Actor in Different Languages
Discover 'Actor' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An actor is a person who portrays a character in a performance, such as in a play, movie, or television show. The art of acting is one of the oldest forms of storytelling, and actors have always been at the heart of this tradition. From the ancient Greek tragedies to the modern blockbusters, actors have brought stories to life and captured our imaginations.
Actors are cultural icons and have the power to shape society's perceptions and attitudes. They can inspire, entertain, and educate us. They can make us laugh, cry, and think. Acting is a universal language that transcends borders and connects us all.
Understanding the translation of the word 'actor' in different languages can give us insight into the cultural significance of this art form around the world. For example, in Spanish, an actor is called 'un actor,' while in French, they are 'un acteur.' In German, the word is 'ein Schauspieler,' and in Japanese, it is 'アクター (akutā).'
In this list, you will find the translations of the word 'actor' in 20 different languages. Explore and discover the cultural importance of acting in various parts of the world.
Actor
Actor in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | akteur | ||
| The word "akteur" (actor) in Afrikaans is derived from the French word "acteur" and means "performer" or "player" in a play or movie. | |||
| Amharic | ተዋናይ | ||
| ተዋናይ in Amharic has the literal meaning of "the one who is shown," as in "presented" onstage. | |||
| Hausa | dan wasa | ||
| The Hausa word "dan wasa" (actor) literally means "son of the game" or "son of the play". | |||
| Igbo | omee | ||
| In the Igbo dialect of the Umuahia group, the word "omee" is also used to refer to a member of the Ekpe, a fraternal organization. | |||
| Malagasy | mpilalao | ||
| "Mpilalao" originally meant "player" in general before becoming specialized to mean "actor" in the 19th century. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wosewera | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "wosewera" also means "player" or "performer". | |||
| Shona | mutambi | ||
| The Shona word "mutambi" also means "dancer" or "singer" and is derived from the verb "kutamba," meaning "to shake" or "tremble". | |||
| Somali | jilaa | ||
| Jilaa is derived from the Arabic word 'juhla,' which means 'crowd' or 'gathering', reflecting the communal nature of Somali theatre. | |||
| Sesotho | motšoantšisi | ||
| The word "motšoantšisi" in Sesotho also refers to a person who participates in a play, drama, or performance. | |||
| Swahili | mwigizaji | ||
| "Mwigi" means "body" in Kinyarwanda, and "izaji" is "imitation" in Swahili, hence the word "mwigizaji" in Swahili means "one who imitates using their body." | |||
| Xhosa | umdlali | ||
| The word "umdlali" also means "player" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | olukopa | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "olukopa" can also refer to a "storyteller" or "griot." | |||
| Zulu | umlingisi | ||
| The word "umlingisi" derives from the verb "lingisa," meaning "to make appear". This implies that the actor's role is to bring hidden or unseen things to light through performance. | |||
| Bambara | walekɛla | ||
| Ewe | fefewɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukinnyi | ||
| Lingala | mosani | ||
| Luganda | omuzanyi wa sineema | ||
| Sepedi | moraloki | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔyɛfoɔ | ||
Actor in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الممثل | ||
| The term "الممثل" can also refer to "a representative" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | שַׂחְקָן | ||
| While most Hebrew words end in consonantal letters, שַׂחְקָן ends with a vowel because it came from the Greek word ὑποκριτής, meaning “answerer,” “interpreter,” or “pretender.” | |||
| Pashto | لوبغاړی | ||
| The term "لوبغاړی" in Pashto is derived from the root word "لوبغاړ"," meaning "to play" or "to perform". | |||
| Arabic | الممثل | ||
| The term "الممثل" can also refer to "a representative" in Arabic. | |||
Actor in Western European Languages
| Albanian | aktor | ||
| The Albanian word "aktor" originates from the Latin word "actor", meaning "one who acts". | |||
| Basque | aktorea | ||
| "Aktorea" es también un "personaje de un libro, película u obra de teatro" en euskera. | |||
| Catalan | actor | ||
| In Catalan, the word "actor" can also refer to a legal representative or a performer in a play or movie. | |||
| Croatian | glumac | ||
| "Glumac" also means "deaf person" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | skuespiller | ||
| The Danish word "skuespiller" is derived from the verb "spille" (to play) and the noun "spiller" (a player), referring to an actor's role as a performer in a play or on stage. | |||
| Dutch | acteur | ||
| In the Dutch language, "acteur" also has archaic and figurative meanings such as "perpetrator" and "cause." | |||
| English | actor | ||
| The word "actor" derives from the Latin "agere," meaning "to do" or "to perform." | |||
| French | acteur | ||
| "Acteur" in French derives from Latin "actor, -oris," meaning "doer" or "agent." | |||
| Frisian | toanielspiler | ||
| The word “toanielspiler” (“actor”) literally means “one who displays scenes”. | |||
| Galician | actor | ||
| In Galician, "actor" can also refer to "lawyer" ( | |||
| German | darsteller | ||
| In German, "Darsteller" can also denote a "present" or "exhibition". | |||
| Icelandic | leikari | ||
| The word "leikari" is also used in Icelandic to refer to a player in a game. | |||
| Irish | aisteoir | ||
| The Irish word "aisteoir" comes from the Old Irish word "aist", meaning "art" or "craft". | |||
| Italian | attore | ||
| "Attore" is also used in Italian for a plaintiff in a lawsuit. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schauspiller | ||
| The word "Schauspiller" derives from the Old High German word "scouspil", meaning "jester" or "fool". | |||
| Maltese | attur | ||
| The Maltese word "attur" comes from the Arabic word "attār," meaning "distiller" or "perfumer."} | |||
| Norwegian | skuespiller | ||
| "Skuespiller" comes from the Old Norse word "skuespill", meaning "play", and the suffix "-er", meaning "one who does something". Therefore, "skuespiller" literally means "one who plays". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ator | ||
| The word "ator" in Portuguese is derived from the Latin "actor", meaning "the one who acts", and also refers to a person who impersonates a character in a play, movie, or other performance. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | actair | ||
| The Gaelic word "actair" also means "speaker" or "narrator". | |||
| Spanish | actor | ||
| En Español la palabra "actor" también significa "aquel que hace" y "el que actúa". | |||
| Swedish | skådespelare | ||
| The word "skådespelare" derives from the word "skåda" (to contemplate, behold), indicating the theatrical aspect of the profession. | |||
| Welsh | actor | ||
| The Welsh word for "actor" is "actor", borrowed from English. | |||
Actor in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | акцёр | ||
| Акцёр is a synonym for "artist" or "performer" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | glumac | ||
| Glumac is derived from the word 'gluma', which means 'mask' in Serbo-Croatian. | |||
| Bulgarian | актьор | ||
| The word "актьор" is derived from the Latin word "actor", meaning "performer" or "doer". | |||
| Czech | herec | ||
| The word "herec" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "chrьkъ", meaning "imitator" or "one who plays a role". Alternatively, it can be traced back to the Greek word "histrio", meaning "actor" or "performer". | |||
| Estonian | näitleja | ||
| The word "näitleja" also means "pretender" or "imitator" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | näyttelijä | ||
| "Näyttelijä" also means "demonstrator or showman" and was borrowed from Swedish "skådespelare". The "showman" meaning is rare. | |||
| Hungarian | színész | ||
| Derived from the word "szín" (color), originally meaning "one who changes color", referring to the use of makeup in early theater. | |||
| Latvian | aktieris | ||
| Latvian "aktieris" comes from German "akteur" and Russian "актёр", which both mean "actor". | |||
| Lithuanian | aktorius | ||
| The Lithuanian word "aktorius" derives from the Latin "actor", meaning "doer" or "performer". | |||
| Macedonian | актер | ||
| The word "актер" in Macedonian can also refer to someone who pretends or exaggerates. | |||
| Polish | aktor | ||
| The word "aktor" in Polish derives from the Greek word "aktōr," meaning "doer" or "performer." | |||
| Romanian | actor | ||
| In Romanian, the word "actor" can also refer to "shareholder" or "attorney". | |||
| Russian | актер | ||
| Its archaic meaning was "doer, executor" and in the 17th century "servant, agent" (in the modern language it corresponds to "агент" or "представитель"). | |||
| Serbian | глумац | ||
| The word "глумац" also means "fool" or "buffoon" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | herec | ||
| The Slovak word "herec" is derived from the Latin word "histrio," meaning "stage performer". | |||
| Slovenian | igralec | ||
| The word 'igralec' shares the root 'igra-' with 'igra', meaning game or play. | |||
| Ukrainian | актор | ||
| The word "актор" in Ukrainian can also mean "agent" or "doer". | |||
Actor in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অভিনেতা | ||
| The word অভিনেতা (actor) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'abhinetri', which means 'one who performs or represents'. | |||
| Gujarati | અભિનેતા | ||
| The Gujarati word "અભિનેતા" (abhineta) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "अभिनेता" (abhinētā), which means "imitator" or "one who assumes a role." | |||
| Hindi | अभिनेता | ||
| The etymology of the word 'abhineta' in Hindi is 'abhi-ni' meaning 'to perform' or 'act,' suggesting a performer or an artist who enacts a role. | |||
| Kannada | ನಟ | ||
| Originally, a ನಟ was someone who performs a ritual, later becoming synonymous with an actor primarily through yakshagana performances in which actors enact divine beings. | |||
| Malayalam | നടൻ | ||
| The word "നടൻ" also means "dancer" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | अभिनेता | ||
| The word 'अभिनेता' also means a 'dancer' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | अभिनेता | ||
| "अभिनेता" is also used to refer to someone who pretends or acts in real life. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਭਿਨੇਤਾ | ||
| The word 'अभिनेता' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अभिनय', meaning 'acting' or 'representation'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නළුවා | ||
| The term can also refer to a dancer, singer, or puppeteer, and derives from the Sanskrit word "nāṭaka," meaning "drama". | |||
| Tamil | நடிகர் | ||
| நடிகர் can also mean a dancer or a musician in Tamil | |||
| Telugu | నటుడు | ||
| The word "నటుడు" in Telugu can also refer to a dancer or a singer. | |||
| Urdu | اداکار | ||
| "اداکار" derives from "ada", meaning "style, manner", and "kār", meaning "doer", thus referring to someone who performs with style. | |||
Actor in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 演员 | ||
| The word "演员" (actor) in Chinese is composed of two characters: "演" (to perform) and "员" (a person). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 演員 | ||
| The word '演員' literally means 'performer of roles'. | |||
| Japanese | 俳優 | ||
| 俳優 in Japanese can also refer to a Buddhist performer or artist (遊行) who acts out stories from the sutras. | |||
| Korean | 배우 | ||
| The word "배우" (actor) can also mean "to learn" or "to imitate," and is derived from the Chinese character "倣," which means "to follow a model." | |||
| Mongolian | жүжигчин | ||
| "Жүжигчин" means "actor" in Mongolian. It is derived from the verb "жүжгэх" (to move). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သရုပ်ဆောင် | ||
Actor in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | aktor | ||
| In Indonesian, 'aktor' can also refer to a legal representative or a person who carries out a task or function. | |||
| Javanese | aktor | ||
| In Javanese, 'aktor' is derived from Sanskrit and can also refer to a 'dancer' or 'performer'. | |||
| Khmer | តារាសម្តែង | ||
| The word "តារាសម្តែង" is derived from the Sanskrit word "tārā" meaning "star". Originally referring to celestial beings, it came to be used for performers of all kinds. | |||
| Lao | ນັກສະແດງ | ||
| Malay | pelakon | ||
| The root word 'laku' means 'to do' in Malay, implying an element of action and performance in the role of an actor. | |||
| Thai | นักแสดงชาย | ||
| The term นักแสดงชาย literally means 'performing male', and can also refer to a dancer or singer. | |||
| Vietnamese | diễn viên | ||
| Diễn viên, meaning 'actor' in Vietnamese, also has a separate meaning of 'perform' in the context of religious rituals. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | aktor | ||
Actor in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | aktyor | ||
| "Aktyor" is loaned directly and unchanged from Russian "актёр" and ultimately has its roots in Latin.} | |||
| Kazakh | актер | ||
| The word "актер" in Kazakh, meaning "actor," originates from the Russian word "актёр" and has no other meanings in the Kazakh language. | |||
| Kyrgyz | актер | ||
| The word "актер" also refers to a person who participates in a theatrical performance or a film. | |||
| Tajik | актёр | ||
| The Tajik word "актёр" is derived from the Latin word "actor", which means "doer" or "performer". | |||
| Turkmen | aktýor | ||
| Uzbek | aktyor | ||
| In Uzbek, "aktyor" (actor) comes from the French "acteur", ultimately derived from the Latin "actor", meaning "doer". | |||
| Uyghur | ئارتىس | ||
Actor in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea hana keaka | ||
| Mea hana keaka is also a figure made for a specific purpose: a doll. | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakaari | ||
| The word 'kaiwhakaari' is derived from the Maori words 'kai', meaning 'food', and 'whakaari', meaning 'to perform'. This suggests that actors were originally seen as those who 'feed' the audience with entertainment. | |||
| Samoan | tagata fai mea fai | ||
| "Tagata fai mea fai" is literally translated as "person who does the thing". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | aktor | ||
| Tagalog aktor can also mean a character in a drama, an agent, an author, or even the protagonist of a story. | |||
Actor in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñt'ayiri | ||
| Guarani | ha'ãngakuaáva | ||
Actor in International Languages
| Esperanto | aktoro | ||
| The Esperanto word "aktoro" comes from the Latin word "actor", which means "doer" or "performer". | |||
| Latin | histrionis | ||
| "Histrion" is also a term for a jester or clown; this sense survives in the English word "histrionic". | |||
Actor in Others Languages
| Greek | ηθοποιός | ||
| The word "ηθοποιός" in Greek consists of the elements "ἦθος" (character) and "ποιέω" (to do, make), hence it means "one who does character". | |||
| Hmong | neeg ua yeeb yam | ||
| "Neeg ua yeeb yam" literally means "a person who pretends to be like someone else" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | şanoger | ||
| The word "şanoger" in Kurdish can also refer to a "clown" or "jester". | |||
| Turkish | aktör | ||
| The Turkish word "aktör" also has the alternate meaning of "active" or "dynamic" and is cognate with the Arabic "‘amal" (عمل), meaning "deed" or "work". | |||
| Xhosa | umdlali | ||
| The word "umdlali" also means "player" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אַקטיאָר | ||
| The Yiddish word "אַקטיאָר" (actor) derives from the German "Akte" (document, record) and originally referred to a notary public. | |||
| Zulu | umlingisi | ||
| The word "umlingisi" derives from the verb "lingisa," meaning "to make appear". This implies that the actor's role is to bring hidden or unseen things to light through performance. | |||
| Assamese | অভিনেতা | ||
| Aymara | uñt'ayiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | अभिनेता | ||
| Dhivehi | އެކްޓަރު | ||
| Dogri | अदाकार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | aktor | ||
| Guarani | ha'ãngakuaáva | ||
| Ilocano | artista a lalaki | ||
| Krio | aktɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەکتەر | ||
| Maithili | अभिनेता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯤꯂꯝ ꯌꯥꯎꯕ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | lemchangtu | ||
| Oromo | ta'aa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଭିନେତା | ||
| Quechua | actor | ||
| Sanskrit | नायक | ||
| Tatar | актер | ||
| Tigrinya | ተዋሳኢ | ||
| Tsonga | mutlangi | ||