robot

See also: Appendix:Variations of "robot"

Languages (28)

English

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English

WOTD – 17 December 2006

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹəʊ.bɒt/, (dated) /ˈɹəʊ.bət/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/

  • Audio (California):

    (file)

• (Australia) IPA^(key): /ˈɹəʉ̯.bɔt/

  • Audio (Queensland):

    (file)

• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɐʉ.bɔt/, [ˈɹɐ̞ʉ̯.bɔt]
• Rhymes: -əʊbɒt, -əʊbət
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Etymology 1

From German Robot, from a West Slavic language, ultimately related to Etymology 2, below.

Noun

robot (uncountable)

1. (now historical) A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour. [from 19th c.]
   • 1849, Littell's Living Age, volume 23, page 309:

     “I say again, down with the robot!—he is a dog who yields it!”

   • 2007, Tim Blanning, The Pursuit of Glory, Penguin, published 2008, page 159:

     Although the robot varied from region to region, it was rarely less than burdensome.

Etymology 2

An industrial robot (noun sense 2) engraving on a metal plate

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₃erbʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos

Proto-Balto-Slavic *árbas

Proto-Slavic *orbъ

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-éitei

Proto-Slavic *-iti

Proto-Slavic *orbiti

Proto-Indo-European *-otéh₂

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-atā́ˀ

Proto-Slavic *-ota

Proto-Slavic *orbota

Old Czech robota

Czech robota

Czech robotbor.

English robot

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Coined by Czech science-fiction writer and playwright Karel Čapek in 1920 in the play R.U.R. after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef. Largely displaced English automaton.

Ultimately a cognate with Middle English arveth from Old English earfoþe, and German Arbeit; see dialectal erf. Doublet of etymology 1. Related to English orphan, but with a -t- suffix from Proto-Slavic instead of the -an- from Ancient Greek.

Compare Polish robotnik and Russian работник (rabotnik, “worker”), sometimes mistakenly cited as the direct source of the English word.

Noun

robot (plural robots)

1. (chiefly science fiction) An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. [from 20th c.]
   • c. 1921 (date written), Karel Čapek, translated by Paul Selver, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama […], Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1923, →OCLC, Act I, page 17:

     Young Rossum invented a worker with a minimum amount of requirements. He had to simplify him. He rejected everything that did not contribute directly to the progress of work—everything that makes man more expensive. In fact, he rejected man and made the Robot. My dear Miss Glory, the Robots are not people. Mechanically they are more perfect than we are, they have an enormously developed intelligence, but they have no soul.

   • 2010 January 26, Tom Chivers, Iain McDiarmid, The Telegraph:

     The robots in Dick's novel, loosely adapted by Ridley Scott into the film Blade Runner, were so similar to humans that when they went rogue, trained bounty hunters were called in to perform psychological tests to see whether suspected androids lacked human empathy.

3. A machine built to carry out some complex task or group of tasks by physically moving, especially one which can be programmed. [from 20th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:robot

   Hypernym: automaton

   Hyponym: android

   We have a robot in the house that does the vacuuming.

   • 2010 May 16, Tim Webb, “BP fights to stop the Gulf of Mexico spill – and salvage its reputation”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[2], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 9 June 2021:

     It's painfully slow and complex work which has never been attempted before in these conditions: the small box-shaped robots, equipped with two claws, are operating in almost freezing water 5,000ft below the surface, in pitch black and strong currents.

   • 2025 March 25, John Liu, “Elon Musk thinks robots are a $10 trillion business. He’s got some competition from China”, in CNN‎^[3], Atlanta, Ga.: Warner Bros. Discovery, archived from the original on 31 July 2025:

     Compared to humanoids, industrial robots typically feature less advanced technology and perform less sophisticated tasks. They’re widely used in industrial settings for manufacturing or transportation. […] About 56% of the humanoid robot supply chain companies are based in China, according to a Morgan Stanley research report last month.

4. (computing) A bot, software designed to perform a task.
   • 2025 July 2, Lisa Bonos, Danielle Abril, “No one likes meetings. They’re sending their AI note takers instead.”, in The Washington Post‎^[4], Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2 July 2025:

     Clifton Sellers attended a Zoom meeting last month where robots outnumbered humans.

5. (figuratively) A person who does not seem to have any emotions or individuality. [from 20th c.]
   • 1973 December 22, Satya, “It Is Not We Who Must Change”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 27, page 3:

     Straight society tries to change us by several means. Most of the time, it is mental torture, though physical abuse is not uncommon. We are programmed to be straight starting from the day we are born, and every action, word, and feeling must conform to the straight image. If we DO decide to be free rather than to be robots, here are some of the consequences.

   • 2006, Murray N. Rothbard, Making Economic Sense, page xiv:

     Yet surely he was a humorless robot of a man, spewing forth lonely and bitter critiques of all those lesser mortals with whom he could not identify.

6. (South Africa) A traffic light (from earlier robot policeman). [from 20th c.]
7. (surveying) A theodolite which follows the movements of a prism and can be used by a one-man crew.
8. (dance, preceded by definite article) A style of dance popular in disco in which the dancer imitates the stiff movements of a stereotypical android robot.

Hyponyms

• swarm robot

Derived terms

• anthrobot
• antirobot
• biorobot
• biot
• -bot
• bot
• Brobot
• cobot
• frozen robot syndrome
• healthcare robot
• housebot
• kidnapped robot problem
• microrobot
• millirobot
• Mobot
• multirobot
• nanorobot
• robo-
• roboid
• robomb
• robot chess
• roboteer
• robotesque
• robotess
• robotgirl
• robothood
• robotian
• robotic
• roboticide
• roboticist
• robotics
• robotise
• robotism
• robotization
• robotize
• robot jockey
• robotkind
• robotless
• robotlike
• robot mower
• robotness
• robotocracy
• robotology
• robot revolution
• robotrix
• robotry
• robot tax
• robot taxi
• robotty
• salesrobot
• soft robot
• telerobot
• Web robot
• Zogbot

Descendants

• → Arabic: رُوبُوت (rūbūt), رُوبُوط (rūbūṭ)
• → Bengali: রোবট (rōboṭ)
• → Hindi: रोबोट (roboṭ)
• → Japanese: ロボット (robotto)
• → Korean: 로봇 (robot)
• → Persian: رُبات (robât), روبات (rôbât)
• → Swahili: roboti
• → Tamil: ரோபோ (rōpō)
• → Welsh: robot

Translations

intelligent mechanical being

• Afrikaans: robot
• Albanian: robot (sq) m
• Amharic: ሮቦት (robot)
• Arabic: رُوبُوت (ar) m (rōbōt), رُوبُوط m (rōbōṭ), إِنْسَان آلِيّ m (ʔinsān ʔāliyy), رَجُل آلِيّ m (rajul ʔāliyy)
• Armenian: ռոբոտ (hy) (ṙobot)
• Aromanian: rubot n
• Asturian: robó m
• Azerbaijani:

  Roman: robot (az)

  Abjad: روبوت (az) (robut)

• Basque: robot (eu)
• Belarusian: ро́бат m (róbat)
• Bengali: রোবট (bn) (rōboṭ), যন্ত্রমানব (bn) (jontromanob)
• Bulgarian: робо́т m (robót)
• Burmese: စက်ရုပ် (cak-rup)
• Catalan: robot (ca) m
• Cebuano: robot
• Cherokee: ᏔᎷᎩᏍᎩ ᏴᏫ (talugisgi yvwi)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 機械人 / 机械人 (gei¹ haai⁶ jan⁴), 機器人 / 机器人 (gei¹ hei³ jan⁴)

  Hakka: 機器人 / 机器人 (kî-hi-ngìn)

  Hokkien: 機器人 / 机器人 (zh-min-nan) (ki-khì-lâng)

  Mandarin: 機器人 / 机器人 (zh) (jīqìrén), 機械人 / 机械人 (zh) (jīxièrén)

  Teochew: 機器人 / 机器人 (gi¹ ki³ nang⁵)

• Czech: robot (cs) m
• Danish: robot c
• Dutch: robot (nl) m
• Esperanto: roboto (eo)
• Estonian: robot (et)
• Faroese: robottur (fo) m
• Finnish: robotti (fi)
• French: robot (fr) m
• Galician: robot m
• Georgian: რობოტი (roboṭi)
• German: Roboter (de) m
• Greek: ρομπότ (el) n (rompót)
• Hausa: saƙago
• Hebrew: רוֹבּוֹט (he) m (robót)
• Hindi: रोबोट m (roboṭ), यंत्रमानव m (yantramānav)
• Hungarian: robot (hu)
• Icelandic: vélmenni (is) n, róbot (is) m
• Ido: roboto (io)
• Indonesian: robot (id)
• Irish: róbait m
• Italian: robot (it) m
• Japanese: ロボット (ja) (robotto), 人造人間 (ja) (じんぞうにんげん, jinzō ningen) (android)
• Kannada: ಯಂತ್ರಮಾನವ (yantramānava)
• Kazakh: робот (robot)
• Khmer: រូបយន្ត (ruupaʼyŭən)
• Korean: 로봇 (ko) (robot), 인조인간(人造人間) (ko) (injoin'gan) (android)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ڕۆبۆت (robot)

  Northern Kurdish: robot (ku)

• Kyrgyz: робот (robot)
• Lao: ຫຸ່ນຍົນ (lo) (hun nyon)
• Latin: robotum n
• Latvian: robots m
• Lithuanian: robotas (lt) m
• Macedonian: робот m (robot)
• Malagasy: rôbô
• Malay: robot (ms)
• Māori: karetao, karehiko, rōpata
• Marathi: यंत्रमानव (yantramānav), रोबोट m (roboṭ), रोबो m (robo)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: робот (mn) (robot)

• Niuean: lopota
• Norman: robot m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: robot m

  Nynorsk: robot m

• Obolo: rọbọt
• Occitan: robòt (oc) m
• Pashto: روبوټ m (roboṭ)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: رُبات (robât), روبات (rôbât)

• Polish: robot (pl) m
• Portuguese: robot (pt) m, robô (pt) m
• Quechua: antapunqu
• Romanian: robot (ro) m
• Russian: ро́бот (ru) m (róbot)
• Samoan: ropota
• Santali: ᱨᱚᱵᱚᱴ (ro̠bo̠ṭ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ро̏бот m

  Latin: rȍbot (sh) m

• Sinhalese: රොබෝ (robō)
• Slovak: robot (sk) m
• Slovene: róbot (sl) m
• Spanish: robot (es) m
• Sundanese: robot
• Swahili: roboti (sw)
• Swedish: robot (sv) c
• Tagalog: robot
• Tajik: робот (tg) (robot)
• Tamil: ரோபோ (rōpō), தானியங்கி (ta) (tāṉiyaṅki)
• Tatar: робот (robot)
• Telugu: మరమనిషి (maramaniṣi)
• Thai: หุ่นยนต์ (th) (hùn-yon), โรบอต (rōo-bɔ̀t)
• Tibetan: མི་གཟུགས་འཕྲུལ་བྱད (mi gzugs 'phrul byad)
• Tigrinya: ሮቦት (robot)
• Turkish: robot (tr)
• Turkmen: robot
• Ukrainian: ро́бот (uk) m (róbot)
• Urdu: روبوٹ m (roboṭ), ^{(please verify)} روبالَہ (ur) m (robāla)
• Uyghur: روبوت (robot)
• Uzbek: robot (uz)
• Vietnamese: người máy (vi), rô-bốt, rô bốt (vi), rôbốt, rô-bô, rô bô (vi)
• Volapük: mekavamen (vo)
• Welsh: robot m
• Yiddish: ראָבאָט m (robot)
• Zhuang: gihgiyinz
• Zulu: isithununu

person who does not seem to have any emotions

• Catalan: robot (ca)
• Cebuano: robot
• Galician: robot m
• Italian: robot (it) m, automa (it) m
• Khmer: មនុស្សយន្ត (mɔnuh yŭən)
• Portuguese: robô (pt) m
• Russian: ро́бот (ru) m (róbot)
• Spanish: robot (es)
• Ukrainian: рóбот m (róbot)

machine to perform complex tasks

• Bulgarian: робо́т m (robót)
• Cebuano: robot
• Czech: robot (cs) m
• Danish: robot c
• Esperanto: roboto (eo)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: αὐτόματον n (autómaton)

• Italian: robot (it) m, automa (it) m
• Latin: automatum n, automaton n
• Māori: karetao
• Marathi: रोबॉट (robŏṭ), रोबो (robo)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: robot m

  Nynorsk: robot m

• Polish: robot (pl) m
• Portuguese: robô (pt) m
• Russian: ро́бот (ru) m (róbot)
• Swedish: robot (sv) c
• Ukrainian: рóбот m (róbot)

traffic light — see traffic light

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} robot m

Verb

robot (third-person singular simple present robots, present participle roboting, simple past and past participle roboted)

1. To perform or move in the robot dance style.
   • 2006, Angie Daniels, In The Company Of My Sistahs (page 126)

     He started break dancing and roboted his ass across the floor.

Etymology 3

Referencing the origin of the name of the 4chan imageboard /r9k/ (created in 2008), so-called because it implements the ROBOT9000 algorithm by Randall Munroe to prevent the reposting of content.

Possibly overlapping with the sense of robot (“a person who does not seem to have any emotions”), alluding to autism, due to the prevalence of personal stories describing awkward or embarrassing situations on the board.

Noun

robot (plural robots)

1. (Internet slang, 4chan slang) A habitual poster on the /r9k/ board on 4chan; a member of the /r9k/ community.
   • 2015 October 1, David Kravets, “Ominous messages left on 4chan day before Oregon college killings [Updated]”, in Ars Technica‎^[5], archived from the original on 6 December 2022:

     One anonymous message addressed to "fellow robots" hoped readers would have "an enjoyable Elliot Rodger day"—a reference to the shooter who killed six near a Santa Barbara university last year.

   • 2015 October 3, Jay Hathaway, “How 4chan Trolled Two of Its Friends by Framing Them for the Oregon Mass Shooting”, in Gawker‎^[6], archived from the original on 20 November 2022:

     Posters on the board are locked in an ongoing debate about who can be one of them— a "robot." Can white guys be robots, despite their privilege? Can black guys? Women love them! It goes on and on. Only one rule really seems to be agreed upon: "If you have no friends and no gf you are a robot."

   • 2015 October 5, Justin Wm. Moyer, anonymous quotee, “Philadelphia colleges on alert after 4chan post threatens violence Monday”, in The Washington Post‎^[7], Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 June 2016:

     It continued: "On October 5, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. CT, a fellow robot will take up arms against a university near Philadelphia. His cries will be heard, his victims will cower in fear, and the strength of the Union will decay a little more."

   • 2019, Dale Beran, It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office, New York, N.Y.: All Points Books, →ISBN:

     As /r9k/ robots posted and reposted Pepes to playfully mock their status as grotesque outsiders whose very visage was disturbing to "normies," they ushered in a renaissance of frogs that soon appealed to all the netizens who every year had a little more in common with withdrawn, internet-soaked hikikomori.

See also

• android
• artificial intelligence
• clanker
• computer
• cyborg
• domotics
• pedipulator
• robot revolution

Further reading

• robot on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “robot”, in Merriam-Webster Online, Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1996–present.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “robot”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• boort, torob

Afrikaans

FWOTD – 25 January 2021

Etymology

Borrowed from English robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrʊə̯.bɔt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

robot (plural robotte)

1. robot
2. traffic light
   • 1997, Riana Scheepers, Dogters van Afrika. Verhale oor Suid-Afrikaanse Vroue, Tafelberg (publ.).

     As die robotte na groen oorslaan, brul hulle en storm vorentoe.

     When the traffic lights switch to green, they roar and storm forward.

Basque

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /robot/ [ro.β̞ot̪]
• Rhymes: -obot, -ot
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot anim

1. robot

Declension

Declension of robot (anim C-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	robot	robota	robotak	robotok
ergative	robotek	robotak	robotek	robotok
dative	roboti	robotari	robotei	robotoi
genitive	roboten	robotaren	roboten	roboton
comitative	robotekin	robotarekin	robotekin	robotokin
causative	robotengatik	robotarengatik	robotengatik	robotongatik
benefactive	robotentzat	robotarentzat	robotentzat	robotontzat
instrumental	robotez	robotaz	robotez	robototaz
inessive	robotengan	robotarengan	robotengan	robotongan
locative	—	—	—	—
allative	robotengana	robotarengana	robotengana	robotongana
terminative	robotenganaino	robotarenganaino	robotenganaino	robotonganaino
directive	robotenganantz	robotarenganantz	robotenganantz	robotonganantz
destinative	robotenganako	robotarenganako	robotenganako	robotonganako
ablative	robotengandik	robotarengandik	robotengandik	robotongandik
partitive	robotik	—	—	—
prolative	robottzat	—	—	—

Related terms

• robotika
• robotiko

Further reading

• “robot”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ruˈβo̞t]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [roˈbɔt]
• IPA^(key): (Central) [ruˈβɔt]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [roˈβɔt]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔt

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

Derived terms

• robot de cuina
• robòtica
• robotitzar

Further reading

• “robot”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “robot”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “robot” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “robot”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Cebuano

Etymology

From English robot, from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot

1. a machine built to carry out some complex task or group of tasks by physically moving, especially one which can be programmed
2. an intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal
3. (figuratively) a person who does not seem to have any emotions
4. a style of dance popular in disco whereby the dancer impersonates the movement of a robot

Czech

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₃erbʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos

Proto-Balto-Slavic *árbas

Proto-Slavic *orbъ

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-éitei

Proto-Slavic *-iti

Proto-Slavic *orbiti

Proto-Indo-European *-otéh₂

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-atā́ˀ

Proto-Slavic *-ota

Proto-Slavic *orbota

Old Czech robota

Czech robota

Czech robot

From robota. Coined by Czech painter and writer Josef Čapek, it first appeared in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. by his brother Karel Čapek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrobot]

Noun

robot m anim

1. robot (in humanoid form)
   • 1902, Karel Čapek, R.U.R.: Rossum's universal robots: kolektivní drama v vstupní komedii a třech aktech, page 13; English translation from Paul Selver, transl., R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Play in Three Acts and an Epilogue, 1923, page 13:

     Drahá slečno Gloryová, Roboti nejsou lidé. Jsou mechanicky dokonalejší než my, mají úžasnou rozumovou inteligenci, ale nemají duši. Viděla jste už někdy, jak vypadá Robot uvnitř?

     My dear Miss Glory, the Robots are not people. Mechanically they are more perfect than we are, they have an enormously developed intelligence, but they have no soul. Have you ever seen what a Robot looks like inside?

Declension

Declension of robot (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	roboti
genitive	robota	robotů
dative	robotovi, robotu	robotům
accusative	robota	roboty
vocative	robote	roboti
locative	robotovi, robotu	robotech
instrumental	robotem	roboty

Noun

robot m anim or m inan

1. robot (in non-humanoid form)

Declension

Declension of robot (hard masculine inanimate // hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	roboty, roboti
genitive	robotu, robota	robotů
dative	robotu, robotovi	robotům
accusative	robot, robota	roboty
vocative	robote	roboty, roboti
locative	robotu, robotovi	robotech
instrumental	robotem	roboty

Related terms

• rob m
• robit
• robota f
• robotický
• robotika f

Descendants

• → English: robot
  • → Arabic: رُوبُوت (rūbūt), رُوبُوط (rūbūṭ)
  • → Bengali: রোবট (rōboṭ)
  • → Hindi: रोबोट (roboṭ)
  • → Japanese: ロボット (robotto)
  • → Korean: 로봇 (robot)
  • → Persian: رُبات (robât), روبات (rôbât)
  • → Swahili: roboti
  • → Tamil: ரோபோ (rōpō)
  • → Welsh: robot
• → French: robot
  • → Italian: robot
  • → Portuguese: robô
  • → Romanian: robot
  • → Turkish: robot

Further reading

• “robot”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “robot”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “robot”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, a word coined by the author Karel Čapek in 1920, derived from robota (“servitude”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /robɔt/, [ʁoˈb̥ʌd̥]

Noun

robot c (singular definite robotten, plural indefinite robotter)

1. robot

References

• “robot” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “Robot” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed, likely from German Robot, from Czech robot. The plural is likely influenced by English or French.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈroː.bɔt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot m (plural robots or robotten, diminutive robotje n)

1. robot [from 1921]

   Synonym: kunstmens

Derived terms

• keukenrobot
• Robot Jetten
• robotarm
• robotauto
• robotvliegtuig

Related terms

• arbeid
• bot
• robotica
• robotisch

Anagrams

• boort

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔ.bo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

   Je ne suis pas un robot. ― I am not a robot.

Derived terms

• robot boulanger

Descendants

• → Italian: robot
• → Portuguese: robô
• → Romanian: robot
• → Turkish: robot

Further reading

• “robot”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Galician

Alternative forms

• robô (reintegrationist)

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /roˈbɔt/ [roˈβ̞ɔt̪]
• Rhymes: -ɔt
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

References

• “robot”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “robot”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrobot]
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot
• Rhymes: -ot

Etymology 1

From Bavarian robat, robold, from Czech robota (“forced labour, drudgery”).

Noun

robot (plural robotok)

1. (historical) socage, forced labour
2. (figuratively) hard work, drudgery

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	robotok
accusative	robotot	robotokat
dative	robotnak	robotoknak
instrumental	robottal	robotokkal
causal-final	robotért	robotokért
translative	robottá	robotokká
terminative	robotig	robotokig
essive-formal	robotként	robotokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	robotban	robotokban
superessive	roboton	robotokon
adessive	robotnál	robotoknál
illative	robotba	robotokba
sublative	robotra	robotokra
allative	robothoz	robotokhoz
elative	robotból	robotokból
delative	robotról	robotokról
ablative	robottól	robotoktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	roboté	robotoké
non-attributive possessive – plural	robotéi	robotokéi

Possessive forms of robot

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	robotom	robotjaim
2nd person sing.	robotod	robotjaid
3rd person sing.	robotja	robotjai
1st person plural	robotunk	robotjaink
2nd person plural	robototok	robotjaitok
3rd person plural	robotjuk	robotjaik

Derived terms

• robotol
• robotos

Etymology 2

From Czech robot, from robota (“forced labour, drudgery”). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek.

Noun

robot (plural robotok)

1. robot

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	robotok
accusative	robotot	robotokat
dative	robotnak	robotoknak
instrumental	robottal	robotokkal
causal-final	robotért	robotokért
translative	robottá	robotokká
terminative	robotig	robotokig
essive-formal	robotként	robotokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	robotban	robotokban
superessive	roboton	robotokon
adessive	robotnál	robotoknál
illative	robotba	robotokba
sublative	robotra	robotokra
allative	robothoz	robotokhoz
elative	robotból	robotokból
delative	robotról	robotokról
ablative	robottól	robotoktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	roboté	robotoké
non-attributive possessive – plural	robotéi	robotokéi

Possessive forms of robot

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	robotom	robotjaim
2nd person sing.	robotod	robotjaid
3rd person sing.	robotja	robotjai
1st person plural	robotunk	robotjaink
2nd person plural	robototok	robotjaitok
3rd person plural	robotjuk	robotjaik

Derived terms

• robotember
• robotgép
• robotpilóta
• robotrepülőgép

Further reading

• robot in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from English robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈrɔbɔt/ [ˈrɔ.bɔt̪̚]
• Rhymes: -ɔbɔt
• Syllabification: ro‧bot

Noun

robot (plural robot-robot)

1. robot

Derived terms

• perobotan

Related terms

• robotik
• robotika

Further reading

• “robot”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Italian

Alternative forms

• robò
• roboto

Etymology

Borrowed from French robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔ.bot/

  • Audio:

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɔbot
  • Hyphenation: rò‧bot
• IPA^(key): /roˈbo/^**
  • Rhymes: -o

Noun

robot m (invariable, diminutive robottìno)

1. robot

   Synonyms: androide, automa

2. (computing, video games) bot

   Synonyms: bot, CPU, computer

Usage notes

The French-inspired, possibly hyperforeign pronunciation /roˈbo/ might be falling out with the younger generations, which see it as an old-fashioned pronunciation and prefer the second one (/ˈrɔ.bot/) instead. Additionally, the first pronunciation is also deliberately spelled robò.

Derived terms

• robot da cucina

Anagrams

• botro, torbo

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʷoː.bʌt/
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot (plural robot dem, quantified robot)

1. (slang) illegal taxi

   Mi n'ave nuh big money fi spen' pon taxi. See one robot a come deh. Mek wi tek it.

   I don't have a lot of money to spend on a cab. Here's an illegal taxi. Let's take that.

   • 2013, “Robot – Patois Definition”, in Jamaican Patwah‎^[8] (in English), archived from the original on 21 April 2026:

     “Slang expression for a vehicle that is operating as a taxi without the proper license that is required. […] ”

See also

• route taxi

Further reading

• robot at JamaicanPatwah.com

Latvian

Verb

robot (transitive, 2nd conjugation, present roboju, robo, robo, past roboju)

1. to notch
2. to jag
3. to make an incision (on)

Conjugation

Conjugation of robot (2nd)

	indicative (īstenības izteiksme)					imperative (pavēles izteiksme)
		present (tagadne)	past (pagātne)		future (nākotne)
1st person sg	es	roboju	roboju		robošu	—
2nd person sg	tu	robo	roboji		robosi	robo
3rd person sg	viņš, viņa	robo	roboja		robos	lai robo
1st person pl	mēs	robojam	robojām		robosim	robosim
2nd person pl	jūs	robojat	robojāt		robosiet, robosit	robojiet
3rd person pl	viņi, viņas	robo	roboja		robos	lai robo
renarrative (atstāstījuma izteiksme)				participles (divdabji)
present	robojot			present active 1 (adj.)		robojošs
past	esot robojis			present active 2 (adv.)		robodams
future	robošot			present active 3 (adv.)		robojot
imperative	lai robojot			present active 4 (obj.)		robojam
conditional (vēlējuma izteiksme)				past active		robojis
present	robotu			present passive		robojams
past	būtu robojis			past passive		robots
debitive (vajadzības izteiksme)				nominal forms
indicative	(būt) jārobo			infinitive (nenoteiksme)		robot
conjunctive 1	esot jārobo			negative infinitive		nerobot
conjunctive 2	jārobojot			verbal noun		robošana

Synonyms

• grubuļot
• izrobot

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Noun

robot m (definite singular roboten, indefinite plural roboter, definite plural robotene)

1. robot

References

• “robot” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Noun

robot m (definite singular roboten, indefinite plural robotar, definite plural robotane)

1. robot

References

• “robot” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔ.bɔt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔbɔt
• Syllabification: ro‧bot

Noun

robot m animal or m inan (female equivalent (rare) robotka, diminutive robocik)

1. robot

Declension

Declension of robot

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	roboty
genitive	robota	robotów
dative	robotowi	robotom
accusative	robot, robota	roboty
instrumental	robotem	robotami
locative	robocie	robotach
vocative	robocie	roboty

Derived terms

adjective

• robociarski

nouns

• robociarz
• robotyka

Related terms

adjectives

• antyrobotniczy
• roboczy
• robotniczy
• robotny

adverb

• roboczo

nouns

• robocizna
• roboczodniówka
• roboczogodzina
• robota
• robotnica
• robotnik
• robotność
• robotyzacja
• robótka

verb

• robić

Further reading

• “robot”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[9] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “robot”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[10] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₃erbʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos

Proto-Balto-Slavic *árbas

Proto-Slavic *orbъ

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-éitei

Proto-Slavic *-iti

Proto-Slavic *orbiti

Proto-Indo-European *-otéh₂

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-atā́ˀ

Proto-Slavic *-ota

Proto-Slavic *orbota

Old Czech robota

Czech robota

Czech robotbor.

French robotubor.

Portuguese robot

Unadapted borrowing from French robot.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁoˈbo/ [hoˈbo]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁoˈbo/ [hoˈbo]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ʁoˈbo/ [χoˈbo]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɔˈbo/ [ʁɔˈβo], /ʁoˈbo/ [ʁoˈβo]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɔˈbo/ [ʁɔˈβo], /ʁoˈbo/ [ʁoˈβo]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɔˈbo/, /ʁoˈbo/

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. (rare) alternative spelling of robô

Further reading

• “robot”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota. Doublet of robotă.

Noun

robot m (plural roboți)

1. robot

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	robot	robotul	roboți	roboții
genitive-dative	robot	robotului	roboți	roboților
vocative	robotule		roboților

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rôbot/
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

rȍbot m inan (Cyrillic spelling ро̏бот)

1. robot

Declension

Declension of robot

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	roboti
genitive	robota	robota
dative	robotu	robotima
accusative	robot	robote
vocative	robote	roboti
locative	robotu	robotima
instrumental	robotom	robotima

Further reading

• “robot”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Slovene

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɔbóːt/

Noun

robọ̑t m anim

1. robot

Declension

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Masculine anim., hard o-stem
nom. sing.	robót
gen. sing.	robóta
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	robót	robóta	robóti
genitive (rodȋlnik)	robóta	robótov	robótov
dative (dajȃlnik)	robótu	robótoma	robótom
accusative (tožȋlnik)	robóta	robóta	robóte
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	robótu	robótih	robótih
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	robótom	robótoma	robóti

Further reading

• “robot”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
• “robot”, in Termania, Amebis
• See also the general references

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /roˈbot/ [roˈβ̞ot̪]
• Rhymes: -ot
• Syllabification: ro‧bot

• IPA^(key): /roˈbo/ [roˈβ̞o]
• Rhymes: -o

• IPA^(key): /roˈbote/ [roˈβ̞o.t̪e]
• Rhymes: -ote

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Derived terms

• retrato robot
• robot de cocina

Related terms

• robótica f (“robotics”)
• robótico (“robotic”, adjective)

Further reading

• “robot”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 24th edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 30 October 2026

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota. First attested in 1921. The weaponry sense attested since 1944.

Noun

robot c

1. a robot (machine that carries out complex tasks)

   Plåt-Niklas är en robot

   Sheet-Niklas is a robot

2. (weaponry) a missile, guided missile

   Synonym: missil

   Hypernym: robotvapen

   Hyponyms: kryssningsrobot, luftvärnsrobot, sjömålsrobot

   Holonym: robotsystem

Declension

Declension of robot

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	robot	robots
	definite	roboten	robotens
plural	indefinite	robotar	robotars
	definite	robotarna	robotarnas

Hyponyms

• (robot): industrirobot

(weaponry):

• antiballistisk robot
• attackrobot
• ballistisk robot
• interkontinental ballistisk robot
• jaktrobot
• kryssningsrobot
• luftvärnsrobot
• målsökande robot
• sjömålsrobot

Derived terms

(robot):

• robotdammsugare
• robotgräsklippare
• robotkirurg

(weaponry):

• robotattack
• robotkryssare

References

• “robot”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “robot”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Tagalog

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₃erbʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos

Proto-Balto-Slavic *árbas

Proto-Slavic *orbъ

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-éitei

Proto-Slavic *-iti

Proto-Slavic *orbiti

Proto-Indo-European *-otéh₂

Proto-Balto-Slavic *-atā́ˀ

Proto-Slavic *-ota

Proto-Slavic *orbota

Old Czech robota

Czech robota

Czech robotbor.

English robotbor.

Tagalog robot

Borrowed from English robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈɾobot/ [ˈɾoː.bot̪̚]
• Rhymes: -obot
• Syllabification: ro‧bot

Noun

robot (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜓᜊᜓᜆ᜔)

1. robot

Further reading

• “robot”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from French robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɾoˈbot/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot (definite accusative robotu, plural robotlar)

1. robot [from 1933]
2. ellipsis of mutfak robotu (“food processor”)

Declension

Declension of robot

singular plural nominative robot robotlar definite accusative robotu robotları dative robota robotlara locative robotta robotlarda ablative robottan robotlardan genitive robotun robotların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular robotum robotlarım 2nd singular robotun robotların 3rd singular robotu robotları 1st plural robotumuz robotlarımız 2nd plural robotunuz robotlarınız 3rd plural robotları robotları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular robotumu robotlarımı 2nd singular robotunu robotlarını 3rd singular robotunu robotlarını 1st plural robotumuzu robotlarımızı 2nd plural robotunuzu robotlarınızı 3rd plural robotlarını robotlarını dative singular plural 1st singular robotuma robotlarıma 2nd singular robotuna robotlarına 3rd singular robotuna robotlarına 1st plural robotumuza robotlarımıza 2nd plural robotunuza robotlarınıza 3rd plural robotlarına robotlarına locative singular plural 1st singular robotumda robotlarımda 2nd singular robotunda robotlarında 3rd singular robotunda robotlarında 1st plural robotumuzda robotlarımızda 2nd plural robotunuzda robotlarınızda 3rd plural robotlarında robotlarında ablative singular plural 1st singular robotumdan robotlarımdan 2nd singular robotundan robotlarından 3rd singular robotundan robotlarından 1st plural robotumuzdan robotlarımızdan 2nd plural robotunuzdan robotlarınızdan 3rd plural robotlarından robotlarından genitive singular plural 1st singular robotumun robotlarımın 2nd singular robotunun robotlarının 3rd singular robotunun robotlarının 1st plural robotumuzun robotlarımızın 2nd plural robotunuzun robotlarınızın 3rd plural robotlarının robotlarının Predicative forms singular plural 1st singular robotum robotlarım 2nd singular robotsun robotlarsın 3rd singular robot robottur robotlar robotlardır 1st plural robotuz robotlarız 2nd plural robotsunuz robotlarsınız 3rd plural robotlar robotlardır

Derived terms

• mutfak robotu
• robot çizim
• robot gibi
• robot resim
• robotik
• robotlaşmak

Further reading

• “robot”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “robot”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “robot”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı

Vietnamese

Etymology

Borrowed from English robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [zo˧˧ ʔɓot̚˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʐow˧˧ ʔɓok̚˦˧˥]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ɹow˧˧ ʔɓok̚˦˥]
• Phonetic spelling: rô bốt

Noun

robot

1. robot

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English robot, borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”), from Old Czech robota, from Proto-Slavic *orbota, from *orbiti + *-ota. By surface analysis, robiti + -ota.

Noun

robot m (not mutable, plural robotiaid or robotau)

1. robot

Usage notes

Geiriadur yr Academi prescribes the plural form robotiaid for humanoid robots or androids and the plural form robotau for others. However note that the derived term sgyrsfot (“chatbot”) has the plural sgyrsfotiaid.

Derived terms

• bot
  • sgyrsfot (“chatbot”)
• robotaidd (“robotic”)
• roboteg (“robotics”)

Further reading

• Griffiths, Bruce; Glyn Jones, Dafydd (1995), “robot”, in Geiriadur yr Academi: The Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary‎^[11], Cardiff: University of Wales Press, →ISBN
• D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “robot”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “robot”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies