Incentive in Different Languages
Discover 'Incentive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'incentive' holds great significance in our daily lives, often serving as the driving force behind our actions and decisions. Derived from the Latin word 'incendium' meaning 'fire' or 'to inflame,' an incentive is essentially a stimulus that motivates us to take action. It can be tangible, like a bonus or reward, or intangible, such as the desire for personal growth or recognition.
Throughout history, incentives have played a crucial role in shaping societies and cultures. From ancient civilizations offering rewards for exceptional service to modern-day corporations using incentives to boost productivity, the concept of an incentive remains a constant. Moreover, understanding the translation of 'incentive' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and approach motivation.
For instance, in Spanish, 'incentive' translates to 'incentivo,' while in German, it's 'Anreiz.' In Japanese, the term 'インセンティブ (insentibu)' reflects the country's unique cultural context, where group harmony often serves as a powerful motivator. Similarly, in Arabic, 'incentive' translates to 'مotive (motive),' highlighting the universal appeal of motivation across languages and cultures.
Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of 'incentive' translations in various languages, shedding light on the fascinating world of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Incentive
Incentive in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aansporing | ||
| The word "aansporing" can also mean "motivation" or "excitement". | |||
| Amharic | ማበረታቻ | ||
| Hausa | ihisani | ||
| In Hausa, the word "ihisani" (incentive) originates from the Arabic word "ihsān", meaning "doing good" or "benefiting others." | |||
| Igbo | ihe mkpali | ||
| The Igbo word "ihe mkpali" can literally translate to "one that motivates to surpass," indicating its role in encouraging excellence and achievement. | |||
| Malagasy | mandrisika | ||
| The word "mandrisika" can also refer to the reward or payment given for a service or a task | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilimbikitso | ||
| The word "chilimbikitso" comes from the verb "limbikitsa," which means "to encourage" or "to motivate." | |||
| Shona | kukurudzira | ||
| Kukurudzira comes from the verb 'kukura' meaning 'to grow' and can also mean an advance payment. | |||
| Somali | dhiirigelin | ||
| Sesotho | khothatso | ||
| The word may be related to 'khothalatsi' ('a gift'). | |||
| Swahili | motisha | ||
| The word 'motisha' in Swahili also means 'reason' or 'cause'. | |||
| Xhosa | inkuthazo | ||
| The word "inkuthazo" can also mean "encouragement" or "motivation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | iwuri | ||
| "Iwuri" in Yoruba also means "spirit", "energy", "motivation", or "stimulus". | |||
| Zulu | isisusa | ||
| 'Isisusa' is an isiZulu word referring to something that prompts a person to make an effort towards a specific goal. | |||
| Bambara | kɔnɔnasuli | ||
| Ewe | ŋusedoamenu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushigikira | ||
| Lingala | kolamusa | ||
| Luganda | ekintu ekikuzamu amanyi okukola ekintu | ||
| Sepedi | tšhušumetšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nnwanam | ||
Incentive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حافز | ||
| حافز also means 'spur' in Arabic, referring to its use in encouraging action or effort. | |||
| Hebrew | תַמרִיץ | ||
| The word תַמרִיץ (tamaritz) is derived from the root מר (mar), which means "bitter," and may have originally referred to a bitter substance used to stimulate animals. | |||
| Pashto | هڅونکی | ||
| The word "هڅونکی" in Pashto also means "motivation" or "encouragement". | |||
| Arabic | حافز | ||
| حافز also means 'spur' in Arabic, referring to its use in encouraging action or effort. | |||
Incentive in Western European Languages
| Albanian | nxitje | ||
| "Nxjtje" is also used to refer to a small gift or token of appreciation. | |||
| Basque | pizgarri | ||
| The Basque word "pizgarri" comes from the verb "piztu" (to light) and means something that "ignites" or "motivates". | |||
| Catalan | incentiu | ||
| "Incentiu" is the word for "incentive", but it's also used to refer to "interest" or "gain". | |||
| Croatian | poticaj | ||
| In Croatian, the word "poticaj" can also mean "motive" or "stimulus". | |||
| Danish | tilskyndelse | ||
| The Danish word "tilskyndelse" originates from the German word "Zuschießen", meaning "to add (money) to a fund". | |||
| Dutch | stimulans | ||
| Dutch "stimulans" can also mean "stimulant" (as in coffee or drugs). | |||
| English | incentive | ||
| The word "incentive" is derived from the Latin language, where it means "to begin or to urge." | |||
| French | motivation | ||
| In French, "motivation" can also mean "cause" or "reason". | |||
| Frisian | stimulearring | ||
| The word "stimulearring" in Frisian is derived from the Latin word "stimulus", meaning "a goad or prod". | |||
| Galician | incentivo | ||
| In Galician, "incentivo" can also mean "motive", "reason", or "purpose". | |||
| German | ansporn | ||
| Icelandic | hvatning | ||
| The Icelandic word "hvatning" is derived from the Old Norse word "hvöttr," meaning "sharp" or "keen." | |||
| Irish | dreasacht | ||
| The Irish 'dreasacht' also means desire, covetousness, avarice or greed. | |||
| Italian | incentivo | ||
| Italian "incentivo" derives from Latin "incentus" meaning "set on fire", and also "impulse," "incitement" (as in "incendiary"). | |||
| Luxembourgish | ureiz | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Ureiz" is derived from the Latin word "horriō" (to bristle or dread). | |||
| Maltese | inċentiv | ||
| The Maltese word "inċentiv" is derived from the Latin word "incentivum", which means "something that stirs up or encourages." | |||
| Norwegian | insentiv | ||
| In Norwegian, 'insentiv' relates to 'sinn' (mind) and originally meant 'what's on one's mind' but has come to mean 'incentive'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | incentivo | ||
| In Portuguese, "incentivo" can also refer to a "tax exemption" or an "income tax deduction". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | brosnachadh | ||
| "Brosnachadh" comes from Irish Gaelic, where its meanings include "excitement" and "encouragement." | |||
| Spanish | incentivo | ||
| In Spanish, the word "incentivo" also means "motive" or "inducement". | |||
| Swedish | incitament | ||
| Incitament comes from the Latin word "incitamentum", meaning "a goad, a spur". It can also refer to something that provokes or encourages an action or feeling. | |||
| Welsh | cymhelliant | ||
| The Welsh word cymhelliant is cognate with the English word 'compulsion', both derived from the Latin 'compellere' (to drive forward). | |||
Incentive in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | стымул | ||
| The word "стымул" is derived from the Latin word "stimulus", meaning "goad" or "prick", and has the same meaning in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | poticaj | ||
| Bosnian "poticaj" also means "motivation" and comes from "poticati" ("to motivate"). | |||
| Bulgarian | стимул | ||
| The word "стимул" in Bulgarian originates from the Latin word "stimulus", meaning "goad" or "prod". | |||
| Czech | pobídka | ||
| The Czech word "pobídka" is derived from the verb "pobízet", which means "to urge" or "to incite." | |||
| Estonian | stiimul | ||
| The Estonian word "stiimul" originates from the Latin word "stimulus", meaning "goad" or "prick", reflecting the idea of something that prompts or motivates action. | |||
| Finnish | kannustin | ||
| The word "kannustin" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "kannus" meaning "spur"} | |||
| Hungarian | ösztönző | ||
| "Ösztönző" (meaning "incentive" in Hungarian) also means a "goad" that is used to drive an animal, a fact which is also implied by the etymology of the word: "ösz" "(ox)" + "tény" "(stick)". | |||
| Latvian | stimuls | ||
| "Stimuls" is also used as an idiomatic expression meaning "to inspire". | |||
| Lithuanian | paskata | ||
| "Paskata" is derived from the Lithuanian word "paskata", which means "to urge, incite, or encourage." | |||
| Macedonian | поттик | ||
| The word "поттик" can also be used to refer to a small bribe. | |||
| Polish | zachęta | ||
| The name ‘Zachęta’ is a reference to the ‘Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych’ ("Association for the Promotion of Fine Arts"), which originally occupied the building (founded in 1860). | |||
| Romanian | stimulent | ||
| The Romanian word "stimulent" meaning "incentive" is derived from the French word "stimulant", which in turn comes from the Latin word "stimulus" meaning "goad" or "prod". | |||
| Russian | стимул | ||
| The word "стимул" can also refer to a trigger or cause, or to a response to an environmental factor. | |||
| Serbian | подстицај | ||
| The word "подстицај" comes from the verb "подстицати," meaning "to stimulate" or "to encourage." | |||
| Slovak | podnet | ||
| The word "podnet" also means "tip" in the context of a payment given to someone for providing information. | |||
| Slovenian | spodbudo | ||
| The word "spodbuda" comes from the verb "spodbuditi," which means "to encourage" or "to motivate." | |||
| Ukrainian | стимулювання | ||
| "Стимулювання" derives from the Latin "stilus", meaning a writing tool used to inscribe letters on wax tablets, and has alternate meanings such as "punishing" and "rewarding with a pointed stick, which was a common practice in Roman schools" | |||
Incentive in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উদ্দীপনা | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'uddipan', meaning 'kindling', 'uddīpana' (উদ্দীপনা) denotes not just 'incentive' but also 'inspiration' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રોત્સાહન | ||
| Hindi | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| The word "प्रोत्साहन" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रोत्साह" meaning "to encourage or stimulate". | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹಕ | ||
| The word "ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹಕ" means "encouragement" in Sanskrit and is used to refer to any form of motivation or reward that encourages a person to perform a certain action or achieve a certain goal. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രോത്സാഹനം | ||
| Marathi | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| The word "प्रोत्साहन" comes from the Sanskrit root "sah", meaning "to endure" or "to bear." | |||
| Nepali | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| The word प्रोत्साहन (protsahan) is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रोत्साहनम्" (protsahanam), meaning "encouragement" or "excitement."} | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰੇਰਕ | ||
| The word ਪ੍ਰੇਰਕ originates from the Sanskrit word 'praeraka' which also means 'urge' or 'stimulus'. The term is commonly used in a variety of contexts including motivation, education, and marketing. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දිරි දීමනා | ||
| Tamil | ஊக்கத்தொகை | ||
| Telugu | ప్రోత్సాహకం | ||
| Urdu | حوصلہ افزائی | ||
| حوصلہ افزائی derives from the Arabic word for 'stomach' and connotes giving someone 'courage in the stomach' | |||
Incentive in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 激励 | ||
| 激励的词根是“激”和“励”，有鼓舞、鞭策、推动之意 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 激勵 | ||
| 激勵 is used in Chinese to mean to encourage or motivate, but is also related to the idea of a tidal wave. | |||
| Japanese | インセンティブ | ||
| インセンティブ comes from the Latin "incentivum," originally "a song that drives onwards". | |||
| Korean | 자극 | ||
| The word "자극" (incentive) also means "stimulation" or "irritation" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | урамшуулал | ||
| The word "урамшуулал" can also mean "motivation" or "encouragement". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မက်လုံး | ||
Incentive in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | insentif | ||
| Insentif can also mean "additional pay" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | insentif | ||
| 'Insentif' in Javanese also means a 'tip'. | |||
| Khmer | ការលើកទឹកចិត្ត | ||
| Lao | ແຮງຈູງໃຈ | ||
| Malay | insentif | ||
| The word "insentif" comes from the Latin word "incentivus", meaning "to encourage". In Malay, "insentif" can also refer to a bonus or reward. | |||
| Thai | แรงจูงใจ | ||
| แรงจูงใจ can also mean motivation or drive. | |||
| Vietnamese | khích lệ | ||
| “Khích lệ” means “to encourage” but is also a form of ancient Vietnamese folk singing. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | insentibo | ||
Incentive in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təşviq | ||
| The word "təşviq" can also mean "encouragement" or "motivation" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | ынталандыру | ||
| The Kazakh word for "incentive" (ынталандыру) is ultimately derived from the Persian word "intelang" meaning "to be willing." | |||
| Kyrgyz | стимул | ||
| The word "стимул" is derived from the Latin word "stimulus", meaning "goad" or "prick". | |||
| Tajik | ҳавасмандкунӣ | ||
| Turkmen | höweslendirmek | ||
| Uzbek | rag'batlantirish | ||
| The word "rag'batlantirish" in Uzbek originates from the Persian verb "raغب" meaning "to desire". It is also used in Turkish with the same meaning | |||
| Uyghur | رىغبەتلەندۈرۈش | ||
Incentive in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻouluulu | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'hoʻouluulu' can also refer to the gathering or assembling of people or resources. | |||
| Maori | akiaki | ||
| In Maori, 'akiaki' also means 'to urge' or 'to encourage', reflecting the idea of incentives being used to motivate action. | |||
| Samoan | faaosofia | ||
| Despite its current meaning, "faaosofia" can also be understood as "an action undertaken solely for its inherent satisfaction." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | insentibo | ||
| The word "insentibo" in Tagalog is derived from the Spanish word "incentivo", which means "incitement" or "motivation". | |||
Incentive in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amtayiri | ||
| Guarani | mokyre'ỹ | ||
Incentive in International Languages
| Esperanto | instigo | ||
| "Instigo" derives from the Latin "in" (in/into) and "stigo" (to cause to stand), and has alternate meanings of "incitement" and " instigation." | |||
| Latin | incitamentum | ||
| The Latin word "incitamentum" originally referred to a goad used to drive animals. | |||
Incentive in Others Languages
| Greek | κίνητρο | ||
| "Κίνητρο” is a Greek word meaning “incentive” and also “motive”, coming from “κινώ” (set in motion), with the ending -τρο (instrument). | |||
| Hmong | kev txhawb siab | ||
| The term "kev txhawb siab" is also used to refer to bonuses and other forms of remuneration. | |||
| Kurdish | dilkêş | ||
| The word "dilkêş" in Kurdish originally meant "heart-pulling" or "heart-wrenching". | |||
| Turkish | teşvik | ||
| The word "teşvik" originally meant " encouragement" and still has this meaning in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | inkuthazo | ||
| The word "inkuthazo" can also mean "encouragement" or "motivation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | ינסעניוו | ||
| The Yiddish word 'ינסעניוו' ('incentive') is derived from the Latin word 'incentīvum', meaning 'motive' or 'encouragement'. | |||
| Zulu | isisusa | ||
| 'Isisusa' is an isiZulu word referring to something that prompts a person to make an effort towards a specific goal. | |||
| Assamese | উত্সাহ প্ৰদান | ||
| Aymara | amtayiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޯނަސް | ||
| Dogri | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | insentibo | ||
| Guarani | mokyre'ỹ | ||
| Ilocano | insentibo | ||
| Krio | rizin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاندەر | ||
| Maithili | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯨꯛꯅꯤꯡ ꯊꯧꯒꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | lawmman | ||
| Oromo | deeggarsa maallaqaa hamilee tumsuuf godhamu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରୋତ୍ସାହନ | ||
| Quechua | kallpachay | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रोत्साहन | ||
| Tatar | стимул | ||
| Tigrinya | መተባብዒ | ||
| Tsonga | hakelo | ||