Updated on March 6, 2024
An investor is a person who allocates capital with the expectation of obtaining an additional income or profit. This fundamental concept has been a driving force in the world of economy and finance, fueling innovation, progress, and cultural evolution. The significance of an investor extends beyond financial gains, as they play a crucial role in shaping industries, supporting businesses, and creating jobs.
Throughout history, we have witnessed the impact of influential investors, such as Warren Buffett, whose strategic investments and value-driven approach have made him one of the most successful investors of all time. Moreover, the rise of crowdfunding platforms has democratized the investment landscape, enabling more people to become investors and support projects they believe in.
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding the term 'investor' in different languages is essential for global communication and collaboration. Here are some translations to get you started:
Afrikaans | belegger | ||
Belegger comes from the Dutch verb 'beleggingen', meaning 'to place assets'. It can also refer to a security in an estate plan. | |||
Amharic | ባለሀብት | ||
"ባለሀብት" can also mean "a wealthy person" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | mai saka jari | ||
The Hausa word 'mai saka jari' literally translates to 'one who buys shares' | |||
Igbo | ọorụ | ||
The word "ọorụ" can also refer to a wealthy or influential person in Igbo society. | |||
Malagasy | mpampiasa vola | ||
The word "mpampiasa vola" is derived from the verb "mampiasa" (to use) and the noun "vola" (money), so it literally means "one who uses money". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | wogulitsa | ||
The term "wogulitsa" can also refer to a "shareholder," a "stakeholder," or a "share owner." | |||
Shona | investor | ||
The Shona word "mutsidzi" also means "lender" or "creditor". | |||
Somali | maalgashade | ||
'Maalgashade' is a compound of 'Maalgashi,' which means property or wealth, and 'haye' a suffix denoting a possessor, together meaning the possessor or owner of wealth or property. | |||
Sesotho | motseteli | ||
The noun 'motseteli' ('investor') is sometimes used with a sense of condemnation that it does not bear in English usage. | |||
Swahili | mwekezaji | ||
The Swahili word "mwekezaji" originates from the Arabic word "muwazif," meaning "one who balances" or "equalizer." | |||
Xhosa | umtyali mali | ||
The Xhosa word "umtyali mali" is derived from the word "tyala", meaning "to bring" and "mali", meaning "wealth or property", thus denoting someone who "brings wealth" or "invests". | |||
Yoruba | oludokoowo | ||
The Yoruba word 'oludokoowo' literally means 'owner of money', hence 'investor'. | |||
Zulu | umtshali-zimali | ||
The word "umtshali-zimali" in Zulu is derived from the words "umtshali" (friend) and "zimali" (money), indicating a trusted relationship between the investor and the business. | |||
Bambara | waridonna | ||
Ewe | gadelawo | ||
Kinyarwanda | umushoramari | ||
Lingala | investisseur | ||
Luganda | omusigansimbi | ||
Sepedi | motsetedi | ||
Twi (Akan) | sikakorafo | ||
Arabic | المستثمر | ||
In Arabic, "المستثمر" also refers to someone who benefits from or exploits something, such as resources or knowledge. | |||
Hebrew | משקיע | ||
The Hebrew word 'משקיע', meaning 'investor', derives from the verb 'השקיע', meaning 'to invest' or 'to put money into something'. | |||
Pashto | پانګوونکی | ||
The word "پانګوونکی" is also a term used in Pashto folklore to describe a mythical creature with the ability to bring good fortune. | |||
Arabic | المستثمر | ||
In Arabic, "المستثمر" also refers to someone who benefits from or exploits something, such as resources or knowledge. |
Albanian | investitori | ||
The word "investitori" in Albanian comes from the Italian word "investitore", which means "an individual or institution that provides funds for a business venture". | |||
Basque | inbertitzailea | ||
The word "inbertitzailea" comes from the Latin word "invertere", meaning "to turn in"} | |||
Catalan | inversor | ||
"Inversor" in Catalan can also mean "inverter" (electrical device). | |||
Croatian | investitor | ||
The word 'investitor' is also used metaphorically in Croatian to refer to someone who is deeply involved in a situation or issue. | |||
Danish | investor | ||
The word "investor" in Danish is derived from the Latin word "investire", meaning "to clothe" or "to cover". This reflects the concept of investing as "putting money into" something for the purpose of growth or profit. | |||
Dutch | investeerder | ||
The archaic meaning of "investeerder" is also the person holding a besieged castle against invaders. | |||
English | investor | ||
The word 'investor' ultimately derives from the Latin verb 'investire', meaning 'to clothe', and was first used in English in the 16th century to refer to someone who invests money in a business. | |||
French | investisseur | ||
Though it now solely denotes investors in French, "investisseur" originally referred to those being invested (i.e. knighted). | |||
Frisian | ynvestearder | ||
Der Name "ynvestearder" leitet sich vom friesischen Wort "ynvestearring" ab, was "investieren" bedeutet. | |||
Galician | investidor | ||
"Investidor" en gallego procede del verbo "investir" (vestir) debido a que antiguamente el dinero se llevaba en una bolsa colgando de la vestimenta. | |||
German | investor | ||
The word "Investor" can also refer to a person who invests time or effort in something. | |||
Icelandic | fjárfestir | ||
"Fjárfestir" ultimately derives from the Old Norse "fé", meaning "money" or "livestock", and "festa", meaning "to make fast" or "to secure". | |||
Irish | infheisteoir | ||
The term infheisteoir (investor) originates from the Irish words 'infheist' (investment) and 'oir' (person), implying an individual who engages in the act of investing. | |||
Italian | investitore | ||
The word "investitore" in Italian derives from the Latin verb "investire," meaning "to dress" or "to clothe," and has come to mean "one who invests". | |||
Luxembourgish | investisseur | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Investisseur" can also refer to a type of investment fund. | |||
Maltese | investitur | ||
The word "investitur" has an alternate meaning in Maltese, and it can also refer to an "investiture". | |||
Norwegian | investor | ||
The Norwegian word "investor" is derived from the Latin word "investīre", which means "to clothe" or "to cover." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | investidor | ||
The Portuguese verb 'investir' derives from the Latin 'investire', which means 'to clothe'. | |||
Scots Gaelic | neach-tasgaidh | ||
The word "neach-tasgaidh" is formed from the root word "tasg" meaning "tax, duty, or burden". | |||
Spanish | inversor | ||
In Mexico, "inversor" can also refer to an air conditioner. | |||
Swedish | investerare | ||
In Swedish, the word “investerare” also means “to cover with plaster”. | |||
Welsh | buddsoddwr | ||
"Buddsoddwr" is derived from the Old Welsh word "budd", meaning "advantage" or "benefit", and "dodwr", meaning "receiver", thus signifying "one who receives a benefit". |
Belarusian | інвестар | ||
The word "інвестар" in Belarusian is derived from the Latin word "investor" which means "to invest". | |||
Bosnian | investitor | ||
U bosanskom jeziku riječ „investitor“ ima i značenje „istražitelj“. | |||
Bulgarian | инвеститор | ||
"Инвеститор" comes from the French word "investir" which means "to clothe". | |||
Czech | investor | ||
Investor is derived from the Latin word "investire", meaning "to clothe" or "to cover". | |||
Estonian | investor | ||
Investor originates from the Latin word "invest", meaning "clothe" or "cover". | |||
Finnish | sijoittaja | ||
The term "sijoittaja" is derived from the verb "sijoittaa," which means "to place" or "to put," referring to the action of allocating funds into investments. | |||
Hungarian | befektető | ||
The word "befektető" comes from the verb "befektetni," meaning "to invest" or "to put (money) into something." | |||
Latvian | ieguldītājs | ||
The word "ieguldītājs" comes from the verb "ieguldīt," which means "to invest," and the suffix "-tājs," which indicates a person who performs an action. | |||
Lithuanian | investuotojas | ||
The word "investuotojas" is derived from the Latin word "investire," meaning "to clothe or cover." | |||
Macedonian | инвеститор | ||
The word "инвеститор" in Macedonian is derived from the Latin word "investire", meaning "to clothe" or "dress". | |||
Polish | inwestor | ||
In Polish, "inwestor" can also be translated as "beneficiary" or "shareholder". | |||
Romanian | investitor | ||
The Romanian word "investitor" also means "investigator". | |||
Russian | инвестор | ||
Инвестор (investor) derives from the Latin verb "investire", meaning to dress or adorn oneself, but in Russian it has retained its original economic meaning. | |||
Serbian | инвеститор | ||
The word "инвеститор" can also refer to an investigator or researcher. | |||
Slovak | investor | ||
The Slovak word "investor" can also refer to an inspector or examiner. | |||
Slovenian | investitor | ||
The word "investitor" in Slovenian also means "initiator" or "co-founder". | |||
Ukrainian | інвестор | ||
The word "інвестор" can also refer to a shareholder or a stockholder in the Ukrainian language. |
Bengali | বিনিয়োগকারী | ||
The word "বিনিয়োগকারী" comes from the word "বিনিয়োগ" ("investment") and the suffix "-কারী" ("doer"), and it can also mean a "financier" or a "capitalist". | |||
Gujarati | રોકાણકાર | ||
In Gujarati, "રોકાણકાર" is also used to describe a person who invests in real estate, a more specific usage than in English. | |||
Hindi | इन्वेस्टर | ||
In Sanskrit, "invest" meant "to clothe", and is possibly the origin of the word "investor" in Hindi. | |||
Kannada | ಹೂಡಿಕೆದಾರ | ||
ಹೂಡಿಕೆದಾರ also refers to a person who has a financial interest in a business or project. | |||
Malayalam | നിക്ഷേപകൻ | ||
The word "നിക്ഷേപകൻ" (investor) can also refer to a person who is responsible for the management and investment of funds, such as a financial advisor or money manager. | |||
Marathi | गुंतवणूकदार | ||
Nepali | लगानीकर्ता | ||
The word "लगानीकर्ता" literally translates to "one who has invested money" in Nepali, implying active participation in monetary ventures. | |||
Punjabi | ਨਿਵੇਸ਼ਕ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආයෝජකයා | ||
Tamil | முதலீட்டாளர் | ||
Telugu | పెట్టుబడిదారుడు | ||
Urdu | سرمایہ کار | ||
In Urdu, the word "سرمایہ کار" (investor) is derived from the root word "سرمایہ" (capital), which refers to the initial amount of money used to start a business or investment. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 投资者 | ||
投资者 (tóuzīzhě) can also refer to "speculator" in Mandarin Chinese. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 投資者 | ||
「投資者」一詞在中文中也有「投機者」之意,與英文「investor」涵義有別。 | |||
Japanese | 投資家 | ||
The word "投資家" ("investor") originally meant "a person who invests in a business or enterprise" in Japanese, but it has since come to be used more broadly to refer to "a person who invests money in any form". | |||
Korean | 투자자 | ||
"투자자"는 경영을 위임하는 개인 또는 주체를 뜻하기도 함. | |||
Mongolian | хөрөнгө оруулагч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရင်းနှီးမြှုပ်နှံသူ | ||
Indonesian | investor | ||
The Indonesian word "investor" is derived from the English word "investor" and has the same meaning. | |||
Javanese | investor | ||
The Javanese word 'investor' can also mean 'capitalist' or 'financier'. | |||
Khmer | វិនិយោគិន | ||
This word is derived from the Sanskrit word "viniyoga" meaning "act of committing, application, or investment". | |||
Lao | ນັກລົງທືນ | ||
Malay | pelabur | ||
The word "pelabur" in Malay comes from the Arabic word "al-mubashir" meaning "to inform beforehand" or "to notify". | |||
Thai | นักลงทุน | ||
The term "นักลงทุน" also carries a nuance of "risk-taking adventurers" as opposed to those who only save in banks. | |||
Vietnamese | chủ đầu tư | ||
The word "chủ đầu tư" in Vietnamese can also refer to a property developer or a principal in an investment project. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mamumuhunan | ||
Azerbaijani | investor | ||
The word 'investor' in Azerbaijani, 'investor', derives from the Latin word 'investio', meaning 'to clothe'. It can also refer to the act of investing money or other resources for profit. | |||
Kazakh | инвестор | ||
The Kazakh word "инвестор" (investor) is borrowed from the Russian word "инвестор" (investor). | |||
Kyrgyz | инвестор | ||
Инвестор is a loanword from Russian. | |||
Tajik | сармоягузор | ||
The word сармоягузор (investor) is derived from the Persian word سرمايهگذار, which means "capital investor." | |||
Turkmen | inwestor | ||
Uzbek | investor | ||
Инкасо (инкоссо) - это банковская операция, посредством которой банк, acting on his own behalf or on behalf of a third party, по поручению клиента получает (инкассирует) наличные денежные средства или иные платежи. | |||
Uyghur | مەبلەغ سالغۇچى | ||
Hawaiian | mea hoʻopukapuka kālā | ||
Maori | pūtea | ||
The Maori word "pūtea" is also used to mean "wealth" or "funds." | |||
Samoan | tagata faʻafaigaluega tupe | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) | mamumuhunan | ||
The word "mamumuhunan" is derived from the root word "puhunan", which means "capital" or "investment". |
Aymara | qullqichir jaqi | ||
Guarani | inversionista rehegua | ||
Esperanto | investanto | ||
Investo can mean investor or investment. | |||
Latin | investor | ||
The Latin "investor" can also mean a "garment" that covers something. |
Greek | επενδυτής | ||
The Greek word επενδυτής, meaning 'investor,' comes from the word ενδύω, meaning 'to put on.' | |||
Hmong | neeg ua lag luam | ||
Neeg ua lag luam also means "person who does business" or "person who trades" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | veberhêner | ||
The word is derived from the word "berh", meaning "profit". | |||
Turkish | yatırımcı | ||
The word "yatırımcı" literally means "the one who lies down", referring to the idea of waiting patiently for a return on your investment. | |||
Xhosa | umtyali mali | ||
The Xhosa word "umtyali mali" is derived from the word "tyala", meaning "to bring" and "mali", meaning "wealth or property", thus denoting someone who "brings wealth" or "invests". | |||
Yiddish | ינוועסטער | ||
The word "ינוועסטער" (investor) in Yiddish is derived from the German word "Investor," meaning "one who invests." | |||
Zulu | umtshali-zimali | ||
The word "umtshali-zimali" in Zulu is derived from the words "umtshali" (friend) and "zimali" (money), indicating a trusted relationship between the investor and the business. | |||
Assamese | বিনিয়োগকাৰী | ||
Aymara | qullqichir jaqi | ||
Bhojpuri | निवेशक के बा | ||
Dhivehi | އިންވެސްޓަރެވެ | ||
Dogri | निवेशक दा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mamumuhunan | ||
Guarani | inversionista rehegua | ||
Ilocano | immuhusto | ||
Krio | invashɔn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | وەبەرهێنەر | ||
Maithili | निवेशक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯅꯚꯦꯁ꯭ꯇꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | investor a ni | ||
Oromo | invastara ta’e | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ନିବେଶକ | ||
Quechua | qullqi churaq | ||
Sanskrit | निवेशकः | ||
Tatar | инвестор | ||
Tigrinya | ኣውፋሪ | ||
Tsonga | muvekisi | ||