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The Translation Project

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  • Published on Wednesday, 11 April 2012 20:56

This project attempts to translate the English phrase "Space Elevator" (or "Elevator to Space") into other languages. If you have a translation that we don't have, or a correction to one we do have, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Thank you!

For each language, the language name is shown, along with the translation and then, if available, a short pronunciation guide.

Afrikaans: Ruimtehyser ('ui' sounds like 'ei', but it is rounded and lengthened. 'y' sounds exactly like 'ei'. Both r's are rolled.)

Arabic: مصعد فضائي (misa'ad fadaey)

Chinese: 宇宙电梯 (Yǔzhu diàntī)

Croation: Nebesko Dizalo

Czech: Prostor Výtah

Danish: Rumelevator (The first r is glottal or alveolar, as in French. 'Rum' sounds like 'room', but the oo is very short as in 'put'. 'Elevator' is pronounced fairly similarly to English, but the stress is on 'va'.)

Dutch: Ruimtelift Esperanto: Spac Lift Estonian: Kosmoselift (KOSmoselift is proper announciation. And 'o'-s pronounce like 'aw'-s in English.

Finnish: Avaruushissi French: Ascenseur Spatial

German: Weltraumaufzug

Greek: Διαστημικός Ανελκυστήρας (THEE-A-SSTEEM-EEK-OSS AN-ELK-EESS-TEER-ASS) **Double S means, pronounce it as a clear S as in Super, Stimulating, or Science rather than S as in "The Blues" or "Barrows". Again try to focus to the primary sounds of the letters rather than letting accent take over. AN as in "ANarchy", ELK like the animal but a simple raw E...like "Ebony", double S as above, TEER as in "LanTIRn", ASS as in "Carcass".

Hebrew: מעלית חלל (ma'alit khalal)

Hindi: अंतरिक्ष एलेवेटर (Anthariksh elevator)

Hungarian: Űrfelvonó

Italian: Ascensore Spaziale

Japanese: 宇宙エレベータ (uchoo elevator - u is pronounced like the 'oo' in 'wood')

Korean: 우주 엘리베이터

Latin: Ascensor ad astra

Leet: 5P4(3 3L3\/470R

Norwegian: Romheis or Romelevator

Pig Latin: Acespay Elevatorway

Polish: Winda Kosmiczna

Portuguese: Elevador Espacial

Romanian: Ascensor Spaţial

Russian: Космический Лифт (stress is on the second syllable: Cosmeecheski Leeft)

Serbian: Svemirsko Dizalo

Slovenian: Vesoljsko Dvigalo

Spanish: Ascensor Espacial

Swedish: Rymdhiss

Welsh: Lifft Ofod