Universal in Different Languages
Discover 'Universal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 5, 2024
The word 'universal', derived from the Latin 'universalis', carries a significant meaning that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries. It refers to something that applies to or is true for all people, places, or situations. This concept has been crucial in various fields, including science, philosophy, and art, as it promotes the idea of shared human experiences and truths.
Throughout history, universal ideas have been a source of inspiration and unity. From the ancient Greek philosophy of universal truths to the modern United Nations' promotion of universal human rights, this concept has remained a constant force in shaping our world. Moreover, the notion of universality is also reflected in language, as many languages have their own translation of the term 'universal.'
Understanding the translation of 'universal' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and value shared ideas and experiences. Here are a few examples:
Universal
Universal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | universeel | ||
| The word "universeel" in Afrikaans is the Afrikaans equivalent of the English word "universal" and has no other meanings. | |||
| Amharic | ሁለንተናዊ | ||
| "ሁለንተናዊ" (universal) comes from "ሁለት" (two) and "አንተ" (you); the second word represents all humans regardless of gender. | |||
| Hausa | duniya | ||
| In Hausa, "duniya" also refers to the "world" or the "earth." | |||
| Igbo | eluigwe na ala | ||
| "Eluigwe na ala" in Igbo literally means "heaven and earth" or "the world." | |||
| Malagasy | rehetra izao | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilengedwe chonse | ||
| The word "chilengedwe chonse" in Nyanja can also refer to a general understanding or agreement among people. | |||
| Shona | zvakasikwa | ||
| "Zvakasikwa" also signifies "that which can't be recreated". | |||
| Somali | caalami ah | ||
| The word "caalami ah" can also mean "global" or "worldwide" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | bokahohle | ||
| The word "bokahohle" is derived from the word "bokaha", meaning "all" or "everything". The suffix "-hle" has a distributive function, which gives the word the meaning of "universal" or "all-encompassing". | |||
| Swahili | zima | ||
| Zima can also mean 'complete' or 'thorough' in Swahili, emphasizing the idea of all-inclusiveness. | |||
| Xhosa | kwindalo iphela | ||
| The compound word "kwindalo iphela" literally translates to "in the place of the head", suggesting a position of centrality or comprehensiveness. | |||
| Yoruba | gbogbo agbaye | ||
| Zulu | indawo yonke | ||
| Indawo yonke comes from the word indawo, meaning 'place', and yonke, meaning 'all', suggesting a place that encompasses all other places. | |||
| Bambara | diɲɛ bɛɛ ta fan fɛ | ||
| Ewe | xexeame katã tɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwisi yose | ||
| Lingala | ya mokili mobimba | ||
| Luganda | eby’obutonde bwonna | ||
| Sepedi | bokahohleng | ||
| Twi (Akan) | amansan nyinaa de | ||
Universal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عالمي | ||
| The word "عالمي" in Arabic can also refer to anything related to the world or the universe, such as "worldliness" or "cosmology." | |||
| Hebrew | אוניברסלי | ||
| "אוניברסלי" is derived from the Latin "universalis," which means "of or relating to the whole world." | |||
| Pashto | نړیوال | ||
| The word "نړیوال" can also mean "global" or "international". | |||
| Arabic | عالمي | ||
| The word "عالمي" in Arabic can also refer to anything related to the world or the universe, such as "worldliness" or "cosmology." | |||
Universal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | universale | ||
| In Albanian, | |||
| Basque | unibertsala | ||
| The etymology of the Basque word "unibertsala" derives from Latin "universus", meaning "entire or whole," and "sala" meaning "hall or room." | |||
| Catalan | universal | ||
| The Catalan word 'universal' derives from the Latin 'universus', meaning both 'universal' and 'whole'. | |||
| Croatian | univerzalni | ||
| The Croatian word 'univerzalni' is derived from the Latin word 'universalis', meaning 'of or pertaining to the universe.' | |||
| Danish | universel | ||
| In Danish, "universel" can also refer to a tool used to open and close the bolt of a rifle. | |||
| Dutch | universeel | ||
| In Dutch, "universeel" can also refer to a tool used in carpentry and construction. | |||
| English | universal | ||
| "Universal" derives from Latin "universus" meaning "all, whole," but it can also refer to the concept of a common nature that underlies all phenomena. | |||
| French | universel | ||
| The word "universel" in French comes from the Latin word "universalis", which means "of or relating to the whole universe". It can also mean "general" or "applicable to all cases". | |||
| Frisian | universeel | ||
| The word "universeel" in Frisian can also mean "common" or "general". | |||
| Galician | universal | ||
| German | universal- | ||
| In German, "Universal" can also refer to a "joint" or "universal joint" in mechanical contexts, e.g. "Universalgelenk". | |||
| Icelandic | alhliða | ||
| In Old Norse, "alhliða" meant "on all sides". | |||
| Irish | uilíoch | ||
| The Irish word "uilíoch" originates from the Latin word "universalis", and can also mean "all-inclusive", "comprehensive", or "broad."} | |||
| Italian | universale | ||
| The Italian word "universale" derives from the Latin word "universalis", which means "pertaining to all or many". Thus, the word has the alternate meaning of "general" or "all-encompassing". | |||
| Luxembourgish | universell | ||
| Maltese | universali | ||
| The word "universali" in Maltese is derived from the Latin word "universalis," which means "pertaining to the whole" or "of the whole universe." | |||
| Norwegian | universell | ||
| The word "universell" in Norwegian can also refer to something that applies worldwide, i.e., international. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | universal | ||
| The Portuguese word "universal" (universal) originated from the Latin word "universus," meaning "entire" or "of all." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uile-choitcheann | ||
| Spanish | universal | ||
| The word "universal" comes from the Latin word "universus" which means "whole" or "entire". | |||
| Swedish | universell | ||
| "Universell" also means "versatile" or "multipurpose" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | cyffredinol | ||
| The word "cyffredinol" is a compound of the words "cyffred" (total, complete) and "inol" (the suffix indicating a general notion or state). | |||
Universal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | універсальны | ||
| The word "універсальны" can also mean "common" or "catholic" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | univerzalni | ||
| The word 'univerzalni' is derived from the Latin word 'universalis', meaning 'general, applying to all'. It can also mean 'ecumenical, worldwide', referring to the universal church or the universal Christian community. | |||
| Bulgarian | универсален | ||
| The word "универсален" also means "versatile" and comes from the Latin "universalis" meaning "of or relating to the whole world". | |||
| Czech | univerzální | ||
| The word "univerzální" is derived from Latin "universus", meaning "the whole world" or "all of creation." | |||
| Estonian | universaalne | ||
| In Estonian, the word "universaalne" can take on meanings both related to its Latin origins and more nuanced ones in the colloquial realm. | |||
| Finnish | universaali | ||
| "Universaali" has multiple meanings, such as "encyclopedia" and "universal joint". | |||
| Hungarian | egyetemes | ||
| Egyetemes was originally used to denote the Catholic Church, which saw itself as the representative of all mankind. | |||
| Latvian | universāls | ||
| While universāls is typically translated as "universal," it can also mean "wagon" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | universalus | ||
| The word "Universalus" in Lithuanian is derived from the Latin "universalis", meaning "pertaining to all", and is also used to refer to a "universal set" in mathematics. | |||
| Macedonian | универзален | ||
| The word "универзален" comes from the French word "universel", which in turn comes from the Latin word "universalis", meaning "general" or "all-encompassing". | |||
| Polish | uniwersalny | ||
| The word "uniwersalny" comes from the Latin word "universalis", meaning "of or relating to the whole world or universe". | |||
| Romanian | universal | ||
| The word "universal" derives from the Latin word "unus", meaning "one", and "versus", meaning "turned toward". In Romanian, "universal" can mean "general" or "comprehensive". | |||
| Russian | универсальный | ||
| The word "универсальный" comes from the Latin "universalis", meaning "belonging to all" or "pertaining to the whole." | |||
| Serbian | универзалан | ||
| The word 'универзалан' is derived from the Latin word 'universalis', which means 'of or belonging to the whole universe'. | |||
| Slovak | univerzálny | ||
| The word "univerzálny" comes from the Latin word "universalis", which means "of or pertaining to the whole universe". | |||
| Slovenian | univerzalni | ||
| The word "univerzalni" is derived from the Latin word "universalis", meaning "of or pertaining to the whole". | |||
| Ukrainian | універсальний | ||
| The word "універсальний" comes from the Latin word "universalis", which means "general" or "all-encompassing". | |||
Universal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সর্বজনীন | ||
| The word comes from Sanskrit and refers to a belief or opinion that exists in all societies. | |||
| Gujarati | સાર્વત્રિક | ||
| Hindi | यूनिवर्सल | ||
| The word 'यूनिवर्सल' is derived from the Latin word 'universus', which means 'of or pertaining to the whole' or 'the entire' | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾರ್ವತ್ರಿಕ | ||
| ಸಾರ್ವತ್ರಿಕ (sārvathrika) has a deeper meaning than 'universal'. It encompasses all worlds, dimensions, and states of existence. | |||
| Malayalam | സാർവത്രികം | ||
| "സാർവത്രികം" comes from Sanskrit "sarva", meaning "all" and "loka", meaning "world" or "place". It also means "common to all" or "applying to all". | |||
| Marathi | सार्वत्रिक | ||
| "सार्वत्रिक" (universal) also means "always" | |||
| Nepali | विश्वव्यापी | ||
| The word "विश्वव्यापी" also means "comprehensive" or "all-encompassing" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਲ | ||
| The word 'ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਲ' ('universal') originally meant 'of or belonging to the whole universe' and is derived from the Latin word 'universus', which means 'all' or 'the whole'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විශ්වීය | ||
| "විශ්වීය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "विश्व" meaning "universe" or "world" and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wes-" meaning "to dwell". | |||
| Tamil | உலகளாவிய | ||
| Telugu | సార్వత్రిక | ||
| Urdu | عالمگیر | ||
| عالمگیر derives from the Arabic word "alam", meaning "world", and "geer", which has roots in Sanskrit meaning "to go around" or "to envelop." | |||
Universal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 普遍 | ||
| “普遍”源自日本“普ね”与“徧ね”，在日语中意为“广泛”或“全体” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 普遍 | ||
| In philosophy, the concept of "普遍" refers to the idea of a reality that exists independent of our minds, constituting the true nature of the universe. | |||
| Japanese | ユニバーサル | ||
| The word ユニバーサル (universal) can also refer to a screw with a uniform thread pitch throughout its length. | |||
| Korean | 만능인 | ||
| The word "만능인" is also used colloquially in Korea to describe a person with many skills and talents. | |||
| Mongolian | нийтийн | ||
| The wordнийтийн is also used to denote the sum total of all things in the universe. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တစ်လောကလုံး | ||
Universal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | universal | ||
| The Indonesian word "universal" can also mean "overall" or "general." | |||
| Javanese | universal | ||
| "Universal" comes from a Sanskrit term meaning "pervasive or omnipresent". | |||
| Khmer | ជាសកល | ||
| “ជាសកល” (universal) can also mean “applicable to all cases” or “accepted by all” in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ສາກົນ | ||
| Malay | sejagat | ||
| In Javanese, the word "sejagat" refers to the universe, which has various manifestations depending on the context. | |||
| Thai | สากล | ||
| The word สากล (universal) comes from the Sanskrit word "sāgāra" (ocean) and also means "common to all" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | phổ cập | ||
| From Sino-Vietnamese phổ cập "(universal) distribution" from Chinese 普及 "to spread universally" from 普 "universal" + 及 "to reach". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | unibersal | ||
Universal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | universal | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "universal" (universallıq) is derived from the French "universalité" and ultimately from the Latin "universalis", meaning "of or belonging to all". | |||
| Kazakh | әмбебап | ||
| Kyrgyz | универсалдуу | ||
| The word "универсалдуу" can also mean "comprehensive" or "all-inclusive" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | универсалӣ | ||
| Turkmen | ähliumumy | ||
| Uzbek | universal | ||
| Uyghur | ئۇنۋېرسال | ||
Universal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ākea | ||
| The word "ākea" is also the Hawaiian name for the god of the sky and light. | |||
| Maori | ao katoa | ||
| In Maori, the word "ao katoa" refers to the physical realm as well as the supernatural realm. | |||
| Samoan | lautele | ||
| The Samoan word | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | unibersal | ||
| "Unibersal" is derived from Latin "universalis" and Spanish "universal". | |||
Universal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | taqinitaki | ||
| Guarani | universal rehegua | ||
Universal in International Languages
| Esperanto | universala | ||
| Esperanto's "universala" (universal) means "that which pertains to the whole world" or "to all peoples". Universal in English has these meanings plus additional ones, such as "in common use", "accepted without argument", etc. | |||
| Latin | universal | ||
| The Latin word "universalis" originally meant "belonging to the whole world" or "affecting all people." | |||
Universal in Others Languages
| Greek | παγκόσμιος | ||
| {"text": "The Greek word "Παγκόσμιος" can also mean "of the world" or "global," which is reflected in its component parts: "πας" (all) and "κόσμος" (world)."}} | |||
| Hmong | universal | ||
| In Hmong, "universal" is also used as an acronym, "UN," meaning "United Nations." | |||
| Kurdish | gişt | ||
| "Gişt" (universal) comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰis- (“to hold, grasp"), sharing cognates with "fist". | |||
| Turkish | evrensel | ||
| The word "evrensel" in Turkish also means "common to all parts or members of a whole". | |||
| Xhosa | kwindalo iphela | ||
| The compound word "kwindalo iphela" literally translates to "in the place of the head", suggesting a position of centrality or comprehensiveness. | |||
| Yiddish | וניווערסאַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "וניווערסאַל" can also mean "everywhere" or "all-embracing." | |||
| Zulu | indawo yonke | ||
| Indawo yonke comes from the word indawo, meaning 'place', and yonke, meaning 'all', suggesting a place that encompasses all other places. | |||
| Assamese | সাৰ্বজনীন | ||
| Aymara | taqinitaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | सार्वभौमिक बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޔުނިވާސަލް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | सार्वभौमिक ऐ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | unibersal | ||
| Guarani | universal rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | sapasap nga | ||
| Krio | ɔlsay na di wɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گشتگیرە | ||
| Maithili | सार्वभौमिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯨꯅꯤꯚꯔꯁꯦꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | khawvel pum huap a ni | ||
| Oromo | kan hundaaf ta’u | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସର୍ବଭାରତୀୟ | | ||
| Quechua | universal nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | सार्वत्रिकम् | ||
| Tatar | универсаль | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣድማሳዊ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ya misava hinkwayo | ||