Greatest in Different Languages
Discover 'Greatest' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'greatest' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, symbolizing superiority, eminence, and exceptionality. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it is used to express admiration, respect, and appreciation across various languages and cultures.
Knowing the translation of 'greatest' in different languages can be a valuable tool for global communication and cultural exchange. For instance, in Spanish, the word 'mayor' or 'grande' can be used to express 'greatest', depending on the context. Meanwhile, in French, 'le plus grand' or 'la plus grande' is the appropriate translation. In German, 'größte' is the counterpart of 'greatest'. These translations not only help us understand different languages but also provide insight into the unique ways different cultures perceive and express greatness.
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations of the word 'greatest' in various languages, from Arabic to Zulu, that will further enrich your linguistic and cultural knowledge.
Greatest
Greatest in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | grootste | ||
| Grootste means 'greatest' in Afrikaans, but it originally meant 'fattest' or 'largest'. | |||
| Amharic | ትልቁ | ||
| The word "ትልቁ" ("greatest") can also mean "largest" or "most important". | |||
| Hausa | mafi girma | ||
| The Hausa word 'mafi girma', while meaning 'greatest', also refers to the 'highest mountain' and the 'most respected person'. | |||
| Igbo | kasị ukwuu | ||
| Kasị ukwuu, a compound of kasị 'over, above, beyond' and ukwuu 'bigness,' also means 'very' as a result of euphemism and semantic extension. | |||
| Malagasy | indrindra | ||
| "Indrindra" in Malagasy is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *qalida, meaning "high" or "tall." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chachikulu | ||
| The word "chachikulu" can also be used to refer to "something that is very important" or "something that is very good". | |||
| Shona | chikuru | ||
| The word "chikuru" can also mean "old" or "ancestor" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | ugu weyn | ||
| The term "ugu weyn" comes from the Somali roots "ugu-" ("most") and "weyn" ("big"), further meaning "the biggest" or "the most important." | |||
| Sesotho | kholo ka ho fetisisa | ||
| It can also mean 'the strongest', 'the most courageous', or 'the most intelligent'. | |||
| Swahili | kubwa zaidi | ||
| "Kubwa" is the Swahili word for "big" and "zaidi" means "more" or "most". Thus, "kubwa zaidi" literally translates to "bigger" or "biggest." | |||
| Xhosa | inkulu | ||
| In some dialects of Xhosa, "inkulu" can also refer to the firstborn male child of a family as well. | |||
| Yoruba | tobi julo | ||
| "Tobi julo" is sometimes translated as "the greatest one out of many". | |||
| Zulu | okukhulu kakhulu | ||
| The word | |||
| Bambara | min ka bon ni tɔw bɛɛ ye | ||
| Ewe | gãtɔ kekeake | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mukuru | ||
| Lingala | oyo eleki monene | ||
| Luganda | ekisinga obukulu | ||
| Sepedi | e kgolo kudu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɛse sen biara | ||
Greatest in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أعظم | ||
| The word "أعظم" can also mean "enormous" or "tremendous". | |||
| Hebrew | הגדול ביותר | ||
| The word "hagadol be-yoter" ("greatest") in Hebrew can also refer to "the biggest" or "the most important." | |||
| Pashto | لوی | ||
| The word "لوی" can also refer to a tribe or clan, and is a common surname in Pakistan and Afghanistan. | |||
| Arabic | أعظم | ||
| The word "أعظم" can also mean "enormous" or "tremendous". | |||
Greatest in Western European Languages
| Albanian | më i madhi | ||
| The Albanian word "më i madhi" is a superlative form of the adjective "i madh" meaning "big" or "great". | |||
| Basque | handiena | ||
| The Basque word "handiena" also means "largest" and is related to *handi* "big" and *andi" "giant." | |||
| Catalan | més gran | ||
| "Més gran" also means "bigger" in Catalan, and comes from the Latin "magnus" (big). | |||
| Croatian | najveći | ||
| The word 'najveći' in Croatian also means 'largest' or 'biggest', and it is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'veliki', which meant 'great' or 'large'. | |||
| Danish | største | ||
| Største is also used for emphasis: “Jeg har den STØRSTE lyst!” (“I'd rather do something else!” or “I do NOT want to do the thing you are suggesting!”) | |||
| Dutch | beste | ||
| The word "beste" in Dutch also means "nice" or "good". | |||
| English | greatest | ||
| The word 'greatest' is derived from the Old English word 'grēatost', which means 'largest' or 'most important'. | |||
| French | le plus grand | ||
| The French phrase "Le plus grand" can also mean the "oldest" member of a family. | |||
| Frisian | grutste | ||
| The word 'grutste' in Frisian was originally used to refer to a large building or structure. | |||
| Galician | máis grande | ||
| The word "máis grande" is a comparative adjective in Galician, meaning "larger" or "greater". | |||
| German | größte | ||
| The word "größte" is the superlative form of "groß" (big, great, tall, etc.) and comes from the Old High German word "grōʒ" (big, important). | |||
| Icelandic | mestur | ||
| The Icelandic word "mestur" also means "master" or "champion". | |||
| Irish | is mó | ||
| The Irish word "is mó" is also used as a comparative form of adjectives, meaning "more". | |||
| Italian | più grande | ||
| "Più grande" literally means "more bigger", with "big" being one of the few irregular comparatives in Italian (alongside good/better and bad/worse). | |||
| Luxembourgish | gréissten | ||
| The word 'gréissten' in Luxembourgish is also used to express the concept of 'excellence' or 'superlative quality'. | |||
| Maltese | akbar | ||
| The word "akbar" is also used to describe a person with a great deal of experience or knowledge in a particular field. | |||
| Norwegian | størst | ||
| The word "størst" is derived from the Old Norse word "sterkstr", meaning "strongest," and is related to the English word "stark." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | maior | ||
| "Maior" also means "elder," like in English, but with different connotations, e.g., "older sibling" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | as motha | ||
| As motha, a superlative meaning 'greatest' or 'best' in Scottish Gaelic, is commonly used to express great admiration or praise. | |||
| Spanish | mayor | ||
| The word "mayor" in Spanish also means "elder" and "major". | |||
| Swedish | störst | ||
| "Störst" also means "disturbance" and might have a distant relation to the word "sturgeon" (Swedish: "stör") through Proto-Germanic "əsturun" meaning "troublemaker". | |||
| Welsh | mwyaf | ||
| The Welsh word "mwyaf" is also used as a comparative and superlative form of adjectives. | |||
Greatest in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | найвялікшы | ||
| The word "найвялікшы" (greatest) originated from the Proto-Slavic word "naivetь" meaning "highest" and "most superior". | |||
| Bosnian | najveći | ||
| The word "najveći" in Bosnian also has the meaning of "biggest" when used in a physical sense. | |||
| Bulgarian | най велик | ||
| Alternate meaning of "най велик" is "extremely fat" (colloquial) | |||
| Czech | největší | ||
| The word "největší" ("greatest") in Czech is derived from the words "nej" ("most") and "větší" ("greater"). | |||
| Estonian | suurim | ||
| "Suurim" has been used to mean "large" or "great" since the 12th century. | |||
| Finnish | suurin | ||
| The word "suurin" is a superlative form of the adjective "suuri", which means "big" or "large". | |||
| Hungarian | legnagyobb | ||
| Legjobb 'leg' 'jobban', 'nagyobb' elemekből áll, jelentése: 'a legjobban jobban nagyobb'. | |||
| Latvian | vislielākais | ||
| Vislielākais is derived from the Latvian words "visu" (all) and "lielākais" (biggest) and also means "most visible". | |||
| Lithuanian | didžiausias | ||
| Its alternate spelling 'džiausias' has a different meaning - 'most joyful'. | |||
| Macedonian | најголем | ||
| The Macedonian word "најголем" ("greatest") is a compound of "нај" ("most") and "голем" ("big"), and it can also mean "best" or "most important". | |||
| Polish | największy | ||
| "Największy" also means "most numerous" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | cel mai mare | ||
| In Romanian, "cel mai mare" can also mean "the biggest" or "the oldest". | |||
| Russian | величайший | ||
| The Russian word "величайший" can mean "greatest" but also "very large" or "magnificent". | |||
| Serbian | највећи | ||
| The word "највећи" can also mean "the most" or "the most important" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | najväčší | ||
| The Slovak word "najväčší" also means "the oldest". | |||
| Slovenian | največji | ||
| In addition to its common meaning, 'največji' (greatest) can also denote a 'masterful' or 'skillful' person. | |||
| Ukrainian | найбільший | ||
| The word "найбільший" can also refer to the superlative form of "більший" ("bigger or larger than" or "greater than in terms of quantity") or the superlative of "додатковий" ("extra" or "additional"). | |||
Greatest in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সবচেয়ে বড় | ||
| সবচেয়ে বড়' in Bengali has multiple meanings besides "greatest", including "eldest" or "biggest" in size. | |||
| Gujarati | મહાન | ||
| The word "મહાન" is derived from the Sanskrit root "mah", meaning "great" or "large", and is often used to describe something of exceptional size, importance, or quality. | |||
| Hindi | महानतम | ||
| 'महानतम' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'महान्' (great), and can also refer to 'distinguished' or 'noble'. | |||
| Kannada | ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ | ||
| The word "ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ" can also mean "excellent", "superior", or "first-class". | |||
| Malayalam | ഏറ്റവും വലിയ | ||
| The Malayalam word "ഏറ്റവും വലിയ" can also be translated as "maximum" or "greatest" in the sense of amount or quantity. | |||
| Marathi | महान | ||
| The word 'महान' ('greatest') derives from Sanskrit, meaning 'great in size or strength' or 'excellent' or 'famous'. | |||
| Nepali | सबैभन्दा ठूलो | ||
| The Nepali word "सबैभन्दा ठूलो" is also used to refer to someone who is the most powerful or influential in a particular group or area. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਹਾਨ | ||
| ਮਹਾਨ is the Punjabi word for both “the greatest” and “the great”. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ශ්රේෂ් .යි | ||
| Tamil | மிகப்பெரியது | ||
| Telugu | గొప్ప | ||
| The word "గొప్ప" can also mean "excellent" or "important" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | سب سے بڑا | ||
| "سب سے بڑا" is derived from the Persian "bishtar" which means "more" or "most". | |||
Greatest in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 最伟大的 | ||
| The Chinese word "最伟大的" also means "most honorable" or "most respected". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 最偉大的 | ||
| 最偉大的 means 'the most glorious', 'the most flourishing', 'the most excellent'. | |||
| Japanese | 最高の | ||
| The word "最高の" (saikou no) literally translates to "best of the best" and can also be used as a superlative to express the highest level of something. | |||
| Korean | 가장 큰 | ||
| "가장 큰" (greatest) originated from the Chinese phrase "至高無上" (most eminent and supreme), which was introduced to Korean during the Goryeo dynasty. | |||
| Mongolian | хамгийн агуу | ||
| The Mongolian word for "greatest," хамгийн агуу, is cognate with the Turkish word "çok," which means "very" or "many." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကြီးမြတ်ဆုံး | ||
Greatest in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | terhebat | ||
| "Terhebat" can also mean "the most terrifying" or "the most formidable." | |||
| Javanese | paling gedhe | ||
| "Paling gedhe" is also used to refer to the eldest child in a family. | |||
| Khmer | អស្ចារ្យបំផុត | ||
| Lao | ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ທີ່ສຸດ | ||
| The Lao word for "greatest" originated from the word "more". | |||
| Malay | terhebat | ||
| The Malay word "terhebat" (greatest) originally meant "most powerful" or "most intense" in Old Malay, and is still used in this sense in certain contexts. | |||
| Thai | ยิ่งใหญ่ที่สุด | ||
| The word "ยิ่งใหญ่ที่สุด" also means "grandest" and "most impressive". | |||
| Vietnamese | vĩ đại nhất | ||
| The word "vĩ đại nhất" can also be used to mean "most important". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pinakadakila | ||
Greatest in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ən böyük | ||
| The word "ən böyük" can also mean "greatest" in terms of size or amount. | |||
| Kazakh | ең үлкен | ||
| The Kazakh word "ең үлкен" can also be used to describe the most respected or influential person in a society. | |||
| Kyrgyz | улуу | ||
| The word "улуу" can also refer to "great" or "senior" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | бузургтарин | ||
| The word "бузургтарин" is derived from the Persian word "بزرگترین" (buzurgtarin), which means "greatest" or "eldest". | |||
| Turkmen | iň beýik | ||
| Uzbek | eng buyuk | ||
| Eng buyuk is derived from the Turkic word buyuk, which means "great" or "large". | |||
| Uyghur | ئەڭ ئۇلۇغ | ||
Greatest in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoi loa | ||
| 'Oi loa', meaning 'greatest' in Hawaiian, also refers to a native Hawaiian species of tree snails found on the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui. | |||
| Maori | rahi rawa atu | ||
| "Rahi rawa atu" literally means "very very big". | |||
| Samoan | sili | ||
| The word "sili" in Samoan is often used to describe something that is the best or most important. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pinakadakilang | ||
Greatest in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jach’a | ||
| Guarani | tuichavéva | ||
Greatest in International Languages
| Esperanto | plej granda | ||
| The Esperanto word "plej granda" is the superlative form of "granda" (big, great), and its root "grand" also means "magnificent, splendid, illustrious, noble, dignified." | |||
| Latin | summa | ||
| In Medieval Latin, "summa" additionally signified a "collection of authoritative texts" or "a complete compendium of knowledge." | |||
Greatest in Others Languages
| Greek | μεγαλύτερη | ||
| The word "μεγαλύτερη" (greatest) is derived from the Greek word "μέγας" (great), which also means "large" or "important". | |||
| Hmong | loj tshaj | ||
| Loj tshaj is often used to describe a great warrior or someone who has done many good deeds. | |||
| Kurdish | mezintirîn | ||
| "Mezintirîn" also means the youngest child (literally: the last finger) in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | en büyük | ||
| "En büyük" can sometimes refer to one's elder sibling but also commonly refers to a person's lover/romantic partner. | |||
| Xhosa | inkulu | ||
| In some dialects of Xhosa, "inkulu" can also refer to the firstborn male child of a family as well. | |||
| Yiddish | גרעסטע | ||
| גרעסטע is Yiddish, meaning 'largest'. It is pronounced grèste, like the English word 'great'. In Yiddish, it is used to describe something that is very big or important. | |||
| Zulu | okukhulu kakhulu | ||
| The word | |||
| Assamese | গ্ৰেটেষ্ট | ||
| Aymara | jach’a | ||
| Bhojpuri | सबसे बड़का बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އެންމެ ބޮޑު | ||
| Dogri | सब तों वड्डा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pinakadakila | ||
| Guarani | tuichavéva | ||
| Ilocano | kadakkelan | ||
| Krio | di wan we pas ɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەورەترین | ||
| Maithili | सबसँ पैघ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈ꯭ꯕꯥꯏꯗꯒꯤ ꯆꯥꯎꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | ropui ber | ||
| Oromo | guddaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସର୍ବଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ | ||
| Quechua | aswan hatun | ||
| Sanskrit | महान् | ||
| Tatar | иң зур | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝዓበየ | ||
| Tsonga | leyikulu swinene | ||