Respect in Different Languages
Discover 'Respect' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Respect. It's a simple word, yet its significance is profound. It's a universal concept that transcends cultures, languages, and generations. The importance of respect cannot be overstated, as it forms the foundation of any healthy relationship, be it personal or professional. It's the key to understanding and appreciating the diversity of our global community.
Throughout history, respect has been a central theme in various cultural movements, philosophies, and religions. From Confucius's teachings on 'filial piety' to the modern-day emphasis on equality and human rights, respect continues to evolve and adapt to the changing times.
Moreover, understanding the translation of respect in different languages can open up a world of opportunities. It can help you connect with people from various cultural backgrounds, break down language barriers, and foster a sense of global unity.
Here are a few sample translations of respect:
- Spanish: respeto
- French: respect
- German: Respekt
- Mandarin: 尊敬 (zūn jìng)
- Japanese: 敬意 (keii)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations of respect in different languages, providing you with a valuable tool to navigate the rich tapestry of global culture and language.
Respect
Respect in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | respek | ||
| In Afrikaans, "respek" comes from the Dutch "respect" and can also mean "consideration" or "esteem". | |||
| Amharic | አክብሮት | ||
| "Akabrot" (respect) could also refer to someone who is respectful or a person of higher social status. | |||
| Hausa | girmamawa | ||
| "Girmamawa" also means "fear". Its origin is not clear, but it may come from the word "girma," which means "greatness" or "importance." | |||
| Igbo | nkwanye ugwu | ||
| The word 'nkwanye ugwu' in Igbo has alternate meanings of 'reverence', 'politeness', and 'social decorum', stemming from the root words 'nkwanye' (regard) and 'ugwu' (height or elevation). | |||
| Malagasy | fanajana | ||
| The word "fanajana" is derived from the verb "aja", meaning "to do" or "to make", emphasizing the proactive nature of showing respect. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ulemu | ||
| While typically meaning "respect", "ulemu" can also imply "honour" or "reverence". | |||
| Shona | rukudzo | ||
| Rukudzo is cognate to rukudza, meaning 'to bow down' and is likely derived from the Proto-Bantu root -kud-, meaning 'to bend or stoop'. | |||
| Somali | ixtiraam | ||
| Ixtiraam is also a term for a type of traditional Somali music and dance. | |||
| Sesotho | hlompho | ||
| Derived from the root 'hloma', meaning to bow down, 'hloma' originally meant 'act of obeisance' | |||
| Swahili | heshima | ||
| "Heshima" also means "peace" in Swahili, reinforcing the idea that respect is a cornerstone of harmonious relationships and societies. | |||
| Xhosa | intlonipho | ||
| I cannot find any information about the etymology or alternate meanings of the word "intlonipho" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | ọwọ | ||
| The Yoruba word "ọwọ" also refers to the human hand, signifying respect as a gesture of trust. | |||
| Zulu | inhlonipho | ||
| The word "inhlonipho" in Zulu comes from the root word "hlonipha," which means "to show respect." It is also related to the word "hlonipha," which means "to avoid or taboo something." | |||
| Bambara | bonya | ||
| Ewe | bu ame | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubaha | ||
| Lingala | botosi | ||
| Luganda | okussaamu ekitiibwa | ||
| Sepedi | hlompha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bu | ||
Respect in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | احترام | ||
| The word "احترام" in Arabic stems from the root "حرم" which means "forbidden", implying that "respect" is a space of inviolability accorded to others. | |||
| Hebrew | הערכה | ||
| "הערכה" can also refer to an assessment of the value or significance of something. | |||
| Pashto | درناوی | ||
| In Pashto, the word "درناوی" can also refer to someone who is held in high esteem or is revered for their wisdom or accomplishments. | |||
| Arabic | احترام | ||
| The word "احترام" in Arabic stems from the root "حرم" which means "forbidden", implying that "respect" is a space of inviolability accorded to others. | |||
Respect in Western European Languages
| Albanian | respekt | ||
| The word "respekt" in Albanian is derived from the Latin "respectus", meaning "to look back" or "to consider". | |||
| Basque | errespetua | ||
| The word "errespetua" also means "to revere" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | respecte | ||
| In Catalan, the word "respecte" can also refer to the physical distance between objects, or to the consideration of something as important. | |||
| Croatian | poštovanje | ||
| Poštovanje (from "post" and "poštovati", meaning "to esteem") implies a combination of high regard, admiration, and deep affection. | |||
| Danish | respekt | ||
| The Danish word "respekt" has its roots in Latin and French and also carries meanings of consideration and deference. | |||
| Dutch | respect | ||
| In Dutch, "respect" can also refer to a delay in payment. | |||
| English | respect | ||
| The word "respect" can also mean "to consider" or "to regard". | |||
| French | le respect | ||
| The French word "le respect" comes from the Latin word "respectus," meaning "to look back at" or "to consider." | |||
| Frisian | respekt | ||
| The Frisian word "respekt" can also mean "attention" or "regard". | |||
| Galician | respecto | ||
| In Galician, "respecto" derives from the Latin verb "respicere", meaning "to look" or "to consider." | |||
| German | respekt | ||
| The German word "Respekt" is ultimately derived from the Latin "respicere", meaning "to look at" and is often used for the physical distance kept from respected persons. | |||
| Icelandic | virðing | ||
| Virðing can refer to worth, honor, value, or the esteem and admiration felt for a person or thing. | |||
| Irish | meas | ||
| The word "meas" can also mean "esteem" or "regard" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | rispetto | ||
| The word "rispetto" derives from the Latin "respectus", meaning "regard", and can also refer to a traditional form of improvised poetry in Italian folk music. | |||
| Luxembourgish | respektéieren | ||
| Respektéieren (respect) comes from the French "respecter", meaning to show regard or esteem for someone or something. | |||
| Maltese | rispett | ||
| The word 'rispett' in Maltese also denotes deference, courtesy, and politeness. | |||
| Norwegian | respekt | ||
| The Norwegian word "respekt" shares the same origin as "respect" and has the additional connotation of "protection". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | respeito | ||
| In Portuguese, "respeito" can also mean deference, consideration, or esteem. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | urram | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "urram" is also used to refer to the "honourable service" performed by a military piper. | |||
| Spanish | el respeto | ||
| The word "el respeto" derives from the Latin "respicere", meaning "to look back", and can also refer to esteem, consideration, or deference. | |||
| Swedish | respekt | ||
| In Swedish, 'respekt' can also refer to 'consideration, regard' for someone, rather than 'respect' in the sense of admiration or esteem. | |||
| Welsh | parch | ||
| The Welsh word "parch" can also mean "field" or "enclosure" and is related to the Irish word "pairc". | |||
Respect in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | павага | ||
| The word “павага” is also used with the meaning of politeness in Ukrainian. | |||
| Bosnian | poštovanje | ||
| The word 'poštovanje' is related to 'postaviti' ('to put'), and thus means 'to put in a certain position of honour'. | |||
| Bulgarian | уважение | ||
| The word "уважение" in Bulgarian derives from the Proto-Slavic word *povьditi, which means "to lead" or "to guide." | |||
| Czech | úcta | ||
| In Old Czech the word "úcta" also meant honor, worship or cult. | |||
| Estonian | austust | ||
| The Proto-Finnic word for respect, "austustus," originally meant "the power or quality of being revered or honored." | |||
| Finnish | kunnioittaminen | ||
| The Finnish word "kunnioittaminen" comes from the word "kunnia", meaning "honor" or "esteem" and the suffix "-ttaminen", expressing the action of "doing something to." | |||
| Hungarian | tisztelet | ||
| The word "tisztelet" derives from the verb "tisztel", meaning "to clean", referring to the notion of purifying oneself in order to honor someone or something. | |||
| Latvian | cieņa | ||
| The word "cieņa" is derived from the Old Prussian word "kinan", meaning "worth" or "value". | |||
| Lithuanian | pagarba | ||
| Pagarba is derived from the Slavic word pogarbiti, meaning "to look up to" or "to worship". | |||
| Macedonian | почит | ||
| "Почит" in Macedonian also means "to honor" or "to pay homage". | |||
| Polish | szacunek | ||
| The Polish word "szacunek" originally meant "estimation" or "measurement". | |||
| Romanian | respect | ||
| The Romanian word "respect" comes from the Latin word "respectus", meaning "to look back". | |||
| Russian | уважение | ||
| The word "уважение" is derived from the verb "уважать", which means "to heed" or "to pay attention to." | |||
| Serbian | поштовање | ||
| The word "поштовање" also means "postal service" in Serbian, as it derives from the Serbo-Croatian word "пошта" (posta), meaning "mail", ultimately from Latin "posita" (placed). | |||
| Slovak | rešpekt | ||
| The word "rešpekt" can also refer to a facial expression of admiration or fear, and is derived from the Latin "respectus", meaning "look". | |||
| Slovenian | spoštovanje | ||
| The Slovenian word 'spoštovanje' (respect) is derived from the Slavic word 'spotiti', meaning 'to perceive' or 'to consider'. | |||
| Ukrainian | повага | ||
| + Повага — це шаноба, поважання людини, її гідності. | |||
Respect in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সম্মান | ||
| "সম্মান" (respect) is derived from the Sanskrit word "sammana," which initially meant "honor, worship, hospitality." In Bengali, "সম্মান" has the additional meaning of "courtesy." | |||
| Gujarati | આદર | ||
| The word "આદર" (respect) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आदरः" (respect), which in turn is derived from the root "आद्" (to honour). | |||
| Hindi | आदर करना | ||
| The term "आदर करना" is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning both "respect" and "hospitality," reflecting the close cultural connection between these concepts. | |||
| Kannada | ಗೌರವ | ||
| The word "ಗೌರವ" can also mean "esteem" or "reputation". | |||
| Malayalam | ബഹുമാനം | ||
| Marathi | आदर | ||
| In Marathi, "आदर" (ādar) also denotes reverence, honor, or admiration. | |||
| Nepali | आदर | ||
| The word "आदर" comes from the Sanskrit word "ādará" meaning "to honor". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਤਿਕਾਰ | ||
| The word originates from the Sanskrit root 'sat', meaning 'truth' or 'essence', and the suffix '-ikara', indicating something that brings about truth. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගෞරවය | ||
| Derived from the Sanskrit “gur” (venerable) and originally used to show deference to monks and elders, the term “ගෞරවය” now encompasses a broader spectrum of respect and admiration | |||
| Tamil | மரியாதை | ||
| மரியாதை (mariyathai) also means self-esteem in Tamil, and this word is used in a variety of contexts. | |||
| Telugu | గౌరవం | ||
| The word "గౌరవం" in Telugu can also refer to prestige or honor. | |||
| Urdu | احترام | ||
| احترام is derived from the Arabic word "iḥtirām" meaning "to prevent, forbid, or guard" and is used in Urdu to refer to both respect and honor. | |||
Respect in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 尊重 | ||
| “尊重”的本意是“对别人有礼貌”或“重视他人” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 尊重 | ||
| 尊重 also means "self-respect," "self-esteem," or "self-dignity." | |||
| Japanese | 尊敬 | ||
| Originally 'respect' but later also 'to like', 'to revere'. | |||
| Korean | 존경 | ||
| 존경 can also be translated to "esteem," "regard" and even "worship" depending on the context. | |||
| Mongolian | хүндэтгэл | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လေးစားမှု | ||
| The word "လေးစားမှု" (respect) comes from the Pali word "gaurava", which also means "weight" or "importance". This suggests that respect is seen as something that has weight or value in Myanmar culture. | |||
Respect in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menghormati | ||
| The word "menghormati" is derived from the Sanskrit word "manah" (mind) and means "to honor someone's feelings". | |||
| Javanese | pakurmatan | ||
| The word "pakurmatan" also has the connotation of "giving importance to someone" and can be used to express gratitude or appreciation. | |||
| Khmer | ការគោរព | ||
| The Khmer word ការគោរព has a similar term in Sanskrit that means to bow down, to hold in high esteem, or show great admiration, with roots in the verb ‘Nam’ which means to bend or bow down | |||
| Lao | ເຄົາລົບ | ||
| Malay | hormat | ||
| "Hormat" ultimately derives from the Arabic word for "sacred area" or "sanctuary." | |||
| Thai | เคารพ | ||
| "เคารพ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṛpa" meaning "kindness" or "compassion." | |||
| Vietnamese | sự tôn trọng | ||
| The Vietnamese word “sự tôn trọng” (respect) literally translates to “attitude towards reverence” | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paggalang | ||
Respect in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hörmət | ||
| The word "hörmət" also refers to a type of traditional Azerbaijani dance. | |||
| Kazakh | құрмет | ||
| The word "құрмет" (respect) in Kazakh also refers to "guest" or "honorary guest." | |||
| Kyrgyz | урматтоо | ||
| The word "урматтоо" likely originates from the Proto-Turkic word "*urmat-/*" meaning "to worship". | |||
| Tajik | эҳтиром | ||
| Derived from the Persian word "ihtiram" meaning "esteem" or "honor", "эҳтиром" also carries connotations of "awe" and "reverence". | |||
| Turkmen | hormat | ||
| Uzbek | hurmat | ||
| The Uzbek word "hurmat" is derived from the Persian word "hormat" and can also mean "esteem" or "honour". | |||
| Uyghur | ھۆرمەت | ||
Respect in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mahalo | ||
| The word 'mahalo', meaning 'respect' in Hawaiian, originated from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word 'ma-raqo', denoting 'to speak, tell, narrate'. | |||
| Maori | whakaute | ||
| Whakaute means not only 'respect' but also 'a place of safety and shelter' in Māori. | |||
| Samoan | faʻaaloalo | ||
| Faʻaaloalo comes from faʻa- (to cause) + aloalo (reverence, honor), meaning 'to cause reverence' or 'to show honor' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | respeto | ||
| In Tagalog, "respeto" has deeper cultural connotations related to social hierarchy and the proper treatment of elders and authority figures. | |||
Respect in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yäqawi | ||
| Guarani | momba'e | ||
Respect in International Languages
| Esperanto | respekto | ||
| The Esperantic word 'respekto' is a borrowing from French 'respect' though ultimately of Latin origin and shares the sense of 'looking back' (at someone/something) in order to assess the level of deference to accord it. | |||
| Latin | viderint verebuntur | ||
| The Latin phrase "viderint verebuntur" means "let them see and they will fear," and is often used to warn others of the consequences of their actions. | |||
Respect in Others Languages
| Greek | σεβασμός | ||
| The term "Σεβασμός" (respect) likely originated from the verb "σέβομαι" (to revere), derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱweh₃s- " (to breathe, to live). | |||
| Hmong | hwm | ||
| The word "hwm" in Hmong can also mean "goodness" or "kindness". | |||
| Kurdish | rûmet | ||
| The word "rûmet" also means "greeting" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | saygı | ||
| "Saygı" is ultimately a borrowing of the Persian word for "dog", but has come to mean "respect" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | intlonipho | ||
| I cannot find any information about the etymology or alternate meanings of the word "intlonipho" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | רעספּעקט | ||
| The Yiddish word "רעספּעקט" also refers to the feeling of fear or awe. | |||
| Zulu | inhlonipho | ||
| The word "inhlonipho" in Zulu comes from the root word "hlonipha," which means "to show respect." It is also related to the word "hlonipha," which means "to avoid or taboo something." | |||
| Assamese | সন্মান | ||
| Aymara | yäqawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | आदर | ||
| Dhivehi | އިޙްތިރާމް | ||
| Dogri | आदर-मान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | paggalang | ||
| Guarani | momba'e | ||
| Ilocano | dayawen | ||
| Krio | rɛspɛkt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕێزگرتن | ||
| Maithili | आदर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯀꯥꯏ ꯈꯨꯝꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | zahna | ||
| Oromo | kabajuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମ୍ମାନ | ||
| Quechua | yupaychay | ||
| Sanskrit | आदरः | ||
| Tatar | хөрмәт | ||
| Tigrinya | ክብሪ | ||
| Tsonga | hlonipha | ||