Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'contain' is a small but powerful part of our everyday vocabulary. It signifies the ability to hold or include something within set boundaries, playing a crucial role in communication across various languages and cultures. 'Contain' has been used in historical contexts, such as the Manhattan Project, where the challenge was to contain atomic reactions. Its significance extends to our daily lives, as we contain our excitement, emotions, and possessions.
Given its importance, it's no surprise that people worldwide might want to learn how to say 'contain' in different languages. This not only helps in understanding foreign texts but also fosters an appreciation for cultural diversity. For instance, in Spanish, 'contain' translates to 'contener,' while in French, it becomes 'contenir.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word '含有' (hán yǒu) is used to express 'to contain.'
Discover more translations of 'contain' and broaden your linguistic and cultural horizons!
Afrikaans | bevat | ||
The word "bevat" can also mean "bear fruit", coming from the Latin verb "ferre" (to bear). | |||
Amharic | ይዘዋል | ||
The word "ይዘዋል" can also mean "to hold", "to keep", or "to have" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | ƙunsa | ||
'Ƙunsa' in Hausa can also mean 'to hold', 'to keep', or 'to possess'. | |||
Igbo | nwere | ||
The Igbo word "nwere" also means "own" or "possess". | |||
Malagasy | misy | ||
The word "misy" in Malagasy can also mean "be there". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | muli | ||
'Muli' is a variant of the Nyanja verb 'kubisika', meaning 'to be contained' or 'to be included' | |||
Shona | zvine | ||
The term "zvine" in Shona can also refer to enclosing or encompassing something. | |||
Somali | ka koobnaan | ||
The word "ka koobnaan" can also mean "to consist of" or "to be made up of". | |||
Sesotho | na le | ||
It can be used to say "hold in the hand" or "hold in the mouth" | |||
Swahili | vyenye | ||
The word "vyenye" in Swahili can also mean "to hold" or "to have". | |||
Xhosa | ziqulathe | ||
The word "ziqulathe" in Xhosa also means "to conceal" or "to cover up". | |||
Yoruba | ni ninu | ||
The Yoruba word "ni ninu" can also mean "to live in" or "to belong to". | |||
Zulu | aqukethe | ||
The word 'aqukethe' is also used to describe the act of 'holding something' or 'keeping something in place'. | |||
Bambara | ka ku | ||
Ewe | le eme | ||
Kinyarwanda | birimo | ||
Lingala | kozala na | ||
Luganda | okubeeramu | ||
Sepedi | na le | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɛwɔ | ||
Arabic | يحتوي | ||
"يحتوي (yahtwī)" shares an origin with "حوت (ḥūt)", meaning "whale", suggesting its original meaning might have been "to hold a large amount like a whale does". | |||
Hebrew | לְהַכִיל | ||
The verb לְהַכִיל can also mean 'to comprehend' or 'to receive, e.g. a guest'. Both in Aramaic and Arabic its root denotes 'space'. | |||
Pashto | لري | ||
"لري" can also mean "to have" or "to take" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | يحتوي | ||
"يحتوي (yahtwī)" shares an origin with "حوت (ḥūt)", meaning "whale", suggesting its original meaning might have been "to hold a large amount like a whale does". |
Albanian | përmbajnë | ||
The Albanian word "përmbajnë" derives from Latin, ultimately stemming from *per-*- + *habere* "to have". | |||
Basque | eduki | ||
The Basque word "eduki" means "to contain", "to have", "to hold", or "to keep". | |||
Catalan | contenir | ||
The Catalan verb "contenir" can also mean "to restrain" or "to hold back". | |||
Croatian | sadrže | ||
The word 'sadrže' has the same Indo-European root as 'heart', meaning 'to hold in' or 'to keep inside' | |||
Danish | indeholde | ||
Danish "indeholde" and Swedish "innehålla" are both derived from Proto-Germanic *(i)nahaliþō, meaning "fill" or "hold within". | |||
Dutch | bevatten | ||
The Dutch word "bevatten" can also mean "to occupy" or "to hold". | |||
English | contain | ||
As a verb, 'contain' also means to hold or keep something within a specific space or area. | |||
French | contenir | ||
"Contente" is the feminine form of "content". | |||
Frisian | befetsje | ||
The verb | |||
Galician | conter | ||
The verb "conter" in Galician also means "to hold back" and "to refrain from doing something" | |||
German | enthalten | ||
The word "enthalten" in German is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*haldanan", which means "to hold" or "to keep". | |||
Icelandic | innihalda | ||
"Innihalda" likely relates to "halda" (to hold), and could be seen as "to hold inside". | |||
Irish | bhfuil | ||
The Irish word "bhfuil" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰu- meaning "to be". | |||
Italian | contenere | ||
In addition to its primary meaning, "contenere" can also refer to a type of vessel or container. | |||
Luxembourgish | enthalen | ||
The word "enthalen" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ten-, meaning "to stretch" or "to extend". | |||
Maltese | fihom | ||
"Fihom" originally meant "understand" or "comprehend" in Maltese, but it has since evolved to mean "contain" or "include". | |||
Norwegian | inneholde | ||
"Inneholde" is an Old Norse word that originally referred to holding something in one's hand or under one's protection. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | conter | ||
"Conter" may also come from the Latin verb "computare" (or "computare") which means to put together, to add up, to compute. | |||
Scots Gaelic | gabh a-steach | ||
The word "gabh a-steach" is derived from the Gaelic words "gabh" (to take) and "a-steach" (inwards), and can also mean "to take in" or "to absorb." | |||
Spanish | contiene | ||
In Spanish, "contiene" can also refer to the preservation or storage of something. | |||
Swedish | innehålla | ||
Innehålla is cognate with the English word 'in hold' and can also mean 'to embody' or 'to involve'. | |||
Welsh | cynnwys | ||
"Cynhwys" comes from "cyn", meaning together or united, and "gwisg", meaning clothing; thus, it originally referred to the contents of a cloth bag. |
Belarusian | ўтрымліваць | ||
The word "ўтрымліваць" in Belarusian can also mean "to restrain" or "to hold back". | |||
Bosnian | sadrže | ||
The word "sadrže" comes from the Arabic word "ṣadra" (صدر), meaning "chest" or "heart." | |||
Bulgarian | съдържат | ||
"Съдържа" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "sъdьrati", which also meant "to support, to endure, to sustain". | |||
Czech | obsahovat | ||
"Obsahovat" comes from the Czech word "obsahovati", meaning "contain," but also means "to contain" in Russian and other Slavic languages. | |||
Estonian | sisaldama | ||
The word "sisaldama" can also mean "to have" or "to possess". | |||
Finnish | sisältää | ||
The verb 'sisältää' has an alternative meaning of 'include', and is related to the Estonian 'sisaldama', which has a similar meaning. | |||
Hungarian | tartalmaz | ||
In Hungarian, "tartalmaz" also means "to preserve" or "to protect". | |||
Latvian | satur | ||
The word "satur" is derived from the Latin word "satur," which means "full." | |||
Lithuanian | turėti | ||
The word "turėti" is commonly mistaken for meaning "to hold", which it can, but is not its only meaning; "turėti" can also mean "own" or "possess." | |||
Macedonian | содржат | ||
The Macedonian word "содржат" also has the alternate meaning of "protect". | |||
Polish | zawierać | ||
The Polish word "zawierać" also denotes entering into an agreement. | |||
Romanian | conține | ||
The Romanian word "conține" originates from the Latin word "continere," meaning "to hold together" or "to enclose." | |||
Russian | содержать | ||
The word "содержать" can also mean "to support" or "to keep" in Russian. | |||
Serbian | садржати | ||
The verb "садржати" can also mean "to hold" or "to have" something. | |||
Slovak | obsahovať | ||
The word "obsahovať" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *ob-saḫъ, which also means "to envelop, surround". | |||
Slovenian | vsebujejo | ||
The word "vsebujejo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*vьsь" meaning "all" and the suffix "-ejo" indicating plurality. | |||
Ukrainian | містять | ||
The Ukrainian word "містять" ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *meh₁- "to measure or divide". |
Bengali | ধারণ | ||
"ধারণ" has an alternate meaning of "wearing, holding" and a derivative meaning of "understanding." | |||
Gujarati | સમાવે છે | ||
Contains (સમાવે છે) is derived from the Latin word 'continere' meaning 'to hold together'. | |||
Hindi | शामिल | ||
The word "शामिल" is used in the context of inclusion, participation, and involvement and can also refer to the composition of a mixture or the presence of something within a space. | |||
Kannada | ಒಳಗೊಂಡಿರುತ್ತದೆ | ||
Malayalam | അടങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട് | ||
'അടങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്,' which means 'contains,' is made up of three Malayalam syllables. First is "a-da-(n),"; in this case, its root form, 'A-du-', translates more precisely to "contain," "cover," and "encompasse." Second comes, "-kki-", | |||
Marathi | असणे | ||
“असणे” in Marathi is etymologically related to the Sanskrit verb “अस्” (as) meaning “to live". | |||
Nepali | समावेश | ||
The word "समावेश" derives from the Sanskrit root "विश," meaning "to enter," and has secondary meanings of "include" and "incorporate." | |||
Punjabi | ਰੱਖਦਾ ਹੈ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අඩංගු | ||
අඩංගු is often used as a more formal or literary equivalent of the more common word ගන්න ('take') with the same meaning. | |||
Tamil | கொண்டிருக்கும் | ||
Telugu | కలిగి | ||
The word "కలిగి" (contain) shares roots with the word "కల" (mix) and the noun "కలయిక" (mixture), suggesting its broad semantic range. | |||
Urdu | پر مشتمل ہے | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 包含 | ||
包含 can also mean to include something in a larger entity, such as a book or a speech. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 包含 | ||
包含 originally referred to holding something and is also used in a mathematical context to describe a set that includes another. | |||
Japanese | 含む | ||
The kanji in "含む" can also mean "hold" or "include". | |||
Korean | 있다 | ||
"있다" also means "exist", a usage dating back to at least the 15th century. | |||
Mongolian | агуулах | ||
The Mongolian word "агуулах" can also mean "to restrain," "to hold back," or "to keep in check." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆံ့ | ||
ဆံ့ is also used to refer to the act of holding or carrying something in one's hand. |
Indonesian | berisi | ||
"Berisi" is thought to be derived from Proto-Austronesian *busliS which also means "to bear fruit or produce, to be pregnant" | |||
Javanese | ngemot | ||
The word "ngemot" in Javanese also refers to the act of holding something in one's mouth or between one's teeth. | |||
Khmer | មាន | ||
The word "មាន" can also mean "present" or "have" in Khmer, and is related to the Thai word "มี" with the same meaning. | |||
Lao | ບັນຈຸ | ||
ບັນຈຸ (banchu) in Lao, can also refer to a kind of Lao soup made from chopped pig's organs, pork skin, and herbs. | |||
Malay | berisi | ||
Berisi can also refer to the contents of something, like a book or container. | |||
Thai | มี | ||
The Thai word "มี" can also mean "to have" or "to exist". | |||
Vietnamese | lưu trữ | ||
"Lưu trữ" also means "to archive, to preserve, to store". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | naglalaman ng | ||
Azerbaijani | ehtiva edir | ||
The word "ehtiva edir" in Azerbaijani is often used to describe the containment of an object, but it can also refer to the inclusion of something in a larger set. | |||
Kazakh | қамтуы керек | ||
The Kazakh word "қамтуы керек" can also be used to refer to the obligation or necessity of including something. | |||
Kyrgyz | камтыйт | ||
The word "камтыйт" also means "to cover" or "to protect" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | дар бар гирад | ||
The Tajik word "дар бар гирад" can also mean "to include" or "to comprise". | |||
Turkmen | öz içine alýar | ||
Uzbek | o'z ichiga oladi | ||
The Uzbek word "o'z ichiga oladi" can also mean "to incorporate" or "to include". | |||
Uyghur | مەزمۇننى ئۆز ئىچىگە ئالىدۇ | ||
Hawaiian | paʻa | ||
In Hawaiian, the word "paʻa" also refers to an area marked off as a shrine or place of ritual. | |||
Maori | kei roto | ||
The word "kei roto" can also refer to the idea of being within a physical or conceptual space. | |||
Samoan | aofia ai | ||
It derives form the compound noun: afio + ai meaning "to hold back water". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | maglagay | ||
The word "maglagay" is derived from the proto-Austronesian root *lagaj, which also means "to put in" or "to place". |
Aymara | ch'amachaña | ||
Guarani | oreko ipype | ||
Esperanto | enhavi | ||
The word "enhavi" is derived from the Esperanto root "hav-", meaning "to have". | |||
Latin | quae | ||
Quae may also refer to a kind of fruit, the quince. |
Greek | περιέχω | ||
The Greek word περιέχω (periéchō) can also mean 'comprise' or 'include'. | |||
Hmong | muaj | ||
The Hmong word "muaj" can also mean "have" or "possess". | |||
Kurdish | bêdengman | ||
The word "bêdengman" is rooted in the Persian word "band", meaning "to bind" or "to imprison." | |||
Turkish | içerir | ||
"İçerir" also refers to "including" in English, indicating the presence of something as part of a whole. | |||
Xhosa | ziqulathe | ||
The word "ziqulathe" in Xhosa also means "to conceal" or "to cover up". | |||
Yiddish | אַנטהאַלטן | ||
The Yiddish word "אַנטהאַלטן" (enthaltn) is derived from the Middle High German word "enthalten" and shares its meaning of "to hold back" or "to prevent". | |||
Zulu | aqukethe | ||
The word 'aqukethe' is also used to describe the act of 'holding something' or 'keeping something in place'. | |||
Assamese | অন্তৰ্ভুক্ত | ||
Aymara | ch'amachaña | ||
Bhojpuri | सामिल कईल | ||
Dhivehi | އެކުލެވިގެންވުން | ||
Dogri | शामल | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | naglalaman ng | ||
Guarani | oreko ipype | ||
Ilocano | aglaon | ||
Krio | gɛt | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | لەخۆگرتن | ||
Maithili | नियंत्रण | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯎꯕ | ||
Mizo | huap | ||
Oromo | qabaachuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଧାରଣ କରନ୍ତୁ | | ||
Quechua | winay | ||
Sanskrit | परिभवते | ||
Tatar | эчендә | ||
Tigrinya | ይሕዝ | ||
Tsonga | khontheni | ||