Transportation in Different Languages
Discover 'Transportation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Transportation: it's a word that carries us through our daily lives, moving us from place to place and connecting us to the world around us. From the moment we step onto a bus or into a car, we're engaging in a practice that has been a vital part of human culture for thousands of years. From ancient Roman roads to modern-day highways, the ways we've developed to move ourselves and our goods from one place to another have shaped the course of history.
But transportation isn't just a historical or cultural phenomenon - it's also a global one. As our world becomes more interconnected, the need for efficient and effective transportation systems has only grown. And as we seek to understand and engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds, knowing the words for
Transportation
Transportation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vervoer | ||
| Etymologically, 'vervoer' is cognate with German 'fuhrwerk' and Dutch 'voertuig,' but in Afrikaans can refer to vehicles, the transport industry, and more abstract concepts like the flow of information. | |||
| Amharic | መጓጓዣ | ||
| The word መጓጓዣ can also refer to tourism, meaning "the action of traveling for pleasure or business; journey". | |||
| Hausa | sufuri | ||
| Hausa word "sufuri" also means a vehicle that carries passengers. | |||
| Igbo | njem | ||
| In Igbo, the word "njem" has an extended meaning of "movement", encompassing both physical and metaphorical journeys. | |||
| Malagasy | fitaovam-pitaterana | ||
| The word Fitaovam-pitaterana is derived from the words fita (to go), ava (road), and pitaterana (to travel). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mayendedwe | ||
| Mayendedwe is similar to another Nyanja word 'maendedwe,' which means 'a series of occurrences' and can refer to time or a journey. | |||
| Shona | kutakura | ||
| The word "kutakura" is derived from the verb "kutaka", which means "to carry" or "to transport." | |||
| Somali | gaadiidka | ||
| The Somali word "gaadiidka" derives from the Arabic word "qādi", meaning "judge" or "administrator", but in Somali, it specifically refers to "transportation". | |||
| Sesotho | lipalangoang | ||
| The word "lipalangoang" also translates to "travel". | |||
| Swahili | usafiri | ||
| The word 'usafiri' is derived from the Arabic word 'safar' meaning 'journey', and is cognate with the Malay word 'safar' meaning 'boat'. | |||
| Xhosa | ezothutho | ||
| "Ezothutho", meaning "transportation", also means "the act of carrying" and "the thing that transports" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | gbigbe | ||
| The word "gbigbe" in Yoruba also means "the movement of a large number of people or things at once". | |||
| Zulu | ezokuthutha | ||
| The word "ezokuthutha" in Zulu can also mean "the act of carrying something". | |||
| Bambara | táransipɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | ʋuɖoɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwikorezi | ||
| Lingala | transpore | ||
| Luganda | entambula | ||
| Sepedi | thomelo ka senamelwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akwantuo | ||
Transportation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وسائل النقل | ||
| Hebrew | הוֹבָלָה | ||
| Originally, "הוֹבָלָה" meant "guiding", and a "הוֹבֵל" ("mover") was a "leader, guide". | |||
| Pashto | ټرانسپورټ | ||
| The word "ټرانسپورټ" comes from the Latin word "transportare", meaning "to carry across". | |||
| Arabic | وسائل النقل | ||
Transportation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | transporti | ||
| The word "transporti" in Albanian derives from the Latin verb "transportare," meaning "to carry across" or "to convey from one place to another." | |||
| Basque | garraioa | ||
| The word `garraioa` also means `vehicle` in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | transport | ||
| The Catalan word "transport" can also mean "ecstasy" or "rapture". | |||
| Croatian | prijevoz | ||
| The word "prijevoz" has the same root as the verb "voziti" which means "to drive", both stemming from Proto-Slavic *vozъ. | |||
| Danish | transport | ||
| Transport (Danish 'transport') shares the etymology with the English word for 'carriage' | |||
| Dutch | vervoer | ||
| In Dutch, "vervoer" can also refer to the act of moving goods or people, or the means of doing so. | |||
| English | transportation | ||
| "Transportation" can also refer to the act of converting food into energy by living organisms. | |||
| French | transport | ||
| In French, "transport" can also refer to a state of ecstasy or emotional upheaval. | |||
| Frisian | transport | ||
| The Frisian word "transport" can also refer to a convoy of ships or a procession of people or animals. | |||
| Galician | transporte | ||
| Galician "transporte" derives from Latin "transportare" meaning "carry" and also refers to a public service or vehicle used for moving people or goods. | |||
| German | transport | ||
| The German word "Transport" derives from the Latin "transportare" meaning "to carry across". | |||
| Icelandic | flutninga | ||
| The Old Norse term "flutninga" can also refer to "movement on the sea". | |||
| Irish | iompar | ||
| "Iompar" is cognate with the Latin "impetus" (impetus) and the Greek "emporeuo" (to trade). | |||
| Italian | trasporto | ||
| The Italian word 'trasporto' derives from the Latin verb 'transportare', meaning 'to carry across'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | transport | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Transport" can also refer to a specific type of public transportation, known as a "Tram." | |||
| Maltese | trasport | ||
| The word "trasport" in Maltese also means "emotion" or "movement of the soul". | |||
| Norwegian | transport | ||
| Norwegian "transport" comes from Latin, where it also refers to movement through space. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | transporte | ||
| The word "transporte" in Portuguese derives from the Latin word "transportare," meaning "to carry across," and can also refer to "moving troops or supplies" in a military context. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | còmhdhail | ||
| Spanish | transporte | ||
| The Spanish word "transporte" can also refer to a prison sentence or to the emotional shock caused by a sudden or violent event. | |||
| Swedish | transport | ||
| Sweden's transport system includes cars, buses, trains, ships, and aircraft. | |||
| Welsh | cludo | ||
| In Welsh, the word "cludo" also means "shelter" or "covering". | |||
Transportation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | транспарт | ||
| Bosnian | prevoz | ||
| The word "prevoz" also means "vehicle" in some contexts, such as "auto prevoz" for "car transport". | |||
| Bulgarian | транспорт | ||
| The word "транспорт" (transport) comes from the Latin "transportare" meaning "to carry across". | |||
| Czech | přeprava | ||
| The word 'přeprava' is also used to refer to the transportation of passengers or goods by air, rail, or water. | |||
| Estonian | transport | ||
| "transportida" is a loanword from German that also denotes the "transportation" of emotions and thoughts. | |||
| Finnish | kuljetus | ||
| The word 'kuljetus' comes from the verb 'kuljettaa', which means 'to carry' or 'to convey'. | |||
| Hungarian | szállítás | ||
| The Hungarian word "szállítás" also refers to a type of traditional Hungarian folk music. | |||
| Latvian | transportēšana | ||
| The Latvian word "transportēšana" comes from the German word "transportieren", which means "to carry" or "to move". | |||
| Lithuanian | gabenimas | ||
| The word "gabenimas" derives from the verb "gabenti" (to carry, to convey), which is related to the word "gabalas" (a piece, a portion). | |||
| Macedonian | транспорт | ||
| The Russian word "транспорт" comes from the Latin "transportare," meaning "to carry across." | |||
| Polish | transport | ||
| In Polish, "transport" can also refer to a shipment of goods or a group of people moved in bulk. | |||
| Romanian | transport | ||
| The word "transport" (or "transportation") in Romanian can also refer to the act of carrying something from one place to another, or to a state of being moved or carried. | |||
| Russian | транспорт | ||
| The Russian word "транспорт" can also refer to vehicles used for moving people or goods. | |||
| Serbian | превоз | ||
| The word 'превоз' can also refer to a 'vehicle' or 'carriage'. | |||
| Slovak | preprava | ||
| "Preprava" (transportation) is derived from the verb "prepraviť" (to transport), which comes from the Proto-Slavic root *per- "across" and *praviti "to do". | |||
| Slovenian | prevoz | ||
| The verb 'voziti' originally meant 'to go on a trip,' so the related noun 'prevoz' originally meant 'trip' or 'journey,' and only later acquired the meaning of 'transport.' | |||
| Ukrainian | транспортування | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "транспортування" can also refer to the act of transplanting organs or tissues. | |||
Transportation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরিবহন | ||
| The word "পরিবহন" is derived from the Sanskrit word "परिवाह" (parivaha), meaning "to carry around". | |||
| Gujarati | પરિવહન | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'parivahana' originally meant 'carrying around,' indicating the act of movement or transfer. | |||
| Hindi | परिवहन | ||
| परिवहन (transportation) derives from "pari" (around, back) and "vahana" (vehicle) and can also mean "to move around, travel". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾರಿಗೆ | ||
| ಸಾರಿಗೆ can also refer to the act of removing or carrying someone or something from one place to another. | |||
| Malayalam | ഗതാഗതം | ||
| The word 'ഗതാഗതം' (transportation) in Malayalam finds its roots in Sanskrit ('गत' meaning 'gone' and 'आगत' meaning 'arrived'), indicating the movement of people or goods from one place to another and can also be used to refer to the infrastructure and services associated with it. | |||
| Marathi | वाहतूक | ||
| "वाहतूक" (transportation) derives from the Sanskrit word "वहन" (carrying) and can also refer to the process of moving something, such as a corpse or a deity. | |||
| Nepali | यातायात | ||
| The word 'यातायात' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'यात्रा' (journey), and originally meant any kind of movement or travel. | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਵਾਜਾਈ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਆਵਾਜਾਈ" originally meant "noise or din" but evolved to mean "transportation" due to the noise created by vehicles. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රවාහනය | ||
| ප්රවාහනය in Sinhala derives from the word 'ප්රවහ' which also means 'flow' or 'movement', implying the concept of transporting something from one place to another. | |||
| Tamil | போக்குவரத்து | ||
| The Tamil word போக்குவரத்து ('transport') has an alternate meaning of 'conduct, carrying on, or management'. | |||
| Telugu | రవాణా | ||
| The word "రవాణా" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ravaṇa" meaning "to roar" | |||
| Urdu | نقل و حمل | ||
| The Persian origin of "نقلیات" refers to "goods carried by camel" and the related term "نقلی" means "portable" in Arabic. | |||
Transportation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 运输 | ||
| 运输, from 输 (shū) 'transport' and 运 (yùn) 'transport; carry; move'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 運輸 | ||
| The word 運輸 (yùnshū) in Chinese (Traditional) is derived from the verb 運 (yùn), meaning "to carry" or "to transport," and the noun 輸 (shū), meaning "to transport by vehicle or animal." | |||
| Japanese | 交通 | ||
| "交通" comes from the same root as "communication" and its other meanings include "intercourse" and "connection". | |||
| Korean | 교통 | ||
| 교통(交通)이란 원래 사람이나 사물을 교환하고 오가는 것을 뜻하는 말로서 여기서 파생된 말이 교류(交流). | |||
| Mongolian | тээвэрлэлт | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သယ်ယူပို့ဆောင်ရေး | ||
Transportation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | angkutan | ||
| "Angkutan" also means "load" and comes from the root word "angkut" which means "to carry". | |||
| Javanese | transportasi | ||
| The word "transportasi" in Javanese also means "the act of moving something from one place to another". | |||
| Khmer | ការដឹកជញ្ជូន | ||
| Lao | ການຂົນສົ່ງ | ||
| "ການ ขน" can be used to imply the activity of carrying, leading, fetching, transferring, transporting, exporting, importing, etc. | |||
| Malay | pengangkutan | ||
| The word 'pengangkutan' is derived from the Javanese word 'angkut', meaning 'to carry or transport'. | |||
| Thai | การขนส่ง | ||
| The Thai word "การขนส่ง" can also refer to the act of moving goods or people from one place to another, or the system used for this purpose. | |||
| Vietnamese | vận chuyển | ||
| The word "vận chuyển" (transportation) in Vietnamese also means "to carry over", "to transfer", or "to transport". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | transportasyon | ||
Transportation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nəqliyyat | ||
| "Nəqliyyat" means "transport" in Azerbaijani, originating from the Arabic word "naql" meaning "to transfer". | |||
| Kazakh | тасымалдау | ||
| The word "тасымалдау" in Kazakh also refers to the act of carrying or moving something. | |||
| Kyrgyz | транспорт | ||
| The word "транспорт" in Kyrgyz can also refer to the means of conveyance or the process of carrying something from one place to another. | |||
| Tajik | нақлиёт | ||
| The word "нақлиёт" is derived from the Arabic word "naql", meaning "transfer" or "conveyance". | |||
| Turkmen | daşamak | ||
| Uzbek | transport | ||
| In Uzbek, | |||
| Uyghur | قاتناش | ||
Transportation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | halihali | ||
| The term "halihali" could be translated to "move around" or "to take to" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | kawe | ||
| Though not widely known, "kawe" can also mean "to carry on the shoulder". | |||
| Samoan | felauaiga | ||
| The term 'felauaiga' is also used in Samoan to refer to a vehicle or a means of transport. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | transportasyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "transportasyon" is derived from the Spanish word "transportación," which means "transportation" or "carriage." | |||
Transportation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'añasku | ||
| Guarani | mba'yru | ||
Transportation in International Languages
| Esperanto | transportado | ||
| Esperanto's "transportado" is based on the Latin word "transportare," meaning to move across or to carry over. | |||
| Latin | translationem | ||
| The word "translationem" in Latin has alternate meanings such as "removal", "transfer", or "exchange". | |||
Transportation in Others Languages
| Greek | μεταφορά | ||
| The word "Μεταφορά" can also mean "metaphor" in Greek, reflecting its dual usage in both physical and figurative contexts. | |||
| Hmong | kev thauj mus los | ||
| The word "kev thauj mus los" in Hmong can also mean "moving" or "carrying". | |||
| Kurdish | neqlîye | ||
| The Kurdish word "neqlîye" also refers to "moving something from one place to another" and to "the process of loading and unloading a ship, train, or airplane." | |||
| Turkish | ulaşım | ||
| "Ulaşım" also means "reach" in Turkish, suggesting the literal act of getting to a destination. | |||
| Xhosa | ezothutho | ||
| "Ezothutho", meaning "transportation", also means "the act of carrying" and "the thing that transports" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | טראנספארטאציע | ||
| The Yiddish word "טראנספארטאציע" can also refer to the act of moving goods or people from one place to another. | |||
| Zulu | ezokuthutha | ||
| The word "ezokuthutha" in Zulu can also mean "the act of carrying something". | |||
| Assamese | পৰিবহন | ||
| Aymara | k'añasku | ||
| Bhojpuri | परिवहन | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަތުރުފަތުރު | ||
| Dogri | ढो-ढुआई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | transportasyon | ||
| Guarani | mba'yru | ||
| Ilocano | transportasion | ||
| Krio | transpɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گواستنەوە | ||
| Maithili | परिवहन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯊꯣꯛ ꯄꯨꯁꯤꯟ ꯇꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thilthawnna | ||
| Oromo | geejjibuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରିବହନ | ||
| Quechua | transporte | ||
| Sanskrit | परिवहन | ||
| Tatar | транспорт | ||
| Tigrinya | መጓዓዝያ | ||
| Tsonga | ntleketlo | ||