Pilot in Different Languages
Discover 'Pilot' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'pilot' holds a special significance in our modern world, with its cultural importance stretching far and wide. Derived from the Greek word 'pedon' via the Latin 'peditor', a pilot was traditionally a person who steered a ship or a plane. But today, the term has taken on a more glamorous connotation, often associated with the brave men and women who fly commercial airliners or explore the vastness of space.
From the Wright brothers' first powered flight in 1903 to the modern-day Mars rovers, pilots have played a crucial role in shaping human history. And as our world becomes increasingly interconnected, the need for skilled pilots has never been greater.
Understanding the translation of the word 'pilot' in different languages can be both fascinating and useful. For example, in Spanish, a pilot is known as a 'piloto', while in French, the term is 'pilote'. Meanwhile, in Russian, the word is 'пилот' (pronounced 'pilot') and in Chinese, it's '飞行员' (pronounced 'fēi xíng yuán').
So whether you're a language enthusiast, a budding aviator, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the many translations of the word 'pilot' is a great way to broaden your horizons and deepen your appreciation for the rich tapestry of global culture.
Pilot
Pilot in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vlieënier | ||
| The word "vlieënier" comes from the Dutch word "vliegenier" or "vlieger," both meaning aviator or kite. | |||
| Amharic | አብራሪ | ||
| አብራሪ is a term derived from the Ge'ez root "ብርአ", meaning "to create" or "to make", implying a creator or leader. | |||
| Hausa | matukin jirgi | ||
| The Hausa word 'matukin jirgi' can also mean 'driver' or 'captain' in English. | |||
| Igbo | ọkwọ ụgbọelu | ||
| The Igbo word "ọkwọ ụgbọelu" (pilot) literally means "one who drives a flying vehicle," showcasing the language's creative and descriptive nature. | |||
| Malagasy | mpanamory | ||
| The word "mpanamory" in Malagasy is derived from the root word "namory", meaning "to direct" or "to steer". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | woyendetsa ndege | ||
| The word "woyendetsa ndege" literally means "one who makes the bird fly" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | mutyairi wendege | ||
| Somali | duuliye | ||
| "Duuliye" is also used to refer to a senior military officer or a person in authority | |||
| Sesotho | mofofisi | ||
| The word 'mofofisi' also refers to someone who guides or directs others. | |||
| Swahili | rubani | ||
| The word "rubani" in Swahili can also refer to a helmsman or a captain of a ship. | |||
| Xhosa | umqhubi | ||
| The word 'umqhubi' is also used figuratively to refer to someone who is responsible for leading or guiding a group of people. | |||
| Yoruba | awaoko | ||
| Awaoko also means "ship owner" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umshayeli wendiza | ||
| The Zulu word for 'pilot', 'umshayeli wendiza', literally translates to 'driver of a bird'. | |||
| Bambara | pankurunbolila | ||
| Ewe | yameʋukula | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuderevu | ||
| Lingala | pilote | ||
| Luganda | omuvuzi w'ennyonyi | ||
| Sepedi | mofofiši wa sefofane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wienhyɛnkani | ||
Pilot in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طيار | ||
| طيار (ṭayyār) also means "flying" in Arabic, and is the root of the word "طائرة" (ṭaʾīrah), meaning "airplane". | |||
| Hebrew | טַיָס | ||
| In Hebrew, "טַיָס" ("pilot") derives from "טיסה" ("flight"), which is related to the Arabic word "طير" ("bird"). | |||
| Pashto | پیلوټ | ||
| The Pashto word "پیلوټ" can also refer to a "pilot light", "guide", or "leader" | |||
| Arabic | طيار | ||
| طيار (ṭayyār) also means "flying" in Arabic, and is the root of the word "طائرة" (ṭaʾīrah), meaning "airplane". | |||
Pilot in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pilot | ||
| In Albanian, pilot also means 'leader' or 'guide' | |||
| Basque | pilotua | ||
| The word "pilotua" in Basque also means "guide" or "leader". | |||
| Catalan | pilot | ||
| The word "pilot" comes from the Old French word "pilote", which in turn comes from the Latin word "pilota", meaning "ball". | |||
| Croatian | pilot | ||
| In Croatian, "pilot" can also refer to a small river boat or a guiding light on the shore of a river or sea. | |||
| Danish | pilot | ||
| In Danish, "pilot" has the alternate meaning of "a small amount of alcohol drunk before a meal". This is because pilots used to drink a small amount of alcohol before flying, to help prevent altitude sickness. | |||
| Dutch | piloot | ||
| In Dutch, "piloot" is also a term for a type of nail used in woodworking. | |||
| English | pilot | ||
| The word 'pilot' comes from the Latin 'pilota,' meaning a steersman, and is related to the Greek 'peleos,' meaning 'rudder.' | |||
| French | pilote | ||
| In French, «pilote» can also refer to a plant that acts as a guide for another plant, or to a person who guides or directs. | |||
| Frisian | piloat | ||
| The Frisian word "piloat" can also refer to a person who helps guide a boat through a narrow or difficult channel. | |||
| Galician | piloto | ||
| In Galician, "piloto" has the additional meaning of "novice" or "newcomer" | |||
| German | pilot | ||
| In German, 'Pilot' can also refer to a light or beacon, or a person who guides or instructs. | |||
| Icelandic | flugmaður | ||
| In Icelandic, "flugmaður" means "pilot," but it literally translates to "flying man," echoing the adventurous nature of the profession. | |||
| Irish | píolótach | ||
| The Irish word "píolótach" is derived from the Latin word "pilotus" and can also mean "helmsman" or "guide". | |||
| Italian | pilota | ||
| In Italian, "pilota" can also mean "football" or "billiards ball". | |||
| Luxembourgish | pilot | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Pilot" can also refer to a guiding light or a person who provides guidance. | |||
| Maltese | pilota | ||
| The word "pilota" in Maltese can also refer to a "feather" or a "flag". | |||
| Norwegian | pilot | ||
| The Norwegian word "pilot" can also refer to a guide for hikers or climbers. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | piloto | ||
| In Portuguese, "piloto" can also refer to a TV program's first episode or a soccer player's first game for a team. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | pìleat | ||
| The word 'pìleat' in Scots Gaelic is derived from the French 'pilote' meaning 'pilot', but also has the additional meaning of 'helmsman'. | |||
| Spanish | piloto | ||
| In Spanish, the word 'piloto' (pilot) derives from the Italian 'pilota' (small boat) which in turn stems from the Greek 'peleton' (rudder oar) and refers to a person entrusted with directing a boat. | |||
| Swedish | pilot | ||
| In Swedish, the word "pilot" also refers to a small glass of beer or schnapps. | |||
| Welsh | peilot | ||
| The Welsh word "peilot" can also refer to a steersman or a navigator, and is derived from the Latin "pilotus". | |||
Pilot in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пілот | ||
| The Belarusian word "пілот" can also refer to a person who operates a ship, or a type of pen with a fine point. | |||
| Bosnian | pilot | ||
| Pilot is also a term for a person who guides a ship or conducts a navigation system. | |||
| Bulgarian | пилот | ||
| Bulgarian "пилот" (pilot) can also refer to a type of men's suit or a person who lights the way in a dark place. | |||
| Czech | pilot | ||
| Czech word "pilot" has also another meaning - something that serves as a model or guide. | |||
| Estonian | piloot | ||
| In Estonian, the word "piloot" also means a "pillow" or a "log used for driving ice floes." | |||
| Finnish | lentäjä | ||
| "Lentäjä" also means "flyer" or "soarer" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | pilóta | ||
| In archaic Hungarian, "pilóta" referred to a specific type of spear, and later to a small boat. | |||
| Latvian | pilots | ||
| In Latvian, "pilots" also refers to a type of mushroom found in forests, often mistaken for edible Chanterelles. | |||
| Lithuanian | pilotas | ||
| The word "pilotas" in Lithuanian is also used to refer to a type of dumpling. | |||
| Macedonian | пилот | ||
| In Russian, the word "пилот" can also refer to a trainee or learner driver. | |||
| Polish | pilot | ||
| In Polish, "pilot" can also refer to a wooden post used to mark boundaries or guide travelers | |||
| Romanian | pilot | ||
| In Romanian, “pilot” may also refer to the first installment of a loan or the leader of a Gypsy group. | |||
| Russian | пилот | ||
| "Пилот" can mean "pilot" in Russian, or it could mean a match used for lighting something like a stove or a candle. | |||
| Serbian | пилот | ||
| Although "пилот" commonly refers to an aircraft operator, it can also denote a lead singer in a choir or a conductor of an orchestra, deriving from medieval Latin "pilotus" meaning "director". | |||
| Slovak | pilot | ||
| In Slovak, "pilot" also refers to a small beer glass (approx. 0.2 l). | |||
| Slovenian | pilot | ||
| The word 'pilot' derives from the Classical Latin word 'pilōtus,' meaning 'steersman.' | |||
| Ukrainian | пілот | ||
| The word "пілот" can also refer to a small test aircraft or a prototype. | |||
Pilot in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিমান - চালক | ||
| The word 'বিমান - চালক' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vimāna', meaning 'sky chariot', and 'চালক', meaning 'one who steers'. Thus, the term literally means 'one who steers a sky chariot'. | |||
| Gujarati | પાયલોટ | ||
| The Gujarati word "પાયલોટ" ("pilot") also means "the helmsman of a boat" or "a person who guides or directs others". | |||
| Hindi | पायलट | ||
| The word 'पायलट' can also mean 'leading ship' or 'guide' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಪೈಲಟ್ | ||
| "ಪೈಲಟ್" (pilot) comes from the Italian "pilota," itself from the Latin "pedis" (foot), signifying "one who steers a ship". | |||
| Malayalam | പൈലറ്റ് | ||
| The word "പൈലറ്റ്" (pilot) in Malayalam is derived from the Portuguese word "piloto", which in turn comes from the Latin word "pilota", meaning "helmsman". | |||
| Marathi | पायलट | ||
| The word "पायलट" (pilot) in Marathi has an alternate meaning of "guide" or "leader". | |||
| Nepali | पायलट | ||
| In Nepali, "पायलट" is derived from the French "pilote", which in turn is derived from the Greek "pēdalion", meaning 'rudder'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਾਇਲਟ | ||
| The Punjabi "pilot" (ਪਾਇਲਟ) is originally a loan from French but is sometimes used to refer not to an airline pilot, but rather the pilot of a bullock-pulling plow. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නියමුවා | ||
| නියමුවා (pilot) also means "guide, leader, or ruler", derived from the Sanskrit word "niyAmaka" meaning "one who regulates". | |||
| Tamil | பைலட் | ||
| The Tamil word "பைலட்" (pilot) is also used to refer to an apprentice or a person who is in training. | |||
| Telugu | పైలట్ | ||
| The word 'పైలట్' originates from the Latin word 'pilota', meaning helmsman of a ship, guide. | |||
| Urdu | پائلٹ | ||
| Pilot (پائلٹ) is also used in Urdu for 'experimental' or 'trial', e.g. 'pilot project'. | |||
Pilot in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 飞行员 | ||
| 「飞行员」一词在中文里还有一个含义，指代飞行器模型中的遥控操作者。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 飛行員 | ||
| 飛 in 飛行員 means 'fly', and 行 originally means 'go, walk or move' | |||
| Japanese | パイロット | ||
| The word "パイロット" (pilot) in Japanese can also mean "navigator". | |||
| Korean | 조종사 | ||
| The term '조종사' means a 'pilot' and is derived from the Japanese word for 'helmsman'. | |||
| Mongolian | нисгэгч | ||
| "Ниcгэгч" originally comes from "нисэг", which means "to show the way" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လေယာဉ်မှူး | ||
| The term 'လေယာဉ်မှူး' ('pilot') is derived from the French 'piloter', meaning to steer or guide a ship, with its earliest usage in the 16th century to refer to ship's masters. | |||
Pilot in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pilot | ||
| The word "pilot" comes from the Greek "pēdalion" meaning "rudder" and "pēdalizein" meaning "to steer". | |||
| Javanese | pilot | ||
| The Javanese word "pilot" can also refer to a traditional village headman or a person in charge of a group of people. | |||
| Khmer | សាកល្បង | ||
| The word “pilot” comes from the Latin word “pilus,” meaning “hair,” and refers to the small hairs on the back of a boat that steer it. | |||
| Lao | ນັກບິນ | ||
| The word "ນັກບິນ" can also refer to a "bird" in Lao, further emphasizing the connection between flight and the human endeavor to master it. | |||
| Malay | juruterbang | ||
| The word "juruterbang" is derived from the Malay words "juru" (meaning "driver") and "terbang" (meaning "to fly"). | |||
| Thai | นักบิน | ||
| The word "นักบิน" derives from Pali "navaka" meaning boatman, and Sanskrit "naviga" meaning one who steers a ship. | |||
| Vietnamese | phi công | ||
| The word "Phi công" is derived from the French word "pilote," which means "one who steers a ship or aircraft." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | piloto | ||
Pilot in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pilot | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "pilot" (pilot) is used not only to mean "a person who operates an aircraft," but also a "pilot light," which is a small flame that serves as an indicator or ignition source. | |||
| Kazakh | ұшқыш | ||
| The word "ұшқыш" is also used to refer to a bird or an airplane. | |||
| Kyrgyz | учкуч | ||
| Etymology: from Turkish *uçkuç* “falconer” from *uç* “to fly” and *-kuç* “falconer”. | |||
| Tajik | лётчик | ||
| The word "лётчик" has a similar root to the Persian word "лет" which means "to fly". | |||
| Turkmen | pilot | ||
| Uzbek | uchuvchi | ||
| From Persian "ûçuvçi" "flyer" and ultimately from Arabic عطاط ("aaTafa") - "to fly" | |||
| Uyghur | ئۇچقۇچى | ||
Pilot in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pailaka | ||
| Pailaka can also refer to a type of shark or the Hawaiian name of an airplane. | |||
| Maori | pailati | ||
| The term pailati (pilot) is derived from the English word "pilot", and also refers to someone who leads a group or a canoe, or who acts as a guide. | |||
| Samoan | pailate | ||
| The word pailate in Samoan is a cognate of the English word "pilot" and also means "to steer a boat". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | piloto | ||
| In Tagalog, "piloto" also means "helmsman", "steersman", "coxswain", "navigator", "airman", and "aviator". | |||
Pilot in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | awyun apnaqiri | ||
| Guarani | mba'yrumbovevehára | ||
Pilot in International Languages
| Esperanto | piloto | ||
| The word "piloto" in Esperanto can also mean "driver" or "navigator", depending on the context. | |||
| Latin | gubernator | ||
| In ancient Rome, "gubernator" was not only a ship's pilot but also a term for "helmsmen" and "governors" of provinces. | |||
Pilot in Others Languages
| Greek | πιλότος | ||
| The word "πιλότος" can also refer to a helmsman or steersman, as well as a guide or leader. | |||
| Hmong | tus tsav | ||
| The word "tus tsav" also means "to lead" or "to show the way" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | pîlot | ||
| The word "pîlot" also means "rudder" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | pilot | ||
| The word "pilot" also means "student" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | umqhubi | ||
| The word 'umqhubi' is also used figuratively to refer to someone who is responsible for leading or guiding a group of people. | |||
| Yiddish | פּילאָט | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּילאָט" (pilot) is derived from the Greek word "πηδαλιώτης" (pedaliōtēs), meaning "steersman" or "navigator" | |||
| Zulu | umshayeli wendiza | ||
| The Zulu word for 'pilot', 'umshayeli wendiza', literally translates to 'driver of a bird'. | |||
| Assamese | পাইলট | ||
| Aymara | awyun apnaqiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | पायलट | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕައިލޮޓް | ||
| Dogri | पायलट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | piloto | ||
| Guarani | mba'yrumbovevehára | ||
| Ilocano | piloto | ||
| Krio | paylɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فڕۆکەوان | ||
| Maithili | हवाई जहाज चालक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯔꯣꯄ꯭ꯂꯦꯟ ꯄꯥꯏꯕ ꯃꯤꯥꯑꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | khalhtu | ||
| Oromo | balaliisaa xiyyaaraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାଇଲଟ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | piloto | ||
| Sanskrit | वैमानिक | ||
| Tatar | пилот | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣብራሪ ኣየር | ||
| Tsonga | muchayeri wa xihahampfhuka | ||