Talent in Different Languages
Discover 'Talent' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Talent, a word that signifies a natural ability or aptitude, has been a topic of interest across cultures and languages. Its significance extends beyond mere skill, as it encompasses innate potential and the capacity for greatness. Throughout history, talented individuals have shaped societies, from artists to scientists, musicians to leaders. The concept of talent is not confined to a single language or culture, but is a universal concept that transcends borders.
Understanding the translation of talent in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and value natural abilities. For example, in Spanish, talent is translated as 'talento', while in French, it is 'talent'. In Mandarin, the word for talent is '天赋', which literally means 'heavenly gift'. These translations not only reflect linguistic differences, but also cultural nuances and values.
Join us as we explore the translations of talent in a variety of languages, shedding light on the global significance of this important concept.
Talent
Talent in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | talent | ||
| In Afrikaans, "talent" can also refer to a currency, specifically the South African half-cent coin minted between 1965 and 1989. | |||
| Amharic | ችሎታ | ||
| "Члота" in an alternate meaning also refers to "a form of divination by examining the shoulder blade of a sheep". | |||
| Hausa | baiwa | ||
| The Hausa word "baiwa" is also used to refer to the measurement of grain or other dry goods. | |||
| Igbo | talent | ||
| The Igbo word "talent" also means "the highest monetary unit used by ancient Greeks." | |||
| Malagasy | talent | ||
| The Malagasy word "talent" originally meant "silver coin" and then "weight". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | talente | ||
| The word "talente" in Nyanja is derived from the Latin word "talentum" which referred to a unit of currency or weight used during the Roman empire. | |||
| Shona | tarenda | ||
| In Shona, 'tarenda' translates to 'talent' and is derived from the word 'renda' meaning 'to measure or weigh'. | |||
| Somali | karti | ||
| The Somali word "karti" is also used to refer to a person's potential or capability. | |||
| Sesotho | talenta | ||
| The word "talenta" in Sesotho has its roots in the biblical parable of the talents, where it represents a monetary gift or endowment. | |||
| Swahili | talanta | ||
| The word "talanta" in Swahili also refers to a unit of currency or money. | |||
| Xhosa | italente | ||
| In Xhosa, 'italente' is derived from the verb 'ukutala', meaning 'to obtain, acquire' or 'to gain something' | |||
| Yoruba | ẹbùn | ||
| Ẹbùn can mean 'gift', 'treasure', or 'inheritance', and is related to the word 'gbọn', meaning 'wisdom'. | |||
| Zulu | ithalente | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning as "talent" or "skill", "ithalente" can also refer to a person's natural abilities or potential, or to a particular gift or quality. | |||
| Bambara | seko ni dɔnko | ||
| Ewe | talento ƒe ŋutete | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impano | ||
| Lingala | talent | ||
| Luganda | ekitone | ||
| Sepedi | talente ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | talente | ||
Talent in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | موهبة | ||
| موهبة also means 'natural gift' or 'grace of God' and is derived from its root 'h-b-h' meaning 'to give' | |||
| Hebrew | כִּשָׁרוֹן | ||
| The Hebrew word "כִּשָׁרוֹן" (talent) is derived from the root word "כּשר", which means "fit", "suitable", or "able". | |||
| Pashto | استعداد | ||
| The word "استعداد" in Pashto can also mean "ability" or "capacity." | |||
| Arabic | موهبة | ||
| موهبة also means 'natural gift' or 'grace of God' and is derived from its root 'h-b-h' meaning 'to give' | |||
Talent in Western European Languages
| Albanian | talent | ||
| The Albanian word "talent" comes from the Greek word "talanton" and originally meant "a large unit of money or weight". | |||
| Basque | talentua | ||
| "Talentua" is derived from the Greek word "talanton," which originally referred to a unit of weight and currency. | |||
| Catalan | talent | ||
| In Catalan, the noun “talent” can mean “talent”, but it can also mean “piece of metal or material” | |||
| Croatian | talenat | ||
| The Croatian word "talenat" originates from the Ancient Greek word "talanton", meaning "scale" or "balance". | |||
| Danish | talent | ||
| In Danish, "talent" also refers to a unit of weight or currency. | |||
| Dutch | talent | ||
| In Dutch, "talent" specifically means a former monetary unit used in the Netherlands, Flanders and northern France. | |||
| English | talent | ||
| In ancient Greece, a 'talent' was a unit of currency equal to 6,000 drachmas. | |||
| French | talent | ||
| In French, "talent" also refers to an ancient unit of weight or currency, while "talentueux" means "talented". | |||
| Frisian | talint | ||
| The Frisian word "talint" is a loanword from French and is not related to the English word "talent". In Frisian, "talint" specifically refers to a measurement of gold or silver. | |||
| Galician | talento | ||
| In Galician, "talento" also means "nephew". | |||
| German | talent | ||
| In German, "talent" is also an archaic unit of currency or weight. | |||
| Icelandic | hæfileiki | ||
| In Old Norse, hæfileiki could also mean "ability" or "skill." | |||
| Irish | tallann | ||
| The word 'tallann' finds its roots in the French word 'talent' and the Latin word 'talentum', which both refer to the scales used to weigh precious metals. | |||
| Italian | talento | ||
| The word "talento" in Italian derives from the ancient Greek unit of currency that bore the same name and was depicted with a balance scale, resulting in its alternate meaning of "balance" | |||
| Luxembourgish | talent | ||
| "Talent" also means "weight" and derives from Old Latin "talentum". | |||
| Maltese | talent | ||
| In Maltese, the word "talent" derives from the verb "talenta" meaning "to weigh" and can also refer to a metal ingot or a large sum of money. | |||
| Norwegian | talent | ||
| The word 'talent' comes from the Greek 'talanton,' which originally referred to a unit of weight or a sum of money. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | talento | ||
| The Portuguese word "talento" comes from the Ancient Greek word "talanton" and could also refer to a monetary unit worth around 20 pounds of silver. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tàlant | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, 'tàlant' also signifies 'inclination' or 'desire'. | |||
| Spanish | talento | ||
| The word "talento" in Spanish derives from the ancient Greek unit of currency, the "talent" | |||
| Swedish | talang | ||
| The Old English 'talent' meant a large weight with a value corresponding to 75 English pounds and was later adopted into Swedish and spelled as 'talang' with the same meaning, although it was not used in that context in Sweden. | |||
| Welsh | talent | ||
| In Welsh, "talent" refers to a physical unit of weight rather than a natural ability. | |||
Talent in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | талент | ||
| The word "талент" in Belarusian also means "coin" or "treasure", derived from the Greek "talanton". | |||
| Bosnian | talent | ||
| U bosanskomu jeziku riječ „talent” označava „novac ili imetak”, a izvedena je od grčke riječi „talanton”, što je bila jedinica mjere težine i valuta u Antičkoj Grčkoj. | |||
| Bulgarian | талант | ||
| The word "талант" in Bulgarian comes from the Greek word "τάλαντον" and can also mean a unit of weight or a sum of money. | |||
| Czech | talent | ||
| The word "talent" in Czech also refers to a historical unit of weight equal to 25.33 kilograms or 56 pounds. | |||
| Estonian | anne | ||
| "Anne" also means "merit, credit, worth" in Estonian | |||
| Finnish | lahjakkuutta | ||
| The word 'lahjakkuutta' also means 'brilliance' in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | tehetség | ||
| 'Tehetség' comes from the Turkic word 'tayat', which means 'young horse' or 'foal'. | |||
| Latvian | talants | ||
| The Latvian word "talanti" (plural) is a loan from Greek "talanton", which originally referred to a weight measurement and then to a unit of currency. | |||
| Lithuanian | talentas | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "talentas" is derived from the Greek word "talanton", which originally meant a balance or a scale used for weighing money or other objects. | |||
| Macedonian | талент | ||
| In addition to ability and skill, the word "талент" may also refer to a monetary unit in some contexts. | |||
| Polish | talent | ||
| In Polish, the word "talent" can also refer to an ancient coin used in the biblical era, similar to the English usage of the term "talent". | |||
| Romanian | talent | ||
| The Romanian word "talent" also means a unit of ancient weight and measure. | |||
| Russian | талант | ||
| The word «талант» (talent) comes from the Greek word «τάλαντον» (talanton), which referred to a unit of weight and currency. | |||
| Serbian | таленат | ||
| "таленат" also means an old unit of weight, typically 20-30 kilograms. | |||
| Slovak | talent | ||
| The word "talent" derives from the Greek word "talanton" which means "scales" or "balance" and refers to a unit of weight or currency. | |||
| Slovenian | talent | ||
| "Talent" can also refer to an ancient Greek weight (approx. 26 kg) or an ancient Indian coin. | |||
| Ukrainian | талант | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word “талант” also signifies a monetary unit used by the Greeks in antiquity. | |||
Talent in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিভা | ||
| Bengali প্রতিভা 'talent' derives from Sanskrit pratibhā 'mental manifestation, genius, inspiration,' ultimately from prefix prati- 'in answer to' and bhā 'light, radiance'. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રતિભા | ||
| The word 'પ્રતિભા' has alternate meanings in Gujarati, including 'inspiration' and 'genius'. | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिभा | ||
| The Sanskrit word "प्रतिभा" also means "consciousness" and "intelligence". | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ | ||
| "ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ" originates from the Sanskrit "प्रतिभा" (pratibhā), meaning "manifestation, intelligence, genius, talent". | |||
| Malayalam | കഴിവ് | ||
| The Malayalam word "കഴിവ്" also has the meanings "ability" and "skill". | |||
| Marathi | प्रतिभा | ||
| The word प्रतिभा was also used in ancient Indian Sanskrit literature to mean “beauty,” “genius,” and “splendor,”. | |||
| Nepali | प्रतिभा | ||
| The word प्रतिभा (pratibha) in Nepali shares its Sanskrit roots with the ancient Vedic concept of 'shining forth' (pra-tābh-a), representing the inherent luminosity and brilliance within an individual. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਤਿਭਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දක්ෂතා | ||
| The Sinhala word "දක්ෂතා" is derived from the Sanskrit word "दक्षता" and can also refer to "competence" or "proficiency." | |||
| Tamil | திறமை | ||
| "திறமை" also refers to a special power or ability | |||
| Telugu | ప్రతిభ | ||
| "ప్రతిభ" (talent) comes from the Sanskrit word "प्रतिभा" (pratibha), which means "knowledge". It can also mean "genius" or "skill". | |||
| Urdu | پرتیبھا | ||
| The Urdu word 'پرتیبھا,' originally meaning 'genius or brilliance,' derives from the Sanskrit word 'pratibha,' which means 'intuition or inspiration.' | |||
Talent in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 天赋 | ||
| 天赋 has also been used to refer to the mandate of heaven, a concept that legitimized the rule of emperors. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 天賦 | ||
| The character "天" in "天賦" originally meant "sky" or "heaven" and was used to denote something bestowed by divine powers. | |||
| Japanese | 才能 | ||
| "才能" is sometimes used to describe inherent qualities, not necessarily developed skills, unlike its English counterpart; it's a loanword from the Chinese "cái néng". | |||
| Korean | 재능 | ||
| The word "재능" can also mean "a person with extraordinary ability" or "a natural gift or aptitude". | |||
| Mongolian | авьяас | ||
| The verb "авьяах" (to make able) and the noun "авьяас" (talent) share the same root and stem | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခွက်တဆယ် | ||
| The word "talent" in Myanmar (Burmese) is a weight measure of about 32 kilograms, and can also refer to money, knowledge, or skill. | |||
Talent in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bakat | ||
| The word 'bakat' in Indonesian is derived from the Arabic word 'baqarah', which means 'excellence' or 'skill'. | |||
| Javanese | talenta | ||
| The word “talenta” also means “intelligence” or “skill” in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ទេពកោសល្យ | ||
| In classical Sanskrit, the word "divya-Kauśalya" means "a heavenly art, a heavenly faculty, a supernatural power". | |||
| Lao | ພອນສະຫວັນ | ||
| Lao word spelling of "talent" has another meaning of "heaven" in Thai. | |||
| Malay | bakat | ||
| "Bakat" also means a scar in some regions. | |||
| Thai | พรสวรรค์ | ||
| "พรสวรรค์" comes from Sanskrit and also means "nature" or "character". | |||
| Vietnamese | năng lực | ||
| Năng lực derives from the Sino-Vietnamese năng lực, meaning 'ability', 'competence', and 'capability'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | talento | ||
Talent in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istedad | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "İstedad" can also be translated as "gift" or "ability". | |||
| Kazakh | талант | ||
| In Kazakh, "талант" (talent) can also refer to a unit of weight equal to about 32 kilograms. | |||
| Kyrgyz | талант | ||
| The word "талант" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a "hidden treasure" within a person. | |||
| Tajik | истеъдод | ||
| The word is likely derived from Persian and may also mean 'ability', 'gift', 'skill', or 'aptitude'. | |||
| Turkmen | zehin | ||
| Uzbek | iste'dod | ||
| In Uzbek, "iste'dod" literally means "ability" but can also be used to describe an individual's exceptional skill or aptitude in a particular area. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىختىساسلىقلار | ||
Talent in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kālena | ||
| The word "kālena" can also refer to a type of dance or a specific dance step. | |||
| Maori | taranata | ||
| "Taranata" in Maori also refers to the idea of "mana" (spiritual power or excellence). | |||
| Samoan | taleni | ||
| Taleni can also refer to a person’s expertise, knowledge, or aptitude. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | talento | ||
| The word "talento" is derived from the Spanish word "talento", which in turn comes from the Latin word "talentum", meaning "scale" or "balance". | |||
Talent in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | talento ukax mä juk’a pachanakanwa | ||
| Guarani | talento rehegua | ||
Talent in International Languages
| Esperanto | talento | ||
| The word "talento" in Esperanto is a direct borrowing from the Spanish word "talento" meaning "talent", and is also the Esperanto translation of the English "talent". | |||
| Latin | talentum | ||
| The Latin "talentum" shares an origin with the Greek "talanton", possibly from an ancient Semitic language. | |||
Talent in Others Languages
| Greek | ταλέντο | ||
| Apart from its modern meaning, "ταλέντο" can also refer to an ancient Greek coin or a unit of weight. | |||
| Hmong | txuj ci | ||
| The word "txuj ci" literally means "hand and foot" in Hmong, and was originally meant to refer to someone with good skills in craftsmanship or the arts. | |||
| Kurdish | jîrî | ||
| The etymology of "jîrî" is disputed, some believe it originates from Persian "chehre" (face), while others propose a Kurdish origin. | |||
| Turkish | yetenek | ||
| The word 'yetenek' is derived from the Arabic word 'yatanaqa', which means 'to be able to do something'. | |||
| Xhosa | italente | ||
| In Xhosa, 'italente' is derived from the verb 'ukutala', meaning 'to obtain, acquire' or 'to gain something' | |||
| Yiddish | טאַלאַנט | ||
| The word 'טאַלאַנט' also has a biblical meaning of measurement, similar to the Greek 'talent'. | |||
| Zulu | ithalente | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning as "talent" or "skill", "ithalente" can also refer to a person's natural abilities or potential, or to a particular gift or quality. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিভা | ||
| Aymara | talento ukax mä juk’a pachanakanwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रतिभा के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހުނަރެވެ | ||
| Dogri | प्रतिभा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | talento | ||
| Guarani | talento rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | talento | ||
| Krio | talɛnt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەهرە | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिभा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯦꯂꯦꯟꯇ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | talent nei tha tak a ni | ||
| Oromo | dandeettii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିଭା | ||
| Quechua | talento nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतिभा | ||
| Tatar | талант | ||
| Tigrinya | ተውህቦ | ||
| Tsonga | talenta | ||