Writer in Different Languages
Discover 'Writer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A writer is an individual who crafts words into powerful messages, stories, and ideas. The significance of a writer lies in their ability to inspire, inform, and connect with readers across cultures and time periods. From ancient hieroglyphs to modern blog posts, writers have played a crucial role in shaping human history and culture.
The cultural importance of writers is evident in the countless works of literature that have stood the test of time. Works like Shakespeare's plays, Jane Austen's novels, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches have all left lasting impacts on society and continue to influence contemporary writers today.
Understanding the translation of the word 'writer' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural values and perspectives of various societies. For example, in Spanish, a writer is 'un escritor,' which literally translates to 'a writer,' but in Chinese, a writer is '作家,' which translates to 'one who creates a home.'
Here are some translations of the word 'writer' in different languages:
- Spanish: un escritor
- Chinese: 作家 (zuòjiā)
- French: un écrivain
- German: ein Schriftsteller
- Italian: uno scrittore
- Japanese: 作家 (sakka)
- Korean: 작가 (chakga)
- Russian: писатель (pisatel')
Writer
Writer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skrywer | ||
| The Afrikaans word "skrywer" is derived from the Dutch word "schrijver", which originally meant "scribe" or "clerk". | |||
| Amharic | ጸሐፊ | ||
| The word ጸሐፊ (Sahāfi) is derived from the Ge'ez word ጽሐፍ (sahaf), meaning "book". It can also refer to a scribe or a secretary. | |||
| Hausa | marubuci | ||
| The word "marubuci" in Hausa derives from the Arabic word "marubuti", meaning "learned person" or "scholar". | |||
| Igbo | onye edemede | ||
| Igbo word "onye edemede" (writer) is loosely translated to English as "one who knows how to speak". | |||
| Malagasy | any | ||
| The word "ANY" in Malagasy also means "a little bit" or "slightly". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wolemba | ||
| The term 'wolemba' in Nyanja (Chichewa) derives from the verb 'kulemba', meaning either 'to draw' or the 'to carve', suggesting the role writers have had as both artistic and linguistic crafters. | |||
| Shona | munyori | ||
| The word | |||
| Somali | qoraa | ||
| The term "qoraa" also means "to read" in Somali, reflecting the interconnectedness of reading and writing in the language's literary tradition. | |||
| Sesotho | mongoli | ||
| Swahili | mwandishi | ||
| "Mwandishi" also denotes knowledge, learning, and wisdom; hence, a wise or learned person. | |||
| Xhosa | umbhali | ||
| The word "umbhali" can also refer to a person who speaks for or represents a group or organization. | |||
| Yoruba | onkqwe | ||
| In the Yoruba language, the word “onkqwe” can also mean “one who records” or “one who documents”. | |||
| Zulu | umbhali | ||
| The word 'umbhali' can also refer to a composer or storyteller in Zulu culture. | |||
| Bambara | sɛbɛnnikɛla | ||
| Ewe | agbalẽŋlɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwanditsi | ||
| Lingala | mokomi | ||
| Luganda | omuwandiisi | ||
| Sepedi | mongwadi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkyerɛwfo | ||
Writer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كاتب | ||
| In the context of the Quran, the term 'كاتب' (writer) can also refer specifically to the scribes who were responsible for recording the revelations received by Prophet Muhammad | |||
| Hebrew | סוֹפֵר | ||
| The Hebrew word "סופר" ( "sofer") can also refer to a Jewish scribe or a Torah scholar. | |||
| Pashto | لیکونکی | ||
| The Pashto word "لیکونکی" also refers to a "scribe" or "calligrapher". | |||
| Arabic | كاتب | ||
| In the context of the Quran, the term 'كاتب' (writer) can also refer specifically to the scribes who were responsible for recording the revelations received by Prophet Muhammad | |||
Writer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shkrimtar | ||
| The word "shkrimtar" is derived from the Proto-Albanian root "*skreib-n-tar". This root has cognates in other Indo-European languages, such as the Latin "scribere" and the Greek "γράφειν" (graphein), both meaning "to write." | |||
| Basque | idazlea | ||
| The word "idazlea" in Basque has its root in the verb "idatzi" which means "to write". | |||
| Catalan | escriptor | ||
| The word "escriptor", meaning "writer" in Catalan is borrowed from the latin word "scriptus" and it also refers to "drawer" and "drawer of a musical instrument". | |||
| Croatian | pisac | ||
| The word 'pisac' also refers to a writer's tool, such as a pen or pencil, or the act of writing itself. | |||
| Danish | forfatter | ||
| The word "forfatter" derives from the Old Norse word "forfatta," meaning "to compose" or "to arrange." | |||
| Dutch | auteur | ||
| In Dutch, "auteur" also means "driver", derived from the French "auteur" (driver), ultimately from the Latin "auctor" (author). | |||
| English | writer | ||
| The term 'writer' is derived from the Middle English word 'writen', meaning 'to inscribe' or 'to compose'. Historically, it referred to a person employed to copy manuscripts or inscriptions. | |||
| French | écrivain | ||
| The French word écrivain derives from the root escrevir, meaning to write, and also encompasses the broader notion of an author or creator. | |||
| Frisian | skriuwer | ||
| In the past, the word skriuwer specifically meant a notary, whereas now it refers to all types of authors. | |||
| Galician | escritor | ||
| The word “escritor” is a derivative of the Latin word “scriptor,” meaning “one who writes.” | |||
| German | schriftsteller | ||
| The German word "Schriftsteller" can also refer to a "scribe" or a "clerk". | |||
| Icelandic | rithöfundur | ||
| The Icelandic word "rithöfundur" for "writer" also refers to a person who composes or writes music or poetry. | |||
| Irish | scríbhneoir | ||
| The word "scríbhneoir" in Irish comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *skreibh-, meaning "to mark" or "to write." | |||
| Italian | scrittore | ||
| The word "scrittore" in Italian derived from the Latin "scriptor", meaning "scribe" or "one who writes". | |||
| Luxembourgish | schrëftsteller | ||
| Maltese | kittieb | ||
| From the Maltese word 'ktb', meaning 'to write'. Also refers to 'a small piece of writing, such as a letter' or 'a document, such as a contract'. | |||
| Norwegian | forfatter | ||
| The word 'forfatter' is derived from the Old Norse word 'forfatta,' meaning 'to compose' or 'to invent.' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | escritor | ||
| In Portuguese, "escritor" can also refer to a scribe, a copyist, or an author. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgrìobhadair | ||
| The word "sgrìobhadair" literally means "scratcher" in Scots Gaelic, a reference to the way writing was originally done on wax tablets. | |||
| Spanish | escritor | ||
| The word "escritor" evolved from the Latin "scriptor" meaning "scribe". | |||
| Swedish | författare | ||
| In Swedish, "författare" has a broader meaning than "writer" and can also refer to an "author" or a "composer". | |||
| Welsh | ysgrifennwr | ||
| The Welsh word 'ysgrifennwr' can also mean 'secretary' or 'scribe'. | |||
Writer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пісьменнік | ||
| The Belarusian word "пісьменнік" (writer) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*pisati" (to write), which is also the source of the words "пісьмо" (letter) and "пісаць" (to write). | |||
| Bosnian | pisac | ||
| "Writer" in Bosnian—"pisac"—is also the word for "squeaker," as in a "squeaky toy". | |||
| Bulgarian | писател | ||
| The word 'писател' derives from the Old Church Slavonic word 'писати', meaning 'to write' and also has the meaning of 'author' | |||
| Czech | spisovatel | ||
| The word "spisovatel" originally referred to a professional scribe or copyist. | |||
| Estonian | kirjanik | ||
| The word "kirjanik" is derived from the verb "kirjutama" ("to write") and originally meant "one who writes", including scribes and scholars. | |||
| Finnish | kirjailija | ||
| The word "kirjailija" is derived from the word "kirja", meaning "book". | |||
| Hungarian | író | ||
| Író also means pen in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | rakstnieks | ||
| The Latvian word “rakstnieks” (“writer”) literally translates to “sign-maker” and is etymologically related to “scratch” and “carve.” | |||
| Lithuanian | rašytojas | ||
| „Rašytojas“ is an agent noun derived from „rašyti“ ('to write'), and is cognate with „rastis“ ('to arise, be born'). | |||
| Macedonian | писател | ||
| Писател (pisatel) also means "author" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | pisarz | ||
| The word "pisarz" in Polish is derived from the Old Slavic word "pisati", meaning "to write". It can also refer to a scribe, a secretary, or a clerk. | |||
| Romanian | scriitor | ||
| In Latin, 'scriitor' originally meant 'copyist' or 'secretary'. | |||
| Russian | писатель | ||
| The word 'писатель' also means 'clerk' or 'scribe' in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | писац | ||
| The word "писац" in Serbian can also refer to a "scribe" or "calligrapher" | |||
| Slovak | spisovateľka | ||
| The Slovak word "spisovateľka" is derived from the verb "spísať", meaning "to write down" or "to record". | |||
| Slovenian | pisatelj | ||
| The Slovenian word "pisatelj" also has the archaic meaning of "secretary" and is related to the Bulgarian word for "letter." | |||
| Ukrainian | письменник | ||
| The word "письменник" in Ukrainian can also refer to "scribe" or "author". | |||
Writer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লেখক | ||
| Gujarati | લેખક | ||
| The word "લેખક" in Gujarati also refers to an author, poet, or composer. | |||
| Hindi | लेखक | ||
| "लेखक" can also be used to mean 'composer' in the context of literary or musical works. | |||
| Kannada | ಬರಹಗಾರ | ||
| Malayalam | എഴുത്തുകാരൻ | ||
| Marathi | लेखक | ||
| लेखक originates from the Sanskrit word लेख and loosely translates to 'one who scribbles' or 'author'. | |||
| Nepali | लेखक | ||
| "लेख्य" (lekhya) which means "written" is the root word. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੇਖਕ | ||
| This word originally meant 'one who writes', it is derived from the Sanskrit word 'lipi', meaning 'to write'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලේඛකයා | ||
| The term 'ලේඛකයා' (writer) may also refer to an author or secretary. | |||
| Tamil | எழுத்தாளர் | ||
| Telugu | రచయిత | ||
| The word "రచయిత" (writer) is derived from the Sanskrit word "रचयति" (to compose), which also has the meaning of "to arrange" or "to construct". | |||
| Urdu | مصنف | ||
| The Arabic root of the word means "to arrange" or "to gather" and it can also mean "author" or "compiler" as well as "book" or "document". | |||
Writer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 作家 | ||
| The Chinese word 作家 (zuòjiā) is derived from the verb 作 (zuò), meaning "to create," and 家 (jiā), meaning "master," denoting a person who is skilled in the art of writing. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 作家 | ||
| 作家 is also used to refer to the writer of a text regardless of genre. | |||
| Japanese | 作家 | ||
| The term '作家' (sakka) originally meant 'craftsman' or 'author of a Chinese-style work', and only later came to mean 'writer' in the modern sense. | |||
| Korean | 작가 | ||
| The term "작가" can also refer to a "craftsman" or "artist" who creates works beyond literary writing, such as paintings, sculptures, or other forms of art. | |||
| Mongolian | зохиолч | ||
| The word 'зохиолч' can also refer to a composer or author. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စာရေးဆရာ | ||
Writer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penulis | ||
| The Indonesian word | |||
| Javanese | panulis | ||
| The Javanese word "panulis" can also refer to a traditional scribe who writes on lontar leaves or other natural materials. | |||
| Khmer | អ្នកនិពន្ធ | ||
| The word អ្នកនិពន្ធ may also refer to an author or composer, and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nibandha' meaning 'to bind' or 'to put together'. | |||
| Lao | ນັກຂຽນ | ||
| Malay | penulis | ||
| The Malay word "penulis" is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "pustaka", meaning "book". | |||
| Thai | นักเขียน | ||
| The word "นักเขียน" originally meant "to carve a character or inscription on a surface". | |||
| Vietnamese | nhà văn | ||
| The word "nhà văn" also means "house of characters" and "house of culture" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manunulat | ||
Writer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yazıçı | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "yazıçı" derives from the Persian term "navisandeh," meaning "writer" or "composer." | |||
| Kazakh | жазушы | ||
| The word "жазушы" derives from the verb "жазу" (to write), which itself originates from the Proto-Turkic root "yaz-," meaning "to scratch on or write on." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жазуучу | ||
| Tajik | нависанда | ||
| The term “нависанда” also refers to scribes who reproduced manuscripts in the pre-printing era. | |||
| Turkmen | ýazyjy | ||
| Uzbek | yozuvchi | ||
| Yozuvchi, meaning “writer” in Uzbek, ultimately derives from the Persian word “navishtan”, meaning “to write”. | |||
| Uyghur | يازغۇچى | ||
Writer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea kākau | ||
| The Hawaiian word "mea kākau" can also refer to a publishing house or a scribe | |||
| Maori | kaituhi | ||
| In Maori, the word "kaituhi" has historically referred to both writers and scribes. | |||
| Samoan | tusitala | ||
| Tusitala, originating from the Samoan phrase 'tusitula', signifies both 'writer' and 'storyteller'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | manunulat | ||
| The Tagalog word "manunulat" also means "scribe" or "calligrapher" and came from "sulat" which means "writing" and "letter". | |||
Writer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qillqiri | ||
| Guarani | haihára | ||
Writer in International Languages
| Esperanto | verkisto | ||
| The word "verkisto" in Esperanto is derived from the root "verk" ("work") and the suffix "-ist" ("-ist", indicating a person who does something) and is similar in formation to the English word "novelist" | |||
| Latin | auctor | ||
| Originally meaning 'author', 'guarantor', and 'creator', 'auctor' later acquired the meaning of 'authority'. | |||
Writer in Others Languages
| Greek | συγγραφέας | ||
| The term | |||
| Hmong | txawj sau ntawv | ||
| Txawj sau ntawv (literally: "know how to write and read") is derived from the Chinese word "shujiu" (書手). | |||
| Kurdish | nivîskar | ||
| The term 'nivîskar' may also refer to a type of traditional Kurdish folk song. | |||
| Turkish | yazar | ||
| The word "yazar" in Turkish originates from the Arabic word "yazara", meaning "to write". | |||
| Xhosa | umbhali | ||
| The word "umbhali" can also refer to a person who speaks for or represents a group or organization. | |||
| Yiddish | שרייבער | ||
| In Yiddish, "שרייבער" (shrayber) can also mean "scribe" or "secretary" | |||
| Zulu | umbhali | ||
| The word 'umbhali' can also refer to a composer or storyteller in Zulu culture. | |||
| Assamese | লেখক | ||
| Aymara | qillqiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | लेखक के लिखल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ލިޔުންތެރިޔާއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | लेखक जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | manunulat | ||
| Guarani | haihára | ||
| Ilocano | mannurat | ||
| Krio | rayta | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نووسەر | ||
| Maithili | लेखक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯏꯕꯥ ꯑꯃꯥ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | ziaktu a ni | ||
| Oromo | barreessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲେଖକ | ||
| Quechua | qillqaq | ||
| Sanskrit | लेखकः | ||
| Tatar | язучы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጸሓፊ | ||
| Tsonga | mutsari | ||