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How to Say Travel in 100 Different Languages

Do you want to learn how to say travel in different languages if so, you have come to the right spot .

Travel is the gift that ties all cultures together, and helps us learn from one another. As such, this post provides a list of how to say travel in different languages. I speak three languages, and study linguistics as much as I can. I personally think that the more we know about how others describe the world, the better we will be.

This post begins with the top 25 most spoken languages and then breaks up each of the remaining languages by continent of origin.

Table of Contents

The Definition of Travel

For the sake of this post, we are covering the noun travel . The meaning (in English) is as follows:  Travel can be defined as the act of moving from one geographical location to another, typically over a considerable distance. It involves exploration, experiencing different cultures, cuisines, traditions, and landscapes. Travel can also be seen as a journey of personal growth and self-discovery, allowing individuals to expand their horizons, gain new perspectives, and create lasting memories.

Interested in improving your language skills? Check out iTalki and Lingopie – my personal favorites for learning languages. These helped me reach and maintaing intermediate Spanish and Portuguese!

Travel in Different Languages: The Top 25 Most Spoken Languages

I’m starting off this post with the languages that are most spoken around the globe, and therefore the most useful languages to know if you are studying a foreign language. 

1.  Mandarin : 旅行 (Lǚxíng)

Spoken in: China and Taiwan

2.  Spanish : el viaje (vee-ah-hey)

Spoken in over 18 countries and territories, including Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, and Puerto Rico . 

3.  English : travel

English is a major language in the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 

4.  Arabic : السفر  (alsafar)   

Arabic is spoken in 25 countries, but the language does differ greatly from African countries (e.g., Morocco, Algiria) to the Gulf / Middle East countries (e.g., Kuwait, the UAE). Egyptian Arabic is most commonly taught as a “neutral” version that can be understood by the majority of speakers. 

5.  Hindi : यात्रा (yaatra)

Hindi is one of the official languages of India (alongside English).

6.  Portuguese : a viagem

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. 

7.  Bengali : একটি ভ্রমণ (Ēkaṭi bhramaṇa)

Spoken in Northeastern India and Bangladesh. 

8.  Russian : поездка (poyezdka)

Russia is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgystan, and Kazakhstan, and spoken in several former Soviet countries. 

9.   Japanese :  旅 (tabi)

Japan is the official language of Japan and spoken widely in Hawaii too. 

10.  Landha (Western Punjabi) : ਯਾਤਰਾ (Yātarā)

Landha is spoken in parts of Pakistan and India. 

11.  Vietnamese:  du lịch

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. 

12.  Turkish : seyahat

Turkish is the official language of Turkey and also spoken in nearby countries such as Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, and more. 

13.  Marathi : Pravāsa

Marathi is spoken in western and central India (including Mumbai).

14.  Telugu : ప్రయాణం (Prayāṇaṁ)

Telugu is spoken in Southern India.

15.  Malay : perjalanan itu

Malay is spoken primarily in Malaysia, and some neighboring countries. 

16.  Korean : 여행 (yeohaeng)

Korean is spoken in both North Korea and South Korea. 

17.  French : le voyage

French is the official language of 28 countries, including France, Benin, Congo, Monaco, Senegal, and more. 

18.  Tamil : அந்த பயணம் (Anta payaṇam)

Tamil is the official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 

19.  German : die Reise

The German langauge is official in German, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It also is widely spoken in the Italian province of South Tyrol, Luxembourg, and Belgium. 

20.  Urdu : سفر (sufuh)

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, and it has strong lexical similarity to Hindi (both derived from ancient Sanskrit). 

21.  Javanese : lelungan

Javanese is the official language of Indonesia. 

22.  Italian : il viaggio

Italian is the official language of Italy, as well as San Marino, and certain provinces in Switzerland. It is the closest language to ancient Latin. 

23.  Farsi : سفر

Farsi is also known as Persian, and is the official language of Iran. 

24.  Gujarati : પ્રવાસ (Pravāsa)

Gujarati is primarily spoken in the Indian state of Gujarat. 

25.  Pashto : سفر

Pashto is spoken in Afganistan, Pakistan, and Iran. 

Travel in Different Languages: African Languages

26.  afrikaans : die reis, 27.  amharic : ጉዞው (guzowi), 28.  bambara : taama in na, 28.  fulani : yaadu, 29.  hausa : tafiyar, 30. igbo : njem ahụ, 31.  malagasy : ny dia, 32.  oromo : imala sana, 33.  shona : kufamba, 34.  somali : safarka, 35.  sudanese : perjalanan, 36.  swahili:  safari, 37.  tigrinya : ምጉዓዝ, 38.  twi : akwantuo, 39.  xhosa : uhambo, 40. yoruba : irin-ajo naa, 41.  zulu : uhambo, travel in different languages: asian languages, 42.  armenian : ճանապարհորդություն (chanaparhordut’yun), 43.  assamese : ভ্ৰমণ, 44.  azerbaijani : səyahət, 45.  burmese : ခရီးသွား (hkareeswarr), 46.  cantonese : 去旅行 (hoi loi hung), 47.  cebuano : ang pagbiyahe, 48.  filipino : paglalakbay, 49.  georgian : მოგზაურობა (mogzauroba), 50.  hebrew : לִנְסוע (keday lensoa), 51.  indonesian : bepergian, 52.  kannada : ಪ್ರಯಾಣ (prayāṇa), 53.  kazakh : саяхат (sayaxat), 54.  khmer : ការធ្វើដំណើរ (kar thveudamnaer), 55.  kurdish : gerrîn, 56.  kyrgyz : саякат (sayakat), 57.  laotian : ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (thong thiav), 58.  mongolian : аялал (ayalal), 59.  nepali : यात्रा (yātrā), 60.  sinhala : සංචාරය (saṁcāraya), 61.  thai : การท่องเที่ยว (kār th̀xngtheī̀yw), 62.  turkmen : syýahat, 63.  uzbek : sayohat, travel in different languages: european languages, 64.  albanian : udhëtimin, 65.  basque : bidaia, 66.  bosnian : putovanje, 67.  bulgarian : пътуването (pŭtuvaneto), 68.  catalan : el viatge, 69.  corsican : u viaghju, 70.  croatian : putovanje, 71.  czech : cestování, 72.  danish : rejsen, 73.  dutch : de reis, 74.  estonian : reisimine, 75.  finnish : matkaa, 76.  galician : a viaxe, 77.  greek : το ταξίδι (to taxídi), 78.  hungarian : az utazás, 79.  icelandic : ferðalagið, 80.  irish : an taistil, 81.  latin : de peregrinatione, 82.  lithuanian : kelionė, 83.  luxembourgish : d’rees, 84.  macedonian : патувањето (patuvanjeto), 85.  maltese : l-ivvjaġġar, 86.  norwegian : reisen, 87.  polish : podróż, 88.  scottish gaelic : an siubhal, 89.  swedish : resan, 90.  ukranian : подорож (podorozh), 91.  western frisian : de reis, 92.  welsh : y teithio, travel in different languages: north american languages, 93.  hatian creole : vwayaj la, 94.  nahuatl : nenemi, travel in different languages: oceanic languages, 95.  hawaiian : ka huakaʻi, 96.  maori : te haerenga, 97.  samoan : le malaga, travel in different languages: south american languages, 98.  aymara : ukatsti uka viaje, 99.  guarani : pe jeguata, 100.  southern quechua : chay puriyta.

The Best Apps and Resources for Language Learning

If you are interested in learning a new language, here are a few apps and resources I think may be the most helpful to you:

As I mentioned in my post on  Spanish  p hrases , practicing is really key to feeling comfortable using a new language. You can practice with native speakers by using my favorite language resource,  iTalki .  On this site you can practice with a tutor, formal teacher, or others just seeking to do a language exchange (for free!). It is hands down the best way to expand your language skills. 

This app is best for improving your reading comprehension. And believe it or not, improving your reading comprehension is maybe the best way to consistently expand your vocabulary. (Consider how babies learn languages). On this app, you are provided with videos that come with captions to help you pick up on the vocabulary that you hear.  Try Lingopie today !

While I can’t recommend Duolingo alone for learning a langauge, I recommend using this free app to expand and practice your vocabulary in a new language. Note, there is a paid option, but I think the free version is all that you need with this one. 

Even better for building vocabulary is Drops, in my opinion. It has a variety of more real-life categories that you can opt for yourself to learn from. You do have to pay an annual fee, but it is absolutely worth it. 

Google Translate

If you don’t have time to learn a language before you travel . I recommend using one of the best translation apps out there – Google Translate. This app does wanders for picking up live conversations so you can chat with people like taxi drivers or other new friends in the local language. Even if it is a little indirect. 

FAQs About Travel in Different Languages

The root word for “travel” is derived from the Old French word “travailler,” which means “to work, labor, toil, or journey.” Interestingly, it originally denoted the strenuous nature of medieval journeying. Hence, travel inherently carries the essence of a laborious journey.

The word for longing for travel is “wanderlust.” Wanderlust can also be described as a wistful longing for travel as well. 

The Old English word for travel is “faran,” which essentially means to journey or to go. It conveys the sense of moving from one place to another, much like the modern term ‘travel’.

Journey Voyage Tour Trip Expedition Trek Roam Navigate Wander Cruise

Travel itch Fernweh Desire to travel Travel bug Itchy feet Globetrotting Adventurousness Nomadism Exploration obsession Journeying passion

In Summary | Travel in Different Languages

I hope that this post has inspired you to explore languages more, or at the very least, inspired you to experience a bit of wanderlust. Learning how to say words like travel in different languages is the start to breaking down language barriers and is a great way to get to know new people in any new place. I hope you will now begin to channel your love of travel into something fruitful, such as learning a second language. 

More Words in Different Langauges

• I Love You in Different Languages
• Goodbye in Different Languages

Interested in Learning More? Check Out these Travel Language Guides:

• ​Spanish for travel
• Portuguese for travel
• Japanese for travel
• Greek for travel
• French for travel
• Italian for travel
• Thai for travel
• Languages and travel

Don’t forget to pin this for later!

Christen Thomas is the founder of TravelWanderGrow, established in 2018. She has lived abroad and traveled extensively to over 30 countries. In addition, she is a certified Travel Advisor and is an expert in planning trips focused on city history and culture. As a frequent traveler, she also shares tips on how to prepare to travel well and how to save money while doing so.

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“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

What Is the Etymological Origin of the Word 'Travel'?

The image above was possibly inspired by "Noel Kempff Mercado National Park," which was itself inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's book, 'The Lost World.'

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park

"The Park is dominated by a large tableland of 7000 sq km, the Bolivian side of which is Serrania Huanchaca, and the Brazilian side is Sererania Ricardo Franco. The intervening Rio Verde marks the national boundary. The tableland is bounded by precipitous cliffs, 200 to 700 metres in height. The rocks of the tableland comprise Proterozoic sandstones, deposited around 1 billion years ago, intruded by a tholeiitic sill/dyke complex. These overlie an older basement of granites and metamorphic rocks which crop out over the Amazonic plain. The surface of the tableland is overlain by Cretaceous sandstones, and there are laterites and siliceous duricrusts which mark stages of Tertiary uplift and peneplanation.[8]

The Huanchaca Plateau within the park is 600-900 m above sea level and is composed of Precambrian sandstone and quartzite of the Brazilian Shield."

~ Wikipedia

Getting Where You Want To Go Easily

Travelling today is not only cheap, but also efficient thanks to modern aerospace technologies like the Airbus A350-900, Airbus A340-600, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 747-8.

Getting around however, was historically not so easy to do. The word travel is originally derived from the word 'torture.'

" Travel and travail are doublets - that is to say, they have a common ancestor, but have split into separate words. Their ultimate source is medieval Latin trepalium, a term for an instrument of torture made of three sharp stakes. This was a compound noun formed from Latin tres 'three' and palus 'stake' (source of English pale ). From it was formed a verb trepaliare 'torture on the trepalium, ' hence generally 'torture.' This passed into Old French as travailler, where its reflexive use 'put oneself to pain or trouble' evolved to 'work hard.' Its noun derivative travail 'painful effort, hard work' was borrowed by English as travail, and this quickly developed a new sense, 'journey' (presumably from the notion of a 'wearisome journey'), which came to be distinguished by the spelling travel. "

~ John Ayto, "Dictionary of Word Origins"

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• 1.1 Alternative forms
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1.1 Conjugation
• 1.3.1.2 Synonyms
• 1.3.1.3 Derived terms
• 1.3.1.4 Translations
• 1.4.1.1 Usage notes
• 1.4.1.2 Synonyms
• 1.4.1.3 Derived terms
• 1.4.1.4 Translations
• 1.4.1.5 Further reading
• 1.5 References
• 1.6 Anagrams
• 2.1 Etymology
• 2.2 Adjective
• 2.3 References
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Adjective
• 3.3 References

English [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ].

• travail ( obsolete )
• travell ( obsolete )

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• IPA ( key ) : /ˈtɹævəl/
• Rhymes: -ævəl

Etymology 1 [ edit ]

From Middle English travelen ( “ to make a laborious journey, travel ” ) from Middle Scots travailen ( “ to toil, work, travel ” ) , alteration of Middle English travaillen ( “ to toil, work ” ) , from Old French travailler ( “ to trouble, suffer, be worn out ” ) . See the doublet travail .

Largely displaced fare , from Old English faran ( “ to go [a long distance], to travel ” ) . More at fare .

Verb [ edit ]

travel ( third-person singular simple present travels , present participle travelling or ( US ) traveling , simple past and past participle travelled or ( US ) traveled )

• 1661 , John Stephens, An Historical Discourse... , Prol.: He that feareth oblatration must not travel .
• 1930 , Marmaduke Pickthall , transl., The Meaning of the Glorious Koran , surah 28, verse 29: Then, when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his housefolk, he saw in the distance a fire and said unto his housefolk: Bide ye (here). Lo! I see in the distance a fire; peradventure I shall bring you tidings thence, or a brand from the fire that ye may warm yourselves.
• ( intransitive ) To pass from one place to another; to move or transmit . Soundwaves can travel through water. The supposedly secret news of Mary's engagement travelled quickly through her group of friends.
• ( intransitive , basketball ) To move illegally by walking or running without dribbling the ball.
• ( transitive ) To travel throughout (a place). I’ve travelled the world.
• 1596 (date written; published 1633 ), Edmund Spenser , A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande   [ … ] , Dublin: [ … ] Societie of Stationers,   [ … ] , →OCLC ; republished as A View of the State of Ireland   [ … ] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: [ … ] Society of Stationers, [ … ] Hibernia Press, [ … ] [ b ] y John Morrison, 1809 , →OCLC : They shall not be travailed forth of their own franchises.
• 1707 , Richard Baxter, The Practical Works of the Late Reverend and Pious Mr. Richard Baxter , page 646 : Necessity will make men fare hard, and work hard, and travel hard, go bare, and suffer much; yea it will even cut off a leg or arm to save their lives;
• 1719 , William Tilly, The Acceptable Sacrifice , page 335 : We labour sore, and travel hard, and much Study is a Weariness to our Flesh; and of making many Books there is no End.
• 1794 , “Resignation”, in A Complete Edition of the Poets of Great Britain.Volume 10 , page 144 : Man holds in constant service bound The blustering winds and seas; Nor suns disdain to travel hard Their master, man, to please;

Conjugation [ edit ]

† Archaic or obsolete . * US.

Synonyms [ edit ]

• fare , journey , reyse

Derived terms [ edit ]

• fellow-travel
• road less traveled
• travellable , travelable
• travelled , traveled ( adjective )
• traveller , traveler
• travel light

Translations [ edit ]

Etymology 2 [ edit ].

From Middle English travail , travell , from Old French travail , travaille , travaillie , traval , travalle , traveaul , traveil , traveille , travel . Doublet of travail .

Noun [ edit ]

travel ( countable and uncountable , plural travels )

• The act of traveling; passage from place to place. space travel travel to Spain
• 2023 November 29, 'Mystery Shopper', “Does the railway deliver for passengers?”, in RAIL , number 997 , page 53 : But overall, I think the railway delivered very well on my travels . I'd give it 9/10 - there are just a few little rough edges that need smoothing off.
• 1903 , Henry Yule, Arthur Burnell, Hobson-Jobson : CALUAT, s. This in some old travels is used for Ar. khilwat, 'privacy, a private interview' (C. P. Brown, MS.).
• The activity or traffic along a route or through a given point.
• The working motion of a piece of machinery; the length of a mechanical stroke. There was a lot of travel in the handle, because the tool was out of adjustment. My drill press has a travel of only 1.5 inches.
• 1667 , John Tanner, The hidden treasures of the art of physick , page 208 : Hard Labour is when more vehement Pains and dangerous Symptomes happen to Women in Travel , and continue a longer time.
• Distance that a keyboard's key moves vertically when depressed. The keys have great travel .

Further reading [ edit ]

References [ edit ].

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

Anagrams [ edit ]

• retval , varlet

Norwegian Bokmål [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Possibly from French travail ; compare with Danish travl .

Adjective [ edit ]

travel ( neuter singular travelt , definite singular and plural travle , comparative travlere , indefinite superlative travlest , definite superlative travleste )

• “travel” in The Bokmål Dictionary .

Norwegian Nynorsk [ edit ]

travel ( neuter singular travelt , definite singular and plural travle , comparative travlare , indefinite superlative travlast , definite superlative travlaste )

• “travel” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .

• English 2-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• Rhymes:English/ævəl
• Rhymes:English/ævəl/2 syllables
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *tréyes
• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂ǵ-
• English terms inherited from Middle English
• English terms derived from Middle English
• English terms derived from Middle Scots
• English terms derived from Old French
• English doublets
• English lemmas
• English verbs
• English intransitive verbs
• English terms with usage examples
• English terms with quotations
• en:Basketball
• English transitive verbs
• English terms with obsolete senses
• English nouns
• English uncountable nouns
• English countable nouns
• en:Typing keyboards
• Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
• Norwegian Bokmål adjectives
• Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
• Norwegian Nynorsk adjectives
• Pages using WikiHiero
• English entries with topic categories using raw markup
• Requests for translations into Chechen
• Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
• Khmer terms with redundant script codes
• Nepali terms with redundant transliterations
• Tibetan terms with redundant script codes
• Ukrainian terms with redundant script codes
• Requests for translations into White Hmong
• Requests for review of Spanish translations
• Requests for review of Esperanto translations
• Requests for review of Interlingua translations
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[ trav - uh l ]

verb (used without object)

to travel for pleasure.

• to move or go from one place or point to another.
• to proceed or advance in any way.
• to go from place to place as a representative of a business firm.

He travels in a wealthy crowd.

• Informal. to move with speed.
• to pass, or be transmitted, as light or sound.
• Basketball. (of a player in possession of the ball) to take more than two steps without dribbling or passing the ball.
• to move in a fixed course, as a piece of mechanism.

verb (used with object)

• to travel, journey, or pass through or over, as a country or road.

We traveled a hundred miles.

to travel logs downriver.

to travel to other planets.

to set out on one's travels.

a book of travels.

• such an account or work.

an increase in travel on state roads.

• Basketball. an instance of traveling with the ball.
• the complete movement of a moving part, especially a reciprocating part, in one direction, or the distance traversed; stroke.
• length of stroke.

to reduce the travel of food from kitchen to table.

a travel alarm clock.

/ ˈtrævəl /

she travelled across France

he travels to improve his mind

he travelled the country

• to go, move, or cover a specified or unspecified distance

to travel in textiles

• (esp of perishable goods) to withstand a journey

the sound travelled for miles

• to progress or advance
• basketball to take an excessive number of steps while holding the ball
• (of part of a mechanism) to move in a fixed predetermined path

that car certainly travels

• informal. often foll by with to be in the company (of); associate
• the act of travelling

a travel brochure

• usually plural a tour or journey
• the distance moved by a mechanical part, such as the stroke of a piston
• movement or passage

Discover More

Spelling note, other words from.

• travel·a·ble adjective
• non·travel·ing adjective
• non·travel·ling adjective
• outtravel verb (used with object) outtraveled outtraveling or (especially British) outtravelled outtravelling
• pre·travel noun verb pretraveled pretraveling or (especially British) pretravelled pretravelling
• un·travel·ing adjective
• un·travel·ling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of travel 1

Example Sentences

López said she could not travel to Mexico because she is undocumented.

Sound waves traveling thousands of kilometers through the ocean may help scientists monitor climate change.

Biden traveled to the state days later, meeting with the Blake family and calling for unity and healing in the community, though he, too, denounced the violence that followed the shooting.

TripActions says it has added nearly 500 new corporate customers since March, a surprising achievement at a time when most employees are still not traveling freely.

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was first identified in China in December, has had sweeping effects in the public health, business, and travel sectors, among others.

You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.

He did travel to China and Australia while the story was unfolding.

In doing so he exposed the failure of other airlines in the region to see the huge pent-up demand for cheap travel.

“The tribe is really made of people who put travel as a priority in their entire lifestyle,” says Evita.

Brands like Lo & Sons and Delsey are already tapping Travel Noire to connect with black travelers.

One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster through the water than he could underground.

The mothers know better than any one else how hard a way the little girl will have to travel through life.

He could lie in bed and string himself tales of travel and adventure while Harry was downstairs.

Under ordinary circumstances these men can travel with their burden from twenty to thirty miles a day.

The rules regulating travel on highways in this country are called, "the law of the road."

Related Words

• sightseeing

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Definition of travel

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

Definition of travel  (Entry 2 of 2)

• peregrinate
• peregrination

Examples of travel in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'travel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English travailen, travelen to torment, labor, strive, journey, from Anglo-French travailler

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing travel

• pre - travel
• see / travel the world
• travel agency
• travel agent
• travel light
• travel sickness
• travel trailer

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Dictionary Entries Near travel

Cite this entry.

“Travel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travel. Accessed 6 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of travel.

Kids Definition of travel  (Entry 2 of 2)

Middle English travailen "torment, labor, strive, journey," from early French travailler "torment, labor," from an unrecorded Latin verb tripaliare "to torture," from Latin tripalium "an instrument of torture," literally "three stakes," derived from tri- "three" and palus "stake, pale" — related to pale entry 3 , travail

More from Merriam-Webster on travel

Nglish: Translation of travel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of travel for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about travel

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Definition of travel verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• I go to bed early if I'm travelling the next day.
• + adv./prep. to travel around the world
• I love travelling by train.
• We always travel first class.
• I travel abroad a lot.
• They travelled on the bus to and from work together.
• We travelled to California for the wedding.
• They enjoy travelling to other European countries.
• My client travels extensively on business.
• When I finished college I went travelling for six months (= spent time visiting different places) .
• travel something As a journalist, she has travelled the world .
• He travelled the length of the Nile in a canoe.
• I travel 40 miles to work every day.
• They travelled huge distances in search of food.
• Many residents must travel long distances to a grocery store.
• He travels back and forth across the Atlantic.
• He travels with a huge entourage.
• I prefer travelling independently to going on a package holiday.
• She travels widely in her job.
• The dissidents were unable to hold meetings or travel freely.
• The job gives her the opportunity to travel abroad.
• We decided to travel by car.
• We had to travel separately as we couldn't get seats on the same flight.
• We plan to travel through Thailand and into Cambodia.
• business people who travel regularly to the US
• information for the backpacker who wants to travel farther afield
• Children under five travel free.
• I spent a year travelling around Africa.
• More people travel by air than ever before.
• We travelled the length and breadth of the country.
• We've travelled a long way in the past few days.
• Hundreds of hospital patients may have to travel long distances for treatment.
• freedom to travel
• go travelling/​traveling
• travel all over the world

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• to travel at 50 miles an hour
• Messages travel along the spine from the nerve endings to the brain.
• News travels fast these days.
• He never travelled far from the home he shared with his mother.
• The wide streets allow cars to travel at high speeds.
• In the film, he travels back in time to the '50s.
• Is it possible for anything to travel faster than the speed of light?
• They seem to be travelling north.
• The truck was travelling at 90 mph when it veered off the road.
• Some wines do not travel well.
• These recipes travel well and don't require unusual ingredients or equipment.
• Some writing travels badly (= is not successful) in translation.
• Their car can really travel!
• She travels light, choosing to use as little equipment as possible.

Other results

• travel agents
• travel agencies
• travel agent’s
• travel-sickness
• adventure travel
• Association of British Travel Agents
• travel light

Nearby words

• traveler: a person who travels.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of travel in English

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travel verb ( MAKE JOURNEY )

• I like to travel but, then again, I'm very fond of my home .
• It's often quicker to travel across country and avoid the major roads altogether .
• Passengers without proper documentation will not be allowed to travel.
• The elderly travel free on public transport .
• We like to travel in the autumn when there are fewer tourists .
• The tragedy is that cultures don't always travel well, and few immigrant groups can sustain their culture over the long term .
• around Robin Hood's barn idiom
• communication
• public transport
• super-commuting
• transoceanic
• well travelled

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

travel verb ( MOVE )

• The objects travel in elliptical orbits .
• In 1947, a pilot flying over the Cascades saw nine metallic flying objects traveling at an estimated 1,200 miles per hour .
• The elevator traveled smoothly upward .
• White light separates out into its component wavelengths when traveling through a prism .
• As the material travels through the winding machine , excess liquid is squeezed out by rollers .
• Lead dust travels easily from hands to mouth and can't be seen .
• body English
• kinetic energy
• kinetically
• repair to somewhere

travel verb ( BREAK RULE )

• foul trouble
• free-throw lane
• free-throw line
• full-court press
• run-and-gun

travel noun ( ACTIVITY )

• They offer a 10 percent discount on rail travel for students .
• The price includes travel and accommodation but meals are extra .
• His work provided him with the opportunity for a lot of foreign travel.
• The popular myth is that air travel is more dangerous than travel by car or bus .
• Passes are available for one month's unlimited travel within Europe .
• break-journey
• circumnavigation

travel noun ( MOVEMENT OF OBJECT )

• It can be difficult to predict the travel of smoke from smouldering fires .
• The travel of the bullets and blood spatter showed that he was lying on the ground on his side when he was shot .
• This seemed to prove that light has a finite speed of travel.
• Striking the ball when the clubhead is already past the lowest point of its travel gives a slight overspin.
• The actuator then rotates its output shaft to the extremes of its travel.
• bring someone on
• non-competitor
• park the bus idiom
• play big idiom
• step/move up a gear idiom

travel | American Dictionary

Travel | business english, examples of travel, collocations with travel.

These are words often used in combination with travel .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of travel

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• travel (MAKE JOURNEY)
• travel light
• travel (MOVE)
• really travel
• travel (BREAK RULE)
• travel (ACTIVITY)
• travel (MOVEMENT OF OBJECT)
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Is it Traveling or Travelling—Correct Spelling Guide

What is the correct way to spell “traveling?” Can you spell it “travelling” if you want?

To travel the world and visit other countries is often seen as an enjoyable way to spend one’s free time.

But how do you spell “traveling,” the verb form of “travel”?

Don’t search anywhere else; here is everything you need to know about the term “travel.”

“Traveling” or “travelling”

The difference between the two terms is your audience.

That said, “traveling” is the preferred way to spell the word in the United States.

You will find this correct spelling in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

However, if your readers are located in the United Kingdom in the Commonwealth , the term is spelled “travelling.”

The subtle distinction of one “L” versus two simply depends on what country you are writing in/for.

Therefore , “travelers” and “traveled” are the U.S. forms, while “travellers” and “travelled” are the UK forms.

No matter the country, the present tense form of the word “travel” is spelled the same and does not require a second “L” at the end.

Root word: travel

Travel can serve as a verb or a noun .

As an intransitive verb , “travel” is defined as “To go on a trip or tour to a destination.”

Similarly, as a transitive verb, “travel” is defined as “to journey through or over.”

The definition for “travel” in its noun form is “a journey, especially to a distance or unfamiliar place.”

Be aware that the noun version of the word is often used as a plural.

Travelers definition

Another term that comes from “travel” is “traveler” or, in its plural version, “travelers.”

That said, a traveler is commonly referred to as “one that goes on a trip or journey.”

Essentially, “traveler” can be used to describe a person who is taking a trip by car, train, plane, etc.

If subjects in a sentence are going on a journey through different countries or simply to the grocery store, they are “travelers.”

What type of word is “traveling?”

Verbs ending in “-ing” are either present participles or gerunds .

The two styles of words look the same, but their functions in a sentence are different.

Further , present participles can be used in all continuous verb formations ( past , present, future, etc.).

With verbs ending in “-ing,” the helping verb will tell the reader the tense (acting as a link) while the present participles remain unchanged.

Take the below examples, for instance:

• “The boy is watching the trains.”
• “Shelia was waiting for her survey.”
• “My family will be coming to Canada in July.”
• “The group would be moving to Germany if the cost wasn’t an issue.”
• “I would have been picking out my free ice cream flavor by now.”

Intransitive vs. transitive verbs

According to the Merriam-Webster definition, “traveling” can act as both a transitive and intransitive verb .

Transitive verbs will always have a noun that receives the action described by the verb; this noun is called the direct object .

“Tommy lifts the weight.”

In the previous example, “lifts” is the verb and “the weight” is the object receiving the verb’s action.

Therefore, “lifts” is a transitive verb.

On the other hand, intransitive verbs never have a direct or indirect object.

There is no object that receives an intransitive verb’s action.

“The group walks quickly to their destination.”

In this case, the verb is “walks,” and the modifying phrase is “quickly to their destination.”

As you will notice, no object receives the action that “walks” describes.

When to use traveling in writing

Recall that verbs ending in “-ing,” like “traveling,” can be used in the present, future, and past tense.

This present participles rely on the helping verb to indicate the tense of the sentence.

So, you can use the term to say the same thing, just in different tenses .

“He is traveling abroad” can also begin the following ways and still be grammatically correct.

• “He was…”
• “He will be…”
• “He would be…”
• “He would have been…”

You use this term to describe a subject who is, will be, was on their way to a different area than where they came from.

Examples of traveling in a sentence

If you have the correct spelling of the term down but are having a tough time using the term in a sentence, take a look at these sentences.

Using travel/traveling as a verb

• “If traveling were free, most people would take several trips a year.”
• “After traveling all day, all Lucy wanted to do was rest.”
• “I would like to travel and not get lost this time.”
• “Mark was only traveling for fun and leisure, not for work.”
• “All my life, I wanted to travel the world for fun, and now I finally get to!”
• “Before I travel, I must obtain a fishing license.”

Using travel as a noun

“At this time, international travel is banned for safety reasons.”

“He wanted to obtain a free travel license from the site, but the page wouldn’t load.”

“Safety was the top priority for Lisa after she would arrive at her travel excursion.”

“My travels demanded that I use services associated with the train to see my sister.”

“All her life, Katy was never oriented with foreign travel.”

“The new social movement talked about the future of crime and travel in the country.”

“I’d like to use this travel to connect with as many people as possible.”

Why is traveling commonly misspelled?

Why does “traveling” have two different ways of spelling the term?

Most of this is credited to Noah Webster , one link of the famous dictionary we frequently use today.

As a lexicographer and linguist, Webster influenced American English more than most people realize.

That said, he preferred the shorter version of most words that had multiple different ways of spelling.

After including the shorter version of terms in his dictionary, these words became dominant in the United States.

The rest of the English-speaking countries out there preferred the longer spellings of terms.

That said, countries like Australia, Canada, and the UK spell the term “travelling” with two “L”s instead of one.

How to remember which word to use

In the case of the present participle version of “travel,” remember that shorter is better.

“Travelling” is the proper spelling in British English.

So, if that is your audience, use that version.

However, American English demands the spelling “traveling.”

External links to sources

• Present participles: The -ing forms – EF.edu
• Traveler definition – Merriam-Webster
• Verb Tenses – Grammarly
• Types of Verbs – UVU.edu
• Travel definition – Merriam-Webster
• Traveling or Travelling? – Grammarly
• Noah Webster | American lexicographer | Britannica
• lexicographer – definition and examples – ThoughtCo

Inside this article

Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Origin of Travel

The origin of the word “travel” is most likely lost to history. The term “travel” may originate from the  Old French  word  travail . [3]  According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the first known use of the word travel was in the 14th century. It also states that the word comes from Middle English  travailen ,  travelen  (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old French travailler  (which means to work strenuously, toil). In English we still occasionally use the words  travail  and  travails , which mean struggle. According to Simon Winchester in his book The Best Travelers’ Tales (2004), the words travel and travail both share an even more ancient root: a Roman instrument of torture called the tripalium (in Latin it means “three stakes”, as in to impale). This link reflects the extreme difficulty of travel in ancient times. Also note the torturous connotation of the word “travailler.” Today, travel may or may not be much easier depending upon the destination you choose (i.e.,  Mt. Everest , the  Amazon rainforest ), how you plan to get there ( tour bus ,  cruise ship , or  oxcart ), and whether or not you decide to “rough it (see  extreme tourism  and  adventure travel ). “There’s a big difference between simply being a tourist and being a true world traveler,” notes travel writer Michael Kasum.

voyage (n.)

c. 1300, from Old French voiage "travel, journey, movement, course, errand, mission, crusade" (12c., Modern French voyage ), from Late Latin viaticum "a journey" (in classical Latin "provisions for a journey"), noun use of neuter of viaticus "of or for a journey," from via "road, journey, travel" (see via ).

voyage (v.)

late 15c., from Old French voyager , from voiage (see voyage (n.)). Related: Voyaged ; voyaging .

Entries linking to voyage

1779, from Latin via "by way of," ablative form of via "way, road, path, highway, channel, course" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport in a vehicle," which is also the source of English way (n.)).

1670s, French, "pleasant journey," from bon "good," (see bon ) + voyage (see voyage (n.)).

• See all related words ( 5 ) >

Trends of voyage

More to explore, share voyage.

updated on September 28, 2017

Trending words

• 2 . knowledge
• 4 . remission
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Dictionary entries near voyage

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Learning about the building blocks of words can help you make sense of unfamiliar words.

handy, capable of

destroy, get rid of

bitter, sharp, tart

inclined to, abounding in

characteristics of

sharp, keen, fierce

state of being something

sharp, keen, point

to, towards

attach to, add, give to

thing or person made by a certain process

possessing a quality

feel, perceive

influenced, strongly moved

to do something

leading, drawing forth

struggle, contest, conflict

field, country

do, act, drive

other, different

action, process

cause to grow, feed

of or relating to

walk, go around

both, around

state or condition

to be ...ed

of or pertaining to

mind, spirit

opposite, against

being in a state or condition

not, without

relating to

suitable, fit

think, judge

chief, principal

chest, coffer

burn, be on fire

pertaining to

to divide into small joints; speak clearly

skill, craft

person or thing belonging to

rough, harsh, roused to anger

possessing a certain quality

to make have a certain quality

act of doing something

state or quality of

of or belonging to

hear, listen to

diviner, seer

desire, be eager

forms a noun

to, towards, at

beat, pound

war, fighting

to treat in a certain way

strike, push

warm, be hot

be of brilliant whiteness

rule, straight rod, standard

taken, seized

take, seize

wagon, cart

burnt, red hot

swift, speedy

assessed, judged, rated

sift, perceive, decide

compete, strive, contend

sheet of paper

pure, without stain

around, about

moved, stirred up

clear, bright

mercy, mildness, calmness

sloping region; zone of the Earth; ladder

slope, hill

shut, close

shut, closed

cook, ripen

learn, know

with, together

suitable, convenient

common, public, general

celebration, fun

join, win over

hide, put away

come together, agree

horn, point

buffet, cuff, blow

believe, trust

burst, crack

grow, arise, increase

sift, discern, separate

shout out in complaint

fault, blame, guilt

ran, hurried

worry, anxiety, attention

become used to

circle, wheel

suitable, graceful, proper

destroy, wipe out

loss, penalty, injury

spirit, divine power

mocked, made fun of

through, across

apt at teaching

apart, not, away from

worthy, deserving

separate into parts

separated into parts, divided

feel pain, grieve, suffer

dragon, snake, serpent

hard, harsh

out of, from

having a particular state

temple, house

bring about, accomplish

doing something

that which is to be ...ed

made of, pertaining

around, near

wander, make a mistake

act or practice

becoming; beginning to be

fix the value of

little, diminutive

state or quality

enforce, demand

used for spelling and pronunciation

easy, easily accomplished

face, surface

trick, deceive, be in error

household, familiar group

weary, tire

foolish, silly, stupid

speak, talk, say

like, support

happy, lucky

boil, be hot

carry, bring, bear

feast, holidays

pretend, invent

trust, faith

form, shape

daughter, son

end, form a boundary

fastened, nailed, secured

struck, struck down

flow, stream, glide

hearth, fireplace

luck, chance

strong, vigorous, powerful

pour, pour out, spread out

broken, crushed

break, crush

repeated, constant

forehead, foremost part

fruit, enjoyment

shine, flash

full of, resembling

perform, complete

bottom, depths, basis

rage, be mad

check, restrain

innate quality, inborn talent

born, produced

kind, type, class

bud, embryo

bear, bring, carry

gathered into a ball-shaped mass

tongue, language

swallow, gulp down

line, stroke of a pen, letter

great, lofty, powerful

pleasing, welcome

heavy, serious, burdened

steer a ship

stick, cling, hold fast

cheerful, merry

human being, man

urge, encourage

tremble, dread, shudder

host, guest

over, above

under, below

of or connected with

characteristic of

belonging to

image, statue

one relating to

own, personal, private

image, likeness, shape

that which does something

produce, bring forth

tending to do or be something

likeness, idea

copy, resemble

command, provide leadership

impulse, attack

one who shows, forefinger

a or of a continuous action

whole, entire

between, within, among

be envious of

in, on, into

of the nature of

become angry

verging upon, somewhat

action or process of doing something

set of beliefs

distinctive trait of language

name of a certain system

characterized by

one who performs an action; believer

of or that which does something

make or treat in a certain way

throw, cast

join, attach, form a link

pertaining to the day, daily

joined, attached

swear, take an oath, law

young, young man

next to, beside

be sluggish, wilt, lack vigor

loosen, take one's ease

gathered, chosen

speak, read

bind, choose

gather, read

letter of the alphabet; document

light, of little weight

left behind, abandoned

it is permitted, one may

strike, harm

doorway, threshold

line, string, thread

flow, be liquid

letter of the alphabet

tie, bind, link

having spoken

study, science, theory

word, study, reason

talk, speak

struggle, fight against

light, brightness, clarity

play, trick

light, glow

illumine, brighten

wash, bathe

in a particular way or manner

plan, trick, artifice

large, long

ruler, leader

large, great

greater, larger

madness, frenzy

stay, remain

learn, understand

middle, in the middle, in half

blend, mingle, mix

great, large

remembering

fault, defect, lying

act of measuring

quality, condition

earned, gained, deserved

beyond, change

pass, proceed

one thousand

imitator, mimic

lean forward, threaten

lessen, make smaller

wrong, wrongly

active, quick

measure, method, manner

grind in a mill

of or resembling

one, single

showed, pointed out

warn, advise, remind

shape, form

custom, habit, manner

die, decay, death

gift, public service

delay, stay behind

change, alter

numbness, deadness

deny, say not

vigor, determination

state, quality, condition

tied, bound

harm, injure

well known, famous

law, custom

carpenter's square, pattern

gotten to know, found out

messenger, message, report

messenger, report

against, in the way

smear with oil

burden, load

think, suppose

wish, choose

to, towards, against

wealth, abundance

sight, view

order, row, series

furnished with organs

one who does something

rise, begin

full of, having

state; process; condition

possessing the nature of

sharp, keen

fasten, drive in

stroke, caress, touch

beside, alongside

come to sight

make, prepare

suffer, endure

dough, paste

feeling, disease

stumble, sin

hang, weigh

almost, nearly

around, near, about

seek, attack, go for

cause to appear, show

saying, speech

voice, sound

paint, portray

pile, pillar

pierce, prick

attempt, attack

pit, kernel

pity, right conduct

cleanse, make honest

please, suit, be acceptable

mourn for, beat

plant, sprout

flat, broad

applaud, clap

applaud, strike

smooth, refine, polish

weigh, consider

part, share, division

harbor, port

placed, put

have or take control of

pause, temporary halt

capable, powerful

specify, place

worth, price

having prayed or entreated

seize hold of

seized hold of

before, in front

previous, in front

without, individual

prove, test, approve

pleasingly inclined

proper, fitting, one's own

next, nearest

pointed, stabbed, pierced

point, pierce, prick

rotten, stinking, decaying

think, consider

know, learn

of what kind?

complain, protest

rested, stilled, calmed

seek, strive for

rest, be still, stay calm

who, what, which

be rotten, stink

snatch, grab, seize

loose-knit, spaced thinly

scrape, scratch

ruled, guided, put right

back, again

rule, guide, direct

stay put, stand still

place for; thing used for

oak, strength

chew, eat away

ask, request

unskilled, untaught

sacred, holy

perceive keenly

health, safety

leap, spring forward, jump

in good taste, wise

climb, mount

form, shape, manner

split, division

probe, examine

ring, circle

sit, settle, rest

felt, sensed, perceived

feel, sense, perceive

old man, elder, old

clear, untroubled

keep, guard, save

wait on, serve

strict, grave

hiss, whistle

mark, seal, sign

pretend, copy, imitate

curve, fold, hollow

examine, consider

be in the habit of

whole, firm

having a certain quality

wise, clever

distance, area

see, observe, look, watch over

see, look at, observe

scatter, besprinkle

bright, shining

pledge, promise

seed, a sowing, a scattering

pledged, promised

stand, stand still

standing, standing still

mark, brand, tattoo-mark

set up, decided

covering, spread

drawn tight, confined

draw tight, tighten, confine

build, construct

become dazed, be amazed

make sweet, urge

under, from below

highest, topmost

taken up, put on

take up, put on

board, plank

silent, quiet

stained, dyed

touch, affect

arrange, put in order

skill, art, craft

cover, shield, protect

regulate, modify

stretch, stretch out

stretched, stretched out

boundary, end, limit

earth, land

witness, proof, indicator

proposition, idea put forth

relating to a process or state

fear, be afraid

prick, quench

touch, reach, affect

label, title, description

raise, endure

be stiff, be numb

twisted, wound, wrapped

across, through

shake, tremble

alarmed, fearful

divided, granted, given credit

entangle, make difficulties

rubbed, worn away

nourishment, food

turn, change

thrust, push

trunk, removed by chopping

thrusted, pushed

swell,disturbance, uproar

confusion, turmoil, disorder

beat, blunt, deaden the senses

protect, catch sight of

blow, impression, form

state; quality

rich in, full of

repeated activity

shadow, shade

not, opposite of

shows actions or results

active during a given period

useful, practical

wander, roam, rove

be strong, be of value

from before

empty, illusory

steam, spoiled, flat

different, diverse

go, proceed, advance

carry, bring

worship, revere, honor

get even, revenge

clothing, garments

old, long-standing

see, look at

shake, quickly move to and fro

instead of, change

see, take care

see, perceive

act, be lively

conquer, win

avenger, defender, revenge

excellence of character

entrails, internal organs

flaw, defect

road, way, journey

called, called upon

call, call upon

fly, move swiftly, speed

rolled, wrapped up

roll, wrap up, turn round

promise, pledge

make common, publish

pluck, tear up

towards a place

desolate, laid waste

eager rivalry, fierceness

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Boeing Blew the Whistle on Itself. The Stock Slumped.

B oeing stock briefly slumped more than $7, or 4.6%, in late afternoon trading Monday after the Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into inspection documentation for its 787 jets.

That wiped out an earlier gain in the price. Boeing stock closed at $178.35, down 0.8%, following a rebound shortly before the end of the session. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose about 1% and 1.2%, respectively.

The FAA is looking into whether Boeing staff falsified some inspection records. “The FAA has opened an investigation into Boeing after the company voluntarily informed us in April that it may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes,” the agency said.

“The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” it added. “At the same time, Boeing is reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet.”

Boeing shared an internal communication from 787 program lead Scott Stocker detailing what happened after an employee noticed irregularities with a quality test looking at where the wing is joined to the jet’s body.

“After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed,” reads part of the communication.

Boeing notified the FAA.

“Our engineering team has assessed that this misconduct did not create an immediate safety of flight issue,” added Stocker. “But it will impact our customers and factory teammates because the test now needs to be conducted out of sequence on airplanes in the build process.”

Boeing has faced more regulatory scrutiny of its quality and manufacturing process since early January, when an emergency-door plug blew out in midair on a 737 MAX 9 jet operated by Alaska Air.

The FAA said that as the latest investigation continues, it “will take any necessary action—as always—to ensure the safety of the flying public.”

The 737 MAX is a single-aisle jet. The 787 is a much larger twin-aisle aircraft.

Shares of Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages for 787 jets, closed up 0.2% at $33.02. Shares traded as low as $31.49. That is a signal that investors may have drawn the conclusion that the inspection issue wasn’t linked to the supplier.

Write to Al Root at [email protected]

Yo-yos are back, someday, maybe

The classic toy, with chicago roots, has its ups and downs..

Boys play with yo-yos at a Chicago schoolyard in 1967.

Bob Kotalik/Sun-Times files

My wife sleeps late while I wake early.

“I’m going to walk the dog,” I explained a few weeks back, after she stirred while I was putting on my shoes.

“Do you have a yo-yo?” she asked, sleepily.

“No,” I said, puzzled, slow on the uptake, figuring she was coming out of a dream. “Why do you ask?”

“‘Walk the dog,’” she explained. Ah. A yo-yo trick.

My next thought — I kid you not — was: I should get a yo-yo and learn tricks to entertain our future grandchildren. Then I wondered: Are there people who teach yo-yo tricks? Are yo-yos even still a thing? Or has technology completely killed them?

“Our demographic is 6 to 15 years old,” said Josh Staph, CEO and president of the Duncan Toys Company, manufacturer of yo-yos for nearly a century. “There’s smartphones, there’s TikTok. A lot of elements that can provide immediate gratification to kids. A yo-yo does not provide immediate gratification. You have to try it a few times.”

That you do. My only childhood memory of yo-yos is never being any good with them. “Walk the dog” is a trick where you throw the yo-yo down, hard, and it remains at ground level, spinning — like a dog on a leash — until you summon it back up with a snap of the wrist. My string tended to break.

Yo-yos are another classic plaything to emerge from Chicago, along with Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs and Raggedy Ann. Not that they were invented here — basically a vertical top with the string attached, yo-yos can be traced to antiquity. Women play with yo-yos on Grecian urns.

Donald F. Duncan was a Chicago entrepreneur in the 1920s who started a parking meter company. He visited California in 1928, where he saw Pedro Flores demonstrate a yo-yo. Flores was from the Philippines, where yo-yos were big, and had already trademarked the word “yo-yo,” Tagalog for “come come.” Duncan bought the rights then got busy, joining forces with newspaper titan William Randolph Hearst to get newsboys pushing yo-yos.

Yo-yos were a craze in Chicago in the summer of 1929 — newspaper columnists complained you couldn’t enter a Loop building without fighting your way through crowds gathered to watch experts perform tricks. People grew annoyed.

“Golly Gene, yesterday I met a friend who wasn’t bouncing a yo-yo,” the Chicago Daily News “Hit or Miss” column quipped sarcastically in 1931. “Honest, I didn’t know what to say.”

Chicagoans participate in a yo-yo competition in front of the Chicago Theatre in 1962, a promotional event in connection with a movie that contained a yo-yo scene.

Chicago Sun-Times collection/Chicago History Museum.

The earthquake for Duncan came in 1965, when a lawsuit found that the term “yo-yo” had lost its trademark status, like “zipper” or “aspirin.” Competitors sprung up. Then handheld computer games happened.

“Up until the late 1990s, it was a pretty cyclical business,” said Staph. “Every seven or so years. 1999 was the last big year.”

While the present is fairly constrained — Duncan Toys, now based in Ohio, has three full-time employees — the company has big plans to go high tech.

“We’re looking into modernizing the most popular toy of all time with a gaming component,” said Staph. “A patented technology, built-in sensors allow a person to perform tricks that are motion tracked. Playing with a yo-yo can be turned into a digital experience.”

Until then, Duncan sent me a dozen yo-yos. My 9-year-old neighbor is the prime yo-yo demographic, and I shot her mom an email asking for her help as a beta tester. They trooped over. I asked the young lady if she is familiar with yo-yos — yes, her dentist once gave her one. Are they fun? “No,” she replied. But she took two, and her mother took another two — one for herself, one for her teenage son.

A few days later the mom was aglow — she was loving the yo-yo, finding it both meditative and addictive. The girl was quiet. I asked her what yo-yos need. “Colors,” she said, and specialists, which I took to mean TikTok influencers.

A purist myself, I began with an Imperial, the classic $5.99 model. I couldn’t even get the thing to return back up. In truth, I had trouble winding the string — it kept slipping — and online guidance was useless. My wife, bless her, went straight to the Hornet, a more advanced model, and when I tried that I was off to the races. Not only could I made the Hornet go up and down, but a hard toss and it would stay there, spinning, until I summoned it back up.

“Look!” I enthused. “I’m walking the dog.”