Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'mall' is a vibrant, bustling hub of commerce and social interaction, offering a unique blend of shopping, dining, and entertainment options under one roof. Originating in the 16th century as a covered shopping area in Europe, the mall has since evolved into a cultural phenomenon, shaping modern consumer behavior and urban landscapes worldwide.
Understanding the translation of 'mall' in different languages not only broadens your vocabulary but also provides valuable cultural insights. For instance, in Spanish, a mall is referred to as 'centro comercial' or 'centro de compras,' reflecting the importance of community and socializing in Latin cultures. Meanwhile, in German, it's called 'Einkaufszentrum,' emphasizing the act of shopping.
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of malls through the lens of language and culture, with translations in over 20 languages, from French and Italian to Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. Discover how this iconic institution is perceived and experienced across the globe.
Afrikaans | winkelsentrum | ||
From German "Winkelsentrum", meaning "shopping centre". | |||
Amharic | የገበያ ማዕከል | ||
የገበያ ማዕከል can also mean a group of shops or businesses or shopping area | |||
Hausa | mal | ||
The Hausa word "mal" also means "wealth" or "property". | |||
Igbo | nnukwu ụlọ ahịa | ||
Malagasy | mall | ||
"Mall" in Malagasy can also mean "a small village". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumsika | ||
In Nyanja, the word "kumsika" can also refer to a type of market or trading center. | |||
Shona | mall | ||
In Shona, "mall" can refer to a strip mall or a small neighborhood shopping center, similar to the English usage. | |||
Somali | suuqa | ||
The word "suuqa" can also refer to a marketplace or a bazaar. | |||
Sesotho | mabenkele | ||
The word mabenkele in Sesotho is derived from the word mabantlele, meaning 'small houses'. | |||
Swahili | maduka | ||
The Swahili word "maduka" can also refer to shops or a marketplace | |||
Xhosa | ivenkile | ||
Ivenkile is an alternative term for 'shopping centre' in Xhosa, derived from the English word 'even-keel'. | |||
Yoruba | ile itaja | ||
The word "Ile Itaja" was originally used to describe the large, open areas outside the city walls where markets were held; its literal meaning is "house of the city wall". | |||
Zulu | yezitolo | ||
The word 'yezitolo' is also used to describe a shopping centre, plaza, or market. | |||
Bambara | kɛsu | ||
Ewe | fiasegã | ||
Kinyarwanda | isoko | ||
Lingala | esika ya mombongo | ||
Luganda | ekizimbe ekya moolo | ||
Sepedi | mmolo | ||
Twi (Akan) | adetɔnbea | ||
Arabic | مجمع تجاري | ||
In Arabic, مجمع تجاري ("mall") literally means "commercial complex". | |||
Hebrew | קֶנִיוֹן | ||
The word "קֶנִיוֹן" in Hebrew is derived from the Latin word "cannium", meaning "reed" or "cane". | |||
Pashto | مال | ||
"مال" means both "wealth" and "village" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | مجمع تجاري | ||
In Arabic, مجمع تجاري ("mall") literally means "commercial complex". |
Albanian | qendër tregtare | ||
Basque | zentro komertziala | ||
Zentro komertziala's literal meaning is 'commercial center', and it also means 'large enclosed shopping center' in Basque. | |||
Catalan | centre comercial | ||
In Catalan, "centre comercial" also means "business district" and not just "mall" | |||
Croatian | tržni centar | ||
The Croatian word "tržni centar" is derived from the German word "Jahrmarkt", meaning "marketplace" or "fair". | |||
Danish | indkøbscenter | ||
"Indkøbscenter" is compound word consisting of the words "indkøbe" meaning "to buy" and "center" meaning "centre". | |||
Dutch | winkelcentrum | ||
The word "winkelcentrum" literally translates to "shopping centre" in English, but its alternative meaning is "angle centre", referring to its often triangular shape. | |||
English | mall | ||
The word mall derives from the Latin word malleus, meaning hammer, and its initial meaning was a gathering place, such as a public building, a promenade, or a walk. | |||
French | centre commercial | ||
In French, "centre commercial" can also refer to a shopping district or a town center. | |||
Frisian | winkelsintrum | ||
The word "winkelsintrum" comes from the German "winkel" (=shop) and the Dutch "centrum" (=centre). | |||
Galician | centro comercial | ||
A word play in Galician, "centro comercial" also means "geographic center of a village". | |||
German | einkaufszentrum | ||
"Einkaufszentrum" is the German word for "shopping mall". It literally translates to "shopping center". | |||
Icelandic | verslunarmiðstöð | ||
"Verslunarmiðstöð" is Icelandic for "mall" but also means "a place where people buy and sell things"} | |||
Irish | meall | ||
The Irish word "Meall" also means "hillock" or "hummock". | |||
Italian | centro commerciale | ||
The word 'centro commerciale' can also refer to a 'shopping center' or a 'business center'. | |||
Luxembourgish | akafszenter | ||
Maltese | mall | ||
The word "mall" in Maltese also means "post". | |||
Norwegian | kjøpesenter | ||
Kjøpesenter comes from the verb 'å kjøpe' ('to buy') and the noun 'senter' ('center'). | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | shopping | ||
The word "shopping" in Portuguese can also refer to a small store or a street where there are many shops. | |||
Scots Gaelic | mall | ||
The word "mall" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a gathering or assembly of people. | |||
Spanish | centro comercial | ||
"Centro comercial" literally means "commercial center" and can also refer to a shopping center or a business district. | |||
Swedish | köpcenter | ||
The word 'köpcenter' is a loanword from English and means 'shopping center'. | |||
Welsh | mall | ||
The word "mall" in Welsh also means "a place to buy animals for slaughter". |
Belarusian | гандлёвы цэнтр | ||
Bosnian | tržni centar | ||
The word "tržni centar" comes from the Slavic root "trg" meaning "market". This reflects its historic role as a place where goods were traded. | |||
Bulgarian | търговски център | ||
The word "търговски център" (mall) in Bulgarian also means "shopping center" or "commercial center". | |||
Czech | nákupní centrum | ||
The Czech word "nákupní centrum" translates to "shopping center" in English and is formed by combining the words "nákup" (purchase) and "centrum" (center). | |||
Estonian | kaubanduskeskus | ||
The word "kaubanduskeskus" derives from the Estonian words "kaubandus" (trade) and "keskus" (centre), and literally means "trade centre." | |||
Finnish | ostoskeskus | ||
The name 'ostoskeskus' literally refers to a 'buying center'. | |||
Hungarian | pláza | ||
The Hungarian word "pláza" derives from the Italian word "piazza" which means "public square". | |||
Latvian | tirdzniecības centrs | ||
The word "tirdzniecības centrs" is derived from the words "tirdzniecība" (trade) and "centrs" (center), and originally referred to a centralized marketplace. | |||
Lithuanian | prekybos centras | ||
"Prekybos centras" literally means "trading center" in Lithuanian. | |||
Macedonian | трговски центар | ||
The word 'трговски центар' comes from the Serbian language and means 'trade center' or 'shopping center'. | |||
Polish | centrum handlowe | ||
Centrum handlowe derives from the New Latin word centrum, meaning "center", and the Polish word handlowe, meaning "commercial." | |||
Romanian | centru comercial | ||
The Romanian word "centru comercial" is derived from the Latin word "centrum", meaning "center" or "hub", and the French word "commercial", referring to a place of business or trade. | |||
Russian | торговый центр | ||
'Торговый центр' is also used to refer to a 'shopping center' | |||
Serbian | тржни центар | ||
"Тржни центар" has the alternate meaning "market center" | |||
Slovak | nákupné centrum | ||
The word "nákupné centrum" literally means "shopping center" in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | nakupovalni center | ||
"Nakupovalni center" in Slovenian consists of two words. "Nakupovanje" means "shopping" and "center" is derived from the Latin "centrum" meaning "point". So, literally translated, "nakupovalni center" means "shopping point". | |||
Ukrainian | торговий центр | ||
The Ukrainian word "торговий центр" also means "shopping center". |
Bengali | মল | ||
The word "মল" in Bengali can also refer to waste, dirt, or feces. | |||
Gujarati | મોલ | ||
"મોલ" (mall) also means "goods" or "merchandise" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | मॉल | ||
In Urdu, the word "mall" refers to a "wrestler" or a "strong man." | |||
Kannada | ಮಾಲ್ | ||
The Kannada word 'ಮಾಲ್' ('maḷ') derives from the Persian word 'مال' ('maal'), which originally meant 'property, goods, wealth', and later acquired the specific meaning of 'shopping mall'. | |||
Malayalam | മാൾ | ||
The Malayalam word "മാൾ" derives from the Hindustani word "मॉल" and ultimately the Dutch word "Maal," meaning "cargo" or "goods". | |||
Marathi | मॉल | ||
In Marathi, "मॉल" means a flower garden or a marketplace, unlike its modern meaning in English, which refers to a shopping mall. | |||
Nepali | मल | ||
The Nepali word "मल" (mal) can also refer to feces, dirt, or impurity. | |||
Punjabi | ਮਾਲ | ||
The Punjabi word 'ਮਾਲ' (mall) derives from the Persian word 'mål,' meaning 'wealth' or 'property.' | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාප්පුව | ||
Originally derived from the Dutch word "saal," meaning "hall," and commonly used to refer to a large room or hall, especially one used for public gatherings. | |||
Tamil | மால் | ||
The word மால் (Mall) also denotes the Tamil god Vishnu and wealth or riches in Tamil | |||
Telugu | మాల్ | ||
"మాల్" is also a word for `wealth` in Telugu, originating from Persian `māl` meaning `property, goods`. | |||
Urdu | مال | ||
The word "مال" can also mean "wealth" or "property" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 购物中心 | ||
In Chinese, "购物中心" originally referred to a shopping street or district, but now primarily means a modern shopping mall. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 購物中心 | ||
購物中心在中文中源自於英文「mall」,原指城市中提供遮陽、避雨的走廊,後來引申為專門販售商品的室內建築。 | |||
Japanese | モール | ||
In Japanese, "モール" can also refer to the mole skin fabric or the act of molting. | |||
Korean | 쇼핑 센터 | ||
In Korean, "쇼핑 센터" can also refer to individual stores or shops, not just the entire shopping center complex. | |||
Mongolian | худалдааны төв | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကုန်တိုက် | ||
Indonesian | mall | ||
The Indonesian word "mall" is derived from the Dutch word "mal", which originally referred to a public square or market. | |||
Javanese | mal | ||
"Mal" in Javanese not only means "mall", but also "village" or "city." | |||
Khmer | ផ្សារទំនើប | ||
Lao | ສູນການຄ້າ | ||
Malay | pusat membeli-belah | ||
The word "pusat membeli-belah" literally means "shopping center" in Malay, but can also refer to a specific type of shopping mall that is a large, enclosed, and climate-controlled retail space. | |||
Thai | ห้างสรรพสินค้า | ||
"ห้างสรรพสินค้า" derives from an Old Mon word "hansa" (house for storing merchandise) through Middle Khmer into Old Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | trung tâm mua sắm | ||
The word "trung tâm mua sắm" is derived from the Italian word "macello", meaning "slaughterhouse". In English, "mall" also refers to a paved pedestrian walkway, typically lined with trees. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mall | ||
Azerbaijani | ticarət mərkəzi | ||
In Turkish, | |||
Kazakh | сауда орталығы | ||
In English, the word "mall" can also refer to an area of a city or a gathering place. | |||
Kyrgyz | соода борбору | ||
Tajik | фурӯшгоҳ | ||
The word "фурӯшгоҳ" is derived from the Persian word "فروشگاه", which means "shop" or "store". | |||
Turkmen | söwda merkezi | ||
Uzbek | savdo markazi | ||
In Uzbek, "savdo markazi" directly translates to "trade center," but commonly refers to what is known as a "mall" in English. | |||
Uyghur | سودا سارىيى | ||
Hawaiian | hale kūʻai | ||
Hale kūʻai, translated to 'place of trade' or 'market,' derives from the Proto-Polynesian root *fale, designating a building, and *kūʻai, meaning 'to buy' or 'barter'. | |||
Maori | hokomaha | ||
The word "hokomaha" has the dual meaning of "to shop" and "a place to shop" in Maori and is used to describe markets, shops, and shopping malls. | |||
Samoan | faleoloa | ||
The Samoan word 'faleoloa' comes from the Polynesian root word 'fale', meaning 'house', and 'loa', meaning 'long', indicating the extended structure of a shopping mall. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | mall | ||
The Tagalog term "mall" is derived from Spanish "paseo" (promenade), originating from Latin "ambulare" (to walk), alluding to its usage as recreational walking space. |
Aymara | qhathu | ||
Guarani | nemurenda | ||
Esperanto | butikcentro | ||
The word "butikcentro" is a compound of the words "butiko" (shop) and "centro" (center), and it specifically refers to a shopping center or mall with multiple shops in one location. | |||
Latin | vir | ||
The Latin word "vir" also means "man" or "hero." |
Greek | εμπορικό κέντρο | ||
The word "εμπορικό κέντρο" is literally translated as "commercial center" in English, not "mall", and it can also refer to a shopping street or a downtown area. | |||
Hmong | khw | ||
The Hmong word "khw" can also refer to a market or a fair. | |||
Kurdish | mall | ||
In Kurdish, "mall" can also mean "wealth" or "property." | |||
Turkish | alışveriş merkezi | ||
The word alışveriş merkezi is a compound word composed of the Turkish words "alış" (buying) and "veriș" (selling), hence its meaning of "shopping center". | |||
Xhosa | ivenkile | ||
Ivenkile is an alternative term for 'shopping centre' in Xhosa, derived from the English word 'even-keel'. | |||
Yiddish | מאָל | ||
The word "מאָל" in Yiddish derives from the German "Mahl", meaning "time" or "meal". | |||
Zulu | yezitolo | ||
The word 'yezitolo' is also used to describe a shopping centre, plaza, or market. | |||
Assamese | মল | ||
Aymara | qhathu | ||
Bhojpuri | मॉल | ||
Dhivehi | މޯލް | ||
Dogri | माल | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mall | ||
Guarani | nemurenda | ||
Ilocano | paggatangan | ||
Krio | mɔl | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | مۆڵ | ||
Maithili | मॉल | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯆꯧꯕ ꯗꯂꯥꯟ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ ꯀꯩꯠꯦꯜ | ||
Mizo | thilh zawrhna hmunpui | ||
Oromo | gamoo daldalaa guddaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ମଲ୍ | ||
Quechua | hatun qatu | ||
Sanskrit | विपणि | ||
Tatar | сәүдә үзәге | ||
Tigrinya | ዕዳጋ | ||
Tsonga | molo | ||