Sustain in Different Languages
Discover 'Sustain' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'sustain' holds great significance in our modern world, as it relates to the critical global issues of environmental conservation and social equity. Derived from the Latin 'sustinere', meaning 'to hold up', sustainability is about maintaining balance and supporting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This concept has cultural importance across the globe, influencing various aspects of society, including agriculture, economics, and design.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'sustain' in different languages can broaden our perspective and strengthen our connection to diverse cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'sustain' is 'sostener', while in French, it is 'soutenir'. In German, the word is 'erhalten', and in Mandarin Chinese, it is '维持 (wéichí).'
Delving into the translations of 'sustain' not only enriches our linguistic abilities but also highlights the shared global commitment to preserving our planet and fostering equitable societies. Keep reading to explore more translations of this vital term in various languages.
Sustain
Sustain in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | volhou | ||
| Volhou derives from the Dutch 'volharden', meaning 'to persevere', cognate with the English 'fortitude'. | |||
| Amharic | ዘላቂ | ||
| "ዘላቂ" means "lasting", "permanent", "enduring", or "eternal". | |||
| Hausa | ci gaba | ||
| This Hausa word was borrowed from Arabic and primarily refers to an object that can hold something, like a shelf or a bag. | |||
| Igbo | kwagide | ||
| The word 'kwagide' also means 'to live' in the Igbo language. | |||
| Malagasy | manohana | ||
| The word "manohana" in Malagasy can also mean "to bear", "to support", or "to carry". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulimbikitsa | ||
| The verb 'kulimbikitsa' has no etymological relation to the noun 'limbi', 'hunger'; rather, it is cognate with 'limba', 'stick', with an instrumental or causative meaning related to its action of supporting. | |||
| Shona | kutsigira | ||
| The word "kutsigira" can also mean "to support" or "to maintain" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | joogtayn | ||
| The word "joogtayn" in Somali may derive from the root "joog" (to stand, stay) or from "juuq" (to hold, seize). | |||
| Sesotho | tšehetsa | ||
| The word 'tšehetsa' is also used as a verb meaning 'to lean someone'} | |||
| Swahili | endeleza | ||
| "Endeleza" is also used figuratively in Swahili to mean 'nourish', 'support', or 'uplift'. | |||
| Xhosa | gcina | ||
| In Xhosa, "gcina" also means "to preserve" or "to keep something in its original state." | |||
| Yoruba | fowosowopo | ||
| The Yoruba word "fowosowopo" is also used idiomatically to mean "to hold up" or "to support" in a physical sense. | |||
| Zulu | gcina | ||
| 'Gcìna' ('sustain' in Zulu) derives from the verb '-gcina' to 'keep or preserve' which can also mean 'to restrain oneself from action' | |||
| Bambara | ka mɛn | ||
| Ewe | le ɖe te | ||
| Kinyarwanda | komeza | ||
| Lingala | kopesa maboko | ||
| Luganda | okubeezawo | ||
| Sepedi | kgotlelela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kura mu | ||
Sustain in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الحفاظ | ||
| حفظ ('hafiz') has the root meaning of 'safeguarding' as well as 'memorizing.' | |||
| Hebrew | לִתְמוֹך | ||
| The Hebrew word לִתְמוֹך is also used to mean 'to support' or 'to uphold'. | |||
| Pashto | ساتل | ||
| The Pashto word "ساتل" also means "persistent" or "stubborn". | |||
| Arabic | الحفاظ | ||
| حفظ ('hafiz') has the root meaning of 'safeguarding' as well as 'memorizing.' | |||
Sustain in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbështesin | ||
| The Albanian word "mbështesin" also means "prop up" or "support". | |||
| Basque | eutsi | ||
| Possibly derived from Proto-Basque *eusi, meaning "to hold" or "to support." | |||
| Catalan | sostenir | ||
| The word "sostenir" in Catalan originates from the Latin word "sustineo" and also conveys the meaning of "uphold" or "support". | |||
| Croatian | održavati | ||
| The word "održavati" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "držati", meaning "to hold" or "to keep". | |||
| Danish | opretholde | ||
| The word 'opretholde' is cognate with 'uphold' in English, both originating from an Old Germanic word meaning 'to hold' | |||
| Dutch | ondersteunen | ||
| The Dutch word "ondersteunen" originally meant "to support from below" and is related to "onder" ("under") and "steunen" ("to support"). | |||
| English | sustain | ||
| In the 15th century, "sustain" was used in the sense of "support" and "to bear"; today it is more often used with the sense of "to keep going". | |||
| French | soutenir | ||
| In French, "soutenir" also means "support", "defend", or "uplift". | |||
| Frisian | folhâlde | ||
| The word "folhâlde" is derived from the Old Frisian word "halda", meaning "to hold" or "to support". | |||
| Galician | soster | ||
| The word "soster" in Galician can also mean "to support", "to endure", or "to carry". | |||
| German | aufrechterhalten | ||
| The word "aufrechterhalten" is a compound of "aufrecht" (upright, erect) and "erhalten" (to maintain, to preserve). | |||
| Icelandic | viðhalda | ||
| The verb viðhalda comes from the Old Norse word viðhalda, which means "to maintain" or "to preserve." | |||
| Irish | chothú | ||
| The Irish word "chothú" can also mean "to keep" or "to preserve". | |||
| Italian | sostenere | ||
| The Italian word "sostenere" can also mean "to maintain" or "to support". | |||
| Luxembourgish | ënnerhalen | ||
| The word "ënnerhalen" is derived from the German "unterhalten" and also means "to entertain". | |||
| Maltese | issostni | ||
| The word 'issostni' comes from the Proto-Semitic root *stw, which also gave rise to the Arabic word 'sada' meaning 'to help' and the Hebrew word 's'ad' meaning 'to assist'. | |||
| Norwegian | opprettholde | ||
| The word "opprettholde" in Norwegian shares its etymology with the English word "uphold", meaning to support or maintain. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sustentar | ||
| In Portuguese ("sustentar"), one can also say that "aquele homem sustenta um carro esportivo" which means "that man owns a sports car." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cumail suas | ||
| The noun `cumail` can mean "protection" or "sanctuary" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | sostener | ||
| Though the word "sostener" is usually translated as "sustain", it can also mean "support" or "bear". | |||
| Swedish | upprätthålla | ||
| The word "upprätthålla" comes from the Old Swedish word "upprätha", meaning "to stand up" or "to maintain", and is related to the German word "aufrechterhalten". | |||
| Welsh | cynnal | ||
| The Welsh word 'cynnal' ('sustain') was historically used in a wider sense, including 'to be able to' and 'to cause to be' (e.g. 'to produce'). | |||
Sustain in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вытрымліваць | ||
| The word "вытрымліваць" can also mean "to endure", "to tolerate", or "to withstand". | |||
| Bosnian | održavati | ||
| In Bosnian, the verb "održavati" ('to sustain') is also related to the word "država" ('state') and can denote the maintenance of a state or establishment. | |||
| Bulgarian | поддържане | ||
| Поддържане in Bulgarian also means to keep, maintain, or support something. | |||
| Czech | udržet | ||
| The verb "udržet" literally means "to hold down". | |||
| Estonian | säilitada | ||
| "Säilitada" in Estonian also means "to can" or "to preserve" in English. | |||
| Finnish | ylläpitää | ||
| "Ylläpitää" is also a term for "upkeep" in Finnish | |||
| Hungarian | fenntartani | ||
| The word 'fenntartani' can also refer to preserving or continuing something, such as a tradition or a way of life. | |||
| Latvian | uzturēt | ||
| The word "uzturēt" also means to nourish, support, or maintain. | |||
| Lithuanian | palaikyti | ||
| In Lithuanian, "palaikyti" also means "to support" or "to help maintain something" | |||
| Macedonian | одржува | ||
| The word "одржува" can also mean "to maintain" or "to keep in good condition." | |||
| Polish | ponieść | ||
| The word "ponieść" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*nes-ti", meaning "to carry". | |||
| Romanian | susține | ||
| The word "susține" is also used in Romanian to mean "to support" or "to hold up." | |||
| Russian | выдерживать | ||
| In addition to its ordinary meaning "sustain," the word "выдерживать" can also mean "tolerate," "withstand," and "survive." | |||
| Serbian | одржавати | ||
| "Одржавати" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic verb "дрьжати" (drŭžati), which means "to hold, to keep". It can also mean "to maintain", "to support", or "to preserve". | |||
| Slovak | udržať | ||
| "Udržať" also means "to maintain" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vzdrževati | ||
| Slovenian word "vzdrževati" comes from Old Slavic "vьzdrьžati", meaning "to support, endure, sustain". | |||
| Ukrainian | витримувати | ||
| The Ukrainian word “витримувати” can also mean "to endure" or "to withstand", and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *tьr̥peti, which also means "to endure". | |||
Sustain in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | টিকিয়ে রাখা | ||
| The Bengali word "টিকিয়ে রাখা" (sustain) derives from the Sanskrit root "sthā" meaning "to stand" or "to endure". | |||
| Gujarati | ટકાવી | ||
| "ટકાવી" in Gujarati comes from the Sanskrit "dhri" or "tra" - both referring to "holding, bearing," or "carrying." | |||
| Hindi | बनाए रखना | ||
| The Hindi word बनाए रखना ('sustain') originates from the Sanskrit root 'sthā', meaning 'to stand' or 'to remain'. | |||
| Kannada | ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು | ||
| Malayalam | നിലനിർത്തുക | ||
| Marathi | टिकवणे | ||
| The Marathi word "टिकवणे" derives from the Sanskrit root "स्था" (sthā), meaning "to stand" or "to be firm". | |||
| Nepali | टिकाउ | ||
| The word 'टिकाउ' ('sustain') also has the meaning of 'durable', 'solid' and 'stable' in Nepali, in addition to its primary meaning of 'sustain'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਇਮ ਰੱਖੋ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පවත්වා ගන්න | ||
| Tamil | நிலைநிறுத்து | ||
| Telugu | నిలబెట్టుకోండి | ||
| Urdu | برقرار رکھنا | ||
Sustain in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 支持 | ||
| The character 支 in "支持" means "to hold up" and can also mean "to support" or "to rely on". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 支持 | ||
| 支持 originally meant "to hold up with a stick". Later it was used to refer to "to help or assist". | |||
| Japanese | サスティーン | ||
| サスティーンは、サステナブル（持続可能）やサステネンス（持続）などの同根語を持ち、持続的なもの、または持続させることを意味します。 | |||
| Korean | 버티다 | ||
| "버티다" has another meaning of "to resist". | |||
| Mongolian | тогтвортой байлгах | ||
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| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရေရှည်တည်တံ့ | ||
Sustain in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menopang | ||
| The word "menopang" originally meant "to hold up" or "to support", but it has since come to mean "to sustain". | |||
| Javanese | nyonggo | ||
| 'Nyonggo' also means 'to carry' or 'to hold'. | |||
| Khmer | ទ្រទ្រង់ | ||
| The word "ទ្រទ្រង់" also means to hold or support, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "dharaṇa". | |||
| Lao | ຍືນຍົງ | ||
| The word ຍືນຍົງ (sustain) in Lao is derived from the Pali word "dīgha"," extended or prolonged ", and in Thai, it also means "to last long" or "to endure". | |||
| Malay | mengekalkan | ||
| The word "mengekalkan" in Malay derives from the Sanskrit word "sthira" meaning "fixed" or "firm" | |||
| Thai | ยังชีพประคับประคอง | ||
| The phrase "ยังชีพประคับประคอง" can also refer to the financial support of a family or community. | |||
| Vietnamese | duy trì | ||
| "Duy trì" is a Sino-Vietnamese word derived from the Chinese characters "維持" (wéichí), meaning "to maintain, uphold, or keep in existence." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | umalalay | ||
Sustain in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | davam etmək | ||
| "Davam etmək" means both "to sustain" and "to continue" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қолдау | ||
| "Қолдау" also means "support" and "endorsement" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | колдоо | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "колдоо" also has the alternate meaning of "keeping food for the winter." | |||
| Tajik | нигоҳ доштан | ||
| The Tajik word "нигоҳ доштан" can also mean "to keep" or "to maintain". | |||
| Turkmen | goldamak | ||
| Uzbek | qo'llab-quvvatlamoq | ||
| Uyghur | داۋاملاشتۇرۇش | ||
Sustain in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kokua | ||
| "Kokua" can also mean "to help," "to aid" or "to assist" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | paturu | ||
| The word "paturu" also means "to establish" or "to set up" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | lagolagoina | ||
| The Samoan word for "sustain" has the alternate meaning of "to continue". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | panatilihin | ||
| The word "panatilihin" originates from the root word "panatili" which means "vow" or "promise". | |||
Sustain in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | katxaruña | ||
| Guarani | mbojoko | ||
Sustain in International Languages
| Esperanto | subteni | ||
| The Esperanto word "subteni" also means "to support" or "to endorse". | |||
| Latin | enutriet; | ||
| The Latin verb "enutrire" is also used figuratively to mean "to educate" or "to nourish the mind." | |||
Sustain in Others Languages
| Greek | υποστηρίζω | ||
| "Υπο-στηρίζω" in modern Greek does not mean "support" but "maintain" or "uphold". | |||
| Hmong | hais ntxiv | ||
| In Hmong, the verb form of "hais ntxiv" can also refer to the action of "causing or allowing someone to continue or go on with an activity". | |||
| Kurdish | lêxwedîderketin | ||
| The word "lêxwedîderketin" in Kurdish originates from the verb "lêxwedîtin" meaning "to continue" or "to persevere". | |||
| Turkish | sürdürmek | ||
| "Sürdürmek" also means "to drive" in Turkish as a result of its Persian origin "sürd" (meaning "to drive"). | |||
| Xhosa | gcina | ||
| In Xhosa, "gcina" also means "to preserve" or "to keep something in its original state." | |||
| Yiddish | ונטערהאַלטן | ||
| The word "ונערהאַלטן" can also mean "entertain" or "amuse" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | gcina | ||
| 'Gcìna' ('sustain' in Zulu) derives from the verb '-gcina' to 'keep or preserve' which can also mean 'to restrain oneself from action' | |||
| Assamese | বজাই ৰখা | ||
| Aymara | katxaruña | ||
| Bhojpuri | बनाए रखल | ||
| Dhivehi | ދެމެހެއްޓުން | ||
| Dogri | हंडना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | umalalay | ||
| Guarani | mbojoko | ||
| Ilocano | kanunongan | ||
| Krio | sɔpɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | درێژە پێدان | ||
| Maithili | संभालनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯦꯞꯇꯅ ꯁꯧꯒꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | chhawmdawl | ||
| Oromo | cimsuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ଥିର କର | | ||
| Quechua | takyachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | सतत | ||
| Tatar | дәвам ит | ||
| Tigrinya | ምጽናሕ | ||
| Tsonga | tiyisela | ||