Town in Different Languages
Discover 'Town' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Town
Afrikaans dorp | ||
Albanian qyteti | ||
Amharic ከተማ | ||
Arabic مدينة | ||
Armenian քաղաք | ||
Assamese চহৰ | ||
Aymara marka | ||
Azerbaijani şəhər | ||
Bambara duguba | ||
Basque herria | ||
Belarusian горад | ||
Bengali শহর | ||
Bhojpuri शहर | ||
Bosnian grad | ||
Bulgarian град | ||
Catalan ciutat | ||
Cebuano lungsod | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 镇 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 鎮 | ||
Corsican cità | ||
Croatian grad | ||
Czech město | ||
Danish by | ||
Dhivehi ޓައުން | ||
Dogri नग्गर | ||
Dutch stad- | ||
English town | ||
Esperanto urbo | ||
Estonian linn | ||
Ewe du | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) bayan | ||
Finnish kaupunki | ||
French ville | ||
Frisian stêd | ||
Galician cidade | ||
Georgian ქალაქი | ||
German stadt, dorf | ||
Greek πόλη | ||
Guarani táva | ||
Gujarati નગર | ||
Haitian Creole vil | ||
Hausa gari | ||
Hawaiian kulanakauhale | ||
Hebrew העיר | ||
Hindi नगर | ||
Hmong lub zos | ||
Hungarian város | ||
Icelandic bær | ||
Igbo obodo | ||
Ilocano ili | ||
Indonesian kota | ||
Irish bhaile | ||
Italian cittadina | ||
Japanese 町 | ||
Javanese kutha | ||
Kannada ಪಟ್ಟಣ | ||
Kazakh қала | ||
Khmer ក្រុង | ||
Kinyarwanda umujyi | ||
Konkani नगर | ||
Korean 도시 | ||
Krio tɔŋ | ||
Kurdish bajar | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) شار | ||
Kyrgyz шаарча | ||
Lao ເມືອງ | ||
Latin oppidum | ||
Latvian pilsēta | ||
Lingala mboka | ||
Lithuanian miestas | ||
Luganda kibuga | ||
Luxembourgish stad | ||
Macedonian град | ||
Maithili शहर | ||
Malagasy tanàna | ||
Malay bandar | ||
Malayalam പട്ടണം | ||
Maltese belt | ||
Maori taone nui | ||
Marathi शहर | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯍꯔ ꯃꯆꯥ | ||
Mizo khawpui | ||
Mongolian хотхон | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) မြို့ | ||
Nepali शहर | ||
Norwegian by | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) tawuni | ||
Odia (Oriya) ସହର | ||
Oromo magaalaa | ||
Pashto ښار | ||
Persian شهر | ||
Polish miasto | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) cidade | ||
Punjabi ਸ਼ਹਿਰ | ||
Quechua llaqta | ||
Romanian oraș | ||
Russian городок | ||
Samoan taulaga | ||
Sanskrit नगरं | ||
Scots Gaelic bhaile | ||
Sepedi toropo | ||
Serbian град | ||
Sesotho toropo | ||
Shona guta | ||
Sindhi ٽائون | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නගරය | ||
Slovak mesto | ||
Slovenian mesto | ||
Somali magaalada | ||
Spanish pueblo | ||
Sundanese kota | ||
Swahili mji | ||
Swedish stad | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) bayan | ||
Tajik шаҳр | ||
Tamil நகரம் | ||
Tatar шәһәр | ||
Telugu పట్టణం | ||
Thai เมือง | ||
Tigrinya ንእሽተይ ከተማ | ||
Tsonga xidorobana | ||
Turkish kasaba | ||
Turkmen şäher | ||
Twi (Akan) kuro | ||
Ukrainian місто | ||
Urdu شہر | ||
Uyghur شەھەر | ||
Uzbek shahar | ||
Vietnamese thị trấn | ||
Welsh tref | ||
Xhosa edolophini | ||
Yiddish שטאָט | ||
Yoruba ilu | ||
Zulu idolobha |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The term "dorp" comes from the Dutch word "dorp", which originally referred to a small village or hamlet, but now also includes larger towns in Afrikaans. |
| Albanian | The word "qyteti" is related to the Latin word "civitas" and the Sanskrit word "kheta". |
| Amharic | The word "ከተማ" (town) in Amharic is derived from the Semitic root "k-t-m" meaning "to cover, conceal". |
| Arabic | The root of the Arabic word "مدينة" (town) is "M-D-N", meaning "to settle" or "to be civilized" |
| Armenian | The word "քաղաք" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷel-, meaning "to turn" or "to roll". |
| Azerbaijani | The word "şəhər" is etymologically related to the Persian word "shahr" and can also refer to a city, municipality, or urban area. |
| Basque | The word "herria" in Basque can also refer to a "people" or a "nation." |
| Belarusian | The word "горад" originally referred to a fortified settlement and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word "gradъ", meaning "city" or "fortress". |
| Bengali | শহর also means a "metropolis" or "city". |
| Bosnian | It also means a fortified town or castle, likely because many towns developed from Roman forts. |
| Bulgarian | The word "град" also means "hail" in Bulgarian, sharing the same root as the English word "grand". |
| Catalan | "Ciutat" in Catalan ultimately derives from the Latin word "civitas," which also means "state" or "people." |
| Cebuano | The word "lungsod" likely originated from the Malay word "lugud" and was originally used to refer to a place where people gathered. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word "镇" also has the meaning of "suppression" or "pacification" in Chinese culture. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The character "鎮" can also mean "calm" or "to suppress". |
| Corsican | In Corsica, "cità" has the same etymology (city) as "cité" in French and "ciudad" in Spanish and its meaning can vary from "small town" to "large city." |
| Croatian | The word 'grad' in Croatian, meaning 'town', is related to the Latin word 'urbs', and the Persian word 'gard'. |
| Czech | The word "město" can also refer to a "place" or a "location" in Czech, similar to the English word "stead". |
| Danish | In Old Norse, "bær" meant both "farm" and "dwelling place", later becoming "town" in Danish. |
| Dutch | Dutch 'stad' can derive from 'stede' ('place') or 'stat' ('bank, exchange') and is cognate to German 'Stadt' and English 'stead'. |
| Esperanto | "Urbo" is derived from the Latin word "urbs" (city) and also means "large population" in Esperanto. |
| Estonian | Linn in Estonian also means a fortress, an encampment or a castle, as in the word |
| Finnish | The word "kaupunki" traces its roots to the Proto-Uralic word "*kawa-", meaning "field" or "plain". |
| French | "Ville" (town) is derived from Latin "villa" (country house), and in French has the alternate meaning of "district". |
| Frisian | The word "stêd" has its origin in the Proto-Germanic word "*stadiz", which also means "place", "stead", or "dwelling place". |
| Galician | In Brazilian Portuguese, "cidade" can also refer to a city, not just a town, while in Galician it only refers to the latter. |
| Georgian | The word "ქალაქი" (town) in Georgian comes from the Persian word "kalak" meaning "fortress" or "citadel". |
| German | "Stadt" and "Dorf" are both German words for "town", but "Stadt" usually refers to a larger settlement than "Dorf". |
| Greek | The word "πόλη" (town) in Greek is derived from the root word "πῶλις", meaning "fortified place" or "stronghold". |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "નગર" is derived from the Sanskrit word "नगर" ("nagara"), which has a range of meanings including "city" and "capital". |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "vil" has two meanings: town or countryside, while in French it only means town. |
| Hausa | The word "gari" in Hausa may also refer to a type of food made from cassava. |
| Hawaiian | The word **kulanakauhale** literally means 'gathering place for the multitudes' in Hawaiian. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "העיר" ("town") can also mean "the state of being awake" or "the state of being watched". |
| Hindi | "नगर" can also refer to a "settlement" or an "assembly of persons"} |
| Hmong | Lub zos is also a term of address to a male child. |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian word "város" ("town") etymologically may be related to the name of the people group "Var", or may derive from the Slavic "varъ", meaning "enclosed settlement". |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "bær" originally meant "homestead" or "farm" and is cognate with the English "byre" or "bower". |
| Igbo | In some dialects, "obodo" can also refer to a "compound" or an "extended family". |
| Indonesian | The Indonesian word "kota", meaning “town,” originates from the Sanskrit word "kuta" meaning "fort" |
| Irish | The Irish word "bhaile" may be a cognate of the Welsh "baile" and the Proto-Celtic "*balia-" meaning "town" and "farmland". |
| Italian | The Italian word "cittadina" can refer to a small town, a citizen of a city, or a small automobile, demonstrating the multifaceted nature of its etymology. |
| Japanese | 町 (machi) can also refer to the distance between telephone poles or the length of a block (109.1 meters) |
| Javanese | The etymology of "kutha" in Javanese is traced back to Proto-Austronesian root word *qəti, meaning "a fenced-in enclosure". |
| Kannada | "ಪಟ್ಟಣ" is related to the Sanskrit word "pattana", which means "a market, a place of trade, a town," and also the verb "to fall down". |
| Kazakh | The word "қала" is also used to refer to a fortress or castle in Kazakh. |
| Khmer | "ក្រុង" is derived from Pali "krung", meaning fortified city or capital, and is cognate with Thai "กรุง" (krung) and Lao "ກຸງ" (kung). |
| Korean | The Hanja of 도시 is 都市 and its first meaning was 'capital city'. |
| Kurdish | The word "bajar" can also mean "spring" in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "шаарча" (town) also means "fenced dwelling" and "small house" in Kyrgyz. |
| Lao | The word "ເມືອງ" also refers to a walled settlement protected by a moat. |
| Latin | The Latin word "oppidum" can also refer to a fortified place or a military camp. |
| Latvian | The Latvian word "pilsēta" originally meant "castle" but evolved to mean "town" |
| Lithuanian | The word "Miestas" can also refer to a village or a settlement in Lithuanian, not just a town. |
| Luxembourgish | The word 'Stad' can also refer to the capital city of Luxembourg |
| Macedonian | The word "град" (town) in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *gordъ, meaning "enclosure", "fort", or "fortified settlement". |
| Malagasy | The word "tanàna" can also mean "village" or "countryside". |
| Malay | The word "bandar" also refers to a port or harbor. |
| Malayalam | പട്ടണം ('town' in Malayalam) is derived from Sanskrit 'paṭṭaṇa', meaning 'market, town, trading station'. |
| Maltese | The word "belt" derives from the Arabic word "balad", meaning "land" or "city". |
| Maori | The word "taone nui" also means "big village" or "city" in Maori. |
| Marathi | The word "शहर" (town) in Marathi is derived from the word "शहर" (city) in Persian. |
| Mongolian | The word "хотхон" (town) also means "settlement" or "village" in Mongolian. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "မြို့" (town) is derived from the Pali word "nagara" which means "city" or "fortress." |
| Nepali | /शहर/ ('town') possibly derives from Sanskrit /छत्र/, a form of /छद्/ ( 'cover', 'hide'), which in turn is related to Persian /شه/ ('town'). |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word "by" (town) is also used as a preposition meaning "in", "at", or "near." |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "tawuni" can also refer to a cluster of homesteads or a large village. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word ښار (town) is also sometimes used in the sense of a province. |
| Persian | The Persian word "شهر" (town) is derived from an Old Persian word meaning "place" or "dwelling". It can also refer to a city or a province. |
| Polish | The word 'miasto' also refers to an urban center in Poland, similar to a municipality or commune. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word 'Cidade' in Portuguese derives from the Latin 'civitas', meaning 'citizen' or 'community', and is used to designate a settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. |
| Punjabi | The word 'ਸ਼ਹਿਰ' (town) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'शहर' meaning 'settlement,' 'town,' or 'fort,' and can also refer to an administrative or territorial jurisdiction. |
| Romanian | The word "oraș" is derived from the Hungarian word "város", which means "city" or "settlement with town rights." |
| Russian | The word городок can also refer to a military camp or a small fortification. |
| Samoan | The word "taulaga" in Samoan also refers to a village meeting house or an assembly of respected village elders. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "bhaile" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "homestead" or "dwelling place". |
| Serbian | In old Serbian, the word "Сð±Ð²" had an additional meaning: "a place of public gathering inside a fortified settlement" |
| Sesotho | The word "toropo" is also used to refer to the central area of a traditional Sesotho village, where cattle are kept. |
| Shona | Guta is also used to refer to the area surrounding a town or village, and can sometimes be used to refer to a rural settlement. |
| Sindhi | In Sindhi, the word "ٽائون" can also mean a group or community of people who share a sense of identity. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "නගරය" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "नगर" (nagara), meaning "city" or "town". |
| Slovak | In Slavic languages, the word 'mesto' often refers to a settlement with a certain level of importance or self-governance. |
| Slovenian | Mesto is a South Slavic word meaning 'place', with cognates in most Slavic languages. |
| Somali | Magaa-la-du can also refer to an important place in the context of the Somali proverb "Magaa-la-da ayay ku nool-yi-hi-ne" ("The town where they dwell"). |
| Spanish | Pueblo, in Spanish, derives from the Latin word 'populus,' which means 'people' or 'nation.' |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "kota" is related to the Sanskrit word "kut" (fortress) and also refers to traditional villages surrounded by ditches and earthen walls. |
| Swahili | "Mji" comes from the Proto-Bantu word "*mudi", meaning "village" or "settlement" and is cognate with Kikuyu "mũcii". |
| Swedish | The word "stad" in Swedish can trace its origins to the Old Norse word "staðr", which means "place" or "settlement". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word 'bayan' is also used to refer to a 'nation' or a 'people', reflecting the communal nature of Filipino identity. |
| Tajik | The Tajik word "шаҳр" is a loanword from Persian and has no Tajik analogue, but in Persian it also means "empire". |
| Tamil | The word "நகரம்" (town) in Tamil derives from the root "நகர்" (move), indicating a place where people gather and engage in activities. |
| Telugu | In Sanskrit, the word "पट्टनम्" (pattanam) can also mean a "harbor" or "wharf". |
| Thai | The Thai word "เมือง" (town) likely originates from the Pali or Sanskrit word "nagara", meaning "city" or "fortified place". |
| Turkish | The word "kasaba" in Turkish derives from the Arabic word "qasaba" (street, quarter, village) and is also used in Persian and Urdu with the same meaning. |
| Ukrainian | "Місто" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*mēs̆to", meaning "place" or "settlement". |
| Urdu | The word 'شہر' (town) originates from the Pahlavi 'šahr' (province), and is cognate with 'shire' in English and 'شهر' (city) in Farsi. |
| Uzbek | Uzbek "shahar" comes from the Persian "shahr", which originally meant "province." |
| Vietnamese | "Thị trấn" derives from Chinese "市镇", meaning both "town" and "marketplace". |
| Welsh | The word “tref” is also used in other Celtic languages, such as Irish and Scottish Gaelic, and derives from the Proto-Celtic word *trebou-. |
| Xhosa | Edolophini is also a traditional Xhosa greeting meaning 'greetings to the people of the house'. |
| Yiddish | "שטאָט" is used as a feminine noun in the singular and plural while "שטעטל" is often used as a masculine singular noun to denote a small town. |
| Yoruba | The word "ilu" can also refer to a group of people or an assembly, and is related to the word "ile" meaning "home". |
| Zulu | The word "idolobha" also refers to the town's central area or marketplace. |
| English | The English word "town" derived from the Old English word "tun" meaning "a settlement or village" and is related to the German word "Zaun" meaning "fence". |