Retire in Different Languages
Discover 'Retire' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Retiring is a significant life milestone that signifies the end of one's career and the beginning of a new chapter. The word 'retire' holds cultural importance across the globe, symbolizing the respect and admiration earned by individuals who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to their professions. As the global population ages, the concept of retirement has taken on new dimensions, with many people redefining what it means to retire and explore new passions and pursuits.
Understanding the translation of 'retire' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures view this important life transition. For example, in Spanish, 'retire' translates to 'jubilarse,' which comes from the word 'jubilo,' meaning joy. In French, 'retire' becomes 'prendre sa retraite,' which literally means 'to take one's retirement.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'retire' is translated as '引退する' (inki suru), which conveys a sense of stepping back or withdrawing from one's career.
In this article, we explore the translations of 'retire' in 10 different languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this important life transition and providing a glimpse into how people around the world view the concept of retirement.
Retire
Retire in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aftree | ||
| The Afrikaans word "aftree" has similar roots to the English word "to retire" and also means "to step down or resign from a position"} | |||
| Amharic | ጡረታ መውጣት | ||
| The word ጡረታ መውጣት is derived from the verb ጡረ (to grow old) and means 'to become old' or 'to retire'. | |||
| Hausa | ja da baya | ||
| The Hausa word "ja da baya" also means "to retreat" or "to fall back". | |||
| Igbo | ịla ezumike nká | ||
| The Igbo word "ịla ezumike ụka" literally translates to "enter rest week," and was historically used for both retirement and religious sabbaticals | |||
| Malagasy | misotro ronono | ||
| The word "misotro ronono" means "to retire" in Malagasy, and it is derived from the French word "retraite," which means "retirement." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusiya ntchito | ||
| The word "kusiya ntchito" in Nyanja (Chichewa) literally means "to leave work" and can also be used figuratively to mean "to quit" or "to give up". | |||
| Shona | kurega | ||
| Shona kurega (retire) is related to kora (go) with the applied suffix of -rega which implies "to stop going, to settle" | |||
| Somali | hawlgab | ||
| The Somali word "hawlgab" also means "pensioner". | |||
| Sesotho | tlohela mosebetsi | ||
| In Sesotho "tlohela mosebetsi" also means "to get off work", "to stop working", or "to leave work". | |||
| Swahili | kustaafu | ||
| The word "kustaafu" is derived from the Arabic word "istiwafa", meaning "to complete a task" or "to conclude a matter". | |||
| Xhosa | uthathe umhlalaphantsi | ||
| The word "uthathe umhlalaphantsi" literally translates to "take off the back", referencing the act of a rider dismounting from a horse or ox. | |||
| Yoruba | ifẹhinti lẹnu iṣẹ | ||
| The Yoruba phrase 'ifẹhinti lẹnu iṣẹ' literally means 'turn your back on work' or 'give your back to work,' highlighting the sense of relinquishing responsibility and stepping away from active employment. | |||
| Zulu | uthathe umhlalaphansi | ||
| The term derives from the Zulu idiom “ukuthatha umhlalaphansi”, meaning “to sit in the shade” and referring to the act of retiring or taking a break from work. | |||
| Bambara | lafiɲɛbɔ kɛ | ||
| Ewe | dzudzɔxɔxɔledɔme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikiruhuko cy'izabukuru | ||
| Lingala | kozwa pansiɔ | ||
| Luganda | okuwummula | ||
| Sepedi | rola modiro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɔ pɛnhyen | ||
Retire in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التقاعد | ||
| The Arabic word "التقاعد" derives from the root "قعَدَ" meaning "to sit", denoting the state of ceasing active work due to age or other reasons. | |||
| Hebrew | לִפְרוֹשׁ | ||
| The Hebrew word "לִפְרוֹשׁ" also means "to separate" or "to move away", and is related to the word "פָּרוּשׁ" (commentary) because it denotes the act of "separating" the literal meaning of a text from its hidden or deeper meaning. | |||
| Pashto | تقاعد | ||
| The Pashto word تقاعد ('retire') is derived from the Arabic word 'taqāʿud' meaning 'mutual withdrawal' or 'to refrain from something'. | |||
| Arabic | التقاعد | ||
| The Arabic word "التقاعد" derives from the root "قعَدَ" meaning "to sit", denoting the state of ceasing active work due to age or other reasons. | |||
Retire in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dal në pension | ||
| The verb 'dal në pension' literally translates to 'go into pension', indicating the status of being on a pension rather than the act of retiring. | |||
| Basque | erretiratu | ||
| The word "erretiratu" is derived from the Latin word "retrahere," meaning "to draw back." | |||
| Catalan | jubilar-se | ||
| The modern Catalan verb "jubilar-se" derives from the Latin verb "iubilare" (to shout for joy) and "iubilum" (joyful noise). | |||
| Croatian | povući se | ||
| The word `povući se` also signifies `retreat`, `withdrawal`, `resignation`, or `departure` depending on context. | |||
| Danish | gå på pension | ||
| The Danish verb “gå på pension” literally translates to “walk on pension”. | |||
| Dutch | met pensioen gaan | ||
| A literal translation of 'met pensioen gaan' is 'go with pension', reflecting the fact that the pension used to be paid out as a sum rather than a monthly allowance. | |||
| English | retire | ||
| In the 14th century, "retire" meant to withdraw into privacy, while in the 17th century, it came to mean withdrawing from work. | |||
| French | se retirer | ||
| "Se retirer" (to retire) also means 'to withdraw' or 'to retreat' in French. | |||
| Frisian | weromlûke | ||
| The word "weromlûke" is derived from the Old Saxon word "weromlôkian", meaning "to turn around". | |||
| Galician | xubilarse | ||
| The term "xubilarse" in Galician originates from the Latin word "iubilare," meaning "to shout joyfully". | |||
| German | in den ruhestand gehen | ||
| The German word "Ruhestand" literally translates to "state of rest" and refers to the period of life after active employment. | |||
| Icelandic | láta af störfum | ||
| The term "láta af störfum" literally translates to "to rest from works". | |||
| Irish | ar scor | ||
| The word "ar scor" can also refer to the practice of "scoring" or marking up the body of a saint or other holy person. | |||
| Italian | andare in pensione | ||
| "Andare in pensione" also means "to go to the boarding house". | |||
| Luxembourgish | an d'pensioun goen | ||
| This verb is composed of d' (shortened from do) which means 'to make' and pensioun which means 'pension'. To 'go to your pension' thus means to 'make your pension' or 'do your pension'. | |||
| Maltese | tirtira | ||
| "Tirtira" can also mean "to go to bed" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | pensjonere | ||
| The Norwegian word pensjonere derives from the Latin word 'pensio', meaning payment. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | se aposentar | ||
| The verb "se aposentar" in Portuguese means both "to retire from work" and "to settle down in a place". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cluaineas | ||
| Cluaineas, meaning "to retire," derives from an older term meaning "meadow" or "secluded place." | |||
| Spanish | retirarse | ||
| 'Retirarse' also means 'to draw back' in the sense of moving one's army back. | |||
| Swedish | avgå | ||
| In some formal contexts, "avgå" can also mean to resign from a position or office. | |||
| Welsh | ymddeol | ||
| The etymology of 'ymddeol' is unclear, but its literal meaning is 'to go into obscurity'. It also has the alternate meaning of 'to take off (e.g. clothes)'. | |||
Retire in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | на пенсію | ||
| The verb "на пенсію" can also mean "to retire from work or activity". | |||
| Bosnian | povući se | ||
| The word "povući se" in Bosnian has Indo-European roots shared with the English word "reduce". | |||
| Bulgarian | пенсионирам | ||
| "Пенсионирам" derives from the French word "pension", which originally meant "a sum of money (especially to someone in retirement)." | |||
| Czech | odejít | ||
| "Odejit" originated from the Old Czech word "oděti," meaning "to clothe oneself," and later evolved to mean "to leave," including the specific sense of "to retire from a job." | |||
| Estonian | pensionile minema | ||
| The word "pensionile minema" is derived from the French word "pension", meaning "a sum of money paid regularly to a person who has retired from work." | |||
| Finnish | jäädä eläkkeelle | ||
| The verb "jäädä eläkkeelle" literally means "to stay on pension," reflecting the idea of continuing to receive a regular income after leaving employment. | |||
| Hungarian | visszavonul | ||
| "Visszavonul" means "withdraw, retreat, go back" in Hungarian, but in most cases, it's used as "retire". This latter meaning comes from the fact that soldiers who retired from military service were withdrawn from active duty." | |||
| Latvian | aiziet pensijā | ||
| The phrase "aiziet pensijā" in Latvian literally translates to "go to a pension," where "aiziet" means "to leave" and "pensijā" means "in a pension." | |||
| Lithuanian | išeiti į pensiją | ||
| The verb "išeiti į pensiją" originates from the noun "pensija", which derives from the Latin "pensio" meaning "payment" or "salary". | |||
| Macedonian | се повлече | ||
| The verb "се повлече" can also mean to withdraw, retreat, or to decline. | |||
| Polish | przejść na emeryturę | ||
| The Polish verb "przejść na emeryturę" can also mean "to transition to a lower level of employment". | |||
| Romanian | retrage | ||
| 'Retrage' is originally derived from Latin word ''retrahere'', which translates to ''retire'' or ''withdraw'''. | |||
| Russian | уходить в отставку | ||
| В русском языке «уходить в отставку» также может означать «покидать свой пост». | |||
| Serbian | пензионисати | ||
| The word "пензионисати" (retire) in Serbian is derived from the Latin word "pensio" (payment) and originally meant "to go on a pension". | |||
| Slovak | odísť do dôchodku | ||
| The Slovak word "odísť do dôchodku" literally means "to go into debt" or "to go into rest". | |||
| Slovenian | upokojiti | ||
| The verb 'upokojiti' originally meant 'to put to rest' or 'to console', reflecting the notion of retirement as a time of peaceful respite. | |||
| Ukrainian | вийти на пенсію | ||
| The word 'вийти на пенсію' is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'пенсион', meaning 'rest' or 'ease'. | |||
Retire in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অবসর | ||
| The word অবসর in Bengali can also mean leisure time or a state of inactivity. | |||
| Gujarati | નિવૃત્ત | ||
| The word "નિવૃત્ત" in Gujarati can also mean "retired from active work" or, metaphorically "having withdrawn from public life". | |||
| Hindi | रिटायर | ||
| The word "रिटायर" comes from Old French and means to withdraw from circulation, and also to retreat or fall back. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ | ||
| The word "ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ" (retire) in Kannada also means "the state of being free from work or duty". | |||
| Malayalam | വിരമിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | निवृत्त | ||
| The Marathi word निवृत्त 'nivrutt' literally means 'cessation', and can also mean 'renunciation' or the 'absence of desire'. | |||
| Nepali | रिटायर | ||
| The Nepali word 'रिटायर' ('retire') originates from the English word, originally meaning to withdraw or retreat. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਿਟਾਇਰ | ||
| The word 'ਰਿਟਾਇਰ' is derived from the Old French word 'retirer', meaning 'to withdraw' or 'to retreat'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විශ්රාම යන්න | ||
| Tamil | ஓய்வு | ||
| The Tamil word "ஓய்வு" can also refer to rest, relaxation, or leisure time | |||
| Telugu | పదవీ విరమణ | ||
| This word can be broken down into పదవి (position) and విరమణ (cessation), together indicating the end of a position. | |||
| Urdu | ریٹائر ہونا | ||
Retire in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 退休 | ||
| 退休, composed of 退 and 休, means to step back to relax and rest, which is the original meaning of retire in English, to withdraw from one’s occupation or active working life. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 退休 | ||
| "退休" literally refers to the "withdrawal of a recluse." | |||
| Japanese | 引退 | ||
| 引退 literally means 'withdrawn from the world' and is often used in the sense of 'renunciation'. | |||
| Korean | 은퇴하다 | ||
| The word 은퇴하다 (euntoehada) is derived from the Chinese word 隱退 (yǐntuì), which means to withdraw from society. | |||
| Mongolian | тэтгэвэрт гарах | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနားယူသည် | ||
Retire in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mundur | ||
| "Mundur" is a homonym of the Indonesian word for "step back" and "retreat". | |||
| Javanese | pensiun | ||
| The Javanese term 'pensiun' is also used colloquially to describe the process of withdrawing from social activities in old age. | |||
| Khmer | ចូលនិវត្តន៍ | ||
| Lao | ລາອອກ | ||
| The word "ລາອອກ" in Lao can also refer to the act of leaving a job or position without intending to return. | |||
| Malay | bersara | ||
| The word "bersara" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sara" meaning "to go". It also has the alternate meaning of "to take a break". | |||
| Thai | เกษียณอายุ | ||
| In India, the word "retire" is often used as a euphemism for "relieve from duty", as the official retirement age is 60 for government employees and 58 for others. | |||
| Vietnamese | về hưu | ||
| The Sino-Vietnamese word "về hưu" (retire) literally means "return home to grow old" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magretiro | ||
Retire in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təqaüdə çıxmaq | ||
| Kazakh | зейнетке шығу | ||
| Kyrgyz | пенсияга чыгуу | ||
| Tajik | истеъфо | ||
| The word "истеъфо" can also mean "to resign" or "to quit" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | pensiýa çykmak | ||
| Uzbek | nafaqaga | ||
| The Uzbek word "nafaqaga" also refers to a type of religious tax for the poor. | |||
| Uyghur | پېنسىيەگە چىقىش | ||
Retire in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomaha | ||
| "Hoʻomaha" can also mean to relax, rest, or take a break. | |||
| Maori | reti | ||
| The word "reti" initially meant "to fall asleep" before later coming to mean "to retire". | |||
| Samoan | litaea | ||
| The word 'litaea' also means 'to go to bed' or 'to sleep' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magretiro | ||
| The word 'magretiro' can also mean 'to retreat' or 'to withdraw'} | |||
Retire in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jubilacionanak luraña | ||
| Guarani | ojejubila haguã | ||
Retire in International Languages
| Esperanto | retiriĝi | ||
| The verb "retiriĝi" can alternatively convey "withdraw", "retreat", or "take oneself from". | |||
| Latin | sese | ||
| "Se se" is a contraction of "si se", or "if one is". | |||
Retire in Others Languages
| Greek | αποσύρω | ||
| "αποσύρω" is literally "withdraw myself" and can also mean "retreat" or "withdraw" in a military context. | |||
| Hmong | so num lawm | ||
| The Hmong word "so num lawm" (retire) is a compound word that literally translates to "rest one's body and bones." | |||
| Kurdish | xwe bişûndekişandin | ||
| Turkish | emekli olmak | ||
| The word "emekli olmak" has its roots in the Arabic word "imkân" meaning "ability" or "means". | |||
| Xhosa | uthathe umhlalaphantsi | ||
| The word "uthathe umhlalaphantsi" literally translates to "take off the back", referencing the act of a rider dismounting from a horse or ox. | |||
| Yiddish | צוריקציענ זיך | ||
| The Yiddish word "צוריקציענ זיך" comes from the German word "zurücktreten"," which also means "to step back" or "to resign".} | |||
| Zulu | uthathe umhlalaphansi | ||
| The term derives from the Zulu idiom “ukuthatha umhlalaphansi”, meaning “to sit in the shade” and referring to the act of retiring or taking a break from work. | |||
| Assamese | অৱসৰ লোৱা | ||
| Aymara | jubilacionanak luraña | ||
| Bhojpuri | रिटायर हो गइल बानी | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިޓަޔާ ކުރާށެވެ | ||
| Dogri | रिटायर हो जाओ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magretiro | ||
| Guarani | ojejubila haguã | ||
| Ilocano | agretiro | ||
| Krio | ritaia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خانەنشین | ||
| Maithili | रिटायर भ जाउ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯤꯇꯥꯌꯥꯔ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | pension a ni ang | ||
| Oromo | soorama ba’uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅବସର | ||
| Quechua | jubilakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | निवृत्त हो | ||
| Tatar | пенсия | ||
| Tigrinya | ጡረታ ይወጹ | ||
| Tsonga | ku huma penceni | ||