Force in Different Languages
Discover 'Force' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Force, a simple word with a profound meaning, is a concept that has shaped the course of history and influenced the development of cultures around the world. Derived from Latin's fortis, meaning 'strong,' force signifies power, strength, and the ability to influence or control. It plays a crucial role in various aspects of life, from physics and engineering to social dynamics and politics.
Throughout history, force has been both a catalyst for change and a symbol of power. From the ancient Roman legions to modern military forces, the concept of force has been intertwined with the rise and fall of empires. In the realm of physics, force is the cornerstone of classical mechanics, explaining motion, gravity, and the behavior of objects in the universe.
Understanding the translation of force in different languages can offer valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and utilize this fundamental concept. Here are a few examples:
- French: force
- Spanish: fuerza
- German: Kraft
- Mandarin: 力 (lì)
- Japanese: 力 (chikara)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of force translations in various languages, providing a unique perspective on the global significance of this powerful word.
Force
Force in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | krag | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'krag' is derived from the Dutch word 'kracht', which also means 'force'. It can also refer to the strength or power of someone or something, as well as the electricity supply or the ability to perform a task. | |||
| Amharic | ኃይል | ||
| The word "ኃይል" can also refer to "army" or "power". | |||
| Hausa | tilas | ||
| The Hausa word 'tilas' can also mean 'compulsion' or 'necessity'. | |||
| Igbo | ike | ||
| "Ike" derives from the verb "ike" meaning "to be strong" and is related to words like "ikike" ("strength") and "ikem" ("powerful"). | |||
| Malagasy | force | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "force" is also used to mean "strength" or "power." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphamvu | ||
| In Nyanja, "mphamvu" also refers to the source or cause of an action or event. | |||
| Shona | simba | ||
| The word "simba" also means "lion" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | xoog | ||
| Somali word "xoog" also means "vigour" or "strength" and is of Cushitic origin. | |||
| Sesotho | matla | ||
| The word "matla" can also mean "power", "strength", or "ability", and is related to the word "matlafatša", which means "weakness". | |||
| Swahili | nguvu | ||
| "Nguvu" also means "power, strength, or ability" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| In addition to its literal translation as "force," the term "amandla" also connotes power, energy, and the collective spirit of a nation. | |||
| Yoruba | ipa | ||
| The Yoruba word "ipa" can also refer to a person's destiny or life path. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| Amandla has a long history in the Zulu culture, with varying meanings that include power, authority, and strength. | |||
| Bambara | ka karaba | ||
| Ewe | ŋusẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbaraga | ||
| Lingala | bokasi | ||
| Luganda | okukaka | ||
| Sepedi | gapeletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hyɛ | ||
Force in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فرض | ||
| The word "فرض" in Arabic, meaning "force" in English, also connotes meanings of "duty" or "obligation". | |||
| Hebrew | כּוֹחַ | ||
| "כּוֹחַ" (force) is related to the word "יכול" (can) and originally meant "ability" or "potential." | |||
| Pashto | زور | ||
| The Pashto word "زور" can also refer to "power", "ability", "strength", or "influence". | |||
| Arabic | فرض | ||
| The word "فرض" in Arabic, meaning "force" in English, also connotes meanings of "duty" or "obligation". | |||
Force in Western European Languages
| Albanian | forcë | ||
| In older Albanian, "forcë" also meant strength, courage, or power. | |||
| Basque | indarra | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Basque "*indar" meaning "hard", "strong" or "brave", indarra is also used figuratively in expressions like "indarra hartu" (to gain strength). | |||
| Catalan | força | ||
| In Catalan, "força" also has alternative meanings such as "strength," "energy," or "ability." | |||
| Croatian | sila | ||
| The word "sila" also means power, strength, or might. | |||
| Danish | kraft | ||
| The word "kraft" in Danish also means "strength, power, or energy." | |||
| Dutch | dwingen | ||
| "Dwingen" is originally derived from "dwang," meaning "compulsion". | |||
| English | force | ||
| The word "force" derives from the Latin "fortis", meaning "strong" or "brave." | |||
| French | obliger | ||
| "Obliger" in French doesn't only mean "to force," it also means "to bind." | |||
| Frisian | krêft | ||
| In Dutch, 'kracht' is derived from the same root as 'krêft', though in Dutch it refers to the 'effect' of a force, not the 'cause'. | |||
| Galician | forza | ||
| Galician "forza" comes from Latin "fortia" which also means "courage", hence the alternative meaning of "forza" as "strength of will". | |||
| German | macht | ||
| Macht, meaning 'force', also bears connotations of 'power', 'might' and 'authority'. | |||
| Icelandic | afl | ||
| The word 'afl' is derived from the Old Norse word 'afl' and also means 'strength', 'power', and 'might'. | |||
| Irish | fórsa | ||
| The word 'fórsa' can also mean 'army' or 'strength' in Irish. | |||
| Italian | vigore | ||
| "Vigore" in Italian also means lushness or fullness. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kraaft | ||
| The word "Kraaft" in Luxembourgish is related to the German word "Kraft" and the English word "craft" | |||
| Maltese | forza | ||
| The word "forza" in Maltese originates from the Italian word for "force". However, it can also be used figuratively to refer to "strength", "energy", or "power". | |||
| Norwegian | makt | ||
| The noun "makt" can also refer to authorities with public power, such as government or law enforcement. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | força | ||
| The word "força" in Portuguese also means "strength" and "power", and is derived from the Latin word "fortis". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | feachd | ||
| Feachd is derived from a root meaning a "body of men with weapons", or a "war-band". | |||
| Spanish | fuerza | ||
| The word "fuerza" comes from the Latin word "fortia," meaning "strength" or "power." | |||
| Swedish | tvinga | ||
| The word "tvinga" is derived from the Old Norse word "þvinga", which means "to press". | |||
| Welsh | grym | ||
| 'Grym' is an archaic form of 'crym' which is a word for an earthquake | |||
Force in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сіла | ||
| The Belarusian word "сіла" comes from the Proto-Slavic "sĭla" meaning "strength," "power," or "force." | |||
| Bosnian | sila | ||
| In Bosnian, "sila" also means "might" and "strength." | |||
| Bulgarian | сила | ||
| The word "сила" in Bulgarian has different meanings, and can refer to "strength" or "power", in addition to "force" | |||
| Czech | platnost | ||
| "Platnost" is also used to denote the validity period of a document or the period during which a law is in effect. | |||
| Estonian | jõud | ||
| The word "jõud" in Estonian also means "strength" or "power". | |||
| Finnish | pakottaa | ||
| The word "pakottaa" can also refer to forcing oneself or being forced by circumstances. | |||
| Hungarian | kényszerítés | ||
| The word "Kényszerítés" is derived from the verb "kényszerít", which means "to compel or coerce". | |||
| Latvian | spēks | ||
| Spēks is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sper-, meaning "to push, press" | |||
| Lithuanian | jėga | ||
| Derived from Proto-Balto-Slavic *jēgā, which also gives Latvian *jega, Polish *jaga, and Proto-Germanic *kunja- (> English *king). | |||
| Macedonian | сила | ||
| The term "сила" may refer to the force acting on an object or the result that force creates. | |||
| Polish | siła | ||
| "Siła" in Polish can also refer to a weightlifting bar. | |||
| Romanian | forta | ||
| In the Romanian word for “fort” (strong), “forta” (force), the root “for” is related to fertility, as in the French “fort”. | |||
| Russian | сила | ||
| The Russian word "сила" (force) is also used in the sense of "power" or "strength." | |||
| Serbian | сила | ||
| The word "сила" also means "strength" or "power" in Serbian, as well as "fate" or "destiny". | |||
| Slovak | sila | ||
| The Slovak word "sila" also means "power" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word "sъla" meaning "strength". | |||
| Slovenian | sila | ||
| The word 'sila' can also refer to 'fate' or 'destiny', reflecting its deep ties to the power of the unknown. | |||
| Ukrainian | сили | ||
| Ukrainian "сили" is a cognate of "power" in English and "сил" in Polish or Russian, meaning "strength" and "vigor." | |||
Force in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জোর | ||
| The word 'জোর' is also used in the sense of 'emphasis' or 'importance'. | |||
| Gujarati | બળ | ||
| In Gujarati, “બળ” also means "burden" or "obligation". | |||
| Hindi | बल | ||
| In Sanskrit, "बल" also means "strength" or "power" and is related to the English word "valid". | |||
| Kannada | ಬಲ | ||
| ಬಲ can also mean "right" or "authority" in Kannada, as in the phrase "ಬಲಗಡೆ" ("right side") or the title "ಬಲವಂತ" ("authority figure"). | |||
| Malayalam | ശക്തിയാണ് | ||
| The word "ശക്തി" (power) in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "शक्ति" which means "potency, energy or capability". | |||
| Marathi | सक्ती | ||
| सक्ती (shakti) is also used to refer to power, strength, energy, and the feminine divine energy in Hinduism. | |||
| Nepali | बल | ||
| The Sanskrit word "बल" also means "strength, army, or power" | |||
| Punjabi | ਜ਼ੋਰ | ||
| The word "ਜ਼ੋਰ" can also refer to emphasis, pressure, or effort. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බලය | ||
| The Sinhala word “බලය” has an alternate meaning as “power”, “authority”. | |||
| Tamil | படை | ||
| The Tamil word "படை" (pronounced 'padai') can also refer to an army or military force. | |||
| Telugu | శక్తి | ||
| The word "శక్తి" in Telugu can also refer to the Hindu goddess of energy and power, who is often depicted holding a thunderbolt and riding a lion. | |||
| Urdu | طاقت | ||
| The word "طاقت" also means "power or capacity" in Urdu. | |||
Force in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 力 | ||
| 力 can mean "power" or "ability" in Chinese and is the root of the word "努力" (nǔlì) meaning "hard work". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 力 | ||
| 力 can also be used to denote the strength or power of a person or thing. | |||
| Japanese | 力 | ||
| The kanji "力" (chikara) is also used in the Japanese phrase "力持ち" (chikamochi), which refers to a person with great physical strength. | |||
| Korean | 힘 | ||
| The Korean word "힘" is cognate with the Proto-Sino-Korean word *kam, which had the meanings of "to hold up, support; strength, weight". | |||
| Mongolian | хүч | ||
| "Хүч" also means health, might, strength, vigor, potency, ability, etc. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အင်အားစု | ||
Force in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | memaksa | ||
| "Memaksa" also means "to insist" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | meksa | ||
| "Meksi" or "meksa" in Old Javanese means "to request", not "to force". " | |||
| Khmer | កម្លាំង | ||
| The word "កម្លាំង" can also refer to "strength", "power", or "energy" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຜົນບັງຄັບໃຊ້ | ||
| Malay | kekuatan | ||
| One of the alternate meanings of kekuatan is `power` in social or political contexts, as in `economic strength` or `military might`. | |||
| Thai | บังคับ | ||
| The word "บังคับ" can also mean "to compel" or "to restrain". | |||
| Vietnamese | lực lượng | ||
| Lực lượng can also refer to a group of people who have a shared purpose or who work collectively towards a specific goal. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | puwersa | ||
Force in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | güc | ||
| "Güc" is also a suffix that may mean "full of" as in "qayğıgüc" ("painful") or "-minded" as in "ədalət-güc" ("just"). | |||
| Kazakh | күш | ||
| The word "күш" in Kazakh also refers to physical strength, ability, or influence. | |||
| Kyrgyz | күч | ||
| "Күч" is also an imperative form of the verb "күчөт", which means "to grow stronger" or "to intensify". | |||
| Tajik | қувва | ||
| "Қувва" (force) comes from the Arabic root "ق و ي" meaning "strong, powerful" or the Persian root "كوش" meaning "effort". | |||
| Turkmen | güýç | ||
| Uzbek | kuch | ||
| The Uzbek word "kuch" can also refer to the physical strength of a person. | |||
| Uyghur | كۈچ | ||
Force in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ikaika | ||
| "Ikaika" also signifies a kind of wild or uncultivated land, and a plant (Metrosideros polymorpha) growing in volcanic soil. | |||
| Maori | kaha | ||
| The Maori word "kaha" also means "authority, power, or energy". | |||
| Samoan | malosiaga | ||
| "Malosiaga" originally implied 'greatness of strength or size' or 'a large number' but came to be more synonymous with force and violence. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lakas | ||
| The Tagalog word "lakas" also means "energy" and "strength". | |||
Force in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'ama | ||
| Guarani | mbarete | ||
Force in International Languages
| Esperanto | forto | ||
| The word "forto" is a Esperanto word related to the Latin "fortis" meaning "strong," and is a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European "*bʰer-ti". | |||
| Latin | impetu | ||
| The word "impetu" in Latin can also refer to violence or hostility. | |||
Force in Others Languages
| Greek | δύναμη | ||
| Derived from the verb "δύναμαι" ("to be able,"), related to the words "power," "potential," and "abliity."} | |||
| Hmong | yuam | ||
| "Yuam" (pronounced "yam") not only means "force" but also "strength," "energy," and "power." | |||
| Kurdish | cebir | ||
| The Kurdish word "cebir" is derived from the Arabic word "jabr", which also means "compulsion" or "tyranny". | |||
| Turkish | güç | ||
| The word "güç" in Turkish can also refer to "power" or "authority" | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| In addition to its literal translation as "force," the term "amandla" also connotes power, energy, and the collective spirit of a nation. | |||
| Yiddish | קראַפט | ||
| The word "קראַפט" ("force") in Yiddish shares a root with the German word "Kraft" and the English word "craft". | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| Amandla has a long history in the Zulu culture, with varying meanings that include power, authority, and strength. | |||
| Assamese | বল | ||
| Aymara | ch'ama | ||
| Bhojpuri | बल | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޖުބޫރުކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | जोर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | puwersa | ||
| Guarani | mbarete | ||
| Ilocano | puersa | ||
| Krio | fos | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێز | ||
| Maithili | बल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯐꯨ | ||
| Mizo | tilui | ||
| Oromo | humna | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବଳ | ||
| Quechua | kallpa | ||
| Sanskrit | बल | ||
| Tatar | көч | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓይሊ | ||
| Tsonga | nsusumeto | ||