Ordinary in Different Languages
Discover 'Ordinary' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'ordinary' is one that we use frequently in our daily lives, yet it holds a significance that goes beyond its everyday usage. It refers to something that is usual, typical, or not exceptional. But what makes 'ordinary' fascinating is its cultural importance and the way it varies in meaning across different languages and societies.
For instance, in Spanish, 'ordinary' translates to 'ordinario', but in Japanese, it's ' futsû', which also means 'normal' or 'regular'. In Russian, 'ordinary' becomes 'obyknovennyy', a term that carries a connotation of 'habitual' or 'customary'. These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also offer a glimpse into the cultural nuances of different societies.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'ordinary' in various languages can enrich your vocabulary, broaden your cultural horizons, and foster effective communication in a global context. So, let's explore how 'ordinary' is translated in different languages around the world.
Ordinary
Ordinary in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gewone | ||
| Gewone comes from Dutch and can also mean customary or typical | |||
| Amharic | ተራ | ||
| The Amharic word "ተራ" can also mean "common" or refer to a person of low social status. | |||
| Hausa | talakawa | ||
| The word 'talakawa' in Hausa comes from the Arabic word 'talak' meaning 'divorce' and was probably used to refer to the common people who were often divorced by their rulers. | |||
| Igbo | nkịtị | ||
| The Igbo word 'nkịtị' derives from the verb 'nkị' meaning 'to be equal', indicating 'average' or 'standard' quality | |||
| Malagasy | tsotra | ||
| The word "tsotra" also means "simple" or "basic" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wamba | ||
| The word "wamba" in Nyanja also means "common", "normal", or "average". | |||
| Shona | zvakajairika | ||
| The word 'zvakajairika' can also refer to something that is common or usual. | |||
| Somali | caadi ah | ||
| The word "caadi ah" in Somali can also mean "usual" or "normal." | |||
| Sesotho | tloaelehileng | ||
| Tloaelehileng's origins lie in 'tloaea', meaning 'usual' or 'customary', while its suffix '-hileng' implies 'being' or 'existing' in a certain state. | |||
| Swahili | kawaida | ||
| In Swahili, "kawaida" also denotes customs and norms. | |||
| Xhosa | eziqhelekileyo | ||
| The word 'eziqhelekileyo' in Xhosa originates from the root '-qheleka', meaning to be common or prevalent, and the prefix -'ezi-' which denotes plurality. | |||
| Yoruba | arinrin | ||
| The Yoruba word "arinrin" is also used to describe a traditional percussion instrument made from a hollow gourd or wooden box. | |||
| Zulu | ejwayelekile | ||
| The word "ejwayelekile" also means "common," indicating its wide usage and prevalence. | |||
| Bambara | gansan | ||
| Ewe | gbe sia gbe nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bisanzwe | ||
| Lingala | ya bongobongo | ||
| Luganda | -a bulijjo | ||
| Sepedi | tlwaelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɛkɛ | ||
Ordinary in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عادي | ||
| The word “عادي” also means “average” or “normal” in Arabic | |||
| Hebrew | רגיל | ||
| רגיל comes from the root רי.ג.ל (r-i-g-a-l) meaning "foot", alluding to the idea of something that serves as foundation. | |||
| Pashto | عادي | ||
| The word "عادي" (ʿādī) in Pashto comes from the Arabic word "عادة" (ʿāda), meaning "habit" or "custom". | |||
| Arabic | عادي | ||
| The word “عادي” also means “average” or “normal” in Arabic | |||
Ordinary in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i zakonshëm | ||
| The Albanian word "i zakonshëm" shares etymology with the word "zakon" (law), implying the idea of established and commonplace. | |||
| Basque | arrunta | ||
| The word "arrunta" can also mean "usual", "habitual", or "current" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | ordinari | ||
| In Catalan, "ordinari" also means "weekday" or "regularly celebrated". | |||
| Croatian | obična | ||
| The word 'obična' can also mean 'usual' or 'common' in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | almindelig | ||
| The word "almindelig" derives from the Old Norse word "almenningr", meaning "common" or "belonging to all". It can also refer to something that is widespread or usual. | |||
| Dutch | gewoon | ||
| The Dutch word "gewoon" originally meant "habitual" and is related to the words "wonen" (to live) and "woonplaats" (place of residence). | |||
| English | ordinary | ||
| The word "ordinary" derives from the Latin "ordinarius," meaning "arranged in due order." | |||
| French | ordinaire | ||
| In French, "ordinaire" can also refer to a daily meal or a sermon delivered on a weekday. | |||
| Frisian | gewoan | ||
| The word "gewoan" (Frisian "ordinary") has a counterpart in "gewoon" (Dutch "ordinary"), but is also used in the sense "usual" or "customary." | |||
| Galician | ordinario | ||
| In Galician, "ordinario" can also refer to the person who orders masses in a church. | |||
| German | gewöhnliche | ||
| The German word "gewöhnliche" comes from the Middle High German "gewohnheit" ("habit"), reflecting the idea of something common, customary, or expected. | |||
| Icelandic | venjulegt | ||
| The word "venjulegt" can also mean "nice" or "lovely" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | gnáth | ||
| In the Irish language, the word "gnáth" also means "usual" or "customary" | |||
| Italian | ordinario | ||
| The Italian word "ordinario" also has the alternate meanings "usual", "customary", and "commonplace". | |||
| Luxembourgish | gewéinlech | ||
| "Gewéinlech" is closely related to "gewunnen" (German for "won") and originally referred to something that is commonly won, i.e., is available in abundance. | |||
| Maltese | ordinarju | ||
| The word "ordinarju" is derived from the Latin word "ordinarius", meaning "regular" or "customary". | |||
| Norwegian | vanlig | ||
| The word "vanlig" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *gamana- meaning "going, walking" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comum | ||
| "Comum" derives from Latin "communis," also meaning "shared, jointly held, public". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àbhaisteach | ||
| The word "abhaisteach" (ordinary) in Scots Gaelic originally meant "uncommon" or "extraordinary". | |||
| Spanish | ordinario | ||
| "Ordinario" can also refer to a type of Catholic mass or a person who is common or vulgar. | |||
| Swedish | vanlig | ||
| In Swedish, 'vanlig' can also mean 'usual' or 'common', and derives from the old Norse word 'vanr', meaning 'accustomed to' or 'used to'. | |||
| Welsh | cyffredin | ||
| The Welsh word "cyffredin" can also refer to a type of ancient Welsh metre or a set of rules. | |||
Ordinary in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | звычайны | ||
| The word "звычайны" in Belarusian is derived from the word "звычай" meaning "custom" or "tradition". It can also refer to something that is "habitual" or "usual". | |||
| Bosnian | običan | ||
| The word 'običan' can also mean 'common', 'usual', or 'typical'. | |||
| Bulgarian | обикновен | ||
| Обикновен comes from обик, which translates as "around" in English and can be found in other words like обиколка which means "circumference". The Slavic suffix "вен" is used to create collective nouns, resulting in "обикновен" which can be interpreted as "all-around" or "common". | |||
| Czech | obyčejný | ||
| "Obyčejný" is derived from the word "obyčej" meaning "custom" or "tradition". | |||
| Estonian | tavaline | ||
| The word "tavaline" in Estonian comes from the German word "tavel". The word "tavel" means "table" and the word "tavaline" means "common" or "regular". | |||
| Finnish | tavallinen | ||
| The word "tavallinen" is derived from the Old Norse word "tafall", meaning "common" or "customary". | |||
| Hungarian | rendes | ||
| In archaic usage, "rendes" means "having its proper measure or order" | |||
| Latvian | parasts | ||
| The word "parasts" in Latvian can also mean "funeral feast" or "memorial service". | |||
| Lithuanian | paprastas | ||
| The word "paprastas" is related to the Lithuanian word "paprotis", meaning "custom" or "tradition". | |||
| Macedonian | обичен | ||
| "Обичен" also means "dear" or "beloved" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | zwyczajny | ||
| The word "zwyczajny" has a broader meaning than its English counterpart, encompassing the concepts of both "common" and "usual." | |||
| Romanian | comun | ||
| The Romanian word "comun" comes from the Latin "communis," meaning "common," and also shares its root with the English "commune." | |||
| Russian | обычный | ||
| The word “обычный” initially meant “common” or “usual”, but later acquired the additional meaning of “plain” or “boring” in the 18th century. | |||
| Serbian | обичан | ||
| The Serbian word "обичан" also has the meaning of "beloved". | |||
| Slovak | obyčajný | ||
| The word “obyčajný” is derived from the Proto-Slavic word “obyčaj” meaning “custom” or “habit” and can also mean “common” or “usual” in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vsakdanji | ||
| The word 'vsakdanji' comes from 'vsaki' meaning 'every' and 'dan' meaning 'day', thus 'every day'; it also means 'profane'. | |||
| Ukrainian | звичайний | ||
| The word "звичайний" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "obyčajь", meaning "custom" or "tradition". | |||
Ordinary in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সাধারণ | ||
| সাধারণ শব্দের মূল শব্দটি হল সংস্কৃত শব্দ 'সাধারণ', যার অর্থ 'সাধারণ, সাধারণ, সাধারণ'। | |||
| Gujarati | સામાન્ય | ||
| The Gujarati word "સામાન્ય" can also mean "usual" or "common" in addition to its primary meaning of "ordinary." | |||
| Hindi | साधारण | ||
| "साधारण" is derived from Sanskrit "साधारण्य" (sādharaṇya) meaning "universality, community, common" and is related to the Persian word "ساده" (sādeh) meaning "simple, plain". Alternative meanings of "साधारण" include "common, normal, usual". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ" (sāmanya) in Kannada, also means "generic" or "broad" in nature. | |||
| Malayalam | സാധാരണ | ||
| സാധാരണ (sādāraṇa) is derived from the Sanskrit word Sadharana which means 'common' or 'general'. | |||
| Marathi | सामान्य | ||
| The word "सामान्य" can also mean "usual" or "regular" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | साधारण | ||
| The word "साधारण" can also mean "general" or "common". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਧਾਰਣ | ||
| "ਸਧਾਰਣ" is also used to describe something that is simple or straightforward. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාමාන්ය | ||
| In Sinhala, "සාමාන්ය" means "normal" but it is also used for "common" or "usual." | |||
| Tamil | சாதாரண | ||
| "சா தாரண" (sā tāraṇa) in Tamil is cognate to Sanskrit "साधारण" (sādhāraṇa), both ultimately tracing back to the root "साध्" (sādh) meaning "to accomplish, complete, perfect." | |||
| Telugu | సాధారణ | ||
| The word "సాధారణ" can also mean "common", "usual", or "typical" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | عام | ||
| The word "عام" in Urdu can also mean "general", "universal", or "public". | |||
Ordinary in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 普通 | ||
| "普通" can also mean "common" or "general". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 普通 | ||
| 普通 in Chinese refers to both "common" and "generally speaking", and the latter meaning only came to be in the 20th century. | |||
| Japanese | 普通 | ||
| Originally means 'broad communication' and still used as a term to describe public communication, such as in "普通選挙" (universal suffrage) and "普通教育" (general education). | |||
| Korean | 보통주 | ||
| "보통주" can also refer to common stock (as opposed to preferred stock) in Korean, which is a type of equity security that represents ownership in a corporation. | |||
| Mongolian | энгийн | ||
| The word "энгийн" originally meant "peaceful" and was used to describe the peaceful nature of everyday life. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သာမန် | ||
Ordinary in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | biasa | ||
| The word "biasa" in Indonesian, besides meaning "ordinary", comes from the Proto-Austronesian "*bihasa/*biyasa" meaning "skill, ability". | |||
| Javanese | biasa | ||
| The word "biasa" in Javanese also means "accustomed" or "in the habit of". | |||
| Khmer | ធម្មតា | ||
| The word "ធម្មតា" can also be used to refer to the average or norm | |||
| Lao | ທຳ ມະດາ | ||
| Malay | biasa | ||
| The word "biasa" originates from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word "biyasa", which also carries the meaning of "customary" or "habitual". | |||
| Thai | สามัญ | ||
| 'สามัญ' originally meant 'common', but is now also used to mean 'simple' or 'plain'. | |||
| Vietnamese | bình thường | ||
| The word "bình thường" can also be used to mean "peaceful" or "tranquil". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | karaniwan | ||
Ordinary in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | adi siravi | ||
| The word "adi siravi" literally translates to "normal order" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қарапайым | ||
| The word "қарапайым" also means "black-footed" or "black-faced" in Kazakh, referring to the dark coloration of the legs or face of certain animals. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жөнөкөй | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жөнөкөй" ("ordinary") is derived from the Persian "jahan", meaning "world". | |||
| Tajik | оддӣ | ||
| "Oddī" in Tajik can also refer to the "standard", "typical" or "usual" way of doing something. | |||
| Turkmen | adaty | ||
| Uzbek | oddiy | ||
| In Uzbek, the word “oddiy” not only means “ordinary,” but can also have the meaning of “unique” or “exclusive,” highlighting the subtle nuances and complexities of Uzbek vocabulary. | |||
| Uyghur | ئادەتتىكى | ||
Ordinary in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maʻamau | ||
| The word "maʻamau" can also refer to "familiar" or "usual" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | noa | ||
| Maori also use "noa" to mean common or everyday things. | |||
| Samoan | masani | ||
| Masani can also mean 'usual', 'customary', 'normal', or 'simple'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ordinaryong | ||
| The Tagalog word "ordinaryong" also refers to someone or something that is "mediocre". | |||
Ordinary in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukhampuni | ||
| Guarani | jepivegua | ||
Ordinary in International Languages
| Esperanto | ordinara | ||
| The word "ordinara" in Esperanto originates from the Latin word "ordinarius", which means "regular" or "usual". | |||
| Latin | ordinarius | ||
| The Latin word Ordinarius derives from the phrase 'ordo ordinis,' meaning 'series of ranks,' and has alternate meanings such as 'bishop' or 'judge' | |||
Ordinary in Others Languages
| Greek | συνήθης | ||
| In the Iliad, the word originally denoted something 'accustomed', 'familiar', while the usual meaning is of something 'common', 'usual'. | |||
| Hmong | zoo tib yam | ||
| The Hmong word "zoo tib yam" can also refer to the concept of "normality" or "regularity". | |||
| Kurdish | adî | ||
| The word "adî" can also mean "natural" or "innate" in the context of human qualities or characteristics. | |||
| Turkish | sıradan | ||
| The word "sıradan" comes from the Persian word "siradan", meaning "in order" or "in sequence". | |||
| Xhosa | eziqhelekileyo | ||
| The word 'eziqhelekileyo' in Xhosa originates from the root '-qheleka', meaning to be common or prevalent, and the prefix -'ezi-' which denotes plurality. | |||
| Yiddish | געוויינטלעך | ||
| The Yiddish word "געוויינטלעך" (geveynitlekh) is derived from the German word "gewöhnlich," meaning "usual" or "customary."} | |||
| Zulu | ejwayelekile | ||
| The word "ejwayelekile" also means "common," indicating its wide usage and prevalence. | |||
| Assamese | সাধাৰণ | ||
| Aymara | ukhampuni | ||
| Bhojpuri | सधारन | ||
| Dhivehi | އާދައިގެ | ||
| Dogri | ममूली | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | karaniwan | ||
| Guarani | jepivegua | ||
| Ilocano | ordinario | ||
| Krio | nɔmal | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاسایی | ||
| Maithili | साधारण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯆꯝ ꯆꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tlanglawn | ||
| Oromo | bakka guddaa kan hin jirre | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାଧାରଣ | ||
| Quechua | kaqlla | ||
| Sanskrit | सामान्य | ||
| Tatar | гади | ||
| Tigrinya | ተራ | ||
| Tsonga | ntolovelo | ||