Per in Different Languages
Discover 'Per' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'per' is a versatile and fascinating term, holding great significance in various cultures and languages. Derived from the Latin 'per', meaning 'through' or 'by means of', this word has evolved to represent different concepts across the globe. In English, 'per' is often used as a prefix, denoting 'according to' or 'for each'. For instance, 'per diem' translates to 'by the day', and 'per capita' means 'by heads' or 'for each person'. Understanding the translation of 'per' in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural nuances and language development. For example, in Spanish, 'per' translates to 'por', while in German, it is 'durch'. In French, 'per' can be translated as 'par'. These translations not only help in language learning but also offer a glimpse into the historical and cultural contexts of these countries. Explore the list below to discover the various translations of 'per' in different languages and deepen your understanding of global cultures.
Per
Per in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vir | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "vir" is also often used to express the purpose or reason for something, similar to the English word "for". | |||
| Amharic | ለ | ||
| In some contexts, "ለ" can also mean "like" or "as". | |||
| Hausa | domin | ||
| Hausa 'domin' (per) comes from Arabic 'darba' (time/blow/multiplication), and in Hausa also refers to a multiplication operator. | |||
| Igbo | maka | ||
| Maka also means 'by' or 'through' and is often used in proverbs to indicate the cause or reason for something. | |||
| Malagasy | ho an'ny | ||
| The word "ho an'ny" can also mean "for" or "to", indicating purpose or direction. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chifukwa | ||
| The word "chifukwa" can also refer to a place, such as a village or homestead, where people live. | |||
| Shona | nokuti | ||
| The word "nokuti" in Shona also means "because" or "for the reason that". | |||
| Somali | loogu talagalay | ||
| The word "loogu talagalay" can also mean "for the sake of" or "on behalf of". | |||
| Sesotho | bakeng sa | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "bakeng sa" has a double meaning, the primary one being "per" and the secondary one "in the name of". | |||
| Swahili | kwa | ||
| Kwa is also used as a noun, meaning 'place' or 'home'. | |||
| Xhosa | ye | ||
| The word "ye" in Xhosa can also mean "to go" or "to come". | |||
| Yoruba | fun | ||
| The Yoruba word "fun" derives from either the verb "fu" (to blow, ignite) or the noun "ifun" (joy, pleasure). | |||
| Zulu | ngoba | ||
| The word "ngoba" in Zulu also means "with" and is often used to indicate possession or accompaniment. | |||
| Bambara | per | ||
| Ewe | per | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuri | ||
| Lingala | na moko | ||
| Luganda | buli | ||
| Sepedi | ka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | per | ||
Per in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إلى عن على | ||
| "إلى عن على" may also be translated as "by","per","in" or "to the extent of" depending on context. | |||
| Hebrew | ל | ||
| Hebrew letter "ל" (lamed) has meanings of "to, for, at, on, in, before, with, toward, by, via, as, of, about, since, until, when, while, although, though, if, whether, that, because, just as, in order that, so that, in such a way that," and others. | |||
| Pashto | لپاره | ||
| The word "لپاره" also means "for" or "towards" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | إلى عن على | ||
| "إلى عن على" may also be translated as "by","per","in" or "to the extent of" depending on context. | |||
Per in Western European Languages
| Albanian | për | ||
| "Për" in Albanian can also mean "for" or "about", and is derived from the Latin word "per" meaning "through" or "by means of." | |||
| Basque | for | ||
| "For" in Basque can also mean "toward" or "against" depending on the context. | |||
| Catalan | per | ||
| In Catalan, "per" can also mean "through" or "for (a purpose)" and comes from the Latin preposition "per". | |||
| Croatian | za | ||
| "Za" is often shortened to "z" before numbers or the words "ove" or "one". | |||
| Danish | til | ||
| Til is the Danish cognate of the English word 'till' and the French word 'à'. It can also mean 'to' or 'until'. | |||
| Dutch | voor | ||
| In Dutch, "voor" can also mean "in front of" or "for (the purpose of)"} | |||
| English | per | ||
| Per can also mean 'through' in the context of time or space, and is used in 'per annum' and 'per capita'. | |||
| French | pour | ||
| The verb "verser" in French, which means "to pour," derives from the Latin "vertere," also meaning "to pour" or "to turn." | |||
| Frisian | foar | ||
| In Middle Frisian, "foar" was also used as a preposition meaning "for". | |||
| Galician | para | ||
| German | zum | ||
| The word "zum" can also mean "to the" or "at the," and is often used in conjunction with articles like "der" or "die" to indicate a specific location. | |||
| Icelandic | fyrir | ||
| The word "fyrir" can also mean "before" or "in front of". | |||
| Irish | le haghaidh | ||
| 'Le haghaidh' also means 'for the sake of' or 'on behalf of'. | |||
| Italian | per | ||
| The Latin preposition "per" is also used in Italian as an adverb and has the meaning of "through, by way of" as in "per favore" ("please") and "per esempio" ("for example"). | |||
| Luxembourgish | fir | ||
| The word "fir" in Luxembourgish is also used as a preposition meaning "for" and is derived from the French word "pour". | |||
| Maltese | għal | ||
| "Għal" can also mean "for", "to", "by", or "of". | |||
| Norwegian | til | ||
| The Norwegian word "til" is cognate with the English word "till", and originally meant "up to, as far as" but has taken on the additional meaning of "per" as in "per kilometer". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | para | ||
| Para also means "stop" in Portuguese, like in "para que o carro" (stop the car). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | airson | ||
| The Scottish Gaelic word "airson" also denotes cause (especially legal cause), purpose, or reason | |||
| Spanish | para | ||
| In the expression "parar" ("stop"), "para" means "by the side of," the same root meaning found in "parachute." | |||
| Swedish | för | ||
| In older Nordic languages, "för" could also mean "for" and is related to "für" in German and "for" in English. | |||
| Welsh | canys | ||
| The word "canys" in Welsh can be used with the meaning "for instance" or "in particular". | |||
Per in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | для | ||
| In early Russian, the word “для” denoted a tool or means to achieve something. | |||
| Bosnian | for | ||
| Bosnian "za" also functions as "for" as seen in the phrase "za stolom" (at the table, lit. for the table). | |||
| Bulgarian | за | ||
| The word "за" can also mean "about" or "for" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | pro | ||
| The Czech word "pro" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*pro", meaning "about" or "concerning". | |||
| Estonian | eest | ||
| In old Estonian, the word "eest" could also refer to "by" or "in the name of". | |||
| Finnish | varten | ||
| The word "varten" is also used in the sense of "for the sake of" or "in order to". | |||
| Hungarian | mert | ||
| Mert is derived from the Old Turkish word "mer" or "mir", meaning both "time" and "per, for each" in Hungarian. It originally denoted a specific period of time. | |||
| Latvian | priekš | ||
| The Latvian word "priekš" is cognate with Lithuanian "prieš" and Polish "przed" (both meaning "before") and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word ’preiks’. | |||
| Lithuanian | dėl | ||
| The Lithuanian word "dėl" can also mean "because of" or "concerning". | |||
| Macedonian | за | ||
| In some contexts, "за" can also mean "for" or "to". | |||
| Polish | dla | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "per," "dla" can also mean "for" and "to" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | pentru | ||
| The word "pentru" is derived from the Latin word "propter" meaning "for" and can also mean "on behalf of", "because of" or "in exchange for". | |||
| Russian | за | ||
| The Russian word "за" can also mean "behind", "for" or "in defense of". | |||
| Serbian | за | ||
| "За" is also used as a prefix in some words to denote beyond or over. | |||
| Slovak | pre | ||
| The Slovak preposition "pre" (per) is cognate with the English preposition "for" and can also mean "through" or "across". | |||
| Slovenian | za | ||
| The word "za" also means "into" or "on" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | для | ||
| The Ukrainian word "для" (per) also means "for the purpose of" and "in order to". | |||
Per in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জন্য | ||
| The Bangla word "জন্য" can also mean "for the purpose of", "in order to" or "because" depending on the context. | |||
| Gujarati | માટે | ||
| The Gujarati word "માટે" can also mean "because of" or "for the purpose of" | |||
| Hindi | के लिये | ||
| "के लिये" has alternate meanings of "because" or "on account of". | |||
| Kannada | ಗಾಗಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಗಾಗಿ" can also refer to a purpose, reason, or cause. | |||
| Malayalam | വേണ്ടി | ||
| The word "വേണ്ടി" can also mean "for the purpose of" or "on behalf of." | |||
| Marathi | च्या साठी | ||
| च्या साठी is derived from Sanskrit 'prati' indicating 'for each,' which is the basis of English 'per'. | |||
| Nepali | को लागी | ||
| The word "को लागी" ("per") in Nepali can also mean "for the sake of" or "in the interest of." | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਈ | ||
| In modern Punjabi, 'ਲਈ' can also be a preposition meaning 'during', 'in' (of quantity), 'of', or 'to' (used before the indirect object of a sentence). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සදහා | ||
| The word "සදහා" can also mean "for the sake of" or "on behalf of". | |||
| Tamil | க்கு | ||
| The word "க்கு" ("per") in Tamil has alternate meanings such as "to" and "for". | |||
| Telugu | కోసం | ||
| The word "కోసం" can also be used to indicate exchange, indicating the action "in return for". | |||
| Urdu | کے لئے | ||
| "کے لئے" is the Urdu translation of the English word "per", which originally stems from Latin and signifies "through" or "by means of" | |||
Per in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 对于 | ||
| The word "对于" also means "for", "toward", or "in relation to" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 對於 | ||
| 『對於』一詞源自於『對於于』，意同『對著』，後來簡寫為『對於』，作介辭用。 | |||
| Japanese | ために | ||
| The word "ために" can also mean "in order to" or "for the purpose of". | |||
| Korean | ...에 대한 | ||
| The term "에 대한" derives from the preposition "에" (at, on, in) and the noun "대" (correspondence, match, relation), hence implying a connection or comparison to something. | |||
| Mongolian | нь | ||
| The Mongolian word "нь" (per) is derived from the Proto-Mongolic root *ben and is cognate with the Turkish word "bin" (thousand). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဘို့ | ||
Per in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | untuk | ||
| "Untuk" also means "per" or "each" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | kanggo | ||
| In Javanese, "kanggo" is derived from the root word "anggep", which means "consider" or "regard as". | |||
| Khmer | សម្រាប់ | ||
| The word សម្រាប់ can also mean "on behalf of" as well as "according to." | |||
| Lao | ສຳ ລັບ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malay | untuk | ||
| "Untuk" is also used as a preposition meaning "to", "for", or "in order to". | |||
| Thai | สำหรับ | ||
| According to the Royal Society, the word "สำหรับ" originally meant "suitable" or "appropriate". | |||
| Vietnamese | cho | ||
| The Vietnamese word "cho" may derive from the Chinese word "dòu" which means "to receive" or "to contain." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bawat | ||
Per in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | üçün | ||
| The word "üçün" also means "three" in Azerbaijani, which sometimes results in confusion with the "per" meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | үшін | ||
| "Yішин" has an alternate meaning in Kazakh equivalent to "over" in English. | |||
| Kyrgyz | үчүн | ||
| The Kyrgyz word 'үчүн' not only means 'per' but also 'for the sake of', 'in exchange for', and 'because of'. | |||
| Tajik | барои | ||
| The word “барои” is sometimes used to mean “for the sake of” or “in the interests of”. | |||
| Turkmen | başyna | ||
| Uzbek | uchun | ||
| "Uchun" is also one of the Uzbek words for "for" and used to denote the purpose of an action. | |||
| Uyghur | per | ||
Per in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | no ka mea | ||
| In Hawaiian, "no ka mea" can also mean "for the sake of" or "in order to." | |||
| Maori | hoki | ||
| "Hoki" also means "return" in Maori, as in "return to where you came from." | |||
| Samoan | aua | ||
| The word “aua” also means “to carry on one’s shoulders”. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | para sa | ||
| The preposition "para sa" can also mean "with" (a person), especially in certain idiomatic expressions. | |||
Per in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | per | ||
| Guarani | per | ||
Per in International Languages
| Esperanto | por | ||
| In esperanto "per" has only two meanings, "per" and "por" but it's always pronounced as "por" | |||
| Latin | quia | ||
| "Quia" in Latin means "since" or "because" and is an older form of "quia" meaning "per". | |||
Per in Others Languages
| Greek | για | ||
| The word "Για" in Greek can also mean "for", "on behalf of", or "in exchange for". | |||
| Hmong | rau | ||
| In addition to meaning "through" or "by", this word "rau" ("per") also means "in order to" or "so that" in an indirect object construction. | |||
| Kurdish | bo | ||
| The word "bo" in Kurdish can also mean "by", "on", or "through". | |||
| Turkish | için | ||
| The Turkish word "için" can also mean "to", "for", "towards", "in" or "on account of". | |||
| Xhosa | ye | ||
| The word "ye" in Xhosa can also mean "to go" or "to come". | |||
| Yiddish | פֿאַר | ||
| Yiddish "פֿאַר" (far) derives from the German preposition "für" (for), which also means "in front of" or "instead of". | |||
| Zulu | ngoba | ||
| The word "ngoba" in Zulu also means "with" and is often used to indicate possession or accompaniment. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতি | ||
| Aymara | per | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रति के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕަރ | ||
| Dogri | प्रति | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bawat | ||
| Guarani | per | ||
| Ilocano | kada | ||
| Krio | per | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆ هەر... | ||
| Maithili | प्रति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯨꯡ ꯏꯟꯅꯥ ꯑꯦꯟ | ||
| Mizo | per | ||
| Oromo | per | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତି | ||
| Quechua | per | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रति | ||
| Tatar | башына | ||
| Tigrinya | ንነፍሲ ወከፍ | ||
| Tsonga | hi ku ya hi | ||