Updated on March 6, 2024
Stream, a simple word that holds a world of meaning within its two syllables. It signifies the smooth and continuous flow of water, or even ideas, in a particular direction. Culturally, streams have been significant in many societies, serving as a source of water, food, and even spiritual inspiration. Think of the streams in Japanese gardens, designed for contemplation, or the babbling brooks in English folklore, often symbolizing mysterious forces at play.
Given its importance, you might want to know the translation of 'stream' in different languages. This can help you better understand the cultural significance of this word in various parts of the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'stream' translates to 'arroyo', while in German, it's 'Bach'. In French, it's 'ruisseau', and in Mandarin, it's '溪流' (Xī liú).
The word 'stream' is also used metaphorically in the digital world to refer to live video or audio content. This highlights the enduring relevance of this simple yet profound word across different contexts and cultures.
Afrikaans | stroom | ||
The Afrikaans word "stroom" derives from the Dutch "stroom" and is cognate with the English "stream" and German "Strom." | |||
Amharic | ጅረት | ||
The word "ጅረት" (stream) comes from the verb "ተጅረ" (to flow) and is also used to refer to a flow of people or ideas. | |||
Hausa | rafi | ||
The word "rafi" also refers to a type of rope made from plant fibers. | |||
Igbo | iyi | ||
Igbo word 'Iyi' also connotes 'river', 'waterway', 'spring', and 'well'. | |||
Malagasy | stream | ||
The Malagasy word "renirano" also means "river" or "watercourse". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtsinje | ||
"Mtsinje" also means "a channel or course for conveying water" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
Shona | rwizi | ||
Rwizi is cognate with the Nyanja word for stream, m`ruzi, and the Tumbuka word m`mlusi | |||
Somali | durdur | ||
The word "durdur" in Somali is derived from the root "duurow", which also means "to run" or "to flow". | |||
Sesotho | molapo | ||
Swahili | mkondo | ||
The Swahili word 'mkondo' can also refer to a 'passage', 'channel', or 'course'. | |||
Xhosa | umlambo | ||
In Xhosa, "umlambo" can also refer to a type of funeral ceremony or a specific lineage group. | |||
Yoruba | ṣiṣan | ||
The word ṣiṣan is Yoruba for 'stream', and can also refer to any flowing body of water. | |||
Zulu | ukusakaza | ||
Zulu word for 'stream, river, or channel' from the root 'sakaza' meaning 'to divide' or 'branch out'. | |||
Bambara | kɔ | ||
Ewe | tᴐsisi | ||
Kinyarwanda | umugezi | ||
Lingala | mai moke | ||
Luganda | oluzzi | ||
Sepedi | moela | ||
Twi (Akan) | nsuwa | ||
Arabic | مجرى | ||
The word "مجرى" also means "way" or "course" in Arabic. | |||
Hebrew | זרם | ||
In Hebrew, "זרם" denotes a stream of water, an electric current, or an ideology; it derives from the Akkadian word "zarāmu," meaning "to flow." | |||
Pashto | جریان | ||
The word "جریان" comes from the Arabic word "جرى" that means "streaming" or "continuously flowing". | |||
Arabic | مجرى | ||
The word "مجرى" also means "way" or "course" in Arabic. |
Albanian | rrjedhë | ||
The word rrjedhë also means "to flow" and "to pour" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | erreka | ||
The term 'erreka' has other meanings, as it can refer to a line or a streak. | |||
Catalan | corrent | ||
The Catalan word "corrent" is derived from the Latin word "currere," meaning "to run" or "to flow." | |||
Croatian | potok | ||
The word 'potok' is also a slang term for a 'large amount of money', a loanword from Hungarian (pénzpotok - cashflow). | |||
Danish | strøm | ||
"Strøm" derives from Old Norse "straumr" meaning both "stream" and "current (in the sense of electricity)" | |||
Dutch | stroom | ||
The word "stroom" in Dutch can also refer to an electric current. | |||
English | stream | ||
The word 'stream' derives from the Old English 'stream' and the Middle English 'strem,' meaning 'current of flowing water,' and is also related to 'strum' and 'strong,' indicating force and movement. | |||
French | courant | ||
The word "courant" in French can also mean "electric current" or "present month". | |||
Frisian | stream | ||
In Frisian, "stream" means "current," "direction" or "flow." | |||
Galician | fluxo | ||
The word "fluxo" is a derivative of the Latin word "fluxus", which means "flow". | |||
German | strom | ||
The Old High German word "strom" (stream) also referred to a riverbed (similar to the English "strand") in the Rhine-Franconian area. | |||
Icelandic | streyma | ||
The word "streyma" in Icelandic originates from the Old Norse word "straumr" meaning "current" or "flow". | |||
Irish | sruthán | ||
Sruth is a more archaic form of the word and has been used in poetry and literature since at least the 18th century, when the spelling sruthán first appeared in print. | |||
Italian | ruscello | ||
The word “ruscello” derives from the Latin word “rivus”, meaning “stream” or “brook”. It also has the alternate meaning of “a small flow of water”. | |||
Luxembourgish | baach | ||
The word "Baach" can also refer to a ditch, canal or river and derives from the Celtic "*bakos" from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bheg-", hence meaning "to flow". | |||
Maltese | nixxiegħa | ||
Nixxieġa comes from the Arabic word 'nahr' meaning 'river' through the Sicilian 'nixiegu' | |||
Norwegian | strøm | ||
The Norwegian word "strøm" can also refer to an electric current. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | corrente | ||
The Portuguese word "corrente" can also mean "trend" or "current". | |||
Scots Gaelic | sruth | ||
In Scots Gaelic, 'sruth' means 'stream', but can also refer to a 'current' or 'flow', as in a river or a person's thoughts or emotions. | |||
Spanish | corriente | ||
Corriente can also mean 'current,' as in 'the current of the river,' or 'commonplace,' as in 'the current fashion.' | |||
Swedish | ström | ||
"Ström" can also refer to the force, power, or intensity of something, or to the flow of liquid or energy. | |||
Welsh | nant | ||
"Nant" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*nanto-", meaning "valley" or "stream". |
Belarusian | ручай | ||
The word "ручай" has alternative meanings such as "a small amount" or "a flow of liquid". | |||
Bosnian | potok | ||
The word "potok" in Bosnian shares its root with the word "potop", meaning "flood" or "deluge". | |||
Bulgarian | поток | ||
"Поток" also means "flow" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | proud | ||
Proud is also a colloquial term for a fast flowing river or a spring | |||
Estonian | voog | ||
The word “voog” (stream) is also used in Estonian to denote a flow, a procession, a train of thought, or a current. | |||
Finnish | virta | ||
The word "virta" is also related to the word "virta" meaning "power" or "current". | |||
Hungarian | folyam | ||
The Hungarian word for "folyam" can also refer to a "process" or a "discourse". | |||
Latvian | straume | ||
The Latvian word "straume" is cognate with the Lithuanian "srautas" and the Sanskrit "srota", both meaning "stream", and possibly with the Old English "stream." | |||
Lithuanian | srautas | ||
The word "srautas" is also used to refer to a person's flow of energy or thoughts. | |||
Macedonian | поток | ||
The word "поток" has a figurative meaning and can refer to any type of flow. | |||
Polish | strumień | ||
"Strumień" in Polish can also refer to an electric current. | |||
Romanian | curent | ||
In Romanian, the word "curent" not only means "stream" but also a more abstract flow, such as an electrical current or the current trend in fashion. | |||
Russian | ручей | ||
Russian word "ручей" originates from a Proto-Slavic word meaning "to flow", and can also mean "creek" or "brook". | |||
Serbian | поток | ||
The Serbian word "поток" (stream) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*potokъ", which originally meant "a small brook or river". | |||
Slovak | prúd | ||
The Slovak word for "stream", Prúd, shares its origin with the Polish "prąd" meaning "current" and the Latin "prudens" meaning "wise". | |||
Slovenian | tok | ||
The word "tok" can also refer to the flow of a liquid or gas, or to a stream of data or information. | |||
Ukrainian | потік | ||
The Ukrainian word "потік" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *potokъ, which means "run, flow". |
Bengali | প্রবাহ | ||
The word "প্রবাহ" (stream) is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रवाहन" (to flow). It can also refer to a literary or artistic movement or a flow of ideas or thoughts. | |||
Gujarati | પ્રવાહ | ||
"પ્રવાહ" (stream) can also refer to current, airflow, trend, flow, flux, or circulation. | |||
Hindi | धारा | ||
The Hindi word 'धारा' (stream) comes from the Sanskrit word 'धृ' (to flow) and also refers to a 'series' or 'flow' of something. | |||
Kannada | ಸ್ಟ್ರೀಮ್ | ||
The Kannada word 'stream', 'ಸ್ಟ್ರೀಮ್', is derived from the English word 'stream' and refers to a continuous flow of liquid in a channel, as well as a continuous flow of data in a computer network. | |||
Malayalam | ധാര | ||
The word "ധാര" in Malayalam can also refer to a continuous flow of something, such as rain, tears, or even knowledge. | |||
Marathi | प्रवाह | ||
The Marathi word "प्रवाह" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रवहण," meaning "to flow or carry along." | |||
Nepali | धारा | ||
The word 'dhara' in Nepali also means 'flow', 'current', or 'stream of liquid or gas'. | |||
Punjabi | ਸਟ੍ਰੀਮ | ||
ਸਟ੍ਰੀਮ in the context of streaming media is derived from its original meaning, a continuous flow. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ධාරාව | ||
The word ධාරාව can also refer to a flow or a continuous stream of liquid or gas. | |||
Tamil | ஸ்ட்ரீம் | ||
The word "ஸ்ட்ரீம்" can also refer to a flow of liquid or gas, or a continuous flow of data or information. | |||
Telugu | స్ట్రీమ్ | ||
In English, "stream" is also used to describe a sequence of data being sent over a network. | |||
Urdu | ندی | ||
The Urdu word "ندی" is derived from the Sanskrit word "नदी" (nadi), which also means "stream". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 流 | ||
Can also mean 'flow, current', or as a verb, 'to shed tears' | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 流 | ||
流 (流) is a variant form of the traditional Chinese character 瀏 (瀏), which means to stroll, to browse, or to watch. | |||
Japanese | ストリーム | ||
The word "stream" in Japanese can also refer to a data stream or a sequence of events. | |||
Korean | 흐름 | ||
The word "흐름" can also mean "flow" or "current". | |||
Mongolian | урсгал | ||
The word "урсгал" can also refer to a river or channel of water. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရေနွေးငွေ့ | ||
Indonesian | aliran | ||
The word "aliran" in Indonesian can also mean "current" or "flow" in a more general sense, not just limited to water. | |||
Javanese | stream | ||
The Javanese word for "stream", "kali", can also refer to a river or canal. | |||
Khmer | ស្ទ្រីម | ||
The word ស្ទ្រីម (stream) can also refer to a river, canal, or current. | |||
Lao | ກະແສ | ||
The word "ກະແສ" comes from the Pali word "srota", which can also mean "current" or "flow". | |||
Malay | aliran | ||
"Aliran" also means "ideology" in Malay, derived from the Arabic word "al-irfan" meaning "knowledge". | |||
Thai | กระแส | ||
The word "กระแส" can also refer to electric current, fashion or trend, or a flow of water. | |||
Vietnamese | suối | ||
The word "suối" in Vietnamese is also used to refer to a spring or a fountain. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | stream | ||
Azerbaijani | axın | ||
The word "axın" is also used to refer to a "millstone" or a "grindstone" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | ағын | ||
The word "ағын" can also refer to a trend or current. | |||
Kyrgyz | агым | ||
The word "агым" can also refer to a flow or current in a liquid or gas. | |||
Tajik | ҷараён | ||
In Tajik, "ҷараён" can also refer to a current or process, borrowing its meaning from its Persian equivalent. | |||
Turkmen | akym | ||
Uzbek | oqim | ||
"Oqim" (stream) possibly comes from the Turkic word "oqum" (read), implying a place where cattle come to drink. | |||
Uyghur | stream | ||
Hawaiian | kahawai | ||
The word "kahawai" in Hawaiian also means "gushing water". | |||
Maori | rerenga | ||
In Maori mythology, Rerenga is also the name for the spirit path between the living and the dead. | |||
Samoan | vaitafe | ||
The word "vaitafe" in Samoan can also refer to a "spring" or "channel" of water. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | stream | ||
The word "stream" can also refer to a flow of electricity or data. |
Aymara | kurinti | ||
Guarani | ysyry | ||
Esperanto | rivereto | ||
"Rivereto" also refers to the part of a river at which it is shallowest | |||
Latin | amnis | ||
The Latin word "amnis" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "āpah" meaning "waters", and can refer to larger bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. |
Greek | ρεύμα | ||
"Ρεύμα" also means "electricity" in Greek, with "ηλεκτρικό ρεύμα" meaning "electric current". | |||
Hmong | dej ntws | ||
"Dej ntws" does not mean "stream" in Hmong, but rather "streambed." | |||
Kurdish | herrok | ||
In some Kurdish dialects, "herrok" can also refer to a narrow passage or alleyway. | |||
Turkish | akış | ||
Cognate with Hungarian "ag" (flood) and Finnish "aalto" (wave), Akış carries the meaning of "flow." | |||
Xhosa | umlambo | ||
In Xhosa, "umlambo" can also refer to a type of funeral ceremony or a specific lineage group. | |||
Yiddish | טייַך | ||
The Yiddish word "טייַך" can also mean "pond" or "lake". | |||
Zulu | ukusakaza | ||
Zulu word for 'stream, river, or channel' from the root 'sakaza' meaning 'to divide' or 'branch out'. | |||
Assamese | নিজৰা | ||
Aymara | kurinti | ||
Bhojpuri | बहल | ||
Dhivehi | ކޯރު | ||
Dogri | नाला | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | stream | ||
Guarani | ysyry | ||
Ilocano | karayan | ||
Krio | strim | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | تەوژم | ||
Maithili | धार | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯨꯔꯦꯜ ꯃꯆꯥ | ||
Mizo | lui te | ||
Oromo | yaa'uu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | stream ରଣା | ||
Quechua | purisqan | ||
Sanskrit | धारा | ||
Tatar | агым | ||
Tigrinya | መመሓላለፊ | ||
Tsonga | xinambyana | ||