Likely in Different Languages
Discover 'Likely' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'likely' is a common English term that carries significant weight in expressing the probability or expectation of an event or situation. Its cultural importance is evident in its widespread use in daily conversations, literature, and various forms of media. Understanding the translation of 'likely' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural appreciation.
Did you know that 'likely' has roots in Old English and originally meant 'pleasing' or 'entertaining'? Over time, its meaning evolved to reflect probability, which is how we use it today. This historical context highlights the fascinating development of language and how meanings can shift over time.
For globetrotters, language enthusiasts, and business professionals alike, knowing the equivalent of 'likely' in various languages can be quite useful. Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- Spanish: probable
- French: probable
- German: wahrscheinlich
- Italian: probabile
- Japanese: likely であろう (tadararou)
Likely
Likely in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | waarskynlik | ||
| "Waarskynlik" comes from the Dutch "zeer" (sure; much) with the Old Low Franconinan root "lijk" (likeness; body), ultimately from Proto-Germanic ""līkaz, meaning "form; body. "" | |||
| Amharic | አይቀርም | ||
| The word "አይቀርም" can also mean "not likely" or "impossible" when used in a negative sense. | |||
| Hausa | mai yiwuwa | ||
| The Hausa word "mai yiwuwa" comes from the Arabic word "ma'a", meaning "with," and the Hausa word "yiwuwa", meaning "possibility". | |||
| Igbo | nwere ike | ||
| In the Igbo language, 'nwere ike' literally translates to 'having strength or potential', suggesting its original connotation of probability and likelihood. | |||
| Malagasy | azo inoana fa | ||
| The Malagasy word "Azo inoana fa" has alternate meanings including "maybe" and "probably" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwina | ||
| The word "mwina" in Nyanja also means "probably", "possibly", or "maybe". | |||
| Shona | sezvingabvira | ||
| The word "sezvingabvira" can also mean "certainly" or "probably." | |||
| Somali | u badan tahay | ||
| The etymology is unclear but it could be a cognate of Oromo “ubata,” meaning “rightly or correctly.” | |||
| Sesotho | mohlomong | ||
| "Mohlomong" also means "reasonable, probable or plausible." | |||
| Swahili | uwezekano | ||
| "Uwezekano" is derived from the root "weza" meaning "ability" or "power" and "-kano" meaning "ability" or "possibility." | |||
| Xhosa | kunokwenzeka | ||
| "Kunokwenzeka" is likely derived from the root "kwenzeka" (to happen), with the prefix "ku" indicating potentiality or possibility. | |||
| Yoruba | seese | ||
| The word "seese” can also mean "almost certainly" or "without a doubt" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | kungenzeka | ||
| The Zulu word "kungenzeka" also has the connotation of "it can happen," implying a sense of possibility. | |||
| Bambara | i n'a fɔ | ||
| Ewe | si ate ŋu adzɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | birashoboka | ||
| Lingala | neti | ||
| Luganda | kisoboka | ||
| Sepedi | kgonagalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɛtumi aba sɛ | ||
Likely in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المحتمل أن | ||
| The Arabic word "المحتمل أن" can also mean "it is possible that". | |||
| Hebrew | סָבִיר | ||
| "סָבִיר" is a word of Aramaic origin that entered the Modern Hebrew language in the late 19th century. | |||
| Pashto | احتمال | ||
| In Pashto, the word "احتمال" ("ahtimal") also means "a small amount" or "a drop of water". | |||
| Arabic | المحتمل أن | ||
| The Arabic word "المحتمل أن" can also mean "it is possible that". | |||
Likely in Western European Languages
| Albanian | me gjasë | ||
| The word "me gjasë" in Albanian is a compound word that means "with probability". It is formed from the preposition "me" meaning "with" and the noun "gjasë" meaning "probability". | |||
| Basque | litekeena | ||
| The Basque word "litekeena" can also mean "convenient" or "suitable". | |||
| Catalan | probablement | ||
| The Catalan word “probablement” derives from the Latin “probabiliter,” meaning “in a manner that leads to a conclusion,” and also shares an etymology with the French word “probablement”. | |||
| Croatian | vjerojatno | ||
| The word "Vjerojatno" comes from the Old Slavic word "vjerovati", meaning "to believe" or "to trust". | |||
| Danish | sandsynligvis | ||
| "Sand-synlighed" means "sand-visibility" or "sand-likeliness" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | waarschijnlijk | ||
| Dutch "waarschijnlijk" originally meant "apparently", a sense retained in the expressions "bij het waarschijnlijk worden" (as it becomes apparent) and "alle waarschijnlijkheid naar" (in all probability). | |||
| English | likely | ||
| Likely derives from Middle English likeli, meaning "bodily" and "suitable" | |||
| French | probable | ||
| The French word "probable" derives from the Latin "probabilis," meaning "approving, convincing" | |||
| Frisian | wierskynlik | ||
| In addition, 'wierskynlik' used to refer to a person's ability to guess correctly or to make predictions. | |||
| Galician | probable | ||
| No galego, | |||
| German | wahrscheinlich | ||
| Historically, 'wahrscheinlich' originates from Old High German 'wārschīnlīh'—a compound of 'wār': 'true, real' and 'schīnlīh': 'apparent, likely'. | |||
| Icelandic | líklega | ||
| The Icelandic word líklega, which is still in use, is derived from an old Norse word that originally meant 'to have a chance' | |||
| Irish | dócha | ||
| The Irish word "dócha" can also refer to "hope" or "expectation". | |||
| Italian | probabile | ||
| "Probabile" derives from the Latin word "probare," meaning "to test" or "to approve," and also relates to the Italian word "prova," meaning "proof" or "evidence." | |||
| Luxembourgish | wahrscheinlech | ||
| Maltese | probabbli | ||
| "Probabbli" (likely) derives from the Latin "probabilis" (convincing), but can also refer to "probable" (possible but uncertain). | |||
| Norwegian | sannsynlig | ||
| Sannsynlig, a Norwegian word meaning "likely," originates from the Old Norse "sannr" meaning "true". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | provável | ||
| In Portuguese, "provável" can also mean "test" or "proof". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dualtach | ||
| The Scottish Gaelic word "dualtach" may also mean "probable" or "possible" in some contexts. | |||
| Spanish | probable | ||
| The word "probable" comes from the Latin word "probare," meaning "to prove" or "to test." | |||
| Swedish | troligt | ||
| The Swedish word "troligt" is derived from the Old Norse word "trúligr", meaning "trustworthy" or "reliable". | |||
| Welsh | tebygol | ||
| The word 'tebygol' is of uncertain origin, but it may be related to the Welsh word 'tebyg' meaning 'similar' or 'like'. | |||
Likely in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | верагодна | ||
| The word "верагодна" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *vьroditi, meaning "to give birth", and can also mean "probable" or "true". | |||
| Bosnian | vjerovatno | ||
| The word 'vjerovatno' comes from the Slavic root 'ver', meaning 'faith or belief'. | |||
| Bulgarian | вероятно | ||
| The word "вероятно" can also mean "probably" or "presumably". | |||
| Czech | pravděpodobně | ||
| The word "pravděpodobně" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *pravъ, which also means "right" or "correct". | |||
| Estonian | tõenäoline | ||
| The word "tõenäoline" derives from the word "tõenäosus" (probability), and literally means "having probability". | |||
| Finnish | todennäköisesti | ||
| It's a compound word of "tosi" (true) and "näköinen" (looking), the latter of which shares a root with "näky" (vision). | |||
| Hungarian | valószínűleg | ||
| Valószínűleg is used in a variety of mathematical and statistical contexts, where it denotes the probability of an event occurring. | |||
| Latvian | iespējams | ||
| The word "iespējams" also means "possible" or "conceivable" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | tikėtina | ||
| "Tikėtina" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *tek-, meaning "to flow" or "to run." | |||
| Macedonian | веројатно | ||
| The word "веројатно" comes from the Slavic root *ver-*, which also appears in other words related to belief and certainty. | |||
| Polish | prawdopodobne | ||
| The Polish word "prawdopodobne" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pravdъ, meaning "true" or "correct". | |||
| Romanian | probabil | ||
| The Romanian word "probabil" comes from the Latin "probabilis", which means "capable of being proved" or "having the appearance of truth". | |||
| Russian | скорее всего | ||
| The expression "скорее всего" can be either an adverb or an interjection and means something like "indeed" or "of course." | |||
| Serbian | вероватно | ||
| The word "вероватно" shares its root with the word "вера" (faith), suggesting a connection between likelihood and belief. | |||
| Slovak | pravdepodobne | ||
| The word "pravdepodobne" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pravъ, meaning "true" or "correct." | |||
| Slovenian | verjetno | ||
| The word 'verjetno' can also mean 'probably' or 'presumably'. | |||
| Ukrainian | ймовірно | ||
| The word "ймовірно" can be broken down into its component parts: "імо" (meaning "property") and "вірно" (meaning "true"), suggesting "a property that is true" | |||
Likely in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সম্ভবত | ||
| 'সম্ভবত' means 'possible' in Sanskrit but has changed over time to get its current meaning. | |||
| Gujarati | શક્યતા | ||
| શક્યતા means "possible" or "probable" in Gujarati, and derives from the Sanskrit word "shakya". | |||
| Hindi | उपयुक्त | ||
| The word "उपयुक्त" is derived from the Sanskrit word "उप" meaning "near" and "युक्त" meaning "joined" or "connected". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ | ||
| ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ is derived from ಸಾಧ್ಯ, meaning 'possible', and implies a high probability of occurrence. | |||
| Malayalam | സാധ്യത | ||
| Marathi | कदाचित | ||
| The word 'कदाचित' is derived from the Sanskrit term 'कदाचित्' which also means 'perhaps' or 'may be'. | |||
| Nepali | सम्भव छ | ||
| The word "सम्भव छ" can also mean "possible" or "probable". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ" has the same origin as the Sanskrit word "संभावना" (sambhāvanā), which comes from the root "bha" (to become). This means "potential" or "possibility" in Sanskrit and Punjabi, which is why the word "ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ" can have various meanings such as "probability," "likelihood," "possibility," and "potential. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බොහෝදුරට | ||
| Tamil | வாய்ப்பு | ||
| "வாய்ப்பு," a word in Tamil meaning "likely" in English, also means "an opening" or "an opportunity". | |||
| Telugu | అవకాశం | ||
| In certain contexts, అవకాశం translates to "opportunity" in English. | |||
| Urdu | امکان | ||
| The word امکان (imkaan) in Urdu can also mean possibility, opportunity, or chance. | |||
Likely in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 可能的 | ||
| In classical Chinese, "可能的" also means "possible" or "potential". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 可能的 | ||
| 可能的 is derived from the Classical Chinese phrase 可得, meaning "can be obtained". It can also mean "probable" or "feasible". | |||
| Japanese | 可能性が高い | ||
| In Japanese, "可能性が高い" can also mean "possible" or "probable". | |||
| Korean | 아마도 | ||
| The word "아마도" is derived from the Middle Korean word "아마도", which meant "perhaps" or "maybe". | |||
| Mongolian | магадлалтай | ||
| The word "магадлалтай" can also mean "possible" or "probable". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြစ်နိုင်ခြေရှိသည် | ||
Likely in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mungkin | ||
| "Mungkin" is derived from the word "muka" (face) and means "face value" or "at first sight". | |||
| Javanese | kamungkinan | ||
| In Javanese, "kamungkinan" also means "situation" or "condition". | |||
| Khmer | ទំនង | ||
| In Khmer, "ទំនង" (dam-nang) can also mean "expectation" or "assumption". | |||
| Lao | ມີແນວໂນ້ມ | ||
| Malay | kemungkinan | ||
| Kemungkinan derives from the Arabic word ‘imkân’, meaning both "possibility" or "eventuality" and "ability". | |||
| Thai | เป็นไปได้ | ||
| "เป็นไปได้" also means "able to be done" or "possible to happen". | |||
| Vietnamese | có khả năng | ||
| The word "có khả năng" is thought to derive from the Old Vietnamese word "khả năng" meaning "ability to do something" or "potential". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malamang | ||
Likely in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ehtimal | ||
| The word "ehtimal" originates from the Arabic word "iḥtimāl" (احتمال), which carries meanings such as "probability," "expectation" and "carrying a burden". | |||
| Kazakh | мүмкін | ||
| The word "мүмкін" (likely) in Kazakh is derived from the Persian word "мумкин" (possible). | |||
| Kyrgyz | мүмкүн | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "мүмкүн" ("possible") is of Persian origin and is also used in other Turkic languages, such as Turkish and Kazakh. | |||
| Tajik | эҳтимол | ||
| While the Tajik word "эҳтимол" commonly means "likely" or "probability", it also carries the meaning of "doubt" in some contexts. | |||
| Turkmen | ähtimal | ||
| Uzbek | ehtimol | ||
| Ehtimol comes from the Arabic word "ihtimal" and also means "possibility". | |||
| Uyghur | مۇمكىن | ||
Likely in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | malia paha | ||
| Malia means “perhaps” or “maybe” in modern Hawaiian while paha means “perhaps” or “it may be” and is used to indicate uncertainty or possibility. | |||
| Maori | pea | ||
| The Māori word 'pea' can also refer to a weapon or a tool. | |||
| Samoan | ono | ||
| "Ono" is also the name of a delicious Hawaiian dish made from raw fish marinated in a sauce of soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, and other ingredients. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | malamang | ||
| The word "malamang" in Tagalog also means "maybe" and is cognate with the English word "malignant." | |||
Likely in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | inasa | ||
| Guarani | ikatukuaa | ||
Likely in International Languages
| Esperanto | probable | ||
| In Esperanto, "probable" means "most likely," but can also mean "possible". | |||
| Latin | verisimile | ||
| The Latin word "verisimile" can also mean "truthful" or "credible." | |||
Likely in Others Languages
| Greek | πιθανός | ||
| The word 'πιθανός' ('likely') in Greek derives from the verb 'πείθω' ('to persuade'), suggesting a sense of being credible or believable. | |||
| Hmong | yuav | ||
| "Yuav" is derived from the Hmong word "yuam" which means "to guess" or "to estimate". | |||
| Kurdish | belkî | ||
| The word 'belkî' also means 'perhaps' or 'maybe' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | muhtemelen | ||
| The word "muhtemelen" is derived from the Arabic word "muhtimal", meaning "possible" or "probable". | |||
| Xhosa | kunokwenzeka | ||
| "Kunokwenzeka" is likely derived from the root "kwenzeka" (to happen), with the prefix "ku" indicating potentiality or possibility. | |||
| Yiddish | מעגליך | ||
| The word "מעגליך" originates from the Hebrew word "עגל", meaning a "circle" or "cycle". | |||
| Zulu | kungenzeka | ||
| The Zulu word "kungenzeka" also has the connotation of "it can happen," implying a sense of possibility. | |||
| Assamese | সম্ভাৱনা | ||
| Aymara | inasa | ||
| Bhojpuri | संभावित | ||
| Dhivehi | ހީވާގޮތުން | ||
| Dogri | मुमकन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | malamang | ||
| Guarani | ikatukuaa | ||
| Ilocano | mabalin a kasla | ||
| Krio | go mɔs bi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەگەر | ||
| Maithili | उपयुक्त | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯏꯕ ꯌꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | nih hmel | ||
| Oromo | waan ta'u fakkaata | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମ୍ଭବତ। | | ||
| Quechua | ichapas | ||
| Sanskrit | संभवतः | ||
| Tatar | мөгаен | ||
| Tigrinya | ምናልባት | ||
| Tsonga | a swi talangi | ||