Senior in Different Languages
Discover 'Senior' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'senior' carries a significant weight of respect and experience in English-speaking cultures. It is often used to denote individuals who have achieved a certain level of expertise or have reached a certain age, signifying wisdom and leadership. But did you know that the term has Latin roots, deriving from the word 'senex' which means 'old'?
Moreover, the concept of 'seniority' is not exclusive to English-speaking societies. Many cultures around the world have their own terms to express similar ideas, reflecting their unique perspectives and values. For instance, in Spanish, 'senior' translates to 'señor', a respectful term for a man, while in Russian, it is 'старший' (starshey), which literally means 'elder'.
Understanding the translations of 'senior' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and nuances. It can help us appreciate the diversity of human experiences and foster a greater sense of global community.
Senior
Senior in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | senior | ||
| In Afrikaans, "senior" can also refer to a male teacher, especially at a secondary school. | |||
| Amharic | አዛውንት | ||
| The Amharic word "አዛውንት" can also refer to an elder or respected person. | |||
| Hausa | babba | ||
| "Babba" can also mean "husband" or "a person from the ethnic group that first settled in a town" | |||
| Igbo | agadi | ||
| Igbo word “agadi”, aside its connotative meaning of “senior”, has alternative meanings in Igbo proverbs, such as “strength” and “power”. | |||
| Malagasy | ambony | ||
| The word "ambony" in Malagasy can also mean "elder", "master", or "chief". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wamkulu | ||
| The word "wamkulu" in Nyanja can also mean "older person" or "respected elder". | |||
| Shona | mukuru | ||
| "Mukuru" also refers to "the head of the family" or "the oldest member of the family." | |||
| Somali | waayeelka | ||
| The term 'waayeelka' is a term of respect derived from the word 'waayo', which means 'time' or 'age'. | |||
| Sesotho | moholo | ||
| The name for "senior" in Sesotho, "moholo", may alternatively be used as an honorific prefix for a male elder. | |||
| Swahili | mwandamizi | ||
| The word "mwandamizi" can also mean "chief" or "leader". | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphezulu | ||
| The term "ngaphezulu" also refers to someone with authority, wisdom, or high social status. | |||
| Yoruba | oga | ||
| "Oga" in Yoruba can also refer to a respected or important figure, such as a chief or a deity. | |||
| Zulu | omkhulu | ||
| Omkhulu can also mean "forefather" or "ancestor" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | kùntigi | ||
| Ewe | ametsitsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mukuru | ||
| Lingala | mokolo | ||
| Luganda | omukulu | ||
| Sepedi | mogolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | panin | ||
Senior in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أول | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "senior," the Arabic word "أول" (awwal) can also refer to "the beginning" or "the first." | |||
| Hebrew | בָּכִיר | ||
| בָּכִיר can also mean "mature" and is related to the word "בֶּכִי" ("crying"), due to the association of crying with the elderly. | |||
| Pashto | مشر | ||
| The word "مشر" can also refer to an elder brother, a teacher, a wise person, or a religious leader in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | أول | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "senior," the Arabic word "أول" (awwal) can also refer to "the beginning" or "the first." | |||
Senior in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i moshuar | ||
| "I moshuar" is a term in Albanian used to address an elderly person, but it can also be used to refer to a respected figure, a leader or an authority. | |||
| Basque | seniorra | ||
| The Basque word "seniorra" derives from the Latin "senior," also meaning "superior" or "master" | |||
| Catalan | major | ||
| In Catalan, "major" can also refer to a person's occupation or profession, similar to the English term "major" in the context of a university degree. | |||
| Croatian | stariji | ||
| The word 'stariji' originates from the Proto-Slavic root 'starь', meaning 'old' or 'elder', and is related to words like 'starac' (old man) and 'stara' (old woman) in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | senior- | ||
| The Danish word "senior-" can also mean "late-," as in "senior high school" (high school years 2 and 3). | |||
| Dutch | senior | ||
| The Dutch word "senior" can also refer to a first-year student at a higher education institution. | |||
| English | senior | ||
| The word "senior" can also refer to a person who is older or more experienced in a particular field, such as a senior manager or a senior engineer. | |||
| French | sénior | ||
| The word "sénior" in French can also refer to a member of a professional or academic guild. | |||
| Frisian | senior | ||
| The Frisian word "senior" also means "older person" or "teacher". | |||
| Galician | maior | ||
| **Galician:** "maior" also means "older" or "bigger" in the context of a family or group. | |||
| German | senior | ||
| The word "Senior" in German can also refer to a university student in the final year of their studies. | |||
| Icelandic | eldri | ||
| The word "eldri" also means "older" or "senior" in the sense of being experienced or respected. | |||
| Irish | sinsearach | ||
| While "sinsearach" commonly means "senior" in Modern Irish, it derives from the Middle Irish, which had a more general meaning of "older" or "venerable." | |||
| Italian | anziano | ||
| "anziano" in Italian can also mean "elderly" or "respected" and derives from the Latin word "antianus," meaning "old man." | |||
| Luxembourgish | senior | ||
| Senior can also refer to a former student of a private or parochial boarding school in Luxembourg. | |||
| Maltese | anzjan | ||
| The word "anzjan" originates from the Arabic word "anīsan", meaning companion. | |||
| Norwegian | senior | ||
| "Senior" in Norwegian can also mean "last year of high school" and "elderly person who has been in a position of authority or respect." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | senior | ||
| Senior can also mean 'older' or 'elderly' when referring to people, or 'experienced' when referring to professionals. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àrd | ||
| The Old Irish word, àrd (also spelt àrdh or árd) survives in Scottish place names, like Ardrossan or Ardnamurchan, and can mean 'headland' or 'promontory', as well as a height | |||
| Spanish | mayor | ||
| The word "mayor" in Spanish also means "eldest" and "main". | |||
| Swedish | senior | ||
| In Swedish, "senior" also refers to a high school student in their third and final year | |||
| Welsh | uwch | ||
| The word 'uwch' is also used as a suffix to create nouns like 'uwchbwrdd' (chairman) or 'uwchathro' (senior student). | |||
Senior in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | старэйшы | ||
| The word "старэйшы" in Belarusian also means "elder" or "council of elders". | |||
| Bosnian | stariji | ||
| In Bosnian, "stariji" not only denotes the concept of "senior" but is also a form of polite address typically used to refer to older or respected persons. | |||
| Bulgarian | старши | ||
| The word "Старши" in Bulgarian derives from the Proto-Slavic word "starějšĭ" meaning "elder, chief" and has a related meaning in other Slavic languages, such as "starszy" in Polish, "starši" in Slovenian, and "старый" in Russian. | |||
| Czech | senior | ||
| The Czech word "senior" can also mean "old" or "experienced". | |||
| Estonian | vanem | ||
| "Vanem" (senior) in Estonian shares its origin with "venerable" in English, both derived from Latin "veneror" (to revere). | |||
| Finnish | vanhempi | ||
| "Senior" (vanhempi) also means "parent" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | idősebb | ||
| "Idősebb" (older) comes from the word "idő" (time), implying someone who has been around for longer. | |||
| Latvian | vecākais | ||
| The word "vecākais" is also used to refer to the oldest male member of a family or clan in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | vyresnysis | ||
| The word "vyresnysis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wei-, meaning "to live" or "to be alive". | |||
| Macedonian | сениор | ||
| The Macedonian word "Сениор" can also refer to a member of a fraternity or sorority. | |||
| Polish | senior | ||
| The word 'senior' in Polish also means 'lord' or 'master'. | |||
| Romanian | senior | ||
| In Romanian, "senior" can also refer to a teacher or a person who is highly respected or has a high social status. | |||
| Russian | старший | ||
| The word "старший" can also mean "elder" or "older" in the sense of "more experienced" or "of a higher rank". | |||
| Serbian | старији | ||
| The word "старији" also means "older" or "more experienced" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | senior | ||
| The Slovak word "senior" can also refer to someone who is older, more experienced, or of a higher rank. | |||
| Slovenian | starejši | ||
| The Slovenian word "starejši" derives from the word "star", meaning "old" or "ancient", and refers to someone who is older or more experienced. | |||
| Ukrainian | старший | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, "старый" meant both "old" and "старший", which was reflected in the development of modern Ukrainian "старший". | |||
Senior in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঊর্ধ্বতন | ||
| "ঊর্ধ্বতন" refers to a person who has climbed up the social ladder. | |||
| Gujarati | વરિષ્ઠ | ||
| The word "વરિષ્ઠ" in Gujarati is ultimately derived from Sanskrit and also refers to a type of rice that is harvested in the winter. | |||
| Hindi | वरिष्ठ | ||
| The word वरिष्ठ "varishtha" can also refer to someone who is older or more senior in experience or position in the workplace, family or society | |||
| Kannada | ಹಿರಿಯ | ||
| The word "ಹಿರಿಯ" (hiriya) in Kannada also means "elder" or "older" in terms of age, experience, or position. | |||
| Malayalam | സീനിയർ | ||
| The word “സീനിയർ” (“senior”) is used in Malayalam to refer to someone who is more experienced or has been in a position for a longer time. | |||
| Marathi | वरिष्ठ | ||
| The Marathi word "वरिष्ठ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वृद्ध" (old or elderly), indicating that seniority is often associated with age and experience in Indian culture. | |||
| Nepali | वरिष्ठ | ||
| The word | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੀਨੀਅਰ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਸੀਨੀਅਰ' ('senior') has its origins in the Latin languages, where it meant aged, old or elder. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජ්යෙෂ් | ||
| The word 'ජ්යෙෂ්' ('senior') in Sinhalese (Sinhalese) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'ज्येष्ठ', which also means 'elder' or 'senior'. | |||
| Tamil | மூத்தவர் | ||
| The word "மூத்தவர்" in Tamil originates from the word "முதிர்", meaning "mature" or "experienced", and is used to refer to someone who is older and wiser. | |||
| Telugu | సీనియర్ | ||
| The word "సీనియర్" is derived from the Latin word "senior", meaning "older" or "more experienced. | |||
| Urdu | سینئر | ||
| The word "سینئر" comes from the French word "seigneur", which means "lord" or "master". | |||
Senior in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 资深的 | ||
| 资深的, can literally translate into 'resource-deep', referring to someone who has rich experience and resources. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 資深的 | ||
| 資深的 can also mean 'experienced' or 'veteran'. | |||
| Japanese | 上級 | ||
| In addition to meaning "senior," 上級 (じょうきゅう) can also mean "higher level" or "advanced." | |||
| Korean | 연장자 | ||
| The term '연장자' literally translates to 'one who prolongs life' and also carries connotations of wisdom and respect. | |||
| Mongolian | ахлах | ||
| The word "ахлах" in Mongolian can also refer to a person who has seniority or authority, or to a person who is respected for their age or experience. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကြီးတန်း | ||
Senior in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | senior | ||
| The Indonesian word "senior" can also refer to an elder or a person with experience in a particular field. | |||
| Javanese | senior | ||
| In Javanese, "senior" can also refer to an elder sibling or a respected person. | |||
| Khmer | ជាន់ខ្ពស់ | ||
| The word 'senior' can also refer to a higher level in an organization or hierarchy. | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ອາວຸໂສ | ||
| Malay | senior | ||
| In Malay, the word "senior" can also refer to someone with knowledge or experience in a particular field. | |||
| Thai | อาวุโส | ||
| The word "อาวุโส" can also mean "seniority", "elder", or "old". | |||
| Vietnamese | cao cấp | ||
| The word "cao cấp" can also mean "high quality" or "top-notch". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nakatatanda | ||
Senior in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | böyük | ||
| The word "böyük" in Azerbaijani has the same root as the Turkish word "büyük" meaning "great" or "large". | |||
| Kazakh | аға | ||
| The word "аға" also means "older brother" and is used as a respectful term to address older men. | |||
| Kyrgyz | улук | ||
| In Kyrgyz mythology, "улук" also refers to a mythical bird that embodies wisdom and longevity. | |||
| Tajik | калон | ||
| The word "калон" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "калан", meaning "chief, elder, or leader." | |||
| Turkmen | uly | ||
| Uzbek | katta | ||
| The word "katta" in Uzbek can also refer to an "elder brother" or a "leader" | |||
| Uyghur | پېشقەدەم | ||
Senior in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻelemakule | ||
| 'Elemakule' is a Hawaiian word that derives from the words 'elemaku' (to age) and 'kule' (old). | |||
| Maori | tuakana | ||
| Tuakana can refer to an older sibling or an experienced person who is looked up to for guidance and support. | |||
| Samoan | sinia | ||
| The Samoan word 'sinia' can also mean 'head' or 'chief', and is related to the Proto-Polynesian word 'sinia', meaning 'above' or 'high'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nakatatanda | ||
| The word 'nakatatanda' also means 'elderly' or 'aged' in Tagalog. | |||
Senior in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sinyur | ||
| Guarani | tuichavéva | ||
Senior in International Languages
| Esperanto | maljunulo | ||
| Maljunulo is also used to refer to a senior member of any organization, even if they are not necessarily old. | |||
| Latin | senior | ||
| In Latin, "senior" also denotes a person of higher rank or authority within a family or community. | |||
Senior in Others Languages
| Greek | αρχαιότερος | ||
| The word "αρχαιότερος" comes from the Greek word "αρχή," which means "beginning" or "origin." | |||
| Hmong | laus | ||
| The word "laus" can also mean "elder brother" or "uncle", depending on the context. | |||
| Kurdish | kalo | ||
| 'Kalo' is originally a Turkish word meaning 'uncle' or 'father-in-law'. | |||
| Turkish | kıdemli | ||
| The word "kıdemli" can also mean "experienced" or "veteran". | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphezulu | ||
| The term "ngaphezulu" also refers to someone with authority, wisdom, or high social status. | |||
| Yiddish | עלטער | ||
| The original meaning of עלטער was “father.” | |||
| Zulu | omkhulu | ||
| Omkhulu can also mean "forefather" or "ancestor" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | জ্যেষ্ঠ | ||
| Aymara | sinyur | ||
| Bhojpuri | वरिष्ठ | ||
| Dhivehi | ސީނިއަރ | ||
| Dogri | आला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nakatatanda | ||
| Guarani | tuichavéva | ||
| Ilocano | senior | ||
| Krio | ol | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باڵا | ||
| Maithili | वरिष्ठ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯍꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯔꯕ | ||
| Mizo | upa zawk | ||
| Oromo | angafa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସିନିୟର | ||
| Quechua | kuraq | ||
| Sanskrit | ज्येष्ठ | ||
| Tatar | өлкән | ||
| Tigrinya | ላዕለዋይ | ||
| Tsonga | lonkulu | ||