Updated on March 6, 2024
The concept of 'preparing'—fundamental to every culture across the globe—transcends mere readiness, embedding itself in the rituals, traditions, and daily routines of societies. The significance of being prepared is universally acknowledged, heralded as a virtue that anticipates the needs of the future, and it's entwined with cultural notions of responsibility, foresight, and prudence. The word 'prepare' in different languages opens a fascinating window into how diverse cultures prioritize and conceptualize preparedness. For instance, in Spanish, 'preparar' carries with it a sense of meticulous arrangement, while the Japanese '準備する (junbi suru)' emphasizes the aspect of being provisioned for what lies ahead. Knowing how to say prepare in different languages can be a gateway to understanding cultural values around the world, and it's particularly enlightening when examining the historical contexts that shaped each language's interpretation of what it means to be ready. Below is a curated list of translations of prepare, showcasing the linguistic tapestry of readiness and anticipation that binds humanity.
Afrikaans | voorberei | ||
The Afrikaans word "voorberei" comes from the Dutch word "voorbereiden". | |||
Amharic | አዘጋጁ | ||
The Amharic word አዘጋጁ is derived from the Ge'ez word ዘጋ, meaning 'to make ready' or 'to prepare'. | |||
Hausa | shirya | ||
Shirya in Hausa also means "to dress" or "to wear" clothing. | |||
Igbo | jikere | ||
In some parts of Igboland, the word "jikere" is related to "gbekere ("to carry a child on one's back.") | |||
Malagasy | hiomana | ||
The word "hiomana" in Malagasy is derived from the root "io" meaning "to do" and the suffix "-ana" meaning "to cause to do". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | konzekerani | ||
The term 'konzekerani' can also mean 'to get ready for an event or occasion'. | |||
Shona | gadzirira | ||
Gadzirira, meaning "to prepare," can also mean "to be vigilant" | |||
Somali | diyaari | ||
The Somali word 'diyaari' is derived from the Arabic word 'da'a' (to call), suggesting a connection between preparation and summoning or making ready. | |||
Sesotho | lokisetsa | ||
The word "lokisetsa" also means "to get ready" and "to be prepared". | |||
Swahili | andaa | ||
The Swahili word 'andaa' also means 'arrange', 'get ready', 'fit out', or 'equip' | |||
Xhosa | lungiselela | ||
The word "lungiselela" derives from the verb "lungisa" (to make ready or prepare) | |||
Yoruba | mura | ||
The word "mura" in Yoruba has an alternate meaning of "to dress" or "to put on clothes. | |||
Zulu | lungiselela | ||
The word 'lungiselela' also means 'to make ready', 'to get prepared', 'to arrange' and 'to put in order' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | ka labɛn | ||
Ewe | dzrãɖo | ||
Kinyarwanda | itegure | ||
Lingala | kobongisa | ||
Luganda | okutegeka | ||
Sepedi | beakanya | ||
Twi (Akan) | yɛ krado | ||
Arabic | إعداد | ||
The word إعداد (e'daad) comes from the root word عد (e'dda), which means to count or number, and it also has the connotation of making something ready or prepared | |||
Hebrew | הכן | ||
The Hebrew verb "הכן" also means "be right", "be ready", "establish", "appoint", or "provide." | |||
Pashto | چمتو کول | ||
چمتو کول can also mean "to get ready" or "to be prepared" | |||
Arabic | إعداد | ||
The word إعداد (e'daad) comes from the root word عد (e'dda), which means to count or number, and it also has the connotation of making something ready or prepared |
Albanian | përgatit | ||
The Albanian word "përgatit" is cognate with the Latin "parō", meaning "to make ready," and "-tus", a suffix denoting "the state of being." | |||
Basque | prestatu | ||
The verb also means "to intend" and is commonly used in the expression "prestatu badut" (I intend to). | |||
Catalan | preparar-se | ||
The verb "preparar-se" in Catalan can also mean "to make oneself ready" or "to get ready". | |||
Croatian | pripremiti | ||
The word "pripremiti" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *pripraviti, meaning "to prepare ahead of time". | |||
Danish | forberede | ||
The word "forberede" originates from the Proto-Germanic “frabugjan”, meaning "to bring forward". This is the root from which the English word "forbade" also descends. | |||
Dutch | bereiden | ||
The word "bereiden" in Dutch can also refer to the act of preparing food or other substances. | |||
English | prepare | ||
The word 'prepare' derives from the Latin word 'parare,' meaning 'to make ready' or 'to provide'. | |||
French | préparer | ||
The verb "préparer" in French, borrowed from Late Latin "praeparare", also has the alternate meaning of "to make someone ready for a situation or occasion". | |||
Frisian | tariede | ||
The Frisian word 'tariede' likely comes from Old Frisian "to redia", meaning "to be ready." | |||
Galician | preparar | ||
The Galician word "preparar" can also mean "to get ready" or "to make ready". | |||
German | bereiten | ||
The word "bereiten" comes from the Old High German word "breitan", meaning "to spread" or "to make wide". | |||
Icelandic | undirbúa | ||
The word "undirbúa" is derived from the Old Norse word "undirbúa", meaning "to make ready". | |||
Irish | ullmhú | ||
The word 'ullmhú' in Irish is cognate with the Welsh 'allmharu' and the Cornish 'almaria', all meaning 'to prepare'. | |||
Italian | preparare | ||
"Preparare" is a popular dish in Tuscany, where beef soup is mixed with bread or pasta. | |||
Luxembourgish | virbereeden | ||
The verb "virbereeden" is derived from the German word "vorbereiten", and shares its meaning of "to prepare". | |||
Maltese | ipprepara | ||
In Maltese, "ipprepara" can also refer to the act of setting or arranging the stage for a musical performance. | |||
Norwegian | forberede | ||
Forberede can also refer to clearing land for building or cultivation. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | preparar | ||
In Brazilian Portuguese, "preparar" can also mean "to heat up food", while in European Portuguese it means "to get ready for something"} | |||
Scots Gaelic | ullaich | ||
"Ullaich" derives from Old Irish "ulcu" (ready) and may also mean "make ready". | |||
Spanish | preparar | ||
"Preparar" can also mean "to be ready" or "to get ready". | |||
Swedish | förbereda | ||
The word "förbereda" comes from the Old Swedish word "færa" meaning "to make ready". | |||
Welsh | paratoi | ||
The Welsh word "paratoi" is derived from the French "paratoire" and can also mean "available" or "ready to use". |
Belarusian | падрыхтаваць | ||
"Падрыхтаваць" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *rędъ "order, row, arrangement" and shares a common etymology with the Russian word "расти" ("to grow"), reflecting the idea of preparing as a preparatory stage for something else. | |||
Bosnian | pripremiti | ||
The word 'pripremiti' in Bosnian originates from the Proto-Slavic word 'priperti' and is cognate with the English word 'prepare' | |||
Bulgarian | приготви се | ||
The Bulgarian word “приготви се” (“prepare”) originates from the Proto-Slavic word *prigotoviti (“to prepare”), which is also the origin of the Russian word “приготовиться” (“to prepare”). | |||
Czech | připravit | ||
The word "připravit" can also mean "to get ready for something; to make something ready" | |||
Estonian | valmistama | ||
The word "valmistama" is derived from the Estonian word "valt", meaning "to be ready", or "complete". The alternate meaning of "valmistama" is "to complete" or "to make ready. | |||
Finnish | valmistella | ||
Valmistella also means 'to groom' in Finnish. | |||
Hungarian | készít | ||
Készít ('to prepare') derives from the noun kész, meaning 'ready', and the suffix -ít, indicating action or process. | |||
Latvian | sagatavot | ||
The word "sagatavot" can also mean "to make ready", "to get ready", or "to arrange". | |||
Lithuanian | paruošti | ||
The verb "paruošti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "prah₂-," meaning "forward," and the Lithuanian word "ruošti," meaning "to prepare," or "to get ready." | |||
Macedonian | подготви | ||
The verb "prepare" comes from the Latin word "parare", which means "make ready", and can also mean 'to get ready' or "to arrange". In the context of the text, "prepare" is used in the context of getting ready or arranging something. | |||
Polish | przygotować | ||
"Przygotować" can be used to describe preparing a meal, a performance, or even a person for a specific task. | |||
Romanian | a pregati | ||
The word "a pregati" in Romanian also means "to pray" in an ecclesiastical context. | |||
Russian | подготовить | ||
The word "подготовить" in Russian can also mean to "set up" or "arrange" something. | |||
Serbian | припремити | ||
The Serbian word "припремити" (pripremiti) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*pripraviti", meaning "to make something ready or prepared." | |||
Slovak | pripraviť | ||
"Pripraviť" originally meant "to prepare food", but it later took on a more general meaning of "to make something ready". | |||
Slovenian | pripravi | ||
The word `pripravi` is derived from the Slavic root `*pri-` (near) and `*praviti` (do), meaning literally 'to do something near'. | |||
Ukrainian | підготувати | ||
In Ukrainian, the word підготувати (pidhotovyty) is derived from the Slavic word готовый (hotovyi), meaning 'ready'. |
Bengali | প্রস্তুত করা | ||
The Bengali word প্রস্তুত করা (প্রস্তুতি) comes from the Sanskrit word 'prakruta', meaning 'made ready'. | |||
Gujarati | તૈયાર | ||
"તૈયાર" also means "ready" or "all set" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | तैयार | ||
The word 'तैयार' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'तय्येर', meaning 'get ready' or 'make ready'. | |||
Kannada | ತಯಾರು | ||
ತಯಾರು is also used in Kannada to refer to a particular style of preparing coffee, where the coffee beans are roasted and coarsely ground, and then mixed with hot water. | |||
Malayalam | തയ്യാറാക്കുക | ||
In Malayalam, the word "തയ്യാറാക്കുക" is sometimes used figuratively to mean “to get ready for a task”. | |||
Marathi | तयार करा | ||
The verb 'तयार करा' can also be used to describe making food or other edible preparations. | |||
Nepali | तयार गर्नु | ||
The Nepali word "तयार गर्नु" literally means to "make ready" and has a similar etymology to the English word "prepare". | |||
Punjabi | ਤਿਆਰ ਕਰੋ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සූදානම් වන්න | ||
Tamil | தயார் | ||
The word 'தயார்' (tayar), meaning 'ready' or 'prepared' in Tamil, also has alternate meanings, such as 'to create' or 'to make'. | |||
Telugu | సిద్ధం | ||
The word "సిద్ధం" also means "to be ready" or "to be complete" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | تیار کریں | ||
تیار کریں is of Indo-Aryan origin, with its root 'kree-' meaning 'to make ready', and is also used in Persian and Hindi with the same meaning. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 准备 | ||
准备 in Mandarin Chinese can also refer to a person's state or readiness, such as being prepared for an exam or an interview. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 準備 | ||
準備 (zhǔnbèi) was originally used to describe military preparedness and later acquired its current meaning of 'prepare'. | |||
Japanese | 準備する | ||
準備する can also mean to stand by or get ready to do something. | |||
Korean | 준비하다 | ||
준비하다 ('prepare') can also mean 'to arm or fortify' in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | бэлтгэх | ||
The word "бэлтгэх" can also mean "to get ready" or "to make preparations" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြင်ဆင် | ||
In addition to the meaning of "to prepare", this verb can also mean "to revise" or "to edit". |
Indonesian | mempersiapkan | ||
"Mempersiapkan" comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *sadi(p)a* meaning "to make ready". | |||
Javanese | nyiapake | ||
The word 'nyiapake' is derived from the root word 'siapake' which means 'to be ready', hence it means 'to prepare'. | |||
Khmer | រៀបចំ | ||
The word "រៀបចំ" can also refer to arranging or organizing things in a specific order. | |||
Lao | ກະກຽມ | ||
The word 'ກະກຽມ' ('prepare') in Lao is related to the Khmer word 'កៀម' ('ready'), which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word 'kṛ' ('make'). | |||
Malay | sediakan | ||
The term 'sediakan' in Malay can also refer to the provision or arrangement of necessary materials, facilities, and services to facilitate a specific task or event. | |||
Thai | เตรียม | ||
The Thai word "เตรียม" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit root "tre" meaning "to protect or guard," and is also related to the English words "terror," "treason," and "trust." | |||
Vietnamese | chuẩn bị | ||
The word "chuẩn bị" also means "to be ready" or "to be prepared". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | maghanda | ||
Azerbaijani | hazırlamaq | ||
Hazırlamaq, which means “prepare” in Azerbaijani, was adopted from Persian and also means “digestion” in Turkish. | |||
Kazakh | дайындау | ||
The Kazakh word "дайындау" can also refer to "making an effort" or "getting organized for an action." | |||
Kyrgyz | даярдануу | ||
The word "даярдануу" in Kyrgyz also means "to get ready" or "to make ready". | |||
Tajik | тайёр кунед | ||
The word 'тайёр кунед' is derived from the Persian word 'تهیه کردن', which means 'to prepare' or 'to make ready'. | |||
Turkmen | taýýarla | ||
Uzbek | tayyorlash | ||
The word "tayyorlash" is derived from the Arabic word "tayyar" meaning "ready" or "prepared" and also has the alternate meaning of "to equip" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | تەييارلىق قىلىڭ | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻomākaukau | ||
The word "hoʻomākaukau" can also mean "to train" or "to arrange". | |||
Maori | whakareri | ||
Whakareri can also mean to welcome, especially with a formal speech or ceremony. | |||
Samoan | sauniuni | ||
The word “sauniuni” also means 'to fix', 'to mend', 'to adjust', 'to get ready'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | maghanda | ||
The Tagalog word "maghanda" shares its root word with the Sanskrit word "mantra," which means "sacred sound"} |
Aymara | wakiyaña | ||
Guarani | ñembosako'i | ||
Esperanto | prepari | ||
The plural form of "preparadi" in Esperanto is "prepari" which also means "preparations" | |||
Latin | para | ||
"Para" in Latin can also mean "to procure" or "to provide." |
Greek | προετοιμάζω | ||
Derived from "pro" (before) and "hetoimazo" (to arrange), "proetoimazo" originally meant to get ready in advance. | |||
Hmong | npaj | ||
In Hmong "npaj" also means "arrange," "equip," or "provide food." | |||
Kurdish | amadekirin | ||
The verb "amadekirin" (prepare) also has a meaning of "to get ready for something." | |||
Turkish | hazırlamak | ||
The word "Hazırlamak" also means "to have on hand" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | lungiselela | ||
The word "lungiselela" derives from the verb "lungisa" (to make ready or prepare) | |||
Yiddish | צוגרייטן | ||
The Yiddish word "צוגרייטן" also means "to create" or "to cause something to happen". | |||
Zulu | lungiselela | ||
The word 'lungiselela' also means 'to make ready', 'to get prepared', 'to arrange' and 'to put in order' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | প্ৰস্তুত হোৱা | ||
Aymara | wakiyaña | ||
Bhojpuri | तइयारी कयिल | ||
Dhivehi | ތައްޔާރުވުން | ||
Dogri | तेयार होना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | maghanda | ||
Guarani | ñembosako'i | ||
Ilocano | isagana | ||
Krio | pripia | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ئامادە کردن | ||
Maithili | तैयारी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯝ ꯁꯥꯕ | ||
Mizo | buatsaih | ||
Oromo | qopheessuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ କର | | ||
Quechua | ruway | ||
Sanskrit | सज्जी करोतु | ||
Tatar | әзерлән | ||
Tigrinya | ተዳሎ | ||
Tsonga | lulamisa | ||