Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'user' holds immense significance in today's digital age. It refers to any individual who interacts with a system, product, or service. From social media platforms to mobile apps, the role of a user is central to the design and development of any digital solution.
The cultural importance of the user is evident in the way technology has adapted to cater to diverse user needs. From accessible design for users with disabilities to localized interfaces for users around the world, the user is at the forefront of technological innovation.
Moreover, understanding the translation of the word 'user' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures interact with technology. For instance, the French translation of user is 'utilisateur,' while in Spanish, it is 'usuario.' These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances in how technology is perceived and used.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural researcher, or a tech professional, understanding the translation of user in different languages can be both fascinating and useful. Let's explore some of these translations and uncover the cultural significance of the user in different parts of the world.
Afrikaans | gebruiker | ||
In Afrikaans, "gebruiker" is also used to refer to people who consume illegal substances. | |||
Amharic | ተጠቃሚ | ||
The Amharic word "ተጠቃሚ" is derived from the verb "ተጠቀመ," meaning "to use" or "to benefit from." | |||
Hausa | mai amfani | ||
The Hausa word "mai amfani" can also mean "beneficiary" or "consumer." | |||
Igbo | onye ọrụ | ||
The Igbo word "onye ọrụ" literally translates to "person of work" and can also refer to a worker or employee. | |||
Malagasy | mpampiasa | ||
The word "mpampiasa" literally means "one who uses" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | wosuta | ||
The word "wosuta" in Nyanja (Chichewa) derives from the verb "kuwosera" (to use) and can also mean "exploiter" or "abuser". | |||
Shona | mushandisi | ||
Somali | isticmaale | ||
The word "isticmaal" in Somali originates from the Arabic word "isti'maal" meaning "usage" or "consumption." | |||
Sesotho | mosebelisi | ||
The word 'mosebelisi' in Sesotho also refers to a person who benefits from something. | |||
Swahili | mtumiaji | ||
The term 'mtumiaji' also derives from 'mtumia', meaning 'to apply or utilize something'. | |||
Xhosa | umsebenzisi | ||
Also used to refer to someone who performs a service for a person in a position of authority. | |||
Yoruba | olumulo | ||
"Olumulo" (user) might also refer to a person who performs or has performed an action, such as a debtor or a criminal. | |||
Zulu | umsebenzisi | ||
'Umsebenzisi' is also used in Zulu to refer to a person who is using something, such as a machine or a tool. | |||
Bambara | baarakɛla | ||
Ewe | zãla | ||
Kinyarwanda | umukoresha | ||
Lingala | mosaleli | ||
Luganda | omukozesa | ||
Sepedi | mosebedisi | ||
Twi (Akan) | ɔde di dwuma | ||
Arabic | المستعمل | ||
Hebrew | מִשׁתַמֵשׁ | ||
The word מִשׁתַמֵשׁ (mishtamesh) in Hebrew also means "someone who is dependent on someone else". | |||
Pashto | کارن | ||
Arabic | المستعمل | ||
Albanian | përdorues | ||
The Albanian word "përdorues" is derived from the Latin word "usus," meaning "use," and its cognates in other Romance languages, such as the Spanish "usuario" and the French "utilisateur." | |||
Basque | erabiltzailea | ||
The Basque word "erabiltzailea" can also refer to a "consumer" or a "client". | |||
Catalan | usuari | ||
Croatian | korisnik | ||
The word 'korisnik' in Croatian shares its etymology with 'korist' (usefulness), and can also mean 'beneficiary' or 'recipient'. | |||
Danish | bruger | ||
The word "bruger" comes from the Old Norse word "brúkari", meaning "enjoyer" or "possessor". | |||
Dutch | gebruiker | ||
The Dutch word "gebruiker" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "gebruiken" (use) and the Old High German word "*bruhhārjan" (enjoy). | |||
English | user | ||
The term "user" is derived from the Latin word "usus", meaning "use" or "practice". In the context of computing, a user is someone who interacts with a computer system or program. | |||
French | utilisateur | ||
"Utilisateur" comes from Latin "ūsus" meaning both "use" and "custom. | |||
Frisian | brûker | ||
The Frisian word "brûker" is derived from the Old Frisian word "brūka", meaning "to use" or "to enjoy." | |||
Galician | usuario | ||
En Galicia, «usuario» también designa el lugar destinado para las basuras. | |||
German | nutzer | ||
The German word "Nutzer" not only means "user" in English, but it also literally means "usufructuary," someone with the right to use and benefit from a property. | |||
Icelandic | notandi | ||
The word "notandi" in Icelandic can also refer to an official notice or a memo | |||
Irish | úsáideoir | ||
Italian | utente | ||
The word "utente" in Italian can also refer to someone who is receiving a service or benefit. | |||
Luxembourgish | benotzer | ||
The word "Benotzer" comes from the French "bénéficiaire", meaning "beneficiary" or "receiver", reflecting the user's role in benefiting from a service or product. | |||
Maltese | utent | ||
The word "utent" in Maltese is unrelated to "user" in other Latin languages, but instead derives from English "attendant". | |||
Norwegian | bruker | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | do utilizador | ||
In Portuguese, "do utilizador" can mean "custom" (as in "built to order"), "user" (as in "computer user"), or "self-employed" (as in "freelance"). | |||
Scots Gaelic | neach-cleachdaidh | ||
Spanish | usuario | ||
The Spanish word "usuario" derives from the Latin "usus" and "fructus" (use and fruit), denoting someone who has a right to use or enjoy something. | |||
Swedish | användare | ||
In addition to 'user', 'användare' can also mean 'consumer' in Swedish. | |||
Welsh | defnyddiwr | ||
Belarusian | карыстальнік | ||
Bosnian | korisnik | ||
The word "korisnik" finds its roots in the Slavic word "korist" meaning "use" or "utility" and is commonly used in Slavic languages to denote a person who utilizes a product or service. | |||
Bulgarian | потребител | ||
The Bulgarian word "потребител" comes from the verb "потребявам" which means "to consume". | |||
Czech | uživatel | ||
Estonian | kasutaja | ||
Kasutaja can mean both 'user' and 'consumer', and originated as a translation from Russian. | |||
Finnish | käyttäjä | ||
The Finnish word "käyttäjä" is a derivative of the verb "käyttää," meaning "to use" or "to apply." | |||
Hungarian | felhasználó | ||
"Felhasználó" is also archaic Hungarian for "husband" because husbands were expected to "use" their wives for domestic tasks. | |||
Latvian | lietotājs | ||
Latvian word "lietotājs" may also refer to the act or status of using something, not just someone who uses. | |||
Lithuanian | vartotojas | ||
The Lithuanian word "Vartotojas" can also refer to a "consumer" or "client". | |||
Macedonian | корисник | ||
The word "корисник" in Macedonian is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "користь", meaning "benefit". It can also have the alternate meaning of "consumer" or "customer". | |||
Polish | użytkownik | ||
The Polish word "użytkownik" originally meant "tenant" or "beneficiary", but it has come to be used more broadly to refer to the user of a product or service. | |||
Romanian | utilizator | ||
The Romanian "utilizator" comes from the French "utilisateur," also meaning "user," and ultimately from the Latin "uti," meaning "to use." | |||
Russian | пользователь | ||
The word "пользователь" can also mean "beneficiary" or "consumer" in Russian, highlighting its broader semantic range beyond the technical context of computing. | |||
Serbian | корисник | ||
The word 'корисниқ' is of Slavic origin and shares a root with the word 'кор', meaning benefit or profit. | |||
Slovak | používateľ | ||
The word "používateľ" can also mean "consumer" or "utilizer" in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | uporabnik | ||
The word 'uporabnik' comes from the Slavic word 'upotreba' ('use'), and it can also refer to a subscriber, customer, or client. | |||
Ukrainian | користувач | ||
The word "користувач" can also refer to a "consumer" or "client". |
Bengali | ব্যবহারকারী | ||
ব্যবহারকারী (user) শব্দটির ব্যুৎপত্তিগত অর্থ হল 'ব্যবহার করা'। | |||
Gujarati | વપરાશકર્તા | ||
Hindi | उपयोगकर्ता | ||
The word 'उपयोगकर्ता' ('user') in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit verb 'उपयोग करना' ('to use'), and the word 'कर्ता' ('doer') or 'व्यक्ति' ('person'). | |||
Kannada | ಬಳಕೆದಾರ | ||
Malayalam | ഉപയോക്താവ് | ||
Marathi | वापरकर्ता | ||
The word 'वापरकर्ता' can also refer to the person who performs a function or action, similar to 'doer' or 'performer'. | |||
Nepali | प्रयोगकर्ता | ||
The word "प्रयोगकर्ता" comes from the Sanskrit word "प्रयोग", meaning experiment or application. | |||
Punjabi | ਉਪਭੋਗਤਾ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරිශීලක | ||
The term 'පරිශීලක' in Sinhala is rooted in the Sanskrit word 'parikshalaka' and translates to an examiner or an individual conducting research. | |||
Tamil | பயனர் | ||
Telugu | వినియోగదారు | ||
Urdu | صارف | ||
The Urdu word "صارف" (sārif) can also refer to a "grammarian" or a "spender". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 用户 | ||
"用户" (user) also means "account" or "guest" in Chinese (Simplified). | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 用戶 | ||
用戶在漢語中是'使用者'的意思,源於『用』與『戶』兩字的組合,原意為『使用物品的人』或『居住在某處的人』 | |||
Japanese | ユーザー | ||
ユーザー (yūzā) comes from the English word "user" and originally referred to an owner, rather than a consumer, in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 사용자 | ||
In linguistics, "사용자" can refer to either native speakers or second language speakers. | |||
Mongolian | хэрэглэгч | ||
The Mongolian word "хэрэглэгч" can also mean "consumer" or "customer". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အသုံးပြုသူကို | ||
Indonesian | pengguna | ||
Originally 'pengguna' was used to refer to a bride or groom | |||
Javanese | pangguna | ||
'Pangguna' also means someone who has been used. | |||
Khmer | អ្នកប្រើ | ||
Lao | ຜູ້ໃຊ້ | ||
Malay | pengguna | ||
Pengguna can also refer to a drug user, a gambler, or someone who uses something habitually or excessively. | |||
Thai | ผู้ใช้ | ||
In Thai, the word "ผู้ใช้" can also be used to refer to a driver of a vehicle or animal. | |||
Vietnamese | người dùng | ||
The word "người dùng" is also a calque of the French word "usager". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | gumagamit | ||
Azerbaijani | istifadəçi | ||
Kazakh | пайдаланушы | ||
Kyrgyz | колдонуучу | ||
The Kyrgyz word "колдонуучу" can also mean "customer" or "consumer". | |||
Tajik | корбар | ||
The word "корбар" comes from the Persian word "کاربر" meaning "worker" | |||
Turkmen | ulanyjy | ||
Uzbek | foydalanuvchi | ||
The Uzbek word "foydalanuvchi" derives from the verb "foydalanish" meaning "to use" and signifies one who engages in the act of using something. | |||
Uyghur | ئىشلەتكۈچى | ||
Hawaiian | mea hoʻohana | ||
The Hawaiian word "mea hoʻohana" has a primary meaning of "user," but it may also refer to "implement" or "tool". | |||
Maori | kaiwhakamahi | ||
Samoan | tagata faʻaaoga | ||
In Samoan, "tagata faʻaaoga" can also refer to a person who benefits from something or someone who has a special relationship with a particular place. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | gumagamit | ||
The word "gumagamit" is a combination of "gamit," meaning "to use," and the affix "-um," which indicates a state of being, resulting in "a user." |
Aymara | apnaqiri | ||
Guarani | puruhára | ||
Esperanto | uzanto | ||
The word "uzanto" in Esperanto can also refer to a custom or practice. | |||
Latin | usor | ||
Greek | χρήστης | ||
The word "χρήστης" in Greek can also mean "oracle" or "prophet". | |||
Hmong | neeg siv | ||
The word "neeg siv" (user) in Hmong also means "person who does something". | |||
Kurdish | bikaranîvan | ||
The term bikaranîvan may also refer to a person who is employed for a particular task. | |||
Turkish | kullanıcı | ||
The word "kullanıcı" is the equivalent of the English term "user" but originally meant "servant" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | umsebenzisi | ||
Also used to refer to someone who performs a service for a person in a position of authority. | |||
Yiddish | באַניצער | ||
The word "באַניצער" derives from the German "Benutzer" with the same meaning, though is sometimes mistakenly derived from the Hebrew"בונים" (banim) or Aramaic "בניה" (benaya) meaning "to build". | |||
Zulu | umsebenzisi | ||
'Umsebenzisi' is also used in Zulu to refer to a person who is using something, such as a machine or a tool. | |||
Assamese | ব্যৱহাৰকাৰী | ||
Aymara | apnaqiri | ||
Bhojpuri | प्रयोगकर्ता के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ޔޫޒަރ | ||
Dogri | उपयोगकर्ता | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | gumagamit | ||
Guarani | puruhára | ||
Ilocano | nga agus-usar | ||
Krio | yuzman we de yuz am | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەکارهێنەر | ||
Maithili | उपयोगकर्ता | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯨꯖꯔ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯁꯤꯖꯤꯟꯅꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | user | ||
Oromo | fayyadamaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଉପଯୋଗକର୍ତ୍ତା | | ||
Quechua | usuario | ||
Sanskrit | उपयोक्ता | ||
Tatar | кулланучы | ||
Tigrinya | ተጠቃሚ | ||
Tsonga | mutirhisi | ||