Table in Different Languages
Discover 'Table' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The humble table is more than just a piece of furniture; it's a symbol of gathering, connection, and communication. Throughout history, tables have been a central part of social and cultural life, from the grand feasts of ancient Rome to the family dinners of today. But have you ever wondered how the word 'table' translates in different languages?
Understanding the translation of 'table' in various languages can offer a unique insight into different cultures and their ways of living. For instance, in Spanish, 'table' is 'mesa', while in French, it's 'table'. Meanwhile, in Japanese, it's 'テーブル (teeburu)', reflecting the influence of Western culture on the language.
Moreover, exploring the word 'table' in different languages can also be a fun and fascinating way to learn new words and phrases. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, discovering the translations of 'table' in various languages is a small journey that can lead to a greater appreciation of the world's diversity and richness.
So, without further ado, here are some translations of 'table' in different languages:
Table
Table in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tafel | ||
| Afrikaans 'tafel' is of Dutch origin, and can also refer to 'slate' or 'board on which to write'. | |||
| Amharic | ጠረጴዛ | ||
| In addition to 'table', 'ጠረጴዛ' can also refer to an 'altar' or a 'meal' in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | tebur | ||
| The term "tebur" in Hausa may also refer to a flat piece of wood used for playing traditional games or as a writing tablet. | |||
| Igbo | tebụl | ||
| The Igbo word “tebụl” comes from the English word “table,” but it can also refer to a flat surface or a board. | |||
| Malagasy | loha | ||
| In Old Malay and Old Javanese the term loha was used for boards and planks, which are related to the meanings "table" and "floorboard" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tebulo | ||
| Table (tebulo), from the Portuguese "tabula." | |||
| Shona | tafura | ||
| The word “tafura” can also mean a game similar to backgammon played on a wooden board with counters. | |||
| Somali | miis | ||
| In Arabic, the word "miis" means "inheritance", which highlights the importance of tables in Somali culture as a place to share and pass on knowledge. | |||
| Sesotho | tafole | ||
| "Tafolé" in Sesotho also translates to "an altar where the ancestors sit". | |||
| Swahili | meza | ||
| The Swahili word "meza" may also refer to a "plank". | |||
| Xhosa | itafile | ||
| "Itafile" also means "the place where things are put" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | tabili | ||
| In Yoruba, 'tàbílì' can also refer to a wooden tray or a flat surface used for displaying or storing items. | |||
| Zulu | itafula | ||
| In Zulu, the word "itafula" originates from the verb "tabula," meaning "to spread something out flat," and refers to the flat surface where things are placed. | |||
| Bambara | tabali | ||
| Ewe | kplɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ameza | ||
| Lingala | mesa | ||
| Luganda | emmeeza | ||
| Sepedi | tafola | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pono | ||
Table in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الطاولة | ||
| The word "الطاولة" (table) derived from the verb "طوى" which means to fold or bend, implying the object's ability to collapse or extend. | |||
| Hebrew | שולחן | ||
| In Biblical Hebrew, the word "שולחן" (shulchan) refers to a "loaf of bread" or "table for food" rather than a "table" for general use. | |||
| Pashto | ميز | ||
| The Pashto word "ميز" does not have any alternate meanings but can be used in various contexts. | |||
| Arabic | الطاولة | ||
| The word "الطاولة" (table) derived from the verb "طوى" which means to fold or bend, implying the object's ability to collapse or extend. | |||
Table in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tryezë | ||
| "Tryezë" is connected to the Greek word "tripeza" which originally meant "three-footed stool" and is a cognate of the English word "tripod" | |||
| Basque | mahaia | ||
| The word "mahaia" also means "dinner" in some Basque dialects. | |||
| Catalan | taula | ||
| The Catalan word "taula" also means "board", "chessboard", or "deck of cards". | |||
| Croatian | stol | ||
| The word "stol" in Croatian shares its etymology with the Greek word "stylos" meaning "pillar" or "column", referring to the table's structural support. | |||
| Danish | bord | ||
| The Danish word "bord" (table) derives from the Old Norse "borð" (plank), reflecting its original use as a flat surface raised on trestles. | |||
| Dutch | tafel | ||
| The word "tafel" in Dutch can also refer to the game of backgammon. | |||
| English | table | ||
| The word "table" derives from the Latin word "tabula," meaning "plank" or "board. | |||
| French | table | ||
| In French, the term 'table' originates from the Latin 'tabula' and can refer to a flat surface, board, or inscription, in addition to its common meaning of 'table'. | |||
| Frisian | tafel | ||
| The Frisian word "tafel" is cognate with the English word "table" and also means "board". | |||
| Galician | mesa | ||
| In Galician, "mesa" can also mean "plate" or "countertop." | |||
| German | tabelle | ||
| "Tabelle" comes from Latin "tabula" (board, plank). | |||
| Icelandic | borð | ||
| An older meaning of borð is 'the side of a ship', which is also the origin of the English word 'board'. | |||
| Irish | tábla | ||
| The word 'tábla' also means 'tablet' in Irish, and is derived from the Latin word 'tabula', meaning 'board' or 'flat surface'. | |||
| Italian | tavolo | ||
| Tavolo, 'table' in Italian, derives from 'tabulatum,' meaning 'planks' in Latin, and later referred to a 'floor' or 'platform,' then a 'table'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dësch | ||
| Maltese | mejda | ||
| The Maltese word mejda derives from the Arabic word ʾmids, which in turn was borrowed from the Classical Greek term hepides (επιθέσις). | |||
| Norwegian | bord | ||
| In Old Norse, "borð" could also mean the side of a ship or a writing tablet. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mesa | ||
| "Mesa" is derived from the Latin “mensa,” which is of the same root as “month”. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bòrd | ||
| The word "bòrd" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a council or a committee. | |||
| Spanish | mesa | ||
| The origin of the word “mesa” comes from the Latin word for “food”, and it commonly appears in place names like Mesa Verde National Park and Las Mesas, New Mexico | |||
| Swedish | tabell | ||
| In Swedish, 'tabell' can also refer to a list of data arranged in rows and columns, similar to an English 'table'. | |||
| Welsh | bwrdd | ||
| The Welsh word 'bwrdd' additionally refers to a meal served at a table. | |||
Table in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | стол | ||
| {"text": "Belarusian "стол" is cognate with Russian "стол" (meaning "throne") and Polish "stól" (meaning "table, throne") and probably derives from Proto-Slavonic *stolъ, meaning "throne, table, capital, city" and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stōlaz (related to Old English *steall and Gothic "stōls", both meaning "chair")"} | |||
| Bosnian | stol | ||
| In Bosnian, 'stol' can also refer to a 'chair' or a 'throne'. | |||
| Bulgarian | маса | ||
| The word "маса" also means "mass" in Bulgarian, sharing the same Latin root. | |||
| Czech | stůl | ||
| The Czech word “stůl” also means “column” and is cognate with the English word “stool”. | |||
| Estonian | tabel | ||
| In the 18th century, the word "tabel" was used to refer to a type of table used for religious ceremonies. | |||
| Finnish | pöytä | ||
| The word "pöytä" is likely derived from the Proto-Finnic word *pöytɜ and cognates with the Estonian word "pöörd". It originally referred to a round table or a spinning wheel. | |||
| Hungarian | asztal | ||
| The Hungarian word "asztal" can also refer to a small bench or a work surface, and is likely derived from the Slavic word "stol" meaning "throne" or "seat of honour". | |||
| Latvian | tabula | ||
| The word "tabula" in Latvian can also refer to a flat, rectangular surface or a document that contains information | |||
| Lithuanian | stalo | ||
| The word “stalo” is a cognate of the Latin word “stola”, meaning “robe” or “garment worn by women”. | |||
| Macedonian | табела | ||
| "Табела" is derived from the Persian word "tahveh" and can also refer to a list or a timetable. | |||
| Polish | stół | ||
| The word "stół" in Polish, meaning "table", also has the alternate meaning of "a piece of furniture on which food is served". | |||
| Romanian | masa | ||
| The Romanian word "masă" (table) comes from the Latin word "mensa," meaning "table" or "dish." | |||
| Russian | стол | ||
| The word "стол" in Russian can also refer to a pillar or a column | |||
| Serbian | сто | ||
| The word "сто" can also refer to a "hundred" or a "dining set". | |||
| Slovak | stôl | ||
| The Slovak word "stôl" is derived from Proto-Slavic "stolъ", which also means "throne". | |||
| Slovenian | mizo | ||
| The word 'mizo' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*mizъ', meaning 'table' or 'altar'. | |||
| Ukrainian | таблиця | ||
| The word "таблиця" (table) in Ukrainian also has a meaning of "array". | |||
Table in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | টেবিল | ||
| The word 'টেবিল' comes from the Latin word 'tabula', which means 'flat surface' or 'board'. | |||
| Gujarati | ટેબલ | ||
| "ટેબલ" also means the amount paid to the astrologer or priest in advance or the fee fixed by a doctor or a lawyer. | |||
| Hindi | टेबल | ||
| The word "टेबल" (table) also means "plate" in Nepali and "sheet" in Marathi. | |||
| Kannada | ಟೇಬಲ್ | ||
| ಟೇಬಲ್ (table) is derived from the Latin word 'tabula', meaning 'board' or 'flat surface'. | |||
| Malayalam | മേശ | ||
| The word "മേശ" is also used to refer to flat surfaces in general, including the tops of chairs and boxes. | |||
| Marathi | टेबल | ||
| The Marathi word "टेबल" can also refer to a list or a schedule. | |||
| Nepali | तालिका | ||
| The word "तालिका" can also refer to a list, an index, a record, or a register. | |||
| Punjabi | ਟੇਬਲ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වගුව | ||
| The word "වගුව" is derived from the Portuguese word "mesa", which also means "table". | |||
| Tamil | மேசை | ||
| Though the word "மேசை" (table) is commonly used for furniture, it originally meant "a flat surface". | |||
| Telugu | పట్టిక | ||
| The word "pattika" in Telugu shares its root word with "patakam" (cloth, canvas), signifying its original function as a flat surface for spreading out or displaying items. | |||
| Urdu | ٹیبل | ||
| The word 'ٹیبل' (table) derives from the Arabic word 'tabl' meaning 'writing board'. | |||
Table in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 表 | ||
| In Chinese, the character "表" (biǎo) also means "to represent" or "to express." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 表 | ||
| In Japanese, '表' (read as 'omote') can refer to the outside, or exposed, part of something. | |||
| Japanese | テーブル | ||
| The word "テーブル" (table) derives from the Portuguese "tabola", which means "board" or "plank". | |||
| Korean | 표 | ||
| In Korean, the same word "표" can also refer to a "sign" or a "mark" | |||
| Mongolian | хүснэгт | ||
| "Хүснэгт" is derived from the verb "хүснэх" (to eat or drink), reflecting its original use as a dining table. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စားပွဲတင် | ||
Table in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | meja | ||
| "Meja" is a loanword from Portuguese, introduced by traders from Malacca and Portuguese priests in the 16th century. It derives from the Portuguese word "mesa" (table). | |||
| Javanese | meja | ||
| "Meja" in Javanese can also refer to a | |||
| Khmer | តុ | ||
| The word "តុ" can also mean "a piece of furniture with a flat top and legs, used for writing, eating, or other purposes". | |||
| Lao | ຕາຕະລາງ | ||
| Malay | meja | ||
| The word "meja" in Malay is derived from the Portuguese word "mesa", meaning "table" or "bench". | |||
| Thai | ตาราง | ||
| In Thai, the word ตาราง also means a schedule. | |||
| Vietnamese | bàn | ||
| Bàn in Vietnamese originally referred to a flat, wide board for writing or dining, and later came to mean any type of flat surface. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mesa | ||
Table in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | masa | ||
| The word "masa" also means "time" in Azerbaijani, and is derived from the Persian word "maze" meaning "season". | |||
| Kazakh | кесте | ||
| "Кесте", in the Kazakh language, is derived from the old Turkic word "kes", meaning to cut, and this name is associated with the process of preparing a table from a cut tree. | |||
| Kyrgyz | стол | ||
| Kyrgyz word 'стол' originally meant 'throne', but acquired new meaning after the Russian conquest of the country. | |||
| Tajik | миз | ||
| It is also used to refer to a large flat surface, such as a tabletop or a counter. | |||
| Turkmen | tablisa | ||
| Uzbek | stol | ||
| "Stol", meaning table in Uzbek, comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*stolъ" and is cognate with the Russian "стол" (stol) and Polish "stół"." | |||
| Uyghur | جەدۋەل | ||
Table in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pākaukau | ||
| The Hawaiian word "pākaukau" also means "food" or "to feed". | |||
| Maori | teepu | ||
| The word 'teepu' is cognate with 'tapu' ('sacred'), reflecting the ancestral belief that a table was a place for sharing food, which is sacred in Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | laulau | ||
| In Samoan, 'laulau' also refers to a traditional rolled banana leaf dish with cooked ingredients inside. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mesa | ||
| In Tagalog, "mesa" refers to the landform meaning "plateau" or "flat-topped hill" | |||
Table in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kumpurilla | ||
| Guarani | aripaka | ||
Table in International Languages
| Esperanto | tablo | ||
| The Esperanto word "tablo" (table) derives from the French "table", which itself derives from the Latin "tabula" (tablet). | |||
| Latin | mensa | ||
| The Latin word "mensa" also refers to a "monthly allowance" or a "meal," likely due to its association with dining tables where food and provisions were distributed. | |||
Table in Others Languages
| Greek | τραπέζι | ||
| Τραπέζι derives from the word "τραπεζίτης" meaning "banker" because that's where monetary transactions were recorded. | |||
| Hmong | rooj | ||
| In Hmong, the word "rooj" means "table," but it can also be used to refer to a "leg" or a "foot." | |||
| Kurdish | mêz | ||
| In Kurdish, "mêz" has multiple meanings, including "table" and "surface" (like of a wall or ceiling). | |||
| Turkish | masa | ||
| "Masa" also means "dough" in some dialects of Turkish, such as the one spoken in the south-eastern city of Gaziantep. | |||
| Xhosa | itafile | ||
| "Itafile" also means "the place where things are put" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | טיש | ||
| In Yiddish, "טיש" can also refer to a gathering of Hasidic followers or a meal eaten at such a gathering. | |||
| Zulu | itafula | ||
| In Zulu, the word "itafula" originates from the verb "tabula," meaning "to spread something out flat," and refers to the flat surface where things are placed. | |||
| Assamese | মেজ | ||
| Aymara | kumpurilla | ||
| Bhojpuri | टेबुल | ||
| Dhivehi | މޭޒު | ||
| Dogri | टेबल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mesa | ||
| Guarani | aripaka | ||
| Ilocano | lamesaan | ||
| Krio | tebul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خشتە | ||
| Maithili | टेबल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯦꯕꯜ | ||
| Mizo | dawhkan | ||
| Oromo | minjaala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଟେବୁଲ୍ | ||
| Quechua | hanpara | ||
| Sanskrit | पीठिका | ||
| Tatar | өстәл | ||
| Tigrinya | ጠረጴዛ | ||
| Tsonga | tafula | ||