Exactly in Different Languages
Discover 'Exactly' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'exactly' is a small word with a big impact. It is used to indicate precision, accuracy, and complete agreement. Exactness is a concept that is highly valued in many cultures, as it shows respect for truth, facts, and details. Understanding the word 'exactly' in different languages can help you communicate more effectively and build stronger connections with people around the world.
For example, in Spanish, 'exactamente' means 'exactly', and it is used to express agreement, confirm measurements, or emphasize a point. In French, 'exactement' also means 'exactly', and it is often used to convey precision or to answer a question in a way that leaves no room for doubt.
Knowing the translation of 'exactly' in different languages can also give you insight into the cultural values and communication styles of different countries. For example, in German, 'genau' means 'exactly', and it is used to emphasize precision and accuracy, reflecting the German reputation for efficiency and orderliness.
In this article, you will find the translations of 'exactly' in 20 different languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese. Whether you are a language learner, a traveler, or a cultural enthusiast, this list will help you appreciate the beauty and diversity of human language and culture.
Exactly
Exactly in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | presies | ||
| Afrikaans "presies" comes from French "précis" which means "accurate". In English it commonly refers to the precious stones used in jewellery, but can also mean a person's prized possession or something particularly dear to them. | |||
| Amharic | በትክክል | ||
| The word "በትክክል" can also mean "truthfully" or "correctly" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | daidai | ||
| Hausa 'daidai,' meaning 'exactly' or 'properly,' shares its etymology with 'gida,' 'food'. So an exact thing is 'foodish' in a sense. | |||
| Igbo | kpom kwem | ||
| "Kpom kwem" in Igbo can also mean "completely" or "thoroughly". | |||
| Malagasy | izay indrindra | ||
| Izay indrindra is an idiom that translates to "exactly", but can also mean "it's exactly" or "that's exactly". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ndendende | ||
| Ndenende can also mean "without doubt" | |||
| Shona | chaizvo | ||
| The word 'chaizvo' is derived from the Proto-Bantu root '-tsew-', meaning 'to be true'. | |||
| Somali | si sax ah | ||
| The word "si sax ah" can also be used to mean "just as it should be" or "precisely." | |||
| Sesotho | hantle feela | ||
| The phrase 'hantle feela' is made up of the Sesotho words 'hantle' (abundant) and 'feela' (many), and is often used colloquially to express the idea of 'precisely'. | |||
| Swahili | haswa | ||
| The word "haswa" in Swahili, in addition to meaning "exactly", can also refer to a kind of small boat. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokuchanekileyo | ||
| The word "ngokuchanekileyo" is often used as a reply to confirm, assert or deny something and derives from "ngoku" (now) and "chanekile" (it has happened). | |||
| Yoruba | gangan | ||
| In Yorùbá, "gangan" has alternate meanings including "certainly, by all means, and truly" | |||
| Zulu | ncamashi | ||
| The Zulu phrase "ncamashi" can also mean "indeed" in English. | |||
| Bambara | jaati | ||
| Ewe | tututu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | neza | ||
| Lingala | bongo mpenza | ||
| Luganda | kyeekyo | ||
| Sepedi | thwii | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pɛpɛɛpɛ | ||
Exactly in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بالضبط | ||
| The Arabic word "بالضبط" can also mean "on the dot" or "precisely". | |||
| Hebrew | בְּדִיוּק | ||
| Its root verb "בָּדֵק" refers to the checking of coins for their purity and genuineness, which is achieved by comparing them to a precisely weighed standard coin | |||
| Pashto | بالکل | ||
| The Pashto word "بالکل" also means "completely" or "thoroughly" in English. | |||
| Arabic | بالضبط | ||
| The Arabic word "بالضبط" can also mean "on the dot" or "precisely". | |||
Exactly in Western European Languages
| Albanian | saktësisht | ||
| The word "saktësisht" derives from the Albanian word "sakte", meaning "accurate" or "precise." | |||
| Basque | zehazki | ||
| Zehazki can also mean "specifically" or "precisely". | |||
| Catalan | exactament | ||
| Exactament ('exactly') was used in Catalan to mean 'straightly' (straight ahead) in the 16th century. | |||
| Croatian | točno | ||
| The word 'točno' also means 'precisely', 'on time', 'definitely' or 'punctually' in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | nemlig | ||
| Nemlig can also mean 'namely', a meaning it shares with some of the Indo-European cognates. | |||
| Dutch | precies | ||
| The word "precies" in Dutch is derived from the Old French word "precise", which means "accurate" or "clear". | |||
| English | exactly | ||
| Exactly derives from the Late Latin 'exacte' and was originally an adverb meaning 'in accordance with rule or custom'. | |||
| French | exactement | ||
| "Exactement" comes from the Latin "ex agere", meaning "to do out" or "to carry out", and also means "just" or "in the same way" in French. | |||
| Frisian | krekt | ||
| The Frisian word "krekt" is also used in Dutch with the same meaning and is related to the English word "correct". | |||
| Galician | exactamente | ||
| In Galician, "exactamente" also means "punctually" and "precisely". | |||
| German | genau | ||
| "Genau" can come from the Middle High German "ebenô" ("equal") or from the Old High German "gagen" ("against"). | |||
| Icelandic | nákvæmlega | ||
| The word "nákvæmlega" can also mean "precisely", "specifically", or "literally". | |||
| Irish | díreach | ||
| The word "díreach" in Irish holds a wealth of meanings, ranging from physical and metaphorical direction to uprightness and justice. | |||
| Italian | esattamente | ||
| The word "Esattamente" in Italian shares a common root with the English word "exacte", both deriving from the Latin "exactus" meaning "exact". | |||
| Luxembourgish | genau | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "gena" also means "to tease" or "to prank". | |||
| Maltese | eżattament | ||
| The Maltese word 'eżattament' is derived from the Italian word 'esattamente', which has the same meaning. | |||
| Norwegian | nøyaktig | ||
| The word "nøyaktig" in Norwegian comes from the Old Norse word "nøyaktigr," meaning "accurate" or "precise." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | exatamente | ||
| "Exatamente" is a synonym for "truly" or "indeed" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dìreach | ||
| The word "dìreach" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "straight" or "direct". | |||
| Spanish | exactamente | ||
| In Spanish, "exacto" derives from "exigere" in Latin, meaning to demand or require precision. | |||
| Swedish | exakt | ||
| The word 'exakt' is derived from the Latin word 'exactus', meaning 'accurate' or 'precise'. | |||
| Welsh | yn union | ||
| The word 'yn union' literally means 'in unity'. | |||
Exactly in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дакладна | ||
| The word "дакладна" is also used to refer to a written report or statement, especially in a formal or official context. | |||
| Bosnian | upravo | ||
| "Upravo" can also mean "in the direction of" as an extension of its comparative definition of "more". | |||
| Bulgarian | точно | ||
| The Bulgarian word "точно" can also mean "precisely", "certainly". or "for sure". | |||
| Czech | přesně tak | ||
| Přesně is also a Czech word for "exactly" and tak is "so, thus" and a filler word. | |||
| Estonian | täpselt | ||
| The word "täpselt" is derived from "täpp" (dot) and the suffix "-selt" (in a way), meaning "in a precise manner." | |||
| Finnish | tarkalleen | ||
| Tarkalleen is derived from the Finnish word 'tarkka' (accurate, precise), which in turn comes from the Germanic root 'tar' (to take). | |||
| Hungarian | pontosan | ||
| The word "pontosan" in Hungarian originally meant "from point to point" and is related to the word "pont" (point). | |||
| Latvian | precīzi | ||
| The word "precīzi" is derived from the Latin word "praecīsus," meaning "cut off" or "separated." | |||
| Lithuanian | tiksliai | ||
| The Lithuanian word "tiksliai" also has the connotation of "precisely" and "specifically". | |||
| Macedonian | точно | ||
| The word "точно" has other forms in Macedonian: "точа" which is a noun for a grindstone and "точат" which is a masculine noun for someone who sharpens cutting instruments. There is a form of the verb "точам" (точат, точеше, источил) in Macedonian that means "to sharpen a cutting instrument". That verb has a present tense form in Western Macedonian: "точа" which means "to pour (a liquid)" or "to flow". | |||
| Polish | dokładnie | ||
| The word "dokładnie" can also mean "thoroughly" or "completely". | |||
| Romanian | exact | ||
| In Romanian the word "exact" means both "accurate" as well as "demanding or harsh". | |||
| Russian | в яблочко | ||
| Its original meaning was "to hit the bullseye in archery", from the word "яблоко" (apple), which was the name of the central circle on an archery target. | |||
| Serbian | баш тако | ||
| The word "баш тако" also means "completely" or "thoroughly" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | presne tak | ||
| Presne tak's literal translation is 'closely thus', suggesting a close proximity or alignment. | |||
| Slovenian | natančno | ||
| The word “natančno” originally meant “to fix a date or a deadline for something” in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | точно | ||
| The Ukrainian word "точно" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *tokъ, meaning "so," "thus," or "the same." | |||
Exactly in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঠিক | ||
| The word "ঠিক" also means "correct" or "right". | |||
| Gujarati | બરાબર | ||
| The word "બરાબર" (barabar) in Gujarati can also mean "equal" or "fair". | |||
| Hindi | बिल्कुल सही | ||
| बिल्कुल सही is a compound word formed from "बिलकुल" and "सही", whose literal meanings are "completely" and "correct or right". | |||
| Kannada | ನಿಖರವಾಗಿ | ||
| In Kannada, "ನಿಖರವಾಗಿ" is also used to mean "accurately", "precisely", or "thoroughly". | |||
| Malayalam | കൃത്യമായി | ||
| The word 'കൃത്യമായി' in Malayalam derived from the Sanskrit word 'कृत्य' meaning 'duty' or 'task', and also carries the meaning of 'on time' or 'with precision'. | |||
| Marathi | नक्की | ||
| The word 'नक्की' is derived from the Prakrit word 'नक्ख' meaning 'fixed' or 'definite'. | |||
| Nepali | ठ्याक्कै | ||
| "ठ्याक्कै" is the Nepali word for "exactly" that originally meant "with full force", stemming from "ठैँच्न" (to stab), and was later extended to mean "in perfect agreement" due to its sound. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਿਲਕੁਲ | ||
| The word "ਬਿਲਕੁਲ" can also mean "all in all" or "altogether" in the sense of "completely" or "thoroughly". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හරියටම | ||
| The word 'හරියටම' in Sinhala (Sinhalese) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'हरित', meaning 'green' or 'fresh'. | |||
| Tamil | சரியாக | ||
| The word "சரியாக" can also mean "properly" or "in good order". | |||
| Telugu | ఖచ్చితంగా | ||
| "ఖచ్చితంగా" is thought to come from the Sanskrit "kakshita," which can also mean "firm" or "strong." | |||
| Urdu | بالکل | ||
| Urdu phrase ‘بالکل’ literally means 'the whole of' or 'complete' and can be used in a variety of contexts beyond its literal meaning. | |||
Exactly in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 究竟 | ||
| "究竟"在古代汉语中指“事情的终了”，后引申为“事情的实际结果或本末”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 究竟 | ||
| 究竟 can also mean 'finally' when used as an adverb. | |||
| Japanese | 丁度 | ||
| The kanji “丁” also appears in words like 丁稚 (“apprentice”) and 丁半 (“gambling game”), where it denotes a certain kind of order or rank. | |||
| Korean | 바로 그거죠 | ||
| "바로 그거죠" (literally "that right thing") is commonly used in Korean to express agreement or understanding. | |||
| Mongolian | яг | ||
| The Mongolian term "яг" can also refer to a "notch" or "hollow" in a surface. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အတိအကျ | ||
| 'အတိ' means 'very' and 'အကျ' means 'thorough' or 'in detail', so altogether it suggests the meaning of 'in great detail' or 'very precisely'. | |||
Exactly in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | persis | ||
| "Persis" can also mean "precisely" or "correctly" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | persis | ||
| Persis in Javanese can be a polite way to ask for forgiveness or to express deep regret. | |||
| Khmer | យ៉ាងពិតប្រាកដ | ||
| Lao | ຢ່າງແນ່ນອນ | ||
| No direct English translation, but it means “very definitely,” “exactly” or “surely”. | |||
| Malay | betul-betul | ||
| The word "betul-betul" is a reduplication of the Malay word "betul," which means "correct," "proper," or "true." | |||
| Thai | เป๊ะ | ||
| The word "เป๊ะ" is an onomatopoeia derived from the sound of a bell. | |||
| Vietnamese | chính xác | ||
| Chính xác is derived from the Chinese word 正确 (zhèngquè), meaning 'correct' or 'accurate'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | eksakto | ||
Exactly in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tam olaraq | ||
| "Tam" means "full" and "olarak" means "as" in Azerbaijani, so the literal translation of "tam olaraq" is something like "completely as". | |||
| Kazakh | дәл | ||
| "Дәл" is also used to mean "precisely" and as an adverb of affirmation (i.e., yes, that's right). | |||
| Kyrgyz | так | ||
| The word "так" can also mean "such" or "so". | |||
| Tajik | маҳз | ||
| The Tajik word "маҳз" (exactly) is derived from Old Persian, where it meant"pure, very, quite, merely." | |||
| Turkmen | takyk | ||
| Uzbek | aniq | ||
| The word "aniq" also means "specifically" and "clearly" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئېنىق | ||
Exactly in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kikoʻī | ||
| The word "kikoʻī" is also used in Hawaiian to refer to something that is "sharp" or "pointed". | |||
| Maori | tino | ||
| The word "tino" also translates to "precisely" and "truthfully" in Māori. | |||
| Samoan | saʻo | ||
| The word "saʻo" is also used to mean "right" or "correct" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | saktong | ||
| The root word "sakto" means "correct" or "accurate", while the suffix "-ng" denotes a state or condition, thus "saktong" means "in the correct state" or "precisely". | |||
Exactly in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukhampuni | ||
| Guarani | hesakuaitépe | ||
Exactly in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĝuste | ||
| "Ĝuste" in Esperanto is derived from French word "juste" which also has the meaning of "fair" or "right". | |||
| Latin | prorsus | ||
| "Prorsus" is the Latin equivalent of "completely" and "thoroughly." | |||
Exactly in Others Languages
| Greek | ακριβώς | ||
| The word 'ακριβώς' in Greek can also be used to mean 'thoroughly' or 'precisely'. | |||
| Hmong | raws nraim | ||
| "raws nraim" is a reduplicative word that emphasizes the notion of accuracy and precision. | |||
| Kurdish | tam | ||
| In Turkish, "tam" means "full" or "complete", while in Kurdish it means "exactly". | |||
| Turkish | kesinlikle | ||
| Kesinlikle is derived from the Arabic word qaṭʿan (قطعا), meaning 'definitely' or 'certainly'. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokuchanekileyo | ||
| The word "ngokuchanekileyo" is often used as a reply to confirm, assert or deny something and derives from "ngoku" (now) and "chanekile" (it has happened). | |||
| Yiddish | פּונקט | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "פּונקט" also means "dot" or "period", reflecting its role as a marking sign. | |||
| Zulu | ncamashi | ||
| The Zulu phrase "ncamashi" can also mean "indeed" in English. | |||
| Assamese | ঠিক সেইমতে | ||
| Aymara | ukhampuni | ||
| Bhojpuri | एकदम | ||
| Dhivehi | ކަނޑައެޅިގެން | ||
| Dogri | बिलकुल स्हेई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | eksakto | ||
| Guarani | hesakuaitépe | ||
| Ilocano | eksakto | ||
| Krio | jɔs lɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بە تەواوی | ||
| Maithili | एकदम ठीक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯞ ꯆꯥꯅ | ||
| Mizo | chiah | ||
| Oromo | sirriidhumatti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଠିକ୍ | ||
| Quechua | chiqallan | ||
| Sanskrit | यथातथम् | ||
| Tatar | төгәл | ||
| Tigrinya | ብልክዕ | ||
| Tsonga | kwatsa | ||