Shape in Different Languages
Discover 'Shape' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Shape is a powerful word that carries significant meaning across cultures and languages. It refers to the form or configuration of an object, whether natural or man-made. From ancient civilizations to modern art, shape has played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world around us.
Throughout history, shape has been used as a tool for communication and self-expression. For instance, in ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs were used to depict various shapes, each with its unique meaning. Similarly, in Chinese culture, the concept of shape is deeply embedded in philosophy and art, where it is believed to represent the balance and harmony of the universe.
Understanding the translation of shape in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and nuances. For example, the word for shape in Spanish is 'forma', in French 'forme', in German 'Form', in Russian 'форма' (forma), and in Japanese '形状' (keijou).
Exploring the translations of shape in various languages is not just a linguistic exercise, but also a journey through the rich tapestry of human history, culture, and creativity.
Shape
Shape in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vorm | ||
| The word "vorm" in Afrikaans can also mean "mold" or "pattern", and is cognate with the English word "form". | |||
| Amharic | ቅርፅ | ||
| The noun ቅርፅ can also mean 'form', 'figure', 'format', 'type', or 'class'. | |||
| Hausa | siffar | ||
| The word "siffar" in Hausa has its root in the Arabic word "zifera", meaning "nought", and can also be translated as "number" or "quantity". | |||
| Igbo | udi | ||
| In an alternate usage, the Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | endrika | ||
| "Endrika" can refer to a form, style, appearance, or outline in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mawonekedwe | ||
| The Nyanja word "mawonekedwe" originally meant "the act of seeing or imagining something," while its current meaning of "shape" is a derived sense. | |||
| Shona | chimiro | ||
| The word "chimiro" can mean "form" or "pattern" and is derived from the Proto Bantu word "*cima" meaning "to make, form, shape". | |||
| Somali | qaab | ||
| The word "qaab" can also refer to a person's appearance or physical form. | |||
| Sesotho | sebopeho | ||
| The term | |||
| Swahili | sura | ||
| The Swahili word "sura" can also mean "face" or "appearance". | |||
| Xhosa | imilo | ||
| The Xhosa term "imilo" has additional connotations of "form" and "image". | |||
| Yoruba | apẹrẹ | ||
| The word "apẹrẹ" also means "form" or "pattern" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isimo | ||
| "Isi" is a prefix used to denote language and "mo" is a prefix used to denote abstract nouns, so "isimo" is used for abstract shapes. | |||
| Bambara | ka labɛn | ||
| Ewe | dzedzeme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imiterere | ||
| Lingala | forme | ||
| Luganda | enkula | ||
| Sepedi | sebopego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔbea | ||
Shape in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شكل | ||
| The word "شكل" can also mean "form", "image", or "figure", and originates from the root "ش ك ل" meaning "to give form to". | |||
| Hebrew | צוּרָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "צוּרָה" (tzurah) holds several additional meanings apart from "shape," including "form," "pattern," or "image." | |||
| Pashto | ب .ه | ||
| The Pashto word "ب .ه" can also mean "appearance" or "condition" in certain contexts. | |||
| Arabic | شكل | ||
| The word "شكل" can also mean "form", "image", or "figure", and originates from the root "ش ك ل" meaning "to give form to". | |||
Shape in Western European Languages
| Albanian | formë | ||
| The word "formë" is also used to refer to the appearance of an object or person. | |||
| Basque | forma | ||
| "Forma" in Basque can also mean "appearance", "way" or "manner". | |||
| Catalan | forma | ||
| The word "forma" in Catalan can also refer to the size of paper used in bookmaking or other printed works. | |||
| Croatian | oblik | ||
| The word "oblik" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "oblьkъ", which could also mean "image" or "face." | |||
| Danish | form | ||
| The Danish word "form" can also refer to a school class or grade level. | |||
| Dutch | vorm | ||
| The Dutch "vorm" is thought to derive from the Indo-European root "wer-", meaning "to turn, bend", or "to cover, envelop." | |||
| English | shape | ||
| The word "shape" comes from the Old English word "sceape", meaning "form" or "figure", and is related to the German word "Schaffen", meaning "to create". | |||
| French | forme | ||
| The Old French word "forme" has also given the words "form" (n.) and "form" (v.) in English. | |||
| Frisian | foarm | ||
| Frisian word 'foarm' is derived from Proto-Germanic *formanaz, meaning "shape, outward appearance". | |||
| Galician | forma | ||
| The Galician word "forma" can also mean "manner", "way", or "style". | |||
| German | gestalten | ||
| The word "gestalten" can also mean "to create" or "to form" in German, reflecting its original meaning of "to give shape to something." | |||
| Icelandic | lögun | ||
| The word "lögun" in Icelandic can also refer to specific geometric shapes such as a hexagon or octagon. | |||
| Irish | cruth | ||
| The Irish word "cruth" can also refer to a physical form, outline, or appearance. | |||
| Italian | forma | ||
| The Italian word "forma" (shape) derives from the Latin verb "formare" (to form, to shape) and shares a root with "formula," "formation," "iform," and "formal." | |||
| Luxembourgish | form | ||
| Luxembourgish "Form" comes from the German "Form" or Latin "Forma" and also means "formality" or "document". | |||
| Maltese | forma | ||
| Maltese “forma” derives from Latin and originally denoted the “figure” (or contour, aspect, nature, etc.) of something. | |||
| Norwegian | form | ||
| The Norwegian word "form" can also refer to a tray or dish. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | forma | ||
| In Portuguese, "forma" derives from Latin "forma" ("appearance, shape, form") and can refer to any external or internal mold, or the manner of something's existence. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cumadh | ||
| The Proto-Celtic root meaning "to make" underlies the word "cumadh" (shape). | |||
| Spanish | forma | ||
| "Forma" derives from the Latin word "forma" meaning "shape, appearance, model", which itself comes from the Greek word "μορφή" (morphē) meaning "form, shape, appearance." | |||
| Swedish | form | ||
| The Swedish word "form" comes from the Old Norse word "formr", meaning "appearance", "form", or "shape". | |||
| Welsh | siâp | ||
| The word "siâp" has been suggested to be an early 19th-century loanword from Northern England dialect "shap" (meaning "shape"), but this remains inconclusive. | |||
Shape in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | форма | ||
| Belarusian форма can also refer to the military uniform of officers and soldiers | |||
| Bosnian | oblik | ||
| The word "oblik" can also mean "form", "figure", or "contour". | |||
| Bulgarian | форма | ||
| "Форма" (shape) originated from the Old Bulgarian word "формъ", which had a broader meaning, encompassing form, image, appearance, and even "law" or "statute". | |||
| Czech | tvar | ||
| The word "tvar" in Czech also means "creature" and is closely related to the Russian word "tvar'" meaning "face." | |||
| Estonian | kuju | ||
| "Kuju" can also mean "image", "picture", or "statue" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | muoto | ||
| The word 'muoto' is likely derived from the Proto-Finnic word 'muotâ', meaning 'pattern' or 'mold'. | |||
| Hungarian | alak | ||
| "Alak" also means "person" in the sense of "body" (e.g. "egy alak" can mean "an individual" or "a person"). | |||
| Latvian | forma | ||
| "Forma" is also used to refer to a mold or a form for casting or shaping. | |||
| Lithuanian | figūra | ||
| The word "figūra" in Lithuanian can also refer to a person, usually in a negative or contemptuous sense. | |||
| Macedonian | форма | ||
| The word "форма" in Macedonian is a cognate of the Russian word "форма" and the English word "form". | |||
| Polish | kształt | ||
| The word "kształt" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*stěltъ", which also meant "to spread" or "to lay down". | |||
| Romanian | formă | ||
| The word "formă" is cognate with the French, Spanish, and Portuguese word "forma" and can also refer to a mold, pattern, or matrix. | |||
| Russian | форма | ||
| The Russian word "форма''" can also mean "a uniform" or "a mold to cast things in". | |||
| Serbian | облик | ||
| "Облик" is also used in the sense of "image" or "form" in the Orthodox Christian context. | |||
| Slovak | tvar | ||
| The word "tvar" also means "creature" in Slovak, as in "divný tvar" (strange creature). | |||
| Slovenian | obliko | ||
| The word "obliko" can also mean "form", "figure", "pattern", or "design". | |||
| Ukrainian | форму | ||
| The etymology of "форму" originates from the same root as the Latin "forma", meaning "appearance" or "figure." | |||
Shape in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আকৃতি | ||
| আকৃতি originates from Sanskrit and refers to the outline, outline, or appearance of someone or something | |||
| Gujarati | આકાર | ||
| The word "આકાર" (shape) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आकार" (outline, dimension), which is also the root of the English word "architecture". | |||
| Hindi | आकार | ||
| The word "आकार" (shape) derives from the Sanskrit word "आकृति" (appearance), and also means "size" or "form". | |||
| Kannada | ಆಕಾರ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಆಕಾರ" can also refer to a form or figure in mathematics. | |||
| Malayalam | ആകാരം | ||
| "ആകാരം" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ākāra" meaning "form, shape, figure, manner" and is also used to refer to the "shape" of a letter in the Malayalam alphabet. | |||
| Marathi | आकार | ||
| The word "आकार" is also used to mean "figure", "size", "form", or "outline" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | आकार | ||
| The word "आकार" can also mean "size" or "form" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ਕਲ | ||
| The word "ਸ਼ਕਲ" (shape) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "शक्ल" (appearance or form). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හැඩය | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "හැඩය" can also refer to the form or structure of something, or its appearance. | |||
| Tamil | வடிவம் | ||
| "வடிவம்" (shape) also means "form" or "appearance" and is related to the Sanskrit word "विध" (vidh), meaning "to arrange". | |||
| Telugu | ఆకారం | ||
| The Telugu word "ఆకారం" also refers to the "appearance" or "form of something". | |||
| Urdu | شکل | ||
| "شکل" is the Urdu word for "shape", but it can also mean "figure", "image", or "form". | |||
Shape in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 形状 | ||
| 形状 (xíngzhuàng) literally means 'appearance' and can also refer to 'form', 'figure', or 'condition'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 形狀 | ||
| 形狀, 狀, 狀語, 狀況, 顯著, 表現, 狀態 | |||
| Japanese | 形状 | ||
| The second character of 「形状」 refers to one's personal appearance | |||
| Korean | 모양 | ||
| The word "모양" (shape) in Korean is related to the word "모습" (form), which itself is derived from the verb "보다" (to see). This suggests that the concept of shape in Korean is closely tied to visual perception. | |||
| Mongolian | хэлбэр | ||
| "хэлбэр" is derived from the word "хэв" meaning "form" and shares the same etymology with the word "хуви" meaning "proportion". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပုံသဏ္.ာန် | ||
Shape in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bentuk | ||
| Bentuk also refers to the form, format, or arrangement of something, such as a document, a piece of art, or a musical composition. | |||
| Javanese | wujud | ||
| The Javanese word "wujud" also means "existence" or "being". | |||
| Khmer | រូបរាង | ||
| The word "រូបរាង" can also refer to the appearance or form of something. | |||
| Lao | ຮູບຮ່າງ | ||
| Malay | bentuk | ||
| Bentuk is also used to refer to a form, a blueprint, or a model. | |||
| Thai | รูปร่าง | ||
| "รูปร่าง" comes from the verb "รูป" (to form) and the noun "ร่าง" (body), hence "shape". | |||
| Vietnamese | hình dạng | ||
| The word "hình dạng" can also mean "appearance" or "form" depending on the context. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hugis | ||
Shape in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | forma | ||
| The word "forma" also means "form" or "mold" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | пішін | ||
| The Kazakh noun "пішін" ('shape') comes from the Proto-Turkic word "biç", meaning 'figure', 'appearance', 'shape', or 'image'. It is cognate with the Turkish noun "biçim", which has the same meanings. | |||
| Kyrgyz | форма | ||
| The word "форма" also means "form" or "uniform" in Russian, which is where it was borrowed from. | |||
| Tajik | шакл | ||
| The word "шакл" can also mean "form, figure, appearance, or condition". | |||
| Turkmen | görnüşi | ||
| Uzbek | shakli | ||
| The Uzbek word "shakli" also means "similar" and is derived from the Persian word "shakl" which has the same meaning. | |||
| Uyghur | شەكلى | ||
Shape in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kinona | ||
| The word "kinona" can also refer to a mold, model, or form. | |||
| Maori | ahua | ||
| "Ahua" also means "reflection" or "likeness" in Maori, conveying the idea of external form capturing an inner essence. | |||
| Samoan | foliga | ||
| The word foliga can also refer to an action, process, or event, as in "fafoliga" (the process of doing something). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hugis | ||
| "Hugis" is also sometimes used to refer to the physical appearance of someone or something. | |||
Shape in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukhama | ||
| Guarani | molde | ||
Shape in International Languages
| Esperanto | formo | ||
| The word "formo" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "forma" which also means "form". | |||
| Latin | figura, | ||
| The Latin word "figura" also has the meanings of "image" or "trope." | |||
Shape in Others Languages
| Greek | σχήμα | ||
| In religious contexts, "σχήμα" has referred to a monk's habit. | |||
| Hmong | duab | ||
| The Hmong word "duab" can mean either "shape" or "to make". | |||
| Kurdish | cins | ||
| The word "cins" (shape) in Kurdish has an alternate meaning of "species" and it is a cognate with the English word "genus". | |||
| Turkish | şekil | ||
| The word "şekil" in Turkish also means "image", "form", and "manner". | |||
| Xhosa | imilo | ||
| The Xhosa term "imilo" has additional connotations of "form" and "image". | |||
| Yiddish | פאָרעם | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאָרעם" can also refer to a mold or form used in casting. | |||
| Zulu | isimo | ||
| "Isi" is a prefix used to denote language and "mo" is a prefix used to denote abstract nouns, so "isimo" is used for abstract shapes. | |||
| Assamese | আকাৰ | ||
| Aymara | ukhama | ||
| Bhojpuri | अकार | ||
| Dhivehi | ބައްޓަން | ||
| Dogri | शक्ल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hugis | ||
| Guarani | molde | ||
| Ilocano | sukong | ||
| Krio | shep | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شێوە | ||
| Maithili | आकार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯑꯣꯡ ꯃꯇꯧ | ||
| Mizo | riruang | ||
| Oromo | boca | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆକୃତି | | ||
| Quechua | rikchay | ||
| Sanskrit | आकारः | ||
| Tatar | формасы | ||
| Tigrinya | ቅርፂ | ||
| Tsonga | xivumbeko | ||