Photograph in Different Languages
Discover 'Photograph' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A photograph is more than just a picture; it's a moment frozen in time, a story waiting to be told, a memory waiting to be rekindled. Since its invention in the early 19th century, photography has become a significant part of our cultural fabric, documenting our history, shaping our identities, and capturing our collective imagination.
Understanding the translation of the word 'photograph' in different languages not only broadens our linguistic abilities but also offers a fascinating glimpse into the cultural importance of photography around the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'photograph' is 'fotografía', in French it's 'photographie', and in German, it's 'Fotografie'. Each language reflects its own unique photographic traditions and histories.
Whether you're a photography enthusiast, a language learner, or a cultural explorer, understanding the word 'photograph' in various languages can enrich your appreciation of this universal art form and the diverse cultures it touches.
Photograph
Photograph in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | foto | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'foto' originates from the Greek word 'phos' meaning 'light' and is related to the English word 'photography'. | |||
| Amharic | ፎቶግራፍ | ||
| The word ''ፎቶግራፍ'' is derived from the Greek words ''φως'' (''phos'') meaning 'light' and ''γραφία'' (''graphe'') meaning 'writing', reflecting the process of capturing light to create an image. | |||
| Hausa | hoto | ||
| The name 'hoto' is derived from the Arabic word 'suwar', which also means 'picture' or 'image'. | |||
| Igbo | foto | ||
| 'Foto' is a loanword from English, but it can also refer to a 'picture' or 'image' in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | sary | ||
| The word "sary" in Malagasy also means "picture" or "drawing". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chithunzi | ||
| The word "chithunzi" also means "shadow" or "reflection" in Nyanja, reflecting its historical use as a way to capture the essence of an individual. | |||
| Shona | mufananidzo | ||
| "Mufananidzo" is ultimately derived from the root "fanana," meaning "to compare" or "to make like." | |||
| Somali | sawir | ||
| Somali word "sawir" can also mean "image" or "painting". | |||
| Sesotho | setšoantšo | ||
| Swahili | picha | ||
| Picha, meaning 'photograph' in Swahili, also refers to a 'picture' or 'image' in general. | |||
| Xhosa | ifoto | ||
| In Xhosa, ifoto also refers to a physical image, such as a painting or drawing. | |||
| Yoruba | aworan | ||
| Aworan derives from the phrases 'a rí ohun' ('one sees something') and 'ọ̀rọ̀ àn' ('statement of seeing'), as a photograph is a statement of seeing. | |||
| Zulu | isithombe | ||
| It comes from 'i' (plural prefix for nouns), '-sitha-' (verb: 'to be seen' or 'to show'), and '-m' (noun suffix meaning 'that by which'): a noun denoting 'that by which something is shown'. | |||
| Bambara | foto dɔ | ||
| Ewe | fotoɖeɖefia | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ifoto | ||
| Lingala | fɔtɔ́ oyo ezali na kati | ||
| Luganda | ekifaananyi | ||
| Sepedi | senepe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mfonini no | ||
Photograph in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تصوير | ||
| The Arabic word "تصوير" is derived from the root "ص و ر", meaning "to draw" or "to depict", and has the alternate meaning of "illustration" or "painting" in addition to "photography". | |||
| Hebrew | תַצלוּם | ||
| The Hebrew word "תצלום" (photograph) comes from the root צלם (tzelam), meaning "image" or "shadow". | |||
| Pashto | عکس | ||
| The word "عکس" also means "reflection" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | تصوير | ||
| The Arabic word "تصوير" is derived from the root "ص و ر", meaning "to draw" or "to depict", and has the alternate meaning of "illustration" or "painting" in addition to "photography". | |||
Photograph in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fotografi | ||
| The Albanian word "fotografi" (photograph) originated from the Greek word "φωτογραφία" (photographia), which literally means "light writing" or "drawing with light". | |||
| Basque | argazkia | ||
| The Basque word "argazkia" derives from the Ancient Greek word "argyrographia", meaning "silver writing." | |||
| Catalan | fotografia | ||
| The word "fotografia" is derived from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphe" (writing or drawing). | |||
| Croatian | fotografirati | ||
| The Croatian word 'fotografirati', meaning 'to photograph', is derived from the Greek words 'phos' (light) and 'graphein' (write or draw), thus literally translating to 'writing/drawing with light'. | |||
| Danish | fotografi | ||
| The Danish word fotografi means both "photograph" and in a slang sense "a photograph taken with a mobile phone." | |||
| Dutch | fotograaf | ||
| Het woord "fotograaf" stamt af van het Griekse "phos" (licht) en "graphein" (schrijven), wat "het schrijven met licht" betekent. | |||
| English | photograph | ||
| The word "photograph" comes from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), reflecting its original meaning of "writing with light." | |||
| French | photographier | ||
| The French word "photographier" derives from the Greek words "phos," meaning light, and "graphein," meaning to write or draw, hence "drawing with light." | |||
| Frisian | foto | ||
| In Frisian, "foto" can also refer to a snapshot or a moment in time. | |||
| Galician | fotografía | ||
| The Galician word "fotografía" is a cognate of the Spanish word "fotografía", which in turn is derived from the Greek words "φῶς" (phôs), meaning "light", and "γράφειν" (graphein), meaning "to write". Thus, the word "fotografía" literally means "light writing". | |||
| German | foto | ||
| The German word "Foto" is the truncation of the Greek word "Photographie", a compound formed from the Greek terms "Phos" (light) and "Graphe" (writing) | |||
| Icelandic | ljósmynd | ||
| In addition to "photographs," "ljósmynd" in Icelandic can also refer to movies as well as photographs taken with x-rays, thermography, or similar instruments. | |||
| Irish | grianghraf | ||
| "Grianghraf" is an Old Irish word meaning "the act of sun writing". In modern Irish, it is used to mean "photograph". | |||
| Italian | fotografia | ||
| In Italian, the term "fotografia" is derived from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), meaning "writing with light." | |||
| Luxembourgish | foto | ||
| The word "Foto" in Luxembourgish can also refer to photography in general or the art of taking pictures. | |||
| Maltese | ritratt | ||
| The Maltese word "ritratt" derives from the Italian word "ritratto," meaning "portrait." | |||
| Norwegian | fotografi | ||
| "Fotografi" is the Norwegian word for "photograph" and originates from the Greek word "φῶς" (phōs; "light") and "γραφίς" (graphís; "stylus"), meaning "drawing with light." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fotografia | ||
| The Portuguese word "fotografia" originally referred to a method of drawing by means of light, and only later came to mean a photograph. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dealbh | ||
| In Scottish Gaelic, "dealbh" can refer both to a photograph and to an apparition. | |||
| Spanish | fotografía | ||
| The word "fotografía" in Spanish derives from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), alluding to the process of capturing light using a camera. | |||
| Swedish | fotografera | ||
| "Fotografera" ultimately derives from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), reflecting its original meaning as "writing with light." | |||
| Welsh | ffotograff | ||
| The spelling "ffotograff" is a more traditional spelling, but the spelling "photograph" is more common in modern Welsh. | |||
Photograph in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | фатаграфаваць | ||
| The word "фатаграфаваць" is derived from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), meaning "to write with light." | |||
| Bosnian | fotografija | ||
| Fotografija comes from Greek "phōs" (light) and "graphein" (to draw), meaning "drawing with light." | |||
| Bulgarian | снимка | ||
| The Bulgarian word "снимка" also has the meaning of "snapshot" and is a derivative of the verb "снимам" (to shoot). | |||
| Czech | fotografie | ||
| The Czech word "fotografie" is derived from the Greek words "phōs" (light) and "graphein" (to write), and it can also mean "painting with light". | |||
| Estonian | fotograaf | ||
| Fotograaf is derived from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), and it refers to the process of capturing an image using light-sensitive materials. | |||
| Finnish | valokuva | ||
| "Valokuva" is a compound word that literally means "light picture". | |||
| Hungarian | fénykép | ||
| "Fénykép" is a compound word, "fény" meaning "light" and "kép" meaning "picture". | |||
| Latvian | fotografēt | ||
| "Fotografēt" is a verb derived from the Greek words "φως" (light) and "γραφειν" (to write), indicating its meaning as "to write with light." | |||
| Lithuanian | fotografuoti | ||
| The word "fotografuoti" in Lithuanian derives from the Greek words "φως" (phos, "light") and "γράφω" (graphō, "to write"). | |||
| Macedonian | фотографија | ||
| The word "фотографија" is derived from the Greek words "φῶς" (light) and "γράφειν" (to write), and it can also refer to a photographic image or a photograph album. | |||
| Polish | fotografia | ||
| The word fotografia derives from the Greek words "φως" (phos) meaning "light" and "γραφειν" (graphein) meaning "to write". | |||
| Romanian | fotografie | ||
| The word 'fotografie' in Romanian has various alternate meanings including 'radiography', 'X-ray', or 'copy' | |||
| Russian | фотография | ||
| "Фотография" also means "light painting" in Russian, as it is derived from the Greek words "φῶς" (light) and "γράφω" (to write). | |||
| Serbian | фотографирати | ||
| The Serbian word "фотографирати" derives from the Greek word φως and γράφω meaning light and writing. | |||
| Slovak | fotografia | ||
| It comes from the Greek words "phos" (meaning "light") and "graphe" (meaning "writing"), therefore, the word "fotografia" literally means "light writing". | |||
| Slovenian | fotografijo | ||
| The word "fotografijo" is derived from the Greek words "phos" (light) and "graphe" (writing), reflecting its original meaning as a "drawing with light." | |||
| Ukrainian | фотографувати | ||
| The word "фотографувати" comes from the Greek words "φῶς" (light) and "γραφειν" (to write), and it originally meant "to draw with light". | |||
Photograph in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আলোকচিত্র | ||
| আলোকচিত্র, a compound noun, is derived from Sanskrit: आलोक (āloka) meaning "light" and चित्र (chitra) meaning "picture". It is used to mean "photograph" or "photographic image" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ફોટોગ્રાફ | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'Prakash' means light, and 'lekhah' means drawing. Together they mean 'drawing with light,' which accurately describes photography. | |||
| Hindi | फोटो | ||
| The word "फोटो" is derived from the Greek word "φῶς" (phōs), meaning "light." | |||
| Kannada | .ಾಯಾಚಿತ್ರ | ||
| The word "ಾಯಾಚಿತ್ರ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "आया" (drawn) and "चित्र" (picture). | |||
| Malayalam | ഫോട്ടോ | ||
| "ഫോട്ടോ" derives from the Greek "photos" (light) and "graph" (writing), meaning "light writing." | |||
| Marathi | फोटो | ||
| The word फोटो in Marathi is derived from the Greek word 'phos', which means 'light' | |||
| Nepali | फोटो | ||
| The word 'फोटो' in Nepali is derived from the Greek word 'φως' (phōs), meaning 'light'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੋਟੋ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਫੋਟੋ" is derived from the Greek word "φῶς" meaning "light". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඡායාරූපය | ||
| Tamil | புகைப்படம் | ||
| The word 'புகைப்படம்' (photograph) in Tamil literally means 'light drawn picture'. | |||
| Telugu | ఛాయాచిత్రం | ||
| Urdu | تصویر | ||
| The word 'تصویر' (photograph) in Urdu also means 'image' or 'representation'. | |||
Photograph in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 照片 | ||
| 照片 (zhàopiàn) literally means "to copy light", and in Cantonese it refers to an X-ray or an X-ray photo. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 照片 | ||
| 「照片」在現代漢語裡只有一個意思，指用相機或其他器材把景物影像記錄在感光介質上的靜態畫面。 | |||
| Japanese | 写真 | ||
| The word "写真" (shashin) is derived from "sha" (copy) and "shin" (truth), hence meaning "copy of truth". | |||
| Korean | 사진 | ||
| The word "사진" can also refer to a photo album or gallery. | |||
| Mongolian | гэрэл зураг | ||
| The word "гэрэл зураг" originally referred to "reflection" as well as to images made using light. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဓာတ်ပုံ | ||
| ဓာတ်ပုံ has alternate meanings of a painting or image produced without manual intervention and of the natural form or character of something, in addition to meaning photograph. | |||
Photograph in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | foto | ||
| In Indonesian slang the term "foto" can also refer to a woman who has been photographed many times. | |||
| Javanese | foto | ||
| In Javanese, "foto" also means "image" or "picture" in general, not just a photograph. | |||
| Khmer | រូបថត | ||
| The word "រូបថត" is derived from the Sanskrit word "rūpa" (meaning "form" or "shape") and the Pali word "paṭi" (meaning "copy"). | |||
| Lao | ຖ່າຍຮູບ | ||
| Malay | gambar | ||
| The Javanese and Betawi word 'gambar' derives from the Sanskrit 'gambheer' (deep) as paintings were considered profound. | |||
| Thai | รูปถ่าย | ||
| รูปถ่าย (ruup-thaa-y) is a Thai word that combines the words รูป (ruup) meaning "form" or "shape" and ถ่าย (thaa-y) meaning "to take". The word can also refer to a "snapshot" or an "image". | |||
| Vietnamese | ảnh chụp | ||
| The Vietnamese word "ảnh chụp" originally meant "reflection in water" but is now used exclusively for "photograph" as a result of French colonial influence via the word "cliché". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | litrato | ||
Photograph in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fotoşəkil | ||
| The Azerbaijani word “fotoşəkil” derives from French “photographie.” | |||
| Kazakh | фотосурет | ||
| The word "фотосурет" in Kazakh originates from the Russian word "фотография" and the Kazakh suffix "-ет", meaning "process" or "result". The word can also be used to refer to a photograph taken with a camera or a photograph printed on paper. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүрөт | ||
| The word "сүрөт" in Kyrgyz derives from the Arabic "sur" meaning "image" or "representation." | |||
| Tajik | акс | ||
| The word "акс" in Tajik may also refer to a camera and the process of taking a photograph. | |||
| Turkmen | surat | ||
| Uzbek | fotosurat | ||
| The word 'fotosurat' is derived from the Greek words 'phos' and 'graphein,' meaning 'light' and 'to write,' respectively. | |||
| Uyghur | سۈرەت | ||
Photograph in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiʻi paʻi kiʻi | ||
| The word 'kiʻi paʻi kiʻi' literally translates to 'picture struck by a blow,' capturing the early photographic process of pressing an image onto a surface. | |||
| Maori | whakaahua | ||
| The word "whakaahua" in Maori also means "to make an image" or "to draw a picture." | |||
| Samoan | ata puʻeina | ||
| Ata puʻeina translates into English as "captured light" or "photographed". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | litrato | ||
| "Litrato" is derived from the Spanish word "retrato" which means "portrait" or "likeness". | |||
Photograph in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | fotografía uñacht’ayaña | ||
| Guarani | ta’angambyrýpe | ||
Photograph in International Languages
| Esperanto | foto | ||
| The Esperanto word "foto" derives from the Greek word "phos" meaning "light" and is cognate with the English word "photo". | |||
| Latin | scan | ||
| In Latin, 'scan' can also mean 'to measure' or 'to examine thoroughly' | |||
Photograph in Others Languages
| Greek | φωτογραφία | ||
| "Φωτογραφία" derives from Greek "φῶς" (light) and "γράφω" (writing), but also means "writing with (a kind of) light". | |||
| Hmong | thaij duab | ||
| "Thaij duab" also means to 'capture' or 'seize' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | sûret | ||
| The word "sûret" also refers to "face" in Kurdish, which reflects the connection between photography and the act of capturing a person's likeness. | |||
| Turkish | fotoğraf | ||
| The word "fotoğraf" is derived from the Greek words "photos" (light) and "graphein" (to write), thus meaning "drawing with light". | |||
| Xhosa | ifoto | ||
| In Xhosa, ifoto also refers to a physical image, such as a painting or drawing. | |||
| Yiddish | פאָטאָגראַפיע | ||
| The noun 'פאָטאָגראַפיע' is a Yiddish loanword from Greek meaning "painting with light". | |||
| Zulu | isithombe | ||
| It comes from 'i' (plural prefix for nouns), '-sitha-' (verb: 'to be seen' or 'to show'), and '-m' (noun suffix meaning 'that by which'): a noun denoting 'that by which something is shown'. | |||
| Assamese | ফটোগ্ৰাফ | ||
| Aymara | fotografía uñacht’ayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | फोटो के फोटो बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ފޮޓޯއެކެވެ | ||
| Dogri | फोटो खिंचवाया | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | litrato | ||
| Guarani | ta’angambyrýpe | ||
| Ilocano | retrato | ||
| Krio | foto we dɛn tek | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وێنە | ||
| Maithili | फोटोग्राफ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯣꯇꯣꯒ꯭ꯔꯥꯐ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯌꯥꯑꯣꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | thlalak a ni | ||
| Oromo | suuraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫଟୋଗ୍ରାଫ୍ | ||
| Quechua | foto | ||
| Sanskrit | छायाचित्रम् | ||
| Tatar | фотография | ||
| Tigrinya | ስእሊ | ||
| Tsonga | xifaniso | ||