Meter in Different Languages
Discover 'Meter' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'meter' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often associated with measures and standards. It is a fundamental unit in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to approximately 3.28 feet. But beyond its scientific importance, 'meter' has fascinating cultural implications.
In poetry, a meter is a rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. This literary device has been instrumental in shaping many of the world's most cherished poems and songs. For instance, the English language knows iambic pentameter, a pattern of five 'da-DUM' syllables per line, as seen in Shakespeare's sonnets.
Given its wide-ranging significance, one might wonder, 'How is the word 'meter' translated in different languages?' Well, let's find out!
Meter
Meter in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | meter | ||
| The word "meter" in Afrikaans can also refer to a musical rhythm or a poetic foot. | |||
| Amharic | ሜትር | ||
| Hausa | mita | ||
| In Hausa, "mita" also means "measure" or "measurement." | |||
| Igbo | mita | ||
| The Igbo word 'mita' has an alternate meaning of 'to measure' or 'to assess', reflecting the word's etymological root in the concept of measurement. | |||
| Malagasy | metatra | ||
| The word "metatra" in Malagasy also means "to measure" or "to count". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mita | ||
| The Nyanja word "mita" can also refer to a "measuring tape" or a "gauge". | |||
| Shona | mita | ||
| In Shona, the word "mita" does not mean "meter", it means "a unit used to measure distance." | |||
| Somali | mitir | ||
| The Somali word "mitir" originates from the Arabic word "mithr", meaning "measure" or "dimension". | |||
| Sesotho | metara | ||
| "Metara" in Sesotho can also refer to a "gauge" or "measuring device". | |||
| Swahili | mita | ||
| The word "mita" in Swahili can also refer to a type of traditional dance or a unit of measurement for land. | |||
| Xhosa | imitha | ||
| Imita also refers to a traditional beaded necklace for women. | |||
| Yoruba | mita | ||
| Yoruba word 'mita' also means 'a long string of beads,' 'a unit of measurement of 12 inches,' '30 cowries,' 'a string of 120 cowries' and 'a piece of cloth of 12 yards' (also called 'ita') | |||
| Zulu | imitha | ||
| The Zulu word "imitha" comes from the Proto-Bantu root "-mita", meaning "to measure". | |||
| Bambara | mɛtɛrɛ ye | ||
| Ewe | mita | ||
| Kinyarwanda | metero | ||
| Lingala | mɛtrɛ moko | ||
| Luganda | mita | ||
| Sepedi | mitha ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mita | ||
Meter in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | متر | ||
| The Arabic word "متر" can also refer to a "poem" or "verse". | |||
| Hebrew | מטר | ||
| The word "מטר" can also refer to rainfall, a derivative of its original meaning of "measure out" | |||
| Pashto | ميټر | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ميټر" can also refer to a measure of land area equivalent to 40 m². | |||
| Arabic | متر | ||
| The Arabic word "متر" can also refer to a "poem" or "verse". | |||
Meter in Western European Languages
| Albanian | metër | ||
| The word "metër" in Albanian comes from the Greek "μέτρον" (métron) meaning "measurement" and is related to the words "measure" and "mathematics". | |||
| Basque | metro | ||
| Basque "metro" also refers to underground railway and a square measure used in Spain. | |||
| Catalan | metre | ||
| El mot «metre» deriva del grec «μέτρον», que significa «mesura». | |||
| Croatian | metar | ||
| The word 'metar' also refers to a metal measuring rod used in surveying. | |||
| Danish | måler | ||
| The word "måler" can also refer to a unit of measurement used for textiles, equal to 1/10 of a yard. | |||
| Dutch | meter | ||
| The word "meter" in Dutch can also refer to a poetic form with a regular rhythm and rhyme scheme, similar to the English term "meter". | |||
| English | meter | ||
| In French, "mètre" is a unit of measurement while in English it is a device for measuring consumption of electricity or water. | |||
| French | mètre | ||
| The French word «mètre» originated from the Greek «metron» (μέτρον) meaning «measurement». | |||
| Frisian | meter | ||
| The Frisian word "meter" can also mean "measurement" or "gauge" | |||
| Galician | metro | ||
| In Galician, "metro" can also refer to a "map" or a "floor plan". | |||
| German | meter | ||
| The word "Meter" can also refer to rhythm or cadence in German, especially in the context of poetry or music. | |||
| Icelandic | metra | ||
| In Icelandic, "metra" can also refer to a large container or a quantity of a liquid. | |||
| Irish | méadar | ||
| The Irish word "méadar" (meter) derives from the Greek word "metron" (measure), and can also refer to a "measuring device" or a "regular rhythm or verse pattern". | |||
| Italian | metro | ||
| In Italian, "metro" can also refer to a subway system, with its name deriving from the French word "métro" for "underground railway". | |||
| Luxembourgish | meter | ||
| The word "Meter" ("meter") in Luxembourgish can also refer to a godmother or a godson. | |||
| Maltese | metru | ||
| "Metru" also means "poet" in Maltese, probably from the Italian "metro". | |||
| Norwegian | måler | ||
| In Norwegian, “måler” has dual meanings, referring both to units of measurement and to the person who measures. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | metro | ||
| In Portuguese, "metro" can also refer to a system of measurement or a unit of length, equivalent to a thousand meters. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | meatair | ||
| The word "meatair" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "measure" or "limit". | |||
| Spanish | metro | ||
| In Spanish, “metro” is also used to refer to the subway system in major cities. | |||
| Swedish | meter | ||
| The Swedish word "meter" can also refer to a verse, a beat or rhythm, or a measurement of time. | |||
| Welsh | metr | ||
| In Welsh, the word "metr" also means "measure" or "standard" | |||
Meter in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | метр | ||
| "Метр" may also mean a rhythm or size in poetry or music. | |||
| Bosnian | metar | ||
| The word "metar" in Bosnian is derived from the Greek "metron" and also refers to a rhyme scheme in Bosnian poetry. | |||
| Bulgarian | метър | ||
| The word "метър" has an alternate meaning of "tempo" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | metr | ||
| The word "metr" can also mean "subway" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | meeter | ||
| Estonian word "meeter" also means "measurer" and can figuratively refer to a person who "measures up" to a certain standard or situation. | |||
| Finnish | mittari | ||
| It is also used as a slang for a 100-euro bill. | |||
| Hungarian | méter | ||
| In Hungarian the word “méter” is also used to refer to the poetic rhythm of a Hungarian folk song. | |||
| Latvian | skaitītājs | ||
| The word "skaitītājs" is derived from the verb "skaitīt" (to count) and originally meant a "calculator". | |||
| Lithuanian | metras | ||
| The word "metras" also means "distance" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | метар | ||
| In Macedonian, "метар" also translates to "gauge" or "yardstick". | |||
| Polish | metr | ||
| In Polish, "metr" can also refer to a subway station or the subway system itself. | |||
| Romanian | metru | ||
| "Metru" is borrowed from the French "mètre" via German "Meter", with "metru" also meaning "rhythm" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | метр | ||
| The word "метр" can also refer to a unit of musical rhythm or a system of poetic measure. | |||
| Serbian | метар | ||
| The word 'metak' can also, colloquially, refer to a bullet. | |||
| Slovak | meter | ||
| The word "meter" in Slovak also refers to a "gauge" or "ruler" used for measuring. | |||
| Slovenian | meter | ||
| The word "meter" in Slovenian can also mean "rhyme" or "measure". | |||
| Ukrainian | метр | ||
| The Ukrainian word "метр" is derived from the French "mètre" and the Greek "μέτρον" and also means "rhythm" or "tempo". | |||
Meter in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মিটার | ||
| "মিটার" can also mean "measure" in Bengali, derived from the Latin word "metrum". | |||
| Gujarati | મીટર | ||
| The Gujarati word "મીટર" ("meter") is derived from the Greek word "μέτρον" ("metron"), meaning "a measure". | |||
| Hindi | मीटर | ||
| The word "मीटर" (meter) in Hindi is derived from the Greek word "metron", meaning "measure". | |||
| Kannada | ಮೀಟರ್ | ||
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| Malayalam | മീറ്റർ | ||
| The word 'മീറ്റർ' in Malayalam has alternate meanings such as 'rhythm' and 'musical cadence'. | |||
| Marathi | मीटर | ||
| Nepali | मिटर | ||
| The Nepali word "मिटर" is derived from the French word "mètre", which in turn comes from the Greek word "μέτρον" (metron), meaning "measure." | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੀਟਰ | ||
| ਮੀਟਰ, meter, can also mean rhythm or poetic measure in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මීටරය | ||
| In Sinhala, "මීටරය" can also refer to a measuring tape or a length of cloth equivalent to approximately 1.25 meters. | |||
| Tamil | மீட்டர் | ||
| The word 'மீட்டர்' ('meter') is also used in Tamil to refer to a device or apparatus used for measuring distance, volume, or quantity. | |||
| Telugu | మీటర్ | ||
| మీటర్ can also mean rhythm or timing and is often used in music context. | |||
| Urdu | میٹر | ||
| The word "میٹر" in Urdu derives from the Greek "μέτρον" ("metron"), and it can mean "measure," "rhythm," or "poetry." | |||
Meter in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 仪表 | ||
| The original meaning of "仪表" was an astronomical instrument, later it came to mean 'a device or mechanism for measuring a physical quantity' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 儀表 | ||
| In the past "儀表" meant a ruler for drawing lines and measuring the earth, later meaning instruments like the abacus that could perform computations | |||
| Japanese | メーター | ||
| In Japanese, "メーター" can also refer to a paid parking zone or a fare of a taxi. | |||
| Korean | 미터 | ||
| The Sino-Korean word for 'meter' (미터) is also used to mean 'rhythm' or 'beat' in music. | |||
| Mongolian | метр | ||
| The word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မီတာ | ||
| The Myanmar word "မီတာ" is borrowed from English and retains its original meaning as a unit of measurement, but can also refer to an electricity meter. | |||
Meter in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | meter | ||
| "Meter" in Indonesian can also mean "poem", deriving from the Dutch word "metrum" meaning "meter" or "rhythm" | |||
| Javanese | meter | ||
| In Javanese, "meter" also refers to a measure of land area (typically around 900 m²) and to the space allotted in front of a house. | |||
| Khmer | ម៉ែត្រ | ||
| The term "ម៉ែត្រ" is also used in Khmer to refer to a "measuring tool" or "measuring device". | |||
| Lao | ແມັດ | ||
| The word ແມັດ ('meter') is borrowed from French and also means 'mother' (only in northern and central Laos). | |||
| Malay | meter | ||
| The word "meter" in Malay can also mean "gauge", "measure", or "standard". | |||
| Thai | เมตร | ||
| The word 'เมตร' ('meter') also refers to a traditional Thai unit of length equal to roughly 50 cm. | |||
| Vietnamese | mét | ||
| In Vietnamese, "Mét" also refers to the "metric system". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | metro | ||
Meter in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | metr | ||
| The word "metr" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Greek word "metron", meaning "measure". | |||
| Kazakh | метр | ||
| The word "метр" (meter) in Kazakh also means "rhythm" or "beat" in music. | |||
| Kyrgyz | метр | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "метр" can also refer to a musical beat or tempo. | |||
| Tajik | метр | ||
| The Tajik word | |||
| Turkmen | metr | ||
| Uzbek | metr | ||
| Although the word "metr" in Uzbek means "meter", it is also used colloquially to refer to public transportation such as buses or subways. | |||
| Uyghur | مېتىر | ||
Meter in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mika | ||
| Meter in Hawaiian, mika, can also mean 'to measure', 'to weigh', 'to try', 'to judge', 'to estimate', or 'to rate'. | |||
| Maori | mita | ||
| The Maori word "mita" originates from the English word "meter" and also means "read" or "count" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | mita | ||
| The word "mita" is a borrowed term from the English word "meter", and also refers to a "measurement" or a "distance" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | metro | ||
| In Tagalog, "metro" also refers to the Manila Light Rail Transit System, which is commonly called "MRT." | |||
Meter in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | metro | ||
| Guarani | metro | ||
Meter in International Languages
| Esperanto | metro | ||
| Metro derives from the French word “mètre” and the Greek word “μέτρον” (metron), meaning “measure”. | |||
| Latin | meter | ||
| In ancient Greece the word “métron”, from which “meter” derives, indicated both a measure and the device that performs a measure. | |||
Meter in Others Languages
| Greek | μετρητής | ||
| The word μετρητής in Greek can also mean “a measurer or surveyor” and is derived from the verb μετρέω, which means “to measure or distribute”. | |||
| Hmong | meter | ||
| In Hmong, "meter" can also mean "electric meter" or an abstract unit of measurement. | |||
| Kurdish | jimarvan | ||
| The word 'jimarvan' in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word 'zim' meaning 'length'. | |||
| Turkish | metre | ||
| Turkish "ölçü" and "mizân" words also have the meaning of "meter". | |||
| Xhosa | imitha | ||
| Imita also refers to a traditional beaded necklace for women. | |||
| Yiddish | מעטער | ||
| The word 'מעטער' (meter) in Yiddish can also refer to a 'measurer', a device for measuring or a person who takes measurements. | |||
| Zulu | imitha | ||
| The Zulu word "imitha" comes from the Proto-Bantu root "-mita", meaning "to measure". | |||
| Assamese | মিটাৰ | ||
| Aymara | metro | ||
| Bhojpuri | मीटर के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މީޓަރެވެ | ||
| Dogri | मीटर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | metro | ||
| Guarani | metro | ||
| Ilocano | metro | ||
| Krio | mita | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەتر | ||
| Maithili | मीटर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯇꯔ ꯑꯃꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | meter a ni | ||
| Oromo | meetira | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମିଟର | ||
| Quechua | mitru | ||
| Sanskrit | मीटर् | ||
| Tatar | метр | ||
| Tigrinya | ሜትሮ ሜትር ምዃኑ ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | mitara | ||