Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'plan' holds immense significance in our daily lives, guiding us in organizing, strategizing, and achieving our goals. From ancient civilizations mapping out their cities to modern-day businesses outlining their growth strategies, plans have been instrumental in shaping our world. The concept of planning transcends cultural boundaries and is vital for success in all aspects of life.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'plan' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures approach organization and goal-setting. For instance, the Spanish 'plan' means 'flat terrain' or 'level surface,' reflecting the idea of a solid foundation for one's goals. Meanwhile, the German 'Plan' stems from the term 'planus,' meaning 'level' or 'flat,' further emphasizing the importance of a stable base for one's plans.
Below, explore the translations of 'plan' in various languages, immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of cultural nuances and historical contexts that shape our understanding of this essential concept.
Afrikaans | beplan | ||
The Afrikaans word "beplan" is derived from the Dutch word "plannen" which means "to make a plan". | |||
Amharic | ዕቅድ | ||
Amharic word "ዕቅድ" is also used in the sense of "decision" or "resolve" in the legal or judicial context. | |||
Hausa | shirya | ||
The Hausa word "shirya" is derived from the Arabic word "shara", meaning "to prepare" or "to make ready". | |||
Igbo | atụmatụ | ||
The Igbo word "atụmatụ" is etymologically related to the words "atụ" (to set down or establish) and "matụ" (to plant or establish anew), and can have the additional connotation of "arrangement" or "foundation." | |||
Malagasy | alamino mialoha | ||
The word "ALAMINO MIALOHA" comes from the Malagasy word "LAMINO", meaning "draw" or "trace", and "MIALOHA", meaning "heart". It therefore implies the idea of drawing a plan from the heart. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | konzani | ||
The word "konzani" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also refers to a type of dance performed at traditional ceremonies. | |||
Shona | kuronga | ||
Kuronga can also mean "to arrange" or "to set up" something, such as a meeting or gathering. | |||
Somali | qorshe | ||
In Somali, the word "qorshe" (plan) has alternate meanings, including "scheme" and "intention." | |||
Sesotho | moralo | ||
The word "moralo" can also refer to an intention, purpose, or objective. | |||
Swahili | mpango | ||
In Swahili, the word "mpango" can also refer to a blueprint, a scheme, or a method. | |||
Xhosa | icebo | ||
The word "icebo" in Xhosa can also mean "to be prepared" or "to be ready." | |||
Yoruba | gbero | ||
In the Yoruba language, 'gbero' also signifies a 'deliberation' upon which a strategy or course of action is determined. | |||
Zulu | ukuhlela | ||
In Zulu, "ukuhlela" not only means "to plan" but also "to make a choice; decide; or intend to do something." | |||
Bambara | fɛɛrɛ | ||
Ewe | ɖoɖo | ||
Kinyarwanda | gahunda | ||
Lingala | plan | ||
Luganda | okuteekateeka | ||
Sepedi | leano | ||
Twi (Akan) | nhyehyɛeɛ | ||
Arabic | خطة | ||
In Arabic, "خطة" can refer to a blueprint, map, or a person's physical stature. | |||
Hebrew | לְתַכְנֵן | ||
The Hebrew word "לְתַכְנֵן" (l'tachnen) has a second, less common meaning of "to intend". | |||
Pashto | پلان | ||
"پلان" in Pashto comes from the Sanskrit "Prakriti," meaning "nature" or "cause". | |||
Arabic | خطة | ||
In Arabic, "خطة" can refer to a blueprint, map, or a person's physical stature. |
Albanian | planifikoj | ||
In some contexts it can also refer to the plot of an artistic or literary work. | |||
Basque | plana | ||
Basque "plana" is derived from Latin "planus" (flat) and also refers to a river's flood plain or wetlands. | |||
Catalan | pla | ||
"Pla" comes from the Latin word "planus", meaning "flat" or "level". | |||
Croatian | plan | ||
The Croatian word "plan" also means "mountain". | |||
Danish | plan | ||
In Danish, "plan" can also mean "flat" or "level." | |||
Dutch | plan | ||
Dutch "plan" can also mean "floor" of a building, deriving from Old French "planche" (plank). | |||
English | plan | ||
The verb 'plan' derives from the Old French verb 'plainer', which originally meant 'to smooth out' or 'to make straight'. | |||
French | plan | ||
The French word "plan" shares the same origin as the English word "plane", as both originally come from the Latin word "planus" meaning "flat". | |||
Frisian | plan | ||
The Frisian word "plan" can also mean "floor" or "level" of a building, like in Dutch. | |||
Galician | plan | ||
The Galician word "plan" can also refer to a large piece of land or a level surface. | |||
German | planen | ||
In Middle High German, "planen" meant to make flat, even out, or level. | |||
Icelandic | skipuleggja | ||
The Old Norse word skipuleggja means both a 'sail-plank' on a ship and a plan for a ship, from skip 'ship' and leggja 'to lay'. | |||
Irish | plean | ||
The Irish word "plean" means both "plan" and "noise" | |||
Italian | piano | ||
In Italian, 'piano' also means 'floor' or 'level' in a building. | |||
Luxembourgish | plangen | ||
The word "plangen" in Luxembourgish is derived from the French word "plan" which means "blueprint". | |||
Maltese | pjan | ||
The Maltese word "pjan" derives from the Italian word "piano", meaning "flat surface" or "drawing". | |||
Norwegian | plan | ||
The Norwegian word "plan" also means "plane" in English. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | plano | ||
"Plano" has its origin in the Latin "planus" (flat, horizontal), and is also the name of one of Portugal's 18 districts. | |||
Scots Gaelic | phlana | ||
The noun "phlana" is the mutation of the verb "planadh" meaning a planning or plan. | |||
Spanish | plan | ||
The Spanish word "plan" can also mean "scheme", "design", or "purpose". | |||
Swedish | planen | ||
In Swedish, the word "planen" also refers to a surface or plane, as in a geometrical plane. | |||
Welsh | cynllun | ||
In Welsh, "cynllun" originates from the word "cynnal", meaning "to support" or "to hold together", emphasizing the foundational and structural aspects of a plan. |
Belarusian | план | ||
The word “план” also means “surface” and is often used in construction or engineering. | |||
Bosnian | plan | ||
The word "plan" can also mean "map" or "outline" in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | план | ||
Bulgarian "план" can also mean "a plate" or "a tray". | |||
Czech | plán | ||
In Czech, "plán" also refers to a square, flat cake, especially one with a sweet filling. | |||
Estonian | plaan | ||
In Estonian, the word "plaan" has an alternate meaning as "an agreement between two or more parties." | |||
Finnish | suunnitelma | ||
The word "suunnitelma" is derived from the verb "suunnitella" ("to plan"), which in turn comes from the word "suunta" ("direction"). | |||
Hungarian | terv | ||
The word "terv" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "terüg" meaning "direction, turn, way". | |||
Latvian | plāns | ||
In Latvian, the word “plāns” can also refer to a floor plan or drawing. | |||
Lithuanian | planas | ||
In geometry, "plokščiuma" is a plane figure. | |||
Macedonian | план | ||
The word "план" also means "mountain" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | plan | ||
The word plan could also refer to a drawing representing something or a part of something, or a model. | |||
Romanian | plan | ||
In Romanian, the word "plan" can also refer to a document that outlines a proposed course of action or a specific architectural design. | |||
Russian | строить планы | ||
The Russian verb "строить планы" ("plan") derives from the word "строй" ("line, order"), indicating the idea of creating something organized and logical. | |||
Serbian | план | ||
The word 'план' in Serbian can also refer to a type of large flatbread that is similar to a pita. | |||
Slovak | plán | ||
The noun “plán” is etymologically related to | |||
Slovenian | načrt | ||
In addition to meaning a plan, the Slovenian word 'načrt' can also indicate a design, draft, or layout. | |||
Ukrainian | плану | ||
The word |
Bengali | পরিকল্পনা | ||
The word 'পরিকল্পনা' is originally derived from the Sanskrit word 'परिकल्पना', which means 'hypothesis' or 'assumption'. | |||
Gujarati | યોજના | ||
The Gujarati word "યોજના" (yojna) is akin to the Sanskrit word "योजना" (yojana), which originally referred to a unit of distance equal to eight miles. | |||
Hindi | योजना | ||
"योजना" is a Sanskrit word that can also mean 'thought' or 'scheme'. | |||
Kannada | ಯೋಜನೆ | ||
ಯೋಜನೆ (yojane) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'yuj' meaning 'to join', and refers to a 'scheme' or 'project'. | |||
Malayalam | പദ്ധതി | ||
"പദ്ധതി" can also refer to a design, scheme, or project. | |||
Marathi | योजना | ||
The word "योजना" in Marathi also refers to a measure of distance, approximately 8 miles. | |||
Nepali | योजना | ||
"योजना" can also refer to the concept of "karma" in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. | |||
Punjabi | ਯੋਜਨਾ | ||
The word 'ਯੋਜਨਾ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'योजना', which means 'a measure of distance' or 'a journey'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සැලැස්ම | ||
සැලැස්ම refers to the structure of a house including its outer walls, pillars, roofs, windows, etc. | |||
Tamil | திட்டம் | ||
Telugu | ప్రణాళిక | ||
The word "ప్రణాళిక" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रणय" (love), indicating a plan that is made with care and attention. | |||
Urdu | منصوبہ | ||
منصوبہ" is derived from the Arabic word "nasaba" meaning "to set up, design, or intend." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 计划 | ||
计划 originally meant "to calculate" but now means "plan" and is also used in phrases like 五年计划 (Five-Year Plan). | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 計劃 | ||
The word "計劃" (plan) can also refer to a type of drawing or diagram in Chinese. | |||
Japanese | 予定 | ||
予定 is also used to refer to a woman's menstrual period. | |||
Korean | 계획 | ||
The Sino-Korean term 계 (계획, 계획) 'plan' is shared with Chinese and Japanese, with similar characters, 計画 (きかく), kế hoạch (plan), and 計畫 (kế hoạch). | |||
Mongolian | төлөвлөгөө | ||
"Төлөвлөгөө" (plan) shares a root word with "төл" (payment), signifying a plan as a payment towards a future outcome. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အစီအစဉ် | ||
Indonesian | rencana | ||
The word 'rencana' is a cognate of the Malay word 'rancang', which has the same meaning.} | |||
Javanese | rencana | ||
Rencana is also used in Javanese to describe a type of batik pattern featuring a geometric design. | |||
Khmer | ផែនការ | ||
The word "ផែនការ" (plan) in Khmer can also refer to a strategy, program, or design. | |||
Lao | ແຜນການ | ||
Malay | merancang | ||
The word "merancang" originally referred to the act of drawing or sketching. | |||
Thai | วางแผน | ||
The verb วางแผน not only means "to plan" but it also means "to place" or "to put (something) in order". | |||
Vietnamese | kế hoạch | ||
The word "kế hoạch" derives from the Old Chinese word "計", meaning "calculate, plan, or strategy". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | plano | ||
Azerbaijani | plan | ||
In the Azerbaijani language, the word "plan" can also mean a "plot" or "conspiracy". | |||
Kazakh | жоспар | ||
The word "жоспар" in Kazakh also means "scheme" or "intention". | |||
Kyrgyz | план | ||
The word "план" ("plan") in Kyrgyz can also refer to a "scheme" or a "device." | |||
Tajik | нақша | ||
The word "нақша" can also mean "image" or "painting" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | meýilnama | ||
Uzbek | reja | ||
"Reja" may mean "plan", "schedule", "system", "plot", or "design" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | plan | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻolālā | ||
"Hoʻolālā" literally means "to cause to spread out" in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | mahere | ||
In some dialects, the word 'mahere' can also mean 'to tie', referring to the idea of binding together ideas or tasks into a coherent whole. | |||
Samoan | fuafuaga | ||
The word "fuafuaga" can also mean "design" or "pattern" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | plano | ||
In Tagalog, "plano" also signifies a type of sweet pancake or crepe and the shape of the face, particularly the lower portion. |
Aymara | plan | ||
Guarani | aponde'a | ||
Esperanto | plano | ||
The Esperanto word "plano" derives from the Latin word "planum", meaning "flat" or "level." | |||
Latin | consilium | ||
"Consilium" also means "council" in Latin, indicating a group's collaborative planning process. |
Greek | σχέδιο | ||
The Greek word "σχέδιο" can also refer to a diagram, drawing, or design, reflecting its root in the verb "σχεδιάζω," meaning "to draw" or "to sketch." | |||
Hmong | txoj kev npaj | ||
Kurdish | pîlan | ||
The Kurdish word "pîlan" also means "intriguing thoughts". | |||
Turkish | plan | ||
The Turkish word "plan" originally meant "a flat surface" or "a field" before acquiring its current meaning of "plan". | |||
Xhosa | icebo | ||
The word "icebo" in Xhosa can also mean "to be prepared" or "to be ready." | |||
Yiddish | פּלאַן | ||
"פלאן" is closely related to the German "plan" as well as French "plan" or Latin "planum" all originating from Latin "plānus". | |||
Zulu | ukuhlela | ||
In Zulu, "ukuhlela" not only means "to plan" but also "to make a choice; decide; or intend to do something." | |||
Assamese | পৰিকল্পনা | ||
Aymara | plan | ||
Bhojpuri | योजना | ||
Dhivehi | ރޭވުން | ||
Dogri | प्लान | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | plano | ||
Guarani | aponde'a | ||
Ilocano | plano | ||
Krio | plan | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پلان | ||
Maithili | योजना | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯧꯔꯥꯡ | ||
Mizo | duang | ||
Oromo | karoora | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯୋଜନା | ||
Quechua | plan | ||
Sanskrit | योजना | ||
Tatar | план | ||
Tigrinya | ትልሚ | ||
Tsonga | kungu | ||