Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'slide' holds a special place in our lexicon, evoking a sense of movement, fun, and sometimes even nostalgia. Its significance goes beyond the simple act of moving down a smooth surface; it represents a cultural phenomenon that transcends language and geographical boundaries. From playground equipment to a type of presentation, the word 'slide' is versatile and essential to many aspects of our daily lives.
Did you know that the word 'slide' has been incorporated into various languages, each with its own unique translation? For instance, in Spanish, 'slide' translates to 'resbaladilla,' while in German, it becomes 'Rutschbahn.' In French, 'slide' is translated as 'toboggan,' and in Japanese, it is 'スライダー (suraidā).'
Exploring the translations of 'slide' in different languages not only broadens our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into how other cultures perceive and interact with this concept. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of language and culture through the lens of this simple yet powerful word.
Afrikaans | skuif | ||
The word "skuif" in Afrikaans can also refer to a sudden or unexpected movement, or to a person who is clumsy or awkward. | |||
Amharic | ተንሸራታች | ||
The verb "ተንሸራታ" is also used to refer to the action of dragging something behind oneself. | |||
Hausa | zamewa | ||
The word "zamewa" can also refer to a kind of dance, or the place where this dance is performed, or even a specific type of drum that is used to accompany this dance. | |||
Igbo | slide | ||
The Igbo word "slide" can also mean "to slip" or "to fall". | |||
Malagasy | tsary | ||
The Malagasy word "tsary" is also used to refer to a "slope" or a "ramp". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | wopanda | ||
In some parts of Malawi, a "Wopanda" can also be an adult male who's not yet married, especially in the context of the initiation rites that used to happen for unmarried young men. | |||
Shona | ondomoka | ||
In Shona, the word "ondomoka" can also mean "to move smoothly" or "to glide" | |||
Somali | boggan | ||
The Somali word "boggan" is also used to refer to a type of traditional Somali dance. | |||
Sesotho | thella | ||
The word "thella" can also be used to refer to something that is smooth and slippery. | |||
Swahili | slaidi | ||
In Swahili, "slaidi" can also mean "a piece of bread or dough used as a communion wafer" or "a small, flat piece of wood used to make a fire". | |||
Xhosa | isilayidi | ||
In botany, 'isilayidi' is also known as 'Gladiolus' or 'Sword Lily'. | |||
Yoruba | ifaworanhan | ||
The Yoruba word "ifaworanhan" can also refer to a type of traditional dance or to the process of smoothing or flattening something out. | |||
Zulu | isilayidi | ||
Isilayidi comes from the phrase "isilidi la mandi" which means "the slipping of feet". | |||
Bambara | ka cɛɛnɛ | ||
Ewe | ɖiɖi | ||
Kinyarwanda | slide | ||
Lingala | diapositive | ||
Luganda | okuseerera | ||
Sepedi | selaete | ||
Twi (Akan) | pia fa so | ||
Arabic | الانزلاق | ||
In the game of backgammon, "الانزلاق" refers to the illegal move of moving a checker diagonally. | |||
Hebrew | שקופית | ||
In Ancient Greek, "dia" meant "through," while in Hebrew, it means "enough". | |||
Pashto | سلایډ | ||
The word "slide" can also refer to a type of musical instrument in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | الانزلاق | ||
In the game of backgammon, "الانزلاق" refers to the illegal move of moving a checker diagonally. |
Albanian | rrëshqitje | ||
"Rrëshqitje" in Albanian also means "slipping" or "skating" in some contexts. | |||
Basque | irristatu | ||
The word "irristatu" can also refer to a playground slide, or to the act of sliding down a slope. | |||
Catalan | lliscar | ||
“Lliscar” is also the Catalan word for 'to skid' or 'to skate' | |||
Croatian | klizati | ||
The word klizati also means "to skate". The word "klizati" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *klьzati, meaning "to slip". | |||
Danish | glide | ||
In Danish, the word "glide" has an alternate meaning of "to be slow and ineffective." | |||
Dutch | glijbaan | ||
The word "glijbaan" can also refer to the action of sliding, or a sloping surface that allows such action. | |||
English | slide | ||
"Slide" can also mean a slip or fall, a smooth incline, or a temporary stay in a place. | |||
French | faire glisser | ||
The verb "faire glisser" also means "to slip". | |||
Frisian | slide | ||
The word "slide" in Frisian is a cognate of the English word, and it also means a "sleigh". | |||
Galician | diapositiva | ||
The Galician word "diapositiva" also means "transparency" or "transparency slide" in a slide projector. | |||
German | rutschen | ||
"Rutschen", meaning slide, also refers to climbing down a ladder; its origin is thought to derive from medieval torture, the rack, as a euphemism denoting the victim's screams during interrogation." | |||
Icelandic | renna | ||
The word "renna" in Icelandic has an alternate meaning of "to flow". | |||
Irish | sleamhnán | ||
The Irish word "sleamhnán" may also refer to a small, flat stone or a piece of wood that is used for sliding. | |||
Italian | diapositiva | ||
In Italian, "diapositiva" derives from Greek "diaphainó", meaning "to make transparent" but can also mean a "lecture". | |||
Luxembourgish | rutschen | ||
The word "rutschen" in Luxembourgish is cognate to the German word "rutschen", which also means "slide". Both words are of onomatopoeic origin and have been attested in Germanic languages since the early Middle Ages. | |||
Maltese | slide | ||
The Maltese word "slide" is derived from the Italian word "scivolare", which means "to slip" or "to slide". In Maltese, it can also refer to a landslide, a slide rule, or a slide projector. | |||
Norwegian | lysbilde | ||
"Lysbilde" literally translates to "illuminated photo" and also means "transparency". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | deslizar | ||
Deslizar, which means "slide" in both Portuguese from Portugal and Brazil, is likely derived from *discurrere* (run, spread) and *lisciare* (smooth). | |||
Scots Gaelic | sleamhnag | ||
The word 'sleamhnag' can also refer to a slippery surface or a place where something slides. | |||
Spanish | diapositiva | ||
In Spanish, "diapositiva" refers to both a slide and a transparency, while in English, it only means a slide. | |||
Swedish | glida | ||
The Swedish word "glida" originally meant something that slipped or drifted, and is related to the German word "gleiten" (to slide) and the Latin word "glīscere" (to glide). | |||
Welsh | sleid | ||
Sleid can also refer to a type of horse-drawn carriage. |
Belarusian | слайд | ||
The word "слайд" can also refer to a microscope slide or a glass slide used in photography. | |||
Bosnian | klizanje | ||
The verb 'klizati' (to slide) derives from the Indo-European root '*klei-' meaning 'to bend'. | |||
Bulgarian | пързалка | ||
The word "пързалка" is also an archaic Bulgarian word for "sled". | |||
Czech | skluzavka | ||
The term "skluzavka" is derived from the verbs "klouzat" (to slide) and "sklouznout" (to slip), referring to the movement involved in using a slide. | |||
Estonian | libisema | ||
The Estonian word "libisema" can also mean "to glide" or "to slip". | |||
Finnish | dia | ||
In Finnish, "dia" comes from the Swedish "dia", meaning "positive transparency used in a slide projector". | |||
Hungarian | csúszik | ||
In colloquial Hungarian, "csúszik" can also mean "to fail" or "to cheat on an exam. | |||
Latvian | slidkalniņš | ||
"Slidkalniņš" literally means "climbing hill" in Latvian, as early childhood slides were not so steep and had stairs. | |||
Lithuanian | skaidrė | ||
The word "skaidrė" is derived from the Lithuanian word "skaidrus," meaning "transparent" or "clear." | |||
Macedonian | слајд | ||
The Macedonian word "слајд" can also refer to a slide presentation or a slide rule. | |||
Polish | ślizgać się | ||
The verb "ślizgać się" also means "to skate", which is likely related to its proto-Slavic root, "*sklizg-." | |||
Romanian | alunecare | ||
The word "alunecare" also refers to "slipping" and "falling". | |||
Russian | горка | ||
The word “горка” also means “mountain” (especially a small one), “a hill,” or a small mound used by children or adults for sliding in snowy or icy weather, so that it is a slide on a hill.”} | |||
Serbian | тобоган | ||
The Russian word "Тобоган" originates from the North American Indigenous Toboggan sled, which shares the same name. | |||
Slovak | šmykľavka | ||
The word "šmykľavka" also refers to a type of slippery pastry in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | zdrs | ||
The word "zdrs" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *zъdrъ, which also means "to rub" or "to grind". | |||
Ukrainian | слайд | ||
The Ukrainian word "слайд" (slide) is derived from the Proto-Slavic term *skladъ, meaning "to lay," and also denotes a layer or level. |
Bengali | স্লাইড | ||
The word "slide" in Bengali can also mean "small" or "narrow passage". | |||
Gujarati | સ્લાઇડ | ||
In addition to its primary meaning, "સ્લાઇડ" can also refer to a type of bread roll or to the act of slipping or gliding. | |||
Hindi | फिसल पट्टी | ||
The word "फिसल पट्टी" can also mean a "greased track" or a "slippery path". | |||
Kannada | ಸ್ಲೈಡ್ | ||
The Kannada word "ಸ್ಲೈಡ್" (slide) comes from the English word "slide". | |||
Malayalam | സ്ലൈഡ് | ||
In Malayam, 'slide' can also refer to a musical note or a type of snake. | |||
Marathi | स्लाइड | ||
The word "स्लाइड" originates from the Marathi word "स्लीड" meaning "to slip". | |||
Nepali | स्लाइड | ||
The word 'स्लाइड' in Nepali originates from the English word 'slide,' meaning to move smoothly over a surface. | |||
Punjabi | ਸਲਾਈਡ | ||
The word "ਸਲਾਈਡ" can also refer to a glass plate used in microscopy. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විනිවිදකය | ||
The word ''විනිවිදකය'' can also mean “a device that helps open a locked door using a plastic strip or wire (in computing)''. | |||
Tamil | ஸ்லைடு | ||
The Tamil word ஸ்லைடு (slide) is also sometimes used to refer to a type of traditional Indian attire for women known as a saree-blouse. | |||
Telugu | స్లయిడ్ | ||
The word 'స్లయిడ్' in Telugu can also mean 'a piece of glass used to hold and view microscope specimens' or 'a long, narrow opening in a wall or partition.' | |||
Urdu | سلائیڈ | ||
**سلائیڈ** can also mean **sleeper**; or a **small wooden plank** in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 滑动 | ||
滑动 (huá dòng) is also a computer term meaning to drag and drop or scroll. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 滑動 | ||
"滑動" literally means 'smooth movement,' and is also an alternative term for 'scroll' when used in a computing context. | |||
Japanese | 滑り台 | ||
滑り台 can also mean a playground slide, but the first character, 滑, literally means 'slippery'. | |||
Korean | 미끄러지 다 | ||
미끄러지다 can also mean 'to slip up' or 'to make a mistake'. | |||
Mongolian | слайд | ||
The Mongolian word “слайд” (“slide”) is borrowed from Russian, where it originally meant “ice slide” and “slippery place”. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လျှော | ||
The word "လျှော" (slide) in Myanmar (Burmese) can also mean "to smooth out," "to plane," or "to polish." |
Indonesian | meluncur | ||
"Meluncur" also means to "float" or "sail," reflecting its origins in the word "luncur," which describes the movement of a boat or kite in the water or air. | |||
Javanese | geser | ||
The Javanese word "geser" also means "change", as in "geser kursi" (change seats/move chairs). | |||
Khmer | ស្លាយ | ||
The word "ស្លាយ" ("slide") in Khmer can also refer to "to slip" or "to skid". | |||
Lao | ເລື່ອນ | ||
ເລື່ອນ can refer to a series of connected events, or a time period between events. | |||
Malay | gelongsor | ||
"Gelongsor" is also a type of traditional Malay wedding dowry, in which items are put on a tray and presented to the bride and groom. | |||
Thai | สไลด์ | ||
The word 'สไลด์' ('slide') is often used to refer to slipping, and in the past it could even mean falling into the water. | |||
Vietnamese | cầu trượt | ||
Cầu trượt derives from two words: "cầu", meaning "bridge" and "trượt", meaning "to glide". It can also refer to a chute. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | slide | ||
Azerbaijani | sürüşdürün | ||
The word "sürüşdürün" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a type of traditional dance performed on a slide or a slippery surface. | |||
Kazakh | слайд | ||
In Kazakh, "слайд" means both "slide" and "a slide rule" (a mechanical analog computer used for multiplication and division). | |||
Kyrgyz | слайд | ||
The Kyrgyz word "слайд" also means "a slide show" and "a slide rule". | |||
Tajik | слайд | ||
Слово "слайд" может также означать "пластинка (в фотографии)" в таджикском языке. | |||
Turkmen | slaýd | ||
Uzbek | slayd | ||
In Uzbek, "slayd" also refers to a type of traditional Uzbek music and dance. | |||
Uyghur | تام تەسۋىر | ||
Hawaiian | pāheʻe | ||
"Pāheʻe" is the Hawaiian word for "slide" or "to slide", a term that also describes the popular bodysurfing pastime in which surfers ride the face of the wave on their bellies. | |||
Maori | retireti | ||
Although "retireti" generally means "slide", it can also refer to "to push" or "to send". | |||
Samoan | faaseʻe | ||
Faaseʻe can also mean "to make a mistake" or "to miss a step". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | slide | ||
Slide can also refer to a slide show in Tagalog. |
Aymara | allqtaña | ||
Guarani | ta''ãngarechauka | ||
Esperanto | gliti | ||
The word "gliti" can also mean "to skate" or "to glide" in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | slide | ||
The Latin verb "labor" means "to slip, glide, slide," and in its intransitive sense "to totter". |
Greek | ολίσθηση | ||
In modern Greek, “ολίσθηση” can also mean “mistake” or “omission” from a duty. | |||
Hmong | swb | ||
The word "swb" (slide) in Hmong also means "to play slide guitar". | |||
Kurdish | şemitîn | ||
The word "şemitîn" in Kurdish is derived from the Arabic word "shamat", meaning "to rejoice" or "to insult". | |||
Turkish | kaymak | ||
Kaymak, which means "slide" in Turkish, also refers to the clotted cream of buffalo or sheep's milk used in desserts. | |||
Xhosa | isilayidi | ||
In botany, 'isilayidi' is also known as 'Gladiolus' or 'Sword Lily'. | |||
Yiddish | רוק | ||
In addition to its primary meaning, "רוק" can also refer to a "crack" or a "fissure" in Yiddish. | |||
Zulu | isilayidi | ||
Isilayidi comes from the phrase "isilidi la mandi" which means "the slipping of feet". | |||
Assamese | এফলীয়া | ||
Aymara | allqtaña | ||
Bhojpuri | फिसल-पट्टी | ||
Dhivehi | ސްލައިޑް | ||
Dogri | ढलक | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | slide | ||
Guarani | ta''ãngarechauka | ||
Ilocano | iyalis | ||
Krio | sink | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سلاید | ||
Maithili | फिसलन | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯥꯟꯊꯕ | ||
Mizo | tleng | ||
Oromo | mucucaachuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ଲାଇଡ୍ | ||
Quechua | diapositiva | ||
Sanskrit | च्यु | ||
Tatar | слайд | ||
Tigrinya | ገጽታ | ||
Tsonga | rheta | ||