Spin in Different Languages
Discover 'Spin' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'spin' holds a significant place in our daily conversations and various cultural contexts. It refers to the act of turning or rotating an object around a central axis, but its usage extends far beyond physics. In storytelling, a 'spin' can mean a new or interesting angle on a story. In sports, 'spin' is a crucial element of games like table tennis and bowling. Moreover, 'spin doctors' are individuals who try to influence public opinion in politics.
Given its wide-ranging applications, understanding the translation of 'spin' in different languages can be quite enlightening. For instance, in Spanish, 'spin' translates to 'giro'; in French, it's 'tourner'; in German, 'drehen'; in Italian, 'girare'; and in Japanese, '回転' (kaiten).
Exploring these translations not only helps in language learning but also offers insights into how different cultures perceive and use this versatile word. So, let's delve deeper into the world of 'spin' and discover its beauty in various languages!
Spin
Spin in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | draai | ||
| "Draai" is also used colloquially to mean "turn" or "circuit", as in "Ek ry 'n draai tot by die winkel" (I'm driving a turn to the shop). | |||
| Amharic | ሽክርክሪት | ||
| The word ሽክርክሪት, meaning "spin", is also used in Amharic to describe a "whirlwind" or "vortex". | |||
| Hausa | juya | ||
| 'Juya' is said to be derived from the word 'juye', which refers to the motion of turning or rotating. | |||
| Igbo | atụ ogho | ||
| The word "atụ ogho" is often translated into English as "spin", but in many dialects it is also used to mean "dance", with "agba atụ" being used as an idiom to refer to an event with music and dancing. | |||
| Malagasy | kofehy ireny | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sapota | ||
| The word 'sapota' also means 'to spin or twist' in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | spin | ||
| The word "spin" in Shona can also mean "to weave" or "to make thread". | |||
| Somali | wareejin | ||
| Wareejin is also a word for a spinning motion in Somali, and it may have originated from the Arabic word "warada" (to go around). | |||
| Sesotho | ohla | ||
| The word "ohla" can also refer to a type of dance or the act of turning something over. | |||
| Swahili | spin | ||
| In Swahili, "spin" also means "to tell a story." | |||
| Xhosa | jikelezisa | ||
| In Xhosa, 'jikelezisa' also signifies 'to stir' or 'to mix' liquids or other substances. | |||
| Yoruba | alayipo | ||
| The word "alayipo" is also used to refer to someone who is very active or restless. | |||
| Zulu | jikeleza | ||
| Jikeleza also means "to rotate" in Zulu, suggesting a wider sense of circular movement beyond spinning. | |||
| Bambara | ka munu | ||
| Ewe | tro | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuzunguruka | ||
| Lingala | kobalusa | ||
| Luganda | okwetooloola | ||
| Sepedi | dikološa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twa ho | ||
Spin in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | غزل | ||
| The term "غزل " refers not only to spinning motion but also to courtship poetry. | |||
| Hebrew | סיבוב | ||
| The Hebrew word סיבוב (sib'uv) also means "round" or "cycle", and can refer to a round trip, a circulation, or a rotation. | |||
| Pashto | سپين | ||
| The Pashto word "سپين" also means white, silver, or snowy. | |||
| Arabic | غزل | ||
| The term "غزل " refers not only to spinning motion but also to courtship poetry. | |||
Spin in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tjerr | ||
| In Albanian, the verb "tjerr" not only means "spin" but also refers to the act of reeling, entwining, or winding something around an object. | |||
| Basque | biratu | ||
| The word 'biratu' is derived from the Proto-Basque root '*bir-' meaning 'to turn' or 'to rotate'. | |||
| Catalan | girar | ||
| The word "girar" in Catalan also means "to turn" or "to rotate". | |||
| Croatian | vrtjeti se | ||
| Spinning refers to the rotation of something around an axis, a sense also found in the English verb verto, which means 'turn' or 'move'. | |||
| Danish | spin | ||
| Spin, meaning a type of fabric created by twisting fibers together, derives from the Danish word "spind". | |||
| Dutch | spin | ||
| In Dutch, "spin" can also refer to a spider's web or a thin, threadlike object. | |||
| English | spin | ||
| "Spin" derives from Old English "spinnan" (to spin, draw out) and is cognate with Old Norse "spinnan" (to draw out, stretch), German "spinnen" (to spin), Dutch "spinnen" (to spin), and Swedish "spinna" (to spin). | |||
| French | tourner | ||
| "Tourner" derives from Greek 'tornos', which is also the root for 'torment' | |||
| Frisian | spinne | ||
| Frisian "spinne" is likely related to Old Saxon "spinnala" (spindle) and has the alternate meaning of "dizzy." | |||
| Galician | xirar | ||
| Xirar is cognate with the Portuguese girar (to turn) and the French virer (to veer), and also means 'to revolve' in Galician. | |||
| German | rotieren | ||
| The verb "rotieren" derives from the Latin "rotare" (to rotate), but colloquially also means "to be perplexed, to get mixed up". | |||
| Icelandic | snúast | ||
| The word "snúast" can also be used to describe the act of spinning or rotating on an axis. | |||
| Irish | casadh | ||
| The Irish word "casadh" also means "twist" or "coil" in English. | |||
| Italian | rotazione | ||
| In Italian, "rotazione" can also refer to the shift system used in factories and other workplaces, where employees work in rotating shifts to ensure continuous operation. | |||
| Luxembourgish | spin | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "spin" refers to both the act of spinning and a spider's web. | |||
| Maltese | dawwar | ||
| "Dawwar" also means "to turn" or "to twist" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | snurre rundt | ||
| The noun form, "snurre", can also refer to a spinning top, a gyroscope, or a type of traditional Norwegian bread. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | girar | ||
| The verb 'girar' also means to turn around or to rotate. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | snìomh | ||
| The word "snìomh" can also refer to a "thread" or a "piece of yarn". | |||
| Spanish | girar | ||
| "Girar" in Spanish not only means "to spin", but also "to orbit, turn, or circulate" and comes from the Latin "gyrare" (to turn). | |||
| Swedish | snurra | ||
| 'Snurra' also means 'to spin' in Swedish, but is related to the word 'snurra' in Norwegian, which means 'to turn around'. | |||
| Welsh | troelli | ||
| Welsh verb 'troelli/troi' ('to spin') was borrowed from Old English 'tryllan' ('spin, roll'). | |||
Spin in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | круціцца | ||
| Круціцца (Russian: крутить) also means: spin a yarn; revolve; circulate; hang around somewhere. | |||
| Bosnian | spin | ||
| The word "spin" in Bosnian can also mean "to weave" or "to twist". | |||
| Bulgarian | въртене | ||
| In Bulgarian, "въртене" can also refer to the act of dancing or performing a circus act. | |||
| Czech | roztočit | ||
| The word "roztočit" is also used figuratively to mean "to set in motion", "to start something". | |||
| Estonian | keerutama | ||
| The verbs “keerutama” and “keerlemine” derive from the Proto-Finnic root “*kera-”, meaning "to turn". | |||
| Finnish | pyöritä | ||
| Finnish word “pyöritä” (spin) can also mean “run around” or “operate (business).” | |||
| Hungarian | forogni | ||
| The Hungarian word "forogni" is cognate with the Finnish word "pyöriä" and also means "to rotate." | |||
| Latvian | griezties | ||
| "Griezties" can also mean "to turn", "to face", "to revert", "to go back". The word "pagrieziens" can mean "intersection", "turn", "turning", "corner". The word "grieze" can mean "twist", "bend", "coil". | |||
| Lithuanian | suktis | ||
| "Suktis" also means "to stir or mix" | |||
| Macedonian | спин | ||
| Спин (spin) is also a slang term for a type of electronic dance music. | |||
| Polish | obracać | ||
| "Obracać" can also mean "to turn over", "to make", or "to do" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | a învârti | ||
| "A învârti" is also used to describe the act of stirring liquid, with a spoon, or by shaking the container | |||
| Russian | вращение | ||
| In Slavic languages, the root of the word for “вращение” (“rotation”) is linked with words meaning “to boil.” This is because in Slavic languages, something that boils can be seen to move in a circle. | |||
| Serbian | завртети | ||
| The word "завртети" is derived from the Slavic root *vьrt-, meaning "to turn" or "to twist." | |||
| Slovak | točiť sa | ||
| The noun 'točka' (dot) emerged from the verb 'točiť sa' in the 18th century. | |||
| Slovenian | vrtenje | ||
| The root form of the word "vrtenje" appears in other Slavic languages, and in Slovenian it is the basis for words including "vrtnica" ("rose"). | |||
| Ukrainian | обертатися | ||
| "Овертатися" literally means "to revert", but now it means "to surround". | |||
Spin in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্পিন | ||
| In Bengali, "স্পিন" (spin) can also refer to a type of fast, whirling dance performed by Sufi mystics. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્પિન | ||
| The word "spin" can also refer to a story or interpretation that is designed to present a particular point of view. | |||
| Hindi | स्पिन | ||
| In English, "spin" can also mean to add a misleading or exaggerated quality to something, like "spinning a story". | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಪಿನ್ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ಪಿನ್" can also refer to a type of dance or to the process of spinning cotton into thread. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്പിൻ | ||
| The word "സ്പിൻ" in Malayalam can also mean "to whirl or rotate" or "a sudden or sharp turn". | |||
| Marathi | फिरकी | ||
| The Marathi word "फिरकी" also means a small top that is spun by children. | |||
| Nepali | स्पिन | ||
| The Nepali word "स्पिन" also means "a thread used for sewing" in English. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਪਿਨ | ||
| "Spin" also refers to putting a positive interpretation or narrative on an issue, event or fact, especially when there isn't one obviously available. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | භ්රමණය | ||
| The word "භ්රමණය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भ्रमण", which also means "rotation" or "revolution". | |||
| Tamil | சுழல் | ||
| சுழல் is sometimes used to refer to a cyclone, which is etymologically unrelated to its primary meaning of spinning. | |||
| Telugu | స్పిన్ | ||
| The word "spin" in English can also refer to a maneuver in which an aircraft rotates around its vertical axis. | |||
| Urdu | گھماؤ | ||
| The word "گھماؤ" literally means "moving in a circle" in Urdu. | |||
Spin in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 旋转 | ||
| "旋转" is also a verb meaning "turn". For example, "旋转一下身体" means "turn your body." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 旋轉 | ||
| 旋轉 (xuán zhuǎn) is also used to describe the rotation of a heavenly body or the spinning of a top. | |||
| Japanese | スピン | ||
| Originally from English, also refers to a type of dance or a maneuver in pro-wrestling. | |||
| Korean | 회전 | ||
| 회전 means spin but also means rotation, turn or revolution. | |||
| Mongolian | ээрэх | ||
| The word ээрэх, meaning "spin," also means "wheel," "circle," and "wheelchair" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှည့်ဖျား | ||
Spin in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berputar | ||
| Berputar, in Indonesian, can also mean to revolve, rotate, or turn around an axis. | |||
| Javanese | muter | ||
| The word "muter" in Javanese also means "to turn around" or "to rotate". | |||
| Khmer | វិល | ||
| "វិល" is derived from the Proto-Austroasiatic root ">*wəl". The word also refers to any kind of cylindrical item. | |||
| Lao | ປັ່ນ | ||
| The Lao word "ປັ່ນ" (pạn) can also mean "to drive" or "to fly". | |||
| Malay | berpusing | ||
| Berpusing can also mean 'to turn around' or 'to go around in circles', and comes from the Proto-Malayic *bər-pusing. | |||
| Thai | หมุน | ||
| The word "หมุน" can also mean "to rotate" or "to turn". | |||
| Vietnamese | quay | ||
| The word "quay" means to spin or twist in Vietnamese, and is a relative of the word "quay" which is the equivalent of the word "quay" in English. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paikutin | ||
Spin in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fırlatmaq | ||
| "Fırlatmaq" also means "to throw" in Azerbaijani, suggesting a connection between spinning and forceful motion. | |||
| Kazakh | айналдыру | ||
| The Kazakh word "айналдыру" also means "to rotate, to turn, to revolve, to twist, to coil, to wind, to curl, to roll, to spin around". | |||
| Kyrgyz | айлануу | ||
| The word "айлануу" ("spin") in Kyrgyz derives from the Proto-Turkic root "*aylan-", meaning "to turn". | |||
| Tajik | чарх занед | ||
| The Tajik word "чарх занед" comes from the Persian "چرخ زد" and can also mean "to revolve" or "to rotate". | |||
| Turkmen | aýlanmak | ||
| Uzbek | aylantirish | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "aylantirish" can also mean "to change," highlighting its multifaceted nature as a verb referring to both physical and conceptual transformations. | |||
| Uyghur | spin | ||
Spin in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wili | ||
| In Hawaiian mythology, the word "wili" refers to the spinning or whirling motion of the demigod Maui's magic lasso, which he used to lasso the sun and slow its descent. | |||
| Maori | miro | ||
| "Miro" also means "to twirl" or "to turn" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | vili | ||
| The word 'vili' can also refer to the process of churning coconuts to extract cream. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | paikutin | ||
| The word "paikutin" in Tagalog also means "to manipulate" or "to deceive". | |||
Spin in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | muytaña | ||
| Guarani | mbojere | ||
Spin in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝpini | ||
| Ŝpini can also mean 'to weave' or 'to yarn', originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *speh₂- 'to draw out, stretch'. | |||
| Latin | nent | ||
| Nent is also used figuratively to mean to attack, or to turn away from something. | |||
Spin in Others Languages
| Greek | γνέθω | ||
| In ancient Greek, the verb 'γνέθω' could also refer to kneading or beating, processes associated with leather or metal work. | |||
| Hmong | kiv | ||
| "Kiv" can also mean "turn" or "rotate". | |||
| Kurdish | hûnîn | ||
| The word "hûnîn" also refers to a type of Kurdish dance. | |||
| Turkish | çevirmek | ||
| The verb "çevirmek" also means to translate, turn, convert, surround, and to interpret. | |||
| Xhosa | jikelezisa | ||
| In Xhosa, 'jikelezisa' also signifies 'to stir' or 'to mix' liquids or other substances. | |||
| Yiddish | ומדריי | ||
| The Yiddish word "ומדריי" (spin) can also refer to a type of dance or a dizzy spell. | |||
| Zulu | jikeleza | ||
| Jikeleza also means "to rotate" in Zulu, suggesting a wider sense of circular movement beyond spinning. | |||
| Assamese | ঘূৰ্ণন | ||
| Aymara | muytaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | घुमावऽ | ||
| Dhivehi | އެނބުރުން | ||
| Dogri | घुमना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paikutin | ||
| Guarani | mbojere | ||
| Ilocano | ipusipos | ||
| Krio | tɔn rawnd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێچانەوە | ||
| Maithili | घुमानाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯏꯅ ꯎꯪꯕ | ||
| Mizo | vir | ||
| Oromo | naanna'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ପିନ୍ | ||
| Quechua | muyuy | ||
| Sanskrit | घूर्णन | ||
| Tatar | әйләнү | ||
| Tigrinya | ሸመነ | ||
| Tsonga | rhendzeleta | ||