Competitive in Different Languages
Discover 'Competitive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'competitive' carries significant weight in our society, often denoting a strong drive to excel and succeed. It's a concept that transcends cultural boundaries, as every society has its own way of encouraging competition, whether in sports, business, or academics. But what does 'competitive' mean in other languages, and how does the translation reflect the cultural importance of competition?
For instance, in Spanish, 'competitive' translates to 'competitivo', a term that also reflects the vibrant Latin American sports culture. In German, 'competitive' becomes 'konkurrenzfähig', a word that embodies the country's industrial and economic strength. In Mandarin, the term '竞争力' (jìngzhēnglì) reflects China's intense focus on economic growth and technological advancement.
Understanding the translation of 'competitive' in different languages not only broadens your vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the cultural values and priorities of speakers of those languages. Below is a list of translations of the word 'competitive' in various languages.
Competitive
Competitive in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | mededingend | ||
| The Afrikaans word "mededingend" stems from the Dutch word "mededinging," meaning "competition" or "rivalry." | |||
| Amharic | ተወዳዳሪ | ||
| The word "ተወዳዳሪ" can also mean "antagonist" in some contexts. | |||
| Hausa | m | ||
| Hausa "m" may also mean "be superior" or "excel". | |||
| Igbo | asọmpi | ||
| Asọmpi can also mean "a trial" or "an exam" | |||
| Malagasy | mifaninana | ||
| The word mifaninana also means "to boast" and "to show off" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mpikisano | ||
| The word "mpikisano" also means "competition" or "contest". | |||
| Shona | kukwikwidza | ||
| Somali | tartan | ||
| "Tartan" is also a checkered fabric commonly worn as a pattern on kilts, and it comes from the Gaelic word "tarsainn", meaning "across". | |||
| Sesotho | tlhodisano | ||
| The word "tlhodisano" has its roots in the concept of competing for resources in a community. | |||
| Swahili | ushindani | ||
| "Ushindani" can also refer to a competition or a challenge | |||
| Xhosa | ukhuphiswano | ||
| "Ukhuphiswano" is derived from the verb "ukhuphisana," meaning "to compete". It can also refer to a competition or contest. | |||
| Yoruba | ifigagbaga | ||
| The Yoruba word "ifigagbaga" derives from "ifi" (contest or competition) and "agba" (champion), reflecting its competitive connotation | |||
| Zulu | ukuncintisana | ||
| The word "ukuncintisana" in Zulu refers to the act of striving together towards a common goal. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɔgɔndanli | ||
| Ewe | le ho ʋlim | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kurushanwa | ||
| Lingala | komekana | ||
| Luganda | okusindana | ||
| Sepedi | phadišanago | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akansie | ||
Competitive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | منافس | ||
| The Arabic word "منافس" also has the meaning "someone who competes for a prize". | |||
| Hebrew | תַחֲרוּתִי | ||
| תַחֲרוּתִי in Hebrew can also mean "emulative" or "rivalrous". | |||
| Pashto | سیالي | ||
| The word "سیالي" comes from the Arabic root "س-ي-ل" meaning "to run" or "to flow". In addition to its literal meaning, it can also figuratively refer to "competition" or "rivalry". | |||
| Arabic | منافس | ||
| The Arabic word "منافس" also has the meaning "someone who competes for a prize". | |||
Competitive in Western European Languages
| Albanian | konkurrues | ||
| Konkurrues derives from the Latin word “concurrere,” meaning to run or come together, and can also mean “to agree” or “to happen at the same time.” | |||
| Basque | lehiakorra | ||
| "Lehiakorra" can be traced back to the Proto-Basque root *lehi-, meaning "to bet", and is also related to the Basque word "lehia", meaning "competition". | |||
| Catalan | competitiu | ||
| The term "competitiu" in Catalan derives from the Latin "competitio", meaning "striving together" or "seeking together". | |||
| Croatian | natjecateljski | ||
| Derived from the root "natjecati se" (to compete), with the suffix "-teljski" indicating a relation to the action or process. | |||
| Danish | konkurrencedygtig | ||
| Konkurrencedygtig (competitive) can also mean "capable of producing something," "ready to compete," or "fit to compete." | |||
| Dutch | competitief | ||
| Het woord 'competitief' komt van het Latijnse 'competere', wat 'samenkomen' of 'strijden' betekent. | |||
| English | competitive | ||
| Competitor comes from the Latin verb petere, meaning “to seek” or “to ask”. | |||
| French | compétitif | ||
| The French word "compétitif" comes from the Latin word "competere", meaning "to come together" or "to meet". | |||
| Frisian | kompetitive | ||
| The word "kompetitive" in Frisian also means "complaining". | |||
| Galician | competitivo | ||
| In Galician, "competitivo" can also mean "envious," which derives from the Latin word "competere," meaning "to come together, coincide or encounter." | |||
| German | wettbewerbsfähig | ||
| The German word "wettbewerbsfähig" combines the words "Wettbewerb" (competition) and "fähig" (capable), meaning having the ability to compete or to be successful in competition. | |||
| Icelandic | samkeppnishæf | ||
| Derived from the Old Norse word "samkeppni", meaning competition or rivalry. | |||
| Irish | iomaíoch | ||
| "Iomáioch" (competitive) in Irish can also mean "game" or "sport". | |||
| Italian | competitivo | ||
| In Italian, "competitivo" can also mean "affordable" or "advantageous". | |||
| Luxembourgish | kompetitiv | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "kompetitiv" comes from the French word "compétitif" but is pronounced with an altered stress pattern (last syllable). | |||
| Maltese | kompetittiv | ||
| Competitiv (competitive) can also mean a competitive examination or contest. | |||
| Norwegian | konkurransedyktig | ||
| Konkurransedyktig is derived from the word 'konkurranse', which refers to competition, and 'dyktig', which means skilled or competent. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | competitivo | ||
| In Portuguese (Pt), "competitivo" can also refer to someone or something that is greedy or selfish. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | farpaiseach | ||
| The word "farpaiseach" in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *par-s, meaning "to excel". | |||
| Spanish | competitivo | ||
| "Competitivo" derives from "competere," meaning "to seek together," and refers to seeking something at the same time as others. | |||
| Swedish | konkurrenskraftig | ||
| "Konkurrenskraftig" is derived from the Latin "concurrere", meaning "to run together". In some contexts, it can also mean "capable of winning" or "having an advantage over others". | |||
| Welsh | cystadleuol | ||
| The word 'cystadleuol' is derived from the Welsh word 'cystadl', which means 'contest' or 'rivalry' | |||
Competitive in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | канкурэнтная | ||
| Bosnian | konkurentna | ||
| The word "konkurentna" in Bosnian also means "rivaling" or "opposing". | |||
| Bulgarian | конкурентна | ||
| The Bulgarian word "конкурентна" also has the meaning of "emulation". | |||
| Czech | konkurenční | ||
| The Czech word "konkurenční" also means "rival" and "adverse". | |||
| Estonian | konkurentsivõimeline | ||
| The Estonian word "konkurentsivõimeline" is derived from the Latin word "concurrere", meaning "to run together". This reflects the sense of competition as a process of striving to outperform others in some way. | |||
| Finnish | kilpailukykyinen | ||
| The word "kilpailukykyinen" in Finnish is derived from the word "kilpailu", which means "competition". It can also be used to mean "capable of competing" or "having a competitive advantage". | |||
| Hungarian | kompetitív | ||
| Hungarian "kompetitív" ultimately derives from Latin "competere," meaning "to strive for" or "to seek." | |||
| Latvian | konkurētspējīga | ||
| The word “konkurētspējīga” can also refer to “capable of or suited for competing.” | |||
| Lithuanian | konkurencinga | ||
| Lithuanian "konkurencinga" relates to "kunkuruoti" (to compete) and "kunkuras" (competition), while "konkuruojantis" (competing) shares a root with "konkursantas" (contestant). | |||
| Macedonian | конкурентни | ||
| 'Конкурентни' (competitive) is derived from the Late Latin 'concurrere', meaning 'to run together, to meet', from 'com-' (together) and 'currere' (to run). | |||
| Polish | konkurencyjny | ||
| "Konkurencja" (competition) originates from the Latin word "concurrere," meaning "to run together," and is related to the verb "biec" (to run) in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | competitiv | ||
| ''Competitiv'' is derived from the Latin ''competere'' meaning to agree or suit, and is also related to the word ''compete'', meaning to strive or contend. | |||
| Russian | конкурентный | ||
| The alternate meaning of "конкурентный" is "rival". | |||
| Serbian | конкурентна | ||
| The word конкурентна in Serbian also implies an idea of rivalry and can be used in contexts like the struggle for supremacy or a comparison of abilities. | |||
| Slovak | konkurencieschopný | ||
| The word "konkurencieschopný" is derived from the Latin word "concurrere," meaning "to run together" or "to compete." | |||
| Slovenian | konkurenčno | ||
| Konkurenčno is rooted in the Latin word 'concurrere', meaning 'to run together' or 'to strive together'. | |||
| Ukrainian | конкурентоспроможні | ||
| The word "конкурентоспроможні" derives from the verb "конкурувати" (to compete) and the noun "здатність" (ability). | |||
Competitive in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিযোগিতামূলক | ||
| "প্রতিযোগিতামূলক" in Bengali can also mean "eager", "willing", or "devoted". | |||
| Gujarati | સ્પર્ધાત્મક | ||
| Hindi | प्रतियोगी | ||
| The word "प्रतियोगी" also means "candidate" or "contestant" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಾತ್ಮಕ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಾತ್ಮಕ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "स्पर्धा" (spardhā), which means "contest" or "competition". It can also be used to describe someone who is eager to compete or excel in a particular field. | |||
| Malayalam | മത്സര | ||
| The word "മത്സര" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मत्स्य" (matsya), meaning "fish", and refers to the competitive nature of fish in a pond. | |||
| Marathi | स्पर्धात्मक | ||
| In Marathi, "स्पर्धात्मक" also means "relating to a contest or competition". | |||
| Nepali | प्रतिस्पर्धी | ||
| The word "प्रतिस्पर्धी" can also mean "antagonist" or "rival". | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਤੀਯੋਗੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තරඟකාරී | ||
| The word තරඟකාරී is derived from the Sanskrit word 'taraga', which means 'to contend, strive, or race'. It can also refer to a 'rival' or 'competitor'. | |||
| Tamil | போட்டி | ||
| The Tamil word "போட்டி" also means "rivalry" or "dispute". | |||
| Telugu | పోటీ | ||
| The word "పోటీ" can also mean "match" or "contest" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रति" meaning "against". | |||
| Urdu | مسابقتی | ||
| The word "مسابقتی" is derived from the Arabic root "سبق", meaning "to precede" or "to outdo", and is often used to describe events or situations involving competition. | |||
Competitive in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 竞争的 | ||
| 竞争的 (jìngzhēngde) can also mean "contending" or "rivaling". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 競爭的 | ||
| 「競」有跑步之意，亦指爭取；「爭」有搶奪之意，亦指爭取；「競爭」因此有爭取、搶奪的含義。 | |||
| Japanese | 競争力 | ||
| 競争力 (kyōsō-ryoku) is an example where 力 (ryoku) is the noun suffix indicating the noun's 'power' and capability. | |||
| Korean | 경쟁 | ||
| Korean has a single word, 경쟁, which can mean either competition or rivalry. | |||
| Mongolian | өрсөлдөх чадвартай | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ယှဉ်ပြိုင်မှု | ||
Competitive in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kompetitif | ||
| 'Kompetitif', borrowed from Dutch, also means 'capable' while the original Indonesian word 'bersaing' has a more literal meaning of 'fighting' or 'warring' against someone or something. | |||
| Javanese | kompetitif | ||
| In Javanese "kompetitif" may also mean "competitive" as in a "competitive price". | |||
| Khmer | ការប្រកួតប្រជែង | ||
| Lao | ການແຂ່ງຂັນ | ||
| In other languages, the term "competitive" can also refer to a spirit or attitude of striving to be the best or to outdo others, or to a situation or environment in which people or groups are pitted against each other to achieve a goal. | |||
| Malay | berdaya saing | ||
| The word "berdaya saing" is derived from the Malay word "daya", meaning "power" or "ability". | |||
| Thai | การแข่งขัน | ||
| The Thai word "การแข่งขัน" (competitive) is derived from the Sanskrit word "kŗş" (to draw), and originally meant "to draw a line" or "to compete." | |||
| Vietnamese | cạnh tranh | ||
| "Cạnh tranh" has another meaning, which is "side", especially about a physical object | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mapagkumpitensya | ||
Competitive in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəqabətli | ||
| The word "rəqabətli" comes from the Arabic word "raqaba", which means "to follow". This suggests that competition is about trying to catch up to or surpass someone else. | |||
| Kazakh | бәсекеге қабілетті | ||
| Kyrgyz | атаандаш | ||
| The word 'атаандаш' ('competitive') in Kyrgyz has a similar root to 'ата' ('father'), possibly alluding to the idea that competition can be seen as a contest like a battle between fathers and their children. | |||
| Tajik | рақобатпазир | ||
| The word "рақобатпазир" has the same Persian root as the English word "competition" | |||
| Turkmen | bäsdeşlik edýär | ||
| Uzbek | raqobatdosh | ||
| The word "raqobatdosh" in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word "raqabat" meaning "rivalry" and the suffix "-dosh" meaning "having" or "possessing", thus conveying the idea of being competitive or having a competitive spirit. | |||
| Uyghur | رىقابەت كۈچىگە ئىگە | ||
Competitive in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻokūkū | ||
| The word "hoʻokūkū" in Hawaiian can also refer to a competition, game, or contest. | |||
| Maori | whakataetae | ||
| In Maori, 'whakataetae' also signifies striving to outdo or surpass oneself or another. | |||
| Samoan | tauvaga | ||
| Tauvaga is also a term for a competitive sporting competition or event in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mapagkumpitensya | ||
| The word "mapagkumpitensya" can also refer to a person who is always ready to help others. | |||
Competitive in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | atipasiwi | ||
| Guarani | ipu'akáva | ||
Competitive in International Languages
| Esperanto | konkurenciva | ||
| The Esperanto word “konkurenciva” also means “emulative” and stems from the Latin word “concurrere”, meaning “to run together”. | |||
| Latin | competitive | ||
| The word “competitive” in Latin also means “to strive together” and “to seek together” | |||
Competitive in Others Languages
| Greek | ανταγωνιστικός | ||
| "Ανταγωνιστικός" originates from "άντα" (against) and "αγωνίζομαι" (struggle), referring to the struggle against an opponent. | |||
| Hmong | sib tw | ||
| The word 'sib tw' means 'to compete or strive to be better than another' and can be used in the context of sports, academics, and other areas of competition. | |||
| Kurdish | qabilî şertgirtinê | ||
| Turkish | rekabetçi | ||
| "Rekabetçi" kelimesi Arapça "rekâbet" (yarış) sözcüğünden gelir ve "yarışma" anlamına da gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | ukhuphiswano | ||
| "Ukhuphiswano" is derived from the verb "ukhuphisana," meaning "to compete". It can also refer to a competition or contest. | |||
| Yiddish | קאַמפּעטיטיוו | ||
| The Yiddish word קאַמפּעטיטיוו is derived from the French word "compétition" meaning "competition". | |||
| Zulu | ukuncintisana | ||
| The word "ukuncintisana" in Zulu refers to the act of striving together towards a common goal. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিযোগিতামূলক | ||
| Aymara | atipasiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक | ||
| Dhivehi | ވާދަވެރި | ||
| Dogri | मकाबले आहला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mapagkumpitensya | ||
| Guarani | ipu'akáva | ||
| Ilocano | nalayaw | ||
| Krio | kɔmpitishɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێشبڕکێکارانە | ||
| Maithili | प्रतियोगी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯡꯗꯝꯅꯤꯡꯉꯥꯏ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | inelna | ||
| Oromo | dorgommiin kan guute | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିଯୋଗିତା ମୂଳକ | ||
| Quechua | atipanakusqa | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतियोगी | ||
| Tatar | көндәшлеккә сәләтле | ||
| Tigrinya | ተወዳዳሪ | ||
| Tsonga | mphikizano | ||