Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'dominate' holds a powerful connotation, signifying control, mastery, and influence over something or someone. Its significance extends beyond language, as it reflects a cultural preoccupation with power dynamics and success. Understanding its translation in different languages can offer valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and express the concept of dominance.
For instance, in Spanish, 'dominar' means to master or control, while in French, 'dominer' implies a sense of overwhelming power. In German, 'dominieren' suggests leading or prevailing over others. These subtle differences highlight the unique cultural perspectives associated with the word 'dominate'.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'dominate' in different languages can be useful in various contexts, such as business negotiations, international relations, or cross-cultural communication. It can also help language learners expand their vocabulary and deepen their cultural understanding.
In the following list, you'll find the translation of 'dominate' in over 20 languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese. Explore these translations to gain a new perspective on this powerful word and its cultural significance.
Afrikaans | oorheers | ||
The word "oorheers" is derived from the Dutch word "overheersen", meaning "to rule over" or "to oppress". | |||
Amharic | የበላይነት | ||
Amharic "የበላይነት" (dominate) is derived from "በላ" (eat), meaning "superiority gained by consuming". | |||
Hausa | mamaye | ||
The Hausa word "mamaye" also means "to overwhelm" or "to surpass". | |||
Igbo | na-achịkwa | ||
"Na-achịkwa" derives from "achị" (elder brother) and "kwa" (to do for someone), implying the dominance of an older sibling. | |||
Malagasy | hanjaka | ||
In Old Malagasy, the word "hanjaka" also denoted "to hold something in the hand." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulamulira | ||
The root word '-ula-' in '-kulamulira' can also mean 'be in a state of', making a possible interpretation of this word, 'be in a state of dominance' or 'be dominant'. | |||
Shona | kutonga | ||
"Kutonga" in Shona also refers to the act of ruling, controlling, or exerting power over something or someone. | |||
Somali | xukuma | ||
The Somali word "xukuma" (to dominate) is derived from the Arabic word "hukm" (to rule). | |||
Sesotho | laola | ||
The word 'laola' in Sesotho also refers to a type of traditional dance. | |||
Swahili | tawala | ||
The word 'tawala' in Swahili also has the alternate meaning of 'preside' or 'govern'. | |||
Xhosa | lawula | ||
In Xhosa, the word "lawula" has the additional meaning of "to be in a higher or better position". | |||
Yoruba | gaba lori | ||
"Gaba lori" literally translates to "be on top" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | busa | ||
"Busa" comes from the Proto-Bantu word "*busa" meaning "to be powerful, to rule". | |||
Bambara | ka fanga digi | ||
Ewe | ɖu dzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | biganje | ||
Lingala | kozala na bokonzi likoló na yango | ||
Luganda | okufuga | ||
Sepedi | laola | ||
Twi (Akan) | di tumi | ||
Arabic | تسيطر | ||
In English, "dominate" mainly refers to influence or power over others, whereas "تسيطر" also implies controlling something with mastery or expertise. | |||
Hebrew | לִשְׁלוֹט | ||
The word "לִשְׁלוֹט" in Hebrew can also mean "to govern" or "to rule". | |||
Pashto | غلبېدل | ||
This word is derived from the Arabic verb "galaba", meaning "to conquer" or "to prevail". | |||
Arabic | تسيطر | ||
In English, "dominate" mainly refers to influence or power over others, whereas "تسيطر" also implies controlling something with mastery or expertise. |
Albanian | dominojnë | ||
The word "dominojnë" in Albanian ultimately derives from Latin "dominus" (lord, master), and its root has cognates in many other Indo-European languages (e.g., English "dominion", French "dominer"). | |||
Basque | menderatu | ||
Menderatu comes from the Proto-Basque word "*menderati" meaning "power" or "authority." | |||
Catalan | dominar | ||
"Dominar" also means to master or be proficient in a subject or skill, but in this case without any negative connotations. | |||
Croatian | dominirati | ||
The verb 'dominirati' also has the alternate meaning 'to prevail' or 'to take precedence'. | |||
Danish | dominere | ||
Used in the phrase 'at dominere over' ('to dominate over') | |||
Dutch | domineren | ||
The alternate meaning of "domineren" in Dutch is to have a prominent position in an arrangement or structure. | |||
English | dominate | ||
The word 'dominate' stems from the Latin word 'dominus', meaning 'master' or 'lord'. | |||
French | dominer | ||
The French word "dominer" comes from the Latin word "dominari," meaning "to rule or control." | |||
Frisian | dominearje | ||
Dominearje (domination) is also used to describe the behavior of animals during mating season. | |||
Galician | dominar | ||
En gallego, "dominar" também pode significar "tocar um instrumento musical". | |||
German | dominieren | ||
The word "dominieren" can also mean "to prevail" or "to be prominent" in German. | |||
Icelandic | ráða | ||
In Icelandic, "ráða" can also mean "to advise" or "to consult". | |||
Irish | tionchar an-mhór a bheith agam | ||
This phrase uses the noun "tionchar" (influence) rather than the verb "tigh" (dominate) | |||
Italian | dominare | ||
''Dominare'' shares root meanings with ''domus'' (''home'') and ''dominus'' (''lord''). | |||
Luxembourgish | dominéieren | ||
Dominéieren derives from the French word "dominer" and shares its meaning of "to dominate". It can also mean "to be dominant" or "to have a commanding position" in Luxembourgish. | |||
Maltese | jiddominaw | ||
The word "jiddominaw" derives from the Arabic word "damana" meaning "to secure" or "to govern". | |||
Norwegian | dominere | ||
"Dominere" in Norwegian can mean to "control" or "have power over" something. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dominar | ||
In Portuguese, "dominar" also means "to master a language" and "to get the hang of something". | |||
Scots Gaelic | làmh an uachdair | ||
Spanish | dominar | ||
In medieval Latin, «dominar» meant 'to tame, break in, get accustomed to'. By the 15th century, it had evolved to mean 'to subdue, master'. | |||
Swedish | dominera | ||
The word "dominera" in Swedish also means "to control" or "to rule". | |||
Welsh | dominyddu | ||
The word "dominyddu" also means "to rule" or "to govern" in Welsh. |
Belarusian | дамінаваць | ||
The Belarusian word "дамінаваць" ultimately originated from Latin "dominus" which means 'master'. | |||
Bosnian | dominirati | ||
The word "dominirati" is derived from the Latin word "dominus", meaning "master" or "lord". | |||
Bulgarian | упражнявам контрол | ||
In Bulgarian, "упражнявам контрол" also means "to exercise control". | |||
Czech | ovládat | ||
Ovládat also means 'to control' or 'to master' in Czech. | |||
Estonian | domineerima | ||
Domineerija is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning lord or master. | |||
Finnish | hallitsevat | ||
In addition to 'dominate', the Finnish word 'hallitsevat' can refer to the act of ruling or governing a country or organization. | |||
Hungarian | uralják | ||
The word "uralják" also has the meaning of "to rule over" in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | dominēt | ||
The word "dominēt" in Latvian is also used to describe a situation where one person has a lot of power or influence over another person. | |||
Lithuanian | dominuoti | ||
The verb "dominuoti" comes from the Latin word "dominari", originally meaning "to be master of a house" or "to rule". | |||
Macedonian | доминираат | ||
The word "доминираат" is derived from the Latin word "dominari", meaning "to rule" or "to have power over". | |||
Polish | zdominować | ||
The word "zdominować" in Polish also means "to dominate someone's or something's place". | |||
Romanian | domina | ||
In Romanian, the word "domina" can also mean "lady" or "mistress". | |||
Russian | доминировать | ||
"Доминик" - это католик-монах из ордена Доминикан, "домики" на среднерусской равнина, и "доминиканы", то есть шахматное поле из двухцветных квадратиков. | |||
Serbian | доминирати | ||
The verb "доминирати" is derived from the Latin word "dominus", meaning "lord" or "master", and also shares the same root with the English word "dominate". | |||
Slovak | dominovať | ||
The word "dominovať" comes from the Latin word "dominus", meaning "master" or "lord". | |||
Slovenian | prevladujejo | ||
The verb 'prevladujejo' in Slovenian derives from the Latin word 'praevalere', meaning 'to be superior in strength or influence'. | |||
Ukrainian | домінувати | ||
Ukrainian word "домінувати" comes from Latin "dominari" which means "to be master of, to rule". |
Bengali | আয়ত্ত করা | ||
The word "আয়ত্ত করা" ("dominate") comes from the Sanskrit word "अवतरण" ("descent") and originally meant "to bring under control" or "to subdue". It can also mean "to acquire", "to achieve", or "to learn". | |||
Gujarati | વર્ચસ્વ | ||
Hindi | हावी | ||
हावी का मूल लैटिन शब्द "dominus" से है, जिसका अर्थ "स्वामी" या "धनी" है। | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರಾಬಲ್ಯ | ||
The word "ಪ್ರಾಬಲ್ಯ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्राबल्य" and ultimately from the root "बल" (power). | |||
Malayalam | ആധിപത്യം സ്ഥാപിക്കുക | ||
Marathi | वर्चस्व | ||
Nepali | हावी | ||
The word "हावी" also means "to overpower" or "to overwhelm" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਹਾਵੀ | ||
The word "ਹਾਵੀ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "हावी", meaning "to control" or "to rule". It can also refer to a sense of dominance or superiority. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආධිපත්යය දරන්න | ||
Tamil | ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்துங்கள் | ||
Telugu | ఆధిపత్యం | ||
The word ఆధిపత్యం ('dominate') also means 'ownership', 'control' or 'authority' in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | غلبہ | ||
غلبہ is also used in Urdu to refer to a type of musical instrument that resembles a flute. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 支配 | ||
支配 is also used to indicate being subject to a person or thing, or to exercise influence over someone or something. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 支配 | ||
The word "支配"'s alternate meaning in Chinese is "to be influenced by" which comes from the Buddhist concept of a sentient being being swayed by karma. | |||
Japanese | 支配する | ||
The word "支配する" also means "to govern" or "to control" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 억누르다 | ||
The word "억누르다" can also mean "to suppress, restrain, or curb". | |||
Mongolian | давамгайлах | ||
Davangailak' derives from the root 'davahgan,' 'to strive,' suggesting a struggle for supremacy. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လွှမ်းမိုး | ||
Indonesian | mendominasi | ||
"Mendominasi" is also used to describe the relationship between a master of ceremonies and their audience. | |||
Javanese | dominasi | ||
The Javanese word "dominasi" also means "control" in an informal context. | |||
Khmer | ត្រួតត្រា | ||
Lao | ຄອບ ງຳ | ||
"ຄອບ ງຳ" can also mean "to have control over" or "to be victorious over". | |||
Malay | menguasai | ||
The word "menguasai" is derived from the Malay word "kuasa", which means "power" or "control." | |||
Thai | ครอง | ||
"ครอง" also means "to have" or "to possess" (e.g. "ครองใจ" "to possess one's heart") | |||
Vietnamese | thống trị | ||
The word "thống trị" is derived from the Chinese characters "統治", meaning "rule" or "governance."} | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mangibabaw | ||
Azerbaijani | hakim olmaq | ||
The word "hakim olmaq" in Azerbaijani also means "to govern" or "to rule". | |||
Kazakh | басым | ||
The word "басым" in Kazakh also means "to be heavy" or "to be burdensome". | |||
Kyrgyz | үстөмдүк кылуу | ||
The word "үстөмдүк кылуу" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Turkic root "üstümdük", meaning "upper, higher, superior". It also has connotations of control, power, and authority. | |||
Tajik | ҳукмфармост | ||
The word "ҳукмфармост" is derived from the Persian word "حکم الفرما" which means "to pronounce a ruling or command". | |||
Turkmen | agdyklyk edýär | ||
Uzbek | hukmronlik qilish | ||
The Uzbek word "hukmronlik qilish" may also refer to ruling or controlling something. | |||
Uyghur | ھۆكۈمرانلىق قىلىدۇ | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻomalu | ||
Hoʻomalu can also mean to protect, shelter, or to make safe, hinting at a protective or safeguarding aspect of authority | |||
Maori | rangatira | ||
The word "rangatira" means "chief" or "leader" in Māori and comes from the Proto-Polynesian word "*laŋatira" meaning "chieftain". | |||
Samoan | pule | ||
The Samoan word “pule” means “dominate” and is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word “pule”, which means “to lead, to rule”. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | mangibabaw | ||
Mangibabaw is derived from the root word "babaw" which means "top" or "surface". |
Aymara | dominar sañ muni | ||
Guarani | odominai | ||
Esperanto | regi | ||
The Esperanto word "regi" originates from the Latin word "regere," meaning "to rule" or "to govern." | |||
Latin | dominantur | ||
The word "dominantur" in Latin can also mean "to rule" or "to have power or control over." |
Greek | κατακυριεύω | ||
The word "κατακυριεύω" is derived from the Greek words "κατά" (down) and "κύριος" (lord), and can also mean "to seize" or "to take possession of". | |||
Hmong | tus thawj | ||
Tus thawj in Hmong refers to a person who is powerful, influential, or has a high social status. | |||
Kurdish | hûkûmkirin | ||
"Hûkûmkirin" is derived from "hûkûm", meaning law or rule, but also refers to a form of traditional governance in the region. | |||
Turkish | hakim olmak | ||
Hakim olmak (dominate) is a Turkish phrase derived from the Arabic word hakim (ruler) | |||
Xhosa | lawula | ||
In Xhosa, the word "lawula" has the additional meaning of "to be in a higher or better position". | |||
Yiddish | באַהערשן | ||
The Yiddish word "באַהערשן" also means "to master" or "to control". | |||
Zulu | busa | ||
"Busa" comes from the Proto-Bantu word "*busa" meaning "to be powerful, to rule". | |||
Assamese | আধিপত্য বিস্তাৰ কৰা | ||
Aymara | dominar sañ muni | ||
Bhojpuri | हावी होखे के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ޑޮމިނޭޓް ކުރުން | ||
Dogri | हावी होना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mangibabaw | ||
Guarani | odominai | ||
Ilocano | dominaran | ||
Krio | dominate | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | زاڵ بن | ||
Maithili | हावी रहब | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯣꯃꯤꯅꯦꯠ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | thunun (dominate) a ni | ||
Oromo | ol’aantummaa qabaachuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାଧାନ୍ୟ ଦିଅନ୍ତୁ | | ||
Quechua | dominar | ||
Sanskrit | आधिपत्यं कुर्वन्ति | ||
Tatar | өстенлек итә | ||
Tigrinya | ዕብለላ ይገብሩ | ||
Tsonga | ku lawula | ||