caretaker

English

Etymology

From care +‎ taker.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛɹˌteɪ.kɚ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛəˌteɪ.kə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

caretaker (plural caretakers)

1. Someone who takes care of a place or thing; someone looking after a place, or responsible for keeping it in good repair.

   Synonyms: (British) concierge, janitor

   • 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 11:

     ‘Miss Brindle must be very rich to live in such a big house,’ went on Jessamy. ‘Miss Brindle rich?’ said Aunt Maggie. ‘Bless you, she hasn’t tuppence to rub together. She’s only the caretaker.’

2. Someone who takes care of a person; a parent, carer or other guardian.

Derived terms

• caretaker speech

 

Translations

one who takes care of a place or thing

• Arabic: مُحَافِظ‎ m (muḥāfiẓ)
• Azerbaijani: mühafiz
• Catalan: conserge m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 管理人 (zh) (guǎnlǐrén)

• Danish: vicevært (da) c, varmemester c
• Finnish: huoltomies (fi), hoitaja (fi), talonmies (fi)
• French: concierge (fr) m or f, gardien (fr) m, gardienne (fr) f
• German: Hausmeister (de) m
• Greek: επιστάτης (el) m (epistátis)

  Ancient Greek: ἐπιμελητής m (epimelētḗs), ἐπιστάτης m (epistátēs), ἐπιμελητής m (epimelētḗs)

• Hungarian: gondnok (hu), épületgondnok, házfelügyelő (hu), házmester (hu)
• Ingrian: hoitaja
• Irish: airíoch m, feighlí m
• Italian: portinaio (it) m, caposcala m
• Macedonian: на́стојник m (nástojnik)
• Navajo: yaaʼáhályání
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: vaktmester (no) m

  Nynorsk: vaktmeister m

• Polish: dozorca (pl) m, dozorczyni (pl) f
• Portuguese: cuidador m
• Romanian: portar (ro) m, gardian (ro) m, paznic (ro) m
• Russian: смотри́тель (ru) m (smotrítelʹ), смотри́тельница (ru) f (smotrítelʹnica), сто́рож (ru) m (stórož)
• Spanish: conserje (es) m or f, portero (es) m
• Swedish: vaktmästare (sv) c

one who takes care of a person

• Catalan: cuidador m
• Chamorro: a'adahi
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 護工／护工 (zh) (hùgōng), 看護／看护 (zh) (kānhù), 照顧者／照顾者 (zhàogùzhě)

• Danish: plejer c
• Dutch: voogd (nl) m
• Finnish: huoltaja (fi), hoitaja (fi)
• French: gardien (fr) m, gardienne (fr) f
• German: Pfleger (de) m, Pflegerin (de) f
• Greek: κηδεμόνας (el) m or f (kidemónas)

  Ancient Greek: κηδεμών m (kēdemṓn)

• Hungarian: gondozó (hu), ápoló (hu), gondviselő (hu)
• Ingrian: hoitaja
• Irish: airíoch m, feighlí m, bean faire f, fear faire m, cúramóir m
• Italian: badante (it)
• Macedonian: ста́рател m (stáratel), негува́телка f (neguvátelka)
• Portuguese: responsável (pt) m or f
• Romagnol: abadânt m
• Romanian: îngrijitor (ro) m, îngrijitoare (ro) f
• Russian: сиде́лка (ru) f (sidélka), ня́ня (ru) f (njánja), ня́нька (ru) f (njánʹka), медсестра́ (ru) f (medsestrá)
• Spanish: cuidador m
• Swedish: vårdnadshavare (sv) c

Adjective

caretaker (not comparable)

1. (chiefly UK) Temporary, on a short term basis.

   Synonym: interim

   Johnson had to be drafted in as the caretaker manager after Hewlett resigned without warning the day before the final.

   • 2023 November 15, Sam Jones, “Acting Spanish PM on verge of second term after controversial Catalan amnesty deal”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Sources within Sánchez’s caretaker administration claim the amnesty law is perfectly in keeping with the Socialist-led government’s efforts to calm tensions and find a political solution to the so-called Catalan question.

Derived terms

• caretaker government

 

Translations

temporary, on a short term basis

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 看守 (zh) (kānshǒu), 臨時／临时 (zh) (línshí)

• Finnish: väliaikainen (fi), virkaa tekevä
• French: gardien (fr)
• Hungarian: ideiglenes (hu), átmeneti (hu), megbízott (hu)
• Irish: sealadach
• Maori: kaitiaki
• Romanian: interimar (ro)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can