Succeed in Different Languages
Discover 'Succeed' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'succeed' holds a powerful significance in our lives, representing the achievement of our goals and the realization of our dreams. Its cultural importance is universal, as every society values success in its own unique way. From the competitive drive of Western cultures to the harmonious balance of Eastern philosophies, the concept of success transcends borders and languages.
But what does 'succeed' mean in other languages? Knowing the translation of this word can provide fascinating insights into the values and beliefs of different cultures. For example, in Spanish, 'succeed' is 'tener éxito', which comes from the Latin 'ex-' meaning 'out of' and 'sequi' meaning 'follow'. In Mandarin, 'succeed' is '成功 (chénggōng)', which combines the characters '成 (chéng)', meaning 'become' or 'complete', and '功 (gōng)', meaning 'merit' or 'achievement'.
Delving into the translations of 'succeed' in different languages can open up a world of cultural understanding and appreciation. Here are some translations to get you started:
Succeed
Succeed in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | slaag | ||
| The Afrikaans word "slaag" is derived from the Dutch word "slagen" and can also mean "to beat" or "to strike". | |||
| Amharic | ስኬታማ | ||
| The verb “ስኬታማ” (succeed) originates from the ancient Ge'ez root “ሰከተ” (“succeed”), which bears the same meaning. | |||
| Hausa | yi nasara | ||
| Yi nasara also means 'to help, assist' | |||
| Igbo | merie | ||
| The word 'merie' in Igbo comes from the Proto-Igbo word '*mee-*' and originally meant 'be good' or 'excel'. | |||
| Malagasy | mahomby | ||
| The Malagasy word "mahomby" also means "to achieve" or "to manage something" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupambana | ||
| The word "kupambana" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to mean "to struggle" or "to fight". | |||
| Shona | kubudirira | ||
| It derives its meaning from kukuba ('beat something hard') + kudzora (to return), meaning to keep hitting until you achieve your target | |||
| Somali | guuleysto | ||
| "Guuleysto" may also be used to refer to being lucky enough or having a particular opportunity. | |||
| Sesotho | atleha | ||
| The word "atleha" in Sesotho has an additional meaning of "to get away with something". | |||
| Swahili | kufaulu | ||
| The word "kufaulu" also means to "bear fruit, ripen" or "to reach puberty." | |||
| Xhosa | phumelela | ||
| The word "phumelela" comes from the Xhosa root "-phumela," which originally meant "to make an effort". | |||
| Yoruba | se aseyori | ||
| "Se aseyori" shares a connection to "aṣẹ" (a decree or a command). | |||
| Zulu | phumelela | ||
| "Phumelela" can also mean "be in good health" or "prosper". | |||
| Bambara | sabati | ||
| Ewe | kpɔ dzidzedze | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutsinda | ||
| Lingala | kolonga | ||
| Luganda | okukulaakulana | ||
| Sepedi | atlega | ||
| Twi (Akan) | di nkunim | ||
Succeed in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ينجح | ||
| The word "ينجح" also means "to pass (a test or exam)" or "to be successful" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | מצליח | ||
| The verb מצליח (matzli'ah) is often used to describe success in the financial realm, such as in the phrase מצליח בעסקים (matzli'ah ba'askim), which means "to succeed in business." | |||
| Pashto | بریالیتوب | ||
| Arabic | ينجح | ||
| The word "ينجح" also means "to pass (a test or exam)" or "to be successful" in Arabic. | |||
Succeed in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të ketë sukses | ||
| The Albanian word "të ketë sukses" is derived from the Latin word "successus", which means "to come after" or "to follow." | |||
| Basque | arrakasta | ||
| The word "arrakasta" is derived from the verb "arrakitu," meaning "to find" or "to obtain". | |||
| Catalan | tenir èxit | ||
| The verb "tenir èxit" literally means "to have exit" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | uspjeti | ||
| The word 'uspjeti' can also refer to managing to do something, or being able to do something in the future. | |||
| Danish | lykkes | ||
| Lykkes is related to the German word "glücken" and both come from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gleuk-," meaning "to shine" or "to be fortunate." | |||
| Dutch | slagen | ||
| The verb "slagen" in Dutch also means "to beat" or "to strike". | |||
| English | succeed | ||
| The word "succeed" comes from the Latin word "succedere," meaning "to come after" or "to take the place of." | |||
| French | réussir | ||
| The French verb "réussir" comes from the Latin word "reexire," meaning "to go out again," and originally referred to emerging from a difficult situation or overcoming an obstacle. | |||
| Frisian | slagje | ||
| Originally referred to beating someone up; "slagje" originally meant "beat a horse" | |||
| Galician | triunfar | ||
| In Galician, "triunfar" also means to "make a lot of noise" | |||
| German | gelingen | ||
| The verb "gelingen" is derived from the Middle High German word "gelingen", meaning "to happen, to come about". | |||
| Icelandic | takast | ||
| "Takast" also means "return," and "recompense." | |||
| Irish | éireoidh | ||
| "Éireoidh" also implies a sense of "coming out" or "emerging" successfully. | |||
| Italian | riuscire | ||
| "Riuscire" derives from the Latin "res" (thing) and "ex" (out), meaning "to go out of something". | |||
| Luxembourgish | erfollegräich sinn | ||
| Maltese | jirnexxi | ||
| The word "jirnexxi" comes from the Arabic root "n-j-h", which means "success" or "to attain". | |||
| Norwegian | lykkes | ||
| The word "lykkes" is related to the words "lukke" (close) and "lyk" (close, succeed), which all come from the Proto-Germanic root *lukon, meaning "to close" or "to lock". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ter sucesso | ||
| The term derives from Latin terminology 'ad tertium', which was also the origin of 'treino' ('practice'), as it took three consecutive days of practice to successfully master a task. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | soirbheachadh | ||
| The Gaelic word "soirbheachadh" can also mean "to win a prize" or "to be successful in an endeavour." | |||
| Spanish | tener éxito | ||
| The verb "tener éxito" literally translates to "to have exit" in English, hinting at the idea of achieving a desired outcome or reaching a destination. | |||
| Swedish | lyckas | ||
| The word lyckas, derived from the Old Norse lykkjast, is also used in an archaic or literary sense meaning "be fortunate." | |||
| Welsh | llwyddo | ||
| "Llwydddo" is cognate to the Breton word "louzañ" and the Irish word "luath" and can also mean "prosper" or "get well". | |||
Succeed in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дабіцца поспеху | ||
| The word "дабіцца поспеху" can also mean "to achieve success" or "to gain success". | |||
| Bosnian | uspjeti | ||
| "Uspjeti" is a polysemous word in Bosnian, which can also mean "arrive" or "manage to do something". | |||
| Bulgarian | успех | ||
| В българския език думата "успех" произлиза от глагола "постигам" и има значение на "изпълнение на цел, намерение". Тя може да означава и "добър резултат" или "благоприятен изход". | |||
| Czech | povést se | ||
| The verb “povést se” originally referred to saying something in the right way, and it only later gained its meaning of “succeed”. | |||
| Estonian | õnnestub | ||
| "Õnnestub" also means "be lucky" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | menestyä | ||
| "Menestyä" contains "menestys" (success) and "mennä" (to go): it thus means "to go to success". | |||
| Hungarian | sikerül | ||
| The Hungarian word "sikerül" (succeed) comes from the verb "sül" (bake). | |||
| Latvian | gūt panākumus | ||
| The noun "gūts" literally means "gain" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | pavyks | ||
| The word "pavyks" is derived from the Indo-European root *peh₂-, meaning "to seize" or "to reach". | |||
| Macedonian | успее | ||
| The word "успее" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*uspetiti", meaning "to reach, to arrive". | |||
| Polish | osiągnąć sukces | ||
| "Osiągnąć sukces" literally translates to "achieve a result" or "reach a target" but implies a connotation of "success." | |||
| Romanian | a reusi | ||
| In Romanian, the word "a reusi" originally meant "to leave" or "to get out", and is related to the Latin verb "exire" (to go out). | |||
| Russian | преуспеть | ||
| The word "преуспеть" has its roots in the Old Church Slavonic word "проуспѣхъ", meaning "to prosper, to make progress". | |||
| Serbian | успети | ||
| "Успети" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "spěti", meaning "to hasten" or "to reach". | |||
| Slovak | uspieť | ||
| The Slovak 'uspieť' also means 'to have a floating success' in the sense of good luck or chance. | |||
| Slovenian | uspeti | ||
| The word “uspeti” is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *ǫsp- (“to attain victory”) and is related to the words “uspjeh” in Croatian, “úspech” in Czech, and “успех” in Russian. | |||
| Ukrainian | досягати успіху | ||
| The Ukrainian word "досягати успіху" (succeed) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "sъpěti" (to reach, attain). | |||
Succeed in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সফল | ||
| The word "সফল" in Bengali can also mean "successful, prosperous, or beneficial". | |||
| Gujarati | સફળ | ||
| સફળ (succeed) is not inherently connected with 'success', as its alternate meaning in Gujarati is the fruit of a palm tree. | |||
| Hindi | सफल होने के | ||
| The word "succeed" derives from the Latin "succedere," meaning "to go under" or "to follow after," suggesting a sense of progression or following in the footsteps of others. | |||
| Kannada | ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗು | ||
| The word "ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗು" is derived from the Sanskrit words "yasas" (reputation) and "vi" (to achieve), and also means "to be prosperous" or "to be happy."} | |||
| Malayalam | വിജയിക്കുക | ||
| The word "വിജയിക്കുക" in Malayalam can also mean to "prevail" or "accomplish" something. | |||
| Marathi | यशस्वी | ||
| Nepali | सफल | ||
| सफल (safal) also means "to be capable," deriving from the Sanskrit "sa" (with) and "phal" (fruit), i.e. "yielding fruit" | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਫਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸਫਲ" (succeed) is derived from the Sanskrit word "सफल" (safal), which means "fruitful" or "successful." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාර්ථකයි | ||
| සාර්ථකයි is a Sinhalese word meaning "successful," or "meaningful," with a Sanskrit root meaning "having purpose". | |||
| Tamil | வெற்றி | ||
| 'வெற்றி' also means 'victory', 'conquest', 'success', 'triumph' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | విజయవంతం | ||
| "विजयी" का शाब्दिक अर्थ है "विजय प्राप्त करना", लेकिन इसका प्रयोग किसी भी प्रकार की सफलता या उपलब्धि को दर्शाने के लिए किया जा सकता है। | |||
| Urdu | کامیاب | ||
| The Urdu word "کامیاب" is derived from the Arabic word "كامل" (kāmil), meaning "perfect" or "complete." | |||
Succeed in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 成功 | ||
| The character "成" in "成功" also refers to achieving personal growth or maturity, while "功" implies a specific achievement or result. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 成功 | ||
| 成功 is derived from the phrase 成就大功, meaning 'achieve great merit'. | |||
| Japanese | 成功する | ||
| 成功する literally translates to "to become a merit" and describes the act of achieving something that is considered to be good or desirable. | |||
| Korean | 성공하다 | ||
| 성공하다 is a Sino-Korean word combining 成 | |||
| Mongolian | амжилтанд хүрэх | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အောင်မြင်သည် | ||
Succeed in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | berhasil | ||
| The word "berhasil" in Indonesian is derived from the Javanese word "basil", meaning "to bear fruit" or "to bear a reward". | |||
| Javanese | sukses | ||
| The word "sukses" in Javanese has an alternate meaning of "good" or "auspicious". | |||
| Khmer | ទទួលបានជោគជ័យ | ||
| Lao | ປະສົບຜົນ ສຳ ເລັດ | ||
| Malay | berjaya | ||
| "Berjaya" has an alternate meaning of "excellent". | |||
| Thai | ประสบความสำเร็จ | ||
| 'สำเร็จ' comes from Pali and Sanskrit and means 'to fulfill' | |||
| Vietnamese | thành công | ||
| The word thành công derives from the Chinese idiom 成事功, which translates to "successful achievement". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magtagumpay | ||
Succeed in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | uğur qazanmaq | ||
| Uğur qazanmaq is a compound word meaning literally “to gain fate” and also refers to finding fortune, happiness, and success. | |||
| Kazakh | жетістікке жету | ||
| The word "жетістікке жету" can also mean "to achieve success" or "to reach the goal". | |||
| Kyrgyz | ийгиликке жетүү | ||
| Tajik | муваффақ шудан | ||
| The word "муваффақ шудан" has multiple origins, with "м" coming from Arabic "م" and "وف" coming from Pahlavi "hvf". | |||
| Turkmen | üstünlik gazan | ||
| Uzbek | muvaffaqiyatga erishish | ||
| The word "muvaffaqiyatga erishish" is derived from the Arabic word "muwaffaqiyya" meaning "success", and the Uzbek verb "erishish" meaning "to reach". | |||
| Uyghur | مۇۋەپپەقىيەت قازىنىش | ||
Succeed in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūleʻa | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "kūleʻa" can also mean "to complete" or "to arrive at a destination." | |||
| Maori | angitu | ||
| The word "angitu" can also refer to "gaining or achieving something," "being successful," or "winning." | |||
| Samoan | manuia | ||
| Manuia can also mean "to achieve" or "to accomplish a goal" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magtagumpay | ||
| Magtagumpay shares a root word with "tagumpay" (victory), which itself comes from the Sanskrit "tumpak" (straight, upright). | |||
Succeed in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aski sarawiniña | ||
| Guarani | hupyty | ||
Succeed in International Languages
| Esperanto | sukcesi | ||
| The Esperanto word 'sukcesi' shares its root with the English 'success'. | |||
| Latin | succedant | ||
| In Latin, "succedant" also means "to follow close behind," or "to come after in order." | |||
Succeed in Others Languages
| Greek | πετυχαίνω | ||
| The word "πετυχαίνω" comes from the ancient Greek word "τεύχω," meaning "to achieve," "to hit the mark," and "to get." | |||
| Hmong | ua tiav | ||
| The Hmong word "ua tiav" also means "to pass through". | |||
| Kurdish | serketin | ||
| The word "serketin" is derived from the Old Kurdish word "serket", meaning "to rise". | |||
| Turkish | başarılı olmak | ||
| Başarılı olmak's literal translation, 'to be successful', also means to win (a game), graduate, achieve, and conquer. | |||
| Xhosa | phumelela | ||
| The word "phumelela" comes from the Xhosa root "-phumela," which originally meant "to make an effort". | |||
| Yiddish | מצליח זיין | ||
| The Yiddish word "מצליח זיין" derives from the Hebrew "מצליח" (successful), and means "to fare well" or "to prosper". | |||
| Zulu | phumelela | ||
| "Phumelela" can also mean "be in good health" or "prosper". | |||
| Assamese | সফল হোৱা | ||
| Aymara | aski sarawiniña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कामयाब भईल | ||
| Dhivehi | ކާމިޔާބުވުން | ||
| Dogri | कामयाब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magtagumpay | ||
| Guarani | hupyty | ||
| Ilocano | agballigi | ||
| Krio | go bifo | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرکەوتن | ||
| Maithili | सफलता भेटनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯏ ꯄꯥꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | hlawhtling | ||
| Oromo | milkaa'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସଫଳ ହୁଅ | ||
| Quechua | aypasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | सफल | ||
| Tatar | уңышка ирешү | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕውት | ||
| Tsonga | humelela | ||