Step in Different Languages
Discover 'Step' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'step' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a distinct movement that advances us forward, often quite literally. But 'step' is more than just a physical action; it's a metaphor for progress, a building block for achievement, and a critical component of many cultural traditions and practices around the world.
From the measured steps of a ballet dancer to the solemn steps of a religious procession, 'step' is a universal human experience. It's also a key concept in various fields, from technology (think 'step-by-step' instructions) to music (sheet music is full of 'steps' or 'steps' between notes).
Given its importance, it's no surprise that 'step' has been translated into countless languages, each with its own unique cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'step' is 'paso'; in French, 'pas'; in German, 'Schritt'; in Mandarin, '步' (bù).
Explore the many translations of 'step' and delve into the rich cultural contexts they represent. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, this journey is sure to enlighten and inspire.
Step
Step in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stap | ||
| In Afrikaans, "stap" can also refer to a "stop" or "halting point" in a journey or a "step" in a dance. | |||
| Amharic | ደረጃ | ||
| Derived from Ge'ez ደርገ (däraga "to ascend"), it means both "step" and "rank". | |||
| Hausa | mataki | ||
| In the Hausa language, the word "mataki" (step) also means "a unit of measurement equal to one foot". | |||
| Igbo | nzọụkwụ | ||
| The word "nzọụkwụ" in Igbo can also refer to a "stage" in a process or a "level" of achievement. | |||
| Malagasy | dingana | ||
| The word 'dingana' also means 'ladder' in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sitepe | ||
| The Chicheŵa word "sitepe" can also mean "a grade"} | |||
| Shona | nhanho | ||
| It is thought to come from the Shona root -nanga, meaning 'stick' or 'bar' | |||
| Somali | tallaabo | ||
| The term "tallaabo" is derived from the verb "tallaalin," which means "to walk" or "to set foot on something." | |||
| Sesotho | mohato | ||
| In certain contexts, "mohato" can also refer to a "stage" or "phase" in a process or journey. | |||
| Swahili | hatua | ||
| The word Hatua can also refer to a unit of measurement (a pace), in traditional building and farming practices. | |||
| Xhosa | inyathelo | ||
| The word "inyathelo" can also be used to refer to a "dance" or "ritual" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | igbese | ||
| The word "igbese" (step) in Yoruba can also refer to a type of dance or a traditional song for praising someone. | |||
| Zulu | isinyathelo | ||
| Isinyathelo is also used to describe an occasion or situation. | |||
| Bambara | etapu | ||
| Ewe | afɔɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | intambwe | ||
| Lingala | etambe | ||
| Luganda | eddaala | ||
| Sepedi | kgato | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anamɔn | ||
Step in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خطوة | ||
| In Persian 'Khatveh' (خطوه) means move or stride and in Turkish its form 'adım' means one step ahead in a marching. | |||
| Hebrew | שלב | ||
| The Hebrew word "שלב" also means "phase" or "stage". | |||
| Pashto | ګام | ||
| The word “ګام” can also mean “pace” or “gait”. | |||
| Arabic | خطوة | ||
| In Persian 'Khatveh' (خطوه) means move or stride and in Turkish its form 'adım' means one step ahead in a marching. | |||
Step in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hap | ||
| Hap may also refer to 'fortune' or 'fate', originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱap- 'to seize'. | |||
| Basque | urratsa | ||
| In Basque the word 'urratsa' not only refers to 'step', but also to the pace in music and a stage in theatre. | |||
| Catalan | pas | ||
| "Pas" also means "pace" in a more literal sense, like the paces of a horse. | |||
| Croatian | korak | ||
| The Croatian word "korak" is cognate with the Old Church Slavonic "kračiti," meaning "to walk," making it related to the English word "crawl." | |||
| Danish | trin | ||
| Danish 'trin' also means 'degree' or 'rank'. | |||
| Dutch | stap | ||
| In Dutch, "stap" can also refer to a drinking establishment or a bar. | |||
| English | step | ||
| "Step" derives from Old English "steppan," to walk by lifting the feet | |||
| French | étape | ||
| The French word "étape" derives from the Middle French "estape", which referred to a halting point on a journey, particularly for changing horses | |||
| Frisian | stap | ||
| Frisian word 'stap' is cognate with English 'stop' but can also mean 'footprint' or 'mark'. | |||
| Galician | paso | ||
| In Galician, "paso" can also refer to a footpath, a mountain pass, or a procession. | |||
| German | schritt | ||
| The word "Schritt" in German can also refer to a measurement of distance, as in "ein Schritt" (one pace) or "ein Meilenschritt" (one mile). | |||
| Icelandic | stíga | ||
| "stíga" can also mean to mount a horse, walk or go by foot, ascend, or embark on a ship | |||
| Irish | céim | ||
| "Céim" in Irish can also mean "degree", "rank", "pace" or "speed." | |||
| Italian | passo | ||
| The word "passo" in Italian can also mean "mountain pass" or "gait". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schrëtt | ||
| Besides its common meaning, "Schrëtt" can also mean a "foot" (unit of length), "pace", "stride", or "gait". | |||
| Maltese | pass | ||
| The Maltese word "pass" can also mean "entrance" or "passageway" and comes from the Arabic word "bab", meaning "door" or "gate". | |||
| Norwegian | steg | ||
| In Norwegian, "steg" can also refer to a section of a stairway or flight of stairs. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | degrau | ||
| Degrau (step) shares its root with the Spanish word degradar (degrade), both coming from the Late Latin degradare, from the Latin de (down) + gradus (step). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceum | ||
| The Gaelic word "ceum" not only means "step" but also refers to a measure of height equal to the length of a foot. | |||
| Spanish | paso | ||
| In bullfighting, a 'paso' is a movement or maneuver performed by the matador. | |||
| Swedish | steg | ||
| The word 'steg' in Swedish also means 'bridge' or 'jetty'. | |||
| Welsh | cam | ||
| Welsh 'cam' also means 'crooked' and is related to 'cam' (in English) in the sense of 'eccentric' or 'odd'. | |||
Step in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крок | ||
| The term "крок" in Belarusian is also associated with a measure of length in old Belarusian, which amounted to about 0.71m, as the "step of an adult male." | |||
| Bosnian | korak | ||
| In Serbian, "korak" means "step" and also "pace", while in Croatian it can mean "step", "pace", "stride" or "gait". | |||
| Bulgarian | стъпка | ||
| The word "стъпка" in Bulgarian can also refer to the footprint or track of a person or animal. | |||
| Czech | krok | ||
| KROK is both the Czech word for step and also an acronym for “Katedra Romanistiky, Orientálních a Klasických Studií” (Department of Romance, Oriental and Classical Studies). | |||
| Estonian | samm | ||
| In Southern Estonian dialects, "samm" can also refer to a measure of land corresponding to 0.75 hectares. | |||
| Finnish | askel | ||
| The word "askel" also has a more formal meaning of "a motion or measure that is taken". | |||
| Hungarian | lépés | ||
| "Lépés" has additional meanings like "action", "move", or "period" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | solis | ||
| The word "solis" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sel-", which also means "to jump", and is related to the English words "saunter", "saltation", "salient", "sally", "salve", and "saloon". | |||
| Lithuanian | žingsnis | ||
| The word "žingsnis" is etymologically related to the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰem- ("to go") and the Latin word "gradior" ("to step, walk") and is also a colloquial term for a drink of alcohol. | |||
| Macedonian | чекор | ||
| The Macedonian word "чекор" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kъkorъ, which also meant "circle" or "wheel". | |||
| Polish | krok | ||
| "Krok" means "step" in Polish, but it can also refer to a type of dance, a sequence of steps, or a chess move. | |||
| Romanian | etapa | ||
| "Etapa" in Romanian can also refer to a phase, stage, or period of time | |||
| Russian | шаг | ||
| The word 'шаг' has an alternate colloquial meaning 'a measure of quantity' - e.g. 'шаг риса', 'шаг соли'. | |||
| Serbian | корак | ||
| The word "Корак" can also mean "a single instance or occurrence of an action" or a "measure taken to achieve a goal". | |||
| Slovak | krok | ||
| The word „krok” also means the rhythm of music and a wooden shoe in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | korak | ||
| The word “korak” also means "to take a step", "a pace", and "a footfall" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | крок | ||
| "Крок" (step) in Ukrainian also refers to a professional qualification exam taken by medical doctors and pharmacists | |||
Step in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পদক্ষেপ | ||
| 'পদ' also means word while 'ক্ষেপ' means throwing making the literal meaning of 'পদক্ষেপ' throwing words which can be compared with the English idiom 'throwing words around' | |||
| Gujarati | પગલું | ||
| The word "પગલું" can also mean "measure" or "degree" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | कदम | ||
| "Kadamb" can also refer to a type of tree or a rhythm in classical Indian music. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಂತ | ||
| The word "ಹಂತ" (step) is also used to refer to a stage, level, or phase in a process or journey. | |||
| Malayalam | ഘട്ടം | ||
| The word "ഘട്ടം" (ghaṭam) can also mean a "pot", "jar", or "pitcher", reflecting its original use as a ritual vessel. | |||
| Marathi | पाऊल | ||
| The word "पाऊल" can also mean "foot" or "footprint" in Marathi, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "पाद" (foot). | |||
| Nepali | चरण | ||
| The word "चरण" in Nepali can also refer to a foot, a stage, or a religious ritual. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਦਮ | ||
| ਕਦਮ (step): from the Sanskrit पद (pad), meaning "foot" or "track". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පියවරක් | ||
| The Sinhala word "පියවරක්" (piyawarak) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पाद" (pāda), which means "foot" or "step". It can also refer to a "pace" or "measure". | |||
| Tamil | படி | ||
| The word "படி" in Tamil can also refer to "degree," "rank," or "level." | |||
| Telugu | దశ | ||
| The word "దశ" in Telugu has many other meanings like fortune, fate, destiny, condition, state, etc. | |||
| Urdu | قدم | ||
| قدم is also used as an idiom meaning 'to come forward', 'to advance', or 'to approach' in Urdu. | |||
Step in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 步 | ||
| 步 can also mean "walk" or "pace". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 步 | ||
| 步 is also a type of dance. | |||
| Japanese | ステップ | ||
| In Japanese, ステップ (step) can also refer to the first step in a dance or a series of movements. | |||
| Korean | 단계 | ||
| The word 단계 (dan-gye) in Korean can also refer to a stage, level, or degree of something | |||
| Mongolian | алхам | ||
| The Mongolian word "алхам" can also refer to a unit of measurement equivalent to 90 centimeters. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခြေလှမ်း | ||
| ပရိဌင ခမဌ ရမြဒငဝ ပာအ ဒ ခသိန်ခရစ္ အန စ ခမ ပ ိ | |||
Step in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | langkah | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "langkah" can also mean stride, pace, measure, or step taken. | |||
| Javanese | langkah | ||
| The word "langkah" in Javanese also has the meaning of "plan". | |||
| Khmer | ជំហាន | ||
| The word "ជំហាន" not only means "step" but also "stage" or "phase" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຂັ້ນຕອນ | ||
| Malay | langkah | ||
| The word "langkah" in Malay can also refer to a measure of distance equal to the length of one's stride. | |||
| Thai | ขั้นตอน | ||
| In Thai, the word "ขั้นตอน" (step) can also mean "procedure" or "method". | |||
| Vietnamese | bươc | ||
| "Bươc" in Vietnamese can also mean "phase" or "stage" in the context of a process or development. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hakbang | ||
Step in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | addım | ||
| 'Addım' is a loanword from Persian and means both 'step' and 'pace'. | |||
| Kazakh | қадам | ||
| In Kazakh, "қадам" not only refers to a physical step, but also denotes a stage, measure, or initiative. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кадам | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "кадам" can also refer to a unit of measurement for distance, typically equivalent to one stride. | |||
| Tajik | қадам | ||
| In Tajik, the word "қадам" can also mean "measure of length equal to the length of a human foot" | |||
| Turkmen | ädim | ||
| Uzbek | qadam | ||
| The word "qadam" also means "degree" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | قەدەم | ||
Step in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻanuʻu | ||
| ʻAnuʻu in Hawaiian can also mean a "staircase" or "a place to rest while walking." | |||
| Maori | taahiraa | ||
| In the Maori dialect of New Zealand, "taahiraa" is also used to refer to a short, lively dance step. | |||
| Samoan | sitepu | ||
| "Sitepu" is also a family name in Samoa and Tonga. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hakbang | ||
| Hakbang shares a root word with 'hakbangan' (action of stepping on) and 'hakbangin' (to set foot on; to tread on or set foot on). | |||
Step in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pasu | ||
| Guarani | pyrũ | ||
Step in International Languages
| Esperanto | paŝo | ||
| "Paŝo" is derived from the Latin word "passus", but it can also mean "measure", "interval", or "tread" | |||
| Latin | gradus | ||
| The Latin word "gradus" derives from the Indo-European root "ghredh-," meaning "to walk" or "to stride." | |||
Step in Others Languages
| Greek | βήμα | ||
| In Ancient Greek, the word "βήμα" also referred to a speaker's platform or a unit of length equal to about 60 cm. | |||
| Hmong | kauj ruam | ||
| The Hmong word "kauj ruam" can also refer to dancing or taking a journey. | |||
| Kurdish | gav | ||
| The word "gav" can also refer to a "time" or a "portion" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | adım | ||
| The word "adım" can also refer to a foot (in length) or a pace (in walking). | |||
| Xhosa | inyathelo | ||
| The word "inyathelo" can also be used to refer to a "dance" or "ritual" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | שריט | ||
| The Yiddish word "שריט" derives from Medieval Dutch "schrede", which also means "stride". | |||
| Zulu | isinyathelo | ||
| Isinyathelo is also used to describe an occasion or situation. | |||
| Assamese | পদক্ষেপ | ||
| Aymara | pasu | ||
| Bhojpuri | कदम | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިޔަވަޅު | ||
| Dogri | गैं | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hakbang | ||
| Guarani | pyrũ | ||
| Ilocano | addang | ||
| Krio | fut mak | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەنگاو | ||
| Maithili | चरण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯡꯀꯥꯞ | ||
| Mizo | rahbi | ||
| Oromo | sadarkaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପଦାଙ୍କ | ||
| Quechua | tatki | ||
| Sanskrit | चरण | ||
| Tatar | адым | ||
| Tigrinya | ደረጃ | ||
| Tsonga | goza | ||