Public in Different Languages
Discover 'Public' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'public' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often used to describe things that are accessible or relevant to all people. Its cultural importance is evident in various aspects of society, from public spaces that bring communities together to public service announcements that keep us informed.
But did you know that the word 'public' has roots in ancient Latin, or that it has been used in historical contexts such as the signing of the US Constitution? Understanding the translation of 'public' in different languages can provide unique insights into how different cultures perceive and interact with the concept.
For instance, in Spanish, 'public' is 'público,' while in French, it's 'public.' In German, it's 'öffentlich,' and in Japanese, it's '公的 (kōtekina).'
Join us as we explore the translations of the word 'public' in various languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural nuances that shape our understanding of this important concept.
Public
Public in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | publiek | ||
| In Afrikaans, "publiek" can also refer to a gathering of people, or an audience. | |||
| Amharic | የህዝብ | ||
| The Amharic word "የህዝብ" ("public") originates from the Geez word "ሕዝብ" ("people"), and it can also carry the meaning of "civil" or "governmental" depending on the context. | |||
| Hausa | jama'a | ||
| "Jama'a" is also a word for "people" or "multitude" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ọhaneze | ||
| Ọ̀hànézè also translates as 'the people', 'society', 'community' and 'humanity' in the broad sense. | |||
| Malagasy | -bahoaka | ||
| Malagasy public comes from the word "-bahoka", which also means "to open". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | pagulu | ||
| The term **pagulu** is also used in a more extended sense to mean the people as a whole | |||
| Shona | pachena | ||
| 'Pachena' can also mean 'exposed' or 'vulnerable'. | |||
| Somali | dadweynaha | ||
| The word derives from the concept of communal ownership, where "dad" means "belonging to all" and "weynaha" refers to "shared by the community or public." | |||
| Sesotho | setjhaba | ||
| The word “setjhaba” has alternate meanings depending on the context it is used in. | |||
| Swahili | umma | ||
| The Swahili word "umma" can also mean "community" or "society" and is derived from the Arabic word "ummah" meaning "nation" or "people." | |||
| Xhosa | esidlangalaleni | ||
| The word "esidlangalaleni" is derived from the word "isidlanga", which means sun or light. The term implies a place or thing open to public view. | |||
| Yoruba | àkọsílẹ | ||
| "Àkọsílẹ" is a Yoruba word meaning "public" that is cognate with the Igbo word "ọha" (meaning "community"). | |||
| Zulu | umphakathi | ||
| The word "umphakathi" in Zulu is derived from the root "phaka," meaning "to spread out" or "to gather together." | |||
| Bambara | foroba | ||
| Ewe | amedome | ||
| Kinyarwanda | rusange | ||
| Lingala | ya bato nyonso | ||
| Luganda | mu lujjudde | ||
| Sepedi | setšhaba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwam | ||
Public in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عامة | ||
| عامة refers to the public sphere, including both citizens and non-citizens, as distinguished from the governing powers. | |||
| Hebrew | פּוּמְבֵּי | ||
| The Hebrew word "פּוּמְבֵּי" (public) is derived from the Roman word "publicus" which originally referred to state property. | |||
| Pashto | عامه | ||
| The Pashto word "عامه" (public) is derived from the Arabic word "عام" which means "general, common". | |||
| Arabic | عامة | ||
| عامة refers to the public sphere, including both citizens and non-citizens, as distinguished from the governing powers. | |||
Public in Western European Languages
| Albanian | publike | ||
| The Albanian word "publike" has roots in the Latin word "publicus", meaning "of or belonging to the people". | |||
| Basque | publiko | ||
| "Publiko" in Basque also refers to the town square or a social event held there, reflecting the historical role of public spaces as gathering places for community members. | |||
| Catalan | públic | ||
| The word "públic" derives from the Latin "publicus," meaning "of or belonging to the people," and can also refer to something that is open to or accessible by the community. | |||
| Croatian | javnost | ||
| The word "javnost" in Croatian originates from the word "java" meaning "appearance" or "revealment". | |||
| Danish | offentlig | ||
| While the word "offentlig" means "public" in Danish, it originally meant "open to the public". | |||
| Dutch | openbaar | ||
| The Dutch word 'openbaar' can also refer to something that takes place 'before or in front of everyone', as opposed to only a select group. | |||
| English | public | ||
| "Public" derives from the Latin "publicus", meaning "of or pertaining to the people". | |||
| French | publique | ||
| "Publique" also refers to the female public in French, as in "les toilettes publiques" (public restrooms) | |||
| Frisian | iepenbier | ||
| In the olden days, "iepenbier" meant a beer made from leftover hops, and the gathering where it was consumed also came to be known as an "iepenbier". | |||
| Galician | público | ||
| In Galician, "público" can also refer to a government official or employee. | |||
| German | öffentlichkeit | ||
| "Öffentlichkeit" originally comes from 'offen', meaning 'open or accessible', as public spaces and discussions were held in freely accessible areas. | |||
| Icelandic | almenningi | ||
| The word "almenningi" is rooted in the Old Norse word "almenningr," originally referring to an uninhabited common pasture. | |||
| Irish | poiblí | ||
| The Irish word "poiblí" derives from the Latin "publicus" and originally meant "belonging to the people" or "common to all". | |||
| Italian | pubblico | ||
| The word "pubblico" in Italian, derived from the Latin "publicus," also refers to the audience of a performance or a group of people with a common interest. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ëffentlechen | ||
| The word "ëffentlechen" is derived from the Old French word "public". Originally, it meant "belonging to the people", but nowadays it has a more general meaning of "public". | |||
| Maltese | pubbliku | ||
| Maltese word “pubbliku” directly comes from the Latin word “publicus” meaning “public” which also referred to the community in Ancient Rome. | |||
| Norwegian | offentlig | ||
| The word "offentlig" is cognate with the English word "offspring" and is thought to derive from the Proto-Germanic word "*af-faingjaną," meaning "to receive or take." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | público | ||
| In Portuguese, "público" can refer to public places, documents, or services, as well as individuals who hold public office. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | poblach | ||
| The word "poblach" in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Latin word "publicus" and also means "people" or "community". | |||
| Spanish | público | ||
| "Público" can mean "audience" or "publicity", and is related to the words "publish" and "public". | |||
| Swedish | offentlig | ||
| In Swedish, 'offentlig' can also refer to state-operated services (such as healthcare or education) that are available to all citizens. | |||
| Welsh | cyhoeddus | ||
| The word "cyhoeddus" also has the alternate meaning "notorious" or "infamous". | |||
Public in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | грамадскі | ||
| Bosnian | javno | ||
| "Javno" can also be used to refer to "the public" as a noun in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | публично | ||
| The word "публично" in Bulgarian also means "publicly". | |||
| Czech | veřejnost | ||
| The Czech word "veřejnost" can also mean "public service" or "state administration". | |||
| Estonian | avalik | ||
| Avalik is cognate with the Russian word 'obshchestvennyj' meaning 'social' or 'public'. | |||
| Finnish | julkinen | ||
| Its root "julka" can also mean "openly", reflecting the openness of public spaces and services. | |||
| Hungarian | nyilvános | ||
| The word "nyilvános" is derived from the Proto-Uralic word *nʲilwa- "manifest, obvious". | |||
| Latvian | publiski | ||
| The term "publiski" (public) originates from a Slavic root "publicus" meaning "state, community". Other similar words include "publika" (audience), "publicitāte" (publicity). It should not be mistaken for "pubescents" ("pusaudzis" in Latvian). | |||
| Lithuanian | visuomenės | ||
| The word `visuomenės` comes from the Proto-Indo-European root `*weku-`, meaning `to assemble` or `to dwell.` | |||
| Macedonian | јавни | ||
| The Macedonian word "јавни" ('public') can also be used to refer to a shared or common space or resource. | |||
| Polish | publiczny | ||
| The word "publiczny" in Polish derives from the Latin "publicus" and also means "belonging to the people" or "common". | |||
| Romanian | public | ||
| Publicul se mai foloseşte în română cu sensul de «spectatorial». | |||
| Russian | общественный | ||
| The word "общественный" in Russian has a broader meaning than "public" in English, encompassing concepts such as "social" and "societal". | |||
| Serbian | јавно | ||
| "Јавно" can also mean "out loud, in public", "in public view". | |||
| Slovak | verejné | ||
| This word is also the root of the Slovak word "viera" (faith). | |||
| Slovenian | javnosti | ||
| The word "javnosti" in Slovenian also refers to the public sphere, the realm of open and informed debate about issues of public concern. | |||
| Ukrainian | громадськості | ||
| The word "громадськості" in Ukrainian derives from the Old Church Slavonic "о́бщина" (commune), hence its original meaning was "community" or "society". | |||
Public in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাবলিক | ||
| The word "পাবলিক" (public) is derived from the Latin word "publicus", which means "of the people". | |||
| Gujarati | જાહેર | ||
| The Gujarati word "જાહેર" also means "apparent" or "evident" in other contexts. | |||
| Hindi | जनता | ||
| The word "जनता" in Hindi can also refer to a group of people sharing a common interest, or a community of people. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ | ||
| The word "ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ" (public) in Kannada originates from the Sanskrit word "sarvajanika", meaning "pertaining to all people". | |||
| Malayalam | പൊതു | ||
| In ancient and medieval times the word പൊതു/പൊതുവിൽ (pothu/pothuvil) was used to refer to a group of persons jointly performing some religious or other communal ceremony. | |||
| Marathi | सार्वजनिक | ||
| सार्वजनिक also means "common" or "general." | |||
| Nepali | सार्वजनिक | ||
| The word "सार्वजनिक" (public) in Nepali originates from the Sanskrit word "sarvajanika" meaning "belonging to all people". | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਨਤਕ | ||
| The word "jantak" is derived from the Sanskrit word "janata", meaning "people" or "community". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මහජන | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of 'public,' 'මහජන' (mahajana) can also refer to the lower castes in ancient Sri Lankan society. | |||
| Tamil | பொது | ||
| The word பொது (pothu) in Tamil has an alternate meaning, 'generic' or 'common'. This meaning is derived from the root word 'பொது' (pothu), which means 'shared' or 'common'. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రజా | ||
| The word "ప్రజా" can also mean "people" or "citizens". | |||
| Urdu | عوام | ||
| The Urdu word "عوام" not only means "public" but also has a plural sense referring to the "masses" or "common folk". | |||
Public in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 上市 | ||
| "上市" can also mean "to go public", in terms of the stock market. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 上市 | ||
| 上市 can also mean "going public" or "IPO" in the financial context. | |||
| Japanese | 公衆 | ||
| The word 公衆, meaning public, also appears in the word 公衆衛生 (public health), and was originally derived from the Chinese expression "衆人" (many people). | |||
| Korean | 공공의 | ||
| "공공의" derives from the Chinese word 公共, meaning "common to all" or "for the public good". | |||
| Mongolian | олон нийтийн | ||
| The word "олон нийтийн" is derived from the Mongolian word "олон" (meaning "many") and the suffix "-нийт" (meaning "all") and can also mean "general" or "universal". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အများပြည်သူ | ||
| Myanmar's "public" has roots in Sanskrit and Pali, meaning "great multitude" or "people as a whole". | |||
Public in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | publik | ||
| The word 'publik' in Indonesian can also mean 'published' as an adjective, or 'audience' or 'spectators' as a noun. | |||
| Javanese | umum | ||
| The word "umum" can also mean "general" or "ordinary" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | សាធារណៈ | ||
| The word សាធារណៈ is also used to describe something that is common, ordinary, or commonplace. | |||
| Lao | ສາທາລະນະ | ||
| Malay | awam | ||
| "Awam" originally came from the Sanskrit word "a-vama" meaning "without left", which implied common people who were not born to a ruling class or caste. | |||
| Thai | สาธารณะ | ||
| The word "สาธารณะ" derives from Sanskrit "sādhāraṇa", meaning "common" or "ordinary". | |||
| Vietnamese | công cộng | ||
| In Sino-Vietnamese, the word "công cộng" also means "open to all; shared" and "available to everyone". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pampubliko | ||
Public in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ictimai | ||
| "İctimai" ( | |||
| Kazakh | қоғамдық | ||
| The word "qoǵamdyq" is derived from the Persian word "qoġam" which means "town" or "village". | |||
| Kyrgyz | коомдук | ||
| The word "коомдук" (public) in Kyrgyz can also refer to something belonging to the community or state. | |||
| Tajik | ҷамъиятӣ | ||
| The word also means “society” or “community” or “social” in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | köpçülik | ||
| Uzbek | jamoat | ||
| The word "jamoat" can also refer to a collective of people or a community. | |||
| Uyghur | جامائەت | ||
Public in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lehulehu | ||
| The word "lehulehu" in Hawaiian can have multiple meanings, including "public", "open", "exposed", and "evident". | |||
| Maori | tūmatanui | ||
| The term 'tūmatanui' also signifies 'the backbone of the people,' or 'the strength of the group,' as it's composed of 'tū' (backbone) and 'matua' (strength). | |||
| Samoan | lautele | ||
| The word 'lautele' in Samoan is derived from a traditional instrument of the same name that was played at public gatherings. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pampubliko | ||
| The word "pampubliko" is derived from the Spanish word "público", which means "public" or "of the people". In Tagalog, it can also mean "for the benefit of the public" or "open to the public". | |||
Public in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | taqitaki | ||
| Guarani | opavavépe g̃uarã | ||
Public in International Languages
| Esperanto | publika | ||
| The word "publiko" is derived from the Latin word "publicus", which means "of or belonging to the people". | |||
| Latin | publicae | ||
| "Pubicae" also means "tax revenue" in Latin. | |||
Public in Others Languages
| Greek | δημόσιο | ||
| "Δημόσιο" originally meant "of the people" in Ancient Greek, but it later came to refer to anything that is state-owned or used for public purposes. | |||
| Hmong | laj mej pej xeem | ||
| Derived from Khmer “lok mep khiam”, which likely traces to Sanskrit “lokamhi prayāse”, 'in public usage'. | |||
| Kurdish | alenî | ||
| The word 'alenî' also means 'open' or 'unconcealed' and is derived from the Arabic word 'alan' meaning 'to make public'. | |||
| Turkish | halka açık | ||
| The word "halka açık" in Turkish literally means "open to the public". | |||
| Xhosa | esidlangalaleni | ||
| The word "esidlangalaleni" is derived from the word "isidlanga", which means sun or light. The term implies a place or thing open to public view. | |||
| Yiddish | עפנטלעך | ||
| The Yiddish word "עפנטלעך" (public) is derived from the German word "öffentlich" and literally means "open to the public". | |||
| Zulu | umphakathi | ||
| The word "umphakathi" in Zulu is derived from the root "phaka," meaning "to spread out" or "to gather together." | |||
| Assamese | ৰাজহুৱা | ||
| Aymara | taqitaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | जनता | ||
| Dhivehi | ޢާންމު | ||
| Dogri | जनता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pampubliko | ||
| Guarani | opavavépe g̃uarã | ||
| Ilocano | publiko | ||
| Krio | pɔblik | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گشتی | ||
| Maithili | सार्वजनिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯌꯥꯝ | ||
| Mizo | vantlang | ||
| Oromo | uummata | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜନସାଧାରଣ | ||
| Quechua | runapaq | ||
| Sanskrit | सार्वजनिक | ||
| Tatar | җәмәгать | ||
| Tigrinya | ህዝባዊ | ||
| Tsonga | rivaleni | ||