Efficient in Different Languages
Discover 'Efficient' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Efficiency is a concept that has captured the imagination of people across cultures and languages. At its core, efficiency signifies the ability to accomplish a task with minimal waste of resources, be it time, energy, or money. This cultural importance of efficiency is reflected in the various ways it is translated in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, the word for efficient is 'eficiente', while in German it is 'effizient'. In French, the term used is 'efficient', and in Japanese, the concept of efficiency is conveyed through the word 'efishento'.
Understanding the translation of efficient in different languages can be particularly useful for those involved in international business or diplomacy, where clear and concise communication is key. Moreover, learning these translations can also provide insight into the cultural values and priorities of different societies, helping to foster greater cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.
In the following list, you will find the translations of the word 'efficient' in over 50 languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu. Whether you are a language enthusiast, a cultural scholar, or simply someone looking to expand your vocabulary, we hope you find this list informative and engaging.
Efficient
Efficient in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | doeltreffend | ||
| "Doeltreffend" comes from the Dutch word "doeltreffend", which itself comes from "doel" (goal) and "treffen" (to hit). | |||
| Amharic | ቀልጣፋ | ||
| The word ቀልጣፋ (efficient) in Amharic also means 'quick and agile'. | |||
| Hausa | ingantaccen | ||
| The word "ingantacce" is also used in the context of "perfection" or "flawlessness". | |||
| Igbo | oru oma | ||
| Etymology: 'oru' (work or task) and 'oma' ('good'), indicating excellence in completing a task | |||
| Malagasy | mahomby | ||
| The word "mahomby" also means "sharp" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kothandiza | ||
| The word "kothandiza" in Nyanja is derived from the verb "kuthandiza", meaning "to help", and is also used to describe something that is "helpful" or "useful." | |||
| Shona | inoshanda | ||
| Inoshara also means the ability or skill to do something. | |||
| Somali | hufan | ||
| The word "hufan" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "kafa'a," meaning "to be sufficient" or "to be competent."} | |||
| Sesotho | sebetsang hantle | ||
| Swahili | ufanisi | ||
| The Swahili word "ufanisi" is derived from the verb "fanikisha," meaning to succeed or achieve. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokufanelekileyo | ||
| The Xhosa word "ngokufanelekileyo" can also mean "effectively" or "adequately" in English. | |||
| Yoruba | ṣiṣe | ||
| "Ṣiṣe" also means "to manage", "to run", or "to lead" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | esebenza kahle | ||
| The word "esebenza kahle" in Zulu can also mean "hard work" or "diligence." | |||
| Bambara | nɔɔ kaɲin | ||
| Ewe | wᴐ dᴐ nyuie | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukora neza | ||
| Lingala | ya ntina | ||
| Luganda | okukola bulungi | ||
| Sepedi | šoma ka tshwanelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔ adwuma | ||
Efficient in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فعالة | ||
| The word "فعالة" can refer to a female effective person, a feminine agent, or a passive action. | |||
| Hebrew | יָעִיל | ||
| יָעִיל has no direct meaning in modern Hebrew, its root "יעל" is used mostly in reference to the animal _Capra Ibex_ | |||
| Pashto | موثره | ||
| موثره may also denote an official or authorized representative in official matters of state and government. | |||
| Arabic | فعالة | ||
| The word "فعالة" can refer to a female effective person, a feminine agent, or a passive action. | |||
Efficient in Western European Languages
| Albanian | efikas | ||
| "Efikas" in Albanian derives from the Latin "efficax", from "efficere" (to produce, effect), which itself originated from "ex- " (out) + "facere" (to make or do). | |||
| Basque | eraginkorra | ||
| The word "eraginkorra" (efficient) is related to "egin" (do), "eragin" (effect), and "eragilea" (efficient) | |||
| Catalan | eficient | ||
| The Catalan word "eficient" originates from the Latin "efficiens," meaning "producing an effect." | |||
| Croatian | učinkovit | ||
| The word "učinkovit" in Croatian can also mean "effective" or "impactful". | |||
| Danish | effektiv | ||
| "Effektiv" also means "affect" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | efficiënt | ||
| In Dutch, "efficiënt" can also retain its original Latin meaning of "effective" (doeltreffend). | |||
| English | efficient | ||
| Though the word 'efficient' is often used to describe someone or something that does things in a way that gets the most work done, its root word, 'efficere,' means 'to bring about' or 'to accomplish.' | |||
| French | efficace | ||
| The word "efficace" comes from the Latin word "efficere," which means "to create" or "to make." | |||
| Frisian | effisjint | ||
| In Frisian, "effisjint" also has the connotation of "quick" and "prompt". | |||
| Galician | eficiente | ||
| In Galician the word `eficiente` has the same meaning as in English, and it comes from the Latin verb `efficere`. | |||
| German | effizient | ||
| "Effizient" is derived from the Latin word "efficere" meaning "to carry out, accomplish" and also related to "effectus" meaning "effect, result". | |||
| Icelandic | skilvirkur | ||
| The Icelandic word "skilvirkur" is derived from the Old Norse term "skilvirki", which refers to the ability or skill in performing tasks. | |||
| Irish | éifeachtach | ||
| The word "éifeachtach" (efficient) originally meant "effective" or "efficacious" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | efficiente | ||
| The Italian word "efficiente" derives from the Latin word "efficientia", meaning "accomplishment" or "effect." | |||
| Luxembourgish | effizient | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "effizient" comes from the Latin word "efficiens", meaning "effective" or "productive". | |||
| Maltese | effiċjenti | ||
| The Maltese word “effiċjenti” originates from the Latin word “efficiens”, meaning “producing”. | |||
| Norwegian | effektiv | ||
| The Norwegian word "effektiv" can also mean "effective" or "forceful". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | eficiente | ||
| The word "eficiente" (Portuguese) comes from the Latin "efficiens", meaning "capable of producing an effect" or "effective". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | èifeachdach | ||
| The Gaelic term "èifeachdach" also refers to effectiveness and successfulness in achieving a particular purpose. | |||
| Spanish | eficiente | ||
| "Eficiente" comes from the Latin word "efficiens," meaning "producing an effect," and also has the alternate meaning of "effective." | |||
| Swedish | effektiv | ||
| "Effektiv" primarily means "efficient," but also carries connotations of "force," "effect" and "result" | |||
| Welsh | effeithlon | ||
| The word "effeithlon" comes from the combination of "effeithiol" (efficient) and "lon" (tail). | |||
Efficient in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | эфектыўны | ||
| The word "эфектыўны" can also mean "effective" or "efficacious" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | efikasan | ||
| The word "efikasan" is derived from the Turkish word "fırsat", which means "opportunity". | |||
| Bulgarian | ефективно | ||
| The word "ефективно" also means "effectively" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | účinný | ||
| The Czech word "účinný" also means "effective", "valid", and "potent." | |||
| Estonian | tõhus | ||
| "Tõhus" derives from "tohu", meaning "dust" in ancient Estonian, suggesting the eradication of impurities to optimize effectiveness. | |||
| Finnish | tehokas | ||
| The Finnish word "tehokas" can also mean "effective" or "impactful". | |||
| Hungarian | hatékony | ||
| The word "hatékony" is derived from the Hungarian word "hatás" (meaning "effect"). | |||
| Latvian | efektīvs | ||
| Latvian "efektīvs" is derived from the Latin "effectus" and has the same meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | efektyvus | ||
| The Lithuanian word "efektyvus" derives from the Latin word "effectus," meaning "result" or "outcome." | |||
| Macedonian | ефикасен | ||
| The word “ефикасен” (“efficient”) comes from the French “efficace”, which in turn comes from the Late Latin “efficax”, “able to produce an effect”. | |||
| Polish | wydajny | ||
| The word 'wydajny' can also mean 'productive' or 'yielding', depending on the context. | |||
| Romanian | eficient | ||
| In Romanian, "eficient" also has the archaic meanings of "effective" or "capable". | |||
| Russian | эффективный | ||
| The word "эффективный" (efficient) in Russian can also mean "effective" or "productive". | |||
| Serbian | ефикасан | ||
| The word "ефикасан" comes from the Latin word "efficax", meaning "effective" or "producing the desired result". | |||
| Slovak | efektívne | ||
| "Efektívne" in Slovak also means "effectively". | |||
| Slovenian | učinkovito | ||
| In other Slavic languages, the word "učinkovit" can also mean "effective" or "impressive." | |||
| Ukrainian | ефективний | ||
| The word “ефективний” is derived from the Latin word “efficere,” meaning “to produce” or “to bring about”. | |||
Efficient in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দক্ষ | ||
| The word "দক্ষ" also means "capable", "able", or "expert" in Sanskrit, and it is related to the word "দক্ষতা" which means "skill". | |||
| Gujarati | કાર્યક્ષમ | ||
| Hindi | कुशल | ||
| The word "कुशल" also means "skilled" or "accomplished" in Hindi, indicating proficiency in a particular area. | |||
| Kannada | ದಕ್ಷ | ||
| The word "ದಕ್ಷ" is also used to describe someone who is skillful, or proficient. | |||
| Malayalam | കാര്യക്ഷമമാണ് | ||
| In the context of a Malayalam loanword, this word can also refer to a person or object that is "capable" or "qualified" for a particular task. | |||
| Marathi | कार्यक्षम | ||
| The word "कार्यक्षम" can also mean "effective", "capable", or "competent" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | कुशल | ||
| The word कुशल is also used to describe someone as 'healthy' or 'well'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਸਰਦਾਰ | ||
| The word "ਅਸਰਦਾਰ" (efficient) derives from the Sanskrit word "asarkata", meaning "not ineffective" or "not powerless". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාර්යක්ෂම | ||
| The word is thought to derive from the verb | |||
| Tamil | திறமையானது | ||
| The word "திறமையானது" also means "skilled", "proficient", and "capable" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | సమర్థవంతమైన | ||
| The word 'సమర్థవంతమైన' (samartha-vantamaina) is a compound of 'samartha' (capable, able), and 'vantamu' (having), and means 'having the capacity or ability'. | |||
| Urdu | موثر | ||
| The word "موثر" (efficient) in Urdu also means "impressive" or "effective". | |||
Efficient in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 有效率的 | ||
| "有效的"一词源自拉丁语 "efficiens"，意为 "产生效果"，也可表示 "有能力" 或 "胜任"。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 有效率的 | ||
| 有效率的源自有效並有率，指事情按一定法則或率而有效運行或進行，故有效率的意指做事有方法，結果符合預期。 | |||
| Japanese | 効率的 | ||
| In Japanese, the word "効率的" (kōritsu teki) also means "effective" or "productive." | |||
| Korean | 실력 있는 | ||
| "실력" originally meant "power" or "capability" but its meaning has changed to "efficiency" over time. | |||
| Mongolian | үр ашигтай | ||
| The word үр ашигтай (efficient) is derived from the Mongolian words үр (seed) and ашигтай (beneficial), and can also mean "productive" or "fruitful". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိရောက်သော | ||
Efficient in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | efisien | ||
| "Efisien" is derived from the French word "efficace," meaning "effective" or "capable," and ultimately from the Latin word "efficere," meaning "to bring about" or "to accomplish." | |||
| Javanese | efisien | ||
| In Javanese, "efisien" also means "quick" and "done without delay." | |||
| Khmer | មានប្រសិទ្ធិភាព | ||
| Lao | ປະສິດທິພາບ | ||
| Malay | cekap | ||
| "Cekap" is originally a Sanskrit word "sakap" referring to "able-bodied and diligent workers", now in Bahasa Indonesia meaning "fast" and in Malaysian meaning "efficient". | |||
| Thai | มีประสิทธิภาพ | ||
| In addition to "efficient," "มีประสิทธิภาพ" can also mean "effective" or "efficacious." | |||
| Vietnamese | có hiệu quả | ||
| It comes from Chinese "高效 quả" (pinyin: gāoxiào guǒ), lit. "great result, high fruit." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabisa | ||
Efficient in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səmərəli | ||
| The word "səmərəli" in Azerbaijani originates from the Persian word "samara", meaning "fruit" or "yield", and has the alternate meaning of "productive" or "fruitful". | |||
| Kazakh | нәтижелі | ||
| "Нәтижелі" is the Kazakh equivalent of "effective" and "result-oriented". | |||
| Kyrgyz | натыйжалуу | ||
| The word 'натыйжалуу' (efficient) in Kyrgyz derives from the root 'натыйжа' (result), suggesting a connection between efficiency and achieving desired outcomes. | |||
| Tajik | самаранок | ||
| The word “самаранок” also refers to a type of knife with a curved blade and a pointed tip, used for cutting and slicing in kitchen and household tasks. | |||
| Turkmen | täsirli | ||
| Uzbek | samarali | ||
| The word "samarali" in the Uzbek language can also mean to accomplish something without difficulty. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۈنۈملۈك | ||
Efficient in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maikaʻi | ||
| The Hawaiian word "maikaʻi" also means "good, excellent, or beautiful". | |||
| Maori | whaihua | ||
| Whaihua is also a term for an indigenous, medicinal plant. | |||
| Samoan | lelei | ||
| The word 'lelei' also means 'beautiful' or 'handsome' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mahusay | ||
| 'Mahusay' was originally used to describe those who know how to write. | |||
Efficient in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Guarani | hembiapoporãva | ||
Efficient in International Languages
| Esperanto | efika | ||
| "Efka" derives from the French phrase "sans faille" ("without error") which was originally used to refer to someone who was an excellent shot, hence "efficient". | |||
| Latin | agentibus | ||
| In Scholastic metaphysics, 'agentibus' referred to one of three efficient causes: instrumental (the craftsman's hammer), principal (the craftsman), or exemplary (the craftsman's skill). | |||
Efficient in Others Languages
| Greek | αποτελεσματικός | ||
| The Ancient Greek prefix apo- also meant "thoroughly", so the word means "thoroughly accomplished" | |||
| Hmong | ua tau zoo | ||
| "Ua tau zoo" literally translates to "it has come out the water mill or rice pounder" | |||
| Kurdish | kêrhatê bicîanîn | ||
| The word "kêrhatê bicîanîn" is derived from the words "kêr" (work) and "bicî" (manner), and it refers to accomplishing something in a way that requires less effort, resources, or time. | |||
| Turkish | verimli | ||
| "Verimli" comes from the Arabic word "verim", which means "product" or "fruit", and was introduced into Turkish in the 13th century. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokufanelekileyo | ||
| The Xhosa word "ngokufanelekileyo" can also mean "effectively" or "adequately" in English. | |||
| Yiddish | עפעקטיוו | ||
| The Yiddish word "עפעקטיוו" ("efficient") is a loanword from German "effektiv", while also retaining the English meaning of "effective", "forceful", and "impressive". | |||
| Zulu | esebenza kahle | ||
| The word "esebenza kahle" in Zulu can also mean "hard work" or "diligence." | |||
| Assamese | দক্ষ | ||
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | माहिर | ||
| Dhivehi | އެފިޝަންޓް | ||
| Dogri | चतर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabisa | ||
| Guarani | hembiapoporãva | ||
| Ilocano | adda kabaelanna | ||
| Krio | ɔganayz fayn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | توانست | ||
| Maithili | कुशल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯐꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thawkrim | ||
| Oromo | kan hin qisaasessine | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦକ୍ଷ | ||
| Quechua | aswan allin | ||
| Sanskrit | कुशल | ||
| Tatar | эффектив | ||
| Tigrinya | ስሉጥ | ||
| Tsonga | tirheka | ||