Strength in Different Languages
Discover 'Strength' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Strength is a powerful and universal concept, denoting the capacity to withstand force or influence, as well as personal qualities like courage, determination, and resilience. Throughout history, strength has been celebrated in myriad ways across cultures, from the heroic tales of ancient Greece to the modern-day feats of athletic prowess.
Understanding the translation of strength in different languages not only broadens our linguistic repertoire but also deepens our appreciation for the cultural nuances that shape this multifaceted concept. For example, in Spanish, 'strength' is 'fuerza,' while in German, it's 'Stärke.' In Japanese, the term 'strength' is often translated as 'strength,' but can also be expressed as '力' (chikara) or '強さ' (tsuyosa), depending on the context.
Join us as we explore the many translations of strength, shedding light on the fascinating ways that language and culture intertwine to shape our understanding of this vital concept.
Strength
Strength in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sterkte | ||
| Afrikaans "sterkte" is etymologically related to Dutch "sterk" and ultimately to Proto-Germanic "starkaz" (strong), but has expanded in modern usage to mean "good health" or "wellbeing". | |||
| Amharic | ጥንካሬ | ||
| ጥንካሬ derives from ጥነ, which refers to time, age or seniority. | |||
| Hausa | ƙarfi | ||
| The word "ƙarfi" can also mean "power", "ability", or "energy" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ume | ||
| "Ume" could also mean a group that works together, especially in the context of farming | |||
| Malagasy | hery | ||
| The word "HERY" can also refer to a "rope" or a "vine" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphamvu | ||
| In Zambian Nyanja, "mphamvu" also refers to the strength of an army or the power of a government. | |||
| Shona | simba | ||
| A rare or archaic form "mhimba", may also represent "strong" in certain dialects and contexts | |||
| Somali | xoog | ||
| "Xoog" also means "power", "force", or "energy" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | matla | ||
| The Sesotho word 'matla' can also refer to power, ability, or energy. | |||
| Swahili | nguvu | ||
| "Nguvu" derives from Proto-Bantu "*kub- " meaning "to press". | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| The word "amandla" also means "power" and is often used as a political slogan. | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| "Agbara" (strength) also means "authority" and "power" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| "Amandla" also means 'power' in isiZulu, reflecting the strength and empowerment associated with the concept. | |||
| Bambara | barika | ||
| Ewe | ŋusẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbaraga | ||
| Lingala | makasi | ||
| Luganda | amaanyi | ||
| Sepedi | maatla | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahoɔden | ||
Strength in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قوة | ||
| The word "قوة" in Arabic can also refer to "power," "authority," or "ability." | |||
| Hebrew | כוח | ||
| The Hebrew word "כוח" ("strength") derives from the Akkadian word "kuhhhu" ("force" or "power"). | |||
| Pashto | قوت | ||
| "قوت" is not solely used to refer to physical strength. It can also be used to indicate power, influence, or means. | |||
| Arabic | قوة | ||
| The word "قوة" in Arabic can also refer to "power," "authority," or "ability." | |||
Strength in Western European Languages
| Albanian | forcë | ||
| The Albanian word "forcë" is derived from the Latin word "fortis," which also means "strong" or "powerful." | |||
| Basque | indarra | ||
| The word 'indarra' is related to the word 'indar' (power) and to the word 'indartu' (to strengthen). | |||
| Catalan | força | ||
| The word "força" in Catalan also carries the meanings of "force," "power," and "violence" and derives from the Latin term fortis meaning "strong." | |||
| Croatian | snaga | ||
| The word "snaga" also means "power", "ability", or "force" in Croatian, and is related to the Slavic root "sneg" meaning "snow". | |||
| Danish | styrke | ||
| "Styrke" (strength) originally referred to firmness or stiffness and was only used figuratively from the 19th century. | |||
| Dutch | kracht | ||
| 'Kracht' is cognated with the English 'craft,' sharing the same Proto-Germanic root *kraftiz, meaning 'power, skill, strength.' | |||
| English | strength | ||
| The word "strength" comes from the Old English word "strengþ", meaning "pressure" or "grip". | |||
| French | force | ||
| In French, "force" can refer to physical strength, energy, power, or compulsion. | |||
| Frisian | sterkte | ||
| "Sterkte" also means "strength", "ability" and "courage" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | forza | ||
| The Galician word "forza" comes from the Latin "fortia" and the Proto-Indo-European root "bher-," meaning "to bear, carry, support." | |||
| German | stärke | ||
| The word "Stärke" is also used to refer to starch, a type of carbohydrate found in plants | |||
| Icelandic | styrkur | ||
| The word "styrkur" is cognated with the English word "stark" and can also mean "firm" or "stout". | |||
| Irish | neart | ||
| The Irish noun 'neart' also refers to a person or animal's fortitude, courage, or resoluteness. | |||
| Italian | forza | ||
| Forza also means a team or an army, indicating a large group of people working together towards a common goal. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kraaft | ||
| The Luxembourgish word 'Kraaft' has possible roots in the Old High German 'kraft' or the Middle Low German 'kraft', both meaning 'strength'. | |||
| Maltese | saħħa | ||
| The word 'saħħa' also means 'health' in Maltese, likely derived from the Arabic word 'saha' meaning 'open space' or 'well-being'. | |||
| Norwegian | styrke | ||
| Etymology: Old Norse styrkr 'stiff, rigid', related to Latin stēre 'to stand'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | força | ||
| "Força" comes from the Latin word "fortia", which means "courageous" or "brave". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neart | ||
| In the expression "le neart", the word "neart" refers to God. | |||
| Spanish | fuerza | ||
| Fuerza also refers to 'body' or 'force' in a more broad sense. | |||
| Swedish | styrka | ||
| The Old Norse word 'styrkr' meant both 'strength' and 'peace'. | |||
| Welsh | nerth | ||
| The word "nerth" evolved from the Proto-Celtic *nertos, meaning "manly strength" or "heroism". | |||
Strength in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | трываласць | ||
| The word "трываласць" comes from the Proto-Slavic *trъvъlъ meaning "constant, firm, steadfast". | |||
| Bosnian | snaga | ||
| The Serbo-Croatian word "snaga" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*snaga", which also meant "power", "force", "ability". | |||
| Bulgarian | сила | ||
| "Сила" is a female noun derived from the Old Slavic "sъla" ("a pole"), which also gave rise to the contemporary Bulgarian word "стълб". | |||
| Czech | síla | ||
| The Czech word "síla" originally meant "net" and this meaning is reflected in Slavic languages such as Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian and others. | |||
| Estonian | tugevus | ||
| Tugevus is also a term used in engineering to denote the load-bearing capacity of a material or structure. | |||
| Finnish | vahvuus | ||
| The word "vahvuus" is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric word "vaŋke", meaning "firm" or "strong". | |||
| Hungarian | erő | ||
| The Hungarian word "erő" has been used for military purposes since the 16th century and is cognate with other Indo-European words like the Latin "vir" (man). | |||
| Latvian | spēks | ||
| Latvian word "spēks" derives from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word "*spekiti", with the same meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | stiprumas | ||
| The word "stiprumas" in Lithuanian also refers to the "ability to endure" and the "absence of physical weakness or sickness". | |||
| Macedonian | јачина | ||
| "Јачина" can also refer to "intensity", "loudness", or "amplitude" depending on context. | |||
| Polish | siła | ||
| The Polish word "siła" is cognate with the Lithuanian "žylys", an archaic term meaning "strong or robust man". | |||
| Romanian | putere | ||
| The Romanian word "putere" is derived from the Latin word "potentia", meaning "power" or "ability". | |||
| Russian | сила | ||
| "Сила" is the Russian word for "strength". In addition, "сила" can also refer to a force or power, such as a military force. | |||
| Serbian | снаге | ||
| The root of the word “снаге” is “мог” (“mog”), which means “I can” or “to be able to”. | |||
| Slovak | sila | ||
| The Slovak word "sila" also refers to a natural force, energy, or power. | |||
| Slovenian | moč | ||
| In Czech, the word "moc" means "power", and in Russian "мочь" means "to be able to". Both of these meanings are related to the original Proto-Slavic meaning of the word: "to have power, to be capable". | |||
| Ukrainian | міцність | ||
| The word "міцність" can also refer to "durability" or "resilience". | |||
Strength in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শক্তি | ||
| It comes from the same root as Sanskrit ‘shakti’ power, ability and might. | |||
| Gujarati | તાકાત | ||
| The word "તાકાત" can also mean "vigor" or "energy" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | शक्ति | ||
| The word "शक्ति" also means "power, force, energy, ability, authority, virtue, prowess, potency, effectiveness, capability, talent, skill, faculty, or aptitude" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಶಕ್ತಿ | ||
| The word "ಶಕ್ತಿ" (strength) in Kannada also denotes cosmic energy, goddess, and a form of the divine feminine. | |||
| Malayalam | ശക്തി | ||
| In Sanskrit, "shakti" refers to divine feminine energy and the primordial cosmic power. | |||
| Marathi | सामर्थ्य | ||
| The word 'सामर्थ्य' ('strength') in Marathi shares the same root with the Sanskrit word 'सामर्थ्य', which means 'ability', 'power' or 'capacity'. | |||
| Nepali | शक्ति | ||
| The word "शक्ति" can also refer to the personification of divine feminine energy or a goddess in Hinduism. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਾਕਤ | ||
| The word "ਤਾਕਤ" (strength) in Punjabi originates from the Sanskrit word "śakti," which also means "power" or "energy." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ශක්තිය | ||
| The word "ශක්තිය" in Sinhala can also mean "power", "energy", or "force" depending on the context. | |||
| Tamil | வலிமை | ||
| The word 'வலிமை' also means 'severity, acuteness' or 'intensity' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | బలం | ||
| The word "బలం" can also refer to force, power, or authority. | |||
| Urdu | طاقت | ||
| The root of طاقت also exists in Persian and means patience. | |||
Strength in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 强度 | ||
| "强度" also means "power" or "intensity." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 強度 | ||
| 強度 (literally "intensity") is also used to refer to the brightness of light, the loudness of sound, or the potency of a drug. | |||
| Japanese | 力 | ||
| The character "力" can also mean "effort" or "power" and is used in various compounds, such as "体力" (physical strength) or "気力" (willpower). | |||
| Korean | 힘 | ||
| The Korean word “힘” (pronounced “him”) can also mean “force,” “power,” “energy,” or “ability,” and is cognate with the archaic Japanese word “ひむ” (“himu”). | |||
| Mongolian | хүч чадал | ||
| The Mongolian word "хүч чадал" can also mean "power" or "ability". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခွန်အား | ||
Strength in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kekuatan | ||
| The Indonesian word 'kekuatan' can also refer to the potency of a substance or the force of a natural phenomenon. | |||
| Javanese | kekuwatan | ||
| The word "kekuwatan" in Javanese can have connotations of both physical and inner strength. | |||
| Khmer | កម្លាំង | ||
| "កម្លាំង" is used in Khmer also to refer to the strength or power of an army or other military force. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມເຂັ້ມແຂງ | ||
| Malay | kekuatan | ||
| Kekuatan is derived from the Malay word kuat, meaning strong or powerful, and the suffix -an, which indicates a quality or state. | |||
| Thai | ความแข็งแรง | ||
| Thai word "ความแข็งแรง" also means being "unyielding". This is because "แข็ง" translates to "solid" and "แรง" to "power". | |||
| Vietnamese | sức mạnh | ||
| Besides its primary meaning of strength, "sức mạnh" in Sino-Vietnamese can also refer to a magical power or a supernatural force. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lakas | ||
Strength in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | güc | ||
| The word "güc" also has the meaning of "possible" or "ability" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | күш | ||
| The word 'күш' also refers to potency, energy, power, force, might, and strength of will in Kazakh | |||
| Kyrgyz | күч | ||
| "Күч" can also mean "energy" or "force" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | қувват | ||
| The word “қувват” may also refer to a military force or army. | |||
| Turkmen | güýç | ||
| Uzbek | kuch | ||
| The word "kuch" also refers to the force exerted by a person or animal. | |||
| Uyghur | كۈچ | ||
Strength in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ikaika | ||
| The Hawaiian word "ikaika" also refers to the root structure of a plant which symbolizes strength and stability. | |||
| Maori | kaha | ||
| The Maori word "kaha" can also refer to fortitude, courage, or power. | |||
| Samoan | malosiaga | ||
| The word 'malosiaga' can also refer to a warrior, or to power. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lakas | ||
| The word "lakas" in Tagalog also means "power", "force", "energy", and "ability". | |||
Strength in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'amanchawi | ||
| Guarani | mbarete | ||
Strength in International Languages
| Esperanto | forto | ||
| "Forto" is also used in some contexts to refer to a fortress or stronghold. | |||
| Latin | viribus | ||
| Viribus also exists as part of the Latin motto "Viribus Unitis," which means "With United Strength". | |||
Strength in Others Languages
| Greek | δύναμη | ||
| The Greek word "δύναμη" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*deiu-", which also gives rise to words meaning "to flow" or "to pour" in various Indo-European languages. | |||
| Hmong | lub zog | ||
| In Hmong, "lub zog" refers to both physical and moral strength, as well as the power or might of an entity. | |||
| Kurdish | qawet | ||
| In Kurdish, "qawet" can also refer to the ability to endure or resist. | |||
| Turkish | gücü | ||
| "Gücü" is also the imperative form of the verb "güçlenmek," which means "to grow stronger." | |||
| Xhosa | amandla | ||
| The word "amandla" also means "power" and is often used as a political slogan. | |||
| Yiddish | שטאַרקייט | ||
| In Yiddish, the term "שטאַרקייט" also signifies fortitude, resilience, and steadfastness. | |||
| Zulu | amandla | ||
| "Amandla" also means 'power' in isiZulu, reflecting the strength and empowerment associated with the concept. | |||
| Assamese | শক্তি | ||
| Aymara | ch'amanchawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | जोर | ||
| Dhivehi | ބުންވަރު | ||
| Dogri | ताकत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lakas | ||
| Guarani | mbarete | ||
| Ilocano | pigsa | ||
| Krio | trɛnk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەهێزی | ||
| Maithili | शक्ति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯡꯒꯜ | ||
| Mizo | chakna | ||
| Oromo | cimina | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶକ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | kallpa | ||
| Sanskrit | बलः | ||
| Tatar | көч | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥንካረ | ||
| Tsonga | matimba | ||