Updated on March 6, 2024
Definitely, a small word that carries a big punch. It's a word that exudes certainty, confidence, and assurance. Whether you're making a promise, stating a fact, or expressing an opinion, 'definitely' is the word you turn to when you want to make your point clear.
But did you know that 'definitely' has a rich cultural history? It's a word that has been used in English literature for centuries, from Shakespeare's plays to Jane Austen's novels. And beyond English, 'definitely' has been translated into countless languages, each with its own unique cultural significance.
Understanding the translation of 'definitely' in different languages can open up a whole new world of communication and cultural exchange. For example, in Spanish, 'definitely' is 'definitivamente', while in French, it's 'définitivement'. In German, it's 'definitiv', and in Japanese, it's '必ず ('hitsuzen')'.
So why not expand your cultural horizons and learn the translation of 'definitely' in different languages? It's a small step that can lead to big discoveries about the world around you.
Afrikaans | beslis | ||
The word "beslis" is derived from the Dutch word "beslist", meaning "certain" or "decided". | |||
Amharic | በእርግጠኝነት | ||
"በእርግጠኝነት" can also mean "without fail" or "for certain". | |||
Hausa | shakka | ||
Shakka, meaning 'definitely' in Hausa, likely derives from 'śákka' in Classical Arabic, meaning 'to stick to something' or 'to fix something in a place'. | |||
Igbo | maa | ||
Igbo has several words that may translate to "maa"; but, only "n'nà mmá a" translates as "definitely." | |||
Malagasy | antoka | ||
"Antoka" is derived from the verb "antoka," meaning "to prove" or "to demonstrate," and can also mean "to be certain" or "to be sure. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | ndithudi | ||
The word "ndithudi" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "truly", "indeed", or "absolutely". | |||
Shona | zvirokwazvo | ||
Somali | hubaal | ||
The Somali word "hubaal" is derived from the Arabic word "hublu" meaning "rope" or "thread", representing the idea of being tied or bound to something. | |||
Sesotho | ka sebele | ||
The Sesotho word "ka sebele" can also mean "obviously" or "indisputably". | |||
Swahili | hakika | ||
The word "hakika" in Swahili has Arabic origins and means "truth" or "certainty". | |||
Xhosa | ngokuqinisekileyo | ||
The Xhosa word "ngokuqinisekileyo" comes from the root word "qiniseka," which means "to be sure" or "to be certain."} | |||
Yoruba | dajudaju | ||
The term "dajudaju" can also mean "truthfully" or "precisely" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | nakanjani | ||
In Nguni languages, 'nakanjani' also means 'truly' or 'of a truth'. | |||
Bambara | tigitigi | ||
Ewe | kokooko | ||
Kinyarwanda | byanze bikunze | ||
Lingala | bongo mpenza | ||
Luganda | butereevu | ||
Sepedi | ka nnete | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɛyɛ dɛn ara | ||
Arabic | قطعا | ||
The word "قطعا" originally meant "to cut off" in Arabic and has evolved to mean "definitely". | |||
Hebrew | בהחלט | ||
The word "בהחלט" (definitely) in Hebrew originally meant "with certainty", and evolved to mean "surely" by analogy with the Arabic "bi al-Haqq" (by the truth). | |||
Pashto | خامخا | ||
The word "خامخا" in Pashto can also mean "unavoidably" or "necessarily". | |||
Arabic | قطعا | ||
The word "قطعا" originally meant "to cut off" in Arabic and has evolved to mean "definitely". |
Albanian | patjetër | ||
"Patjetër" may also mean "absolutely, for sure" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | zalantzarik gabe | ||
Catalan | definitivament | ||
The word "definitivament" comes from the Latin "definitivus" and also means "final" or "conclusive". | |||
Croatian | definitivno | ||
The word "definitivno" originates from the Latin word "definitivus", meaning "that which determines the end". | |||
Danish | helt bestemt | ||
The Danish word "helt bestemt" originally meant "completely certain" and is a contraction of "helt" and "bestemt". | |||
Dutch | vast en zeker | ||
"Vast" can also be translated as "solid" while "zeker" can mean "certain". The original meaning is "solid and certain". | |||
English | definitely | ||
The word "definitely" is derived from the Latin phrase "de fini", meaning "from the end" or "conclusively", and is often used to emphasize certainty or finality. | |||
French | absolument | ||
The word "absolument" in French is derived from the Latin word "absolutus", meaning "untied" or "freed". | |||
Frisian | definityf | ||
The Frisian word "definityf" originates from the Old French word "definitif" and Latin "definitīvus" meaning "final". | |||
Galician | definitivamente | ||
German | bestimmt | ||
In addition to its meaning of "definitely," "bestimmt" also carries the meaning of "certain." | |||
Icelandic | örugglega | ||
The word "örugglega" in Icelandic comes from the Old Norse word "öruggr," meaning "safe" or "secure." | |||
Irish | cinnte | ||
The Irish term "cinnte" is derived from the Old Irish word "cinniud", meaning "surely", "certainly", or "indeed". | |||
Italian | decisamente | ||
It can also refer to an action, emotion, or situation that is decisive, definitive or final | |||
Luxembourgish | definitiv | ||
Luxembourgish "definitiv" derives from the Latin "definitus" (past participle of "definire"), meaning "to determine". | |||
Maltese | żgur | ||
The word "żgur" may also be used to mean "sure" or "certain". | |||
Norwegian | helt sikkert | ||
“Helt sikkert” does not mean “completely” in English, although the word “helt” means “completely” and “sikkert” means “certainly”. As a fixed phrase, “helt sikkert” means “definitely”.”} | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | definitivamente | ||
'Definitivamente' comes from the Latin verb 'definire', meaning 'to limit, to fix, to establish'. In Portuguese, it can also mean 'certainly', 'of course', 'without a doubt' and 'finally'. | |||
Scots Gaelic | gu cinnteach | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "gu cinnteach" is also used to express the sense of "certainly" or "assuredly." | |||
Spanish | seguro | ||
Seguro also means 'insurance' in Spanish. | |||
Swedish | definitivt | ||
Definitivt derives from 'definitivus', meaning 'to limit, define' in Latin, and can also mean 'final' in Swedish. | |||
Welsh | yn bendant | ||
In Welsh, "yn bendant" is also an idiom meaning "under oath", or "for sure" |
Belarusian | безумоўна | ||
"Безумоўна", meaning "definitely", is also used as "without a mind", and dates back to the verb "умаць" - to have a mind. | |||
Bosnian | definitivno | ||
In Croatian, this word is also spelled 'definitivno' and denotes 'last will' or 'testament'. | |||
Bulgarian | определено | ||
The word "определено" can also mean "specifically" or "certainly" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | rozhodně | ||
The word 'rozhodně' comes from the Czech word 'rozhodování', which means 'decision-making'. | |||
Estonian | kindlasti | ||
The word "kindlasti" also means "certainly" or "undoubtedly" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | ehdottomasti | ||
The word "ehdottomasti" derives from the word "ehto", meaning "condition" or "requirement" | |||
Hungarian | egyértelműen | ||
The Hungarian word "egyértelműen" originally meant "in one word" and only took the present-day "certain" meaning after the 18th century. | |||
Latvian | noteikti | ||
"Noteikti" can also mean "fixed" or "certain" in Latvian. | |||
Lithuanian | tikrai | ||
Tikrai is thought to be derived from the adjective tikras (true) and the suffix -ai, which indicates a state or quality. | |||
Macedonian | дефинитивно | ||
The word "дефинитивно" can also be used to express the idea of "precisely" or "explicitly" in Macedonian. | |||
Polish | zdecydowanie | ||
The Polish word "Zdecydowanie" is derived from the verb "zdecydować", meaning "to decide", and thus emphasizes the deliberate and firm nature of a decision. | |||
Romanian | categoric | ||
In Romanian, "categoric" also means "apodictic" (indisputably true), from Greek "kategoria" (predicate). | |||
Russian | определенно | ||
The word "определенно" in Russian can also mean "certainly" or "positively". | |||
Serbian | дефинитивно | ||
The word "дефинитивно" in Serbian can also mean "definitely" or "in a definitive manner". | |||
Slovak | určite | ||
The Slovak word "určite" also derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*virtъ", meaning "to spin" or "to turn", suggesting a connection to the idea of something being firmly established or certain due to its circular or spinning motion. | |||
Slovenian | vsekakor | ||
The word "vsekakor" can also mean "anyway" or "in any case". | |||
Ukrainian | безумовно | ||
The word "безумовно" can also mean "unconditionally" or "indisputably" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | স্পষ্টভাবে | ||
The word "স্পষ্টভাবে" can also mean "distinctly" or "clearly". | |||
Gujarati | ચોક્કસપણે | ||
The Gujarati word "ચોક્કસપણે" originally meant "precisely" or "specifically", but over time it has come to mean "sure" or "certainly". | |||
Hindi | निश्चित रूप से | ||
The word "निश्चित रूप से" can also mean "as a matter of fact" or "of course" in Hindi. | |||
Kannada | ಖಂಡಿತವಾಗಿಯೂ | ||
Malayalam | തീർച്ചയായും | ||
In addition to its primary meaning of "definitely," "തീർച്ചയായും" can also mean "certainly," "assuredly," or "of course" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | नक्कीच | ||
The word "नक्कीच" is derived from the Sanskrit word "नक्ता", meaning "a fixed point". It also has the alternate meaning of "certainly" or "without doubt". | |||
Nepali | पक्कै पनि | ||
“पक्कै पनि” also carries the connotation of “without a doubt" or "undoubtedly". | |||
Punjabi | ਜ਼ਰੂਰ | ||
The word "ਜ਼ਰੂਰ" comes from the Sanskrit word "niścaya", meaning "certain", "sure", or "determined". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම | ||
Tamil | நிச்சயமாக | ||
The word "நிச்சயமாக" can also mean "engagement" or "fiancé(e) - a person who is officially engaged to be married".} | |||
Telugu | ఖచ్చితంగా | ||
"ఖచ్చితంగా" can also refer to accuracy in measurement, or the reliability of a source or information. | |||
Urdu | ضرور | ||
The Urdu word "ضرور" also means "certainly" and "indeed" in English. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 肯定的 | ||
“肯定”一词也可指一种陈述,表达坚定的信念或确信。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 肯定的 | ||
「肯定的」源自佛教,原指「肯定佛教教義的」,後引申為「一定的、確實的」意思。 | |||
Japanese | 間違いなく | ||
間違いなく is a compound of 間違いない (machigainai) + なく (なく), meaning "without any mistake" or "without fail." | |||
Korean | 명확히 | ||
"명확히" (adverb) is derived from the Chinese characters "明" (bright) and "確" (solid, certain). It can also mean "clearly" or "explicitly". | |||
Mongolian | мэдээжийн хэрэг | ||
This Mongolian phrase can also mean 'of course', 'absolutely', 'definitely', 'assuredly', 'without doubt' or 'naturally'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အတိအကျ | ||
The Burmese term "အတိအကျ" can also be used to express the idea of "completely" or "thoroughly" in some contexts. |
Indonesian | pastinya | ||
The Indonesian word "pastinya" derives from the Arabic word "pasti" which means "certain" and is used in Malay and Javanese languages with the same meaning. | |||
Javanese | temtunipun | ||
The word 'temtunipun' in Javanese has its origins in the Sanskrit word 'tamtu' meaning 'correct' or 'true', and it can also mean 'truly' or 'indeed' in the Javanese context. | |||
Khmer | ច្បាស់ជា | ||
The Khmer word ច្បាស់ជា ("definitely") is derived from the Sanskrit word "spashta," which also means "manifest" or "explicit." | |||
Lao | ແນ່ນອນ | ||
The Lao word ແນ່ນອນ ('definitely') derives from the Sanskrit word निश्चित (niścita) meaning 'certain, definite, fixed'. | |||
Malay | pasti | ||
Pasti's origin in Sanskrit (pakah-sthiti) refers to 'fixed state' or 'determined' | |||
Thai | อย่างแน่นอน | ||
"อย่างแน่นอน" is an emphatic sentence adverb, and it can also mean "exactly" or "precisely". | |||
Vietnamese | chắc chắn | ||
"Chắc chắn" can also mean "firm" or "solid". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyak | ||
Azerbaijani | mütləq | ||
Mütləq's etymology comes from the Arabic 'mutlaq', meaning "absolute, unconditional, unrestricted". | |||
Kazakh | сөзсіз | ||
The word "сөзсіз" (definitely) in Kazakh can also mean "without words", "speechless", or "unspeakable". | |||
Kyrgyz | сөзсүз | ||
The word "сөзсүз" can also mean "without words" or "speechless". | |||
Tajik | бешубҳа | ||
The word "бешубҳа" is derived from the Persian word "بی شبهه" (bī šubha), meaning "without doubt". | |||
Turkmen | elbetde | ||
Uzbek | albatta | ||
"Albatta" is commonly used in its literal meaning "definitely," but it can also mean "of course" or "certainly". | |||
Uyghur | ئەلۋەتتە | ||
Hawaiian | maopopo leʻa | ||
"Maopopo leʻa" derives from "maopopo," meaning "clear" or "understandable," and "leʻa," meaning "happy" or "joyful," suggesting a sense of clarity and contentment. | |||
Maori | tino | ||
The word "tino" in Māori can also mean "essence", "core", or "spirit". | |||
Samoan | mautinoa | ||
The word 'mautinoa' is also used to express certainty, such as 'I am sure' or 'I know for sure'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | siguradong | ||
"Sigurado" comes from the Spanish "seguro", itself from Latin "securus" meaning "without care". |
Aymara | wiñaypachata | ||
Guarani | upeichaite | ||
Esperanto | sendube | ||
The word "sendube" is a portmanteau of "sendube" ("doubt") and "sendu" ("send"). | |||
Latin | certissime | ||
In Latin, "certissime" can also mean "in a sure way," "very much," or "completely." |
Greek | σίγουρα | ||
σίγουρα is cognate with σίγος "silence" and σιωπή "silence", and has been conjectured to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *k̂we- "to be quiet, to sleep". | |||
Hmong | twv yuav raug hu | ||
The word "twv yuav raug hu" in Hmong can also mean "of course" or "without a doubt". | |||
Kurdish | bigûman | ||
The word 'bigûman' is also used in Kurdish to mean 'completely' or 'thoroughly'. | |||
Turkish | kesinlikle | ||
"Kesinlikle" is derived from "kesin", meaning "sharp" or "absolute", and can also mean "exactly" or "precisely". | |||
Xhosa | ngokuqinisekileyo | ||
The Xhosa word "ngokuqinisekileyo" comes from the root word "qiniseka," which means "to be sure" or "to be certain."} | |||
Yiddish | באשטימט | ||
The Yiddish word "definitely," "באשטימט," is likely derived from the German word "bestimmt," which also means "definitely". | |||
Zulu | nakanjani | ||
In Nguni languages, 'nakanjani' also means 'truly' or 'of a truth'. | |||
Assamese | নিশ্চিতভাৱে | ||
Aymara | wiñaypachata | ||
Bhojpuri | बिल्कुल | ||
Dhivehi | ޔަޤީނުންވެސް | ||
Dogri | जरूर | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyak | ||
Guarani | upeichaite | ||
Ilocano | nakedngan | ||
Krio | shɔ | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بێگومان | ||
Maithili | निश्चित | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯣꯛꯁꯣꯏ ꯁꯣꯏꯗꯅ | ||
Mizo | ngei ngei | ||
Oromo | sirriimatti | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଭାବରେ | | ||
Quechua | chaynapunim | ||
Sanskrit | निश्चितम् | ||
Tatar | әлбәттә | ||
Tigrinya | ብርጉፅ | ||
Tsonga | hakunene | ||