Director in Different Languages
Discover 'Director' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'director' carries a significant weight in the world of film, theater, and business. A director is a leader who oversees and guides a project or team to achieve a common goal. In film and theater, a director is the creative force behind a production, responsible for translating the script into visual storytelling. In business, a director serves on a board and may be responsible for making important company decisions.
The cultural importance of directors cannot be overstated. They have the power to shape our cultural narrative, influence societal attitudes, and even change the way we see the world. From Alfred Hitchcock to Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese to Ava DuVernay, directors have left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness.
Understanding the translation of the word 'director' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view leadership and creativity. For example, in Spanish, a director is a 'director'; in French, a 'réalisateur'; in German, a 'Regisseur'; and in Japanese, a 'ディレクター' (direkutā).
Learning these translations can be a fun and enlightening way to explore the nuances of language and culture. Join us as we delve into the many translations of the word 'director' and discover the beauty and diversity of the world around us.
Director
Director in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | regisseur | ||
| In Afrikaans, "regisseur" can also mean "stage manager" or "producer". | |||
| Amharic | ዳይሬክተር | ||
| The Amharic word ዳይሬክተር "director" is derived from the French word "directeur". | |||
| Hausa | darekta | ||
| The word 'darekta' is derived from the English word 'director'. | |||
| Igbo | onye nduzi | ||
| In the Igbo language, "onye nduzi" not only refers to a director but also figuratively means "one who guides or oversees." | |||
| Malagasy | tale | ||
| The Malagasy word "tale" likely originates from the Malay "tale" or Arabic "tālah", both meaning "to order". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wotsogolera | ||
| The word "wotsogolera" (director) in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "leader" or "guide" | |||
| Shona | director | ||
| In Shona, the word "director" also means "one who is respected". | |||
| Somali | agaasime | ||
| The word "agaasime" can also mean "manager" or "supervisor". | |||
| Sesotho | motsamaisi | ||
| Motsamaisi is also an idiomatic way to refer to someone who is influential, respected, or a decision-maker. | |||
| Swahili | mkurugenzi | ||
| "Mkurugenzi" comes from the Arabic word "mudīr," meaning "manager" or "supervisor." | |||
| Xhosa | umlawuli | ||
| Umlawuli, meaning 'director' in Xhosa, also holds the connotations of 'leader', 'guide', and 'supervisor'. | |||
| Yoruba | oludari | ||
| The Yoruba word "oludari" is related to the verb "dari", meaning "to guide" or "to oversee". | |||
| Zulu | umqondisi | ||
| The word "umqondisi" is also used to refer to a supervisor or manager. | |||
| Bambara | kuntigi | ||
| Ewe | dɔdzikpɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuyobozi | ||
| Lingala | diretere | ||
| Luganda | omukulu | ||
| Sepedi | molaodi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kwankyerɛfoɔ | ||
Director in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مخرج | ||
| مخرج (mukhrij) in Arabic can refer to a person who brings forth, an outlet, or an excuse, in addition to a director in film or theater. | |||
| Hebrew | מְנַהֵל | ||
| The word "מְנַהֵל" can also refer to an estate administrator or a supervisor, indicating its broad range of managerial roles. | |||
| Pashto | ډایرکټر | ||
| The Pashto word ډایرکټر can also mean “boss,” “supervisor,” or “manager” in Pashto, especially in a corporate setting. | |||
| Arabic | مخرج | ||
| مخرج (mukhrij) in Arabic can refer to a person who brings forth, an outlet, or an excuse, in addition to a director in film or theater. | |||
Director in Western European Languages
| Albanian | drejtori | ||
| The word drejtori comes from the Latin 'dirigitorem' and means 'ruler' in older texts | |||
| Basque | zuzendaria | ||
| The Basque word "zuzendaria" (director) comes from "zuzendu" (to direct) and the suffix "-aria" (one who does something). | |||
| Catalan | director | ||
| The word “director” in Catalan, like in English, comes from the Latin word dirigere, meaning to guide or lead; however, it also means “owner” or “manager” in reference to a company. | |||
| Croatian | direktor | ||
| The Croatian word 'direktor' originates from the Latin 'dirigere', meaning 'to lead or guide'. | |||
| Danish | direktør | ||
| The word "direktør" ultimately derives from the Latin verb "dirigere", meaning "to direct" or "to lead". | |||
| Dutch | regisseur | ||
| In Dutch, "regisseur" can also refer to a stage manager or a supervisor of a construction project. | |||
| English | director | ||
| In addition to its theatrical and cinematic meanings, the term "director" can refer to a person in charge of a company or organization, or someone who oversees a project or process. | |||
| French | réalisateur | ||
| The word 'réalisateur', as well as the English 'director' and the Spanish 'director', all derive from the Latin noun 'directionem', which means 'guiding, management, direction'. | |||
| Frisian | direkteur | ||
| In Frisian, the word "direkteur" can also refer to a person who leads a choir or orchestra. | |||
| Galician | director | ||
| A word related to "director" in Galician is "direito" (right). | |||
| German | direktor | ||
| In some contexts, "Direktor" can also refer to a school principal or the head of a department. | |||
| Icelandic | leikstjóri | ||
| The Icelandic word "leikstjóri" is derived from the Old Norse word "leikstýrir," which means "one who directs a play." | |||
| Irish | stiúrthóir | ||
| The word "stiúrthóir" can also mean "helmsman" in Irish, referencing its historic maritime usage. | |||
| Italian | la direttrice | ||
| In Italian, "la direttrice" can also refer to a female head of a school or institute. | |||
| Luxembourgish | direkter | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Direkter" is also an old term for head teacher. | |||
| Maltese | direttur | ||
| Maltese direttur, from Italian direttore, is also the name for a type of firework made of two rockets tied together, or a long firework on a stick. | |||
| Norwegian | regissør | ||
| Regissør, via French "régisseur," derives from the Latin "regere," meaning "to rule or guide." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | diretor | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "diretor" can also refer to a headmaster or a manager. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stiùiriche | ||
| The word stiùiriche is derived from the Old Irish word stiur, meaning "to steer". | |||
| Spanish | director | ||
| The word 'director' in Spanish can also mean 'manager' or 'leader'. | |||
| Swedish | direktör | ||
| Swedish 'direktör' comes from Latin 'dirigere' (to guide) and is related to English 'direct' but today only means 'director' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | cyfarwyddwr | ||
| The Welsh word "cyfarwyddwr" can also refer to a "leader" or "manager" in various contexts. | |||
Director in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дырэктар | ||
| The word "дырэктар" is derived from the Latin word "dirigere", meaning "to direct" or "to lead." | |||
| Bosnian | direktor | ||
| The word "direktor" in Bosnian comes from the Latin word "director", which means "to lead or guide". | |||
| Bulgarian | директор | ||
| The word "директор" in Bulgarian can also refer to "head of a school" or "principal". | |||
| Czech | ředitel | ||
| In Czech, ředitel is a masculine form of the director but can also refer to a headmaster. | |||
| Estonian | direktor | ||
| "Direktor" in Estonian refers to both a director and a conductor. | |||
| Finnish | johtaja | ||
| The Finnish word "johtaja" comes from the verb "johtaa," meaning "to lead" and shares the same root as "johto" (management, leadership) | |||
| Hungarian | rendező | ||
| In Hungarian, the word “rendező” has the same root as the verb “rendez,” meaning to “arrange” or “put in order.” | |||
| Latvian | direktors | ||
| The Latvian word "direktors" is derived from the German word "Direktor", which in turn comes from the Latin word "dirigere", meaning "to direct". | |||
| Lithuanian | direktorius | ||
| The word "direktorius" is derived from the Latin word "directorius", meaning "guiding" or "controlling". | |||
| Macedonian | директор | ||
| The word "директор" in Macedonian can also mean "manager" or "head" of an organization or institution. | |||
| Polish | dyrektor | ||
| "Dyrektor" is a loan from Latin "director" and originally meant "head of a choir or orchestra." | |||
| Romanian | director | ||
| The Romanian word "director" comes from the Latin word "dirigere" which means "to lead" and is also related to the English word "direction." | |||
| Russian | директор | ||
| The Russian word "директор" is derived from the Latin word "dirigere" meaning "to direct" and also shares its root with several other Russian words for "guidance". | |||
| Serbian | директор | ||
| The Serbian word "директор" can also refer to a principal of a school. | |||
| Slovak | riaditeľ | ||
| The word "riaditeľ" derives from the word "riadiť," which means "to lead" or "to direct." | |||
| Slovenian | direktor | ||
| The Slovenian word "direktor" could possibly originate from the German term "Direktor" or the Latin word "director". | |||
| Ukrainian | директор | ||
| In Slavic languages, "директор" can also mean "head teacher" or "principal". | |||
Director in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পরিচালক | ||
| The word "পরিচালক" also refers to a manager, commander, or supervisor. | |||
| Gujarati | ડિરેક્ટર | ||
| "ડિરેક્ટર" has been borrowed from the English word "director" and also means "principal" or "leader" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | निदेशक | ||
| The Hindi word "निदेशक" (director) originates from the Sanskrit root "दिश्" (to show), indicating one who guides or supervises. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ | ||
| The word 'ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ' (director) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'निर्देशक' (nirdēśaka), meaning 'one who directs'. It also has the alternate meaning of 'manager' or 'supervisor'. | |||
| Malayalam | സംവിധായകൻ | ||
| The word "സംവിധായകൻ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "samvidhāyaka," meaning "one who arranges" or "one who sets up." | |||
| Marathi | दिग्दर्शक | ||
| The word "दिग्दर्शक" is derived from two Sanskrit words: "दिग्" meaning "path" or "way" and "दर्शक" meaning "to show" or "to lead". Thus, a "दिग्दर्शक" is someone who "shows the way" or "leads the way", which aptly describes the role of a director in guiding and leading a project or production. | |||
| Nepali | निर्देशक | ||
| The term "निर्देशक" (director) is also used in Nepali to refer to a guide or a supervisor, showcasing a broader application of the concept. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਕ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධ්යක්ෂක | ||
| "අධ්යක්ෂක " (director) is also a term that is being used with the meaning "the one who oversees or has authority" | |||
| Tamil | இயக்குனர் | ||
| Telugu | దర్శకుడు | ||
| The Sanskrit origin of "దర్శకుడు" implies not only the one who physically arranges the production work, but also who visualises on the screen. | |||
| Urdu | ڈائریکٹر | ||
Director in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 导向器 | ||
| 导向器在古代也指指南针 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 導向器 | ||
| 導向器 in Traditional Chinese characters is written as 導 + 向 + 器, meaning "guide + direction + tool" when broken down. | |||
| Japanese | ディレクター | ||
| ディレクター is borrowed from English and is used in Japanese to refer to a director of a movie, play, or other theatrical production. | |||
| Korean | 감독 | ||
| The word "감독" also means "bishop" in Korean, as it was originally used to translate the Christian term. | |||
| Mongolian | захирал | ||
| The Mongolian word "захирал" (director) is derived from the Mongolian word "захир" (order) and means "one who gives orders". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒါရိုက်တာ | ||
Director in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | direktur | ||
| The Indonesian word "Direktur" has a second meaning, "principal of a school," derived from the Dutch word "directeur". | |||
| Javanese | direktur | ||
| The Javanese word "direktur" also means "executor" and "agent" in Indonesian. | |||
| Khmer | នាយក | ||
| នាយក is also used in Khmer as a respectful term of address for a person of authority or a person who is older than oneself. | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ ອຳ ນວຍການ | ||
| The Lao word for 'director' can also mean 'conductor' or 'supervisor'. | |||
| Malay | pengarah | ||
| "Pengarah" is also used to refer to a "guide" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ผู้อำนวยการ | ||
| The word "ผู้อำนวยการ" also means "overseer" or "superintendent" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | giám đốc | ||
| Giám đốc (director) is a loanword from Chinese, where it originally referred to a supervisor of an office, and has also been used as a title for other types of leaders or managers. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | direktor | ||
Director in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rejissor | ||
| The word "rejissor" is derived from the French word "régisseur", meaning "manager" or "supervisor". | |||
| Kazakh | директор | ||
| В казахском языке слово "директор" имеет персидское происхождение и означает "наблюдающий, управляющий" | |||
| Kyrgyz | директор | ||
| "Директор" in Kyrgyz, meaning "a manager of a company or institution", comes from the Russian word "директор" with the same meaning. | |||
| Tajik | директор | ||
| The word "директор" in Tajik means "a person who directs, manages, or supervises a business, organization, or group of employees". | |||
| Turkmen | direktory | ||
| Uzbek | direktor | ||
| The word "direktor" in Uzbek can also refer to the head of a department or a factory. | |||
| Uyghur | مۇدىر | ||
Director in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luna hoʻokele | ||
| According to Fornander, the word 'luna' is also used to mean 'superintendent' or 'overseer' and is synonymous with 'kahili' or 'kahu,' which means 'chief' or 'lord.' | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakahaere | ||
| Kaiwhakahaere, a Maori word, can also mean "conductor" in the context of a musical ensemble. | |||
| Samoan | faatonu | ||
| The word "faatonu" in Samoan also means "to lead" or "to guide". However, it is not usually used to refer to a film director. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | direktor | ||
| Direktor originally comes from the Spanish word | |||
Director in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | irpiri | ||
| Guarani | myakãhára | ||
Director in International Languages
| Esperanto | direktoro | ||
| Esperanto "direktoro" derives from Latin, meaning "ruler" and "overseer." | |||
| Latin | director | ||
| In Latin, director derives from the root 'dirigere', meaning 'to lead' or 'to manage', and carries connotations of guidance and supervision. | |||
Director in Others Languages
| Greek | διευθυντής | ||
| The word 'διευθυντής' originates from 'διευθύνω,' meaning 'to direct, manage, or lead.' | |||
| Hmong | tus thawj coj | ||
| The Hmong word "tus thawj coj" literally means "head of the leaders". | |||
| Kurdish | serek | ||
| The word "serek" in Kurdish can also refer to a "row" or a "line." | |||
| Turkish | yönetmen | ||
| Yönetmen in Turkish can also refer to a stage director or an artistic director. | |||
| Xhosa | umlawuli | ||
| Umlawuli, meaning 'director' in Xhosa, also holds the connotations of 'leader', 'guide', and 'supervisor'. | |||
| Yiddish | דירעקטאָר | ||
| The Yiddish word "דירעקטאָר" also means "head of a yeshiva or Talmudic academy." | |||
| Zulu | umqondisi | ||
| The word "umqondisi" is also used to refer to a supervisor or manager. | |||
| Assamese | নিৰ্দেশক | ||
| Aymara | irpiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | निर्देशक | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑިރެކްޓަރު | ||
| Dogri | डायरेक्टर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | direktor | ||
| Guarani | myakãhára | ||
| Ilocano | direktor | ||
| Krio | dayrɛktɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەڕێوەبەر | ||
| Maithili | निदेशक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯝꯖꯤꯡ ꯂꯝꯇꯥꯛꯄ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | kaihruaitu | ||
| Oromo | qindeessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶକ | ||
| Quechua | kamachiq | ||
| Sanskrit | निर्देशकः | ||
| Tatar | директоры | ||
| Tigrinya | ዳይሬክተር | ||
| Tsonga | mulawuri | ||