Top in Different Languages
Discover 'Top' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Top
Top in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | top | ||
| Afrikaans "top" is derived from Dutch "top" and can refer to the highest point, summit, lid, surface, or a woman's blouse. | |||
| Amharic | ከላይ | ||
| "ከላይ" (top) in Amharic also means "over" and "above". | |||
| Hausa | saman | ||
| "Saman" can also refer to the top of the head or a leader. | |||
| Igbo | n'elu | ||
| 'N'elu' also means "heaven" in the context of the cosmological world view of the Igbo people | |||
| Malagasy | ambony | ||
| The Malagasy word "ambony" can also refer to an ancestor who has been deified and who is venerated by a particular group of people. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | pamwamba | ||
| "Pamwamba" is also a slang word for "boss" or "manager". | |||
| Shona | pamusoro | ||
| The term "pamusoro" in Shona also connotes "the head" or "the chief". | |||
| Somali | sare | ||
| The word "sare" in Somali can also mean "the highest point of something" or "the best of something." | |||
| Sesotho | holimo | ||
| Holimo also refers to the top part of the maize ear removed during dehulling. | |||
| Swahili | juu | ||
| The Swahili word "juu" can also refer to an upper-level or superior authority. | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphezulu | ||
| The word "Ngaphezulu" in Xhosa can also mean "above" or "higher up". | |||
| Yoruba | oke | ||
| "Oke" also means "above" or "upper" or "elevated" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | phezulu | ||
| The Zulu word "phezulu" also refers to the sky as a place above the world. | |||
| Bambara | san fɛ | ||
| Ewe | dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | hejuru | ||
| Lingala | likolo | ||
| Luganda | waggulu | ||
| Sepedi | godimo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | soro | ||
Top in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أعلى | ||
| The word "أعلى" can also mean "higher" or "upper" in terms of position or rank. | |||
| Hebrew | חלק עליון | ||
| Historically, the word 'חלק עליון' ('top') derives from the root word 'חלק' ('part'), referring to the uppermost part of something. | |||
| Pashto | سر | ||
| In Pashto, "سر" not only means "top" but also "head, mind, brain, and beginning." | |||
| Arabic | أعلى | ||
| The word "أعلى" can also mean "higher" or "upper" in terms of position or rank. | |||
Top in Western European Languages
| Albanian | majë | ||
| The Albanian word "majë" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*magh-," meaning "height" or "elevation." | |||
| Basque | goian | ||
| In Basque, the word "goian" also means "highest" or "above". | |||
| Catalan | superior | ||
| Catalan 'superior' derives from Latin 'superiōrem', meaning 'higher', and can refer to physical elevation as well as social superiority or excellence. | |||
| Croatian | vrh | ||
| In Croatian, the word "vrh" can also refer to a summit, peak, or apex, as well as the head or tip of something. | |||
| Danish | top | ||
| The Danish word "top" can also mean "cap" or "hat". | |||
| Dutch | top | ||
| The word "top" in Dutch can also refer to a type of hat or a spinning toy. | |||
| English | top | ||
| The Middle English term top originally meant “head,” and is related to the Old English and High German word for head (kopf) | |||
| French | haut | ||
| The word "haut" in French is derived from the Latin word "altus", meaning "high" or "deep". | |||
| Frisian | top | ||
| Frisian "top" is not related to the English "top", but to Dutch "toppen", the plural of "top", meaning "crest of waves", or "highest point". | |||
| Galician | arriba | ||
| The Galician word "arriba" not only means "top", but it also means "north" as the North is the upper part of the Iberian Peninsula. | |||
| German | oben | ||
| The German word "oben" derives from the Proto-Germanic *ubana, meaning "on, above, up". | |||
| Icelandic | toppur | ||
| The word "toppur" in Icelandic also refers to a "tuft of hair on an animal's head" and to a "forelock, or small curl of hair on the forehead of a horse or other animal." | |||
| Irish | barr | ||
| In Irish folklore, the 'barr an tsleibhe' or 'the top of the mountain' was used to describe the summit cairn or 'top' of an ancient burial mound. | |||
| Italian | superiore | ||
| "Superiore" derives from the Latin word "super" (above), and can also mean "better" or "more important". | |||
| Luxembourgish | top | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "top" can also mean "pot". However, it is not to be confused with the German word "Topf", which also means "pot" in German. | |||
| Maltese | quċċata | ||
| The word "quċċata" is derived from the Italian word "civetta", meaning "owl". | |||
| Norwegian | topp | ||
| The word "topp" also means "mountain peak" and is used in the name of the Norwegian mountain range "Toppfjellet". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | topo | ||
| The word "topo" in Portuguese can also mean "summit" or "peak". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mullach | ||
| "Mullach" is also used in a figurative sense to refer to a person's head or mind, such as in the phrase "air mullach an t-saoghail", meaning "on top of the world". | |||
| Spanish | parte superior | ||
| Although "upper part" is the primary meaning of "parte superior," it can also mean "upper class" or "higher education." | |||
| Swedish | topp | ||
| In Swedish, "topp" can also mean "mountain peak" or "best one." | |||
| Welsh | brig | ||
| The word "brig" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European *bhregh-, meaning "high" or "peak". | |||
Top in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | зверху | ||
| The word "зверху" also means "from above" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | vrh | ||
| The word "vrh" can also mean "peak", "summit", or "apex". | |||
| Bulgarian | горна част | ||
| The Bulgarian word "Горна част" (top), like the English word "top," can also refer to a garment that covers the upper body. | |||
| Czech | horní | ||
| The Czech word "horní" can also refer to someone or something that is proud, haughty, or high-class. | |||
| Estonian | üles | ||
| The Estonian word "üles" also means "upwards" and is derived from the Proto-Finnic "*yle" (upwards). | |||
| Finnish | alkuun | ||
| In Estonian, "kõrge" (top) is cognate with "alkuun" and originally meant "beginning" or "source". | |||
| Hungarian | tetejére | ||
| Tetejére's root "tet" means "roof" in Hungarian, reflecting its original meaning as "the highest point of a roof." | |||
| Latvian | tops | ||
| In Latvian, the word "tops" can also refer to a type of traditional Latvian pancakes. | |||
| Lithuanian | viršuje | ||
| The Lithuanian word "viršuje" can also mean "higher up" or "above". | |||
| Macedonian | врв | ||
| "Врв" (top) derives from the Indo-European root "*werg-", meaning "to turn, twist, bend", and is related to the word "врт" (garden), where vegetables are twisted and turned in the soil. | |||
| Polish | top | ||
| The Polish word "top" comes from the Old Church Slavonic "tupъ", meaning "to pound" or "to hit". | |||
| Romanian | top | ||
| The Romanian word "top" also means "gun barrel". | |||
| Russian | топ | ||
| In Russian, "Топ" can also refer to a "group of leading figures" or the "best or most popular item" in a category. | |||
| Serbian | врх | ||
| The word “врх” is also used figuratively, in meanings such as “peak of (something),” “head,” or “best part”. | |||
| Slovak | hore | ||
| The word "hore" can also mean "up" or "high" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vrh | ||
| The word "vrh" can also mean "summit", "peak", or "apex". | |||
| Ukrainian | зверху | ||
| The Ukrainian word "зверху" is derived from the proto-Slavic word "*verхъ", also meaning "up". | |||
Top in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শীর্ষ | ||
| "শীর্ষ" can also mean "the best" or "the highest point". | |||
| Gujarati | ટોચ | ||
| The Gujarati word “ટોચ”, meaning “top,” comes from the Sanskrit “tuccha,” meaning “crest.” | |||
| Hindi | ऊपर | ||
| The word "ऊपर" in Hindi shares its root with the Sanskrit word "उपरि" meaning "above" or "on". | |||
| Kannada | ಟಾಪ್ | ||
| The word "ಟಾಪ್" comes from the Sanskrit word "तप्" which means "to heat, warm, or burn," and can also mean "to be superior or at the top" | |||
| Malayalam | മുകളിൽ | ||
| "മുകളിൽ" is also a Malayalam word that means "above" or "on top of". | |||
| Marathi | वर | ||
| "वर" also means "husband" in Marathi, sharing its etymology with "vara" in Sanskrit, meaning "to choose". | |||
| Nepali | माथि | ||
| माथि (mathi) is also used in Nepali to refer to the roof of a house or building. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਖਰ | ||
| The word "ਸਿਖਰ" is a borrowing from Sanskrit, where it means "sharp point" or "peak", and is related to the English word "sickle". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉහල | ||
| The word ඉහල (ihalla) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *īcal, which also gave rise to the Tamil word உச்சி (ucci) and the Kannada word ಮೇಲೆ (mēle), all meaning "top". | |||
| Tamil | மேல் | ||
| மேல் also means 'above', 'over', 'upon' and 'on' | |||
| Telugu | టాప్ | ||
| In addition to the primary meaning "top," the word "టాప్" also means "a spinning toy." | |||
| Urdu | سب سے اوپر | ||
Top in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 最佳 | ||
| "最佳" (zui jia) is also used in Chinese martial arts to refer to a "secret technique" | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 最佳 | ||
| “最佳”一词最早见于《礼记·经解》，意为“最美”或“最善”。 | |||
| Japanese | 上 | ||
| 上 (うえ) can also mean "earlier" or "previous" (as in time or order). | |||
| Korean | 상단 | ||
| In Korean, 상단 (pronounced "sang-dan") also refers to the top or most important part of a hierarchy. | |||
| Mongolian | дээд | ||
| "Дээд" in Mongolian has other meanings, such as "heaven" or "upper world." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိပ်ဆုံး | ||
| The term "ထိပ်ဆုံး" can also refer to the highest point or pinnacle of something, or to the most important or significant part of something. | |||
Top in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | puncak | ||
| "Puncak" also refers to a kind of mountain, a mountain summit, or a high point. | |||
| Javanese | ndhuwur | ||
| "Ndhuwur" also means "up" and is the opposite of "ngisor" ("bottom"). | |||
| Khmer | ខាងលើ | ||
| "ខាងលើ" in Khmer can also mean "upstairs", "upstream", or "in power" | |||
| Lao | ດ້ານເທິງ | ||
| Malay | bahagian atas | ||
| "Bahagian atas" can also mean "upstairs" or "the top floor" | |||
| Thai | ด้านบน | ||
| In the context of an umbrella, "ด้านบน" can also refer to the inside | |||
| Vietnamese | hàng đầu | ||
| The Vietnamese word "hàng đầu" can also mean "first line" or "first row" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | itaas | ||
Top in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | üst | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "üst" also means "to get over something," "to go over it," and "to cross"} | |||
| Kazakh | жоғарғы | ||
| The Kazakh word жоғарғы derives from the Mongolian ᠵᠣᠭᠠᠷ (jogaar) meaning "above" or "upper". The same word also means "top" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жогорку | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жогорку" may also refer to the upper part of a river's course or to the north side of a mountain. | |||
| Tajik | боло | ||
| The word "боло" can also refer to a plateau or a pass in the mountains. | |||
| Turkmen | ýokarky | ||
| Uzbek | yuqori | ||
| The Uzbek word "yuqori" is also used to refer to something that is excellent or superior. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۈستى | ||
Top in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luna | ||
| "Luna" in Hawaiian can also mean "heavenly body" or "sky deity". | |||
| Maori | runga | ||
| 'Runga' can also refer to the upper body, chest, or abdomen in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | tumutumu | ||
| Tumutumu means 'head' (especially of a chiefly person) as well as 'top' ('of a hill') in the Samoan language. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tuktok | ||
| "Tuktok" also means "knock" in Tagalog, onomatopoeic of the sound of knocking. | |||
Top in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alaya | ||
| Guarani | yvate | ||
Top in International Languages
| Esperanto | supro | ||
| The Esperanto word "supro" is derived from the Latin prefix "super-" meaning "above" or "on top of". It also has the alternate meaning of "excellent" or "outstanding". | |||
| Latin | summitatem | ||
| The word "summitatem" can also refer to the highest degree or point of excellence, or to the uppermost or highest part of something. | |||
Top in Others Languages
| Greek | μπλουζα | ||
| Μπλουζα derives from the French noun 'blouse', which in turn comes from the Latin verb 'blusare', meaning 'to blush'. | |||
| Hmong | sab saum toj | ||
| Sab saum toj is also an expression that means 'very good. | |||
| Kurdish | lûtik | ||
| In Kurdish, "lûtik" also refers to a small, rounded object, like a marble or a ball. | |||
| Turkish | üst | ||
| The Turkish word "üst" (top), also meaning "upper" in several contexts, derives its form from an old root meaning "to cover, to conceal". | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphezulu | ||
| The word "Ngaphezulu" in Xhosa can also mean "above" or "higher up". | |||
| Yiddish | אויבן | ||
| "Oybn", a Yiddish word for "top", shares its etymology with "oven", reflecting the shared function of both objects as upper enclosures. | |||
| Zulu | phezulu | ||
| The Zulu word "phezulu" also refers to the sky as a place above the world. | |||
| Assamese | শীৰ্ষ | ||
| Aymara | alaya | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊपर | ||
| Dhivehi | މަތި | ||
| Dogri | उप्पर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | itaas | ||
| Guarani | yvate | ||
| Ilocano | ngato | ||
| Krio | ɔp | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەروو | ||
| Maithili | शिखर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯊꯛ | ||
| Mizo | chung | ||
| Oromo | gubbaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶୀର୍ଷ | ||
| Quechua | hanaq | ||
| Sanskrit | उपरितन | ||
| Tatar | өстә | ||
| Tigrinya | ላዕለዋይ | ||
| Tsonga | henhla | ||