Duty in Different Languages
Discover 'Duty' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'duty' carries a significant weight in our daily lives, representing obligations, responsibilities, and moral commitments. Its cultural importance is evident across societies, guiding our actions and shaping our values. Understanding the translation of 'duty' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how various cultures perceive and prioritize duty.
For instance, in Spanish, 'duty' is 'deber,' which also means 'should' or 'ought to,' emphasizing the moral and social aspects of duty. In German, 'duty' becomes 'Pflicht,' a term deeply rooted in German philosophy and culture. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'giri' represents a sense of duty or social obligation, often influenced by cultural norms and expectations.
Exploring the nuances of 'duty' in various languages can enrich our understanding of cultural values and global perspectives. Discover how this powerful term resonates across the world, from 'devoir' in French to 'obbligo' in Italian, and beyond.
Duty
Duty in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | plig | ||
| The word "plig" is derived from the Dutch word "plicht", meaning "duty", and it also has a secondary meaning of "obligation". | |||
| Amharic | ግዴታ | ||
| 'ግዴታ' also means 'obligation' and is related to the word 'ግዳም' (obligation). | |||
| Hausa | aiki | ||
| The word "aiki" in Hausa can also mean "obligation" or "responsibility." | |||
| Igbo | ọrụ | ||
| Igbo word "ọrụ" also connotes "destiny" or "that which one is called to do." | |||
| Malagasy | adidy | ||
| The Malagasy word "ADIDY" can also refer to the respect or regard one has for others and the law. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ntchito | ||
| The word "ntchito" is also used to refer to work, employment, or occupation. | |||
| Shona | basa | ||
| In some situations, basa can mean 'work' instead of 'duty'. | |||
| Somali | waajib | ||
| 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". | |||
| Sesotho | mosebetsi | ||
| "Mosebetsi" can also mean "service" in this context. | |||
| Swahili | wajibu | ||
| The word "wajibu" has its roots in Arabic, where it means "duty" or "obligation". | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| "Umsebenzi" can also be used to refer to a person's purpose in life. | |||
| Yoruba | ojuse | ||
| Derived from the Yoruba phrase 'oju ise' meaning 'the face of work', ojuse also means 'attention to task'. | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| 'Umsebenzi' also means 'task,' 'purpose,' and 'work' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | baara | ||
| Ewe | dᴐdeasi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inshingano | ||
| Lingala | mosala | ||
| Luganda | omulimu | ||
| Sepedi | mošomo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asodie | ||
Duty in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهمة | ||
| The Arabic word "مهمة" (duty) derives from the verb "همّ" (to care), highlighting the weight and significance associated with one's obligations. | |||
| Hebrew | חוֹבָה | ||
| In Rabbinic Hebrew the word also refers to a monetary debt. | |||
| Pashto | دنده | ||
| The word "دنده" in Pashto can also mean "religion" or "faith". | |||
| Arabic | مهمة | ||
| The Arabic word "مهمة" (duty) derives from the verb "همّ" (to care), highlighting the weight and significance associated with one's obligations. | |||
Duty in Western European Languages
| Albanian | detyrë | ||
| "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". | |||
| Basque | betebeharra | ||
| Betebeharra ('duty') is also used to refer to the 'obligation to pay taxes'. | |||
| Catalan | deure | ||
| The Catalan word "deure" comes from the Latin word "debere", which means "to owe" or "to be obliged". | |||
| Croatian | dužnost | ||
| The word "dužnost" is a homonym, sharing its spelling with "dug" ("debt") but with a distinct Slavic etymology deriving from the Old Slavic "dolgu". | |||
| Danish | pligt | ||
| The word "pligt" is derived from the Old Norse word "plikt", which means "obligation" or "responsibility". | |||
| Dutch | plicht | ||
| In Dutch, "plicht" has cognates in English such as "pliant" and "ply," referring to its original meaning of "to fold" or "to bend." | |||
| English | duty | ||
| The word 'duty' derives from the French word 'devoir,' meaning 'to owe,' and also has the alternate meaning of a tax or fee. | |||
| French | devoir | ||
| The French word "devoir" also means "assignment" or "homework", a meaning it shares with its etymological root in Latin, "debēre." | |||
| Frisian | plicht | ||
| The Frisian word "plicht" has a second, unrelated meaning — "a flat piece of land reclaimed from the sea". | |||
| Galician | deber | ||
| The Galician word "deber" not only means "duty", but also "debt" | |||
| German | pflicht | ||
| 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. | |||
| Icelandic | skylda | ||
| The word “skylda” also means “debt”, but the two meanings are unrelated and come from different roots. | |||
| Irish | dleacht | ||
| "Dleacht" is also used to refer to milk yield or milking a cow. | |||
| Italian | dovere | ||
| 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. | |||
| Luxembourgish | flicht | ||
| The word “Flicht” also refers to an obligation imposed by God or the state. | |||
| Maltese | dazju | ||
| The Maltese word "dazju" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "dazj," meaning "tax" or "customs duty." | |||
| Norwegian | plikt | ||
| The word 'plikt' is derived from the Old Norse word 'plikt', which meant 'obligation' or 'responsibility'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dever | ||
| The word "dever" also translates to "must" and "need" in English. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dleasdanas | ||
| The word 'dleasdanas' is also used in the context of 'obligation' or 'responsibility'. | |||
| Spanish | deber | ||
| The Spanish word 'deber' can also refer to homework. | |||
| Swedish | plikt | ||
| The word "plikt" in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word "plikt", meaning "obligation" or "responsibility." | |||
| Welsh | dyletswydd | ||
| The Welsh word "dyletswydd" finds its roots in the Old Welsh phrase "dylyu + gwas," meaning "a person who is obliged to do service." | |||
Duty in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абавязак | ||
| The word "абавязак" likely derives from an Indo-European root meaning "to tie" or "to bind". | |||
| Bosnian | dužnost | ||
| The word "dužnost" can also refer to a "fee" or an "obligation". | |||
| Bulgarian | дълг | ||
| The word "дълг" also means "debt" in Bulgarian, reflecting the shared etymological root with the Latin word "debitum." | |||
| Czech | povinnost | ||
| The word 'povinnost' is derived from the Old Czech word 'povinen', meaning 'obliged' or 'bound'. | |||
| Estonian | kohustus | ||
| Kohustus derives from the Estonian verb "kohustama" meaning to oblige or to compel someone to do or to refrain from something. | |||
| Finnish | velvollisuus | ||
| "Velvollisuus" comes from the word "velvollinen", which comes from the Old Norse "vel". "Vel" means "obligation", "duty", "responsibility" and "compulsion". | |||
| Hungarian | kötelesség | ||
| Kötelesség derives from a Turkic word that originally meant "obligation to the ruler". | |||
| Latvian | nodoklis | ||
| Nodoklis may also refer to a form of feudal tax payment used in historical Latgale. | |||
| Lithuanian | pareiga | ||
| The word "pareiga" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-*, meaning "to take care of" or "to protect." | |||
| Macedonian | должност | ||
| Должност in Macedonian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dolgъ, meaning "debt" or "obligation," and is related to the Russian word долг "duty," debt | |||
| Polish | obowiązek | ||
| In Old Polish, obowiązek could mean both an obligation and a legal privilege granted by the monarch. | |||
| Romanian | datorie | ||
| 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 | долг | ||
| The Russian word "долг" can also refer to a debt owed to a bank or other institution. | |||
| Serbian | дужност | ||
| The Serbian word 'дужност' comes from the Old Church Slavonic word 'длъгъ', which originally meant 'debt' and also referred to moral obligations and responsibilities. | |||
| Slovak | povinnosť | ||
| "Povinnosť" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "povinъ", which means "obligation" or "liability." | |||
| Slovenian | dolžnost | ||
| The word 'dolžnost' originates from the Old Slavic word 'dolga', which means 'debt' or 'obligation'. | |||
| Ukrainian | обов'язок | ||
| In 16th century Ukrainian, the word "обов'язок" meant "obligation" or "contractual agreement". | |||
Duty in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কর্তব্য | ||
| The word 'কর্তব্য' comes from the Sanskrit root 'krt', meaning 'to do' or 'to make'. | |||
| Gujarati | ફરજ | ||
| ફરજ's secondary meaning is a type of tax or fee. | |||
| Hindi | कर्तव्य | ||
| Its Sanskrit root, "kr", means "to make" or "to do"} | |||
| Kannada | ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Malayalam | കടമ | ||
| 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". | |||
| Marathi | कर्तव्य | ||
| 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. | |||
| Nepali | कर्तव्य | ||
| कर्तव्य (kartavya) is derived from the Sanskrit root "krit" meaning "do" and can also mean "task" or "obligation". | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਿ dutyਟੀ | ||
| The word "ਡਿ dutyਟੀ" derives from the Sanskrit word "धर्म" (dharma), meaning "duty, morality, or law". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රාජකාරිය | ||
| The word "රාජකාරිය" (duty) is derived from the Sanskrit word "rāja-karya" and can also refer to royal service or work. | |||
| Tamil | கடமை | ||
| 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 | ||
| "విధి" (vidhi) means a prescribed or obligatory course of action or result, or a divine ordinance or decree. | |||
| Urdu | ڈیوٹی | ||
| ڈیوٹی is similar to the French word "droit" which means "law" and is also used in the sense of "toll". | |||
Duty in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 义务 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 義務 can also mean "obligation" or "responsibility". | |||
| Japanese | 関税 | ||
| 関税 (pronounced 'kanzei') originally meant 'barrier' but shifted to its modern meaning in the mid-19th century. | |||
| Korean | 의무 | ||
| The word "의무" (duty) in Korean can also refer to an obligation or a moral responsibility. | |||
| Mongolian | үүрэг | ||
| "Үүрэг" also means "responsibility" and originates from the verb "yii" (to bear). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တာဝန် | ||
| The word "တာဝန်" is derived from the Pali word "tavana", which means "weight" or "burden". | |||
Duty in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tugas | ||
| "Tugas" also refers to a school assignment, as in "I need to finish my tugas." | |||
| Javanese | tugas | ||
| In Javanese, the word | |||
| Khmer | កាតព្វកិច្ច | ||
| The Khmer term "កាតព្វកិច្ច" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṛtyakṛtya", which means "that which ought to be done" or "obligation" | |||
| Lao | ໜ້າ ທີ່ | ||
| Malay | tugas | ||
| "Tugas" also means "task" in some dialects of the Malay language and can be used in both formal and informal settings. | |||
| Thai | หน้าที่ | ||
| หน้าที่ can also refer to the face or appearance of something | |||
| Vietnamese | nhiệm vụ | ||
| "Nhiệm vụ" derives from the Chinese "任務" and has the secondary meaning of "function" or "mission". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tungkulin | ||
Duty in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | vəzifə | ||
| "Vəzifə" comes from the Arabic word "wazīfa", which means "task" or "function". | |||
| Kazakh | міндет | ||
| In Turkish, the word "minnet" means "gratitude", but in Kazakh "міндет" originally meant "request" or "favor". | |||
| Kyrgyz | милдет | ||
| Милдет also means 'responsibility, burden' or 'favor, charity' depending on context and part of speech. | |||
| Tajik | боҷ | ||
| The word "боҷ" in Tajik also means "respect" or "honour". | |||
| Turkmen | borjy | ||
| Uzbek | burch | ||
| 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. | |||
| Uyghur | ۋەزىپە | ||
Duty in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuleana | ||
| ʻKuleanaʻ also means 'responsibility', 'burden', or 'obligation'. | |||
| Maori | hopoi'a | ||
| 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. | |||
| Samoan | tiute | ||
| "Tiute" is also used in Samoan to refer to the obligation of a family to the village.} | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tungkulin | ||
| In the Philippines, this word refers to one's social, civic, and political obligations | |||
Duty in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phuqhaña | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
Duty in International Languages
| Esperanto | devo | ||
| "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." | |||
| Latin | officium | ||
| Officium' derives from the root 'opus,' meaning work or task, hence its alternate meaning as 'office' (a place of work). | |||
Duty in Others Languages
| Greek | καθήκον | ||
| The word "καθήκον" is derived from the verb "κάθημαι" (to sit), which is related to the notion of being present and responsible for something. | |||
| Hmong | luag haujlwm | ||
| The Hmong word "luag haujlwm" can also refer to a specific type of tax or payment. | |||
| Kurdish | wezîfe | ||
| The word "wezîfe" in Kurdish originates from the Persian word "vazife" and also refers to military service or a task assigned to a soldier. | |||
| Turkish | görev | ||
| 'Görev' originates from the Turkish verb 'göre-' ('to see') and shares the root with 'görüntü' ('image') and 'gösteri' ('show'). | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| "Umsebenzi" can also be used to refer to a person's purpose in life. | |||
| Yiddish | פליכט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פֿליכט" also means "a fold" or "a crease". | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| 'Umsebenzi' also means 'task,' 'purpose,' and 'work' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | দায়িত্ব | ||
| Aymara | phuqhaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | डिउटी | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑިއުޓީ | ||
| Dogri | ड्यूटी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tungkulin | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
| Ilocano | rebbengen | ||
| Krio | wok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەرک | ||
| Maithili | कर्तव्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | tihtur | ||
| Oromo | hojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | kamay | ||
| Sanskrit | कर्म | ||
| Tatar | бурыч | ||
| Tigrinya | ግዳጅ | ||
| Tsonga | ntirho | ||