Meaning in Different Languages
Discover 'Meaning' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'meaning' holds a profound significance in our lives, shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves. Its cultural importance is evident in various philosophical, literary, and linguistic contexts, where it is used to explore the purpose, significance, and interpretation of things.
For instance, in philosophy, 'meaning' is often discussed in relation to life, existence, and consciousness. In literature, it is explored through themes, symbols, and motifs. And in linguistics, 'meaning' is studied in terms of semantics, or how words and sentences convey information.
Given its importance, you might be interested in knowing the translation of 'meaning' in different languages. This can provide unique insights into how different cultures understand and interpret this concept. For example, in Spanish, 'meaning' translates to 'significado', while in French, it is 'signification'. In German, it is 'Bedeutung', and in Japanese, it is '意味' (imi).
Explore the list below to discover more translations of 'meaning' in different languages, and deepen your appreciation for this fascinating concept.
Meaning
Meaning in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | betekenis | ||
| The word "betekenis" in Afrikaans is derived from the Middle Dutch word "betekenesse", which means "signification" or "indication". | |||
| Amharic | ትርጉም | ||
| ትርጉም is also used to denote a 'religious text', such as the Christian Scriptures or the Qur'an. | |||
| Hausa | ma'ana | ||
| In Hausa, "ma'ana" also refers to the reason or purpose of something, or the interpretation of a message. | |||
| Igbo | pụtara | ||
| One of the most basic applications of this word is when asking the significance of a dream and what it "pụtara" (means). | |||
| Malagasy | hevitra | ||
| The word "hevitra" can also refer to an opinion or perspective. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tanthauzo | ||
| The word 'tanthauzo' in Nyanja shares an etymological root with words for 'know' in other Bantu languages | |||
| Shona | zvinoreva | ||
| The word 'zvinoreva' has multiple meanings, including 'understanding', 'intention', and 'purpose'. | |||
| Somali | macnaha | ||
| The word "macnaha" can also refer to the purpose or significance of something or an idea's implication. | |||
| Sesotho | moelelo | ||
| The word "moelelo" is also a noun class 10 prefix and a locative prefix used with class 10 nouns, and may be translated as "in, at, on, to, or by means of". | |||
| Swahili | maana | ||
| The Swahili word "maana" has the alternate meaning "direction, purpose, or intention". | |||
| Xhosa | intsingiselo | ||
| The word "intsingiselo" also means "explanation" or "interpretation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | itumo | ||
| The word `itumo` in Yoruba can also refer to `reason`, `cause`, or `purpose`. | |||
| Zulu | incazelo | ||
| The word 'incazelo' also means 'reason' and can be used in constructions such as 'umuntu onga Incazelo' (a person without reason). | |||
| Bambara | kɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | gɔmeɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibisobanuro | ||
| Lingala | ndimbola | ||
| Luganda | okutegeeza | ||
| Sepedi | go ra gore | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyerɛ | ||
Meaning in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المعنى | ||
| 'The word 'المعنى' can also mean 'interpretation' or 'significance'. | |||
| Hebrew | מַשְׁמָעוּת | ||
| The word 'מַשְׁמָעוּת' derives from the root 'שמע', meaning 'to hear', suggesting the concept of meaning as something that is communicated or understood through listening. | |||
| Pashto | معنی | ||
| Pashto word "معنی" has a double meaning of "meaning" and "sign" and is used to express both concepts. | |||
| Arabic | المعنى | ||
| 'The word 'المعنى' can also mean 'interpretation' or 'significance'. | |||
Meaning in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kuptimi | ||
| Kuptimi can also mean a plan, intention, idea, or proposal in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | esanahia | ||
| The word "esanahia" can be analyzed as "intention", "cause", or "reason". | |||
| Catalan | significat | ||
| Significat is derived from the Latin word "significare" meaning "to make known" or "to indicate". It can also refer to a sign, symbol, or gesture that conveys a specific meaning or idea. | |||
| Croatian | značenje | ||
| The Croatian word 'značenje' can also refer to a 'sign' or a 'symptom'. | |||
| Danish | betyder | ||
| The Danish word "betyder" is derived from the Old Norse verb "at byðja", meaning "to offer" or "to present". | |||
| Dutch | betekenis | ||
| The word betekenen in Dutch is also used in the phrase "het betekende een hoop voor ons", meaning "it meant a lot to us". | |||
| English | meaning | ||
| The word "meaning" derives from the Old English "maenan", meaning "to intend, purpose, or signify". | |||
| French | sens | ||
| In French, "sens" can refer to meaning, direction, common sense, or sensory perception depending on context. | |||
| Frisian | betsjutting | ||
| The Frisian word "betsjutting" comes from the Old Frisian word "betsjutta", which means "to say". | |||
| Galician | significado | ||
| In Galician, "significado" is the past participle of the verb "significar" but can also mean "mark", "symbol", or "gesture." | |||
| German | bedeutung | ||
| The word "Bedeutung" in German can also mean "importance" or "significance". | |||
| Icelandic | merkingu | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "merkingu" is thought to derive from the Old Norse "merking," which meant "sign," "indication," or "opinion." | |||
| Irish | brí | ||
| In Irish, the word 'brí' can also refer to 'esteem', 'honour', or 'fame'. | |||
| Italian | senso | ||
| "Senso" in Italian also means "sense" like a sensory organ or "direction". | |||
| Luxembourgish | bedeitung | ||
| Maltese | tifsira | ||
| The Maltese word "tifsira" can also refer to an explanation or interpretation of a text or event. | |||
| Norwegian | betydning | ||
| "Betydning" derives from "bede" (to ask) and "tyde" (to interpret). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | significado | ||
| "Significado" can also mean "importance" or "significance" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | a ’ciallachadh | ||
| The word "a ’ciallachadh" can also be used to refer to "a reason" or "an excuse". | |||
| Spanish | sentido | ||
| The Spanish word 'sentido' also means 'direction,' 'feeling,' 'sense,' 'understanding,' and 'purpose'. | |||
| Swedish | menande | ||
| The Swedish word "menande" derives from the Old Norse word "mæna," which can also mean "opinion" or "intention." | |||
| Welsh | ystyr | ||
| The Welsh word 'ystyr' is cognate with the English word 'stir', and it can also mean 'motion', "agitation" or 'tumult'. | |||
Meaning in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сэнс | ||
| Bosnian | značenje | ||
| While the word "značenje" primarily means "meaning", it can also refer to an "indication" or "symptom" of something. | |||
| Bulgarian | значение | ||
| "Значение" can also mean "significant", "importance", "consequence", or "value" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | význam | ||
| The Czech word "význam" also means "importance" and is cognate with the Serbian word "značaj". | |||
| Estonian | tähendus | ||
| The word "tähendus" is derived from "tähi" which means "star" or "sign" and "numbus" which means "name" or "title". | |||
| Finnish | merkitys | ||
| The Finnish word "merkitys" derives from the Proto-Finnic word "merki", meaning "sign". | |||
| Hungarian | jelentése | ||
| The word "jelentése" also derives from the verb "jelent", meaning "to declare" or "to manifest". | |||
| Latvian | nozīme | ||
| Latvian "nozīme" is a derivative of the verb "nest", meaning "to carry, to bring". | |||
| Lithuanian | prasmė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "prasmė" also means "purpose". | |||
| Macedonian | значење | ||
| The word “значење” can also mean “significance” or “value”. | |||
| Polish | znaczenie | ||
| The word "znaczenie" can also refer to the "significance" or "importance" of something. | |||
| Romanian | sens | ||
| "Sens" is a French loanword in Romanian that, besides meaning "meaning," can also mean "direction" or "feeling," as in the expression "al șaselea sens" ("sixth sense"). | |||
| Russian | имея в виду | ||
| It is a gerund of the Russian verb “иметь,” meaning “to have,” and therefore literally means “having.” | |||
| Serbian | значење | ||
| The word "значење" can refer to both the concept of meaning and also significance or importance in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | význam | ||
| The word "význam" can also mean "importance" or "significance". | |||
| Slovenian | pomen | ||
| This is a synonym of the verb "razumeti", to "understand". In archaic contexts, it might also refer to having a good memory as well; the word "pamtim", which today refers to having a good memory, in the 15th century also had the meaning of "understanding", which it shares with "pomen". | |||
| Ukrainian | значення | ||
| The word "значення" can also refer to a "value" or "magnitude" | |||
Meaning in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অর্থ | ||
| Bengali "অর্থ" also means "wealth" or "money". | |||
| Gujarati | અર્થ | ||
| The Gujarati word "અર્થ" not only means "meaning", but also "value", "wealth", "use", and "purpose". | |||
| Hindi | अर्थ | ||
| "अर्थ" is an ancient word in Sanskrit with a broad range of meanings referring not only to “meaning” but also to “purpose, aim, goal, wealth, money, value, significance, and the material world.” | |||
| Kannada | ಅರ್ಥ | ||
| The word "ಅರ್ಥ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अर्थ" (artha) and can also refer to wealth, property, or purpose in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | അർത്ഥം | ||
| The word "അർത്ഥം" in Malayalam can also mean "money" or "wealth" in certain contexts. | |||
| Marathi | अर्थ | ||
| The word "अर्थ" in Marathi can also refer to wealth or money, as seen in the phrases "धनार्थ" and "स्वार्थ". | |||
| Nepali | अर्थ | ||
| The word "अर्थ" (artha) in Nepali can also refer to money or wealth. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਤਲਬ | ||
| The word "मतलब" also means "intention" or "purpose" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අර්ථය | ||
| The word "අර්ථය" in Sinhala derives from a Sanskrit root which also means "wealth" or "purpose." | |||
| Tamil | பொருள் | ||
| Telugu | అర్థం | ||
| The word "అర్థం" (meaning) in Telugu also means "half" or "part". | |||
| Urdu | معنی | ||
| The word معنى ('meaning' in Urdu) also means 'purpose' or 'significance'. | |||
Meaning in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 含义 | ||
| 含义 can also mean 'implication', 'connotation', or 'significance'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 含義 | ||
| 含義 can also mean connotation, implication, or significance. | |||
| Japanese | 意味 | ||
| The word "意味" also means "flavor" or "taste". | |||
| Korean | 의미 | ||
| The word '의미' is cognate with words for 'cause' in Japanese and Chinese, implying a causal connection between signifier and signified. | |||
| Mongolian | утга | ||
| The word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဓိပ္ပါယ် | ||
Meaning in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berarti | ||
| The word "berarti" in Indonesian, while meaning "meaning", also has the connotation of "significant" or "important". | |||
| Javanese | tegese | ||
| **Tegese** is also used to explain the intention or purpose of something. | |||
| Khmer | អត្ថន័យ | ||
| The term "អត្ថន័យ" is derived from the Pali word "atthanaya" which means "meaning" or "significance". | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມ ໝາຍ | ||
| Malay | makna | ||
| In Malay, 'makna' can also refer to the 'sense' or 'implication' of something said or written. | |||
| Thai | ความหมาย | ||
| The Thai word 'ความหมาย' can also refer to 'intention' or 'purpose'. | |||
| Vietnamese | ý nghĩa | ||
| "Ý nghĩa" means essence and taste as well but it is most used with the definition `meaning` | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ibig sabihin | ||
Meaning in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | məna | ||
| The word "məna" in Azerbaijani derives from Arabic and Persian, where it also means "aim, purpose, sense, or indication". | |||
| Kazakh | мағынасы | ||
| "Мағына" is a Kazakh word that can also mean "significance" or "interpretation." | |||
| Kyrgyz | мааниси | ||
| The word "мааниси" is derived from the Persian word "معنی", meaning both "meaning" and "intention". | |||
| Tajik | маънои | ||
| The word "maъnoi" can also refer to a concept or an idea. | |||
| Turkmen | manysy | ||
| Uzbek | ma'no | ||
| The word "ma'no" comes from the Persian word "ma'ni" and it also means "sense" or "content". | |||
| Uyghur | مەنىسى | ||
Meaning in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | manaʻo | ||
| Manaʻo, meaning "meaning," is also used to describe "will," "intention," or "purpose" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | tikanga | ||
| The Maori word "tikanga" implies correct procedure, custom, or usage. | |||
| Samoan | uiga | ||
| The word "uiga" in Samoan can also refer to a "reason" or a "purpose." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ibig sabihin | ||
| The word "ibig sabihin" in Tagalog can also refer to the "intention" or "purpose" behind something. | |||
Meaning in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñacht'a | ||
| Guarani | he'iséva | ||
Meaning in International Languages
| Esperanto | signifo | ||
| Esperanto 'signifo' is derived from the Latin 'signum' (sign), as in 'signification'. | |||
| Latin | significatio | ||
| The Latin word "significatio" also refers to a logical implication. | |||
Meaning in Others Languages
| Greek | έννοια | ||
| "Έννοια" also refers to "idea" in the sense of Plato's Theory of Forms | |||
| Hmong | lub ntsiab lus | ||
| The Hmong word "lub ntsiab lus" can also refer to the purpose or intention of something. | |||
| Kurdish | mane | ||
| The Kurdish word "mane" (meaning) can also refer to the physical representation of an object or concept. | |||
| Turkish | anlam | ||
| "Anlam" also means "understanding" in Turkish, and carries the sense of "making sense" or "comprehending". | |||
| Xhosa | intsingiselo | ||
| The word "intsingiselo" also means "explanation" or "interpretation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | טייַטש | ||
| "טייַטש" in Yiddish can also refer to a specific dialect of Yiddish spoken by Ashkenazi Jews in Central and Eastern Europe. | |||
| Zulu | incazelo | ||
| The word 'incazelo' also means 'reason' and can be used in constructions such as 'umuntu onga Incazelo' (a person without reason). | |||
| Assamese | অৰ্থ | ||
| Aymara | uñacht'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | मतलब | ||
| Dhivehi | މާނަ | ||
| Dogri | मतलब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ibig sabihin | ||
| Guarani | he'iséva | ||
| Ilocano | kaipapanan | ||
| Krio | minin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | واتا | ||
| Maithili | मतलब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯡꯟꯊꯣꯛ | ||
| Mizo | awmzia | ||
| Oromo | hiika | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅର୍ଥ | ||
| Quechua | ima ninan | ||
| Sanskrit | अर्थ | ||
| Tatar | мәгънәсе | ||
| Tigrinya | ትርጉም | ||
| Tsonga | nhlamuselo | ||