Forward in Different Languages
Discover 'Forward' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'forward' carries with it a sense of progress, movement, and initiative. It's a word that inspires action, urging us to keep pushing ahead and making strides towards our goals. This cultural importance is reflected in various languages around the world.
Did you know that the English word 'forward' comes from the Old English 'foreweard'? It's a combination of 'fore', meaning 'before', and 'weard', meaning 'watchman' or 'guard'. This historical context highlights the idea of being a protector or leader, moving forward to face what lies ahead.
Understanding the translation of 'forward' in different languages can help us appreciate the nuances of cultural perspectives and broaden our global awareness. For instance, in Spanish, 'forward' is 'adelante', while in French, it's 'avant'. In Mandarin Chinese, it's '向前 (xiàng qián)', and in Japanese, it's '前 (mae)'.
Join us as we delve deeper into the translations of 'forward' in various languages, providing you with a unique insight into the cultural significance of this simple, yet powerful, word.
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Forward in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vorentoe | ||
| The word 'vorentoe' comes from the Dutch word 'voren', meaning 'in front', and the suffix '-toe', indicating direction. | |||
| Amharic | ወደፊት | ||
| The word "ወደፊት" ("forward") in Amharic is derived from the root word "ፈተ" ("to face, to meet"), indicating a direction towards the future or facing something. | |||
| Hausa | gaba | ||
| The etymology of the Hausa word | |||
| Igbo | gaa n'ihu | ||
| The Igbo word "gaa n'ihu" can also mean "to progress" or "to develop." | |||
| Malagasy | handroso | ||
| The word "handroso" also means "beautiful" or "handsome" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | patsogolo | ||
| The word "patsogolo" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*-tɔŋɔ". It can also mean "ahead" or "the future". | |||
| Shona | mberi | ||
| The word "mberi" also refers to the front or beginning of something. | |||
| Somali | horay u soco | ||
| Horay can also be used to refer to 'progressing', while u soco has alternative meanings such as 'advance' and 'move on'. | |||
| Sesotho | pele | ||
| It can also refer to a young woman or to fire. | |||
| Swahili | mbele | ||
| The word "mbele" can also mean "in front of" or "ahead of" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | phambili | ||
| Phambili also means "in the face" or "to the forefront" and is related to the verb phambisa, which means "to bring to the forefront" or "to promote." | |||
| Yoruba | siwaju | ||
| Siwaju can also mean the front of a line or group and is used figuratively to refer to a leader or someone who is in charge. | |||
| Zulu | phambili | ||
| The root word, phamb-, also means 'first', 'leading' or 'pioneer' | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛ | ||
| Ewe | ŋgᴐgbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbere | ||
| Lingala | kokende liboso | ||
| Luganda | mu maaso | ||
| Sepedi | pele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɔ anim | ||
Forward in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إلى الأمام | ||
| Arabic word "إلى الأمام" also means "ahead" and "beforehand". | |||
| Hebrew | קָדִימָה | ||
| The word "קָדִימָה" also means "east" in Hebrew, as the east is the direction one faces when looking forward. | |||
| Pashto | مخکی | ||
| The word 'مخکی' can also refer to the front or head of something. | |||
| Arabic | إلى الأمام | ||
| Arabic word "إلى الأمام" also means "ahead" and "beforehand". | |||
Forward in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përpara | ||
| "Përpara" derives from the Proto-Indo-European word "per" with the comparative ending "-para", meaning "before" or "in front of". | |||
| Basque | aurrera | ||
| The word “aurrera” may mean “to progress” or “to carry forward” and was originally "aurera". | |||
| Catalan | endavant | ||
| The word "endavant" comes from the Latin "inde ab ante," meaning "from the front." | |||
| Croatian | naprijed | ||
| The etymology of "naprijed" is "na prědъ", meaning "in front of". | |||
| Danish | frem | ||
| Although "frem" primarily means "forward", it can also be used in the sense of "progress" or "going somewhere new". | |||
| Dutch | vooruit | ||
| In sailing, "vooruit" can mean either "forward" or "tack forward" | |||
| English | forward | ||
| Forward, in addition to the usual meaning of "ahead," can also be used as a noun referring to a player in team sports who plays ahead of the other players. | |||
| French | vers l'avant | ||
| The French expression "vers l'avant" is also an idiomatic expression which means "to progress". | |||
| Frisian | foarút | ||
| The word "foarút" in Frisian can also mean "progress" or "advancement". | |||
| Galician | adiante | ||
| The Galician word "adiante" also means "a short distance away" or "nearby". | |||
| German | nach vorne | ||
| The word "nach vorne" in German comes from "nach" (after) and "vorne" (front), and can also mean "out front" or "up front." | |||
| Icelandic | áfram | ||
| Áfram also means 'forth' in Old Norse and has a similar meaning in many other Germanic languages. | |||
| Irish | ar aghaidh | ||
| Italian | inoltrare | ||
| "inoltrare" is derived from the Latin word "intro" meaning "within" and "altare" meaning "altar". | |||
| Luxembourgish | no vir | ||
| In German, "no vir" means "forward" or "in front of". | |||
| Maltese | quddiem | ||
| "Quddiem" can also mean "forefoot" or "heel" in Maltese depending on the context. | |||
| Norwegian | framover | ||
| The word "framover" in Norwegian, meaning "forward," is derived from Old Norse "fram" (meaning "forward, ahead") and "over" (movement, action). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | frente | ||
| In Portuguese, 'frente' also means 'borderline,' possibly due to the commonality of facing borders when going forward. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | air adhart | ||
| The spelling 'air adhart' may be used to avoid confusion with the preposition 'air dheirg' (over, upon). | |||
| Spanish | adelante | ||
| "Adelante" comes from the Arabic word "ad-da'wah", meaning "the call" or "the invitation". | |||
| Swedish | fram- | ||
| The word "fram" in Swedish also means "forth," "out," "away," or "onward." | |||
| Welsh | ymlaen | ||
| The word "ymlaen" is also used in Welsh to mean "front" or "ahead". | |||
Forward in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | наперад | ||
| The word "наперад" can also mean "ahead" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | naprijed | ||
| The word "naprijed" is a compound of the preposition "na" and the noun "prijed" meaning "front". | |||
| Bulgarian | напред | ||
| The word "напред" can also mean "to progress" or "to advance". | |||
| Czech | vpřed | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Slavic word *per-edъ, meaning “onward” or “in front”. | |||
| Estonian | edasi | ||
| Edasi is also used as a noun for 'progress' or an 'advance' in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | eteenpäin | ||
| The word "eteenpäin" derives from the Finnish words "eteen" (meaning "forward") and "päin" (meaning "direction"). | |||
| Hungarian | előre | ||
| "Előre" also means "advance payment" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | uz priekšu | ||
| The word "uz priekšu" in Latvian can also mean "to the front" or "ahead". | |||
| Lithuanian | persiųsti | ||
| The word "Persiųsti" in Lithuanian shares the same root as "siųsti" (to send), and is also related to "per" (through) and "siųsti" (to move). | |||
| Macedonian | напред | ||
| The word "напред" can also mean "progress" or "development" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | naprzód | ||
| The word "Naprzód" in Polish shares the same root as "naprawa" ("repair") signifying a sense of restoration or fixing. | |||
| Romanian | redirecţiona | ||
| The word "redirecţiona" comes from the Latin word "dirigere," which means "to direct" or "to guide." | |||
| Russian | вперед | ||
| The word "вперед" comes from the Old Russian word "передъ", which means "in front" or "before". | |||
| Serbian | напред | ||
| The Serbian word "напред" can also mean "progress" or "advancement". | |||
| Slovak | dopredu | ||
| The Slovak word 'dopredu' can also mean 'in advance' or 'ahead' in English. | |||
| Slovenian | naprej | ||
| Naprej is also the imperative form of the verb naprejati 'to progress' and in this context means 'go on', 'continue'. | |||
| Ukrainian | вперед | ||
| In archaic Russian, the word could also mean "out". | |||
Forward in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | এগিয়ে | ||
| এগিয়ে also means 'to make progress' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | આગળ | ||
| The Gujarati word "આગળ" can also mean "ahead", "forth", or "beforehand" | |||
| Hindi | आगे | ||
| The word "आगे" in Hindi, meaning "forward" or "ahead," also has connotations of "progress" or "advancement." | |||
| Kannada | ಮುಂದೆ | ||
| Though "ಮುಂದೆ" primarily means "forward," it can also mean "in the future" or "on the next page." | |||
| Malayalam | ഫോർവേഡ് ചെയ്യുക | ||
| Marathi | पुढे | ||
| The word "पुढे" in Marathi can also mean "ahead" or "in front of". | |||
| Nepali | अगाडि | ||
| "आगाडि” is a cognate of the Hindi term “आगे” ( आगे) which comes ultimately from the Sanskrit root “अग्र” ( agra), meaning "foremost, chief, first, top, or front." | |||
| Punjabi | ਅੱਗੇ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਅੱਗੇ" also means "first thing in the morning" or "after waking up". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉදිරියට | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "ඉදිරියට" not only means "forward," but also "ahead," "in advance," and "progressively." | |||
| Tamil | முன்னோக்கி | ||
| The Tamil word "முன்னோக்கி" translates to "forward," but can also refer to looking ahead, making progress, or facing the future. | |||
| Telugu | ముందుకు | ||
| The Telugu word "ముందుకు" also means "in the presence of" or "before". | |||
| Urdu | آگے | ||
| The word "آگے" can also mean "in front" or "before". | |||
Forward in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 前锋 | ||
| 前锋 was originally an administrative position of the Han Dynasty and was also related to music in ancient China, referring to the first of the eight types of ancient Chinese music. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 前鋒 | ||
| "前鋒" (forward) in Chinese literally means "the front of the vanguard." | |||
| Japanese | フォワード | ||
| The word フォワード can also mean "forwarding agent" or "striker" in a sports context. | |||
| Korean | 앞으로 | ||
| In Korean, "앞으로" not only refers to spatial direction, but also has temporal and figurative meanings, such as "in the future" or "henceforth". | |||
| Mongolian | урагш | ||
| Урагш shares the same Turkic root of | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှေ့သို့ | ||
Forward in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | meneruskan | ||
| The word "meneruskan" can also mean "continue", "pursue", or "carry on" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | maju | ||
| The Javanese word "maju" can also refer to "progress" or "advancement." | |||
| Khmer | ទៅមុខ | ||
| The word "ទៅមុខ" can also mean "forth and back" or "back and forth" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຕໍ່ | ||
| "ຕໍ່" (forward) can also mean "to continue" or "to add on to something." | |||
| Malay | ke hadapan | ||
| "Ke hadapan" literally means "to the front", but it can also mean "in the future". | |||
| Thai | ไปข้างหน้า | ||
| The original meaning of "ไปข้างหน้า" is "to the countryside or forest" | |||
| Vietnamese | ở đằng trước | ||
| "Ở đằng trước" can also mean "in front of" or "before" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pasulong | ||
Forward in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | irəli | ||
| The word "irəli" ("forward") in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "irayan" ("front") and the Turkish suffix "-li" ("having"). | |||
| Kazakh | алға | ||
| In Kazakh, "алға" also means "progress," "advancement," or "development". | |||
| Kyrgyz | алдыга | ||
| The term "алдыга" (forward) is derived from the verb "алдоо" (to lead) in Kyrgyz, but can also refer to an advance or progress. | |||
| Tajik | ба пеш | ||
| The word "ба пеш" can also mean "in front" or "ahead". | |||
| Turkmen | öňe | ||
| Uzbek | oldinga | ||
| The word "oldinga" also means "forward" in Uzbek and is derived from the root word "ol" meaning "to be" or "to become." | |||
| Uyghur | ئالدىغا | ||
Forward in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mua | ||
| "Mua" can also mean "front" or "ahead" in Hawaiian, and is related to the word "mua'au" which means "to face forward". | |||
| Maori | whakamua | ||
| The Maori word "whakamua" can also mean "to progress" or "to advance". | |||
| Samoan | i luma | ||
| In Samoan, “i luma” also means “in front of”. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pasulong | ||
| "Pasulong" in Tagalog can be traced from the Spanish term "paso longo" that means long or large steps. | |||
Forward in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | nayraqata | ||
| Guarani | tenonde gotyo | ||
Forward in International Languages
| Esperanto | antaŭen | ||
| "Antaŭen" comes from "antaŭ" (before) and is a synonym of "antaŭe" (previously). | |||
| Latin | ante | ||
| "Ante" in Latin also means "before" or "in front of". | |||
Forward in Others Languages
| Greek | προς τα εμπρός | ||
| Προς τα εμπρός may derive from the word “πρός” (towards), as a movement towards the front. | |||
| Hmong | rau pem hauv ntej | ||
| The Hmong word "rau pem hauv ntej" can also mean "progress" or "advancement" depending on the context. | |||
| Kurdish | pêşve | ||
| The Kurdish word "pêşve" has Indo-European roots and is also cognate with the Sanskrit word "pravi" meaning "before". | |||
| Turkish | ileri | ||
| The word "ileri" in Turkish also means "advanced" or "progressive". | |||
| Xhosa | phambili | ||
| Phambili also means "in the face" or "to the forefront" and is related to the verb phambisa, which means "to bring to the forefront" or "to promote." | |||
| Yiddish | פאָרויס | ||
| The word "פאָרויס" (''forward'') derives from the Middle High German word "vorus," which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "per" (''forward''). | |||
| Zulu | phambili | ||
| The root word, phamb-, also means 'first', 'leading' or 'pioneer' | |||
| Assamese | আগলৈ | ||
| Aymara | nayraqata | ||
| Bhojpuri | आगे | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުރިޔަށް | ||
| Dogri | अग्गें | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pasulong | ||
| Guarani | tenonde gotyo | ||
| Ilocano | umabante | ||
| Krio | wet fɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆ پێشەوە | ||
| Maithili | अग्रभाग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯡꯂꯣꯝꯗ | ||
| Mizo | hmalam | ||
| Oromo | gara fuulduraatti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଗକୁ | ||
| Quechua | ñawpaqman | ||
| Sanskrit | अग्रतः | ||
| Tatar | forward | ||
| Tigrinya | ንቅድሚት | ||
| Tsonga | emahlweni | ||