Square in Different Languages
Discover 'Square' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A square is a fundamental geometric shape, with four equal sides and right angles, found in various aspects of life and culture. Squares have been used in architecture, art, and design for centuries, symbolizing balance, stability, and harmony. From the ancient Pythagoreans' theorem to the modern pixel-based digital images, squares have played a significant role in mathematical and visual cultures.
Moreover, the word 'square' has interesting translations in different languages, reflecting the cultural diversity and linguistic richness of our world. For instance, in Spanish, a square is 'plaza', in French 'place', in German 'Platz', in Russian 'площадь' (ploshchad'), in Japanese '広場' (hiroba), and in Chinese '广场' (guǎngchǎng).
Exploring the translations of 'square' in different languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the unique cultural perspectives and histories associated with this simple yet powerful geometric shape.
Square
Square in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vierkantig | ||
| The word "vierkantig" in Afrikaans, meaning "square", has an alternate meaning of "stubborn" or "unyielding". | |||
| Amharic | ካሬ | ||
| ካሬ comes from the French word "carré", meaning "a square". | |||
| Hausa | murabba'i | ||
| Murabba'i, which is 'square' in Hausa, is the Hausa cognate of the word Murab'a 'four' in Arabic. | |||
| Igbo | square | ||
| Square is also used to describe something that is complete or perfect, such as a square meal. | |||
| Malagasy | square | ||
| The Malagasy word "kara-efatry" literally means "four angles", a more precise description of a square than the English word "square". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lalikulu | ||
| The word "lalikulu" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to a "rectangle" or a "field". | |||
| Shona | mativi mana akaenzana | ||
| "Mativi mana akaenzana" also means "to have a fight" in Shona, as a square is a shape with four equal sides that can be used to fight with. | |||
| Somali | laba jibbaaran | ||
| The term "laba jibbaaran" in Somali has etymological links to the concept of "double" or "twofold." | |||
| Sesotho | lisekoere | ||
| The word "lisekoere" in Sesotho can also mean "a flat piece of land" or "a rectangular area". | |||
| Swahili | mraba | ||
| The Swahili word "mraba" also means "an open space in a village where people gather for social or recreational activities." | |||
| Xhosa | isikwere | ||
| The word "Isikwere" can also refer to a rectangular or oblong space, or to a flat or even surface. | |||
| Yoruba | onigun mẹrin | ||
| The word "onigun mẹrin" in Yoruba can also refer to a person who is very stubborn or difficult to persuade. | |||
| Zulu | isikwele | ||
| In Zulu, "isikwele" also denotes a type of traditional beaded necklace | |||
| Bambara | kɛrɛnaani | ||
| Ewe | dzogoe ene | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kare | ||
| Lingala | carré | ||
| Luganda | kyebiriga | ||
| Sepedi | khutlonne | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahinianan | ||
Square in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ميدان | ||
| "ميدان" (square) also refers to a battlefield, a place for practicing equestrian sports and a public space (plaza). | |||
| Hebrew | כיכר | ||
| The Hebrew word "כיכר" (kikar) also means "loaf" or "talent" and comes from the root "ככר" (kr), meaning "to roll" or "to shape". | |||
| Pashto | مربع | ||
| It can also mean a box or a room in some dialects. | |||
| Arabic | ميدان | ||
| "ميدان" (square) also refers to a battlefield, a place for practicing equestrian sports and a public space (plaza). | |||
Square in Western European Languages
| Albanian | katror | ||
| Katror also means 'triangle' in Albanian, coming from the Greek word 'tetragonon' meaning 'four corners'. | |||
| Basque | karratu | ||
| In architecture, “karratu” also means “the part of a wall that is above the door or window” | |||
| Catalan | quadrat | ||
| The Catalan word "quadrat" derives from the vulgar Latin "quadrātus" meaning both "square" and "stone". | |||
| Croatian | kvadrat | ||
| The Croatian word "kvadrat" is derived from the Latin word "quadratus" meaning "four-sided" and shares this Latin origin with various languages such as English, French and Italian. | |||
| Danish | firkant | ||
| Danish "firkant" originates from Latin "quadrans", referring to 1/4 of a whole, or 90 degrees. | |||
| Dutch | vierkant | ||
| The word "vierkant" also means "honest" or "fair" in Dutch, due to its association with the idea of symmetry and balance. | |||
| English | square | ||
| From a geometry term referring to an equal four-sided figure, "square" has expanded to mean "uncool or conventional". | |||
| French | carré | ||
| The word "carré" in French also refers to a chocolate bar or a type of paving stone. | |||
| Frisian | fjouwerkant | ||
| The Frisian word 'fjouwerkant' does not literally mean 'four edges' as could be assumed, but was coined after 'fjowerkant', the equivalent in the closely related Dutch language ('vierkant' in modern Dutch). | |||
| Galician | cadrado | ||
| Derived from Latin word 'quadrus' meaning 'four-cornered', 'cadrado' also means 'perfect', 'good-looking' in Galician. | |||
| German | quadrat | ||
| In early 17th-century German printing, a "quadrat" was not square but instead the standard unit of space between letters (a "mutton") used for justification. | |||
| Icelandic | ferningur | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "ferningur" also means "a square of land". | |||
| Irish | cearnach | ||
| The word "cearnach" in Irish derives from the Proto-Celtic root *kʷetwar-no-s, meaning "four." | |||
| Italian | piazza | ||
| The word "piazza" comes from the Latin word "platea," which means "broad street" or "public place."} | |||
| Luxembourgish | quadratesch | ||
| The word "quadratesch" comes from the Latin word "quadratus", meaning "four-sided". | |||
| Maltese | pjazza | ||
| The word "Pjazza" also means "a meeting place, an open space". | |||
| Norwegian | torget | ||
| The word "torg" has been used in Norwegian since the Old Norse period, and it was originally related to the verb "torg", which means "to trade" or "to exchange goods." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quadrado | ||
| "Quadrado" derives from the Latin "quatrātum" (four-sided) and also refers to a "group of four" (e.g., "quadrado dos mosqueteiros"). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceàrnagach | ||
| Though ceàrnagach literally means "four-cornered" it is commonly used to describe a square. | |||
| Spanish | cuadrado | ||
| In Cuban slang, "cuadrado" can also refer to a straight or heterosexual person. | |||
| Swedish | fyrkant | ||
| The Swedish word "fyrkant" derives from the Old Swedish "fyrirkantr", which originally referred to a "quadrangle" or "rectangle". | |||
| Welsh | sgwâr | ||
| The Welsh word "sgwâr" is thought to be related to the Latin "quadrāre" (to square) and may have entered the Welsh language via the Roman invasion of Britain. | |||
Square in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | квадрат | ||
| "Квадрат" may also mean "quadruple" in the context of mathematical sequences or the "power of" in the context of exponentiation. | |||
| Bosnian | trg | ||
| Trg comes from the Old Slavic word '*tьrgъ*', and also means 'market square'. | |||
| Bulgarian | квадрат | ||
| The original meaning of the word "квадрат" was a cube shape (e.g. "квадрат на къща"). | |||
| Czech | náměstí | ||
| The word "náměstí" is derived from the Slavic word "město," meaning "town" or "city," and originally referred to a marketplace or public gathering place. | |||
| Estonian | ruut | ||
| The word "ruut" derives from the Middle Low German "rūte" "square", "diamond" or "pane". | |||
| Finnish | neliö- | ||
| The word "neliö-" also means "four" in Finnish, reflecting the fact that a square has four sides. | |||
| Hungarian | négyzet | ||
| The word "négyzet" also refers to a kind of traditional Hungarian folk dance. | |||
| Latvian | kvadrāts | ||
| Latvian “kvadrāts” is a loanword from German “Quadrat”, which is derived from Latin “quadratus”, meaning “having four equal sides”. | |||
| Lithuanian | aikštė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "aikštė" (square) is also used to refer to a town market square or a place of execution, likely originating from the word "aikštus", meaning "sharp" or "pointed".} | |||
| Macedonian | плоштад | ||
| The Macedonian word "плоштад" (square) comes from the Turkish word "Meydan" meaning "public space" or "open area". | |||
| Polish | plac | ||
| Derived from Old Czech "plah" (meadow), originally meaning a wide, open space. | |||
| Romanian | pătrat | ||
| "Pătrat" derives from Romanian "patru", meaning four; a related term is "patrulater", a quadrilateral. | |||
| Russian | площадь | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of "square", "площадь" can also refer to a "plaza" or "town square" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | квадрат | ||
| The word "квадрат" can also refer to a type of dance or a unit of area used in construction. | |||
| Slovak | námestie | ||
| The word "námestie" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "naměstí", meaning "place where a market was held". | |||
| Slovenian | kvadrat | ||
| "Kvadrat" also means "power" in mathematics, e.g. "kvadrat števila 5" ("the square of the number 5") is 25, so "kvadraten" can also mean "powerful" or "strong". | |||
| Ukrainian | майдан | ||
| The word "Майдан" also refers to the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, known as the "Euromaidan". | |||
Square in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বর্গক্ষেত্র | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "বর্গক্ষেত্র" can also mean a mathematical operation, specifically the squaring of a number. | |||
| Gujarati | ચોરસ | ||
| ચોરસ may also refer to the 'sum of two numbers' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | वर्ग | ||
| वर्ग (square) derives from a Sanskrit root meaning 'to enclose,' hence is a square or a class of people enclosed within a particular area or category.} | |||
| Kannada | ಚದರ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಚದರ" can also refer to a type of sari, a unit of measurement, or a four-sided shape with equal sides and angles. | |||
| Malayalam | സമചതുരം samachathuram | ||
| The word "സമചതുരം Samachathuram" also means "perfect" or "complete" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | चौरस | ||
| Marathi word "चौरस" can also mean "fair", "just" or "balanced". | |||
| Nepali | वर्ग | ||
| वर्ग (/varga/), from the Sanskrit word for 'group' or 'category' | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਰਗ | ||
| The word "ਵਰਗ" also means "equal" or "similar" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හතරැස් | ||
| The Sinhala word “හතරැස්” is also used to refer to a “compass” or “direction”. Similarly, the English word “square” can also mean a large ruler, a small park in a town, or a unit of area. | |||
| Tamil | சதுரம் | ||
| சதுரம் can also mean 'a person who acts straightforwardly and is upright' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | చదరపు | ||
| The Telugu word "చదరపు" (square) derives from the word "చతు", meaning "four". It also relates to "చాట", a measurement of area. | |||
| Urdu | مربع | ||
| "مربع" means both a geometric shape and a chess square, as in "a queen can only move diagonally within its مربع." | |||
Square in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 广场 | ||
| In Mandarin Chinese, 广场 (guǎngchǎng) also refers to public gathering spaces and town squares. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 廣場 | ||
| In Chinese, "廣場" (square) also refers to a space in front of a building or gate, like a courtyard in English. | |||
| Japanese | 平方 | ||
| "平方" is also used as a unit of measurement for area, equivalent to about 3.3 square feet. | |||
| Korean | 광장 | ||
| Besides meaning 'square', 광장 can also mean 'public space' or 'town square'. | |||
| Mongolian | дөрвөлжин | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စတုရန်း | ||
Square in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kotak | ||
| In Indonesian, "kotak" also means "box" and derives from the Sanskrit word "koti," meaning "fort". In Malay, "kotak" can mean "city" or "fortress". | |||
| Javanese | alun-alun | ||
| "Alun-alun" is also used to refer to a grassy area in front of a palace or a public building. | |||
| Khmer | ការ៉េ | ||
| The term "ការ៉េ" in Khmer may also denote a "diamond shape" | |||
| Lao | ຮຽບຮ້ອຍ | ||
| Malay | segi empat sama | ||
| The word also refers to equality and can be used to describe a fair and impartial individual. | |||
| Thai | สี่เหลี่ยมจัตุรัส | ||
| The word "สี่เหลี่ยมจัตุรัส" can also refer to a courtyard or a plaza. | |||
| Vietnamese | quảng trường | ||
| The word "Quảng trường" can also refer to a public gathering space, such as a plaza or a park. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | parisukat | ||
Square in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kvadrat | ||
| The word "kvadrat" derives from the French "quadrat" and the Latin "quadrātum", meaning "having four equal sides". | |||
| Kazakh | шаршы | ||
| The word "шаршы" can also mean "equality" or "order" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чарчы | ||
| The word "чарчы" ("square") in Kyrgyz also means "straight" or "correct". | |||
| Tajik | мураббаъ | ||
| The word "мураббаъ" in Tajik ultimately derives from the Arabic word "مربع" meaning "square", "cube", or "anything having four equal sides and four right angles." | |||
| Turkmen | inedördül | ||
| Uzbek | kvadrat | ||
| In Uzbek, "kvadrat" also refers to power when raised in mathematics, as in "kvadrat tenglama" (quadratic equation). | |||
| Uyghur | كۋادرات | ||
Square in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | huinahā | ||
| In Hawaiian, "huinahā" not only means "square," but can also stand for "flat, level," or "regular." | |||
| Maori | tapawha | ||
| The word "tapawha" in Maori can also refer to a plaza or courtyard. | |||
| Samoan | sikuea | ||
| The word 'sikuea' in Samoan has no known etymological links to the English word 'square', but it does share a similar meaning. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | parisukat | ||
| The term 'parisukat' in Tagalog can also refer to a quadrangle, rectangle, or any quadrilateral shape. | |||
Square in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kuwararu | ||
| Guarani | hakambyrundýva | ||
Square in International Languages
| Esperanto | kvadrato | ||
| The Esperanto word 'kvadrato' also means 'quadratic equation' in mathematics. | |||
| Latin | quadratum | ||
| The Latin word "quadratum" also refers to a type of brick used in ancient Roman construction. | |||
Square in Others Languages
| Greek | τετράγωνο | ||
| τετράγωνο can describe a four-cornered shape, but it also refers to something that is stable, secure, or balanced. | |||
| Hmong | xwmfab | ||
| The word can also refer to a person who is stubborn or inflexible. | |||
| Kurdish | meydan | ||
| In Turkish, 'meydan' also means 'battleground', reflecting its historical use as a public space for jousting and military parades. | |||
| Turkish | meydan | ||
| Meydan can also refer to a battleground or a place for public gatherings, festivities, or trade. | |||
| Xhosa | isikwere | ||
| The word "Isikwere" can also refer to a rectangular or oblong space, or to a flat or even surface. | |||
| Yiddish | קוואַדראַט | ||
| The Yiddish word "קוואַדראַט" derives from the Latin word "quadratus," and also means "flat" or "broad." | |||
| Zulu | isikwele | ||
| In Zulu, "isikwele" also denotes a type of traditional beaded necklace | |||
| Assamese | বৰ্গ | ||
| Aymara | kuwararu | ||
| Bhojpuri | चौकोर | ||
| Dhivehi | ގޮޅި | ||
| Dogri | वर्ग | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | parisukat | ||
| Guarani | hakambyrundýva | ||
| Ilocano | kuadrado | ||
| Krio | skwaya | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چوارگۆشە | ||
| Maithili | वर्ग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯀ꯭ꯋꯔ | ||
| Mizo | square | ||
| Oromo | addababayii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବର୍ଗ | ||
| Quechua | tawa kuchu | ||
| Sanskrit | चतुरश्रः | ||
| Tatar | квадрат | ||
| Tigrinya | ርባዕ | ||
| Tsonga | xikwere | ||