Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'contribution' holds a significant place in our lives, symbolizing the value we bring to our communities, workplaces, and personal relationships. It is a cultural cornerstone, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and individual growth. Understanding the translation of 'contribution' in different languages can open doors to global connections and cultural appreciation.
Did you know that the Latin translation of 'contribution' is 'contributio' – a term that was used to describe the act of bringing resources together for a common cause? Or that in Japanese, 'contribution' is translated as '貢献 (kouken)', reflecting the concept of offering something of value to society?
Explore the many faces of 'contribution' in our list below, and discover how this simple word can unite us in our shared humanity, regardless of language or culture.
Afrikaans | bydrae | ||
The Afrikaans word "bydrae" derives from the Dutch word "bijdrage" and also means "article" or "essay". | |||
Amharic | መዋጮ | ||
The Amharic word "መዋጮ" also means "share" or "portion". | |||
Hausa | taimako | ||
"Taimako" can refer to a contribution, a donation, or a remittance. | |||
Igbo | onyinye | ||
Onyinye derives from 'onyi' (gift) and 'nye' (to give), suggesting it's something given with a positive intention. | |||
Malagasy | fandraisana anjara | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chopereka | ||
"Chopereka" can also mean a piece of firewood. | |||
Shona | mupiro | ||
The word "mupiro" also means "the act of contributing something" in Shona. | |||
Somali | tabarucaad | ||
The Somali word "tabarucaad" can also refer to a gift or a donation. | |||
Sesotho | tlatsetso | ||
The word 'tlatsetso' also has the connotation of 'a voluntary gift made to someone who is not necessarily a relative.' | |||
Swahili | mchango | ||
In the Swahili language, the word “mchango” originates from “changa,” which signifies a collective contribution. | |||
Xhosa | umnikelo | ||
The Xhosa word 'umnikelo' can refer to a gift, offering, or contribution, as well as a portion of food or drink set aside for ancestors. | |||
Yoruba | ilowosi | ||
"Ilowəsi" can also mean "service" or "tribute" in Yoruba | |||
Zulu | umnikelo | ||
The word 'umnikelo' is derived from the verb 'ukunikela', which means 'to give' or 'to contribute' | |||
Bambara | bolomafara | ||
Ewe | wɔƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | umusanzu | ||
Lingala | likabo | ||
Luganda | ekiweebwayo | ||
Sepedi | seabe | ||
Twi (Akan) | ntoboa | ||
Arabic | إسهام | ||
The word 'إسهام' can also mean 'share' or 'portion'. | |||
Hebrew | תְרוּמָה | ||
The Hebrew word "תְרוּמָה" also means "heave-offering" or "gift to the priests or sanctuary" in religious contexts, which reflects its original meaning as a contribution to the Temple or sanctuary. | |||
Pashto | ونډه | ||
ونډه (wandah) comes from the Proto-Iranian *u-hand-i, cognate to Sanskrit andi and Avesta ušti. | |||
Arabic | إسهام | ||
The word 'إسهام' can also mean 'share' or 'portion'. |
Albanian | kontributin | ||
The word "kontributin" shares roots with the word for "contribution" in French and Romanian. | |||
Basque | ekarpena | ||
The word “ekarpena” is also used in Basque to refer to “a portion” (of food) or “a share” of something. | |||
Catalan | contribució | ||
In Catalan, the word "contribució" can also refer to a type of tax or payment made to the government. | |||
Croatian | doprinos | ||
The word "doprinos" in Croatian also means "an additional fee or tax". | |||
Danish | bidrag | ||
The word 'bidrag' originates from the Old Norse word 'bota,' which means 'to make amends or compensate'. | |||
Dutch | bijdrage | ||
Bijdrage is derived from the Old Dutch word 'bidragen', meaning 'to carry' or 'to bring'. | |||
English | contribution | ||
The word 'contribution', originating from Latin 'contribuere', originally referred to an action of bringing something together, and its financial meaning developed later. | |||
French | contribution | ||
"Contribution" is derived from the Latin word "contribuere", meaning "to bring together". | |||
Frisian | bydrage | ||
In Frisian, "bydrage" can also mean "help" or "assistance". | |||
Galician | contribución | ||
In Galician, "contribuci�n" can mean "contribution" and also "tax". | |||
German | beitrag | ||
Beitrag can also mean “an installment payment” or “an article in a magazine or journal”. | |||
Icelandic | framlag | ||
The word "framlag" also translates to "proposal" and carries this meaning from Old Norse, where it meant "something one puts forward". | |||
Irish | ranníocaíocht | ||
It is thought to be a borrowing from Middle English 'randon' ('gift, contribution') | |||
Italian | contributo | ||
"Contributo" also means "tax" or "levy" in Italian. | |||
Luxembourgish | bäitrag | ||
"Bäitrag" is also a German word that can mean "contribution" or "installment". | |||
Maltese | kontribuzzjoni | ||
The word 'kontribuzzjoni' in Maltese derives from the Italian 'contribuzione', meaning 'contribution', 'support', or 'help'. | |||
Norwegian | bidrag | ||
In Norwegian, "bidrag" also refers to a financial support provided by a parent towards their child's upbringing. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | contribuição | ||
In Portuguese, "contribuição" can also refer to a government tax or duty on something. | |||
Scots Gaelic | tabhartas | ||
"Tabhartas" is also a term for any of various dues exacted on clansmen by feudal superiors in the days of the clan system, as "calp," "kain" or "kindly tenants", but in the course of time the significance of this word was practically merged in these and similar forms. | |||
Spanish | contribución | ||
The term "contribución" in Spanish can also refer to a tax or duty imposed by a government. | |||
Swedish | bidrag | ||
The word "bidrag" can also mean "support" or "donation" in Swedish. | |||
Welsh | cyfraniad | ||
Literally meaning 'counting up' in Welsh, 'cyfraniad' is also a synonym for 'instalment' and 'subscription'. |
Belarusian | уклад | ||
The word "уклад" is a loanword from Old Church Slavic meaning "order" or "way of life." | |||
Bosnian | doprinos | ||
The word "doprinos" can also mean "tribute" or "tax" in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | принос | ||
The Bulgarian word "принос" is derived from the Slavic root "прин", meaning "to bring" or "to add", and it can also refer to a "gift" or "offering". | |||
Czech | příspěvek | ||
"Příspěvek" also means "allowance" and is related to the verb "přispět" (to contribute). | |||
Estonian | panus | ||
It is a loanword from German "Bann" ("decree"). | |||
Finnish | panos | ||
The word "panos" is likely derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*panokša", which originally meant "stake" or "pole". | |||
Hungarian | hozzájárulás | ||
The word "hozzájárulás" in Hungarian derives from the word "járul" ("to contribute"), but it also has the connotation of "to approach" or "to come closer". | |||
Latvian | ieguldījums | ||
The word "ieguldījums" is derived from the German word "Einlage", meaning a deposit or investment. | |||
Lithuanian | indėlis | ||
The word "indėlis" comes from the Old Lithuanian word "indėti," meaning "to deposit," and can also refer to a savings account or a down payment. | |||
Macedonian | придонес | ||
The Macedonian word "придонес" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*dorь", meaning "gift" or "present." | |||
Polish | wkład | ||
Wkład is thought to have originated from wkładać 'to put' or wkłódk ‘to be drawn in'. | |||
Romanian | contribuţie | ||
The Romanian word "contribuție" also refers to an amount of money collected from members for the benefit of an organisation. | |||
Russian | вклад | ||
Вклад can also mean deposit, investment, or mortgage in Russian. | |||
Serbian | допринос | ||
"Допринос" is derived from the Proto-Slavic *doprъ "bringing". | |||
Slovak | príspevok | ||
The word "príspevok" can also refer to a literary or artistic work submitted to a collection or publication. | |||
Slovenian | prispevek | ||
"Prispevek" is derived from the Old Slavic word "prispěti" meaning "to add" or "to contribute" | |||
Ukrainian | внесок | ||
The word "внесок" comes from the root "нос" meaning to carry. |
Bengali | অবদান | ||
The word 'অবদান' (obodān) is derived from 'अव + दान' (ava + dāna), meaning 'throwing down' or 'making a gift'. | |||
Gujarati | ફાળો | ||
The word "ફાળો" originally meant "a share" or "a portion" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | योगदान | ||
The word "योगदान" in Hindi also refers to a kind of medicinal herb used in Ayurveda. | |||
Kannada | ಕೊಡುಗೆ | ||
The Kannada word "ಕೊಡುಗೆ" (contribution) is sometimes used in the extended sense of "giving a gift for religious purposes like festivals or rituals". | |||
Malayalam | സംഭാവന | ||
The word "സംഭാവന" in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "संभू" meaning "to arise" or "to be born". It can also mean "a gift" or "a donation". | |||
Marathi | योगदान | ||
The Marathi word "योगदान" originally meant "a gift from God" and is still used in that sense in some contexts. | |||
Nepali | योगदान | ||
As a noun, "योगदान" can also mean "proportion" or "share", and as a verb, it can mean "to contribute" or "to make a share". | |||
Punjabi | ਯੋਗਦਾਨ | ||
The word 'ਯੋਗਦਾਨ' in Punjabi has Sanskrit roots and can also mean a sacrificial offering, a gift, or a donation. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දායකත්වය | ||
In astrology, the term 'දායකත්වය' denotes the 8th Bhava (house), corresponding to longevity, obstacles, and inheritance. | |||
Tamil | பங்களிப்பு | ||
Originally, பங்களாந் ("pangalippu") meant "exchange of shares in a business for investment," and it still signifies "partnership, joint venture." | |||
Telugu | సహకారం | ||
The word "సహకారం" can also refer to a cooperative society or organization. | |||
Urdu | شراکت | ||
The word 'شراکت' can also mean 'partnership' in Urdu |
Chinese (Simplified) | 贡献 | ||
"贡献" (gòngxiàn) originally meant "presenting a bird". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 貢獻 | ||
貢獻, also pronounced 'gòng xiàn,' means 'contribution' in simplified Chinese. | |||
Japanese | 貢献 | ||
'貢献' originates from the Japanese word '勤' meaning 'task' or 'duty'. | |||
Korean | 기부 | ||
In Korean, "기부" can also mean "tribute" or "donation", and originates from the Chinese character "寄付" with similar meanings. | |||
Mongolian | хувь нэмэр | ||
The word “хувь нэмэр” can also mean “share” or “portion” in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အလှူငွေ | ||
Indonesian | kontribusi | ||
The word "kontribusi" in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word "contributie", meaning "fee" or "subscription." | |||
Javanese | sumbangan | ||
In Javanese, the word "sumbangan" can also refer to a gift or offering made to a temple or religious figure. | |||
Khmer | ការចូលរួមចំណែក | ||
Lao | ການປະກອບສ່ວນ | ||
Malay | sumbangan | ||
"sumbangan" also means "sacrifice" in Javanese and "present" in Sundanese. | |||
Thai | ผลงาน | ||
The name of the Thai fruit durian is a combination of the words "duri" (thorn) and "an" (fruit), resulting in "thorny fruit" | |||
Vietnamese | sự đóng góp | ||
The word "sự đóng góp" can also mean "dedication" or "input". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kontribusyon | ||
Azerbaijani | töhfə | ||
The word "töhfə" is derived from the Persian word "tuhfa", meaning "gift" or "present". | |||
Kazakh | үлес | ||
The word "үлес" in Kazakh also means "part" or "share". | |||
Kyrgyz | салым | ||
The word "салым" also means "tax" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | саҳм | ||
The word "саҳм" also means "share" (of stock or property) in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | goşant | ||
Uzbek | hissa | ||
'Hissa' is also used figuratively in Uzbek to refer to a share or portion of something, such as a responsibility or a task. | |||
Uyghur | تۆھپە | ||
Hawaiian | hāʻawi | ||
Hāʻawi can also mean 'to give', 'to grant' or 'to entrust'. | |||
Maori | takoha | ||
The Maori word "takoha" is also a verb meaning "to exchange gifts" and can refer to any offering of money or goods. | |||
Samoan | saofaga | ||
The word 'saofaga' is also the name for the meeting place where the contribution is paid. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kontribusyon | ||
The word "kontribusyon" can also refer to a bribe or payoff in Tagalog. |
Aymara | yanapawi | ||
Guarani | pytyvõrã | ||
Esperanto | kontribuo | ||
The Esperanto word "kontribuo" comes from the Latin word "contribuo," which means "to give together"} | |||
Latin | conlationem | ||
The word 'conlationem' is derived from the Latin verb 'confero', meaning 'to bring together' or 'to compare'. |
Greek | συνεισφορά | ||
Συνεισφορά's etymology traces back to its prefix 'συν', meaning 'together', and its root 'φέρειν', meaning 'to bear'. | |||
Hmong | kev pab nyiaj | ||
Kev pab nyiaj in Hmong can also refer to a payment made to a family who has suffered a loss. | |||
Kurdish | beş | ||
The word 'beş' can be derived from the Persian word 'besh', meaning 'giving'. | |||
Turkish | katkı | ||
The word "katkı" in Turkish can also mean "additive" or "admixture". | |||
Xhosa | umnikelo | ||
The Xhosa word 'umnikelo' can refer to a gift, offering, or contribution, as well as a portion of food or drink set aside for ancestors. | |||
Yiddish | צושטייַער | ||
The Yiddish word "צושטייַער" ("contribution") is derived from the German word "steuer" ("tax"). | |||
Zulu | umnikelo | ||
The word 'umnikelo' is derived from the verb 'ukunikela', which means 'to give' or 'to contribute' | |||
Assamese | অৱদান | ||
Aymara | yanapawi | ||
Bhojpuri | योगदान | ||
Dhivehi | ކޮންޓްރިބިއުޝަން | ||
Dogri | जोगदान | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kontribusyon | ||
Guarani | pytyvõrã | ||
Ilocano | kontribusion | ||
Krio | gi | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەشداری کردن | ||
Maithili | योगदान | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯔꯨꯛ ꯇꯝꯕ | ||
Mizo | thawhkhawm | ||
Oromo | gumaacha | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯୋଗୋଦାନ | ||
Quechua | quy | ||
Sanskrit | योगदान | ||
Tatar | кертем | ||
Tigrinya | ኣበርክቶ | ||
Tsonga | nghenisa xandla | ||