Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'reach' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting the ability to extend, to touch or influence something or someone. It's a word that transcends cultural boundaries, highlighting our shared human experience of striving to connect and make an impact.
Historically, 'reach' has been used in various contexts, from medieval architecture, where it referred to the distance between the ground and the lowest branch of a tree, to the modern business world, where it signifies a company's ability to penetrate markets and engage customers.
Given its importance and cultural resonance, it's not surprising that many languages have their own translations for 'reach'. These translations not only provide insight into how different cultures conceptualize this idea but also serve as a bridge, enabling us to communicate and understand each other better.
So, whether you're a linguist, a cultural enthusiast, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'reach' in different languages is a journey worth embarking on.
Afrikaans | bereik | ||
"Bereik" is the Afrikaans word for "reach," but it can also mean "area" or "field." | |||
Amharic | መድረስ | ||
The word "መድረስ" is used figuratively in Amharic to also mean "to achieve" or "to succeed". | |||
Hausa | isa | ||
The word "isa" also means "to arrive" or "to come" in Hausa. | |||
Igbo | iru | ||
Iru can also mean 'get to', 'obtain', or 'arrive at' | |||
Malagasy | takatry | ||
In addition to the verb "to reach," "takatry" can also refer to "to go to," "to go to the end," "to try," "to attempt," "to endure," "to persevere," or "to finish." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kufikira | ||
The Nyanja word 'kufikira' can also mean 'to think' or 'to consider'. | |||
Shona | kusvika | ||
The Shona word "kusvika" can also refer to the process of "arriving somewhere" or "getting there". | |||
Somali | gaadho | ||
The word "gaadho" in Somali has alternate meanings such as "arrive" and "attain". | |||
Sesotho | fihlella | ||
The word "fihlella" in Sesotho can also mean "be in charge" or "be responsible for something". | |||
Swahili | kufikia | ||
The word 'kufikia' can also refer to the concept of arrival or fulfillment. | |||
Xhosa | ukufikelela | ||
The word "ukufikelela" in Xhosa is derived from the verb "ukufika," meaning "to arrive," and can also mean "to achieve" or "to attain." | |||
Yoruba | de ọdọ | ||
A related meaning of "de ọdọ" is "to arrive at", "to reach a destination". | |||
Zulu | finyelela | ||
The word "finyelela" in Zulu also has the meaning of "arrive at" or "attain". | |||
Bambara | ka sɔrɔ | ||
Ewe | te ɖe egbɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | kugera | ||
Lingala | kokoma | ||
Luganda | okutuuka | ||
Sepedi | fihlelela | ||
Twi (Akan) | duru | ||
Arabic | تصل | ||
"تصل" is the result of concatenating the prefix "ت" with the verb root "وصل" which also means "to reach". | |||
Hebrew | לְהַגִיעַ | ||
The Hebrew verb "להגיע" can also mean "to arrive" or "to attain". | |||
Pashto | رسيدل | ||
The word "رسيدل" can also refer to a destination or a target. | |||
Arabic | تصل | ||
"تصل" is the result of concatenating the prefix "ت" with the verb root "وصل" which also means "to reach". |
Albanian | arrij | ||
The word "arrij" in Albanian derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *reg- ("to stretch, reach, set in motion"). | |||
Basque | iritsi | ||
The term 'iritsi' has several related meanings in Basque, including 'to arrive,' 'to obtain,' and 'to happen'. | |||
Catalan | arribar | ||
The Catalan verb "arribar" derives from the Latin "ad ripam", meaning "to the edge". | |||
Croatian | dohvatiti | ||
The word "dohvatiti" also means "to comprehend" or "to acquire knowledge", and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "dhāvati" meaning "to run". | |||
Danish | nå | ||
In Norwegian, nå means now, and in Swedish,någon means someone. | |||
Dutch | bereiken | ||
The word “bereiken” shares its origin with the English word “beacon” and has the additional meaning of “to enlighten”. | |||
English | reach | ||
The word "reach" originally meant "a stretch of land" or "a range of mountains". | |||
French | atteindre | ||
Derived from Latin “attingere” (“to touch, attain”), related to “tangere” (“to touch”) from Indo-European root “tag-”, meaning “to touch.” | |||
Frisian | berikke | ||
The Proto-Germanic word berikan ('to attain') can also mean 'to preserve' or 'to recover' in Frisian, like the Old English 'beorgan'. | |||
Galician | alcance | ||
"Alcance" is commonly used in the sense of reach in Galician as in English, but can also take the meaning of ``ability to obtain, achieve, etc.`` | |||
German | erreichen | ||
The verb "erreichen" can also be used in the sense of "to achieve" or "to attain". | |||
Icelandic | ná | ||
In addition to meaning "reach," "ná" can also refer to the distance one can stretch one's arm, particularly to reach something. | |||
Irish | sroicheadh | ||
The Irish word "sroicheadh" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₃reg-," meaning "to stretch, reach, or touch." | |||
Italian | raggiungere | ||
The word "raggiungere" derives from the Latin "re-ad-iungere" meaning "to join again" or "to reunite". | |||
Luxembourgish | erreechen | ||
The Luxembourgish word "erreechen" is derived from the Middle High German word "erreichen," which means "to attain" or "to achieve." | |||
Maltese | tilħaq | ||
The word "tilħaq" can also mean "to arrive at" or "to obtain". | |||
Norwegian | å nå | ||
In Norwegian, "å nå" can also mean "to obtain" or "to achieve". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alcance | ||
Alcance is derived from Arabic words "al qaws" meaning "rainbow" or "arch". | |||
Scots Gaelic | ruighinn | ||
Ruighinn derives from a Proto-Celtic word, possibly "rig-" meaning "run, flow", and is cognate with French "ruisseau" (brook), Welsh "rhigol" (channel), and Latin "rigare" (irrigate). | |||
Spanish | alcanzar | ||
'Alcanzar' derives from the Arabic 'al-kanasa', which means 'to acquire mastery over' or 'to possess'. | |||
Swedish | nå | ||
The Swedish word "nå" also shares roots with the English word "now", denoting a point in time. | |||
Welsh | cyrraedd | ||
In Welsh mythology, 'cyrraedd' was a magical spell causing someone to reach a distant place instantly. |
Belarusian | дасягнуць | ||
The Belarusian word "дасягнуць" can also mean "to achieve", "to arrive at", and "to attain". | |||
Bosnian | dohvat | ||
The word "dohvat" also carries the connotation of "grasping" or "apprehending" in Bosnian, signifying a more cognitive and intentional act of reaching. | |||
Bulgarian | достигнат | ||
The verb "достигнат" can also mean "attain" or "arrive at". It can also be used in a figurative sense to mean "achieve" or "accomplish". | |||
Czech | dosáhnout | ||
The word "dosáhnout" can also mean "to achieve" or "to obtain". | |||
Estonian | jõuda | ||
The Estonian word "jõuda" also means "be able to do something" or "manage to do something". | |||
Finnish | tavoittaa | ||
"Tavoittaa" comes from the word "tavoite" (goal), ultimately deriving from the Proto-Uralic word *toje̮- (arrive). | |||
Hungarian | elérni | ||
The word "elérni" can also mean "to achieve" or "to attain" in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | sasniegt | ||
The word "sasniegt" can also refer to obtaining a goal or achieving a result. | |||
Lithuanian | pasiekti | ||
The word "pasiekti" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *sekw-, meaning "to follow". It also shares its root with the words "sekti" (to follow), "susticti" (to meet), and "susekti" (to find). | |||
Macedonian | достигне | ||
In Polish, the word "dotknąć" also means "to touch" or "to feel". | |||
Polish | dosięgnąć | ||
The word "dosięgnąć" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "dosęči", which means "to reach" and can also mean "to attain" or "to acquire". | |||
Romanian | a ajunge | ||
The Romanian verb "a ajunge" means "to arrive" or "to get to a place," but also has the figurative meaning of "to achieve" or "to obtain." | |||
Russian | достичь | ||
The word "достичь" (reach) comes from the Proto-Slavic root *dostignǫti, which also means "to get to". In addition, "достичь" can refer to achieving a goal or result. | |||
Serbian | досегнути | ||
The word "досегнути" (reach) in Serbian also means "to attain" or "to achieve". | |||
Slovak | dosiahnuť | ||
The verb "dosiahnuť" in Slovak can also mean "to achieve, to attain, to get"} | |||
Slovenian | doseči | ||
The word 'doseči' can also mean to accomplish or achieve something. | |||
Ukrainian | досягти | ||
Досягти ('reach') was derived from the 16th-century Ukrainian word 'досяг' ('attained'). |
Bengali | পৌঁছানো | ||
In Sanskrit, "prapta" means "attained", "arrived", or "obtained". | |||
Gujarati | પહોંચ | ||
The word "પહોંચ" can also mean "access", "influence", or "grasp". | |||
Hindi | पहुंच | ||
The word "पहुंच" in Hindi can also mean "access" or "influence". | |||
Kannada | ತಲುಪಲು | ||
The verb ತಲುಪಲು (talupalu) is also used figuratively to indicate 'to understand' or 'to attain a goal'. | |||
Malayalam | എത്തിച്ചേരുക | ||
Marathi | पोहोचणे | ||
The word "पोहोचणे" can also mean "to arrive" or "to attain". | |||
Nepali | पुग्नु | ||
The word "पुग्नु" is related to the Sanskrit word "प्राप्त" (prāpta), which also means "to reach" or "to arrive". | |||
Punjabi | ਪਹੁੰਚੋ | ||
ਪਹੁੰਚੋ (pahuchō) in Punjabi has alternate meanings of 'to touch, to come to the level or standard of, to attain or acquire, to understand, to come to a decision or conclusion' | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ළඟා වන්න | ||
"ළඟා වන්න" can refer to physically approaching a destination or metaphorically achieving a goal. | |||
Tamil | அடைய | ||
"அடைய" derives from the root "அட" meaning "to be near" and is also used to mean "to embrace" and "to join". | |||
Telugu | చేరుకోండి | ||
The Telugu word "చేరుకోండి" can also mean "to attain, to achieve, to arrive at, to get to, to come to". | |||
Urdu | پہنچنا | ||
The word "پہنچنا" can also mean "to arrive" or "to attain". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 达到 | ||
The word "达到" can also mean "arrive" or "attain". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 達到 | ||
"達到" can also mean "attain" or "arrive at". | |||
Japanese | リーチ | ||
The word "リーチ" can also refer to the act of calling "riichi" in the game of Mahjong. | |||
Korean | 범위 | ||
범위 (bomwi) means "reach" in Korean, but it also refers to a scope, range, or extent. | |||
Mongolian | хүрэх | ||
"Хүрэх" is also the Mongolian word for "arrive". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရောက်ရှိ | ||
Indonesian | mencapai | ||
"Mencapai" (reach) can also mean "to arrive", "to ascend" or "to accomplish". | |||
Javanese | tekan | ||
The Javanese word "tekan" has alternate meanings and is etymologically linked to other languages such as Sanskrit and Malay, conveying various shades of connection, impact, and attainment. | |||
Khmer | ឈានដល់ | ||
The Khmer word "ឈានដល់" also means "to arrive" or "to attain". | |||
Lao | ບັນລຸ | ||
The Lao word ບັນລຸ (banlu) is derived from the Pali word pallabhati, meaning "to reach, to arrive at, to obtain." | |||
Malay | mencapai | ||
The Malay word "mencapai" is derived from the Sanskrit word "manchati" meaning "to reach" or "to arrive at". It can also be used to mean "to achieve" or "to accomplish". | |||
Thai | เอื้อม | ||
"เอื้อม" (reach) can also mean "to extend one's influence or power." | |||
Vietnamese | chạm tới | ||
Etymology: Hán-Việt of Chinese chạm (sờ, đụng). | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | maabot | ||
Azerbaijani | çatmaq | ||
The word "çatmaq" in Azerbaijani also means "to encounter" or "to meet". | |||
Kazakh | жету | ||
The Kazakh word "жету" also means "to overtake" or "to outrun". | |||
Kyrgyz | жетүү | ||
The Kyrgyz word "жетүү" (reach) also means "to arrive" or "to get something. | |||
Tajik | расидан | ||
The word "расидан" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "رسیدن" meaning "to arrive" or "obtain." | |||
Turkmen | ýetmek | ||
Uzbek | yetmoq | ||
Yetmoq in Uzbek also means "to achieve". | |||
Uyghur | يەت | ||
Hawaiian | hiki | ||
It is also a suffix that means "to pull" or "to drag" in the causative voice. | |||
Maori | toro | ||
"Toro" in Maori also means "to climb" or "to rise". | |||
Samoan | aapa | ||
The Samoan word "aapa" also means "to obtain" or "to achieve". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | maabot | ||
"Maabot" can also refer to "sufficient" in terms of quantity or "attainable" in terms of goals. |
Aymara | jikxataña | ||
Guarani | hupyty | ||
Esperanto | atingi | ||
The Esperanto word "atingi" is derived from the Latin word "attingere," meaning "to touch" | |||
Latin | semoto | ||
The Latin word "semoto" means "separate," "set aside," or "removed," but it can also be used to describe the act of "stretching out" or "reaching for" something. |
Greek | φθάνω | ||
The verb "φθάνω" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bʰewdʰ-, which also gives rise to English "bud" and Latin "fodio" (dig). | |||
Hmong | ncav cuag | ||
The Hmong term "ncav cuag" has an additional alternate use in reference to "meeting a goal" analogous with the English verb, “accomplish”. | |||
Kurdish | gîhaştin | ||
The word "gîhaştin" in Kurdish is etymologically related to the Persian word "râsidan" (meaning "to arrive"), and also has the alternate meaning of "to catch up to". | |||
Turkish | ulaşmak | ||
The word "ulaşmak" in Turkish also means "to attain" or "to achieve" a goal. | |||
Xhosa | ukufikelela | ||
The word "ukufikelela" in Xhosa is derived from the verb "ukufika," meaning "to arrive," and can also mean "to achieve" or "to attain." | |||
Yiddish | דערגרייכן | ||
דערגרייכן comes from the German word 'derreichen' which also means to reach, extend or attain, and also serves as the basis for the English word 'direct'. | |||
Zulu | finyelela | ||
The word "finyelela" in Zulu also has the meaning of "arrive at" or "attain". | |||
Assamese | উপনীত হোৱা | ||
Aymara | jikxataña | ||
Bhojpuri | पहुँच | ||
Dhivehi | ފޯރުން | ||
Dogri | पुज्ज | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | maabot | ||
Guarani | hupyty | ||
Ilocano | madanon | ||
Krio | rich | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گەیشتن | ||
Maithili | पहुंच | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯧꯕ | ||
Mizo | thleng | ||
Oromo | ga'uu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପହଞ୍ଚିବା | | ||
Quechua | aypay | ||
Sanskrit | अवाप्नोतु | ||
Tatar | барып җитү | ||
Tigrinya | ብፅሕ | ||
Tsonga | fikelela | ||