Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'favor' holds a significant place in our daily conversations and interactions. It represents a kind gesture, a request for help, or simply a positive disposition towards someone. The cultural importance of favor is evident in various traditions and customs around the world. For instance, in some cultures, doing a favor for someone is seen as a way to build and strengthen relationships.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'favor' in different languages can be a fascinating exploration of cultural nuances and differences. For example, in Spanish, 'favor' translates to 'favor' or 'gracia', while in French, it is 'faveur' or 'grâce'. In German, 'favor' can be translated to 'Gunst' or 'Gnade'. These translations not only provide insight into the language but also the cultural values and beliefs associated with the concept of favor.
So, whether you're traveling to a foreign country, learning a new language, or simply curious about cultural differences, knowing the translation of 'favor' in different languages can be a valuable and interesting piece of knowledge.
Afrikaans | guns | ||
Guns can mean both “favor” as well as “firearms” in Afrikaans, a Germanic language spoken primarily in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho | |||
Amharic | ሞገስ | ||
"ሞገስ" is originally a verb "to make a favor for." Now is used as a masculine personal name. | |||
Hausa | ni'ima | ||
The word "ni'ima" in Hausa can also refer to "good fortune" or "blessing". | |||
Igbo | ihu oma | ||
Igbo 'ihu oma' also means 'beautiful face' | |||
Malagasy | sitraka | ||
In Malagasy, sitraka also means "to be successful" or "to be in good standing with someone". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukondera | ||
"Kukondera" comes from the word "konda," which means to bend, and is figuratively used to imply a situation where one's back or neck is slightly bowed when respectfully showing deference to a superior. | |||
Shona | nyasha | ||
The word | |||
Somali | eexasho | ||
The Somali word "eexasho" also means "grace" or "mercy". | |||
Sesotho | mohau | ||
The word "mohau" in Sesotho derives from the verb "ho ha", meaning "to give", and conveys a sense of graciousness and kindness. | |||
Swahili | neema | ||
"Neema" in Swahili also holds the meanings of "grace" or "mercy" depending on the context of a phrase. | |||
Xhosa | ubabalo | ||
The Xhosa term “ubabalo” not only signifies “favor” in English but also denotes a state of special privilege, partiality, and favoritism granted to certain individuals or groups within a community. | |||
Yoruba | ojurere | ||
"Ojurere" also means "help" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | umusa | ||
The word 'umusa' can also refer to an animal skin that is used as a seat cover or as a floor covering. | |||
Bambara | barika | ||
Ewe | amenuveve | ||
Kinyarwanda | ubutoni | ||
Lingala | kosalisa | ||
Luganda | okuganja | ||
Sepedi | gaugela | ||
Twi (Akan) | boa | ||
Arabic | محاباة | ||
محاباة can also refer to giving preferential treatment to someone or something. | |||
Hebrew | טוֹבָה | ||
The word "טוֹבָה" can also mean "good" or "benefit" in Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | احسان | ||
"احسان" is related to the concept of "doing good" which is also implied in another Pashto word for "favor": "ښه واک". This concept is reflected in Islamic teachings, where "احسان" is seen as a virtue and a duty. | |||
Arabic | محاباة | ||
محاباة can also refer to giving preferential treatment to someone or something. |
Albanian | favor | ||
In Albanian, the word "favor" has the additional meaning of "bride price". | |||
Basque | mesede | ||
The word "mesede" can also refer to a "thank you" or a "gift" in the Basque language. | |||
Catalan | favor | ||
The Catalan word "favor" can also mean "ribbon" or "sash". | |||
Croatian | milost | ||
The word "milost" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *milъ, meaning "dear" or "beloved". | |||
Danish | favor | ||
The Danish word "favor" can also mean "painful spot on the body", likely originating from the French word "faveur" meaning "bump, swelling". | |||
Dutch | gunst | ||
The word 'gunst' in Dutch, meaning 'favor', derives from the Old Frankish word 'gunst', which meant 'mercy' or 'grace' | |||
English | favor | ||
The word 'favor' derives from the Latin word 'favere,' meaning 'to be well-disposed toward,' and can also refer to a small gift. | |||
French | favoriser | ||
Favoriser derives from the Old French “faver,” meaning “to make or become favorable; to show a kindness or do a benefit." | |||
Frisian | geunst | ||
The Frisian word 'geunst' is related to the Proto-Germanic '*gunst' meaning 'favor, grace, kindness', and still has a similar meaning in Old Saxon, Old High German, and Middle Low German. | |||
Galician | favor | ||
German | gefallen | ||
"Gefallen" also means "casualties" and comes from Middle High German "gevallen," which means "to fall down". | |||
Icelandic | greiði | ||
The word "greiði" derives from the Old Norse term "greiði" which means "payment" or "satisfaction." | |||
Irish | fabhar | ||
"Fabhar" originates from the Old Irish word "fabur" meaning "assistance, help, aid". | |||
Italian | favore | ||
The Italian word "favore" derives from the Latin word "favor" (meaning "goodwill" or "kindness") and can also refer to the granting of special privileges or advantages. | |||
Luxembourgish | favoriséieren | ||
In Luxembourgish, the word "favoriséieren" also means "to give preference to" or "to show favoritism towards". | |||
Maltese | favur | ||
The word "favur" in Maltese can also refer to a "sheet" or a "sail" | |||
Norwegian | favorisere | ||
The Norwegian word "favorisere" derives from the Latin verb "favere", meaning "to be favorable, to support". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | favor | ||
In Portuguese, "favor" can also mean "kindness" or "politeness". | |||
Scots Gaelic | fàbhar | ||
The word "fàbhar" can also refer to a "handle" or "grip" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
Spanish | favor | ||
In Spanish, "favor" can also mean "facial expression" or "kind gesture". | |||
Swedish | förmån | ||
The word "förmån" also means "advantage" or "benefit" in Swedish. | |||
Welsh | ffafr | ||
The Welsh word "ffafr" can also refer to a "preference" or "inclination" |
Belarusian | карысць | ||
The word "карысць" also means "benefit" and is cognate with the Russian word "корысть" with the same meaning. | |||
Bosnian | uslugu | ||
In Bosnian, the word "uslugu" can also refer to a specific type of traditional folk song. | |||
Bulgarian | услуга | ||
The word "услуга" in Bulgarian originally meant "help" or "assistance". | |||
Czech | laskavost | ||
The word "laskavost" is derived from "láska" meaning "love" in Czech, and can also refer to affection or kindness in addition to its primary meaning of "favor." | |||
Estonian | kasuks | ||
In Estonian, the term "kasuks" is synonymous with "voor" and also conveys the meaning of "for the benefit of someone or something." | |||
Finnish | palvelusta | ||
The word 'palvelusta' also refers to 'service', 'employment', 'public duty', 'attendance', and 'waiting'. | |||
Hungarian | szívességet | ||
Hungarian "szívességet" is derived from "szív" meaning "heart" and "esség" meaning "action", indicating an act done out of kindness. | |||
Latvian | labvēlība | ||
The word "labvēlība" comes from the Latvian word "labvēlīgs," which means "favorable" or "well-disposed." | |||
Lithuanian | palankumas | ||
The word "palankumas" derives from the Old Lithuanian word "palankus", meaning "favorable" or "inclined towards something". | |||
Macedonian | услуга | ||
The word "услуга" in Macedonian also means "a service". | |||
Polish | przysługa | ||
In Polish, "przysługa" can also mean "service" or "advantage". | |||
Romanian | favoare | ||
Romanian 'favoare' comes from Latin 'favor' and is related to English 'favorable'. | |||
Russian | одолжение | ||
In Old Russian, "одолжение" meant "borrowing something" or "lending something to someone." | |||
Serbian | наклоност | ||
The word "наклоност" can also mean "inclination" or "tendency". | |||
Slovak | láskavosť | ||
"Láskavosť" comes from the adjective "láskavý," meaning "kind," and refers to a kind action or favor done for someone. | |||
Slovenian | naklonjenost | ||
"Naklonjenost" can also mean "inclination" or "leaning" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | прихильність | ||
A word related to the Ukrainian "прихильність" is "прихильность" in Russian, which can also mean "adhering to" or "attachment". |
Bengali | আনুকূল্য | ||
আনুকূল্য can also mean 'being consistent with the natural order of things' or 'favorable to the direction of the wind'. | |||
Gujarati | તરફેણ | ||
The original Gujarati word "તરફેણ" also signifies "side" and in legal usage it specifically means "litigant" i.e. a party to a lawsuit that is being defended. | |||
Hindi | एहसान | ||
The word "एहसान" can also mean "kindness" or "gratitude".} | |||
Kannada | ಪರವಾಗಿ | ||
"ಪರವಾಗಿ" (favor) in Kannada is a noun meaning "assistance rendered by one person to another" and can also refer to "a gift or benefit given to someone". | |||
Malayalam | പ്രീതി | ||
The word "പ്രീതി" comes from the Sanskrit "prīti", meaning "affection, liking, or joy." | |||
Marathi | अनुकूलता | ||
The word "अनुकूलता" also means "compatibility" in Marathi. | |||
Nepali | पक्षमा | ||
The Nepali word "पक्षमा" (favor) shares the same origin and meaning with its Hindi counterpart "पक्ष में", both ultimately deriving from the Sanskrit root "पक्ष" (side, party). | |||
Punjabi | ਪੱਖ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਪੱਖ" (favor) comes from the Sanskrit word "पक्ष" (pakṣa) which means "support" or "side". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අනුග්රහය දක්වන්න | ||
Tamil | தயவு | ||
The Tamil word "தயவு" (dayavu) is also used to mean "kindness" or "compassion", and is related to the Sanskrit word "daya" meaning "mercy". | |||
Telugu | అనుకూలంగా | ||
Urdu | احسان | ||
The word "إحسان" is not derived from the word "أحسن" but rather from the root "حسن" which means "to do good". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 宠爱 | ||
宠爱 (chong'ai) originated as two separate words, 宠 meaning “be fond of,” and 爱 meaning “love,” but the meaning has blended over time. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 寵愛 | ||
In Chinese, "寵愛" (favor) is a compound word composed of the characters "寵" (to love) and "愛" (to love), suggesting the idea of special fondness or affection. | |||
Japanese | 好意 | ||
"好意" could also mean "inclination". And like the literal meaning of the Kanji characters, it could also mean "to like". | |||
Korean | 호의 | ||
"호의" can also refer to an expression of good intentions, goodwill, or kindness. | |||
Mongolian | ивээл | ||
Ивээл can also mean 'blessing' or 'benefit' | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | မျက်နှာသာ | ||
မျက်နှာသာ (myet-hna-tha) literally means "face oil" and refers to the traditional belief that a person with a shiny face is blessed with good fortune. |
Indonesian | kebaikan | ||
In Javanese, "kebaikan" conveys gratitude for a favor whereas in Malay, it implies kindness towards others | |||
Javanese | sih | ||
The word "sih" is also a particle in Javanese to denote respect to the listener while asking for favour, as well as an alternative way to call one's significant other. | |||
Khmer | អនុគ្រោះ | ||
The word អនុគ្រោះ comes from the Sanskrit word anugraha, which can also mean "grace", "kindness", or "mercy". | |||
Lao | ຄວາມໂປດປານ | ||
Malay | nikmat | ||
Although "nikmat" is commonly used for "favor" it can also literally mean "taste" or "delicious" in Indonesian and Malay | |||
Thai | โปรดปราน | ||
"โปรดปราน" originates from Sanskrit and also has the meanings of "to like" and "to grant a request." | |||
Vietnamese | ủng hộ | ||
The word ủng hộ can refer to both physical support, such as helping someone with a task, and emotional support, such as encouraging or comforting someone. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pabor | ||
Azerbaijani | lütf | ||
"Lütf" ultimately derives from the Arabic "luṭf", meaning "gentleness" and "kindness." | |||
Kazakh | жақсылық | ||
The word "жақсылық" in Kazakh originates from the root word "жақсы" (good), and conveys a sense of benefit or kindness conferred upon someone. | |||
Kyrgyz | жакшылык | ||
The term жакшылык derives from the word 'жакшы', meaning 'good' or 'kind' in Kyrgyz, and it implies an act of kindness or a beneficial action. | |||
Tajik | лутф | ||
The Tajik word "лутф" can also refer to "mercy", "grace", or "blessing". | |||
Turkmen | hoşniýetlilik | ||
Uzbek | yaxshilik | ||
The word "yaxshilik" also means "goodness" or "kindness" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | favor | ||
Hawaiian | ʻoluʻolu | ||
'Olu'olu' is used both as a noun meaning "favor" and as a form of the word "comfortable". | |||
Maori | manako | ||
Manako is a Maori term with multiple meanings, including "eye" and "face." | |||
Samoan | alofagia | ||
The Samoan word "alofagia" can also refer to a person's desire for food. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | papabor | ||
The word "papabor" in Tagalog (Filipino) is derived from the Spanish word "pavor," which means "fear" or "terror." |
Aymara | amp suma | ||
Guarani | jerure | ||
Esperanto | favoro | ||
The root "favor" is a Latin word also found in English and other romance languages. | |||
Latin | beneficium | ||
"Beneficium" in Latin also refers to a fiefdom granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for military service or other obligations. |
Greek | εύνοια | ||
The word "εύνοια" also means "goodwill" or "benevolence" and is derived from the words "εὖ" (well) and "νοῦς" (mind). | |||
Hmong | haum | ||
The word "haum" can also mean "to bless" or "to give thanks". | |||
Kurdish | qedir | ||
The root word 'qed' refers to 'goodness', 'blessing' and 'grace' in Kurdish, suggesting a deeper spiritual or divine connotation in the meaning of 'qedir'. | |||
Turkish | iyilik | ||
The word "iyilik" in Turkish can also mean "kindness" or "goodness", and shares a root with the word "iyi" which means "good" | |||
Xhosa | ubabalo | ||
The Xhosa term “ubabalo” not only signifies “favor” in English but also denotes a state of special privilege, partiality, and favoritism granted to certain individuals or groups within a community. | |||
Yiddish | טויווע | ||
The Yiddish word "טוֹיבֿע" (toyve) is derived from the Old High German "tuba," meaning "gift." | |||
Zulu | umusa | ||
The word 'umusa' can also refer to an animal skin that is used as a seat cover or as a floor covering. | |||
Assamese | পক্ষপাত | ||
Aymara | amp suma | ||
Bhojpuri | एहसान | ||
Dhivehi | ހެޔޮކަމެއް | ||
Dogri | किरपा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pabor | ||
Guarani | jerure | ||
Ilocano | pabor | ||
Krio | aks | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | خواست | ||
Maithili | एहसान | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯧꯒꯠꯄ | ||
Mizo | duhsak | ||
Oromo | oolmaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁଗ୍ରହ | ||
Quechua | yanapay | ||
Sanskrit | कृपा | ||
Tatar | хуплау | ||
Tigrinya | ፍትወት | ||
Tsonga | tsakela | ||