Narrative in Different Languages
Discover 'Narrative' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'narrative' holds a significant place in our lives, shaping our understanding of the world around us. It is the story that we tell ourselves and others, a way to make sense of our experiences and give meaning to our existence. The cultural importance of narrative cannot be overstated, as it has been used throughout history to transmit values, traditions, and knowledge from one generation to the next.
Moreover, the word 'narrative' has a fascinating history. Derived from the Latin 'narrare' meaning 'to tell', it has evolved over time to encompass various forms of storytelling, from oral traditions to written texts. Its significance is such that it has been translated into different languages, reflecting the richness and diversity of human cultures.
Understanding the translation of 'narrative' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and express this fundamental human experience. For example, in Spanish, 'narrative' is 'narración', in French, 'narration', and in German, 'Erzählung'.
In this article, we will explore the translations of 'narrative' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and similarities that exist in the way we tell our stories.
Narrative
Narrative in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vertelling | ||
| The Afrikaans "vertelling" originates from the Dutch "vertellen" (to tell) and relates to the Dutch "verhaal" (story). | |||
| Amharic | ትረካ | ||
| ትረካ, meaning narrative, originated from two words; | |||
| Hausa | labari | ||
| The word "labari" can also mean "news" or "story". | |||
| Igbo | akụkọ | ||
| The Igbo word "akụkọ" also means "news," "event," or "happening." | |||
| Malagasy | tantara | ||
| "Tantaram-pitantanana" is a Malagasy phrase meaning "telling stories" or "having a discussion". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhani | ||
| Shona | nhoroondo | ||
| The Shona word "nhoroondo" is also used to refer to a "story" or "tale". | |||
| Somali | sheeko | ||
| The word "sheeko" in Somali also means "conversation" or "gossip" | |||
| Sesotho | phetelo | ||
| Swahili | simulizi | ||
| The Swahili word "simulizi" originates from the Arabic word "simla" (narrative) and can also mean "allegory" or "parable". | |||
| Xhosa | ebalisayo | ||
| The Xhosa word "ebalisayo" can also refer to a form of oral storytelling that involves the sharing of personal experiences and communal history. | |||
| Yoruba | alaye | ||
| The Yoruba word "alaye" also signifies a message that is passed on from one person to another. | |||
| Zulu | ukulandisa | ||
| In addition to "narrative", "ukulandisa" can also mean "instruction" or "teaching". | |||
| Bambara | lankaleli | ||
| Ewe | nyatoto | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inkuru | ||
| Lingala | kobeta lisolo | ||
| Luganda | engombo | ||
| Sepedi | kanegelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asɛnka | ||
Narrative in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سرد | ||
| In Persian, "سرد" means "a story". | |||
| Hebrew | נרטיב | ||
| The Hebrew word "נרטיב" comes from the Latin "narrare," meaning "to tell," and is related to the Greek "γράφειν," meaning "to write." | |||
| Pashto | داستان | ||
| The Pashto word "داستان" originates from the Persian word "داستان" and also means "speech" or "report". | |||
| Arabic | سرد | ||
| In Persian, "سرد" means "a story". | |||
Narrative in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rrëfim | ||
| The word "rrëfim" in Albanian is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*rrëfe-n", which means "to say" or "to tell". | |||
| Basque | narrazioa | ||
| The word 'narrazioa' shares the same root word with 'erran', which means 'speak' | |||
| Catalan | narrativa | ||
| The original meaning of "narrativa" in Catalan was "ship-building" from the Latin "navalis." | |||
| Croatian | pripovijedanje | ||
| The Croatian word "pripovijedanje" can also mean "preaching" or "sermon". | |||
| Danish | fortælling | ||
| In German, ‘Fortælling’ can also mean ‘to tell’ | |||
| Dutch | verhaal | ||
| The Dutch word "verhaal" is derived from the Old Dutch word "vertellen","to tell", and is cognate with the English word "tell". | |||
| English | narrative | ||
| The term derives from the Latin noun "narrare," meaning to tell or relate. | |||
| French | récit | ||
| The word "récit" originally meant "account" or "report", and it is related to the verb "réciter" ("to recite"). | |||
| Frisian | fertelling | ||
| The word 'fertelling' is derived from the Old Frisian word 'fertella', which means 'to tell a story' or 'to narrate'. | |||
| Galician | narrativa | ||
| German | erzählung | ||
| The word "Erzählung" derives from the Middle High German "erzellen", meaning "to tell" or "to relate" and is related to the Old French "escondire". | |||
| Icelandic | frásögn | ||
| The word "frásögn" is literally translated as "from saying," with "frá" meaning "from" and "sögn" meaning "saying" or "tale." | |||
| Irish | scéal | ||
| The Irish word 'scéal' derives from the Proto-Indo-European word 'skē-l', meaning 'cut, divide', suggesting the division of time and events within a narrative. | |||
| Italian | narrativa | ||
| The word "narrativa" in Italian also means "story genre" (including both fiction and nonfiction) and "prose fiction". | |||
| Luxembourgish | narrativ | ||
| Den alternative Form "narrativ" kommt im Luxemburgischen nur selten und meist in hochsprachlichen Texten vor. | |||
| Maltese | narrattiva | ||
| Although the Maltese word "narrattiva" derives from the Italian "narrativa," it can also refer to a story or tale. | |||
| Norwegian | fortelling | ||
| The word fortelling in Norwegian can also refer to a prophecy, or a prediction of future events. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | narrativa | ||
| In Portuguese "Narrativa" might also refers to a literary genre or the activity of telling stories. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | aithris | ||
| In Gaelic mythology, 'aithris' also refers to the telling of epic tales by a bard. | |||
| Spanish | narrativa | ||
| In Spanish, "narrativa" also refers to fiction, stories, or storytelling. | |||
| Swedish | berättande | ||
| "Berättande" also means "accounting" in Swedish, in the sense of accounting for one's actions or giving an account of events. | |||
| Welsh | naratif | ||
| In Welsh, the word "naratif" also refers to a story, tale, or account. | |||
Narrative in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | апавяданне | ||
| The word "апавяданне" is derived from the Old Slavic word "povėdanie", meaning "story" or "tale." | |||
| Bosnian | narativni | ||
| The Bosnian word 'narativni' also means 'storytelling' or 'fictional'. | |||
| Bulgarian | разказ | ||
| The word "разказ" derives from the verb "разказвам" which means "to tell" or "to recount" and ultimately originates from the Proto-Slavic verb "*or-kazati", meaning "to show", "to present". | |||
| Czech | příběh | ||
| In the Czech language, the word 'příběh' can also refer to an event or an occurrence. | |||
| Estonian | jutustus | ||
| "Jutustus" is also a colloquial term for a story told as a lie. | |||
| Finnish | kertomus | ||
| The word 'kertomus' in Finnish derives from the verb 'kertoa', meaning 'to tell', and shares a root with 'sana', meaning 'word'. | |||
| Hungarian | elbeszélés | ||
| The word "elbeszélés" can also mean "telling out of turn" or "digression" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | stāstījums | ||
| The word "stāstījums" also means "statement" or "storytelling" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | pasakojimas | ||
| "Pasakojimas" originates from "pasakoti', which means "to tell," and may also refer to "a tale" or "story" | |||
| Macedonian | раскажувачко | ||
| The Macedonian word "раскажувачко" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *povьd-, meaning "to tell a story" or "to narrate." | |||
| Polish | narracja | ||
| The word "narracja" (narrative) in Polish derives from the Latin "narratio", meaning "a telling" or "a story". | |||
| Romanian | narativ | ||
| The Romanian word "narativ" (narrative) derives from Latin "narrare" (to narrate) and can also refer to storytelling or the act of narrating. | |||
| Russian | повествование | ||
| In Old Russian, the word 'повествование' could refer to 'something said' or 'rumor'. | |||
| Serbian | наративни | ||
| The Serbian word "наративни" also means "discursive" or "argumentative". | |||
| Slovak | naratív | ||
| "Narativ" also means "plot" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | pripoved | ||
| "Pripoved" also means "story" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | розповідь | ||
| The Ukrainian word "розповідь" comes from the verb "розповісти," meaning "to tell or recount," and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word "распростърѣти" ("to spread out"). | |||
Narrative in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বর্ণনামূলক | ||
| বর্ণনামূলক আক্ষরিক অর্থে বর্ণনামূলক অর্থে ব্যবহৃত হলেও এটি একটি বিষয় বা ঘটনা বর্ণনার মধ্যে অনুসৃত প্রক্রিয়া হিসেবেও ব্যবহৃত হয়। | |||
| Gujarati | કથા | ||
| The word 'катха' also refers to an oral tradition where storytellers recite mythological tales, often accompanied by music. | |||
| Hindi | कथा | ||
| The word 'कथा' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'कथ्' meaning 'to tell' and can also refer to a religious discourse or story. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿರೂಪಣೆ | ||
| In Kannada, "ನಿರೂಪಣೆ" has alternate meanings such as "exposition" and "explanation". | |||
| Malayalam | വിവരണം | ||
| The word "വിവരണം" also means "description," "account," or "statement". | |||
| Marathi | कथा | ||
| 'कथा' (Katha), in the Vedic sense, means 'conversation' or 'dialogue'. | |||
| Nepali | कथा | ||
| The Nepali word "कथा" (narrative) originates from the Sanskrit word "कथ्" (to tell or narrate) | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਥਾ | ||
| ਕਥਾ (katha) can also refer to religious stories or discourses, particularly those related to Sikhism. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආඛ්යානය | ||
| Tamil | கதை | ||
| "கதை" originally meant a piece of history but also is a noun with several other meanings including "reason", "motive", and "purpose". | |||
| Telugu | కథనం | ||
| కథనం also means 'an object that relates' in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | وضاحتی | ||
| The word "وضاحتی" is derived from the Arabic root word "وضح" meaning "to make clear" or "to explain". | |||
Narrative in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 叙述 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, “叙述” (xùshù) referred to the account of a court case or historical event. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 敘述 | ||
| 「敘」字拆解為「語言」與「流水」，意指言語順暢如流水般，而「述」字則有「陳述」、「說明」之意。 | |||
| Japanese | 物語 | ||
| 物語 (monogatari) may have originated from the word 語り物 (katarimono, "something that is told.") and may once have meant "a thing told." | |||
| Korean | 이야기 | ||
| The word "이야기" has a related meaning of "to speak" or "to talk" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хүүрнэл | ||
| It is derived from the verb "хүүрнэх" (to tell a story), which, in turn, is related to the noun "хүүр" (stringed instrument). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဇာတ်ကြောင်း | ||
Narrative in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | cerita | ||
| "Cerita" also has the following meanings: a story, an account or a conversation. | |||
| Javanese | narasi | ||
| In Javanese, the word 'narasi' also refers to a type of traditional storytelling performance. | |||
| Khmer | និទានកថា | ||
| The word "និទានកថា" in Khmer can also refer to a type of traditional Khmer folktale or a prologue to a text. | |||
| Lao | ການເລົ່າເລື່ອງ | ||
| Malay | naratif | ||
| In Malay, the word "naratif" comes from the Arabic word "narr" meaning "to tell". In addition to its primary meaning, it has the alternate meaning of "news" | |||
| Thai | เรื่องเล่า | ||
| The Thai word "เรื่องเล่า" derives from the Proto-Tai *krieng, meaning "to speak, talk, tell". | |||
| Vietnamese | tường thuật | ||
| The word "tường thuật" in Vietnamese comes from the Chinese word "敘述" (xùshù), meaning "to describe" or "to tell a story." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | salaysay | ||
Narrative in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | povest | ||
| "povest" in Azerbaijani is derived from Persian "qəssə" meaning "story". | |||
| Kazakh | баяндау | ||
| The Kazakh word "баяндау" also means "to recite a poem" and is related to the word "баяна", which means "to tell a story". | |||
| Kyrgyz | баяндоо | ||
| Tajik | ҳикоят | ||
| The word "ҳикоят" can also mean "anecdote" or "story" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | kyssa | ||
| Uzbek | hikoya | ||
| "Hikoya" in Uzbek also signifies "fairy tale" or "story," reflecting its usage across various forms of storytelling. | |||
| Uyghur | بايان | ||
Narrative in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | haʻi moʻolelo | ||
| The word "haʻi moʻolelo" can also mean "to recite genealogy" or "to tell a story through dance or chant." | |||
| Maori | korero | ||
| The word "korero" in Maori can also mean "to speak", "to discuss", or "to tell a story". | |||
| Samoan | tala | ||
| While 'tala' means 'narrative' in Samoan, it also means 'to tell' or 'speech' depending on the context | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | salaysay | ||
| The Tagalog word "salaysay" is derived from the Malay word "salay", which means "to pass by" or "to proceed in a certain direction". This suggests that the original meaning of "salaysay" was a story that is passed down from one person to another. | |||
Narrative in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhananchata | ||
| Guarani | mombe'u rehegua | ||
Narrative in International Languages
| Esperanto | rakontado | ||
| The word 'rakontado' is derived from the Latin word 'racontari', meaning 'to narrate'. | |||
| Latin | narrationis | ||
| The Latin term "narrationis" is also used to refer to the legal concept of a "plea" in a court of law. | |||
Narrative in Others Languages
| Greek | αφήγημα | ||
| The term "αφήγημα" (narrative) can also refer to a collection of myths, legends, or stories that are interconnected and share a common theme. | |||
| Hmong | zaj lus piav | ||
| In Hmong, "zaj lus piav" translates to "narrative," or literally, "a story that is woven together." | |||
| Kurdish | vegotin | ||
| Vegotin originates from the Indo-European root *weg-, meaning to carry or lead. | |||
| Turkish | anlatı | ||
| Anlatı can also mean "story" or "recital" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ebalisayo | ||
| The Xhosa word "ebalisayo" can also refer to a form of oral storytelling that involves the sharing of personal experiences and communal history. | |||
| Yiddish | דערציילונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "דערציילונג" (narrative) is derived from the German word "erzählen" (to tell), which itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁erǵ- (to speak, sing). | |||
| Zulu | ukulandisa | ||
| In addition to "narrative", "ukulandisa" can also mean "instruction" or "teaching". | |||
| Assamese | বৰ্ণনা | ||
| Aymara | qhananchata | ||
| Bhojpuri | कहानी | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިވާއެއް | ||
| Dogri | क्हानी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | salaysay | ||
| Guarani | mombe'u rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | naratibo | ||
| Krio | stori | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گێڕانەوە | ||
| Maithili | वर्णन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯝꯂꯞꯄ ꯋꯥꯔꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | sawi | ||
| Oromo | barreeffama taatee tokkoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା | ||
| Quechua | willay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्राक्कथन | ||
| Tatar | хикәяләү | ||
| Tigrinya | ተራኺ | ||
| Tsonga | hlavutela | ||