Updated on March 6, 2024
The piano, a musical instrument with a rich history and profound significance, has been a cornerstone of culture and creativity for centuries. Invented in the early 1700s by Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian harpsichord maker, the piano has since become a symbol of artistic expression, enjoyed by people all around the world.
As a universal language, music transcends borders and connects us all. By knowing the translation of 'piano' in different languages, you can better appreciate the global impact of this magnificent instrument and engage with fellow music lovers from various cultural backgrounds.
For instance, in Spanish, 'piano' is 'piano', while in French, it's 'piano'. In German, it's 'Klavier', and in Japanese, it's 'ピアノ' (Piano). These translations not only reflect the diversity of global languages but also highlight the far-reaching influence of the piano in shaping our shared musical experiences.
Discover the beauty of the piano in various languages and expand your cultural horizons as you delve into the world of music and linguistics.
Afrikaans | beplan | ||
In Afrikaans, "beplan" means "to plan" and is unrelated to music, unlike its namesake "piano" in English. | |||
Amharic | ዕቅድ | ||
In Amharic, "ዕቅድ" can also refer to a plan or a strategy. | |||
Hausa | shirya | ||
The word 'shirya' in Hausa likely originated from the Arabic word 'shariqah', meaning 'an object that makes a sound' or 'a musical instrument'. | |||
Igbo | atụmatụ | ||
"Atụmatụ" in Igbo also means "thoughtful planning" or "design for a specific purpose." | |||
Malagasy | alamino mialoha | ||
The word "ALAMINO MIALOHA" is a Malagasy composite word meaning "stringed instrument of love". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | konzani | ||
The word "konzani" is derived from the Zulu word "inqoqo" meaning "box". | |||
Shona | kuronga | ||
The word "kuronga" in Shona has multiple meanings, including "to play the piano", "to write", and "to compose music". | |||
Somali | qorshe | ||
In Somali, the word 'qorshe' is also the term for a 'plan', possibly stemming from the idea of a structured melody in a piece of music | |||
Sesotho | leano | ||
The Sesotho word "leano" is derived from the Dutch word "piano", which also means "soft" or "gentle". | |||
Swahili | mpango | ||
M'pango may also mean 'a plan' or 'a scheme' in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | icebo | ||
The word "icebo" in Xhosa comes from the word "iceba", which means "to make music." | |||
Yoruba | gbero | ||
The word "gbero" can also mean "a person who plays the piano" or "a piano tuner". | |||
Zulu | ukuhlela | ||
Ukuhlela, meaning "to make beautiful," is also used to describe the sound produced by a piano's keys. | |||
Bambara | piano (piano) ye | ||
Ewe | piano si wotsɔna ƒoa saŋku | ||
Kinyarwanda | piyano | ||
Lingala | piano ya kosala | ||
Luganda | piyano | ||
Sepedi | piano | ||
Twi (Akan) | piano a wɔde bɔ nnwom | ||
Arabic | خطة | ||
In Arabic, the word "خطة" (khattah) not only refers to a musical instrument, but also has meanings related to planning, drawing, and writing. | |||
Hebrew | לְתַכְנֵן | ||
The Hebrew word "לְתַכְנֵן" primarily means "to plan" or "to design", but it can also refer to the musical instrument "piano". | |||
Pashto | پلان | ||
The Pashto word "پلان" (pronounced "piano") is not related to the English word "piano." Instead, it means "plan," "design," or "intent."} | |||
Arabic | خطة | ||
In Arabic, the word "خطة" (khattah) not only refers to a musical instrument, but also has meanings related to planning, drawing, and writing. |
Albanian | planifikoj | ||
The word "planifikoj" in Albanian is also used to refer to a "plan, project, or design". | |||
Basque | plana | ||
In Basque, the word "plana" can also refer to a flat or plain area and a flatboat. | |||
Catalan | pla | ||
In Catalan, "pla" can also refer to a flat surface, such as a floor or a table. | |||
Croatian | plan | ||
In Croatian, the word 'plan' can also refer to a mountain pasture, a field, or a plain. | |||
Danish | plan | ||
In Danish, "plan" can also refer to a "map" or "drawing." | |||
Dutch | plan | ||
The Dutch word "plan" can also refer to a wooden floor or a field. | |||
English | piano | ||
The word piano derives from the Italian word 'pianoforte', which means 'soft-loud'. | |||
French | plan | ||
In French, a "plan" also refers to a map, blueprint, or layout, deriving from Latin's planum meaning "flat". | |||
Frisian | plan | ||
The word "plan" also means "plot" or "map" in Frisian. | |||
Galician | plan | ||
Galician "plan" is used as a synonym of "purpose" or "goal" and derives from the Latin word "planus" meaning "flat" or "level". | |||
German | planen | ||
The German word "planen" can also mean "to plan" or "to level" | |||
Icelandic | skipuleggja | ||
The Icelandic word for piano, "skipuleggja," comes from a combination of "skipta," meaning "shift," and "leggja," meaning "put" or "adjust", likely referring to the shifting mechanism of the keys. | |||
Irish | plean | ||
The word 'plean' can also refer to a flat surface, a plate, or a slab. | |||
Italian | piano | ||
In Italian, 'piano' also means 'floor' or 'flat' in a building. | |||
Luxembourgish | plangen | ||
The word "plangen" is also used to refer to crying or lamenting. | |||
Maltese | pjan | ||
The Maltese word "pjan" has a root in Italian and it can also mean "plan". | |||
Norwegian | plan | ||
The word "plan" in Norwegian can also refer to a surface or level, such as the ground floor of a building. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | plano | ||
In Portuguese, "plano" can also mean "flat surface" or "map". | |||
Scots Gaelic | phlana | ||
Scots Gaelic "phlana" originated from "clavier", via French and English, which itself was borrowed from the Latin "clavis" (key), via Medieval Latin "clavicordium". | |||
Spanish | plan | ||
The Spanish word "plan" can also refer to a "scheme" or "design", or to a "flat surface". | |||
Swedish | planen | ||
This word's etymology originates from the Latin "planus" which means "flat". | |||
Welsh | cynllun | ||
The word 'cynllun' also means 'plan' or 'scheme' in Welsh, and may derive from the Latin word 'conliniare', meaning 'to draw lines together'. |
Belarusian | план | ||
Belarusian | |||
Bosnian | plan | ||
"Plan" also means "schedule" or "intention" in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | план | ||
The word "план" can also refer to a "plan" or "project" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | plán | ||
The Czech word "plán" also means "plan" or "schedule". | |||
Estonian | plaan | ||
The Estonian word "plaan" also means "plan" because the Estonian term for "piano keys" is "plaat": | |||
Finnish | suunnitelma | ||
"Suunnitelma" originally meant a plan for playing a piano, then the plan itself, and eventually any plan. | |||
Hungarian | terv | ||
The word "terv" in Hungarian is related to the German word "entwerfen," meaning "to design," and also refers to a blueprint or sketch. | |||
Latvian | plāns | ||
The word "plāns" also means "flat" or "thin" in Latvian | |||
Lithuanian | planas | ||
The Lithuanian word "planas" can also mean "plane" in English, referring to a flat surface or a level. | |||
Macedonian | план | ||
The Macedonian word 'план' is of Greek origin and refers to the flat surface of a building, table or other object, while it also means 'plan' or 'scheme'. | |||
Polish | plan | ||
While "plan" (pronounced plan) means "schedule" in Polish, "piano" is used for both the instrument and the musical term. | |||
Romanian | plan | ||
The word "plan" ("plano") in Romanian also means "drawing of a building". | |||
Russian | строить планы | ||
The Russian word for 'piano,' "строить планы," can also mean 'to make plans' | |||
Serbian | план | ||
The Serbian word "план" can also mean "a plan" or "an idea". | |||
Slovak | plán | ||
The Slovak word "plán" can also refer to a type of blueprint or map, derived from the German word "Plan" with the same meaning. | |||
Slovenian | načrt | ||
The word "načrt" in Slovenian derives from the Proto-Slavic root *čьrtъ with the meaning "drawing, sketch, plan". | |||
Ukrainian | плану | ||
The Ukrainian word "плану" can also mean "plan" or "scheme". |
Bengali | পরিকল্পনা | ||
পরিকল্পনা শব্দটির বিকল্প অর্থ হলো আঁকা বা সাজানো। | |||
Gujarati | યોજના | ||
The word "yojana" is also used in Sanskrit and Hindi to refer to a unit of distance, typically equal to about 13 kilometers. | |||
Hindi | योजना | ||
The Hindi word "योजना" can also refer to a "plan" or "scheme", derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj" meaning "to join" or "to devise". | |||
Kannada | ಯೋಜನೆ | ||
ಯೋಜನೆ (piano) is derived from the Latin word 'planus,' meaning 'flat' or 'level,' and is used in music to describe the flat surface of the keyboard. | |||
Malayalam | പദ്ധതി | ||
The word "പദ്ധതി" also refers to a plan, scheme, or project in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | योजना | ||
The Marathi word "योजना" can also refer to a scheme or plan. | |||
Nepali | योजना | ||
In Nepali, 'योजना' not only means 'piano' but also 'plan' or 'scheme'. | |||
Punjabi | ਯੋਜਨਾ | ||
The word "ਯੋਜਨਾ" also means "a plan or scheme" in Punjabi, derived from Sanskrit "yojana" meaning "a measure of distance". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සැලැස්ම | ||
The word "සැලැස්ම" (sælæsmə) originally meant "a plan or scheme" in Sinhala, but it later came to be used to refer to the musical instrument. | |||
Tamil | திட்டம் | ||
Telugu | ప్రణాళిక | ||
The word "ప్రణాళిక" (piano) in Telugu is derived from the Italian word "pianoforte," meaning "soft loud." | |||
Urdu | منصوبہ | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 计划 | ||
计划 translates to "plan" or "scheme" in English, and it literally means "calculate" in Chinese. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 計劃 | ||
計劃 can also mean plan, system, or design in Chinese. | |||
Japanese | 予定 | ||
The word "予定" (yotei) can also mean "appointment" or "schedule". | |||
Korean | 계획 | ||
The word "계획" (piano) is also used to mean "plan" in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | төлөвлөгөө | ||
The word "төлөвлөгөө" is derived from the word "төлөв" meaning "situation", suggesting the piano's ability to create various melodies. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အစီအစဉ် | ||
Indonesian | rencana | ||
The word "rencana" can also mean "plan" or "intention" in Indonesian, derived from the Malay word "rancana" meaning "to plan". | |||
Javanese | rencana | ||
Rencana in Javanese can also mean 'intention', 'purpose', 'arrangement', or 'plan' | |||
Khmer | ផែនការ | ||
The word "ផែនការ" (piano) in Khmer also means "a plan" or "a strategy". | |||
Lao | ແຜນການ | ||
The Lao word "ແຜນການ" comes from the Thai word "แผนงาน" which means "plan". In Lao, it can also be used to refer to a "pattern" or a "program". | |||
Malay | merancang | ||
**Merancang** literally means 'to design' or 'to plan', indicating the instrument's role in orchestrating melodies and harmonies. | |||
Thai | วางแผน | ||
"วางแผน" can also refer to "plan" in English. | |||
Vietnamese | kế hoạch | ||
In Vietnamese, "kế hoạch" can also be used in the context of "plan" or "intent." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | piano | ||
Azerbaijani | plan | ||
In Azerbaijani, “plan” is derived from the French word “plan” and also means “map”. | |||
Kazakh | жоспар | ||
The word "жоспар" ultimately derives from the Italian word "pianoforte", with the first part likely dropped because it sounds roughly like the Kazakh word "жоқ" (not). | |||
Kyrgyz | план | ||
В кыргызском языке слово "план" встречается и в значении "планшет". | |||
Tajik | нақша | ||
The word "нақша" also has the meanings of "plan" and "scheme" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | pianino | ||
Uzbek | reja | ||
In Spanish, "reja" can also mean a grate, a trellis or a grill. | |||
Uyghur | پىئانىنو | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻolālā | ||
"Hoʻolālā" also signifies in Hawaiian an instrument of music resembling a piano but not so complicated. | |||
Maori | mahere | ||
The word 'mahere' derives from the Māori word 'mahero', which refers to a traditional musical instrument made from wood or bone. | |||
Samoan | fuafuaga | ||
The Samoan word "fuafuaga" can alternately mean "design" or "plan". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | plano | ||
The Tagalog word "plano" can also mean "flat" or "level". |
Aymara | piano satañataki | ||
Guarani | piano rehegua | ||
Esperanto | plano | ||
The Esperanto word "plano" can also refer to a flat surface, such as a table or a floor. | |||
Latin | consilium | ||
The word "consilium" in Latin has its origin in the verb "consulere" ("to deliberate") and can also mean "advice" or "resolution". |
Greek | σχέδιο | ||
The Greek word "σχέδιο" also means "design", "outline", or "project". | |||
Hmong | txoj kev npaj | ||
The word "txoj kev npaj" (piano) literally means "prepared path" in Hmong, reflecting its ability to produce a wide range of notes with precision. | |||
Kurdish | pîlan | ||
Kurdish word pîlan derives from Persian palwan which meant "athlete" originally, and "heroic story" subsequently. | |||
Turkish | plan | ||
Turkish word 'plan' comes from French 'plane' which means 'flat' referring to a flat sheet of paper. | |||
Xhosa | icebo | ||
The word "icebo" in Xhosa comes from the word "iceba", which means "to make music." | |||
Yiddish | פּלאַן | ||
In Yiddish, "פֿלאַן" can also refer to a scheme, a plan, or a strategy. | |||
Zulu | ukuhlela | ||
Ukuhlela, meaning "to make beautiful," is also used to describe the sound produced by a piano's keys. | |||
Assamese | পিয়ানো | ||
Aymara | piano satañataki | ||
Bhojpuri | पियानो के नाम से जानल जाला | ||
Dhivehi | ޕިއާނޯ އެވެ | ||
Dogri | पियानो | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | piano | ||
Guarani | piano rehegua | ||
Ilocano | piano ti piano | ||
Krio | piano we dɛn kin yuz fɔ ple | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پیانۆ | ||
Maithili | पियानो | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯤꯌꯥꯅꯣ꯫ | ||
Mizo | piano hmanga siam a ni | ||
Oromo | piyaanoo | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପିଆନୋ | | ||
Quechua | piano | ||
Sanskrit | पियानो | ||
Tatar | фортепиано | ||
Tigrinya | ፒያኖ | ||
Tsonga | piyano | ||