Reflection in Different Languages
Discover 'Reflection' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Reflection is a powerful word that carries significant meaning across cultures and languages. It refers to the act of thinking deeply about something, considering its implications, and often seeking to learn from past experiences. This concept is universal, and you'll find words similar to 'reflection' in many languages around the world.
Reflection has been a critical aspect of human culture and philosophy for centuries. In ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates emphasized the importance of self-reflection in seeking wisdom and improving one's character. Similarly, in many Eastern cultures, practices like meditation and mindfulness encourage deep reflection as a means of achieving inner peace and balance.
Knowing the translation of 'reflection' in different languages can be beneficial for various reasons. For global citizens, it can foster cross-cultural understanding and communication. For language learners, it can help expand vocabulary and improve comprehension. And for those interested in personal growth, exploring the nuances of this concept in various languages can offer fresh perspectives and insights.
Here are a few translations of 'reflection' to pique your curiosity:
Reflection
Reflection in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | nadenke | ||
| The word "nadenke" is derived from the Dutch "nadenken," meaning "contemplate" or "reflect on". | |||
| Amharic | ነጸብራቅ | ||
| Hausa | tunani | ||
| The word 'tunani' also means 'appearance' or 'sign' in Hausa | |||
| Igbo | echiche | ||
| In the Igbo language, "echiche" also refers to a state of being cautious or watchful. | |||
| Malagasy | taratra | ||
| The word 'taratra' is also used to indicate a 'shadow' or a 'shade'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chinyezimiro | ||
| The word "chinyezimiro" also conveys the meaning of "self-awareness" and "introspection" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kuratidzwa | ||
| "Kuratidzwa" in Shona can also mean "to be cared for" or "to be looked after." | |||
| Somali | milicsiga | ||
| The word "milicsiga" can also refer to a mirror, a lake or a mirage. | |||
| Sesotho | ponahatso | ||
| The root 'ponahatso' also means 'to resemble' or 'to look like'. | |||
| Swahili | tafakari | ||
| The word "tafakari" is derived from the root "fikiri," meaning thought or idea, and carries the concept of contemplation, introspection, or meditation. | |||
| Xhosa | imbonakalo | ||
| The word "imbonakalo" in Xhosa comes from the verb "ukubona", which means "to see", and the noun "ikalo", which means "mirror". | |||
| Yoruba | otito | ||
| The word | |||
| Zulu | ukucabanga | ||
| Ukucabanga is a homophone of 'to think' and also means 'meditation' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | hakilijakabɔ | ||
| Ewe | dzedze | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutekereza | ||
| Lingala | makanisi | ||
| Luganda | ekitangaala | ||
| Sepedi | sešupo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sɛso | ||
Reflection in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | انعكاس | ||
| Originally, it meant turning something upside down then it came to also mean mirroring. | |||
| Hebrew | הִשׁתַקְפוּת | ||
| The word "הִשׁתַקְפוּת" is derived from the root "שׁקף," which means "to shine" or "to gleam," and it can also refer to a "mirror" or a "model." | |||
| Pashto | انعکاس | ||
| The Pashto word "انعکاس" can also mean "impact" or "consequence". | |||
| Arabic | انعكاس | ||
| Originally, it meant turning something upside down then it came to also mean mirroring. | |||
Reflection in Western European Languages
| Albanian | reflektimi | ||
| As a noun, 'reflektimi' is often used in a philosophical context, meaning 'introspection' or 'contemplation'. | |||
| Basque | hausnarketa | ||
| The word "hausnarketa" derives from the Basque words "hau" (this), "na" (that) and "arketaz" (reflection), implying a reciprocal or comparative reflection. | |||
| Catalan | reflexió | ||
| The Catalan word "reflexió" is derived from the Latin word "reflexio", meaning "a bending back"} | |||
| Croatian | odraz | ||
| "Odraz" (reflection) also means "a wound scar" or "an imprint of something left behind". | |||
| Danish | afspejling | ||
| In Danish, 'afspejling' denotes both 'reflection' and a 'consequence' or 'implication' of an action. | |||
| Dutch | reflectie | ||
| In Dutch, "reflectie" can also refer to a written assignment in which students reflect on their learning experiences. | |||
| English | reflection | ||
| The word "reflection" derives from the Latin "reflectere," meaning "to bend back," and also refers to a thought, idea, or opinion. | |||
| French | réflexion | ||
| In French, | |||
| Frisian | wjerspegeling | ||
| The Frisian word "wjerspegeling" derives from the compound "wider-spilling", meaning "to cast back, to reflect." | |||
| Galician | reflexión | ||
| In Galician, "reflexión" comes from Latin "reflexio" and also means "thought" or "consideration". | |||
| German | reflexion | ||
| Reflexion can also mean "consideration" or "deliberation" in German, hinting at its Latin roots "re" (back) and "flectere" (to bend). | |||
| Icelandic | speglun | ||
| Speglun is related to Old Norse words for "to look at" and "mirror", and has the same root as words for "spectacles" (eyeglasses) in several Germanic languages. | |||
| Irish | machnamh | ||
| There is also a related word, "Machnamh", which is sometimes used in an older context of study or "pondering" instead of "reflection", with the word for "reflection" (in the sense of a mirror image) being "athraighil". | |||
| Italian | riflessione | ||
| Il termine italiano “riflessione” in ambito matematico indica la trasformazione di una figura nel suo simmetrico rispetto a una retta o a un punto. | |||
| Luxembourgish | reflexioun | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Reflexioun" can also refer to the ability to think critically or the act of self-reflection. | |||
| Maltese | riflessjoni | ||
| It also has the alternate meaning of 'thought', which comes from the Latin word 'reflexio'. | |||
| Norwegian | speilbilde | ||
| Speilbilde is a compound word from 'speil' (mirror) and 'bilde' (picture), and can also refer to an optical illusion. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | reflexão | ||
| The Portuguese word "reflexão" has several meanings, including "thought", "consideration", and "meditation". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | meòrachadh | ||
| Spanish | reflexión | ||
| The word "reflexión" also means "thought" or "consideration" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | reflexion | ||
| The Swedish word "reflexion" can also mean "consideration" or "deliberation". | |||
| Welsh | myfyrio | ||
| The rare form 'meuwyr' is used for the 'reflection' or 'reverberation' of light or sound. | |||
Reflection in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рэфлексія | ||
| "Рэфлексія" is also used in Belarusian to describe the process of self-examination or contemplation. | |||
| Bosnian | refleksija | ||
| "Refleksija" is derived from the Latin word "reflexio" meaning "bending back". The word is also used to describe philosophical meditation and contemplation, as well as various artistic and scientific reflections. | |||
| Bulgarian | отражение | ||
| In physics, "отражение" also means "reflection" in the sense of bouncing back. | |||
| Czech | odraz | ||
| In Polish, odraz also means "wound" or "injury". | |||
| Estonian | peegeldus | ||
| Peegeldus, also spelled "pehmeldus," is a noun meaning "reflection" or "contemplation". | |||
| Finnish | pohdintaa | ||
| In Finnish, "pohdintaa" also means "deliberation" or "contemplation". | |||
| Hungarian | visszaverődés | ||
| In physics, it also means the phenomenon which occurs when light or acoustic waves etc. bounce off the surface of the medium. | |||
| Latvian | pārdomas | ||
| Pārdomas also means `thoughts, considerations, worries, musings` in Latvian, a meaning which is less common in English. | |||
| Lithuanian | atspindys | ||
| "Atpindys" shares its origin with the Latvian word "atspoguļojums" or the Polish word "odbicie", originating from the Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to throw" or "to pour". | |||
| Macedonian | рефлексија | ||
| The Macedonian word "рефлексија" derives from the Latin verb "reflectere," which means "to bend" or "to turn back," and shares related meanings with the English word "reflexion." | |||
| Polish | odbicie | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "reflection", "odbicie" can also refer to a rebound, echo, or imitation. | |||
| Romanian | reflecţie | ||
| In Romanian, the word "reflecție" also means "thought, meditation" and "commentary". | |||
| Russian | отражение | ||
| Отражение can also mean a repercussion, an impact, or the effect of something. | |||
| Serbian | одраз | ||
| The Serbian word 'одраз' is derived from the Old Slavic word 'obraz' meaning 'image' or 'form' and is related to the word 'vid' meaning 'view' or 'sight'. It can also refer to the act of reflecting or the result of reflected light. | |||
| Slovak | odraz | ||
| Odraz is also the name of a Slovak football club, FK Odranec-Drážovce. | |||
| Slovenian | refleksija | ||
| ''Refleksija'' in Slovenian is derived from the Latin word 'reflexio', which means 'bending back' or 'turning back' and can also refer to contemplation or introspection. | |||
| Ukrainian | рефлексія | ||
| In Ukrainian, "рефлексія" not only refers to reflection but also contemplation, self-criticism, or analysis. | |||
Reflection in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিবিম্ব | ||
| The word "প্রতিবিম্ব" also means "likeness", "image" or "counterpart" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રતિબિંબ | ||
| પ્રતિબિંબ shares its root with 'pratibimb,' meaning 'twin' or 'copy,' and 'bimb,' meaning 'an image' or 'a figure'. | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिबिंब | ||
| The word "प्रतिबिंब" also means "image" or "counterpart" in Hindi, and is related to the Sanskrit word "प्रतिभान" which means "intuition" or "understanding". | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರತಿಫಲನ | ||
| ಪ್ರತಿಫಲನ (pratiphalana) also signifies a 'reward', 'return' or 'compensation' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രതിഫലനം | ||
| The word "പ്രതിഫലനം" in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "pratiphala" meaning "result" or "reward"} | |||
| Marathi | प्रतिबिंब | ||
| प्रतिबिंब also means 'image', 'copy' or 'likeness' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | परावर्तन | ||
| The word "परावर्तन" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आ-वृत्त" which means "to turn back" or "to return". | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਤੀਬਿੰਬ | ||
| "ਪ੍ਰਤੀਬਿੰਬ" also means an image of someone or something as reflected in a mirror or in water, especially when seen together with the original. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරාවර්තනය | ||
| Tamil | பிரதிபலிப்பு | ||
| Telugu | ప్రతిబింబం | ||
| Urdu | عکس | ||
| The word "عکس" can also mean "picture" or "image" in Urdu, as it derives from the Arabic word "عكس" meaning "to reflect" or "to imitate". | |||
Reflection in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 反射 | ||
| 反射 (fǎnshè) also means 'to reflect' in the sense of 'to think carefully' and 'to consider' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 反射 | ||
| 反射 (fǎnshè) also means 'reflex', 'instinct', 'reaction', or 'response' in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 反射 | ||
| 反射 (hansha) can also mean "refract," "bend," and "throw back." | |||
| Korean | 반사 | ||
| 반사 also means 'bounce' - e.g. 반사대 (trampoline). | |||
| Mongolian | тусгал | ||
| Tusgal also means 'idea' or 'imagination' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရောင်ပြန်ဟပ် | ||
Reflection in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | refleksi | ||
| The word "refleksi" in Indonesian can also refer to a reflex, a conditioned response to a stimulus. | |||
| Javanese | bayangan | ||
| "Bayangan", in Javanese, refers to an echo or reverberation, as well as a reflection in a mirror. | |||
| Khmer | ការឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំង | ||
| Lao | ການສະທ້ອນ | ||
| Malay | renungan | ||
| Renungan also means pondering or contemplation in Malay. | |||
| Thai | การสะท้อนกลับ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the root word "pratibimb" means "backwards" or "inverted image," emphasizing the mirror-like aspect of a reflection. | |||
| Vietnamese | sự phản chiếu | ||
| The word "sự phản chiếu" can also mean "reflection of the mirror" or "something that looks like another thing." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagmuni-muni | ||
Reflection in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əks | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "əks" can also mean "echo" or "sound reflection". | |||
| Kazakh | шағылысу | ||
| The word "шағылысу" also means "to reflect (on), to consider, to ponder, to deliberate, to meditate, to think (about)" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чагылдыруу | ||
| Tajik | инъикос | ||
| The word "инъикос" may also refer to a mirror. | |||
| Turkmen | şöhlelendirme | ||
| Uzbek | aks ettirish | ||
| The Uzbek word "aks ettirish" comes from the Old Turkic word "akset", meaning "to turn" or "to face towards." | |||
| Uyghur | ئەكىس ئەتتۈرۈش | ||
Reflection in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | noonoo | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "noonoo" can also refer to one of the four souls that make up a person according to ancient beliefs. | |||
| Maori | whakaataaro | ||
| The word "whakaataaro" also means "to consider" or "to deliberate". | |||
| Samoan | manatunatu loloto | ||
| The word "manatunatu loloto" can also refer to thinking deeply or pondering. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | repleksyon | ||
| In Tagalog, "repleksyon" is derived from the Spanish word "reflexión," meaning "thought, consideration," and can also refer to "reflection" in the sense of an image or echo | |||
Reflection in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amuyu | ||
| Guarani | py'amongeta | ||
Reflection in International Languages
| Esperanto | reflekto | ||
| The root 'reflekt' in 'reflekto' also means 'to think over' and is related to 'reflex' in English. | |||
| Latin | cogitatio | ||
| Cogitatio is related to the Latin verb cogitare, "to think intently" or "to consider carefully". | |||
Reflection in Others Languages
| Greek | αντανάκλαση | ||
| αντανάκλαση derives from the prefix αντί- (anti-) meaning "against" and ανάκλαση (anaklasi) meaning "bending" or "refraction". | |||
| Hmong | kev xav ntawm | ||
| Kurdish | biriqanî | ||
| The word "biriqanî" also means "lightning" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | yansıma | ||
| The word "yansıma" also means "recoil" or "ripple" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | imbonakalo | ||
| The word "imbonakalo" in Xhosa comes from the verb "ukubona", which means "to see", and the noun "ikalo", which means "mirror". | |||
| Yiddish | אָפּשפּיגלונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָפּשפּיגלונג" (reflection) is a compound consisting of the prefix "אָפּ" (off, back) and the root "שפיגל" (mirror). | |||
| Zulu | ukucabanga | ||
| Ukucabanga is a homophone of 'to think' and also means 'meditation' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিফলন | ||
| Aymara | amuyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रतिबिंब | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިފްލެކްޝަން | ||
| Dogri | छौरा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagmuni-muni | ||
| Guarani | py'amongeta | ||
| Ilocano | aninaw | ||
| Krio | tan lɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەنگدانەوە | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिबिंब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯝꯃꯤ ꯇꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | en khalh | ||
| Oromo | calaqqisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିଫଳନ | ||
| Quechua | hamutay | ||
| Sanskrit | परावर्तन | ||
| Tatar | уйлану | ||
| Tigrinya | ምስትንታን | ||
| Tsonga | tilangutisa | ||