Need to know how to say distance across cultures? Learn translations, pronunciations, and cultural insights with this quick guide to DISTANCE in different languages.
Imagine asking about DISTANCE in a hundred different languages. From the bustling streets of Tokyo to the remote villages of Ethiopia, each culture has a unique way of expressing this common concept.
This guide unpacks “distance” in over 100 languages, offering translations, pronunciations, and cultural insights that reveal how different societies view literal and figurative spaces between people and places.
Whether you’re a language enthusiast, an avid traveler, a linguist, or just someone fascinated by cultural nuances, this guide will expand your understanding of how different cultures interpret and communicate “distance.”
This guide explores “distance” across languages to foster an appreciation for cultural diversity and illustrate how a single concept can have varied meanings, uses, and implications worldwide.
Why Understanding “Distance” in Different Languages is Important
“Distance” isn’t just about physical space; it symbolizes emotional, relational, and sometimes spiritual boundaries. In many languages, words for distance also convey separation, longing, or the feeling of something out of reach, which adds layers of depth to simple expressions.
Learning how different cultures express “distance” opens up new perspectives on separation or proximity in various contexts. For instance, in some languages, distance words emphasize physical detachment, while others highlight emotional separation.
By understanding these variations, you will gain both language skills and cultural sensitivity, which will help you navigate interpersonal relationships and social nuances more effectively.
Saying “Distance” in European Languages
Western European Languages
- English: Distance (pronounced DIS-tuhns)
- French: Distance (pronounced dis-tahns)
- German: Entfernung (pronounced ent-fair-noong)
- Spanish: Distancia (pronounced dis-tahn-thyah)
- Italian: Distanza (pronounced dee-STAN-tsah)
- Portuguese: Distância (pronounced jees-TAN-syah)
- Dutch: Afstand (pronounced AHF-stahnd)
- Catalan: Distància (pronounced dis-TAN-syah)
Northern European Languages
- Swedish: Avstånd (pronounced AHV-stohnd)
- Danish: Afstand (pronounced AHF-stahn)
- Norwegian: Avstand (pronounced AHV-stahn)
- Finnish: Etäisyys (pronounced eh-tie-syys)
- Icelandic: Fjarlægð (pronounced FYAR-layth)
Eastern European Languages
- Russian: Расстояние (pronounced ras-stoy-AN-ye)
- Polish: Odległość (pronounced ohd-LEH-gwoshch)
- Czech: Vzdálenost (pronounced vz-DAL-en-ost)
- Hungarian: Távolság (pronounced TAH-vol-shahg)
- Slovak: Vzdialenosť (pronounced vzdya-len-ost)
- Ukrainian: Відстань (pronounced VEED-stan)
- Bulgarian: Разстояние (pronounced raz-stoy-AH-nee)
- Serbian: Удаљина (pronounced oo-DAH-lee-nah)
Celtic Languages
- Irish Gaelic: Dídh (pronounced DEE)
- Scottish Gaelic: Iomall (pronounced YO-mal)
- Welsh: Pellter (pronounced PEL-ter)
Other European Languages
- Basque: Distantzia (pronounced dee-STAN-tsee-ah)
- Maltese: Distanza (pronounced dis-TAN-zah)
- Albanian: Distancë (pronounced dis-TAN-tsuh)
Saying “Distance” in Asian Languages
East Asian Languages
- Chinese (Simplified): 距离 (pronounced jùlí)
- Chinese (Traditional): 距離 (pronounced jùlí)
- Japanese: 距離 (pronounced kyori)
- Korean: 거리 (pronounced geo-ri)
South Asian Languages
- Hindi: दूरी (pronounced dūrī)
- Bengali: দূরত্ব (pronounced durattō)
- Tamil: தொலைவு (pronounced tholaivu)
- Urdu: فاصلہ (pronounced faasila)
- Punjabi: ਦੂਰੀ (pronounced dūrī)
- Telugu: దూరం (pronounced dūraṁ)
- Gujarati: અંતર (pronounced antara)
- Kannada: ಅಂತರ (pronounced antara)
Southeast Asian Languages
- Thai: ระยะทาง (pronounced rá-yá-thang)
- Vietnamese: Khoảng cách (pronounced khwáng cách)
- Indonesian: Jarak (pronounced jah-rahk)
- Malay: Jarak (pronounced jah-rahk)
- Khmer (Cambodian): ចម្ងាយ (pronounced cham-ngai)
- Burmese (Myanmar): အကွာအဝေး (pronounced a-kwa-a-way)
Central Asian Languages
- Kazakh: Қашықтық (pronounced qashyqtyq)
- Uzbek: Masofa (pronounced ma-so-fa)
- Turkmen: Uzaklyk (pronounced oo-zak-lik)
- Tajik: Масофа (pronounced masofah)
Saying “Distance” in Middle-Eastern Languages
- Arabic: مسافة (pronounced masāfa)
- Hebrew: מרחק (pronounced merkakh)
- Persian (Farsi): فاصله (pronounced fāsile)
- Turkish: Mesafe (pronounced meh-sah-feh)
- Kurdish (Sorani): فاصلە (pronounced faasle)
Saying “Distance” in African Languages
- Swahili: Umbali (pronounced oom-BAH-lee)
- Zulu: Ibanga (pronounced ee-BAH-ngah)
- Afrikaans: Afstand (pronounced AHF-stahnd)
- Amharic: ርቀት (pronounced riket)
- Yoruba: Ijinna (pronounced ee-JIN-nah)
- Igbo: Nkenke (pronounced n-KEN-keh)
- Hausa: Nisa (pronounced nee-sah)
- Somali: Fogaanta (pronounced fo-gah-ahn-tah)
Saying “Distance” in Austronesian Languages
- Filipino (Tagalog): Distansya (pronounced dis-TAN-syah)
- Cebuano: Distansya (pronounced dis-TAN-syah)
- Maori: Tawhiti (pronounced tah-WHEE-tee)
- Hawaiian: Uhi (pronounced oo-hee)
- Javanese: Jarak (pronounced jah-rahk)
- Malagasy: Lavitra (pronounced lah-VEE-trah)
Saying “Distance” in Indigenous Languages
Native American Languages
- Quechua: Ñawi (pronounced nyah-wee)
- Navajo: Dóóts’óózh (pronounced doh-tsuh)
Australian Aboriginal Languages
- Pitjantjatjara: Tjungu (used to describe distance)
More Translations of DISTANCE in Different Languages
- Amharic (Ethiopia): ወይዘር (wey-zer)
- Georgian: დაშორება (dash-o-reba)
- Mongolian: Тасалгаатай (tas-al-gaa-tai)
- Nepali: दूरी (doo-ree)
- Sinhala (Sri Lanka): දුර (doo-ra)
- Estonian: Vahemaa (vah-heh-mah)
- Latvian: Attālums (at-tah-lums)
- Lithuanian: Atstumas (aht-stoo-mas)
- Macedonian: Раздалечина (raz-da-leh-chee-nah)
- Armenian: հեռավորություն (herr-av-o-root-yoon)
- Bosnian: Udaljenost (oo-dahl-yen-o-st)
- Albanian: Distancë (dis-tahn-tsa)
- French: Distance (dees-tahns)
- German: Entfernung (ent-fair-nung)
- Spanish: Distancia (dis-tahn-syah)
- Italian: Distanza (dee-stahn-tsa)
- Portuguese: Distância (dis-tahn-see-ah)
- Dutch: Afstand (af-stahnd)
- Catalan: Distància (dis-tahn-see-ah)
- Swedish: Avstånd (av-stohnd)
- Danish: Afstand (ahf-stahn)
- Norwegian: Avstand (ahv-stahn)
- Finnish: Etäisyys (eh-tah-ee-soos)
- Icelandic: Fjarlægð (fyar-layth)
- Russian: Расстояние (ras-stoy-ahn-ye)
- Polish: Odległość (od-leh-gloshch)
- Czech: Vzdálenost (vz-dah-leh-nost)
- Hungarian: Távolság (tah-vol-shahg)
- Slovak: Vzdialenosť (vz-dee-ah-leh-nost)
- Ukrainian: Відстань (veed-stahn)
- Bulgarian: Разстояние (raz-toy-ah-nee-eh)
- Serbian: Удаљеност (oo-dahl-yeh-nost)
- Irish Gaelic: Achmhainn (ah-khawn)
- Scottish Gaelic: Iomall (ee-mall)
- Welsh: Pellter (pel-ter)
- Basque: Urrunera (oor-roo-neh-rah)
- Maltese: Distanza (dis-tahn-tsa)
- Chinese (Simplified): 距离 (jù-lí)
- Chinese (Traditional): 距離 (jù-lí)
- Japanese: 距離 (kyori)
- Korean: 거리 (geo-ri)
- Hindi: दूरी (doo-ree)
- Bengali: দূরত্ব (doo-ro-to)
- Tamil: தொலைவு (tholai-vu)
- Urdu: فاصلہ (faasla)
- Punjabi: ਦੂਰੀ (doo-ree)
- Telugu: దూరం (doo-ram)
- Gujarati: અંતર (an-tar)
- Kannada: ಅಂತರ (an-tar)
- Thai: ระยะ (ra-yah)
- Vietnamese: Khoảng cách (khwaang kach)
- Indonesian: Jarak (jah-rak)
- Malay: Jarak (jah-rak)
- Khmer (Cambodian): ចម្ងាយ (cham-ngay)
- Burmese (Myanmar): အကွာအဝေး (a-kwa a-wey)
- Kazakh: Қашықтық (ka-shik-tyk)
- Uzbek: Masofa (mah-soh-fah)
- Turkmen: Aralyk (ah-rah-lik)
- Tajik: Фосила (fo-see-lah)
- Arabic: مسافة (masaafa)
- Hebrew: מרחק (mer-khak)
- Persian (Farsi): فاصله (faas-leh)
- Turkish: Mesafe (meh-sah-feh)
- Kurdish (Sorani): فاصله (fasla)
- Swahili: Umbali (oom-bah-lee)
- Zulu: Ubumba (oo-boom-bah)
- Afrikaans: Afstand (ahf-stahnd)
- Yoruba: Ijinna (ee-jee-nnah)
- Igbo: Ihu anya (ee-hoo ahn-yah)
- Hausa: Nisa (nee-sah)
- Somali: Fogaansho (fo-gah-n-sho)
- Filipino (Tagalog): Distansya (dis-tan-syah)
- Cebuano: Distansya (dis-tan-syah)
- Maori: Tawhiti (tah-whee-tee)
- Hawaiian: Lā (lah)
- Javanese: Adoh (ah-doh)
- Malagasy: Lavitra (lah-vee-trah)
- Quechua: Ch’alla (chah-lya)
- Navajo: Nídííł (ni-dih-lee)
Pronunciation Guide and Cultural Insights
Learning to say “distance” in different languages reveals how various cultures interpret physical and emotional separation. Here are a few tips to help with pronunciation:
- Listen and Repeat: Use language learning apps or online resources with native speaker audio to capture the correct sounds.
- Refer to Phonetics: Phonetic guides help approximate unfamiliar sounds.
- Practice Consistently: Regular practice builds comfort and accuracy.
Cultural Significance of “Distance”
The word “distance” holds deep meanings in many languages. It represents more than physical space—it can also symbolize emotional gaps or the closeness people feel across distances.
- Physical and Emotional Separation: For some, distance highlights both the closeness and separation in relationships.
- Reflection and Perspective: Maintaining distance can help one gain clarity, which can help with personal reflection and growth.
- Connection Despite Distance: Technology bridges physical gaps, connecting people worldwide despite miles between them.
Final Thoughts
The concept of “distance” is both universal and culturally rich. By learning how different cultures express this concept, we better understand human connections and how distance affects us emotionally and physically.
Reference: Durham University’s program
