Updated on March 6, 2024
Pipes are an essential part of our daily lives, often used for transportation of water, gas, and other resources. But did you know that the word 'pipe' has a rich cultural significance and is used in various ways around the world? From the Native American pipe of peace to the iconic pipe in Peter Pan, this word has a fascinating history. Moreover, the word 'pipe' can be translated into different languages, each with its own unique cultural context.
For instance, in Spanish, 'pipe' translates to 'tubería', while in French, it's 'tuyau'. In German, it's 'Rohr', and in Japanese, it's 'パイプ (paipu)'. These translations not only help us understand the word in different languages but also offer a glimpse into the culture and traditions of the regions where they are spoken.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or just curious, learning the translations of 'pipe' in different languages can be an exciting journey. Keep reading to discover more about this common yet intriguing word.
Afrikaans | pyp | ||
The word "pyp" in Afrikaans can also refer to a blowpipe or a tube used for smoking | |||
Amharic | ቧንቧ | ||
It may also refer to a straw for drinking, a water pipe, or a drainage pipe. | |||
Hausa | bututu | ||
Hausa word 'bututu' originated from Arabic 'būṭa' which originally meant something like 'stalk' or 'reed'. | |||
Igbo | ọkpọkọ | ||
The Igbo word "ọkpọkọ" also refers to a bamboo container used for carrying water or other liquids. | |||
Malagasy | sodina | ||
In Malagasy, 'sodina' can also mean a hole or cavity. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitoliro | ||
While "chitoliro" most commonly refers to a smoking pipe, it can also mean "tube", "barrel" or "cylinder" in other contexts. | |||
Shona | pombi | ||
The word 'pombi' is also a slang expression for a cigarette in Shona. | |||
Somali | biibiile | ||
The word "biibiile" also refers to a type of traditional Somali musical instrument made of a bamboo pipe. | |||
Sesotho | phala | ||
In Sesotho "phala" originates from the Khoisan language and also means "to break through or out". | |||
Swahili | bomba | ||
Pipe in Swahili is bomba which can also mean a "thing" | |||
Xhosa | umbhobho | ||
In Xhosa, the word "umbhobho" primarily refers to a pipe used for smoking and can also mean a trumpet. | |||
Yoruba | paipu | ||
The word "paipu" in Yoruba also refers to a tobacco pipe, specifically a water pipe or hookah. | |||
Zulu | ipayipi | ||
"Ipayipi" derives from the onomatopoeia of a whistling sound produced by a pipe and also means "flute" in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | pipe (pipe) ye | ||
Ewe | pɔmpi | ||
Kinyarwanda | umuyoboro | ||
Lingala | pipe ya kosala | ||
Luganda | payipu | ||
Sepedi | phaephe | ||
Twi (Akan) | paipu | ||
Arabic | يضخ | ||
The Arabic word "يضخ" can also be traced back to the Akkadian word "pippu" which also means "pipe". | |||
Hebrew | צינור | ||
The Hebrew word "צינור" (pipe) derives from the Aramaic word "צנרת" (pipeline) and in Modern Hebrew also refers to a TV channel or a telephone line. | |||
Pashto | پايپ | ||
"پايپه" can also mean "tube" or "hollow cylinder". | |||
Arabic | يضخ | ||
The Arabic word "يضخ" can also be traced back to the Akkadian word "pippu" which also means "pipe". |
Albanian | tub | ||
The word "tub" in Albanian possibly derives from the Proto-Albanian *tūbō derived from Proto-Indo-European *tewbh- or from Proto-Albanian *tūpā derived from Proto-Indo-European *tewbʰ- meaning "to swell", but could also be an early Slavic loanword. | |||
Basque | tutua | ||
"Tutua" also means a small hill, a cone, a heap, a tomb, a barrow or a tumulus, that is, it refers to all kinds of elevations rounded at the top. | |||
Catalan | canonada | ||
Catalan "canonada" derives from a medieval Latin "canna" "a reed or reed pipe." "Cannon" in English also stems from this source and has the sense “long hollow metal or fibreglass cylinder” as well as the firearm, which is "hollow cylinder" and an object for "firing projectiles." | |||
Croatian | cijev | ||
The word 'cijev' is derived from the Latin word 'cavus' ('hollow') and is related to the words 'cevað' ('tube') and 'cistera' ('cistern'). | |||
Danish | rør | ||
The Danish word "rør" has cognates in other Germanic languages, e.g. "Röhre" in German and "rohr" in Dutch. | |||
Dutch | pijp | ||
In archaic Dutch, "pijp" also meant "tap" or "spigot". | |||
English | pipe | ||
Pipes can also refer to musical instruments or conduits for liquids or gases. | |||
French | tuyau | ||
"Tuyau" can also mean "tip" or "piece of advice" in French. | |||
Frisian | piip | ||
'Piip' also means 'spout' in Frisian. | |||
Galician | pipa | ||
In Galician, "pipa" also means "seed" and "pip" from fruits. | |||
German | rohr | ||
"Rohr" in German can also refer to a windpipe or a reed pipe. | |||
Icelandic | pípa | ||
"Pípa" means "pipe" in Icelandic, but can also refer to a type of wooden flute. | |||
Irish | píopa | ||
The Irish word "píopa" is derived from the Latin word "pipa". The Latin "pīpa" refers to a musical instrument or a tube, so "píopa" can mean either "pipe" or "musical pipe" in Irish. | |||
Italian | tubo | ||
The Italian word 'tubo' can also be used in the medical context as a term to refer to an endotracheal tube, a cannula, or a catheter. | |||
Luxembourgish | päif | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Päif" means pipe, but it can also be used to refer to a straw, drinking vessel, or a person who is a little bit "off". | |||
Maltese | pajp | ||
"Pajp" derives from Arabic "qānib", a reed. In Maghreb, "pājap" means "tube" and "straw". | |||
Norwegian | rør | ||
The word "rør" can also refer to a reed instrument played in traditional Norwegian music. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tubo | ||
In some regions or Brazil and also in Portugal, 'tubo' can refer to a catheter. | |||
Scots Gaelic | pìob | ||
The word "pìob" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a drinking straw or a funnel. | |||
Spanish | tubo | ||
Tubo can refer to the musical instrument the recorder, specifically a kind of flute, as well as the internal system of subway lines. | |||
Swedish | rör | ||
In old Swedish, the word "rör" also referred to a musical instrument or a weapon. | |||
Welsh | pibell | ||
The word 'pibell' also means 'pipe' in Breton, and is closely related to the Latin word 'pipa', meaning 'a pipe or tube'. |
Belarusian | труба | ||
The word "труба" in Belarusian can also mean a trumpet or a horn. | |||
Bosnian | cijev | ||
"Cijév" also means "hollow plant stem" in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | тръба | ||
The word "тръба" (pipe) also means "trumpet" in Bulgarian, deriving from the Old Church Slavonic word "troba" with the same meaning. | |||
Czech | trubka | ||
Trubka, when referring to a mushroom, is a false cognate of the English word "trumpet", as it instead means "fool's trumpet". | |||
Estonian | toru | ||
The word 'toru' also refers to a tube-shaped pastry filling for Estonian doughnuts and may be related to the word 'tooma', meaning 'to bring'. | |||
Finnish | putki | ||
Putki can also be used figuratively in Finnish meaning a long and narrow space like a corridor or an intestine. | |||
Hungarian | pipa | ||
The word pipa can also refer to tobacco pouches in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | caurule | ||
The word "caurule" may have originated from Old East Frisian "karule, karole" and Low German "karool." It can also denote a wooden tub | |||
Lithuanian | vamzdis | ||
"vamzdis" (pipe) comes from the German word "Rohr" (tube). | |||
Macedonian | цевка | ||
Polish | rura | ||
The word 'rura' likely originates from the Latin word 'hora', meaning 'time', as pipes were often used to measure the time of day. | |||
Romanian | conductă | ||
The Romanian word "conductă" is cognate to English "conduit" sharing etymological roots in Latin "condūcō" meaning to lead or draw. | |||
Russian | труба | ||
Тhe word труба, which is cognate with the English "trumpet," can be used to refer to a long, hollow cylindrical object of almost any type. | |||
Serbian | цев | ||
The word “цев” is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *cěvъ, which means "tube" or "pipe". | |||
Slovak | rúra | ||
The word "rúra" can also refer to the barrel of a gun or to a pipe organ. | |||
Slovenian | cev | ||
"Cev" can also be used in Slovenian to describe tubes used for medical or scientific purposes | |||
Ukrainian | труба | ||
The word "труба" in Ukrainian can also refer to a trumpet, a musical instrument. |
Bengali | পাইপ | ||
"পাইপ" (pipe) is related to the English word "pipe" which comes from the Old English word "pīpe" and originally meant "musical instrument consisting of a hollow tube pierced with holes for the fingers." | |||
Gujarati | પાઇપ | ||
The word "પાઇપ" (pipe) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पिप्पल" (pippaala), which means "a hollow tube or stem". | |||
Hindi | पाइप | ||
The word "पाइप" in Hindi can also mean "a water supply system" or "a drain." | |||
Kannada | ಪೈಪ್ | ||
The word "pipe" in Kannada can also refer to a musical instrument or a kind of traditional attire worn by men. | |||
Malayalam | പൈപ്പ് | ||
In Malayalam, 'പൈപ്പ്' ('pipe') can also refer to the tube-like part of a musical wind instrument. | |||
Marathi | पाईप | ||
In Marathi, "पाईप" can also refer to a "pipe" or "tube" used for smoking. | |||
Nepali | पाइप | ||
पाइप (pipe) also means 'to join' or 'to combine' in Nepali | |||
Punjabi | ਪਾਈਪ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਪਾਈਪ" can also mean "a cylindrical or tubular object" or "a long, narrow hole or channel." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පයිප්ප | ||
The original meaning of the Sinhala word 'පයිප්ප' (pipe) was 'tube,' but its meaning expanded over time to include 'pipe,' which was introduced via the Dutch word 'pijp'. | |||
Tamil | குழாய் | ||
"குழாய்" can also refer to the stem of a plant or a hollow object in Tamil. | |||
Telugu | పైపు | ||
The word 'పైపు' (pipe) may also refer to a type of traditional Indian musical instrument consisting of a wooden body and a bamboo or metal mouthpiece. | |||
Urdu | پائپ | ||
Pipe is also a slang term in Urdu for a young man who is handsome and stylish. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 管 | ||
管 is also used as a homophone of "管" in "无论" (wúlùn) to mean "no matter" or "regardless". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 管 | ||
管, pronounced as 'guǎn', can also mean 'to manage' or 'to care for' in Chinese. | |||
Japanese | パイプ | ||
In Japanese, "パイプ" (paipu) can also refer to a musical instrument, a type of tobacco pipe, or a conduit. | |||
Korean | 파이프 | ||
The Korean word 파이프 can also refer to a person who is skilled or knowledgeable in a particular area, similar to the English term 'expert'. | |||
Mongolian | хоолой | ||
The word “хуурай” (empty) is derived from the word “хоолой” (pipe), which refers to the emptiness of a pipe. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိုက် | ||
In Myanmar, "ပိုက်" can also mean a straw, flute, or the act of smoking. |
Indonesian | pipa | ||
In Indonesian, the word "pipa" can refer to either a smoking pipe or a musical instrument of Chinese origin. | |||
Javanese | pipa | ||
In Javanese, "pipa" can also refer to a traditional musical instrument resembling a bamboo flute. | |||
Khmer | បំពង់ | ||
The Khmer word បំពង់, besides meaning "pipe," has other definitions such as "channel" or "tube." | |||
Lao | ທໍ່ | ||
The word 'ທໍ່' ('pipe') can also refer to arteries and tendons. | |||
Malay | paip | ||
The word "paip" in Malay is derived from the Portuguese word "pipa", which means "pipe", and can also refer to a tube, hose, or conduit. | |||
Thai | ท่อ | ||
ท่อ can also mean 'canal', 'drain pipe', 'tube', or the stem of flowers. | |||
Vietnamese | ống | ||
The word "ống" can also refer to a tube, a cavity, or a hollow passage. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tubo | ||
Azerbaijani | boru | ||
Boru is also a term for a type of musical instrument similar to the flute in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | құбыр | ||
The word "құбыр" can also mean "canal" or "gutter" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | чоор | ||
The word "чоор" can also refer to a flute, a drinking vessel, or a reed stalk. | |||
Tajik | қубур | ||
The Tajik word "қубур" is also used to refer to a "ditch" or "channel". | |||
Turkmen | turba | ||
Uzbek | quvur | ||
In Karakalpak Turkic, "quvur" means "to drink". | |||
Uyghur | تۇرۇبا | ||
Hawaiian | paipu | ||
The word "paipu" in Hawaiian also refers to a type of Hawaiian flute. | |||
Maori | putorino | ||
The Maori word "putorino" can also refer to the sound of a trumpet, or the blowing of a horn. | |||
Samoan | paipa | ||
Samoan 'paipa' can also refer to the pipe in a bicycle, a water hose, or a hose used to refill an inflatable raft. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tubo | ||
"Tubo" also means "tube" in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as "tube" or "gun" in various indigenous Philippine languages. |
Aymara | pipa | ||
Guarani | tubo rehegua | ||
Esperanto | pipo | ||
In Esperanto, "pipo" can also refer to a "fife" or "oboe." | |||
Latin | pipe | ||
Latin "pipa" meant not only "pipe", but also "vessel", "cask" and "wine". |
Greek | σωλήνας | ||
The word σωλήνας can also refer to a tube or a cylinder in Greek. | |||
Hmong | yeeb nkab | ||
The word 'yeeb nkab' also means 'to smoke' in Hmong, likely due to the cultural significance of smoking pipes in Hmong communities. | |||
Kurdish | lûle | ||
The word "lûle" also means "mouth" in Kurdish, connecting it to the idea of smoking as "putting something in one's mouth." | |||
Turkish | boru | ||
The word "boru" is a cognate of the Proto-Indo-European word "bʰer-, bʰreh₂" meaning "to carry, bring, lead, fetch". | |||
Xhosa | umbhobho | ||
In Xhosa, the word "umbhobho" primarily refers to a pipe used for smoking and can also mean a trumpet. | |||
Yiddish | רער | ||
In Yiddish, "רער" (rayr) can refer to a pipe, a tube, a duct, or a channel. | |||
Zulu | ipayipi | ||
"Ipayipi" derives from the onomatopoeia of a whistling sound produced by a pipe and also means "flute" in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | পাইপ | ||
Aymara | pipa | ||
Bhojpuri | पाइप के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ހޮޅިއެއް | ||
Dogri | पाइप | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tubo | ||
Guarani | tubo rehegua | ||
Ilocano | tubo | ||
Krio | paip we dɛn kin yuz | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆری | ||
Maithili | पाइप | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯏꯞ ꯊꯥꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | pipe hmanga siam a ni | ||
Oromo | tuuboo | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ନଳୀ | ||
Quechua | tubo | ||
Sanskrit | पाइप | ||
Tatar | торба | ||
Tigrinya | ሻምብቆ | ||
Tsonga | phayiphi | ||