Race in different languages

Race in Different Languages

Discover 'Race' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'race' carries significant meaning and cultural importance in our world today. It refers to a group of people sharing distinct physical traits, ancestry, or a common culture. Yet, the concept of race has been a source of controversy and debate due to its historical use in promoting discrimination and inequality.

Understanding the translation of 'race' in different languages can shed light on how various cultures perceive and address this complex issue. For instance, in Spanish, the word for race is 'raza,' while in French, it is 'course.' In German, the term 'Rasse' has been used to promote racist ideologies, highlighting the importance of understanding cultural contexts.

Moreover, exploring the translations of 'race' can also reveal fascinating historical contexts. For example, in ancient Greece, the term 'genos' was used to describe a group of people sharing a common ancestry or lineage, which has influenced modern conceptions of race.

With this in mind, let's delve into the translations of 'race' in various languages, from Arabic to Zulu, and discover how this word has been interpreted and understood across cultures and time periods.

Race

Race in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansras
The Afrikaans word 'ras' comes from the Malay word 'bangsa', meaning 'nation' or 'people'.
Amharicዘር
"ዘር" (Amharic for "race") can also mean line, generation, or genealogy.
Hausatsere
The word "tsere" in Hausa also means "the condition of being different in kind or form".
Igboagbụrụ
While the word "agbụrụ" primarily means "race" in Igbo, it can also refer to a "line of descent" or "lineage".
Malagasyhazakazaka
The word "hazakazaka" is related to the Malagasy word "hazakazaka" which means "a fast or furious activity".
Nyanja (Chichewa)mpikisano
In Nyanja, the word 'mpikisano' not only means 'race' but can also mean a competition in general.
Shonamujaho
The word "mujaho" also means "strain" or "breed".
Somalitartanka
The word tartanka, meaning "race," derives from the English word "tartan," a type of woven plaid fabric associated with Scottish culture.
Sesothopeiso
In addition to its literal meaning, "peiso" also refers to a type of traditional dance performed by married women.
Swahilimbio
The word "mbio" in Swahili can also refer to a line or a row.
Xhosaubuhlanga
The word "ubuhlanga" also means "kind" or "type" in Xhosa.
Yorubaije
The Yoruba word 'ije' also refers to a type of masquerade performance and a traditional festival.
Zuluumjaho
"Umjaho" is also a ritual foot race, often run as part of the Zulu wedding ceremony.
Bambarasiya
Eweɖimekeke
Kinyarwandaubwoko
Lingalamposo ya nzoto
Lugandaokusindana
Sepedimorafe
Twi (Akan)tu mmirika

Race in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicسباق
The word "سباق" can also mean "competition" or "contest" in Arabic.
Hebrewגזע
The Hebrew word "גזע" (gaza) can also mean "trunk" (of a tree), "stem" (of a plant), or "lineage".
Pashtoریس
ريس (race) can also refer to a horse or camel race.
Arabicسباق
The word "سباق" can also mean "competition" or "contest" in Arabic.

Race in Western European Languages

Albaniangarë
"Garë" is also used to refer to a train station or a horse race.
Basquelasterketa
The Basque word for 'race', 'lasterketa', also means 'run' or 'course'.
Catalancarrera
"Carrera" can also mean "career" in Catalan, a similar meaning to its Spanish counterpart.
Croatianutrka
The Croatian word 'utrka' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'ъtrъkъ', which also meant 'meeting'.
Danishrace
Race (Danish), meaning a bicycle-racing route in English.
Dutchras
The word "ras" in Dutch can also mean "breed" or "strain".
Englishrace
The word "race" derives from the Old Italian "razza", meaning "breed" or "strain" and refers primarily to differences between populations in terms of skin color, ancestral geographic origin or other physical features.
Frenchcourse
The word "course" in French can also refer to a meal or a dish made from various ingredients.
Frisianras
Ras or rasse can in Frisian besides 'race' also refer the course in sailing competitions
Galiciancarreira
In Galician, "carreira" can also refer to a lane, track, or path.
Germanrennen
Rennen derives from the Old High German word "rinnan", meaning "to run" and can also mean "to flow".
Icelandichlaup
In Icelandic, the word "hlaup" can also refer to a type of traditional dance or a short run.
Irishrás
Rás, the Irish word for "race," also denotes a "course" or "path," as in a journey or a competition.
Italiangara
The word "gara" in Italian originates from the word "carra," meaning "road," and thus initially referred to a race on foot or horseback along a road.
Luxembourgishrennen
In Luxembourgish, "rennen" can also refer to running, especially in the context of a competition.
Malteserazza
The Maltese word "razza" is derived from the Arabic word "razā" meaning "will, wish, or consent".
Norwegianløp
The word "løp" in Norwegian is cognate to "leap" in English, and can also refer to a running path or a flight of stairs.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)raça
Portuguese "raça" relates back to the Latin word "radix" (root), meaning lineage, while the English "race" comes from "razza", an early Italian term for breeds or types, which derives from the Arabic "ras" (head, beginning).
Scots Gaelicrèis
The Scots Gaelic word “rèis” can also mean “track”, "footprint" or "step".
Spanishraza
In Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay, "raza" retains its historic meaning that refers to ethnicity/origins, not physical traits.
Swedishlopp
The word "lopp" can also refer to the foliage or branches of trees that are cut back or cropped.
Welshras
The word 'ras' also refers to 'course', 'direction', 'series' or 'run', as seen in 'ras fach' ('short run') and 'ras o gwmpas' ('circuit').

Race in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianраса
The Belarusian word "раса" derives from the Polish word "rasa" and has the alternate meaning of "dew".
Bosniantrka
The word "trka" in Bosnian can also refer to a running track or a competition between several animals.
Bulgarianраса
Bulgarian term "раса" is a false cognate with English "race" and originally meant either "breed", "species", or "group of relatives sharing a common ancestor".
Czechzávod
"Závod" also means "factory" in Czech, as factories were often located near water sources for power, similar to mills.
Estonianvõistlus
The word "võistlus" in Estonian also means "competition".
Finnishrotu
The Finnish word "rotu" can also refer to a line, row, or column in a table or spreadsheet.
Hungarianverseny
"Verseny" also means rivalry or competition.
Latviansacīkstes
The word "sacīkstes" is derived from the Slavic "сътязати", or "to compete against".
Lithuanianlenktynės
The word "lenktynės" is used in Lithuanian to refer to a competition between people or animals, or to the act of running or driving as fast as possible.
Macedonianраса
In Macedonian, "раса" can also refer to "sort" or "type".
Polishwyścigi
In Polish, wyścigi also means competition or contest.
Romanianrasă
The Romanian word "rasă" has several alternate definitions and etymologies: "origin, lineage, stock, breed," and also, in colloquial language, "kind, sort, species."
Russianраса
The Russian word "раса" ultimately derives from the French word "race" (meaning "lineage, family"), but it has come to have connotations of ethnicity and physical characteristics.
Serbianтрка
The word “трка” can also mean “chase” or “racecourse”.
Slovakrasa
The word "rasa" has also been used historically in Slovak to refer to a "nation" or "family".
Sloveniandirka
The Slovenian word 'dirka' is a cognate of the German word 'derk', meaning 'course' or 'path', and can also refer to a competition or test.
Ukrainianгонки
The word "гонки" can also refer to a competition between horses or other animals.

Race in South Asian Languages

Bengaliজাতি
In Bengali, the word "জাতি" can also mean "birth", "origin", or "caste".
Gujaratiરેસ
The word "રેસ" can also refer to a series of performances or entertainments.
Hindiरेस
In Hindi, the word "रेस" can also mean "a kind" or "a style".
Kannadaರೇಸ್
ರೇಸ್ also means 'crowd' or 'group' in Kannada.
Malayalamഓട്ടം
It can mean any competitive run as well as the act of pouring.
Marathiशर्यत
The word "शर्यत" (race) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "शृ" (to go) and means "a going, a running, a coursing," or "a race."
Nepaliदौड
"दौड" (race) in Nepali comes from Sanskrit "द्रु" (dru), meaning "to run," not from English "race."
Punjabiਦੌੜ
The word "ਦੌੜ" in Punjabi also means a line, or a row, like a queue or a military formation.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)තරඟය
The term තරඟය, or race, can refer to any physical competition involving speed or endurance in Sinhalese.
Tamilஇனம்
While 'இனம்' primarily means 'race' in Tamil, it also has other meanings like 'kind', 'species', and 'class'.
Teluguజాతి
"జాతి" is the Telugu equivalent of the English word "race", but it also has other meanings such as "species", "variety"
Urduدوڑ
The word 'دوڑ' ('race') in Urdu can also mean 'contest' or 'competition'

Race in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)种族
In Chinese, the word "种族" also means "type" or "category".
Chinese (Traditional)種族
The word 種族 (race) in Chinese can also refer to "species" or "kind".
Japanese人種
The word "人種" (じんしゅ) in Japanese can also refer to "species" or "kind".}
Korean경주
The word "경주" also means "capital" or "metropolis" in Korean.
Mongolianуралдаан
Myanmar (Burmese)ပြိုင်ပွဲ

Race in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianras
Indonesian "ras" derives from Spanish and Portuguese terms for "lineage" that originated in Arabic "ra's" (head).
Javanesebalapan
Balapan is also a kind of puppet in Javanese folk theater.
Khmerការប្រណាំង
The word "ការប្រណាំង" in Khmer can also refer to a competition between people or animals, as in a running or swimming race.
Laoເຊື້ອຊາດ
Malayperlumbaan
From the Javanese word "pralambah", which means "origin"
Thaiแข่ง
แข่ง derives from the Proto-Austronesian term kadiŋ, and its other meanings include 'compete', 'contest', and 'compare'.
Vietnamesecuộc đua
"Cuộc đua" can also mean a competition of speed between two or more animals, vehicles, or people.
Filipino (Tagalog)lahi

Race in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniyarış
The word 'yarış' also means 'competition' or 'contest' in Azerbaijani.
Kazakhжарыс
"Жарыс" means race, contest or competition. Can be also interpreted as a "chase"
Kyrgyzжарыш
The word "жарыш" can also mean "competition" or "rivalry" in Kyrgyz, showing its deep connection to the idea of struggle and striving.
Tajikнажод
The Tajik word "нажод" can also refer to a type of apricot or a group of people sharing a common language, history, and culture.
Turkmenýaryş
Uzbekpoyga
In some contexts, the word "poyga" can also refer to a "competition" or "match".
Uyghurمۇسابىقە

Race in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianheihei
The word "heihei" in Hawaiian also means "to chase" or "to compete".
Maorireihi
Maori word "reihi" can refer to any kind of competition, not just races; it also means "line" or "row".
Samoantuʻuga
The Samoan word "tuʻuga" is also a term for "descent" or "origin".
Tagalog (Filipino)karera
The word "karera" in Filipino also refers to a "profession" or a "career" in English.

Race in American Indigenous Languages

Aymararasa
Guaraniñemoñanga

Race in International Languages

Esperantovetkuro
The word "vetkuro" in Esperanto also has the meaning of "strain" or "stock" (for example, of animals or plants).
Latingenus
Genus in Latin also means a type, kind, origin, or stock, and is related to the English word "generate" and the Greek word "genos," meaning "race" or "family.

Race in Others Languages

Greekαγώνας
Derived from the ancient verb άγω 'I lead' through a Greek stem αγων- "a contest or assembly," "place for assembly" via a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to drive'
Hmonghaiv neeg
The term "haiv neeg" (race) derives from the concept of "lineage" or "descent" with the "haiv" meaning "branch" and "neej" meaning "root".
Kurdishnîjad
The word "nîjad" also has the meaning of "lineage" or "descent".
Turkishyarış
The word "yarış" also means "competition" or "contest" in Turkish.
Xhosaubuhlanga
The word "ubuhlanga" also means "kind" or "type" in Xhosa.
Yiddishגעיעג
The Yiddish word "געיעג" derives from the Middle High German "gagen", meaning "to go, to seek, to desire".
Zuluumjaho
"Umjaho" is also a ritual foot race, often run as part of the Zulu wedding ceremony.
Assameseজাতি
Aymararasa
Bhojpuriदौड़
Dhivehiރޭސް
Dogriदौड़
Filipino (Tagalog)lahi
Guaraniñemoñanga
Ilocanokarera
Kriores
Kurdish (Sorani)پێشبڕکێ
Maithiliदौर
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯂꯝꯖꯦꯜ ꯇꯥꯟꯅꯕ
Mizointlansiak
Oromosanyii
Odia (Oriya)ଜାତି
Quechuapaway
Sanskritधावनं
Tatarузыш
Tigrinyaዘርኢ
Tsongarixaka

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