Skill in Different Languages
Discover 'Skill' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'skill' holds a significant place in our lives, representing the ability to perform tasks with precision, efficiency, and proficiency. From a young age, we are encouraged to develop our skills, whether it's through education, sports, or hobbies. Culturally, skills are highly valued and often associated with mastery, expertise, and even social status.
Moreover, the importance of skills transcends cultural boundaries, making it a universal concept that is worth exploring in different languages. For instance, the French translation of 'skill' is 'compétence', which also means 'competence' or 'ability'. In Spanish, 'skill' is translated as 'habilidad', which shares roots with the English word 'habilitate', meaning to make able or to equip.
Delving into the translations of 'skill' in various languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers insights into how different cultures perceive and value abilities. Below is a list of translations of 'skill' in different languages, from Arabic to Zulu.
Skill
Skill in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vaardigheid | ||
| The Afrikaans word "vaardigheid" derives from the Dutch word "vaardigheid", which means "skill, ability, proficiency, aptitude, expertise, competence, capability, mastery". | |||
| Amharic | ችሎታ | ||
| The term "ችሎታ" can also refer to a skill set or particular aptitude required for a specific task or profession and can hold both positive and negative connotations. | |||
| Hausa | fasaha | ||
| Hausa word "fasaha" also refers to the act of speaking in a persuasive or eloquent manner. | |||
| Igbo | nka | ||
| "Nka" can also mean "to make" or "to do" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fahaizana | ||
| "FAHAIZANA" is derived from the root word "FAHIZY" which also means "skill" or "competence". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | luso | ||
| In some contexts, "luso" may refer to a person who is "skilled," or to the "skill" itself. | |||
| Shona | hunyanzvi | ||
| Somali | xirfad | ||
| "Xirfad" comes from the Arabic word "xirfa," which means "profession" or "trade." | |||
| Sesotho | tsebo | ||
| "Tsebo" may derive from the term "tseba," meaning "to cut," reflecting the idea of honing one's abilities to a precise and efficient level. | |||
| Swahili | ujuzi | ||
| The Swahili word 'ujuzi' also refers to knowledge, expertise, proficiency, and craftsmanship. | |||
| Xhosa | ubuchule | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ubuchule' also refers to the ability to manipulate spiritual forces, implying a deeper understanding of the natural and supernatural worlds. | |||
| Yoruba | ogbon | ||
| The word "ogbon" in Yoruba also means "wisdom" or "knowledge," highlighting the connection between skill and intellect in the Yoruba worldview. | |||
| Zulu | ikhono | ||
| "Ikhono" can refer to knowledge or the ability to do something with excellence. | |||
| Bambara | dɔnko | ||
| Ewe | aɖaŋuwɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuhanga | ||
| Lingala | mayele | ||
| Luganda | eby'emikono | ||
| Sepedi | bokgoni | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nimdeɛ | ||
Skill in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهارة | ||
| The Arabic word "مهارة" also denotes "acuteness" or "sharpness," which connects to its original meaning of "a sharp edge." | |||
| Hebrew | מְיוּמָנוּת | ||
| The Hebrew word "מְיוּמָנוּת" "skill " is related to the word "ימן" meaning "right," as in "right hand" and connotes proficiency in craftmanship. | |||
| Pashto | مهارت | ||
| The word "مهارت" in Pashto also means "knowledge" or "expertise." | |||
| Arabic | مهارة | ||
| The Arabic word "مهارة" also denotes "acuteness" or "sharpness," which connects to its original meaning of "a sharp edge." | |||
Skill in Western European Languages
| Albanian | aftësi | ||
| In Albanian, the word "aftësi" can also mean "ability," "capacity," or "talent." | |||
| Basque | trebetasuna | ||
| The Basque word "trebetasuna" derives from the Latin word "tres" (three) and the suffix "-tasuna" (quality), implying the idea of "three abilities" or "multifaceted skill". | |||
| Catalan | habilitat | ||
| The word "habilitat" in Catalan also means "ability" or "capability". | |||
| Croatian | vještina | ||
| "Vještina" can also refer to cunning or dexterity in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | evne | ||
| The word "evne" is thought to derive from an Old Norse root meaning "ability" or "strength". | |||
| Dutch | vaardigheid | ||
| The word "vaardigheid" can also mean "capacity" or "ability". | |||
| English | skill | ||
| The word 'skill' derives from Old Norse 'skil' meaning 'discernment' and is also related to 'skull', the bony covering protecting the brain. | |||
| French | compétence | ||
| "Compétence" originally meant "competition" in Latin, and still holds that meaning in French. | |||
| Frisian | feardigens | ||
| The word 'feardigens' derives from the Old Saxon 'firdagun', meaning 'fit for an army', and also means 'prepared' or 'ready' in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | habilidade | ||
| The Galician word "habilidade" also means "ability" or "capability" in Portuguese. | |||
| German | fertigkeit | ||
| The word "Fertigkeit" can also mean "readiness".} | |||
| Icelandic | hæfni | ||
| The word "hæfni" derives from the Old Norse word "hæfa," meaning "to raise" or "to elevate." | |||
| Irish | scil | ||
| The word "scil" in Irish is derived from an extinct verb "selimm" meaning "to cut" or "to carve". | |||
| Italian | abilità | ||
| The Latin root of the word "abilità" is "habilitas," which means "the ability to do something". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fäegkeet | ||
| The word "Fäegkeet" ultimately derives from the Middle High German "veckede", meaning "skill, ability". It is also used figuratively to refer to cunning or craftiness. | |||
| Maltese | ħila | ||
| "Ħila" can also mean "way", "manner" or "method". | |||
| Norwegian | ferdighet | ||
| The word "ferdighet" is derived from the Old Norse word "ferðigr", meaning "ready" or "prepared". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | habilidade | ||
| The word "habilidade" in Portuguese also means "ability", "capacity" or "competence". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgil | ||
| Sgil in Scots Gaelic can also refer to "understanding" or "intelligence." | |||
| Spanish | habilidad | ||
| The word "habilidad" also means "ability" or "capability" in Spanish, and it comes from the Latin word "habilitas", meaning "fitness" or "suitability". | |||
| Swedish | skicklighet | ||
| The Swedish word "skicklighet" also refers to a "state of tidiness" or "condition of good order." | |||
| Welsh | medr | ||
| The Welsh word "medr" also means "thought" or "intellect". | |||
Skill in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | майстэрства | ||
| The word "майстэрства" also has a root related to the word "master", derived from the Latin word "magister", meaning "teacher". | |||
| Bosnian | vještina | ||
| "Vještina" originally meant "property", "estate", or "landholding" in Old Slavic, and it still has that meaning in some Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | умение | ||
| The word "умение" has a second meaning in Bulgarian: "know-how." | |||
| Czech | dovednost | ||
| The word "dovednost" also means "competence", "ability", and "proficiency" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | oskus | ||
| The word "oskus" is a cognate of the Latin "scius" and the English "skill". | |||
| Finnish | taito | ||
| The Finnish word "taito" derives from the Proto-Uralic word "*tajté", meaning "to be able" or "to know how". | |||
| Hungarian | készség | ||
| "Készség" originally meant "preparation" in Hungarian, emphasizing the deliberate effort and training required to develop proficiency. | |||
| Latvian | prasme | ||
| The word "prasme" in Latvian can also refer to the ability to do something with ease and proficiency or a particular talent. | |||
| Lithuanian | įgūdžių | ||
| The word "įgūdžių" is related to the Proto-Indo-European word "*gʰedh-", meaning "to grasp, to hold, to conquer". | |||
| Macedonian | вештина | ||
| The Macedonian word "вештина" also means "knowledge", which has a similar etymology in many Slavic languages | |||
| Polish | umiejętność | ||
| The word "umiejętność" (skill in Polish) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *umêti (to know, be able), which is also the origin of the English word "can" and the Russian word "уметь" (umet', to know how to do something). | |||
| Romanian | pricepere | ||
| The Romanian word "pricepere" originally meant "understanding" but acquired its modern meaning of "skill" in the 18th century. | |||
| Russian | умение | ||
| The word "умение" derives from the Old Russian "уметь" (to know how to), from the Proto-Slavic root *umēti, from the Proto-Indo-European root *em- "to know", hence also “wisdom”. | |||
| Serbian | вештина | ||
| The word "вештина" originates from the Proto-Slavic word "*vьstь", meaning "know-how" or "ability". | |||
| Slovak | zručnosť | ||
| The word "zručnosť" is derived from "ruka" (hand), implying that skill is closely tied to manual dexterity. | |||
| Slovenian | spretnost | ||
| The word "spretnost" in Slovenian can also refer to "agility" or "dexterity". | |||
| Ukrainian | майстерність | ||
| "Майстерність" in Ukrainian also means "workshop", "art" or "skill required to perform a particular job or task" | |||
Skill in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দক্ষতা | ||
| "দক্ষতা" (skill) is derived from the Sanskrit root "daksha," meaning "capable," and also refers to the right hand or the south direction. | |||
| Gujarati | કુશળતા | ||
| The Gujarati word "કુશળતા" originated from the Sanskrit word "कुशलता" and also means "good conduct" or "well-being" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | कौशल | ||
| The word "कौशल" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुशल" meaning "clever" or "expert". | |||
| Kannada | ಕೌಶಲ್ಯ | ||
| ಕೌಶಲ್ಯ derives from 'ಕುಶಲ' (kushala) meaning dexterity or ability, also referring to the revered sage Vishwamitra who was known for his archery and military prowess. | |||
| Malayalam | നൈപുണ്യം | ||
| Marathi | कौशल्य | ||
| The word "कौशल्य" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुशल", meaning "dexterous" or "proficient". | |||
| Nepali | सीप | ||
| The word "सीप" in Nepali can also mean "pearl". | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੁਨਰ | ||
| The word 'ਹੁਨਰ' is derived from the Middle Persian word 'hunar', meaning 'wisdom', 'knowledge', or 'art'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දක්ෂතාව | ||
| The word "දක්ෂතාව" is derived from the Sanskrit word "dakṣatā" which means "efficiency, cleverness, or competence". | |||
| Tamil | திறன் | ||
| The word 'திறன்' (tiṟan) is related to the root word 'திற' (tiṟ), which means 'to open, to reveal, to explain' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | నైపుణ్యం | ||
| "నైపుణ్యం" derives from Sanskrit "निपुण" meaning skillful, clever, expert, or proficient, and also shares a root with the word "nipuna" meaning "dexterous." | |||
| Urdu | مہارت | ||
| The word "مہارت" (mahārat) in Urdu ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "मति" (mati), meaning "intelligence" or "understanding". | |||
Skill in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 技能 | ||
| The word "技能" in Chinese can also refer to "knack" or "ability". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 技能 | ||
| In addition to "skill," 技能 also refers to "the ability to use knowledge and experience to complete a task." | |||
| Japanese | スキル | ||
| The word "スキル" (skill) is derived from the Dutch word "schil," meaning "peel" or "husk," and originally referred to the ability to strip bark from trees. | |||
| Korean | 기술 | ||
| The word "기술" (gi-sul) in Korean originally meant "knowledge" or "art" and is related to the Chinese word "技藝" (jìyì), which means "skill" or "craft". | |||
| Mongolian | ур чадвар | ||
| "Ур чадвар" can also refer to expertise or proficiency. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျွမ်းကျင်မှု | ||
Skill in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ketrampilan | ||
| The word 'ketrampilan' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'karmapala', meaning 'the fruit of work'. | |||
| Javanese | katrampilan | ||
| While 'katrampilan' in Indonesian means 'skill', in Javanese it also means 'ability' or 'expertise'. | |||
| Khmer | ជំនាញ | ||
| The word "ជំនាញ" can also mean "expertise" or "proficiency". | |||
| Lao | ທັກສະ | ||
| The Lao word ທັກສະ (skill) comes from the Sanskrit word दक्ष (dakṣa), which means "capable" or "efficient". | |||
| Malay | kemahiran | ||
| The word 'kemahiran' can also refer to proficiency, competence, or expertise in a particular area or skillset. | |||
| Thai | ทักษะ | ||
| The word "ทักษะ" (skill) derives from the Pali word "dakkha" meaning "ability" or "competence". | |||
| Vietnamese | kỹ năng | ||
| The word "kỹ năng" originally meant "craft" or "profession" and is related to the word "kỹ nghệ" (technology). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasanayan | ||
Skill in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bacarıq | ||
| The word "bacarıq" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "bakhreh", meaning "aptitude" or "ability". | |||
| Kazakh | шеберлік | ||
| Sheberlik also means 'master' and derives from Arabic through Persian - where it denotes 'skillful, expert, wise'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чеберчилик | ||
| The word "чеберчилик" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Persian word "چهار چوب" (chehār chūb), meaning "four sides" or "frame". It originally referred to the skill of constructing wooden frames for buildings, and later came to mean "skill" in general. | |||
| Tajik | маҳорат | ||
| The word "маҳорат" comes from the Arabic word "مهارة" (mahārah), which also means "skill, proficiency, or dexterity." | |||
| Turkmen | ussatlygy | ||
| Uzbek | mahorat | ||
| The word "mahorat" in Uzbek ultimately derives from the Persian word "mahārat", meaning "greatness" or "excellence."} | |||
| Uyghur | ماھارەت | ||
Skill in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mākau | ||
| In Hawaiian, "mākau" also means "a cord or line for tying something together". | |||
| Maori | pūkenga | ||
| Pūkenga also refers to the Māori concept of expertise, encompassing both traditional knowledge and contemporary skills. | |||
| Samoan | tomai | ||
| The etymology of "tomai" may derive from the Proto-Polynesian word "*tama", which means "courage, daring, boldness". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasanayan | ||
| *Kasanayan* derives from the root word *kaya*, which connotes ability or capability. | |||
Skill in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | awilirara | ||
| Guarani | katupyry | ||
Skill in International Languages
| Esperanto | lerteco | ||
| Esperanto "lerteco" comes from "lerta" and shares it in the meaning of being skilful, knowledgeable, but "lerteco" is more of a noun and also shares with "lerno" (learning) the semantic aspect of the knowledge acquisition. | |||
| Latin | scientia | ||
| The Latin word 'scientia' derives from 'scire', 'to know', and can also refer to knowledge or understanding. | |||
Skill in Others Languages
| Greek | επιδεξιότητα | ||
| The noun επιδεξιότητα, meaning skill or dexterity, was derived from the combination of the ancient Greek words επί (epi) meaning "upon, over, on" and δεξιά (dexia) meaning "the right hand". | |||
| Hmong | kev txawj | ||
| The word "kev txawj" in Hmong ultimately derives from the Proto-Austroasiatic word for "know". | |||
| Kurdish | jîrî | ||
| Kurmanji Kurdish "jîrî" is a loanword from Persian "jari", ultimately going back to Old Persian (Avestan) "jari-", meaning ""hand", thus "skill". | |||
| Turkish | beceri | ||
| "Beceri" can also mean "ability, talent, competence, expertise, mastery, proficiency" | |||
| Xhosa | ubuchule | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ubuchule' also refers to the ability to manipulate spiritual forces, implying a deeper understanding of the natural and supernatural worlds. | |||
| Yiddish | בקיעס | ||
| The word "בקיעס" (skill) is derived from the Hebrew word "בקיעה" (a rift), suggesting that it is a quality that allows one to navigate or overcome obstacles. | |||
| Zulu | ikhono | ||
| "Ikhono" can refer to knowledge or the ability to do something with excellence. | |||
| Assamese | দক্ষতা | ||
| Aymara | awilirara | ||
| Bhojpuri | कौशल | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުނަރު | ||
| Dogri | हुनर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasanayan | ||
| Guarani | katupyry | ||
| Ilocano | ammo nga aramiden | ||
| Krio | skil | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کارامەیی | ||
| Maithili | गुण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯍꯩ ꯃꯁꯤꯡ | ||
| Mizo | thiamna | ||
| Oromo | dandeettii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦକ୍ଷତା | ||
| Quechua | yachay | ||
| Sanskrit | कौशलं | ||
| Tatar | осталык | ||
| Tigrinya | ክእለት | ||
| Tsonga | xikili | ||