Updated on March 6, 2024
Rope is a simple tool, yet its significance is immense. It has been a crucial element in human civilization, used for various purposes such as construction, transportation, and even entertainment. The cultural importance of rope is evident in many traditions and rituals around the world. For instance, in Chinese culture, the 'Double Ninth Festival' involves climbing a mountain using a rope, symbolizing strength and courage.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'rope' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into local customs and histories. For example, in German, 'rope' is 'Seil', in French 'corde', in Spanish 'cuerda', and in Japanese 'roperu' or 'nawa'. Each language's translation offers a unique perspective on this universal object.
So, whether you're a linguist, a cultural enthusiast, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'rope' can be a rewarding journey. Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of 'rope' translations in various languages, promising a global exploration of this simple, yet powerful, tool.
Afrikaans | tou | ||
'tou' also means 'tow' in Afrikaans, sharing the same etymology as in English. | |||
Amharic | ገመድ | ||
The word "ገመድ" is also used to mean "line" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | igiya | ||
The word `igiya` also means `chain` in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | eriri | ||
Eriri is a term for rope in Igbo, derived from the word 'eri' meaning 'to bind' or 'to tie'. | |||
Malagasy | tady | ||
The word "tady" in Malagasy also means "thread" and "line". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chingwe | ||
In the Nyanja language, "chingwe" also denotes a "line of succession", "ancestry", or "lineage". | |||
Shona | tambo | ||
In Central Shona, the word "tambo" also means "the thread used for binding the raffia fronds on a basket". | |||
Somali | xadhig | ||
The word "xadhig" can also refer to a line of text or a paragraph in Somali. | |||
Sesotho | thapo | ||
"Thapo" also refers to a string of beads, usually worn by women as a necklace or decoration. | |||
Swahili | kamba | ||
The word "kamba" in Swahili can also refer to a tribe, a type of animal, or a type of plant. | |||
Xhosa | intambo | ||
In the Ngqika dialect of the Xhosa language the word 'umntambo' means a snake. | |||
Yoruba | okun | ||
The word "okun" in Yoruba can also mean "power" or "dominance". | |||
Zulu | intambo | ||
'Intambo' has a deeper meaning in Zulu, referring to 'strength' or 'connection' that binds people together, representing unity and support. | |||
Bambara | juruden | ||
Ewe | ka | ||
Kinyarwanda | umugozi | ||
Lingala | nsinga | ||
Luganda | omuguwa | ||
Sepedi | thapo | ||
Twi (Akan) | ahoma | ||
Arabic | حبل | ||
In ancient Arabic, "حبل" meant "sand rope" but now means "rope" due to its similar composition. | |||
Hebrew | חֶבֶל | ||
In addition to "rope," חֶבֶל also refers to "birth pains," "covenant," and "district". | |||
Pashto | رسۍ | ||
The Pashto word "رسۍ" (resē) originates from the Proto-Indo-European word "*reh₁ǵʰs-," meaning "to stretch, draw out." | |||
Arabic | حبل | ||
In ancient Arabic, "حبل" meant "sand rope" but now means "rope" due to its similar composition. |
Albanian | litar | ||
The Albanian word "litar" is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root "*leith-", meaning "to twist" or "to bend". | |||
Basque | soka | ||
The Basque word “soka” also means “string” as in musical string or “cord” as in electrical cord. | |||
Catalan | corda | ||
"Corda" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "chorda", which originally meant "string of a musical instrument" but later came to mean "rope" | |||
Croatian | uže | ||
The word 'uže' can also mean a 'bridle', and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word 'uža' which meant 'rein'. | |||
Danish | reb | ||
The word "reb" also means "strip" in Danish, as in a strip of fabric or a strip of wood. | |||
Dutch | touw | ||
The Dutch word "touw" is etymologically related to "tough" and "tow" in English, implying both strength and movement. | |||
English | rope | ||
The word 'rope' comes from the Old English word 'rap' meaning 'a cord or string'. | |||
French | corde | ||
"Corde" also means "string" of a musical instrument in French. | |||
Frisian | tou | ||
"Tou" can also refer to a thin sausage or a roll of fabric. | |||
Galician | corda | ||
In Galician, the word "corda" can also mean "string" or "musical cord". | |||
German | seil | ||
The word Seil is also used to refer to a cable car, reflecting its role in transporting people across mountains. | |||
Icelandic | reipi | ||
In Icelandic, "reipi" (rope) is related to the Old Norse word "reip," which also meant "rope" or "cord," and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic root "*raip-," meaning "cord" or "rope." | |||
Irish | téad | ||
In Old Irish, "téad" could also refer to a rope, string, or belt. | |||
Italian | corda | ||
In Italian, "corda" can refer to any flexible material that can be used to tie or fasten something, such as string, thread, or a cable. | |||
Luxembourgish | seel | ||
'Seel' is also the name of a river that flows through Luxembourg City. | |||
Maltese | ħabel | ||
In Maltese, "ħabel" can also refer to a musical instrument similar to a guitar. | |||
Norwegian | tau | ||
The word "tau" can also refer to a measuring tape or a lasso in Norwegian. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | corda | ||
In Portuguese, the word "corda" also refers to a "string of a musical instrument" in Brazil, and a "vocal cord" in Portugal. | |||
Scots Gaelic | ròp | ||
Some Gaelic learners remember the word for 'rope' (ròp) by thinking of the English word 'rope'. | |||
Spanish | cuerda | ||
The word "cuerda" in Spanish can also refer to the string of a musical instrument, a group of soldiers, or a measure of wood. | |||
Swedish | rep | ||
In Swedish, "rep" can also mean "cramp" or "to tear off by pulling". | |||
Welsh | rhaff | ||
The word **rhaff** in Welsh may derive from the Latin word **restis**, meaning "rope". |
Belarusian | вяроўка | ||
The word can also refer to a riverbank or the area near a river. | |||
Bosnian | uže | ||
The word "uže" in Bosnian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*ǫžьje" meaning "tie, bond". | |||
Bulgarian | въже | ||
The related word "въженце" means "rope used to tie animals". | |||
Czech | lano | ||
The Czech word "lano" also has the alternate meaning of "trapese". | |||
Estonian | köis | ||
The word "köis" derives from the Proto-Finnic "*köjsi", and is related to the Latin "funis" and Greek "schoinos", both meaning "rope". | |||
Finnish | köysi | ||
The word "köysi" may have come from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱew-h₁s-", meaning "to twist" or "to plait". | |||
Hungarian | kötél | ||
In addition to "rope," "kötél" can also refer to a leash or tether used for tying up an animal. | |||
Latvian | virve | ||
"Virve" also means "flow" in Latvian, perhaps due to the shared sense of continuous movement. | |||
Lithuanian | virvė | ||
"Virvė" is a Lithuanian word that shares the same etymological root with "вервь" in Russian and "веревка" in Ukrainian, and all are ultimately derived from the Proto-Slavic корвi, meaning "rope". | |||
Macedonian | јаже | ||
The Macedonian word "јаже" originated from Proto-Slavic *jęžь and also has the alternate meaning of "bridle" or "rein" for animals. | |||
Polish | lina | ||
The word "lina" in Polish evolved from the Proto-Slavic word "lyno" meaning "bast," while its alternate meaning (a name) is a diminutive of the Greek word "Helene." | |||
Romanian | frânghie | ||
The word "frânghie" may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂reg- "to stretch, twist". | |||
Russian | веревка | ||
"Веревка" can also refer to a person who is always in debt or trouble. | |||
Serbian | конопац | ||
The word "конопац" in Serbian is derived from Proto-Slavic *konopъ, which is cognates with words like "hemp" in English. | |||
Slovak | povraz | ||
The word 'povraz' is thought to come from a Slavic root meaning 'string' or 'rope' and is related to the Russian word 'povoraz'. | |||
Slovenian | vrv | ||
The word 'vrv' in Slovenian is related to 'vertigo', meaning 'a sensation of spinning' and 'turning'. | |||
Ukrainian | мотузка | ||
The word 'мотузка' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*med-/*met-', meaning 'to wind, wrap'. It is related to the words 'нить' ('thread') and 'вязать' ('to tie') in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | দড়ি | ||
Rope derives from Middle English and is cognate with German Reep, meaning "to tie". | |||
Gujarati | દોરડું | ||
The Sanskrit word "dur" means "to bind" and is the root of the Gujarati word "doradun" (rope). | |||
Hindi | रस्सी | ||
रस्सी is derived from the Sanskrit word 'रज्जु' meaning 'restraint', and also means 'thread, string, band, or ligament'. | |||
Kannada | ಹಗ್ಗ | ||
The word "ಹಗ್ಗ" can also refer to a type of traditional Indian wrestling where opponents tie themselves together with a rope. | |||
Malayalam | കയർ | ||
The word 'കയർ' (rope) also has an alternate usage in Malayalam, wherein it means 'the act of climbing'. | |||
Marathi | दोरी | ||
The word "दोरी" (rope) in Marathi also means "a line", "a row", or "a series". | |||
Nepali | डोरी | ||
The word "डोरी" (rope) is derived from the Sanskrit word "दोरी" (string, thread) and the word "डोरा" (string, twine). | |||
Punjabi | ਰੱਸੀ | ||
Punjabi "ਰੱਸੀ" is cognate with "lasso" and "lascivious," indicating a history of rope-based mischief. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කඹය | ||
The word "කඹය" can also mean "bond" or "relationship" in Sinhala, suggesting its broader significance beyond physical restraint. | |||
Tamil | கயிறு | ||
The Tamil word "கயிறு" (rope) has a rich etymology, being derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *kay-r, meaning "to bind or tie". | |||
Telugu | తాడు | ||
తాడు ('rope') in Telugu is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *taːr- ('to bind') and is cognate with words for 'string' in other Indo-Aryan languages like Hindi ('taar') and Sanskrit ('tār') and also with Toda 'tār' ('to tie'). | |||
Urdu | رسی | ||
The Urdu word for "rope" has a similar root to the word for "thread" and also has the secondary meaning "way". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 绳 | ||
绳, the Chinese character for rope, originally referred to the twisting and knotting of plant fibers, and later extended to mean any long, flexible object used for tying or binding. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 繩 | ||
The character '繩' in traditional Chinese can also refer to a measurement unit for length, approximately equivalent to 30 meters. | |||
Japanese | ロープ | ||
The word "ロープ" can also mean "line" or "string" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 로프 | ||
The word "로프" in Korean can also refer to a "rope bridge". | |||
Mongolian | олс | ||
The word "олс" (rope) in Mongolian is thought to be derived from the Proto-Mongolic word *olγu-si, meaning "bind". It can also refer to a tether, leash, or string. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြိုး | ||
"ကြိုး" is also a word used to describe the waist string worn around the waist by men in Myanmar. |
Indonesian | tali | ||
"Tali" in Indonesian also means "string" or "cord" in musical instruments. | |||
Javanese | tali | ||
The word "tali" can also refer to a leash, a string, or a bond. | |||
Khmer | មិនទាន់មានច្បាប់ប្រឆាំង | ||
Lao | ເຊືອກ | ||
The Lao word "ເຊືອກ" can also mean "line", "string", "cord", or "cable". | |||
Malay | tali | ||
The word "tali" can also refer to a string, cord, thread, or binding, depending on the context. | |||
Thai | เชือก | ||
The word "เชือก" can also refer to a type of traditional Thai boxing shorts. | |||
Vietnamese | dây thừng | ||
"Dây thừng" also means "a trap" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lubid | ||
Azerbaijani | ip | ||
The word "ip" also means "thread" or "yarn" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | арқан | ||
The Kazakh word "арқан" is derived from the Mongolian "аркан", ultimately coming from the Arabic "عرقان" meaning "sinews". It can also refer to a type of wrestling maneuver where one wrestler ensnares their opponent's leg with a rope. | |||
Kyrgyz | аркан | ||
The word "аркан" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a lasso or a trap. | |||
Tajik | ресмон | ||
The word "ресмон" in Tajik derives from the Persian word "rasan" and has alternate meanings such as "cord" and "thread". | |||
Turkmen | ýüp | ||
Uzbek | arqon | ||
In addition to referring to a rope, "arqon" can also mean a cord, string, or thread in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | ئارغامچا | ||
Hawaiian | kaula | ||
"Kaula" can also mean "cord" or "string" in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | taura | ||
The word "taura" can also refer to a "lasso" or a "tether". | |||
Samoan | maea | ||
The Samoan word "maea" can also mean "string", "cord", or "twine". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lubid | ||
In addition to its primary meaning as 'rope', 'lubid' can also refer to a bond or a restraining force. |
Aymara | chinuña | ||
Guarani | sã | ||
Esperanto | ŝnuro | ||
The Esperanto word "ŝnuro" (rope) comes from the Latin "funis" (rope), while the word "ŝnuraĵo" (string) comes from the word "ŝnuro" (rope). | |||
Latin | funem | ||
The Latin word "funem" is the accusative singular form of "funis," which can mean "rope," "string," or "cable." |
Greek | σκοινί | ||
Σκοινί is also a popular Greek dance and a traditional food in the island of Crete. | |||
Hmong | txoj hlua | ||
In addition to its literal meaning, "txoj hlua" can also refer to a person who is very active or energetic. | |||
Kurdish | werîs | ||
The Kurdish word "werîs" is cognate with the Persian word "rîsmân" and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wreis- meaning "to twist". | |||
Turkish | i̇p | ||
"İp" sözcüğü, eski Türkçedeki "i̇b" (ip) sözcüğünden gelir ve Türk dillerinde "iplik" veya "bağ" anlamlarına da gelir. | |||
Xhosa | intambo | ||
In the Ngqika dialect of the Xhosa language the word 'umntambo' means a snake. | |||
Yiddish | שטריק | ||
"שטריק" can also be used colloquially to refer to a "trick" or "swindle." | |||
Zulu | intambo | ||
'Intambo' has a deeper meaning in Zulu, referring to 'strength' or 'connection' that binds people together, representing unity and support. | |||
Assamese | ৰছী | ||
Aymara | chinuña | ||
Bhojpuri | रसरी | ||
Dhivehi | ވާގަނޑު | ||
Dogri | रस्सा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lubid | ||
Guarani | sã | ||
Ilocano | tali | ||
Krio | rop | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پەت | ||
Maithili | रस्सी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯣꯔꯤ | ||
Mizo | hruizen | ||
Oromo | funyoo | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଦଉଡି | ||
Quechua | waska | ||
Sanskrit | रज्जु | ||
Tatar | аркан | ||
Tigrinya | ገመድ | ||
Tsonga | ntambhu | ||