Officer in Different Languages
Discover 'Officer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An 'officer' is a person who holds a position of authority in a civic or military hierarchy, responsible for maintaining order, enforcing laws, and ensuring public safety. The term 'officer' has been used since the 13th century, derived from the French word 'officier,' meaning 'one who holds an office.' This role has been significant across cultures and time periods, with officers in various capacities in armies, navies, police forces, and other institutions.
The significance of officers in society is undeniable, as they serve and protect citizens, uphold laws, and maintain order. From cultural icons like Wyatt Earp in the Wild West to modern-day police officers, the role of an officer has been romanticized, respected, and revered in various ways.
For those interested in language and culture, understanding the translation of 'officer' in different languages can provide insight into how various cultures view and value this role. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: 'oficial'
- French: 'officier'
- German: 'Beamter'
- Italian: 'ufficiale'
- Japanese: '官席 (kansetsu)'
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'officer' translations in various languages, providing a glimpse into the cultural significance of this role across the globe.
Officer
Officer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beampte | ||
| Beampte, Afrikaans for "officer," derives from the Dutch "beambte" or "ambtenaar," officials within a government or other organization. | |||
| Amharic | መኮንን | ||
| Hausa | hafsa | ||
| The word "hafsa" also means "chief" or "leader" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | onye isi | ||
| The term "onye isi" in Igbo, meaning "officer," derives from the phrase "onye na-ebu isi," literally translating to "one who carries the head," referring to those entrusted with authority or leadership roles. | |||
| Malagasy | manamboninahitra | ||
| The word "manamboninahitra" is derived from the Malagasy words "manambo" (to take care of) and "hina" (to protect), and also refers to a guardian or caretaker. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkulu | ||
| The word "mkulu" can also refer to a chief, leader, or elder, highlighting its connection to authority and respect within Nyanja society. | |||
| Shona | mukuru | ||
| "Mukuru" also means "chief", "ruler", or "master" in Shona | |||
| Somali | sarkaal | ||
| The word "sarkaal" is derived from the Arabic word "sahib" meaning "lord" or "owner". | |||
| Sesotho | ofisiri | ||
| The word 'ofisiri' is related to the word 'ofisi' (office), suggesting a connection between office positions and officer ranks. | |||
| Swahili | afisa | ||
| While the Swahili word 'afisa' is commonly translated as 'officer', it originally meant 'foreman or overseer'. | |||
| Xhosa | igosa | ||
| Although the word 'igosa' is used to refer to a police officer, it also means 'a person who is a leader' or 'a person who is in charge of others'. | |||
| Yoruba | oṣiṣẹ | ||
| In some contexts, oṣiṣẹ can be used in reference to a worker, employee, or operative. | |||
| Zulu | isikhulu | ||
| In Zulu, the term 'isikhulu' not only denotes an officer but also carries the connotation of seniority and importance, alluding to the individual's position of authority. | |||
| Bambara | sɔrɔdasi ɲɛmɔgɔ | ||
| Ewe | asrafomegã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ofisiye | ||
| Lingala | mosali ya basoda | ||
| Luganda | omuserikale | ||
| Sepedi | mohlankedi wa mohlankedi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsraani panyin | ||
Officer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ضابط | ||
| The Arabic word "ضابط" also has the meanings of controlling, adjusting, and regulating. | |||
| Hebrew | קָצִין | ||
| The term קָצִין (officer) comes from the root קצץ (to cut), implying a person who makes decisions or has authority to decide. | |||
| Pashto | افسر | ||
| The Pashto word "افسر" ("officer") is derived from the Persian word "افسر" ("crown") and also refers to a person of high rank or authority. | |||
| Arabic | ضابط | ||
| The Arabic word "ضابط" also has the meanings of controlling, adjusting, and regulating. | |||
Officer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | oficer | ||
| The term "ofiscer" is used both in formal (official) and slangy (officer, cop) Albanian, and derives in the latter usage (and possibly originally in both) through a loan translation from Turkish "mübaşir" | |||
| Basque | ofiziala | ||
| In Basque, the word “ofiziala” can also refer to a member of the clergy. | |||
| Catalan | oficial | ||
| "Oficial" in Catalan can also refer to a non-commissioned officer, a government clerk, or a member of a guild or corporation. | |||
| Croatian | časnik | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of "officer", "časnik" can also mean "newspaper" or "magazine" in Croatian, derived from the Slavic root "čas" meaning "time". | |||
| Danish | officer | ||
| Den danske betydning af ordet "officer" stammer fra middelalderlatin, hvor "officiare" betød pligt eller tjeneste udført for en hersker. | |||
| Dutch | officier | ||
| In Dutch, "officier" can also refer to a public prosecutor or a person who carries out official duties, such as a bailiff. | |||
| English | officer | ||
| The word "officer" originates from the Latin word "officium," meaning "duty" or "service." | |||
| French | officier | ||
| The word "officier" also means "functionary" or "minister" in the context of a religious service. | |||
| Frisian | offisier | ||
| "Offisier" means "leader of the law" in Saterland Frisian. | |||
| Galician | oficial | ||
| "Oficial" derives from late Latin "officialis", meaning "pertaining to a duty". | |||
| German | offizier | ||
| The German word "Offizier" derives from the French "officier" and Latin "officium" (duty, service). | |||
| Icelandic | yfirmaður | ||
| The word 'yfirmaður' also means 'commander' or 'foreman', and is derived from the Old Norse word 'yfirmann', which means 'superior' or 'overseer'. | |||
| Irish | oifigeach | ||
| Oifigeach, meaning "officer," is derived from the noun "oifig," meaning "office" or "place of duty." | |||
| Italian | ufficiale | ||
| "Ufficiale" can refer to a military rank as well as a public servant with certain authority | |||
| Luxembourgish | offizéier | ||
| Maltese | uffiċjal | ||
| "Uffiċjal" is derived from "uffiċċju" (office) through the suffix "-al" and is used for a person holding an official position. | |||
| Norwegian | offiser | ||
| The word "offiser" in Norwegian has roots in the Latin word "officium", meaning "duty" or "service". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | policial | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "Policial" is derived from the Greek "polis" meaning "city" and ultimately refers to a person responsible for maintaining order within a city. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oifigear | ||
| In Gaelic, oifigear can also refer to a person employed in a specific role, such as a forester or a constable. | |||
| Spanish | oficial | ||
| The Spanish word "oficial" originates from the Latin "officialis", meaning one who holds office. | |||
| Swedish | officer | ||
| The word "officer" derives from the Latin word "officium", meaning "duty" or "service." | |||
| Welsh | swyddog | ||
| "Swyddog" can also refer to any person holding a public office, such as a magistrate or a member of the clergy. | |||
Officer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | афіцэр | ||
| The word "афіцэр" ultimately derives from the Latin "officium" meaning "duty" or "obligation". | |||
| Bosnian | oficir | ||
| In Bosnian, oficir (officer) originates from Ottoman Turkish "subaşı," "officer commanding a military unit" | |||
| Bulgarian | офицер | ||
| The word "офицер" derives from the German word "Offizier" which itself comes from the Latin word "officium" meaning "duty". | |||
| Czech | důstojník | ||
| The word "důstojník" originates from the Old Czech word "důstoj" meaning "dignity" or "honour". | |||
| Estonian | ohvitser | ||
| Originally a title of foreign mercenaries serving in Estonia, "ohvitser" eventually became the word for an officer of any kind in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | upseeri | ||
| The word "upseeri" is ultimately derived from the German word "Offizier" and originally referred to a junior officer with limited command power. | |||
| Hungarian | tiszt | ||
| The Hungarian word "tiszt" (officer) originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*teḱs-", meaning "to weave" or "to create." | |||
| Latvian | virsnieks | ||
| The Latvian word "virsnieks" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *wiros-, meaning "man, adult male." | |||
| Lithuanian | pareigūnas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "pareigūnas" derives from the Old High German word "barūno", meaning "man" or "official with the right to carry a weapon". | |||
| Macedonian | офицер | ||
| The word "офицер" in Macedonian originates from the German word "Offizier" and the French word "officier", both meaning "officer". | |||
| Polish | oficer | ||
| The Polish word "oficer" comes from the German word "Offizier" and originally meant "official" before acquiring its current military meaning. | |||
| Romanian | ofiţer | ||
| "Ofiţer" is the Romanian term for a military or law enforcement officer, derived from the French "officier". | |||
| Russian | офицер | ||
| The word "офицер" ("officer") comes from the Latin word "officium," which means "duty" or "obligation." | |||
| Serbian | официр | ||
| "Официр" (officer) comes from the French word "officier" and is used in the context of the army and the police. | |||
| Slovak | dôstojník | ||
| The origin of "dôstojník" traces back to Old Church Slavonic word "dostoin" which means "worthy". | |||
| Slovenian | častnik | ||
| The word "častnik" comes from the Old Slavic word "častь", meaning "honor" or "respect". | |||
| Ukrainian | офіцер | ||
| The word "офіцер" is derived from the Latin word "officium", meaning "duty" or "service", and is cognate with the English word "officer". | |||
Officer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অফিসার | ||
| The word "অফিসার" in Bengali is derived from the French word "officier" and can also refer to a public official or a person holding a position of authority. | |||
| Gujarati | અધિકારી | ||
| The word "અધિકારી" can also refer to a person who has the authority to act on behalf of another person or organization. | |||
| Hindi | अफ़सर | ||
| The term "अफ़सर" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "wasif" meaning "one who describes". | |||
| Kannada | ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "adhikarinah", meaning person possessing authority or responsibility. | |||
| Malayalam | ഓഫീസർ | ||
| The Malayalam word ഓഫീസർ (officer) is derived from the English word "officer" via Portuguese, and can also refer to a commissioned military officer. | |||
| Marathi | अधिकारी | ||
| "अधिकारी" is derived from Sanskrit "अधिकृति," meaning power, authority, and responsibility. | |||
| Nepali | अधिकारी | ||
| The word “अधिकारी” (officer) is derived from the Sanskrit word “अधिकार” (authority), which also means “right, power, or jurisdiction.” | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ | ||
| The word "अधिकारी" can also refer to a person with authority, a dignitary, or an official. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිලධාරී | ||
| Tamil | அதிகாரி | ||
| Telugu | అధికారి | ||
| The word 'అధికారి' (adhikari) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अधिकार' (adhikar), meaning 'right', 'authority', or 'power'. | |||
| Urdu | افسر | ||
| The word “افسر” in Urdu is originally Persian, and is used in other languages such as Turkish and Hindi. | |||
Officer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 官 | ||
| The term 官 (officer) also can refer to a government office, like the office of the President. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 官 | ||
| 官 can refer to a government or public position, an official in such a position, or an official in general | |||
| Japanese | 役員 | ||
| The Japanese word 役員, meaning "officer," is also used in a more general sense to refer to any member of an organization's leadership, such as a board member or committee chair. | |||
| Korean | 장교 | ||
| Originally referred to "a person with a staff," and later to "military officers." | |||
| Mongolian | офицер | ||
| The Mongolian word "офицер" also means "leader" or "commander" and is derived from the Russian word "офицер". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရာရှိ | ||
| အရာရှိ derives from Burmese "အရာ" (position, role) + "ရှိ" (to have, to exist), thus literally meaning something like "a holder of a position," which can refer to a government official, an army officer, a police officer, or any person with an official position. | |||
Officer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | petugas | ||
| "Petugas" is derived from the Sanskrit word "petra" which means "protector". | |||
| Javanese | petugas | ||
| The word "petugas" in Javanese also means "someone who works" or "employee". | |||
| Khmer | មន្រ្តី | ||
| The word មន្រ្តី (mnɔntrəj) is derived from the Sanskrit word mantra, which means 'to advise' or 'to consult'. | |||
| Lao | ເຈົ້າ ໜ້າ ທີ່ | ||
| Malay | pegawai | ||
| The term "pegawai" derives from the Sanskrit word "bhogi", meaning "master" or "enjoyer", and later evolved to mean "official" or "officer" in Malay and Indonesian. | |||
| Thai | เจ้าหน้าที่ | ||
| The word เจ้าหน้าที่ derives from the Sanskrit chāṭa (छाट) and patti (पति), meaning 'chief of staff'. It is also used to refer to a senior official, such as a general or minister. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhân viên văn phòng | ||
| The word "nhân viên văn phòng" in Vietnamese can also refer to "clerk" or "employee" in English. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | opisyal | ||
Officer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | zabit | ||
| Zabit originates from the Arabic word meaning "control" or "restraint" | |||
| Kazakh | офицер | ||
| В казахском языке слово «офицер» имеет значение «военный чиновник», а также может использоваться для обозначения лица, занимающего руководящую должность в армии. | |||
| Kyrgyz | офицер | ||
| Officer is also a term used in Kyrgyzstan to refer to someone of high rank or position. | |||
| Tajik | афсар | ||
| In Persian, 'афсар' translates to 'a person with a crown', while in Arabic, it means 'the highest point'. | |||
| Turkmen | ofiser | ||
| Uzbek | ofitser | ||
| The word "ofitser" comes from the Russian word "офицер" which comes from the German word "Offizier". It is also cognate with the English word "officer". In addition to its military meaning, it can also refer to a person in a position of authority in a civil organization. | |||
| Uyghur | ئەمەلدار | ||
Officer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luna | ||
| The Hawaiian word "luna" can also mean "above" or "on top". | |||
| Maori | āpiha | ||
| The word "āpiha" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian "*tapatipa", meaning "to strike with open hand" or "to slap". | |||
| Samoan | tagata ofisa | ||
| Samoan "tagata ofisa" also refers to police officers, judges, doctors, government officials in general, and even airline pilots and flight attendants. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | opisyal | ||
Officer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | oficial ukhamawa | ||
| Guarani | oficial rehegua | ||
Officer in International Languages
| Esperanto | oficiro | ||
| The word "oficiro" is derived from the Latin word "officiarius", meaning "office worker" or "duty holder." | |||
| Latin | officer | ||
| The Latin word "officer" originally referred to a person who provided assistance or performed a service, not exclusively to a military or law enforcement officer. | |||
Officer in Others Languages
| Greek | αξιωματικός | ||
| The word "αξιωματικός" derives from the ancient Greek word "αξίωμα," meaning "worth" or "value." | |||
| Hmong | tub ceev xwm | ||
| Tub ceev xwm, a word for | |||
| Kurdish | serbaz | ||
| The Kurdish word "serbaz" also means "soldier". | |||
| Turkish | subay | ||
| The word 'subay' is derived from the Arabic word 'subu' meaning 'army' and was originally used to refer to cavalry officers. | |||
| Xhosa | igosa | ||
| Although the word 'igosa' is used to refer to a police officer, it also means 'a person who is a leader' or 'a person who is in charge of others'. | |||
| Yiddish | אָפיציר | ||
| The word "אָפיציר" also has the alternate meaning of "official" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | isikhulu | ||
| In Zulu, the term 'isikhulu' not only denotes an officer but also carries the connotation of seniority and importance, alluding to the individual's position of authority. | |||
| Assamese | বিষয়া | ||
| Aymara | oficial ukhamawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | अधिकारी के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | އޮފިސަރެވެ | ||
| Dogri | अफसर जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | opisyal | ||
| Guarani | oficial rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | opisial | ||
| Krio | ɔfisa we de wok fɔ di kɔmni | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەفسەر | ||
| Maithili | अधिकारी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯐꯤꯁꯥꯔ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | officer a ni | ||
| Oromo | qondaala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଧିକାରୀ | ||
| Quechua | oficial | ||
| Sanskrit | अधिकारी | ||
| Tatar | офицер | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓላፊ | ||
| Tsonga | muofisiri | ||