Reader in Different Languages
Discover 'Reader' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The term 'reader' is much more than a simple word; it's a gateway to worlds both imagined and real, holding immense cultural importance across the globe. Throughout history, readers have been celebrated for their pursuit of knowledge and understanding, making the act of reading a revered practice in numerous cultures. The role of the reader has evolved, from ancient script decipherers to digital age information absorbers, showcasing the adaptability and unending thirst for learning that defines humanity. For those fascinated by language and culture, understanding the word 'reader' in different languages opens a window into the diverse ways societies value the act of reading. Interestingly, 'lector' in Spanish, 'lecteur' in French, and 'Leser' in German each reflect the unique linguistic landscapes that cherish the reader's role in their respective cultures. Knowing the translation of 'reader' can foster a deeper connection to the global community of readers, highlighting the universal love for stories and knowledge. Below, discover the word 'reader' as it is translated across the world, a testament to the unifying power of reading.
Reader
Reader in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | leser | ||
| The loan word leser in Afrikaans derives from the German Leser meaning reader, and is used in a similar way to lezer in Dutch. | |||
| Amharic | አንባቢ | ||
| "አንባቢ" (reader) also refers to a type of Ethiopian song that accompanies the liturgical chant of the zema (psalms). | |||
| Hausa | mai karatu | ||
| The term 'mai karatu' is formed from two individual words 'mai' meaning 'owner of' and 'karatu' meaning 'reading'. | |||
| Igbo | ogugu | ||
| The Igbo word "ogugu" can also refer to a wise or knowledgeable person. | |||
| Malagasy | mpamaky | ||
| The Malagasy word 'mpamaky' ('reader') is related to the Malay word 'membaca' ('to read'). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wowerenga | ||
| Wowerenga can also mean someone who is very good at reading or an expert in reciting history or folklore. | |||
| Shona | muverengi | ||
| The word "muverengi" also refers to a person who can understand written symbols, or to the process of reading itself. | |||
| Somali | aqriste | ||
| The term 'aqriste' can also refer to a 'reciter of Quran' or someone who's well-versed in the art of recitation. | |||
| Sesotho | 'mali | ||
| The word "mali" can also refer to a person who interprets dreams or who gives advice based on divination. | |||
| Swahili | msomaji | ||
| Msomaji in Swahili can also refer to an oracle or fortune-teller. | |||
| Xhosa | umfundi | ||
| "Umfundi" comes from the verb "funda" (to read or learn) and is also used to refer to a student or learner. | |||
| Yoruba | olukawe | ||
| Olukawe can refer to male or female readers in Yoruba, depending on context. | |||
| Zulu | umfundi | ||
| The Zulu word "umfundi" also means "a student" or "learner." | |||
| Bambara | kalanden | ||
| Ewe | nuxlẽla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umusomyi | ||
| Lingala | motángi | ||
| Luganda | omusomi | ||
| Sepedi | mmadi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkenkanfo | ||
Reader in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قارئ | ||
| Arabic "قارئ" can also refer to a Muslim scholar who specializes in Islamic Quranic recitation, leading prayers, and religious services. | |||
| Hebrew | קוֹרֵא | ||
| The word "קוֹרֵא" (reader) in Hebrew also means "caller" or "one who summons". | |||
| Pashto | لوستونکی | ||
| The word "لوستونکی" can also refer to a person who recites poetry or prose, or a person who tells stories. | |||
| Arabic | قارئ | ||
| Arabic "قارئ" can also refer to a Muslim scholar who specializes in Islamic Quranic recitation, leading prayers, and religious services. | |||
Reader in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lexues | ||
| In Albanian, "lexues" also means "student" or "pupil", derived from the Latin "lector" meaning "one who reads". | |||
| Basque | irakurle | ||
| The word also carries the meaning of "to understand, read" in the sense of understanding or comprehending something, as in "irakurri diot zure liburua" ("I understood your book"). | |||
| Catalan | lector | ||
| Catalan "lector" can also mean a reader or book review in a magazine or newspaper, from the French.} | |||
| Croatian | čitač | ||
| The Croatian word "čitač" is also used to refer to a scanning device, such as a barcode reader. | |||
| Danish | læser | ||
| The word "læser" is related to the Old Norse word "lesa", meaning "to pick up" or "to collect". | |||
| Dutch | lezer | ||
| Lezen derives from Middle Dutch lesen "to pick up" and is related to "lesen" in German, "to choose". | |||
| English | reader | ||
| The word 'reader' can refer to a person who reads professionally, a publication, a device for reading, or an academic position below professor. | |||
| French | lecteur | ||
| In archaic French, "lecteur" also designates the stand on which the choir books were placed during religious ceremonies. | |||
| Frisian | lêzer | ||
| The Frisian word "lêzer" can also refer to a "lecturer" or a "reciter", highlighting the broader semantic range of the word beyond its primary meaning of "reader". | |||
| Galician | lector | ||
| In Galician, "lector" can also refer to a university professor who teaches literature or linguistics. | |||
| German | leser | ||
| The word "Leser" comes from the Middle High German word "leser," which means "one who reads aloud". | |||
| Icelandic | lesandi | ||
| The word comes from the verb 'læsa', meaning 'to read' in Old Norse, and the suffix '-andi', which denotes an agent, 'the one who does the action'. | |||
| Irish | léitheoir | ||
| The Gaelic word "léitheoir" can also refer to a lay assistant in a church or to a secular official who could read and write. | |||
| Italian | lettore | ||
| The word 'lettore' also means 'lectern' in Italian, a stand for reading or displaying books or manuscripts. | |||
| Luxembourgish | lieser | ||
| The word "Lieser" can also refer to the act of reading or a place where reading takes place. | |||
| Maltese | qarrej | ||
| The word "qarrej" in Maltese can also refer to a priest or a lector. | |||
| Norwegian | leser | ||
| In Norwegian, "leser" can also refer to a person who reads aloud in public, like a lecturer. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | leitor | ||
| In Portuguese, "leitor" can also refer to a Catholic lay official assisting a priest during Mass. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leughadair | ||
| The word "leughadair" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "listener" or "hearer". | |||
| Spanish | lector | ||
| In Spanish, "lector" can also mean "lectern" or "university professor". | |||
| Swedish | läsare | ||
| The Swedish word "läsare" has several alternate meanings, depending on context, ranging from "viewer" to "disciple of a nonconformist, fundamentalist religious movement, esp. within Sweden." | |||
| Welsh | darllenydd | ||
| Darllenydd can also refer to a literary critic or a bookworm. | |||
Reader in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | чытач | ||
| The word "чытач" comes from the Proto-Slavic *čitati, meaning "to read" or "to count." | |||
| Bosnian | čitaoče | ||
| The word "čitaoče" can also be used to refer to a literary magazine, particularly one targeting young audiences | |||
| Bulgarian | четец | ||
| The word "четец" can also refer to a type of early medieval Bulgarian Orthodox priest. | |||
| Czech | čtenář | ||
| The word "čtenář" (reader) also means "subscriber" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | lugeja | ||
| The word "lugeja" can also refer to a person who reads aloud or a person who reads professional literature. | |||
| Finnish | lukija | ||
| Lukija, a Finnish word for "reader" also means "literate person" or "educated person." | |||
| Hungarian | olvasó | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "olvasó" can refer not only to a person who reads, but also to the device used for reading, such as a computer monitor or an e-book reader. | |||
| Latvian | lasītājs | ||
| Latvian "lasītājs" also means someone who has a hobby of reading or a person who is well-read. | |||
| Lithuanian | skaitytojas | ||
| In Lithuanian, skaitytojas (reader) shares its root "skaityti" (to read) with the old-fashioned word "skaitymai" (the content of a written work). | |||
| Macedonian | читач | ||
| The word "читач" in Macedonian can also refer to a device for reading, such as a book or a computer. | |||
| Polish | czytelnik | ||
| The Polish word "czytelnik" derives from the verb "czytać" ("to read"), and also designates a subscriber to a newspaper or magazine. | |||
| Romanian | cititor | ||
| Cititor is derived from the Latin word "citator," which means "one who summons or calls out." | |||
| Russian | читатель | ||
| The word "читатель" also has the alternate meaning of "subscriber" or "customer". | |||
| Serbian | читаоче | ||
| The word ‘читаоче’ is derived from the verb ‘читати’ which means ‘to read’. | |||
| Slovak | čitateľ | ||
| The Slovak word "čitateľ" can also refer to a person who subscribes to a publication or an animal that can read. | |||
| Slovenian | bralec | ||
| The word bralec is derived from the Old Church Slavonic language and originally meant "one who reads aloud". | |||
| Ukrainian | читач | ||
| The word "читач" in Ukrainian can also refer to a device for reading, such as a book reader or an e-reader. | |||
Reader in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাঠক | ||
| পাঠক refers to a 'reader' in Bengali, but it also refers to a 'reciter' or 'scholar'. | |||
| Gujarati | વાચક | ||
| "વાચક" is also a term for a priest who recites holy texts during religious ceremonies, derived from the Sanskrit word "vācaka," meaning "speaker" or "reciter." | |||
| Hindi | रीडर | ||
| The word "रीडर" can also refer to a person who gives religious guidance. | |||
| Kannada | ರೀಡರ್ | ||
| The word 'ರೀಡರ್' ('reader') has an alternate meaning of 'a type of cloth' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വായനക്കാരൻ | ||
| The word "വായനക്കാരൻ" can also refer to a person who has read something, as in "the reader of a book" | |||
| Marathi | वाचक | ||
| वाचक' ('reader') can also mean 'one who speaks or recites' in Marathi, as it is derived from the Sanskrit root 'vac' ('speech'). | |||
| Nepali | पाठक | ||
| In Maithili, "पाठक" refers to a Brahmin priest who recites religious texts in rituals and ceremonies. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਾਠਕ | ||
| The word 'ਪਾਠਕ' (reader) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'पाठक' (path-aka), which means one who recites or studies. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පා er කයා | ||
| The word "පා er කයා" literally means "book-maker" and historically referred to scribes. | |||
| Tamil | வாசகர் | ||
| வாசகர் (vācakar) can also refer to 'a speaker', in which case it is related to வாய் (vāy) meaning 'mouth'. | |||
| Telugu | రీడర్ | ||
| The word "రీడర్" in Telugu can also refer to a person who recites religious texts or a person who reads aloud from a written source. | |||
| Urdu | پڑھنے والا | ||
| The word "پڑھنے والا" can also refer to a student, a person who is engaged in the act of reading, or a person who has the ability to read. | |||
Reader in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 读者 | ||
| 读者 (dúzhě) originally meant "to read aloud" in Old Chinese, and its second meaning of "a person who reads" was only derived later. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 讀者 | ||
| 讀 (读), the first character in 讀者 (reader), also has a second tone pronunciation, 'dú', which means 'gain' or 'understand'. | |||
| Japanese | 読者 | ||
| The word 読者 (dokusha) can also mean "audience" or "spectator". | |||
| Korean | 리더 | ||
| The word 리더, meaning 'reader', is derived from 리드, an alternative spelling of 'read'. | |||
| Mongolian | уншигч | ||
| The word "уншигч" can also refer to a "listener" or a "recipient" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာဖတ်သူကို | ||
Reader in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pembaca | ||
| Pembaca can also refer to a type of traditional bamboo flute in several regions of Indonesia. | |||
| Javanese | pamaca | ||
| The word "pamaca" in Javanese also means "to be able to see". | |||
| Khmer | អ្នកអាន | ||
| The modern spelling of | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ອ່ານ | ||
| Malay | pembaca | ||
| The word "pembaca" in Malay can also refer to a type of traditional percussion instrument consisting of a double-headed drum with a long, narrow body. | |||
| Thai | ผู้อ่าน | ||
| In Thai, “ผู้อ่าน” can also refer to a monk who reads Pali scriptures during a religious ceremony. | |||
| Vietnamese | người đọc | ||
| The word "người đọc" can also refer to a person who reads aloud to others. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mambabasa | ||
Reader in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | oxucu | ||
| "Oxucu" also means "educated" in Azerbaijani, which reflects the importance placed on literacy and education in Azerbaijani culture. | |||
| Kazakh | оқырман | ||
| The word "оқырман" is derived from the verb "оқы", meaning "to read" in Kazakh, and the suffix "-ман", which indicates a person engaged in a particular activity. | |||
| Kyrgyz | окурман | ||
| The word "окурман" also means "listener" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | хонанда | ||
| "Хонанда" is a Tajik word that can also mean a "singer". | |||
| Turkmen | okyjy | ||
| Uzbek | o'quvchi | ||
| The root of the word "o'quvchi" means "to learn," while an alternate spelling, "o'g'uvchi," means "to understand," or "to read with comprehension." | |||
| Uyghur | ئوقۇرمەن | ||
Reader in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea heluhelu | ||
| Mea heluhelu also denotes 'book' or 'printed matter'. | |||
| Maori | kaipānui | ||
| The word derives from the root "kai", meaning "food", and "pānui", meaning "news". Therefore, a "kaipānui" is one who consumes or reads news. | |||
| Samoan | tagata faitau | ||
| The word "tagata faitau" can also refer to an orator in Samoan culture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mambabasa | ||
| "Mambabasa" derives from the root word "basa," which means both "read" and "smell," reflecting the belief that reading involves sensory perception. | |||
Reader in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ullart’iri | ||
| Guarani | moñe’ẽhára | ||
Reader in International Languages
| Esperanto | leganto | ||
| The word "leganto" is derived from the Esperanto word "legi", meaning "to read" or "to study". | |||
| Latin | lectorem | ||
| The Latin word "lectorem" can also mean "professor" or "lecturer." | |||
Reader in Others Languages
| Greek | αναγνώστης | ||
| The word "αναγνώστης" can also refer to a lay person who reads the scriptures in a religious service, or to a person who reads aloud to others. | |||
| Hmong | nyeem ntawv | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "reader," "nyeem ntawv" can also refer to a book or study session in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | xwîner | ||
| The Kurdish word "Xwîner" also means "student" or "scholar". | |||
| Turkish | okuyucu | ||
| The word "okuyucu" can also mean "literate" or "educated" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | umfundi | ||
| "Umfundi" comes from the verb "funda" (to read or learn) and is also used to refer to a student or learner. | |||
| Yiddish | לייענער | ||
| The Yiddish word "לייענער" (leyener) is also used as a term for a "student" of a religious text. | |||
| Zulu | umfundi | ||
| The Zulu word "umfundi" also means "a student" or "learner." | |||
| Assamese | পাঠক | ||
| Aymara | ullart’iri | ||
| Bhojpuri | पाठक के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކިޔުންތެރިޔާއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | पाठक जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mambabasa | ||
| Guarani | moñe’ẽhára | ||
| Ilocano | agbasbasa | ||
| Krio | pɔsin we de rid | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خوێنەر | ||
| Maithili | पाठक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯔꯤꯕꯁꯤꯡ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | chhiartu | ||
| Oromo | dubbisaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାଠକ | ||
| Quechua | ñawinchaq | ||
| Sanskrit | पाठकः | ||
| Tatar | укучы | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣንባቢ | ||
| Tsonga | muhlayi | ||