Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, a 'musical' is a performance that combines music, songs, spoken dialogue, and dance. It's a magical fusion of arts that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. The significance of musicals extends beyond entertainment, as they often reflect societal issues, cultural trends, and human emotions.
Musicals have a rich history, with roots in ancient Greek theater and opera. They gained popularity in the early 20th century, giving birth to iconic productions like 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Les Misérables'. The cultural importance of musicals is undeniable, as they have the power to bring people together, transcend language barriers, and evoke deep emotions.
Given the global appeal of musicals, it's not surprising that people might want to know its translation in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, 'musical' is 'musical'; in French, it's 'comédie musicale'; in German, 'Musical'; in Italian, 'musical'; and in Japanese, 'ミュージカル (myūjikaru)'.
Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the world of musicals and explore its translations in various languages.
Afrikaans | musiekblyspel | ||
The Afrikaans word 'musiekblyspel' derives from Dutch and initially referred to a type of theatrical play that featured music and singing. | |||
Amharic | ሙዚቃዊ | ||
In Amharic, 'ሙዚቃዊ' can also refer to a person who performs or composes music. | |||
Hausa | m | ||
The word 'm' can also mean 'mother' in Hausa, with the tone being the only difference between the two meanings. | |||
Igbo | egwu | ||
Egwu, meaning "musical," also refers to a form of traditional Igbo dance performed at festivals and important events. | |||
Malagasy | mozika | ||
Mozika' is borrowed from French 'musique', meaning 'music' and was also spelled 'Mozika' in Proto-Austronesian. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyimbo | ||
The word "nyimbo" in Nyanja can also refer to a song or hymn, a type of dance, or a play. | |||
Shona | mumhanzi | ||
The word 'mumhanzi' can also refer to someone who plays music professionally. | |||
Somali | muusig ah | ||
The Somali word 'muusig ah' is derived from the Arabic word 'mūsiqī', which means 'art of the Muses'. | |||
Sesotho | mino | ||
It can also mean 'song' or 'dance'. | |||
Swahili | muziki | ||
The word "muziki" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "musiqa," which means "music" or "singing." | |||
Xhosa | umculo | ||
Yoruba | gaju ni | ||
The word "gaju ni" is also used to describe a traditional Yoruba instrument that produces a bell-like sound. | |||
Zulu | ezomculo | ||
In Zulu, 'ezomculo' has the dual meanings of 'music' and 'a song,' capturing the multifaceted nature of musical expression. | |||
Bambara | dɔnkilidacogo | ||
Ewe | hadzidzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | umuziki | ||
Lingala | miziki ya miziki | ||
Luganda | musical | ||
Sepedi | mmino wa mmino | ||
Twi (Akan) | nnwom a wɔde di dwuma | ||
Arabic | موسيقي | ||
The word "موسيقي" in Arabic originally meant "song" or "poetry set to music". | |||
Hebrew | מוּסִיקָלִי | ||
The word "מוּסִיקָלִי" ("musical") in Hebrew can also refer to something that is harmonious or pleasing to the ear. | |||
Pashto | میوزیکل | ||
The word "musical" in Pashto can also mean "play" or "drama" | |||
Arabic | موسيقي | ||
The word "موسيقي" in Arabic originally meant "song" or "poetry set to music". |
Albanian | muzikore | ||
The Albanian word "muzikorë", derived from the Greek word μουσικη "mousiki,", originally referred to the art of the muses and encompassed poetry, dance, and other performing arts. | |||
Basque | musikala | ||
"Musikala" comes from the Basque words "musi" (music) and "kal" (house or place), meaning literally "music house". | |||
Catalan | musical | ||
The word « musical » comes from the Latin « musica », and its meaning has been extended to refer not only to music but also to theater, dance, opera, or film. | |||
Croatian | glazbeni | ||
The word "glazbeni" in Croatian comes from the Latin word "classicus", meaning "of the highest class". | |||
Danish | musikalsk | ||
In addition to pertaining to music, in Danish "musikalsk" can mean "melodic, harmonious, pleasing to the ear" or "rhythmically balanced." | |||
Dutch | musical | ||
In Dutch, the word "musical" can also refer to a musical instrument or a type of music. | |||
English | musical | ||
The word "musical", derived from the Latin "musica", can also refer to a dramatic performance set entirely to music, as in "Broadway musical". | |||
French | musical | ||
In French, the word "musical" can also mean "related to the theater." | |||
Frisian | muzikaal | ||
The Frisian word "muzikaal" is not derived from the Latin "musica", but from the Dutch "muzikaal", which in turn comes from the French "musical". | |||
Galician | musical | ||
German | musical | ||
The word "Musical" in German also has the alternate meaning of "music box". | |||
Icelandic | söngleikur | ||
"Söngleikur" also means "song" and derives from "Söngva" (song) and "leikur" (play), indicating an association between music and performance. | |||
Irish | ceoil | ||
In Irish, 'ceoil' can also refer specifically to traditional Irish folk music. | |||
Italian | musicale | ||
The word "musicale" can also mean a social gathering where music is performed. | |||
Luxembourgish | musikalesch | ||
"Musikalesch" (musical) is derived from the Latin "musica" (music) and the Greek "μουσική" (mousike, art of the Muses). | |||
Maltese | mużikali | ||
The Maltese word "mużikali" can also refer to a type of traditional Maltese folk music and dance. | |||
Norwegian | musikalsk | ||
The Norwegian word "musikalsk" also has the meaning of "musicality," referring to a person's natural talent or ability in music. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | musical | ||
Em português, "musical" também pode significar "que contém música" ou "que é relacionado à música". | |||
Scots Gaelic | ceòlmhor | ||
The Gaelic word ceòlmhor (pronounced 'kay-ohl-vor') can also mean 'melodious' or 'sweet-sounding'. | |||
Spanish | musical | ||
In Spanish, "musical" can also refer to a stage show featuring singing and dancing. | |||
Swedish | musikalisk | ||
The Swedish word 'musikalisk' can also refer to a person or thing that is related to music or musical instruments, having or showing a talent or understanding for music. | |||
Welsh | cerddorol | ||
The word "cerddorol" can also mean "concerning song" or "concerning music". |
Belarusian | музычны | ||
The word "музычны" in Belarusian stems from the Greek "μουσικός" meaning "of or pertaining to the Muses". | |||
Bosnian | muzički | ||
In Bosnian, "muzički" also means "sound" and "noise." | |||
Bulgarian | музикални | ||
In Bulgarian, "музикални" can also refer to a person who studies music or is involved in music. | |||
Czech | hudební | ||
The word "hudební" also has the meaning of "noisy" in Czech. | |||
Estonian | muusikaline | ||
The word "muusikaline" in Estonian comes from the Latin word "musica", meaning "art of the muses". | |||
Finnish | musikaali | ||
In Finnish, "musikaali" can also refer to a type of opera that incorporates spoken dialogue. | |||
Hungarian | zenei | ||
The Hungarian word "zenei" is a cognate of the Proto-Uralic word "*śoŋe", meaning "sound" or "voice". | |||
Latvian | muzikāls | ||
“Muzikāls” is the original Latvian term for opera, but now it is only used for the Broadway-type musical genre. | |||
Lithuanian | muzikinis | ||
The word "muzikinis" can also mean "singer" or "musician" in Lithuanian. | |||
Macedonian | мјузикл | ||
Polish | musical | ||
The word "muzyczny" (musical) in Polish also means "relating to music" or "melodious". | |||
Romanian | muzical | ||
The Romanian word "muzical" also means "related to muzes", from the Greek "μουσικος" (mousikos), meaning "of or pertaining to the Muses". | |||
Russian | музыкальный | ||
"Музыкальный" in Russian originally referred to an organ with air pressure. In modern usage, it can also refer to a stage actor in an opera. | |||
Serbian | музички | ||
In Serbian, "музички" can also refer to a music store or a musical instrument. | |||
Slovak | hudobný | ||
The Slovak word "hudobný" can also mean "harmonic" or "consonant". | |||
Slovenian | glasbeni | ||
In music theory, 'glasbeni' (musical) can refer to notes with stems or the musical interval used to form the major and minor scales. | |||
Ukrainian | музичний | ||
The alternate meaning of "музичний" or "музычный" in Russian in English is "amusing", which dates back to the 15th century in German, "lustig". |
Bengali | বাদ্যযন্ত্র | ||
Derived from "বাদন", meaning "to play" and "যন্ত্র", meaning "device or instrument", "বাদ্যযন্ত্র" (musical) implies a device that is played to create musical sounds. | |||
Gujarati | સંગીતવાદ્યો | ||
Hindi | संगीत | ||
The word "संगीत" (sangit) is derived from the Sanskrit word "सम" (sam), meaning "together," and "गान" (gan), meaning "song," literally translating to "coming together of songs." | |||
Kannada | ಸಂಗೀತ | ||
The Kannada word "ಸಂಗೀತ" can also mean "melody" or "concert". | |||
Malayalam | മ്യൂസിക്കൽ | ||
Marathi | वाद्य | ||
The word "वाद्य" can also refer to a musical instrument, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "वादयति," meaning "to play (a musical instrument)". | |||
Nepali | संगीत | ||
The term "संगीत" also refers to musical composition, music therapy, and sound engineering in certain contexts. | |||
Punjabi | ਸੰਗੀਤਕ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සංගීත | ||
In Sanskrit, the word 'sangeeta' means "that which is sung," and in Sinhala, it refers to both vocal and instrumental music. | |||
Tamil | இசை | ||
'இசை' also means the consonant 'ச' (sa) in Tamil script. | |||
Telugu | సంగీత | ||
The word "సంగీత" originates from the Sanskrit word "सङ्गीत" (saṅgīta), which means "sung together" or "united with music." | |||
Urdu | موسیقی | ||
Urdu's "موسیقی" originates from Arabic, where it additionally means "the science of harmony". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 音乐 | ||
"音乐"(musical)一词源自希腊语"μουσική"(mousike),原意为"缪斯女神的艺术"(art of the Muses) | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 音樂 | ||
The first character of "音樂" (樂) can also mean "enjoyment" or "happiness". | |||
Japanese | ミュージカル | ||
In Japanese, the word "ミュージカル" (myūjikaru) can also refer to a type of play that incorporates elements of music and dance, similar to a Western musical comedy or operetta. | |||
Korean | 뮤지컬 | ||
The word "뮤지컬" is derived from the English word "musical comedy" and has an alternate meaning of "music video" in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | хөгжмийн | ||
The Mongolian word “хөгжим” (khögjim), meaning “musical,” also has the connotation of “melodious,” and is used to describe something that is pleasing to the ear. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဂီတ | ||
ဂီတ derives from Pali and Sanskrit, meaning "sung" |
Indonesian | musikal | ||
The Indonesian word "musikal" can also refer to a theatrical or cinematic genre featuring singing, dancing, and acting. | |||
Javanese | musikal | ||
In Javanese, "musikal" can also refer to a theatrical performance with music and dance. | |||
Khmer | តន្ត្រី | ||
In Sanskrit, "តន្ត្រី" also refers to a philosophical system that emphasizes the importance of sound and rhythm in spiritual practice. | |||
Lao | ດົນຕີ | ||
Malay | muzikal | ||
The Malay word "muzikal" can refer to either a form of theater or a genre of film. | |||
Thai | ดนตรี | ||
The word "ดนตรี" derives from Sanskrit "dhvani", meaning "sound". | |||
Vietnamese | âm nhạc | ||
"Âm nhạc" (musical) derives from Chinese "音" (sound, tone) and "樂" (enjoyment, music), also meaning "noise" or "sound effect". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | musikal | ||
Azerbaijani | musiqi | ||
The word "musiqi" in Azerbaijani derives from the Persian "موسیقی" and ultimately the Arabic "موسيقى", both meaning "music". In addition to its primary meaning, "musiqi" can also refer to musicians or musical instruments. | |||
Kazakh | музыкалық | ||
The word "музыкалық" can also refer to a person who plays musical instruments or sings. | |||
Kyrgyz | музыкалык | ||
The word "музыкалык" can also mean "melodious" or "tuneful" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | мусиқӣ | ||
The word "мусиқӣ" in Tajik originally meant "science of music" and is cognate with the Persian word "موسیقی" (mūsīqī). | |||
Turkmen | sazly | ||
Uzbek | musiqiy | ||
The word "musiqiy" in Uzbek is derived from the Arabic word "musiqa", which means "the art of sound" or "the science of music". | |||
Uyghur | مۇزىكا | ||
Hawaiian | mele mele | ||
"Mele mele" also means "to sing" or "to chant" in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | whakatangitangi | ||
The word 'whakatangitangi' can also refer to making a sound or noise, or to the act of singing or playing a musical instrument. | |||
Samoan | musika | ||
It is also occasionally used to mean "music" or "music composition." | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | musikal | ||
Musikal in Tagalog also refers to a person who works as a singer and musician in church |
Aymara | musical uñt’ayaña | ||
Guarani | musical rehegua | ||
Esperanto | muzika | ||
"Muziko" is derived from the Greek "mousike", referring to the art of the Muses, and also means "art" in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | musicis | ||
Musicis is the Latin adjective form of musice, meaning art or science, and is related to Musa, the Roman goddess of music and poetry. |
Greek | μιούζικαλ | ||
While μιούζικαλ means musical in English, in Greek its other meaning is "music box", which is also the main meaning of the word "μουσικό κουτί" (Mousiko Kouti). | |||
Hmong | suab paj nruas | ||
The word "suab paj nruas" can also mean "instrumental music" or "band" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | mûsîqî | ||
The word "mûsîqî" is derived from the Arabic word "mūsīqā", which in turn is derived from the Greek word "mousikē", meaning "the art of the Muses." | |||
Turkish | müzikal | ||
The Turkish word "müzikal" can also be used as a noun to describe a musical composition for the stage, while the adjective "müzikal" means 'relating to music'. | |||
Xhosa | umculo | ||
Yiddish | מוזיקאַליש | ||
From the Middle High German word 'musicalis'. | |||
Zulu | ezomculo | ||
In Zulu, 'ezomculo' has the dual meanings of 'music' and 'a song,' capturing the multifaceted nature of musical expression. | |||
Assamese | মিউজিকেল | ||
Aymara | musical uñt’ayaña | ||
Bhojpuri | संगीत के काम होला | ||
Dhivehi | މިއުޒިކަލް ފިލްމެކެވެ | ||
Dogri | संगीतमय | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | musikal | ||
Guarani | musical rehegua | ||
Ilocano | musikal nga | ||
Krio | myuzik we dɛn kin ple | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | مۆسیقی | ||
Maithili | संगीतमय | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃ꯭ꯌꯨꯖꯤꯀꯦꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | musical lam a ni | ||
Oromo | muuziqaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ବାଦ୍ୟଯନ୍ତ୍ର | ||
Quechua | musiku | ||
Sanskrit | संगीतमयम् | ||
Tatar | музыкаль | ||
Tigrinya | ሙዚቃዊ ፊልም እዩ። | ||
Tsonga | vuyimbeleri bya vuyimbeleri | ||