Main in Different Languages
Discover 'Main' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Main
Afrikaans hoof | ||
Albanian kryesore | ||
Amharic ዋና | ||
Arabic الأساسية | ||
Armenian հիմնական | ||
Assamese প্ৰধান | ||
Aymara wakiskiri | ||
Azerbaijani əsas | ||
Bambara kunbaba | ||
Basque nagusia | ||
Belarusian асноўны | ||
Bengali প্রধান | ||
Bhojpuri मेन | ||
Bosnian glavni | ||
Bulgarian основен | ||
Catalan principal | ||
Cebuano punoan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 主要 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 主要 | ||
Corsican principale | ||
Croatian glavni | ||
Czech hlavní | ||
Danish vigtigste | ||
Dhivehi މައިގަނޑު | ||
Dogri मुक्ख | ||
Dutch hoofd | ||
English main | ||
Esperanto ĉefa | ||
Estonian peamine | ||
Ewe ŋutᴐ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) pangunahing | ||
Finnish tärkein | ||
French principale | ||
Frisian foarnaamste | ||
Galician principal | ||
Georgian მთავარი | ||
German main | ||
Greek κύριος | ||
Guarani tuichavéva | ||
Gujarati મુખ્ય | ||
Haitian Creole prensipal | ||
Hausa babba | ||
Hawaiian mea nui | ||
Hebrew רָאשִׁי | ||
Hindi मुख्य | ||
Hmong lub ntsiab | ||
Hungarian fő- | ||
Icelandic aðal | ||
Igbo isi | ||
Ilocano kangrunaan | ||
Indonesian utama | ||
Irish priomh | ||
Italian principale | ||
Japanese メイン | ||
Javanese utama | ||
Kannada ಮುಖ್ಯ | ||
Kazakh негізгі | ||
Khmer មេ | ||
Kinyarwanda nyamukuru | ||
Konkani मुखेल | ||
Korean 본관 | ||
Krio men | ||
Kurdish ser | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) سەرەکی | ||
Kyrgyz негизги | ||
Lao ຕົ້ນຕໍ | ||
Latin pelagus | ||
Latvian galvenais | ||
Lingala ya monene | ||
Lithuanian pagrindinis | ||
Luganda kikulu | ||
Luxembourgish haaptsäit | ||
Macedonian главни | ||
Maithili मुख्य | ||
Malagasy tena | ||
Malay utama | ||
Malayalam പ്രധാനം | ||
Maltese prinċipali | ||
Maori matua | ||
Marathi मुख्य | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯃꯔꯨ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
Mizo puiber | ||
Mongolian гол | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) အဓိက | ||
Nepali मुख्य | ||
Norwegian hoved- | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chachikulu | ||
Odia (Oriya) ମୁଖ୍ୟ | ||
Oromo ijoo | ||
Pashto اصلي | ||
Persian اصلی | ||
Polish główny | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) a principal | ||
Punjabi ਮੁੱਖ | ||
Quechua qullana | ||
Romanian principal | ||
Russian основной | ||
Samoan sili | ||
Sanskrit मुख्यः | ||
Scots Gaelic prìomh | ||
Sepedi kgolo | ||
Serbian главни | ||
Sesotho ka sehloohong | ||
Shona main | ||
Sindhi بنيادي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ප්රධාන | ||
Slovak hlavná | ||
Slovenian glavni | ||
Somali ugu weyn | ||
Spanish principal | ||
Sundanese utama | ||
Swahili kuu | ||
Swedish huvud | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) pangunahing | ||
Tajik асосӣ | ||
Tamil பிரதான | ||
Tatar төп | ||
Telugu ప్రధాన | ||
Thai หลัก | ||
Tigrinya ዋና | ||
Tsonga xikulu | ||
Turkish ana | ||
Turkmen esasy | ||
Twi (Akan) anksa | ||
Ukrainian основний | ||
Urdu مرکزی | ||
Uyghur main | ||
Uzbek asosiy | ||
Vietnamese chủ yếu | ||
Welsh prif | ||
Xhosa ephambili | ||
Yiddish הויפּט | ||
Yoruba akọkọ | ||
Zulu main |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "Hoof" in Afrikaans can also mean "head" or "chief". |
| Albanian | The term originates from the Latin "corypheus" which originally meant "leader of the chorus" in ancient Greek. |
| Amharic | The Amharic word "ዋና" can also refer to the essence or core of something. |
| Arabic | The word "الأساسية" (main) in Arabic also refers to a type of Islamic tax that is paid annually by Muslims who are financially able to do so. |
| Armenian | Հիմնական, meaning "main," is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dʰgʰm̥-onom" ("foundation, ground") and the Armenian suffix "-#in" (indicating appurtenance). |
| Azerbaijani | "Əsas" in Azerbaijani can also mean "basis, foundation, principle, or element." |
| Basque | "Nagusia" may mean "foreman", "landowner", "master", "boss", "leader", or "lord" in Basque. |
| Belarusian | "Асноўны" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "osŭnovъ", meaning "foundation" or "base". |
| Bengali | In some areas the word প্রধান refers to the father of the bride or groom. |
| Bosnian | The word "glavni" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "glava", meaning "head". This reflects the concept of the head being the primary or most important part of the body. |
| Bulgarian | The word "основен" is related to the word "основа" (foundation) and can also mean "basic" or "fundamental". |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "principal" is derived from the Latin "princeps", meaning "first" or "chief". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "punoan" also refers to the base or origin of something, such as a plant's root or a family tree. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word "主要" also means "mainly" or "most important" when used as a verb. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 主要 (zhǔyào) can also refer to a leader or head of an organization. |
| Corsican | The word «principale» can also mean 'capital' or 'principal' in Corsican. |
| Croatian | The word "glavni" also means "head" or "principal", reflecting its Latin origin "caput". |
| Czech | Hlavní, the Czech word for 'main', derives from hlava, 'head', and thus also means 'capital' (of a state or district). |
| Danish | In Danish, "vigtigste" is derived from the word "vigtig", meaning "important". |
| Dutch | "Hoofd" also means "head" in Dutch, derived from the Proto-Germanic word "haubud" meaning "head" or "leader." |
| Esperanto | "Ĉefa" is the Esperanto equivalent of the Latin word "caput" (head, top), and also related to the English word "chief". |
| Estonian | The word "peamine" is derived from the Proto-Uralic root *päjäm, meaning "chief" or "head". In addition to its literal meaning, it can also be used figuratively to mean "important" or "essential". |
| Finnish | The word "tärkein" is thought to derive from the Proto-Germanic word "*þurknaz" ("giant" or "leader") or the Proto-Indo-European word "*tar". |
| French | In Italian, "principale" derives from the Latin "princeps", meaning "first or chief" and also has the meaning of "director" or "head of a school". |
| Frisian | Foarnaamste also means 'capital' of a province in Frisian, or 'foremost' in a group. |
| Galician | In Galician "principio" also means beginning or start, as in "o principio do ano" (the beginning of the year). |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "მთავარი" can also refer to a prince, duke, or head of a family or clan. |
| German | The word 'Main' comes from the Proto-Indo-European word 'm(e)i-', meaning 'flow'. |
| Greek | The word "κύριος" has its origins in the Proto-Indo-European word "k̂er-yo-s" meaning "lord" or "ruler". |
| Gujarati | The word 'મુખ્ય' comes from Sanskrit and also means 'face' or 'head'. |
| Haitian Creole | Haitian Creole prensipal, meaning "main," comes from the French principal, which has the same meaning. |
| Hausa | In Hausa, "babba" derives from the word "baba", meaning "father" or "elder", emphasizing the role of leaders as patriarchal figures. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, 'mea nui' can also be used colloquially to indicate something important or significant. |
| Hebrew | רָאשִׁי, meaning "main," is cognate with the Akkadian word "rēšu," meaning "head," and the Arabic word "raʾs," meaning "head." |
| Hindi | मुख्य" ("main") is derived from the Sanskrit word "mukhya", meaning "foremost" or "most important".} |
| Hmong | In Hmong, 'lub ntsiab' can also refer to the core or essence of something, emphasizing its fundamental nature or significance. |
| Hungarian | The word "fő-" is cognate with the Finnish word "pää-" (head, end), which suggests that its original meaning may have been "end" or "edge". |
| Icelandic | The Old Norse word ‘aðal’ can also mean ‘noble’ or ‘chieftain’, possibly originating from the same root as ‘father’. |
| Igbo | The word 'isi' in Igbo can also mean 'head' or 'beginning'. |
| Indonesian | The word "utama" also means "the main thing" or "the most important thing" in Indonesian. |
| Irish | In Irish, "priomh" originated from "príomh" (first or chief), and carries similar weight in contexts where "main" is used in English. |
| Italian | Principale shares a root with "prince" but, unlike in English, can refer to something "of prime importance" as well as a high-ranking leader. |
| Japanese | メイン is borrowed from English, with the alternate meanings of "mains electricity" and "main course of a meal". |
| Javanese | The word "utama" in Javanese can also mean "original" or "real". |
| Kannada | The word "ಮುಖ್ಯ" can also mean "eminent" or "distinguished" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The word "негізгі" is also a derivative of the Proto-Turkic word "negiz", which means "base" or "foundation". |
| Khmer | The word "មេ" in the Khmer language can also mean "wife", "chief", or "leader" depending on the context in which the word is used. |
| Korean | The term '본관' also refers to the main building or hall in a temple, palace, or residence. |
| Kurdish | In Kurdish, the word "ser" also means "head" and can figuratively refer to a leader or chief. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "негизги" (main) in Kyrgyz originates from the Persian word "naqsh" (pattern) and can also mean "base" or "foundation". |
| Lao | The Lao word “ຕົ້ນຕໍ” (main) is also used to refer to the base of trees and the root part of a plant that is below the ground. |
| Latin | "Pelagus" also means "open sea" and is related to the word "pelagic," meaning "of or relating to the open sea." |
| Latvian | Latvian word **galvenais** originates from the Old Prussian word **galwis**, meaning “head”. |
| Lithuanian | The word "pagrindinis" in Lithuanian shares its root with "grand" in English, both originating from the Proto-Indo-European word "ghr̥ndh-", meaning "to grind" or "to crush". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Haaptsäit" can also refer to the "main part" of something, or the "most important part". |
| Macedonian | The word "главни" also means "head" or "chief" in Macedonian. |
| Malagasy | Possible origins of the word 'tena' in Malagasy include the Sanskrit word 'tana,' meaning 'land' or 'village,' and the Malay word 'tana,' meaning 'place' or 'country.' |
| Malay | The word "utama" derives from the Sanskrit word "uttama," which means "first" or "highest." |
| Malayalam | The word "പ്രധാനം" also means "important" or "essential" in Malayalam. |
| Maltese | The word "prinċipali" in Maltese derives from the Latin word "principal", meaning "chief" or "first in rank". |
| Maori | From Polynesian words for 'backbone' or 'foundation' and 'true'. Also used in some contexts to mean 'real' or 'genuine'. |
| Marathi | The word मुख्य (mukhya) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'mukha' meaning 'face' or 'mouth', implying something that is foremost or prominent. |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word |
| Nepali | The word "मुख्य" (main) also means "chief" or "major" in Nepali, originating from Sanskrit where it meant "most" or "first". |
| Norwegian | The word "hoved" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "hauhiþa", meaning "head". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | This word is used for important things, events, or people (similar to the English word "main"). |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "اصلي" is an Arabic loanword that originally meant "original" (اصيل) or "genuine" (اصيل), and is sometimes used in this sense even today. |
| Persian | The word "اصلی" also means "genuine", "authentic", "original", "essential", or "fundamental" in Persian. |
| Polish | The word "główny" can also mean "head" or "chief" in Polish, like in the titles "główny lekarz" (head doctor) or "główny księgowy" (chief accountant). |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "a Principal" can also refer to the head of a school or university. |
| Punjabi | ਮੁੱਖ (main) comes from the Sanskrit word "mukha," which means "face" or "front," reflecting its primary meaning as the most important or prominent aspect. |
| Romanian | Principiul (in Romanian), meaning “the main thing, principle, origin,” shares the same etymological root with “prince” and “primrose.” |
| Russian | "Основной" is a homonym meaning "main" and "basic". It originated in a different word, which, in turn, came from the Proto-Slavic "osnova", meaning "foundation". |
| Samoan | The word "sili" also means "foundation" or "root" in Samoan. |
| Scots Gaelic | It comes from the Old Irish "prim", meaning "first", hence its "first" or "main" connotation. |
| Serbian | The Serbian word "главни" (main) can also refer to the head of a household, a primary or leading person, or a principal, among other meanings. |
| Sesotho | "Ka sehloohong" can literally be translated as "through the middle", as it is composed of the locative prefix "ka" and the noun "sehloohong" (middle). |
| Shona | "Mukuru" can also mean "backbone" or "spine" in Shona. |
| Sindhi | The word "بنيادي" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रधान" (pradhān), meaning "chief" or "most important." |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රධාන is ultimately derived from Sanskrit 'pra-dhana', which literally means 'given first'. |
| Slovak | The word "Hlavná" can also refer to the main street of a town or city in Slovak. |
| Slovenian | The word 'glavni' in Slovenian can also mean 'chief', 'head', or 'principal'. |
| Somali | The term "ugu weyn" can also refer to the head of a household or a clan elder. |
| Spanish | El término "principal" en español se deriva del latín "princeps", que originalmente significaba "primer ciudadano". |
| Sundanese | The word "utama" also has a secondary meaning of "first" or "primary" in Sundanese. |
| Swahili | The word "kuu" also means "to live" or "to be alive" in Swahili, deriving from the Proto-Bantu word "*ku" with the same meaning. |
| Swedish | In Swedish, the word "huvud" not only means "head" but also "main" and "principal." |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "pangunahing" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian term "*pəŋunuŋ", meaning "head" or "chief". |
| Tajik | The word "асосӣ" (main) is also used to refer to the foundation or basis of something. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word 'பிரதான' ('prathan'), like its Sanskrit cognate 'प्रधान' ('pradhāna'), also signifies something 'first', 'important', or 'superior'. |
| Telugu | The word "ప్రధాన" also means "chief" or "first" in Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages. |
| Thai | "หลัก" also means "pillar" and "principle" in Thai. |
| Turkish | The word "ana" can also mean "mother" in Turkish, suggesting a connection between the primary and nurturing aspects of the concept of "main". |
| Ukrainian | The word "основний" also means "low" or "near the ground" in Ukrainian. |
| Urdu | مرکزی can also mean 'principal', 'central', or 'head', and is cognate with the English word 'central'. |
| Uzbek | The word "asosiy" is a loanword from Arabic which also means "principle", "basic", and "essential". |
| Vietnamese | "Chủ yếu" can also mean "mostly" or "predominantly". |
| Welsh | "Prif" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "primos," meaning "first" or "foremost." |
| Xhosa | "Ephamibili" derives from the Proto-Bantu verb "-pam-," meaning "to divide, split, separate." |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, 'hoipt' can also mean 'capital' or 'principal' in finance and investments. |
| Yoruba | "Àkọ́kọ́" also means "the most important part of something" or "the very essence" in the Yoruba language. |
| Zulu | The isiZulu word "phakathi" is a synonym for "main", in the sense of central or significant, and can also mean "in between" or "middle". |
| English | "Main" (noun) comes from Middle English "meygne" meaning strength or armed force, itself from Old French "maisnie", meaning a household, retinue or servants. |