Updated on March 6, 2024
The title of CEO, or Chief Executive Officer, carries a significant weight in the business world. As the highest-ranking executive in a company, a CEO is responsible for making major corporate decisions and managing the overall operations and resources of the company. The position holds great power and influence, making the title a symbol of leadership and success in many cultures.
Moreover, the role of a CEO has become increasingly important in today's globalized economy. With the rise of multinational corporations and cross-border business transactions, the CEO has taken on a more prominent role in representing the company in international affairs and negotiations.
Understanding the translation of CEO in different languages can be useful for anyone looking to expand their business or career globally. Here are a few examples of how the title is translated in various languages:
Afrikaans | hoof uitvoerende beampte | ||
The term "hoof uitvoerende beampte" is derived from the English phrase "chief executive officer" and literally translates to "head executive officer" in Afrikaans. | |||
Amharic | ዋና ሥራ አስኪያጅ | ||
Hausa | shugaba | ||
In Hausa, the word "Shugaba" also refers to a leader or head of an organization. | |||
Igbo | onye isi ala | ||
"Onye isi ala" literally translates to "one who has a head on his neck," alluding to the idea of leadership and responsibility. | |||
Malagasy | pdg | ||
PDG is often used as an abbreviation for "président directeur général", the French term for "chief executive officer." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | ceo | ||
CEO is an abbreviation for the English term "Chief Executive Officer" and has no direct translation in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
Shona | ceo | ||
In Shona, the word "CEO" can also refer to "a leader" or "a director." | |||
Somali | agaasime guud | ||
Agaasime guud is also used colloquially to refer to a person who is in charge of a task or project. | |||
Sesotho | ceo | ||
The word "CEO" has no alternate meanings or etymological roots in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | mkurugenzi mtendaji | ||
The Swahili term "Mkurugenzi Mtendaji" is derived from two Bantu roots, "kuruga" (to lead) and "tenda" (to carry out), implying that a CEO is responsible for directing and executing organizational actions. | |||
Xhosa | ceo | ||
The word CEO in Xhosa, 'Umongameli Wolawulo', translates literally to 'President of Management'. | |||
Yoruba | alakoso | ||
"Alakoso" means "the one who is in charge of the whole thing." | |||
Zulu | umphathi omkhulu | ||
The Zulu term "Umphathi omkhulu," often translated as "CEO," can also refer to various leadership roles, such as a chief or a patriarch. | |||
Bambara | ceo | ||
Ewe | ceo | ||
Kinyarwanda | umuyobozi mukuru | ||
Lingala | président-directeur général | ||
Luganda | ceo | ||
Sepedi | ceo | ||
Twi (Akan) | ceo | ||
Arabic | المدير التنفيذي | ||
المدير التنفيذي، من الكلمات العربية «مدير» و«تنفيذي»، والتي تعني المدير الذي ينفذ سياسة الشركة. | |||
Hebrew | מנכ"ל | ||
The full form of מנכ"ל is מנהל כללי, which means "Managing Director" in English. | |||
Pashto | اجرايوي ريس | ||
The Pashto word "اجرايوي ريس" is based on the English "Chief Executive Officer" and literally means "Executive Head". | |||
Arabic | المدير التنفيذي | ||
المدير التنفيذي، من الكلمات العربية «مدير» و«تنفيذي»، والتي تعني المدير الذي ينفذ سياسة الشركة. |
Albanian | ceo | ||
The Albanian word "drejtor ekzekutiv" (CEO) is derived from the Latin word "director" and the French word "exécutif". It can also refer to the head of a government department or agency. | |||
Basque | zuzendari nagusia | ||
Catalan | conseller delegat | ||
In Catalan, "Conseller delegat" literally translates to "delegate counsellor" or "deputy counsellor." | |||
Croatian | direktor tvrtke | ||
The word direktor tvrtke is derived from the Latin word 'director', meaning 'leader' or 'manager' | |||
Danish | direktør | ||
The Danish word "direktør" is derived from the Latin word "director", meaning "leader". | |||
Dutch | directeur | ||
In Dutch, "directeur" can also refer to a manager or supervisor in a non-corporate setting. | |||
English | ceo | ||
The term 'CEO' originally stood for 'Chief Elected Official', referring to the highest elected officer in a corporation. | |||
French | pdg | ||
"PDG" in French can also stand for "Plan de déplacements généralisés" (Comprehensive travel plan) | |||
Frisian | ceo | ||
In Frisian, "CEO" can also refer to a "Chief Editor" or "Chief Executive Officer" | |||
Galician | presidente | ||
The Galician word "presidente" is derived from the Latin "praesidens" and also means "chairperson, president, director, ruler, head of state, head of government, chief, chieftain, principal, superior, overseer, dean." | |||
German | ceo | ||
"CEO" is also the name of a card game in Germany. | |||
Icelandic | forstjóri | ||
Forstjóri is a term that originates from the Old Norse word 'forstandari', meaning 'supervisor' or 'overseer'. | |||
Irish | pof | ||
The Irish word "POF" also means "a lump or swelling". | |||
Italian | amministratore delegato | ||
Amministratore delegato's original meaning was 'delegate administrator', but it now refers exclusively to CEOs. | |||
Luxembourgish | ceo | ||
In Luxembourgish, the word "CEO" is also an abbreviation for "Chef d'État", meaning "head of state". | |||
Maltese | ceo | ||
Norwegian | administrerende direktør | ||
The word "administrerende direktør" comes from the Latin words "administrare" (to manage) and "dirigere" (to direct). | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ceo | ||
The acronym "CEO" in Portuguese is "CEO". | |||
Scots Gaelic | ceannard | ||
The word "Ceannard" can also mean "head" or "chief". | |||
Spanish | ceo | ||
En español, la palabra "CEO" también puede referirse a "Comité Ejecutivo Operativo" o "Consejo Económico y Oficial". | |||
Swedish | vd | ||
The word "vd" is also used as an abbreviation for "vidarebefordran" (forwarding). | |||
Welsh | prif swyddog gweithredol | ||
Belarusian | генеральны дырэктар | ||
Генеральны дырэктар (генеральный директор) - head of the enterprise. | |||
Bosnian | ceo | ||
The word CEO (Chief Executive Officer) has the same meaning and is pronounced the same in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | изпълнителен директор | ||
The Bulgarian word "изпълнителен директор" literally translates to "executive director" in English. | |||
Czech | výkonný ředitel | ||
The Czech word "výkonný ředitel" literally translates to "executive director". | |||
Estonian | tegevdirektor | ||
The word "tegevdirektor" comes from the Estonian words "tegev" (activity) and "direktor" (director). | |||
Finnish | toimitusjohtaja | ||
"Toimitusjohtaja" originally referred to the editor-in-chief of a newspaper. | |||
Hungarian | vezérigazgató | ||
The word "vezérigazgató" derives from the Ottoman Turkish root "vezir", meaning leader or minister. | |||
Latvian | izpilddirektors | ||
The word "Izpilddirektors" is derived from the Latvian words "izpildīt" (to execute) and "direktors" (director). | |||
Lithuanian | generalinis direktorius | ||
"Generalinis direktorius" is the Lithuanian translation of "CEO" and literally means "General Director." | |||
Macedonian | извршен директор | ||
The Macedonian word "извршен директор" is the equivalent of "chief executive officer" or "CEO" in English. | |||
Polish | ceo | ||
W języku polskim skrót CEO oznacza także Centralny Ekwador | |||
Romanian | ceo | ||
In Romanian, the word "CEO" can refer to both the position of Chief Executive Officer and the commercial enterprise or organization such entity manages. | |||
Russian | исполнительный директор | ||
The term "Исполнительный директор" (CEO) was first used in the early 20th century to describe the head of a corporation. | |||
Serbian | директор | ||
The Serbian word "Директор" is derived from the Latin "dictator", meaning "one who dictates". | |||
Slovak | generálny riaditeľ | ||
Generálny riaditeľ is a Slovak term for CEO, derived from the Czech word "generální ředitel", itself derived from the German "Generaldirektor." | |||
Slovenian | direktor | ||
In Slovenian, the word "direktor" is also a term used in the military, referring to a person in charge of a military unit or department. | |||
Ukrainian | генеральний директор | ||
In Ukrainian, the word "Генеральний директор" translates to "general director" and carries the connotation of a high-ranking executive who oversees the entire organization. |
Bengali | সিইও | ||
সিইও শব্দটি 'প্রধান নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা'-এর সংক্ষেপন এবং এটি 'ম্যানেজিং ডিরেক্টর' বা 'প্রধান পরিচালনা কর্মকর্তা' হিসেবেও ব্যবহৃত হয়। | |||
Gujarati | સીઇઓ | ||
The word "CEO" (pronounced "see-oh-why") is an acronym for "Chief Executive Officer". | |||
Hindi | सी ई ओ | ||
सी ई ओ ('CEO') एक संक्षिप्त शब्द है जो मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी ('Chief Executive Officer') के लिए प्रयोग किया जाता है। | |||
Kannada | ಸಿಇಒ | ||
The term | |||
Malayalam | സിഇഒ | ||
The alternate meaning of 'സിഇഒ' is not known | |||
Marathi | मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी | ||
Nepali | ceo | ||
The word "CEO" is an acronym that stands for "Chief Executive Officer." | |||
Punjabi | ਸੀ.ਈ.ਓ. | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විධායක නිලධාරී | ||
Tamil | தலைமை நிர்வாக அதிகாரி | ||
Telugu | సియిఒ | ||
The word "CEO" is an acronym for "chief executive officer". | |||
Urdu | سی ای او | ||
The word "سی ای او" is the Urdu transliteration of the English word "CEO", an acronym that stands for "Chief Executive Officer". |
Chinese (Simplified) | ceo | ||
在英语中,'CEO' 一词可以指'首席执行官'(Chief Executive Officer)或'公司首席执行官'(Corporate Executive Officer),但在中文里,'CEO' 仅表示'首席执行官'。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | ceo | ||
總執行長一詞來自英文"Chief Executive Officer",簡稱"CEO"。 | |||
Japanese | 最高経営責任者(ceo | ||
最高経営責任者 (CEO) is the Japanese equivalent of the English-language term "chief executive officer." | |||
Korean | 최고 경영자 | ||
최고 경영자(CEO)는 'Chief Executive Officer'의 약자로, 최고 경영 책임자를 뜻합니다. | |||
Mongolian | гүйцэтгэх захирал | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စီအီးအို | ||
Indonesian | ceo | ||
In Indonesian, the term "CEO" (pronounced "se-o") can also refer to "chief executive officer" or "senior executive officer". | |||
Javanese | ceo | ||
In Javanese, "CEO" (pronounced "che-oh") can also mean "the biggest boss" or "the most important person." | |||
Khmer | នាយកប្រតិបត្តិ | ||
Lao | ຊີອີໂອ | ||
The word "ຊີອີໂອ" (CEO) is a loanword from English that is used to refer to the chief executive officer of a company or organization. | |||
Malay | ketua pegawai eksekutif | ||
In its Malay etymology, the word literally means "chief executive officer". | |||
Thai | ผู้บริหารสูงสุด | ||
ผู้บริหารสูงสุด is derived from the Thai words ผู้ (person), บริหาร (administration), and สูงสุด (highest), and refers to the highest-ranking executive in a company. | |||
Vietnamese | ceo | ||
Trong tiếng Việt, "CEO" còn có thể viết tắt của "Công ty cổ phần xuất nhập khẩu dầu khí". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ceo | ||
Azerbaijani | ceo | ||
Kazakh | бас атқарушы директор | ||
Kyrgyz | ceo | ||
Tajik | мудири иҷрои | ||
The word "Мудири Иҷрои" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "Mudīr-i Idžrā’ī", and it can also mean "executive director". | |||
Turkmen | baş direktory | ||
Uzbek | bosh ijrochi direktor | ||
The term "Bosh Ijrochi Direktor" is a direct Uzbek translation of the English word "Chief Executive Officer" (CEO). | |||
Uyghur | ceo | ||
Hawaiian | luna nui | ||
The Hawaiian word "Luna Nui" derives from ancient Polynesian languages, where "luna" signifies "elder" or "superior" and "nui" means "great" or "important". | |||
Maori | tumu whakarae | ||
In Maori, 'Tumu Whakarae' literally means 'backbone of the waka', a metaphor for the leader who steers the organization forward. | |||
Samoan | pule sili | ||
The word "Pule Sili" can also refer to the "highest chief" in Samoa. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | ceo | ||
Aymara | ceo | ||
Guarani | ceo | ||
Esperanto | ceo | ||
Latin | ceo | ||
The Latin word "CEO" means "heavenly" and is used in the context of religious texts. |
Greek | διευθύνων σύμβουλος | ||
"Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος" is formed from three Greek words which mean "directing", "managing" and "consultant" respectively. | |||
Hmong | tus thawj coj | ||
The term "Tus Thawj Coj" literally translates to "leader of the people" or "chief of the clan" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | ceo | ||
Turkish | ceo | ||
CEO kelimesi ayrıca "Chief Executive Officer" yani "Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı" anlamına gelir. | |||
Xhosa | ceo | ||
The word CEO in Xhosa, 'Umongameli Wolawulo', translates literally to 'President of Management'. | |||
Yiddish | סעאָ | ||
The Yiddish word "סעאָ" ("CEO") is directly borrowed from the English word "CEO". | |||
Zulu | umphathi omkhulu | ||
The Zulu term "Umphathi omkhulu," often translated as "CEO," can also refer to various leadership roles, such as a chief or a patriarch. | |||
Assamese | চিইঅ’ | ||
Aymara | ceo | ||
Bhojpuri | सीईओ के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ސީއީއޯ އެވެ | ||
Dogri | सीईओ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | ceo | ||
Guarani | ceo | ||
Ilocano | ceo | ||
Krio | ceo | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەڕێوەبەری گشتی | ||
Maithili | सीईओ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤ.ꯏ.ꯑꯣ | ||
Mizo | ceo a ni | ||
Oromo | hojii gaggeessaa olaanaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସିଇଓ | ||
Quechua | ceo nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | सीईओ | ||
Tatar | ceo | ||
Tigrinya | ዋና ኣካያዲ ስራሕ | ||
Tsonga | ceo | ||