Watch in Different Languages
Discover 'Watch' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'watch' is more than just a timepiece - it's a symbol of craftsmanship, style, and cultural significance. From the intricate mechanics of a Swiss watch to the sleek design of a smartwatch, these devices have evolved over centuries, reflecting our changing relationship with time and technology. But did you know that the word 'watch' has been translated into various languages, each with its own unique connotations?
For instance, in Spanish, 'watch' is 'reloj', which also means 'clock'. In French, it's 'montre', derived from the verb 'montrer', meaning 'to show'. In Mandarin, it's '手表' (shǒu biǎo), where 'shǒu' means 'hand' and 'biǎo' means 'board' or 'instrument'. These translations offer a fascinating glimpse into how different cultures perceive and interact with this everyday object.
So, whether you're a horology enthusiast, a globetrotter, or simply curious about language and culture, understanding the translations of 'watch' can be a rewarding journey. Here are some translations to get you started:
Watch
Watch in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kyk | ||
| The Afrikaans slang word "kyk" is derived from the Dutch "kijken" (look), ultimately from the Proto-Germanic verb "keukan" (gaze). | |||
| Amharic | ይመልከቱ | ||
| The word "ይመልከቱ" (watch) in Amharic can also mean "to see" or "to look at". | |||
| Hausa | kallo | ||
| The Hausa word | |||
| Igbo | nche | ||
| The word "nche" in Igbo can also refer to a "period of time" or a "specific time of day". | |||
| Malagasy | watch | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | penyani | ||
| The word "penyani" is said to derive from the verb "kuyang'ana" meaning "to look, to look at something" but is also used with the additional meaning of "to wait, to watch" as in "to keep vigil for someone". | |||
| Shona | tarisai | ||
| The word "tarisai" may also refer to a wristwatch or to the act of observing something. | |||
| Somali | daawo | ||
| The word "daawo" originates from the Cushitic root "*dekk-/*deew-/*diik-", meaning "to see, watch, look". | |||
| Sesotho | shebella | ||
| "Shebella" in Sesotho also refers to a type of snake known as the "puff adder". | |||
| Swahili | angalia | ||
| The Swahili word "angalia" shares a root with the word "noga" which means "to look" in Ki-Bantu, the root language from which many modern day Swahili words are derived. | |||
| Xhosa | jonga | ||
| "Jonga" is also a verb meaning "to look at" or "to stare at." | |||
| Yoruba | aago | ||
| In old Yoruba, aago (meaning watch) was sometimes used for the phrase "time has come." | |||
| Zulu | bukela | ||
| The word "bukela" in Zulu comes from the root "-kel-" which means "to observe" or "to keep an eye on," and is related to the word "ukubukela" which means "to watch over" or "to guard." | |||
| Bambara | mɔnturu | ||
| Ewe | kpɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | reba | ||
| Lingala | kotala | ||
| Luganda | saawa | ||
| Sepedi | bogela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hwɛ | ||
Watch in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | راقب | ||
| The Arabic word "راقب" can also mean "spy" or "supervisor". | |||
| Hebrew | שעון | ||
| "שעון" derives from the Arabic word "sa'a". Its plural form "sha'ot" (pronounced "sha-oat") has become standardized as the singular form in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | کتل | ||
| The term "کتل" originally signified a type of time-telling device worn around the neck. | |||
| Arabic | راقب | ||
| The Arabic word "راقب" can also mean "spy" or "supervisor". | |||
Watch in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shikoj | ||
| Shikoj shares its origin with Romanian “școacă”, Hungarian “sokat” and Slavic “skúchati”, meaning "to look at", "to watch", or "to observe". | |||
| Basque | ikusi | ||
| The word "ikusi" also means "to look" or "to see". | |||
| Catalan | veure | ||
| The verb "veure" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "videre" and also means "to see". | |||
| Croatian | gledati | ||
| The verb 'gledati' also means 'to face', 'to be situated', 'to look at'. | |||
| Danish | ur | ||
| In Danish, | |||
| Dutch | kijk maar | ||
| The Dutch phrase "kijk maar" literally translates to "look but" in English, and is often used as an invitation to observe or inspect something. | |||
| English | watch | ||
| The word 'watch' originally referred to a period of time, typically three or four hours, during which a person would stand guard. | |||
| French | regarder | ||
| Regarder derives from the Old French verb "warder" meaning "to keep watch" or "to guard". | |||
| Frisian | horloazje | ||
| The Frisian word "horloazje" is derived from the Old French word "horologe," meaning "clock" or "timepiece." | |||
| Galician | ver | ||
| The Galician word "ver" is cognate with the Spanish "ver" and the Portuguese "ver", all deriving from the Latin "vidēre". | |||
| German | uhr | ||
| The German Uhr has cognates in Gothic waur and English hour that refer to periods of time of varying length. | |||
| Icelandic | horfa á | ||
| The Old English word 'weard' (watchman) has the same origin as 'horfa' in the Icelandic phrase 'horfa á' meaning 'watch'. | |||
| Irish | faire | ||
| The word "faire" can also mean "watch" in the sense of "keep an eye on" or "be careful of". | |||
| Italian | orologio | ||
| The Italian word "orologio" derives from the Latin word "horologium," meaning "timepiece." | |||
| Luxembourgish | kucken | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "kucken" derives from the Old High German word "koukon" meaning "to view". | |||
| Maltese | għassa | ||
| The Maltese word | |||
| Norwegian | se | ||
| Se also means 'to see' in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ver | ||
| "Ver" also means "to see" in Portuguese, and comes from the Latin "videre". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | faire | ||
| The word "faire" in Scots Gaelic translates to "watch", but can also mean "to look" or "to observe". | |||
| Spanish | reloj | ||
| The word "reloj" comes from the Latin word "horologium", meaning "a device for measuring time". | |||
| Swedish | kolla på | ||
| In Swedish, the word "Kolla på" can also mean "to check on" or "to pay attention to." | |||
| Welsh | gwylio | ||
| The word "Gwylio" can also mean "to spy" or "to gaze". | |||
Watch in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | глядзець | ||
| Bosnian | gledaj | ||
| "Gledaj" originally referred to an object on which clothes are laid out to dry. | |||
| Bulgarian | гледам | ||
| The Bulgarian word "гледам" also means "to look at" or "to observe". | |||
| Czech | hodinky | ||
| The word "hodinky" also means "small clock" in Czech, as "hodiny" means "clock". | |||
| Estonian | vaatama | ||
| The word "vaatama" is derived from the verb "vaata", which means "to look at" or "to observe". | |||
| Finnish | katsella | ||
| "Katsella" derives from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word "*ket-sē-ti". It also means "to see" and "to look at". | |||
| Hungarian | néz | ||
| "Néz" also means "to see" in Hungarian, and has a cognate in Finnish "näen" with the same meaning. | |||
| Latvian | skatīties | ||
| "Skatīties" also means "to look at" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | žiūrėti | ||
| The word "žiūrėti" also means "to look" or "to examine" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | часовник | ||
| Часовник literally means "time keeper" and can refer to any timekeeping device such as a sundial or mechanical clock, not just wristwatches. | |||
| Polish | zegarek | ||
| The Polish word "zegarek" is derived from the German word "Zeiger" meaning "pointer". | |||
| Romanian | ceas | ||
| The word "ceas" is derived from the Latin word "horologium", meaning "timepiece". | |||
| Russian | часы | ||
| In Russian, "часы" can also refer to a specific type of traditional Russian clock known as a "samovar". | |||
| Serbian | гледати | ||
| In Serbian, the word "гледати" can also mean "to look at" or "to observe". | |||
| Slovak | sledovať | ||
| The word "sledovať" originally meant "to hear" or "to listen" in Old Church Slavonic, and it still retains this meaning in some contexts. | |||
| Slovenian | pazi | ||
| The Proto-Slavic root of "pazi" ("pažь") could mean "to take care of, guard, protect." | |||
| Ukrainian | дивитися | ||
| The word "дивитися" in Ukrainian also means "to perceive" or "to imagine". | |||
Watch in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঘড়ি | ||
| The word "ঘড়ি" (watch) derives from the Sanskrit word "घटि" (ghaṭi), meaning "hour". It can also refer to a clock or hourglass. | |||
| Gujarati | જુઓ | ||
| The word "જુઓ" in Gujarati can also mean "see". | |||
| Hindi | घड़ी | ||
| The term घड़ी in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ghati", meaning "unit of time". | |||
| Kannada | ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ | ||
| The word "ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ" derives from the Sanskrit root "viṣ" meaning "to see" and can also mean "to look at" or "to observe" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കാവൽ | ||
| "കാവൽ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पाली" (pāli), meaning "wall", and is related to the Tamil word "காத்தல்" (kāthal), meaning "to guard" or "to protect". | |||
| Marathi | पहा | ||
| The Marathi word 'पहा' ('paha') also means 'to see' and is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word 'पश्यति' ('paśyati'). | |||
| Nepali | हेर्नु | ||
| The word 'हेर्नु' can also mean 'to see' or 'to look at' in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਾਚ | ||
| "ਵਾਚ" in Punjabi can also mean a 'portion', 'turn', or 'period of time' | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔරලෝසුව | ||
| The word "ඔරලෝසුව" likely originates from the Portuguese word "relógio", meaning "watch". It can also refer to a clock or a timer. | |||
| Tamil | வாட்ச் | ||
| வாட்ச் (watch) in Tamil primarily means 'to be depressed or to dwindle' and may also refer to 'a clock designed to be carried or worn'. | |||
| Telugu | చూడండి | ||
| The Telugu word "చూడండి" is a verb form and is often used with the suffix "-గా" to form the word "చూడగా" (pronounced "chuda-ga"), which means "looking" or "watching." | |||
| Urdu | گھڑی | ||
| The word 'گھڑی' ('watch') in Urdu also refers to the period of time when one is on guard and alert, and to the process of observing and waiting for something. | |||
Watch in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 看 | ||
| "看" also means 'to care' or 'to think of' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 看 | ||
| Despite its common translation as “watch”, the character “看” can also mean “to see” or “to check”. | |||
| Japanese | 見る | ||
| The word "見る" (watch) in Japanese can also mean "to see" or "to observe". | |||
| Korean | 손목 시계 | ||
| The word 손목 시계 literally translates to “wrist clock” and was originally used for a type of pocket watch attached to a wrist strap. | |||
| Mongolian | үзэх | ||
| "Үзэх" means "to read" but also "to watch" similar to the English word. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နာရီ | ||
| նարին (pronounced: /na.ri/), which is of Armenian origin; and "watch (timepiece)", which is borrowed from English. | |||
Watch in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menonton | ||
| In Indonesian, ''menonton'' originates from the Old Javanese word ''tonton'' which means ''to see'' or ''to look at''. | |||
| Javanese | nonton | ||
| In colloquial usage, "nonton" can also mean "to witness" or "to be present at an event." | |||
| Khmer | មើល | ||
| "មើល" can also mean "to care for" or "to watch over" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ເບິ່ງ | ||
| The word "ເບິ່ງ" in Lao can also mean "see" or "look". This is because Lao does not have a separate word for "watch" or "look", so the same word is used for both concepts. | |||
| Malay | menonton | ||
| In Javanese, "menonton" means "watching a show with musical accompaniment." | |||
| Thai | ดู | ||
| The Thai word "ดู" can also mean "to look at" or "to observe". | |||
| Vietnamese | đồng hồ đeo tay | ||
| The term "đồng hồ đeo tay" literally translates to "wrist clock" and has the alternate meaning of "wristwatch." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manood | ||
Watch in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | baxın | ||
| "Baxın" is a verb that means "to look at" and can also be used as a noun meaning "a look" or "a glance." | |||
| Kazakh | қарау | ||
| "Қарау" is not only a noun that means "watch" in Kazakh, but it is also a verb that means "to look at" or "to examine". | |||
| Kyrgyz | көрүү | ||
| The word “көрүү” in Kyrgyz can also mean “vision” or “sight.” | |||
| Tajik | тамошо кунед | ||
| The Persian word "тамошо" means "spectacle" or "entertainment," suggesting that "тамошо кунед" can also mean "witness" or "experience." | |||
| Turkmen | sagat | ||
| Uzbek | tomosha qiling | ||
| Tomosha qiling is also used as a verb, meaning to look at or observe something. | |||
| Uyghur | watch | ||
Watch in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiaʻi | ||
| Kia'i can also refer to guardians, protectors, or caretakers, and is often used in connection with the land or natural resources. | |||
| Maori | mataara | ||
| "Mataara" also means "to await" or "to look out for". | |||
| Samoan | matamata | ||
| The word 'matamata' also means 'to stand guard' or 'to be vigilant' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | panuorin | ||
| "Panuorin" comes from the Spanish word "panorama," which originally meant "complete view." The word also has a secondary meaning of "to show or exhibit," which is also derived from the Spanish word "panorámico." | |||
Watch in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñtaña | ||
| Guarani | reloj | ||
Watch in International Languages
| Esperanto | rigardi | ||
| The word "rigardi" can also mean "respect" or "consideration". | |||
| Latin | custodibus | ||
| Custodibus, a Latin noun, derives from the verb 'custodire' ('to guard, protect'). The plural form refers to 'guardians, guards, or protectors. | |||
Watch in Others Languages
| Greek | παρακολουθώ | ||
| "Παρακολουθώ" is a Greek word that can also mean "follow" or "attend". | |||
| Hmong | saib | ||
| Saib, meaning 'watch,' shares a common root with the word 'sai,' meaning 'to see.' | |||
| Kurdish | seet | ||
| The word "seet" also means "to watch" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | izlemek | ||
| The Turkish word "izlemek" is derived from the Persian word "didan", meaning "to see" or "to view." | |||
| Xhosa | jonga | ||
| "Jonga" is also a verb meaning "to look at" or "to stare at." | |||
| Yiddish | היטן | ||
| The Yiddish word "היטן" can also refer to a small box or case, as in "a watch box". | |||
| Zulu | bukela | ||
| The word "bukela" in Zulu comes from the root "-kel-" which means "to observe" or "to keep an eye on," and is related to the word "ukubukela" which means "to watch over" or "to guard." | |||
| Assamese | চোৱা | ||
| Aymara | uñtaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | घड़ी | ||
| Dhivehi | ބެލުން | ||
| Dogri | दिक्खो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manood | ||
| Guarani | reloj | ||
| Ilocano | agbuya | ||
| Krio | wach | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەیرکردن | ||
| Maithili | देखू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thlir | ||
| Oromo | ilaaluu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦେଖନ୍ତୁ | | ||
| Quechua | qaway | ||
| Sanskrit | घटी | ||
| Tatar | карау | ||
| Tigrinya | ተመልከት | ||
| Tsonga | langutisa | ||