Politics in different languages

Politics in Different Languages

Discover 'Politics' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Politics, a term that has shaped societies and cultures throughout history, is the art and science of governing and managing public affairs. Its significance lies in its ability to impact the lives of citizens, from shaping laws and policies to influencing social norms and values. The cultural importance of politics is undeniable, as it serves as the foundation for how communities and nations are governed.

Understanding the translation of politics in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures approach governance and decision-making. For instance, the Chinese translation of politics (政治, zhèng zhì) reflects a focus on the regulation and management of state affairs, while the Spanish translation (política) emphasizes the practical application of political principles.

Moreover, exploring the translations of politics can also shed light on historical contexts and power dynamics. For example, the Russian translation of politics (политика, politika) was heavily influenced by the country's Soviet past, while the German translation (Politik) reflects the country's federal system of government.

Join us as we delve into the translations of politics in various languages, from Arabic (سياسة, siyāsah) to Zulu (isiko sikaPhathi), and gain a new perspective on the cultural significance of this important term.

Politics


Politics in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanspolitiek
"Politiek" in Afrikaans is also used as a noun to describe political activity, a political system, or political thinking.
Amharicፖለቲካ
Hausasiyasa
"Siyasa" also means "wisdom" and "cunning" in Hausa.
Igbondọrọ ndọrọ ọchịchị
Malagasypolitika
Politika is also a Malagasy term for 'policy,' 'law,' or 'rule'
Nyanja (Chichewa)ndale
"Ndale" also means "the place where a chief resides".
Shonazvematongerwo enyika
Somalisiyaasada
The word 'siyaasada' is derived from the Arabic word 'siyasa', which means 'governance' or 'management'.
Sesotholipolotiki
'Lipolotiki' also means 'the practice of governing a country or organization' and derives from the word 'polotika' in Greek which means 'of, for, or relating to citizens'
Swahilisiasa
The Swahili word "siasa" originally referred to the management of traditional African kingdoms.
Xhosaezopolitiko
The Xhosa word "ezopolitiko" is derived from the Zulu word "izopolitiki," which means "the state of affairs."
Yorubaoselu
The Yoruba word "oselu" also refers to "a gathering of people for an assembly or meeting" or "the place where such a gathering is held."
Zuluipolitiki
Ipolitiki can also mean 'policy,' 'ideology,' or 'governmental affairs' in Zulu.
Bambarapolitiki siratigɛ la
Ewedunyahehe
Kinyarwandapolitiki
Lingalapolitiki
Lugandaebyobufuzi
Sepedidipolotiki
Twi (Akan)amammuisɛm

Politics in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicسياسة
سياسة means "the art of government" or "the way something is run."
Hebrewפּוֹלִיטִיקָה
The word "פּוֹלִיטִיקָה" derives from the Greek word "πολιτικός", meaning "of or pertaining to the state or government".
Pashtoسیاست
The Pashto word “سیاست” is also used to refer to the “system of government”.
Arabicسياسة
سياسة means "the art of government" or "the way something is run."

Politics in Western European Languages

Albanianpolitika
The word "politika" in Albanian derives from the ancient Greek word "polis," meaning "city-state" and referring to the affairs of the citizenry.
Basquepolitika
In Basque, "politika" shares its root with words meaning "city" and "order", indicating the historical link between politics and urban governance.
Catalanpolítica
In Catalan, "política" can also refer to the art of governance or the science of politics.
Croatianpolitika
Politika means a policy of the government; it can also stand for the entire sphere of the social life
Danishpolitik
Politik is derived from the Greek word "polis," meaning "city-state," and refers to the art of governing a city or state.
Dutchpolitiek
The Dutch word "politiek" derives from the Greek word "politikos", meaning "pertaining to government".
Englishpolitics
Stemming from the ancient Greek word polis, meaning "city-state," "politics" retains its original definition of "affairs of the city" alongside its modern meaning.
Frenchpolitique
"Politique" in the French language can mean both "policy", as in "public policy" or "corporate policy," and also "civility" in the sense of refinement and cultivation.
Frisianpolityk
Frisian "polityk" is derived from the Greek word "politeia", meaning "citizenship" or "form of government".
Galicianpolítica
In Galician, "política" can also mean "insurance policy" or "strategy".
Germanpolitik
The German word "Politik" can also refer to police affairs, as in the "Polizeidirektion" (police headquarters).
Icelandicstjórnmál
In modern Icelandic, "stjórnmál" is a plural noun but it is used with singular verbs like the singular "stjórnmálfræði" (political science), which was calqued on German "Politikwissenschaft"
Irishpolaitíocht
The word "polaitíocht" derives from the Greek "politeia", meaning "citizenship" or "the affairs of the city-state".
Italianpolitica
Politica is derived from the Greek word "polis," meaning "city-state," indicating its focus on governing a community.
Luxembourgishpolitik
In Luxembourgish, "Politik" can also mean "policy" or "strategy".
Maltesepolitika
The word "politika" comes from the Greek word "politiki", meaning "affairs of the city-state".
Norwegianpolitikk
The word "politikk" is derived from the Greek word "polis," meaning "city-state" or "community."
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)política
In Portuguese, the word "política" can also refer to a type of insurance policy or a lottery bet.
Scots Gaelicpoilitigs
The Scots Gaelic word "poilitigs" is borrowed from English, and is often used to refer to traditional music and song.
Spanishpolítica
In Spanish, "política" also refers to a written agreement or contract.
Swedishpolitik
In Swedish, "politik" can also refer to "police matters" or "political science" when preceded by terms like "politi- or "polis-.
Welshgwleidyddiaeth

Politics in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпалітыка
Палітыка (“politics”) is a word that appeared in the 15th century from the Greek “πολιτικός” (“belonging to the city or state”), which is related to the words “polis” and “πολίτης” (“citizen”). It is worth noting that in Belarus in the late Middle Ages, the meaning of the word “палітыка” was also associated with the “state”, but only later did it acquire a political meaning.
Bosnianpolitika
The word 'politika' originally meant "the art of citizenship" from Greek.
Bulgarianполитика
The word “политика” also means “policy” and derives from the Greek word for “city,” πόλις (polis).
Czechpolitika
The word 'politika' comes from the Greek word 'politikos', which means 'of citizens', and is also related to the word 'polis', which means 'city'.
Estonianpoliitika
The word "poliitika" is derived from the Greek word "polis," meaning "city-state," and refers to the activities involved in governing a city or state.
Finnishpolitiikka
The word "politiikka" is borrowed from the French word "politique", which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek word "πολιτική" (politikē), meaning "of, for, or relating to the citizens". In Finnish, the word has acquired a more general meaning, encompassing all aspects of government and public affairs.
Hungarianpolitika
The word "politika" is borrowed from Greek and it also means "science, scholarly writing" in Hungarian.
Latvianpolitikā
'Politika' also means 'affair' or 'event' in Latvian.
Lithuanianpolitika
The word 'politika' is thought to derive from the Ancient Greek term 'polis,' denoting a city-state, suggesting that politics originates in the organization and governance of urban communities.
Macedonianполитика
The word "политика" in Macedonian can also refer to a type of insurance policy or a lottery ticket.
Polishpolityka
In Poland, polityka can also mean insurance, such as health, life, property or car insurance.
Romanianpolitică
The word "politică" in Romanian ultimately derives from the ancient Greek word "politikos", meaning "of the city-state" or "citizenly".
Russianполитика
In ancient Greek, “πολιτικά” meant the affairs of the citizens of a city-state, the “πόλις” (“polis”).
Serbianполитике
The word "politike" in Serbian can also refer to "rules" or "guidelines" when used in a non-political context.
Slovakpolitika
Politika can also refer to a type of sausage in Slovakia, known for its strong flavor and aroma.
Slovenianpolitiko
The word "politiko" can also refer to a politician or political figure in Slovenian.
Ukrainianполітика
"Політика" is derived from the Greek "polis" meaning "city-state", highlighting politics' connection to governance and society.

Politics in South Asian Languages

Bengaliরাজনীতি
রাজনীতি' শব্দের মূল অর্থ 'রাজার নীতি', অর্থাৎ যে নীতি অনুসারে রাজা তার রাজ্য শাসন করেন।
Gujaratiરાજકારણ
Hindiराजनीति
The term "राजनीति" can also imply statesmanship or diplomacy.
Kannadaರಾಜಕೀಯ
The word "ರಾಜಕೀಯ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "राजनीति" (rājanīti), which means "the art of governing."
Malayalamരാഷ്ട്രീയം
Marathiराजकारण
"राजकारण" can also mean "the business of government" in Marathi.
Nepaliराजनीति
The word 'राजनीति' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'राज' (king) and 'नीति' (policy), and can also refer to statecraft, diplomacy, or the science of government.
Punjabiਰਾਜਨੀਤੀ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)දේශපාලනය
"දේශපාලනය" (politics) derives from Sanskrit "deśa" (country, land) and "pālana" (protection, preserving), hence "protection or preservation of the country".
Tamilஅரசியல்
The word அரசியல் also means "policy" or "governance" in Tamil
Teluguరాజకీయాలు
It can also refer to the art of governance without implying the presence of political parties.
Urduسیاست
سیاست is the Urdu word for "politics" but is also an Islamic term meaning "jurisprudence" originating from the Quran.

Politics in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)政治
政治 (zhèngzhì) originally meant 'to govern a state' and later broadened to mean 'politics'.
Chinese (Traditional)政治
政治 is derived from two characters: 治, meaning "to govern" and 政, meaning "to order or administer."
Japanese政治
'政治' can refer to either "political affairs" or "government," depending on whether it is read as "seiji" or " siyaji," respectively, in Japanese.
Korean정치
정치 ('jeong-chi') can also refer to 'government' or 'politics and governance'.
Mongolianулс төр
The Mongolian word "улс төр" derives from an ancient word, "үлүс тооригч" which means a "leader who looks over the interests of the nation."
Myanmar (Burmese)နိုင်ငံရေး

Politics in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianpolitik
Politik in Indonesian also means 'politics' in a more narrow sense, referring to the activities of political parties and their leaders.
Javanesepolitik
Javanese 'politik' also refers to 'social etiquette' or 'customary laws' in addition to 'politics'.
Khmerនយោបាយ
"នយោបាយ" is derived from Pali and Sanskrit words meaning "guidance" or "control."
Laoການເມືອງ
Malaypolitik
The Malay word "politik" can also refer to "clever manipulation" or "cunning stratagem".
Thaiการเมือง
In Thai, "การเมือง" (politics) also refers to the affairs of the state and the process of governing.
Vietnamesechính trị
The word “chính trị” derives from two Chinese characters, “chính” (correct) and “trị” (rule), and can also mean “administrative management” in Vietnamese.
Filipino (Tagalog)pulitika

Politics in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanisiyasət
The word "siyasət" in Azerbaijani derives from the Persian word "siyāsat" meaning "governance, administration".
Kazakhсаясат
The word 'саясат' ('politics') in Kazakh comes from the Arabic word 'siyāsat' ('governance'), which in turn derives from the Greek word 'politeia' ('citizenship').
Kyrgyzсаясат
Саясат means the art of government or prudence in Kyrgyz, the word is derived from Arabic and Persian and has other meanings such as "statecraft", "policy", or "governance."
Tajikсиёсат
The word "сиёсат" is ultimately derived from the Greek word "πολιτική" (politikē), meaning "affairs of the city".
Turkmensyýasat
Uzbeksiyosat
The word "siyosat" in Uzbek comes from the Persian word "siyāsat" meaning "governance", "polity",
Uyghurسىياسەت

Politics in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankālaiʻāina
The Hawaiian word "kālaiʻāina" (literally "land carving") was also used to refer to the division of land among chiefs.
Maoritorangapu
The word 'torangapu' can also mean 'negotiation,' 'mediation,' or 'peacemaking' in Maori.
Samoanpolokiki
Polokiki is a term that entered the Samoan language when New Zealand took over the administration of Samoa in 1914.
Tagalog (Filipino)politika
Politika may derive from the Greek word "polis" which means "city", or from the Spanish word "politica" which means "policy".

Politics in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarapolítica tuqitxa
Guaranipolítica rehegua

Politics in International Languages

Esperantopolitiko
"Politiko" in Esperanto also refers to the body of politicians in a state.
Latinrei publicae
The term "rei publicae," meaning "of the public thing," encompasses the administration of public affairs and the responsibilities of citizens.

Politics in Others Languages

Greekπολιτική
The word "πολιτική" originally meant "affairs of the city" in ancient Greek, and its alternate meanings include "civics" and "governance".
Hmongua nom ua tswv
The Hmong term "ua nom ua tswv" combines the words for "words" and "power" to describe the realm of politics and decision-making.
Kurdishsîyaset
In Ottoman Turkish, the word "sîyaset" could also refer to the art of horsemanship and archery, as well as the science of managing horses.
Turkishsiyaset
"Siyaset" derives from Persian word "siyāsah" meaning "management" or "policy," suggesting that politics is considered the art of governing and managing state affairs.
Xhosaezopolitiko
The Xhosa word "ezopolitiko" is derived from the Zulu word "izopolitiki," which means "the state of affairs."
Yiddishפּאָליטיק
The Yiddish word "פּאָליטיק" can also mean "a political party" or "a government policy".
Zuluipolitiki
Ipolitiki can also mean 'policy,' 'ideology,' or 'governmental affairs' in Zulu.
Assameseৰাজনীতি
Aymarapolítica tuqitxa
Bhojpuriराजनीति के बात कइल जाव
Dhivehiސިޔާސީ ކަންކަމެވެ
Dogriराजनीति
Filipino (Tagalog)pulitika
Guaranipolítica rehegua
Ilocanopolitika
Kriopɔlitiks
Kurdish (Sorani)سیاسەت
Maithiliराजनीति
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯔꯥꯖꯅꯤꯇꯤꯒꯤ ꯂꯃꯗꯥ꯫
Mizopolitics lam a ni
Oromosiyaasa
Odia (Oriya)ରାଜନୀତି
Quechuapolítica nisqamanta
Sanskritराजनीति
Tatarсәясәт
Tigrinyaፖለቲካ
Tsongatipolitiki

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