Unit in Different Languages
Discover 'Unit' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'unit' carries significant weight in various contexts, denoting a distinct entity or the fundamental building block of a larger system. Its cultural importance is evident in fields as diverse as mathematics, science, architecture, and the military. Understanding the translation of 'unit' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures conceptualize and organize their worlds.
For instance, did you know that the word 'unit' translates to 'einheit' in German, reflecting the language's precision and love for order? Or that in Japanese, 'unit' is '単位' (tani), a term that also denotes a standard measure? These translations offer a fascinating glimpse into the cultural and historical contexts of different languages.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural scholar, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'unit' can be a rewarding and enlightening experience. Here are some translations to get you started:
Unit
Unit in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | eenheid | ||
| Afrikaans "eenheid" means "unit," but can also refer to "unity" or "uniformity". | |||
| Amharic | አሃድ | ||
| In addition to meaning "unit," አሃድ can also mean "the one" and is often used in a religious context (for example አሃዱ "the One," a reference to God). | |||
| Hausa | naúrar | ||
| Hausa "naúrar" (unit) might derive from the Arabic "nawwar" (luminary), "nawwar" (to enlighten), or "nawwara" (fountain). | |||
| Igbo | nkeji | ||
| In Igbo, the word "nkeji" can also mean "group", "set", or "category". | |||
| Malagasy | vondrona | ||
| The word "vondrona" comes from the root "vondro-," meaning "to be united." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gawo | ||
| The word "gawo" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also refers to a group of people or animals. | |||
| Shona | chikwata | ||
| Chikwata is also an old-school slang word for a dollar. | |||
| Somali | cutub | ||
| In Somali, the word "cutub" is cognate with Arabic "kutayb," meaning "small piece" or "loaf of bread," and can also refer to a small group of people, livestock, or plants. | |||
| Sesotho | yuniti | ||
| The word "yuniti" in Sesotho is derived from the Latin word "unitas", meaning "oneness" or "unity". | |||
| Swahili | kitengo | ||
| "Kitengo" can also refer to a section, division, or department within an organization or government. | |||
| Xhosa | iyunithi | ||
| The word "iyunithi" (unit) is derived from the English word "unit" and can also be used in a military context, referring to a division or group of soldiers | |||
| Yoruba | kuro | ||
| The word “kurɔ́” meaning “a unit of 25” is related to “kó”, “gather”, “kóró” “join” (in the sense of attaching beads) and the suffix “-ró which is a diminutive form. | |||
| Zulu | iyunithi | ||
| The word 'iyunithi' can also refer to a 'unit of measurement' or a 'set of things' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | inite | ||
| Ewe | nu ɖeka | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igice | ||
| Lingala | eteni | ||
| Luganda | omunwe | ||
| Sepedi | yuniti | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔfa | ||
Unit in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وحدة | ||
| Derived from the root word 'w-h-d' (to be one or alone), it implies not only a singular entity but also oneness and completeness. | |||
| Hebrew | יחידה | ||
| יחידה, 'unit' or 'unique,' can also mean solitary or lonely, or an exceptional person or thing. | |||
| Pashto | واحد | ||
| In Pashto, 'واحد' can also mean 'one', 'single', or 'indivisible'. | |||
| Arabic | وحدة | ||
| Derived from the root word 'w-h-d' (to be one or alone), it implies not only a singular entity but also oneness and completeness. | |||
Unit in Western European Languages
| Albanian | njësi | ||
| The Albanian word "njësi" evolved from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ney-m̥-/", meaning "to bind" or "to tie". | |||
| Basque | unitatea | ||
| Unitatea is also the Basque word for "unity", as in a group of people or things that are joined together. | |||
| Catalan | unitat | ||
| The Catalan word "unitat" can also mean "unity" or "accordance." | |||
| Croatian | jedinica | ||
| The word "jedinica" in Croatian can also mean a military unit or a monastic order. | |||
| Danish | enhed | ||
| "Enhed" means both "unit" and "coherence". This double meaning is also found in the German word "Einheit" and in the English word "unity". In all three languages, the primary meaning of the word is "unity", and the secondary meaning of "unit" is derived from this. | |||
| Dutch | eenheid | ||
| The Dutch word "eenheid" originally meant "agreement" or "unity" and is related to the word "een" meaning "one". | |||
| English | unit | ||
| The word "unit" comes from the Latin word "unitas," which means "oneness" or "singleness." It can also refer to a group of people or things that are united by a common purpose or goal. | |||
| French | unité | ||
| The French word "unité" also means "unity" or "togetherness". | |||
| Frisian | ienheid | ||
| It is likely that the word 'ienheid' in Frisian is derived from the Old Frisian word 'ienheed', meaning 'unity'. | |||
| Galician | unidade | ||
| The Galician word "unidade" derives from the Latin "unitas", meaning "oneness" or "singleness", and also has the meanings of "unity" and "agreement". | |||
| German | einheit | ||
| The word "Einheit" in German also means "unity" or "conformity", signifying its broader connotation beyond numerical or military contexts. | |||
| Icelandic | eining | ||
| The Old Norse term "eining" also means "accord" or "agreement" in modern Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | aonad | ||
| It is cognate with the English 'unit' and the Old English 'ānede' | |||
| Italian | unità | ||
| In Italian, "unità" can also refer to a military unit or a political party, and its plural form is used to describe the sum total of all entities. | |||
| Luxembourgish | eenheet | ||
| Maltese | unità | ||
| The Maltese word "unità" can also mean "unity" or "union". | |||
| Norwegian | enhet | ||
| The word 'enhet' (unit) derives from the Old Norse 'eining' meaning 'unity', 'agreement', and 'similarity' and is related to the modern Norwegian word for 'one' (en). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | unidade | ||
| Unidade derives from the Latin word "unitas," meaning "oneness, unity." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | aonad | ||
| Aonad is often used as a unit of time in Gaelic, for example in 'aonad deug' which means 'a fortnight'. | |||
| Spanish | unidad | ||
| The word "unidad" can also refer to a political or social group that shares common goals or interests. | |||
| Swedish | enhet | ||
| The word "enhet" can also refer to a musical note or a unit of measurement. | |||
| Welsh | uned | ||
| In Old Welsh "uned" also referred to the number "one" | |||
Unit in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адзінка | ||
| In Belarusian, a "адзінка" can also refer to a small coin or a single piece of something. | |||
| Bosnian | jedinica | ||
| The word "jedinica" in Bosnian also means "cell" in a biological sense or "prison cell" when referring to a room in a prison. | |||
| Bulgarian | мерна единица | ||
| The word "мерна единица" comes from the French word "unité" and can also mean "uniformity" or "harmony" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | jednotka | ||
| Jednotka is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *edinъ, meaning "one" | |||
| Estonian | üksus | ||
| In chemistry, üksus can also refer to the "unit" of molar mass. | |||
| Finnish | yksikkö | ||
| "Yksikkö" also means "individual" in Finnish, which is related to its singular form "yksi," meaning "one." | |||
| Hungarian | mértékegység | ||
| The word comes from "mérték" meaning "measure" and "egység" meaning "essence", "being" or "existence". | |||
| Latvian | vienība | ||
| "Vienība" can also mean "singularity" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | vienetas | ||
| "Vienetas" (unit) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *wei- "to separate, divide, weave, wind". | |||
| Macedonian | единица | ||
| The word "единица" also means "one" in Macedonian and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *edinъ, meaning "one". | |||
| Polish | jednostka | ||
| The word "jednostka" in Polish can also refer to a type of military unit, a single dose of medicine, or a legal entity. | |||
| Romanian | unitate | ||
| "Unitate" derives from the Latin "unitas" and may also mean "unity" or "union". | |||
| Russian | единица измерения | ||
| In Russian, “единица измерения” can mean either “unit” or “unit of measurement”, depending on the context. | |||
| Serbian | јединица | ||
| The word "јединица" can also mean "a person who is the only child of their parents", or "a part of a whole that is considered separately". | |||
| Slovak | jednotka | ||
| The word "jednotka" also means "a single entity, individual or item" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | enota | ||
| In Slovenian, "enota" also means "unity." | |||
| Ukrainian | од | ||
| In Proto-Indo-European, *h₁ews- meant "good" and produced words like "good" in English and "добрый" in Russian. | |||
Unit in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইউনিট | ||
| "ইউনিট" শব্দটি ল্যাটিন শব্দ "unitas" থেকে এসেছে যার অর্থ "একতা" বা "বিশেষতা"। | |||
| Gujarati | એકમ | ||
| The Gujarati word "એકમ" comes from the Sanskrit word "एकता" (unity) and can also mean "element" or "factor". | |||
| Hindi | इकाई | ||
| The Sanskrit word "ekāyana," meaning "the sole path," is the etymological root of this word. | |||
| Kannada | ಘಟಕ | ||
| ಘಟಕ can also mean an ingredient, constituent, or component. | |||
| Malayalam | യൂണിറ്റ് | ||
| The word "യൂണിറ്റ്" in Malayalam also means an organization or a group of people who work together. | |||
| Marathi | युनिट | ||
| The Marathi word 'युनिट' ('unit') derives from the English word 'unit', a measure of quantity or value. | |||
| Nepali | एकाइ | ||
| The word 'एकाइ' also means 'entity' and is related to the Sanskrit word 'ैक्य' (aikya), meaning 'unity'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਕਾਈ | ||
| The word "ਇਕਾਈ" ("unit") in Punjabi can also refer to a "single piece" or "an individual item". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඒකකය | ||
| The word "ඒකකය" derives from the Sanskrit word "एक" meaning "one" and can also mean "part", "factor" or "portion" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | அலகு | ||
| அலகு can also mean a beak, a type of measure, an elephant's trunk, an organ of the body, or even a fraction of something. | |||
| Telugu | యూనిట్ | ||
| The word "యూనిట్" is derived from the Latin word "unitas", meaning "unity" or "oneness". | |||
| Urdu | یونٹ | ||
| In Urdu, the word "unit" (یونٹ) can also refer to a military regiment or division. | |||
Unit in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 单元 | ||
| "单元" (unit) originally referred to a single cell, but later its meaning expanded to include rooms and apartments. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 單元 | ||
| In Chinese, the character "單" can also refer to "a single item" or "an individual entity". | |||
| Japanese | 単位 | ||
| 単位 (tan-i) is a loanword that comes from the Portuguese language, the word 'unidade'. It has meanings like 'individual', 'element' and also 'part'. | |||
| Korean | 단위 | ||
| The Sino-Korean word "단위" can also mean "order of magnitude," "unit of quantity," and "degree of something." | |||
| Mongolian | нэгж | ||
| The word “нэгж” comes from an old word meaning a single arrow, used as the basic measurement of distance or length during raids by Mongolian armies. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ယူနစ် | ||
Unit in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | satuan | ||
| The word "satuan" in Indonesian shares its root with the Sanskrit word "ekata", meaning "together". It has also been used to refer to a "group of people" or a "set of things" in various historical contexts. | |||
| Javanese | unit | ||
| In Javanese, "unit" can also refer to a group of people or objects that are considered as a whole. | |||
| Khmer | ឯកតា | ||
| "ឯកតា" is also used to refer to unity or agreement within a group. | |||
| Lao | ຫົວ ໜ່ວຍ | ||
| "Houa noui" (head of ten) means "unit" and is derived from the Lao decimal counting system | |||
| Malay | unit | ||
| The Malay word "unit" can also refer to a room inside a house or apartment. | |||
| Thai | หน่วย | ||
| In Thai, "หน่วย" can also refer to a person or group of people, or a place or location. | |||
| Vietnamese | đơn vị | ||
| The word "đơn vị" also has alternate meanings of "one" and "simple" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | yunit | ||
Unit in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | vahid | ||
| The word "vahid" in Azerbaijani originates from the Arabic word "wahad" meaning "one" and also refers to the "one" entity in a group or system. | |||
| Kazakh | бірлік | ||
| The word "бірлік" also means "unity" in Kazakh, emphasizing the collective aspect of a group or organization. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бирдик | ||
| The word "бирдик" also means "one" or "piece" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | воҳид | ||
| The Persian word "wahid" from Arabic "واحد / wāḥid" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *oinos, meaning one or alone. | |||
| Turkmen | birligi | ||
| Uzbek | birlik | ||
| The word "birlik" in Uzbek can also refer to unity, friendship, or a group of people working together. | |||
| Uyghur | unit | ||
Unit in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻāpana | ||
| 'Āpana' also refers to a section of land or plot of ground | |||
| Maori | kōwae | ||
| In Maori, "kōwae" can also refer to a battalion of soldiers or a group of people. | |||
| Samoan | iunite | ||
| In Samoan, the word “iunite” refers also to the number one. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | yunit | ||
| The Tagalog word "yunit" can also refer to a "group of things" or a "set". | |||
Unit in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayaki | ||
| Guarani | vorepeteĩ | ||
Unit in International Languages
| Esperanto | unuo | ||
| While Esperanto's "unuo" is typically translated to "unit," it also carries the connotation of "unity" and "oneness".} | |||
| Latin | unit | ||
| The Latin word "unitus" also means "joined, united, or combined". | |||
Unit in Others Languages
| Greek | μονάδα | ||
| The word 'μονάδα' can also mean 'unity' or 'singleness'. | |||
| Hmong | chav nyob | ||
| The word "chav nyob" in Hmong also means "group," "gang," or "team." | |||
| Kurdish | yekbûn | ||
| The Kurdish word "yekbûn" (unit) derives from the Old Persian word "yauk-buna" (joined together). | |||
| Turkish | birim | ||
| The word "birim" ("unit") in Turkish, which originated from the Old Turkish word "bir" ("one"), also has alternate meanings such as "piece" or "example." | |||
| Xhosa | iyunithi | ||
| The word "iyunithi" (unit) is derived from the English word "unit" and can also be used in a military context, referring to a division or group of soldiers | |||
| Yiddish | אַפּאַראַט | ||
| From Late Latin apparātus ("equipment, accoutrements"), from the past participle of apparāre ("to prepare"), from ad ("to") + parāre ("to prepare") | |||
| Zulu | iyunithi | ||
| The word 'iyunithi' can also refer to a 'unit of measurement' or a 'set of things' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | একক | ||
| Aymara | mayaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | इकाई | ||
| Dhivehi | ޔުނިޓް | ||
| Dogri | यूनिट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | yunit | ||
| Guarani | vorepeteĩ | ||
| Ilocano | yunit | ||
| Krio | pat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | یەکە | ||
| Maithili | इकाई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯊꯥꯞ | ||
| Mizo | hlawm khat | ||
| Oromo | safartuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଏକକ | ||
| Quechua | huñu | ||
| Sanskrit | इंकाईं | ||
| Tatar | берәмлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ምዕራፍ | ||
| Tsonga | yuniti | ||