Afrikaans opponent | ||
Albanian kundërshtar | ||
Amharic ተቃዋሚ | ||
Arabic الخصم | ||
Armenian հակառակորդ | ||
Assamese প্ৰতিদ্বন্দ্বী | ||
Aymara uñisiri | ||
Azerbaijani rəqib | ||
Bambara kɛlɛɲɔgɔn | ||
Basque aurkaria | ||
Belarusian праціўнік | ||
Bengali প্রতিপক্ষ | ||
Bhojpuri विरोधी के बा | ||
Bosnian protivnik | ||
Bulgarian опонент | ||
Catalan oponent | ||
Cebuano kontra | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 对手 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 對手 | ||
Corsican avversariu | ||
Croatian protivnik | ||
Czech oponent | ||
Danish modstander | ||
Dhivehi އިދިކޮޅު ޓީމެވެ | ||
Dogri विरोधी | ||
Dutch tegenstander | ||
English opponent | ||
Esperanto kontraŭulo | ||
Estonian vastane | ||
Ewe tsitretsiɖeŋula | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) kalaban | ||
Finnish vastustaja | ||
French adversaire | ||
Frisian tsjinstander | ||
Galician opoñente | ||
Georgian მოწინააღმდეგე | ||
German gegner | ||
Greek αντίπαλος | ||
Guarani opositor rehegua | ||
Gujarati વિરોધી | ||
Haitian Creole opozan | ||
Hausa abokin gaba | ||
Hawaiian hoa paio | ||
Hebrew יָרִיב | ||
Hindi प्रतिद्वंद्वी | ||
Hmong tus yeeb ncuab | ||
Hungarian ellenfél | ||
Icelandic andstæðingur | ||
Igbo onye mmegide | ||
Ilocano kalaban | ||
Indonesian lawan | ||
Irish comhraic | ||
Italian avversario | ||
Japanese 相手 | ||
Javanese lawan | ||
Kannada ಎದುರಾಳಿ | ||
Kazakh қарсылас | ||
Khmer គូប្រជែង | ||
Kinyarwanda uwo duhanganye | ||
Konkani विरोधक अशें म्हण्टात | ||
Korean 상대 | ||
Krio pɔsin we de agens am | ||
Kurdish dijmin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) بەرامبەر | ||
Kyrgyz оппонент | ||
Lao ຄູ່ແຂ່ງ | ||
Latin adversarius | ||
Latvian pretinieks | ||
Lingala motɛmɛli | ||
Lithuanian priešininkas | ||
Luganda omuvuganya | ||
Luxembourgish géigner | ||
Macedonian противник | ||
Maithili प्रतिद्वंदी | ||
Malagasy mpifanandrina | ||
Malay lawan | ||
Malayalam എതിരാളി | ||
Maltese avversarju | ||
Maori hoa tauwhainga | ||
Marathi विरोधक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯑꯄꯣꯀꯄꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo khingpui a ni | ||
Mongolian өрсөлдөгч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ပြိုင်ဘက် | ||
Nepali विरोधी | ||
Norwegian motstander | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) wotsutsa | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପ୍ରତିଦ୍ୱନ୍ଦ୍ୱୀ | | ||
Oromo morkataa | ||
Pashto مخالف | ||
Persian حریف | ||
Polish przeciwnik | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) oponente | ||
Punjabi ਵਿਰੋਧੀ | ||
Quechua contrario | ||
Romanian adversar | ||
Russian противник | ||
Samoan fili | ||
Sanskrit प्रतिद्वन्द्वी | ||
Scots Gaelic neach-dùbhlain | ||
Sepedi moganetši | ||
Serbian противник | ||
Sesotho mohanyetsi | ||
Shona anopikisa | ||
Sindhi مخالف | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ප්රතිවාදියා | ||
Slovak súpera | ||
Slovenian nasprotnik | ||
Somali mucaarad | ||
Spanish adversario | ||
Sundanese lawanna | ||
Swahili mpinzani | ||
Swedish motståndare | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) kalaban | ||
Tajik рақиб | ||
Tamil எதிர்ப்பாளர் | ||
Tatar көндәш | ||
Telugu ప్రత్యర్థి | ||
Thai คู่ต่อสู้ | ||
Tigrinya ተጻባኢ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
Tsonga mukaneti | ||
Turkish karşı taraf | ||
Turkmen garşydaş | ||
Twi (Akan) ɔsɔretiafo | ||
Ukrainian суперник | ||
Urdu مخالف | ||
Uyghur رەقىبى | ||
Uzbek raqib | ||
Vietnamese phản đối | ||
Welsh gwrthwynebydd | ||
Xhosa umchasi | ||
Yiddish קעגנער | ||
Yoruba alatako | ||
Zulu umphikisi |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | In addition to meaning "opponent" in competition, "opponent" can also refer to "a counterpart; match; equivalent" in mathematics or other abstract fields of study. |
| Albanian | Kundërshtar derives from Italian "contrastar", meaning to oppose. |
| Amharic | The term "ተቃዋሚ" can also refer to a "competitor" or someone who "resists" or "opposes" a particular idea or action. |
| Arabic | خصم (opponent) is an Arabic word that also means to subtract or discount. |
| Azerbaijani | 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". |
| Basque | 'Aurkarria' in Basque has additional meanings 'hostile,' 'resistant' and comes from 'aurre' ('against') + '-kari' (actor suffix). |
| Belarusian | The word "праціўнік" also has the meaning of "adversary". |
| Bengali | প্রতিপক্ষ refers to a rival in a game or contest but can also refer to a political or legal adversary. |
| Bosnian | "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 | The word "опонент" can also mean "critic" or "reviewer" in Bulgarian. |
| Catalan | In Catalan, "oponent" (opponent) means "opposing person", while "oponible" means "that can be opposed". |
| Cebuano | "Kontra" is also used in Cebuano to mean "opposite" or "against". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "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" (dui4shou3) literally means "facing hand". |
| Corsican | In Corsican, «avversariu» can also refer to a political rival or a competitor in a game or contest. |
| Croatian | "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. |
| Czech | The Czech word "oponent" originally meant "one who leans against" and it was only later that it acquired its current meaning. |
| Danish | Modstander (opponent) is derived from "imod" (against) and "stand" (to stand), and can also refer to a counter-argument. |
| Dutch | Tegenstander means 'opponent' in Dutch, however, is cognate with the German word 'Gegenstand', which means 'object' or 'subject'. |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "kontraŭulo" comes from the Latin word "contra", meaning "against". |
| Estonian | The Estonian word "vastane" can also refer to a "match" or "game", especially in sports. |
| Finnish | 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. |
| French | "Adversaire" dérive du latin "adversarius," désignant "celui qui est tourné contre," soulignant la nature conflictuelle de sa signification. |
| Frisian | The word "tsjinstander" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "tienstander", meaning "one who stands against". |
| Galician | In medieval Galician the word “opoñente” also referred to an opponent in a legal case or dispute. |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "moqinaaghmdege" is likely derived from the Persian word "mokhaalef", meaning "adversary or opposer". |
| German | The Middle High German word "gegener" originally meant "antagonist". |
| Greek | The root "anti" (αντι) implies a sense of "opposing", "counter", or "against". |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word “વિરોધી” (virōdhī) also means “enemy” and derives from the Sanskrit root “virudh,” which means “opposite.” |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Kreyòl, "opozan" can also refer to a political dissident or a member of the opposition. |
| Hausa | Abokin gaba, meaning 'opponent' in Hausa, can also refer to a friend or relative who shares a similar goal or belief. |
| Hawaiian | 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. |
| Hebrew | The verb יָרִיב shares the same Hebrew root as the nouns רֶב (dispute) and רִיב (quarrel), as well as the adjective מְרִיבִי (contentious). |
| Hindi | The Hindi word "प्रतिद्वंद्वी" (pratidwandvee) is also used to refer to a competitor in a competition or game. |
| Hmong | Tus yeeb ncuab translates to "opponent" in English, but it originally meant "a person who competes with another" in Hmong. |
| Hungarian | 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. |
| Icelandic | 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. |
| Igbo | In some contexts, "onye mmegide" can also refer to a rival, competitor, or adversary. |
| Indonesian | The word "lawan" in Indonesian also means "to fight" or "to challenge". |
| Irish | The Irish word 'comhraic' also means 'a talker' or 'a person who likes to chat'. |
| Italian | 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. |
| Japanese | "相手" originally meant "facing one's own body". |
| Javanese | 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. |
| Kannada | ಎದುರಾಳಿ (edurāḷi) means 'one who faces' or 'one who stands in front' in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | 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. |
| Korean | The term "상대" (opponent) also signifies "relative," emphasizing the notion of familial bonds even amidst opposition. |
| Kurdish | The word "dijmin" in Kurdish can also refer to a rival or a competitor in a game. |
| Kyrgyz | The noun "оппонент" can also mean a respondent or a reviewer, and the verb "оппонировать" means to respond or to review. |
| Lao | 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". |
| Latin | Etymology: Adversarius is derived from the Latin words 'ad' (towards) and 'versus' (turned), indicating an opposition or confrontation. |
| Latvian | 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 | The Lithuanian word "priešininkas" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pri" (against) and also relates to the archaic Lithuanian verb "priešinti" (to counter). |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "Géigner" is also used as a neutral term for a counterpart or a counterparty in a debate or a game. |
| Macedonian | The word "противник" derives from the Slavic word "противо" (against) and is used also to denote an adversary or an enemy. |
| Malagasy | The word "mpifanandrina" is derived from "mifana" (to oppose) and "andrina" (friend), and can also mean "adversary" or "competitor. |
| Malay | The Malay word 'lawan' is derived from the Javanese word 'lawanan', which originally meant both 'opponent' and 'help'. |
| Malayalam | 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. |
| Maltese | 'Avversarju' comes from the Latin 'adversarius', meaning both 'opponent' and 'contrary'. |
| Maori | In Maori, "hoa tauwhainga" refers to a person who stands against or challenges another, and its literal translation is "friend of challenge or opposition." |
| Marathi | 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 | The word 'विरोधी' ('opponent') in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word 'विरुद्ध' ('opposite'). |
| Norwegian | The word «motstander» is a combination of the words «å motstå» («to resist») and «-er» (a suffix denoting a person or object). |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "wotsutsa" is often used as an informal way to refer to an opponent or competitor in a game or competition. |
| Pashto | The word "مخالف" can also mean "adversity" or "difficulty" in Pashto. |
| Persian | The Persian word "حریف" originally meant "companion" and later acquired the meaning of "opponent". |
| Polish | "Przeciwnik" is the word in Polish for "opponent". It can also be used to mean "adversary" or "enemy." |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word "oponente" also means "opposing force" and derives from Latin "opponere", meaning "to put against". |
| Punjabi | The Sanskrit word 'virodhi' means 'enemy' or 'opposing', suggesting a deep-rooted connection between the two meanings in Punjabi. |
| Romanian | 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 | It can also refer to an anti-tank gun as well as the devil, but originally meant a 'counter-striker'. |
| Samoan | 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. |
| Scots Gaelic | 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. |
| Serbian | "Противник" in Serbian also means "adversary," "enemy," or "competitor." |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, mohanyetsi is also loosely used to refer to a rival or competitor, and sometimes more specifically a political adversary. |
| Shona | The word "anopikisa" is also used to refer to a person who is in opposition to a government or ruling party. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "مخالف" can also mean "opposite" or "contrary". |
| Slovak | 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 | The word 'nasprotnik' is derived from the Slavic root 'proti', meaning 'against', and the suffix '-nik', indicating a person or agent. |
| Somali | The word "mucaarad" can also refer to an adversary in a debate or argument. |
| Spanish | "Adversario" derives from the Latin "adversarius", meaning "hostile", "opposed" or "antagonistic". |
| Sundanese | In addition to denoting an opponent or competitor, in Sundanese the word "lawanna" can also mean "the other one" or "the other thing." |
| Swahili | "Mpinzani" can also mean "competitor" or "rival" in Swahili. |
| Swedish | The word "motståndare" in Swedish also refers to an electrical resistor (electronic component). |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "kalaban" is also rooted in the Malay word "lawan", which refers to an enemy, rival, or adversary. |
| Tajik | The Tajik word "рақиб" is derived from the Arabic word "رقيب", which means "watcher" or "observer." |
| Tamil | எதிர்ப்பாளர் (opponent) refers to someone who holds a contrasting view, or opposes a certain idea. |
| Telugu | The word "ప్రత్యర్థి" in Telugu can also refer to someone or something that obstructs or hinders. |
| Thai | "คู่ต่อสู้" (opponent) literally means "pair for fighting" in Thai. |
| Turkish | The word "karşı taraf" literally means "the opposite side" in Turkish, implying a position of opposition or disagreement. |
| Ukrainian | The word "суперник" derives from the Proto-Slavic term *supьrkъ, which also meant "rival" and "adversary". |
| Urdu | "مخالف" can also mean "divergent" or "contrary" in terms of opinions or ideas. |
| Uzbek | The word also means "enemy" in Arabic and "overseer" in Persian. |
| Vietnamese | "Phản đối" (opponent), from Sino-Vietnamese 反對 (fǎnduì), also means "to oppose". |
| Xhosa | "Umchasi" also means "someone who is running towards something". |
| Yiddish | Its alternate meaning is 'a person who eats a lot'. |
| Yoruba | "Alatako" shares its root with "lata," meaning "to challenge" or "to provoke." |
| Zulu | In Nguni languages, 'umphikisi' means 'the one who opposes' and is synonymous with 'umlungu' (European), possibly due to historical tensions. |
| English | The word "opponent" derives from the Latin "opponere," which roughly translates to "against" or "facing, |