Theme in Different Languages
Discover 'Theme' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'theme' carries significant weight in various contexts, influencing our perception and interpretation of different situations. In literature, a theme represents the underlying message or central idea of a story, guiding readers through a journey of discovery. Culturally, themes help shape our values, traditions, and beliefs, often serving as a foundation for human connection and understanding.
Moreover, exploring the translation of 'theme' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how diverse cultures perceive and express similar concepts. For instance, in Spanish, 'theme' translates to 'tema,' while in German, it becomes 'Thema.' In Japanese, the word 'theme' is expressed as 'テーマ (teema),' reflecting the influence of Western culture on the language.
Understanding the nuances of this term across various languages can enrich our appreciation for cultural diversity and enhance our ability to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds. Join us as we delve into the translations of 'theme' in multiple languages, shedding light on the rich tapestry of human expression and understanding.
Theme
Theme in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tema | ||
| The Afrikaans word "tema" is derived from the Portuguese word "tema", meaning "task" or "assignment." | |||
| Amharic | ጭብጥ | ||
| The Amharic word 'ጭብጥ' is derived from a verb meaning 'to point' or 'to direct', and it also holds the meanings of 'direction', 'issue', 'topic', 'thesis', 'subject', and 'title'. | |||
| Hausa | taken | ||
| In Hausa, the word 'taken' can also mean 'chosen,' 'selected,' or 'preferred.' | |||
| Igbo | isiokwu | ||
| The word also refers to an Igbo proverb which literally translates to “truth is bitter”. | |||
| Malagasy | foto-kevitra | ||
| The word "foto-kevitra" (theme) is derived from the combination of "foto" (subject) and "kevitra" (thought or idea) in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mutu | ||
| In Malawi, 'mutu' can also refer to a funeral wake where people bring food and share stories about the deceased. | |||
| Shona | theme | ||
| Shona "theme" can also mean "talk", "subject matter", or "discussion". | |||
| Somali | dulucda | ||
| The word "dulucda" in Somali can also refer to a composition of the same subject. | |||
| Sesotho | sehlooho | ||
| "Sehlooho" is likely derived from the Bantu root "-loha", meaning "to say" or "to speak." | |||
| Swahili | mandhari | ||
| Mandhari is also used to refer to the main subject or focus of a discussion or event. | |||
| Xhosa | umxholo | ||
| In linguistics, the Xhosa idiom "umxholo wendaba" means both "theme of a story" and "the plot of story". | |||
| Yoruba | akori | ||
| In Yoruba, 'akori' also refers to a style or pattern | |||
| Zulu | isihloko | ||
| The Zulu word "isihloko" can also refer to a story or a speech topic. | |||
| Bambara | dakun | ||
| Ewe | nyati | ||
| Kinyarwanda | insanganyamatsiko | ||
| Lingala | moto ya likambo | ||
| Luganda | omulamwa | ||
| Sepedi | tabataba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsɛmpɔ | ||
Theme in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | موضوع | ||
| The word موضوع (mawḍūʿ) can also refer to a subject, topic, or matter under discussion, as well as a target or aim. | |||
| Hebrew | נושא | ||
| "נושא" can also mean "subject" or "topic" | |||
| Pashto | موضوع | ||
| The Pashto word "موضوع" is cognate with the Persian word "موضوع" ("mawzuʿ"), which means "put" or "placed", and ultimately derives from the Arabic root "وضع" ("waḍaʿa"), which means "to place" or "to put". | |||
| Arabic | موضوع | ||
| The word موضوع (mawḍūʿ) can also refer to a subject, topic, or matter under discussion, as well as a target or aim. | |||
Theme in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tema | ||
| The word "tema" in Albanian can also mean "topic" or "subject matter". | |||
| Basque | gaia | ||
| The Basque word "gaia" also means "topic," "subject," or "matter" | |||
| Catalan | tema | ||
| Tema in Catalan can also mean a task, work, charge, occupation, affair, matter, business, or job. | |||
| Croatian | tema | ||
| In Croatian, "tema" can also refer to a melody, a topic, a subject, or a task. | |||
| Danish | tema | ||
| Tema can also mean 'subject' or 'task' in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | thema | ||
| In Dutch, "thema" can also refer to a dissertation or a school assignment. | |||
| English | theme | ||
| The word 'theme' comes from the Greek 'thema,' meaning 'that which is laid down,' and is related to the word 'thesis,' meaning 'a proposition to be proved.' | |||
| French | thème | ||
| The word "thème" derives from the Greek "θέμα" (theme), meaning "subject" or "proposition". | |||
| Frisian | tema | ||
| Frisian "tema" can also mean "rein" or "bridle" and is cognate with Old English "tēam" and German "Zaum". | |||
| Galician | tema | ||
| Tema comes from the Greek "titahemi", meaning "I place" or "I establish", and in Galician is also used to refer to a "topic". | |||
| German | thema | ||
| "Theme" can also refer to a topic, a musical motif or melody, or the main idea of a piece of writing. | |||
| Icelandic | þema | ||
| The Icelandic word "þema" originally referred to a judicial assembly or district, and is related to the Old English word "þegn", meaning "servant" or "retainer". | |||
| Irish | téama | ||
| The Irish word 'téama' shares its origin with the English word 'team', both originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *temeh2, meaning 'to set' or 'to put'. | |||
| Italian | tema | ||
| The Italian word "tema" can also refer to a homework assignment, a musical composition's main melody, or a topic of discussion. | |||
| Luxembourgish | thema | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Thema" can refer to a "topic" or a "thesis", derived from the Greek "τίθημι" (tithemi) meaning "to place, to put". | |||
| Maltese | tema | ||
| Maltese "tema" derives from Ancient Greek "thema" (θέμα), meaning a province or administrative division. | |||
| Norwegian | tema | ||
| Tema, or temme, also means "theme" in Old Norse when used in relation to literature and poetry, similar to its English cognate. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tema | ||
| "Tema" derives from "Thema", a Late Latin word meaning "position" or "arrangement," and "θέμα" (Thema), a Greek word meaning "that which is laid down." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cuspair | ||
| In Middle Irish, cuspair also meant 'case', and possibly 'pair' (e.g. of shoes) | |||
| Spanish | tema | ||
| "Tema" in Spanish can also refer to a tax or duty levied by a government or authority. | |||
| Swedish | tema | ||
| Tema is also a nickname for the Swedish town of Norrtälje; the name comes from the area's 16th century importance as a customs post for the iron trade, and means 'scales' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | thema | ||
| In Welsh, "thema" can also refer to a particular type of bird, akin to a raven or crow. | |||
Theme in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тэма | ||
| The word "тэма" or "theme" derives ultimately from Indo-European "*dʰeh₁-" meaning “to put, place, set”. | |||
| Bosnian | tema | ||
| Tema can also mean a load or burden | |||
| Bulgarian | тема | ||
| The word "тема" can also refer to a "topic" or "subject" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | téma | ||
| The Czech word "téma" can also refer to the main course of a meal or to a subject to be debated. | |||
| Estonian | teema | ||
| The Estonian word "teema" also means "target", especially in a military context. | |||
| Finnish | teema | ||
| The word "teema" in Finnish also means "tea". | |||
| Hungarian | téma | ||
| The Hungarian word "téma" comes from the Greek word "θέμα", which means "position" or "foundation". | |||
| Latvian | tēma | ||
| The word "tēma" in Latvian also refers to a conversation or discussion topic. | |||
| Lithuanian | tema | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "tema" can also mean "subject" or "task"} | |||
| Macedonian | темата | ||
| The word "темата" in Macedonian also refers to the topic of a discussion, a sermon, or a scientific paper. | |||
| Polish | motyw | ||
| "Motyw" is a Latin loanword derived from "motivus" (moving, motive), and also cognate with the English "motion" | |||
| Romanian | temă | ||
| Romanian "temă" derives from Greek "thema" (a topic, a subject) and also can mean "homework assignment" | |||
| Russian | тема | ||
| The Russian word "тема" (theme) comes from the Greek word "θέμα" (subject), which was originally used in music to refer to a melody that was repeated throughout a composition. | |||
| Serbian | тема | ||
| The word "тема" in Serbian also refers to a diocese within a province of the Serbian Orthodox Church. | |||
| Slovak | téma | ||
| The word "téma" also means "subject" or "topic" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | temo | ||
| "Temo" also has other meanings in Slovene, including "fear" or "anxiety" | |||
| Ukrainian | теми | ||
| "Tema" is also a colloquial term for a conversation or discussion. | |||
Theme in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | থিম | ||
| "थीम" (theme) is a cognate of the English word "theme", both deriving from the Greek "θέμα (thema)" meaning "that which is laid down." | |||
| Gujarati | થીમ | ||
| થીમ (theme) comes from the Greek word 'τίθημι' ('tithemi'), which means 'to place' or 'to put'. | |||
| Hindi | विषय | ||
| In Hindi, विषय can also refer to a chapter or topic of study. | |||
| Kannada | ಥೀಮ್ | ||
| ಥೀಮ್ in English refers to both theme (central idea/topic of discourse) & theme (musical or literary motif) | |||
| Malayalam | തീം | ||
| The Malayalam word 'തീം' is adapted from the English word 'theme'. | |||
| Marathi | थीम | ||
| In Marathi, 'थीम' can also mean a proposition or a topic of a discussion or debate. | |||
| Nepali | विषयवस्तु | ||
| In Nepali, the word "विषयवस्तु" can mean topic, subject matter, or content. | |||
| Punjabi | ਥੀਮ | ||
| The word ਥੀਮ is derived from the Greek word 'θέμα' meaning "something laid down" or "foundation." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තේමාව | ||
| The Sinhala word "තේමාව" can also refer to a "topic","subject", or "composition". | |||
| Tamil | தீம் | ||
| "தீம்" comes from the root "தீ", meaning "fire, brilliance, light", and is also related to "தீதி", meaning "sweetness, beauty, excellence". | |||
| Telugu | థీమ్ | ||
| థీమ్ (theme) is derived from the Greek word "θέμα" (thema), meaning "a subject or proposition." | |||
| Urdu | خیالیہ | ||
| خیالیہ in Urdu shares its root with the Arabic word 'khyal', meaning 'imagination' or 'thought'. | |||
Theme in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 主题 | ||
| 主題 (主题) is an abbreviation derived from 主体 (主体). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 主題 | ||
| "主題" is composed of "主" (main, principal) and "題" (subject), which can also refer to the question posed in a classical Chinese exam. | |||
| Japanese | テーマ | ||
| The word “テーマ” (theme) is derived from the Greek word “θέμα,” meaning “fundamental issue” or “subject. | |||
| Korean | 테마 | ||
| 테마(theme)는 그리스어 '티테미'에서 유래했으며, '놓음', '배치함'을 의미합니다. | |||
| Mongolian | сэдэв | ||
| The Mongolian word "сэдэв" (theme) is derived from the Mongolian word "сэдэх" (to talk about, to discuss) indicating a connection to discourse. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခေါင်းစဉ် | ||
Theme in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tema | ||
| The word "tema" in Indonesian can also refer to a meeting or discussion, with the meaning of "topic" or "subject matter". | |||
| Javanese | tema | ||
| The Javanese word "tema" can also mean "intention" or "purpose". | |||
| Khmer | ប្រធានបទ | ||
| The word "ប្រធានបទ" derives from the Sanskrit word "प्रधानपद" meaning "chief place" or "principal position." | |||
| Lao | ຫົວຂໍ້ | ||
| Malay | tema | ||
| The Malay word "tema" originates from the Sanskrit word "tattva", meaning "truth" or "essence". | |||
| Thai | ธีม | ||
| "ธีม" เป็นคำยืมจากภาษาอังกฤษ (theme) ซึ่งมีความหมายครอบคลุมมากกว่า "รูปแบบ" หรือ "หัวข้อ" เช่น อาจหมายถึง "แนวคิดพื้นฐาน" "สิ่งที่ครอบคลุมสิ่งต่างๆ ให้เป็นกลุ่ม" หรือ "อารมณ์โดยรวมของงานศิลป์" | |||
| Vietnamese | chủ đề | ||
| The word "chủ đề" can also mean "topic", "subject", or "main idea". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tema | ||
Theme in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mövzu | ||
| Mövzu is also used to refer to a subject of discussion, a topic, or a conversation. | |||
| Kazakh | тақырып | ||
| The word "тақырып" can also mean "topic" or "subject matter". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тема | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "тема" also means "purpose" or "intention". | |||
| Tajik | мавзӯъ | ||
| The word "мавзӯъ" in Tajik is derived from the Arabic word "موضوع" and can also mean "topic", "subject", or "matter". | |||
| Turkmen | mowzuk | ||
| Uzbek | mavzu | ||
| The Uzbek word 'mavzu' derives from the Arabic 'mawdū', with alternate meanings in Farsi and Urdu, including 'subject', 'topic', and 'thesis'. | |||
| Uyghur | تېما | ||
Theme in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumuhana | ||
| "Kumuhana" can also mean "ground" or "foundation" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | kaupapa | ||
| The word 'kaupapa' in Maori can also mean a foundation, belief or principle. | |||
| Samoan | autu | ||
| In Samoan, "autu" also means to make a public speech. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tema | ||
| "Tema" also means "homework" or "task" in Tagalog. | |||
Theme in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | timatika | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽrã | ||
Theme in International Languages
| Esperanto | temo | ||
| The Esperanto word "temo" also means "fear" and is ultimately derived from the Greek word "θύμος" meaning "spirit" or "mind."} | |||
| Latin | theme | ||
| In Latin theme can also mean "spectacle, festival, scene". | |||
Theme in Others Languages
| Greek | θέμα | ||
| The word "θέμα" (theme) in Greek also refers to a province or administrative division of the Byzantine Empire. | |||
| Hmong | ntsiab lus | ||
| "Ntsiab lus" in Hmong can also mean the main idea of a story or article, or the subject of a conversation. | |||
| Kurdish | mijad | ||
| The word "mijad" can also refer to the main topic or subject of a speech or presentation. | |||
| Turkish | tema | ||
| Tema is also a word in the Turkish language that can refer to a "subject", "topic" or "lesson". | |||
| Xhosa | umxholo | ||
| In linguistics, the Xhosa idiom "umxholo wendaba" means both "theme of a story" and "the plot of story". | |||
| Yiddish | טעמע | ||
| The word טעמע can also refer to "taste" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | isihloko | ||
| The Zulu word "isihloko" can also refer to a story or a speech topic. | |||
| Assamese | বিষয়বস্তু | ||
| Aymara | timatika | ||
| Bhojpuri | विषय | ||
| Dhivehi | ތީމް | ||
| Dogri | थीम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tema | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽrã | ||
| Ilocano | amad | ||
| Krio | tim | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەبەستی سەرەکی | ||
| Maithili | बिसय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯔꯝ | ||
| Mizo | thupui | ||
| Oromo | dhimma haasaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଥିମ୍ | ||
| Quechua | rimay | ||
| Sanskrit | विषयवस्तु | ||
| Tatar | тема | ||
| Tigrinya | ጭብጢ | ||
| Tsonga | mombo | ||