Temporary in Different Languages
Discover 'Temporary' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'temporary' is a common term that holds great significance in our daily lives. It refers to something that is not permanent, but rather short-term or transitory. From job assignments to living arrangements, the concept of the temporary is woven into the fabric of our modern culture.
But did you know that the word 'temporary' has roots in the Latin word 'temporarius,' which means 'lasting only for a time'? Or that in some cultures, the idea of the temporary is viewed as a positive and flexible approach to life's challenges?
Understanding the translation of 'temporary' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures view the concept of impermanence. For example, in Spanish, 'temporary' is 'temporal,' while in French, it's 'temporaire.' In German, the word is 'vorübergehend,' and in Japanese, it's '仮' or 'kari.'
By learning these translations, you can gain a new appreciation for the cultural nuances surrounding the idea of the temporary. Keep reading to discover more fascinating translations of this important word!
Temporary
Temporary in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tydelik | ||
| "Tydelik" can also mean "timely, opportune, and convenient". | |||
| Amharic | ጊዜያዊ | ||
| "ጊዜያዊ" derives from "ጊዜ" (time), and means "not permanent". | |||
| Hausa | na ɗan lokaci | ||
| The word "na ɗan lokaci" in Hausa can also mean "for a short while" or "for the time being." | |||
| Igbo | nwa oge | ||
| Nwa oge, meaning 'temporary,' also refers to a child born during a certain period of time, often during a period of difficulty. | |||
| Malagasy | vonjimaika | ||
| "Vonjimaika" literally means "a place to be for a while," reflecting the word's use to describe temporary residence. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | osakhalitsa | ||
| "Osakhalitsa" can also refer to a season or a period of time. | |||
| Shona | kwenguva pfupi | ||
| The word "kwenguva pfupi" can also refer to something that is temporary, or that will only last for a short time. | |||
| Somali | ku meel gaar ah | ||
| The Somali word "ku meel gaar ah" can also mean "provisional" or "interim." | |||
| Sesotho | nakoana | ||
| The word "nakoana" can also refer to a "short time" or a "temporary situation." | |||
| Swahili | ya muda mfupi | ||
| The word 'ya muda mfupi' literally means 'of short time' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | okwethutyana | ||
| The Xhosa word 'okwethutyana' originally meant 'of little, insignificant time' rather than simply 'temporary'. | |||
| Yoruba | igba diẹ | ||
| Igba die, a Yoruba phrase meaning 'temporary', literally means 'time that is coming'. | |||
| Zulu | okwesikhashana | ||
| The word “okwesikhashana” implies that something is not permanent and could change at any time. | |||
| Bambara | waatininko | ||
| Ewe | manᴐ anyi adidi o | ||
| Kinyarwanda | by'agateganyo | ||
| Lingala | ntango moke | ||
| Luganda | sikyalubeerera | ||
| Sepedi | nakwana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | berɛtia mu | ||
Temporary in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مؤقت | ||
| The word 'مؤقت' is derived from the root 'وقـت', which means 'time' or 'duration'. | |||
| Hebrew | זמני | ||
| זמני can also mean 'occasional' or 'intermittent' in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | لنډمهاله | ||
| The word "لنډمهاله" (temporary) in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "لند مدت" (short term) and is also used as a synonym for "short-lived" or "fleeting". | |||
| Arabic | مؤقت | ||
| The word 'مؤقت' is derived from the root 'وقـت', which means 'time' or 'duration'. | |||
Temporary in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i përkohshëm | ||
| The word "i përkohshëm" (temporary) comes from the verb "përkohë" (to happen from time to time), which is derived from the noun "kohë" (time). | |||
| Basque | aldi baterako | ||
| The Basque word "aldi baterako" literally means "for another time". | |||
| Catalan | temporal | ||
| In Catalan, "temporal" can also refer to a storm. | |||
| Croatian | privremeni | ||
| The word "privremeni" is derived from the Latin word "primarius", meaning "first", and has the alternate meaning of "primary" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | midlertidig | ||
| The word "midlertidig" can also be used to describe a person employed for a predetermined period or a phenomenon that is expected to only last for a specific amount of time. | |||
| Dutch | tijdelijk | ||
| The word "tijdelijk" can also mean "timely" or "appropriate for the occasion". | |||
| English | temporary | ||
| The word "temporary" is derived from the Latin word "tempus," meaning "time." | |||
| French | temporaire | ||
| "Temporaire" comes from the Latin "tempus" (time) and can also refer in French to a temporary worker. | |||
| Frisian | tydlik | ||
| The Frisian word "tydlik" can also mean "unstable" or "fickle". | |||
| Galician | temporal | ||
| German | vorübergehend | ||
| Derived from Middle German | |||
| Icelandic | tímabundið | ||
| The word "tímabundið" comes from the Icelandic words "tími" (time) and "bundið" (bound), reflecting its meaning of "bound by time". | |||
| Irish | sealadach | ||
| The Gaelic word "sealadach" is derived from the root of the word for "time" and denotes the fleeting nature of something. | |||
| Italian | temporaneo | ||
| The Italian word "temporaneo" is derived from the Latin "tempus" meaning "time" and can also refer to something that is transient or fleeting. | |||
| Luxembourgish | temporär | ||
| “Temporär“ can also be used to refer to a type of construction worker in Luxembourg, who works for a temporary employment agency. | |||
| Maltese | temporanju | ||
| The word "temporanju" in Maltese derives from the Italian word "temporaneo" and also means "transient" or "fleeting". | |||
| Norwegian | midlertidig | ||
| The word 'midlertidig' can also refer to something that is temporary in nature, or something that is not permanent. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | temporário | ||
| In Portuguese, "temporário" can also mean "seasonal" or "interim". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sealach | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, 'sealach' can mean temporary, or pertaining to a period of hunting and gathering by people living off the land | |||
| Spanish | temporal | ||
| Spanish "temporal" comes from Latin "temporalis," meaning "pertaining to time," and it can also refer to something related to or happening in a given time. | |||
| Swedish | temporär | ||
| Temporär härstammar från franskans "temporaire", som i sin tur kommer från latinets "tempus", som betyder "tid". | |||
| Welsh | dros dro | ||
| The Welsh word "dros dro" shares roots with the German "durch durch" and Latin "trans trans", signifying a transition through time or space. | |||
Temporary in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | часовы | ||
| The word "часовы" in Belarusian derives from the word "час" (hour), and it can also mean "temporary" or "for a certain period of time". | |||
| Bosnian | privremeni | ||
| "Priv-" is the negative prefix. "Vrijeme" means time. Therefore privremeni means literally "not time". | |||
| Bulgarian | временно | ||
| "Временно" в русском языке может употребляться не только как прилагательное, но и как наречие в значении "на время". | |||
| Czech | dočasný | ||
| The Czech word "dočasný" is derived from the Old Czech word "do čas", meaning "until a certain time" or "for a limited time". | |||
| Estonian | ajutine | ||
| The word "ajutine" likely derives from "ajut" meaning "help" or "aid" and the suffix "-ine" indicating "pertaining to". | |||
| Finnish | väliaikainen | ||
| "väliaikainen" comes from "väli" (between) and "aikainen" (at a time) | |||
| Hungarian | ideiglenes | ||
| "Idő" means "time" in Hungarian and "igélen" means "to request". | |||
| Latvian | pagaidu | ||
| The original meaning of “pagaidu” (“temporary”) is “pagaidīt” (“to wait”), implying temporariness as something that happens while one waits | |||
| Lithuanian | laikinas | ||
| The word "laikinas" is derived from the verb "laikyti" which means "to hold". | |||
| Macedonian | привремено | ||
| The word "привремено" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "привремь" which means "brief". The word "привремено" entered the Macedonian language via the Serbian language. | |||
| Polish | chwilowy | ||
| "Chwilowy" (temporary) in Polish is derived from "chwila" (moment) and can also mean "fleeting" or "transient". | |||
| Romanian | temporar | ||
| Temporar is a Romanian word originating from Latin 'temporarius' meaning 'temporal, lasting for a specific period of time'. | |||
| Russian | временный | ||
| "Временный" in Russian also refers to someone in the military or the clergy who holds a position temporarily. | |||
| Serbian | привремени | ||
| The Serbian word "привремени" is derived from the Old Serbian word "врѣме", meaning "time", and the suffix "-ен", meaning "related to". | |||
| Slovak | dočasné | ||
| The term "dočasné" literally translates to "to touch time" as it originates from the verb "dotknout se" - "to touch" and can refer to a limited duration. | |||
| Slovenian | začasno | ||
| The word "začasno" originates from "čas" (time), denoting something that is for a limited duration. | |||
| Ukrainian | тимчасові | ||
Temporary in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অস্থায়ী | ||
| The word "অস্থায়ী" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अस्थायि" and literally means "not standing". It can also refer to impermanence or instability. | |||
| Gujarati | કામચલાઉ | ||
| The word 'કામચલાઉ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कर्म' and 'चलित' meaning 'work' and 'going to perform' respectively. | |||
| Hindi | अस्थायी | ||
| अस्थायी can also mean a wooden foot or a wooden arm that is used to support an injured limb. | |||
| Kannada | ತಾತ್ಕಾಲಿಕ | ||
| ತಾತ್ಕಾಲಿಕ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tatkalika', which also means 'pertaining to the present moment' and 'immediate'. | |||
| Malayalam | താൽക്കാലികം | ||
| Marathi | तात्पुरता | ||
| The Marathi word तात्पुरता (literally meaning "belonging to that place") is derived from the Sanskrit word तत्पुरुष ("belonging to that man"), which is a type of compound word. | |||
| Nepali | अस्थायी | ||
| Nepali word 'अस्थायी' ('temporary') comes from the Sanskrit word 'अस्थायिन्' ('unstable') and also means 'fickle' or 'unsteady'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਸਥਾਈ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਅਸਥਾਈ' is also used to describe something that is unstable, fleeting, or not lasting. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තාවකාලික | ||
| Tamil | தற்காலிகமானது | ||
| Telugu | తాత్కాలిక | ||
| తాత్కాలిక is derived from the Sanskrit word तात्काल (taatkāl), meaning 'existing for a short time' or 'immediate'. | |||
| Urdu | عارضی | ||
| In addition to "temporary," "عارضی" can also mean "contingent," "tentative," or "conditional." | |||
Temporary in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 临时 | ||
| 临时 means "impermanent" and is composed of 临 (arrive, imminent) and 时 (time). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 臨時 | ||
| 臨時 (línshí) also can refer to the "last chance". | |||
| Japanese | 一時的 | ||
| 一時的 is also used to refer to something that is done for the time being, or something that is not permanent. | |||
| Korean | 일시적인 | ||
| Mongolian | түр зуурын | ||
| "Түр зуурын" is also used to refer to something transient or fleeting. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ယာယီ | ||
| The word "ယာယီ" (temporary) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Sanskrit word "यायिन्" (yāyin), meaning "going" or "passing away." | |||
Temporary in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sementara | ||
| Derived from Dutch "sement" or Portuguese "cimento", the word "sementara" originally referred to cement used in constructions. | |||
| Javanese | sauntara | ||
| "Sauntara" means "temporary" and shares roots with "saun" meaning "a time period". | |||
| Khmer | បណ្តោះអាសន្ន | ||
| Another meaning for "បណ្តោះអាសន្ន" is when a married couple has a falling out, and the husband goes somewhere else to live temporarily. | |||
| Lao | ຊົ່ວຄາວ | ||
| The term "ຊົ່ວຄາວ" is often applied to objects, situations, or states that are not expected to last indefinitely. | |||
| Malay | sementara | ||
| "Sementara" also means "whilst" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ชั่วคราว | ||
| The Thai word "ชั่วคราว" can also refer to anything incomplete or imperfect. | |||
| Vietnamese | tạm thời | ||
| The word "tạm thời" in Vietnamese can also mean "provisory" or "interim". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pansamantala | ||
Temporary in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müvəqqəti | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "müvəqqəti" derives from Arabic "muwaqqat" and also means "conditional". | |||
| Kazakh | уақытша | ||
| The word "уақытша" can also refer to a temporary job or position. | |||
| Kyrgyz | убактылуу | ||
| Tajik | муваққатӣ | ||
| The word "муваққатӣ" in Tajik is borrowed from Arabic and also means "conditional". | |||
| Turkmen | wagtlaýyn | ||
| Uzbek | vaqtinchalik | ||
| The word "vaqtinchalik" is derived from the Arabic word "waqt", meaning "time", and the Persian suffix "-chalik", meaning "temporary". | |||
| Uyghur | ۋاقىتلىق | ||
Temporary in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wā pōkole | ||
| The term "wā pōkole" may also refer to a brief period of mourning or a temporary resting place for the deceased. | |||
| Maori | rangitahi | ||
| "Rangitahi" can be loosely translated to mean "temporarily" in English and relates to the transient nature of life. | |||
| Samoan | le tumau | ||
| The Samoan word 'le tumau' can also mean a 'space of ground between the houses' or a 'cleared space of ground' or 'a clearing' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pansamantala | ||
| The term "pansamantala" also denotes something done as a provisional arrangement, measure, or substitute. | |||
Temporary in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pachaki | ||
| Guarani | ag̃aguarã | ||
Temporary in International Languages
| Esperanto | portempa | ||
| "Portempa" in Esperanto can also mean "sometimes" or "on occasion." | |||
| Latin | tempus | ||
| The Latin word "tempus" originally meant "temple", and can still retain that meaning in phrases like "temporum aedes" for "temple of time". | |||
Temporary in Others Languages
| Greek | προσωρινός | ||
| The Greek word "προσωρινός" (temporary) is derived from the word "πρόσωρον" (face), and can also mean "superficial" or "illusory". | |||
| Hmong | ib ntus | ||
| "Ib ntus" means "for now" or "at the moment." | |||
| Kurdish | derbasî | ||
| An alternate meaning of "derbasî" is "uncertain" or "doubtful". | |||
| Turkish | geçici | ||
| The word "geçici" comes from the Arabic word "geçmek", meaning "to pass". It can also mean "transient" or "fleeting". | |||
| Xhosa | okwethutyana | ||
| The Xhosa word 'okwethutyana' originally meant 'of little, insignificant time' rather than simply 'temporary'. | |||
| Yiddish | צייַטווייַליק | ||
| "צייַטווייַליק" derives from the Middle Low German word "tijtlik," also meaning "temporary." | |||
| Zulu | okwesikhashana | ||
| The word “okwesikhashana” implies that something is not permanent and could change at any time. | |||
| Assamese | অস্থায়ী | ||
| Aymara | pachaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | अस्थाई | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަގުތީ | ||
| Dogri | आरजी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pansamantala | ||
| Guarani | ag̃aguarã | ||
| Ilocano | temporario | ||
| Krio | nɔ go te | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کاتیى | ||
| Maithili | अस्थायी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯇꯝ ꯈꯔꯒꯤ | ||
| Mizo | nghet lo | ||
| Oromo | yeroof | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅସ୍ଥାୟୀ | ||
| Quechua | tukuqlla | ||
| Sanskrit | स्वल्पकालं | ||
| Tatar | вакытлыча | ||
| Tigrinya | ግዚያዊ | ||
| Tsonga | nkarhinyana | ||