Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'maintain', so simple and yet so versatile, holds great significance in our daily lives. It is an embodiment of consistency, persistence, and care. To maintain means to keep something in a specific state or condition, to preserve and continue. This word is not just culturally important, but also transcends cultural boundaries, making it a global concept.
Did you know that the word 'maintain' has roots in the Latin word 'manu tenere', which means 'to hold in the hand'? This historical context gives us a glimpse into the word's original meaning and usage, which was to keep something in one's possession or control.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'maintain' in different languages can provide us with a unique perspective on how different cultures perceive and value the concept of maintenance. For instance, in Spanish, 'mantener' means not only to maintain but also to nourish and sustain. In German, 'aufrechterhalten' emphasizes the idea of upholding and supporting.
Stay tuned to discover more about the translations of 'maintain' in various languages!
Afrikaans | onderhou | ||
Afrikaans "onderhou" derives from the Dutch "onderhouden", meaning "to maintain", but also "to entertain" or "to receive" (guests). | |||
Amharic | ጠብቅ | ||
The word "ጠብቅ" can also mean "keep as a secret" or "cover up". | |||
Hausa | kula | ||
In Hausa, "kula" is also used to mean "to keep safe, protect, or preserve something". | |||
Igbo | jigide | ||
The Igbo word 'jigide' also means 'to sustain', 'to uphold', and 'to keep in good condition'. | |||
Malagasy | foana | ||
The word "foana" in Malagasy can also mean "always". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | sungani | ||
The word "sungani" can also mean "to keep" or "to preserve" in Nyanja. | |||
Shona | maintain | ||
The verb 'kuchengeta' in Shona can also mean 'to preserve' or 'to keep' something. | |||
Somali | ilaali | ||
The word "ilaali" in Somali can also mean "to protect" or "to preserve". | |||
Sesotho | hlokomela | ||
'Hlokomela' is derived from 'hloka', meaning 'to miss', indicating the action of keeping something from being missed. | |||
Swahili | kudumisha | ||
The word "kudumisha" comes from the Proto-Bantu root *-tsim-, meaning "to hold, keep, or guard". | |||
Xhosa | gcina | ||
The word "gcina" can also mean "to keep" or "to preserve" in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | ṣetọju | ||
The Yoruba word "ṣetọju" is derived from the verb "tọju" meaning "to save" or "protect." | |||
Zulu | gcina | ||
In isiNdebele, the word "gcina" also means "hold, keep, have, or own". | |||
Bambara | ka laminɛ | ||
Ewe | to | ||
Kinyarwanda | kubungabunga | ||
Lingala | kobatela | ||
Luganda | okukuuma | ||
Sepedi | hlokomela | ||
Twi (Akan) | kora | ||
Arabic | الحفاظ | ||
The Arabic word "الحفاظ" (maintain) also denotes "preservation" or "safekeeping". | |||
Hebrew | לְתַחְזֵק | ||
The word לַתְחֵזֵק comes from the root ח.ז.ק meaning "be strong, endure," like in the word חֵזֶק meaning "strength." | |||
Pashto | ساتل | ||
The word "ساتل" in Pashto, derived from Sanskrit, also means "to keep in existence or perpetuity". | |||
Arabic | الحفاظ | ||
The Arabic word "الحفاظ" (maintain) also denotes "preservation" or "safekeeping". |
Albanian | mirëmbajë | ||
The Albanian word "mirëmbajë" (maintain) comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *mer-* (to guard). | |||
Basque | mantendu | ||
"Mantendu" can also mean "to hold on to," "to keep," or "to preserve." | |||
Catalan | mantenir | ||
The verb "mantenir" ultimately comes from the Latin "manere", meaning "to stay, remain". | |||
Croatian | održavati | ||
The verb "održavati" can also mean "to hold" or "to celebrate" an event. | |||
Danish | opretholde | ||
The word "opretholde" has its origin in the Old Norse "uphalla," meaning "to hold up, support." | |||
Dutch | in stand houden | ||
The Dutch word "in stand houden" also means "to take care of something"} | |||
English | maintain | ||
The word 'maintain' derives from Old French 'maintenir' (to hold by the hand) and can also mean 'to support or defend'. | |||
French | maintenir | ||
The French word "maintenir" derives from the Latin "manere" meaning "to remain" and also means "to support" or "to hold up". | |||
Frisian | ûnderhâlde | ||
"Underhalen" also has the alternate meaning of "to support" in the sense of helping someone financially | |||
Galician | manter | ||
In Galician, manter can also refer to "to follow" or "to keep company". | |||
German | pflegen | ||
In German, the verb "pflegen" also means to care for, cultivate, or practice something. | |||
Icelandic | viðhalda | ||
The word "viðhalda" can also mean "to continue" or "to keep up" in Icelandic. | |||
Irish | chothabháil | ||
Italian | mantenere | ||
The word "mantenere" also means "to keep something in the same condition." | |||
Luxembourgish | erhalen | ||
The Luxembourgish word "erhalen" is derived from the German "erhalten", which also means "to receive" or "to get". | |||
Maltese | żomm | ||
The etymology of "żomm" is a compound formed by the Semitic root "W-M-R" meaning "stand". Its original pre-verbal status of "bi-W-M-M" was dropped. This is an alternate meaning which explains another usage of the term | |||
Norwegian | vedlikeholde | ||
The word "vedlikeholde" is derived from the Old Norse "viðhalda," meaning "to keep up" or "to maintain." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | manter | ||
The word "manter" in Portuguese can also mean "to keep" or "to hold". | |||
Scots Gaelic | cumail suas | ||
In Scots Gaelic, "cumail suas" has a double etymology and can imply "maintain", but literally is translated as "keeping it up/elevated," or simply "preserve it. | |||
Spanish | mantener | ||
"Mantener" comes from the Latin "manu tenere", meaning "to hold by the hand". Therefore, it can also mean "to support" or "to help". | |||
Swedish | upprätthålla | ||
In the word 'upprätthålla', 'upp' means up while 'hålla' means hold. | |||
Welsh | cynnal | ||
The term "cynnal" may derive from the Proto-Celtic root *kwen-, meaning "to strike" or "to hold." |
Belarusian | падтрымліваць | ||
Bosnian | održavati | ||
The word "održavati" in Bosnian also has the meaning of "to observe". | |||
Bulgarian | поддържа | ||
The Bulgarian word "поддържа" can also mean "to support" or "to sustain". | |||
Czech | udržovat | ||
The word "udržovat" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *udъržati, which meant "to hold back" or "to keep in place". | |||
Estonian | säilitada | ||
The word "säilitada" also means "to preserve" or "to keep" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | ylläpitää | ||
The word "ylläpitää" is derived from the word "yllä", which means "up" or "on top of", and the verb "pitää", which means "to hold" or "to keep". | |||
Hungarian | fenntartani | ||
The word "fenntartani" (maintain) derives from the Proto-Hungarian word "tart", meaning "to hold" or "to support". | |||
Latvian | uzturēt | ||
The verb "uzturēt" also means "to feed" and "to support" in Latvian. | |||
Lithuanian | išlaikyti | ||
The word "išlaikyti" has roots in Slavic languages and shares a common ancestor with the Russian word "сдержать" (literally "to hold back"), suggesting a former meaning of "to restrain" or "to prevent from moving". | |||
Macedonian | одржува | ||
In some contexts, "одржува" can also mean "repair" or "manage." | |||
Polish | utrzymać | ||
In Polish, "utrzymać" can also mean to support, sustain, or keep something going. | |||
Romanian | menţine | ||
In Romanian, the word "menţine" also means "to keep on one's feet" or "to support". | |||
Russian | поддерживать | ||
The word "поддерживать" (maintain) can also mean "to support" or "to assist". | |||
Serbian | успоставити | ||
"Успоставити" also means to 'establish' in Serbian. | |||
Slovak | udržiavať | ||
The etymology of "udržiavať" is uncertain, with some suggesting it comes from the old Czech word "držati" (to hold), while others propose a Slavic root related to "deržati" (to keep). | |||
Slovenian | vzdrževati | ||
The verb "vzdrževati" in Slovenian is derived from the Old Slavic word "vьzdrьžati" meaning "to hold back" or "to endure". | |||
Ukrainian | підтримувати | ||
In Ukrainian, the etymology of "підтримувати" extends to supporting a cause or idea as well as physically supporting someone. |
Bengali | বজায় রাখা | ||
Bengali word "বজায় রাখা" comes from "বজ্র" (thunder) and "রক্ষা" (protection). | |||
Gujarati | જાળવી | ||
The Gujarati word "maintain" (જાળવી) is derived from the Sanskrit word "paalati" meaning to protect, preserve, or observe. | |||
Hindi | बनाए रखने के | ||
In Latin, the word "manere" gave rise to both "maintain" and "mansion". | |||
Kannada | ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸಿ | ||
The word "ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸಿ" can also mean "to conduct" or "to manage" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | പരിപാലിക്കുക | ||
The Malayalam word "പരിപാലിക്കുക" ('paripalikkukā') is derived from the Sanskrit words 'paripāla' ('protection') and 'karman' ('action'), suggesting the sense of "taking care of" or "providing sustenance". | |||
Marathi | देखरेख | ||
The word "देखरेख" is derived from the Sanskrit word "दृक्ष", meaning "to see" or "to observe". | |||
Nepali | कायम राख्नु | ||
The word "कायम राख्नु" also means to preserve, sustain, or keep in existence something. | |||
Punjabi | ਕਾਇਮ ਰੱਖੋ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නඩත්තු කරන්න | ||
Tamil | பராமரிக்க | ||
பராமரிக்க can also mean "to take care of" or "to look after" in Tamil. | |||
Telugu | నిర్వహించండి | ||
Urdu | برقرار رکھنا | ||
This word is derived from Persian, and also relates, via Middle French and Latin, to the English word "tenable". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 保持 | ||
保持 also means "preserve" or "retain" in English. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 保持 | ||
It can also be used in the sense of "holding onto" or "adhering to". | |||
Japanese | 維持する | ||
The word "維持する" can also mean "to support" or "to sustain". | |||
Korean | 유지하다 | ||
"유지하다" is a Korean verb that can also mean "to preserve", "to keep", or "to sustain". | |||
Mongolian | хадгалах | ||
The word "хадгалах" can also mean "to store" or "to keep" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိန်းသိမ်းပါ | ||
Indonesian | mempertahankan | ||
The word "mempertahankan" comes from the Malay word "pertahan", which means "to defend" or "to hold on to". | |||
Javanese | njaga | ||
Njaga can also mean 'to take care of' or 'to look after', especially in the context of taking care of children or the elderly. | |||
Khmer | រក្សា | ||
The verb "រក្សា" can also mean "to protect", "to guard", or "to preserve". In fact, it is closely related to the noun "រក្ស" which means "protection", "guard", or "preservation". Both the verb and the noun are derived from the Sanskrit word "rakṣ" which means "to protect" or "to guard". | |||
Lao | ຮັກສາ | ||
The word ຮັກສາ is related to the Pali word "rakkh" meaning "to protect". | |||
Malay | menjaga | ||
Menjaga can also mean "to look after" or "to take care of". | |||
Thai | รักษา | ||
รักษา additionally means 'treat' in the context of healthcare, as in the phrase 'รักษาโรค' or 'treating illness'. | |||
Vietnamese | duy trì | ||
"Duy trì" (maintain) originated from the Chinese characters "維持", which can also mean "guard, protect, or support". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mapanatili | ||
Azerbaijani | qorumaq | ||
"Qorumaq" also means "preserve" and "defend" | |||
Kazakh | қолдау | ||
The word "қолдау" ("maintain") in Kazakh also means "to support" or "to assist." | |||
Kyrgyz | сактоо | ||
The word "сактоо" in Kyrgyz can also mean "to keep" or "to preserve". | |||
Tajik | нигоҳ доштан | ||
The Tajik word "нигоҳ доштан" comes from the Persian word "نگه داشتن", which means "to hold, keep, or maintain". | |||
Turkmen | saklamak | ||
Uzbek | saqlamoq | ||
"Saqlamoq" can also mean "to observe" or "to protect" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | ئاسراش | ||
Hawaiian | mālama | ||
Its alternate meaning is to 'pay attention to' or 'be mindful of' someone or something. | |||
Maori | pupuri | ||
Pupuri can also mean 'to hug' or 'to hold close.' | |||
Samoan | tausia | ||
The word "tausia" can also mean "to watch over" or "to take care of" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | panatilihin | ||
"Panatilihin" was derived from the Spanish "mantener" which also means "continue" or "keep" in Filipino. |
Aymara | pachpankayaña | ||
Guarani | guereko | ||
Esperanto | subteni | ||
The Esperanto word "subteni" also means "to support" or "to uphold". | |||
Latin | ponere | ||
The Latin word "ponere" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pa-," meaning "to place" or "to fix in place." |
Greek | διατηρούν | ||
In modern Greek, διατηρούν ('maintain') also means 'preserve' or 'retain' something. | |||
Hmong | tswj | ||
The Hmong word "tswj" also means to "support", "uphold", or "continue" | |||
Kurdish | lênerrîn | ||
The Kurdish word “lênerrîn” comes from the Middle Persian word “nerestan” or Old Persian word “nēr-stâ-” (“to guard”). | |||
Turkish | sürdürmek | ||
The word "sürdürmek" in Turkish originally meant "to drive" and is related to the word "sürmek" meaning "to rub". | |||
Xhosa | gcina | ||
The word "gcina" can also mean "to keep" or "to preserve" in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | טייַנען | ||
The Yiddish word טייַנען (tayenen) comes from the German word 'tönen' meaning 'to sound'. | |||
Zulu | gcina | ||
In isiNdebele, the word "gcina" also means "hold, keep, have, or own". | |||
Assamese | বজাই ৰখা | ||
Aymara | pachpankayaña | ||
Bhojpuri | बनवले राखल | ||
Dhivehi | ދެމެހެއްޓުން | ||
Dogri | बनाई रक्खना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mapanatili | ||
Guarani | guereko | ||
Ilocano | imentenar | ||
Krio | kɔntinyu | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پاراستن | ||
Maithili | बना के राखब | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯦꯡꯗꯅ ꯊꯝꯕ | ||
Mizo | vawng | ||
Oromo | akka jirutti tursuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ରକ୍ଷଣାବେକ୍ଷଣ | ||
Quechua | takyachiy | ||
Sanskrit | अनुरक्षयतु | ||
Tatar | саклау | ||
Tigrinya | ምዕቃብ | ||
Tsonga | hlayisa | ||