On in Different Languages
Discover 'On' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'on' is a small but powerful preposition in the English language, indicating a position of being 'in contact' with or 'supported by' something. Its significance extends beyond grammar, as it reflects our physical and conceptual connections with the world.
Culturally, 'on' has inspired countless idioms, proverbs, and phrases, enriching our communication and expressing nuanced meanings. For instance, 'to be on' can mean 'to be tuned in' to a radio station or 'to be in charge' of a task. 'Onward' suggests progress and perseverance, while 'getting a taste of something on tap' uncovers new experiences.
As global citizens, understanding the translation of 'on' in different languages broadens our cross-cultural comprehension. Here are a few examples:
- French: sur
- Spanish: en
- German: auf
- Mandarin: 在 (zài)
- Japanese: 上 (ue)
- Russian: на (na)
- Italian: su
Discover how 'on' transforms in various languages and cultures, fostering a deeper appreciation for our diverse world.
On
On in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aan | ||
| Afrikaans "aan" derives from Low German "ahn" "in front," "face to," but can be influenced to mean "near" when modifying a location noun | |||
| Amharic | ላይ | ||
| In the Ge'ez script, ላይ (lay) can also mean "for" or "to". | |||
| Hausa | a kan | ||
| The phrase "a kan" can also mean "with" or "by means of" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | na | ||
| "Na" can be translated to "on" in English, but it can also be used as a linking verb to indicate the location of something or someone, or the state of being of something or someone. | |||
| Malagasy | amin'ny | ||
| 'Amin'ny' is sometimes used to indicate a general location, similar to 'ao amin'ny' or 'any'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyatsa | ||
| A variant pronunciation of this word, 'kuyatsa', signifies the action of setting someone or something down in a seated position. | |||
| Shona | on | ||
| The Shona word 'on' can also mean 'to be' or 'to exist'. | |||
| Somali | on | ||
| In the Somali language, "on" is derived from the Cushitic root "*on", meaning "to put or place on top of". | |||
| Sesotho | bulela | ||
| In addition to meaning "on", the Sesotho word "bulela" can also mean "to continue" or "to remain." | |||
| Swahili | kuwasha | ||
| 'Kuwasha' in Swahili can also refer to the action of turning something on, such as a light or a machine. | |||
| Xhosa | ivuliwe | ||
| The word "ivuliwe" in Xhosa, besides meaning "on", also refers to something that is "placed upon" or "covering" something else. | |||
| Yoruba | lori | ||
| The Yoruba word "lori" can also refer to a person bearing a heavy burden of responsibility or a situation of being under great pressure. | |||
| Zulu | vula | ||
| The word "vula" also means "to open" in Zulu, which is why it is often used to describe the opening of a door or window. | |||
| Bambara | kan | ||
| Ewe | edzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ku | ||
| Lingala | na | ||
| Luganda | ku | ||
| Sepedi | go | ||
| Twi (Akan) | so | ||
On in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | على | ||
| The word "على" in Arabic can also mean "over", "above", "against", "by", or "at". | |||
| Hebrew | עַל | ||
| The Hebrew word "על" can also mean "upon", "above", "during", "in the presence of", or "about". | |||
| Pashto | په | ||
| The Pashto word "په" can also mean "by" or "with" depending on the context. | |||
| Arabic | على | ||
| The word "على" in Arabic can also mean "over", "above", "against", "by", or "at". | |||
On in Western European Languages
| Albanian | në | ||
| Albanian "në" also derives from Proto-Indo-European "*en" with the meanings "in" and "on" as seen in Latin "in". | |||
| Basque | gainean | ||
| The word "gainean" can also translate as "onto" or "upon". | |||
| Catalan | encès | ||
| The word "encès" in Catalan also means "turned on" or "switched on" in the context of electricity or electronics. | |||
| Croatian | na | ||
| In Croatian, the word "na" has multiple meanings, such as "onto", "at", "in", and "over". | |||
| Danish | på | ||
| In 17th-century Danish, a "gå-på" was the same as "gå-på-mod", roughly corresponding to "gumption": "spirit, courage, or confidence (in doing); resolute persistence." | |||
| Dutch | aan | ||
| The word "aan" can also mean "connected" or "attached". | |||
| English | on | ||
| The word "on" comes from the Old English word "on", which means "forward" or "ahead". | |||
| French | sur | ||
| The French word "sur" can also mean "in", "at", "above", or "over" (a specified level), depending on the context. | |||
| Frisian | op | ||
| In Frisian, "op" is also used to indicate the top or surface of something. | |||
| Galician | en | ||
| In Galician, "en" can also mean "in the" or "inside of," as in "en a casa" (in the house). | |||
| German | auf | ||
| The word "auf" in German comes from the Old High German word "uf," which means "up." | |||
| Icelandic | á | ||
| Á's alternate meaning of "where" is similar to its use in the English word "there". | |||
| Irish | ar | ||
| The Irish word "ar" also means "for" or "at" and can be used to indicate a location, time, or purpose. | |||
| Italian | sopra | ||
| The word 'sopra' can also mean 'over', 'above' or 'on top of'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | an | ||
| The Luxembourgish 'an' can also mean 'of' and is similar to French 'en'. | |||
| Maltese | fuq | ||
| The Maltese word "fuq" is also used to mean "above" or "upstairs". | |||
| Norwegian | på | ||
| In Norwegian, "på" can also mean "about" in the context of a topic of discussion. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | em | ||
| The word "em" in Portuguese is also used to indicate location, direction, or manner, and can be equivalent to the English prepositions "in," "at," "to," "from," or "by." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | air | ||
| The Gaelic word "air" can also mean "in the presence of" or "with". | |||
| Spanish | en | ||
| The Spanish word "en" can also mean "in" or "by" depending on the context. | |||
| Swedish | på | ||
| På can also mean "to" while the word "till" means "to" in most other contexts. | |||
| Welsh | ymlaen | ||
| The word "ymlaen" can also mean "forward" or "ahead" in Welsh. | |||
On in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | далей | ||
| The word "далей" can also mean "furthermore" or "in addition" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | na | ||
| The Bosnian word "na" can also mean "to" or "at" in some contexts. | |||
| Bulgarian | на | ||
| "На" is also used to indicate a location in space, such as "on the table" or "in the house". | |||
| Czech | na | ||
| The word "na" can also be used to express the presence of an object somewhere without physical contact, as in "na stole" (on the table). | |||
| Estonian | peal | ||
| The word "peal" in Estonian can also mean "above" or "as regards". | |||
| Finnish | päällä | ||
| The word "päällä" also means "on top of" and is derived from the word "pää" (head). | |||
| Hungarian | tovább | ||
| The word "tovább" ("on") also means "further" or "moreover". | |||
| Latvian | ieslēgts | ||
| The word "ieslēgts" also means "enclosed" or "locked up" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | ant | ||
| The word "ant" in Lithuanian has the same root as the word "on" in English. | |||
| Macedonian | на | ||
| "На" comes from Proto-Indo-European *neh₂- "not" and means "not" when used as a prefix. | |||
| Polish | na | ||
| The word "na" in Polish can also mean "at" or "in", and can also be used as a preposition denoting location or direction. | |||
| Romanian | pe | ||
| The Romanian word for "on" also signifies "the" in front of a feminine noun, like "la" in Spanish. | |||
| Russian | на | ||
| "На" also means "for" as in "На обед" ("for lunch") or "На день рождения" ("for the birthday"). | |||
| Serbian | на | ||
| The Serbian word "на" ("on") also means "at", "to", and "in" in certain contexts. | |||
| Slovak | na | ||
| The word "na" in Slovak can also mean "to" or "at". | |||
| Slovenian | naprej | ||
| The word "naprej" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "na-pirъ", meaning "onward, forward". | |||
| Ukrainian | на | ||
| The word "на" in Ukrainian can also mean 'for', 'to', or 'about'. | |||
On in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চালু | ||
| The word 'চালু' can also refer to 'running' or 'being in operation'. | |||
| Gujarati | પર | ||
| The original meaning of "પર" ("on") was the Sanskrit "para," which can also mean "other." | |||
| Hindi | पर | ||
| The word 'पर' has additional meanings such as 'wings', 'edge', and 'border'. | |||
| Kannada | ಆನ್ | ||
| Though written as "ಆನ್" in Kannada, it is pronounced as "Aana" and also means "an elephant" in the same language. | |||
| Malayalam | ഓണാണ് | ||
| Malayalam "ഓണാണ്" ("on") means "he/she who is the ruler", referring to the deity Vishnu. | |||
| Marathi | चालू | ||
| The word "चालू" in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit word "cal" which means to move or stir. | |||
| Nepali | खुल्ला | ||
| "खुल्ला" can also mean "open", "public", or "available" | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਾਲੂ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਚਾਲੂ" (on) is also used to indicate the start of an event or activity. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මත | ||
| The word "මත" (on) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "*mati-, *maţu-" (to think, to remember), which is also the origin of the Tamil word "மதி" (mati), meaning "thought" or "opinion". | |||
| Tamil | ஆன் | ||
| The word "ஆன்" can also mean "male" or "husband" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | పై | ||
| The word "పై" can also mean "above", "over", or "upon". | |||
| Urdu | پر | ||
| پر (par) in Urdu can also mean a feather, a wing, or a flight. | |||
On in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 上 | ||
| The character "上" can also mean "up", "above", or "superior". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 上 | ||
| 上 can also mean 'above' or 'previous' and is a common component of Chinese characters related to height or position. | |||
| Japanese | オン | ||
| The Japanese word オン (on) can also refer to the sound of a bell, a Buddhist mantra, or a musical note. | |||
| Korean | 의 위에 | ||
| 의 위에 literally means "above the roof" and is also used to indicate that something is on top of something else | |||
| Mongolian | дээр | ||
| Дээр is also used to indicate possession or ownership. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပေါ် | ||
| "အပေါ်" may also mean "over", "upon" or "above", and in a more abstract sense, "about", "concerning" or "regarding" (as the object of a thought, feeling or action). | |||
On in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | di | ||
| In Indonesian, "di" can also mean "in" or "at", depending on the context. | |||
| Javanese | ing | ||
| The Javanese word 'ing' is also used in the context of clothing, meaning 'to wear' or 'to put on'. | |||
| Khmer | បើក | ||
| The word "បើក" (on) can also mean "to open" or "to start" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ສຸດ | ||
| The word “ສຸດ” (“on”) derives from the Pali word “ut” with the same meaning. It can also imply a place at the end of or on top of. | |||
| Malay | pada | ||
| The word "pada" can also mean "at", "to", or "by" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | บน | ||
| "บน" also means "above" or "on top". | |||
| Vietnamese | trên | ||
| The word "trên" can also mean "above" or "on top of" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sa | ||
On in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | haqqında | ||
| In some constructions, "haqqında" is used in the sense of the "about" postposition. | |||
| Kazakh | қосулы | ||
| In Kazakh, 'қосулы' can also mean 'attached' or 'connected' | |||
| Kyrgyz | боюнча | ||
| The word "боюнча" in Kyrgyz also means "across" or "along". | |||
| Tajik | дар | ||
| "Дар" is most frequently used to mean "on" in Persian and Tajik, but can also be a preposition meaning "within" or "during" and a noun meaning "possession" or "gift". | |||
| Turkmen | üstünde | ||
| Uzbek | kuni | ||
| The word "kuni" is also used in Uzbek to refer to the period of time between sunset and sunrise. | |||
| Uyghur | on | ||
On in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ma | ||
| In Hawaiian, ma also refers to 'with reference to,' 'in regard to' or 'pertaining to,' as with many words in the Austronesian language family. | |||
| Maori | i runga i | ||
| The Maori word "i runga i" can also mean "above" or "higher up" in a hierarchical or spatial sense. | |||
| Samoan | i luga | ||
| "I luga" can also mean "above" or "in reference to," which is useful to remember when speaking about locations or topics. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sa | ||
| The word "sa" in Tagalog has multiple meanings, including "in," "at," "to," "from," and "with." | |||
On in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukana | ||
| Guarani | pe | ||
On in International Languages
| Esperanto | plu | ||
| "Plu" in Esperanto can also be used to mean "in" when talking about vehicles, "with" when talking about possession or association, or "by" when indicating the agent of an action. | |||
| Latin | in | ||
| In Latin, 'in' can also mean 'into' or 'within'. | |||
On in Others Languages
| Greek | επί | ||
| The word "επί" can also mean "above", "after", "in addition to", or "for the purpose of". | |||
| Hmong | rau | ||
| The Hmong word "rau" derives from the Proto-Austroasiatic word */rawŋ/ which also means "on" in Vietnamese ( | |||
| Kurdish | li | ||
| Li has secondary meanings like 'towards' in 'Lı ber' (towards me) or 'to, for' in 'Lı min' (to me) | |||
| Turkish | açık | ||
| The Turkish word "açık" also means "light" in color and "bright" or "clear" in tone or appearance. | |||
| Xhosa | ivuliwe | ||
| The word "ivuliwe" in Xhosa, besides meaning "on", also refers to something that is "placed upon" or "covering" something else. | |||
| Yiddish | אויף | ||
| In Yiddish, "אויף" ("af") also means "of" or "up" and is related to the English word "up." | |||
| Zulu | vula | ||
| The word "vula" also means "to open" in Zulu, which is why it is often used to describe the opening of a door or window. | |||
| Assamese | ওপৰত | ||
| Aymara | ukana | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊपरे | ||
| Dhivehi | މަތީގައި | ||
| Dogri | पर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sa | ||
| Guarani | pe | ||
| Ilocano | ayan ti | ||
| Krio | pantap | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لەسەر | ||
| Maithili | उपर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯟ | ||
| Mizo | chungah | ||
| Oromo | irra | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉପରେ | ||
| Quechua | on | ||
| Sanskrit | इत्युपरि | ||
| Tatar | өстендә | ||
| Tigrinya | አብ ልዕሊ | ||
| Tsonga | eka | ||