Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'solve' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting the act of finding a solution to a problem. It's a concept that transcends cultures and languages, as every society values the ability to overcome challenges. From mathematical equations to philosophical dilemmas, the term 'solve' is a universal call to action, urging us to seek answers and understand the world around us.
Throughout history, great minds have been celebrated for their ability to solve complex problems. Take, for instance, the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras, who is credited with solving the theorem that bears his name. Or consider Marie Curie, the groundbreaking physicist who solved mysteries of radioactivity, paving the way for modern nuclear science.
Given its importance, it's no surprise that people often seek to learn the translation of 'solve' in different languages. By doing so, they not only expand their vocabulary but also gain insight into how other cultures express the concept of problem-solving.
Here, we delve into the translations of 'solve' in various languages, from Spanish and French to Mandarin and Japanese. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of problem-solving through the lens of language and culture.
Afrikaans | oplos | ||
"Oplos" also means "solution" and "problem" in Afrikaans. | |||
Amharic | መፍታት | ||
The word "መፍታት" is derived from the Semitic root "p-t-h," which also means "to open" or "to release." | |||
Hausa | warware | ||
“Warware,” meaning to solve, may come from the term “wara,” meaning to “make known.” | |||
Igbo | dozie | ||
Dozie is also a common Igbo name for men, meaning "born on a Sunday". | |||
Malagasy | voavaha | ||
"Voavaha" also means "conversation," reflecting the idea of solving a problem through dialogue. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuthetsa | ||
Kuthetsa may also mean "to find a solution" or "to come up with an answer". | |||
Shona | kugadzirisa | ||
Kugadzirisa, like many Shona words with 'gadz' in them, also means 'to adjust' or 'to correct'. | |||
Somali | xallin | ||
The word 'xallin' likely originated from the Arabic word 'hall', which can mean 'to loosen' or 'to undo'. | |||
Sesotho | rarolla | ||
The word "rarolla" is related to "rolletse" meaning "to roll up" and "rarollela" meaning "a small round object". It can also mean "to coil" or "to wind". | |||
Swahili | tatua | ||
The word "tatua" in Swahili has roots in the Bantu language family, where it means "to resolve" or "to settle a problem." | |||
Xhosa | sombulula | ||
In Xhosa, "sombulula" comes from the root "-bulula" meaning "to unravel" or "to reveal" | |||
Yoruba | yanju | ||
The word "yanju" in Yoruba can also be translated to "settle" in the context of resolving dispute, or "separate" in the context of separating two objects. | |||
Zulu | xazulula | ||
In Zulu, the word 'xazulula' can also refer to the act of breaking down or dismantling something. | |||
Bambara | ka ɲɛnabɔ | ||
Ewe | ɖo eŋu | ||
Kinyarwanda | gukemura | ||
Lingala | kobongisa | ||
Luganda | okuggusa | ||
Sepedi | rarolla | ||
Twi (Akan) | pɛ ano aduro | ||
Arabic | حل | ||
The word "حل" in Arabic can also mean "to loosen" or "to untie" | |||
Hebrew | לִפְתוֹר | ||
The root of the word לִפְתוֹר implies 'opening', hence its meaning of 'solving' that which is closed. | |||
Pashto | حل | ||
The related term “hall” is used to describe an important event in a person's lifetime such as a wedding, a funeral, or an initiation, which are seen as the resolution to life's challenges. | |||
Arabic | حل | ||
The word "حل" in Arabic can also mean "to loosen" or "to untie" |
Albanian | zgjidh | ||
The Albanian word "zgjidh" (solve) is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*zeg-j", which also means "to decide", "to choose", and "to select". | |||
Basque | konpondu | ||
The word "konpondu" can also mean "to fix" or "to repair" in Basque. | |||
Catalan | resoldre | ||
The verb “resoldre” (“to solve”) derives from the Latin word “resolvere” (“to loosen”, “to untie”), and it also contains the meaning of “dissolve” (“Dissoldre” in Medieval Catalan). | |||
Croatian | riješiti | ||
The verb "riješiti" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *rěšiti and is related to the words "riječ" (word), "rijeka" (river) and "raščistiti" (to clear). | |||
Danish | løse | ||
The word "løse" in Danish can also mean "to let go" or "to release". | |||
Dutch | oplossen | ||
"Oplossen" is derived from "los" (loose) and "op" (up), which can also refer to "to release or free." | |||
English | solve | ||
"Solve" derives from Latin "solvere," meaning "to loosen" or "untie," hence its usage for "solving" puzzles or problems. | |||
French | résoudre | ||
The verb "résoudre" also means to settle, clear or dissipate something. | |||
Frisian | oplosse | ||
"Oplosse" is a Frisian word with Germanic roots, also related to the English word "loose" and Swedish "lossa" | |||
Galician | resolver | ||
The Galician verb "resolver" also means "to intend" or "to decide". | |||
German | lösen | ||
"Lösen" is derived from Middle High German "lösen," meaning "to set free" or "to release." | |||
Icelandic | leysa | ||
The Icelandic verb for "solve" is also used to mean "solve something wrong," as if one were untangling a knot. | |||
Irish | réiteach | ||
The word | |||
Italian | risolvere | ||
In Latin "resolvere" originally means "to loosen, untie". | |||
Luxembourgish | léisen | ||
The Luxembourgish word | |||
Maltese | issolvi | ||
The verb "issolvi" comes from the Latin word "solvo" meaning "to loosen". Additionally it can also mean "to pay", "to discharge" and "to let go". | |||
Norwegian | løse | ||
The word "løse" can also mean "to loosen" or "to untie" in Norwegian. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | resolver | ||
In Portuguese, 'resolver' can also mean 'to decide' or 'to settle'. | |||
Scots Gaelic | fuasgladh | ||
Fuasgladh shares its root with the Old Irish word "fuaslaice", meaning release, and can also mean "redeem" in a religious sense. | |||
Spanish | resolver | ||
In Spanish, "resolver" can also refer to a legal decision or a mathematical equation. | |||
Swedish | lösa | ||
"Löse' comes from 'lösa', meaning to free something or someone. 'Lösa' in Swedish means 'solve', but also 'to loosen', and can be used to describe freeing someone of their bonds or restrictions, like in 'att lösa en person ur fängelset', or 'lösa en situation', which both translate to free. | |||
Welsh | datrys | ||
The word "datrys" in Welsh is derived from the Old English word "derian", meaning "to injure" or "to harm". |
Belarusian | вырашыць | ||
"The word "вырашыць" comes from the Slavic root "rešiti", which means "to loose, untangle, or decide". | |||
Bosnian | riješiti | ||
The word "riješiti" in Bosnian also means "to decide" or "to settle a dispute." | |||
Bulgarian | решаване | ||
"Решаване" derives from the Proto-Slavic *rěšiti, meaning "to separate, to divide". | |||
Czech | řešit | ||
The word "řešit" can also mean "to manage" or "to deal with" in Czech. | |||
Estonian | lahendada | ||
In Estonian, "lahendada" can also mean to "decipher" or "unriddle". | |||
Finnish | ratkaista | ||
The word "ratkaista" is derived from the word "ratko", which means "to analyze" or "to dissect". | |||
Hungarian | megoldani | ||
The word "megoldani" comes from the verb "oldani" which means "to loose" or "to untie". Solving a problem is therefore seen as "loosing" or "untying" the problem. | |||
Latvian | atrisināt | ||
*atrisināt* ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European verb *treḱ-, meaning "to run" or "to cross." This verb also gave rise to Latin *trans-, meaning "across," as well as to the English word "trek." | |||
Lithuanian | išspręsti | ||
The word "išspręsti" comes from the verb "spręsti", meaning "to make a decision" or "to resolve a problem". | |||
Macedonian | реши | ||
The word "реши" in Macedonian also means "to reach a decision". | |||
Polish | rozwiązać | ||
"Rozwiazać" in Polish, besides "solve", also means "unbind", "untie" or "disentangle"} | |||
Romanian | rezolva | ||
Rezolva also means "to decide" and is derived from Slavic "рѣшити". | |||
Russian | решить | ||
In Russian, the verb "решить" can also mean to decide or to make up one's mind. | |||
Serbian | решити | ||
The word 'решити' also means 'to cut', 'to decide', or 'to break'. | |||
Slovak | vyriešiť | ||
The Slovak word "vyriešiť" originally meant "to free from bonds" and later acquired the meaning of "to solve a problem". | |||
Slovenian | rešiti | ||
"Rešiti" is a verb in Slovenian which can also mean to "rescue" someone from danger. | |||
Ukrainian | вирішити | ||
The word "вирішити" in Ukrainian can also mean "to decide" or "to make up one's mind". |
Bengali | সমাধান | ||
সমাধানের আরেক রূপ সমাধী, যার বিকল অর্থ হলো মৃতদেহ | |||
Gujarati | હલ કરો | ||
The Gujarati word "હલ કરો" is also used to mean "to fix" or "to resolve". | |||
Hindi | का समाधान | ||
The word "solve" comes from the Latin word "solvere", which means "to loosen" or "to free." | |||
Kannada | ಪರಿಹರಿಸಿ | ||
The word "ಪರಿಹರಿಸಿ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "parihrta," which means "removed" or "destroyed." | |||
Malayalam | പരിഹരിക്കുക | ||
Marathi | निराकरण करा | ||
The word "निराकरण करा" can also mean "to resolve" or "to settle". | |||
Nepali | समाधान गर्नुहोस् | ||
The Nepali word "समाधान गर्नुहोस्" (solve) is derived from the Sanskrit word "सम्यक्" (proper) and "धावन" (to run). It can also mean "to fix", "to settle", or "to resolve". | |||
Punjabi | ਹੱਲ | ||
The Punjabi word ਹੱਲ means not only "solve" but also "to plow". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විසඳන්න | ||
In addition to its primary meaning of "solve," "විසඳන්න" also means "to separate" or "to spread out." | |||
Tamil | தீர்க்க | ||
The root of the word 'தீர்க்க' means 'to be long' or 'to last', which can refer to both the process and the outcome of solving a problem. | |||
Telugu | పరిష్కరించండి | ||
The word "solve" derives from Latin "solvere", meaning "to loosen" or "to untie". | |||
Urdu | حل | ||
In Urdu, "حل" also means "to separate" or "to loosen." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 解决 | ||
It comes from the word 解結 (untie a knot), implying that the problem is like a knot that needs to be untied. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 解決 | ||
The word "解決" also means to eliminate, deal with or clear up something. | |||
Japanese | 解決する | ||
解決する (kaiketsu suru) is also used in Japanese to mean "to resolve" or "to settle" a dispute or problem. | |||
Korean | 풀다 | ||
풀다 (pulda) is related to the word 풀 (pul), which means 'grass,' and conveys the idea of untangling or unraveling something complex. | |||
Mongolian | шийдвэрлэх | ||
"ШИЙДВЭРЛЭХ" means "to decide" in Mongolian, as well as "to determine" or "to rule." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြေရှင်းပါ | ||
ဖြေရှင်းပါ is also a respectful way to ask "Can you please explain?" or "Can you please repeat?" to seniors and those who you respect or whom you are unfamiliar with. |
Indonesian | memecahkan | ||
The word "memecahkan" originally meant "to break something apart," and is still used in that sense in some contexts. | |||
Javanese | ngrampungake | ||
"Ngrampungake" is also used to mean "finished" or "completed" in Javanese. | |||
Khmer | ដោះស្រាយ | ||
The Khmer word "ដោះស្រាយ" (solve) can also mean "to resolve a dispute" or "to settle a matter." | |||
Lao | ແກ້ໄຂ | ||
The Lao word "ແກ້ໄຂ" has alternate meanings including "undo" or "cancel", depending on the context. | |||
Malay | menyelesaikan | ||
The verb menyelesaikan may also refer to "fulfill" or "complete". | |||
Thai | แก้ | ||
แก้ (solve) comes from Khmer แก้ (kae) meaning 'untie', later used figuratively for solving problems. | |||
Vietnamese | gỡ rối | ||
The word "gỡ rối" literally means to "remove tangled" and is often used figuratively to mean "solve". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lutasin | ||
Azerbaijani | həll etmək | ||
"Həll etmək" is used not only in the meaning of finding a solution, but also in the meaning of eliminating the problem, getting rid of the trouble. | |||
Kazakh | шешу | ||
The Kazakh word "шешу" ("solve") derives from the Turkic word "eşür", meaning "to clarify" or "to understand". | |||
Kyrgyz | чечүү | ||
"Чечүү" also means "release", "untie", "undo", "unblock", "decipher", "solve a riddle" | |||
Tajik | ҳал кардан | ||
The word "хал кардан" derives from the Persian "حل کردن" (hal kardan), meaning both "solve" and "dilute". | |||
Turkmen | çözmek | ||
Uzbek | hal qilish | ||
The word "hal qilish" can also mean "to understand" or "to get" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | ھەل قىلىش | ||
Hawaiian | hoʻonā | ||
Hoʻonā, meaning "to solve," comes from the root word "nā," meaning "to understand". | |||
Maori | whakatau | ||
The Maori term 'whakatau' is commonly translated as 'solve', but can also refer to finding solutions or making determinations. | |||
Samoan | fofo | ||
The Samoan word "fofo" also means "to make right," "to forgive," or "to pardon" | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lutasin | ||
The term 'lutasin' also refers to grappling, particularly during a fight or athletic contest. |
Aymara | askichaña | ||
Guarani | mbo'aipo'i | ||
Esperanto | solvi | ||
solvi means "to loosen" in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | solve | ||
In addition to "solve," the Latin word "solvere" can mean "to loosen," "to pay," or "to release." |
Greek | λύσει | ||
"λύσει" can also be translated to "ransom". | |||
Hmong | daws | ||
The word "daws" in Hmong also means "open".} | |||
Kurdish | çareserkirin | ||
The word "çareserkirin" can also mean "to find a solution" or "to make up one's mind" in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | çözmek | ||
The Turkish word 'çözmek' also means to untie, unravel, or dissolve. | |||
Xhosa | sombulula | ||
In Xhosa, "sombulula" comes from the root "-bulula" meaning "to unravel" or "to reveal" | |||
Yiddish | סאָלווע | ||
The Yiddish word "סאָלווע" also means "to fix" or "to repair". | |||
Zulu | xazulula | ||
In Zulu, the word 'xazulula' can also refer to the act of breaking down or dismantling something. | |||
Assamese | সমাধান | ||
Aymara | askichaña | ||
Bhojpuri | समाधान | ||
Dhivehi | ހައްލުކުރުން | ||
Dogri | नबेड़ा करना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lutasin | ||
Guarani | mbo'aipo'i | ||
Ilocano | ipamuspusan | ||
Krio | sɔlv | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | چارەسەر | ||
Maithili | समाधान | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯔꯣꯏꯁꯤꯟ ꯄꯨꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
Mizo | tifel | ||
Oromo | furuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସମାଧାନ | ||
Quechua | chuyanchay | ||
Sanskrit | उत्तरयति | ||
Tatar | чишү | ||
Tigrinya | ፍታሕ | ||
Tsonga | ololoxa | ||