Impact in Different Languages
Discover 'Impact' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Impact is a powerful word that carries significant meaning and cultural importance across the globe. It refers to the effect or impression that something or someone has on another entity, often measured in terms of magnitude and significance. The word 'impact' has been used in various contexts, from physics to sociology, and has even inspired a whole genre of car enthusiasts who modify their vehicles for maximum impact.
Throughout history, the concept of impact has been present in many forms. For instance, the butterfly effect, a metaphor popularized by mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, illustrates how a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state, demonstrating the significant impact of seemingly insignificant actions. In language, the word 'impact' has been translated into various languages, reflecting its global significance.
Below is a list of translations of the word 'impact' in different languages, showcasing the cultural diversity and richness of the world's languages.
Impact
Impact in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | impak | ||
| The Afrikaans word "impak" is derived from the Latin "impactus", meaning "a collision", and also refers to the force of a blow or the effect of a collision. | |||
| Amharic | ተጽዕኖ | ||
| The word "ተጽዕኖ" ("impact") in Amharic has alternate meanings such as "influence" and "effect." | |||
| Hausa | tasiri | ||
| The Hausa word "tasiri" also refers to influence, effect, or consequence. | |||
| Igbo | mmetụta | ||
| The verb mmetụta originates from the adjective metụ, which means 'to touch, strike'. | |||
| Malagasy | fiantraikany | ||
| "Fiantraikany" is derived from the root "traika," which means "to hit" or "to collide," and the prefix "fian-," which indicates a passive or receptive action, resulting in the meaning of "being hit" or "impacted." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphamvu | ||
| The word "mphamvu" in Nyanja can also mean "power" or "force". | |||
| Shona | kukanganisa | ||
| "Kukanganisa" can also mean "to cause to be lost" or "to make disappear" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | saameynta | ||
| The Somali word "saameynta" has been adapted from the Arabic "ta'thīr" and also refers to "impression" or "effect". | |||
| Sesotho | tshusumetso | ||
| The word “tshusumetso” has other meanings such as “influence” and “impression” derived from a deep-seated connection to the verb “tshusumetsa” meaning “to hit” in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | athari | ||
| "Athari" is also an adjective meaning "permanent" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ifuthe | ||
| "Ifuthe" (impact) in Xhosa also means "event" or "something that happens". | |||
| Yoruba | ipa | ||
| In Yoruba, 'ipa' can also refer to 'corpse' or 'death'. | |||
| Zulu | umthelela | ||
| "Umthelela" can also mean "to roll up," "to wrap up," or "to tie up" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | barikaya | ||
| Ewe | wᴐ dᴐ ɖe nu dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ingaruka | ||
| Lingala | bopusi | ||
| Luganda | okukosa | ||
| Sepedi | kamego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsunsuansoɔ | ||
Impact in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تأثير | ||
| The word "تأثير" "impact" is rooted in the verb "أثر" meaning "to leave a trace", and also means "effect", "influence", and "impression". | |||
| Hebrew | פְּגִיעָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "פְּגִיעָה" can also refer to a "bump" or "knock". | |||
| Pashto | اغیزه | ||
| The word "اغیزه" in Pashto can also mean "a call to action" or "a reason for something to happen." | |||
| Arabic | تأثير | ||
| The word "تأثير" "impact" is rooted in the verb "أثر" meaning "to leave a trace", and also means "effect", "influence", and "impression". | |||
Impact in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndikimi | ||
| The origin of "ndikim" is unknown; it is not Indo-European but may be an archaic Albanian root that only survived in some isolated dialects | |||
| Basque | eragina | ||
| The word 'eragina' can also refer to 'consequence', 'effect', 'influence', 'result' or 'outcome'. | |||
| Catalan | impacte | ||
| Catalan "impacte" traces back to Latin "impingere" but means both "impact" and "to bother someone"} | |||
| Croatian | udarac | ||
| "Udarac" also means "stroke" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | indvirkning | ||
| The Danish word "indvirkning" derives from the Old Norse verb "verka", meaning "to work". It shares its root with the English word "work" and the German word "wirken". | |||
| Dutch | gevolg | ||
| "Gevolg" also refers to a group of followers, especially a retinue for someone of high status. | |||
| English | impact | ||
| The word "impact" derives from the Latin word "impactus," meaning "to drive into" or "to strike against," and is related to the words "impress" and "imprint." | |||
| French | impact | ||
| The French word "impact" can also mean "printing", referring to the physical impression made by a printing press. | |||
| Frisian | ynfloed | ||
| Besides its usual meaning of 'impact', 'ynfloed' also means 'inflow' in Frisian, derived from 'yn' ('in') and 'floed' ('flood'). | |||
| Galician | impacto | ||
| The word "impacto" in Galician is derived from the Latin "impactus", meaning "to strike against", sharing its etymology with the English "impact". | |||
| German | einschlag | ||
| In geological contexts, "Einschlag" refers to the point of impact of a meteorite. | |||
| Icelandic | áhrif | ||
| "Áhrif" is a cognate of the English word "effect" and shares its Indo-European root with the Ancient Greek word "énergeia" (action, effectiveness). | |||
| Irish | tionchar | ||
| "Tionchar" is a noun that can also mean "influence" | |||
| Italian | impatto | ||
| The Italian word "impatto" derives from the Latin "impactus," meaning "a striking against" or "a collision," and can also refer to a sudden, powerful impression made on someone or something. | |||
| Luxembourgish | impakt | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Impakt" also refers to the aftermath or consequences of an event. | |||
| Maltese | impatt | ||
| The Maltese word "impatt" can also mean "impression" or "mark". | |||
| Norwegian | innvirkning | ||
| The Norwegian word "innvirkning" is derived from the verb "å virke", meaning "to work" or "to have an effect." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | impacto | ||
| The Portuguese word "impacto" can also refer to a "tax", particularly in Brazil. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | buaidh | ||
| "Buaidh" in Scots Gaelic shares the same root as "budh" meaning "to be" and "buaidh" meaning "victory". This reflects its dual meaning as both a physical force and a metaphorical outcome. | |||
| Spanish | impacto | ||
| In Spanish, the word "impacto" can mean "impact" but also refers to the act of throwing or hitting something or the resulting mark. | |||
| Swedish | påverkan | ||
| The Swedish word "påverkan" is also the noun form of the verb "påverka", meaning to influence or to exert power over something. | |||
| Welsh | effaith | ||
| The Welsh word "effaith" is derived from the Latin "effectus" and can also mean "effect", "result", or "consequence". | |||
Impact in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ўздзеянне | ||
| The Belarusian word "ўздзеянне" derives from the Polish "udziałania," which also implies participation, involvement, or contribution. | |||
| Bosnian | utjecaj | ||
| "Utjecaj" can also mean "influence" or "effect" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | въздействие | ||
| The word “въздействие” also means “influence”, “effect” or “action” in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dopad | ||
| The Czech word "dopad" also has the meaning of "consequence". | |||
| Estonian | mõju | ||
| The word "mõju" originates from the Proto-Finnic "*muoto" (shape), and also carries the meaning of "influence" or "effect". | |||
| Finnish | vaikutus | ||
| "Vaikutus" also translates as "impression", "effect" and "influence" from Finnish to English. | |||
| Hungarian | hatás | ||
| The word "hatás" is formed from the prefix "ha- | |||
| Latvian | ietekme | ||
| The word "ietekme" can also mean "authority" or "influence" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | poveikis | ||
| 'Poveikis' is a false friend in Lithuanian. In other Baltic languages or Slavic languages, this word means 'smell' or 'sniff'. | |||
| Macedonian | влијание | ||
| The word 'влијание' is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'влiяти', which means 'to influence' or 'to have an effect on' something. It can also be used to refer to the 'influence' or 'impact' that one person or thing has on another. | |||
| Polish | wpływ | ||
| "Wpływ" may also mean influence, effect, or force. | |||
| Romanian | impact | ||
| In Romanian, the word "impact" can also mean "impact" in the sense of "effect" or "consequence." | |||
| Russian | влияние | ||
| The Russian word "влияние" is derived from the verb "влить," which means "to pour" or "to infuse." | |||
| Serbian | утицај | ||
| The Serbian word "утицај" can also refer to the force exerted when two surfaces come into contact or the effect produced by an action or cause. | |||
| Slovak | dopad | ||
| The Slovak word "dopad" can also refer to the outcome or effect of something, or the amount of force exerted by a collision. | |||
| Slovenian | vpliv | ||
| The word "vpliv" in Slovenian can also mean "influence" or "effect". | |||
| Ukrainian | вплив | ||
| The word "вплив" comes from the Ukrainian verb "впливати," meaning "to influence or affect." | |||
Impact in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রভাব | ||
| The word 'প্রভাব' can also mean influence or authority in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | અસર | ||
| The Gujarati word "અસર" has the alternate meaning "influence" in English. | |||
| Hindi | प्रभाव | ||
| The term 'प्रभाव', derived from Sanskrit, can refer not only to impact but also to impression or influence. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಭಾವ | ||
| The word "ಪ್ರಭಾವ" ("impact") also means influence or effect in its original Sanskrit usage. | |||
| Malayalam | ആഘാതം | ||
| The word 'ആഘാതം' in Malayalam also means 'a sudden shock or calamity'. | |||
| Marathi | परिणाम | ||
| The term 'परिणाम' in Marathi can also refer to a result or an outcome of an action or event. | |||
| Nepali | प्रभाव | ||
| It is also used to denote the impression or influence something has. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਸਰ | ||
| The word 'ਅਸਰ' can also mean 'effect', 'influence', or 'impression' in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බලපෑම | ||
| The word "බලපෑම" (impact) in Sinhala can also mean "influence" or "effect". | |||
| Tamil | தாக்கம் | ||
| In Tamil, 'impact' translates to 'thaakam', which also means to strike or hit. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రభావం | ||
| ప్రభావం (Prabhavam) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Prabhava' and also means 'power' or 'influence'. | |||
| Urdu | کے اثرات | ||
| The word "کے اثرات" is an Urdu word that is derived from the Persian word "اثر", meaning "effect, influence, or impression". | |||
Impact in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 影响 | ||
| '影响' (yǐngxiǎng) also means 'influence' and has the root meaning of 'to cast a shadow'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 影響 | ||
| The Chinese character "影響" can also be used in the sense of "affect" or "influence", indicating a causal relationship. | |||
| Japanese | 影響 | ||
| As a noun, "影響" can also mean "influence" or "effect," and derives from the Buddhist term "ingyō," meaning "karma". | |||
| Korean | 타격 | ||
| 타격 can also mean a strike in baseball or a hit in music. | |||
| Mongolian | нөлөөлөл | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်ရောက်မှု | ||
Impact in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dampak | ||
| The word "dampak" (impact) in Indonesian also means "consequences" or "effects" | |||
| Javanese | pengaruh | ||
| The Javanese word "pengaruh" can also mean "influence" or "power". | |||
| Khmer | ផលប៉ះពាល់ | ||
| "ផលប៉ះពាល់" also refers to "the result of touching, hitting, or striking something"} | |||
| Lao | ຜົນກະທົບ | ||
| ຜົນກະທົບ translates as "impact" from English, and its alternate use as "results" or "consequences" is derived from the broader meaning of "an effect that something causes." | |||
| Malay | kesan | ||
| The word "kesan" in Malay can also refer to a "mark", "impression", or "trace". | |||
| Thai | ผลกระทบ | ||
| ผลกระทบ also means "effect" and "result" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | sự va chạm | ||
| The Vietnamese word "sự va chạm" means literally "an encounter", or more figuratively "an encounter that has a significant and often negative or disruptive effect on its subjects." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | epekto | ||
Impact in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təsir | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "təsir" (impact) derives from the Arabic word "ta'thīr" (effect, impression). | |||
| Kazakh | әсер ету | ||
| The Kazakh word "әсер ету" also means "to make an impression" or "to produce an effect" in English. | |||
| Kyrgyz | таасир | ||
| The word "таасир" in Kyrgyz can also refer to "influence" or "effect". | |||
| Tajik | таъсир | ||
| The word "таъсир" also means "impression" or "effect" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | täsir | ||
| Uzbek | ta'sir | ||
| The word "ta'sir" in Uzbek is derived from the Arabic word "tasir" and can also mean "influence" or "effect" | |||
| Uyghur | تەسىر | ||
Impact in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hopena | ||
| The word "hopena" in Hawaiian can also mean "to arrive" or "to succeed." | |||
| Maori | paanga | ||
| In Maori, 'paanga' not only means 'impact' but also refers to a type of large, flat stone. | |||
| Samoan | aʻafiaga | ||
| The word aʻafiaga (meaning "impact") can also refer to an effect or a happening, while its root aʻa means to strike, beat, or collide. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | epekto | ||
| "Epekto" is also used to refer to a person who is being affected by something, emphasizing their helplessness or vulnerability. | |||
Impact in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | impaktu | ||
| Guarani | hapykueréva | ||
Impact in International Languages
| Esperanto | efiko | ||
| In Japanese, "efiko" means "effectiveness". | |||
| Latin | impulsum | ||
| In physics, "impulsum" is often used to denote impulse, the product of force and time. | |||
Impact in Others Languages
| Greek | επίπτωση | ||
| Επίπτωση derives from the Greek verb πίπτω (to fall) with an intensive prefix επι-, and hence may be literally translated as 'a falling upon'. | |||
| Hmong | cuam tshuam | ||
| It is a loanword from the Chinese word 冲击 (chūjí), meaning 'impact' or 'collision'. | |||
| Kurdish | tesîr | ||
| The Kurdish word "tesîr" has additional meanings including "effect", "impression" or "result." | |||
| Turkish | etki | ||
| The Turkish word "etki" can be traced back to the Persian word "ateş", meaning "fire or heat". This is likely due to the metaphorical association between impact and the heat and energy released by a collision. | |||
| Xhosa | ifuthe | ||
| "Ifuthe" (impact) in Xhosa also means "event" or "something that happens". | |||
| Yiddish | פּראַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּראַל" (pral) also means "trial" or "test" in Hebrew. | |||
| Zulu | umthelela | ||
| "Umthelela" can also mean "to roll up," "to wrap up," or "to tie up" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰভাৱ | ||
| Aymara | impaktu | ||
| Bhojpuri | असर | ||
| Dhivehi | އިމްޕެކްޓް | ||
| Dogri | असर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | epekto | ||
| Guarani | hapykueréva | ||
| Ilocano | epekto | ||
| Krio | afɛkt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کاریگەری | ||
| Maithili | प्रभाव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯩꯊꯦꯡ | ||
| Mizo | insu | ||
| Oromo | dhiibbaa itti uumuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରଭାବ | ||
| Quechua | impacto | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रभावः | ||
| Tatar | йогынты | ||
| Tigrinya | ፅልዋ | ||
| Tsonga | ntshikelelo | ||