Keep in Different Languages
Discover 'Keep' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'keep' is a small but mighty one, with a rich tapestry of meanings and uses that have evolved over time. At its core, 'keep' signifies the act of maintaining, preserving, or retaining something. This can be as simple as keeping a plant alive or as complex as keeping a relationship strong.
Culturally, the concept of 'keeping' has taken on many forms. From the medieval practice of 'keeping' a castle or fortress, to the modern tradition of 'keeping' a journal or diary, the idea of maintaining and protecting what is important to us is a universal one.
Given its significance and cultural importance, it's no wonder that someone might want to know the translation of 'keep' in different languages. After all, the ability to communicate this fundamental concept across linguistic and cultural boundaries is a powerful tool for building connections and deepening our understanding of the world around us.
Here are just a few of the many translations of 'keep' in different languages:
Keep
Keep in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hou | ||
| The Afrikaans word "hou" has origins in Old French "holer" and Old Dutch "holden". | |||
| Amharic | ጠብቅ | ||
| The Amharic word ጠብቅ also means "to lay flat" or "to spread out". | |||
| Hausa | kiyaye | ||
| In Hausa, 'kiyaye' also means 'to maintain, preserve, or protect'. | |||
| Igbo | jigide | ||
| The word "jigide" also means "to preserve" or "to maintain" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | foana | ||
| The Malagasy word "foana" can also mean "always" or "all the time". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | sungani | ||
| The word “sungani” derives from the Sanskrit word “saṃ-grahaṇam”, which means "taking, grasping, holding, seizing, taking captive, capturing". | |||
| Shona | chengeta | ||
| "Chengeta" is derived from the Proto-Bantu *kʷeŋɡa, and also means "to protect, look after, or care for." | |||
| Somali | hayn | ||
| The word “hayn” can also mean “fence” or “guard” in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | boloka | ||
| In Sesotho, "boloka" also signifies holding, preserving, and protecting something or someone. | |||
| Swahili | weka | ||
| The Swahili word "weka" can also mean "to place" or "to put". | |||
| Xhosa | gcina | ||
| "Gcina" has no alternate meanings in Xhosa and is not derived from any other word with a different meaning. | |||
| Yoruba | tọju | ||
| In some contexts, the word can also mean protect or preserve. | |||
| Zulu | gcina | ||
| The word "gcina" can also mean "to protect", "to guard", or "to maintain" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | k'a mara | ||
| Ewe | le aɖe asi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | komeza | ||
| Lingala | kobatela | ||
| Luganda | okutereka | ||
| Sepedi | boloka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kora | ||
Keep in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | احتفظ | ||
| The word "احتفظ" in Arabic derives from the root "حفظ" which means to memorize or guard, and also relates to the concept of protection or custody. | |||
| Hebrew | לִשְׁמוֹר | ||
| The Hebrew word לִשְׁמוֹר can also mean "to observe" or "to guard". | |||
| Pashto | ساتل | ||
| "ساتل" is derived from an old Persian word "*sātala/"" meaning "a large box" and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "shatala" meaning "platform or stage". | |||
| Arabic | احتفظ | ||
| The word "احتفظ" in Arabic derives from the root "حفظ" which means to memorize or guard, and also relates to the concept of protection or custody. | |||
Keep in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbaj | ||
| Mbaj means 'hold' or 'grip' in Albanian, in addition to 'keep' | |||
| Basque | gorde | ||
| The word 'gorde' can also be used to refer to a place of refuge. | |||
| Catalan | mantenir | ||
| While `mantenir` usually means `keep`, it can also mean `maintain`, `sustain`, or `support`. | |||
| Croatian | zadržati | ||
| The Croatian word "zadržati" also means "to delay" or "to hold back". | |||
| Danish | holde | ||
| The word "holde" also means "to support" or "to maintain" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | houden | ||
| In Dutch, "houden" also means "to adhere to" or "to observe" a rule or law. | |||
| English | keep | ||
| As a noun, "keep" originally meant a stronghold, fortress, or tower; over time, it came to refer to any large house or manor. | |||
| French | garder | ||
| The word "garder" in French can also mean "to watch over" or "to look after". | |||
| Frisian | hâlde | ||
| The word "hâlde" can also mean "hold" or "have" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | manter | ||
| Galician "manter" also means "cover" or "protect" and derives from the Latin "manere" (remain). | |||
| German | behalten | ||
| "Behalten" shares its root with "habit" and "have" and has the alternate meaning "to wear". | |||
| Icelandic | halda | ||
| The word "halda" is also used in the sense of protection or defense, as in the phrase "halda á hendur" (to keep in one's hands). | |||
| Irish | choinneáil | ||
| The Irish "choinneáil" has cognates in several languages including French "congé" (leave) and Romanian "concediu" (holiday) | |||
| Italian | mantenere | ||
| The verb "mantenere" is derived from the Latin "manere" (to stay), and also means "to maintain", "to support", or "to uphold". | |||
| Luxembourgish | halen | ||
| The word "halen" in Luxembourgish can also mean "to watch" or "to guard". | |||
| Maltese | żomm | ||
| 'Żomm' in Maltese also means 'hold' or 'seize', akin to the French 'saisir' or the Italian 'sequestrare'. | |||
| Norwegian | beholde | ||
| "Beholde" also means "to keep" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | manter | ||
| In Portuguese, "manter" can also mean "to sustain", "to preserve", or "to maintain." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cùm | ||
| The Gaelic word 'cùm' can also mean 'protect, restrain or preserve'. | |||
| Spanish | mantener | ||
| The verb "mantener" comes from the Latin "manere", meaning "to remain" or "to stay". | |||
| Swedish | ha kvar | ||
| "Hå kvar" (keep) is etymologically related to the Swedish phrase "hålla kvar" (hold on to), reinforcing the idea of retaining possession or ownership. | |||
| Welsh | cadw | ||
| The Welsh word "cadw" can also mean "preserve", "protect", or "guard". | |||
Keep in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | трымаць | ||
| The word “трымаць” (keep) in Belarusian also means to hold, to detain, or to sustain. | |||
| Bosnian | zadržati | ||
| The word 'zadržati' can also mean 'to delay' or 'to hold back'. | |||
| Bulgarian | пазя | ||
| The verb "пазя" in Bulgarian also has the meaning of "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
| Czech | držet | ||
| The word "držet" in Czech can also mean "to hold" or "to adhere to". | |||
| Estonian | hoidke | ||
| The Estonian word "hoidke" shares its root with the Latvian word "gudris" (wise) and was originally used in the sense of "to take care of" or "to keep safe". | |||
| Finnish | pitää | ||
| "Pitää" also means "must" and "need" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | tart | ||
| Tart, a verb meaning "to keep," derives from the word "tarti,'' likely of Slavic origin. | |||
| Latvian | paturēt | ||
| The Latvian "paturēt" is derived from the Indo-European root "*pet" (to rule), suggesting a connection to the notion of authority or dominance through ownership. | |||
| Lithuanian | išlaikyti | ||
| The word "išlaikyti" is cognate with the Latin "solvere", meaning "to loosen" or "to pay". It can also mean "to pass" or "to survive". | |||
| Macedonian | задржи | ||
| "Задржи" comes from the Proto-Slavic *deržati "to hold, keep", and is cognate with other Slavic languages such as Polish trzymać, Russian держать, and Czech držet. | |||
| Polish | trzymać | ||
| The word "trzymać" also means "to hold" or "to have" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | a pastra | ||
| The Romanian word „a pastra” is derived from the Latin word “pascere”, meaning “to feed, protect”. | |||
| Russian | хранить | ||
| Originally хранить derived from the Old Slavic хранити – "to hide, to protect, to guard, to hide, to preserve or store for future use (to conceal, guard, hide, shelter, lock, enclose, and even bury)" | |||
| Serbian | задржати | ||
| The Serbian word "задржати" can also refer to the act of holding something back or delaying it. | |||
| Slovak | zachovať | ||
| The verb "zachovať" also means "to preserve" or "to maintain" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | obdrži | ||
| The Slovene word "obdrži" (keep), akin to "obtain" and "maintain", shares roots with "obdržati" (keep) in Serbo-Croatian, "держати" (hold) in Ukrainian, and "держать" (hold) in Russian. | |||
| Ukrainian | тримати | ||
| "Тримати" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*deržati", meaning to hold, support, or control. | |||
Keep in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রাখা | ||
| The Bengali word "রাখা" (rakha) also means "to leave" or "to deposit" something. | |||
| Gujarati | રાખવું | ||
| The Gujarati word "રાખવું" can also mean to preserve, maintain, observe, or hold in mind or memory. | |||
| Hindi | रखना | ||
| In Vedic Sanskrit, "rakṣati" meant to protect or guard. | |||
| Kannada | ಇರಿಸಿ | ||
| The word "ಇರಿಸಿ" can also mean "to place" or "to set down". | |||
| Malayalam | സൂക്ഷിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | ठेवा | ||
| The word 'ठेवा' in Marathi also means 'deposit' or 'bet' | |||
| Nepali | राख्न | ||
| The word "राख्न" also means "to put" or "to place" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੱਖੋ | ||
| The word "ਰੱਖੋ" (rakho) in Punjabi can also mean "to put" or "to place". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තබා ගන්න | ||
| Sinhala word "තබා ගන්න" comes from the Prakrit word "tappa gaṇati", and also means "to save" or "to store". | |||
| Tamil | வை | ||
| In Tamil, the word "வை" can refer to an arrangement, plan, or design, as well as a deposit or collection. | |||
| Telugu | ఉంచండి | ||
| 'ఉంచండి' shares its root word with 'ఉక్కు' (iron) and originally meant 'to place on top of an iron foundation' | |||
| Urdu | رکھنا | ||
| The word "رکھنا" also means "put" or "place". | |||
Keep in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 保持 | ||
| 保持 can also mean to take care of, safeguard, or uphold something. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 保持 | ||
| "保持 (keep)", from "保" (guard, protect) and "持" (hold, maintain). | |||
| Japanese | 保つ | ||
| The Japanese word "保つ" (hojiru) can also mean "to hold", "to contain", "to retain", or "to support". | |||
| Korean | 유지 | ||
| In Middle Korean, '유지' also meant 'save' not just in the sense of keeping something but also in the sense of saving something that is about to be lost. | |||
| Mongolian | хадгалах | ||
| The Mongolian word "хадгалах" can also mean "to protect" or "to save". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စောင့်ပါ | ||
Keep in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menjaga | ||
| The word "menjaga" can also refer to the act of protecting or caring for something. | |||
| Javanese | tetep | ||
| "Tetep" in Javanese can also mean "continue" or "persist." | |||
| Khmer | រក្សា | ||
| The verb "រក្សា" (rak-sa) in Khmer can also mean "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
| Lao | ຮັກສາ | ||
| "ຮັກສາ" is also a term for a type of traditional medicine practiced in Laos, involving the use of herbs and other natural remedies. | |||
| Malay | jaga | ||
| The word "jaga" in Malay has the same root as "jaga" in Sanskrit, which means "watch" or "guard". | |||
| Thai | เก็บไว้ | ||
| The word "เก็บไว้" can also refer to "storing something for later use" or "putting something away for safekeeping". | |||
| Vietnamese | giữ | ||
| "Giữ" also means "to guard, to protect, to hold, to keep in custody, to preserve, to maintain, to sustain, or to retain". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | panatilihin | ||
Keep in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | saxlamaq | ||
| The word "saxlamaq" can also mean "to protect", "to preserve", or "to guard". | |||
| Kazakh | сақтау | ||
| The word "сақтау" can also mean "to save" or "to preserve" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сактоо | ||
| "Сактоо" also means "to hold" or "to prevent" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | нигоҳ доред | ||
| Turkmen | sakla | ||
| Uzbek | saqlamoq | ||
| The Uzbek word "saqlamoq" (keep) originates from the Persian word "sakhtan" (to build) and also denotes "to store" and "to save". | |||
| Uyghur | ساقلاپ تۇرۇڭ | ||
Keep in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mālama | ||
| Hawaiian word "mālama" also means "to care for" or "to protect". | |||
| Maori | pupuri | ||
| The word "pupuri" in Maori can also refer to the holding of a meeting, an item, or a place. | |||
| Samoan | tausi | ||
| The Samoan word "tausi" can also mean "to preserve", "to save", or "to maintain". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | panatilihin | ||
| "Panatilihin" (to keep) also means "to abide by" in Tagalog. | |||
Keep in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mantiniña | ||
| Guarani | jeguereko | ||
Keep in International Languages
| Esperanto | konservi | ||
| "Konservi" is also used to refer to a type of canned food and is often used as the plural of the word "konservo" (canned food) | |||
| Latin | custodi | ||
| The word "custodire" can also mean "to take a census" in ecclesiastical contexts, reflecting its underlying sense of "watching over". | |||
Keep in Others Languages
| Greek | διατήρηση | ||
| "Διατήρηση" can refer to the preservation of objects or the maintenance of a state or condition. | |||
| Hmong | ceev | ||
| The word "ceev" in Hmong also means "to have," "to hold," or "to possess." | |||
| Kurdish | didesthiştin | ||
| The word "didesthiştin" in Kurdish also has the alternate meaning of "support and maintain". | |||
| Turkish | tut | ||
| "Tut" also means "to hold" and "to arrest" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | gcina | ||
| "Gcina" has no alternate meanings in Xhosa and is not derived from any other word with a different meaning. | |||
| Yiddish | האַלטן | ||
| The Yiddish word "האַלטן" (haltn) also means "to hold" or "to seize". | |||
| Zulu | gcina | ||
| The word "gcina" can also mean "to protect", "to guard", or "to maintain" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | ৰাখক | ||
| Aymara | mantiniña | ||
| Bhojpuri | रख्खल | ||
| Dhivehi | ބެހެއްޓުން | ||
| Dogri | रक्खो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | panatilihin | ||
| Guarani | jeguereko | ||
| Ilocano | pagtalinaeden | ||
| Krio | kip | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پاراستن | ||
| Maithili | राखू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | vawngtha | ||
| Oromo | qabi | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରଖ | ||
| Quechua | takyachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | स्थापय | ||
| Tatar | саклагыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣፅንሕ | ||
| Tsonga | hlayisa | ||