Johannesburg

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch Johannesburg. By surface analysis, Johannes +‎ -burg.

Pronunciation

• (General Australian, General South African, UK) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/
• (General South African) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒœʊ̯ˈhɛnɨsbøːɡ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/, /d͡ʒoʊˈhɑːnɪsbɜːrɡ/

Proper noun

Johannesburg

1. The largest city in South Africa, in Gauteng province.

   Synonyms: eGoli, Joburg

   • 2025 May 22, Pumza Fihlani, “On the South African road incorrectly identified as a 'burial site' by Trump”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     The P39-1 is an anonymous stretch of thinly tarred highway connecting the small towns of Newcastle and Normandein in South Africa, a four-hour drive from Johannesburg.

2. A census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States.
3. An unincorporated community in Otsego County, Michigan, United States.

Derived terms

• Joburg
• Johannesburger

Translations

a city in South Africa

• Afrikaans: Johannesburg (af)
• Arabic: جُوهَانِسْبُرْغ f (jūhānisburḡ)
• Belarusian: Яга́нэсбург m (Jahánesburh), Іага́несбург m (Iahánjesburh)
• Bulgarian: Йоха́несбург m (Johánesburg)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 約翰內斯堡 / 约翰内斯堡 (zh) (Yuēhànnèisībǎo)

• Czech: Johannesburg (cs) m
• Dutch: Johannesburg (nl) n
• Esperanto: Johanesburgo
• Finnish: Johannesburg (fi)
• French: Johannesbourg (fr) m
• German: Johannesburg (de) n
• Hindi: जोहानसबर्ग m (johānasbarg)
• Irish: Cathair Eoin f
• Japanese: ヨハネスブルグ (Yohanesuburugu)
• Korean: 요하네스버그 (Yohaneseubeogeu), 요하네스뷔르그 (Yohaneseubwireugeu) (North Korea)
• Latin: Ioannesburgum n, Ioannisburgum n
• Marathi: जोहॅनेस्बर्ग n (johĕnesbarga)
• Pannonian Rusyn: Йоганесбурґ m (Johanesburg)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: ژوهانِسْبورْگ (žohânesburg)

• Polish: Johannesburg (pl) m
• Portuguese: Joanesburgo m
• Russian: Йоха́ннесбург (ru) m (Joxánnɛsburg)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Јоханесбург m

  Latin: Johanesburg m

• Slovak: Johannesburg m
• Spanish: Johannesburgo (es) m
• Ukrainian: Йога́ннесбург m (Johánnesburh)
• Urdu: جوہانَسْبَرْگ m (johānasbarg)
• Vietnamese: Giô-ha-ne-xbớc
• Xhosa: iRhawuti
• Zulu: iGoli

Afrikaans

Etymology

Inherited from Dutch Johannesburg.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jʊəˈɦanəsbœrχ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Johannesburg

1. Johannesburg (a city, the provincial capital of Gauteng, South Africa)

Dutch

Etymology

From Johannes +‎ -burg. As precise records for the choice of name were lost and there were quite a number of people with the name Johannes who were involved in the early history of the city, it is not known which person the city was named after. See Johannesburg § Etymology on Wikipedia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /joːˈɦɑ.nəsˌbʏrx/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Jo‧han‧nes‧burg

Proper noun

Johannesburg n

1. Johannesburg (a city, the provincial capital of Gauteng, South Africa)

Derived terms

• Johannesburger
• Johannesburgs

Polish

Johannesburg

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Afrikaans Johannesburg.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɔ.xaˈnɛz.burk/
• Rhymes: -ɛzburk
• Syllabification: Jo‧ha‧nnes‧burg

Proper noun

Johannesburg m inan (related adjective johannesburski)

1. Johannesburg (a city, the provincial capital of Gauteng, South Africa)

Declension

Declension of Johannesburg

	singular
nominative	Johannesburg
genitive	Johannesburga
dative	Johannesburgowi
accusative	Johannesburg
instrumental	Johannesburgiem
locative	Johannesburgu
vocative	Johannesburgu

Further reading

• Johannesburg in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Johannesburg in PWN's encyclopedia

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈjɔɦanesburk]

Proper noun

Johannesburg m inan (relational adjective johannesburský, demonym Johannesburčan, female demonym Johannesburčanka)

1. Johannesburg (a city, the provincial capital of Gauteng, South Africa)

Declension

Declension of Johannesburg
(pattern dub)

	singular
nominative	Johannesburg
genitive	Johannesburgu
dative	Johannesburgu
accusative	Johannesburg
locative	Johannesburgu
instrumental	Johannesburgom

Further reading

• “Johannesburg”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025