Important in Different Languages
Discover 'Important' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'important' is a small but powerful term that carries great significance in every culture and language. It is used to highlight the value, relevance, or urgency of something or someone. From a young age, we are taught the importance of being kind, honest, and hardworking. These values, while universal, are expressed and emphasized differently across cultures, making the translation of 'important' a fascinating exploration of cultural nuances.
Throughout history, the concept of importance has shaped societies and influenced human behavior. In ancient China, for instance, filial piety was considered one of the most important virtues. Meanwhile, in modern Western societies, the concept of importance is often tied to personal achievement and success.
Understanding the translation of 'important' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural contexts that shape our values and priorities. Here are some sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- French: important
- Spanish: importante
- German: wichtig
- Mandarin: 重要 (zhòngyào)
- Japanese: 重要 (jūyō)
Important
Important in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | belangrik | ||
| The word "belangrik" is derived from the Dutch word "belangrijk", which also means "important". | |||
| Amharic | አስፈላጊ | ||
| Hausa | muhimmanci | ||
| In Hausa, ''muhimman'' means both ''important'' and ''urgent''. | |||
| Igbo | dị mkpa | ||
| "Dị mkpa" can also mean "to be in need" or "to be necessary" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | zava-dehibe | ||
| The word "ZAVA-DEHIBE" in Malagasy also means "having a purpose" or "being significant". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zofunika | ||
| The word "zofunika" is also used to refer to a person of importance or authority. | |||
| Shona | zvakakosha | ||
| Somali | muhiim ah | ||
| The etymology of the Somali word "muhiim ah" is uncertain, but it is thought to have been derived from the Arabic word "muhimm", which means "important" or "essential". | |||
| Sesotho | bohlokoa | ||
| The word "bohlokoa" can also be used to describe something that is valuable, precious, or of great worth. | |||
| Swahili | muhimu | ||
| The word "muhimu" in Swahili also means "heavy" or "burdened", suggesting that importance can be a weighty responsibility. | |||
| Xhosa | ibalulekile | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ibalulekile' can also be used to describe something that is 'urgent' or 'serious'. | |||
| Yoruba | pataki | ||
| In Yoruba, "pataki" also means "big" or "great" in size or significance. | |||
| Zulu | kubalulekile | ||
| The word “kubalulekile” can also refer to something that is "extraordinary", "remarkable", or "noteworthy". | |||
| Bambara | nafama | ||
| Ewe | le veviẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ngombwa | ||
| Lingala | ntina | ||
| Luganda | -mugaso | ||
| Sepedi | bohlokwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛhia | ||
Important in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهم | ||
| The word "مهم" can also mean "diligent" or "busy" in Arabic, deriving from the root "همّ" meaning "to care" or "to be concerned" | |||
| Hebrew | חָשׁוּב | ||
| The word "חָשׁוּב" (important) is derived from the root "חשב" (to think), and also has the alternate meaning "well-thought-of". | |||
| Pashto | مهم | ||
| The word 'مهم' is derived from the Arabic root 'همّ', meaning 'concern' or 'care'. | |||
| Arabic | مهم | ||
| The word "مهم" can also mean "diligent" or "busy" in Arabic, deriving from the root "همّ" meaning "to care" or "to be concerned" | |||
Important in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të rëndësishme | ||
| The word "të rëndësishme" derives from the Proto-Albanian word "*rëndë" meaning "heavy" or "weighty", implying the gravity or significance of something. | |||
| Basque | garrantzitsua | ||
| Catalan | important | ||
| "Important" derives from Latin "importare", meaning "to import". | |||
| Croatian | važno | ||
| The word "važno" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*važiti", meaning "to weigh" or "to be of value". | |||
| Danish | vigtig | ||
| The word "vigtig" in Danish originates from the Old Norse word "vigtigr", meaning "weighty" or "of great consequence". | |||
| Dutch | belangrijk | ||
| The word "belangrijk" derives from "belang" (concern) and "rijk" (rich), meaning "rich in concern" or "of great concern". | |||
| English | important | ||
| In Latin, the word "important" meant "to bear" or "to carry," likely referring to the significance of carrying out certain tasks. | |||
| French | important | ||
| The French word "important" can also mean "full of importance," "consequential," or "significant." | |||
| Frisian | belangryk | ||
| The word "belangryk" is derived from the Old Frisian word "belang", meaning "concern" or "affair". | |||
| Galician | importante | ||
| The word "importante" in Galician also means "pregnant". | |||
| German | wichtig | ||
| "Wichtige" Dinge waren früher nur solche, die mit einem Gewicht belastet waren. | |||
| Icelandic | mikilvægt | ||
| The word "mikilvægt" is derived from the Old Norse word "mikill", meaning "great", and "vægt", meaning "weight" or "importance". | |||
| Irish | tábhachtach | ||
| Italian | importante | ||
| The Italian word "importante" derives from the Latin word "importare," meaning "to carry in" or "to bring in." | |||
| Luxembourgish | wichteg | ||
| Wichteg shares a root with the German word 'wichtig' and the English word 'weighty', as they all derive from the Proto-Germanic word '*wehtigaz', meaning 'having weight'. | |||
| Maltese | importanti | ||
| The word "importanti" also refers to the action of bringing foreign goods into the country for commercial use. | |||
| Norwegian | viktig | ||
| The word "viktig" originates from the Old Norse word "vikt", meaning "weight" or "importance". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | importante | ||
| The word "importante", meaning "important", derives from Latin "importare" meaning "to carry inside". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cudromach | ||
| The word "cudromach" derives from the Proto-Celtic *kʷetwar-makʷos, meaning "four great". | |||
| Spanish | importante | ||
| The word "importante" also means "import" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | viktig | ||
| The word "Viktig" can also mean "weighty" or "consequential" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | bwysig | ||
| The word "bwysig" also refers to a large bundle of hay or straw, suggesting its significance and value. | |||
Important in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | важна | ||
| "Важна" is also used in the sense of "having great size or quantity" | |||
| Bosnian | bitan | ||
| In modern Bosnian, `bitan` can also refer to a key character in a story or film. | |||
| Bulgarian | важно | ||
| The word "важно" in Bulgarian also has the alternate meaning of "slowly" or "deliberately." | |||
| Czech | důležité | ||
| Důležité can also have an additional connotation of 'urgent'. | |||
| Estonian | oluline | ||
| The word "oluline" is derived from the Estonian word "olu" which means "being" or "existence". | |||
| Finnish | tärkeä | ||
| "Tärkeä" is related to "tärkkelys" (starch) because in the past, the most important thing for a poor person was usually to get enough food. | |||
| Hungarian | fontos | ||
| The word "fontos" originally referred to weight and significance, rather than importance. | |||
| Latvian | svarīgs | ||
| "Svarīgs" comes from the Old High German word "swer" meaning "heavy" and the Indo-European root "*gʷer-/*gʷreh-" meaning "to burden". | |||
| Lithuanian | svarbu | ||
| Lithuanian word "svarbu" originally meant "weight" or "heavy". | |||
| Macedonian | важно | ||
| The word "важно" in Macedonian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*vъʒьno", meaning "heavy" or "weighty". | |||
| Polish | ważny | ||
| The Polish word "ważny" can also mean "valid" or "of significance". | |||
| Romanian | important | ||
| The Romanian word "important" is derived from the Latin word "importans", meaning "having great significance or consequence" | |||
| Russian | важный | ||
| "Важный" originally meant "heavy" (in weight). This meaning is still present in the adjective "важкий." | |||
| Serbian | важно | ||
| "Важно" also means "pregnant" and is related to "вага" "weight" and "важан" "important". | |||
| Slovak | dôležité | ||
| The Slovak word dôležité derives from the word dôležitosť, which means "importance". It can also refer to something that is "urgent". It is related to the Czech word důležitý, which has a similar meaning. | |||
| Slovenian | pomembno | ||
| The word "pomembno" is derived from the Slavic root "*pǫti", meaning "way, path, or road". This suggests that something important is something that is on the right path or that leads to the right path. | |||
| Ukrainian | важливо | ||
| The Ukrainian word "важливо" also has the meaning of "weight" or "significance". | |||
Important in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গুরুত্বপূর্ণ | ||
| Gujarati | મહત્વપૂર્ણ | ||
| Hindi | जरूरी | ||
| "जरूरी" is cognate with "जुर" (yoke, association), indicating that what's important is what binds people together. | |||
| Kannada | ಮುಖ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಮುಖ್ಯ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मुख" meaning "face", and is often used to describe something that is prominent or noteworthy. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രധാനം | ||
| Marathi | महत्वाचे | ||
| महत्वाचे comes from the Sanskrit word 'महत्व', meaning 'greatness' or 'importance'. | |||
| Nepali | महत्त्वपूर्ण | ||
| The word "महत्त्वपूर्ण" is derived from the Sanskrit words "महत्" (great) and "त्व" (quality), meaning "of great quality or significance."} | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਹੱਤਵਪੂਰਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වැදගත් | ||
| "වැදගත්" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वदति" (vadati), meaning "to speak", and "गच्छति" (gacchati), meaning "to go". Thus, the word originally meant "that which is spoken and goes far". Today, it retains this sense of importance and influence, and is used to describe anything that is significant or has great value. | |||
| Tamil | முக்கியமான | ||
| The word "முக்கியமான" in Tamil originates from the word "முகம்" meaning "face", suggesting that something important is something that is seen on the face, or that is of paramount importance. | |||
| Telugu | ముఖ్యమైనది | ||
| "ముఖ్యమైనది" (mukhyamaindi) is derived from the Sanskrit word "mukhya" meaning "chief" or "principal." | |||
| Urdu | اہم | ||
| The word 'اہم' (important) is derived from the Arabic word 'وهم' (illusion), reflecting the idea that importance can be illusory or based on subjective perceptions. | |||
Important in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 重要 | ||
| 重 can also mean heavy, while 要 can mean essential or necessary. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 重要 | ||
| The word 重要 (중요) can also mean 'essential' or 'significant', and is often used in the context of decision-making. | |||
| Japanese | 重要 | ||
| The word "重要" (juuyou) in Japanese is made up of two kanji: "重" (juu), meaning "heavy," and "要" (you), meaning "necessity" or "importance." | |||
| Korean | 중대한 | ||
| "중대한" has the same root as "중" (middle) and "대" (large), describing something weighty that should be placed in the middle. | |||
| Mongolian | чухал | ||
| The word "чухал" in Mongolian also refers to a person who is highly respected and influential. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရေးကြီးတယ် | ||
Important in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penting | ||
| The Indonesian word "penting" can also mean "necessary" or "urgent". | |||
| Javanese | penting | ||
| The Javanese word "penting" also means "to press" or "to pinch". | |||
| Khmer | សំខាន់ | ||
| The word "សំខាន់" also means "weight" and is related to the word "កាន់" which means "to hold". | |||
| Lao | ທີ່ ສຳ ຄັນ | ||
| Malay | penting | ||
| The word "penting" can also mean "urgent" or "essential". | |||
| Thai | สำคัญ | ||
| "สำคัญ" is a Pali loanword derived from "sam-kitti", meaning both "important" and "to mark something important or significant". | |||
| Vietnamese | quan trọng | ||
| The word "quan trọng" comes from the Chinese word "重要", which means "heavy weight". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahalaga | ||
Important in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | vacibdir | ||
| The word "vacibdir" in Azerbaijani also means "necessary" or "obligatory". | |||
| Kazakh | маңызды | ||
| "Маңызды" is derived from the Persian word "māhyāt" meaning "essence" or "nature." | |||
| Kyrgyz | маанилүү | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "маанилүү" (important) shares its root with the word "маани" (meaning), highlighting the significance of meaning to importance. | |||
| Tajik | муҳим | ||
| The word "муҳим" is derived from the Persian word "مهم", which means "weighty", "serious", or "significant." | |||
| Turkmen | möhümdir | ||
| Uzbek | muhim | ||
| "Muhim" also means "necessary", "urgent" and "essential" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | مۇھىم | ||
Important in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea nui | ||
| "Mea nui" can also refer to something big, grand, or impressive in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | mea nui | ||
| The Maori phrase "mea nui" also literally means "big thing". | |||
| Samoan | taua | ||
| The word 'taua' in Samoan can also mean 'war' or 'battle', reflecting its historical significance in the culture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mahalaga | ||
| The Tagalog word "mahalaga" can also mean "expensive" or "precious". | |||
Important in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Guarani | momba'eguasu | ||
Important in International Languages
| Esperanto | grava | ||
| The word "grava" in Esperanto comes from the Latin word "gravis", meaning "heavy" or "serious". | |||
| Latin | magna | ||
| Magna is also used as a prefix in many words derived from Latin, such as "magnanimous" and "magnificent". | |||
Important in Others Languages
| Greek | σπουδαίος | ||
| The term 'σπουδαίος' does not simply refer to something that is consequential but also something that has been carefully considered and is worthy of attention. | |||
| Hmong | tseem ceeb | ||
| In Hmong, 'tseem ceeb' is also used to refer to a person who is reliable or trustworthy. | |||
| Kurdish | giring | ||
| The word "giring" also means "precious" or "valuable" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | önemli | ||
| The word "önemli" in Turkish shares a common etymological root with the word "anlam" meaning "meaning", highlighting the close relationship between importance and meaningfulness in Turkish culture. | |||
| Xhosa | ibalulekile | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ibalulekile' can also be used to describe something that is 'urgent' or 'serious'. | |||
| Yiddish | וויכטיק | ||
| The Yiddish word "וויכטיק" (viktik) comes from the Middle High German "wiht", meaning "creature" or "being". | |||
| Zulu | kubalulekile | ||
| The word “kubalulekile” can also refer to something that is "extraordinary", "remarkable", or "noteworthy". | |||
| Assamese | গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ | ||
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | महत्वपूर्ण | ||
| Dhivehi | މުހިންމު | ||
| Dogri | जरूरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahalaga | ||
| Guarani | momba'eguasu | ||
| Ilocano | napateg | ||
| Krio | impɔtant | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گرنگ | ||
| Maithili | महत्वपूर्ण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯨ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pawimawh | ||
| Oromo | barbaachisaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ | | ||
| Quechua | chaniyuq | ||
| Sanskrit | महत्वपूर्णः | ||
| Tatar | мөһим | ||
| Tigrinya | ጠቃሚ | ||
| Tsonga | nkoka | ||