Vacation in Different Languages
Discover 'Vacation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Vacation, a word that evokes feelings of relaxation, adventure, and excitement. It's a time to step away from our daily routines and explore the world around us. But did you know that the word 'vacation' has different meanings and connotations in various cultures? For some, it's a brief respite from work, while for others, it's a long-awaited journey to a far-off land.
The significance of vacation extends beyond personal rejuvenation. It plays a crucial role in promoting mental health, building relationships, and broadening our perspectives. In many societies, vacation is seen as a right, not a privilege, emphasizing its cultural importance.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'vacation' in different languages can enrich our travel experiences. For instance, in Spanish, 'vacation' is 'vacaciones', in French, it's 'vacances', and in German, it's 'Ferien'. Each translation not only reflects linguistic diversity but also encapsulates unique cultural nuances.
So, whether you're planning your next getaway or simply curious about language and culture, exploring the translations of 'vacation' is a great place to start. Keep reading to discover more fascinating translations!
Vacation
Vacation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vakansie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "vakansie" derives from Dutch and was originally used to describe an ecclesiastical vacancy rather than a period of leisure. | |||
| Amharic | ሽርሽር | ||
| The word "ሽርሽር" derives from the verb "ሽረ", meaning "to relax" or "to take a break." | |||
| Hausa | hutu | ||
| The etymology of "hutu" is unclear, with some speculating it derives from Arabic "khutuwah" (departure) or "hatha" (time period). | |||
| Igbo | ezumike | ||
| The Igbo word 'ezumike' can also refer to a period of time set aside for a particular purpose or activity. | |||
| Malagasy | fialan-tsasatra | ||
| Fialan-tsasatra is derived from the French word "vacance", meaning "leisure time" or "break from work". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutchuthi | ||
| The term 'kutchuthi' is derived from two Nyanja verbs, 'kuchoka' (to rest) and 'kutha' (to stop), indicating a break from regular activities. | |||
| Shona | zororo | ||
| The term 'zororo' is also used to refer to a period of time when one is not engaged in any activities or duties. | |||
| Somali | fasax | ||
| The word "fasax" can also refer to a break from religious fasting. | |||
| Sesotho | phomolo | ||
| The word "phomolo" in Sesotho also means "leisure time" or "the time between work or study periods." | |||
| Swahili | likizo | ||
| The Swahili word "likizo" originally referred to a "holiday" or "feast day" and is related to the word "kulika" meaning "to relax". | |||
| Xhosa | iholide | ||
| The term "iholide" refers to a break from customary duties or routine tasks. | |||
| Yoruba | isinmi | ||
| Isinmi derives from the word 'sinmi', meaning 'to rest' and 'mi', meaning 'to do'. Thus, it signifies 'a period for doing rest'. | |||
| Zulu | iholide | ||
| "Iholide" is also the Zulu word for "freedom". | |||
| Bambara | kɔnze | ||
| Ewe | mᴐkeke | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikiruhuko | ||
| Lingala | congé | ||
| Luganda | ekiwummulo | ||
| Sepedi | maikhutšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kwan ma | ||
Vacation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عطلة | ||
| The word "عطلة" literally means "release" and was originally used in the context of religious holidays. | |||
| Hebrew | חוּפשָׁה | ||
| חוּפְשָׁה shares its Hebrew root ח.פ.ש (h-f-s) with words like "search" and "explore," implying a freeing from daily burdens and constraints. | |||
| Pashto | رخصتي | ||
| The word "رخصتي" in Pashto is derived from the Arabic word "رخصة" (rukhṣah) which also means "leave" or "permission". | |||
| Arabic | عطلة | ||
| The word "عطلة" literally means "release" and was originally used in the context of religious holidays. | |||
Vacation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pushime | ||
| The Albanian word "pushime" has Slavic origins and also means "rest" or "break". | |||
| Basque | oporrak | ||
| The word “oporrak” originates from the ancient Basque term “oparoa”, representing “the passage from day to night.” | |||
| Catalan | vacances | ||
| Catalan "vacances" comes from Latin "vacantia" (empty spaces between fields), and only later took on the meaning of "vacation" as we know it, while French "vacances" kept the original meaning. | |||
| Croatian | odmor | ||
| The word "odmor" (vacation) is derived from the same root as the word "dom" (home). | |||
| Danish | ferie | ||
| The word 'ferie' comes from the Latin word 'feriae,' which originally meant 'holidays' or 'religious festivals'. | |||
| Dutch | vakantie | ||
| The word "vakantie" originally meant "empty time" in Latin, and in Dutch it can also refer to a school holiday. | |||
| English | vacation | ||
| The word "vacation" originally meant "to empty" or "to make empty" in Latin, but it has come to mean a period of rest or relaxation. | |||
| French | vacances | ||
| Derived from the Latin word "vacans" meaning "empty" or "not occupied," "vacances" in French refers to a period of time free from work or other obligations. | |||
| Frisian | fakânsje | ||
| Galician | vacacións | ||
| The word "vacacións" in Galician has a different etymology from the Spanish word "vacaciones", coming from the Latin "vacationes" (plural of "vacatio"), meaning "freedom from work". | |||
| German | ferien | ||
| "Ferien" derives from the Medieval Latin word "feriae," meaning "holidays" or "festivals." | |||
| Icelandic | frí | ||
| The Icelandic term 'frí' for vacation originates from an Old Norse word for peace or protection. | |||
| Irish | laethanta saoire | ||
| Italian | vacanza | ||
| The word "vacanza" in Italian, also means "empty" or "void". | |||
| Luxembourgish | vakanz | ||
| Vakanz derives from the Latin "vacans" (empty) and shares the root with English "vacant". | |||
| Maltese | vaganza | ||
| The word "vaganza" in Maltese derives from the Italian word "vacanza" and also means "holiday" or "leave". | |||
| Norwegian | ferie | ||
| "Ferie" comes from the Latin word "feriae," which means "religious holidays" or "days of rest." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | período de férias | ||
| In Brazil, a popular slang for 'vacation' is 'recesso', derived from Latin 'recessus' ('withdrawal', 'retreat'). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | saor-làithean | ||
| The Scots Gaelic term "saor-làithean" can also refer to holidays or days off from work. | |||
| Spanish | vacaciones | ||
| The word "vacaciones" comes from the Latin "vacatio," meaning "freedom from work or duty." | |||
| Swedish | semester | ||
| The Swedish word "semester" can also mean "term" in an academic context. | |||
| Welsh | gwyliau | ||
| "Gwyliau" is also a noun meaning "watches" or "services" in a religious context, akin to the English word "vigils." | |||
Vacation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адпачынак | ||
| The word | |||
| Bosnian | odmor | ||
| The word 'odmor' is derived from the Slavic root 'od' (off), meaning 'to rest or take a break'. | |||
| Bulgarian | ваканция | ||
| The word "ваканция" is derived from the Latin word "vacatio", meaning "emptiness" or "void", and is still used in this sense in several languages, including English, where it primarily refers to a period of unoccupied time during which a position or office is vacant. | |||
| Czech | dovolená | ||
| Dovolená can also refer to a formal request for time off work. | |||
| Estonian | puhkus | ||
| The word "puhkus" likely derives from the Proto-Finnic word "*pūku" meaning "to blow" or "to rest", and is cognate with the Finnish word "puhua" meaning "to speak". | |||
| Finnish | loma | ||
| In Finnish, 'loma' can also refer to a furlough or leave of absence and has been used with this meaning since the 19th century. | |||
| Hungarian | vakáció | ||
| The word "vakáció" derives from the Latin "vacatio", meaning "freedom from work". | |||
| Latvian | atvaļinājums | ||
| “Atvaļinājums” derives from “atvadīt”/“to dismiss” but can also refer to temporary release or discharge from certain responsibilities. | |||
| Lithuanian | atostogos | ||
| The word "atostogos" in Lithuanian is derived from the Latin word "dies festi" (religious holidays), and it originally referred to Catholic religious holidays. | |||
| Macedonian | годишен одмор | ||
| The Slavic root of “годишен одмор” (“vacation”) refers to annual rotation in agricultural work. | |||
| Polish | wakacje | ||
| The Polish word "wakacje" derives from the Latin "vacatio" which means "freedom from duties". | |||
| Romanian | concediu de odihna | ||
| The phrase "concediu de odihna" is a Romanian idiomatic expression that literally translates to "leave for rest" or "leave for relaxation." | |||
| Russian | отпуск | ||
| The word "Отпуск" (vacation) in Russian comes from the verb "отпускать" (to let go). | |||
| Serbian | годишњи одмор | ||
| In the 15th century, the word "годишњи" meant "annual", so "годишњи одмор" originally meant "an annual period of rest". | |||
| Slovak | dovolenka | ||
| Dovolenka is also used to refer to a leave of absence, such as maternity leave. | |||
| Slovenian | počitnice | ||
| The word "počitnice" is derived from the Slavic root "počiti", meaning "to rest" or "to relax". | |||
| Ukrainian | відпустка | ||
| The word "відпустка" can also mean "leave of absence" or "furlough". | |||
Vacation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অবকাশ | ||
| The word "অবকাশ" in Bengali can also mean "space" as in outer space, highlighting its connection to the idea of freedom and vastness often associated with vacations. | |||
| Gujarati | વેકેશન | ||
| Hindi | छुट्टी | ||
| In Hindi, छुट्टी can also mean a leave of absence from work or school, or a holiday. | |||
| Kannada | ರಜೆ | ||
| The word "ರಜೆ" (rāje) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *ūr-, meaning "to rest" or "to be at leisure". | |||
| Malayalam | അവധിക്കാലം | ||
| "അവധിക്കാലം" is a Sanskrit word derived from "ava" ("down") and "dhika" ("day"), and it can mean either "vacation" or "afternoon" (when the sun moves down). | |||
| Marathi | सुट्टी | ||
| The word "सुट्टी" can also refer to a break from work or school, or a period of time off from work or school. | |||
| Nepali | छुट्टी | ||
| "छुट्टी" is a Nepali word that can also mean "leave" or "holiday" in English. | |||
| Punjabi | ਛੁੱਟੀ | ||
| The word 'ਛੁੱਟੀ' (vacation) in Punjabi comes from the Sanskrit word 'śrānta,' meaning 'tired' or 'wearied,' and refers to a period of rest and relaxation. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිවාඩුව | ||
| The word නිවාඩුව (niwāduwa) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nivāra' meaning 'a dwelling place' or 'a place of rest'. | |||
| Tamil | விடுமுறை | ||
| The term 'விடுமுறை' also refers to a break from work or school, typically taken for recreation or travel. | |||
| Telugu | సెలవు | ||
| "సెలవు" is a Telugu word derived from Sanskrit "śrām" (meaning tired or fatigue) and "áva" (meaning away from), referring to a period of rest from work or study. | |||
| Urdu | چھٹی | ||
| چھٹی shares the etymology of the Sanskrit word 'ṣaṣṭha', meaning 'sixth', and was previously used to refer to a day off in the midst of a six-day work week. | |||
Vacation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 假期 | ||
| 假期 is a compound word deriving from the characters 假 (temporary) and 期 (period), originally referring to a break in a student's schedule, but now commonly refers to vacation time in general. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 假期 | ||
| "假期" 在唐朝以前写作 "假合"，是让囚犯回家探亲探视的意思。 | |||
| Japanese | 休暇 | ||
| "休暇" is a word consisting of two kanji: "休", which means "rest" or "recess", and "暇", which can mean "break" or "leisure time". | |||
| Korean | 휴가 | ||
| 휴가 (hu-ga) is a Korean word derived from the Japanese word "kyu-ka" (休暇), which means "leave" or "temporary absence from duty." | |||
| Mongolian | амралт | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အားလပ်ရက် | ||
Vacation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | liburan | ||
| "Liburan" is derived from the Dutch word "vrij" meaning "free", referring to the freedom from work or school during a vacation. | |||
| Javanese | preinan | ||
| The word 'preinan' originally meant 'to be happy' or 'to have a good time'. | |||
| Khmer | វិស្សមកាល | ||
| Lao | ພັກ | ||
| Lao ພັກ has also been used historically to mean “to retire” and “to withdraw”. | |||
| Malay | percutian | ||
| The word "percutian" in Malay originates from the word "percutian" in Sanskrit, meaning "a break or recess". | |||
| Thai | วันหยุดพักผ่อน | ||
| วันหยุดพักผ่อน (vacation) derives from Latin "vacare," which initially meant “to be empty,” and later "to be free of obligation." | |||
| Vietnamese | kỳ nghỉ | ||
| The word "kỳ nghỉ" is derived from Chinese and literally means "a period of cessation". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bakasyon | ||
Vacation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tətil | ||
| The word "tətil" also means "strike" in Azerbaijani and shares its etymology with the French word "arrêt". | |||
| Kazakh | демалыс | ||
| The word "демалыс" is of Turkic origin and is related to the word "отдых" (rest). | |||
| Kyrgyz | өргүү | ||
| "Өргүү" means "vacation" in Kyrgyz, but it can also mean "break" or "holiday". | |||
| Tajik | таътил | ||
| The word "таътил" in Tajik can also refer to a holiday or a period of time when something is suspended. | |||
| Turkmen | dynç alyş | ||
| Uzbek | ta'til | ||
| The word "ta'til" in Uzbek can also refer to religious holidays or breaks from religious fasting. | |||
| Uyghur | تەتىل | ||
Vacation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wā hoʻomaha | ||
| The phrase literally translates as "time for rest" and reflects the significance of rest and relaxation in Hawaiian culture. | |||
| Maori | hararei | ||
| The word "hararei" in Māori also refers to a place of refuge or sanctuary. | |||
| Samoan | tafaoga | ||
| In Samoan, the word tafaoga is the name of the traditional social institution that protects people who are traveling or seek refuge from harm. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bakasyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "bakasyon" is derived from the Spanish word "vacacion", which means both "vacation" and "vacancy". | |||
Vacation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | samarawi | ||
| Guarani | pytu'u | ||
Vacation in International Languages
| Esperanto | ferioj | ||
| The Esperanto word "ferioj" derives from Latin "feriae", originally meaning a religious holiday. | |||
| Latin | vacation | ||
| The Latin "vacāre" has multiple meanings, including "to be free, unoccupied, or at leisure" and "to become empty or vacant" | |||
Vacation in Others Languages
| Greek | διακοπές | ||
| The word διακοπές is derived from the verb διακόπτω (diakoptō), meaning "to cut off". | |||
| Hmong | lub caij so | ||
| The phrase "lub caij so" is the Hmong translation of the English word "vacation" but it directly translates to "play time". | |||
| Kurdish | karberdî | ||
| Karberdî, which is an old Kurdish word that means 'spring, summer', is a word that has been used for centuries to refer to the concept of 'vacation'. | |||
| Turkish | tatil | ||
| "Tatil" is derived from the Arabic word "ta'til", meaning "suspension" or "cessation". | |||
| Xhosa | iholide | ||
| The term "iholide" refers to a break from customary duties or routine tasks. | |||
| Yiddish | וואַקאַציע | ||
| The Yiddish word "וואַקאַציע" (vakatsye) is derived from the Latin word "vacatio", meaning "freedom from work". It can also refer to a period of time spent away from home for recreation or relaxation. | |||
| Zulu | iholide | ||
| "Iholide" is also the Zulu word for "freedom". | |||
| Assamese | ছুটী | ||
| Aymara | samarawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | छुट्टी | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަތުރު | ||
| Dogri | छुट्टियां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bakasyon | ||
| Guarani | pytu'u | ||
| Ilocano | bakasion | ||
| Krio | ɔlide | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پشوو | ||
| Maithili | छुट्टी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯨꯇꯤ | ||
| Mizo | chawlhhun | ||
| Oromo | boqonnaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଛୁଟି | ||
| Quechua | samay pacha | ||
| Sanskrit | अवकाशः | ||
| Tatar | ял | ||
| Tigrinya | ምንፋስ | ||
| Tsonga | nkarhi wo wisa | ||