Forever in Different Languages
Discover 'Forever' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The concept of 'forever' has captivated humans for centuries. It represents an eternal duration, something that lasts without end. This idea is not confined to any one culture or language; it is a universal human experience, which is why understanding its translation in different languages can be so fascinating.
Throughout history, 'forever' has been a source of inspiration for poets, writers, and philosophers. It's a word that evokes strong emotions and has been used to express love, devotion, and commitment. But it's also a word that can be associated with sorrow, longing, and loss.
For example, in Spanish, 'forever' is 'por siempre', while in French, it's 'pour toujours'. In German, it's 'für immer', and in Japanese, it's 'ei go'. Each of these translations carries the same weight and meaning as the English 'forever', but they also offer a unique cultural perspective.
Understanding the nuances of 'forever' in different languages can help us appreciate the richness and diversity of human culture. It can also provide us with new ways to express our own emotions and experiences.
Forever
Forever in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vir altyd | ||
| In Dutch, "vir altyd" is a term that refers to the concept of "forever" within the context of a romantic or platonic relationship. | |||
| Amharic | ለዘላለም | ||
| The word "ለዘላለም" can also be used to mean "eternity" or "for all time." | |||
| Hausa | har abada | ||
| The Hausa word “har abada” derives from the Arabic phrase “har abadan” (meaning “eternally” or “for all time”). | |||
| Igbo | rue mgbe ebighebi | ||
| The Igbo word "rue mgbe ebighebi" can also mean "from time immemorial" or "since ancient times". | |||
| Malagasy | mandrakizay | ||
| The Malagasy word "MANDRAKIZAY" derives from the words "Mandrak'i" (to hold on) and "zay" (here), signifying "to hold on to this place, forever." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kwanthawizonse | ||
| The word "kwanthawizonse" in Nyanja (Chichewa) literally means "up to the other side of the horizon." | |||
| Shona | zvachose | ||
| Zvachose has no alternate meanings in Shona but comes from the word "chose" which means "remain". | |||
| Somali | weligiis | ||
| The word 'weligiis' is derived from the Arabic word 'walij' meaning "eternal" and ultimately from the Proto-Semitic root *w-l-' meaning "to be first". | |||
| Sesotho | ka ho sa feleng | ||
| Sesotho word "ka ho sa feleng" (translated as "forever" in English) is etymologically related to "ho sa" (meaning "to end" or "to cease") and "feleng" (meaning "to grow" or "to spread"), hence implies a state of continuous growth or never-ending expansion. | |||
| Swahili | milele | ||
| "Milele" comes from the Proto-Bantu word for "eternal existence," and is cognate with the word "mile" in Portuguese, both ultimately deriving from the Latin "mīlle," meaning "thousand." | |||
| Xhosa | ngonaphakade | ||
| In Xhosa, "ngonaphakade" can also mean "throughout time" or "until the end of time." | |||
| Yoruba | lailai | ||
| "Lailai" is also used to describe something that is enduring or permanent. | |||
| Zulu | ingunaphakade | ||
| The Zulu word "ingunaphakade" also means "in the time of the ancestors". | |||
| Bambara | badaa | ||
| Ewe | tegbee | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iteka ryose | ||
| Lingala | mbula na mbula | ||
| Luganda | lubeerera | ||
| Sepedi | go-ya-go-ile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | daa | ||
Forever in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إلى الأبد | ||
| إلى الأبد is often used in the sense of "for all time", but it has also been used to mean "until death". | |||
| Hebrew | לָנֶצַח | ||
| The word "לָנֶצַח" is a contraction of "לאין־צל" meaning "without a shadow", and therefore also figuratively "without an end" | |||
| Pashto | د تل لپاره | ||
| Etymology and alternate meanings of د تل لپاره are not available. | |||
| Arabic | إلى الأبد | ||
| إلى الأبد is often used in the sense of "for all time", but it has also been used to mean "until death". | |||
Forever in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përgjithmonë | ||
| "Përgjithmonë" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- "forward, before" and *gʰʰen- "to kill, strike". | |||
| Basque | betirako | ||
| "Betirako" also means the "last child" or "last born" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | per sempre | ||
| In Old Catalan, "per sempre" could also mean "until always" or "for eternity". | |||
| Croatian | zauvijek | ||
| The word "zauvijek" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *za-vьsьkъdь, meaning "all around" or "everywhere". | |||
| Danish | for evigt | ||
| The word "for evigt" is derived from the Old Norse word "framvegis," meaning "always forward." | |||
| Dutch | voor altijd | ||
| The word "voor altijd" literally translates to "for all time" in Dutch, but has the same colloquial meaning of "forever" as in English. | |||
| English | forever | ||
| The adverb 'forever' derives from Middle English 'for evere' meaning 'for a long time', with 'for' denoting continuation and 'evere' denoting time. | |||
| French | pour toujours | ||
| Pour toujours is a contraction of the Old French phrase 'por tous jors', meaning 'for all days'. | |||
| Frisian | ivich | ||
| The Frisian word "ivich" (forever) derives from the Old Frisian word "eftich," originally meaning "after," and later "eternal." | |||
| Galician | para sempre | ||
| The word "para sempre" can also be used in the sense of a temporary or short-lived period of time. | |||
| German | für immer | ||
| Für immer is also used in a different context to mean "in front of" | |||
| Icelandic | að eilífu | ||
| The word "að eilífu" in Icelandic can also be used to describe something that is "everlasting" or "permanent." | |||
| Irish | go deo | ||
| The spelling "go deo" in Irish is used to indicate that one is referring to the Christian God, as in "go deo agus go deo" ("forever and ever"). | |||
| Italian | per sempre | ||
| The Italian word "per sempre" literally means "for always" or "through the ages". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fir ëmmer | ||
| "Fir ëmmer" comes from the German "für immer" which is a combination of the words "für" (for) and "immer" (always). | |||
| Maltese | għal dejjem | ||
| 'Għal dejjem' derives from the Arabic 'daliman' (meaning everlasting), and can also signify an eternal debt of gratitude. | |||
| Norwegian | for alltid | ||
| The Norwegian word 'for alltid' originated from the Old Norse 'fyrir aldr', meaning 'for ages' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | para sempre | ||
| "Para sempre" literally means "for a time that does not end". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gu bràth | ||
| The word "gu bràth" in Scots Gaelic also means "eternity" and is derived from the Old Irish word "go bráth" meaning "until judgement day." | |||
| Spanish | siempre | ||
| The Spanish word "siempre" derives from the Latin "semper", which can also mean "always", "continually", or "on every occasion." | |||
| Swedish | evigt | ||
| Evigt originates from the Proto-Norse word "aiwinegoz," which means "eternal," and is cognate with "eonian," meaning "pertaining to eternity." | |||
| Welsh | am byth | ||
| The word "am byth" in Welsh is derived from "am" (time) and "byth" (ever), and also has the meaning "eternally" in Welsh. | |||
Forever in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | назаўсёды | ||
| It comes from the Old Belarusian phrase “на завъсегда”, which means “always” or “for centuries”. | |||
| Bosnian | zauvijek | ||
| The word "zauvijek" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "zaviti", meaning "to fold" or "to wrap". | |||
| Bulgarian | завинаги | ||
| The word “завинаги” traces its roots back to the Proto-Slavic base *vьnъ, which also meant “outside”. | |||
| Czech | navždy | ||
| The word "navždy" can also mean "always" or "constantly" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | igavesti | ||
| The word "igavesti" comes from "igav", meaning boredom, and refers to the eternity of a dull existence. | |||
| Finnish | ikuisesti | ||
| The word 'ikuisesti' is of Baltic origin and is related to the word 'ika' meaning 'age'. | |||
| Hungarian | örökké | ||
| The word "örökké" originally meant "for ages" and was derived from the word "ör": century/age and the suffix "-ig/-ké": for the duration of. | |||
| Latvian | uz visiem laikiem | ||
| Uz visiem laikiem derives from uz (on) and visiem laikiem (all times), meaning "throughout all time." | |||
| Lithuanian | amžinai | ||
| Amžinai could also mean 'eternity' or 'for all eternity', implying an unending period of time. | |||
| Macedonian | засекогаш | ||
| The word "засекогаш" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*vьsьkъgъ"," which also means "all" or "entire". | |||
| Polish | na zawsze | ||
| The word "na zawsze" is composed of the preposition "na" ("on") and the noun "zawsze" ("always"). | |||
| Romanian | pentru totdeauna | ||
| The Romanian word "pentru totdeauna" can also mean "always" or "for life." | |||
| Russian | навсегда | ||
| The word "навсегда" comes from the Old Russian word "сънъвръшити" which means "to complete, to finish". | |||
| Serbian | заувек | ||
| "Заувек" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*za vьkъ" (literally "for ages") and also means "very long". | |||
| Slovak | navždy | ||
| Navždy is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "navěky", meaning "to all eternity." | |||
| Slovenian | za vedno | ||
| The word "za vedno" in Slovenian originated from the Proto-Slavic word "za-*vьdomь", meaning "for all times". | |||
| Ukrainian | назавжди | ||
| The word "назавжди" is derived from the Old Slavic word "na" meaning "on" or "upon" and the word "вѣк" or "вѣкъ" meaning "age" or "eternity." | |||
Forever in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিরতরে | ||
| "চিরতরে" can also mean "for a long time to come". | |||
| Gujarati | કાયમ માટે | ||
| The word 'કાયમ માટે' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kaew-, meaning 'to be firm, fixed, or permanent' | |||
| Hindi | सदैव | ||
| The word "सदैव" has alternate meanings of "at all times", "constantly", or "always". | |||
| Kannada | ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾಗಿ | ||
| ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾಗಿ" ("forever") originates from the Sanskrit word "śāśvatam," which means "eternal" or "unchanging." | |||
| Malayalam | എന്നേക്കും | ||
| "എന്നേക്കും", meaning "forever", is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*en-t-ē-k-u-m", meaning "day after day". | |||
| Marathi | कायमचे | ||
| The word "कायमचे" is derived from Sanskrit word "kaayam" meaning body and signifies continuity or permanence. | |||
| Nepali | सधैंभरि | ||
| The word "सधैंभरि" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सदा" (always) and the Nepali suffix "भरि" (full). | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਦਾ ਲਈ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සදහටම | ||
| The word "සදහටම" (forever) is derived from the Sanskrit word "sadā" (always) and the suffix "-ta" (ness). It can also mean "everlasting" or "perpetual". | |||
| Tamil | என்றென்றும் | ||
| Telugu | ఎప్పటికీ | ||
| The word "ఎప్పటికీ" can also mean "constantly", "always", or "ever". | |||
| Urdu | ہمیشہ کے لئے | ||
Forever in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 永远 | ||
| The character "永" in "永远" originally meant "flowing water" and was later used to represent eternity. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 永遠 | ||
| "永遠" has meanings of "not dying", "long life", or "always". | |||
| Japanese | 永遠に | ||
| The kanji 永遠に, meaning "eternity" or "forever," originated from the Chinese concept of "endless time, from everlasting antiquity to everlasting futurity." | |||
| Korean | 영원히 | ||
| "영원히" is short for "영원토록" or "영원토록히", meaning "eternity" or "forever". The suffix "히" indicates an adverbial form. | |||
| Mongolian | үүрд мөнх | ||
| Üürd mönh literally means 'a long road', which signifies permanence and eternity in Mongolian culture. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထာဝရ | ||
| The word 'ထာဝရ' (forever) in Myanmar is derived from the Sanskrit word 'स्थावर' (stable), which also means 'permanent' or 'immovable'. | |||
Forever in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | selama-lamanya | ||
| The word "selama-lamanya" is derived from the Sanskrit word "śāśvata", meaning "eternal". | |||
| Javanese | selawase | ||
| "Selawase" has an alternate meaning, "as long as", which can be used to denote a specific period instead of perpetuity. | |||
| Khmer | ជារៀងរហូត | ||
| Lao | ຕະຫຼອດໄປ | ||
| Malay | selamanya | ||
| The word “selamanya” originates from “sela” (time) and “manya” (countless), hence its temporal connotation. | |||
| Thai | ตลอดไป | ||
| The word 'ตลอดไป' has an alternate meaning of 'continuously' and derives from the Sanskrit word 'trayodaśa,' meaning 'thirteen'. | |||
| Vietnamese | mãi mãi | ||
| " mãi mãi" means "forever", but it also can be used to express a wish or hope for something to last a long time. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magpakailanman | ||
Forever in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | həmişəlik | ||
| "Həmişəlik" is a compound word consisting of the words "həmişə" (always) and "-lik" (suffix denoting a state or condition), meaning "a state of always" or "permanently." | |||
| Kazakh | мәңгі | ||
| The Kazakh word "мәңгі" not only means "forever", but is also a synonym for the concepts of "constant", "permanent", and "eternal". | |||
| Kyrgyz | түбөлүккө | ||
| The word "түбөлүккө" is derived from the Old Turkic word "tüpülgi" meaning "endlessness" or "eternity". It can also refer to a "perpetual lease" or "permanent tenure" in Kyrgyz law. | |||
| Tajik | то абад | ||
| “то абад” is also used to mean eternity or infinity, conveying a sense of endlessness. | |||
| Turkmen | baky | ||
| Uzbek | abadiy | ||
| The word "abadiy" is derived from the Arabic word "abadi", which means "eternal" or "perpetual." | |||
| Uyghur | مەڭگۈ | ||
Forever in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mau loa | ||
| "Mau loa" is a combination of two Hawaiian words: "mau" which means "continuous" or "ongoing," and "loa" which means "long" or "extended. | |||
| Maori | ake ake | ||
| The word "ake ake" in Maori can also refer to the "continuance of time" or the "distant past and future". | |||
| Samoan | faavavau | ||
| Fa'avavau derives from the root word 'vau', meaning 'long', and conveys an indefinite or eternal duration. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magpakailanman | ||
| Derived from the Tagalog words "paka" (cause to be) and "ilan" (how many), "magpakailanman" literally means "to cause to be how many times," implying infinity. | |||
Forever in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wiñayataki | ||
| Guarani | arerã | ||
Forever in International Languages
| Esperanto | por ĉiam | ||
| The Esperanto word "por ĉiam" literally means "for all time" and is equivalent to the English "forever" and the German "für immer". | |||
| Latin | aeternum | ||
| "Aeternum" also means "of this world" or "temporal" in a few Latin phrases, although the primary meaning is indeed "eternal." | |||
Forever in Others Languages
| Greek | για πάντα | ||
| "Γεια" (Hello) is the informal way of greeting someone, "γεια σας" (Hello to you) is the formal way of greeting someone. | |||
| Hmong | nyob mus ib txhis | ||
| The Hmong word 'nyob mus ib txhis' not only means 'forever' but also can be translated as 'to live forever' or 'to live on'. | |||
| Kurdish | herdem | ||
| The word "herdem" in Kurdish has roots in the Persian phrase "her dam", meaning "every moment". | |||
| Turkish | sonsuza dek | ||
| The Turkish word "sonsuza dek" is a calque from the Persian "tâ abad" and Arabic "ilā āl-abad", both meaning "to the end of the ages." | |||
| Xhosa | ngonaphakade | ||
| In Xhosa, "ngonaphakade" can also mean "throughout time" or "until the end of time." | |||
| Yiddish | אויף אייביק | ||
| The Yiddish word 'אויף אייביק' ('forever') originally referred to the afterlife or eternity but has since taken on a more secular meaning. | |||
| Zulu | ingunaphakade | ||
| The Zulu word "ingunaphakade" also means "in the time of the ancestors". | |||
| Assamese | চিৰদিন | ||
| Aymara | wiñayataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | हरमेशा खातिर | ||
| Dhivehi | އަބަދަށް | ||
| Dogri | उक्का | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magpakailanman | ||
| Guarani | arerã | ||
| Ilocano | agnanayon nga awan inggana | ||
| Krio | sote go | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆ هەمیشە | ||
| Maithili | सदाक लेल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯇꯝ ꯄꯨꯝꯕꯗ | ||
| Mizo | chatuan | ||
| Oromo | barabaraan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସବୁଦିନ ପାଇଁ | ||
| Quechua | wiñaypaq | ||
| Sanskrit | सदा | ||
| Tatar | мәңгегә | ||
| Tigrinya | ንኹሉ ግዜ | ||
| Tsonga | hilaha ku nga heriki | ||