Material in Different Languages
Discover 'Material' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'material' carries great significance in our daily lives, often serving as a bridge between the tangible and intangible worlds. It refers to the physical substance or substances from which something is made or can be made. Beyond its practical uses, 'material' also embodies cultural importance, shaping our artistic expressions, technological advancements, and even our philosophical ideas.
Delving into the translations of 'material' in different languages unveils a rich tapestry of cultural nuances and historical contexts. For instance, in Spanish, 'material' is 'material', in French it's 'matériel', while in German, it's 'Material'. These variations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also encapsulate unique cultural perspectives on the concept of 'material'.
Understanding the translations of 'material' in various languages can be beneficial in numerous ways. Whether you're a global entrepreneur seeking to expand your market, a student of linguistics, or a curious traveler, this knowledge can enrich your communication, broaden your cultural horizons, and foster a deeper appreciation for the world's diverse languages and cultures.
Material
Material in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | materiaal | ||
| The Afrikaans word "materiaal" originates from the Latin word "materia" and has the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Amharic | ቁሳቁስ | ||
| The word ቁሳቁስ (material) derives from the root "ቅስ" (to tear), likely referring to the tear-resistant nature of materials. | |||
| Hausa | abu | ||
| The Hausa word "abu" derives from Arabic and originally referred to textiles or fabrics and still carries that meaning in some dialects. | |||
| Igbo | ihe onwunwe | ||
| The word "ihe onwunwe" can also refer to physical substances, objects, or resources. | |||
| Malagasy | ara-nofo | ||
| Derived from the French "étoffe", meaning "fabric" or "cloth." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zakuthupi | ||
| The word ‘zakuthupi’ in Nyanja can refer to either cloth or any other physical object of value. | |||
| Shona | zvinhu | ||
| The word "zvinhu" can also mean "money" or "things" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | wax | ||
| The Somali word for wax, "dhuxul", also means "resin" or "gum". | |||
| Sesotho | lintho tse bonahalang | ||
| A material is something out of which something is made or is made up of; matter. | |||
| Swahili | nyenzo | ||
| The word 'nyenzo' comes from the Swahili word 'enzi', meaning 'time' or 'age', and the prefix 'nya-' which denotes 'new' or 'modern'. | |||
| Xhosa | izinto | ||
| The word “izinto” can also refer to “things,” “property,” or “possessions.” | |||
| Yoruba | ohun elo | ||
| The Yoruba word 'ohun elo' can also mean 'object' or 'thing'. | |||
| Zulu | impahla | ||
| The word "impahla" can also refer to a "pattern" or a "design" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | minɛ | ||
| Ewe | nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibikoresho | ||
| Lingala | eloko | ||
| Luganda | ekikozesebwa | ||
| Sepedi | didirišwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atadeɛ | ||
Material in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مواد | ||
| The Arabic word "مواد" ("material") can also refer to "subject matter" or "raw materials". | |||
| Hebrew | חוֹמֶר | ||
| "חוֹמֶר" (material) comes from the Akkadian "humru" (clay, earth). | |||
| Pashto | مواد | ||
| The word "مواد" in Pashto has been borrowed from Arabic and originally means "subject" or "matter discussed", but it has also come to mean "material" in the sense of "substance" or "stuff". | |||
| Arabic | مواد | ||
| The Arabic word "مواد" ("material") can also refer to "subject matter" or "raw materials". | |||
Material in Western European Languages
| Albanian | materiali | ||
| The word "materiali" may also refer to a "source of information" or "evidence". | |||
| Basque | materiala | ||
| The Basque word "materiala" also means "stuff" or "thing". | |||
| Catalan | material | ||
| The word "material" comes from the Latin "materia", meaning "wood" or "substance" | |||
| Croatian | materijal | ||
| In Croatian, "materijal" can also refer to raw materials or resources, or it can be used in a figurative sense to describe something substantial or essential. | |||
| Danish | materiale | ||
| In Danish, 'materiale' also means 'curriculum' or 'teaching material'. | |||
| Dutch | materiaal | ||
| "Materiaal" also means "swearing" and "oath" in the sense of a religious ceremony or promise and originates from Old Germanic "matarazlo" which has a similar meaning. | |||
| English | material | ||
| The word 'material' derives from the Latin 'materia', meaning 'substance', and can also refer to 'significant' or 'relevant'. | |||
| French | matériel | ||
| "Matériel" originally referred to war equipment and provisions, and is still used in this sense in the military. | |||
| Frisian | materiaal | ||
| The word "materiaal" in Frisian can also mean "stuff that makes up something". | |||
| Galician | material | ||
| German | material | ||
| The German word "Material" can also refer to documents, archives, or source material | |||
| Icelandic | efni | ||
| The word "Efni" comes from the Old Norse word "Efni" meaning "content" or "substance". | |||
| Irish | ábhar | ||
| The word "ábhar" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *bher-, meaning "to carry" or "to bear". | |||
| Italian | materiale | ||
| In Italian, "Materiale" can also refer to raw materials used in construction or artistic projects. | |||
| Luxembourgish | material | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Material" may also refer to a "subject" or "topic". | |||
| Maltese | materjal | ||
| The Maltese word "materjal" is derived from the Latin "materia" and also means "matter" or "substance". | |||
| Norwegian | materiale | ||
| The Norwegian word "materiale" comes from the Latin "materia" and can also mean "substance" or "matter". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | material | ||
| No português, "material" também é usado para se referir a "assunto" ou "tema" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stuth | ||
| Its spelling originated with "stuff" and also refers to "substance" and "stuffing". | |||
| Spanish | material | ||
| The Spanish word «material» can also be used to refer to a subject of study or a source of information, such as a textbook or a document. | |||
| Swedish | material | ||
| The word "material" in Swedish can also mean "substance" or "fabric". | |||
| Welsh | deunydd | ||
| Deunydd can also mean 'matter', 'substance', 'ingredient', 'element', or 'property'. | |||
Material in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | матэрыялу | ||
| "Матэрыялу" means "material" in Belarusian, but it also refers to "substance", "matter", "stuff", or "fabric" in the language. | |||
| Bosnian | materijal | ||
| The word "materijal" also has a metaphorical meaning, referring to a person's psychological, moral, or spiritual qualities. | |||
| Bulgarian | материал | ||
| The word “материал” also refers to a school subject in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | materiál | ||
| The Czech word "materiál" can also refer to a "student". | |||
| Estonian | materjal | ||
| The word "materjal" possibly originates from Latin "materia", meaning substance, but also refers to a written document, especially a school textbook or teaching aid. | |||
| Finnish | materiaalia | ||
| Materiaalia's root, 'materia,' also means 'purulence,' from the Latin 'pus,' and the Indo-European base 'mei-' meaning 'pus'. | |||
| Hungarian | anyag | ||
| The word "anyag" is also used to refer to a fabric, which is a material used in clothing and other textiles. | |||
| Latvian | materiāls | ||
| The word "materiāls" in Latvian can also mean "raw materials", "fabric", or "substance" | |||
| Lithuanian | medžiaga | ||
| The word "medžiaga" in Lithuanian also refers to "study material". | |||
| Macedonian | материјал | ||
| The word "материјал" ("material") in Macedonian has cognates in other Slavic languages and is derived from the Latin word "materia," which means "substance" or "matter." | |||
| Polish | materiał | ||
| The Polish word "materiał" is derived from the Latin word "materia", which means substance or matter. | |||
| Romanian | material | ||
| The Romanian word "material" can also refer to a school subject, such as mathematics or physics. | |||
| Russian | материал | ||
| В русском языке слово "материал" также может означать "сырьё"} | |||
| Serbian | материјал | ||
| The word "материјал" in Serbian can also refer to the evidence or facts used to prove or justify a claim. | |||
| Slovak | materiál | ||
| The Slovak word "materiál" also means "stuff", "equipment", or "content" in English. | |||
| Slovenian | material | ||
| The word "material" in Slovenian can also refer to a mother's apron or a type of fabric. | |||
| Ukrainian | матеріал | ||
| The Ukrainian word “матеріал” (material) comes from the Latin noun materia, meaning “building material, timber.” | |||
Material in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উপাদান | ||
| The word "উপাদান" also means "ingredient". | |||
| Gujarati | સામગ્રી | ||
| સામગ્રી (material) comes from the Sanskrit word "sama" (same) and "grahi" (taking), hence it means anything that can be taken or used together. | |||
| Hindi | सामग्री | ||
| The Hindi word "सामग्री" can also mean "content" or "substance". | |||
| Kannada | ವಸ್ತು | ||
| The word "ವಸ್ತು" is also used in Kannada to refer to a "thing" or an "object". | |||
| Malayalam | മെറ്റീരിയൽ | ||
| The word "മെറ്റീരിയൽ" in Malayalam derives from the English word "material" and also means "substance" | |||
| Marathi | साहित्य | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'sahitya' originally referred to 'the art of writing' and 'good composition', and later came to mean 'literature' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | सामग्री | ||
| "सामग्री" is also a synonym for "wealth", "property", and "assets". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਮੱਗਰੀ | ||
| The Sanskrit word "samagri" means a gathering of ingredients, tools, or other resources, while in Punjabi, "sammagri" primarily means "material" in the physical or mental sense. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ද්රව්ය | ||
| The etymology of "ද්රව්ය" is unknown, however, it has several alternate meanings such as "substance", "matter", "thing", "object", and "property." | |||
| Tamil | பொருள் | ||
| Telugu | పదార్థం | ||
| The word "పదార్థం" ultimately comes from the Sanskrit word "द्रव्य" (dravya) meaning "substance". In modern Telugu, it can also refer to "matter" or "subject matter". | |||
| Urdu | مواد | ||
| The literal Urdu translation of the word مواد is 'items'. | |||
Material in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 材料 | ||
| In Japanese, the word 材料 can also mean "ingredients" or "components." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 材料 | ||
| 材料 (cáiliào) can also mean "ingredients" in cooking and baking. | |||
| Japanese | 材料 | ||
| It is also used to mean 'ingredients' of a dish, although '食材' (shokuzai) is more commonly used. | |||
| Korean | 재료 | ||
| 재료, 제료, 재랑의 원형은 '재령(재+령)'으로 '령'은 '얼음'이란 뜻이며 '재'는 물을 얼린 물질이나 얼음과 같은 굳은 물건을 만들어 내는 것을 의미. | |||
| Mongolian | материал | ||
| Материал can also mean 'content' or 'subject matter' in Mongolian context. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပစ္စည်း | ||
| ပစ္စည်း is derived from the Pali word "paccaya", which means "cause", "condition", or "support", and can also refer to "assets" or "resources". | |||
Material in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bahan | ||
| The word "bahan" can also refer to the raw materials used in cooking or to the ingredients of a dish. | |||
| Javanese | materi | ||
| The Javanese word "materi" can also refer to a person's character or disposition. | |||
| Khmer | សម្ភារៈ | ||
| The word "សម្ភារៈ" can also refer to "equipment" or "supplies". | |||
| Lao | ອຸປະກອນການ | ||
| The word “ອຸປະກອນການ” in Lao does not have an alternate meaning, and this term originally comes from Sanskrit, where its original meaning (as well as its current meaning in Lao) is “tool”. | |||
| Malay | bahan | ||
| The word "bahan" in Malay has its roots in the Sanskrit word "bhana" meaning "to speak" or "to say". | |||
| Thai | วัสดุ | ||
| วัสดุ is a loanword from the Sanskrit वस्तु (vastu) meaning "thing", "matter", or "stuff", and can also refer to "property" or "goods". | |||
| Vietnamese | vật chất | ||
| The word "vật chất" in Vietnamese can also mean "matter" in a philosophical sense. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | materyal | ||
Material in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | material | ||
| The word "material" derives from the Latin word "materia", meaning substance or form. | |||
| Kazakh | материал | ||
| The Kazakh word "материал" can also mean "content", "data", or "substance". | |||
| Kyrgyz | материал | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "материал" can also refer to "stuff", "matter", or "substance." | |||
| Tajik | мавод | ||
| In Tajik, the word "мавод" can refer to a source, basis, origin, or principle. | |||
| Turkmen | material | ||
| Uzbek | material | ||
| In Uzbek, "material" (материал) can also refer to a fabric or cloth. | |||
| Uyghur | ماتېرىيال | ||
Material in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea | ||
| In Hawaiian mythology, Mea can refer to a mischievous spirit or god. | |||
| Maori | rauemi | ||
| The word "rauemi" has several meanings in Māori, including raw stuff, essence, and source. | |||
| Samoan | meafaitino | ||
| In Samoan, the word "meafaitino" refers to the creation and production of objects, as well as the materials used in these processes. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | materyal | ||
| "Materyal" can also be used to describe something that is important or essential. | |||
Material in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | matiryala | ||
| Guarani | iñapỹiva | ||
Material in International Languages
| Esperanto | materialo | ||
| The Esperanto word "materialo" comes from the Latin word "materia", meaning "substance" or "matter". | |||
| Latin | materiales | ||
| In Latin, "materiales" also refers to wood, timber, or building materials. | |||
Material in Others Languages
| Greek | υλικό | ||
| The word “υλικό” (material) derives from the Greek word “ὕλη” (matter), which in turn comes from the Indo-European root *wel-. | |||
| Hmong | khoom siv | ||
| The Hmong word 'khoom siv' can also mean 'stuff', 'belongings', or 'things'. | |||
| Kurdish | mal | ||
| The word "mal" in Kurdish can also refer to "property" or "wealth" | |||
| Turkish | malzeme | ||
| "Malzeme" is a Turkish word meaning "material". It is derived from the Arabic word "mal"," meaning "property, wealth." | |||
| Xhosa | izinto | ||
| The word “izinto” can also refer to “things,” “property,” or “possessions.” | |||
| Yiddish | מאַטעריאַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "מאַטעריאַל" ("material") can also refer to "evidence" or "proof". | |||
| Zulu | impahla | ||
| The word "impahla" can also refer to a "pattern" or a "design" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | সামগ্ৰী | ||
| Aymara | matiryala | ||
| Bhojpuri | सामान | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަކެތި | ||
| Dogri | समग्गरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | materyal | ||
| Guarani | iñapỹiva | ||
| Ilocano | material | ||
| Krio | tin dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بابەت | ||
| Maithili | सामग्री | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯆꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | bungrua | ||
| Oromo | meeshaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାମଗ୍ରୀ | ||
| Quechua | material | ||
| Sanskrit | पदार्थ | ||
| Tatar | материал | ||
| Tigrinya | ናውቲ | ||
| Tsonga | swilo | ||