Nation in different languages

Nation in Different Languages

Discover 'Nation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'nation' holds great significance in our world today. It represents a large group of people who share a common identity, language, history, or culture. The concept of a nation is central to understanding our global political landscape, as it forms the basis for the organization of countries and governments.

Beyond its political significance, the word 'nation' also carries immense cultural importance. It encompasses the shared traditions, values, and beliefs that define a community and give it a sense of unity and purpose. From the passionate football fans of 'La Selección' in Spain to the proud Maori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), the concept of nation is deeply intertwined with our cultural identities.

Moreover, understanding the translation of 'nation' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and organize themselves. For example, in Germany, the word 'Nation' is often used interchangeably with 'Staat' (state), reflecting a strong emphasis on the political aspects of national identity. Meanwhile, in Japan, the word 'Kuni' emphasizes the country's unique cultural heritage and history.

So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply someone who wants to deepen their understanding of the world, exploring the translations of 'nation' in different languages is a fascinating journey that is sure to broaden your horizons.

Nation


Nation in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansnasie
The Afrikaans word "nasie" can also refer to a group of people sharing a common origin, language, or culture, similar to the English word "people".
Amharicሀገር
The word "ሀገር" ("nation") in Amharic literally translates to "a place where one settled" or "a home", and may also refer to a person's homeland.
Hausaal'umma
The Hausa word "al'umma" can also refer to a community, group, or society.
Igbomba
Mba can also refer to the collective citizens or people in a place
Malagasyfirenena
The word "firenena" in Malagasy is cognate with the Malay "bangsa" and ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "vamsa", meaning "family".
Nyanja (Chichewa)mtundu
"Mtundu" can also refer to a type of antelope or a type of tree, depending on the context.
Shonarudzi
"Rudzi" can also mean "a group of people who share a common language, culture, and history"
Somaliqaran
Somali "qaran" derives from "qarannid", meaning "to separate" or "to divide".
Sesothosechaba
In Sesotho, "sechaba" also refers to a group of individuals united by shared culture and ancestry.
Swahilitaifa
While "taifa" is most commonly understood in Swahili to mean "nation," it can also mean tribe, ethnic group, or people.
Xhosauhlanga
The Xhosa word for 'nation', 'uhlanga', also means 'reed', 'clan', and 'tribe'.
Yorubaorílẹ-èdè
The Yoruba word "orílẹ-èdè" literally means "the edge of speech" and refers to a group of people who speak the same language and share a common culture.
Zuluisizwe
The word 'isizwe' can also mean 'people' or 'clan' in Zulu.
Bambarajamana
Ewedukɔ
Kinyarwandaigihugu
Lingalaekolo
Lugandaeggwanga
Sepedisetšhaba
Twi (Akan)ɔman

Nation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicالأمة
"أمة" in Arabic can also refer to a religious community, such as the "Ummah" of Islam.
Hebrewאוּמָה
The root of the word אומה (nation) in Hebrew is אֵם (mother), emphasizing the connection between nationhood and maternal bonds.
Pashtoملت
"ملت" (nation) in Pashto derives from Arabic and also means "religion," "community," and "faith community"
Arabicالأمة
"أمة" in Arabic can also refer to a religious community, such as the "Ummah" of Islam.

Nation in Western European Languages

Albaniankombi
In Albanian, "kombi" also refers to the community of an extended family or tribe
Basquenazioa
Basque 'nazioa' derives from 'nazitu', meaning 'to be born', also related to 'nature' and 'origin'.
Catalannació
The Catalan word "nació" ultimately derives from the Latin "natio", meaning "birth" or "origin".
Croatiannarod
The word 'narod' in Croatian can also refer to a people or ethnic group, often used in a historical or cultural context.
Danishnation
In Danish "nation" can also refer to a musical piece used by the National Association of Military Musicians and Buglers.
Dutchnatie
In Dutch, the word "natie" can also refer to a warehouse or customs area for the storage of goods.
Englishnation
"Nation" derives from a Latin word meaning "to be born" or "to be native".
Frenchnation
The word "nation" in French comes from the Latin word "natio" which means "birth" or "origin".
Frisiannaasje
The word "naasje" in Frisian is cognate with the English word "nation" and also means "family" or "people".
Galiciannación
In Galician, "nación" can also mean "people", "country", "homeland", or "land where one is born or lives".
Germannation
The word "Nation" in German can also refer to a smaller ethnic or cultural group within a larger nation.
Icelandicþjóð
In Old Norse, the word "þjóð" also meant "clan" or "tribe".
Irishnáisiún
The Irish term 'náisiún' also holds connotations of kinship or 'extended family', reflecting its origins in the Latin 'natio' meaning 'birth' or 'lineage'.
Italiannazione
"Nazione" ultimately derives from the Latin "natio," meaning "birth" or "origin."
Luxembourgishnatioun
In Luxembourgish, the word "Natioun" can also refer to a group of people sharing a common language, culture, or history.
Maltesenazzjon
The word "nazzjon" ultimately derives from the Latin "natio", meaning "birth" or "origin."
Norwegiannasjon
Nation (in Norwegian 'nasjon') is cognate with 'nation' in English and originated in Old French, meaning 'birth' or 'race', and ultimately deriving from Latin 'natio'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)nação
The word "nação" in Portuguese can also mean "birth", "origin", or "race".
Scots Gaelicnàisean
The word "nàisean" in Scots Gaelic derives from Old Irish "nátiún" which itself comes from Latin "natio," meaning "birth" or "descent."
Spanishnación
In Spanish, "nación" also refers to the place where a person was born and can mean "birthplace"}
Swedishnation
The Swedish word "nation" can also refer to a person, a group of people, or a thing.
Welshcenedl
Cenedl can also refer to "kind", "race", "breed", "family" or "people" in Welsh.

Nation in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianнацыі
Bosniannacija
The word "nacija" in Bosnian has the same root as the Latin word "natio", meaning "birth" or "origin".
Bulgarianнация
The word "нация" originated from the Latin word "natio" (birth or race)
Czechnárod
"Národ" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *nàrodъ, meaning "people" or "tribe", and is related to the Old Church Slavonic *narodъ, meaning "nation".
Estonianrahvas
Rahvas can refer to a "folk," "people," or "commoners" in addition to "nation."
Finnishkansakunta
The word "kansakunta" in Finnish can also refer to a ethnic group.
Hungariannemzet
The word "nemzet" in Hungarian is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "nem" meaning "kin" or "race".
Latviantauta
The word "tauta" can also refer to a people or a tribe, and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *tewtéh₂- "people, tribe".
Lithuaniantauta
The word "tauta" has Indo-European roots, related to Latin "totus" (whole) and Sanskrit "tan" (to stretch).
Macedonianнација
In Macedonian, while „нација“ primarily means „nation,“ it can also denote a group of people with shared characteristics, history, and culture, not necessarily forming a sovereign state.
Polishnaród
The word "naród" is related to the Proto-Slavic word "*narodъ" and has alternate meanings of "people" and "tribe" in Polish.
Romaniannaţiune
The Romanian word "naţiune" has a Latin origin (natio), also meaning "birth", "lineage", or "descent" in the same language.
Russianнация
The word "нация" can also refer to specific ethnic groups within the Russian Federation, such as the Tatar nation or the Bashkir nation.
Serbianнација
The word нација derives from the Latin word "natio" meaning "birthplace".
Slovaknárod
The word "národ" is cognate with the Polish word "naród" which means "people", coming from the Proto-Slavic word *narodъ meaning "birth".
Sloveniannarod
In Slovenian, the word "narod" (nation) also has the connotation of "people" or "folk", emphasizing the human element of a nation.
Ukrainianнації
The Ukrainian word "нації" can also refer to ethnic groups or nationalities.

Nation in South Asian Languages

Bengaliজাতি
The term "জাতি" (jati) has different meanings in different contexts and can refer to caste, ethnicity, nation or a biological race.
Gujaratiરાષ્ટ્ર
The Gujarati word "રાષ્ટ્ર" derives from Sanskrit and also means "king", "country" and "army" in different contexts.
Hindiराष्ट्र
The word "राष्ट्र" (rāshtra) in Hindi can also mean "rule", "government", "sovereignty", or "kingdom".
Kannadaರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ
In Kannada, the word "ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ" can also mean "country" or "realm".
Malayalamരാഷ്ട്രം
The word "രാഷ്ട്രം" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *rāṣṭram, meaning "ruler" or "royalty".
Marathiराष्ट्र
The word 'राष्ट्र' (nation) in Marathi also refers to a state or country of residence.
Nepaliराष्ट्र
The word 'राष्ट्र' (nation) in Nepali derives from the root 'रं' (delight) and signifies not only the people belonging to a particular state but also the embodiment of their shared joy and belonging.
Punjabiਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ
The Punjabi word "ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ" derives from Sanskrit and Persian roots, meaning "people, land, or kingdom".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ජාතිය
Tamilதேசம்
The term "தேசம்" (nation) in Tamil can also refer to a country, region, or locality.
Teluguదేశం
The word "దేశం" can also mean "countryside" or "village" in Telugu.
Urduقوم
In the Indian subcontinent, "قوم" can also refer to a "community" of people who share common interests or traits.

Nation in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)国家
The word "国家" (nation) in Chinese is a compound of "国" (country) and "家" (family), indicating the idea of a nation as a polity based on familial ties.
Chinese (Traditional)國家
In Classical Chinese, 國 (guó) meant "walled city" and 家 (jiā) meant "private dwelling."
Japanese国家
The word 「国家」 (nation) in Japanese also means "state" or "country".
Korean민족
The word "민족" (nation) in Korean originally referred to the group of people who shared the same ancestors and culture, but now it is used to refer to the people of a country.
Mongolianүндэстэн
Үндэстэн (ündesten) means “people” and, originally, “kin” or “clan” in Mongolian.
Myanmar (Burmese)လူမျိုးသည်

Nation in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianbangsa
"Bangsa" can also mean "to rise up" or "to sprout up" in Indonesian, suggesting a sense of emergence or growth associated with the concept of a nation.
Javanesebangsa
In Javanese, "bangsa" originates from "banjar" which means "group of people living in same place", it also means "origin" or "clan".
Khmerជាតិ
The word "ជាតិ" also means "birth" or "race" in Khmer.
Laoປະເທດຊາດ
The Lao word for "nation" can also refer to traditional ethnic groups within the country.
Malaybangsa
In Old Malay, "bangsa" meant "lineage" or "clan", and it is cognate with the Javanese "bangsa" and Tagalog "bansa".
Thaiประเทศชาติ
The Thai word "ประเทศชาติ" (nation) literally means "father, mother, and children", reflecting the traditional Thai belief that a nation is an extended family.
Vietnamesequốc gia
In Vietnamese, "quốc gia" can also refer to "state" or "country" and is derived from the Chinese characters "國" (country) and "家" (home).
Filipino (Tagalog)bansa

Nation in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanimillət
The word "Millət" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "millah", meaning "community", and also has the alternate meanings of "religion" and "tribe".
Kazakhұлт
The Kazakh word "ұлт" (nation) is related to the Mongolian "ulus," meaning "people" or "crowd," and the Turkish "el," meaning "country" or "homeland."
Kyrgyzулут
The word "улут" also means "people" or "tribe" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikмиллат
In Arabic, the word "миллат" (millat) means "way". In Tajik it specifically denotes people who speak the same language and share the same culture.
Turkmenmillet
Uzbekmillat
In Uzbek, the word "millat" is derived from the Arabic word "millah" which originally meant "religion" or "community".
Uyghurمىللەت

Nation in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianlāhui
In the Hawaiian language, 'lāhui' also signifies a 'troop', 'band', 'flock', or 'group of related individuals'.
Maoriiwi
The Maori word "iwi" also has additional meanings such as "tribe" or "people".
Samoanmalo
Samoans also use the word 'malo' to refer to the 'face' or 'reputation' of a person or group.
Tagalog (Filipino)bansa
"Bansa" originally meant "class" in Sanskrit, but was generalized in Tagalog to mean what we now understand by the term "nation".

Nation in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaramarka
Guaranitetã

Nation in International Languages

Esperantonacio
The Esperanto word “nacio” (nation) is related to “naskiĝi” (to be born), as one is typically born in one nation.
Latingentem
The Latin word "gentem" can also refer to a clan, tribe, or the inhabitants of a particular region.

Nation in Others Languages

Greekέθνος
The word 'έθνος' ('ethnos') was originally used to refer to a group of people with a shared ethnicity or descent, but it later came to be used to refer to a political entity.
Hmonglub teb chaws
The word “lub teb chaws” literally means the “land of one’s ancestors”.
Kurdishnetewe
The word "netewe" can also refer to a "tribe" or a "community" in Kurdish.
Turkishmillet
The word "millet" in Turkish also refers to a non-Muslim community within the Ottoman Empire, and to a broader sense of community or peoplehood.
Xhosauhlanga
The Xhosa word for 'nation', 'uhlanga', also means 'reed', 'clan', and 'tribe'.
Yiddishפאָלק
The word “פאָלק” (“folk”) can also refer to a particular ethnicity or people, similar to its usage in German and English.
Zuluisizwe
The word 'isizwe' can also mean 'people' or 'clan' in Zulu.
Assameseজাতি
Aymaramarka
Bhojpuriराष्ट्र के बा
Dhivehiޤައުމެވެ
Dogriराष्ट्र
Filipino (Tagalog)bansa
Guaranitetã
Ilocanonasion
Krioneshɔn
Kurdish (Sorani)نەتەوە
Maithiliराष्ट्र
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯖꯥꯇꯤ ꯑꯁꯤꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯥꯡꯗꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯝ ꯀꯌꯥ ꯊꯃꯈꯤ꯫
Mizohnam
Oromosaba
Odia (Oriya)ଜାତି
Quechuanación
Sanskritराष्ट्रम्
Tatarмилләт
Tigrinyaብሄር
Tsongarixaka

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