Updated on March 6, 2024
Trust is a fundamental aspect of human relationships, transcending cultures and languages. It is the foundation of cooperation, communication, and social bonding. The significance of trust cannot be overstated, as it is the glue that holds societies together and enables us to work together towards common goals.
Throughout history, trust has played a crucial role in shaping human interactions. From ancient times to the present day, trust has been a key factor in the success or failure of political systems, economic systems, and social movements. In many cultures, trust is seen as a core virtue, and building trust is often seen as a key component of ethical behavior.
Understanding the translation of trust in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural importance of this concept around the world. For example, in Spanish, trust is 'confianza', while in French, it is 'confiance'. In German, trust is 'Vertrauen', and in Mandarin Chinese, it is 'xìn rèn'.
In this article, we explore the many translations of trust in different languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this important concept and providing a window into the rich tapestry of human experience.
Afrikaans | vertroue | ||
"Vertroue" is derived from the Middle Dutch "vertrouwen" meaning "to believe". | |||
Amharic | አደራ | ||
The Amharic word "አደራ" also refers to a type of traditional Ethiopian bread that is typically made from teff flour. | |||
Hausa | amince | ||
The word amince, meaning 'trust,' is often used to refer to one's faith in God. | |||
Igbo | ntụkwasị obi | ||
Ntukwasi obi, meaning "trust" in Igbo, can also refer to "dependence" or "reliance". | |||
Malagasy | fahatokiana | ||
"Fahatokiana" is derived from the word "fahatoko", which means "to confide in." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudalira | ||
The word "kudalira" also means "leaning" on someone or something. | |||
Shona | kuvimba | ||
Its alternate term, 'chitendero' suggests a belief that trust results from being able to 'hold something on high'. | |||
Somali | aaminid | ||
The word "aaminid" can also refer to a person who is trustworthy or reliable. | |||
Sesotho | tshepo | ||
The word "tshepo" also means "hope" or "reliance" in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | uaminifu | ||
"Uaminifu" is also used to refer to someone who is trustworthy and dependable in a relationship or a professional setting. | |||
Xhosa | ukuthembela | ||
Ukuthembela also means `a reliance on someone or something`. | |||
Yoruba | gbekele | ||
Gbekele can also mean 'reliance' or 'dependence', and is often used in the context of relationships or situations where one person places their faith in another. | |||
Zulu | ukwethemba | ||
"Ukwethena": "be trustworthy" in Nguni languages, from the root *-thenga- "be able," related to the Proto-Bantu root -*tonga- "be able; be successful, proper" | |||
Bambara | dannaya | ||
Ewe | ka ɖe edzi | ||
Kinyarwanda | kwizera | ||
Lingala | kotya motema | ||
Luganda | obwesigwa | ||
Sepedi | tshepha | ||
Twi (Akan) | awerɛhyɛmu | ||
Arabic | ثقة | ||
The word "ثقة" in Arabic can also mean "confidence", "belief", or "self-assurance." | |||
Hebrew | אמון | ||
The word 'אמון' ('trust') in Hebrew also means 'art' and is derived from the root 'אמנות' ('craftsmanship'). | |||
Pashto | باور | ||
The word "باور" in Pashto also means "belief" or "faith" and is derived from the Persian word "باور" with the same meaning. | |||
Arabic | ثقة | ||
The word "ثقة" in Arabic can also mean "confidence", "belief", or "self-assurance." |
Albanian | besim | ||
The word "besim" is related to the Albanian word "besë" meaning faithfulness, oath, or promise. | |||
Basque | konfiantza | ||
The Basque word "konfiantza" derives from the Latin word "confidentia"} | |||
Catalan | confiança | ||
In Portuguese, ‘confiança’ shares a similar definition as ‘confiança’ in Catalan, meaning trust or confidence. | |||
Croatian | povjerenje | ||
The word "povjerenje" in Croatian originates from the verb "povjeriti" meaning "to entrust" or "to believe in the fidelity". It shares a similar etymology with the English word "confidence". | |||
Danish | tillid | ||
The word "tillid" in Danish also means "reliance" and is derived from the Old Norse word "tiltr" meaning "belief". | |||
Dutch | vertrouwen | ||
Dutch: vertrouwen (trust) is a derivative from vertrouw (confidence) and can thus also mean "to believe". | |||
English | trust | ||
The English word 'trust' stems from the Old English term 'treowe', meaning 'faithful or loyal'. | |||
French | confiance | ||
In French, confiance not only means trust, but also confidence, self-assurance, and reliance | |||
Frisian | fertrouwe | ||
Fertrouwe, meaning trust, is derived from the Old Frisian words "fer" (far) and "trouwe" (reliable). | |||
Galician | confianza | ||
The Spanish and Galician verb 'confiar,' from Latin 'confidare,' means to confide in, trust, or entrust, but its etymology refers only to the idea of 'being together in faith' or of having faith, not necessarily in someone else. | |||
German | vertrauen | ||
In Middle High German, 'vertrouwen' meant both 'to trust' and 'to confide in'. | |||
Icelandic | treysta | ||
The Icelandic word "treysta" can also refer to a type of boat or a trust fund. | |||
Irish | muinín | ||
The Irish word "muinín" has a secondary meaning of "sweetheart" or "darling". | |||
Italian | fiducia | ||
The word "fiducia" is derived from the Latin word "fidere," meaning "to trust" or "to have faith." | |||
Luxembourgish | vertrauen | ||
"Vertrauen" is derived from the Latin "vertere" meaning "to turn" and ultimately carries the idea of "turning towards" or "relying on" someone. | |||
Maltese | fiduċja | ||
Maltese "fiduċja" derives from Latin "fiducia" ("faith, confidence, reliance"). | |||
Norwegian | tillit | ||
"Tillit" is also used to refer to the trust account of a bank where customer money is deposited. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | confiar em | ||
The verb “confiar em” (“to trust”) can also mean “to rely on” or “to have confidence in”. | |||
Scots Gaelic | earbsa | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "earbsa" also means "pledge" or "surety". | |||
Spanish | confiar | ||
"Confiar" derives from the Latin "confidere," meaning "to have faith in," and also conveys the idea of entrusting or relying on someone. | |||
Swedish | förtroende | ||
The Swedish word ”förtroende” literally translates to “before trust”, implying that trust must be earned. | |||
Welsh | ymddiriedaeth | ||
The word 'ymddiriedaeth' also means 'confidence' and 'assurance' in Welsh. |
Belarusian | давер | ||
The Belarusian word "давер" is likely derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vьr-, meaning "faith" or "belief". | |||
Bosnian | povjerenje | ||
The word 'povjerenje' (trust) also has the alternate meanings of 'confidence' and 'credence'. | |||
Bulgarian | доверие | ||
"Доверие" also means "credence" - faith in something, and "warrant" - authority to perform an action. | |||
Czech | důvěra | ||
The noun 'důvěra' comes from the verb 'důvěřovat', which originally meant 'to dare' and is cognate with 'dover' in English. | |||
Estonian | usaldus | ||
The word "usaldus" evolved from the root word "uskuma," which means "to believe," implying a sense of reliance and confidence. | |||
Finnish | luottamus | ||
In Finnish, "luottamus" can also mean confidence or belief in oneself or others. | |||
Hungarian | bizalom | ||
In Hungarian, "bizalom" also refers to a feeling of hope or expectation. | |||
Latvian | uzticību | ||
The Latvian word "uzticību" has Indo-European roots and is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European base "*teuks," meaning "to weave or join." | |||
Lithuanian | pasitikėjimas | ||
The Lithuanian word "pasitikėjimas" can also refer to "confidence" | |||
Macedonian | доверба | ||
The word "доверба" in Macedonian originates from the Slavic root "věrь" meaning "belief" or "faith". | |||
Polish | zaufanie | ||
In ancient Polish, zaufanie meant 'reliance on someone's protection', akin to the archaic English sense of 'confidence' (e.g. 'a confidence trick'). | |||
Romanian | încredere | ||
"Încredere" is derived from the Latin word "credere," meaning "to believe" or "to have faith." | |||
Russian | доверять | ||
The word "доверять" derives from the Old Slavic word "doviery", meaning "assurance" or "confidence." | |||
Serbian | поверење | ||
The Serbian word for 'trust'('поверење') is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'вѣрити', meaning 'to believe'. | |||
Slovak | dôvera | ||
In Slovak, "dôvera" also refers to a power of attorney or a fiduciary duty. | |||
Slovenian | zaupanje | ||
The word "zaupanje" originates from the verb "upati", meaning "to hope" or "to rely on". | |||
Ukrainian | довіра | ||
In the past, довіра had meanings like 'promise' or 'assurance', but not 'trust' in the ethical sense of the word. |
Bengali | বিশ্বাস | ||
The word 'বিশ্বাস' (bishwash) in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word 'विश्व' (vishwa) meaning 'all', 'universe', or 'whole'. It can also refer to a belief, conviction, or faith. | |||
Gujarati | વિશ્વાસ | ||
The word "વિશ્વાસ" literally translates to "to be of one faith", denoting a deep level of belief and commitment. | |||
Hindi | विश्वास | ||
The Hindi word 'विश्वास' also means 'faith' or 'belief' and derives from the Sanskrit root 'viśvas', meaning 'to be firm or certain' | |||
Kannada | ನಂಬಿಕೆ | ||
The Kannada word "ನಂಬಿಕೆ" can also refer to "belief", "confidence", or "faith". | |||
Malayalam | ആശ്രയം | ||
The word | |||
Marathi | विश्वास | ||
The word विश्वास also translates to 'belief' and its root word is 'श्रद्धा', | |||
Nepali | विश्वास | ||
The word "विश्वास" ("trust" in Nepali) is derived from the root "विश्" which means "to enter" or "to believe" and the suffix "-वास" which denotes a state or condition. | |||
Punjabi | ਭਰੋਸਾ | ||
The word "ਭਰੋਸਾ" (bharosa) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "भरोसा" (bharosa), which means "confidence, faith, or trust" | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විශ්වාසය | ||
The word is also used to describe a type of spiritual faith that can lead to liberation and happiness, a type of bond or connection that transcends personal relationships, or a state of being when all your wishes or actions come to fruition. | |||
Tamil | நம்பிக்கை | ||
The word 'நம்பிக்கை' also means 'faith', 'confidence', or 'belief' in Tamil. | |||
Telugu | నమ్మకం | ||
The word "నమ్మకం" (trust) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "*namb-/*namf-" meaning "to trust, to be confident in". | |||
Urdu | اعتماد | ||
In Urdu, "اعتماد" can also refer to reliance, dependence, and belief. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 相信 | ||
"相信" has an additional meaning of "to trust one's word", originating from the concept of 'entrusting one's faith to another person'. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 相信 | ||
The character 信 in "相信" originally meant to place your hand in someone else's hand to signify trustworthiness. | |||
Japanese | 信頼 | ||
Originally meant 'reliance on God', it also means 'confidence' and 'faith' | |||
Korean | 믿음 | ||
믿음 (mi-eum) shares an etymology with 믿으다 (mi-euda), meaning "to trust", and can refer to faith in a religion or divine being. | |||
Mongolian | итгэх | ||
"Итгэх" (trust) is derived from the word "итгэл" (faith), which is a key element of the Mongolian nomadic culture. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ယုံကြည်မှု | ||
Indonesian | kepercayaan | ||
The word "kepercayaan" also has the alternate meaning of "belief" or "conviction." | |||
Javanese | kapercayan | ||
In Javanese, "kapercayan" also refers to ancestral traditions and beliefs that have been passed down through generations. | |||
Khmer | ទុកចិត្ត | ||
The word "ទុកចិត្ត" could also mean "leave something somewhere" or "rely on someone" based on context and the construction of the sentence. | |||
Lao | ໄວ້ວາງໃຈ | ||
Malay | kepercayaan | ||
The word "kepercayaan" in Malay can also mean "conviction", "faith", and "belief" | |||
Thai | ความไว้วางใจ | ||
The Thai word "ความไว้วางใจ" also means "confidence" or "assurance." | |||
Vietnamese | lòng tin | ||
"Lòng tin" also means "internal organs" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | magtiwala | ||
Azerbaijani | etimad | ||
The word "etimad" comes from the Arabic word "i'timad", which also means "reliance". | |||
Kazakh | сенім | ||
The word "сенім" in Kazakh also means "belief" and is derived from the verb "сену" meaning "to believe". | |||
Kyrgyz | ишеним | ||
The word "ишеним" (trust) in Kyrgyz also means "faith" and "hope". | |||
Tajik | эътимод | ||
The Tajik word "эътимод" is derived from the Arabic word "i`timād" which also means "reliance" or "dependence". | |||
Turkmen | ynam | ||
Uzbek | ishonch | ||
In the Uzbek language "ishonch" can also be used to express a feeling of reliability in someone or something. | |||
Uyghur | ئىشەنچ | ||
Hawaiian | paulele | ||
Paulele may also mean 'to rely on', 'to depend on', or 'to rely on someone for support' in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | whakawhirinaki | ||
Whakawhirinaki can also refer to the strength of a relationship built on trust and mutual understanding. | |||
Samoan | faʻatuatua | ||
The word "faʻatuatua" may also refer to faith or belief | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pagtitiwala | ||
The word "pagtitiwala" also means "belief" or "faith" in Tagalog. |
Aymara | kumphiyansa | ||
Guarani | jerovia | ||
Esperanto | konfidi | ||
The word "konfidi" comes from the Latin word "confidere", meaning "to trust" or "to have faith in". | |||
Latin | fiducia | ||
In the Roman Republic, "fiducia" referred not only to trust, but to a contractual relationship where one party pledged their property as collateral to another party, who could sell the collateral if the first party defaulted. |
Greek | εμπιστοσύνη | ||
The word "εμπιστοσύνη" derives from the Greek word "πίστωσις" meaning "belief" or "faith. | |||
Hmong | ntseeg | ||
The word "ntseeg" can also refer to the heart or soul of a person. | |||
Kurdish | bawerî | ||
The word 'bawerî' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*bʰewh-' meaning 'to trust', and also related to the Kurdish word 'bîra' meaning 'brother'. | |||
Turkish | güven | ||
The word "güven" in Turkish, meaning "trust", is related to the concepts of "power" and "strength". | |||
Xhosa | ukuthembela | ||
Ukuthembela also means `a reliance on someone or something`. | |||
Yiddish | צוטרוי | ||
In Yiddish, the word "צוטרוי" (tsutroi) can also mean "faith" or "belief". | |||
Zulu | ukwethemba | ||
"Ukwethena": "be trustworthy" in Nguni languages, from the root *-thenga- "be able," related to the Proto-Bantu root -*tonga- "be able; be successful, proper" | |||
Assamese | বিশ্বাস | ||
Aymara | kumphiyansa | ||
Bhojpuri | भरोसा | ||
Dhivehi | އިތުބާރު | ||
Dogri | भरोसा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | magtiwala | ||
Guarani | jerovia | ||
Ilocano | talek | ||
Krio | abop | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | متمانە | ||
Maithili | विश्वास | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯖꯕ | ||
Mizo | ring | ||
Oromo | amanuu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ବିଶ୍ୱାସ | ||
Quechua | chiqaq | ||
Sanskrit | न्यासः | ||
Tatar | ышаныч | ||
Tigrinya | እምነት | ||
Tsonga | tshembha | ||