Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'justify' holds great significance in various cultures and languages, often used to describe the act of showing something to be right or reasonable. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, law, and philosophy, where justification is sought for actions, beliefs, and ideas. Understanding the translation of 'justify' in different languages can open up new perspectives and foster better communication among people from diverse backgrounds.
For instance, in Spanish, 'justify' translates to 'justificar', while in French, it becomes 'justifier'. In German, the word is 'rechtfertigen', and in Japanese, it is '� justificar' (seikō-suru). These translations not only help us understand the word's meaning in different languages but also offer insights into how different cultures approach the concept of justification.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or a professional looking to expand your cultural competence, learning the translation of 'justify' in various languages can be a rewarding experience. Keep reading to discover more translations and cultural insights associated with this fascinating word.
Afrikaans | regverdig | ||
The word 'regverdig' in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word 'rechtvaardig', meaning 'righteous'. | |||
Amharic | ማጽደቅ | ||
Hausa | barata | ||
"Barata" also means "agree" or "understand" in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | ziri ezi | ||
The Igbo saying "ziri ezi" can also mean "to stand up for oneself" or "to defend one's position." | |||
Malagasy | fialan-tsiny | ||
The word "fialan-tsiny" comes from the root word "tsiny" meaning "wrongdoing" or "sin" and the prefix "fia" meaning to "make right" or "to atone for". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | onetsani | ||
"Onetsani" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the verb "kulungamitsa," which means "to make straight, correct, or right." | |||
Shona | ruramisa | ||
"Ruramisa" also means "to be straight" or "upright" in Shona. | |||
Somali | qiil | ||
The word "qiil" in Somali also means "to say" or "to speak". | |||
Sesotho | lokafatsa | ||
The verb “lokafatsa” comes from the noun “lokafatso”, which means "truth" or "justice". | |||
Swahili | halalisha | ||
The term 'halalisha' is related to the Arabic word 'halal' which means 'permissible' or 'legal' | |||
Xhosa | ukuthethelela | ||
The word "ukuthethelela" was borrowed from English and means "to prove or show the rightness of something." | |||
Yoruba | da lare | ||
The word "da lare" in Yoruba also means "to arrange", "to put in order", or "to prepare". | |||
Zulu | cacisa | ||
The Zulu word "cacisa" can also mean "to explain" or "to state". | |||
Bambara | ka lájɛya | ||
Ewe | ʋli eta | ||
Kinyarwanda | bifite ishingiro | ||
Lingala | komilongisa | ||
Luganda | okuweesa obutuukirivu | ||
Sepedi | lokafatša | ||
Twi (Akan) | ma nnyinasoɔ | ||
Arabic | يبرر | ||
The Arabic word "يبرر" ("justify") is derived from the trilateral root "ب ر ر" ("to make pure or clear"), indicating its original sense of "exonerating" or "exculpating". | |||
Hebrew | לְהַצְדִיק | ||
The word 'לְהַצְדִיק' ('justify') in Hebrew can also mean 'to make righteous' or 'to prove innocent'. | |||
Pashto | توجیه کول | ||
In Pashto, the word "توجیه کول" may also refer to providing support or proof. | |||
Arabic | يبرر | ||
The Arabic word "يبرر" ("justify") is derived from the trilateral root "ب ر ر" ("to make pure or clear"), indicating its original sense of "exonerating" or "exculpating". |
Albanian | justifikoj | ||
The word "justifikoj" in Albanian, derived from Latin, also has the alternate meaning of "aligning" text on a particular side. | |||
Basque | justifikatu | ||
The Basque word “justifikatu” comes from Latin “iustus” (just) and “facere” (to make), so literally translates to “to make just”. | |||
Catalan | justificar | ||
Catalan "justificar" derives from Latin "iustus facere" and means to make just, to declare innocent, or to prove to be right | |||
Croatian | opravdati | ||
The word 'opravdati' derives from the Slavic word 'pravda' which means 'justice' and conveys the idea of making something right or fair. | |||
Danish | retfærdiggøre | ||
The Danish word "retfærdiggøre" is derived from the Old Norse word "réttferðigr", meaning "just" or "righteous". | |||
Dutch | rechtvaardigen | ||
Rechtvaardigen also means 'to straighten' or 'to correct' in Dutch, and is used in the Bible to describe making something 'right' before God or to restore something to its original condition. | |||
English | justify | ||
The word "justify" comes from the Latin "justificare," meaning "to make just" or "to declare righteous." | |||
French | justifier | ||
The French word "justifier" derives from the Latin verb iustificare, meaning "to make just"} | |||
Frisian | rjochtfeardigje | ||
The word "rjochtfeardigje" in Frisian is derived from the Middle Dutch word "rechtveerdigen", which means "to make right" or "to justify". | |||
Galician | xustificar | ||
In Galician, "xustificar" can also mean to "excuse" or "pardon". | |||
German | rechtfertigen | ||
"Rechtfertigen" is also a legal term meaning that a person has the right to act in a certain way. | |||
Icelandic | réttlæta | ||
The word "réttlæta" in Icelandic also has the alternate meaning "to be proven right" or "to be vindicated". | |||
Irish | údar | ||
"Údar" comes from the Old Irish verb "ad-ru-tet-sam", which meant "says against" but later acquired other legal senses. | |||
Italian | giustificare | ||
The Italian word "giustificare" originally referred to aligning lines of text on both sides, from the Late Latin "iustificare" meaning "to make even". | |||
Luxembourgish | justifizéieren | ||
The word "justifizéieren" is derived from the French word "justifier", meaning "to prove or show to be right or just". | |||
Maltese | tiġġustifika | ||
Tiġġustifika comes from the Late Latin term "iūstificāre" meaning to make righteous or to declare righteous. | |||
Norwegian | rettferdiggjøre | ||
Rettferdiggjøre, or "to justify" in Norwegian, derives from the Old Norse word "rétt," meaning "right," and "ferð," meaning "journey," suggesting the idea of making a right or just course of action. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | justificar | ||
In Portuguese, "justificar" can also mean "to adjust" or "to line up". | |||
Scots Gaelic | fìreanachadh | ||
Fìreanachadh can also mean "to prove", "to demonstrate" or "to vindicate" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
Spanish | justificar | ||
The Spanish word "justificar" has its origins in the Latin word "iustus", meaning "rightful" or "just". | |||
Swedish | rättfärdiga | ||
From "rätt" (right) + "färdig" (prepared), referring to a sense of preparedness for judgment. | |||
Welsh | cyfiawnhau | ||
The word originated from the 14th century |
Belarusian | апраўдаць | ||
"Апраўдаць" (justify) derives from "праўда" (truth) and initially meant "to establish the truth", "to prove", "to show the true reason". | |||
Bosnian | opravdati | ||
The word "opravdati" in Bosnian has cognates in other Slavic languages, such as the Russian word "оправдать" (opravdát), which means "to justify" or "to prove innocent." | |||
Bulgarian | оправдавам | ||
The Bulgarian word "оправдавам" can also mean "to excuse" or "to clear of blame"} | |||
Czech | ospravedlnit | ||
Ospravedlnit, in addition to meaning "justify" in Czech, can also mean "excuse" or "set free". | |||
Estonian | põhjendada | ||
"Põhjendada" is a word of Finnish origin, originally meaning "to be reasonable" | |||
Finnish | perustella | ||
"Perustella" derives from the Latin "ratio," meaning "reason," and "stellere," meaning "to place." | |||
Hungarian | igazolja | ||
The word "igazolja" is derived from the verb "igaz" (meaning "true"), and originally meant "to prove something to be true". | |||
Latvian | pamatot | ||
Latvian word "pamatot" is derived from "pamats" meaning "base, foundation" and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *pa- meaning "to protect". | |||
Lithuanian | pateisinti | ||
Lithuanian "pateisinti" and Latin "iustus" share the similar root Indo-European root *yeus- "right, straight", connecting "justify" to words for "righteousness" in many Indo-European languages. | |||
Macedonian | оправда | ||
The Macedonian word "оправда" (justify) shares the same root with the word "правда" (truth) and can also mean "to prove innocent" or "to acquit" in legal contexts. | |||
Polish | uzasadniać | ||
The Polish word "uzasadniać" derives from "sąd" (court) and can also mean "to judge" or "to establish". | |||
Romanian | justifica | ||
In Romanian, "justifica" also refers to the action of justifying the margins of a typewritten or printed text. | |||
Russian | оправдать | ||
The word "оправдать" also means "to make someone look innocent" in Russian. | |||
Serbian | оправдати | ||
The Serbian word 'оправдати' can also refer to 'to excuse' or 'to redeem'. | |||
Slovak | zdôvodniť | ||
'Zdovodniť' originates from 'voda', Slovak for 'water'. Historically it meant 'to prove something, to make something credible'. | |||
Slovenian | utemelji | ||
The verb 'utemeljiti' also has a meaning of 'to establish' and can thus be used in a context where establishing a legal entity is being referred to. | |||
Ukrainian | виправдати | ||
The Ukrainian word "виправдати" can also mean "to excuse" or "to forgive". |
Bengali | ন্যায়সঙ্গত করা | ||
The word ''ন্যায়সঙ্গত করা'' is derived from the Latin word ''iustificare'', meaning 'to make just' or 'to prove to be right'. | |||
Gujarati | વાજબી ઠેરવવું | ||
The word "justify" is derived from the Latin word "iustificare," meaning "to make right," and originally referred to the legal process of proving one's innocence. | |||
Hindi | औचित्य साबित | ||
In Hindi, औचित्य साबित ('justify') can also mean 'prove or explain reasons for something,' making it distinct from the English usage. | |||
Kannada | ಸಮರ್ಥಿಸಿ | ||
The word "ಸಮರ್ಥಿಸಿ" can also mean "make a statement clear or understandable". | |||
Malayalam | ന്യായീകരിക്കുക | ||
The word 'న్యాయీకరించు' in Malayalam derives from the Sanskrit word 'nyaya', meaning 'justice' or 'reason'. It can also refer to 'proving' or 'establishing the truth' of something. | |||
Marathi | न्याय्य | ||
The word "न्याय्य" (nyāya) in Marathi means "just" or "fair", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "nyāya", which also means "justice", "reason", or "logic". | |||
Nepali | औचित्य | ||
The term is used in many senses, some even opposite in character from the primary import. | |||
Punjabi | ਜਾਇਜ਼ ਠਹਿਰਾਓ | ||
The word "justify" ultimately comes from the Latin word "justificare," meaning "to make just," and has a variety of meanings in English, including "to prove or show to be right or just," "to give a reason or explanation for," and "to adjust or align." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාධාරණීකරණය කරන්න | ||
The word 'justify' can also mean to prove or demonstrate the validity of something. | |||
Tamil | நியாயப்படுத்து | ||
Telugu | న్యాయంచేయటానికి | ||
The word "justify" can also mean "to prove or show to be right or just" or "to provide a reason or explanation for". | |||
Urdu | جواز پیش کرنا | ||
"جواز پیش کرنا" originates from the Arabic "jawaa" meaning "answer", implying the act of providing an explanation or defense. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 证明 | ||
证明' can also mean to provide evidence or proof, to attest to something as true, or to confirm something's existence. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 證明 | ||
證明 is not just the Chinese (Traditional) word for "justify"; it also means "proof" or "evidence". | |||
Japanese | 正当化する | ||
"正当化する" literally means "to make proper and just" | |||
Korean | 신이 옳다고 하다 | ||
Mongolian | зөвтгөх | ||
The word is of unknown origin, but some scholars suggest a possible cognate in Evenki. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားမျှတ | ||
Indonesian | membenarkan | ||
The Indonesian word "membenarkan" can also mean "to declare true or correct". | |||
Javanese | mbenerake | ||
"Mbenerake" in Javanese can also mean "to prove", "to verify", or "to clarify". | |||
Khmer | បង្ហាញអំពីភាពត្រឹមត្រូវ | ||
This word originates from the Latin word 'iustificare,' meaning 'to make just'. | |||
Lao | ໃຫ້ເຫດຜົນ | ||
Malay | membenarkan | ||
The word "membenarkan" in Malay can also mean "to acknowledge", "to admit", or "to verify". | |||
Thai | ปรับ | ||
The word 'ปรับ' can also mean 'to tune' or 'to adjust', indicating its broader sense of bringing something into alignment or order. | |||
Vietnamese | biện minh | ||
The word 'biện minh' (justify) in Vietnamese can also mean 'to excuse' or 'to plead guilty'. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | bigyang-katwiran | ||
Azerbaijani | haqq qazandırmaq | ||
"Haqq qazandırmaq" also has a meaning of "to be entitled" in Azerbaijani | |||
Kazakh | ақтау | ||
"Ақтау" (aqtaw) in Kazakh also means "wash clothes" or "launder" | |||
Kyrgyz | актоо | ||
Актылуу can also mean "clear", "legitimate", or "proven". | |||
Tajik | сафед кардан | ||
The verb “оқ кардан” (“justify”) is cognate with the Persian verb “سفید کردن” (“justify”), but it also means “make white” in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | delillendir | ||
Uzbek | oqlash | ||
The word "oqlash" in Uzbek can also mean "to compare," "to adjust," or "to confirm." | |||
Uyghur | justify | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻāpono | ||
The term is also used to signify 'to forgive'. | |||
Maori | whakamana | ||
The word "whakamana" in Maori also means "to empower", "to authorize", and "to validate". | |||
Samoan | taʻuamiotonuina | ||
The Samoan word "taʻuamiotonuina", meaning "justify", is derived from the Proto-Polynesian verb *tau "to speak". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | bigyan ng katwiran | ||
Katwiran is also used in Tagalog to mean 'excuse' or 'pretext'. |
Aymara | qhananchaña | ||
Guarani | mba'érepa | ||
Esperanto | pravigi | ||
The Esperanto word "pravigi" is derived from the Latin "pravus" (crooked) and "-igi" (to make), and also means "to set straight" or "to correct". | |||
Latin | justify | ||
In Latin, "justify" means "make right" and is related to the word "justice." |
Greek | δικαιολογώ | ||
In Greek, "δικαιολογώ" (dikaiologo) not only means "justify" but also "excuse" or "find a reason for something." | |||
Hmong | ua pov thawj | ||
The word "ua pov thawj" can also mean "to explain" or "to make sense of something." | |||
Kurdish | bersivkirin | ||
The word "bersivkirin" in Kurdish, derived from the Persian "bar si giran", literally means "to raise upon" or "to elevate". | |||
Turkish | haklı çıkarmak | ||
"Haklı çıkarmak", "right" anlamına gelen "hak" kökünden türemiştir. Ayrıca "birini haklı çıkarmak" anlamına da gelir. | |||
Xhosa | ukuthethelela | ||
The word "ukuthethelela" was borrowed from English and means "to prove or show the rightness of something." | |||
Yiddish | באַרעכטיקן | ||
The Yiddish word 'באַרעכטיקן' ('justify') derives from the German word 'berechtigen', meaning 'to authorize or entitle'. | |||
Zulu | cacisa | ||
The Zulu word "cacisa" can also mean "to explain" or "to state". | |||
Assamese | ন্যায্যতা দিয়া | ||
Aymara | qhananchaña | ||
Bhojpuri | सही साबित कईल | ||
Dhivehi | ބަޔާންކޮށްދިނުން | ||
Dogri | बजाहत सिद्ध करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | bigyang-katwiran | ||
Guarani | mba'érepa | ||
Ilocano | paneknekan | ||
Krio | gi rizin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕاستکردنەوە | ||
Maithili | न्यायसंगत | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯨꯝꯃꯤ ꯇꯥꯛꯄ | ||
Mizo | insawithiam | ||
Oromo | dhugummaa isaa agarsiisuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯଥାର୍ଥତା | ||
Quechua | kuskachay | ||
Sanskrit | प्रमाणय् | ||
Tatar | аклау | ||
Tigrinya | ኣረጋግፅ | ||
Tsonga | tiyisisa | ||