Expectation in Different Languages
Discover 'Expectation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Expectation is a powerful word that shapes our outlook on life, influencing our decisions and interactions. It is a concept deeply embedded in various cultures, often reflected in proverbs and idioms that convey the idea of anticipation or preset standards. Understanding the translation of expectation in different languages not only broadens our linguistic abilities but also offers a window into diverse cultural perspectives.
For instance, the German word Erwartung captures the thrill of anticipation, while the French word attente highlights the passive nature of waiting. Meanwhile, the Chinese character for expectation, 期望, consists of two parts: 期 (waiting for) and 望 (looking at), symbolizing the act of looking forward to something while waiting for it.
Delving into the translations of expectation in different languages unveils a rich tapestry of cultural nuances and historical contexts. Keep reading to explore more translations and deepen your appreciation for the global impact of this significant term.
Expectation
Expectation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verwagting | ||
| The Afrikaans word "verwagting" also connotes a sense of anticipation and eagerness. | |||
| Amharic | መጠበቅ | ||
| The Amharic word "መጠበቅ" ("expectation") also means "to wait or expect" and comes from the root word "ጠበቀ" ("to guard") indicating the connection between expectation and anticipation. | |||
| Hausa | fata | ||
| In the Hausa language the word "fata" is closely related to the concept of "hope", "trust", and even "vow". | |||
| Igbo | atụmanya | ||
| The Igbo word “atụmanya” can also refer to "an imaginary or ideal representation of a thing." | |||
| Malagasy | fanantenana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fanantenana" also means "hope" or "confidence". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyembekezera | ||
| Kuyembekezera derives from the word 'kuyembekeza' which can mean either 'to wait' or 'to expect'. | |||
| Shona | kutarisira | ||
| It derives from the verb 'kutarisisa', meaning 'to look forward to or anticipate something. | |||
| Somali | filasho | ||
| The Somali word "filasho" originates from the root word "fal" meaning "to wait" and is closely related to the Amharic word "filas" meaning "hope or trust"} | |||
| Sesotho | tebello | ||
| Tebello also means 'to think', 'to guess', or 'to predict'. | |||
| Swahili | matarajio | ||
| The word 'matarajio' is derived from the Arabic word 'taraaja', which means 'to ascend' or 'to climb', and is associated with the concept of anticipation or looking forward. | |||
| Xhosa | ulindelo | ||
| "Ulindlelo" also means "a period of time" or "a season of waiting". | |||
| Yoruba | ireti | ||
| Ìrèti can also refer to a gift, blessing, or good fortune. | |||
| Zulu | ukulindela | ||
| The word 'ukulindela' in Zulu can also refer to 'waiting for something to happen', 'anticipating', or 'looking forward to something'. | |||
| Bambara | jigiya | ||
| Ewe | mɔkpɔkpɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibiteganijwe | ||
| Lingala | kozela | ||
| Luganda | okusuubira | ||
| Sepedi | tebelelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akwanhwɛ | ||
Expectation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | توقع | ||
| The word "توقع" also means "to believe" or "to suppose" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | תוֹחֶלֶת | ||
| The word "תוֹחֶלֶת" is also used in the sense of "hope" or "expectation of future benefit." | |||
| Pashto | تمه | ||
| "تمه" in Pashto can also refer to a hope or a desire. | |||
| Arabic | توقع | ||
| The word "توقع" also means "to believe" or "to suppose" in Arabic. | |||
Expectation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pritje | ||
| The word "pritje" in Albanian can also refer to a "request" or "demand". | |||
| Basque | itxaropena | ||
| The word "itxaropena" (expectation) is derived from the verb "itxaron" (to wait) and the suffix "-pena" (state or condition). | |||
| Catalan | expectativa | ||
| The word "expectativa" in Catalan holds additional meanings of "longing" or "anxiety". | |||
| Croatian | očekivanje | ||
| The Croatian word 'očekivanje' also means 'suspense' or 'anticipation', derived from the Proto-Slavic root *čiti, meaning 'to wait'. | |||
| Danish | forventning | ||
| It is a cognate of the English word 'forewarning' and has the same meaning of 'warning beforehand'. | |||
| Dutch | verwachting | ||
| The alternate meaning of "verwachting" is "pregnancy". | |||
| English | expectation | ||
| The word "expectation" comes from the Latin verb "exspectare," meaning "to look out for" or "to await." | |||
| French | attente | ||
| "Attente" derives from the Latin "ad-tendere" (to stretch toward) and also refers to a waiting room in a railway station. | |||
| Frisian | ferwachting | ||
| The word 'ferwachting' in Frisian can also refer to 'prospect' or 'hope'. | |||
| Galician | expectativa | ||
| In Galician, "expectativa" also means "experience". | |||
| German | erwartung | ||
| The word "Erwartung" in German derives from the Old High German "erwarten", which means "to look forward to" or "to await". | |||
| Icelandic | eftirvænting | ||
| The word eftirvænting is derived from the Old Norse word eptirventing, which meant 'hope' or 'trust'. | |||
| Irish | ag súil | ||
| "Ag súil" literally means "in the eye" and originally meant "in the presence of". | |||
| Italian | aspettativa | ||
| The word "aspettativa" derives from the Latin "aspectare," meaning "to look forward" or "to wait for." | |||
| Luxembourgish | erwaardung | ||
| Erwaarden is derived from Old French and means “to hope for, await, look out for” or "to await, expect." | |||
| Maltese | aspettattiva | ||
| The Maltese word "aspettattiva" comes from the Italian word of the same origin and has the same meaning of "expectation" in English. | |||
| Norwegian | forventning | ||
| Det norske ordet "forventning" kommer fra det norrøne ordet "forventera", som betyr "å vente på". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | expectativa | ||
| The Portuguese word "expectativa" is derived from the Latin word "expectare," meaning "to await" or "to wait for." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dùil | ||
| The word "dùil" in Scots Gaelic also means "aim, object, purpose, intention, or design". | |||
| Spanish | expectativa | ||
| The Spanish word "expectativa" is derived from the Latin word "exspecto", which means "to look out" or "to wait for". | |||
| Swedish | förväntan | ||
| In Swedish, "förväntan" can also refer to an anticipated event, such as a party or meeting. | |||
| Welsh | disgwyliad | ||
| Derived from 'gwylio' to look, watch or see and the prefix 'dis-' meaning opposite. | |||
Expectation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чаканне | ||
| The word "чаканне" can also refer to waiting or anticipation in many contexts. | |||
| Bosnian | očekivanje | ||
| The word "očekivanje" also means "anticipation" and "prospect" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | очакване | ||
| The term 'очакване' in Bulgarian comes from the old church noun 'очание', which meant 'to wait in expectation' or 'to hope'. Hence, 'очакване' implies an active mental or emotional state, rather than the passive notion of expectation in English. | |||
| Czech | očekávání | ||
| The word "očekávání" comes from the combination of the Slavic root "čekati" (to wait) and the prefix "o-", indicating expectation or anticipation. | |||
| Estonian | ootus | ||
| Although the Estonian word "ootus" mainly means "expectation", it can also be used to refer to a "wait" or "pause". | |||
| Finnish | odotus | ||
| The word "odotus" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂wet- meaning "to wait". | |||
| Hungarian | elvárás | ||
| Originally meant "waiting, vigilance" (15th century), now also "requirement, demand" (19th century). | |||
| Latvian | cerības | ||
| The word "cerības" in Latvian also has the meaning of "hope". | |||
| Lithuanian | lūkesčiai | ||
| The Lithuanian word "lūkesčiai" is similar to the Latvian "lūgšana" meaning "prayer" or "petition." | |||
| Macedonian | очекување | ||
| The Macedonian word "очекување" is derived from the Slavic root "chekati", meaning "to wait" or "to anticipate". | |||
| Polish | oczekiwanie | ||
| The word "oczekiwanie" can also refer to a type of plant that bears fruit in the autumn. | |||
| Romanian | așteptare | ||
| "Așteptare" is also a Romanian word meaning "waiting", derived from the verb "aștepta" meaning "to wait". | |||
| Russian | ожидание | ||
| The word "ожидание" can also refer to the process of waiting or the object that is being waited for. | |||
| Serbian | очекивање | ||
| The Serbian word "очекивање" can also mean "waiting" or "anticipation" | |||
| Slovak | očakávanie | ||
| Očakávanie is derived from the Proto-Slavic *čakati "to wait," and shares this root with the Czech "čekání" and Polish "oczekiwanie." | |||
| Slovenian | pričakovanje | ||
| The word 'pričakovanje' is derived from the verb 'čakati' ('to wait'), and it can also mean 'anticipation' or 'hope'. | |||
| Ukrainian | очікування | ||
| The word 'очікування' ('expectation') in Ukrainian is derived from the verb 'очікувати' ('to expect') and shares the root '-очі-' with words meaning 'eyes' and 'watching'. | |||
Expectation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রত্যাশা | ||
| The word "প্রত্যাশা" can also mean "hope" or "anticipation" | |||
| Gujarati | અપેક્ષા | ||
| The word 'અપેક્ષા' can also mean 'need', 'desire', or 'requirement' in Gujarati and is derived from Sanskrit. | |||
| Hindi | उम्मीद | ||
| उम्मीद शब्द की उत्पत्ति संस्कृत शब्द "आश" से हुई है, जिसका अर्थ है इच्छा या आशा। | |||
| Kannada | ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ | ||
| ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ (nirikshe) means "expectation" but it also means "a glance" or "a look". | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രതീക്ഷ | ||
| Marathi | अपेक्षा | ||
| The word 'अपेक्षा' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'ईक्ष' meaning 'to see' or 'to observe', and also has the alternate meaning of 'regard' or 'respect'. | |||
| Nepali | आशा | ||
| The word "आशा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आस" meaning "to sit" or "to hope" and can also mean "desire" or "longing" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਮੀਦ | ||
| The word "ਉਮੀਦ" (expectation) is derived from the Persian word "امید" (hope). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අපේක්ෂාව | ||
| Sinhalese "අපේක්ෂාව" is derived from Sanskrit "अपेक्षा" meaning anticipation, but it primarily signifies a "wish" whereas the Sanskrit original refers solely to anticipation. | |||
| Tamil | எதிர்பார்ப்பு | ||
| Telugu | నిరీక్షణ | ||
| The word "నిరీక్షణ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "निरीक्षण" (nīrīkṣaṇa), meaning "observation" or "examination", suggesting its connection to the act of waiting attentively. | |||
| Urdu | توقع | ||
| In Arabic, "توقع" also means "to guess" or "to assume". | |||
Expectation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 期望 | ||
| expectation (期望) can also mean to 'gaze', 'yearn for', or to 'wish' in the Chinese language. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 期望 | ||
| 期望 can also mean 'hope' or 'expectation' in the context of an individual's desires or aspirations. | |||
| Japanese | 期待 | ||
| 期待, which commonly means 'expectation,' also signifies 'hope' and carries a connotation of 'looking forward' to something. | |||
| Korean | 기대 | ||
| "기대" derives from two characters: "기" meaning "wait" or "rely" and "대" meaning "turn" or "time". | |||
| Mongolian | хүлээлт | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မျှော်လင့်ခြင်း | ||
Expectation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | harapan | ||
| "Harapan" also means 'hope' or 'wishes' (noun) as well as 'to expect' as a verb | |||
| Javanese | pangajab | ||
| The word "pangajab" can also refer to a longing or yearning for something. | |||
| Khmer | ការរំពឹងទុក | ||
| The word also means "hope" or "anticipation" when preceded by បាន (baan). | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຄາດຫວັງ | ||
| Malay | jangkaan | ||
| The Malay word "jangkaan" is cognate with "janji" (promise) and suggests a mutual understanding or agreement. | |||
| Thai | ความคาดหวัง | ||
| The word "kah waht kwahng" (expectation) derives from the Sanskrit word "upēkṣā" meaning "disregard, indifference" | |||
| Vietnamese | sự mong đợi | ||
| The word "sự mong đợi" can also mean "hope" or "anticipation". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inaasahan | ||
Expectation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gözləmə | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | күту | ||
| The word "күту" in Kazakh has roots in the Turkic languages, with alternate meanings including "to wait" or "to anticipate". | |||
| Kyrgyz | күтүү | ||
| Tajik | интизорӣ | ||
| The word "интизорӣ" in Tajik is derived from Persian "انتظاری" (entezari), which means "act of waiting". | |||
| Turkmen | garaşmak | ||
| Uzbek | kutish | ||
| The word "kutish" can also mean "waiting" or "hope" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۈمىد | ||
Expectation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lana ana ka manaʻo | ||
| The Hawaiian word "lana ana ka manaʻo" can also refer to a longing or desire. | |||
| Maori | tumanako | ||
| Tumanako also means 'the future' or 'the time that is yet to be', which is the source of its meaning as 'expectation'. | |||
| Samoan | faʻamoemoe | ||
| The Samoan word "faʻamoemoe" is also used to refer to a "dream" or "vision". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | inaasahan | ||
| "Inaasahan" comes from the Tagalog word "asa," which means "hope". It also means "reliance," "anticipation," and "estimation." | |||
Expectation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | suyt’awi | ||
| Guarani | ñeha’arõ | ||
Expectation in International Languages
| Esperanto | atendo | ||
| Esperanto “atendo” is also a borrowing, not from Italian this time, but from Latin “attendo”, which means “pay attention to, focus one’s thoughts, etc.”. | |||
| Latin | expectationem | ||
| The word "expectationem" is also used to refer to "waiting" or "anticipation" in Latin. | |||
Expectation in Others Languages
| Greek | προσδοκία | ||
| In ancient Greek, "προσδοκία" could also mean "awaiting the arrival of a deity or other significant figure." | |||
| Hmong | kev cia siab | ||
| The Hmong word "kev cia siab" (expectation) can also refer to a feeling of anticipation or eagerness, and is related to the word "siab" (heart). | |||
| Kurdish | payinî | ||
| The word "payînî" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "payân", which means "end". | |||
| Turkish | beklenti | ||
| Beklenti'nin 'birini beklerken gösterilen davranış' veya 'birinin geleceğiyle ilgili tahmin' anlamına da gelebileceği bilinmektedir. | |||
| Xhosa | ulindelo | ||
| "Ulindlelo" also means "a period of time" or "a season of waiting". | |||
| Yiddish | דערוואַרטונג | ||
| In some contexts, 'דערוואַרטונג' can also mean 'provision' or 'supply'. | |||
| Zulu | ukulindela | ||
| The word 'ukulindela' in Zulu can also refer to 'waiting for something to happen', 'anticipating', or 'looking forward to something'. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰত্যাশা | ||
| Aymara | suyt’awi | ||
| Bhojpuri | उम्मीद के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އުންމީދު ކުރުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | उम्मीद ऐ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inaasahan | ||
| Guarani | ñeha’arõ | ||
| Ilocano | namnamaen | ||
| Krio | ɛkspɛkteshɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چاوەڕوانی | ||
| Maithili | अपेक्षा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯛꯁꯄꯦꯛꯇꯦꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | beisei a ni | ||
| Oromo | irraa eegamu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଶା | ||
| Quechua | suyakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | अपेक्षा | ||
| Tatar | көтү | ||
| Tigrinya | ትጽቢት ምግባር | ||
| Tsonga | ku langutela | ||