Motivation in Different Languages
Discover 'Motivation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Motivation is a powerful force that drives us to achieve our goals and dreams. It is the spark that ignites our passion and the fuel that keeps us moving forward, even when faced with obstacles and challenges. Throughout history, motivation has played a crucial role in shaping human behavior and culture. From ancient philosophers to modern-day self-help gurus, motivation has been studied, analyzed, and celebrated for its ability to inspire and transform lives.
Understanding motivation in different languages can open up new doors to cross-cultural communication and collaboration. For example, did you know that the word 'motivation' is derived from the Latin word 'movere', which means 'to move'? Or that in Japanese, motivation is translated as 'mo-chi-ga-ta', which combines the characters for 'desire' and 'to raise'? In Spanish, motivation is 'motivación', which comes from the word 'motivo', meaning 'reason' or 'purpose'.
By learning how motivation is expressed and understood in different languages and cultures, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of the human experience. In the following list, you'll find translations of motivation in 10 different languages, along with their meanings and cultural contexts.
Motivation
Motivation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | motivering | ||
| The Afrikaans word "motivering" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "causing motion". | |||
| Amharic | ተነሳሽነት | ||
| The Amharic word "ተነሳሽነት" is a derivative of the verb "ተነሳ" meaning to arise, get up, start or originate from something. | |||
| Hausa | dalili | ||
| In Hausa, "dalili" can also refer to a sign, trace, or evidence. | |||
| Igbo | nkwali | ||
| The word 'nkwali' in Igbo also means 'to be pushed or moved forward' and implies a sense of urgency or drive. | |||
| Malagasy | antony manosika | ||
| The word "antony manosika" in Malagasy is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *manusia, meaning "human being". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilimbikitso | ||
| In Nyanja, 'chilimbikitso' is also used to refer to a feeling of inspiration, a sense of purpose, and an urge to act. | |||
| Shona | kurudziro | ||
| The Shona word "kurudziro" also means "to grow strong" or "to encourage." | |||
| Somali | dhiirigelin | ||
| Somali word 'dhiirigelin' is derived from the words 'dhiir' (long) and 'gelin' (to move/advance), signifying 'long-lasting drive or impetus'. | |||
| Sesotho | hlohlelletsa | ||
| “Hlohlelletsa” has the broader meaning of inspiring or encouraging someone to do something, and can also refer to the feeling of being inspired or encouraged oneself. | |||
| Swahili | motisha | ||
| 'Motisha' also means 'reason' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | inkuthazo | ||
| Inkhuthazo derives from “ukhutha” which means “to push” in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | iwuri | ||
| In Yoruba, `iwuri` means `to be inspired` and can also refer to `a cause`. | |||
| Zulu | ukugqugquzela | ||
| The word "ukugqugquzela" can also mean 'to make an effort'. | |||
| Bambara | kun | ||
| Ewe | dzideƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushishikara | ||
| Lingala | elendiseli | ||
| Luganda | okuzzaamu amaanyi | ||
| Sepedi | tlhohleletšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkuranhyɛ | ||
Motivation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التحفيز | ||
| The word "التحفيز" in Arabic derives from the root "حَفَزَ," which has connotations of "urging," "inciting," and "goading". | |||
| Hebrew | מוֹטִיבָצִיָה | ||
| מוטיבציה is related to the Hebrew verb לטעת and means "to set in motion" or "to cause to act" | |||
| Pashto | هڅونه | ||
| The Pashto word "هڅونه" is also used figuratively to refer to the driving force behind an action or behavior. | |||
| Arabic | التحفيز | ||
| The word "التحفيز" in Arabic derives from the root "حَفَزَ," which has connotations of "urging," "inciting," and "goading". | |||
Motivation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | motivimi | ||
| The Albanian word "motivimi" is related to the Slavic word "motiv" and originally meant "cause" or "reason". | |||
| Basque | motibazioa | ||
| The Basque word "motibazioa" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "moving". | |||
| Catalan | motivació | ||
| The word "motivació" in Catalan comes from the Latin "motivus," meaning "to move" or "cause to move." | |||
| Croatian | motivacija | ||
| The Croatian word "motivacija" derives from the Latin "motivus," meaning "moving," and is also related to the French "motion," alluding to its root in the concept of physical movement. | |||
| Danish | motivering | ||
| The Danish word "motivering" also means "argumentation" or "justification". | |||
| Dutch | motivatie | ||
| The word "motivatie" in Dutch is derived from the French word "motif", meaning "reason" or "purpose". | |||
| English | motivation | ||
| The word "motivation" comes from the Latin word "movere," meaning "to move," and refers to the internal and external factors that drive individuals to act. | |||
| French | motivation | ||
| In French, the word "motivation" can also mean "engine" or "motive power" | |||
| Frisian | motivaasje | ||
| 'Motivaasje' is derived from the old French word 'mobil' in the meaning of an incentive or motive. | |||
| Galician | motivación | ||
| En gallego medieval *muitaçom* significaba 'cambio', y este cambio era visto como una modificación del carácter y, por ende, de los motivos. | |||
| German | motivation | ||
| The word "Motivation" derives from the Latin "movere", meaning "to move". | |||
| Icelandic | hvatning | ||
| Alternate meanings of "hvatning" in Icelandic include "inspiration", "encouragement", "incentive", "zeal", "spirit", and "energy" | |||
| Irish | spreagadh | ||
| In the sense of 'exertion, striving', spreagadh can also be used as a noun in its own right, meaning 'energy, vigour'. | |||
| Italian | motivazione | ||
| The etymology of "motivazione" is "motivus" or "that which moves" in Latin, but the term also refers to a reasoned statement of one's legal decision, in fields like jurisprudence. | |||
| Luxembourgish | motivatioun | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Motivatioun" can also refer to the force or driving power behind an action or event. | |||
| Maltese | motivazzjoni | ||
| The Maltese word 'motivazzjoni', derived from the Italian 'motivazione', refers not only to motivation but also to reasoning or justification. | |||
| Norwegian | motivasjon | ||
| Det norske ordet «motivasjon» stammer fra det latinske «movere» som betyr «å bevege». | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | motivação | ||
| In Portuguese, "motivação" can also refer to a person's drive or ambition. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | togradh | ||
| "Togradh" can also mean "provocation" or "incitement" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | motivación | ||
| In Spanish, the noun form of the verb "motivar" is "motivación", which means both "motivation" and "cause". | |||
| Swedish | motivering | ||
| The word "motivering" can also refer to the act of explaining or providing a reason for something. | |||
| Welsh | cymhelliant | ||
| The word 'cymhelliant' also means 'coaxing', coming from the same root as 'cymell' meaning 'persuasion' or 'advice'. | |||
Motivation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | матывацыя | ||
| In Polish, «матывацыя» means "to delay," whereas in Czech, it means "confusion." | |||
| Bosnian | motivacija | ||
| The word 'motivacija' is an abstract concept in the sense of what causes one to act and not a concrete one | |||
| Bulgarian | мотивация | ||
| The word мотивация (motivation) comes from the Latin word movere (to move), which is also the root of the words motion, motor, and motivation. | |||
| Czech | motivace | ||
| In Czech, "motivace" is also used to refer to a type of performance art. | |||
| Estonian | motivatsioon | ||
| The word "motivatsioon" in Estonian shares its root with the word "motiveerima" which means "to give a motive". | |||
| Finnish | motivaatio | ||
| The word 'motivaatio' derives from the Latin word 'motio', meaning 'movement' or 'impulse', and was influenced by Swedish 'motivering', which refers to 'providing grounds or reasons'. | |||
| Hungarian | motiváció | ||
| "Motiváció" is used to designate a type of Hungarian folk song and dance performed to commemorate a recent death. | |||
| Latvian | motivācija | ||
| `Motivācija` shares roots with `motīvs` (`motive`), `motīvacija` (`motivation`), and `motives`. | |||
| Lithuanian | motyvacija | ||
| The word "motyvacija" in Lithuanian is derived from the Latin word "movere", meaning "to move" or "to stir up". | |||
| Macedonian | мотивација | ||
| The word "мотивација" is derived from the Latin word "motus", meaning "to move", and is related to the English word "motive". | |||
| Polish | motywacja | ||
| "Motywacja" in Polish is derived from the Latin word "motus" meaning "movement" or "impulse", implying that motivation is a driving force behind actions. | |||
| Romanian | motivare | ||
| The etymology of the word "motivare" in Romanian can be traced back to the Latin word "motivus", meaning "to move" or "to cause to move". | |||
| Russian | мотивация | ||
| The word "мотивация" (motivation) is derived from the Latin word "movere," which means "to move." | |||
| Serbian | мотивација | ||
| The Serbian word “мотивација” (motivacija) can also mean “incentive” or “interest”. | |||
| Slovak | motivácia | ||
| "Motivácia" comes from the Latin word "motus," meaning movement or change. | |||
| Slovenian | motivacija | ||
| "Motivacija'' also means "a reason" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | мотивація | ||
| The word "мотивація" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "to move". | |||
Motivation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রেরণা | ||
| "প্রেরণা" is also derived from the word "প্রেরণ," meaning "inspiration," and thus can also refer to something that inspires action or effort. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રેરણા | ||
| The Gujarati word "પ્રેરણા" (preranā) originates from the Sanskrit word "प्ररण" (pra-ṇa), meaning "breath", and denotes the force or inspiration that drives action or thought. | |||
| Hindi | प्रेरणा | ||
| प्रेरणा (motivation) is derived from Sanskrit 'pra' (forward) and 'i' (to go), meaning 'to set in motion'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ' not only means 'motivation,' but also 'inspiration' and 'impulse'. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രചോദനം | ||
| "പ്രചോദനം" - the Malayalam word for "motivation," also has meanings of "incitement," "stimulation," and "inspiration." | |||
| Marathi | प्रेरणा | ||
| The word "प्रेरणा" (prerana) also means "inspiration" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | प्रेरणा | ||
| The term "प्रेरणा" literally means "to fill" or "to move," with connotations of inspiration, urging, and enthusiasm. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰੇਰਣਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අභිප්රේරණය | ||
| Tamil | முயற்சி | ||
| Telugu | ప్రేరణ | ||
| “ప్రేరణ” comes from the Sanskrit word “pri,” meaning “to please” or “make happy,” and is also related to the word “prema,” meaning “love.” | |||
| Urdu | حوصلہ افزائی | ||
Motivation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 动机 | ||
| "动机"在中文中还有"作案原因"和"犯罪动机"的意思。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 動機 | ||
| The character 動 in 動機 originally meant "to shake" or "to move," and 機 meant "mechanism" or "device." | |||
| Japanese | 動機 | ||
| The word "動機" (dōki) literally means "moving mechanism" and can also refer to the "motif" or "cause" of an action. | |||
| Korean | 자극 | ||
| 자극 initially meant "a stimulus to the senses" and is written with the Chinese character for "stimulus" (刺) and the Korean character for "agent" (극). | |||
| Mongolian | сэдэл | ||
| In the Mongolian language, the word "сэдэл" (motivation) is also used to refer to "purpose", "meaning", and "intention." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှုံ့ဆော်မှု | ||
Motivation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | motivasi | ||
| In Indonesian, "motivasi" can also mean "inspiration" or "incentive." | |||
| Javanese | motivasi | ||
| The Javanese word "motivasi" can also denote a kind of medicinal herb believed to have cooling properties used to reduce fevers. | |||
| Khmer | ការលើកទឹកចិត្ត | ||
| Lao | ແຮງຈູງໃຈ | ||
| Malay | motivasi | ||
| The Malay word "motivasi" is derived from the Dutch word "motivatie", which in turn comes from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "to move". | |||
| Thai | แรงจูงใจ | ||
| แรงจูงใจ also means "force of will" and comes from the Sanskrit शब्द "raj" (to rule) and "añj" (to move). | |||
| Vietnamese | động lực | ||
| The Vietnamese word "động lực" has its etymological root in Chinese "动力", meaning "power", but its current meaning of "motivation" developed in Vietnamese through a shift in emphasis from the external to the internal source of action. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagganyak | ||
Motivation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | motivasiya | ||
| The Azerbaijani verb motivasiya can also mean | |||
| Kazakh | мотивация | ||
| Мотивация - a word in Kazakh that means "motivation" in English, is used to describe the reasons that drive an individual to act or behave in a certain way. | |||
| Kyrgyz | түрткү | ||
| The word "түрткү" derives from the word "түрт" meaning "to push" or "to drive", emphasizing the idea of an external force impelling an individual's actions. | |||
| Tajik | ангеза | ||
| The Tajik word "ангеза" can also refer to a type of incentive given by a landowner to his workers as payment for additional work outside the original agreement. | |||
| Turkmen | höweslendirmek | ||
| Uzbek | motivatsiya | ||
| The word “motivatsiya” in Uzbek also means “reasoning” or “justification”. | |||
| Uyghur | ھەرىكەتلەندۈرگۈچ كۈچ | ||
Motivation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoikaika | ||
| Hoʻoikaika can also mean 'to strengthen' or 'to make firm' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | hihiri | ||
| Hihiri is an ancient Maori word for determination, zeal, aspiration, and encouragement. | |||
| Samoan | faʻaosofia | ||
| Fa'aosofia literally means to cause to be wise or knowledgeable. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagganyak | ||
Motivation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'amanchawi | ||
| Guarani | mokyre'ỹ | ||
Motivation in International Languages
| Esperanto | motivado | ||
| In Esperanto, the word "motivado" can also mean "moving", as in "the moving of a car" or "the motivating of a person." | |||
| Latin | motus | ||
| The Latin word "motus" carries connotations of motion, change, and impulse, extending its meaning beyond merely "motivation." | |||
Motivation in Others Languages
| Greek | κίνητρο | ||
| The Greek word "κίνητρο" derives from the verb "κινώ," meaning "to set in motion" or "to stir." In the context of human behavior, "κίνητρο" refers to the internal forces and drives that incite individuals to act and pursue goals. | |||
| Hmong | kev txhawb zog | ||
| The word "kev txhawb zog" in Hmong can also mean "desire" or "ambition". | |||
| Kurdish | sorkirinî | ||
| Sorkirinî has multiple meanings in Kurdish, including 'incitement', 'instigation', and 'encouragement'. | |||
| Turkish | motivasyon | ||
| 'Motivasyon' is etymologically related to Turkish verb 'tutuşmak' (to catch fire), referring to the ignition of enthusiasm and drive for an action or goal. | |||
| Xhosa | inkuthazo | ||
| Inkhuthazo derives from “ukhutha” which means “to push” in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | מאָוטאַוויישאַן | ||
| מאָוטאַוויישאַן is a word that also means “to have a reason to do something” but in the context of having a cause or a reason to care about something that is morally right. | |||
| Zulu | ukugqugquzela | ||
| The word "ukugqugquzela" can also mean 'to make an effort'. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰেৰণা | ||
| Aymara | ch'amanchawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रैरणा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިތްވަރު | ||
| Dogri | पुआध | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagganyak | ||
| Guarani | mokyre'ỹ | ||
| Ilocano | panangilawag ti gandat | ||
| Krio | gɛt zil | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاندان | ||
| Maithili | प्रेरणा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯊꯤꯜ ꯄꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | fuihthar | ||
| Oromo | kaka'umsa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରେରଣା | ||
| Quechua | motivacion | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रयुक्ति | ||
| Tatar | мотивация | ||
| Tigrinya | ምልዕዓል | ||
| Tsonga | hlohlotela | ||