garbage

The Word “Garbage”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The word “garbage” is commonly used in English to describe waste or refuse, typically consisting of discarded materials that are no longer useful. It is a term employed in both everyday conversation and formal contexts related to environmental science, waste management, and sustainability. This article explores the meanings and uses of “garbage,” its different contextual applications, and how the word translates into 30 languages, with example sentences for each.

Meaning of “Garbage” in Different Contexts

1. Refuse or Waste (Noun)

The most basic and common meaning of “garbage” refers to the waste material discarded by individuals, businesses, or industries, often including items like food scraps, packaging, and other household waste.

• Example: “Please take out the garbage before dinner.” (Here, “garbage” refers to household waste that needs to be disposed of.)

2. Something Worthless or Insignificant (Noun)

“Garbage” is sometimes used figuratively to describe something that is considered worthless, unimportant, or of poor quality.

• Example: “That idea is pure garbage. It won’t work.” (In this case, “garbage” is used to describe something that has no value or merit.)

3. Insult or Disparaging Remarks (Noun)

The term “garbage” can also be used to describe harsh or insulting remarks, often when expressing contempt or disapproval.

• Example: “The critic called the movie garbage, saying it was a complete failure.” (Here, “garbage” refers to something that is severely criticized or dismissed as poor.)

4. Trash or Rubbish (Noun – British English)

In some English dialects, particularly British English, “garbage” is synonymous with “trash” or “rubbish.” This term refers to refuse or discarded material.

• Example: “The garbage truck comes every Thursday morning.” (In this instance, “garbage” refers to waste material that is picked up for disposal.)

5. As a Verb: To Throw Away or Dispose of Waste

As a verb, “garbage” is sometimes used informally to mean the act of discarding something or treating it as waste.

• Example: “He garbaged the old computer after it stopped working.” (Here, “garbaged” is used as a verb meaning to dispose of or throw something away.)

Translations of the Word “Garbage” in 30 Languages

Here is a table showing how the word “garbage” is translated into 30 different languages, along with example sentences for each language.

Language	Translation	Example Sentence (in the target language)	English Translation of Example
English	Garbage	“Please take out the garbage before dinner.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Spanish	Basura	“Por favor, saca la basura antes de la cena.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
French	Ordures	“S’il te plaît, sors les ordures avant le dîner.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
German	Müll	“Bitte bring den Müll raus vor dem Abendessen.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Italian	Spazzatura	“Per favore, porta fuori la spazzatura prima di cena.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Portuguese	Lixo	“Por favor, tire o lixo antes do jantar.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Russian	Мусор (Musor)	“Пожалуйста, вынеси мусор перед ужином.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Chinese (Simplified)	垃圾 (Lā jī)	“请在晚餐前把垃圾拿出去。”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Japanese	ゴミ (Gomi)	“夕食前にゴミを出してください。”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Korean	쓰레기 (Sseuregi)	“저녁 전에 쓰레기를 버려 주세요.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Hindi	कचरा (Kachra)	“कृपया रात के खाने से पहले कचरा बाहर निकालें।”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Bengali	আবর্জনা (Ābarjanā)	“দয়া করে রাতের খাবারের আগে আবর্জনা বের করে দিন।”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Urdu	کچرا (Kachra)	“براہ کرم رات کے کھانے سے پہلے کچرا باہر نکال دیں۔”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Turkish	Çöp	“Lütfen akşam yemeğinden önce çöpleri dışarı çıkar.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Dutch	Vuilnis	“Zou je alstublieft het vuilnis voor het avondeten buiten kunnen zetten?”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Greek	Σκουπίδια (Skoupidia)	“Παρακαλώ βγάλε τα σκουπίδια πριν το δείπνο.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Swedish	Sopor	“Vänligen ta ut soporna innan middagen.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Danish	Affald	“Venligst tag affaldet ud før middagen.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Finnish	Roska	“Vie roskat ennen illallista.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Norwegian	Søppel	“Vennligst ta ut søppelet før middagen.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Polish	Śmieci	“Proszę wynieść śmieci przed kolacją.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Czech	Odpadky	“Prosím, vyneste odpadky před večeří.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Hungarian	Szemét	“Kérlek, vedd ki a szemetet vacsora előtt.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Hebrew	זבל (Zevel)	“בבקשה תוציא את הזבל לפני ארוחת ערב.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Thai	ขยะ (Kaya)	“กรุณานำขยะออกก่อนอาหารค่ำ”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Vietnamese	Rác	“Vui lòng đem rác đi trước bữa tối.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Indonesian	Sampah	“Tolong buang sampah sebelum makan malam.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Filipino	Basura	“Pakikuha ng basura bago maghapunan.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Malay	Sampah	“Sila buang sampah sebelum makan malam.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Swahili	Taka	“Tafadhali chukua taka kabla ya chakula cha jioni.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)
Arabic	قمامة (Qimama)	“من فضلك أخرج القمامة قبل العشاء.”	(Please take out the garbage before dinner.)

Final Thoughts

The word “garbage” refers primarily to waste material that is discarded, but its usage can extend to describe anything that is considered useless, poor in quality, or unwanted. It can also be used to express negative judgment about ideas or things that have little value.

The translations of “garbage” across 30 different languages demonstrate its importance as a term related to waste and refuse, while also showing how cultures express similar concepts using distinct words. Understanding how “garbage” translates into various languages can help us communicate more effectively about waste, environmental issues, and broader concepts of value and quality in different linguistic contexts.