Boss in Different Languages
Discover 'Boss' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'boss' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, symbolizing authority, respect, and leadership. Its cultural importance transcends borders, making it a vital term in various languages around the world. Originating from the Dutch word 'baas,' meaning 'master' or 'employer,' the term has evolved over time to represent a wide range of leadership roles.
Throughout history, bosses have been depicted in various forms of media, from literature to film, showcasing their influence on society. In fact, did you know that the term 'boss' was used as early as the 17th century in North America? It's fascinating to see how a single word can carry such weight and meaning in different contexts.
Understanding the translation of 'boss' in different languages can be beneficial for those working in international settings or simply for language enthusiasts looking to expand their vocabulary. By knowing the local term for 'boss,' you can build stronger connections and show respect to those in leadership positions.
Here are some translations of the word 'boss' in various languages:
Boss
Boss in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | baas | ||
| Baas's etymological roots lie in the Dutch title 'baas', meaning 'master' or 'overseer' of a workshop. | |||
| Amharic | አለቃ | ||
| In ancient times, "aläqa" referred to the one who manages a group of people or who is in charge of affairs. | |||
| Hausa | shugaba | ||
| Shugaba also refers to the leader of an organization and is derived from the Arabic "shaykh" | |||
| Igbo | onye isi | ||
| "Onye isi" literally translates to "head of the head". In this context, it refers to someone who is in charge or a leader. | |||
| Malagasy | lehibeny | ||
| The Malagasy word 'lehibeny' also refers to a head of a family or village. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bwana | ||
| The word "bwana" comes from the Swahili word "buana", which means "master" or "mister", and has a connotation of authority and respect. | |||
| Shona | mukuru | ||
| The word 'mukuru' in Shona is often used as a respectful term for an elder or esteemed individual, similar to the use of 'sir' or 'madam' in English. | |||
| Somali | madax | ||
| The word "madax" in Somali also means "the tip of the tongue". | |||
| Sesotho | mookameli | ||
| "Mookameli" also means "the one who works" or "the one who has the power." | |||
| Swahili | bosi | ||
| In Swahili, "bosi" can also refer to a foreman, chief, or supervisor. | |||
| Xhosa | umphathi | ||
| The word "umphathi" comes from the Zulu word "umphathi" which means "owner, master, or lord." | |||
| Yoruba | ọga | ||
| The Yoruba word "ọga" also means "master" or "owner" and is derived from the verb "gba," meaning "to take" or "to seize." | |||
| Zulu | umphathi | ||
| The word 'umphathi' originates from the Zulu word 'umphakathi', meaning 'group of people', and connotes a sense of leadership and authority. | |||
| Bambara | patɔrɔn | ||
| Ewe | amegã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuyobozi | ||
| Lingala | mokonzi | ||
| Luganda | omukulu | ||
| Sepedi | molaodi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | owura | ||
Boss in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رئيس | ||
| The word "رئيس" can also mean "head" or "chief" in Arabic, and is derived from the root "ر-أ-س" (r-ʾ-s), meaning "head" or "top". | |||
| Hebrew | בּוֹס | ||
| The word "בּוֹס" (boss) in Hebrew can also mean "husband" or "a fragrant oil". | |||
| Pashto | باس | ||
| The word "باس" ("boss") in Pashto can also refer to a "master" or "owner" of a house or property. | |||
| Arabic | رئيس | ||
| The word "رئيس" can also mean "head" or "chief" in Arabic, and is derived from the root "ر-أ-س" (r-ʾ-s), meaning "head" or "top". | |||
Boss in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shefi | ||
| The word "shefi" in Albanian can also refer to a "head waiter" or a "supervisor." | |||
| Basque | nagusia | ||
| The word nagusia also means 'master' or 'lord' and comes from the Latin word 'dominus', meaning 'owner' or 'lord'. | |||
| Catalan | cap | ||
| In Catalan, "cap" can also mean "head" or "top" of something. | |||
| Croatian | šef | ||
| The word 'šef' in Croatian is borrowed from Turkish 'şef', which means 'head' or 'chief'. | |||
| Danish | chef | ||
| In Denmark, "chef" is also a term of respect with connotations of expertise. | |||
| Dutch | baas | ||
| In Southern Africa, the word "baas" is also used to address a white male supervisor, especially within the context of farming and mining. | |||
| English | boss | ||
| "Boss" originated from the Dutch word "baas" and originally meant "master" or "father", particularly in relation to a ship's captain. | |||
| French | patron | ||
| In French, "patron" can also mean "pattern"} | |||
| Frisian | baas | ||
| The word "baas" in Frisian can also refer to a farmer or a landlord in some regions. | |||
| Galician | xefe | ||
| The word "xefe" in Galician can also be used to refer to a person who has authority or is respected for their skill or experience in a particular area. | |||
| German | boss | ||
| The word "Boss" is derived from the Middle Dutch "boes" and the Old High German "bōzo", meaning "master, lord, or commander." | |||
| Icelandic | yfirmann | ||
| The word "yfirmann" is derived from the Old Norse word "yfirmaðr", meaning "a man who is over others". | |||
| Irish | boss | ||
| The Irish word "bossa" also means "a hollow in a river bank". | |||
| Italian | capo | ||
| The word `capo` originated from the Latin word `caput` which means head, leading to its additional meanings such as "head of the table" and "head of a family." | |||
| Luxembourgish | chef | ||
| In some contexts, Chef can refer to a foreman of a work group rather than to someone in charge of a business enterprise. | |||
| Maltese | kap | ||
| The word "kap" is derived from the Arabic word "qaab", meaning "head" or "chief." | |||
| Norwegian | sjef | ||
| Sjef can also be used to describe an important or influential person or organization. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | patrão | ||
| "Patrão" in Portuguese comes from the Latin "patronus", meaning "protector". Its alternate meaning of "owner" reflects the feudal relationships of the past. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | boss | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "boss" has an additional meaning of "a large or important person or thing". | |||
| Spanish | jefe | ||
| Jefe comes from the Arabic word "shaykh" via the French "chef", and used to mean "chief" or "leader". | |||
| Swedish | chef | ||
| The Swedish word 'chef' originally referred to the head of a household or a group of people, and later came to mean 'boss' or 'manager'. | |||
| Welsh | bos | ||
| The word 'bos' also has meanings such as 'thick', 'clumsy', and 'bump' in Welsh. | |||
Boss in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | начальнік | ||
| The Belarusian word "начальнік" (boss) originates from the Proto-Slavic word "*načьnьnikъ", meaning "one who begins" or "one who leads". | |||
| Bosnian | šef | ||
| Šef can also mean 'chief' and it's cognate with the English word 'chief' and the German word 'Chef'. | |||
| Bulgarian | шефе | ||
| The word "шефе" derives from the French word "chef" and can also mean "cook" or "head" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | šéf | ||
| The word "šéf" can also be used to describe a person who is in charge of a particular task or project. | |||
| Estonian | ülemus | ||
| "Ülemus" is the Estonian word for "boss", which is a loanword from German "Obermann", meaning "upper man". | |||
| Finnish | pomo | ||
| The word "pomo" has various other meanings and can be used in a variety of contexts. | |||
| Hungarian | főnök | ||
| "Főnök" is also the Hungarian word for "hairdryer", which is related to the act of "drying hair" ("hajszárítás") | |||
| Latvian | priekšnieks | ||
| The word "priekšnieks" in Latvian derives from the word "priekša", meaning "front" or "foremost". | |||
| Lithuanian | bosas | ||
| The word "bosas" is thought to be derived from the Indo-European root *bheu- "to grow" or "to swell," and is related to the German "Boss" and the English "bump." | |||
| Macedonian | шеф | ||
| Macedonian "шеф" (boss) derives from the French "chef" (leader), related etymologically to English "chief" and "captain". | |||
| Polish | szef | ||
| The word "szef" originally meant "judge" or "arbitrator". | |||
| Romanian | șef | ||
| In Romanian, "șef" can also refer to the head of a monastery or a leader of a gang. | |||
| Russian | босс | ||
| The word "босс" also has a secondary meaning of a "bulge" or "bump". | |||
| Serbian | шефе | ||
| The word "шефе" (boss) in Serbian derives from the French "chef" (chief), and can also refer to a person's head or chief. | |||
| Slovak | šéf | ||
| In Slovak, the word "šéf" can also refer to the head of an organized crime group. | |||
| Slovenian | šef | ||
| The word “še,” which means “more,” is an alternative form for “šef” in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | бос | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'бос' can also refer to a barefooted person. | |||
Boss in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বস | ||
| The word "বস" (boss) in Bengali also means "to reside" or "to live". | |||
| Gujarati | બોસ | ||
| "બોસ" is the Gujarati form of the Portuguese word "bossa", meaning "hump" or "lump on the body". | |||
| Hindi | मालिक | ||
| The Hindi word 'मालिक' ('boss') can also refer to an 'owner', or to 'God'. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೇಲಧಿಕಾರಿ | ||
| The term "ಮೇಲಧಿಕಾರಿ" is a borrowing from the Persian word "mezdar", meaning "overseer" or "master". | |||
| Malayalam | ബോസ് | ||
| The word "boss" in Malayalam is derived from the Portuguese word "boce", which means "mouth" or "face". | |||
| Marathi | बॉस | ||
| The word "बॉस" is also used to refer to a child or young boy. | |||
| Nepali | मालिक | ||
| Nepali word "मालिक" (boss) is derived from the Sanskrit word "स्वामी" (master) and can also mean "owner" or "lord". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੌਸ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਬੌਸ" (boss) may also refer to a large earthenware pot with a wide mouth, used for storage purposes. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලොක්කා | ||
| The word "ලොක්කා" is derived from the Portuguese word "loca," meaning "crazy" or "mad." | |||
| Tamil | முதலாளி | ||
| "முதலாளி" also means "investor" or "owner" in some contexts, reflecting the dual role of bosses in the Tamil system. | |||
| Telugu | బాస్ | ||
| The Telugu word "బాస్" (boss) is borrowed from Portuguese and ultimately from Dutch and was later extended to mean an elder brother, a term of respect or endearment. | |||
| Urdu | باس | ||
| The word "باس" in Urdu can also refer to a father or an elder brother. | |||
Boss in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 老板 | ||
| 老板 initially meant 'store manager' and later extended to 'boss'; it can also be a polite form of address for men in certain contexts. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 老闆 | ||
| 老闆 (lǎobǎn) can also mean 'owner' or 'employer', and originated from the phrase '老 (lǎo)' meaning 'old' and '闆 (bǎn)' meaning 'board', referring to the owner of a store who would often sit behind a counter or board. | |||
| Japanese | ボス | ||
| The word 「ボス」 "boss" is an abbreviation of the Dutch word 「baas」 "master". | |||
| Korean | 사장님 | ||
| "사장님" literally means "room leader" or "house leader" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | босс | ||
| In Mongolian, "босс" can also refer to the head of a household or a herdsman. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သူဌေး | ||
| The word "သူဌေး" (boss) in Myanmar (Burmese) is not only a term of address for a person in authority but also has the alternate meaning of "wealthy person" or "rich man". | |||
Boss in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bos | ||
| The Indonesian word "bos" can also mean "cattle" or "cow", derived from the Dutch word "boos" which has the same meaning. | |||
| Javanese | bos | ||
| In Javanese, "bos" can also refer to a person in charge of a group or a leader of a gang. | |||
| Khmer | ថៅកែ | ||
| The term "ថៅកែ" can also refer to a foreman or supervisor in a workplace. | |||
| Lao | ນາຍຈ້າງ | ||
| Malay | bos | ||
| In Malay, "bos" also means "cow" or "buffalo". | |||
| Thai | เจ้านาย | ||
| เจ้านาย is derived from the Khmer word "ññ" meaning "lord" or "master". | |||
| Vietnamese | ông chủ | ||
| "Ông chủ" literally means "master of the business" and can refer to both male and female superiors. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | boss | ||
Boss in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | boss | ||
| The term "boss" (or "bos") originates from the Proto-Indo-European root word "*gʷʰostis" meaning "lord" or "master."} | |||
| Kazakh | бастық | ||
| The term "бастық" in Kazakh shares its root with the word "бас" meaning "head" and is also used to refer to a leader or chief. | |||
| Kyrgyz | босс | ||
| The word "босс" can also refer to a leader or elder in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | саркор | ||
| In Tajik, "саркор" (boss) derives from the Persian word "سردار" (leader, chief). | |||
| Turkmen | başlyk | ||
| Uzbek | boshliq | ||
| In Uzbek the word "bo'shliq" has both the sense of "emptiness" and "boss, chief." | |||
| Uyghur | خوجايىن | ||
Boss in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luna | ||
| "Luna" also means "to rise, float, or overflow" | |||
| Maori | rangatira | ||
| The word "rangatira" in Maori can also mean "aristocrat" or "chieftain". | |||
| Samoan | pule | ||
| The Samoan word 'pule' also means 'government' or 'authority'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | boss | ||
| In Tagalog, "boss" can also refer to a small hole or a pothole in the road. | |||
Boss in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiphi | ||
| Guarani | momba'apohára | ||
Boss in International Languages
| Esperanto | estro | ||
| The word "estro" is a shortening of "estrostro", which is derived from the Greek word "stratēgos" meaning "leader, commander" and from which are also derived the English word "strategy" and the Spanish word "estrategia". | |||
| Latin | dominus | ||
| The word "dominus" in Latin also means "lord" or "master". | |||
Boss in Others Languages
| Greek | αφεντικό | ||
| The word "αφεντικό" derives from the Ottoman Turkish word "efendi," meaning master or teacher. | |||
| Hmong | tus thawj coj | ||
| The Hmong word for "boss" or leader, "tus thawj coj," is a combination of three words meaning head elder ruler or leader. | |||
| Kurdish | şef | ||
| The word "şef" is also used in Kurdish to describe a person who is respected and admired for their knowledge and skills. | |||
| Turkish | patron | ||
| {"text": "The word "patron" originates from the Latin word "pater," meaning "father," and has the alternate meaning of "protector" or "patron saint" in Turkish."} | |||
| Xhosa | umphathi | ||
| The word "umphathi" comes from the Zulu word "umphathi" which means "owner, master, or lord." | |||
| Yiddish | באַלעבאָס | ||
| The word 'באַלעבאָס' (boss) in Yiddish is derived from the Hebrew word 'בעל הבית', meaning 'owner of the house'. | |||
| Zulu | umphathi | ||
| The word 'umphathi' originates from the Zulu word 'umphakathi', meaning 'group of people', and connotes a sense of leadership and authority. | |||
| Assamese | বছ | ||
| Aymara | jiphi | ||
| Bhojpuri | मालिक | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޮޑުމީހާ | ||
| Dogri | सरदार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | boss | ||
| Guarani | momba'apohára | ||
| Ilocano | mangidadaulo | ||
| Krio | bɔs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرۆک | ||
| Maithili | मालिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯄꯨ | ||
| Mizo | hotu | ||
| Oromo | gooftaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାଲିକ | ||
| Quechua | kamachiq | ||
| Sanskrit | स्वामी | ||
| Tatar | начальник | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓላፊ | ||
| Tsonga | boso | ||