Updated on March 6, 2024
Tremendous is a word that evokes a sense of greatness and power. When we use the word 'tremendous' to describe something, we're not just saying it's big or impressive - we're saying it's awe-inspiring, breathtaking, and truly magnificent. This word has been used throughout history to describe everything from natural wonders to human achievements, and it continues to be a powerful part of our language today.
But what does 'tremendous' mean in other languages? Understanding the translation of this word in different languages can help us appreciate the cultural significance of this word around the world. For example, in Spanish, 'tremendous' is 'tremendo', while in French, it's 'très impressionnant'. Meanwhile, in German, 'tremendous' is 'gewaltig', and in Japanese, it's 'すごい' (sugoi).
Learning these translations can also help us connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds, as we can use this word to express our admiration and appreciation for something that is important to them. So whether you're a language enthusiast, a traveler, or simply someone who wants to expand their vocabulary, exploring the translations of 'tremendous' in different languages is a fascinating and rewarding journey.
Afrikaans | geweldig | ||
The word "geweldig" comes from the Dutch word "geweldig", meaning "mighty" or "awful". | |||
Amharic | እጅግ በጣም ትልቅ | ||
The word "tremendous" comes from the Latin word "tremendus," which means "trembling" or "fearful." | |||
Hausa | mai girma | ||
"Mai girma" in Hausa is a compound word derived from "mai", meaning "owner or possessor," and "girma," which can mean "magnitude, importance, size, or stature." | |||
Igbo | ukwuu | ||
The word "ukwuu" can also refer to a measure of volume, approximately equivalent to a gallon. | |||
Malagasy | lehibe | ||
The Malagasy word "lehibe" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "libes," meaning "big" or "giant." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | zazikulu | ||
The word 'zazikulu' can also be used to describe something that is very big or very difficult. | |||
Shona | zvikuru | ||
"Zvikuru" is derived from the Shona word "kukura", meaning "to grow", and is related to the words "kuru" (big) and "kuruka" (to become big). | |||
Somali | aad u weyn | ||
The word "aad u weyn" can also refer to something that is "very large" or "great". | |||
Sesotho | e hlollang | ||
The Sesotho word "e hlollang" can also mean "to be very tall" or "to be very large". | |||
Swahili | kubwa sana | ||
"Kubwa sana", meaning "tremendous" in Swahili, comes from the root word "kubwa" meaning "big" or "great", and the intensifier "sana" meaning "very" or "much". | |||
Xhosa | engummangaliso | ||
The word 'engummangaliso' in Xhosa is derived from the word 'umangaliso', which means 'miracle' or 'wonder', and is often used to express a sense of awe or amazement. | |||
Yoruba | pupo | ||
Pupo is also the name of a type of Yoruba drum which is used to communicate from a distance. | |||
Zulu | okukhulu kakhulu | ||
"Okukhulu kakhulu" (tremendous) literally means "very big" or "very much" in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | dákabana | ||
Ewe | si lolo ŋutɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | bitangaje | ||
Lingala | makasi | ||
Luganda | kingi nyo | ||
Sepedi | kgolo kudu | ||
Twi (Akan) | nwanwasoɔ | ||
Arabic | هائل | ||
"هائل" in Arabic also means "huge" or "vast". | |||
Hebrew | עָצוּם | ||
The Hebrew word "עָצוּם" (atsùm) originally meant "closed" or "shut", and only later came to mean "tremendous". Its singular use is also uncommon, with the plural form "עֲצוּמִים" (atsumim) used more frequently. | |||
Pashto | دروند | ||
The word "دروند" is also used to describe a person who is very generous and kind, especially to the poor and needy. | |||
Arabic | هائل | ||
"هائل" in Arabic also means "huge" or "vast". |
Albanian | e jashtëzakonshme | ||
Basque | izugarria | ||
"Izugarria" in Basque comes from the verb "izhutu" (shrink or collapse) and the suffix "-garri" (causing), thus meaning "causing collapse." | |||
Catalan | tremend | ||
'tremend' in Catalan is derived from the Latin word 'tremendus', meaning 'trembling' or 'fearsome'. In modern Catalan, it has additional meanings such as 'wonderful' or 'great'. | |||
Croatian | strašan | ||
"Strašan" in Croatian shares its root with "strah" (fear), and originally meant "fearsome" or "terrible". | |||
Danish | enorm | ||
The Danish word "enorm" is derived from the Latin word "enormis", meaning "huge" or "monstrous". | |||
Dutch | enorm | ||
In Dutch, "enorm" also means "monstrous" or "abnormal." | |||
English | tremendous | ||
The Old French 'tremendus' and Latin 'tremendus' originate from 'tremere,' meaning 'to tremble or shake.' | |||
French | énorme | ||
The word "énorme" comes from the Latin word "enormis," which means "out of the norm" or "monstrous." | |||
Frisian | enoarm | ||
The Frisian word "enoarm" comes from the Old Frisian word "ôg", meaning "great", and "earm", meaning "arm". It was used to describe something so large or powerful that it could only be held or wielded by a giant. | |||
Galician | tremendo | ||
En Galician, “tremendo” means “tremendous” but it also means fearsome, terrifying, or awful. | |||
German | enorm | ||
The German word "enorm" derives from the Latin word "enormis," which means "exceptional" or "deviating from the norm." | |||
Icelandic | gífurlegur | ||
The first part comes from "gif" (meaning a present) and refers to the great value of having such power. | |||
Irish | iontach | ||
The word "iontach" in Irish shares the same root as the word "enthusiasm" in English, both ultimately derived from the Greek "enthousiasmos" meaning "divine inspiration." | |||
Italian | tremendo | ||
In Italian, tremendo is considered to be the superlative of buono (good), but its meaning is often negative when used to describe events or situations. | |||
Luxembourgish | enorm | ||
The word 'enorm' in Luxembourgish is derived from 'enormen' in German, which came into Dutch as 'enorm', later entering the Luxembourgish dialect. | |||
Maltese | tremenda | ||
The Maltese word 'tremenda' is derived from the Latin 'tremendum', meaning 'terrible' or 'formidable'. | |||
Norwegian | enormt | ||
"Enorm" derives from Latin "enormis" which meant both monstrous or extraordinary in size and later came to generally mean something as "deviating from the normal. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tremendo | ||
"Tremendo" in Portuguese also means "earthquake" or "shaking", and in Brazil, it can also mean "awesome" or "very good." | |||
Scots Gaelic | uamhasach | ||
"Uamhasach" derives from "uamh," meaning "cave," possibly due to the sense of awe inspired by large caves. | |||
Spanish | tremendo | ||
The Spanish word "tremendo" is cognate with the English word "trembling" and can also mean "terrible" or "extraordinary". | |||
Swedish | enorm | ||
Enorm originally referred to the Scandinavian goddess of life and vegetation | |||
Welsh | aruthrol | ||
The word "aruthrol" is a reduplicated form of the word "ruthrol", both meaning "great". |
Belarusian | велізарнае | ||
The word "велізарнае" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*velikъ", meaning "great". | |||
Bosnian | strašan | ||
"Strašan" also means "terrible" and "awful" in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | огромен | ||
The Bulgarian word "огромен" is a borrowing from Russian, where it means "huge" or "enormous". | |||
Czech | obrovský | ||
In Old Czech, the term obrovský meant a giant or a supernatural being. | |||
Estonian | tohutu | ||
In Proto-Finnic, "tohutu" meant "unfamiliar", while the Proto-Sami cognate meant "wilderness". | |||
Finnish | valtava | ||
The Finnish word "valtava" not only means "tremendous" but also "huge" and "mighty". | |||
Hungarian | óriási | ||
"óriás" is cognate to the word "giant" and comes from the Hungarian word "őr", meaning guard. | |||
Latvian | milzīgs | ||
"Milzīgs" derives from either the Slavic word "milž" meaning "giant" or the Germanic "milz" meaning "spleen". | |||
Lithuanian | milžiniškas | ||
The Lithuanian word "milžiniškas" comes from the word "milžinas," meaning "giant." | |||
Macedonian | огромна | ||
The Macedonian word "огромна" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "ogromъ", which means "huge" or "vast" in size. | |||
Polish | ogromny | ||
The word 'ogromny' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'ogъromъ', which meant 'huge' or 'great'. | |||
Romanian | extraordinar | ||
The Romanian word "extraordinar" has its origins in the Latin word "extraordinarius", which means "beyond the ordinary". | |||
Russian | потрясающий | ||
The Russian word "потрясающий" can also mean "shocking" or "stunning". | |||
Serbian | страшан | ||
The word "страшан" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*strašьnъ", which meant "terrible" or "fearful". | |||
Slovak | ohromný | ||
The word "ohromný" in Slovak also means "huge" or "majestic". | |||
Slovenian | izjemno | ||
In Serbo-Croatian and Montenegrin, **izjemno** means ‘extremely.’ | |||
Ukrainian | приголомшливий | ||
"Приголомшливий" in Ukrainian is also used to describe something unexpected or overwhelming. |
Bengali | অসাধারণ | ||
In Sanskrit, "असाधारण" (asādhāraṇa) is an adjective meaning "extraordinary, unusual, or uncommon." | |||
Gujarati | જબરદસ્ત | ||
"જબરદસ્ત" is derived from the Arabic word "jabr", meaning "compulsion", and "dast", meaning "hand", and originally meant "compulsory" or "forceful". | |||
Hindi | भयानक | ||
In Hindi, the word "भयानक" ("bhayaanak") conveys a sense of vastness, terror, and awe, similar to the connotation of "tremendous" in English. | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರಚಂಡ | ||
The word "ಪ್ರಚಂಡ" (pracanda) comes from the Sanskrit root "prachanda", meaning "violent" or "furious". | |||
Malayalam | വമ്പിച്ച | ||
The word "വമ്പിച്ച" ("tremendous") is etymologically related to "വമ്പന്" ("great"), and can also mean "great" or "large" in certain contexts. | |||
Marathi | प्रचंड | ||
The Sanskrit origin of "प्रचंड" suggests "spreading over a large area," "very large or powerful," or "overpowering," adding nuance beyond "tremendous." | |||
Nepali | अथाह | ||
The word "अथाह" comes from the Sanskrit word "अथ", meaning "now". It originally meant "without a beginning or end". | |||
Punjabi | ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අති විශාලයි | ||
Tamil | மிகப்பெரியது | ||
மிகப்பெரியது (mikapriyatuth) is not related to the adjective `பெரியது` (periyathu). It is actually a corrupt loanword from the Arabic `Mukabbirath` (the One who makes or brings about greatness), the title of an Islamic religious official. | |||
Telugu | విపరీతమైనది | ||
Urdu | زبردست | ||
The word "زبردست" in Urdu, meaning "tremendous," shares its ultimate origin with the Persian word "زبردست" meaning "masterful". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 巨大 | ||
"巨大" is composed of "巨" (a person of great size) and "大" (large). | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 巨大 | ||
The word "巨大" also means "monstrous," "abnormal," "gigantic," or "unnecessarily large." | |||
Japanese | ものすごい | ||
The word "ものすごい" (monosugoi) is derived from the verb "ものす (monosu)", which means "to be amazed" or "to be surprised". | |||
Korean | 거대한 | ||
The word "거대한" is ultimately derived from the Old Korean word "거히다", meaning "to swell" or "to be big". | |||
Mongolian | асар их | ||
In Mongolian, the word 'асар их' can also refer to something that is 'very heavy' or 'difficult to move'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြီးမားတဲ့ | ||
Indonesian | dahsyat | ||
"Dahsyat" originally meant "great" or "magnificent" in Sanskrit and is related to the English word "dazzle." | |||
Javanese | sanget | ||
"Sanget" also means "so" or "very" in everyday Javanese, although "maten" is more common for the latter. | |||
Khmer | យ៉ាងខ្លាំង | ||
Also means: very much, extremely, greatly. | |||
Lao | ຢ່າງຫຼວງຫຼາຍ | ||
Malay | luar biasa | ||
"Luar biasa" is literally "outside of the normal" in Malay. | |||
Thai | มหาศาล | ||
"มหาศาล" (Maha-san) comes from the Sanskrit words "maha" (great) and "sasana" (commandment), and can also mean "temple" or "sacred place". | |||
Vietnamese | to lớn | ||
"To lớn" is an adjective in Vietnamese that means "grow up" or "become bigger". It is also used as a noun to refer to the process of growing up or becoming bigger. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | napakalaking | ||
Azerbaijani | böyük | ||
"Böyük" can also mean "big" or "large" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | орасан зор | ||
The word "орасан зор" can also mean "huge" or "gigantic". | |||
Kyrgyz | зор | ||
The word "зор" can also refer to a large amount or a huge quantity. | |||
Tajik | азим | ||
The word "азим" in Tajik, meaning "tremendous," is derived from the Arabic word "عظيم," which also means "great" or "magnificent." | |||
Turkmen | ullakan | ||
Uzbek | ulkan | ||
The word "ulkan" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*ulγan", meaning "big" or "great". | |||
Uyghur | غايەت زور | ||
Hawaiian | pīhoihoi | ||
The word “pīhoihoi” also means “to spin” or “to whirl” and is derived from the sound made when whipping someone with a club or flail. | |||
Maori | tino rawe | ||
The Maori word "tino rawe" refers to something raw, natural, or untouched, not only in the physical sense but also in the metaphysical sense. | |||
Samoan | maoae | ||
"Maoae" is also used when people or objects are of enormous numbers. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | napakalaking | ||
"Napakalaking" is composed of "napakala-", which is the superlative particle, and "laki", which means "to be big". |
Aymara | jach'a | ||
Guarani | andu tuicha | ||
Esperanto | terura | ||
The word "terura" also means "terrible" or "dreadful". | |||
Latin | tremendous | ||
In Latin, "tremendus" means "causing trembling or fear," and is related to "tremor" (trembling) and "horror" (terror). |
Greek | καταπληκτικός | ||
"καταπληκτικός" comes from the Greek roots "κατα-" (down) and "πληκτικός" (striking), and can also mean "astounding" or "amazing". | |||
Hmong | zoo kawg li | ||
The term "zoo kawg li" is also used to describe a person who is very large or bulky. | |||
Kurdish | pir mezin | ||
"Pir mezin" means "great" or "huge" in Kurdish. It is composed of the words "pir" (great) and "mezin" (big). | |||
Turkish | muazzam | ||
The word "muazzam" originated from the Arabic word "azzama," meaning "to make important". In Turkish, it is also used to describe something very beautiful or impressive. | |||
Xhosa | engummangaliso | ||
The word 'engummangaliso' in Xhosa is derived from the word 'umangaliso', which means 'miracle' or 'wonder', and is often used to express a sense of awe or amazement. | |||
Yiddish | געוואלדיק | ||
The word "געוואלדיק" (gevaldik) in Yiddish has a range of meanings, including "overwhelming," "awesome," and "terrible," depending on context. | |||
Zulu | okukhulu kakhulu | ||
"Okukhulu kakhulu" (tremendous) literally means "very big" or "very much" in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | প্ৰচণ্ড | ||
Aymara | jach'a | ||
Bhojpuri | अद्भुत | ||
Dhivehi | ބައިވަރު | ||
Dogri | डरौना | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | napakalaking | ||
Guarani | andu tuicha | ||
Ilocano | nakaro | ||
Krio | wɔndaful | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | مەزن | ||
Maithili | अद्भुत | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯁꯤꯡ ꯌꯥꯝꯕ | ||
Mizo | nasa tak | ||
Oromo | hedduu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଜବରଦସ୍ତ | ||
Quechua | hatun hatun | ||
Sanskrit | प्रचंड | ||
Tatar | гаять зур | ||
Tigrinya | ኣዝዩ ዘደንቕ | ||
Tsonga | leswikulu | ||