Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'prove' holds immense significance in our daily lives and communication. It is used to establish the truth or validity of something, often through evidence or argument. The concept of proving something is not only crucial in various fields such as mathematics, science, and law, but it also plays a vital role in our personal lives as we constantly try to prove our worth, abilities, and ideas.
Moreover, the cultural importance of 'prove' is undeniable. From ancient philosophical debates to modern-day courtroom dramas, the act of proving has been a central theme in many cultural contexts. It reflects our innate desire to seek truth, justice, and certainty in an uncertain world.
If you're learning a new language or exploring different cultures, understanding the translation of 'prove' can be particularly interesting. For instance, in Spanish, 'prove' translates to 'probar,' while in German, it is 'beweisen.' In French, 'prouver' is the equivalent of 'prove,' and in Japanese, it is '証明する' (shoumei suru).
Exploring the translations of 'prove' in different languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers insights into how different cultures approach the concept of proving.
Afrikaans | bewys | ||
The Afrikaans word "bewys" is derived from Old Dutch "bewijsen" which not only meant "to prove" but also "to know for sure". In Afrikaans the latter meaning is largely lost. | |||
Amharic | አረጋግጥ | ||
Hausa | tabbatar | ||
From the Arabic word `thabata`, meaning to establish, affirm | |||
Igbo | gosi | ||
In a legal context, “gosi” carries a dual meaning, encompassing both “prove” and “plead”. | |||
Malagasy | aoka | ||
The word "aoka" in Malagasy can also mean "let" or "allow". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | onetsani | ||
The word "onetsani" in Nyanja is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-tsani" meaning "to try". | |||
Shona | ratidza | ||
The word "ratidza" can also mean "to verify" or "to confirm". | |||
Somali | caddee | ||
The root word, cadde, also means `to appear' and is commonly heard at graduation when it's announced that graduates are ready to `cadday', a wordplay combining its dictionary meaning, `to prove', and its implication of being available to `come forth'. | |||
Sesotho | paka | ||
The word "paka" in Sesotho also means "to ripen" or "to mature". | |||
Swahili | thibitisha | ||
The word "thibitisha" is derived from the Arabic word "thabat" meaning "to be firm" or "to be established". | |||
Xhosa | ngqina | ||
Some Xhosa words are homographs and can have up to 5 meanings: "Ngqina" can also mean "a person of Ngqina clan, Ngqina town or in front of". | |||
Yoruba | fihan | ||
The word "fihan" has an alternate meaning in Yoruba, which is "to put on trial" | |||
Zulu | fakazela | ||
The word 'fakazela' also means 'to show' or 'to demonstrate' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | ka kíisa yira | ||
Ewe | ɖo kpe edzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | garagaza | ||
Lingala | kondimisa | ||
Luganda | okuwa obukakafu | ||
Sepedi | bontšha | ||
Twi (Akan) | fa nnyinasoɔ bra | ||
Arabic | إثبات | ||
The word “إثبات” also means “establishment” and “confirmation”. | |||
Hebrew | לְהוֹכִיחַ | ||
The Hebrew word "לְהוֹכִיחַ" can also mean "to reprove" or "to rebuke". | |||
Pashto | ثابتول | ||
"ثابتول" in Pashto means "prove" but also is used to mean "establish," "settle," and "decide." | |||
Arabic | إثبات | ||
The word “إثبات” also means “establishment” and “confirmation”. |
Albanian | provoj | ||
The Albanian word 'provoj' is derived from the Latin word 'prodere', meaning 'to betray'. Originally, it had similar connotations and implied treachery, but over time it lost its negative meaning and now solely signifies proving or demonstrating something. | |||
Basque | frogatu | ||
The etymology of the Basque word "frogatu" is not certain, but it may be related to the Latin word "rogare", meaning "to ask". | |||
Catalan | demostrar | ||
The Catalan word “demostrar” derives from the Latin word “dēmŏnstrāre,” meaning “to point out” or “to show,” and also relates to the concept of “proof.” | |||
Croatian | dokazati | ||
"Dokazati" can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic *dokazati, meaning "to call out as a witness," suggesting that evidence was crucial for proving something. | |||
Danish | bevise | ||
In Danish, "bevise" is a synonym for "attest", which means to provide evidence to support a claim or statement. | |||
Dutch | bewijzen | ||
While "bewijzen" usually means "to prove," it can also mean "to demonstrate" or "to show evidence" in Dutch. | |||
English | prove | ||
The word "prove" originates from the Latin word "probare," which means "to test" or "to approve." | |||
French | prouver | ||
The verb "prouver" comes from the Latin "probāre", which means "test" and "approve". | |||
Frisian | bewize | ||
The Frisian word 'bewize' is cognate with the English word 'wise', and originally meant 'to show'. It is also related to the word 'wit', meaning 'knowledge' or 'understanding'. | |||
Galician | demostrar | ||
In Brazilian Portuguese, "demonstrar" can also mean "to express" or "show" emotions. | |||
German | beweisen | ||
In modern usage, it can also mean "demonstrate" or "give evidence for". | |||
Icelandic | sanna | ||
"Sanna" also means "true" as an alternate meaning and derives from the Old Norse word "sannr". | |||
Irish | chruthú | ||
The word | |||
Italian | dimostrare | ||
Dimostrare derives from the Latin "demonstrare" which means "to show" or "to present to the senses." | |||
Luxembourgish | beweisen | ||
The word "beweisen" in Luxembourgish can also mean "to convince" or "to persuade". | |||
Maltese | ipprova | ||
Maltese word "ipprova" shares the etymological root "probāre" with the English "prove", but also carries the meaning "to try". | |||
Norwegian | bevise | ||
"Atterhalde bevise at det ikkje er noko klage" (1480); "det er ikkje bevist at han er skuldig" (1953) (Norsk Ordbok) | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | provar | ||
The Portuguese word "provar" also means "to taste" and comes from the Latin "probare" (to approve, to prove). | |||
Scots Gaelic | dearbhadh | ||
Dearbhadh comes from the same root as “dearbh” (“proof”) and can also mean “evidence” or “testimony”. | |||
Spanish | probar | ||
Probar also means "to taste" and comes from the Latin word *probare* meaning "to approve". | |||
Swedish | bevisa | ||
The word "bevisa" is derived from the Old Norse word "bevís", meaning "proof". | |||
Welsh | profi | ||
The Welsh word "profi" is also used in a slang sense to mean "excellent" or "very good". |
Belarusian | даказаць | ||
The word "даказаць" ultimately comes from the Proto-Slavic "dokazati", which has the same meaning, and is related to the words "казаць" and "показуха". | |||
Bosnian | dokazati | ||
The word 'dokazati' in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'dokazati', which also means 'to show' or 'to demonstrate'. | |||
Bulgarian | докажи | ||
The word "докажи" can also mean "to show", "to demonstrate", or "to prove". | |||
Czech | dokázat | ||
While the word "dokázat" means "prove" in Czech, it also has the alternate meaning of "to experience" or "to go through". | |||
Estonian | tõestama | ||
In Estonian, tõestma primarily refers to 'to assert something as true' and can also mean 'to make something a reality' or 'to verify'. | |||
Finnish | todistaa | ||
The word 'todistaa' also means 'to witness' in Finnish | |||
Hungarian | bizonyít | ||
"Bizonyít", meaning "to prove", also means "to demonstrate", "to confirm", or "to justify" in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | pierādīt | ||
The word "pierādīt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- "to test" and can also mean "to try" or "to verify". | |||
Lithuanian | įrodyti | ||
The Lithuanian word "įrodyti" also means "to demonstrate". | |||
Macedonian | доказ | ||
The Macedonian word "доказ" is cognate with the Serbian word "доказ" and the Russian word "доказ", which all mean "proof" or "evidence". The word is also related to the French word "docteur", which means "doctor". | |||
Polish | okazać się | ||
"Okazać się" ('prove') originally meant 'to show' or 'to demonstrate'; it came to mean 'to prove' via Old Polish 'okazować' ('to show up')." | |||
Romanian | dovedi | ||
"Dovezi" (proof) comes from the Slavic for "to take" or "to bring" and has the same origin as Romanian "duce" (to lead). | |||
Russian | доказать | ||
Доказать is cognate with the verb ведать, meaning to know, and literally means 'to make known'. | |||
Serbian | доказати | ||
The word 'доказати' can also mean 'to demonstrate', 'to substantiate', or 'to verify'. | |||
Slovak | dokázať | ||
The word "dokázať" in Slovak can also mean "to be able to" or "to manage to", demonstrating its semantic range beyond simply proving something. | |||
Slovenian | dokazati | ||
The word "dokazati" in Slovenian also means "to experience" or "to live through". | |||
Ukrainian | довести | ||
The root of "довести" is *ved-, meaning "вести, веда, ведать." The semantic change to "prove" comes through its use from 1840, in legal texts. |
Bengali | প্রমাণ | ||
The Bengali word "প্রমাণ" (prove) has origins in Sanskrit and also means "proof" or "evidence". | |||
Gujarati | સાબિત | ||
સાબિત also means 'whole' or 'unbroken' in Gujarati, and is related to the Hindi word 'sabit' having the same meaning. | |||
Hindi | साबित करना | ||
The Hindi word 'साबित करना' has its roots in the Sanskrit verb 'सिद्ध' (siddh), which means 'to establish, accomplish, or confirm.' | |||
Kannada | ಸಾಬೀತುಪಡಿಸಿ | ||
Malayalam | തെളിയിക്കുക | ||
The word "തെളിയിക്കുക" in Malayalam derives from the Proto-Dravidian root *tel- "to be clear" via the Old Tamil word *teḷivu "clarity"} | |||
Marathi | सिद्ध करा | ||
The verb "सिद्ध करा" (prove) derives from the Sanskrit root "सिध्" (succeed) and shares etymological roots with words like "success" and "accomplishment". | |||
Nepali | प्रमाणित गर्नुहोस् | ||
The word 'प्रमाणित गर्नुहोस्' (prove) in Nepali shares its etymology with the Sanskrit word 'प्रमाण' (proof), meaning 'standard, measure, or authority'. | |||
Punjabi | ਸਾਬਤ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔප්පු කරන්න | ||
Tamil | நிரூபிக்க | ||
The word 'நிரூபிக்க' ('prove') in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word 'निर्दिष्ट' ('specified, fixed'), which means to demonstrate or establish with certainty. | |||
Telugu | నిరూపించండి | ||
Urdu | ثابت | ||
ثابت can also mean constant, steady, or confirmed in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 证明 | ||
The term '证明' not only means 'prove', but also 'evidence' and 'demonstration'. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 證明 | ||
"證明" (prove) has ancient roots in Chinese. It originally meant "to rectify" or "to set right." | |||
Japanese | 証明する | ||
As a noun, "証明する" can also mean "certificate" or "proof." | |||
Korean | 알다 | ||
"알다" is cognate with "아시다" and "야지" (dialect) and originally meant "know". | |||
Mongolian | нотлох | ||
The verb нотлох also carries the meanings of: to test (something), to demonstrate or to show, to present or to hand in. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်သေပြပါ | ||
Indonesian | membuktikan | ||
In Javanese, "membuktikan" can also mean "to give birth". | |||
Javanese | mbuktekaken | ||
Mbuktekaken can also mean 'to show' or 'to demonstrate'. | |||
Khmer | បញ្ជាក់ | ||
"បញ្ជាក់" is derived from the Sanskrit word "prajñapta" meaning "established, fixed". This root is also found in the Thai word "prachan" which means "to announce". | |||
Lao | ພິສູດ | ||
The word "ພິສູດ" (prove) in Lao is derived from the Sanskrit word "prajñāpta" meaning "established" or "verified". | |||
Malay | membuktikan | ||
Membuktikan shares root words with the Malay word membukit - meaning "to prove" as well as the Indonesian word bukt "evidence" and "proof". | |||
Thai | พิสูจน์ | ||
พิสูจน์ (พิ-สูน) <บาลี ปสีทธ, สํสกฤต ปสีทฺธะ, แปลว่า สิ่งที่ทำให้ให้เป็นที่เชื่อได้> | |||
Vietnamese | chứng minh | ||
Chứng minh is derived from the Chinese phrase "證明", meaning "to demonstrate" or even "reasoning proof". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | patunayan | ||
Azerbaijani | sübut et | ||
The word "sübut et" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "subūt", meaning "evidence" or "proof". | |||
Kazakh | дәлелдеу | ||
The word "дәлелдеу" is derived from the Arabic word "دليل" (dalīl), which means "proof" or "evidence". | |||
Kyrgyz | далилдөө | ||
Далилдөө has an alternate meaning: "to indicate, to clarify, to specify, to mark". | |||
Tajik | исбот кунед | ||
The word "исбот кунед" can also mean "to demonstrate" or "to show". | |||
Turkmen | subut et | ||
Uzbek | isbotlash | ||
Isbotlash - To prove | Establish | Verify | Confirm | |||
Uyghur | ئىسپاتلاش | ||
Hawaiian | hōʻoia | ||
"Hōʻoia" can also mean "to affirm" or "to confirm" in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | whakamatau | ||
In Maori, the word 'whakamatau' means to test or verify something, but it also has a deeper meaning of 'making something true' or 'establishing the truth'. | |||
Samoan | faʻamaonia | ||
The word "faʻamaonia" in Samoan is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root word "*moni", meaning "to verify" or "to confirm". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | patunayan | ||
The word "patunayan" is derived from the root word "patunay," which means "proof" or "evidence."} |
Aymara | yant'aña | ||
Guarani | ha'ã | ||
Esperanto | pruvi | ||
The Esperanto word "pruvi" is also a Latin word meaning "to try", and its root "prob-" is related to the English words "probe" and "problem". | |||
Latin | probare | ||
In Latin, "probare" also means "to approve," "to like," or "to test or try." |
Greek | αποδεικνύω | ||
The Greek word αποδεικνύω (prove) also has the alternate meanings of “show” or “make clear” and derives from the roots απο- (away) and δείκνυμι (to show). | |||
Hmong | ua pov thawj | ||
Ua pov thawj is also used to mean 'correct,' 'true,' or 'right'. | |||
Kurdish | delîlkirin | ||
Delîlkirin (Kurdish) shares an origin with | |||
Turkish | kanıtlamak | ||
"Kanıtlamak" is also used as a noun meaning "proof" or "evidence". | |||
Xhosa | ngqina | ||
Some Xhosa words are homographs and can have up to 5 meanings: "Ngqina" can also mean "a person of Ngqina clan, Ngqina town or in front of". | |||
Yiddish | באַווייַזן | ||
באַווייַזן is borrowed from the German "beweisen" and also means "evidence". | |||
Zulu | fakazela | ||
The word 'fakazela' also means 'to show' or 'to demonstrate' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | প্ৰমাণ কৰা | ||
Aymara | yant'aña | ||
Bhojpuri | साबित करऽ | ||
Dhivehi | ސާބިތުކުރުން | ||
Dogri | साबत करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | patunayan | ||
Guarani | ha'ã | ||
Ilocano | paneknekan | ||
Krio | pruf | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سەلماندن | ||
Maithili | साबित | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯠꯄ | ||
Mizo | tifiah | ||
Oromo | mirkaneessuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରମାଣ କର | | ||
Quechua | malliy | ||
Sanskrit | प्रमाणन | ||
Tatar | исбатлау | ||
Tigrinya | መርትዖ | ||
Tsonga | tikombisa | ||