Lead in Different Languages
Discover 'Lead' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lead' holds significant importance in our daily lives, often associated with the concept of taking charge or being a guiding force. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, where leaders are often portrayed as heroes, and in real-world scenarios, where effective leadership can inspire and mobilize communities.
Moreover, the word 'lead' has an interesting historical context. In the past, lead was used in various applications, from plumbing to paint, before its toxicity was fully understood. This dual meaning of 'lead' as a metal and a verb adds depth to our understanding of the word.
Given the global nature of our world, understanding the translation of 'lead' in different languages can be beneficial. It not only helps in cross-cultural communication but also provides insight into how different cultures view and value leadership.
Here are some translations of 'lead' in various languages:
Lead
Lead in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lei | ||
| The Afrikaans word "lei" can also refer to a guide, a leader, or a path or track. | |||
| Amharic | መምራት | ||
| The Amharic term "መምራት" has alternate meanings including "to guide" and "to be the vanguard". | |||
| Hausa | jagoranci | ||
| The word "jagoranci" in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "zaqirun", meaning "he who weighs". It also has the alternate meaning of "the one who controls". | |||
| Igbo | ndu | ||
| "Ndụ" in Igbo derives from the root word "ndụrụ" meaning "to be heavy." | |||
| Malagasy | firaka | ||
| The word "firaka" can also refer to a type of Malagasy dance associated with the Betsimisaraka people living in the eastern part of the island. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutsogolera | ||
| The verb 'kutsogolera' also means to conduct an orchestra. | |||
| Shona | tungamira | ||
| Tungamira can also mean 'to guide' or 'to take charge of' in the Shona language. | |||
| Somali | horseed | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "lead," the Somali word "horseed" also carries the figurative meaning of "guidance" or "direction." | |||
| Sesotho | etella pele | ||
| Etella pele may also refer to a type of fish in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kuongoza | ||
| "Kuongoza" can also mean "to mislead" or "to deceive" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | khokela | ||
| The word "khokela" comes from the verb "koka" (to cry) and refers to the action of leading or directing with tears or emotion. | |||
| Yoruba | yorisi | ||
| "Yorisi" also means "guide" or "escort" in some Yoruba dialects, reflecting its role in directing the path. | |||
| Zulu | hola | ||
| The Zulu word 'hola' also means 'to lead' in the English language. | |||
| Bambara | ka ɲɛminɛ | ||
| Ewe | nɔ ŋgɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuyobora | ||
| Lingala | plomb | ||
| Luganda | okukulembera | ||
| Sepedi | eta pele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | di kan | ||
Lead in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قيادة | ||
| قيادة can also mean command or leadership, while "رصاص" means pencil lead. | |||
| Hebrew | עוֹפֶרֶת | ||
| The spelling of ‘עופרת’ in Hebrew is similar to the word ‘ופרת,’ meaning ‘ferocious young bull’ or ‘strong youth.’ | |||
| Pashto | رهبري | ||
| رهبري derives from the Persian word "رَه" meaning "path" and the suffix "-بري" meaning "possession," thus "path-possession" or "leading." | |||
| Arabic | قيادة | ||
| قيادة can also mean command or leadership, while "رصاص" means pencil lead. | |||
Lead in Western European Languages
| Albanian | plumbi | ||
| The Albanian word "plumbi" also means "weight" or "burden". | |||
| Basque | beruna | ||
| Beruna, a term for "lead" in Basque, shares etymological roots with words for "iron" and "heavy" in other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Catalan | dirigir | ||
| The Catalan word "dirigir" also means "to conduct" or "to guide". | |||
| Croatian | voditi | ||
| The Croatian word 'voditi' can also mean 'guide', 'conduct', or 'direct'. | |||
| Danish | at føre | ||
| The Danish verb "at føre" originally meant "to go" or "to conduct." | |||
| Dutch | lood | ||
| The Dutch word "lood" also refers to a small piece of metal attached to a line for measuring water depth or to a fishing net to keep it down. | |||
| English | lead | ||
| "Lead" can also refer to the act of guiding or directing, or to a position of leadership. | |||
| French | conduire | ||
| The word "conduire" comes from the Latin word "ducere," which also means "to lead or guide." | |||
| Frisian | foarsprong | ||
| The word "foarsprong" in Frisian does not mean "lead" but "headlong". It is also used to mean "advantage" or "head start". | |||
| Galician | levar | ||
| In the past Galician was used with the same meaning, but in Portuguese and some Galician dialects "levar" also means “carry". | |||
| German | führen | ||
| Besides its core meaning of "lead," the German word "führen" can also mean "conduct," "direct," or "guide." | |||
| Icelandic | leiða | ||
| In Old Norse, 'leiða' also meant 'to go' or 'to travel', as well as 'to carry' or 'to transport'. | |||
| Irish | luaidhe | ||
| The term 'luaidhe' can also refer to a 'beam of light' or 'radiance' in Irish mythology. | |||
| Italian | piombo | ||
| The word "piombo" in Italian can also mean "a plummet" or "a weight used for sounding depths of water". | |||
| Luxembourgish | féieren | ||
| Maltese | ċomb | ||
| The Maltese word "ċomb" has another meaning, which is "plummet". It comes from the Arabic "ṣumb", which means "lead". It is an example of a false friend, as the two words look similar but have different meanings. | |||
| Norwegian | lede | ||
| In Norwegian, "lede" also means "annoy" or "irritate". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | conduzir | ||
| The verb "conduzir" also means "to drive" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), deriving from the Latin "conducere", which encompasses both "to lead" and "to drive". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | luaidhe | ||
| The word "luaidhe" in Scots Gaelic is thought to derive from the Old Irish word "luadhadh," meaning "melted metal" or "smelting." | |||
| Spanish | dirigir | ||
| "Dirigir" in Spanish can also mean "to direct" a film or play, or "to head" an organization. | |||
| Swedish | leda | ||
| The Swedish word "leda" also means "to guide" or "to lead". | |||
| Welsh | arwain | ||
| Arwain derives from the Proto-Celtic root *are-, meaning "fit" or "join". | |||
Lead in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | свінец | ||
| The word “свінец” in Belarusian derives from the Proto-Slavic word “свѣнъдъ”, meaning “shining”. | |||
| Bosnian | olovo | ||
| The word "olovo" can also refer to a type of fish in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | водя | ||
| The Bulgarian word "водя" (vodya) does not only mean "lead", but also "water" in Slavic and other languages. | |||
| Czech | vést | ||
| The word "Vést" also means "to conduct" or "to lead" in the sense of guiding or directing. | |||
| Estonian | plii | ||
| “Plii” is not only the Estonian word for the element lead, but also means a bullet, a shot from a bullet, or a bullet wound. | |||
| Finnish | johtaa | ||
| The verb "johtaa" can also mean "to derive," and is a key component of the word "johdannainen" (derivative). | |||
| Hungarian | vezet | ||
| The word "vezet" has its roots in the Old Hungarian word "vezeti", which meant "to conduct" or "to guide". | |||
| Latvian | svins | ||
| The word "svins" is cognate with the Lithuanian word "svinas" and the Old Prussian word "swints", all meaning "lead". | |||
| Lithuanian | vadovauti | ||
| The word "vadovauti" is derived from the Lithuanian word "vadas," which means "leader" or "commander." | |||
| Macedonian | олово | ||
| The word "олово" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *olьvo or the Proto-Indo-European word *hlēudʰ- meaning "to smelt". | |||
| Polish | prowadzić | ||
| The Polish word "prowadzić" also means "to guide" or "to conduct". | |||
| Romanian | conduce | ||
| In Romanian, the word "conduce" shares its etymological roots with "conducere", meaning "driving" or "guidance", and "conducător", meaning "leader". | |||
| Russian | вести | ||
| The word "вести" can also mean "news" or "rumor" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | олово | ||
| In alchemy, "олово" also refers to tin. | |||
| Slovak | viesť | ||
| "Viesť" in Slovak also means "to drive" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *vesti/*vьsti, which originally meant "to carry," "to take," or "to lead." | |||
| Slovenian | svinec | ||
| Svinec can also mean 'pig trough' or 'pigsty' | |||
| Ukrainian | вести | ||
| The word “вести” (вести) also means “news” in Ukrainian | |||
Lead in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সীসা | ||
| সীসা is derived from the Middle Indo-Aryan word | |||
| Gujarati | દોરી | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'dorikā', denoting 'string', hence 'cord, line'. | |||
| Hindi | नेतृत्व | ||
| The Hindi word "नेतृत्व" (lead) derives from the Sanskrit word "neta," meaning "leader" or "guide." | |||
| Kannada | ಸೀಸ | ||
| The word "ಸೀಸ" can also refer to a type of metallic alloy used in weights and measures. | |||
| Malayalam | ലീഡ് | ||
| The word "ലീഡ്" has two alternate meanings in Malayalam: 1) a measure of distance, and 2) a role in a play or movie. | |||
| Marathi | आघाडी | ||
| The word 'आघाडी' ('lead') in Marathi can also refer to 'prevalence' or 'superiority'. | |||
| Nepali | नेतृत्व | ||
| The word "नेतृत्व" is derived from the Sanskrit root "नी" (to lead) and can also mean guidance, management, or direction. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਗਵਾਈ | ||
| "ਅਗਵਾਈ" is derived from Sanskrit "agra" (front) and literally means "to go ahead or lead the way". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඊයම් | ||
| The Sinhala word “ඊයම්” is derived from the Sanskrit word “ඊය” and has the alternate meaning of “a support”. | |||
| Tamil | வழி நடத்து | ||
| The Tamil word "வழி நடத்து" ("lead") can also mean "to show the way" or "to guide". | |||
| Telugu | సీసం | ||
| In Telugu, "సీసం" means "lead", but it can also mean "weight", "burden", or "oppression". | |||
| Urdu | لیڈ | ||
| The word "lead" in Urdu can also mean "to start" or "to take the lead". | |||
Lead in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 铅 | ||
| "铅" 除了表示化学元素以外，还有沉重、缓慢、首要、主要的含义。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 鉛 | ||
| In Chinese, 鉛 can refer to both the metal and the element. | |||
| Japanese | 鉛 | ||
| The character 鉛 is also used to represent "dark", "dull", or "heavy" in compounds. | |||
| Korean | 리드 | ||
| In Korean, the word "리드" can also mean "to guide" or "to direct." | |||
| Mongolian | хар тугалга | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခဲ | ||
| The word ခဲ can also mean hard, stiff, or difficult in Myanmar (Burmese). | |||
Lead in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | memimpin | ||
| "Memimpin" comes from ancient Javanese words "mampah" (to stop by) and "impin" (to be over), hence its modern meaning of leading from the front. | |||
| Javanese | timbal | ||
| The Javanese word 'timbal' also refers to a small round fruit similar to a lime. | |||
| Khmer | ដឹកនាំ | ||
| The word "ដឹកនាំ" can also be used to refer to a person who guides or directs others. | |||
| Lao | ນຳ | ||
| The Lao word ນຳ ('lead') is cognate with Thai "นำ", a homonym with several meanings such as 'to guide' and 'water'. | |||
| Malay | memimpin | ||
| Memimpin is also derived from the root word "impin" meaning "to dream" or "to hope", thus connoting the idea of leading towards a desired future. | |||
| Thai | ตะกั่ว | ||
| In Thai, "ตะกั่ว" comes from the Sanskrit word "tagara", meaning "tin" or "quicksilver". | |||
| Vietnamese | chì | ||
| "Chì" also means "pencil lead" and is a loanword from Chinese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nangunguna | ||
Lead in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qurğuşun | ||
| The word "qurğuşun" also means "fat, obese" in Azerbaijani, derived from the Persian word "gurushun." | |||
| Kazakh | қорғасын | ||
| Қорғасын is also a term used in falconry to describe a bird's ability to hunt prey on the wing. | |||
| Kyrgyz | коргошун | ||
| The name of the chemical element "lead" in Kyrgyz - коргошун - comes from the word "to protect", with an implicit connotation of protection against "demons". | |||
| Tajik | сурб | ||
| In Tajik, "сурб" also refers to a type of writing instrument | |||
| Turkmen | gurşun | ||
| Uzbek | qo'rg'oshin | ||
| Qo'rg'oshin shares its root with 'qo'riq', an Uzbek word for 'protection', as lead was often used for protective barriers. | |||
| Uyghur | قوغۇشۇن | ||
Lead in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kēpau | ||
| "Kēpau" in Hawaiian can also refer to a | |||
| Maori | mata | ||
| Maori mata also means 'blind', and is the base for place names like Whangamata - bay of blind whales. | |||
| Samoan | taʻimua | ||
| In Samoan, the word "taʻimua" also means "chief" or "leader". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tingga | ||
| "Tingga" in Tagalog originated from the Malay/Indonesian "timah", referring to the metal tin. | |||
Lead in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chiqachaña | ||
| Guarani | myakã | ||
Lead in International Languages
| Esperanto | plumbo | ||
| The Esperanto word "plumbo" originates from the Latin "plumbum" (lead), but it can also refer to grey hair or a lead pencil in some contexts. | |||
| Latin | plumbum | ||
| The Latin word "plumbum" originally meant "heavy" and was later applied specifically to lead. | |||
Lead in Others Languages
| Greek | οδηγω | ||
| The Greek verb "οδηγω" has its roots in the Indo-European word "wedh", which means "to go" or "to follow." | |||
| Hmong | txhuas | ||
| The word "txhuas" can also refer to a type of tree or a type of insect | |||
| Kurdish | gûlle | ||
| The word "gûlle" is etymologically related to the Persian word "gūl" meaning flower, and is also used to refer to gunpowder. | |||
| Turkish | öncülük etmek | ||
| "Öncülük etmek" in Turkish can also mean "to pioneer" or "to initiate". | |||
| Xhosa | khokela | ||
| The word "khokela" comes from the verb "koka" (to cry) and refers to the action of leading or directing with tears or emotion. | |||
| Yiddish | פירן | ||
| The word "פירן" ("pirn") can also refer to a thread spinner or a bobbin that holds thread. | |||
| Zulu | hola | ||
| The Zulu word 'hola' also means 'to lead' in the English language. | |||
| Assamese | নেতৃত্ব দিয়া | ||
| Aymara | chiqachaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | आगे होखल | ||
| Dhivehi | އިސްނެގުން | ||
| Dogri | सेध | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nangunguna | ||
| Guarani | myakã | ||
| Ilocano | idaulo | ||
| Krio | lid | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرکردایەتی | ||
| Maithili | अगुवाई | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯦꯟꯗꯨꯅ ꯆꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | kaihruai | ||
| Oromo | geggeessi | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସୀସା | | ||
| Quechua | kamachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | सीसम् | ||
| Tatar | кургаш | ||
| Tigrinya | ምራሕ | ||
| Tsonga | rhangela | ||