Obligation in Different Languages
Discover 'Obligation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'obligation' carries significant weight in our daily lives, representing the social, moral, and legal duties we are expected to uphold. Its cultural importance is universal, shaping our interactions and relationships with others. Understanding the translation of 'obligation' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the unique perspectives and values of various cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'obligation' is 'obligación,' reflecting the language's Latin roots. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'obligation' is 'gimu' (義務), a term that also encompasses the concepts of duty and propriety. Similarly, in German, 'obligation' is 'Verpflichtung' (Ver-pflicht-ung), which literally means 'to bind upon.'
Moreover, the word 'obligation' has a rich historical context. In ancient cultures, obligations were often codified in laws and religious texts, serving as the foundation of social order. Today, the significance of 'obligation' remains, guiding our behavior and shaping our identities. By learning the translations of 'obligation' in different languages, we can deepen our appreciation for the diversity and complexity of human cultures.
Obligation
Obligation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verpligting | ||
| The Afrikaans word "verpligting" can also refer to a task that must be completed as part of one's job. | |||
| Amharic | ግዴታ | ||
| ግዴታ can also mean 'punishment or penalty' | |||
| Hausa | wajibi | ||
| 'Wajibi' is the Hausa word for obligation, meaning something obligatory. | |||
| Igbo | ibu ọrụ | ||
| 'Ibu' in Igbo can also mean 'to be' or 'to exist' and 'ọrụ' can mean 'work' or 'task,' suggesting an obligation that is inherent or essential. | |||
| Malagasy | adidy aman'andraikitra | ||
| The term "ADIDY AMAN'ANDRAIKITRA" in Malagasy literally translates to "what is binding," emphasizing the sense of duty or constraint associated with an obligation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | udindo | ||
| The word "udindo" can also mean "duty" or "responsibility". | |||
| Shona | chisungo | ||
| The word "chisungo" also has the connotation of "respect" or "courtesy" in some contexts. | |||
| Somali | waajibaadka | ||
| The word "waajibaadka" in Somali can also refer to a duty or responsibility. | |||
| Sesotho | boitlamo | ||
| The word "boitlamo" is derived from the verb "tlama" (to tie), and it originally referred to the obligation to repay a debt or fulfill a promise. | |||
| Swahili | wajibu | ||
| The Swahili word 'wajibu' comes from the Arabic word 'wajib', which means 'duty' or 'responsibility' | |||
| Xhosa | uxanduva | ||
| "UXanduva" is derived from the Xhosa word "uxandu," meaning "debt" or "liability." | |||
| Yoruba | ọranyan | ||
| "Oranyan" is derived from the phrase "Oran ni yen," loosely meaning "It's one's task". | |||
| Zulu | isibopho | ||
| The word 'isibopho' has been linked to Zulu beliefs about ancestors and spirits. | |||
| Bambara | jagoya | ||
| Ewe | nuteɖeamedzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inshingano | ||
| Lingala | etinda | ||
| Luganda | obuvunaanyizibwa | ||
| Sepedi | tlamego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asɛdeɛ | ||
Obligation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التزام | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "obligation," "التزام" can also refer to a "commitment" or "vow." | |||
| Hebrew | חוֹבָה | ||
| The Hebrew root חוֹב (Ḥ-O-B) expresses the concept of binding or connecting, and is also found in the words "husband" and "debt" | |||
| Pashto | مکلفیت | ||
| The Pashto word “مکلفیت” can also mean “duty” or “responsibility” in English. | |||
| Arabic | التزام | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "obligation," "التزام" can also refer to a "commitment" or "vow." | |||
Obligation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | detyrimi | ||
| The Albanian word "detyrimi" originates from the Latin word "debitum," meaning "debt" or "what is owed." | |||
| Basque | betebeharra | ||
| The word "betebeharra" is derived from the Basque words "bete" (to do) and "behar" (need). | |||
| Catalan | obligació | ||
| Catalan word "obligació" originally referred to "ties of blood", from Latin "obligare" (= "to bind") and the suffix "-ción" (= "action"). | |||
| Croatian | obaveza | ||
| The word "obaveza" is derived from the Slavic root "obazati", which means "to bind" or "to tie". | |||
| Danish | forpligtelse | ||
| "Forpligtelse" is derived from the Old Norse word "forpligta," meaning "to bind oneself." | |||
| Dutch | verplichting | ||
| The word "verplichting" originally meant "to tie down" | |||
| English | obligation | ||
| The word "obligation" derives from the Latin "obligare," meaning "to bind" or "make liable." | |||
| French | obligation | ||
| In French "obligation" can refer to the "act of obliging" or a "financial responsibility". | |||
| Frisian | ferplichting | ||
| The Frisian word "ferplichting" also means "duty" and originated from the Old Frisian word "ferplichtinge". | |||
| Galician | obriga | ||
| The word "obriga" derives from the Latin "obligare" (to bind), but in Galician it can also mean "duty" or "responsibility." | |||
| German | verpflichtung | ||
| In the 18th century "Verpflichtung" (obligation) also meant the duty of a lord to protect and maintain his serfs. | |||
| Icelandic | skylda | ||
| Skylda's etymology is 'debt', and it was historically used in reference to both 'guilt' and 'liability'. | |||
| Irish | oibleagáid | ||
| The word "oibleagáid" derives from the Late Latin "obligātio," an agreement or promise, and is cognate with the English word "oblige" | |||
| Italian | obbligo | ||
| The Italian word "obbligo" derives from the Latin verb "obligare," meaning "to bind" or "to obligate." | |||
| Luxembourgish | flicht | ||
| The word "Flicht" can also refer to a type of duty or responsibility, such as a moral or religious obligation. | |||
| Maltese | obbligu | ||
| "Obbligu" is derived from the Latin word "obligare" meaning "bind" or "create a legal obligation". | |||
| Norwegian | forpliktelse | ||
| Forpliktelse derives from the Old Norse term "forpella," meaning "to seize hold of." Its usage evolved from "agreement with penalty for breaking it" to mean "legal or moral duty,". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | obrigação | ||
| The word "obrigação" can also mean "compulsion" or "duty" and is derived from the Latin "obligare" meaning "to bind". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uallach | ||
| The Gaelic word "uallach" is related to the Welsh word "gwall" meaning "fault" and the Breton word "faut" meaning "mistake". | |||
| Spanish | obligación | ||
| The Spanish word "obligación" can also refer to a financial bond or a legal document creating a debt. | |||
| Swedish | skyldighet | ||
| The word 'skyldighet' derives from the Old Norse word 'skylda,' which meant 'to owe' or 'to be bound by duty'. | |||
| Welsh | rhwymedigaeth | ||
| 'Rhwymedigaeth' is derived from the Welsh word 'rhwymo,' which means to bind or tie, emphasizing the notion of a contractual or binding agreement. | |||
Obligation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абавязацельства | ||
| The word "абавязацельства" derives from the Old Belarusian term "вязь", which meant "connection" or "bond". | |||
| Bosnian | obaveza | ||
| The word 'obaveza' is derived from the Old Slavic word 'obęzъ', which means 'duty' or 'responsibility'. | |||
| Bulgarian | задължение | ||
| The word "задължение" (obligation) derives from "дълг" (debt), and implies a sense of responsibility to fulfill a commitment. | |||
| Czech | povinnost | ||
| In Czech, "povinnost" has another meaning, namely "duty". | |||
| Estonian | kohustus | ||
| Although "kohustus" literally means "demand" in Estonian, it is also the term used to describe an obligation. | |||
| Finnish | vaatimus | ||
| The word "vaatimus" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*waδtāmus", meaning "demand" or "claim". | |||
| Hungarian | kötelezettség | ||
| In Hungarian, "kötelezettség" is derived from the word "kötelék", meaning "bond" or "connection". | |||
| Latvian | pienākums | ||
| The word "pienākums" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root "*pēn", meaning "to care for" or "to feed". It is related to the words "piene" (milk) and "pietikt" (to be enough), reflecting the importance of providing for one's family and community in Latvian culture. | |||
| Lithuanian | įsipareigojimas | ||
| "Įsipareigojimas" is cognate with "pareiga", which stems from the verb "rengti". The noun form is "ranga", meaning "preparation". | |||
| Macedonian | обврска | ||
| The word "обврска" in Macedonian originates from the Proto-Slavic word "*obvirzati" which means "to tie" or "to bind". | |||
| Polish | obowiązek | ||
| The word obowiązek comes from the Old Slavic word "obvęzati", meaning "to tie". | |||
| Romanian | obligaţie | ||
| The Romanian word "obligație" also has the meanings "document that proves a debt" or "duty", and originates from the Late Latin "obligatio", meaning "binding". | |||
| Russian | обязательство | ||
| The word “обязательство” derives from the verb “обязать” which can also mean “to bind”, “to mortgage”, “to oblige” and “to engage”. | |||
| Serbian | обавеза | ||
| "Обавеза" can also mean "duty," "liability," or "responsibility". | |||
| Slovak | povinnosť | ||
| The Slovak word "povinnosť" is cognate with the Czech word "povinnost" and the Polish word "powinność", and derives from the Proto-Slavic word *povinьstь, meaning "service, duty". | |||
| Slovenian | obveznost | ||
| The word "obveznost" in Slovenian also refers to "duty" or "commitment". | |||
| Ukrainian | зобов'язання | ||
| The word 'зобов'язання' is derived from the Old Slavic word 'zoba', meaning 'debt' or 'duty'. | |||
Obligation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাধ্যবাধকতা | ||
| বাধ্যবাধকতা originates from the Sanskrit word "Bandha","meaning "bond" or "attachment." | |||
| Gujarati | જવાબદારી | ||
| Hindi | कर्तव्य | ||
| "कर्तव्य" is cognate with Persian "kartab", both words share the original meaning of a "doing". | |||
| Kannada | ಬಾಧ್ಯತೆ | ||
| "ಬಾಧ್ಯತೆ" (obligation) is derived from the Sanskrit word "bandha" (bond, tie), and also means "connection" or "duty". | |||
| Malayalam | ബാധ്യത | ||
| In Malayalam, "ബാധ്യത" can also refer to a financial burden, such as a debt. | |||
| Marathi | बंधन | ||
| "बंधन" also means a bond, tie, knot, a fetter, restriction, confinement, limitation, or covenant in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | दायित्व | ||
| The word "दायित्व" is also used in law to refer to the legal duty to perform an act or to refrain from doing something. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀ | ||
| The term "ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀ" can also refer to a debt or a duty, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "yamya," meaning "to restrain" or "to control". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වගකීම | ||
| The term "වගකීම" in Sinhala can also refer to "responsibility" or "accountability". | |||
| Tamil | கடமை | ||
| The Tamil word "கடமை" (obligation) derives from the Sanskrit word "कर्म" (action, duty), suggesting a connection between obligation and the performance of actions. | |||
| Telugu | బాధ్యత | ||
| The word బాధ్యత (obligation) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhadra', meaning 'good' or 'auspicious', and 'hita', meaning 'beneficial'. | |||
| Urdu | ذمہ داری | ||
| The Persian word "ذمہ" can also refer to a group or community, a sense that the Urdu word "ذمہ داری" retains in addition to its primary meaning of "obligation" or "responsibility." | |||
Obligation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 义务 | ||
| In classical Chinese, "义务" meant "that which is right and appropriate". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 義務 | ||
| The character 義, which forms part of 義務, can also mean "righteousness," "morality," or "duty." | |||
| Japanese | 義務 | ||
| The word 「義務」 can also mean 「task」 or 「duty」. | |||
| Korean | 의무 | ||
| 의무, literally meaning 'righteous act', also denotes something you 'ought' to do. | |||
| Mongolian | үүрэг | ||
| In the Khalkha dialect, "үүрэг" also refers to a horse's saddle girth. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တာဝန် | ||
| တာဝန် is possibly derived from Pali "ţhāna" and also means "posture" when used with other morphemes. | |||
Obligation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kewajiban | ||
| The word "kewajiban" can also refer to "citizenship" or "duty" in Indonesian, reflecting its root in the Sanskrit word "sva-kartavya", meaning "one's own duty". | |||
| Javanese | kewajiban | ||
| The word 'kewajiban' in Javanese can also mean a debt or a duty owed to a superior. | |||
| Khmer | កាតព្វកិច្ច | ||
| Lao | ພັນທະ | ||
| The word "ພັນທະ" in Lao may also mean a "bond" or "tie" and is related to the Sanskrit word "bandh" with the same meaning. | |||
| Malay | kewajipan | ||
| Its synonyms include "utang", "tanggung jawab", and "amanah" | |||
| Thai | ภาระผูกพัน | ||
| The word 'ภาระผูกพัน' in Thai can also mean 'burden'. | |||
| Vietnamese | nghĩa vụ | ||
| "Nghĩa vụ" (obligation) originates from the Chinese word "义务 (yìwù)", meaning a moral or legal duty. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | obligasyon | ||
Obligation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | öhdəlik | ||
| The word "öhdəlik" also means "position", "responsibility", or "duty" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | міндеттеме | ||
| "міндеттеме" originated from the Arabic word "mihna" (test, trial), indicating the weight of responsibility it implies. | |||
| Kyrgyz | милдеттенме | ||
| Милдеттенме (obligation) derives from the Arabic word “miladi” (birth) and implies a commitment to something or someone. | |||
| Tajik | ӯҳдадорӣ | ||
| "ӯҳдадорӣ" is the Tajik equivalent of the Persian word "عهده داری" (pronounced: eh-deh-dā-rī), which means "undertaking" or "responsibility". | |||
| Turkmen | borçnamasy | ||
| Uzbek | majburiyat | ||
| The word "majburiyat" can also mean "necessity", "compulsion", or "constraint". | |||
| Uyghur | مەجبۇرىيەت | ||
Obligation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuleana | ||
| "Kuleana" also denotes the portion or share of a taro field belonging to a commoner who does not hold any office in the ahupua'a (land division)." | |||
| Maori | herenga | ||
| The Maori word "herenga" also refers to the meeting of two or more things, such as people, places, or ideas. | |||
| Samoan | noataga | ||
| The word noataga originates from the Proto-Polynesian word *noa 'sacred or tabu'. When *noa was combined with various prepositions and possessive pronouns, a whole group of words meaning 'tabu' or 'obligation' were created. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | obligasyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "obligasyon" also means "debt" in Spanish, from which it was borrowed. | |||
Obligation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phuqhawi | ||
| Guarani | apopyrãtee | ||
Obligation in International Languages
| Esperanto | devo | ||
| The Esperanto word "devo" also means "the condition of having to do something" | |||
| Latin | officium | ||
| The Latin word "officium" also means "duty" or "service" and is the root of the English word "office." | |||
Obligation in Others Languages
| Greek | υποχρέωση | ||
| The Greek "υποχρέωση" originally referred not to a moral duty but to a binding contract. | |||
| Hmong | kev lav ris | ||
| In the case of this word, the morpheme "kev" means "to do something". The morpheme "lav" means "to be obligated". The morpheme "ris" means "to do something in order to be obligated". | |||
| Kurdish | xwegirêdanî | ||
| The word "xwegirêdanî" in Kurdish ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰer- "to grasp, hold". | |||
| Turkish | yükümlülük | ||
| In Turkish, the word 'yükümlülük' derives from the verb 'yüklemek', meaning 'to load' or 'to impose a burden'. | |||
| Xhosa | uxanduva | ||
| "UXanduva" is derived from the Xhosa word "uxandu," meaning "debt" or "liability." | |||
| Yiddish | פליכט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פליכט" derives from the Middle High German "pliht", meaning "duty" or "responsibility". | |||
| Zulu | isibopho | ||
| The word 'isibopho' has been linked to Zulu beliefs about ancestors and spirits. | |||
| Assamese | কৰ্তব্য | ||
| Aymara | phuqhawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बाध्यता | ||
| Dhivehi | ވާޖިބު | ||
| Dogri | जिम्मेबारी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | obligasyon | ||
| Guarani | apopyrãtee | ||
| Ilocano | obligasion | ||
| Krio | pawpa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناچارکردن | ||
| Maithili | बाध्यता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯅꯗꯕ ꯌꯥꯗꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tiamna | ||
| Oromo | dirqama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାଧ୍ୟତାମୂଳକ | ||
| Quechua | sullullchay | ||
| Sanskrit | कर्तव्यता | ||
| Tatar | бурыч | ||
| Tigrinya | ግደታ | ||
| Tsonga | xiboho | ||