Updated on March 6, 2024
An educator is a person who facilitates learning, often in a school or academic setting. They play a critical role in shaping the minds of future generations and are highly respected in many cultures. The term 'educator' has been used since the 14th century, and its significance has only grown over time.
Educators are not only teachers but also mentors, coaches, and role models. They inspire students to reach their full potential and foster a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. In many ways, educators are the cornerstone of a thriving society, as they help to pass down knowledge, values, and traditions from one generation to the next.
Understanding the translation of 'educator' in different languages can be fascinating and enlightening. For example, in Spanish, an educator is called 'un educador,' while in French, they are 'un educateur.' In German, the term is 'ein Pädagoge,' and in Japanese, it is 'kyōshi.'
By learning these translations, we gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of educators around the world. We also open up opportunities for cross-cultural communication and collaboration, which is more important than ever in today's globalized world.
Afrikaans | opvoeder | ||
"Opvoeder" is an Afrikaans word for "educator", which is derived from the Dutch "opvoeder" that means "raiser of children." | |||
Amharic | አስተማሪ | ||
'አስተማሪ' is the Amharic word for educator. It is derived from the verb 'ሰማ', which means to hear or understand. | |||
Hausa | mai tarbiya | ||
"Mai tarbiya" can also mean "trainer" or "disciplinarian". | |||
Igbo | onye nkuzi | ||
'Onye nkuzi' is an Igbo word that translates literally to 'one who opens the mind' | |||
Malagasy | mpampianatra | ||
''Mpampianatra'', meaning ''educator'', originates from ''ampianatra'', ''to teach, to instruct''. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphunzitsi | ||
Mpfunzitsi means 'teacher' or 'trainer'. Mpfunzi means 'student'. | |||
Shona | mudzidzisi | ||
The word 'mudzidzisi' derives from the verb 'kudzidzisa', meaning 'to teach' or 'to educate'. It can also be used to refer to a teacher or instructor. | |||
Somali | aqoonyahan | ||
In Somalia, it is also used to refer to a parent or guardian who raises a child. | |||
Sesotho | morupeli | ||
The word "morupeli" is derived from the verb "rula", meaning "to teach" and the prefix "mo-" indicating a person who performs an action. | |||
Swahili | mwalimu | ||
Derived from the Bantu root -lim- 'to lead' but influenced by Arabic, as evidenced by the use of the suffix -u. | |||
Xhosa | utitshala | ||
The word 'utitshala' in Xhosa can also refer to a traditional healer or diviner. | |||
Yoruba | olukọni | ||
The word "olukọni" can also mean "teacher", "instructor", or "tutor" in Yoruba. | |||
Zulu | uthisha | ||
The word "uthisha" derives from the root "thi", meaning "to give", implying that the role of an educator is to impart knowledge. | |||
Bambara | kalanfa ye | ||
Ewe | nufialagã | ||
Kinyarwanda | umurezi | ||
Lingala | molakisi | ||
Luganda | omusomesa | ||
Sepedi | morutiši | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɔkyerɛkyerɛfo | ||
Arabic | مربي | ||
The word "مربي" (murobbi) primarily refers to an educator, but in classical Arabic it also means "one who raises or cultivates". | |||
Hebrew | מְחַנֵך | ||
The word "מְחַנֵך" is also used in Hebrew to mean "instructor" or "mentor". | |||
Pashto | ښوونکی | ||
The Pashto word for "educator" ښوونکی "shoonkai" comes from "ښه" "sho" meaning "good" and "وونکي" "wonkai" meaning "to bring forth or produce" and thus literally means "bringer of good". | |||
Arabic | مربي | ||
The word "مربي" (murobbi) primarily refers to an educator, but in classical Arabic it also means "one who raises or cultivates". |
Albanian | edukatore | ||
The Albanian word “edukatore” comes from the Latin word “educator”, meaning "one who educates, or brings up." | |||
Basque | hezitzailea | ||
The Basque word "hezitzailea," meaning educator, also refers to a person who gives advice or direction. | |||
Catalan | educador | ||
The word "educador" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "educator", which means "one who educates". | |||
Croatian | odgojitelj | ||
The Croatian word "odgojitelj" derives from the verb "odgajati" meaning "to educate" or "to raise" a child. | |||
Danish | underviser | ||
The Danish word “underviser” derives from the verb “undervise,” meaning to teach or instruct. | |||
Dutch | opvoeder | ||
Dutch "opvoeder" was historically a noun for someone who reared farm animals, but gained its present meaning in the 18th century. | |||
English | educator | ||
The word "educator" derives from the Latin words "educere" (to lead out) and "educare" (to train or nourish). | |||
French | éducateur | ||
In French the term can refer to an 'adult' who engages in childcare for another adult. | |||
Frisian | ûnderwizer | ||
The word "ûnderwizer" in Frisian is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*underwisan" meaning "to teach" or "to instruct" | |||
Galician | educador | ||
The word "educador" can also mean the head of a parish, the mayor of an "universidade" (Galician for "district"), the teacher in a parish school or the "mandadeiro" in some Galician councils. | |||
German | erzieher | ||
In addition to its primary meaning of "educator," the German word "Erzieher" can also refer to a "parent" or "guardian." | |||
Icelandic | kennari | ||
"Kennari" is derived from "kenna" (to teach) and "maður" (man), but can also refer to a teacher or instructor more generally, regardless of gender. | |||
Irish | oideoir | ||
The Irish word "oideoir" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ed- "to teach", also seen in the English word "education". | |||
Italian | educatore | ||
The Italian word "educatore" ultimately derives from the Latin word "educare", meaning "to nourish". | |||
Luxembourgish | erzéier | ||
Maltese | edukatur | ||
In Maltese the word 'edukatur', despite meaning 'educator', derives from 'educare', which means 'to lead out' in Latin. | |||
Norwegian | lærer | ||
In Old Norse, 'lærer' means 'teacher' and 'disciple' and is related to the verb 'læra' meaning 'to teach' and 'to learn'. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | educador | ||
"Educador" comes from the Latin word "educare" ("to educate, rear, bring up, nourish") and also means "trainer", "instructor", "pedagogue", "mentor", "teacher". | |||
Scots Gaelic | neach-foghlaim | ||
The Gaelic word "neach-foghlaim" also carries the connotation of a guide, mentor, or counselor. | |||
Spanish | educador | ||
In Spanish, "educador" also refers to a specific type of bird known as a flycatcher. | |||
Swedish | pedagog | ||
In Swedish, the word "pedagog" can also refer to "a person who teaches music". | |||
Welsh | addysgwr | ||
The word 'addysgwr' also means 'scholar' or 'learned person' in Welsh and comes from the word 'addysg', meaning 'education'. |
Belarusian | педагог | ||
The word "педагог" derives from the Greek words "παῖς" (child) and "ἄγω" (to lead), hence "child-leader" | |||
Bosnian | vaspitač | ||
The word “vaspitač” (educator) derives from the Latin word “vospitač”, meaning “educator, teacher”. | |||
Bulgarian | възпитател | ||
The Bulgarian word "възпитател" originally meant "someone who nurtures or raises (a child)", but now also refers to teachers and other educators. | |||
Czech | pedagog | ||
In Czech, "pedagog" comes from the Greek word "paidagogos," originally meaning "slave who leads a child to school." | |||
Estonian | kasvataja | ||
The word "kasvataja" also means "breeder", "grower" or "cultivator", as it derives from the verb "kasvatama" ('to grow'). | |||
Finnish | kouluttaja | ||
The Finnish word "kouluttaja" derives from "koulu" (school) and the suffix "-ttaja" (agent), meaning "a person who makes [someone] attend school". | |||
Hungarian | pedagógus | ||
In Hungarian, a "pedagógus" also specifically means a kindergarten teacher or a school music teacher. | |||
Latvian | pedagogs | ||
In Latvian, the term "pedagogs" (educator) derives from Greek "paidagogos" (child-leader), referring to ancient Greek slaves who guided children to school. | |||
Lithuanian | auklėtoja | ||
"Auklėtoja" shares its root with " | |||
Macedonian | воспитувач | ||
The word "воспитувач" in Macedonian stems from the Slavic root "pitati", meaning "to nurture, to care for". | |||
Polish | pedagog | ||
In Polish, "pedagog" means "educator" but can also refer to a "warden of a dormitory" or "a teacher in charge of a disciplinary dormitory for difficult children." | |||
Romanian | educator | ||
The Romanian word "educator" comes from the Latin word "educere," meaning "to lead out or bring up," and refers to a person who teaches or provides guidance. | |||
Russian | педагог | ||
The term "педагог" derives from the Greek words pais ("child") and agogos ("leader"), thus implying a person who leads, guides, or instructs children. | |||
Serbian | васпитач | ||
The word "васпитач" can also refer to a guardian or chaperone. | |||
Slovak | pedagóg | ||
Pedagóg originated from Greek and consists of two words: "paidós" - "child" and "agóg" - "to lead" | |||
Slovenian | vzgojiteljica | ||
The word "vzgojiteljica" is derived from the Slavic root "vz-goj-iti," meaning "to raise up" or "to cultivate." | |||
Ukrainian | вихователь | ||
The word "вихователь" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *vychovati, meaning "to bring up" or "to raise". |
Bengali | শিক্ষাবিদ | ||
শিক্ষাবিদ শব্দটির উৎপত্তি শিক্ষা শব্দ থেকে এসেছে এবং এর বিকল্প অর্থ হলো শিক্ষক, গুরু, শিক্ষিত ব্যক্তি। | |||
Gujarati | શિક્ષક | ||
The word 'शिक्षक' ('educator') in Gujarati likely originated from Sanskrit, where 'Shiksa' means education and 'Shikshita' refers to an individual who has been educated | |||
Hindi | शिक्षक | ||
In Sanskrit, the word 'शिक्षक' ('shikshak') means 'discipliner' or 'trainer', implying a broader role than simply educating. | |||
Kannada | ಶಿಕ್ಷಣತಜ್ಞ | ||
Malayalam | അധ്യാപകൻ | ||
"അധ്യാപകൻ" can also be interpreted as "one who possesses supreme or profound knowledge." | |||
Marathi | शिक्षक | ||
The word 'शिक्षक' can also refer to a guide, an instructor, or a teacher in Marathi. | |||
Nepali | शिक्षक | ||
"शिक्षक" is derived from the Sanskrit word "shiksha," meaning "teaching" or "instruction." | |||
Punjabi | ਸਿੱਖਿਅਕ | ||
The term "ਸਿੱਖਿਅਕ" is also used to refer to a "follower of Sikhism", reflecting the emphasis on education in Sikh religious practices. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධ්යාපන ator | ||
The Sinhala word "අධ්යාපන ator" is derived from the Sanskrit word "adhyapaka", meaning "teacher". In modern Sinhala, it can also refer to a professor, lecturer, or educational administrator. | |||
Tamil | கல்வியாளர் | ||
"கல்வியாளர்" is also a term for a person who studies the history and theory of education or who works in the field of educational administration. | |||
Telugu | విద్యావేత్త | ||
The word విద్యావేత్త is derived from the Sanskrit word "vidyā," which means knowledge, and the suffix "-vētta," which means one who possesses or knows. | |||
Urdu | معلم | ||
The word "معلم" can also mean "guide" or "indicator" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 教育家 | ||
教育家's etymology is ""教(jiào)育(yù)家(jiā)" = to nurture talents. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 教育家 | ||
教育家 (jiàoyù jiā) is a Chinese word for "educator" that literally translates to "education family." | |||
Japanese | 教育者 | ||
The Sino-Japanese word "教育者" (educator) is a calque of the English word "educator" but is rarely used in modern Japanese. | |||
Korean | 교육자 | ||
교육자 (gyo-yuk-ja) literally means "education person" and can refer to any person involved in education, including teachers, professors, and administrators. | |||
Mongolian | сурган хүмүүжүүлэгч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ပညာပေး | ||
Indonesian | pendidik | ||
The word "pendidik" in Indonesian is derived from the Sanskrit word "pendita," meaning "wise person"} | |||
Javanese | pendidik | ||
In Old Javanese, "pendidik" means "one who has high knowledge and is respected by the community." | |||
Khmer | អ្នកអប់រំ | ||
Lao | ການສຶກສາ | ||
Malay | pendidik | ||
The word "pendidik" in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word "pundita", which means "sage" or "scholar". | |||
Thai | นักการศึกษา | ||
"นักการศึกษา" also means "educationist" in English | |||
Vietnamese | nhà giáo dục | ||
In Vietnamese, "nhà giáo dục" can also refer to someone who is both a teacher and a parent, or to a person who has a great influence on others' education. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tagapagturo | ||
Azerbaijani | tərbiyəçi | ||
The word "tərbiyəçi" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "tarbiyat", meaning "upbringing", "education", or "discipline." | |||
Kazakh | тәрбиеші | ||
Kyrgyz | тарбиячы | ||
"Тарбиячы" (tarbiyachy) is derived from the Arabic "tarbiya," meaning "education," and is also used to refer to teachers and mentors. | |||
Tajik | тарбиятгар | ||
The word “тарбиятгар” also means a person who is in charge of the upbringing of a child. | |||
Turkmen | mugallym | ||
Uzbek | tarbiyachi | ||
The word "tarbiyachi" in Uzbek can also refer to a person who brings up or disciplines someone. | |||
Uyghur | مائارىپچى | ||
Hawaiian | mea aʻo | ||
Hawaiian 'mea aʻo' (literally "thing for teaching") has also been interpreted as "teacher" or "student" depending on context. | |||
Maori | kaiwhakaako | ||
The word 'kaiwhakaako' can also mean 'teacher, scholar, or guide'. | |||
Samoan | faiaoga | ||
"Fa'iaoga" is also used as an honorific title for people of authority or prestige, and for ordained ministers of some Christian denominations in Samoa. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tagapagturo | ||
The word "tagapagturo" also means "one who gives light", highlighting the role of educators in enlightening students. |
Aymara | yatichiri | ||
Guarani | mbo’ehára | ||
Esperanto | edukisto | ||
The Esperanto word "edukisto" can also refer to someone who provides educational materials. | |||
Latin | iuvenum disciplina | ||
The Latin word 'iuvenum disciplina' is literally 'trainer of the young' (iuvenum meaning 'young' and disciplina meaning 'trainer'). |
Greek | παιδαγωγός | ||
The term 'παιδαγωγός' was used in ancient Greece as a generic term for both 'children's companion' and 'educator'. | |||
Hmong | tus qhia ntawv | ||
The Hmong word "tus qhia ntawv" (educator) was formerly a title for those who had mastered the Hmong writing system | |||
Kurdish | perwerdekar | ||
The term perwerdekar originates from the Persian compound word parvaridegar (پرورش دهنده), which means 'one who nourishes or trains'. | |||
Turkish | eğitmen | ||
The word "eğitmen" derives from the Persian word "āmīxtan" meaning "to mix", suggesting the educator's role in blending knowledge and skills in students. | |||
Xhosa | utitshala | ||
The word 'utitshala' in Xhosa can also refer to a traditional healer or diviner. | |||
Yiddish | דערציער | ||
“דערציער” is also used in Yiddish to refer to someone who raises children. | |||
Zulu | uthisha | ||
The word "uthisha" derives from the root "thi", meaning "to give", implying that the role of an educator is to impart knowledge. | |||
Assamese | শিক্ষাবিদ | ||
Aymara | yatichiri | ||
Bhojpuri | शिक्षाविद के नाम से जानल जाला | ||
Dhivehi | އެޑިއުކޭޓަރެވެ | ||
Dogri | शिक्षाविद | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tagapagturo | ||
Guarani | mbo’ehára | ||
Ilocano | edukador | ||
Krio | ɛdyukeshɔn pɔsin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پەروەردەکار | ||
Maithili | शिक्षाविद | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯖꯨꯀꯦꯇꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | zirtirtu a ni | ||
Oromo | barsiisaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଶିକ୍ଷାବିତ୍ | ||
Quechua | yachachiq | ||
Sanskrit | शिक्षाविदः | ||
Tatar | педагог | ||
Tigrinya | መምህር | ||
Tsonga | mudyondzisi | ||