Ability in Different Languages
Discover 'Ability' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'ability' is a powerful one, denoting the power or skill to do something. It's a concept that transcends cultures and languages, and is just as important in one part of the world as it is in another. From an early age, we are taught to develop our abilities, to hone our skills and become the best version of ourselves that we can be. And as we grow and learn, we discover new abilities that we never knew we had.
Ability is also a concept that is deeply rooted in history and culture. In many ancient societies, a person's abilities were seen as a gift from the gods, and were often used to determine their role in society. And even today, in many parts of the world, a person's abilities are still seen as a key factor in determining their success and happiness in life.
So why might someone want to know the translation of ability in different languages? For one, it can help us better understand and connect with people from different cultures. It can also give us a deeper appreciation for the concept of ability, and the many different ways that it is expressed around the world.
Here are a few translations of ability to get you started:
Ability
Ability in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vermoë | ||
| The word "vermoë" in Afrikaans has cognates in Dutch, German, and English, all derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wer- meaning "to work" or "to do." | |||
| Amharic | ችሎታ | ||
| "ችሎታ" is also used to describe the skill or competence of a person or group. | |||
| Hausa | iyawa | ||
| The Hausa word "iyawa" also means "strength" or "power". | |||
| Igbo | ikike | ||
| "Ikike" also means "power", "strength", or "authority" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fahaizana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fahaizana" comes from the root "fahaiz", which means "to know how to do something" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | luso | ||
| Luso also means "to have the ability or capacity." | |||
| Shona | kugona | ||
| The word "kugona" can also be used to refer to the process of gaining knowledge or skills. | |||
| Somali | kartida | ||
| The word 'kartida' can also refer to the concept of 'potential' or 'capacity'. | |||
| Sesotho | bokhoni | ||
| In South African English, 'bokhoni' can also refer to a traditional healer. | |||
| Swahili | uwezo | ||
| "Uwezo" can also refer to "means", "energy" in Tanzania, "ability" or "intelligence" in Kenya. | |||
| Xhosa | ukukwazi | ||
| The Xhosa word `ukukwazi` shares its root with `ukwazi`, meaning 'to know' or 'to understand.' | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| Àgbara in Yoruba can refer to physical, spiritual or supernatural energy and ability. | |||
| Zulu | ikhono | ||
| The word 'ikhono' in Zulu can also refer to a tool, instrument, or weapon used to carry out an action. | |||
| Bambara | se ko | ||
| Ewe | ŋutete | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubushobozi | ||
| Lingala | makoki | ||
| Luganda | obusobozi | ||
| Sepedi | bokgoni | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tumi | ||
Ability in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القدرة | ||
| The Arabic word "القدرة" (ability) derives from the root 'q-d-r' (to decree), implying its divine origin or preordainment. | |||
| Hebrew | יְכוֹלֶת | ||
| The noun "יכולת" also has the meaning "potency", from the root "כול" which is related to the word "כל" (all). | |||
| Pashto | وړتیا | ||
| The term "وړتیا" also denotes competence, skill, or talent in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | القدرة | ||
| The Arabic word "القدرة" (ability) derives from the root 'q-d-r' (to decree), implying its divine origin or preordainment. | |||
Ability in Western European Languages
| Albanian | aftësia | ||
| Aftësi has a doublet in Greek ἱκανός (hikanós) "able, sufficient, adequate" | |||
| Basque | gaitasuna | ||
| Gaitasuna's root is probably the word "gaitu", meaning "to have a chance" or "to be able to". | |||
| Catalan | capacitat | ||
| Capacitat is derived from the Latin word "capacitas", which can also mean "spaciousness" or "roominess". | |||
| Croatian | sposobnost | ||
| The word "sposobnost" is cognate with the Russian word "способность" (trans. "ability") and the German word "Fähigkeit" (trans. "ability"). | |||
| Danish | evne | ||
| "Evne" derives from the Proto-Germanic "abniz" (power, capacity, fitness)" | |||
| Dutch | vermogen | ||
| In modern Dutch, "vermogen" can still refer to a person's financial means or net worth, as in English, as well as to their physical or mental capabilities. | |||
| English | ability | ||
| The word "ability" derives from the Latin word "habilis," meaning "skillful" or "capable." | |||
| French | aptitude | ||
| In French, "aptitude" can also refer to the suitability of a person for a position or task. | |||
| Frisian | fermogen | ||
| Frisian word "fermogen" originally meant "to make strong or complete" and was a loan from Old Saxon "fermugan" and Middle Dutch "vermogen". | |||
| Galician | capacidade | ||
| The word "capacidade" in Galician can also mean "capacity" or "roominess". | |||
| German | fähigkeit | ||
| The word Fähigkeit is derived from the Middle High German word 'faehic', meaning 'suitable' or 'capable'. | |||
| Icelandic | getu | ||
| The word "getu" in Icelandic also refers to the talent or skill of a particular person or group. | |||
| Irish | cumas | ||
| The word "cumas" can also refer to "competence", "efficiency", "power", "faculty", or "means". | |||
| Italian | capacità | ||
| The word "capacità" is derived from the Latin word "capacitas", meaning "ability to hold or contain" or "volume, space". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fäegkeet | ||
| The word "Fäegkeet" originally meant "skill" but has expanded to mean "ability" in modern usage. | |||
| Maltese | kapaċità | ||
| "Kapaċità" is derived from the Latin "capacitas" meaning "roominess" and also refers to "storage space" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | evnen | ||
| The Old Norse word "efni" refers to both physical means and a person's character. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | habilidade | ||
| The Portuguese word "habilidade" comes from the Latin word "habilitas," which means "skill" or "fitness." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | comas | ||
| "Comas" can also mean "skill", "dexterity" or "facility" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | capacidad | ||
| In some contexts, the Spanish word "capacidad" can refer to an individual's intelligence or cognitive skills. | |||
| Swedish | förmåga | ||
| 'Förmåga' (ability) stems from 'förmugen' ('well-off'), related to 'förmögen' ('capable'), which in turn stems from the Proto-Germanic term 'fōr-'. This base term conveys the notion of 'moving ahead', implying the capacity to do something. | |||
| Welsh | gallu | ||
| The word "gallu" can also refer to a "talent" or "capacity". | |||
Ability in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | здольнасць | ||
| The word здольнасць in Belarusian can also refer to the ability of something, such as a material, to withstand stress or pressure. | |||
| Bosnian | sposobnost | ||
| The word "sposobnost" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "sposobiti", meaning "to make fit" or "to enable". It is also related to the Russian word "sposobnyy", meaning "talented" or "capable". | |||
| Bulgarian | способност | ||
| The word "способност" in Bulgarian can also mean "capacity" or "capability". | |||
| Czech | schopnost | ||
| The word "schopnost" can also mean "potency" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | võime | ||
| The Estonian word "võime" also has the alternate meaning of "possibility". | |||
| Finnish | kyky | ||
| The word "kyky" can also refer to a person's skills, capabilities, or competence. | |||
| Hungarian | képesség | ||
| "Képesség" is a Hungarian word derived from the Proto-Finnic "*kepe̮h" meaning "to be able", related to the Finnish "kyky" and the Estonian "kõbus". | |||
| Latvian | spējas | ||
| The Latvian word "spējas" originally referred to the ability of a horse to pull a cart. | |||
| Lithuanian | gebėjimai | ||
| The word "gebėjimai" is derived from the verb "gebėti", which means "to be able to" or "to be capable of" | |||
| Macedonian | способност | ||
| In 19th-century Bulgarian, "способност" meant "means of subsistence". | |||
| Polish | umiejętność | ||
| "Umiejętność" derives from the Old Polish word "umieć", meaning "to know" or "to be able to". It can also refer to a skill, talent, or knack. | |||
| Romanian | abilitate | ||
| The Romanian noun "abilitate" is derived from the Latin verb "habilis" meaning "suitable" or "skillful" and can also refer to competence or aptitude. | |||
| Russian | способность | ||
| The word "способность" also means "potency" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | способност | ||
| "Способност" is a derivative of the Russian word "способность", which in turn is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "съпосъбъ", meaning "suitability, aptitude". | |||
| Slovak | schopnosť | ||
| The word "schopnosť" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *sop-, meaning "to be able, to know". | |||
| Slovenian | sposobnost | ||
| The word "sposobnost" can also refer to a person's talent or aptitude for a particular task or skill. | |||
| Ukrainian | здатність | ||
| "Здатність" in Ukrainian also means "capacity" or "receptivity". | |||
Ability in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ক্ষমতা | ||
| The term "ক্ষমতা" also carries connotations of authority and capability beyond mere inherent abilities. | |||
| Gujarati | ક્ષમતા | ||
| The word "ક્ષમતા" ("ability") in Gujarati also means "capacity" or "efficiency". | |||
| Hindi | योग्यता | ||
| "योग्यता" also means "capability" and "merit" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ" (ability) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "समर्थ" (sama-rtha), meaning "having the same purpose;" thus, "having the same purpose means achieving the same goal," "being capable of." | |||
| Malayalam | കഴിവ് | ||
| The Malayalam word 'കഴിവ്' ('kaḻivŭ') is a derivative of the Sanskrit word 'करः' ('karaḥ') ('hand'), hence it denotes 'skill' or 'dexterity'. It also connotes 'capacity', 'competence', 'capability', or 'talent'. | |||
| Marathi | क्षमता | ||
| The word क्षमता in Marathi finds its roots in the Sanskrit word 'kṣama', which means 'to bear', 'to tolerate', or 'to forgive'. | |||
| Nepali | क्षमता | ||
| This word shares an etymological root with "to be able to" but has more extensive meanings such as "authority" and "competence". | |||
| Punjabi | ਯੋਗਤਾ | ||
| ਯੋਗਤਾ can also mean 'suitable' or 'eligible' depending on its usage in the sentence. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හැකියාව | ||
| The term "හැකියාව" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शक्ति" (śakti), which means "power" or "energy". | |||
| Tamil | திறன் | ||
| The root word of 'திறன்' ('ability') in Tamil is 'திற' meaning 'to open', suggesting that 'ability' is like unlocking potential. | |||
| Telugu | సామర్థ్యం | ||
| Urdu | قابلیت | ||
| The word "قابلیت" comes from the Arabic word "قابل", meaning "capable". It can also mean "capacity", "possibility", or "power". | |||
Ability in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 能力 | ||
| The word 能力 can also refer to 'talent' or 'power'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 能力 | ||
| In traditional Chinese, "能力" (nénglì, "ability") can also refer to "energy", or the "power" of something | |||
| Japanese | 能力 | ||
| Japanese word '能力' can also mean 'capacity', 'capability', 'talent' and 'faculty' depending on the context of usage. | |||
| Korean | 능력 | ||
| Korean word "능력" originated from Japanese word "nou-ryoku" meaning "capability". | |||
| Mongolian | чадвар | ||
| The Mongolian word "чадвар" can also refer to "power" or "authority". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စွမ်းရည် | ||
| The word 'စွမ်းရည်' ('ability' in English) is derived from the Pali word 'sampati', which means 'wealth' or 'possession'. In Myanmar, the word is also used to refer to 'power' or 'authority'. | |||
Ability in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kemampuan | ||
| In Javanese, "kemampuan" refers to wealth or belongings, but in Indonesian, it means skill or capability. | |||
| Javanese | kamampuan | ||
| "Kemampuan" in Javanese also means "authority" or "position". | |||
| Khmer | សមត្ថភាព | ||
| សមត្ថភាព (Smatthaphab) also means capability, power, potency, competency, and authority. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມສາມາດ | ||
| Malay | kemampuan | ||
| Kemampuan can also mean 'power' or 'capability' and is derived from the root word 'ampu' meaning 'to blow' or 'to inflate' | |||
| Thai | ความสามารถ | ||
| The word "ความสามารถ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सामर्थ्य" (sāmarthya), meaning "power, strength, or ability". It can also refer to a person's skills, talents, or capabilities. | |||
| Vietnamese | có khả năng | ||
| The word "có khả năng" can also mean "to be able to" or "to have the capability to". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kakayahan | ||
Ability in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qabiliyyət | ||
| The word "qabiliyyət" can also refer to "talent" or "skill" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қабілет | ||
| Қабілет (qábilet) comes from the Arabic word "qábila", meaning "capable, fit, or worthy." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жөндөм | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жөндөм" can also refer to a person's talent or aptitude in a specific area. | |||
| Tajik | қобилият | ||
| The word "қобилият" may also refer to a person's potential or aptitude for something. | |||
| Turkmen | ukyby | ||
| Uzbek | qobiliyat | ||
| The word "qobiliyat" is derived from the Persian word "qabl", which means "to be able". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىقتىدارى | ||
Ability in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hiki | ||
| In Hawaiian, "hiki" originally meant "to climb" or "to ascend." | |||
| Maori | āheinga | ||
| "Āheinga" originates from the Proto-Polynesian root word "*akeŋa" meaning "power, strength, or ability." | |||
| Samoan | agavaʻa | ||
| The word 'agava'a' is derived from the noun 'ava' (root), which signifies a strong foundation or base. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kakayahan | ||
| The word "kakayahan" also means "power, capability, faculty, competence" in Tagalog, and comes from the root word "kaya" (can). | |||
Ability in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | maña | ||
| Guarani | ipyrusúva | ||
Ability in International Languages
| Esperanto | kapablo | ||
| The word “kapablo” is derived from the Latin word “capābilis” which means 'capable'. It also has the connotation of 'skill' or 'talent'. | |||
| Latin | habebat | ||
| The Latin word "habebat" also means "had, possessed, or held something." | |||
Ability in Others Languages
| Greek | ικανότητα | ||
| The Greek word "ικανότητα" is derived from the noun "ικανός", meaning "sufficient" or "capable", and shares an etymology with the English word "economy". | |||
| Hmong | muaj peev xwm | ||
| The word "muaj peev xwm" may also refer to someone's physical strength or mental sharpness. | |||
| Kurdish | kêrhatî | ||
| The Kurdish word "kêrhatî" can also mean "skill", "competence" or "power". | |||
| Turkish | kabiliyet | ||
| The word "kabiliyet" can also refer to a person's natural abilities or inclinations for certain skills or activities. | |||
| Xhosa | ukukwazi | ||
| The Xhosa word `ukukwazi` shares its root with `ukwazi`, meaning 'to know' or 'to understand.' | |||
| Yiddish | פיייקייט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פיייקייט" (feyikayt) derives from the German word "Fähigkeit" (ability, capability) and is also related to the English word "faculty". | |||
| Zulu | ikhono | ||
| The word 'ikhono' in Zulu can also refer to a tool, instrument, or weapon used to carry out an action. | |||
| Assamese | সক্ষমতা | ||
| Aymara | maña | ||
| Bhojpuri | जोग्यता | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުޅަދާނަކަން | ||
| Dogri | समर्था | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kakayahan | ||
| Guarani | ipyrusúva | ||
| Ilocano | abilidad | ||
| Krio | ebul fɔ yuz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | توانا | ||
| Maithili | योग्यता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯧꯕ ꯉꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | theihna | ||
| Oromo | dandeettii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦକ୍ଷତା | ||
| Quechua | yachay | ||
| Sanskrit | क्षमता | ||
| Tatar | сәләте | ||
| Tigrinya | ተኽእሎ | ||
| Tsonga | vuswikoti | ||