'译者' (yì zhě) is a compound noun meaning 'translator'—a person who converts spoken or written content from one language into another. The first character, 译 (yì), means 'to translate' and carries the semantic core of linguistic conversion; the second character, 者 (zhě), is a classical nominal suffix meaning 'person who does [X]', similar to English '-er' in 'teacher' or 'writer'. Together, they form a formal, neutral term widely used in professional, academic, and publishing contexts.

This word emphasizes the human agent behind translation—not just the act or output—and is commonly found in book credits ('译者：张明'), conference programs, or discussions about translation ethics and practice. While it can refer to any translator regardless of language pair, it’s especially frequent when highlighting expertise, responsibility, or cultural mediation. Unlike colloquial alternatives like 翻译 (fānyì), which can mean either the verb 'to translate' or the noun 'translation', 译者 always refers specifically to the person.