Potential in Different Languages
Discover 'Potential' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'potential' holds great significance in our lives, as it represents the inherent abilities, talents, and capacities that we possess. It is a concept that transcends cultures and languages, inspiring people worldwide to discover and realize their own potential.
Throughout history, the idea of potential has been a source of inspiration for many. From ancient philosophers to modern-day life coaches, the exploration of human potential has been a central theme in the pursuit of personal growth and self-actualization. In many ways, understanding and harnessing our potential is the key to unlocking our true purpose and happiness in life.
For those interested in language and culture, exploring the translations of 'potential' can offer fascinating insights into how different cultures view and value this concept. Here are a few examples:
- In Spanish, 'potential' translates to 'potencial', reflecting the language's rich history and cultural influence in the world.
- In Mandarin Chinese, 'potential' is translated as '潜力', which consists of two characters - 'hidden' and 'strength' - emphasizing the idea of untapped abilities.
- In Arabic, 'potential' is translated as 'الإمكان المحوري', which means 'the core possibility', highlighting the central role that potential plays in shaping our lives.
Potential
Potential in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | potensiaal | ||
| In Afrikaans, "potensiaal" can also refer to a pot, a container for holding liquids or other substances, with no implication of hidden or latent power. | |||
| Amharic | አቅም | ||
| The word "አቅም" also means "capacity" or "ability" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | yiwuwar | ||
| The word 'yiwuwar' in Hausa also carries the meanings of 'possibility' or 'capability'. | |||
| Igbo | ikike | ||
| "Ikike" can also mean "ability" or "authority" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | mety | ||
| The word "mety" also means "the state or quality of being powerful" and "the ability to do or act." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuthekera | ||
| The word "kuthekera" in Nyanja also means "ability" or "capacity". | |||
| Shona | kugona | ||
| The word "kugona" in Shona can also mean "to be able to" or "to have the ability to do something." | |||
| Somali | kartida | ||
| "Kartida" in Somali also means "to be able to" or "to have the capacity to do something," capturing the active and inherent nature of potential. | |||
| Sesotho | bokhoni | ||
| The word 'bokhoni' in Sesotho also refers to an ability or talent that an individual possesses, highlighting the inherent potential and capabilities within them. | |||
| Swahili | uwezo | ||
| "Uwezo" is derived from the Arabic word "wazan," which means "weight" or "measure." | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| "Amandla, a Xhosa word meaning "power," is synonymous of the Zulu term ubuntu which connotes a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity." - Nelson Mandela | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| Agbara in Yoruba refers to both innate abilities as well as the capacity to do or achieve something. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The Zulu word "amandla" has multiple meanings, including "power," "strength," and "authority." | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛnama | ||
| Ewe | ŋutete | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubushobozi | ||
| Lingala | oyo okoki kosala | ||
| Luganda | obusobozi | ||
| Sepedi | kgonagalo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tumi | ||
Potential in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محتمل | ||
| "محتمل" also means "probable" or "likely" in Arabic, highlighting its dual nature as a possibility and a likelihood. | |||
| Hebrew | פוטנציאל | ||
| The Hebrew word פוטנציאל is derived from the Latin word "potentia" meaning "power" or "ability and is related to words like "potent" and "omnipotent". | |||
| Pashto | احتمال | ||
| In Pashto, the word "احتمال" can also refer to a "guess" or "conjecture". | |||
| Arabic | محتمل | ||
| "محتمل" also means "probable" or "likely" in Arabic, highlighting its dual nature as a possibility and a likelihood. | |||
Potential in Western European Languages
| Albanian | potencial | ||
| The Albanian word "potencial" also means "strength" or "ability". | |||
| Basque | potentziala | ||
| The Basque word "potentziala" is derived from the Latin "potentia," meaning "power" or "ability." | |||
| Catalan | potencial | ||
| The word "potencial" in Catalan also means "power" or "strength". | |||
| Croatian | potencijal | ||
| Potencijal is derived from the Latin word 'potentia', meaning 'power' or 'ability'. | |||
| Danish | potentiel | ||
| In Danish, "potentiel" can also mean "powerline", "high-voltage line", or "hydroelectric power". | |||
| Dutch | potentieel | ||
| The Dutch word "potentieel" is derived from the Latin word "potentia" meaning "power", and can also refer to a person's abilities or talents. | |||
| English | potential | ||
| The word 'potential' derives from the Latin word 'potens', meaning 'powerful' or 'able' and has the alternate meaning of an existing latent force that might come into operation, or be realized | |||
| French | potentiel | ||
| In addition to its meaning of “potential,” "potentiel" in French denotes the maximum power of an apparatus or an entity. | |||
| Frisian | potinsjeel | ||
| The word 'potinsjeel' in Frisian is derived from the Proto-Germanic root *potina-, meaning 'power' or 'strength'. | |||
| Galician | potencial | ||
| German | potenzial | ||
| The alternate meanings of the term "Potenzial" in German include "power" and "strength". | |||
| Icelandic | möguleiki | ||
| The Icelandic word "möguleiki" can also refer to the concept of "fate" or "destiny".} | |||
| Irish | acmhainneacht | ||
| The Irish word "acmhainneacht" is derived from the Old Irish word "cúmachta," which means "power, ability, or capacity." | |||
| Italian | potenziale | ||
| In Italian, "potenziale" also denotes an electrified surface, from "potere" (lit. "power"). | |||
| Luxembourgish | potenziell | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "potenziell" can also refer to a "potty" or a "chamber pot". | |||
| Maltese | potenzjali | ||
| The Maltese word "potenzjali" derives from the Italian "potenziale" which means "potential" or "possible". | |||
| Norwegian | potensiell | ||
| The Norwegian word "potensiell" derives from the Latin word "potentialis," which means "powerful" or "capable." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | potencial | ||
| In Portuguese, "potencial" can refer to the energy that can be harnessed from something (e.g., "potencial hidrelétrico") or the strength and talent that a person or thing can develop (e.g., "potencial humano"). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | comas | ||
| Scots Gaelic "comas" can mean either "potential" or "almost," like the English "near." | |||
| Spanish | potencial | ||
| El término "potencial" en español proviene del latín "potentia", que significa "poder" o "capacidad". | |||
| Swedish | potential | ||
| The Swedish word "potential" can also mean "possible" or "latent." | |||
| Welsh | potensial | ||
| In Welsh, "potensial" also refers to a type of lottery or raffle. | |||
Potential in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | патэнцыял | ||
| The word "патэнцыял" in Belarusian comes from the Latin word "potentia", which means "power" or "ability" | |||
| Bosnian | potencijal | ||
| The word "potencijal" in Bosnian has additional meanings such as "capability", "capacity", or "power". | |||
| Bulgarian | потенциал | ||
| The word also means "potentiate", indicating a powerful substance or person. | |||
| Czech | potenciál | ||
| The word "potenciál" in Czech also means "a pot, a cauldron". | |||
| Estonian | potentsiaal | ||
| The Estonian word "potentsiaal" is derived from the Latin word "potentia," meaning "power" or "ability." | |||
| Finnish | potentiaalia | ||
| Finnish "potentiaalia" can refer to "capacity", "potency", or "substance", and is related to words like "power", "possibility", and "capability". | |||
| Hungarian | lehetséges | ||
| "Lehetséges" can also mean "maybe" or "possibly". | |||
| Latvian | potenciālu | ||
| In Latvian, "potenciālu" literally means "of strength" or "of power" and is rooted in the stem word "potence," which shares the same root as the English word "potent." | |||
| Lithuanian | potencialus | ||
| Lithuanian "potencialus" is derived from the Latin "potentia", meaning both "potential" and "power". | |||
| Macedonian | потенцијал | ||
| The word "потенцијал" ultimately traces its roots back to the Latin word "potentia," which means "power" or "potency." | |||
| Polish | potencjał | ||
| The Polish word "potencjał" shares a similar root to "potency", but it also carries the meaning of power, capability, or possibility. | |||
| Romanian | potenţial | ||
| In Romanian the word "potentiale” also refers to a "possibility" or to "something that is able to develop into something in the future." | |||
| Russian | потенциал | ||
| The word "потенциал" derives from the Latin "potentia", meaning "power" or "ability", and can refer to a variety of concepts, such as electrical potential, gravitational potential, and chemical potential. | |||
| Serbian | потенцијал | ||
| The word "потенцијал" derives from the Latin word "potentia," meaning "power" or "capacity." | |||
| Slovak | potenciál | ||
| In Slovak, "potenciál" can also refer to a substance of high medicinal or cosmetic value, such as a drug or an extract. | |||
| Slovenian | potencial | ||
| Potencial means both "potential" and "potency" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | потенціал | ||
| "Потенціал" is derived from the Latin word "potentia" meaning "power", and can also refer to a person's latent abilities or talents. | |||
Potential in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সম্ভাবনা | ||
| সম্ভাবনা can also refer to a person's potential or capacity for doing something. | |||
| Gujarati | સંભવિત | ||
| Hindi | क्षमता | ||
| The word क्षमता (kṣamatā) is derived from the Sanskrit root क्षम् (kṣam), which means "to bear, to endure, to suffer, to be able to do". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂಭಾವ್ಯ | ||
| The word "ಸಂಭಾವ್ಯ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "संभाव्य", which means "probable" or "likely". | |||
| Malayalam | സാധ്യത | ||
| The Malayalam word "സാധ്യത" can also mean "ability" or "capability". | |||
| Marathi | संभाव्य | ||
| The word "संभाव्य" (sambhavya) in Marathi also means "possible" or "likely". | |||
| Nepali | सम्भाव्य | ||
| The root of the word सम्भाव्य is सम् + भाव्य, meaning "that which is possible to become or happen." | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੰਭਾਵੀ | ||
| The word 'ਸੰਭਾਵੀ' ('potential') in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'संभव' ('possible') and shares the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විභවය | ||
| The word "විභවය" ("potential") in Sinhala also means "power", "ability", or "capacity". | |||
| Tamil | சாத்தியமான | ||
| Telugu | సంభావ్యత | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning as "potential", "సంభావ్యత" also has alternate interpretations such as "possibility" and "likelihood". | |||
| Urdu | ممکنہ، استعداد | ||
| The Arabic origin of the word suggests 'power, ability, capacity', and it can also mean 'possibility, likelihood' | |||
Potential in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 潜在 | ||
| 在中文裡，"潜在"除了表示潛力之外，它還可以表示潛伏、潛藏的意思。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 潛在 | ||
| 潛在's original meaning in Chinese is a river flowing underground. | |||
| Japanese | 潜在的な | ||
| 「潜在的な」はもともと「潜在能力のある」という意味だったが、現在は「実現されていない可能性のある」という意味でも使われる。 | |||
| Korean | 가능성 | ||
| The Korean word "가능성" can also mean "capability" or "likelihood". | |||
| Mongolian | боломжит | ||
| The word 'боломжит' in Mongolian is derived from the Mongolian word 'боломж', which means opportunity or chance. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလားအလာ | ||
Potential in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | potensi | ||
| Potensi in Indonesian can also mean 'ability' or 'talent', as in having a natural gift for singing. | |||
| Javanese | potensial | ||
| In Javanese, "potensial" refers to a container of water used for performing "wudhu" (ritual ablution) or "cebok" (washing). | |||
| Khmer | សក្តានុពល | ||
| The word សក្តានុពល (saktanupbal) literally means "power of being able," and is also used in a broader sense to mean "ability," "capacity," or "capability." | |||
| Lao | ທ່າແຮງ | ||
| Malay | potensi | ||
| The Malay word "potensi" originates from the Sanskrit "potency" meaning "ability" or "energy", and is also used in Indonesian with the same meaning. | |||
| Thai | ศักยภาพ | ||
| ศักยภาพ is derived from the Sanskrit words 'shakti' (ability) and 'apti' (fitness) and means 'power or capacity'. | |||
| Vietnamese | tiềm năng | ||
| In Vietnamese, "tiềm năng" literally means "hidden capacity" or "latent ability". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | potensyal | ||
Potential in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | potensial | ||
| The word "potensial" can also refer to a "pot" or a "flower pot" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | потенциал | ||
| In Kazakh, "потенциал" can also refer to a person's capabilities or abilities. | |||
| Kyrgyz | потенциал | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "потенциал" ("potential") is derived from the Russian word "потенциал" ("potential") and shares the same meaning. | |||
| Tajik | потенсиал | ||
| The word "потенсиал" also means "possibility" or "ability" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | potensialy | ||
| Uzbek | salohiyat | ||
| The word "salohiyat" in Uzbek comes from the Arabic word "salah" which means "correct" or "proper". | |||
| Uyghur | يوشۇرۇن كۈچ | ||
Potential in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hiki | ||
| The Hawaiian name of the 13th month of winter was "hiki". | |||
| Maori | pūmanawa | ||
| The word "pūmanawa" is also used to refer to "the seat of one's emotions". | |||
| Samoan | gafatia | ||
| The root word “gafa” means to lift, carry, support, or raise something which explains why gafatia carries this meaning of a force which is able to carry forward the realization of a thing | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | potensyal | ||
| "Potensyal" is a Tagalog term with an alternative meaning of "power". | |||
Potential in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'amani | ||
| Guarani | kyre'ỹ | ||
Potential in International Languages
| Esperanto | potencialo | ||
| The Esperanto word "potencialo" is derived from the Latin word "potentia", meaning "power" or "strength". | |||
| Latin | potentia | ||
| In Latin, the word "potentia" can also refer to capacity, power, or authority. | |||
Potential in Others Languages
| Greek | δυνητικός | ||
| The word "δυνητικός" is an adjective in Greek that means "possible" or "capable", and is derived from the verb "δύναμαι", which means "to be able". | |||
| Hmong | muaj peev xwm | ||
| In Hmong, the word "muaj peev xwm" can also refer to a person's ability or capacity to do something. | |||
| Kurdish | qaweta veşartî | ||
| The term "qaweta veşartî" in Kurdish has its origins in Arabic and means "conditional power" or "power of possibility." | |||
| Turkish | potansiyel | ||
| "Potansiyel" has an alternate meaning of "cauldron" or "cooking pot", akin to the English "pot". | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| "Amandla, a Xhosa word meaning "power," is synonymous of the Zulu term ubuntu which connotes a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity." - Nelson Mandela | |||
| Yiddish | פּאָטענציעל | ||
| The word "פּאָטענציעל" in Yiddish can also refer to the concept of "power" or "strength" | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The Zulu word "amandla" has multiple meanings, including "power," "strength," and "authority." | |||
| Assamese | সম্ভাৱনা | ||
| Aymara | ch'amani | ||
| Bhojpuri | संभावित | ||
| Dhivehi | އުންމީދު އޮތް | ||
| Dogri | समर्था | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | potensyal | ||
| Guarani | kyre'ỹ | ||
| Ilocano | panagbalin | ||
| Krio | kin du | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێشبینیکراو | ||
| Maithili | संभावित | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯇꯤꯛ ꯂꯩꯚ | ||
| Mizo | theihna | ||
| Oromo | dandeettii dhokataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମ୍ଭାବ୍ୟ | | ||
| Quechua | kallpasapa | ||
| Sanskrit | तन्मात्रम् | ||
| Tatar | потенциал | ||
| Tigrinya | ውሽጣዊ ዓቅሚ | ||
| Tsonga | koteka | ||