Consumer in Different Languages
Discover 'Consumer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'consumer' holds immense significance in our modern world, where the exchange of goods and services is a fundamental aspect of daily life. A consumer is an individual who purchases and uses goods and services, playing a crucial role in driving economic growth and development. The term has cultural importance too, as it reflects our societal values and consumer behavior patterns.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'consumer' in different languages can shed light on how various cultures perceive this concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'consumer' translates to 'consumidor,' while in French, it is 'consommateur.' In German, the word is 'Verbraucher,' and in Japanese, it is '消費者' (pronounced 'shōhi-sha').
Delving into the historical context of the word 'consumer' reveals that it originated from the Latin 'consumere,' meaning 'to use up or destroy.' Today, the word has evolved to represent a more nuanced and complex concept, encompassing not just the act of consumption but also the rights and protections of consumers.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or a business professional looking to expand your global reach, understanding the translation of 'consumer' in different languages can be a fascinating and rewarding endeavor.
Consumer
Consumer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verbruiker | ||
| The word "verbruiker" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "verbruik," meaning "usage" or "consumption." | |||
| Amharic | ሸማች | ||
| The word ሸማች has other meanings like 'client', 'customer' and even 'guest' or 'visitor'. | |||
| Hausa | mabukaci | ||
| The Hausa word "mabukaci" can also refer to a "glutton" or "greedy person". | |||
| Igbo | n'ji | ||
| The Igbo word 'n'ji' can also refer to a 'customer', 'shopper', or 'purchaser'. | |||
| Malagasy | mpanjifa | ||
| The word "mpanjifa" is derived from the verb "mihinjifa", meaning "to eat up" or "to finish off". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wogula | ||
| The Nyanja word 'wogula', which refers to consumers of goods or services, is derived from the word 'kugula', meaning 'to buy'. | |||
| Shona | mutengi | ||
| Mutengi is also used to refer to a customer or a buyer. | |||
| Somali | macmiil | ||
| The word "macmiil" also translates to "customer" or "client". | |||
| Sesotho | moreki | ||
| The Sesotho word "moreki" can also refer to a customer or a client. | |||
| Swahili | mtumiaji | ||
| The Swahili word 'Mtumiaji' has an alternative meaning of 'user', indicating the person who engages with or uses a product or service. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzisi | ||
| The word "umsebenzisi" in Xhosa can also refer to a customer or a person who uses a service. | |||
| Yoruba | onibara | ||
| The word "onibara" can also refer to a person who is extravagant or wasteful. | |||
| Zulu | umthengi | ||
| The Zulu word 'umthengi' derives from the verb 'thenga' (buy), indicating the active nature of consumption. | |||
| Bambara | kunmabɔnafolo | ||
| Ewe | nuƒlela | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuguzi | ||
| Lingala | consommateur | ||
| Luganda | omukozesa | ||
| Sepedi | moreki | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adetɔfo | ||
Consumer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مستهلك | ||
| The Arabic word "مستهلك" can also mean "depleted" or "worn out". | |||
| Hebrew | צרכן | ||
| In Hebrew, the word "צרכן" (consumer) can also be written with a "צ" instead of a "ז" (צרך), which means "need" or "requirement". | |||
| Pashto | مصرف کونکی | ||
| Originally "مصرف کونکی" meant someone who used an intoxicant but has come to mean "consumer" more broadly | |||
| Arabic | مستهلك | ||
| The Arabic word "مستهلك" can also mean "depleted" or "worn out". | |||
Consumer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | konsumatori | ||
| The word "konsumatori" derives from the Latin word "consumere", which means "to use up". | |||
| Basque | kontsumitzailea | ||
| In addition to "consumer," the Basque word "kontsumitzailea" can also refer to an "object of consumption"} | |||
| Catalan | consumidor | ||
| The word "consumidor" in Catalan also means "waster" or "spendthrift". | |||
| Croatian | potrošač | ||
| The word 'potrošač' in Croatian derives from the verb 'potrošiti', which means 'to consume' or 'to spend' and is derived from the prefix 'pot-' (meaning 'under', 'away') and the root verb 'trošiti' (meaning 'to spend'). | |||
| Danish | forbruger | ||
| "Forbruge" is derived from the Old Norse "bruka" meaning "to use", and "for" meaning "in front of", thus "to use up, consume". | |||
| Dutch | klant | ||
| The noun 'klant' is a shortened form of the word 'chalant', which means someone who is nonchalant or indifferent. | |||
| English | consumer | ||
| "Consumer" stems from the Latin infinitive "consumere," meaning "to use up" or "to destroy." | |||
| French | consommateur | ||
| The word "consommateur" in French also means "accomplished" or "complete". | |||
| Frisian | konsumint | ||
| The Frisian word "konsumint" can also mean "purchaser" or "customer". | |||
| Galician | consumidor | ||
| The word "consumidor" in Galician also means "squanderer" or "one who wastes resources." | |||
| German | verbraucher | ||
| The German word 'Verbraucher' can also mean 'user' or 'customer' in the context of using services or goods, respectively. | |||
| Icelandic | neytandi | ||
| The word "neytandi" is derived from the Old Norse word "neyta," meaning "to use" or "to consume." | |||
| Irish | tomhaltóir | ||
| Italian | consumatore | ||
| The term "consumatore" in Italian can also refer to someone who spends their time aimlessly, like a "time waster". | |||
| Luxembourgish | konsument | ||
| The word "Konsument" is derived from the Latin "consūmĕre". | |||
| Maltese | konsumatur | ||
| The word "konsumatur" could also be an archaic term for a "consummate" player of a game, like cards. | |||
| Norwegian | forbruker | ||
| The word 'forbruker' is derived from the Old Norse word 'forbrúka', meaning 'to use up completely'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | consumidor | ||
| In Portuguese, "consumidor" can refer to a person who consumes products or services, or it can refer to a device that consumes electricity or gas. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neach-cleachdaidh | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "neach-cleachdaidh" is a compound word meaning "user" or "consumer" and can also be used to refer to a "customer" or "client" in a business context. | |||
| Spanish | consumidor | ||
| The term "consumidor" in Spanish can also refer to a "taxpayer" or "end user". | |||
| Swedish | konsument | ||
| The Swedish word "konsument" is a borrowing from Latin, where it refers to the act of consumption. | |||
| Welsh | defnyddiwr | ||
| The Welsh word 'defnyddiwr' is derived from the verb 'defnyddio' ('to use'), which itself is thought to derive from the Proto-Celtic *denno- ('to use, to take') | |||
Consumer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спажывец | ||
| The word "спажывец" (consumer) is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *sъpǫždati, meaning "to swallow whole". | |||
| Bosnian | potrošač | ||
| The word "potrošač" is derived from the verb "potrošiti", meaning "to spend" or "to consume". | |||
| Bulgarian | консуматор | ||
| The word "консуматор" in Bulgarian also refers to a device that consumes energy, food, or other resources. | |||
| Czech | spotřebitel | ||
| The Czech word "spotřebitel" comes from the verb "spotřebovat," meaning "to consume," and is derived from the Slavic root "*potreba," meaning "need." | |||
| Estonian | tarbija | ||
| Tarbija (consumer) is also used to mean a substance in chemistry (reagent). | |||
| Finnish | kuluttajalle | ||
| The word "kuluttaja" also means "destroy" or "waste" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | fogyasztó | ||
| In Hungarian, "fogyasztó" (consumer) also refers to "electricity user" and "energy user". | |||
| Latvian | patērētājs | ||
| The word "patērētājs" comes from the Latin word "consumere," which means "to destroy" or "to use up." | |||
| Lithuanian | vartotojas | ||
| The word "vartotojas" derives from the verb "vartoti" (to use), and its literal meaning is "one who uses". In the context of economics, it refers specifically to a person who uses goods or services. | |||
| Macedonian | потрошувач | ||
| The word потрошувач originally meant "user" or "beneficiary" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | konsument | ||
| The word "konsument" in Polish also refers to an "informant" or "spy". | |||
| Romanian | consumator | ||
| The Romanian word "consumator" shares its etymology with words like "consummate" and "consume" and can also mean "perfector" or "accomplisher". | |||
| Russian | потребитель | ||
| The Russian word "потребитель" can also have the connotation of "user". | |||
| Serbian | потрошач | ||
| Потрошач, a Serbian word for "consumer," originates from the verb "трошити" (to spend), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic root *tьr-, meaning "to grind, crush, or break into pieces." | |||
| Slovak | spotrebiteľ | ||
| The word "spotrebiteľ" (consumer) in Slovak is derived from "spotrebovať" (to consume), which in turn comes from the Latin "sporicare" (to destroy). | |||
| Slovenian | potrošnik | ||
| The Slovenian word "potrošnik" originates from the German word "Potroschnik" which means "one who uses up". | |||
| Ukrainian | споживач | ||
| The word "споживач" (consumer) in Ukrainian can also refer to a "user" or "recipient" of a good or service. | |||
Consumer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গ্রাহক | ||
| গ্রাহক derives from the Sanskrit word 'grahan' meaning 'to take, to accept' and primarily refers to customers or individuals who make purchases. | |||
| Gujarati | ઉપભોક્તા | ||
| The Gujarati word "ઉપભોક્તા" (consumer) is derived from the Sanskrit word "उपभोक्ता" (upakhoktā), which means "one who enjoys". In modern usage, the word can also refer to a person who purchases goods or services. | |||
| Hindi | उपभोक्ता | ||
| The Sanskrit root of उपभोक्ता (upakta) has a more expansive meaning than modern English: "enjoying, making good use of," or even "marrying." | |||
| Kannada | ಗ್ರಾಹಕ | ||
| In Kannada, "ಗ್ರಾಹಕ" (grahaka) refers to a "taker" or "acceptor" of an object or service and can also mean "customer," "buyer," or "receiver." | |||
| Malayalam | ഉപഭോക്താവ് | ||
| The Malayalam term "ഉപഭോക്താവ്" originally referred to "enjoyer", but now denotes "consumer". | |||
| Marathi | ग्राहक | ||
| The word "ग्राहक" also means "customer" or "client". | |||
| Nepali | उपभोक्ता | ||
| The word 'उपभोक्ता' (consumer) is derived from the Sanskrit roots 'उप' (near) and 'भोक्ता' (enjoyer), indicating someone who uses or enjoys a product or service. | |||
| Punjabi | ਖਪਤਕਾਰ | ||
| The word 'ਖਪਤਕਾਰ' (consumer) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kṣipta kāra' (lit. scattered or thrown), referring to one who buys goods not for use but for sale. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පාරිභෝගික | ||
| Tamil | நுகர்வோர் | ||
| The word "நுகர்வோர்" ("consumer") in Tamil originally referred to someone who used or enjoyed something, not necessarily in a monetary sense. | |||
| Telugu | వినియోగదారు | ||
| The word "వినియోగదారు" (consumer) can also refer to a person who uses up or exhausts something. | |||
| Urdu | صارف | ||
| صارف (sāraf) is derived from the Arabic root ṣ-r-f meaning 'exchange', 'trade', and 'transfer'. In Urdu, it also has the additional meaning of 'user' or 'client'. | |||
Consumer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 消费者 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, the character 費 (fèi) in 消費者 (xiāofèi zhě) was used to refer to 'expenditure' or 'cost'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 消費者 | ||
| 消費者 (xiāofèizhe) derives from the verb 消費 (xiāofèi) meaning to consume. | |||
| Japanese | 消費者 | ||
| 消費者 translates to consumer in English, but originally meant a god receiving offerings of food. | |||
| Korean | 소비자 | ||
| "소비자" (consumer) in Korean is a compound of "소비" (consumption) and "자" (person), implying "a person who consumes." | |||
| Mongolian | хэрэглэгч | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စားသုံးသူ | ||
Consumer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | konsumen | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "konsumen" also translates to "victim", a term used to refer to those who suffer the negative consequences of consumerism or exploitation. | |||
| Javanese | konsumen | ||
| The Javanese word "konsumen" also refers to a type of spirit or demon. | |||
| Khmer | អតិថិជន | ||
| អតិថិជន is also used in a wider sense to refer to any person who receives something, such as a guest or a recipient. | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ບໍລິໂພກ | ||
| Malay | pengguna | ||
| In Malaysian, pengguna can also refer to a person using a product or service. | |||
| Thai | ผู้บริโภค | ||
| In addition to its usual meaning of "consumer," ผู้บริโภค can also mean "one who takes advantage of something." | |||
| Vietnamese | khách hàng | ||
| The word "khách hàng" originates from the Chinese word "kèháng" which means "guest". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mamimili | ||
Consumer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istehlakçı | ||
| "İstehlakçı" (consumer) derives from the Arabic word "istıhlāk" meaning "spending" and "consuming". | |||
| Kazakh | тұтынушы | ||
| The word "тұтынушы" literally translates to "user" in Kazakh, highlighting the active role consumers play in the marketplace. | |||
| Kyrgyz | керектөөчү | ||
| 'Керектөөчү' ('consumer') in Kyrgyz derives from the verb 'керек' ('need'), signifying the one who has a need. | |||
| Tajik | истеъмолкунанда | ||
| The Tajik word "истеъмолкунанда" can also be used to refer to a "user" of a product or service. | |||
| Turkmen | sarp ediji | ||
| Uzbek | iste'molchi | ||
| The word "iste'molchi" is derived from the Persian word "istehlak", which means "consumption" or "use", and the suffix "-chi", which indicates a person who performs an action. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىستېمالچى | ||
Consumer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea kūʻai aku | ||
| The Hawaiian word "mea kūʻai aku" can also refer to a "purchaser" or "buyer". | |||
| Maori | kaihoko | ||
| While kaihoko literally translates to "food eater," it is also the Maori word for "consumer" in a modern sense. | |||
| Samoan | tagata faʻatau | ||
| In Samoan, "tagata fa'atau" also refers to a customer, shopper, or buyer. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mamimili | ||
| "Mamimili" is a Tagalog word whose archaic meaning was "to beg for". Its modern meaning might be an allusion to the old meaning or a play on the word "bilihin" which means "to buy". | |||
Consumer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | consumidor ukaxa | ||
| Guarani | consumidor rehegua | ||
Consumer in International Languages
| Esperanto | konsumanto | ||
| The Esperanto word 'konsumanto,' meaning 'consumer,' can be traced back to the Latin term for 'user' or 'spendthrift.' | |||
| Latin | dolor | ||
| In Latin, “dolor” can refer to physical, mental, or emotional pain, as well as grief or sorrow. | |||
Consumer in Others Languages
| Greek | καταναλωτής | ||
| The word "καταναλωτής" derives from the Ancient Greek verb "καταναλώ", meaning "to spend, consume, destroy". | |||
| Hmong | cov neeg siv khoom | ||
| The Hmong word "cov neeg siv khoom" shares the same root as "siv khoom," which is a term used to describe someone who enjoys food, and the verb "siv" which can mean to "enjoy" or "savor." | |||
| Kurdish | xerîdar | ||
| The word "xerîdar" can also mean "customer" or "buyer" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | tüketici | ||
| The word "tüketici" can also mean "wasteful" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzisi | ||
| The word "umsebenzisi" in Xhosa can also refer to a customer or a person who uses a service. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָנסומער | ||
| קאָנסומער derives from Middle High German "koeme(n)" or "kumen" meaning someone who buys goods. | |||
| Zulu | umthengi | ||
| The Zulu word 'umthengi' derives from the verb 'thenga' (buy), indicating the active nature of consumption. | |||
| Assamese | গ্ৰাহক | ||
| Aymara | consumidor ukaxa | ||
| Bhojpuri | उपभोक्ता के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮންސިއުމަރ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | उपभोक्ता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mamimili | ||
| Guarani | consumidor rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | konsumidor | ||
| Krio | kɔshɔma | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەکاربەر | ||
| Maithili | उपभोक्ता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯟꯖꯨꯃꯔꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯥꯡꯗꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯝ ꯊꯃꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | consumer tih a ni | ||
| Oromo | fayyadamaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗ୍ରାହକ | ||
| Quechua | consumidor nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | उपभोक्ता | ||
| Tatar | кулланучы | ||
| Tigrinya | ተጠቃሚ | ||
| Tsonga | muxavi | ||