Acid in different languages

Acid in Different Languages

Discover 'Acid' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Ah, acid! A word that may bring to mind images of bubbling test tubes or retro psychedelic art. But did you know that this word has a rich history and a wide range of uses, from chemistry to music?

Acid, or more specifically, 'hydrochloric acid,' is one of the strongest acids known to humanity. It has been instrumental in various industrial applications, including the production of fertilizers, dyes, and even rubber. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in our digestive system, helping break down food in our stomachs.

In popular culture, 'acid' is often associated with the psychedelic drug LSD, which gained notoriety during the 1960s counterculture movement. The term 'acid rock' emerged to describe the music that accompanied these experiences, characterized by its intense, distorted guitar sounds.

Given its significance and cultural importance, you might be interested in learning how to say 'acid' in different languages. Here are a few translations to pique your curiosity:

  • Spanish: ácido
  • French: acide
  • German: Säure
  • Mandarin: (suān)
  • Japanese: 酸性 (sansei)

Stay tuned for more fascinating translations and cultural insights about the word 'acid'!

Acid


Acid in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanssuur
Also used to refer to a type of sour plum or a type of fermented milk.
Amharicአሲድ
The word "አሲድ" (acid) in Amharic also means "sour, fermented" or "bitter".
Hausaacid
In Hausa, the word "acid" also has the alternate meanings of "sour" and "bitter".
Igboacid
In Igbo, the word 'acid' also refers to a type of traditional medicine used for healing and purification rituals.
Malagasyasidra
The word "asidra" is derived from the Arabic word "az-zad" which means "sour" or "acid".
Nyanja (Chichewa)asidi
Etymology: Possibly from Proto-Bantu *-cid-i "to be sharp tasting, sour, biting".
Shonaacid
The word 'acid' is derived from the Latin word 'acidus,' meaning 'sour' or 'sharp,' and can also refer to a substance that tastes sour or produces a burning sensation when it comes into contact with skin or mucous membranes.
Somaliaashito
"Aashito", meaning "acid" in Somali, is cognate with the Arabic word "hashish", meaning "dry herb".
Sesothoasiti
The word "asiti" is also used in Sesotho to refer to "sourness" or "bitterness".
Swahiliasidi
The word "asidi" in Swahili can also refer to a type of fermented porridge made from cassava flour.
Xhosaasidi
The Xhosa word "asidi" can also mean "sour" or "bitter".
Yorubaacid
The word "acid" in Yoruba is derived from the word "àgbàrò", which means "bitter".
Zului-asidi
The word i-asidi (acid) in Zulu is derived from the French word acide, which itself originated from the Latin acidus meaning "sour, sharp".
Bambaraasidi (asidi) ye
Eweacid
Kinyarwandaaside
Lingalaacide
Lugandaasidi
Sepediesiti ya
Twi (Akan)acid a wɔde yɛ nneɛma

Acid in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicحامض
In addition to denoting "acid," "حامض" also refers to a "sour taste" or a "fermented drink."
Hebrewחוּמצָה
"חוּמצָה" also means "sorrel" in Hebrew, a type of plant with a sour taste.
Pashtoتیزاب
The Pashto word "تیزاب" ("acid") may originate from the Persian "تیز" ("sharp") and "آب" ("water").
Arabicحامض
In addition to denoting "acid," "حامض" also refers to a "sour taste" or a "fermented drink."

Acid in Western European Languages

Albanianacid
In Albanian, the word "acid" can also refer to a sour liquid or a strong taste
Basqueazidoa
The word "azidoa" (acid) in Basque comes from the same root as the word "azi" (bitter).
Catalanàcid
In Catalan, "àcid" also means "sour" or "tart", and can be used to describe flavors or smells.
Croatiankiselina
The Croatian word "kiselina" is derived from the Slavic word "kysly", meaning "sour".
Danishsyre
"Syre" also means "oxygen" in Danish.
Dutchzuur
The word "zuur" can also mean "fermented vegetables", "sour", and "difficult" in Dutch.
Englishacid
The word "acid" derives from the Latin word "acere", meaning "to be sharp".
Frenchacide
The word "acide" derives from the Greek word "oxys" which means sharp or sour
Frisiansoere
The word "soere" ultimately derives from Proto-Germanic "*sur-az", meaning "sour".
Galicianácido
Galician's "ácido" can also refer to the acidity found in foods or liquids.
Germanacid
"Sauer" is also used in German to describe something as sour or acidic.
Icelandicsýru
The Icelandic word "sýru" is a rare example of a noun whose original meaning was "sour" rather than "acid".
Irishaigéad
"Aigéad" is also the Irish word for vinegar, which is diluted acetic acid.
Italianacido
The Italian word "acido" derives from the Latin word "acidus", meaning "sour" or "tart", and also refers to strong substances that can corrode or dissolve other materials.
Luxembourgishseier
The Luxembourgish word "Seier" is also used figuratively to describe a person who is sharp-tongued or sarcastic.
Malteseaċidu
Maltese "aċidu" has the alternate meaning of "sour" and derives from the Italian "acido" meaning "acid".
Norwegiansyre
The word 'syre' in Norwegian also means 'sour' and is related to the English word 'sore'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)ácido
Originally from Latin, "ácido" derives from "acēre" (to be pungent), and also means "sharp" or "sour" in Portuguese.
Scots Gaelicsearbhag
The Scots Gaelic word "searbhag" is derived from the Old Irish word "serb", meaning "bitter".
Spanishácido
"Ácido", a Spanish word for "acid", derives from the Latin term "acidus", meaning "sour or sharp".
Swedishsyra
Swedish "syra" (acid) originates from the Greek word "oxy" (sharp) via Latin "acere" (to be sour).
Welshasid
The Welsh word 'asid' can also mean 'sharp' or 'sour'

Acid in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianкіслата
The word "кіслата" also means "sourness" or "acidity" in Belarusian.
Bosniankiselina
Bosnian word "kiselina" also means "vinegar" or "sour".
Bulgarianкиселина
The word "киселина" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kysъlъ, meaning "sour". It is related to the Russian word "кислота" (kislota), the Polish word "kwas", and the Serbo-Croatian word "киселина" (kiselina).
Czechkyselina
The word “kyselina” also means “sour” in Czech, reflecting the acidic taste of many acids.
Estonianhape
Hape, which comes from the German
Finnishhappo
Happo is also the Finnish word for 'sour' and was originally used to refer to the acidity of vinegar.
Hungariansav
The word "sav" in Hungarian is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root *sīwa, which also means "bile".
Latvianskābe
Despite "skābe" meaning "acid" in Latvian, it also refers to sorrel plants and sourness of fruits and vegetables.
Lithuanianrūgštis
Rūgštis is derived from the verb rūgti, which means
Macedonianкиселина
Киселина (кисјелина) is derived from the Proto-Slavic form *kysъlъ, which also meant 'sour' and 'vinegar'.
Polishkwas
The Polish word "kwas" also refers to sour foods and drinks.
Romanianacid
The Romanian word "acid" is a homonym, meaning both "acid" and "sour".
Russianкислота
The word "кислота" (acid) in Russian also has the alternate meaning of "sourness".
Serbianкиселина
The word "киселина" can also refer to a sour taste or a substance that causes a burning sensation.
Slovakkyselina
The Slovak word "kyselina" is derived from Proto-Slavic "kyslyj" or "kysel" and related to "sour" or "bitter" (cf. "kvas" meaning "yeast").
Sloveniankislina
In chemistry, the word "kislina" is often used for inorganic acids, while "kiselina" is used for organic acids; in everyday language, this distinction is rarely made.
Ukrainianкислота
Кислота, a Ukrainian-language term for acid, is cognate with similar words across Slavic languages; it stems from Proto-Indo-European roots *ḱiséh₃- and *ḱis-/*ḱei-s, referring to fermentation and sourness respectively.

Acid in South Asian Languages

Bengaliঅ্যাসিড
"অ্যাসিড" শব্দটির আরও একটি অর্থ হলো ক্ষার
Gujaratiતેજાબ
The Gujarati word "તેજાબ" (acid) ultimately derives from the Persian word "تيزاب" (tezab), meaning "sour liquid".
Hindiअम्ल
The Hindi word 'अम्ल' also refers to a kind of metal which was used to extract precious metals from their ores in early metallurgy.
Kannadaಆಮ್ಲ
It is also used to refer to the fermented dough used in making idlis and dosas.
Malayalamആസിഡ്
ആസിഡ് is a loan word from English, and its original meaning was 'sour taste' or 'acidity.
Marathiआम्ल
The Marathi word "आम्ल" can also refer to a sour substance, such as a fruit or vegetable.
Nepaliएसिड
The word "एसिड" in Nepali can also mean "sour" or "tart".
Punjabiਐਸਿਡ
The Punjabi word "ਐਸਿਡ" may also refer to the acid form of a spice or other food ingredient used in cooking.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)අම්ලය
අම්ලය (amlaya) has alternate meanings of "tamarind" and "sour". The fruit of the tamarind tree also produces a sticky pulp that is used in Southeast Asian cuisine as a souring agent in foods and drinks.
Tamilஅமிலம்
The word "அமிலம்" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अम्ल" (amla), meaning "sour" or "tart".
Teluguఆమ్లము
"ఆమ్లము" is derived from the Sanskrit word "āmla" meaning "sour."
Urduتیزاب
"تیزاب" also translates to "sharpness" or "bitterness."

Acid in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
In Chinese, “酸” can also mean sour, or figuratively as something that irritates or disgusts.
Chinese (Traditional)
The word 酸 (acid) can also mean "sour" or "fermented" in Chinese.
Japanese
The original meaning of 「酸」 is "sour taste", and it came to be used to refer to "acid" later.
Korean
The Korean word "산" can also refer to a mountain, a hill, or a pass.
Mongolianхүчил
Хүчил has other meanings, such as 'vinegar' and 'sour'.
Myanmar (Burmese)အက်ဆစ်
"အက်ဆစ်" is derived from the French word "acide" and the Latin word "acidus", both meaning "sour".

Acid in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianasam
In Indonesian, asam is not only used to refer to acidic substances, but also to describe a sensation of sourness or astringency in food.
Javaneseasam
In Javanese, "asam" (acid) is also used to refer to sour or acidic fruits or plants.
Khmerអាសុីត
The word អាសុីត can also refer to a sour taste or a corrosive substance.
Laoກົດ
The Lao word "ກົດ" ("acid") is cognate with the Thai word "กรด" ("acid") and traces its origins to the Sanskrit word "कृष्ण" ("dark"), due to the dark color of some acids.
Malayasid
Asid, meaning "acid" in Malay, may also refer to sour or sharp-tasting substances.
Thaiกรด
กรด (gord): comes from the Sanskrit "krd" which also means "to eat or devour"
Vietnameseaxit
"Axit" (acid) is derived from the Latin word "acere," meaning "to be sour". It can also refer to a sharp, corrosive substance.
Filipino (Tagalog)acid

Acid in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniturşu
In Azerbaijani, "turşu" also refers to a traditional pickled vegetable dish similar to sauerkraut.
Kazakhқышқыл
The word "қышқыл" in Kazakh is derived from the Turkic root "ḳıš-" meaning "to become sour".
Kyrgyzкислота
В кыргызском языке слово "кислота" является заимствованием из русского языка.
Tajikкислота
"Кислота" (acid) derives from the Persian word "كيسله" (sour) and the Russian suffix "-ota"
Turkmenkislotasy
Uzbekkislota
The Uzbek word "kislota" can also mean "vinegar" or "sour taste."
Uyghurكىسلاتا

Acid in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianʻākika
'Ākika may also refer to an acid taste or to the acid of a plant
Maoriwaikawa
The Maori word "waikawa" can also refer to a bubbling acidic spring or geothermal pool.
Samoanacid
In Samoan, "acid" may also refer to a type of traditional pudding made with fermented breadfruit, called "fa'ausi".
Tagalog (Filipino)acid
The Tagalog word 'asim' can also mean 'sour' or 'tart', while in Cebuano, 'asim' means both 'acid' and 'unripe banana'.

Acid in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraácido ukaxa
Guaraniácido rehegua

Acid in International Languages

Esperantoacida
The original meaning of "acida" in Esperanto was "sour" specifically related to fruits, later its specific and more technical chemical use was taken from Russian
Latinacidum
The word "acidum" is thought to derive from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "sharp" or "sour". In addition to its literal meaning, it can also refer to a person's temperament or attitude.

Acid in Others Languages

Greekοξύ
The Greek word "οξύ" (oxy) also means "sharp" or "pointed", referring to the sour taste of acids on the tongue.
Hmongkua qaub
The term derives from the Thai words ก๋ายาบ 'to corrode' and กรด 'acid'.
Kurdishtirş
The word "tirş" in Kurdish can also refer to something that is sour or bitter.
Turkishasit
'Asit' in Turkish, comes from Arabic and originally meant 'sharp or stinging in taste'.
Xhosaasidi
The Xhosa word "asidi" can also mean "sour" or "bitter".
Yiddishזויער
The Yiddish word "זויער" (acid) also means "sour" in German and "sour" or "pickled" in Slavic languages.
Zului-asidi
The word i-asidi (acid) in Zulu is derived from the French word acide, which itself originated from the Latin acidus meaning "sour, sharp".
Assameseএচিড
Aymaraácido ukaxa
Bhojpuriएसिड के नाम से जानल जाला
Dhivehiއެސިޑް
Dogriएसिड
Filipino (Tagalog)acid
Guaraniácido rehegua
Ilocanoasido
Krioasid we dɛn kɔl
Kurdish (Sorani)ترش
Maithiliएसिड
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯦꯁꯤꯗ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ ꯌꯥꯏ꯫
Mizoacid a ni
Oromoasiidii
Odia (Oriya)ଏସିଡ୍ |
Quechuaácido nisqa
Sanskritअम्लम्
Tatarкислотасы
Tigrinyaኣሲድ
Tsongaacid

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