Tire in Different Languages
Discover 'Tire' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Tires are an essential component of any vehicle, allowing us to safely and comfortably travel from place to place. But did you know that the word 'tire' has a fascinating history and cultural significance? Derived from the Old French word 'tirer', meaning 'to draw', the word 'tire' was originally used to describe the process of drawing wire for use in early tire designs. Today, tires are a multi-billion dollar industry, with companies around the world competing to create the most durable, efficient, and eco-friendly designs.
In addition to their practical uses, tires have also made their way into our cultural lexicon in various ways. From the iconic tire swing, a staple of childhood memories, to the phrase 'spare tire', a colloquial term for excess body fat, tires have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives.
Given their global importance, it's no surprise that the word 'tire' has been translated into countless languages around the world. Here are just a few examples:
Tire
Tire in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | band | ||
| In Afrikaans, 'band' can also refer to a strip or piece of cloth used for binding or fastening. | |||
| Amharic | ጎማ | ||
| The word "ጎማ" derives from the Ge'ez "ጋማ", both meaning "wheel" or "circle." | |||
| Hausa | taya | ||
| In some regions, 'taya' can also refer to a heavy rainfall or a large quantity of water. | |||
| Igbo | taya | ||
| "Taya" can also mean "exhausted" or "bored" in Igbo, highlighting the connection between physical and emotional fatigue. | |||
| Malagasy | kodiarana | ||
| The word "kodiarana" is most likely derived from the word "kodiara", which means "roll" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tayala | ||
| The word 'tayala' also means 'wheel' in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | tire | ||
| In Shona, "tai" can also refer to a wheel's tire, a belt, or a necklace. | |||
| Somali | daal | ||
| Derived from the Arabic word meaning 'ring', daal also refers to the round earrings Somali women wear. | |||
| Sesotho | lebili | ||
| The word "lebili" is a noun meaning "wheel", the main meaning being "tire". | |||
| Swahili | tairi | ||
| The Swahili word "tairi" also means "wheel" or "ring". | |||
| Xhosa | ukudinwa | ||
| "Ukudinwa" can also mean "being overcome with tiredness," or "exhaustion." | |||
| Yoruba | taya | ||
| The word "taya" in Yoruba also means "fatigue" or "weariness". | |||
| Zulu | isondo | ||
| The Zulu word "isondo" originally referred to the thick bark of a particular tree that was used to make rope and other items. | |||
| Bambara | sɛgɛn | ||
| Ewe | te ɖeɖi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ipine | ||
| Lingala | pneu | ||
| Luganda | omupiira | ||
| Sepedi | lapa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɔba | ||
Tire in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إطار العجلة | ||
| In Arabic, "إطار العجلة" literally translates to "the frame of the wheel," as tires provide structure and support to wheels. | |||
| Hebrew | צמיג | ||
| The word "צמיג" can also refer to the tire of an animal's leg or to the rim of a wheel. | |||
| Pashto | ستړي | ||
| The word "ستړي" in Pashto also means "lazy" or "tired". | |||
| Arabic | إطار العجلة | ||
| In Arabic, "إطار العجلة" literally translates to "the frame of the wheel," as tires provide structure and support to wheels. | |||
Tire in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gomë | ||
| "Gomë" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *ǵʰéwmeh₂, meaning "turn, bend," which is cognate with Latin "fūmus" (smoke) and Sanskrit "dhūmá (धूम)" (smoke). | |||
| Basque | pneumatikoa | ||
| The Basque word pneumatikoa is derived from the Greek word “pneuma” meaning “breath” or “air” and the suffix “-tikos” meaning “pertaining to” or “relating to” | |||
| Catalan | pneumàtic | ||
| In Catalan, the word "pneumàtic" can also refer to a "lung" or "windpipe". | |||
| Croatian | guma | ||
| The Croatian word "guma" also means "rubber" or "gum". | |||
| Danish | dæk | ||
| The word "dæk" in Danish shares its root with the Old Norse word "þak" meaning "to cover" or "to hide". | |||
| Dutch | band | ||
| In Dutch, the word "band" can also refer to a "strip" or "tape" used for binding or securing something. | |||
| English | tire | ||
| The word "tire" originates from the Old English word "tīr," meaning "a row or series," and can also refer to attire or a headband. | |||
| French | pneu | ||
| "Pneu" comes from the Greek word "pneuma," meaning "breath" or "spirit," as tires are filled with air. | |||
| Frisian | bân | ||
| In West Frisian the word "bân" refers to both tires and to the tracks left by them. | |||
| Galician | pneumático | ||
| "Pneumático" is a Galician word that comes from the Greek "pneumatikos", which means "filled with air" or "relating to air". | |||
| German | reifen | ||
| The word "Reifen" also means "hoop" or "band" in German, reflecting its origin as a metal band used to hold a wheel together. | |||
| Icelandic | dekk | ||
| The Icelandic word "dekk" is derived from the Old Norse word "dekkja," meaning "to cover" or "to protect," as tires cover and protect the wheels of a vehicle. | |||
| Irish | bonn | ||
| Bonn, meaning tire in Irish, is a homonym for a word referring to the bottom or foundation of something. | |||
| Italian | pneumatico | ||
| Pneumatico derives from the Greek “pneuma,” meaning 'air' or 'wind,' referring to the air-filled chambers of a tire. | |||
| Luxembourgish | pneuen | ||
| In Old German, the word “Pneu” originated from pneumatics, referring to the tires filled with air. | |||
| Maltese | tajer | ||
| 'Taġer' also means 'trader' in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | dekk | ||
| Dekk originates from the Old Norse word dekkja, meaning "to cover". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pneu | ||
| The word "pneu" in Portuguese originated from the Greek word "pneuma," meaning "breath" or "air." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taidhr | ||
| The word 'taidhr' also means 'father' in Scots Gaelic, a connection which may stem from the idea of the father as the protector and provider for his family. | |||
| Spanish | neumático | ||
| Spanish "neumático" means "tire" but also derives from Greek "νεῦμα" (a nod) and is related to Portuguese "numérico" (numeric). | |||
| Swedish | däck | ||
| In Finland, "däck" can also refer to a deck of cards or a pack of wolves. | |||
| Welsh | teiar | ||
| Teiar (tire) is related to the root word 'tan' which means 'to stretch' indicating the purpose of a tire in a vehicle. | |||
Tire in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шына | ||
| The word 'шына' in Belarusian can also mean a surgical suture or gauze. | |||
| Bosnian | guma | ||
| The word "guma" also means "rubber" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | автомобилна гума | ||
| The word "автомобилна гума" is derived from the Old French word "tire" meaning "row" or "line", as tires were originally made of rows of metal bands. | |||
| Czech | pneumatika | ||
| The word "pneumatika" is derived from the Greek word "pneuma" meaning "breath or air." | |||
| Estonian | rehv | ||
| Although related to the English word "rack," Estonian "rehv" is derived from a Baltic-Finnic origin and is unrelated to the wheel-stretching device. | |||
| Finnish | rengas | ||
| Rengas comes from the Proto-Finnic word *renkās, meaning 'ring' or 'band'. | |||
| Hungarian | gumi | ||
| The word "gumi" can also refer to a type of chewy candy in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | riepa | ||
| The word "riepa" derives from Middle Low German "repe" with the meaning "rope" or "tyre of a wheel." | |||
| Lithuanian | padanga | ||
| The word "padanga" also refers to the sole of a shoe in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | гума | ||
| "Гума" (tire) could also refer to rubber or eraser in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | opona | ||
| The word "opona" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *opьnъ, meaning "bandage" or "binding". | |||
| Romanian | obosi | ||
| In the Argeș County, Romania, "obosi" also means "wheels". | |||
| Russian | утомлять | ||
| The word "утомлять" originally meant "to kill" or "to destroy", but it has since acquired the more general meaning of "to tire" or "to make weary". | |||
| Serbian | гума | ||
| The word “гума” also refers to an eraser, and comes from the Ottoman Turkish word “gomma” which refers to a gum or a resin that can be erased. | |||
| Slovak | pneumatika | ||
| In Slovak, the word "pneumatika" can also mean a "pneumatic drill" or an outdated type of bike tire. | |||
| Slovenian | pnevmatiko | ||
| The word "pnevmatiko" derives from the Greek word "pneumatikos", meaning "filled with air" or "relating to air or wind". It is also used in other languages, such as Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, to refer to tires. | |||
| Ukrainian | шина | ||
| The Ukrainian word "шина" also means "busbar" or "conductor rail" in electrical engineering. | |||
Tire in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাগড়ি | ||
| The word "পাগড়ি" also refers to a type of turban worn in South Asia, particularly in India and Pakistan. | |||
| Gujarati | ટાયર | ||
| The Gujarati word 'ટાયર' (tire) derives from the English word 'tire' and also denotes a 'bandage' or 'ring'. | |||
| Hindi | टायर | ||
| In Hindi, the word "टायर" can also mean "to pull" or "to drag". | |||
| Kannada | ಟೈರ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಟೈರ್" (tire) is derived from the English word "tyre", which originally referred to a metal band around a wheel to prevent wear. | |||
| Malayalam | ടയർ | ||
| The Malayalam word "ടയർ" can also refer to a circle or a hoop. | |||
| Marathi | टायर | ||
| The Marathi word "टायर" can also refer to a type of flower or a mark on the forehead made with turmeric paste. | |||
| Nepali | टायर | ||
| The word "टायर" (tire) in Nepali, meaning "round piece of wood or stone used for a wheel", is derived from the Sanskrit word "टिरा" (tira), meaning "wheel". | |||
| Punjabi | ਟਾਇਰ | ||
| The word "ਟਾਇਰ" ("tire") in Punjabi can also mean "a rubber band" or "a leather strap." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ටයරය | ||
| The word "ටයරය" also means "circle" or "round object" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | சக்கரம் | ||
| The word 'சக்கரம்' can also refer to a 'wheel', a 'circle', or a 'discus'. | |||
| Telugu | టైర్ | ||
| The word "tire" comes from the Middle English word "tyre," which originally referred to a band or strip of metal around a wheel. | |||
| Urdu | ٹائر | ||
| The word "ٹائر" in Urdu can also refer to a circular line or a rubber ring used to attach a hook to a fishing line | |||
Tire in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 胎 | ||
| "胎" also means "a child in the womb" or "embryo". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 胎 | ||
| 胎 can also refer to a mother's womb, embryo, or fetus. | |||
| Japanese | タイヤ | ||
| タイヤ (tire) derives from the Japanese word | |||
| Korean | 타이어 | ||
| 타이어 is pronounced "tai-eo" in Korean, and can also mean "to be tired". | |||
| Mongolian | дугуй | ||
| The Mongolian word "дугуй" may be derived from the Tibetan word "འཁོར་ལོ" (khor lo; "wheel"), from which the Mongolian word "хоолой" (kholoi; "wheel") derives. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တာယာ | ||
| The word "တာယာ" derives from "タイヤ" in Japanese, ultimately from the English word "tire." | |||
Tire in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ban | ||
| The word 'ban' in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word 'band', meaning 'tire', but it can also refer to a 'strip' or 'belt'. | |||
| Javanese | ban | ||
| In Javanese, the word "ban" has alternate meanings of "wheel" and "carriage". | |||
| Khmer | សំបកកង់ | ||
| The word "សំបកកង់" likely originated from the Thai word "ยางวง" (elastic band), as tires are often made of rubber. | |||
| Lao | ຢາງລົດ | ||
| "ຢາງລົດ" is also used to refer to a type of sticky, resinous substance found on trees, from which rubber can be extracted. | |||
| Malay | tayar | ||
| "Tayar" also means 'strong' or 'fit' in Malay, derived from the Arabic word 'tayyar' meaning 'to prepare'. | |||
| Thai | ยาง | ||
| In Thai, "ยาง" can also refer to the material rubber or to the process of stretching or pulling. | |||
| Vietnamese | lốp xe | ||
| "Lốp xe" in Vietnamese is a loanword from the French "la nappe", which originally meant "cloth used as a surface covering", and only later took on the meaning of a tire. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gulong | ||
Tire in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təkər | ||
| The word "təkər" can also refer to a wheel, a circle, or a round shape. | |||
| Kazakh | шина | ||
| In Kazakh, "шина" can also refer to "a rubber or leather ring for a wheel", or "a ring-shaped object". | |||
| Kyrgyz | шина | ||
| The word "шина" also refers to a "ring", meaning a round object | |||
| Tajik | шина | ||
| The Tajik word "шина" (tire) is borrowed from the Russian word "шина". In Russian, the word "шина" can also mean "rail" or "track". | |||
| Turkmen | teker | ||
| Uzbek | shinalar | ||
| The Uzbek word "shinalar" also means "rubber, elastic material." | |||
| Uyghur | بالون | ||
Tire in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pākū | ||
| Pākū means "to explode" in Hawaiian, an extension of its meaning as a tire, which may explode if not properly inflated. | |||
| Maori | potae | ||
| The word "potae" in Maori can also refer to a "wheel" or "the act of rolling or turning." | |||
| Samoan | paʻu | ||
| Paʻu literally means "to tie up" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gulong | ||
| The Tagalog word "gulong" derives from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root word *gulung, meaning "to roll" or "to turn." | |||
Tire in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | niwmatiku | ||
| Guarani | mba'ejerepytu | ||
Tire in International Languages
| Esperanto | lacigi | ||
| "Lacigi" is a contraction of "laŭ ĉi tiu gi" (literally, "like this one"), referencing the shape of a tire. | |||
| Latin | strigare | ||
| The word "strigare" in Latin also means to shriek or screech. | |||
Tire in Others Languages
| Greek | λάστιχο | ||
| In Ancient Greek, λάστιχο referred to the leather or wooden ring around the wheels of chariots. | |||
| Hmong | lub log tsheb | ||
| The word "lub log tsheb" is also used to refer to the tread on a tire. | |||
| Kurdish | dûlab | ||
| The Kurdish word 'dûlab' originates from the Persian word 'dûla' and also means 'bucket' or 'vat'. | |||
| Turkish | tekerlek | ||
| The word 'tekerlek' in Turkish also means 'wheel', and is related to the verb 'tekerlemek', which means 'to spin' or 'to turn'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukudinwa | ||
| "Ukudinwa" can also mean "being overcome with tiredness," or "exhaustion." | |||
| Yiddish | רעדעל | ||
| "רעדעל" (tire) comes from the German word "Rad" (wheel) and has the alternate meaning "wheel" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | isondo | ||
| The Zulu word "isondo" originally referred to the thick bark of a particular tree that was used to make rope and other items. | |||
| Assamese | ক্লান্ত | ||
| Aymara | niwmatiku | ||
| Bhojpuri | टायर | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަރުބަލިވުން | ||
| Dogri | टायर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gulong | ||
| Guarani | mba'ejerepytu | ||
| Ilocano | gulong | ||
| Krio | taya | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تایە | ||
| Maithili | टायर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chau | ||
| Oromo | dadhabsiisuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଟାୟାର | ||
| Quechua | rueda | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रधि | ||
| Tatar | шина | ||
| Tigrinya | ጎማ | ||
| Tsonga | thayere | ||