Versus in Different Languages
Discover 'Versus' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'versus' is ubiquitous in modern language, denoting a comparison or opposition between two things. Its significance extends beyond mere semantics, as it often signifies a contest, debate, or rivalry. This cultural importance is evident in its widespread use in various forms of media, entertainment, and sports.
Moreover, the concept of 'versus' is not confined to the English language, but is rather a universal human construct. As such, understanding its translation in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultures and languages of people around the world.
For instance, in Spanish, 'versus' is translated as 'contra', while in French, it becomes 'contre'. In German, the word 'gegen' is used, and in Japanese, '対' or 'tsuuchou' is the equivalent term.
Delving into the translations of 'versus' offers a fascinating exploration of linguistic and cultural diversity. Join us as we embark on this journey, and discover how this simple word can reveal so much about the world around us.
Versus
Versus in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | versus | ||
| In Afrikaans, "versus" can also mean "facing" or "opposite" in a physical sense. | |||
| Amharic | ከ ... ጋር | ||
| The Amharic word "ከ ... ጋር" can also mean "with" or "in comparison to". | |||
| Hausa | a kan | ||
| "A kan" also means "on" or "regarding". | |||
| Igbo | vesos | ||
| The word "vesos" in Igbo can also refer to a type of traditional dance or music. | |||
| Malagasy | mifampitaha amin'ny | ||
| The word "mifampitaha amin'ny" can also mean "in comparison to" or "in contrast to". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | molimbana ndi | ||
| Molimbana ndi can mean 'against' in a physical or adversarial sense. | |||
| Shona | maringe | ||
| Maringe also means 'on the other hand' or 'moreover' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | ka soo horjeedka | ||
| The Somali word "ka soo horjeedka" also means "opponent" or "adversary". | |||
| Sesotho | khahlano | ||
| Swahili | dhidi | ||
| "Dhidi" can also mean 'opposite' or 'in front of,' and is derived from the Proto-Bantu word *diːdi, meaning 'to stand opposite or in front of.' | |||
| Xhosa | ukuqobisana | ||
| Ukuqobisana is also used to mean 'argument', 'conflict' or 'dispute'. | |||
| Yoruba | dipo | ||
| The word 'dipo' can also mean 'in place of', 'instead of', or 'in the midst of' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | kuqhathaniswa | ||
| Kuqhathaniswa can also mean to compare or to contrast two or more things. | |||
| Bambara | ni ɲɔgɔn cɛ | ||
| Ewe | tsɔtsɔ sɔ kple wo nɔewo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bitandukanye | ||
| Lingala | versus | ||
| Luganda | okusinziira ku | ||
| Sepedi | go bapetšwa le | ||
| Twi (Akan) | versus | ||
Versus in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مقابل | ||
| In Arabic, "مقابل" also means "opposite" or "exchange rate". | |||
| Hebrew | נגד | ||
| "נגד" can also mean "protector", such as in the phrase: "מגן ונגד" (shield and protector). | |||
| Pashto | په مقابل کې | ||
| Arabic | مقابل | ||
| In Arabic, "مقابل" also means "opposite" or "exchange rate". | |||
Versus in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kundrejt | ||
| In Albanian, "kundrejt" has multiple meanings and etymological origins, including opposition, in return for, and across from. | |||
| Basque | aurka | ||
| The Basque word "aurka" can also mean "in front of" or "facing". | |||
| Catalan | contra | ||
| The Catalan word "contra" can also mean "against" or "opposite". | |||
| Croatian | protiv | ||
| In Croatian, "protiv" has a hidden meaning derived from a Slavic root meaning "opposite". | |||
| Danish | imod | ||
| The word | |||
| Dutch | versus | ||
| In Dutch, "versus" can also be an abbreviation for "vereniging", meaning "association". | |||
| English | versus | ||
| Versus can also mean "facing" or "opposite to" in addition to "against". | |||
| French | contre | ||
| The word "contre" originates from the Latin word "contra", meaning "against", hence its use in opposition to something. | |||
| Frisian | tsjin | ||
| "Tsjin" originates from the Old Frisian word "teghin", which means "towards" or "against". | |||
| Galician | contra | ||
| Galician "contra" derives from Latin and shares an etymology with its English cognate "counter" which means "against or opposite of". | |||
| German | gegen | ||
| In its original sense, "gegen" means "in return for". | |||
| Icelandic | á móti | ||
| The word “á móti” in Icelandic can also mean “against” or “in opposition to”. | |||
| Irish | in aghaidh | ||
| In aghaidh derives from the Old Irish preposition oc or ag, meaning 'at' or 'near', and the noun agaid, meaning 'face' or 'presence'. | |||
| Italian | contro | ||
| The Italian word "contro" is derived from the Latin "contra" and can also mean "against", "opposite", or "in resistance to". | |||
| Luxembourgish | géint | ||
| Maltese | kontra | ||
| "Kontra" is an adverb meaning "in opposition" in Maltese, derived from the Italian "contro" | |||
| Norwegian | mot | ||
| "Mot" in Norwegian can also mean "towards" or "against". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | versus | ||
| Originating from the Latin word “versus”, it can also mean “in honor of” or “against”. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | an aghaidh | ||
| In 1706, 'an aghaidh' was used in Scots Gaelic to describe the side that was 'facing something' and also to mean 'in opposition to'. | |||
| Spanish | versus | ||
| In Spanish, "versus" can also mean "facing" or "near". | |||
| Swedish | mot | ||
| The word "mot" also has a secondary meaning in Swedish, namely "towards" or "in the direction of". | |||
| Welsh | yn erbyn | ||
Versus in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | супраць | ||
| Супраць (supracʹ) is a preposition in Belarusian that can also mean 'against' or 'opposite'. | |||
| Bosnian | protiv | ||
| The word "protiv" in Bosnian can also mean "opposite" or "in opposition to". | |||
| Bulgarian | срещу | ||
| "Срещу" also denotes "against, opposite, facing". | |||
| Czech | proti | ||
| The word “proti” has an alternate meaning of “against”. | |||
| Estonian | versus | ||
| Eesti keeles on sõnal "versus" ka tähendused "võrreldes", "jõudmas", "suunas". | |||
| Finnish | vastaan | ||
| The word "vastaan" comes from the Proto-Finnic root "*wastana" meaning "to oppose". | |||
| Hungarian | ellen | ||
| The word "ellen" in Hungarian is derived from the Proto-Uralic word "elə", meaning "forefront" or "before". | |||
| Latvian | pret | ||
| The word "pret" can also mean "opposite" or "against" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | prieš | ||
| "Prieš" also means "ago" or "before" in the context of time. | |||
| Macedonian | против | ||
| Спрема словенска митологија, против није нико други осим Световидово божанско возило, односно његова митска кочија. | |||
| Polish | przeciw | ||
| Etymology of "przeciw": "przeciwko" (against), "przeciwko" (opposite), "przeciwko" (against) | |||
| Romanian | impotriva | ||
| The Romanian word "impotriva" is derived from the Latin word "contra", meaning "against" or "opposite." | |||
| Russian | против | ||
| The word "против" can also mean "in contrast to", indicating opposition but not necessarily a contest. | |||
| Serbian | наспрам | ||
| The word "наспрам" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "proti", meaning "against" or "opposite". | |||
| Slovak | proti | ||
| The word "proti" in Slovak can also mean "against" or "opposite". | |||
| Slovenian | proti | ||
| The Slovene word "proti" has the same origin as the German word "gegen" and both derive ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰenti-, meaning "against" or "opposite". | |||
| Ukrainian | проти | ||
| "проти" means "against" in Ukrainian but can also relate to spatial location or opposition to an idea. | |||
Versus in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বনাম | ||
| The word | |||
| Gujarati | વિરુદ્ધ | ||
| The word "વિરુદ્ધ" comes from the Sanskrit word "विरुद्ध" meaning "opposite, contrary, contradictory" and can also mean "adverse, against, hostile". | |||
| Hindi | बनाम | ||
| The Hindi word "बनाम" (banaam) can also mean "in the name of" or "in memory of". | |||
| Kannada | ವಿರುದ್ಧ | ||
| The word 'viruddha' in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'viparīta', meaning 'opposite' or 'contrary'. | |||
| Malayalam | എതിരായി | ||
| The word "എതിരായി" in Malayalam can also mean "against" or "in opposition to". | |||
| Marathi | विरुद्ध | ||
| Nepali | विरुद्ध | ||
| The Nepali word "विरुद्ध" primarily means "opposite" or "contrast" and is a cognate of the Latin word "versus". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਨਾਮ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਬਨਾਮ" is derived from the Persian word "بنام" (banām), which means "against" or "in the name of." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | එදිරිව | ||
| "එදිරිව" can also mean 'compared to', 'opposite to', or 'facing'. | |||
| Tamil | எதிராக | ||
| The word "எதிராக" also translates to "in comparison with" in certain contexts. | |||
| Telugu | వర్సెస్ | ||
| Urdu | بمقابلہ | ||
Versus in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 与 | ||
| The character 与 means "and" when used within words but "versus" only when in isolation. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 與 | ||
| In Chinese, the character 與 can also refer to 'and', 'with', or 'participate'. | |||
| Japanese | 対 | ||
| The word "対" (originally pronounced "つい") also means "to confront" and is the origin of the word "罪" (crime). | |||
| Korean | 대 | ||
| The word "대" can also mean "instead" or "in place of" in some contexts. | |||
| Mongolian | эсрэг | ||
| In chess, «эсрэг» (versus) is used instead of «хөрөг» (against) to indicate a game between two players who are not on the same team. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နှင့် | ||
Versus in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | melawan | ||
| The second alternate meaning of 'melawan' can refer to a fight between two opposing forces. | |||
| Javanese | lawan | ||
| "Lawan" also means "to face or confront". | |||
| Khmer | ប្រឆាំងនឹងទល់នឹង | ||
| Lao | ທຽບກັບ | ||
| Malay | lawan | ||
| The word "lawan" originally meant "enemy" or "opponent" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | เทียบกับ | ||
| The Thai word "เทียบกับ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "tulyata" meaning "comparison". | |||
| Vietnamese | đấu với | ||
| "Ngoài ra, đấu với còn có thể dùng để chỉ sự đối chọi, cạnh tranh giữa hai người hay hai vật." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | laban sa | ||
Versus in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qarşı | ||
| "Qarşı" also translates to "opposite" or "in front of". | |||
| Kazakh | қарсы | ||
| The word "қарсы" can also mean "opposite", "against", or "facing". | |||
| Kyrgyz | каршы | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "qarşi" originated from the Persian word "qarshi," meaning "opposite" or "facing. | |||
| Tajik | рӯ ба рӯи | ||
| The word "рӯ ба рӯи" is also used in Tajik to mean "face to face" or "opposite". | |||
| Turkmen | garşy | ||
| Uzbek | ga qarshi | ||
| The word "ga qarshi" can also mean "in the direction of" or "towards" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئەكسىچە | ||
Versus in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | vs. | ||
| Hawaiian also uses “vs.” as an abbreviation for the word “vis-à-vis,” which means “opposite” or “facing.” | |||
| Maori | vs. | ||
| The Maori word for "vs." is "ki" and can also mean "to" or "toward". | |||
| Samoan | feteenai | ||
| The word "feteenai" can also mean "to turn" or "to be turned." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | laban sa | ||
| The word "laban sa" in Tagalog is derived from the root word "laban," which means "fight" or "battle." | |||
Versus in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Guarani | versus rehegua | ||
Versus in International Languages
| Esperanto | kontraŭ | ||
| "Kontraŭ" was originally a preposition meaning "against," and it is still used that way in poetry. | |||
| Latin | contra | ||
| Latin 'contra' meant 'opposite' or 'against', not only 'versus' | |||
Versus in Others Languages
| Greek | εναντίον | ||
| The Greek "εναντίον" derives from the verb εναντιόω, meaning "to oppose". Today, it's used to compare two things. | |||
| Hmong | tiv tiag | ||
| The word "tiv tiag" in Hmong can also mean "in relation to" or "compared to". | |||
| Kurdish | beramber | ||
| The word 'beramber' is also used in Kurdish to refer to a 'competition'. | |||
| Turkish | karşı | ||
| The word 'karşı' also means 'opposite' or 'facing' in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuqobisana | ||
| Ukuqobisana is also used to mean 'argument', 'conflict' or 'dispute'. | |||
| Yiddish | אנטקעגן | ||
| The word "אנטקעגן" can also refer to "towards" or "in favor of" something or someone. | |||
| Zulu | kuqhathaniswa | ||
| Kuqhathaniswa can also mean to compare or to contrast two or more things. | |||
| Assamese | বনাম | ||
| Aymara | ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | बनाम के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ވާސަސް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | बनाम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | laban sa | ||
| Guarani | versus rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | kontra | ||
| Krio | versus | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرامبەر بە | ||
| Maithili | बनाम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯚꯦꯔꯁꯦꯁ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ ꯌꯥꯏ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | versus a ni | ||
| Oromo | wal bira qabamee yoo ilaalamu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିଦ୍ୱନ୍ଦୀ | ||
| Quechua | versus nisqapi | ||
| Sanskrit | विरुद्धम् | ||
| Tatar | каршы | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣንጻር | ||
| Tsonga | ku hambana na | ||