Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'test' holds immense significance in our daily lives, often used to evaluate knowledge, skills, or products. It carries a cultural importance as well, with standardized tests serving as rites of passage in many education systems worldwide. But did you know that the word itself has fascinating translations in different languages?
For instance, in Spanish, 'test' is 'prueba', while in German, it's 'Test' with a capital 'T'. In French, it's 'test', just like in English, but in Russian, it becomes 'тест' (transliterated as 'test'). These translations not only offer insights into the linguistic diversity of the world but also reveal how a single concept can be expressed in various ways across different cultures.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a global citizen, or someone interested in cultural exploration, understanding the translations of 'test' can be an exciting journey. Let's embark on this journey together and discover the beauty of language and culture.
Afrikaans | toets | ||
The Afrikaans word "toets" is ultimately of Latin origin, tracing back to the Latin "tentare", meaning "to touch, try, to put to the test". | |||
Amharic | ሙከራ | ||
The word | |||
Hausa | gwaji | ||
The word "gwaji" in Hausa can also mean "experiment" or "trial." | |||
Igbo | nwalee | ||
"Nwalee" in Igbo can refer to several concepts including a challenge, an exam, a trial, a proving, a competition, a contest, a struggle, a difficulty, a hardship, a tribulation, a distress, a pain, an affliction, an experience, a situation, or a condition. | |||
Malagasy | fitsapana | ||
The word "fitsapana" in Malagasy can also mean "to examine" or "to investigate". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | yesani | ||
"yesani" comes from a root meaning "to try, examine, test, or experiment". | |||
Shona | bvunzo | ||
Bvunzo derives from the verb bvunza, meaning 'to ask', and is also used to refer to exams and quizzes. | |||
Somali | imtixaan | ||
The word "imtixaan" in Somali derives from the Arabic word "imtihaan" meaning "trial" or "examination" and is also used to refer to an "ordeal" or "challenge". | |||
Sesotho | teko | ||
The word "teko" can also mean "to ask" or "to question" in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | mtihani | ||
The Swahili word "mtihani" can also refer to an exam or a trial. | |||
Xhosa | vavanyo | ||
The word "vavanyo" does not have any alternate meanings in Xhosa, and its etymology is unknown. | |||
Yoruba | idanwo | ||
The Yoruba word 'idanwo' has alternate meanings such as 'example' or 'model'. | |||
Zulu | ukuhlolwa | ||
The Zulu word "ukuhlolwa" originates from the noun "ihloli" (trial, experiment). | |||
Bambara | kɔrɔbɔli | ||
Ewe | dodokpɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikizamini | ||
Lingala | komeka | ||
Luganda | ekigezo | ||
Sepedi | leka | ||
Twi (Akan) | sɔhwɛ | ||
Arabic | اختبار | ||
In addition to meaning "test", the Arabic word "اختبار" can also mean "trial", "examination", or "experiment". | |||
Hebrew | מִבְחָן | ||
The word מִבְחָן (test) is related to the word בָּחַן (to examine, to test), and the root בּ.ח.ן has meanings of "to try," and "to distinguish." | |||
Pashto | امتحان | ||
The word "امتحان" also means "gold" in Pashto, representing its value in assessing knowledge and skills. | |||
Arabic | اختبار | ||
In addition to meaning "test", the Arabic word "اختبار" can also mean "trial", "examination", or "experiment". |
Albanian | provë | ||
The Albanian word "provë" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*proβa," meaning "attempt" or "trial." | |||
Basque | proba | ||
"Proba" shares its origin with the Latin word "probatio" and is related to the English word "prove." | |||
Catalan | prova | ||
In Italian, the word "prova" also means "rehearsal", which could be related to the idea of a "trial" or "attempt" in Catalan. | |||
Croatian | test | ||
Croatian has two homonyms for the word 'test': one from Latin (test) meaning 'examination or trial' and another from Italian (testo) meaning 'text' | |||
Danish | prøve | ||
"Prøve" is derived from the Old Norse word "prófa", meaning "to try" or "to examine" | |||
Dutch | test | ||
In Dutch, "test" also means "exam" or "assessment" | |||
English | test | ||
Originally meaning 'earthenware vessel,' "test" evolved to also refer to the gold-lined container used in metallurgy and chemistry, then to the sample being analyzed, and finally to the examination itself. | |||
French | tester | ||
"Tester" in French can also mean "tester" in English, such as the "tester" for a bed | |||
Frisian | toets | ||
The verb toets also meant "to try, examine, inspect" until at least the 17th century in Dutch. | |||
Galician | proba | ||
The word "proba" in Galician has multiple meanings, including "test" and "proof". | |||
German | prüfung | ||
"Prüfung" originates from the Middle High German word "pruoven", meaning "to try". | |||
Icelandic | próf | ||
The word "próf" also means "demonstration", "proof", "evidence", and "sample". | |||
Irish | scrúdú | ||
The word "scrúdú" is derived from the Old Irish word "scríbad", meaning "to check" or "to examine"} | |||
Italian | test | ||
Test comes from the Latin testare, meaning 'to witness' or 'to prove'. | |||
Luxembourgish | testen | ||
The Luxembourgish word "testen" is derived from the Latin word "testa", meaning "earthen vessel, pot, or shell". | |||
Maltese | test | ||
The Maltese word "test" derives from the Latin word "testis," meaning "witness" or "proof." | |||
Norwegian | test | ||
The Norwegian word "test" can also mean "to verify" or "to examine". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | teste | ||
In Portuguese, "teste" means "witness" or "certificate", referring to the original meaning of "test" as a formal examination to determine the truth of something. | |||
Scots Gaelic | deuchainn | ||
The word "deuchainn" is cognate with the Irish word "deoch", meaning "drink", and was originally used to refer to a trial by ordeal, in which the accused would have to drink a potion that was either harmless or poisonous. | |||
Spanish | prueba | ||
The word "prueba" comes from the Latin "probare", meaning "to approve" or "to try". It can also refer to a sample or a taste. | |||
Swedish | testa | ||
In Swedish, 'testa' can mean 'to taste' or 'to try out', in addition to 'to test'. | |||
Welsh | prawf | ||
The Welsh word 'prawf' derives from the Latin 'probare', meaning 'to prove' or 'to test'. |
Belarusian | тэст | ||
The Belarusian word “тэст” is borrowed from the English language and has the same meaning in both languages. | |||
Bosnian | test | ||
Bosnian: test also means a will or a testament, ultimately deriving from Latin 'testis,' meaning 'witness'. | |||
Bulgarian | тест | ||
The Bulgarian word "тест" can also refer to the paste made from flour and water used in making different bread and pastries | |||
Czech | test | ||
In Czech, "test" can also refer to a gasket or a seal | |||
Estonian | test | ||
The Estonian word "test" can also refer to a sieve, or a mold used to make bricks or pottery. | |||
Finnish | testata | ||
The word 'testata' can also mean 'head' or 'skull' in Latin. | |||
Hungarian | teszt | ||
"Teszt" derives from the old Hungarian word "tiszt" meaning "clear", "pure", and also refers to the process of purification. | |||
Latvian | pārbaude | ||
"Pārbaude" is derived from a verb meaning "to prove" and can also imply an examination or trial. | |||
Lithuanian | testas | ||
In Lithuanian, the word "testas" also means "testicle" or "scrotum." | |||
Macedonian | тест | ||
The Macedonian word "тест" also means "paste" (the culinary variety) and "dough". | |||
Polish | test | ||
"Test" derives from the Latin word "testum," meaning "earthenware jar" and comes to mean "trial" or "examination" in the context of alchemy. | |||
Romanian | test | ||
The Romanian word "test" can also refer to a potsherd or the roof of a house. | |||
Russian | контрольная работа | ||
The Russian word "контрольная работа" (test) literally translates to "control work". | |||
Serbian | тест | ||
In Serbian, "тест" can also refer to a "sample" or "examination" in a medical context. | |||
Slovak | test | ||
The Slovak word "test" also means "dough" or "paste" in English. | |||
Slovenian | preskus | ||
The word 'preskus' is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'iskus', meaning 'trial' or 'examination'. | |||
Ukrainian | тест | ||
The word "тест" can also mean "dough" or "examination paper" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | পরীক্ষা | ||
"পরীক্ষা" has other meanings like "trial" or "examination." | |||
Gujarati | પરીક્ષણ | ||
Hindi | परीक्षा | ||
The word 'परीक्षा' (parikshā) in Hindi originated from the Sanskrit word 'प्रक्ष' (prakṣ) meaning 'to ask or inquire'. | |||
Kannada | ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ | ||
"ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ" ('test') is a Kannada word derived from the Sanskrit word 'pariksha', meaning 'thorough examination' or 'scrutiny'. | |||
Malayalam | പരിശോധന | ||
പരിശോധന originally comes from പരി (around, all around) + ക്ഷോധ (scratching) meaning 'scratching all around'. Hence it refers to an investigation that covers all aspects. | |||
Marathi | चाचणी | ||
The Marathi word "चाचणी" (test) originates from the Sanskrit word "परीक्षण" meaning "scrutiny". It can also refer to a "trial" or a "rehearsal". | |||
Nepali | परीक्षण | ||
A related Marathi word, 'परीक्षा' (pariksha), can mean both 'test' and 'examination', while 'परीक्षण' (parikshan) in Nepali means 'test' only. | |||
Punjabi | ਟੈਸਟ | ||
The word "ਟੈਸਟ" can also refer to a small piece of cloth used to clean the face or body. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරීක්ෂණය | ||
Derived from Sanskrit (परिक्षण). Also can mean 'examination' 'inspection' 'trial'. | |||
Tamil | சோதனை | ||
சோதனை (sōtanai) derives from the Sanskrit word 'sōdhana' meaning 'purification' or 'examination'. | |||
Telugu | పరీక్ష | ||
In Telugu, "పరీక్ష" also refers to a spiritual practice or examination of the soul. | |||
Urdu | پرکھ | ||
The word "پرکھ" can also mean "standard" or "criterion". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 测试 | ||
测试 (cèshì) is also used to refer to an examination or a questionnaire. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 測試 | ||
"測試" also means 'to test' in Chinese, and can be used as a noun or a verb. | |||
Japanese | テスト | ||
テスト is also a slang term referring to a test run or beta test of a newly developed product or event. | |||
Korean | 테스트 | ||
The Korean word "테스트" is a loanword from English, and originally meant the act of putting a metal into a liquid to check its fineness. | |||
Mongolian | тест | ||
The Mongolian word ``тест```, which came from the Russian word ``тест``, has meanings including ``examen```, ``probe````, ``trial````, and ``assay``. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စမ်းသပ်မှု | ||
“စမ်းသပ်မှု” is a word that can mean either “a deliberate attempt to determine the quality or performance of something” or “a small sample of something, used to test its quality or performance.” |
Indonesian | uji | ||
The word "uji" can also refer to the process of verifying or evaluating the quality of something. | |||
Javanese | tes | ||
"Tes" also means "thesis" in Javanese. | |||
Khmer | សាកល្បង | ||
Lao | ທົດສອບ | ||
"ທົດສອບ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "daśa"," ten", and "sāba"," to strike". It can also mean "to examine", "to try", or "to verify". | |||
Malay | ujian | ||
"Ujian" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ujjayan" meaning "to awaken, arouse, or stimulate." | |||
Thai | ทดสอบ | ||
"ทดสอบ" also means 'to confirm', 'to prove' and 'to try out'. | |||
Vietnamese | kiểm tra | ||
The word "kiểm tra" originated from the Chinese words "检验" and "查看". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsusulit | ||
Azerbaijani | test | ||
"Test" is also used in Azerbaijani as a term for "exam" or "experiment". | |||
Kazakh | тест | ||
In Kazakh, the word "тест" is derived from the Russian word "тест" with the same meaning, which in turn is derived from the English word "test". | |||
Kyrgyz | сыноо | ||
The word | |||
Tajik | озмоиш | ||
The word "озмоиш" is a derivative of the Tajik word "озмудан", which means to try or attempt. | |||
Turkmen | synag | ||
Uzbek | sinov | ||
The word "sinov" can also refer to an exam or an assessment. | |||
Uyghur | test | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻāʻo | ||
The Hawaiian word "hoʻāʻo" can also mean "to tempt", "to try", "to experiment", or "to prove". | |||
Maori | whakamātautau | ||
Derived from "whaka" (to make) + "mātau" (a hook, a try), it implies "to try" or "to hook." | |||
Samoan | tofotofoga | ||
The word "tofotofoga" also means "to examine" or "to investigate" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pagsusulit | ||
The word "pagsusulit" is derived from the root word "sulit" meaning "difficult" or "hard". |
Aymara | yant'a | ||
Guarani | aranduchauka | ||
Esperanto | provo | ||
The Esperanto word "provo" is derived from the Latin word "probare", meaning "to test, approve, or try out". | |||
Latin | test | ||
The Latin word "test" also means "earthenware vessel" or "crucible", reflecting its original use in metallurgy. |
Greek | δοκιμή | ||
The Greek word "δοκιμή" has meanings of "test, proof, assay, trial, experience, probation, evidence". | |||
Hmong | xeem ntawv | ||
The Hmong word "xeem ntawv" also means "homework assignment," while the same character in Chinese means "to examine." | |||
Kurdish | îmtîhan | ||
The word "îmtîhan" has Arabic roots and also means "examination" or "trial." | |||
Turkish | ölçek | ||
In Turkish, "Ölçek" can also refer to a unit of measurement or a scale | |||
Xhosa | vavanyo | ||
The word "vavanyo" does not have any alternate meanings in Xhosa, and its etymology is unknown. | |||
Yiddish | פּרובירן | ||
The Yiddish word 'פּרובירן' ('test'), akin to the German word 'probieren,' may also refer to tasting food and drinks and examining the quality of fabrics. | |||
Zulu | ukuhlolwa | ||
The Zulu word "ukuhlolwa" originates from the noun "ihloli" (trial, experiment). | |||
Assamese | পৰীক্ষা | ||
Aymara | yant'a | ||
Bhojpuri | परीक्षा | ||
Dhivehi | އިމްތިޙާން | ||
Dogri | परख | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsusulit | ||
Guarani | aranduchauka | ||
Ilocano | eksamen | ||
Krio | tɛst | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | تاقیکردنەوە | ||
Maithili | परीक्षण | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯡꯌꯦꯡ | ||
Mizo | fiahna | ||
Oromo | qormaata | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପରୀକ୍ଷା | ||
Quechua | qawapay | ||
Sanskrit | परीक्षा | ||
Tatar | тест | ||
Tigrinya | ፈተና | ||
Tsonga | xikambelo | ||