Alternative in Different Languages
Discover 'Alternative' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'alternative' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing the option or choice that deviates from the norm or the mainstream. Its cultural importance is evident in various aspects of society, including music, fashion, lifestyle, and politics. The concept of 'alternative' encourages individuality, creativity, and innovation, making it a powerful term that resonates with people worldwide.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'alternative' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and approach the idea of choosing a different path. For instance, in Spanish, 'alternative' translates to 'alternativo,' while in French, it is 'alternatif.' In German, the word is 'alternativ,' and in Japanese, it is 'alternatibu' (アルTERNATイブ).
Delving into the translations of 'alternative' can also reveal fascinating historical contexts and linguistic nuances that reflect the unique characteristics of each language and culture. As you explore this list of translations, consider the implications of 'alternative' in your own life and how it shapes your perspective on the world around you.
Alternative
Alternative in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | alternatief | ||
| The root of "alternatief" is the Latin "alter," meaning "other" or "different." | |||
| Amharic | አማራጭ | ||
| The word "አማራጭ" can also mean "a choice made between two things" or "an option." | |||
| Hausa | madadin | ||
| "Madaɗin" comes from Arabic for "help, assistance, aid, support, relief" | |||
| Igbo | ọzọ | ||
| In Igbo, ọzọ may also refer to the "highest grade" title in traditional Igbo society. | |||
| Malagasy | anarana iombonana amin'ny | ||
| The phrase literally means "other way of speaking." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | njira ina | ||
| The word "njira ina" can also mean "a different way" or "another road" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | imwe nzira | ||
| The Shona word "imwe nzira" is derived from the roots "imwe" (one) and "nzira" (path), emphasizing the concept of a different path or option. | |||
| Somali | beddelaad | ||
| The word "beddelaad" can also mean "change" or "replacement" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | mofuta o mong | ||
| The word 'mofuta o mong' (alternative) literally translates to 'another way'. | |||
| Swahili | mbadala | ||
| The word "mbadala" in Swahili can also mean "exchange" or "substitution". | |||
| Xhosa | enye indlela | ||
| The Xhosa word "enye indlela" can also mean "different" or "distinct". | |||
| Yoruba | omiiran | ||
| In its broader sense, 'omiiran' also conveys the idea of change, variety, or difference from the norm in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | okunye | ||
| Okunye means "alternative" in Zulu and is sometimes used humorously to mean "whatever". | |||
| Bambara | cogowɛrɛ | ||
| Ewe | nu bubu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubundi | ||
| Lingala | mosusu | ||
| Luganda | okuteeka mu kifo kya | ||
| Sepedi | ye nngwe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | foforɔ | ||
Alternative in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لبديل | ||
| In Arabic, the word "لبديل" (badīl) can also refer to a substitute, exchange, or compensation. | |||
| Hebrew | חֲלוּפָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "חֲלוּפָה" also refers to an exchange or replacement. | |||
| Pashto | بدیل | ||
| The Pashto translation of "alternative" (بدیل) literally means “replacement,” “substitute,” “change” or "different." | |||
| Arabic | لبديل | ||
| In Arabic, the word "لبديل" (badīl) can also refer to a substitute, exchange, or compensation. | |||
Alternative in Western European Languages
| Albanian | alternative | ||
| The word "alternative" is thought to have ultimately derived from the Latin phrase "alternus" meaning "every other" or "by turns." | |||
| Basque | alternatiba | ||
| In Basque, 'alternatiba' is derived from Latin 'alternare', meaning 'to alternate'. | |||
| Catalan | alternativa | ||
| "Alternativa" in Catalan also means "a choice of two possibilities." | |||
| Croatian | alternativa | ||
| The word "alternativa" in Croatian can also refer to an alternative military service or a type of music festival. | |||
| Danish | alternativ | ||
| The Danish word "alternativ" can also mean "option", "choice", or "possibility". | |||
| Dutch | alternatief | ||
| The Dutch word "alternatief" also has the meaning "different" or "extra", not just "alternative". | |||
| English | alternative | ||
| The word 'alternative' derives from the Latin word 'alternare' meaning 'to alternate' and 'to exchange'. | |||
| French | alternative | ||
| The French word "alternative" can also mean "exchange" or "barter". | |||
| Frisian | alternatyf | ||
| The Frisian word "alternatyf" is likely derived from the Latin word "alternus", meaning "by turns" or "one after the other". | |||
| Galician | alternativa | ||
| The word "alternativa" in Galician also means "choice" or "option". | |||
| German | alternative | ||
| In German, "Alternative" can refer to a second name, a pseudonym, or a spare wheel. | |||
| Icelandic | val | ||
| In Icelandic, "val" can refer to elections as well as having a double meaning of "choice or option". | |||
| Irish | rogha eile | ||
| Italian | alternativa | ||
| In Italian, 'alternativa' can also refer to a choice or option, or a dilemma or a difficult situation. | |||
| Luxembourgish | alternativ | ||
| In Luxembourgish it has two different forms, "Alternativ" (without an umlaut) means "alternating" and "Alternativ" (with umlaut) means "alternative." | |||
| Maltese | alternattiva | ||
| The Maltese word "alternattiva" originates from the Italian word "alternativa", meaning "option" or "choice". | |||
| Norwegian | alternativ | ||
| The Norwegian word "alternativ" can also refer to a spare or substitute, or to an alternative reality. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alternativo | ||
| "Alternativo" can mean "different" or "non-mainstream" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | roghainn eile | ||
| "Roghainn eile" literally means "other choice" in Scots Gaelic, reflecting its sense of being an option outside of the primary one. | |||
| Spanish | alternativa | ||
| The word "alternativa" in Spanish can also mean "a bullfighter's first public fight after receiving the alternative". | |||
| Swedish | alternativ | ||
| The Swedish word "alternativ" can also mean "choice" or "option". | |||
| Welsh | dewis arall | ||
| The Welsh word "dewis arall" is an idiomatic equivalent of the English "other choice". | |||
Alternative in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | альтэрнатыва | ||
| The word "альтэрнатыва" in Belarusian also refers to a dilemma or a choice between two options. | |||
| Bosnian | alternativa | ||
| "Alternativa" is a Bosnian word that comes from the Latin word "alternare," which means "to alternate" or "to change from one thing to another." | |||
| Bulgarian | алтернатива | ||
| The Bulgarian word "алтернатива" also refers to a type of folk song with improvised lyrics. | |||
| Czech | alternativní | ||
| The word "alternativní" in Czech can mean "experimental" or even "extraordinary". | |||
| Estonian | alternatiivne | ||
| The Estonian word "alternatiivne" derives from the Latin word "alternus", meaning "reciprocal" or "by turns". | |||
| Finnish | vaihtoehto | ||
| Vaihtoehto is derived from the Finnish words "vaihtaa" (to change) and "ehto" (condition) | |||
| Hungarian | alternatív | ||
| The word "alternatív" can also refer to anything that is not considered mainstream or traditional. | |||
| Latvian | alternatīva | ||
| In Latvian, the word "alternatīva" is also used to describe a "choice" or an "option". | |||
| Lithuanian | alternatyva | ||
| In Polish, the word "alternatywa" can also mean "alternative", but it is more commonly used to refer to a "choice" or an "option" | |||
| Macedonian | алтернатива | ||
| "Алтернатива" (alternative) comes from the Latin word "alter", meaning "other". It can also refer to a choice between two or more options. | |||
| Polish | alternatywny | ||
| In Polish, 'alternatywny' can also refer to a counterculture or non-mainstream perspective. | |||
| Romanian | alternativă | ||
| "Alternativa" means crossroads in Latin and refers to the two choices when traveling on horseback with one horse and two riders. | |||
| Russian | альтернатива | ||
| The word "альтернатива" comes from the Latin word "alternare," meaning "to alternate" or "to change." | |||
| Serbian | алтернатива | ||
| The word 'алтернатива' is a borrowing from Latin 'alternativus', and can refer to both an 'alternative' and a 'choice'. | |||
| Slovak | alternatíva | ||
| Its original meaning was "change". Later, it acquired the meaning of "option to make a choice". | |||
| Slovenian | alternativa | ||
| The word "alternativa" in Slovenian can also mean "dilemma" or "choice between two options." | |||
| Ukrainian | альтернатива | ||
| "Альтернатива" comes from the Latin word "alternare," meaning "to alternate," and refers to a choice between two or more options. | |||
Alternative in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিকল্প | ||
| The word 'বিকল্প' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'विकल्प', which means 'option' or 'choice'. | |||
| Gujarati | વૈકલ્પિક | ||
| Hindi | विकल्प | ||
| The word "विकल्प" has multiple meanings in Vedic Sanskrit including “difference,” "exchange or substitution," “rival or enemy," and "option or alternative." | |||
| Kannada | ಪರ್ಯಾಯ | ||
| The word "ಪರ್ಯಾಯ" can also mean "a synonym" or "a way out" | |||
| Malayalam | ബദൽ | ||
| As a noun, "ബദൽ" can also mean a substitute teacher. | |||
| Marathi | पर्यायी | ||
| "पर्यायी" (alternative) in Marathi also means 'consecutive' or 'successive'. | |||
| Nepali | वैकल्पिक | ||
| The word "वैकल्पिक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "विकल्प" (vikalpa), which means "option" or "choice" | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਕਲਪ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਵਿਕਲਪ" literally means "an option or choice", and is also used to denote a "solution to a problem" or a "substitute for something else". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විකල්ප | ||
| Originally, the term meant "distinctive form" in Sinhala, and it was a term used to refer to the different styles of traditional Sri Lankan music. | |||
| Tamil | மாற்று | ||
| The word "மாற்று" in Tamil can also mean "substitute" or "exchange". | |||
| Telugu | ప్రత్యామ్నాయం | ||
| Urdu | متبادل | ||
| The word "متبادل" is derived from the Arabic word "بَدَلَ" meaning "to exchange" or "to substitute". | |||
Alternative in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 另类 | ||
| The word "另类" also refers to eccentricity, weirdness, or oddness in terms of thought or behavior | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 另類 | ||
| The word "另類" ("alternative" in English) originally referred to deviant behavior or unorthodox thoughts, but now has a more neutral connotation, implying something that is unconventional or different. | |||
| Japanese | 代替 | ||
| "代替" is a Japanese word that can also mean 'substitute', 'surrogate', or 'replacement'. | |||
| Korean | 대안 | ||
| 대안 is the Sino-Korean rendering of the Buddhist concept pratyaya, meaning "dependent origination" or "conditioning." | |||
| Mongolian | өөр хувилбар | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခြားရွေးချယ်စရာ | ||
Alternative in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | alternatif | ||
| Istilah "alternatif" berasal dari bahasa latin "alter" yang berarti "lain" atau "berbeda". Di Indonesia, kata ini kerap digunakan untuk merujuk pada metode pengobatan non-konvensional. | |||
| Javanese | alternatif | ||
| The Javanese word "alternatif" is derived from the Sanskrit word "alternatas" which means "other" or "different". | |||
| Khmer | ជំនួស | ||
| ជំនួស (Chumnuoh) originates from the Sanskrit word “pratinaidha,” meaning “to resist” or “to fight against”. | |||
| Lao | ທາງເລືອກ | ||
| Malay | alternatif | ||
| Alternatif also means 'turn by turn' or 'alternate' in Malay, derived from the Arabic word 'al-tarāfayn' meaning 'the two sides'. | |||
| Thai | ทางเลือก | ||
| In Thai, "ทางเลือก" (alternative) also means "option" or "choice". | |||
| Vietnamese | thay thế | ||
| "Thay thế" also means "to replace" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alternatibo | ||
Alternative in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | alternativ | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "alternativ" is derived from the French "alternative", which means "choice" or "option". | |||
| Kazakh | балама | ||
| The Kazakh word "балама" can also refer to a "parallel" or "sideline". | |||
| Kyrgyz | альтернатива | ||
| В кыргызском языке слово «альтернатива» имеет дополнительное значение - «выбор». | |||
| Tajik | алтернатива | ||
| Слово "алтернатива" произошло от латинского "alter", что означает "другой, иной". | |||
| Turkmen | alternatiwasy | ||
| Uzbek | muqobil | ||
| The word "muqobil" in Uzbek is derived from the Arabic word "muqabala," which means "to compare" or "to contrast." | |||
| Uyghur | ئۇنىڭدىن باشقا | ||
Alternative in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kahi koho ʻē aʻe | ||
| Derived from **kahi** (one of, one part of) & **koho** (choice), a choice other than the one already made. | |||
| Maori | kē | ||
| The word "kē" in Māori can also refer to "different" or "other" in the context of a comparison. | |||
| Samoan | isi filifiliga | ||
| In Samoan, “isi filifiliga” (“alternative”) means “to choose” or “to select”. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kahalili | ||
| "Kahalin" also denotes one of the three traditional marriage rites during pre-Hispanic Philippines. | |||
Alternative in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yaqha | ||
| Guarani | ambuekua | ||
Alternative in International Languages
| Esperanto | alternativo | ||
| "Alternativo" in Esperanto derives from the same Indo-European root as "alter," meaning "the other one." | |||
| Latin | aliud | ||
| In addition to its main meaning, "aliud" can also mean "something else," "something different," or "something other than the first." | |||
Alternative in Others Languages
| Greek | εναλλακτική λύση | ||
| In Greek, the word εναλλακτική λύση also refers to a political party called Alternative Solution for Greek Independence. | |||
| Hmong | lwm txoj | ||
| In English, "lwm txoj" could mean "alternative" or "another way". | |||
| Kurdish | şûndor | ||
| In older texts, 'şûndor' is used as 'alternative, choice, option, variant'. | |||
| Turkish | alternatif | ||
| Alternatif (alternative) comes from the Latin word "alternare," meaning "to alternate" or "to change." | |||
| Xhosa | enye indlela | ||
| The Xhosa word "enye indlela" can also mean "different" or "distinct". | |||
| Yiddish | אנדער ברירה | ||
| The Yiddish word "אַנדער ברירה" (alternative) literally means "other choice" or "no other choice." | |||
| Zulu | okunye | ||
| Okunye means "alternative" in Zulu and is sometimes used humorously to mean "whatever". | |||
| Assamese | বিকল্প | ||
| Aymara | yaqha | ||
| Bhojpuri | वैकल्पिक | ||
| Dhivehi | އިތުރު ހައްލު | ||
| Dogri | एवजी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alternatibo | ||
| Guarani | ambuekua | ||
| Ilocano | alternatibo | ||
| Krio | ɔda | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جێگرەوە | ||
| Maithili | विकल्प | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯇꯣꯞꯄ ꯃꯍꯨꯠ | ||
| Mizo | tlukpui | ||
| Oromo | filannoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିକଳ୍ପ | ||
| Quechua | chullachinakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | वैकल्पिक | ||
| Tatar | альтернатива | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣማራፂ | ||
| Tsonga | xin'wana | ||