Relation in Different Languages
Discover 'Relation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'relation' holds a significant place in our lives, as it refers to the way in which we connect with others, as well as the way things are connected to each other. Its cultural importance cannot be overstated, as it forms the very foundation of human interaction, social structures, and even our understanding of the world around us.
Throughout history, the concept of relation has been explored in various philosophical, sociological, and anthropological contexts. It is a word that transcends cultural boundaries and is recognized in virtually every language, albeit with subtle nuances that reflect the unique perspectives of different cultures.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of relation in different languages can be a fascinating exploration of how different cultures conceptualize and express this fundamental concept. Here are a few examples:
- In Spanish, the word for relation is 'relación', which shares the same Latin root as its English counterpart.
- In Mandarin Chinese, the word for relation is '关系' (guānxì), which also carries the connotation of connection and interdependence.
- In Japanese, the word for relation is '関係' (kankei), which reflects the importance of social hierarchy and context in Japanese culture.
Relation
Relation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verhouding | ||
| Amharic | ግንኙነት | ||
| "ግንኙነት" (relation) is related to "ግን" (but) as it implies a comparison or connection between different entities. | |||
| Hausa | dangi | ||
| "Dangi" is derived from the Proto-Benue-Congo word *daaŋi, meaning "mother" or "maternal relative." | |||
| Igbo | mmekọrita | ||
| "Mmekọrita" also refers to the connection between two things. | |||
| Malagasy | fifandraisana | ||
| The word "fifandraisana" can also mean "alliance" or "relationship" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ubale | ||
| The Chichewa word "ubale" also refers to a "bond, connection, or tie" between two or more objects, people, or ideas. | |||
| Shona | hukama | ||
| "Hukuma" is also a word in Swahili, meaning "government" or "authority". | |||
| Somali | xiriir | ||
| "Xiriir" can also refer to a group of people with shared interests or objectives. | |||
| Sesotho | kamano | ||
| "Kamano" can also mean "a certain place" and "a place at the foot of a mountain or hill". | |||
| Swahili | uhusiano | ||
| "Uhusiano" can also mean "relationship" in the sense of "a romantic or sexual relationship", or "a connection or association between two or more people or things". | |||
| Xhosa | ubudlelwane | ||
| The word 'ubudlelwane' can also refer to a connection between two people. | |||
| Yoruba | ibatan | ||
| The word "ibatan" in Yoruba can also refer to "a brother" or "a sister". | |||
| Zulu | ubuhlobo | ||
| Ubuhlobo also refers to the spiritual connection between family members, extending beyond kinship to encompass ancestral spirits. | |||
| Bambara | jɛɲɔgɔnya | ||
| Ewe | ƒomedodo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | isano | ||
| Lingala | boyokani | ||
| Luganda | enkolagana | ||
| Sepedi | kamano | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abusuabɔ | ||
Relation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | علاقة | ||
| In Arabic, "علاقة" also denotes a romantic relationship, similar to the English term "affair." | |||
| Hebrew | יַחַס | ||
| The word "יַחַס" in Hebrew also connotes "ratio" or "proportion." | |||
| Pashto | تړاو | ||
| The Pashto word "تړاو" can also refer to "connection," "relationship," or "linkage." | |||
| Arabic | علاقة | ||
| In Arabic, "علاقة" also denotes a romantic relationship, similar to the English term "affair." | |||
Relation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lidhje | ||
| The word "lidhje" in Albanian derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "leydh-", meaning "to bind" or "to tie". | |||
| Basque | erlazio | ||
| The word "erlazio" is also used to describe a kinship, a connection between two or more people. | |||
| Catalan | relació | ||
| The Catalan word "relació" ultimately derives from the Latin word "relatio", meaning "reference", "report", or "account". | |||
| Croatian | odnos | ||
| The word "odnos" in Croatian originates from the Proto-Slavic word *otьnosъ, meaning "attitude, behavior, or stance." | |||
| Danish | forhold | ||
| Though 'forhold' in Danish typically means 'relation', it can also signify proportions and circumstances, similar to German 'Verhältnis'. | |||
| Dutch | relatie | ||
| The word "relatie" in Dutch can also mean "relationship" or "connection", depending on the context. | |||
| English | relation | ||
| Relation can also refer to an account of something that has occurred, or to an act of connecting something. | |||
| French | relation | ||
| The French word "relation" also means "report" or "connection". | |||
| Frisian | relaasje | ||
| The word "relaasje" in Frisian can also refer to a type of short story or ballad. | |||
| Galician | relación | ||
| In Galician, "relación" can also mean "report" or "relationship", depending on the context. | |||
| German | beziehung | ||
| The word "Beziehung" in German can also mean "connection" or "relationship" between two objects or entities. | |||
| Icelandic | tengsl | ||
| The word "tengsl" in Icelandic can also refer to a "connection" or "relation" between two things, such as a cause and effect. | |||
| Irish | maidir le | ||
| The word 'maidir le' in Irish can also refer to a godparent or sponsor. | |||
| Italian | relazione | ||
| The Italian word 'relazione' derives from the Latin 'relatio,' meaning 'an account' or 'a report,' and can also refer to a connection or bond between individuals. | |||
| Luxembourgish | relatioun | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Relatioun" is cognate with English "relation" and German "Relation," but primarily refers to a personal or familial connection rather than a concept or logical relationship. | |||
| Maltese | relazzjoni | ||
| The word "relazzjoni" can also refer to a relationship between two people, such as a romantic or familial one. | |||
| Norwegian | forhold | ||
| The word forhold in Norwegian can also mean 'condition' or 'state', and is cognate to the German word Verhältnis. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | relação | ||
| In Portuguese, "relação" can also mean "relationship" or "list". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dàimh | ||
| "Dàimh" also means "a company or party of people" and is cognate with Welsh "daith". | |||
| Spanish | relación | ||
| The Spanish word "relación" derives from the Latin word "relatio", which means "carrying back" or "bringing back". | |||
| Swedish | relation | ||
| In Swedish, relation can also refer to a story, account, or description. | |||
| Welsh | perthynas | ||
| The word "perthynas" in Welsh is derived from the Proto-Celtic root "*kʷerti-n-i" and is related to the English word "kin". | |||
Relation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адносіны | ||
| The word "адносіны" can also refer to a person's status or position in society. | |||
| Bosnian | odnos | ||
| The word "odnos" in Bosnian can also refer to a ratio or proportion. | |||
| Bulgarian | отношение | ||
| The word "отношение" can also mean "attitude" or "opinion" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | vztah | ||
| The term "vztah" in Czech can also refer to a relationship or connection. | |||
| Estonian | suhe | ||
| The word "suhe" also refers to a proportion or ratio, particularly in mathematics. | |||
| Finnish | suhde | ||
| The word "suhde" also carries the meanings of "circumstances" and "situation" | |||
| Hungarian | kapcsolat | ||
| The word "kapcsolat" can also mean "connection" or "relationship" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | saistība | ||
| The word "saistība" derives from the verb "saistīt" (to bind), indicating the strong connection implied by the relationship. | |||
| Lithuanian | santykis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "santykis" is related to the Sanskrit word "sambandha," meaning "connection" or "relationship." | |||
| Macedonian | релација | ||
| The word "релација" in Macedonian can also refer to a mathematical relation or a relationship between two or more people. | |||
| Polish | relacja | ||
| "Relacja" in Polish can also refer to a story or an account, similar to the English word "narrative" or "report." | |||
| Romanian | relație | ||
| The Romanian word 'relație' is derived from the Latin word 'relatio', meaning 'carrying back' or 'reporting'. | |||
| Russian | связь | ||
| In Russian, the word "связь" can also mean "connection", "communication", or "bond." | |||
| Serbian | однос | ||
| 'Однос' is also a Serbian slang for 'a homosexual relationship'. | |||
| Slovak | vzťah | ||
| The word "vzťah" in Slovak can also refer to a mathematical relation or a relationship between two or more people. | |||
| Slovenian | razmerje | ||
| "Razmerje" also denotes "ratio" (of numbers), "proportion" (of ingredients), and "measurement" (of space or time). | |||
| Ukrainian | відношення | ||
| The Ukrainian word "відношення" can also refer to mathematical relations or ratios. | |||
Relation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সম্পর্ক | ||
| The word "সম্পর্ক" can also mean "connection," "association," or "relationship." | |||
| Gujarati | સંબંધ | ||
| The word "સંબંધ" (relation) in Gujarati originates from the Sanskrit word "सम्बन्ध" (sambandha), meaning "connection" or "relationship". | |||
| Hindi | रिश्ता | ||
| The Hindi word "रिश्ता" not only means "relation," but also holds cultural significance, encompassing bonds and connections within a social network. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂಬಂಧ | ||
| "ಸಂಬಂಧ" also has the meaning "connection", "union", or "association" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ബന്ധം | ||
| "Bandham" in Malayalam is cognate with "bond" and "band" in English, and also means a musical instrument. | |||
| Marathi | संबंध | ||
| The Marathi word "संबंध" (sambandha) also means a "connection" or an "affair". | |||
| Nepali | सम्बन्ध | ||
| "सम्बन्ध" can also refer to a mathematical relation or context. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਬੰਧ | ||
| The word "ਸਬੰਧ" (relation) can also refer to a connection, kinship, or association. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සම්බන්ධතාවය | ||
| Tamil | உறவு | ||
| The term 'உறவு' in Tamil can also refer to a social network or connection, a kinship group, or a relationship between two or more people. | |||
| Telugu | సంబంధం | ||
| In Telugu, "సంబంధం" can refer to a relationship or connection between people, objects, or events. | |||
| Urdu | رشتہ | ||
| The word "رشتہ" has a rich etymology, stemming from the root meaning "to tie" and also referring to a bond of marriage or kinship. | |||
Relation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 关系 | ||
| 关系 (guānxi) can also mean 'connection' or 'interdependence'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 關係 | ||
| The word "關係" (relation in English) has a range of meanings in Chinese, including "connection", "relationship", and "influence". | |||
| Japanese | 関係 | ||
| "関係" can also mean 'relevance', 'intimacy', or 'connections' in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 관계 | ||
| The word "관계" derives from the Hanja character "關", which also means "barrier" or "boundary". | |||
| Mongolian | харилцаа | ||
| The word 'харилцаа' refers to an interaction or a connection between two or more parties in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆက်စပ်မှု | ||
Relation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hubungan | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "hubungan" not only means "relation" but also refers to a "connection" or a "relationship" between two or more people or things. | |||
| Javanese | gegayutan | ||
| The word "gegayutan" in Javanese can also mean "to be related" or "to be connected". | |||
| Khmer | ទំនាក់ទំនង | ||
| Lao | ສາຍພົວພັນ | ||
| "สาย" also means "electric wire" in Thai | |||
| Malay | hubungan | ||
| The word 'hubungan' can also mean 'connection' or 'relationship' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ความสัมพันธ์ | ||
| The word "ความสัมพันธ์" in Thai can also mean "linkage" or "connection" | |||
| Vietnamese | quan hệ | ||
| The word "quan hệ" in Vietnamese can also mean "relationship" or "affair". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | relasyon | ||
Relation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | münasibət | ||
| "Münasibət" in Azerbaijani, cognate with Persian مناسبت (monāsebat), also meant "proportion, conformity" | |||
| Kazakh | қатынас | ||
| The Kazakh word "қатынас" originally referred to "communication, talk" or "contact" as well as "relation, kinship" | |||
| Kyrgyz | байланыш | ||
| The word "байланыш" in Kyrgyz can also refer to "contact" or "connection". | |||
| Tajik | муносибат | ||
| The Persian-Arabic phrase "مو نسبت" literally means "What is your name (and lineage)?" | |||
| Turkmen | gatnaşygy | ||
| Uzbek | munosabat | ||
| "Munosabat" means "relation" in Uzbek and also refers to the connection between two things. | |||
| Uyghur | مۇناسىۋەت | ||
Relation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pili pili | ||
| The word “pili pili“ can also mean “to cling.” | |||
| Maori | hononga | ||
| The word "hononga" in Māori can also refer to a physical or spiritual connection, a bond, or a relationship. | |||
| Samoan | aiga | ||
| The word also translates variously as "kind" or a "sort." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ugnayan | ||
| The word "ugnayan" in Tagalog (Filipino) can also refer to connection, link, or relationship, and is derived from the root word "ugnay", meaning "to unite" or "to connect." | |||
Relation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | relación ukampi | ||
| Guarani | relación rehegua | ||
Relation in International Languages
| Esperanto | rilato | ||
| "Rilato" in Esperanto, coming from French "relaté", also means "story", "tale" or "account", like "esperanto-rilato" (Esperanto story). | |||
| Latin | relatione | ||
| In Latin, "relatione" (relation) can also refer to a report or an account, and is related to "refero," meaning "to bring back." | |||
Relation in Others Languages
| Greek | σχέση | ||
| In mathematics, the word "σχέση" can also refer to a binary relation, representing a set of ordered pairs. | |||
| Hmong | piv | ||
| The word "piv" in Hmong can also refer to a unit of time equal to about an hour and a half. | |||
| Kurdish | meriv | ||
| The word "meriv" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mer-/*mor-", meaning "to bind, to connect". | |||
| Turkish | ilişki | ||
| In Turkish, "ilişki" can also mean "connection" or "relationship", depending on the context. | |||
| Xhosa | ubudlelwane | ||
| The word 'ubudlelwane' can also refer to a connection between two people. | |||
| Yiddish | באַציונג | ||
| The etymology of the Yiddish word “batzoying” is unclear; possibilities include Russian, Polish, or Ukrainian words meaning "father's side; father's family, | |||
| Zulu | ubuhlobo | ||
| Ubuhlobo also refers to the spiritual connection between family members, extending beyond kinship to encompass ancestral spirits. | |||
| Assamese | সম্পৰ্ক | ||
| Aymara | relación ukampi | ||
| Bhojpuri | रिश्ता के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ގުޅުން | ||
| Dogri | रिश्ता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | relasyon | ||
| Guarani | relación rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | relasion | ||
| Krio | rileshɔnship | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پەیوەندی | ||
| Maithili | सम्बन्ध | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯤ ꯂꯩꯅꯕꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯃꯁꯤꯡ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | inzawmna | ||
| Oromo | hariiroo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମ୍ପର୍କ | ||
| Quechua | relación nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | सम्बन्धः | ||
| Tatar | мөнәсәбәт | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝምድና | ||
| Tsonga | vuxaka | ||