Worker in Different Languages
Discover 'Worker' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'worker' holds immense significance in our society, denoting individuals who contribute to the economy and society through their labor. It's a term that transcends cultural boundaries and is recognized in various languages worldwide. The concept of work and workers has been integral to human civilization, from the agricultural revolution to the industrial revolution, and now in the digital age.
Did you know that the term 'worker' originates from the Old English 'weorc', meaning 'deed, action, or activity'? Or that in ancient Rome, workers were classified as 'operarii', 'fabri', or 'instrumentarii', depending on their skills and duties? Understanding the translation of 'worker' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into the cultural importance of labor in various societies.
For instance, in Spanish, a worker is 'trabajador', in French 'travailleur', in German 'Arbeiter', in Russian 'работник' (rabotnik), in Japanese '働き者' (hatarakimono), and in Chinese '工人' (gōngrén). Explore the world of work and language through these translations and more!
Worker
Worker in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | werker | ||
| The Afrikaans 'werker' comes from the Dutch word 'werker' which translates to 'worker' in English, but it can also mean 'factory worker' or 'operator'. | |||
| Amharic | ሰራተኛ | ||
| The word ሰራተኛ ('worker') is derived from the verb ሰራ ('to work'). | |||
| Hausa | ma'aikaci | ||
| In Hausa, 'ma'aikaci' can also have the connotation of an employee or laborer. | |||
| Igbo | onye oru | ||
| The word "onye oru" in Igbo also refers to a person who is always busy or hardworking. | |||
| Malagasy | mpiasa | ||
| MPIASA, meaning 'worker', also stems from the word 'PIASA', meaning 'to be useful'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wantchito | ||
| The word "wantchito" in Nyanja (Chichewa) derives from the verb "kuchita," meaning "to do," and carries connotations of diligence and productivity. | |||
| Shona | mushandi | ||
| Mushandi is a Shona word that may also refer to a skilled or unskilled laborer. | |||
| Somali | shaqaale | ||
| "Shaqaale" is also an obsolete spelling of "shaqaalo," which originates from the Arabic word "shaghil" (work) and was reborrowed into Somali, but is not as common. | |||
| Sesotho | mosebeletsi | ||
| The word 'mosebeletsi' comes from the root word 'sebetsi' meaning 'work' and refers to a person who earns their living by working. | |||
| Swahili | mfanyakazi | ||
| "Mfanyakazi" can also refer to a dependent or slave. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| The word 'umsebenzi' (worker) in Xhosa is often used in the broader sense of 'work' or 'occupation', and can refer to both paid and unpaid labour. | |||
| Yoruba | osise | ||
| The word 'osise' may refer to a laborer, or someone with a physical disability or mental illness | |||
| Zulu | isisebenzi | ||
| Isisebenzi derives from the word 'sebenzela' meaning 'to work for' or 'to serve on behalf of', indicating a worker's primary responsibility. | |||
| Bambara | baarakɛla | ||
| Ewe | dɔwɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umukozi | ||
| Lingala | mosali ya mosala | ||
| Luganda | omukozi | ||
| Sepedi | mošomi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | odwumayɛni | ||
Worker in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عامل | ||
| The word "عامل" in Arabic can also mean an agent, an intermediary, or an operator. | |||
| Hebrew | עוֹבֵד | ||
| The word "עוֹבֵד" (worker) derives from the root "עבד" (serve), denoting both a person who performs a task and one who is under the authority of another. | |||
| Pashto | کارګر | ||
| In Persian, "kargar" also means "effective" or "efficient". | |||
| Arabic | عامل | ||
| The word "عامل" in Arabic can also mean an agent, an intermediary, or an operator. | |||
Worker in Western European Languages
| Albanian | punëtor | ||
| The word "punëtor" in Albanian derives from the Proto-Albanian word *punā, meaning "work". | |||
| Basque | langilea | ||
| Langilea's original meaning was 'doer' or 'performer' instead of just 'worker.' | |||
| Catalan | treballador | ||
| The word "treballador" can also refer to a tool or machine used for a specific task or a device for lifting heavy objects. | |||
| Croatian | radnik | ||
| The word 'radnik' can also refer to a member of the working class or someone who is diligent and responsible. | |||
| Danish | arbejder | ||
| The word "arbejder" can also refer to a member of the working class or a specific type of worker, such as a construction worker or a factory worker. | |||
| Dutch | werknemer | ||
| The word "werknemer" in Dutch can also refer to an employee or staff member of a company. | |||
| English | worker | ||
| The word 'worker' derives from the Old English word 'wyrcan' meaning 'to work' and is related to the German word 'wirken' meaning 'to make' or 'to produce'. | |||
| French | ouvrier | ||
| The word 'ouvrier' comes from the Latin word 'opus', meaning 'work', and originally referred to any kind of skilled worker. | |||
| Frisian | wurkster | ||
| The word "wurkster" in Frisian can also refer to a "servant" or "subordinate worker", highlighting the broader social context of work relations in Frisian society. | |||
| Galician | traballador | ||
| German | arbeiter | ||
| The word "Arbeiter" can also refer to a soldier or a person performing forced labor. | |||
| Icelandic | verkamaður | ||
| This word originated in the 15th century, and its root, 'verk', means 'work' or 'deed' in Old Norse. | |||
| Irish | oibrí | ||
| The word "oibrí" in Irish is derived from the Old Irish word "obar," meaning "work" or "effort." | |||
| Italian | lavoratore | ||
| The Italian word "lavoratore" derives from the Latin "laborare" (to work), but in some contexts it can also refer to a type of agricultural land or a water reservoir. | |||
| Luxembourgish | aarbechter | ||
| Maltese | ħaddiem | ||
| "Ħaddiem" is related to the Arabic "hādim" meaning "servant", and in Maltese it may also refer to a person doing housework. | |||
| Norwegian | arbeider | ||
| The word "arbeider" can also refer to a member of the Norwegian Labour Party or a person who performs manual labor. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | trabalhador | ||
| The word «trabalhador» in Portuguese derives from either the Latin word «trepalium» (an instrument of torture) or «tripalium» (a three-legged stool). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neach-obrach | ||
| Spanish | obrero | ||
| The Spanish word "obrero" originally meant "one who works in a workshop" and is derived from the Latin word "opera" (work). | |||
| Swedish | arbetstagare | ||
| The Swedish word "arbetstagare" can also refer to the Swedish Arbetstagareförbundet (Federation of Salaried Employees). | |||
| Welsh | gweithiwr | ||
| The Welsh word 'gweithiwr' can also refer to a 'servant' or 'employee'. | |||
Worker in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рабочы | ||
| The word "рабочы" can also refer to the working class or a member of a labor union in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | radnik | ||
| In Polish, 'radnik' also means 'councilman' and in Russian, it refers to a low-level official. | |||
| Bulgarian | работник | ||
| The word "работник" can also refer to a "slave" or "serf" in a historical context. | |||
| Czech | pracovník | ||
| The word "pracovník" literally means "one who operates", with "pracovat" meaning "to operate". | |||
| Estonian | töötaja | ||
| Töötaja derives from the verb "töödata", meaning "to make work" or "to exploit". | |||
| Finnish | työntekijä | ||
| "Työntekijä" derives from "työ" (work) and "tekijä" (doer). Alternatively, it can refer to a person employed by a company or organization. | |||
| Hungarian | munkás | ||
| The Hungarian word "munkás" can also refer to someone who works in a field or participates in a collective effort. | |||
| Latvian | strādnieks | ||
| "Strādnieks" derives from the root "strāds", meaning "line" or "row", suggesting workers' alignment in organized labor | |||
| Lithuanian | darbininkas | ||
| "Darbininkas" derives from the Slavic word "robota" (work), but only means "worker" in Lithuanian; in other Slavic languages, it can mean "serf". | |||
| Macedonian | работник | ||
| The word “работник” also has the archaic meaning of "slave" | |||
| Polish | pracownik | ||
| The word "pracownik" in Polish evolved from "praca" (work) and could also refer to an employee or laborer. | |||
| Romanian | muncitor | ||
| "Muncitor" derives from the Slavic root for "work", sharing cognates with other Eastern European languages like Polish and Russian. | |||
| Russian | рабочий | ||
| "Рабочий" (worker) derives from the word "раб" (slave), reflecting the historical exploitation of the working class in Russia. | |||
| Serbian | радник | ||
| Radnik comes from the Slavic word | |||
| Slovak | pracovník | ||
| The Slovak word "pracovník" comes from the verb "pracovať" (to work) and also refers to a person who is employed. | |||
| Slovenian | delavec | ||
| The word "delavec" shares its root with the word for "deed" in Slovenian, highlighting the connection between work and action. | |||
| Ukrainian | робітник | ||
| The word "робітник" can also refer to a member of the working class or a person who works for a particular organization. | |||
Worker in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কর্মী | ||
| The Bengali word "কর্মী" can also refer to a laborer or servant. | |||
| Gujarati | કામદાર | ||
| The word "કામદાર" in Gujarati originates from the Sanskrit word "karmadara", which means "one who performs work or duty". | |||
| Hindi | मज़दूर | ||
| The origin of "मज़दूर" in Hindi can be traced to Persian, meaning both "worker" and "wage." | |||
| Kannada | ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ | ||
| Malayalam | തൊഴിലാളി | ||
| The word "തൊഴിലാളി" can also refer to a labourer or a hired person. | |||
| Marathi | कामगार | ||
| The word "कामगार" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कर्मकर", which means "one who works". | |||
| Nepali | कामदार | ||
| The word "कामदार" (kāmādār) likely derives from the Persian and Sanskrit words "kām" (work) and "dar" (worker) or "dār" (holder). | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਮਾ | ||
| The word "ਕਾਮਾ" (worker) in Punjabi also means "lazy" or "idle". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සේවකයා | ||
| Tamil | தொழிலாளி | ||
| The word "தொழிலாளி" can also refer to a person who is engaged in a particular profession or occupation. | |||
| Telugu | కార్మికుడు | ||
| Urdu | کارکن | ||
| Urdu "کارکن" (worker) derives from Persian and shares ancestry with English "caravan" and French "caravane". | |||
Worker in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 工人 | ||
| The word 工人 can also mean 'artisan' or 'craftsman'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 工人 | ||
| 工人 refers to manual laborers, but in the context of the Communist Party of China, it can also refer to all those who work, including intellectuals. | |||
| Japanese | ワーカー | ||
| 'ワーカー' also means 'computer program that runs continuously' | |||
| Korean | 노동자 | ||
| The Korean term | |||
| Mongolian | ажилчин | ||
| In Mongolian, "ажилчин" is a derivation of "ажил", meaning work, which also denotes a "creation" of a mind or "product" of labor. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလုပ်သမား | ||
Worker in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pekerja | ||
| Pekerja also means 'employees' or 'servants' in some contexts. | |||
| Javanese | buruh | ||
| The Javanese word "buruh" also means "slave" or "serf", reflecting the historical exploitation of laborers in Java. | |||
| Khmer | កម្មករ | ||
| "កម្មករ" is also the Khmer pronunciation of "karma", the Buddhist concept of the moral consequences of one's actions. | |||
| Lao | ກຳ ມະກອນ | ||
| Malay | pekerja | ||
| The word 'pekerja' is also used to refer to a person who performs a religious duty, such as a priest or monk. | |||
| Thai | คนงาน | ||
| Thai "คนงาน" (worker) is also a compound word, with "คน" (person) + "งาน" (work), similar to English "worker." | |||
| Vietnamese | công nhân | ||
| Công nhân, derived from Chinese 工業員 (gōngyèyuán), also means "industrial worker" and "factory worker". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manggagawa | ||
Worker in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fəhlə | ||
| The word "fəhlə" originally meant "peasant" in Azerbaijani, but later came to mean "worker" in general. | |||
| Kazakh | жұмысшы | ||
| The word "жұмысшы" comes from the verb "жұмыс істеу" (to work), which is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*jumuši-/*çumuši-", meaning "work" or "deed" | |||
| Kyrgyz | жумушчу | ||
| The word "жумушчу" is derived from the Turkic root "*jum-/*jumy-/, meaning "to work". | |||
| Tajik | коргар | ||
| The word "коргар" can also refer to a "laborer" or "workman". | |||
| Turkmen | işçi | ||
| Uzbek | ishchi | ||
| "Ishchi" is a derivative form from "ish", which also means work or employment. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىشچى | ||
Worker in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | limahana | ||
| Limahana can be broken down into 'lima' (five) and 'hana' (work), as in work on multiple projects or work long hours. | |||
| Maori | kaimahi | ||
| In Maori, the word | |||
| Samoan | tagata faigaluega | ||
| The word "tagata faigaluega" in Samoan can also mean "people who work in a group" or "laborers". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | manggagawa | ||
| Manggagawa, meaning 'artisan' and originally referring to manual labor, is now the general term for 'worker' in Filipino. | |||
Worker in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | irnaqiri | ||
| Guarani | mba’apohára | ||
Worker in International Languages
| Esperanto | laboristo | ||
| "Laboristo" also means "working class person" or "proletarian". | |||
| Latin | illud operatur, | ||
| The Latin word "illud operatur" literally means "that which works" or "working thing". | |||
Worker in Others Languages
| Greek | εργάτης | ||
| The word "εργάτης" in Greek derives from "έργον" (work) and originally referred to the cultivator of the land. | |||
| Hmong | neeg ua haujlwm | ||
| The term may also refer to a person who makes a product or provides some type of service in exchange for money. | |||
| Kurdish | karker | ||
| The word "karker" in Kurdish also refers to a "student" or "apprentice". | |||
| Turkish | çalışan | ||
| Turkish word "çalışan" derives from the same root as "çalışma" (diligence), "çalışkan" (diligent), and "çalıştırmak" (to exert), making it a multi-faceted term encompassing both the act and the state of being industrious. | |||
| Xhosa | umsebenzi | ||
| The word 'umsebenzi' (worker) in Xhosa is often used in the broader sense of 'work' or 'occupation', and can refer to both paid and unpaid labour. | |||
| Yiddish | ארבעטער | ||
| "ארבעטער" also historically referred to a "tenant farmer" or "day laborer" whose wages were one-fourth of the value of the harvest. | |||
| Zulu | isisebenzi | ||
| Isisebenzi derives from the word 'sebenzela' meaning 'to work for' or 'to serve on behalf of', indicating a worker's primary responsibility. | |||
| Assamese | শ্ৰমিক | ||
| Aymara | irnaqiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | मजदूर के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސައްކަތްތެރިއެކެވެ | ||
| Dogri | मजदूर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manggagawa | ||
| Guarani | mba’apohára | ||
| Ilocano | trabahador | ||
| Krio | wokman | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کرێکار | ||
| Maithili | मजदूर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯟꯃꯤ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hnathawk | ||
| Oromo | hojjetaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶ୍ରମିକ | ||
| Quechua | llamkaq | ||
| Sanskrit | श्रमिकः | ||
| Tatar | эшче | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰራሕተኛ | ||
| Tsonga | mutirhi | ||