Goal in Different Languages
Discover 'Goal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'goal' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, symbolizing the objective or destination that drives our actions and motivations. Goals can be personal, professional, or cultural, and they often serve as the driving force behind our accomplishments and successes.
Throughout history, goals have played a crucial role in shaping societies and civilizations. From the ancient Greeks' pursuit of athletic perfection in the Olympic Games to the modern-day pursuit of scientific and technological advancements, goals have inspired and motivated individuals and communities to achieve greatness.
Understanding the translation of the word 'goal' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and values of various societies. For example, in Spanish, the word for goal is 'objetivo,' which comes from the Latin 'objectivus' meaning 'placed before.' In German, the word for goal is 'Ziel,' which originally referred to a target or mark to be hit with an arrow.
Below, you will find a list of translations of the word 'goal' in various languages, providing a glimpse into the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of our world.
Goal
Goal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | doelwit | ||
| Amharic | ግብ | ||
| " Գቡ " is also the name of a traditional Ethiopian round bread that is served with stews or as a snack on its own. | |||
| Hausa | burin | ||
| The word "burin" can also refer to "aim" or "intention" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ihe mgbaru ọsọ | ||
| The word 'ihe mgbaru ọsọ' literally translates to 'the thing that ends the chase', highlighting the goal as the culmination of a pursuit. | |||
| Malagasy | tanjona | ||
| In Malagasy, "tanjona" also refers to a landmark or a destination. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholinga | ||
| Some sources say "cholinga" may refer to the sticks used to make goalposts. | |||
| Shona | chinangwa | ||
| The Shona word "chinangwa" can also refer to the act of kicking a ball into a goal or the place where the goal is scored. | |||
| Somali | yool | ||
| In Somali, "yool" can also refer to the act of aiming or the endpoint of a journey. | |||
| Sesotho | sepheo | ||
| Swahili | lengo | ||
| The word "lengo" in Swahili also means "target" or "destination". | |||
| Xhosa | njongo | ||
| In Xhosa, 'njongo' can refer to either a goal or an objective, highlighting its versatility in capturing both tangible and intangible aspirations. | |||
| Yoruba | ibi-afẹde | ||
| The Yoruba word for goal, "ibi-afẹde", literally translates to "a place to sow a trap," implying the idea of catching and capturing an opportunity. | |||
| Zulu | umgomo | ||
| Umgomo is originally a Nguni word meaning the act of striking or hitting an object | |||
| Bambara | ka bi don | ||
| Ewe | age | ||
| Kinyarwanda | intego | ||
| Lingala | mokano | ||
| Luganda | okuteeba | ||
| Sepedi | nepo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | botaeɛ | ||
Goal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هدف | ||
| The Arabic word "هدف" also signifies "intention" and "object". | |||
| Hebrew | מטרה | ||
| The term is cognate with the Arabic word (mitr) which means a string, thread, or cord | |||
| Pashto | هدف | ||
| The Pashto word "هدف" is ultimately derived from the Arabic word "هدف", which means "target" or "aim". | |||
| Arabic | هدف | ||
| The Arabic word "هدف" also signifies "intention" and "object". | |||
Goal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | qëllimi | ||
| Basque | helburua | ||
| The Basque word "helburua" (goal) is derived from "hel" (way) and "buru" (head), signifying the end of a path. | |||
| Catalan | objectiu | ||
| The Catalan word 'objectiu' can also refer to an optical lens. | |||
| Croatian | cilj | ||
| "Cilj" also refers to the point where a hunter aims. | |||
| Danish | mål | ||
| Danish "mål" derives from Old Norse "mál", with cognates in various Germanic and Slavic languages, encompassing meanings like "speech", "report", "case", "aim", and "target." | |||
| Dutch | doel | ||
| The word "doel" can also refer to a target, an aim, or an objective. | |||
| English | goal | ||
| "Goal" originally meant "the starting post in a footrace" and later "the terminal point of a journey". | |||
| French | objectif | ||
| The French word objectif, meaning | |||
| Frisian | doelpunt | ||
| The Frisian word "doelpunt" has multiple meanings such as "aim", "intent", "purpose", "destination" and "target". | |||
| Galician | obxectivo | ||
| In Galician the word 'obxectivo' not only means 'goal', but it can also refer to the 'lens' of a camera or a 'target' in shooting. | |||
| German | tor | ||
| In German, the word "Tor" also means "gate" and "door" and derives from the Old High German word "tor" meaning "hole". | |||
| Icelandic | markmið | ||
| The word 'markmið' in Icelandic literally translates to 'mark measure', indicating a point of reference or a specific aim. | |||
| Irish | sprioc | ||
| The word "sprioc" in Irish can also refer to a "mark" or a "sign". | |||
| Italian | obbiettivo | ||
| The word "obbiettivo" derives from the Latin word "obiectus," meaning "something thrown against or opposed". | |||
| Luxembourgish | zil | ||
| The word "Zil" in Luxembourgish derives from the Old High German word "zil", meaning "target" or "aim". | |||
| Maltese | għan | ||
| The Maltese word "għan" derives from the Arabic word "غاية" (ghāyah), meaning "end" or "aim". | |||
| Norwegian | mål | ||
| The word "mål" in Norwegian can also refer to a "measuring stick" or "target", and is derived from the Old Norse word "mál", meaning "mark" or "boundary". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | objetivo | ||
| In Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), "objetivo" also refers to the subject of a photographic lens or a military gun, with the latter meaning stemming from 1582. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | amas | ||
| Amas derives from Middle Irish "amas", with an earlier form in "ad-moch", meaning "measure". | |||
| Spanish | objetivo | ||
| The Spanish "objetivo" comes from Latin and can also mean "target" or "purpose". | |||
| Swedish | mål | ||
| The word "mål" in Swedish has multiple meanings, including "target", "destination", and "aim". | |||
| Welsh | nod | ||
| Nod can also refer to "needle" or "thread" in Welsh, and originates from the Old Irish "snáth" meaning "needle". | |||
Goal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мэта | ||
| Belarusian "мэта" (goal) shares etymology with the English "meta" (a self-referential construct) and "measure" (a unit of comparison). | |||
| Bosnian | gol | ||
| The word "gol" in Bosnian also refers to a kind of sweet pastry. | |||
| Bulgarian | цел | ||
| Цел can also mean "target", "purpose", or "objective". | |||
| Czech | fotbalová branka | ||
| The Czech word "fotbalová branka" literally means "football gate". | |||
| Estonian | eesmärk | ||
| The word "eesmärk" comes from the German word "Ziel" and originally meant "target". | |||
| Finnish | päämäärä | ||
| The Finnish word "päämäärä" originally meant "final journey", likely related to the Proto-Finnic word "pä" ("end"). | |||
| Hungarian | cél | ||
| "Cél" is the Hungarian word for "target" or "destination" and is the root of many English words such as "cell" and "stellar." | |||
| Latvian | mērķis | ||
| The word "mērķis" is derived from the Proto-Baltic word *merkis, meaning "aim, target, or mark". | |||
| Lithuanian | įvartis | ||
| Įvartis' is derived from 'įvartyti', meaning to 'push in' or 'drive in' something such as a nail or wedge. | |||
| Macedonian | цел | ||
| Македонската збор цел е сродна на руската реч "цель" | |||
| Polish | cel | ||
| The Polish word "cel" can also refer to a mark, point of reference, or a target. | |||
| Romanian | poartă | ||
| "Poartă" comes from the Latin "porta", meaning "entrance" or "door", referring to the passage into the opponent's field. | |||
| Russian | цель | ||
| The word "Цель" can also refer to a target, aiming point or point of sight. | |||
| Serbian | циљ | ||
| "Циљ" can also mean "aim", "target", "purpose", "objective", or "intent" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | cieľ | ||
| The Slovak word "cieľ" also means "target", "aim", "destination", "object" and "purpose." | |||
| Slovenian | cilj | ||
| The word 'cilj' is also used to mean 'target' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | мета | ||
| "Мета" is a word in Ukrainian with roots in Proto-Indo-European, meaning "to measure". | |||
Goal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লক্ষ্য | ||
| The word "লক্ষ্য" is derived from the Sanskrit word "लक्ष्य" (lakṣya), which means "target" or "aim". It is also related to the word "दृष्टि" (dṛṣṭi), which means "sight" or "vision". | |||
| Gujarati | ધ્યેય | ||
| "ધ્યેય" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ध्येय," meaning a mental object of contemplation, an aim, or an objective. | |||
| Hindi | लक्ष्य | ||
| In Hindi, the word "लक्ष्य" also refers to a celestial object or a target for shooting, highlighting its diverse semantic range beyond "goal" or "objective". | |||
| Kannada | ಗುರಿ | ||
| Kannada word "ಗುರಿ" is also used in the sense of "objective or target" in various contexts. | |||
| Malayalam | ലക്ഷ്യം | ||
| "Lakshyam," like the Sanskrit "laksh" (meaning to mark or notice), denotes aiming or marking something." | |||
| Marathi | ध्येय | ||
| The Marathi word "ध्येय" is derived from the Sanskrit word "धृ" which means "to hold". It can also refer to an object or state that is the intended object of an action. | |||
| Nepali | लक्ष्य | ||
| The word "लक्ष्य" is derived from the Sanskrit root "laks," meaning "mark" or "observe." | |||
| Punjabi | ਟੀਚਾ | ||
| The word "ਟੀਚਾ" in Punjabi can also refer to a bull's-eye or a target that is aimed at for practice or in a competition. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉලක්කය | ||
| The word "ඉලක්කය" (goal) is derived from the Sanskrit word "लक्ष्य" (lakṣya), which means "target" or "aim". | |||
| Tamil | இலக்கு | ||
| "இலக்கு" (goal) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "लक्ष्य" (lakṣya), meaning "aim" or "target." | |||
| Telugu | లక్ష్యం | ||
| The Telugu word "లక్ష్యం" can also refer to a target, a mark, or a destination. | |||
| Urdu | مقصد | ||
| The Urdu word "مقصد" is derived from the Arabic verb "قصد", which means "to intend". It can also refer to a "destination" or "purpose". | |||
Goal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 目标 | ||
| In Chinese, 目标 (mùbiāo) can also refer to "target", "aim", or "objective." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 目標 | ||
| 目標 is a compound of the characters 目 “to aim at,” and 標 “target,” and can therefore mean both “aim” and “target.” | |||
| Japanese | ゴール | ||
| Though typically associated with sports, "ゴール" (goal) also means "finish line" or "end-point" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 골 | ||
| The word "골" can also mean "hole" or "valley" in Korean, highlighting its connection to the idea of a target or opening. | |||
| Mongolian | зорилго | ||
| The word "зорилго" is derived from the Mongolian word "зорих" which means "to seek out" or "to aim at". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရည်မှန်းချက် | ||
Goal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tujuan | ||
| Tujuan is derived from the Arabic word "tujjen" meaning "direction" or "aim". | |||
| Javanese | tujuan | ||
| The Javanese word "tujuan" also means "destination". | |||
| Khmer | គោលដៅ | ||
| The word "goal" derives from the Old French "gole," meaning throat, and has retained this meaning for centuries. | |||
| Lao | ເປົ້າ ໝາຍ | ||
| Malay | matlamat | ||
| The word 'Matlamat' has Arabic roots, derived from the triliteral verb 'ṭ-l-m,' meaning to seek or aim for something. | |||
| Thai | เป้าหมาย | ||
| The Thai word "เป้าหมาย" originally referred to the target in a shooting range and has evolved to mean "goal" in general terms. | |||
| Vietnamese | mục tiêu | ||
| The word "mục tiêu" derives from the Sino-Vietnamese word 目標, which means "target" or "aim" in Chinese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | layunin | ||
Goal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qol | ||
| The word "qol" in Azerbaijani originates from the Persian word "kol", meaning "part, piece, segment, or arm". | |||
| Kazakh | мақсат | ||
| Kazakh "мақсат" also translates as "purpose", "target", or "aim" in English. | |||
| Kyrgyz | максат | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "максат" comes from the Persian word "مقصد" and has the same meaning as the English word "destination" or "destination". | |||
| Tajik | ҳадаф | ||
| The word "ҳадаф" is derived from the Arabic word "هدف", which means target or aim. | |||
| Turkmen | maksat | ||
| Uzbek | maqsad | ||
| Maqsad's root "maq" means "to go" in Persian and shares a base with the word "migration". | |||
| Uyghur | نىشان | ||
Goal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pahu hopu | ||
| Pahūhopu can also mean "to desire" or "to wish for" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whāinga | ||
| The Māori word "whāinga" means "goal" or "objective" and can also refer to a "destination" or "end point." | |||
| Samoan | sini | ||
| The term **sini** can also bear the meaning of "object", "cause", "aim", or "purpose". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | layunin | ||
| The Tagalog word "layunin" comes from the Spanish word "objeto," meaning "object" or "objective." | |||
Goal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amta | ||
| Guarani | gol | ||
Goal in International Languages
| Esperanto | celo | ||
| The Esperanto word "celo" is derived from the Latin word "caelum," meaning "sky" or "heaven." | |||
| Latin | propositum | ||
| "Propositum" originally meant "plan" or "intention" in Latin. | |||
Goal in Others Languages
| Greek | στόχος | ||
| The word στόχος also has meanings of "target", "aim", and "purpose" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | lub hom phiaj | ||
| The Hmong word "lub hom phiaj" also means "finish line" or "destination" | |||
| Kurdish | armanc | ||
| The word 'armanc' in Kurdish also means 'aim, purpose, objective, intent, desire, ambition, aspiration, and dream'. | |||
| Turkish | hedef | ||
| The word "hedef" also means "target" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | njongo | ||
| In Xhosa, 'njongo' can refer to either a goal or an objective, highlighting its versatility in capturing both tangible and intangible aspirations. | |||
| Yiddish | ציל | ||
| The Yiddish word "ציל" also means "aim" or "purpose", reflecting its connection to the concept of striving towards a desired outcome. | |||
| Zulu | umgomo | ||
| Umgomo is originally a Nguni word meaning the act of striking or hitting an object | |||
| Assamese | লক্ষ্য | ||
| Aymara | amta | ||
| Bhojpuri | मकसद | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޤަޞަދު | ||
| Dogri | मंजल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | layunin | ||
| Guarani | gol | ||
| Ilocano | gandat | ||
| Krio | gol | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئامانج | ||
| Maithili | लक्ष्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯟꯗꯝ | ||
| Mizo | tum | ||
| Oromo | galma | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | chayana | ||
| Sanskrit | ध्येय | ||
| Tatar | максат | ||
| Tigrinya | ሽቶ | ||
| Tsonga | xikongomelo | ||