American in Different Languages
Discover 'American' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'American' is instantly recognizable worldwide and carries a great deal of significance and cultural importance. It represents not only a nationality but also a diverse and complex culture with deep historical roots. From the indigenous peoples who have lived on the continent for millennia to the waves of immigrants who have helped shape the country, the United States is a melting pot of traditions, languages, and ideas.
Given the country's outsized influence on global culture, politics, and economics, it's no wonder that many people around the world are interested in learning more about the United States and its people. Understanding the nuances of the word 'American' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how the country is perceived and discussed in other parts of the world.
For example, in Spanish, 'American' is often translated as 'estadounidense' to distinguish between citizens of the United States and those from other countries in North, Central, and South America. Meanwhile, in French, 'American' can be translated as 'américain,' but it's important to note that this term can also refer to people from Canada or other countries in the Americas.
Below, you'll find a list of translations of the word 'American' in a variety of languages, from Arabic to Zulu. We hope this resource helps deepen your understanding of the rich cultural and linguistic diversity that makes up the United States and its place in the world.
American
American in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | amerikaans | ||
| Afrikaans "Amerikaans" refers specifically to "North American" and not to other continents' inhabitants. | |||
| Amharic | አሜሪካዊ | ||
| አሜሪካዊ is used to describe the United States of America, the continent of the Americas, or both, depending on context. | |||
| Hausa | ba'amurke | ||
| In Hausa, "Ba'amurke" can also refer to an African-American person. | |||
| Igbo | onye america | ||
| The word "Onye America" can also refer to someone who is wealthy or successful. | |||
| Malagasy | malagasy | ||
| The word "Malagasy" also means "noble" or "free" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wachimereka | ||
| Wachimereka is also used figuratively to refer to people who are not African or Malawian specifically, but who are non-African or non-Malawian more generally. | |||
| Shona | american | ||
| The word "American" in Shona can also refer to someone from the United States of America, as well as someone from the American continent. | |||
| Somali | mareykan ah | ||
| In Somali "Mareykan ah" also means a person who lives in a foreign country or a person who came from a foreign country. | |||
| Sesotho | amerika | ||
| In Sesotho, 'Amerika' also refers to the continent of North and South America, and can sometimes be used to refer to people from those regions. | |||
| Swahili | mmarekani | ||
| The Swahili word 'Mmarekani' also refers to someone of Arab descent, potentially due to early American traders being predominantly of Lebanese origin. | |||
| Xhosa | wasemelika | ||
| "WaseMelika" is cognate with "eMelika," which refers to the North and South American continents. | |||
| Yoruba | ara ilu amẹrika | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "Ara ilu Amẹrika" can also refer to indigenous Americans, or members of the Yoruba diaspora living in the Americas. | |||
| Zulu | wasemelika | ||
| The Zulu word "WaseMelika" also refers to the people who reside there. | |||
| Bambara | amerikikan na | ||
| Ewe | amerikatɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umunyamerika | ||
| Lingala | moto ya amerika | ||
| Luganda | omumerika | ||
| Sepedi | moamerika | ||
| Twi (Akan) | amerikani | ||
American in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أمريكي | ||
| الأمريكي (بالعربية) مشتق من الكلمة اللاتينية | |||
| Hebrew | אֲמֶרִיקָאִי | ||
| The word "אמריקאי" can also mean "Indian" (as in Native American) in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | امریکایی | ||
| The word "امریکایی" can also refer to a person from the Americas, regardless of their nationality. | |||
| Arabic | أمريكي | ||
| الأمريكي (بالعربية) مشتق من الكلمة اللاتينية | |||
American in Western European Languages
| Albanian | amerikan | ||
| Amerikan is the Albanian word for American, but can also refer to a type of grape or a variety of apple. | |||
| Basque | amerikarra | ||
| Basque word “Amerikarra” means “American” but has also been used to refer to Spaniards who came to the Americas. | |||
| Catalan | nord-americà | ||
| The word "Nord-americà" in Catalan is an exonym that refers to citizens of the United States but not to people from other countries in the Americas. | |||
| Croatian | američki | ||
| Američki can also mean spicy or sharp. | |||
| Danish | amerikansk | ||
| In Danish, "amerikansk" can also refer to a type of hard candy similar to a butterscotch, similar to the double meaning of "Irish" in English. | |||
| Dutch | amerikaans | ||
| In Dutch, "Amerikaan" can also mean someone from the Netherlands, or coffee with a scoop of whipped cream on top. | |||
| English | american | ||
| "American" originally referred only to inhabitants of the Americas and not the United States, and this usage persists in other languages. | |||
| French | américain | ||
| The word "américain" in French can also refer to a type of coffee with cream and hot water, or a type of sandwich with fries and melted cheese. | |||
| Frisian | amerikaansk | ||
| In Frisian, "Amerikaansk" can refer to both American and African American people. | |||
| Galician | americano | ||
| German | amerikanisch | ||
| The word "amerikanisch" in German originally referred to the indigenous people of the Americas, and later came to be used in a more general sense. | |||
| Icelandic | amerískt | ||
| In the past, the word “Amerískt” was also used more specifically about things from the United States, rather than just the Americas as a whole. | |||
| Irish | meiriceánach | ||
| The word "Meiriceánach" can also be used to refer to someone from the Americas in general, not just the United States. | |||
| Italian | americano | ||
| In Italian, "americano" can also refer to a type of coffee or a type of cocktail. | |||
| Luxembourgish | amerikanesch | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Amerikanesch" can also refer to something that is garish or tasteless. | |||
| Maltese | amerikana | ||
| In Maltese, the word "Amerikana" is a colloquial term used to refer to second-hand imported goods from the United States, as well as American culture in general. | |||
| Norwegian | amerikansk | ||
| In Norwegian, «amerikansk» can also refer to items that are large or showy. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | americano | ||
| In Portuguese, “americano” refers to something that is “extra” or “stronger” and can be used to refer to a type of coffee or to coffee with added milk. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ameireagaidh | ||
| The word 'Ameireagaidh' may also refer to Irish people who migrated to America during the 19th century. | |||
| Spanish | americano | ||
| In Spanish, "americano" can also mean "coffee with hot water" or "coffee with milk and cream." | |||
| Swedish | amerikansk | ||
| In Swedish, the term 'Amerikansk' can also refer to objects or concepts originating from the Americas in general, such as indigenous cultures or products.} | |||
| Welsh | americanaidd | ||
| Americanaidd is derived from the Welsh words 'Amerig' (America) and 'aid' (region), and can also refer to American ideals or culture. | |||
American in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | амерыканскі | ||
| The word "Амерыканскі" can also refer to the continent of America or to the United States of America. | |||
| Bosnian | američko | ||
| Though it may seem like an oddity, in Bosnian "američko" can also refer to a kind of sausage. | |||
| Bulgarian | американски | ||
| Американският термин се използва и за обозначение на неща, свързани с континента Северна и Южна Америка. | |||
| Czech | americký | ||
| The word "americký" in Czech can also mean "large" or "extra". | |||
| Estonian | ameeriklane | ||
| Ameeriklane can also refer to the indigenous peoples of the Americas in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | amerikkalainen | ||
| "Amerikkalainen" is also used colloquially in Finland to mean "weird" or "crazy". | |||
| Hungarian | amerikai | ||
| In Hungarian, "Amerikai" can also refer to a type of goulash made with paprika, tomatoes, and beef. | |||
| Latvian | amerikānis | ||
| "Amerikānis" is also used to refer to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. | |||
| Lithuanian | amerikietis | ||
| Amerikietis is derived from Lithuanian words meaning 'European' and 'continent'. | |||
| Macedonian | американец | ||
| The word "Американец" also refers to a type of grape and a certain type of white bread. | |||
| Polish | amerykański | ||
| "Amerykański" is also used in Polish to describe something that is big, showy, or excessive. | |||
| Romanian | american | ||
| The word "American" can also refer to a type of coffee made with hot water poured over ground coffee beans in a filter, or to a certain type of cheese originating from the United States or Canada. | |||
| Russian | американец | ||
| "Американец" in Russian can also mean a person who lives in Russia but was born in the USA (e.g., a diplomat's child). | |||
| Serbian | американац | ||
| The Serbian word "Американац" can also refer to a type of wheat or a variety of tomato. | |||
| Slovak | americký | ||
| The word "Americký" can also mean "American Indian" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | ameriški | ||
| The word 'ameriški' can also refer to something that is unusual or strange. | |||
| Ukrainian | американський | ||
| The word “American” can also refer to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. | |||
American in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মার্কিন | ||
| মার্কিন শব্দটি 'মার্ক' (সীমান্ত) এবং 'কান' (দেশ) শব্দ দুটির সমন্বয়ে তৈরি, যা ইঙ্গিত করে 'সীমান্তের দেশ।' | |||
| Gujarati | અમેરિકન | ||
| Hindi | अमेरिकन | ||
| अमेरिकन' भारत के संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका या उसके लोगों को संदर्भित करता है, लेकिन यह आम तौर पर उत्तर या दक्षिण अमेरिका के लोगों के लिए भी इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। | |||
| Kannada | ಅಮೇರಿಕನ್ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malayalam | അമേരിക്കൻ | ||
| अमेरिकन शब्द अमेरिका महाद्वीप के निवासियों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है, जबकि अमेरिका देश के निवासियों के लिए संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका शब्द का प्रयोग किया जाता है। | |||
| Marathi | अमेरिकन | ||
| Nepali | अमेरिकी | ||
| The word "अमेरिकी" can also refer to a native of the Americas, not just the United States. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਮਰੀਕੀ | ||
| ਅਮਰੀਕੀ | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇමෙරිකානු | ||
| Tamil | அமெரிக்கன் | ||
| Telugu | అమెరికన్ | ||
| Urdu | امریکی | ||
| امریکی also means 'of or belonging to the Americas'. | |||
American in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 美国人 | ||
| “美国人”也指“美籍华人”或“华裔美国人” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 美國人 | ||
| 「美國人」一詞在中文語境中也指使用美式英語的人 | |||
| Japanese | アメリカン | ||
| アメリカン (American) とは、喫茶店でクリームソーダやパフェに載せる、赤や青や黄色のさくらんぼなどを指す言葉でもあります。 | |||
| Korean | 미국 사람 | ||
| 미국 사람 (미국인)은 원래 영어 'American'에서 유래해 '미국 대륙 사람'을 뜻하며, 나중에 미국 시민을 뜻하게 되었습니다. | |||
| Mongolian | америк | ||
| The Mongolian word "Америк" (American) is also used to refer to the Americas as a whole, as well as to the United States of America. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမေရိကန် | ||
American in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | amerika | ||
| Kata "Amerika" dalam bahasa Indonesia juga dapat merujuk pada benua Amerika secara keseluruhan, tidak hanya negara Amerika Serikat. | |||
| Javanese | wong amerika | ||
| Wong Amerika, yang aslinya berarti 'orang kulit putih,' kini juga digunakan untuk menyebut orang Amerika keturunan Tionghoa di Jawa Tengah. | |||
| Khmer | ជនជាតិអាមេរិក | ||
| Lao | ອາເມລິກາ | ||
| In 1821, Lao officials referred to the area surrounding the Lao kingdom as "America" due to its perceived distance from urban centers. | |||
| Malay | orang amerika | ||
| The term 'Orang Amerika' in Malay can also refer to indigenous people of the Americas. | |||
| Thai | อเมริกัน | ||
| คำว่า "อเมริกัน" มีความหมายได้หลายอย่าง เช่น ชาวทวีปอเมริกา หรือผู้ที่อาศัยอยู่ในทวีปอเมริกา | |||
| Vietnamese | người mỹ | ||
| "Người Mỹ" có thể dùng để chỉ người bản địa, người dân, hoặc người có quốc tịch ở Hoa Kỳ. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | amerikano | ||
American in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | amerika | ||
| "Amerika" is also used to refer to the continent of America, not just the United States. | |||
| Kazakh | американдық | ||
| Kyrgyz | америкалык | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "Америкалык" (American) literally translates to "New World-er" and can also refer to someone from the American continents. | |||
| Tajik | амрикоӣ | ||
| Амрикоӣ (American) is also used to refer to the peoples indigenous to the Americas, including Indigenous North Americans and Indigenous South Americans | |||
| Turkmen | amerikaly | ||
| Uzbek | amerika | ||
| Uyghur | ئامېرىكىلىق | ||
American in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻamelika | ||
| 'Amelika' can also refer to the United States specifically or to the Americas as a whole. | |||
| Maori | amerikana | ||
| In Maori, "Amerikana" has an additional meaning of "being or relating to a horse and cart used on farms." | |||
| Samoan | amerika | ||
| 'Amerika' in Samoan refers to Samoa itself, and not the United States of America. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | amerikano | ||
| The Tagalog word "Amerikano" can also refer to a type of coffee drink similar to a latte. | |||
American in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | americano markanxa | ||
| Guarani | americano | ||
American in International Languages
| Esperanto | usonano | ||
| "Usonano" derives from "Usono" meaning United States, which in turn derives from the Italian version of the English name "United States of America". | |||
| Latin | american | ||
| The Latin word "Americanus" originally referred to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, rather than the citizens of the United States. | |||
American in Others Languages
| Greek | αμερικανός | ||
| The Greek word for 'American' comes from the Greek word 'Αμερική' ('America'), which itself comes from the name of the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. | |||
| Hmong | miskas | ||
| In Hmong, a person that can speak Hmong and speak English is referred to as a "Miskas". | |||
| Kurdish | emrîkî | ||
| The word "emrîkî" in Kurdish also refers to a type of white grape. | |||
| Turkish | amerikan | ||
| Amerikan also means 'native' in Turkish, derived from the Persian word 'āmīr', meaning 'leader' or 'prince'. | |||
| Xhosa | wasemelika | ||
| "WaseMelika" is cognate with "eMelika," which refers to the North and South American continents. | |||
| Yiddish | אמעריקאנער | ||
| In Yiddish, "אמעריקאנער" may also colloquially refer to a "big shot" or "important person." | |||
| Zulu | wasemelika | ||
| The Zulu word "WaseMelika" also refers to the people who reside there. | |||
| Assamese | আমেৰিকান | ||
| Aymara | americano markanxa | ||
| Bhojpuri | अमेरिकी के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | އެމެރިކާގެ... | ||
| Dogri | अमेरिकी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | amerikano | ||
| Guarani | americano | ||
| Ilocano | amerikano | ||
| Krio | amɛrikin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەمریکی | ||
| Maithili | अमेरिकी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯃꯦꯔꯤꯀꯥꯒꯤ ꯑꯦꯝ | ||
| Mizo | american a ni | ||
| Oromo | ameerikaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆମେରିକୀୟ | | ||
| Quechua | amerikamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | अमेरिकनः | ||
| Tatar | америка | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣሜሪካዊ | ||
| Tsonga | muamerika | ||