Vital in Different Languages
Discover 'Vital' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Vital is a powerful word that carries a significant weight in our daily lives. It is often used to describe something as essential, necessary, or crucial. From the medical field to personal growth, the concept of vitality is deeply ingrained in our cultural consciousness.
Historically, the word 'vital' has been used to describe the life force or energy that sustains living beings. In philosophy, it is often associated with the concept of 'élan vital,' coined by French philosopher Henri Bergson, which refers to an inherent drive towards self-organization and change in living organisms.
Given its importance, it's no surprise that people around the world might want to know how to say 'vital' in different languages. After all, understanding this term in various languages can help facilitate cross-cultural communication and deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human languages and cultures.
Here are some translations of the word 'vital' in different languages:
Vital
Vital in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lewensbelangrik | ||
| The word "lewensbelangrik" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "levensbelangrijk", which means "essential for life". | |||
| Amharic | ወሳኝ | ||
| "Wesanja" in Amharic (also spelled "wosenj" or "wosenja"), like the word "essential," is also based on a root related to "essence" (huleñ). | |||
| Hausa | muhimmanci | ||
| The word "muhimmanci" (vital) in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "muhim" (important), which itself comes from the root "hamm" (to care for, to protect). | |||
| Igbo | dị oke mkpa | ||
| The Igbo word "dị oke mkpa" translates literally to "has great weight" or "of great importance." | |||
| Malagasy | zava-dehibe | ||
| The Malagasy word "zava-dehibe" shares the etymology of "fahafohezan-dehibe" which translates to "the life essence" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zofunika | ||
| The word "zofunika" also means "essential" or "necessary" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | zvakakosha | ||
| The Shona word "zvakakosha" originally meant "strong" or "important," but over time has come to primarily refer to things that are necessary for life. | |||
| Somali | muhiim ah | ||
| The word "muhiim ah," meaning "critical," also means "very" in colloquial usage, as in the phrase "muhiim ahaan," or "really." | |||
| Sesotho | bohlokoa | ||
| Swahili | muhimu | ||
| There is no known Swahili root for the word “muhimu”, but it is thought to have been borrowed from Arabic “muhim”, meaning “important”. | |||
| Xhosa | ibalulekile | ||
| The word "ibalulekile" can also refer to something that is active, lively, or energetic. | |||
| Yoruba | pataki | ||
| The word "pataki" in Yoruba also means "to cut off" or "to make a decision." | |||
| Zulu | kubalulekile | ||
| The Zulu word "kubalulekile" comes from the root "baluleka," meaning "to come to life," and suggests the idea of being in a state of well-being or having regained one's vitality. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛnama | ||
| Ewe | le veviẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ingenzi | ||
| Lingala | ntina | ||
| Luganda | -a mugaso | ||
| Sepedi | bohlokwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛhia | ||
Vital in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهم للغاية | ||
| The word 'مهم للغاية' literally means 'something that is weighty and has a lot of weight', hence its metaphorical meaning of 'vital' or 'important'. | |||
| Hebrew | חִיוּנִי | ||
| The word "חִיוּנִי" also means "animal" in Hebrew, emphasizing the vital role animals play in our lives. | |||
| Pashto | حياتي | ||
| In Pashto, "حياتي" also means "the main road of a city". | |||
| Arabic | مهم للغاية | ||
| The word 'مهم للغاية' literally means 'something that is weighty and has a lot of weight', hence its metaphorical meaning of 'vital' or 'important'. | |||
Vital in Western European Languages
| Albanian | jetësore | ||
| Albanian "jetësore" means "vital" but is derived from the word for "life" (jetë) and thus has connotations of "essential" or "important". | |||
| Basque | ezinbesteko | ||
| The Basque word "ezinbesteko" (vital) etymologically means "that which is impossible to be without". | |||
| Catalan | vital | ||
| Catalan "vital" comes from Latin "vitalis" (related to life), also giving English "vital" (extremely important or essential). | |||
| Croatian | vitalno | ||
| The Croatian word "vitalno" is derived from the Latin word "vita", meaning "life", and is related to the English word "vitality". | |||
| Danish | vital | ||
| Den danske oversættelse af ordet "vital" er "væsentlig", "afgørende" eller "livsvigtig". | |||
| Dutch | vitaal | ||
| The Dutch word "vitaal" traces its roots to the Latin word "vita", meaning "life", reflecting its association with essential life functions. | |||
| English | vital | ||
| The word "vital" derives from the Latin "vitae" (life) and was originally used to indicate the most important things for survival. | |||
| French | vital | ||
| The French word "vital" can also refer to a screw or bolt. | |||
| Frisian | fitaal | ||
| The word "fitaal" can also mean "important" or "essential". | |||
| Galician | fundamental | ||
| In Galician, "fundamental" can also mean "the most essential part of something" or "the basic principles of something." | |||
| German | lebenswichtig | ||
| The German word "lebenswichtig" originates from "Lebens" (life) and "wichtig" (important). | |||
| Icelandic | lífsnauðsynlegt | ||
| The word "lífsnauðsynlegt" literally means "necessary for life" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | ríthábhachtach | ||
| The Irish word "ríthábhachtach" can also mean "vigorous, spirited, lively," which are all related to its primary meaning, "vital." | |||
| Italian | vitale | ||
| In Italian, "vitale" also means "belonging to life" or "essential to life". | |||
| Luxembourgish | vital | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "vital" can also mean "essential" or "important". | |||
| Maltese | vitali | ||
| Maltese 'vitali' comes from Italian 'vitale' and could potentially also mean 'alive' in a narrower, more biological sense. | |||
| Norwegian | viktig | ||
| "Viktig" is derived from the Old Norse word "víkja," meaning "to turn" or "to change direction," and originally referred to something that could potentially change the course of events. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vital | ||
| In Portuguese, "vital" can also mean "essential" or "necessary". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deatamach | ||
| The word "deatamach" can also mean "substantial" or "essential". | |||
| Spanish | vital | ||
| El término "vital" en español también puede referirse a órganos o funciones corporales esenciales para la vida. | |||
| Swedish | avgörande | ||
| "Avgörande" in Swedish is not related to its English cognate "average" or Latin "adversarius" (antagonist), but rather derives from Proto-Germanic *afskarjananą (to cut off), akin to English "off". | |||
| Welsh | hanfodol | ||
| In Welsh, the word 'hanfodol' is a compound term derived from 'hanfod' (meaning life or existence) and '-ol' (a suffix that denotes being or relating to). | |||
Vital in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жыццёва важны | ||
| Bosnian | vitalno | ||
| The word "vitalno" comes from the Latin word "vitalis," meaning "pertaining to life". | |||
| Bulgarian | жизненоважна | ||
| The word "жизненоважна" comes from the Old Church Slavonic root "жизнь" (life), and also means "essential" or "crucial". | |||
| Czech | vitální | ||
| 'Vitální' comes from Latin 'vita' (life) and is also used to describe someone or something lively, spirited, or animated. | |||
| Estonian | eluline | ||
| "Eluline" can also refer to something essential, necessary, or fundamental, or to an essential substance or element. | |||
| Finnish | elintärkeää | ||
| "Elintärkeää" is composed of the words "elämä" (life) and "tärkeä" (important). | |||
| Hungarian | létfontosságú | ||
| The word "létfontosságú" combines two parts meaning "life" and "importance". | |||
| Latvian | vitāli svarīgi | ||
| It is also used to mean “lively” or “important” in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | gyvybiškai svarbus | ||
| The Lithuanian word "gyvybiškai svarbus" is related to the verb "gyventi" ("to live"). | |||
| Macedonian | витално | ||
| The word "витално" is a borrowing from the Russian word "витальный", which is related to the Latin word "vita" which means "life". It has the additional meaning of being very important or essential. | |||
| Polish | istotny | ||
| The Polish word "istotny" derives from the Old Polish "istota" meaning "being" or "existence". | |||
| Romanian | vital | ||
| In Romanian, "vital" can also refer to the firstborn child or to the main nerve of a tooth | |||
| Russian | жизненно важный | ||
| "Жизненно важный" (vital) comes from "жизнь" (life) and can also mean "essential" or "key". | |||
| Serbian | витални | ||
| "Vitali" is related to "vita" (life), while "vitan" means "skilled" (compare to "vitko", a synonym for "hero" in some Slavic dialects). | |||
| Slovak | vitálny | ||
| Slovník slovenského jazyka lists "vitalný" with the meaning of "very energetic or enthusiastic". | |||
| Slovenian | vitalno | ||
| The word 'vitalno' also means 'vitally' and 'of great importance' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | життєво важливий | ||
| The word "життєво важливий" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *жити, meaning "to live", suggesting its centrality to sustaining life | |||
Vital in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রাণবন্ত | ||
| প্রাণবন্ত in Bengali is a cognate of pranavāntika in Sanskrit, and comes from the words pran (vital air, life force) and vant (possessing). | |||
| Gujarati | મહત્વપૂર્ણ | ||
| Hindi | महत्वपूर्ण | ||
| "महत्वपूर्ण" is derived from Sanskrit roots "महत्" (great) and "त्व" (state), originally meaning "greatness, significance", and can also mean "essential, primary, or fundamental". | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಮುಖ | ||
| Malayalam | സുപ്രധാനം | ||
| The word 'സുപ്രധാനം' is derived from Sanskrit and literally means 'very important'. | |||
| Marathi | जीवनावश्यक | ||
| The word "जीवनावश्यक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "जीवन" (life) and the suffix "-अवश्यक" (necessary), indicating its importance for sustaining life. | |||
| Nepali | महत्वपूर्ण | ||
| The Nepali word "महत्वपूर्ण" (vital) is derived from the Sanskrit word "महत्त्व" (importance), which also means "greatness" or "significance." | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਹੱਤਵਪੂਰਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අත්යවශ්යයි | ||
| Tamil | இன்றியமையாதது | ||
| Telugu | కీలకమైనది | ||
| Urdu | اہم | ||
| اہم (vital) is derived from Arabic 'aham' (important) or 'ahamm' (more important). | |||
Vital in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 重要 | ||
| "重" (weight) and "要" (important) together mean something of utmost importance. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 重要 | ||
| 重要, in Chinese, means "life-heavy," thus "essential" | |||
| Japanese | 重要 | ||
| The word "重要" (jūyō) means "to have weight" or "to be worth." | |||
| Korean | 치명적인 | ||
| In Korean, "치명적인" can also refer to something being extremely important or indispensable. | |||
| Mongolian | амин чухал | ||
| The word "амин чухал" can also mean "important," "essential" or "indispensable". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရေးကြီးတယ် | ||
Vital in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | vital | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "vital" can also mean "essential" or "important". | |||
| Javanese | penting banget | ||
| The Javanese word "penting banget" also means "very important". | |||
| Khmer | សំខាន់ | ||
| Lao | ທີ່ ສຳ ຄັນ | ||
| Malay | penting | ||
| **Penting** is cognate with the Javanese word **penting**, meaning "important" or "urgent". | |||
| Thai | สำคัญ | ||
| สำคัญ derives from the Sanskrit word "sarvatama" meaning "most important" and also means "essential" and "crucial". | |||
| Vietnamese | quan trọng | ||
| "Quan trọng" means "important" or "essential" in Vietnamese, but it also means "heavy" or "difficult". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahalaga | ||
Vital in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | həyati | ||
| "Həyati" shares the root "hayat" with Turkish and Persian, meaning "life". | |||
| Kazakh | өмірлік | ||
| The word "өмірлік" in Kazakh also means "for life" or "lifetime". | |||
| Kyrgyz | маанилүү | ||
| Tajik | муҳим | ||
| The Tajik word "муҳим" has Arabic origins, coming from the root word "hm", meaning "care" or "importance". | |||
| Turkmen | wajypdyr | ||
| Uzbek | hayotiy | ||
| "Hayotiy" means "vital" in Uzbek, but it is also used to refer to something that is essential or necessary. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىنتايىن مۇھىم | ||
Vital in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea nui | ||
| Mea nui, "vital," derives from Polynesian terms meaning "big" or "important," as in its cognate in Māori, mea nui "important thing." The Hawaiian term can also describe strength, importance, or size; it may be used, for example, to describe a chief of rank or a particularly impressive natural or cultural feature. | |||
| Maori | mahuinga | ||
| The word 'mahuinga' is also used by Maori to refer to the placenta after childbirth. | |||
| Samoan | taua | ||
| "Taua" also means "war" or "to fight". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mahalaga | ||
| The word "mahalaga" is derived from the root word "halaga," which means value or importance. | |||
Vital in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wital | ||
| Guarani | tekotevẽite | ||
Vital in International Languages
| Esperanto | esenca | ||
| "Esenca" is related to the word "essence" in English, and it can also refer to the "essence" of something, or its core nature. | |||
| Latin | vital | ||
| The Latin word 'vitalis' also means 'pertaining to life', 'essential', and 'important'. | |||
Vital in Others Languages
| Greek | ζωτικής σημασίας | ||
| The word "vital" comes from the Latin word "vita", meaning "life". It can also mean "essential" or "important". | |||
| Hmong | tseem ceeb heev | ||
| In Hmong, "tseem ceeb heev" also encompasses notions of "inner strength, perseverance, and resilience." | |||
| Kurdish | jiyangiran | ||
| The word 'jiyangiran' has an alternate translation as 'the life force'. | |||
| Turkish | hayati | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, 'hayati' also referred to the life span of a person. | |||
| Xhosa | ibalulekile | ||
| The word "ibalulekile" can also refer to something that is active, lively, or energetic. | |||
| Yiddish | וויטאַל | ||
| The Yiddish word "וויטאַל" ("vital") is derived from the Latin word "vita" (life) and can also mean "important" or "essential". | |||
| Zulu | kubalulekile | ||
| The Zulu word "kubalulekile" comes from the root "baluleka," meaning "to come to life," and suggests the idea of being in a state of well-being or having regained one's vitality. | |||
| Assamese | গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ | ||
| Aymara | wital | ||
| Bhojpuri | अहम | ||
| Dhivehi | މުހިންމު | ||
| Dogri | जरूरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahalaga | ||
| Guarani | tekotevẽite | ||
| Ilocano | napateg | ||
| Krio | impɔtant | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گرنگ | ||
| Maithili | महत्वपूर्ण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯨ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pawimawh | ||
| Oromo | murteessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ | ||
| Quechua | qullana | ||
| Sanskrit | आवश्यक | ||
| Tatar | бик мөһим | ||
| Tigrinya | መሰረታዊ | ||
| Tsonga | nkoka | ||