Personnel in Different Languages
Discover 'Personnel' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'personnel' is a crucial term in many professional settings, referring to a group of employees or staff in an organization. Its significance extends beyond the workplace, as it highlights the importance of human resources in achieving any collective goal.
Throughout history, the management of personnel has been a key factor in the success of various civilizations. From the ancient Roman army's efficient use of manpower to modern corporations' human resource strategies, the concept of personnel has evolved while remaining fundamental.
Understanding the translation of 'personnel' in different languages can provide valuable cultural insights. For instance, in French, 'personnel' becomes 'personnel' – a term that also refers to 'private' or 'own' in certain contexts. Meanwhile, in Spanish, 'personal' translates to 'personal' or 'private', reflecting the language's dual usage of the term.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'personnel' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and historical contexts associated with this vital concept.
Here are some translations of the word 'personnel' in various languages:
Personnel
Personnel in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | personeel | ||
| In Afrikaans, "personeel" also refers to an individual or "character" in the performing arts or "dramatis persona". | |||
| Amharic | ሠራተኞች | ||
| The word also means servants. | |||
| Hausa | ma'aikata | ||
| "Ma'aikata," meaning "personnel" in Hausa, may derive from "aiki," the Hausa word for "work." | |||
| Igbo | ndị ọrụ | ||
| Malagasy | mpiasa | ||
| The Malagasy word 'mpiasa' also refers to one's workforce or team of workers. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ogwira ntchito | ||
| The word 'ogwira ntchito' is derived from the verb 'kugwira ntchito', meaning 'to work' and 'nto', which means 'person'. Therefore, a literal translation of 'ogwira ntchito' is 'a person who works'. In English, this would be equivalent to the word 'worker'. However, in Nyanja, 'ogwira ntchito' has a broader meaning and can refer to anyone employed in an organization, regardless of their specific job role. | |||
| Shona | vashandi | ||
| The Shona word "vashandi" can also refer to a group of people working together, such as a team or committee. | |||
| Somali | shaqaalaha | ||
| Shaqaaluhu, a cognate of the Arabic "shaqalu", can also refer to the members of a crew of a seagoing craft. | |||
| Sesotho | basebetsi | ||
| In Sesotho, "basebetsi" is also used to refer to a group of soldiers or a team of players. | |||
| Swahili | wafanyakazi | ||
| The word "wafanyakazi" in Swahili literally means "those who work" and can also refer to "staff" or "employees". | |||
| Xhosa | abasebenzi | ||
| The Xhosa word "abasebenzi" can also refer to a group of people or a team. | |||
| Yoruba | osise | ||
| "Òṣiṣe" has other meanings like "bad behavior" or "negligence" and derives from the verb "ṣiṣe", meaning "to do, make, act, behave." | |||
| Zulu | abasebenzi | ||
| The word "abasebenzi" originates from the Zulu phrase "aba benzi umsebenzi," meaning "those who do the work." | |||
| Bambara | baarakɛlaw | ||
| Ewe | dɔwɔlawo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abakozi | ||
| Lingala | basali ya mosala | ||
| Luganda | abakozi | ||
| Sepedi | bašomi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwumayɛfo | ||
Personnel in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شؤون الموظفين | ||
| In Arabic, "شؤون الموظفين" also means "human resources" and "labor relations", and is derived from the word "شأن" (affair, concern). | |||
| Hebrew | כוח אדם | ||
| The etymology of the Hebrew word 'כוח אדם' ('personnel') is 'force of man,' likely reflecting the historic use of conscripts in military forces. | |||
| Pashto | پرسونل | ||
| The Pashto word "پرسونل" can also refer to a group of people working together, such as a team or a department. | |||
| Arabic | شؤون الموظفين | ||
| In Arabic, "شؤون الموظفين" also means "human resources" and "labor relations", and is derived from the word "شأن" (affair, concern). | |||
Personnel in Western European Languages
| Albanian | personelit | ||
| The Albanian word "personelit" is also used to describe personnel files, human resources management, and personal information. | |||
| Basque | langileak | ||
| Derived from the verb "langile", meaning "to work," it emphasizes the active role of employees in the workforce. | |||
| Catalan | personal | ||
| In Catalan, "personal" also refers to personal beliefs and values. | |||
| Croatian | osoblje | ||
| In Croatian, "osoblje" can also mean "staff", "crew", or "personnel" and is derived from the Slavic word "особа" (osoba) meaning "person." | |||
| Danish | personale | ||
| "Personale" originally meant "the whole of a church's clergy" and is still understood that way in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | personeel | ||
| In Dutch, "personeel" is derived from the French word "personnel", meaning "belonging to a person" or "personal". | |||
| English | personnel | ||
| Personnel, as a noun, has the alternative meanings of 'personnel department' or 'the group of people employed by a particular organization'. Additionally, it was derived from the Latin 'personalis' ('of, or belonging to, a person'). | |||
| French | personnel | ||
| En français, le mot « personnel » peut également désigner un groupe de personnes travaillant ensemble, comme dans l'expression « le personnel de l'entreprise ». | |||
| Frisian | personiel | ||
| The Frisian word "personiel" also means "parsonage". | |||
| Galician | persoal | ||
| German | personal | ||
| The word "Personal" in German can also mean "personal effects" or "clothing." | |||
| Icelandic | starfsfólk | ||
| The word "starfsfólk" can also refer to the employees of a company or organization. | |||
| Irish | pearsanra | ||
| The word "pearsanra" originated from "pearsan", meaning person, and "ra" meaning group, but now refers only to "people employed by an organization". | |||
| Italian | personale | ||
| The Italian word "personale" derives from the Latin word "persona", meaning "mask" or "character". | |||
| Luxembourgish | personal | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "personal" can also refer to a group of people working together, such as a team or a staff. | |||
| Maltese | persunal | ||
| The Maltese word "persunal" also means "personal". | |||
| Norwegian | personale | ||
| The word “personal” means “the body of employees in an organization” in Norwegian, while in English it refers to “one’s own characteristics or interests”. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pessoal | ||
| The Portuguese word "pessoal" also means "personal" or "staff" in English. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgiobachd | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "sgiobachd" originates from the Irish word "sluagh" meaning "host" or "army" and refers to a group of people working together, especially in a military or organized context. | |||
| Spanish | personal | ||
| The Spanish word "personal" can also refer to one's personality. | |||
| Swedish | personal | ||
| In Swedish, "personal" can also refer to the staff of an organization or business. | |||
| Welsh | personél | ||
| In Welsh, "personél" also means "personal" or "own, belonging to". | |||
Personnel in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | персанал | ||
| The Russian loanword "персанал" is also used in Belarusian with the additional meaning of "teaching staff". | |||
| Bosnian | osoblje | ||
| The word 'osoblje' is of Slavic origin and is related to the words 'osoba' (person) and 'ob' (around). | |||
| Bulgarian | персонал | ||
| The word "персонал" in Bulgarian can also refer to a group of theatrical props or a set of items included with a product. | |||
| Czech | personál | ||
| The word "personál" in Czech can also mean "staff" or "crew". | |||
| Estonian | personal | ||
| The word "personal" in Estonian means both "personal" and "personnel". | |||
| Finnish | henkilöstö | ||
| The word "henkilöstö" is derived from the word "henkilö", meaning "person", and the suffix "-stö", which indicates a group or collection. Therefore, "henkilöstö" literally means "a group of people". | |||
| Hungarian | személyzet | ||
| "Személyzet" derives from the Hungarian word "személy" meaning "person" and the suffix "-zet" indicating a group or collection. | |||
| Latvian | personāls | ||
| "Personāls" is a borrowing from French "personnel", derived from Latin "persona" meaning "mask," reflecting the fact that actors in Roman theater originally wore masks. | |||
| Lithuanian | personalas | ||
| The word "personalas" in Lithuanian can also refer to "character" or "individuality" and is related to the Latin word "persona" meaning "mask" or "role." | |||
| Macedonian | персонал | ||
| The word 'персонал' in Macedonian derives from the French 'personnel', meaning 'belonging to a person' or 'personal', ultimately from the Latin 'personalis'. | |||
| Polish | personel | ||
| The Polish word "personel" can also refer to a group of individuals who are not soldiers or police officers but who work in a particular field or profession. | |||
| Romanian | personal | ||
| In Romanian, the word 'personal' has a double meaning, referring to both 'personnel' and 'personal' (as in 'personal belongings'). | |||
| Russian | персонал | ||
| In Russian, the word "персонал" also means "personal" or "staff". | |||
| Serbian | особље | ||
| The word "особље" derives from the Old Slavic word "osobu," meaning "person." | |||
| Slovak | personál | ||
| The word "personál" in Slovak language also means "linen" when referring to "bed linen". | |||
| Slovenian | osebje | ||
| The word "osebje" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "oseba", meaning "person". It can also refer to the staff of an organization or institution. | |||
| Ukrainian | персоналу | ||
| The Ukrainian word "персоналу" (personnel) is derived from the Latin "persona," meaning "mask" or "character," and originally referred to the actors in a play. | |||
Personnel in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কর্মী | ||
| কর্মী (kormi) originally referred to a craftsman or worker, but it now has the broader meaning of 'personnel' in general. | |||
| Gujarati | કર્મચારીઓ | ||
| The term "કર્મચારીઓ" is also used in a broader sense to refer to all employees of a business or organization. | |||
| Hindi | कर्मियों | ||
| ''कर्मियों'' (''karmion'') can also mean ``deeds'' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿ | ||
| The word "ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿ" in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "संबंधी" (sambandhi) meaning "related to" or "connected with." | |||
| Malayalam | ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥർ | ||
| Marathi | कर्मचारी | ||
| "कर्मचारी" (personnel) in Marathi derives from Sanskrit and literally means "one who performs actions or deeds". | |||
| Nepali | कर्मचारीहरु | ||
| The word "कर्मचारीहरु" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कर्म" (work) and "चार" (one who does), and can also refer to "staff" or "employees". | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පිරිස් | ||
| The word 'පිරිස්' (personnel) is derived from the Old French word 'persone', meaning 'a person'. It can also refer to a group of people working together towards a common goal. | |||
| Tamil | பணியாளர்கள் | ||
| The word "பணியாளர்கள்" in Tamil can also refer to "workers", "employees", or "staff" in the context of an organization or business. | |||
| Telugu | సిబ్బంది | ||
| The term "సిబ్బంది" originally referred to a collection of horses and riders and later came to mean any group of people employed for a specific purpose. | |||
| Urdu | عملے کی | ||
| The word "عملے کی" (amalay ki) in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "عمل" (amal), meaning "work" or "deed." | |||
Personnel in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 人员 | ||
| 人员 (rén yuán), literally meaning "human staff," is occasionally used informally to refer to a specific person, often with negative or derogatory connotations. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 人員 | ||
| 人員一詞最初由日語借用而來，原意為"人的集團"、"人手"。 | |||
| Japanese | 人員 | ||
| The word "人員" (jin-in) can also mean "human resources" or "staff" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 인원 | ||
| The word 인원 (personnel) originally comes from the Chinese term 人員 (rén'yuán), which refers to the number of people involved in an activity or organization. | |||
| Mongolian | боловсон хүчин | ||
| The term "боловсон хүчин" (personnel) in Mongolian originally referred to "skilled workers" or "specialists". As it's used today, it often includes "uns कुशल कर्मचारी" (unskilled workers) as well. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပုဂ္ဂိုလ်များ | ||
Personnel in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | personil | ||
| The Indonesian word 'personil' also refers to an individual member of a group or organization. | |||
| Javanese | personel | ||
| In Javanese, "personel" can also refer to a group of actors or dancers. | |||
| Khmer | បុគ្គលិក | ||
| Lao | ບຸກຄະລາກອນ | ||
| Malay | pegawai | ||
| The Malay word "pegawai" derives from the Sanskrit word "bhāgya" (portion), implying the allotment or assignment of tasks to individuals. | |||
| Thai | บุคลากร | ||
| บุคลากร comes from the Pali word 'puggala' meaning 'person' and the Sanskrit word 'kara' meaning 'work', so it originally meant 'worker' or 'doer'. However, over time its meaning has expanded to include all those involved in an organization, regardless of their rank or job title. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhân viên | ||
| The word "nhân viên" originally meant "humanity," but over time it came to mean "personnel." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tauhan | ||
Personnel in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | personal | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "şəxsi" can mean both "personal" and "personnel". | |||
| Kazakh | жеке құрам | ||
| The word "жеке құрам" in Kazakh also means "the personal composition of a military unit." | |||
| Kyrgyz | кадрлар | ||
| The word "кадрлар" ("personnel") in Kyrgyz is derived from the Russian word "кадры" ("personnel") which is in turn borrowed from the French word "cadre" ("framework"). | |||
| Tajik | кадрҳо | ||
| The word "кадрҳо" can also refer to "films" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | işgärler | ||
| Uzbek | xodimlar | ||
| "Xo'dimlar" (personnel) comes from the Persian word "khudam" (servant) and is sometimes used in the sense of "employees" or "helpers." | |||
| Uyghur | خادىملار | ||
Personnel in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | limahana | ||
| The Hawaiian word lima hana means 'five work' and refers to the five basic functions of government. | |||
| Maori | kaimahi | ||
| The word kaimahi can also refer to a worker or laborer. | |||
| Samoan | tagata faigaluega | ||
| The word "tagata" can also mean "people" and "faigaluega" can mean "work" or "job" in Samoan | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tauhan | ||
| "Tauhan" also means "cast" or "characters" in Filipino plays or TV shows. | |||
Personnel in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | personal ukanaka | ||
| Guarani | personal rehegua | ||
Personnel in International Languages
| Esperanto | dungitaro | ||
| The word "dungitaro" can also mean "employee", "staff member", or "workforce". | |||
| Latin | personas | ||
| The Latin word "persona" originally referred to a theatrical mask worn by actors, representing a particular character or aspect of a person's personality. | |||
Personnel in Others Languages
| Greek | προσωπικό | ||
| The Greek word 'προσωπικό' also has the alternate meaning 'personal' or 'private'. | |||
| Hmong | cov neeg ua haujlwm | ||
| Kurdish | sûxrekar | ||
| The word 'sûxrekar' can also mean 'soldiers' or 'fighters' in Kurdish, depending on the context. | |||
| Turkish | personel | ||
| Personel can also mean "private matters" or "secret affairs" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | abasebenzi | ||
| The Xhosa word "abasebenzi" can also refer to a group of people or a team. | |||
| Yiddish | פּערסאַנעל | ||
| The word "פּערסאַנעל" in Yiddish can also mean "personal" or "private". | |||
| Zulu | abasebenzi | ||
| The word "abasebenzi" originates from the Zulu phrase "aba benzi umsebenzi," meaning "those who do the work." | |||
| Assamese | কৰ্মী | ||
| Aymara | personal ukanaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | कर्मी लोग के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕާސަނަލް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | कर्मी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tauhan | ||
| Guarani | personal rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | personnel dagiti tattao | ||
| Krio | pipul dɛn we de wok de | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کارمەندان | ||
| Maithili | कर्मी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯔꯁꯣꯅꯦꯂꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏꯁꯤꯡ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | personnel te an ni | ||
| Oromo | hojjettoota | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କର୍ମଚାରୀ | ||
| Quechua | personal nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | कार्मिक | ||
| Tatar | персонал | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰራሕተኛታት | ||
| Tsonga | vatirhi va le xihundleni | ||