Updated on March 6, 2024
Attitude is a powerful word that carries significant weight in our daily lives. It refers to our behavior, mindset, and the way we approach life's challenges and opportunities. Our attitude can shape our interactions, relationships, and overall success in various aspects of life.
The significance of attitude extends beyond personal growth and development. It plays a crucial role in shaping cultural norms and societal values. A positive attitude can foster a sense of community, resilience, and optimism, while a negative attitude can perpetuate divisiveness, pessimism, and apathy.
Given the importance of attitude, it's no surprise that people around the world are interested in its translation in different languages. Understanding how this concept is expressed in various cultures can provide valuable insights into the local mindset and worldview.
For instance, in Spanish, attitude translates to 'actitud,' while in French, it's 'attitude.' In German, it's 'Einstellung,' and in Japanese, it's 'taido.' These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances and values.
In this article, we'll explore the translations of attitude in various languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this important concept.
Afrikaans | houding | ||
The Afrikaans word "houding" is derived from the Dutch word "houding", which means "posture" or "bearing". | |||
Amharic | አመለካከት | ||
"አመለካከት" is derived from the root "መላከክ" (to see), implying a perspective or viewpoint. | |||
Hausa | hali | ||
The word 'hali' (attitude) in Hausa has alternate meanings such as 'manner' or 'condition'. | |||
Igbo | omume | ||
The word "omume" in Igbo can also mean "character" or "disposition" | |||
Malagasy | toe-tsaina | ||
"Toe-tsaina" is a Malagasy word related to the French term "attitude" and the Malagasy word "toetra" (character), and is often used to refer to the manner in which one carries themselves or behaves. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | malingaliro | ||
The word "malingaliro" can also mean "mentality" or "frame of mind". | |||
Shona | mafungiro | ||
Mafungiro in Shona can also refer to a person's disposition or demeanor. | |||
Somali | dabeecad | ||
The word "dabeecad" in Somali can also refer to the temperament or character of a person or animal. | |||
Sesotho | boikutlo | ||
'Boikutlo' also means posture or bodily position. | |||
Swahili | mtazamo | ||
The word "mtazamo" in Swahili can also refer to a perspective or viewpoint, emphasizing the outward-looking aspect of "attitude". | |||
Xhosa | isimo sengqondo | ||
"Isimo sengqondo" also refers to the manner in which a person sits, stands, or walks. | |||
Yoruba | iwa | ||
Iwa is also the Yorùbá concept of 'character' and is used synonymously with 'destiny' and 'good fortune'. | |||
Zulu | isimo sengqondo | ||
"Isimo sengqondo" can also mean "stubbornness" or "recalcitrance". | |||
Bambara | kewale | ||
Ewe | nɔnɔme | ||
Kinyarwanda | imyifatire | ||
Lingala | bizaleli | ||
Luganda | enneeyisa | ||
Sepedi | maitshwaro | ||
Twi (Akan) | suban | ||
Arabic | موقف سلوك | ||
موقف السلوك هو مصطلح مستعار من علم النفس الغربي ويعني التوجه الذهني نحو شخص أو شيء ما. | |||
Hebrew | יַחַס | ||
The word "יַחַס" ("attitude") in Hebrew can also refer to a person's genealogy or social status. | |||
Pashto | چلند | ||
The Pashto word "چلند" also means "movement". | |||
Arabic | موقف سلوك | ||
موقف السلوك هو مصطلح مستعار من علم النفس الغربي ويعني التوجه الذهني نحو شخص أو شيء ما. |
Albanian | qëndrim | ||
The Albanian word "qëndrim" also means "position" or "posture". | |||
Basque | jarrera | ||
The Basque word "jarrera" shares an etymological root with the word "jarri," meaning "to place" or "to put," suggesting a connection between posture and attitude. | |||
Catalan | actitud | ||
The Catalan word "actitud" (attitude) also means posture or stance, which may refer to a physical or metaphorical position. | |||
Croatian | stav | ||
The word "stav" also means "stop" in Croatian. | |||
Danish | holdning | ||
The word "holdning" in Danish can also mean "position" or "inclination". | |||
Dutch | houding | ||
The word "houding" comes from the Old Dutch "hadu-thing", meaning "battle formation"} | |||
English | attitude | ||
In the 16th century, the term 'attitude' described the posture or position of the stars and planets, and by extension, the position or arrangement of someone's body, especially as an indication of a person's mood, posture, or position of the body. | |||
French | attitude | ||
"Attitude" comes from the Latin word "aptitudo" which means "fitness" or "suitability". | |||
Frisian | hâlding | ||
The word 'hâlding' in Frisian can also refer to a 'frame of mind', or 'state of mind'. | |||
Galician | actitude | ||
Attitudes are not only ways of standing in Galician (a "attitude" is a physical posture), but expressions of opinion. | |||
German | einstellung | ||
The word "Einstellung" in German can also refer to a person's "setup" or "arrangement" in a context or situation. | |||
Icelandic | viðhorf | ||
The Icelandic word "viðhorf" can also refer to a horizon or viewpoint. | |||
Irish | dearcadh | ||
The word 'dearcadh' in Irish has a range of meanings including 'demeanour', 'disposition', 'behaviour', and 'stance'. | |||
Italian | atteggiamento | ||
In medieval Tuscany, "atteggiamento" was a term used for an acrobat's pose or a statue's posture. | |||
Luxembourgish | haltung | ||
The Luxembourgish word "Haltung" also refers to the bearing, posture and way of being. | |||
Maltese | attitudni | ||
The word "attitudni" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "attitudine", which means "position" or "posture". | |||
Norwegian | holdning | ||
The Norwegian word "holdning" comes from the verb "holde" meaning "to hold", and can also refer to posture or physical stance. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | atitude | ||
The Portuguese word "atitude" is derived from the Latin word "aptitudo" meaning "fitness" or "suitability". | |||
Scots Gaelic | beachd | ||
The word 'beachd' can also refer to mood, manner, behaviour, or conduct. | |||
Spanish | actitud | ||
The word "actitud" in Spanish shares its root with the English word "aptitude," indicating a natural ability or disposition. | |||
Swedish | attityd | ||
"Attityd" in Swedish originally meant "a gesture or posture" or, from French, "a habit". It came to mean "attitude" only in the late 19th century. | |||
Welsh | agwedd | ||
The word 'agwedd' can also refer to a person's facial expression or demeanor. |
Belarusian | стаўленне | ||
The word “стаўленне” (attitude) comes from the verb “ставіць” (to put, to place) and literally means “the way of putting or placing.” | |||
Bosnian | stav | ||
The word "stav" (literally meaning "posture") can also refer to a person's temperament or way of life. | |||
Bulgarian | поведение | ||
The word "поведение" can also refer to "behavior" or "conduct" in a more general sense. | |||
Czech | přístup | ||
The word "přístup" in Czech can also mean "access". | |||
Estonian | suhtumine | ||
The word "suhtumine" can also mean "relationship" or "stance" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | asenne | ||
Originally, 'asenne' referred to a body posture or position, from 'ase', meaning 'position'. This meaning still appears in some compound words like 'asento' ('posture'). | |||
Hungarian | hozzáállás | ||
The word "hozzáállás" comes from the Hungarian word "állás" ("stance", "position"), which refers to the position of a person or object in relation to its surroundings. | |||
Latvian | attieksme | ||
The Latvian word "attieksme" is derived from the German "Attest" (meaning certificate), and originally meant "the way in which someone behaves towards others". | |||
Lithuanian | požiūris | ||
The word "požiūris" originally meant "the point of view," but over time its meaning shifted to encompass a broader sense of "attitude". | |||
Macedonian | став | ||
The word "став" can also refer to a stand, a position, or a posture in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | nastawienie | ||
In Polish, "nastawienie" can also refer to a setting on a machine or device. | |||
Romanian | atitudine | ||
The Romanian word "atitudine" also means "height, altitude, level" and comes from Italian "altitudine" (from Latin "altitudo") and ultimately from Latin "altus" (meaning "high"). | |||
Russian | отношение | ||
Russian "отношение" means "fraction" and "treatment" in addition to "attitude". | |||
Serbian | став | ||
In Serbian, "став" (attitude) can also refer to a "physical posture" or a "life stance". | |||
Slovak | postoj | ||
In Old Norse, "postoj" meant "way of standing, position, or posture" | |||
Slovenian | odnos | ||
"Odnos" additionally conveys connotations of "relation, perspective, position, standpoint, relation" (to people or subjects). | |||
Ukrainian | ставлення | ||
The word "ставлення" in Ukrainian comes from the verb "ставити" which means "to put" or "to place" and thus conveys the idea of a position or stance taken towards something. |
Bengali | মনোভাব | ||
The word "মনোভাব" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मनोभाव", which means "feeling" or "sentiment". | |||
Gujarati | વલણ | ||
The Gujarati word "વલણ" also has the meaning of "slope" in English. | |||
Hindi | रवैया | ||
The word रवैया (attitude) in Hindi can also mean "nature" or "mannerism". | |||
Kannada | ವರ್ತನೆ | ||
"ವರ್ತನೆ" is also used to refer to a particular situation or circumstance in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | മനോഭാവം | ||
The word "മനോഭാവം" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मनोभाव" (manōbhāva), which means "a state of mind" or "a mental attitude." | |||
Marathi | दृष्टीकोन | ||
दृष्टि = vision + कोण = angle; thus the word suggests a slant or a particular angle of observation | |||
Nepali | मनोवृत्ति | ||
The word 'मनोवृत्ति' is derived from two Sanskrit words, 'मनस्' (meaning 'mind') and 'वृत्ति' (meaning 'state or condition'), thus denoting the 'state or disposition of the mind'. | |||
Punjabi | ਰਵੱਈਆ | ||
The word "ਰਵੱਈਆ" (attitude) is borrowed from the English word and shares a similar meaning. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආකල්පය | ||
Sinhala word ආකල්පය "(attitude)" is also an idiom meaning a "preconceived idea" (not necessarily negative). | |||
Tamil | அணுகுமுறை | ||
The Tamil word "அணுகுமுறை" (anaghumurai) can also mean "approach", "method", or "system". | |||
Telugu | వైఖరి | ||
The Sanskrit root "वृति" which means "conduct" forms the basis of this word. | |||
Urdu | رویہ | ||
The word "رویہ" (attitude) in Urdu can also mean "behaviour", "conduct", or "disposition" |
Chinese (Simplified) | 态度 | ||
The Chinese characters 态度 literally mean 'stand up', emphasizing one's demeanor and bearing. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 態度 | ||
態度 can also mean "bearing" or "demeanor". | |||
Japanese | 姿勢 | ||
The word "姿勢", meaning "attitude" in Japanese, also has alternate meanings including "posture", "bearing", and "conduct". | |||
Korean | 태도 | ||
The word "태도" also means "posture" or "stance" and is derived from the Chinese characters "態" (태, "posture") and "度" (도, "measure"). | |||
Mongolian | хандлага | ||
Хандлага is derived from the Mongolian word "ханд" meaning "respectful" in Mongolian, and is also an idiom in Mongolian meaning "proper behaviour". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | သဘောထား | ||
"သဘောထား" can also mean "character". The two meanings are closely related, as one's character influences their attitude. |
Indonesian | sikap | ||
The word "sikap" in Indonesian can also refer to a physical stance or posture. | |||
Javanese | sikap | ||
The Javanese word "sikap" can also refer to a dance pose or a way of standing or sitting. | |||
Khmer | ឥរិយាបថ | ||
The Khmer word "ឥរិយាបថ" (attitude) comes from the Sanskrit word "इर्य्यापथ" (iryāpatha), meaning "manner of going or moving". | |||
Lao | ທັດສະນະຄະຕິ | ||
Malay | sikap | ||
The word sikap in Malay has two possible etymologies: from the Sanskrit word silap, meaning "nature" or "inborn disposition", or from the Old Javanese word sikap, meaning "posture" or "attitude." | |||
Thai | ทัศนคติ | ||
The Thai word “ทัศนคติ” is loosely related to the word “ทัศนะ” which means eyesight or viewpoint. | |||
Vietnamese | thái độ | ||
"Thái độ" originates from the Chinese word "态度", meaning "posture, bearing, or demeanor". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | saloobin | ||
Azerbaijani | münasibət | ||
The word "münasibət" can also mean "relationship" or "connection". | |||
Kazakh | қатынас | ||
The word "қатынас" has the alternate meaning of "relationship" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | мамиле | ||
"Мамиле" can also mean "the state of mind" or "the mood" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | муносибат | ||
This word also refers to an | |||
Turkmen | garaýyş | ||
Uzbek | munosabat | ||
The word "munosabat" in Uzbek shares its etymology with the Arabic word "munāsibah" meaning "affinity" or "appropriateness". | |||
Uyghur | پوزىتسىيە | ||
Hawaiian | ʻano | ||
The word 'ʻano' (attitude) also means 'breath' in Hawaiian, highlighting the ancient concept of the mind, body, and spirit being interconnected. | |||
Maori | waiaro | ||
The Maori word "waiaro" also means "nature" or "spirit" and is often used to describe a person's inner self or essence. | |||
Samoan | uiga faaalia | ||
The Samoan word "uiga faaalia" has different contextual meanings and is also the basis of another phrase "uiga taua" or "courage". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-uugali | ||
While "pag-uugali" primarily means "attitude", it can also refer to "behavior", "conduct", and "habits" in Filipino culture. |
Aymara | ukhamäña | ||
Guarani | lája | ||
Esperanto | sinteno | ||
The word 'sinteno' also means 'inclination' or 'predisposition' in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | habitus | ||
The Latin word "habitus" also means "dress" or "condition". |
Greek | στάση | ||
The Greek word "στάση" also means "pause" or "stop", reflecting its root in the verb "ίσταμαι" (to stand). | |||
Hmong | tus yeeb yam | ||
The Hmong word "tus yeeb yam" can also refer to a person's demeanor, appearance, or way of life. | |||
Kurdish | rewş | ||
The word "rewş" in Kurdish has a broader meaning than "attitude", encompassing appearance, manner, and external disposition. | |||
Turkish | tavır | ||
The word "tavır" in Turkish can also mean "stance" or "posture" | |||
Xhosa | isimo sengqondo | ||
"Isimo sengqondo" also refers to the manner in which a person sits, stands, or walks. | |||
Yiddish | שטעלונג | ||
The Yiddish word "שטעלונג" also refers to a stand in chess or checkers. | |||
Zulu | isimo sengqondo | ||
"Isimo sengqondo" can also mean "stubbornness" or "recalcitrance". | |||
Assamese | আচৰণ | ||
Aymara | ukhamäña | ||
Bhojpuri | तरीका | ||
Dhivehi | ޝަޚުސިއްޔަތު | ||
Dogri | रौं | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | saloobin | ||
Guarani | lája | ||
Ilocano | ugali | ||
Krio | aw wi tink | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆچوون | ||
Maithili | ऊंचाई | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯛ ꯀꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | rilru puthmang | ||
Oromo | ilaalcha | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ମନୋଭାବ | ||
Quechua | actitud | ||
Sanskrit | अभिवृत्तिः | ||
Tatar | караш | ||
Tigrinya | ኣተሓሳስባ | ||
Tsonga | matikhomelo | ||