Objective in Different Languages
Discover 'Objective' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'objective' holds great significance in our daily lives, shaping our perspectives and decisions. It generally refers to something unbiased, factual, and not influenced by personal feelings or opinions. This cultural importance extends across the globe, making it a vital concept to understand and translate in various languages.
Did you know that the word 'objective' has roots in Latin, originating from the term 'objectivus'? This term itself is derived from 'objectum,' which means 'something thrown against.' Over time, this meaning evolved to represent a goal or purpose, further shaping the word's significance in modern language and culture.
Understanding the translation of 'objective' in different languages can open doors to broader communication and cultural appreciation. Here are a few examples:
- French: objectif
- Spanish: objetivo
- German: Ziel
- Mandarin: 目标 (mùbiào)
- Japanese: 目標 (mokuhyō)
Objective
Objective in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | doel | ||
| The word "doel" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "doel", which can also mean "target" or "purpose". | |||
| Amharic | ዓላማ | ||
| Hausa | haƙiƙa | ||
| Hausa 'haƙiƙa' is related to the Arabic word 'ḥaqīqa', meaning 'real' or 'actual'. | |||
| Igbo | ebumnobi | ||
| Ebumnobi also means the centre rod of a bicycle's wheel or the mast of a ship or boat. | |||
| Malagasy | tanjona | ||
| The word "tanjona" also means "cape" in Malagasy, a nod to the geographical formation that is a primary destination for ships. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholinga | ||
| The word "cholinga" is used in Nyanja to refer to an object, and it also signifies purpose or intent. | |||
| Shona | chinangwa | ||
| "Chinangwa" in Shona can also refer to a type of wooden fence or gate. | |||
| Somali | ujeeddo | ||
| The Somali word 'ujeeddo' traces its roots back to the Cushitic language family and also carries the meaning of 'purpose' or 'intention'. | |||
| Sesotho | sepheo | ||
| In Tswana, the word 'sepheo' also means 'target' or 'aim'. | |||
| Swahili | lengo | ||
| Lengo in Swahili also means 'a type of fish', 'a mark', or 'the point of a spear'. | |||
| Xhosa | injongo | ||
| Injongo means 'intention' of 'purpose' with its root in 'jongo' to 'intend' or 'plan'. | |||
| Yoruba | ohun to | ||
| The word "ohun to" in Yoruba also means "thing for" or "something for". | |||
| Zulu | inhloso | ||
| The word 'inhloso' can be translated as 'subject', 'agent', 'matter', or 'aim'. | |||
| Bambara | kuntilenna | ||
| Ewe | taɖodzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | intego | ||
| Lingala | mokano | ||
| Luganda | omulamwa | ||
| Sepedi | nepo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | botaeɛ | ||
Objective in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | هدف | ||
| The word "هدف" may also mean "target" or "goal". | |||
| Hebrew | מַטָרָה | ||
| The Hebrew word מַטָרָה can also refer to a 'target' in archery or shooting. | |||
| Pashto | موخه | ||
| The Persian loanword "موخه" can also mean "face" or "countenance" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | هدف | ||
| The word "هدف" may also mean "target" or "goal". | |||
Objective in Western European Languages
| Albanian | objektiv | ||
| The word "objektiv" can also refer to a camera lens, deriving from its primary meaning as "objective". | |||
| Basque | helburu | ||
| Helburu can also mean target, direction, or goal in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | objectiu | ||
| In Catalan, "objectiu" does not only mean objective, but also refers to the lens of a camera or telescope. | |||
| Croatian | cilj | ||
| Despite its spelling, 'cilj' is not derived from the Latin root 'cilium' (meaning 'eyelash'). Its etymology is rather unclear, but the word may be connected to Proto-Slavic 'kъlъ' (meaning 'pole'). | |||
| Danish | objektiv | ||
| Objektiv can also mean "lens" or "eyeglass" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | objectief | ||
| In Dutch, "objectief" can also mean "lens" or "eyeglasses", derived from the Latin "objectivus" meaning "pertaining to an object". | |||
| English | objective | ||
| The term "objective" derives from the Latin word "obiectum," meaning "that which is thrown in the way" or "something opposed." | |||
| French | objectif | ||
| In French, "objectif" also has the meaning of "lens of a camera or a telescope". | |||
| Frisian | objektyf | ||
| Objektyf (or 'objektiif', 'objektive') is related to the word in Dutch: 'objectify', and the Dutch word: 'Objectief'. | |||
| Galician | obxectivo | ||
| In Galician, the word "obxectivo" can also refer to a lens or optical device. | |||
| German | zielsetzung | ||
| The original meaning of "Zielsetzung" is "aimed setting" which is still reflected in technical fields where it means "targeting", especially of missiles. | |||
| Icelandic | hlutlæg | ||
| Hlutlæg is a derivative of the word hlut which can mean both "thing" and "objective" | |||
| Irish | oibiachtúil | ||
| Italian | obbiettivo | ||
| The word "obbiettivo" can also refer to a camera lens, derived from its original meaning of "target". | |||
| Luxembourgish | objektiv | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "objektiv" can also mean "lens" in the context of photography or optics. | |||
| Maltese | għan | ||
| "Għan" can also mean "song" in Maltese, coming from the Arabic word "ghinā" (singing). | |||
| Norwegian | objektiv | ||
| The Norwegian word "objektiv" can in some contexts also mean "lens", and is cognate with the English word "objective" in that sense (as in the objective of a camera). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | objetivo | ||
| "Objetivo" in Portuguese, like its English cognate, can also refer to a "lens" and a "target". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | amas | ||
| The word "amas" in Scots Gaelic derives from "amhais", meaning "aim", or "aimhasg", meaning "design". | |||
| Spanish | objetivo | ||
| In Spanish, "objetivo" can also mean "lens" or "target" and derives from the Latin "objectum", meaning "something thrown against". | |||
| Swedish | mål | ||
| In Swedish, "mål" also denotes a "goal" or "target" in a more physical sense, such as in a sporting context. | |||
| Welsh | amcan | ||
| The word "amcan" derives from the Old Irish "amcen" denoting a goal or intention. | |||
Objective in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | аб'ектыўны | ||
| The word “аб'ектыўны” can also mean “eyepiece” or “lens” in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | objektivni | ||
| The word "objektivni" also means "factual" and "unbiased" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | обективен | ||
| In Bulgarian, "обективен" can also mean "pertaining to an object". | |||
| Czech | objektivní | ||
| The word "objektivní" can also mean "impartial" or "rational" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | objektiivne | ||
| The Estonian word "objektiivne" originates from the Latin word "objectivus" meaning "relating to an object" or "existing independently of the mind." | |||
| Finnish | tavoite | ||
| The Finnish word "tavoite" also refers to a mountain or hill, especially as a landmark or target in orienteering. | |||
| Hungarian | célkitűzés | ||
| The Hungarian word "célkitűzés" is derived from the verb "célkitűz", which means "to set a goal" or "to define an objective". | |||
| Latvian | objektīvs | ||
| In Latvian, the word "objektīvs" can also refer to a photographic lens, while in English it primarily means "uninfluenced by personal feelings" | |||
| Lithuanian | objektyvus | ||
| In philosophy, the Lithuanian term "objektyvus" also refers to the philosophical concept of objectivity, which concerns the nature of reality and our knowledge of it. | |||
| Macedonian | објективно | ||
| Macedonian "објективно" is derived from the adjective "објективен", meaning "not subjective", and the suffix "-но". It has similar meanings to the English word "objectively", but may also be used to refer to something that is impartial or unbiased. | |||
| Polish | cel | ||
| The word "cel" in Polish can also mean "aim" or "goal". | |||
| Romanian | obiectiv | ||
| In Romanian, "obiectiv" also refers to "goal" or "purpose". | |||
| Russian | задача | ||
| The Russian word 'задача' derives from the Turkic word 'taskak', meaning 'burden'. | |||
| Serbian | објективан | ||
| The word "објективан" in Serbian can also mean "impartial" or "unbiased". | |||
| Slovak | cieľ | ||
| The word "cieľ" also has the alternate meaning of "aim" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | cilj | ||
| The word "cilj" in Slovenian could also mean "goal", "target", or "purpose". | |||
| Ukrainian | об'єктивний | ||
| The Ukrainian word "об'єктивний" also means "impartial" or "unbiased". | |||
Objective in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উদ্দেশ্য | ||
| "উদ্দেশ্য" originates from Sanskrit, meaning intent, direction, or aim; it can also refer to a reason or motive. | |||
| Gujarati | ઉદ્દેશ્ય | ||
| ઉદ્દેશ્ય (objective) is likely derived from Sanskrit 'उद्दिश्य' (uddiśya) meaning 'for the sake of', 'with the purpose of', 'by way of'. The Sanskrit derivative also conveys meanings of 'target', 'goal' or 'purpose'. | |||
| Hindi | उद्देश्य | ||
| "उद्देश्य" is derived from the prefix "उद्" (out) and the verb "दिश्" (to show), meaning "to put forward as an end or an aim". | |||
| Kannada | ವಸ್ತುನಿಷ್ಠ | ||
| The term 'वस्तु (vastu)' means 'external object', while the term 'निष्ठ (nishta)' means 'steadiness' or 'concentration', implying a focus on external reality. | |||
| Malayalam | ലക്ഷ്യം | ||
| The word "ലക്ഷ്യം" can also mean "target" or "goal" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | उद्देश | ||
| The word 'उद्देश' ('objective' in Marathi) comes from the Sanskrit word 'उद्दिष्ट', which means 'goal' or 'aim'. | |||
| Nepali | उद्देश्य | ||
| The word "उद्देश्य" can also mean "purpose" or "motive" in Nepali | |||
| Punjabi | ਉਦੇਸ਼ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අරමුණ | ||
| The Sinhala word "අරමුණ" can also refer to a target, purpose, aim or intention. | |||
| Tamil | புறநிலை | ||
| The word "புறநிலை" (objective) in Tamil also means "external" or "relating to the outside world" | |||
| Telugu | లక్ష్యం | ||
| The word 'లక్ష్యం' is related to the Telugu verb 'లక్ష్యం', which means to aim, and is also cognate with the Sanskrit word 'लक्ष्य' (lakṣya) meaning 'target' or 'mark' | |||
| Urdu | مقصد | ||
| The word "مقصد" has Persian roots and can also mean "destination" or "goal" in Urdu. | |||
Objective in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 目的 | ||
| The Chinese word "目的" (mùdì) can also refer to "destination" or "aim" and is related to the Japanese word "もくてき" (moku teki). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 目的 | ||
| The Japanese word "mokuteki" (目的), which means "objective," is derived from Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 目的 | ||
| The word 目的 (moku teki) has Chinese and Japanese origins, and can also refer to a purpose or goal. | |||
| Korean | 객관적인 | ||
| 객관적인 also means "guest subjective" or "other guest's subjective" depending on the context | |||
| Mongolian | зорилго | ||
| The Mongolian word "зорилго" (objective) also means "aim" or "purpose". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရည်ရွယ်ချက် | ||
| The word "objective" ultimately derives from the Latin word "ob-jicere", meaning "to throw against". | |||
Objective in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | objektif | ||
| In Indonesian, "objektif" can also mean "a camera lens." | |||
| Javanese | tujuane | ||
| The Javanese word "tujuane" is also commonly used to mean "goal" or "aim". | |||
| Khmer | គោលបំណង | ||
| The compound noun គោលបំណង literally means 'head of aiming', in other words 'aim'. It is related to the verb បំណង (to aim) which in turn comes from the Sanskrit word प्रणय (pranaya; love, affection). | |||
| Lao | ຈຸດປະສົງ | ||
| Malay | objektif | ||
| In Malay, "objektif" can also refer to the lens of a camera, and is derived from the Dutch word "objectief" with the same meaning. | |||
| Thai | วัตถุประสงค์ | ||
| The Thai word "วัตถุประสงค์" originated from the Sanskrit words "vastu" (thing) and "prayojana" (purpose). | |||
| Vietnamese | mục tiêu | ||
| The word "mục tiêu" in Vietnamese also means "target" in English. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | layunin | ||
Objective in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | obyektiv | ||
| "Obyektiv" means "objective" in Azerbaijani but also "lense" and "photo camera". Hence the literal translation of the word "photojournalism" into Azerbaijani is obyektiv jurnalistika. | |||
| Kazakh | объективті | ||
| The word "объективті" can also mean "fair" or "impartial" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | объективдүү | ||
| Tajik | ҳадаф | ||
| The word "хадаф" can also refer to a target or goal in archery or shooting. | |||
| Turkmen | obýektiw | ||
| Uzbek | ob'ektiv | ||
| Uyghur | ئوبيېكتىپ | ||
Objective in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pahuhopu | ||
| The term 'Pahuhopu' also means 'to gather together' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whāinga | ||
| The Maori word 'whāinga' can also refer to a goal or purpose. | |||
| Samoan | faʻamoemoe | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Polynesian root `faʻamoe` meaning "desire" or "aim". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | layunin | ||
| The word "layunin" also means "aim", "goal", or "purpose" in Tagalog. | |||
Objective in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | amta | ||
| Guarani | jehupytyrã | ||
Objective in International Languages
| Esperanto | objektiva | ||
| 'Objektiva' is also the name of a camera lens that produces sharp images across the entire picture. | |||
| Latin | objective | ||
| "Objectivus" can also mean "facing an object" in Latin. | |||
Objective in Others Languages
| Greek | σκοπός | ||
| The Greek term "σκοπός" (objective) originally signified a "lookout point" or "sentry post" in Ancient Greece. | |||
| Hmong | lub hom phiaj | ||
| The word "lub hom phiaj" in Hmong can mean either "objective" or "goal." | |||
| Kurdish | berdest | ||
| In Kurdish, "berdest" can refer to both "objective" and "eyebrow" in the context of facial features. | |||
| Turkish | amaç | ||
| The Turkish word "amaç" also means "aim" or "purpose" in English. | |||
| Xhosa | injongo | ||
| Injongo means 'intention' of 'purpose' with its root in 'jongo' to 'intend' or 'plan'. | |||
| Yiddish | אָביעקטיוו | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָביעקטיוו" (objective) is derived from the Latin "objectivus", meaning "relating to an object or its properties". | |||
| Zulu | inhloso | ||
| The word 'inhloso' can be translated as 'subject', 'agent', 'matter', or 'aim'. | |||
| Assamese | উদ্দেশ্য | ||
| Aymara | amta | ||
| Bhojpuri | उद्देश्य | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޤަޞަދު | ||
| Dogri | उद्देश | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | layunin | ||
| Guarani | jehupytyrã | ||
| Ilocano | gandat | ||
| Krio | gol | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئامانجی | ||
| Maithili | उद्येश्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯈꯜ ꯆꯨꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thiltum | ||
| Oromo | kaayyoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | objetivo | ||
| Sanskrit | वस्तुनिष्ठ | ||
| Tatar | объектив | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕላማ | ||
| Tsonga | xikongomelo | ||