Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'walk' is a simple, everyday term that carries a significant weight in our vocabulary. It represents the basic human ability to move on foot, a simple act that has shaped our evolution, culture, and society. From leisurely strolls in the park to long hikes in the wilderness, walking is a fundamental part of our lives.
Moreover, the word 'walk' holds a unique cultural importance across the globe. In many religious and cultural ceremonies, walking holds a symbolic meaning, representing pilgrimage, penance, or celebration. For instance, in Japan, the Shikoku Pilgrimage involves walking around the entire island, visiting 88 temples along the way.
Understanding the translation of 'walk' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exchange and understanding. For example, 'caminar' in Spanish, 'wandelen' in Dutch, and 'مشي' (mashi) in Arabic - all these translations not only represent a physical act but also carry the cultural nuances of the language they belong to.
So, join us as we explore the various translations of 'walk' in different languages, and delve into the fascinating world of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Afrikaans | loop | ||
In Afrikaans, the word "loop" can also mean "race" or "track". | |||
Amharic | መራመድ | ||
The Amharic word "መራመድ" (walk) originates from the Ge'ez word "ረመደ" (to move, to stir). | |||
Hausa | tafiya | ||
The Hausa word | |||
Igbo | jee ije | ||
The Igbo word "jee ije" can also refer to a journey or a trip. | |||
Malagasy | mandehana | ||
The Malagasy verb "mandehana" is derived from the Indonesian "mandé" (to go) and the Malagasy suffix "-ana" (to make, to cause). | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyenda | ||
"Kuyenda" can also mean "to travel" or "to go" in Nyanja. | |||
Shona | famba | ||
The word famba also refers to a type of traditional dance performed in Zimbabwe. | |||
Somali | socod | ||
"Socod" is also a term for a 'trail' or 'path' (usually in the context of a river or other geographical feature). | |||
Sesotho | tsamaea | ||
The word 'tsamaea' can also refer to the act of moving from one place to another, either by foot or by vehicle. | |||
Swahili | tembea | ||
The word "tembea" in Swahili also has the alternate meaning of "to travel for leisure". | |||
Xhosa | hamba | ||
The word hamba can also mean 'to go' or 'to travel' | |||
Yoruba | rìn | ||
The Yoruba word "Rìn" also has the alternate meaning of "existence" or "life". | |||
Zulu | hamba | ||
Hamba also means 'to take a turn' or 'to take over' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | ka taama | ||
Ewe | zɔ̃ | ||
Kinyarwanda | genda | ||
Lingala | kotambola | ||
Luganda | okutambula | ||
Sepedi | sepela | ||
Twi (Akan) | nante | ||
Arabic | سير | ||
The word "سير" (walk) in Arabic can also mean a written record or a convoy of ships. | |||
Hebrew | לָלֶכֶת | ||
The Hebrew word for "walk" can also mean "to depart" or "to travel". | |||
Pashto | قدم وهل | ||
قدم وهل (walk) derives from قدم قدم ('step by step') and alternates with تلی تلی ('run') for emphasis. | |||
Arabic | سير | ||
The word "سير" (walk) in Arabic can also mean a written record or a convoy of ships. |
Albanian | eci | ||
The Proto-Indo-European root word | |||
Basque | ibili | ||
The word "ibili" in Basque also means "to be able to do something," "to have the capacity," or "to have the possibility." | |||
Catalan | caminar | ||
The word "caminar" in Catalan originally referred to the act of walking on a path or road. | |||
Croatian | hodati | ||
Hodati in Croatian can also mean to behave in a certain way, and is related to the word hod, which means 'gait'. | |||
Danish | gå | ||
gå, meaning 'go' or 'walk', is a cognate with the English word 'go'. | |||
Dutch | wandelen | ||
The word "wandelen" in Dutch originally meant "to wander" or "to roam". | |||
English | walk | ||
The word "walk" derives from the Old English word "wealcan" meaning "to roll." | |||
French | marche | ||
The French word "marche" originally meant "boundary" and later came to mean "a walk along a boundary". | |||
Frisian | kuier | ||
The Frisian word “kuier” also has the alternate meaning of "to visit informally," as if one were taking a leisurely walk to a friend’s house. | |||
Galician | andar | ||
"Andar" comes from the Latin "ambulare", meaning "to walk", and can also mean "fate" or "life course" in Galician. | |||
German | gehen | ||
The verb 'gehen' can also mean 'to depart', 'to die', or 'to go to a certain place'. | |||
Icelandic | ganga | ||
The word "ganga" derives from the Old Norse word "ganga" which also means "to go" or "wander". | |||
Irish | siúl | ||
The root word 'siúil' in Irish also means 'journey', 'travel', or 'proceed', conveying a sense of movement and progress. | |||
Italian | camminare | ||
The Italian word "camminare" (walk) is derived from the Latin "caminare" (to travel, walk), ultimately from ancient Greek "kampos" (plain, countryside). | |||
Luxembourgish | trëppelen | ||
"Trëppelen" is derived from Latin "trapezitare" meaning "to walk heavily or slowly" and is also used colloquially to describe the sound of rain dripping or the gurgling of water. | |||
Maltese | jimxu | ||
The word "jimxu" in Maltese can also refer to the action of "walking". | |||
Norwegian | gå | ||
The verb "gå" shares a common Germanic root with English "go" as well as Swedish and Danish verbs with the same meaning. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | andar | ||
"Andar" is derived from the Latin verb "ambulare" meaning "to walk" and may also refer to the gait or posture while walking. | |||
Scots Gaelic | coiseachd | ||
The word "coiseachd" is also used in Scots Gaelic to mean a "procession". | |||
Spanish | caminar | ||
The word "caminar" is derived from the Latin word "caminare", meaning "to travel on foot". | |||
Swedish | gå | ||
The Swedish word "gå" is cognate with the English word "go", both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root *ghā | |||
Welsh | cerdded | ||
The word |
Belarusian | хадзіць | ||
The word "хадзіць" in Belarusian also means "to go" and "to travel". | |||
Bosnian | hodati | ||
Hodati, derived from Old Slavic 'ходити', which originally meant 'to travel', 'go,' also shares meaning with the Bosnian word, 'putovati,' which means 'go,' or 'visit.' | |||
Bulgarian | разходка | ||
The word "разходка" literally translates to "scattering" or "spreading out". | |||
Czech | procházka | ||
The word "Procházka" (walk) in Czech derives from the Proto-Slavic word "pro" (through) and "choditi" (to go), and was originally used to describe a leisurely stroll. | |||
Estonian | kõndima | ||
The verb "kõndima" in Estonian also includes the concept of walking on all fours. | |||
Finnish | kävellä | ||
The word "kävellä" can also mean "to move forward in a slow or deliberate manner" and "to progress or develop gradually." | |||
Hungarian | séta | ||
The word "séta" in Hungarian also means "a walk in the woods" or "a stroll in the park". | |||
Latvian | staigāt | ||
The term "staigāt" is derived from the verb "staigt" (to ascend), reflecting the notion of walking as a form of ascent. | |||
Lithuanian | vaikščioti | ||
The word "vaikščioti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weik- "to turn, go" and means "to go, proceed, travel" in general, not just "to walk". | |||
Macedonian | прошетка | ||
The word "прошетка" also means a type of bread or a place where people walk. | |||
Polish | spacerować | ||
In the past, the verb "spacerować" in the context of a city stroll was used only by the elite; peasants would simply "chodzić na spacer" or "iść". | |||
Romanian | mers pe jos | ||
Mers pe jos (walk) also means "to go on foot" in Romanian. | |||
Russian | ходить | ||
The word "ходить" in Russian means "to walk" or "to go", and it is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *xodĭti, meaning "to go". | |||
Serbian | ходати | ||
The word 'ходати' has an alternate meaning of 'to move', which is preserved in the derived word 'ходочас', meaning 'pedestrian'. | |||
Slovak | chodiť | ||
The word "chodiť" can also mean "to move around" or "to go somewhere" in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | hodi | ||
The word 'hodi' is also used to invite someone to dance, as in 'hodi z menoj' ('come dance with me'). | |||
Ukrainian | ходити | ||
In Ukrainian, |
Bengali | হাঁটা | ||
Gujarati | ચાલવા | ||
The Gujarati word "ચાલવા" can also mean "to move", "to travel", or "to operate". | |||
Hindi | टहल लो | ||
The word "टहल लो" can also mean "to take a stroll" or "to walk around" in Hindi. | |||
Kannada | ನಡೆಯಿರಿ | ||
Malayalam | നടക്കുക | ||
The word 'നടക്കുക' can also mean 'to take place', 'to occur', or 'to come to pass' in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | चाला | ||
'चाला' can also mean 'move' or 'run' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चल', meaning 'to move'. | |||
Nepali | हिंड | ||
"हिंड" (walk) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*k̂ei- "to go, walk, move". | |||
Punjabi | ਤੁਰਨਾ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਤੁਰਨਾ" can also be used to refer to the act of walking on foot or using a vehicle. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇවිදින්න | ||
The word ඇවිදින්න (ævidinna) in Sinhala is used in a variety of contexts, including walking, strolling, and traveling. | |||
Tamil | நட | ||
Telugu | నడవండి | ||
The word "నడవండి" can also mean "to behave" or "to conduct oneself". | |||
Urdu | چلنا | ||
Etymology: possibly the word "chalan" (motion) from Sanskrit; also meaning "to move or cause to move." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 步行 | ||
步行 can also mean "to act according to the rules" or "to conform to the established conventions" | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 步行 | ||
步行 in Traditional Chinese can also refer to "walking meditation", a form of meditation in Buddhism. | |||
Japanese | 歩く | ||
The kanji character for "walk" (歩く) can also mean "to live" or "to conduct oneself. | |||
Korean | 산책 | ||
The word "산책" is derived from Chinese characters meaning "to take a walk" and is also used to denote a leisurely stroll. | |||
Mongolian | алхах | ||
The verb | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လမ်းလျှောက် | ||
Indonesian | berjalan | ||
Berjalan can also mean 'to run' or 'to take place' in certain contexts. | |||
Javanese | mlaku-mlaku | ||
In Javanese, 'mlaku-mlaku' also refers to a leisurely stroll or a light workout. | |||
Khmer | ដើរ | ||
The verb "ដើរ" can also mean "to go" or "to travel". | |||
Lao | ຍ່າງ | ||
ຍ່າງ can also mean 'to step on', 'to tread on' or 'to trample on'. | |||
Malay | jalan | ||
Jalan can refer to a road or street and is sometimes used in place names like Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur. | |||
Thai | เดิน | ||
The Thai word for 'walk' ("เดิน") can also mean "progress" or "develop". | |||
Vietnamese | đi bộ | ||
Đi bộ can also mean 'to go on foot' or 'to travel on foot' | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lakad | ||
Azerbaijani | gəzmək | ||
The word "gəzmək" also means "to travel" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | жүру | ||
"Жүру" can also mean "to move", "to run", "to go" or "to drive" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | басуу | ||
The Kyrgyz word "басуу" also means "to tread" or "to step on". | |||
Tajik | роҳ рафтан | ||
Turkmen | ýöremek | ||
Uzbek | yurish | ||
The Uzbek word "yurish" (walk) also refers to a person's gait or manner of walking | |||
Uyghur | مېڭىڭ | ||
Hawaiian | hele wāwae | ||
In ancient Hawaiian, hele wāwae also meant "to strive to obtain or accomplish something"} | |||
Maori | hīkoi | ||
In Māori the word "hīkoi" also refers to a ceremonial journey, an expedition or political protest, often undertaken on foot. | |||
Samoan | savali | ||
The word "savali" also means "to carry" or "to transport" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lakad | ||
In Tagalog, "lakad" also refers to a journey or trip, particularly done on foot or by land. |
Aymara | sarnaqaña | ||
Guarani | guata | ||
Esperanto | promeni | ||
Promeni, a loanword from the Greek verb "προμινεω" (promineó), meaning "to advance," also shares roots with words like "promontory" and "prominent." | |||
Latin | ambulate | ||
The Latin verb 'ambulare' originally meant 'to go about,' and was used to describe the movement of both people and animals. |
Greek | περπατήστε | ||
The Greek word "περπατήστε" can also be used to mean "stroll" or "take a walk". | |||
Hmong | mus kev | ||
Mus kev is also used as an idiom meaning 'to make a move on someone' or 'to take action' | |||
Kurdish | gerrik | ||
"Gerrik" also means "to go" or "to move" in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | yürümek | ||
The verb 'yürümek' can also mean 'to operate' or 'to function' in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | hamba | ||
The word hamba can also mean 'to go' or 'to travel' | |||
Yiddish | גיין | ||
The Yiddish word "גיין" (walk) also means "to be going on" or "to be happening." | |||
Zulu | hamba | ||
Hamba also means 'to take a turn' or 'to take over' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | খোজকঢ়া | ||
Aymara | sarnaqaña | ||
Bhojpuri | टहलल | ||
Dhivehi | ހިނގުން | ||
Dogri | टुरना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lakad | ||
Guarani | guata | ||
Ilocano | magna | ||
Krio | waka | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پیاسە | ||
Maithili | टहलू | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯠꯄ | ||
Mizo | kal | ||
Oromo | deemuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଚାଲ | ||
Quechua | puriy | ||
Sanskrit | अटतु | ||
Tatar | йөрергә | ||
Tigrinya | ተእጓዓዝ | ||
Tsonga | famba | ||