Preference in Different Languages
Discover 'Preference' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'preference' carries great significance in our daily lives, influencing the choices we make and the decisions that shape our world. It's a concept deeply rooted in culture, as societies and individuals value different aspects of life, forming unique perspectives that lead to a rich tapestry of global distinctions.
Understanding the translation of 'preference' in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural nuances, allowing for more effective communication and collaboration. For instance, the French translation, 'préférence,' highlights a strong appreciation for personal choice, while the German equivalent, 'Vorliebe,' emphasizes the idea of having a particular fondness or inclination.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'preference' in languages like Mandarin ( '偏好' ) or Spanish ( 'preferencia' ) can help bridge cultural gaps and foster mutual respect and understanding.
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of language and culture through the lens of 'preference' and discover how this simple word can open doors to new friendships, partnerships, and opportunities.
Preference
Preference in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | voorkeur | ||
| The word "voorkeur" is derived from the Dutch word "voorkeur", which means "preference" or "inclination". | |||
| Amharic | ምርጫ | ||
| The term 'ምርጫ' (preference) in Amharic is also used in a medical context to refer to 'diagnosis'. | |||
| Hausa | fifiko | ||
| The Hausa word "fifiko" can also mean "choice" or "election". | |||
| Igbo | mmasị | ||
| Mmasị, meaning 'preference', may also refer to 'love', 'affection' or 'passion' in Igbo, suggesting a nuanced understanding of favoritism in the culture. | |||
| Malagasy | tian'ny | ||
| The word 'tian'ny' also means to be loved or to be adored. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zokonda | ||
| The word 'zokonda' is also used in the context of 'liking', 'enjoyment', 'love' and 'passion' in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | kuda | ||
| Kuda, meaning "preference" in Shona, also refers to a species of antelope native to southern Africa, particularly Zambia and Zimbabwe. | |||
| Somali | doorbidid | ||
| The Somali word "doorbidid" derives from the Arabic word "daraba", meaning "to strike" or "to tap", and originally referred to the practice of tapping on a door to announce one's arrival. | |||
| Sesotho | ratang | ||
| The word "ratang" can also mean "love" or "desire" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | upendeleo | ||
| The word "upendeleo" can also mean "inclination" or "bias" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ukukhetha | ||
| Ukukhetha also means 'choice', 'selection' and 'option'. | |||
| Yoruba | ààyò | ||
| An archaic Yoruba word for "ààyò" is "ààjọ", and it could also indicate "a choice between two or more options". | |||
| Zulu | okuthandayo | ||
| The Zulu word "okuthandayo" can also refer to a person's "favorite" or "the one who is loved." | |||
| Bambara | fisaya | ||
| Ewe | tiatia | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibyifuzo | ||
| Lingala | oyo olingi | ||
| Luganda | okwagala | ||
| Sepedi | kgetho | ||
| Twi (Akan) | deɛ wopɛ | ||
Preference in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تفضيل | ||
| The word "تفضيل" originally meant "distinction" or "honor" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | הַעֲדָפָה | ||
| The word 'הַעֲדָפָה' derives from the root 'ה.ע.ד', meaning 'to witness' or 'to testify', implying a choice based on evidence or experience. | |||
| Pashto | غوره توب | ||
| The word "غوره توب" can also mean "choice" or "selection" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | تفضيل | ||
| The word "تفضيل" originally meant "distinction" or "honor" in Arabic. | |||
Preference in Western European Languages
| Albanian | preferencën | ||
| The word "preferencë" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "praefero", meaning "to set before or ahead". | |||
| Basque | lehentasun | ||
| The word lehentasun in Basque comes from the Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "sententia" meaning "mind." | |||
| Catalan | preferència | ||
| The noun "preferència" is also used in Catalan to refer to the reserved seating section in a stadium or auditorium. | |||
| Croatian | prednost | ||
| Prednost derives from pre ('before') and doći ('to reach') and initially meant 'coming to something before someone else' or 'precedence in reaching something' and later acquired the more abstract meaning 'preference'. | |||
| Danish | præference | ||
| In Danish, the word "præference" also means "opinion". | |||
| Dutch | voorkeur | ||
| "Voorkeur" is a Dutch word of French origin that can also mean "foreknowledge". | |||
| English | preference | ||
| "Preference" comes from the Latin "praeferre," which means "to carry or put before." This sense of preference as "something preferred or favored" first appeared in the mid-15th century. | |||
| French | préférence | ||
| "Préférence" can also mean „right of precedence" or "first choice" in French. | |||
| Frisian | foarkar | ||
| "Foarkar" originates from the Proto-Germanic word "*fōrkōn-, *fōrkjaz" meaning going ahead, advancing, advancing, or being in front. | |||
| Galician | preferencia | ||
| In Galician, "preferencia" also refers to a type of road sign or a lane where vehicles have priority. | |||
| German | präferenz | ||
| "Präferenz" ultimately stems from the Latin verb praeponere, meaning "to place before" or "to prefer." | |||
| Icelandic | val | ||
| The word "val" also refers to a choice during a card game or a decision in a legal case. | |||
| Irish | rogha | ||
| The Irish word 'rogha' is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *rog- ('choice, desire'), which is also the origin of the Welsh word 'dewis' ('choice'). | |||
| Italian | preferenza | ||
| The word "preferenza" also means a type of Italian card game. | |||
| Luxembourgish | preferenz | ||
| Preferenz derives from Latin "pre" (before) and "ferre" (to bear), hence "to put before, to give priority to" | |||
| Maltese | preferenza | ||
| The word 'preferenza' in Maltese also means 'bet', 'stake', or 'wager'. | |||
| Norwegian | preferanse | ||
| The Norwegian word "preferanse" can also refer to a card game that is similar to bridge. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | preferência | ||
| In Brazil, the word "preferência" also refers to a small piece of paper distributed by beggars requesting financial aid, and to the place where beggars ask for money. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | roghainn | ||
| The Gaelic word "roghainn" also means "choice" and derives from the Old Irish word "rogain" meaning "question, decision, choice, preference, opinion." | |||
| Spanish | preferencia | ||
| In Spanish, "preferencia" also means "right of way" in traffic. | |||
| Swedish | preferens | ||
| The word "preferens" in Swedish can also mean "a favour". | |||
| Welsh | dewis | ||
| The Welsh word "dewis" originally meant "choice" or "selection" and is related to the Irish word "togh". | |||
Preference in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | перавага | ||
| The word "перавага" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*perŭ-orĭti", meaning "to take over". | |||
| Bosnian | preferencija | ||
| The word "preferencija" can also mean "bridge" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | предпочитание | ||
| The word "предпочитание" can also refer to a predilection or a prejudice. | |||
| Czech | přednost | ||
| Czech "přednost" comes from *před* (before) and *státi* (to stand), meaning to stand before everyone else. | |||
| Estonian | eelistus | ||
| In Estonian, the word "eelistus" not only means "preference" but also "option", "priority", and "privilege." | |||
| Finnish | mieltymys | ||
| “Mieltymys” also contains a notion of a “tendency” and in the past meant “inclination” or "habit." | |||
| Hungarian | preferencia | ||
| "Preferancia" (preference) derives from Latin, and also refers to a card game played in Central and Eastern Europe. | |||
| Latvian | priekšroka | ||
| "Priekšroka" can refer to either "preference" or "priority" in Latvian, and it literally translates to "before hand". | |||
| Lithuanian | pirmenybė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "pirmenybė" literally translates to "first-ness" or "being first." | |||
| Macedonian | склоност | ||
| The word "склоност" in Macedonian also has the meaning of "tendency" or "inclination."} | |||
| Polish | pierwszeństwo | ||
| In some historical contexts, "pierwszeństwo" meant "superiority in rank, nobility or importance". | |||
| Romanian | preferinţă | ||
| Romanian word "preferinţă" is derived from the Latin "praeferre", meaning "to put before". | |||
| Russian | предпочтение | ||
| The Russian word "предпочтение" originated from Old Slavonic and literally means "placed before", indicating its priority over other choices | |||
| Serbian | преференција | ||
| The word "преференција" can also refer to a card game played with a double deck of 52 cards. | |||
| Slovak | preferencia | ||
| V slovenčine sa „preferencia“ používa aj v zmysle náklonnosti či sympatie, napr. „mám preferenciu pre jablká“. | |||
| Slovenian | prednost | ||
| The Slovenian word "prednost" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *prědъ, meaning "before" or "in front of". | |||
| Ukrainian | перевагу | ||
| The word "перевагу" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*pervorgъ", meaning "first place" or "priority". In modern Russian, the word has the same meaning as in Ukrainian, while in Polish it means "advantage" or "superiority". | |||
Preference in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পছন্দ | ||
| The word পছন্দ ('preference') in Bengali originates from the Sanskrit word 'priyanch' (dear, beloved), indicating a personal affinity or inclination. | |||
| Gujarati | પસંદગી | ||
| The word "pasandagi" has Persian roots and is also used in Sanskrit, Punjabi, and Hindi to denote "approval" or "agreement". | |||
| Hindi | पसंद | ||
| The Hindi word "पसंद" can also mean "love" or "affection". | |||
| Kannada | ಆದ್ಯತೆ | ||
| ಆದ್ಯತೆ (ādya-te) comes from the Sanskrit word 'ādya' meaning 'first' or 'most important'. | |||
| Malayalam | മുൻഗണന | ||
| The word "മുൻഗണന" comes from the combination of two Malayalam words: "മുൻ" (before) and "ഗണന" (consideration), and literally means "before consideration", referring to an idea of giving priority or considering something ahead of others. | |||
| Marathi | प्राधान्य | ||
| The word "प्राधान्य" can also be used as a noun meaning "importance" or "priority" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | प्राथमिकता | ||
| The Nepali word ' प्राथमिकता ' is derived from the Sanskrit word ' प्राथमिक ' , which means 'first or primary'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਸੰਦ | ||
| The word 'pasand' in Punjabi is derived from the Persian word 'pasandīdan', meaning 'to approve of'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මනාපය | ||
| The word “මනාපය” (“preference”) originated from the Sanskrit word "man” which means "the mind". | |||
| Tamil | விருப்பம் | ||
| "விருப்பம்" (preference) also refers to "interest, desire, longing, or fondness for something." | |||
| Telugu | ప్రాధాన్యత | ||
| Urdu | ترجیح | ||
| ترجیح is also used to mean 'to give priority to' or 'to prefer'. | |||
Preference in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 偏爱 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, 偏爱 meant a love that was biased or not fair. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 偏愛 | ||
| In Chinese, the word 偏愛 (piān'ài) also means a "subjective attitude" or "inclination towards something". | |||
| Japanese | 好み | ||
| *好み* can also means 'fancy' in a non-literal, figurative sense. | |||
| Korean | 우선권 | ||
| The word "우선권" is derived from the Chinese word 優先權, which literally means "having the right to go first". | |||
| Mongolian | давуу эрх | ||
| In Mongolian, "давуу эрх" can also refer to the "right to speak first in a discussion". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | preference ကို | ||
| The word "preference ကို" is derived from the Pali word "parenceta" meaning "inclination" or "liking". | |||
Preference in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pilihan | ||
| "Pilihan" can also mean "choice" or "option". | |||
| Javanese | pilihan | ||
| In Javanese, "pilihan" also means "choice" or "option". | |||
| Khmer | ចំណូលចិត្ត | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມມັກ | ||
| Malay | pilihan | ||
| "Pilihan" comes from Sanskrit, where it meant "to choose or select" | |||
| Thai | ความชอบ | ||
| In addition to "preference," the Thai word "ความชอบ" can also mean "fondness," "inclination," or "liking." | |||
| Vietnamese | sở thích | ||
| "Sở thích" derives from Chinese "所致", meaning "a place to which one should go". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kagustuhan | ||
Preference in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | üstünlük | ||
| "Üstünlük" (preference) in Azerbaijani can also refer to "advantage" or "superiority." | |||
| Kazakh | артықшылық | ||
| The word "артықшылық" in Kazakh originally meant "excess" or "superfluity", but now it primarily refers to "preference". | |||
| Kyrgyz | артыкчылык | ||
| Tajik | афзалият | ||
| Tajik „афзалият“ derives from Arabic „الفضل“ meaning both "preference" and "grace," hence its extended meaning of "superior advantage" or "precedence over others". | |||
| Turkmen | ileri tutma | ||
| Uzbek | afzallik | ||
| The term "afzallik" in Uzbek originates from the Persian word "afzaliyyat", meaning "superiority" or "excellence". | |||
| Uyghur | مايىللىق | ||
Preference in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makemake | ||
| The Hawaiian word "makemake" also means "to desire". | |||
| Maori | manakohanga | ||
| The word 'manakohanga' can also mean 'the act of showing favour or partiality' or 'the state of being favoured or regarded with partiality'. | |||
| Samoan | faamuamua | ||
| Faamuamua, meaning preference, can also refer to a gift or sacrifice offered to a chief or authority figure. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kagustuhan | ||
| The Tagalog word "kagustuhan" comes from the root word "gusto" meaning "to like" and is related to the Spanish word "gustar" with the same meaning. | |||
Preference in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | munatanaka | ||
| Guarani | motenonde | ||
Preference in International Languages
| Esperanto | prefero | ||
| The Esperanto word "prefero" comes from the Latin word "praeferre" meaning "to carry before" or "to set before". | |||
| Latin | preference | ||
| In Latin, "praefero" refers to "placing over" which is the root of "preference". | |||
Preference in Others Languages
| Greek | προτίμηση | ||
| The word "προτίμηση" derives from "πρό" (pro), meaning "forward", and "τιμή" (timi), meaning "honor". Therefore, it originally meant "to honor above others". | |||
| Hmong | xum | ||
| "Xum" also refers to "to like a certain type of food over the other." | |||
| Kurdish | hezî | ||
| The word 'hezî' in Kurdish can also refer to a 'favored person' or 'beloved'. | |||
| Turkish | tercih | ||
| "Tercih" is derived from the Arabic word "tarjih," which means "to weigh" or "to consider." | |||
| Xhosa | ukukhetha | ||
| Ukukhetha also means 'choice', 'selection' and 'option'. | |||
| Yiddish | ייבערהאַנט | ||
| The Yiddish word "ייבערהאַנט" also refers to someone who has the upper hand or advantage. | |||
| Zulu | okuthandayo | ||
| The Zulu word "okuthandayo" can also refer to a person's "favorite" or "the one who is loved." | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰাথমিক পছন্দ | ||
| Aymara | munatanaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | तरजीह | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޭނުންވާގޮތް | ||
| Dogri | तरजीह् | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kagustuhan | ||
| Guarani | motenonde | ||
| Ilocano | maipangpangruna | ||
| Krio | wetin wi lɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خواست | ||
| Maithili | पसंद | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯄꯥꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | duhzawng | ||
| Oromo | filannoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପସନ୍ଦ | ||
| Quechua | munasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | आद्यता | ||
| Tatar | өстенлек | ||
| Tigrinya | ምርጫ | ||
| Tsonga | tsakela | ||