Something in different languages

Something in Different Languages

Discover 'Something' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'something' is a small but powerful part of our daily vocabulary. It's a word that allows us to express the existence of a thing, idea, or emotion without specifying exactly what it is. This vagueness gives it a unique power, as it can be used in a variety of contexts and situations. In literature, 'something' is often used to build suspense or create intrigue, leaving readers eager to discover what that 'something' might be.

Moreover, the cultural importance of 'something' goes beyond just the English language. This word is a fundamental building block of communication in many languages and cultures around the world. For example, in Spanish, 'something' is 'algo', in French, 'quelque chose', and in German, 'etwas'. Understanding the translation of 'something' in different languages can help us better connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or just someone looking to expand your vocabulary, learning the translation of 'something' in different languages can be a fun and rewarding experience. Keep reading to discover more about this fascinating word!

Something


Something in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansiets
"Iets" is derived from the Dutch word "iets" meaning "something". In Afrikaans, "iets" can also refer to a "small amount" or "a little bit" of something.
Amharicአንድ ነገር
The word "አንድ ነገር" can also mean "a thing" or "an object" in Amharic.
Hausawani abu
Wani abu can also mean 'property', 'possessions', or 'belongings'
Igboihe
The word "ihe" in Igbo can also mean "thing," "object," or "matter."
Malagasymisy zavatra
The phrase misy zavatra can also mean "there is something" or "there is a problem".
Nyanja (Chichewa)china
"China" in Nyanja can also mean "China the country" or "porcelain".
Shonachimwe chinhu
"Chimwe chinhu" can also mean "a thing", "an object", "a matter", or "an issue".
Somaliwax
"Wax" in Somali (wax) can also refer to a type of traditional cloth, often used in making garments or wrapping gifts.
Sesothoho hong
The word "ho hong" can also mean "there is something" or "there is someone".
Swahilikitu
"Kitu" means "thing" in Swahili, but can also refer to an event, action, or concept.
Xhosainto ethile
The Xhosa word "into ethile" can also mean "a small amount" or "a little bit" of something.
Yorubankankan
The word nkankan in Yoruba can also mean "matter" or "issue".
Zuluokuthile
"Okuthile" is also used to refer to a concept or idea in Zulu.
Bambarafɛn dɔ
Ewenane
Kinyarwandaikintu
Lingalaeloko moko
Lugandaekintu ekimu
Sepedise sengwe
Twi (Akan)biribi

Something in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicشيئا ما
شيئا ما is a contraction of شيئا من which is a combination of the indefinite article شي and the preposition من meaning "of" or "from". It therefore literally means "a thing of".
Hebrewמשהו
The Hebrew word "משהו" (pronounced "mashehu") may derive from the Arabic word "شيء" (`shay`) meaning "thing". The first known use of "משהו" in Hebrew texts dates back to 1200, about 100 years after the Arab conquest of Palestine.
Pashtoیو څه
'یو څه' literally means 'one thing'. It can also refer to an unspecified or indefinite amount or quantity.
Arabicشيئا ما
شيئا ما is a contraction of شيئا من which is a combination of the indefinite article شي and the preposition من meaning "of" or "from". It therefore literally means "a thing of".

Something in Western European Languages

Albaniandiçka
"Diçka" is the word for "something" and comes from the Proto-Indo-European root “di-” meaning "two" (in Albanian it's "dy"), so literally it means "something two".
Basquezerbait
The word "zerbait" also has the additional meanings of "anything" and "someone" in Basque.
Catalanalguna cosa
The Catalan word "alguna cosa" literally means "some thing" or "some matter".
Croatiannešto
The term "nešto" is an indeterminate pronoun meaning "a thing," while "ništa" means "nothing," but in colloquial contexts, the two can overlap, e.g.: "I have something for you" can be rendered as "Imam nešto za tebe" and as "Imam ništa za tebe," the latter being closer to "I have a little something for you."
Danishnoget
"Noget" derives from Old Norse "nǫkkvið" meaning "something", also related to "nogle" (some) and "nok" (enough).
Dutchiets
The Dutch word "iets" derives from the Old Saxon word "et-hwas" meaning "a little bit", which is still reflected in the diminutive form "ietsje".
Englishsomething
The etymology of "something" can be traced back to Old English "sum þing", and it originally meant "a portion" or "a part of a whole".
Frenchquelque chose
The French word 'quelque chose' originally meant 'what thing' but gradually shifted to mean 'something'.
Frisianeat
It is also used to express possession and as a pronoun in its own right.
Galicianalgo
The word “algo” is derived from the Latin word “aliquid”, meaning “something”.
Germanetwas
In German, 'etwas' means 'something' but can also refer to a small amount of something or an unspecified quantity.
Icelandiceitthvað
The word "eitthvað" is derived from the Old Norse words "ei" (not) and "hvað" (what), meaning "not something" or "nothing".
Irishrud éigin
"Rud éigin" is the Irish for "something," but literally means "some-thing" with the "thing" being unspecified in either singular or plural.
Italianqualcosa
"Qualcosa" is the Italian equivalent of "something" and literally means "what thing"
Luxembourgisheppes
"Eppes" is cognate with the German word "etwas," which derives from the Proto-Germanic root "*aþ-."
Maltesexi ħaġa
The word 'xi ħaġa' can also mean 'something of little importance' or 'a trifle'.
Norwegiannoe
The word "noe" can also mean "now" or "the present moment" in Norwegian.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)alguma coisa
In Brazilian Portuguese, "alguma coisa" can also refer to "a bit" or "a little" of something, while in Portugal it can mean "anything".
Scots Gaelicrudeigin
The word for "something" in Scots Gaelic, "rudeigin," is of obscure origin, and in the modern spoken language the word for "thing" (`ni`) often replaces it.
Spanishalguna cosa
Although "alguna cosa" literally translates to "some thing" in English, it typically refers to an unspecified or unknown item.
Swedishnågot
The Swedish word for "something," "något," is also the contraction of two old Norse words which meant "near-what-was" (or "nearby"), with the "-t" denoting neuter gender.
Welshrhywbeth
The word "rhywbeth" also means "a few", "several" or "some" in Welsh.

Something in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianнешта
The Belarusian word "нешта" is cognate with the Ukrainian word "щось" and the Russian word "что-то". All three words are derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čьto, which also meant "something".
Bosniannešto
There is a theory that 'nešto' derives from 'ne-što', which means 'not-nothing', suggesting that 'something' is the opposite of nothingness.
Bulgarianнещо
The word "нещо" in Bulgarian can also refer to an object or a thing, although its most common meaning is "something."
Czechněco
The word "něco" can also mean "a little bit" or "a few".
Estonianmidagi
The word "midagi" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*mijjä" meaning "anything" or "something", and is also related to the Finnish word "mitä" meaning "what".
Finnishjotain
The word "jotain" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *jokā, which also means "someone" or "anyone".
Hungarianvalami
Valami ('something') is cognate with Latin 'aliquem' ('anybody') but it is also used as an indefinite pronoun meaning 'some'.
Latviankaut ko
Kaut ko may also mean "somehow" or "anything".
Lithuaniankažkas
The Lithuanian word "kažkas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷo-, meaning "who" or "what".
Macedonianнешто
"Нешто" is a cognate of the Latin word "nescio" which means "I don't know" or "I am uncertain".
Polishcoś
The word "coś" in Polish can also mean "a bit" or "a little bit".
Romanianceva
"Ceva" is also used informally to mean "a little bit" and as the name of a Romanian folk dance.
Russianчто нибудь
The word "что нибудь" in Russian is derived from the interrogative pronoun "что" (what) and the indefinite pronoun "нибудь" (some).
Serbianнешто
The word "нешто" can also refer to an uncertain or indefinite quantity or quality.
Slovakniečo
The Slovak word "niečo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ne-kъto, meaning "nothing" or "a little".
Sloveniannekaj
In the Prekmurje dialect, "nekaj" also means "a few"
Ukrainianщось
The word "щось" can also be used to mean "anything" or "something or other".

Something in South Asian Languages

Bengaliকিছু
"কিছু" is also used as an interrogative pronoun, meaning "what" or "which", and as a possessive pronoun, meaning "one's" or "someone's."
Gujaratiકંઈક
"કંઈક" (something), from Prakrit "kaṃki" which means "nothing", has an emphatic prefix "ક" (ka) added to it, meaning "something".
Hindiकुछ कुछ
The word "कुछ कुछ" can also be used to describe "more or less" or "to a certain extent" in Hindi.
Kannadaಏನೋ
The Kannada word "ಏನೋ" can also be used to mean "maybe" or "perhaps" in some contexts.
Malayalamഎന്തോ
The word "എന്തോ" in Malayalam is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *in-to, meaning "something". Alternatively, it can also mean "why" in certain contexts.
Marathiकाहीतरी
The word "काहीतरी" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "किमचित्", which means "a little bit" or "some amount."
Nepaliकेहि
"केहि" ultimately came from the Middle Indo-Aryan "kiahi" meaning "a little"
Punjabiਕੁਝ
The Punjabi word "ਕੁਝ" is derived from the Persian word "چيز" meaning "thing, object, or some"}
Sinhala (Sinhalese)යමක්
"යමක්" can refer to an indefinite quantity of an item in addition to meaning "something".
Tamilஏதோ
ஏதோ' means 'something' but can also describe an amount as small, insignificant, or less than expected.
Teluguఏదో
The word "ఏదో" (pronounced "edho") can also mean "somehow" or "in some way" in Telugu.
Urduکچھ
The Urdu word "کچھ" (kuch) can also mean "a little", "slightly", or "a few".

Something in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)某事
"某事" can also refer to a certain matter or affair.
Chinese (Traditional)某事
**某事** in Traditional Chinese is also used as a placeholder for an unknown person or thing, similar to "某某" or "某人".
Japanese何か
Although something (何か) literally means "what" (何) + "thing" (-か), it doesn't mean "anything" (何んでも, なんでも), unlike "something" (something) does in English.
Korean어떤 것
The Korean word "어떤 것" can also mean "a certain thing" or "anything".
Mongolianямар нэг зүйл
Myanmar (Burmese)တစ်ခုခု
The term "တစ်ခုခု" can also refer to "any" (as in "any person you know") or "some" (as in "take some coffee").

Something in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiansesuatu
The word "sesuatu" in Indonesian has a root meaning of "to be" and can also mean "essence" or "substance".
Javanesemergo
"Mergo" in Javanese also means "because" or "the reason why".
Khmerអ្វីមួយ
The word "អ្វីមួយ" can also mean "anything" or "a little bit" in Khmer.
Laoບາງສິ່ງບາງຢ່າງ
Malaysesuatu
The word "sesuatu" is derived from the root word "suatu" which means "one" or "a certain".
Thaiบางอย่าง
บางอย่าง is derived from the Proto-Austroasiatic word *baŋ, which also means "thing" or "object".
Vietnamesecái gì đó
The word "cái gì đó" can also be used to refer to an unspecified amount of something.
Filipino (Tagalog)isang bagay

Something in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanibir şey
bir sözü ifade etmediğinde, bir şey ya da her şey anlamına gelen sözcük "bir şey"
Kazakhбірдеңе
The word "бірдеңе" in Kazakh originates from the Persian "bir" (one) and "dān" (grain), implying a small amount or an unspecified quantity.
Kyrgyzбир нерсе
The word "бир нерсе" (something) is also used to indicate an indeterminate quantity.
Tajikчизе
Tajik 'чизе' has possible connections to the Sogdian word 'čyz' ('part', 'bit', 'piece') or the Persian word 'čiz' ('thing').
Turkmenbir zat
Uzbeknimadur
The Uzbek word "nimadur" is not commonly used as a stand-alone word but is often part of expressions and phrases such as "nimadir" which means "what is it?"
Uyghurمەلۇم بىر نەرسە

Something in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankekahi mea
Kekahi mea is also a type of sea cucumber in Hawaii, where it is used in various dishes.
Maoritetahi mea
The word "tetahi mea" can also mean "a little bit" or "a few".
Samoanse mea
In some contexts, 'se mea' can also mean 'a person' or 'a thing'.
Tagalog (Filipino)may kung ano
'May kung ano' is used to emphasize the existence of something and to express uncertainty about its specific nature.

Something in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarakunsa
Guaranimba'e

Something in International Languages

Esperantoio
The Latin term "id est" was contracted to its first and last two letters "io" before entering Esperanto.
Latinaliquid
Aliquid is cognate with the English “elsewhat” and the Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), meaning "other."

Something in Others Languages

Greekκάτι
The Greek word “κάτι” not only means “something,” but also “a little” or “a bit.”
Hmongib yam dab tsi
In Hmong, "ib yam dab tsi" is derived from "ib yam dab" ("a few") followed by "tsi" (classifier for abstract things).
Kurdishtiştek
The word "tiştek" originates from the old Kurdish word "tiş" which means "something unknown" or "hidden".
Turkishbir şey
While the literal translation of the Turkish word "bir şey" is "one thing," it can also mean "anything" or "something in general".
Xhosainto ethile
The Xhosa word "into ethile" can also mean "a small amount" or "a little bit" of something.
Yiddishעפּעס
The Yiddish word "עפּעס" (epes) comes from the German "etwas" (something) and can also mean "maybe" or "a little bit".
Zuluokuthile
"Okuthile" is also used to refer to a concept or idea in Zulu.
Assameseকিবা এটা
Aymarakunsa
Bhojpuriकवनो चीजु
Dhivehiކޮންމެވެސް އެއްޗެއް
Dogriकिश
Filipino (Tagalog)isang bagay
Guaranimba'e
Ilocanomaysa a banag
Kriosɔntin
Kurdish (Sorani)شتێک
Maithiliकिछु
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯀꯔꯤꯒꯨꯝꯕ ꯑꯃ
Mizoengemaw
Oromowaanta ta'e
Odia (Oriya)କିଛି
Quechuaimapas
Sanskritकिञ्चित्‌
Tatarнәрсәдер
Tigrinyaዝኾነ ነገር
Tsongaxin'wana

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