Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'remote' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that is distant or secluded. Its cultural importance has grown exponentially in recent times, with the rise of remote work and remote learning. But have you ever wondered how to say 'remote' in different languages? Understanding this can open up a world of opportunities, allowing you to communicate and connect with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Did you know that 'remote' translates to 'afastado' in Portuguese, reflecting the concept of being set apart? Or that in Swedish, 'remote' becomes 'fjärran', which literally means 'far away'? These translations not only offer insight into the linguistic nuances of different languages but also provide a glimpse into the unique cultural perspectives of each country.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'remote' in various languages, from 'lointain' in French to 'mate' in Esperanto. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and educate.
Afrikaans | afgeleë | ||
"Afgeleë" is also used figuratively to describe a concept or idea that is obscure or difficult to understand. | |||
Amharic | የርቀት | ||
የርቀት also means 'not close' or 'apart' in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | nesa | ||
The word "nesa" derives from either the Arabic "نسا" (forgetting) or the Hausa "nase" (to scatter). | |||
Igbo | n'ime obodo | ||
'N'ime obodo' literally means 'in the bush', highlighting the remoteness of the location. | |||
Malagasy | mitokana | ||
The word "mitokana" likely derives from either the Proto-Austronesian word "*tuku" (to reside) or the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word "*tukuq" (place). | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutali | ||
The word 'kutali' can also refer to a secluded place, or a place that is far away from any major road. | |||
Shona | kure | ||
The word "kure" has a secondary meaning of being far from home. | |||
Somali | fog | ||
The Somali word "fog" can also mean "to be confused" or "to be dizzy". | |||
Sesotho | hole | ||
The Sesotho word "hole" is related to the Zulu word "ukholo" which means a clan. | |||
Swahili | kijijini | ||
"Kijijini" is also a term used to describe a rural village or settlement in Swahili-speaking regions. | |||
Xhosa | kude | ||
The word "kude" also means "far apart" or "separated" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | latọna jijin | ||
"Latọna" means "very far" and "jijin", "to be far away", indicating a strong connotation of distance or remoteness. | |||
Zulu | kude | ||
The Zulu word "kude" also means "to be far away" or "to be distant". | |||
Bambara | samanen | ||
Ewe | si gbɔ dzi dzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | kure | ||
Lingala | mosika | ||
Luganda | limooti | ||
Sepedi | kgole | ||
Twi (Akan) | akurase tuu | ||
Arabic | التحكم عن بعد | ||
Hebrew | מְרוּחָק | ||
The Hebrew word מְרוּחָק (maruchaq), meaning "remote," is related to the word רוּחַ (ruach), meaning "wind." | |||
Pashto | لرې | ||
The Pashto word "لرې" also means "far off" and "distant". | |||
Arabic | التحكم عن بعد | ||
Albanian | i largët | ||
The word "i largët" also means "far off" or "distant". | |||
Basque | urrunekoa | ||
The word "urrunekoa" in Basque can also mean "distant" or "far-off". | |||
Catalan | remot | ||
The Catalan word "remot" has additional meanings: it can mean a mountain pass, as well as "far away" metaphorically and literally | |||
Croatian | daljinski | ||
Daljinski derives from the Croatian word "daljina" meaning "distance," indicating its function as a device that controls something from afar. | |||
Danish | fjern | ||
"Fjern" also means "distant", or "away" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | afgelegen | ||
The word "afgelegen" can also refer to something that is "secluded" or "isolated". | |||
English | remote | ||
The word "remote" derives from the Latin verb "removere," meaning "to move away." | |||
French | éloigné | ||
"Éloigné" comes from "éloigner," which in turn is derived from Old French "alongier," meaning "to make long". | |||
Frisian | ôfstân | ||
The word “ôfstân” originally meant 'to stand outside' but now means 'remote' in English. | |||
Galician | remoto | ||
In Galician, "remoto" does not exist, so it means "remote". | |||
German | fernbedienung | ||
The German word "Fernbedienung" literally translates to "distance operation" and can also refer to a remote control for a computer. | |||
Icelandic | fjarlægur | ||
Fjarlægur is also an expression used to describe a person who is aloof or disconnected from others. | |||
Irish | iargúlta | ||
Irish iargúlta ("remote") derives from Proto-Celtic *argos ("distant"); cf. Welsh argae ("distant place") and Breton argañt ("boundary, edge"). | |||
Italian | a distanza | ||
In Italian, "a distanza" can also mean "from a distance" or "at a distance." | |||
Luxembourgish | ofgeleeën | ||
The word "ofgeleeën" is derived from the German word "abgelegen", which also means "remote". | |||
Maltese | remoti | ||
The Maltese word "remoti" also means "seclusion" in the sense of a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life. | |||
Norwegian | fjernkontroll | ||
The Norwegian word "fjernkontroll" has a double meaning, meaning both "remote control" and "remote sensing". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | controlo remoto | ||
In Portuguese, "controlo remoto" can also refer to an umbrella, as both words have the same etymology, ultimately derived from the Latin "remōtus" (removed). | |||
Scots Gaelic | iomallach | ||
The word "iomallach" originates from "iarmall" or "iarmaille". The root word "iar" means "west" and likely refers to places in the western isles of Scotland. | |||
Spanish | remoto | ||
In Spanish, "remoto" derives from the Latin "remotus" meaning "distant" or "separated" and also connotes solitude, isolation, and remoteness from cities or civilization. | |||
Swedish | avlägsen | ||
The word "avlägsen" has an alternate meaning of "distant in time" or "long ago". | |||
Welsh | anghysbell | ||
The word "anghysbell" in Welsh can also refer to a place that is difficult to access or a person who is unsociable. |
Belarusian | дыстанцыйны | ||
"Дыстанцыйны" in Belarusian is an adjective meaning "remote" and also has the additional meaning of "distant in time or place". | |||
Bosnian | daljinski | ||
"Daljinski" also means "far" in Bosnian, coming from the word "daleko" which means "far". | |||
Bulgarian | дистанционно | ||
Дистанционно also means "remote" in Russian and "long distance" in French. | |||
Czech | dálkový | ||
The word "dálkový" can also refer to long-distance, such as "dálkový hovor" (long-distance call) or "dálková autobusová doprava" (long-distance bus transport). | |||
Estonian | kaugjuhtimispult | ||
The Estonian word "kaugjuhtimispult" literally translates to "distance steering wheel". | |||
Finnish | etä | ||
In addition to its common meaning, "etä" can also mean "distant in time" or "distant in relation to".} | |||
Hungarian | távoli | ||
The word "távoli" in Hungarian originally meant "foreign" and only later acquired the meaning of "remote". | |||
Latvian | tālvadības pults | ||
The word "tālvadības pults" is a compound of the words "tālvadis" (remote) and "pults" (control), and literally means "distance-operating console". | |||
Lithuanian | nuotolinis | ||
It has a very similar cognate: 'noolis', which means 'arrow' in Lithuanian. | |||
Macedonian | далечински управувач | ||
Polish | zdalny | ||
The word "zdalny" can also mean "distant" or "far-off" in Polish. | |||
Romanian | la distanta | ||
The Romanian word "la distanta" is derived from the French phrase "à distance," which means "at a distance" or "far away." | |||
Russian | удаленный | ||
The word "удаленный" can also mean "dismissed" or "fired" in Russian, which is a somewhat unusual usage compared to its primary meaning of "remote." | |||
Serbian | даљински | ||
The word "даљински" can also refer to a remote controller for a television or other electronic device. | |||
Slovak | diaľkový | ||
"Diaľkový" can also be used to describe communication over long distances, such as "diaľkový hovor" (long-distance call). | |||
Slovenian | na daljavo | ||
The Slovene word "na daljavo" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *dal- ('long'), related to the words *daljina ('distance') and *dolina ('valley'). | |||
Ukrainian | віддалений | ||
The word "віддалений" also means "detached" or "alienated" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | দূরবর্তী | ||
"দূরবর্তী" (remote) comes from the Sanskrit "দূর" (far) and "বর্তী" (dwelling), meaning "dwelling far away". | |||
Gujarati | દૂરસ્થ | ||
The word "દૂરસ્થ" can also mean "difficult to reach or access". | |||
Hindi | दूरस्थ | ||
The Sanskrit root of "दूरस्थ" is "दूर" meaning "far" or "distant". | |||
Kannada | ರಿಮೋಟ್ | ||
"ರಿಮೋಟ್" (remote) also means a "solitude" or "wild forest" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | വിദൂര | ||
The word "വിദൂര" originally meant "opposite direction" in Sanskrit and is also used in Malayalam to describe something that is "different" or "opposite" in nature. | |||
Marathi | रिमोट | ||
In Marathi, "रिमोट" (rimot) can also mean "far-off" or "distant". | |||
Nepali | टाढा | ||
The word "टाढा" has several alternate meanings including "distant in time or space" and "beyond understanding or comprehension". | |||
Punjabi | ਰਿਮੋਟ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දුරස්ථ | ||
The word also means "far removed in time". | |||
Tamil | தொலைநிலை | ||
The word 'தொலைநிலை' ('remote') in Tamil is also used as a technical term to refer to remote sensing or remote learning. | |||
Telugu | రిమోట్ | ||
The Telugu word "రిమోట్" can also refer to a "solitary place" or a "distant land". | |||
Urdu | ریموٹ | ||
Urdu word "ریموٹ" (remote) derives from the Hindustani "rimot" which means "distant" and "away". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 远程 | ||
远程(yuǎn chéng) means 'remote', 'distant', 'long-distance', or 'tele' when used as an adjective or 'remote operations' when used as a noun | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 遠程 | ||
遠程 is formed with 遠 (distant) and 程 (journey or distance), hence "distant journey". | |||
Japanese | リモート | ||
"リモート" is the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "remote". | |||
Korean | 먼 | ||
The word "먼" can also mean "dim" or "distant" in Korean, reflecting its original meaning of something that is difficult to see or perceive. | |||
Mongolian | алсын | ||
The word "алсын" also means "distant" or "far away". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝေးလံခေါင်သီ | ||
Indonesian | terpencil | ||
'Terpencil' means 'remote' in Indonesian, but it also has the alternate meaning of 'poor' or 'in need'. | |||
Javanese | remot | ||
Remot can also mean 'shy' in Javanese. | |||
Khmer | ពីចម្ងាយ | ||
Lao | ຫ່າງໄກສອກຫຼີກ | ||
Malay | jauh | ||
"Jauh" in Malay not only means "remote", but also has connotations of "distant in time" or "unfamiliar" | |||
Thai | ระยะไกล | ||
The word "ระยะไกล" can also refer to a distant time or period in the past or future. | |||
Vietnamese | xa xôi | ||
"Xa xôi" derives from the Chinese loanword "xa", meaning "village", and "xôi", meaning "far". Thus, it evokes the idea of a village, or settlement, that is distant from the speaker's perspective. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | remote | ||
Azerbaijani | uzaqdan | ||
The word 'uzaqdan' in Azerbaijani derives from the Persian word 'uzuk' meaning 'far'. | |||
Kazakh | қашықтан | ||
The word "қашықтан" can also mean "from afar" or "from a distance". | |||
Kyrgyz | алыскы | ||
The word "алыскы" comes from the Old Turkic word "alıskın", which means "far". | |||
Tajik | дурдаст | ||
The Tajik word “дурдаст” originates from Persian “دور دست”, which means “far distance”. | |||
Turkmen | uzakdan | ||
Uzbek | uzoqdan | ||
The word "uzoqdan" can also mean "from afar" or "from a distance" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | remote | ||
Hawaiian | mamao loa | ||
"Mamao loa" literally means a long stretch of nothingness that goes on for what feels like an eternity. | |||
Maori | mamao | ||
Mamao, meaning 'remote' in Maori, also denotes a secluded or hidden place. | |||
Samoan | taumamao | ||
The word "taumamao" is also used to describe a secluded or tranquil place. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | malayo | ||
Aymara | rimutu | ||
Guarani | mombyryeterei | ||
Esperanto | fora | ||
"Fora" also means "except" in Esperanto and it is the past participle of "foriri" (to depart). | |||
Latin | remote | ||
The Latin word "remotus" means "distant" or "separated" and is the root of the English word "remote." |
Greek | μακρινός | ||
The word "μακρινός" is derived from the Ancient Greek word "μακρός" (makros), meaning "long" or "distant." | |||
Hmong | tej thaj chaw deb | ||
"Tej thaj chaw deb" comes from "tej" (long), "thaj" (far), and "chaw deb" (go), so it literally means to go a long way. | |||
Kurdish | dûr | ||
The word "dûr" in Kurdish can also mean "far away" or "distant". | |||
Turkish | uzak | ||
The word "uzak" in Turkish comes from the Old Turkic word "uz", which means "to be far or distant". | |||
Xhosa | kude | ||
The word "kude" also means "far apart" or "separated" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | ווייַט | ||
In Yiddish, the word "ווייַט" not only means "remote," but it can also refer to a long time ago or an unspecified place or person. | |||
Zulu | kude | ||
The Zulu word "kude" also means "to be far away" or "to be distant". | |||
Assamese | দূৰৱৰ্তী | ||
Aymara | rimutu | ||
Bhojpuri | दूर में स्थित | ||
Dhivehi | ރިމޯޓް | ||
Dogri | रिमोट | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | remote | ||
Guarani | mombyryeterei | ||
Ilocano | nauneg | ||
Krio | fa | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | دوور | ||
Maithili | दूर सँ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯅꯨꯡ ꯍꯝꯖꯤꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | hla | ||
Oromo | fagoo | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସୁଦୂର | ||
Quechua | karu | ||
Sanskrit | दूरस्थ | ||
Tatar | дистанцион | ||
Tigrinya | መቆፃፀሪ | ||
Tsonga | kule | ||