Map in Different Languages
Discover 'Map' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Maps have been an essential tool for navigating the world for centuries. From ancient papyrus maps of ancient Egypt to the digital maps we use today, these visual representations of spaces and territories have helped us understand our world and explore new places. More than just a practical tool, maps have also played a significant role in shaping our cultural imagination, inspiring countless works of art, literature, and film.
Given the importance of maps in our lives, it's no surprise that people around the world have come up with their own ways of referring to this essential tool. In Spanish, for example, a map is called 'un mapa,' while in French, it's 'une carte.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for map is '地图' (dìtú), which literally translates to 'earth writing.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, a map is called 'チャート' (chāto), reflecting the influence of Western cartography on Japanese culture.
Whether you're a seasoned traveler, a history buff, or simply curious about the world around you, learning the translation of the word 'map' in different languages can be a fun and rewarding way to explore new cultures and broaden your horizons.
Map
Map in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kaart | ||
| In Afrikaans, "kaart" can also refer to a deck of playing cards or a business card. | |||
| Amharic | ካርታ | ||
| "ካርታ" is a borrowing from Greek "χάρτης" (khartes) which originally meant a papyrus sheet. | |||
| Hausa | taswira | ||
| *Tawsira* "map" also refers to "illustration" hence its related word *taswira* "picture." | |||
| Igbo | maapụ | ||
| In the Nsukka dialect of Igbo, "maapụ" also refers to a "drawing" or "sketch." | |||
| Malagasy | sarintany | ||
| The etymology of "sarintany" is uncertain, but it may be related to the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root "*saruŋ", meaning "to surround". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mapu | ||
| Alternate meanings of 'mapu' in Nyanja include a lake's marshy shore and a grassy area near a village. | |||
| Shona | mepu | ||
| "Mepu" is also a term for the firstborn daughter in a family, particularly among the Manyika clan. | |||
| Somali | khariidada | ||
| The word "khariidada" also means "document" in Somali and is derived from the Arabic "khariida". | |||
| Sesotho | 'mapa | ||
| 'Mapa' can also refer to a blueprint or diagram in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | ramani | ||
| The Swahili word "ramani" (map) derives from the Arabic word "rahmana" (sign, symbol), suggesting its historical connection to cartography. | |||
| Xhosa | imephu | ||
| The word "imephu" comes from the Nguni word "amaphu" meaning "earth." It can also refer to a "flatbread." | |||
| Yoruba | maapu | ||
| The Yoruba word maapu also signifies a 'road', 'path' or 'direction', possibly alluding to an idea of a map guiding a traveller | |||
| Zulu | imephu | ||
| The Zulu word 'imephu' is derived from the isiXhosa word 'imepu', which originally referred to a skin or hide used as a writing surface. | |||
| Bambara | karti | ||
| Ewe | anyigbatata | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikarita | ||
| Lingala | karte ya kosala | ||
| Luganda | maapu | ||
| Sepedi | mmapa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | map | ||
Map in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خريطة | ||
| The word "خريطة" also means "plan" or "scheme" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | מַפָּה | ||
| The Hebrew word "מַפָּה" can also refer to a tablecloth, a piece of cloth used to cover a table. | |||
| Pashto | نقشه | ||
| The word "نقشه" can also mean "plan" or "scheme" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | خريطة | ||
| The word "خريطة" also means "plan" or "scheme" in Arabic. | |||
Map in Western European Languages
| Albanian | harta | ||
| The word "harta" (map) in Albanian may derive from the Proto-Albanian word "*hartā" meaning "rock" or "stone," possibly due to the historical use of carved stones as boundary markers. | |||
| Basque | mapa | ||
| The word "mapa" can also mean "tablecloth" or "canvas". | |||
| Catalan | mapa | ||
| The word "mapa" in Catalan originates from the Latin word "mappa", meaning "cloth" or "towel". | |||
| Croatian | karta | ||
| The word "karta" can also refer to a playing card or a lottery ticket | |||
| Danish | kort | ||
| "Kort" is derived from the Latin word "chorographia," meaning "a description of a region," and has also been used in Danish to refer to a deck of cards. | |||
| Dutch | kaart | ||
| The word 'kaart' also means 'card' in Dutch, as in a deck of cards or a playing card. | |||
| English | map | ||
| The word "map" derives from the Medieval Latin word "mappa," meaning "napkin" or "tablecloth," as maps were originally drawn on cloths. | |||
| French | carte | ||
| The French word "carte" originates from the Latin "charta", meaning "paper" or "papyrus", and can also refer to various documents, certificates, or menus. | |||
| Frisian | map | ||
| In Frisian, the word 'map' can also refer to a chart, a diagram, or a plan. | |||
| Galician | mapa | ||
| Galician "mapa" shares its etymology with the English "mappe", meaning "napkin" or "cloth used for wiping hands and face". | |||
| German | karte | ||
| The word 'Karte' in German can also refer to a playing card or a chart. | |||
| Icelandic | kort | ||
| The word "kort," meaning "map," likely originates from Latin and Dutch terms referring to drawing. | |||
| Irish | léarscáil | ||
| Its component parts mean 'open' and 'field' | |||
| Italian | carta geografica | ||
| "Carta geografica", meaning "map" in Italian, derives from the Greek word "chartes", meaning "sheet of paper". | |||
| Luxembourgish | kaart | ||
| The word "Kaart" is derived from Italian "carta", which can also mean playing card or paper. | |||
| Maltese | mappa | ||
| Mappa originates from the Latin word 'mappa', meaning 'cloth' or 'napkin' | |||
| Norwegian | kart | ||
| In Norwegian, 'kart' derives from the Latin 'charta' (paper or scroll) and the Old Norse 'karta' (a drawing). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mapa | ||
| "Mapa" derives from the Latin "mappa" (napkin), originally used to refer to a cloth or piece of paper on which something was drawn. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mapa | ||
| A 'mapa' can also refer to an animal's stomach and guts. | |||
| Spanish | mapa | ||
| The Spanish word "mapa" derives from the Latin "mappa", meaning "napkin" or "cloth", as maps were originally drawn on cloth or parchment. | |||
| Swedish | karta | ||
| "Karta" also translates to "pack of cards" in English. | |||
| Welsh | map | ||
| Possibly from the Latin mappa meaning napkin, a reference to the vellum on which maps are often drawn. | |||
Map in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | карта | ||
| In other Slavic languages "карта" also means playing card or playing deck, which can be traced to Persian "kārd" or Greek "χαρτίον". | |||
| Bosnian | karta | ||
| The word "karta" is also used to refer to a playing card or a travel ticket in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | карта | ||
| The word "карта" in Bulgarian can also mean "playing card" or "credit card". | |||
| Czech | mapa | ||
| The Czech word "mapa" comes from the Latin word "mappa", meaning "napkin", because maps were originally drawn on pieces of cloth | |||
| Estonian | kaart | ||
| "Kaart" also means "deck of cards" in Estonian, which is related to the word "card" in English. | |||
| Finnish | kartta | ||
| The Finnish word "kartta" is derived from "carta", the Latin word meaning "paper" or "papyrus", suggesting the original material on which maps were drawn. | |||
| Hungarian | térkép | ||
| The Hungarian word "térkép" likely derives from the Turkic word "terkib", meaning "to compose" or "to assemble." | |||
| Latvian | karte | ||
| The Latvian word "karte" is derived from the German word "Karte", which in turn is derived from the Latin word "charta" meaning "paper". | |||
| Lithuanian | žemėlapis | ||
| Žemėlapis is a compound of Lithuanian words meaning "land" (žemė) and "sheet" (lapis). | |||
| Macedonian | мапа | ||
| The word "мапа" (map) in Macedonian also means "a piece of cloth or paper used for wiping or cleaning something". | |||
| Polish | mapa | ||
| "Mapa" is derived from the Latin word "mappa" meaning "napkin" or "tablecloth". | |||
| Romanian | hartă | ||
| The Romanian word "Hartă" evolved from the Hungarian word "Karta" which ultimately came from the Latin word "Carta", meaning "sheet of paper". | |||
| Russian | карта | ||
| From Greek "chartes", via French "carte" - both meaning 'leaf of paper'. | |||
| Serbian | мапа | ||
| The Serbian word "мапа" (map) is derived from the Latin word "mappa," which originally meant "napkin" or "handkerchief." | |||
| Slovak | mapa | ||
| Slovenské slovo "mapa" pravdepodobne nemá vlastnú slovenskú etymológiu a pochádza zo stredovekej latinčiny, do ktorej sa zase dostalo z antickej gréčtiny. | |||
| Slovenian | zemljevid | ||
| "Zemljevid" is a loanword from German "Landkarte" and is cognate with English "land chart." | |||
| Ukrainian | карта | ||
| The word "карта" (map) in Ukrainian also means "playing card". | |||
Map in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মানচিত্র | ||
| The word "মানচিত্র" (map) in Bengali comes from the Sanskrit word "मानचित्र," which literally means "measured drawing" | |||
| Gujarati | નકશો | ||
| The word 'નકશો' is derived from the Persian word 'نقشه' (naqsha), meaning 'design' or 'plan'. | |||
| Hindi | नक्शा | ||
| "नक्शा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "naksha", which originally meant "depiction" or "representation" and was used in contexts like "the depiction of a city" | |||
| Kannada | ನಕ್ಷೆ | ||
| The word "ನಕ್ಷೆ" also refers to a plan or blueprint in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | മാപ്പ് | ||
| "മാപ്പ്" is also the Malayalam word for 'forgiveness' or 'apology'. | |||
| Marathi | नकाशा | ||
| The Marathi word "नकाशा" (nakāśā) is derived from the Persian word "نقشه" (naqsha), which means "plan, design, or pattern." | |||
| Nepali | नक्शा | ||
| The word 'नक्शा' ('map') derives from the Persian word 'نقشه' ('picture') which could refer to drawings, diagrams, and city plans. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਕਸ਼ਾ | ||
| The word "ਨਕਸ਼ਾ" is derived from the Persian word "نقشه" (naqsha), which means "picture". It can also refer to a "plan" or "design". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිතියම | ||
| The Sinhala word 'සිතියම' not only means 'map' but also 'an idea' or 'a plan'. | |||
| Tamil | வரைபடம் | ||
| Telugu | మ్యాప్ | ||
| Urdu | نقشہ | ||
| The word "نقشہ" (naqsha) in Urdu, meaning "map", is derived from the Persian word "نقش" (naqsh), which means "drawing" or "portrait." | |||
Map in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 地图 | ||
| 地图 (dìtú) literally means "earth picture" and is a collective term for various geographical images. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 地圖 | ||
| 地圖 is a calque loanword from Japanese, which in turn was a loanword from Portuguese. | |||
| Japanese | 地図 | ||
| "地図" can also mean "plan" or "scheme" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 지도 | ||
| The Korean word '지도'(map) is homophonous with '지도'(guide or lead) but is written with different Chinese characters. | |||
| Mongolian | газрын зураг | ||
| The word "газрын зураг" comes from the verb "газрах" (to measure) and the noun "зураг" (image), and it originally meant a scaled representation of a measured area of land. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြေပုံ | ||
Map in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | peta | ||
| "Peta" also signifies a board game, similar to a checkerboard, traditionally played in Java and Sumatra. | |||
| Javanese | peta | ||
| "Peta" can also refer to an area or the surface of something | |||
| Khmer | ផែនទី | ||
| ផែនទី can also refer to a plan or a chart, not just a map. | |||
| Lao | ແຜນທີ່ | ||
| ແຜນທີ່ is a cognate of the Thai word "แผนที่" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "पट" (paṭa) meaning "canvas" or "cloth", as maps were traditionally drawn on cloth. | |||
| Malay | peta | ||
| The Malay word "peta" is derived from the Sanskrit word "patra", meaning "leaf" or "sheet". | |||
| Thai | แผนที่ | ||
| The Thai word 'แผนที่' ultimately derives from the Sanskrit term 'pattra' meaning "picture on cloth," and is used in some other Southeast Asian languages with a similar meaning. | |||
| Vietnamese | bản đồ | ||
| Bản đồ translates to "map" in English, but the word literally means "face of the earth" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mapa | ||
Map in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | xəritə | ||
| The word "xəritə" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "xarīta," which in turn comes from the Greek word "charakter," meaning "distinctive mark or feature." | |||
| Kazakh | карта | ||
| The word карта also means "a piece of paper with writing on it" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | карта | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "карта" is derived from the Persian word "qartih" and also means "document" or "ticket." | |||
| Tajik | харита | ||
| The word "харита" can also refer to a "scheme" or a "plan". | |||
| Turkmen | karta | ||
| Uzbek | xarita | ||
| The word "xarita" (map) in Uzbek likely originated from the ancient Sogdian language, where it meant "drawing" or "plan." | |||
| Uyghur | خەرىتە | ||
Map in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palapala ʻāina | ||
| The word "palapala ʻāina" literally means "flat thing of the land" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | mapi | ||
| The Maori word "mapi" has multiple meanings and etymological connections, including a possible origin in Polynesian languages with the meaning of "flat surface." | |||
| Samoan | faʻafanua | ||
| The word "faʻafanua" in Samoan also pertains to the act of drawing or making a map. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mapa | ||
| Mapa in Tagalog is a cognate of the Spanish "mapa", which is itself derived from the Latin "mappa", a type of napkin or cloth used for wiping or cleaning. | |||
Map in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mapa | ||
| Guarani | mapa | ||
Map in International Languages
| Esperanto | mapo | ||
| The Esperanto word "mapo" has multiple meanings depending on context. In geography, it means "map", but as a noun in general it means "scheme" or "plan", and as a verb it means "to plot" or "to scheme." | |||
| Latin | map | ||
| In Latin, "mappa" also means "napkin" or "towel." | |||
Map in Others Languages
| Greek | χάρτης | ||
| The word "χάρτης" originally meant "papyrus" or "paper" in Greek, and was later used to refer to a drawn representation of a geographical area. | |||
| Hmong | daim ntawv qhia | ||
| The word 'daim ntawv qhia' can also refer to a document or diagram that provides information about something. | |||
| Kurdish | qert | ||
| "Qert" also refers to a piece of land for grazing sheep or goats in Sorani Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | harita | ||
| Harita is also slang for "very high" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | imephu | ||
| The word "imephu" comes from the Nguni word "amaphu" meaning "earth." It can also refer to a "flatbread." | |||
| Yiddish | מאַפּע | ||
| The Yiddish word "מאַפּע" ultimately derives from the Late Latin word "mappa", meaning "cloth" or "napkin", and was originally used in cartography to refer to a cloth or piece of parchment on which a map was drawn. | |||
| Zulu | imephu | ||
| The Zulu word 'imephu' is derived from the isiXhosa word 'imepu', which originally referred to a skin or hide used as a writing surface. | |||
| Assamese | মানচিত্ৰ | ||
| Aymara | mapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | नक्शा के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މެޕް | ||
| Dogri | नक्शा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mapa | ||
| Guarani | mapa | ||
| Ilocano | mapa | ||
| Krio | map | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نەخشە | ||
| Maithili | नक्शा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯦꯞ ꯑꯃꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | map a ni | ||
| Oromo | kaartaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାନଚିତ୍ର | ||
| Quechua | mapa | ||
| Sanskrit | नक्शा | ||
| Tatar | карта | ||
| Tigrinya | ካርታ | ||
| Tsonga | mepe | ||