Vote in Different Languages
Discover 'Vote' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'vote' carries significant weight in our societies as it represents the democratic process of expressing one's choice in matters that affect the community. Its cultural importance is evident in the many ways it has been incorporated into various languages and traditions around the world.
Understanding the translation of 'vote' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the unique perspectives and values of different cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'voto' reflects the passion and intensity of the voting process, while in German, 'Stimme' emphasizes the individual's voice and agency in the democratic system.
Moreover, the word 'vote' has a rich historical context, with its origins dating back to ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome, where citizens would cast their votes through ballots or by show of hands. This long-standing tradition has evolved over time, but its significance remains unchanged.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply someone interested in expanding your knowledge of the world, exploring the translations of 'vote' in different languages is a fascinating journey that highlights the beauty and diversity of human expression and values.
Vote
Vote in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stem | ||
| "Stem" (vote) in Afrikaans comes from the word "stemmen", meaning "to vote" in Dutch. | |||
| Amharic | ድምጽ መስጠት | ||
| The word "ድምጽ መስጠት" can also mean "to express an opinion" or "to make a decision." | |||
| Hausa | jefa kuri'a | ||
| The word 'jefa kuri'a' is derived from the Hausa phrase 'jefa hannu' meaning 'give hand', which also signifies agreement or support. | |||
| Igbo | votu | ||
| Igbo 'votu' derives from 'ivo otu' meaning 'speech or opinion of the people'. | |||
| Malagasy | fifidianana | ||
| The word "fifidianana" is derived from the word "fidy", meaning "opinion" or "belief". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuvota | ||
| The Nyanja word "kuvota" also means to collect or gather things. | |||
| Shona | vhota | ||
| "Vhota" also means "to elect" or "to choose" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | codee | ||
| Somali word "codee" has the origin "code" in Italian, where it means "pig intestine", because they were used in the past to produce ropes that were used to tie documents together to mark them as important. | |||
| Sesotho | vouta | ||
| The word "vouta" in Sesotho comes from the Zulu word "vutha", meaning "to lift up" or "to raise". | |||
| Swahili | kupiga kura | ||
| The Swahili word "kupiga kura", meaning "to vote", derives from the verb "kupiga", meaning "to strike" or "to hit", and the noun "kura", meaning "stone" or "pebble." | |||
| Xhosa | ukuvota | ||
| The word "ukuvota" is derived from the verb "ukuvotela," meaning "to choose or select." | |||
| Yoruba | dibo | ||
| The word "dibo" in Yoruba, though traditionally meaning "vote", can also be interpreted as "to choose" or "to select". | |||
| Zulu | ukuvota | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuvota' also means 'to choose' or 'to decide'. | |||
| Bambara | wote kɛ | ||
| Ewe | akɔdada | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutora | ||
| Lingala | vote | ||
| Luganda | akalulu | ||
| Sepedi | vouta | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abatow | ||
Vote in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تصويت | ||
| The word 'تصويت' can also mean ‘applause’ or ‘approval’ in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | הַצבָּעָה | ||
| The word הַצבָּעָה (vote) originates from the Hebrew word הַצבָּע (dyer), denoting the act of marking something with color to indicate a choice, analogous to using an ink pen for voting ballots. | |||
| Pashto | رایه | ||
| The Pashto "رایه" also means "opinion", showing the close relationship between democracy and discourse in Pashto-speaking cultures. | |||
| Arabic | تصويت | ||
| The word 'تصويت' can also mean ‘applause’ or ‘approval’ in Arabic. | |||
Vote in Western European Languages
| Albanian | votoj | ||
| The word "votoj" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "vot" meaning "will", "desire", or "opinion" | |||
| Basque | bozkatu | ||
| Bozku may be related to "bogotu" (swollen), implying the sense of a swelling caused by an accumulation of opinion. | |||
| Catalan | votar | ||
| Catalan "votar" originates from the Latin verb "votare" meaning to "make a solemn promise". | |||
| Croatian | glasanje | ||
| The Slavic term 'glas' means both 'sound' and 'election', which is reflected in words meaning 'vote' like 'glasanje' and 'glasobranie'. | |||
| Danish | stemme | ||
| In Danish, the word "stemme" can also refer to a plant's stalk, a person's voice or the prow of a ship. | |||
| Dutch | stemmen | ||
| The word "stemmen" in Dutch can also mean "to stem" in English, referring to stopping the flow of a liquid. | |||
| English | vote | ||
| The word "vote" derives from the Latin "votum", meaning "wish" or "prayer" | |||
| French | voter | ||
| The French word "voter" comes from the Latin word "votum", meaning "a vow" or "a wish." | |||
| Frisian | stim | ||
| Frisian "stim" also means "mood", suggesting a link between political views and emotions. | |||
| Galician | vota | ||
| The Galician word "vota" can also mean "vote". | |||
| German | abstimmung | ||
| "Abstimmung" in German can also refer to the act of tuning or adjusting an instrument. | |||
| Icelandic | kjósa | ||
| Kjosa also means "to choose" but it primarily refers to selecting a leader for a group. | |||
| Irish | vótáil | ||
| The Irish word "vótáil" comes from the same root as the English word "vote", but it also has the meaning of "opinion" or "choice". | |||
| Italian | votazione | ||
| The Italian word 'votazione' is derived from the Latin word 'votare', meaning 'to promise', suggesting the binding nature of a vote. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ofstëmmen | ||
| Etymology uncertain, but might be related to "stemmen" (to stamp). | |||
| Maltese | ivvota | ||
| The word 'ivvota' in Maltese has its roots in the Catalan word 'votar', meaning 'to vote'. | |||
| Norwegian | stemme | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "stemme" also refers to the musical definition of "voice," indicating the origin of voting as a collective decision-making process based on individual expressions. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | voto | ||
| The Portuguese word "voto" comes from the Latin word "votum", which means "wish, vow, or promise". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bhòt | ||
| The word "bhòt" in Scots Gaelic originally meant "a wish", and is cognate with the Irish word "buíochán" meaning "desire" or "thanks". | |||
| Spanish | votar | ||
| The word "votar" in Spanish originally meant "to pledge" or "to swear an oath. | |||
| Swedish | rösta | ||
| The word "rösta" is derived from the Old Norse word "raustr", meaning "councilor" or "chief speaker". | |||
| Welsh | pleidleisio | ||
| The word 'pleidleisio' is derived from the Latin word 'plebiscitum', meaning 'a decree of the people'. It also has the alternate meaning of 'a proposal' or 'a suggestion'. | |||
Vote in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | галасаваць | ||
| Bosnian | glasajte | ||
| "Glas" is a Slavic root meaning "voice" and also appears in other Slavic languages such as Russian, Polish and Czech | |||
| Bulgarian | гласувайте | ||
| The verb "гласувайте" comes from the noun "глас" meaning "voice", indicating that voting is an expression of one's voice. | |||
| Czech | hlasování | ||
| The Czech word "hlasování" derives from the verb "hlasovat," meaning "to speak out," and is also used to refer to the act of voicing one's opinion or casting a ballot. | |||
| Estonian | hääletama | ||
| Hääletama derives from the word "hääl" meaning "voice". | |||
| Finnish | äänestys | ||
| Äänestys also means "sound" because the vote was traditionally voiced aloud rather than written down. | |||
| Hungarian | szavazás | ||
| Latvian | balsojums | ||
| The word "balsojums" is also related to "balss" (voice), suggesting its deep connection to public opinion. | |||
| Lithuanian | balsas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "balsas" has its origin in the Proto-Indo-European root "bhel-", meaning "to shine" and was originally used to refer to the shining of swords in battle. | |||
| Macedonian | гласаат | ||
| The word гласаат (glasaat) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word гласъ (glasŭ), meaning "voice" or "sound". In Macedonian, it is also used to refer to the act of expressing one's opinion or casting one's ballot in an election. | |||
| Polish | głosować | ||
| The word 'głosować' is derived from the Old Polish word 'głos', meaning 'voice' or 'sound'. It can also refer to the act of casting a ballot or expressing an opinion. | |||
| Romanian | vot | ||
| The word "vot" also means "willow" in Romanian, a reference to the rods once used to cast ballots. | |||
| Russian | голос | ||
| "Голос" is a false cognate for "голос" (voice) and is derived from "голос" (head) | |||
| Serbian | гласати | ||
| The Serbian word "гласати" (glasati) is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb "*golsovati", meaning "to speak". This reflects a historical connection between voting and oral communication in Slavic societies, with members speaking their support for a particular candidate or measure. | |||
| Slovak | hlasovať | ||
| The verb "hlasovať" is cognate with the Polish word "głosować" and the Czech word "hlasovat", all derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*golso" meaning "sound" or "voice". | |||
| Slovenian | glasovati | ||
| "Glasovati" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*goldsъ", which meant "voice" or "speech". | |||
| Ukrainian | голосувати | ||
| It comes from the Old Slavic root *golsovati, meaning to speak. | |||
Vote in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভোট | ||
| ভোট derives from the Sanskrit word bhāga meaning division or share, and in Vedic times denoted the right to a share in the sacrifice. | |||
| Gujarati | મત | ||
| The Gujarati word "મત" (vote) derives from Sanskrit and also means "opinion" or "viewpoint." | |||
| Hindi | वोट | ||
| The word "वोट" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वृत्त" (vr̥tta), meaning "round" or "circle", referring to the shape of the ballot papers used in ancient India. | |||
| Kannada | ಮತ | ||
| In Kannada, 'ಮತ' (matha) not only means 'vote,' but also refers to 'opinion,' 'belief,' or 'doctrine,' emphasizing the underlying concepts and values driving the act of voting. | |||
| Malayalam | വോട്ട് ചെയ്യുക | ||
| The word "വോട്ട് ചെയ്യുക" is derived from the English word "vote", which originally meant "a wish or desire" and was used in the context of expressing one's opinion or preference. | |||
| Marathi | मत | ||
| The Marathi word "मत" (vote) also means "opinion" or "judgment". | |||
| Nepali | भोट | ||
| This term is also applied in Nepali language to a religious donation to brahmans, which has its own etymological history. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵੋਟ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਵੋਟ' is also used in the context of 'preference' or 'opinion'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඡන්දය දෙන්න | ||
| Tamil | வாக்களியுங்கள் | ||
| Telugu | ఓటు | ||
| The word "ఓటు" is also used in Telugu to describe a type of religious offering made to a deity. | |||
| Urdu | ووٹ | ||
| The word ووٹ derives from the English word | |||
Vote in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 投票 | ||
| 投票 is a compound of two Chinese characters, 投 (t'ou) meaning 'to cast' and 票 (p'iao) meaning 'a ballot'. Voting in traditional East Asia was a process where voters physically deposited a ballot in a box, as opposed to writing or punching out their choice from a piece of paper, which is the origin of the word 'ballot'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 投票 | ||
| "投票" literally means "to cast a slip". | |||
| Japanese | 投票 | ||
| 投票 is also used in Japanese to mean "to throw a ballot" as in a lottery or to decide on a winner of a game. | |||
| Korean | 투표 | ||
| The Korean word for "vote" (투표) derives from the Chinese characters "投" (meaning "cast" or "submit") and "票" (meaning "ballot"). | |||
| Mongolian | санал өгөх | ||
| The word "санал өгөх" can also mean "to express one's opinion" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မဲ | ||
| The word "မဲ" also means "ball" or "seed" in Myanmar (Burmese). | |||
Vote in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pilih | ||
| The word "Pilih" also means "to choose" or "to select" in Indonesian, reflecting the broader concept of voting as a choice-making process. | |||
| Javanese | milih | ||
| The Javanese word | |||
| Khmer | បោះឆ្នោត | ||
| Lao | ລົງຄະແນນສຽງ | ||
| Malay | mengundi | ||
| The word "mengundi" is derived from the Arabic word "qada", meaning "fate" or "destiny". This is because in Malay culture, voting is seen as a way to determine one's fate or destiny. | |||
| Thai | โหวต | ||
| The Thai word "โหวต" also means "to express an opinion or preference" or "to raise one's hand in support of something." | |||
| Vietnamese | bỏ phiếu | ||
| "Bỏ phiếu" in Vietnamese is derived from the Chinese word "表决" (biǎojué), meaning "to express one's opinion or cast a ballot"} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bumoto | ||
Vote in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səs verin | ||
| The word "səs verin" (vote) in Azerbaijani is derived from two words: "səs" (voice) and "verin" (give). "Səs" comes from the Proto-Turkic word "ses-" (voice), while "verin" comes from the Persian word "dādan" (to give). | |||
| Kazakh | дауыс | ||
| The word "дауыс" in Kazakh originates from the Mongolian word "dauri" meaning "sound" or "voice". It can also refer to the act of speaking or expressing an opinion. | |||
| Kyrgyz | добуш берүү | ||
| Tajik | овоз додан | ||
| The Tajik word "овоз додан" is derived from Persian and means "voice given". | |||
| Turkmen | ses ber | ||
| Uzbek | ovoz berish | ||
| Ovoz berish (vote) originates from the Uzbek word "ovoz" (voice), reflecting the active and vocal participation of citizens in the democratic process. | |||
| Uyghur | بېلەت تاشلاش | ||
Vote in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | balota | ||
| The word "balota" in Hawaiian originates from the Spanish word "balota," meaning "small ballot." | |||
| Maori | pooti | ||
| The word "pooti" can also mean "to choose" or "to select" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | palota | ||
| The word 'palota' in Samoan may also mean 'choice' or 'opinion'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bumoto | ||
| The word 'bumoto' shares its root with 'boto,' which refers to the small pebble or ball traditionally used as a counting or polling device during elections. | |||
Vote in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | voto uñt’ayaña | ||
| Guarani | voto rehegua | ||
Vote in International Languages
| Esperanto | voĉdoni | ||
| Latin | suffragium | ||
| The word "suffragium" in Latin originally referred to any request or petition, not just a vote. | |||
Vote in Others Languages
| Greek | ψήφος | ||
| "Ψήφος" also refers to small stones in Greek, which used to be used in casting lots. | |||
| Hmong | pov ntawv | ||
| The Hmong word "pov ntawv" means "vote" but can also mean "to choose" or "to select". | |||
| Kurdish | deng | ||
| Historically Deng referred to the written record of a decision within Kurdish tribal assemblies | |||
| Turkish | oy | ||
| The word "oy" in Turkish is cognate with the word "vote" in English and has the same Proto-Indo-European root, "*ueik-." | |||
| Xhosa | ukuvota | ||
| The word "ukuvota" is derived from the verb "ukuvotela," meaning "to choose or select." | |||
| Yiddish | שטימען | ||
| The Yiddish word "שטימען" (shtime'n) is related to the German word "Stimme" (voice) and the Latin word "status" (position). | |||
| Zulu | ukuvota | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuvota' also means 'to choose' or 'to decide'. | |||
| Assamese | ভোট দিয়ক | ||
| Aymara | voto uñt’ayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | वोट दे दीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ވޯޓް | ||
| Dogri | वोट दे | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bumoto | ||
| Guarani | voto rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | butos | ||
| Krio | vot fɔ vot | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دهنگدان | ||
| Maithili | वोट करू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯚꯣꯠ ꯊꯥꯗꯕꯥ ꯌꯥꯏ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | vote thlak a ni | ||
| Oromo | sagalee kennuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୋଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | voto nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | मतदाता | ||
| Tatar | тавыш бирү | ||
| Tigrinya | ድምጺ ምሃብ | ||
| Tsonga | vhota | ||