Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'according', often used to indicate agreement or compliance with something, carries significant weight in many languages and cultures. Its significance extends beyond mere concurrence, as it implies a harmonious alignment of thoughts, beliefs, or actions. 'According', in its essence, embodies the spirit of consensus and unity.
Throughout history, this word has played a crucial role in various cultural and social contexts. From legal agreements to religious texts, 'according' has been instrumental in shaping our understanding of the world. For instance, the Bible's King James Version uses the word 'according' over 3,000 times, emphasizing its importance in religious discourse.
As we navigate our increasingly interconnected world, understanding the nuances of this word in different languages can enrich our cross-cultural communication. Here are a few translations of 'according' in various languages:
Afrikaans | volgens | ||
"Volgens" derives from Middle Dutch "volghen," meaning "to follow," but later took on the additional meaning of "according to." | |||
Amharic | መሠረት | ||
መሠረት can mean either "according" or "base" in English depending on its context. | |||
Hausa | a cewar | ||
A cewar can also mean 'because' or 'henceforth' in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | dika | ||
The Igbo word 'dika' also means 'manner' or 'style'. | |||
Malagasy | araka | ||
The Malagasy word "araka" can also mean "in place of" or "instead of". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | malinga | ||
In Nyanja, "malinga" can also mean "in imitation of," "in place of," or "instead of." | |||
Shona | zvinoenderana | ||
The word "zvinoenderana" also means "by the way" or "incidentally" in Shona. | |||
Somali | sida laga soo xigtay | ||
The word "sida laga soo xigtay" can also mean "as a result of" or "consequently". | |||
Sesotho | ho latela | ||
In Sesotho, the word "ho latela" can also mean "to follow" or "to come after". | |||
Swahili | kulingana | ||
"Kulingana" also can have the meaning of being comparable in some way. | |||
Xhosa | ngokwe | ||
In isiXhosa, "ngokwe" is often used to refer to a standard or convention. | |||
Yoruba | gẹgẹ bi | ||
The word "gẹgẹ bi" can also mean "in the manner of" or "like". | |||
Zulu | ngokusho | ||
The Zulu word "ngokusho" can also mean "manner" or "style". | |||
Bambara | kɔsɔn | ||
Ewe | le enu | ||
Kinyarwanda | ukurikije | ||
Lingala | na kotalela | ||
Luganda | okusinzira | ||
Sepedi | go ya ka | ||
Twi (Akan) | deɛ ɛka | ||
Arabic | تبعا | ||
The word تبعا is derived from the root verb تبِعَ, which means 'to follow' or 'to come after'. | |||
Hebrew | לפי | ||
The Hebrew word לפי (lefi), meaning "according to," is related to the Akkadian word paqadu, meaning "to count" or "to assess." | |||
Pashto | د | ||
The Pashto word "د" can also mean "of" or "possession". | |||
Arabic | تبعا | ||
The word تبعا is derived from the root verb تبِعَ, which means 'to follow' or 'to come after'. |
Albanian | sipas | ||
The word sipas can also mean "according to" or "following" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | arabera | ||
"Arabere" is used to introduce clauses that express a cause, reason or excuse, and is also used with meanings such as purpose, justification or concession. | |||
Catalan | segons | ||
Catalan "segons" derives from Late Latin "secundum" meaning "after" but also "following the order of". | |||
Croatian | prema | ||
In other languages, "prema" means "towards" in Slovene, "at" in Polish, and "for" in Russian | |||
Danish | ifølge | ||
In Danish, 'ifølge' can also mean 'according to' or 'as reported by' and is often used to indicate a source or authority for a statement or claim. | |||
Dutch | volgens | ||
Volgens, a Dutch preposition meaning "according to," originally meant "following the direction of someone". | |||
English | according | ||
The term "accord" has the same origin as "heart", deriving from the Latin "cor, cordis".} | |||
French | selon | ||
The preposition "selon" is derived from the Old French "selonc," which itself is derived from the Frankish "silunka," meaning "alongside" or "by the side of." | |||
Frisian | neffens | ||
In Old Frisian, neffens meant "immediately" or "presently". | |||
Galician | segundo | ||
"Segundo" in Galician can also mean "after" or "in the second place" | |||
German | gemäß | ||
The word "gemäß" derives from the Middle High German "gemeze" which means "boundary, measure" and is related to the word "measure". | |||
Icelandic | samkvæmt | ||
The word "samkvæmt" is derived from the Old Norse word "samkvemdi", meaning "agreement" or "accord". It can also be used to mean "convenient" or "suitable". | |||
Irish | de réir | ||
It can also mean "according to", or "in accordance with". | |||
Italian | secondo | ||
The word "secondo" derives from the Latin "secundum," meaning "following" or "in accordance with." | |||
Luxembourgish | entspriechend | ||
"Entspriechend" is derived from the German word "entsprechen", which means "to correspond" or "to be in accordance with". | |||
Maltese | skond | ||
"Skond" is a variant form of "skontro" (incontro), deriving from the Italian word for counter or encounter. | |||
Norwegian | i henhold | ||
"I henhold" derives from the Old Norse legal term "i hendr", meaning "in accordance with". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | de acordo | ||
The Portuguese word "de acordo" can also mean "in agreement" or "in conformity with a rule or law." | |||
Scots Gaelic | a rèir | ||
The original meaning of "a rèir" in Scots Gaelic is "according to the king." | |||
Spanish | conforme | ||
The Spanish word "conforme" can also mean "comfortable" or "in agreement". | |||
Swedish | enligt | ||
Swedish "enligt" comes from the German "nach" and means "by" or "as", like when you refer to a law or custom | |||
Welsh | yn ôl | ||
"Yn ôl" can also mean "along" or "in order" in Welsh. |
Belarusian | паводле | ||
The word паводле in Belarusian is derived from the Old Belarusian form па въдълѣ meaning “along”. | |||
Bosnian | prema | ||
"Prema" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "per", meaning "through", and is also related to the English word "form". | |||
Bulgarian | според | ||
Според in Bulgarian can mean 'according', 'depending on', or 'based on'. | |||
Czech | podle | ||
"Podle" can also refer to "near", "close to", or "under", and derives from Proto-Slavic "podъ" | |||
Estonian | järgi | ||
The word "järgi" in Estonian can also mean "according to" or "to follow" something. | |||
Finnish | mukaan | ||
"Mukaan" is a Finnish word that can also mean "in (a place)" or "with." | |||
Hungarian | szerint | ||
The Hungarian word "szerint" has a secondary, less common meaning of "accordingly". | |||
Latvian | saskaņā ar | ||
"Saskaņā ar" is also used in the sense of "in accordance with" or "in conformity with". | |||
Lithuanian | pagal | ||
The word "pagal" in Lithuanian can also mean "alongside" or "near," and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*(s)pag-," meaning "to bind" or "to fix." | |||
Macedonian | според | ||
The word "според" can also mean "in comparison to" or "depending on" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | według | ||
The word "według" can also mean "along" or "following" in Polish. | |||
Romanian | in conformitate | ||
In conformitate is a Latin phrase that means "in accordance with" | |||
Russian | согласно | ||
The Russian word согласно derives from the Old Church Slavonic съгласъ, meaning 'harmony' or 'agreement'. | |||
Serbian | према | ||
The word "према" in Serbian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *permo, which also meant "toward" or "against." | |||
Slovak | podľa | ||
The word "podľa" in Slovak can also be used to describe a rule or guideline. | |||
Slovenian | po | ||
The word 'po' is also used in Slovenian to mean 'along' or 'following' something, such as a river. | |||
Ukrainian | відповідно до | ||
The preposition "відповідно до" in Ukrainian also means "equivalent to" or "consistent with". |
Bengali | অনুসারে | ||
"অনুসারে" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अनुसार" (anusāra), meaning "in accordance with, following, or according to." | |||
Gujarati | અનુસાર | ||
The word "અનુસાર" can also mean "in accordance with" or "in conformity with". | |||
Hindi | अनुसार | ||
"अनुसार" (according) is derived from the Sanskrit word "अनु" (following, along) and "सार" (essence, meaning). | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರಕಾರ | ||
The word "ಪ್ರಕಾರ" also means "type" or "category" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | അതനുസരിച്ച് | ||
The word "അതനുസരിച്ച്" ("according") in Malayalam is used in multiple contexts, including with the meaning "in accordance with something"} | |||
Marathi | त्यानुसार | ||
त्यानुसार is also used with the meaning 'on that basis' or 'thereupon'. | |||
Nepali | अनुसार | ||
The word "अनुसार" derives from the Sanskrit word "anusāra" meaning "to follow" or "in accordance with". | |||
Punjabi | ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ | ||
"ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ" is the Punjabi translation of the English word "according", which is derived from the Latin word "accordare", meaning "to agree" or "to be in harmony." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අනුව | ||
The word "අනුව" in Sinhala can also mean "in accordance with" or "in conformity with". | |||
Tamil | படி | ||
In the context of a musical score, "படி" also means "passage" or "section". | |||
Telugu | ప్రకారం | ||
The word "ప్రకారం" is used in Telugu for both "according" and "direction". The word "ప్రకారం" translates to "according" in English in the context of following a rule or principle or giving an opinion on a particular matter or in the manner described, and translates to "direction" in English in the context of a way or path taken to reach a place. | |||
Urdu | کے مطابق | ||
The word "کے مطابق" is derived from the Persian word "مطابق" which means "suitable" or "matching". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 根据 | ||
根据(gēnjù) is a preposition meaning 'in accordance with' or 'based on'. It is also a noun meaning 'basis' or 'foundation'. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 根據 | ||
根据 can also mean 'basis' or 'foundation' | |||
Japanese | によると | ||
The word "によると" ('according') can also mean 'due to', 'because of', 'by', or 'from' in Japanese | |||
Korean | 따라 | ||
따라 originally meant 'footprint' and also has the meaning of 'as' or 'like'. | |||
Mongolian | дагуу | ||
The word "дагуу" can also mean "to agree" or "to fit" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အရ | ||
The word "အရ" can also be used to mean "because" or "by reason of." |
Indonesian | menurut | ||
The word "menurut" in Indonesian can also refer to "in my opinion" or "on the basis of" depending on context | |||
Javanese | miturut | ||
Miturut is Javanese for "according"; the word also means "based on" or "in the context of". | |||
Khmer | នេះបើយោងតាម | ||
This word is also used in the sense of “following on from” when talking about a statement or action that goes before. | |||
Lao | ອີງຕາມ | ||
Lao ອີງຕາມ (ing taam) has Khmer origins, deriving from អាងទាំង (ang daam), which means "on the back of", "depending on", or "in accordance with." | |||
Malay | menurut | ||
The word 'Menurut' in Malay can also mean 'to obey' or 'to follow'. | |||
Thai | ตาม | ||
The name of a Thai dish, Gaeng Daeng, is composed of the root word for the color red ( | |||
Vietnamese | theo | ||
Theo in Vietnamese can also mean 'to follow', 'to obey', or 'to agree'. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ayon | ||
Azerbaijani | görə | ||
The Azerbaijani word "görə" comes from the Persian word "goreh," meaning "face," and also refers to the direction or aspect of something. | |||
Kazakh | сәйкес | ||
Although "сәйкес" predominantly means "according", it also has the literal meaning of "likeness" or "correspondence". | |||
Kyrgyz | ылайык | ||
Ылайык is derived from the verb ылаю "to go" and the suffix -ык, which indicates an adverbial formation. | |||
Tajik | мувофиқи | ||
The word "мувофиқи" is a compound word that consists of the prefix "мув" (according to) and the suffix "иқи" (action or state). | |||
Turkmen | laýyklykda | ||
Uzbek | ko'ra | ||
The word "ko'ra" in Uzbek can also mean "according to", "in accordance with", or "in conformity with". | |||
Uyghur | بويىچە | ||
Hawaiian | e like me | ||
The Hawaiian word 'e like me,' meaning 'according to,' can also be used as a preposition meaning 'like' or 'similar to'. | |||
Maori | e ai ki | ||
The term 'e ai ki' can also be used to express a sense of accordance or agreement. | |||
Samoan | tusa | ||
Tusa can also mean 'as far as I know' or 'to my knowledge' in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | ayon | ||
The word "ayon" in Tagalog can also mean "there" or "at that place". |
Aymara | iyawaña | ||
Guarani | oje'eháicha | ||
Esperanto | laŭ | ||
Laŭ is a conjunction that can also mean "in accordance with" or "according to". | |||
Latin | secundum | ||
The Latin word 'secundum' can also mean 'in the direction of' or 'alongside'. |
Greek | σύμφωνα με | ||
The word "σύμφωνα με" can also mean "in accordance with" or "in compliance with". | |||
Hmong | raws | ||
The Hmong word "raws" can also mean "to comply" or "to obey". | |||
Kurdish | li gorî | ||
The phrase “li gorî” literally means “facing” in Kurdish, but is used to express the concept of “according to.” | |||
Turkish | göre | ||
The word "göre" can also mean "view" or "opinion" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | ngokwe | ||
In isiXhosa, "ngokwe" is often used to refer to a standard or convention. | |||
Yiddish | לויט | ||
The Yiddish word “לויט” is borrowed from German and originally meant “along,” “by,” or “after.” | |||
Zulu | ngokusho | ||
The Zulu word "ngokusho" can also mean "manner" or "style". | |||
Assamese | অনুসৰি | ||
Aymara | iyawaña | ||
Bhojpuri | अनुसार | ||
Dhivehi | އޭގައިވާގޮތުން | ||
Dogri | अनुसार | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ayon | ||
Guarani | oje'eháicha | ||
Ilocano | segun | ||
Krio | frɔm wetin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەگوێرەی | ||
Maithili | अनुसार | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯈꯥ ꯄꯣꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | milin | ||
Oromo | akka | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁଯାୟୀ | | ||
Quechua | nisqaman hina | ||
Sanskrit | अनुसारे | ||
Tatar | буенча | ||
Tigrinya | ከም | ||
Tsonga | kuyahi | ||