Temperature in Different Languages
Discover 'Temperature' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Temperature is a fundamental concept that affects every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear. It's a measure of the heat or cold of an object or environment, and it's crucial to our understanding of the world around us. But temperature is more than just a scientific concept; it's also a cultural phenomenon that varies greatly from one place to another.
For example, in some cultures, hot temperatures are associated with relaxation and leisure, while in others, they're seen as a sign of hard work and productivity. And in still others, temperature is a matter of life and death, with extreme heat or cold posing a serious threat to human health and survival.
That's why it's so interesting to explore the translation of temperature in different languages. Whether you're traveling to a new country, studying a foreign language, or simply curious about the world around you, understanding the nuances of this important word can help you connect with people and cultures in new and meaningful ways.
Here are just a few examples of how temperature is translated around the world:
Temperature
Temperature in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | temperatuur | ||
| The word "temperatuur" can also refer to the atmosphere or mood of a person or place. | |||
| Amharic | የሙቀት መጠን | ||
| Hausa | zafin jiki | ||
| The word 'zafin jiki' comes from the Hausa words 'zafi', which means heat or warmth, and 'jiki', which means body. | |||
| Igbo | okpomọkụ | ||
| The Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | hafanana | ||
| The Madagascan word 'hafanana' also means 'the sun' or 'heat', as the sun is the main source of heat on Earth. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutentha | ||
| In Nyanja, the word “kutentha” is also used to mean “fever” or “high temperature,” extending its semantic range beyond the measurement of temperature. | |||
| Shona | tembiricha | ||
| The word 'tembiricha' in Shona is derived from the verb 'kupima', meaning 'to measure', and the noun 'richa', meaning 'heat'. | |||
| Somali | heerkulka | ||
| Somali "heerkulka" derives from Arabic "ḥarāra", meaning "heat" and "fever". | |||
| Sesotho | mocheso | ||
| The Sesotho word "mocheso" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "-chesa" meaning "to be hot or warm". | |||
| Swahili | joto | ||
| The word "joto" in Swahili can also refer to warmth, heat, fever, or a person who is lively and sociable. | |||
| Xhosa | ubushushu | ||
| Derived from 'ubusushu, meaning warmness, and is related to 'ukushisa', meaning to burn | |||
| Yoruba | otutu | ||
| The word "otutu" also means "cold" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | izinga lokushisa | ||
| The Zulu word "izinga lokushisa" literally means "a measure of heat". | |||
| Bambara | goniyahakɛ | ||
| Ewe | dzoxɔxɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubushyuhe | ||
| Lingala | molunge | ||
| Luganda | ebbugumu | ||
| Sepedi | themphereitšha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahoɔhyeɛ | ||
Temperature in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | درجة الحرارة | ||
| In classical Arabic, "درجة الحرارة" had the meaning of "fever". | |||
| Hebrew | טֶמפֶּרָטוּרָה | ||
| From Latin, temperatus, past participle of temperāre 'to mix in due proportion, regulate'. | |||
| Pashto | تودوخه | ||
| تودوخه is derived from the Persian word "تازگی" (tazegi), meaning "freshness" or "coolness". It can also refer to the season of spring. | |||
| Arabic | درجة الحرارة | ||
| In classical Arabic, "درجة الحرارة" had the meaning of "fever". | |||
Temperature in Western European Languages
| Albanian | temperatura | ||
| "Temperaturë" is borrowed from the Latin word "temperatura" and also means "temper". | |||
| Basque | tenperatura | ||
| The Basque word "tenperatura" comes from the Latin word "temperatūra", meaning "a mixing" or "a proper proportion". | |||
| Catalan | temperatura | ||
| The Catalan word "temperatura" derives from the Latin word "temperare", meaning "to mix" or "to moderate". | |||
| Croatian | temperatura | ||
| The word "temperatura" also means "temperament" in Croatian | |||
| Danish | temperatur | ||
| "Temperatur" also refers to a person with a particularly good temper. | |||
| Dutch | temperatuur- | ||
| The word "temperatuur" comes from the Latin "temperare," meaning "to mix in due proportion." | |||
| English | temperature | ||
| The word "temperature" comes from the Latin word "temperare", meaning "to mix in due proportion". | |||
| French | température | ||
| The word "Température" in French can also refer to the atmosphere or temperament of a person, rather than just temperature. | |||
| Frisian | temperatuer | ||
| In Frisian, temper is not only used for the temperature, but also for the disposition or mood of someone. | |||
| Galician | temperatura | ||
| In Galician, "temperatura" can also mean "temperament" or "disposition". | |||
| German | temperatur | ||
| In German, "Temperatur" can also refer to the emotional state or disposition of a person. | |||
| Icelandic | hitastig | ||
| The Icelandic word "hitastig" can also refer to someone's mood or disposition. | |||
| Irish | teocht | ||
| The Irish word "teocht" also has the alternate meaning of "heat". | |||
| Italian | temperatura | ||
| The word “temperatura” in Italian, which originally meant “balance of the qualities” as in humoral theory, also means “temperament” or “mood”. | |||
| Luxembourgish | temperatur | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Temperatur" also refers to a person's temperament in German. | |||
| Maltese | temperatura | ||
| The Maltese word "temperatura" also refers to the weather or a person's temperament. | |||
| Norwegian | temperatur | ||
| The Norwegian word "temperatur" derives from the Latin "temperatura", meaning both "temperature" and "a due proportion or mixture". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | temperatura | ||
| Coming from Latin, 'temperatura' carries a sense of 'proper mixture' (of humors/conditions), thus also relating to 'temperament'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teòthachd | ||
| "Teòthachd" in Scots Gaelic relates to the concept of "warming" or "being warm" rather than specifically referring to a numerical measurement of temperature. | |||
| Spanish | temperatura | ||
| The Spanish word "temperatura" also refers to the mood, temperament or disposition of a person or group of persons and derives ultimately from the Latin "temperare" meaning to regulate, mix or modify. | |||
| Swedish | temperatur | ||
| In Swedish, the word "temperatur" can also refer to one's mood or disposition. | |||
| Welsh | tymheredd | ||
| The word 'tymheredd' is a compound of 'tym' ('time') and 'mer' ('number'), suggesting a temporal measure. | |||
Temperature in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тэмпература | ||
| This word has the same root as the word "tempest" and originally meant "a state of great excitement or agitation". | |||
| Bosnian | temperatura | ||
| The Bosnian word "temperatura" derives from the Latin "temperare", meaning "to mix in the right proportions". | |||
| Bulgarian | температура | ||
| The word "температура" also means "temper" and "mood" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | teplota | ||
| The word "teplota" in the Czech language is also used to mean "warmth" or "heat". | |||
| Estonian | temperatuur | ||
| The word "temperatuur" also refers to the mood or temperament of a person, reflecting its Latin root "temperare", meaning "to mix" or "to moderate". | |||
| Finnish | lämpötila | ||
| "Lämpötila" literally means "heat level", from "lämpö" (heat) + "tila" (level). | |||
| Hungarian | hőfok | ||
| The Hungarian word "hőfok" comes from the words "hő" (heat) and "fok" (degree) and refers to the degree of heat in a substance or system. | |||
| Latvian | temperatūra | ||
| The word "temperatūra" comes from the Latin word "temperare," meaning "to mix or moderate." | |||
| Lithuanian | temperatūra | ||
| "Temperatūra" in Lithuanian comes from the Latin word "temperare", meaning "to mix" or "to moderate". | |||
| Macedonian | температура | ||
| The word "температура" is derived from the Latin word "temperatura", which means "a proper blending of elements". | |||
| Polish | temperatura | ||
| In medieval Latin, 'temperatura' denoted the mixing of the four bodily fluids to achieve overall well-being. | |||
| Romanian | temperatura | ||
| In Romanian, "temperatura" also refers to temperament or mood. | |||
| Russian | температура | ||
| In 17th-century Russian, the word "температура" also meant "temperament". | |||
| Serbian | температура | ||
| In Serbian the word “температура” doesn't mean only temperature, but a person's temperament. | |||
| Slovak | teplota | ||
| The word teplota comes from the Proto-Slavic term *toplota, meaning "warmth". | |||
| Slovenian | temperatura | ||
| In Slovenian, the word “temperatura” has both the scientific meaning and the informal meaning of “mood” or “state of mind”. | |||
| Ukrainian | температури | ||
| The Ukrainian word "температури" can also refer to the "temper" of a person or metal. | |||
Temperature in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তাপমাত্রা | ||
| The word "তাপমাত্রা" (temperature) in Bengali originates from the Sanskrit word "तापमान" (tāpamāna), which literally means "measuring heat". | |||
| Gujarati | તાપમાન | ||
| The word 'તાપ' ('heat') is found in the Gujarati word for 'temperature', which shows that the concept of temperature was originally understood in terms of heat. | |||
| Hindi | तापमान | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit "tapa" (heat) and "mana" (measure), meaning "a measure of heat". Also refers to bodily heat or fever. | |||
| Kannada | ತಾಪಮಾನ | ||
| "ತಾಪಮಾನ" is used colloquially in Kannada as a noun to mean "fever". The literal translation "ತಾಪ" (tapa) means "heat". "ಮಾನ" (maana) means "measure" or "amount". | |||
| Malayalam | താപനില | ||
| താപനില' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tāpana', meaning 'heat' or 'fever'. | |||
| Marathi | तापमान | ||
| In Marathi, "तापमान" can also mean "fever" or "heat of the body" in addition to "temperature". | |||
| Nepali | तापक्रम | ||
| तापक्रम, ताप, उष्मा या गर्मजोशी की स्थिति या माप है। | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਾਪਮਾਨ | ||
| The word "ਤਾਪਮਾਨ" (tāpamān) is derived from the Sanskrit words "tap" (heat) and "māna" (measurement), and its usage in Punjabi mirrors its scientific meaning denoting the degree of hotness or coldness. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උෂ්ණත්වය | ||
| The word | |||
| Tamil | வெப்ப நிலை | ||
| Telugu | ఉష్ణోగ్రత | ||
| The word "ఉష్ణోగ్రత" in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "ushnotta" and means "the intensity of heat or cold". | |||
| Urdu | درجہ حرارت | ||
| Derived from Persian "dirajat" meaning "step" or "level" and Persian "hararat" meaning "heat" or "warmth." | |||
Temperature in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 温度 | ||
| 温度源于“同度”，意为“同量”，指物体的热冷程度。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 溫度 | ||
| 溫度一詞源自拉丁語「temperare」，意為「調和、平衡」。」} | |||
| Japanese | 温度 | ||
| The Kanji characters used to write temperature, 温度, can be combined to create the words for 'hot bath,' 'thermometer,' or 'fever,' among others. | |||
| Korean | 온도 | ||
| "온도" comes from a Sino-Korean word meaning "degree of warmth". | |||
| Mongolian | температур | ||
| The Mongolian word "температур" can also refer to "temperament" or to the "temper" of a person. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပူချိန် | ||
| The term “temperature” in Myanmar is not just restricted to the physical sense but is also referred to when describing someone’s personality. | |||
Temperature in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | suhu | ||
| The word "suhu" can also refer to emotional states in Indonesian and is cognate with "suam" and "sejuk" ( | |||
| Javanese | suhu | ||
| The word 'suhu' is also used to refer to the feeling of hotness or coldness, such as in the phrase 'suhu udara' (air temperature). | |||
| Khmer | សីតុណ្ហាភាព | ||
| Lao | ອຸນຫະພູມ | ||
| The Lao word "ອຸນຫະພູມ" is derived from Pali words "uṇha" (heat) and "bhumi" (place), meaning "the place of heat" or "the heat environment." | |||
| Malay | suhu | ||
| Suhu is a Malay word that may also mean 'fever' or 'warmth', and is cognate to 'suam' (warm) in Indonesian. | |||
| Thai | อุณหภูมิ | ||
| In Thai, the word "อุณหภูมิ" (temperature) is also used figuratively to describe the intensity of feelings or emotions, such as anger or passion. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhiệt độ | ||
| "Nhiệt độ" derives from the Chinese "温度", meaning "degree of heat". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | temperatura | ||
Temperature in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | temperatur | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "temperatur" can also refer to "mood" or "disposition" | |||
| Kazakh | температура | ||
| The Kazakh word for "temperature", "температура", is derived from Russian and shares the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Kyrgyz | температура | ||
| Kyrgyz "температура" comes from Russian and ultimately from Latin "temperare" meaning to moderate, season, or mix. | |||
| Tajik | ҳарорат | ||
| In Tajik, "ҳарорат" (temperature) is also used to describe the intensity of emotions, such as anger or love. | |||
| Turkmen | temperatura | ||
| Uzbek | harorat | ||
| The word "harorat" can also mean "enthusiasm" or "heat of the moment" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تېمپېراتۇرا | ||
Temperature in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mahana | ||
| Mahana, meaning 'sunlight' or 'warmth,' shares an etymology with the word 'mahani,' meaning 'sun' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | pāmahana | ||
| "Pāmahana" comes from "mahana" (warmth) and "pā" (to possess), and can also mean "shelter" or "protection from the elements." | |||
| Samoan | vevela | ||
| The word "vevela" in Samoan originates from the Proto-Polynesian word "*vevela" meaning "sun", "heat", or "fever". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | temperatura | ||
| The Tagalog word "temperatura" was borrowed from Spanish and originally referred to the human temperament. | |||
Temperature in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | timpiratura | ||
| Guarani | arapytureko | ||
Temperature in International Languages
| Esperanto | temperaturo | ||
| In Latin the root "temper" signifies moderation and proper balance | |||
| Latin | caliditas | ||
| In Latin, "caliditas" originally meant "warmth" or "heat". | |||
Temperature in Others Languages
| Greek | θερμοκρασία | ||
| The term "θερμοκρασία" is derived from the Greek words "θερμός" (thermos), meaning "hot," and "κρᾶσις" (krasis), meaning "mixture." | |||
| Hmong | kub | ||
| The term "kub" may also refer to the degree of intensity in sound volume | |||
| Kurdish | germî | ||
| The word "germî" in Kurdish also means "fever". | |||
| Turkish | sıcaklık | ||
| The word "sıcaklık" also refers to "warmth" and "fever". | |||
| Xhosa | ubushushu | ||
| Derived from 'ubusushu, meaning warmness, and is related to 'ukushisa', meaning to burn | |||
| Yiddish | טעמפּעראַטור | ||
| The Yiddish word "טעמפּעראַטור" also means "temper" or "disposition". | |||
| Zulu | izinga lokushisa | ||
| The Zulu word "izinga lokushisa" literally means "a measure of heat". | |||
| Assamese | তাপমান | ||
| Aymara | timpiratura | ||
| Bhojpuri | तापमान | ||
| Dhivehi | ފިނިހޫނުމިން | ||
| Dogri | तापमान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | temperatura | ||
| Guarani | arapytureko | ||
| Ilocano | temperatura | ||
| Krio | tɛmprɛchɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پلەی گەرمی | ||
| Maithili | तापमान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯏꯪꯑꯁꯥ | ||
| Mizo | lum leh vawt tehna | ||
| Oromo | ho'ina | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତାପମାତ୍ରା | ||
| Quechua | llapiyay | ||
| Sanskrit | तापमान | ||
| Tatar | температура | ||
| Tigrinya | መጠን ሙቁት | ||
| Tsonga | mahiselo | ||