German[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• f. (abbreviation)
• vor (obsolete)
• fuer (nonstandard-spelling)

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German vür, from Old High German furi, from Proto-West Germanic *furi, from Proto-Germanic *furi.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /fyːɐ̯/, /fʏɐ̯/, /fyːr/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /fə/ (reduced form in common speech)

• audio

  (file)

• Homophone: führ
• Rhymes: -yːɐ̯

Preposition[edit]

für (+ accusative)

1. for

   Das Geschenk ist für dich.

   The present is for you.

2. in favor of, in support of

   Ich bin für die erste Option.

   I'm in favor of the first option.

3. by the standards of

   Für einen Ausländer sprichst du sehr gut Deutsch.

   For a foreigner, you speak German very well.

4. on behalf of

   Mein Anwalt wird das für mich beantworten.

   My lawyer will answer to that on my behalf.

5. kind / type of

   Was für ein Kuchen ist das?

   What kind of cake is this?

6. (informal) instead of

   Für die Hose hab ich jetzt den Rock genommen.

   Instead of the trousers [which I chose not to buy], I took the skirt.

7. (colloquial, nonstandard) in order to (with zu and infinitive)

   Synonym: um

   Der Papa holt das Werkzeug, für die Waschmaschine zu reparieren.

   Daddy is getting his tools in order to repair the washing machine.

Derived terms[edit]

• dafür
• was für
• fürn
• fürs (für + das)

Vilamovian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun[edit]

für f

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from Afrikaans ja (“yes”), from Dutch ja (“yes”). More at yea.

Alternative forms[edit]

• ya

Adverb[edit]

ja (not comparable)

1. (chiefly South Africa, informal) yes

Derived terms[edit]

• ja well no fine

Etymology 2[edit]

From the Revised Romanization of Korean 자 (ja)

Alternative forms[edit]

• cha

Noun[edit]

ja (plural jas or ja)

1. (Korean units of measure) Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm.

Anagrams[edit]

• AJ

Afrikaans[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Dutch ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jaː/

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

Descendants[edit]

• → English: ja
• → Portuguese: iá

Alemannic German[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• jaa, jòò, jä

Etymology[edit]

From Old High German ja, jā, from Proto-Germanic *ja. Cognate with German ja, Dutch ja, English yea, Swedish ja.

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. (Uri) yes

References[edit]

• Abegg, Emil, (1911) Die Mundart von Urseren (Beiträge zur Schweizerdeutschen Grammatik. IV.) [The Dialect of Urseren], Frauenfeld, Switzerland: Huber & Co., page 13.

Assan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Yeniseian *ʔaʒ (“I”). Compare Kott ai (“I”), Pumpokol ad (“I”), and Arin aj.

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. I (first-person singular subjective)

Synonyms[edit]

• aj

Related terms[edit]

• ajun

Atong (India)[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Cognate with Garo ja (“moon, month”).

Noun[edit]

ja

1. month
2. moon

References[edit]

• van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary.

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin iam.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Central) IPA^(key): /ˈʒa/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈja/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. already, (in negative sentences) any more
2. now, immediately, at once

Derived terms[edit]

• ja que

Further reading[edit]

• “ja” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Central Melanau[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• je-

Numeral[edit]

ja

1. one

Synonyms[edit]

• satu

Cimbrian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German ja, from Old High German ja, jā, from Proto-Germanic *ja. Cognate with German ja, Dutch ja, English yea, Icelandic já.

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. (Sette Comuni) yes

References[edit]

• “ja” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

Danish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse já (“yes”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ja/, [jɛ]
• IPA^(key): /jar/, [jæɐ̯]
• Rhymes: -a

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes

Antonyms[edit]

• nej

Related terms[edit]

• jo

Noun[edit]

ja n (singular definite jaet, plural indefinite jaer)

1. yes

Inflection[edit]

Dimasa[edit]

Noun[edit]

já

1. foot

Derived terms[edit]

• jaga

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch ja, from Old Dutch *jā, from Proto-Germanic *ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /jaː/

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

   Wil je met ons meegaan? — Ja, graag!

   Would you like to come with us? — Yes, I'd love to!

Synonyms[edit]

• jep

Antonyms[edit]

• nee, neen

Derived terms[edit]

• jawel

Noun[edit]

ja m or n (plural ja's, diminutive jaatje n)

1. yes

   Een ja kan je krijgen, een nee heb je al.

   A yes you can get, a no you already have.

   Het begon met een ja...

   It began with a yes...

Synonyms[edit]

• jawoord

Antonyms[edit]

• nee

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes!

   "Ja!" riep hij luid toen er een doelpunt viel.

   Yes! he screamed loudly when they scored a goal.

Synonyms[edit]

• yes

Descendants[edit]

• Afrikaans: ja
• Berbice Creole Dutch: ja
• Jersey Dutch: jâ
• Negerhollands: ja, ju
• Skepi Creole Dutch: ja

Esperanto[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from German ja, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *ja. Compare Polish jo, Yiddish יאָ‎‎ (yo‎), Dutch ja, English yea. Related to jes.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ja]
• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ja

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. indeed
   • 2015, Kalle Kniivilä, “Sopiro al Sovetio [Yearning for the Soviet Union]”, in Krimeo estas nia [Crimea is ours]:

     Sed la bona soveta tempo neniam revenos. Ĝi ja neniam ekzistis.

     But the good Soviet times will never return, because they never existed.

     (literally, “But the good Soviet time will never come back. It indeed never existed.”)

Related terms[edit]

• do (“therefore, indeed, so”)
• ekzakte (“exactly”)
• fakte (“factually”)
• ĝuste (“just, right, exactly”)
• jese (“yes, exactly”)
• reale (“really, actually”)
• vere (“truly”)

Estonian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *jahw (“and”); compare Gothic 𐌾𐌰𐌷 (jah), Old High German ja, joh.

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. and

Synonyms[edit]

• ning

Faroese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse já, from Proto-Germanic *ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jɛaː/

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

Antonyms[edit]

• nei, neiggj

Related terms[edit]

• jú, júgv

Noun[edit]

ja n (genitive singular jas, plural ja)

1. yes

Declension[edit]

Finnish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Finnic *ja (compare Estonian ja, Ingrian ja, Livonian ja, Votic ja), borrowed from Proto-Germanic *jahw (“and”) (compare Gothic 𐌾𐌰𐌷 (jah), Old High German ja, joh).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑ/, [ˈjɑ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑ
• Syllabification: ja

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. (coordinating) and

Synonyms[edit]

• sekä (used when listing things — not when joining clauses)

Noun[edit]

ja

1. AND (logic gate or connector)

Declension[edit]

Rarely inflected; if inflection is necessary, it is used as a first component in a compound, such as JA-portti ("AND gate").

References[edit]

• Häkkinen, Kaisa (2004) Nykysuomen etymologinen sanakirja [Modern Finnish Etymological Dictionary] (in Finnish), Juva: WSOY, →ISBN

Garo[edit]

Etymology[edit]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun[edit]

ja

1. month

Synonyms[edit]

• mas

German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German ja, from Old High German ja, jā (“yes”), from Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes”), from Proto-Indo-European *yē (“already”). Cognate with Dutch ja (“yes”), English yea (“yes, yea”), Spanish ya (“already”), and Latin iam (“already”). More at yes.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jaː/

• audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aː
• Homophone: Jahr (according to a widespread pronunciation of this word)

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes; yea, yeah, aye

   Willst du das? Ja. ― Do you want that? Yes.

   Aber ja! ― Yes, of course!

2. (intensifier) obviously; certainly; of course; really; just; as you know; as is generally known (indicates and emphasises that one is expressing a known fact)

   Es kann ja nicht immer so bleiben. ― It obviously cannot always remain so.

   Der Peter war ja gestern krank. ― Peter was sick yesterday, as you know.

Usage notes[edit]

• (yes): Ja is used to indicate agreement with a positive statement. To contradict a negative statement (where English would use “yes”), doch is used instead.
• (obviously): Ja means roughly the same as English obviously or as you know, but given its shortness it is used much more frequently. In colloquial German, ja is used in most statements of facts already known to the one addressed.

Synonyms[edit]

• (yes): jawohl
• (obviously): doch, bekanntlich

Antonyms[edit]

• nein

Derived terms[edit]

• bejahen
• Ja
• jein

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes

Synonyms[edit]

• (yes): jawohl

Antonyms[edit]

• (yes): nein

Further reading[edit]

• “ja” in Duden online

Gothic[edit]

Romanization[edit]

ja

1. Romanization of 𐌾𐌰

Guerrero Amuzgo[edit]

Adjective[edit]

ja

1. heavy

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. I

Gutnish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jaː/, [jɑː]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Norse ek. Compare Swedish jag.

Alternative forms[edit]

• jag (Fårö and Lau dialects)

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. I (first-person singular pronoun)

Inflection[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Old Norse já

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

Usage notes[edit]

Uncertain or stalling answer; jo is used for yes-no questions

Related terms[edit]

• (used for yes-no questions) jo, jå (Lau dialect)

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes

References[edit]

• "ja" in Gutamålgildes Årdliste
• "ja in Gustavson, H. (red.). 1972-1986. Ordbok över Laumålet på Gotland. Uppsala: AB Lundequistska Bokhandeln.

Hausa[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /(d)ʒáː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒáː]

Adjective[edit]

jā (feminine jā, plural jājā̀yē)

1. red

Hungarian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈjɒ], [ˈjɒː] (the long pronunciation is used in case of great surprise)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -jɒ

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. (informal) yep (indicates agreement, approval, or understanding)

   Jössz holnap a meccsre? – Ja.

   “Are you coming to the game tomorrow?” “Yep.”

   Synonyms: aha, ühüm, jaja

2. oh (indicates understanding something finally after a misunderstanding or confusion)

   Este nem jár a vonat. – Ja, hát akkor menjünk busszal!

   “No train is leaving in the evening.” “Oh, well then let's travel by bus!”

   Ezt nem is Miki küldte! – Ja, lehet, hogy én értettem félre.

   “This was not sent by Miki!” “Oh, then I must have misunderstood it.”

Further reading[edit]

• (yep, oh): ja in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (indeed, actually, as a matter of fact): ja in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Ido[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Italian già, French déjà and Spanish ya, from Latin iam, replacing Esperanto jam which is cognate.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ʒa/

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. already

Related terms[edit]

• ya

Ingrian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Finnic *ja, borrowed from Proto-Germanic *jahw (“and”). Cognates include Finnish ja and Estonian ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈja/

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. and
   • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 25:

     Kiko ja Miko jo uijuut.

     Kiko and Miko are already swimming.

Alternative forms[edit]

• i

References[edit]

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 99
• Vitalij Chernyavskij (2005) Ižoran keel (Ittseopastaja)‎^[1], page 106
• Olga I. Konkova; Nikita A. Dyachinkov (2014) Inkeroin Keel: Пособие по Ижорскому Языку‎^[2], →ISBN, page 79

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

ja

1. Rōmaji transcription of じゃ
2. Rōmaji transcription of ジャ
3. Rōmaji transcription of ぢゃ
4. Rōmaji transcription of ヂャ

Latvian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

This entry needs audio files. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record some and upload them. (For audio required quickly, visit WT:APR.)

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. if
2. in case

Lithuanian[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

ja f

1. (third-person singular) instrumental form of ji.

Lower Sorbian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *(j)a, from Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂.

Pronoun[edit]

ja sg

1. I

Declension[edit]

Lule Sami[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *jahw (“and”).

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. and

Further reading[edit]

• Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002-2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[3], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Maltese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Arabic يَا‎ (yā).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jaː/
• Usually unstressed and then automatically shortened to /ja/.

Particle[edit]

ja

1. vocative particle; oh!; you!

   Ja Mulejja! ― Oh my Lord!

   Ja iblah! ― You idiot!

Usage notes[edit]

• While not obligatory even in standard Arabic, the vocative particle is predominantly omitted in Maltese. It does remain a common word, however, especially when equivalent to English “you”.

North Frisian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ja/

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. (Sylt and Mooring) they

Synonyms[edit]

• djo (Heligolandic)
• jo (Amrum and Fering)
• jä (Halligen, Hoorning and Wiedingharde)

Northern Sami[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *jahw (“and”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈja/

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. and

Further reading[edit]

• Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002-2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[4], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Northern Sotho[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Bantu *-dɪ́a.

Verb[edit]

ja

1. to eat

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse já

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jɑː/

• Audio

  (file)

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

Antonyms[edit]

• nei

Related terms[edit]

• jo
• jaja
• jada

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes

Noun[edit]

ja n (definite singular jaet, indefinite plural ja or jaer, definite plural jaa or jaene)

1. yes

References[edit]

• “ja” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse já

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

Antonyms[edit]

• nei

Related terms[edit]

• jo

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes

Noun[edit]

ja n (definite singular jaet, indefinite plural ja, definite plural jaa)

1. yes

References[edit]

• “ja” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin iam

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. already
2. as soon as possible
3. quickly
4. (with "ne") never

References[edit]

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (ja)

Pennsylvania German[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• ya

Etymology[edit]

Compare German ja, Dutch ja, Swedish ja.

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. yes, yeah

Pite Sami[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *jahw (“and”).

Conjunction[edit]

ja

1. and

Further reading[edit]

• ja in Bidumsáme Báhkogirrje (“Pite Sami word list”)
• Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002-2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[5], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Pnar[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Khasian *ʤaː. Cognate with Khasi ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒa/

Noun[edit]

ja

1. cooked rice

Polish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *(j)azъ, from Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ja/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: ja

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. I (first-person pronoun)

   Ja chcę mieć przyjaciół. ― I want to have friends.

Declension[edit]

Notes[edit]

Mute forms ("mię", "mi") cannot be used in accented positions in the sentence. "Mię" is considered dated in standard Polish, but can still be heard commonly in some dialects or in colloquial speech.

See also[edit]

• siebie ("myself")
• Appendix:Polish pronouns

Further reading[edit]

• ja in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese[edit]

Adverb[edit]

ja (not comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of já

Rwanda-Rundi[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• -jya (Rwanda)

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Bantu *-gɪ̀a.

Verb[edit]

-ja (infinitive kuja, perfective -gīye)

1. (Kirundi) to go to

Serbo-Croatian[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *(j)a, from Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jâː/

This entry needs audio files. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record some and upload them. (For audio required quickly, visit WT:APR.)

Pronoun[edit]

jȃ (Cyrillic spelling ја̑)

1. I

   Ja sam učio. ― I have studied.

Declension[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Borrowed from German ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jâ/

Adverb[edit]

jȁ (Cyrillic spelling ја̏)

1. (colloquial, regional) yes, yeah

Etymology 3[edit]

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. Archaic form of jao.
   • 1891, Srpske narodne pjesme:

     Ja Ivane, mio pobratime!

     O woe, Ivan, dear blood-brother!

Silesian[edit]

Adverb[edit]

ja

1. yes

Antonyms[edit]

• ńy

Slovak[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *(j)a, from Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈja/

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. I (first person singular)

Usage notes[edit]

Following prepositions, ma and mi are replaced by mňa and mne respectively.

Declension[edit]

See also[edit]

• ty
• on, ona, ono
• my
• vy
• oni, ony

References[edit]

• ja in Slovak dictionaries at slovnik.juls.savba.sk

Anagrams[edit]

• aj

Slovene[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from German ja.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /jàː/, /jáː/

Particle[edit]

jā

1. (informal) yes

   Synonym: dȁ

   Antonym: nȅ

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

ja

1. (dialectal) Alternative form of jȁz

   Ja sem Slovenec. ― I am Slovenian.

Further reading[edit]

• “ja”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran

Sotho[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Bantu *-dɪ́a.

Verb[edit]

ja

1. to eat

Spanish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈxa/, [ˈxa]

Interjection[edit]

ja

1. representation of laughter, ha

   Also used repeatedly: jaja, jajaja

Derived terms[edit]

• ja ja ja

Further reading[edit]

• “ja” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

Swahili[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Bantu *-jìja. Compare Zulu -za.

Pronunciation[edit]

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Verb[edit]

-ja (infinitive kuja)

1. to come
2. going to (followed by an infinitive, future, or subjunctive verb)

Conjugation[edit]