Updated on March 6, 2024
Afrikaans | dadelik | ||
The Afrikaans word "dadelik" originates from the Dutch "dadelijk", which means "immediately" or "forthwith". | |||
Amharic | ወድያው | ||
The word "ወድያው" can also mean "instantly" or "at once". | |||
Hausa | nan da nan | ||
"Nan da nan" in Hausa can also mean "at once" or "all at once." | |||
Igbo | ozugbo | ||
The term 'ozugbo' in the Igbo language also carries the meaning of 'once' or 'at once', further emphasizing its sense of immediacy and promptness. | |||
Malagasy | avy hatrany | ||
The term "Avy Hatrany" literally translates to "from a leap" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nthawi yomweyo | ||
In addition to meaning "immediately" (usually in a temporal sense), the word "nthawi yomweyo" can also mean "at the same time" (often in a spatial sense). | |||
Shona | pakarepo | ||
Pakarepo's root word "pakati" denotes "middle" in Shona, referring to an action being done with no intervening space or time. | |||
Somali | isla markiiba | ||
The word "isla markiiba" is derived from the Arabic phrase "as-sa'a al-mubaraka", meaning "the blessed hour". | |||
Sesotho | hanghang | ||
"Hang-hang" also means "not quite" or "nearly" | |||
Swahili | mara moja | ||
The term "mara moja" in Swahili can also mean "in one part" or "at once." | |||
Xhosa | ngoko nangoko | ||
The Xhosa word "ngoko nangoko" is derived from the verb "ngokoza," meaning "to move quickly or urgently." | |||
Yoruba | lẹsẹkẹsẹ | ||
The Yoruba word 'lẹsẹkẹsẹ' is an onomatopoeia for the sound of footsteps, which contributes to its sense of speed and urgency. | |||
Zulu | ngokushesha | ||
"Ngokushesha" also means "quickly" or "in a hurry". | |||
Bambara | o yɔrɔnin bɛɛ | ||
Ewe | enumake | ||
Kinyarwanda | ako kanya | ||
Lingala | mbala moko | ||
Luganda | mbagirawo | ||
Sepedi | ka potlako | ||
Twi (Akan) | prɛko pɛ | ||
Arabic | فورا | ||
فورا is derived from the Arabic word فاء which means ``and`` and can also mean ``at once, immediately``. | |||
Hebrew | מיד | ||
The Hebrew word "מיד" ("immediately") also means "at once" or "in a moment," implying a sense of promptness and urgency. | |||
Pashto | سمدلاسه | ||
The Pashto word "سمدلاسه" ("immediately") is derived from the Persian word "زود" ("fast") and the Arabic word "لساع" ("now"). | |||
Arabic | فورا | ||
فورا is derived from the Arabic word فاء which means ``and`` and can also mean ``at once, immediately``. |
Albanian | menjëherë | ||
The Albanian word "menjëherë" can also refer to a moment or an instance of time. | |||
Basque | berehala | ||
The word "berehala" in Basque can also mean "as soon as possible." | |||
Catalan | immediatament | ||
"Immediatament" originally meant "without any delay" in Medieval Latin | |||
Croatian | odmah | ||
"Odmah" derives from proto-Slavic "*odьmo" (movement from a place), cognate with words like "otъ" (from) and "domъ" (home). | |||
Danish | med det samme | ||
"Med det samme" is a cognate of "mitsamens" in Old Norse, where "med" meant "with" and "samens": "immediately." | |||
Dutch | direct | ||
The Dutch word "direct" can also mean "direct, frank, candid" or "direct, straightforward". | |||
English | immediately | ||
The word "immediately" comes from the Latin word "immediatus," which means "unmediated" or "direct." | |||
French | immédiatement | ||
The word "immédiatement" in French comes from the Latin word "immediatus". It means "without delay" (ie. "without the middle") and also "next to", "in direct contact with". | |||
Frisian | fuortendaliks | ||
It literally means "for four tens of moments" but is used to mean "immediately". | |||
Galician | inmediatamente | ||
The word "inmediatamente" also means "without delay" or "instantly" in Galician. | |||
German | sofort | ||
The word 'sofort' originally meant 'on the spot' or 'instantly', and is related to the word 'fort', meaning 'away'. | |||
Icelandic | strax | ||
The word "strax" in Icelandic has a long history, being derived from the Old Norse word "straks", which itself comes from the Proto-Germanic word "strakaz" meaning "at once". | |||
Irish | láithreach | ||
The term 'láithreach' has historical Indo-European roots meaning 'to lie' or 'to be near', but in contemporary Irish it has taken on a more temporal sense meaning 'immediately'. | |||
Italian | subito | ||
The Italian word "subito" can also mean suddenly, unexpectedly, or in an instant. | |||
Luxembourgish | direkt | ||
In Luxembourgish, "direkt" can also refer to "at or toward noon, midday, or midnight" | |||
Maltese | immedjatament | ||
The word "immedjatament" in Maltese comes from the Latin word "immediate", meaning "without delay". | |||
Norwegian | umiddelbart | ||
The word "umiddelbart" can also mean "without any external influence". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | imediatamente | ||
Imeadiatamente is a false cognate of the English "immediatly" and instead derives from the Latin "in mediatē" (in half or in the midst of), and thus means "in between" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | sa bhad | ||
Sa bhad is also used in the sense of 'forthwith', 'without delay', 'instantly' and 'directly'. | |||
Spanish | inmediatamente | ||
The Spanish word "inmediatamente" can also mean "in the future" or "promptly" depending on the context. | |||
Swedish | omedelbart | ||
"Omedelbart" originates from the words "omedel" (without delay) and "bar" (ready). | |||
Welsh | ar unwaith | ||
The Welsh word “ar unwaith” also means “at once.” |
Belarusian | адразу | ||
The word "адразу" is a contraction of "а дна разу", which literally means "from one time". | |||
Bosnian | odmah | ||
"Odmah" can also mean "immediately after this" (e.g. "odmah posle" or "odmah nakon" + Genitive). | |||
Bulgarian | веднага | ||
The word "веднага" is derived from the Old Bulgarian verb "вѩдати", meaning "to grasp" or "to seize". | |||
Czech | ihned | ||
"Ihned" is derived from the Old Czech word "ihna", meaning "now" or "at once". | |||
Estonian | kohe | ||
The Estonian word "kohe" also means "in front of", and is likely derived from a Proto-Finnic word meaning "to face" or "to be in front of". | |||
Finnish | heti | ||
Heti derives from an older word, *het(e)inen*, which is used to modify adverbs and adjectives and means something like "with great speed or in a way that cannot be hindered." | |||
Hungarian | azonnal | ||
The word "azonnal" is derived from "azon" meaning "that" and "nal" meaning "at once" or "instantly". | |||
Latvian | nekavējoties | ||
The word "nekavējoties" is derived from the prefix "ne-" (no, not) and the verb "kavēt" (to delay), hence its meaning "without delay". It can also mean "straight away" or "promptly". | |||
Lithuanian | nedelsiant | ||
The word "nedelsiant" in Lithuanian is derived from the word "delsti", meaning "to delay", and the prefix "ne-", meaning "not", thus conveying the sense of "without delay" or "immediately." | |||
Macedonian | веднаш | ||
The word "веднаш" also means “at once” and "on the spot". | |||
Polish | natychmiast | ||
The word "natychmiast" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *natъkmiti, which means "to hurry". | |||
Romanian | imediat | ||
The word 'imediat' comes from the Latin 'immediatus', meaning 'unmediated' or 'direct'. | |||
Russian | немедленно | ||
The word "немедленно" in Russian can also mean "without delay" or "instantly". | |||
Serbian | одмах | ||
"Оdmaх" comes from an Ottoman Turkish colloquial term for a slap in the face, and its original meaning is still preserved in some regional idioms. | |||
Slovak | okamžite | ||
The word "okamžite" has alternate meanings of "directly" and "instantly" | |||
Slovenian | takoj | ||
The word "takoj" (immediately) comes from the Old Slavic word "tok", meaning "to flow". | |||
Ukrainian | негайно | ||
"Негайно" comes from the Ukrainian word "негай", meaning "instantly" or "without delay." |
Bengali | অবিলম্বে | ||
অবিলম্বে comes from the Sanskrit word अविलम्ब (avilamba), meaning 'without delay'. | |||
Gujarati | તરત | ||
The word "તરત" also means "fast" or "speedy" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | हाथोंहाथ | ||
The Hindi word "हाथोंहाथ" is derived from the words "हाथ" (hand) and "हाथ" (hand), suggesting an exchange of something from hand to hand, hence implying immediate transfer or action. | |||
Kannada | ತಕ್ಷಣ | ||
The word 'ತಕ್ಷಣ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'तत्क्षण' (tatkṣaṇa), which means 'at that moment' or 'instantaneously'. | |||
Malayalam | ഉടനെ | ||
The word "ഉടനെ" is also used to mean "suddenly" or "without delay" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | लगेच | ||
लगेच (lagech) is cognate with the Hindi लगना (lagna), meaning “to touch, to stick, to adhere. | |||
Nepali | तुरुन्त | ||
The Sanskrit word 'turantam' means 'immediately' and is the source of the Nepali word 'तुरुन्त'. | |||
Punjabi | ਤੁਰੰਤ | ||
The word "turant" in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "turanta," which means "speedily," and can also refer to "the immediate present" or "the present moment." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වහාම | ||
"වහාම" (immediately) is also used to mean "quickly". | |||
Tamil | உடனடியாக | ||
Telugu | తక్షణమే | ||
"తక్షణమే" can also mean "without delay" or "instantly" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | فوری طور پر | ||
The word "فوری طور پر" can also mean "at once" or "without delay". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 立即 | ||
The word "立即" can also mean "immediately". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 立即 | ||
Also used in the sense of "at once", "right now". | |||
Japanese | すぐに | ||
The root of "すぐに" is not "直ぐ", but "速" (swift). | |||
Korean | 바로 | ||
바로 comes from the Sino-Korean word "바로" meaning "straight" or "directly", and is also used as a modifier to indicate "direct" or "without delay". | |||
Mongolian | нэн даруй | ||
"Нэн даруй" is used in Mongolian to emphasize immediacy, and can also carry meanings of "straight away" or "right now". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ချက်ချင်း | ||
Indonesian | segera | ||
The word 'segera' is derived from the Sanskrit word | |||
Javanese | sanalika | ||
The word "sanalika" in Javanese is derived from the Sanskrit word "sanalika" which means "instantaneously" or "in a moment". | |||
Khmer | ភ្លាម | ||
The word "ភ្លាម" in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "prāṇa" meaning "breath" or "life force", and is also related to the Thai word "ปลาม" (plām) meaning "to flash" or "to gleam". | |||
Lao | ທັນທີ | ||
The word ທັນທີ is derived from the Pali word "ṭanti" meaning "instantly" or "without delay." | |||
Malay | segera | ||
The Malay word "segera" (meaning "immediately") is cognate with the Latin "celer" (meaning "fast") and the Sanskrit "śighra" (meaning "quick"). | |||
Thai | ทันที | ||
ทันที can also mean "right away," "soon," or "at once." | |||
Vietnamese | ngay | ||
The word "ngay" can also be used to refer to the present day or time period. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kaagad | ||
Azerbaijani | dərhal | ||
The word "dərhal" comes from the Arabic word "darūra", meaning "necessity" or "urgency". In Ottoman Turkish, "dərhal" also meant "at once" or "without delay". | |||
Kazakh | дереу | ||
"Дереу" derives from the ancient Turkic root "er", meaning "to get up" or "to move quickly." | |||
Kyrgyz | дароо | ||
The word "дароо" (daro'o) in Kyrgyz is derived from the Persian word "darogh" ( دروغ ), meaning "falsehood" or "lie". | |||
Tajik | фавран | ||
The word "фавран" is derived from the Persian word "فوراً" (fuvran), which also means "immediately". | |||
Turkmen | derrew | ||
Uzbek | darhol | ||
The word 'darhol' in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word 'dar al' meaning "in the place of" or "at the time of". | |||
Uyghur | دەرھال | ||
Hawaiian | koke | ||
Koke also means the 'throat' in Hawaiian; to catch one's koke is to surprise them. | |||
Maori | tonu | ||
In modern Māori, the word "tonu" can also indicate "still," "yet," or "continuously." | |||
Samoan | vave | ||
Vave is also used to indicate the recent past or the imminent future. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kaagad | ||
"Kaagad" is derived from the Tagalog word "agad," which means "swift" or "fast." |
Aymara | jank'akipuni | ||
Guarani | ag̃aiténtema | ||
Esperanto | tuj | ||
The word "tuj" in Esperanto comes from the Yiddish word טויאך (toyakh). | |||
Latin | statim | ||
'Statim' also means 'on the spot' or 'at that particular place' in Latin. |
Greek | αμέσως | ||
The word αμέσως comes from the ancient Greek words 'ᾰ̓- ' (not) and 'μέσως' (middle), meaning not in the middle, or directly. | |||
Hmong | tam sim ntawd | ||
The Hmong word "tam sim ntawd" can also refer to "this moment" or "right now." | |||
Kurdish | derhal | ||
'Derhal' is derived from the Persian word 'dar al', meaning 'in the house'. | |||
Turkish | hemen | ||
The word "hemen" may derive from the Arabic preposition "hunnā" meaning "over there" or "at that place". | |||
Xhosa | ngoko nangoko | ||
The Xhosa word "ngoko nangoko" is derived from the verb "ngokoza," meaning "to move quickly or urgently." | |||
Yiddish | גלייך | ||
"גלייך" is ultimately the German "gleich," but in Yiddish is also a euphemism for "right now" to avoid saying the name of God too often. | |||
Zulu | ngokushesha | ||
"Ngokushesha" also means "quickly" or "in a hurry". | |||
Assamese | ততালিকে | ||
Aymara | jank'akipuni | ||
Bhojpuri | तुरंत | ||
Dhivehi | ވަގުތުން | ||
Dogri | फौरन | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kaagad | ||
Guarani | ag̃aiténtema | ||
Ilocano | dagus | ||
Krio | wantɛm wantɛm | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | دەستبەجێ | ||
Maithili | झटपट | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯗꯛꯇ | ||
Mizo | rangtakin | ||
Oromo | yerosuma | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ତୁରନ୍ତ | ||
Quechua | chayllapuni | ||
Sanskrit | झटिति | ||
Tatar | шунда ук | ||
Tigrinya | ብቀጥታ | ||
Tsonga | hi xihatla | ||