Commitment in Different Languages
Discover 'Commitment' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Commitment is a powerful word that carries significant weight in any language. It represents a pledge or promise to undertake or fulfill a task, role, or obligation. This concept is universal and forms the foundation of relationships, agreements, and personal growth. Throughout history, commitment has been a cornerstone of cultural values, driving individuals and communities to strive for excellence and uphold their responsibilities.
Interestingly, the word 'commitment' has its roots in the Old French word 'commettre,' which means 'to entrust' or 'to give in charge.' This historical context highlights the trust-based nature of commitment, emphasizing the importance of reliability and accountability.
Understanding the translation of 'commitment' in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural nuances and help bridge communication gaps. For instance, in Spanish, commitment translates to 'compromiso,' in German, it's 'Verpflichtung,' while in Japanese, it's 'コミットメント (komittomenuto).'
Explore the list below to discover how this powerful concept translates in various languages and cultures around the world.
Commitment
Commitment in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verbintenis | ||
| The Afrikaans word "verbintenis" can also refer to an obligation or responsibility. | |||
| Amharic | ቁርጠኝነት | ||
| Hausa | sadaukarwa | ||
| The word "sadaukarwa" in Hausa can also refer to a brave person or a volunteer. | |||
| Igbo | nkwa | ||
| Nkwa shares the same root word as 'nkwadebe' ('preparation') as they both stem from the concept of being 'ready' to do something | |||
| Malagasy | fanoloran-tena | ||
| The word "fanoloran-tena" is derived from two roots: "fanolo", meaning "vow" or "promise," and "tena", meaning "ten" or "complete." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudzipereka | ||
| The word "kudzipereka" also means "to make oneself whole". | |||
| Shona | kuzvipira | ||
| The word "kuzvipira" in Shona can also refer to the act of "making up one's mind" or "deciding to do something". | |||
| Somali | ballanqaad | ||
| The word "ballanqaad" in Somali also refers to the act of promising, undertaking, or guaranteeing. | |||
| Sesotho | boitlamo | ||
| The word "Boikamo" is also often used in a religious context, particularly among the Basotho of South Africa and Botswana, to describe the commitment of a believer. | |||
| Swahili | kujitolea | ||
| The Swahili word "kujitolea" can also mean "devotion" or "sacrifice" | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzibophelela | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuzibophelela" also means "to hold oneself accountable". | |||
| Yoruba | ifaramo | ||
| The Yoruba word "ifaramo" also means "to trust, to have faith in" | |||
| Zulu | ukuzibophezela | ||
| The Zulu term "ukuzibophezela" derives from the root word "bopa," which signifies "to bind" or "to make fast." | |||
| Bambara | layidu | ||
| Ewe | ɖokuitsᴐtsᴐna | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwiyemeza | ||
| Lingala | komipesa | ||
| Luganda | okweewaayo | ||
| Sepedi | boikgafo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahofama | ||
Commitment in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التزام | ||
| The word "التزام" is derived from the root verb "لزم", which means "to stick to", "to adhere", or "to be attached to something or someone". | |||
| Hebrew | מְחוּיָבוּת | ||
| The Hebrew word "מְחוּיָבוּת" has the alternate meaning "obligation" or "duty". | |||
| Pashto | ژمنتیا | ||
| The word "ژمنتیا" in Pashto is derived from the Arabic word "جمنية" meaning "obligation" or "duty." | |||
| Arabic | التزام | ||
| The word "التزام" is derived from the root verb "لزم", which means "to stick to", "to adhere", or "to be attached to something or someone". | |||
Commitment in Western European Languages
| Albanian | angazhim | ||
| The Albanian word "angazhim" shares a root with the French "engager" and the Romanian "angajament". | |||
| Basque | konpromisoa | ||
| The Basque word "konpromisoa" ultimately derives from the Latin "compromissum", meaning "mutual promise". | |||
| Catalan | compromís | ||
| The word "compromís" in Catalan originates from the Latin "compromissum", meaning "promise" or "obligation". | |||
| Croatian | predanost | ||
| The Croatian word "predanost" is derived from the Slavic word "predati" meaning "to give oneself up" and can also refer to devotion or loyalty. | |||
| Danish | forpligtelse | ||
| Forpligtelse stems from the Old Norse word "forpligta," meaning "to bind firmly." | |||
| Dutch | inzet | ||
| "Inzet" in Dutch can also refer to a bet or gamble. | |||
| English | commitment | ||
| The word 'commitment' derives from the Latin 'committere', meaning 'to entrust' or 'to bind together'. | |||
| French | engagement | ||
| "Engagement" can also mean a contract for future services, as in a business transaction or an engagement party where guests pledge support for the betrothed couple. | |||
| Frisian | ynset | ||
| The word "ынсет" in Frisian can also mean "promise", "vow", or "assurance". | |||
| Galician | compromiso | ||
| In Galician, "compromiso" can also mean "obligation" or "promise". It derives from the Latin "compromissum" meaning "mutual agreement or promise."} | |||
| German | engagement | ||
| In German, "Engagement" also means "betrothal" or "appointment". | |||
| Icelandic | skuldbinding | ||
| The word "skuldbinding" derives from the Old Norse word "skuld," meaning "debt" or "obligation." | |||
| Irish | tiomantas | ||
| The word "tiomantas" in Irish can also mean "vow" or "promise, | |||
| Italian | impegno | ||
| In Italian, "impegno" also means "pledge" or "promise" and derives from the Latin "impingo," meaning "to attack" or "to strike against." | |||
| Luxembourgish | engagement | ||
| Luxembourgish word 'engagement' also means 'wedding ring' or 'fiancé(e)' | |||
| Maltese | impenn | ||
| The word "impenn" originated from the Italian word "impegno" which also means commitment, but was adopted by the Maltese vocabulary, where it now only implies this meaning as a noun, whereas in Italian its second meaning is as a verb, meaning "to keep an engagement". | |||
| Norwegian | forpliktelse | ||
| In Norwegian, "forpliktelse" also means "obligation" or "responsibility". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comprometimento | ||
| In Portuguese, "comprometimento" also means "obligation" or "responsibility". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dealas | ||
| Despite looking like it should mean something to do with 'deals', 'dealas' in fact comes from the Gaelic word 'dal', meaning 'meeting' or 'assembly'. | |||
| Spanish | compromiso | ||
| El término “compromiso” deriva del latín “compromissum”, que significaba “promesa mutua” o “acuerdo entre partes”. Este término también se usaba para referirse a una obligación legal o un contrato. | |||
| Swedish | engagemang | ||
| In Swedish, "engagemang" can also refer to an emotional investment or involvement in something. | |||
| Welsh | ymrwymiad | ||
| The word 'ymrwymiad' in Welsh is derived from 'ymrwymo' (to bind oneself), from the Latin 'obligare' (to bind). | |||
Commitment in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прыхільнасць | ||
| Bosnian | predanost | ||
| The word 'predanost' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'predati', meaning 'to give'. | |||
| Bulgarian | ангажираност | ||
| Bulgarian "ангажираност" comes from the French "engagement," and also has the alternate meaning of "engagement ring." | |||
| Czech | závazek | ||
| The word "závazek" in Czech is derived from the verb "zavázat" (to bind), and also means "obligation" or "debt." | |||
| Estonian | pühendumus | ||
| The Estonian word "pühendumus" is derived from the verb "pühendama," meaning "to devote" or "to consecrate." | |||
| Finnish | sitoutumista | ||
| The term 'Sitoutumista' (commitment) originated in 1956 from the Swedish 'Sittning', a gathering to eat, drink and have fun with friends. | |||
| Hungarian | elkötelezettség | ||
| The term also implies duty, obligation, or promise | |||
| Latvian | apņemšanās | ||
| "Apņemšanās" is derived from the verb "apņemties" which literally means "to take (a responsibility) unto oneself". | |||
| Lithuanian | įsipareigojimas | ||
| The word "įsipareigojimas" in Lithuanian originally meant "to take upon oneself the duty of something." | |||
| Macedonian | посветеност | ||
| In Macedonian, the word "посветеност" also means "dedication" | |||
| Polish | zaangażowanie | ||
| Zaangażowanie derives from "za" (over) and "angaz" (hook), implying an individual's strong involvement in or attachment to a particular cause. | |||
| Romanian | angajament | ||
| In Romanian, "angajament" can also refer to a contractual obligation, employment contract, or legal agreement. | |||
| Russian | обязательство | ||
| The Russian word "обязательство" (commitment) derives from the verb "обязать" (to oblige), which in turn comes from the Old Church Slavonic "объвъзати" (to tie up), suggesting a sense of duty or binding. | |||
| Serbian | приврженост | ||
| The word "приврженост" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "привѣръгъ", meaning "adherence" or "attachment". | |||
| Slovak | viazanosť | ||
| In Slovak the word "viazanosť" has the additional alternate meaning of "a binding or bond", and is related to the word for a "tie". | |||
| Slovenian | zavezanost | ||
| "Zavezanost" is also a nautical term meaning "mooring of a ship". | |||
| Ukrainian | прихильність | ||
| The word "прихильність" comes from the Old Slavic root *prikh-, which also produced words meaning "adherence", "devotion", and "habit". | |||
Commitment in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিশ্রুতি | ||
| "প্রতিশ্রুতি" word comes from the "শ্রু" root word which means to hear, so it signifies to hear properly and then act on it. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રતિબદ્ધતા | ||
| The word 'commitment' derives from the Latin word 'committere', which means 'to join together' or 'to entrust to'. It also refers to a bond or obligation that one has to a cause, person, or place. | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिबद्धता | ||
| The word "प्रतिबद्धता" (commitment) is derived from the Sanskrit root " प्रति" (towards) and " बद्ध" (bound), implying a strong bond or obligation towards something or someone. | |||
| Kannada | ಬದ್ಧತೆ | ||
| The word "ಬದ್ಧತೆ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "बद्ध" (baddha), meaning "bound" or "tied". | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രതിബദ്ധത | ||
| Marathi | वचनबद्धता | ||
| वचनबद्धता (vachanbadhata) derives from the Sanskrit vachana- (speech, promise) and -badha- (binding, obligation), and carries the sense of being bound by a promise or agreement. | |||
| Nepali | प्रतिबद्धता | ||
| The word 'प्रतिबद्धता' originates from the Sanskrit word 'प्रतिबद्ध' meaning 'bound or attached' and can also be interpreted as 'fidelity or devotion'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਚਨਬੱਧਤਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කැපවීම | ||
| In Sinhala, "කැපවීම" does not only mean "commitment", but also "cutting" or "separating". | |||
| Tamil | அர்ப்பணிப்பு | ||
| Telugu | నిబద్ధత | ||
| The word "నిబద్ధత" is derived from the Sanskrit word "nibandha," which means "binding" or "obligation." | |||
| Urdu | عزم | ||
| 'Azm' also means 'intention' and 'plan' in Arabic and Urdu. | |||
Commitment in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 承诺 | ||
| "承诺" is also used in Chinese to describe a betrothal or a marriage. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 承諾 | ||
| Derived originally from the verb 'to receive' (承) and the noun 'a promise' (諾), 承諾 literally means 'receiving a promise' and hence 'commitment'. | |||
| Japanese | コミットメント | ||
| The word コミットメント (komitomento) is a loanword from the English word "commitment," which retains the original meaning. | |||
| Korean | 헌신 | ||
| The word 헌신 (“commitment”) is also used in Korean Buddhism, where it refers to the act of dedicating oneself to the teachings of the Buddha. | |||
| Mongolian | амлалт | ||
| In Mongolian, 'амлалт' can also mean 'obligation', 'undertaking', or 'responsibility', highlighting the broader sense of duty implied by the term. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကတိကဝတ် | ||
| The word "ကတိကဝတ်" shares its root with the Pali word "kati" meaning "to promise" and was originally used to denote "a promise or vow" in Burmese. | |||
Commitment in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | komitmen | ||
| The Indonesian word "komitmen" is derived from the Javanese word "komitmen" which means "a promise". | |||
| Javanese | komitmen | ||
| Komitmen can also mean to hold something up or support something | |||
| Khmer | ការប្តេជ្ញាចិត្ត | ||
| Lao | ຄຳ ໝັ້ນ ສັນຍາ | ||
| Malay | komitmen | ||
| The word "komitmen" is derived from the English word "commitment" and also has the alternate meaning of "obligation". | |||
| Thai | ความมุ่งมั่น | ||
| It can also mean determination, perseverance. | |||
| Vietnamese | lời cam kết | ||
| 'Lời cam kết' is used in Vietnamese to refer to a promise or undertaking, but it can also have a religious connotation as 'vow' or 'covenant'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pangako | ||
Commitment in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | öhdəlik | ||
| The word "öhdəlik" can also mean "responsibility" or "duty". | |||
| Kazakh | міндеттеме | ||
| Міндеттеме, in Kazakh, also means "responsibility" or "obligation". | |||
| Kyrgyz | милдеттенме | ||
| "Милдетте“ part of the word comes from the Arabic word “mildettenme” meaning “obligation” or “duty”. | |||
| Tajik | ӯҳдадорӣ | ||
| The word ӯҳдадорӣ is also used in Persian to refer to a "promise". | |||
| Turkmen | ygrarlylygy | ||
| Uzbek | majburiyat | ||
| The Uzbek word "majburiyat" ultimately derives from the Persian "majbur" and Arabic "jabr", meaning "force" or "compulsion." | |||
| Uyghur | ۋەدىسى | ||
Commitment in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻohiki | ||
| Ho‘ohiki means "oath" in Hawaiian and is also used to describe a promise or vow made to someone or something. | |||
| Maori | ngākau nui | ||
| Ngākau nui is also an alternative term for the "heart" in Māori culture, signifying its importance in emotional, spiritual, and decision-making processes. | |||
| Samoan | tautinoga | ||
| The word | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pangako | ||
| The Tagalog word 'pangako' comes from the root word 'ako,' meaning 'self,' and signifies a personal commitment or promise. | |||
Commitment in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kumprimisu | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽme'ẽ | ||
Commitment in International Languages
| Esperanto | devontigo | ||
| "Devontigo" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "devotio" (devotion), and also means "consecration" or "dedication." | |||
| Latin | commitment | ||
| The Latin word "committere" means "to entrust, to join, to pledge" and is the root of the English word "commitment". | |||
Commitment in Others Languages
| Greek | δέσμευση | ||
| The word "δέσμευση" derives from the verb "δέω" meaning "to bind", and originally referred to the act of tying or binding something. | |||
| Hmong | kev cog lus | ||
| The Hmong word "kev cog lus" also means "the habit of drinking coffee or tea". | |||
| Kurdish | berpisîyarî | ||
| The Kurdish word "berpisîyarî" shares the same root "berpîs" with "berdîs" (friend) and "berpîsan" (to be friends), emphasizing the social and relational aspect of commitment in Kurdish culture. | |||
| Turkish | taahhüt | ||
| In Turkish, the word "taahhüt" also means "contract" or "undertaking". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzibophelela | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuzibophelela" also means "to hold oneself accountable". | |||
| Yiddish | היסכייַוועס | ||
| The word "היסכייַוועס" ("commitment") is a loanword from the Hebrew verb הִשְׂתַּיֵּב ("to dedicate"), which in turn comes from the Aramaic word אסתב ("to bind"). | |||
| Zulu | ukuzibophezela | ||
| The Zulu term "ukuzibophezela" derives from the root word "bopa," which signifies "to bind" or "to make fast." | |||
| Assamese | অংগীকাৰ | ||
| Aymara | kumprimisu | ||
| Bhojpuri | वादा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮމިޓްމަންޓް | ||
| Dogri | कौल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pangako | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽme'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | panagtalek | ||
| Krio | nɔ kɔmɔt biɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پابەند بوون | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिबद्धता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯡꯐꯝ ꯆꯦꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | inpekna | ||
| Oromo | of kennuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିବଦ୍ଧତା | ||
| Quechua | sullullchay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतिबद्धता | ||
| Tatar | тугрылык | ||
| Tigrinya | ግዱስነት | ||
| Tsonga | tiyimisela | ||