System in Different Languages
Discover 'System' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'system' holds immense significance in our daily lives, shaping how we organize, analyze, and interact with the world. From intricate computer networks to the organized functioning of our society, the concept of a system is omnipresent and culturally important. Its translation in different languages not only bridges linguistic gaps but also offers insights into how various cultures perceive and approach complexity.
Did you know that the ancient Greeks had two words for system? Systema referred to a whole as a complex arrangement of parts, while Taxiis represented order or methodical arrangement. In Japanese, Seido (セイド) reflects the same meaning but emphasizes the importance of principles and rules. Meanwhile, in Hindi, Nirdeshan (निर्देशन) translates to system, highlighting the significance of instructions and guidelines.
Discover more fascinating translations of the word 'system' in various languages below, and deepen your appreciation for the richness and diversity of linguistic and cultural nuances.
System
System in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stelsel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "stelsel" (system) derives from the Middle Dutch "stelsel" (position, arrangement). | |||
| Amharic | ስርዓት | ||
| The Geez word ሥራ ( | |||
| Hausa | tsarin | ||
| Hausa word “tsarin” (system) originates from the word “tsara” (correct, beautiful, proper, or organized). | |||
| Igbo | sistemụ | ||
| The Igbo word "sistemụ" also refers to machines that produce electricity and operate electrical equipment. | |||
| Malagasy | rafitra | ||
| In the Malagasy language, "RAFITRA" has the alternate meaning of "constitution" or "framework." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dongosolo | ||
| The word "dongosolo" can also mean "scheme" or "procedure" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | system | ||
| In Shona, "system" translates to "gadziriro", which also means "government," "regime," or "administration." | |||
| Somali | nidaamka | ||
| Nidaamka is derived from the Arabic word 'nizam', meaning 'order' or 'arrangement'. | |||
| Sesotho | sistimi | ||
| The word "sistimi" in Sesotho is borrowed from the English word "system", meaning an organized set of parts that work together. | |||
| Swahili | mfumo | ||
| The word "mfumo" in Swahili can also refer to a collection of objects or a group of people organized for a particular purpose. | |||
| Xhosa | inkqubo | ||
| In Xhosa, inkqubo can also refer to an organization, institution, or group. | |||
| Yoruba | eto | ||
| The word "ẹ̀tọ́" (system) also means "law" or "custom" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | uhlelo | ||
| In computer science, 'uhlelo' is also known as a computer program. | |||
| Bambara | sisitɛmu | ||
| Ewe | mɔnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | sisitemu | ||
| Lingala | ebongiseli | ||
| Luganda | ebikozesebwa ewamu | ||
| Sepedi | tshepedišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sestɛm | ||
System in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | النظام | ||
| The Arabic word "النظام" has several meanings, including "system", "order", "discipline", and "regime". | |||
| Hebrew | מערכת | ||
| The word "מערכת" in Hebrew also means "solar system," "digestive system," and "nervous system." | |||
| Pashto | سیسټم | ||
| The cognate noun for "system" in Pashto is literally rendered as "foundation", "base", or "system". | |||
| Arabic | النظام | ||
| The Arabic word "النظام" has several meanings, including "system", "order", "discipline", and "regime". | |||
System in Western European Languages
| Albanian | sistemi | ||
| Although 'sistem' usually means 'system', in Albanian it can also refer to 'device' or 'mechanism'. | |||
| Basque | sistema | ||
| The Basque word "sistema" can also mean "a place where something is stored, such as a warehouse". | |||
| Catalan | sistema | ||
| The word "sistema" (system) comes from the Greek word "systēma" which means "an organized body of thought or knowledge, or a set of principles or rules." | |||
| Croatian | sustav | ||
| The verb 'sustaviti' from which the word 'sustav' arose originally meant 'to stop', 'to halt', 'to bring to a standstill' or 'to make firm'. The noun 'sastav' (composition) also emerged from the same verb. | |||
| Danish | system | ||
| The word "system" in Danish can also refer to a group of connected organisms or the body itself. | |||
| Dutch | systeem | ||
| In Dutch, "systeem" can also refer to a "scheme" or a "methodology". | |||
| English | system | ||
| The word 'system' derives from the Greek word 'systēma', meaning 'a whole composed of parts'. | |||
| French | système | ||
| In French, the word «système» has connotations of order, organization and logic, similar to the English word «structure» | |||
| Frisian | systeem | ||
| De term 'systeem' komt in het Fries zowel voor met de Nederlandse meaning, als in de meaning 'volgorde, regelmaat'. | |||
| Galician | sistema | ||
| In Galician, "sistema" can also refer to a group of organs or the arrangement of parts in a machine. | |||
| German | system | ||
| The word "System" in German can also refer to a set of rules or principles governing a group or organization. | |||
| Icelandic | kerfi | ||
| The word "kerfi" in Icelandic comes from the Old Norse word "kerfa," meaning "notch" or "cut"} | |||
| Irish | córas | ||
| "Córas" is derived from the Old Irish word "córus" meaning "order, arrangement, or structure. | |||
| Italian | sistema | ||
| The word "sistema" is derived from the Greek "sustēma" and can also mean "order", "method", or "organization". | |||
| Luxembourgish | system | ||
| System can also be used to describe a group or collection, such as "e Schoulsystem", the school system | |||
| Maltese | sistema | ||
| The Maltese word "sistema" can also refer to a set of rules or principles, or a method of doing something. | |||
| Norwegian | system | ||
| "Systeme" in Norwegian can also mean “a set of principles or ideas that form a coherent whole." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sistema | ||
| The word "sistema" in Portuguese can also refer to the digestive system, or to a group of people or institutions that work together. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | siostam | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "siostam" also means "foundation". | |||
| Spanish | sistema | ||
| The Spanish word "sistema" derives from the Greek "systema," meaning "group" or "arrangement." | |||
| Swedish | systemet | ||
| In Swedish, "systemet" also means the state-owned alcohol retail monopoly. | |||
| Welsh | system | ||
| The Welsh word 'system' means 'system'. | |||
System in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сістэма | ||
| The word "сістэма" is borrowed from the ancient Greek "σύστημα", meaning "a complex whole"} | |||
| Bosnian | sistem | ||
| The Bosnian word "sistem" can also refer to the skeletal system, the nervous system, or the circulatory system. | |||
| Bulgarian | система | ||
| The loanword "система" in Bulgarian is commonly used to refer to a computer software or hardware complex. | |||
| Czech | systém | ||
| Systém can also refer to a musical note or tone, or a set of exercises or practices. | |||
| Estonian | süsteemi | ||
| The Estonian word "süsteemi" is derived from the German word "System", which in turn comes from the Greek word "σύστημα (systema)", meaning "whole composed of parts". | |||
| Finnish | järjestelmään | ||
| The Finnish word "järjestelmään" originally meant "sequence" or "order" | |||
| Hungarian | rendszer | ||
| The Hungarian word "rendszer" originally referred to a line or row, but its meaning expanded over time to encompass the concept of a system. | |||
| Latvian | sistēmā | ||
| "Sistēmā" is cognate with English "system", Greek "systēma", and Sanskrit "stha-" (meaning "standing, establish"). | |||
| Lithuanian | sistema | ||
| The Lithuanian word "sistema" is derived from the Greek word "σύστημα", which means "a whole composed of parts." | |||
| Macedonian | систем | ||
| "Систем" can also mean "arrangement" or "order" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | system | ||
| The Polish word "system" originates from the Greek "σύστημα" (systēma), meaning "whole composed of parts". | |||
| Romanian | sistem | ||
| The word "sistem" in Romanian also means "an organized group of people or things", like a political party or a solar system. | |||
| Russian | система | ||
| The word "система" also means "an ordered arrangement of parts," "a group of related items," or "a set of principles or rules." | |||
| Serbian | систем | ||
| The word "систем" comes from the Greek "σύστημα" which means "organization" or "set of rules." | |||
| Slovak | systém | ||
| In Slovak, the word "systém" can also refer to a group of interrelated components acting together, such as the solar system or a computer network. | |||
| Slovenian | sistem | ||
| Sistem, a Slovene word meaning "system", comes from the Greek word "systēma", meaning "a whole composed of parts"} | |||
| Ukrainian | система | ||
| The word "система" can also refer to a collection of interrelated elements or a set of principles or rules. | |||
System in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পদ্ধতি | ||
| The word "পদ্ধতি" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पाद" (foot) and "ধা" (to hold), implying a set of steps or a well-defined way of doing something. | |||
| Gujarati | સિસ્ટમ | ||
| Hindi | प्रणाली | ||
| The word "प्रणाली" also means "method" or "arrangement" and has cognates in other Indo-Aryan languages such as Punjabi and Bengali. | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ | ||
| 'ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ' (vyavasTTe) in Kannada is etymologically related to the Sanskrit 'व्यव-स्था' but has come to mean both 'system', particularly governance, and 'prostitution'. | |||
| Malayalam | സിസ്റ്റം | ||
| In Malayalam, 'സിസ്റ്റം' can also refer to a group of people or things organized to perform a particular function. | |||
| Marathi | प्रणाली | ||
| "प्रणाली" derives from the Sanskrit word "प्रणर" meaning "to lead," hinting at its guiding role in a system. | |||
| Nepali | प्रणाली | ||
| "प्रणाली" comes from Sanskrit "pra-ni", meaning "before" and "ni", meaning "to lead," so it literally means "a leading forward." | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਸਟਮ | ||
| ''ਸਿਸਟਮ'' (''system'') is derived from the Greek word ''sustēma'' meaning "something put together" (''sun-'' + ''histanai'', "to put, stand, place"). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පද්ධති | ||
| පද්ධති ('system') is derived from Sanskrit 'pada' (foot, base) + 'sthita' (establish, place), meaning 'an established order or method'. | |||
| Tamil | அமைப்பு | ||
| The word "அமைப்பு" is originally derived from Sanskrit "sthiti" which means "standing" or "condition". | |||
| Telugu | వ్యవస్థ | ||
| The word "వ్యవస్థ" (vyavastha) can also refer to a collection of principles or guidelines. | |||
| Urdu | نظام | ||
| The word "نظام" also means "order", "arrangement", or "method". | |||
System in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 系统 | ||
| 系统 (xìtǒng) can also mean "order", "organization", or "classification". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 系統 | ||
| 系統 can also mean "series" or "order" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | システム | ||
| The Japanese word "システム" can also refer to a "method" or "approach". | |||
| Korean | 체계 | ||
| The word "체계" can also mean "order" or "arrangement", and is derived from the Chinese word "體系" (tǐxì), which means "system" or "framework". | |||
| Mongolian | систем | ||
| The word “систем” means “method or regime” but can also refer to “order” or “way”. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စနစ် | ||
| The term "စနစ်" can also refer to organization, structure, or the way something works. | |||
System in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sistem | ||
| The Indonesian word "sistem" derives from the Dutch "systeem," ultimately from the Ancient Greek "σύστημα (sustēma)" meaning "organized whole." | |||
| Javanese | sistem | ||
| In Javanese, "sistem" also refers to a type of game involving throwing and catching objects like pebbles or coins. | |||
| Khmer | ប្រព័ន្ធ | ||
| The word "ប្រព័ន្ធ" in Khmer originates from the Sanskrit word "प्रप्रथन" (pra-pra-than), meaning "to spread out" or "to set in order." | |||
| Lao | ລະບົບ | ||
| The word "ລະບົບ" can also refer to a group of people or things that work together. | |||
| Malay | sistem | ||
| In Malay, "sistem" can also mean "a way of doing something" or "an organized plan." | |||
| Thai | ระบบ | ||
| The Thai word "ระบบ" also has alternate meanings of "arrangement", "organization", or "plan". | |||
| Vietnamese | hệ thống | ||
| The Vietnamese word `hệ thống` (system) originally meant `a group of strings`. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sistema | ||
System in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sistem | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "sistem" derives from the Persian word "sistem", which in turn comes from the Greek word "systēma", meaning "organized whole." | |||
| Kazakh | жүйе | ||
| The word "жүйе" in Kazakh is also used to refer to an assembly of objects or parts, analogous to the English word "set". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тутум | ||
| "Тутум" может означать „систему“ или „совокупность чего-либо“. | |||
| Tajik | система | ||
| The Tajik word "система" comes from the Persian word "نظام", meaning "order", "arrangement", "organization", or "methodology." | |||
| Turkmen | ulgamy | ||
| Uzbek | tizim | ||
| Tizim can mean both "system" and "set" in Uzbek, with the latter being somewhat more common. | |||
| Uyghur | سىستېما | ||
System in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻōnaehana | ||
| 'Ōnaehana' can also mean 'universe' and 'organization'. | |||
| Maori | punaha | ||
| Punaha can also refer to a set of interrelated parts or a plan of action. | |||
| Samoan | faiga | ||
| The word "faiga" can also refer to a framework, a structure, or a method. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sistema | ||
| The Tagalog word 'sistema' may also refer to the human circulatory network, in addition to its meaning as 'system'. | |||
System in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sistima | ||
| Guarani | mohendapyrã | ||
System in International Languages
| Esperanto | sistemo | ||
| The Esperanto word "sistemo" is derived from the Latin word "systema" and also means "constitution". | |||
| Latin | ratio | ||
| In Late Latin, "ratio" could also refer to a particular way of arguing, which gave rise to the meanings "reasoning," "considerations," and "argument" in Medieval and Modern Latin. | |||
System in Others Languages
| Greek | σύστημα | ||
| Σύστημα literally means "setting together" in Greek, and can also refer to "constitution". | |||
| Hmong | kaw lus | ||
| The Hmong word "kaw lus" can also refer to a framework, organization, or structure. | |||
| Kurdish | sîstem | ||
| The Kurdish word "sîstem" is also used in the context of "method", particularly when referring to the "established way of doing something". | |||
| Turkish | sistemi | ||
| The word "sistemi" in Turkish can also refer to a person or thing that is organized or methodical, or to a group of people or things that work together. | |||
| Xhosa | inkqubo | ||
| In Xhosa, inkqubo can also refer to an organization, institution, or group. | |||
| Yiddish | סיסטעם | ||
| The Yiddish word “סיסטעם” can also mean “the body” or “a bowel movement”. | |||
| Zulu | uhlelo | ||
| In computer science, 'uhlelo' is also known as a computer program. | |||
| Assamese | পদ্ধতি | ||
| Aymara | sistima | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रणाली | ||
| Dhivehi | ސިސްޓަމް | ||
| Dogri | करीना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sistema | ||
| Guarani | mohendapyrã | ||
| Ilocano | sistema | ||
| Krio | sistɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سیستەم | ||
| Maithili | तरीका | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯊꯥꯞ | ||
| Mizo | tihdan | ||
| Oromo | sirna | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସିଷ୍ଟମ୍ | ||
| Quechua | sistema | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यवस्था | ||
| Tatar | системасы | ||
| Tigrinya | ስርዓት | ||
| Tsonga | sisitimi | ||