Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'simply' is a small but mighty one, carrying with it a significance that goes beyond its straightforward definition. It's a word that embodies simplicity, clarity, and ease, and yet it holds a cultural importance that reaches far and wide. 'Simply' is a word that has been used in literature, music, and art to convey a sense of uncomplicated beauty and elegance.
Did you know that the word 'simply' has been translated into over 6,500 languages worldwide? From the French 'simplement' to the Spanish 'simplemente', the German 'einfach' to the Chinese ' einfach' (普通), the word 'simply' takes on a new form, yet retains its essence.
Understanding the translations of 'simply' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exploration and appreciation. It can help us to better understand the people, places, and traditions that make up our diverse and interconnected world.
Join us as we embark on a journey to explore the many translations of the word 'simply'. From the romance languages to the Asian languages, we'll uncover the beauty and complexity of this simple yet powerful word.
Afrikaans | eenvoudig | ||
Eenvoudig is derived from the Dutch word 'eenvoudig' which means 'simple, plain, or unadorned', and is used in Afrikaans to refer to something that is basic or straightforward. | |||
Amharic | በቀላል | ||
In Amharic, the word "በቀላል" can also mean "to make easy" or "to simplify". | |||
Hausa | a sauƙaƙe | ||
"A sauƙaƙe" also means "easily" in Hausa, derived from the verb "sauƙaƙe" (to make easy). | |||
Igbo | nanị | ||
Derived from 'nà ní', meaning to be the same | |||
Malagasy | fotsiny | ||
The word "fotsiny" can also refer to a small amount or quantity. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mophweka | ||
The word 'mophweka' can also refer to something that is 'straightforward' or 'easy to do'. | |||
Shona | nyore | ||
The Shona word "nyore" can also mean "plainly" or "straightforwardly." | |||
Somali | sifudud | ||
The Somali word "sifudud" also means "in vain" or "for nothing". | |||
Sesotho | bonolo feela | ||
The Sesotho word "bonolo feela" may also refer to a plain or flat surface, suggesting its association with simplicity and straightforwardness. | |||
Swahili | kwa urahisi | ||
'Kwa urahisi' is derived from the Swahili word 'rahisi' meaning 'easy' or 'without difficulty'. | |||
Xhosa | ngokulula | ||
Ngokukuhlela translates literally to "in a calm manner" in Xhosa, thus meaning "simply". | |||
Yoruba | nìkan | ||
'Nìkan' can also be used to mean 'only' or 'just'. | |||
Zulu | kalula | ||
The word 'kalula' in Zulu also has a meaning of 'to make bare, clear or empty'. | |||
Bambara | nɔgɔya la | ||
Ewe | kpuie ko | ||
Kinyarwanda | gusa | ||
Lingala | kaka | ||
Luganda | mu ngeri ennyangu | ||
Sepedi | feela | ||
Twi (Akan) | kɛkɛ | ||
Arabic | ببساطة | ||
The Arabic word "ببساطة" also means "in a simple manner" or "without complexity." | |||
Hebrew | בפשטות | ||
בפשטות, the Hebrew word for "simply," also means "in simplicity," which is a reference to a type of rabbinic exegesis called "peshat." | |||
Pashto | ساده | ||
The word "ساده" in Pashto can also mean "easy" or "basic". | |||
Arabic | ببساطة | ||
The Arabic word "ببساطة" also means "in a simple manner" or "without complexity." |
Albanian | thjesht | ||
The Albanian word "thjesht" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰéǵʰ-, meaning "to place" or "to fix". | |||
Basque | besterik gabe | ||
The Basque word "besterik gabe" comes from the phrase "beste" (other) and "erik gabe" (without purpose) which literally means "without other purpose". | |||
Catalan | simplement | ||
In French, "simplement" can mean "artlessly", while in Catalan "simplement" means "merely". | |||
Croatian | jednostavno | ||
"Jednostavno" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *jedinъ, which means "one" or "single", and is cognate with other Slavic words such as the Polish "jeden" and the Russian "один". | |||
Danish | ganske enkelt | ||
Ganske enkelt derives from the Old Norse "ganska", meaning "completely, very". | |||
Dutch | gewoon | ||
The Dutch word "gewoon" has roots in the Germanic word "gawainn", an archaic term referring to the common, customary, or normal state of affairs. | |||
English | simply | ||
"Simples" derives from the Latin root for "sing" and can mean "a medicinal herb" or "a simple-minded person." | |||
French | simplement | ||
In French, "simplement" can also mean "artlessly" or "without difficulty". | |||
Frisian | simpelwei | ||
Simpelwei' originates from the noun 'simpelwize', which means 'careless' or 'naive'. | |||
Galician | sinxelamente | ||
"Sinxelamente" shares its root with "sinxelo" (simple), but the suffix "-mente" in Galician acts like the suffix "-ly" in English, indicating an adverb. | |||
German | einfach | ||
The Middle High German "ēmephic" originally meant "one-time" as "not double" "not multiple, but single, unified". | |||
Icelandic | einfaldlega | ||
The word 'einfaldlega' literally means 'in a simple manner' and can also mean 'naïvely.' | |||
Irish | go simplí | ||
The Irish phrase “go simplí” can also mean “easily” or “without difficulty”. | |||
Italian | semplicemente | ||
In Italian "semplicemente" can also have the meaning of "merely" as in English, while "solo" is preferred in the meaning of the English "only". | |||
Luxembourgish | einfach | ||
In the Luxembourgish language, "einfach" can mean "straight", "straightforward" or "plain" in addition to its usual meaning "simply". | |||
Maltese | sempliċement | ||
The Maltese word "sempliċement" has roots in the Italian word "semplicemente," also meaning "simply." | |||
Norwegian | ganske enkelt | ||
The Norwegian phrase "ganske enkelt" can be traced back to the 16th-century Danish phrase "gandske endeligt", which originally meant "in the end" or "in conclusion". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | simplesmente | ||
In Portuguese, "simplesmente" can also mean "merely", "only", or "just". | |||
Scots Gaelic | gu sìmplidh | ||
Spanish | simplemente | ||
The Spanish word "simplemente" originates from the Latin "simpliciter", meaning "unconditionally" or "without reservation". | |||
Swedish | helt enkelt | ||
The idiom "helt enkelt" literally means "completely easily" but refers to something being easy. | |||
Welsh | yn syml | ||
The origin of 'yn syml' is uncertain, possibly from the Old English 'on semple' or from the Welsh 'unffurf' meaning plain or simple |
Belarusian | проста | ||
"Проста" in Belarusian also means "forgive". | |||
Bosnian | jednostavno | ||
The word "jednostavno" in Bosnian can also mean "basic" or "elementary". | |||
Bulgarian | просто | ||
The word "просто" in Bulgarian can also mean "just", "merely", or "simply put". | |||
Czech | jednoduše | ||
The word "jednoduše" can also mean "barely" or "just". | |||
Estonian | lihtsalt | ||
The word "lihtsalt" is derived from the root "liht," meaning "simple" or "plain," and the suffix "-st," indicating a state of being. | |||
Finnish | yksinkertaisesti | ||
Finnish 'yksinkertaisesti' is borrowed from German 'einfach' ('simple'), also the origin of English 'simple' | |||
Hungarian | egyszerűen | ||
This Hungarian word originates from the Turkish word "ekseri" and its root "ekser", which means "most, majority". | |||
Latvian | vienkārši | ||
Possibly deriving from the German word „Einfach“ and sharing cognates in other Baltic languages such as Lithuanian „Vienok“ | |||
Lithuanian | tiesiog | ||
Tiesiog's literal meaning is "straight" or "direct". | |||
Macedonian | едноставно | ||
In Bulgarian, "просто" (prosto) has the same meaning as "одноставно" (ednostavno) in Macedonian, coming from the Proto-Slavic *prosto meaning "straight" or "direct". | |||
Polish | po prostu | ||
In addition to meaning 'simply', 'po prostu' can also mean 'straightforwardly', 'frankly', or 'in short'. | |||
Romanian | pur şi simplu | ||
In Romanian, "pur şi simplu" can also mean "straight" or "merely". | |||
Russian | просто | ||
The word "просто" also has the meaning of "space" or "area", particularly in mathematical terms. | |||
Serbian | једноставно | ||
The Serbian word "једноставно" can also mean "plain" or "simple." | |||
Slovak | jednoducho | ||
The word "jednoducho" is of Slavic origin and comes from the root "jedn-" meaning "one". | |||
Slovenian | preprosto | ||
The word "preprosto" originated from the Old Slavic word "prostrъ", meaning "direct" or "uncomplicated". | |||
Ukrainian | просто | ||
The word "просто" in Ukrainian can also mean "just" or "merely". |
Bengali | কেবল | ||
The word "কেবল" in Bengali can also refer to "only" or "merely". | |||
Gujarati | ખાલી | ||
The word 'ખાલી' in Gujarati can also mean 'alone' or 'free from obligation'. | |||
Hindi | केवल | ||
The word 'केवल' can also mean 'only' or 'pure'. | |||
Kannada | ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ | ||
The word "ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ" also indicates "without speaking". | |||
Malayalam | ലളിതമായി | ||
The word "ലളിതമായി" (laliṭamāyi) in Malayalam can also mean "beautiful" or "charming". | |||
Marathi | फक्त | ||
The word "फक्त" in Marathi can also mean "only", "merely", or "just". | |||
Nepali | केवल | ||
The word "केवल" (keval) in Nepali, which means "only" or "merely," is cognate with the Sanskrit word "kevala," which has the same meanings but can also mean "absolute" or "pure." | |||
Punjabi | ਬਸ | ||
ਬਸ (bas) in Punjabi also means "so much" or "very." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සරලවම | ||
The word 'සරලවම' (saralavam) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'सरल' (sarala), meaning 'straight' or 'simple'. | |||
Tamil | வெறுமனே | ||
Telugu | కేవలం | ||
కేవలం is a Sanskrit word that is used both as an adverb meaning "simply" and as a noun meaning "the absolute reality." | |||
Urdu | سیدھے | ||
In Urdu, the word "سیدھے" can also mean "straight" or "direct". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 只是 | ||
"只是" (jǐshì) can also mean "only", "merely", or "just". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 只是 | ||
只是 (zhǐshì) means “simply,” “only,” “just,” “merely,” or “just now.” | |||
Japanese | 単に | ||
"単に" was originally used in the sense of "separately" and "solitary"} | |||
Korean | 간단히 | ||
"간단히" originally meant "to cut in half, to divide" or "half" but its meaning expanded to include "moderate," "ordinary," and "humble." | |||
Mongolian | зүгээр л | ||
"Зүгээр л" (simply) stems from the word "зү" (one) and can also mean "ordinary" or "commonplace". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရိုးရိုးလေးပါ | ||
Indonesian | secara sederhana | ||
In Indonesian, "secara sederhana" literally means "in a simple way". | |||
Javanese | kanthi gampang | ||
The phrase 'kanthi gampang' can also mean 'easily' or 'swiftly' in Javanese. | |||
Khmer | ជាធម្មតា | ||
Lao | ງ່າຍດາຍ | ||
Malay | secara sederhana | ||
The word "secara sederhana" is derived from the Malay words "secara" (manner) and "sederhana" (simple) and can also mean "in a plain way" or "in a straightforward manner". | |||
Thai | ง่ายๆ | ||
"ง่ายๆ " is derived from the Pali words "saja" (easy) and "sukha" (joy), suggesting that true simplicity brings both ease and joy. | |||
Vietnamese | đơn giản | ||
"Đơn giản" also means "naive" or "clumsy" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lamang | ||
Azerbaijani | sadəcə | ||
"Sadəcə" can also mean "only" rather than "simply". | |||
Kazakh | жай | ||
The word "жай" in Kazakh can also mean "bare", "bald", or "naked", suggesting an additional layer of meaning related to simplicity and lack of adornment. | |||
Kyrgyz | жөн эле | ||
The word "жөн эле" comes from the Turkic word "jon", meaning "easy" or "light". | |||
Tajik | танҳо | ||
The word "танҳо" can also mean "only" or "alone" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | ýönekeý | ||
Uzbek | shunchaki | ||
"Shunchaki" is derived from the word "shuncha", which means "one" or "the same." | |||
Uyghur | ئاددىي | ||
Hawaiian | wale | ||
The Hawaiian word "wale" is sometimes translated as "simply" but can also refer to a kind of grass or the skin of a whale. | |||
Maori | noa | ||
In Maori, the word "noa" (pronounced "no-ah") also means "clear" or "unrestricted". | |||
Samoan | faigofie | ||
The term "faigofie" in Samoan can also mean "without thinking" or "without considering the consequences." | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lamang | ||
The Tagalog 'lamang' can also refer to 'only' or 'merely' |
Aymara | ukhamakiwa | ||
Guarani | simplemente | ||
Esperanto | simple | ||
"Simpla" means "simple" in Esperanto, but its root "sim" implies "one" or "similar", highlighting the basic or homogeneous nature of simplicity. | |||
Latin | tantum | ||
Tantum can also mean ‘only’ and appears in many legal phrases, particularly indicating that a particular legal provision is the only provision that must be followed. |
Greek | απλά | ||
Απλά is the accusative or adverbial neuter form of the Greek adjective απλόος ("simple"). | |||
Hmong | yooj yim | ||
The word "yooj yim" is composed of two parts: "yooj," meaning "true," and "yim," meaning "straightforward." | |||
Kurdish | asan | ||
The word "asan" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "asan", meaning "easy" or "effortless". | |||
Turkish | basitçe | ||
In addition to "simply," "basitçe" can also mean "basically" or "merely" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | ngokulula | ||
Ngokukuhlela translates literally to "in a calm manner" in Xhosa, thus meaning "simply". | |||
Yiddish | פשוט | ||
In Yiddish, "פשוט" may also refer to someone who is honest or straightforward. | |||
Zulu | kalula | ||
The word 'kalula' in Zulu also has a meaning of 'to make bare, clear or empty'. | |||
Assamese | সহজতে | ||
Aymara | ukhamakiwa | ||
Bhojpuri | बस, बस अतने बा | ||
Dhivehi | ފަސޭހައިން | ||
Dogri | बस | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lamang | ||
Guarani | simplemente | ||
Ilocano | basta | ||
Krio | simpul wan | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بە سادەیی | ||
Maithili | बस | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯨꯞꯅꯇꯒꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | awlsam takin | ||
Oromo | salphaatti | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସରଳ ଭାବରେ | | ||
Quechua | simplemente | ||
Sanskrit | सरलतया | ||
Tatar | гади | ||
Tigrinya | ብቐሊሉ | ||
Tsonga | hi ku olova | ||