Television in Different Languages
Discover 'Television' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Television, a word that has become synonymous with entertainment and information, is a significant part of our daily lives. From its invention in the early 20th century to the present day, television has transformed the way we consume content and connect with the world around us. Its cultural importance cannot be overstated, as it has brought people together, shaped public opinion, and provided a platform for artistic expression.
But did you know that the word 'television' has different translations in various languages? For instance, in Spanish, it's 'televisión,' while in German, it's 'Fernsehen.' In French, it's 'télévision,' and in Japanese, it's 'テレビジョン (terebijon).' These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances and historical contexts.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural aficionado, or simply curious, exploring the translations of the word 'television' can be a fascinating journey. Here are some translations to get you started:
Television
Television in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | televisie | ||
| }televisie" is cognate with the word "television" in English, derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "video" (to see). | |||
| Amharic | ቴሌቪዥን | ||
| The word "ቴሌቪዥን" is derived from the Greek words "τῆλε" (tēle), meaning "far," and "visio" (visio), meaning "vision." | |||
| Hausa | talabijin | ||
| 'Talabijin' is derived from the Arabic word 'tala' (to see) and the Persian word 'bin' (eye), indicating the device is used for viewing. | |||
| Igbo | telivishọn | ||
| In Igbo, the word 'telivishọn' is derived from two distinct words: 'teli,' meaning 'tell,' and 'vishọn,' meaning 'vision'. | |||
| Malagasy | fahitalavitra | ||
| Fahitalavitra, meaning "that which is written on the cloth" in Malagasy, is also used to refer to newspapers. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wailesi yakanema | ||
| The word 'wailesi yakanema' in Nyanja literally means 'wireless of light' and refers to the fact that television sets receive signals without wires. | |||
| Shona | terevhizheni | ||
| The word "terevhizheni" comes from the English word "television". | |||
| Somali | telefishanka | ||
| Telefishanka, the Somali word for television, was imported from the Italian language with the same meaning. | |||
| Sesotho | thelevishene | ||
| Thelevishene in Sesotho is derived from the English word "television" and has no other alternate meanings. | |||
| Swahili | televisheni | ||
| "Televisheni" is originally an Arabic word that translates to "far, from afar". | |||
| Xhosa | umabonwakude | ||
| The word 'umabonwakude' in Xhosa is a compound word meaning 'something to see' or 'that which sees' | |||
| Yoruba | tẹlifisiọnu | ||
| "Tẹlifisiọnu" derives from the Latin "televisio" (far-seeing) and literally means "seeing from afar" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ithelevishini | ||
| The word 'ithelevishini' in Zulu is derived from the English word 'television'. | |||
| Bambara | telewisɔn na | ||
| Ewe | television dzi wɔnawo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | televiziyo | ||
| Lingala | televizyo | ||
| Luganda | ttivvi | ||
| Sepedi | thelebišene | ||
| Twi (Akan) | television so | ||
Television in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التلفاز | ||
| The word "التلفاز" comes from the Greek word "τηλεόραση" which means "distance viewing". | |||
| Hebrew | טֵלֶוִיזִיָה | ||
| The word "טֵלֶוִיזִיָה" (television) is derived from the Greek roots "τῆλε" (far) and "ὁράω" (to see). | |||
| Pashto | تلویزیون | ||
| Originally meaning "far seeing" in Greek, "تلویزیون" refers to the telecommunication technology as well as the device. | |||
| Arabic | التلفاز | ||
| The word "التلفاز" comes from the Greek word "τηλεόραση" which means "distance viewing". | |||
Television in Western European Languages
| Albanian | televizionit | ||
| The Albanian word "televizionit" is derived from the Greek word "τηλεόραση" (teleórasi), which means "far-seeing". | |||
| Basque | telebista | ||
| The Basque word "telebista" ultimately derives from the Greek word "telegraphein", meaning "to write from a distance". | |||
| Catalan | televisió | ||
| The word "televisió" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (meaning "far") and "vision" (meaning "sight"), and literally means "far-seeing". | |||
| Croatian | televizija | ||
| The word 'televizija' is derived from the Greek words 'tele', meaning 'far', and 'visio', meaning 'sight', and it shares the same etymology with the English word 'television'. | |||
| Danish | television | ||
| In Danish, "television" is also known as "fjernsyn" or "tv," which literally translate to "far seeing" and "picture box," respectively. | |||
| Dutch | televisie | ||
| Dutch "televisie" derives from the Greek roots for "distant" and "to watch". | |||
| English | television | ||
| "Television" derives from Greek roots meaning "far" and "seeing." | |||
| French | télévision | ||
| The word "télévision" in French comes from the Greek roots "tele," meaning "distance," and "vision," meaning "to see." | |||
| Frisian | televyzje | ||
| The word "televyzje" is derived from the Greek words "tele," meaning "far," and "vision," meaning "sight." | |||
| Galician | televisión | ||
| No Galician, "televisión" is a compound term that literally means "far vision" or "distance vision." | |||
| German | fernsehen | ||
| Fernsehen literally means 'far-seeing' and was originally used to describe the ability to see distant objects as if through a telescope. | |||
| Icelandic | sjónvarp | ||
| "Sjónvarp" derives from Old Norse words meaning "sight-far," i.e., "able to see from far away." | |||
| Irish | teilifís | ||
| "Teilifís" derives via Latin "television" from Greek "têle," meaning "far," and "opsis," meaning "appearance, sight." | |||
| Italian | televisione | ||
| In Italian, "televisione" literally means "far vision" from the Greek "tēle" and Latin "visio". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fernseh | ||
| The term "Fernseh" has been in use in Luxembourg since 1955. | |||
| Maltese | televiżjoni | ||
| The Maltese word "televiżjoni" is ultimately derived from the Greek "tele" (far) and the Latin "visio" (sight), meaning "far-seeing". | |||
| Norwegian | fjernsyn | ||
| " fjernsyn " is a compound made up of "fjern" ("far") and "syn" ("sight") that means 'distant vision', reflecting one of the first uses of the technology for the transmission of images over long distances, e.g., for scientific demonstrations or military purposes. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | televisão | ||
| "Televisão" originates from Greek (τῆλε: "far" and ὄψις: "sight") and Latin (visio: "vision"), with the original meaning of "seeing from afar", now applied to the specific device used to receive and transmit moving images and sound. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | telebhisean | ||
| Telebhisean derives from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "opsis" (sight) and was coined in 1927 by the Scottish inventor John Logie Baird. | |||
| Spanish | televisión | ||
| Originating from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "vision" (seeing), "televisión" also refers to the transmission of images and sound at a distance. | |||
| Swedish | tv | ||
| In Swedish, "tv" can also be used as a slang term for "to look" or "to watch." | |||
| Welsh | teledu | ||
| Teledu comes from a Welsh word denoting both "far" and "sight" | |||
Television in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тэлебачанне | ||
| The word "тэлебачанне" in Belarusian comes from the Greek words "tele" (far away) and "opsis" (sight). | |||
| Bosnian | televizija | ||
| The word "televizija" in Bosnian is derived from the Greek words "tele" (meaning "far") and "vision" (meaning "sight"). | |||
| Bulgarian | телевизия | ||
| The Bulgarian "television", "телевизия", derives from ancient Greek and means "see at distance" (τηλέ and όραμα). | |||
| Czech | televize | ||
| The word "televize" in Czech is derived from the Greek words "tele" (meaning "far") and "ize" (meaning "to hear"), and also has the alternate meaning of "to broadcast". | |||
| Estonian | televiisor | ||
| Televiisor comes from the Greek words tēle, meaning "far", and video, meaning "to see". | |||
| Finnish | televisio | ||
| The word "televisio" also means "telepathy" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | televízió | ||
| The Hungarian word for "television" is formed from the fusion of "távol" (meaning "distant" or "far") and "látó" (meaning "seer" or "visionary"), signifying the concept of "viewing from afar". | |||
| Latvian | televīzija | ||
| In Latvian "televīzija" also refers to the "TV news". The word "televīzija" comes from Greek "tele" (far) and Latin "visio" (sight). | |||
| Lithuanian | televizija | ||
| The word "televizija" is derived from the Greek "tele" meaning "far" and the Latin "visio" meaning "to see" | |||
| Macedonian | телевизија | ||
| The word "телевизија" is derived from the Greek words "τῆλε" (far) and "ὁράω" (to see). | |||
| Polish | telewizja | ||
| In Polish, the word "telewizja" literally means "far-seeing", derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "horao" (to see). | |||
| Romanian | televiziune | ||
| Although the Romanian word for "television" is "televiziune," there is a second meaning: "sight" or "seeing" because it comes from Latin "tele" for "afar" and "vedere" for "to see." | |||
| Russian | телевидение | ||
| In the early 1930s, "телевидение" was applied to all means of transmitting images, including phototelegraphy and cinema, and not only to electronic scanning, which now characterizes television proper | |||
| Serbian | телевизија | ||
| The word "телевизија" is derived from the Greek words "τῆλε" (tele), meaning "far" or "distant," and "ὁράω" (horaō), meaning "to see". | |||
| Slovak | televízia | ||
| The word "televízia" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "vision" (sight), indicating its ability to transmit images over long distances. | |||
| Slovenian | televizija | ||
| Television is derived from the Greek word "tele," meaning "far," and the Latin word "visio," meaning "sight." | |||
| Ukrainian | телебачення | ||
| The word "телебачення" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (meaning "far") and "opsis" (meaning "sight"), and it originally referred to the process of transmitting images over long distances. | |||
Television in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | টেলিভিশন | ||
| The word "টেলিভিশন" in Bengali is derived from the Greek words "tele," meaning "far" and "vision," meaning "seeing." | |||
| Gujarati | ટેલિવિઝન | ||
| The word 'ટેલિવિઝન' is derived from the Greek words 'tele' and 'vision', meaning 'far' and 'seeing' respectively, and refers to the ability to transmit and receive moving images and sound over long distances. | |||
| Hindi | टेलीविजन | ||
| The Hindi word "टेलीविजन" is derived from the Ancient Greek words "τῆλε," meaning "far" and "ὁράω," meaning "to see." | |||
| Kannada | ದೂರದರ್ಶನ | ||
| Malayalam | ടെലിവിഷൻ | ||
| The word "ടെലിവിഷൻ" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (meaning "far") and "vision" (meaning "sight"). | |||
| Marathi | दूरदर्शन | ||
| The word "दूरदर्शन" (television) in Marathi literally means "distant seeing" or "seeing from afar". | |||
| Nepali | टेलिभिजन | ||
| The word 'टेलीभिजन' is derived from the Greek words 'tele' (meaning 'far') and 'vision' (meaning 'sight'). | |||
| Punjabi | ਟੈਲੀਵੀਜ਼ਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රූපවාහිනිය | ||
| "රූපවාහිනිය" comes from the Sanskrit roots "rūpa" (form) and "vah" (carry); it originally meant "one who carries the images." | |||
| Tamil | தொலைக்காட்சி | ||
| Telugu | టెలివిజన్ | ||
| The word 'టెలివిజన్' is derived from the Greek words 'tele,' meaning 'far' and 'vision,' meaning 'act of seeing'. | |||
| Urdu | ٹیلی ویژن | ||
| "ٹیلی ویژن" (television) is a compound word formed from the Greek words "τῆλε" (tēle), meaning "far off," and "vīsiō", meaning "sight," referring to the ability to transmit and receive visual signals from a distance. | |||
Television in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 电视 | ||
| 电视's literal meaning is 'electric vision', suggesting its function as a way to expand our visual range into the world (远视) | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 電視 | ||
| The word "電視" originally referred to a mechanical device that used a rotating disk to create images. | |||
| Japanese | テレビ | ||
| "テレビ" comes from the Greek word "τηλε" (tele), meaning "far" and the Latin word "video," meaning "I see." | |||
| Korean | 텔레비전 | ||
| The Korean word '텔레비전' is derived from the Greek words 'tele' (far) and 'visio' (sight). | |||
| Mongolian | телевиз | ||
| Телевиз translates literally to "far-seeing", in reference to its ability to display distant images. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရုပ်မြင်သံကြား | ||
Television in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | televisi | ||
| The word "televisi" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "visio" (seeing). | |||
| Javanese | televisi | ||
| The Javanese word "televisi" is a combination of the Dutch word "televisie" and the Javanese suffix "-i", which means "thing". | |||
| Khmer | ទូរទស្សន៍ | ||
| Lao | ໂທລະພາບ | ||
| Malay | televisyen | ||
| Despite its name, the word "televisyen" in Malay refers only to the physical device, not to television broadcasting. | |||
| Thai | โทรทัศน์ | ||
| The word “โทรทัศน์” is derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "opsis" (sight), meaning “far-seeing" or "seeing at a distance". | |||
| Vietnamese | tivi | ||
| "tivi" is derived from the French "télévision" and originally meant "radio" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | telebisyon | ||
Television in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | televiziya | ||
| "Televiziya" is not an Azerbaijani word and the word for "television" in Azerbaijani is "televiziya". | |||
| Kazakh | теледидар | ||
| The word 'теледидар' comes from the Greek words 'tele' (far) and 'idein' (to see). | |||
| Kyrgyz | телекөрсөтүү | ||
| Телекөрсөтүү means 'television', but it is literally translated as 'a device for showing from afar'. | |||
| Tajik | телевизион | ||
| The word "телевизион" in Tajik derives from Greek and originally meant a device for viewing at a distance. | |||
| Turkmen | telewideniýe | ||
| Uzbek | televizor | ||
| The Uzbek word "televizor" comes from the Russian word "телевизор", which in turn came from the Greek words "τῆλε" (meaning "far") and "ὁρᾶν" (meaning "to see"). | |||
| Uyghur | تېلېۋىزور | ||
Television in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kīwī | ||
| In Hawaiian, "kīwī" originally referred to a "small, dark-colored, flightless bird" before its adoption for "television" due to the screen's resemblance to the bird's round, black eyes. | |||
| Maori | pouaka whakaata | ||
| Samoan | televise | ||
| In Samoan, "televise" also means "to appear on television" or "to watch television." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | telebisyon | ||
| "Telebisyon" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "opsis" (vision), and can also refer to a particular television program or the television industry as a whole. | |||
Television in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | televisión ukan uñacht’ayata | ||
| Guarani | televisión rehegua | ||
Television in International Languages
| Esperanto | televido | ||
| The word "televido" has the same meaning as the Latin word "televisio" from which it derives. | |||
| Latin | televisionem | ||
| Televisionem, meaning "far sight," originated as a blend of Greek terms tele, "far," and visio, "sight." | |||
Television in Others Languages
| Greek | τηλεόραση | ||
| The word "τηλεόραση" is derived from the Greek words "τηλε," meaning "far," and "όραση," meaning "sight." | |||
| Hmong | tv | ||
| Kurdish | televîzyon | ||
| The word "televîzyon" in Kurdish is derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "opsis" (vision), meaning "far-seeing". | |||
| Turkish | televizyon | ||
| "Televizyon" is derived from the Greek words "tele" (far) and "opsis" (vision), meaning "seeing from afar". | |||
| Xhosa | umabonwakude | ||
| The word 'umabonwakude' in Xhosa is a compound word meaning 'something to see' or 'that which sees' | |||
| Yiddish | טעלעוויזיע | ||
| The Yiddish word "טעלעוויזיע" is derived from the Greek words "τῆλε" (far) and "ὁράω" (to see). | |||
| Zulu | ithelevishini | ||
| The word 'ithelevishini' in Zulu is derived from the English word 'television'. | |||
| Assamese | টেলিভিছন | ||
| Aymara | televisión ukan uñacht’ayata | ||
| Bhojpuri | टेलीविजन पर देखावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޓީވީންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | टेलीविजन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | telebisyon | ||
| Guarani | televisión rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | telebision | ||
| Krio | tɛlivishɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تەلەفزیۆن | ||
| Maithili | टेलीविजन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯦꯂꯤꯚꯤꯖꯅꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ ꯌꯨ.ꯑꯦꯁ | ||
| Mizo | television-ah a awm a | ||
| Oromo | televijiinii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଟେଲିଭିଜନ | | ||
| Quechua | televisión nisqapi | ||
| Sanskrit | दूरदर्शनम् | ||
| Tatar | телевидение | ||
| Tigrinya | ተለቪዥን ምዃኑ ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | thelevhixini | ||