Prime in Different Languages
Discover 'Prime' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'prime' holds a significant place in our lives, often used to describe the most important or fundamental aspects. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, from mathematics defining the 'prime numbers' as those divisible only by 1 and themselves, to the fashion industry using 'prime' to signify the best or most fashionable. Moreover, in cooking, 'prime' refers to the choicest or most tender cuts of meat.
Given its wide-ranging significance, one might wonder how 'prime' translates in different languages, providing a fascinating exploration of cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, 'prime' becomes 'prima', while in German, it's 'erster Klasse' or 'erstklassig'. In French, it's 'premier' or 'de première qualité', and in Japanese, 'prime' can be translated as 'SAI' or 'primu'.
Stay tuned to learn more about the translations of 'prime' in various languages, offering a captivating journey into the world of linguistic diversity and cultural richness.
Prime
Prime in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | prima | ||
| "Prima" means "premium" in Afrikaans, not just "prime" | |||
| Amharic | ፕራይም | ||
| The Amharic word "ፕራይም" can also mean "first", "primary", or "important". | |||
| Hausa | firayim | ||
| "Firayim" also means "the first in a series" or "the first of a kind" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | praịm | ||
| "Praịm" in Igbo also refers to the first day of the month or a period that serves as a beginning. | |||
| Malagasy | indrindra | ||
| "Indrindra" also refers to something of the first quality or something very good. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chachikulu | ||
| In some situations, "chachikulu" also refers to the firstborn child. | |||
| Shona | prime | ||
| 'Prime' can also mean 'chief' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | ra'iisul | ||
| In Somali, the word "ra'iisul" also means "the sun". | |||
| Sesotho | pele | ||
| The word pele also refers to the prime number | |||
| Swahili | mkuu | ||
| The word "mkuu" in Swahili also means "head of state" or "general of an army."} | |||
| Xhosa | inkulumbuso | ||
| In Xhosa, "inkulumbuso" has two meanings: "prime" and "a young man who is not yet married." | |||
| Yoruba | nomba | ||
| 'Nomba' in Yoruba can also mean 'first in order of importance' or 'of the highest quality'. | |||
| Zulu | prime | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'prime' can also refer to something that is in its early stages or beginning | |||
| Bambara | pirimu | ||
| Ewe | xɔ asi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | prime | ||
| Lingala | ya yambo | ||
| Luganda | kikulu | ||
| Sepedi | kgolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kantinka | ||
Prime in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رئيس | ||
| The word "رئيس" can also refer to a chief, leader, or president, and derives from the Arabic verb "رأس" (raʾasa), meaning "to head" or "to be in charge" | |||
| Hebrew | רִאשׁוֹנִי | ||
| "רִאשׁוֹנִי" can also mean "first" or "chief". | |||
| Pashto | لومړی | ||
| "لومړی" is also used when you want to refer to the first (ordinal number) person or place of something. | |||
| Arabic | رئيس | ||
| The word "رئيس" can also refer to a chief, leader, or president, and derives from the Arabic verb "رأس" (raʾasa), meaning "to head" or "to be in charge" | |||
Prime in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kryeministër | ||
| The Albanian word "kryeministër" is derived from the French word "premier ministre" and ultimately from the Latin word "primarius," meaning "first" or "chief." | |||
| Basque | lehen | ||
| In Basque its etymological origin is related to the verb that means "to be ahead" or "to surpass" | |||
| Catalan | primer | ||
| In Catalan, "primer" can also refer to the first course or grade level, as well as to the first or initial part of something. | |||
| Croatian | premijera | ||
| Premijera, besides being borrowed from the English 'prime', also shares its origin with the English 'premier(e)', the Croatian word prvenac and the Russian премьера (premyera). | |||
| Danish | prime | ||
| The word 'prime' can also refer to the time between noon and 6 pm in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | prime | ||
| The Dutch word "prime" can mean both "prime number" and "early morning". | |||
| English | prime | ||
| "Prime" comes from the Latin word "primus," meaning "first" or "chief." | |||
| French | premier | ||
| The word "premier" in French can also mean "first" or "chief". | |||
| Frisian | prime | ||
| The word "prime" in Frisian may also mean "excellent" or "first-rate". | |||
| Galician | prime | ||
| In Galician, the word "prime" also means "early" or "morning". | |||
| German | prime | ||
| Die Etymologie von "Prime" auf Deutsch, "Prämie", stammt aus dem lateinischen "praemium" und bedeutet "Belohnung" oder "Preis". | |||
| Icelandic | prime | ||
| "Prime" in Icelandic can also refer to the first part of a psalm or hymn. | |||
| Irish | príomha | ||
| The Irish word "príomha" can also mean "prime number" and "excellent". | |||
| Italian | primo | ||
| "Primo" in Italian can also mean "cousin", "best friend" or "first-rate" depending on the context. | |||
| Luxembourgish | premier | ||
| "Premier" also means "first", "principal", or "first minister" in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | prim | ||
| In Maltese, "prim" can also refer to the first or best example of something, deriving from the Latin "primus" meaning "first". | |||
| Norwegian | prime | ||
| In Norwegian, "prime" can also mean "fine" or "excellent" in addition to its mathematical meaning. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | primo | ||
| "Primo" can also mean "cousin" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | prìomh | ||
| The Gaelic word 'prìomh' derives from the Proto-Celtic word for 'first', and can also mean 'chief' or 'main' in some contexts. | |||
| Spanish | principal | ||
| "Principal" also means "main, chief," or "most important" in Spanish, hence "principiante" (beginner) | |||
| Swedish | främsta | ||
| The word "främsta" is derived from the Old Norse word "fremstr", meaning "foremost" or "chief". | |||
| Welsh | cysefin | ||
| Cysefin can also mean 'the best of' or 'first in importance', highlighting its significance beyond numerical precedence. | |||
Prime in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прэм'ер | ||
| The word “прэм'ер” in Belarusian is borrowed from French and has the same meaning as in other languages – the first (person or thing). | |||
| Bosnian | prime | ||
| The word ''prime'' in Bosnian, pronounced ''prîma'', can also refer to a female cousin in a more informal usage. | |||
| Bulgarian | премиер | ||
| The word "премиер" can also mean "premier" in the sense of a head of government. | |||
| Czech | primární | ||
| Czech "primární" comes from Latin "primus" and also means "first". | |||
| Estonian | peamine | ||
| The word "peamine" can also mean "principal" or "main". | |||
| Finnish | prime | ||
| In Finnish, the word "prime" can also refer to a type of fish or a period of time in the afternoon where cows are let out to graze. | |||
| Hungarian | elsődleges | ||
| The word "elsődleges" can also mean "primary" or "original" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | galvenā | ||
| Galvenā, in Latvian, is also used to refer to a main road or highway. | |||
| Lithuanian | pagrindinis | ||
| Lithuanian "pagrindinis" also means "principal" or "main", like "pagrindinė mokykla" "elementary school" and "pagrindinė gatvė" "main street." | |||
| Macedonian | врвен | ||
| In the Macedonian language, the word "врвен" (prime) also refers to the first or best in a group of people. | |||
| Polish | główny | ||
| The word "główny" can also mean "main" or "head" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | prim | ||
| In Romanian, the word "prim" can also mean "handsome" or "first". | |||
| Russian | премьер | ||
| The Russian word "премьер" can refer to a prime minister, a premiere, or a premier division in sports | |||
| Serbian | главни | ||
| The word 'главни' ('prime') in Serbian can also mean 'chief' or 'main'. | |||
| Slovak | hlavný | ||
| "Hlavný" also means "main" in Slovak, like in "hlavný vchod" (main entrance). | |||
| Slovenian | prime | ||
| The word »prime« also means »the beginning of a period or event«, e.g. »prime minister«. | |||
| Ukrainian | прем'єрний | ||
| The word прем'єрний is cognate with the English adjective "primary" and the noun "premiere." | |||
Prime in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রধান | ||
| "প্রধান" means "prime", as in mathematics, but has the alternate meaning of "chief" or "head of". | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રાઇમ | ||
| The word "prime" originates from the Latin word "primus," meaning "first" or "chief" | |||
| Hindi | प्रधान | ||
| प्रधान, meaning 'principal' or 'first', is derived from the Sanskrit root 'pra', meaning 'forth' or 'before'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅವಿಭಾಜ್ಯ | ||
| The word 'ಅವಿಭಾಜ್ಯ' (prime) is derived from the Sanskrit root 'vibhaja', meaning 'to divide', and the negative prefix 'a-', indicating 'not'. Thus, 'ಅವಿಭಾಜ್ಯ' literally means 'indivisible', referring to numbers that cannot be divided evenly by any other number except 1 and themselves. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രൈം | ||
| The word 'प्राइम' ('prime') is derived from the Latin word 'primus', meaning first or chief. | |||
| Marathi | प्राईम | ||
| The Marathi word "प्राईम" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रथम" meaning "first" or "primary". | |||
| Nepali | प्राइम | ||
| "प्राइम" शब्द संस्कृत के "प्रथम" शब्द से आया है, जिसका अर्थ है "पहला" या "सबसे पहले"। | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਾਈਮ | ||
| The Punjabi word ਪ੍ਰਾਈਮ (prime) can also refer to the first or initial part of something, such as the first chapter in a book or the first time of the day. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | prime | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "prime" can also refer to a "minister" or a "ruler". | |||
| Tamil | பிரதம | ||
| In Tamil, 'பிரதம' also refers to the 'chief' or 'principal' of a group or institution. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రైమ్ | ||
| The Telugu word "ప్రైమ్" can also refer to the first part of a compound word, the main part of something, or the beginning of a process. | |||
| Urdu | اعظم | ||
| The Urdu word "اعظم" originates from an Arabic word that can also mean "extremely large" and "most important" | |||
Prime in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 主要 | ||
| The character's etymology alludes to its meaning as 'foremost', and its variant form '主' has been used since the Yin Dynasty, while the full character has been in use since the Han Dynasty. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 主要 | ||
| In ancient China, 主要 could mean a military position akin to what is now called a battalion commander. | |||
| Japanese | プライム | ||
| "プライム" comes from the Japanese word "プライム・タイム" (prime time), which refers to the peak viewing hours for television programming. | |||
| Korean | 초기 | ||
| "초기" is cognate with Japanese "しょき" (shoki), both derived from Chinese "初起" (chūqǐ), meaning "beginning" or "initial". | |||
| Mongolian | үндсэн | ||
| The word "үндсэн", meaning "prime," is derived from the Mongolian word "үнд" (meaning "root"). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ချုပ် | ||
| The word "prime" in Myanmar can also mean "the best" or "the most important". | |||
Prime in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | utama | ||
| The word "utama" derives from the Sanskrit word "uttama" meaning "chief", "best", or "first-rate". | |||
| Javanese | prima | ||
| In Javanese, the word 'prima' is used to refer to both 'prime' and 'first', highlighting its dual meaning in the language. | |||
| Khmer | នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី | ||
| Prime minister derives from French “premier ministre”, meaning first minister, who is the head of government. | |||
| Lao | ນາຍົກ | ||
| Malay | perdana | ||
| In Malay the term 'perdana' has multiple meanings, including 'first', 'chief', and 'prime'. | |||
| Thai | นายก | ||
| The word "นายก" also means "chairperson" or "head of an organization". | |||
| Vietnamese | nguyên tố | ||
| The word "nguyên tố" in Vietnamese also means "element (of chemistry)" and comes from the Chinese "元素". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | prime | ||
Prime in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | başlıca | ||
| The word "başlıca" in Azerbaijani can also mean "mainly" or "principally". | |||
| Kazakh | қарапайым | ||
| Қарапайым (prime) also refers to ordinary, common objects or people. | |||
| Kyrgyz | негизги | ||
| The word "негизги" can also mean "primary" or "basic" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | сарвазир | ||
| The word “sarvazir” is derived from the Persian word “sar” meaning “head” and “vzir” meaning “minister,” and also refers to the grand vizier, the chief minister in the court of a Muslim ruler. | |||
| Turkmen | premýer | ||
| Uzbek | asosiy | ||
| The Uzbek word 'asosiy' can also refer to the main or principal part of something. | |||
| Uyghur | prime | ||
Prime in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuhina nui | ||
| "Kuhina Nui" (prime) literally means "big chief" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | pirimia | ||
| In Māori, "pirimia" can also refer to a type of ceremonial chant or incantation. | |||
| Samoan | palemia | ||
| PalEMIA is derived from the English word 'prime', referring not only to a state but to the beginning of a new activity, a new month or year. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | prime | ||
| The Tagalog word "prime" can also mean "number one" or "most important". | |||
Prime in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Guarani | tenondeguáva | ||
Prime in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĉefa | ||
| Ĉefa also relates to the prefix “ĉef-”, meaning “head”, and may also mean “main” in other contexts. | |||
| Latin | primus | ||
| In Latin, "primus" translates to "first" and is also the origin of the English word "prime" used to reference the first or finest examples of something. | |||
Prime in Others Languages
| Greek | πρωταρχικό | ||
| The Greek word "πρωταρχικό" also means "elementary" or "fundamental". | |||
| Hmong | prime | ||
| The Hmong word "prime" ("prime") can also mean "first" or "first-rate". | |||
| Kurdish | serokwezîr | ||
| *Serokwezîr* is the Kurdish word for "prime" in the sense of a prime number, but it also means "chief minister" or "grand vizier" in Persian and Turkish, and "prince" or "duke" in Arabic. | |||
| Turkish | önemli | ||
| In Turkish, "önemli" also means "important" and "significant". | |||
| Xhosa | inkulumbuso | ||
| In Xhosa, "inkulumbuso" has two meanings: "prime" and "a young man who is not yet married." | |||
| Yiddish | הויפּט | ||
| In Yiddish, "הויפּט" not only means "prime", but also "main" or "chief". | |||
| Zulu | prime | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'prime' can also refer to something that is in its early stages or beginning | |||
| Assamese | মুখ্য | ||
| Aymara | wakiskiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रधान | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕްރައިމް | ||
| Dogri | मुक्ख | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | prime | ||
| Guarani | tenondeguáva | ||
| Ilocano | bannuag | ||
| Krio | impɔtant | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرەکی | ||
| Maithili | मुख्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯨ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pui ber | ||
| Oromo | muummicha | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରଧାନ | ||
| Quechua | kuraq | ||
| Sanskrit | मुख्य | ||
| Tatar | премьер | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀዳማይ | ||
| Tsonga | nkoka swinene | ||