Motivation in Different Languages
Discover 'Motivation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Motivation
Afrikaans motivering | ||
Albanian motivimi | ||
Amharic ተነሳሽነት | ||
Arabic التحفيز | ||
Armenian դրդապատճառ | ||
Assamese প্ৰেৰণা | ||
Aymara ch'amanchawi | ||
Azerbaijani motivasiya | ||
Bambara kun | ||
Basque motibazioa | ||
Belarusian матывацыя | ||
Bengali প্রেরণা | ||
Bhojpuri प्रैरणा | ||
Bosnian motivacija | ||
Bulgarian мотивация | ||
Catalan motivació | ||
Cebuano kadasig | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 动机 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 動機 | ||
Corsican mutivazione | ||
Croatian motivacija | ||
Czech motivace | ||
Danish motivering | ||
Dhivehi ހިތްވަރު | ||
Dogri पुआध | ||
Dutch motivatie | ||
English motivation | ||
Esperanto motivado | ||
Estonian motivatsioon | ||
Ewe dzideƒo | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) pagganyak | ||
Finnish motivaatio | ||
French motivation | ||
Frisian motivaasje | ||
Galician motivación | ||
Georgian მოტივაცია | ||
German motivation | ||
Greek κίνητρο | ||
Guarani mokyre'ỹ | ||
Gujarati પ્રેરણા | ||
Haitian Creole motivasyon | ||
Hausa dalili | ||
Hawaiian hoʻoikaika | ||
Hebrew מוֹטִיבָצִיָה | ||
Hindi प्रेरणा | ||
Hmong kev txhawb zog | ||
Hungarian motiváció | ||
Icelandic hvatning | ||
Igbo nkwali | ||
Ilocano panangilawag ti gandat | ||
Indonesian motivasi | ||
Irish spreagadh | ||
Italian motivazione | ||
Japanese 動機 | ||
Javanese motivasi | ||
Kannada ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ | ||
Kazakh мотивация | ||
Khmer ការលើកទឹកចិត្ត | ||
Kinyarwanda gushishikara | ||
Konkani प्रोत्साहन | ||
Korean 자극 | ||
Krio gɛt zil | ||
Kurdish sorkirinî | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) هاندان | ||
Kyrgyz түрткү | ||
Lao ແຮງຈູງໃຈ | ||
Latin motus | ||
Latvian motivācija | ||
Lingala elendiseli | ||
Lithuanian motyvacija | ||
Luganda okuzzaamu amaanyi | ||
Luxembourgish motivatioun | ||
Macedonian мотивација | ||
Maithili प्रेरणा | ||
Malagasy antony manosika | ||
Malay motivasi | ||
Malayalam പ്രചോദനം | ||
Maltese motivazzjoni | ||
Maori hihiri | ||
Marathi प्रेरणा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯏꯊꯤꯜ ꯄꯤꯕ | ||
Mizo fuihthar | ||
Mongolian сэдэл | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) လှုံ့ဆော်မှု | ||
Nepali प्रेरणा | ||
Norwegian motivasjon | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chilimbikitso | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପ୍ରେରଣା | ||
Oromo kaka'umsa | ||
Pashto هڅونه | ||
Persian انگیزه | ||
Polish motywacja | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) motivação | ||
Punjabi ਪ੍ਰੇਰਣਾ | ||
Quechua motivacion | ||
Romanian motivare | ||
Russian мотивация | ||
Samoan faʻaosofia | ||
Sanskrit प्रयुक्ति | ||
Scots Gaelic togradh | ||
Sepedi tlhohleletšo | ||
Serbian мотивација | ||
Sesotho hlohlelletsa | ||
Shona kurudziro | ||
Sindhi مقصد | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) අභිප්රේරණය | ||
Slovak motivácia | ||
Slovenian motivacija | ||
Somali dhiirigelin | ||
Spanish motivación | ||
Sundanese motivasi | ||
Swahili motisha | ||
Swedish motivering | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) pagganyak | ||
Tajik ангеза | ||
Tamil முயற்சி | ||
Tatar мотивация | ||
Telugu ప్రేరణ | ||
Thai แรงจูงใจ | ||
Tigrinya ምልዕዓል | ||
Tsonga hlohlotela | ||
Turkish motivasyon | ||
Turkmen höweslendirmek | ||
Twi (Akan) nkuranhyɛ | ||
Ukrainian мотивація | ||
Urdu حوصلہ افزائی | ||
Uyghur ھەرىكەتلەندۈرگۈچ كۈچ | ||
Uzbek motivatsiya | ||
Vietnamese động lực | ||
Welsh cymhelliant | ||
Xhosa inkuthazo | ||
Yiddish מאָוטאַוויישאַן | ||
Yoruba iwuri | ||
Zulu ukugqugquzela |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "motivering" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "causing motion". |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "motivimi" is related to the Slavic word "motiv" and originally meant "cause" or "reason". |
| Amharic | The Amharic word "ተነሳሽነት" is a derivative of the verb "ተነሳ" meaning to arise, get up, start or originate from something. |
| Arabic | The word "التحفيز" in Arabic derives from the root "حَفَزَ," which has connotations of "urging," "inciting," and "goading". |
| Azerbaijani | The Azerbaijani verb motivasiya can also mean |
| Basque | The Basque word "motibazioa" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "moving". |
| Belarusian | In Polish, «матывацыя» means "to delay," whereas in Czech, it means "confusion." |
| Bengali | "প্রেরণা" is also derived from the word "প্রেরণ," meaning "inspiration," and thus can also refer to something that inspires action or effort. |
| Bosnian | The word 'motivacija' is an abstract concept in the sense of what causes one to act and not a concrete one |
| Bulgarian | The word мотивация (motivation) comes from the Latin word movere (to move), which is also the root of the words motion, motor, and motivation. |
| Catalan | The word "motivació" in Catalan comes from the Latin "motivus," meaning "to move" or "cause to move." |
| Cebuano | The word 'kadasig' in Cebuano might be derived from the Sanskrit word 'kutsit', which also means 'intention', 'purpose', 'eagerness' or 'desire' |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "动机"在中文中还有"作案原因"和"犯罪动机"的意思。 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The character 動 in 動機 originally meant "to shake" or "to move," and 機 meant "mechanism" or "device." |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "mutivazione" derives from the Italian word "motivazione", which refers to the subjective reasons that explain why a person thinks, acts, or feels in a certain way. |
| Croatian | 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. |
| Czech | In Czech, "motivace" is also used to refer to a type of performance art. |
| Danish | The Danish word "motivering" also means "argumentation" or "justification". |
| Dutch | The word "motivatie" in Dutch is derived from the French word "motif", meaning "reason" or "purpose". |
| Esperanto | In Esperanto, the word "motivado" can also mean "moving", as in "the moving of a car" or "the motivating of a person." |
| Estonian | The word "motivatsioon" in Estonian shares its root with the word "motiveerima" which means "to give a motive". |
| Finnish | 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'. |
| French | In French, the word "motivation" can also mean "engine" or "motive power" |
| Frisian | 'Motivaasje' is derived from the old French word 'mobil' in the meaning of an incentive or motive. |
| Galician | En gallego medieval *muitaçom* significaba 'cambio', y este cambio era visto como una modificación del carácter y, por ende, de los motivos. |
| Georgian | The word “მოტივაცია” is derived from Latin, meaning "inducement" or "incitement", and it refers to any reason or drive that stimulates an individual towards a particular action. |
| German | The word "Motivation" derives from the Latin "movere", meaning "to move". |
| Greek | 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. |
| Gujarati | 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. |
| Haitian Creole | The word 'motivasyon' is derived from the French word 'motivation', which means 'the act or process of motivating'. In Haitian Creole, 'motivasyon' can also mean 'the reason why someone does something'. |
| Hausa | In Hausa, "dalili" can also refer to a sign, trace, or evidence. |
| Hawaiian | Hoʻoikaika can also mean 'to strengthen' or 'to make firm' in Hawaiian. |
| Hebrew | מוטיבציה is related to the Hebrew verb לטעת and means "to set in motion" or "to cause to act" |
| Hindi | प्रेरणा (motivation) is derived from Sanskrit 'pra' (forward) and 'i' (to go), meaning 'to set in motion'. |
| Hmong | The word "kev txhawb zog" in Hmong can also mean "desire" or "ambition". |
| Hungarian | "Motiváció" is used to designate a type of Hungarian folk song and dance performed to commemorate a recent death. |
| Icelandic | Alternate meanings of "hvatning" in Icelandic include "inspiration", "encouragement", "incentive", "zeal", "spirit", and "energy" |
| Igbo | The word 'nkwali' in Igbo also means 'to be pushed or moved forward' and implies a sense of urgency or drive. |
| Indonesian | In Indonesian, "motivasi" can also mean "inspiration" or "incentive." |
| Irish | In the sense of 'exertion, striving', spreagadh can also be used as a noun in its own right, meaning 'energy, vigour'. |
| Italian | 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. |
| Japanese | The word "動機" (dōki) literally means "moving mechanism" and can also refer to the "motif" or "cause" of an action. |
| Javanese | The Javanese word "motivasi" can also denote a kind of medicinal herb believed to have cooling properties used to reduce fevers. |
| Kannada | The Kannada word 'ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ' not only means 'motivation,' but also 'inspiration' and 'impulse'. |
| Kazakh | 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. |
| Korean | 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). |
| Kurdish | Sorkirinî has multiple meanings in Kurdish, including 'incitement', 'instigation', and 'encouragement'. |
| Kyrgyz | 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. |
| Latin | The Latin word "motus" carries connotations of motion, change, and impulse, extending its meaning beyond merely "motivation." |
| Latvian | `Motivācija` shares roots with `motīvs` (`motive`), `motīvacija` (`motivation`), and `motives`. |
| Lithuanian | The word "motyvacija" in Lithuanian is derived from the Latin word "movere", meaning "to move" or "to stir up". |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "Motivatioun" can also refer to the force or driving power behind an action or event. |
| Macedonian | The word "мотивација" is derived from the Latin word "motus", meaning "to move", and is related to the English word "motive". |
| Malagasy | The word "antony manosika" in Malagasy is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *manusia, meaning "human being". |
| Malay | The Malay word "motivasi" is derived from the Dutch word "motivatie", which in turn comes from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "to move". |
| Malayalam | "പ്രചോദനം" - the Malayalam word for "motivation," also has meanings of "incitement," "stimulation," and "inspiration." |
| Maltese | The Maltese word 'motivazzjoni', derived from the Italian 'motivazione', refers not only to motivation but also to reasoning or justification. |
| Maori | Hihiri is an ancient Maori word for determination, zeal, aspiration, and encouragement. |
| Marathi | The word "प्रेरणा" (prerana) also means "inspiration" in Marathi. |
| Mongolian | In the Mongolian language, the word "сэдэл" (motivation) is also used to refer to "purpose", "meaning", and "intention." |
| Nepali | The term "प्रेरणा" literally means "to fill" or "to move," with connotations of inspiration, urging, and enthusiasm. |
| Norwegian | Det norske ordet «motivasjon» stammer fra det latinske «movere» som betyr «å bevege». |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In Nyanja, 'chilimbikitso' is also used to refer to a feeling of inspiration, a sense of purpose, and an urge to act. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "هڅونه" is also used figuratively to refer to the driving force behind an action or behavior. |
| Persian | انگیزه literally means “cause” and in addition to “motivation” may mean “theme”, “purpose of one’s acts”, etc. |
| Polish | "Motywacja" in Polish is derived from the Latin word "motus" meaning "movement" or "impulse", implying that motivation is a driving force behind actions. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "motivação" can also refer to a person's drive or ambition. |
| Romanian | 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 | The word "мотивация" (motivation) is derived from the Latin word "movere," which means "to move." |
| Samoan | Fa'aosofia literally means to cause to be wise or knowledgeable. |
| Scots Gaelic | "Togradh" can also mean "provocation" or "incitement" in Scots Gaelic. |
| Serbian | The Serbian word “мотивација” (motivacija) can also mean “incentive” or “interest”. |
| Sesotho | “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. |
| Shona | The Shona word "kurudziro" also means "to grow strong" or "to encourage." |
| Sindhi | مقصد comes from the Arabic word قَصَدَ (qaṣada), meaning "to intend, to purpose, to aim at". |
| Slovak | "Motivácia" comes from the Latin word "motus," meaning movement or change. |
| Slovenian | "Motivacija'' also means "a reason" in Slovenian. |
| Somali | Somali word 'dhiirigelin' is derived from the words 'dhiir' (long) and 'gelin' (to move/advance), signifying 'long-lasting drive or impetus'. |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the noun form of the verb "motivar" is "motivación", which means both "motivation" and "cause". |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "motivasi" is derived from the Javanese word "motív" meaning "to be determined". |
| Swahili | 'Motisha' also means 'reason' in Swahili. |
| Swedish | The word "motivering" can also refer to the act of explaining or providing a reason for something. |
| Tajik | 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. |
| Telugu | “ప్రేరణ” comes from the Sanskrit word “pri,” meaning “to please” or “make happy,” and is also related to the word “prema,” meaning “love.” |
| Thai | แรงจูงใจ also means "force of will" and comes from the Sanskrit शब्द "raj" (to rule) and "añj" (to move). |
| Turkish | 'Motivasyon' is etymologically related to Turkish verb 'tutuşmak' (to catch fire), referring to the ignition of enthusiasm and drive for an action or goal. |
| Ukrainian | The word "мотивація" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", meaning "to move". |
| Uzbek | The word “motivatsiya” in Uzbek also means “reasoning” or “justification”. |
| Vietnamese | 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. |
| Welsh | The word 'cymhelliant' also means 'coaxing', coming from the same root as 'cymell' meaning 'persuasion' or 'advice'. |
| Xhosa | Inkhuthazo derives from “ukhutha” which means “to push” in Xhosa. |
| Yiddish | 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. |
| Yoruba | In Yoruba, `iwuri` means `to be inspired` and can also refer to `a cause`. |
| Zulu | The word "ukugqugquzela" can also mean 'to make an effort'. |
| English | 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. |