Effort in Different Languages
Discover 'Effort' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'effort' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing the energy and resources we expend in achieving a goal. Its cultural importance is evident in the many motivational quotes and idioms that encourage hard work and perseverance. Understanding the translation of 'effort' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures view and approach work and achievement.
For instance, in Spanish, 'effort' is 'esfuerzo,' while in French, it's 'effort.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for 'effort' is '努力 (nǔ lì),' which is a combination of the characters for 'exert' and 'strength.' In Japanese, 'effort' is '努力 (doryoku),' which also carries the connotation of 'striving' or 'struggling.'
Exploring the translations of 'effort' in various languages can broaden our cultural awareness and deepen our appreciation for the universal value of hard work and dedication. Keep reading to discover more translations of 'effort' and learn about the fascinating histories and nuances behind these words.
Effort
Effort in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | inspanning | ||
| "Inspanning" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "inspanninghe", which originally meant a team of horses or oxen used for pulling a wagon. | |||
| Amharic | ጥረት | ||
| The word "ጥረት" can also mean "work" or "labor". | |||
| Hausa | ƙoƙari | ||
| The word "ƙoƙari" in Hausa can also refer to a type of traditional wrestling or to the act of putting in a lot of effort. | |||
| Igbo | mgbali | ||
| The word "mgbali" can also refer to the act of gathering items by a group of people to achieve a common goal. | |||
| Malagasy | fiezahana | ||
| The word "Fiezahana" in Malagasy has alternate meanings such as "struggle" and "diligence". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khama | ||
| The word "khama" can also mean "labor" or "work". | |||
| Shona | kushanda nesimba | ||
| The Shona word 'kushanda nesimba' means 'putting in effort' and is often used in the context of working hard in any situation. | |||
| Somali | dadaal | ||
| The word "dadaal" can also mean "struggle", "endeavor", or "labor". | |||
| Sesotho | boiteko | ||
| The word "boiteko" also refers to the act or process of making an effort. | |||
| Swahili | juhudi | ||
| In Swahili, 'juhudi' can also refer to 'struggle' or 'hardship'. | |||
| Xhosa | umgudu | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "umgudu" also refers to a physical struggle or battle. | |||
| Yoruba | igbiyanju | ||
| "Igbiyanju" also means "help" or "support" and derives from the word "igba" (help). | |||
| Zulu | umzamo | ||
| The word "umzamo" can also refer to a person's determination or willpower. | |||
| Bambara | seko | ||
| Ewe | ŋtete | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbaraga | ||
| Lingala | molende | ||
| Luganda | amaanyi | ||
| Sepedi | maitekelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahoɔden | ||
Effort in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مجهود | ||
| "مجهود" is a word that derives from the root جهد, which implies both "effort" and "fatigue". | |||
| Hebrew | מַאֲמָץ | ||
| מַאֲמָץ derives from the root עמל meaning “to strive,” as does “emulate.” | |||
| Pashto | هڅه | ||
| The Pashto word "هڅه" also means "attempt" or "endeavor." | |||
| Arabic | مجهود | ||
| "مجهود" is a word that derives from the root جهد, which implies both "effort" and "fatigue". | |||
Effort in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përpjekje | ||
| Përpjekje also means 'struggle' and comes from the Proto-Albanian word *përpjekë, meaning 'to endeavor with all one's might'. | |||
| Basque | esfortzua | ||
| The Basque word | |||
| Catalan | esforç | ||
| "Esforç" in Catalan originates from Occitan "esfors, | |||
| Croatian | napor | ||
| The word 'napor' finds its origin in Proto-Slavic word 'noporъ' and shares a root with 'napustiti' (abandon), 'naprijed' (forward), and 'napredovati' (to progress). | |||
| Danish | indsats | ||
| The Danish word "indsats" has many alternate meanings, all of which relate to putting something in or inserting something. | |||
| Dutch | inspanning | ||
| The Dutch word "inspanning" can also refer to the action of yoking or harnessing draft animals. | |||
| English | effort | ||
| The word "effort" derives from the Old French word "efforcer," meaning "to exert strength" | |||
| French | effort | ||
| "Effort" comes from the Latin "exfortis" meaning "without strength." | |||
| Frisian | ynspanning | ||
| The word 'ynspanning' is derived from the Old Frisian word 'ynsaen', meaning 'to strain' or 'to exert oneself'. | |||
| Galician | esforzo | ||
| The Galician word "esforzo" originates from the Latin word "exfortiare," meaning "to strengthen". | |||
| German | anstrengung | ||
| The word "Anstrengung" derives from "anstrengen," meaning "to exert oneself" or "to strive," and is related to the English word "stringent." | |||
| Icelandic | átak | ||
| The word "atak" can also refer to a unit of weight, a length, or to the amount of energy needed to lift something. | |||
| Irish | iarracht | ||
| The word "iarracht" in Irish, besides meaning "effort," also means "attempt" or "endeavor." | |||
| Italian | sforzo | ||
| Sforzo (effort) comes from sforzare (to force), from Latin exfortiare, from ex- (out) and fortis (strong). | |||
| Luxembourgish | effort | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "effort" also means "attempt" or "endeavor". | |||
| Maltese | sforz | ||
| The Maltese word sforz ultimately derives from the Greek word for "force" or "strength". This is likely because the Maltese islands were under Greek rule from around 1500 to 395 BCE | |||
| Norwegian | innsats | ||
| The verb "å sette inn" ("to put in") is the origin of "innsats." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | esforço | ||
| "Esforço" derives from the Latin "exfortiare", meaning "to strengthen" or "to fortify". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oidhirp | ||
| The word "oidhirp" in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Old Irish "oideirp" and can also mean "labour" or "work." | |||
| Spanish | esfuerzo | ||
| The Spanish word "esfuerzo" derives from the Latin "exfortiare," meaning "to strengthen oneself," and also has the alternate meaning of "force" | |||
| Swedish | ansträngning | ||
| In Swedish, "ansträngning" is also a derivative of the verb "stränga" meaning "to be strict, exacting". | |||
| Welsh | ymdrech | ||
| "Ymddrech" is a loanword from Middle English "endrech," itself probably borrowed from Old French "endreit". | |||
Effort in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | намаганняў | ||
| In the Belarusian language, the word "намаганняў" can also mean "trying" or "attempting". | |||
| Bosnian | napor | ||
| As a noun "napor" can mean "flood" or (in plural) "flood waters" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | усилие | ||
| The root of the word "усилие" ("effort") is "сила" ("strength"), implying it is a manifestation of applied strength. | |||
| Czech | snaha | ||
| The word 'snaha' ('effort') in Czech is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'sьnьga' ('snow'), possibly because of the perception of snow as a barrier requiring effort to overcome. | |||
| Estonian | pingutus | ||
| "Pingutus" is also a synonym for "rasv" meaning "fat" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | vaivaa | ||
| "Vaivaa" also means "to bother", "to trouble" or "to annoy". | |||
| Hungarian | erőfeszítés | ||
| "Erőfeszítés" (effort) comes from "erő" (force) and "fesz" (tense), so it literally means "applying force with tension". | |||
| Latvian | pūles | ||
| "Pūles" comes from an old word for "to blow," as in the phrase "pūst pūli." In addition to "effort," it means "a bubble" in some dialects and regions, such as the Latgale dialect and certain areas of the Vidzeme region. | |||
| Lithuanian | pastangos | ||
| The word "pastangos" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pat-," meaning "to go, to travel." | |||
| Macedonian | напор | ||
| The word "напор" can also mean "pressure" or "force". | |||
| Polish | wysiłek | ||
| The Polish word "wysiłek" has the same root as the word "siła" (strength), suggesting that effort is rooted in strength of will. | |||
| Romanian | efort | ||
| The Romanian word "efort" has French origins and is related to "effort" in English. | |||
| Russian | усилие | ||
| The word "усилие" (effort) also implies 'strain' and 'tension' in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | напор | ||
| The Slavic word "напор" has the same origin as the Latin "in" and means "in + pressure". | |||
| Slovak | úsilie | ||
| The word 'úsilie' in Slovak can also mean 'desire' or 'intention'. | |||
| Slovenian | trud | ||
| The Slovenian word "trud" is also used to refer to a type of traditional dance and music. | |||
| Ukrainian | зусилля | ||
| The word 'зусилля' is derived from the Slavic root 'sil' meaning 'strength' and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱel- 'to turn, move'. | |||
Effort in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রচেষ্টা | ||
| The word প্রচেষ্টা comes from Sanskrit and shares the same root as the verb 'to strive'. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રયાસ | ||
| The Gujarati word "પ્રયાસ" can also refer to "attempt", "trial" or "endeavor" in English. | |||
| Hindi | प्रयास है | ||
| प्रयास है also means 'trying' or 'making an attempt' in English. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ | ||
| The word "ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ" (prayatna) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रयत्न" (prayatna), which originally meant "application of force" or "effort". | |||
| Malayalam | പരിശ്രമം | ||
| Marathi | प्रयत्न | ||
| The Marathi word "प्रयत्न" also conveys a sense of striving or undertaking, and can be used in contexts like "प्रयत्न करा" (make an attempt) or "यातनांचा प्रयत्न" (an attempt at torture). | |||
| Nepali | प्रयास | ||
| The word "प्रयास" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रयत्न", meaning "endeavor" or "exertion". It can also be used to refer to "an attempt" or "a trial". | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උත්සාහය | ||
| "Utsāhaya" also refers to "hard work" and "endeavor" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | முயற்சி | ||
| Telugu | ప్రయత్నం | ||
| The word "ప్రయత్నం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रयत्न" (prayatna), meaning "an attempt, endeavour, effort, or exertion". | |||
| Urdu | کوشش | ||
| {"text": "کوشش is an Urdu word derived from the Sanskrit word "कृषि" (kṛiṣi), meaning 'agriculture', 'cultivation', or 'exertion'"} | |||
Effort in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 努力 | ||
| 努力 also refers to the physical or mental stress put on one's body to achieve a set goal, an objective. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 努力 | ||
| 努力 (nǔlì) not only refers to the expenditure of effort, but also to an optimistic attitude towards completing a task. | |||
| Japanese | 努力 | ||
| 努力 (literally "to endeavor to gain strength") implies perseverance and self-improvement. | |||
| Korean | 노력 | ||
| The Korean word 노력 has Chinese roots: 蘭 ('row', 'field', 'labour') and 力 ('power', 'strength', 'effort'). | |||
| Mongolian | хүчин чармайлт | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အားထုတ်မှု | ||
Effort in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | upaya | ||
| "Upaya" also means "means" or "method" and comes from the Sanskrit word "upayah". | |||
| Javanese | gaweyan | ||
| The word 'gaweyan' can also mean 'job' or 'work'. | |||
| Khmer | ការខិតខំ | ||
| "ខិតខំ" also refers an agricultural technique consisting in plowing a rice paddy several time before cultivation. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມພະຍາຍາມ | ||
| Malay | usaha | ||
| The word 'usaha' derives from the Arabic word 'sa'i,' meaning 'work' or 'attempt,' and also denotes the pilgrimage to Mecca. | |||
| Thai | ความพยายาม | ||
| The Thai word "ความพยายาม" is also used to mean "attempt"} | |||
| Vietnamese | cố gắng | ||
| "Cố" and "gắng" were originally two separate nouns, meaning "plan" and "force", respectively. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsisikap | ||
Effort in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səy | ||
| "Səy" also means "to try" in Azerbaijani | |||
| Kazakh | күш | ||
| The Kazakh word “күш” also means “strength, power, energy, ability”. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аракет | ||
| The word "аракет" in Kyrgyz can also mean "work" or "action." | |||
| Tajik | саъй | ||
| The word "саъй" in Tajik is derived from the Arabic word "سعي" (saʿy), which means "endeavor" or "attempt". | |||
| Turkmen | tagallasy | ||
| Uzbek | harakat | ||
| In Uzbek, "harakat" also refers to the "Arabic alphabet" and "movement". | |||
| Uyghur | تىرىشچانلىق | ||
Effort in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hooikaika | ||
| The word "hooikaika" can also mean "diligence" or "industriousness". | |||
| Maori | kaha | ||
| The word “kaha” can also mean “strength, power, or authority” in Māori. | |||
| Samoan | taumafaiga | ||
| "Taumafaiga" can also mean "struggle," "endeavor," or "toil." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagsisikap | ||
| The Tagalog word 'pagsisikap' is derived from the root ' sikap' meaning 'to stand firm' or 'to endure'. | |||
Effort in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'amacht'asiña | ||
| Guarani | ñeha'ã | ||
Effort in International Languages
| Esperanto | penado | ||
| The Esperanto word "penado" is derived from the Latin word "poena," meaning "punishment" or "suffering." | |||
| Latin | conatus | ||
| In Spinoza's philosophy, conatus is the Latin equivalent of the Greek word "orexis" and refers to the essential drive or striving inherent in all things. | |||
Effort in Others Languages
| Greek | προσπάθεια | ||
| προσπάθεια was also used to mean "an attack by many" in classical Greek. | |||
| Hmong | kev rau siab | ||
| Kev rau siab can also mean "struggle" or "hardship". | |||
| Kurdish | berxwedanî | ||
| Berxwedanî in Kurdish literally means 'sweating' but is also used in a broader sense to describe all physical and mental efforts | |||
| Turkish | çaba | ||
| Despite its current meaning as "effort", "çaba" meant "strife" and "battle" in Old Turkic and was cognate with the Mongolian "tsab" and "tsava". | |||
| Xhosa | umgudu | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "umgudu" also refers to a physical struggle or battle. | |||
| Yiddish | מי | ||
| "מי" can also refer to one thousand. | |||
| Zulu | umzamo | ||
| The word "umzamo" can also refer to a person's determination or willpower. | |||
| Assamese | চেষ্টা | ||
| Aymara | ch'amacht'asiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कोशिश | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިތްވަރު | ||
| Dogri | जतन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagsisikap | ||
| Guarani | ñeha'ã | ||
| Ilocano | pigsa | ||
| Krio | tray tranga wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەوڵ | ||
| Maithili | प्रयास | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯣꯠꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tumna | ||
| Oromo | carraaqqii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରୟାସ | ||
| Quechua | kallpachakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रयासः | ||
| Tatar | тырышлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ፃዕሪ | ||
| Tsonga | matshalatshala | ||