Steel in Different Languages
Discover 'Steel' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, known for its strength, durability, and versatility. It has been a crucial material in human civilization, shaping our world in countless ways. From architecture and infrastructure to tools and weapons, steel has played a significant role in our cultural and technological development.
Did you know that the word 'steel' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'stele'? Or that steel was first produced around 4000 years ago in what is now modern-day Turkey? These fascinating historical contexts add to the cultural importance of steel, making it a word of interest for language and culture enthusiasts.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'steel' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view and use this essential material. Here are some sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- French: acier
- Spanish: acero
- German: Stahl
- Mandarin: 钢 (gāng)
- Japanese: 鋼 (hagane)
Steel
Steel in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | staal | ||
| The Afrikaans word "staal" is a homophone of the English word "stale," but they do not have the same etymology. | |||
| Amharic | ብረት | ||
| The word "ብረት" can also refer to "iron" or "metal" in general, and is sometimes used specifically to mean "pewter". | |||
| Hausa | karfe | ||
| The word "karfe" also means "strong" or "unyielding" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ígwè | ||
| The Igbo word “ígwè” also means “gun” and is closely related to the word “ìgwé” meaning “arrow”. | |||
| Malagasy | vy | ||
| The word "vy" in Malagasy can also refer to a type of ironwood tree, or to the wood of that tree. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitsulo | ||
| The word "chitsulo" in Nyanja can refer to "iron" or any other hard substance | |||
| Shona | simbi | ||
| The word "simbi" in Shona can also refer to a type of metal object used for striking or cutting. | |||
| Somali | birta | ||
| Somali has two words for steel: "birta", which is often used to refer to the metal in its raw form, and "birla", which is typically used to refer to finished steel products. | |||
| Sesotho | tšepe | ||
| The word "tšepe" originates from the Proto-Bantu word "*tsipa", meaning "metal" or "iron." | |||
| Swahili | chuma | ||
| The Swahili word "chuma" also refers to "iron" and, figuratively, to "strength," "toughness" and "endurance." | |||
| Xhosa | intsimbi | ||
| Intsimbi is derived from the Zulu word "insingo", meaning "iron" or "metal." | |||
| Yoruba | irin | ||
| The Yoruba word 'irin' has other meanings besides 'steel', such as 'iron', 'metal', and 'money'. | |||
| Zulu | insimbi | ||
| In Zulu, the word "insimbi" also means "metal" and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-simba-", meaning "to shine" or "to glitter." | |||
| Bambara | nɛgɛ | ||
| Ewe | ga | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibyuma | ||
| Lingala | acier | ||
| Luganda | kyuuma | ||
| Sepedi | tšhipi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dadeɛ | ||
Steel in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صلب | ||
| The word (صلب) "steel" came from "صلب", which means "to harden" in Arabic; it's also used to mean "harsh" or "firm". | |||
| Hebrew | פְּלָדָה | ||
| The word "פְּלָדָה" can also mean "sword" in Biblical Hebrew, and "steel" is likely derived from this original meaning. | |||
| Pashto | اوسپنه | ||
| In Pashto, the word "اوسپنه" has similar Indo-European roots to "iron" in English, "Eisen" in German, "sidero" in Ancient Greek and "sidus" meaning star, due to its association with meteorite. | |||
| Arabic | صلب | ||
| The word (صلب) "steel" came from "صلب", which means "to harden" in Arabic; it's also used to mean "harsh" or "firm". | |||
Steel in Western European Languages
| Albanian | çeliku | ||
| The Albanian word “çeliku” is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *kelk-, meaning “to forge or beat metal,” and is related to the Greek word χάλυψ (chálups), also meaning “steel.” | |||
| Basque | altzairua | ||
| The Basque word "altzairua" comes from the Latin word "aciarius," which means "made of steel". | |||
| Catalan | acer | ||
| Catalan "acer" also means "maple", cognate with Latin "acer", from Proto-Indo-European "h₂eḱ-er-os" ("sharp"). | |||
| Croatian | željezo | ||
| The word 'željezo' derives from Slavic 'železo' ('iron'). In Croatian 'željezo' specifically refers to steel, whereas 'železo' is used for both 'iron' and 'steel' in other Slavic languages such as Serbian. | |||
| Danish | stål | ||
| The word "stål" also means "sample" or "type" in Danish, derived from the Old Norse word "stál" meaning "place" or "stand". | |||
| Dutch | staal | ||
| "Staal" can also mean "sample" or "example" in Dutch. | |||
| English | steel | ||
| The word "steel" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*staihla~", meaning "strong, firm." | |||
| French | acier | ||
| The word acier derives from the Latin word | |||
| Frisian | stiel | ||
| Frisian stiel (steel) may be cognate with Old Saxon stîl (still). | |||
| Galician | aceiro | ||
| The word 'aceiro' comes from the Latin 'acērum', meaning sharp, or the Celtic word for iron | |||
| German | stahl | ||
| The word "Stahl" is derived from the Old High German "stahal" meaning "tempered iron" or "metal". | |||
| Icelandic | stál | ||
| The word "stál" in Icelandic, meaning "steel," derives from the Proto-Germanic term "*staljam," also signifying "hardness" or "strength." | |||
| Irish | cruach | ||
| The word "cruach" in Irish shares its etymological root with the Latin word "cruor," meaning blood, and is also related to the Old Irish word "cruaich," meaning hilltop. | |||
| Italian | acciaio | ||
| The word "acciaio" comes from the Latin "acies", meaning "sharp edge" or "blade". | |||
| Luxembourgish | stol | ||
| In archaic Luxembourgish, "Stol" can also mean "chair" or "stool". | |||
| Maltese | azzar | ||
| The word "azzar" derives from the Arabic word "aṣ-ṣafra" (yellow), referring to the color of molten steel. | |||
| Norwegian | stål | ||
| The word "stål" comes from the Old Norse word "stál", meaning "iron" or "metal". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | aço | ||
| The Portuguese word "aço" originates from the Proto-Celtic word for "edge" and is related to the English word "edge" and the Welsh word "asgwrn" (bone). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stàilinn | ||
| The Gaelic word for "steel" (stàilinn) is cognate with "stallion" in English and most other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Spanish | acero | ||
| The word "acero" comes from the Latin "acorium", which is derived from the Greek "akōr", meaning "edge" or "point". | |||
| Swedish | stål | ||
| "Stål" also means "hard" or "cold" in Swedish | |||
| Welsh | dur | ||
| The Welsh word 'dur' shares an etymology with the Latin word 'durus', meaning 'hard or unyielding'. | |||
Steel in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сталі | ||
| The word 'сталі' ('steel') is cognate with similar words across Slavic languages, all derived from the Proto-Slavic root *stalь, which itself likely comes from the Germanic root *stala- ('to stand'). | |||
| Bosnian | čelik | ||
| "Čelik" is derived from the Persian word "çölik" meaning "hard". In Bosnian, it can also mean "courage" or "strength". | |||
| Bulgarian | стомана | ||
| The word "стомана" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*stьna", meaning "hard" or "strong". | |||
| Czech | ocel | ||
| Ocel is a word that was borrowed from Russian and has the same meaning in both languages, but it also has a secondary meaning in Czech referring to the eye of an animal, a meaning that it doesn't have in Russian. | |||
| Estonian | terasest | ||
| The word "terasest" is cognate with the Finnish word "teräs" and the Hungarian word "törzs", both meaning "steel". | |||
| Finnish | teräs | ||
| The word 'teräs' is also used in Finnish to refer to a small, sharp object, such as a knife or a razor blade. | |||
| Hungarian | acél- | ||
| The word "acél" is derived from the Turkish word "çelik", which itself comes from the Persian word "sah" meaning "iron". | |||
| Latvian | tērauds | ||
| The Latvian word "tērauds" is derived from the Germanic word "ståhl", which means "steel". | |||
| Lithuanian | plienas | ||
| The word "plienas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *plei- meaning "to flow" or "to melt", suggesting its connection to the process of metalworking. | |||
| Macedonian | челик | ||
| The Macedonian word "челик" is a borrowing from the Turkish word "çelik", which itself is a borrowing from the Persian word "پولاد" (pūlād) | |||
| Polish | stal | ||
| The name "stal" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *stalь, meaning "to cast" or "to harden". | |||
| Romanian | oţel | ||
| "Oţel" comes from the Hungarian word "acél" meaning the same; it is unrelated to Romanian "oţ" ("vinegar"). | |||
| Russian | стали | ||
| The word "стали" in Russian can refer to either the material steel or to the process of making steel. | |||
| Serbian | челика | ||
| The word "челика" has other meanings in Serbian: a kind of plum, a type of sword, and a personal name. | |||
| Slovak | oceľ | ||
| In archaic Slovak, "oceľ" also means "blade", "weapon". | |||
| Slovenian | jeklo | ||
| The word "jeklo" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eǵ- "to sharpen, to cut" and is related to the Latin word "acus" meaning "needle". | |||
| Ukrainian | сталь | ||
| The word "сталь" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*stъlь", which also means "iron" or "metal." | |||
Steel in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইস্পাত | ||
| The word 'ইস্পাত' also means 'a weapon' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્ટીલ | ||
| The word 'steel' originates from the Proto-Germanic word '*stīhanan*', meaning 'to stiffen' or 'to be firm'. | |||
| Hindi | इस्पात | ||
| The word 'इस्पात' is derived from the Persian word 'asp', meaning 'horse', and refers to the strength and durability of steel. | |||
| Kannada | ಉಕ್ಕು | ||
| The word "ಉಕ್ಕು" ("steel") may originate from the Proto-Dravidian root *ukku-, meaning "to melt" or "to forge". | |||
| Malayalam | ഉരുക്ക് | ||
| In Malayalam, "ഉരുക്ക്" (steel) derives from the Sanskrit word "उरुक्" (hard), which also signifies "strong, unyielding, firm" and "powerful, mighty". | |||
| Marathi | स्टील | ||
| The word 'steel' originates from the Proto-Germanic word '*stalja-', meaning 'hard'. | |||
| Nepali | इस्पात | ||
| The word "इस्पात" is derived from the Persian word "ispād" and ultimately from the Greek word "στάλις" (stālis). | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਟੀਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word for 'steel' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'stahl', which originally meant 'iron'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යකඩ | ||
| The word "යකඩ" (steel) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ayas" (metal). | |||
| Tamil | எஃகு | ||
| "எஃகு" (steel) in Tamil, is derived from the Sanskrit word "अयस्" (ayas), meaning "metal" or "iron". | |||
| Telugu | ఉక్కు | ||
| The Telugu word "ఉక్కు" (steel) is derived from the Sanskrit word "उत्कट" (utkaṭa), which means "hard", "firm", or "invincible". | |||
| Urdu | سٹیل | ||
| The word "سٹیل" (steel) in Urdu ultimately derives from the Germanic word "stician" (to stick), and is also related to the English word "stick". | |||
Steel in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 钢 | ||
| In the Spring and Autumn Period, 钢 referred to a kind of refined iron, which is different from the steel we know today. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 鋼 | ||
| 鋼, the Chinese word for "steel," originally referred to a type of hard metal used in ancient Chinese weapons. | |||
| Japanese | 鋼 | ||
| The character "鋼", meaning "steel", is also used as a phonetic component in some loanwords, such as "ピアノ" (piano) and "ガソリン" (gasoline). | |||
| Korean | 강철 | ||
| The word “강철” (“steel” in English) originally meant “hardened iron.” | |||
| Mongolian | ган | ||
| The word "ган" (steel) in Mongolian is also the name of a type of arrow used in traditional archery. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သံမဏိ | ||
| The word "သံမဏိ" (steel) is derived from the Pali language, where "saṃmaṇi" means "well-wrought" and refers to the process of forging or refining metal. | |||
Steel in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | baja | ||
| The word "baja" can also refer to "iron" or "metal". | |||
| Javanese | waja | ||
| The word "waja" is also used in Javanese to refer to a type of traditional dagger. | |||
| Khmer | ដែកថែប | ||
| The word "ដែកថែប" can also refer to "steel-grey" or "cast-iron". | |||
| Lao | ເຫຼັກ | ||
| Lao "ເຫຼັກ" can also mean "iron", and is related to Siamese "เหล็ก" and Vietnamese "sắt", all from Old Khmer *sleek | |||
| Malay | keluli | ||
| Malay "keluli" is borrowed from Sanskrit "karal" or "kalal" meaning ferrous or rust-colored. It can also mean "blacksmith". | |||
| Thai | เหล็ก | ||
| The word "เหล็ก" (steel) shares an origin with "เหล็กไหล" (mythical liquid metal), both deriving from the verb "หล่อ" (to cast). | |||
| Vietnamese | thép | ||
| "Thép" is derived from the Chinese word "tiě" (鐵), meaning "iron" or "metal". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bakal | ||
Steel in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | polad | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | болат | ||
| The word "болат" ("steel") in Kazakh stems from the ancient Turkic word "булат", meaning "unyielding, strong" and also refers to a type of legendary, strong metal in Turkic folklore. | |||
| Kyrgyz | болот | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "болот" can also refer to a male name, meaning "strong" or "firm". | |||
| Tajik | пӯлод | ||
| The word "pūlod" can also refer to iron, specifically in the form of swords or other weapons. | |||
| Turkmen | polat | ||
| Uzbek | po'lat | ||
| In Uzbek, "po'lat" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Iranian word for "iron" and also means "hero" or "warrior". | |||
| Uyghur | پولات | ||
Steel in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kila | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "kila" also refers to a type of bird, the Hawaiian Stilt. | |||
| Maori | maitai | ||
| In Maori, `maitai` has alternate meanings including "good", "fine", "excellent", and "very". | |||
| Samoan | uamea | ||
| In ancient Samoan, "uamea" is the name of a sacred bird that symbolized bravery and courage. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bakal | ||
| "Bakal" is also a term used in traditional Philippine martial arts referring to the core, central part of the body, often associated with strength and power. | |||
Steel in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asiru | ||
| Guarani | kuarepotitã | ||
Steel in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝtalo | ||
| The Esperantido word "ŝtalo" has an alternate meaning as a "a place where stallions are bred". | |||
| Latin | ferro | ||
| Ferro comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂es-," meaning "bronze" or "copper." | |||
Steel in Others Languages
| Greek | ατσάλι | ||
| The word "ατσάλι" (steel) in Greek comes from the Italian "acciale" (steel), which is linked to French "acier", that is, steel. | |||
| Hmong | hlau | ||
| The word "hlau" (steel) can also mean "knife" or "weapon". | |||
| Kurdish | pola | ||
| In Kurdish, 'pola' also refers to a type of traditional sword or blade. | |||
| Turkish | çelik | ||
| The word "çelik" can also mean "hard or durable" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | intsimbi | ||
| Intsimbi is derived from the Zulu word "insingo", meaning "iron" or "metal." | |||
| Yiddish | שטאָל | ||
| The word "שטאָל" (shtol) can also refer to "boldness" or "chutzpah" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | insimbi | ||
| In Zulu, the word "insimbi" also means "metal" and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-simba-", meaning "to shine" or "to glitter." | |||
| Assamese | তীখা | ||
| Aymara | asiru | ||
| Bhojpuri | इस्पात | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަގަނޑު | ||
| Dogri | फुलाद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bakal | ||
| Guarani | kuarepotitã | ||
| Ilocano | landok | ||
| Krio | ayɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ستیل | ||
| Maithili | इस्पात | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁ꯭ꯇꯤꯜ | ||
| Mizo | thir | ||
| Oromo | sibiila | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଇସ୍ପାତ | | ||
| Quechua | acero | ||
| Sanskrit | अय | ||
| Tatar | корыч | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓጺን | ||
| Tsonga | nsimbhi | ||