Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'complete' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, signifying the state of being whole and entire. It's a concept deeply ingrained in various cultures, from the Zen philosophy of 'enlightenment' as a state of complete understanding, to the Judeo-Christian belief of 'completeness' in creation as described in the Book of Genesis.
Given its importance, it's no surprise that many languages have their own translation for the term 'complete'. For instance, in Spanish, 'complete' is translated as 'completo'; in French, it's 'complet'; in German, 'vollständig'; in Mandarin, '完整' (wánzhěng); in Japanese, '完了' (kanryō); and in Arabic, 'مكتمل' (maktoom).
Understanding the translation of 'complete' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and value wholeness and entirety. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or simply curious, exploring the meaning of 'complete' in multiple tongues can be a fascinating journey.
Afrikaans | voltooi | ||
Voltooi derives from Middle Dutch "voltōyen" (past participle of "volton" = "complete"), which is akin to Early English "fultowen". | |||
Amharic | ተጠናቀቀ | ||
The verb "ተጠናቀቀ" is used in Christian liturgy and has the literal meaning "to be fulfilled". | |||
Hausa | kammala | ||
The word "kammala" also refers to a type of traditional Hausa song and dance associated with praise or celebration. | |||
Igbo | zuru ezu | ||
The Igbo word "zuru ezu" also refers to an entire piece of meat or fish. | |||
Malagasy | feno | ||
"Feno" can also mean "full" or "sufficient" in the context of measurements or quantities. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumaliza | ||
In some contexts, 'kumaliza' can also refer to the end of a task or the completion of a process. | |||
Shona | zadzisa | ||
The word "zadzisa" in Shona can also mean "to fix" or "to make whole". | |||
Somali | dhammaystiran | ||
The Somali word "dhammaystiran" may also mean "perfect" or "impeccable". | |||
Sesotho | phethehile | ||
The word 'phethehile' in Sesotho also means 'to arrive at the end of a journey' or 'to finish a task'. | |||
Swahili | kamili | ||
"Kamili" is also the name of an endangered bird found in Tanzania, and can refer to a person's attire when all the pieces match. | |||
Xhosa | gqibezela | ||
The word "gqibezela" has a secondary translation that means "finished work". | |||
Yoruba | pari | ||
"Pari" means 'complete' but can also signify 'to be enough' and 'to be correct' | |||
Zulu | qedela | ||
The word 'qedela' (complete) is derived from the Nguni root '-qed' (to finish, to end). | |||
Bambara | ka dafa | ||
Ewe | wu enu | ||
Kinyarwanda | byuzuye | ||
Lingala | mobimba | ||
Luganda | okumaliriza | ||
Sepedi | feleletše | ||
Twi (Akan) | wie | ||
Arabic | اكتمال | ||
The word 'اكتمال' is derived from the root word 'كمل' which also means 'perfection, fullness, maturity, or ripeness'. | |||
Hebrew | לְהַשְׁלִים | ||
The Hebrew verb "לְהַשְׁלִים" (lehashlim) also means "to pay back" or "to compensate" for something. | |||
Pashto | بشپړ | ||
The word "بشپړ" in Pashto originates from the Old Persian word "𐎲𐎠𐎽𐎢𐎺" (bashira), meaning "to rule" or "to dominate" | |||
Arabic | اكتمال | ||
The word 'اكتمال' is derived from the root word 'كمل' which also means 'perfection, fullness, maturity, or ripeness'. |
Albanian | i plotë | ||
The word "i plotë" can also refer to a "whole number". | |||
Basque | osatu | ||
The word "osatu" in Basque can also mean "to complement" or "to fulfill". | |||
Catalan | complet | ||
"Complet" in Catalan also means "with sugar". | |||
Croatian | dovršen | ||
The Croatian word "dovršen" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "dоvrьšiti, | |||
Danish | komplet | ||
The Danish word "komplet" is derived from the French word "complet", meaning "complete" or "whole". | |||
Dutch | compleet | ||
In Dutch, "compleet" can also mean "dressed up" or "well-dressed". | |||
English | complete | ||
The word 'complete' comes from the Latin word complere, which means 'to fill up' or 'to make whole'. | |||
French | achevée | ||
"Achevée," the feminine form of the French adjective "achevé" ("complete"), also means "accomplished" or "finished." | |||
Frisian | kompleet | ||
In Frisian "kompleet" is the equivalent of "completely" in English but it can also mean to be fully dressed and ready to go out or to be fully recovered from something. | |||
Galician | completo | ||
**'Completo'** can also mean a 'hot dog' (with bread), or a meal consisting of a hot dog and fries in Galician. | |||
German | komplett | ||
Komplett is derived from the Old French word 'complet', which is itself derived from the Latin word 'completus', meaning 'filled up' | |||
Icelandic | heill | ||
The Icelandic word "heill" also means "sound" or "whole" in English and is related to the English word "hale" | |||
Irish | iomlán | ||
The word "iomlán" can also mean "perfect health" or "perfect happiness" in Irish. | |||
Italian | completare | ||
The Italian word "completare" is derived from the Latin word "complere," meaning "to fill up" or "to make full." | |||
Luxembourgish | komplett | ||
The word "komplett" is derived from Old French "complet," a variant of Latin "completus," meaning "filled up" or "perfect." | |||
Maltese | komplut | ||
In Maltese, "komplut" is primarily an archaic term used to describe something as comprehensive, encompassing all its parts or aspects. | |||
Norwegian | fullstendig | ||
The word "fullstendig" can also mean "thorough" or "comprehensive". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | completo | ||
In Brazil, "completo" is also used to describe a hot dog with many toppings, showing that it is "complete". | |||
Scots Gaelic | coileanta | ||
The word "coileanta" is derived from the Proto-Celtic *kʷley- "whole, complete" | |||
Spanish | completar | ||
Completar derives from Latin “completus,” meaning “filled up or fulfilled,” and is related to “complex” and “accomplish.” | |||
Swedish | komplett | ||
The word 'komplett' is derived from the Latin word 'completus', meaning 'filled up' or 'made whole'. | |||
Welsh | cyflawn | ||
The word cyflawn comes from the Middle Welsh word cyflaun (complete, perfect) and can also mean 'satisfactory' or 'thorough'. |
Belarusian | поўны | ||
In Belarusian, the word "поўны" comes from the Old Belarusian "поўнити", which means "to fill" or "to complete". | |||
Bosnian | kompletan | ||
The word "kompletan" in Bosnian comes from the Latin word "completus", meaning "filled up" or "entire". | |||
Bulgarian | завършен | ||
The Old Bulgarian root -vьrish in за-върш-ен could mean "top". | |||
Czech | kompletní | ||
The word "kompletní" in Czech is derived from the Latin word "completus" meaning "filled up". | |||
Estonian | täielik | ||
"Täielik" can mean either "full" or "complete" in Estonian, a distinction not present in the English word "complete". | |||
Finnish | saattaa loppuun | ||
The word "saattaa loppuun" in Finnish is derived from the verb "saattaa", meaning "to escort" or "to accompany", and the noun "loppu", meaning "end". Thus, the phrase literally means "to escort to the end". | |||
Hungarian | teljes | ||
Teljes (complete) comes from the word tökéletes (perfect); tökéletes in turn comes from a Turkic word and originally meant "having a tail and all four legs. | |||
Latvian | pabeigta | ||
The word "pabeigta" is derived from the verb "beigt" ("to end"), and can also mean "concluded" or "finished". | |||
Lithuanian | baigtas | ||
The Lithuanian word "baigtas" also has the meaning of "perfect" or "finished". | |||
Macedonian | заврши | ||
The Macedonian word "заврши" is cognate with the Slavic words for "to end" or "to close". | |||
Polish | kompletny | ||
The word "kompletny" comes from the Latin word "completus," meaning "filled up" or "perfect." | |||
Romanian | complet | ||
The Romanian word "complet" also means "suite" or "set" of things or people, as in a "complet de mobilier" (suite of furniture) or a "complet de haine" (set of clothes). | |||
Russian | полный | ||
"Полный" (complete) also means "filled" or "total". | |||
Serbian | комплетан | ||
The word "комплетан" in Serbian has alternate meanings such as "a set of vestments worn by priests during a church service" and "a musical composition sung at the end of a church service". | |||
Slovak | kompletný | ||
The word "kompletný" is derived from the Latin word "completus", meaning "filled up" or "perfect". It can also refer to a set of things that are all present or accounted for. | |||
Slovenian | popolna | ||
Popolna also means 'perfect', 'flawless', and 'accurate'. | |||
Ukrainian | повна | ||
The word "повна" also means "full" or "abundant" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | সম্পূর্ণ | ||
সম্পূর্ণ means 'perfect' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sama' meaning 'whole' or 'perfect' and 'purna' meaning 'full' or 'complete'. | |||
Gujarati | પૂર્ણ | ||
The term 'પૂર્ણ' originates from the Sanskrit compound word 'purna', meaning 'full' or 'whole', implying completeness. | |||
Hindi | पूर्ण | ||
"पूर्ण" is a Sanskrit word meaning 'complete', 'whole' and 'perfect'. | |||
Kannada | ಪೂರ್ಣಗೊಂಡಿದೆ | ||
ಪೂರ್ಣಗೊಂಡಿದೆ is derived from the Sanskrit word पूर्ण (pūrṇa) which also means 'perfect' or 'wholesome'. | |||
Malayalam | പൂർത്തിയായി | ||
The word "പൂർത്തിയായി" in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "पूर्ण" meaning "full" or "whole", and also has the alternate meaning of "perfect" or "finished". | |||
Marathi | पूर्ण | ||
"पूर्ण" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pūrna" meaning "full, whole, or entire". | |||
Nepali | पूर्ण | ||
पूर्ण (पूर्ण) in Nepali, meaning "complete" or "perfect" in Sanskrit, is also used as a suffix to indicate the superlative form of an adjective. | |||
Punjabi | ਮੁਕੰਮਲ | ||
The word "Mukkamal" can also mean "perfect" or "full". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සම්පූර්ණයි | ||
Tamil | முழுமை | ||
The Tamil word "முழுமை" is originally derived from the Sanskrit word "मूळ" (mūla), meaning "root" or "base". | |||
Telugu | పూర్తయింది | ||
The word "పూర్తయింది" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पूर्ति" meaning "completion". It can also mean "finished" or "ended". | |||
Urdu | مکمل | ||
The Urdu word "مکمل" can also refer to a complement, supplement, or appendage. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 完成 | ||
The word "完成" originally meant "to establish one's fame". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 完成 | ||
完成 derives from the oracle bone script radical for "foot" (足) and a phonetic component that may be related to "to stop" (止). | |||
Japanese | コンプリート | ||
The word "コンプリート" can also mean "to finish" or "to accomplish" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 완전한 | ||
완전한 is formed from the Chinese characters 完 ('finished') and 全 ('whole') which together mean 'complete' or 'perfect'. As an abbreviation it also means 'full house', as in a mahjong game. | |||
Mongolian | бүрэн | ||
"Бүрэн" also means "full" in the sense of "containing all the parts or members of a whole group or set." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြည့်စုံ | ||
Indonesian | lengkap | ||
"Lengkap" (complete) in Indonesian derives from the Sanskrit "langka" meaning "rare" or "precious". | |||
Javanese | lengkap | ||
The Javanese word 'lengkap' can also refer to a traditional Javanese musical ensemble that accompanies performances of wayang kulit shadow puppet theater. | |||
Khmer | បញ្ចប់ | ||
The word "បញ្ចប់" can also mean "to finish" or "to end". | |||
Lao | ສົມບູນ | ||
The word ສົມບູນ, meaning "complete," is derived from the Sanskrit word सम्पूर्ण (sampūrṇa), meaning "whole" or "perfect." | |||
Malay | lengkap | ||
The Malay word "lengkap" comes from the Sanskrit word "sampūrṇa", which means "whole" or "entire". In addition to its meaning of "complete", "lengkap" can also mean "sufficient" or "adequate". | |||
Thai | เสร็จสมบูรณ์ | ||
"เสร็จสมบูรณ์" is derived from Pali and Sanskrit, meaning "finished" or "completed" | |||
Vietnamese | hoàn thành | ||
Hoàn thành is the Sino-Vietnamese term for 'complete,' originating from the Chinese words '完成' (wánchéng), which also means 'accomplish' or 'fulfill.' | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kumpleto | ||
Azerbaijani | tamamlandı | ||
The word tamamlandı comes from the Persian root “tamām”, meaning | |||
Kazakh | толық | ||
The Kazakh word "толық" can also refer to "whole", "full", or "entire". | |||
Kyrgyz | толук | ||
Толук can also mean 'full' or 'whole'. | |||
Tajik | пурра | ||
The word "пурра" can also refer to "all" or "entire" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | doly | ||
Uzbek | to'liq | ||
"To'liq" can refer to the state of being finished or entire, the whole quantity or amount, or the fulfillment of a requirement. | |||
Uyghur | تامام | ||
Hawaiian | piha | ||
In Hawaiian, "piha" can also refer to a full or overflowing container or vessel. | |||
Maori | oti | ||
The word "oti" in Māori, meaning "complete," also shares roots with "otika" (greenstone) and "otitahi" (South Island) indicating a connection to permanence and the natural world. | |||
Samoan | maeʻa | ||
The Samoan word "maeʻa" can also refer to a bundle or package. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kumpleto | ||
"Kumpleto" comes from the Latin "cumpletus," meaning "complete" or "fulfilled." |
Aymara | taqpacha | ||
Guarani | orekopáva | ||
Esperanto | kompleta | ||
The Esperanto word "kompleta" (complete) shares its root with the English "complex" and "accomplish." | |||
Latin | integrum | ||
"Integrum" also means "untouched" or "fresh" in Latin. |
Greek | πλήρης | ||
"πλήρης" in Ancient Greek also meant "full", as in "full of life" or "full of years". | |||
Hmong | ua tiav | ||
The word "ua tiav" in Hmong can also mean "to be finished" or "to be done". | |||
Kurdish | tevî | ||
The word "tevî" also has the alternate meaning of "all" or "entire" in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | tamamlayınız | ||
"Tamamlayınız" also means "complementary" and comes from the Arabic word "tamām" meaning "full" or "whole". | |||
Xhosa | gqibezela | ||
The word "gqibezela" has a secondary translation that means "finished work". | |||
Yiddish | פאַרענדיקן | ||
The word "פאַרענדיקן" in Yiddish can also mean "to finish", "to complete", "to end", "to terminate", "to make an end of", "to bring to an end", "to put an end to", "to set an end to", "to cut short", "to stop", "to cease", "to discontinue", "to break off", "to give over", "to leave off", "to quit", "to resign", "to retire", "to withdraw", "to depart", "to leave", "to go away", "to fade away", "to vanish", "to die", "to perish", "to be destroyed", "to be annihilated", "to be extinguished", "to be quenched", "to be put out", "to be extinguished", "to be done away with", "to be abolished", "to be wiped out", "to be eradicated", "to be exterminated", "to be destroyed", "to be annihilated", "to be extinguished", "to be quenched", "to be put out", "to be extinguished", "to be done away with", "to be abolished", "to be wiped out", "to be eradicated", "to be exterminated" | |||
Zulu | qedela | ||
The word 'qedela' (complete) is derived from the Nguni root '-qed' (to finish, to end). | |||
Assamese | সম্পূৰ্ণ কৰা | ||
Aymara | taqpacha | ||
Bhojpuri | पूरा करीं | ||
Dhivehi | ފުރިހަމަވުން | ||
Dogri | पूरा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kumpleto | ||
Guarani | orekopáva | ||
Ilocano | kompletoen | ||
Krio | dɔn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | تەواو | ||
Maithili | पूरा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯄꯨꯡ ꯐꯥꯕ | ||
Mizo | zo | ||
Oromo | guutuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସଂପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ | ||
Quechua | huntasqa | ||
Sanskrit | पूर्णं करोतु | ||
Tatar | тулы | ||
Tigrinya | ውዱእ | ||
Tsonga | hetisa | ||