Chance in Different Languages
Discover 'Chance' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'chance' holds a special place in our hearts and minds, signifying opportunities, luck, and the unknown. It's a concept deeply ingrained in various cultures, often associated with gambling, fate, and serendipity. From 'sansara' in Sanskrit, meaning 'the continuing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth,' to 'kismet' in Turkish, implying fate or destiny, the translation of 'chance' in different languages offers a fascinating glimpse into cultural nuances.
Moreover, understanding the word 'chance' in various languages can enrich your conversations, deepen your cross-cultural connections, and even enhance your travel experiences. Imagine being able to express the thrill of a 'chance' encounter in French ('une chance'), or the excitement of a 'last-minute chance' in German ('eine letzte Chance').
Join us as we embark on a linguistic journey, exploring the various translations of the word 'chance' in different languages. Prepare to be intrigued, inspired, and enlightened!
Chance
Chance in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kans | ||
| The Afrikaans word "kans" originates from the Dutch word "kans" which has the same meaning but also means "opportunity". | |||
| Amharic | ዕድል | ||
| The word "ዕድል" can also refer to a period of time or season. | |||
| Hausa | dama | ||
| In addition to luck and chance, "dama" can also mean "risk" or "hazard". | |||
| Igbo | ohere | ||
| In Igbo, the word "Ohere" also refers to a small amount or a piece of something. | |||
| Malagasy | vintana | ||
| "Vintana" also means "fate" or "window" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwayi | ||
| The Nyanja word 'mwayi' also has the alternate meanings of 'luck' or 'fortune'. | |||
| Shona | mukana | ||
| "Mukana" also means "nearby" and, figuratively, "opportunity." | |||
| Somali | fursad | ||
| The word "fursad" also means "turn" or "time". | |||
| Sesotho | monyetla | ||
| The word 'monyetla' in Sesotho also means 'opportunity' or 'possibility'. | |||
| Swahili | nafasi | ||
| The Swahili word "nafasi" derives from the Arabic "fursah" (opportunity) and also means "room" or "space". | |||
| Xhosa | ithuba | ||
| In Xhosa, "ithuba" is a cognate of the Zulu word "ithuba" meaning "opportunity" or "turn". } | |||
| Yoruba | anfani | ||
| Anfani can also mean 'advantage', 'opportunity' or 'circumstance' depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
| Zulu | ithuba | ||
| The word 'ithuba' also refers to the Zulu traditional form of playing cards or dice. | |||
| Bambara | garisigɛ | ||
| Ewe | aklama | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amahirwe | ||
| Lingala | shanse | ||
| Luganda | omukisa | ||
| Sepedi | sebaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kwan | ||
Chance in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فرصة | ||
| "فرصة" comes from the verb "فرص" meaning "to cut". As in French "occasion" from Latin "occasio" meaning "to fall to one's lot". Also, "فرصة" can mean "a hole in a cloth" or "a tear in a veil". | |||
| Hebrew | הִזדַמְנוּת | ||
| The Hebrew word 'הִזדַמְנוּת' also means 'opportunity' or 'occasion'. | |||
| Pashto | چانس | ||
| {"text": "چانس" is ultimately derived from Latin "cadentia", which referred to rhythmic fall (e.g., in poetry), later influenced by Arabic.} | |||
| Arabic | فرصة | ||
| "فرصة" comes from the verb "فرص" meaning "to cut". As in French "occasion" from Latin "occasio" meaning "to fall to one's lot". Also, "فرصة" can mean "a hole in a cloth" or "a tear in a veil". | |||
Chance in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shansi | ||
| The word "shansi" in Albanian can also refer to a specific moment or occasion. | |||
| Basque | aukera | ||
| The Basque word "aukera" also means "ability" or "possibility". | |||
| Catalan | oportunitat | ||
| The word "oportunitat" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "opportunitas", which had meanings that included "fitness", "convenience", "occasion", and "luck". | |||
| Croatian | prilika | ||
| "Prilika" can also mean "opportunity" or "comparison." | |||
| Danish | chance | ||
| In Danish, "chance" can also refer to a physical structure for holding items. | |||
| Dutch | kans | ||
| In Dutch, "kans" derives from the Latin word "cadentia", meaning "a fall" or "an occurrence". | |||
| English | chance | ||
| The word 'chance' can also refer to a probability or an opportunity. | |||
| French | chance | ||
| In French, "chance" derives from the Latin word "cadere" (to fall) and also signifies a fall or downfall. | |||
| Frisian | kâns | ||
| The word "kâns" in Frisian can also refer to a lottery or a draw. | |||
| Galician | azar | ||
| In Galician, 'azar' can also refer to 'bad luck' or 'ill fortune' which may derive from the Arabic word 'azzār', meaning 'damage' or 'injury'. | |||
| German | chance | ||
| The German "Chance" derives from the Old French "cheance" and means "falling, happening," as well as "risk, hazard, misfortune, opportunity." | |||
| Icelandic | tækifæri | ||
| Icelandic "tækifæri" derives from "taka" ("take") and "fært" ("opportunity"), suggesting its meaning as an opportunity to be grasped. | |||
| Irish | seans | ||
| The Irish word "seans" originates from the Latin term "sententia", denoting a deliberate determination or decree. | |||
| Italian | opportunità | ||
| "Opportunità" derives from the Latin word "opportunitas," meaning both "convenience" and "suitability." | |||
| Luxembourgish | chance | ||
| Chance also means 'to move' in Luxembourgish, similar to the French word 'changer'. | |||
| Maltese | iċ-ċans | ||
| The word "iċ-ċans" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "caso", meaning "case" or "event". | |||
| Norwegian | sjanse | ||
| "Sjanse" is derived from the Old Norse "skans" meaning a projection, corner, or boundary, and was probably borrowed from Middle Low German "schance" (bulwark) | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | chance | ||
| In Portuguese, "chance" can also mean "opportunity" or "possibility." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cothrom | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "cothrom" also means "opportunity","time" and "interval". | |||
| Spanish | oportunidad | ||
| "Oportunidad" derives from the Latin word "opportunitas" which means "fitness, suitability, convenience". | |||
| Swedish | chans | ||
| Chans can also mean "risk" or, more rarely, "opportunity". | |||
| Welsh | siawns | ||
| The word 'siawns' may derive from the Proto-Celtic root '*kwen-', meaning 'to distribute' or 'to share'. | |||
Chance in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шанец | ||
| "Шанцы" также могут обозначать укрепления у стен крепости или земляные сооружения на поле боя. | |||
| Bosnian | šansa | ||
| Bosnian "šansa" is a borrowing from the Turkish "şans", ultimately derived from French and also cognate with English "chance" and Italian "fortuna". | |||
| Bulgarian | шанс | ||
| The Bulgarian word “шанс” (chance) comes from the French word “chance” and the Latin word “cadentia” (fall). | |||
| Czech | šance | ||
| 'Šance' in Czech also means 'ditch'. | |||
| Estonian | juhus | ||
| Although sharing no known cognates or obvious etymological links, in Estonian "juhus" also means a "case" or a "lawsuit". | |||
| Finnish | mahdollisuus | ||
| Mahdollisuus shares its origin with the word 'mahdollista', 'to be possible', and can also mean 'opportunity'. | |||
| Hungarian | véletlen | ||
| "Véletlen" also means "casual" or "non-intentional" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | iespēja | ||
| Latvian "iespēja" ('chance') derives from Old Prussian "*esmuti" ('fate') and Lithuanian "esmė" ('substance'). | |||
| Lithuanian | šansas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "šansas" is derived from the French word "chance" meaning "opportunity". | |||
| Macedonian | шанса | ||
| The Macedonian word "шанса" is derived from the Turkish word "şans", which also means "luck" or "fortune". | |||
| Polish | szansa | ||
| The word "szansa" can be traced back to the Greek word "týchē", meaning "fate" or "luck". It can also refer to an opportunity or a possibility. | |||
| Romanian | şansă | ||
| The word "şansă" is of Turkish origin and means "opportunity" or "luck." | |||
| Russian | шанс | ||
| "Шанс" has multiple meanings depending on its origin, from "chance" to "fortune" or even "luck." | |||
| Serbian | шанса | ||
| The Serbian word 'шанса' ('chance') is derived from the Turkish word 'şans' and also means 'opportunity' or 'luck'. | |||
| Slovak | šanca | ||
| "Šanca" is related to the Czech "šancovati" meaning "to entrench" and to Slavic "*šansъ" meaning "border". | |||
| Slovenian | priložnost | ||
| The word 'priložnost' can also mean 'occasion' or 'opportunity'. | |||
| Ukrainian | шанс | ||
| The word "шанс" in Ukrainian is derived from the French word "chance", meaning "luck" or "opportunity". It can also refer to a "risk" or "gamble". | |||
Chance in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সুযোগ | ||
| The Sanskrit term "sādhita"," accomplished," is the origin of the Bengali word "sojog," meaning an "opportunity." | |||
| Gujarati | તક | ||
| The Gujarati word "તક" (chance) is derived from the Sanskrit word "तक्र" (buttermilk), which in turn refers to a small opportunity or advantage. | |||
| Hindi | मोका | ||
| The word 'मोका' also means 'an opportunity' or 'a time when something can be done'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅವಕಾಶ | ||
| The word "ಅವಕಾಶ" shares its etymology with the Sanskrit word "अवकाश" (avakāśa), meaning "leisure, opportunity, or space." | |||
| Malayalam | അവസരം | ||
| Marathi | संधी | ||
| In Marathi, the word "संधी" also refers to an occasion or an opportunity. | |||
| Nepali | मौका | ||
| "मौका" is derived from the Sanskrit word "mukha" meaning "mouth", and is also used in Hindi to refer to "a small amount of money". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੌਕਾ | ||
| "ਮੌਕਾ" traces its origins to Sanskrit "मोकः (mokah)", implying timely action, freedom, and space to move in. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවස්ථාව | ||
| In Sinhala, "අවස්ථාව" is derived from Sanskrit "avastha" (state, condition), signifying an opportune moment to change or progress. | |||
| Tamil | வாய்ப்பு | ||
| "வாய்ப்பு" can also mean "the door" or "the mouth" in Tamil, suggesting the connection between opportunity and the ability to enter or express oneself. | |||
| Telugu | అవకాశం | ||
| अवकासम is a Sanskrit word meaning 'opportunity', 'leisure' or 'interval' | |||
| Urdu | موقع | ||
| "موقع" also means "time", "season", "occasion", and "place" in Urdu. | |||
Chance in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 机会 | ||
| 机会 (jihui), a compound of 机 (ji 机会, ji, "machine, opportunity") and 会 (hui 会, hui, "meeting, opportunity"), originally referred to the opportune moment to act, especially in warfare. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 機會 | ||
| In the Tang Dynasty, this word was used by merchants to refer to the "right time" to sell goods. | |||
| Japanese | 機会 | ||
| The word 機会 (kiki) is also used in the sense of “good luck” or “luck,” or to refer to favorable conditions or circumstances | |||
| Korean | 기회 | ||
| The word "기회" (chance) in Korean can also mean "opportunity" or "occasion". | |||
| Mongolian | боломж | ||
| "Боломж" in Mongolian can also refer to a situation where two people have a 50-50 chance of either winning or losing something. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခွင့်အလမ်း | ||
Chance in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kesempatan | ||
| In Malay, the word 'kesempatan' also holds the meaning of 'leisure'. | |||
| Javanese | kasempatan | ||
| Kasempatan is related to the root word 'sempat', which means to get something in time | |||
| Khmer | ឱកាស | ||
| The Khmer word "ឱកាស" can also mean "a chance to do something." | |||
| Lao | ໂອກາດ | ||
| The word ໂອກາດ comes from the Pali word "okāsa" and can also mean "opportunity" or "possibility". | |||
| Malay | peluang | ||
| Peluang derives from Sanskrit words and alternates with an older Sanskrit-derived word in Malay, 'kesempatan,' also meaning 'chance' or 'opportunity'. | |||
| Thai | โอกาส | ||
| "โอกาส" could also mean "opportunity" in Thai, a more positive connotation of a potential event than mere chance. | |||
| Vietnamese | cơ hội | ||
| The Sino-Vietnamese term "cơ hội" derives from Classical Chinese "jīhùi" (機機會), meaning "opportunity" or "favorable position." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakataon | ||
Chance in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şans | ||
| "Şans" also refers to a popular game of dice in Azerbaijan, where the winner is determined by the highest roll. | |||
| Kazakh | мүмкіндік | ||
| Мүмкіндік is derived from the Arabic word مكن (makana), which means "to be possible" or "to make possible". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мүмкүнчүлүк | ||
| Tajik | имконият | ||
| 'Имконият' can also mean 'possibility' or 'option' in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | pursat | ||
| Uzbek | imkoniyat | ||
| The word "imkoniyat" is also used in Uzbek to refer to possibilities and abilities | |||
| Uyghur | پۇرسەت | ||
Chance in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loaʻa wale | ||
| The word “loaʻa wale” literally translates to “come by itself,” or “it just happened” and is used in Hawaiian to describe something that was found unexpectedly. | |||
| Maori | tupono noa | ||
| The Maori word 'tupono noa' can also mean 'to be careless' or 'to take a risk' | |||
| Samoan | avanoa | ||
| 'Avanoa' comes from the Proto-Polynesian word 'ava,' which refers to a meeting place or assembly. In Samoan culture, these meetings were often held to discuss important matters, including the distribution of land and resources, and the resolution of disputes. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkakataon | ||
Chance in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | utjaskipana | ||
| Guarani | juruja | ||
Chance in International Languages
| Esperanto | hazardo | ||
| "Hazardo" also means "gamble" and comes from the Old French word "hasart". | |||
| Latin | forte | ||
| In Latin, "forte" can also mean "perhaps" or "possibly". | |||
Chance in Others Languages
| Greek | ευκαιρία | ||
| The word "ευκαιρία" comes from the Greek words "ευ" (good) and "καιρός" (time), and can also mean "opportunity" or "occasion." | |||
| Hmong | txoj hmoo | ||
| The word "txoj hmoo" can also refer to a "time" or an "occasion". | |||
| Kurdish | tesadûf | ||
| The word "tesadûf" originates from the Persian "ittifāq" and Arabic "taṣādum," both meaning "collision." | |||
| Turkish | şans | ||
| The word "şans" in Turkish originates from the French word "chance" and also shares roots with the Arabic word "san'a" meaning "art, craft, or handiwork". | |||
| Xhosa | ithuba | ||
| In Xhosa, "ithuba" is a cognate of the Zulu word "ithuba" meaning "opportunity" or "turn". } | |||
| Yiddish | צופעליק | ||
| The Yiddish word "צופעליק" is derived from the Hebrew "צפֿה" and means both "watch" and "chance". | |||
| Zulu | ithuba | ||
| The word 'ithuba' also refers to the Zulu traditional form of playing cards or dice. | |||
| Assamese | সুযোগ | ||
| Aymara | utjaskipana | ||
| Bhojpuri | मौका | ||
| Dhivehi | ފުރުޞަތު | ||
| Dogri | मौका | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakataon | ||
| Guarani | juruja | ||
| Ilocano | gasat | ||
| Krio | chans | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەرفەت | ||
| Maithili | संयोग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯗꯣꯡꯆꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | remchang | ||
| Oromo | carraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସୁଯୋଗ | ||
| Quechua | akllana | ||
| Sanskrit | अवसर | ||
| Tatar | мөмкинлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕድል | ||
| Tsonga | nkateko | ||