Progress in Different Languages
Discover 'Progress' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Progress is a powerful word that signifies movement towards a goal or improvement over time. It's a concept that transcends cultures and languages, driving us to constantly better ourselves and the world around us. From the Great Wall of China, an incredible feat of ancient engineering, to the moon landing, a monumental achievement of modern science, progress has been the driving force behind humanity's greatest accomplishments.
Understanding the word 'progress' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view and approach improvement and change. For example, in Spanish, 'progress' is 'progreso,' while in German, it's 'Fortschritt.' In French, it's 'progrès,' and in Japanese, it's 'shinpo.' Each of these translations offers a unique perspective on the concept of progress, reflecting the values and priorities of the culture in which they are used.
Whether you're a language learner looking to expand your vocabulary or a cultural enthusiast seeking to deepen your understanding of different societies, exploring the translations of 'progress' is a fascinating journey that highlights the richness and diversity of human experience.
Progress
Progress in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vordering | ||
| "Vooruitgang" is the Dutch word for "progress" and is the etymological root of "vordering" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | እድገት | ||
| In Amharic, "እድገት" means not only progress but also a specific form of growth; the process of rising, and a rise or slope. | |||
| Hausa | ci gaba | ||
| "Ci gaba" is also the name of a plant that is said to hasten labor. | |||
| Igbo | ọganihu | ||
| Igbo term ọganihu, "progress," is rooted in "oga," meaning "front" and "nihu," meaning "back," denoting forward movement. | |||
| Malagasy | fandrosoana | ||
| The word "fandrosoana" is derived from the root "androso", meaning either "road" or "forward", combined with the suffix "-ana" used to form nouns. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupita patsogolo | ||
| The word "kupita patsogolo" can also mean "to go forward" or "to advance". | |||
| Shona | kufambira mberi | ||
| Literally translating to 'going forwards', 'kufambira mberi' also alludes to the concept of advancement and development. | |||
| Somali | horumar | ||
| The Somali word "horumar," which has roots in the Arabic word "taqaddum," can also refer to the advancement of a community or an individual within society. | |||
| Sesotho | tsoelo-pele | ||
| Swahili | maendeleo | ||
| The Swahili word "maendeleo" derives from the verb "-enda," meaning "to go," and thus connotes "forward motion" or "progress." | |||
| Xhosa | inkqubela phambili | ||
| The word "inkqubela phambili" in Xhosa has additional meanings such as growth, development, and advancement. | |||
| Yoruba | ilọsiwaju | ||
| Zulu | inqubekela phambili | ||
| The Zulu word "inqubekela phambili" is derived from the verb "inquba," meaning "to march forward," and "phambili," meaning "forward." It therefore literally means "to march forward," capturing the idea of steady and continuous advancement. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛfɛtaali | ||
| Ewe | ŋgᴐyiyi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iterambere | ||
| Lingala | kokende liboso | ||
| Luganda | okukulakulana | ||
| Sepedi | kgatelopele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpuntuo | ||
Progress in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التقدم | ||
| In addition to "progress", "التقدم" also refers to "promotion" in military or administrative contexts. | |||
| Hebrew | התקדמות | ||
| התקדמות' derives from the root 'קדם', meaning 'to go forward' or 'to advance', and also carries the connotation of 'development' or 'improvement'. | |||
| Pashto | پرمختګ | ||
| The word "پرمختګ" ('progress') in Pashto shares its root "پرمخت" with the Persian word "پرموده" ('old, aged'), suggesting a connection between 'progress' and 'the passage of time'. | |||
| Arabic | التقدم | ||
| In addition to "progress", "التقدم" also refers to "promotion" in military or administrative contexts. | |||
Progress in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përparim | ||
| The word "përparim" in Albanian also means "advance" or "improvement." | |||
| Basque | aurrerapena | ||
| Aurrê means 'front' and -pena means 'head' or 'top'. | |||
| Catalan | progrés, progressar | ||
| Catalan "progrés, progressar" ultimately comes from the Latin "porgredior", meaning "to go forward". | |||
| Croatian | napredak | ||
| The word 'napredak' in Croatian also has the connotation of 'improvement' or 'advancement', encompassing a wider range of meaning than its English counterpart. | |||
| Danish | fremskridt | ||
| "Fremskridt" comes from "frem" (forward) and "skridt" (step) and can also be used to mean "procedure" | |||
| Dutch | vooruitgang | ||
| "Vooruitgang" in Dutch, meaning "progress," originally meant "the process of moving forward," and is derived from the words "voor" (forward) and "uit" (out). | |||
| English | progress | ||
| In Latin, "progressus" means "a going forward," and also refers to dancers' steps. | |||
| French | le progrès | ||
| The French word "le progrès" also refers to a "judicial proceeding". | |||
| Frisian | foarútgong | ||
| "Foarútgong" derives from "foar" meaning "in front/forward" and "gong" meaning "going/walking," thus encapsulating the notion of forward motion or advancement. | |||
| Galician | progreso | ||
| The Galician word "progreso" shares an etymological root with the English word "process". This reflects its broader meanings, which include "advancement", "development", and "improvement." | |||
| German | fortschritt | ||
| The word "Fortschritt" in German originally meant "going forward" or "advancing," a sense that is still occasionally used in modern German. | |||
| Icelandic | framfarir | ||
| The Icelandic word 'framfarir' also has a nautical sense meaning 'fair winds and a fast passage' or 'a favorable voyage'. | |||
| Irish | dul chun cinn | ||
| It is an obsolete term from the early 19th century, meaning 'progress' and used to denote a 'procession of young men on horseback'. | |||
| Italian | progresso | ||
| The word "progresso" in Italian can also refer to a "draft" or "rough copy" of a document. | |||
| Luxembourgish | fortschrëtt | ||
| "Fortschrett", like the English word "progress", derives ultimately from the Latin word "progredi", which means to go or move forward. | |||
| Maltese | progress | ||
| In Maltese, "progress" can also mean "to improve" or "to advance". | |||
| Norwegian | framgang | ||
| The word "framgang" also has the alternate meaning of "success" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | progresso | ||
| "Progresso" comes from the Latin "progressus," meaning "advancement" or "development." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | adhartas | ||
| The word 'adhartas' is derived from the Old Irish word 'adharta', meaning "assistance" or "help". | |||
| Spanish | progreso | ||
| In Spanish, "Progreso" is a place name for cities in Mexico, Honduras and Uruguay. | |||
| Swedish | framsteg | ||
| The word "framsteg" in Swedish is derived from the German word "Fortschritt" and has the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Welsh | cynnydd | ||
| The word "cynnydd" comes from the Proto-Celtic root *pro-gred-i-, meaning "to step forward, advance, make progress." | |||
Progress in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прагрэс | ||
| "Прагрэс" is derived from the Latin word "progressus" meaning "advancement" or "development". | |||
| Bosnian | napredak | ||
| The word 'napredak' in Bosnian comes from the Old Slavic word 'napredъ', meaning 'forward' or 'upward'. | |||
| Bulgarian | напредък | ||
| The word "напредък" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*naprědъ", meaning "forward" or "towards". | |||
| Czech | pokrok | ||
| "Pokrok" also means "an axel of a cart" from Proto-Slavic *po-kroky and is related to *kъrgъ "to turn". | |||
| Estonian | edusammud | ||
| The Estonian word "edusammud" can also refer to a "forward move" in a game such as chess or checkers. | |||
| Finnish | edistystä | ||
| Edistys comes from the word "eteen", meaning "forward". | |||
| Hungarian | előrehalad | ||
| "Előrehalad" shares the word root "halad" with "hajó" ("ship"), as the original meaning of the former was "to sail ahead". | |||
| Latvian | progresu | ||
| The word "progresu" is derived from the French word "progrès" meaning "advance" or "improvement." | |||
| Lithuanian | progresas | ||
| The word "progresas" likely comes from the Latin word "progressus," meaning "a going forward". | |||
| Macedonian | напредок | ||
| The word "напредок" "progress" also means "forward". | |||
| Polish | postęp | ||
| The word 'postęp' originates from the Latin word 'post', meaning 'after' or 'behind,' and originally referred to the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. | |||
| Romanian | progres | ||
| Romanian "progres" shares its roots with French "progrès", Portuguese "progresso", English "progress", and Italian "progresso", all stemming from Latin "progressus". | |||
| Russian | прогресс | ||
| The word "progress" in Russian can also mean "a stage in a process" or "a gradual development over time". | |||
| Serbian | напредак | ||
| The Serbian word "напредак" derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*napъ", meaning "to go forward, to progress", and is cognate with the English word "navigate". | |||
| Slovak | pokrok | ||
| "Pokrok" also means "spinning" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | napredek | ||
| Napredek originates from the verb "napredovati" and shares its root with the word "pred" (in front). | |||
| Ukrainian | прогрес | ||
| The word "прогрес" in Ukrainian is derived from the Latin word "progressus", which means "to move forward" or "to advance". | |||
Progress in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অগ্রগতি | ||
| অগ্রগতি means 'progress' in Bengali. It also refers to the act of advancing or moving forward. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રગતિ | ||
| The word 'પ્રગતિ' (progress) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word 'प्रगति' and also means 'advancement', 'improvement', and 'development'. | |||
| Hindi | प्रगति | ||
| प्रगति is also used to refer to the forward movement of an idea, plan, or project | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಗತಿ | ||
| The word "ಪ್ರಗತಿ" can also mean "advancement" or "development" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പുരോഗതി | ||
| Marathi | प्रगती | ||
| प्रगती is a feminine noun derived from the masculine noun 'प्रग्रह' ('movement') and thus literally means 'moving forward' | |||
| Nepali | प्रगति | ||
| The term "प्रगति" is derived from Sanskrit roots meaning "to pass through" or "to go forward", suggesting a sense of gradual advancement or movement. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਰੱਕੀ | ||
| The word "ਤਰੱਕੀ" (tarakki), meaning "progress," is derived from the Persian word "taraggi," which means "to ascend, get promoted, or succeed." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රගතිය | ||
| ප්රගතිය (Pragingathiya) is a Sanskrit word that also means "to move forward" or "to advance." | |||
| Tamil | முன்னேற்றம் | ||
| "முன்னேற்றம்" in Tamil can also refer to the act of going ahead or forward, as well as to a state of advancement or development. | |||
| Telugu | పురోగతి | ||
| పురోగతి comes from the Sanskrit root యూర (pura), meaning పూరవ సాల (purava sala), or eastern city. | |||
| Urdu | ترقی | ||
| ترقی is derived from the Arabic word "tarqiyah", which means "ascent" or "elevation". | |||
Progress in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 进展 | ||
| 进展 means 'progress' in Mandarin, but also 'to develop' when referring to a storyline. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 進展 | ||
| 進展 combines 進, meaning advance, and 展, meaning open or expand. | |||
| Japanese | 進捗 | ||
| '進捗' also means 'a ship's passage' because of its original meaning 'to advance' | |||
| Korean | 진행 | ||
| "진행" originates from the Chinese word "進行", meaning "to go forward" or "to advance". | |||
| Mongolian | ахиц дэвшил | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုးတက်မှု | ||
Progress in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kemajuan | ||
| The Indonesian word "kemajuan" derives from the Arabic root "qdm" meaning "to advance". | |||
| Javanese | kemajuan | ||
| Kemajuan in Javanese can also mean 'to move forward' or 'to advance'. | |||
| Khmer | វឌ្ឍនភាព | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມຄືບ ໜ້າ | ||
| Malay | kemajuan | ||
| "Kemajuan" (progress) derives from the root word "maju," meaning "forward." | |||
| Thai | ความคืบหน้า | ||
| The etymology of “ความคืบหน้า” (“progress”) hints at a sense of gradual disclosure, as the root “คืบ” (“advance”) implies inching forward. | |||
| Vietnamese | phát triển | ||
| In Vietnamese, "phát triển" can also refer to "development" or "growth" in a broad sense, not just in terms of progress. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-unlad | ||
Progress in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tərəqqi | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, "tərəqqi" also meant "loan", referring to the Ottoman public loans during the 19th century. | |||
| Kazakh | прогресс | ||
| "Прогресс" is also used to refer to a type of cake in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | прогресс | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "прогресс" also means "development" or "advancement". | |||
| Tajik | пешрафт | ||
| The Tajik word "пешрафт" is derived from the Persian word "پیشرفت" which means "advancement" or "progress". | |||
| Turkmen | ösüş | ||
| Uzbek | taraqqiyot | ||
| In Persian, the word "taraqqi" means to advance or make progress, while in Uzbek it specifically refers to social or economic development. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىلگىرىلەش | ||
Progress in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | holomua | ||
| The word "holomua" in Hawaiian has cognates in other Polynesian languages, such as "holo" (movement) in Samoan and "holo" (to go) in Tongan. | |||
| Maori | ahunga whakamua | ||
| The term "ahunga whakamua" can also refer to "advancing," "going forward," or "moving onward." | |||
| Samoan | alualu i luma | ||
| 'Alualu'i luma has the alternate meaning of 'to advance', 'to make progress', 'to get better', 'to move forward'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-unlad | ||
| In Tagalog, the word "pag-unlad" can also refer to the growth or development of a community or organization. | |||
Progress in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiltäwi | ||
| Guarani | akãrapu'ã | ||
Progress in International Languages
| Esperanto | progreso | ||
| The Esperanto word "progreso" is derived from the Latin word "progressus", meaning "forward movement". | |||
| Latin | progressus | ||
| The noun 'progressus' also refers to 'coming forward' in legal or official contexts, or an 'advancement or departure' in a more general sense. | |||
Progress in Others Languages
| Greek | πρόοδος | ||
| The Greek word "πρόοδος," commonly translated as "progress," originally referred to "advancement" in space or time, or to a "march" or "campaign." | |||
| Hmong | kev nruam ntej | ||
| 'Kev nruam ntej' literally means 'going forward', and its use in the context of progress may be due to the idea of moving forward towards a better future. | |||
| Kurdish | pêşverûtî | ||
| The word "pêşverûtî" in Kurdish originates from the Persian word "pīshraft" and also means "advance" or "improvement". | |||
| Turkish | ilerleme | ||
| "İlerleme" kelimesi "ileri" ve "-me" ekinden oluşur ve "daha ileri gitme" anlamına gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | inkqubela phambili | ||
| The word "inkqubela phambili" in Xhosa has additional meanings such as growth, development, and advancement. | |||
| Yiddish | פּראָגרעס | ||
| "פּראָגרעס" in Yiddish can mean both "progress" and "to annoy". | |||
| Zulu | inqubekela phambili | ||
| The Zulu word "inqubekela phambili" is derived from the verb "inquba," meaning "to march forward," and "phambili," meaning "forward." It therefore literally means "to march forward," capturing the idea of steady and continuous advancement. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰগতি | ||
| Aymara | jiltäwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | आगे बढ़ल | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުރިއެރުން | ||
| Dogri | तरक्की | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-unlad | ||
| Guarani | akãrapu'ã | ||
| Ilocano | pagannayasan | ||
| Krio | go bifo | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرەو پێش چوون | ||
| Maithili | प्रगति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯃꯥꯡ ꯆꯥꯎꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hmasawn | ||
| Oromo | fooyya'iinsa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରଗତି | ||
| Quechua | puriy | ||
| Sanskrit | विकासः | ||
| Tatar | алгарыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ምዕባለ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzima | ||