Proper in different languages

Proper in Different Languages

Discover 'Proper' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'proper' is a small but mighty one, carrying with it a sense of appropriateness, correctness, and suitability. Its significance extends far beyond grammar, as it speaks to cultural norms, societal expectations, and personal values. Understanding the nuances of 'proper' in different languages can open up new worlds of cultural appreciation and understanding.

For instance, did you know that in Japanese, 'proper' can be translated to 'tadashii' (ただしい), which not only means 'correct' but also 'genuine' and 'authentic'? Or that in Spanish, 'proper' becomes 'apropiado' (ah-proh-pee-ah-doh), which implies not just correctness, but also appropriateness to a particular situation or context?

Exploring the translation of 'proper' in different languages can shed light on fascinating cultural differences and similarities. From the German 'korrekt' to the French 'approprié', the Italian 'corretto' to the Chinese '合适' (hé shì), the word 'proper' takes on new shades of meaning that can enrich our understanding of the world and its diverse cultures.

Proper


Proper in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansbehoorlik
The word "behoorlik" in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "behoorlijk", meaning "proper" or "fitting".
Amharicትክክል
The word 'ትክክል' can also mean 'accurate' or 'correct' in Amharic.
Hausadace
In Hausa, "dace" also means "good" or "well-behaved."
Igbokwesịrị ekwesị
Malagasyiombonana
The word "iombonana" in Malagasy also means "beautiful" or "perfect".
Nyanja (Chichewa)yoyenera
In the past, 'yoyenera' was used to refer to something that had just been created, such as a house, or a farm, not yet been lived in or tilled.
Shonazvakakodzera
The Shona word "zvakakodzera" not only means "proper" or "correct", but also refers to "something that is necessary or appropriate".
Somalihabboon
The word 'habboon' in Somali, with origins in the Arabic word 'ḥabīb', also means 'lover' or 'beloved'.
Sesotholoketseng
The word "loketseng" derives from the verb "loka", meaning "to be right" or "to be correct".
Swahilisahihi
In addition to meaning "proper" in Swahili, "sahihi" can also refer to the Quran, religious dogma, or law.
Xhosaefanelekileyo
The word "efanelekileyo" in Xhosa can also mean "suitable" or "befitting."
Yorubato dara
The word "dara" in Yoruba also means "beautiful" or "good".
Zuluefanele
"Efanele" is derived from the noun "isifanelo" (right), related to the verb "ukufanela" (befit). It can also mean "fitting" or "appropriate".
Bambaradafalen
Ewenyuietᴐ
Kinyarwandabikwiye
Lingalamalamu
Lugandabulungi
Sepedimaleba
Twi (Akan)papa

Proper in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicلائق
The Arabic word "لائق" (lāʾiq) literally means "attached" but can also mean "suitable" or "worthy."
Hebrewתָקִין
The Hebrew word "תָקִין" also means "to mend" or "to fix".
Pashtoمناسب
"مناسب" is also used in Pashto to mean "fitting".
Arabicلائق
The Arabic word "لائق" (lāʾiq) literally means "attached" but can also mean "suitable" or "worthy."

Proper in Western European Languages

Albaniane duhur
The word "e duhur" derives from the Latin phrase "de horae" meaning "of the hour" highlighting punctuality.
Basqueegokia
The Basque word "egokia" is related to "ego" (suitability) and "ekio" (doing).
Catalanadequat
The word "adequat" also carries connotations of suitability and sufficiency.
Croatianispravan
The word "ispravan" in Croatian also means "healthy" or "correct", and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "ispravъ", meaning "straight" or "upright."
Danishpassende
The word "passende" can also mean "fitting" or "suitable" in Danish.
Dutchgepast
Dutch "gepast" can also mean "fitting" and comes from Middle Dutch "gepas", meaning "to fit, to adjust".
Englishproper
The Latin root of "proper" is "proprius," which can mean "one's own" or "fitting."
Frenchcorrect
In French, the word "correct" also means "polite" or "well-behaved".
Frisianproper
In Frisian, "proper" can also mean "fitting" or "suitable".
Galicianadecuado
The word "adecuado" in Galician is derived from the Latin word "adquadus," meaning "well-suited" or "appropriate."
Germanrichtig
The word "richtig" in German also means "correct" and is derived from the verb "richten", meaning "to set right" or "to judge".
Icelandicalmennilegt
The word "almennilegt" also translates to "usually" or "generally".
Irishceart
In Irish, "ceart" can also mean "right" (as in "morally correct"), or "correct" (as in "factually accurate").
Italiancorretto
Derived from the French word "correct," the term "corretto" can also signify "accompanied" or "spiked" when referring to drinks.
Luxembourgishrichteg
The word "richteg" is a cognate to the English word "right",
Maltesexieraq
"Xieraq" comes from the Arabic word "sharaqa" meaning "to emerge" or "rise".
Norwegianordentlig
"Ordentlig" also means "sufficient" or "adequate" in Norwegian, similar to the English word "decent".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)apropriado
In Portuguese, "apropriado" can also mean "suitable, appropriate, fit, convenient, adequate, apt, rightful, suitable, suitable, convenient, adequate, apt, rightful"
Scots Gaelicceart
The Scots Gaelic word "ceart" can also mean "just" (as in fair), "correct", or "fitting."
Spanishapropiado
The Spanish word "apropiado" also means "convenient" or "suitable."
Swedishrätt
"Rätt" can also mean "dish", as in "jag åt en god rätt" (I ate a good dish).
Welshiawn
The word "iawn" in Welsh has additional meanings such as "worthy" and "suitable", and is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*iowonos" meaning "law" or "rightly."

Proper in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianуласна
"уласна" ("own") comes from "ула","part" and "улас","share"
Bosnianpravilno
The word "pravilno" also means "correctly" or "according to the rules" in Bosnian.
Bulgarianправилно
The Bulgarian word "правилно" also means "correct" or "in the right way."
Czechsprávně
The word "správně" can also mean "correctly" or "rightly" in Czech.
Estoniankorralik
Although "korralik" is often defined as "proper," it also has connotations of "orderly" or "tidy."
Finnishoikea
Oikea is cognate to the English word 'right', with the meaning of 'correct' or 'proper' present in both words.
Hungarianmegfelelő
"Megfelelő" can also mean "appropriate" or "correct".
Latvianpareizi
The word “pareizi” can also mean “correctly”, “accurately”, or “in the right way”.
Lithuaniantinkamas
The word "tinkamas" can also mean "suitable" or "appropriate" depending on the context of its usage.
Macedonianправилно
The word "правилно" in Macedonian derives from the Proto-Slavic form *pravьno, meaning "straight" or "correct."
Polishwłaściwy
The word "właściwy" in Polish can also mean "appropriate", "genuine", or "essential"
Romaniancorect
In Romanian, the word "corect" has an alternate spelling and pronunciation, "corect" (pronounced with an "i" instead of an "e"), which means "to correct" or "to rectify".
Russianправильный
In Russian, "правильный" can also mean "correct" or "grammatically correct."
Serbianправилно
Правилно is also used as the term for "correct" or "valid", and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pravilьnъ, meaning "straight" or "regular".
Slovaksprávne
The word "správne" in Slovak can also mean "correctly" or "rightly".
Slovenianpravilno
The word 'pravilno' also means 'exactly' or 'correctly' in Slovenian.
Ukrainianналежне
In Ukrainian, the word “належне” also refers to the concept of “belonging” or “entitlement”.

Proper in South Asian Languages

Bengaliসঠিক
In Bengali, "সঠিক" can also refer to "correct" or "appropriate".
Gujaratiયોગ્ય
"યોગ્ય" can also mean "appropriate" or "suitable" in Gujarati.
Hindiउचित
The Hindi word "उचित" ("uchit") originates from the Sanskrit word "उच्यत". "उच्यत" means "to utter" or "to speak" and is related to the word "उच्चार". "उच्चार" means "pronunciation" or "utterance".
Kannadaಸರಿಯಾದ
ಸರಿಯಾದ ('proper') is also used to mean 'exact' or 'correct' in Kannada.
Malayalamഉചിതമായത്
The Malayalam word “ഉചിതമായത്” can also mean “suitable”, “appropriate”, or “correct”.
Marathiयोग्य
The Sanskrit root of "योग्य" is "युज्", meaning "yoke" or "join". It can also mean "fit" or "suitable".
Nepaliउचित
The word ''उचित'' comes from the Sanskrit word ''उपयुक्त'' meaning ''fit.''
Punjabiਸਹੀ
ਸਹੀ can also mean correct, true, or appropriate.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)නිසි
The Sinhala word 'නිසි' also means 'clean' and is the root word for 'නිවා', meaning 'to clear'.
Tamilமுறையானது
Teluguసరైనది
సరైనది also means 'right' or 'correct' and derives from the word సరి (sari) meaning 'correct' or 'right'.
Urduمناسب
"مناسب" means "proper," but it can also mean "suitable," "appropriate," or "convenient."

Proper in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)正确
The word "正确" originated from the phrase "正其辞", meaning "to use the correct words".
Chinese (Traditional)正確
The character 正確 is a combination of the words 正 (zheng, meaning "correct") and 確 (que, meaning "accurate").
Japanese適切な
'適切' is also occasionally used to mean 'exact', 'accurate', 'perfect', or 'suitable'.
Korean적절한
The word '적절한' can also mean 'suitable', 'appropriate', or 'fitting'.
Mongolianзөв
The word "зөв" can also mean "right" or "correct" in Mongolian.
Myanmar (Burmese)သင့်လျော်သည်

Proper in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianlayak
The word "layak" in Indonesian is derived from the Arabic word "layiq" which means "fitting" or "befitting".
Javanesepantes
The word "pantes" in Javanese also refers to something that is right, appropriate, or suitable for a particular situation.
Khmerត្រឹមត្រូវ
ត្រឹមត្រូវ comes from the Sanskrit word "sama" meaning "equal" and "correct" and can also mean "right," "apt," "suitable," "fitting," or "appropriate."
Laoເໝາະ ສົມ
Malaybetul
The word 'betul' is also used in Malay to mean 'true' or 'correct'.
Thaiเหมาะสม
The word "เหมาะสม" comes from the Sanskrit word "upamaska", meaning "a simile".
Vietnamesethích hợp
The word "thích hợp" is a Sino-Vietnamese compound derived from the Chinese word "適宜", which means "suitable" or "appropriate".
Filipino (Tagalog)nararapat

Proper in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanidüzgün
The word "düzgün" also means "straight" or "correct".
Kazakhдұрыс
"Дұрыс" (proper) is also used to mean "correct" or "right" in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzтуура
"Туура" is also used to refer to a straight or correct path.
Tajikдуруст
The Tajik word "дуруст" can also refer to health or a cure.
Turkmenlaýyk
Uzbekto'g'ri
The Uzbek word "töğri" is a loanword from the Mongolian language, meaning "correct" or "right."
Uyghurمۇۋاپىق

Proper in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankūpono
"Kūpono" can mean "balanced," "harmonious," or "fitting" in Hawaiian.
Maoritika
The word "tika" can also mean "correct," "right," or "appropriate" in Māori.
Samoantalafeagai
In Samoan, 'talafeagai' not only means 'proper' but also 'right' as in 'correct'.
Tagalog (Filipino)maayos
"Maayos" can also mean "to fix" or "to mend" in Tagalog.

Proper in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarachiqa
Guaraniheseguáva

Proper in International Languages

Esperantokonvena
The word "konvena" in Esperanto comes from the Latin "conveniens", meaning "suitable" or "appropriate."
Latinpropriis
Propriis is derived from the Latin word "proprius," meaning "one's own," and can also mean "peculiar" or "characteristic."}

Proper in Others Languages

Greekκατάλληλος
The Greek term "κατάλληλος" can also mean suitable, appropriate, fit, apt
Hmongtsim nyog
"Tsim nyog" can also mean "correct" or "appropriate" in Hmong.
Kurdishasas
The word "asas" can also mean "regular" or "normal" in Kurdish.
Turkishuygun
The word "uygun" also has the meanings of "suitable", "convenient", and "appropriate" in Turkish.
Xhosaefanelekileyo
The word "efanelekileyo" in Xhosa can also mean "suitable" or "befitting."
Yiddishגעהעריק
The Yiddish word "געהעריק" can also mean "appropriate" or "suitable".
Zuluefanele
"Efanele" is derived from the noun "isifanelo" (right), related to the verb "ukufanela" (befit). It can also mean "fitting" or "appropriate".
Assameseযথাযথ
Aymarachiqa
Bhojpuriठीक
Dhivehiއެކަށީގެންވާ
Dogriजायज
Filipino (Tagalog)nararapat
Guaraniheseguáva
Ilocanokusto
Kriorayt
Kurdish (Sorani)گونجاو
Maithiliउचित
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯃꯑꯣꯡ ꯆꯨꯝꯕ
Mizodik tluang
Oromokan ta'u
Odia (Oriya)ଉପଯୁକ୍ତ
Quechuaallin
Sanskritउचित
Tatarтиеш
Tigrinyaቅቡል
Tsongavukahle

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