Shop in Different Languages
Discover 'Shop' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'shop' holds a significant place in our daily lives, serving as a hub for commerce and social interaction. From quaint, family-owned businesses to bustling shopping malls, shops are a microcosm of our cultural diversity and consumer habits. But have you ever wondered how the word 'shop' translates in different languages?
Understanding the translation of 'shop' in various languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and commercial landscape of a region. For instance, the German word for shop, 'Laden', reflects the country's emphasis on order and precision. Meanwhile, the French term 'magasin' has roots in the Arabic 'makhzin', meaning storehouse, reflecting the language's rich history of cultural exchange.
Moreover, knowing the local term for 'shop' can enhance your travel experiences, enabling you to navigate markets with ease and engage with locals in a more meaningful way. So, whether you're a budding linguist, a seasoned traveler, or simply curious about the world, exploring the translations of 'shop' is a fascinating journey into language and culture.
Shop
Shop in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | winkel | ||
| Afrikaans "winkel" is derived from Middle Dutch "winckel", itself from Old High German "winchil" or "windil" meaning "corner" or "angle". | |||
| Amharic | ሱቅ | ||
| The word "ሱቅ" can also mean "market" or "fair". | |||
| Hausa | shago | ||
| "Shago" (shop) also means "market" or "store" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ ahịa | ||
| "Ụlọ" means "house" and "ahịa" means "market". The word "ụlọ ahịa" thus literally translates to "market house" and is used to refer to a shop or store. | |||
| Malagasy | fivarotana | ||
| In Malagasy, "fivarotana" not only means "shop", but also refers to a meeting place or a place where people exchange goods. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | shopu | ||
| The word 'shopu' in Nyanja also means 'storehouse' or 'warehouse'. | |||
| Shona | shopu | ||
| The Shona word "shopu" is likely derived from the Dutch word "winkel", meaning "corner shop" or "general store". | |||
| Somali | dukaan | ||
| The word "dukaan" can also mean "small room" or "cabin" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | lebenkele | ||
| The word "lebenkele" may derive from the Afrikaans word "winkel", or from the German word "laden" or "ladenke". | |||
| Swahili | duka | ||
| "Duka" can also refer to a "storehouse", "hut", or "building" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ivenkile | ||
| The word "Ivenkile" is also used by amaXhosa tribes to refer to something that is free of charge. | |||
| Yoruba | itaja | ||
| "Ita" refers to the open, public areas outside houses where many activities, including commerce, take place | |||
| Zulu | esitolo | ||
| Isitolo derives from the word "isitole," used to describe the act of trading. | |||
| Bambara | butigi | ||
| Ewe | fiase | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iduka | ||
| Lingala | butike | ||
| Luganda | okugula | ||
| Sepedi | lebenkele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | di dwa | ||
Shop in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | متجر | ||
| The word "متجر" can also mean "warehouse" or "storehouse" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | לִקְנוֹת | ||
| The Hebrew word "לִקְנוֹת" (liqnōt) literally means "to acquire" or "to obtain". | |||
| Pashto | دوکان | ||
| The Pashto word "دوکان" can also be a nickname for someone who is short or stout. | |||
| Arabic | متجر | ||
| The word "متجر" can also mean "warehouse" or "storehouse" in Arabic. | |||
Shop in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dyqan | ||
| The word 'dyqan' is of Greek origin and originally referred to a market stall or booth. | |||
| Basque | denda | ||
| The Basque word "denda" derives from the Latin "taberna", meaning "inn" or "tavern". | |||
| Catalan | botiga | ||
| The word “botiga” also has a secondary meaning in Catalan - “workshop”. | |||
| Croatian | dućan | ||
| The word "dućan" derives from the Ottoman Turkish word "dükkân", which originally meant "tent" or "booth". | |||
| Danish | butik | ||
| "Butik" is derived from the French "boutique" but originally meant "shed" or "little house" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | winkel | ||
| The word "winkel" is also used to refer to the angle between two lines intersecting in a plane. | |||
| English | shop | ||
| The word "shop" comes from the Old English word "sceoppa", meaning "storehouse" or "shed". | |||
| French | magasin | ||
| The French word 'magasin' comes from the Arabic word 'makhzan', meaning 'storehouse'. | |||
| Frisian | winkel | ||
| It is also a term for a 90-degree angle. | |||
| Galician | tenda | ||
| It comes from the Latin word "taberna", which also means "tavern". | |||
| German | geschäft | ||
| In German, "Geschäft" not only refers to a shop but also to a matter or business requiring attention. | |||
| Icelandic | versla | ||
| In Old Norse "versla" also meant "a purse or bag," and "to trade," from which the word "virðuleiki" ("worth, value") is derived. | |||
| Irish | siopa | ||
| The Irish word “siopa” comes from “siab”, the Middle English word for soap; as it was the most regularly purchased luxury good at the market, the word became synonymous with shops in general. | |||
| Italian | negozio | ||
| The word 'negozio' can also mean 'affair' or 'business' in Italian, derived from the Latin word 'negotium' meaning 'something done; trouble; occupation'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | buttek | ||
| In old Luxembourgish, "Buttek" also referred to a stall in the marketplace or a small, modest store. | |||
| Maltese | ħanut | ||
| "Ħanut" originally meant "inn" in Maltese and is related to the Arabic word "khān." | |||
| Norwegian | butikk | ||
| The Norwegian word "butikk" comes from the French word "boutique," which originally referred to a small shop selling fabrics and other luxury goods. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fazer compras | ||
| The word "fazer compras" literally means "to make purchases" in Portuguese, emphasizing the active nature of shopping. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bùth | ||
| The word "bùth" in Scots Gaelic originally meant "booth" or "hut" and is related to the Old Norse word "buð" meaning "trading booth". | |||
| Spanish | tienda | ||
| In Spanish, 'tienda' can also refer to a curtain, awning, or tent, deriving from the Latin 'tendere' meaning 'to stretch'. | |||
| Swedish | affär | ||
| In Danish and Norwegian, "affär" means "affair" or "business matter". | |||
| Welsh | siop | ||
| Welsh "siop" comes from Middle English "shope," which may originate from Old Norse "skúpi," meaning "shelter or stall." | |||
Shop in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крама | ||
| Крама comes from the word | |||
| Bosnian | prodavnica | ||
| The word 'prodavnica' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'prodati', meaning 'to sell'. | |||
| Bulgarian | магазин | ||
| The word "магазин" in Bulgarian comes from the Arabic word "makhzan" and originally meant a warehouse or storehouse. | |||
| Czech | prodejna | ||
| The word 'prodejna' is derived from the verb 'prodávat' ('to sell'), and originally meant 'a place for selling', but later expanded to include 'any shop'. | |||
| Estonian | pood | ||
| Pood is also a verb meaning 'to graft' or 'to vaccinate', derived from the German word 'pfropfen'. | |||
| Finnish | myymälä | ||
| Myymälä is derived from "myydä" (to sell) and the suffix "-lä", indicating a place. | |||
| Hungarian | üzlet | ||
| The Hungarian word "üzlet" also means "business" and originates from the Slavic word "uzlica" which means "knot" or "tie". | |||
| Latvian | veikals | ||
| Possibly related to Old Prussian "waykis", Lithuanian "véikė" and Old Church Slavonic "věčъ" (evening), thus indicating a trade meeting in the evening. | |||
| Lithuanian | parduotuvė | ||
| The word "parduotuvė" is derived from the verb "parduoti", which means "to sell". | |||
| Macedonian | продавница | ||
| The word "продавница" can also refer to a "seller" or "vendor" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | sklep | ||
| The word 'sklep' is derived from the Old Polish word 'sklepiti', which means 'to hide' or 'to cover'. | |||
| Romanian | magazin | ||
| The Romanian word "magazin" is derived from the Persian "makhzan", meaning "storehouse" or "warehouse". | |||
| Russian | магазин | ||
| The word 'магазин' originally referred to a warehouse or a place where goods were stored, and it is related to the word 'магистраль' ('highway'). | |||
| Serbian | радња | ||
| "Радња" (shop) comes from the verb "радити" (to work), and also refers to a workplace, office, or business. | |||
| Slovak | obchod | ||
| The word "obchod" in Slovak comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "obodъ", meaning "circle" or "enclosure", suggesting its original meaning as a market or trading place. | |||
| Slovenian | trgovina | ||
| The word "trgovina" can also mean "trade" or "commerce" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | магазин | ||
| The Ukrainian word "магазин" can also refer to a "gun magazine" or "storehouse". | |||
Shop in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দোকান | ||
| "দোকান" (shop) comes from the Sanskrit word "dukkana", meaning "a shop" or "a place where goods are sold." | |||
| Gujarati | દુકાન | ||
| The word "દુકાન" is derived from the Persian word "dukān" which means "store" or "warehouse". It can also refer to a small shop or stall. | |||
| Hindi | दुकान | ||
| The word दुकान is derived from the Sanskrit word duhka, meaning 'suffering' or 'pain', and can also refer to a place where goods are stored or sold. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಂಗಡಿ | ||
| The term 'ಅಂಗಡಿ' is also used to reference a booth, stall or a makeshift outlet, implying a smaller setup compared to more permanent establishments. | |||
| Malayalam | ഷോപ്പ് | ||
| In Malayalam, "ഷോപ്പ്" ("shop") also means a large house with an open courtyard. | |||
| Marathi | दुकान | ||
| The word "दुकान" in Marathi originates from the Sanskrit word "दुकूल", meaning "cloth", suggesting that shops originally specialized in selling textiles. | |||
| Nepali | पसल | ||
| The word "पसल" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पश्र" meaning "to rest". | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੁਕਾਨ | ||
| The word 'ਦੁਕਾਨ' is derived from the Persian word 'dukkan', meaning 'a place of business'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාප්පුව | ||
| 'සාප්පුව' (shop) is derived from 'සාප' (curse) as shops were considered places of deceit where people were 'cursed' with bad deals. | |||
| Tamil | கடை | ||
| "கடை" also means "end" or "last" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | అంగడి | ||
| The term "angdi" is derived from the Sanskrit word "angadi" meaning "market" or "store" | |||
| Urdu | دکان | ||
| "دکان" in Urdu comes from the Sanskrit word "sthapana" (स्थापना) and originally referred to a place of worship or assembly. | |||
Shop in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 店 | ||
| The character "店" originally meant a shelter for travelers with shops attached. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 店 | ||
| The word 店 originally meant "a place for worship" and is still used in this sense in Japanese. | |||
| Japanese | ショップ | ||
| The word "ショップ" (shop) is derived from the English word "shoppe", which was a small store or stall. | |||
| Korean | 가게 | ||
| "가게" can also refer to the "process" of buying or selling, or an "organization" involved in these activities. | |||
| Mongolian | дэлгүүр | ||
| The word "дэлгүүр" (shop) comes from the Mongolian verb "дэлгэх" (display), signifying a place where things are displayed for sale. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆိုင် | ||
| The word "ဆိုင်" (shop) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Mon word "coeng" (storehouse), which is in turn derived from the Old Mon word "cung" (warehouse). | |||
Shop in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | toko | ||
| In Indonesian, "toko" may also refer to a stall or kiosk. | |||
| Javanese | toko | ||
| "Toko" also means "storehouse" and may have been borrowed from Chinese Hokkien | |||
| Khmer | ហាង | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "shop," "ហាង" can also refer to a "workshop," "office," or "storehouse." | |||
| Lao | ຮ້ານຄ້າ | ||
| "ร้านค้า" (shop) comes from the Pali word "pacchana" meaning "marketplace". | |||
| Malay | kedai | ||
| "Kedai" in Malay comes from the Sanskrit word "kada," meaning a stall or store. | |||
| Thai | ร้านค้า | ||
| ร้านค้า (shop) derives from the Pali word “kanaka” or the Sanskrit word “karana”, both meaning “to do”. This suggests shops were once considered places of production as well as exchange. | |||
| Vietnamese | cửa tiệm | ||
| "Cửa tiệm" is Sino-Vietnamese for "door shop" and can also mean "storefront". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tindahan | ||
Shop in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mağaza | ||
| The word "mağaza" is derived from the Persian word "maghzān" meaning "warehouse" or "storehouse" and can also refer to a "department store" or a "hypermarket" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | дүкен | ||
| "Дүкен" (shop) originally meant "a place where things are hidden" in Kazakh | |||
| Kyrgyz | дүкөн | ||
| The word “дүкөн” is derived from the Persian word “dukan” which means “store” or “workshop”. | |||
| Tajik | мағоза | ||
| мағоза (shop) comes from the Persian word "فروشگاه" (foroushgah), which means "place of sale." | |||
| Turkmen | dükan | ||
| Uzbek | do'kon | ||
| The Uzbek word "do'kon" has roots in the Persian word "dukkan" and also refers to a specific type of shop for food preparation and serving. | |||
| Uyghur | دۇكان | ||
Shop in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale kūʻai | ||
| "Hale" means house and "kū'ai" means to buy, so "hale kū'ai" literally translates to "buy-house". | |||
| Maori | toa | ||
| The word 'toa' can also refer to a warrior, a leader, or a house. | |||
| Samoan | faleʻoloa | ||
| Another meaning of "faleʻoloa" is "guest house" which is where chiefs received guests. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tindahan | ||
| "Tindahan" is derived from the verb "tinda" (to sell) and can also mean "sales" or "commerce". | |||
Shop in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhathu | ||
| Guarani | ñemurenda | ||
Shop in International Languages
| Esperanto | butiko | ||
| The Esperanto word 'butiko' is derived from the Spanish word 'botica', meaning 'pharmacy'. | |||
| Latin | tabernam | ||
| In Medieval Latin, 'tabernam' could also refer to a booth or small dwelling. | |||
Shop in Others Languages
| Greek | κατάστημα | ||
| The word κατάστημα initially meant a halt of an army during a campaign and only later took the meaning of a shop or a dwelling. | |||
| Hmong | khw | ||
| The word "khw" can also refer to "a room for weaving" or "a group of people who live together" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | dikan | ||
| Dikan comes from the Persian word "deygan" which means "village" and can also refer to a small business or workshop. | |||
| Turkish | dükkan | ||
| The word "dükkan" derives from the Arabic word "dukkān", which originally referred to a bench or platform used for displaying goods. | |||
| Xhosa | ivenkile | ||
| The word "Ivenkile" is also used by amaXhosa tribes to refer to something that is free of charge. | |||
| Yiddish | קראָם | ||
| The Yiddish word "קראָם" derives from the Middle High German word "kram" which means "small wares" or "stall". | |||
| Zulu | esitolo | ||
| Isitolo derives from the word "isitole," used to describe the act of trading. | |||
| Assamese | দোকান | ||
| Aymara | qhathu | ||
| Bhojpuri | दुकान | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިހާރަ | ||
| Dogri | हट्टी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tindahan | ||
| Guarani | ñemurenda | ||
| Ilocano | tiendaan | ||
| Krio | shɔp | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دوکان | ||
| Maithili | दोकान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯨꯀꯥꯟ | ||
| Mizo | dawr | ||
| Oromo | suuqii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦୋକାନ | ||
| Quechua | rantiy | ||
| Sanskrit | आपण | ||
| Tatar | кибет | ||
| Tigrinya | ድኳን | ||
| Tsonga | vhengele | ||