Success in different languages

Success in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

Success is a universal concept that transcends language and culture. It signifies the achievement of a desired outcome or the attainment of wealth, fame, or social status. The significance of success varies across cultures, but its importance remains constant. It is a powerful motivator that drives individuals to strive for their goals and dreams.

Throughout history, success has been associated with notable figures such as Alexander the Great, whose military successes expanded the Greek empire, and Thomas Edison, whose inventions revolutionized modern society. These individuals serve as testaments to the power of success and its potential to change the world.

Understanding the translation of success in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and pursue this concept. For example, in Spanish, success is translated as 'éxito,' while in French, it is 'succès.' These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances that shape our understanding of success.

Join us as we explore the translation of success in various languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this universal concept.

Success


Success in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanssukses
The word "sukses" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "succes", which itself comes from the Latin word "successus", meaning "result" or "outcome."
Amharicስኬት
The noun "ስኬት" "success" derives from the verb "स्कन्दति" meaning "to step" or "to climb" in Sanskrit.
Hausanasara
The word "nasara" can also refer to "victory" or "triumph".
Igboihe ịga nke ọma
The term "ihe ịga nke ọma" is often translated as "success" in English. However, its literal meaning is more nuanced, encompassing not only the attainment of a goal but also the underlying progress and effort involved.
Malagasyfety
FETY can also mean 'accomplishment', 'achievement', or 'victory'.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kupambana
The Nyanja word "kupambana" not only means "success" but also "to fight" or "to struggle."
Shonakubudirira
Kubudirira (success) is derived from the word 'kuvudirira', meaning 'to become prosperous'.
Somaliguul
"Guul" is also used in the context of "ripening" or "reaching a state of perfection"
Sesothokatleho
Swahilimafanikio
The Swahili word "mafanikio" is derived from the Arabic word "falaha," which means "to succeed," and the Bantu prefix "ma," which forms abstract nouns.
Xhosaimpumelelo
"Impumelelo" is related to the word "impumela," which means "to finish."
Yorubaaṣeyọri
The Yoruba word "aṣeyọri" also implies the concept of "completion," denoting that something has been fully accomplished.
Zuluimpumelelo
Impumelelo's origin is disputed, it may stem from either "impi" (regiment) or "impume" (buffalo). In Zulu culture, both regiments and buffaloes are symbols of strength.
Bambarasanga
Ewedzidzedzekpᴐkpᴐ
Kinyarwandaintsinzi
Lingalakolonga
Lugandaokuyita
Sepedikatlego
Twi (Akan)nkunimdie

Success in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicنجاح
The word "نجاح" also signifies "attaining" or "achieving" in Arabic, highlighting the active pursuit and accomplishment of goals.
Hebrewהַצלָחָה
The Hebrew word "הַצלָחָה" (hatzlacha) originally meant "prosperity" or "well-being" in a physical sense, rather than the abstract notion of "success" that it connotes today.
Pashtoبریا
The word is also used figuratively to mean a victory or achievement, particularly in athletics.
Arabicنجاح
The word "نجاح" also signifies "attaining" or "achieving" in Arabic, highlighting the active pursuit and accomplishment of goals.

Success in Western European Languages

Albaniansukses
The Albanian word "sukses" is derived from the Latin word "succedere," meaning "to come after" or "to follow," implying a sequence of events leading to a positive outcome.
Basquearrakasta
"Arrakasta" (success) means "harvest" in Basque. When someone had a plentiful harvest, they "succeeded".
Catalanèxit
The word "èxit" in Catalan also has the alternate meaning of "outcome", as in the outcome of an event or action.
Croatianuspjeh
The word 'uspjeh' has the same root as 'uspeti', which means 'to achieve, succeed, accomplish'
Danishsucces
Succes, a Danish word for "success", also means "a big piece of chocolate"
Dutchsucces
In Dutch, "succes" can also refer to a sequence or series, derived from the Latin word "successio".
Englishsuccess
The word 'success' derives from the Latin word 'succedere,' which means 'to go under' or 'to come after,' indicating a positive outcome following an undertaking or endeavor.
Frenchsuccès
The word "succès" in French comes from the Latin word "successus", meaning "outcome" or "result", and can also refer to a favourable reception or approval.
Frisiansukses
The Frisian word "sukses" is used as a noun meaning "a successful outcome" and as a verb meaning "to achieve success."
Galicianéxito
The word "éxito" in Galician can also refer to a way out or a solution.
Germanerfolg
Erfolg, a German word for success, is derived from the Middle High German word "erfolgen," meaning "to follow after" or "to achieve."
Icelandicárangur
"Árægnir" is a verb meaning "to succeed" and is related to the noun "árangur" meaning "success".
Irishrath
In Middle Irish, 'rath' was also used to refer to a type of fort or ringfort, a circular enclosure with earthen banks and ditches.
Italiansuccesso
In Italian, "successo" is also colloquial for "incident" or "event".
Luxembourgisherfolleg
Maltesesuċċess
The Maltese word "suċċess" is derived from the Latin word "successus", meaning "a good outcome".
Norwegiansuksess
Suksess comes from the French word 'succès', which itself is derived from Latin 'successus'
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)sucesso
"Sucesso" has its roots in the Latin word "successus," meaning "a going forward, progress, or result."
Scots Gaelicsoirbheachas
The original meaning of the Gaelic word "soirbheachas" was "a favorable omen," and also had associations with the "lucky side" of a hill.
Spanishéxito
The Spanish word "éxito" derives from the Latin word "exitus" which can mean either "exit" or "outcome".
Swedishframgång
Framgång can also mean "advancement" or "progress" in Swedish.
Welshllwyddiant
The word 'llwyddiant' can also refer to a 'blessing' or 'prosperity', and is derived from the Welsh word 'llwyddo', meaning 'to succeed' or 'to prosper'.

Success in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпоспех
The word "поспех" can mean not only "success" but also "haste" or "hurry" in Belarusian.
Bosnianuspjeh
The Bosnian word "uspjeh" comes from the Old Slavic word "uspeh", which means "progress" or "advancement".
Bulgarianуспех
"Успех" in Bulgarian is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "усьпѣхъ", which originally meant "progress" or "achievement".
Czechúspěch
"Úspěch" comes from the verb "spět" which means "to rush" or "to hurry", so it literally means "achievement through hustle".
Estonianedu
The Estonian word "edu" has the same root as the Latin word "edere," meaning "to eat."
Finnishmenestys
The Finnish word "menestys" is derived from the verb "mennä" (to go) and the noun "sti" (path)
Hungariansiker
The Hungarian word "siker" ultimately derives from the Turkic word "sïγ" meaning "victory" and "success."
Latvianpanākumi
The word 'panākumi' in Latvian is related to the verb 'panākt', meaning 'to achieve' or 'to reach'.
Lithuaniansėkmė
The word "sėkmė" derives from the Baltic word "sekas", meaning "companion" or "luck".
Macedonianуспех
"Успех" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *usъpěchъ, which means "attainment".
Polishpowodzenie
"Powodzenie" comes from the Polish word "powodzić, " which means "to drive," "to move," "to advance," "to lead," and "to guide."
Romaniansucces
succes (n.) < Latin "successus" meaning "result," "outcome," or "progress."
Russianуспех
Russian "успех" derives from Old Church Slavonic and means both "to achieve" and "to keep up with".
Serbianуспех
The word "успех" can also refer to "good luck" or "fortune".
Slovakúspech
The word "úspech" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "usъpekhъ" meaning "help from God" or "providence".
Slovenianuspeh
In Slovenian, the word "uspeh" derives from the Old Slavic word "uspěti", meaning "to accomplish" or "to achieve".
Ukrainianуспіху
The Ukrainian word «успіху» is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *opъxъ, which also meant "good luck".

Success in South Asian Languages

Bengaliসাফল্য
The word "সাফল্য" (success) is derived from the Sanskrit word "सफल" (saphal), which means "bearing fruit" or "yielding a result".
Gujaratiસફળતા
Gujarati word "સફળતા" literally translates to "fruitful completion" or "bearing fruit".
Hindiसफलता
'सफलता' (success), from 'सत्' (excellence) and 'फल' (result), connotes both achieving a positive outcome and the inherent value of the process.
Kannadaಯಶಸ್ಸು
The Kannada word "ಯಶಸ್ಸು" can also refer to "good fortune" or "winning".
Malayalamവിജയം
The word "വിജയം" (vijayam) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "विजय" (vijaya), meaning "victory". It can also refer to "triumph" or "accomplishment".
Marathiयश
The word "यश" in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit word "यशस्" meaning "glory, fame," and "renown."
Nepaliसफलता
The word "सफलता" is derived from the Sanskrit root "saha-phal" meaning "with fruit" or "bearing fruit".
Punjabiਸਫਲਤਾ
The word "ਸਫਲਤਾ" (/səfəltɑː/ "success") is derived from the Sanskrit word "सफलता" (/səfəlɑːtɑː/), which means "the state of having achieved one's goal". It can also mean "prosperity" or "well-being".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සාර්ථකත්වය
Tamilவெற்றி
In Tamil, "வெற்றி" (vetri) also means "white" or "purity", underscoring the association between success and light and goodness.
Teluguవిజయం
Telugu "విజయం" ('success') is cognate with Sanskrit "विजय" ('victory'), both deriving from Proto-Indo-European root "weik-" ('to conquer').
Urduکامیابی
Derived from the Arabic word "kamiya" meaning "excellence" or "perfection," "kamyabi" can also refer to "attainment" or "fulfillment" in Urdu.

Success in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)成功
成 (chéng) refers to completion or becoming and 功 (gōng) denotes merit or achievement.
Chinese (Traditional)成功
Besides the obvious meaning, '成' also means 'complete' and '功' means 'merit', 'achievement' or 'accomplishment' so '成功' can also mean to have made great and honorable achievements in terms of wealth, relationships, academics or a person's talents.
Japanese成功
The Kanji "成" originally meant "to come into being" but gradually shifted to its modern meaning "to accomplish".
Korean성공
The word "성공" (success) originally meant "to achieve one's goals" or "to accomplish something."
Mongolianамжилт
The word amjilt may also refer to a completed task or achievement
Myanmar (Burmese)အောင်မြင်မှု

Success in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiankeberhasilan
Keberhasilan is derived from the Old Javanese word kasil, meaning "outcome" or "result".
Javanesesukses
"Sukses" also means "to finish" or "to end" a task or activity in Javanese.
Khmerជោគជ័យ
In Khmer, ជោគជ័យ (choak chey) refers to both 'success' and 'luck', highlighting the intertwined nature of effort and fortune in Cambodian culture.
Laoຄວາມ​ສໍາ​ເລັດ
Malaykejayaan
"kejayaan" (meaning "success" in Malay) is derived from the Sanskrit word "jaya," meaning "conquer" or "be victorious."
Thaiความสำเร็จ
In Thai, the word "ความสำเร็จ" derives from the Sanskrit word "sampatti", meaning "attainment" or "acquisition". It also holds connotations of wealth and prosperity.
Vietnamesesự thành công
In Vietnamese, "thành" means "to become, to attain," and "công" means "work, labor, or task," so "sự thành công" literally means "the attainment of a result from work or effort."
Filipino (Tagalog)tagumpay

Success in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniuğur
The word "uğur" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Turkish word "uğur", which means "good luck" or "auspiciousness".
Kazakhжетістік
"Жетістік" (success) is believed to originate from "жету" (to reach), referring to achieving a desired outcome.
Kyrgyzийгилик
The word "ийгилик" can also refer to a state of prosperity or well-being.
Tajikмуваффақият
The word "муваффақият" is derived from the Arabic word "muwāfaqah", which means "agreement" or "conformity".
Turkmenüstünlik
Uzbekmuvaffaqiyat
The word "muvaffaqiyat" in Uzbek ultimately derives from the Arabic word "muwaffaq", meaning "to agree" or "to be successful", and can also refer to "happiness" or "well-being".
Uyghurمۇۋەپپەقىيەت

Success in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankūleʻa
"Kūleʻa" also means "to be easy" or "not difficult," implying that success should come effortlessly.
Maoriangitu
The word 'angitu' can also refer to the act of succeeding or reaching a goal.
Samoanmanuia
The Samoan word 'manuia' has a dual meaning beyond 'success', also conveying 'blessing' or 'gift'
Tagalog (Filipino)tagumpay
Tagumpay is derived from the word 'tagum' meaning 'to follow', indicating success as the result of pursuing and achieving a goal.

Success in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarakusapana
Guaraniñesẽporã

Success in International Languages

Esperantosukceso
Etymology: from Esperanto sukcesi "to achieve, to succeed", from Latin succedere.
Latinvictoria
The Latin word "victoria" is related to "vir", meaning "man," and may have originally referred to the triumph of a conquering warrior.

Success in Others Languages

Greekεπιτυχία
The word "επιτυχία" comes from the Greek word "τυγχάνω," meaning "to hit the mark" or "to attain."
Hmongkev vam meej
Kev vam meej can also be translated to 'a good day,' 'good fortune,' or 'luck'
Kurdishserketinî
Kurmanci 'serketinî' (success) originally meant 'having a head' ('serî', head) and referred to completing a task or undertaking with one's head held high.
Turkishbaşarı
The word "başarı" in Turkish also has the meanings of "step", "rank", and "stage".
Xhosaimpumelelo
"Impumelelo" is related to the word "impumela," which means "to finish."
Yiddishהצלחה
הצלחה, in Yiddish, can also mean 'completion' or 'achievement' and is related to the Hebrew word סֵדֶר (seder), meaning 'order' or 'arrangement'.
Zuluimpumelelo
Impumelelo's origin is disputed, it may stem from either "impi" (regiment) or "impume" (buffalo). In Zulu culture, both regiments and buffaloes are symbols of strength.
Assameseসফলতা
Aymarakusapana
Bhojpuriसफलता
Dhivehiކާމިޔާބު
Dogriकामयाबी
Filipino (Tagalog)tagumpay
Guaraniñesẽporã
Ilocanoballigi
Kriogo bifo
Kurdish (Sorani)سەرکەوتن
Maithiliसफलता
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯃꯥꯏ ꯄꯥꯛꯄ
Mizohlawhtling
Oromomilkaa'ina
Odia (Oriya)ସଫଳତା
Quechuaallinmi
Sanskritसफलता
Tatarуңыш
Tigrinyaዓወት
Tsongahumelela

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