Occupation in Different Languages
Discover 'Occupation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'occupation' carries great significance as it represents not only a person's job or profession but also the act of occupying a space or role in society. Its cultural importance is evident in the way it shapes our identities and influences our social status. Understanding the translation of 'occupation' in different languages can provide valuable insights into various cultural perspectives and nuances.
For instance, in Spanish, 'occupation' is 'ocupación', while in French, it is 'occupation'. In German, it is 'Beruf' or 'Beschäftigung', and in Japanese, it is 'shokugyou' or 'tsuuchou'. These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also highlight the unique cultural contexts in which the concept of 'occupation' is understood.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'occupation' in different languages can be beneficial for global communication, career advancement, and cultural exploration. It can help break down language barriers and foster a deeper appreciation for the world's rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
Occupation
Occupation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beroep | ||
| The word 'beroep' can also refer to a profession or calling, and derives from the Dutch word 'beroep' which in turn comes from 'beroepen', 'to call' | |||
| Amharic | ሥራ | ||
| In Amharic, "ሥራ" (occupation) is also used to refer to a person's work or job. | |||
| Hausa | sana'a | ||
| The word "sana'a" in Hausa also means "craft" or "trade". | |||
| Igbo | akaọrụ | ||
| Akaọrụ can also refer to a job or profession, denoting one's specific role or activity within a particular field. | |||
| Malagasy | fibodoana | ||
| The word "fibodoana" can also refer to actions such as taking up a post or assuming a new role. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ntchito | ||
| The word "ntchito" is originally derived from the verb "kuchita" meaning "to do" or "to perform", and implies active engagement in tasks | |||
| Shona | basa | ||
| "Basa" also means a "dwelling place", as a noun, and "staying" or "to stay", as a verb in Shona. | |||
| Somali | shaqo | ||
| The word "shaqo" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "shughl" and also means "business" or "task"} | |||
| Sesotho | mosebetsi | ||
| The Sesotho word 'mosebetsi' can also mean 'a place of work' or 'a task'. | |||
| Swahili | kazi | ||
| The Swahili word "kazi" can also refer to a "job", "work", or "task" in English. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| The Xhosa word "umsebenzi" also refers to a duty or task that one is expected to perform. | |||
| Yoruba | ojúṣe | ||
| "Ọ̀júṣe" can also mean "an appearance", "a sight", or an "aspect." | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| 'Umsebenzi' also means 'work' and its root is '-sebenza' which means 'to work'. | |||
| Bambara | baara | ||
| Ewe | dɔwɔna | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwuga | ||
| Lingala | mosala | ||
| Luganda | omulimu | ||
| Sepedi | mošomo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwuma | ||
Occupation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | احتلال | ||
| The word “احتلال” can also refer to an occupation, i.e., a profession or trade. | |||
| Hebrew | כיבוש | ||
| כיבוש ('occupation') also means 'conquest,' and in the plural כיבושים can refer to conquests in the sense of land acquisition or military victories. | |||
| Pashto | مسلک | ||
| The word "مسلک" in Pashto can also refer to a person's profession, trade, or calling, or to a particular field of study or knowledge. | |||
| Arabic | احتلال | ||
| The word “احتلال” can also refer to an occupation, i.e., a profession or trade. | |||
Occupation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | okupimi | ||
| The word "okupimi" in Albanian is an abstract noun formed from the verb "okupoj" (to occupy), which itself derives from the French "occuper". | |||
| Basque | okupazioa | ||
| In Basque, "okupazioa" also refers to the illegal occupation of abandoned buildings. | |||
| Catalan | ocupació | ||
| The word ocupació has two meanings in Catalan: employment and military occupation. | |||
| Croatian | okupacija | ||
| In Croatian, 'okupacija' also refers to the act of illegally occupying abandoned buildings or land. | |||
| Danish | beskæftigelse | ||
| The term "beskæftigelse" can also refer to an occupation in the sense of a hobby or pastime, similar to the use of the word "occupation" in English. | |||
| Dutch | bezetting | ||
| "Bezette" can also mean "to sit" or "to occupy a seat", which is related to the original meaning of "occupation" as a military term. | |||
| English | occupation | ||
| The word 'occupation' also refers to a person's profession or trade. | |||
| French | occupation | ||
| In French, "occupation" can also mean "employment" or "profession." | |||
| Frisian | berop | ||
| In Frisian, the word "berop" can also refer to a profession, trade, or business. | |||
| Galician | ocupación | ||
| In Galician, "ocupación" also means "trade" or "profession". | |||
| German | besetzung | ||
| "Besetzung" comes from the Middle High German word "besetzen," which means "to garrison" or "to besiege." | |||
| Icelandic | iðja | ||
| The word "iðja" also means "industry" and is related to the Old Norse word "iðn", meaning "labor, work, or effort." | |||
| Irish | slí bheatha | ||
| 'Slí bheatha' can also mean 'path of life' or 'way of life,' as it is made of the words 'slí' (path or way) and 'beatha' (life). | |||
| Italian | occupazione | ||
| Occupying a space in Italian can mean to inhabit a building or a seat on public transport. | |||
| Luxembourgish | besetzung | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Besetzung" can also mean "garnishing" or "trimming" in the context of food preparation. | |||
| Maltese | okkupazzjoni | ||
| In the case of Malta, the word "okkupazzjoni" has a complex history, stemming from a military term and a later political context. | |||
| Norwegian | yrke | ||
| Yrke comes from the Old Norse Yrki, which originally meant an achievement requiring skill. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ocupação | ||
| In Portuguese, "ocupação" can also mean "job" or "profession". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dreuchd | ||
| Dreuchd derives from the Old French "droite," meaning "straight," and also refers to a "right" or "privilege." | |||
| Spanish | ocupación | ||
| In Spanish, 'ocupación' has additional meanings such as 'job' and 'hobby' | |||
| Swedish | ockupation | ||
| The word "ockupation" can also refer to a type of illegal squatting in Sweden. | |||
| Welsh | galwedigaeth | ||
| The word 'galwedigaeth' is derived from the Latin word 'vocatio' meaning 'calling' or 'summons'. | |||
Occupation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | акупацыі | ||
| The term "акупацыі" can also be used in the context of a job or trade. | |||
| Bosnian | zanimanje | ||
| The word "zanimanje" in Bosnian also means "interest" or "passion". | |||
| Bulgarian | професия | ||
| Професия (Bulgarian for "occupation") derives from "profession" via Greek and Latin, and has the same meaning in Bulgarian as in English. | |||
| Czech | obsazení | ||
| The word "obsazení" also means "cast" in the context of a play or movie. | |||
| Estonian | okupatsioon | ||
| The word "okupatsioon" is derived from the Latin word "occupatio" meaning "taking possession of" and can also refer to a military takeover of a territory. | |||
| Finnish | ammatti | ||
| The word "ammatti" originates from the Proto-Finnic word "*amatti", meaning "skill" or "ability." | |||
| Hungarian | foglalkozása | ||
| The word 'Foglalkozása' also means 'profession' and comes from the verb 'foglalkozik', which means 'to deal with' or 'to be engaged in'. | |||
| Latvian | nodarbošanās | ||
| "Nodarbošanās" has the additional meaning "a way how to spend time" from Proto-Balto-Slavic ōb-dʰer-bh- | |||
| Lithuanian | užsiėmimas | ||
| The word "užsiėmimas" in Lithuanian not only means "occupation" but also has the additional meaning of "hobby" or "activity." | |||
| Macedonian | занимање | ||
| "Занимање" originally meant "care" or "concern", but later developed the meaning of "occupation" or "profession". | |||
| Polish | zawód | ||
| In the Polish language, the word "zawód" originally meant "calling" or "vocation". | |||
| Romanian | ocupaţie | ||
| "Ocupație" can also mean job, profession, or trade. | |||
| Russian | занятие | ||
| The word "ЗАНЯТИЕ" can also mean "occupation" or "lesson" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | занимање | ||
| The word "занимање" can also refer to a hobby or interest, something that one enjoys doing in their free time. | |||
| Slovak | okupácia | ||
| The word "okupácia" (occupation) in Slovak also refers to a group of people who illegally occupy empty buildings. | |||
| Slovenian | poklic | ||
| The word “poklic” is derived from the German word “Beruf” and originally meant “a religious calling”. | |||
| Ukrainian | окупація | ||
| The word 'окупація' in Ukrainian is derived from the Latin word 'occupatio', meaning 'to take possession' or 'to hold possession'. | |||
Occupation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পেশা | ||
| The word পেশা comes from the Sanskrit word “vritti”, which means “that which protects” and also “that by which a man protects himself”. | |||
| Gujarati | વ્યવસાય | ||
| Hindi | कब्जे | ||
| The Hindi word "occupation" can also mean "possession" and is related to the word "". | |||
| Kannada | ಉದ್ಯೋಗ | ||
| "ಉದ್ಯೋಗ" comes from the Sanskrit word "उद्योग" (udyoga), which also refers to "effort, endeavor, or project". | |||
| Malayalam | തൊഴിൽ | ||
| The word "തൊഴിൽ" (occupation) is derived from the root "തൊഴി" (toil) and originally meant "to work hard or labor". It also has the alternate meaning of "a job or profession". | |||
| Marathi | व्यवसाय | ||
| The word व्यवसाय in Marathi is also used to refer to "business" or "profession". | |||
| Nepali | पेशा | ||
| The word 'peśā' is also used to refer to caste, which is an alternate meaning of its cognate in Sanskrit. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਿੱਤਾ | ||
| The word "ਕਿੱਤਾ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कृत्य", meaning "thing to be done". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රැකියාව | ||
| The Sinhala word "රැකියාව" (occupation) also refers to the act of watching or taking care of someone or something. | |||
| Tamil | தொழில் | ||
| The Tamil word 'தொழில்' (tozhil) is derived from the verb 'தொழ' (tozh) meaning 'to worship' and can also refer to a person's 'calling' or 'duty'. | |||
| Telugu | వృత్తి | ||
| The Telugu word "వృత్తి" can also refer to a person's caste or profession, reflecting the traditional caste system in Indian society. | |||
| Urdu | قبضہ | ||
| The word “قبضہ” (occupation) in Urdu comes from the Arabic word “قبض,” which means to seize or take possession. | |||
Occupation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 占用 | ||
| The word 占用 (occupy) is derived from Chinese characters 佔 (take by force) and 用 (use), meaning to seize and utilize. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 佔用 | ||
| The word "佔用" has multiple meanings in Chinese, referring to the use of an area, a seat, or a position. | |||
| Japanese | 職業 | ||
| The word "職業" ("occupation") in Japanese originally referred to "calling" or "vocation". | |||
| Korean | 직업 | ||
| '직업' is also a word for 'job' or 'profession' and is composed of the Sino-Korean roots '직' (direct) and '업' (work). | |||
| Mongolian | ажил мэргэжил | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလုပ်အကိုင် | ||
Occupation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pendudukan | ||
| In Indonesian, 'pendudukan' also has the connotation of 'settlement' or 'inhabitation,' reflecting its historical origins in describing both colonial occupation and indigenous inhabitation. | |||
| Javanese | pendhudhukan | ||
| In Javanese, 'pendhudhukan' can also refer to the process of weaving or sewing. | |||
| Khmer | មុខរបរ | ||
| "មុខរបរ" is the Khmer word for "occupation", however, it can also mean "face" or "forehead". | |||
| Lao | ອາຊີບ | ||
| 'ອາຊີບ' is also used to refer to a profession or a line of work. | |||
| Malay | pekerjaan | ||
| The Malay word "pekerjaan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "karman", meaning "action" or "deed". | |||
| Thai | อาชีพ | ||
| The word "อาชีพ" also carries the connotation of "duty" or "responsibility" | |||
| Vietnamese | nghề nghiệp | ||
| The word "nghề nghiệp" can also be used to refer to a person's profession or trade. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hanapbuhay | ||
Occupation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | işğal | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, "işğal" could also mean "to live" or "to dwell". | |||
| Kazakh | кәсіп | ||
| The word "кәсіп" in Kazakh was originally used to describe a nomadic lifestyle and can also refer to a person's tribe or clan. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кесип | ||
| The word 'кесип' also refers to a person's profession or trade. | |||
| Tajik | шуғл | ||
| The word "шуғл" also means "engagement in some activity that requires effort", or "busy". | |||
| Turkmen | kär | ||
| Uzbek | kasb | ||
| The word "kasb" also refers to earnings or one's livelihood in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | كەسپى | ||
Occupation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoihana hana | ||
| 'Oihana hana', a combination of the words 'profession', an activity or the process of completing an activity and the phrase of 'work', together means 'occupation'. | |||
| Maori | mahi | ||
| The Maori word "mahi" also means "work", "labour", "effort", "activity", "duty", "function", "role", "responsibility", "task", and "operation". | |||
| Samoan | galuega | ||
| Galuega may also refer to the position a person holds within a village or society. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | trabaho | ||
| "Trabaho" is derived from the Spanish word "trabajo", meaning "work" or "labor". | |||
Occupation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yatxatata | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
Occupation in International Languages
| Esperanto | okupo | ||
| The Esperanto word "okupo" is derived from the German word "Okkupation" and means "occupation" or "squatting". | |||
| Latin | opus | ||
| In literary contexts 'opus' may also refer to a specific work or body of works, such as an author's collected works. | |||
Occupation in Others Languages
| Greek | κατοχή | ||
| The word "κατοχή" in Greek not only means "occupation" but also "possession" or "holding". | |||
| Hmong | haujlwm | ||
| Hmong "haujlwm" can also mean 'work, task, service' and is cognate with "hauj lwvj" ('work, labor, chores'). | |||
| Kurdish | sinet | ||
| The Kurdish word "sinet" also means "task" or "job". | |||
| Turkish | meslek | ||
| The Turkish word "Meslek" derives from the Arabic "mislāk" meaning "trade" and is cognate with the English "mask" via its Latin ancestor. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| The Xhosa word "umsebenzi" also refers to a duty or task that one is expected to perform. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַך | ||
| The Yiddish word 'פאך' can also refer to a specific branch of knowledge or expertise, such as 'a trade' or 'a profession'. | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| 'Umsebenzi' also means 'work' and its root is '-sebenza' which means 'to work'. | |||
| Assamese | বৃত্তি | ||
| Aymara | yatxatata | ||
| Bhojpuri | कार-बार | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސައްކަތުގެ ދާއިރާ | ||
| Dogri | कम्म-धंदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hanapbuhay | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
| Ilocano | tarabaho | ||
| Krio | wok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پیشە | ||
| Maithili | पेशा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯟꯐꯝ | ||
| Mizo | hnathawh | ||
| Oromo | hojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୃତ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | llamkay | ||
| Sanskrit | उपजीविका | ||
| Tatar | һөнәр | ||
| Tigrinya | ሞያ | ||
| Tsonga | ntirho | ||