Traditional in Different Languages
Discover 'Traditional' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'traditional' holds a special place in our hearts and minds as it represents the time-honored customs, beliefs, and practices that are passed down from generation to generation. Its significance extends beyond mere cultural importance, as it serves as a bridge that connects us to our past, shaping our present and influencing our future.
Did you know that the word 'tradition' comes from the Latin word 'tradere,' which means 'to hand over' or 'to transmit?' This historical context highlights the importance of preserving and sharing our cultural heritage with others.
Understanding the translation of 'traditional' in different languages can help us appreciate the richness and diversity of global cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'traditional' is 'tradicional,' while in French, it's 'traditionnel.' In Mandarin Chinese, it's '传统的' (chuántráng de), and in Japanese, it's '傳統的' (dentou-teki).
Exploring the many translations of 'traditional' can be a fascinating journey that deepens our appreciation for the world's diverse cultural tapestry. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations of the word 'traditional' in various languages!
Traditional
Traditional in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tradisioneel | ||
| "Tradisie" in Afrikaans shares a root with the English "tradition", but also means "habit". | |||
| Amharic | ባህላዊ | ||
| ባህላዊ can also refer to the Amharic word for the act or custom of eating. | |||
| Hausa | na gargajiya | ||
| The term "na gargajiya" has an additional, specific association with traditional herbal practices and indigenous knowledge. | |||
| Igbo | ọdịnala | ||
| The Igbo word "ọdịnala" signifies both "tradition" and "the proper way of doing things." | |||
| Malagasy | nentim-paharazana | ||
| It can also be used to refer to someone who is 'outdated' or 'old-fashioned.' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zachikhalidwe | ||
| The word 'zachikhalidwe' in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to describe something that is established, long-standing, or customary. | |||
| Shona | zvetsika | ||
| Zvetsika is derived from 'kusvetuka' ('to sprout'), and relates to something new that has become established and customary. | |||
| Somali | dhaqameed | ||
| The word "dhaqameed" in Somali has a literal meaning of "from culture" or "of culture". | |||
| Sesotho | setso | ||
| The word "setso" also means "a place of origin" or "a source". | |||
| Swahili | jadi | ||
| The Swahili word "jadi" is borrowed from the Arabic word "jaddī" which means "grandfather" and implies long-held values and practices. | |||
| Xhosa | zemveli | ||
| The word "zemveli" is also used to describe something that is worn or has been used for a long time. | |||
| Yoruba | ibile | ||
| "Ibile" also means "belonging to the city of Lagos". | |||
| Zulu | ngokwesiko | ||
| The word 'ngokwesiko' in Zulu means 'in accordance with custom', and can also be used to describe something that is 'old-fashioned' or 'outdated'. | |||
| Bambara | laadalako | ||
| Ewe | dekɔnu nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gakondo | ||
| Lingala | ya mboka | ||
| Luganda | -lombo | ||
| Sepedi | ya setšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tetesɛm | ||
Traditional in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تقليدي | ||
| The word تقليدي can also mean "imitative" or "conventional" | |||
| Hebrew | מָסוֹרתִי | ||
| In Hebrew, the word מָסוֹרתִי can also mean "conservative" or "religious." | |||
| Pashto | دودیز | ||
| The word "دودیز" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "دودی" which means "smoke" or "dark", alluding to the traditional methods of preserving food in smoke or keeping it in dark places. | |||
| Arabic | تقليدي | ||
| The word تقليدي can also mean "imitative" or "conventional" | |||
Traditional in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tradicionale | ||
| The Albanian word 'tradicionale' is derived from the Latin word 'traditionem,' meaning 'tradition' or 'custom.' | |||
| Basque | tradizionala | ||
| In Basque, "tradizionala" is also the feminine form of "traditional". | |||
| Catalan | tradicional | ||
| The Catalan word "tradicional" can also mean "traditionalist" or "conventional." | |||
| Croatian | tradicionalni | ||
| The word 'tradicionalni' in Croatian is derived from the Latin word 'traditio', which means 'delivery' or 'transmission'. | |||
| Danish | traditionel | ||
| “Traditionel” in Danish originally meant “of or by tradition” and became synonymous with “traditional” in 1841. | |||
| Dutch | traditioneel | ||
| Dutch "traditioneel" can also mean "ceremonial" or "festive" and is related to words for "tear" and "procession". | |||
| English | traditional | ||
| "Traditional" originally meant "handed down from the ancestors" but has come to mean "conforming to a familiar type, style, or manner"} | |||
| French | traditionnel | ||
| In French, 'traditionnel' can also mean 'standard' or 'usual' | |||
| Frisian | tradisjoneel | ||
| De term 'tradisjoneel' kan ook naar 'conservatief' verwijzen, maar heeft een minder negatieve connotatie dan het Nederlandse equivalent. | |||
| Galician | tradicional | ||
| In Galician, "tradicional" also means "handed down by tradition" or "customary." | |||
| German | traditionell | ||
| In German, the word "traditionell" can also refer to a type of beer brewed according to traditional methods. | |||
| Icelandic | hefðbundin | ||
| "Hefðbundin" means "rooted in custom", "traditional", but "hefð" means "custom" or "tradition" and "bundin" means "bound". | |||
| Irish | traidisiúnta | ||
| The Irish word "traidisiúnta" is derived from the Latin word "traditio", meaning "to hand down or deliver", and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*de-", meaning "to give". | |||
| Italian | tradizionale | ||
| The Latin root of "tradizionale" means "to hand over" or "to deliver." | |||
| Luxembourgish | traditionell | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "traditionell" can also mean "in a state of good repair." | |||
| Maltese | tradizzjonali | ||
| In Maltese, 'tradizzjonali' can also be a noun referring to traditional garments, customs or beliefs. | |||
| Norwegian | tradisjonell | ||
| The term 'tradisjonell' is etymologically related to 'delivery', as in handing something down from a previous generation – or 'tradere' as it is in Latin. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tradicional | ||
| Tradicional in Portuguese also means 'dressed in a traditional costume' | |||
| Scots Gaelic | traidiseanta | ||
| The word 'traidiseanta' (traditional) in Scottish Gaelic is derived from the Latin word 'traditionem', which means handover, passing down of knowledge, customs or beliefs. | |||
| Spanish | tradicional | ||
| In the plural it is a musical style that was in fashion until 1835 | |||
| Swedish | traditionell | ||
| The Swedish word "traditionell" can also mean "conventional" or "conservative". | |||
| Welsh | traddodiadol | ||
| The word 'traddodiadol' in Welsh also means 'ancestral' or 'inherited'. | |||
Traditional in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | традыцыйны | ||
| The term традыцыйны ('traditional') is originally derived from the Proto-Slavic word for “father,” tъtь. | |||
| Bosnian | tradicionalno | ||
| The word "tradicionalno" in Bosnian can also mean "customary" or "conventional." | |||
| Bulgarian | традиционни | ||
| The word "традиционни" can also refer to "conventional" or "customary" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | tradiční | ||
| The Czech word "tradiční" can also mean "customary" or "conventional." | |||
| Estonian | traditsiooniline | ||
| The word "traditsiooniline" is derived from the Latin word "traditio", meaning "handing over" or "tradition". | |||
| Finnish | perinteinen | ||
| The word perinteinen is derived from the root peri, meaning "old" or "ancient." | |||
| Hungarian | hagyományos | ||
| The word "hagyományos" in Hungarian derives from the verb "hagy", meaning "to leave" or "to inherit", and the suffix "-os", meaning "with" or "in the manner of." | |||
| Latvian | tradicionāls | ||
| In Latvian, "tradicionāls" can also mean "customary" or "conforming to a type or standard." | |||
| Lithuanian | tradicinis | ||
| "Tradicinis" in Lithuanian may also refer to something that is passed down from generation to generation, such as a tradition or a ritual. | |||
| Macedonian | традиционален | ||
| "Традиционален" comes from the Slavic root *traditija, meaning "to hand over" or "to give". | |||
| Polish | tradycyjny | ||
| The word "tradycyjny" is derived from the Latin word "traditio," meaning "to hand over" or "to deliver." | |||
| Romanian | tradiţional | ||
| "Tradițional" in Romanian can also mean "old-fashioned". | |||
| Russian | традиционный | ||
| Традиционный (traditional) is a Russian word with synonyms “обычный” (normal, regular) and “привычный” (customary) which can be traced back to the verb “tradere” (“to pass along”) in Latin. | |||
| Serbian | традиционални | ||
| The word 'традиционални' can also refer to 'conventional' or 'time-honored' in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | tradičné | ||
| The word "tradičné" in Slovak can also mean "regular" or "common". | |||
| Slovenian | tradicionalni | ||
| The word tradicionalni in Slovenian can also refer to a particular type of folk song or dance. | |||
| Ukrainian | традиційний | ||
| The word "традиційний" can also mean "conventional" or "customary" in Ukrainian. | |||
Traditional in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রচলিত | ||
| The word "প্রচলিত" can also mean "current" or "prevailing" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પરંપરાગત | ||
| The word 'પરંપરાગત' comes from Sanskrit and has the alternate meaning of 'customary'. | |||
| Hindi | परंपरागत | ||
| The word "परंपरागत" can also mean "customary" or "conventional". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ | ||
| The word ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ comes from the Sanskrit word 'sampradaya', meaning 'custom, usage, or doctrine'. It can also mean 'inherited or customary' or 'relating to custom or established usage'. | |||
| Malayalam | പരമ്പരാഗതം | ||
| The Malayalam word "പരമ്പരാഗതം" can also be used to mean "traditional clothing or dress" or "ancestral wealth or property". | |||
| Marathi | पारंपारिक | ||
| The word पारंपारिक also means "hereditary" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | परम्परागत | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "परम्परागत" is derived from the prefix "प्र" (meaning "forward"), "अं" (meaning "with"), and the root "परम्" (meaning "beyond") | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਵਾਇਤੀ | ||
| Though commonly translated to "traditional" into English, "ਰਾਵਾਇਤੀ" in Punjabi also means "in accordance with customs or practices of a community" or "handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සම්ප්රදායික | ||
| Tamil | பாரம்பரிய | ||
| The word 'பாரம்பரிய' derives from the Sanskrit words 'परं' (param), meaning 'supreme' or 'distant', and 'परिवार' (parivaara), meaning 'family', hence implying a deep-rooted and ancestral connection. | |||
| Telugu | సంప్రదాయకమైన | ||
| In classical Sanskrit, "sampradāya" referred to the handing over of knowledge from teacher to student. | |||
| Urdu | روایتی | ||
| روایتی is also used as an adjective in Persian, where the word رُوات means "reciting, singing". Traditionally, a روای in Persian is a person reciting a poetic text. | |||
Traditional in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 传统的 | ||
| “传统”一词源于“传”，意为“继承”，指代流传下来的习俗、文化或艺术形式。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 傳統的 | ||
| “傳統的”的本意是“傳遞下來的”，引申為“沿襲舊習慣的”或“舊有的”等意思。 | |||
| Japanese | 伝統的 | ||
| The word "伝統的" (traditional) in Japanese can also mean "classical" or "orthodox." | |||
| Korean | 전통적인 | ||
| The word 전통적인 literally means "before the light". | |||
| Mongolian | уламжлалт | ||
| While “уламжлалт” simply means “traditional” in Mongolian, the word “уламжлал” (or “tradition”) also has a connotation of “heritage”. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရိုးရာ | ||
Traditional in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tradisional | ||
| Tradisional' in Indonesian can also mean 'orthodox' or 'conservative'. | |||
| Javanese | tradisional | ||
| The word 'tradisional' in Javanese can also mean 'orthodox' or 'conservative'. | |||
| Khmer | ជាប្រពៃណី | ||
| The Khmer word ជាប្រពៃណី (traditional) is derived from the Sanskrit word परंपरा (paramparā) and can also mean 'custom', 'practice' or 'heritage'. | |||
| Lao | ແບບດັ້ງເດີມ | ||
| The term can mean 'old style' but has a special connotation as it is used specifically to describe those cultural elements that are of great importance and should be preserved. | |||
| Malay | tradisional | ||
| The Malay word "tradisional" has an alternative meaning of "orthodox" or "conservative". | |||
| Thai | แบบดั้งเดิม | ||
| The word "แบบดั้งเดิม" (traditional) shares a root with the word "แบบ" (pattern), suggesting a strong connection between tradition and following established patterns. | |||
| Vietnamese | truyên thông | ||
| The word "truyên thông" also means "communication" or "advertisement" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tradisyonal | ||
Traditional in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ənənəvi | ||
| The word "ənənəvi" derives from the Arabic word "sunnah" which means "path" or "way". | |||
| Kazakh | дәстүрлі | ||
| The word "дәстүрлі" can also mean "customary," "conventional," or "inherited." | |||
| Kyrgyz | салттуу | ||
| The word "салттуу" can also mean "old", "ancient", or "timeless". | |||
| Tajik | анъанавӣ | ||
| The word "анъанавӣ" is related to the word "анъана" which means "tradition" and can also refer to something that is customary or conventional. | |||
| Turkmen | adaty | ||
| Uzbek | an'anaviy | ||
| "An'anaviy" in Uzbek comes from the Arabic word "nawmous," meaning "law" or "customary practice." | |||
| Uyghur | ئەنئەنىۋى | ||
Traditional in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuʻuna | ||
| Kuʻuna can also refer to the practice of sharing land or resources, or to a sense of belonging to a place. | |||
| Maori | tuku iho | ||
| The word "tuku iho" in Maori also means "to pass down from generation to generation", emphasizing the传承nature of tradition. | |||
| Samoan | agaifanua | ||
| Agaifanua can also refer to something that is sacred or holy. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tradisyonal | ||
| The Tagalog word "tradisyonal" also means "customary", "conventional", or "folkloric". | |||
Traditional in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sarawi | ||
| Guarani | jepokuaa'yma | ||
Traditional in International Languages
| Esperanto | tradicia | ||
| Tradicia, which is derived from the Latin 'tradere', can also mean 'to deliver' or 'to transmit'. | |||
| Latin | traditional | ||
| The Latin word "tradere" means "to hand over" or "to pass on", and is the root of the word "traditional". | |||
Traditional in Others Languages
| Greek | παραδοσιακός | ||
| The word "παραδοσιακός" derives from the Greek words "παρά" (beside, beyond) and "δόξα" (opinion, belief), and can also mean "extraordinary" or "unusual". | |||
| Hmong | txwm | ||
| The word 'txwm' in Hmong can also mean 'good' or 'pleasant'. | |||
| Kurdish | kevneşop | ||
| The word 'kevneşop' is derived from the Kurdish words 'kevn' (old) and 'şop' (style), meaning 'in the old style'. | |||
| Turkish | geleneksel | ||
| The word "geleneksel" in Turkish derives from the Arabic word "qanun" meaning "law" or "rule". | |||
| Xhosa | zemveli | ||
| The word "zemveli" is also used to describe something that is worn or has been used for a long time. | |||
| Yiddish | בעקאַבאָלעדיק | ||
| The word "בעקאַבאָלעדיק" derives from the Russian "бывалый" meaning "experienced". | |||
| Zulu | ngokwesiko | ||
| The word 'ngokwesiko' in Zulu means 'in accordance with custom', and can also be used to describe something that is 'old-fashioned' or 'outdated'. | |||
| Assamese | পৰম্পৰাগত | ||
| Aymara | sarawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | परंपरागत | ||
| Dhivehi | ޘަޤާފީ | ||
| Dogri | रवायती | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tradisyonal | ||
| Guarani | jepokuaa'yma | ||
| Ilocano | tradisional | ||
| Krio | kɔstɔm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تەقلیدی | ||
| Maithili | पारंपरिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯥꯠꯀꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tihdanphung | ||
| Oromo | kan aadaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାରମ୍ପାରିକ | | ||
| Quechua | costumbre | ||
| Sanskrit | पारंपरिक | ||
| Tatar | традицион | ||
| Tigrinya | ባህላዊ | ||
| Tsonga | xintu | ||