Veteran in Different Languages
Discover 'Veteran' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'veteran' is an individual who has served in the armed forces, often in a time of war, and has been honorably discharged. This term extends beyond human designation, with animals who have served alongside military personnel also recognized as veterans. The significance of this word stretches beyond the individual, embodying a cultural importance that extends to families, communities, and nations.
Throughout history, veterans have played pivotal roles in shaping societies and preserving freedom. From the ancient Roman legions to modern peacekeeping forces, their sacrifices and contributions have left indelible marks on our global landscape. It is estimated that there are over 20 million veterans in the United States alone, each with unique stories and experiences.
Understanding the translation of 'veteran' in different languages can foster cultural appreciation and facilitate international communication. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: veterano
- French: vétéran
- German: Veteran
- Mandarin: 军人（jūn rén)
- Japanese: 元帥 (gensui)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'veteran' translations in various languages, further enriching your understanding and appreciation of this significant term.
Veteran
Veteran in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | veteraan | ||
| The Afrikaans word "veteraan" comes from the Dutch word "veteraan" and means "veteran", but can also be used to refer to a "senior member of an organization or profession". | |||
| Amharic | አርበኛ | ||
| አርበኛ can also refer to a 'hermit' or 'monk'. | |||
| Hausa | tsohon soja | ||
| The word "tsohon soja" in Hausa literally means "old soldier" and is used to describe someone who has served in the military for a long time. | |||
| Igbo | vetiran soja | ||
| The word "vetiran soja" is also used to refer to a seasoned or experienced person in various fields beyond military service. | |||
| Malagasy | ela nihetezana | ||
| In Malagasy, "ela nihetezana" can also mean an expert or experienced person. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wakale | ||
| Wakale can also mean 'older person' or 'experienced person'. | |||
| Shona | murwi | ||
| Somali | halyeey | ||
| The word "halyeey" is derived from the Arabic word "halwa", which means "sweet". | |||
| Sesotho | lesole | ||
| Sesotho "lesole" is derived from the verb "ho sola", meaning "to be experienced". | |||
| Swahili | mkongwe | ||
| The word "mkongwe" can also refer to an experienced person or an elder in the community. | |||
| Xhosa | igqala | ||
| 'Igqala' is an isiXhosa noun meaning 'veteran', which is derived from the word 'ukugqala' meaning 'to come first' or 'to be ahead'. | |||
| Yoruba | oniwosan | ||
| Oniwosan, meaning "owner of seniority," derives from oni ("master") and iwosan ("seniority"). | |||
| Zulu | umakadebona | ||
| The Zulu word "umakadebona" can also refer to an elderly or respected person. | |||
| Bambara | kɛlɛden kɔrɔw | ||
| Ewe | veteran | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukambwe | ||
| Lingala | ancien combattant | ||
| Luganda | omukadde | ||
| Sepedi | mogale wa mogale | ||
| Twi (Akan) | veteran | ||
Veteran in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مخضرم | ||
| The word “مخضرم” can also refer to a type of date palm or to a person who witnessed the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. | |||
| Hebrew | ותיק | ||
| The Hebrew word "ותיק" (veteran) also means "long-standing", specifically in relation to residents of Israel. | |||
| Pashto | وترنر | ||
| In Pashto, “وترنر” can also mean “to become worn out”. | |||
| Arabic | مخضرم | ||
| The word “مخضرم” can also refer to a type of date palm or to a person who witnessed the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. | |||
Veteran in Western European Languages
| Albanian | veteran | ||
| In Albanian, "veteran" can also refer to a "teacher" or a "master" in a specific field. | |||
| Basque | beteranoa | ||
| "Beteranoa" is a Basque word with roots in Latin and the Basque language; it may also carry the sense of "old" or "venerable". | |||
| Catalan | veterà | ||
| The word "veterà" in Catalan originated from the Latin word "veteranus", meaning "an experienced soldier". | |||
| Croatian | veteran | ||
| In Croatian, the word "veteran" can also refer to a military reservist who has completed his or her initial military service. | |||
| Danish | veteran | ||
| In Danish, "veteran" can also refer to a person with long experience in a particular field or profession. | |||
| Dutch | veteraan | ||
| English | veteran | ||
| "Veteran" is also a term to describe an experienced or long-serving member of any group. | |||
| French | vétéran | ||
| The word | |||
| Frisian | feteraan | ||
| The Frisian word feteraan ('veteran') comes from an archaic word for 'foot soldier'. | |||
| Galician | veterano | ||
| In Galician, "veterano" also means "old", or "seniority" in a role. | |||
| German | veteran | ||
| The word "Veteran" comes from the Latin word "veteranus" which also means "old soldier". | |||
| Icelandic | öldungur | ||
| The Icelandic word "öldungur" also refers to a wise elder or patriarch. | |||
| Irish | veteran | ||
| ‘Veteran’ also means a ‘bard’ in Irish. | |||
| Italian | veterano | ||
| "Veterano" comes from the Latin word "veteranus", which originally meant "an old soldier", "a soldier who had completed a term of service" or "a veteran". | |||
| Luxembourgish | veteran | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Veteran" can also refer to a skilled worker or experienced professional. | |||
| Maltese | veteran | ||
| Norwegian | veteran | ||
| The word "veteran" can also mean "seasoned" or "having experience" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | veterano | ||
| The word "veterano" derives from the Latin "veteranus", meaning "old soldier" or "experienced warrior". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | seann-shaighdearan | ||
| Spanish | veterano | ||
| The word "veterano" in Spanish also means "practiced" or "experienced". | |||
| Swedish | veteran- | ||
| In Swedish, "veteran" can also refer to a military person who has served for a long time. | |||
| Welsh | cyn-filwr | ||
| The word "cyn-filwr" has several connotations in Welsh beyond "veteran", including "war-beast" or "hound of war". | |||
Veteran in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ветэран | ||
| В русском языке слово "ветеран" происходит от немецкого слова "Veteran" (старый солдат), в белорусском языке "ветэран" может также обозначать "старый служака" или "опытный человек" | |||
| Bosnian | veteran | ||
| The Bosnian word "veteran" can also refer to a skilled or experienced person in a particular field. | |||
| Bulgarian | ветеран | ||
| The Bulgarian word "ветеран" also shares the meaning of "skilled or experienced person" and is used in the context of activities beyond the military. | |||
| Czech | veterán | ||
| The Czech word "veterán" also means "vintage" or "classic". | |||
| Estonian | veteran | ||
| In Estonian, the word "veteran" also has the meaning of "an old or experienced person in any field". | |||
| Finnish | veteraani- | ||
| It can also be used to describe someone who has a long experience in a certain field or occupation. | |||
| Hungarian | veterán | ||
| In Hungarian, "veterán" can also refer to a type of horse-drawn carriage or a kind of dance. | |||
| Latvian | veterāns | ||
| "Veterans" originally meant "older" or "experienced" in Latin, but is now used to refer to former members of the military. | |||
| Lithuanian | veteranas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "veteranas" is derived from the Latin word "veteranus" which also means "veteran", but can also refer to "experience" or "old person" | |||
| Macedonian | ветеран | ||
| The word "ветеран" in Macedonian can also refer to a person who has worked in a specific field for a long time or to a person who has achieved a high level of skill or experience. | |||
| Polish | weteran | ||
| The word "weteran" in Polish also means "an experienced person" or "a person who has seen a lot in life". | |||
| Romanian | veteran | ||
| In Romanian, « veteran » can also mean « veteran of war » and is used to describe a person with experience in a particular field or area. | |||
| Russian | ветеран | ||
| "Ветеран" derives from the Latin "vetus," meaning "old" or "experienced." | |||
| Serbian | ветеран | ||
| "Ветеран" (veteran) can also refer to "retired" and "experienced" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | veterán | ||
| The word "veterán" can also mean "experienced" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | veteran | ||
| The term 'veteran' comes from the Latin word 'veteranus', meaning 'old soldier'. In modern English, it is often used to refer to a person who has served in the military, but it can also be used more broadly to refer to anyone who has a lot of experience in a particular field. | |||
| Ukrainian | ветеран | ||
| The term «ветеран» («veteran») is also used in a figurative sense, referring to a person with extensive experience or seniority. | |||
Veteran in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রবীণ | ||
| The word "প্রবীণ" in Bengali comes from the Sanskrit word "प्रवीन" (praveena), which means "well versed" or "expert". | |||
| Gujarati | પીઢ | ||
| The word "પીઢ" in Gujarati can also mean "experienced" or "mature". | |||
| Hindi | अनुभवी | ||
| The word also has an alternate meaning of 'experienced'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅನುಭವಿ | ||
| The Kannada term "ಅನುಭವಿ" (anubhavi) means "experienced" and is derived from the Sanskrit root "anu" meaning "after" and "bhavo" meaning "becoming". | |||
| Malayalam | വെറ്ററൻ | ||
| The Malayalam word "വെറ്ററൻ" ("veteran") comes from the English word "veteran," meaning "a person who has had long experience in a particular field." Additionally, in Malayalam, "വെറ്ററൻ" can also refer to someone who is old, experienced, and respected. | |||
| Marathi | अनुभवी | ||
| In Marathi, 'अनुभवी' also means 'experienced' or 'knowledgeable'. | |||
| Nepali | अनुभवी | ||
| The Sanskrit term “anubhavi” means “a person with a deep understanding.” | |||
| Punjabi | ਵੈਟਰਨ | ||
| "ਵੈਟਰਨ" शब्द का प्रयोग किसी अनुभवी व्यक्ति के लिए भी किया जाता है, जैसे कि एक अनुभवी शिक्षक या एक अनुभवी सैनिक। | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රවීණයෙක් | ||
| Tamil | மூத்த | ||
| In addition to "veteran," "மூத்த" can also mean "elder" or "senior" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | అనుభవజ్ఞుడు | ||
| The word "అనుభవజ్ఞుడు" can also refer to a person who is experienced or knowledgeable in a particular field or area of expertise. | |||
| Urdu | تجربہ کار | ||
Veteran in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 老将 | ||
| In Chinese, 老将 can also refer to an experienced person in any field, such as an 老将(lǎojiàng) in politics or an 老将(lǎojiàng) in business. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 老將 | ||
| Japanese | ベテラン | ||
| The word "ベテラン" (veteran) in Japanese can also mean "seasoned" or "experienced". | |||
| Korean | 재향 군인 | ||
| Mongolian | ахмад дайчин | ||
| The word "ахмад дайчин" can also mean "senior" or "respected elder" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝါရင့် | ||
| ဝါရင့် (wa.rang) can refer to an older person besides a veteran; specifically, it is used for someone who has reached their elder years and gained wisdom and experience. | |||
Veteran in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | veteran | ||
| In Indonesian, "veteran" also refers to a retired soldier or a person with a lot of experience in a particular field. | |||
| Javanese | veteran | ||
| In Javanese, "weteran" also refers to the name of a type of wood that is commonly used for construction. | |||
| Khmer | ជើងចាស់ | ||
| The word "ជើងចាស់" (veteran) is a compound word of "ជើង" (foot) and "ចាស់" (old). It literally means "old feet" and refers to someone who has been in military service for a long time. | |||
| Lao | ນັກຮົບເກົ່າ | ||
| The term "ນັກຮົບເກົ່າ" is a Lao word for "veteran" which literally translates to "old warrior" and is also used figuratively to refer to experienced individuals who have served in the military, as well as elderly persons. | |||
| Malay | veteran | ||
| The term 'veteran' is of Latin origin. Its root word 'vetus', which means old, relates to length of experience and service. | |||
| Thai | ทหารผ่านศึก | ||
| ทหารผ่านศึก can also mean "soldier that went through war", emphasizing an experience from a battle as opposed to a long period of service. | |||
| Vietnamese | cựu chiến binh | ||
| In Vietnamese, "cựu chiến binh" originally meant "former warrior", but now refers to any military veteran. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | beterano | ||
Veteran in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qazi | ||
| Qazi also means "elder" or "judge" in Azerbaijani, deriving from the Arabic word "qadi." | |||
| Kazakh | ардагер | ||
| The word "ардагер" is derived from the Persian word "ارد" (ard), meaning "army" or "military," and the suffix "-гер" (ger), meaning "person" or "doer." | |||
| Kyrgyz | ардагер | ||
| The word 'ардагер' in Kyrgyz derives from Persian and has multiple meanings, including 'experienced person', 'skilled craftsman', and 'retired military personnel'. | |||
| Tajik | собиқадор | ||
| The word 'собиқадор' (veteran) is derived from the Persian word 'sabīqa' meaning 'precedence' or 'experience'. | |||
| Turkmen | weteran | ||
| Uzbek | faxriy | ||
| Uyghur | پېشقەدەم ئەسكەر | ||
Veteran in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūpuna | ||
| In Hawaiian "kūpuna" can also mean an elder or a grandparent. | |||
| Maori | hōia | ||
| Hōia can also refer to a chief's bodyguard or a respected member of a community. | |||
| Samoan | fitafita tuai | ||
| The word 'fitafita tuai' can also mean 'elder' or 'senior' in Samoan, highlighting the respected status of veterans in Samoan culture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | beterano | ||
| The word "beterano" in Tagalog has the same root as the Spanish word "veterano", which in turn comes from the Latin word "vetus", meaning "old". | |||
Veteran in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | veterano ukham uñt’atawa | ||
| Guarani | veterano | ||
Veteran in International Languages
| Esperanto | veterano | ||
| "Veterano" is a loanword from the Latin "veteranus," which means "old soldier" or "experienced person." | |||
| Latin | veteran | ||
| "Veteranus" is a Latin term with an alternative meaning of "one who has learned from length of service." | |||
Veteran in Others Languages
| Greek | βετεράνος | ||
| The word "βετεράνος" is derived from the Latin "veteranus," which originally meant "old soldier" or "man of experience". | |||
| Hmong | qub tub rog | ||
| "Qub tub rog" is an idiom meaning "veteran" that literally translates to "finished with the fighting". | |||
| Kurdish | xazî | ||
| The term "xazî" in Kurdish also carries the connotation of "experienced" or "wise" beyond military experience. | |||
| Turkish | emekli asker | ||
| The Turkish word "emekli asker" literally translates to "retired soldier". | |||
| Xhosa | igqala | ||
| 'Igqala' is an isiXhosa noun meaning 'veteran', which is derived from the word 'ukugqala' meaning 'to come first' or 'to be ahead'. | |||
| Yiddish | וועטעראַן | ||
| The Yiddish word for "veteran" has the literal meaning of "the old one," implying experience and respect. | |||
| Zulu | umakadebona | ||
| The Zulu word "umakadebona" can also refer to an elderly or respected person. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰবীণ | ||
| Aymara | veterano ukham uñt’atawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | दिग्गज के नाम से जानल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | ވެޓެރަން އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | दिग्गज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | beterano | ||
| Guarani | veterano | ||
| Ilocano | beterano | ||
| Krio | veteran | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێشمەرگەی دێرین | ||
| Maithili | दिग्गज | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯚꯦꯇꯔꯥꯟ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | veteran a ni | ||
| Oromo | veteran | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭେଟେରାନ୍ | ||
| Quechua | veterano nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | दिग्गज | ||
| Tatar | ветеран | ||
| Tigrinya | ገዲም ተጋዳላይ | ||
| Tsonga | khale ka masocha | ||