Soldier in Different Languages
Discover 'Soldier' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A soldier is an individual who serves in the military, playing a crucial role in maintaining national security and peace. The term 'soldier' carries immense significance, embodying bravery, discipline, and patriotism. Soldiers have been celebrated in various cultures, inspiring countless works of art, literature, and film.
Understanding the translation of 'soldier' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how diverse cultures perceive and honor these individuals. For instance, in Spanish, a soldier is a 'soldado,' while in German, it's a 'Soldat.' In Russian, the term is 'солдат' (soldat), and in Japanese, a soldier is a '兵士' (heishi).
Delving into these linguistic nuances not only broadens our vocabulary but also enriches our appreciation for the global community and its shared values. Join us as we explore the translations of 'soldier' in a variety of languages, deepening our understanding and respect for the men and women who serve.
Soldier
Soldier in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | soldaat | ||
| The Dutch word "soldaat" possibly originates from Italian "soldato," and ultimately the Old High German "solta" meaning "pay" | |||
| Amharic | ወታደር | ||
| The word 'ወታደር' can also refer to a group of people who are united in a common cause or purpose, such as a political party or a religious organization. | |||
| Hausa | soja | ||
| The word "soja" can also refer to a type of dance performed by Hausa men. | |||
| Igbo | onye agha | ||
| In Igbo, onye agha can refer to a physical combatant or a supernatural or metaphysical protector. | |||
| Malagasy | miaramila | ||
| The word "MIARAMILA" in Malagasy is cognate with the word "RAMILA" in the Malayo-Polynesian languages, meaning "warrior" or "hero". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | msirikali | ||
| The word "msirikali" also means "warrior" and "fighter". | |||
| Shona | musoja | ||
| The word “musoja” is also a slang for police in the Shona language. | |||
| Somali | askari | ||
| "Askar" (derived from Arabic "askar") has a more general meaning of "guard" or "watchman", also being used to refer to a police officer. | |||
| Sesotho | lesole | ||
| The word lesole also means "warrior", and derives it from the verb sola, meaning "to fight". | |||
| Swahili | askari | ||
| The Swahili word "askari" originates from the Arabic word "askar" meaning "army" or "troops". | |||
| Xhosa | ijoni | ||
| The use of "ijoni" for "soldier" is derived from the word "ingqolowa," meaning "wagon" or "cart," as soldiers were initially mounted on wagons. | |||
| Yoruba | jagunjagun | ||
| The Yoruba word "jagunjagun" originally referred to a type of armed escort or bodyguard. | |||
| Zulu | isosha | ||
| The word "isosha" can also refer to a "private soldier" or a "foot soldier" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | sɔrɔdasi | ||
| Ewe | asrafo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umusirikare | ||
| Lingala | soda | ||
| Luganda | omujaasi | ||
| Sepedi | lešole | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔsraani | ||
Soldier in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جندي | ||
| The word "جندي" means "warrior", and is related to the word "جن" meaning "protect". | |||
| Hebrew | לוֹחֶם | ||
| The Hebrew word "לוֹחֶם" (soldier) is related to the word "לַחְמָה" (bread), as during wartime soldiers were often given bread as part of their rations. | |||
| Pashto | عسکر | ||
| عسکر can also refer to a camp, a garrison or an army. | |||
| Arabic | جندي | ||
| The word "جندي" means "warrior", and is related to the word "جن" meaning "protect". | |||
Soldier in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ushtar | ||
| The word 'ushtar' is related to the ancient Illyrian word 'oshtrinā' ('bravery'). | |||
| Basque | soldadu | ||
| The Basque word "soldadu" derives from the Latin "solidatus," a coin paid to Roman soldiers, hence it is related to the English "soldier". | |||
| Catalan | soldat | ||
| The Catalan word "soldat" (soldier) derives from the Italian "soldato", which shares its root with "sol" (sun) and is related to the concept of payment, possibly referring to the golden coins soldiers were paid with. | |||
| Croatian | vojnik | ||
| The word "vojnik" comes from the verb "vojati" which means "to fight" and can also refer to a mercenary or warrior. | |||
| Danish | soldat | ||
| While 'soldat' means soldier in Danish, it's related to the Italian 'soldo,' or coin, referencing the ancient practice of mercenary service. | |||
| Dutch | soldaat | ||
| The Dutch word "soldaat" is a loan from the Spanish "soldado" which comes from the Italian "soldato" which is derived from the early French "soldoier", meaning someone paid by "sold" (Old High German for money). | |||
| English | soldier | ||
| The term 'soldier' derives from the Old French term 'soudier', meaning 'one who is paid for military service'. | |||
| French | soldat | ||
| In French, "soldat" also refers to a "penny" or "small coin" as well as a "simpleton". | |||
| Frisian | soldaat | ||
| The word "soldaat" in Frisian also means "payment" or "reward". | |||
| Galician | soldado | ||
| In Galician, "soldado" also means "unmarried young man" or "son-in-law". | |||
| German | soldat | ||
| The word "Soldat" is derived from the Italian word "soldato" (paid soldier), which in turn originates from the Latin word "solidus" (gold coin). | |||
| Icelandic | hermaður | ||
| In Old Norse, hermaður referred to a man of the warrior class. | |||
| Irish | saighdiúir | ||
| The Irish word 'saighdiúir' is derived from the French word 'soldat', which itself is derived from the Italian word 'soldato', ultimately coming from the Latin word 'solidus' meaning 'gold coin'. | |||
| Italian | soldato | ||
| The Italian word “soldato” derives from the Latin past participle “solutus” and it originally meant “paid”. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zaldot | ||
| The word "Zaldot" derives from the Romance languages, ultimately from Latin "solidus", but also has the secondary meaning of "mercenary". | |||
| Maltese | suldat | ||
| The word "suldat" may originally have meant "servant" in Arabic before coming to mean "soldier". | |||
| Norwegian | soldat | ||
| In Norwegian, "soldat" can also mean "a person who has served in the military" or a "military rank". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | soldado | ||
| The word "soldado" in Portuguese can also refer to a card in a deck of cards, specifically the Jack. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | saighdear | ||
| The etymology of the word "saighdear" is uncertain, but it may come from the Irish word "saethar" meaning "servant" or "hired man" | |||
| Spanish | soldado | ||
| The Spanish word "soldado" derives from the Italian "soldato" (paid man), which in turn comes from the Latin "solidum" (solidus, or gold coin). | |||
| Swedish | soldat | ||
| The Swedish word "soldat" derives from the Old French "soudoier," meaning "one who serves for pay". | |||
| Welsh | milwr | ||
| "Milwr" also has an older, more obscure meaning as "a person who is free or unattached, or who is a voluntary agent". | |||
Soldier in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | салдат | ||
| The word "салдат" is derived from the German word "Soldat" and also refers to a recruit or conscript. | |||
| Bosnian | vojnik | ||
| The word "vojnik" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *voinъ, which also means "warrior" or "fighter". | |||
| Bulgarian | войник | ||
| In Old Bulgarian, "войник" meant "warrior" or "knight", and was not limited to professional soldiers. | |||
| Czech | voják | ||
| In Czech, "voják" also refers to a military unit. | |||
| Estonian | sõdur | ||
| "Sõdur" can also mean "warrior" or "fighter". | |||
| Finnish | sotilas | ||
| The Finnish word sotilas originated as a loanword from German through Swedish in the 1700s. | |||
| Hungarian | katona | ||
| Hungarian word “katona” (“soldier”) derives from Late Latin “catalo” (“list of soldiers”) via Middle Latin “catalogus” and Italian “catalano (“soldier”, “peasant”). | |||
| Latvian | karavīrs | ||
| In Latvian, the word "karavīrs" can also refer to a member of a paramilitary group or a militant organization. | |||
| Lithuanian | karys | ||
| The word "karys" is likely of Proto-Indo-European origin, possibly from the root "*ker-", meaning "to cut", or "*keros" | |||
| Macedonian | војник | ||
| The word "војник" (soldier) also means "warrior" or "fighter" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | żołnierz | ||
| The word "żołnierz" comes from the German word "Soldner" meaning "one who is paid". | |||
| Romanian | soldat | ||
| The word 'soldat' is of French origin and has the same meaning in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | солдат | ||
| The word "солдат" comes from the Middle Dutch word "solde" meaning "pay". | |||
| Serbian | војник | ||
| "Војник" comes from "војска" (army), which in turn comes from the Slavic root "voj", meaning "war" or "battle." | |||
| Slovak | vojak | ||
| Besides the main meaning, "vojak" can also refer to a chess piece or a small glass of brandy. | |||
| Slovenian | vojak | ||
| Another word for 'vojak' is 'vojščak', which is the name of a Slovenian rock band formed in 1998. | |||
| Ukrainian | солдат | ||
| The word "soldier" in Ukrainian is derived from the Latin word "solidus," meaning "solid" or "firm." | |||
Soldier in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সৈনিক | ||
| The word "সৈনিক" (soldier) comes from the Sanskrit word "सैनिक" (sainika), which in turn comes from the word "सेना" (sena), meaning army. | |||
| Gujarati | સૈનિક | ||
| The word "સૈનિક" also means "one who serves others" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | फोजी | ||
| The word "फोजी" (soldier) is derived from the Arabic word "fauj" meaning "army". | |||
| Kannada | ಸೈನಿಕ | ||
| The word "ಸೈನಿಕ" (soldier) in Kannada comes from the Sanskrit word "सैनिक" (sainika), which in turn is derived from the word "सेना" (sena), meaning "army". | |||
| Malayalam | സൈനികൻ | ||
| The Malayalam word "സൈനികൻ" is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "senika" or "sainika", both meaning "soldier" or "warrior." | |||
| Marathi | सैनिक | ||
| The word "सैनिक" (soldier) is derived from the Sanskrit word "सैन्य" (army) and ultimately from the Indo-European root "*seh₂-/*keh₂-" (to cut, cut down). | |||
| Nepali | सिपाही | ||
| The word 'सिपाही' is derived from the Persian word 'سپاه' ('sepah'), meaning 'army', and ultimately from the Old Persian word 'spāda-' ('army'). | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਪਾਹੀ | ||
| The word "ਸਿਪਾਹੀ" is derived from the Persian word "sipah" meaning "army" and the suffix "-i" indicating a member of a group. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සොල්දාදුවා | ||
| Tamil | சிப்பாய் | ||
| The word 'சிப்பாய்' also refers to the Indian mercenary soldiers, recruited by the British East India Company from South India. | |||
| Telugu | సైనికుడు | ||
| The term "సైనికుడు" originates from the Sanskrit word "sena", meaning "army" or "force". In colloquial Telugu, "సైనికుడు" can also refer to any government official who wears a uniform, such as a policeman or a forest guard. | |||
| Urdu | سپاہی | ||
| The etymology of the Urdu word "سپاہی" (soldier) is traced back to the Sanskrit word "सैनिक" (soldier or warrior). | |||
Soldier in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 士兵 | ||
| {"text": "士兵 (Simplified Chinese) is a combination of 軍, meaning "army" and 士, meaning "scholar," and can also mean "warrior" or "officer.""} | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 士兵 | ||
| "士兵" is a term with ancient Chinese origins, denoting both military personnel and armed civilians. | |||
| Japanese | 兵士 | ||
| The word 兵士 also means "troop", "soldier" or "army". | |||
| Korean | 병사 | ||
| 병사 can refer to both a soldier and a private, while its Chinese character components mean "sick" and "person" respectively, suggesting the idea of an "ill person". | |||
| Mongolian | цэрэг | ||
| The word "цэрэг" (soldier) is derived from the Mongolian word "цэр", meaning "to follow" or "to attend". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စစ်သား | ||
| The Burmese word စစ်သား derives from Pali "setthi" which can also mean "wealthy person or merchant" in other Southeast Asian languages. | |||
Soldier in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tentara | ||
| The word "tentara" derives from the Sanskrit word "tantra", meaning "system" or "doctrine". | |||
| Javanese | prajurit | ||
| The Javanese word "prajurit" is derived from the Sanskrit word "prajaryta", meaning "person who is protected". | |||
| Khmer | ទាហាន | ||
| The word "ទាហាន" ("soldier") in Khmer derives from the Sanskrit word "drdha"," meaning "firm" or "strong". | |||
| Lao | ສປປລ | ||
| The word "ສປປລ" also refers to a type of bird known for its fierce and fearless behavior. | |||
| Malay | askar | ||
| The Malay word "askar" is derived from the Arabic word "askar", meaning "army". It can also refer to a group of people who are organized for a specific purpose, such as a team or a crew. | |||
| Thai | ทหาร | ||
| The word "ทหาร" (soldier) in Thai likely derives from the Cambodian term "sot" meaning "fighter" or "warrior." | |||
| Vietnamese | lính | ||
| The word "lính" in Vietnamese can also refer to a type of spirit that is believed to protect soldiers in battle. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sundalo | ||
Soldier in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əsgər | ||
| The word "əsgər" is derived from the Persian word "askar", which means "army" or "troops." | |||
| Kazakh | сарбаз | ||
| The Kazakh word "сарбаз" is ultimately derived from the Persian "sarbāz" (soldier), but has also been interpreted as a combination of the Turkish words "sarı" (yellow) and "boz" (gray), referring to the uniforms of the Kazakh military. | |||
| Kyrgyz | солдат | ||
| The Russian loanword “солдат” (“soldier”) is commonly used in the Kyrgyz military. In the south of Kyrgyzstan it has acquired a pejorative sense of “riffraff.” | |||
| Tajik | сарбоз | ||
| The word "сарбоз" is ultimately derived from the Persian word "sarbāz" meaning "soldier" and ultimately from the Turkish word "serbāz" meaning "warrior" or "soldier". | |||
| Turkmen | esger | ||
| Uzbek | askar | ||
| The word "askar" also refers to a young, unmarried man, a student of a religious madrassah, or, sometimes, just an ordinary laborer in Uzbekistan | |||
| Uyghur | ئەسكەر | ||
Soldier in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | koa | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "koa" also refers to a type of native hardwood tree known for its beauty and durability. | |||
| Maori | hoia | ||
| Hoia can also mean 'to protect' or 'to guard'. | |||
| Samoan | fitafita | ||
| The word 'fitafita' is also used to refer to a type of traditional Samoan dance performed by men. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sundalo | ||
| The Tagalog word "sundalo" comes from the Spanish word "soldado", which is derived from the Latin word "solidus", meaning "solid" or "firm". | |||
Soldier in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sultaru | ||
| Guarani | guarini | ||
Soldier in International Languages
| Esperanto | soldato | ||
| The Esperanto word "soldato" is derived from the Italian word "soldato", which in turn comes from the Latin word "solidus", meaning "solid" or "firm". | |||
| Latin | miles | ||
| Latin "miles" also means "soldier" in Old French; from there comes its English usage for units of distance, "miles". | |||
Soldier in Others Languages
| Greek | στρατιώτης | ||
| The word στρατιώτης (soldier) derives from στρατός (army) and originally meant "one who serves in the army". | |||
| Hmong | tub rog | ||
| The word "tub rog" in Hmong is derived from the Chinese word "bing", meaning "soldier or troops". | |||
| Kurdish | leşker | ||
| The word "leşker" has been used in various languages throughout history, including Persian, Arabic, and Armenian, to refer to a collection of military personnel or warriors. | |||
| Turkish | asker | ||
| "Asker" means "soldier" in Turkish, but it also can mean "student" or "pupil" in ancient Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ijoni | ||
| The use of "ijoni" for "soldier" is derived from the word "ingqolowa," meaning "wagon" or "cart," as soldiers were initially mounted on wagons. | |||
| Yiddish | זעלנער | ||
| The Yiddish word "זעלנער" (soldier) derives from the German word "Söldner" (mercenary), and can also refer to a hired laborer or worker. | |||
| Zulu | isosha | ||
| The word "isosha" can also refer to a "private soldier" or a "foot soldier" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | চিপাহী | ||
| Aymara | sultaru | ||
| Bhojpuri | फौजी | ||
| Dhivehi | ސިފައިންގެމީހާ | ||
| Dogri | शपाही | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sundalo | ||
| Guarani | guarini | ||
| Ilocano | soldado | ||
| Krio | sojaman | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرباز | ||
| Maithili | फोजी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯟꯃꯤ | ||
| Mizo | sipai | ||
| Oromo | loltuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ soldier ନିକ | ||
| Quechua | awqaq | ||
| Sanskrit | भट | ||
| Tatar | солдат | ||
| Tigrinya | ወተሃደር | ||
| Tsonga | socha | ||