The Word “Manipulate”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages
Meaning of “Manipulate”
The word “manipulate” generally refers to the act of controlling or influencing something or someone in a skillful, often secretive or unethical way. While it can have neutral or positive meanings in certain contexts (such as skillfully handling tools or materials), it is more commonly associated with exploiting or deceiving others for personal gain or to achieve a particular outcome. It involves exerting control or influence over a person or situation, often in a way that is not immediately obvious.
- Manipulate (in the sense of control):
Manipulating someone can mean influencing or controlling them without their knowledge or consent, often for self-interest. This can involve persuasion, coercion, or deception. - Manipulate (in the sense of handling or operating):
In a neutral context, manipulating refers to handling or operating something, especially with skill. For example, manipulating tools or machinery involves carefully controlling them to achieve a particular result. - Psychological Manipulation:
In psychological terms, manipulation refers to influencing someone’s emotions, thoughts, or actions in ways that benefit the manipulator. This often involves subtle tactics, such as gaslighting, playing on insecurities, or exploiting emotions to create dependency or compliance. - Manipulation in Art and Media:
In art, design, or media, manipulation can refer to the alteration or modification of materials, images, or sounds. This can be done for artistic or creative purposes, such as in photo manipulation or graphic design. - Manipulation in Politics and Society:
Manipulation can also refer to the way individuals or groups use tactics to control public opinion, sway decisions, or manipulate elections or social issues to their advantage.
Usage of “Manipulate” in Different Contexts
- Psychological Manipulation:
“She used emotional manipulation to get him to agree to her plans.” This refers to controlling someone’s emotions to influence their behavior or decision-making. - Manipulating Objects or Tools:
“The artist skillfully manipulated the clay into a beautiful sculpture.” This refers to the physical handling of a material or object with skill and care. - Political Manipulation:
“The politician was accused of manipulating the media to sway public opinion.” This highlights using tactics or strategies to control or influence political outcomes. - Deceptive Manipulation:
“He manipulated the situation to make himself look like the hero.” This refers to using deceitful methods to influence how others perceive a person or event. - Manipulating Data or Information:
“The company was caught manipulating financial reports to hide losses.” This involves altering or presenting information in a way that distorts the truth.
Translations of “Manipulate” in 30 Languages
The word “manipulate” often carries a negative or unethical connotation, but its meaning and usage can vary across different cultures and languages. Below are translations of “manipulate” in various languages, with example sentences illustrating how it is used.
| Language | Translation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| English | Manipulate | “He knows how to manipulate people to get what he wants.” |
| Spanish | Manipular | “Ella sabe manipular las emociones de los demás.” (She knows how to manipulate other people’s emotions.) |
| French | Manipuler | “Il a manipulé les faits pour gagner l’argument.” (He manipulated the facts to win the argument.) |
| German | Manipulieren | “Er manipulierte die Ergebnisse, um sie zu seinen Gunsten zu ändern.” (He manipulated the results to change them in his favor.) |
| Italian | Manipolare | “Lui manipola le informazioni per ottenere più potere.” (He manipulates information to gain more power.) |
| Portuguese | Manipular | “Ela manipulou os sentimentos dele para conseguir o que queria.” (She manipulated his feelings to get what she wanted.) |
| Russian | Манипулировать (Manipulirovat’) | “Он манипулирует мнениями людей, чтобы получить свою выгоду.” (He manipulates people’s opinions to gain an advantage.) |
| Chinese | 操控 (Cāokòng) | “他操控了所有的决策。” (He manipulated all the decisions.) |
| Japanese | 操作する (Sōsa suru) | “彼は人々を操作して自分の意見を通した。” (He manipulated people to push through his opinion.) |
| Korean | 조종하다 (Jojonghada) | “그는 사람들을 조종하여 원하는 결과를 얻었다.” (He manipulated people to get the result he wanted.) |
| Hindi | हेरफेर करना (Herpher Karna) | “वह लोगों को अपनी बातों से हेरफेर करता है।” (He manipulates people with his words.) |
| Bengali | চালাকি করা (Chalaki Kora) | “সে সবাইকে চালাকি করে নিজের কাজ করায়।” (He manipulates everyone to do his work.) |
| Turkish | Manipüle etmek | “O, başkalarının duygularını manipüle etti.” (He manipulated other people’s emotions.) |
| Dutch | Manipuleren | “Hij manipuleerde de feiten om zijn gelijk te halen.” (He manipulated the facts to prove his point.) |
| Swedish | Manipulera | “Han manipulerade hela situationen för att vinna.” (He manipulated the whole situation to win.) |
| Norwegian | Manipulere | “Hun manipulerte beslutningene for å få sin vei.” (She manipulated the decisions to get her way.) |
| Greek | Χειραγωγώ (Cheiragogó) | “Αυτός χειραγωγεί τους ανθρώπους για να τους ελέγξει.” (He manipulates people to control them.) |
| Polish | Manipulować | “On manipulował faktami, aby zdobyć poparcie.” (He manipulated the facts to gain support.) |
| Czech | Manipulovat | “Manipuloval s lidmi, aby dosáhl svého cíle.” (He manipulated people to achieve his goal.) |
| Finnish | Manipuloida | “Hän manipuloi tilannetta omaksi hyödykseen.” (He manipulated the situation for his own benefit.) |
| Hungarian | Manipulálni | “Manipulálta a szavazatokat, hogy nyerjen.” (He manipulated the votes to win.) |
| Hebrew | לתמרן (Letmahen) | “הוא תמרן את המצב לטובתו.” (He manipulated the situation to his advantage.) |
| Thai | จัดการ (Jatkan) | “เขาจัดการการประชุมเพื่อผลประโยชน์ของตัวเอง.” (He manipulated the meeting for his own benefit.) |
| Indonesian | Memanipulasi | “Dia memanipulasi informasi untuk menguntungkan dirinya.” (He manipulated the information for his benefit.) |
| Malay | Manipulasi | “Dia manipulasi keadaan untuk menang.” (He manipulated the situation to win.) |
| Vietnamese | Điều khiển (Điều khiển) | “Anh ấy điều khiển người khác để đạt được mục tiêu của mình.” (He manipulates others to achieve his goals.) |
| Ukrainian | Маніпулювати (Manipulyuvaty) | “Він маніпулює людьми, щоб досягти своїх цілей.” (He manipulates people to achieve his goals.) |
| Romanian | Manipula | “El manipulează faptele pentru a-și atinge scopurile.” (He manipulates the facts to achieve his goals.) |
| Swahili | Kudhibiti | “Alidhibiti watu ili kutimiza malengo yake.” (He manipulated people to achieve his goals.) |
| Persian | دستکاری کردن (Dastkari Kardan) | “او در نتایج انتخابات دستکاری کرد.” (He manipulated the election results.) |
| Malayalam | മാനിപ്പുലേറ്റ് (Manipulate) | “അവൻ തന്റെ ഗോളുകൾക്കായി ആളുകളെ മാനിപ്പുലേറ്റ് ചെയ്യുന്നു.” (He manipulates people for his goals.) |
| Tamil | கையாளல் (Kaiyaal) | “அவன் தனது திட்டங்களை அடைய பயன் பெறுகிறது.” (He manipulates to achieve his plans.) |
| Arabic | التلاعب (Al-Tala’ab) | “هو يتلاعب بالمعلومات لصالحه.” (He manipulates the information for his benefit.) |
Cultural and Social Perspectives on “Manipulate”
- Negative Connotations of Manipulation:
In many cultures, manipulation is seen as an unethical act, as it involves controlling or influencing others in a way that is hidden or covert. Manipulators often exploit others’ weaknesses, emotions, or vulnerabilities to achieve personal goals without the other party’s informed consent. - Manipulation in Media and Politics:
The idea of manipulation is particularly relevant in the context of media and political campaigns, where public figures and organizations use tactics to influence public opinion, shape narratives, and control the dissemination of information. - Manipulation as a Skill:
In some situations, manipulation can be seen as a skill, especially in the context of art, business, or negotiations. In these cases, it involves strategically influencing situations, materials, or outcomes to meet specific goals or create artistic effects.
Conclusion
The word “manipulate” is commonly used to describe actions that involve control, influence, or deception to achieve personal or organizational objectives. Whether in a negative context, where it involves exploiting others for gain, or in a more neutral context, such as handling tools or materials, manipulation plays a significant role in human interactions, art, and culture. Across languages, it remains a word that brings with it connotations of both deceptive tactics and skilled influence, depending on the context in which it is used.
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