Might in Different Languages
Discover 'Might' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'might' is a small but powerful part of the English language. It signifies possibility, ability, and potential, adding nuance and depth to our conversations and thoughts. Its cultural importance is evident in literature, where it's used to build suspense, convey uncertainty, and express humility. For example, Shakespeare's Hamlet famously ponders, 'To be, or not to be: that is the question.'
Understanding the translation of 'might' in different languages can enrich our global communication and cultural appreciation. For instance, in Spanish, 'might' translates to 'poder,' which also means 'can' or 'to be able to.' In German, 'might' becomes 'mögen,' which can also mean 'like' or 'may.' In Japanese, 'might' is expressed as '〜 poderu,' a verb conjugation derived from 'poder.'
Explore the many faces of 'might' and discover how this modest word connects us all. Delve into the list of translations below and unlock a world of linguistic and cultural richness.
Might
Might in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dalk | ||
| The word "dalk" originates from the Dutch word "denken" (to think) which led to the Afrikaans word "dink" (to think), and then "dalk" (perhaps, possibly). | |||
| Amharic | ይችላል | ||
| ይችላል could also mean may (permission). | |||
| Hausa | iya | ||
| Iya can also mean "authority", "control", or "strength" | |||
| Igbo | nwere ike | ||
| Nwere ike means "to have strength" in Igbo, and is also a colloquialism meaning "to be wealthy" or "to be influential." | |||
| Malagasy | hery | ||
| The Malagasy word hery, meaning "might", is ultimately derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *qali, which also meant "strength, power". Other cognates of *qali in various Austronesian languages include the Malay kata, the Javanese kori, and the Fijian kaukau, all of which mean "word". This suggests that the original meaning of *qali may have been "speech", which was later extended to mean "power" and "strength". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | akhoza | ||
| In Zambia, 'akhoza' means 'to be able to' and 'to have power'. | |||
| Shona | simba | ||
| "Simba" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-mba meaning "to be strong, or powerful." | |||
| Somali | laga yaabaa | ||
| The word "laga yaabaa" can also mean "it seems like" or "it is possible that". | |||
| Sesotho | matla | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "matla" also refers to "power" and "strength".} | |||
| Swahili | nguvu | ||
| The word 'nguvu' shares a root with 'ng'ombe' ('cow'), 'ng'uni' ('zebu breed of cattle'), and 'sungura' ('hare'). | |||
| Xhosa | unamandla | ||
| The word "unamandla" in Xhosa is also used to refer to a "chief" or "leader". | |||
| Yoruba | le | ||
| The word "le" in Yoruba also means "to be able to" or "to have the power to". | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The word 'amandla' shares etymological roots with the word 'mandla' meaning 'power' | |||
| Bambara | a tun bɛ se | ||
| Ewe | ate ŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbaraga | ||
| Lingala | ekoki | ||
| Luganda | nyinza | ||
| Sepedi | ka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ebia | ||
Might in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ربما | ||
| "ربما" can also mean "not sure" or "it is possible" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | אולי | ||
| The Hebrew word "אולי" is also used in the sense of "perhaps" or "possibly". | |||
| Pashto | ښايي | ||
| The word "ښايي" in Pashto can also mean "it is possible" or "it is feasible." | |||
| Arabic | ربما | ||
| "ربما" can also mean "not sure" or "it is possible" in Arabic. | |||
Might in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mund | ||
| The Albanian word "mund" can mean both "can" and "might". | |||
| Basque | baliteke | ||
| In Basque, “baliteke” also means: “it will help,” “capable,” or “maybe.” | |||
| Catalan | podria | ||
| Podria' originates from Latin 'potere' and also means 'power' or 'authority' in Catalan | |||
| Croatian | moć | ||
| Moć also means 'the ability or power to do something' and 'strength, force, or energy'. | |||
| Danish | magt | ||
| In Danish, "magt" can also refer to authority, influence, or power. | |||
| Dutch | macht | ||
| Dutch "macht" and German "Macht" share an origin in Latin "magis," meaning "more" or "greater." | |||
| English | might | ||
| "Might" is an Old English word that originally meant "power" or "strength", or used to refer to ability or possibility. | |||
| French | pourrait | ||
| The French word "pourrait" can also mean "to pour," derived from the Latin "fundere" meaning "to pour out" | |||
| Frisian | macht | ||
| The Frisian word "macht" is not only cognate to the English word, but also means "makes" in English. | |||
| Galician | podería | ||
| In Galician, "podería" can also mean "authority, jurisdiction, territory, or influence." | |||
| German | macht | ||
| Macht can also mean "power" or "authority" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | gæti | ||
| The word "gæti" also means "capability" or "possibility" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | d'fhéadfadh | ||
| The word "d'fhéadfadh" is derived from the Old Irish word "fedim," meaning "to perform" or "to accomplish." | |||
| Italian | potrebbe | ||
| The Latin verb "potere" can mean "to be able", "to have the power", or "to have the potential to do something." | |||
| Luxembourgish | vläicht | ||
| The word "vläicht" is derived from Old High German "mīlīht" meaning "pleasant", and is related to English "mellow", Dutch "milde", German "milde" and "mild". | |||
| Maltese | jista ' | ||
| The Maltese word 'jista'' can also be used to express possibility or ability. | |||
| Norwegian | kanskje | ||
| The Norwegian word "kanskje" is thought to have been originally used as an expression of doubt and later took on the meaning of "might". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | poderia | ||
| The word "poderia" comes from the Latin word "posse", meaning "to be able" or "to have power". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dòcha | ||
| "Dòcha" can also mean "maybe" or "perhaps." | |||
| Spanish | podría | ||
| "Podría" comes from the Latin "posse" and can also mean "be able to" or "have the power to" | |||
| Swedish | makt | ||
| The word "makt" is derived from the Old Norse word "makt", meaning "ability" or "power." | |||
| Welsh | gallai | ||
| The Welsh word "gallai" has the additional meaning of "possible" or "likely". | |||
Might in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | можа | ||
| The word "можа" can also refer to the ability or strength to do something. | |||
| Bosnian | mogao | ||
| Bosnian "mogao" originally meant to be able to, and is not related to strength | |||
| Bulgarian | биха могли, може | ||
| In Bulgarian, "биха могли, може" can also refer to a possible or hypothetical event. | |||
| Czech | mohl | ||
| "Mohl" or "mohla" in Czech can also be used as a phrase meaning "I can" or "she can". | |||
| Estonian | võib | ||
| The word "võib" can also mean "may" or "can", depending on the context. | |||
| Finnish | voi | ||
| The word "voi" can also mean "butter" or "margarine" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | esetleg | ||
| The Hungarian word "esetleg" originally meant "possibly", but its meaning has shifted over time to also include "might" | |||
| Latvian | varenība | ||
| The root word of "varenība" is the verb "varēt" meaning "to be able to". | |||
| Lithuanian | gali | ||
| The Lithuanian word "gali" has Slavic roots and can also mean "ability", "power", "possibility" or "permission". | |||
| Macedonian | може | ||
| Polish | moc | ||
| The Polish word "moc" also means "strength" and "power." | |||
| Romanian | ar putea | ||
| In Romanian, "ar putea" can also refer to a potential action, an assumption, or a request for permission. | |||
| Russian | может быть | ||
| The word "может быть" can also mean "perhaps" or "possibly" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | могао би | ||
| The Serbian word "могао би" (might) originates from the Old Church Slavonic verb "могѫ" (mogu), meaning "to be able" or "to have the power to do something." | |||
| Slovak | možno | ||
| The Slovak word "možno" derives from the Proto-Slavic "možь" meaning "man" or "capable of," and also has the meaning "perhaps" or "possibly." | |||
| Slovenian | morda | ||
| The word 'morda' has additional meanings of 'maybe' and 'perhaps' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | може | ||
| The Ukrainian word "може" comes from the Proto-Slavic root "*možetъ", meaning "to be strong, powerful" | |||
Might in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হতে পারে | ||
| The word "হতে পারে" is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root "bhū," which means "to become" or "to be." | |||
| Gujarati | કદાચ | ||
| The word "કદાચ" in Gujarati can also mean "maybe" or "perhaps". | |||
| Hindi | पराक्रम | ||
| "पराक्रम" means "deeds of heroism, valor or courage" and is derived from the Sanskrit root "क्रम्" (to step), suggesting "stepping forward" or "progressing" through deeds of valor. | |||
| Kannada | ಇರಬಹುದು | ||
| In some contexts, “ಇರಬಹುದು” can also mean “must” or indicate a strong possibility. | |||
| Malayalam | ശക്തി | ||
| The word ശക്തി has alternate meanings of 'energy', 'power', 'strength' and 'ability' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | कदाचित | ||
| In Marathi the word "कदाचित" also means, "perhaps, probably." | |||
| Nepali | हुन सक्छ | ||
| The word "हुन सक्छ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "हुन्," meaning "to be" or "to happen," and the suffix "-सक्छ," which indicates possibility or probability. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බලවත් | ||
| 'බලවත්' has its roots in the Sanskrit word 'bala', which means power or strength. | |||
| Tamil | வலிமை | ||
| "வலிமை" ('might') is derived from the Tamil word 'வலம்' ('turn' or 'wheel') suggesting perpetual force that rotates. | |||
| Telugu | ఉండవచ్చు | ||
| The word "ఉండవచ్చు" in Telugu can also mean "it is possible" or "it may be". | |||
| Urdu | شاید | ||
| The Urdu word "شاید" can also be used to express "maybe" or "possibly." | |||
Might in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 威力 | ||
| "威力" can also mean 'power' or 'influence' in some contexts. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 威力 | ||
| 威力 (威 "awe" + 力 "strength") | |||
| Japanese | かもしれない | ||
| The word "かもしれない" can also mean "maybe" or "possibly" | |||
| Korean | 힘 | ||
| "힘" in Korean can also mean "force", "power", or "strength". | |||
| Mongolian | магадгүй | ||
| The Mongolian word "магадгүй" can also mean "possibility" or "likelihood". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အစွမ်းကုန် | ||
Might in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mungkin | ||
| Possibly derived from Proto-Austronesian *maŋi "to try, to do" | |||
| Javanese | bisa uga | ||
| Bisa uga also means "able to" or "can do" in Javanese, but it is more commonly used to express uncertainty or possibility. | |||
| Khmer | អាច | ||
| The word "អាច" also means "ability". | |||
| Lao | ອາດ | ||
| In Thai, "ອາດ" is often used with a negative meaning, suggesting an unlikely event. | |||
| Malay | mungkin | ||
| The Malay word "mungkin" is also used to express possibility, uncertainty, or permission. | |||
| Thai | อาจ | ||
| อาจ is derived from Pali and Sanskrit, and also means | |||
| Vietnamese | có thể | ||
| In the old Vietnamese language, the word "có thể" also means "ability". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | baka | ||
Might in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bilər | ||
| In Old Turkic "bilər" also meant to know | |||
| Kazakh | мүмкін | ||
| The word "мүмкін" is also used in Kazakh in the sense of "possible", which is a related meaning in English. | |||
| Kyrgyz | мүмкүн | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "мүмкүн" also means "possible" and "probable". | |||
| Tajik | метавонад | ||
| The etymological root of "метавонад" is the same as in Russian "могучий" (mighty), from an Old Slavonic word meaning "to be able". Historically, "метавонад" meant "great or strong" before coming to indicate capacity. | |||
| Turkmen | bolup biler | ||
| Uzbek | mumkin | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "mumkin" also means "possible" or "probable." | |||
| Uyghur | مۇمكىن | ||
Might in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ikaika paha | ||
| 'Ikaika paha' also means strong, vigorous, potent, healthy, active, or energetic. | |||
| Maori | kaha | ||
| Kaha can also mean 'strength' or 'authority' in some contexts. | |||
| Samoan | malosiaga | ||
| "Malosiaga" can also mean "strength" or "ability" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | baka | ||
| The word 'baka' in Tagalog also means 'possibly' or 'maybe', and is related to the Malay word 'barangkali' which means 'perhaps'. | |||
Might in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | atiña | ||
| Guarani | pokatu | ||
Might in International Languages
| Esperanto | povus | ||
| The Esperanto word "povus" ultimately comes from the Latin word "potens," meaning "powerful" or "able." | |||
| Latin | potens verax | ||
| The word "potens verax" in Latin can also refer to a person who is powerful and truthful. | |||
Might in Others Languages
| Greek | θα μπορούσε | ||
| In Greek, 'θα μπορούσε' might also mean 'it could' or 'it was possible'. | |||
| Hmong | zaum | ||
| The word "zaum" in Hmong can also mean "strength" or "power". | |||
| Kurdish | erk | ||
| The word "erk" is also used as "power, force, energy." | |||
| Turkish | belki | ||
| The word "belki" is derived from the Persian word "belke" meaning "maybe". | |||
| Xhosa | unamandla | ||
| The word "unamandla" in Xhosa is also used to refer to a "chief" or "leader". | |||
| Yiddish | זאל | ||
| "זאל" (might) in Yiddish can also refer to a dining or banquet hall, a public meeting room, or a grand ballroom. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The word 'amandla' shares etymological roots with the word 'mandla' meaning 'power' | |||
| Assamese | হ’ব পাৰে | ||
| Aymara | atiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | हो सकेला | ||
| Dhivehi | ވެދާނެ | ||
| Dogri | होई सकदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | baka | ||
| Guarani | pokatu | ||
| Ilocano | dinto | ||
| Krio | sɔntɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەنگە | ||
| Maithili | सक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯇꯤꯛ | ||
| Mizo | maithei | ||
| Oromo | tarii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହୁଏତ | ||
| Quechua | may | ||
| Sanskrit | विक्रमः | ||
| Tatar | булырга мөмкин | ||
| Tigrinya | ይኸዉን | ||
| Tsonga | kumbe | ||