Athlete in Different Languages
Discover 'Athlete' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An athlete, in its purest form, is a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise. The term is often associated with greatness, determination, and perseverance. Athletes inspire us to push our limits and to strive for excellence, making the word 'athlete' significant not just in the world of sports, but in culture as a whole.
The concept of athleticism has been present in human societies for thousands of years, with the first Olympic Games taking place in 776 BC in ancient Greece. Today, athletes from all corners of the globe compete in a wide variety of sports, from the popular (like soccer and basketball) to the niche (like curling and skeleton).
Understanding the translation of 'athlete' in different languages can provide insight into how various cultures view and value athleticism. For example, in Spanish, an athlete is translated to 'atleta,' while in French, it's 'athlète.' In Mandarin, the translation is '运动员' (yùndòngyuán), and in Japanese, it's 'アスリート' (asurīto).
Explore the list below to discover more translations of the word 'athlete' and to gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural importance of sports and athleticism.
Athlete
Athlete in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | atleet | ||
| The word "atleet" can also refer to a person who is skilled in a particular field, such as a "sakeman" (salesman) or "musikant" (musician). | |||
| Amharic | አትሌት | ||
| The word “አትሌት” (“athlete”) in Amharic originates from the Greek word “ἀθλητής” (“athlete”), meaning “one who competes in a contest”. | |||
| Hausa | 'yan wasa | ||
| 'Yan wasa" is a Hausa word that literally translates to "people of play". | |||
| Igbo | onye na-eme egwuregwu | ||
| Malagasy | atleta | ||
| The Malagasy word "atleta" can also mean "skilled", "talented", or "able-bodied". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wothamanga | ||
| The word 'wothamanga' in Nyanja can also mean 'healthy person' or 'strong person'. | |||
| Shona | mutambi | ||
| The word 'mutambi' in Shona also refers to a person who is skilled in a particular activity or profession. | |||
| Somali | orodyahan | ||
| The word "orodyahan" also refers to someone who runs errands or who does other types of tasks. | |||
| Sesotho | semathi | ||
| The etymology of "semathi" and the alternate meanings it carries are unclear. | |||
| Swahili | mwanariadha | ||
| In Kenyan Swahili, "mwanariadha" also means "competitor" or "participant in a competition". | |||
| Xhosa | imbaleki | ||
| 'Imbaleki' also means 'one who is strong; one who is able to carry out an activity with great enthusiasm.' | |||
| Yoruba | elere idaraya | ||
| The Yoruba word "elere idaraya" has an alternate meaning of "a strong person". | |||
| Zulu | umsubathi | ||
| Umsubathi, a Zulu word for 'athlete', is also used to mean 'a brave and courageous person'. | |||
| Bambara | bolikɛla | ||
| Ewe | duƒula | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukinnyi | ||
| Lingala | mosani | ||
| Luganda | omuddusi | ||
| Sepedi | moatlelete | ||
| Twi (Akan) | agodini | ||
Athlete in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رياضي | ||
| The word "رياضي" or "athlete" in Arabic shares its root with the word "رياضيات" or "mathematics", indicating its historical connection to the field. | |||
| Hebrew | אַתלֵט | ||
| The word "אַתלֵט" (athlete) comes from the Greek word "ἄθλος" (athlos), which means "competition" or "contest." | |||
| Pashto | ورزشکار | ||
| ورزشکار is derived from the Persian word "ورزید" meaning "to exercise" and the suffix "کار" meaning "doer". It can also refer to "wrestler" or "bodybuilder" in some contexts. | |||
| Arabic | رياضي | ||
| The word "رياضي" or "athlete" in Arabic shares its root with the word "رياضيات" or "mathematics", indicating its historical connection to the field. | |||
Athlete in Western European Languages
| Albanian | atlet | ||
| Etymology: From Albanian atlēt, from Ancient Greek ἀθλητὴς (athletēs, “athlete”), Latin athleta (from the Greek). | |||
| Basque | atleta | ||
| In Basque, "atleta" can also refer to a male or female athlete. | |||
| Catalan | atleta | ||
| The Catalan word "atleta" derives from the Greek term "athlos," meaning struggle or contest, and it refers not only to someone who engages in physical activity but also to one who participates in a competition of any kind. | |||
| Croatian | sportaš | ||
| The word "sportaš" in Croatian can also mean a "sports fan". | |||
| Danish | atlet | ||
| The Danish word "atlet" may also refer to a person who performs physical exercises for the purpose of improving their physical fitness. | |||
| Dutch | atleet | ||
| The word "atleet" is derived from the Greek word "athlētēs" which means 'prize-winner' or 'combatant'. | |||
| English | athlete | ||
| "Athlete" derives from the Greek word "athlon," meaning "competition" or "contest". | |||
| French | athlète | ||
| The French word "athlète" comes from the Greek word "athlos", meaning "struggle, fight, contest". | |||
| Frisian | atleet | ||
| The word "atleet" in Frisian can also mean "a trained person" or "a person who is good at something". | |||
| Galician | atleta | ||
| In Galician, "atleta" is derived from the Greek "athlos" (competition) and refers to both athletes and gymnasts. | |||
| German | athlet | ||
| Athlet is a German word borrowed from Greek, a cognate to the English word athlete but also used to mean 'laborer, porter' and 'fighter, gladiator' in the past. | |||
| Icelandic | íþróttamaður | ||
| The term 'íþróttamaður' also refers to a participant in 'þing', an official assembly for political and legal purposes and the forerunner of the current Icelandic parliament. | |||
| Irish | lúthchleasaí | ||
| The word "lúthchleasaí" means "athlete" in Irish, but it literally means "player of feats of strength". | |||
| Italian | atleta | ||
| The Italian word "atleta" originates from the ancient Greek "athletes", which means "one who competes for a prize" | |||
| Luxembourgish | sportler | ||
| Sportler derives from the English word “sports”, but can also refer to a type of horse (Sportpénger) in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | atleta | ||
| The Maltese word "atleta" originated from the Greek word "atletai" and originally referred to gladiators and professional wrestlers rather than sports competitors. | |||
| Norwegian | atlet | ||
| In Norwegian, "atlet" can also refer to a "sports bra" or a "person who is well-built". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | atleta | ||
| The word 'atleta' is also used to refer to a person who does physical exercises or plays a sport, even if they are not a professional athlete. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lùth-chleasaiche | ||
| The term 'lùth-chleasaiche' in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Gaelic words 'lùth' (strength) and 'cleas' (feat), suggesting someone who exhibits great physical prowess and skill. | |||
| Spanish | atleta | ||
| En griego, 'atleta' significa 'competidor' y se aplicaba a luchadores y corredores, mientras que su equivalente latino, 'athleta', se refería a gladiadores. | |||
| Swedish | idrottare | ||
| "Idrottare" is related to the Old Norse word "iðrott", meaning "work" or "exercise". | |||
| Welsh | athletwr | ||
| The word 'athletwr' was borrowed into Welsh from Greek over a century ago and means 'prize fighter' in its original usage. | |||
Athlete in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спартсмен | ||
| The word “спартсмен” derives from the “Спарта”, which represents ancient Greek culture of sports competitions. | |||
| Bosnian | sportista | ||
| "Sportista" in Bosnian can also refer to a person who is physically active or enjoys sports. | |||
| Bulgarian | спортист | ||
| The Bulgarian word "спортист" (athlete) is derived from the Old Bulgarian word "спортъ" (game, competition) and the suffix "-ист" (one who does something). | |||
| Czech | sportovec | ||
| The word "sportovec" originally referred specifically to a sportsman, but is now used to refer to any athlete, regardless of gender. | |||
| Estonian | sportlane | ||
| "Sportlane" also means "a person in sporting attire". | |||
| Finnish | urheilija | ||
| The word "urheilija" also means "hero" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | sportoló | ||
| The suffix -ló/-lő in "sportoló" denotes someone who does something habitually, hence "sportoló" can also mean "someone who exercises regularly". | |||
| Latvian | sportists | ||
| The term sportists in Latvian can also refer to a person involved in sporting activities as a hobby. | |||
| Lithuanian | sportininkas | ||
| The word "sportininkas" in Lithuanian comes from the German word "Sportler", meaning "sportsman". | |||
| Macedonian | атлетичар | ||
| The word "атлетичар" in Macedonian can also refer to a person who is physically fit or strong. | |||
| Polish | sportowiec | ||
| "Spórtowiec" comes from the word "sport," which originates from the Old French word "desport," meaning "leisure" or "recreation" | |||
| Romanian | atlet | ||
| The Romanian word "atlet" has its roots in the Greek word "athlos," meaning "contest" or "prize." | |||
| Russian | спортсмен | ||
| The word 'спортсмен' is derived from the English word 'sportsman', which was originally a person who hunted for sport. | |||
| Serbian | атлета | ||
| The word "Атлета" in Serbian can also refer to a person who engages in physical activity or a sport for recreational purposes | |||
| Slovak | športovec | ||
| In Slovak language "Športovať' (doing sport) derives its origin from the German "spazieren" (to stroll, to walk). | |||
| Slovenian | športnik | ||
| "Športnik" can also mean "sportsman" or "sportsperson", and is derived from the German word "Sportler". | |||
| Ukrainian | спортсмен | ||
| The term "спортсмен" (athlete) in Ukrainian shares the same etymology as "спорту" (sportsmanship), both originating from the French "sport" (leisure, pastime). | |||
Athlete in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ক্রীড়াবিদ | ||
| Gujarati | રમતવીર | ||
| The word "રમતવીર" can also mean a gambler or a player in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | एथलीट | ||
| The word एथलीट (athlete) comes from the Greek word "athlon," meaning "contest". | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ರೀಡಾಪಟು | ||
| The word "ಕ್ರೀಡಾಪಟು" is derived from the Sanskrit word "क्रीडा" (krīḍa) meaning "play" and "पटु" (paṭu) meaning "skillful". It can also refer to a person who is skilled in the arts or a scholar. | |||
| Malayalam | അത്ലറ്റ് | ||
| അത്ലറ്റ് is derived from the Greek word 'athlēs', which means 'contestant' or 'competitor'. | |||
| Marathi | धावपटू | ||
| The word 'धावपटू' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'धाव', meaning 'to run' and 'पटु', meaning 'expert'. It can also refer to a person who engages in sports or physical activities. | |||
| Nepali | खेलाडी | ||
| The word "खेलाडी" in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word "khelaya" meaning "play" or "game" and is used to refer to both professional and recreational athletes. | |||
| Punjabi | ਐਥਲੀਟ | ||
| The term ਐਥਲੀਟ derives from a Greek word and is related to the term ἀθλητής ('athletēs') | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මලල ක්රීඩකයා | ||
| The word 'මලල ක්රීඩකයා' (athlete) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मल्ल' (mall), meaning 'wrestler' or 'combatant'. It also refers to a person engaged in physical exercise or sports, particularly track and field events. | |||
| Tamil | தடகள | ||
| தடகள also means "a footrace" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | అథ్లెట్ | ||
| The word "అథ్లెట్" is derived from the Greek word "ἄθλος" (athlos), meaning "contest" or "competition". | |||
| Urdu | کھلاڑی | ||
| "کھلاڑی" is also used informally to refer to a person who is very active and always on the go | |||
Athlete in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 运动员 | ||
| 运动员, originally meant a person who was good at performing military arts. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 運動員 | ||
| 運動員 is also a homonym for "someone who moves around" | |||
| Japanese | アスリート | ||
| "アスリート" is the Japanese word for "athlete". It is derived from the Greek word "athlon," which means "competition" or "contest." | |||
| Korean | 육상 경기 선수 | ||
| "육상 선수" is a word that originally meant "athlete who participated in the six skills" (Running, jumping, pole-vaulting, throwing, wrestling and archery). | |||
| Mongolian | тамирчин | ||
| It is a compound word composed of the words “тамир” (“body”) and “чин” (“action”) | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အားကစားသမား | ||
Athlete in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | atlet | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "atlet" can also refer to a person who has exceptional physical or mental abilities. | |||
| Javanese | atlit | ||
| In Javanese, "atlit" has the alternate meaning of "a person who is skilled in a particular field or activity". | |||
| Khmer | អត្តពលិក | ||
| The word "អត្តពលិក" "athlete" in Khmer is derived from Sanskrit and literally means "one who has dedicated their body". | |||
| Lao | ນັກກິລາ | ||
| Malay | atlet | ||
| Atlet' is a Malay word derived from the Greek word 'athlētēs' meaning 'one who competes for a prize'. | |||
| Thai | นักกีฬา | ||
| The Thai word "นักกีฬา" comes from the Sanskrit word "nataka" which means "actor". | |||
| Vietnamese | lực sĩ | ||
| The word "lực sĩ" in Vietnamese is derived from the Chinese term "力士" and originally meant "strong man" or "wrestler". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | atleta | ||
Athlete in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | atlet | ||
| The word "atlet" originates from the Greek word "athlēs", meaning "one who competes in a contest." | |||
| Kazakh | спортшы | ||
| The word "спортшы" (athlete) in Kazakh is also used to refer to a "sportsman" or a "sportswoman". | |||
| Kyrgyz | спортчу | ||
| The word "спортчу" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Russian word "спортсмен" and originally meant "worker" or "fighter." | |||
| Tajik | варзишгар | ||
| The word “варзишгар” (“athlete”) is derived from the Persian loanword “ورزش” (“exercise, sport”). | |||
| Turkmen | türgen | ||
| Uzbek | sportchi | ||
| The word "sportchi" is derived from the Persian word "spardar" meaning "army" or "soldier" | |||
| Uyghur | تەنھەرىكەتچى | ||
Athlete in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | 'ōlapa | ||
| 'Ōlapa can also mean 'strong' or 'powerful' and is used to describe both people and animals. | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakataetae | ||
| The word kaiwhakataetae comes from the Maori words kai ('food') and whakataetae ('competition'), referring to the way athletes consume food to stay competitive. | |||
| Samoan | tagata taʻaʻalo | ||
| The word 'tagata taʻaʻalo' can also refer to a dancer, or someone who performs in a theatrical production. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | atleta | ||
| "Atleta" in Tagalog comes from the Spanish word "atleta" (athlete), which in turn comes from the Greek word "athlete" (contest). | |||
Athlete in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | t'ijuri | ||
| Guarani | hetekatupyry | ||
Athlete in International Languages
| Esperanto | atleto | ||
| The Esperanto word "atleto" is derived from the Greek word "athlon" (competition). | |||
| Latin | athleta, | ||
| The Proto-Indo-European word *h₂éth₃-leh₂-, from which "athleta" is derived, originally meant "to fight". | |||
Athlete in Others Languages
| Greek | αθλητής | ||
| The Greek word "αθλητής" originally referred to someone who competed in public contests, such as sports, music, or poetry. | |||
| Hmong | kev ua kis las | ||
| The Hmong word "kev ua kis las" can also mean "the person who moves the ball" or "the one who plays the game". | |||
| Kurdish | pêhlewan | ||
| The word "pêhlewan" is also used to refer to a hero or a legendary figure in Kurdish mythology. | |||
| Turkish | atlet | ||
| "Atlet" sözcüğü Türkçede aynı zamanda "sporcu" anlamına gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | imbaleki | ||
| 'Imbaleki' also means 'one who is strong; one who is able to carry out an activity with great enthusiasm.' | |||
| Yiddish | אַטלעט | ||
| In Yiddish, "אַטלעט" (athlete) can also refer to a "strongman" or a "circus performer." | |||
| Zulu | umsubathi | ||
| Umsubathi, a Zulu word for 'athlete', is also used to mean 'a brave and courageous person'. | |||
| Assamese | ক্ৰীড়াবিদ | ||
| Aymara | t'ijuri | ||
| Bhojpuri | एथलीट | ||
| Dhivehi | އެތްލީޓް | ||
| Dogri | एथलीट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | atleta | ||
| Guarani | hetekatupyry | ||
| Ilocano | atleta | ||
| Krio | spɔtman | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وەرزشوان | ||
| Maithili | कसरती | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯝꯖꯦꯜꯂꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | infiammi | ||
| Oromo | atileetii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଥଲେଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | atleta | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यायामी | ||
| Tatar | спортчы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጎያዪ | ||
| Tsonga | xitsutsumi | ||