Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'independent' holds a powerful significance in our lives, denoting self-governing abilities and freedom from external control. This cultural importance is reflected in various aspects of society, from politics to personal growth. Understanding the translation of 'independent' in different languages can open doors to global communication and foster cultural appreciation.
Did you know that the word 'independent' can be translated into 'unabhängig' in German, 'независим' in Bulgarian, or '獨立' in Chinese? Each of these translations carries the same weight and meaning, yet offers a unique cultural perspective.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or a business professional, knowing the translation of 'independent' in different languages can enhance your linguistic skills and demonstrate respect for other cultures. Keep reading to discover more translations of this important word!
Afrikaans | onafhanklik | ||
The Afrikaans word "onafhanklik" is derived from the Dutch word "onafhankelijk", which in turn comes from the German word "unabhängig", meaning "not dependent". The word has no other alternate meanings in Afrikaans. | |||
Amharic | ገለልተኛ | ||
The word ገለልተኛ can also refer to someone who is self-sufficient or who does not rely on others. | |||
Hausa | mai zaman kanta | ||
The Hausa word 'mai zaman kanta' literally translates to 'owner of his own time', emphasizing the concept of self-determination and autonomy. | |||
Igbo | nọọrọ onwe ha | ||
"Nọọrọ onwe ha" originates from the verb "nọọ" which means to "stand" or "remain". It implies the ability to stand alone or make decisions without external influence. | |||
Malagasy | tsy miankina | ||
A different interpretation of the word is that it relates to "separation" or "the separation of two things." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudziyimira pawokha | ||
The term 'kudziyimira pawokha' can also mean 'to stand on one's own feet' or 'to be self-reliant'. | |||
Shona | yakazvimirira | ||
Yakazvimirira can also refer to a person who is stubborn or self-willed. | |||
Somali | madaxbanaan | ||
"Madaxbanaan" also means "head-free/without a head" literally. | |||
Sesotho | ikemetseng | ||
The word "ikemetseng" in Sesotho can also refer to a person who is self-reliant or resourceful. | |||
Swahili | huru | ||
The word 'huru' also means 'free' or 'unbound' in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | ezimeleyo | ||
The word "ezimeleyo" also means "to be able to get what you want without asking for help or permission" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | ominira | ||
In the Yoruba language, "ominira" also refers to a "freeborn person" or a person of "noble birth." | |||
Zulu | ezimele | ||
The word "ezimele" in Zulu can also refer to "a person who is not subject to the authority of another" or "a person who is not dependent on others." | |||
Bambara | yɛrɛmahɔrɔnya | ||
Ewe | le eɖokui si | ||
Kinyarwanda | yigenga | ||
Lingala | bonsomi | ||
Luganda | okwemalira | ||
Sepedi | ikemego | ||
Twi (Akan) | de ho | ||
Arabic | مستقل | ||
مستقل in Arabic is related to "استقال" meaning to resign | |||
Hebrew | עצמאי | ||
The Hebrew word "עצמאי" can also mean "authentic" or "original." | |||
Pashto | خپلواک | ||
The Pashto word "خپلواک" is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *swa-, meaning "one's own" or "self-sufficient." | |||
Arabic | مستقل | ||
مستقل in Arabic is related to "استقال" meaning to resign |
Albanian | i pavarur | ||
"I pavarur" also means "on its own" or "of its own accord" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | independentea | ||
"Independentea" (independence) comes from Latin "de pendentem" (hanging down). | |||
Catalan | independent | ||
Catalan "independent" (independent) is related to "pendent" (to hang) and "pendre" (to weigh), ultimately from Latin "pendere" (to hang). | |||
Croatian | neovisna | ||
In the Croatian dictionary of synonyms, neovisna is also listed as a synonym of the word samostalan, which means 'independent' and 'autonomous' | |||
Danish | uafhængig | ||
uafhængig (unrelated) - (a)fri (free) + (b)hængig (dependent), "not dependent" -> "free, independent" | |||
Dutch | onafhankelijk | ||
The Dutch word "onafhankelijk" is derived from the Middle Dutch "onafhangelic," meaning "not dependent on anyone else." | |||
English | independent | ||
The word 'independent' derives from Latin 'independens', meaning 'not hanging on', from 'in-' (not) + 'dependens' (hanging), from 'dependere' (to hang). | |||
French | indépendant | ||
The French word "indépendant" can also refer to someone who is self-sufficient or who works for their own account. | |||
Frisian | ûnôfhinklik | ||
The Frisian word ‘ûnôfhinklik’ has been in use since at least 1247 and can also mean ‘not obliged’ | |||
Galician | independente | ||
The Galician word "independente" also means "unbiased" or "not influenced by others." | |||
German | unabhängig | ||
"Unabhängig" also means "not dependent" or "self-reliant" in German. | |||
Icelandic | sjálfstæð | ||
The Icelandic word "sjálfstæð" literally means "self-standing" or "free-standing". | |||
Irish | neamhspleách | ||
The Irish word "neamhspleách" comes from the Proto-Celtic root *nemos, meaning "sacred" or "holy". | |||
Italian | indipendente | ||
The word "indipendente" in Italian also means "indifferent" or "detached". | |||
Luxembourgish | onofhängeg | ||
Maltese | indipendenti | ||
"Indipendenti" is a Maltese word that derives from the Italian word "indipendente". Besides "independent", it can also mean "unrestrained", "unrestricted", or "impartial". | |||
Norwegian | uavhengig | ||
The word "uavhengig" can also refer to the ability to be neutral or unbiased in a situation. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | independente | ||
The word "independente" in Portuguese can also mean "incapable" or "unreliable". | |||
Scots Gaelic | neo-eisimeileach | ||
The term "neo-eisimeileach" is derived from the Greek words "neos" (new) and "eisimeileia" (independence), and is used to describe a new or revived movement for independence in Scotland. | |||
Spanish | independiente | ||
The word "independiente" can also refer to a person who is not affiliated with any political party or group. | |||
Swedish | självständig | ||
Självständig also means 'subsisting by oneself' and is derived from själv, meaning 'self', and ständig, meaning 'constant'. | |||
Welsh | annibynnol | ||
Annibynnol in Welsh originated in the 19th century, with annibyniaith being used earlier. |
Belarusian | самастойны | ||
Bosnian | nezavisna | ||
The word "nezavisna" in Bosnian has the same Slavic root as the word "nas" (our) and "vlast" (power), meaning "not dependent on others for power." | |||
Bulgarian | независим | ||
The word has cognates in many other Slavic languages, meaning “not a slave” | |||
Czech | nezávislý | ||
The word "nezávislý" originally meant "not hanging down" or "upright" (from *nez-*(negative prefix) + *vislý*(hanging)). | |||
Estonian | sõltumatu | ||
The word "sõltumatu" is also used to describe a person who is not influenced by others' opinions or actions. | |||
Finnish | riippumaton | ||
The word "riippumaton" is derived from the verb "riippua", meaning "to hang", and originally meant "not hanging", i.e. free. | |||
Hungarian | független | ||
In old Hungarian, "független" also meant "unmarried, single", which is related to the meaning of "detached, isolated". | |||
Latvian | neatkarīgs | ||
The word neatkarīgs derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁neyǵʰ-, meaning "free, not bound". | |||
Lithuanian | nepriklausomas | ||
"Nepriklausomas" originally meant "not depending on others", and is still used in this sense in a legal context. | |||
Macedonian | независен | ||
The stem "nezavisn" in the word "nezavisen" is of the Serbo-Croatian origin. | |||
Polish | niezależny | ||
The Polish word "niezależny" also means "unaffected" or "objective". | |||
Romanian | independent | ||
The Romanian word 'independent' is a compound of 'in-' (in, into, on) and 'dependenta' (dependency, dependence). | |||
Russian | независимый | ||
The Russian word «независимый» can also mean "impartial, unbiased" or "not relying on" something. | |||
Serbian | независна | ||
The word “независна” can also mean “not pregnant” or “infertile” in Serbian. | |||
Slovak | nezávislý | ||
The word "nezávislý" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "nezavisimъ", meaning "not dependent". In Czech and Slovak, it is used to describe both "independence" and "self-reliance". | |||
Slovenian | neodvisen | ||
The word "neodvisen" in Slovenian has the same root as the word "depend" in English, but its meaning is the opposite. | |||
Ukrainian | незалежний | ||
The adjective 'незалежний' and the noun 'незалежність' are both derived from the word 'залежність', meaning 'dependence'. Therefore, 'незалежний' means the opposite of 'dependent', and 'незалежність' is translated as 'independence' but also as 'independency'. |
Bengali | স্বতন্ত্র | ||
"স্বতন্ত্র" (pronounced 'shottoontro' in Bengali) shares the same etymology as the English word 'autonomous' and originally meant 'self-created' in Sanskrit | |||
Gujarati | સ્વતંત્ર | ||
The word "સ્વતંત્ર" (svatantr) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "svatantra," which means "self-reliant" or "autonomous." | |||
Hindi | स्वतंत्र | ||
In Sanskrit, the word "स्वतंत्र" also means "self-controlled" or "self-reliant." | |||
Kannada | ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ | ||
The word "ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "svatantra", meaning "self-reliant" or "autonomous". | |||
Malayalam | സ്വതന്ത്രം | ||
The word "സ്വതന്ത്രം" (svatanthram) is derived from Sanskrit and means "self-determining" or "autonomous." | |||
Marathi | स्वतंत्र | ||
The word "स्वतंत्र" in Marathi can also mean "self-contained" or "autonomous". | |||
Nepali | स्वतन्त्र | ||
The word "स्वतन्त्र" originates from Sanskrit and can also mean "self-controlled" or "autonomous". | |||
Punjabi | ਸੁਤੰਤਰ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්වාධීන | ||
The Sinhalese word ස්වාධීන ('independent') comes from the Sanskrit 'sva' meaning 'self' and 'adhin' meaning 'subject', and also means 'self-governing', 'sovereign', 'autonomous' or 'absolute'. | |||
Tamil | சுயாதீனமான | ||
Telugu | స్వతంత్ర | ||
The word "స్వతంత్ర" is derived from the Sanskrit word "svatantra", meaning "self-sufficient" and "possessing one's own rule". | |||
Urdu | آزاد | ||
The word "aazad" (آزاد) in Urdu can also mean "free, uncontrolled, or unrestrained". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 独立 | ||
独立's other meaning is "standing alone; self-supporting; not reliant on others." | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 獨立 | ||
獨立 (independent) is composed of two characters: 独 (solitary) and 立 (stand). | |||
Japanese | 独立 | ||
The word "独立" in Japanese can also mean "detached" or "stand-alone." | |||
Korean | 독립적 인 | ||
The word 독립적 인 is borrowed from English and literally means 'standing alone'. | |||
Mongolian | хараат бус | ||
The word 'хараат бус' can also mean 'not having a master or owner' or 'not being subject to the control of another'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လွတ်လပ်သော | ||
Indonesian | independen | ||
The Indonesian word "independen" is derived from the Latin word "independens", meaning "not relying on or controlled by others." | |||
Javanese | mandhiri | ||
The word 'mandhiri' can also refer to a person who is self-sufficient or a person who is not dependent on others. | |||
Khmer | ឯករាជ្យ | ||
The word "ឯករាជ្យ" literally means "ruling over one's own territory or people." | |||
Lao | ເອກະລາດ | ||
"เอกราช" เป็นภาษาสันสกฤต แปลว่า "เพียงหนึ่งเดียว" หรือ "พระองค์ท่านเดียว" ซึ่งหมายถึงรัฐที่ไม่ขึ้นอยู่กับรัฐใด | |||
Malay | bebas | ||
"Bebas" in Malay also means "free", "without", or "unattached." | |||
Thai | อิสระ | ||
The Thai word "อิสระ" (pronounced issara) is derived from the Sanskrit word "isvara" (pronounced ishvara), which means "lord" or "master." | |||
Vietnamese | độc lập | ||
This Sino-Vietnamese word comes from the Chinese word 獨立, which also means "to stand alone". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | malaya | ||
Azerbaijani | müstəqil | ||
The word "müstəqil" in Azerbaijani is related to the Arabic word "mustaqill" and also means "separate". | |||
Kazakh | тәуелсіз | ||
The word "тәуелсіз" (independent) in Kazakh also means "autonomous" and "sovereign." | |||
Kyrgyz | көзкарандысыз | ||
"Көзкарандысыз" comes from the Turkic word "көз," meaning "eye," and the verb "каран"," meaning "to look". Originally, it meant "self-sufficient" or "able to see for oneself." | |||
Tajik | мустақил | ||
In Arabic, "mustaqill" originally referred to a standing position before eventually acquiring the meaning of "independence". | |||
Turkmen | garaşsyz | ||
Uzbek | mustaqil | ||
The word "mustaqil" in Uzbek can be traced back to the Arabic word "mustaqillah", which means "independent" or "autonomous." | |||
Uyghur | مۇستەقىل | ||
Hawaiian | kūʻokoʻa | ||
The word "kūʻokoʻa" does not appear in pre-contact Hawaiian language, but is rather a post-contact borrowing of the English word "constitution". | |||
Maori | motuhake | ||
The word "motuhake" can also refer to a person who is self-sufficient or autonomous. | |||
Samoan | tutoʻatasi | ||
The word 'tutoʻatasi' also means 'standing alone' or 'unattached'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | independyente | ||
The word "independyente" (independent) in Tagalog can also refer to a person who is not dependent on others. |
Aymara | mayni pachpa | ||
Guarani | hekosã'ỹva | ||
Esperanto | sendependa | ||
The word "sendependa" is derived from the root word "sendo" meaning to be or to become. | |||
Latin | sui iuris | ||
Sui iuris can also mean "of its own right" or "in its own right." |
Greek | ανεξάρτητος | ||
The word 'ανεξάρτητος' comes from the Ancient Greek word 'ἀνεξάρτητος', meaning 'not depending on someone or something else'. | |||
Hmong | ywj siab | ||
The Hmong word 'ywj siab' can also mean 'self-sufficient' or 'autonomous'. | |||
Kurdish | serbixwe | ||
"Serbixwe" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root word "*ser-/*sor-", meaning "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
Turkish | bağımsız | ||
The word "bağımsız" is derived from the Persian word "bag" (garden) and the Turkish suffix "-siz" (without), meaning "without a garden" or "unattached". | |||
Xhosa | ezimeleyo | ||
The word "ezimeleyo" also means "to be able to get what you want without asking for help or permission" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | זעלבסטשטענדיק | ||
In Yiddish, "זעלבסטשטענדיק" (zelevshtendik) also implies a sense of self-reliance and a refusal to be dependent on others. | |||
Zulu | ezimele | ||
The word "ezimele" in Zulu can also refer to "a person who is not subject to the authority of another" or "a person who is not dependent on others." | |||
Assamese | স্বাধীন | ||
Aymara | mayni pachpa | ||
Bhojpuri | आजाद | ||
Dhivehi | މިނިވަން | ||
Dogri | अजाद | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | malaya | ||
Guarani | hekosã'ỹva | ||
Ilocano | independiente | ||
Krio | du tin fɔ yusɛf | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سەربەرخۆ | ||
Maithili | स्वतंत्र | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯅꯤꯡ ꯇꯝꯕ | ||
Mizo | mahnia inrelbawl | ||
Oromo | of danda'aa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱାଧୀନ | ||
Quechua | sapaq | ||
Sanskrit | स्वाधीन | ||
Tatar | мөстәкыйль | ||
Tigrinya | ዓርሱ ዝኸኣለ | ||
Tsonga | tiyimela | ||