Sweep in Different Languages
Discover 'Sweep' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'sweep' holds a significant place in our daily lives, symbolizing the act of cleaning and starting anew. This simple action holds deep cultural importance, as many traditions and ceremonies around the world involve sweeping to cleanse spaces and welcome good fortune. For instance, in Japan, homes are thoroughly swept before New Year's Day to sweep away the past and welcome the new.
Given the word's historical context and global relevance, understanding its translation in different languages can enrich our appreciation for cultural diversity and foster connections with people worldwide. Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- Spanish: barrer
- French: balayer
- German: fegen
- Mandarin: 扫 (sao)
- Japanese: 掃く (haku)
Discover more translations of 'sweep' and delve into the rich linguistic and cultural tapestry that awaits!
Sweep
Sweep in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vee | ||
| In Afrikaans, another meaning of vee is 'to make a sweeping motion' | |||
| Amharic | መጥረግ | ||
| "መጥረግ" can also be translated to "dust" in some cases. | |||
| Hausa | shara | ||
| Hausa word 'shara' can also mean 'to clean, clear, or rid of something'. | |||
| Igbo | zaa | ||
| The word "zaa" in Igbo can also refer to the act of wiping, brushing, or cleaning a surface or object. | |||
| Malagasy | fafao | ||
| In Malagasy, "fafao" can also refer to a type of dance or a traditional Malagasy broom made of straw or raffia. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sesa | ||
| The verb 'sesa' (sweep) in Nyanja (Chichewa) also refers to the gathering or collection of objects. | |||
| Shona | tsvaira | ||
| The word 'tsvaira' can also mean 'sweep away' or 'remove'. | |||
| Somali | xaaqid | ||
| In Somali Bantu, "xaaqid\” also means a person who is always running. | |||
| Sesotho | fiela | ||
| In addition to meaning "sweep," fiala also means "cleanse, remove, remove or destroy completely" | |||
| Swahili | kufagia | ||
| The verb "kufagia" can also mean "to clear away" or "to destroy". | |||
| Xhosa | tshayela | ||
| The word 'tshayela' not only means 'sweep' in Xhosa, but also refers to the act of cleaning something thoroughly or removing dirt and debris. | |||
| Yoruba | gba | ||
| The Yoruba word "gba" can also mean "to take", "to receive", or "to win". | |||
| Zulu | shanela | ||
| The word 'shanela' also has a secondary meaning denoting a 'broom' in the Zulu language. | |||
| Bambara | ka fura | ||
| Ewe | kplɔ nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guswera | ||
| Lingala | kokomba | ||
| Luganda | okuyera | ||
| Sepedi | swiela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | prama | ||
Sweep in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مسح | ||
| The word "مسح" can also mean "to wipe" or "to delete" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | לְטַאטֵא | ||
| The verb "לְטַאטֵא" also means "to destroy" or "to eliminate" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | پاکول | ||
| The Pashto word "پاکول" can be translated as "sweep" but is more commonly used to refer to a type of headwear, a type of hat worn primarily by men. | |||
| Arabic | مسح | ||
| The word "مسح" can also mean "to wipe" or "to delete" in Arabic. | |||
Sweep in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fshij | ||
| The Albanian word "fshij" (sweep) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sweh₂-," meaning "to clean, to wipe". | |||
| Basque | miaketa | ||
| In the Basque Country, "miaketa" means both "sweep" and "the sweeping of a woman's long skirt in the wind". | |||
| Catalan | escombrar | ||
| The Catalan word "escombrar" derives from an Iberian language and originally meant "to burn". In modern Spanish and Portuguese, the word "escombro" means "rubble". | |||
| Croatian | pomesti | ||
| The verb 'pomesti' also carries the meaning 'to remove', e.g. 'remove all traces, remove from the registry'. | |||
| Danish | feje | ||
| The word "feje" is homonymous with the word for "coward" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | vegen | ||
| In Dutch, the word "vegen" can refer to sweeping, but also to brushing or cleaning. | |||
| English | sweep | ||
| "Sweep" comes from the Old English word "swēpan," meaning "to brush" or "to clean." | |||
| French | balayage | ||
| Balayage is a French word that originally referred to the sweeping of a yard. | |||
| Frisian | sweep | ||
| Frisian word 'sweap' (to sweep) is derived from Old Frisian 'swēpa' and 'swēpje', meaning 'to wipe' or 'to remove'. | |||
| Galician | varrer | ||
| The Galician word "varrer" also means to "clear" or "clean" something. | |||
| German | fegen | ||
| The verb "fegen" is cognate with the English "fang" and "fetch" and shares an etymological connection with the concept of capturing or holding something | |||
| Icelandic | sópa | ||
| Sópa can also refer to a type of dance popular in Iceland. | |||
| Irish | scuabadh | ||
| The Irish word "scuabadh" can also mean "to clean" or "to tidy up." | |||
| Italian | spazzare | ||
| "Spazzare" in Italian can also mean "to get rid of someone or something in a perfunctory way" | |||
| Luxembourgish | sweep | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "schwenken" means both "to sweep" and "to swing." | |||
| Maltese | kines | ||
| "Kines" is cognate with Italian "quindici" (fifteen) and French "quinze" (Fifteen), and is likely to have meant something like "gathering" or "counting" in the original Semitic language. | |||
| Norwegian | feie | ||
| The word "feie" also means "to celebrate" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | varrer | ||
| The word "varrer" derives from the Vulgar Latin *verrere*, meaning "to sweep" or "to clean". It also shares the same root as the English verb "verify" and the French "vérifier". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sguab | ||
| "Sgub" can also refer to "the act of shaving" and its etymology refers specifically to "removing the bristles from a man's face with a wet razor." | |||
| Spanish | barrer | ||
| The verb "barrer" comes from the Latin verb "verrere" which means "to sweep", but it also has the alternate meaning of "to clear away or remove obstacles." | |||
| Swedish | sopa | ||
| "Sopa" is cognate with "sweep" in English and also means "trash" or "garbage" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | ysgubo | ||
| The word "ysgubo" can also refer to a "broom" or "brush" in Welsh. | |||
Sweep in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падмятаць | ||
| The word "падмятаць" also means "to remember" in Belarusian, derived from the Proto-Slavic "*metati" (to cast). | |||
| Bosnian | zamah | ||
| In Bosnian, "zamah" can also refer to a large swing, a swaying motion, or a type of traditional dance. | |||
| Bulgarian | метене | ||
| The Bulgarian word "метене" derives from a Proto-Slavic root also meaning "to throw away". | |||
| Czech | zametat | ||
| The word “zametat” in Czech is derived from the Slavic Proto-Slavic *metati "to cast, throw". | |||
| Estonian | pühkima | ||
| In Estonian, “pühkima” derives from the Proto-Finnic verb *pühkä- meaning “to clean, sweep, wipe”. | |||
| Finnish | lakaista | ||
| The word 'lakaista' originates from the Proto-Finnic verb *laka- 'to pull, drag', and is related to the word 'lakka' (cloudberry). | |||
| Hungarian | söprés | ||
| While "söprés" means "sweep" in Hungarian, it can also refer to the action of raking hay into piles. | |||
| Latvian | slaucīt | ||
| The verb "slaucīt" is a borrowing from West Baltic and is distantly related to the Swedish word "slicka" (meaning "to lick") and "slaka" (meaning "to hang loosely"). | |||
| Lithuanian | nušluoti | ||
| The word "nušluoti" in Lithuanian is closely related to the word "šluoti" (to sweep), but it also has a figurative meaning of "to get rid of something". | |||
| Macedonian | метење | ||
| The word "метење" also means "snowstorm" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | zamiatać | ||
| "Zamieść" is also used to describe a situation in which someone hides an issue or problem under the rug, pretending it doesn't exist. | |||
| Romanian | mătura | ||
| "Mătura" derives from Latin "mactra" (mortar) likely through contamination with Hungarian "metél" (cut). | |||
| Russian | развертка | ||
| The word "развертка" can also mean "unfolding" or "layout" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | пометати | ||
| The word "пометати" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *met-, meaning "to throw" or "to hit" | |||
| Slovak | zamiesť | ||
| The Slovak word "zamiesť" also means "to sweep away". | |||
| Slovenian | pometanje | ||
| In Slovene, "pometanje" is derived from the Slavic root "metati", meaning "to throw" or "to cast", and can also refer to the Slavic rite of throwing a live rooster into a fire. | |||
| Ukrainian | підмітати | ||
| The word 'підмітати' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *met-, meaning 'to throw' or 'to cast'. | |||
Sweep in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরিষ্কার করা | ||
| The verb "পরিষ্কার করা" can also refer to cleaning or tidying something, not just sweeping it clean. | |||
| Gujarati | રન | ||
| The alternate meaning of "રન" is to spread something, for example, to spread manure over a field. | |||
| Hindi | झाड़ू लगा दो | ||
| 'झाड़ू लगा दो' in Hindi can also mean to 'shake vigorously', as in a tree, or to 'brush aside' a thought or obstacle. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ವೀಪ್ | ||
| The word 'ಸ್ವೀಪ್' also means 'sweep' in English. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്വീപ്പ് | ||
| In Malayalam, 'സ്വീപ്പ്' ('sweep') is also a traditional form of fishing using a large net. | |||
| Marathi | स्वीप | ||
| The word "स्वीप" ('sweep') in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit 'svip', meaning "to sweep", "to wipe", or "to clean". | |||
| Nepali | स्वीप | ||
| The word 'स्वीप' comes from the Sanskrit word 'सूप' and shares its meaning of 'to clean by brushing'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਵੀਪ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸਵੀਪ" (sweep) can also mean "to win a card game" or "to defeat an opponent decisively." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අතුගාන්න | ||
| The word "අතුගාන්න" can also refer to removing or clearing something, such as wiping away dirt or debris. | |||
| Tamil | ஸ்வீப் | ||
| The word "ஸ்வீப்" (sweep) in Tamil can also mean "to wipe away" or "to clean". | |||
| Telugu | స్వీప్ | ||
| The word "స్వీప్" originally meant "to clean by brushing or wiping" in Telugu, but it can also refer to a "wide range" or "general survey". | |||
| Urdu | جھاڑو | ||
| The word "جھاڑو" in Urdu can also refer to a type of broom made from the leaves of the date palm tree. | |||
Sweep in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 扫 | ||
| 扫 can also mean 'to eliminate', 'to kill', and 'to clear away'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 掃 | ||
| 掃 can also mean 'inspect' or 'patrol', and is used in the term '巡邏', meaning 'patrol'. | |||
| Japanese | 掃く | ||
| Originally meant “to pick up” or “to gather” | |||
| Korean | 스위프 | ||
| 스위프(sweep)는 쓸고 지우는 행위를 의미하며, 또한 한 번의 움직임으로 뭔가를 제거하는 것을 뜻합니다. | |||
| Mongolian | шүүрдэх | ||
| The word шүүрдэх also has a metaphorical meaning, referring to the act of gathering or searching for something, or to the search for a solution. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှည်း | ||
| The word 'လှည်း' (sweep) in Myanmar comes from the Pali word 'sañcāreti,' meaning 'to cause to go.' | |||
Sweep in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menyapu | ||
| The Indonesian word "menyapu" also has the figurative meaning of "ridding oneself of something undesirable". | |||
| Javanese | nyapu | ||
| "Nyapu" also means "to erase" in Indonesian and several Javanese dialects, but this meaning is not present in Javanese Standard Indonesian, and has been replaced with "ngapus". | |||
| Khmer | បោស | ||
| In Khmer, "បោស" also means "to brush off" or "to clean", and is often used in the context of cleaning up a space or removing debris. | |||
| Lao | ກວາດ | ||
| The Lao word "ກວາດ" (sweep) can also refer to a sweeping motion or a sweepstake. | |||
| Malay | sapu | ||
| The word "sapu" in Malay can also mean "wipe", "clean", or "remove" something. | |||
| Thai | กวาด | ||
| The word 'กวาด' in Thai not only refers to the act of sweeping but also carries the meaning of 'to remove or clear away'. | |||
| Vietnamese | quét | ||
| The word "quét "(sweep) in Vietnamese is also a name or surname, or a word that means "to examine thoroughly" in another meaning. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | walisin | ||
Sweep in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | süpürmək | ||
| The word "süpürmək" is derived from the Persian word "supūrdan" which also means "to sweep". | |||
| Kazakh | сыпыру | ||
| "Сыпыру" (sweep) derives from the Turkic word "supurmek" (to clean with a broom), akin to the Mongolian "süpiirne" (to sweep) and the Hungarian "sepreget" (to sweep). | |||
| Kyrgyz | шыпыруу | ||
| Шыпыруу originally meant scraping the bottom of the cauldron with a piece of bread to take out the last remnants of soup. | |||
| Tajik | рӯфтан | ||
| In Tajik, "рӯфтан" also means "to clean". | |||
| Turkmen | süpürmek | ||
| Uzbek | supurish | ||
| The Uzbek word "supurish" is derived from the Persian word "supurdan", which also means "to sweep" or "to clean." | |||
| Uyghur | سۈپۈرۈش | ||
Sweep in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kahili | ||
| In Hawaiian, "kahili" also refers to a feathered staff or wand, symbolizing royalty, rank, or divinity. | |||
| Maori | puru | ||
| Puru is also the Maori name for a ceremonial dance performed with a large number of people | |||
| Samoan | salu | ||
| In Samoan, "salu" has multiple meanings and is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "salo" meaning "sail" or "to sweep". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | walisin | ||
| The original spelling for "walisin" or "walis" is "hwalis" from Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian language), a word which also means "sweep". | |||
Sweep in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pichaña | ||
| Guarani | typei | ||
Sweep in International Languages
| Esperanto | balai | ||
| "Balai" has no other meanings nor roots in Esperanto | |||
| Latin | eripiant partas | ||
| Eripere in Latin also means to tear, snatch or take something from someone, but in the context of 'eripiant partas' here, it refers to sweeping away spoils of war. | |||
Sweep in Others Languages
| Greek | σκούπισμα | ||
| In Greek, σκούπισμα can also mean a small room or closet, or a secret place where someone hides. | |||
| Hmong | cheb | ||
| The Hmong word "cheb" can also mean "to wipe" or "to dust". | |||
| Kurdish | maltin | ||
| The word "maltin" in Kurdish, originally meant "the end of the month or year." | |||
| Turkish | süpürme | ||
| Süpürme kelimesinin 'temizlik' haricinde 'yıkım' ve 'öldürme' anlamları da vardır. | |||
| Xhosa | tshayela | ||
| The word 'tshayela' not only means 'sweep' in Xhosa, but also refers to the act of cleaning something thoroughly or removing dirt and debris. | |||
| Yiddish | אויסקערן | ||
| The Yiddish word אויסקערן can also mean to clean out, to empty, or to expel. | |||
| Zulu | shanela | ||
| The word 'shanela' also has a secondary meaning denoting a 'broom' in the Zulu language. | |||
| Assamese | ঝাড়ুৰে সৰা | ||
| Aymara | pichaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | झाड़ू बुहारन | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުނިކެހުން | ||
| Dogri | ब्हारी फेरना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | walisin | ||
| Guarani | typei | ||
| Ilocano | agwalis | ||
| Krio | swip | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ماڵین | ||
| Maithili | झाड़ू लगेनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯦꯟꯗꯨꯅ ꯄꯨꯕ | ||
| Mizo | phiat | ||
| Oromo | haxaa'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସୁଇପ୍ | ||
| Quechua | pichay | ||
| Sanskrit | मर्जन | ||
| Tatar | себерү | ||
| Tigrinya | ምጽራግ | ||
| Tsonga | kukula | ||