Eager in Different Languages
Discover 'Eager' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'eager' is a small but powerful word that conveys a strong sense of enthusiasm, excitement, and readiness. It's a word that transcends cultures and languages, capturing a universal human experience. But have you ever wondered how to say 'eager' in different languages?
Understanding the translation of 'eager' in various languages can open up new cultural perspectives and deepen our appreciation for the richness of human communication. For example, in Spanish, 'eager' translates to 'ansioso', which also carries a sense of eagerness tinged with anxiety. Meanwhile, in German, 'eager' becomes 'eifrig', which conveys a sense of diligence and hard work. And in Japanese, 'eager' is translated to 'kyouhaku-shin', which combines the characters for 'strong' and 'heart/mind'.
Exploring the nuances of 'eager' in different languages can also reveal fascinating historical contexts. For instance, in Old English, 'eager' was derived from 'gieran', meaning 'to desire'. This root word has also given rise to modern English words such as 'yearn' and 'greed'.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, read on to discover the many translations of 'eager' in different languages!
Eager
Eager in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gretig | ||
| The word “gretig” (“eager” in Afrikaans) comes from the Dutch word “gretig”, which in turn comes from the Old French word “grete”, meaning “desire”. It is related to the English word “greedy”. | |||
| Amharic | በጉጉት | ||
| The word "በጉጉት" originally meant "with a beating heart" or "with a pounding chest" in Ge'ez. | |||
| Hausa | mai ɗoki | ||
| The Hausa word "mai ɗoki" primarily means "horseman", but can also convey the sense of "impetuous" or "enthusiastic." | |||
| Igbo | chọsie ike | ||
| The Igbo word 'chọsie ike' can also refer to 'diligence' or 'assiduousness'. | |||
| Malagasy | te | ||
| The word "te" in Malagasy, meaning "eager," derives from the Proto-Austronesian root *taq, with similar meanings in other Austronesian languages like Malay and Javanese. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wofunitsitsa | ||
| The word 'wofunitsitsa' can also refer to someone who is always ready to help others. | |||
| Shona | nechido | ||
| In Shona, "nechido" can also refer to a state of intense excitement or anticipation. | |||
| Somali | hammuun leh | ||
| The word "hammuun leh" comes from the verb "hammuun, | |||
| Sesotho | labalabela | ||
| The word "labalabela" also means "quickly" and "speedily" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | hamu | ||
| In Swahili, "hamu" can also mean "quick" or "fast". | |||
| Xhosa | unomdla | ||
| "Unomdla" is the Xhosa word for "eager", derived from the root "-nomla" meaning "to desire" | |||
| Yoruba | ni itara | ||
| "Ni itara" also means "on the way" and "ready" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukulangazelela | ||
| "Ukungazelela" is derived from the word "ukuze" (to look) and the expression "gaze" (to gaze), indicating the idea of looking forward to something with great anticipation. | |||
| Bambara | kɔrɔtɔ | ||
| Ewe | le klalo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ashishikaye | ||
| Lingala | mposa | ||
| Luganda | okwesunga | ||
| Sepedi | phišego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ho pere | ||
Eager in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حريص | ||
| حريص can also refer to "watchful", "cautious", or "stingy". | |||
| Hebrew | לָהוּט | ||
| The word לָהוּט can also refer to a flame or fire, as in the expression "אש לָהוּט" (literally, "a flame that is eager"). | |||
| Pashto | لیواله | ||
| لیواله is used as a slang term for expressing strong desire or preference, similar to the English phrase "dying for". | |||
| Arabic | حريص | ||
| حريص can also refer to "watchful", "cautious", or "stingy". | |||
Eager in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i etur | ||
| The word "i etur" could also mean "eagerness" or "ardor". | |||
| Basque | gogotsu | ||
| The Basque word “gogotsu” derives from the words “gogo” (heart) and “tsu” (small), referring to one’s heart feeling small from longing and anticipation. | |||
| Catalan | amb ganes | ||
| Amb ganes, in Catalan, might also be understood as having appetite. | |||
| Croatian | željan | ||
| The word 'željan' in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root '*žedlь', meaning 'thirsty' or 'desiring'. | |||
| Danish | ivrige | ||
| "Ivrig" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "i-u-" meaning "to go". The word has cognates in many other Germanic languages, including "eager" in English, "ijver" in Dutch, and "eifer" in German. | |||
| Dutch | gretig | ||
| In Middle Dutch, the word "gretig" meant "greedy", but its meaning softened over time to "keen" or "eager." | |||
| English | eager | ||
| "Eager" derives from Middle English "eger," from Old French, meaning "sharp." Old English "eg" means "sharp, keen, intense." | |||
| French | désireux | ||
| In Old French, “désireux” also meant “poor” or “unfortunate”. | |||
| Frisian | iverich | ||
| The Frisian word "iverich" can also mean "quick" or "lively". | |||
| Galician | ansioso | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of eager, «ansioso» can also mean «worried» in Galician. | |||
| German | eifrig | ||
| The German word "eifrig" is possibly derived from the Middle High German word "iverec", meaning "jealous," and the Old High German word "eivar", meaning "envious". | |||
| Icelandic | ákafur | ||
| The Icelandic word "ákafur" originates from the Old Norse word "ákafr", meaning "powerful" or "violent". | |||
| Irish | fonnmhar | ||
| "Fonnmhar" derives from "fonn", meaning "heat" and "vigour" or "strength of mind". | |||
| Italian | desideroso | ||
| The term 'desideroso' in Italian, derived from the Latin 'desiderare,' expresses not only a keenness but also a lack. | |||
| Luxembourgish | äifreg | ||
| In the context of the Luxembourgish language, "äifreg" can also mean "passionate" or "zealous". | |||
| Maltese | ħerqana | ||
| The Maltese word "ħerqana" is derived from an ancient Semitic root meaning "to desire". | |||
| Norwegian | ivrig | ||
| "Ivrig" is derived from Old Norse "ifarr", meaning "great" or "strong". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ansioso | ||
| The word "ansioso" in Portuguese can also mean "anxious" or "nervous." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | èasgaidh | ||
| Spanish | ansioso | ||
| The word "ansioso" can also mean "anxious". | |||
| Swedish | ivrig | ||
| The word "ivrig" in Swedish originates from the Old Norse word "ifirr", meaning "angry" or "hasty". | |||
| Welsh | yn eiddgar | ||
| The word "yn eiddgar" also means "eager" in Welsh, with the same Proto-Celtic root as the English word "eager". | |||
Eager in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прагны | ||
| Bosnian | željan | ||
| It comes from the Slavic root *želd-, meaning "to desire". | |||
| Bulgarian | нетърпелив | ||
| The Bulgarian word "нетърпелив" is cognate with the Russian word "нетерпеливый" and also shares a common origin with the English word "intolerant". | |||
| Czech | dychtivý | ||
| The word "dychtivý" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "dьchъ", meaning "breath" or "spirit". | |||
| Estonian | innukas | ||
| The Estonian word "innukas" is related to the Finnish word "innokas", which also means "eager", and is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*innōkas", which means "eager, keen, zealous". | |||
| Finnish | innokas | ||
| "Innokas" is derived from "into", meaning "will" or "eagerness". | |||
| Hungarian | mohó | ||
| "Mohó" may also mean "gluttonous" and "greedy". | |||
| Latvian | dedzīgi | ||
| The word "dedzīgi" in Latvian derives from the verb "degt" ("to burn"), implying a burning desire or enthusiasm. | |||
| Lithuanian | trokštantis | ||
| The word "trokštantis/i" is related to the Lithuanian verb "trokšti", which means "to thirst" or "to crave". It can also be used to describe someone who is ambitious or driven, as thirst can be seen as a metaphor for a strong desire or longing. | |||
| Macedonian | желни | ||
| The word "желни" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*želь" meaning "desire" or "want". | |||
| Polish | chętny | ||
| The word "chętny" in Polish has the same root as the word "chęć" which means "desire" or "will". | |||
| Romanian | dornic | ||
| The Romanian word "dornic" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *dorniti, meaning "to strive" or "to desire". | |||
| Russian | нетерпеливый | ||
| "Нетерпеливый" is derived from the Old Russian word "терпѣти" (to endure), meaning "not enduring", "not waiting" | |||
| Serbian | жељан | ||
| The word "жељан" also means "thirsty" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | nedočkavý | ||
| "Nedočkavý" is derived from the Slavic root *nedok-, meaning "not enough" or "lacking". | |||
| Slovenian | zavzet | ||
| The word 'zavzet' in Slovenian can also mean 'enthusiastic', 'determined', 'motivated', 'zealous', 'dedicated', 'passionate', and 'committed'. | |||
| Ukrainian | нетерплячий | ||
| "Нетерплячий" (impatient) is cognate to the English word "patient" and the Russian word "терпеливый" (patient). | |||
Eager in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আগ্রহী | ||
| The word "আগ্রহী" also means "interested" or "desirous" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | આતુર | ||
| The word comes from the Sanskrit word 'aatatra', which means 'desirous' or 'restless' | |||
| Hindi | उत्सुक | ||
| The word ' उत्सुक ' ('eager') comes from the Sanskrit word 'utsuka', which means 'to arise' or 'to be eager'. | |||
| Kannada | ಉತ್ಸಾಹಿ | ||
| The word "ಉತ್ಸಾಹಿ" (utsaahi) is derived from the Sanskrit word "उत्साह" (utsaah), meaning "enthusiasm" or "zeal". | |||
| Malayalam | ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ | ||
| The word 'ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ' in Malayalam has a more specific meaning of 'with longing or desire' rather than just 'eager'. | |||
| Marathi | उत्सुक | ||
| The Marathi word “उत्सुक” also means “anxious” in some contexts. | |||
| Nepali | उत्सुक | ||
| The word "उत्सुक" can also mean "curious" or "interested" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਤਸੁਕ | ||
| The word "ਉਤਸੁਕ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "utsukita", which means "eager" or "curious". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උනන්දුවෙන් | ||
| Tamil | ஆவலுடன் | ||
| ஆவலிலும்பின போஸு அதுதியின் உருமியில் போஸு போஸு உவலியின் | |||
| Telugu | ఆసక్తిగా | ||
| ఆసక్తిగా means 'with interest', 'with curiosity', or 'with attentiveness'. | |||
| Urdu | بے چین | ||
| The word 'بی چین' is thought to have an earlier meaning of 'restless' or 'impatient' and is also cognate with Hindi verb 'bichainna'. | |||
Eager in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 急于 | ||
| 急于 (jíyú) literally means 'urgency' or 'haste', and can also mean 'urgent' or 'pressing'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 急於 | ||
| 急於 can also means 'urgent' or 'to hurry'. | |||
| Japanese | 熱心な | ||
| 熱心な (netsushin na) is also used figuratively to mean passionate or enthusiastic. | |||
| Korean | 심한 | ||
| In North Korean usage, 심한 can also mean "strong" or "severe." | |||
| Mongolian | хүсэл эрмэлзэлтэй | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စိတ်အားထက်သန် | ||
Eager in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bersemangat | ||
| Bersemangat can also mean 'passion' or 'enthusiasm', with its root word being 'semangat' which refers to either 'spirit' or 'mind' | |||
| Javanese | semangat banget | ||
| Semangat banget, a Javanese phrase denoting eagerness, derives from the root word semangat, meaning 'spirit' or 'energy' | |||
| Khmer | អន្ទះសា | ||
| The word "andontosa" derives from Sanskrit and means both "eager" as well as "very happy". | |||
| Lao | ກະຕືລືລົ້ນ | ||
| Malay | bersemangat | ||
| Bersemangat's etymology is from 'semangat' (spirit), which implies energy and enthusiasm, and 'ber' (to have), indicating the presence of spirit or eagerness. | |||
| Thai | กระตือรือร้น | ||
| The word "กระตือรือร้น" is derived from the Sanskrit word "krtati" meaning "activity", and is also related to the Thai word "กระตือ" meaning "to hurry or be in a hurry". | |||
| Vietnamese | hăng hái | ||
| "Hăng hái" is a Sino-Vietnamese word that has the same origin as "hành hiệp" (knight-errant). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sabik | ||
Eager in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istəkli | ||
| Kazakh | құлшыныспен | ||
| The word "құлшыныспен" in Kazakh also has the alternate meaning of "diligently" or "zealously". | |||
| Kyrgyz | ынтызар | ||
| The word "ынтызар" can also mean "expectation" or "longing" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | муштоқи | ||
| The word "муштоқи" in Tajik originally meant "to be empty-handed" and evolved to mean "eager" later on. | |||
| Turkmen | höwes bilen | ||
| Uzbek | g'ayratli | ||
| The word "g'ayratli" in Uzbek can also mean "zealous" or "passionate". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىنتىزار | ||
Eager in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pīhoihoi | ||
| The word "pīhoihoi" in Hawaiian can also refer to a type of bird described as "restless" or "fidgety". | |||
| Maori | ngākau nui | ||
| "Ngākau nui" is literally translated as 'big heart' and is often used to imply a person's generosity or willingness to give. | |||
| Samoan | naunau | ||
| 'Nau' (meaning 'now') suggests a sense of urgency with 'naunau' conveying 'doing it now' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sabik | ||
| The word "sabik" also means "eager" in Indonesian and Malay. | |||
Eager in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | munaña | ||
| Guarani | py'atarova | ||
Eager in International Languages
| Esperanto | avida | ||
| The word "avida" derives from the Latin word "avidus" which also means "greedy". | |||
| Latin | cupidi | ||
Eager in Others Languages
| Greek | πρόθυμος | ||
| Πρόθυμος derives from the Greek word for "before the mind" and originally meant "ready to do something". | |||
| Hmong | xav ua | ||
| The Hmong word "xav ua" can also mean "diligent" or "persevering". | |||
| Kurdish | jîrane | ||
| The word "jîrane" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰer- meaning "to desire". | |||
| Turkish | istekli | ||
| "İstekli" kelimesi Arapça "istemek" kökünden gelir ve aynı zamanda "istekli" anlamına da gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | unomdla | ||
| "Unomdla" is the Xhosa word for "eager", derived from the root "-nomla" meaning "to desire" | |||
| Yiddish | לאָעט | ||
| The Yiddish word "לאָעט" derives from the Middle German "laz" meaning "tired" or "unwilling". | |||
| Zulu | ukulangazelela | ||
| "Ukungazelela" is derived from the word "ukuze" (to look) and the expression "gaze" (to gaze), indicating the idea of looking forward to something with great anticipation. | |||
| Assamese | আগ্ৰহী | ||
| Aymara | munaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | उत्सुक | ||
| Dhivehi | ޝައުޤުވެރި | ||
| Dogri | उत्सुक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sabik | ||
| Guarani | py'atarova | ||
| Ilocano | nagagar | ||
| Krio | rili want | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پەرۆش | ||
| Maithili | व्यग्र | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯏꯔꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | nghakhlel | ||
| Oromo | beekuuf ariifachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଗ୍ରହୀ | ||
| Quechua | kamarisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | उत्सुकः | ||
| Tatar | ашкынып | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓብይ ድሌት | ||
| Tsonga | hiseka | ||