Duty in Different Languages
Discover 'Duty' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Duty
Afrikaans plig | ||
Albanian detyrë | ||
Amharic ግዴታ | ||
Arabic مهمة | ||
Armenian հերթապահություն | ||
Assamese দায়িত্ব | ||
Aymara phuqhaña | ||
Azerbaijani vəzifə | ||
Bambara baara | ||
Basque betebeharra | ||
Belarusian абавязак | ||
Bengali কর্তব্য | ||
Bhojpuri डिउटी | ||
Bosnian dužnost | ||
Bulgarian дълг | ||
Catalan deure | ||
Cebuano katungdanan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 义务 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 義務 | ||
Corsican duvere | ||
Croatian dužnost | ||
Czech povinnost | ||
Danish pligt | ||
Dhivehi ޑިއުޓީ | ||
Dogri ड्यूटी | ||
Dutch plicht | ||
English duty | ||
Esperanto devo | ||
Estonian kohustus | ||
Ewe dᴐdeasi | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) tungkulin | ||
Finnish velvollisuus | ||
French devoir | ||
Frisian plicht | ||
Galician deber | ||
Georgian მოვალეობა | ||
German pflicht | ||
Greek καθήκον | ||
Guarani tembiapo | ||
Gujarati ફરજ | ||
Haitian Creole devwa | ||
Hausa aiki | ||
Hawaiian kuleana | ||
Hebrew חוֹבָה | ||
Hindi कर्तव्य | ||
Hmong luag haujlwm | ||
Hungarian kötelesség | ||
Icelandic skylda | ||
Igbo ọrụ | ||
Ilocano rebbengen | ||
Indonesian tugas | ||
Irish dleacht | ||
Italian dovere | ||
Japanese 関税 | ||
Javanese tugas | ||
Kannada ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ | ||
Kazakh міндет | ||
Khmer កាតព្វកិច្ច | ||
Kinyarwanda inshingano | ||
Konkani कर्तव्य | ||
Korean 의무 | ||
Krio wok | ||
Kurdish wezîfe | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ئەرک | ||
Kyrgyz милдет | ||
Lao ໜ້າ ທີ່ | ||
Latin officium | ||
Latvian nodoklis | ||
Lingala mosala | ||
Lithuanian pareiga | ||
Luganda omulimu | ||
Luxembourgish flicht | ||
Macedonian должност | ||
Maithili कर्तव्य | ||
Malagasy adidy | ||
Malay tugas | ||
Malayalam കടമ | ||
Maltese dazju | ||
Maori hopoi'a | ||
Marathi कर्तव्य | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ | ||
Mizo tihtur | ||
Mongolian үүрэг | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) တာဝန် | ||
Nepali कर्तव्य | ||
Norwegian plikt | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) ntchito | ||
Odia (Oriya) କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ | ||
Oromo hojii | ||
Pashto دنده | ||
Persian وظیفه | ||
Polish obowiązek | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) dever | ||
Punjabi ਡਿ dutyਟੀ | ||
Quechua kamay | ||
Romanian datorie | ||
Russian долг | ||
Samoan tiute | ||
Sanskrit कर्म | ||
Scots Gaelic dleasdanas | ||
Sepedi mošomo | ||
Serbian дужност | ||
Sesotho mosebetsi | ||
Shona basa | ||
Sindhi فرض | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) රාජකාරිය | ||
Slovak povinnosť | ||
Slovenian dolžnost | ||
Somali waajib | ||
Spanish deber | ||
Sundanese tugas | ||
Swahili wajibu | ||
Swedish plikt | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) tungkulin | ||
Tajik боҷ | ||
Tamil கடமை | ||
Tatar бурыч | ||
Telugu విధి | ||
Thai หน้าที่ | ||
Tigrinya ግዳጅ | ||
Tsonga ntirho | ||
Turkish görev | ||
Turkmen borjy | ||
Twi (Akan) asodie | ||
Ukrainian обов'язок | ||
Urdu ڈیوٹی | ||
Uyghur ۋەزىپە | ||
Uzbek burch | ||
Vietnamese nhiệm vụ | ||
Welsh dyletswydd | ||
Xhosa umsebenzi | ||
Yiddish פליכט | ||
Yoruba ojuse | ||
Zulu umsebenzi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "plig" is derived from the Dutch word "plicht", meaning "duty", and it also has a secondary meaning of "obligation". |
| Albanian | "Detër" comes from the Latin word "debitum", which means "an amount owed". The term "det" in Old Romance meant "a debt", and eventually "a tax". The modern Romanian word "dat" also derives from "det" and means "tax". |
| Amharic | 'ግዴታ' also means 'obligation' and is related to the word 'ግዳም' (obligation). |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "مهمة" (duty) derives from the verb "همّ" (to care), highlighting the weight and significance associated with one's obligations. |
| Azerbaijani | "Vəzifə" comes from the Arabic word "wazīfa", which means "task" or "function". |
| Basque | Betebeharra ('duty') is also used to refer to the 'obligation to pay taxes'. |
| Belarusian | The word "абавязак" likely derives from an Indo-European root meaning "to tie" or "to bind". |
| Bengali | The word 'কর্তব্য' comes from the Sanskrit root 'krt', meaning 'to do' or 'to make'. |
| Bosnian | The word "dužnost" can also refer to a "fee" or an "obligation". |
| Bulgarian | The word "дълг" also means "debt" in Bulgarian, reflecting the shared etymological root with the Latin word "debitum." |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "deure" comes from the Latin word "debere", which means "to owe" or "to be obliged". |
| Cebuano | Katungdanan is derived from the root word 'tungod' in which it means duty, moral obligation and responsibility |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word '义' (义) originally meant 'right' or 'justice', and '务' (务) meant 'affairs' or 'business', together forming '义务' (义务) to mean 'obligation' or 'duty'. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 義務 can also mean "obligation" or "responsibility". |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "duvere" also denotes an obligatory offering to a superior, similar to the feudal concept of "fealty". |
| Croatian | The word "dužnost" is a homonym, sharing its spelling with "dug" ("debt") but with a distinct Slavic etymology deriving from the Old Slavic "dolgu". |
| Czech | The word 'povinnost' is derived from the Old Czech word 'povinen', meaning 'obliged' or 'bound'. |
| Danish | The word "pligt" is derived from the Old Norse word "plikt", which means "obligation" or "responsibility". |
| Dutch | In Dutch, "plicht" has cognates in English such as "pliant" and "ply," referring to its original meaning of "to fold" or "to bend." |
| Esperanto | "Devo" in Esperanto comes from the French word "devoir" (meaning "duty") but is also related to the Latin "devovere," which means "to consecrate oneself to a deity." |
| Estonian | Kohustus derives from the Estonian verb "kohustama" meaning to oblige or to compel someone to do or to refrain from something. |
| Finnish | "Velvollisuus" comes from the word "velvollinen", which comes from the Old Norse "vel". "Vel" means "obligation", "duty", "responsibility" and "compulsion". |
| French | The French word "devoir" also means "assignment" or "homework", a meaning it shares with its etymological root in Latin, "debēre." |
| Frisian | The Frisian word "plicht" has a second, unrelated meaning — "a flat piece of land reclaimed from the sea". |
| Galician | The Galician word "deber" not only means "duty", but also "debt" |
| Georgian | The word "მოვალეობა" in Georgian is also used to refer to moral obligations, responsibilities, or liabilities. |
| German | The word "Pflicht" originally referred to a ploughman's or farmer's obligation to the feudal lord, while also carrying the concept of protection or security in return for that service. |
| Greek | The word "καθήκον" is derived from the verb "κάθημαι" (to sit), which is related to the notion of being present and responsible for something. |
| Gujarati | ફરજ's secondary meaning is a type of tax or fee. |
| Haitian Creole | The word "devwa" in Haitian Creole comes from the French word "devoir", meaning "obligation" or "responsibility". |
| Hausa | The word "aiki" in Hausa can also mean "obligation" or "responsibility." |
| Hawaiian | ʻKuleanaʻ also means 'responsibility', 'burden', or 'obligation'. |
| Hebrew | In Rabbinic Hebrew the word also refers to a monetary debt. |
| Hindi | Its Sanskrit root, "kr", means "to make" or "to do"} |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "luag haujlwm" can also refer to a specific type of tax or payment. |
| Hungarian | Kötelesség derives from a Turkic word that originally meant "obligation to the ruler". |
| Icelandic | The word “skylda” also means “debt”, but the two meanings are unrelated and come from different roots. |
| Igbo | Igbo word "ọrụ" also connotes "destiny" or "that which one is called to do." |
| Indonesian | "Tugas" also refers to a school assignment, as in "I need to finish my tugas." |
| Irish | "Dleacht" is also used to refer to milk yield or milking a cow. |
| Italian | The phrase "dovere morale" (duty of morality) is used in reference to the duty that is not imposed by any law or rule, but rather by one's own conscience. |
| Japanese | 関税 (pronounced 'kanzei') originally meant 'barrier' but shifted to its modern meaning in the mid-19th century. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, the word |
| Kannada | The Kannada word 'ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ' is related to the Sanskrit verb 'कृ' (meaning 'to do') and also carries the additional meaning of 'work', 'activity', or 'function'. |
| Kazakh | In Turkish, the word "minnet" means "gratitude", but in Kazakh "міндет" originally meant "request" or "favor". |
| Khmer | The Khmer term "កាតព្វកិច្ច" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṛtyakṛtya", which means "that which ought to be done" or "obligation" |
| Korean | The word "의무" (duty) in Korean can also refer to an obligation or a moral responsibility. |
| Kurdish | The word "wezîfe" in Kurdish originates from the Persian word "vazife" and also refers to military service or a task assigned to a soldier. |
| Kyrgyz | Милдет also means 'responsibility, burden' or 'favor, charity' depending on context and part of speech. |
| Latin | Officium' derives from the root 'opus,' meaning work or task, hence its alternate meaning as 'office' (a place of work). |
| Latvian | Nodoklis may also refer to a form of feudal tax payment used in historical Latgale. |
| Lithuanian | The word "pareiga" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-*, meaning "to take care of" or "to protect." |
| Luxembourgish | The word “Flicht” also refers to an obligation imposed by God or the state. |
| Macedonian | Должност in Macedonian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dolgъ, meaning "debt" or "obligation," and is related to the Russian word долг "duty," debt |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "ADIDY" can also refer to the respect or regard one has for others and the law. |
| Malay | "Tugas" also means "task" in some dialects of the Malay language and can be used in both formal and informal settings. |
| Malayalam | The word "കടമ" (duty) in Malayalam originates from the Proto-Dravidian root '*kaṭ-am-' meaning "to bind". It also refers to "a debt" or "obligation". |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "dazju" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "dazj," meaning "tax" or "customs duty." |
| Maori | The word "hopoi'a" also means "to make firm" or "to cause to be established," suggesting a connection between one's obligations and the stability of society. |
| Marathi | The word "कर्तव्य" in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit "कृ" (to do) and refers to an obligation or prescribed action based on one's role or position. |
| Mongolian | "Үүрэг" also means "responsibility" and originates from the verb "yii" (to bear). |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "တာဝန်" is derived from the Pali word "tavana", which means "weight" or "burden". |
| Nepali | कर्तव्य (kartavya) is derived from the Sanskrit root "krit" meaning "do" and can also mean "task" or "obligation". |
| Norwegian | The word 'plikt' is derived from the Old Norse word 'plikt', which meant 'obligation' or 'responsibility'. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "ntchito" is also used to refer to work, employment, or occupation. |
| Pashto | The word "دنده" in Pashto can also mean "religion" or "faith". |
| Persian | The word "وظیفه" can also mean "obligation" or "responsibility". |
| Polish | In Old Polish, obowiązek could mean both an obligation and a legal privilege granted by the monarch. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word "dever" also translates to "must" and "need" in English. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਡਿ dutyਟੀ" derives from the Sanskrit word "धर्म" (dharma), meaning "duty, morality, or law". |
| Romanian | The Romanian word «datorie» is related to «dara», a term used during the medieval Ottoman Empire to describe a type of tax levied on conquered populations. |
| Russian | The Russian word "долг" can also refer to a debt owed to a bank or other institution. |
| Samoan | "Tiute" is also used in Samoan to refer to the obligation of a family to the village.} |
| Scots Gaelic | The word 'dleasdanas' is also used in the context of 'obligation' or 'responsibility'. |
| Serbian | The Serbian word 'дужност' comes from the Old Church Slavonic word 'длъгъ', which originally meant 'debt' and also referred to moral obligations and responsibilities. |
| Sesotho | "Mosebetsi" can also mean "service" in this context. |
| Shona | In some situations, basa can mean 'work' instead of 'duty'. |
| Sindhi | "فرض" also translates to religious law in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "රාජකාරිය" (duty) is derived from the Sanskrit word "rāja-karya" and can also refer to royal service or work. |
| Slovak | "Povinnosť" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "povinъ", which means "obligation" or "liability." |
| Slovenian | The word 'dolžnost' originates from the Old Slavic word 'dolga', which means 'debt' or 'obligation'. |
| Somali | The Somali word "waajib" has multiple meanings, including "obligation", "duty", and "religious duty". It is derived from the Arabic word "wajib", which also means "duty" or "obligation". |
| Spanish | The Spanish word 'deber' can also refer to homework. |
| Sundanese | Tugas also means 'a group of people' (usually laborers) who receive a task or assignment. |
| Swahili | The word "wajibu" has its roots in Arabic, where it means "duty" or "obligation". |
| Swedish | The word "plikt" in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word "plikt", meaning "obligation" or "responsibility." |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | In the Philippines, this word refers to one's social, civic, and political obligations |
| Tajik | The word "боҷ" in Tajik also means "respect" or "honour". |
| Tamil | The word "கடமை" can also refer to a debt or obligation, or the sum of duties owed by a person to society or to God. |
| Telugu | "విధి" (vidhi) means a prescribed or obligatory course of action or result, or a divine ordinance or decree. |
| Thai | หน้าที่ can also refer to the face or appearance of something |
| Turkish | 'Görev' originates from the Turkish verb 'göre-' ('to see') and shares the root with 'görüntü' ('image') and 'gösteri' ('show'). |
| Ukrainian | In 16th century Ukrainian, the word "обов'язок" meant "obligation" or "contractual agreement". |
| Urdu | ڈیوٹی is similar to the French word "droit" which means "law" and is also used in the sense of "toll". |
| Uzbek | The word “burch” is also used with the meaning of “burden”. However, this usage is mostly restricted to the western and eastern dialects and is not commonly encountered in the central dialects. |
| Vietnamese | "Nhiệm vụ" derives from the Chinese "任務" and has the secondary meaning of "function" or "mission". |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "dyletswydd" finds its roots in the Old Welsh phrase "dylyu + gwas," meaning "a person who is obliged to do service." |
| Xhosa | "Umsebenzi" can also be used to refer to a person's purpose in life. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "פֿליכט" also means "a fold" or "a crease". |
| Yoruba | Derived from the Yoruba phrase 'oju ise' meaning 'the face of work', ojuse also means 'attention to task'. |
| Zulu | 'Umsebenzi' also means 'task,' 'purpose,' and 'work' in Zulu. |
| English | The word 'duty' derives from the French word 'devoir,' meaning 'to owe,' and also has the alternate meaning of a tax or fee. |