Orientation in Different Languages
Discover 'Orientation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'orientation' holds great significance in our daily lives, often used to describe our position or alignment in relation to the points of a compass or a particular viewpoint. But did you know that the term has a rich cultural and historical context too? It originates from the Latin 'orientare', meaning 'to face the east' - a testament to how ancient civilizations valued the sun's orientation for timekeeping and navigation.
Understanding the translation of 'orientation' in different languages is not just a linguistic exercise, but also a cultural exploration. For instance, in Spanish, it translates to 'orientación', while in French, you'd say 'orientation'. In German, it's 'Orientierung', and in Japanese, it's 'оріентациja' (orientatsiya) in Russian.
Delving into these translations offers a fascinating glimpse into how various cultures perceive and interact with the concept of orientation. Stay tuned as we unpack more of these intriguing translations!
Orientation
Orientation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oriëntasie | ||
| "Oriëntasie" in Afrikaans is derived from the Latin word "oriens", meaning "east", but also refers to one's general direction or position. | |||
| Amharic | አቅጣጫ | ||
| The word "አቅጣጫ" (aqtacha) also means "position" or "location". | |||
| Hausa | fuskantarwa | ||
| The word "fuskantarwa" can also mean "guidance" or "direction" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | nghazi | ||
| The word 'nghazi' can also mean 'direction', 'aim', or 'purpose' in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fironana | ||
| The Malagasy word 'fironana' can also refer to the act of pointing something out or showing the way. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | malingaliro | ||
| - | |||
| Shona | maitiro | ||
| In Shona, the word "maitiro" also refers to "customs" or "traditions". | |||
| Somali | hanuuninta | ||
| The word "hanuuninta" in Somali can also mean "to lead" or "to direct". | |||
| Sesotho | tloaelo | ||
| Tloaelo is derived from the word "tloa", meaning "to set straight", hence its connotation of alignment and direction. | |||
| Swahili | mwelekeo | ||
| Mwelekeo is Swahili word that derives from kuelekeza "to point at" and thus also means "attitude" or "tendency". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuqhelaniswa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukuqhelaniswa' originates from the root word 'ukwqhela', meaning 'to become familiar' or 'to be accustomed to', and 'iswa', a suffix that forms passive verbs, indicating that something is being done to the subject. | |||
| Yoruba | iṣalaye | ||
| Ìṣàlàyé can also mean "a preface" or "an explanation." | |||
| Zulu | ukuma | ||
| The word "ukuma" in Zulu derives from the verb "ukumaka," meaning "to move around," and is also used to refer to the practice of traditional medicine. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛyirali | ||
| Ewe | susutɔtrɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyerekezo | ||
| Lingala | kolakisa ndenge ya kosala | ||
| Luganda | okuteekateeka | ||
| Sepedi | tlwaetšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nhyɛmu | ||
Orientation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اتجاه | ||
| The word "اتجاه" (orientation) in Arabic also means "direction" or "side" depending on the context. | |||
| Hebrew | נטייה | ||
| נטייה can also mean 'inclination', 'tendency', or 'disposition'. | |||
| Pashto | لورموندنه | ||
| The word "لورموندنه" has its roots in the Persian word "رو", meaning "face" or "direction". | |||
| Arabic | اتجاه | ||
| The word "اتجاه" (orientation) in Arabic also means "direction" or "side" depending on the context. | |||
Orientation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | orientim | ||
| The Albanian word 'orientim' can also mean 'landmark' or 'reference point'. | |||
| Basque | orientazio | ||
| The Basque word "orientazio" shares its root with the Latin word "oriens" (east), emphasizing the role of the sun in the east as a primary reference point for direction. | |||
| Catalan | orientació | ||
| Orientació in Catalan has many alternate meanings, and the etymology of the word in the 13th century refers to the act of locating oneself as far as possible from anything. | |||
| Croatian | orijentacija | ||
| The word 'orijentacija' is also used in Croatian to refer to one's political or philosophical stance. | |||
| Danish | orientering | ||
| "Orientering" means both "orientation" and "cross-country running" in Danish, highlighting the importance of directionality in both activities. | |||
| Dutch | oriëntatie | ||
| The word "oriëntatie" in Dutch, derived from Latin "oriens" meaning "rising", also refers to one's initial position in an academic program or the initial phase of a plan. | |||
| English | orientation | ||
| The word 'orientation' derives from the Latin word 'oriens', meaning "the east" or "the rising sun". | |||
| French | orientation | ||
| In French, orientation can also mean east, or the direction from which the sun rises. | |||
| Frisian | oriïntaasje | ||
| The Frisian word `oriïntaasje` can also refer to the act of getting one's bearings or finding one's way. | |||
| Galician | orientación | ||
| In Galician, "orientación" also refers to a student's preferred field of study in university, similar to a major in English. | |||
| German | orientierung | ||
| The German word "Orientierung" comes from the Latin word "oriens", meaning "east" or "rising sun". | |||
| Icelandic | stefnumörkun | ||
| In Icelandic, Stefnumörkun can also refer to the cardinal directions as well as a general sense of direction. | |||
| Irish | treoshuíomh | ||
| The Irish word "treoshuíomh" comes from the Old Irish "tréoshúim," meaning "to direct the course of" and "-ím," meaning "turning, revolving." | |||
| Italian | orientamento | ||
| "Orientamento" also means the "east" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | orientéierung | ||
| The word “orientéierung” stems from an antiquated Latin term “orientem” meaning “the place where the sun rise”, thus meaning “East”. | |||
| Maltese | orjentazzjoni | ||
| This derivative term does not have the original meaning of the term "orientation" in Maltese, which is "direction" but rather has the more modern meaning of "focus", and usually denotes a field or discipline of study. | |||
| Norwegian | orientering | ||
| "Orientering" in Norwegian also means cross-country skiing, in the sense of finding one's way across a course that is not marked with a track. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | orientação | ||
| In Portuguese, "orientação" also refers to guidelines, guidance, directions, and advice given especially to newcomers. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | treòrachadh | ||
| The word "treòrachadh" in Scots Gaelic also means "instruction, teaching, direction, navigation, course, direction of motion, path, road, way"} | |||
| Spanish | orientación | ||
| In Spanish, "orientación" also refers to an address, as in the postal address of a building. | |||
| Swedish | orientering | ||
| The word "orientering" in Swedish also means "to navigate in the wilderness using a map and compass". | |||
| Welsh | cyfeiriadedd | ||
| In a figurative sense, the word "cyfeiriadedd" can also refer to a person's mental outlook, perspective, and understanding. | |||
Orientation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | арыентацыя | ||
| "Арыентацыя" in Belarusian not only refers to orientation, but also to sexual orientation. | |||
| Bosnian | orijentacija | ||
| The word 'orijentacija' in Bosnian also conveys the meaning of 'bearing' in relation to a specific direction or landmark. | |||
| Bulgarian | ориентация | ||
| "Ориентация" също означава "вълна на електромагнитна енергия, разпространяваща се чрез редуващо се електрическо и магнитно поле". | |||
| Czech | orientace | ||
| The word "orientace" has a similar meaning to the Latin word "orient", meaning "east", and has been used in Czech since the Middle Ages to describe the direction of the East. | |||
| Estonian | orientatsioon | ||
| Orientatsioon also means "Asian direction" (in addition to "orientation") | |||
| Finnish | suuntautuminen | ||
| "Suuntautuminen" can also mean aligning, directing, focusing, or aiming | |||
| Hungarian | orientáció | ||
| In Hungarian, "orientáció" can also mean "navigation" or "position determination". | |||
| Latvian | orientācija | ||
| The root of the word "orientācija" is the Latin "oriens," meaning "east" or "rising sun". | |||
| Lithuanian | orientacija | ||
| The word "orientacija" derives from the Latin word "oriēns" and means "the east" or "the sunrise". | |||
| Macedonian | ориентација | ||
| The word "ориентација" can also mean "sexual orientation" or "political orientation" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | orientacja | ||
| In Polish, the word 'orientacja' also refers to a person's sexual orientation. | |||
| Romanian | orientare | ||
| In Romanian, the verb "orientare" also means "to determine the cardinal points" or "to get one's bearings". | |||
| Russian | ориентация | ||
| "Ориентация" in Russian can refer to a person's sexual orientation or their political stance. | |||
| Serbian | оријентација | ||
| The word "оријентација" can also refer to one's political or religious beliefs. | |||
| Slovak | orientácia | ||
| Orientácia can also mean 'direction', or 'knowledge of a subject'. | |||
| Slovenian | usmerjenost | ||
| In nautical contexts, usmerjenost can also refer to a ship's course or heading. | |||
| Ukrainian | орієнтація | ||
| In Ukrainian, "орієнтація" also means "sexual orientation" | |||
Orientation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অভিমুখীকরণ | ||
| The word "অভিমুখীকরণ" can also mean "induction" or "training program" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | અભિગમ | ||
| अभिगम can also mean "approach" or "direction" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | उन्मुखीकरण | ||
| The word "उन्मुखीकरण" is derived from the Sanskrit root "उन्मुख," meaning "turned towards" or "facing," and is also used to refer to the process of introducing a new student to a school or university. | |||
| Kannada | ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನ | ||
| दृष्टिकोण (Drishtikone) is a Sanskrit word which also means 'perspective' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഓറിയന്റേഷൻ | ||
| The word | |||
| Marathi | अभिमुखता | ||
| The word "अभिमुखता" in Marathi also means "facing towards" or "facing in a particular direction". | |||
| Nepali | अभिमुखीकरण | ||
| The word "अभिमुखीकरण" can also refer to the process of making someone familiar with a new place or situation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੁਝਾਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දිශානතිය | ||
| Tamil | நோக்குநிலை | ||
| The word "நோக்குநிலை" can also refer to the act of facing or the position of something in relation to another object. | |||
| Telugu | ధోరణి | ||
| ధోరణి is used to indicate a place or region, and means "place of" or "region of." | |||
| Urdu | واقفیت | ||
Orientation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 方向 | ||
| “方向”意为“朝向”，最初指太阳的方位，后引申为“指向”或“目标”等义。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 方向 | ||
| 方向 (fāngxiàng) literally means "direction of fragrance", and has been used figuratively to mean "orientation" since the Qing dynasty. | |||
| Japanese | オリエンテーション | ||
| In Japanese, オリエンテーション can also mean | |||
| Korean | 정위 | ||
| The word "정위" can also mean "attitude" or "disposition." | |||
| Mongolian | чиг баримжаа | ||
| "Чиг баримжаа" is a Mongolian term often used in the context of military or organizational orientations, and can also mean 'guidance' or 'direction' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တကယ | ||
| The word "တကယ" in Myanmar (Burmese) also means "position" or "location". | |||
Orientation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | orientasi | ||
| "Orientasi" comes from the Latin word "oriens," meaning "rising," as in the rising of the sun in the east. | |||
| Javanese | orientasi | ||
| "Orientasi" is also synonymous with "timur" in Javanese, which means "east". | |||
| Khmer | ការតំរង់ទិស | ||
| The word "ការតំរង់ទិស" can also refer to the act of guiding or directing someone, such as a new employee or a visitor to a new place. | |||
| Lao | ປະຖົມນິເທດ | ||
| Malay | orientasi | ||
| "Orientasi" comes from the Latin "oriens" (east), and can also refer to the east in Indonesian and Malay, or to the east-facing part of a building in Javanese. | |||
| Thai | ปฐมนิเทศ | ||
| The word "ปฐมนิเทศ" comes from the Sanskrit word "prathama" meaning "first" and "nisidesh" meaning "lesson". | |||
| Vietnamese | sự định hướng | ||
| "Định hướng" also refers to the act of directing or guiding something or someone in a specific direction. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | oryentasyon | ||
Orientation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | oriyentasiya | ||
| The word "oriyentasiya" also means "east" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | бағдар | ||
| The word "бағдар" also means "direction" or "course" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | багыттоо | ||
| “Багыттоо” (orientation) can also mean “to determine the direction of something” or “to point something in a specific direction” in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ориентировка | ||
| Кроме значения «ориентация», слово «ориентировка» в таджикском языке также означает «местонахождение» и «знак». | |||
| Turkmen | ugrukdyrma | ||
| Uzbek | yo'nalish | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "yo'nalish" can also refer to a direction or course | |||
| Uyghur | يۆنىلىش | ||
Orientation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻonohonoho hoʻonohonoho | ||
| Maori | takotoranga | ||
| The word "takotoranga" can also refer to a resting place, a place of repose, or a place of security. | |||
| Samoan | faamasani | ||
| The word "faamasani" can also mean "to welcome" or "to show hospitality" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | oryentasyon | ||
| The word "oryentasyon" originally derives from the Spanish word "orientación", which itself comes from the Latin word "oriens", meaning "east". | |||
Orientation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amuyt'ayawi | ||
| Guarani | mbohape | ||
Orientation in International Languages
| Esperanto | orientiĝo | ||
| The word "Orientiĝo" can also mean "direction" or "position". | |||
| Latin | sexualis | ||
| The Latin word "sexualis" comes from "sexus," meaning "gender," and originally applied to anything related to birth or reproduction. | |||
Orientation in Others Languages
| Greek | προσανατολισμός | ||
| Προσανατολισμός can also refer to the alignment of something or the act of directing or guiding. | |||
| Hmong | kev taw qhia | ||
| The Hmong word "kev taw qhia" means both "orientation" and "direction." | |||
| Kurdish | rêsandin | ||
| The word "rêsandin" in Kurdish derives from the verb "rêsandin" which means "to send" or "to direct" and is used to describe the process of providing guidance or instruction. | |||
| Turkish | oryantasyon | ||
| The word "oryantasyon" can also mean "freshman week" or "the process of getting to know a new environment" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuqhelaniswa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukuqhelaniswa' originates from the root word 'ukwqhela', meaning 'to become familiar' or 'to be accustomed to', and 'iswa', a suffix that forms passive verbs, indicating that something is being done to the subject. | |||
| Yiddish | אָריענטירונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָריענטירונג" is derived from the German word "Orientierung" and also means "landmark" or "pointer." | |||
| Zulu | ukuma | ||
| The word "ukuma" in Zulu derives from the verb "ukumaka," meaning "to move around," and is also used to refer to the practice of traditional medicine. | |||
| Assamese | অভিবিন্যাস | ||
| Aymara | amuyt'ayawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | अभिविन्यास | ||
| Dhivehi | އޮރިއެންޓޭޝަން | ||
| Dogri | ओरीएन्टेशन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | oryentasyon | ||
| Guarani | mbohape | ||
| Ilocano | orientasion | ||
| Krio | usay | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاڕاستەکردن | ||
| Maithili | अनुस्थापन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯔꯤꯒꯨꯝꯕ ꯑꯃꯒ ꯆꯨꯅꯅꯕ ꯍꯣꯠꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | zirtir | ||
| Oromo | akaataa taa'umsaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଭିମୁଖ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | rikuchiy | ||
| Sanskrit | आभिमुख्य | ||
| Tatar | юнәлеш | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣንፈት | ||
| Tsonga | dyondzisa | ||