Writing in Different Languages
Discover 'Writing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Writing is a powerful tool for communication, expression, and recording information. It has been an essential part of human culture and civilization for thousands of years. From ancient hieroglyphics to modern digital text, writing has evolved significantly, reflecting the changing needs and technologies of different societies.
Understanding the translation of writing in different languages can open up new worlds of knowledge and cultural understanding. For example, the Chinese character for writing, 文, also means culture, reflecting the deep connection between the two in Chinese culture. Meanwhile, the Arabic word for writing, كتابة (kataba), is derived from the word for book, كتاب (kitab), highlighting the importance of written texts in Islamic tradition.
Whether you're a language learner, a cultural enthusiast, or a global citizen, exploring the translations of writing in different languages can be a fascinating and rewarding journey. Here are some sample translations to get you started:
Writing
Writing in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skryfwerk | ||
| The Afrikaans word "skryfwerk" is derived from the Dutch word "schrift", which can also refer to scripture, handwriting, or a typeface. | |||
| Amharic | መጻፍ | ||
| The word መጻፍ (mesat) can also refer to a specific type of writing, such as a letter or a document. | |||
| Hausa | rubutu | ||
| "Rubutu" also means to "to be written" in Hausa language. | |||
| Igbo | ederede | ||
| The word 'ederede' also means 'scribble' or 'write something quickly and carelessly'. | |||
| Malagasy | soratra | ||
| The word 'soratra' is also used to refer to a book, a letter, a document or a manuscript in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulemba | ||
| The word 'kulemba' in Nyanja is also used to refer to 'drawing' or 'painting'. | |||
| Shona | kunyora | ||
| The word 'kunyora' in Shona can also refer to drawing or sketching | |||
| Somali | qorista | ||
| The term "qorista" also denotes "script" and "calligraphy" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ho ngola | ||
| The second definition of ho ngola is ‘to engrave' or ‘to draw' | |||
| Swahili | kuandika | ||
| The verb 'kuandika' is related to the word 'kuana' (to carve, engrave), suggesting its original connection to the act of inscribing on materials. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubhala | ||
| Ukubhala derives from the root -bhala, meaning to mark or imprint. | |||
| Yoruba | kikọ | ||
| Zulu | ukubhala | ||
| The word 'ukubhala' originates from the Proto-Bantu verb '-bala', meaning 'to scratch or draw'. | |||
| Bambara | sɛbɛnni | ||
| Ewe | nuŋɔŋlɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwandika | ||
| Lingala | kokoma | ||
| Luganda | okuwandiika | ||
| Sepedi | go ngwala | ||
| Twi (Akan) | retwerɛ | ||
Writing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جاري الكتابة | ||
| The Arabic word "جاري الكتابة" can also mean "in progress" or "in the process of being written." | |||
| Hebrew | כְּתִיבָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "כְּתִיבָה" (writing) can also refer to the act of recording a transaction in a formal document. | |||
| Pashto | لیکنه | ||
| The Pashto word 'leakna' or 'likna,' meaning 'writing,' is also derived from the Persian word 'navishtan,' further tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root 'leikw-,' denoting 'to scratch' or 'to carve'. | |||
| Arabic | جاري الكتابة | ||
| The Arabic word "جاري الكتابة" can also mean "in progress" or "in the process of being written." | |||
Writing in Western European Languages
| Albanian | duke shkruar | ||
| Derived from Middle Latin 'docuare', to teach. | |||
| Basque | idazten | ||
| The Basque word "idazten" is etymologically related to the word "idatzi," meaning "written mark" or "inscription."} | |||
| Catalan | escriure | ||
| The word "escriure" in Catalan can also refer to the process of recording music or other sounds. | |||
| Croatian | pisanje | ||
| "Pisanje" in Croatian is derived from the Indo-European root *peis-, meaning "to decorate" or "to depict". | |||
| Danish | skrivning | ||
| Danish "skrivning" also means "confession" and is derived from the verb "at skrive" (to write) and the noun "skrift" (writing, scripture). | |||
| Dutch | schrijven | ||
| De uitdrukking 'tussen de regels door schrijven' heeft een dubbele betekenis: het gaat om een impliciete betekenis of om tekst die tussen de regels is geplaatst. | |||
| English | writing | ||
| French | l'écriture | ||
| "L'écriture" in French can also refer to handwriting, penmanship, or a specific writing system, such as "l'écriture cursive" (cursive). | |||
| Frisian | skriuwerij | ||
| Galician | escribindo | ||
| The verb 'escribindo' in Galician is derived from the Latin verb 'scribere', meaning 'to write'. | |||
| German | schreiben | ||
| In German, "Schreiben" comes from an Old High German word meaning "to scratch," so it can refer to both writing and scratching. | |||
| Icelandic | skrifa | ||
| In Icelandic, "skrifa" not only means "writing" but also "to engrave" or "to draw". | |||
| Irish | ag scríobh | ||
| ag scríobh's root is 'scrib', from which 'scribe' also derives through Old French; other cognates include 'scribble' and 'script' | |||
| Italian | la scrittura | ||
| In addition to meaning "writing," "la scrittura" can also refer to handwriting or a specific style of writing. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schreiwen | ||
| Schreiwen is an archaic Luxembourgish term still used in a few villages, stemming from Old High Franconian "scrībēn" and meaning "to scratch". | |||
| Maltese | kitba | ||
| The word "kitba" also means "scripture" and "document" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | skriving | ||
| In some Norwegian dialects, "skriving" can also refer to something written, a document or a letter. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | escrita | ||
| The word 'escrita' also means 'scripture' or 'writings' in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgrìobhadh | ||
| Spanish | escritura | ||
| "Escritura" in Spanish can also mean a notary's document certifying a real estate transaction or an entry in a business ledger. | |||
| Swedish | skrift | ||
| Skrift is cognate with English 'shrift', meaning 'a written confession of sins' | |||
| Welsh | ysgrifennu | ||
| The word 'ysgrifennu' is derived from the Proto-Celtic *is-krib-en-tu, meaning 'to scratch' or 'to cut', and is related to the English word 'scribe'. | |||
Writing in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пісьмова | ||
| Bosnian | pisanje | ||
| The word 'pisanje' is also used to refer to writing in a non-literal sense, such as when making an agreement or when describing someone's style of speech. | |||
| Bulgarian | писане | ||
| "писане" (pisane) also means "act of writing" and "letter, handwriting" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | psaní | ||
| In Czech, "psaní" can also mean "epistolary literature" or "the act of writing a letter or document." | |||
| Estonian | kirjutamine | ||
| "Kirjutamine" can also mean correspondence; a letter; or a document. | |||
| Finnish | kirjoittaminen | ||
| The word "kirjoittaminen" also means "typing" in Finnish, and derives from the word "kirjoittaa," which means "to write" or "to draw". | |||
| Hungarian | írás | ||
| The word "írás" can also mean "scripture" or "text" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | rakstīšana | ||
| The Latvian word for writing, "rakstīšana," is derived from the root "rakst," which means "to draw" or "to carve." | |||
| Lithuanian | rašymas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "rašas" (ink) may be related to the Latin word "scribo" (to write). | |||
| Macedonian | пишување | ||
| Polish | pisanie | ||
| The word "pisanie" in Polish can also refer to a type of manuscript, scroll, or handwritten document. | |||
| Romanian | scris | ||
| "Scris" comes from Old Slavic "čьrtati" and also means "drawing" and "paint" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | письмо | ||
| Письмо can also mean a 'letter', in the sense of formal correspondence to someone. | |||
| Serbian | писање | ||
| The Serbian word писање also refers to a type of embroidery from the Pirot region of Serbia, typically characterized by elaborate floral and geometric patterns. | |||
| Slovak | písanie | ||
| The word "písanie" can also refer to a letter or a type of literary work, similar to the English word "script" | |||
| Slovenian | pisanje | ||
| "Pisati" (to write) in Slovenian derives from the word for "picture". Similarly to "paint", it originally encompassed any form of visual expression. | |||
| Ukrainian | письмо | ||
| "Письмо" is a letter in Russian and Ukrainian, but also the art of writing, a document, and a message | |||
Writing in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লেখা | ||
| The word 'লেখা' can also refer to a handwritten or printed document, a composition, a literary work, or a script. | |||
| Gujarati | લેખન | ||
| The word "લેખન" also means "writing" or "account" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Hindi | लिख रहे हैं | ||
| The word "लिख रहे हैं" can also mean "composing" or "authoring" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಬರವಣಿಗೆ | ||
| Although 'ಬರವಣಿಗೆ' primarily means 'writing', its etymological roots lie in the word 'ಬರವು', referring to both 'letter' and 'arrow'. | |||
| Malayalam | എഴുത്തു | ||
| The Malayalam word "എഴുത്തു" can also refer to a "letter of the alphabet" or a "written document". | |||
| Marathi | लेखन | ||
| लेखन in Marathi also means "a document" or "a letter" or "a written contract". | |||
| Nepali | लेख्न | ||
| Lekhn, meaning 'writing' in Nepali, is also the root word for the numeral 'lakh' (100,000) and for words denoting documents, scriptures, and marks. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਿਖਣਾ | ||
| The word "ਲਿਖਣਾ" (likhna) in Punjabi can also mean "to compose" or "to draw". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලේඛන | ||
| The word "ලේඛන" is derived from the Sanskrit word "लेखन", which means "writing, inscription, or document." | |||
| Tamil | எழுதுதல் | ||
| எழுதுதல் also refers to the act of drawing or etching, and stems from the Tamil word 'எழு' (eḻu), which means 'to raise' or 'to create' | |||
| Telugu | రాయడం | ||
| Urdu | لکھنا | ||
| The Urdu word "likhna" originates in Sanskrit and also means "drawing". | |||
Writing in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 写作 | ||
| "写作" (writing) can also mean "authorship" or "composition", and is often used in the context of literary or artistic works. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 寫作 | ||
| The character "寫" can also mean "to draw," with its original meaning being to carve or engrave onto an object. | |||
| Japanese | 書き込み | ||
| The word | |||
| Korean | 쓰기 | ||
| 쓰기 also means 'to press' or 'to push' in Korean and shares the same origin with the Japanese word 押す, which has the same meaning. | |||
| Mongolian | бичих | ||
| In Old Turkic, the word "*bičig" referred to a type of written record, often containing administrative or legal matters. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရေးအသား | ||
Writing in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penulisan | ||
| The Indonesian word "penulisan" originates from the Javanese word "pipun", meaning "to write on palm leaves". In the 16th century, the word was adopted into Indonesian and given the broader meaning of "writing" in general. | |||
| Javanese | nulis | ||
| In Javanese 'nulis' is cognate with 'tulis' in Indonesian, both deriving from Proto-Austronesian *tuwis which means 'to mark' | |||
| Khmer | ការសរសេរ | ||
| ការសរសេរ is used to refer to calligraphy and sometimes to writing in a literary style. | |||
| Lao | ການຂຽນ | ||
| Malay | penulisan | ||
| The word "penulisan" can also refer to a "script" or "writing system". | |||
| Thai | การเขียน | ||
| "การเขียน" also means a style of painting in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | viết | ||
| The word "viết" in Vietnamese can also mean "to draw" or "to paint". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsusulat | ||
Writing in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yazı | ||
| "Yazı" also refers to summer in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жазу | ||
| The word | |||
| Kyrgyz | жазуу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жазуу" can also refer to "writing systems" and "calligraphy". | |||
| Tajik | навиштан | ||
| The word "navištan" also means "to copy out, reproduce, rewrite, translate" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýazmak | ||
| Uzbek | yozish | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "yozish" also refers to "calligraphy" or the art of beautiful handwriting, reflecting the rich cultural tradition of the Uzbek people. | |||
| Uyghur | يېزىش | ||
Writing in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kākau | ||
| The word 'kākau' is also used for 'the marking on an animal's skin or a scar' or 'to make scratches' on a surface | |||
| Maori | tuhituhi | ||
| The word 'tuhituhi' also refers to 'engraving'. | |||
| Samoan | tusitusiga | ||
| The word "tusitusiga" can also refer to "the act of writing" or "a written document" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagsusulat | ||
Writing in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qillqa | ||
| Guarani | ohaihína | ||
Writing in International Languages
| Esperanto | skribado | ||
| The Esperanto word "skribado" originates from the Latin word "scribere" (to write) and shares similarities in meaning with the English word "scribble". | |||
| Latin | scripturam | ||
| The Latin word "scripturam" is also a term in Jewish tradition for the Hebrew Bible, which is often written in a scroll format. | |||
Writing in Others Languages
| Greek | γραφή | ||
| The word "Γραφή" derives from the verb "γράφω" (to write), from Proto-Indo-European *ghrebh- (to scratch). | |||
| Hmong | sau ntawv | ||
| The Hmong word "sau ntawv" is also used to refer to a traditional form of poetry or chant. | |||
| Kurdish | nivîs | ||
| The word "nivîs" can also refer to drawings or symbols used in ancient writing systems, such as cuneiform or hieroglyphics. | |||
| Turkish | yazı | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, "yazı" also referred to "summer or spring". | |||
| Xhosa | ukubhala | ||
| Ukubhala derives from the root -bhala, meaning to mark or imprint. | |||
| Yiddish | שרייבן | ||
| In linguistics, 'schreiben' also refers to the act of scribing a language onto paper prior to printing. | |||
| Zulu | ukubhala | ||
| The word 'ukubhala' originates from the Proto-Bantu verb '-bala', meaning 'to scratch or draw'. | |||
| Assamese | লিখনি | ||
| Aymara | qillqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | लिखल | ||
| Dhivehi | ލިޔުން | ||
| Dogri | लिखना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsusulat | ||
| Guarani | ohaihína | ||
| Ilocano | panagsurat | ||
| Krio | raytin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نووسین | ||
| Maithili | लिखावट | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯔꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | ziak | ||
| Oromo | barreessuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲେଖିବା | ||
| Quechua | qillqay | ||
| Sanskrit | लेखन | ||
| Tatar | язу | ||
| Tigrinya | ምጽሓፍ | ||
| Tsonga | ku tsala | ||