Dominant in Different Languages
Discover 'Dominant' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'dominant' carries significant weight in a variety of contexts, signifying power, control, and influence. Its cultural importance is evident in fields such as art, music, and biology, where it describes a prevailing theme, tone, or trait. Understanding the translation of 'dominant' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how diverse cultures perceive and express concepts of power and authority.
For instance, in Spanish, 'dominant' translates to 'dominante,' reflecting its similar meaning in a language spoken by over 460 million people worldwide. In German, 'dominant' becomes 'dominant,' echoing the term's significance in a language deeply rooted in philosophy and meticulousness. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'dominant' is expressed as 'dominant,' highlighting the language's unique phonetic and written systems.
Explore the many facets of 'dominant' in various languages and broaden your understanding of this powerful term's cultural nuances.
Dominant
Dominant in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oorheersend | ||
| The word "oorheersend" in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "overheersend", which means "dominant" or "prevailing". | |||
| Amharic | የበላይ | ||
| The Amharic word "የበላይ" can also refer to a person or thing that is placed above others, or that has authority over them. | |||
| Hausa | rinjaye | ||
| The word "rinjaye" is derived from the Arabic word "rājib" meaning "prevailing" or "superior". | |||
| Igbo | akara | ||
| The word 'akara' in Igbo can also mean 'strength' or 'power'. | |||
| Malagasy | manjaka | ||
| The word "manjaka" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word "*maka-/*maŋka", meaning "older sibling". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wamphamvu | ||
| **Wampu** is a term used to describe a person, usually a male, from the Wamu ethnic group that is known for dominating their peers in physical contests such as wrestling. | |||
| Shona | hukuru | ||
| The Shona word 'hukuru' can also mean 'chief' or 'leader', denoting a person with authority and influence in a community. | |||
| Somali | xukuma | ||
| It may also be the source of the Somali name "Xukuma," the word for "government," and Xukum, the word for "ruling" or "judgment." | |||
| Sesotho | e ka sehloohong | ||
| "E ka sehloohong" literally means "in a way of strength or force" in the Sesotho language. | |||
| Swahili | kubwa | ||
| The word "kubwa" can also mean "big" or "large" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ephezulu | ||
| The word "ephezulu" can also mean "on top" or "above" in Xhosa, indicating a position of superiority or prominence. | |||
| Yoruba | ako | ||
| The Yoruba word "ako" can also refer to "a ruler" or "a master". | |||
| Zulu | evelele | ||
| The word "evelele" is also used to describe a situation where one person has authority over another | |||
| Bambara | fangatigi | ||
| Ewe | si ɖu wo kata dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yiganje | ||
| Lingala | ya makasi mingi | ||
| Luganda | okukulira | ||
| Sepedi | koketšwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | di so | ||
Dominant in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهيمن | ||
| The word "مهيمن" in Arabic has roots in the word "هيمن" meaning "to dominate", "to rule", or "to prevail". | |||
| Hebrew | דוֹמִינָנטִי | ||
| The word "דומיננטי" in Hebrew also means "the person on the right." This refers to a tradition in choir to have the main melody singer on the right. | |||
| Pashto | غالب | ||
| The word "غالب" (dominant) in Pashto can also refer to a "champion" or someone who "prevails". | |||
| Arabic | مهيمن | ||
| The word "مهيمن" in Arabic has roots in the word "هيمن" meaning "to dominate", "to rule", or "to prevail". | |||
Dominant in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbizotërues | ||
| "Mbizotërues" comes from the word "zot" which means "lord". | |||
| Basque | nagusi | ||
| "Nagusi" means "dominant" in Basque, but it can also mean "master" or "lord". | |||
| Catalan | dominant | ||
| In Catalan, "dominant" can also refer to an organ that produces musical sounds or to the hand used to play musical instruments. | |||
| Croatian | dominantan | ||
| The Croatian word "dominantan" can also mean "outstanding" or "prevailing". | |||
| Danish | dominerende | ||
| The verb "dominere" also means "to dominate" or "to control" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | dominant | ||
| The Dutch word "dominant" is derived from the Latin word "dominari", meaning "to rule" or "to lord over". | |||
| English | dominant | ||
| In music, "dominant" refers to the fifth note of a diatonic scale, which creates a feeling of resolution when played after the tonic. | |||
| French | dominant | ||
| The French word "dominant" comes from the Latin "dominans," meaning "ruling," and can also refer to a musical note that forms the base of a chord. | |||
| Frisian | dominant | ||
| The Frisian word "dominante" can also mean "prevailing" or "prominent". | |||
| Galician | dominante | ||
| In Galician, "dominante" can mean "dominant" in the sense of a musical scale, or "dominant" in the sense of being overly controlling. | |||
| German | dominant | ||
| Also refers to the musical concept of a keynote with its harmonic progression. | |||
| Icelandic | ráðandi | ||
| The word 'ráðandi' is derived from the Old Norse word 'ráðinn,' meaning 'decided' or 'appointed,' and is cognate with the English word 'rede,' meaning 'advice' or 'counsel.' | |||
| Irish | ceannasach | ||
| The word "ceannasach" is also used to describe a person who is dominant or influential in a particular field. | |||
| Italian | dominante | ||
| In Italian 'dominante' can also mean 'overbearing' or 'tyrannical'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dominant | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "dominant" can also refer to a type of rooster used in cockfighting. | |||
| Maltese | dominanti | ||
| Dominanti is also the Maltese translation of the Italian word for 'Sunday' or 'Lord's Day', 'domenica'. | |||
| Norwegian | dominerende | ||
| The term dominerende can also refer to a musical interval that is most prominent in a chord or melody. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dominante | ||
| In Portuguese, "dominante" can also mean "main colour" or "main theme" in design and music. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceannasach | ||
| Ceannasach also means 'chief' or 'leader' in Irish and Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | dominante | ||
| In music, dominante is specifically the fifth degree of a scale; in linguistics, it is the most frequently used language in a given area. | |||
| Swedish | dominerande | ||
| The Swedish word "dominerande" also has a sense of "ruling" or "prevailing", a meaning not found in the English word "dominant". | |||
| Welsh | dominyddol | ||
| The Welsh word "dominyddol" also literally means "having a top or summit". | |||
Dominant in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дамінантны | ||
| Bosnian | dominantan | ||
| The Bosnian word "dominantan" also means "domineering". | |||
| Bulgarian | доминантен | ||
| The word "доминантен" can also mean "predominant" or "prevailing" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dominantní | ||
| "Dominantní" in Czech not only means "dominant" but also "predominant" and "most frequent." | |||
| Estonian | domineeriv | ||
| The word "domineeriv" in Estonian is derived from the Latin word "dominari", meaning "to rule" or "to control". | |||
| Finnish | hallitseva | ||
| "Hallitseva" is derived from the Proto-Finnic verb *hallita, meaning "to have; to own". | |||
| Hungarian | uralkodó | ||
| The word "uralkodó" is derived from the verb "uralkodik", which means "to rule" or "to reign". It is also used as a noun to refer to a ruler or a monarch. | |||
| Latvian | dominējošais | ||
| In Latvian, "dominējošais" is also used in anatomy to refer to the larger or more pronounced of a pair of body structures, such as a muscle or facial feature. | |||
| Lithuanian | dominuojantis | ||
| "Dominuojantis" in Lithuanian also means "master" or "lord". | |||
| Macedonian | доминантно | ||
| The word доминантно (dominant) comes from Latin word "dominari" which means "to lord it over". | |||
| Polish | dominujący | ||
| In Polish, "dominujący" comes from Latin "dominus" (lord, master) and has the additional meanings "prevailing", "most common" or "typical". | |||
| Romanian | dominant | ||
| The Romanian word "dominant" derives from the Latin "dominans", meaning "ruling" or "controlling". | |||
| Russian | доминирующий | ||
| The Russian word "доминирующий" can also imply superiority | |||
| Serbian | доминантан | ||
| "Доминантан" (dominant) has the same etymology as the word "dominate" in English, which comes from the Latin word "dominari", meaning "to rule, to control". | |||
| Slovak | dominantný | ||
| The word "dominantný" in Slovak can also mean "prevailing" or "overpowering". | |||
| Slovenian | prevladujoč | ||
| The word "prevladujoč" derives from the Slavic root *vlad-, meaning "to rule" or "to govern". | |||
| Ukrainian | домінантний | ||
| The word “домінантний” in Ukrainian comes from the Latin word “dominantes”, which means “ruling or controlling” and is commonly used in music, biology and genetics. | |||
Dominant in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রভাবশালী | ||
| "প্রভাবশালী" originates from the Sanskrit word "Prabhāva", meaning "power", "influence", or "dominance". | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રબળ | ||
| In ancient India, the word 'प्रबळ' also meant 'best' or 'most excellent'. | |||
| Hindi | प्रमुख | ||
| The word 'प्रमुख' also means 'chief' or 'head' and is derived from the Sanskrit root 'pra' (forward) and 'mukha' (face). | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಬಲ | ||
| The word 'ಪ್ರಬಲ' (prabala) also means 'strong', 'powerful', and 'effective' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ആധിപത്യം | ||
| "ആധിപത്യം" is a Sanskrit-derived term that also means 'first', 'root' or 'origin' in the Malayalam language. | |||
| Marathi | प्रबळ | ||
| The word "प्रबळ" (prabhal) in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word "प्रबल" (prabhala), which means "strong". It can also mean "powerful", "influential", or "authoritative". | |||
| Nepali | प्रमुख | ||
| In Sanskrit, "प्रमुख" also means "foremost" or "chief," and is derived from the root "प्र" (pra), meaning "forth," and "मुख" (mukha), meaning "face or front." | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ" (dominant) is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रमुख" (chief or principal), which in turn comes from the root "मुच्" (to release or let go). This suggests a connection between dominance and the ability to lead or influence others. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධිපති | ||
| The Sinhala word "අධිපති" can also be used to mean "master", "lord", or "husband". | |||
| Tamil | ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்துகிறது | ||
| The word "ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்துகிறது" in Tamil, meaning "dominant," originated in the early to mid 10th century, when the term was associated with kings and referred to their authority and control. | |||
| Telugu | ఆధిపత్యం | ||
| The word | |||
| Urdu | غالب | ||
| The word "غالب" in Urdu has alternative meanings such as "victorious" and "prevailing". | |||
Dominant in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 优势 | ||
| 优势 (yōushì) literally means "favourable terrain" and is often used in the context of military strategy or geographical advantage. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 優勢 | ||
| 優勢 means "to excel" and can also mean "advantage". | |||
| Japanese | 支配的 | ||
| The word 支配的 (shihaiteki) can also mean "to control" or "to govern" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 우성 | ||
| 優性 (우성) also means "good at" or "good quality." | |||
| Mongolian | давамгайлсан | ||
| The word "давамгайлсан" can also mean "prevailing" or "outstanding" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြီးစိုး | ||
Dominant in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dominan | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "dominan" can also refer to a dominant characteristic or a person who excels in something. | |||
| Javanese | dominan | ||
| In Javanese, 'dominan' can also refer to 'a person who is skilled in a particular field'. | |||
| Khmer | លេចធ្លោ | ||
| The word លេចធ្លោ can also refer to something that is "bright" or "shining". | |||
| Lao | ເດັ່ນ | ||
| The Lao word "ເດັ່ນ" can also mean "to stand out" or "to be noticeable". | |||
| Malay | dominan | ||
| The Malay word "dominan" comes from the Dutch word "dominant", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "dominans", meaning "ruling" or "controlling". | |||
| Thai | เด่น | ||
| เด่น can also mean 'outstanding,' 'prominent,' or 'conspicuous' | |||
| Vietnamese | có ưu thế | ||
| "Có ưu thế" (dominant) derives from the root "ưu" (to surpass) and means "to have an edge". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nangingibabaw | ||
Dominant in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dominant | ||
| The word "dominant" (dominant) in Azerbaijani also refers to the main vocal melody in a piece of music. | |||
| Kazakh | басым | ||
| "Басым" is also used in the sense of "oppression" and "heavy" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | басымдуу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "басымдуу" has the alternate meaning of "oppressive". | |||
| Tajik | бартаридошта | ||
| The word “бартаридошта” (dominant) in Tajik derives from Old Persian, meaning “having the upper hand” or “possessing superiority.” | |||
| Turkmen | agdyklyk edýär | ||
| Uzbek | dominant | ||
| "Dominant" has many nuances in meaning in Uzbek, including 'prevailing', 'most impactful', or 'preeminent' in a given area. | |||
| Uyghur | ھۆكۈمران | ||
Dominant in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomalu | ||
| In Hawaiian, hoʻomalu also means 'to shelter, preserve, protect', and 'to hide, cover up' depending on context. | |||
| Maori | rangatira | ||
| Although the meaning of rangatira is typically translated as "dominant," it also refers to a chiefly title and a high social status among the Maori people. | |||
| Samoan | pule aoao | ||
| The Samoan word "pule aoao" also means "authority" or "power". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nangingibabaw | ||
| The Tagalog word "nangingibabaw" also connotes "being on top of" and "overpowering". | |||
Dominant in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | apnaqiri | ||
| Guarani | pu'akapa | ||
Dominant in International Languages
| Esperanto | reganta | ||
| The Esperanto word "reganta" comes from the Latin "regere", meaning to rule or govern. | |||
| Latin | dominatur, | ||
| In Latin, 'dominatur' can also refer to rulership, control, or mastership over something or someone. | |||
Dominant in Others Languages
| Greek | κυρίαρχο | ||
| The word can also refer to something that has power or authority over something else. | |||
| Hmong | ເດັ່ນ | ||
| The term 'ເດັ່ນ' ('dominant') in Hmong also refers to a 'prominent' or 'distinct' characteristic. | |||
| Kurdish | şertên hûkûmker | ||
| Turkish | baskın | ||
| The word "baskın" also means "raid" in Turkish, likely derived from the Arabic word "basq" meaning "to attack". | |||
| Xhosa | ephezulu | ||
| The word "ephezulu" can also mean "on top" or "above" in Xhosa, indicating a position of superiority or prominence. | |||
| Yiddish | דאָמינאַנט | ||
| The Yiddish word "דאָמינאַנט" also refers to musical intervals in which one note "dominates" the other | |||
| Zulu | evelele | ||
| The word "evelele" is also used to describe a situation where one person has authority over another | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰভাৱশালী | ||
| Aymara | apnaqiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रमुख | ||
| Dhivehi | ބާރުގަދަ | ||
| Dogri | हावी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nangingibabaw | ||
| Guarani | pu'akapa | ||
| Ilocano | mangnangruna | ||
| Krio | men | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باو | ||
| Maithili | प्रमुख | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯝꯅ ꯆꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | awp | ||
| Oromo | kan hunda of jala aansee mul'atu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାଧାନ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | apuykachay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रभूत | ||
| Tatar | доминант | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓብላሊ | ||
| Tsonga | tikisa voko | ||