Judge in Different Languages
Discover 'Judge' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'judge' holds great significance in many cultures and languages around the world. As a noun, a judge is someone who has the authority to hear cases in a court of law and to make decisions based on the evidence presented. As a verb, to judge means to form an opinion or conclusion about something or someone. This word has been used in various historical contexts, such as in the Bible where God is often referred to as the ultimate judge.
Understanding the translation of 'judge' in different languages can provide insight into how various cultures view the concept of justice and decision-making. For example, in Spanish, 'judge' is translated as 'juez', while in French, it is 'juge'. In German, the word for 'judge' is 'richter', and in Italian, it is 'giudice'.
Exploring the translations of 'judge' in different languages can be a fascinating journey into the nuances of language and culture. Keep reading to discover more translations of this important word.
Judge
Judge in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oordeel | ||
| The word 'oordeel' can also refer to an opinion or a judgment passed on someone or something. | |||
| Amharic | ፈራጅ | ||
| The word "ፈራጅ" (judge) is derived from the Ge'ez word "ፈርግ" (judgment). | |||
| Hausa | yi hukunci | ||
| In the 19th century, "yi hukunci" also meant "the judge's deputy". | |||
| Igbo | ikpe | ||
| "Ikpe" also refers to a type of traditional Igbo masquerade. | |||
| Malagasy | mpitsara | ||
| The word "mpitsara" in Malagasy is derived from the root word "tsara", meaning "good" or "right". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuweruza | ||
| "Kuweruza" in Nyanja also means "to examine" or "to investigate". | |||
| Shona | mutongi | ||
| The word 'mutongi' shares the same root as 'kutonga,' meaning 'to decide,' and thus refers to someone who has the authority to make decisions. | |||
| Somali | garsoor | ||
| The term 'garsoor' in Somali derives from the Arabic word 'qāḍī,' denoting a judge or an administrator of justice. | |||
| Sesotho | moahloli | ||
| "Moahloli" originates from the verb "ahlola," meaning "to criticize" or "to find fault with." | |||
| Swahili | hakimu | ||
| "Hakimu" also means "wisdom" in various Bantu languages and "ruler" or "leader" in several Chadic languages. | |||
| Xhosa | umgwebi | ||
| The word 'umgwebi' in Xhosa also refers to an impartial person or authority. | |||
| Yoruba | adajo | ||
| The word "adajo" can also refer to a person who settles disputes or a person who gives advice. | |||
| Zulu | umahluleli | ||
| The Zulu word "umahluleli" also means "one who separates" and is rooted in the verb "ahlula" (to separate). | |||
| Bambara | kiiritigɛla | ||
| Ewe | dᴐ ʋᴐnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umucamanza | ||
| Lingala | kosambisa | ||
| Luganda | okusala omusango | ||
| Sepedi | moahlodi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | otemmuafoɔ | ||
Judge in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القاضي | ||
| القاضي (al-qāḍī), or qādī, is an official in many Muslim societies who is responsible for administering justice according to Sharia law. | |||
| Hebrew | לִשְׁפּוֹט | ||
| The Hebrew word 'לִשְׁפּוֹט' ('judge') also has the meaning 'to rule' or 'to dominate'. | |||
| Pashto | قضاوت | ||
| The Pashto word "قضاوت" also refers to a system of Islamic jurisprudence and justice. | |||
| Arabic | القاضي | ||
| القاضي (al-qāḍī), or qādī, is an official in many Muslim societies who is responsible for administering justice according to Sharia law. | |||
Judge in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjykoj | ||
| The word "gjykoj" in Albanian has Proto-Indo-European roots and is related to words like "jury" and "yoke". | |||
| Basque | epaile | ||
| In 15th century Basque, "epaile" was also used to refer to the person responsible for collecting the rent for the church. | |||
| Catalan | jutge | ||
| The word "jutge" also means "to hang" in Catalan, referring to the ancient practice of hanging criminals. | |||
| Croatian | suditi | ||
| "Sud" in "suditi" comes from the Latin "judicium" meaning "law" while "sud" is also a homophone with "sud" meaning "vessel" or "plate". | |||
| Danish | dommer | ||
| In Danish, the word "dommer" has its roots in the old Norse word "dómr," meaning "judgment" or "sentence." | |||
| Dutch | rechter | ||
| The Dutch word "rechter" also means "straight" or "upright", and is cognate with the English words "right" and "righteous". | |||
| English | judge | ||
| The word "judge" originally meant "one who makes right," from the Latin "judicare," meaning "to right, pass judgment on". | |||
| French | juge | ||
| The word "juge" in French can also refer to a type of bird or a water jar. | |||
| Frisian | rjochter | ||
| The word "rjochter" shares an etymology with "right" and "righteous" in English, reflecting its historic association with justice and fairness. | |||
| Galician | xuíz | ||
| In Galician, "xuíz" is a masculine noun derived from the Latin word "iudex", meaning "judge". | |||
| German | richter | ||
| The word "Richter" can also refer to a surveying instrument or a type of sword. | |||
| Icelandic | dómari | ||
| The Old Norse word dómari derives from dómr (meaning "judgment, verdict") and hence implies "one who gives a verdict or pronounces a judgment." | |||
| Irish | breitheamh | ||
| Derived from Proto-Celtic *brigantī, possibly meaning 'high or exalted one'. | |||
| Italian | giudice | ||
| The word "giudice" originally meant "wise man" or "expert" in Latin, and is related to the English word "judge" which shares a similar meaning. | |||
| Luxembourgish | riichter | ||
| The word "Riichter" can also refer to a person who settles disputes or makes decisions in a non-legal setting, such as a sports referee or a mediator. | |||
| Maltese | imħallef | ||
| "Imħallef" is the Maltese word for "judge", but it originally meant "to praise" or "to decide" in Arabic. | |||
| Norwegian | dømme | ||
| In Old Norse, "dømme" referred to a public meeting where the community discussed and resolved disputes. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | juiz | ||
| "Juiz" (judge) comes from the Latin word "iudex" (judge), which comes from the verb "iudicare" (to judge). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | britheamh | ||
| The word "britheamh" in Scots Gaelic has a cognate in Old Irish, where it referred to a poet or a sage. | |||
| Spanish | juez | ||
| The word "juez" comes from the Latin "iudex," meaning "one who says the law." | |||
| Swedish | bedöma | ||
| Though it also means "judge," the word "bedöma" is also used figuratively to mean "determine" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | barnwr | ||
| The word 'barnwr' can also refer to a 'referee' in sports or a 'judge' in a competition. | |||
Judge in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | суддзя | ||
| "Суддзя" is a Belarusian word that shares the same root as the Russian word "судья" and the Polish word "sędzia", all meaning "judge". | |||
| Bosnian | sudija | ||
| The word "sudija" in Bosnian derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*sǫditi" meaning "to judge". | |||
| Bulgarian | съдия | ||
| The word "съдия" (judge) in Bulgarian derives from the ancient Slavic word "sǫditi", meaning "to speak" or "to pronounce a judgment" | |||
| Czech | soudce | ||
| The Czech word "soudce" also means "an umpire" or "a referee." | |||
| Estonian | kohtunik | ||
| The word “kohtunik” was originally a compound of two words: “kohus” meaning “court” and “nik” meaning “man”, thus forming “court man”. Today “kohus” also means “case”, “trial” and “justice”. | |||
| Finnish | tuomari | ||
| The word "tuomari" may also refer to a prophet or a messenger in archaic or literary contexts. | |||
| Hungarian | bíró | ||
| The word "bíró" is also used as the Hungarian name for the ballpoint pen, named after its inventor László Bíró. | |||
| Latvian | tiesnesis | ||
| In Latvian, "tiesnesis" can also mean "one who arranges" or "one who weighs" in historical and archaic contexts. | |||
| Lithuanian | teisėjas | ||
| "Teisėjas" is derived from the Lithuanian word "teisti", meaning "to judge" or "to condemn" | |||
| Macedonian | судија | ||
| The word "судија" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *sǫditi, meaning "to judge" or "to settle a dispute". | |||
| Polish | sędzia | ||
| The Polish word "sędzia" likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sed-," meaning "to sit," reflecting the judge's position as a presiding authority. | |||
| Romanian | judecător | ||
| In Romanian, "judecător" comes from Latin "iudic?tor" and initially meant also "executor" or "officer". | |||
| Russian | судить | ||
| The word "судить" in Russian can also mean "to argue" or "to estimate". | |||
| Serbian | судија | ||
| Судија derives from the verb "ссудити" which means "to lend". | |||
| Slovak | sudca | ||
| The word "sudca" in Slovak originates from the Old Slavic word *sǫditi*, meaning "to judge or govern". | |||
| Slovenian | sodnik | ||
| In some contexts, "sodnik" can also refer to a "water diviner". | |||
| Ukrainian | суддя | ||
| The word "суддя" also means "juror" in Ukrainian. | |||
Judge in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিচারক | ||
| The Bengali word "বিচারক" (judge) originates from the Sanskrit word "विचारक" (vicarak), meaning "thinker" or "one who examines". | |||
| Gujarati | ન્યાયાધીશ | ||
| In addition to its common meaning, "ન્યાયાધીશ" can also refer to an arbitrator or an umpire. | |||
| Hindi | न्यायाधीश | ||
| न्यायाधीश' शब्द की व्युत्पत्ति 'न्याय' + 'अधीश' से हुई है, जिसका अर्थ कानून के शासक या अधिकारी होता है। | |||
| Kannada | ನ್ಯಾಯಾಧೀಶರು | ||
| The term "ನ್ಯಾಯಾಧೀಶರು" can also refer to a person who makes decisions in a court of law. | |||
| Malayalam | ന്യായാധിപൻ | ||
| The word "nyāyādhīpan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "nyāya", meaning "justice" or "law", and "adhīpan", meaning "lord" or "master". | |||
| Marathi | न्यायाधीश | ||
| The word "न्यायाधीश" (nyāyādhīś) in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit "nyāya" (justice) and "adhīś" (lord), hence meaning "lord of justice" or "judge". | |||
| Nepali | न्यायाधीश | ||
| The word 'न्यायाधीश' is derived from Sanskrit and literally means 'a person who administers justice', and can also refer to a 'person who is impartial or fair'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜੱਜ | ||
| The word "ਜੱਜ" (judge) in Punjabi can also mean "inspector" or "examiner" | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විනිසුරු | ||
| විනිසුරු is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word 'vinishchaya-kartṛ', meaning "an arbiter, judge, or umpire," which in turn is derived from the verbal root "niśchay", meaning "to determine, ascertain, or decide." | |||
| Tamil | நீதிபதி | ||
| The word 'நீதிபதி' (judge) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nyāyā' meaning 'justice' or 'equity', and the suffix '-pati' meaning 'lord' or 'master'. | |||
| Telugu | న్యాయమూర్తి | ||
| The Telugu word "న్యాయమూర్తి" (judge) originates from the Sanskrit words "nyāya" (justice) and "mūrti" (form, embodiment), thus literally meaning "embodiment of justice." | |||
| Urdu | جج | ||
| The word "judge" has several meanings in Urdu, including "ruler", "prince", and "judge". | |||
Judge in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 法官 | ||
| The second character in 法官 is the same character used in 法律 (law) and can also mean 'method'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 法官 | ||
| 法官 (fǎguàn) literally means "law officer". | |||
| Japanese | 裁判官 | ||
| The word 裁判官 (judge) literally means 'person who adjudicates' in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 판사 | ||
| The word "판사" (judge) in Korean originally meant "a person who cuts" and was used to refer to butchers or executioners. | |||
| Mongolian | шүүгч | ||
| The word "шүүгч" (judge) in Mongolian, also holds the meaning of "one who separates". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားသူကြီး | ||
| The Burmese word "တရားသူကြီး" can also refer to a religious official, such as a Buddhist monk or a Christian minister, who presides over religious ceremonies or provides guidance on religious matters. | |||
Judge in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hakim | ||
| In Indonesia, hakim can also mean a traditional doctor or medicine man. | |||
| Javanese | hakim | ||
| In Javanese, "hakim" can also refer to a village elder or a respected member of the community. | |||
| Khmer | ចៅក្រម | ||
| The word ចៅក្រម derives from Sanskrit "śrī", meaning "lord", and "krama", meaning "order, protocol", so together meaning "Lord of Protocol" or "Master of Ceremony". | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ພິພາກສາ | ||
| Malay | hakim | ||
| The word "Hakim" is also used in Malay to refer to a person who has expertise or authority in a particular field. | |||
| Thai | ตัดสิน | ||
| "ตัดสิน" is also the Thai word meaning to "decide" or "make a choice". | |||
| Vietnamese | thẩm phán | ||
| "Thẩm phán" comes from Chinese 審判, meaning "to examine and adjudicate". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hukom | ||
Judge in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hakim | ||
| The word "hakim" can also be used to mean a "wise man" or a "philosopher"} | |||
| Kazakh | судья | ||
| The Kazakh word "судья" is derived from the Persian word "داوری" (dāvarī), meaning "arbitration" or "judgment." | |||
| Kyrgyz | сот | ||
| "Сот" in Kyrgyz also refers to a "court session" in a legal context. | |||
| Tajik | судя | ||
| In Tajik, the word "судя" can also mean "according to" or "judging by". | |||
| Turkmen | kazy | ||
| Uzbek | sudya | ||
| The word "sudya" (judge) is derived from the Persian word "qazi" (judge) and is also used in many other Turkic languages. | |||
| Uyghur | سوتچى | ||
Judge in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luna kānāwai | ||
| The word "luna kānāwai" in Hawaiian derives from the word "luna" meaning "overseer, chief" and "kānanāwai," meaning "to make law or statute." | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakawā | ||
| In Māori, "kaiwhakawā" not only means "judge" but also "one who speaks the law" or "one who settles disputes." | |||
| Samoan | faamasino | ||
| "Faamasino", meaning "judge", is also used to refer to traditional Samoan leaders. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hukom | ||
| The word "hukom" is derived from the Spanish word "juicio", meaning "judgment" or "jurisdiction". | |||
Judge in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juysa | ||
| Guarani | tekojojahára | ||
Judge in International Languages
| Esperanto | juĝisto | ||
| The Esperanto word "juĝisto" (judge) also means "one who judges" or "one who evaluates". | |||
| Latin | iudex | ||
| The Latin word "iudex" also signifies a "juror" or "umpire" and is the origin of the English term "jury." | |||
Judge in Others Languages
| Greek | δικαστής | ||
| The word "δικαστής" is derived from the same root as "δικάζω" which means "to judge or decide". | |||
| Hmong | tus kws txiav txim | ||
| The Hmong word "tus kws txiav txim" literally means "person who holds the balance and decides". | |||
| Kurdish | dadmend | ||
| The word "dadmend" is thought to be derived from the Middle Persian word "dātamān," meaning "lord" or "master." | |||
| Turkish | hakim | ||
| Hakim (judge) can also refer to doctors of ancient eastern medicine that combine physical care with spiritual elements of healing. | |||
| Xhosa | umgwebi | ||
| The word 'umgwebi' in Xhosa also refers to an impartial person or authority. | |||
| Yiddish | ריכטער | ||
| The Yiddish word 'ריכטער' ('judge') originally referred to a religious arbitrator who made binding rulings on Jewish law. | |||
| Zulu | umahluleli | ||
| The Zulu word "umahluleli" also means "one who separates" and is rooted in the verb "ahlula" (to separate). | |||
| Assamese | বিচাৰক | ||
| Aymara | juysa | ||
| Bhojpuri | लाट साहेब | ||
| Dhivehi | ގާޟީ | ||
| Dogri | जज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hukom | ||
| Guarani | tekojojahára | ||
| Ilocano | hues | ||
| Krio | jɔj | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دادوەر | ||
| Maithili | न्यायाधीश | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯌꯦꯜ ꯄꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | roreltu | ||
| Oromo | abbaa murtii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିଚାରପତି | ||
| Quechua | kuskachaq | ||
| Sanskrit | न्यायाधीश | ||
| Tatar | судья | ||
| Tigrinya | ዳኛ | ||
| Tsonga | ahlula | ||