enough

The Word “Enough”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The word “enough” is fundamental yet versatile in English. It is used to express sufficiency, adequacy, or the idea that something meets a required amount or standard. This article dives into its meaning, diverse usage contexts, and translations in 30 languages, showcasing its universality across cultures.


Meaning of “Enough”

  1. Primary Definition:
    • As an adjective or pronoun, “enough” means having or being as much as required or sufficient.
      • Example: “We have enough food for everyone.”
  2. Adverbial Use:
    • As an adverb, it modifies adjectives or verbs to indicate an adequate degree.
      • Example: “She didn’t work hard enough to succeed.”
  3. Idiomatic and Colloquial Uses:
    • Used to emphasize frustration or exasperation:
      • Example: “Enough! Stop arguing.”

Common Usages in Context

  1. Describing Quantity:
    • “Is there enough water for the hike?”
  2. Setting Limits:
    • “You’ve done enough; take a break.”
  3. Expressing Frustration:
    • “I’ve had enough of these interruptions!”
  4. Asking Questions About Sufficiency:
    • “Is this bag big enough for all our supplies?”

Translations of “Enough” in 30 Languages

Language Translation Example
Spanish Suficiente “¿Hay suficiente comida para todos?”
French Assez “Avez-vous assez de temps pour terminer?”
German Genug “Hast du genug Schlaf bekommen?”
Italian Abbastanza “Hai abbastanza spazio per questo?”
Portuguese Suficiente “Temos água suficiente para a viagem?”
Dutch Genoeg “Heb je genoeg geld voor het ticket?”
Russian Достаточно (Dostatochno) “У нас достаточно еды?”
Chinese (Simplified) 足够 (Zúgòu) “我们有足够的资源吗?”
Japanese 十分 (Jūbun) “彼には十分な経験がありますか?”
Korean 충분히 (Chungbunhi) “이것이 충분히 큽니까?”
Hindi पर्याप्त (Paryāpt) “क्या हमारे पास पर्याप्त समय है?”
Bengali যথেষ্ট (Jothesto) “আমাদের কি যথেষ্ট অর্থ আছে?”
Turkish Yeterli “Bu bilgi yeterli mi?”
Greek Αρκετά (Arketá) “Έχεις αρκετά χρήματα;”
Hebrew מספיק (Maspiq) “האם יש מספיק מים?”
Swedish Tillräckligt “Har vi tillräckligt med tid?”
Norwegian Nok “Er dette nok for prosjektet?”
Danish Nok “Har du nok penge til at betale?”
Finnish Tarpeeksi “Onko tämä tarpeeksi suuri?”
Polish Wystarczająco “Czy mamy wystarczająco jedzenia?”
Czech Dost “Máme dost peněz na výlet?”
Hungarian Elég “Ez elég lesz a munkához?”
Romanian Suficient “Avem suficient timp pentru proiect?”
Thai พอ (Pho) “เรามีน้ำพอสำหรับการเดินทางไหม?”
Vietnamese Đủ “Chúng ta có đủ tiền không?”
Indonesian Cukup “Apakah ini cukup besar untuk kita?”
Malay Cukup “Adakah makanan cukup untuk semua?”
Swahili Vya kutosha “Je, tuna chakula vya kutosha?”
Filipino Sapat “May sapat ba tayong pagkain?”
Arabic كافٍ (Kāfin) “هل لدينا وقت كافٍ لهذا؟”
Estonian Piisavalt “Kas meil on piisavalt toitu?”

Additional Examples in Selected Languages

  1. French:
    • “As-tu assez d’argent pour acheter ce livre?”
    • “Il est assez vieux pour conduire une voiture.”
  2. German:
    • “Haben wir genug Zeit, um alles vorzubereiten?”
    • “Es ist genug, du musst nicht mehr machen.”
  3. Spanish:
    • “No tengo suficiente espacio en mi mochila.”
    • “Ella no está lo suficientemente preparada para la prueba.”
  4. Chinese (Simplified):
    • “我们是否有足够的资金支持这个项目?”
    • “你的理由还不够有说服力。”
  5. Arabic:
    • “لدينا طعام كافٍ للرحلة.”
    • “لم يكن هذا التفسير كافياً.”

The word “enough” encapsulates the idea of balance and fulfillment. Whether describing tangible quantities, abstract ideas, or emotional states, its ubiquity across languages highlights a shared human understanding of adequacy and satisfaction.

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