Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'patch' is a small piece of material used to cover or repair a hole or tear. Patches have been used for centuries, from repairing clothing to mending sails on ships. The significance of a patch goes beyond its functional use, as it can also symbolize a fix, a transformation, or a mark of honor. In popular culture, patches are often seen on uniforms, backpacks, and jackets, representing affiliations, achievements, or personal style.
Given its cultural importance and widespread use, knowing the translation of 'patch' in different languages can be quite useful. For instance, in Spanish, a patch is 'un parche'; in French, it's 'un patch'; in German, it's 'ein Flicken'; in Italian, it's 'un patch'; and in Japanese, it's 'パッチ (patchi)'.
Exploring these translations not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into how different cultures perceive and utilize this simple yet versatile item. So, whether you're traveling, studying a new language, or simply expanding your cultural knowledge, understanding the word 'patch' in various languages can be a fascinating journey.
Afrikaans | pleister | ||
The Afrikaans word "pleister" may have derived from the German "pflaster" or the English "plaster," both referring to a wound covering or a patch. | |||
Amharic | ማጣበቂያ | ||
The word "ማጣበቂያ" can also mean "a guard" or "a guardian" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | faci | ||
Hausa 'faci' is related to 'faci' in Songhay and also appears in Mumuye, while 'faci' in Jukun and Fali appear to be unrelated loanwords from Hausa. | |||
Igbo | patch | ||
Igbo word "patch" derives from "pach," also means to mend, repair, or cover a hole. | |||
Malagasy | damba | ||
The word "damba" in Malagasy also means "to cover" or "to fill up" and comes from the root word "dambo" meaning "to close" or "to shut"} | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chigamba | ||
The word "chigamba" is also used figuratively to refer to a temporary or makeshift arrangement or solution. | |||
Shona | chigamba | ||
The word "chigamba" is also used to refer to a piece of cloth sewn onto a garment to conceal a tear or worn area. | |||
Somali | balastar | ||
The word "balastar" is also used to mean "to patch up," "to mend," or "to repair." | |||
Sesotho | setsiba | ||
In Sesotho, "setsiba" is also used metaphorically to refer to an individual who is always in trouble or causing chaos. | |||
Swahili | kiraka | ||
In Swahili, "kiraka" can also refer to a small piece of cloth used to repair or strengthen a torn area. | |||
Xhosa | isiziba | ||
In astronomy, a group of stars can be called an 'isiziba' | |||
Yoruba | alemo | ||
The word "alemo" also means "a large, flat piece of something" or "a wide expanse of land" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | isichibi | ||
Isichibi can also refer to a small piece of cloth or leather. | |||
Bambara | ka bari | ||
Ewe | tre nu | ||
Kinyarwanda | patch | ||
Lingala | eteni ya elamba | ||
Luganda | ekiraaka | ||
Sepedi | segaswa | ||
Twi (Akan) | mfamyɛ | ||
Arabic | رقعة قماشية | ||
It comes from the word **رقع** meaning to mend, so it is a piece of fabric that is sewn or glued over a hole or tear in another piece of fabric. | |||
Hebrew | תיקון | ||
In addition to its primary meaning as "patch," "תיקון" also refers to "repair," "correction," or "rectification" in Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | ټوټه | ||
The word "ټوټه" in Pashto also means a fragment or a piece of something. | |||
Arabic | رقعة قماشية | ||
It comes from the word **رقع** meaning to mend, so it is a piece of fabric that is sewn or glued over a hole or tear in another piece of fabric. |
Albanian | patch | ||
In Albanian, "patch" also refers to a "rag" or a "piece of cloth". | |||
Basque | adabaki | ||
The Basque word "adabaki" may also refer to an "area enclosed by hedges" or an "old, worn-out garment." | |||
Catalan | pegat | ||
The Catalan word "pegat" (meaning "patch") comes from the Latin word "pectus" (meaning "chest"). | |||
Croatian | zakrpa | ||
"Zakrpa" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*zakrъpa" meaning "something sewn on". | |||
Danish | lappe | ||
The word "lappe" also means "small piece of cloth" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | patch | ||
In Dutch, "patch" can also mean "clown" or "jester". | |||
English | patch | ||
The noun patch shares a root with its synonyms plot or parcel and is related to the noun path and the verb pack | |||
French | pièce | ||
The word "pièce" in French can also mean "room" or "coin". | |||
Frisian | patch | ||
In Frisian, "patch" comes from the Old English word "pæcc" meaning both "a piece of cloth" and "an area of land." | |||
Galician | parche | ||
Galician "parche" likely derives from Latin "pars, partis" but can also refer to a plaster or a clown. | |||
German | patch | ||
Icelandic | plástur | ||
The Icelandic word "plástur" is thought to originate from the Latin word "emplastrum", meaning a medicinal plaster. | |||
Irish | paiste | ||
The Irish word "paiste" comes from the French word "paste" and originally referred to a poultice or salve | |||
Italian | patch | ||
In Italian, | |||
Luxembourgish | flécken | ||
The Luxembourgish word "flécken" is cognate with the German "Fleck" and can also mean "village" or "town". | |||
Maltese | garża | ||
The word "garża" likely derives from the Arabic word "qur`ah" meaning "plaster", or from the Italian word "garza" meaning "gauze or surgical dressing". | |||
Norwegian | lapp | ||
The Norwegian word "lapp" can also refer to a type of traditional Scandinavian knife or a piece of fabric used to repair or strengthen a garment. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fragmento | ||
"Fragmento" also means a fragment of something, e.g. a text. | |||
Scots Gaelic | paiste | ||
In Scots Gaelic, 'paiste' means 'a patch' but can also mean 'a lump'. | |||
Spanish | parche | ||
The word "parche" in Spanish also refers to a meeting point or a group of friends. | |||
Swedish | lappa | ||
The word "lappa" can also refer to a type of plant, the burdock, which has burrs that attach to clothing and the fur of animals. | |||
Welsh | clwt | ||
In Welsh, "clwt" has an alternate meaning of "piece" or "fragment". |
Belarusian | пластыр | ||
The word "пластыр" in Belarusian is derived from the Greek word "emplastron," meaning "plaster." It can also refer to a type of adhesive bandage or a plaster cast. | |||
Bosnian | zakrpa | ||
The Bosnian word "zakrpa" also means a "cover-up" or a "pretense" | |||
Bulgarian | кръпка | ||
The word "кръпка" also has the figurative meaning of "a solution to a problem" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | náplast | ||
The word "náplast" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *naplatь, meaning "layer" or "covering." | |||
Estonian | plaaster | ||
In archaic Estonian, plaaster can also mean "small amount" or "thin layer". | |||
Finnish | laastari | ||
The word "laastari" is thought to derive either from the Baltic word "lastas" (piece of cloth) or the Swedish word "laster" (rags). | |||
Hungarian | tapasz | ||
The word "tapasz" also means "adhesion" in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | plāksteris | ||
The word "plāksteris" is related to the word "plāce", which means "place" or "spot", and is used to describe a small piece of material that is used to cover a hole or tear. | |||
Lithuanian | pleistras | ||
The word "pleistras" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *pleist-, meaning "to stick together, to glue". | |||
Macedonian | лепенка | ||
The word "лепенка" also refers to a type of flatbread made from cornmeal. | |||
Polish | łata | ||
"Łata" means both "patch" as in a sewn-on piece of fabric, and "shoddy work done hastily." | |||
Romanian | plasture | ||
In Romanian, the word "plasture" also means "plaster" in the sense of a medical dressing, derived from the French word "emplâtre". | |||
Russian | патч | ||
The word "патч" can also refer to a patch of land or a small settlement in Russian. | |||
Serbian | закрпа | ||
Закрпа can also mean 'fix', 'bandage', 'protection', 'solution', or 'remedy'. | |||
Slovak | náplasť | ||
The word 'náplasť' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'naplastь', which meant 'bandage' or 'plaster'. | |||
Slovenian | obliž | ||
"Obliž" also means "a person who likes to eat" in the Štajerska region of Slovenia. | |||
Ukrainian | патч | ||
In Ukrainian, "патч" (patch) can also refer to a small piece of fabric sewn onto clothing for decorative purposes. |
Bengali | প্যাচ | ||
In Bengali, "প্যাচ" (patch) can also refer to a small group of people or a gathering of animals. | |||
Gujarati | પેચ | ||
પેચ (patch) is derived from the Latin word 'patta,' meaning 'a piece of cloth,' and also refers to a 'bandage' or 'piece of material used to repair' in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | पैच | ||
In Hindi, the word "पैच" can also refer to a small piece of cloth used to repair a torn garment. | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ಯಾಚ್ | ||
"ಪ್ಯಾಚ್" also means "to be joined together" and "to be reconciled" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | പാച്ച് | ||
The word "പാച്ച്" can also mean "a piece of cloth used to mend a torn garment" or "a small piece of land" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | पॅच | ||
The word "पॅच" (patch) can also mean a small piece of cloth sewn onto a garment to repair a hole or cover a stain. | |||
Nepali | प्याच | ||
Derived from the Sanskrit word 'patt' meaning 'cloth', 'pyach' also refers to a group of people with a similar trait | |||
Punjabi | ਪੈਚ | ||
The word "ਪੈਚ" in Punjabi can also refer to a small piece of land or a village. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැච් | ||
Sinhala word "පැච්" can also mean "a piece of cloth put over a torn part to strengthen it". | |||
Tamil | இணைப்பு | ||
The word "இணைப்பு" can also mean "connection" or "attachment". | |||
Telugu | పాచ్ | ||
The word "పాచ్" also refers to a small piece of cloth used to mend torn clothing, an area of land, or a mark on the skin. | |||
Urdu | پیچ | ||
The Urdu word "پیچ" (patch) can also refer to a type of traditional Indian trousers, similar to salwar. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 补丁 | ||
In Chinese, "补丁" can also refer to a software update or a temporary fix to a computer problem. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 補丁 | ||
In Taiwanese Hokkien, "補丁" (phóo-thiaⁿ) can also refer to a small child who is naughty or mischievous. | |||
Japanese | パッチ | ||
In Japanese, the word "パッチ" can also refer to a small or cute person or animal. | |||
Korean | 반점 | ||
The Korean word '반점' not only signifies a patch but also holds the meaning of a 'speck' or 'spot' that can be found on the surface. | |||
Mongolian | нөхөөс | ||
The Mongolian word "нөхөөс" (patch) can also refer to a "bandage" or "adhesive plaster". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကွမ်းခြံကုန်း | ||
Indonesian | tambalan | ||
The word "tambalan" can also refer to a temporary solution or remedy. | |||
Javanese | tambalan | ||
The word "tambalan" in Javanese has an alternate meaning, "a small portion of something that is given to someone in addition to the main portion". | |||
Khmer | បំណះ | ||
The word "បំណះ" also has alternate meanings, including "to teach" and "to explain." | |||
Lao | patch | ||
In Lao, "patch" also refers to a type of traditional fabric patchwork or embroidery. | |||
Malay | tampalan | ||
The Malay word "tampalan" may have originated from the Tamil "tamppal" or the Javanese "tompel". | |||
Thai | ปะ | ||
The Thai word "ปะ" also means "to meet" or "to encounter". | |||
Vietnamese | vá | ||
"Vá" can refer to the verb "to patch" (e.g. clothes) or a noun for "rice paddies in the middle of the sea". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | patch | ||
Azerbaijani | yamaq | ||
It could either come from the root | |||
Kazakh | патч | ||
The Kazakh word "патч" also refers to a "piece" or "fragment" of something. | |||
Kyrgyz | жамаачы | ||
The word 'жамаачы' in Kyrgyz can also refer to a type of traditional Kyrgyz garment. | |||
Tajik | дарбеҳ | ||
The word "дарбеҳ" is derived from the Persian word "داربست" meaning "scaffolding" or "framework". | |||
Turkmen | patch | ||
Uzbek | yamoq | ||
Yamoq may also refer to a piece of cloth or leather used to repair a hole or tear. | |||
Uyghur | ياماق | ||
Hawaiian | kāʻei | ||
The word "kāʻei" also refers to a "fishhook" or the "bait" used on a hook and may be related to the Tahitian word "kae" meaning "to stick". | |||
Maori | papaki | ||
"Papatu" is another form of the word "papaki" used to describe a "patch of land". | |||
Samoan | fono | ||
In Samoan, 'fono' also refers to a meeting or council of chiefs. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tambalan | ||
The word "tambalan" also means a place of shelter or a hideout. |
Aymara | parchi | ||
Guarani | mbotyha | ||
Esperanto | flikaĵo | ||
The Esperantist term “flikaĵo” shares the same Indo-European root with the English word “flick” (“rapid small movement”). | |||
Latin | lacus | ||
In medieval Latin, 'lacus' could refer to a lake, marsh, pond, or other body of shallow water. |
Greek | κηλίδα | ||
The Greek word "κηλίδα" is etymologically linked to the Sanskrit term "khila", meaning "a hole" or "a gap", indicating the original sense of "κηλίδα" as a flaw or defect. | |||
Hmong | thaj | ||
"Thaj" also means "to mend" or "to repair" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | pîne | ||
The word "pîne" also means "bandage" or "plaster" in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | yama | ||
In Turkish, "yama" can also refer to a piece of fabric added to repair a torn garment | |||
Xhosa | isiziba | ||
In astronomy, a group of stars can be called an 'isiziba' | |||
Yiddish | לאַטע | ||
In Yiddish, the word "לאַטע" (late) derives from the German "Lappen" (rag) and also carries the meaning of "a piece of land." | |||
Zulu | isichibi | ||
Isichibi can also refer to a small piece of cloth or leather. | |||
Assamese | টুকুৰা | ||
Aymara | parchi | ||
Bhojpuri | चेपी | ||
Dhivehi | ޕެޗް | ||
Dogri | गंढान | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | patch | ||
Guarani | mbotyha | ||
Ilocano | patse | ||
Krio | af pat | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پینە | ||
Maithili | चेपी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯝꯖꯤꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | thawm | ||
Oromo | erbee | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ୟାଚ୍ | ||
Quechua | allichay | ||
Sanskrit | कर्पटक | ||
Tatar | яма | ||
Tigrinya | ንእሽተይ ቦታ | ||
Tsonga | siva | ||