Symbol in Different Languages
Discover 'Symbol' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A symbol is a powerful tool for communication, often carrying layers of meaning beyond its surface appearance. From ancient hieroglyphs to modern emojis, symbols have played a vital role in human culture, transcending language barriers and uniting us through shared understanding. 'Symbol' itself has fascinating translations in different languages, reflecting the richness and diversity of human experience.
Consider, for instance, the German word 'Symbol' or the Spanish 'Símbolo'. Both retain the original meaning while adding nuances from their respective cultures. In Chinese, 'symbol' translates to '象征' (Xiàngzhēng), a term that also denotes metaphor and allegory, highlighting the deep literary traditions of China.
Delving into the translations of 'symbol' offers a captivating journey into the heart of various languages and cultures. Below, we've compiled a list of translations that we hope will inspire you to explore further.
Symbol
Symbol in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | simbool | ||
| The word "simbool" comes from the Greek word "symbolon", meaning "token" or "mark". | |||
| Amharic | ምልክት | ||
| The Amharic word "ምልክት" can also refer to a sign, a mark, or an emblem. | |||
| Hausa | alama | ||
| Alamar in Hausa literally translates to "knowledge," and it was widely believed in Hausa that a man, with access to all knowledge, could also know all of Allah"s ways. | |||
| Igbo | akara | ||
| The word "akara" in Igbo also means "image" or "representation". | |||
| Malagasy | marika famantarana | ||
| There is at least one additional definition of marika famantarana found, however this data is unreliable - it is the name of one, possibly two individuals. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chizindikiro | ||
| In some contexts, 'chizindikiro' can have meanings like sign or token. | |||
| Shona | chiratidzo | ||
| The word 'chiratidzo' can also refer to a 'sign', 'indication', or 'signal'. | |||
| Somali | astaan | ||
| Somali "astaan" might refer to a symbol in general or to the symbol of a certain group (such as a clan). | |||
| Sesotho | letshwao | ||
| In Sesotho, 'letshwao' can also mean a sign, mark, or indication. | |||
| Swahili | ishara | ||
| The Swahili word "ishara" can also mean "sign", "gesture", or "signal." | |||
| Xhosa | uphawu | ||
| Uphawu can also mean 'signal', 'indication' or 'token'. | |||
| Yoruba | aami | ||
| The Yoruba term 'aami' can also signify a 'likeness' or 'image' in English. | |||
| Zulu | uphawu | ||
| The Zulu word "uphawu" is cognate with the Xhosa word "uphawu" meaning "tattoo" or "birthmark". | |||
| Bambara | sɛnboli | ||
| Ewe | dzesi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikimenyetso | ||
| Lingala | elembo | ||
| Luganda | akabonero | ||
| Sepedi | leswao | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahyɛnsodeɛ | ||
Symbol in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رمز | ||
| The word "رمز" in Arabic can also mean "secret", "sign", or "code". | |||
| Hebrew | סֵמֶל | ||
| In rabbinic Hebrew, the word סֵמֶל can also mean "sign", "mark", "token", or "proof". | |||
| Pashto | نښه | ||
| The root of "نښه" means "mark" or "sign". | |||
| Arabic | رمز | ||
| The word "رمز" in Arabic can also mean "secret", "sign", or "code". | |||
Symbol in Western European Languages
| Albanian | simbol | ||
| The Albanian word "simbol" is related to the Latin word "symbolum" and originally meant a "token". | |||
| Basque | ikurra | ||
| The word "ikurra" in Basque is a homonym with the same pronunciation but two different meanings: "symbol" and "flag". | |||
| Catalan | símbol | ||
| In Spanish and Catalan the word "símbolo" originally meant "password". | |||
| Croatian | simbol | ||
| In Croatian, the word "simbol" can also refer to a person or object that represents something else, like a celebrity or a flag. | |||
| Danish | symbol | ||
| The Danish word "symbol" has several meanings, including "character", "figure" and "attribute". | |||
| Dutch | symbool | ||
| The word "symbool" in Dutch can also refer to a token or password. | |||
| English | symbol | ||
| The word "symbol" derives from the Greek word "symbolon," meaning "token of recognition" or "watchword." | |||
| French | symbole | ||
| The word "symbole" in French can also refer to a creed or a set of beliefs. | |||
| Frisian | symboal | ||
| In Frisian, "symboal" can also refer to a sign or indication or be used in the sense of "figure". | |||
| Galician | símbolo | ||
| The Galician word "símbolo" can also mean "creed" or "motto". | |||
| German | symbol | ||
| The German word "Symbol" can also mean "creed" or "confession of faith" | |||
| Icelandic | tákn | ||
| The word "tákn" can also mean "sign", "token", or "mark". | |||
| Irish | siombail | ||
| The word "siombail" also means "token", "sign", or "mark". | |||
| Italian | simbolo | ||
| The Italian word 'simbolo' is derived from the Greek word 'symbolon', meaning 'sign, token, or password'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | symbol | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "symbol" can also refer to a "crest" or "emblem". | |||
| Maltese | simbolu | ||
| Maltese "simbolu" derives from Greek "symbolon" and also means "crest", "coat of arms", "banner" | |||
| Norwegian | symbol | ||
| I symbol betyr også et kjemisk grunnstoff og er hentet fra det greske ordet "symballein" som betyr å kaste eller føre sammen. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | símbolo | ||
| The word 'símbolo' in Portuguese shares its origin with the Greek 'σύμβολον' (sýmbolon), meaning 'a mark of recognition, a token'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | samhla | ||
| Samhla can also mean 'likeness', 'image', 'representation' or 'parable' | |||
| Spanish | símbolo | ||
| In Spanish, "símbolo" originally referred to a contract or token of recognition, but later expanded to include its modern meaning of "symbol." | |||
| Swedish | symbol | ||
| The word 'symbol' comes from the Greek word 'σύμβολον', which means 'token' or 'sign' | |||
| Welsh | symbol | ||
| The Welsh word "symbol" can also mean belief, creed, or emblem. | |||
Symbol in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сімвал | ||
| "Сімвал" like in English is derived from the Greek "symbolon" (σύμβολον) and originally meant a sign of recognition, a mark, a password or a token. Nowadays it is used to refer to a person or thing that represents or stands for something else, or an object representing an abstract idea or concept." | |||
| Bosnian | simbol | ||
| The word "simbol" in the Bosnian language can also refer to a sacrament or rite of passage. | |||
| Bulgarian | символ | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, "символ" also meant "creed", which is its alternate meaning in Church Slavonic and Russian. | |||
| Czech | symbol | ||
| Symbol has a double meaning in Czech - one is "symbol", and the second meaning is "letter" | |||
| Estonian | sümbol | ||
| The word "sümbol" in Estonian is cognate with the word "symbol" in English, and has a similar meaning. | |||
| Finnish | symboli | ||
| The word "symboli" derives from the Greek "symbolon", meaning "token or sign". | |||
| Hungarian | szimbólum | ||
| The Hungarian word "szimbólum" derives from the Ancient Greek word "symbolon", signifying "sign" or "watchword". | |||
| Latvian | simbols | ||
| Simbols in Latvian can also mean 'knot' or 'sign' in some contexts. | |||
| Lithuanian | simbolis | ||
| „Simbolis“ in Lithuanian also means a name tag, a token, a sign, a trademark, a badge, an emblem, a signal, a gesture, an attribute, a memento, a mark. | |||
| Macedonian | симбол | ||
| The word "симбол" can also mean "sign" or "mark" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | symbol | ||
| The word 'symbol' comes from the Greek word 'symbolon', meaning 'token, sign'. | |||
| Romanian | simbol | ||
| The Romanian word "simbol" can also refer to a religious icon or object. | |||
| Russian | условное обозначение | ||
| The Russian word "условное обозначение" has various meanings, including "convention" and "signification." | |||
| Serbian | симбол | ||
| The word "симбол" (symbol) in Serbian can also refer to a religious icon or a password. | |||
| Slovak | symbol | ||
| In Slovak, "symbol" ("symbol") can also refer to a sign or token used to represent something else. | |||
| Slovenian | simbol | ||
| The word "simbol" in Slovenian can also mean "a sign or mark that represents something else", "a representation of an idea or concept", or "a person or thing that represents something else". | |||
| Ukrainian | символ | ||
| The word "символ" shares its root with the Russian word "ссылка" meaning "link". | |||
Symbol in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতীক | ||
| The word "প্রতীক" ("symbol") in Bengali also means "sign", "token", or "representation". | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રતીક | ||
| "પ્રતીક" (symbol) can also mean "a mark or sign, a portent, a pledge, an indication, a hint, a clue, or a trace." | |||
| Hindi | प्रतीक | ||
| प्रतीक can also mean token, sign, mark, or indication, and derives from the Sanskrit word 'प्रति' (prati) meaning "towards" or "similar to" | |||
| Kannada | ಚಿಹ್ನೆ | ||
| The Kannada word ಚಿಹ್ನೆ can also mean a mark, a sign, or an emblem. | |||
| Malayalam | ചിഹ്നം | ||
| "ചിഹ്നം" is an umbrella term for several concepts, including 'sign', 'symbol', 'logo', 'mark', 'indication', and 'characteristic'. In the context of linguistics, it means 'glyph'" | |||
| Marathi | चिन्ह | ||
| "चिन्ह" ('symbol') was originally used to mean a 'mark' or a 'sign' in Sanskrit, but now it is also used to denote a 'representation' or an 'emblem'. | |||
| Nepali | प्रतीक | ||
| The word "प्रतीक" can also refer to a sign, mark, or emblem representing a particular idea, state, or entity. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සංකේතය | ||
| The word 'සංකේතය' in Sinhala can also mean 'sign', 'representation', or 'image'. | |||
| Tamil | சின்னம் | ||
| The word சின்னடி சரி ("chinnam") means "small, little" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | చిహ్నం | ||
| The word "చిహ్నం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "चिह्न" (cihna), which means "mark" or "sign". | |||
| Urdu | علامت | ||
| The word علامت derives from the Arabic word علم ('alam), meaning 'sign' or 'banner', and has a secondary meaning of 'mark' or 'trace'. | |||
Symbol in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 符号 | ||
| 符号 (fúhào) can also refer to algebraic signs (positive + or negative -) or a sign of punctuation like a semicolon (;). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 符號 | ||
| 符號 may be used to represent the name of a function that takes two arguments. | |||
| Japanese | シンボル | ||
| シンボル「symbol」という文字は、元々は「標」の略字で、「目印」や「証拠」などの意味もあった。 | |||
| Korean | 상징 | ||
| "상징" is a Sino-Korean word that also means "proof" or "sign". | |||
| Mongolian | тэмдэг | ||
| "Тэмдэг" is a loanword from Sanskrit "चिन्ह" (cihna) meaning "mark". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သင်္ကေတ | ||
| In Pali, "sankheta" means "an agreement", "token for recognition", or "evidence". | |||
Symbol in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | simbol | ||
| The word "simbol" in Indonesian can also mean "omen" or "sign". | |||
| Javanese | simbol | ||
| The Javanese word "simbol" can also mean "sign" or "mark". | |||
| Khmer | និមិត្តសញ្ញា | ||
| Lao | ສັນຍາລັກ | ||
| Malay | simbol | ||
| The word "simbol" is derived from the Arabic word "simbal", meaning "likeness, resemblance, or figure." | |||
| Thai | สัญลักษณ์ | ||
| The Thai word "สัญลักษณ์" also means "sign" and "token" and comes from the Sanskrit word "sanketam" meaning "sign, signal or agreement." | |||
| Vietnamese | biểu tượng | ||
| In Vietnamese, "biểu tượng" means both "icon" and "symbol". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | simbolo | ||
Symbol in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | simvol | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "simvol" can also refer to a sign or token representing something else, such as a mathematical symbol or a traffic sign. | |||
| Kazakh | таңба | ||
| Borrowed from Russian тамга (tamga), which is of Turkic origin and is cognate with Kazakh тамға (taŏga), meaning "mark" or "brand". | |||
| Kyrgyz | белгиси | ||
| Belgisi also means a pattern or drawing, such as on a piece of fabric. | |||
| Tajik | рамз | ||
| Originally, "рамз" meant "clue" in Persian and "secret" in Arabic. | |||
| Turkmen | nyşany | ||
| Uzbek | belgi | ||
| Belgi is derived from the Arabic word 'alamah', meaning 'sign' or 'mark'. | |||
| Uyghur | بەلگە | ||
Symbol in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hōʻailona | ||
| "Hōʻailona" in Hawaiian also means an indicator or a signboard. | |||
| Maori | tohu | ||
| In Maori, "tohu" commonly refers to a symbol or a sign, but it can also mean a mark, a signal, or an indication. | |||
| Samoan | faatusa | ||
| The word 'faatusa' also has meanings of 'likeness,' 'portrait,' or 'image'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | simbolo | ||
| "Simbolo" can also be used to describe a musical note in Tagalog. | |||
Symbol in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chimpu | ||
| Guarani | mba'ejehero | ||
Symbol in International Languages
| Esperanto | simbolo | ||
| "Simbolo" also carries the meaning of the symbol as something that represents the power or authority of an office." | |||
| Latin | signum | ||
| Originally meaning the stamp on military standard that designated a legion,"signum" later came to mean "banner" and then "symbol" more generally. | |||
Symbol in Others Languages
| Greek | σύμβολο | ||
| The Greek word "σύμβολο" also means "tessera", i.e., a ceramic or metal token used in ancient times as proof of membership in a group or as a voucher for goods. | |||
| Hmong | cim | ||
| In addition to its meaning as 'symbol', 'cim' also refers to the Hmong cross-stitch design that represents the Hmong identity and heritage. | |||
| Kurdish | nîşan | ||
| The Kurdish word "nîşan" can also refer to a scar, a mark left on the body by an injury or other event. | |||
| Turkish | sembol | ||
| In Turkish, "sembol" also means "mark" or "indication" and is derived from the French word "symbole". | |||
| Xhosa | uphawu | ||
| Uphawu can also mean 'signal', 'indication' or 'token'. | |||
| Yiddish | סימבאָל | ||
| The Yiddish word "סימבאָל" (symbol) derives from the Greek word "σύμβολον" (symbolon), which originally meant "a token of recognition" or "a sign of something else." | |||
| Zulu | uphawu | ||
| The Zulu word "uphawu" is cognate with the Xhosa word "uphawu" meaning "tattoo" or "birthmark". | |||
| Assamese | চিহ্ন | ||
| Aymara | chimpu | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रतीक | ||
| Dhivehi | ނިޝާން | ||
| Dogri | नशान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | simbolo | ||
| Guarani | mba'ejehero | ||
| Ilocano | simbolo | ||
| Krio | sayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێما | ||
| Maithili | प्रतीक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯗꯝ | ||
| Mizo | chhinchhiahna | ||
| Oromo | mallattoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତୀକ | ||
| Quechua | unancha | ||
| Sanskrit | चिह्न | ||
| Tatar | символы | ||
| Tigrinya | ምልክት | ||
| Tsonga | mfungho | ||