Profession in Different Languages
Discover 'Profession' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, a 'profession' is an occupation or career that requires specialized knowledge, skills, and training. But it's so much more than just a job – it's a vital part of our cultural identity and personal fulfillment. Throughout history, people have taken pride in their professions, and many have even defined themselves by their work.
The concept of a profession has been around for thousands of years, with the first guilds appearing in the medieval period. These organizations helped to regulate trades, set standards, and provide support for workers. Today, professions continue to play a crucial role in our society, shaping everything from our economy to our social status.
Understanding the translation of 'profession' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and connections. For example, in Spanish, 'profession' is 'profesión,' while in French, it's 'profession.' In German, it's 'Beruf,' and in Japanese, it's 'shokugyō.'
By learning these translations, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity and complexity of professions around the world. So whether you're a doctor, teacher, artist, or engineer, take pride in your profession and explore its cultural significance in different languages.
Profession
Profession in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beroep | ||
| The Afrikaans word "beroep" has its origins in the Dutch word "beroep", which means "calling" or "vocation". | |||
| Amharic | ሙያ | ||
| The word 'ሙያ' also means 'work' or 'occupation', similar to the English word 'profession', which can have a broader meaning than just a specific job or career. | |||
| Hausa | sana'a | ||
| In Hausa, 'sana'a' also means 'craft' or 'art'. | |||
| Igbo | aka oru | ||
| 'Aka oru' can also mean 'trade' or 'craft' in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | asa | ||
| The word "asa" in Malagasy can also mean "duty" or "responsibility." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ntchito | ||
| Ntchito also means 'work', especially of a manual nature. | |||
| Shona | basa | ||
| As a prefix, 'basa' means 'good' or 'well'. | |||
| Somali | xirfad | ||
| The word 'xirfad' may also refer to 'calling' or 'occupation'. | |||
| Sesotho | mosebetsi | ||
| "Mosebetsi" derives from the verb "sebetša" (to work) and the nominal prefix "mo-" denoting an abstract noun. | |||
| Swahili | taaluma | ||
| "Taaluma" is derived from the Arabic "tʿālim" meaning "knowledge, learning, education". | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| The word "umsebenzi" in Xhosa can also refer to a trade, occupation, or calling, indicating a person's specialized skill or work experience. | |||
| Yoruba | oojo | ||
| The word "oojo" can also mean "duty" or "responsibility" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| "Umsebenzi" is also used to refer to a work of art or a piece of craftsmanship. | |||
| Bambara | baara | ||
| Ewe | dɔwɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwuga | ||
| Lingala | mosala | ||
| Luganda | omulimu | ||
| Sepedi | phorofešene | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwuma | ||
Profession in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مهنة | ||
| The word "مهنة" can also mean "occupation", "job", or "trade" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | מִקצוֹעַ | ||
| The word "מִקצוֹעַ" can also mean "craft" or "trade". | |||
| Pashto | مسلک | ||
| The word "مسلک" also means "path" or "way of life" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | مهنة | ||
| The word "مهنة" can also mean "occupation", "job", or "trade" in Arabic. | |||
Profession in Western European Languages
| Albanian | profesioni | ||
| The word "profesioni" in Albanian originates from the Italian word "professione" but also has the alternate meaning of "occupation". | |||
| Basque | lanbidea | ||
| The Basque word 'lanbidea' also means 'path to work' or 'road to a job'. | |||
| Catalan | professió | ||
| In Catalan, "professió" also means "religious order" or "religious vows". | |||
| Croatian | profesija | ||
| In Croatian, 'profesija' originally meant a religious oath, and is related to 'profes' (confession), 'profet' (prophet), and 'proricati' (to prophesy). | |||
| Danish | erhverv | ||
| The word "erhverv" derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*arbizjoz", meaning "work, effort". | |||
| Dutch | beroep | ||
| The word "beroep" originally meant "calling" or "vocation", and still has this meaning in some contexts. | |||
| English | profession | ||
| The word 'profession' derives from the Latin 'professio', meaning 'to declare publicly' or 'to acknowledge'. In ancient Rome, it referred to a person's declared trade or occupation. | |||
| French | profession | ||
| In French, "profession" can also refer to a statement or declaration, similar to the English "make a profession of faith". | |||
| Frisian | berop | ||
| The Frisian word 'berop' is cognate with the Dutch 'beroep', which also means 'vocation' or 'calling'. | |||
| Galician | profesión | ||
| In Galician, "profesión" can also refer to a person's expertise or occupation regardless of formal training or qualifications. | |||
| German | beruf | ||
| "Beruf" derives from a Middle High German word meaning "calling" and shares its etymological roots with the English word "career." | |||
| Icelandic | starfsgrein | ||
| The Icelandic word "starfsgrein" derives from "störf" (work) and "grein" (branch), signifying a specialized branch of work. | |||
| Irish | gairm | ||
| "Gaírm" is cognate with the word "gair" (battle cry), reflecting the ancient Celtic concept that a person's true profession is expressed through their actions in battle. | |||
| Italian | professione | ||
| "Professione" in Italian can also refer to one's conduct or behavior, especially in a particular situation. | |||
| Luxembourgish | beruff | ||
| In some rural areas of Luxembourg, the term "Beruff" can also refer to the "cattle trade". | |||
| Maltese | professjoni | ||
| The word "professjoni" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "professione", which in turn comes from the Latin word "professio" meaning "public declaration", "avowal", "promise". | |||
| Norwegian | yrke | ||
| The word 'yrke' is derived from the Old Norse word 'verk', meaning 'work' or 'deed'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | profissão | ||
| In Latin, "professio" means "declaration or promise". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dreuchd | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "dreuchd" has its origins in the Old Irish word "drucht", meaning "skill" or "craft". | |||
| Spanish | profesión | ||
| The term "profesión" originally meant "acknowledging publicly" and "solemn declaration", hence the modern day meaning of declaring an occupation | |||
| Swedish | yrke | ||
| "Yrke" originally meant "work, task" and was related to "verk", "verkstad" ("tool, workshop"). | |||
| Welsh | proffesiwn | ||
| The root of the Welsh word 'proffesiwn' is 'proffes', which originally meant 'a promise' or 'a vow', reflecting the strong connection between occupations and guilds in the Middle Ages. | |||
Profession in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прафесія | ||
| "Прафесія" (profession) comes from Latin "professio," meaning "a public declaration" or "to declare openly." | |||
| Bosnian | profesija | ||
| "Profes(ija)" is derived from Latin via French "professi(on)", from the verb "profitērī" (to make known), and is cognate with the English "professor". | |||
| Bulgarian | професия | ||
| The word професия also means 'confession', referring to the religious affiliation of an individual. | |||
| Czech | profese | ||
| In Czech | |||
| Estonian | elukutse | ||
| "Elukutse" comes from the words "elu" (life) and "kutse" (call), implying a calling in life. | |||
| Finnish | ammatti | ||
| The word 'ammatti' is derived from the Proto-Uralic word '*ammata', meaning 'to know how to do something' or 'to be skilled at something'. | |||
| Hungarian | szakma | ||
| "Szakma" also means "guild" or "union" in certain contexts, e.g. "pékipar szakma" for "the baker's guild". | |||
| Latvian | profesija | ||
| In Latvian the term "profesija" comes from the German "Profession", and means either 'career,' 'profession' or 'vocation,' while its plural "profesijas" can refer to 'occupations' and 'professional fields.' | |||
| Lithuanian | profesija | ||
| The word "profesija" is derived from the Latin "professio", meaning "public declaration", and is often used in Lithuanian to describe an occupation or calling that requires specialized training and knowledge. | |||
| Macedonian | професија | ||
| Like "professor," "profession" comes from the Latin "profiteri," which means "to declare publicly" or "to make known." | |||
| Polish | zawód | ||
| While "zawód" initially meant "a calling" or "vocation," it gradually came to signify "profession." | |||
| Romanian | profesie | ||
| The Romanian word "profesie" derives from Latin "professio" with the meaning of "public declaration" or "avowal of faith". | |||
| Russian | профессия | ||
| The word "профессия" comes from the Latin word "professio" and initially meant "a public statement of faith" | |||
| Serbian | професија | ||
| The word 'професија' is a borrowing from the Latin word 'professio' meaning 'public declaration' or 'confession of faith'. | |||
| Slovak | povolanie | ||
| The Slovak word 'povolanie' also means 'calling' or 'destiny', reflecting the idea of a profession as something one is meant to do. | |||
| Slovenian | poklic | ||
| The word “poklic” originates from the Old Slavonic word “pokloniti”, meaning “to bow down” or “to submit to.” | |||
| Ukrainian | професія | ||
| The word "професія" comes from the Latin word "professio", meaning "declaration" or "public statement of one's faith". | |||
Profession in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পেশা | ||
| The word "পেশা" also refers to a trade, craft or occupation, especially a skilled one. | |||
| Gujarati | વ્યવસાય | ||
| Hindi | व्यवसाय | ||
| The word व्यवसाय (vyavasāya) can also mean 'occupation', 'business', or 'practice'. | |||
| Kannada | ವೃತ್ತಿ | ||
| The word 'ವೃತ್ತಿ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'वृत्ति' (vritti), meaning 'means of livelihood' or 'occupation'. | |||
| Malayalam | തൊഴിൽ | ||
| The word "തൊഴിൽ" can also refer to "work" or "labor" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | व्यवसाय | ||
| The word "व्यवसाय" comes from the Sanskrit root "वृत्" (vṛt), meaning "to choose," and is a cognate of the English word "vocation. | |||
| Nepali | पेशा | ||
| "पेशा" (profession) has no alternate meanings in Nepali, being a tatsama loan from Sanskrit. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੇਸ਼ੇ | ||
| The word 'ਪੇਸ਼ੇ' (profession) in Punjabi also refers to the act of presenting or displaying something. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වෘත්තිය | ||
| In Sinhala, "වෘත්තිය" literally means "a circle" and can also refer to "a profession or occupation that requires specialized knowledge and training." | |||
| Tamil | தொழில் | ||
| The Tamil word தொழில் also means 'industry' and is derived from the root 'to do'. | |||
| Telugu | వృత్తి | ||
| In Telugu, the word "వృత్తి" (vrtti) can also refer to a person's occupation, livelihood, or means of earning a living. | |||
| Urdu | پیشہ | ||
| The word "پیشہ" in Urdu can also mean "lineage" or "trade". | |||
Profession in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 职业 | ||
| The word "职业" originally referred to a person's official title or status. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 職業 | ||
| 職業 can also mean the duties of a priest, in addition to its meaning of profession. | |||
| Japanese | 職業 | ||
| The word "職業" (shokugyo) also means "occupation" or "calling" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 직업 | ||
| The word 직업 can also refer to a person's occupation, job, or trade. | |||
| Mongolian | мэргэжил | ||
| The word "мэргэжил" can also refer to a person's skill or expertise in a particular field. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလုပ်အကိုင် | ||
| The term can also refer to a job or occupation | |||
Profession in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | profesi | ||
| In Malay, profesi also means "preface" or "foreword". | |||
| Javanese | profesi | ||
| The Javanese word "profesi" also means "promise" or "vow". | |||
| Khmer | វិជ្ជាជីវៈ | ||
| "វិជ្ជាជីវៈ" also translates to "intellectual pursuit" and stems from two Pali sources: "vijjā", or "intellect, knowledge or learning" and "jīvika", or "livelihood". | |||
| Lao | ອາຊີບ | ||
| The word "ອາຊີບ" (อาชีพ - achip) in Lao may also mean "occupation", "career", or "vocation". | |||
| Malay | profesion | ||
| "Profesion", from Middle Dutch, can also mean appearance or presence | |||
| Thai | วิชาชีพ | ||
| วิชาชีพ (วิชา 'ศาสตร์' + ชีพ 'การงาน') เป็นคำที่มีรากศัพท์มาจากภาษาบาลีและสันสกฤต โดยหมายถึง 'ความรู้' หรือ 'ศาสตร์' ที่นำมาประกอบเป็นการงานอาชีพ | |||
| Vietnamese | nghề nghiệp | ||
| The word "nghề nghiệp" in Vietnamese can also mean "vocation" or "career". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | propesyon | ||
Profession in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | peşə | ||
| The word "peşə" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "peşa" meaning "occupation" or "trade". | |||
| Kazakh | мамандық | ||
| The word “мамандық” also has a broader meaning, namely “knowledge”, “study”, “skill”, and “occupation”. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кесип | ||
| The word "кесип" is also used to refer to "career", denoting one's line of work or occupation. | |||
| Tajik | касб | ||
| The Tajik word "касб" (profession) is borrowed from the Persian "کسب" (trade, business), and both ultimately come from the Arabic "کسْبٌ" (acquisition). | |||
| Turkmen | hünäri | ||
| Uzbek | kasb | ||
| "Kasb" also means "earning" and "gaining". | |||
| Uyghur | كەسپى | ||
Profession in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻoihana | ||
| ʻOihana also refers to an office, business, or function, while in ancient times, it signified a district or division of land ruled by a chief. | |||
| Maori | umanga | ||
| Umanga, a homonym of 'profession', also refers to the Maori word for 'striving' and 'determination' | |||
| Samoan | matata | ||
| Matata also refers to a meeting of Samoan chiefs, a sacred object, or a place of learning. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | propesyon | ||
| "Propesyon" comes from the Spanish "profesión," which can also mean "religious profession," "public declaration of faith," or "declaration of something's character" | |||
Profession in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yatxatata | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
Profession in International Languages
| Esperanto | profesio | ||
| "Profesi'" has the original meaning of "to declare one's faith". In modern Esperanto it can also mean "to profess a faith", "to make one's profession of faith" or "to declare". | |||
| Latin | professionis | ||
| In Latin, "professionis" refers to open and public declaration of religious vows or belief in a particular creed. | |||
Profession in Others Languages
| Greek | επάγγελμα | ||
| The word επάγγελμα derives from the ancient Greek word ἐπάγγελμα, meaning 'promise, assurance, guarantee', and originally referred to a solemn declaration of faith or a vow. | |||
| Hmong | txoj haujlwm | ||
| The Hmong word "txoj haujlwm" literally means "the thing one does," implying both the person and task. | |||
| Kurdish | sinet | ||
| Sinet, in Kurdish, can also refer to a person's trade or skill set. | |||
| Turkish | meslek | ||
| Meslek in Turkish does not only mean a person's profession but also their moral character, which is also used as a surname. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| The word "umsebenzi" in Xhosa can also refer to a trade, occupation, or calling, indicating a person's specialized skill or work experience. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַך | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַך" (profession) is derived from the Middle High German "fach" meaning "box, compartment, division, subject"} | |||
| Zulu | umsebenzi | ||
| "Umsebenzi" is also used to refer to a work of art or a piece of craftsmanship. | |||
| Assamese | পেছা | ||
| Aymara | yatxatata | ||
| Bhojpuri | पेशा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕްރޮފެޝަން | ||
| Dogri | पेशा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | propesyon | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
| Ilocano | propesion | ||
| Krio | wok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پیشە | ||
| Maithili | पेशा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯟꯐꯝ | ||
| Mizo | thiamthil hnathawh | ||
| Oromo | ogummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୃତ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | yachasqan | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यवसाय | ||
| Tatar | һөнәр | ||
| Tigrinya | ስራሕ | ||
| Tsonga | phurofexini | ||