Inspire in Different Languages
Discover 'Inspire' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'inspire' holds a special significance in our lives, as it represents the spark that ignites our creativity, innovation, and passion. It is a powerful force that moves us to achieve greatness and create positive change in the world. The cultural importance of 'inspire' cannot be overstated, as it transcends borders, languages, and cultures to unite us in our shared human experience.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'inspire' in different languages can open up new doors to cross-cultural communication and global understanding. For instance, in Spanish, 'inspire' translates to 'inspirar,' while in French, it is 'inspirer.' In German, the word 'inspire' translates to 'inspirieren,' and in Japanese, it is 'はじめる' (hajimeru), which also means 'to begin' or 'to start.'
These translations not only provide insight into the cultural nuances of different languages but also highlight the universal nature of the concept of inspiration. So, whether you're looking to connect with people from different cultures or simply expand your vocabulary, learning the translation of 'inspire' in different languages is a great place to start.
Inspire
Inspire in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | inspireer | ||
| The Afrikaans word "inspireer" is a doublet derived from Dutch, with the variant "inspireer" being borrowed directly from French. | |||
| Amharic | አነሳሳ | ||
| The Amharic word "አነሳሳ" ("inspire") derives from the Ge'ez root "ንስ" ("to breathe"), hence its literal meaning of "to give breath to". | |||
| Hausa | wahayi | ||
| The Hausa word "wahayi" is a loanword from the Arabic word "waḥy" which means "divine revelation" or "inspiration". | |||
| Igbo | kpalie | ||
| The word "kpalie" in Igbo can also mean "to encourage," "to incite," or "to provoke." | |||
| Malagasy | aingam-panahy | ||
| "Ainga" means "soul", while "pa" is a prefix indicating a plural, and the suffix "-nahy" derives from the verbal form "ma-naha", meaning "to make alive, revive". Thus "aingam-panahy" may be understood as "that which revives/makes alive multiple souls." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulimbikitsa | ||
| "Kulimbikitsa" also means to encourage or animate someone. | |||
| Shona | inspire | ||
| The Shona word for "inspire" is "furidzira," which also means "to blow into," suggesting the idea of providing someone with new ideas or motivation. | |||
| Somali | dhiirrigelin | ||
| Sesotho | hlasimolla | ||
| The word "hlasimolla" is also spelled "hla simolla", where "simolla" originates from the Proto-Bantu noun "*simola" meaning "breath, soul, life". | |||
| Swahili | kuhamasisha | ||
| The verb 'kuhamasisha' shares the same root with the word 'hamu', which means 'enthusiasm', hence the connotation of inspiring or motivating. | |||
| Xhosa | khuthaza | ||
| The word "khuthaza" is also used to describe the act of encouraging or motivating someone. | |||
| Yoruba | iwuri | ||
| The word 'iwuri' in Yoruba can also mean 'motivation' or 'encouragement'. | |||
| Zulu | gqugquzela | ||
| The Zulu word "gqugquzela" can also mean "to incite" or "to stir up". | |||
| Bambara | ka sama | ||
| Ewe | de dziƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhumeka | ||
| Lingala | kopesa makanisi | ||
| Luganda | okulungamya | ||
| Sepedi | hlohleletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hyɛ nkuran | ||
Inspire in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إلهام | ||
| إلهام" "Inspiration" derives originally from the root (أ ل ه م) the root that means "to hint" hence "to inspire." | |||
| Hebrew | השראה | ||
| The Hebrew word השראה has its roots in the biblical term | |||
| Pashto | الهام ورکول | ||
| The etymology of الهام ورکول traces back to 'inspiration' and 'to fill in', respectively, in Dari Persian and Sanskrit | |||
| Arabic | إلهام | ||
| إلهام" "Inspiration" derives originally from the root (أ ل ه م) the root that means "to hint" hence "to inspire." | |||
Inspire in Western European Languages
| Albanian | frymëzoj | ||
| The word "frymëzoj" is derived from the Latin word "spirare," meaning "to breathe," and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*spē-," meaning "to blow." | |||
| Basque | inspiratu | ||
| Basque "inspiratu" traces back to Latin "inspiration-/-tionis" for both the physical "breath", and intellectual/emotional/moral concepts. | |||
| Catalan | inspirar | ||
| "Inspirar" in Catalan also refers to breathing in. | |||
| Croatian | nadahnuti | ||
| The Croatian word "nadahnuti" can also mean "to fill up" or "to pour over". | |||
| Danish | inspirere | ||
| The word 'inspirere' also means 'to inhale' in Danish, like 'inspirere dybt' ('to inhale deeply'). | |||
| Dutch | inspireren | ||
| The Dutch word "inspireren" also means to inhale, as it derives from the Latin "inspirare" (in- "in" + spirare "to breathe"). | |||
| English | inspire | ||
| **Etymology:** Latin: inspirare (to breathe into) > Old French: inspirer > Middle English: inspiren > Modern English: inspire | |||
| French | inspirer | ||
| In French, the word "inspirer" can also mean "to install", e.g. "inspirer la confiance". | |||
| Frisian | ynspirearje | ||
| Frisian's ynspirearje shares its root with the English 'spirit' and the Latin 'spirare', meaning 'to breathe'. | |||
| Galician | inspirar | ||
| In Galician, "inspirar" has the alternate meaning of "to draw in air as in a breath". | |||
| German | inspirieren | ||
| "Inspirieren" also means "to blow into" in German, referring to its origin in the Latin word "inspirare," meaning "to breathe into." | |||
| Icelandic | hvetja | ||
| The term "hvetja" in Icelandic likely shares an etymological root with the noun "hvatr" which means "courage" or "heart". | |||
| Irish | spreagadh | ||
| The Irish word "spreagadh" can also mean "sprinkling" or "scattering", which relates to its original meaning of "dispersing knowledge or ideas" | |||
| Italian | ispirare | ||
| The Italian word “ispirare” originally meant “fill” or “breathe into” , and came from the Latin expression “*in spirare*”. | |||
| Luxembourgish | inspiréieren | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "inspiréieren" is derived from the Latin word "inspirare", meaning "to breathe into" or "to give life to". | |||
| Maltese | tispira | ||
| The Maltese word "tispira" derives from the Italian "ispirare", which also means "exhale". | |||
| Norwegian | inspirere | ||
| The Norwegian word "inspirere" derives from the Latin "inspirare," meaning "breathe into" or "infuse with breath." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | inspirar | ||
| The verb "inspirar" means to breathe in, but comes from the Latin "inspirare," meaning "to breathe into or inspire." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | brosnachadh | ||
| "Brosnachadh" can mean encouragement, incitement or instigation. | |||
| Spanish | inspirar | ||
| The Spanish word "inspirar" comes from the Latin word "inspirare," meaning "to breathe in" or "to inhale." | |||
| Swedish | inspirera | ||
| The Swedish verb "inspirera" also means to breathe in or to pump air into something, similar to the English word "inflate". | |||
| Welsh | ysbrydoli | ||
| The word "ysbrydoli" can also refer to a breath, a spirit, or a ghost in Welsh. | |||
Inspire in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | натхняць | ||
| The Belarusian word "натхняць" ("inspire") is also used in colloquial language to describe the process of coming to a sudden realization, gaining a new understanding or perspective on something, often in the context of a creative process or problem-solving. | |||
| Bosnian | nadahnuti | ||
| "Nadahnuti" can also mean to inhale or to infuse with a spirit. | |||
| Bulgarian | вдъхновяват | ||
| The word "вдъхновяват" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *дъхъ* ("breath"), and thus shares a root with the words "дух" ("spirit") and "душа" ("soul"). | |||
| Czech | inspirovat | ||
| The Czech word "inspirovat" is etymologically related to "spirit," and is also used in the context of breathing or blowing air | |||
| Estonian | inspireerima | ||
| "Inspireerima" (inspire), from French, has the original meaning of "breath into." In English, "aspire" has a similar, though slightly different usage. | |||
| Finnish | innostaa | ||
| The Finnish word 'innostaa' can also mean 'to make something happen', 'to encourage', or 'to stimulate'. | |||
| Hungarian | inspirálja | ||
| The verb "inspirál" also means "instruct" in Hungarian, a meaning retained from Latin, its language of origin. | |||
| Latvian | iedvesmot | ||
| The word "iedvesmot" comes from the Slavic word "vedati," meaning "to know," and is often used in the context of "knowledge" or "inspiration." | |||
| Lithuanian | įkvėpti | ||
| Įkvėpti also means "to inhale" and comes from the Latin word "inspirare". | |||
| Macedonian | инспирира | ||
| The Latin verb "inspirare" means "to breathe into" and is the root for both "inspire" and its synonym "insufflate". | |||
| Polish | inspirować | ||
| The verb "inspirować" comes from the Latin word "inspiro," meaning "to breathe into" or "to animate." | |||
| Romanian | a inspira | ||
| "A inspira" comes from the Latin “inspirare”, meaning "breathe into" or "insufflate". | |||
| Russian | вдохновлять | ||
| The word "вдохновлять" in Russian comes from the word "дух," which means "spirit." | |||
| Serbian | надахнути | ||
| The verb 'надахнути' ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic word meaning 'to breathe' | |||
| Slovak | inšpirovať | ||
| The Slovak word "inšpirovať" ultimately derives from the Latin "inspirare", meaning "to breathe into" or "to animate". | |||
| Slovenian | navdihujejo | ||
| The word "navdihujejo" is derived from the Slavic root "dъх-/*dъx-" meaning "to breathe" or "to blow". | |||
| Ukrainian | надихати | ||
| The word "надихати" is ultimately derived from the Latin word "spiritus", meaning "breath" or "spirit". | |||
Inspire in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুপ্রেরণা | ||
| Inspired from the Sanskrit roots 'anu' [after] and 'pra' [forward], 'অনুপ্রেরণা' implies 'to induce to go forward' | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રેરણા | ||
| Hindi | को प्रेरित | ||
| The Sanskrit origin of को प्रेरित (inspire) is 'prī', with the word 'prerana' carrying similar meanings in Hindi and Sanskrit. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಫೂರ್ತಿ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ಫೂರ್ತಿ" comes from the root "ಸ್ಫುರ್" (to move, to spring) and originally meant "a sudden movement" or "an impulse". | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രചോദിപ്പിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | प्रेरणा | ||
| In Marathi, the word "प्रेरणा" also has a spiritual connotation of divine guidance. | |||
| Nepali | प्रेरणा | ||
| The word "प्रेरणा" derives from the Sanskrit root "pri" meaning "to fill" or "to delight," and thus also means "joy," "affection," or "devotion." | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰੇਰਣਾ | ||
| "ਪ੍ਰੇਰਣਾ" shares the same root word "pran" as the Hindi word "prerna" and the Sanskrit word "prana", meaning "breath" or "life force." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දේවානුභාවයෙන් | ||
| It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'devānubhāva', meaning 'divine inspiration or blessing'. | |||
| Tamil | ஊக்குவிக்கவும் | ||
| In Tamil, the word "ஊக்குவிக்கவும்" can also mean "to fan" or "to blow on", highlighting the connection between inspiration and the concept of airflow. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రేరేపించండి | ||
| Urdu | حوصلہ افزائی | ||
Inspire in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 启发 | ||
| 启发, meaning "enlightenment" and "inspire", originated as a Buddhist term representing the initial enlightenment that precedes the attainment of Buddhahood | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 啟發 | ||
| "啟發" (inspire) includes the word "發" (to issue), suggesting that it's the act of initiating or triggering something new or creative. | |||
| Japanese | インスパイア | ||
| The word “インスパイア” (inspire) comes from the Latin “in” and “spirare,” meaning “to breathe into” or “to blow upon”. | |||
| Korean | 고취하다 | ||
| "고취하다"는 본래 "고치다(고치가 되다)"의 의미에서 비롯됨. | |||
| Mongolian | урам зориг өгөх | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လာအောင် | ||
Inspire in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengilhami | ||
| The word "mengilhami" is derived from the Malay word "mengilhamkan" which means "to inspire, to suggest". It is related to the Sanskrit word "ilhām" meaning "revelation, inspiration". | |||
| Javanese | menehi inspirasi | ||
| The term 'menehi inspirasi' is a Javanese phrase which directly translates to 'to give inspiration', but can have broader interpretations based on context. | |||
| Khmer | បំផុស | ||
| "បំផុស" is also used to mean "incite" or "stir up" emotions or actions. | |||
| Lao | ດົນໃຈ | ||
| The Lao word ດົນໃຈ (“inspire”) may come from the Thai word ดลใจ, meaning "to influence the mind". The Chinese word 頓然, meaning "suddenly" or "all at once", is also a possible etymology. | |||
| Malay | memberi inspirasi | ||
| The Malay word "memberi inspirasi" has a dual definition: it can mean either 'to inspire' or 'to give inspiration', giving it a more active sense than the passive 'terinspirasi' or 'diilhami', both of which translate as 'to be inspired'. | |||
| Thai | สร้างแรงบันดาลใจ | ||
| In Thai, "สร้างแรงบันดาลใจ" ("inspire") also implies "to create a cause or reason" and "to bring into being". | |||
| Vietnamese | truyền cảm hứng | ||
| The word "truyền cảm hứng\” (literally "transmit feeling\”) is a calque from French "inspirer", which originally meant "breathe into\” or "infuse\”. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magbigay ng inspirasyon | ||
Inspire in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ruhlandırmaq | ||
| "Ruhlandırmaq" (inspire) is derived from "ruh" (spirit), meaning it implies instilling someone with motivation by uplifting their spirit. | |||
| Kazakh | шабыттандыру | ||
| Kyrgyz | дем берүү | ||
| The word "дем берүү" is also used in Kyrgyz to refer to the process of giving birth to a child. | |||
| Tajik | илҳом мебахшад | ||
| Turkmen | ylham ber | ||
| Uzbek | ilhomlantirmoq | ||
| The word "ilhomlantirmoq" is derived from the Persian word "elham" meaning "inspiration" | |||
| Uyghur | ئىلھام | ||
Inspire in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoulu manaʻo | ||
| Hoʻoulu manaʻo is the Hawaiian concept of inspiration, meaning to awaken the mind and give rise to new ideas. | |||
| Maori | whakaaweawe | ||
| "Whakaaweawe" also means "to intertwine" or "to bind together" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | musuia | ||
| Samoan musuia is a compound of two words: mu "to" and suia "to blow", with suia being the causative form of sui "to blow" or "to breathe." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magbigay ng inspirasyon | ||
| The verb 'magbigay ng inspirasyon' derives from Latin 'inspiro,' meaning 'to breathe, to blow in,' and was first used figuratively in the 1300s. | |||
Inspire in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | lup'ikipaña | ||
| Guarani | mokyre'ỹ | ||
Inspire in International Languages
| Esperanto | inspiri | ||
| Esperanto “inspiri” derives from Latin “inspirare”, but with an altered meaning from "breathe into" to "breathe from", i.e. "draw breath" from a place, "visit" the place. | |||
| Latin | inspíra | ||
| Inspíra comes from the Latin word inspiro, meaning 'to breathe in' or 'to draw in' from an external source. | |||
Inspire in Others Languages
| Greek | εμπνέω | ||
| The ancient Greek word "εμπνέω" meant "to blow into" before it came to mean "inspire". | |||
| Hmong | txhawb nqa | ||
| "Txhawb nqa" in Standard Hmong (txhais nqa in Hmong Daw) is a verb that means "inspire" or "encourage." Both of these words are derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien root "*saŋ⁴," which means "to urge" or "to incite." | |||
| Kurdish | eyankirin | ||
| The word "eyankirin" is derived from the Kurdish root "eyn", meaning "eye", and the suffix "-kirin", meaning "to make". Thus, the literal meaning of "eyankirin" is "to make the eye", which figuratively means "to inspire". | |||
| Turkish | ilham vermek | ||
| The word "ilham vermek" is derived from the Arabic word "ilhām", which means "to convey a message or idea". It is also used as a noun to describe a source of inspiration or motivation. | |||
| Xhosa | khuthaza | ||
| The word "khuthaza" is also used to describe the act of encouraging or motivating someone. | |||
| Yiddish | באַגייַסטערן | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַגייַסטערן" (bagaystern) is derived from the German word "begeistern" and the Old High German word "gabeistarōn", meaning "to be possessed by a spirit or passion". | |||
| Zulu | gqugquzela | ||
| The Zulu word "gqugquzela" can also mean "to incite" or "to stir up". | |||
| Assamese | অনুপ্ৰাণিত কৰা | ||
| Aymara | lup'ikipaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रेरित कईल | ||
| Dhivehi | އިންސްޕަޔަރ | ||
| Dogri | प्रेरना देना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magbigay ng inspirasyon | ||
| Guarani | mokyre'ỹ | ||
| Ilocano | pareggeten | ||
| Krio | push | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئیلهام | ||
| Maithili | प्रेरित करनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯊꯤꯜ ꯄꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | fuih | ||
| Oromo | kakaasuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରେରଣା ଦିଅ | ||
| Quechua | kamaykuy | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रेरय | ||
| Tatar | илһам бирү | ||
| Tigrinya | ምልዕዓል | ||
| Tsonga | khutaza | ||