Opponent in Different Languages
Discover 'Opponent' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'opponent' carries significant weight in our vocabulary, denoting someone who stands against us in competition, argument, or conflict. This cultural importance is reflected in languages around the world, each with their own unique translation of the term. Understanding these translations can provide valuable insights into different cultural perspectives on competition and conflict.
For instance, in Spanish, an opponent is a 'contrincante', a term that also applies to sports rivals. In German, the word is 'Gegner', which can also mean 'adversary'. Meanwhile, in Japanese, an opponent is 'Teki', a term that can also refer to an enemy in war.
Delving into these translations not only enriches our linguistic abilities but also broadens our cultural understanding. It allows us to appreciate the nuances of how different cultures view and approach competition and conflict.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'opponent' in various languages, from the familiar to the exotic.
Opponent
Opponent in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | opponent | ||
| In addition to meaning "opponent" in competition, "opponent" can also refer to "a counterpart; match; equivalent" in mathematics or other abstract fields of study. | |||
| Amharic | ተቃዋሚ | ||
| The term "ተቃዋሚ" can also refer to a "competitor" or someone who "resists" or "opposes" a particular idea or action. | |||
| Hausa | abokin gaba | ||
| Abokin gaba, meaning 'opponent' in Hausa, can also refer to a friend or relative who shares a similar goal or belief. | |||
| Igbo | onye mmegide | ||
| In some contexts, "onye mmegide" can also refer to a rival, competitor, or adversary. | |||
| Malagasy | mpifanandrina | ||
| The word "mpifanandrina" is derived from "mifana" (to oppose) and "andrina" (friend), and can also mean "adversary" or "competitor. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wotsutsa | ||
| The word "wotsutsa" is often used as an informal way to refer to an opponent or competitor in a game or competition. | |||
| Shona | anopikisa | ||
| The word "anopikisa" is also used to refer to a person who is in opposition to a government or ruling party. | |||
| Somali | mucaarad | ||
| The word "mucaarad" can also refer to an adversary in a debate or argument. | |||
| Sesotho | mohanyetsi | ||
| In Sesotho, mohanyetsi is also loosely used to refer to a rival or competitor, and sometimes more specifically a political adversary. | |||
| Swahili | mpinzani | ||
| "Mpinzani" can also mean "competitor" or "rival" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | umchasi | ||
| "Umchasi" also means "someone who is running towards something". | |||
| Yoruba | alatako | ||
| "Alatako" shares its root with "lata," meaning "to challenge" or "to provoke." | |||
| Zulu | umphikisi | ||
| In Nguni languages, 'umphikisi' means 'the one who opposes' and is synonymous with 'umlungu' (European), possibly due to historical tensions. | |||
| Bambara | kɛlɛɲɔgɔn | ||
| Ewe | tsitretsiɖeŋula | ||
| Kinyarwanda | uwo duhanganye | ||
| Lingala | motɛmɛli | ||
| Luganda | omuvuganya | ||
| Sepedi | moganetši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsɔretiafo | ||
Opponent in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الخصم | ||
| خصم (opponent) is an Arabic word that also means to subtract or discount. | |||
| Hebrew | יָרִיב | ||
| The verb יָרִיב shares the same Hebrew root as the nouns רֶב (dispute) and רִיב (quarrel), as well as the adjective מְרִיבִי (contentious). | |||
| Pashto | مخالف | ||
| The word "مخالف" can also mean "adversity" or "difficulty" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الخصم | ||
| خصم (opponent) is an Arabic word that also means to subtract or discount. | |||
Opponent in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kundërshtar | ||
| Kundërshtar derives from Italian "contrastar", meaning to oppose. | |||
| Basque | aurkaria | ||
| 'Aurkarria' in Basque has additional meanings 'hostile,' 'resistant' and comes from 'aurre' ('against') + '-kari' (actor suffix). | |||
| Catalan | oponent | ||
| In Catalan, "oponent" (opponent) means "opposing person", while "oponible" means "that can be opposed". | |||
| Croatian | protivnik | ||
| "Protivnik" is an archaic form still used in the meaning of "rival", in the same sense of "suparnik", a person with whom someone competes in business, love, and so on. | |||
| Danish | modstander | ||
| Modstander (opponent) is derived from "imod" (against) and "stand" (to stand), and can also refer to a counter-argument. | |||
| Dutch | tegenstander | ||
| Tegenstander means 'opponent' in Dutch, however, is cognate with the German word 'Gegenstand', which means 'object' or 'subject'. | |||
| English | opponent | ||
| The word "opponent" derives from the Latin "opponere," which roughly translates to "against" or "facing, | |||
| French | adversaire | ||
| "Adversaire" dérive du latin "adversarius," désignant "celui qui est tourné contre," soulignant la nature conflictuelle de sa signification. | |||
| Frisian | tsjinstander | ||
| The word "tsjinstander" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "tienstander", meaning "one who stands against". | |||
| Galician | opoñente | ||
| In medieval Galician the word “opoñente” also referred to an opponent in a legal case or dispute. | |||
| German | gegner | ||
| The Middle High German word "gegener" originally meant "antagonist". | |||
| Icelandic | andstæðingur | ||
| The word "andstæðingur" comes from the Old Norse words "and" (against) and "staðr" (place), and originally referred to someone who stood in opposition to another in a physical sense. | |||
| Irish | comhraic | ||
| The Irish word 'comhraic' also means 'a talker' or 'a person who likes to chat'. | |||
| Italian | avversario | ||
| The Italian word "avversario" comes from the Latin "adversus", meaning "turned toward", and can also refer to a rival or competitor in sports or business. | |||
| Luxembourgish | géigner | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Géigner" is also used as a neutral term for a counterpart or a counterparty in a debate or a game. | |||
| Maltese | avversarju | ||
| 'Avversarju' comes from the Latin 'adversarius', meaning both 'opponent' and 'contrary'. | |||
| Norwegian | motstander | ||
| The word «motstander» is a combination of the words «å motstå» («to resist») and «-er» (a suffix denoting a person or object). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | oponente | ||
| The word "oponente" also means "opposing force" and derives from Latin "opponere", meaning "to put against". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neach-dùbhlain | ||
| Although 'neach-dùbhlain' literally means 'black person', it is unrelated to 'duine dubh' ('black person'), which is a term for an African person, and it is not associated with racism. | |||
| Spanish | adversario | ||
| "Adversario" derives from the Latin "adversarius", meaning "hostile", "opposed" or "antagonistic". | |||
| Swedish | motståndare | ||
| The word "motståndare" in Swedish also refers to an electrical resistor (electronic component). | |||
| Welsh | gwrthwynebydd | ||
Opponent in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | праціўнік | ||
| The word "праціўнік" also has the meaning of "adversary". | |||
| Bosnian | protivnik | ||
| "Protivnik" comes from the Slavic root "prot" (against), which also appears in the word "protagonist," meaning the main character in a story who stands against the antagonist. | |||
| Bulgarian | опонент | ||
| The word "опонент" can also mean "critic" or "reviewer" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | oponent | ||
| The Czech word "oponent" originally meant "one who leans against" and it was only later that it acquired its current meaning. | |||
| Estonian | vastane | ||
| The Estonian word "vastane" can also refer to a "match" or "game", especially in sports. | |||
| Finnish | vastustaja | ||
| The word "vastustaja" originally referred to a person or group opposing someone else's actions, but now also refers to someone participating in a competition against someone else. | |||
| Hungarian | ellenfél | ||
| The word "ellenfél" is derived from the Hungarian words "ellen" (against) and "fél" (half), implying that an opponent is someone who stands on the other side. | |||
| Latvian | pretinieks | ||
| In the 19th century, “pretinieks” referred to a “competitor” or “opponent” in the context of a horse race, and it later became commonly used to refer to political rivals. | |||
| Lithuanian | priešininkas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "priešininkas" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pri" (against) and also relates to the archaic Lithuanian verb "priešinti" (to counter). | |||
| Macedonian | противник | ||
| The word "противник" derives from the Slavic word "противо" (against) and is used also to denote an adversary or an enemy. | |||
| Polish | przeciwnik | ||
| "Przeciwnik" is the word in Polish for "opponent". It can also be used to mean "adversary" or "enemy." | |||
| Romanian | adversar | ||
| The Romanian word "adversar" is also used in the religious sense of "the tempter, the devil, Satan", as seen in the expression "ispita adversarului" (the devil's temptation). | |||
| Russian | противник | ||
| It can also refer to an anti-tank gun as well as the devil, but originally meant a 'counter-striker'. | |||
| Serbian | противник | ||
| "Противник" in Serbian also means "adversary," "enemy," or "competitor." | |||
| Slovak | súpera | ||
| The word "súpera" can also refer to a rival, adversary, or enemy, and is derived from the Latin word "superare", meaning to "overcome" or "surpass". | |||
| Slovenian | nasprotnik | ||
| The word 'nasprotnik' is derived from the Slavic root 'proti', meaning 'against', and the suffix '-nik', indicating a person or agent. | |||
| Ukrainian | суперник | ||
| The word "суперник" derives from the Proto-Slavic term *supьrkъ, which also meant "rival" and "adversary". | |||
Opponent in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিপক্ষ | ||
| প্রতিপক্ষ refers to a rival in a game or contest but can also refer to a political or legal adversary. | |||
| Gujarati | વિરોધી | ||
| The Gujarati word “વિરોધી” (virōdhī) also means “enemy” and derives from the Sanskrit root “virudh,” which means “opposite.” | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिद्वंद्वी | ||
| The Hindi word "प्रतिद्वंद्वी" (pratidwandvee) is also used to refer to a competitor in a competition or game. | |||
| Kannada | ಎದುರಾಳಿ | ||
| ಎದುರಾಳಿ (edurāḷi) means 'one who faces' or 'one who stands in front' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | എതിരാളി | ||
| The word 'എതിരാളി' in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word 'प्रतिद्वंद्वी' (pratidvandvi), meaning 'an adversary or rival'. In Malayalam, it is used exclusively in a negative sense, implying enmity or hostility. | |||
| Marathi | विरोधक | ||
| The word "विरोधक" in Marathi has the same origin as the Sanskrit word "विरोधित" and can also mean "opposite" or "contradictory" in certain contexts. | |||
| Nepali | विरोधी | ||
| The word 'विरोधी' ('opponent') in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word 'विरुद्ध' ('opposite'). | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਰੋਧੀ | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'virodhi' means 'enemy' or 'opposing', suggesting a deep-rooted connection between the two meanings in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රතිවාදියා | ||
| Tamil | எதிர்ப்பாளர் | ||
| எதிர்ப்பாளர் (opponent) refers to someone who holds a contrasting view, or opposes a certain idea. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రత్యర్థి | ||
| The word "ప్రత్యర్థి" in Telugu can also refer to someone or something that obstructs or hinders. | |||
| Urdu | مخالف | ||
| "مخالف" can also mean "divergent" or "contrary" in terms of opinions or ideas. | |||
Opponent in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 对手 | ||
| "对手"的词源为摔跤术语,指在跤场上的对手,后引申指一般意义上的对手,或指竞争事物中的另一方. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 對手 | ||
| "對手" (dui4shou3) literally means "facing hand". | |||
| Japanese | 相手 | ||
| "相手" originally meant "facing one's own body". | |||
| Korean | 상대 | ||
| The term "상대" (opponent) also signifies "relative," emphasizing the notion of familial bonds even amidst opposition. | |||
| Mongolian | өрсөлдөгч | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြိုင်ဘက် | ||
Opponent in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lawan | ||
| The word "lawan" in Indonesian also means "to fight" or "to challenge". | |||
| Javanese | lawan | ||
| The word lawan (lawanan in the formal register) also means 'facing' or 'opposite', hence its use in the game of rock-paper-scissors, where a choice beats the choice directly opposite it. | |||
| Khmer | គូប្រជែង | ||
| Lao | ຄູ່ແຂ່ງ | ||
| The word ຄູ່ແຂ່ງ originates from the Tai language and originally meant "rival" or "competitor". Lao speakers also use it for "opponent" in the sense of "adversary". | |||
| Malay | lawan | ||
| The Malay word 'lawan' is derived from the Javanese word 'lawanan', which originally meant both 'opponent' and 'help'. | |||
| Thai | คู่ต่อสู้ | ||
| "คู่ต่อสู้" (opponent) literally means "pair for fighting" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | phản đối | ||
| "Phản đối" (opponent), from Sino-Vietnamese 反對 (fǎnduì), also means "to oppose". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kalaban | ||
Opponent in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəqib | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "rəqib" which is cognate to the Farsi word "rakib" both of which mean "opponent" or "rival" also carry the meaning "competitor" and is related to the Russian word "rabotat'" which means "to work" which in English is also used as "to compete". | |||
| Kazakh | қарсылас | ||
| The word "қарсылас" is derived from the verb "қарсы алу" ("to meet"), suggesting that an opponent is someone you meet or face in a challenge or competition. | |||
| Kyrgyz | оппонент | ||
| The noun "оппонент" can also mean a respondent or a reviewer, and the verb "оппонировать" means to respond or to review. | |||
| Tajik | рақиб | ||
| The Tajik word "рақиб" is derived from the Arabic word "رقيب", which means "watcher" or "observer." | |||
| Turkmen | garşydaş | ||
| Uzbek | raqib | ||
| The word also means "enemy" in Arabic and "overseer" in Persian. | |||
| Uyghur | رەقىبى | ||
Opponent in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoa paio | ||
| Hoa paio's literal meaning in Hawaiian is 'an adversary or one who contends against another'. It may also be used in the context of sports and games to refer to an opposing team. | |||
| Maori | hoa tauwhainga | ||
| In Maori, "hoa tauwhainga" refers to a person who stands against or challenges another, and its literal translation is "friend of challenge or opposition." | |||
| Samoan | fili | ||
| Fili is a term for someone who challenges or obstructs another person or group, and can also refer to a child who is born last in a family. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kalaban | ||
| The Tagalog word "kalaban" is also rooted in the Malay word "lawan", which refers to an enemy, rival, or adversary. | |||
Opponent in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñisiri | ||
| Guarani | opositor rehegua | ||
Opponent in International Languages
| Esperanto | kontraŭulo | ||
| The Esperanto word "kontraŭulo" comes from the Latin word "contra", meaning "against". | |||
| Latin | adversarius | ||
| Etymology: Adversarius is derived from the Latin words 'ad' (towards) and 'versus' (turned), indicating an opposition or confrontation. | |||
Opponent in Others Languages
| Greek | αντίπαλος | ||
| The root "anti" (αντι) implies a sense of "opposing", "counter", or "against". | |||
| Hmong | tus yeeb ncuab | ||
| Tus yeeb ncuab translates to "opponent" in English, but it originally meant "a person who competes with another" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | dijmin | ||
| The word "dijmin" in Kurdish can also refer to a rival or a competitor in a game. | |||
| Turkish | karşı taraf | ||
| The word "karşı taraf" literally means "the opposite side" in Turkish, implying a position of opposition or disagreement. | |||
| Xhosa | umchasi | ||
| "Umchasi" also means "someone who is running towards something". | |||
| Yiddish | קעגנער | ||
| Its alternate meaning is 'a person who eats a lot'. | |||
| Zulu | umphikisi | ||
| In Nguni languages, 'umphikisi' means 'the one who opposes' and is synonymous with 'umlungu' (European), possibly due to historical tensions. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিদ্বন্দ্বী | ||
| Aymara | uñisiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | विरोधी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އިދިކޮޅު ޓީމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | विरोधी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kalaban | ||
| Guarani | opositor rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | kalaban | ||
| Krio | pɔsin we de agens am | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرامبەر | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिद्वंदी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯄꯣꯀꯄꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | khingpui a ni | ||
| Oromo | morkataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିଦ୍ୱନ୍ଦ୍ୱୀ | | ||
| Quechua | contrario | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतिद्वन्द्वी | ||
| Tatar | көндәш | ||
| Tigrinya | ተጻባኢ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | mukaneti | ||