Updated on March 6, 2024
Setting is a word with a rich and varied history, denoting the physical or social environment in which something occurs. It's a concept that's central to our understanding of literature, film, and theater, as well as our everyday lives. The cultural importance of setting cannot be overstated, as it shapes our experiences, beliefs, and values.
Throughout history, setting has played a crucial role in shaping human civilization. From the rugged landscapes of the American West to the bustling streets of Tokyo, setting has inspired countless works of art, literature, and music. It's also influenced the way we think, feel, and interact with the world around us.
For global citizens interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of setting in different languages is essential. Whether you're traveling to a foreign country or studying a new language, knowing how to describe the setting in another language can help you connect with people and appreciate their culture on a deeper level.
Here are a few sample translations of setting in different languages: English - setting; Spanish - ambiente; French - cadre; German - Umgebung; Italian - ambientazione; Japanese - 設定 (settei); Chinese - 环境 (huánjìng); Korean - 배경 (baekkyoung).
Afrikaans | instelling | ||
The Afrikaans word "instelling" originates from the Dutch word "instelling" and refers to both an "institution" and a "setting". | |||
Amharic | ቅንብር | ||
The word "ቅንብር" can also refer to the arrangement of something or the condition of being set. | |||
Hausa | saitin | ||
The word "saitin" can also mean "to establish" or "to create" in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | ọnọdụ | ||
Malagasy | toerana | ||
In certain dialects, "toerana" can also mean "native" or "resident." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kolowera | ||
The word "kolowera" is also used to describe the act of setting a trap or snare. | |||
Shona | kuseta | ||
In a different context, "kuseta" can also mean "to establish" in Shona. | |||
Somali | dejinta | ||
The Somali word "dejinta" also means "the act of stopping". | |||
Sesotho | bophirima | ||
The word "bophirima" can also refer to a place where the sun sets or the west. | |||
Swahili | kuweka | ||
The word 'kuweka' in Swahili can also refer to 'planting' or 'establishing', hinting at the act of putting something down to take root. | |||
Xhosa | useto | ||
Xhosa 'useto' was borrowed from English slang 'use to' which was originally used in a similar way to contemporary 'used to' | |||
Yoruba | eto | ||
The Yoruba word "eto" can also mean "trap" or "decoy". | |||
Zulu | ukubeka | ||
'Ukubeka' also has meanings such as 'to lie down', 'to put down' and 'to establish' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | paramɛtiri | ||
Ewe | ɖoɖo | ||
Kinyarwanda | gushiraho | ||
Lingala | parametre | ||
Luganda | okutereeza | ||
Sepedi | lefelo | ||
Twi (Akan) | sɛten | ||
Arabic | ضبط | ||
The Arabic word ضبط "setting" can also mean "control", "arrest", or "confiscation". | |||
Hebrew | הגדרה | ||
The word 'הגדרה' can also mean 'definition', highlighting the idea of establishing limits or boundaries in both physical and abstract contexts. | |||
Pashto | تنظیمول | ||
The Pashto word "تنظیمول" (setting) can also mean "arrangement" or "organization". | |||
Arabic | ضبط | ||
The Arabic word ضبط "setting" can also mean "control", "arrest", or "confiscation". |
Albanian | vendosjen | ||
Vendosjen in Albanian may also refer to the act of placing, arranging, positioning, or establishing something. | |||
Basque | ezarpena | ||
Ezarpena can also refer to a "framework" or "background" | |||
Catalan | configuració | ||
Configuració comes from the Latin word "configuratio" meaning "arrangement" or "order." | |||
Croatian | postavljanje | ||
"Postavljanje" can also refer to the act of proposing or establishing something. | |||
Danish | indstilling | ||
Indstilling also means "recommendation" in Danish, which often is a setting of who or what someone or something shall be. | |||
Dutch | instelling | ||
In Dutch, "instelling" has the additional meaning of "institution" or "organization". | |||
English | setting | ||
The word "setting" in English can also refer to the gemstones in a ring or other piece of jewelry. | |||
French | réglage | ||
"Réglage" is derived from the Latin word "rego", meaning "to direct," and is related to the Italian term "regola," signifying "rule" or "measure." | |||
Frisian | ynstelling | ||
The word "ynstelling" also means "attitude" or "position" in Dutch and "constitution" in German. | |||
Galician | configuración | ||
In Galician, "configuración" can also refer to a physical setup or arrangement, such as the layout of a room or the positioning of objects on a table. | |||
German | rahmen | ||
The word "Rahmen" can also refer to a frame, border, or picture frame. | |||
Icelandic | stilling | ||
The word "stilling" in Icelandic can also refer to the act of becoming or remaining still, or to a state of stillness. | |||
Irish | suíomh | ||
The term 'suíomh' can also refer to a place of assembly, or an appointment, while in astronomy it signifies a point reached by a celestial body. | |||
Italian | ambientazione | ||
The Italian word "ambientazione" comes from the Latin "ambiens", meaning "going around" or "surrounding". | |||
Luxembourgish | astellung | ||
In the 19th and 20th centuries, "Astellung" was also used as a synonym for "setting" in a musical context. | |||
Maltese | issettjar | ||
The word "issettjar" in Maltese can also refer to the process of setting a jewel or to the action of arranging things in a certain way. | |||
Norwegian | omgivelser | ||
The Danish word "omgivelser" derives from the Old Norse "umgifr" or "hverfing", both meaning "turn" or "round". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | configuração | ||
"Configuração" derives from Latin "configuratio," also meaning "arrangement" or "form." | |||
Scots Gaelic | suidheachadh | ||
The Gaelic word "suidheachadh" also means "sitting", "situation", or "condition" in English. | |||
Spanish | ajuste | ||
In Spanish, "ajuste" not only means "setting" in the mechanical sense but also "adjustment" in the financial or legal sense. | |||
Swedish | miljö | ||
The word "miljö" originally meant "environment" in Swedish, but it has since come to also mean "setting" or "context". | |||
Welsh | gosodiad | ||
The word 'gosodiad' also derives from the verb 'gosiad' ('act of placing'), from the root word 'gosod' (to put, to place, to set). |
Belarusian | ўстаноўка | ||
The Belarusian word "ўстаноўка" (setting) comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "ўстаноўленіе" (establishment), which in turn comes from the Latin word "institutio" (institution). | |||
Bosnian | podešavanje | ||
The word 'podešavanje' also refers to a musical adjustment or a mathematical operation. | |||
Bulgarian | настройка | ||
The word "настройка" also has the meaning of "tuning" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | nastavení | ||
Czech "nastavení" originally referred to a "putting into a state of preparedness" or "arrangement", likely from "stavět" ("to build, set up"). | |||
Estonian | seade | ||
The Estonian word 'seade' also refers to an arrangement, device, or equipment. | |||
Finnish | asetus | ||
The word "asetus" can also refer to a regulation or decree issued by the government or a regulatory authority. | |||
Hungarian | beállítás | ||
In Hungarian, "beállítás" also means "adjustment" or "configuration". | |||
Latvian | iestatījums | ||
(Latvian) The word «iestatījums» can also refer to an estate or manor, and its synonyms include not just «ierosinājumi», but also «uzstādījumi» and «noteikumi» (settings, regulations, or provisions). | |||
Lithuanian | nustatymas | ||
The word "nustatymas" can also refer to a regulation or an established order. | |||
Macedonian | поставување | ||
In Macedonian, "поставување" (setting) can also refer to the act of laying out or arranging objects or elements. | |||
Polish | oprawa | ||
"Oprawa" can also mean a "frame" (as in a picture), "casing", or "bind" (in the context of books). | |||
Romanian | setare | ||
In Romanian, the word "setare" can also refer to the setting of a play or movie. | |||
Russian | установка | ||
Установки can also refer to 'convictions', 'beliefs', or 'stances' in Russian, in addition to the more common meaning of 'setting'. | |||
Serbian | подешавање | ||
'Подешавање' in Serbian can also mean 'adjustment' or 'configuration'. | |||
Slovak | nastavenie | ||
Nastavenie can also mean "scolding" in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | nastavitev | ||
The word "nastavitev" in Slovenian can also refer to a "position" or "orientation" of something, or an "adjustment" or "configuration" of a device. | |||
Ukrainian | налаштування | ||
The Ukrainian word “налаштування” can also mean “tuning” or “adjustment”. |
Bengali | স্থাপন | ||
"স্থাপন" also means "establishment" or "foundation" in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | સેટિંગ | ||
The Gujarati word "સેટિંગ" ("setting") is borrowed from the English word, meaning "a group of related objects or elements that form a whole". | |||
Hindi | स्थापना | ||
The Sanskrit word "स्थापना" can also refer to the establishment of a religious or spiritual tradition. | |||
Kannada | ಸೆಟ್ಟಿಂಗ್ | ||
ಸೆಟ್ಟಿಂಗ್ (setting) is also used to refer to the act of placing something in a specific position or arrangement. | |||
Malayalam | ക്രമീകരണം | ||
The word "ക്രമീകരണം" comes from the Sanskrit word "kramikaranam," which means "arrangement" or "order." | |||
Marathi | सेटिंग | ||
In Marathi, the word "सेटिंग" also means "situation" or "environment". | |||
Nepali | सेटिंग | ||
The word "सेटिंग" also means "background" or "context" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਸੈਟਿੰਗ | ||
ਸੈਟਿੰ ਸੈਟਿੰ ਯੇ ਸਾਂਟਿਂਗ ਪਰਿਸਥਿਤਿ ਹੈ ਸਮਾਣ਼ਾਲਿਚ ਸੇਤ ਹੈ ਕਿਹਾਦਿ ਰੇਖਾ ਸਟਿਨਾ ਹੈ। | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සැකසුම | ||
සැකසුම can also refer to the act of arranging or preparing something. | |||
Tamil | அமைப்பு | ||
The Tamil word "அமைப்பு" (setting) is also used to refer to systems, structures, organizations, or arrangements. | |||
Telugu | అమరిక | ||
In literary usage, the term 'అమరిక' also signifies a particular scene in a drama or screenplay | |||
Urdu | ترتیب | ||
The word 'ترتیب' in Urdu can also refer to the arrangement or order of things. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 设置 | ||
The word "设置" also used in Chinese computer science to mean "configuration" | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 設置 | ||
設置 is a loanword from Japanese 据置 with the same meaning." | |||
Japanese | 設定 | ||
"設定" has other meanings besides "setting", such as "situation". | |||
Korean | 환경 | ||
The character '환' in '환경' originally referred to a place of refuge or safety. | |||
Mongolian | тохиргоо | ||
The word "тохиргоо" has a broader meaning of "organization" or "arrangement" in Mongolian, encompassing the coordination of activities within a group or organization. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | setting ကို | ||
The Burmese word "setting", when used in the context of a story, can also literally mean "place." |
Indonesian | pengaturan | ||
Pengaturan comes from the Javanese word 'atur' which also means 'setting' or 'order'. | |||
Javanese | setting | ||
In Javanese, the word "seting" can also refer to a place where people gather to discuss or make decisions. | |||
Khmer | ការកំណត់ | ||
Lao | ຕັ້ງ | ||
'ຕັ້ງ' also means 'to set up', 'to establish', 'to erect', or 'to install' | |||
Malay | tetapan | ||
"Tetapan" has no other meanings or etymological roots in Malay. | |||
Thai | การตั้งค่า | ||
"การตั้งค่า" in Thai can refer to the condition or state of something, such as a person's emotional or mental state, as well as the act or process of establishing or arranging something. | |||
Vietnamese | cài đặt | ||
"Cài đặt" comes from a Hán-Việt compound meaning "to fix and put down," and is most commonly used as "setting" in a computer context. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | setting | ||
Azerbaijani | qəbulu | ||
The Azerbaijani word "qəbulu" can also refer to a meeting or audience. | |||
Kazakh | параметр | ||
The word "параметр" in Kazakh also means "quantity" or "measure". | |||
Kyrgyz | жөндөө | ||
The word "жөндөө" can also mean "order" or "organization" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | танзим | ||
The word “танзим” comes from the Arabic word “نظم” (tanzeem) and it also means “regulation” or “organization”. | |||
Turkmen | sazlamak | ||
Uzbek | sozlash | ||
"Sozlash" means "tuning" or "configuration" in Uzbek and shares its origin with the word "song". | |||
Uyghur | تەڭشەش | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻonohonoho | ||
"Hoʻonohonoho" is also the name of a traditional Hawaiian ceremony that involves chanting and ritualized movements. | |||
Maori | tautuhinga | ||
The Maori term "tautuhinga" can also refer to the act of fixing or establishing something in place. | |||
Samoan | faatulagaga | ||
The word 'faatulagaga' can also refer to the act of placing a stone over a hole where food is cooked in an underground oven. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | setting | ||
In Tagalog, setting means not only to place an object somewhere but can also refer to an object, such as jewelry, that is set with precious stones. |
Aymara | jak'ankiri | ||
Guarani | jejopyrã | ||
Esperanto | agordo | ||
"Agordo" also means a place in northern Italy, in the province of Belluno, Veneto; it has about 4000 residents. | |||
Latin | occasum | ||
In Latin, occasum is the noun for both the 'setting' of a heavenly body and the 'western' direction. |
Greek | σύνθεση | ||
The word σύνθεση (setting) comes from the Greek word 'suntithenai', which means 'to put together' or 'to compose'. | |||
Hmong | kev teeb tsa | ||
The term "kev teeb tsa" can refer to either the time at which the sun sets or the act of the sun setting. | |||
Kurdish | danîn | ||
In Kurdish, the word "danîn" also has the meaning of "to lie down" or "to be settled". | |||
Turkish | ayar | ||
In Ottoman Turkish, "ayar" could also refer to a "tune" or "melody" in music. | |||
Xhosa | useto | ||
Xhosa 'useto' was borrowed from English slang 'use to' which was originally used in a similar way to contemporary 'used to' | |||
Yiddish | באַשטעטיקן | ||
בַּשטעטיקן can also mean: to confirm, to declare, to appoint, to determine, to establish, to fix | |||
Zulu | ukubeka | ||
'Ukubeka' also has meanings such as 'to lie down', 'to put down' and 'to establish' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | ছেটিং | ||
Aymara | jak'ankiri | ||
Bhojpuri | स्थापना | ||
Dhivehi | ސެޓިންގ | ||
Dogri | सेटिंग | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | setting | ||
Guarani | jejopyrã | ||
Ilocano | setting | ||
Krio | de mek | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | دۆخ | ||
Maithili | हालत | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯑꯣꯉ ꯁꯦꯡꯅꯕ | ||
Mizo | innghahna | ||
Oromo | haala | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସେଟିଂ | ||
Quechua | tupachiy | ||
Sanskrit | निर्याण | ||
Tatar | көйләү | ||
Tigrinya | ምምላእ | ||
Tsonga | lulamisa | ||