Doctor in Different Languages
Discover 'Doctor' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'doctor' holds immense significance in our lives, often associated with healing, care, and medical expertise. Derived from the Latin term docere, meaning 'to teach', a doctor is not just a practitioner but also an educator who enlightens us about our health and well-being. Throughout history, doctors have been revered for their knowledge and skills, from Hippocrates, the 'Father of Medicine', to modern-day healthcare professionals.
Understanding the translation of 'doctor' in different languages not only broadens our linguistic abilities but also deepens our appreciation for cultural diversity and global interconnectedness. For instance, in Spanish, 'doctor' is doctor; in French, it's docteur; in German, Arzt; in Russian, врач (vrač); in Japanese, 医者 (Isha); and in Chinese, 医生 (yīshēng).
Exploring these translations offers intriguing insights into how various cultures perceive and respect medical professionals, revealing shared values and unique perspectives. So, let's embark on this linguistic journey and learn more about the world through the prism of a single, universally significant word: 'doctor'.
Doctor
Doctor in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dokter | ||
| The word "dokter" can also refer to a traditional healer or a diviner in some African cultures. | |||
| Amharic | ዶክተር | ||
| The Amharic word "ዶክተር" can also mean "teacher" or "scholar". | |||
| Hausa | likita | ||
| The Hausa word 'likita' is also used to refer to traditional healers who do not have formal medical training. | |||
| Igbo | dibia | ||
| The word "dibia" in Igbo, meaning "doctor" in English, is derived from the word "di" meaning "to heal" and "bia" meaning "person". | |||
| Malagasy | doctor | ||
| The word "Doctor" in Malagasy can also refer to a traditional healer or diviner. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dokotala | ||
| The word "dokotala" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-kotala, meaning "to cure" or "to heal". | |||
| Shona | chiremba | ||
| The word "chiremba" is also used to refer to a traditional healer, indicating the overlap between traditional and modern medicine in Shona society. | |||
| Somali | dhakhtar | ||
| In some contexts, "dhakhtar" can also refer to a veterinarian or a dentist | |||
| Sesotho | ngaka | ||
| In Sesotho, "ngaka" can also refer to a traditional healer or diviner. | |||
| Swahili | daktari | ||
| The word "daktari" has its origins in the Arabic word "daktur," meaning "one who knows". | |||
| Xhosa | ugqirha | ||
| The word "ugqirha" can also refer to a traditional healer or diviner. | |||
| Yoruba | dokita | ||
| Dokita, in Yoruba, is a term derived from the Portuguese word 'doutor', meaning 'learned one'. | |||
| Zulu | udokotela | ||
| The word "udokotela" has its roots in the Bantu language and is related to the concept of "healing" or "making well". | |||
| Bambara | dɔgɔtɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɖɔkta | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuganga | ||
| Lingala | monganga | ||
| Luganda | omusawo | ||
| Sepedi | ngaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dɔkotani | ||
Doctor in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طبيب | ||
| The Arabic word "طبيب" (doctor) has historically also been used with the meanings "wise," "sage," and "healer." | |||
| Hebrew | דוֹקטוֹר | ||
| The Hebrew term "דוֹקטוֹר" also means "a teacher". | |||
| Pashto | ډاکټر | ||
| In Pashto, "ډاکټر" (doctor) derives from the Persian word "دكتور" (doktor), both ultimately originating from the Latin "doctor" (teacher). | |||
| Arabic | طبيب | ||
| The Arabic word "طبيب" (doctor) has historically also been used with the meanings "wise," "sage," and "healer." | |||
Doctor in Western European Languages
| Albanian | doktor | ||
| In Albanian, the word "doktor" has also been used to refer to "teacher" or "scholar" in the past, especially in religious contexts. | |||
| Basque | medikua | ||
| The Basque word 'medikua' is derived from the Latin word 'medicus', meaning 'a physician' or 'a healer'. | |||
| Catalan | metge | ||
| The term "metge" is derived from the Greek word "iatros," meaning "physician". | |||
| Croatian | liječnik | ||
| In Croatian, 'liječnik' originates from 'lijek', meaning 'cure' or 'medicine', signifying their role in healing. | |||
| Danish | læge | ||
| The word "læge" is related to the Dutch word "leggen", meaning "to lay", reflecting the historical role of doctors in setting bones, performing surgery, and midwifery. | |||
| Dutch | dokter | ||
| In Dutch, "dokter" can also refer to a veterinarian or a notary public. | |||
| English | doctor | ||
| In Latin, "doctor" originally meant "teacher", and still retains this meaning in some contexts. | |||
| French | docteur | ||
| In its original meaning, the term | |||
| Frisian | dokter | ||
| The Frisian word "dokter" can also mean "preacher" or "teacher" in English. | |||
| Galician | doutor | ||
| In Galician, "doutor" also refers to a respected elder, while in Brazil it means someone with a PhD. | |||
| German | arzt | ||
| The word "Arzt" originates from the Old High German word "ârast," meaning "one who assists," and shares its root with the English "artist." | |||
| Icelandic | læknir | ||
| The Icelandic word "læknir" derives from the Proto-Germanic root *lekijaz, meaning "to heal," and is cognate with the English word "leech." | |||
| Irish | dochtúir | ||
| The Gaelic word "dochtúir" derives from the Latin "doctor", meaning "teacher" or "learned one". | |||
| Italian | medico | ||
| The word 'medico' in Italian comes from the Latin word 'medicus', meaning 'healer' or 'physician'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | dokter | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Dokter" can also refer to a university professor or a person with a high level of education. | |||
| Maltese | tabib | ||
| The ultimate origin of 'tabib' is thought to be the ancient Egyptian root 'db3' meaning 'to treat, to heal' and it is shared with related terms for 'medicines' from Morocco to India; 'tabib' also denotes a 'healer who employs magic, herbs, and prayer' | |||
| Norwegian | doktor | ||
| Doktor is also a synonym for the word 'magister', meaning someone who teaches at a 'university' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | médico | ||
| In Portuguese, "médico" derives from the Latin word "medicus," meaning "one who heals" and in some contexts it may also refer to an individual with specialized knowledge. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dotair | ||
| The term 'dotair' in Scots Gaelic originally meant 'learned one' and could refer to a doctor, teacher, or scholar. | |||
| Spanish | médico | ||
| The Spanish word "médico" derives from the Latin "medicus," meaning both "physician" and "healer." | |||
| Swedish | läkare | ||
| The word "läkare" is derived from the Old Swedish word "lækiare", which means "healer". | |||
| Welsh | meddyg | ||
| The Welsh word 'meddyg' may derive from either 'meddu' ('to heal') or 'medd' ('physician'), but 'meddyg' specifically refers to a medical doctor. | |||
Doctor in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | урач | ||
| The word "урач" is derived from the Latin word "medicus" and also means "healer" or "physician" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | doktore | ||
| The word "doktore" in Bosnian also means "professor" or "learned person". | |||
| Bulgarian | лекар | ||
| The word "лекар" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "lěčiti", meaning "to heal". | |||
| Czech | doktor | ||
| "Doktor" also means "graduate" as it originated from the Latin word "docere," which means "to teach." | |||
| Estonian | arst | ||
| Arst is also a term for "wise person" and was formerly used for "priest" and "healer". | |||
| Finnish | lääkäri | ||
| Lääkäri may also mean "healer", denoting a wide range of roles within the medical field. | |||
| Hungarian | orvos | ||
| The Hungarian word 'orvos' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'vъlkhvъ', which referred to pagan priests. | |||
| Latvian | ārsts | ||
| Ārsts is derived from Old East Slavic вьрачи (vьрачи), which ultimately comes from Proto-Germanic *lêkezi, meaning "leech" or "healer." | |||
| Lithuanian | gydytojas | ||
| The word "gydytojas" is derived from the Lithuanian word "gydymas", meaning "healing". | |||
| Macedonian | доктор | ||
| The Macedonian word "доктор" (doctor) derives from the Greek word "διδάκτωρ" (didáktōr), meaning "teacher" or "instructor" | |||
| Polish | lekarz | ||
| In Polish, 'lekarz' can refer specifically to a medical doctor or to any person who heals or repairs. | |||
| Romanian | doctor | ||
| In Romanian, "doctor" can also refer to a person who has completed a doctoral degree, known as a Ph.D. | |||
| Russian | доктор | ||
| The word "доктор" can also refer to a PhD holder in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | докторе | ||
| The term 'докторе' comes from the German word 'Doktor' and is commonly used as a formal address for medical professionals. | |||
| Slovak | lekára | ||
| The word "lekár" in Slovak originates from the Proto-Slavic word "lěkari", meaning "healer". | |||
| Slovenian | zdravnik | ||
| The word "zdravnik" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zъdravъ, meaning "healthy". | |||
| Ukrainian | лікар | ||
| The Ukrainian word "лікар" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "lěkarь", which originally meant "healer" or "herbalist". | |||
Doctor in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ডাক্তার | ||
| "ডাক্তার" শব্দটি "ডাকে" এবং "তার" শব্দের সন্ধি থেকে এসেছে, এবং এর অর্থ "যে ব্যক্তি ডাকে" | |||
| Gujarati | ડ doctorક્ટર | ||
| The word "ડ doctorક્ટર" is derived from the Latin word "doctor", meaning "teacher". In Gujarati, it is also used to refer to a physician or a person with a PhD. | |||
| Hindi | चिकित्सक | ||
| The word "चिकित्सक" in Hindi can also refer to a healer or therapist who uses traditional or alternative medicine. | |||
| Kannada | ವೈದ್ಯರು | ||
| The term 'ವೈದ್ಯರು' (vaidyaru) is also used to refer to traditional practitioners of Ayurveda in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഡോക്ടർ | ||
| In Malayalam, the word ഡോക്ടർ can also mean 'learned person' or 'scholar'. | |||
| Marathi | डॉक्टर | ||
| डॉक्टर (डॉ.) शब्द संस्कृत से आता है जिसका अर्थ है "शिक्षित" या "विद्वान" और इसका उपयोग किसी भी व्यक्ति के लिए किया जा सकता है जिसके पास विशेष ज्ञान या कौशल हो। | |||
| Nepali | चिकित्सक | ||
| The word "चिकित्सक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "चिकित्सा" (chikitsā), meaning "healing" or "treatment". | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਾਕਟਰ | ||
| While in modern times ਡਾਕਟਰ (Doctor) is almost exclusively reserved for someone with a medical degree, historically it also referred to a scholar of religion. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වෛද්යවරයා | ||
| Tamil | மருத்துவர் | ||
| Telugu | వైద్యుడు | ||
| The origin of the word వైద్యుడు can be traced back to a Sanskrit term meaning 'skilled' or 'one who has studied' and can also refer to 'an expert' or 'a teacher' in some contexts. | |||
| Urdu | ڈاکٹر | ||
Doctor in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 医生 | ||
| 医生, literally meaning "one who heals people," also means "doctor" in modern usage. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 醫生 | ||
| The word 醫生 literally translates to “seeing life”, and in Chinese medicine often refers to a master of acupuncture and moxibustion. | |||
| Japanese | 医師 | ||
| The word "医師" can also refer to a veterinarian. | |||
| Korean | 박사님 | ||
| 박사님 is also used as a title for experts in various fields such as law, literature, and engineering. | |||
| Mongolian | эмч | ||
| The word "эмч" can also mean "healer" or "shaman" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆရာဝန် | ||
| The word ဆရာဝန် (doctor) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from Sanskrit and originally meant "teacher" or "professor". | |||
Doctor in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dokter | ||
| The word "dokter" originates from the Dutch "doctor", which in turn comes from Latin "doceo" meaning "to teach". | |||
| Javanese | dhokter | ||
| Javanese word 'dhokter' also means 'astrologer', which relates to the historical role of doctors in Javanese court as astronomers. | |||
| Khmer | វេជ្ជបណ្ឌិត | ||
| Lao | ທ່ານ ໝໍ | ||
| Malay | doktor | ||
| The word "doktor" in Malay can also refer to someone who has a doctorate degree, or to a traditional healer. | |||
| Thai | หมอ | ||
| The word "หมอ" can also refer to a traditional Thai healer or a shaman. | |||
| Vietnamese | bác sĩ | ||
| "Bác sĩ" (doctor) in Vietnamese is a combination of two words: "bác" (uncle) and "sĩ" (scholar). It reflects the traditional respect for doctors in Vietnamese culture. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | doktor | ||
Doctor in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | həkim | ||
| The word "həkim" is derived from the Arabic word "ḥakīm", which means "wise" or "learned". | |||
| Kazakh | дәрігер | ||
| The Kazakh word "дәрігер" derives from the Persian word "داروگیر" ("dârugîr"), meaning "medicine-taker" or "healer". | |||
| Kyrgyz | дарыгер | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "дарыгер" is thought to be derived from the Persian word "dārūgar", meaning "healer" or "apothecary". | |||
| Tajik | духтур | ||
| The word "духтур" comes from the Persian word "dukhtar", meaning "daughter" or "female doctor". In Tajik, it can also refer to a male doctor, as well as a teacher or an expert in any field. | |||
| Turkmen | lukman | ||
| Uzbek | shifokor | ||
| In Zoroastrianism, shifokor was a priest who practiced healing and exorcism. | |||
| Uyghur | دوختۇر | ||
Doctor in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kauka | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kauka" can also refer to healers, sorcerers, or magicians. | |||
| Maori | tākuta | ||
| Samoan | fomaʻi | ||
| In the past, 'fomaʻi' referred to traditional healers in Samoa, while 'totonu' referred to those trained in Western medicine. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | doktor | ||
| The Tagalog word "doktor" comes from the Spanish word "doctor" which traces its roots to the Proto-Indo-European word "dok-" meaning "to show". | |||
Doctor in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qulliri | ||
| Guarani | pohãnohára | ||
Doctor in International Languages
| Esperanto | kuracisto | ||
| Esperanto's "kuracisto" shares the root "kurac" ("to heal") with words for "courage" and "cure" in many Slavic languages. | |||
| Latin | medicus | ||
| The word "medicus" in Latin can also refer to a skilled practitioner in a specific field, such as a veterinarian or architect. | |||
Doctor in Others Languages
| Greek | γιατρός | ||
| The word "γιατρός" derives from the verb "γιαίνω" (to heal) and originally referred to a healer or magician. | |||
| Hmong | tus kws kho mob | ||
| In Hmong, the word "tus kws kho mob" also carries the alternate meanings of "priest" and "shaman." | |||
| Kurdish | pizişk | ||
| The word 'pizişk' derives from the Persian word 'pezešk', which originally meant 'learned man'. | |||
| Turkish | doktor | ||
| The Turkish word "doktor" is derived from the Greek word "doktor", meaning "scholar" or "teacher". | |||
| Xhosa | ugqirha | ||
| The word "ugqirha" can also refer to a traditional healer or diviner. | |||
| Yiddish | דאָקטער | ||
| In Yiddish, "דאָקטער" can also refer to a quack, a faith healer, or a veterinarian. | |||
| Zulu | udokotela | ||
| The word "udokotela" has its roots in the Bantu language and is related to the concept of "healing" or "making well". | |||
| Assamese | ডাক্তৰ | ||
| Aymara | qulliri | ||
| Bhojpuri | डाक्टर | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑޮކްޓަރު | ||
| Dogri | डाक्टर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | doktor | ||
| Guarani | pohãnohára | ||
| Ilocano | doktor | ||
| Krio | dɔktɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پزیشک | ||
| Maithili | चिकित्सक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯥꯛꯇꯔ | ||
| Mizo | daktawr | ||
| Oromo | dooktora | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡାକ୍ତର | ||
| Quechua | hanpiq | ||
| Sanskrit | चिकितसिक | ||
| Tatar | табиб | ||
| Tigrinya | ዶክቶር | ||
| Tsonga | dokodela | ||