Conservative in Different Languages
Discover 'Conservative' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Conservatism is a significant political and social philosophy that values tradition, established institutions, and the stability of social hierarchies. It's a cultural force that has played a critical role in shaping societies and political systems around the world. Understanding the nuances of conservatism in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural contexts that have given rise to this ideology in various parts of the globe.
For instance, in Spanish, the word for conservative is 'conservador,' which reflects the country's deep Catholic roots and the importance of tradition in Spanish culture. Meanwhile, in German, the word for conservative is 'konservativ,' which is often associated with the country's long-standing commitment to social order and stability.
As you explore the translations of conservative in different languages, you'll uncover a wealth of fascinating historical and cultural contexts that have shaped the meaning and significance of this important term. From the French 'conservateur' to the Chinese '保守' (bǎoshǒu), the word conservative takes on new layers of meaning that reflect the unique values and traditions of each culture.
Conservative
Conservative in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | konserwatief | ||
| In Afrikaans, 'konserwatief' can also refer to a type of jam or preserve, likely due to the preservative nature of the process. | |||
| Amharic | ወግ አጥባቂ | ||
| The word "ወግ አጥባቂ" also has a second meaning, referring to someone who maintains tradition and values. | |||
| Hausa | ra'ayin mazan jiya | ||
| "Ra'ayin mazan jiya," meaning “conservative,” literally translates to “thinking old time.” | |||
| Igbo | mgbanwe | ||
| Mgbanwe is a compound word formed from the prefix 'mgba' (to hold) and the verb 'anwe' (to listen), thus meaning 'holding an ear.' | |||
| Malagasy | mpandala ny mahazatra | ||
| The Malagasy word for "conservative" is "mpandala ny mahazatra" literally meaning "follower of the custom." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | osamala | ||
| The word "osamala" comes from the root word "samala" which means "hold firm," implying a resistance to change. | |||
| Shona | kuchengetedza | ||
| The word 'kuchengetedza' may originate from ancient pottery making where the base is widened at the bottom for stability. | |||
| Somali | muxaafid ah | ||
| The word "muxaafid ah" can also mean "supporter" or "follower" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | baballa | ||
| The word 'baballa' also means 'the one who does things in the old way' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kihafidhina | ||
| Kihafidhina (conservative) comes from the verb 'kuhifadhi,' which also means 'to guard' or 'to preserve.' | |||
| Xhosa | ulondolozo | ||
| Ulondolozo also means 'to be reserved' or to have a 'cautious or shy disposition'. | |||
| Yoruba | konsafetifu | ||
| "Konsafetifu" derives from "kɔ́" (to prohibit) + "nsa" (protection) + "fɛ́" (to desire), so it also means "protective". | |||
| Zulu | olandelanayo | ||
| The Zulu word 'olandelanayo' is also used to describe a person who is cautious and does not take risks. | |||
| Bambara | maralikɛla | ||
| Ewe | tɔtrɔgbela | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abagumyabanga | ||
| Lingala | kobatela | ||
| Luganda | okukuma | ||
| Sepedi | ila phetogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | teteni | ||
Conservative in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تحفظا | ||
| The word "تحفظا" can also mean "with reservation" or "cautiously". | |||
| Hebrew | שמרני | ||
| "שמרני" can refer to someone who guards or protects something, someone who preserves a tradition, or someone who follows religious law. | |||
| Pashto | محافظه کار | ||
| The word "محافظه کار" in Pashto can also mean "a person who is opposed to change". | |||
| Arabic | تحفظا | ||
| The word "تحفظا" can also mean "with reservation" or "cautiously". | |||
Conservative in Western European Languages
| Albanian | konservator | ||
| The Albanian word "konservator" was originally borrowed from the German "konservator" but took on the additional meaning of "collector of folk music" with the rise of ethnographic studies in the early 20th century. | |||
| Basque | kontserbadorea | ||
| "Kontserbadorea" derives from "kontserbatzera" (conserve), so it directly refers to those who prefer the established order and values. | |||
| Catalan | conservador | ||
| In Catalan, "conservador" can also mean "preservative" or "keeper of a museum or archive". | |||
| Croatian | konzervativni | ||
| The term 'konzervativni' comes from the Latin word 'conservare' meaning 'preserve or save', and has additional connotations in modern usage like being traditionalist, opposed to societal change and cautious towards change. | |||
| Danish | konservativ | ||
| "Konservativ" also means "canned" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | conservatief | ||
| In Dutch, "conservatief" can also mean "preservative" or refer to a conservative political party. | |||
| English | conservative | ||
| The word "conservative" derives from the Latin word "conservare," meaning "to keep" or "to preserve. | |||
| French | conservateur | ||
| The word "conservateur" in French also means "curator" or "preservationist". | |||
| Frisian | konservatyf | ||
| The word "konservatyf" also means "conservative" in English. | |||
| Galician | conservador | ||
| German | konservativ | ||
| The German word "konservativ" derives from the Latin word "conservare" meaning "to preserve". | |||
| Icelandic | íhaldssamt | ||
| The word "íhaldssamt" comes from the Old Norse word "íhalda," which means "to hold back" or "to preserve." | |||
| Irish | coimeádach | ||
| The word "coimeádach" can also mean "preservative" or "protective" in Irish, referring to something that prevents change or decay. | |||
| Italian | conservatore | ||
| The Italian word "conservatore" also means "curator of a museum". | |||
| Luxembourgish | konservativ | ||
| "Konservativ" kann sowohl "konservativ" als auch "in Dosen" bedeuten. | |||
| Maltese | konservattiv | ||
| The Maltese word 'konservattiv' can also mean 'traditional' or 'old-fashioned'. | |||
| Norwegian | konservative | ||
| The Norwegian word "konservativ" can also refer to a type of canned food. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | conservador | ||
| In Portuguese, "conservador" also refers to a type of candied fruit, similar to marmalade. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | glèidhteach | ||
| Glèidhteach, a Scots Gaelic word for "conservative" and "careful," originates from the root "gleidh," meaning "preserve," and "keep." | |||
| Spanish | conservador | ||
| Although "conservator", in Spanish, is almost always used as a noun, meaning curator, it also has another meaning, as an adjective equivalent to the English "conservative". | |||
| Swedish | konservativ | ||
| "Konservativ" is also used in Swedish to refer to foods preserved with vinegar or salt. | |||
| Welsh | ceidwadol | ||
| Welsh 'ceidwadol' may derive from 'cadw' ('keep'), or may be a borrowing of Latin 'conservativus' ('preserving') | |||
Conservative in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кансерватыўны | ||
| Bosnian | konzervativan | ||
| Konzervativan can also mean "traditional", "classic", or "orthodox". | |||
| Bulgarian | консервативен | ||
| The term "консервативен" is a loanword from Latin "conservo", meaning "to keep" or "to preserve", hence "conservative". | |||
| Czech | konzervativní | ||
| The word "konzervativní" comes from the Latin word "conservare", meaning "to preserve". | |||
| Estonian | konservatiivne | ||
| The Estonian word "konservatiivne" has two meanings, one conservative and one preservative, originating from different Latin words. | |||
| Finnish | konservatiivinen | ||
| The word "konservatiivinen" can also mean "preservative" or "pickling solution" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | konzervatív | ||
| The word “konzervatív” is derived from the Latin word "conservare," which means to preserve or to keep. | |||
| Latvian | konservatīvs | ||
| The Latvian word “konservatīvs” can also refer to the color navy or the process of preserving fruit. | |||
| Lithuanian | konservatyvus | ||
| The word "konservatyvus" in Lithuanian comes from the Latin "conservare", meaning "to preserve" or "to keep". It can also mean "traditional" or "prudent". | |||
| Macedonian | конзервативен | ||
| The word "конзервативен" is also an antonym of "либерален" in Macedonian, both of which can mean "liberal" in English. | |||
| Polish | konserwatywny | ||
| The word 'konserwatywny' comes from the Latin word 'conservare', meaning 'to preserve', and also means 'canned food' in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | conservator | ||
| In Romanian, the word "conservator" ("conservativ") can also refer to a legal guardian appointed to oversee the affairs of an individual who is deemed incapable of managing their own affairs, such as a person with a mental disability or a minor. | |||
| Russian | консервативный | ||
| The Russian "консервативный" derives from the Latin "conservare" meaning to keep or preserve. | |||
| Serbian | конзервативни | ||
| In Serbian, "конзервативни" can also refer to "canned" or "preserved", derived from the Latin word "conserva" meaning "to save". | |||
| Slovak | konzervatívny | ||
| The Slovak word "konzervatívny" derives from the Latin word "conservare", meaning "to preserve". | |||
| Slovenian | konzervativni | ||
| Slovene "konzervativni" can also mean "canned" or "preserved". | |||
| Ukrainian | консервативний | ||
| The word "консервативний" can also mean "canning" or "preserving" in Ukrainian. | |||
Conservative in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রক্ষণশীল | ||
| The word | |||
| Gujarati | રૂ conિચુસ્ત | ||
| "Conservative" derives from the Latin "conservare," meaning "to preserve" and "to keep," and "-ative," meaning "doing, tending, or associated with something." | |||
| Hindi | अपरिवर्तनवादी | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'अप' has multiple meanings, including 'off' or 'away'. When it's used in the word 'अपरिवर्तनवादी', it means 'not' or 'away from'. 'परिवर्तन' means 'change', and thus अपरिवर्तनवादी means 'averse to change'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯವಾದಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯವಾದಿ" means a traditionalist or someone with traditional values, but this also means someone or something who tends to resist new ideas or changes. | |||
| Malayalam | യാഥാസ്ഥിതിക | ||
| In Sanskrit, where the word originates, യാഥാസ്ഥിതിക (yāthāstithika) means “one who wishes to stay in the same place” | |||
| Marathi | पुराणमतवादी | ||
| Originally, 'पुराणमतवादी' meant someone who is 'in favor of ancient religious tradition' or a 'religious traditionalist'. | |||
| Nepali | रूढिवादी | ||
| रूढिवादी is also used colloquially in Nepal to mean a 'person who holds a conventional or traditional viewpoint', which need not necessarily imply a particular political ideology. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੂੜ੍ਹੀਵਾਦੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගතානුගතික | ||
| The word 'ගතානුගතික' (conservative) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'गतानुगतिक' (gatānugatika), and the same word is used in many Indic languages. | |||
| Tamil | பழமைவாத | ||
| The word "பழமைவாத" (muzhimaivaadam) in Tamil means "to be in accordance with tradition" or "to be ancient". | |||
| Telugu | సాంప్రదాయిక | ||
| The word "సాంప్రదాయిక" (conservative) in Telugu can also mean traditional, conforming to tradition or convention. | |||
| Urdu | قدامت پسند | ||
| The word "قدامت پسند" can also mean "traditional" or "orthodox" in Urdu. | |||
Conservative in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 保守 | ||
| The term '保守' is composed of three characters: '保' ('to protect'), '守' ('to guard'), and '守' ('to abide by'), implying the protection and upholding of traditional values. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 保守 | ||
| The Chinese character 保 means "guard" or "protect", while 守 originally meant "to wait in ambush." | |||
| Japanese | 保守的 | ||
| "保守的" means not only "conservative," but also "maintenance." | |||
| Korean | 전통적인 | ||
| The Korean word 전통적인 (jeontongjeok-in) can also mean "traditional", referring to something that has been passed down from the past. | |||
| Mongolian | консерватив | ||
| Консерватив is derived from the Latin word "conservare", meaning "to preserve". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှေးရိုးစွဲ | ||
Conservative in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | konservatif | ||
| The Indonesian word "konservatif" comes from the Dutch word "conservatief," which in turn comes from the Latin word "conservare," meaning "to preserve or keep." | |||
| Javanese | konservatif | ||
| In Javanese, the word "konservatif" can also mean "moderate" or "cautious". | |||
| Khmer | អភិរក្ស | ||
| The word "អភិរក្ស" (conservative) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "अभिरक्षण" meaning "protection" or "preservation". | |||
| Lao | ອະນຸລັກ | ||
| Malay | konservatif | ||
| The word "konservatif" in Indonesian can also mean "conserving" or "preservationist." | |||
| Thai | หัวโบราณ | ||
| The word "หัวโบราณ" means "conservative", but it also has the alternate meaning of "old-fashioned". | |||
| Vietnamese | thận trọng | ||
| "Thẩn trọng," which literally translates to "cautious," is the Vietnamese translation of "conservative." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | konserbatibo | ||
Conservative in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mühafizəkar | ||
| The word "mühafizəkar" in Azerbaijanian comes from the Persian word "muhafiz" meaning "protector" or "keeper". | |||
| Kazakh | консервативті | ||
| Консервативті (conservative) originates from the Latin "conservo", meaning either "to keep" or "to store" depending on context. | |||
| Kyrgyz | консервативдүү | ||
| Tajik | муҳофизакор | ||
| In Tajik, «муҳофизакор» can also refer to a type of religious scholar or teacher. | |||
| Turkmen | konserwatiw | ||
| Uzbek | konservativ | ||
| In Uzbek, «konservativ» (conservative) also means «traditional» or «moderate». | |||
| Uyghur | مۇتەئەسسىپ | ||
Conservative in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | conservative | ||
| In Hawaiian, "conservative" can also mean "modest" or "traditional." | |||
| Maori | atawhai | ||
| The word "atawhai" in Maori also means "compassionate" or "loving". | |||
| Samoan | faʻaleoleo | ||
| Faʻaleoleo also means 'to speak plainly' or 'in a straightforward manner' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | konserbatibo | ||
| "Konserbatibo" can also be used in Tagalog to mean "restrained, moderate, prudent, sensible, and reserved". | |||
Conservative in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | imiri | ||
| Guarani | nomoambueséiva | ||
Conservative in International Languages
| Esperanto | konservativa | ||
| The Esperanto word "konservativa" can also mean "preservationist" or "environmentalist." | |||
| Latin | optimatium | ||
| The original meaning of "optimus" meant "that which is best," referring to the ancient Roman elite. | |||
Conservative in Others Languages
| Greek | συντηρητικός | ||
| The word συντηρητικός (conservative) also means 'one who saves' in Greek | |||
| Hmong | txhag cia | ||
| The Hmong word "txhag cia" originally meant "tight-fisted" but later came to be used to refer to those who opposed change and clung to traditional values. | |||
| Kurdish | muhafezekar | ||
| In Kurdish, 'muhafezekar' can also mean 'cautious' or 'prudent'. | |||
| Turkish | muhafazakar | ||
| The word 'muhafazakar' in Turkish also refers to a type of food made from cured meat and spices. | |||
| Xhosa | ulondolozo | ||
| Ulondolozo also means 'to be reserved' or to have a 'cautious or shy disposition'. | |||
| Yiddish | קאנסערוואטיוו | ||
| The word קאנסערוואטיוו (conservative) in Yiddish can also refer to a type of pear. | |||
| Zulu | olandelanayo | ||
| The Zulu word 'olandelanayo' is also used to describe a person who is cautious and does not take risks. | |||
| Assamese | ৰক্ষণশীল | ||
| Aymara | imiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | रुढ़िवादी | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮންޒަރވޭޓިވް | ||
| Dogri | रूढ़िवादी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | konserbatibo | ||
| Guarani | nomoambueséiva | ||
| Ilocano | konserbatibo | ||
| Krio | soba | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پارێزکار | ||
| Maithili | रूढ़िवादी लोकनि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜ ꯄꯤꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | danglam hreh | ||
| Oromo | seera kan cimsu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରକ୍ଷଣଶୀଳ | | ||
| Quechua | conservador | ||
| Sanskrit | संरक्षित | ||
| Tatar | консерватив | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓቃቢ | ||
| Tsonga | tshamela swa xintu | ||