Try in Different Languages
Discover 'Try' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'try' is a small but powerful word, indicating an attempt or effort to do something. It signifies a determination to overcome obstacles and achieve a goal, making it a culturally important concept worldwide.
Moreover, the word 'try' holds historical significance. In English law, 'try' was used to refer to the examination of a case in court. This usage dates back to the 14th century, reflecting the word's long-standing importance in legal and cultural contexts.
Understanding the translation of 'try' in different languages can be fascinating and enlightening. For instance, the Spanish translation is 'tratar', while in French, it's 'essayer'. In German, the word 'versuchen' is used, and in Japanese, it's 'しよう to shiyō'. These translations not only provide insight into the linguistic nuances of different cultures but also highlight the universal human desire to strive for success.
In the following list, discover how the word 'try' is translated in various languages, and deepen your appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture.
Try
Try in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | probeer | ||
| "Probeer" in Afrikaans shares the same root as "proberen" in Dutch, meaning "to attempt" or "to endeavor". | |||
| Amharic | ሞክር | ||
| In Amharic, "ሞክር" (mokir) means "to feel". As an adjective, it means "wet/moist" because it feels wet (to the touch). | |||
| Hausa | gwada | ||
| Hausa 'gwada' derives from 'gwagwade' (to cut, cleave), and also means 'attempt' in English. | |||
| Igbo | gbalịa | ||
| "gbalịa" also means "a trial" when used as a noun in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | manandrana | ||
| The word “manandrana” comes from “andrama”, “fate”, so it originally meant “to put oneself to the fate.” | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | yesani | ||
| The word "yesani" in Nyanja is also used in the context of testing or experimenting with something. | |||
| Shona | edza | ||
| The word 'edza' in Shona can also be used to mean 'to taste' or 'to swallow,' reflecting the interconnectedness of food and sustenance in the language and culture. | |||
| Somali | iskuday | ||
| The Somali word "iskuday" may also mean "attempt" or "endeavor". | |||
| Sesotho | leka | ||
| The word "leka" in Sesotho can also mean "to taste" or "to feel". | |||
| Swahili | jaribu | ||
| The word "jaribu" in Swahili can also mean "temptation" or "experiment." | |||
| Xhosa | zama | ||
| The word 'zama', meaning 'to try', is derived from the Nguni language and can also mean 'to taste' or 'to sample'. | |||
| Yoruba | gbiyanju | ||
| The word 'gbiyanju' can also refer to 'attempting' or 'endeavoring'. | |||
| Zulu | zama | ||
| The word "zama" can also mean "to attempt" or "to endeavor" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka kɔrɔbɔ | ||
| Ewe | dze agbagba | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gerageza | ||
| Lingala | komeka | ||
| Luganda | okugezaako | ||
| Sepedi | leka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔ mmɔden | ||
Try in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محاولة | ||
| The word "محاولة" (try) in Arabic is derived from the root "حاول" (to attempt), which also means "to wrestle" or "to struggle". | |||
| Hebrew | לְנַסוֹת | ||
| The verb "לנסות" also means "to test" or "to tempt" | |||
| Pashto | هڅه وکړئ | ||
| The Pashto word "هڅه وکړئ" can also mean "to attempt" or "to make an effort." | |||
| Arabic | محاولة | ||
| The word "محاولة" (try) in Arabic is derived from the root "حاول" (to attempt), which also means "to wrestle" or "to struggle". | |||
Try in Western European Languages
| Albanian | provoj | ||
| The word "provoj" is derived from the Latin "probare", meaning "to test" or "to approve". | |||
| Basque | saiatu | ||
| The word 'saiatu' is derived from the Proto-Basque root *sai-, meaning 'attempt'. | |||
| Catalan | provar | ||
| The verb "provar" in Catalan can also mean "to prove" or "to test", similar to the French "prouver" | |||
| Croatian | probati | ||
| Also means to taste, to examine, to test, or to try out in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | prøve | ||
| "Prøve" can also mean "sample" or "exam" in Danish, both deriving from its original meaning of "to test." | |||
| Dutch | proberen | ||
| The word "proberen" in Dutch can also mean "to taste" or "to sample". | |||
| English | try | ||
| In Middle English, "try" also meant "to examine, to judge" or "a test, a proof". | |||
| French | essayer | ||
| "Essayer" is derived from the Latin "exagium" meaning "a weighing" and originally meant "to test". | |||
| Frisian | besykje | ||
| Besykje, meaning 'attempt', is a word found in both Old and Modern Frisian, possibly related to 'beseikje' or 'besyk' (visit, seek out), which can be found in Old Dutch. | |||
| Galician | tentar | ||
| "Tentar" can also mean "to sound" or "to examine" in medicine | |||
| German | versuchen | ||
| In German, the verb "versuchen" not only means "to try," but also "to tempt" or "to attempt." | |||
| Icelandic | reyna | ||
| The Icelandic word "reyna" also means "to test", "to experiment" or "to put to the proof". | |||
| Irish | bain triail as | ||
| The Irish term "bain triail as" has its roots in the Old Irish word "breth", meaning judgment or trial. | |||
| Italian | provare | ||
| The word "provare" in Italian is derived from the Latin word "probare," which means both "to try" and "to approve." | |||
| Luxembourgish | probéieren | ||
| Maltese | ipprova | ||
| Derived from the Sicilian word "pruvari", meaning "to prove" or "to test". | |||
| Norwegian | prøve | ||
| "Prøve" can also mean "exam" or "test". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tentar | ||
| "Tentar" derives from the Latin "tentare" (to probe), sharing a root with "tenacity" and "tension". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | feuch | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "feuch" is a homophone of "fuach" which means "cold", and "fogh" the name of a type of moss found in wetlands. | |||
| Spanish | tratar | ||
| The word "tratar" in Spanish originally meant "to negotiate" or "to handle", and is related to the English word "treat". | |||
| Swedish | prova | ||
| Prova comes from the Latin word 'probare', which also gives us 'prove'. | |||
| Welsh | ceisiwch | ||
| "Ceisio" is also the Welsh noun for "attempt" and "endeavour". | |||
Try in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | паспрабуйце | ||
| The Belarusian word “папрабуйце” means 'try' and also 'smell' | |||
| Bosnian | probaj | ||
| The word "probaj" in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb "probati" meaning "to test or examine". | |||
| Bulgarian | опитвам | ||
| The word "опитвам" can also mean "to attempt" or "to undertake." | |||
| Czech | snaž se | ||
| The imperative "snaž se" is a shortened form of the phrase "snaž se snažit", which literally means "try trying". | |||
| Estonian | proovige | ||
| "Proovige" also means to attempt, essay, test, endeavor, undertake, adventure, dare, presume, venture, or have a go at something in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | yrittää | ||
| The Finnish word "yrittää" can also refer to "entrepreneuring" and "making a business venture." | |||
| Hungarian | próbáld ki | ||
| The word "próbáld ki" can also mean "to taste" or "to sample" something. | |||
| Latvian | mēģiniet | ||
| Mēģiniet is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *māga-, meaning "to think, to guess, to measure". | |||
| Lithuanian | bandyti | ||
| The verb “bandyti” comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhend-, meaning “to bind, tie”. | |||
| Macedonian | пробај | ||
| Пробај, which means 'try', is a Macedonian word derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'opyt' | |||
| Polish | próbować | ||
| "Próba" (Polish for "attempt") comes from "próbować" ("try"), which is also the origin of the word "problem". | |||
| Romanian | încerca | ||
| The Romanian word "încerca" originates from the Latin "interrogare", meaning "to question". It also has the alternate meaning of "to experience or undergo". | |||
| Russian | пытаться | ||
| The verb "пытаться" derives from "пытать," meaning "to torture," but the modern meaning emerged through a semantic shift. | |||
| Serbian | покушати | ||
| The word "покушати" (pókúšati) is derived from Old Church Slavonic and originally meant "test" or "attempt". | |||
| Slovak | skús | ||
| The word "skús" also means "taste" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | poskusite | ||
| "Poskusite" (imperative) means "try". However, in the phrase "poskusite, prosim" (impersonal) it means "please". | |||
| Ukrainian | спробуй | ||
| The Ukrainian word "спробуй" can also mean "to taste" or "to sample". | |||
Try in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চেষ্টা করুন | ||
| চেষ্টা (cheshta) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'krista', meaning 'to plough' or 'to cultivate'. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રયાસ કરો | ||
| Hindi | प्रयत्न | ||
| "Prayatna" is also related to "prayasa," meaning "effort" or "endeavor," and "prayukta," meaning "employed" or "applied." | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸಿ | ||
| ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸಿ means "to attempt" but also "to strive" or "to make an effort". | |||
| Malayalam | ശ്രമിക്കുക | ||
| ശ്രമിക്കുക can also mean "to exert oneself," "to make an effort," or "to endeavor." | |||
| Marathi | प्रयत्न | ||
| "प्रयत्न" in Marathi also means effort, endeavor, and attempt. | |||
| Nepali | प्रयास गर्नुहोस् | ||
| The Nepali word "प्रयास गर्नुहोस्" comes from the Sanskrit word "prayatna," which means "effort," "endeavor," or "attempt."} | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰੋ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උත්සාහ කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | முயற்சி | ||
| Telugu | ప్రయత్నించండి | ||
| Urdu | کوشش کریں | ||
Try in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 尝试 | ||
| 尝试 (cháng shì) is a compound word derived from the characters 常 (cháng) "regularly" and 试 (shì) "test," meaning "to test regularly" or "to be accustomed to testing." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 嘗試 | ||
| The word "嘗試" can also mean "to taste" or "to experience". | |||
| Japanese | 試してみてください | ||
| 試みてください literally translates to "Please try" or "Give it a try" and is a polite way of asking someone to try something. | |||
| Korean | 시험 | ||
| The Korean word 시험 also refers to a "test" or "examination," potentially related to the concept of "trying out" one's knowledge or abilities. | |||
| Mongolian | үзээрэй | ||
| The word "үзээрэй" can also mean "to test" or "to examine" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြိုးစားကြည့်ပါ | ||
Try in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mencoba | ||
| The word "mencoba" in Indonesian is derived from "cooba" meaning "to experiment". | |||
| Javanese | coba | ||
| The Javanese word | |||
| Khmer | ព្យាយាម | ||
| Lao | ພະຍາຍາມ | ||
| Malay | cuba | ||
| In Malay, "cuba" also means "to test". | |||
| Thai | ลอง | ||
| ลอง also means "to think" and "to smell" in Thai, all three meanings coming from the same Sanskrit root | |||
| Vietnamese | thử | ||
| In Vietnamese, "thử" can also mean "to experiment" or "to test". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | subukan | ||
Try in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cəhd edin | ||
| The word "cəhd edin" can also mean "try to do something" or "make an effort". | |||
| Kazakh | тырысу | ||
| The word "тырысу" is derived from the verb "тыр", which means "to pull" or "to scratch". It can also be used to describe the act of trying to do something with great effort. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аракет кыл | ||
| The word "аракет кыл" literally means "to put effort" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | кӯшиш кунед | ||
| The Tajik word "кӯшиш кунед" can also mean "to strive" or "to attempt". | |||
| Turkmen | synap görüň | ||
| Uzbek | harakat qilib ko'ring | ||
| The word "harakat" in Uzbek also means "movement" or "action." | |||
| Uyghur | سىناپ بېقىڭ | ||
Try in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻāʻo | ||
| The word "hoʻāʻo" is a compound word made up of "ho'ā" (to approach) and "'o" (to call or summon), expressing the idea of "approaching to learn or test." | |||
| Maori | whakamatau | ||
| "Whakamatau" is a verb in Maori that shares a root with the noun "mata" (the face), thus implying a sense of presenting oneself to a task. | |||
| Samoan | faataʻitaʻi | ||
| 'Faata'ita'i' means 'test, experiment, taste', from the root 'ta'i', 'to test, to try, to experiment'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | subukan mo | ||
| "Subukan mo" also means "to challenge oneself" or "to tempt or provoke someone". | |||
Try in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yant'aña | ||
| Guarani | ha'ã | ||
Try in International Languages
| Esperanto | provu | ||
| Provu comes from French prouver, meaning "to prove". It is also used in Albanian. | |||
| Latin | tentant | ||
| The Latin word "tentant" can also mean "to test", "to examine", or "to tempt" | |||
Try in Others Languages
| Greek | προσπαθήστε | ||
| Προσπαθείν (pronounced pro-spah-THO) has roots in the Greek word 'προς' (pros), meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of', and 'πατέω' (pateo), meaning 'to tread' or 'to walk'. | |||
| Hmong | sim | ||
| Sim, meaning 'to try', may also mean 'to look', 'to make a trial', or 'to test'. | |||
| Kurdish | cerribanî | ||
| The term 'cerribanî' is believed to have originated from the Old Persian word 'carvan', meaning 'journey' or 'expedition'. | |||
| Turkish | deneyin | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, "Deneyin" also meant "experiment" and even "alchemy." | |||
| Xhosa | zama | ||
| The word 'zama', meaning 'to try', is derived from the Nguni language and can also mean 'to taste' or 'to sample'. | |||
| Yiddish | פּרובירן | ||
| The word "פּרובירן" ("try") in Yiddish also has the alternate meaning of "to test" or "to examine". | |||
| Zulu | zama | ||
| The word "zama" can also mean "to attempt" or "to endeavor" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | চেষ্টা কৰা | ||
| Aymara | yant'aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कोशिश करीं | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސައްކަތްކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | जतन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | subukan | ||
| Guarani | ha'ã | ||
| Ilocano | padasen | ||
| Krio | tray | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەوڵدان | ||
| Maithili | कोशिश करु | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯃꯨꯛꯀ ꯍꯟꯅ ꯍꯣꯠꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | bei | ||
| Oromo | yaaluu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚେଷ୍ଟା କର | | ||
| Quechua | malliy | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रयततु | ||
| Tatar | тырышып карагыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ፈትን | ||
| Tsonga | ringeta | ||