Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'place' holds a significant and multifaceted role in our lives. It's not just a location on a map, but a concept that embodies cultural importance, personal experiences, and shared memories. A place can be a cozy home, a bustling city, a peaceful natural landscape, or a lively community gathering spot. Each of us has a unique relationship with the places we inhabit, and these connections shape our identities and experiences.
Moreover, the significance of place extends beyond individual experiences. Throughout history, places have been central to cultural narratives, serving as the backdrop for pivotal events, traditions, and stories. From the ancient ruins of Rome to the modern streets of Tokyo, places are living repositories of history, culture, and human innovation.
Given the importance of place, it's no surprise that people around the world are interested in translating this word into their native languages. By doing so, they not only expand their linguistic skills but also gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of place in different societies.
Here are some translations of the word 'place' in various languages, setting the stage for a global exploration of language, culture, and the meaning of place.
Afrikaans | plek | ||
In Afrikaans, "plek" means "place", but it can also refer to a "locality" or a "spot". | |||
Amharic | ቦታ | ||
"ቦታ" also means "position" or "post" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | wuri | ||
The word "wuri" in Hausa can also refer to a farm or plantation. | |||
Igbo | ebe | ||
Igbo 'ebe' also refers to a group, company, community, or organization. | |||
Malagasy | place | ||
The Malagasy word "toerana" can also mean "country" or "space". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | malo | ||
“Malo” also refers to a group of people or a community. | |||
Shona | nzvimbo | ||
Nzimbo in Shona also refers to the space occupied by the ancestors and deceased clan members after their departure from the physical world to the realm of the spirits or 'vadzimu.' | |||
Somali | meel | ||
The word | |||
Sesotho | sebaka | ||
The word sebaka also means 'site' | |||
Swahili | mahali | ||
The Swahili word "mahali" also has the alternate meaning of "time", and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-fari". | |||
Xhosa | indawo | ||
The Xhosa word "indawo" can also refer to a homestead or a gathering place. | |||
Yoruba | ibi | ||
Ìbí is a Yoruba word for 'place', but it can also mean 'birth', 'origin', or 'source'. | |||
Zulu | indawo | ||
In Zulu, "indawo" also refers to a meeting place or a gathering of people. | |||
Bambara | sigiyɔrɔ | ||
Ewe | teƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikibanza | ||
Lingala | esika | ||
Luganda | ekifo | ||
Sepedi | lefelo | ||
Twi (Akan) | beaeɛ | ||
Arabic | مكان | ||
The word مكان also refers to the social or personal status of a person or thing in society. | |||
Hebrew | מקום | ||
The Hebrew word "מקום" also carries connotations of "opportunity" and "circumstance." | |||
Pashto | ځای | ||
The word "ځای" also means "time" in Pashto, and is related to the Persian word "جای" which means "position" or "location". | |||
Arabic | مكان | ||
The word مكان also refers to the social or personal status of a person or thing in society. |
Albanian | vend | ||
The word "vend" can also refer to a shop, market stall, or place of business in Albanian. | |||
Basque | lekua | ||
In Basque, "lekua" can also refer to a position, space, or location. | |||
Catalan | lloc | ||
Etymology and alternate meanings: Derived from Latin “locum” (place) and also used to refer to a room or a location. | |||
Croatian | mjesto | ||
The Croatian word 'mjesto' can also mean 'town' or 'city'. | |||
Danish | placere | ||
The word "placere" in Danish can also mean "to please" or "to like". | |||
Dutch | plaats | ||
The word 'plaats' can also refer to a small town or village in the Netherlands. | |||
English | place | ||
The word 'place' comes from the Latin 'platea', meaning 'broad street or open public space'. | |||
French | endroit | ||
The word "endroit" in French comes from the Latin word "intro" meaning "inside" and is an antonym of "envers" meaning "outside". | |||
Frisian | plak | ||
In many Frisian compounds, 'plak' also means 'area' (e.g. 'bouplak') or 'part' (e.g. 'hielplak'), depending on the noun it's compounded with. | |||
Galician | lugar | ||
The Galician word "lugar" comes from the Latin word "locorum", meaning "places". | |||
German | ort | ||
The word "Ort" comes from the Old High German word "ort," which means a corner or direction. | |||
Icelandic | staður | ||
Cognate with Old Norse "staðr", and with the English word "stead" (Old English: "stede"), and with the German word "Stätte". | |||
Irish | áit | ||
Áit was originally used to denote a 'dwelling', later a 'farm' or 'homestead', and subsequently a 'district' or 'region'. | |||
Italian | posto | ||
"Posto" can also refer to a specific location or position, such as "il posto di lavoro," meaning "the workplace." | |||
Luxembourgish | plaz | ||
The word “Plaz” can also be used to describe a square or open space in a town or city. | |||
Maltese | post | ||
The Maltese word "post" derives from the Italian "posto", meaning "place" but can also refer to a "position" or a "military station." | |||
Norwegian | plass | ||
The Norwegian word "plass" originates from the Proto-Germanic "*platsijaz" meaning "flat, open area" and also refers to "plaza" in Spanish, "place" in French and, cognate with "place", "platform" and "plateau" in English. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lugar, colocar | ||
"Lugar, colocar" comes from the Latin "locare", meaning "to put in a place," and also refers to "a position of honour". | |||
Scots Gaelic | àite | ||
Àite is also the root for "àitich," a house inhabited in the summer months and left unoccupied during the winter. | |||
Spanish | sitio | ||
The Spanish word "sitio" can also refer to a siege, a place of longing, or a type of country estate. | |||
Swedish | plats | ||
The Swedish word "plats" can also mean "flat" or "disk". | |||
Welsh | lle | ||
Lle can also refer to a dwelling, a home, or a spot. |
Belarusian | месца | ||
The word 'месца' also means 'space' or 'room'. | |||
Bosnian | mjesto | ||
In Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, the word, "mjesto" can also refer to a name for town | |||
Bulgarian | място | ||
"Място" also means "space", as in the place between objects or the place around something. | |||
Czech | místo | ||
The Czech word "místo" comes from the Old Czech "mjiestie", which originally meant "a town", but later came to mean "a place". | |||
Estonian | koht | ||
The word "koht" in Estonian can also mean "point" or "period" in time. | |||
Finnish | paikka | ||
The Finnish word "paikka" comes from the same Proto-Indo-European root that gave rise to "pagus" and "pitch". | |||
Hungarian | hely | ||
Hely is cognate with the Finnish word 'paikka', the Estonian word 'paik' and the Russian word 'место', all meaning 'place'. | |||
Latvian | vieta | ||
The word "vieta" is of Proto-Indo-European origin, and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "vesana" and with English words like "visit". It can also refer to a point in time, as well as a location. | |||
Lithuanian | vieta | ||
The word "vieta" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *weik-, meaning "to bend" or "to turn". | |||
Macedonian | место | ||
The Macedonian word "место" can also mean "space", or, figuratively, "position". | |||
Polish | miejsce | ||
In Proto-Baltic the word meant "settlement" or "property", and is related to the Lithuanian word "miestas", meaning "city". | |||
Romanian | loc | ||
In Romanian, the word "loc" derives from the Latin "locus" and also means "grave", "tomb", or "toilet". | |||
Russian | место | ||
"Место" also denotes something that a person holds, takes on, or has under him - duty, rank, position. | |||
Serbian | место | ||
The word 'место' can also refer to a location in a city, such as a square or district. | |||
Slovak | miesto | ||
In Slovak, the word "miesto" also means "space" or "position." | |||
Slovenian | kraj | ||
The word "kraj" in Slovenian can also refer to a region or a country. | |||
Ukrainian | місце | ||
"Місце" in Ukrainian can also refer to a "position" or a "seat", as in "місце в парламенті" (a seat in parliament). |
Bengali | স্থান | ||
The word 'স্থান' in Bengali can also refer to a point in space or a specific location. | |||
Gujarati | સ્થળ | ||
The Gujarati word 'સ્થળ' (sthala) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sthala' (स्थल), which means 'ground' or 'site'. The word 'sthala' is also associated with the concept of a sacred place or pilgrimage site in Hinduism, and in Gujarati, 'સ્થળ' can also carry this meaning. | |||
Hindi | स्थान | ||
The word 'स्थान' (place) is derived from the Sanskrit root 'स्था' (to stand), and can also refer to 'abode' or 'position'. | |||
Kannada | ಸ್ಥಳ | ||
The word "ಸ್ಥಳ" (sthala) finds cognates in other Dravidian languages meaning "residence, home" along with its primary meaning "place." | |||
Malayalam | സ്ഥലം | ||
"സ്ഥലം" can also mean "position", "locality", "station", "locality", "spot", "site", or "basis" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | जागा | ||
जागा, from Sanskrit स्थाण (sthāna), also means a room or an apartment in Marathi. | |||
Nepali | स्थान | ||
"स्थान" can also mean "condition", "state", or "status". | |||
Punjabi | ਜਗ੍ਹਾ | ||
The Punjabi word 'ਜਗ੍ਹਾ' ('jagha') originally meant 'space' or 'universe', and is related to the Sanskrit word 'jagat' ('world'). | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්ථානය | ||
The word "ස්ථානය" can also refer to a position or rank in a hierarchy. | |||
Tamil | இடம் | ||
The word "இடம்" (idam) in Tamil also refers to "the right place or position," "a suitable place or situation," and "an opportunity." | |||
Telugu | స్థలం | ||
The alternate meaning and etymology of 'స్థలం ('place') is 'base point in mathematics'. | |||
Urdu | جگہ | ||
The Urdu word "جگہ" (place) is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "deśa" which means "country" or "region." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 地点 | ||
地点 (dìdiǎn) literally means 'point of the ground' and can also refer to a specific location or site. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 地點 | ||
地點 (Diǎndì) can refer to either a location or a specific spot. | |||
Japanese | 場所 | ||
"場所" also has the meaning of "case" in the sense of occurrence, situation or context. | |||
Korean | 장소 | ||
The word '장소' is derived from the Middle Korean word '장소' which meant 'to take a place' or 'to occupy a space'. | |||
Mongolian | газар | ||
The word "газар" is cognate with the Turkic word "yer" and the Hungarian word "hely", all meaning "place". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | နေရာ | ||
In Myanmar, this word is also used to refer to one's home or to a particular location in space. |
Indonesian | tempat | ||
The Indonesian word "tempat" is cognate with the Malay "tempat", which in turn derives from the Sanskrit स्थापन (sthāpana) meaning "establishment, station, dwelling, house". | |||
Javanese | papan | ||
The word "papan" also means "board" or "plank" in Javanese, reflecting its historical use as a building material. | |||
Khmer | កន្លែង | ||
Lao | ສະຖານທີ່ | ||
Malay | tempat | ||
The Malay word "tempat" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sthāna", meaning "place" or "location". | |||
Thai | สถานที่ | ||
สถานที่ can also mean a specific time. | |||
Vietnamese | địa điểm | ||
The word "địa điểm" can also mean "location" | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lugar | ||
Azerbaijani | yer | ||
The word "yer" in Azerbaijani, meaning "place", is also used in the sense of "floor" in architectural terms. | |||
Kazakh | орын | ||
"Орын" can mean a position, space, or location, and has cognates in other Turkic languages such as "yer" in Turkish, "жер" in Kyrgyz, and "yer" in Uzbek. | |||
Kyrgyz | жер | ||
The word "жер" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a sacrifice or an offering. | |||
Tajik | ҷои | ||
The word "ҷои" also refers to a person's position or job. | |||
Turkmen | ýeri | ||
Uzbek | joy | ||
In Uzbek, the word "joy" can also refer to a "road" or a "path." | |||
Uyghur | place | ||
Hawaiian | wahi | ||
Hawaiian "wahi" is also used to designate a "chief's fishing spot," "a sacred spot," or "a sacred stone" among other meanings. | |||
Maori | wahi | ||
In Maori, the word "wahi" not only signifies a place but also holds spiritual and cultural significance. | |||
Samoan | nofoaga | ||
The Samoan word "nofoaga" originates from the verb "nofo": to live, dwell, or reside in a place. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lugar | ||
The Tagalog word 'lugar' is thought to have originated from the Malay word 'lugor', which means 'a clearing in the forest'. It is also related to the Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Indonesian words 'lugar', which all mean 'place'. |
Aymara | chiqa | ||
Guarani | tenda | ||
Esperanto | loko | ||
The Esperanto word "loko" also means "mental asylum" in Polish and "crazy" in Spanish. | |||
Latin | locus | ||
The word locus can also mean 'topic' or 'theme', as in 'locus of control' or 'locus of a story'. It can also refer to the 'set of points' that satisfy a given condition, as in 'locus of a point that is equidistant from two fixed points'. |
Greek | θέση | ||
The word 'θέση' in Greek can also mean 'position', 'stance', or 'hypothesis'. | |||
Hmong | qhov chaw | ||
Qhov chaw (pronounced "ko cha") literally translates to "a place where you sit or rest," and is often used to refer to a home or dwelling. | |||
Kurdish | cîh | ||
The Kurdish word **cîh** also has the meaning of "time" and "occasion". | |||
Turkish | yer | ||
The word "yer" can also mean "land" or "ground" in Turkish, and is related to the English word "earth". | |||
Xhosa | indawo | ||
The Xhosa word "indawo" can also refer to a homestead or a gathering place. | |||
Yiddish | אָרט | ||
"אוֹרְטַ'' can also be a contraction for “אוֹר הַתּוֹרָה’' (“light of the Torah'') | |||
Zulu | indawo | ||
In Zulu, "indawo" also refers to a meeting place or a gathering of people. | |||
Assamese | স্থান | ||
Aymara | chiqa | ||
Bhojpuri | जगह | ||
Dhivehi | ތަން | ||
Dogri | थाहर | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lugar | ||
Guarani | tenda | ||
Ilocano | lugar | ||
Krio | ples | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | شوێن | ||
Maithili | स्थान | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯐꯝ | ||
Mizo | hmun | ||
Oromo | iddoo | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ଥାନ | ||
Quechua | kiti | ||
Sanskrit | स्थानम् | ||
Tatar | урын | ||
Tigrinya | ቦታ | ||
Tsonga | ndhawu | ||