Updated on March 6, 2024
Partnership is a powerful word that transcends language and culture. At its core, partnership represents a collaborative relationship between two or more parties, working together towards a common goal. This concept is deeply ingrained in societies around the world, and is often used to describe everything from business arrangements to personal relationships.
Throughout history, partnerships have played a crucial role in shaping our world. From the early days of trade and commerce, to modern-day corporate partnerships and international alliances, the ability to work together towards a common goal has been a key driver of progress and innovation.
Given the importance of partnership in different cultures and contexts, it's not surprising that the word itself has been translated into many different languages. For example, in Spanish, partnership is translated as
Afrikaans | vennootskap | ||
Dutch-derived term originating from the root "vennot" (partner) and "schap" (association). | |||
Amharic | አጋርነት | ||
"አጋርነት" can also mean "covenant" or "friendship." | |||
Hausa | haɗin gwiwa | ||
"Hadin gwiwa" is also used to describe a type of traditional Hausa dance. | |||
Igbo | mmekorita | ||
Mmekọrita can also mean a 'network' or a 'relationship' between two or more parties. | |||
Malagasy | fiaraha-miasa | ||
Fiaraha-miasa can also mean 'working in groups', suggesting the communal spirit found in Malagasy culture. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mgwirizano | ||
The term 'mgwirizano' is also used in Chichewa to refer to cooperation and unity. | |||
Shona | kudyidzana | ||
The Shona word 'kudyidzana' is derived from the verb 'kudyira', meaning 'to support', and refers to the mutual support and assistance between persons or groups. | |||
Somali | iskaashi | ||
"Iskaashi" also means "respect for one another" and "good relationships" in Somali. | |||
Sesotho | kopanelo | ||
The etymology of the word "kopanelo" is unclear, but it may be related to the Proto-Bantu verb "-pana" ("to give") or the verb "-opana" ("to receive"). | |||
Swahili | ushirikiano | ||
The term "ushirikiano" is also used to describe a type of cooperative agreement between two or more parties. | |||
Xhosa | intsebenziswano | ||
The Xhosa word "intsebenziswano" is derived from the root "sebenza" (work) and means "joint work" or "cooperation" | |||
Yoruba | ajọṣepọ | ||
The word 'ajọṣepọ' in Yoruba originally meant 'to come together for a common purpose' | |||
Zulu | ukubambisana | ||
"Ukubambisana" can also mean "agreement", "alliance", or "coalition". | |||
Bambara | jɛɲɔgɔnya | ||
Ewe | hadomeɖoɖowɔwɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | ubufatanye | ||
Lingala | boyokani ya bato | ||
Luganda | omukago | ||
Sepedi | tirišano | ||
Twi (Akan) | fekubɔ a wɔyɛ | ||
Arabic | شراكة | ||
The Arabic word "شراكة" has its roots in the word "شرِك" meaning "share" or "associate". In the context of a business, a "شراكة" refers to a form of ownership in which two or more individuals share the profits and expenses of an enterprise. | |||
Hebrew | שׁוּתָפוּת | ||
The word "שׁוּתָפוּת" can also mean "association" or "fellowship". | |||
Pashto | مشارکت | ||
The word 'مشارکت' ('partnership') in Pashto also means 'cooperation', 'collaboration', or 'association'. | |||
Arabic | شراكة | ||
The Arabic word "شراكة" has its roots in the word "شرِك" meaning "share" or "associate". In the context of a business, a "شراكة" refers to a form of ownership in which two or more individuals share the profits and expenses of an enterprise. |
Albanian | partneritet | ||
The word "partneritet" is derived from the Latin word "pars", meaning "part", and the suffix "-itet", meaning "condition or state." | |||
Basque | lankidetza | ||
The word "lankidetza" can be traced back to the Proto-Basque word "*lan", meaning "work". | |||
Catalan | associació | ||
The word "associació" in Catalan, derived from Latin "associatio," also denotes a group of people with a common purpose or goal. | |||
Croatian | partnerstvo | ||
"Partnerski" in Croatian can mean "partnership" or "friendly," with the latter meaning deriving from the Old Slavic "partь" ("party") and "družь" ("friend"). | |||
Danish | partnerskab | ||
The Danish word "partnerskab" is derived from the German word "Partnerschaft" and also refers to a marriage, a non-profit organization or a limited company. | |||
Dutch | vennootschap | ||
"Vennootschap" is derived from the Latin "venire", meaning "to come together" or "to unite." | |||
English | partnership | ||
The word "partnership" derives from the Middle English "partenerschipe," meaning "a sharing" or "joint association." | |||
French | partenariat | ||
The word "Partenariat" comes from the Latin word "pars", meaning "part" or "portion". | |||
Frisian | partnerskip | ||
De alternatieve betekenis van 'partnerskip' is een landbouwbedrijf in gemeenschappelijk bezit. | |||
Galician | asociación | ||
The word “asociación” in Galician can also mean “friendship”, “union”, “society” or “connection”. | |||
German | partnerschaft | ||
"Partnerschaft" can mean "collaboration", but also "romantic relationship". | |||
Icelandic | samstarf | ||
Samstarf translates as 'partnership' in Icelandic, and additionally refers to a company's articles of association. | |||
Irish | comhpháirtíocht | ||
The word "comhpháirtíocht" is derived from the Irish words "comh" (together) and "páirt" (part), and originally referred to a sharing of burdens or responsibilities between two or more people. | |||
Italian | associazione | ||
The Italian word "associazione" can also refer to a non-profit organization or society. | |||
Luxembourgish | partnerschaft | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Partnerschaft" can also refer to a civil union between two persons of the same sex. | |||
Maltese | sħubija | ||
The word "sħubija" is derived from the Semitic root "š-r-k", meaning "to share" or "to participate". | |||
Norwegian | samarbeid | ||
In Norwegian, the word "samarbeid" not only means "partnership" but also "cooperation" and "collaboration." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | parceria | ||
In Portugal, "parceria" can also refer to a relationship, while in Brazil it can mean a "stake" or "share". | |||
Scots Gaelic | com-pàirteachas | ||
The same word, co-pàirteachas, means 'sharing' in Irish Gaelic, its cognates also appearing in the place-name Coparcenary in Lancashire, England. | |||
Spanish | camaradería | ||
The Spanish word "camaradería" derives ultimately from the Latin "camera," meaning "room," and thus the sense of comradeship developed from shared living quarters among military personnel. | |||
Swedish | partnerskap | ||
In Swedish, the word "partnerskap" can also refer to a type of civil union between same-sex couples. | |||
Welsh | partneriaeth | ||
The Welsh word 'partneriaeth' comes from 'partner' and '-iaeth' (suffix denoting state or quality), ultimately deriving from Latin 'pars' (part). |
Belarusian | партнёрства | ||
The word “партнёрства” originally meant “husband and wife” in Belarusian. | |||
Bosnian | partnerstvo | ||
Partnerstvo, which literally means "partnership" in Bosnian, also refers to a relationship where both parties are actively involved in a joint venture to achieve a common goal. | |||
Bulgarian | партньорство | ||
The word "партньорство" is derived from the word "партньор" which means "partner" and the suffix "-ство" which indicates a state or condition. | |||
Czech | partnerství | ||
The word "partnerství" can also refer to a registered partnership, which is a legal union between two people that is similar to marriage. | |||
Estonian | partnerlus | ||
Partnerlus derives from the word "partner" in English and the Latin suffix "-us", which indicates a state or condition. | |||
Finnish | kumppanuus | ||
The word "kumppanuus" derives from the old Finnish word "kumppi", meaning "companion". | |||
Hungarian | partnerség | ||
The second meaning of “partnerség” is "coauthorship", which is used in the expression "egy tanulmány partnersége". | |||
Latvian | partnerattiecības | ||
The word "partnerattiecības" is derived from the Latvian words "partneris" (meaning "partner") and "attiecības" (meaning "relations"). | |||
Lithuanian | partnerystė | ||
The word "partnerystė" is derived from the verb "partneriauti" which means "to associate" or "to cooperate". | |||
Macedonian | партнерство | ||
The word "партнерство" can also mean "companionship" or "cooperation". | |||
Polish | współpraca | ||
The word "Współpraca" in Polish, meaning partnership, derives from "wspólny", meaning common, and "praca", meaning work. | |||
Romanian | parteneriat | ||
The word "parteneriat" comes from the French word "partenaire", which in turn comes from the Latin word "pars", meaning "part". | |||
Russian | партнерство | ||
"Партнерство" in Russian also refers to a joint-stock company or a contract that establishes a business association. | |||
Serbian | партнерство | ||
The word "партнерство" in Serbian also has the connotation of "companionship" and "collaboration". | |||
Slovak | partnerstvo | ||
The word "partnerstvo" (partnership) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *partnerь, which meant "co-owner" or "co-worker". | |||
Slovenian | partnerstvo | ||
The word "partnerstvo" can also refer to a specific type of business organization known as a "joint venture". | |||
Ukrainian | партнерство | ||
The word "партнерство" can also mean "cooperative" or "association" in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | অংশীদারিত্ব | ||
The Bengali word "অংশীদারিত্ব" (Partnership) is derived from the Sanskrit term "अंश" (fraction, share), denoting the distribution of profits and liabilities among the partners. | |||
Gujarati | ભાગીદારી | ||
The Gujarati word 'ભાગીદારી' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'भागिदारी' (bhāgidārī), which means 'joint responsibility or ownership'. It is also used in other Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi and Marathi with the same meaning. | |||
Hindi | साझेदारी | ||
The word 'साझेदारी' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'साझा' meaning 'shared' and 'दारी' meaning 'holding'. | |||
Kannada | ಪಾಲುದಾರಿಕೆ | ||
Malayalam | പങ്കാളിത്തം | ||
"പങ്കാളിത്തം" also has a second, slightly archaic sense, referring to "contribution to a general fund or charity." | |||
Marathi | भागीदारी | ||
"भागीदारी" (partnership) is also a word for "participation" in Marathi. | |||
Nepali | भागीदारी | ||
The word 'भागीदारी' also refers to a 'stake' or 'portion'. | |||
Punjabi | ਭਾਈਵਾਲੀ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හවුල්කාරිත්වය | ||
Tamil | கூட்டு | ||
The word "கூட்டு" in Tamil can also mean "combination", "mixture", or "sum total". | |||
Telugu | భాగస్వామ్యం | ||
The word "భాగస్వామ్యం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भागस्वाम्य" (bhāgasvāmya), which means "co-ownership" or "joint ownership." | |||
Urdu | شراکت داری | ||
The word "شراکت داری" comes from the Arabic word "شريك" meaning "partner" and is also used to refer to a company or business. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 合伙 | ||
合伙 can also refer to a joint venture, association, or consortium. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 合夥 | ||
合夥 is also used to denote a cooperative relationship between two or more people or parties engaged in a common undertaking. | |||
Japanese | パートナーシップ | ||
The Japanese word "パートナーシップ" can also refer to a "romantic relationship" or a "common-law marriage". | |||
Korean | 협력 관계 | ||
The word originated from the Korean word "갑력" which means "unite strength". | |||
Mongolian | түншлэл | ||
The Mongolian word "түншлэл" can also mean "alliance" or "cooperation" in a broader sense. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | မိတ်ဖက် | ||
"မိတ်ဖက်" can also refer to a "friend" or "spouse" in Myanmar (Burmese), highlighting the close connection between partnership and personal relationships in Burmese culture. |
Indonesian | kemitraan | ||
The word "kemitraan" in Indonesian comes from the Sanskrit word "mitra", meaning friend or ally. | |||
Javanese | kemitraan | ||
The Javanese word 'kemitraan' also has a wider sense, which means 'relationship' or 'connectedness', and is also used to describe the relationship between the gods and their followers. | |||
Khmer | ភាពជាដៃគូ | ||
This word is a loanword from French and can also mean "participation" or "assistance." | |||
Lao | ການຮ່ວມມື | ||
Malay | perkongsian | ||
"Perkongsian" is also used to refer to a "village assembly" in Malaysia | |||
Thai | ห้างหุ้นส่วน | ||
"ห้าง" in "ห้างหุ้นส่วน" also refers to shopping centers, which were traditionally owned by partnerships. | |||
Vietnamese | sự hợp tác | ||
The Vietnamese word "sự hợp tác" can also refer to cooperation or collaboration between individuals or organizations. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pakikipagsosyo | ||
Azerbaijani | tərəfdaşlıq | ||
The word "tərəfdaşlıq" in Azerbaijani can also refer to "complicity" or "association". | |||
Kazakh | серіктестік | ||
The word "серіктестік" in Kazakh can also refer to cooperation, collaboration, or association. | |||
Kyrgyz | өнөктөштүк | ||
Tajik | шарикӣ | ||
The Persian word شریک, "shareek", from which the Tajik word шарикӣ derives, can also mean "companion or ally". | |||
Turkmen | hyzmatdaşlygy | ||
Uzbek | hamkorlik | ||
The word "hamkorlik" is derived from the Persian word "ham", meaning "together", and the Arabic word "kar", meaning "work". It is also used to refer to a group of people who have come together to accomplish a common goal. | |||
Uyghur | ھەمكارلىق | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻolauna | ||
In Hawaiian, the word "hoʻolauna" can also refer to a bond formed between individuals through shared experiences or mutual support. | |||
Maori | whakahoahoa | ||
"Whakahoahoa" in Maori also signifies an intimate or special bond between individuals. | |||
Samoan | paʻaga | ||
In old Samoan, the word "pa'aga" also meant "husband and wife". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pakikipagsosyo | ||
The Tagalog word "pakikipagsosyo" is derived from the root word "sosyo", which means "associate" or "companion". |
Aymara | mayacht’asiwimpi chikt’ata | ||
Guarani | joaju rehegua | ||
Esperanto | partnereco | ||
The Esperanto word "partnereco" is derived from the French word "partenariat" and also has the alternate meaning of "co-operation". | |||
Latin | societate | ||
The Latin word "societate" can also mean "society" or "company". |
Greek | συνεταιρισμός | ||
The term 'συνεταιρισμός' originates from the ancient Greek word 'σύν', meaning 'together', and 'εταίρος', meaning 'companion' or 'associate'. | |||
Hmong | kev koom tes | ||
Kev koom tes originated from the Chinese concept of "hezuo" during the Ming Dynasty. | |||
Kurdish | hevaltî | ||
The term 'hevaltî' has Indo-European roots and is cognate to the English word 'fellow' and Persian word 'heval'. | |||
Turkish | ortaklık | ||
"Ortaklık" comes from "ortak" (partner) and the suffix "-lık" (hood, condition, quality) and can also signify a community of interests, a joint possession or a share of a company. | |||
Xhosa | intsebenziswano | ||
The Xhosa word "intsebenziswano" is derived from the root "sebenza" (work) and means "joint work" or "cooperation" | |||
Yiddish | שוטפעס | ||
The Yiddish word "שוטפעס" (partnership) is derived from the Hebrew word "שותפות" (association). | |||
Zulu | ukubambisana | ||
"Ukubambisana" can also mean "agreement", "alliance", or "coalition". | |||
Assamese | পাৰ্টনাৰশ্বিপ | ||
Aymara | mayacht’asiwimpi chikt’ata | ||
Bhojpuri | साझेदारी के काम कइल जाला | ||
Dhivehi | ޕާޓްނަރޝިޕް | ||
Dogri | साझेदारी दी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pakikipagsosyo | ||
Guarani | joaju rehegua | ||
Ilocano | panagkadua | ||
Krio | patnaship we dɛn kin gɛt | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوبەشی | ||
Maithili | साझेदारी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯔꯇꯅꯔꯁꯤꯞ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | thawhhona tha tak neih a ni | ||
Oromo | walta’iinsa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସହଭାଗୀତା | ||
Quechua | yanapanakuy | ||
Sanskrit | साझेदारी | ||
Tatar | партнерлык | ||
Tigrinya | ሽርክነት ዝብል ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
Tsonga | vutirhisani | ||