Possess in Different Languages
Discover 'Possess' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'possess' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, indicating ownership or control over something. It's a concept deeply ingrained in various cultures, often represented through customs, laws, and social norms. Understanding its translation in different languages can provide valuable insights into these cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'possess' translates to 'poseer', while in German, it's 'besitzen'. In French, the verb 'posséder' captures the same meaning.
Moreover, the word 'possess' has a rich historical context. In ancient civilizations, possession was often associated with power and status. Today, it's a fundamental aspect of property rights, commercial transactions, and personal identity.
Given this significance, you might want to learn how to say 'possess' in various languages. This knowledge not only enhances your cross-cultural communication skills but also deepens your appreciation for the diverse ways in which different cultures interpret and express the concept of possession.
Possess
Possess in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | besit | ||
| The word "besit" in Afrikaans originally meant "sitting", and the concept of possession developed from the idea of sitting on or occupying something. | |||
| Amharic | ይወርሳሉ | ||
| "ይወርሳሉ" is also used to refer to the transmission of diseases or traits from one generation to another. | |||
| Hausa | mallaka | ||
| The word "mallaka" in Hausa can also mean "to inherit" or "to acquire." | |||
| Igbo | nweta | ||
| The word "nweta" in Igbo can also mean "to have authority over" or "to control something or someone." | |||
| Malagasy | manana | ||
| While "manana" means "possess," it can also mean "to receive" or "to have." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kukhala nazo | ||
| The word 'kukhala nazo' can also mean 'to have' or 'to hold' something. | |||
| Shona | tora | ||
| The word "tora" in Shona also means "to inherit" or "to be given as a gift". | |||
| Somali | hantiyi | ||
| "Hantiyi" also means "to be present" or "to exist" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | rua | ||
| The word "rua" can also mean "to take possession of" or "to seize" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kumiliki | ||
| "Kumiliki" is also used in a more abstract sense to refer to having control or influence over something. | |||
| Xhosa | ilifa | ||
| The verb 'ilifa' also has the additional meanings of 'to inherit' or 'to receive' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | gbà | ||
| In some contexts, "gbà" can also mean "to bewitch"} | |||
| Zulu | ifa | ||
| The word "ifa" can also mean "take control of" or "occupy" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | bɛ ... bolo | ||
| Ewe | lé | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutunga | ||
| Lingala | kozala na | ||
| Luganda | okukubwa ekitambo | ||
| Sepedi | nago le | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔwɔ ne hɔ | ||
Possess in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تملك | ||
| The Arabic word "تملك" can also mean "to take over ownership" or "to acquire property". | |||
| Hebrew | לְהַחזִיק | ||
| 'לְהַחזִיק' can also mean 'to hold' or 'to grasp'. | |||
| Pashto | ملکیت | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ملکیت" shares the same root "ملك" with Arabic, meaning "kingdom" or "property". | |||
| Arabic | تملك | ||
| The Arabic word "تملك" can also mean "to take over ownership" or "to acquire property". | |||
Possess in Western European Languages
| Albanian | posedojnë | ||
| The word "posedojnë" in Albanian comes from the Latin word "possidere", meaning "to own" or "to have". | |||
| Basque | eduki | ||
| " edukitzea" in Basque also means "to be born" or "to have" in a non-material sense (e.g. feelings). | |||
| Catalan | posseir | ||
| The Catalan word "posseir" derives from the Latin "posse," meaning "to be able," and also has the meaning of "to own" or "to have the power to do something." | |||
| Croatian | posjedovati | ||
| The Croatian word "posjedovati" can also mean "to occupy" or "to own". | |||
| Danish | have | ||
| The Danish word "have" derives from the Old Norse word "hafa". The word can also mean "to obtain". | |||
| Dutch | bezitten | ||
| English | possess | ||
| The word "possess" comes from the Latin word "possedere", which means "to be master of" or "to have control over". | |||
| French | posséder | ||
| "Posséder" can mean "to own" or "to have a lot of knowledge about something." | |||
| Frisian | besitte | ||
| "Besitte" is a synonym of "ha witte" in Frisian, with the same meaning of "know". | |||
| Galician | posuír | ||
| The Galician word 'posuír' comes from the Latin 'possidere' and is related to the words 'posible' (possible) and 'propiedade' (property). | |||
| German | besitzen | ||
| The verb "besitzen" derives from Late Latin "possidere," from "sedere (to sit)" and "ob (around)," | |||
| Icelandic | eiga | ||
| The word "eiga" can also refer to the act of mastering or gaining control over something. | |||
| Irish | seilbh | ||
| The Irish word "seilbh" not only means "possess" but can also refer to the "seizure of lands or goods". | |||
| Italian | possedere | ||
| In Italian, 'possedere' also means 'to have the ability or knowledge' | |||
| Luxembourgish | besëtzen | ||
| "Besëtzen" translates to "possess" in English and comes from the French verb "saisir," meaning "to seize or take hold of." | |||
| Maltese | jippossjedu | ||
| The Maltese word "jippossjedu" comes from the Latin "possessio," meaning "ownership" or "control." | |||
| Norwegian | eie | ||
| In Norwegian, "eie" is also the imperative form of "å eie," used to order someone to possess something. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | possuir | ||
| Em português, o verbo 「possuir」 também pode significar "ter, deter, ficar com" ou "gozar de, fruir". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sealbhaich | ||
| "Sealbhach" is also used as another word for "farm" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | poseer | ||
| The word "poseer" in Spanish also means "to know how to do something", "to master a skill", or "to be skilled at something" | |||
| Swedish | besitter | ||
| "Besitter" also means "to conquer, subdue, gain control of, master, own, have, dominate, occupy, capture, control, subdue, win, obtain, rule." | |||
| Welsh | meddu | ||
| Welsh "meddu" may derive from the Proto-Celtic root "*medd-," meaning "to measure, to count," or from the Proto-Indo-European root "*met-," meaning "to grasp, to hold." | |||
Possess in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | валодаць | ||
| "Валодаць" не только значит "обладать", но и "владеть", "управлять", "иметь в своем распоряжении". | |||
| Bosnian | posjedovati | ||
| The verb 'posjedovati' is of Slavic origin and is related to the word 'sjediti' ('to sit'), implying control or occupation of a space or property. | |||
| Bulgarian | притежават | ||
| The Bulgarian word "притежават" can also mean "to own" or "to have". | |||
| Czech | mít | ||
| "Mít" can also mean "to have" and "to like". | |||
| Estonian | omama | ||
| In some dialects, "omama" can also mean to "own" or "belong". | |||
| Finnish | hallussaan | ||
| The verb "hallussaan" comes from the word "haltu" meaning "care" or "protection." | |||
| Hungarian | birtokolni | ||
| The Hungarian word "birtokolni" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb "*birti", meaning "to take, hold, seize, possess". | |||
| Latvian | piemīt | ||
| Latvian "piemīt" and Russian "primetita" are likely related and come from an earlier Proto-Balto-Slavic word that had to do with keeping something or taking care of something. | |||
| Lithuanian | turėti | ||
| Derived from Latin 'torrēre', meaning 'to dry' or 'to burn'. | |||
| Macedonian | поседуваат | ||
| The verb "поседуваат" derives from the Latin word "possessor", meaning "owner". | |||
| Polish | posiadać | ||
| Posiadać in Polish also means to acquire, own, or hold something. | |||
| Romanian | poseda | ||
| The Romanian word "poseda" means "session" in addition to "possession". | |||
| Russian | обладать | ||
| The verb обладать (“to possess”) can also mean “to master” or “to acquire mastery over”. | |||
| Serbian | поседовати | ||
| The word "поседовати" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "посьдъ", meaning "property" or "possession". | |||
| Slovak | vlastniť | ||
| 'Vlastniť' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'vlastь', meaning 'power' or 'dominion'. | |||
| Slovenian | posedovati | ||
| In Slovene, the word 'posedovati' can also mean 'to seize' or 'to occupy'. | |||
| Ukrainian | володіти | ||
| The Ukrainian word "володіти" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *volděti, meaning "to rule" or "to command." | |||
Possess in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অধিকারী | ||
| The word "অধিকারী" can also mean "entitled" or "having the right to possess". | |||
| Gujarati | ધરાવે છે | ||
| Hindi | अधिकारी | ||
| The word "अधिकारी" also means "competent" or "qualified" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೊಂದಿರಿ | ||
| "ಹೊಂದಿರಿ" is also used in the sense of "to be able to do something" or "to be skilled at something". | |||
| Malayalam | കൈവശമാക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | ताब्यात घ्या | ||
| The Marathi word "ताब्यात घ्या" (possess) is derived from the Persian word "तबीयत" (state, condition), indicating its original meaning of "taking a state, condition or possession." | |||
| Nepali | अधिकार | ||
| "अधिकार" in Nepali derives from Sanskrit "adhikara," meaning "right, authority, or possession." | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੋਲ ਹੈ | ||
| The word "ਕੋਲ ਹੈ" can also mean "to have at one's disposal" or "to have in custody". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සන්තක කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | வைத்திருங்கள் | ||
| Telugu | కలిగి | ||
| The word 'కలిగి' is also used in Telugu to mean 'obtain' or 'acquire'. | |||
| Urdu | کے پاس | ||
Possess in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 具有 | ||
| 具有 may also mean: to present, to have, to offer; to give, to bestow. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 具有 | ||
| The full form of "具有" is "具備有", which emphasizes having something with completeness. | |||
| Japanese | 所有する | ||
| The Japanese word "所有する" (shoyūsuru) derives from the verb "有す" (aru) meaning "to be, to exist," and the noun "所" (tokoro) meaning "place" or "location." | |||
| Korean | 붙잡다 | ||
| '붙잡다' can also mean to grab, hold, or seize something physically. | |||
| Mongolian | эзэмших | ||
| Mongolian "эзэмших" also means to "own"} | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိုင်ဆိုင်သည် | ||
Possess in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | memiliki | ||
| "Memiliki" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *m-aki, meaning "to eat" or "to devour". This reflects the concept of possession as "having something to eat". | |||
| Javanese | duwe | ||
| The word "duwe" also means "rich" or "wealthy" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | មាន | ||
| "មាន" can also mean "sufficient" or "enough". | |||
| Lao | ຄອບຄອງ | ||
| The word "ຄອບຄອງ" in Lao can also mean "to control" or "to have authority over" something. | |||
| Malay | memiliki | ||
| The word "memiliki" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *miliki, meaning "to have or own something" | |||
| Thai | มี | ||
| In ancient Thai, "มี" also meant "to take care of". | |||
| Vietnamese | sở hữu | ||
| The word "sở hữu" can also mean "ownership" or "property" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | angkinin | ||
Possess in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sahib olmaq | ||
| The word "sahib olmaq" is derived from the Arabic word "sahib" meaning "master" or "owner". | |||
| Kazakh | иелік ету | ||
| The word "иелік ету" can also mean "to own" or "to have ownership of" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ээ болуу | ||
| The word "ээ болуу" in Kyrgyz also means "to become something else" or "to transform into something else". | |||
| Tajik | доштан | ||
| **Доштан** is also used for "to have" or "to own" in the sense of "be the cause of" or "be responsible for". | |||
| Turkmen | eýe bolmak | ||
| Uzbek | egalik qilmoq | ||
| The word "egalik qilmoq" in Uzbek originally meant "to stand" or "to take a position". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىگە بولۇش | ||
Possess in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loaʻa | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "loaʻa" can also mean "obtain" or "acquire". | |||
| Maori | riro | ||
| The word "riro" also means "to take away" or "to steal" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | umiaina | ||
| The Samoan word "umiaina" is also used to describe a person who has a lot of wealth or property. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | taglay | ||
| The root word of 'taglay' is 'taglì' (to cut), implying that possession may be linked to the act of separating something. | |||
Possess in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | utjirini | ||
| Guarani | guereko | ||
Possess in International Languages
| Esperanto | posedi | ||
| The word "posedi" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin "possideo" and also means "to own" or "to have". | |||
| Latin | possidebit | ||
| The present subjunctive of the future-perfect tense of Latin "possum" (meaning "to be able") is "possidebit". | |||
Possess in Others Languages
| Greek | κατέχω | ||
| The Greek verb "κατέχω" (katéchō) originally meant "to hold back, to restrain," but later acquired the meaning of "to possess, to own." | |||
| Hmong | muaj | ||
| The word 'muaj' in Hmong can also mean 'to own' or 'to have'. In some contexts, it can also mean 'to be wealthy' or 'to have a lot of possessions'. | |||
| Kurdish | xwedîbûn | ||
| The Kurdish word "xwedîbûn" has alternate meanings of "ownership", "control", and "power" in addition to its primary meaning of "possession". | |||
| Turkish | sahip olmak | ||
| The word "sahip olmak" also means "to patronize" or "to protect" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ilifa | ||
| The verb 'ilifa' also has the additional meanings of 'to inherit' or 'to receive' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַרמאָגן | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַרמאָגן" is derived from the German word "vermögen", which can also mean "ability" or "power". | |||
| Zulu | ifa | ||
| The word "ifa" can also mean "take control of" or "occupy" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | অধিকাৰ কৰা | ||
| Aymara | utjirini | ||
| Bhojpuri | काबू कईल | ||
| Dhivehi | މިލްކިއްޔާތުގައި ވުން | ||
| Dogri | काबू करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | angkinin | ||
| Guarani | guereko | ||
| Ilocano | agikut | ||
| Krio | gɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەبوون | ||
| Maithili | क स्वामी वा मालिक भेनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯧꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | nei | ||
| Oromo | qabaachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଧିକାର | ||
| Quechua | kapuy | ||
| Sanskrit | भज् | ||
| Tatar | ия булу | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥሪት | ||
| Tsonga | vun'winyi | ||