Lift in Different Languages
Discover 'Lift' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lift' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often associated with transportation, physical effort, and even emotional upliftment. Its cultural importance is evident in its use in various phrases and idioms, such as 'lift someone's spirits' or 'lift off' in space travel. Understanding its translation in different languages can provide unique insights into how different cultures view and utilize this concept.
Did you know that the English word 'lift' is derived from the Old English 'lyft' meaning 'air, sky'? This historical context highlights the word's association with elevation and ascension. Intriguingly, the same word in Dutch, 'lift', refers to a 'elevator'!
Moreover, exploring the translations of 'lift' can be a fun and enlightening experience for language enthusiasts and travelers alike. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: 'levantar'
- French: 'lever'
- German: 'heben'
- Mandarin: '提起' ('tí qǐ')
- Japanese: '掲げる' ('kakeru')
Lift
Lift in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lig | ||
| The Afrikaans word "lig" (lift) has the same root as the English word "lift", and can also mean "easy" or "light". | |||
| Amharic | ማንሳት | ||
| The verb "ማንሳት" in Amharic also carries meanings of "remove," "abduct" and "steal" in certain contexts. | |||
| Hausa | dagawa | ||
| The word "dagawa" in Hausa also means "to carry on one's shoulder" or "to bear on one's back." | |||
| Igbo | bulie | ||
| In Igbo, the word "bulie" has a second meaning, "to help someone to do something." | |||
| Malagasy | atraka | ||
| The Malagasy word "atraka" not only means "lift" but it also means "elevator" and "to raise". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kwezani | ||
| The word "kwezani" can also mean "to raise" or "to elevate" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | simudza | ||
| The word 'simudza' also means 'to support', 'to assist', and 'to help' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | kor u qaadid | ||
| "Kor u qaadid" can also be used to refer to a person who is wealthy or of high status. | |||
| Sesotho | phahamisa | ||
| Swahili | kuinua | ||
| "Kuinua" also means "to raise" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | nyusa | ||
| The word "Nyusa" also means "elevate" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | gbe soke | ||
| Gbe soke also means 'take responsibility' or 'face the consequences' when used figuratively in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | phakamisa | ||
| "Phakamisa" in Zulu can also refer to 'elevate' or 'promote' someone or something in a metaphorical sense. | |||
| Bambara | ka lawili | ||
| Ewe | kᴐe dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuzamura | ||
| Lingala | kotombola | ||
| Luganda | okuyimusa | ||
| Sepedi | kuka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pagya | ||
Lift in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مصعد | ||
| The Arabic word "مصعد" (lift) comes from the verb "صعد" (to ascend), which also gives rise to the word "صعيد" (upper Egypt). | |||
| Hebrew | מעלית | ||
| Hebrew word מעלית (lift) originally meant 'elevate', and now denotes a 'machine for elevating' | |||
| Pashto | لفټ | ||
| In Pashto, the word "لفټ" can also refer to an elevator or a hoist. | |||
| Arabic | مصعد | ||
| The Arabic word "مصعد" (lift) comes from the verb "صعد" (to ascend), which also gives rise to the word "صعيد" (upper Egypt). | |||
Lift in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ngre | ||
| The verb "ngre" may derive from Proto-Albanian *na-greh₂ (to elevate). | |||
| Basque | altxatu | ||
| The word "altxatu" in Basque originally meant "uncover" or "raise up". | |||
| Catalan | aixecar | ||
| "Aixecar" also means "to build" in carpentry, as to build a house. | |||
| Croatian | lift | ||
| The Croatian word 'lift' comes from the German word 'Luft', meaning air or sky. | |||
| Danish | løfte op | ||
| The Danish word "løfte op" has the same origin as "to lift" in English, and both can also mean "elevate"} | |||
| Dutch | optillen | ||
| The word "optillen" also means "to take up" or "to raise up" in Dutch. | |||
| English | lift | ||
| "Lift" can also refer to a ride in an elevator, or, in British English, to a ride in a car. | |||
| French | ascenseur | ||
| "Ascenseur" derives from the Latin verb "ascendo," meaning "to climb" or "to mount," which evokes its primary function of transporting people and objects vertically. | |||
| Frisian | lift | ||
| The Frisian word "lift" can also mean "elevator" or "to steal". | |||
| Galician | levantar | ||
| In Galician, "levantar" also means "to rise" or "to get up". | |||
| German | aufzug | ||
| In early New High German, "Aufzug" also referred to the action of raising something, or a procession. | |||
| Icelandic | lyfta | ||
| In Icelandic, 'lyfta' also means 'to raise' or 'to elevate'. | |||
| Irish | ardaitheoir | ||
| Italian | sollevamento | ||
| In Italian, the word "sollevamento" can also refer to a "riot" or "uprising". | |||
| Luxembourgish | ophiewen | ||
| "Opfewen" is cognate with the German "aufheben" and the English "heave". | |||
| Maltese | lift | ||
| The Maltese word "lift" originates from the English word "lift", but in Maltese, it also means "elevator". | |||
| Norwegian | løfte | ||
| From Old Norse **lopt**, meaning elevation or height, also from Proto-Germanic **luftizan** meaning to lift, air or elevate, also related to Old English **lyft**. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lift | ||
| In Portuguese, “lift” also means elevator (lift in British English) | |||
| Scots Gaelic | togail | ||
| Togail is also a Gaelic word meaning "to take or bring". | |||
| Spanish | ascensor | ||
| The Spanish word "ascensor" (lift) comes from the Latin word "ascendere" (to climb), which also gave rise to the English word "ascend". | |||
| Swedish | hiss | ||
| The Swedish word "hiss" can also mean "elevator" or "hoist". | |||
| Welsh | lifft | ||
| Welsh "lifft" or "sylfaen" can also mean "shelf" or "ledge", and has historically referred to a "platform of a dresser". | |||
Lift in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падняць | ||
| The word "падняць" also means "to raise" or "to elevate". | |||
| Bosnian | lift | ||
| Bosnian 'lift' can also mean the elevator that moves people or goods between floors of a building. | |||
| Bulgarian | вдигам | ||
| The Slavic verb "вдигам" is also used to mean "to take off (clothes)" or "to raise (children)". | |||
| Czech | výtah | ||
| In Czech, "výtah" also refers to an extract or summary. | |||
| Estonian | tõstke | ||
| The word "tõstke" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Uralic root *toγ- ('to raise, lift') and is related to the Estonian word "tõusma" ('to rise'). | |||
| Finnish | hissi | ||
| "Hissi" is a derivative of the Swedish word "hiss", which means "elevator". | |||
| Hungarian | emel | ||
| "Emel" also means "hope" or "desire" in Hungarian, highlighting the connection between physical elevation and aspirations. | |||
| Latvian | pacelt | ||
| The word "pacelt" in Latvian comes from the Lithuanian word "kelti". | |||
| Lithuanian | pakelti | ||
| "Pakelti" comes from the word "kelti" which means "to rise". | |||
| Macedonian | лифт | ||
| The word "лифт" (lift) in Macedonian can also refer to an elevator or a transportation method. | |||
| Polish | winda | ||
| The Polish word 'winda' originally referred to a hoist or winch, and is related to the German word 'winden' (to wind). | |||
| Romanian | lift | ||
| The Romanian word "lift" ("lift") can also mean elevator or to shoplift. | |||
| Russian | лифт | ||
| The word "лифт" also means "elevator" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | лифт | ||
| In some Slavic languages, such as Serbo-Croatian and Slovenian, "лифт" means "elevator". | |||
| Slovak | výťah | ||
| The term "výťah" evolved from the Slovak verb "vyťahovať", which means "to pull up" or "to lift". | |||
| Slovenian | dvig | ||
| The word "dvig" in Slovenian also refers to movement, change of position, or ascent. | |||
| Ukrainian | підняти | ||
| The Ukrainian verb "підняти" also means "to raise" or "to increase" something, such as a price, a voice, or a mood. | |||
Lift in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উত্তোলন | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "উত্তোলন" means "to raise up or extract". | |||
| Gujarati | લિફ્ટ | ||
| The Gujarati word "લિફ્ટ" (lift) can also mean an elevator or a hoist. | |||
| Hindi | लिफ़्ट | ||
| In addition to the meaning 'lift' in the sense of raising or moving, 'lift' can also refer to an elevator, a device that raises and lowers people and objects in a building. | |||
| Kannada | ಎತ್ತುವ | ||
| ಎತ್ತುವ can also refer to lifting a person's spirits, elevating their position or status, or supporting their cause. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉയർത്തുക | ||
| The word "ഉയർത്തുക" has multiple meanings in Malayalam. It can mean to "lift" something, to "raise" something up, or to "exalt" something. | |||
| Marathi | लिफ्ट | ||
| In Marathi, the word "लिफ्ट" is etymologically derived from the English word "lift" and also signifies an 'elevator'. | |||
| Nepali | लिफ्ट | ||
| In English the term 'lift' has multiple meanings; it can mean an elevator, an upward push or pull or even the act of stealing. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਿਫਟ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਲਿਫਟ" can also refer to an elevator or an act of giving someone a ride. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔසවන්න | ||
| "ඔසවන්න" may mean to lift in some contexts and to carry in others. | |||
| Tamil | தூக்கு | ||
| The word "தூக்கு" comes from the Tamil root "தூ" meaning "to lift" and can also mean "to weigh" or "to hang". | |||
| Telugu | ఎత్తండి | ||
| The Telugu word "ఎత్తండి" can also mean "to elevate" or "to raise", and derives from the Proto-Dravidian root *ett(u)- "to raise". | |||
| Urdu | لفٹ | ||
| The Urdu word "لفٹ" also refers to a type of elevator used in buildings or mines. | |||
Lift in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 电梯 | ||
| The Chinese word "电梯" also means "elevate". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 電梯 | ||
| 電梯 (diantí) literally means "electric ladder" (電 diàn = electric; 梯 tí = ladder). | |||
| Japanese | リフト | ||
| リフト (lift) は英語で「上げる」という意味を持つだけでなく、スキー場などで使用する「リフト (スキーリフト)」や、フェイスリフトに使われる「リフト (フェイスリフト)」などの意味も持つ。 | |||
| Korean | 승강기 | ||
| The Sino-Korean word "승강기" (lift) is a compound word combining "승강" (to go up and down) and "기" (machine). | |||
| Mongolian | өргөх | ||
| The verb "өргөх" can also mean "to raise" (a topic), "to hoist" (a sail), or "to promote" (a person). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မသည် | ||
| The word “မသည်” can also mean “help someone carry something” or “support someone or something” from the verb “မ”. | |||
Lift in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengangkat | ||
| "Mengangkat" also means "to install" when used in a technical context. | |||
| Javanese | angkat | ||
| The word 'angkat' in Javanese also refers to the act of lifting someone or something higher in social status or position. | |||
| Khmer | លើក | ||
| The noun "លើក" can also refer to a time, an instance, or a round. | |||
| Lao | ຍົກ | ||
| 'ຍົກ' (lift) also means to offer or present something respectfully, or to elevate or promote someone or something. | |||
| Malay | lif | ||
| "Lif" is an archaic Malay word that also means 'sky' or 'heavens'. | |||
| Thai | ยก | ||
| In Thai, "ยก" also means "to abolish" or "to repeal." | |||
| Vietnamese | thang máy | ||
| The word "thang máy" (lift) comes from the French word "ascenseur", which itself comes from the Latin word "ascendere" (to climb). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | angat | ||
Lift in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qaldırın | ||
| "Qaldırın" also means "pick up" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | көтеру | ||
| The Kazakh word "көтеру" has multiple meanings including to lift, to carry, and to raise. | |||
| Kyrgyz | көтөрүү | ||
| 'Көтөрүү' also means 'to raise' or 'to elevate' in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | бардоред | ||
| The word "бардоред" comes from the Persian word "برداشتن" which means "to take" or "to pick up." | |||
| Turkmen | götermek | ||
| Uzbek | ko'tarish | ||
| The word "ko'tarish" can also mean "to endure" or "to bear (a burden)" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | lift | ||
Lift in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hāpai hāpai | ||
| Hāpai, meaning "to carry or lift," can also refer to a group of people helping carry something heavy. | |||
| Maori | hiki | ||
| The word "hiki" in Maori also means "to ascend" or "to climb". | |||
| Samoan | siʻi i luga | ||
| The word "siʻi i luga" can also mean "to exalt" or "to respect" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | buhatin | ||
| The Tagalog word "buhatin" can also refer to carrying a burden or responsibility. | |||
Lift in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | waytaña | ||
| Guarani | mopu'ã | ||
Lift in International Languages
| Esperanto | levi | ||
| The Esperanto word "levi" is derived from the Latin word "levare", which means "to lift" or "to raise". | |||
| Latin | vitae | ||
| "Vitae" also means "life" in Latin and it is related to the English words "vital" and "vivacious." | |||
Lift in Others Languages
| Greek | ανελκυστήρας | ||
| The word ανελκυστήρας comes from the Greek verb ανάγω ('anago') meaning 'to lead or draw up' combined with the Greek noun ελκυστήρ ('elkystēr') meaning 'extractor' or 'puller'. | |||
| Hmong | nqa | ||
| The word "nqa" can also mean "to carry" or "to transport" something. | |||
| Kurdish | esansor | ||
| The word "esansor" derives from the French word "ascenseur" and retains its original meaning. | |||
| Turkish | asansör | ||
| In Turkish, "asansör" is derived from the French word "ascenseur" and also refers to a "paternoster" lift, a type of continuously moving circular lift. | |||
| Xhosa | nyusa | ||
| The word "Nyusa" also means "elevate" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | הייבן | ||
| The Yiddish word 'הייבן' (lift) is derived from the Middle Low German word 'heven' (to lift or raise) | |||
| Zulu | phakamisa | ||
| "Phakamisa" in Zulu can also refer to 'elevate' or 'promote' someone or something in a metaphorical sense. | |||
| Assamese | ওঠোৱা | ||
| Aymara | waytaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | उठावल | ||
| Dhivehi | އުފުލުން | ||
| Dogri | लिफ्ट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | angat | ||
| Guarani | mopu'ã | ||
| Ilocano | bakkaten | ||
| Krio | es | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرزکەرەوە | ||
| Maithili | उठाउ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯡꯒꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | chawi | ||
| Oromo | kaasuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲିଫ୍ଟ | ||
| Quechua | huqariy | ||
| Sanskrit | उन्नयनी | ||
| Tatar | лифт | ||
| Tigrinya | ምልዓል | ||
| Tsonga | lifiti | ||