Unlike in Different Languages
Discover 'Unlike' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 5, 2024
The word 'unlike' is a small but powerful term that holds great significance in the English language. It is used to express a contrast or difference between two things, making it a vital tool in our linguistic toolkit. But what about in other languages? Understanding the translation of 'unlike' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural understanding.
Throughout history, the concept of contrast has been explored in various philosophical, artistic, and scientific contexts. From the ancient Greek concept of 'enantiodromia' to the modern idea of 'yin and yang', the idea of opposing forces has fascinated humans for centuries. The word 'unlike' captures this essence in a simple yet profound way.
For those interested in language and culture, exploring the translations of 'unlike' can provide fascinating insights. For example, in Spanish, 'unlike' is 'diferente a', while in French, it's 'différent de'. In German, it's 'unterschiedlich zu', and in Japanese, it's ' unlike に比べる'.
Unlike
Unlike in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | anders as | ||
| The word "anders as" in Afrikaans has a Germanic origin, deriving from Old High German "anders," meaning "different" or "distinct." | |||
| Amharic | የማይመሳስል | ||
| The Amharic word "የማይመሳስል" not only means "unlike" but also "unique." | |||
| Hausa | sabanin | ||
| The word "sabanin" can also mean "except" or "different from". | |||
| Igbo | n'adịghị | ||
| N'adịghị also means 'to not be' and is the opposite of 'dị' in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | tsy toy ny | ||
| In Malagasy, "Tsy toy ny " (unlike) can also mean "not like this" or "not like that"} | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mosiyana | ||
| "Mosiyana" is derived from the root word "siya," meaning "to be like," and the negative prefix "mo-" to signify a difference or contrast. | |||
| Shona | kusiyana | ||
| The word "kusiyana" can also mean "to differ" or "to be different". | |||
| Somali | ka duwan | ||
| Ka duwan is also a negation particle in Somali, similar to | |||
| Sesotho | ho fapana | ||
| The word "ho fapana" can also refer to differences in quality, appearance or value | |||
| Swahili | tofauti | ||
| The word "tofauti" derives from the Arabic word "tufāwut" meaning "difference". | |||
| Xhosa | ngokungafaniyo | ||
| Ngokungafaniyo is a negative prefix word in Xhosa which means 'unlike' or 'without resemblance to', and is often used with nouns or adjectives to express dissimilarity or contrast. | |||
| Yoruba | ko dabi | ||
| Ko dabi also means different from and it is a combination of "ko" meaning no and "dabi" meaning like. | |||
| Zulu | ngokungafani | ||
| The word "ngokungafani" in Zulu has additional meanings such as "unequally" and "differently" | |||
| Bambara | a tɛ i n’a fɔ | ||
| Ewe | to vovo na ema | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bitandukanye | ||
| Lingala | na bokeseni na yango | ||
| Luganda | obutafaananako | ||
| Sepedi | go fapana le | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛnte sɛ | ||
Unlike in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | على عكس | ||
| The Arabic phrase "على عكس" can also be used in a sarcastic tone to imply "quite the opposite", suggesting that the situation is ironic. | |||
| Hebrew | בניגוד | ||
| The word בניגוד (unlike) is derived from the root נ-ג-ד, which means 'to oppose' or 'to go against'. | |||
| Pashto | برعکس | ||
| برعکس is also used to mean "back", "on the back", or "backward" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | على عكس | ||
| The Arabic phrase "على عكس" can also be used in a sarcastic tone to imply "quite the opposite", suggesting that the situation is ironic. | |||
Unlike in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndryshe nga | ||
| The Albanian word "ndryshe nga" can also mean "in a different way" or "differently from". | |||
| Basque | ez bezala | ||
| The word | |||
| Catalan | a diferència | ||
| The Catalan phrase "a diferència" can also mean "in comparison" or "on the other hand". | |||
| Croatian | za razliku | ||
| The Croatian word "za razliku" can mean "unlike" in some contexts, and in others, it can mean "in contrast", "on the contrary", "conversely", or "whereas". | |||
| Danish | i modsætning til | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "I modsætning til" can also be used to introduce a contrasting statement or opinion. | |||
| Dutch | in tegenstelling tot | ||
| The Dutch phrase "in tegenstelling tot" can be literally translated to "in standing against", and is thus related to the word "standpoint". | |||
| English | unlike | ||
| The word 'unlike' also means unique or exceptional. | |||
| French | contrairement à | ||
| The French word "contrairement à" can also be used in English, specifically in logic to define an antithesis.} | |||
| Frisian | oars as | ||
| The Frisian word "oars as" is a fossilized comparative form of "oar", meaning "different" or "other". | |||
| Galician | ao contrario | ||
| The term 'ao contrario' also means 'contrarily' or 'on the contrary' in Galician. | |||
| German | nicht wie | ||
| "Nicht wie" in German can be used to indicate a conditional "if not" or to negate "as" or "like." | |||
| Icelandic | ólíkt | ||
| The Icelandic word "ólíkt" has the same root as the word "líka" meaning "like" or "likeness". | |||
| Irish | murab ionann agus | ||
| Italian | diversamente da | ||
| The Italian phrase "diversamente da" can also mean "differently from" or "in a different way." | |||
| Luxembourgish | anescht wéi | ||
| The word "anescht wéi" comes from the German "anders als". It refers to the fact that things are not similar. | |||
| Maltese | b'differenza | ||
| The word "b'differenza" in Maltese can also mean "with the exception of" | |||
| Norwegian | i motsetning til | ||
| I motsetning til is literally translated as "in opposition to". The word mot can mean against, contrary or opposite while the suffix -setning means opposition, set-up or placement | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ao contrário | ||
| In Portuguese, "ao contrário" also means "on the contrary", "on the other hand" or "instead". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eu-coltach | ||
| Spanish | diferente a | ||
| "Diferente a" can be used with the meaning of comparison in Spanish, as it is the direct translation of the English phrase "different to", but its most widely-spread use is as the equivalent to the English expression "unlike". | |||
| Swedish | till skillnad från | ||
| Till skillnad från is an idiom that derives from the archaic verb 'tilla', meaning 'to divide' or 'to separate'. | |||
| Welsh | yn wahanol | ||
| "Yn wahanol" is also used to mean "of different kinds" or "varied". | |||
Unlike in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | у адрозненне | ||
| The word "у адрозненне" can also mean "on the contrary" or "otherwise". | |||
| Bosnian | za razliku | ||
| The word "za razliku" in Bosnian is a phrase meaning "in distinction". | |||
| Bulgarian | за разлика | ||
| The word "за разлика" can also mean "on the contrary" or "in contrast". | |||
| Czech | na rozdíl od | ||
| The word "na rozdíl od" can also mean "in contrast to" or "as opposed to". | |||
| Estonian | erinevalt | ||
| The word 'erinevalt' is derived from the Estonian word 'erinevus', which means 'difference'. It can also be used as a preposition to mean 'except for' or 'with the exception of'. | |||
| Finnish | toisin kuin | ||
| The word "toisin kuin" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *tokse, meaning "different" or "other". | |||
| Hungarian | nem úgy mint | ||
| The Hungarian word "nem úgy mint" is etymologically connected to the Finnish word "eimuisti" which also means "unlike". | |||
| Latvian | atšķirībā no | ||
| The Latvian word "atšķirībā no" can also mean "in contrast to" or "in difference to". | |||
| Lithuanian | skirtingai | ||
| It is a compound word from „skirti“ (to differ) and „-ingai“ (indicating a difference). | |||
| Macedonian | за разлика од | ||
| The word "за разлика од" is an adverbial phrase that also means "as opposed to". | |||
| Polish | w odróżnieniu | ||
| The Polish word "w odróżnieniu" means "unlike" or "in contrast". It is an adverb of manner. | |||
| Romanian | spre deosebire de | ||
| The Romanian preposition "spre deosebire de" can also mean "whereas" or "in contrast to." | |||
| Russian | в отличие | ||
| “В отличие” is literally a calque from German word "im Gegensatz”, which can also mean "in opposition", "in disagreement". | |||
| Serbian | за разлику од | ||
| While it primarily means 'unlike', the word 'за разлику од' can also mean 'as opposed to'. | |||
| Slovak | na rozdiel od | ||
| The word "na rozdiel od" in Slovak can also mean "apart from" or "in contrast to". | |||
| Slovenian | za razliko | ||
| The word "za razliko" can also mean "besides" or "in addition". | |||
| Ukrainian | на відміну від | ||
| The Ukrainian phrase "на відміну від" is literally translated as "on difference from" and is synonymous with "unlike" or "in contrast to" in English. | |||
Unlike in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অসদৃশ | ||
| The word অসদৃশ is derived from the Sanskrit words 'a-' (not) and 'sadrisha' (similar), and can also mean 'dissimilar' or 'unequal' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | વિપરીત | ||
| વિપરીત (viparit) shares a root with the Hindi word 'viprit', which means 'different'. Its literal meaning is 'opposite'. | |||
| Hindi | भिन्न | ||
| Kannada | ಭಿನ್ನವಾಗಿ | ||
| The word 'ಭಿನ್ನವಾಗಿ' also has the alternate meaning of 'differently' or 'in a different way'. | |||
| Malayalam | വ്യത്യസ്തമായി | ||
| The word "വ്യത്യസ്തമായി" has a second meaning as "different" when used as an adjective or adverb. | |||
| Marathi | आवडले नाही | ||
| The Marathi word "आवडले नाही" can also be used to express general negative or unfavorable opinions. | |||
| Nepali | मनपर्दैन | ||
| Punjabi | ਉਲਟ | ||
| The word "ਉਲਟ" also means "to turn upside down" or "to overturn" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මෙන් නොව | ||
| Tamil | போலல்லாமல் | ||
| Telugu | కాకుండా | ||
| The Telugu word "కాకుండా" can also mean "without" or "except for". | |||
| Urdu | کے برعکس | ||
| The Urdu word "ke baraks" has Persian origins and is derived from the prefix "bar" (upon, against) and the word "aks" (opposite). | |||
Unlike in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 不像 | ||
| "不像" can also mean "pretend not to know". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 不像 | ||
| In Cantonese, 「不像」 can also be a verb that means "to deceive, to cheat". | |||
| Japanese | とは異なり | ||
| 「とは異なり」という表現は否定的な意味を含んでいることがあります。 | |||
| Korean | 같지 않은 | ||
| The first part of the word '같지 않은' means 'equal' and the second part negates it, creating the meaning 'not equal'. | |||
| Mongolian | ялгаатай | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မတူတာက | ||
Unlike in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tidak seperti | ||
| The Indonesian word "tidak seperti" literally means "not like" and can also be used to express the idea of "different from" or "unlike" in a more general sense. | |||
| Javanese | ora kaya | ||
| The Javanese word "ora kaya" literally means "not rich" | |||
| Khmer | មិនដូច | ||
| The word "មិនដូច" in Khmer is the equivalent of "unlike" in English and is made up of the negative prefix "មិន" and the word "ដូច" which means "like". | |||
| Lao | ບໍ່ມັກ | ||
| Malay | tidak seperti | ||
| In Malay, "tidak seperti" doesn't just mean "unlike" but also "not like" or "except for". | |||
| Thai | ไม่เหมือน | ||
| The word "ไม่เหมือน" literally means "does not resemble" and can also be used to convey the idea of "not being the same". | |||
| Vietnamese | không giống | ||
| "Không giống" literally means "no picture," signifying difference in appearance. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hindi katulad | ||
Unlike in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fərqli olaraq | ||
| The word "fərqli olaraq" in Azerbaijani can also mean "in contrast" or "on the contrary". | |||
| Kazakh | айырмашылығы | ||
| Kyrgyz | айырмаланып | ||
| The word "айырмаланып" also means "to be different" or "to be separated" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | баръакс | ||
| Turkmen | tapawutlylykda | ||
| Uzbek | farqli o'laroq | ||
| The Uzbek word "farqli o'laroq" comes from the Persian word "farq", meaning "difference", and is often used to introduce a comparison or contrast. | |||
| Uyghur | ئوخشىمايدۇ | ||
Unlike in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻokoʻa | ||
| ʻOkoʻa also means "different, diverse, uncommon, unequal, extraordinary." | |||
| Maori | rerekē | ||
| Although the word “rerekē” means “unlike” in Māori, it also means “different, particular, special.” | |||
| Samoan | ese | ||
| The word "ese" also means "to be afraid" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hindi katulad | ||
| The word "hindi katulad" can also mean "not like" or "different from" in Tagalog. | |||
Unlike in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | janiw ukhamäkiti | ||
| Guarani | ndaha’éi ojoguáva | ||
Unlike in International Languages
| Esperanto | malkiel | ||
| The word "malkiel" comes from the Yiddish "mal kiel," meaning "badly" or "poorly." | |||
| Latin | dissimilis | ||
| The Latin term dissimilis, from the prefix "dis" (apart or negation) and the root "similis" (like or similar), literally translates as "not similar" or "different." | |||
Unlike in Others Languages
| Greek | διαφορετικός | ||
| A 2nd-century AD inscription uses 'διαφορετικός' (diaforetikos) in the sense of 'diverse', which is a common meaning in ancient Greek texts. | |||
| Hmong | tsis zoo li | ||
| The word "tsis zoo li" is also used to indicate that something is very unusual or different. | |||
| Kurdish | bervajî | ||
| The word "bervajî" in Kurdish is the past participle of the verb "bervîn" (to compare) and also means "different" or "unequal". | |||
| Turkish | aksine | ||
| Aksine, asıl anlami 'tekrar geri'dir, 'aks' ve 'ine' kelimelerinden olusmustur. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokungafaniyo | ||
| Ngokungafaniyo is a negative prefix word in Xhosa which means 'unlike' or 'without resemblance to', and is often used with nouns or adjectives to express dissimilarity or contrast. | |||
| Yiddish | ניט ענלעך | ||
| The word "nit enlekh" in Yiddish can also mean "not similar" or "not the same" | |||
| Zulu | ngokungafani | ||
| The word "ngokungafani" in Zulu has additional meanings such as "unequally" and "differently" | |||
| Assamese | unlike | ||
| Aymara | janiw ukhamäkiti | ||
| Bhojpuri | के विपरीत बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޚިލާފަށް | ||
| Dogri | विपरीत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hindi katulad | ||
| Guarani | ndaha’éi ojoguáva | ||
| Ilocano | saan a kas iti | ||
| Krio | nɔ tan lɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بە پێچەوانەی... | ||
| Maithili | विपरीत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | unlike | ||
| Mizo | ang lo takin | ||
| Oromo | faallaa ta’e | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭିନ୍ନ ନୁହେଁ | | ||
| Quechua | mana hinachu | ||
| Sanskrit | विपरीतम् | ||
| Tatar | аермалы буларак | ||
| Tigrinya | ዘይከም | ||
| Tsonga | ku hambana na swona | ||