National in Different Languages
Discover 'National' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'national' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing a sense of unity and identity within a country. It's a term that transcends borders, yet its meaning can vary subtly from one culture to another. From the French 'national' to the Spanish 'nacional', or the German 'national' to the Chinese '国家' (guójiā), the word 'national' is a linguistic bridge connecting us all.
Understanding the translation of 'national' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights. For instance, did you know that in Hebrew, 'national' is 'לאומי' (le'umi), a term that also refers to the Jewish people's national identity? Or that in Japanese, 'national' is '国民' (kokumin), a word that combines 'country' and 'people'?
Exploring the word 'national' in various languages is not just a linguistic exercise, but a journey through the rich tapestry of global cultures. So, let's embark on this journey together and discover how 'national' is expressed in different corners of the world.
National
National in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | nasionale | ||
| Amharic | ብሔራዊ | ||
| The word "ብሔራዊ" can also mean "ethnic" or "tribal" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | na ƙasa | ||
| The word "na ƙasa" can also refer to "native". | |||
| Igbo | mba | ||
| In addition to meaning national, within an Nri context it can mean ancestral home or the sacred land associated with the deity, Ala. | |||
| Malagasy | -pirenena | ||
| -pirenena derives from the French word "républicain," meaning "republican." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dziko | ||
| The word "dziko" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also means "animal" or "beast". | |||
| Shona | nyika | ||
| Nyika can also mean 'nature' or 'wild', as in "nyika yeAfrika" (the African bush). | |||
| Somali | qaran | ||
| Somali "qaran" derives from the Arabic "qarn", with meanings including "century", "clan" and "group." | |||
| Sesotho | naha | ||
| “Naha” can also mean a "citizen of a country" or a “member of a nation". | |||
| Swahili | kitaifa | ||
| "Kitaifa" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "qawmiyya," which originally meant "tribal" but later acquired the broader meaning of "national" in a political sense. | |||
| Xhosa | yesizwe | ||
| The word 'yesizwe' can also mean 'the people' or 'the nation' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | orilẹ-ede | ||
| "Orile-ede" also means "the owner of the land" or "the fatherland". | |||
| Zulu | kazwelonke | ||
| In Zulu, 'kazwelonke' originated from the word 'izwe' (country or nation) suggesting a sense of belonging and unity within a country. | |||
| Bambara | jamaden | ||
| Ewe | dukɔmetɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gihugu | ||
| Lingala | mboka | ||
| Luganda | eggwanga | ||
| Sepedi | bosetšhaba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔman | ||
National in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الوطني | ||
| In the context of Iraqi law, "الوطني" can mean "personal"} | |||
| Hebrew | לאומי | ||
| In Hebrew, the word 'לאומי' (national) also denotes 'folk' as in folk music or dance. | |||
| Pashto | ملي | ||
| The word "ملي" can also refer to a "nation" or a "state" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الوطني | ||
| In the context of Iraqi law, "الوطني" can mean "personal"} | |||
National in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kombëtar | ||
| The word "kombëtar" (national) is derived from the Latin word "cohors". This word was used to describe a unit of infantry in the Roman army. | |||
| Basque | nazionala | ||
| Nazionala also means "international", "global", "worldwide" or "universal" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | nacional | ||
| In Catalan, “nacional” also means “birthplace”. | |||
| Croatian | nacionalna | ||
| The word "nacionalna" can also mean "nationalistic" or "patriotic" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | national | ||
| Although Danish "national" is spelled similarly to English "national" and both derive from Latin "natalis," they are not cognates and do not usually mean the same thing. | |||
| Dutch | nationaal | ||
| The term 'nationaal' is also used in compounds to describe things that belong to a particular country or nation, such as 'nationale hymne' ('national anthem') and 'nationaal park' ('national park'). | |||
| English | national | ||
| The word 'national' derives from the Latin word 'natio' meaning 'birth' or 'race'. | |||
| French | nationale | ||
| The word "nationale" in French can also mean "main" or "headquarters" of an organization, such as a bank or a political party. | |||
| Frisian | lanlik | ||
| The Frisian word "lanlik" also has the alternate meaning of "belonging to the countryside". | |||
| Galician | nacional | ||
| In Galician, "nacional" can also refer to a person from Spain, a nationality, or a member of a nation. | |||
| German | national | ||
| The German word "national" is derived from the Latin word "natio", meaning "birth" or "origin."} | |||
| Icelandic | þjóðlegur | ||
| The Icelandic word "þjóðlegur" is etymologically related to the Old Norse word "þjóð", meaning "people" or "nation," and has the alternate meaning of "folk" or "traditional." | |||
| Irish | náisiúnta | ||
| "Náisiúnta" (national) is cognate with the Latin word "natio" (birth) and the English word "nation". | |||
| Italian | nazionale | ||
| In its original Italian, the word 'nazionale' also refers to the national football team of Italy. | |||
| Luxembourgish | national | ||
| The word "national" in Luxembourgish also means "nationalistic" or "patriotic." | |||
| Maltese | nazzjonali | ||
| In Maltese, "nazzjonali" can also mean "native" or "belonging to one's country". | |||
| Norwegian | nasjonal | ||
| The word "nasjonal" comes from the Latin "natio," meaning "birth" or "race." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nacional | ||
| In Portuguese, "nacional" can also refer to a type of cheese or a lottery game. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nàiseanta | ||
| "Nàiseanta" in Scots Gaelic also means "belonging to a nation or people". | |||
| Spanish | nacional | ||
| The word "nacional" derives from the Latin word "natio," meaning "birth" or "origin." | |||
| Swedish | nationell | ||
| The Swedish word 'nationell', meaning 'national', is derived from the Latin 'nationalis', which originated from the root word 'natio' ('people', 'tribe'). | |||
| Welsh | cenedlaethol | ||
| The word 'cenedlaethol' is derived from the Welsh words 'cenedl' ('nation') and 'iaeth' ('language'), and can also mean 'international'. | |||
National in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нацыянальны | ||
| The word | |||
| Bosnian | nacionalno | ||
| In Bosnian, "nacionalno" can be used for either "nationally" or "of nationhood," depending on context.} | |||
| Bulgarian | национален | ||
| The word "национален" derives from the Latin word "natio", which originally meant "birth" or "race". | |||
| Czech | národní | ||
| The word "národní" can also mean "folk" or "traditional" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | rahvuslik | ||
| The word "rahvuslik" comes from the German word "national" and also means "ethnic" or "folk." | |||
| Finnish | kansallinen | ||
| 'Kansallinen' also means 'folk' or 'traditional' in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | nemzeti | ||
| The word "nemzeti" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*nem-," meaning "to distribute" or "to share." | |||
| Latvian | nacionāls | ||
| Etymology and alternate meanings: "nacionāls" originates from the Latin "natalis" meaning "birthplace" | |||
| Lithuanian | tautinis | ||
| The word "tautinis" (national) in Lithuanian shares its root with the word "tauta" (nation), which itself comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*teute-**, meaning "people". | |||
| Macedonian | национално | ||
| The term 'национално' ('national') can also refer to a type of dance or musical genre in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | krajowy | ||
| Krajowy, the Polish word for "national," can also be used to describe something that is local or domestic. | |||
| Romanian | naţional | ||
| In Romanian, "național" also refers to a member of an ethnic group or to something pertaining to a particular ethnic group, similar to the English word "ethnic." | |||
| Russian | национальный | ||
| The word "национальный" derives from the Latin "nationalis," meaning "of the nation," and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵnəs-, | |||
| Serbian | национална | ||
| The word 'национална' comes from the Latin word 'nationalis', which means 'of or relating to a nation'. | |||
| Slovak | národné | ||
| The word "národné" in Slovak can also refer to "public" or "folk" in addition to "national". | |||
| Slovenian | nacionalno | ||
| The word nacionalno can also refer to the national consciousness, identity, and values. | |||
| Ukrainian | національний | ||
| The word "національний" can also refer to something that is characteristic of or belongs to a particular nation or people. | |||
National in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জাতীয় | ||
| জাতীয়'র মূল 'জন্ম', যা জন্মগ্রহণ, জাতিগততা এবং জন্মদেশ উভয়ের সাথেই সম্পর্কিত। | |||
| Gujarati | રાષ્ટ્રીય | ||
| Hindi | राष्ट्रीय | ||
| The word राष्ट्रीय is derived from the Sanskrit word 'rashtra', meaning 'kingdom' or 'nation', while 'iya' signifies 'pertaining to'. | |||
| Kannada | ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ | ||
| ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ is also a term of respect in Kannada, used to address people with authority, like the chief minister or a king | |||
| Malayalam | ദേശീയ | ||
| The word "ദേശീയ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "देश" (deśa), meaning "country" or "region". | |||
| Marathi | राष्ट्रीय | ||
| "राष्ट्रीय" can also refer to traditional folk plays in the Konkan region. | |||
| Nepali | राष्ट्रिय | ||
| राष्ट्रिय is derived from the Sanskrit word 'rastra' meaning 'country' or 'nation' and is cognate with the English word 'national'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ | ||
| ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ (राष्ट्रीय) शब्द का प्रयोग भारत के राष्ट्रीय गान में 'राष्ट्रगीत' (राष्ट्रीय गीत) के संदर्भ में भी किया जाता है। | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජාතික | ||
| The word 'ජාතික' (national) in Sinhala can also refer to 'caste' or 'race'. | |||
| Tamil | தேசிய | ||
| The word "தேசிய" is derived from the Sanskrit word "rāṣṭra", which means "kingdom" or "country". | |||
| Telugu | జాతీయ | ||
| The Telugu word "జాతీయ" can refer to both nationality and caste or ethnicity. | |||
| Urdu | قومی | ||
| In Farsi, it also means "tribal" or "ethnic." | |||
National in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 国民 | ||
| 国民 (guó m ín) originally referred to the government and its people. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 國民 | ||
| The characters of "國民" can mean "common people" or "nationals" depending on the context. | |||
| Japanese | 全国 | ||
| 全国 (zenkoku) can also refer to an entire country, the whole nation, or the entire country excluding Okinawa. | |||
| Korean | 전국 | ||
| "전국" was originally a Buddhist term referring to the four heavenly protectors of the four directions, hence its current meaning of "nationwide." | |||
| Mongolian | үндэсний | ||
| "Үндэсний" means "national," however, some researchers interpret the term as meaning "belonging to the people." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမျိုးသားရေး | ||
National in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | nasional | ||
| The Indonesian word "Nasional" derives from the English word "national", but in Indonesian it can also refer to "nationalism" or "patriotism". | |||
| Javanese | nasional | ||
| In a Javanese context, the word 'nasional' can also refer to someone originating from a different city but living locally for a long time. | |||
| Khmer | ជាតិ | ||
| The term ជាតិ can also refer to someone's race, ethnicity, nationality, country, or type of people. | |||
| Lao | ແຫ່ງຊາດ | ||
| Malay | nasional | ||
| In Malay, the word "Nasional" is also used to refer to a nationalist movement or ideology. | |||
| Thai | ชาติ | ||
| The word "ชาติ" can also mean "religion" or "lineage" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | quốc gia | ||
| The word "Quốc gia" in Vietnamese can also refer to the nation as a concept or the fatherland. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pambansa | ||
National in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | milli | ||
| Milli means "national" in Azerbaijani, originating from the Persian word "melli" which is derived from the Arabic word "milla" meaning "nation" or "community". | |||
| Kazakh | ұлттық | ||
| "Ұлттық" (national) is also used to refer to something that is characteristic of a particular nation or people. | |||
| Kyrgyz | улуттук | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "улуттук" derives from the Proto-Turkic word *ulut-, meaning "nation" or "people". | |||
| Tajik | миллӣ | ||
| The word "миллӣ" in Tajik, similar to its counterparts in other Iranian languages, ultimately derives from the Arabic word "ملی" (millī), meaning "relating to a nation". | |||
| Turkmen | milli | ||
| Uzbek | milliy | ||
| In Uzbek, "milliy" also means "pertaining to a nation". | |||
| Uyghur | national | ||
National in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lāhui | ||
| ‘Lāhui’ means 'national' but can also mean 'nation', 'people', or 'race', and was once a term for 'family'. | |||
| Maori | motu | ||
| The word "motu" in Maori can refer to both an island and a nation. | |||
| Samoan | faaleatunuu | ||
| "Faaleatunuu" is derived from the Samoan words "fa'a," meaning "the manner or way of," and "leatunuu," meaning "nation," thus collectively meaning "the way of the nation." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pambansa | ||
| "Pambansa" also means "all-inclusive" or "comprehensive" in Tagalog, emphasizing the universality of something. | |||
National in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | markpacha | ||
| Guarani | tetãygua | ||
National in International Languages
| Esperanto | nacia | ||
| The Esperanto word "nacia" can also mean "of or pertaining to a race or people". | |||
| Latin | nationalibus | ||
National in Others Languages
| Greek | εθνικός | ||
| The word may be used in a strictly geographic sense, to describe a person belonging to a particular city, or in a strictly ethnic sense, to describe a person belonging to a particular people. | |||
| Hmong | teb chaws | ||
| "Teb chaws" comes from the word "chaws" meaning "nation" and "teb" meaning "to belong to". | |||
| Kurdish | netewî | ||
| The word "netewî" (national) in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "naat" (nation). | |||
| Turkish | ulusal | ||
| The word "Ulusal" is derived from the Arabic word "ummah", which means "nation" or "community" | |||
| Xhosa | yesizwe | ||
| The word 'yesizwe' can also mean 'the people' or 'the nation' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | לאַנדיש | ||
| The Yiddish word "לאַנדיש" (landish) literally translates to "of the land" and can also refer to something that is "provincial" or "unsophisticated". | |||
| Zulu | kazwelonke | ||
| In Zulu, 'kazwelonke' originated from the word 'izwe' (country or nation) suggesting a sense of belonging and unity within a country. | |||
| Assamese | ৰাষ্ট্ৰীয় | ||
| Aymara | markpacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | राष्ट्रीय | ||
| Dhivehi | ޤައުމީ | ||
| Dogri | कौमी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pambansa | ||
| Guarani | tetãygua | ||
| Ilocano | nasional | ||
| Krio | nashɔnal | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نیشتیمانی | ||
| Maithili | राष्ट्रीय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩꯕꯥꯛꯀꯤ | ||
| Mizo | ram pum thil | ||
| Oromo | biyyoolessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜାତୀୟ | ||
| Quechua | hatun llaqta | ||
| Sanskrit | राष्ट्रीय | ||
| Tatar | милли | ||
| Tigrinya | ሃገራዊ | ||
| Tsonga | rixaka | ||