Updated on March 6, 2024
Profit is a powerful word that carries significant meaning in the world of business and finance. It represents the surplus revenue that remains after all expenses have been deducted from sales. In other words, profit is the lifeblood of any successful enterprise, driving growth, innovation, and prosperity. But profit's significance goes beyond economics, touching on cultural, historical, and even philosophical dimensions.
Throughout history, profit has been a driving force behind human progress, enabling individuals and societies to invest in new technologies, industries, and ideas. At the same time, profit has also been a source of controversy and debate, with some arguing that it prioritizes selfish interests over the common good. Whatever your perspective, there's no denying the power and influence of profit in shaping our world.
That's why it's fascinating to explore the many translations of profit in different languages. From the German 'Gewinn' to the Spanish 'beneficio' to the Chinese '利润' (lì rùn), these words offer a glimpse into the cultural and linguistic diversity of our global community. Whether you're a business owner, a language enthusiast, or simply a curious mind, join us on this journey to discover the many faces of profit.
Afrikaans | wins | ||
The word "wins" in Afrikaans originated from the Dutch word "winst" and can also refer to "gain" or "victory". | |||
Amharic | ትርፍ | ||
ትርፍ derives from the root ርፈ that carries meanings of 'remaining', 'surplus', 'advance' and 'wealth'. | |||
Hausa | riba | ||
The term "riba" in Hausa has connections to Islamic economic law, referring to a form of interest or excessive gain. | |||
Igbo | uru | ||
The word 'uru' in Igbo can also refer to a village or a group of homesteads. | |||
Malagasy | mahasoa | ||
The word 'mahasoa' can also mean 'benefit', 'advantage', or 'prosperity' in Malagasy | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | phindu | ||
Other meanings of the word "phindu" in Nyanja include "reward" and "payment". | |||
Shona | purofiti | ||
The word purofiti is a Swahili word which means the same thing in both the Shona and Swahili languages and it is also the English word profit which has different meanings from both the Swahili and Shona words | |||
Somali | faa'iido | ||
The word 'faa'iido' in Somali is derived from the Arabic word 'fayḍa', which means 'benefit' or 'gain'. | |||
Sesotho | phaello | ||
Phaello also means "income" or "reward" in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | faida | ||
"Faida" can also mean "interest," as in "faida ya benki," or "bank interest." | |||
Xhosa | inzuzo | ||
The word 'inzuzo' can also refer to 'interest' and 'gain' in Xhosa. | |||
Yoruba | èrè | ||
"Èrè" also means "interest" in the sense of "premium paid for the use of money borrowed". | |||
Zulu | inzuzo | ||
"Inzuzo" is derived from the verb "zuza," meaning "to hunt", or "to gain"} | |||
Bambara | tɔnɔ | ||
Ewe | viɖe | ||
Kinyarwanda | inyungu | ||
Lingala | litomba | ||
Luganda | amagoba | ||
Sepedi | profiti | ||
Twi (Akan) | mfasoɔ | ||
Arabic | الربح | ||
The word "الربح" is derived from the root word "ربح" which means "to gain" or "to acquire". | |||
Hebrew | רווח | ||
The word "רווח" also means "space" or "gap" when used as a noun. | |||
Pashto | ګټه | ||
The word "ګټه" (profit) in Pashto is also used to refer to the "benefit" or "advantage" gained from something. | |||
Arabic | الربح | ||
The word "الربح" is derived from the root word "ربح" which means "to gain" or "to acquire". |
Albanian | fitimi | ||
"Fitimi" comes from the Italian word "frutto", meaning "fruit", and also refers to the surplus or increase in value of an enterprise or investment. | |||
Basque | irabazi | ||
"Irabazi" also means "benefit" or "advantage". | |||
Catalan | beneficis | ||
Catalan "beneficis" can mean "income" or "benefits" in English, but has a root in religious contexts | |||
Croatian | dobit | ||
Dobit, meaning "profit", is also an obsolete term for "gain, benefit" in Croatian. | |||
Danish | profit | ||
The Danish word "profit" can also mean "prophet". | |||
Dutch | winst | ||
The verb "winsten" also means "to winnow" and relates to the act of separating wheat from chaff in a windmill, and is likely related to "wind". | |||
English | profit | ||
The word 'profit' derives from the Latin 'proficere', meaning 'to make progress' or 'to advance'. | |||
French | profit | ||
In French, "profit" can also mean "progress" or "benefit". | |||
Frisian | winst | ||
The Frisian word “winst” is also used to mean 'turn' or 'gain'. | |||
Galician | beneficio | ||
In Galician, "beneficio" can also mean "benefit", "advantage", or "favor", depending on the context. | |||
German | profitieren | ||
The German word "profitieren" ultimately derives from the Latin "profectus", meaning "progress" or "advancement." | |||
Icelandic | gróði | ||
The Icelandic word "gróði" has several meanings, including "profit", "income", "wealth," and "growth." | |||
Irish | brabús | ||
The word 'brabús' is thought to derive from the Old Irish word 'brabach', meaning 'gain' or 'spoils'. | |||
Italian | profitto | ||
The word "profitto" derives from the Latin "proficere," meaning "to make progress" or "to advance." | |||
Luxembourgish | gewënn | ||
"Gewënn" can also refer to earnings, income or gain. | |||
Maltese | profitt | ||
The Maltese word "profitt" comes from the Italian word "profitto", which in turn comes from the Latin word "proficere | |||
Norwegian | profitt | ||
The word "profitt" in Norwegian can also refer to a person who eats or drinks too much. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lucro | ||
The Portuguese word “lucro” derives from Latin “lucrum”, which originally referred to gain obtained from dishonest means or at the expense of another. | |||
Scots Gaelic | prothaid | ||
"Prothaid" may come from the Irish word "prothaide" (benefit), or it could be a borrowing from the Middle English word "profit". | |||
Spanish | lucro | ||
The word "lucro" in Spanish, derived from the Latin "lucrum," also means "unlawful gain" or "illicit profit." | |||
Swedish | vinst | ||
The word "vinst" originates from the Old Norse word "vinna", meaning "to gain" or "to win". | |||
Welsh | elw | ||
In medieval Welsh, 'elw' also denoted a religious office (usually a sinecure) with an endowment. |
Belarusian | прыбытак | ||
The word "прыбытак" is a derivative of the verb "прыбыць" meaning "to arrive, to come", indicating profit is seen as an acquisition, an addition. | |||
Bosnian | profit | ||
The word "profit" is derived from the Latin word "proficere," meaning to move forward, make progress, or gain advantage. | |||
Bulgarian | печалба | ||
The word "печалба" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*pьčalbъ", which originally meant "acquisition, gain" and is related to the word "*pьčali", meaning "to begin, to commence". | |||
Czech | zisk | ||
Czech "zisk" also means "earnings" or "gains". | |||
Estonian | kasum | ||
The word "kasum" is also a derivative of the verb "kasvama" (to grow), suggesting that profit is a natural outcome of growth. | |||
Finnish | voitto | ||
The Finnish word "voitto" can also mean "victory" or "success" in the context of competition or achievement. | |||
Hungarian | nyereség | ||
The word "nyereség" can also refer to "the amount by which income exceeds expenses" or "gain." | |||
Latvian | peļņa | ||
In Latvian, "peļņa" also conveys the idea of gaining an unfair advantage or profiting at the expense of others. | |||
Lithuanian | pelno | ||
The word "pelnas" is cognate with the Latin word "plenus" (full), suggesting its original meaning of "abundance" or "plenty". | |||
Macedonian | профит | ||
"Профит" is cognate to Latin "profectus", meaning "progress" or "advancement". | |||
Polish | zysk | ||
The word "zysk" also means "gain" or "win" in Polish. | |||
Romanian | profit | ||
The Romanian word "profit" can also mean "progress" or "advancement". | |||
Russian | прибыль | ||
The word "прибыль" is derived from the verb "прибыть" (to arrive), suggesting that profit is the result of something arriving or being acquired. | |||
Serbian | профит | ||
The word "профит" has its origins in the Greek word "profitos," meaning "use" or "advantage." | |||
Slovak | zisk | ||
The word 'zisk' has alternative meanings such as achievement or success. | |||
Slovenian | dobiček | ||
The Slovenian word "dobiček" (profit) is derived from the verb "dobiti" (to get), suggesting the idea of acquiring something valuable. | |||
Ukrainian | прибуток | ||
The Ukrainian word "прибуток" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "прибытокъ" which means "arrival" or "income". |
Bengali | লাভ | ||
The word "লাভ" can also mean "interest" or "gain" in Bengali, depending on the context. | |||
Gujarati | નફો | ||
The Gujarati word "નફો" can also refer to "advantage" or "benefit". | |||
Hindi | फायदा | ||
The word 'फायदा' is derived from the Persian word 'faydeh', meaning 'advantage' or 'benefit'. | |||
Kannada | ಲಾಭ | ||
The word 'ಲಾಭ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लाभ' (lābha), which means not only 'profit' but also 'gain', 'advantage', and 'benefit'. | |||
Malayalam | ലാഭം | ||
The word "ലാഭം" in Malayalam is derived from Sanskrit and means "to take" or "to receive". | |||
Marathi | नफा | ||
The word "नफा" can also mean "gain" or "benefit" in Marathi. | |||
Nepali | नाफा | ||
The word "नाफा" in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "लाभ" (laba), meaning "gain" or "benefit." | |||
Punjabi | ਲਾਭ | ||
The word "ਲਾਭ" is also used in Punjabi to refer to "benefit" or "advantage". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලාභයක් | ||
In Sinhala, another term for profit is "නිෂ්පාදනය" (income), which highlights the relationship between profit and surplus revenue. | |||
Tamil | லாபம் | ||
The term 'லாபம்' not only means 'profit' but also 'acquisition', 'increase' and 'gain'. | |||
Telugu | లాభం | ||
"లాభం" (profit) also means "benefit" or "advantage" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | منافع | ||
The word منافـع is derived from the Arabic root ن ف ع, meaning to benefit or derive benefit from something, and can also refer to advantages, benefits, gains, or utilities. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 利润 | ||
"利润"在中文里还有"道理"和"收益"的意思。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 利潤 | ||
利潤 is also used to refer to interest, benefit, or advantage. | |||
Japanese | 利益 | ||
The word 利益 (rieki) means not only "profit" but also "benefit" or "advantage" in Japanese, reflecting its wide-ranging usage in various contexts. | |||
Korean | 이익 | ||
The Korean word 이익 originated from the Chinese phrase "移益," meaning to increase or gain, and also refers to benefits or advantages. | |||
Mongolian | ашиг | ||
The word "ашиг" can also refer to a type of traditional musician or storyteller in Mongolia. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အမြတ်အစွန်း | ||
Indonesian | keuntungan | ||
The word "keuntungan" can also mean "advantage" or "benefit" in Indonesian. | |||
Javanese | bathi | ||
The word "bathi" in Javanese is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "vrddhi", meaning "growth" or "increase". | |||
Khmer | ចំណេញ | ||
The word "ចំណេញ" (profit) in Khmer can also refer to "advantage" or "benefit" | |||
Lao | ກຳ ໄລ | ||
The Lao word ກຳ ໄລ shares its origin with the Khmer word for "to steal," indicating the potential for dishonest gain. | |||
Malay | untung | ||
"Untung" also means "lucky" in Malay, and is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *untuŋ, meaning "profit" or "gain". | |||
Thai | กำไร | ||
"กำไร" also means "bracelet" in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | lợi nhuận | ||
The word "lợi nhuận" can also mean "benefits" or "advantages". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tubo | ||
Azerbaijani | mənfəət | ||
"Mənfaət" shares the etymology with "nefə" which means "breath". Therefore, it figuratively means "breath-giving". Similarly, "fayda" and "yarar" which both mean "profit/benefit" come from the same etymology. Thus, "fayda" literally means "that which brings abundance". In contrast, "ziyan" which has the opposite meaning of "profit" (i.e. "loss") shares the etymology with "ziynet" which means "ornament/decoration". | |||
Kazakh | пайда | ||
"Пайда" also has the alternate meaning of "dividend payment," which is similar to the English word "dividend," coming from the Latin root meaning "to divide." | |||
Kyrgyz | пайда | ||
In Kyrgyz, the word "пайда" has additional meanings such as "benefit" and "advantage." | |||
Tajik | фоида | ||
The word "фоида" is also used in Tajik to refer to the concept of "gain", not just financial profit. | |||
Turkmen | girdeji | ||
Uzbek | foyda | ||
The word "foyda" comes from the New Persian word "fayda" and also means "the act of doing something." | |||
Uyghur | پايدا | ||
Hawaiian | loaʻa kālā | ||
In Hawaiian, "loaʻa kālā" not only means "profit" but also refers to "earnings" and "income." | |||
Maori | hua | ||
In Maori, 'hua' can also refer to the fruit of a tree or the flower of a plant. | |||
Samoan | polofiti | ||
The word "polofiti" can also mean "benefit" or "gain" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tubo | ||
In Tagalog, "tubo" also means "to grow" or "to sprout" and is related to the word "tubo" in Spanish, which means "tube" or "pipe". |
Aymara | jalaqta | ||
Guarani | tembiaporepy | ||
Esperanto | profito | ||
In some languages, "profito" also has the meaning of "advancement, improvement, or benefit". | |||
Latin | lucrum | ||
The Latin word "lucrum" can also refer to gain, advantage, or benefit. |
Greek | κέρδος | ||
The word "κέρδος" comes from the verb "κείρω" meaning "to shear" or "to cut", referring to the profit taken from a flock of sheep. | |||
Hmong | tau nyiaj | ||
The Hmong word "tau nyiaj" can also refer to "interest on money". | |||
Kurdish | birin | ||
The etymology of the Kurdish word "birin" is unclear, and it may be related to other words such as the Persian "berdan"} | |||
Turkish | kar | ||
The word "kar" in Turkish also means "snow". | |||
Xhosa | inzuzo | ||
The word 'inzuzo' can also refer to 'interest' and 'gain' in Xhosa. | |||
Yiddish | נוץ | ||
In Yiddish, "נוץ" is derived from the Hebrew "נוצץ," meaning "to sparkle" or "to shine," suggesting the idea of something valuable or desirable. | |||
Zulu | inzuzo | ||
"Inzuzo" is derived from the verb "zuza," meaning "to hunt", or "to gain"} | |||
Assamese | লাভ | ||
Aymara | jalaqta | ||
Bhojpuri | फायदा | ||
Dhivehi | ފައިދާ | ||
Dogri | लाह् | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tubo | ||
Guarani | tembiaporepy | ||
Ilocano | ganansia | ||
Krio | prɔfit | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | قازانج | ||
Maithili | फायदा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯟꯗꯣꯡ | ||
Mizo | hlep | ||
Oromo | bu'aa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଲାଭ | ||
Quechua | qullqi atipay | ||
Sanskrit | लाभं | ||
Tatar | табыш | ||
Tigrinya | ከስቢ | ||
Tsonga | bindzula | ||