Hope in Different Languages
Discover 'Hope' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Hope is a powerful word that carries significant meaning across cultures and languages. It represents the optimistic expectation for a better future, a desire for positive change, and the courage to keep going even in difficult times. The significance of hope is universal, and it has been a source of inspiration for countless works of art, literature, and philosophical thought throughout history.
Moreover, the word 'hope' has fascinating cultural importance and historical contexts. For instance, in ancient Greek mythology, Hope was the last of the four virtues to flee Pandora's box, symbolizing the enduring human spirit. Similarly, in many religious traditions, hope is a fundamental concept that inspires faith and perseverance.
Understanding the translation of hope in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and worldviews of various societies. For example, the Spanish word for hope, 'esperanza,' also means 'expectation,' while the German word, 'Hoffnung,' has a similar connotation. Meanwhile, the Chinese word for hope, 'xiwang,' emphasizes the idea of a bright future.
In the following list, you will find the translations of hope in 20 different languages, shedding light on the diverse ways that people around the world express this powerful emotion.
Hope
Hope in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hoop | ||
| The word "hoop" in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "hoop" meaning "hope", but it can also refer to a hoop used in sports or a hoop skirt. | |||
| Amharic | ተስፋ | ||
| It comes from the Ge'ez word 'ṣ-f-y' meaning 'to desire', 'to wish'. | |||
| Hausa | bege | ||
| The word 'bege' in Hausa is derived from the Proto-Chadic root *bɔg, meaning 'to desire' or 'to long for'. | |||
| Igbo | olile anya | ||
| The Igbo word 'olile anya' has a literal meaning of 'the one who carries the eyes', representing the idea that hope guides one's perspective. | |||
| Malagasy | fanantenana | ||
| The word 'fanantenana' also refers to the act of looking forward to something. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chiyembekezo | ||
| The word "chiyembekezo" is also used in Nyanja to refer to "expectation" or "anticipation." | |||
| Shona | tariro | ||
| The Shona word "tariro" can also refer to a "promise" or "expectation". | |||
| Somali | rajo | ||
| Somali has words derived from Arabic, and "rajo" is likely one such word. | |||
| Sesotho | tšepo | ||
| Tšepo is a Sesotho word with two meanings: hope and luck, deriving from the word "tseba" meaning "to know" | |||
| Swahili | matumaini | ||
| 'Matumaini', like many Swahili words with 'tu' before the root, has a plural sense ('hope' vs 'hopes'). | |||
| Xhosa | ithemba | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ithemba' also has connotations of 'expectation', 'reliance' and 'refuge'. | |||
| Yoruba | ireti | ||
| Ireti (hope) can mean expectation, anticipation, optimism, or trust | |||
| Zulu | ithemba | ||
| The word 'ithemba' can also mean 'expectation' or 'reliance' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | jigi | ||
| Ewe | mɔkpɔkpɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibyiringiro | ||
| Lingala | elikya | ||
| Luganda | essuubi | ||
| Sepedi | kholofelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anidasoɔ | ||
Hope in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أمل | ||
| The word أمل ("أمل") can refer to both a wish and the expectation of its fulfillment. | |||
| Hebrew | לְקַווֹת | ||
| לְקַווֹת also means "to aim": to look forward toward a given point or direction, without knowing whether you can really reach it or not. | |||
| Pashto | هيله | ||
| The Pashto word "هيله" (hope) also holds meanings of expectation and aspiration | |||
| Arabic | أمل | ||
| The word أمل ("أمل") can refer to both a wish and the expectation of its fulfillment. | |||
Hope in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shpresoj | ||
| "Shpresoj" comes from the Old Albanian root "sper", meaning "to wait" or "to expect". | |||
| Basque | itxaropena | ||
| Itxaropena in Basque can also mean 'expectation' or 'trust in the future'. | |||
| Catalan | esperança | ||
| "Esperança" is derived from Latin "sperantia" (hope) and also means "waiting" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | nada | ||
| The Croatian word “nada” for “hope” also means “zero” or “nothing” in Spanish and Portuguese. | |||
| Danish | håber | ||
| Håber, meaning "hope," may also refer to a type of fish in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | hoop | ||
| In Dutch, "hoop" can also refer to a hoop skirt, a hoop earring, or a hoop thrown in a game. | |||
| English | hope | ||
| The term 'hope' has several etymologies, including the Old English 'hopian' ('to expect'), and the Latin 'spes' ('expectation'). | |||
| French | espérer | ||
| The French word "espérer" is derived from the Latin "sperare", which also means "to hope". | |||
| Frisian | hope | ||
| The Frisian word "hope" also refers to a dune or hill, reflecting the importance of elevated land in the coastal landscape. | |||
| Galician | esperanza | ||
| The Galician word 'esperanza' comes from the Latin word 'sperantia', meaning both 'hope' and 'expectation'. | |||
| German | hoffnung | ||
| The word "Hoffnung" in German is derived from the Old High German word "hofnunga," which means "expectation" or "trust." | |||
| Icelandic | von | ||
| Von is a noun meaning "hope" in Icelandic, akin to the Old Norse "von" meaning "expectation", and the German "Wonne" meaning "joy". | |||
| Irish | dóchas | ||
| The Irish word 'dóchas' is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *doksā meaning 'expectation' and also 'good luck'. | |||
| Italian | speranza | ||
| The Italian word «speranza» (hope) derives from the Latin verb «sperare», which means «to wait» or «to expect». | |||
| Luxembourgish | hoffen | ||
| "Hoffen" is a verb in Luxembourgish and comes from the Old High German word "hoffen", which means "to expect" or "to trust." | |||
| Maltese | tama | ||
| The word "tama" can also refer to the act of expecting something, or having confidence in something happening. | |||
| Norwegian | håp | ||
| The word "håp" is cognate with the English word "hope" and is also used figuratively to refer to a person or thing that provides hope. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | esperança | ||
| In the Middle Ages, “esperança” also meant “delay” and was related to the idea of “to wait patiently” | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dòchas | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "dòchas" can also mean "expectation" or "trust" | |||
| Spanish | esperanza | ||
| Esperanza can also mean 'expectation' or 'trust' | |||
| Swedish | hoppas | ||
| "Hoppas" also means "dance" in certain dialects of Swedish, while the traditional word for "dance" is "dansa". | |||
| Welsh | gobaith | ||
| The word "gobaith" in Welsh, aside from meaning "hope," also carries meanings of "expectation" and "trust." | |||
Hope in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | надзея | ||
| "Надзея" (hope) comes from "дзейны" (deeds) and originally meant "deeds that would allow to avoid death" | |||
| Bosnian | nadam se | ||
| The word 'nadam se' in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ned-, meaning 'to wish' | |||
| Bulgarian | надежда | ||
| Bulgarian “надежда” relates to Sanskrit “nadati” (to be glad, cheer up) and Slavic “nadeti” (to put on, expect). | |||
| Czech | naděje | ||
| The word "naděje" originally meant "that which is awaited" in the 13th century. | |||
| Estonian | lootust | ||
| The Estonian word "lootust" shares a common origin with the English word "loss," both descending from the Proto-Germanic root "*laudaz-," meaning "praise," "fame," or "honor." | |||
| Finnish | toivoa | ||
| Finnish 'toivoa' derives from Proto-Finnic 'toivó', meaning 'prayer, wish', also related to 'desire' in Hungarian and 'prayer' in Estonian. | |||
| Hungarian | remény | ||
| Remény may also have meant "expectation" or "wish". | |||
| Latvian | ceru | ||
| "Ceru" is also the plural of "cērs", meaning "stork" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | viltis | ||
| "Viltis" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root "*wilti-s" meaning "desire, wish, intention". | |||
| Macedonian | надеж | ||
| The word "надеж" in Macedonian also means "anchor" in nautical terms. | |||
| Polish | nadzieja | ||
| The word 'nadzieja' in Polish may also refer to the virtue of hope, a theological virtue that relies on the power and goodness of God. | |||
| Romanian | speranţă | ||
| Speranţă can also mean 'expectation', 'trust', or 'reliance' in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | надежда | ||
| The Russian word "надежда" (hope) is related to the word "ждать" (to wait), suggesting a sense of anticipation and expectation. | |||
| Serbian | надати се | ||
| The word "надати се" can also mean "to surrender" or "to give up" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | nádej | ||
| The Slavic word "nádej" is etymologically related to the Old Church Slavonic word "naděja", which in turn derives from the Proto-Slavic word *nadějьa, meaning "reliance" or "trust". | |||
| Slovenian | upanje | ||
| The word "upanje" shares its root with "upati", meaning to trust or expect something good to happen, and "upa", which means hope. | |||
| Ukrainian | надію | ||
| The Ukrainian word "надію" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *nadѣj-a, which also means "expectation", "trust", and "faith". | |||
Hope in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আশা | ||
| আশা translates literally to "expectation" and can also refer to a "desire" or "longing" for something. | |||
| Gujarati | આશા | ||
| आशा (Asha) is a name also used for a deity, a type of raga, and a genre of music in Gujarat, India. | |||
| Hindi | आशा | ||
| The word "आशा" (hope) in Hindi derives from the Sanskrit word "ish" meaning "to desire" or "to long for" | |||
| Kannada | ಭರವಸೆ | ||
| The word "ಭರವಸೆ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhar" which means "to bear" or "to carry" and implies a sense of trust and reliance. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രത്യാശ | ||
| The word "പ്രത്യാശ" (pratyasha) in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "प्रत्यक्षा" (pratyaksha), meaning "that which is perceived directly" or "that which is seen before one's eyes". Thus, in Malayalam, "പ്രത്യാശ" can also have the connotation of "belief based on personal experience or observation". | |||
| Marathi | आशा | ||
| The Marathi word "आशा" can also mean "desire" or "expectation." | |||
| Nepali | आशा | ||
| Nepali word "आशा" is also used to mean "expectation," "wish" and "desire." | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਮੀਦ | ||
| "ਉਮੀਦ" is also used in Punjabi to mean "expectation" or "anticipation". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බලාපොරොත්තුව | ||
| Tamil | நம்பிக்கை | ||
| The word "நம்பிக்கை" means "trust" and "faith" and is derived from the root word "நம்பு" meaning "to believe." | |||
| Telugu | ఆశిస్తున్నాము | ||
| Urdu | امید | ||
| The Urdu word "امید" (ummīd) originates from the Arabic "أمل" (amal) meaning "expectation" and also refers to "trust" and "reliance". | |||
Hope in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 希望 | ||
| The word "希望" also means "expect" or "aspire". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 希望 | ||
| 希望 (hope) is composed of the characters for 'wish' and 'bright'. | |||
| Japanese | 望む | ||
| The word "望む" originated from the character "望" which means "to look" or "to face," signifying the "expectation" or "desire" to see a specific outcome. | |||
| Korean | 기대 | ||
| The word "기대" also means "expectation" or "anticipation". | |||
| Mongolian | найдвар | ||
| The word "найдвар" (hope) derives from the Mongolian verb "найдах" (to find). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မျှော်လင့်ပါတယ် | ||
Hope in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berharap | ||
| The word "berharap" in Indonesian is derived from the Sanskrit word "harpya", which also means "to long for" or "to desire". | |||
| Javanese | pangarep-arep | ||
| In Old Javanese, 'pangarep-arep' refers to 'a place', not 'a desire'. | |||
| Khmer | សង្ឃឹម | ||
| The word សង្ឃឹម comes from the Sanskrit word "samkhya" meaning "to calculate" or "to reckon". | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຫວັງ | ||
| (No alternate meanings or special etymological notes on this word beyond 'hope') | |||
| Malay | harapan | ||
| While the word "harapan" has Malay origin, it has also been borrowed by various languages across the region, like the Javanese "arep", the Sundanese "arepan", and the Acehnese "harepan". | |||
| Thai | ความหวัง | ||
| Although meaning "hope" in Thai, "ความหวัง" also translates to "the fruit of the Malabar gooseberry tree". | |||
| Vietnamese | mong | ||
| "Mộng" is the Hán-Việt (Sino-Vietnamese) word for "hope" and also refers to dreams, illusions, or reverie. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-asa | ||
Hope in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ümid edirəm | ||
| The word "ümid" in Azerbaijani stems from the Persian word "omid", derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weyd- (to desire, yearn). | |||
| Kazakh | үміт | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "hope," "үміт" can also refer to "expectation" or "anticipation" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | үмүт | ||
| The Kyrgyz word “үмүт” is also used to describe a kind of large yurt constructed from many smaller ones. | |||
| Tajik | умед | ||
| The word "умед" in Tajik also has the meaning of "expectation" or "assurance". | |||
| Turkmen | umyt | ||
| Uzbek | umid | ||
| In Uzbek, "umid" also refers to a person's "expectation" or "anticipation" of a future event or outcome. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۈمىد | ||
Hope in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lana ka manaʻo | ||
| The term stems from 'pana', meaning both 'expectation' and 'foundation', suggesting that true hope involves the expectation of something and having a foundation for that expectation to rest upon. | |||
| Maori | tumanako | ||
| Tumanako, 'hope' in Maori, originates from the Proto-Polynesian root "tuma" meaning "to look" and "to gaze." | |||
| Samoan | faʻamoemoe | ||
| The word "fa'amoemoe" in Samoan is also used to refer to a "desire" or "expectation". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-asa | ||
| Pag-asa, meaning "hope," in Tagalog, derives from "asa," which also means "expectation" or "belief." | |||
Hope in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | suyt'awi | ||
| Guarani | esperanza | ||
Hope in International Languages
| Esperanto | espero | ||
| The Esperanto word "espero" comes from the Latin "spero", meaning "to wait for" or "to expect". | |||
| Latin | spe | ||
| "Spe" is also a form of the ancient Latin "spes," meaning "expectation" or "promise." | |||
Hope in Others Languages
| Greek | ελπίδα | ||
| The word "ελπίδα" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *welp-, meaning "to turn, roll". | |||
| Hmong | kev cia siab | ||
| The word "kev cia siab" can also mean "to be hopeful" or "to have faith in something" in Hmong, depending on the context. | |||
| Kurdish | hêvî | ||
| The Kurdish word "hêvî" also means "expectation", "desire", and "aspiration". | |||
| Turkish | umut | ||
| "Umut" has the same root with "ummak" (to expect) and "umudu kesmek" (to give up on hope). | |||
| Xhosa | ithemba | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ithemba' also has connotations of 'expectation', 'reliance' and 'refuge'. | |||
| Yiddish | האָפֿן | ||
| The Yiddish word "האָפֿן" is derived from Middle High German "hoffen" and Old High German "houfen". | |||
| Zulu | ithemba | ||
| The word 'ithemba' can also mean 'expectation' or 'reliance' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | আশা | ||
| Aymara | suyt'awi | ||
| Bhojpuri | उम्मेद | ||
| Dhivehi | އުންމީދު | ||
| Dogri | मेद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-asa | ||
| Guarani | esperanza | ||
| Ilocano | namnama | ||
| Krio | op | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هیوا | ||
| Maithili | आशा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯏꯒꯅꯤ ꯈꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | ring | ||
| Oromo | abdii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଶା | ||
| Quechua | suyana | ||
| Sanskrit | आशा | ||
| Tatar | өмет | ||
| Tigrinya | ተስፋ | ||
| Tsonga | ntshembho | ||