Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'manage' is a small but powerful term, holding great significance in our daily lives. It stems from the Italian term 'maneggiare' meaning 'to handle,' and is a crucial concept in various cultural contexts. Managing is an art we practice every day, be it at work, home, or within ourselves. It involves skills like organization, decision-making, and problem-solving, making it a universally relevant concept.
Did you know that the ancient Greeks had no single word for 'manage'? Instead, they used a phrase 'oikonomia agathos' which translates to 'good household management.' This reflects their view of management as a holistic practice, encompassing all aspects of life.
Understanding the translation of 'manage' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how different cultures approach and value this crucial skill. Here are a few examples:
Afrikaans | bestuur | ||
Bestuur is derived from the Dutch word "besturen", which means "to govern" or "to rule". | |||
Amharic | ያስተዳድሩ | ||
The term "ያስተዳድሩ" in Amharic can also refer to the concept of "being accountable". | |||
Hausa | sarrafa | ||
'Sarrafa' in Hausa also refers to the occupation of a trader who buys and sells currency. | |||
Igbo | jikwaa | ||
The Igbo word 'jikwaa' has additional meanings of 'govern,' 'control,' 'rule,' and 'direct.' | |||
Malagasy | hitantam- | ||
The word "hitantan-" can also mean "to arrange" or "to organize". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | sungani | ||
The word "sungani" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also means "to put in order" or "to arrange." | |||
Shona | maneja | ||
Shona, the 'maneja' word derives from the verb 'kuzvarira', meaning 'to arrange' or 'to order'. | |||
Somali | maamul | ||
Somali word maamul (manage) derives from the Arabic word ``'amal`'' (work). | |||
Sesotho | laola | ||
The word "laola" in Sesotho also means "to rule or to govern". | |||
Swahili | dhibiti | ||
"Dhibiti" is derived from the Arabic word "dhabata," meaning "to control" or "to restrain." | |||
Xhosa | lawula | ||
"Lawula" also means "to guide, direct, or control something or someone." | |||
Yoruba | ṣakoso | ||
Ṣakoso can also mean "to direct" or "to oversee" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | phatha | ||
The Zulu word 'phatha' can also mean 'to control'. | |||
Bambara | mara | ||
Ewe | kpɔ edzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | gucunga | ||
Lingala | kosala | ||
Luganda | okusobola | ||
Sepedi | laola | ||
Twi (Akan) | toto | ||
Arabic | يدير | ||
The Arabic word “يدير” also means “to turn around” or “to revolve”. | |||
Hebrew | לנהל | ||
The Hebrew word לנהל (manage) derives from the root נהל (path, channel), implying the act of guiding or directing along a specific course. | |||
Pashto | سمبالول | ||
The word "سمبالول" can also mean "to handle" or "to control" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | يدير | ||
The Arabic word “يدير” also means “to turn around” or “to revolve”. |
Albanian | menaxhoj | ||
The Albanian word "menaxhoj" originates from the Latin word "manus", meaning "hand" and "agere", meaning "to act". | |||
Basque | kudeatu | ||
The word “kudeatu” comes from the word “kudu”, which means “thing, object”, and the suffix “-tu”, which means “to make, to do”. | |||
Catalan | gestionar | ||
The Catalan word "gestionar" comes from the Latin word "gestio," which means "action" or "carrying out." | |||
Croatian | upravljati | ||
The Croatian word "upravljati" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*werǵ-", which also gives rise to the English words "work" and "wright". It is cognate with the Russian word "управлять" (upravlyatʹ), which also means "manage". | |||
Danish | styre | ||
The word "styre" is also used in Danish to refer to the steering wheel of a vehicle. | |||
Dutch | beheren | ||
The word "beheren" in Dutch also means "to guard" or "to protect". | |||
English | manage | ||
The word "manage" comes from the Latin word "manus," meaning "hand," and originally referred to handling or controlling something with one's hands. | |||
French | gérer | ||
"Gérer" derives from the Latin "gerere" (to carry), suggesting the carrying of burdens or responsibilities associated with management. | |||
Frisian | beheare | ||
In Old Frisian "beheare" also meant: to govern, to rule. | |||
Galician | xestionar | ||
The Galician word "xestionar" (manage) derives from the Latin "gestio" (carrying) and carries with it the connotation of 'handling' or 'administrating' resources. | |||
German | verwalten | ||
The German word "verwalten" ultimately derives from the Latin word "valēre," meaning "to be strong or healthy"} | |||
Icelandic | stjórna | ||
The word "stjórna" originates from the Old Norse word "stýra" meaning "to direct" or "to rule". | |||
Irish | bhainistiú | ||
"Bainistiú" is derived from the Old Irish word "bain", meaning "woman" or "wife", and "stíoghtha", meaning "steward" or "manager". | |||
Italian | gestire | ||
The word "gestire" derives from the Latin word "gerere," which means "to bear" or "to carry." | |||
Luxembourgish | managen | ||
In Luxembourgish, "managen" can also mean "to negotiate" or "to handle difficult situations"} | |||
Maltese | tmexxi | ||
The word "tmexxi" may have originated from the Latin word "temerē", meaning "reckless", or from the Phoenician word "tāmak", meaning "to possess". | |||
Norwegian | få til | ||
"Få til" literally means "bring to," like bringing a ship to shore. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gerir | ||
In addition to "manage," "gerir" can also mean "direct" or "control" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | riaghladh | ||
The verb "riaghladh" can also refer to "controlling" or "governing". | |||
Spanish | gestionar | ||
"Gestionar" comes from the Latin "gestio, -onis," which means "act of carrying" or "administration of business." | |||
Swedish | klara av | ||
The word 'klara av' can also mean 'to make headway' or 'to clear up'. | |||
Welsh | rheoli | ||
The word "rheoli" in Welsh also means "to control" or "to govern". |
Belarusian | кіраваць | ||
The word "кіраваць" can also mean "to drive" or "to govern." | |||
Bosnian | upravljati | ||
'Upravljati' comes from the Slavic verb 'upraviti' meaning to set upright, straighten or put into order, and 'upravljati' means to manage, direct or control something. | |||
Bulgarian | управлявам | ||
The Bulgarian word "управлявам" comes from the French "gouverner" (to govern), which itself comes from the Latin "gubernare" (to steer a ship). | |||
Czech | spravovat | ||
The Czech word “spravovat” derives from a Proto-Slavic root *sъprāviti, meaning “to correct, rectify,” and is related to “justice.” | |||
Estonian | haldama | ||
The English word "haphazard" comes from "haldama" via Swedish, a word related to "halve" as in to cut something into two halves | |||
Finnish | hallita | ||
The word "hallita" comes from the Proto-Finnic verb *halda- which means "to own" | |||
Hungarian | kezelni | ||
The word "kezelni" is derived from the Turkish word "kezel", meaning "to control". | |||
Latvian | pārvaldīt | ||
The Latvian word "pārvaldīt" has Germanic roots and is related to the English word "govern" | |||
Lithuanian | valdyti | ||
The Lithuanian word "valdyti" is derived from the Indo-European root *wel- which means "to turn, roll, command". | |||
Macedonian | управува | ||
The word "управува" can also refer to the act of governing or administering something. | |||
Polish | zarządzać | ||
"Zarządzać" comes from the word "rząd", which means "row" or "order" in Polish. | |||
Romanian | administra | ||
"Administra" in Romanian also means "to feed" and ultimately derives from the Latin "ministrare," meaning "to serve". | |||
Russian | управлять | ||
The word управлять in Russian can also mean to steer or control a vehicle or machinery. | |||
Serbian | управљати | ||
The verb "управљати" is also used to refer to driving a vehicle or controlling a mechanism. | |||
Slovak | spravovať | ||
The word "spravovať" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *praviti, meaning "to rule, to govern". | |||
Slovenian | upravljati | ||
The word "upravljati" can also mean "govern" or "administer". | |||
Ukrainian | управляти | ||
The Ukrainian word "управляти" can also mean "to rule" or "to govern". |
Bengali | পরিচালনা | ||
The Bengali word "পরিচালনা" can also refer to "handling" or "controlling" something. | |||
Gujarati | મેનેજ કરો | ||
The word "મેનેજ કરો" in Gujarati originates from the French word "ménage" which means "household". This in turn stems from the Latin word "manere" meaning "to stay or remain". | |||
Hindi | प्रबंधन | ||
The word "प्रबंधन" also means "arrangement" or "organisation" in Hindi. | |||
Kannada | ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸು | ||
The word "ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸು" comes from the Sanskrit word "निर्वाह" (nirvāha), which means "sustenance" or "maintenance." | |||
Malayalam | നിയന്ത്രിക്കുക | ||
Marathi | व्यवस्थापित करा | ||
The word "व्यवस्थापित करा" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "व्यवस्था" meaning "arrangement" or "system". It can also mean "to set in order", "to organize", "to provide for", or "to control". | |||
Nepali | प्रबन्ध गर्नुहोस् | ||
Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ ਕਰਨਾ, ਕਾਬੂ ਕਰਨਾ | ||
The verb 'manage' comes from the Latin word 'manus', meaning 'hand', signifying control or handling. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කළමනාකරණය කරන්න | ||
Tamil | நிர்வகிக்கவும் | ||
Telugu | నిర్వహించడానికి | ||
Urdu | انتظام کریں | ||
The Urdu word انتظام کریں is derived from the Arabic word انتظام, which originally meant 'a string of pearls,' 'a pearl necklace,' and 'a row of beads or other objects'. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 管理 | ||
管理 is composed of 管, meaning “taking care of”, and 理, meaning “sorting out or organizing”. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 管理 | ||
"管理" (manage) originally meant "to govern" in Chinese, but its meaning has since expanded to include the more general sense of "to manage or control." | |||
Japanese | 管理する | ||
管理する can also mean to govern, control, or supervise. | |||
Korean | 꾸리다 | ||
꾸리다 can also mean 'to arrange,' 'to gather up,' or 'to assemble'. | |||
Mongolian | удирдах | ||
The word "удирдах" also means "to lead" or "to command". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စီမံခန့်ခွဲ | ||
Indonesian | mengelola | ||
In archaic Javanese, mengelola meant 'to hold or wield something', suggesting a sense of controlled possession or manipulation. | |||
Javanese | ngatur | ||
The word 'ngatur' originally meant 'to order' or 'to arrange', and can also refer to 'to organize' or 'to plan'. | |||
Khmer | គ្រប់គ្រង | ||
Lao | ຈັດການ | ||
ຈັດການ can also mean 'organize', as in a plan that needs to be set up or a place that needs to be decluttered, in addition to 'manage'. | |||
Malay | mengurus | ||
This word can be used in the abstract sense of 'control' or the concrete sense of 'manage'. | |||
Thai | จัดการ | ||
จัดการ can also mean 'to fix', 'to repair', or 'to deal with'. | |||
Vietnamese | quản lý | ||
The Vietnamese word "quản lý" is derived from the Chinese characters "管" (to control) and "理" (to order), and also has the meanings of "to administer" and "to govern". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pamahalaan | ||
Azerbaijani | idarə etmək | ||
The verb "idarə etmək" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "idare", meaning "administration", "government", or "management". | |||
Kazakh | басқару | ||
The word "басқару" also means "to lead" or "to control". | |||
Kyrgyz | башкаруу | ||
Tajik | идора кардан | ||
The word "идора кардан" can also mean "to direct" or "to control". | |||
Turkmen | dolandyrmak | ||
Uzbek | boshqarish | ||
In Uzbek, "boshqarish" (manage) derives from the verb "boshqa" (direct), signifying its role in guiding and controlling. | |||
Uyghur | باشقۇرۇش | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻokele | ||
Hoʻokele also means to navigate or steer. | |||
Maori | whakahaere | ||
Whakahaere is related to haka, the ceremonial dance performed by the Māori people of New Zealand. | |||
Samoan | puleaina | ||
The word "puleaina" in Samoan can also refer to governing or controlling. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pamahalaan | ||
"Pamahalaan" can refer to the act of administration, as well as the body that administers - i.e. the government. |
Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
Guarani | mongu'e | ||
Esperanto | administri | ||
Esperanto's "administri" (manage) derives from the French "administrer" (to administer) and Latin "administrare" (to serve). | |||
Latin | manage | ||
"Manage" derives from Latin manu agere, "to lead or drive by the hand," hence to handle, manage, or guide. |
Greek | διαχειρίζονται | ||
The Greek word "διαχειρίζονται" is derived from the root "χειρ" (hand), implying a literal sense of "handling" or "manipulating" something. | |||
Hmong | tswj | ||
The word "tswj" may have once meant "to control or manipulate," as in the phrase "tswj neeb," which means "to control oneself." | |||
Kurdish | rêvebirin | ||
The word 'rêvebirin' in Kurdish shares the same etymology with the Persian word 'ravandar' meaning 'leader' or 'guide'. | |||
Turkish | yönetmek | ||
"Yönetmek" (manage) comes from the Persian word "rahna", meaning "way". | |||
Xhosa | lawula | ||
"Lawula" also means "to guide, direct, or control something or someone." | |||
Yiddish | פירן | ||
"פֿירן" comes from the German "führen" and is related to the English "fare" and "ferry" | |||
Zulu | phatha | ||
The Zulu word 'phatha' can also mean 'to control'. | |||
Assamese | ব্যৱস্থাপনা কৰা | ||
Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
Bhojpuri | बंदोबस्त कईल | ||
Dhivehi | ބެލެހެއްޓުން | ||
Dogri | प्रबंध करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pamahalaan | ||
Guarani | mongu'e | ||
Ilocano | imanehar | ||
Krio | manej | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەڕێوەبردن | ||
Maithili | प्रबंध | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯟꯅꯕ | ||
Mizo | enkawl | ||
Oromo | bulchuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପରିଚାଳନା କରନ୍ତୁ | ||
Quechua | kamachiy | ||
Sanskrit | प्रबंधनं | ||
Tatar | идарә итү | ||
Tigrinya | ኣተሓሕዛ | ||
Tsonga | fambisa | ||