Role in Different Languages
Discover 'Role' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'role' carries great significance in our daily lives, shaping our interactions and understanding of social dynamics. It refers to the function or position that someone has in a group, organization, or society. This concept is not only crucial in modern times but has also played a pivotal role in various cultures and historical contexts.
For instance, in ancient Greek theater, actors' masks represented different roles, symbolizing the importance of distinct functions in storytelling. Moreover, in many traditional African societies, specific roles were assigned based on age, gender, and social status, fostering a sense of community and interdependence.
Given the global and cultural importance of roles, understanding its translation in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various societies perceive and value the concept. Here are a few examples:
- French: rôle
- Spanish: rol
- German: Rolle
- Mandarin: 角色 (jiǎo shè)
- Japanese: 役 (yaku)
Role
Role in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rol | ||
| "Rol" can also refer to a bundle or a portion, as in "'n rol tabak" (a roll of tobacco). | |||
| Amharic | ሚና | ||
| In some dialects, ሚና can also refer to a character performed on stage. | |||
| Hausa | rawa | ||
| Hausa word "rawa" also means "to ask" (for a favor or information). | |||
| Igbo | ọrụ | ||
| While "ọrụ" primarily means "role" in Igbo, it can also mean "work", "function" or even "position". | |||
| Malagasy | anjara asa | ||
| Anjara asa can also mean 'part, portion, share, or destiny' and traces its roots to the Proto-Austronesian term *kanjar, meaning 'divide, separate'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | udindo | ||
| The word "udindo" can also mean "duty" or "responsibility". | |||
| Shona | basa | ||
| "Basa" in Shona can also mean "position" or "status", and it is cognate with the isiZulu word "indaba", meaning "news" or "meeting". | |||
| Somali | doorka | ||
| The word "doorka" (role) in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "دور" (dhawr), meaning "turn" or "responsibility." | |||
| Sesotho | karolo | ||
| The word 'karolo' also means 'part' or 'portion' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | jukumu | ||
| "Jukumu," in addition to its main meaning of "role," can also refer to "responsibility". | |||
| Xhosa | indima | ||
| Indima has meanings of both 'role' and 'a way of life' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | ipa | ||
| In Yoruba, "ipa" can also refer to the action of carrying something on one's head. | |||
| Zulu | indima | ||
| "Indima" also refers to the spiritual and emotional essence of a person in Zulu culture. | |||
| Bambara | jɔyɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | wɔƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | uruhare | ||
| Lingala | mokumba | ||
| Luganda | omugaso | ||
| Sepedi | tema | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asodie | ||
Role in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وظيفة | ||
| "وظيفة" in Arabic can also mean "function" or "job", and it comes from the root "وَضَعَ" (waḍaʿa), meaning "to place" or "to put".} | |||
| Hebrew | תַפְקִיד | ||
| The word can be translated to "role" in English, but it primarily refers to a task or mission; a similar usage is seen in the Arabic word "وظيفة". | |||
| Pashto | رول | ||
| The Pashto word "رول" can also refer to a type of bread or a kind of dance performed by women. | |||
| Arabic | وظيفة | ||
| "وظيفة" in Arabic can also mean "function" or "job", and it comes from the root "وَضَعَ" (waḍaʿa), meaning "to place" or "to put".} | |||
Role in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rolin | ||
| The word "rolin" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "rotulus", meaning "scroll" or "written document", and has also been used to refer to a theatrical role. | |||
| Basque | rola | ||
| The Basque word "rola" can also refer to a "wheel" or "disk". | |||
| Catalan | paper | ||
| In Catalan, "paper" can also refer to a legal document or a part in a play. | |||
| Croatian | uloga | ||
| The word "uloga" in Croatian, derived from the Proto-Slavic word *ulogъ, originally meant "a part" or "a section". | |||
| Danish | rolle | ||
| Rolle "role" is a word of old Nordic origin that also means "something rolled up". | |||
| Dutch | rol | ||
| Rol in Dutch can also mean a type of fish known as a whiting. | |||
| English | role | ||
| The word 'role' derives from the French 'rôle', ultimately from Latin 'rotulus' (scroll). | |||
| French | rôle | ||
| The word "rôle" in French originally meant a sheet of parchment rolled up, and is related to the English word "roll". | |||
| Frisian | rol | ||
| The Frisian word "rol" can also mean "part of a play" or "function of a person in an organisation". | |||
| Galician | papel | ||
| Galician "papel" can also mean a scroll or official document, deriving from Latin "papyrus" (papyrus) and "papyrellus" (little papyrus roll). | |||
| German | rolle | ||
| The word "Rolle" in German can also refer to a pastry or a scroll. | |||
| Icelandic | hlutverk | ||
| In Icelandic, 'hlutverk' can refer to a person's role, a task, or a piece of work. | |||
| Irish | ról | ||
| Ról can also mean 'wheel' or 'list' in Irish, deriving from the Proto-Celtic word *roto-. | |||
| Italian | ruolo | ||
| The word "ruolo" can also refer to a list of actors in a play or film, or to a table of contents in a book. | |||
| Luxembourgish | roll | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Roll" also has the meaning of "wheel" and is used in words like "Rollstull" (wheelchair). | |||
| Maltese | rwol | ||
| The Maltese word "rwol" comes from the Italian "ruolo", and can also mean "list" or "register". | |||
| Norwegian | rolle | ||
| The word "rolle" can also refer to a bread roll or a film reel in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | função | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "Função" can also mean "job" or "duty". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dreuchd | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "dreuchd" derives from the Proto-Celtic *dreg- "to climb" and was originally used in a military context but came to mean "role" as in "social position". | |||
| Spanish | papel | ||
| The Spanish word "papel" comes from the Latin word "papyrus", which refers to the ancient writing material made from the stem of the papyrus plant. | |||
| Swedish | roll | ||
| The Swedish word "rulle" can refer to a scroll, a role, or a dish consisting of something rolled up, such as a cinnamon roll. | |||
| Welsh | rôl | ||
| The etymology of the Welsh word "rôl" includes the meaning "part of a whole" and is cognate with the Irish "rol". | |||
Role in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ролю | ||
| An alternate meaning for "ролю" ("role") in Belarusian is "appearance", "look", or "expression", stemming from the verb "роліць" ("to roll"). | |||
| Bosnian | ulogu | ||
| The word "uloga" can also mean "part of a story" or "performance" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | роля | ||
| In Bulgarian, роля, meaning "role," stems from the Proto-Slavic korl-ja, meaning "to twist" or "to cut, cleave." | |||
| Czech | role | ||
| Czech "role" can also mean "blind" or "curtain". | |||
| Estonian | roll | ||
| In Estonian, the word "roll" can also mean "to glide" or "to roll up". | |||
| Finnish | rooli | ||
| In Finnish, "rooli" also refers to a type of fish or a wooden frame. | |||
| Hungarian | szerep | ||
| The Hungarian word 'szerep' also denotes 'piece' and 'part', with its root traceable to Proto-Uralic *čärpä 'fragment'. | |||
| Latvian | lomu | ||
| The word "lomu" in Latvian means "role", but its original meaning was "a wooden stake or peg". | |||
| Lithuanian | vaidmuo | ||
| The word "vaidmuo" is derived from the verb "vaidinti" ("to act"), which is in turn derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wei- ("to play"). | |||
| Macedonian | улога | ||
| The word "улога" in Macedonian is derived from the old Slavic root "log-", which means "to lie" or "to put". | |||
| Polish | rola | ||
| In Polish, "rola" can also mean "farmland". | |||
| Romanian | rol | ||
| The Romanian word "rol" likely comes from the French word "rôle" or the Medieval Latin word "rotulus", meaning "roll". In Romanian, the word "rol" can also refer to a "scroll" or a "cylinder". | |||
| Russian | роль | ||
| The word "роль" is related to the word "рядить" (to dress), suggesting its original meaning of "a part played" in a theatrical performance. | |||
| Serbian | улогу | ||
| The word "улогу" can also mean "part" or "function" in Serbian, indicating a broader scope of its usage beyond the theater or acting context. | |||
| Slovak | úlohu | ||
| The word "úlohu" is the direct form of the noun "úloha" which also means "task, duty, work assignment". | |||
| Slovenian | vlogo | ||
| Vlogo, derived from the Proto-Slavic root *volg-, can also refer to "following" or "accompanying" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | роль | ||
| The word "роль" can also mean "a list of actors and their parts in a play" or "a document that sets out the rights and duties of a person in a particular situation." | |||
Role in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভূমিকা | ||
| In music, | |||
| Gujarati | ભૂમિકા | ||
| The word "भूमि" (bhūmi) in Sanskrit means "ground" and "का" (ka) is a suffix which denotes "doer", thus the word "भूमिका" (bhūmikā) means "one who does something on the ground", i.e. an actor. | |||
| Hindi | भूमिका | ||
| Hindi "भूमिका" (role) derives from "भूमी" (earth) and "का" (doer), denoting the foundational part one plays in a performance. | |||
| Kannada | ಪಾತ್ರ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಪಾತ್ರ" (role) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पात्र" (bowl or container), implying someone or something holding or filling a space or position. | |||
| Malayalam | പങ്ക് | ||
| The Malayalam word "പങ്ക്" (/paŋk/) comes from Sanskrit "भङ्ग" (/bhaŋga/), meaning "to break" or "to divide", referring to the allocation of duties or responsibilities. | |||
| Marathi | भूमिका | ||
| The word भूमिका also means introduction or preface in Marathi, derived from the Sanskrit word " भूमि " (foundation). | |||
| Nepali | भूमिका | ||
| The word भूमिका shares its root with the word "भूम" (land) or "earth", and can also refer to a stage in a play. | |||
| Punjabi | ਭੂਮਿਕਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාර්යභාරය | ||
| Tamil | பங்கு | ||
| The word "பங்கு" (role) in Tamil can also mean "share" or "portion". | |||
| Telugu | పాత్ర | ||
| The term 'పాత్ర' derives from the Sanskrit word 'पात्र' (patra), meaning a deserving vessel or recipient. | |||
| Urdu | کردار | ||
| In Urdu, كردار "kirdār" is an Arabic loanword with meanings ranging from "character" to "nature", depending on the context. | |||
Role in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 角色 | ||
| 角色 (jué sè) originally referred to a person's social status or position in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 角色 | ||
| 角色 means 'person' or 'individual' and can also be used to refer to a person's social position or status. | |||
| Japanese | 役割 | ||
| The word 役割 ('yakuwari', 'role') can also refer to a person's social position or status. | |||
| Korean | 역할 | ||
| The word 역할 (yeokhal, "role") originally meant "duty" or "function" in Middle Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | үүрэг | ||
| "Үүрэг" may also refer to the Milky Way galaxy. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခန်းကဏ္။ | ||
Role in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | wewenang | ||
| The word 'wewenang' is derived from the Proto-Austronesian root *waŋaŋ, meaning 'power' or 'authority'. | |||
| Javanese | peran | ||
| The word "peran" in Javanese also refers to a puppet's costume. | |||
| Khmer | តួនាទី | ||
| The word "តួនាទី" can also mean "position" or "duty" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ພາລະບົດບາດ | ||
| Malay | peranan | ||
| The alternative meanings of "peranan" are "behaviour of an individual in group life" or "the process of interaction, where every participant takes on several roles" | |||
| Thai | บทบาท | ||
| The word "บทบาท" also has other meanings in Thai, such as "function" or "duty". | |||
| Vietnamese | vai trò | ||
| The term "vai trò" is composed of two Sino-Vietnamese elements: "vai" (meaning "person") and "trò" (meaning "performance"). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tungkulin | ||
Role in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rol | ||
| "Rol" also means "a piece of round bread" or "roll" in Turkish, which is likely the source of the word in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | рөлі | ||
| The word "рөлі" in Kazakh can also mean "part"} | |||
| Kyrgyz | роль | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "роль" (role) is derived from the Russian word "роль", ultimately tracing back to the French word "rôle". In addition to its meaning as "role", "роль" can also refer to "duty" or "responsibility". | |||
| Tajik | нақш | ||
| The word "нақш" in Tajik can also mean "picture" or "ornamentation". | |||
| Turkmen | roly | ||
| Uzbek | rol | ||
| Uzbek "rol" ( роль ) is also used to refer to "scroll" and "roll" (in the sense of a food item). | |||
| Uyghur | رولى | ||
Role in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūlana | ||
| The word kūlana ('role') in Hawaiian can also mean 'the position or function of something in a system.' | |||
| Maori | tūranga | ||
| In Māori, tūranga can also refer to a position or rank, as in a chief or a commander. | |||
| Samoan | matafaioi | ||
| In Samoan, the word "matafaioi" can also mean "task", "responsibility", or "duty." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | papel | ||
| From Middle English 'papel', ultimately from Latin 'papyrus', referring to a writing material made from reeds | |||
Role in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ruli | ||
| Guarani | kuatia | ||
Role in International Languages
| Esperanto | rolo | ||
| "Rolo" also means "scroll" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | partes | ||
| The theatrical term 'parts' originates from the Latin word 'partes' (role). | |||
Role in Others Languages
| Greek | ρόλος | ||
| The Greek word 'ρόλος', aside from its theatrical connotation, also refers to a cylindrical object used for scribing or printing. | |||
| Hmong | lub luag hauj lwm | ||
| "Lub luag hauj lwm" (role) can also mean "the act of playing a part" or "a position or function." | |||
| Kurdish | rol | ||
| The Kurdish word "rol" is derived from the French word "rôle" and also refers to a theater piece or movie. | |||
| Turkish | rol | ||
| Rol in Turkish can also refer to a round shape or a coil. | |||
| Xhosa | indima | ||
| Indima has meanings of both 'role' and 'a way of life' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | ראָלע | ||
| The Yiddish word ראָלע can also refer to a part in a play, a function or task, or a person's overall purpose in life. | |||
| Zulu | indima | ||
| "Indima" also refers to the spiritual and emotional essence of a person in Zulu culture. | |||
| Assamese | ভূমিকা | ||
| Aymara | ruli | ||
| Bhojpuri | भूमिका | ||
| Dhivehi | ރޯލް | ||
| Dogri | रोल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tungkulin | ||
| Guarani | kuatia | ||
| Ilocano | amad | ||
| Krio | pat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەرک | ||
| Maithili | भूमिका | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | chanvo | ||
| Oromo | ga'ee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୂମିକା | ||
| Quechua | papel | ||
| Sanskrit | भूमिका | ||
| Tatar | роль | ||
| Tigrinya | ግደ | ||
| Tsonga | ntirho | ||