Civil in Different Languages
Discover 'Civil' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'civil' holds a significant place in our lives, often used to describe things that are orderly, polite, and in accordance with laws and rules. It is a term that transcends cultural boundaries and is valued across the globe. From its use in describing a well-mannered society to its role in legal and political contexts, the word 'civil' is not only important but also fascinating.
Did you know that the term 'civilization' stems from 'civis', the Latin word for citizen? Or that 'civility' was once used to describe the rights and privileges of a citizen? Understanding the word 'civil' in different languages can offer a unique perspective on how various cultures perceive and value order, laws, and polite behavior.
Here are some translations of the word 'civil' in different languages:
Civil
Civil in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | burgerlik | ||
| The Afrikaans word "burgerlik" can also mean "civilian" or "bourgeois" depending on context. | |||
| Amharic | ሲቪል | ||
| The word "ሲቪል" is derived from the Latin "civilis," meaning "relating to the state or its citizens". | |||
| Hausa | farar hula | ||
| In Hausa, the word "farar hula" can also mean "clear" or "transparent." | |||
| Igbo | obodo | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "civil," "obodo" can also refer to a "town" or "community" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | monim-pirenena | ||
| "Monim-pirenena" comes from the Malay word "perniagaan" which means trade. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zachikhalidwe | ||
| N/A | |||
| Shona | zvehurumende | ||
| Zvehurumende, when used in Shona, can also refer to polite, well-mannered, or refined behavior. | |||
| Somali | madaniga ah | ||
| The word "madaniga ah" is derived from the Arabic word "madanī", meaning "civilized" or "of the city". | |||
| Sesotho | tsa lehae | ||
| "Tsa lehae" is formed by a combination of the morphemes "-sa" + "-lehae", referring to "-ness" + "a person who is not harmful." | |||
| Swahili | kiraia | ||
| The word "kiraia" in Swahili, meaning "civil," is derived from the Arabic word "kiraan," which also means "companion" or "friend." | |||
| Xhosa | yoluntu | ||
| The Xhosa word 'yoluntu' can also refer to politeness, good manners, or the quality of being civilized. | |||
| Yoruba | ilu | ||
| The word "ilu" can also mean "city" or "town" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ezomphakathi | ||
| The word "ezomphakathi" can also refer to "society" or "community" in Zulu, emphasizing the social and communal aspects of "civil" behavior. | |||
| Bambara | siwili | ||
| Ewe | dukɔmeviwo ƒe habɔbɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mbonezamubano | ||
| Lingala | civil | ||
| Luganda | civil | ||
| Sepedi | setšhaba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | civil | ||
Civil in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مدني | ||
| The word "مدني" also means "urban" or "civilized" in Arabic, referring to the concept of living in a city or society with established norms and laws. | |||
| Hebrew | אֶזרָחִי | ||
| The word "אֶזרָחִי" (civil) in Hebrew also means "citizen" or "native-born." | |||
| Pashto | سول | ||
| Arabic | مدني | ||
| The word "مدني" also means "urban" or "civilized" in Arabic, referring to the concept of living in a city or society with established norms and laws. | |||
Civil in Western European Languages
| Albanian | civile | ||
| In Albanian, "civile" can also refer to a "layperson" or a "civilian". | |||
| Basque | zibila | ||
| The word "zibila" in Basque can also refer to a type of dance or a musical instrument. | |||
| Catalan | civil | ||
| The Catalan word "civil" has the same etymology as the English word "civil" and also means "polite" or "courteous". | |||
| Croatian | građanski | ||
| The word 'građanski' has several meanings in Croatian, including 'civic', 'urban', and 'bourgeois'. | |||
| Danish | civil | ||
| In Danish, the word "civil" can also refer to a person employed in government administration or the public sector. | |||
| Dutch | civiel | ||
| The word "civiel" in Dutch came from the French word "civil", and it can also mean "polite" or "courteous". | |||
| English | civil | ||
| The word 'civil' originates from the Latin word 'civilis,' meaning 'relating to citizens' and later 'polite,' and is also related to the word 'civilization.' | |||
| French | civil | ||
| The French word "civil" can have legal, polite, or secular connotations, similar to the English word "civil" but distinct from its military sense. | |||
| Frisian | boargerlik | ||
| The Frisian term "boargerlik" is related to the Dutch word "burgerlijkheid", which has broader meanings of "bourgeois" and "civility". | |||
| Galician | civil | ||
| German | bürgerlich | ||
| German "bürgerlich" was borrowed from French "bourgeois" which was derived from late Latin "burgensis" meaning "citizen". | |||
| Icelandic | borgaraleg | ||
| The Icelandic word "borgaraleg" has the same etymological origin as the English "burgomaster", both deriving from mediaeval terms for the chief magistrate of a "borough". | |||
| Irish | sibhialta | ||
| The word "sibhialta" comes from the Latin word "civilis", meaning "relating to citizens". | |||
| Italian | civile | ||
| The word "civile" can also mean "polite" or "courteous" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zivilen | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "zivilen" can also mean 'dressed in plain clothes', as opposed to in uniform. | |||
| Maltese | ċivili | ||
| "Ċivili" can also mean "kind" or "gentle" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | sivil | ||
| "Sivil" in Norwegian does not mean "civil", meaning "ordinary, not military, religious, etc" (that would be «sivil»); in Norwegian "sivil" means "marital status (of a married female)"}, "sourceUrl": "https://context.reverso.net/traduccion/noruego-ingles/sivil"} | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | civil | ||
| In Portuguese, "civil" can also mean "courteous, polite, or well-mannered". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sìobhalta | ||
| The origin of the word "sìobhalta" is unknown, but it may be related to the Latin word "civilis" (meaning "citizen") or the French word "civil" (meaning "polite"). | |||
| Spanish | civil | ||
| The Spanish word "civil" derives from the Latin "civis" and shares its meaning of "relating to citizens or their rights". | |||
| Swedish | civil | ||
| The word "civil" derives from the Latin "civilis," meaning "of the citizens," and also encompasses its meanings of "polite" and "courteous." | |||
| Welsh | sifil | ||
| The word "sifil" is derived from the Latin word "civīlis", meaning "relating to citizens." | |||
Civil in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | грамадзянскі | ||
| Bosnian | civil | ||
| The word "civil" also has the meaning of "courteous" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | граждански | ||
| In Russian, гражданский can also mean ‘marriage’ in a legal sense. | |||
| Czech | civilní | ||
| The word "civilní" originally referred to citizens, but now it means anything that is not military. | |||
| Estonian | tsiviil | ||
| "Tsiviil' is a loanword from Russian, ultimately derived from Latin, and is related to 'civic' and 'civilian' in English." | |||
| Finnish | siviili | ||
| The word "siviili" is derived from the Latin word "civilis", meaning "of or belonging to a citizen". | |||
| Hungarian | civil | ||
| The Hungarian word "civil" can also mean "polite" or "civilian". | |||
| Latvian | pilsoniskā | ||
| The word "pilsoniskā" comes from the word "pilsonis" (citizen), which in turn comes from the German word "Bürger". | |||
| Lithuanian | civilinis | ||
| The word "civilinis" in Lithuanian originates from the Latin word "civilis," which has the same meaning and originally referred to matters relating to the community or city. | |||
| Macedonian | граѓански | ||
| The word "граѓански" in Macedonian can also refer to "civilian" or "non-military". | |||
| Polish | cywilny | ||
| "Cywilny" can also mean "lay" or "non-military" as opposed to "wojskowy" (military). | |||
| Romanian | civil | ||
| Romanian "civil" also translates to "in a polite and respectful manner" | |||
| Russian | гражданский | ||
| The word "гражданский" can also refer to a person who is not a member of the military or a state employee. | |||
| Serbian | грађански | ||
| The word "грађански" can also mean "polite" or "well-mannered" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | civilný | ||
| In Slovak, "civilný" can also mean "polite" or "well-mannered." | |||
| Slovenian | civilno | ||
| The word 'civilno' also means 'civilian' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | цивільний | ||
| In Ukrainian, "цивільний" also means "civilian" in distinction to "military". | |||
Civil in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নাগরিক | ||
| The word নাগরিক (civil) comes from the Sanskrit word नागरिक (nāgarika), which means "of or belonging to a city". | |||
| Gujarati | સિવિલ | ||
| The word "સિવિલ" (civil) in Gujarati also means "polite" or "courteous". | |||
| Hindi | नागरिक | ||
| The Hindi word “नागरिक” originally meant a resident of a fortified town and could also refer to a member of a merchant guild or town council. | |||
| Kannada | ನಾಗರಿಕ | ||
| 'ನಾಗರಿಕ' (nāgarik) is derived from 'ನಗರ' (nagara), meaning 'city', and originally meant 'a city dweller' or 'urbanite', signifying a level of sophistication and culture. | |||
| Malayalam | സിവിൽ | ||
| The word സിവിൽ also means polite, courteous, and well-mannered in Malayalam, stemming from the Latin word 'civilis'. | |||
| Marathi | नागरी | ||
| नागरी additionally means 'Sanskrit script' and 'Devanagari script' in Marathi | |||
| Nepali | नागरिक | ||
| The word 'नागरिक' ('civil') in Nepali can also refer to a citizen or an urban dweller, sharing its root with the Sanskrit word 'naga', meaning 'city' or 'town'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਵਲ | ||
| "ਸਿਵਲ" is a loanword from the Persian "سیول," which in turn originates from the Arabic "مدنى." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිවිල් | ||
| The Sinhalese word "සිවිල්" ("civil") can also mean "poised" or "well-mannered". | |||
| Tamil | சிவில் | ||
| The Tamil word 'சிவில்' (civil) is derived from the Latin word 'civilis', meaning 'relating to citizens'. | |||
| Telugu | సివిల్ | ||
| The word "సివిల్" in Telugu has many meanings, including "civil," "polite," "courteous," and "gentle." | |||
| Urdu | سول | ||
| The feminine form of the word 'سول' is 'سولی', and it means 'hanging, crucifixion'. | |||
Civil in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 民事的 | ||
| 民事 can refer to both 'civil' as in 'civil law' and 'folk' as in 'folk music' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 民事的 | ||
| 民事 means 'civil' in English and can also refer to 'private' or 'non-criminal' matters. | |||
| Japanese | 市民 | ||
| The Japanese word '市民' (shimin) originally referred to city residents, but it later came to mean 'citizen' in the broader sense of someone who enjoys civil rights. | |||
| Korean | 예의 바른 | ||
| The word 예의 바른 is composed of the characters 예 (rule, ceremony), 의 (righteousness, justice), and 바르다 (straight, correct), and is used to describe someone who is polite, considerate, and well-mannered. | |||
| Mongolian | иргэний | ||
| Иргэний means “national,” “public” or “civilian” in Mongolian | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရပ်ဘက် | ||
Civil in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sipil | ||
| The word "sipil" in Indonesian comes from the Dutch word "civiel", which in turn comes from the Latin word "civilis" meaning "citizen". | |||
| Javanese | sipil | ||
| "Sipil" in Javanese also has the meaning of "humble", derived from the word "sêpên", "sêpi", or "sip" which means "secluded" or "humble". | |||
| Khmer | ស៊ីវិល | ||
| Khmer ស៊ីវិល is derived from the French word "civil", which can also mean "polite" or "civilized." | |||
| Lao | ພົນລະເຮືອນ | ||
| Malay | awam | ||
| "Awam" comes from Sanskrit, meaning "people", or in a context, meaning "ordinary people." | |||
| Thai | พลเรือน | ||
| The word "พลเรือน" is derived from the Sanskrit word "purojana" meaning "in front of the army". | |||
| Vietnamese | dân sự | ||
| The word "dân sự" originally meant "the people's affairs" and referred to matters concerning the community and its members. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sibil | ||
Civil in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mülki | ||
| The word "mülki" can also mean "worldly" or "earthly" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | азаматтық | ||
| The word "азаматтық" also has the meaning of "courtesy" or "politeness" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жарандык | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жарандык" (civil) is derived from the Persian word "شهروند" (citizen), which in turn comes from the Arabic word "جرد" (city). | |||
| Tajik | шаҳрвандӣ | ||
| The word "шаҳрвандӣ" is derived from the Persian word "shahrvand", which means "citizen". | |||
| Turkmen | raýat | ||
| Uzbek | fuqarolik | ||
| The word 'fuqarolik' also has the connotation of 'citizenship' and 'civic responsibility'. | |||
| Uyghur | ھەق تەلەپ | ||
Civil in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kivila | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kivila" can also refer to "a commoner with no rights". | |||
| Maori | tangata whenua | ||
| The term "tangata whenua" literally means "people of the land" in the Maori language. | |||
| Samoan | agaifanua | ||
| The word 'agaifanua' in Samoan, meaning 'civil', originates from the root words 'aga' (assembly, gathering) and 'ifanua' (land, territory). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sibil | ||
| The word "sibil" also means "whistle" or "hiss" in Tagalog. | |||
Civil in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | civil | ||
| Guarani | civil | ||
Civil in International Languages
| Esperanto | civila | ||
| Civil is cognate with the Latin word "civilis" meaning "relating to citizens". | |||
| Latin | civilis | ||
| The Latin word "civilis" derives from "civis" meaning "citizen," and encompasses various qualities associated with citizenship, including politeness, morality, and social conduct. | |||
Civil in Others Languages
| Greek | εμφύλιος | ||
| The term εμφύλιος (civil) is derived from the words ἐν (within) and φύλον (tribe or nation), originally referring to internal conflicts within a community. | |||
| Hmong | civil | ||
| Hmong word "siivl" originated from English "civilian," later extended to "civilized, polite." | |||
| Kurdish | sivîl | ||
| "Sivîl" sözcüğü Farsça "siyâsî" (politik) sözcüğünden gelir ve Kürtçede "sivil" anlamının yanı sıra "kibar" anlamında da kullanılır. | |||
| Turkish | sivil | ||
| The Turkish word "sivil" derives from the French "civil" and ultimately from the Latin "civilis", meaning "citizenlike" or "pertaining to the state or its citizens." | |||
| Xhosa | yoluntu | ||
| The Xhosa word 'yoluntu' can also refer to politeness, good manners, or the quality of being civilized. | |||
| Yiddish | יידל | ||
| "ייִדל" can be translated as "civil" in English, but it shares its root with the word "Jude" meaning "Jew." | |||
| Zulu | ezomphakathi | ||
| The word "ezomphakathi" can also refer to "society" or "community" in Zulu, emphasizing the social and communal aspects of "civil" behavior. | |||
| Assamese | civil | ||
| Aymara | civil | ||
| Bhojpuri | सिविल के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ސިވިލް | ||
| Dogri | सिविल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sibil | ||
| Guarani | civil | ||
| Ilocano | sibil | ||
| Krio | sivil | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەدەنی | ||
| Maithili | सिविल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯚꯤꯜ | ||
| Mizo | civil | ||
| Oromo | siiviilii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନାଗରିକ | ||
| Quechua | civil | ||
| Sanskrit | civil | ||
| Tatar | граждан | ||
| Tigrinya | ሲቪል | ||
| Tsonga | civil | ||