Policy in Different Languages
Discover 'Policy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Policy
Policy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beleid | ||
| The Afrikaans word "beleid" also means "politeness" or "courtesy" and is derived from the Dutch word "beleid" with the same meaning. | |||
| Amharic | ፖሊሲ | ||
| In Amharic, "ፖሊሲ" (policy) originally meant "a method of government". | |||
| Hausa | siyasa | ||
| The word 'siyasa' derives from Arabic and also refers to 'trickery', 'deceit' or 'political intrigue' in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | amụma | ||
| Amụma also denotes an 'edict' or 'decree' with an air of authority in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | politika | ||
| The Malagasy word "POLITIKA" can also refer to traditional customs and beliefs. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ndondomeko | ||
| The word 'ndondomeko' can also mean a 'prohibition' | |||
| Shona | mutemo | ||
| The word "mutemo" can also refer to a law, regulation, or principle. | |||
| Somali | siyaasad | ||
| The word "siyaasad" can also mean "politics," "government," or "administration" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | leano | ||
| "Leano" in Sesotho originates from the Nguni word for agreement or treaty, signifying its role in establishing and regulating social arrangements. | |||
| Swahili | sera | ||
| "Sera" also means "custom" and "habits" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | umgaqo-nkqubo | ||
| Yoruba | imulo | ||
| Imulo is also used to mean 'wisdom, knowledge, counsel, guidance' | |||
| Zulu | inqubomgomo | ||
| The term 'inqubomgomo' in Zulu is derived from the verb 'ukubomula', meaning 'to cover' or 'hide'. This reflects the role of policies as instruments to conceal or obscure the true intentions or actions of individuals or organizations. | |||
| Bambara | fɛɛrɛ | ||
| Ewe | ɖoɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | politiki | ||
| Lingala | malako | ||
| Luganda | etteeka | ||
| Sepedi | pholisi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nhyehyɛeɛ | ||
Policy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سياسات | ||
| In Arabic, the word "سياسات" ("policy") also refers to a person's conduct and behavior. | |||
| Hebrew | מְדִינִיוּת | ||
| The Hebrew word "מדיניות" ("mediniyut") originally meant "judgment". | |||
| Pashto | پالیسي | ||
| The Pashto word "پالیسي" also means "strategy" or "plan." | |||
| Arabic | سياسات | ||
| In Arabic, the word "سياسات" ("policy") also refers to a person's conduct and behavior. | |||
Policy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | politika | ||
| In Albanian, "politika" can refer to both "policy" and "politics" in general. | |||
| Basque | politika | ||
| The word politika in Basque can refer to the rules and regulations established by a government as well as the strategies, plans, and courses of action adopted by an individual, group, or organization. | |||
| Catalan | política | ||
| The Catalan word "política" also means "politics" and derives from the Greek "politikos", meaning "of, for, or relating to citizens". | |||
| Croatian | politika | ||
| "Politika" can also refer to politics or a political party in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | politik | ||
| In Danish, "politik" not only means "policy" but also "politics". | |||
| Dutch | het beleid | ||
| "Het beleid" (policy) originally meant 'the wisdom of the city'. | |||
| English | policy | ||
| The word 'policy' derives from the Greek word 'polis,' meaning city-state. | |||
| French | politique | ||
| The French word "politique" can also refer to astuteness, cunning, or deceit, originating from the Greek "politikos" meaning "of, for, or relating to citizens". | |||
| Frisian | belied | ||
| The word "belied" in Frisian can also mean "lied" or "deceived". | |||
| Galician | política | ||
| Galician "política" also refers to an "insurance"} | |||
| German | politik | ||
| "Politik" can also mean "politics" and is ultimately derived from Greek "Polis" meaning "city". | |||
| Icelandic | stefna | ||
| The word "stefna" derives from the Old Norse word "stefna" meaning "course, direction, or route." | |||
| Irish | beartas | ||
| Beartas derives from beart, meaning 'act' and the suffix -as, meaning 'condition, state'. | |||
| Italian | politica | ||
| The Italian word "politica" derives from the Greek word "politikos," which refers to the activities of the "polis," or city-state. | |||
| Luxembourgish | politik | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Politik" also means "politics" in a broader sense, including political opinions or activities. | |||
| Maltese | politika | ||
| Norwegian | politikk | ||
| The Norwegian word "Politikk" derives from the Ancient Greek word "politikós," meaning "affairs of the city." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | política | ||
| In Portuguese, "política" can also mean "politeness" or "courtesy". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | poileasaidh | ||
| Poileasaidh derives from the older Gaelic "poliscie" meaning "politeness" or "good manners". In modern Gaelic it can also mean "police". | |||
| Spanish | política | ||
| In Spanish, **política** not only means **policy**, but also refers to **politics** and **prudence**. | |||
| Swedish | politik | ||
| In Swedish, politiken and politik are loanwords which have the same meaning, although politik is less common. | |||
| Welsh | polisi | ||
| Welsh "polisi" derives from Greek "polis" (city-state) via Latin "politia" (citizenship). | |||
Policy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | палітыка | ||
| Bosnian | politika | ||
| Politika also means 'politics' in Bosnian, sharing the same etymology as the English word with the same spelling. | |||
| Bulgarian | политика | ||
| The Bulgarian word "политика" (policy) originates from the Greek word "πολιτική" (politics), which refers to the activities of a city-state or a polis. | |||
| Czech | politika | ||
| The Czech word "politika" comes from the Greek word "polis", meaning "city-state," and originally referred to the affairs of the city. | |||
| Estonian | poliitika | ||
| In Estonian, "poliitika" also refers to the art of government and the conduct of public affairs. | |||
| Finnish | käytäntö | ||
| The Finnish word "käytäntö" also means "practice" or "usage". | |||
| Hungarian | irányelv | ||
| The term "irányelv" can also refer to a guideline or principle. | |||
| Latvian | politika | ||
| The etymology of the Latvian word "politika" is from the Greek word "politikos" meaning "of, for, or relating to the state or its government." | |||
| Lithuanian | politiką | ||
| "Politika" is derived from Greek "politeia", meaning "citizenship" or "affairs of the city-state." | |||
| Macedonian | политика | ||
| The word "политика" can also mean "politics" or "polity". | |||
| Polish | polityka | ||
| In Polish, "polityka" has its roots in the Greek "politeia," meaning "citizenship" or "state affairs," reflecting its broader historical usage beyond just "policy." | |||
| Romanian | politică | ||
| The Romanian word "politică" can also mean "politics", "polity", or "statecraft". | |||
| Russian | политика | ||
| The word политика "policy" in Russian can also mean "politics". | |||
| Serbian | политике | ||
| The word "политике" in Serbian can ultimately be traced back to the Latin word "politicus", meaning "of or pertaining to the state or government". | |||
| Slovak | politiky | ||
| Slovak "politika" or "politiky" can also mean "politics" or "insurance policy". | |||
| Slovenian | politike | ||
| In ancient Greek, "politike" could also mean "ethics" and "citizenship". | |||
| Ukrainian | політика | ||
| In Ukrainian, politics is also referred as the 'science of the state' or 'state science' | |||
Policy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নীতি | ||
| The word 'নীতি' derives from the Sanskrit word 'नीति' (nīti), meaning 'conduct, behavior, or rule of conduct'. | |||
| Gujarati | નીતિ | ||
| Gujarati word સિતિ ("nīti") originally meant "conduct, behavior" in Sanskrit, where its cognate "nīti" still has that meaning. | |||
| Hindi | नीति | ||
| The word "नीति" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "niyati" meaning "order" or "arrangement", and also has the alternate meaning of "conduct" or "behavior" | |||
| Kannada | ನೀತಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ನೀತಿ" ("nīti") shares a common origin with the Sanskrit word "नीति" ("nīti"), meaning "conduct, morality, or ethics." | |||
| Malayalam | നയം | ||
| "നയം" also means "prudence" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "niti" meaning "guidance". | |||
| Marathi | धोरण | ||
| The word "धोरण" in Marathi can also refer to a plan or strategy, especially in a political context. | |||
| Nepali | नीति | ||
| The word 'नीति' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'नीति', which originally meant 'rule or principle'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੀਤੀ ਨੂੰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රතිපත්ති | ||
| Tamil | கொள்கை | ||
| "கொள்கை" in Tamil can also refer to a principle, belief, or doctrine. | |||
| Telugu | విధానం | ||
| The word "విధానం" ("policy") in Telugu also refers to a rule, regulation, ordinance, or an established method or procedure. | |||
| Urdu | پالیسی | ||
| The word "پالیسی" can also refer to a religious sect or denomination. | |||
Policy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 政策 | ||
| "政策" (simplified Chinese) means both "policy" and "politics" (as in "political science"). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 政策 | ||
| "政策" (policy) can also mean "method" or "tactic". | |||
| Japanese | ポリシー | ||
| The word "ポリシー" (policy) in Japanese can also refer to a "regulation" or "principle". | |||
| Korean | 수단 | ||
| The word '수단' can also mean 'method' or 'means' | |||
| Mongolian | бодлого | ||
| In Mongolian, "бодлого" can also mean "opinion" or "viewpoint". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မူဝါဒ | ||
| The Burmese word "မူဝါဒ" also has alternate meanings, including "methodology", "doctrine", and "platform". | |||
Policy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kebijakan | ||
| "Kebijakan" is derived from Arabic word "kaffa" (sufficiency) which also became the root of word "cukup" (enough) in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | kabijakan | ||
| In Javanese, "kabijakan" also means "strength" or "influence". | |||
| Khmer | គោលនយោបាយ | ||
| The Khmer word គោលនយោបាយ ("policy") is derived from the Sanskrit words गोः ("cow"), नयः ("leading"), and उप ("near"), originally meaning "cowherding tactics". It also means "expedient" or "stratagem". | |||
| Lao | ນະໂຍບາຍ | ||
| Malay | dasar | ||
| The word "dasar" in Malay can also mean "foundation" or "principle". | |||
| Thai | นโยบาย | ||
| "นโยบาย" comes from Sanskrit and also means "moral discipline." | |||
| Vietnamese | chính sách | ||
| "Chính sách" is a Vietnamese word for "policy" originating from Classical Chinese "政策" (zhèngcè), which means "political strategy". In modern Chinese, it is still used to refer to government guidelines while in Vietnamese, it is more broadly applied. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | patakaran | ||
Policy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | siyasət | ||
| Siyasət is sometimes used in the sense of | |||
| Kazakh | саясат | ||
| The word "саясат" has a dual origin: the Arabic "siyasa" (management, rule) and the Persian "sayasat" (politics, strategy). | |||
| Kyrgyz | саясат | ||
| The word "саясат" ("policy") in Kyrgyz originally meant "politics" during the Soviet era but was later loaned from Russian with the specific meaning of "policy". | |||
| Tajik | сиёсат | ||
| The word "сиёсат" (policy) is derived from the Persian word "سیاست" (politics). | |||
| Turkmen | syýasaty | ||
| Uzbek | siyosat | ||
| The word "siyosat" in Uzbek originated from the Persian word "siyāshat", which means "politics" or "governance". | |||
| Uyghur | سىياسەت | ||
Policy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kulekele | ||
| The word “kulekele” also means to “steer” (like a canoe), a reminder that policies and laws guide our journey. | |||
| Maori | kaupapa here | ||
| "Kaupapa here" is derived from a plant that provided sustenance in times of hardship and also refers to the concept of a guiding principle. | |||
| Samoan | faiga faʻavae | ||
| The word "faʻavae" also means "foundation" or "basis" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | patakaran | ||
| The Tagalog word "patakaran" is derived from the Malay word "pataka", meaning "sign" or "mark". In the context of a policy, it refers to a set of rules or guidelines that serve as a guide for action or decision-making. | |||
Policy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pulitika | ||
| Guarani | tetãrayhu | ||
Policy in International Languages
| Esperanto | politiko | ||
| "Politiko" can also refer to a "person involved in politics." | |||
| Latin | consilium | ||
| The Latin word "consilium" derives from "consulo", meaning "to deliberate" or "hold a consultation". | |||
Policy in Others Languages
| Greek | πολιτική | ||
| In ancient Greece, the term "πολιτική" ('politikē') also referred to the art of citizenship and participation in public affairs. | |||
| Hmong | txoj cai | ||
| In Hmong, the word "txoj cai" not only means "policy," but also refers to "law," "regulation," and "principle." | |||
| Kurdish | tektîk | ||
| The word "tektîk" in Kurdish can also mean "method" or "approach". | |||
| Turkish | politika | ||
| Politika originates from the Greek word 'politikos', meaning 'relating to the state' and refers to the actions taken by governments or political parties. | |||
| Xhosa | umgaqo-nkqubo | ||
| Yiddish | פּאָליטיק | ||
| The word "פּאָליטיק" (policy) in Yiddish is not related to the English word "politics" but instead is a shortened form of "פּאָליטצע" (letter). | |||
| Zulu | inqubomgomo | ||
| The term 'inqubomgomo' in Zulu is derived from the verb 'ukubomula', meaning 'to cover' or 'hide'. This reflects the role of policies as instruments to conceal or obscure the true intentions or actions of individuals or organizations. | |||
| Assamese | নীতি | ||
| Aymara | pulitika | ||
| Bhojpuri | नीति | ||
| Dhivehi | އުސޫލު | ||
| Dogri | पालिसी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | patakaran | ||
| Guarani | tetãrayhu | ||
| Ilocano | polisiya | ||
| Krio | wɔd | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سیاسەت | ||
| Maithili | नीति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯡꯧꯁꯤꯜ ꯊꯧꯔꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | tihdan | ||
| Oromo | imaammata | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନୀତି | ||
| Quechua | politica | ||
| Sanskrit | नीति | ||
| Tatar | политикасы | ||
| Tigrinya | ፖሊሲ | ||
| Tsonga | pholisi | ||