Principal in Different Languages
Discover 'Principal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Principal
Afrikaans skoolhoof | ||
Albanian drejtori | ||
Amharic ዋና | ||
Arabic المالك | ||
Armenian սկզբունքային | ||
Assamese প্ৰধান | ||
Aymara wakiskiri | ||
Azerbaijani əsas | ||
Bambara ɲɛmaa | ||
Basque nagusia | ||
Belarusian галоўны | ||
Bengali অধ্যক্ষ | ||
Bhojpuri प्रधानाध्यापक | ||
Bosnian glavnica | ||
Bulgarian главница | ||
Catalan principal | ||
Cebuano punoan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 主要 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 主要 | ||
Corsican principale | ||
Croatian glavni | ||
Czech ředitel školy | ||
Danish rektor | ||
Dhivehi ޕްރިންސިޕަލް | ||
Dogri प्रिंसिपल | ||
Dutch opdrachtgever | ||
English principal | ||
Esperanto rektoro | ||
Estonian peamine | ||
Ewe nua ŋutɔ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) punong-guro | ||
Finnish päämies | ||
French principal | ||
Frisian rektor | ||
Galician principal | ||
Georgian მთავარი | ||
German schulleiter | ||
Greek διευθυντρια σχολειου | ||
Guarani tenondetegua | ||
Gujarati આચાર્યશ્રી | ||
Haitian Creole direktè lekòl la | ||
Hausa shugaban makaranta | ||
Hawaiian poʻokumu | ||
Hebrew קֶרֶן | ||
Hindi प्रधान अध्यापक | ||
Hmong tus thawj xibfwb | ||
Hungarian fő | ||
Icelandic skólastjóri | ||
Igbo onye isi ulo akwukwo | ||
Ilocano kangrunaan | ||
Indonesian kepala sekolah | ||
Irish príomhoide | ||
Italian principale | ||
Japanese 主要な | ||
Javanese kepala sekolah | ||
Kannada ಪ್ರಧಾನ | ||
Kazakh негізгі | ||
Khmer នាយកសាលា | ||
Kinyarwanda umuyobozi | ||
Konkani प्राचार्य | ||
Korean 주요한 | ||
Krio men | ||
Kurdish asasî | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) بەڕێوەبەر | ||
Kyrgyz негизги | ||
Lao ອໍານວຍການ | ||
Latin principalem | ||
Latvian galvenais | ||
Lingala ya yambo | ||
Lithuanian pagrindinis | ||
Luganda pulinsipaali | ||
Luxembourgish haaptleit | ||
Macedonian директор | ||
Maithili प्रधान | ||
Malagasy fototra | ||
Malay pengetua | ||
Malayalam പ്രിൻസിപ്പൽ | ||
Maltese prinċipal | ||
Maori tumuaki | ||
Marathi प्राचार्य | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯦꯜꯂꯦꯞ | ||
Mizo hruaitu | ||
Mongolian захирал | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကျောင်းအုပ်ကြီး | ||
Nepali प्रिंसिपल | ||
Norwegian rektor | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) wamkulu | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପ୍ରଧାନ | ||
Oromo oogganaa mana barnootaa | ||
Pashto پرنسپل | ||
Persian مدیر اصلی | ||
Polish dyrektor | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) diretor | ||
Punjabi ਪ੍ਰਿੰਸੀਪਲ | ||
Quechua kuraq | ||
Romanian principal | ||
Russian главный | ||
Samoan pule aʻoga | ||
Sanskrit प्रधानाचार्य | ||
Scots Gaelic prionnsapal | ||
Sepedi motheo | ||
Serbian главни | ||
Sesotho ka sehloohong | ||
Shona mukuru | ||
Sindhi پرنسپال | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) විදුහල්පති | ||
Slovak principál | ||
Slovenian ravnatelj | ||
Somali maamulaha | ||
Spanish principal | ||
Sundanese poko | ||
Swahili mkuu | ||
Swedish rektor | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) punong-guro | ||
Tajik асосӣ | ||
Tamil முதன்மை | ||
Tatar принципиаль | ||
Telugu ప్రిన్సిపాల్ | ||
Thai เงินต้น | ||
Tigrinya ርእሰ መምህር | ||
Tsonga murhangeri | ||
Turkish müdür | ||
Turkmen müdir | ||
Twi (Akan) ankasa | ||
Ukrainian головний | ||
Urdu پرنسپل | ||
Uyghur مەكتەپ مۇدىرى | ||
Uzbek asosiy | ||
Vietnamese hiệu trưởng | ||
Welsh prifathro | ||
Xhosa inqununu | ||
Yiddish הויפּט | ||
Yoruba olori ile-iwe | ||
Zulu uthishanhloko |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "skoolhoof" (principal) in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "schoolhoofd", which literally means "school head". |
| Albanian | "Drejtori" is derived from the Latin word "directus" meaning "straight" and also refers to a "leader" or "manager" in Albanian. |
| Amharic | The word 'ዋና' can also mean 'main', 'chief', or 'head'. |
| Arabic | As a noun, "المالك" also means "owner". |
| Azerbaijani | The word "əsas" in Azerbaijani also means "main, basic, fundamental, primary, chief". |
| Basque | The word "nagusia" can also mean "chief" or "elder" in Basque. |
| Belarusian | The word "галоўны" and its variants mean "head" as well as "main" in many Slavic languages. |
| Bengali | অধ্যক্ষ, Sanskrit for 'ruler or administrator', can refer to a school administrator (principal) or to a university vice-chancellor (president or provost). |
| Bosnian | The word 'glavnica' can also refer to the 'capital' in the 'capital and interest' formula. |
| Bulgarian | The word "главница" in Bulgarian can also refer to the "principal" amount of a loan, the "capital" of a company, or the "main" thing in general. |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "principal" can also refer to the front door of a building or the main artery of a circulatory system. |
| Cebuano | Punoan, in Cebuano, may have originated from the Proto-Austronesian word "*punuq", meaning "chief" or "leader". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "主要" can also mean "majority" or "most important". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | In Japanese, "主要" can also refer to "the head of a family" or "the main part of a building." |
| Corsican | In Corsican, 'principale' derives from the Latin 'principalis' ("foremost in rank, chief") and bears the related sense of "chief, head, or primary." |
| Croatian | In Croatian, "glavni" can also mean "chief", "main", or "head" in various contexts. |
| Czech | The word "ředitel školy" can also refer to the head of a company or organization, not just an educational institution. |
| Danish | The word "rektor" is derived from the Latin word "rector", meaning "ruler" or "director". |
| Dutch | Dutch "opdrachtgever" (principal) may also mean the commissioner of an artwork or the sender of a package. |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "rektoro" derives from the Latin "rector", meaning "ruler" or "director". |
| Estonian | Principal is related to the word “peal,” meaning “on” or “top,” but also refers to a “head” of a school or a “main” thing. |
| Finnish | The word "päämies" is derived from the word "pää" ("head") and denotes a person who is in charge or has authority over others. |
| French | In French, the word "principal" can also mean "main" or "most important". |
| Frisian | The Frisian word "rektor" is derived from the Latin word "rector," which also means "ruler" and "steerer." |
| Galician | In Galician, "principal" can also be a noun referring to a spring (source of water). |
| Georgian | მთავარი is also used in a military context as a way to refer to a superior officer, and means chief. |
| German | The term "Schulleiter" translates literally as "school leader" and historically was also used for other school leadership roles, such as head teacher and senior teacher. |
| Greek | Διευθύντρια (Greek) comes from the verb διευθύνω (I direct) and ultimately from the Greek word ἰθύνω (I lead, I control, I command, I guide). |
| Haitian Creole | The word "direktè lekòl la" literally means "the head of the school" in Haitian Creole. |
| Hausa | "Makaranta" means 'school' or 'education', and "shugaba" means 'leader' or 'head'", so the term literally means "the head of the school". |
| Hawaiian | Poʻokumu literally means 'the root of a tree', suggesting a solid foundation and enduring authority. |
| Hebrew | "קרן" can also mean „horn” or „ray” and is related to the Latin word „cornu” (horn) and the Greek word “κέρας” (horn). |
| Hindi | 'प्रधान अध्यापक' is also known as 'प्रधानाचार्य' and 'हेडमास्टर' in Hindi. |
| Hmong | I'm sorry, I don't know the etymology of tus thawj xibfwb in Hmong. |
| Hungarian | Fő can also mean 'main', 'major', 'head', or 'chief'. |
| Icelandic | "Skólastjóri" literally means "school-steerer" or "helmsman of the school" in Icelandic. |
| Indonesian | Kepala Sekolah is a compound noun consisting of `Kepala` (literally `head`) and `Sekolah` (literally `school`), but it does not refer to the physical head of a school but rather to its administrative leader. |
| Italian | The word "principale" in Italian can also mean "primary" or "main". |
| Japanese | "主要な" (shuyona) literally means "the important one" in Japanese, but it can also mean "main" as in "main entrance"} |
| Javanese | "Kepala sekolah" can also mean "the head of a school" or "the leader of a school". |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಪ್ರಧಾನ" (pradhāna) is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "pradhāna", which means "chief, main, essential". |
| Kazakh | The word "негізгі" in Kazakh can also mean "basic" or "main". |
| Khmer | The Khmer word “នាយកសាល” (“principal”) also refers to a “mayor” or other village or city leader. |
| Korean | The word "주요한" can also mean "chief", "main", or "essential" in English. |
| Kurdish | The word "asasî" can also mean "essential" or "basic" in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "негизги" can also mean "essential" or "main" in Kyrgyz. |
| Latin | "Principalem" is used for a capital city and for the leading official of a province. |
| Latvian | The word “galvenais” can also mean “central” or “leading” in Latvian. |
| Lithuanian | Pagrindinis is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- ( |
| Luxembourgish | The word Haaptleit can also mean 'head teacher' or 'head of an institution'. |
| Macedonian | In Greek, the word "διευθυντής" can refer to an "overseer" or "administrator," hinting at the role a principal plays in overseeing a school's daily operations. |
| Malagasy | "Fototra" is cognate with "foto-foto", the reduplicated form of "foto" (first, eldest). |
| Malay | In Malay, "pengetua" can also refer to a dean or a warden, further emphasizing its broad role in education and leadership. |
| Malayalam | "പ്രിൻസിപ്പൽ" is commonly used in Malayalam banking industry with the same meaning "principal" in English, the money deposited or lent. |
| Maltese | The Maltese term "prinċipal" originates from the Latin word "princeps," meaning "first or chief." |
| Maori | Tumuaki carries a primary and an alternate definition in te reo Māori, with the alternative meaning being "head of the land or people." |
| Marathi | The word "प्राचार्य" in Marathi ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "pra-ācārya", meaning "the highest teacher or spiritual guide." |
| Mongolian | Originally meaning 'chief' or 'leader', захирал also means 'manager' in modern Mongolian. |
| Nepali | The term 'प्रिंसिपल' ('principal') is derived from the Latin word 'principalis', meaning 'first' or 'chief'. |
| Norwegian | "Rektor" comes from the Latin "regere," meaning "to rule." |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | "Wamkulu" can also refer to a chief, or a traditional healer. |
| Pashto | The word "پرنسپل" in Pashto can also mean "capital" or "principal money". |
| Persian | The Persian word "مدیر اصلی" can also be used to refer to a person with general authority or a person in charge of a particular task or project. |
| Polish | The Polish word "dyrektor" originally meant "conductor" and is related to the Latin word "dirigere" (to direct). |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "diretor" originates from the Latin term "directus," meaning "straight" or "direct." |
| Romanian | In Romanian, "principal" can also mean "husband" or "head of a household," derived from the Latin word "principalis," meaning "first." |
| Russian | The word "главный" (principal) in Russian can also refer to "most important" or "supreme". |
| Samoan | The word "pule aʻoga" comes from the Samoan words "pule" (power, authority) and "aʻoga" (school). |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "prionnsapal" is derived from the Latin "princeps", meaning "first or chief". |
| Serbian | "Главни" can be used in Serbian in contexts unrelated to education, for example, as a translation of "main". |
| Sesotho | The word "ka sehloohong" in Sesotho literally translates to "of the big horn" and is also used to refer to a respected elder. |
| Shona | In addition to meaning "principal," the Shona word "mukuru" also refers to a "senior" or "elder." |
| Sindhi | The word "پرنسپال" in Sindhi can also refer to a "leader" or "chief". |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "principál" can also mean "the main person or thing" in general. |
| Slovenian | The word 'ravnatelj', meaning 'principal' in Slovenian, is derived from the verb 'ravnati', which means 'to manage' or 'to direct'. |
| Somali | The Somali word 'maamulaha' comes from the Arabic word 'mudir' meaning 'manager' or 'director'. |
| Spanish | Besides meaning "principal", "principal" can also mean "director". |
| Sundanese | The word "poko" in Sundanese also refers to the head of a household or a village chief. |
| Swahili | Mkuu derives from the Arabic word |
| Swedish | 'Rektor', which translates as 'principal', comes from the Latin 'regere', which means 'to rule or govern'. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | "Punong-guro" is also a title given to an elementary school teacher in the Philippines. |
| Tajik | The word "асосӣ" also means "main" or "backbone" in Tajik. |
| Tamil | "முதன்மை" is also used to mean "the first", "the most important", or "the main". |
| Thai | The word "เงินต้น" in Thai can also mean "capital" or "funds invested". |
| Turkish | "Müdür" is the Turkish word for "principal" and derives from the Arabic word "mudir," also meaning "director" or "manager" |
| Ukrainian | The word "головний" ("principal") in Ukrainian can also refer to the head, the main part, or the most important thing. |
| Urdu | The word "پرنسپل" can also mean "capital" or "amount invested" in Urdu. |
| Uzbek | The word "asosiy" in Uzbek not only means "principal", but also has the meanings "main", "primary", and "chief". |
| Vietnamese | In Vietnamese, the word "hiệu trưởng" is also used to refer to the head of a religious or educational institution, denoting their authority and leadership within the organization. |
| Welsh | Its Welsh form is sometimes rendered as 'prifathro', a word which also denotes a 'headmaster' in the language. |
| Xhosa | Inqununu, meaning 'chief' or 'head', is also a term used to refer to a school principal in Xhosa. |
| Yiddish | The word "hoipt" comes from the German word "Haufen", which means "heap" or "pile." |
| Yoruba | The term "olori ile-iwe" literally translates to "head of the house of books" in Yoruba, highlighting its connection to leadership and education. |
| Zulu | The Zulu word "uthishanhloko" derives from the conjugation of the verb "ukuthi" (to tell, say) and the noun "isanhluko" (head), resulting in the meaning "the one who speaks on behalf of the head". |
| English | In education, 'principal' refers to the head of a school, derived from 'princeps' (Latin for 'first'). |