Updated on March 6, 2024
A politician is a person who holds or seeks a political office, who makes and implements political policies as a profession. Politicians play a crucial role in shaping the societies we live in, from local communities to entire nations. They are the architects of our laws, the advocates for our values, and the representatives of our voices in the halls of power.
The significance and cultural importance of politicians cannot be overstated. They are the ones who have the power to effect change, to shape the course of history, and to make a difference in the lives of millions of people. From the ancient Athenian democrats to the modern leaders of the free world, politicians have always been at the forefront of human progress.
Understanding the role of politicians in different cultures and societies is essential for anyone interested in language and culture. Knowing the translation of the word 'politician' in different languages can help us appreciate the nuances of political systems around the world, and deepen our understanding of the people who lead them.
Here are a few sample translations of the word 'politician' in different languages: Spanish - político, French - politicien, German - Politiker, Russian - politician, Chinese - 政客 (zhèng kè), Japanese - 政治家 (seijika), and Arabic - سياسي (siyāsī).
Afrikaans | politikus | ||
"Politikus" (Politician) is derived from the Greek "politikos," meaning "citizen" or "statesman," and was originally used to refer to a person involved in public affairs. | |||
Amharic | ፖለቲከኛ | ||
The word ፖለቲከኛ is derived from the Greek word πολιτικός, which means "citizen," and is related to the Latin word civis, which also means "citizen." | |||
Hausa | ɗan siyasa | ||
In Hausa, the term "ɗan siyasa" also carries the meaning of a "troublemaker" or "intriguer" | |||
Igbo | onye ndọrọndọrọ ọchịchị | ||
Malagasy | mpanao politika | ||
"Mpanao politika" can also mean "person who wants to be someone in the government". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | wandale | ||
"Wandale derives from the term "wandale wandale," which originally meant "wanderer" in Nyanja." | |||
Shona | wezvematongerwo enyika | ||
The term is derived from "wezvema" (wisdom) and "tongerwo" (village), and it originally referred to the oldest and wisest member of a community who would guide the younger generation. | |||
Somali | siyaasi | ||
In Somali, the word "siyaasi" also means "intelligent" or "cunning". | |||
Sesotho | ralipolotiki | ||
The word "ralipolotiki" is a corruption of the Dutch word "ralie-politiek," meaning "council-politics." | |||
Swahili | mwanasiasa | ||
The Swahili word 'mwanasiasa' derives from the root '-nasi-', meaning 'to advise' or 'to counsel'. | |||
Xhosa | kwezopolitiko | ||
The word "kwezopolitiko" in Xhosa is a blend of the words "kwezo" meaning "of the place" and "politiko" meaning "politics, which together suggests the notion of a politician within the context of a particular place or community. | |||
Yoruba | oloselu | ||
The word "oloselu" in Yoruba is derived from the verb "selu", meaning "to speak", and "o", meaning "one who". | |||
Zulu | usopolitiki | ||
The Zulu word 'usopolitiki' is derived from two words: 'uso' (person) and 'politiki' (politics), indicating an individual involved in political matters. | |||
Bambara | politikikɛla ye | ||
Ewe | dunyahela | ||
Kinyarwanda | umunyapolitiki | ||
Lingala | moto ya politiki | ||
Luganda | munnabyabufuzi | ||
Sepedi | radipolotiki | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɔmanyɛfo | ||
Arabic | سياسي | ||
The word 'سياسي' originally meant 'pertaining to cities' in Arabic, reflecting the historical role of cities as centers of political power. | |||
Hebrew | פּוֹלִיטִיקָאִי | ||
Pashto | سیاستوال | ||
The Pashto word "سیاستوال" ultimately derives from the Greek word "polis", meaning "city" or "community", and is a cognate of words such as "politics" and "police" in English. | |||
Arabic | سياسي | ||
The word 'سياسي' originally meant 'pertaining to cities' in Arabic, reflecting the historical role of cities as centers of political power. |
Albanian | politikan | ||
Politikan in Albanian does not only mean politician but also cunning and manipulative person | |||
Basque | politikaria | ||
The word "politikaria" in Basque is also used to refer to a person who is adept in dealing with politics, and can be someone skilled in diplomacy or strategy. | |||
Catalan | polític | ||
In the Middle Ages the word "polític" was used as a noun, referring to a body of citizens or a community. | |||
Croatian | političar | ||
The term "političar" is derived from the Greek "politikós", meaning "of or relating to the state," and can also refer to a person involved in politics as an amateur. | |||
Danish | politiker | ||
The word "politiker" in Danish is a loanword from the German word "Politiker", which is derived from the Greek word "politikos", meaning "of or pertaining to the citizens". | |||
Dutch | politicus | ||
Dutch word "politicus" derives from Greek "politikos" meaning "of, for, or relating to citizens" or "of, for, or relating to the state". | |||
English | politician | ||
The word "politician" comes from the Greek word "politikos", which means "citizen" or "statesman". | |||
French | politicien | ||
The term 'politicien' is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'politikos' which originally meant 'citizen'. | |||
Frisian | politikus | ||
"Politikus" comes from Latin and is in Old Frisian also used as an adjective (political). | |||
Galician | político | ||
The word "político" also refers to a particular kind of Galician jacket. | |||
German | politiker | ||
The word 'Politiker' in German can have a broader meaning, encompassing not only elected officials, but also commentators, policy experts, and other professionals in the political realm. | |||
Icelandic | stjórnmálamaður | ||
The word is derived from the Old Norse word "stjórn", meaning "to steer or govern" and "maðr", meaning "man". | |||
Irish | polaiteoir | ||
"Polaiteoir" is derived from the Latin "politicus," ultimately "polites," meaning "citizen" | |||
Italian | politico | ||
"Politico" has the same root as "police," deriving from the Ancient Greek "polis" (πόλις), meaning "city". | |||
Luxembourgish | politiker | ||
The word "Politiker" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a "police officer" or "politician" depending on the context. | |||
Maltese | politiku | ||
Politiku is derived from Greek 'politikos' meaning 'of or relating to citizens'. | |||
Norwegian | politiker | ||
Politiker in Norwegian derives from the Greek word politikos, which means 'citizen', and is related to the word polis, meaning 'city'. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | político | ||
"Político" in Portuguese also refers to someone who studies or is an expert in politics. | |||
Scots Gaelic | neach-poilitigs | ||
The Gaelic word "neach-poilitigs" literally translates to "man of policy". | |||
Spanish | político | ||
"Político" means "political" in English and comes from the Greek word "politikos," meaning "of, for, or relating to citizens or government." | |||
Swedish | politiker | ||
Politiker is derived from the Greek word politikos, meaning "of, for, or relating to the state". | |||
Welsh | gwleidydd | ||
The word "gwleidydd" in Welsh is likely derived from the Welsh word "gwlad", meaning "country", and the Proto-Indo-European noun "*dei-to-m", meaning "lord" or "sovereign". |
Belarusian | палітык | ||
"Палітык" (/polɪtɪk/), cognate with Polish polityk, derives from Ancient Greek politikós meaning "citizen, civil". Its original broader sense was preserved in Belarusian, alongside a specialized usage for politicians, a meaning only acquired by Russian "политик" during the 19th century. | |||
Bosnian | političar | ||
The word 'političar' is also used to describe a person who talks or argues a lot, particularly about unimportant matters. | |||
Bulgarian | политик | ||
The term "politician" in Bulgarian also denotes political science as a field of study | |||
Czech | politik | ||
The Czech word "politik" also refers to a player in a game who influences the outcome without direct involvement. | |||
Estonian | poliitik | ||
The word "poliitik" in Estonian can also refer to a person who is excessively concerned with or involved in politics, or to a political situation or issue. | |||
Finnish | poliitikko | ||
The word poliitikko is derived from the Greek word "politikos", meaning "of or relating to the state or government." | |||
Hungarian | politikus | ||
The word "politikus" originally referred to a skilled politician who was able to maintain a balance between opposing factions and interests. | |||
Latvian | politiķis | ||
The word "politiķis" can also mean "statesman" in Latvian. | |||
Lithuanian | politikas | ||
"Politikas" shares its etymology with the word "polis" (Greek for "city-state") and thus refers to someone involved in the affairs of a state or city. | |||
Macedonian | политичар | ||
The word "политичар" can also refer to someone who is cunning or manipulative. | |||
Polish | polityk | ||
In Polish, "polityk" not only means "politician" but also refers to someone who engages in sly or cunning behavior to gain an advantage. | |||
Romanian | politician | ||
The Romanian word "politician" can also mean a master strategist or a master manipulator. | |||
Russian | политик | ||
The word "политик" in Russian can also refer to a type of public figure who is not necessarily involved in government or politics. | |||
Serbian | политичар | ||
The word "политичар" derives from the Greek word "πολιτικός," meaning "of, relating to, or engaged in the affairs of the state." | |||
Slovak | politik | ||
The word “politik” means both “politician” and “policy” in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | politik | ||
In its original Greek context the ancient "politics" meant "city state affairs": not exclusively government policy | |||
Ukrainian | політик | ||
In Ukrainian, "політик" (polityk) can also refer to a member of a political party or a person engaged in politics. |
Bengali | রাজনীতিবিদ | ||
'রাজনীতিবিদ' শব্দটির উৎপত্তি সংস্কৃত শব্দ 'রাজনীতি' থেকে, যার অর্থ 'রাজার শাসন'। | |||
Gujarati | રાજકારણી | ||
The Gujarati word "રાજકારણી" (politician) is derived from Sanskrit "raj" (king) + "neeti" (policy), and also denotes a "political advisor" or someone involved in "governance."} | |||
Hindi | राजनीतिज्ञ | ||
The term राजनीतिज्ञ can also refer to a statesman or a political scientist | |||
Kannada | ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿ | ||
ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿ is derived from the Sanskrit word "raja-karana" meaning "king's business or affairs." | |||
Malayalam | രാഷ്ട്രീയക്കാരൻ | ||
Marathi | राजकारणी | ||
The Marathi word "राजकारणी" literally translates to "member of the kingdom" | |||
Nepali | राजनीतिज्ञ | ||
The word "राजनीतिज्ञ" can also refer to a statesman or a political scientist. | |||
Punjabi | ਸਿਆਸਤਦਾਨ | ||
ਸਿਯਾਸਤਦਾਨਾ ਸਿਯਾਸਤ ਸਪ੍ਤਾਹ ਕਵਿਬਾਦਿ ਮਾ ਭਾਵਨਾਨਾ ਮਾਨਗਾ ਦਾ ਸਿਯਾਸਤਦਾਨਾ ਸਿਯਾਸਤ ਸਿਯਾਸਤ ਸਿਯਾਸਤ ਰਿਮੋਟ ਹੈਸਮੋਂ ਹੈਸਮੋਂ | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දේශපාලන ician යා | ||
The Sinhalese word "ದೇಶಪಾಲನ ician යා", a compound consisting of the words “ದೇಶಪಾලန ”( governance), and“ician යා ”meaning “man” in the archaic Sinhalese language, originally meant “the person in governance”or “ruler”, but in modern usage,it means "politician". | |||
Tamil | அரசியல்வாதி | ||
The Tamil word for 'politician' 'அரசியல்வாதி' originates from Sanskrit terms 'राजनीति' (politics) and 'राजनीतिकः' (politician). | |||
Telugu | రాజకీయవేత్త | ||
Urdu | سیاستدان | ||
The word "سیاستدان" (politician) is derived from the Persian word "سیاست" (politics), which in turn comes from the Greek word "πολιτική" (politēia), meaning "affairs of the city-state." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 政治家 | ||
The word 政治家 (zhèngzhìjiā) initially had a positive connotation, referring to those who governed the country well, but its meaning gradually shifted to a negative one, referring to those who prioritized their own interests. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 政治家 | ||
政治家(Seijika in Japanese) shares a similar meaning as 政治家 in Chinese, referring to a person involved in politics. | |||
Japanese | 政治家 | ||
政治家 (seijika) literally means "person of politics". | |||
Korean | 정치가 | ||
The word "정치가" (politician) can also mean "a person who likes to argue or dispute." | |||
Mongolian | улс төрч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | နိုင်ငံရေးသမား | ||
Indonesian | politikus | ||
In 16th-century Indonesian, 'politikus' referred to a skilled gambler. | |||
Javanese | politikus | ||
The Javanese word "politikus" (politician) is derived from the Sanskrit word "pali" (ruler) and the Greek word "tikos" (relating to). | |||
Khmer | អ្នកនយោបាយ | ||
The word "អ្នកនយោបាយ" is also used to describe someone who is skilled in the art of politics. | |||
Lao | ນັກການເມືອງ | ||
The word "ນັກການເມືອງ" can also refer to a member of a political party or to someone who is involved in politics, but does not hold elected office. | |||
Malay | ahli politik | ||
In Indonesian, "ahli politik" also refers to a political expert or scientist. | |||
Thai | นักการเมือง | ||
The Thai word 'นักการเมือง' can also refer to a 'political activist' or someone involved in 'political science'. | |||
Vietnamese | chính khách | ||
The word "chính khách" can also mean "statesman" or "political figure". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | politiko | ||
Azerbaijani | siyasətçi | ||
The word "siyasətçi" in Azerbaijani comes from the Arabic word "siyaset", meaning "governance" or "politics". | |||
Kazakh | саясаткер | ||
"Саясаткер" in Kazakh is borrowed from the Arabic word "siyasa" meaning "policy, governance". | |||
Kyrgyz | саясатчы | ||
Tajik | сиёсатмадор | ||
The word "сиёсатмадор" can also mean "statesman" or "political scientist". | |||
Turkmen | syýasatçy | ||
Uzbek | siyosatchi | ||
Siyosatchi, meaning "politician" in Uzbek, also denotes a "wise person" in Persian and "master" in Arabic. | |||
Uyghur | سىياسىئون | ||
Hawaiian | kālaiʻāina | ||
Kālaiʻāina is a compound word, with kālai meaning to score or scratch and ʻāina meaning land. | |||
Maori | kaitōrangapū | ||
The Māori word "kaitōrangapū" also refers to a "high-ranking person, or an expert or specialist, in a particular field." | |||
Samoan | faipule | ||
The word "faipule" in Samoan can also refer to a traditional village elder or chief, reflecting the communal nature of Samoan politics. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | politiko | ||
In Filipino, the term 'politiko' can also refer to a cunning or deceitful person. |
Aymara | político jaqi | ||
Guarani | político | ||
Esperanto | politikisto | ||
The word "politikisto" derives from the Greek word "politikos", meaning "of or relating to the state or government". | |||
Latin | orator | ||
The Latin word "orator" originally meant "ambassador" or "envoy". |
Greek | πολιτικός | ||
The Ancient Greek word 'πολιτικός' (politikos) originally meant 'citizen,' then later 'statesman,' and now carries a derogatory connotation. | |||
Hmong | ua kasmoos | ||
The word "ua kasmoos" is derived from the Hmong word "ua" (person) and the French word "commune" (community). | |||
Kurdish | siyasetmedar | ||
The word 'siyasetmedar' in Kurdish can also mean 'one who is involved in politics' or 'a member of a political party'. | |||
Turkish | politikacı | ||
In Turkish, "politikacı" can also refer to a person who is overly involved in politics. | |||
Xhosa | kwezopolitiko | ||
The word "kwezopolitiko" in Xhosa is a blend of the words "kwezo" meaning "of the place" and "politiko" meaning "politics, which together suggests the notion of a politician within the context of a particular place or community. | |||
Yiddish | פּאָליטיקער | ||
The Yiddish word "פּאָליטיקער" ("politician") derives from the Greek word "πολιτικός" ("citizen") and originally referred to an active participant in public affairs. | |||
Zulu | usopolitiki | ||
The Zulu word 'usopolitiki' is derived from two words: 'uso' (person) and 'politiki' (politics), indicating an individual involved in political matters. | |||
Assamese | ৰাজনীতিবিদ | ||
Aymara | político jaqi | ||
Bhojpuri | राजनीतिज्ञ के ह | ||
Dhivehi | ސިޔާސީ ބޭފުޅެކެވެ | ||
Dogri | राजनेता | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | politiko | ||
Guarani | político | ||
Ilocano | politiko | ||
Krio | pɔlitiks man | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | سیاسەتمەدار | ||
Maithili | राजनीतिज्ञ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯥꯖꯅꯤꯇꯤ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏꯅꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | politician a ni | ||
Oromo | nama siyaasaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ରାଜନେତା | ||
Quechua | político | ||
Sanskrit | राजनीतिज्ञ | ||
Tatar | сәясәтче | ||
Tigrinya | ፖለቲከኛ | ||
Tsonga | n’watipolitiki | ||