Highly in Different Languages
Discover 'Highly' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'highly' is a small but mighty term that carries a significant punch in the English language. It is often used to express a high degree or level of something, whether it be someone's skills, a product's quality, or a situation's intensity.
Throughout history, 'highly' has been used in various contexts to convey a sense of importance or exceptionalness. For instance, in literature, a character might be described as 'highly intelligent' or a situation as 'highly unusual.' In business, a product might be marketed as 'highly efficient' or 'highly effective.'
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'highly' in different languages can be fascinating and enlightening. For example, in Spanish, 'highly' translates to 'altamente,' while in French, it is 'hautement.' In German, it is 'hochgradig,' and in Japanese, it is '高度に.'
By learning these translations, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural nuances and linguistic differences that exist around the world. So, let's explore the many ways 'highly' can be expressed in different languages and cultures.
Highly
Highly in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hoogs | ||
| The Afrikaans word "hoogs" is derived from the Dutch word "hoog" which means "high" and is also related to the English word "huge". | |||
| Amharic | በከፍተኛ | ||
| The word "በከፍተኛ" can also mean "exceedingly" or "extraordinarily". | |||
| Hausa | sosai | ||
| "Sosai" also means "very much, in great abundance" | |||
| Igbo | ukwuu | ||
| The word "ukwuu" is often used to mean "very" or "extremely". It can also be used to describe something that is impressive or remarkable. | |||
| Malagasy | tena | ||
| "Tena" also means "very" and comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *tina* meaning "very, really, extremely". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kwambiri | ||
| The etymology of the word "kwambiri" is unknown, but it is thought to be related to the word "kumbiriritsa," which means "to make high." | |||
| Shona | zvikuru | ||
| The root of "zvikuru" is "-kuru", which means "to become large", and "zwi-" is a plural prefix. | |||
| Somali | sare | ||
| Although "sare" is an adverb meaning "highly" in Somali, it also means "too much" or "excessive" in some contexts. | |||
| Sesotho | haholo | ||
| The word "haholo" comes from the root "holo" meaning "to ascend" or "to climb" suggesting a sense of elevation or surpassing. | |||
| Swahili | sana | ||
| The Swahili word "sana" derives from the Arabic term "sinn" meaning "tooth" or "sharpness" and is related to the concept of excellence or "highness". | |||
| Xhosa | kakhulu | ||
| The word also means 'great,' 'good,' 'wonderful,' and is sometimes used to indicate 'too much'. | |||
| Yoruba | gíga | ||
| Gíga in Yoruba relates to the English word 'giant' and derives from the word 'gígùn', which means 'tall' or 'long'. | |||
| Zulu | kakhulu | ||
| "Kakhulu" also means "great" or "exceedingly" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka bon kosɛbɛ | ||
| Ewe | kɔkɔ ŋutɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | cyane | ||
| Lingala | mingi mpenza | ||
| Luganda | waggulu nnyo | ||
| Sepedi | godimodimo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | a ɛkorɔn sen biara | ||
Highly in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | للغاية | ||
| للغاية "Lillghaya" in Arabic can have additional meanings like "extremely" or "finally." | |||
| Hebrew | מְאוֹד | ||
| "מְאוֹד" can also be used to express intensity or emphasis, similar to "indeed" or "very much" in English. | |||
| Pashto | په لوړه کچه | ||
| The Pashto word "په لوړه کچه" also has the additional meanings of "exceedingly" and "greatly." | |||
| Arabic | للغاية | ||
| للغاية "Lillghaya" in Arabic can have additional meanings like "extremely" or "finally." | |||
Highly in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shumë | ||
| In Albanian, "shumë" can also mean "many" or "a lot". | |||
| Basque | biziki | ||
| The word "biziki" can also mean "greatly" or "very" and is often used to emphasize the degree or intensity of something. | |||
| Catalan | molt | ||
| The word "molt" in Catalan can also mean "very" or "a lot". | |||
| Croatian | visoko | ||
| The Croatian word "visoko" not only means "highly," but also refers to a high-pitched tone or the act of climbing. | |||
| Danish | højt | ||
| The word "højt" is a cognate of the English word "high" and has the same meaning as "highly". | |||
| Dutch | zeer | ||
| In Dutch, 'zeer' (highly) also means 'sea' and is a cognate of 'see' in English, referring to the nautical concept of the horizon as a high point. | |||
| English | highly | ||
| The word "highly" can also mean "exalted" or "noble". | |||
| French | très | ||
| "Très" derives from the Latin word "trans" meaning "across" or "beyond," suggesting its meaning of exceeding or surpassing a certain level. | |||
| Frisian | heulendal | ||
| The Frisian word "heulendal" can also mean "loudly" and is related to the Dutch verb "huilen" (to howl). | |||
| Galician | altamente | ||
| The word "altamente" is derived from the Latin word "altus", meaning "high" or "deep". | |||
| German | höchst | ||
| Despite meaning "highly" today, "höchst" once referred to "the highest judicial court" or "the highest political authority". | |||
| Icelandic | mjög | ||
| Mjög is a combination of the words "mjú" (soft) and "ok" (yoke). | |||
| Irish | go mór | ||
| In the Irish language, "go mór" can also mean "great" or "much" and is often used in a figurative sense. | |||
| Italian | altamente | ||
| The adverb "altamente" can also be used figuratively to mean "greatly" or "intensively." | |||
| Luxembourgish | héich | ||
| Maltese | ħafna | ||
| "Ħafna" is derived from Arabic "hafî" meaning "bare, clear, exposed" and also "very, much, many" | |||
| Norwegian | høyt | ||
| "Høyt" also means high-pitched sound and a place that's far up | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | altamente | ||
| In Portuguese, "altamente" can also mean "deeply" or "thoroughly" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gu mòr | ||
| The phrase "gu mòr" can also mean "very much" or "greatly". | |||
| Spanish | muy | ||
| The word "muy" originates from the Latin word "multum", meaning "much" or "greatly". | |||
| Swedish | i hög grad | ||
| I hög grad, meaning 'highly', also means 'in great degree'. | |||
| Welsh | hynod | ||
| The word 'hynod' in Welsh can also be interpreted as 'exceedingly' or 'unusually'. | |||
Highly in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | высока | ||
| The word высока came into the Belarusian language through the Old Church Slavonic language and has a direct meaning of “tall”. | |||
| Bosnian | visoko | ||
| The word "visoko" in Bosnian also means "tall", "lofty", or "elevated" in terms of physical dimensions. | |||
| Bulgarian | силно | ||
| The word "силно" is an adverb and means "very", "greatly", or "strongly". It can also be used to express intensity or emphasis. | |||
| Czech | vysoce | ||
| The word "vysoce" can also mean "very" or "greatly". | |||
| Estonian | väga | ||
| Estonian “väga” derives from Proto-Finnic “*wäkeŋ” (“strong”), but also has the archaic meaning of “very” in some other Finnic languages. | |||
| Finnish | erittäin | ||
| The word "erittäin" is also used to mean "very much" or "extremely". | |||
| Hungarian | magasan | ||
| A "magasan" szó a "magas" szó származéka, melynek jelentése eredetileg "magasra emelkedő" volt, de idővel átvette a "nagy mértékben" jelentést is. | |||
| Latvian | augsti | ||
| The word "augsti" can also mean "tall", "elevated", or "lofty" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | labai | ||
| The word "labai" in Lithuanian can also mean "very" or "greatly". | |||
| Macedonian | високо | ||
| The word "високо" also means "a high place" or "a hill" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | wysoko | ||
| The word 'wysoko' ('highly') in Polish shares its root with the word 'wyż' ('elevation'), as both come from the Proto-Indo-European root '*weik-' meaning 'to rise'. | |||
| Romanian | foarte | ||
| "Foarte" also means "very" in Romanian, similar to its meaning in English. | |||
| Russian | высоко | ||
| The word "высоко" has a number of different etymologies, including a Proto-Slavic root, and a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to raise". | |||
| Serbian | високо | ||
| The word 'високо' can also mean 'tall' or 'high' in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | vysoko | ||
| The Slovak word "vysoko" also refers to the high altitudes of mountains or other elevated areas, such as "vyskohorská turistika" (high-altitude hiking). | |||
| Slovenian | zelo | ||
| The word "zelo" also means "very" in Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Macedonian. | |||
| Ukrainian | високо | ||
| The Ukrainian word "високо" can also mean "tall" or "lofty", as in describing a person or building. | |||
Highly in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অত্যন্ত | ||
| The word 'অত্যন্ত' can also mean 'exceedingly', 'extremely', or 'greatly'. | |||
| Gujarati | ખૂબ | ||
| The verb "to be great" comes from the Sanskrit "kr̥" (to do, to make), suggesting that excellence is a result of action. | |||
| Hindi | अत्यधिक | ||
| The word "अत्यधिक" (atyadhik) in Hindi has Sanskrit roots and can also mean "exceedingly" or "too much". | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆಚ್ಚು | ||
| The word "ಹೆಚ್ಚು" is also used to refer to a large quantity or number. | |||
| Malayalam | വളരെ | ||
| The word 'വളരെ' can also mean 'very' or 'greatly' in Malayalam | |||
| Marathi | अत्यंत | ||
| अत्यंत, in Marathi, originates from the Sanskrit word "ati" which means "exceedingly" or "very" | |||
| Nepali | अत्यधिक | ||
| The Nepali word "अत्यधिक" ("atyadhik") ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "अति" ("ati"), meaning "beyond" or "excessive", and "धिक" ("dhik"), meaning "contempt" or "disapproval". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉහළ | ||
| The word "ඉහළ" (highly) in Sinhala also means "above" or "on top of". | |||
| Tamil | மிகவும் | ||
| The word "மிகவும்" in Tamil can also mean "exceedingly","very" and "greatly". | |||
| Telugu | అత్యంత | ||
| అత్యంత also means 'extreme' when used in conjunction with other words. | |||
| Urdu | انتہائی | ||
| The word "انتہائی" means "extreme" or "intense" in Urdu, and can also be used to describe something that is very important or significant. | |||
Highly in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 高度 | ||
| 高度 can also mean "altitude" or "level". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 高度 | ||
| The word 高度 in Chinese can also refer to "height". | |||
| Japanese | 非常に | ||
| The word "非常に" can also mean "extraordinarily" or "remarkably" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 고도로 | ||
| "고도로" also means "to a high degree," which is not a common meaning of "highly" in English. | |||
| Mongolian | өндөр | ||
| Mongolian өндөр (highly) originally meant "upper part of back" or "neck" but it also means "upper, higher" and "senior, aged". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလွန်အမင်း | ||
Highly in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sangat | ||
| The word "sangat" is used as a quantifier in Indonesian, derived from the Sanskrit word "sangata" meaning "completely". | |||
| Javanese | banget | ||
| "Banget" can also mean "really" or "very". | |||
| Khmer | ខ្ពស់ | ||
| Lao | ສູງ | ||
| "ສູງ" also means "high-pitched" as a tone, "elevated" in position, or "sublime" in character. | |||
| Malay | sangat | ||
| The word "sangat" can also mean "very". | |||
| Thai | สูง | ||
| The word "สูง" (pronounced "song") also means "high" in terms of elevation or altitude, and can be used to describe the height of a person, building, or mountain. | |||
| Vietnamese | cao | ||
| The word "cao" can also refer to a type of grass or reed, and is sometimes used in traditional medicine. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mataas | ||
Highly in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yüksək dərəcədə | ||
| Kazakh | жоғары | ||
| "Жоғары" means "highly," but also "upwards" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жогорку | ||
| The word "жогорку" can also refer to the upper part or top of something. | |||
| Tajik | хеле баланд | ||
| The word "хеле баланд" in Tajik can also refer to the spiritual journey of a Sufi mystic. | |||
| Turkmen | ýokary | ||
| Uzbek | juda yuqori | ||
| The word "juda yuqori" can also mean "very much" or "greatly" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | يۇقىرى | ||
Highly in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mahalo loa | ||
| "Mahalo loa" is a Hawaiian phrase that literally means "many thanks" but is often used as an expression of gratitude or respect. | |||
| Maori | tino | ||
| In Maori, 'tino' has historical meanings including 'exceedingly' and 'completely' in addition to its modern meaning 'highly'. | |||
| Samoan | maualuga | ||
| The word "maualuga" can also mean "respectful" or "honorable" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lubos | ||
| The Tagalog word "lubos" likely originated from the Spanish word "lo bueno", meaning "the good". | |||
Highly in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wali jach’a | ||
| Guarani | yvateterei | ||
Highly in International Languages
| Esperanto | tre | ||
| "Tre" comes from the old Germanic words "tri-," "tres," "thruh," and "trai," and also the Latin word "tres," and all of those words mean three. | |||
| Latin | highly | ||
| The Latin word "altus" means "high" and is used in both English and Latin to mean "highly". | |||
Highly in Others Languages
| Greek | υψηλά | ||
| The Greek word "υψηλά" also refers to a high social rank or altitude. | |||
| Hmong | siab | ||
| An old term used in Miao literature, "siab" means "top". Today, "siab" has the same meaning as the Chinese "gao", "above". | |||
| Kurdish | pir | ||
| The word "pır" in Kurdish is thought to have originated from the Persian word "far" meaning "very". | |||
| Turkish | büyük ölçüde | ||
| "Büyük ölçüde" means "very much" or "to a great extent" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | kakhulu | ||
| The word also means 'great,' 'good,' 'wonderful,' and is sometimes used to indicate 'too much'. | |||
| Yiddish | העכסט | ||
| It comes from the German word "höchst" and can mean "most" or "very" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | kakhulu | ||
| "Kakhulu" also means "great" or "exceedingly" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | উচ্চ | ||
| Aymara | wali jach’a | ||
| Bhojpuri | उच्च स्तर के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މަތީ ދަރަޖައަކަށެވެ | ||
| Dogri | उच्चा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mataas | ||
| Guarani | yvateterei | ||
| Ilocano | nangato ti saadna | ||
| Krio | ay ay wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بە شێوەیەکی بەرز | ||
| Maithili | उच्च | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯝꯅꯥ ꯋꯥꯡꯏ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | sang tak a ni | ||
| Oromo | ol’aanaa ta’e | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅତ୍ୟଧିକ | ||
| Quechua | altamente | ||
| Sanskrit | उच्चैः | ||
| Tatar | югары | ||
| Tigrinya | ልዑል ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | swinene | ||