Position in Different Languages
Discover 'Position' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'position' holds great significance in our daily lives, often determining our social status, profession, and even self-perception. Its cultural importance is evident in various contexts, from the workplace to sports arenas, where one's position can mean the difference between victory and defeat. But what about the word's translation in different languages? Understanding this can open up new avenues of communication and cultural exchange.
Did you know that the English word 'position' is derived from the Latin 'positio,' meaning 'a placing'? Or that in Japanese, 'position' is translated as 'pozishon,' reflecting the country's adoption of Western concepts? In Mandarin Chinese, it's 'wei zhi,' which also means 'rank' or 'status.'
Delving into the translations of 'position' in different languages offers a fascinating glimpse into how different cultures view and prioritize social and professional standing. It also highlights the universal nature of the concept, despite linguistic and cultural differences.
Position
Position in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | posisie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "posisie" ultimately originates from Latin, via French. | |||
| Amharic | አቀማመጥ | ||
| The term 'አቀማመጥ' also means 'condition' or 'state of being'. | |||
| Hausa | matsayi | ||
| The word 'matsayi' can also mean 'way', 'condition' or 'circumstance' | |||
| Igbo | ọnọdụ | ||
| Igbo | |||
| Malagasy | toerana | ||
| The term 'toerana' also translates to 'place' and originates from the verb 'mitoetra' or 'to live'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | udindo | ||
| The word "udindo" can also refer to a "place" or a "location" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | chinzvimbo | ||
| The word "chinzvimbo" can also be used to refer to a place or a state of being. | |||
| Somali | booska | ||
| The word "booska" can also refer to a person's status or importance within a social hierarchy. | |||
| Sesotho | boemo | ||
| Boemo also refers to a place in the house where something or someone is placed. | |||
| Swahili | nafasi | ||
| "Nafasi" in Swahili can also refer to a "chance", or an "opportunity". | |||
| Xhosa | isikhundla | ||
| The word "isikhundla" can also refer to a territorial unit in the traditional Xhosa political system. | |||
| Yoruba | ipo | ||
| The word "ipo" in Yoruba also means "chair" or "stool". | |||
| Zulu | isikhundla | ||
| The word "isikhundla" also means "district" in Zulu, a unit of local government in South Africa. | |||
| Bambara | jɔyɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɖoƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwanya | ||
| Lingala | esika | ||
| Luganda | ekifo | ||
| Sepedi | maemo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | gyinabea | ||
Position in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | موضع | ||
| "موضع" can also mean "place, location, spot, site" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | עמדה | ||
| עמדה derives from the root עמד and also means "to stand" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | ځای | ||
| ځای can also mean 'room' or 'space' in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | موضع | ||
| "موضع" can also mean "place, location, spot, site" in Arabic. | |||
Position in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pozicioni | ||
| In toponymy, "pozicioni" can refer to a fortified military position, fort, or stronghold. | |||
| Basque | posizioa | ||
| "Posizioa" also means location, posture, and attitude in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | posició | ||
| The Catalan word «posició» also means «pregnancy» and comes from the Latin «positio», meaning «placement». | |||
| Croatian | položaj | ||
| The word "položaj" is also used to refer to the state of affairs or the situation in general. | |||
| Danish | position | ||
| Position also means "post" or "office" such as a position in a company. | |||
| Dutch | positie | ||
| Dutch "positie" can also mean "thesis". | |||
| English | position | ||
| The military usage of 'position' as 'an advantageous position' predates its current meaning. | |||
| French | position | ||
| The French word "position" can also mean "posture", "situation", or "attitude". | |||
| Frisian | posysje | ||
| The word "posysje" in Frisian derives from the Old Frisian word "posicie", which ultimately originates from the Latin word "positio". | |||
| Galician | posición | ||
| In Galician, the word "posición" also means "pose" or "posture". | |||
| German | position | ||
| The German word "Position" means "attitude" or "opinion" in philosophical context, or "arrangement" in musical terms. | |||
| Icelandic | staða | ||
| In Old Norse, the word "staða" also referred to a farm or a place of residence. | |||
| Irish | post | ||
| The Irish word "post" also means a stop on a journey | |||
| Italian | posizione | ||
| In mathematics, 'posizione' means the exponent to which a number is raised. | |||
| Luxembourgish | positioun | ||
| Positioun can also refer to a person's attitude, point of view, or situation in life. | |||
| Maltese | pożizzjoni | ||
| Maltese "pożizzjoni" derives from the Latin "positio" and originally meant "the act of placing" or "the state of being placed" rather than any position in space. | |||
| Norwegian | posisjon | ||
| The word posisjon shares the same Indo-European root with the English word "posture". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | posição | ||
| In addition to its meaning as a 'position', 'posição' can also refer to a 'pose' or 'stance'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | suidheachadh | ||
| The term "suidheachadh" also refers to a sitting or resting place or a state of being. | |||
| Spanish | posición | ||
| The word "posición" can also refer to the amount of money a person has or their social status. | |||
| Swedish | placera | ||
| In Spanish, 'placera' also refers to a female market vendor. | |||
| Welsh | safle | ||
| The Welsh word "safle" can also mean "place" or "site". | |||
Position in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | становішча | ||
| Bosnian | pozicija | ||
| The word 'pozicija' initially meant 'place', as it does in its original language, Latin, and has retained that meaning in legal contexts. | |||
| Bulgarian | позиция | ||
| "позиция" can also mean "bet" or "thesis" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | pozice | ||
| The word "pozice" can also refer to a posture or a job title, while its plural form "pozice" can mean 'demands' or 'requirements'. | |||
| Estonian | asend | ||
| The verb 'asend' also has the meaning of 'to put' or 'to place', and is related to the noun 'aset' meaning 'property' or 'estate'. | |||
| Finnish | asentoon | ||
| Originally referred to "the position given by a deity within the family" as given in a horoscope. | |||
| Hungarian | pozíció | ||
| The Hungarian word "pozíció" can also refer to a job or office, a position in a game, or a stance on a matter. | |||
| Latvian | pozīciju | ||
| Pozīciju also means "attitude" or "opinion" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | poziciją | ||
| In linguistics, "pozicija" refers to "the way in which a grammatical element relates to the linear ordering of words and morphemes within a sentence". | |||
| Macedonian | позиција | ||
| Позиција can also refer to 'post'. This term is sometimes used in politics in place of the more neutral должност. | |||
| Polish | pozycja | ||
| The word "pozycja" can also refer to a musical piece, e.g., "pieśń w pozycji kanonicznej" (canon). | |||
| Romanian | poziţie | ||
| "Poziţie" is the equivalent of the French "position" and may also refer to a dance step. | |||
| Russian | должность | ||
| The word 'должность' initially meant 'a task' or 'an assignment' in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | положај | ||
| In addition to its main meaning of "position", "положај" is also used to refer to "employment" or "social status" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | pozíciu | ||
| In Slovak, the word "pozíciu" can also refer to a job or a role. | |||
| Slovenian | položaj | ||
| The word "položaj" comes from the Old Slavic word "položiti", meaning "to place". | |||
| Ukrainian | положення | ||
| The word "положення" (position) in Ukrainian can also refer to a law or regulation. | |||
Position in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অবস্থান | ||
| The word "অবস্থান" comes from the Sanskrit root "sthā" meaning "to stand" and can also refer to "condition", "situation", or "state of things". | |||
| Gujarati | સ્થિતિ | ||
| સ્થિતિ in Gujarati is a Sanskrit word which also means "state, condition, or circumstance." | |||
| Hindi | पद | ||
| The Sanskrit root "pad- " is also found in the English word "pedestal." | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಥಾನ | ||
| The Kannada word ಸ್ಥಾನ (sthana) not only means 'position' but also 'place, location, abode, room, site, or rank'. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്ഥാനം | ||
| "സ്ഥാനം" (position) in Malayalam also means "place", "location", or "rank". | |||
| Marathi | स्थिती | ||
| स्थिती also means 'situation' in Marathi, derived from the Sanskrit word 'sthiti', meaning 'standing' or 'state'. | |||
| Nepali | स्थिति | ||
| "स्थिति" is derived from the Sanskrit root "sthā" (to stand), and literally means 'that which stands'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਥਿਤੀ | ||
| The word 'ਸਥਿਤੀ' ('position') in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'स्थिति' ('position, standing') and is similar to the Hindi word 'स्थिति' ('position, condition') and the Marathi word 'स्थिती' ('position, condition'). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පිහිටීම | ||
| In addition to "position", "පිහිටීම" can also mean "place" or "location" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | நிலை | ||
| நிலை can also mean 'platform' or 'status', and is derived from the root நில 'to stand' or 'to be situated'. | |||
| Telugu | స్థానం | ||
| "స్థానం" also means a place, a site, location, space, or a seat. | |||
| Urdu | پوزیشن | ||
| The word "پوزیشن" means "attitude", "opinion", or "posture" in Urdu and comes from the Persian word "pazīsh". | |||
Position in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 位置 | ||
| Besides its primary meaning as 'position', the word '位置' can also mean 'situation' or 'circumstance'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 位置 | ||
| 位置 means both 'to be located at' and 'to do something with one's hands'. It can also refer to a noun and verb that means 'disposition'. | |||
| Japanese | ポジション | ||
| ポジション (ポジション) means "position" in Japanese and is derived from the English word "position." | |||
| Korean | 위치 | ||
| "위치" can also mean "situation" or "circumstance". | |||
| Mongolian | байрлал | ||
| The term "байрлал" (position) in Mongolian can also refer to a specific spatial orientation or placement. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရာထူး | ||
| The word "ရာထူး" (position) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Sanskrit word "स्थातृ" (sthātr), meaning "one who stands"} | |||
Position in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | posisi | ||
| Posisi can also mean 'posture' or 'pose' in Indonesian, derived from the Dutch word 'positie'. | |||
| Javanese | posisi | ||
| In Javanese, "posisi" also means "situation, condition, or circumstance." | |||
| Khmer | ទីតាំង | ||
| The word "ទីតាំង" can also refer to a location or place. | |||
| Lao | ຕຳ ແໜ່ງ | ||
| The word "ตำแหน่ง" (position) also means "location" or "site" in Thai. | |||
| Malay | kedudukan | ||
| In classical Malay, "kedudukan" meant "seat" and referred to one's place of residence. | |||
| Thai | ตำแหน่ง | ||
| The word "ตำแหน่ง" (position) in Thai can also refer to a "rank" or "status".} | |||
| Vietnamese | chức vụ | ||
| The word "Chức vụ" derives from the Chinese word " chứcvụ ", which means "official duty" or "post". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | posisyon | ||
Position in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mövqe | ||
| The word "mövqe" in Azerbaijani has its roots in the Persian word "mowqeh", meaning "place, position, or situation". | |||
| Kazakh | позиция | ||
| Казахское слово "позиция" происходит от персидского слова وضیعه, которое означает "поза, положение". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кызмат | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кызмат" ("position") has an alternate connotation of "service" when describing a job or public office. | |||
| Tajik | мавқеъ | ||
| The word "мавқеъ" can also mean "status" or "rank". | |||
| Turkmen | ýagdaýy | ||
| Uzbek | pozitsiya | ||
| The word "pozitsiya" is sometimes used to refer to the "position" of a piece on a chessboard. | |||
| Uyghur | ئورنى | ||
Position in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kulana | ||
| The word "kulana" in Hawaiian can also mean "to hold fast" or "to support". | |||
| Maori | tūranga | ||
| The word “tūranga” has multiple meanings in te reo Maori, and it refers not just to positions or ranks within Maori society but also the places and geographical positions in which power is enacted. | |||
| Samoan | tulaga | ||
| In Samoan, 'tulaga' can also refer to a status in society. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | posisyon | ||
| In Filipino, "posisyon" can also mean "attitude" or "posture". | |||
Position in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pusisyuna | ||
| Guarani | ñeĩha | ||
Position in International Languages
| Esperanto | pozicio | ||
| Esperanto’s "pozicio" is derived from French "position" and can also mean "viewpoint" or "stance". | |||
| Latin | statum | ||
| The noun "statum" also denotes a "standing" or "condition" in the sense of social class or rank. | |||
Position in Others Languages
| Greek | θέση | ||
| The word θέση can also mean opinion, viewpoint, thesis, or situation. | |||
| Hmong | chaw | ||
| The word "chaw" can also refer to a piece of land that is used for farming. | |||
| Kurdish | rewş | ||
| The word "rewş" in Kurdish is derived from the Middle Persian word "rēw" meaning "way, manner, or position". | |||
| Turkish | durum | ||
| The word 'durum' also means 'condition' and 'situation' in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | isikhundla | ||
| The word "isikhundla" can also refer to a territorial unit in the traditional Xhosa political system. | |||
| Yiddish | שטעלע | ||
| In the Yiddish theatre, a "שטעלע" is a dramatic performance featuring a comedian and a straight man. | |||
| Zulu | isikhundla | ||
| The word "isikhundla" also means "district" in Zulu, a unit of local government in South Africa. | |||
| Assamese | অৱস্থান | ||
| Aymara | pusisyuna | ||
| Bhojpuri | दरजा | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޤާމު | ||
| Dogri | थां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | posisyon | ||
| Guarani | ñeĩha | ||
| Ilocano | posision | ||
| Krio | say | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شوێن | ||
| Maithili | स्थिति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | dinhmun | ||
| Oromo | gita hojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅବସ୍ଥାନ | ||
| Quechua | tarikuynin | ||
| Sanskrit | स्थितिः | ||
| Tatar | позиция | ||
| Tigrinya | ቦታ | ||
| Tsonga | xiyimo | ||