Closely in Different Languages
Discover 'Closely' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'closely' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting proximity or tight connection in space or time. It's a term that transcends cultural boundaries, reflecting a universal human experience. But how does it translate in different languages? Understanding these variations can provide unique insights into diverse cultures and their ways of expressing concepts similar to 'closely'.
For instance, in Spanish, 'closely' translates to 'cerca', which also means 'near'. In German, it's 'nahe', implying nearness but also intimacy. Meanwhile, in Japanese, the concept is captured by '近い (kinoi)', emphasizing proximity. These translations not only offer linguistic diversity; they reveal how various cultures perceive and express closeness.
Delving into the translations of 'closely' is more than just a language exercise. It's an exploration of cultural nuances and shared human experiences. So, let's take a 'closely' look at how this word resonates across different languages.
Closely
Closely in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | noukeurig | ||
| The word "noukeurig" originally meant "accurately" or "carefully" in Dutch, and this meaning is still present in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | በቅርበት | ||
| በቅርበት often indicates an association with family or bloodline, not just physical proximity. | |||
| Hausa | a hankali | ||
| The phrase 'A hankali' has been used metaphorically by Hausa people to represent the close relationship among family members. | |||
| Igbo | nso | ||
| 'Nso' can also mean 'to hold' or 'to seize' in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | akaiky | ||
| The word "akaiky" is also used to describe a close relationship or friendship. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | pafupi | ||
| The word "pafupi" can also mean "nearby" or "adjacent" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | pedyo | ||
| "Pedyo" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-ped-" meaning "to be near" and also "to lean against". | |||
| Somali | dhow | ||
| The Somali word "dhow" also means "in the direction of; towards" | |||
| Sesotho | haufi | ||
| "Haufi" also refers to the closeness found within family or a community. | |||
| Swahili | kwa karibu | ||
| The Swahili word "kwa karibu" literally translates to "in nearness". | |||
| Xhosa | ngokusondeleyo | ||
| The word "ngokusondeleyo" in Xhosa can also mean "in detail" or "thoroughly." | |||
| Yoruba | ni pẹkipẹki | ||
| 'Pẹkipẹki' refers to the idea of 'very close', 'tightly' or 'firmly', and the word itself is believed to originate from the Yoruba words 'pe' (to fold) and 'ki' (to press). | |||
| Zulu | eduze | ||
| The word "eduze" can also mean "on the floor" or "to the ground". | |||
| Bambara | ka surunya ɲɔgɔn na | ||
| Ewe | kplikplikpli | ||
| Kinyarwanda | hafi | ||
| Lingala | penepene | ||
| Luganda | okumpi | ||
| Sepedi | kgauswi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɛn hɔ | ||
Closely in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بعناية | ||
| The word "بعناية" is derived from the root word "عني" which means "to care for". This suggests that it originally meant "with care" or "attentively". | |||
| Hebrew | מקרוב | ||
| The word "מקרוב" can also mean "far" or "from afar", depending on the context. | |||
| Pashto | له نږدې | ||
| له نږدې "Lah Nazday" literally means "at a distance" in Arabic, which is the literal opposite of its Pashto translation. | |||
| Arabic | بعناية | ||
| The word "بعناية" is derived from the root word "عني" which means "to care for". This suggests that it originally meant "with care" or "attentively". | |||
Closely in Western European Languages
| Albanian | nga afër | ||
| The etymology of "nga afër" is uncertain; it may be related to the Proto-Indo-European root *ap-, meaning "near" or "by". | |||
| Basque | gertutik | ||
| The word "gertutik" in Basque is derived from the root "gertu", meaning "near". | |||
| Catalan | de prop | ||
| "De prop" in Catalan can also come from the Latin word "prope" meaning "near". | |||
| Croatian | usko | ||
| The word "usko" also means "narrow" in Croatian, derived from the Proto-Slavic root *ǫzъkъ, meaning "narrow" or "tight." | |||
| Danish | tæt | ||
| Tæt and its related words in Old Norse had the primary meaning 'to seize or grasp', and could refer to the closing of doors, or the clasping of hands in greeting. | |||
| Dutch | nauw | ||
| The term "nauw" is rooted in the Old Dutch word "nawi", meaning "narrow" or "constricted". | |||
| English | closely | ||
| French | étroitement | ||
| The word étroitement in French can also mean "narrowly," "tightly," or "confinedly." | |||
| Frisian | nau | ||
| "Nau" is derived from Old Frisian "nêg", meaning "enough", and is related to the Dutch word "nauw", meaning "narrows". | |||
| Galician | de preto | ||
| The Galician phrase “de preto” can also mean “very drunk” or “completely”. | |||
| German | eng | ||
| Eng can also mean 'narrow', 'tight', or 'stingy'. | |||
| Icelandic | nálægt | ||
| The word "nálægt" is a compound of the words "nál" (near) and "ægt" (family, lineage). | |||
| Irish | go dlúth | ||
| "Go dlúth" is also an idiom that means "to get along well with someone". | |||
| Italian | strettamente | ||
| The word "strettamente" comes from the Latin word "strictus," meaning "tight" or "narrow." | |||
| Luxembourgish | enk | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "enk" is borrowed from the German word "enge" which also means "narrow" or "cramped". | |||
| Maltese | mill-qrib | ||
| The word "mill-qrib" also means "from near" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | tett | ||
| The word "tett" in Norwegian can also refer to a small urban settlement or a group of closely spaced buildings. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | de perto | ||
| The Portuguese word "de perto" can also mean "intimately" or "personally". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gu dlùth | ||
| The word "gu dlùth" can also mean "intimately" or "affectionately" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | cercanamente | ||
| The word "cercanamente" can also mean "familiarly" or "intimately." | |||
| Swedish | nära | ||
| "Nära" comes from the Old Norse word "nær," which also meant "to nourish" or "to sustain." | |||
| Welsh | yn agos | ||
| The phrase "yn agos" can also mean "approximately" or "nearly" in Welsh. | |||
Closely in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цесна | ||
| The word "цесна" in Belarusian can also mean "narrow" or "tight". | |||
| Bosnian | izbliza | ||
| "Izbliza" stems from the Old Church Slavonic "близъ", ultimately deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bʰel-/*bʰl-", meaning "to swell, to bulge, to thrive." | |||
| Bulgarian | отблизо | ||
| The word "отблизо" also means "from nearby" or "from close range". | |||
| Czech | úzce | ||
| Úzce is derived from the Proto-Slavic *ǫsko, meaning "narrow" or "tight". | |||
| Estonian | tihedalt | ||
| "Tihedalt" in Estonian derives from the word "tihe" meaning "thick" and can also refer to the density of an object. | |||
| Finnish | tarkasti | ||
| Tarkasti translates to 'closely', but also refers to 'precisely' and 'accurately'. | |||
| Hungarian | szorosan | ||
| The word 'szorosan' originates from the word 'szoros', meaning 'narrow' or 'tight' in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | cieši | ||
| Originated from a Proto-Indo-European root that also gives the English word | |||
| Lithuanian | glaudžiai | ||
| "Glaudžiai" is related to the Proto-Indo-European *gʰleu- "to adhere, stick" from which also stems "clover". | |||
| Macedonian | тесно | ||
| The Macedonian word "тесно" also means "narrow", "confined", or "tight". | |||
| Polish | dokładnie | ||
| The word 'dokładnie' can also mean 'exactly' or 'precisely' in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | îndeaproape | ||
| The word "îndeaproape" in Romanian comes from the Latin "de prope", meaning "from near" | |||
| Russian | близко | ||
| The Russian word близко 'closely' originally meant 'near,' and still means that in a concrete sense. | |||
| Serbian | изблиза | ||
| The word "изблиза" means "from close by" or "at close range" in Serbian, and is formed by adding the prefix "из-" (meaning "out of" or "from") to the noun "близа" (meaning "near"). | |||
| Slovak | úzko | ||
| The Slovak word "úzko" not only means "closely" but also "narrow" and "strict". | |||
| Slovenian | tesno | ||
| The word 'tesno' can also mean 'narrow' or 'confining'. | |||
| Ukrainian | тісно | ||
| The word "тісно" also has a figurative meaning - "in a cramped or crowded space". | |||
Closely in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঘনিষ্ঠভাবে | ||
| The term "ঘনিষ্ঠভাবে" is derived from the Sanskrit terms "ghaniṣṭha," meaning "nearest" or "closest," and "bhāva," meaning "state" or "condition." | |||
| Gujarati | નજીકથી | ||
| નજીકથી can also be used to indicate a close relationship or connection. | |||
| Hindi | निकट से | ||
| "निकट से" literally means "from near" and is the adverbial form of "निकट" (near). | |||
| Kannada | ನಿಕಟವಾಗಿ | ||
| Malayalam | അടുത്ത് | ||
| The word "അടുത്ത്" ("closely") in Malayalam can also mean "near" or "by". | |||
| Marathi | जवळून | ||
| The phrase 'जवळून देखणे' (literally translating to 'looking from closely') used in Marathi can be understood as 'examining in depth' or 'observing scrutinizingly'. | |||
| Nepali | नजिकबाट | ||
| "नजिकबाट" originated from the Sanskrit word "नज्दिक" which also means 'near' in Hindi. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੇੜਿਓਂ | ||
| The word "ਨੇੜਿਓਂ" can also mean "from the vicinity", or "from a nearby place". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමීපව | ||
| "සමීපව" (samīpava) means "closely" in Sinhala, and also commonly means "nearby" or "in the vicinity". | |||
| Tamil | நெருக்கமாக | ||
| Telugu | దగ్గరగా | ||
| The word "దగ్గరగా" comes from the Proto-Telugu word "*tarka-ka-" meaning "touch" or "be near". | |||
| Urdu | قریب سے | ||
| The Urdu word 'قریب سے' ('closely') is an adverb of place with alternate meanings like 'nearly', 'approximately', or 'almost'. | |||
Closely in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 密切 | ||
| "密切" (closely) also means "intimate" in Chinese (Simplified). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 密切 | ||
| 密切 literally means 'to close and inspect' closely. | |||
| Japanese | 密接に | ||
| 密接に, consisting of the kanji 密 (thick, dense) and 接 (connection, contact), literally means "in close connection." | |||
| Korean | 면밀히 | ||
| "면밀히" (closely) comes from the Chinese characters "綿密", meaning "fine and dense". | |||
| Mongolian | ойрхон | ||
| The Mongolian word "oirkhor" can have an alternate plural form, "oirkhuud", which also means "neighbors". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နီးကပ်စွာ | ||
Closely in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rapat | ||
| The word "rapat" in Indonesian can also mean "council" or "meeting". | |||
| Javanese | raket | ||
| The word "raket" can also mean "to squeeze" or "to cling to" in some contexts. | |||
| Khmer | យ៉ាងជិតស្និទ្ធ | ||
| I'm sorry, but I don't know the etymology or alternate meanings of that word. | |||
| Lao | ຢ່າງໃກ້ຊິດ | ||
| Malay | secara dekat | ||
| The word "secara dekat" in Malay means "closely" and can also mean "intimately" or "in detail." | |||
| Thai | อย่างใกล้ชิด | ||
| อย่างใกล้ชิด derives from the Pali word "upachida", which means "thoroughly" or "completely", and is cognate with English "epitome" and "episode". | |||
| Vietnamese | chặt chẽ | ||
| In Old Vietnamese, "chặt chẽ" meant "to tie tightly, to make close, to make firm, to fix" or "to fix, to tighten" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malapit | ||
Closely in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaxından | ||
| The word "yaxından" originates from the Persian word "nazdik" meaning "near" or "close". It also means "attentively" or "thoroughly". | |||
| Kazakh | тығыз | ||
| Тығыз is derived from the Turkic verb | |||
| Kyrgyz | тыгыз | ||
| The word "тыгыз" in Kyrgyz can also mean "dense" or "thick". | |||
| Tajik | аз наздик | ||
| The word «аз наздик» has another meaning - «from close up». | |||
| Turkmen | ýakyndan | ||
| Uzbek | yaqindan | ||
| Yaqinda is a word that also means 'immediately, quickly' or 'now, presently' in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | يېقىن | ||
Closely in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pili pono | ||
| The Hawaiian word "pili pono" also means "to be well-balanced" or "to be in good order." | |||
| Maori | piri | ||
| In Māori, 'piri' also refers to the act of clinging, embracing, or uniting together | |||
| Samoan | vavalalata | ||
| Vavalalata, meaning 'closely,' also denotes the state of having a strong bond with someone. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | malapit na | ||
| "Malapit na" can also mean "almost" or "nearly" but only in reference to time or sequence of events. | |||
Closely in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jak’at jak’achasiña | ||
| Guarani | hi’aguĩva | ||
Closely in International Languages
| Esperanto | proksime | ||
| The word "proksime" comes from the Latin word "proximus", meaning "nearest". | |||
| Latin | propinqua | ||
| "Propinqua" is a Latin word that originally meant "related by marriage" and also meant "near in time." | |||
Closely in Others Languages
| Greek | απο κοντα | ||
| The phrase "απο κοντα" can also mean "in person" or "up close". | |||
| Hmong | ze ze | ||
| The Hmong word "ze ze" can also mean "secretly" or "in a low voice". | |||
| Kurdish | teng | ||
| The word "teng" in Kurdish can also mean "right", "immediately", or "instantly" depending on the context. | |||
| Turkish | yakından | ||
| "Yakından" is a Turkish word that may also refer to "thoroughly," "in detail" and "intently." | |||
| Xhosa | ngokusondeleyo | ||
| The word "ngokusondeleyo" in Xhosa can also mean "in detail" or "thoroughly." | |||
| Yiddish | ענג | ||
| The Yiddish word "ענג" can also mean "narrow" or "tight". | |||
| Zulu | eduze | ||
| The word "eduze" can also mean "on the floor" or "to the ground". | |||
| Assamese | ওচৰৰ পৰা | ||
| Aymara | jak’at jak’achasiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | करीब से देखल जा सकेला | ||
| Dhivehi | ގާތުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | नजदीक से | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malapit | ||
| Guarani | hi’aguĩva | ||
| Ilocano | nasinged | ||
| Krio | klos klos wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لە نزیکەوە | ||
| Maithili | निकटता से | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯝꯅꯥ ꯅꯛꯅꯥ ꯂꯩꯃꯤꯟꯅꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hnaih takin | ||
| Oromo | walitti dhiyeenyaan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଘନିଷ୍ଠ ଭାବରେ | | ||
| Quechua | qayllamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | निकटतः | ||
| Tatar | тыгыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ብቐረባ | ||
| Tsonga | ekusuhi swinene | ||