Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'wrap' holds a significant place in our daily lives, often used to describe the act of enclosing or covering something. From food wraps to gift wrapping, this term has become a cultural cornerstone worldwide. But have you ever wondered how 'wrap' translates in different languages? Understanding these translations can provide unique insights into various cultures and broaden your linguistic horizons.
For instance, in Spanish, 'wrap' translates to 'envolver', while in German, it's 'einwickeln'. In French, the act of wrapping is known as 'emballer', and in Japanese, it's 'お巻き' ( 'tsutsumu'). These translations not only help in cross-cultural communication but also add depth to our appreciation of the word's cultural significance.
So, whether you're a globetrotter, a language learner, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'wrap' is an exciting journey. Keep reading to discover more about this common yet fascinating term in various languages!
Afrikaans | toedraai | ||
The Afrikaans word "toedraai" can also refer to the process of rolling a cigarette or joint. | |||
Amharic | መጠቅለያ | ||
Hausa | kunsa | ||
The word 'kunsa' in Hausa can also refer to a wrapper or turban worn by men. | |||
Igbo | kechie | ||
The word 'kechie' also means 'to carry a child on the back' in Igbo. | |||
Malagasy | wrap | ||
In Malagasy, "wrap" also means "to clothe oneself." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukulunga | ||
The term "kukulunga" originates from the verb "kula," meaning "to gather up." | |||
Shona | putira | ||
"Putira" can also refer to a cloth used for wrapping a baby or a bag used for carrying firewood. | |||
Somali | duub | ||
In addition to meaning "wrap" in Somali, "duub" can also be used to describe the act of hugging or holding someone close | |||
Sesotho | phuthela | ||
The word 'phuthela' also means 'to carry a baby on the back' or 'to put on a backpack'. | |||
Swahili | funga | ||
In Tanzania, "funga" can also refer to the act of covering or concealing something. | |||
Xhosa | urhangqo | ||
The word 'urhangqo' can also refer to a type of traditional Xhosa garment. | |||
Yoruba | ipari | ||
"Ipari" also means "to be wrapped" and "to be folded." | |||
Zulu | bopha | ||
The word "bopha" can also mean "to envelop" or "to cover". | |||
Bambara | ka meleke | ||
Ewe | bla | ||
Kinyarwanda | gupfunyika | ||
Lingala | kokanga | ||
Luganda | okuzinga | ||
Sepedi | phuthela | ||
Twi (Akan) | kyekyere ho | ||
Arabic | لف | ||
The word "لف" (wrap) also means "turn" or "twist" in Arabic, and can refer to the act of turning a page or flipping something over. | |||
Hebrew | לַעֲטוֹף | ||
"לַעֲטוֹף" also means "to envelope" or "to enwrap" in Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | نغښتل | ||
"نغښتل" (wrap) in Pashto comes from the Persian word "گشتن" meaning "to turn" or "to twist." | |||
Arabic | لف | ||
The word "لف" (wrap) also means "turn" or "twist" in Arabic, and can refer to the act of turning a page or flipping something over. |
Albanian | mbështjell | ||
The Albanian word "mbështjell" also refers to the act of concealing, covering something hidden from view | |||
Basque | biltzeko | ||
The word "biltzeko" in Basque also has the meaning of "to surround" or "to enclose", akin to the English word "beleaguer". | |||
Catalan | embolicar | ||
In Catalan, "embolicar" can also mean "to mislead" or "to complicate", stemming from the Latin "imbolicō". | |||
Croatian | zamotati | ||
The verb "zamotati" is etymologically connected with the nouns "zamota" and "zamot" meaning "skein" or "tangle" | |||
Danish | indpakning | ||
The verb "indpakke" can be used figuratively to mean 'to wrap oneself something' or 'to hide something'. | |||
Dutch | inpakken | ||
In Dutch, the word "inpakken" also means "to pack" and is related to the German word "einpacken." | |||
English | wrap | ||
The word "wrap" shares its etymology with the word "warp", meaning "to twist or entwine". | |||
French | emballage | ||
"Emballage" comes from an Old Frankish word meaning "package" and is a cognate of "embalm." | |||
Frisian | ynpakke | ||
The Frisian word "ynpakke" has a dual meaning: "to wrap" and "to unpack". | |||
Galician | envolver | ||
Envolver in Galician can also mean to involve or engage in something. | |||
German | wickeln | ||
Wickeln is derived from the Middle High German word "wichen", meaning "to bend". | |||
Icelandic | vefja | ||
As a noun, "vefja" can refer to a woven or knitted piece of cloth used to wrap something. | |||
Irish | timfhilleadh | ||
Italian | avvolgere | ||
The word "avvolgere" derives from the Latin "volvere" (to roll) and has a secondary meaning of "to conceal or hide". | |||
Luxembourgish | wéckelen | ||
The word "wéckelen" also has the alternate meaning of "to scold". | |||
Maltese | wrap | ||
The Maltese word "wrap" is a false cognate of the English word "wrap" and actually means "to tie". | |||
Norwegian | pakke inn | ||
"Pakke inn" literally means "pack in" in Norwegian, but it can also mean "to wrap up" or "to dress warmly." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | embrulho | ||
In Brazil, "embrulho" can also refer to a mess, trouble, or complication. | |||
Scots Gaelic | paisg | ||
Paisg can also refer to a bandage, a swaddling cloth, or a wrapping or covering of any kind. | |||
Spanish | envolver | ||
Envolver (wrap) originated from the Latin word "involvere" meaning "roll up" and in modern Spanish retains a secondary meaning "to get involved." | |||
Swedish | slå in | ||
The word "slå in" in Swedish also means "to fold" or "to pack" something. | |||
Welsh | lapio | ||
The word "lapio" has alternate meanings depending on context and may also mean 'to fold', 'to enfold', or 'to swathe'. |
Belarusian | ахінуць | ||
Bosnian | zamotati | ||
From Proto-Slavic *zamotati, from *za- (“around”) + *motati (“to wind”). | |||
Bulgarian | увийте | ||
"Увийте" in Bulgarian can also mean "to swaddle" (infants). | |||
Czech | zabalit | ||
The word "zabalit" in Czech can also mean to pack or to end something. | |||
Estonian | mähkima | ||
The word "mähkima" in Estonian means "to wrap" and is cognate with the Finnish word "mäki", meaning "hill" or "bump". Its derivative "mähk" can also refer to a baby's diaper or a shroud. | |||
Finnish | kääri | ||
In Finnish, "kääri" can also mean "to roll up" (a cigarette, for example), "to fold" (a blanket), or "to cover" (a wound). | |||
Hungarian | betakar | ||
The word "betakar" (wrap) in Hungarian has an older meaning of "cover a body with a cloth for burial" | |||
Latvian | ietīt | ||
The Latvian word "ietīt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wei-/*weik", meaning "to wind, turn, twist". | |||
Lithuanian | apvynioti | ||
The word "apvynioti" has possible PIE and Uralic roots shared with "bind" and "weave." | |||
Macedonian | завиткајте | ||
The etymology of the word "завиткајте" is uncertain, but it may be related to the Slavic root "viti," meaning "to wind" or "to twine." | |||
Polish | owinąć | ||
The verb "owinąć" in Polish also has the meaning of "to surround". | |||
Romanian | înveliți | ||
The word "înveliți" can also refer to "sheets" or "blankets" in Romanian. | |||
Russian | заворачивать | ||
"Заворачивать" can also mean to refuse, turn something down or reject, and can be used figuratively as a noun to refer to an embarrassing situation, a trap or an unpleasant surprise. | |||
Serbian | умотати | ||
"Умотати" comes from an Old Slavic root *motati, meaning "to wind," related to "мотати" in Russian and "motać" in Polish. | |||
Slovak | obal | ||
The Slovak word "obal" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*obvoljь", which also meant "to pour around". | |||
Slovenian | zaviti | ||
The word "zaviti" in Slovenian can also mean "to turn" or "to wind". | |||
Ukrainian | обернути | ||
The Ukrainian word “обернути” can also mean to turn, transform, or translate. |
Bengali | মোড়ানো | ||
The word "moṛano" also means "to turn" or "to change direction" in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | લપેટી | ||
The word "લપેટી" also means "entanglement" or "intricacy". | |||
Hindi | चादर | ||
The word "चादर" can also refer to a sheet bed, a cloth used to cover a bed. | |||
Kannada | ಸುತ್ತು | ||
"ಸುತ್ತು" can also mean "to turn" or "to revolve." | |||
Malayalam | റാപ് | ||
The word റാപ് ("wrap") in Malayalam can also mean to seize or arrest someone. | |||
Marathi | लपेटणे | ||
The Marathi verb "लपेटणे" (lapetne) shares its Indo-European root "*lep-/*lap-" with the word "lap" in English, both meaning to fold or cover something. | |||
Nepali | बेर्नु | ||
There is a homophone, बेर्नो, meaning "to pierce or stab". | |||
Punjabi | ਲਪੇਟੋ | ||
The Punjabi word 'ਲਪੇਟੋ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लप' (lap), meaning to cover or enclose. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | එතුම | ||
'එතුම' (wrap) also means 'to cover or protect' or 'to surround' in Sinhala. | |||
Tamil | மடக்கு | ||
மடக்கு (maṭakku) derives from மடல் (maṭal), meaning "leaf" or "fold", and implies enveloping, concealing, or enclosing. | |||
Telugu | చుట్టు | ||
"చుట్టు" also refers to the perimeter of an area or the circumference of an object. | |||
Urdu | لپیٹنا | ||
The word "لپیٹنا" is derived from the Sanskrit word "लिपटना" (lipaṭana), meaning "to cling" or "to wind around." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 包 | ||
Chinese character "包" (pronounced "bāo") can also refer to a dumpling or a handbag. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 包 | ||
The Chinese character "包" (wrap), when placed on the right side of another character, often indicates the concept of totality or inclusiveness, such as in the word 包括 (include). | |||
Japanese | ラップ | ||
"ラップ" also means "rap music" in Japanese, an abbreviation of the English word "rap." | |||
Korean | 싸다 | ||
The word "싸다" also means "to hide" or "to conceal". | |||
Mongolian | боох | ||
"Боох" can mean a traditional Mongolian robe or book cover. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ထုပ် | ||
The word "ထုပ်" can also mean "to cover up" or "to hide" in Myanmar (Burmese). |
Indonesian | membungkus | ||
"Membungkus" can also mean "to cover" or "to protect" in Indonesian. | |||
Javanese | bungkus | ||
In Javanese, "bungkus" also means "parcel" or "package", highlighting the cultural significance of wrapping and sharing in Javanese society. | |||
Khmer | រុំ | ||
The word "រុំ" ("wrap") in Khmer can also mean "to surround" or "to protect". | |||
Lao | ຫໍ່ | ||
The Lao word ຫໍ່ also means to cover or hide something. | |||
Malay | bungkus | ||
"Bungkus" in Malay can also refer to parcels containing food, especially from a food stall. | |||
Thai | ห่อ | ||
"ห่อ" (wrap) also means "a unit of measure approximately equal to one hundred leaves"} | |||
Vietnamese | bọc lại | ||
A different meaning of “bọc lại” is “make a new set of clothes” in the context of making áo dài. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | balutin | ||
Azerbaijani | bükmək | ||
The word "bükmək" can also mean "to bend or fold", which is related to its use as "wrap". | |||
Kazakh | орау | ||
The word "орау" in Kazakh also refers to a type of traditional Kazakh clothing worn by men. | |||
Kyrgyz | ороо | ||
The Kyrgyz word "ороо" is also used figuratively to mean "to hide" or "to conceal something". | |||
Tajik | печондан | ||
Печондан (wrap) is likely derived from the Farsi word for cotton or wool, "pechon." | |||
Turkmen | örtmek | ||
Uzbek | o'rash | ||
The word "o'rash" can also refer to a type of traditional Uzbek bread. | |||
Uyghur | wrap | ||
Hawaiian | wahī | ||
Wahī means 'to enclose, surround, enwrap'; also, the name of the Hawaiian version of an ancient Polynesian game. | |||
Maori | takai | ||
The word "takai" has a different meaning when followed by the preposition "i": it means "in" instead of "by". | |||
Samoan | afifi | ||
The word "afifi" can also refer to a particular type of traditional Samoan mat or a woman's skirt. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | balot | ||
In Tagalog, the word "balot" can also refer to a type of Filipino street food consisting of a boiled egg wrapped in a duck or chicken egg. |
Aymara | llawuntaña | ||
Guarani | ape | ||
Esperanto | envolvi | ||
The Esperanto word "envolvi" is derived from the Latin word "involvere", meaning "to wrap up" or "to involve". | |||
Latin | wrap | ||
The Latin verb "rapio" ("to seize, snatch") is the origin of the word "wrap," which can also mean "to enclose or confine." |
Greek | κάλυμμα | ||
In ancient Greek, 'κάλυμμα' also meant 'cover' or 'veil' and was related to the verb 'καλύπτω,' meaning 'to hide' or 'to conceal'. | |||
Hmong | qhwv | ||
The Hmong word "qhwv" (wrap) also means "to hug" or "to embrace". | |||
Kurdish | pêçan | ||
In Turkish, | |||
Turkish | paketlemek | ||
The word "paketlemek" in Turkish comes from the French word "paquet", meaning "bundle". | |||
Xhosa | urhangqo | ||
The word 'urhangqo' can also refer to a type of traditional Xhosa garment. | |||
Yiddish | ייַנוויקלען | ||
Zulu | bopha | ||
The word "bopha" can also mean "to envelop" or "to cover". | |||
Assamese | মেৰিওৱা | ||
Aymara | llawuntaña | ||
Bhojpuri | लपेटाई | ||
Dhivehi | އޮޅުން | ||
Dogri | पलेस | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | balutin | ||
Guarani | ape | ||
Ilocano | bungonen | ||
Krio | rap | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پێچانەوە | ||
Maithili | मोड़नाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯣꯝꯕ | ||
Mizo | tuam | ||
Oromo | itti maruu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଗୁଡ଼ାଇ ଦିଅ | | ||
Quechua | matiy | ||
Sanskrit | उपवे | ||
Tatar | төрү | ||
Tigrinya | ጠቕለለ | ||
Tsonga | phutsela | ||