Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'insist' carries a significant weight in our vocabulary, denoting a firm, unwavering stance or belief. It's a word that transcends cultural boundaries, a testament to its importance in human communication. But have you ever wondered how to say 'insist' in other languages? Understanding the translation of 'insist' in different languages not only broadens your linguistic abilities but also offers a fascinating glimpse into cultural nuances.
For instance, in Spanish, 'insist' translates to 'insistir', while in French, it's 'insister'. In German, it's 'bestanden', and in Japanese, it's '強調する (kyoucho-suru)'. Each translation offers a unique perspective, reflecting the language's structure, culture, and history.
So, why should you learn the translations of 'insist'? Beyond the practical benefits, it's a small step towards appreciating the richness and diversity of global languages and cultures. It's a reminder that while words may have similar meanings, the way they're expressed can vary greatly.
Afrikaans | aandring | ||
The word 'aandring' is derived from the Dutch word 'aandringen', which means 'to urge on' or 'to press on'. | |||
Amharic | በማለት አጥብቀው ይጠይቁ | ||
Hausa | nace | ||
"Nace" is a Hausa word often used in a similar way to the English word "insist", but it can also mean "to stay in a place for a long time"} | |||
Igbo | esi ọnwụ | ||
Malagasy | mikiry | ||
"Mikiry" can also mean "to beg, entreat, plead". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kunena | ||
Kunena is also used in the context of pleading or asking for forgiveness, implying a sense of desperation or earnest request. | |||
Shona | simbirira | ||
“Simbirira” originates from the word “mbiri” meaning “goalposts” and also connotes the action “to insist,” “to stand one’s ground” or “be determined”. | |||
Somali | ku adkeyso | ||
"Ku adkeyso" is an idiom in Somali language that consists of two words: "ku" and "adkeyso". "Ku" means "in", "at", or "to" and "adkeyso" means "to insist", "to urge", or "to demand". | |||
Sesotho | tsitlella | ||
The word "tsitlella" in Sesotho also means "to be stubborn" or "to refuse to give up". | |||
Swahili | kusisitiza | ||
The word "kusisitiza" derives from the root "sisitiza" meaning "to emphasize" or "to repeat forcefully". | |||
Xhosa | nyanzelisa | ||
The word "nyanzelisa" can also mean "to persevere" or "to persist." | |||
Yoruba | ta ku | ||
"Ta ku" can also be a greeting in Yoruba, meaning "good day". It is a shortened version of "O tun ku", which means "you have returned". | |||
Zulu | gcizelela | ||
The noun 'ugcizelelo' means a demand for payment of a debt | |||
Bambara | sinsin | ||
Ewe | te gbe ɖe edzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | shimangira | ||
Lingala | kotingama | ||
Luganda | okulemerako | ||
Sepedi | gatelela | ||
Twi (Akan) | hwɛ sɛ | ||
Arabic | يصر | ||
The word يصر ("insist") is derived from the root word "صَرَرَ" (to press or bind tightly) and shares a semantic connection with the word "عَصَرَ" (to squeeze or wring out). | |||
Hebrew | מתעקש | ||
As a noun, "מתעקש" (pronounced "mit-ak-shesh") means "a stubborn person" or "one who is obstinate". | |||
Pashto | ټينګار کول | ||
The word "ټينګار کول" in Pashto can also mean "to emphasize" or "to stress". It is derived from the Arabic word "تنغيم" (tanghīm), which means "intonation" or "vocalization". | |||
Arabic | يصر | ||
The word يصر ("insist") is derived from the root word "صَرَرَ" (to press or bind tightly) and shares a semantic connection with the word "عَصَرَ" (to squeeze or wring out). |
Albanian | insistojnë | ||
Albanian "insistojnë" derives from Latin "sistǒ", "I place, present" through Old French "insister", which had the alternate meaning "to stand on". | |||
Basque | tematu | ||
The Basque word "tematu" also means "to persist", "to continue". | |||
Catalan | insistir | ||
In Catalan, "insistir" can also mean "persist" or "continue". | |||
Croatian | inzistirati | ||
The word 'inzistirati' in Croatian derives from Latin 'insistere,' meaning 'to stand on' or 'to persist'. | |||
Danish | insistere | ||
"Insistere" means both "to persist in" and "to walk, stand, or rest upon" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | aandringen | ||
The Dutch word "aandringen" is originally derived from the Middle Dutch word "andringen," meaning "to press against" or "to urge." | |||
English | insist | ||
The word "insist" derives from the Latin word "sisto," meaning "to stand firm" or "to make stand." | |||
French | insister | ||
In French, "insister" also means "to be persistent" or "to continue doing something despite opposition." | |||
Frisian | oanhâlde | ||
In the Westerlauwers Frisian dialect of the Netherlands, "oanhâlde" can mean both "to insist" and "to hold on to something tightly." | |||
Galician | insistir | ||
"Insistir" comes from the Latin word "insistere," which also meant "be urgent or persistent. | |||
German | darauf bestehen | ||
The German verb "darauf bestehen" literally translates to "to stand on it" or "to persist on it." | |||
Icelandic | heimta | ||
"Heima" in Icelandic may also mean "at home". | |||
Irish | seasann | ||
The Irish word "seasann" can also refer to a particular season of the year. | |||
Italian | insistere | ||
"Insistere" comes from the Latin verb "sistere" (to stand), and its original meaning was "to stand on" or "to press upon." | |||
Luxembourgish | insistéieren | ||
"Insistéieren" kann im Luxemburgischen auch "eintreiben" im Sinne von "die Schulden eintreiben" oder "etwas energisch einfordern" bedeuten. | |||
Maltese | tinsisti | ||
This verb derives from Sicilian “tìntiri”, of unknown origin, and it has also the meanings “to convince”, “to persuade”. | |||
Norwegian | insistere | ||
The Norwegian word 'insistere' originally meant 'to stand on something' or 'to persist', and is related to the English word 'stand'. In Norwegian, it can also mean 'to insist', 'to demand' or 'to maintain a position'. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | insistir | ||
"Insistir" comes from the Latin "insistere", meaning "stand on" or "persist in". | |||
Scots Gaelic | seas | ||
"Seas" comes from the Middle English "sese" which means "to cease", indicating the sense of urgency and persistence in "insisting." | |||
Spanish | insistir | ||
The Spanish word 'insistir' comes from the Latin verb 'insistere', meaning 'to stand upon' or 'to persist'. | |||
Swedish | insistera | ||
"Insistera" is cognate with "insistere" (to stand on, persist) in Latin and "επιμένω" (to remain, stay) in Greek. | |||
Welsh | mynnu | ||
The noun 'mynnu' ('insistence') may also be used colloquially as a verb meaning 'to insist'. |
Belarusian | настойваць | ||
Bosnian | insistirati | ||
The word "insistirati" is derived from the Latin word "insistere", meaning "to stand upon" or "to persist in an opinion or course of action". | |||
Bulgarian | настояват | ||
The word "настояват" can also mean "to ask for something earnestly or persistently" or "to demand something as a right." | |||
Czech | trvat | ||
The Czech word "trvat" can mean both "insist" and "last" or "endure" in time, reflecting its Latin root "trahere," meaning "to pull" or "to drag out." | |||
Estonian | nõudma | ||
The word "nõudma" originated from the Proto-Finnic "*nouta-ma" meaning "to demand". | |||
Finnish | vaatia | ||
Vaatia is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wedh-, meaning "to hunt", "to pursue", or "to strive for". | |||
Hungarian | ragaszkodik valamihez | ||
The Hungarian word "ragaszkodik valamihez" derives from the word "ragaszt", meaning "to stick to" or "to adhere". | |||
Latvian | uzstāt | ||
Latvian uzstāt's cognate ustojati in Old Prussian has the additional meaning "to stand". | |||
Lithuanian | reikalauti | ||
The word "reikalauti" derives from the phrase "reikalauti teisybės" (to demand justice), which implies a sense of urgency and a legitimate claim. | |||
Macedonian | инсистираат | ||
The word "инсистираат" ("insist") comes from the Latin word "insistere", which means "to stand firmly" or "to press upon". | |||
Polish | obstawać | ||
The word 'obstawać' is derived from the verb 'stować', which means 'to stand' or 'to be present', and the prefix 'ob-', which in this context conveys a sense of permanence or resistance. | |||
Romanian | insista | ||
The Romanian word "insista" also refers to a type of fish found in the Danube river | |||
Russian | настаивать | ||
The Russian word "настаивать" evolved from the obsolete word "настой", meaning "infusion", hence its secondary meaning "to infuse". | |||
Serbian | инсистирати | ||
The word "инсистирати" derives from the Latin word "insistere," meaning "to stand upon". | |||
Slovak | trvať na tom | ||
The phrase "trvať na tom" in Slovak comes from the verb "trvať", which also means "to last" or "to persist". | |||
Slovenian | vztrajati | ||
The Slovene word 'vztrajati' comes from the root 'vz-' meaning 'up' and 'trajati' meaning 'to last'. | |||
Ukrainian | наполягати | ||
Ukrainian 'наполягати' (insist) has roots in Polish 'napołożyć', meaning 'to impose'. |
Bengali | জেদ করা | ||
The word "জেদ করা" can also mean "to be stubborn" or "to be determined". | |||
Gujarati | આગ્રહ | ||
The word "આગ્રહ" can also mean "entreaty" or "solicitation" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | जोर देते हैं | ||
The word "जोर देते हैं" is derived from the Sanskrit word "जोर" (strength) and "देते हैं" (to give). | |||
Kannada | ಒತ್ತಾಯ | ||
The word "ಒತ್ತಾಯ" also means "pressure" or "force" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | നിർബന്ധിക്കുക | ||
Marathi | आग्रह धरणे | ||
The Marathi word "आग्रह धरणे" also means "to demand", "to urge", "to press", and "to persist." | |||
Nepali | जोर दिनुहोस् | ||
The word "जोर दिनुहोस्" is derived from the Sanskrit word "जोर्" meaning "force" or "compulsion"} | |||
Punjabi | ਜ਼ੋਰ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවධාරනය කරන්න | ||
Tamil | வலியுறுத்துங்கள் | ||
Telugu | పట్టుబట్టండి | ||
Urdu | اصرار | ||
The word "اصرار" is derived from the Arabic root word "صَرَّ", which means "to be firm" or "to be persistent." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 坚持 | ||
"坚持" is composed of the characters "坚" meaning "hard" or "strong" and "持" meaning "to hold" or "to maintain". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 堅持 | ||
The Chinese word “堅持” is also used in the context of “maintaining” or “preserving” something, often in the face of challenges or resistance. | |||
Japanese | 主張する | ||
"主張する" also means to express an idea, claim, or opinion. | |||
Korean | 주장 | ||
The word "주장" originally meant "to support" or "to prop up", but now it primarily means "to insist" or "to argue for something" | |||
Mongolian | шаардах | ||
The Mongolian word "шаардах" is also used to refer to the sound of a gong being struck. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အပြင်းအထန်တောင်းဆို | ||
Indonesian | bersikeras | ||
Bersikeras means 'to insist' in Indonesian, stemming from the verb 'kekeras' meaning 'hard' or 'firm'. | |||
Javanese | ngeyel | ||
"Ngeyel" also means "to be obstinate" or "to be stubborn". | |||
Khmer | ទទូច | ||
The word "ទទូច" can also mean to "demand" or "persistently ask for something" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ຮຽກຮ້ອງໃຫ້ຊາວ | ||
Malay | menegaskan | ||
Menegaskan, a Malay word for 'insist', is based on 'tegas', 'to say something firmly' in Indonesian. | |||
Thai | ยืนยัน | ||
The word "ยืนยัน" is a loanword from English, originally meaning "to stand" or "to affirm". | |||
Vietnamese | năn nỉ | ||
The word "năn nỉ" can also be used to describe someone who is persistent or relentless in their efforts, or even someone who is annoying or bothersome. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ipilit | ||
Azerbaijani | israr et | ||
'İsrar' sözcüğünün kökeni Farsçadan gelen 'sarar' fiilinin Arapçadaki emir şeklindendir. | |||
Kazakh | талап ету | ||
The Kazakh word "талап ету" can also mean to demand, to request, or to ask for something urgently. | |||
Kyrgyz | талап кылуу | ||
Tajik | боисрор | ||
The word "боисрор" (insist) is derived from the Persian word "ایستادن" (to stand). | |||
Turkmen | tutuň | ||
Uzbek | turib olish | ||
The word "turib olish" can also mean "to stick to one's opinion" or "to be stubborn". | |||
Uyghur | چىڭ تۇرۇڭ | ||
Hawaiian | koi aku | ||
The verb “koi aku” also means “to request” or “to petition”. | |||
Maori | tohe | ||
"Tohe" also means "to beckon, call over, or ask for something." | |||
Samoan | tausisi | ||
Tausisi is a homophone in Samoan, it also means "to press or push heavily on something". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | igiit | ||
"Igiit" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *igi "to persist" |
Aymara | jariyaña | ||
Guarani | jerurejey | ||
Esperanto | insisti | ||
"Insisti" also means "to persist" or "to press (forward)". | |||
Latin | testificor | ||
Testificor in Latin also means 'to testify', 'to give evidence' |
Greek | επιμένω | ||
The ancient Greek verb "επιμένω" also meant "await" or "stay at a place". | |||
Hmong | hais | ||
The Hmong word “hais” also means “to force someone” and can be used in this alternate sense in the sentence “kuv hais nws ua”, which translates to “I forced him to do it.”. | |||
Kurdish | liserekinîn | ||
The word "liserekinîn" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "lisar" (stubbornness) and the Kurdish suffix "-inîn" (to do something). | |||
Turkish | ısrar etmek | ||
The word "ısrar etmek" can also mean "to be persistent" or "to persevere" | |||
Xhosa | nyanzelisa | ||
The word "nyanzelisa" can also mean "to persevere" or "to persist." | |||
Yiddish | באַשטיין | ||
The Yiddish word באַשטיין shares its root with the word "beschwören", meaning "to swear on" or "invoke" in German. | |||
Zulu | gcizelela | ||
The noun 'ugcizelelo' means a demand for payment of a debt | |||
Assamese | জোৰ কৰা | ||
Aymara | jariyaña | ||
Bhojpuri | जोर दिहल | ||
Dhivehi | ކުރުނުކުރުން | ||
Dogri | जोर देना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ipilit | ||
Guarani | jerurejey | ||
Ilocano | ipilit | ||
Krio | pin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پێداگری | ||
Maithili | आग्रह | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯛꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | duh tlat | ||
Oromo | itti cichuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଜିଦ୍ଦିଅ | | ||
Quechua | kutipay | ||
Sanskrit | निर्बन्ध् | ||
Tatar | торыгыз | ||
Tigrinya | ጸቕጢ ምግባር | ||
Tsonga | sindzisa | ||