Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'basically' is a versatile term that has become a staple in everyday language. It is used to convey the essential or fundamental aspects of a concept, or to introduce a simplified explanation. Basically, it's a word that helps us get to the heart of the matter.
Beyond its practical use, 'basically' has also made its way into popular culture. It has been used in various memes, songs, and even in literature to add humor, sarcasm, or emphasis. Its cultural importance is a testament to its widespread usage and the role it plays in communication.
For language enthusiasts and travelers alike, knowing the translation of 'basically' in different languages can be both interesting and useful. It can help deepen your understanding of a language and culture, and make communication with speakers of other languages more effective.
Here are some translations of 'basically' in various languages:
Afrikaans | basies | ||
The Afrikaans word "basies" originates from the Dutch word "basis", meaning foundation or basis, and has the same meaning in Afrikaans. | |||
Amharic | በመሠረቱ | ||
The word "በመሠረቱ" can also mean "in principle" or "fundamentally". | |||
Hausa | m | ||
The letter "m" in Hausa can also mean "my" or "is". | |||
Igbo | ihu ọma | ||
The Igbo word "ihu ọma" can also refer to a state of being well or in good condition, or to something that is beautiful or pleasing to the eye. | |||
Malagasy | ankapobeny | ||
The word "ankapobeny" in Malagasy is derived from the verb "ankapôbêna," meaning "to be accustomed to" or "to be used to." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kwenikweni | ||
The word "kwenikweni" can also refer to "the truth" or "the real thing". | |||
Shona | chaizvo | ||
Chaizvo can also mean 'it's just that' or 'that's all there is to it' in Shona. | |||
Somali | asal ahaan | ||
The word "asal ahaan" can also be used to mean "primarily" or "fundamentally" in Somali. | |||
Sesotho | haholo-holo | ||
The word "haholo-holo" in Sesotho can also mean "to wander" or "to roam"} | |||
Swahili | kimsingi | ||
The word 'kimsingi' is derived from the Arabic word 'qawla' which means 'speech' or 'word'. | |||
Xhosa | ngokusisiseko | ||
In some contexts, "ngokusisiseko" can also mean "in essence" or "in reality." | |||
Yoruba | besikale | ||
In the Yoruba language, the word "besikale" can also refer to a state of confusion or disorientation. | |||
Zulu | ngokuyisisekelo | ||
Bambara | jubajula | ||
Ewe | kpuie ko | ||
Kinyarwanda | muri rusange | ||
Lingala | mbala mingi | ||
Luganda | mubwangu | ||
Sepedi | gabotsebotse | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɛno ara ne sɛ | ||
Arabic | في الأساس | ||
The word في الأساس "bi-l-ʾasās" was borrowed into Arabic from Turkish (aslında) after the 19th-century, originally meaning "in origin, initially, fundamentally". | |||
Hebrew | בעיקרון | ||
The Hebrew word "בעיקרון" is derived from the root "עקר", meaning "main" or "essential". It also has the alternate meaning of "in principle" or "theoretically". | |||
Pashto | اساسا | ||
"اساسا" (asasā) in Pashto, derived from the Arabic word "أساس" (asas), means "foundation" or "basis" and is used to indicate a fundamental or underlying aspect. | |||
Arabic | في الأساس | ||
The word في الأساس "bi-l-ʾasās" was borrowed into Arabic from Turkish (aslında) after the 19th-century, originally meaning "in origin, initially, fundamentally". |
Albanian | në thelb | ||
"Në thelb" is both a noun meaning "essence" and an adverb meaning "basically". | |||
Basque | funtsean | ||
The word "funtsean" comes from the Basque word "funtsa", meaning "base". It can also mean "fundamentally" or "in essence". | |||
Catalan | bàsicament | ||
In Catalan, "bàsicament" is not only a synonym of "basically", but it also means "fundamentally". | |||
Croatian | u osnovi | ||
In addition to its primary meaning, “u osnovi” can also mean “in principle” or “at a fundamental level.” | |||
Danish | i bund og grund | ||
The Danish expression "i bund og grund" can also mean "completely" or "in every way". | |||
Dutch | eigenlijk | ||
The Dutch word "eigenlijk" can also mean "in reality" or "in fact. | |||
English | basically | ||
"Basically" derives from the Greek "básis," meaning "base" or "foundation." | |||
French | fondamentalement | ||
Fondamentalement, in French, literally translates to "from the foundation". | |||
Frisian | yn prinsipe | ||
The word 'yn prinsipe' can also mean 'in theory' or 'in principle' in Frisian. | |||
Galician | basicamente | ||
In Galician, "basicamente" can also mean "primitively" or "simply." | |||
German | grundsätzlich | ||
German "Grundsätzlich" also means "in principle" or "in general". | |||
Icelandic | í grundvallaratriðum | ||
The term "í grundvallaratriðum" (literally: "in the foundational principles") is an ancient Icelandic phrase meaning "fundamentally" or "in its essence" that was coined by the grammarian Jón Ólafsson of Grunnavík. | |||
Irish | go bunúsach | ||
"Go bunúsach" is the Irish language's translation of "basically" or "in essence." | |||
Italian | fondamentalmente | ||
The adjective "fondamentale" has the alternate meaning of "grounded in the faith" in Italian. | |||
Luxembourgish | am fong geholl | ||
The etymology of 'am Fong geholl' is uncertain but may stem from the German 'im Ganzen genommen'. It could also refer to the 'bottom' of the barrel. | |||
Maltese | bażikament | ||
The word "bażikament" derives from the Italian word "basicamente", meaning "basically". It can also mean "fundamentally" or "essentially". | |||
Norwegian | i utgangspunktet | ||
The Norwegian word "i utgangspunktet" literally means "in the starting point". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | basicamente | ||
"Basicamente" is used as an adverb in Portuguese Brazil, while in Portugal it is employed as an adjective meaning "of low rank". | |||
Scots Gaelic | gu bunaiteach | ||
The term 'gu bunaiteach' in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Gaelic word 'bunait', meaning 'foundation' or 'base'. | |||
Spanish | básicamente | ||
Básicamente derives from the Greek "basis" (base) and is also used to mean "at the bottom". | |||
Swedish | i grund och botten | ||
The Swedish phrase "i grund och botten" literally translates to "in ground and bottom," reflecting its original meaning of "thoroughly" or "completely." | |||
Welsh | yn y bôn | ||
The Welsh word "yn y bôn" can be traced back to the root "bon", meaning "source" or "foundation". |
Belarusian | у асноўным | ||
The word "у асноўным" can also mean "in general" or "on the whole". | |||
Bosnian | u osnovi | ||
"U osnovi" can be interpreted as "in the basis" or "fundamentally". | |||
Bulgarian | общо взето | ||
The word "общо взето" can also mean "as a whole" or "generally speaking" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | v podstatě | ||
The word "v podstatě" in Czech can also mean "essentially" or "primarily" in English. | |||
Estonian | põhimõtteliselt | ||
"Põhimõtteliselt" derives from "põhimõte" meaning 'principle', indicating an expression of the general principle something is based on. | |||
Finnish | pohjimmiltaan | ||
Pohjimmiltaan is a compound word made up of pohja (meaning 'bottom' or 'base') and miltään (meaning 'from the perspective of' or 'in essence'). | |||
Hungarian | alapvetően | ||
The word "alapvetően" can also mean "fundamentally", "inherently", or "intrinsically" | |||
Latvian | būtībā | ||
"Būtībā" is also a Latvian spelling variant of the ancient Sanskrit term "bhūtatathata", meaning "suchness". | |||
Lithuanian | iš esmės | ||
"Iš esmės" is a phrase in Lithuanian that can mean "in essence" or "in general". | |||
Macedonian | во основа | ||
The Macedonian word "во основа" can also mean "on the basis of" or "as a foundation for". | |||
Polish | gruntownie | ||
The word "gruntownie" in Polish is derived from the word "grunt" meaning "ground" or "base", and implies a fundamental or basic level. | |||
Romanian | pe scurt | ||
In Romanian, "pe scurt" can also mean "in short" or "abbreviated" and derives from the Latin "per" (through or by) and "currere" (to run or flow). | |||
Russian | в принципе | ||
It literally translates to "in principle", which suggests it should be used for hypothetical statements, but most people use it as a synonym for "basically". | |||
Serbian | у основи | ||
The word 'у основи' literally means 'at the base' and can also refer to the root or foundation of something. | |||
Slovak | v podstate | ||
In Russian, the word "v podstate" also means "under the skin". | |||
Slovenian | v bistvu | ||
"V bistvu" is a phrase that literally means "in essence" or "in the core" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | в основному | ||
"В основному" can also mean "mainly", "in the first place" or "primarily". |
Bengali | মূলত | ||
'মূলত' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'মূল', meaning root, and denotes the fundamental nature or essence of something. | |||
Gujarati | મૂળભૂત રીતે | ||
Hindi | मूल रूप से | ||
The word मूल रूप से (mool roop se) means 'originally' or 'fundamentally' in Hindi, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "mula" meaning 'root' or 'base'. | |||
Kannada | ಮೂಲತಃ | ||
"ಮೂಲತಃ" is also used to mean "originally" or "primarily". | |||
Malayalam | അടിസ്ഥാനപരമായി | ||
Marathi | मुळात | ||
The word "मुळात" can also mean "in the beginning" or "to begin with". | |||
Nepali | साधारणतया | ||
"साधारणतया" (saadharanataa) is also used to mean "generally" or "in general" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ | ||
The word "ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ" in Punjabi, like its English equivalent, can mean both "actually" and "essentially", depending on the context. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මූලික වශයෙන් | ||
Tamil | அடிப்படையில் | ||
Telugu | ప్రాథమికంగా | ||
"ప్రాథమికంగా" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रथम" (prathama), meaning "first". It also has the alternate meaning of "mainly" or "principally". | |||
Urdu | بنیادی طور پر | ||
Originally an adverb describing a position in a game of base-ball, but now also an adjective with the meaning "very". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 基本上 | ||
In addition to its main meaning of "basically", "基本上" in Chinese can also mean "in principle, theoretically," "virtually, for practical purposes" or "by and large, as a rule"} | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 基本上 | ||
基本上 is a loanword from the Japanese 基本的に (kihonteki-ni) which means "fundamentally" or "in principle". | |||
Japanese | 基本的に | ||
Originally meant "in principle", and used in the sense of "fundamentally" since the Taishō period | |||
Korean | 원래 | ||
"원래" (basically) derives from Old Korean "원료" (raw material), and can also mean "naturally" or "inherently" in modern Korean. | |||
Mongolian | үндсэндээ | ||
The word "үндсэндээ" is often used in Mongolian to indicate the general or essential nature of something, and can be translated as "basically," "fundamentally," or "in principle." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အခြေခံအားဖြင့် | ||
Indonesian | pada dasarnya | ||
Pada dasarnya is also used metaphorically to mean | |||
Javanese | pokoke | ||
The word 'pokoke' is derived from the Javanese root word 'kok', meaning 'essence' or 'core'. | |||
Khmer | ជាមូលដ្ឋាន | ||
Lao | ໂດຍພື້ນຖານແລ້ວ | ||
Malay | secara asasnya | ||
In Malay "secara asasnya" can also mean "in principle", "on balance", or "to cut the chase". | |||
Thai | โดยพื้นฐานแล้ว | ||
The word "โดยพื้นฐานแล้ว" can also mean "fundamentally", "inherently", or "essentially". | |||
Vietnamese | về cơ bản | ||
Vê cơ bản is ultimately derived from the Classical Chinese word "基本" and also means "fundamental" or "basic". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | talaga | ||
Azerbaijani | əsasən | ||
"Əsasən" can also mean "in general" or "generally speaking." | |||
Kazakh | негізінен | ||
The word "негізінен" can also mean "fundamentally", "essentially", or "primarily" depending on the context. | |||
Kyrgyz | негизинен | ||
The word "негизинен" can also mean "fundamentally" or "in principle". | |||
Tajik | асосан | ||
The word “asoсан” can also be used to introduce an explanation, often with a sense of resignation, in which case it is close in meaning to “in any case”. | |||
Turkmen | esasan | ||
Uzbek | asosan | ||
The word "asosan" in Uzbek can also mean "in general" or "as a rule". | |||
Uyghur | ئاساسەن | ||
Hawaiian | ʻano nui | ||
'Ano nui can also mean 'the most important thing' | |||
Maori | fele | ||
The Māori word 'fele' can also refer to a foundation, base, or the underlying principle or reason for something. | |||
Samoan | masani lava | ||
The word "masani lava" translates to "basically", "more or less", "kind of" or "almost" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | talaga | ||
In addition to 'basically', the word 'talaga' can also mean 'indeed' or 'really'. |
Aymara | jasakipana | ||
Guarani | ñepyrũ'ypy | ||
Esperanto | esence | ||
"Esence" is derived from the Latin word "esse", meaning "to be", and also refers to the essential nature of something. | |||
Latin | plerumque | ||
Originally, 'plerumque' had a temporal meaning of 'for the most part', referring to a majority of instances. |
Greek | βασικα | ||
The adverb βασικά, also spelt βασικώς or βασικώς is a contracted form originating from the expression βάσει των κων [νόμων], referring to the laws inscribed on cones (κόνοι) in ancient Greece. | |||
Hmong | hauv paus | ||
Hauv paus is derived from the Chinese characters 'jiu shi', which means 'just is'. | |||
Kurdish | bingehî | ||
The Kurdish word "bingehî" is of Persian origin and also means "essence, core, basis, or foundation" | |||
Turkish | temelde | ||
Turkish "temelde" is cognate with Mongolian "ten" meaning "foundation" and means "at the root" in addition to "basically". | |||
Xhosa | ngokusisiseko | ||
In some contexts, "ngokusisiseko" can also mean "in essence" or "in reality." | |||
Yiddish | בייסיקלי | ||
The Yiddish word "בייסיקלי" can also mean "originally" or "fundamentally". | |||
Zulu | ngokuyisisekelo | ||
Assamese | মূলতঃ | ||
Aymara | jasakipana | ||
Bhojpuri | मूल रूप से | ||
Dhivehi | އަސްލު ބުންންޏާ | ||
Dogri | बुनियादी तौर पर | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | talaga | ||
Guarani | ñepyrũ'ypy | ||
Ilocano | kadawyanna | ||
Krio | men | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | لە بنەڕەتدا | ||
Maithili | मूल रूप सं | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯍꯧꯁꯥꯒꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯅ | ||
Mizo | anihna takah chuan | ||
Oromo | bu'urumaan | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ମୁଳତଃ | ||
Quechua | basicamente | ||
Sanskrit | आधारभूत | ||
Tatar | нигездә | ||
Tigrinya | ብመሰረቱ | ||
Tsonga | kahlekahle | ||