Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'again' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting repetition or returning to a previous state. It's a word we use frequently, often without realizing its profound impact on how we communicate and understand the world around us. Its cultural importance is evident across languages and borders, as every language has its own unique way of expressing the concept of repetition or returning.
For instance, did you know that 'again' translates to 'una volta ancora' in Italian, emphasizing the idea of 'one more time'? Or that in Japanese, 'mata' captures the essence of 'again', even though the language is structurally different from English?
Understanding the translation of 'again' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultures and ways of thinking of people around the world. It can help us appreciate the beauty of linguistic diversity and foster a sense of global community.
Afrikaans | weer | ||
In Dutch, "weer" means "weather", a cognate of its Afrikaans usage. | |||
Amharic | እንደገና | ||
The word "እንደገና" also means "on the other hand" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | sake | ||
Sake in Hausa can also mean a place of gathering or an occasion. | |||
Igbo | ọzọ | ||
The Igbo word "ọzọ" can also refer to a reincarnation or second chance. | |||
Malagasy | indray | ||
The word "indray" can also mean "next time" or "later". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kachiwiri | ||
The word "kachiwiri" is also used to refer to the second time something happens or is done. | |||
Shona | zvakare | ||
The word 'zvakare' can also mean 'in addition' or 'moreover' in Shona. | |||
Somali | markale | ||
The word "markale" in Somali also has the connotation of "repetition" or "reoccurrence". | |||
Sesotho | hape | ||
In Zulu, the word "hape" also means "to give", "to hand over". | |||
Swahili | tena | ||
The Swahili word "tena" can also mean "ten times" or "more than enough." | |||
Xhosa | kwakhona | ||
The word "kwakhona" also means "once more" or "on another occasion" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | lẹẹkansi | ||
The word "lẹẹkansi" in Yoruba can also mean "repetition" or "recurrence". | |||
Zulu | futhi | ||
Futhi can also be used to mean 'further', 'moreover' or 'in addition'. | |||
Bambara | tugunni | ||
Ewe | ake | ||
Kinyarwanda | na none | ||
Lingala | lisusu | ||
Luganda | neera | ||
Sepedi | gape | ||
Twi (Akan) | bio | ||
Arabic | مرة أخرى | ||
The Arabic word "مرة أخرى" ("again") can also literally mean "one time more," suggesting emphasis on doing something once more to make sure it's done right. | |||
Hebrew | שוב | ||
The word "שוב" ("again") is also used as a noun meaning "return", "repetition", or "instance". | |||
Pashto | بیا | ||
The word "بیا" can also mean "come here" or "bring" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | مرة أخرى | ||
The Arabic word "مرة أخرى" ("again") can also literally mean "one time more," suggesting emphasis on doing something once more to make sure it's done right. |
Albanian | përsëri | ||
'Përsëri' is also related to the verb 'përsërit' ('to repeat'), which suggests its root in the Proto-Indo-European word 'kwret-' ('to turn') shared by 'again' in English and 'quer-' ('to want') in Latin. | |||
Basque | berriro | ||
"Berriro" is used in Basque as a synonym for "aldiz berriro" (again), where "aldi" means "time". | |||
Catalan | de nou | ||
The Catalan word "de nou" can also mean "new" or "again" depending on the context. | |||
Croatian | opet | ||
The word "opet" can also mean "again" in Polish, Bulgarian, and Russian. | |||
Danish | igen | ||
"Igen" also means "yes" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | nog een keer | ||
The Dutch word "nog een keer" can also refer to a second chance or an additional attempt. | |||
English | again | ||
In addition to meaning "once more," "again" can also mean "on the other hand." | |||
French | encore | ||
French word encore, meaning "again," derives from Old French encor, in turn originating from Late Latin hanc horam ("this hour"). | |||
Frisian | wer | ||
The Frisian word "wer" is related to the English word "were" and the Dutch word "weer" | |||
Galician | de novo | ||
In Galician, "de novo" is a calque of the Latin phrase "de novo", which means "anew" or "afresh", and can also mean "from the beginning" or "from scratch". | |||
German | nochmal | ||
The word "nochmal" can also refer to a second or additional attempt at something. | |||
Icelandic | aftur | ||
Aftur is a word that was often used in Icelandic as an adverb meaning 'back' until the early 17th century. | |||
Irish | arís | ||
The Irish word 'arís' also has the meanings 'once more', 'back again', 'in return' and 'afterwards'. | |||
Italian | ancora | ||
In Italian, "ancora" is a homograph meaning both "again" and "anchor". | |||
Luxembourgish | erëm | ||
"Erëm" is derived from the Old High German word "er", meaning "formerly" or "beforehand," and can be used in place of the word "zréck" (back). | |||
Maltese | mill-ġdid | ||
The word "mill-ġdid" also means "anew" in Maltese, and is derived from the Arabic word "جديد" (jadīd), meaning "new". | |||
Norwegian | en gang til | ||
En gang til can mean either once more or one more time depending on context. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | novamente | ||
The word "novamente" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) comes from the Latin word "nova mente," meaning "new mind," and it is also used to mean "once more." | |||
Scots Gaelic | a-rithist | ||
The Gaelic word 'a-rithist' can also refer to a second time or an encore. | |||
Spanish | otra vez | ||
The word "otra vez" in Spanish can trace its roots to the Latin "Iterum vice," which means "in turn." | |||
Swedish | igen | ||
The Old Swedish word "igær" (today "igår"), meaning "yesterday," shares the same etymology as "igen." | |||
Welsh | eto | ||
The Welsh word "eto" (''again'') derives from the Old Welsh ''etto'' (''to turn''), hence its secondary meaning of "to turn" or "to come back (to a place)". |
Belarusian | зноў | ||
The word "зноў" (again) in Belarusian derives from the Proto-Slavic word "sъ-novъ", meaning "anew" or "once more". | |||
Bosnian | opet | ||
The term "opet" in Bosnian can also refer to "a certain quantity of liquid". | |||
Bulgarian | отново | ||
"Отново" can also mean "anew" or "once more" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | znovu | ||
Znovu can also mean "anew" or "afresh", implying a sense of renewal or a fresh start. | |||
Estonian | uuesti | ||
In Finnish, the word "uuesti" means "again" and "anew". This is similar to the Estonian usage. | |||
Finnish | uudelleen | ||
The word "uudelleen" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*uudistaja", meaning "to renew" or "to make new". | |||
Hungarian | újra | ||
The word "újra" is also used to express repetition, renewal, or a second attempt. | |||
Latvian | atkal | ||
The word "atkal" in Latvian is cognate with the Lithuanian word "atkal" and the Old Church Slavonic word "възъ", also meaning "again". | |||
Lithuanian | vėl | ||
"Vėl" is used not only in a temporal sense, but also to connect the same or related events or facts. | |||
Macedonian | повторно | ||
"Повторно" can also mean "repetition" or "recurrence". | |||
Polish | jeszcze raz | ||
The word "jeszcze raz" comes from the Old Polish word "jeszcze", meaning "after" or "afterwards". | |||
Romanian | din nou | ||
The Romanian word "din nou" literally translates to "from the new". | |||
Russian | еще раз | ||
The word "еще раз" literally translates to "another time," implying a repetition of an action. | |||
Serbian | опет | ||
"Опет" can also mean "moreover, too, besides". | |||
Slovak | ešte raz | ||
The Slovak word "ešte raz" can also mean "one more time" or "once more." | |||
Slovenian | ponovno | ||
"Ponovno" also means "a second marriage" and "once more; additionally" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | знову | ||
The word “знову” (again) in Ukrainian comes from the Middle High German word “ander” (a second time). |
Bengali | আবার | ||
The word "আবার" ("again") in Bengali also refers to a "turn" or "round". | |||
Gujarati | ફરી | ||
ફરી derives from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *wer- meaning 'to turn' or 'to go back'. | |||
Hindi | फिर | ||
The word "फिर" in Hindi can also mean "again and again", "in turn", or "in return". | |||
Kannada | ಮತ್ತೆ | ||
The word **ಮತ್ತೆ** ('matthe') may have originated from 'matta' ('repeatedly') or 'mattu' ('return'), indicating recurrence or repetition. | |||
Malayalam | വീണ്ടും | ||
In Dravidian languages, 'again' and 'once more' are cognate and derive from the same Proto-Dravidian root. | |||
Marathi | पुन्हा | ||
The Marathi word "पुन्हा" (punha) derives from the Sanskrit word "punar" and also means "back". | |||
Nepali | फेरी | ||
फेरी in Nepali is also the name of the time between the Dashain festival and Tihar, which lasts for three weeks. | |||
Punjabi | ਦੁਬਾਰਾ | ||
The word "ਦੁਬਾਰਾ" is used not only to mean "again", but also "second time" or "one more time". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යළි | ||
'යළි' also means 'back,' 'in return,' and 'once more.' | |||
Tamil | மீண்டும் | ||
Also, 'மீண்டும்' can mean 'once more', or 'back again'. | |||
Telugu | మళ్ళీ | ||
The word "మళ్ళీ" also means "next" or "another" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | ایک بار پھر | ||
In addition to its use for "again," "ik baar phir" may also indicate "further" or "moreover." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 再次 | ||
再次 (zài cì) is a compound word formed by 再 (zài) "again" and 次 (cì) "time, occasion". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 再次 | ||
再次, a word meaning "again" in Chinese, has the same root as 再見 (zàijiàn) which means "goodbye". | |||
Japanese | 再び | ||
The word "再び" (fたたび) is also a Buddhist term meaning "to repeat a life cycle". | |||
Korean | 다시 | ||
The word "다시" in Korean is also used to indicate "repetition" or "recurrence" in a more general sense. | |||
Mongolian | дахин | ||
The word "дахин" (again) in Mongolian can also refer to "one more time", "another time", or "once more". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | နောက်တဖန် | ||
Indonesian | lagi | ||
The word 'lagi' in Indonesian also has the connotation of 'still' or 'currently', as in 'Saya lagi makan' ('I am currently eating'). | |||
Javanese | maneh | ||
In Javanese, "maneh" can also mean "you" in a formal context. | |||
Khmer | ម្តងទៀត | ||
The word “ម្តងទៀត” has many forms depending on its use and its meaning. | |||
Lao | ອີກເທື່ອຫນຶ່ງ | ||
Malay | lagi | ||
The word "lagi" can also mean "still" or "yet" in Malay. | |||
Thai | อีกครั้ง | ||
The Thai word "อีกครั้ง" can also mean "once more", "a second time", or "another time". | |||
Vietnamese | lần nữa | ||
"Lần nữa" in Vietnamese can also mean "the next time" or "one more time". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | muli | ||
Azerbaijani | yenidən | ||
"Yenidən" is derived from the Persian word "yeni" meaning "new" and the suffix "-dən" meaning "from" or "again". | |||
Kazakh | тағы да | ||
"Тағы да" (again) can also mean "still, yet" in Kazakh, implying an ongoing or incomplete action. | |||
Kyrgyz | дагы бир жолу | ||
Tajik | боз | ||
In Tajik, "боз" can also refer to "a part" of a whole, a specific "period", or a "group". | |||
Turkmen | ýene | ||
Uzbek | yana | ||
The word "yana" in Uzbek is also used to mean "new" or "another" | |||
Uyghur | يەنە | ||
Hawaiian | hou | ||
Hou may also refer to a person's "other" or "companion," a type of grass, a small cave, or a certain kind of sweet potato. | |||
Maori | ano | ||
In Māori, "ano" can also refer to a second attempt, a repetition, or a return to a former state. | |||
Samoan | toe | ||
In Samoan, 'toe' is also used to refer to a person's foot. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | muli | ||
The word "muli" in Tagalog can also refer to the act of doing something repeatedly or habitually. |
Aymara | wasitampi | ||
Guarani | jey | ||
Esperanto | denove | ||
The Esperanto word "denove" is derived from the Latin "de novo," meaning "anew" or "afresh." | |||
Latin | rursus | ||
The word "rursus" can also mean "in turn" or "on the other hand" in Latin. |
Greek | πάλι | ||
πάλι (páli): From Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-w-, extended vocalism from the root *peh₂- "to protect, feed, guard". | |||
Hmong | dua | ||
The word "dua" in Hmong can also mean "twice" or "double". | |||
Kurdish | dîsa | ||
The Kurdish word "dîsa" is also used as a synonym for "second" or "other" | |||
Turkish | tekrar | ||
"Tekrar" originates from the Arabic word "tekrār" meaning "repetition" or "recurrence". | |||
Xhosa | kwakhona | ||
The word "kwakhona" also means "once more" or "on another occasion" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | ווידער | ||
In Yiddish, the word "ווידער" is also used to convey opposition, such as in the phrase "ווידער דעם געזעץ," meaning "against the law." | |||
Zulu | futhi | ||
Futhi can also be used to mean 'further', 'moreover' or 'in addition'. | |||
Assamese | পুনৰ | ||
Aymara | wasitampi | ||
Bhojpuri | फेरु | ||
Dhivehi | އަނެއްކާ | ||
Dogri | परतियै | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | muli | ||
Guarani | jey | ||
Ilocano | manen | ||
Krio | igen | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | دووبارە | ||
Maithili | दोबारा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯃꯨꯛ ꯍꯟꯅ | ||
Mizo | leh | ||
Oromo | irra deebiin | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପୁନର୍ବାର | ||
Quechua | musuqmanta | ||
Sanskrit | पुनः | ||
Tatar | тагын | ||
Tigrinya | ካልኣይ | ||
Tsonga | nakambe | ||