Retirement in Different Languages
Discover 'Retirement' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Retirement is a significant milestone in many people's lives, marking the end of their working years and the beginning of a new chapter. The concept of retirement holds cultural importance across the globe, often symbolizing financial security, personal fulfillment, and the opportunity to pursue long-held passions. As such, understanding the translation of retirement in different languages can offer valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and approach this life stage.
For instance, the French translation of retirement is 'retraite,' which also means 'withdrawal' or 'retreat.' In Spanish, retirement is 'jubilación,' reflecting the joy and happiness associated with this time. Meanwhile, in German, retirement is 'Rente,' which primarily refers to a pension or regular income received during retirement.
In this article, we explore the translations of retirement in a variety of languages, shedding light on the unique cultural perspectives and nuances associated with this important life transition.
Retirement
Retirement in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aftrede | ||
| The word "aftrede" derives from the verb "aftree" meaning "to step down" or "to withdraw". | |||
| Amharic | ጡረታ | ||
| The word ጡረታ (retirement) comes from the verb ጡረ (to rest). | |||
| Hausa | ritaya | ||
| In Hausa, "ritaya" also means "a place of refuge" or "a haven." | |||
| Igbo | ezumike nká | ||
| "Ezumike nká" is an Igbo phrase meaning retirement; "ezumike" is the verb "to rest," while "nkà" means "work, job, or office." | |||
| Malagasy | fisotroan-dronono | ||
| The word "fisotroan-dronono" literally means "to take a well-deserved rest". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupuma pantchito | ||
| "Kupuma pantchito" is also used to refer to a ceremony held when one has finished building a house. | |||
| Shona | pamudyandigere | ||
| The word 'pamudyandigere' can also refer to the end of a journey, task or project. | |||
| Somali | hawlgab | ||
| The word "hawlgab" in Somali can also refer to a state of disengagement or inactivity. | |||
| Sesotho | ho tlohela mosebetsi | ||
| Ho tlohela mosebetsi can also refer to leaving a position or discontinuing an activity, not just retirement from employment specifically. | |||
| Swahili | kustaafu | ||
| The term "kustaafu'' is also used for resignation, resignation from work, leave from work, and the status of a retiree | |||
| Xhosa | umhlalaphantsi | ||
| The word "umhlalaphantsi" in Xhosa also means "a time to rest". | |||
| Yoruba | ifẹhinti lẹnu iṣẹ | ||
| Zulu | umhlalaphansi | ||
| The Zulu word "umhlalaphansi" also refers to a type of bird that sheds its feathers, similar to the process of retiring from work. | |||
| Bambara | lafiɲɛbɔ kɛli | ||
| Ewe | dzudzɔxɔxɔledɔme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikiruhuko cy'izabukuru | ||
| Lingala | kozwa pansiɔ | ||
| Luganda | okuwummula | ||
| Sepedi | go rola modiro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pɛnhyenkɔ | ||
Retirement in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التقاعد | ||
| The word التقاعد ('retirement') derives from the Arabic root قعد (q-ʕ-d), 'to sit down, settle, or reside'. | |||
| Hebrew | פרישה לגמלאות | ||
| The Hebrew word "פרישה לגמלאות" (retirement) literally means "withdrawal to camels". | |||
| Pashto | تقاعد | ||
| The word “تقاعد“ may also mean “repose,” “withdrawal,” or “retreat”. | |||
| Arabic | التقاعد | ||
| The word التقاعد ('retirement') derives from the Arabic root قعد (q-ʕ-d), 'to sit down, settle, or reside'. | |||
Retirement in Western European Languages
| Albanian | daljes në pension | ||
| The word "dalje në pension" in Albanian is also used colloquially to describe the process of someone stepping down from a position of authority or responsibility. | |||
| Basque | erretiroa | ||
| The word "erretiroa" in Basque also means "retreat" or "withdrawal". | |||
| Catalan | jubilació | ||
| The term "jubilació" originates from the Latin word jubilare, which means "to shout for joy". | |||
| Croatian | umirovljenje | ||
| "Umirovljenje" stems from the word "miran", which means peaceful, and hence signifies the transition to a peaceful, post-work period in life. | |||
| Danish | pensionering | ||
| In Danish, the word "pensionering" can also mean "to grant a pension to someone". | |||
| Dutch | pensionering | ||
| The Dutch word "pensionering" also means "a pension as a benefit" and is the present participle of the verb "pensioneren" (to retire). | |||
| English | retirement | ||
| The word "retirement" can also refer to the act of withdrawing or retreating from a particular place or situation. | |||
| French | retraite | ||
| The word "retraite" derives from the Latin "retractare," meaning "to withdraw" or "to retreat," hence its use to describe the act of leaving work or public life. | |||
| Frisian | pensjoen | ||
| In Frisian, "pensjoen" can also mean a guest house or boarding house, akin to "pension" in English. | |||
| Galician | xubilación | ||
| The Galician word "xubilación" comes from the Latin word "jubilatio," meaning "shouting with joy." | |||
| German | pensionierung | ||
| "Pensionierung" (retirement) originally meant "provision" or "maintenance of a monk or nun" in Latin. | |||
| Icelandic | starfslok | ||
| Etymology: stafr (staff) + slok (act of quitting). Historically, stafr referred to a position like a bishop or king, but evolved to mean any employee. | |||
| Irish | scoir | ||
| The Irish word "scoir" can also refer to a period of time, such as a season or a year. | |||
| Italian | la pensione | ||
| "La pensione" can also mean a boarding house or a half-board hotel in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | pensioun | ||
| The word "Pensioun" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a "boarding house" or a "pension" in English. | |||
| Maltese | irtirar | ||
| The word "irtirar" in Maltese also means "to leave one's job or position". | |||
| Norwegian | pensjon | ||
| The word "pensjon" originates from the Old French word "pension", meaning "payment" or "support". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | aposentadoria | ||
| " Aposentadoria " comes from "aposentar," which stems from the old Latin word " pausare " or " pausare," which means " to make rest," or " to put on pause." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cluaineas | ||
| Cluaineas, cognate with Irish "cluain", is also the root of "Clon" as in Clonmel and Clontarf.} | |||
| Spanish | jubilación | ||
| The word 'Jubilación' comes from the Latin word 'jubilare', meaning 'to shout with joy', and originally referred to the joyful celebration of a 50th anniversary. | |||
| Swedish | pensionering | ||
| Pensioneringen, or the retirement, is derived from the French word "pension" which means "payment" and originally referred to payments made to soldiers who had served their time and were no longer able to fight. | |||
| Welsh | ymddeol | ||
| Ymddyol is a compound word made of two Welsh words 'ymd' meaning 'around' and 'deol' meaning 'turn', thus literally translating to 'turn around'. | |||
Retirement in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | выхаду на пенсію | ||
| As a noun, "выхаду на пенсію" also means "the release of livestock to pasture for the summer" | |||
| Bosnian | penzija | ||
| The word "penzija" also means "pension" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | пенсиониране | ||
| In Bulgarian, "пенсиониране" can also mean "becoming a pensioner" or "reaching retirement age." | |||
| Czech | odchod do důchodu | ||
| The word "odchod do důchodu" literally translates to "stepping into the pension". | |||
| Estonian | pensionile jäämine | ||
| "Pensionile minema" (to retire) is literally "to go into the pension" and refers to the period when a person withdraws from active working life to receive a regular income from a pension fund or the government. | |||
| Finnish | eläkkeelle | ||
| "Eläkkeelle" is related to the word "eläke", which originally meant "maintenance" or "support", but has come to mean "pension" or "retirement". | |||
| Hungarian | nyugdíjazás | ||
| Hungarian "nyugdíjazás" (retirement) is related to the word "nyugodni" (to rest). | |||
| Latvian | pensionēšanās | ||
| Derived from the French word "pension," meaning a regular payment to a person who has retired from work. | |||
| Lithuanian | pensiją | ||
| The word “pensija” comes from the Latin word “pensio”, meaning a payment or allowance. | |||
| Macedonian | пензија | ||
| The word "пензија" (penzija) originates from the Italian "pensione" (boarding house), and can also refer to a hostel or boarding school. | |||
| Polish | przejście na emeryturę | ||
| Przejście na emeryturę etymologically means "passing into the state of being an emeritus". | |||
| Romanian | pensionare | ||
| Pensionare is derived from the Latin word "pensare," meaning "to weigh out." | |||
| Russian | выход на пенсию | ||
| "Выход на пенсию" literally means "way out on a pension". | |||
| Serbian | пензионисање | ||
| The word "пензионисање" ultimately comes from the Latin word "pensio", meaning "payment" or "allowance." | |||
| Slovak | odchod do dôchodku | ||
| The term "odchod do dôchodku" literally translates to "departure into pension" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | upokojitev | ||
| The Slovenian word "upokojitev" derives from the verb "pokojiti", meaning "to calm down" or "to rest". | |||
| Ukrainian | виходу на пенсію | ||
| The word “виходу на пенсію” in Ukrainian literally means “exit to pension” or “exit to rest”. | |||
Retirement in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অবসর | ||
| The Bengali word "অবসর" can also refer to leisure time or vacation. | |||
| Gujarati | નિવૃત્તિ | ||
| નિવૃત્તિ (nivṛtti) is also used in Hinduism to refer to a state of detachment from worldly concerns and the pursuit of spiritual liberation. | |||
| Hindi | निवृत्ति | ||
| The word "निवृत्ति" is derived from the Sanskrit root "वृत्" meaning "to turn" and "नि" meaning "away", hence "turning away" or "retreating". It has various meanings, including retirement, cessation, and detachment. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ | ||
| The word "ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ" also means "cessation" or "discontinuation" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വിരമിക്കൽ | ||
| Marathi | निवृत्ती | ||
| In addition to meaning "retirement," निवृत्ती (nivṛttī) also means "cessation" or "release." | |||
| Nepali | अवकाश | ||
| The word "अवकाश" (avakash) in Nepali also means "leisure" or "opportunity". | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਿਟਾਇਰਮੈਂਟ | ||
| The word 'ਰਿਟਾਇਰਮੈਂਟ' is derived from the French word 'retirer', which means 'to withdraw'. It can also refer to the act of withdrawing from a position or office. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විශ්රාම ගැනීම | ||
| Tamil | ஓய்வு | ||
| The word "ஓய்வு" can also mean "remainder" or "leftover" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | పదవీ విరమణ | ||
| The word 'పదవీ విరమణ' ('retirement') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'पाद' meaning 'foot' and 'वृत्ति' meaning 'means of living', indicating the cessation of active work for sustenance. | |||
| Urdu | ریٹائرمنٹ | ||
Retirement in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 退休 | ||
| "退休" originates from "退居閑職", which refers to officials withdrawing from their positions and living in leisure. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 退休 | ||
| The word "退休" (retirement) originally meant "to withdraw from official life". | |||
| Japanese | 退職 | ||
| 退職 is also used to refer to an employee leaving a company due to reasons other than retirement, such as resignation or dismissal. | |||
| Korean | 퇴직 | ||
| The term 퇴직 (retirement) can also refer to a more general state of non-employment for reasons beyond voluntary withdrawal, such as being fired or downsized. | |||
| Mongolian | тэтгэвэрт гарах | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနားယူသည် | ||
Retirement in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pensiun | ||
| The word "pensiun" is derived from the Dutch word "pensioen", which originally meant "boarding house" or "allowance". | |||
| Javanese | pensiun | ||
| "Pensión" comes from the Javanese language and refers to a system of rotating labor in which a group of villagers would work on a project for a certain amount of time before being replaced by another group, thus ensuring that everyone had a chance to participate and contribute to the community's needs. | |||
| Khmer | ចូលនិវត្តន៍ | ||
| The word derives from Sanskrit and literally means "entering Nirvana". | |||
| Lao | ເງິນກະສຽນວຽກ | ||
| Malay | persaraan | ||
| The word "persaraan" originates from the Sanskrit word "parasara", meaning "abandoning" or "giving up". | |||
| Thai | เกษียณอายุ | ||
| The word "เกษียณอายุ" (retirement) is derived from the Sanskrit word "geṇi", which means "old age" or "senility." | |||
| Vietnamese | sự nghỉ hưu | ||
| The Vietnamese word "sự nghỉ hưu" can also refer to a break or vacation from work. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagreretiro | ||
Retirement in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təqaüd | ||
| The word "təqaüd" is derived from the Arabic word "taqāʿud," meaning "cessation of work" or "giving up one's job." | |||
| Kazakh | зейнетке шығу | ||
| The etymology of "зейнетке шығу" comes from the Persian word "زينت" meaning "adornment" or "decoration". | |||
| Kyrgyz | пенсияга чыгуу | ||
| Tajik | нафақа | ||
| The word "нафақа" in Tajik also refers to "maintenance", "sustenance", and "alimony". | |||
| Turkmen | pensiýa | ||
| Uzbek | iste'fo | ||
| The word "iste'fo" originates from the Persian phrase "istifa'a", which also means "resignation". | |||
| Uyghur | پېنسىيەگە چىقىش | ||
Retirement in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomaha loa | ||
| Hoʻomaha loa is a compound word, with hoʻomaha meaning to cease or rest, and loa meaning long or great. It is used to describe retirement, but can also refer to a sabbatical or a period of extended rest. | |||
| Maori | whakatā | ||
| The word 'whakatā' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian root word 'faka', meaning 'to make' or 'to cause', and the Maori suffix '-tā', which indicates a state or condition. | |||
| Samoan | litaea | ||
| In Samoan, 'litaea' can also refer to the time period after someone has moved out of the family home, or the process of retiring from certain social customs or responsibilities. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagreretiro | ||
| The Filipino word "pagreretiro" is also commonly used to refer to a retreat or seclusion from worldly affairs. | |||
Retirement in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jubilacionataki | ||
| Guarani | jubilación rehegua | ||
Retirement in International Languages
| Esperanto | emeritiĝo | ||
| The Esperanto word "emeritiĝo" is derived from the Latin "emeritus", meaning "retired" or "veteran". | |||
| Latin | retirement | ||
| The Latin word "retirare" means "to withdraw" or "to retreat". | |||
Retirement in Others Languages
| Greek | συνταξιοδότηση | ||
| Συνταξιοδότηση is derived from the words "σύνταξις" (order, arrangement) and "δόσις" (giving), suggesting the provision of an organized pension during old age. | |||
| Hmong | nyiaj laus | ||
| The word "nyiaj laus" in Hmong is an idiomatic expression meaning "resting and enjoying one's wealth". | |||
| Kurdish | teqawîtî | ||
| Teqawîtî comes from the Arabic word 'taqâwud' and also means 'pension'. | |||
| Turkish | emeklilik | ||
| "Emeklilik", "working hard" anlamına gelen "emek" kelimesinden türemiştir. | |||
| Xhosa | umhlalaphantsi | ||
| The word "umhlalaphantsi" in Xhosa also means "a time to rest". | |||
| Yiddish | ריטייערמאַנט | ||
| ריטייערמאַנט derives from the German word 'Rente', which means income or pension. | |||
| Zulu | umhlalaphansi | ||
| The Zulu word "umhlalaphansi" also refers to a type of bird that sheds its feathers, similar to the process of retiring from work. | |||
| Assamese | অৱসৰ লোৱা | ||
| Aymara | jubilacionataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | रिटायरमेंट के समय बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިޓަޔަރ ކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | रिटायरमेंट दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagreretiro | ||
| Guarani | jubilación rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | panagretiro | ||
| Krio | we yu ritaia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خانەنشین بوون | ||
| Maithili | सेवानिवृत्ति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯔꯤꯇꯥꯌꯥꯔ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | pension a nih chuan | ||
| Oromo | soorama bahuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅବସର | ||
| Quechua | jubilacionmanta | ||
| Sanskrit | सेवानिवृत्तिः | ||
| Tatar | пенсия | ||
| Tigrinya | ጡረታ ምውጽኡ | ||
| Tsonga | ku huma penceni | ||