Road in Different Languages
Discover 'Road' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Roads have been a vital part of human civilization since time immemorial. They are not just physical structures that connect two places, but also symbols of human endeavor, progress, and cultural exchange. From ancient Roman roads that facilitated the expansion of their empire, to the historic Silk Road that fostered trade between the East and the West, roads have played a pivotal role in shaping our world.
Understanding the word 'road' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights. For instance, in German, 'Straße' not only refers to a road but also to a street, reflecting their urban living. In Japanese, 'rodo' (ロード) is written in katakana script, often used for foreign loanwords, indicating the influence of Western culture. In Maori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, 'roa' means long, giving a sense of the vastness of their landscapes.
Join us as we explore the translations of the word 'road' in various languages, providing you with a glimpse into the rich tapestry of cultures and histories around the world.
Road
Road in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | pad | ||
| "Pad" in Afrikaans, meaning "road," derives from the Dutch word "pad," which originally meant "path" or "track." | |||
| Amharic | መንገድ | ||
| Though it literally means "path" in Amharic, "መንገድ" is also frequently used in the sense of "law", "justice", or "rule". | |||
| Hausa | hanya | ||
| Hausa **hanya** is also used in the sense of 'time' as in English 'this time' for Hausa **wannan hanyar**. | |||
| Igbo | okporo ụzọ | ||
| In some dialects of Igbo, 'okporo' also means 'market' or 'village square'. | |||
| Malagasy | lalana | ||
| The Malagasy word "lalana" can also mean "path", "street", or "way". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mseu | ||
| The word "mseu" can also mean "way" or "direction" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | mugwagwa | ||
| The word "mugwagwa" can also refer to a journey or a path. | |||
| Somali | wadada | ||
| The Somali word "wadada" also refers to the path of a person's life or destiny. | |||
| Sesotho | tsela | ||
| The Sesotho word "tsela" can also mean "path" or "way" in a more abstract sense, such as the path one takes in life. | |||
| Swahili | barabara | ||
| The Swahili word "barabara" can also refer to a type of street or avenue. | |||
| Xhosa | indlela | ||
| The word 'indlela' in Xhosa not only refers to a physical road but also has a figurative meaning as the 'path' one takes through life. | |||
| Yoruba | opopona | ||
| Opopona can also mean "a journey" or "a path". | |||
| Zulu | umgwaqo | ||
| "Umgwaqo" also refers to a way of life or journey, not just a physical path. | |||
| Bambara | sira | ||
| Ewe | mɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuhanda | ||
| Lingala | nzela | ||
| Luganda | oluguudo | ||
| Sepedi | tsela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kwan | ||
Road in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طريق | ||
| The term "طریق" in Arabic can also refer to a method or approach, particularly in a religious or philosophical context. | |||
| Hebrew | כְּבִישׁ | ||
| The word "כְּבִישׁ" ("road") can also be used in Biblical Hebrew to mean "trampling down" or "subduing". | |||
| Pashto | سړک | ||
| In Pashto, سړک is a term for 'avenue,' which can also refer to the 'procession,' 'passage,' or the 'movement' of time. | |||
| Arabic | طريق | ||
| The term "طریق" in Arabic can also refer to a method or approach, particularly in a religious or philosophical context. | |||
Road in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rrugë | ||
| The word "rrugë" is cognate with the English word "rut" and the Latin word "ruga", both meaning "track" or "groove". | |||
| Basque | errepidea | ||
| The origin of "errepidea" may also be related to "irripide" which means "path of the dead". | |||
| Catalan | carretera | ||
| The word "carretera" comes from the Latin word "carraria", meaning "road for carts". | |||
| Croatian | ceste | ||
| In Istro-Romanian, "ceste" means "path" or "way". | |||
| Danish | vej | ||
| The Danish word "vej" is derived from a word that also meant "dwelling"} | |||
| Dutch | weg | ||
| The word "weg" in Dutch can also mean "gone" or "away", similar to the English word "way". | |||
| English | road | ||
| The term 'road' can also refer to a way or course of progression or action. | |||
| French | route | ||
| The French word "route" derives from the Latin word "rupta", meaning "broken", referring to a way forged through rough terrain | |||
| Frisian | wei | ||
| The word “wei” can also mean: a way something is or should be done or a way of thinking about something | |||
| Galician | estrada | ||
| In Galician, "estrada" can also refer to a narrow path or a military road, as well as a raised platform or stage. | |||
| German | straße | ||
| "Straße" is a cognate of the English word "street" and is derived from the Latin word "strata," which means "paved way." | |||
| Icelandic | vegur | ||
| The Icelandic word "vegur" has cognates in most Germanic languages, such as "weg" in Dutch and "väg" in Swedish. | |||
| Irish | bóthar | ||
| The Irish word 'bóthar' may derive from the Proto-Celtic *bouta, meaning 'fodder' or 'cow pasture'. | |||
| Italian | strada | ||
| The word 'strada' in Italian not only means 'road', but also 'hustle' or 'noise' in a figurative sense. | |||
| Luxembourgish | strooss | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Strooss" can also refer to the street in a village, as opposed to a road connecting villages. | |||
| Maltese | triq | ||
| The word "triq" is derived from Arabic and also means "street" or "route". | |||
| Norwegian | vei | ||
| The Norwegian word "vei" is related to the German, Swedish, and Dutch words for path "weg". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | estrada | ||
| The Portuguese word "estrada" derives from the Latin word "strata," meaning "paved way." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | rathad | ||
| In Irish Gaelic, "rathad" also means "a way, route, or journey" and refers to a path made by cattle or deer. | |||
| Spanish | la carretera | ||
| "Carretera" derives from the Latin "carraria" (track for carts), which could also mean "quarry" or "mine". | |||
| Swedish | väg | ||
| The word "väg" can also mean "way" or "course". | |||
| Welsh | ffordd | ||
| Ffordd can also mean "way" or "direction" in Welsh, and its root word is "for", meaning "before" or "in front of". | |||
Road in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дарогі | ||
| The word "дарогі" in Belarusian not only means "road," but also "expensive" (in the sense of "costly"), likely due to the expense of building and maintaining roads in the past. | |||
| Bosnian | cesta | ||
| Cesta can also refer to a path, journey, or way of life. | |||
| Bulgarian | път | ||
| "Път" also refers to "way, path, journey" or "method, means and manner". | |||
| Czech | silnice | ||
| Silnice is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *solьnъ, meaning "salt", likely due to the historical importance of salt roads. | |||
| Estonian | tee | ||
| The word "tee" also means "way" or "manner" in Estonian, and is related to the Finnish word "tie" with the same meaning. | |||
| Finnish | tie | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "road", "tie" can also refer to "line", "row", "connection", or "bond". | |||
| Hungarian | út | ||
| The word "út" can also refer to a "track" or "path" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | ceļa | ||
| The word “ceļa” also has a secondary meaning of “path” or “way”, as in "the path of life" or "the way to enlightenment." | |||
| Lithuanian | keliu | ||
| The word "keliu" in Lithuanian also pertains to the body's knees and means "to stand". | |||
| Macedonian | патот | ||
| The word "патот" could be of Slavic origin from the word "patati" meaning "to fall", or it could come from the Latin word "passus" meaning "step". | |||
| Polish | droga | ||
| The word "droga" also means a "journey" or a "way" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | drum | ||
| The word "drum" also means "sacred grove" or "circle" in Romanian, sharing a common root with the English word "druid" | |||
| Russian | дорога | ||
| Дорога could also mean a journey to some specific place that is distant or difficult to reach. | |||
| Serbian | пут | ||
| The word | |||
| Slovak | cesta | ||
| The Slovak word "cesta" is also used to denote a path, a route, or a way. | |||
| Slovenian | cesta | ||
| "Cesta" is also used figuratively to refer to a path or course of action. | |||
| Ukrainian | дорога | ||
| "Дорога" literally means 'the dear one', and can also refer to a path or direction in life. | |||
Road in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রাস্তা | ||
| The word "রাস্তা" is derived from the Sanskrit word "राजपथ" (rajapatha), meaning "king's path". | |||
| Gujarati | માર્ગ | ||
| The Gujarati word "માર્ગ" is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "मार्ग" (mārga), which means "path" or "way". It can also refer to a "course" or "procedure". | |||
| Hindi | सड़क | ||
| "सड़क" is an amalgamation of Persian "sahr" (city), "ra" (way), and "ak" (suffix), thus meaning "city street". | |||
| Kannada | ರಸ್ತೆ | ||
| The word 'ರಸ್ತೆ' comes from the Sanskrit word 'rathapatha', meaning 'path of a chariot'. It can also refer to a street or a lane. | |||
| Malayalam | റോഡ് | ||
| The word 'റോഡ്' (road) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word 'raajpatha', which means 'king's path'. | |||
| Marathi | रस्ता | ||
| The word "रस्ता" in Marathi can also refer to a way of life or a method of doing something. | |||
| Nepali | सडक | ||
| The word 'सडक' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'सह' meaning 'together' and 'दृक्' meaning 'vision'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੜਕ | ||
| The word “ਸੜਕ” originated from the Persian word “sarda,” a military term, which means an “array,” or an assembly of “troops, animals used for warfare, and military machines”. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මාර්ග | ||
| The word 'මාර්ග' can also mean 'means' or 'route' in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | சாலை | ||
| சாலை means 'way of the chariots' in its literal meaning and is connected with the term 'cavalry' or 'horsemen'. | |||
| Telugu | త్రోవ | ||
| The word 'త్రోవ' (trova) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word 'tōr', meaning 'to cross'. | |||
| Urdu | سڑک | ||
| The word "سڑک" can also mean "a street" or "a path". | |||
Road in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 路 | ||
| "路" can also refer to the path of one's life, e.g. 人生道路 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 路 | ||
| In Chinese tradition, "路" (road) also refers to one's path or trajectory in life, reflecting the belief that life is a journey. | |||
| Japanese | 道路 | ||
| The term 道 in 道路 originated as a reference to the path followed by Chinese philosophers | |||
| Korean | 도로 | ||
| The Korean word '도로' can also mean 'way', 'path', 'course', or 'means' | |||
| Mongolian | зам | ||
| The Mongolian word "зам" (road) also means "route, way, path, course, direction, line, trace, system, order, method, mode, manner, style, or fashion." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လမ်း | ||
| The word "လမ်း" (road) in Myanmar (Burmese) can also mean "way" or "path". | |||
Road in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jalan | ||
| Jalan in Indonesian is also used to refer to a distance, journey, or trip. | |||
| Javanese | dalan | ||
| In Balinese, "dalan" also means "temple compound". | |||
| Khmer | ផ្លូវ | ||
| ផ្លូវ (phlov) in Khmer can also mean 'path', 'route', or 'way'. | |||
| Lao | ຖະຫນົນຫົນທາງ | ||
| Alternate meanings: path/passage. | |||
| Malay | jalan raya | ||
| The term "jalan raya" literally means "great path" in Malay, reflecting its significance as a major transportation route. | |||
| Thai | ถนน | ||
| The word "ถนน" (road) is derived from the Sanskrit word "sthana" (place), and in the past it was used to refer to a place where people settled or lived. | |||
| Vietnamese | đường | ||
| The word "đường" can also refer to sugar, a sweet substance used as food. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | daan | ||
Road in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yol | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "Yol" can also refer to a path, direction, or way. | |||
| Kazakh | жол | ||
| The word "жол" (jol) in Kazakh has an alternate meaning of "path" or "way". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жол | ||
| The word "жол" (road) can also mean "journey" or "way" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | роҳ | ||
| The Tajik word "роҳ" can also refer to a path, direction, or course of action. | |||
| Turkmen | ýol | ||
| Uzbek | yo'l | ||
| The word "yo'l" in Uzbek is derived from the Sogdian "ywry" meaning "passage" and also shares a connection with the Proto-Iranian "*yol" meaning "road". | |||
| Uyghur | يول | ||
Road in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | alanui | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'alanui' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word '*lānui', meaning 'great path' and ultimately from Proto-Austronesian '*zalan' meaning 'path'. | |||
| Maori | rori | ||
| The Maori word "rori" also means "pathway" and "guide". | |||
| Samoan | auala | ||
| The word 'auala' can also mean 'path' or 'way' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kalsada | ||
| "Kalsada" originated from the Spanish word "calzada," meaning "paved road" or "causeway." | |||
Road in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | thakhi | ||
| Guarani | tape | ||
Road in International Languages
| Esperanto | vojo | ||
| The Esperanto word "vojo" (road) is derived from the Russian "дорога" (doroga), and also means "way" or "path". | |||
| Latin | via | ||
| The Latin word "via" also means "way" or "manner," and is the root of the English words "via" and "voyage." | |||
Road in Others Languages
| Greek | δρόμος | ||
| In addition to "road", the Greek word "δρόμος" also means "race" and "pathway". | |||
| Hmong | kev | ||
| The word “kev” in Hmong can also mean either “path” or “way,” depending on the context. | |||
| Kurdish | rê | ||
| The word "rê" can also refer to a path, way, or journey. | |||
| Turkish | yol | ||
| The word "yol", meaning "road" in modern Turkish, originally derives from a Proto-Turkic root meaning "to go". | |||
| Xhosa | indlela | ||
| The word 'indlela' in Xhosa not only refers to a physical road but also has a figurative meaning as the 'path' one takes through life. | |||
| Yiddish | וועג | ||
| The Yiddish word "וועג" (veg) also means "path" or "way" and is related to the English word "way." | |||
| Zulu | umgwaqo | ||
| "Umgwaqo" also refers to a way of life or journey, not just a physical path. | |||
| Assamese | পথ | ||
| Aymara | thakhi | ||
| Bhojpuri | सड़क | ||
| Dhivehi | މަގު | ||
| Dogri | रस्ता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | daan | ||
| Guarani | tape | ||
| Ilocano | dalan | ||
| Krio | rod | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕێگا | ||
| Maithili | सड़क | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯣꯔꯣꯛ | ||
| Mizo | kawng | ||
| Oromo | karaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରାସ୍ତା | ||
| Quechua | ñan | ||
| Sanskrit | मार्गं | ||
| Tatar | юл | ||
| Tigrinya | መንገዲ | ||
| Tsonga | gondzo | ||