Engineer in Different Languages
Discover 'Engineer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word engineer holds immense significance in our modern world. Engineers, the professionals who design, build, and maintain structures, devices, and systems, have shaped the course of human history. From the Great Wall of China to the International Space Station, engineering feats have left indelible marks on our cultural landscape.
Moreover, the term 'engineer' itself has a rich linguistic and cultural heritage. Derived from the Latin ingeniare, meaning 'to contrive or devise', the word has evolved through various languages, reflecting the global impact of engineering.
Understanding the translation of 'engineer' in different languages not only broadens your linguistic horizons but also offers insights into the cultural importance of engineering in various societies. For instance, in Spanish, an engineer is an ingeniero, in French, they're an ingénieur, and in German, they're a Ingenieur.
Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the multilingual world of engineering!
Engineer
Engineer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ingenieur | ||
| The word "ingenieur" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "ingenieur" and the French word "ingénieur", both meaning "engineer". | |||
| Amharic | መሐንዲስ | ||
| The word "መሐንዲስ" can also refer to a person who designs or builds something, such as a house or a machine. | |||
| Hausa | injiniya | ||
| The word "injiniya" in Hausa originates from the English word "engineer" and also means "technician". | |||
| Igbo | njinia | ||
| The word "njinia" also denotes an "artisan" or "craftsman" and derives from the word "njinya" which means "to construct" or "carve". | |||
| Malagasy | injeniera | ||
| The word "injeniera" in Malagasy is thought to have derived from the French word "ingenieur," which means "engineer. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | injiniya | ||
| The word "injiniya" also refers to a traditional healer who uses herbs and other natural remedies to treat illnesses. | |||
| Shona | mainjiniya | ||
| Alternate meaning of 'mainjiniya' in Shona is 'the creator of things'. | |||
| Somali | injineer | ||
| In Somali, "injineer" can also mean "technician" or "craftsman". | |||
| Sesotho | moenjiniere | ||
| Moenjiniere is derived from the Dutch word “ingenieur”, itself derived from the Latin “ingenium” meaning “cleverness” or “talent”. | |||
| Swahili | mhandisi | ||
| Derived from the Arabic word "muhandis" meaning "one who devises"} | |||
| Xhosa | injineli | ||
| In Xhosa, "injineli" derives from the English word "engineer," but also carries the broader meaning of "craftsman" or "skilled worker." | |||
| Yoruba | ẹlẹrọ | ||
| The word "ẹlẹrọ" can also refer to a person who repairs machines, or to a person who is skilled in a particular craft. | |||
| Zulu | unjiniyela | ||
| The word 'unjiniyela' in Zulu can also be used to refer to someone who is generally skilled or knowledgeable. | |||
| Bambara | ɛnzeniyɛri | ||
| Ewe | aɖaŋudɔwɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | injeniyeri | ||
| Lingala | enzieniere | ||
| Luganda | yinginiya | ||
| Sepedi | moentšineere | ||
| Twi (Akan) | engyinia | ||
Engineer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهندس | ||
| The term مهندس (muhandis) in Arabic is derived from the Persian word "handasa" which means "geometry". | |||
| Hebrew | מהנדס | ||
| The word "מהנדס" also has the secondary, archaic meaning of "architect." | |||
| Pashto | انجینر | ||
| The Pashto word "انجینر" also means "engine" and is derived from the English word "engine". | |||
| Arabic | مهندس | ||
| The term مهندس (muhandis) in Arabic is derived from the Persian word "handasa" which means "geometry". | |||
Engineer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | inxhinier | ||
| The word "inxhinier" in Albanian is ultimately derived from the Greek word "ingenium," which means "skill," and also shares a common root with the word "ingenious." | |||
| Basque | ingeniaria | ||
| In Basque, the word "ingeniaria" can also refer to a "skillful person" or a "cunning person." | |||
| Catalan | enginyer | ||
| The word "enginyer" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "ingeniator", meaning "one who designs or invents". | |||
| Croatian | inženjer | ||
| "Inženjer" in old Slavic languages meant "clever person" or "genius". | |||
| Danish | ingeniør | ||
| In Danish, “ingeniør” is derived from the Latin word “ingenium,” meaning “natural ability” or “talent.” | |||
| Dutch | ingenieur | ||
| In Dutch "ingenieur" originally referred only to military engineers involved in fortifications and defense. | |||
| English | engineer | ||
| "Engineering" can also refer to the work done by a locomotive or an entire railway system. | |||
| French | ingénieur | ||
| In French, "ingénieur" also means someone who designs and builds fortifications, like a castle or city wall. | |||
| Frisian | yngenieur | ||
| In Frisian, "yngenieur" not only means "engineer," but also "inventor" and "schemer." | |||
| Galician | enxeñeiro | ||
| The Galician word "enxeñeiro" ("engineer") derives from the Latin word "ingeniarius" meaning "a clever person or inventor". | |||
| German | ingenieur | ||
| The German word "Ingenieur" derives both from the Latin phrase "ingenium excolere” (meaning "to develop or refine skills”) as well as the French "ingeigneur”, a term referring to early military and fortification specialists. | |||
| Icelandic | verkfræðingur | ||
| The term also refers specifically to a mechanical or civil engineer, though the word "verk" can refer to any work. | |||
| Irish | innealtóir | ||
| The word "innealtóir" in Irish derives from the word "inneall," meaning "machine," and originally referred to a person who operated or built machines. | |||
| Italian | ingegnere | ||
| The Italian word "ingegnere" (engineer) derives from the Latin word "ingenium", meaning "natural ability" or "native talent". | |||
| Luxembourgish | ingenieur | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Ingenieur" also means "mechanic" or "technician". | |||
| Maltese | inġinier | ||
| The term "inġinier" is derived from the Latin word "ingeniator", meaning "one who devises". In Maltese, it can also refer to a machinist or mechanic. | |||
| Norwegian | ingeniør | ||
| The Norwegian word "ingeniør" is derived from the Latin word "ingenium". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | engenheiro | ||
| In Portuguese, "engenheiro" derives from Latin "ingeniare" (to contrive), also originating "engine" and "genius" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | innleadair | ||
| The word "innleadair" in Scots Gaelic also means "contriver" or "designer." | |||
| Spanish | ingeniero | ||
| "Ingeniero" is Spanish for "engineer" but also refers to a "clever person" or "someone with ingenuity" | |||
| Swedish | ingenjör | ||
| The word 'ingenjör' in Swedish derives from the Latin word 'ingenium' meaning 'talent' or 'ability'. | |||
| Welsh | peiriannydd | ||
| The Welsh word "peiriannydd" derives from the word "peiriant," meaning "machine" or "engine," and "ydd," which signifies an agent or doer. | |||
Engineer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | інжынер | ||
| The Belarusian word “інжынер” (“engineer”) comes from the French word “ingénieur” and means "one who has skill in devices". In some cases, it can also mean "a person clever at something". | |||
| Bosnian | inženjer | ||
| The word "inženjer" originates from the French word "ingénieur" and the Latin word "ingenium", meaning "natural ability" or "intelligence". | |||
| Bulgarian | инженер | ||
| The word "инженер" in Bulgarian can also refer to a driver of a train or a steam engine. | |||
| Czech | inženýr | ||
| The Czech word "inženýr" comes from the German "Ingenieur," but originally comes from the Latin word "ingenium," meaning "inborn talent" or "cleverness." | |||
| Estonian | insener | ||
| The word "insener" in Estonian is derived from the French word "ingénieur", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "ingenium" meaning "innate ability" or "cleverness". | |||
| Finnish | insinööri | ||
| The word 'insinööri' is derived from the French word 'ingénieur', which is in turn derived from the Latin word 'ingenium', meaning 'skill' or 'cleverness'. | |||
| Hungarian | mérnök | ||
| The word mérnök derives from the Latin word 'mensor', meaning 'measurer'. | |||
| Latvian | inženieris | ||
| The word "inženieris" is derived from the French word "ingénieur", which in turn comes from the Latin word "ingenium", meaning "innate ability" or "cleverness". | |||
| Lithuanian | inžinierius | ||
| The word "inžinierius" derives from the French word "ingénieur", which itself originated from the Latin "ingenium" meaning "innate quality, talent, ability". | |||
| Macedonian | инженер | ||
| The term "engineer" derives from the Latin word "ingenium", which means "cleverness" or "ingenuity." | |||
| Polish | inżynier | ||
| The word "inżynier" in Polish derives from the Latin "ingeniator", meaning "one who creates". In German, it is "Ingenieur" and in French, "ingénieur". | |||
| Romanian | inginer | ||
| The word "inginer" is borrowed from German, and originally referred to someone who operates an engine. | |||
| Russian | инженер | ||
| The word "инженер" derives from the French word "ingénieur", which in turn comes from the Latin word "ingenium", meaning "cleverness" or "skill". | |||
| Serbian | инжењер | ||
| The word инжењер (engineer) in Serbian comes from the French word "ingénieur" via German "Ingenieur" and ultimately derives from the Latin word "ingenium" meaning "innate ability or talent" | |||
| Slovak | inžinier | ||
| The word "inžinier" in Slovak also means "foreman" in Czech and Polish. | |||
| Slovenian | inženir | ||
| The word "inženir" is derived from the Latin word "ingeniare," meaning "to devise" or "to contrive." | |||
| Ukrainian | інженер | ||
| Інженер – давньолатинське слово від ingenium – обдарованість, винахідливість, кмітливість. | |||
Engineer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইঞ্জিনিয়ার | ||
| The word "ইঞ্জিনিয়ার" in Bengali also has connotations of "artistry" and "creativity". | |||
| Gujarati | ઇજનેર | ||
| The word "ઇજનેર" comes from the Latin word "ingenium", meaning "cleverness" or "skill", and is related to the word "engine", which originally referred to a clever or ingenious device. | |||
| Hindi | इंजीनियर | ||
| The Hindi word 'इंजीनियर' ('engineer') is derived from the Latin word 'ingeniator', meaning 'inventor or designer'. | |||
| Kannada | ಎಂಜಿನಿಯರ್ | ||
| The word 'ಎಂಜಿನಿಯರ್' is derived from the Latin word 'ingenium', meaning 'skill' or 'ability'. | |||
| Malayalam | എഞ്ചിനീയർ | ||
| In Malayalam, 'എഞ്ചിനീയർ' is borrowed from English and has the alternate meaning '(person) with mechanical skills' | |||
| Marathi | अभियंता | ||
| The word 'अभियंता' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'abhiyāna', which means 'to devise, plan, or undertake' | |||
| Nepali | ईन्जिनियर | ||
| The Nepali word "ईन्जिनियर" is derived from the English word "engineer", but can also refer to a doctor or a craftsman. | |||
| Punjabi | ਇੰਜੀਨੀਅਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉංජිනේරු | ||
| In Sinhala, "ඉංජිනේරු" can also refer to a skilled craftsman or artisan, beyond its modern meaning of "engineer". | |||
| Tamil | பொறியாளர் | ||
| The word "பொறியாளர்" (engineer) in Tamil can also mean "artisan" or "craftsman". | |||
| Telugu | ఇంజనీర్ | ||
| In Telugu, 'ఇంజనీర్' ('engineer') derives from the Sanskrit word 'yantra', meaning 'machine' or 'weapon', reflecting the historical association between engineering and these concepts in the region. | |||
| Urdu | انجینئر | ||
| The word "انجینئر" is derived from the Latin word "ingeniare", meaning "to devise" or "to create". | |||
Engineer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 工程师 | ||
| 工程师是日语舶来词，本义为“机关手”，后在汉语中引申为技术人员的统称。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 工程師 | ||
| The first character 工 means work and the second character 程 means a pattern or course of procedure. | |||
| Japanese | エンジニア | ||
| エンジニア(engineer)は、もとは「機関手」を意味する言葉だった。 | |||
| Korean | 공학자 | ||
| The word "공학자" is a Sino-Korean compound with two meanings: "one who studies the techniques of engineering" and "one who designs and builds machines." | |||
| Mongolian | инженер | ||
| The word "инженер" is borrowed from the Russian language and ultimately derives from the French word "ingénieur". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အင်ဂျင်နီယာ | ||
Engineer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | insinyur | ||
| The word "insinyur" in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word "ingenieur". | |||
| Javanese | insinyur | ||
| The Javanese word "insinyur" is derived from the Dutch word "ingenieur", which in turn is derived from the Latin word "ingenium", meaning "cleverness" or "skill". | |||
| Khmer | វិស្វករ | ||
| The word វិស្វករ (engineer) is derived from the Sanskrit word विंशति (viṃśati), meaning "twenty". This is because in ancient India, engineers were responsible for overseeing the construction of large projects, which often involved the management of twenty or more workers. | |||
| Lao | ວິສະວະກອນ | ||
| Malay | jurutera | ||
| "Jurutera" is derived from the Sanskrit word "yantra" (machine), and also refers to a traditional healer or herbalist in Malay and Indonesian languages. | |||
| Thai | วิศวกร | ||
| In Thai, 'วิศวกร' (wisawakon) can also refer to architects, draftsmen, and mechanics. | |||
| Vietnamese | kỹ sư | ||
| The word "kỹ sư" derives from Sino-Vietnamese and literally means "skillful expert". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inhinyero | ||
Engineer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mühəndis | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "mühəndis" is rooted in the Persian word "muhandis," which also translates to "engineer." | |||
| Kazakh | инженер | ||
| The word "инженер" in Kazakh originally derives from the French word "génie" and also refers to a person specializing in civil engineering. | |||
| Kyrgyz | инженер | ||
| The word can also refer to a person who designs or builds machines or structures. | |||
| Tajik | муҳандис | ||
| The word "муҳандис" ultimately comes from an Old Persian word for "craftsman". | |||
| Turkmen | inerener | ||
| Uzbek | muhandis | ||
| The word "muhandis" is borrowed from Persian and can also mean "architect" or "constructor" | |||
| Uyghur | ئىنژېنېر | ||
Engineer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻenekinia | ||
| 'enekinia' is also used to refer to someone who operates or manages a business or organization. | |||
| Maori | kaipūkaha | ||
| Samoan | inisinia | ||
| The word 'inisinia' stems from 'inisi' (ignition) and '-nia' (knowledge), signifying mastery in operating and repairing machinery. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | inhenyero | ||
| "Inhenyero" is derived from Spanish "ingeniero," which evolved from the Latin word "ingenium," meaning "innate quality, natural ability, or talent." | |||
Engineer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | injiniru | ||
| Guarani | papapykuaahára | ||
Engineer in International Languages
| Esperanto | inĝeniero | ||
| The Esperanto word “inĝeniero” comes from French “ingénieur” and Latin “ingeniator” (inventor, designer), and is a compound of “ingenium” (skill, talent) and “-tor” (agent). | |||
| Latin | fectum | ||
| In classical Latin 'fectum' can also mean 'beauty' or 'elegance', hence how some Roman women used it as a name. | |||
Engineer in Others Languages
| Greek | μηχανικός | ||
| The ancient Greek word "μηχανικός" not only meant "engineer" but also "inventor" or "trickster." | |||
| Hmong | kws ua choj | ||
| "Kws ua choj" derives from the word "choj," which originally meant "to carve," indicating the technical or design aspect of their craft. | |||
| Kurdish | hendese | ||
| In Kurdish, the word 'hendese' can also refer to 'geometry' or 'surveying'. | |||
| Turkish | mühendis | ||
| The word | |||
| Xhosa | injineli | ||
| In Xhosa, "injineli" derives from the English word "engineer," but also carries the broader meaning of "craftsman" or "skilled worker." | |||
| Yiddish | ינזשעניר | ||
| The Yiddish word “ינדזשענער” (inzhenir) is borrowed from the Russian word “инженер” (inzhener) and the German word “Ingenieur,” both ultimately derived from the Latin word “ingenium,” meaning “innate quality, natural ability, talent.” | |||
| Zulu | unjiniyela | ||
| The word 'unjiniyela' in Zulu can also be used to refer to someone who is generally skilled or knowledgeable. | |||
| Assamese | অভিযন্তা | ||
| Aymara | injiniru | ||
| Bhojpuri | इंजीनियर | ||
| Dhivehi | އިންޖިނޭރު | ||
| Dogri | इंजीनियर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inhinyero | ||
| Guarani | papapykuaahára | ||
| Ilocano | inhiniero | ||
| Krio | injinia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەندازیار | ||
| Maithili | अभियंता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯅꯖꯤꯅꯤꯌꯔ | ||
| Mizo | engineer | ||
| Oromo | injinara | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଇଞ୍ଜିନିୟର | ||
| Quechua | ingeniero | ||
| Sanskrit | अभियंता | ||
| Tatar | инженер | ||
| Tigrinya | መሃንዲስ | ||
| Tsonga | muinjhinere | ||