Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'engage' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting involvement, participation, and connection. Its cultural importance is evident in various aspects of society, from literature and art to business and education. To 'engage' is to participate actively, to be involved, and to create meaningful connections with people, ideas, and the world around us.
Delving into the word's historical context, 'engage' originates from the Old French word 'engagier', meaning 'to pledge' or 'to promise'. This rich background highlights the word's weight, emphasizing the importance of commitment and follow-through in our interactions.
Understanding the translation of 'engage' in different languages can broaden our cultural awareness and strengthen our communication skills. For instance, in Spanish, 'engage' becomes 'engranar', while in German, it's 'sich einbringen'. In French, the word remains similar, 's'engager'.
Explore the many faces of 'engage' and enrich your linguistic repertoire. Discover how this simple word can create profound impacts on relationships and interactions in various cultural contexts.
Afrikaans | betrek | ||
The Afrikaans word "betrek" is derived from the Dutch "betrekken", meaning "to involve" or "to concern oneself with". | |||
Amharic | መሳተፍ | ||
The word "መሳተፍ" can also mean "to interfere" or "to meddle" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | shiga | ||
Shiga, also meaning "to hold" and "to take or seize forcefully", derives from the Proto-Chadic root "*tʃi-" (to take). | |||
Igbo | itinye aka | ||
The Igbo word "itinye aka" means "to engage someone in a task" but also literally means "to put hands into". | |||
Malagasy | anjara | ||
The Malagasy word "anjara" comes from the Proto-Austronesian root *aŋuR "to carry, to take along, to bring". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuchita | ||
The word "kuchita" in Nyanja also means "to do" or "to make." | |||
Shona | ita | ||
The word "ita" in Shona can also mean to work on something, to be involved in an activity, or to be in a relationship with someone. | |||
Somali | ku hawlan | ||
The word "ku hawlan" in Somali shares its root with the Arabic word for "circle" and can also mean to "circumscribe" or "limit". | |||
Sesotho | kopanela | ||
According to the Sesotho etymology lexicon, the word "kopanela" comes from "kopana" meaning "to join". | |||
Swahili | jihusishe | ||
The word "jihusishe" in Swahili can also mean "to participate" or "to take part in". | |||
Xhosa | zibandakanye | ||
The word "zibandakanye" is closely related to the noun "ibandla", meaning "congregation" or "assembly". | |||
Yoruba | olukoni | ||
Olu means "to do" and koni means "to take" or "to hold", hence the word "olukoni" carries the connotation of "to take hold of" or "to undertake" | |||
Zulu | zibandakanye | ||
The Zulu word 'zibandakanye' also has the meanings 'to come close', 'to join', and 'to unite'. | |||
Bambara | ka ŋaniyata | ||
Ewe | de dɔ asi na | ||
Kinyarwanda | gusezerana | ||
Lingala | komipesa | ||
Luganda | okwogereza | ||
Sepedi | beeletša | ||
Twi (Akan) | hunu no | ||
Arabic | يشترك - ينخرط | ||
In the context of war, the term “engage” goes back to 1680-90 and refers to “binding with a pledge.” | |||
Hebrew | לחתור למגע | ||
The Hebrew verb לחתור למגע (lechatorem lema'ga) literally means "to seek contact," but it is also used figuratively to mean "to engage with someone" or "to get involved in something." | |||
Pashto | بوختیا | ||
The word "بوختیا" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "بوختن" (bokhtan), and also means "to sow" or "to plant". | |||
Arabic | يشترك - ينخرط | ||
In the context of war, the term “engage” goes back to 1680-90 and refers to “binding with a pledge.” |
Albanian | angazhohem | ||
The word "angazhohem" in Albanian derives from the French "engager", which can also mean "to promise", "to bind" or "to oblige". | |||
Basque | ihardun | ||
"Ihardun" comes from the Latin "arduus", meaning "difficult" or "strenuous", but it is also associated with "strength" or "firmness". | |||
Catalan | participar | ||
"Participar" comes from Latin "participare" and shares its root with "participation". | |||
Croatian | angažirati | ||
In French, "engagement" originally meant "military service commitment". | |||
Danish | engagere sig | ||
"Engagere sig" is an active voice, transitive verb form of the noun "engagement", and its roots go back to the Latin root of "pact"} | |||
Dutch | bezighouden | ||
The word "bezighouden" in Dutch has an alternate meaning of "to keep busy or occupied". | |||
English | engage | ||
"Engage" originates from the Old French word "engager," meaning to pledge or bind oneself. | |||
French | engager | ||
Engager derives from the Latin 'impignerare', meaning to pawn or pledge. | |||
Frisian | yngean | ||
The Frisian word 'yngean' is a cognate of the English word 'join', and can also mean 'to add' or 'to attach'. | |||
Galician | engancharse | ||
The Galician word "engancharse" can also mean "to become addicted" or "to get involved in something". | |||
German | engagieren | ||
The German word 'engagieren' also has the meanings 'to hire' and 'to enlist'. | |||
Icelandic | taka þátt | ||
The Icelandic word 'taka þátt' derives from Old Norse and can also mean 'to participate' or 'to take part'. | |||
Irish | gabháil | ||
The Irish word "gabháil" can also mean "holding", "taking", or "receiving". | |||
Italian | impegnarsi | ||
The word “impegnarsi” can also mean "to get oneself into a serious situation" or "to take on a difficult task." | |||
Luxembourgish | engagéieren | ||
Maltese | tidħol | ||
The verb "tidħol" is also used metaphorically in Maltese, meaning to be involved or participate in something. | |||
Norwegian | engasjere | ||
The Norwegian word 'engasjere' comes from the French word 'engager', which also means 'to enlist' or 'to hire'. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | se empenhar | ||
In addition to "engage", "se empenhar" can also mean "to strive" or "to make an effort". | |||
Scots Gaelic | ceangal | ||
The word "ceangal" carries multiple meanings in Scots Gaelic including "binding" and "connecting". | |||
Spanish | contratar | ||
Contratar in Spanish does not strictly mean engage, however, it can mean hire. | |||
Swedish | förlova sig | ||
The verb 'förlova sig' ('to engage') originates from the Old Swedish word 'fæstna', which also meant 'bind'. | |||
Welsh | ymgysylltu | ||
"Ymgyssylltu" derives from "ym" (around/together) + "cysylltu" (to link/connect), meaning "to come together/connect." |
Belarusian | займацца | ||
"Займацца" (engage) means "to do something" and comes from the word "займаць" (to occupy). | |||
Bosnian | angažirati | ||
The word 'angažirati' in Bosnian is derived from the French 'engager', meaning 'to bind', 'to pledge', or 'to employ'. | |||
Bulgarian | ангажирайте | ||
In Bulgarian, the word "ангажирайте" ('engage') also means to 'commit' or 'reserve'. | |||
Czech | zapojit | ||
The word "zapojit" in Czech comes from the Old Slavic word "spojiti", which means "to connect" or "to unite". | |||
Estonian | tegelema | ||
The word "tegelema" in Estonian also means "to deal with, to handle, to be busy with, to do, to work on" | |||
Finnish | sitoutua | ||
The word "sitoutua" comes from the verb "sitoutua", meaning "to commit to something". It can also mean "to engage in something" or "to take part in something". | |||
Hungarian | bekapcsolódni | ||
The word "bekapcsolódni" in Hungarian literally means "to switch on" or "to get connected". | |||
Latvian | iesaistīties | ||
The word "iesaistīties" has a second, more colloquial meaning "to get stuck" which is derived from the word "stick" (in Latvian: "kūlis") | |||
Lithuanian | užsiimti | ||
Lithuanian "užsiimti" ultimately derives from "siūti," meaning "sew" or "thread together," likely referring to the idea of engaging with a task by mentally "threading together" thoughts and actions. | |||
Macedonian | ангажира | ||
The word "ангажира" in Macedonian can also mean "involve" or "implicate". | |||
Polish | angażować | ||
The word "angażować" in Polish is derived from the French word "engager," meaning "to bind or tie." | |||
Romanian | angajează | ||
The Romanian word "angajează" can also mean "to recruit" or "to hire". | |||
Russian | заниматься | ||
The Russian word "заниматься" has an additional meaning: to attend a class or lecture. | |||
Serbian | ангажовати | ||
"Ангажовати" comes from the French word "engager," and can also refer to booking an artist or entertainer. | |||
Slovak | zapojiť | ||
The word "zapojiť" in Slovak can also mean "to connect" or "to include". | |||
Slovenian | vključiti | ||
"Vključiti" comes from the Slavic verb "vlěčiti" and has an alternative meaning of "to drag". | |||
Ukrainian | займатися | ||
The Ukrainian word "займатися" also means "to study" and "to take care of something or someone." |
Bengali | নিযুক্ত করা | ||
নিযুক্ত করা (engage) comes from the Old French word 'engagier,' which means 'to pledge' or 'to give security'. | |||
Gujarati | રોકાયેલા | ||
The word "રોકાયેલા" also means "stuck" or "engaged" in a particular position or situation. | |||
Hindi | संलग्न | ||
The word "संलग्न" is also used to describe when two sides meet in battle: "संलग्न" (verb) means to attach or connect something to something else. It can also mean to participate in something or become involved in it, or to promise to do something. | |||
Kannada | ತೊಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ | ||
In 14th century English, 'engage' meant 'to promise something in the form of a pledge'. | |||
Malayalam | ഇടപഴകുക | ||
In Malayalam, "interfering" is also one of the meanings of "ഇടപഴകുക" in addition to "engaging". | |||
Marathi | व्यस्त रहा | ||
The Marathi word व्यस्त रहा can also mean "busy" or "occupied". | |||
Nepali | संलग्न | ||
"संलग्न" can also mean `attached` in Nepali | |||
Punjabi | ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰੋ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිරත වන්න | ||
The Sinhala word "නිරත වන්න" originally meant "to be intent on or engrossed in" something. | |||
Tamil | ஈடுபடுங்கள் | ||
Telugu | నిమగ్నమవ్వండి | ||
Nimmagnamavvaddi shares its root word with | |||
Urdu | مشغول | ||
The Urdu word مشغول (mashġūl) originates from the Arabic word 'shaghala' meaning 'to occupy'. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 从事 | ||
从事 can either mean 'do, deal with, carry out' as a verb or 'engage in, be taken up with, concentrate on; go into' as a noun. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 從事 | ||
從事 is cognate with 從而,which can mean "thereupon" or "consequently." | |||
Japanese | 従事する | ||
Originally from the Kanji "事" and "従", meaning to "follow" and "affair". | |||
Korean | 끌다 | ||
While its meaning is usually 'engage,' 끌다 can also mean 'pull,' 'draw,' 'hold,' or 'lead.' | |||
Mongolian | эрхлэх | ||
In Mongolian, “эрхлэх” also means to do something for a living, to work in a certain field, or to be occupied with something. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိတွေ့ဆက်ဆံပါ | ||
Indonesian | mengikutsertakan | ||
The word "mengikutsertakan" is derived from the root word "ikut", which means "to follow", and the suffix "sertakan", which means "to include". | |||
Javanese | melu | ||
"Melu" also carries the meaning of to accompany (someone to go somewhere), which is similar to its usage in Malay." | |||
Khmer | ចូលរួម | ||
The Khmer word "ចូលរួម" can also mean "to participate" or "to get involved". | |||
Lao | ມີສ່ວນຮ່ວມ | ||
Malay | bertunang | ||
The word "bertunang" in Malay can also mean to "promise" or "make a vow". | |||
Thai | มีส่วนร่วม | ||
The word "มีส่วนร่วม" can also mean "take part in, participate" and "involve, include". | |||
Vietnamese | thuê | ||
"Thuê" also means "rent" and comes from the Old Chinese word "du" meaning "to hire, to lease, to borrow". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | makisali | ||
Azerbaijani | məşğul | ||
The word məşğul is derived from the Arabic word 'shughl' (occupation), which itself comes from the root word 'shagala' (to make busy). | |||
Kazakh | тарту | ||
The Kazakh word "тарту" can also mean "to take" or "to gather." | |||
Kyrgyz | тартуу | ||
The word "тартуу" can also mean "to pull". | |||
Tajik | машғул шудан | ||
The word "машғул шудан" in Tajik comes from the Arabic word "mashghūl", meaning "busy" or "occupied". | |||
Turkmen | gatnaşmak | ||
Uzbek | shug'ullanmoq | ||
The word "shug'ullanmoq" can also mean "to be busy with something" or "to be occupied with something". | |||
Uyghur | قاتنىشىش | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻokomo | ||
The word "hoʻokomo" derives from the verb base "komo" ("to enter") and the causative prefix "hoʻo-", implying "causing to enter" or "inviting". | |||
Maori | uru atu | ||
The word "uru atu" can also mean "to stir" or "to mix" in Maori. | |||
Samoan | auai | ||
The word "auai" also means a bond or agreement that involves mutual obligations. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | makisali | ||
"Makisali" can also mean "to become involved in" or "to take part in". |
Aymara | phuqhaw saña | ||
Guarani | ñe'ẽme'ẽtee | ||
Esperanto | okupiĝi | ||
The Esperanto word "okupiĝi" also has the meaning of "to concern oneself with". | |||
Latin | proelium | ||
Proelium, meaning "battle" in Latin, also carries the connotation of a fierce or violent confrontation. |
Greek | αρραβωνιάζω | ||
"αρραβωνιάζω" comes from the Greek verb "αρράζω" (to fix or fasten), alluding to the binding commitment between individuals. | |||
Hmong | sib tham | ||
The word "sib tham" can also mean "to promise" or "to vow" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | mijûl kirin | ||
The word "mijûl kirin" in Kurdish, meaning "engage", derives from the Persian word "mijanol", meaning "middle" or "interval". | |||
Turkish | tut | ||
"Tutmak" kelimesi Eski Türkçe'de "tutmak, kavramak" anlamına geliyordu. | |||
Xhosa | zibandakanye | ||
The word "zibandakanye" is closely related to the noun "ibandla", meaning "congregation" or "assembly". | |||
Yiddish | דינגען | ||
The Yiddish word "דינגען" can also mean "to hire" or "to rent". | |||
Zulu | zibandakanye | ||
The Zulu word 'zibandakanye' also has the meanings 'to come close', 'to join', and 'to unite'. | |||
Assamese | ব্যস্ত থকা | ||
Aymara | phuqhaw saña | ||
Bhojpuri | काम पर लगावल | ||
Dhivehi | އެންގޭޖް | ||
Dogri | मसरूफ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | makisali | ||
Guarani | ñe'ẽme'ẽtee | ||
Ilocano | tamingen | ||
Krio | aks fɔ mared | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەشداری کردن | ||
Maithili | व्यस्त रहनाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯁꯤꯟꯅꯕ | ||
Mizo | inhual | ||
Oromo | naqachuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଜଡିତ | ||
Quechua | sullullchay | ||
Sanskrit | प्रसजति | ||
Tatar | катнашу | ||
Tigrinya | ምስታፍ | ||
Tsonga | nghenelela | ||