Power in Different Languages
Discover 'Power' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Power is a concept that has fascinated and inspired humans for centuries. It can refer to physical strength, political control, or the ability to influence others. The significance of power can be seen in every aspect of our lives, from the energy that fuels our homes to the leaders who shape our world. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it has been explored in countless works of art, literature, and philosophy.
Understanding the translation of power in different languages can provide valuable insights into how this concept is perceived around the globe. For example, in Spanish, power is translated as 'poder', while in German, it is 'Macht'. In Russian, the word for power is 'власть', and in Chinese, it is '力' (pronounced 'lì'). These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances and historical contexts.
So why should you care about the translation of power in different languages? Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or a business professional, understanding this concept in various languages can help you connect with people from different backgrounds and expand your cultural horizons.
In this article, we will explore the translations of power in 10 different languages, shedding light on the fascinating world of language and culture.
Power
Power in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | krag | ||
| In Dutch, "krag" means "collar", whereas in Norwegian it refers to a rocky outcrop. | |||
| Amharic | ኃይል | ||
| The word "ኃይል" in Amharic can refer either to power, or to the power of attorney. | |||
| Hausa | iko | ||
| The Hausa word "iko" can also refer to a person's ability, authority, or influence. | |||
| Igbo | ike | ||
| In the Igbo language, the word "ike" can also refer to the concept of "authority" or "potency." | |||
| Malagasy | fahefana | ||
| In Malagasy, “fahefana” can refer to both political and physical strength, as well as the ability to accomplish tasks and overcome obstacles. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphamvu | ||
| The word "mphamvu" in Chichewa (Nyanja) can also refer to a "strong person" who is able to perform great physical feats. | |||
| Shona | simba | ||
| The word "simba" also means "lion" in Shona, reflecting the animal's strength and power. | |||
| Somali | awood | ||
| The word awood has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used, such as 'power,' 'authority,' or 'ability.' | |||
| Sesotho | matla | ||
| "Matla" can also refer to an ability, might, or authority. | |||
| Swahili | nguvu | ||
| Nguvu can also refer to a force that drives or compels one's actions, or to the physical strength or energy of a person or animal. | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| The term 'amandla' is also used to convey a sense of unity and strength within a community. | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| The word "agbara" can also refer to physical strength, authority, or influence. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The Zulu word 'amandla' comes from the Nguni root *-ntla-, meaning 'to extend upwards' and 'to rise' | |||
| Bambara | fanga | ||
| Ewe | ŋusẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbaraga | ||
| Lingala | nguya | ||
| Luganda | amaanyi | ||
| Sepedi | maatla | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tumi | ||
Power in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قوة | ||
| In the Quran, the word "قوة" is also used to mean "might" or "strength" in the context of God's attributes. | |||
| Hebrew | כּוֹחַ | ||
| The Hebrew word 'כּוֹחַ' ('power') shares a root with the verb 'לָלֶכֶת' ('to go'), suggesting a sense of movement and force. | |||
| Pashto | ځواک | ||
| The word "ځواک" can also mean "strength" or "force". | |||
| Arabic | قوة | ||
| In the Quran, the word "قوة" is also used to mean "might" or "strength" in the context of God's attributes. | |||
Power in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fuqinë | ||
| The Albanian word "fuqinë" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pəter-, meaning "father", and originally meant "paternal authority". | |||
| Basque | boterea | ||
| In some contexts, 'boterea' can also refer to strength, control, or authority | |||
| Catalan | poder | ||
| «Poder» derives from the Latin «potere» meaning "to be able". In Catalan, the term also refers to a judicial branch or the executive government. | |||
| Croatian | vlast | ||
| The word 'vlast' in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wel- ('to rule'), which is also found in the Latin word 'valere', meaning 'to be strong'. | |||
| Danish | strøm | ||
| The Danish word "strøm" also means "current," as in electrical current or water current. | |||
| Dutch | kracht | ||
| The word "kracht" in Dutch can also mean "force, strength, or potency". | |||
| English | power | ||
| "Power" emerged via Old French influence in the 13th century, originally from Latin "potere", "to be able". | |||
| French | puissance | ||
| The word "puissance" also refers to the square of a number in mathematics. | |||
| Frisian | krêft | ||
| The word "krêft" in Frisian derives from the Proto-Germanic root *kraftiz, meaning "strength". It shares a common origin with the English word "craft" and the German word "Kraft". | |||
| Galician | poder | ||
| In Galician, "poder" can also refer to the supernatural ability to heal illnesses. | |||
| German | leistung | ||
| The word "Leistung" in German can also refer to a person's physical or mental performance, or to the result of their efforts. | |||
| Icelandic | máttur | ||
| The word "máttur" shares a connection with "máttr" meaning "strength". | |||
| Irish | cumhacht | ||
| Cumhacht derives from Proto-Celtic *kommakʰtos meaning "capable" or "having power" | |||
| Italian | energia | ||
| The word "energia" in Italian also refers to the energy within a substance or body. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kraaft | ||
| The word Kraaft can also be used to refer to a craft or trade. | |||
| Maltese | qawwa | ||
| Qawwa can also refer to the strength of a person, animal, or machine. | |||
| Norwegian | makt | ||
| "Makt" (power) is also cognate with the English word "might", meaning "great physical or moral power". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | poder | ||
| In Portuguese, "poder" can additionally mean "authority," "ability," or "influence." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cumhachd | ||
| The word "cumhachd" can derive from the root "com-\(e, i, -o)-" with the suffix -achd ("action, state"), and it has the alternate interpretation of "ability." | |||
| Spanish | poder | ||
| The word "poder" in Spanish can also mean "authority" or "ability"} | |||
| Swedish | kraft | ||
| Kraft (power) derives from the verb "kräva" (demand) and may also refer to "strength" or "force". | |||
| Welsh | pŵer | ||
| In Welsh, "pŵer" can also refer to a male peacock, a magical wand, or a spell. | |||
Power in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | улада | ||
| The word "улада" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *vlad- meaning "to rule" or "to possess". | |||
| Bosnian | snaga | ||
| Snaga can also refer to a tree trunk or log used for construction or heating. | |||
| Bulgarian | мощност | ||
| Bulgarian слово 'мощност' ('power') comes from the root 'мощи' or 'мощь', which means both 'power' and 'might'. | |||
| Czech | napájení | ||
| The Czech word "Napájení" also means "feeding" or "supplying". | |||
| Estonian | võim | ||
| "Võim" is also a euphemism for "alcohol" and was originally derived from a low German word for "beer". | |||
| Finnish | teho | ||
| The Proto-Finnic word *teho originally meant 'effectiveness' | |||
| Hungarian | erő | ||
| The Hungarian word "erő" is cognate with "vir" in Latin, meaning both "man" and "strength". | |||
| Latvian | jauda | ||
| In Old Prussian, “jauda” meant “strength” or “force.” | |||
| Lithuanian | galia | ||
| "Galia" (power) in Lithuanian can also refer to a certain type of apple, or to a historical region in France known as Gaul. | |||
| Macedonian | моќ | ||
| Моќ is a noun that can also mean 'energy', 'force', or 'ability' in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | moc | ||
| The word "moc" in Polish can also mean "ability" or "strength". | |||
| Romanian | putere | ||
| The Romanian word "putere" also means "to stink" or "to rot". | |||
| Russian | мощность | ||
| The Russian word "мощность" can also refer to "capacity" or "output" of an engine, a generator, or other mechanical or electrical device. | |||
| Serbian | снага | ||
| The word 'снага' also means strength, vigor, energy, might, capability, capacity, prowess, stamina, endurance, and potency. | |||
| Slovak | moc | ||
| Other meanings of the word "moc" include "urine" and "strength". | |||
| Slovenian | moč | ||
| The word 'moč' is cognate to the Latin word 'magnus', meaning 'great' or 'strong'. | |||
| Ukrainian | потужність | ||
| The Ukrainian word "потужність" (power) can also refer to "capacity" or "potential". | |||
Power in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শক্তি | ||
| শক্তি (shakti) is the Bengali cognate of Proto-Indo-European *sak- ('to be able'), from which also derives the English word "sake". | |||
| Gujarati | શક્તિ | ||
| The word "shakti" in Gujarati can also mean "goddess" or "female energy". | |||
| Hindi | शक्ति | ||
| The word "शक्ति" (power) in Hindi can also refer to the personification of divine feminine energy in Hinduism, known as Devi or Shakti Devi. | |||
| Kannada | ಶಕ್ತಿ | ||
| "ಶಕ್ತಿ" refers to physical strength, but can also denote energy or ability. | |||
| Malayalam | ശക്തി | ||
| The word ശക്തി is also used to refer to a female deity or goddess, particularly in Hinduism. | |||
| Marathi | शक्ती | ||
| The word "शक्ती" in Marathi can also mean "energy" or "authority". | |||
| Nepali | शक्ति | ||
| The term "शक्ति" is also often associated with female divinity in Hinduism, symbolizing the divine feminine principle. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਾਕਤ | ||
| In Persian the word "taqat" means "strength," and it can also refer to physical or bodily abilities. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බලය | ||
| The word "බලය" also means "strength" and "force" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | சக்தி | ||
| The Tamil word "சக்தி" also refers to feminine energy, divinity, and empowerment. | |||
| Telugu | శక్తి | ||
| "శక్తి" also refers to an energy field or cosmic force and is used in Hindu philosophy to describe the dynamic energy inherent in the universe. | |||
| Urdu | طاقت | ||
| The word "Taqat" is derived from the Arabic word "Qawa", which means "strength" or "ability". | |||
Power in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 功率 | ||
| 功率, a measure of electrical energy flow, comes from 功 (work) and 率 (rate). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 功率 | ||
| 功率 can also mean 'rate of work' or 'strength'. | |||
| Japanese | パワー | ||
| パワー (power) is the katakana spelling of the English word “power”, and it is also used to refer to electricity, energy, and strength. | |||
| Korean | 힘 | ||
| The word '힘' can also mean strength or ability, and is often used in the context of martial arts. | |||
| Mongolian | хүч | ||
| The word "хүч" can also refer to "ability", "strength" or "energy" depending on context. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စွမ်းအား | ||
Power in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kekuasaan | ||
| Kekuasaan is derived from the word 'kuasa', meaning 'authority' or 'ability' | |||
| Javanese | kekuwatan | ||
| "Kekuwatan" in Javanese literally translates to "ability to move something," but can also encompass physical strength or supernatural powers. | |||
| Khmer | អំណាច | ||
| The term អំណាច also implies the ability to influence or control others. | |||
| Lao | ພະລັງງານ | ||
| Malay | kuasa | ||
| "Kuasa" in Malay can also mean ability, control, authority, or influence | |||
| Thai | อำนาจ | ||
| The Thai word "อำนาจ" (power) is derived from the Sanskrit word "āmnāya", meaning "authority"} | |||
| Vietnamese | quyền lực | ||
| The term "quyền lực" can also refer to the authority or influence held by an individual or group, especially in a political or social context. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kapangyarihan | ||
Power in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | güc | ||
| Güc also means "ability" and is likely derived from a Proto-Turkic root meaning "capability" or "potency". | |||
| Kazakh | күш | ||
| The word 'күш' ('power') is related to the word 'күшті' ('strong'). | |||
| Kyrgyz | күч | ||
| The word "күч" can also mean "strength" or "force". | |||
| Tajik | қудрат | ||
| The word "қудрат" can also mean "ability" or "capability". | |||
| Turkmen | kuwwat | ||
| Uzbek | kuch | ||
| The word "kuch" can also refer to the ability, influence, or capacity to do something, or the strength or effectiveness of a person or thing. | |||
| Uyghur | power | ||
Power in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mana | ||
| The word 'mana' in Hawaiian is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word 'mana' and shares a linguistic root with the Malay word 'manā' and the Māori word 'mana', all carrying similar connotations of power. | |||
| Maori | mana | ||
| In Maori, 'mana' also denotes prestige, authority, and spiritual power. | |||
| Samoan | malosiaga | ||
| Malosiaga can also mean 'strength' and was traditionally used to describe both women's and men's bodies. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kapangyarihan | ||
| "Kapangyarihan" also signifies authority or ability to do or act. | |||
Power in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'ama | ||
| Guarani | pokatu | ||
Power in International Languages
| Esperanto | potenco | ||
| Esperanto's "potenco" derives from mathematics, especially the concept of exponentiation. | |||
| Latin | imperium | ||
| 'Imperium' also meant 'command', 'sovereignty', and 'territory'. | |||
Power in Others Languages
| Greek | εξουσία | ||
| The term "εξουσία" can also refer to "authorization" or "jurisdiction." | |||
| Hmong | lub hwj chim | ||
| The word "lub hwj chim" also means "ability" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | erk | ||
| The Kurdish word "erk" also refers to the strength or endurance of a person or object. | |||
| Turkish | güç | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, 'güç' had the alternate meaning of 'strength', while in modern Turkish it also means 'difficulty'. | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| The term 'amandla' is also used to convey a sense of unity and strength within a community. | |||
| Yiddish | קראַפט | ||
| The Yiddish word “kraft” is cognate with the German word “kraft” and the English word “power”. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| The Zulu word 'amandla' comes from the Nguni root *-ntla-, meaning 'to extend upwards' and 'to rise' | |||
| Assamese | ক্ষমতা | ||
| Aymara | ch'ama | ||
| Bhojpuri | जोर | ||
| Dhivehi | ބާރު | ||
| Dogri | ताकत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kapangyarihan | ||
| Guarani | pokatu | ||
| Ilocano | puersa | ||
| Krio | pawa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێز | ||
| Maithili | शक्ति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯡꯒꯜ | ||
| Mizo | thuneihna | ||
| Oromo | aangoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶକ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | kallpa | ||
| Sanskrit | शक्ति | ||
| Tatar | көче | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓይሊ | ||
| Tsonga | matimba | ||