Note in Different Languages
Discover 'Note' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'note' is a brief written or printed communication containing information or a message, often left for someone else to find. It's a simple yet powerful tool for communication, and its significance has been recognized across cultures and time periods. From ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to modern-day digital notes, this form of communication has evolved while retaining its core purpose. The word 'note' has been translated into various languages, reflecting its cultural importance and universal appeal.
For instance, in Spanish, a note is known as 'nota', while in French, it is 'note'. In German, the word for note is 'Notiz', and in Japanese, it is 'ノート' (nooto). These translations not only provide insight into the linguistic diversity of different cultures but also highlight the global significance of the humble note.
So, whether you're traveling abroad and need to communicate in a foreign language, or you're simply interested in learning more about the world around you, knowing the translation of 'note' in different languages can be both practical and fascinating.
Note
Note in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | opmerking | ||
| Amharic | ማስታወሻ | ||
| The word "ማስታወሻ" can also refer to a "reminder" or "memo". | |||
| Hausa | bayanin kula | ||
| The word "bayanin kula" can also refer to a musical note. | |||
| Igbo | rịba ama | ||
| "Rịba ama" is derived from the verb "rịba," meaning "to mark or write," and "ama," meaning "something that signifies." | |||
| Malagasy | fanamarihana | ||
| The Malagasy word "Fanamarihana" can also refer to a mark or a symbol, suggesting a broader notion of notation beyond just musical notes. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zindikirani | ||
| Zindikirani is a verb that also means 'record', and may also refer to a 'report' (eg. 'report of proceedings'). | |||
| Shona | chinyorwa | ||
| The Shona word 'chinyorwa' can also refer to a 'written letter', 'document', or 'manuscript'. | |||
| Somali | la soco | ||
| The word "la soco" can also refer to a "mark" or "sign". | |||
| Sesotho | hlokomela | ||
| Hlokomela derives from "Hlokomelisa" ("understand, perceive"), from "loko" ("place, position "), suggesting a "note" as something that "puts something in its place" (in memory). | |||
| Swahili | kumbuka | ||
| Kumbuka, which means 'note' in Swahili, has a similar root to the Swahili word 'kumbukumbu,' meaning 'memory' or 'remembrance'. | |||
| Xhosa | phawula | ||
| The word 'Phawula' (note) in Xhosa is derived from the verb 'phawu' (to mark or make a sign), ultimately deriving from the Proto-Bantu *pʰu (to blow, puff) | |||
| Yoruba | akiyesi | ||
| "Akiyesi" in Yoruba also refers to a type of traditional song accompanied by drumming. | |||
| Zulu | inothi | ||
| The word 'inothi' originates from an indigenous root, 'thi', which signifies a small, flat object, implying a note's size and shape. | |||
| Bambara | nɔti | ||
| Ewe | ɖo ŋku edzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyitonderwa | ||
| Lingala | likebisi | ||
| Luganda | ebbaluwa | ||
| Sepedi | temošo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hyɛ nso | ||
Note in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ملحوظة | ||
| Hebrew | הערה | ||
| It shares a root with the verb להעיר in its sense of "to arouse", "to stir up", and "to cause to remember", and is a near synonym with תזכורת, another Hebrew word for "note". | |||
| Pashto | یادونه | ||
| "یادونه" is a Persian loanword in Pashto, and has an additional meaning "note, mark". | |||
| Arabic | ملحوظة | ||
Note in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shënim | ||
| In Albanian, "shënim" can also refer to a "remark" or a "mark" left on something. | |||
| Basque | ohar | ||
| "Ohar" also means "gift" or "offering" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | nota | ||
| The Catalan word "nota" comes from the Latin "nota", meaning "mark" or "sign". | |||
| Croatian | bilješka | ||
| The Croatian word "Bilješka" likely derives from the Latin word "billeta" which had similar meanings in English and French during the 17th century, including note, receipt, and letter. | |||
| Danish | bemærk | ||
| The German word ''Bemerkung'' and other cognates may stem from the same Proto-Indo-European origin, with Germanic ''-erk-'' being cognate to Sanskrit ''arcanam''. | |||
| Dutch | notitie | ||
| "Notitie" originally stems from the Latin word "notus" meaning "known" or "familiar". | |||
| English | note | ||
| "Note" comes from the Latin word "nota," meaning "mark" or "sign." | |||
| French | remarque | ||
| "Remarque" comes from the Latin word "remarcari," which means "to mark again." | |||
| Frisian | noat | ||
| The etymology of 'noat' is not completely certain, but it is likely to be related to the Dutch word 'noot' and the German word 'Not', both meaning 'note'. | |||
| Galician | nota | ||
| In Galician, "nota" can also refer to "grade", while in Portuguese, it can mean "invoice" or "bill" | |||
| German | hinweis | ||
| The word "Hinweis" can also mean "hint" or "pointer". | |||
| Icelandic | ath | ||
| The word "ath" in Icelandic is derived from the Old Norse word "athr," which originally meant "oath." | |||
| Irish | nóta | ||
| The Irish word "nóta" also has meanings referring to the act of noticing or observing something. | |||
| Italian | nota | ||
| The Italian word "Nota" can also mean "invoice" or "bill", and derives from the Latin word "notum", meaning "known" or "made known". | |||
| Luxembourgish | notiz | ||
| The word "Notiz" in Luxembourgish comes from the French word "notice" and has the additional meaning of "announcement" or "notification". | |||
| Maltese | nota | ||
| "Nota" can also mean "bill" or "invoice" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | merk | ||
| The word "merk" in Norwegian shares the same root as the word "remark" in English, meaning a brief commentary or observation. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nota | ||
| Portuguese "Nota" originated from Latin "notāre", meaning "to mark", hence a "banknote" or a "musical note" as a "mark". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nota | ||
| The word "nota" has several meanings, including "a musical tone", "a melody" and "a record". | |||
| Spanish | nota | ||
| Nota, "note," can also be slang for alcohol consumption in Argentina. | |||
| Swedish | notera | ||
| Originally, 'notera' could also mean 'to sing' or 'to play music'. | |||
| Welsh | nodyn | ||
| The Welsh word 'Nodyn' also refers to something which is noticed or observed. | |||
Note in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | нататка | ||
| "Нататка" (note) may also refer to a small diary or notebook used mainly by students. | |||
| Bosnian | bilješka | ||
| The word 'Bilješka' can also refer to a small piece of paper used for taking notes or leaving messages in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | забележка | ||
| "Забележ-ка" means "remark" or "observation" in Bulgarian, and it derives from the root "забележ-а-ва-м" which means "to notice" or "to observe." | |||
| Czech | poznámka | ||
| The word "Poznámka" can also refer to a "comment" or "remark" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | märge | ||
| The word "Märge" in Estonian can also mean "sign" or "mark". | |||
| Finnish | merkintä | ||
| "Merkintä" has the same root as "merkki" ("sign") and "merkitä" ("to mark"). | |||
| Hungarian | jegyzet | ||
| The word "jegyzet" can also refer to a memorandum, record, or minute, and is derived from the Latin word "gesta" (deed, act) | |||
| Latvian | piezīme | ||
| The Latvian word "Piezīme" derives from the verb "piezīmēt", meaning "to note down" or "to take note of". | |||
| Lithuanian | pastaba | ||
| "Pastaba" in Lithuanian comes from the verb "pasakoti", meaning "to tell a story or give an account." | |||
| Macedonian | забелешка | ||
| The word "Забелешка" in Macedonian is based on the verb "забележувам" (to notice), and it can also refer to an observation or a comment. | |||
| Polish | uwaga | ||
| Polish word 'Uwaga' derives from 'uwagać' meaning to pay attention but nowadays primarily means 'note'. | |||
| Romanian | notă | ||
| In Romanian, the word "Nota" also refers to a bill (invoice) or a mark given to a student on a test. | |||
| Russian | заметка | ||
| In addition to meaning "note," заметка can also refer to a short article in a newspaper or magazine. | |||
| Serbian | белешка | ||
| The word "Белешка" derives from the Old Slavic word "белыи" meaning "white" and originally referred to a small piece of white paper used for writing. | |||
| Slovak | poznámka | ||
| Poznámka can also mean a comment, remark or annotation in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | opomba | ||
| Opomba is the diminutive of the noun 'opomba' ('remark'), derived from the Proto-Slavic root *po-męti, meaning 'to remember'. | |||
| Ukrainian | примітка | ||
| The Ukrainian word "Примітка" can also mean "annotation" or "commentary" | |||
Note in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিঃদ্রঃ | ||
| The word "বিঃদ্রঃ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "विद्रः" meaning "distinction" or "difference" | |||
| Gujarati | નૉૅધ | ||
| The word 'note' comes from the Latin word 'nota', which means 'mark' or 'sign'. | |||
| Hindi | ध्यान दें | ||
| The Hindi word "ध्यान दें" not only means "note" but also carries the connotation of "pay attention" or "take heed". | |||
| Kannada | ಸೂಚನೆ | ||
| The word "ಸೂಚನೆ" can also mean "instruction" or "advice" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കുറിപ്പ് | ||
| In Malayalam, "കുറിപ്പ്" can also refer to a short story, a poem, or a piece of music. | |||
| Marathi | नोट | ||
| In Marathi, "नोट" not only means "note" in English, but also has a double meaning of "banknote." | |||
| Nepali | नोट | ||
| In Nepal the word "not" has several meanings including the notes of a song, the bill of a bird, and the rupee banknotes. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੋਟ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਨੋਟ" (note) is also used to refer to a letter or message. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සටහන | ||
| Sinhala word "සටහන" can also refer to "a summary" or "a list". | |||
| Tamil | குறிப்பு | ||
| The word "குறிப்பு" can also mean "symptom" or "reminder" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | గమనిక | ||
| The word 'గమనిక' ('note') in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'gam,' meaning 'to go' or 'to move,' and denotes a 'mark or observation' made during the process of going or moving. | |||
| Urdu | نوٹ | ||
| The word نوٹ (note) in Urdu can also refer to a musical note or a banknote | |||
Note in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 注意 | ||
| The Chinese word "注意" can mean "to pay attention" or "to warn." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 注意 | ||
| 注意 can also mean 'pay attention' or 'take care'. | |||
| Japanese | 注意 | ||
| The word "注意" (note) also means "caution" or "warning". | |||
| Korean | 노트 | ||
| It can also mean 'music', and the 't' is silent when pronouncing it. | |||
| Mongolian | тэмдэглэл | ||
| The Mongolian word "тэмдэглэл" can also mean "record", "mark", or "annotation". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မှတ်စု | ||
Note in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | catatan | ||
| In Indonesian, 'catatan' can refer to a musical note or a record, derived from the Dutch word 'noten' meaning 'notes' in musical sense or 'to make a note of' in general sense. | |||
| Javanese | cathetan | ||
| "Cathetan" can also mean a brief writing or jotting. | |||
| Khmer | ចំណាំ | ||
| ចំណាំ is an abstract word in Khmer and can be translated as 'note,' 'observation,' 'remark,' or 'reminder,' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'smara,' meaning 'remember' or 'call to mind'. | |||
| Lao | ຫມາຍເຫດ | ||
| Malay | catatan | ||
| The word 'catatan' is also used to refer to a record or a document. | |||
| Thai | บันทึก | ||
| The root word บันทึก is derived from Sanskrit 'bandhaka' meaning 'binding, connecting'. | |||
| Vietnamese | ghi chú | ||
| The word "Ghi chú" is also used to refer to a short comment or annotation added to a text or document. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tala | ||
Note in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qeyd | ||
| In Persian, this word also means "fetter" or "prison". | |||
| Kazakh | ескерту | ||
| In Kazakh, "Ескерту" can also refer to a memorandum, reminder, or notice. | |||
| Kyrgyz | эскертүү | ||
| The word "Эскертүү" in Kyrgyz can also mean "caution" or "reminder." | |||
| Tajik | шарҳ | ||
| The word "Шарҳ" in Tajik can also mean "explanation" or "commentary". | |||
| Turkmen | bellik | ||
| Uzbek | eslatma | ||
| In musical terminology, "Eslatma" can also refer to a "musical grace note". | |||
| Uyghur | دىققەت | ||
Note in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palapala | ||
| Palapala can also mean a "book" or a "document". | |||
| Maori | tuhipoka | ||
| The word 'tuhipoka' can also mean 'mistake' or 'error', likely due to the similar pronunciation to the word 'hepoka' ('mistake'). | |||
| Samoan | tusi | ||
| Tusi also means 'to write' in Samoan and comes from the Polynesian root tus, meaning 'to make a mark'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tandaan | ||
| The word 'tandaan' can also mean 'trace', 'indication', or 'symbol' in Tagalog, reflecting its root word 'tanda' which means 'mark' or 'sign'. | |||
Note in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qillqata | ||
| Guarani | haipy | ||
Note in International Languages
| Esperanto | notu | ||
| "Notu" is also a Hawaiian word meaning "to remember" or "to be mindful of". | |||
| Latin | nota | ||
| In Latin, 'nota' means 'mark or sign', similar to its English 'note', but can also refer to a 'stigma' or 'disgrace' | |||
Note in Others Languages
| Greek | σημείωση | ||
| Σημείωση also signifies 'mark' or 'sign' in Greek, akin to the English 'note' denoting a musical sound (from the Latin 'nota'). | |||
| Hmong | sau ntawv | ||
| The Hmong word "sau ntawv" can also refer to a book, document, or letter. | |||
| Kurdish | not | ||
| The Kurdish word "not" also means "something" or "a bit". | |||
| Turkish | not | ||
| In Turkish, "not" can also be used as "no" to answer negative questions. | |||
| Xhosa | phawula | ||
| The word 'Phawula' (note) in Xhosa is derived from the verb 'phawu' (to mark or make a sign), ultimately deriving from the Proto-Bantu *pʰu (to blow, puff) | |||
| Yiddish | נאטיץ | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "נאטיץ" can also refer to a musical note or a written message. | |||
| Zulu | inothi | ||
| The word 'inothi' originates from an indigenous root, 'thi', which signifies a small, flat object, implying a note's size and shape. | |||
| Assamese | টোকা | ||
| Aymara | qillqata | ||
| Bhojpuri | धेयान दीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ނޯޓް | ||
| Dogri | नोट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tala | ||
| Guarani | haipy | ||
| Ilocano | lagipen | ||
| Krio | not | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تێبینی | ||
| Maithili | नोट | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯪꯖꯤꯟꯒꯗꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thil chhinchhiah | ||
| Oromo | yaadannoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧ୍ୟାନ ଦିଅନ୍ତୁ | ||
| Quechua | uchuy willakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | टीका | ||
| Tatar | тамга | ||
| Tigrinya | መዝገብ | ||
| Tsonga | lemuka | ||