Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'translate' holds a special significance in our world, where language and culture are deeply intertwined. To 'translate' is to bridge gaps between people, to share knowledge and stories across linguistic boundaries. This word has a rich history, with early uses in Latin and Old French, and it has since taken on new meanings and connotations in different languages and cultures.
Translating words and ideas is not just a practical necessity, but also a way to appreciate the beauty and complexity of other languages. For example, the word 'translate' is 'traduire' in French, 'traducir' in Spanish, and 'übersetzen' in German. Each of these translations reflects the unique sounds and rhythms of the language, as well as the cultural context in which it is used.
Understanding the translation of 'translate' in different languages can open up new worlds of knowledge and understanding. It can help us to appreciate the diversity of human language and culture, and to see the world through the eyes of others.
Afrikaans | vertaal | ||
Afrikaans 'vertaal' also means 'betray' in Dutch, from which it was derived. | |||
Amharic | መተርጎም | ||
The verb "መተርጎም" (tərtərom) also means "to interpret", "to explicate", and "to change the form of something without altering its essence" | |||
Hausa | fassara | ||
In Kanuri the word "fassara" also means "talk" or "explain". | |||
Igbo | tugharia | ||
"Tugharia" may also mean 'to talk' or 'to spread a message' in Igbo. | |||
Malagasy | translate | ||
In Malagasy, "hamindra" means "to translate", "to transfer", or "to move". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | tanthauzirani | ||
The word "tanthauzirani" can also mean "explain" or "interpret". | |||
Shona | dudzira | ||
The word 'dudzira' can also mean 'to interpret' or 'to decipher' in Shona. | |||
Somali | tarjum | ||
Somali's "tarjum," is a loan word from "tarjamah" in Persian and Arabic. | |||
Sesotho | fetolela | ||
The noun 'fetolela' has the alternative meaning of 'interpretation'. | |||
Swahili | kutafsiri | ||
"Kutafsiri" originates from the Arabic word "tarjama", which means "interpretation" or "exposition". | |||
Xhosa | guqula | ||
In Xhosa, the word 'guqula' can also mean 'change' or 'transform' in addition to translating. | |||
Yoruba | tumọ | ||
Tumọ can also mean 'to interpret' or 'to explain'. | |||
Zulu | ukuhumusha | ||
The Zulu word 'ukuhumusha' originates from the verb '-huma', which means 'to move', 'to change', or 'to transform'. | |||
Bambara | ka bayɛlɛma | ||
Ewe | ɖe gbe gɔme | ||
Kinyarwanda | guhindura | ||
Lingala | kobongola | ||
Luganda | okuvvunula | ||
Sepedi | fetolela | ||
Twi (Akan) | kyerɛ aseɛ | ||
Arabic | ترجمة | ||
The dual meaning of "ترجمة" reflects the historical significance of translating religious texts from Syriac to Arabic, which involved not only rendering words but also interpreting their meaning within the new cultural context. | |||
Hebrew | תרגם | ||
תרגם might also mean 'interpret' and is derived from Aramaic, where it meant 'explain' | |||
Pashto | ژباړه | ||
ژباڼه (x̆̌abāṛa), meaning "interpretation" in Pashto, has roots in Sanskrit "vyākhyāna" meaning speech, talk, explanation. | |||
Arabic | ترجمة | ||
The dual meaning of "ترجمة" reflects the historical significance of translating religious texts from Syriac to Arabic, which involved not only rendering words but also interpreting their meaning within the new cultural context. |
Albanian | përkthe | ||
The word 'përkthe' is derived from the Latin word 'pertractus' meaning 'to drag or draw through'. | |||
Basque | itzultzen | ||
The word "itzultzen" in Basque can also mean "return" or "go back". | |||
Catalan | traduir | ||
Catalan "traduir" (translate) from Latin "traducere" (to lead across), also implies "interpret". | |||
Croatian | prevedi | ||
"Prevedi" in Croatian has its roots in the Latin word "praevidere," meaning "foresee" or "predict." | |||
Danish | oversætte | ||
Oversætte, which translates to "translate" in English, also means "to cross a canal or river" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | vertalen | ||
The word "vertalen" in Dutch also means "to translate" in English, "to transfer" in French, and "to carry over" in German. | |||
English | translate | ||
The origin of the word translate lies in the Latin phrase "trans" meaning "across" and "latum" meaning "to bear", indicating its initial implication of carrying something from one place to another. | |||
French | traduire | ||
The verb "traduire" can also mean "to betray" in French. | |||
Frisian | oersette | ||
It derives from Middle Low German "oversetten", "oversitten", "oversetten", "overseetzen" (German "übersetzen"), ultimately from Old High German "ubersezzan", and from "uber", "obir", and "sizzan", which originally meant "to place" or "to set" | |||
Galician | traducir | ||
In Galician, the verb "traducir" can also mean to move something or to cause something to change location. | |||
German | übersetzen | ||
The word "Übersetzen" comes from the Middle High German word "übersetzen" which means "to cross over". | |||
Icelandic | þýða | ||
The word "þýða" can also mean "interpret", "explain", or "show", and derives from the Proto-Germanic "*þeudaną", meaning "to make clear". | |||
Irish | aistrigh | ||
The word "aistrigh" is derived from Old Irish "aisneis" (exposition, interpretation) and Latin "transitus" (crossing over). | |||
Italian | tradurre | ||
'Tradurre' derives from the Latin word 'traducere', meaning 'to lead across'. | |||
Luxembourgish | iwwersetzen | ||
Maltese | tittraduċi | ||
The word "tittraduċi" literally means "to pull across" in Maltese (from the Latin "transducere"). | |||
Norwegian | oversette | ||
"Oversette" is a word that is often used interchangeably with "translate" in Norwegian. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | traduzir | ||
"Traduzir" derives from the Latin "traducere" meaning "to lead across". | |||
Scots Gaelic | eadar-theangachadh | ||
Eadar-theangachadh is a compound word that comes from the words 'eadar' and 'theang,' meaning 'between' and 'string' or 'line,' respectively. | |||
Spanish | traducir | ||
The verb "traducir" initially referred to treason or betrayal and not to the linguistic conversion of texts. | |||
Swedish | översätt | ||
Its noun form is "översättning", meaning both "interpretation" and "translation" in English. | |||
Welsh | cyfieithu | ||
Cyfieithu shares an etymology with 'cyfnewid' ('change') due to the historic interchangeability of 't' and 'd' in the orthography of these words. |
Belarusian | перакласці | ||
In Belarusian, | |||
Bosnian | prevesti | ||
The term prevesti originates from the Croatian prevesati which in turn derives from the Slavic *prě-věs meaning "across-hang" | |||
Bulgarian | превод | ||
The word "превод" also means "betrayal" in the context of religious belief. | |||
Czech | přeložit | ||
The Czech word 'přeložit' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'preložiti', which means 'to lay across'. | |||
Estonian | tõlkima | ||
The word "tõlkima" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*tulkē-", meaning "to be over" or "to cross over". | |||
Finnish | kääntää | ||
Kääntää's other meanings include 'to rotate', 'to turn', and 'to change' | |||
Hungarian | fordít | ||
The word "fordít" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "prěvesti", meaning "to carry across." | |||
Latvian | tulkot | ||
"Tulkot" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*telg-", meaning "to pull, draw". In addition to "translate", it can also mean "to interpret", "to explain", or "to describe". | |||
Lithuanian | versti | ||
The word "versti" in Lithuanian shares its origin with "versta" (mile) and "varstyti" (to open), suggesting a connection between translation and overcoming boundaries. | |||
Macedonian | преведе | ||
The word "преведе" also means "to convey" or "to conduct" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | tłumaczyć | ||
The Polish word "tłumaczyć" also means "to interpret" and "to explain". | |||
Romanian | traduceți | ||
The Romanian word "traduceți" derives from the Latin word "traducere", meaning "to lead across". | |||
Russian | переведите | ||
The verb "перевести" can also mean "to transfer" or "to divert". | |||
Serbian | превести | ||
The word "превести" in Serbian has its roots in the Proto-Slavic term "prěvesti", which also means "to lead across" or "to transfer". | |||
Slovak | preložiť | ||
The Slovak word "preložiť" can also mean "to fold" or "to bend over". | |||
Slovenian | prevesti | ||
The word "prevesti" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "prěvesti", meaning "to lead across" or "to carry over". | |||
Ukrainian | перекласти | ||
The word "перекласти" in Ukrainian also means "to repack" or "to rearrange". |
Bengali | অনুবাদ করা | ||
The word "অনুবাদ" comes from the Sanskrit word "anuvada" meaning "to repeat" or "to recite" | |||
Gujarati | ભાષાંતર | ||
The word "ભાષાંતર" originally meant "to move from one language to another", but it now also means "to change the form or meaning of something". | |||
Hindi | अनुवाद करना | ||
The root of the word अनुवाद करना is 'anuvada', which means 'to repeat or recite', suggesting its connection to conveying meaning from one language to another. | |||
Kannada | ಅನುವಾದಿಸು | ||
In Kannada, "ಅನುವಾದಿಸು" can also refer to the process of interpreting or paraphrasing. | |||
Malayalam | വിവർത്തനം ചെയ്യുക | ||
Marathi | अनुवाद करा | ||
The word "अनुवाद करा" also means to interpret or explain something. | |||
Nepali | अनुवाद | ||
The word 'अनुवाद' is derived from Sanskrit, meaning 'to carry across' or 'to lead after'. | |||
Punjabi | ਅਨੁਵਾਦ | ||
In Punjabi, the word "ਅਨੁਵਾਦ" can also refer to the process of adapting or modifying a text to suit a specific audience or purpose. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරිවර්තනය කරන්න | ||
Tamil | மொழிபெயர் | ||
மொழிபெயர்' also means 'to interpret', and can be used to describe the action of translating a spoken language. | |||
Telugu | అనువదించండి | ||
Urdu | ترجمہ کریں | ||
The word "ترجمہ کریں" is derived from the Arabic word "ترجمه" (tarjama), which means "interpretation". It can also refer to the process of adapting a text from one language to another while preserving its meaning. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 翻译 | ||
翻译 (fanyi) is also a surname in China, and a character in the 17th-century novel Journey to the West (Xiyouji). | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 翻譯 | ||
「翻譯」在中文裡同時有「將外語翻譯成中文」和「解釋、闡釋」等意思。 | |||
Japanese | 翻訳する | ||
The word "翻訳する" (pronounced hon'yaku suru) literally means "to transfer sounds," referring to the process of translating written characters into spoken or signed words. | |||
Korean | 옮기다 | ||
'옮기다' (translation) is cognate to '운동' (movement) in that it also refers to movement from one place to another. | |||
Mongolian | орчуулах | ||
In Mongolian, the word "орчуулах" can also refer to "interpretation" or "transformation." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘာသာပြန်ပါ | ||
Indonesian | menterjemahkan | ||
The word 'menterjemahkan' has multiple meanings, including 'to translate,' 'to interpret,' and 'to convey.' | |||
Javanese | nerjemahake | ||
The word "nerjemahake" in Javanese also means "to convey a message or thought". | |||
Khmer | បកប្រែ | ||
បកប្រែ is also used in Khmer to describe the process of adapting a literary work from one language to another. | |||
Lao | ແປ | ||
The word ແປ literally means “to exchange,” as in trading something. Additionally, ແປ can mean “to transcribe”. | |||
Malay | terjemahkan | ||
Terjemahkan can also mean to explain, interpret, or expound. | |||
Thai | แปลภาษา | ||
In Thai, 'แปลภาษา' can also refer to translating gestures or signs. | |||
Vietnamese | phiên dịch | ||
Phiên dịch means 'translation' but can also mean 'interpretation' or 'version' | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | isalin | ||
Azerbaijani | tərcümə etmək | ||
The term "tərcümə etmək" in Azerbaijani not only means "to translate," but also refers to the act of "interpreting." | |||
Kazakh | аудару | ||
The word аудару, meaning "translate," also has an alternate interpretation, that of "changing something from one thing into another, replacing it with an equivalent." | |||
Kyrgyz | которуу | ||
The word "которуу" also means "transferring liquids from one container to another container" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | тарҷума кардан | ||
Turkmen | terjime et | ||
Uzbek | tarjima qilish | ||
The word "tarjima qilish" in Uzbek also means "to express the meaning of something in another language". | |||
Uyghur | تەرجىمە | ||
Hawaiian | unuhi | ||
The word 'unuhi' in Hawaiian can also refer to the act of interpreting or explaining something. | |||
Maori | whakamaori | ||
Whakamaori can also mean 'to civilise' or 'to make Maori' in the sense of 'to adapt to Maori ways'. | |||
Samoan | faʻaliliu | ||
Faʻaliliu (literally "to make alive") is the Samoan word for "translate". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | isalin | ||
The word "Isalin" comes from the Spanish word "trasladar," which means "to move" or "to carry over." |
Aymara | jaqukipaña | ||
Guarani | ñe'ẽmbohasa | ||
Esperanto | traduki | ||
"Traduki" comes from "tra" (across) and "duki" (to lead), thus meaning literally "to lead across" | |||
Latin | transferendum | ||
The word "transferendum" can also refer to a document or record that is to be transferred. |
Greek | μεταφράζω | ||
The word μεταφράζω can also mean 'to paraphrase' or 'to interpret'. | |||
Hmong | txhais lus | ||
The word 'txhais lus' in Hmong is derived from the verb 'txhais' (to speak) and the noun 'lus' (language), meaning 'to speak a different language'. | |||
Kurdish | wergerandin | ||
In addition to the literal meaning of "translate", "wergerandin" can also refer to the act of interpreting or mediating between parties. | |||
Turkish | çevirmek | ||
Çevirmek's other meanings are 'rotating' or 'turning' something. | |||
Xhosa | guqula | ||
In Xhosa, the word 'guqula' can also mean 'change' or 'transform' in addition to translating. | |||
Yiddish | איבערזעצן | ||
The Yiddish word איבערזעצן, meaning "translate," is derived from the German word "übersetzen," meaning "to carry across." | |||
Zulu | ukuhumusha | ||
The Zulu word 'ukuhumusha' originates from the verb '-huma', which means 'to move', 'to change', or 'to transform'. | |||
Assamese | অনুবাদ কৰা | ||
Aymara | jaqukipaña | ||
Bhojpuri | अनुवाद | ||
Dhivehi | ތަރުޖަމާކުރުން | ||
Dogri | अनुवाद करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | isalin | ||
Guarani | ñe'ẽmbohasa | ||
Ilocano | itarus | ||
Krio | translet | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | وەرگێڕان | ||
Maithili | भाषांतर केनाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯍꯟꯊꯣꯛ ꯍꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | letling | ||
Oromo | hiikuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁବାଦ କର | ||
Quechua | tikray | ||
Sanskrit | अनुवदति | ||
Tatar | тәрҗемә итү | ||
Tigrinya | ምትርጓም | ||
Tsonga | hundzuluxa | ||