Strong in different languages

Strong in Different Languages

Discover 'Strong' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'strong' carries a significant weight in our vocabulary, denoting power, resilience, and unyielding determination. Its cultural importance is woven into the fabric of our societies, inspiring stories of heroism and perseverance that transcend languages and borders. From the mighty Atlas of Greek mythology, who was condemned to bear the weight of the heavens on his shoulders, to the modern-day superheroes who protect the innocent, the concept of 'strong' has been a constant source of fascination and admiration.

Delving into the translations of 'strong' in different languages not only satiates our linguistic curiosity but also unveils intriguing cultural nuances. For instance, the German word 'stark' shares the same Indo-European root as its English counterpart, while the Russian 'сильный' (sil'nyy) reflects a Slavic origin. The Mandarin Chinese '强大' (qiángdà) and Japanese '強い' (tsuyoi) both convey a sense of robustness and might, yet they are written with different characters, each with their own unique historical context.

Join us as we embark on a journey to explore the word 'strong' in various languages, shedding light on the rich tapestry of human culture and language.

Strong


Strong in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanssterk
"Sterk" in Afrikaans has historical roots in the Germanic language and is related to the English word "stark".
Amharicጠንካራ
The word "ጠንካራ" also has connotations of resilience and durability in Amharic.
Hausakarfi
The word "karfi" in Hausa also carries the meanings of "firm" and "unyielding" in addition to "strong."}
Igbosie ike
"Sie ike" is also an Igbo term for a type of traditional wrestling known for its strength and agility.
Malagasymahery
"Mahery" also relates to the word "mafy," meaning "heavy" in Malagasy.
Nyanja (Chichewa)wamphamvu
The word "wamphamvu" can also refer to something that is solid or durable.
Shonayakasimba
The term 'yakasimba' in Shona language shares its root with words 'simba' (lion) and 'simba' (roar), referencing the strength and ferocity of lions as a symbol of bravery and might.
Somalixoog leh
The word "xoog leh" in Somali can also mean "powerful" or "capable".
Sesothomatla
The word "matla" in Sesotho can also refer to a person who has been initiated into adulthood.
Swahilinguvu
"Nguvu" can also mean "might, power, strength, energy, or ability" in Swahili.
Xhosayomelele
The word "yomelele" can also mean "sturdy" or "firm" in Xhosa.
Yorubalagbara
In Yoruba, 'agbara' refers to brute force while 'lagbara' is strength of character.
Zulueqinile
"Eqinile" is a Zulu word that can also mean "unyielding" or "determined".
Bambarafɔrɔlen
Ewesẽ
Kinyarwandakomera
Lingalamakasi
Lugandaobugumu
Sepedimaatla
Twi (Akan)den

Strong in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicقوي
قوي (qūwī) is derived from the root ق و ي (q-w-y), meaning "to have strength, power, or authority."
Hebrewחָזָק
The word "חָזָק" can also mean "tough" or "resilient" in Hebrew.
Pashtoقوي
In Pashto, "قوي" also refers to a specific type of fabric known as cotton or silk cloth.
Arabicقوي
قوي (qūwī) is derived from the root ق و ي (q-w-y), meaning "to have strength, power, or authority."

Strong in Western European Languages

Albaniani fortë
The Albanian word "i fortë" can also refer to a type of Albanian cheese or a brave person, depending on the context.
Basqueindartsua
The word "indartsua" derives from the Latin "induratus" and the Basque "indar" (strength), implying resistance and strength.
Catalanfort
In Catalan, "fort" can also mean "great" or "very" and derives from the Latin word "fortis".
Croatianjaka
The word "jaka" in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*jьkъ", which means "strong", "powerful", or "mighty".
Danishstærk
Stærk is also a verb in Danish which can mean "to strengthen" as in "at styrke sin immunitet" (= to strengthen ones immunity).
Dutchsterk
In modern Dutch, "sterk" usually means "physically strong," but the Proto-Germanic root "sterka- " also meant "difficult, troublesome" and this meaning is preserved in the word "sterk" in some dialects of Dutch.
Englishstrong
The word "strong" originates from the Proto-Germanic "straggan-ja", meaning "to exert force or pressure."
Frenchfort
In French, the word "fort" has multiple meanings beyond "strong," such as: "loud," "loudly," "much," or "very."
Frisiansterk
The Frisian word "sterk" also means "rigid", "stiff", or "inflexible".
Galicianforte
The Galician word "forte" derives from the Latin "fortis," meaning "strong, brave, or powerful."
Germanstark
Stark is derived from the Old High German 'starc', meaning stiff or rigid, and is related to the English word 'stark'.
Icelandicsterkur
The word "sterkur" in Icelandic originates from an Old Norse word that also meant "stiff" or "rigid".
Irishláidir
The word "láidir" in Irish also means "strength" and "vigor", and is related to the Old Irish word "laidir" meaning "firm".
Italianforte
The Italian word 'forte' not only means 'strong' but also refers to a fortified place or a musical piece's most powerful section.
Luxembourgishstaark
The word "staark" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "starkaz", meaning "rigid" or "firm".
Malteseqawwi
The word "qawwi" has an alternate meaning in astronomy: "magnitude"
Norwegiansterk
"Sterk" has cognates in many other Germanic languages, such as "stark" in German and "sterk" in Dutch.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)forte
The word "Forte" can also refer to a military stronghold, a fortified place or a stronghold in general.
Scots Gaeliclàidir
The word "làidir" can also mean "brave" and is the root of the Irish word "laidir" meaning "firm".
Spanishfuerte
In architecture, "fuerte" can refer to a fortress or fortification, while in music it can describe a loud or powerful sound.
Swedishstark
Swedish "stark" also means "naked" or "unvarnished"
Welshcryf
The Welsh word 'cryf' can also mean 'able' or 'capable', and is related to the English word 'cripple', which originally meant 'to make weak' or 'lame'.

Strong in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianмоцны
"Моцны" - not only means "strong", but can also act as a synonym for "крепкий" (alcoholic beverage), "здоровый" (healthy), or "полный" (full).
Bosnianjaka
The word 'jaka' can also mean 'firm' or 'tough' in Bosnian.
Bulgarianсилен
The word "силен" in Bulgarian shares its roots with the ancient Indo-European word "*ḱer-/*ḱre-**, meaning "to cut."
Czechsilný
The word "silný" also means "powerful" or "influential" in Czech.
Estoniantugev
The word "tugev" in Estonian can also mean "severe" or "harsh", which is related to its original meaning of "to hit" or "to push".
Finnishvahva
The word "vahva" shares a common root with the Russian word "bogatyr" meaning "hero".
Hungarianerős
The word "erős" can also refer to intense flavors or emotions, and is related to the word "erő" meaning "force".
Latvianspēcīgs
The Latvian word "spēcīgs" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*speḱ-," which means "to succeed" or "to prosper."
Lithuanianstiprus
The word "stiprus" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *steh₂-, meaning "to stand" or "to be firm".
Macedonianсилен
The word "силен" in Macedonian can also refer to something that is durable or robust.
Polishsilny
Silny's alternate translation is 'powerful' in the sense of influence or authority, not just physical strength.
Romanianputernic
The word "puternic" is derived from the Latin word "potens", meaning "powerful" or "mighty". It can also be used to describe something that is intense or severe.
Russianсильный
"Сильный" can also mean "intense" or "powerful" when referring to emotions, smells, or other sensations.
Serbianјака
The word "јака" also refers to the collar of a shirt or dress in Serbian.
Slovaksilný
The Czech and Slovak word can also be interpreted as
Slovenianmočna
The word "močna" in Slovenian also means "powerful" or "intense".
Ukrainianсильний
In Ukrainian, сильний (strong) also means powerful, potent, or intense.

Strong in South Asian Languages

Bengaliশক্তিশালী
The word 'শক্তিশালী' originated from the Sanskrit word 'शक्ति', meaning 'power' or 'energy'. In Bengali, it also has a spiritual connotation, referring to the divine power of deities.
Gujaratiમજબૂત
"મજબૂત" is a Gujarati word that means "strong" and is also used to describe someone who is physically or emotionally resilient or determined.
Hindiबलवान
बलवान comes from the Sanskrit word "बल" (bala), meaning "strength" or "power"}
Kannadaಬಲವಾದ
The word “ಬಲವಾದ” originates from the Sanskrit word “बलवत्” which means “strong or powerful” and is often used to describe someone or something that possesses great strength or power.
Malayalamശക്തമായ
"ശക്തമായ" also means "powerful", "potent", "forceful", "vigorous", "robust", "sturdy", "tough", "resilient", "influential", or "effective" in Malayalam.
Marathiमजबूत
The word "मजबूत" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "मज्ज" meaning "marrow" or "core", and also means "firm", "solid", or "unbreakable".
Nepaliकडा
The word "कडा" can also mean a bracelet or bangle, particularly one made of iron or metal.
Punjabiਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ශක්තිමත්
ශක්තිමත් can mean either "strong" in the literal physical sense, or "authoritative" in the sense of "having power or authority within an organization".
Tamilவலுவான
"வலுவான" can also mean "capable" or "sturdy" in Tamil.
Teluguబలంగా ఉంది
Telugu "బలంగా ఉంది" (balanga undi) also refers to the firmness of a substance, such as the hardness of a rock or the stiffness of a metal.
Urduمضبوط
In some regional dialects, "مضبوط" can also denote hardness and strength of material objects like metalwork.

Strong in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)强大
In Mandarin Chinese, the character "强大" can refer to physical strength or a state of empowerment.
Chinese (Traditional)強大
In Traditional Chinese, 強大 can also refer to the power or influence that one entity holds over another.
Japanese強い
The word "強い" (tsuyoi) also has connotations of "strength of character" or "resilience."
Korean강한
The word "강한" is derived from the Middle Korean word "강하다," which means "to be strong, firm, or powerful."
Mongolianхүчтэй
The word "хүчтэй" in Mongolian can also mean "potent" or "vigorous".
Myanmar (Burmese)အားကြီး

Strong in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiankuat
The word
Javanesekuwat
Javanese "kuwat" also means "capable" and derives from Sanskrit "kuwata" (ability).
Khmerខ្លាំង
The word ខ្លាំង can also refer to the strength of a magnet or the intensity of a feeling.
Laoເຂັ້ມແຂງ
Malaykuat
The Malay word "kuat" is cognate with the Indonesian "kuat" and Tagalog "kuyat", all meaning "strong" or "firm".
Thaiแข็งแรง
แข็งแรง also carries the meaning of "stiff" or "hard", as in the case ofแข็งแรงแข็งแรงแข็งแรง (strong and stiff).
Vietnamesemạnh
The Vietnamese word "mạnh" can also mean "hard" or "firm" in the context of objects or materials.
Filipino (Tagalog)malakas

Strong in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanigüclü
"Güclü," meaning "strong" in Azerbaijani, can also mean "sturdy," "firm," or even "powerful."
Kazakhкүшті
"Күшті" can also mean "brave" or "powerful" in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzкүчтүү
The word "күчтүү" can also mean "powerful" or "mighty" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikқавӣ
The word "қавӣ" means "strong" in Tajik, but the word "coffee" comes from Arabic "قهوة" while the adjective "strong" derives from Old French "conf(o)rt" from Latin "confortem".
Turkmengüýçli
Uzbekkuchli
The word "kuchli" can also be used to indicate "powerful", "mighty", or "vigorous".
Uyghurكۈچلۈك

Strong in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianikaika
Ikaika originates from the word "ika" which means "fish" and may refer to the strength and agility of a fish in water.
Maorikaha
"Kaha" is also used as an imperative for encouragement to someone who is weak.
Samoanmalosi
The term 'malosi' can also denote 'tough' depending on context when describing a person or object.
Tagalog (Filipino)malakas
The Tagalog word 'malakas' can also refer to a person who is stubborn or inflexible.

Strong in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarach'ullqhi
Guaranimbarete

Strong in International Languages

Esperantoforta
In Spanish "forta" means "strong" and in Polish "forta" means "fort".
Latinfortis
The Latin word "fortis" also means "brave" or "valiant".

Strong in Others Languages

Greekισχυρός
"Ισχυρός" can mean "strong" or "powerful" in Greek, deriving from the root "χυ-," meaning "to pour" or "to flow,
Hmongmuaj zog
"Muaj zog" in Hmong has connotations of physical and mental resilience.
Kurdishqewî
A variation of 'qewî' is 'qewam', originally meaning 'subsistance' and 'power'.
Turkishkuvvetli
"Kuvvetli" comes from the Arabic word "kuwwa", meaning "force".
Xhosayomelele
The word "yomelele" can also mean "sturdy" or "firm" in Xhosa.
Yiddishשטאַרק
The Yiddish word שטאַרק (stark) is derived from the Middle High German "starc", meaning "intact, uninjured, severe"
Zulueqinile
"Eqinile" is a Zulu word that can also mean "unyielding" or "determined".
Assameseশক্তিশালী
Aymarach'ullqhi
Bhojpuriमजबूत
Dhivehiވަރުގަދަ
Dogriमजबूत
Filipino (Tagalog)malakas
Guaranimbarete
Ilocanonapigsa
Kriostrɔng
Kurdish (Sorani)بەهێز
Maithiliमजबूत
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯀꯟꯕ
Mizochak
Oromocimaa
Odia (Oriya)ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ
Quechuasinchi
Sanskritसमर्थः
Tatarкөчле
Tigrinyaጠንካራ
Tsongatiya

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