Speed in Different Languages
Discover 'Speed' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Speed is a concept that has fascinated humans for centuries. From the early days of chariot races to the modern era of high-speed trains and internet connections, our obsession with speed has only grown stronger. It's a concept that represents progress, innovation, and efficiency, making it a significant cultural symbol in many societies.
But why would someone want to know the translation of speed in different languages? For one, it can be a fun and interesting way to learn about other cultures and their unique perspectives on this universal concept. For example, in Spanish, speed is translated as 'velocidad,' while in German, it's 'Geschwindigkeit.' In Japanese, the term for speed is 'スピード' (spīdo), reflecting the influence of Western culture on the language.
Moreover, understanding the translation of speed in different languages can be practical for travelers, athletes, and business professionals who need to communicate effectively across linguistic and cultural boundaries. So, whether you're a language enthusiast or a global citizen, exploring the many translations of speed is a worthwhile pursuit.
Speed
Speed in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | spoed | ||
| The word "spoed" can also refer to "urgency" or "haste". | |||
| Amharic | ፍጥነት | ||
| The word ፍጥነት may also refer to 'velocity'. | |||
| Hausa | gudu | ||
| The word "gudu" in Hausa also means "fast" or "rapid" | |||
| Igbo | ọsọ | ||
| "Ọsọ" is often used as a suffix in Igbo names to connote "quickness" or "speed". | |||
| Malagasy | hafainganam-pandeha | ||
| The word "hafainganam-pandeha" in Malagasy is also used to refer to a type of race or competition. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | liwiro | ||
| The word 'liwiro' also means 'movement' or 'progress' in Nyanja, reflecting its broader connection to the concept of dynamics. | |||
| Shona | kumhanya | ||
| Etymology unknown, but 'kunhanya' in Karanga means 'to be swift'. | |||
| Somali | xawaare | ||
| In some parts of the Somali region, 'xawaare' is also used to describe the time between the afternoon and sunset. | |||
| Sesotho | lebelo | ||
| The Sesotho word "lebelo" also means "fastness" or "quickness". | |||
| Swahili | kasi | ||
| "Kasi" also means "strength" or "power" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | isantya | ||
| Isantya, meaning "the one that brings speed" in Xhosa, also represents a powerful mythical snake. | |||
| Yoruba | iyara | ||
| Yoruba word iyara can mean 'speed', 'agility', 'velocity', 'mobility' or 'quickness'. | |||
| Zulu | isivinini | ||
| The Zulu word "isivinini" also means "a quick-moving person or animal" | |||
| Bambara | teliya | ||
| Ewe | dusisi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuvuduko | ||
| Lingala | vitesi | ||
| Luganda | supiidi | ||
| Sepedi | lebelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔhare | ||
Speed in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سرعة | ||
| The Arabic word "سرعة" also has the connotation of "haste" or "hurry". | |||
| Hebrew | מְהִירוּת | ||
| The word "מְהִירוּת" ultimately derives from the root "מהר" (fast), but also has the homonymic meaning "hurry". | |||
| Pashto | سرعت | ||
| The Pashto word "سرعت" also means "the power of the soul", or "the power of the spirit." | |||
| Arabic | سرعة | ||
| The Arabic word "سرعة" also has the connotation of "haste" or "hurry". | |||
Speed in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shpejtësia | ||
| The Albanian word "shpejtësia" originally referred to swiftness of foot, but now has a broader meaning encompassing speed in general. | |||
| Basque | abiadura | ||
| Some Basque dictionaries consider the word "abiadura" to be a derivative of the verb "abiatu," meaning "to move" or "to set in motion." | |||
| Catalan | velocitat | ||
| The word "velocitat" comes from the Latin word "velocitas", also meaning speed, velocity, haste, or swiftness in motion. | |||
| Croatian | ubrzati | ||
| The word 'ubrzati' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *orz-, meaning 'to move quickly'. | |||
| Danish | hastighed | ||
| The Danish word "hastighed" can also refer to a hurry or haste. | |||
| Dutch | snelheid | ||
| "Snel" in "snelheid" also means "quick," "fast," or "sudden." Its original meaning was "to glide." | |||
| English | speed | ||
| "Speed" shares an origin with "succeed," both coming from the Late Latin "expeditus," meaning "unhindered". | |||
| French | la vitesse | ||
| The word "la vitesse" is derived from the Latin word "velocitas," which means "swiftness" or "rapidity." | |||
| Frisian | faasje | ||
| Faasje is also the name of a bird which is associated with speed in Frisian folklore. | |||
| Galician | velocidade | ||
| In Galician, "velocidade" can also refer to frequency, haste or rush hour, the latter being a Galicianism. | |||
| German | geschwindigkeit | ||
| The German word "Geschwindigkeit" originally translates to "hastiness" and is related to the word "geschehen", meaning "to happen". | |||
| Icelandic | hraði | ||
| In Old Norse, hraði meant "quick", but it also referred to a measurement of time equal to about 15 minutes. | |||
| Irish | luas | ||
| Irish 'luas' also means 'force' or 'vigor' and is related to Latin 'validus' (strong). | |||
| Italian | velocità | ||
| In Italian, the word "velocità" not only means "speed," but also "swiftness" or "agility." | |||
| Luxembourgish | geschwindegkeet | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Geschwindegkeet" can also refer to a sense of urgency, a sudden rush, or a quick burst of activity. | |||
| Maltese | veloċità | ||
| Veloċità has a double etymology: from Latin *vēlox* "fast" (fem. vēlocis) and from Arabic *alwṣ* "pace". | |||
| Norwegian | hastighet | ||
| Hastighet shares a connection with the German word 'Hastigkeit', which has the same root, meaning 'speed' and is also used figuratively to mean 'anger' or 'hastiness'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rapidez | ||
| The word "rapidez" comes from the Latin "rapidus," meaning "swift" or "quick." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | astar | ||
| The word "astar" can also refer to "briskness" or "the action of moving quickly." | |||
| Spanish | velocidad | ||
| The word "velocidad" comes from the Latin "velocitas," meaning quickness or agility. | |||
| Swedish | fart | ||
| Fart (meaning “speed”) comes from the Old Norse word “fór,” which means “journey.” | |||
| Welsh | cyflymder | ||
| Cyflymder derives from 'cyflym', meaning 'swift' or 'rapid', related to 'cyflymu', 'to move swiftly'. It can also refer to 'expedition', 'haste' or 'speed of thought' | |||
Speed in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | хуткасць | ||
| The word "хуткасць" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *chьskъ, meaning "swift". It is cognates with the Polish "chyżość" and the Russian "скорость". | |||
| Bosnian | brzina | ||
| "Brzina" is a Slavic word also used for "fever", which explains why its derivative "brzinati" means "to rush, hurry, be in a hurry." | |||
| Bulgarian | скорост | ||
| "Скорост" can mean "fast" as both an adjective and a noun. | |||
| Czech | rychlost | ||
| Rychlost originates in the Proto-Slavic word for "leap" or "gallop". | |||
| Estonian | kiirus | ||
| "Kiirus" in Estonian can also mean "hurry" or "haste". | |||
| Finnish | nopeus | ||
| The word "nopeus" (speed) in Finnish comes from the root word "nopea" (fast), which is related to the German word "schnell" (fast) and the English word "swift" | |||
| Hungarian | sebesség | ||
| The word “sebesség” means “speed” in Hungarian, but it can also refer to “velocity” or “pace”. | |||
| Latvian | ātrums | ||
| The word "ātrums" shares an etymological root with other Latvian words referring to quick or agile movement | |||
| Lithuanian | greičiu | ||
| The word "greičiu" in Lithuanian is derived from the verb "greitai" which means "quickly" and is related to the word "greitis" which means "speed". | |||
| Macedonian | брзина | ||
| The word "брзина" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *bordъ, which also means "struggle" or "warfare". | |||
| Polish | prędkość | ||
| The word "prędkość" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pьrdь, meaning "to move quickly". | |||
| Romanian | viteză | ||
| The Romanian word "viteză" (speed) derives from the Latin "velocitas" (swiftness, speed), which itself originates from "velox" (swift, rapid). | |||
| Russian | скорость | ||
| The word "скорость" also means "rate" or "velocity" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | брзина | ||
| The Serbian word "брзина" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "bystrъ", which also means "quick", "swift", or "agile". | |||
| Slovak | rýchlosť | ||
| The Slavic root word "rychl-", meaning "fast", is found in words for speed in many other Slavic languages like Polish, Russian, and Czech. | |||
| Slovenian | hitrost | ||
| Although hitrost means speed in English, its etymological origin is related to the word quick wittedness. | |||
| Ukrainian | швидкість | ||
| Etymology: The Old Slavic word *скорость* may originally have meant “free”. | |||
Speed in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দ্রুততা | ||
| The word "দ্রুততা" (speed) in Bengali has a root in Sanskrit "dru" which means "to run". | |||
| Gujarati | ઝડપ | ||
| The Gujarati word ઝડપ can also refer to quickness in the sense of alertness or readiness. | |||
| Hindi | गति | ||
| The ancient Sanskrit root 'gam' from which Hindi word गति (speed) is derived also carries the idea of 'going from one place to another', thus hinting at motion | |||
| Kannada | ವೇಗ | ||
| The word "ವೇಗ" also means "intensity" or "vehemence" in Kannada, highlighting its broad semantic range. | |||
| Malayalam | വേഗത | ||
| The word "വേഗത" is also used in Malayalam to describe the "intensity" or "volume" of a voice, sound, etc. | |||
| Marathi | वेग | ||
| 'वेग' derives from the Sanskrit root 'vegayati' ( | |||
| Nepali | गति | ||
| "Gati" comes from the Sanskrit term 'gati' meaning movement | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਤੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වේගය | ||
| "වේගය" is derived from Sanskrit "वेग" and can also refer to "rate", "velocity" or "force." | |||
| Tamil | வேகம் | ||
| வேகம் refers to the measurement of velocity but also means "fast" when used as an adjective in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | వేగం | ||
| "వేగం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वेग" meaning "quickness" or "celerity". | |||
| Urdu | رفتار | ||
| The word "رفتار" comes from the Persian word "رفت" which means "walk" or "go". | |||
Speed in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 速度 | ||
| The word "速度" can also refer to "the rate of change of velocity" or "the rate of change of a physical quantity". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 速度 | ||
| The original meaning of "速度" is "a rapid flow", it can also be used as a metaphor for the rapid development of things. | |||
| Japanese | 速度 | ||
| The word "speed," while typically used to refer to velocity, can have different meanings depending on the subject it's applied to | |||
| Korean | 속도 | ||
| 속도 is also a Korean word for "rate," especially "growth rate." | |||
| Mongolian | хурд | ||
| The Mongolian word 'хурд' can also refer to 'anger' or 'haste'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြန်နှုန်း | ||
| The word "myan nhun" can also mean "haste" or "hurry". | |||
Speed in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kecepatan | ||
| "Kecepatan" is also used to refer to "intensity" and "strength". | |||
| Javanese | kacepetan | ||
| In Javanese, the word 'kacepetan' is a derivative of 'cepet' ('fast') and can also refer to the rate of change or the degree of acceleration. | |||
| Khmer | ល្បឿន | ||
| In Old Khmer, "ល្បឿន" referred to a fast-moving animal, likely a leopard or tiger. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມໄວ | ||
| Malay | kepantasan | ||
| The word "kepantasan" in Malay can also refer to the suitability or appropriateness of a particular action or thing. | |||
| Thai | ความเร็ว | ||
| The Thai word "ความเร็ว" can also be used figuratively to refer to "agility" or "quick-wittedness." | |||
| Vietnamese | tốc độ | ||
| "Tốc độ" is a Vietnamese word derived from the Chinese word " tốc độ", meaning "fast". It can also refer to the rate of change of a quantity over time. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bilis | ||
Speed in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sürət | ||
| The word "sürət" in Azerbaijani also means "photograph" or "facial expression". | |||
| Kazakh | жылдамдық | ||
| The Kazakh word жылдамдық (speed) also refers to the wind's velocity and the pace of a horse's run. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ылдамдык | ||
| Tajik | суръат | ||
| The word "суръат" can also mean "image" or "shape" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | tizlik | ||
| Uzbek | tezlik | ||
| The word "tezlik" can also refer to "urgency" or "haste" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | سۈرئەت | ||
Speed in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wikiwiki | ||
| In Hawaiian usage, the word wikiwiki has a broader meaning that includes 'fast', 'quick', 'swift', and even 'agile'. | |||
| Maori | tere | ||
| The word 'tere' in Māori not only means 'speed' but also refers to 'flight' and 'swiftness'. | |||
| Samoan | saosaoa | ||
| "Saosaoa" can also refer to a person who is swift or fast-moving in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bilis | ||
| "Bilis" also means "bile" in Tagalog, relating to the concept of "speed" as the flow of liquid. | |||
Speed in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jank'aki | ||
| Guarani | pya'eterei | ||
Speed in International Languages
| Esperanto | rapideco | ||
| The word "rapideco" is derived from the Latin word "rapidus", meaning "swift" or "quick". | |||
| Latin | celeritas | ||
| In Late Latin, “celeritas” also meant “briskness,” “quickness,” and “rapidity.” | |||
Speed in Others Languages
| Greek | ταχύτητα | ||
| Ταχύτητα derives from the Ancient Greek noun "tachys," meaning "swift" or "fast." | |||
| Hmong | nrawm | ||
| In Hmong, "nrawm" also means "to go," "to come," "to run," or "to move." | |||
| Kurdish | zûbûnî | ||
| The Kurdish word "zûbûnî" is derived from the Persian word "zubun", which means "fast" or "quick." | |||
| Turkish | hız | ||
| The word "hız" in Turkish originates from the Persian word "tiz" meaning "fast or sharp" and also shares a relation with the Arabic word "sahih" meaning "fast or correct". | |||
| Xhosa | isantya | ||
| Isantya, meaning "the one that brings speed" in Xhosa, also represents a powerful mythical snake. | |||
| Yiddish | גיכקייט | ||
| The Yiddish word "גיכקייט" can also refer to a quick-witted or agile person. | |||
| Zulu | isivinini | ||
| The Zulu word "isivinini" also means "a quick-moving person or animal" | |||
| Assamese | বেগ | ||
| Aymara | jank'aki | ||
| Bhojpuri | चाल | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްޕީޑް | ||
| Dogri | रफ्तार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bilis | ||
| Guarani | pya'eterei | ||
| Ilocano | kapartak | ||
| Krio | fas fas | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خێرایی | ||
| Maithili | गति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯡꯖꯦꯜ | ||
| Mizo | chak | ||
| Oromo | saffisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗତି | ||
| Quechua | paway | ||
| Sanskrit | गति | ||
| Tatar | тизлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍጥነት | ||
| Tsonga | rivilo | ||