Apply in Different Languages
Discover 'Apply' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'apply' is a small but powerful verb, indicating the action of putting something to a particular use or purpose. Its significance goes beyond mere utility, as it often represents the crucial first step in many endeavors, be it for a job, a loan, or even a sticker on a laptop!
Culturally, the concept of 'applying' has taken on various nuances. In some societies, it's common to 'apply' for certain rights or privileges, while in others, such actions might be considered presumptuous. The word's implications can reveal much about a culture's values and norms.
Given the global reach of the English language, understanding the translation of 'apply' in different languages can be both enlightening and practical. For instance, in Spanish, 'apply' becomes 'aplicar,' while in French, it's 'appliquer.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word is '申请' (shēnqǐng), and in Japanese, it's '適用' (tekiyō).
As you delve deeper into these translations, you'll not only expand your vocabulary but also gain insights into how different languages and cultures view this universal concept.
Apply
Apply in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | toepas | ||
| The word "toepas" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch "toepassen" which can also mean "to utilize" or "to make use of". | |||
| Amharic | ይተግብሩ | ||
| The Amharic verb form 'ተግብሩ' or 'ተግበሩ' can also mean 'to join' or 'to be attached to'. | |||
| Hausa | nema | ||
| Hausa "nema" may have originated from Kanuri "nemi" or Mandinka "nema" meaning "seek" or "look for". | |||
| Igbo | ide | ||
| The word "ide" in Igbo can also mean "to touch" or "to handle". | |||
| Malagasy | ampiharo | ||
| The word "ampiharo" in Malagasy can also mean "to practice" or "to exercise". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gwiritsani | ||
| This word has alternate meanings of 'put on', 'fasten', and 'stick to'. | |||
| Shona | shandisa | ||
| The word "shandisa" was borrowed from the Portuguese word "usar" which means "to use". | |||
| Somali | dalbo | ||
| Dalbo means either to be applied, or to be used. Its root word is 'dal', meaning 'to put in use'. | |||
| Sesotho | sebetsa | ||
| The word "sebetsa" also means "to work" or "to do something". | |||
| Swahili | tumia | ||
| The word "tumia" has a double meaning, implying both the application of force and the giving of respect. | |||
| Xhosa | faka isicelo | ||
| The word 'faka isicelo' can also mean 'to make a request' or 'to submit a petition' | |||
| Yoruba | waye | ||
| The word "waye" in Yoruba can also mean "to spread out" or "to display". | |||
| Zulu | sebenzisa | ||
| Sebenzisa originates from the Nguni word 'senza', meaning 'to do' or 'to act.']} | |||
| Bambara | ka waleya | ||
| Ewe | tsᴐe wᴐ dᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gusaba | ||
| Lingala | kosalela | ||
| Luganda | okuteeka mu nkola | ||
| Sepedi | diriša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pere | ||
Apply in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تطبيق | ||
| The Arabic word "تطبيق" originates from the verb "طبق" meaning "to follow" or "to match", implying an action that aligns with an existing standard or rule. | |||
| Hebrew | להגיש מועמדות | ||
| The word "להגיש מועמדות" in Hebrew is derived from the root "הג" ("to raise") and literally means "to raise a hand" (as when applying for something). | |||
| Pashto | غوښتنه وکړئ | ||
| The Pashto term “غوښتنه وکړئ” has roots in Arabic, where it also means “to ask” or “to beg.” | |||
| Arabic | تطبيق | ||
| The Arabic word "تطبيق" originates from the verb "طبق" meaning "to follow" or "to match", implying an action that aligns with an existing standard or rule. | |||
Apply in Western European Languages
| Albanian | aplikoj | ||
| The Albanian word "aplikoj" is derived from the Latin "applicō," meaning "to attach, fit, or join." | |||
| Basque | aplikatu | ||
| Aplikatu, meaning "apply," is derived from the Latin applicare, meaning "to attach," "to add," or "to join." | |||
| Catalan | aplicar | ||
| It derives from the Latin verb 'applicare', meaning 'to attach, join or unite' and it can also mean 'to hit or strike'. | |||
| Croatian | primijeniti | ||
| The Croatian word 'primijeniti' originates from the Latin 'applicare', meaning to add, attach, or devote something to something else, and can also mean 'to take effect'. | |||
| Danish | ansøge | ||
| The word 'ansøge' also means to 'ask for something', such as a favor or permission. | |||
| Dutch | van toepassing zijn | ||
| The Dutch 'van toepassing zijn' is derived from 'toepassing' and means being valid or relevant | |||
| English | apply | ||
| The word "apply" derives from the Latin "applicare," meaning "to attach" or "to join." | |||
| French | appliquer | ||
| The French verb "appliquer" comes from the Latin word "applicare," meaning "to fold" or "to join." | |||
| Frisian | tapasse | ||
| The Frisian word "tapasse" may also refer to a small bag, knapsack or sack. | |||
| Galician | aplicar | ||
| "Aplicar" en gallego también significa "poner a punto un vehículo o una máquina" | |||
| German | anwenden | ||
| The word "anwenden" can also mean "to use" or "to employ" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | eiga við | ||
| "Eiga við" also means "to have to do with" in the sense of "affect" or "concern", or "to be connected with". | |||
| Irish | iarratas a dhéanamh | ||
| Italian | applicare | ||
| The Latin verb "applicare" literally translates to "to fold" or "to bring near". | |||
| Luxembourgish | uwenden | ||
| Iwenden is also found in other dialects of German and has been used since the 19th century. | |||
| Maltese | japplikaw | ||
| The Maltese word "japplikaw" is derived from the Italian "applicare" and also means "to adapt" or "to fit". | |||
| Norwegian | søke om | ||
| The Norwegian word "søke om" derives from the Old Norse word "søkja", meaning "to seek, search, or request". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | aplique | ||
| In Portuguese, "Aplique" means both "apply" and the act of glueing something onto another surface, like fake hair or eyelashes. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tagradh | ||
| Historically, the word "tagradh" could also be used to describe the act of delivering a message or a request. | |||
| Spanish | aplicar | ||
| In Spanish, "aplicar" can also mean "attach" or "stick" in addition to "apply". | |||
| Swedish | tillämpa | ||
| In medieval times, 'tillämpa' only meant to apply a bandage or a plaster to a wound | |||
| Welsh | gwneud cais | ||
| The phrase 'gwneud cais' can also literally translate to mean 'make cheese' in English. | |||
Apply in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | падаць заяўку | ||
| Падаць заяўку (apply) - to make a formal request or offer (e.g. for a job, grant, course, etc.) | |||
| Bosnian | primijeniti | ||
| The word "primijeniti" derives from the Latin word "primēre", meaning to take or hold first. | |||
| Bulgarian | приложи | ||
| The word "Приложи" is believed to come from the Old Church Slavonic word "приложь", meaning "to add". It can also mean "to affix", "to attach", or "to join". | |||
| Czech | aplikovat | ||
| In Czech "aplikovat" means only "to apply", whereas in Slovak it can also mean "to vaccinate." | |||
| Estonian | kohaldada | ||
| The word "kohaldada" originates from the German word "anwenden" meaning "to employ" or "to use". | |||
| Finnish | käytä | ||
| Käytä also means a small village or hamlet in Finnish, which is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "kǫt" meaning a small farm or settlement. | |||
| Hungarian | alkalmaz | ||
| The word "alkalmaz" comes from the Turkish word "kullanan", meaning "one who uses", and is also related to the Hungarian word "alkalom", meaning "opportunity". | |||
| Latvian | pieteikties | ||
| The Latvian verb 'pieteikties' can also mean registering for something formally in English. | |||
| Lithuanian | kreiptis | ||
| "Kreiptis" can also mean address, application, speech, approach, and appeal | |||
| Macedonian | се применуваат | ||
| The word "се применуваат" in Macedonian derives from the Slavic root "primen-" meaning "to put to use" or "to utilize". | |||
| Polish | zastosować | ||
| The verb "zastosować" in Polish comes from the Proto-Slavic root "*staviti" which also means to put or to place. | |||
| Romanian | aplica | ||
| The Romanian word "aplica" also refers to "a light fixture attached to a ceiling or wall in a closed casing" | |||
| Russian | применять | ||
| The word "применять" in Russian can also mean "to use" or "to put into practice". | |||
| Serbian | применити | ||
| The Serbian word "применити" originally meant "to bring (something) to"; its current meaning of "to apply" is a calque from German. | |||
| Slovak | uplatniť | ||
| The word `uplatniť` comes from the verb `platniť`, meaning `to be valid or effective`, and the prefix `u-`, which intensifies the meaning, hence `to make valid or effective`. | |||
| Slovenian | prijaviti | ||
| The word "prijaviti" in Slovenian shares an etymology with "priznati" (confess), and can also mean "to announce". | |||
| Ukrainian | подати заявку | ||
| Ukrainian "подати заявку" has a second meaning derived from French "appeler" – "to call". Thus it can also mean "to make a call" | |||
Apply in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রয়োগ | ||
| In some contexts, "প্রয়োগ" can mean "administration" or "implementation" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | લાગુ કરો | ||
| "લાગુ કરો" is originally a Sanskrit word which also means to "bring into operation" or "set to work". | |||
| Hindi | लागू | ||
| The Hindi word 'लागू' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लाग्', meaning 'to cling', and is also related to the Hindi word 'लगाव', meaning 'attachment'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅನ್ವಯಿಸು | ||
| Originally derived from Sanskrit, "ಅನ್ವಯಿಸು" has alternate meanings such as "to connect" or "to relate". | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രയോഗിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | अर्ज करा | ||
| The term "अर्ज करा" (apply) is derived from Persian word "arz" which means "representation", and is primarily used in administrative or formal settings. | |||
| Nepali | निवेदन गर्नु | ||
| The word 'निवेदन गर्नु' ('apply') in Nepali derives from Sanskrit 'nivedayati', meaning 'to report', 'to submit' or 'to present'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰੋ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අයදුම් කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | விண்ணப்பிக்கவும் | ||
| Telugu | వర్తించు | ||
| "వర్తించు" refers to applying something, following or obeying, and also refers to the act of covering. | |||
| Urdu | درخواست دیں | ||
| "درخواست دیں" in Urdu originates from Persian and literally means "make a request" or "ask for something". | |||
Apply in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 应用 | ||
| The original meaning of "应用" was to use something, while its modern meaning refers to applying knowledge or theory to solve problems. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 應用 | ||
| The word 應用 (apply) in Traditional Chinese can also mean "use" or "utilize". | |||
| Japanese | 適用する | ||
| The word 適用する (atekisyuru) can also mean "to suit" or "to adapt" | |||
| Korean | 대다 | ||
| The Korean word "대다" (apply) also means "to carry on the back" or "to confront or face," which are related to its original meaning of "to lay something on top of something else." | |||
| Mongolian | хэрэглэх | ||
| The word "хэрэглэх" can also mean "to use" or "to employ" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လျှောက်ထားပါ | ||
Apply in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menerapkan | ||
| "Menerapkan" derives from the Dutch word "toepassen", meaning "to bring into practice" and ultimately from the Old French "apliquer" and Latin "applicare". | |||
| Javanese | nglamar | ||
| In modern Javanese, the verb nglamar is used to propose marriage, but its original meaning was "to make a request or petition." | |||
| Khmer | អនុវត្ត | ||
| This Khmer word came from the Sanskrit word "anuvarta," meaning "to follow" (a pattern or rule). | |||
| Lao | ສະ ໝັກ | ||
| The Lao word ສະ ໝັກ "apply" is derived from the Pali word "sammā karaṇa" meaning "to do rightly, to apply oneself to". | |||
| Malay | berlaku | ||
| "Berlaku" also means "to occur" or "to take effect" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | สมัคร | ||
| The word "สมัคร" also means "volunteer" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | ứng dụng | ||
| "Ứng dụng" also means "application" in software or computing. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-apply | ||
Apply in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müraciət edin | ||
| The word "müraciət edin" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "raja'a", meaning "to return" or "to refer to", and is also used in Turkish with the same meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | қолдану | ||
| "Қолдану" comes from the Old Turkic word "qul" (to use). | |||
| Kyrgyz | колдонуу | ||
| The word "колдонуу" in Kyrgyz can also mean "to use" or "to apply to use". | |||
| Tajik | муроҷиат кунед | ||
| The word "муроҷиат кунед" in Tajik, originating from Persian, literally means "to bring back", and is also used for "going over to a place". | |||
| Turkmen | ýüz tutuň | ||
| Uzbek | murojaat qilish | ||
| The word "murojaat qilish" in Uzbek can also mean "to refer to" or "to address". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىلتىماس قىلىڭ | ||
Apply in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | noi | ||
| The word noi can also mean 'stick', and is cognate with the Maori word noho 'to sit'. | |||
| Maori | tono | ||
| The word "tono" can also mean "to put on", "to set up", or "to erect". | |||
| Samoan | talosaga | ||
| The word "talosaga" also means "to put on" or "to wear". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mag-apply | ||
| The Tagalog word "mag-apply" derives from the Spanish word "aplicar" meaning "to employ" or "to use". | |||
Apply in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
| Guarani | poru | ||
Apply in International Languages
| Esperanto | apliki | ||
| The Esperanto word “apliki” originates from the Latin word “applicare,” meaning “to attach” or “to join.” | |||
| Latin | adhibere | ||
| Adhibere derives from the prefix ad- (to) and the root habere (to have), meaning 'to take to oneself' or 'to make use of'. | |||
Apply in Others Languages
| Greek | ισχύουν | ||
| Ισχύουν is related to ισχύς, meaning power or force. | |||
| Hmong | ua ntawv thov | ||
| The Hmong word "ua ntawv thov" is derived from the Chinese word "申请书" (shēnqǐngshū), meaning "application." | |||
| Kurdish | bikaranîn | ||
| The word 'bikaranîn' in Kurdish also means 'to perform' or 'to carry out'. | |||
| Turkish | uygulamak | ||
| Also meaning 'implement' or 'put into practice' in Turkish as well as 'apply'. | |||
| Xhosa | faka isicelo | ||
| The word 'faka isicelo' can also mean 'to make a request' or 'to submit a petition' | |||
| Yiddish | צולייגן | ||
| The Yiddish word "צולייגן" (tsuleygn) also means "to bring". | |||
| Zulu | sebenzisa | ||
| Sebenzisa originates from the Nguni word 'senza', meaning 'to do' or 'to act.']} | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰয়োগ কৰক | ||
| Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | लागू करीं | ||
| Dhivehi | އެޕްލައި | ||
| Dogri | लागू करो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mag-apply | ||
| Guarani | poru | ||
| Ilocano | iyaplikar | ||
| Krio | aplay | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جێبەجێکردن | ||
| Maithili | लागू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | dil | ||
| Oromo | hojiirra oolchuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରନ୍ତୁ | | ||
| Quechua | ruwachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | आचरतु | ||
| Tatar | кулланыгыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣተግብር | ||
| Tsonga | endla xikombelo | ||