Minister in Different Languages
Discover 'Minister' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, the word 'minister' refers to a person who is appointed to perform spiritual functions and give religious guidance. However, its significance extends far beyond the religious realm, as it also denotes individuals who hold high-ranking political positions in various governments around the world. In fact, the concept of a 'minister' is so culturally important that it has been incorporated into the political systems of countries spanning every continent.
Given the word's widespread usage and cultural significance, it's no surprise that people from all walks of life might be interested in learning its translation in different languages. After all, understanding the nuances of this term can provide valuable insights into the political and religious structures of various cultures, as well as facilitate cross-cultural communication and cooperation.
For instance, in Spanish, the word for 'minister' is 'ministro,' while in French, it's 'ministre.' Meanwhile, in Mandarin Chinese, the term for 'minister' is 'minister,' which is a direct transliteration of the English word. And in Arabic, the word for 'minister' is 'wazir,' which also refers to an advisor or counselor.
Minister
Minister in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | predikant | ||
| Its alternate meaning, "teacher," derives from the Old Frisian "predeker," meaning the person who reads the "prediche" (sermon). | |||
| Amharic | ሚኒስትር | ||
| The word "ሚኒስትር" ("minister") in Amharic can also refer to a government official or a religious leader. | |||
| Hausa | ministan | ||
| The Hausa word "minista" (minister) is derived from the English word "minister," and also means 'representative' or 'agent'. | |||
| Igbo | ozi | ||
| Derived from the verb 'ozo', which means 'to speak' | |||
| Malagasy | fanompoam-pivavahana | ||
| The word 'fanompoam-pivavahana' comes from two words meaning 'servant of God' and 'carrier of the word'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtumiki | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "mtumiki" can also mean a servant, an assistant, or an associate. | |||
| Shona | mushumiri | ||
| The word "mushumiri" in Shona has its roots in the verb "shumira", meaning "to serve" or "to attend to", signifying the role of a minister as a servant to the people. | |||
| Somali | wasiirka | ||
| "Wasiirka" is derived from the Arabic word "wazir", meaning "helper" or "counselor." | |||
| Sesotho | mosebeletsi | ||
| The word "mosebeletsi" comes from the root "sebele" which means "to serve". | |||
| Swahili | waziri | ||
| The word "waziri" in Swahili originates from the Arabic word "wazir," which means "helper," and initially referred to a ruler's chief advisor. | |||
| Xhosa | umphathiswa | ||
| 'Umphathiswa' originates from the verb 'phatha', meaning 'to give', and the prefix 'um-' forming a noun indicating an agent, thus suggesting 'one who gives'. | |||
| Yoruba | iranse | ||
| The word "iranse" in Yoruba ultimately derives from the Arabic "wazir" meaning "adviser", and its initial meaning was "royal adviser". | |||
| Zulu | ungqongqoshe | ||
| "Ungqongqoshe" also means a "messenger" and historically refers to a "king's deputy." | |||
| Bambara | minisiri | ||
| Ewe | subɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | minisitiri | ||
| Lingala | ministre | ||
| Luganda | minisita | ||
| Sepedi | moruti | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsomfo | ||
Minister in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وزير | ||
| The term "وزير" (minister) in Arabic is derived from the root "وزر" which also means "burden". | |||
| Hebrew | שר בממשלה | ||
| The Hebrew word "שר בממשלה" can also be used to refer to a member of the Israeli parliament (Knesset), an ordained rabbi, or an administrative officer. | |||
| Pashto | وزیر | ||
| The word "وزیر" can also refer to the chief minister, the most senior official in a ministry. | |||
| Arabic | وزير | ||
| The term "وزير" (minister) in Arabic is derived from the root "وزر" which also means "burden". | |||
Minister in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ministri | ||
| The word 'ministri' in Albanian is derived from the Latin word 'ministerium', meaning 'service' or 'ministry'. | |||
| Basque | ministroa | ||
| The word "ministroa" is a loanword from Spanish, and is used in Basque to refer to a member of a government or an ordained clergyman, as well as the head of a non-public organisation. | |||
| Catalan | ministre | ||
| The Catalan word "ministre" has the same meaning as the English word "minister" but also has the alternate meaning of "servant" or "helper". | |||
| Croatian | ministar | ||
| The Croatian word "ministar" is derived from the Latin word "minister", meaning "servant" or "attendant". | |||
| Danish | minister | ||
| In Danish, the word "minister" can also refer to a priest or pastor. | |||
| Dutch | minister | ||
| In Dutch, "minister" can also refer to a cabinet member or a church pastor. | |||
| English | minister | ||
| The word "minister" can also refer to a senior representative of a government department or a member of the clergy. | |||
| French | ministre | ||
| The French word "ministre" can also refer to a member of a religious order or a high-ranking official in a government, such as a prime minister. | |||
| Frisian | minister | ||
| It's originally a Latin word that means "servant" | |||
| Galician | ministro | ||
| The Galician word "ministro" can also refer to a religious official that assists a priest during mass. | |||
| German | minister | ||
| The German word "minister" can also refer to a servant or a personal assistant. | |||
| Icelandic | ráðherra | ||
| The word "ráðherra" derives from the Old Norse "ráðherr", meaning "counselor to the king", and "herra", meaning "lord" or "master". | |||
| Irish | aire | ||
| The word "aire" also means a "noble" or a "lord" in Middle Irish and Old Irish. | |||
| Italian | ministro | ||
| In Italian, ministro can also mean 'servant', 'agent', or 'official'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | minister | ||
| The Luxembourgish term "Minister" can also refer to a member of the government or an employee in the public service. | |||
| Maltese | ministru | ||
| "Ministru" is an alteration of the Italian "ministro," which is derived from the Latin "minister," meaning "servant". | |||
| Norwegian | minister | ||
| The Norwegian word "minister" means both "minister" and "priest". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ministro | ||
| Portuguese ministro comes from Latin minister (servant), while English minister comes from Latin ministerium (service). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ministear | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word 'ministear' comes from the Latin 'minister', meaning 'servant' or 'attendant'. | |||
| Spanish | ministro | ||
| Spanish "ministro" shares a root with "minor," a priest's assistant. | |||
| Swedish | minister | ||
| The Swedish word "minister" also refers to an assistant in a pharmacy or a government department. | |||
| Welsh | gweinidog | ||
| The word 'gweinidog' in Welsh can also refer to a servant, deacon, or attendant. | |||
Minister in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | міністр | ||
| The Belarusian term "міністр" is derived from the Latin word "minister", meaning "servant" or "assistant". It also has the alternative meaning of "member of a government department". | |||
| Bosnian | ministre | ||
| The word 'ministre' in Bosnian also refers to a government department or a person in charge of a particular branch of government. | |||
| Bulgarian | министър | ||
| The word "министър" also means "agent" or "assistant" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | ministr | ||
| The Czech word "ministr" comes from the Latin word "minister", meaning "servant" or "attendant". | |||
| Estonian | minister | ||
| Lisaks religioossetele ühendustele, kasutatakse sõna 'minister' ka riigiametite nimetamises, nagu näiteks välisminister või justiitsminister. | |||
| Finnish | ministeri | ||
| "Ministērium" in Latin refers to the position, office, or duties of a minister, which in turn comes from the older word "mīnistrāre", meaning "to serve". | |||
| Hungarian | miniszter | ||
| "Miniszter" derives from the Latin "minister", meaning "servant, attendant". | |||
| Latvian | ministrs | ||
| The word "ministrs" in Latvian derives from the German "minister" and denotes "attendant" or "one who serves". Also in Latvian, "ministrs" refers to "head of ministry", but not to a member of the cabinet. | |||
| Lithuanian | ministras | ||
| The word "ministras" can also refer to a servant or assistant in a religious or non-religious context. | |||
| Macedonian | министер | ||
| The word minister in Macedonian can refer to a government, a cabinet, the entire governing body of a municipality, or a representative who is not head of the ministry but is still charged with duties within it. | |||
| Polish | minister | ||
| In Polish, the word minister has additional religious and historical senses, including the meaning 'altar boy'. | |||
| Romanian | ministru | ||
| In Romanian, "ministru" comes from the Latin "minister" meaning "servant", and also refers to members of certain religious orders. | |||
| Russian | министр | ||
| Russian "министр" derives from Latin "minister" via German "Minister", referring to a servant who assists in divine service and eventually to a government official. | |||
| Serbian | министре | ||
| "Ministri" is related to "mind" (мислити, misliti), with a semantic change from "advisor" to "administrator or official". | |||
| Slovak | minister | ||
| The Slovak word "minister" can also mean "deacon" or "pastor". | |||
| Slovenian | minister | ||
| The word "minister" originated from the Latin word "ministrare", meaning "to serve". | |||
| Ukrainian | міністр | ||
| The Ukrainian word "міністр" (minister) derives from the Latin word "minister," meaning "servant" or "attendant." | |||
Minister in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মন্ত্রী | ||
| The word "মন্ত্রী" comes from the Sanskrit word "मंत्री" (mantri), meaning "counselor" or "advisor". | |||
| Gujarati | મંત્રી | ||
| The Gujarati word "મંત્રી"("minister") also means an advisor, a counselor, or a consultant. | |||
| Hindi | मंत्री | ||
| The word "मंत्री" derives from the root "मन्" meaning "to think" and originally meant "counselor" or "advisor". | |||
| Kannada | ಮಂತ್ರಿ | ||
| From Sanskrit 'mantrin', 'mantrī', 'mantriṇa', or 'mantra', meaning 'counselor', 'advisor', or 'trusted official' | |||
| Malayalam | മന്ത്രി | ||
| The word 'മന്ത്രി' can also refer to a trusted advisor or close official in a position of authority. | |||
| Marathi | मंत्री | ||
| मंत्री (minister) comes from the Sanskrit word mantrin, which originally meant 'counselor or advisor'. | |||
| Nepali | मन्त्री | ||
| The word 'मन्त्री' (mantri) is derived from Sanskrit and also means 'counselor' or 'adviser'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੰਤਰੀ | ||
| The word "ਮੰਤਰੀ" in Punjabi shares its origin with the English word "mantra", derived from the Sanskrit word "mantrana" meaning "counsel", and hence also refers to an advisor or counselor. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇමැති | ||
| The Sinhala word "ඇමැති" is cognate with the Tamil word "அமச்சு" and ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "आमात्य" (āmatya), meaning "advisor" or "minister". | |||
| Tamil | அமைச்சர் | ||
| The Tamil word 'அமைச்சர்' can also refer to a member of a village council or a high-ranking official in a palace. | |||
| Telugu | మంత్రి | ||
| The word 'మంత్రి' or 'Mantri' in Telugu can also refer to a counselor or a cabinet minister. | |||
| Urdu | وزیر | ||
| The word "وزیر" (wazir) comes from the Persian word "vizir", which means "burden bearer" or "helper". | |||
Minister in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 部长 | ||
| The word "部长” (bùzhǎng), meaning "minister," is composed of the characters "部" (bù), meaning "department," and "长" (zhǎng), meaning "head". Therefore, the term "部长" is used to refer to the head of a government department. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 部長 | ||
| 部長 (部長) can also refer to the head of a department in a company or organization. | |||
| Japanese | 大臣 | ||
| The word "大臣" in Japanese can also refer to the head of a Buddhist temple. | |||
| Korean | 장관 | ||
| 장관 can also refer to an internal organ, specifically the intestines. | |||
| Mongolian | сайд | ||
| The word "сайд" meaning "minister" is cognate with the Russian word "святой" and the Turkic word "саит". It can also be used to refer to a "saint" or a "holy person". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝန်ကြီး | ||
Minister in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menteri | ||
| The word "menteri" is derived from the Sanskrit word "mantri", meaning "advisor" or "counselor". | |||
| Javanese | mentri | ||
| The Javanese word "mentri" can also refer to supernatural advisors to a ruler. | |||
| Khmer | រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី | ||
| រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី (radthamontrei) in Khmer also refers to those who work in the public service, such as teachers and doctors. | |||
| Lao | ລັດຖະມົນຕີ | ||
| Malay | menteri | ||
| The word 'Menteri' in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Mantrin', which means 'counselor' or 'advisor'. | |||
| Thai | รัฐมนตรี | ||
| In Sanskrit, where the word originates, it denotes a counselor or advisor. | |||
| Vietnamese | bộ trưởng, mục sư | ||
| Bộ trưởng, mục sư (minister) in Vietnamese originates from the Old French word "menistre" meaning "servant" and "official." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ministro | ||
Minister in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nazir | ||
| The word "nazir" can also mean "overseer", "superintendent", or "foreman" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | министр | ||
| In Kazakh, the word “министр” has additional meanings like “official, official’s assistant, government official” | |||
| Kyrgyz | министр | ||
| The word 'министр' is derived from the Latin word 'minister', meaning 'servant' or 'attendant'. | |||
| Tajik | вазир | ||
| The word "вазир" originates from the Arabic word "wizār", which means "burden bearer". | |||
| Turkmen | ministri | ||
| Uzbek | vazir | ||
| The word "vazir" is of Persian origin, and it can also refer to a "weight" or "burden" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | مىنىستىر | ||
Minister in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuhina | ||
| In modern Hawaiian, "kuhina" can refer to a church deacon, a cabinet minister, or an advisor to a chief. | |||
| Maori | minita | ||
| In Maori, 'minita' can also refer to a servant, attendant, or aide. | |||
| Samoan | faifeau | ||
| The word "faifeau" can also be a term of respect for an older male, not necessarily a minister. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ministro | ||
| The Tagalog word "ministro" can also mean "agent", "representative", or "envoy" in English. | |||
Minister in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ministro | ||
| Guarani | ministro | ||
Minister in International Languages
| Esperanto | ministro | ||
| "Ministro" also means "attendant" or "servant" in Latin and Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | minister | ||
| In Latin, "minister" derives from the root "minus" which carries the connotation of "lesser" or "subordinate." | |||
Minister in Others Languages
| Greek | υπουργός | ||
| The Greek word "υπουργός" can also refer to a servant or attendant. | |||
| Hmong | txhawb pab | ||
| The word "txhawb pab" can also mean "shepherd" or "pastor". | |||
| Kurdish | wezîr | ||
| The word "wezîr" is derived from the Arabic word "wazeer" (وزير), meaning "burden bearer" or "helper". | |||
| Turkish | bakan | ||
| In the Ottoman Turkish, "Bakan" was used to refer to the supervisor or guardian of the Sultanate's children and female members, as well as to a government official with administrative responsibilities. | |||
| Xhosa | umphathiswa | ||
| 'Umphathiswa' originates from the verb 'phatha', meaning 'to give', and the prefix 'um-' forming a noun indicating an agent, thus suggesting 'one who gives'. | |||
| Yiddish | מיניסטער | ||
| The Yiddish word "מיניסטער" can also mean "attendant" or "functionary". | |||
| Zulu | ungqongqoshe | ||
| "Ungqongqoshe" also means a "messenger" and historically refers to a "king's deputy." | |||
| Assamese | মন্ত্ৰী | ||
| Aymara | ministro | ||
| Bhojpuri | मंत्री के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މިނިސްޓަރު ޑރ | ||
| Dogri | मंत्री जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ministro | ||
| Guarani | ministro | ||
| Ilocano | ministro | ||
| Krio | minista | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وەزیر | ||
| Maithili | मंत्री | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯟꯠꯔꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯑꯦꯝ | ||
| Mizo | rawngbawltu a ni | ||
| Oromo | ministeera | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ | ||
| Quechua | ministro | ||
| Sanskrit | मन्त्री | ||
| Tatar | министр | ||
| Tigrinya | ሚኒስተር | ||
| Tsonga | mufundhisi | ||