Official in Different Languages
Discover 'Official' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'official' carries a significant weight in many languages and cultures around the world. Derived from Latin 'officium' meaning 'service, duty', this term signifies an authorized representative, an authorized document, or a position of authority. Its cultural importance is evident in various ceremonies, events, and institutions where the term 'official' is used to denote legitimacy and authenticity.
Throughout history, the term 'official' has been used to mark significant moments and milestones. For instance, in ancient China, official documents were stamped with the emperor's dragon seal, signifying their authenticity and importance. Similarly, in medieval Europe, official announcements were made by heralds wearing specific uniforms and bearing official symbols.
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding the translations of 'official' in different languages can help bridge cultural gaps and foster better communication. Here are a few examples:
- French: officiel
- Spanish: oficial
- German: offiziell
- Mandarin: 官方 (guān fāng)
- Japanese: 公式 (kōshiki)
- Russian: официальный (ofitsial’nyy)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations of 'official' in various languages, providing valuable insights into the global significance of this term.
Official
Official in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | amptelik | ||
| The word "amptelik" is derived from the Dutch word "amtelijk", which in turn is derived from the Latin word "amt", meaning "duty" or "function." | |||
| Amharic | ባለሥልጣን | ||
| "ባለሥልጣን" (official) is derived from the root "ሥልጣን" (power, authority), and can also mean "owner of power". | |||
| Hausa | jami'in | ||
| In Hausa, the word "jami'in" also denotes a public figure or a member of a community who holds a prominent position. | |||
| Igbo | onye isi | ||
| The Igbo word "onye isi" not only means "official" but also "headperson," "leader," or "senior." | |||
| Malagasy | official | ||
| The Malagasy word "official" comes from the French word "officiel", which in turn comes from the Latin word "officium", meaning "duty" or "service". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkulu | ||
| The word "mkulu" in Nyanja can also refer to a chief or village headman. | |||
| Shona | mukuru | ||
| The word "mukuru" derives from the Proto-Bantu noun *-kuru meaning "great". It is cognate with Zulu "inkosi" (chief) and Swahili "mkubwa" (big, old, respected). | |||
| Somali | sarkaal | ||
| Sarkaal derives from the Arabic word shirkah "company," which refers to official companies or organizations. | |||
| Sesotho | molaoli | ||
| Swahili | rasmi | ||
| "Rasmi" in Swahili can also mean ritual, ceremony, or formality. | |||
| Xhosa | igosa | ||
| Igos also means a special kind of clay. | |||
| Yoruba | osise | ||
| "Osise" can also mean "government official" or "leader" within a community or organization. | |||
| Zulu | isikhulu | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'isikhulu' refers not only to a government official or person of importance but also to an animal's head or a tree's main trunk. | |||
| Bambara | faama | ||
| Ewe | dɔwɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuyobozi | ||
| Lingala | eyebana | ||
| Luganda | omufuzi | ||
| Sepedi | semmušo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔfesa | ||
Official in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الرسمية | ||
| The Arabic word الرسمية (ar-rasmiyya) derives meaning from ritual (rasam) and is closely linked to the term for writing (rasm). | |||
| Hebrew | רשמי | ||
| The Hebrew word 'רשמי' (official) also carries the meaning of 'formal' or 'ceremonial'. | |||
| Pashto | رسمي | ||
| It can be used to mean both 'legal' and 'formal' in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الرسمية | ||
| The Arabic word الرسمية (ar-rasmiyya) derives meaning from ritual (rasam) and is closely linked to the term for writing (rasm). | |||
Official in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zyrtare | ||
| The word "zyrtare" in Albanian also has the alternate meaning of "formal, official, or public". | |||
| Basque | ofiziala | ||
| From Latin "officialis", meaning "pertaining to an office or official". | |||
| Catalan | oficial | ||
| El término catalán «oficial» proviene de la antigua voz occitana «oficial», que a su vez tiene origen en el latín «officialis». | |||
| Croatian | službeno | ||
| The word "službeno" can also refer to a formal or businesslike manner. | |||
| Danish | officiel | ||
| Officiel can also mean ‘officer’, or ‘civil servant‘ | |||
| Dutch | officieel | ||
| Originally this word denoted 'of the church' or 'divine', as it is a derivative of 'office' in the sense of 'church service' or 'religious rite'. | |||
| English | official | ||
| The word "official" originated from a Latin word meaning "to perform a duty" or "to do something for another person". | |||
| French | officiel | ||
| The French word « officiel » can also mean « ceremonial », « formal » or « proper ». | |||
| Frisian | offisjeel | ||
| The Frisian word "offisjeel" is borrowed from Latin but also related to Old Frisian "ôfdil" and refers to "to do in common or jointly" | |||
| Galician | oficial | ||
| Oficial means "shop" in Galician, coming from the Latin "officina" meaning "workshop." | |||
| German | offiziell | ||
| "Offiziell" derives from the Latin word "officium" (duty) and originally meant "belonging to an office". | |||
| Icelandic | embættismaður | ||
| The word embættismaður is derived from the Old Norse word embætti, which means "office" or "duty." | |||
| Irish | oifigiúil | ||
| "Oifigiúil" is cognate with the Latin word "officialis", meaning "of or relating to an office". In Irish, "oifigiúil" can also have the connotations of "public", "governmental", or "legitimate". | |||
| Italian | ufficiale | ||
| The Italian word "ufficiale" is derived from the Late Latin "officialis", meaning "pertaining to an office". | |||
| Luxembourgish | offiziell | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "offiziell" can also mean "officially recognized" or "official language". | |||
| Maltese | uffiċjal | ||
| It derives from 'officialis' and also means 'ecclesiastical' or 'a member of the Roman Curia'. | |||
| Norwegian | offisielt | ||
| The Norwegian word "offisielt" is derived from the Latin word "officium", meaning "duty" or "service". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | oficial | ||
| Portuguese word "oficial" derives from Latin "officialis", meaning "relating to an office" or "done by virtue of one's office." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oifigeil | ||
| The Gaelic word "oifigeil" also means "office" or "public service". | |||
| Spanish | oficial | ||
| The Spanish word "oficial" can also refer to a military rank or a government employee. | |||
| Swedish | officiell | ||
| In Swedish, "officiell" can also mean "official uniform". | |||
| Welsh | swyddogol | ||
| The word "swyddogol" is derived from the words "swydd" (office or job) and "ogol" (general or public), implying a role or status that is public or related to an office. | |||
Official in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | афіцыйны | ||
| The word "афіцыйны" can also mean "formal" or "ceremonial" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | službeni | ||
| "Službeni" also means "on duty" or "employed" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | официален | ||
| The word "официален" can also mean "ceremonial" or "formal". | |||
| Czech | oficiální | ||
| In a broader sense, "oficiální" may also refer to something that is formal or ceremonial. | |||
| Estonian | ametnik | ||
| The Estonian word "ametnik" can also refer to a member of the clergy, derived from the German word "Amtmann" meaning "clerk" or "minister." | |||
| Finnish | virallinen | ||
| The word "virallinen" can also mean "authentic" or "genuine" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | hivatalos | ||
| "Hivatalos" ultimately derives from Latin "officium", a word which could mean both "duty" and "office", and also "sacrifice". | |||
| Latvian | ierēdnis | ||
| The word "ierēdnis" derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₁reǵ-, meaning "guide" or "ruler". | |||
| Lithuanian | pareigūnas | ||
| "Pareigūnas" is also the name of a rank worn by some law enforcement officers in Lithuania and is cognate with the word for officer "Pareigos" in Latvian. | |||
| Macedonian | службено лице | ||
| The Macedonian word "службено лице" also means "clerk" or "employee". | |||
| Polish | urzędnik | ||
| The word "urzędnik" derives from the Old Polish word "urząd" (office), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic word "ǫdъ" (possession). | |||
| Romanian | oficial | ||
| "Oficial" comes from the Latin "officialis" and had in medieval Latin the alternate meanings of "executor of orders, representative," and "church officer." | |||
| Russian | официальный | ||
| The word "официальный" can also mean "formal" or "ceremonial". | |||
| Serbian | званичник | ||
| In the context of the Serbian Orthodox Church, a "званичник" is a cantor. | |||
| Slovak | úradník | ||
| The word "úradník" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ǫdъ, meaning "time, set time, right time". | |||
| Slovenian | uradno | ||
| The word "uradno" (official) in Slovenian derives from the Old Slavic word "*ǫdъ" (property, place), suggesting an original meaning of "pertaining to a public place or office." | |||
| Ukrainian | офіційний | ||
| The word "офіційний" is derived from the Latin word "officialis", meaning "belonging to an office". | |||
Official in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দাপ্তরিক | ||
| "দাপ্তরিক" is derived from the Sanskrit word "dapa" meaning "order, rule, system". | |||
| Gujarati | અધિકારી | ||
| The word "અધિકારી" (official) can also refer to a person who has authority or legal power to perform a certain task or act on behalf of others. | |||
| Hindi | आधिकारिक | ||
| The word "आधिकारिक" in Hindi can also mean "authoritative", derived from Sanskrit "ādhīkāra" (authority). | |||
| Kannada | ಅಧಿಕೃತ | ||
| The word "ಅಧಿಕೃತ" (official) is derived from the Sanskrit word "अधिकार" (authority), meaning "having authority or power." | |||
| Malayalam | .ദ്യോഗികം | ||
| The word "ദ്യോഗികം" in Malayalam, ultimately derived from Sanskrit, can also mean "duties of a religious office" or "related to religious offices". | |||
| Marathi | अधिकृत | ||
| The word अधिकृत (official) in Marathi can also mean 'authorized', 'authenticated', or 'valid'. | |||
| Nepali | आधिकारिक | ||
| The Nepali word आधिकारिक (official) stems from the Sanskrit word अधिकार (right, authority) and can also refer to "authorization" or "sanction"} | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිල | ||
| The word "නිල" in Sinhala is also used to refer to a "dark blue" or "indigo" color, particularly in the context of royal or official garments. | |||
| Tamil | அதிகாரி | ||
| Telugu | అధికారిక | ||
| The word "అధికారిక" (official) has its roots in Sanskrit word "अधिकारिक" (adhikarika), meaning "authoritative". In Telugu, it has also acquired the additional meaning of "legal". | |||
| Urdu | سرکاری | ||
| The word "سرکاری" (official) in Urdu can also refer to anything related to the government or the state. | |||
Official in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 官方 | ||
| 官方 (guānfāng) is a term with diverse meanings, including "official" and "public". "Official" usage refers to government or its agencies, while "public" usage refers to something related to the public or the people. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 官方 | ||
| 官方(guān fāng) originally meant "imperial court" but now also refers to "government" or "public". | |||
| Japanese | 公式 | ||
| The word "公式" can also mean "formula" or "equation" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 공무원 | ||
| The word '공무원' (official) is derived from the Chinese characters '公' (public) and '務' (business), and also refers to a civil servant. | |||
| Mongolian | албан ёсны | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားဝင် | ||
| The term derives from the Burmese word 'damma' (Sanskrit: dharma), which originally meant 'virtue' or 'righteousness'. | |||
Official in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | resmi | ||
| The word "resmi" comes from Dutch and it also means "formal". | |||
| Javanese | pejabat | ||
| In Javanese, 'pejabat' can also mean 'to do something' or 'to carry out a task'. | |||
| Khmer | ជាផ្លូវការ | ||
| The word "ជាផ្លូវការ" can also be used to refer to something that is formal, standard, or conventional. | |||
| Lao | ຢ່າງເປັນທາງການ | ||
| Malay | rasmi | ||
| The word "rasmi" originated from the Arabic word "rasm", meaning "drawing", indicating its connection to writing and documentation. | |||
| Thai | เป็นทางการ | ||
| The word เป็นทางการ translates to "formal" and derives from "official or government-related". | |||
| Vietnamese | chính thức | ||
| The word "chính thức" can also mean "formal" or "authentic". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | opisyal | ||
Official in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəsmi | ||
| Azerbaijani word "rəsmi" is derived from the Arabic word "rasmi" which literally means "distinguished". | |||
| Kazakh | ресми | ||
| The word "ресми" in Kazakh is derived from the Arabic word "رسمي" and also means "customary" or "traditional". | |||
| Kyrgyz | расмий | ||
| The word "расмий" in Kyrgyz has Slavic origins and is related to similar words in Russian and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Tajik | расмӣ | ||
| The word "расмӣ" can also refer to a celebration or festivity in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | resmi | ||
| Uzbek | rasmiy | ||
| In Uzbek, "rasmiy" can also refer to a formal or ceremonial occasion. | |||
| Uyghur | official | ||
Official in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | luna | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word “luna” can also mean “supervisor,” “overseer,” or “foreman.” | |||
| Maori | āpiha | ||
| "Āpiha" is a loanword from the English word "officer". | |||
| Samoan | aloaʻia | ||
| 'Aloaʻia' also applies to individuals of highest rank, sacred knowledge, chiefs, and orators. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | opisyal | ||
| The Tagalog word "opisyal" is derived from the Spanish word "oficial". | |||
Official in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uphisyala | ||
| Guarani | tetãmba'éva | ||
Official in International Languages
| Esperanto | oficiala | ||
| The Esperanto word "oficiala" is derived from the Latin word "officialis", which means "pertaining to an office or duty". | |||
| Latin | officialis | ||
| The Latin word "officialis" originally referred to an ecclesiastical officer who performed various tasks on behalf of a bishop or other cleric. | |||
Official in Others Languages
| Greek | επίσημος | ||
| The word επίσημος (official) is derived from the verb ἐφίημι (to send to or allow), and can also mean 'public', 'formal' or 'ceremonial'. | |||
| Hmong | nom | ||
| The word "Nom" can also mean "name" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | fermî | ||
| The word 'fermî' is derived from Old Persian and may originally have meant 'chieftain.' | |||
| Turkish | resmi | ||
| "Resmi" can mean either "official" in the sense of being formal or sanctioned by authorities, or "painting" or "image." | |||
| Xhosa | igosa | ||
| Igos also means a special kind of clay. | |||
| Yiddish | באַאַמטער | ||
| The Yiddish word "באַאַמטער" (baamter) is derived from the German word "Beamter," which can also mean "employee" or "civil servant." | |||
| Zulu | isikhulu | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'isikhulu' refers not only to a government official or person of importance but also to an animal's head or a tree's main trunk. | |||
| Assamese | অনুষ্ঠানিক | ||
| Aymara | uphisyala | ||
| Bhojpuri | अधिकारी | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަސްމީ | ||
| Dogri | सरकारी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | opisyal | ||
| Guarani | tetãmba'éva | ||
| Ilocano | opisial | ||
| Krio | bigman | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فەرمی | ||
| Maithili | अधिकारी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯐꯤꯁꯤꯑꯦꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯄꯤꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | pawl thu hla | ||
| Oromo | aangawaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସରକାରୀ | ||
| Quechua | oficial | ||
| Sanskrit | कार्यालययी | ||
| Tatar | рәсми | ||
| Tigrinya | ዘፍለጠ | ||
| Tsonga | ximfumo | ||