Responsible in Different Languages
Discover 'Responsible' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Being responsible is a vital trait in any culture or language. It signifies reliability, trustworthiness, and accountability. The word 'responsible' has been used in various contexts, from personal development to environmental sustainability, and has been a cornerstone of ethical discussions throughout history.
Did you know that the English word 'responsible' comes from the Latin word respondere, which means 'to promise in return'? This historical context highlights the proactive nature of responsibility, emphasizing the importance of keeping promises and fulfilling obligations.
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding the concept of responsibility in different languages can help bridge cultural gaps and foster global understanding. Here are a few translations of the word 'responsible' to get you started:
- Spanish: responsable
- French: responsable
- German: verantwortlich
- Mandarin: 负责的
- Japanese: 責任感のある
Responsible
Responsible in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verantwoordelik | ||
| The Afrikaans word "verantwoordelik" ultimately derives from the Middle Dutch "verantwoordigen", which also meant "to represent" or "to answer for someone or something". | |||
| Amharic | ተጠያቂ | ||
| The word "ተጠያቂ" is derived from the root "ተጠየቅ" ("to be asked") and implies an obligation to answer or respond. | |||
| Hausa | alhakin | ||
| The word "alhakin" in Hausa also means "the one who is in charge". | |||
| Igbo | dịịrị | ||
| The word "dịịrị" can also mean "to belong to" or "to be part of something". | |||
| Malagasy | tompon'andraikitra | ||
| In Malagasy, the word tompon'andraikitra can also mean "master" or "owner of work." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wodalirika | ||
| In a traditional context, wodalirika also refers to a person who is a guardian or head of a household. | |||
| Shona | mutoro | ||
| Mutoro in Shona refers exclusively to men who are the oldest in their family lines or clan. | |||
| Somali | masuul ka ah | ||
| The Somali word "masuul ka ah" also means "accountable for" and "liable for". | |||
| Sesotho | ikarabella | ||
| In addition to meaning "responsible," "ikarabella" can also mean "reliable" or "trustworthy". | |||
| Swahili | kuwajibika | ||
| "Kuwajibika" originally meant "to depend upon" or "to have obligations towards", and is related to the word "wajibu" ("obligation")." | |||
| Xhosa | inoxanduva | ||
| "Inoxanduva" derives from "noxa," meaning "injury," and "anduva," meaning "one who inflicts injury," so "one who is responsible for an injury." | |||
| Yoruba | lodidi | ||
| The word "lodidi" in Yoruba also means "owner" or "possessor". | |||
| Zulu | onomthwalo wemfanelo | ||
| The Zulu word "onomthwalo wemfanelo" literally translates to "the burden of duty". | |||
| Bambara | kuntigi | ||
| Ewe | wᴐ nuteƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ashinzwe | ||
| Lingala | mokambi | ||
| Luganda | -buvunaanyizibwa | ||
| Sepedi | maikarabelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asodie | ||
Responsible in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مسؤول | ||
| The Arabic word "مسؤول" can also refer to a legal guardian or an employer. | |||
| Hebrew | אחראי | ||
| "אחראי" also means "backwards" in Hebrew, suggesting the idea of facing your past responsibilities. | |||
| Pashto | مسؤل | ||
| The word "مسؤل" in Pashto can also mean "accountable" or "answerable". | |||
| Arabic | مسؤول | ||
| The Arabic word "مسؤول" can also refer to a legal guardian or an employer. | |||
Responsible in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përgjegjës | ||
| The word "përgjegjës" (responsible) literally means "he who has to answer for something." | |||
| Basque | arduratsua | ||
| Arduratsua derives from the Basque root “ardura,” meaning “charge,” “responsibility,” or “duty.” | |||
| Catalan | responsable | ||
| En catalán, "responsable" también puede significar "patrocinador" o "garante". | |||
| Croatian | odgovoran | ||
| The word 'odgovoran' was derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*otgovarь*' which also carries the meaning of 'an answer.' | |||
| Danish | ansvarlig | ||
| "Ansvarlig" comes from the German "antworten," meaning "to answer for," implying a duty to be held accountable. | |||
| Dutch | verantwoordelijk | ||
| The word 'verantwoordelijk' ultimately derives from the Latin word 'respondere', meaning 'to answer'. This reflects the idea that a responsible person is one who is accountable for their actions and decisions. | |||
| English | responsible | ||
| The word "responsible" derives from the Old French word "responsable," which in turn derives from the Latin word "respondere" meaning "to answer or reply." | |||
| French | responsable | ||
| In French, the word "responsable" can also mean "reliable" or "accountable". | |||
| Frisian | ferantwurdlik | ||
| The Frisian word "ferantwurdlik" is etymologically related to the Old English word "andwyrdan", meaning "to answer". | |||
| Galician | responsable | ||
| The Galician word "responsable" derives from Latin "respondere", meaning "to answer" or "to react to". | |||
| German | verantwortlich | ||
| The word "verantwortlich" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "antwurdan," meaning "to answer" or "to reply." | |||
| Icelandic | ábyrgur | ||
| The word 'ábyrgur' is also used in Icelandic to refer to a person who is reliable or trustworthy. | |||
| Irish | freagrach | ||
| An alternative meaning of the Irish word "freagrach" is "an answerer to a summons." | |||
| Italian | responsabile | ||
| In Italian, the word "responsabile" can also refer to a person in charge or a leader, and can be used as a noun or an adjective. | |||
| Luxembourgish | verantwortlech | ||
| Verantwortlech shares its root with the word Wort (word) in Luxembourgish and refers to 'answering for one's word'. | |||
| Maltese | responsabbli | ||
| The Maltese term "responsabbli" also means 'serious' and 'reliable'. | |||
| Norwegian | ansvarlig | ||
| "Ansvarlig" is etymologically related to "svar" ("answer"), sharing a root of "to give account or reason." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | responsável | ||
| The word "responsável" is derived from the Latin "respondere", meaning "to answer" or "to be accountable". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cunntachail | ||
| In an uncommon spelling of 'cunntachail,' the second 'n' is replaced with an 'h,' changing the meaning to 'the act of keeping watch.' | |||
| Spanish | responsable | ||
| The Spanish word "responsable" can also mean "reliable" or "dependable," and comes from the Latin word "responsare," meaning "to answer." | |||
| Swedish | ansvarig | ||
| The word "ansvarig" shares an etymological root with the German word "antworten", meaning "to answer". | |||
| Welsh | cyfrifol | ||
| 'Cyfrifol' is a Welsh word which can also refer to 'accountable' or 'liable'. | |||
Responsible in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адказны | ||
| The word "адказны" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic root *otъvětъ, meaning "answer" or "reply". | |||
| Bosnian | odgovoran | ||
| While 'odgovoran' is typically used synonymously with 'responsible', the root 'odgovoriti' suggests that one has responded (to) or given an answer (to a charge) | |||
| Bulgarian | отговорен | ||
| The word "отговорен" ("responsible") in Bulgarian originates from the Old Church Slavonic word "отвѣръгнѫти" ("to turn away"). | |||
| Czech | odpovědný | ||
| The Czech word "odpovědný" translates directly to "answerable", referring to one's obligation to account for their actions or decisions. | |||
| Estonian | vastutav | ||
| Vastutav originates from the noun "vastutus" (responsibility) and the suffix "-tav", indicating capability or liability. | |||
| Finnish | vastuullinen | ||
| Vastuullinen also means "burdened" or "weighted down", reflecting the Finnish view of responsibility as a heavy duty that comes with a task. | |||
| Hungarian | felelős | ||
| The Hungarian word "felelős" also means "one who answers". | |||
| Latvian | atbildīgs | ||
| The Latvian word "atbildīgs" originates from the Germanic root *and-* meaning "face" and *bild* meaning "to make". | |||
| Lithuanian | atsakingas | ||
| The word "atsakingas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂et- "to observe, watch over". | |||
| Macedonian | одговорен | ||
| The word "одговорен" (odgovoren) is derived from the Proto-Slavic *otьgovoriti, meaning "to answer, to reply", and is related to the words "говор" (govor, "speech") and "говорлив" (govorliv, "talkative"). | |||
| Polish | odpowiedzialny | ||
| The Polish word 'odpowiedzialny' derives from the Old Polish 'odpowiedzieć', meaning 'to answer', emphasising the accountability aspect of responsibility. | |||
| Romanian | responsabil | ||
| Romanian 'responsabil' comes from Latin 'responsabilis' - 'able to answer' and has the alternate meaning of 'legal representative' | |||
| Russian | ответственный | ||
| The word "ответственный" in Russian also means "suspect" or "defendant" in a legal context. | |||
| Serbian | одговоран | ||
| The word "одговоран" in Serbian derives from the word "одговарати", which also means "to reply" or "to be equivalent to". | |||
| Slovak | zodpovedný | ||
| "Zodpovedný" is derived from "odpovedať," meaning "to answer," indicating a person who can be relied on to keep promises or meet obligations. | |||
| Slovenian | odgovoren | ||
| "Odgovoren" can also refer to the quality of being reliable or trustworthy. | |||
| Ukrainian | відповідальний | ||
| The word "відповідальний" also means "responsive" and comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "вѣдъ" (ved) which means "to know". | |||
Responsible in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দায়বদ্ধ | ||
| The word "দায়বদ্ধ" in Bengali originated from the Sanskrit word "दाय" meaning "debt" or "obligation." | |||
| Gujarati | જવાબદાર | ||
| The Gujarati word "જવાબદાર" (responsible) is derived from the Persian word "jawab" (answer) and "dar" (holder), suggesting the idea of someone who is answerable for their actions. | |||
| Hindi | उत्तरदायी | ||
| The Hindi word "उत्तरदायी" (responsible) is derived from the Sanskrit words "उत्तर" (answer) and "दाय" (to hold), indicating the duty to provide an answer for one's actions. | |||
| Kannada | ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿಯುತ | ||
| The word "ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿಯುತ" (responsible), can also refer to a person who is answerable for their actions, or a person who is dependable and reliable. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉത്തരവാദിയായ | ||
| Marathi | जबाबदार | ||
| The word "जबाबदार" in Marathi ultimately derives from the Persian word "jawab" meaning "answer". | |||
| Nepali | जिम्मेवार | ||
| The word "जिम्मेवार" (responsible) is derived from the Sanskrit word "जिम्मे" (burden), and also signifies accountability and obligation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වගකිව | ||
| Tamil | பொறுப்பு | ||
| The word பொறுப்பு (responsible) in Tamil can also refer to a load or burden carried on the head or shoulders. | |||
| Telugu | బాధ్యత | ||
| The Telugu word "బాధ్యత" comes from the Sanskrit word "भद्र" "bhadra" meaning "good" or "auspicious," and "ता" "ta" a possessive suffix. | |||
| Urdu | ذمہ دار | ||
Responsible in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 负责任的 | ||
| The Chinese character "负" in "负责任的" also means "to carry" or "to bear". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 負責任的 | ||
| 「負責任的」一詞可追溯至甲骨文，本義為「承擔重物」，引申為「擔當職責」之意。 | |||
| Japanese | 責任者 | ||
| "責任者" originally means "one who leads by taking responsibility/duty." | |||
| Korean | 책임 | ||
| The Korean word "책임" (responsible) is etymologically related to "책임" (charge, duty), and can also refer to "책입" (duty, obligation), "책임자" (person in charge), and " 책임감" (sense of responsibility). | |||
| Mongolian | хариуцлагатай | ||
| The word "хариуцлагатай" also means "reliable" or "dependable" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တာဝန်ရှိသည် | ||
Responsible in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bertanggung jawab | ||
| The word "bertanggung jawab" is derived from the Sanskrit word "bharata", meaning "to bear" or "to carry" | |||
| Javanese | tanggung jawab | ||
| In Javanese, tanggung jawab (responsible) literally means carrying (tanggung) an obligation (jawab). | |||
| Khmer | ទទួលខុសត្រូវ | ||
| The word can also be interpreted as | |||
| Lao | ຮັບຜິດຊອບ | ||
| Malay | bertanggungjawab | ||
| "Bertanggungjawab" literally means "to bear a message" in Malay, signifying the importance of conveying responsibility. | |||
| Thai | รับผิดชอบ | ||
| The word รับผิดชอบ ('responsible') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'uttaradityata' ('north-facing') via the Pali word 'uttamarata', which refers to a person who faces north (towards the superior) and thus has obligations to them. | |||
| Vietnamese | chịu trách nhiệm | ||
| The word "chịu trách nhiệm" is a Sino-Vietnamese compound composed of the characters "chịu" (to bear, to endure) and "trách nhiệm" (responsibility), and literally means "to bear responsibility". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | responsable | ||
Responsible in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cavabdehdir | ||
| The word "cavabdehdir" in Azerbaijani originates from the Persian word "cawāb" meaning "answer", and the suffix "-deh" indicating "responsible". | |||
| Kazakh | жауапты | ||
| The Kazakh word "жауапты" (responsible) also means "answerable" or "accountable". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жооптуу | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "жооптуу" also means "capable" or "competent." | |||
| Tajik | масъул | ||
| The word "масъул" in Tajik also means "accountable" or "liable." | |||
| Turkmen | jogapkärdir | ||
| Uzbek | javobgar | ||
| The Uzbek word "javobgar" can also refer to someone who is accountable or reliable. | |||
| Uyghur | مەسئۇل | ||
Responsible in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kuleana | ||
| The word "kuleana" in Hawaiian can also mean "land division" or "responsibility to the land". | |||
| Maori | kawenga | ||
| The name of a mythological ancestor and the name of a Māori canoe are other common meanings of kawenga. | |||
| Samoan | tali atu | ||
| Tali atu is also used to mean "to be in charge of" or "to look after". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | responsable | ||
| The Tagalog word "responsable" is derived from the Spanish word "responsable", which has the same meaning in English. | |||
Responsible in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phuqhiri | ||
| Guarani | poguypegua | ||
Responsible in International Languages
| Esperanto | respondeca | ||
| The Esperanto word "respondeca" (responsible) derives from the Latin "responsum" (answer) and also means "answerable" or "accountable". | |||
| Latin | author | ||
| In ancient Rome, the verb "auctor", from which "author" derives, had connotations not only of authorship but also authority and credibility. | |||
Responsible in Others Languages
| Greek | υπεύθυνος | ||
| "Υπεύθυνος" derives from the Ancient Greek "ὑπέχειν", meaning "to hold under" or "to be liable for". | |||
| Hmong | lub luag haujlwm | ||
| The literal translation of "lub luag haujlwm" is "strong enough to carry the load." | |||
| Kurdish | berpirsîyare | ||
| The Kurdish word "berpirsîyare" has a literal meaning of "bearing one's own burden", and is used in the context of self-responsibility. | |||
| Turkish | sorumluluk sahibi | ||
| The word "sorumluluk sahibi" is derived from the Arabic word "sarafa" meaning "to exchange or pay"} | |||
| Xhosa | inoxanduva | ||
| "Inoxanduva" derives from "noxa," meaning "injury," and "anduva," meaning "one who inflicts injury," so "one who is responsible for an injury." | |||
| Yiddish | פאַראַנטוואָרטלעך | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַראַנטוואָרטלעך" ("responsible") stems from the Middle High German "antwerten," meaning "to speak in response," and is related to the English "answer." | |||
| Zulu | onomthwalo wemfanelo | ||
| The Zulu word "onomthwalo wemfanelo" literally translates to "the burden of duty". | |||
| Assamese | দায়ী | ||
| Aymara | phuqhiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | जिमेदार | ||
| Dhivehi | ޒިންމާދާރު | ||
| Dogri | जिम्मेदार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | responsable | ||
| Guarani | poguypegua | ||
| Ilocano | naakem | ||
| Krio | ebul fɔ du | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرپرسیار | ||
| Maithili | उत्तरदायी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | mawhphur | ||
| Oromo | itti gaafatamaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦାୟୀ | ||
| Quechua | sullullchaq | ||
| Sanskrit | उत्तरदायकः | ||
| Tatar | җаваплы | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓላፍነት ዝወስድ | ||
| Tsonga | vutihlamuleri | ||