Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, a 'workshop' is a space where individuals come together to learn, create, and innovate. This concept has been integral to human culture for centuries, from the ancient Greek 'techne' where artisans honed their craft, to the modern-day makerspace. Workshops are more than just places; they're experiences that transcend language and culture.
Understanding the translation of 'workshop' in different languages not only broadens your vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into how other cultures value learning and making. For instance, in Spanish, a workshop is a 'taller'; in French, it's an 'atelier'; in German, it's a 'Werkstatt'. Each term carries its own unique cultural nuances, reflecting the importance placed on skill development and collaborative learning in these societies.
Whether you're a global citizen, a language learner, or a cultural enthusiast, exploring the world through the lens of a 'workshop' can be an enriching journey. Delve into the following translations and discover the rich cultural significance of this universal concept.
Afrikaans | werkswinkel | ||
The word "werkswinkel" is derived from the Middle Dutch "wercwinckel," meaning "work corner" or "place where work is done." | |||
Amharic | ወርክሾፕ | ||
In Amharic, the word "ወርክሾፕ" "workshop" has the alternate meaning of a place where people gather to do collaborative work. | |||
Hausa | bitar | ||
Bitar is a compound word derived from the Hausa word 'bi' (thing) and 'tar' (place), meaning 'a place where things are made' in the sense of a workshop or factory. | |||
Igbo | omumuihe | ||
'Omumuihe' ('workshop') derives from the Igbo words 'umu' ('children') and 'ihe' ('things'), implying a place where young people learn practical skills. | |||
Malagasy | atrikasa | ||
The Malagasy word "atrikasa" likely derives from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word "*atei" (house) and "*kasa" (work). | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | msonkhano | ||
Msonkhano may also be used to describe a group or team, particularly one engaged in creative or intellectual work. | |||
Shona | musangano | ||
The word "musangano" also refers to a gathering of people for discussion or decision-making. | |||
Somali | aqoon isweydaarsi | ||
Sesotho | kokoano | ||
"Kokoano" comes from the word "koka", meaning to build or construct. | |||
Swahili | semina | ||
The word "semina" in Swahili can also refer to a lecture or seminar, or a place of learning or instruction. | |||
Xhosa | indawo yokusebenzela | ||
The literal translation of "indawo yokusebenzela" is "a place to do the work". | |||
Yoruba | idanileko | ||
The word 'idanileko' also means 'the place where one's work is'} | |||
Zulu | indawo yokusebenzela | ||
The word "indawo yokusebenzela" can also refer to a studio or factory in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | atelier (telier) ye | ||
Ewe | dɔwɔƒe si wowɔa dɔ le | ||
Kinyarwanda | amahugurwa | ||
Lingala | atelier ya atelié | ||
Luganda | omusomo | ||
Sepedi | thuto-semmotwana | ||
Twi (Akan) | adwumayɛbea | ||
Arabic | ورشة عمل | ||
In Arabic, "ورشة عمل" can also refer to a studio, training session or conference. | |||
Hebrew | סדנה | ||
The word "סדנה" can also refer to the place where the Jewish Sanhedrin, or court held hearings. | |||
Pashto | ورکشاپ | ||
In Pashto, "ورکشاپ" also holds the alternate meaning of "classroom, study hall." | |||
Arabic | ورشة عمل | ||
In Arabic, "ورشة عمل" can also refer to a studio, training session or conference. |
Albanian | punëtori | ||
The word "punëtori" can also refer to a "work" or "occupation" | |||
Basque | tailerra | ||
The Basque word "tailerra" is derived from the Latin "tellurium", meaning "earth". | |||
Catalan | taller | ||
The word 'taller' also refers to a person's figure, in the sense of being a certain height. | |||
Croatian | radionica | ||
In physics, 'radionica' can mean 'quantum vacuum'. | |||
Danish | værksted | ||
Originally, the word "værksted" only referred to a shipyard where ships were built or repaired | |||
Dutch | werkplaats | ||
"Werkplaats" is derived from "werk" (meaning "work") and "plaats" (meaning "place"), and can also refer to a studio or workspace for artists or craftspeople. | |||
English | workshop | ||
The word "workshop" originally referred to a room where a tradesperson worked, but now also refers to a seminar or meeting where ideas are developed. | |||
French | atelier | ||
The word 'atelier' also means 'studio', where artists and designers work and create. | |||
Frisian | workshop | ||
The word 'workshop' is derived from the Old Frisian verb 'wirkjen', meaning 'to work'. | |||
Galician | obradoiro | ||
The Galician term "obradoiro" can also refer to the area surrounding a cathedral where master craftsmen and stonemasons worked during its construction. | |||
German | werkstatt | ||
The word "Werkstatt" originated from the Middle High German "Wercstat", meaning "place of work", which can also refer to the activities carried out in a workshop, such as craftsmanship or repair. | |||
Icelandic | vinnustofa | ||
The word "vinnustofa" is derived from the Old Norse words "vinna" (work) and "stofa" (room), and can also refer to a factory or a studio. | |||
Irish | ceardlann | ||
The word 'ceardlann' has Celtic roots and is also used to denote a 'holy place'. | |||
Italian | officina | ||
Officina also means "apothecary's shop" in Italian. | |||
Luxembourgish | atelier | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Atelier" can also refer to a knitting studio or a sewing workshop. | |||
Maltese | workshop | ||
The Maltese word "ħanut" can refer to both a workshop and a shop. | |||
Norwegian | verksted | ||
The word 'verksted' is derived from the Old Norse words 'verk' (work) and 'stadr' (place), and can also refer to a factory or a production facility. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | oficina | ||
Oficina is cognate with English "office," and can also refer to an agency, bureau, or other type of official building. | |||
Scots Gaelic | bùth-obrach | ||
The Gaelic word "bùth-obrach" can also refer to a "tool shed" or "outbuilding" in certain contexts. | |||
Spanish | taller | ||
The word "taller" in Spanish also refers to a person who is taller than average, and to a large candle made of tallow. | |||
Swedish | verkstad | ||
The word 'verkstad' derives from the Old Norse word 'verkstathr' meaning 'place for work' | |||
Welsh | gweithdy | ||
The word 'gweithdy' also means 'studio' or 'laboratory' in Welsh. |
Belarusian | майстэрня | ||
The word "майстэрня" is derived from the German word "Meister", meaning "master" or "craftsman" and the suffix "-ня", which indicates a place or establishment. | |||
Bosnian | radionica | ||
The word 'radionica' also means a workshop for handicrafts, indicating its historical importance in Bosnia. | |||
Bulgarian | работилница | ||
Bulgarian "работилница" derives from Russian "работа" "work": an old meaning of "работилница" was "workspace," but the modern meaning derives from "factory" | |||
Czech | dílna | ||
"Dílna" also meant "a small room" and "a part of a house" and could even mean "a small shop" | |||
Estonian | töötuba | ||
The word "töötuba" originally referred to a room where people worked, especially a small room in a house. | |||
Finnish | työpaja | ||
The Finnish word "työpaja" shares its origin with the word "paja", meaning "forge" or "smith's shop". | |||
Hungarian | műhely | ||
The word "Műhely" originally referred to a room where artisans worked, but it now has a broader meaning, encompassing any place where creative work is done. | |||
Latvian | darbnīca | ||
The word "darbnīca" could also mean a "working party" in Latvian. | |||
Lithuanian | dirbtuvės | ||
The word "dirbtuvės" derives from the Lithuanian word "dirbti," meaning "to work" or "to do." | |||
Macedonian | работилница | ||
The word "работилница" in Macedonian is derived from the Slavic word "работа" (work), and it can also refer to a place where crafts or other work is done. | |||
Polish | warsztat | ||
The Polish word "warsztat" ultimately derives from the German "Wer(k)statt", meaning "workplace". | |||
Romanian | atelier | ||
In Romanian, "atelier" also denotes a "painting studio" | |||
Russian | цех | ||
The word цех (workshop) in Russian originated from the German word "Zeche", meaning "guild" or "association". | |||
Serbian | радионица | ||
The term 'radionica' in Serbian can also refer to a school or studio where art, music, or craftsmanship is practiced. | |||
Slovak | dielňa | ||
The word "dielňa" derives from the word "dielo", meaning "work", and is used in various contexts outside of its literal meaning, such as "dielňa spisovateľa" (writer's workshop). | |||
Slovenian | delavnica | ||
The word 'delavnica' is related to the word 'delati', meaning 'to work' in Slovene. | |||
Ukrainian | майстерня | ||
The word 'майстерня' derives from the Proto-Slavic word 'maistŭrŭ', meaning 'master' or 'craftsman'. |
Bengali | কর্মশালা | ||
The word "কর্মশালা" (workshop) in Bengali can also refer to a place where people gather to engage in artistic or creative activities. | |||
Gujarati | વર્કશોપ | ||
The word 'વર્કશોપ' in Gujarati also means a place where people gather to learn or practice a particular skill or craft. | |||
Hindi | कार्यशाला | ||
The word 'कार्यशाला' derives from 'कार' (work) and 'शाला' (place), referring to a place where work is done or skills are taught. | |||
Kannada | ಕಾರ್ಯಾಗಾರ | ||
The word "ಕಾರ್ಯಾಗಾರ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "कार्य" (work) and "आगर" (place), making it literally mean a "place of work" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | വർക്ക്ഷോപ്പ് | ||
Marathi | कार्यशाळा | ||
The word "कार्यशाळा" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit words "कार्य" (work) and "शाला" (place), meaning "a place where work is carried out." | |||
Nepali | कार्यशाला | ||
"कार्यशाला" originated from the Sanskrit term "karmaśālā," meaning a place where work is done. | |||
Punjabi | ਵਰਕਸ਼ਾਪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වැඩමුළුව | ||
In Sinhala, "වැඩමුළුව" (vaḍamuluva) literally means "a place where work is done" or "a workplace," but it can also refer to a group of people who work together on a project or a task. | |||
Tamil | பணிமனை | ||
The term 'பணிமனை' could also refer to a place for worship in Tamil, as it is derived from the root words 'பணி' (worship) and 'மனை' (house) | |||
Telugu | వర్క్షాప్ | ||
The word "వర్క్షాప్" in Telugu can also refer to a meeting or seminar where people gather to discuss and share ideas. | |||
Urdu | ورکشاپ | ||
The word "ورکشاپ" in Urdu is derived from the English word "workshop", meaning a place where people work or learn. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 作坊 | ||
The word "作坊" can also refer to a small, family-run factory or a group of artisans who work together. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 作坊 | ||
作坊 (zuòfǎng) derives from the term 作 („to do”) and 坊 („enclosed building”) during the Han dynasty | |||
Japanese | ワークショップ | ||
ワークショップ (workshop) is a loan word from English used in Japanese to refer to meetings where people gather to share ideas and work together on projects. | |||
Korean | 작업장 | ||
Mongolian | семинар | ||
The word "семинар" in Mongolian is a loanword from Russian and ultimately derives from Latin "seminarium," meaning "seedbed". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အလုပ်ရုံ | ||
The word "အလုပ်ရုံ" (workshop) literally means "a place to do work" in Burmese, reflecting its primary purpose as a workspace for various activities. |
Indonesian | bengkel | ||
In Indonesian, | |||
Javanese | bengkel | ||
"Bengkel" in Javanese means "a place where tools are stored" or "a small room where metal or wood is worked" | |||
Khmer | សិក្ខាសាលា | ||
Lao | ກອງປະຊຸມ | ||
Malay | bengkel | ||
In Indonesian, 'bengkel' derives from the Javanese 'bengkel' which originally meant 'store', while in Malay it may also mean 'brothel'. | |||
Thai | เวิร์คช็อป | ||
In Thai, "เวิร์คช็อป" also refers to a hands-on training session or a small group discussion. | |||
Vietnamese | xưởng | ||
Xưởng was originally used to refer to a place for making pottery, then later extended to refer to any place where things are made or repaired. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pagawaan | ||
Azerbaijani | emalatxana | ||
The word "emalatxana" derives from the Persian word "emalathaneh" and means "factory" or "manufacturing plant" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | шеберхана | ||
The word "шеберхана" is derived from the Persian word "شَپَرخانه" (shaparkhāna), meaning "place of work." | |||
Kyrgyz | семинар | ||
Tajik | устохона | ||
The word "устохона" is derived from the Persian word "اوستاخانه" meaning "the place of a skilled craftsman". | |||
Turkmen | ussahanasy | ||
Uzbek | ustaxona | ||
Ustaxona is a Farsi-derived loanword that originally meant "a place where a craftsman works with iron." | |||
Uyghur | سېخ | ||
Hawaiian | hale hana | ||
While hale in Hawaiian means "house", hana means "to do" or "a craft", thus hale hana means "work house" or "workshop". | |||
Maori | awheawhe | ||
The term 'awheawhe' may also refer to a traditional meeting house or a communal gathering place. | |||
Samoan | fale aʻoga | ||
The word "fale aʻoga" is formed from the words "fale" (house) and "aʻoga" (learning), thus literally meaning "house of learning". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pagawaan | ||
The Tagalog word 'pagawaan' originally meant 'a place to make something', but now it usually refers to any kind of workshop. |
Aymara | taller ukan uñacht’ayata | ||
Guarani | taller rehegua | ||
Esperanto | laborejo | ||
The word "laborejo" is derived from the Latin word "labor", meaning "work", and the Esperanto suffix "-ejo", indicating a place where something is done. | |||
Latin | workshop | ||
The Latin root "opus," from which "workshop" originates, also signifies creation and craftsmanship, reflecting both a physical location for work and an artistic endeavor. |
Greek | εργαστηρι | ||
The Greek word "εργαστήρι" ultimately derives from the ancient Greek word "ἔργον" (ergon), meaning "work". | |||
Hmong | chaw rhiav | ||
In some dialects of Hmong, 'chaw rhiav' may refer to a specific type of workshop, such as a textile workshop or a silversmithing workshop. | |||
Kurdish | kargeh | ||
The Kurdish word “kargeh” (workshop) is related to the Persian word “kārgāh” (workshop), both of which are ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word “karya” (work). | |||
Turkish | atölye | ||
The word "atölye" comes from the French "atelier", which in turn originates from the Old French "astelier" meaning "work place". The word has extended meanings in Turkish including "studio" and "factory". | |||
Xhosa | indawo yokusebenzela | ||
The literal translation of "indawo yokusebenzela" is "a place to do the work". | |||
Yiddish | וואַרשטאַט | ||
Yiddish "וואַרשטאַט" originally meant "stable," but it later came to mean "workshop" in a semantic shift similar to that of English "shop". | |||
Zulu | indawo yokusebenzela | ||
The word "indawo yokusebenzela" can also refer to a studio or factory in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | কৰ্মশালা | ||
Aymara | taller ukan uñacht’ayata | ||
Bhojpuri | कार्यशाला के आयोजन भइल | ||
Dhivehi | ވޯކްޝޮޕްގައެވެ | ||
Dogri | वर्कशॉप च | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pagawaan | ||
Guarani | taller rehegua | ||
Ilocano | talyer ti | ||
Krio | wokshɔp fɔ wok | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | وۆرک شۆپ | ||
Maithili | कार्यशाला | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯔꯀꯁꯣꯞ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯁꯦꯃꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | workshop neihpui a ni | ||
Oromo | workshopii (workshop) jedhu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କର୍ମଶାଳା | ||
Quechua | taller nisqapi | ||
Sanskrit | कार्यशाला | ||
Tatar | семинар | ||
Tigrinya | ዓውደ መጽናዕቲ | ||
Tsonga | ntirho wa ntirho | ||