Recruit in Different Languages
Discover 'Recruit' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'recruit' holds great significance in many cultures and languages around the world. Originating from the Dutch word 'rekruteren' in the late 16th century, 'recruit' now refers to the process of enlisting individuals to join a particular group or organization. This term is particularly relevant in the military context, where new soldiers are recruited to serve their country.
Beyond its military connotations, 'recruit' has become a vital term in various fields, such as business, sports, and education. Companies recruit new employees, sports teams scout for promising players, and schools enroll students – all using the concept of recruitment.
Given the word's global relevance, understanding its translation in different languages can be both enlightening and practical. For instance, in Spanish, 'recruit' becomes 'reclutar', while in French, it's 'recruter'. In German, the term is 'rekrutieren', and in Japanese, it's '採用 (saiyō).'
Explore the fascinating world of 'recruit' in different languages and cultures, and discover how this simple term can bridge linguistic and cultural divides.
Recruit
Recruit in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | werf | ||
| The word "werf" also means "to enlist" and "to register". | |||
| Amharic | መመልመል | ||
| In Amharic, the root "መመለ" ('recruit, train') can mean 'make to change', "መልመལ་" ('change, vary') meaning to 'change one thing into another' and "መለምለም" ('make to become different'). | |||
| Hausa | kurtu | ||
| The word "kurtu" in Hausa can also refer to a young man who has not yet married. | |||
| Igbo | mbanye | ||
| "Mbanye" can also mean "to enter" or "to join" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | miaramila vaovao | ||
| The Malagasy word "miaramila vaovao" literally means "young warrior" or "new soldier". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lembani ntchito | ||
| This word could also refer to the recruiting of labor in general, and not just to military recruitment. | |||
| Shona | kutora | ||
| The word "kutora" in Shona is an extension of the word "kutora", meaning "to pull" or "to drag" which alludes to the process of getting someone to join. | |||
| Somali | qorista | ||
| The word "qorista" is derived from the Somali verb "qor" (to write) and originally meant "enrollment". | |||
| Sesotho | thaotha | ||
| The word "thaotha" is a metaphor derived from the act of weaving, as military recruits are woven into the fabric of the army. | |||
| Swahili | kuajiri | ||
| The word "kuajiri" in Swahili can also mean "to hire" or "to employ". | |||
| Xhosa | ukugaya | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ukugaya' also means 'to call' or 'to summon'. | |||
| Yoruba | gba omo ogun sise | ||
| Zulu | qasha | ||
| Qasha also means "a new or small stick, such as a kindling stick" | |||
| Bambara | recrute (baarakɛlaw) kɛ | ||
| Ewe | amewo xɔxɔ ɖe dɔ me | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushaka | ||
| Lingala | kozwa bato na mosala | ||
| Luganda | okuwandiika abaserikale | ||
| Sepedi | go thwala bašomi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fa nnipa a wɔfa wɔn adwuma mu | ||
Recruit in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تجنيد | ||
| The Arabic word "تجنيد" can also refer to the process of mobilizing troops or resources. | |||
| Hebrew | לגיס | ||
| In Yiddish, the word 'לגיס' ('legis') means 'lazy'. | |||
| Pashto | استخدامول | ||
| The Pashto word "استخدامول" also means "to engage, to hire, or to enlist" in Persian. | |||
| Arabic | تجنيد | ||
| The Arabic word "تجنيد" can also refer to the process of mobilizing troops or resources. | |||
Recruit in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rekrutojnë | ||
| The Albanian word "rekrutojnë" is derived from the French word "recruter", which means to enlist or raise (troops or supplies). | |||
| Basque | kontratatu | ||
| The word "kontratatu" in Basque originally meant "to hire" or "to sign a contract", and only later came to mean "to recruit". | |||
| Catalan | reclutar | ||
| The word "reclutar" in Catalan comes from the Latin "recruitare", meaning "to renew" or "to fill up". | |||
| Croatian | novak | ||
| The word "Novak" can also mean "one who is newly arrived" or "a newcomer". | |||
| Danish | rekruttere | ||
| The Danish word "rekruttere" is derived from the French word "recruter", which in turn comes from the Latin word "recruitare", meaning "to fill up again". | |||
| Dutch | rekruut | ||
| In the 16th and 17th century 'rekruteren' also implied 'to recover', 'to restore' or 'to bring back into service'. | |||
| English | recruit | ||
| "Recruit" derives from the Old French "recruire" (to restore, make fresh), from the Latin "recrescere" (to grow again). | |||
| French | recruter | ||
| "Recruter" means both "to recruit" and "to grow again", referencing the growth of new soldiers in an army. | |||
| Frisian | rekrutearje | ||
| The Frisian word "rekrutearje" is derived from the French word "recruter". It can also refer to the process of hiring someone for a job. | |||
| Galician | recrutar | ||
| "Recrutar" is etymologically related to the Latin "re-crudescere" - grow strong again - and in its first meanings is related to recovering one's strength through rest." | |||
| German | rekrutieren | ||
| The word "rekrutieren" derives from the French word "recruter", which in turn comes from the Latin word "recrutare", meaning "to reinforce". | |||
| Icelandic | ráða | ||
| The word "ráða" derives from the same root as the English word "ride". | |||
| Irish | earcú | ||
| The word "earcú" in Irish, while meaning "recruit", also relates to the verb "to hear" and has a military connotation of "one who is heeded". | |||
| Italian | reclutare | ||
| The term "reclutare" derives from the Latin "recludere," meaning "to close or shut up," but its current meaning of "to gather, accumulate" emerged from its military usage, where it referred to enlisting new soldiers. | |||
| Luxembourgish | rekrutéieren | ||
| The verb “rekrutéieren” in Luxembourgish is derived from the French verb “recruter”, which itself comes from the Latin verb “recrutare”, meaning “to fill up” or “to renew”. | |||
| Maltese | jirreklutaw | ||
| "Jirreklutaw" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "jarrada", meaning "to try" or "to test". | |||
| Norwegian | rekruttere | ||
| The word "rekruttere" in Norwegian is derived from the French word "recruter", meaning "to fill up" or "to supply with new men". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | recrutar | ||
| The Portuguese term "recrutar" is derived from the French verb "recruter," which is a derivative of the term used to describe new growths (as in plants), "crû." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fastadh | ||
| The word 'fastadh' also has the meaning 'standing firm', and is used in this sense in the name of the 'Fastadh' mountain on the island of Skye. | |||
| Spanish | recluta | ||
| The Spanish word 'recluta' can also mean 'draft', 'conscription', or 'enlistment'. | |||
| Swedish | rekrytera | ||
| The word 'rekrytera' comes from the French word 'recruter', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'recruitare', meaning 'to refill' or 'to replenish'. | |||
| Welsh | recriwtio | ||
| The Welsh word 'recriwtio' is derived from the English word 'recruit', and also means 'to enrol' or 'to enlist'. | |||
Recruit in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | завербаваць | ||
| The Belarusian word "завербаваць" is derived from the German word "werben", which originally meant "to ask" or "to apply. | |||
| Bosnian | regrut | ||
| The word "regrut" in Bosnian can also refer to a newbie or someone inexperienced. | |||
| Bulgarian | вербувам | ||
| The word "вербувам" also has the meaning "to persuade or convince". | |||
| Czech | rekrut | ||
| **Recruit** in Czech, rekrut, also means **conscript** or **draft**. | |||
| Estonian | värbama | ||
| In Estonian, "värbama" means "to recruit," but it can also mean "to hire" or "to enlist." | |||
| Finnish | rekrytoida | ||
| The word "rekrytoida" is derived from the French word "recruter", which means "to recruit" or "to enlist." | |||
| Hungarian | újonc | ||
| The Hungarian word "újonc" is of uncertain origin, although one theory suggests it might derive from the Turkish word "yeni çeri" meaning "new soldier". | |||
| Latvian | pieņemt darbā | ||
| The word “pieņemt darbā” derives from the German word “werben” which means to gather, to recruit or to advertise. | |||
| Lithuanian | verbuoti | ||
| "Verbuoti" in Lithuanian is related to "verb" and means to force or persuade, not just recruit. | |||
| Macedonian | регрутира | ||
| The word "rekrutira" comes from French "recruter" and also has several other meanings in addition to "to recruit", including "to hire" and "to enlist". | |||
| Polish | rekrut | ||
| The Polish word 'rekrut' also means 'new or young animal'. | |||
| Romanian | recruta | ||
| The Romanian word "recruta" comes from the Medieval Latin word "recrūta," meaning "reinforcement" which is, in turn of ultimately Germanic origin | |||
| Russian | новобранец | ||
| Новобранец means not only "recruit", but also "new member of the family, novice". In some ancient dialects of the Russian language the "о" (o) changed into "а" (a). | |||
| Serbian | регрутовати | ||
| The Serbian word 'регрутовати' ('recruit') derives from the French 'recruter' (meaning 'to recruit'), of Latin origin, which in turn comes from the Late Latin term 'recrescere' (meaning 'to grow again'), referring to the idea of replenishing military forces, or in a wider sense, expanding any organization. | |||
| Slovak | verbovať | ||
| The word "verbovať" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *verbъ, meaning "to speak," and is related to the words "verb" and "verbal." | |||
| Slovenian | novačiti | ||
| The verb 'novačiti' comes from the Latin word 'novus', meaning 'new', and in Old Slovenian it meant 'to give birth' or 'to renew'. | |||
| Ukrainian | вербувати | ||
| The word "вербувати" ultimately derives from Polish "werbować" and German "werben", both meaning "to hire". | |||
Recruit in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নিয়োগ | ||
| The word "নিয়োগ" also means "appointment" or "assigning a task" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ભરતી | ||
| The word "ભરતી" in Gujarati also means "high tide" or "the coming in of the sea," likely due to the influx of new recruits during the monsoon season. | |||
| Hindi | रंगरूट | ||
| रंगरूट शब्द संस्कृत के 'रंग' (रंगना) और 'रूट' (जड़) शब्दों से बना है, जिसका अर्थ है 'रंग से भरा हुआ'। | |||
| Kannada | ನೇಮಕಾತಿ | ||
| The word "ನೇಮಕಾತಿ" can also refer to the process of joining or enlisting in an organization or military service. | |||
| Malayalam | റിക്രൂട്ട് ചെയ്യുക | ||
| The word | |||
| Marathi | भरती | ||
| In Marathi, "भरती" (recruit) derives from "भरू" (to add or fill up) and is a cognate with "Bharat" (India) from Sanskrit, highlighting a shared root in the notion of bringing together or replenishing. | |||
| Nepali | भर्ती | ||
| The word "भर्ती" also means "hiring" or "admittance" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਭਰਤੀ | ||
| "ਭਰਤੀ" (recruit) originates from the Persian word "barti", meaning "employment" or "selection for a job". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බඳවා ගන්න | ||
| In Sinhala, 'recruit' can also mean 'to collect' or 'to gather', highlighting its broader application beyond military recruitment. | |||
| Tamil | ஆட்சேர்ப்பு | ||
| In Tamil, the word "ஆட்சேர்ப்பு" refers to the recruitment of soldiers, as well as the enlistment of new members by organizations and political parties. | |||
| Telugu | నియామకం | ||
| The word "నియామకం" can also refer to the appointment or assignment of a person to a position. | |||
| Urdu | بھرتی کرنا | ||
| The word "بھرتی کرنا" (recruit) is derived from the French word "recruter", which means "to raise or gather new troops". | |||
Recruit in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 招 | ||
| "招" originally referred to "calling people to come" and "inviting," and now also means "recruiting." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 招 | ||
| This graph was written by the emperor, and therefore the two 'zhao' characters have special meanings. | |||
| Japanese | リクルート | ||
| In Japanese, the word リクルート (recruit) also refers to a temporary staffing agency. | |||
| Korean | 모집하다 | ||
| 모집하다 originally meant 'to gather', but now mainly refers to 'recruitment' of people. | |||
| Mongolian | ажилд авах | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စုဆောင်း | ||
Recruit in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rekrut | ||
| In Indonesian, "rekrut" also means "draft" when referred to legal matters. | |||
| Javanese | ngrekrut | ||
| The word "ngrekrut" is derived from the Dutch word "recruter" and also means "to enlist, hire, or call forth." | |||
| Khmer | ជ្រើសរើស | ||
| Lao | ການທົດແທນທີ່ | ||
| Malay | rekrut | ||
| The Malay word 'rekrut' comes from the Portuguese word 'recruta', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'recruitus', meaning 'renewed' or 'refreshed'. | |||
| Thai | รับสมัคร | ||
| รับสมัคร is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sambhāra', meaning 'provisions', and can also refer to 'hiring' or 'enrolling'. | |||
| Vietnamese | tuyển dụng | ||
| The word "tuyển dụng" can also refer to the process of choosing or selecting something, not just people. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bagong kaanib | ||
Recruit in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | işə götürmək | ||
| The word "işə götürmək" in Azerbaijani, which means "recruit," derives from the verb "işə" (work) and the noun "götür" (take). In other contexts, it can also refer to "hiring" or "employing." | |||
| Kazakh | жұмысқа қабылдау | ||
| 'Жұмысқа қабылдау' means 'to hire' in Kazakh, and also refers to the process of enlisting people into the military. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жалдоо | ||
| "Жалдоо" may also refer to a military unit led by a single commander. | |||
| Tajik | ҷалб кардан | ||
| The word "ҷалб кардан" comes from the Persian word "jalb kardan" which means "to attract" or "to allure". | |||
| Turkmen | işe almak | ||
| Uzbek | yollash | ||
| The word "yollash" is derived from the Old Turkic word "yol", meaning "direction" or "path", and is also related to the Persian word "rah", meaning "road" or "way". In addition to its literal meaning of "recruit", "yollash" can also figuratively mean "to send on a mission" or "to guide someone on their path." | |||
| Uyghur | خىزمەتچى قوبۇل قىلىش | ||
Recruit in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻolimalima | ||
| The word "hoʻolimalima" also means "to help" or "to support" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | kaitautoko | ||
| Kaitautoko, meaning "recruit," also refers in New Zealand to a support assistant in a school. | |||
| Samoan | faʻafaigaluega | ||
| Faʻafaigaluega is a Samoan word that comes from the root word faʻa meaning "to do" or "to make" and galuega meaning "work" or "job". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bagong kasapi | ||
| Bagong kasapi or recruit is derived from the Spanish word "casapi" which means "new member" while in Tagalog, kasapi means "to join". | |||
Recruit in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | reclutañataki | ||
| Guarani | recluta rehegua | ||
Recruit in International Languages
| Esperanto | varbi | ||
| The word “varbi” comes from German “werben” meaning “to recruit” or “to advertise” and is not related to the English “varnish”. | |||
| Latin | tironem | ||
| "Tirones" is also a term for novice gladiators. | |||
Recruit in Others Languages
| Greek | νεοσύλλεκτος | ||
| The word νεοσύλλεκτος is derived from the Ancient Greek words νέος ('new') and συλλέγω ('to collect'). | |||
| Hmong | nrhiav neeg ua haujlwm | ||
| Kurdish | leşkerkirin | ||
| The word "leşkerkirin" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "lashkar" (army) and the Kurdish suffix "-kirin" (to become). | |||
| Turkish | işe almak | ||
| "İşe almak" means "to hire" in Turkish, but it also has the alternate meaning of "to start working". | |||
| Xhosa | ukugaya | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ukugaya' also means 'to call' or 'to summon'. | |||
| Yiddish | רעקרוט | ||
| The Yiddish word “רעקרוט” comes from the German word “Rekrut,” ultimately originating from the French word “recruter,” meaning to fill, stock, or supply. | |||
| Zulu | qasha | ||
| Qasha also means "a new or small stick, such as a kindling stick" | |||
| Assamese | নিযুক্তি দিয়া | ||
| Aymara | reclutañataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | भर्ती करावल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިކްރޫޓް ކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | भर्ती कर दे | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bagong kaanib | ||
| Guarani | recluta rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | rekrut | ||
| Krio | fɔ tek pipul dɛn fɔ wok fɔ dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دامەزراندنی | ||
| Maithili | भर्ती करब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯤꯛꯔꯨꯏꯠ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | recruit tur a ni | ||
| Oromo | qacaruu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିଯୁକ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | reclutamiento | ||
| Sanskrit | भर्ती | ||
| Tatar | рекрутинг | ||
| Tigrinya | ምልመላ ምግባር | ||
| Tsonga | ku thola vatirhi | ||