Secretary in different languages

Secretary in Different Languages

Discover 'Secretary' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Secretary


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Afrikaans
sekretaris
Albanian
sekretar
Amharic
ጸሐፊ
Arabic
سكرتير
Armenian
քարտուղար
Assamese
সম্পাদক
Aymara
secretario ukan irnaqiri
Azerbaijani
katib
Bambara
sɛbɛnnikɛla
Basque
idazkaria
Belarusian
сакратар
Bengali
সেক্রেটারি
Bhojpuri
सचिव के रूप में काम कइले बानी
Bosnian
tajnica
Bulgarian
секретар
Catalan
secretari
Cebuano
kalihim
Chinese (Simplified)
秘书
Chinese (Traditional)
秘書
Corsican
secretariu
Croatian
tajnica
Czech
tajemník
Danish
sekretær
Dhivehi
ސެކްރެޓަރީ އެވެ
Dogri
सचिव जी
Dutch
secretaris
English
secretary
Esperanto
sekretario
Estonian
sekretär
Ewe
agbalẽŋlɔla
Filipino (Tagalog)
kalihim
Finnish
sihteeri
French
secrétaire
Frisian
sekretaris
Galician
secretaria
Georgian
მდივანი
German
sekretär
Greek
γραμματέας
Guarani
secretario ramo
Gujarati
સેક્રેટરી
Haitian Creole
sekretè
Hausa
sakatare
Hawaiian
kākau ʻōlelo
Hebrew
מזכיר
Hindi
सचिव
Hmong
tus teev ntawv
Hungarian
titkár
Icelandic
ritari
Igbo
ode akwukwo
Ilocano
sekretario
Indonesian
sekretaris
Irish
rúnaí
Italian
segretario
Japanese
秘書
Javanese
sekretaris
Kannada
ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ
Kazakh
хатшы
Khmer
លេខាធិការ
Kinyarwanda
umunyamabanga
Konkani
सचीव म्हणून काम करता
Korean
비서
Krio
sɛktri
Kurdish
sekreter
Kurdish (Sorani)
سکرتێر
Kyrgyz
катчы
Lao
ເລຂາ
Latin
scriba
Latvian
sekretāre
Lingala
sɛkrɛtɛrɛ
Lithuanian
sekretorius
Luganda
omuwandiisi
Luxembourgish
sekretärin
Macedonian
секретар
Maithili
सचिव
Malagasy
mpitan-tsoratra
Malay
setiausaha
Malayalam
സെക്രട്ടറി
Maltese
segretarju
Maori
hēkeretari
Marathi
सचिव
Meiteilon (Manipuri)
ꯁꯦꯛꯔꯦꯇꯔꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯈꯤ꯫
Mizo
secretary hna thawk a ni
Mongolian
нарийн бичгийн дарга
Myanmar (Burmese)
အတွင်းရေးမှူး
Nepali
सचिव
Norwegian
sekretær
Nyanja (Chichewa)
mlembi
Odia (Oriya)
ସଚିବ
Oromo
barreessaa
Pashto
منشي
Persian
دبیر، منشی
Polish
sekretarz
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)
secretário
Punjabi
ਸੈਕਟਰੀ
Quechua
secretario nisqa
Romanian
secretar
Russian
секретарь
Samoan
failautusi
Sanskrit
सचिवः
Scots Gaelic
rùnaire
Sepedi
mongwaledi
Serbian
секретар
Sesotho
mongoli
Shona
munyori
Sindhi
سيڪريٽري
Sinhala (Sinhalese)
ලේකම්
Slovak
sekretárka
Slovenian
tajnica
Somali
xoghaye
Spanish
secretario
Sundanese
sekertaris
Swahili
katibu
Swedish
sekreterare
Tagalog (Filipino)
kalihim
Tajik
котиб
Tamil
செயலாளர்
Tatar
секретаре
Telugu
కార్యదర్శి
Thai
เลขานุการ
Tigrinya
ጸሓፊ
Tsonga
matsalana
Turkish
sekreter
Turkmen
sekretary
Twi (Akan)
ɔkyerɛwfo
Ukrainian
секретар
Urdu
سیکرٹری
Uyghur
سېكرېتار
Uzbek
kotib
Vietnamese
thư ký
Welsh
ysgrifennydd
Xhosa
unobhala
Yiddish
סעקרעטאר
Yoruba
akọwe
Zulu
unobhala

Etymology & Notes

LanguageEtymology / Notes
AfrikaansThe word 'sekretaris' (secretary) derives from the ancient Egyptian title, 'ser', meaning 'keeper of secrets'.
AlbanianThe Albanian word "sekretar" also means "confidant", a person who is entrusted with secrets.
Amharic"ጸሐፊ" is derived from the Ge'ez word "ጰሐፈ" meaning "to write" or "to write down".
ArabicThe word "سكرتير" (secretary) in Arabic can also refer to a private tutor or a confidante.
ArmenianThe word "քարտուղար" also means "scribe" and has a similar form in various other Indo-European languages, including Albanian, Greek, and Latin.
AzerbaijaniThe word "katib" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "scribe" or a "clerk".
BasqueThe word "idazkaria" derives from the verb "idaztea" (to write) and the suffix "-ari" (one who does something).
Bengaliশব্দটির ব্যুৎপত্তি লাতিন শব্দ secretus থেকে হয়েছে, যার অর্থ গোপনীয়।
BosnianThe word "tajnica" can also refer to a confidante or someone who knows a secret.
BulgarianThe Bulgarian word секретар, meaning 'secretary' can also refer to a type of chest or box.
CatalanThe Catalan word "secretari" can also refer to a church official or a keeper of secrets.
CebuanoThe word "kalihim" is derived from the Spanish word "calificare," which means "to grade" or "to assess."
Chinese (Simplified)"秘书"在古代也指"密书",是皇帝或重臣私人收藏的机要文件。
Chinese (Traditional)The Chinese character "秘" means "hidden" and "書" means "writing", so "秘書" originally referred to a personal assistant in ancient China who managed confidential documents.
CorsicanThe Corsican word "secretariu" can also mean a "confidant" or "advisor".
CroatianThe word 'tajnica' is derived from the Slavic word 'tajna', meaning 'secret', and originally referred to a person entrusted with confidential information.
CzechThe Czech word "tajemník" is derived from the Old Czech word "tajemný," meaning "mysterious" or "secret."
DanishThe word "sekretær" can also refer to a piece of furniture used for writing and storage.
DutchThe Dutch word "secretaris" derives from the Latin word "secretarius", meaning "keeper of secrets".
Esperanto"Sekretario" is derived from the Latin "secretarius," meaning "one who keeps secrets".
EstonianIn addition to the primary meaning of secretary, 'sekretär' can also mean a piece of furniture.
FinnishSihteeri might originate from the French word "secrétaire" or the Latin word "secretarius".
FrenchIn French, "secrétaire" can also refer to a piece of furniture with a writing surface and drawers, or to a bird known for its vibrant plumage and melodious song.
FrisianThe Frisian word "sekretaris" can also refer to a type of bird known as a secretary bird.
GalicianIn Galician, "secretaria" can also mean "secretary's office" or "secretary's job".
GeorgianThe Georgian word "მდივანი" comes from the Persian word "dabīr" meaning "writer" or "scribe."
GermanIn German, the word "Sekretär" not only refers to a secretary but also to a type of desk with a built-in drawer or compartment for storing documents and writing materials.
Greek"Γραμματέας" comes from the Greek "γράμμα" (letter) and means "writer", or more generally one involved in "writing or learning".
GujaratiThe word "સેક્રેટરી" is derived from the Latin word "secretarius", meaning "one who keeps secrets".
Haitian CreoleThe word "sekretè" (secretary) in Haitian Creole also means "keeper of secrets".
Hausa"Sakatare" in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "saqr" which means "to write".
HawaiianKākau in Hawaiian can refer to writing, drawing, or carving, while ʻōlelo refers to language or speech, thus indicating a skilled communicator.
HebrewThe term "מזכיר" can also refer to a personal assistant or confidant, similar to the Latin "secretarius" from which it ultimately derives.
HindiThe Hindi word for 'secretary' 'सचिव' also means 'true' or 'correct' and comes from the Sanskrit root 'sac' meaning 'to speak truth'.
HmongThe word "tus teev ntawv" can also mean "office worker" or "clerk" in Hmong.
HungarianThe Hungarian word "titkár" likely derives from the old Slavic word "tajnik," meaning "secret keeper," reflecting the secretary's role in maintaining confidentiality.
IcelandicThe word "ritari" in Icelandic also means "knight" or "cavalier".
IgboIn Igbo language, 'ode akwukwo' denotes the office where administrative writing occurs in schools; it is also the word for 'secretary.'
IndonesianThe word "sekretaris" in Indonesian comes from the Dutch word "secretaris", which itself derives from the Latin word "secretarius", meaning "keeper of secrets".
IrishThe word "rúnaí" (secretary) derives from the Old Irish "rún" (secret), emphasizing the confidential nature of the role.
Italian"Segretario" derives from the Latin word "secretarius", meaning "keeper of secrets", and can also refer to a confidential clerk in Italy.
JapaneseThe character 秘 in 秘書 means "secret" and has its origins in an ancient Chinese oracle bone script of a sealed vessel.
JavaneseThe Javanese word sekretaris can also refer to a type of bird, the Javanese coucal (Centropus nigrorufus), known for its ability to mimic other bird calls.
KannadaThe word "ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ" in Kannada literally means "one who attends to duties" or "one who conducts business".
Kazakh"Хатшы" also refers to an old-fashioned scribe, a clerk or an archive keeper.
KoreanThe root "bi" in Korean word for "secretary" ("비서") means "assisting", while "seo" means "office".
KurdishThe word "sekreter" in Kurdish also means "secret" or "secret service."
KyrgyzThe word "катчы" is derived from the Persian word "کاغذچی" (kāqazchī), meaning "paper writer" or "scribe".
LaoThe Lao word for "secretary," "ເລຂາ," means "writer" when separated into morphemes.
LatinThe word "scriba" can also refer to a scribe or copyist, and derives from the verb "scribere" (to write).
LatvianIn Latvian, the word "sekretāre" is a loanword from German that also means "bureau" or "chest of drawers".
LithuanianThe word "sekretorius" is derived from Latin "secretus", meaning "secret", and refers to a confidential assistant or a person responsible for keeping secrets.
LuxembourgishThe Luxembourgish word "Sekretärin" has multiple meanings, including "secretary", "female secretary", and "confidante".
MacedonianThe word "секретар" in Macedonian has its origins in the Latin word "secretarius" and shares a similar meaning with its English cognate "secretary."
MalagasyThe word "mpitan-tsoratra" in Malagasy comes from the root "tsoratra" which means "writing".
MalayThe word "setiausaha" can also mean "faithful" or "loyal" in Malay, reflecting the role of a secretary as a trusted and confidential assistant.
MalayalamThe Malayalam word "സെക്രട്ടറി" (secretary) derives from the Latin word "secretarius", meaning "one who keeps secrets."
MalteseThe Maltese word 'segretarju' ('secretary') derives from the Latin 'secretarius', meaning 'keeper of secrets' or 'confidant'.
MaoriThe term 'hēkeretari' is derived from the English word 'secretary' and the Māori word 'heke', meaning 'to descend'.
MarathiIn Marathi, "सचिव" is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "सह" (sah), meaning "with" or "together," and "चीफ" (chif), meaning "chief" or "head". Thus, it can also refer to an assistant or helper, particularly in administrative or managerial contexts.
Nepaliसचिव is derived from the Sanskrit word "सच्" (sach), meaning "true" or "correct".
NorwegianIn Norwegian, "sekretær" can also mean "a dresser or writing desk" or "a person who keeps secrets".
Nyanja (Chichewa)The Nyanja word 'mlembi' also refers to a type of tree and a certain type of antelope, likely due to their slender, graceful appearance, similar to that of a secretary bird.
PashtoIn addition to denoting a "secretary," "منشي" can also mean "writer," "scribe," or "clerk" in Pashto.
PersianThe Persian word **دبیر، منشی** can also mean an official record keeper within a group of scholars responsible for the written administration of an office, organization, or government
PolishThe word "sekretarz" in Polish derives from the Latin "secretarius", meaning "keeper of secrets".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)In Brazil, "secretário" can also refer to a department manager or a member of a minister's cabinet.
PunjabiThe word "ਸੈਕਟਰੀ" (secretary) in Punjabi can also refer to a drawer or cabinet, particularly one used to store important documents.
RomanianThe word "secretar" in Romanian originates from the Latin "secretarius," meaning "keeper of secrets".
RussianThe word 'секретарь' in Russian can also refer to a piece of furniture used for storing papers and documents.
SamoanFailautusi means 'one who writes the family’s stories' in Samoan, a role typically held by women who kept records of important events and passed down cultural traditions
Scots GaelicThe word "rùnaire" may also refer to a private or personal conversation.
SerbianThe Serbian word 'секретар' has its origin in the Latin word 'secretarius', meaning 'one who keeps secrets'.
SesothoIn the traditional Sesotho context, "mongoli" also referred to a high-ranking advisor or a trusted confidant to a chief or ruler.
ShonaThe word "munyori" in Shona can also refer to a person who writes or scribes.
SindhiIn Sindhi, "سيڪريٽري" can be a title for a political party executive.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)The Sinhala word "ලේකම්" (secretary) derives from the Sanskrit word "le-kha-min," meaning "one who marks lines".
SlovakThe Slovak word "sekretárka" (secretary) shares an origin with the Latin word for "secret" or "separate".
Slovenian"Tajnica" is derived from the Latin word "tacere", meaning "to be silent".
SomaliThe word "xoghaye" in Somali can also refer to a "private secretary" or a "counselor".
SpanishIn Spanish, "secretario" can also refer to a chest or drawer used to store documents.
SundaneseThe Sundanese word "Sekertaris" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit "Saksri", meaning "witness" or "evidence".
SwahiliThe word 'katibu' in Swahili can also refer to a clerk, scribe, or writer.
SwedishThe word "sekreterare" comes from the Latin word "secretarius," meaning "one who keeps secrets."
Tagalog (Filipino)The Tagalog word "kalihim" originates from the Sanskrit word "kalikhin", meaning "assistant" or "scribe"
TajikThe word "котиб" also means "writer" or "scribe" in Tajik.
TamilThe word 'செயலாளர்' in Tamil can also mean 'an agent' or 'a clerk'.
TeluguThe word "కార్యదర్శి" (kāryadarśi) is derived from the Sanskrit words "कार्य" (kārya, meaning "work") and "दर्शि" (darśi, meaning "one who sees" or "supervisor").
ThaiIn Thai, the word "เลขานุการ" also has the alternate meaning of "executive assistant".
TurkishThe word 'Sekreter' in Turkish also means 'confidant' or 'one who keeps secrets'.
UkrainianThe word "секретар" in Ukrainian can also mean "confidant" or "keeper of secrets".
UrduIn Urdu, the word "سیکرٹری" can also refer to a confidant or a person who keeps secrets.
UzbekThe word "kotib" comes from the Arabic word "katib" (كاتب), which means "writer" or "scribe", and is related to the English word "copy".
VietnameseThe word "Thư ký" in Vietnamese can also refer to a clerk or an assistant.
WelshThe Welsh word 'ysgrifennydd' ('secretary') also has the alternate meaning 'scribe'.
XhosaIn Xhosa, 'unobhala' means 'secretary', but it also refers to a person who is 'the one who writes' or 'the one who registers'
Yiddishס עקרעטאר in Yiddish can also refer to a "confidant".
YorubaAkọwe is an alternative Yoruba word for a clerk, which is a writer who maintains records in an office.
ZuluUnobhala also refers to the person who is keeping important historical or cultural records.
EnglishThe word 'secretary' derives from the Latin word 'secretus,' meaning 'a confidential or private matter'

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