Software in Different Languages
Discover 'Software' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Software, a term we're all familiar with in our digital age, holds immense significance in today's world. It's the unseen force that powers our devices, systems, and applications, making our lives easier, more efficient, and interconnected. But have you ever wondered how this term translates in different languages, reflecting the cultural nuances and technological contexts of various countries?
The word 'software' itself is a fascinating blend of soft (referring to something easily changed) and ware (short for hardware). It was first coined in the 1960s, a time of great innovation and transformation in the field of computing. Today, software is a global phenomenon, a universal language that transcends borders and connects us all.
Understanding the translation of 'software' in various languages can offer intriguing insights into how different cultures perceive and interact with technology. Here are a few sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- German: Software
- French: Logiciel
- Spanish: Software
- Italian: Software
- Chinese: 软件 (Ruǎnjiàn)
- Japanese: ソフトウェア ( Sofutowea)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'software' translations, taking you on a journey across languages and cultures, and deepening your appreciation for this essential component of our modern world.
Software
Software in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sagteware | ||
| "Sagteware" (software) is a borrowing from English, but shares the same etymology (meaning "soft goods") with "sagtemantel" (tarpaulin) and "sagteklere" (bedding) | |||
| Amharic | ሶፍትዌር | ||
| The Amharic word "ሶፍትዌር" (sɔftwer) is derived from the English word "software" and retains the same meaning. | |||
| Hausa | software | ||
| In Hausa, "software" is known as "shirin kwamfuta" which literally means "computer confection" | |||
| Igbo | ngwanrọ | ||
| "Ngwanrọ" can also refer to a "program" or an "application" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | rindrambaiko | ||
| The word "rindrambaiko" derives from "rindra" (knowledge) and "mbaiko" (container), indicating software as a vessel for knowledge. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mapulogalamu | ||
| The word "mapulogalamu" in Nyanja is derived from the words "malamu" (good) and "puluka" (to apply), referring to its role in making computers and devices perform useful tasks. | |||
| Shona | software | ||
| The word "software" is derived from the Latin word "suavis" meaning "soft". | |||
| Somali | software | ||
| In Somali, the word "software" means "software" or "computer programs." | |||
| Sesotho | software | ||
| "Software" comes from the Sesotho word "sefotaweare", meaning "that which is soft and used for wrapping". | |||
| Swahili | programu | ||
| The word "programu" in Swahili originates from the English word "programme", which itself comes from the Greek word "programma", meaning "a public notice" or "a proclamation." | |||
| Xhosa | isoftware | ||
| The Xhosa word 'isoftware' is derived from the English word 'software', but it also has a literal meaning of 'things that are soft'. | |||
| Yoruba | sọfitiwia | ||
| The word 'sọfitiwa' in Yoruba is an adaptation of the English word 'software', and it holds the same meaning. | |||
| Zulu | isoftware | ||
| Isoftware, a term derived from isiZulu, signifies both 'knowledge' ('isazi') and 'thing' ('isinto'), capturing the essence of software as a tangible embodiment of intellectual work. | |||
| Bambara | lozisiyɛli | ||
| Ewe | sɔƒtwɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | software | ||
| Lingala | logiciel | ||
| Luganda | sofutiweeya | ||
| Sepedi | softewere | ||
| Twi (Akan) | software | ||
Software in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | البرمجيات | ||
| In Lebanese Arabic, the term "برمجيات" colloquially refers to computer applications rather than software in general. | |||
| Hebrew | תוֹכנָה | ||
| The word "תוֹכנָה" can mean "plan", "software" and "program" in Hebrew | |||
| Pashto | ساوتري | ||
| The word "ساوتري" is derived from the Persian word "ساوج", meaning "benefit" or "help." | |||
| Arabic | البرمجيات | ||
| In Lebanese Arabic, the term "برمجيات" colloquially refers to computer applications rather than software in general. | |||
Software in Western European Languages
| Albanian | softuer | ||
| "Softuer" in Albanian also means "equipment". | |||
| Basque | softwarea | ||
| It has no alternate meanings. Software is a universal term in Basque; it doesn't come from Basque. | |||
| Catalan | programari | ||
| The word "programari" comes from the Greek word "programma", meaning "that which is written beforehand". | |||
| Croatian | softver | ||
| In Croatian, "softver" is a loanword from English, but it also has a secondary meaning of "toilet paper". | |||
| Danish | software | ||
| The Danish word "software" can also refer to a type of yogurt. | |||
| Dutch | software | ||
| In Dutch, "software" can also refer to a type of cheese or a kind of fabric. | |||
| English | software | ||
| The term 'software' was first coined by John Tukey to contrast with 'hardware', but its origin can be traced back to a 1953 IBM memo. | |||
| French | logiciel | ||
| The French term "logiciel" for "software" originated from the term "logique" (logic) and was coined by French computer scientist Philippe Dreyfus in 1957. | |||
| Frisian | software | ||
| It derives from the Old English word "softe", meaning "soft" or "delicate" | |||
| Galician | software | ||
| A Galician word for software is "programa" or "aplicativo". | |||
| German | software | ||
| In German, software is called "Software", but it also commonly refers to computer programs. | |||
| Icelandic | hugbúnaður | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "hugbúnaður" literally translates to "mind equipment," alluding to the intangible nature of software. | |||
| Irish | bogearraí | ||
| Italian | software | ||
| In Italian "software" can mean also "the soft part of a thing" or "the part that has to be learned". | |||
| Luxembourgish | software | ||
| Maltese | softwer | ||
| The Maltese word 'softwer' is cognate with the English word 'software', both derived from the Latin word 'mollis', meaning 'soft'. | |||
| Norwegian | programvare | ||
| In Norwegian, "programvare" literally translates to "program fabric" or "cloth", highlighting its role as a fabric woven together to create computer programs. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | programas | ||
| The Portuguese word "Programas" also means "schedules" in the context of TV and radio. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bathar-bog | ||
| The Gaelic word bathar-bog literally translates as "washing bog" and was coined in the 1970s during the development of the first Gaelic word processors. | |||
| Spanish | software | ||
| In Spanish, "software" can also refer to a type of embroidery thread. | |||
| Swedish | programvara | ||
| 'Programvara' is a compound word made up of 'program' — meaning 'an ordered, detailed plan for carrying out an activity' — and 'vara' — meaning 'goods', 'wares', or 'material'. | |||
| Welsh | meddalwedd | ||
| Meddalwedd shares its root, 'meddal', with 'soft', 'softness', 'tenderness', 'mildness', and 'gentleness'. | |||
Software in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | праграмнае забеспячэнне | ||
| The word "праграмнае забеспячэнне" derives from the Russian word "программное обеспечение" and the Belarusian word "забеспячэнне" (provision). | |||
| Bosnian | softvera | ||
| Softvera is a portmanteau of 'soft' and 'vera', meaning 'faith' or 'belief' in some Bosnian dialects, suggesting the transformative power of technology. | |||
| Bulgarian | софтуер | ||
| The word "софтуер" (software) in Bulgarian also encompasses the wider meaning of "intellectual property". | |||
| Czech | software | ||
| In Czech, "software" can also mean "equipment" or "outfit". | |||
| Estonian | tarkvara | ||
| The word "tarkvara" comes from the Estonian words "tark" (wise) and "vara" (goods), and its original meaning was "theoretical basis of the computer." | |||
| Finnish | ohjelmisto | ||
| The word "ohjelmisto" in Finnish originally meant "programming" or "the making of a program" but has since acquired a more general meaning of "software". | |||
| Hungarian | szoftver | ||
| Szoftver, the Hungarian word for "software", is derived from the English word "soft" and the Hungarian word "vér" (meaning "blood"), indicating a program's malleability and ability to change over time. | |||
| Latvian | programmatūru | ||
| The word "programmatūru" in Latvian is derived from "programma," meaning plan or schedule, and is related to other Latvian words like "programmatūra", meaning programming, "programmējis", meaning programmer, and "programma", meaning program. | |||
| Lithuanian | programinė įranga | ||
| The literal translation of "programinė įranga" would be "programming equipment", where "įranga" means "equipment" or "apparatus". | |||
| Macedonian | софтвер | ||
| The Macedonian word "софтвер" derives from the English word "software" and refers to the programs that run on a computer. | |||
| Polish | oprogramowanie | ||
| The Polish word "oprogramowanie" derives from "opro gramować", meaning "to program" or "to supply with a program". | |||
| Romanian | software | ||
| In Romanian, "software" is sometimes used to refer to computer games or applications specifically designed for use in education. | |||
| Russian | программного обеспечения | ||
| The Russian word "программного обеспечения" has a literal translation of "program providing," emphasizing the role of software in facilitating actions. | |||
| Serbian | софтвер | ||
| The word "софтвер" in Serbian comes from the English word "software" and has the same meaning. | |||
| Slovak | softvér | ||
| The word "softvér" comes from "soft" (flexible, adaptable) and "vér" (armor) in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | programske opreme | ||
| The word "programske opreme" is derived from the Slavic word "oprema", meaning "equipment" or "tool", and the word "program", meaning "a set of instructions for a computer." | |||
| Ukrainian | програмне забезпечення | ||
| The Ukrainian word "програмне забезпечення" is an umbrella term for both software and hardware, while "програмне забезпечення" in English is strictly defined as computer software. | |||
Software in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সফটওয়্যার | ||
| In English, the term "software" does not have any additional meanings beyond its usage to describe computer programs. | |||
| Gujarati | સ softwareફ્ટવેર | ||
| The word "software" comes from the 1950s when it was referred to as "soft" as opposed to the physical electronic machinery, the hardware. | |||
| Hindi | सॉफ्टवेयर | ||
| The word "सॉफ्टवेयर" is a Hindi translation of the English word "software", which refers to a program or set of programs that control the operation of a computer or other electronic device. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಫ್ಟ್ವೇರ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಸಾಫ್ಟ್ವೇರ್" is derived from the English word "software", which refers to computer programs and related data. | |||
| Malayalam | സോഫ്റ്റ്വെയർ | ||
| The word "സോഫ്റ്റ്വെയർ" (software) is derived from the English word "soft" and refers to the intangible part of a computer system, as opposed to the physical hardware. | |||
| Marathi | सॉफ्टवेअर | ||
| The word 'सॉफ्टवेअर' is derived from the Old English word 'softe', meaning 'soft' or 'malleable', and 'ware', meaning 'goods' or 'merchandise'. | |||
| Nepali | सफ्टवेयर | ||
| सफ्टवेयर is derived from the English word "software", referring to the intangible component of a computer system. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਾਫਟਵੇਅਰ | ||
| The word 'ਸਾਫਟਵੇਅਰ' is derived from the English words 'soft' and 'goods', referring to the intangible nature of software as opposed to physical hardware. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මෘදුකාංග | ||
| The word "මෘදුකාංග" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मृदु" (mṛdu), meaning "soft", and the English word "ware", meaning "goods". The term was first used in the 1950s to describe the non-physical components of a computer system, such as programs, documentation, and data. | |||
| Tamil | மென்பொருள் | ||
| The Tamil word "மென்பொருள்" literally means "that which is gentle" and was originally used to refer to textiles. | |||
| Telugu | సాఫ్ట్వేర్ | ||
| The Telugu word "సాఫ్ట్వేర్" derives from the English word "software", which refers to intangible computer programs and applications. | |||
| Urdu | سافٹ ویئر | ||
| "سافٹ ویئر" (software) is derived from the Urdu word "نرم", meaning "soft", and is used to describe computer programs that are not hardware components. | |||
Software in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 软件 | ||
| 软件, Chinese for "software," derives from the phrase "soft matter," contrasting it with the "hard matter" of computer hardware. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 軟件 | ||
| 軟件 (ruǎnjiàn) also means soft, weak, gentle, or pliable in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | ソフトウェア | ||
| ソフトウェア, an abbreviation of software engineering, originally meant "soft" in contrast to "hard" for hardware, but came to refer exclusively to software in the late 1950s. | |||
| Korean | 소프트웨어 | ||
| 소프트웨어 (software) is not to be confused with 소프트 드링크 (soft drink, soda) in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | програм хангамж | ||
| The term "програм хангамж" (software) derives from the Russian word "программ", meaning "program" or "scheme". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆော့ဝဲ | ||
| The word for "software" in Burmese, "ဆော့ဝဲ", is a loanword from English and is synonymous with the English word "computer program". | |||
Software in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perangkat lunak | ||
| The word "perangkat lunak", meaning "software", literally means "soft equipment" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | piranti lunak | ||
| The word "piranti lunak" in Javanese translates to "soft tool" and refers to programs, while "hardware" is called "piranti keras" or "hard tool". | |||
| Khmer | ផ្នែកទន់ | ||
| The Khmer word "ផ្នែកទន់" has no alternate meanings and comes from the Sanskrit word "phanitakandan" meaning "to separate". | |||
| Lao | ຊອບແວ | ||
| The word "ຊອບແວ" in Lao comes from the English words "soft" and "ware", and is a compound word meaning "soft goods". | |||
| Malay | perisian | ||
| The word "perisian" in Malay is derived from the Arabic word "fars","which means "to distinguish". | |||
| Thai | ซอฟต์แวร์ | ||
| "ซอฟต์แวร์" (software) มาจากภาษาอังกฤษว่า "soft" และ "ware" ซึ่ง "ware" นั้นตรงกับคำว่า "เครื่องมือ" เป็นคำที่ใช้เรียกชุดคำสั่งหรือโปรแกรมที่มนุษย์สร้างขึ้นเพื่อสั่งให้คอมพิวเตอร์ทำงาน หรือที่เรียกว่าซอฟต์แวร์ | |||
| Vietnamese | phần mềm | ||
| In Vietnamese, "phần mềm" can also refer to a computer application or program. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | software | ||
Software in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | proqram təminatı | ||
| The word "proqram təminatı" is derived from the English word "software" and literally means "program supply or provision" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | бағдарламалық жасақтама | ||
| Kyrgyz | программалык камсыздоо | ||
| } | |||
| Tajik | нармафзор | ||
| The word "нармафзор" has the alternate meaning of "program". | |||
| Turkmen | programma üpjünçiligi | ||
| Uzbek | dasturiy ta'minot | ||
| In the early days of Uzbek computing, "dasturiy ta'minot" also meant "hardware" or "computing equipment". | |||
| Uyghur | يۇمشاق دېتال | ||
Software in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | polokalamu | ||
| "Polokalamu" was originally a military term referring to a phalanx of warriors in ancient Hawai'i. | |||
| Maori | rorohiko | ||
| Rorohiko is also the Maori name for the South Island's highest peak, Aoraki Mount Cook. | |||
| Samoan | polokalama faakomepiuta | ||
| It comes from "polo" (brain), "lama" (torch), and "faakomepiuta" (computer), indicating its function of illuminating and assisting the computer's processing. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | software | ||
| In Tagalog (Filipino), "software" can also refer to "malware" or "virus" in a computer system. | |||
Software in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | software | ||
| Guarani | software | ||
Software in International Languages
| Esperanto | programaro | ||
| "Programaro" in Esperanto also has a separate, older meaning, "curriculum". | |||
| Latin | software | ||
| In Latin, the word "software" refers to delicate fabrics or materials. | |||
Software in Others Languages
| Greek | λογισμικό | ||
| The term "λογισμικό" literally translates to "calculation-ware" in Greek, as opposed to "hardware" which is physical computer equipment. | |||
| Hmong | software | ||
| The Hmong word "software" was originally the name of a type of fabric. | |||
| Kurdish | nermalav | ||
| The word "nermalav" in Kurdish originated from the fusion of two distinct words, "nerm" (soft) and "mal" (fabric), implying its softness and malleability. | |||
| Turkish | yazılım | ||
| Yazılım also means 'writing' and is derived from the verb 'yazmak' (to write). | |||
| Xhosa | isoftware | ||
| The Xhosa word 'isoftware' is derived from the English word 'software', but it also has a literal meaning of 'things that are soft'. | |||
| Yiddish | ווייכווארג | ||
| The Yiddish word 'ווייכווארג' can also refer to a soft commodity, such as textiles or perishable goods. | |||
| Zulu | isoftware | ||
| Isoftware, a term derived from isiZulu, signifies both 'knowledge' ('isazi') and 'thing' ('isinto'), capturing the essence of software as a tangible embodiment of intellectual work. | |||
| Assamese | ছ’ফ্টৱেৰ | ||
| Aymara | software | ||
| Bhojpuri | सॉफ्टवेयर | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްފްޓްވެއަރ | ||
| Dogri | साफ्टवेयर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | software | ||
| Guarani | software | ||
| Ilocano | software | ||
| Krio | kɔmpyuta program | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سۆفتوێر | ||
| Maithili | सॉफ्टवेयर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯣꯐ꯭ꯇꯋꯦꯔ ꯑꯁꯤꯅꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | software | ||
| Oromo | mosaajii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସଫ୍ଟୱେର୍ | ||
| Quechua | software | ||
| Sanskrit | तन्त्रांश | ||
| Tatar | программа тәэминаты | ||
| Tigrinya | ሶፍትዌር | ||
| Tsonga | software | ||