper." | |||
| Kannada | ಪತ್ರ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಪತ್ರ" can also refer to a leaf, a document, or a playing card. | |||
| Malayalam | കത്ത് | ||
| The word "കത്ത്" (kattu) is also used to refer to a wooden box or a drawer. | |||
| Marathi | पत्र | ||
| The word "पत्र" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "पत्रम" meaning "leaf" or "document written on a leaf", and it also means "playing card" or "newspaper". | |||
| Nepali | चिठी | ||
| "चिठी" can also refer to a small piece of cloth, a strip of leather used in sewing, a strip of cloth worn around the head or turban, or a narrow strip or piece of paper. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੱਤਰ | ||
| "ਪੱਤਰ" originally meant leaves, but later became associated with written communication. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලිපියක් | ||
| ලිපියක් has a related word in Sanskrit, "lipi" meaning writing, writing materials, or script. | |||
| Tamil | கடிதம் | ||
| The Dravidian cognate of 'കത്ത്' and a borrowing for the same idea from Sanskrit; cognate with the Indo-Aryan 'गठ्' that produced Persian 'گدشتن' | |||
| Telugu | లేఖ | ||
| The Telugu word "lēkha" can also mean "writing" or "account". | |||
| Urdu | خط | ||
| The word "خط" in Urdu can also refer to a line, a stroke, or a mark. | |||
Letter in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 信件 | ||
| 信件 in Chinese, with its two component Chinese characters 信 and 件, can also refer to a document that requires certification and validation, such as a diploma or certificate. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 信件 | ||
| The word can also be used to refer to an official letter, a religious creed, or a message sent from a higher power. | |||
| Japanese | 文字 | ||
| The word "文字" (moji) can also refer to "written characters" or "script" more broadly, encompassing not only letters of the alphabet but also ideograms, syllabaries, and other writing systems. | |||
| Korean | 편지 | ||
| The Korean word "편지" can also refer to a "book", deriving from the Chinese "편적" (片籍). | |||
| Mongolian | захидал | ||
| "Захидал" can also mean "the letter D" (Cyrillic) or "the letter Z" (Latin). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာ | ||
| The word "စာ" in Myanmar derives from the same Proto-Sino-Tibetan root as the Chinese word "字" and the Tibetan word "ཡིག་". | |||
Letter in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | surat | ||
| Can also be a formal way of addressing someone as 'Mr/Ms' | |||
| Javanese | layang | ||
| Layang can also refer to a kite in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | លិខិត | ||
| The word "លិខិត" can also refer to a document, a script, or a written record. | |||
| Lao | ຈົດ ໝາຍ | ||
| Malay | surat | ||
| In Old Malay, "surat" also meant "to write" or "to draw". | |||
| Thai | จดหมาย | ||
| The Thai word จดหมาย (jot-mai) is derived from the Sanskrit word पत्र (patra), meaning "leaf". This reflects the fact that, historically, letters were often written on palm leaves. | |||
| Vietnamese | lá thư | ||
| The word "lá thư" in Vietnamese literally means "leaf of paper"} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sulat | ||
Letter in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | məktub | ||
| The word "məktub" is derived from the Arabic word "maktūb" meaning "written" or "letter." | |||
| Kazakh | хат | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "хат" can also refer to a letter of the alphabet or a written message. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кат | ||
| Кат also means “line” or “row” in Kyrgyz | |||
| Tajik | мактуб | ||
| "Maktab" also means a school in Persian and Arabic. | |||
| Turkmen | hat | ||
| Uzbek | xat | ||
| “Xat” has two other meanings outside the context of epistolary: 1) the written script or calligraphic style, and 2) a mark or line (as made in writing, drawing, or cutting something). | |||
| Uyghur | خەت | ||
Letter in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | leka | ||
| The word "leka" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root */leqa/, which also means "mark" or "sign". | |||
| Maori | reta | ||
| The Maori word "reta" can also refer to a mark, line, or groove, highlighting its connection to the act of writing and recording. | |||
| Samoan | tusi | ||
| The word "tusi" also means "mark" or "sign" in Samoan, and can refer to any written or drawn symbol. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sulat | ||
| Sulat is derived from the Malay-Indonesian word 'surat' meaning 'document' or 'writing' | |||
Letter in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qillqata | ||
| Guarani | kuatiañe'ẽ | ||
Letter in International Languages
| Esperanto | litero | ||
| Literon is one of the two base words for the noun "literaturo" (literature) in Esperanto, but it can also be used as a root word for words related to the alphabet, writing, and reading. | |||
| Latin | litterae | ||
| Although litterae commonly meant "letter" in Latin, it also referred to writings or literature more broadly. | |||
Letter in Others Languages
| Greek | γράμμα | ||
| Γράμμα in Greek originated from the word for "drawn line" used for writing tablets, and also means "knowledge" or "document." | |||
| Hmong | tsab ntawv | ||
| The word "tsab ntawv" in Hmong can also refer to a "book" or "document". | |||
| Kurdish | name | ||
| The word "name" in Kurdish also refers to a "letter of the alphabet". | |||
| Turkish | mektup | ||
| "Mektup" originates from the Arabic word "maktub", meaning "written". In Ottoman Turkish, "mektup" was pronounced as "mahdûd". | |||
| Xhosa | ileta | ||
| The word 'ileta' can also mean message, news, report, or document in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | בריוו | ||
| "Briv" comes from the Proto-Germanic "bref", which also gave us words like "brief" and "brava." | |||
| Zulu | incwadi | ||
| Incwadi, meaning "letter" in Zulu, can also refer to a book, document, or message. | |||
| Assamese | চিঠি | ||
| Aymara | qillqata | ||
| Bhojpuri | चिट्ठी पतरी | ||
| Dhivehi | ސިޓީ | ||
| Dogri | चिट्ठी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sulat | ||
| Guarani | kuatiañe'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | surat | ||
| Krio | lɛta | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نامە | ||
| Maithili | पत्र | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯤꯊꯤ | ||
| Mizo | lehkhathawn | ||
| Oromo | xalayaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିଠି | ||
| Quechua | carta | ||
| Sanskrit | पत्रम् | ||
| Tatar | хат | ||
| Tigrinya | ደብዳበ | ||
| Tsonga | papila | ||