interpret

See also: Interpret and intèrpret

English

Etymology

From Middle English interpreten, from Old French enterpreter, (French interpréter), from Latin interpretor (“to explain, expound, interpret”), past participle interpretatus, from interpres (“an agent, broker, explainer, interpreter, negotiator”), from inter (“between”) + -pres, probably the root of pretium (“price”); -pres is probably connected with Ancient Greek φράζειν (phrázein, “to point out, show, explain, declare, speak”), from which φραδή (phradḗ, “understanding”), φράσις (phrásis, “speech”); see phrase.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (Philippines) IPA^(key): /ˈin.tɚ.pɹɛt/, /ɪn.tɚˈpɹɛt/

Verb

interpret (third-person singular simple present interprets, present participle interpreting, simple past and past participle interpreted)

1. To decode the meaning of a topic and then act, whether to continue researching the topic, follow through, act in opposition, or further the understanding through sharing an interpretation.
2. To explain or tell the meaning of; to translate orally into intelligible or familiar language or terms. applied especially to language, but also to dreams, signs, conduct, mysteries, etc.

   to interpret an Indian speech

   • The Holy Bible, Matthew i. 23.

     Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

   • The Holy Bible, Genesis xli. 8.

     And Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

   • 2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26:

     The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives. […] who, if anyone, is policing their use[?] Such concerns were sharpened further by the continuing revelations about how the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using algorithms to help it interpret the colossal amounts of data it has collected from its covert dragnet of international telecommunications.

3. To apprehend and represent by means of art; to show by illustrative representation

   The actor interpreted the character of Hamlet with great skill.

   The way the musician interpreted a sonata was quite special.

   an artist interprets a landscape

4. (intransitive) To convey what a user of one language is saying or signing, in real time or shortly after that person has finished communicating, to a user of a different language

   He interpreted at the meeting between the Chinese and French associates.

5. (computing, transitive) To analyse or execute (a program) by reading the instructions as they are encountered, rather than compiling in advance.

Synonyms

• translate, explain, solve, render, expound, elucidate, decipher, unfold, unravel

Related terms

• interpretted
• interpretable
• interpretation
• interpretative
• interpret away
• interpreter
• interpretive
• misinterpret
• reinterpret

Translations

to explain or tell the meaning of

• Arabic: فَسَّرَ (fassara), أَوَّلَ (ar) (ʔawwala)
• Belarusian: інтэрпрэтава́ць impf or pf (interpretavácʹ)
• Bulgarian: тълкувам (bg) (tǎlkuvam), обяснявам (bg) (objasnjavam)
• Catalan: interpretar (ca)
• Czech: vyložit (cs)
• Dutch: interpreteren (nl)
• Esperanto: interpreti
• Finnish: tulkita (fi) (to translate orally); tulkita (fi) (in other senses)
• German: interpretieren (de)
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gaskeirjan)
• Greek: ερμηνεύω (el) (erminévo)

  Ancient: ἑρμηνεύω (hermēneúō)

• Hebrew: דּוֹבֵב (he) (dovév)
• Hindi: निर्वचन करना (nirvacan karnā), अर्थ लगाना (arth lagānā)
• Hungarian: értelmez (hu), magyaráz (hu), megfejt (hu)
• Indonesian: mengartikan (id), menafsirkan (id)
• Italian: interpretare (it)
• Japanese: 解説する (ja) (かいせつする, kaisetsu suru)
• Korean: 해석하다 (ko) (haeseok-hada)
• Latin: interpretor
• Macedonian: протолкува pf (protolkuva)
• Maori: whakamāori
• Polish: interpretować (pl) impf, zinterpretować (pl) pf
• Portuguese: interpretar (pt)
• Romanian: interpreta (ro)
• Russian: объясня́ть (ru) impf (obʺjasnjátʹ), объясни́ть (ru) pf (obʺjasnítʹ); толкова́ть (ru) impf (tolkovátʹ), истолкова́ть (ru) pf (istolkovátʹ), интерпрети́ровать (ru) (interpretírovatʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: eadar-mhìnich
• Spanish: explicar (es), exponer (es), interpretar (es)
• Swedish: tolka (sv)
• Thai: ตีความ (th) (dtii-kwaam)
• Ukrainian: тлума́чити impf (tlumáčyty), витлума́чувати impf (vytlumáčuvaty), ви́тлумачити pf (výtlumačyty), інтерпретува́ти impf or pf (interpretuváty)
• Vietnamese: diễn giải (vi)
• Yiddish: טײַטשן (taytshn)

to apprehend and represent by means of art

• Bulgarian: интерпретирам (bg) (interpretiram)
• Catalan: interpretar (ca)
• Czech: interpretovat
• Finnish: tulkita (fi)
• French: interpréter (fr)
• German: interpretieren (de)
• Greek: ερμηνεύω (el) (erminévo)
• Hungarian: (perform): előad (hu), (render): tolmácsol (hu)
• Italian: interpretare (it)
• Japanese: 演奏する (ja) (えんそうする, ensō suru), 演出する (ja) (えんしゅつする, enshutsu suru)
• Latin: interpretor
• Portuguese: interpretar (pt)
• Romanian: interpreta (ro)
• Russian: интерпрети́ровать (ru) impf (interpretírovatʹ)
• Spanish: interpretar (es)
• Swedish: tolka (sv)

to act as an interpreter

• Azerbaijani: dilmanclıq etmək, şifahi tərcümə etmək
• Belarusian: (ву́сна) пераклада́ць (be) impf (pjerakladácʹ), перакла́сці (be) pf (pjeraklásci)
• Bulgarian: превеждам (устно) (preveždam (ustno))
• Catalan: interpretar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 翻譯／翻译 (zh) (fānyì), 傳譯／传译 (zh) (chuányì)

• Czech: tlumočit
• Dutch: vertalen (nl), tolken (nl)
• Finnish: tulkata (fi)
• French: traduire (fr), interpréter (fr)
• German: dolmetschen (de), übersetzen (de)
• Greek: διερμηνεύω (el) (dierminévo)

  Ancient: μεταφράζω (metaphrázō)

• Hungarian: (orally): tolmácsol (hu), (translate in general): fordít (hu)
• Italian: interpretare (it)
• Japanese: 通訳する (ja) (つうやくする, tsūyaku suru)
• Khmer: បកប្រែ (bɑɑk prae)
• Korean: 통역하다 (ko) (tong'yeok-hada)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tolke

  Nynorsk: tolke

• Portuguese: traduzir (pt)
• Romanian: traduce (ro), interpreta (ro)
• Russian: переводи́ть (ru) impf (perevodítʹ), перевести́ (ru) pf (perevestí)
• Scottish Gaelic: eadar-mhìnich
• Spanish: interpretar (es)
• Swedish: tolka (sv)
• Thai: แปล (th) (bplɛɛ)
• Vietnamese: dịch (vi)

References

• “interpret”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “interpret”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Czech

Noun

interpret m anim

1. interpreter (person who interprets a foreign language)

Declension

Declension of interpret (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	interpret	interpreti, interpretové
genitive	interpreta	interpretů
dative	interpretovi, interpretu	interpretům
accusative	interpreta	interprety
vocative	interprete	interpreti, interpretové
locative	interpretovi, interpretu	interpretech
instrumental	interpretem	interprety

Noun

interpret m inan

1. (programming) interpreter

Declension

Declension of interpret (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	interpret	interprety
genitive	interpretu	interpretů
dative	interpretu	interpretům
accusative	interpret	interprety
vocative	interprete	interprety
locative	interpretu	interpretech
instrumental	interpretem	interprety

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

From Latin interpres.

Noun

interpret m anim (feminine interpretka)

1. performer

Declension

Declension of interpret

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	interpret	interpreta	interprety
Genitive	interpreta	interpretowu	interpretow
Dative	interpretoju	interpretoma	interpretam
Accusative	interpreta	interpretowu	interprety, interpretow
Instrumental	interpretom	interpretoma	interpretami
Locative	interpreśe	interpretoma	interpretach

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French interprète, from Latin interpres.

Noun

interpret m (plural interpreți)

1. interpreter

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	interpret	interpretul		interpreți	interpreții
genitive-dative	interpret	interpretului		interpreți	interpreților
vocative	interpretule			interpreților