Space in Different Languages
Discover 'Space' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Space, a word that evokes a sense of mystery and wonder, is a concept that has been explored and pondered throughout history. Its significance extends beyond the physical realm, often symbolizing a pause, a break, or a gap in various contexts. Culturally, space holds great importance, representing the final frontier in many scientific and science fiction narratives. But have you ever wondered how the word 'space' translates in different languages?
Understanding the translation of 'space' in various languages can provide unique insights into different cultures and their perspectives on this fascinating concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'space' translates to 'espacio', while in French, it's 'espace'. In Mandarin, the word for space is '宇宙' (yǔzhòu), which also refers to the universe. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'space' is 'スペース' (supēsu) borrowing the English word directly.
This exploration of 'space' in different languages is just the beginning. Keep reading to uncover more translations and cultural insights about this intriguing concept.
Space
Space in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ruimte | ||
| "Ruimte" is etymologically related to the Latin "rumor" ("noise") and "rumpere" ("to break"), and also to the English "room." | |||
| Amharic | ቦታ | ||
| The word "ቦታ" can also mean "place", "location", or "room". | |||
| Hausa | sarari | ||
| In Hausa, "sarari" also means "freedom" or "liberty." | |||
| Igbo | oghere | ||
| The word 'oghere' can also mean 'the space between two things' or 'the empty space in a container'. | |||
| Malagasy | toerana | ||
| The Malagasy word "toerana" is often translated as "space", but it can also refer to "place", "location", or "room". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | danga | ||
| The Chichewa word "danga" can refer to both a "space" and a "hut", which are related concepts, suggesting either the space occupied by a hut, or the space that was occupied by a now-removed hut. | |||
| Shona | nzvimbo | ||
| In its archaic usage, 'nzvimbo' also means 'place', 'site' or 'area'. | |||
| Somali | boos | ||
| The word "boos" in Somali can also refer to various empty spaces, such as a gap, hole, or cavity. | |||
| Sesotho | sebaka | ||
| Sebaka is derived from the verb baka, which means 'to carry' or 'to transport'. | |||
| Swahili | nafasi | ||
| The Swahili word "nafasi" also means "opportunity" or "chance". | |||
| Xhosa | isithuba | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "isithuba" can also refer to a gap between two objects or an opportunity. | |||
| Yoruba | aaye | ||
| The Yoruba word "aaye" has many meanings, including "world", "earth", and "environment". | |||
| Zulu | isikhala | ||
| The word "isikhala" in Zulu is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-tala", meaning "to be wide or open". | |||
| Bambara | yɔ́rɔ | ||
| Ewe | teƒe gbadza | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwanya | ||
| Lingala | esika | ||
| Luganda | ekifo | ||
| Sepedi | sekgoba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kwan | ||
Space in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الفراغ | ||
| In astronomy, 'الفراغ' (space) can also refer to an empty area within a galaxy or between multiple stars. | |||
| Hebrew | מֶרחָב | ||
| The Hebrew word "מֶרחָב" also means "freedom" or "wilderness". | |||
| Pashto | ځای | ||
| In Pashto, "ځای" can also refer to a specific location or a time in the past. | |||
| Arabic | الفراغ | ||
| In astronomy, 'الفراغ' (space) can also refer to an empty area within a galaxy or between multiple stars. | |||
Space in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hapësirë | ||
| The word 'hapësirë' is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *hap-siɲ-r̥, meaning 'open air' or 'field' | |||
| Basque | espazioa | ||
| In Basque, the word "espazioa" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*spekk-, meaning "look at" or "observe." | |||
| Catalan | espai | ||
| "Espai" is etymologically related to the word "expand". | |||
| Croatian | prostor | ||
| Prostor's alternate meaning, "freedom," has its roots in "openness," a defining quality of space, which also relates to its connection to "time" in its etymological sense. | |||
| Danish | plads | ||
| The Danish word "plads" can also mean "room" or "place" and is cognate with the English word "place". | |||
| Dutch | ruimte | ||
| The word "ruimte" also means "room", "area", or "space" in a more general sense. | |||
| English | space | ||
| Besides its primary sense of a boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and dimensions, "space" can also refer to a specific region of this extent or to a particular interval of time. | |||
| French | espace | ||
| The French word "espace" can also refer to an indentation in a text or a blank area between elements on a web page. | |||
| Frisian | rûmte | ||
| The Frisian word "rûmte" is also used to refer to the "universe" and the "void". | |||
| Galician | espazo | ||
| In Galician, "espazo" can also refer to the surface of a mirror or the empty space between buildings in a village. | |||
| German | raum | ||
| The German word "Raum" (space) is also used to refer to a room or a compartment in a building. | |||
| Icelandic | rými | ||
| The word "rými" can also refer to other concepts such as the distance between objects and the distance from Earth to its moon. | |||
| Irish | spás | ||
| Cognate with Latin "spatium" (distance or stretch), possibly ultimately deriving from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to stretch, extend". | |||
| Italian | spazio | ||
| Italian "spazio" can mean "space" (noun) or "leisure time" (noun) or "empty" (adjective) | |||
| Luxembourgish | raum | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Raum" can also refer to a clearing in a forest. | |||
| Maltese | spazju | ||
| The Maltese word "spazju" originally came from the Italian word "spazio", which itself derived from the Latin word "spatium", meaning "space" or "distance". | |||
| Norwegian | rom | ||
| The word "rom" can also refer to a room, chamber, apartment, or compartment. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | espaço | ||
| "Espaço" in Portuguese can also refer to a gap or an interval; the Spanish cognate "espacio" can additionally mean leisure time. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àite | ||
| The word 'àite' derives from the Proto-Celtic *āstio-, meaning 'place, location'. | |||
| Spanish | espacio | ||
| The word "espacio" in Spanish can also mean "room" or "leisure time". | |||
| Swedish | plats | ||
| "Plats" is ultimately derived from the Germanic root "plat-", meaning "flat surface" or "place". | |||
| Welsh | lle | ||
| In Welsh, the word "lle" can also refer to "place", "room", "location", or "a place in time". | |||
Space in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прасторы | ||
| The word "прасторы" can also be used to refer to the vast expanses of the steppe or other open landscapes. | |||
| Bosnian | svemir | ||
| The word "svemir" is derived from the Old Slavic word "sьvьmirъ", meaning "the whole world". | |||
| Bulgarian | пространство | ||
| The word "пространство" also means "freedom" or "opportunity" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | prostor | ||
| The Czech word "prostor" (Engl. "space") derives from the Proto-Slavic word "prostorъ", meaning "area" or "field". | |||
| Estonian | ruumi | ||
| The word "ruumi" can also refer to a room or an apartment. | |||
| Finnish | tilaa | ||
| The word "tilaa" can also mean "room" or "area" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | hely | ||
| The word "hely" can also mean "place", "room", or "location". | |||
| Latvian | telpa | ||
| The word “telpa,” meaning “space,” derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *telp- (“to swell, grow”) and is related to words like “temple” (from Latin “templum,” meaning “a sacred space”) and the Sanskrit “talapa” (“flat surface”). | |||
| Lithuanian | vietos | ||
| The word "vietos" is a noun derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weiḱ-, which also gave rise to the English word "wick", meaning "a corner or recess." | |||
| Macedonian | простор | ||
| The word "простор" can also mean "freedom" or "opportunity" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | przestrzeń | ||
| Derived from the Old Polish "przystrzenie," from "przy" ("at") + "strzeć" ("to guard"), meaning "border, boundary, region" or "area, region, domain" | |||
| Romanian | spaţiu | ||
| In Romanian, the word "spaţiu" can also mean "interval", "room", or "space between things" | |||
| Russian | пространство | ||
| The word "пространство" can also refer to "room", "area", or "capacity" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | свемир | ||
| The word "свемир" (space) in Serbian comes from the Old Slavic word "sъ-mirъ", meaning "world" or "universe". | |||
| Slovak | priestor | ||
| The word "priestor" can also mean "occasion" or "opportunity" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vesolja | ||
| The Slavic word "vesolja" originally referred to the "totality of things", and in some contexts, it still retains this broader sense. | |||
| Ukrainian | простору | ||
| Украинское слово “простору” означает не только космическое пространство, но и свободу, возможность для развития и действия. | |||
Space in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্থান | ||
| The original meaning of "স্থান" ("space") is related to standing on the ground, similar to the English word "station". | |||
| Gujarati | જગ્યા | ||
| The Gujarati word "jagya" is also used to refer to a "vacant lot," or an "open land area," in addition to its meaning of "space," highlighting the concept of emptiness or unused potential. | |||
| Hindi | अंतरिक्ष | ||
| The word 'अंतरिक्ष' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अन्तर' meaning 'inside' or 'within', and 'क्ष' meaning 'to dwell' or 'to inhabit'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಥಳ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ಥಳ" also means "situation" or "condition". | |||
| Malayalam | ഇടം | ||
| The word 'ഇടം' also means 'an opportunity' or 'a chance' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | जागा | ||
| "जागा" is a Sanskrit word that also means "place", "room" or "vacant land". | |||
| Nepali | ठाउँ | ||
| The word "ठाउँ" can also mean "place" or "room" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਪੇਸ | ||
| The word "ਸਪੇਸ" (space) in Punjabi can also refer to the sky or the universe. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවකාශය | ||
| The word 'අවකාශය' ('space') in Sinhala has the alternate meaning of 'air' or 'atmosphere'. | |||
| Tamil | இடம் | ||
| In Tamil, "இடம்" means not only "space" but also "place," "position," or "room." | |||
| Telugu | స్థలం | ||
| The word 'స్థలం' also means 'place' or 'location' in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | جگہ | ||
| The word 'جگہ' can also mean 'room', 'place', or 'spot'. | |||
Space in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 空间 | ||
| 空间 in Chinese can also refer to "room" or "dimension". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 空間 | ||
| In Chinese, the word "空間" (space) also refers to "room" or "scope". | |||
| Japanese | スペース | ||
| The word "スペース" can also refer to a button or key on a keyboard that creates a blank space. | |||
| Korean | 우주 | ||
| The word "우주" can also mean "the universe" or "everything that exists". | |||
| Mongolian | зай | ||
| The Mongolian word "зай" (space) also refers to the sky, the universe, and the void. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အာကာသ | ||
| The word "အာကာသ" (space) in Myanmar (Burmese) derives from the Sanskrit word "akasha," meaning "ether" or "the element of space." | |||
Space in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ruang | ||
| The Indonesian word "ruang" also has alternate meanings such as "room" or "place". | |||
| Javanese | papan | ||
| In old Javanese, the word "papan" also refers to the base of a building | |||
| Khmer | ចន្លោះ | ||
| The word "ចន្លោះ" is also used in Khmer to mean "difference" or "gap". | |||
| Lao | ພື້ນທີ່ | ||
| Malay | ruang | ||
| Malay "ruang" can refer to a physical, mental, or conceptual place and is related to the Sanskrit "ru". | |||
| Thai | พื้นที่ | ||
| พื้นที่ (space) มาจากคำว่า ผี (ghost, spirit) เนื่องจากคนไทยโบราณเชื่อว่าพื้นที่ว่างๆ มีวิญญาณอาศัยอยู่ | |||
| Vietnamese | không gian | ||
| The word "không gian" also means "blank page" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | space | ||
Space in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yer | ||
| The term "yer" likely originates from the Persian word "zamin," meaning "earth" or "land". | |||
| Kazakh | ғарыш | ||
| The word "ғарыш" is also used in Kazakh to refer to "the heavens" or "the sky". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мейкиндик | ||
| The word "мейкиндик" in Kyrgyz also means "vastness" or "width". | |||
| Tajik | фазо | ||
| The word "фазо" can also refer to a unit of measurement equal to 1000 paces. | |||
| Turkmen | boşluk | ||
| Uzbek | bo'sh joy | ||
| Bo'sh 'empty' is also used as space in the context of an enclosed area as it is empty by nature in the context of it's use there. | |||
| Uyghur | بوشلۇق | ||
Space in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hakahaka | ||
| The word "hakahaka" can also refer to "a place", "distance", "area", or "gap" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | waahi | ||
| The word "waahi" also means "location" or "place" and is cognate with the Hawaiian word "wahi," meaning "a place or spot." | |||
| Samoan | avanoa | ||
| In Samoan, both 'avanoa' and its homonym 'vanoa' mean "space", though 'vanoa' more specifically refers to the space inside a building, as in a room, whereas 'avanoa' is the more general term for space. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | space | ||
| In Tagalog, "space" can also refer to an empty or vacant lot. | |||
Space in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ispasyu | ||
| Guarani | pa'ũ | ||
Space in International Languages
| Esperanto | spaco | ||
| "Spaco" is derived from the Latin word "spatium", meaning "room" or "area". | |||
| Latin | locus | ||
| The word "locus" can also refer to a specific place known for a particular event or thing, serving as a point of reference or a place of interest. | |||
Space in Others Languages
| Greek | χώρος | ||
| "Χώρος" (space) in Greek also implies room, place, or region, encompassing both physical and abstract concepts. | |||
| Hmong | qhov chaw | ||
| The word "qhov chaw" can also mean "universe" or "world" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | dem | ||
| Dem, meaning space in Kurdish, has its etymological roots in Sanskrit and Old Persian, where it signifies the earth's surface and an open terrain. | |||
| Turkish | uzay | ||
| Uzay (space) in Turkish also means "far away" or "distant." | |||
| Xhosa | isithuba | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "isithuba" can also refer to a gap between two objects or an opportunity. | |||
| Yiddish | פּלאַץ | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּלאַץ" (platz) is derived from the German word "Platz", meaning "place" or "square". | |||
| Zulu | isikhala | ||
| The word "isikhala" in Zulu is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-tala", meaning "to be wide or open". | |||
| Assamese | স্থান | ||
| Aymara | ispasyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | जगह | ||
| Dhivehi | ސަރަހައްދު | ||
| Dogri | थाहर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | space | ||
| Guarani | pa'ũ | ||
| Ilocano | espasio | ||
| Krio | spes | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەودا | ||
| Maithili | जगह | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯍꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | awl | ||
| Oromo | bakka | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ଥାନ | ||
| Quechua | kiti | ||
| Sanskrit | स्थानं | ||
| Tatar | киңлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ቦታ | ||
| Tsonga | xivandla | ||