Talk in Different Languages
Discover 'Talk' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'talk' holds a significant place in our daily lives, allowing us to communicate, express our thoughts, and connect with others. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it facilitates the exchange of ideas, stories, and wisdom across generations and communities. Understanding the translation of 'talk' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural appreciation.
Did you know that the English word 'talk' comes from the Old English 'talu,' which means 'speech'? Or that in some cultures, talking is considered a form of art, such as the ancient Greek practice of 'rhetoric'? These fascinating historical contexts add depth to our understanding of this simple yet powerful word.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or a business professional working with international colleagues, knowing the translation of 'talk' in different languages can be incredibly useful. By breaking down language barriers, you can build stronger relationships, deepen your cultural understanding, and expand your horizons.
Talk
Talk in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | praat | ||
| "Praat" can also refer to a type of fish or to the action of bragging. | |||
| Amharic | ማውራት | ||
| Hausa | magana | ||
| Hausa word "magana" also refers to "speech," "language," "saying," "rumor," or "news." | |||
| Igbo | kwuo | ||
| In Igbo, the word “kwuo” also means “to tell a story” or “to relate an account”. | |||
| Malagasy | lahateny | ||
| The word "lahateny" also refers to a type of Malagasy oratory that can be ceremonial, competitive, or for entertainment purposes. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhani | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "nkhani" also means "story" or "news." | |||
| Shona | taura | ||
| Taura's etymology lies in the Proto-Bantu word *lɔ́ːɡ-, meaning 'to talk'. Other derivatives of this root include the Swahili word 'sauti' ('voice'), the Bemba word 'landa' ('to speak'), and the Zulu word 'khuluma' ('to talk'). | |||
| Somali | hadal | ||
| Somali 'hadal' derives from Arabic, meaning both 'speech' and 'reasoning'. | |||
| Sesotho | bua | ||
| "Bua" is also used to refer to the idea of an argument or a discussion. | |||
| Swahili | ongea | ||
| "Ongea" can also mean "to negotiate" or "to discuss matters" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | thetha | ||
| Alternate meanings of 'thetha' include 'to speak' and 'to tell'. | |||
| Yoruba | sọrọ | ||
| Sọrọ is also used figuratively to denote "business, affair, matter," "reason for speech," "speech, language," and "fame, renown." | |||
| Zulu | khuluma | ||
| The Zulu word "khuluma" can also mean "to speak out" or "to express oneself." | |||
| Bambara | ka kuma | ||
| Ewe | ƒo nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | vuga | ||
| Lingala | koloba | ||
| Luganda | okwoogera | ||
| Sepedi | bolela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kasa | ||
Talk in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حديث | ||
| The word "حديث" (hadith) also refers to a narrative about the Prophet Muhammad's life, used as a source of religious law and guidance. | |||
| Hebrew | דבר | ||
| The Hebrew word "דבר" (davar) also means "thing" or "object," and is cognate with the Arabic word "دَابَرَ" (dabara), meaning "to arrange" or "to put in order." | |||
| Pashto | خبرې کول | ||
| خبرې كول can also mean | |||
| Arabic | حديث | ||
| The word "حديث" (hadith) also refers to a narrative about the Prophet Muhammad's life, used as a source of religious law and guidance. | |||
Talk in Western European Languages
| Albanian | flasim | ||
| The Albanian word "flasim" is derived from the Proto-Albanian *plākim- ( | |||
| Basque | hitz egin | ||
| "Hitz egin" also means "to do magic", perhaps from an older meaning of "to invoke" or "to cast a spell." | |||
| Catalan | parlar | ||
| In French, "parler" means "to speak", in Spanish, "hablar", in Portuguese, "falar" and in Catalan, "parlar". | |||
| Croatian | razgovor | ||
| The Croatian word "razgovor" shares its Latin root "rogare" with "prayer" and "interrogation." | |||
| Danish | tale | ||
| The Danish word "tale" can also mean "account" or "explanation". | |||
| Dutch | praten | ||
| Dutch "praten" comes from Proto-Germanic "brōtijaną" meaning "to make noise" via Old Saxon "pratian" (related to English "prate"). | |||
| English | talk | ||
| The word "talk" derives from the Old English talian, meaning "to tell" or "to speak". | |||
| French | parler | ||
| In French, "parler" also means "to bet" or "to speak formally", derived from Latin "parabolāre" meaning "to speak". | |||
| Frisian | prate | ||
| The Frisian word prate means 'talk' and is derived from the Middle Dutch word praten, which means 'to talk' or 'to babble'. | |||
| Galician | falar | ||
| The verb 'falar' in Galician comes from the Latin 'fabulare', meaning 'to speak'. | |||
| German | sich unterhalten | ||
| "Sich unterhalten" (to talk) is etymologically related to the phrase "sich unter den Haltenden" (to be among those who hold), referring to a position of safety and comfort. | |||
| Icelandic | tala | ||
| "Tala"," to talk is related to "tell"in English and "tal" Swedish and Norwegian for “number." | |||
| Irish | caint | ||
| "Caint" can also mean "song" or "melody" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | parlare | ||
| The Italian word "parlare" also means "to chat", "to speak", "to utter", or "to converse". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schwätzen | ||
| In certain contexts, "schwätzen" can also mean to "chatter" or "gossip". | |||
| Maltese | tkellem | ||
| The Maltese word 'tkellem' comes from the Arabic word 'kalam', which means 'speech' or 'word', and can also refer to 'negotiation', 'argument', or 'discussion'. | |||
| Norwegian | snakke | ||
| In Old Norse, "snakke" also meant "to converse" or "to gossip". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | falar | ||
| The word "falar" comes from the Latin "fabulari", meaning "to chat". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bruidhinn | ||
| "Bruidhinn" is likely related to the Old Irish verb "brith" (to carry) and the Old Welsh verb "brydu" (to utter or speak). | |||
| Spanish | hablar | ||
| The word "hablar" comes from Latin "fabulari", meaning "to chat" and is related to the English word 'fable'. | |||
| Swedish | prata | ||
| The word "prata" in Swedish also means "to chat" or "to gossip" | |||
| Welsh | siarad | ||
| In Welsh mythology, Siarad was the goddess of talkativeness and eloquence. | |||
Talk in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | размаўляць | ||
| Some Belarusian dictionaries list that the word "размаўляць" can also mean "to chat". | |||
| Bosnian | razgovarati | ||
| The verb 'razgovarati' (to talk) is derived from the Slavic root 'govoriti' (to speak), which also gives rise to the words 'razgovor' (conversation) and 'govornik' (speaker). | |||
| Bulgarian | говоря | ||
| The word "говоря" can also refer to the act of speaking in a public setting or making a public announcement. | |||
| Czech | mluvit | ||
| A related word, "mlčeti" (be silent), is derived from the same root, but with the addition of the suffix "-ti". | |||
| Estonian | rääkima | ||
| The Estonian word "rääkima" is thought to derive from a Proto-Finnic root "*rēke-, *rāke-" meaning "voice, sound, cry" or "to make a sound, to speak". | |||
| Finnish | puhua | ||
| The word 'puhua' is etymologically related to the Finnish word 'puhe' ('speech'), and it can also refer to a language or dialect. | |||
| Hungarian | beszélgetés | ||
| The Hungarian word "beszélgetés" is derived from "beszél" meaning "to speak", and the suffix "-getés" which conveys a habitual action or state. | |||
| Latvian | runāt | ||
| The Latvian word “runāt” may descend from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reu-dh- "make a sound, roar" if the consonant *dh became *n in Pre-Baltic. | |||
| Lithuanian | kalbėti | ||
| The word "kalbėti" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷʰel-, meaning "to sound" or "to shout". | |||
| Macedonian | разговор | ||
| The word "разговор" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic "razgovorъ", meaning "agreement". | |||
| Polish | rozmowa | ||
| The word "rozmowa" in Polish originated from the Old Church Slavonic word "razgovoriti", meaning "to speak". It also has the alternate meaning of "interview" or "conversation". | |||
| Romanian | vorbi | ||
| The verb 'vorbi' likely derives from the Latin 'verbum', akin to 'logos', suggesting both 'language' and 'reasoning'. | |||
| Russian | говорить | ||
| “Говорить” is a verb meaning “to speak”. It can also mean “to say”, “to tell”, or “to talk about”. | |||
| Serbian | разговарати | ||
| The word "разговарати" is a Serbo-Croatian verb meaning "to talk" or "to converse" and derives from the Proto-Slavic word *razgovoriti, which means "to talk to, speak to, converse." | |||
| Slovak | hovoriť | ||
| The word "hovoriť" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *gvoriti, meaning "to speak". | |||
| Slovenian | pogovor | ||
| "Pogovor" in Slovenian can also refer to "conversation" or "interview". | |||
| Ukrainian | говорити | ||
| A derivative of the verb 'to say' 'говорити' also means 'to speak' in Ukrainian. | |||
Talk in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আলাপ | ||
| The word "আলাপ" in Bengali traces its origins to the Sanskrit word "आलापः" meaning "conversation" or "recitation". | |||
| Gujarati | વાત | ||
| The Gujarati word "વાત" (talk) is also used to refer to a religious discourse or a conversation about spiritual matters. | |||
| Hindi | बातचीत | ||
| "बातचीत" ultimately comes from Sanskrit, through Prakrit "vatta" (speech), and is related to the English word "chat" | |||
| Kannada | ಮಾತು | ||
| The Kannada word "ಮಾತು" also means "a story" or "a statement". | |||
| Malayalam | സംസാരിക്കുക | ||
| The word | |||
| Marathi | चर्चा | ||
| The Marathi word "चर्चा" not only refers to a "talk or conversation", it can also mean a "controversy or dispute". | |||
| Nepali | कुरा | ||
| The word "कुरा" in Nepali can also mean "secret" or "matter". | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੱਲ ਕਰੋ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කතා කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | பேச்சு | ||
| The word 'பேச்சு' also means 'language' and 'speech' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | చర్చ | ||
| "చర్చ" has alternate meanings like a religious service where a devotional book is discussed, a discourse etc. | |||
| Urdu | بات | ||
| The word "بات" in Urdu can also mean "night" or "sleep". | |||
Talk in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 谈论 | ||
| 谈论 in Chinese can also mean discuss, confer, negotiate, chat, converse. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 談論 | ||
| 談 (tan) means 'discuss', while 論 (lun) means 'argue'. | |||
| Japanese | トーク | ||
| The word "トーク" can also mean "conversation", "discourse", or "lecture" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 이야기 | ||
| In Old Korean, '이야기' referred to a story or a folktale, reflecting the oral tradition of storytelling. | |||
| Mongolian | ярих | ||
| "Ярих" (talk) is derived from the verb "яраха" (to do, to act). It can also refer to a conversation, a speech, or a rumor. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စကားပြော | ||
Talk in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berbicara | ||
| The Indonesian verb "berbicara" also has the meaning of "to recite", especially in a religious context. | |||
| Javanese | ngomong | ||
| 'Ngomong' has other meanings, e.g., 'to speak one's mind', 'to tell a story', and 'to make a request' | |||
| Khmer | និយាយ | ||
| The word "និយាយ" (talk) comes from the Sanskrit word "ni-vad-ti", meaning "to announce" or "to proclaim." | |||
| Lao | ສົນທະນາ | ||
| Malay | bercakap | ||
| The word "bercakap" in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word "brkata", which means "to speak". It can also refer to "conversation", "discussion", or "dialogue". | |||
| Thai | การพูดคุย | ||
| In Thai, "การพูดคุย" not only means "talk" but also "conversation" or "discussion". | |||
| Vietnamese | nói chuyện | ||
| "Nói chuyện" comes from the verb "nói" (to speak) and the noun "chuyện" (story, matter). It can also mean "to have a conversation" or "to gossip". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | usapan | ||
Talk in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | danışmaq | ||
| "Danışmaq" is a derivative of "danış"("advice") and the suffix "-mak", which transforms the noun "danış" into a verb meaning "to consult", "to ask advice". | |||
| Kazakh | әңгіме | ||
| The word "әңгіме" (talk) in Kazakh also means "story" or "tale". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүйлөшүү | ||
| Tajik | гуфтугӯ кардан | ||
| From the Persian word "гуфтугӯ", meaning "chat" or "conversation." | |||
| Turkmen | gürleş | ||
| Uzbek | gapirish | ||
| In informal speech, "gapirish" can also refer to "chatter" or "nonsense". | |||
| Uyghur | پاراڭ | ||
Talk in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kamailio | ||
| The word kamailio in Hawaiian also means 'to talk aloud to oneself or to another person, to converse, chat'. | |||
| Maori | korero | ||
| In classical Maori language, 'korero' also referred to a ritualised form of dialogue, often involving poetic or metaphorical speech and performed on formal or sacred occasions. | |||
| Samoan | tautalaga | ||
| "Tautalaga" derives from the words "ta" (to do) and "tala" (to tell), indicating not only speech but also action and storytelling. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | usapan | ||
Talk in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arsuña | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽ | ||
Talk in International Languages
| Esperanto | paroli | ||
| Originating from French, it also means 'money one gambles' in Italian. | |||
| Latin | disputatio | ||
| In medieval Latin, "disputatio" also referred to a formal debate in which scholars presented opposing arguments on a specific topic. | |||
Talk in Others Languages
| Greek | μιλα ρε | ||
| The Greek phrase "ΜΙΛΑ ρε" is derived from the Turkish "mı laş", meaning "or else" or "if not". Its current usage in Greek evolved from its original function as an interjection expressing impatience or exasperation. | |||
| Hmong | tham | ||
| The word "tham" can also mean "to whisper" or "to gossip". | |||
| Kurdish | axaftin | ||
| The word "axaftin" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "guftan" and also means "to tell" or "to say". | |||
| Turkish | konuşmak | ||
| The word "konuşmak" is derived from the Turkic root word "kon" meaning "meeting place" or "gathering," and also means "to be located" or "to reside." | |||
| Xhosa | thetha | ||
| Alternate meanings of 'thetha' include 'to speak' and 'to tell'. | |||
| Yiddish | רעדן | ||
| Rearedn can also mean advise, as in 'er hot em gerearednt', she advised him. | |||
| Zulu | khuluma | ||
| The Zulu word "khuluma" can also mean "to speak out" or "to express oneself." | |||
| Assamese | কথা পাতক | ||
| Aymara | arsuña | ||
| Bhojpuri | बतियाईं | ||
| Dhivehi | ވާހަކަ ދެއްކުން | ||
| Dogri | गल्ल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | usapan | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | agsao | ||
| Krio | tɔk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قسەکردن | ||
| Maithili | गप्प | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥ ꯉꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | bia | ||
| Oromo | dubbachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଥାବାର୍ତ୍ତା | | ||
| Quechua | rimay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रलपतु | ||
| Tatar | сөйләшү | ||
| Tigrinya | ተዛረብ | ||
| Tsonga | vulavula | ||