Army in Different Languages
Discover 'Army' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An 'army' is a significant and powerful symbol of national defense and security. Throughout history, armies have played a crucial role in shaping the course of nations and civilizations. The cultural importance of armies is evident in the countless military-themed movies, books, and video games that captivate global audiences.
Understanding the translation of 'army' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into how various cultures perceive and honor the concept of military might. For instance, the French translation of 'army' is 'armée,' while in Spanish, it's 'ejército.' In German, 'army' is translated as 'Heer,' and in Japanese, it's 'guntai.'
Moreover, learning the translations of 'army' can be a fun and engaging way to explore the world's diverse languages and cultures. From the Romance languages of Europe to the Far East's ancient scripts, the word 'army' takes on a unique form and significance in each language.
Join us as we embark on a linguistic journey to discover the many translations of 'army' in different languages.
Army
Army in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | weermag | ||
| The word "weermag" is also used in Afrikaans to refer to the armed forces or a police force. | |||
| Amharic | ጦር | ||
| In Amharic, "ጦር” can also refer to a side of the body or a group of things. | |||
| Hausa | sojoji | ||
| The word 'sojoji' in Hausa can also mean 'soldier' or 'military service'. | |||
| Igbo | usuu ndị agha | ||
| The word "usuu ndị agha" can also mean "a group of people who are fighting for a common cause". | |||
| Malagasy | tafika | ||
| TAFIKA, an army, is also applied to any assemblage of living Beings or things. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gulu lankhondo | ||
| The word "gulu lankhondo" can also refer to a large group of people or animals engaged in a particular activity, such as a swarm of bees or a herd of cattle. | |||
| Shona | mauto | ||
| Mauto shares its etymology with the Shona word "mauto", meaning "to be heavy". | |||
| Somali | ciidan | ||
| Somali "ciidan" also means "people who live in a community" or "followers". | |||
| Sesotho | lebotho | ||
| The word "lebotho" also refers to a military camp or barracks | |||
| Swahili | jeshi | ||
| Jeshi is also found in Luganda, where it refers to a division or regiment of troops. | |||
| Xhosa | umkhosi | ||
| The word 'umkhosi' in Xhosa shares its root with 'ukukhotha,' meaning 'to gather or assemble,' highlighting the collective nature of an army. | |||
| Yoruba | ogun | ||
| The Yoruba word 'àgbà' also means 'army', and it has the same root as 'àgbàdo' (maize), reflecting the historical significance of agriculture in Yoruba warfare. | |||
| Zulu | ibutho | ||
| The word 'ibutho' can also refer to the initiation into Zulu regiments. | |||
| Bambara | kɛlɛbolo | ||
| Ewe | aʋakɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ingabo | ||
| Lingala | mampinga | ||
| Luganda | amajje | ||
| Sepedi | sešole | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asraafoɔ | ||
Army in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جيش | ||
| The Arabic word "جيش" (army) can also refer to a large number of moving creatures, such as locusts or ants. | |||
| Hebrew | צָבָא | ||
| צָבָא derives from a Semitic root denoting both "to set up an ambush" & "to assemble", so an army was originally an ambush-force of soldiers concealed from the enemy. | |||
| Pashto | اردو | ||
| The word "اردو" in Pashto can also refer to a nomadic camp or a group of people who travel together. | |||
| Arabic | جيش | ||
| The Arabic word "جيش" (army) can also refer to a large number of moving creatures, such as locusts or ants. | |||
Army in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ushtri | ||
| The word "ushtri" comes from the Latin word "exercitus" meaning "army" or "military force". | |||
| Basque | armada | ||
| In Basque, "armada" can also mean "a multitude". | |||
| Catalan | exèrcit | ||
| The word "exèrcit" comes from the Latin word "exercitus," which means "to drive out" or "to train." | |||
| Croatian | vojska | ||
| The Croatian word _vojska_ can also refer to 'war' and 'troop', both etymologically and in contemporary usage. | |||
| Danish | hær | ||
| The word "hær" in Danish has Germanic origins and is related to the English word "host". | |||
| Dutch | leger | ||
| In Dutch, "leger" also refers to a layer, such as in a cake or clothing. | |||
| English | army | ||
| The word "army" originates from the Latin "armatus", meaning "armed". | |||
| French | armée | ||
| The French word "armée," meaning "army," derives from the past participle "armata" of the verb "armare" ("to arm"). | |||
| Frisian | leger | ||
| The word "leger" in Frisian can also refer to a camp or encampment. | |||
| Galician | exército | ||
| The word "exército" in Galician has no alternate meanings and comes from the Latin word "exercitus" meaning "trained force". | |||
| German | heer | ||
| The word 'Heer' is derived from the Old High German word 'heri', meaning 'warriors' or 'host'. Early on in the development of the German language, it also came to mean 'ruler'. | |||
| Icelandic | her | ||
| In Old Norse, the word "her" also meant "battle" or "war". | |||
| Irish | arm | ||
| The Irish word arm, meaning "army," also means "the weapon of a hero," and comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁reh₁-m, meaning "to fit, to join." | |||
| Italian | esercito | ||
| "Esercito" derives from the Latin "exercitus", meaning "practiced, trained". | |||
| Luxembourgish | arméi | ||
| The word "Arméi" in Luxembourgish originates from the French word "armée," and can also refer to a large group of people working together. | |||
| Maltese | armata | ||
| The Maltese word "armata" has a military meaning but it also refers to a feast in honour of the Immaculate Conception. | |||
| Norwegian | hær | ||
| The word "hær" can also refer to a military force, or a group of people organized for a specific purpose. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | exército | ||
| The word "exército" comes from the Latin "exercitus". In ancient Rome, the "exercitus" was a body of troops raised for war. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | arm | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "arm" can also refer to a limb or a weapon. | |||
| Spanish | ejército | ||
| The word "Ejército" is derived from the Latin word "exercitus", meaning "to train" or "to exercise". | |||
| Swedish | armén | ||
| The Swedish word 'armén' shares its origin with the French word 'armée' and the Latin word 'armare', meaning 'to equip'. | |||
| Welsh | fyddin | ||
| While the Welsh "fyddin" directly refers to an organized armed force, it can also denote a multitude of living beings, like a swarm of bees or a flock of birds. | |||
Army in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | арміі | ||
| Alternate meaning of "арміі": any large and organized force or group. | |||
| Bosnian | vojska | ||
| "Vojska" is a Slavic word which also means "crowd" and is used in that sense in some Bosnian dialects. | |||
| Bulgarian | армия | ||
| The word “армия” is also used colloquially to refer to any formal group that is organized for a specific purpose. | |||
| Czech | armáda | ||
| The word "armáda" in Czech may also refer to a large number of people or animals gathered together. | |||
| Estonian | armee | ||
| The Estonian word "armee" derives from the French term "armée", meaning "armed force". | |||
| Finnish | armeija | ||
| In addition to "army", the word "armeija" can also mean "a large number of people or things" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | hadsereg | ||
| "Hadsereg" is cognate with the German "Heer" and the Dutch "heirleger", with the archaic meaning of "host of people", especially in military context. | |||
| Latvian | armija | ||
| 'Armija' is also a female Latvian name and it means 'army' in many slavic languages. | |||
| Lithuanian | armija | ||
| The word "armija" in Lithuanian can also refer to a group of workers or a crowd of people. | |||
| Macedonian | армија | ||
| In some contexts, the word "армија" can also refer to an organized group of people, especially one engaged in a common cause. | |||
| Polish | armia | ||
| "Armia" (army) in Polish comes from the Latin word "armare", meaning "to arm" or "to equip." | |||
| Romanian | armată | ||
| The Romanian word "armată" also means "weapon" and historically referred to a "weapon-bearing man". | |||
| Russian | армия | ||
| The word “армия” is borrowed from Turkic and originally meant “a detachment of warriors, a group of armed men”. | |||
| Serbian | војска | ||
| The word "војска" can also mean "host" or "troops" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | armády | ||
| Slovak “armády” derives from Latin “armatus” (“having weapons”) via German “Armut” (“army”). | |||
| Slovenian | vojska | ||
| The verb 'vozovati' ('to ride') from which the word 'vojska' is derived originally meant 'to transport'. | |||
| Ukrainian | армії | ||
| The word "армії" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂er-, meaning "to fit" or "to join." | |||
Army in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সেনা | ||
| "সেনা" also refers to a group of people or a crowd in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | સૈન્ય | ||
| The word “સૈન્ય” can also refer to “fighting force,” “troops,” or simply “war.” | |||
| Hindi | सेना | ||
| "सेना" in Hindi means a group of soldiers, but also refers to a celestial army or a large group of people. | |||
| Kannada | ಸೈನ್ಯ | ||
| ಸೈನ್ಯ is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sena', which means 'army'. It can also refer to a group of soldiers or a military force. | |||
| Malayalam | സൈന്യം | ||
| The word "സൈന്യം" (sainyam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "sainya" which means a host or army. | |||
| Marathi | सैन्य | ||
| The word "सैन्य" comes from the Sanskrit word "सैन्यम्", which means "military force". | |||
| Nepali | सेना | ||
| "सेना" is a Sanskrit word meaning "host of soldiers, multitude" and is cognate with the Latin "centuria," which means "a body of 100 soldiers". | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੌਜ | ||
| The word "ਫੌਜ" can also refer to a group of people or things working together for a common purpose. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හමුදා | ||
| The Sinhala word "හමුදා" has also come to be used in a figurative sense in the context of a multitude moving as a united body. | |||
| Tamil | இராணுவம் | ||
| The Tamil word "இராணுவம்" (iraaṇuvam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "राज्य" (rājya), meaning "kingdom" or "domain", suggesting the army's role in protecting the state. | |||
| Telugu | సైన్యం | ||
| The word "సైన్యం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सैन्य" (sainya), which means "collection of soldiers" or "army". | |||
| Urdu | فوج | ||
| The term "فوج" can refer to both a body of troops and a group of people pursuing a common goal or ideology. | |||
Army in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 军队 | ||
| "军队" originally meant "an armed group". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 軍隊 | ||
| The word 軍隊 can also mean "military force" or "armed forces". | |||
| Japanese | 軍 | ||
| The character "軍" also means "group" or "organization" and is used in words like 軍隊 (army) and 軍艦 (warship). | |||
| Korean | 육군 | ||
| 육군 (육+군) = 육 (6) + 군 (troop) = 'a group of six divisions' | |||
| Mongolian | арми | ||
| The Mongolian word 'арми' (army) is also used to refer to groups of workers, or to a particular job or role | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စစ်တပ် | ||
| "စစ်တပ်" can be defined as the armed forces of a country engaged in war or prepared for war. | |||
Army in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tentara | ||
| The Indonesian word "tentara" is of Dutch origin, deriving from the Latin word "tenere" meaning "to hold" or "to keep." | |||
| Javanese | wadya bala | ||
| The Javanese word 'wadya bala' is often used for 'army' in military context but it originally means 'body servant'. | |||
| Khmer | កងទ័ព | ||
| "កងទ័ព" can also mean "army/troops" or a "crowd/group of people". | |||
| Lao | ກອງທັບ | ||
| The word "ກອງທັບ" can also refer to a military force or a group of people organized for a specific purpose. | |||
| Malay | tentera | ||
| Originally used to refer to an army, "tentera" can now mean troops or forces of any kind | |||
| Thai | กองทัพ | ||
| In Thai, "กองทัพ" also refers to a group of people or resources assembled for a specific purpose, such as a "workforce" or a "fleet". | |||
| Vietnamese | quân đội | ||
| In Vietnamese, "quân đội" literally means "multitude of troops". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hukbo | ||
Army in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ordu | ||
| Ordu derives from the Mongolian word 'orda', used to describe a mobile encampment or royal tent. | |||
| Kazakh | армия | ||
| Слово «армия» происходит от латинского «arma», обозначающего «оружие». | |||
| Kyrgyz | армия | ||
| The word "армия" ("army") in Kyrgyz also has the alternate meaning of "people" or "nation". | |||
| Tajik | артиш | ||
| "Артиш" is the Tajik word for "army," but it is borrowed from the Persian "artesht" meaning "throne." | |||
| Turkmen | goşun | ||
| Uzbek | armiya | ||
| The word "armiya" originates from the Persian word "armi" and ultimately from the Latin word "armare". | |||
| Uyghur | ئارمىيە | ||
Army in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pūʻali koa | ||
| The word “pūʻali” is also used to refer to a group of people working together, such as a team or crew. | |||
| Maori | ope taua | ||
| The Maori word "ope taua" may also refer to a war party, a raiding party, or a body of warriors under a single commander. | |||
| Samoan | autau | ||
| "Autau" also refers to the men's meeting house in a village. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hukbo | ||
| The word "hukbo" is derived from the Indonesian word "hughu" meaning "guard" or "escort." | |||
Army in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ijirsitu | ||
| Guarani | guarini'aty | ||
Army in International Languages
| Esperanto | armeo | ||
| The word "armeo" derives from the root "arm" meaning "weapon", reflecting the historic importance of armed soldiers in warfare. | |||
| Latin | exercitus | ||
| Exercitus is also used to refer to a group of things, like a collection of virtues or vices. | |||
Army in Others Languages
| Greek | στρατός | ||
| "Στρατός" has roots in the word "στρωννύω" ("I spread out"), referring to the orderly arrangement of troops during battle. | |||
| Hmong | tub rog | ||
| The Hmong word tub rog, "army", also means "large crowd". | |||
| Kurdish | artêş | ||
| The name "artêş" is related to the ancient Iranian word "arta", meaning "truth", and the Avestan word "aršti", meaning "order, army". | |||
| Turkish | ordu | ||
| In Mongolian, 'ordu' means a camp or palace, reflecting the historical nomadic origins of Turkish armies. | |||
| Xhosa | umkhosi | ||
| The word 'umkhosi' in Xhosa shares its root with 'ukukhotha,' meaning 'to gather or assemble,' highlighting the collective nature of an army. | |||
| Yiddish | אַרמיי | ||
| The word "אַרמיי" (army) also means "arm" in Yiddish, related to the Hebrew word for "arm" זרוע (zeroa). | |||
| Zulu | ibutho | ||
| The word 'ibutho' can also refer to the initiation into Zulu regiments. | |||
| Assamese | আৰ্মি | ||
| Aymara | ijirsitu | ||
| Bhojpuri | सेना | ||
| Dhivehi | ލަޝްކަރު | ||
| Dogri | फौज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hukbo | ||
| Guarani | guarini'aty | ||
| Ilocano | soldado ti nasion | ||
| Krio | sojaman dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێزی سەربازی | ||
| Maithili | सेना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯟꯃꯤ | ||
| Mizo | sipai | ||
| Oromo | tuuta loltuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସେନା | ||
| Quechua | maqana | ||
| Sanskrit | सैन्यदल | ||
| Tatar | армия | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰራዊት | ||
| Tsonga | masocha | ||