Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'advantage' is a small but powerful term, holding great significance in our daily lives and communications. It represents a favorable position, condition, or circumstance that puts one in a position of strength or gain. The concept of advantage is universal, cutting across cultures and languages, and is a fundamental building block in our understanding of the world around us.
Throughout history, the quest for advantage has driven human progress, from ancient strategies of warfare to modern-day business negotiations. In literature, characters often seek advantages to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. In sports, athletes constantly train to gain a competitive edge, demonstrating the power and allure of advantage in various contexts.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of 'advantage' in different languages can offer valuable insights into how different societies perceive and approach this concept. From the French 'avantage' to the Spanish 'ventaja,' the German 'Vorteil' to the Chinese '优势 (yōu shì),' exploring these translations can open doors to a richer appreciation of the world's diverse linguistic and cultural traditions.
Afrikaans | voordeel | ||
"Voordeel" in Afrikaans can also refer to "knowledge" or the "upper hand" in a situation. | |||
Amharic | ጥቅም | ||
The word "ጥቅም" can also mean "profit" or "benefit". | |||
Hausa | amfani | ||
The word "amfani" in Hausa can also mean "benefit" or "profit". | |||
Igbo | uru | ||
"Uru" can mean "to surpass" or "to be ahead of" in Igbo. | |||
Malagasy | tombony | ||
The word "tombony" in Malagasy also has the meaning of "good luck" or "fortune". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwayi | ||
In Nyanja, "mwayi" (advantage) also refers to luck, success, and prosperity. | |||
Shona | mukana | ||
The word "mukana" can also mean "chance" or "opportunity" in Shona. | |||
Somali | faa'iido | ||
The word 'faa'iido' in Somali can also refer to 'grace', 'profit', 'utility', or 'benefit'. | |||
Sesotho | molemo | ||
The Sesotho word "Molemo" is derived from the root "-lema", meaning "to be strong" or "to be powerful."} | |||
Swahili | faida | ||
The Swahili word "faida" can also mean "benefit" or "profit". | |||
Xhosa | uncedo | ||
The word "uncedo" in Xhosa also refers to the act of assisting or helping someone. | |||
Yoruba | anfani | ||
The Yoruba word "anfani" can also mean "opportunity" or "benefit". | |||
Zulu | inzuzo | ||
Inzuzo, meaning "advantage," also means "to get out ahead of." | |||
Bambara | nafa | ||
Ewe | ŋusẽkpᴐkpᴐ | ||
Kinyarwanda | akarusho | ||
Lingala | litomba | ||
Luganda | ekirungi kya | ||
Sepedi | mohola | ||
Twi (Akan) | animkɔ kwan | ||
Arabic | مميزات | ||
مميزات comes from the Arabic root ميز meaning 'to differ, distinguish', and also means 'features' in modern Arabic | |||
Hebrew | יתרון | ||
The verb יתרון means either "to be left over" or "to be superior". | |||
Pashto | ګټه | ||
The Pashto word "ګټه" can also mean "profit" or "gain". | |||
Arabic | مميزات | ||
مميزات comes from the Arabic root ميز meaning 'to differ, distinguish', and also means 'features' in modern Arabic |
Albanian | avantazh | ||
The Albanian word "avantazh" is derived from the Italian word "vantaggio" meaning "benefit" or "profit". | |||
Basque | abantaila | ||
In the game of Mus, an "abantaila" is a situation where a player has two cards of the same number and a third card belonging to the same suit. | |||
Catalan | avantatge | ||
In Catalan, "avantatge" can also refer to a favourable position or opportunity | |||
Croatian | prednost | ||
In Serbo-Croatian, "prednost" also means "priority." | |||
Danish | fordel | ||
"Fordel" is derived from the Old Danish word "fordæle", which means "to divide". | |||
Dutch | voordeel | ||
Voordeel derives from "voor" (before) and "deel" (part), and thus originally referred to a preferential share of a harvest. | |||
English | advantage | ||
The word "advantage" comes from the Latin word "adventus," which means "arrival" or "approach". | |||
French | avantage | ||
The French word "avantage" comes from the Latin "advantagium", meaning "an excess" or "a superiority". | |||
Frisian | foardiel | ||
Foardiel in Frisian comes from a cognate of the German word "Vorteil", or "profit or gain" | |||
Galician | vantaxe | ||
The word 'vantaxe' comes from the Latin 'vantagium', meaning 'advantage', 'benefit' or 'gain' | |||
German | vorteil | ||
"Vorteil" comes from the Italian phrase "a far suo pro," meaning "to be for my benefit." | |||
Icelandic | kostur | ||
Kostur's other meanings include 'choice' and 'share', both deriving from the Old Norse word 'kost', meaning 'portion' or 'lot'. | |||
Irish | buntáiste | ||
"Buntáiste" may also mean "advantage granted to somebody by fortune or luck." | |||
Italian | vantaggio | ||
The Italian word "vantaggio" derives from the Latin "vantagium", which means "superiority or benefit". | |||
Luxembourgish | virdeel | ||
The etymology of "Virdeel" is closely related to similar words for "profit" and "gain" in other Germanic languages. | |||
Maltese | vantaġġ | ||
'Vantaġġ' in Maltese derives from the Italian 'vantaggio' ('advantage'), itself from the Latin 'vantare' ('to boast') + '-aggio' (suffix indicating an action or result); its alternate meaning as 'difference' or 'remainder' is a later sense originating from the arithmetic meaning of 'difference' ('remainder'). | |||
Norwegian | fordel | ||
The term derives from Proto-Germanic *furþilaz and can also refer to a gain in value or a favorable position | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vantagem | ||
In Portuguese, "vantagem" also means "superiority" and "favorable position" | |||
Scots Gaelic | buannachd | ||
"Buannachd" has other senses in Scots Gaelic, like "luck" and "profit." | |||
Spanish | ventaja | ||
"Ventaja" also means "selling" in Spanish, while in Portuguese it means "window". | |||
Swedish | fördel | ||
"Fördel" can also refer to a type of card game played in Sweden. | |||
Welsh | mantais | ||
In Welsh, "mantais" relates to the phrase "mae naid i ti," meaning "there is need on you". |
Belarusian | перавага | ||
As in many of the Slavic languages, the word перавага may refer to the 'weight,' 'bulk,' or 'size' of a person or group, as well as being 'better' or more 'effective.' | |||
Bosnian | prednost | ||
The word "prednost" in Bosnian originally meant "priority", which also implies "advantage". | |||
Bulgarian | предимство | ||
The word "предимство" can also refer to the right of way in traffic or a preferential right to something. | |||
Czech | výhoda | ||
"Výhoda" is historically related to "výhybka", meaning "switch" (a track on a railway), and "výhodný" (advantageous) has originally meant "suitable for switching". | |||
Estonian | eelis | ||
In Estonian, "eelis" can also mean "edge" or "border", reflecting its origin from the Proto-Finnic word "*e̯elĕ-" meaning "front". | |||
Finnish | etu | ||
"Etu" can also mean "front" or "first" in Finnish. | |||
Hungarian | előny | ||
The Hungarian word "előny" derives from "elő" (forward) and "nyom" (pressure), originally referring to an advantageous position in battle. | |||
Latvian | priekšrocība | ||
The term 'priekšrocība' is also used for a right granted to use the property of another or a thing owned by the community. | |||
Lithuanian | pranašumas | ||
The word "pranašumas" is related to the Sanskrit word "prana", meaning "breath" or "life force". | |||
Macedonian | предност | ||
"Предност" can also mean "merit" or "priority". | |||
Polish | korzyść | ||
The Polish word "korzyść" has Slavic roots, possibly derived from the Proto-Slavic word *koriti, meaning "to use" or "to exploit." | |||
Romanian | avantaj | ||
In Romanian, "avantaj" also means "head start" or "edge over someone else," deriving from the French word "avantage" with the same meanings. | |||
Russian | преимущество | ||
The word "преимущество" also means "preference" and originates from the Old Church Slavonic word "преимѫщество", which means "superiority". | |||
Serbian | предност | ||
The word "предност" is also used in Serbian to mean "priority" or "precedence".} | |||
Slovak | výhoda | ||
The word "výhoda" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*vygoda", which meant "benefit" or "profit". | |||
Slovenian | prednost | ||
"Prednost" is also the Slovenian term for a bus lane. | |||
Ukrainian | перевага | ||
The word "перевага" also has the meaning of "superiority" or "preponderance". |
Bengali | সুবিধা | ||
সুবিধা, যাকে সংস্কৃত থেকে ধার করা হয়েছে, বোঝায় সহজের উপলব্ধতা। | |||
Gujarati | ફાયદો | ||
"ફાયદો" is a loanword from the Arabic "fayda", which also means "profit". | |||
Hindi | फायदा | ||
फायदा (Hindi) traces its etymology to the Arabic word 'fāidah', meaning 'benefit' or 'gain'. | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರಯೋಜನ | ||
The word "ಪ್ರಯೋಜನ" (prayojana) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रयोजन" (prayojana), meaning "purpose" or "use". | |||
Malayalam | നേട്ടം | ||
The Malayalam word "നേട്ടം" can also mean "gain" or "profit". | |||
Marathi | फायदा | ||
In Marathi, "फायदा" can also mean "benefit" or "profit". | |||
Nepali | फाइदा | ||
The word "फाइदा" (faida) has Persian roots and can also mean "profit" or "benefit". | |||
Punjabi | ਫਾਇਦਾ | ||
ਫਾਇਦਾ is used in Punjabi to mean both advantage and profit, showing its historical connection to the concept of trade and material benefit. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වාසිය | ||
"වාසිය" can also mean 'the act or position of living in or using a particular place' or 'a room or place to live in' | |||
Tamil | நன்மை | ||
"நன்மை" in Tamil can also mean "good" or "benefit". | |||
Telugu | ప్రయోజనం | ||
The Telugu word "ప్రయోజనం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रयोजन". It can also mean "benefit" or "purpose". | |||
Urdu | فائدہ | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 优点 | ||
In Chinese, "优点" (yōudiǎn) also means "virtue" or "merit". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 優點 | ||
The second character "點" in "優點" is also used in the word "缺點" (disadvantage), indicating an objective evaluation of qualities. | |||
Japanese | 利点 | ||
利点 comes from the Chinese word “利益” (lìyì), which refers to benefit, profit or gain. | |||
Korean | 이점 | ||
'이점' also means 'a difference' in Korean, which stems from its Chinese roots. | |||
Mongolian | давуу тал | ||
The word "давуу тал" can also mean "victory" or "success" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အားသာချက် | ||
Indonesian | keuntungan | ||
"Keuntungan" also means "profit" or "gain" in Indonesian. | |||
Javanese | kauntungan | ||
The word 'kauntungan' in Javanese also refers to 'gain' or 'profit'. | |||
Khmer | អត្ថប្រយោជន៍ | ||
Lao | ປະໂຫຍດ | ||
The word "ປະໂຫຍດ" (advantage) comes from the Sanskrit word "upahita" meaning "obtained, acquired, or gained". | |||
Malay | kelebihan | ||
The Malay word "kelebihan" originates from the Sanskrit word "kalpa," meaning "merit" or "virtue." | |||
Thai | ความได้เปรียบ | ||
The word "ความได้เปรียบ" can also mean "edge" or "upper hand". | |||
Vietnamese | lợi thế | ||
The Vietnamese word "lợi thế" literally translates to "profit position" or "beneficial position". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kalamangan | ||
Azerbaijani | üstünlük | ||
In Azerbaijani, "üstünlük" not only means "advantage" but also "excellence" in quality or position, "preeminence" as a result of inherent qualities, and "superiority" over others due to power, influence, or status. | |||
Kazakh | артықшылығы | ||
The Kazakh word "артықшылығы" derives from the verb "арту" meaning "to increase" and thus literally translates to "a property of increase". | |||
Kyrgyz | артыкчылык | ||
Tajik | бартарӣ | ||
The word "бартарӣ" can also refer to "excellence" or "superiority" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | artykmaçlygy | ||
Uzbek | afzallik | ||
The word "afzallik" derives from "afzal" meaning "better" or "more superior." | |||
Uyghur | ئەۋزەللىكى | ||
Hawaiian | pōmaikaʻi | ||
The word "pōmaikaʻi" can also refer to good luck or fortune. | |||
Maori | painga | ||
The word 'painga' can also refer to a 'stake' or 'post' | |||
Samoan | lelei | ||
The Samoan word "lelei" (advantage) also means "good", sharing an etymology with the words in other Polynesian languages such as "maika'i" (Hawaiian), "mālosi" (Tongan), and "vinaka" (Fijian). | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kalamangan | ||
The word "kalamangan" is derived from the Malay word "kelamaan", meaning "benefit". It is also used in Tagalog with the same meaning, as well as to refer to a "win" or "victory" in competitive situations. |
Aymara | aski | ||
Guarani | yvytu | ||
Esperanto | avantaĝo | ||
Esperanto's "avantaĝo" originally meant "a thing that precedes" a commercial transaction, from "antaŭ" "before" + "aĵo" "thing." | |||
Latin | advantage | ||
The Latin word "adventus" means "arrival" or "coming" and is the origin of the word "advantage". |
Greek | πλεονέκτημα | ||
The word πλεονέκτημα (advantage) comes from the Greek words πλέον (more) and ἔχω (I have), meaning "having more". It can also refer to superiority, privilege, or an advantageous position. | |||
Hmong | qhov zoo dua | ||
The Hmong word "qhov zoo dua" derives from the words "qhov zoo" (good thing) and "dua" (above), meaning something that brings benefit from a superior position. | |||
Kurdish | berjewendî | ||
The word "berjewendî" is a derivative of the Farsi word "behravandi", meaning "profit" or "benefit." | |||
Turkish | avantaj | ||
"Avantaj" derives, through Turkish, ultimately from Persian meaning "anything which aids" or "a gift." | |||
Xhosa | uncedo | ||
The word "uncedo" in Xhosa also refers to the act of assisting or helping someone. | |||
Yiddish | מייַלע | ||
מייַלע can also imply 'it doesn't matter' or mean 'by the way', in addition to its primary sense, 'an advantage'. | |||
Zulu | inzuzo | ||
Inzuzo, meaning "advantage," also means "to get out ahead of." | |||
Assamese | সুবিধা | ||
Aymara | aski | ||
Bhojpuri | लाभ | ||
Dhivehi | ފައިދާ | ||
Dogri | लाह् | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kalamangan | ||
Guarani | yvytu | ||
Ilocano | bentahe | ||
Krio | bɛnifit | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سوود | ||
Maithili | फायदा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯟꯅꯕ ꯐꯪꯕ | ||
Mizo | hamthatna | ||
Oromo | bu'aa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସୁବିଧା | ||
Quechua | llalliy | ||
Sanskrit | लाभ | ||
Tatar | өстенлек | ||
Tigrinya | ጥቅሚ | ||
Tsonga | nkateko | ||