Alcohol in Different Languages
Discover 'Alcohol' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ah, alcohol! A word that evokes a myriad of reactions from people around the world. It's a substance that has been intertwined with the human story for millennia, playing significant roles in various cultures and societies. From ancient civilizations to modern-day gatherings, alcohol has been a constant companion, a social lubricant, and even a religious symbol.
But what do we really know about this fascinating word? Did you know that the term 'alcohol' comes from the Arabic word 'al-kuhl', meaning 'body-eating spirit'? Or that in ancient Egypt, beer was considered a daily necessity, even being used as a form of payment?
Understanding the translation of alcohol in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and historical contexts. For instance, the French call it 'alcool', the Spanish 'alcohol', while the Germans use the term 'Alkohol'. In Russia, it's known as 'алкоголь', and in Japan, it's referred to as 'アルコール'.
Join us as we delve deeper into the world of alcohol, exploring its significance, cultural importance, and of course, its translations in various languages.
Alcohol
Alcohol in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | alkohol | ||
| "Alkohol" can refer to the substance alcohol or an alcoholic beverage in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | አልኮል | ||
| In Amharic, "አልኮል" also means "essence" or "spirit". | |||
| Hausa | barasa | ||
| In Hausa, "barasa" means "a drink". It can also mean "beer" or "wine". | |||
| Igbo | mmanya | ||
| "Mmanya" also refers to any drink that gives the sensation of heat in the body such as tea when it's hot. | |||
| Malagasy | alikaola | ||
| Malagasy "alikaola," from Arabic "al-kuhul," may also refer to other liquids like oil or ink. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mowa | ||
| The word “mowa” is a derivative of the verb “kumwa”, which means “to drink”. | |||
| Shona | doro | ||
| The word "doro" in Shona refers to any traditional alcoholic beverage and is derived from the root "-doro" meaning "to brew or ferment". | |||
| Somali | aalkolo | ||
| The Somali word 'aalkolo' is derived from the Arabic word 'al-kohl', meaning 'powdered antimony', and is also used to refer to traditional medicines. | |||
| Sesotho | joala | ||
| The word "joala" in Sesotho has its roots in the Bantu language family and is related to the word "jola," meaning "to drink." | |||
| Swahili | pombe | ||
| The Swahili word "pombe" is likely derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*-ombe", meaning "to drink", and is cognate with the word "ubhabe" in isiZulu, which also means "alcohol". | |||
| Xhosa | utywala | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'utywala' is derived from the verb 'ukutywala' meaning 'to pour out'. | |||
| Yoruba | ọti-waini | ||
| The word "ọti-waini" can also mean "palm wine" or alcoholic drinks in general. | |||
| Zulu | utshwala | ||
| The word "utshwala" in Zulu also means "something that makes one forget". | |||
| Bambara | dɔlɔ | ||
| Ewe | ahasesẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inzoga | ||
| Lingala | masanga | ||
| Luganda | omwenge | ||
| Sepedi | alkhoholo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsaden | ||
Alcohol in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كحول | ||
| In modern Persian (Farsi), 'کحول' refers to kohl, while it is used synonymously with alcohol ('الکحول') in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | כּוֹהֶל | ||
| The Hebrew word 'כוהל' also means 'mascara' or 'eyeliner' in Modern Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | الکول | ||
| The Pashto word "الکول" derives from the Arabic "al-kuḥl", which originally referred to eye salve or antimony powder. | |||
| Arabic | كحول | ||
| In modern Persian (Farsi), 'کحول' refers to kohl, while it is used synonymously with alcohol ('الکحول') in Arabic. | |||
Alcohol in Western European Languages
| Albanian | alkooli | ||
| The word "alkooli" (alcohol) in Albanian also means "spirits" or "strong drink". | |||
| Basque | alkohola | ||
| The word "alkohola" in Basque has its origin in the Arabic word "al-kohl", which means "the essence". | |||
| Catalan | alcohol | ||
| In Catalan, "alcohol" can also mean "spirit" or "soul", derived from the Arabic word "al-kuhl" which originally referred to a fine powder used in cosmetics or medicine. | |||
| Croatian | alkohol | ||
| In Croatian, "alkohol" also refers to a specific type of liquor derived from fermented fruit. | |||
| Danish | alkohol | ||
| The Danish word "alkohol" comes from the Arabic word "al-kuḥl," originally meaning "powdered antimony" used as an eye cosmetic. | |||
| Dutch | alcohol | ||
| In Dutch, "alcohol" can also refer to a type of spirits, such as jenever. | |||
| English | alcohol | ||
| In Medieval Latin and Arabic, alcohol (الكحل – al-kuḥl) described a fine powder used in cosmetics, but became associated with distilled spirits later. | |||
| French | de l'alcool | ||
| The term "de l'alcool" in French has multiple meanings, including the colorless volatile liquid ethanol, a class of chemical compounds, and a beverage containing ethanol. | |||
| Frisian | alkohol | ||
| Frisian "alkohol" also translates as "eyewater." | |||
| Galician | alcohol | ||
| In Galician, "alcohol" refers to the purified residue after distillation or the substance produced by alcoholic fermentation (also called "alcohol puro"). | |||
| German | alkohol | ||
| Alkohol is cognate with the Arabic al-kuḥl (الْكُحْل), meaning "fine powder of antimony sulfide", which was used as an eye cosmetic. | |||
| Icelandic | áfengi | ||
| The Icelandic word "áfengi" is derived from the Old Norse words "andfang" (acceptance) and "engi" (without), meaning "that which is not accepted". | |||
| Irish | alcól | ||
| Alcól can also mean 'echo' or 'sound'} | |||
| Italian | alcol | ||
| The Italian word "alcol" comes from the Arabic word "al-kohl" meaning "powdered antimony" which was used as an eye cosmetic in ancient times. | |||
| Luxembourgish | alkohol | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Alkohol" also means "spirit" or "liquor". | |||
| Maltese | alkoħol | ||
| "Alkoħol" derives from Arabic "al-kuḥl" meaning "the powdered antimony". | |||
| Norwegian | alkohol | ||
| In Norwegian, "alkohol" can also refer to a specific type of liquor, typically with a high alcohol content. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | álcool | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "álcool" refers not only to alcohol in the chemical sense, but also to traditional distilled spirits like rum, whiskey, and vodka. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deoch làidir | ||
| "Deoch làidir" literally means "strong drink" in Scots Gaelic and is often used to refer specifically to whisky. | |||
| Spanish | alcohol | ||
| In the Spanish language, alcohol can also be a verb meaning “to sterilize” | |||
| Swedish | alkohol | ||
| The Swedish word 'alkohol' comes from Arabic, meaning 'fine powder' and originally denoting the chemical kohl. | |||
| Welsh | alcohol | ||
| The Welsh word alcohol is derived from the Arabic word al-kuḥl, meaning "kohl" or "antimony powder". | |||
Alcohol in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | алкаголь | ||
| The word "алкаголь" can also refer to a specific type of alcoholic drink, namely brandy. | |||
| Bosnian | alkohol | ||
| The word "alkohol" in Bosnian can also refer to a type of eye drops used to treat conjunctivitis. | |||
| Bulgarian | алкохол | ||
| The word "алкохол" in Bulgarian derives from Arabic "al-kuhl," meaning fine powder, specifically antimony powder for blackening eyelids. | |||
| Czech | alkohol | ||
| In Czech, "alkohol" also refers to any liquid containing ethanol, not just beverages | |||
| Estonian | alkohol | ||
| "Alkohol" in Estonian also means "ghost". | |||
| Finnish | alkoholia | ||
| Alkoholia is derived from the Arabic word "al-kuḥl", meaning "powdered antimony" used as eye makeup. | |||
| Hungarian | alkohol | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "alkohol" has an alternate meaning of "any volatile fluid". | |||
| Latvian | alkohols | ||
| Latvian "alkohols" comes from Arabic "al-kohl", meaning "fine powder", which was originally used as an eyeliner. | |||
| Lithuanian | alkoholio | ||
| The word "alkoholio" originates from the Arabic word "al-kuhl", meaning "fine powder of antimony sulfide," which was used as an eye cosmetic. | |||
| Macedonian | алкохол | ||
| The word "алкохол" originates from the Arabic word "الكحل" (al-kuḥl), originally referring to a fine powder used as eye makeup and medicine. | |||
| Polish | alkohol | ||
| In Polish, "alkohol" is the name of both the chemical class of alcohols and specifically ethanol, the type of alcohol present in alcoholic drinks. | |||
| Romanian | alcool | ||
| The Romanian word "alcool" is derived from the Arabic word "al-kuhl", meaning "the black powder". It also refers to kohl, a cosmetic used to darken the eyelids. | |||
| Russian | алкоголь | ||
| The word "алкоголь" ultimately derives from the Arabic word "الكحل" (al-kuḥl), which means "kohl" (a type of eye makeup). | |||
| Serbian | алкохол | ||
| The word 'алкохол' in Serbian comes from the Arabic word الكحول ('al-kuḥūl), meaning 'the kohl' or 'the antimony powder'. | |||
| Slovak | alkoholu | ||
| The word "alkoholu" in Slovak comes from the Arabic word "al-kuḥl" meaning "fine powder" or "kohl" (eye makeup). | |||
| Slovenian | alkohol | ||
| In Slovenian, 'alkohol' also refers to the substance called 'spirit of wine' in English. | |||
| Ukrainian | алкоголь | ||
| The word "алкоголь" derives from Arabic الكحل (al-kuḥl), which originally meant fine antimony powder used as an eye cosmetic. | |||
Alcohol in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অ্যালকোহল | ||
| The word "অ্যালকোহল" (alcohol) comes from the Arabic word "الكحول" (al-kuḥūl), which originally meant "fine powder" or "essence" but was later used to refer to the substance we now know as alcohol. | |||
| Gujarati | દારૂ | ||
| "દારૂ" also refers to an alcoholic beverage, and is cognate with the Hindi "daaru" and the Marathi "daar". | |||
| Hindi | शराब | ||
| The word 'शराब' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'सुर' meaning 'god' or 'divine' and is also used to refer to wine or spirits. | |||
| Kannada | ಆಲ್ಕೋಹಾಲ್ | ||
| The word "ಆಲ್ಕೋಹಾಲ್" (alcohol) is derived from the Arabic word "al-kuḥl" (antimony), which was used in ancient times as an eyeliner and medicine. | |||
| Malayalam | മദ്യം | ||
| The word "മദ്യം" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मद्य" which means "fermented liquor". It can also refer to "honey" and "anything intoxicating". | |||
| Marathi | दारू | ||
| The Marathi word "दारू" (dārū) is derived from the Sanskrit word "दुरु" (durū), meaning 'far away' or 'distant'. | |||
| Nepali | रक्सी | ||
| The Nepali word रक्सी (alcohol) is derived from the Sanskrit word रसा (essence), and also refers to a traditional alcoholic beverage made from fermented grains. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ਰਾਬ | ||
| The word "ਸ਼ਰਾਬ" (sharaab) in Punjabi originates from the Persian word "شراب" (sharab), which means "wine" or "alcoholic beverage." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මත්පැන් | ||
| The Sinhala word "මත්පැන්" (alcohol) originally meant "intoxicating drink", deriving from the Sanskrit "mada" (intoxication) and "pāna" (drink). | |||
| Tamil | ஆல்கஹால் | ||
| Telugu | మద్యం | ||
| The Telugu word "మద్యం" (madhyam) traces its roots to the Sanskrit word "मध्य" (madhya), which means "middle" or "intermediate". | |||
| Urdu | شراب | ||
| "شراب" in Urdu can also mean 'syrup', 'juice', or 'drink'. | |||
Alcohol in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 醇 | ||
| The word 醇 (chún) also means "mellow" or "pure" and was originally a term for refined wine. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 醇 | ||
| The Chinese character 醇 also refers to purity or richness, as in 醇厚 (chún hòu, "rich and mellow"). | |||
| Japanese | アルコール | ||
| In Japanese, the word "アルコール" can also refer to spirits containing a high concentration of alcohol. | |||
| Korean | 알코올 | ||
| The word 알코올 in Korean also refers to spirits, liquors, and intoxicants in general. | |||
| Mongolian | согтууруулах ундаа | ||
| The Mongolian word 'согтууруулах ундаа' also refers to other types of alcoholic drinks such as beer and vodka. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရက် | ||
| "အရက်" also means "medicine" in Myanmar, suggesting its early use as a healing potion. | |||
Alcohol in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | alkohol | ||
| Alkohol or etanol is a type of organic compound that contains a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom in an alkyl group. | |||
| Javanese | alkohol | ||
| Javanese "alkohol" also refers to a traditional liquor distilled from palm or coconut blossom sap. | |||
| Khmer | សុរា | ||
| The word "សុរា" in Khmer shares an etymological root with the Sanskrit word "sura" meaning "god". It could also refer to "water" or "liquid" in some contexts. | |||
| Lao | ເຫຼົ້າ | ||
| The etymology of the word "ເຫຼົ້າ" is unclear, but it may be of Sanskrit origin and related to the word "sura", meaning "alcohol" or "wine". It is also used in Lao to refer to traditional fermented beverages such as "lao-lao" and "som-bai". | |||
| Malay | alkohol | ||
| In Malay, "alkohol" specifically refers to traditional medicinal liquors. | |||
| Thai | แอลกอฮอล์ | ||
| The word "แอลกอฮอล์" comes from the Arabic word "الكحول" (al-kuḥūl), which originally meant "powdered antimony" or "kohl". | |||
| Vietnamese | rượu | ||
| Rượu was adopted into Vietnamese from Chinese rượu (酒), which can also refer to alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alak | ||
Alcohol in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | spirt | ||
| The word "spirt" in Azerbaijani has a double meaning: an evil spirit or an alcoholic spirit. | |||
| Kazakh | алкоголь | ||
| The Kazakh word "алкоголь" (alcohol) is borrowed from the Russian word "алкоголь", which in turn comes from the Arabic word "الكحول" (al-kuḥūl), meaning "fine powder" or "powdered antimony". | |||
| Kyrgyz | алкоголь | ||
| The word “алкоголь” comes from the Arabic word “al-kuhl”, which means “fine powder” or “kohl”. | |||
| Tajik | машрубот | ||
| The word "машрубот" derives from the Persian word "مَشک" (meshk), meaning "wineskin". | |||
| Turkmen | alkogol | ||
| Uzbek | spirtli ichimliklar | ||
| The Uzbek word for alcohol, "spirtli ichimliklar," derives from the Persian word "espirt," meaning "spirit," and the Turkish word "içimlik," meaning "drinkable." | |||
| Uyghur | ھاراق | ||
Alcohol in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻalekohola | ||
| 'Alekohola' in Hawaiian derives from the 16th-century Arabic 'al-kuḥl', meaning 'the kohl', originally a black powder used as eye makeup. | |||
| Maori | waipiro | ||
| The word 'waipiro' can also refer to traditional Maori fermented beverages made from sweet potatoes or flax roots. | |||
| Samoan | 'ava malosi | ||
| 'Ava malosi derives from 'ava, a mildly intoxicating drink made from the root of the kava plant, and malosi, meaning strong or severe. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | alak | ||
| The word "alak" is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "al-kahol", meaning "the kohl", as alcohol was first used as eye makeup. | |||
Alcohol in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alkula | ||
| Guarani | kaguy | ||
Alcohol in International Languages
| Esperanto | alkoholo | ||
| The word "alkoholo" can also mean "spirit" or "essence" in some contexts. | |||
| Latin | vocatus | ||
| The word "vocatus" in Latin is also used to mean "called" or "invited." | |||
Alcohol in Others Languages
| Greek | αλκοόλ | ||
| The Greek word "αλκοόλ" derives from the Arabic word "al-kuḥūl", meaning "the Kohl". In Arabic and other Semitic Languages, the word "kohl" mainly refers to a dark powder used as eyeliner, however it can also refer to the distillation process. | |||
| Hmong | cawv | ||
| “Cawv” is also a Hmong word for a “type of rice plant” and a “place where rice plants are grown”. | |||
| Kurdish | alkol | ||
| In Kurdish, "alkol" also means "essence" or "spirit". | |||
| Turkish | alkol | ||
| The word "alkol" in Turkish is derived from the Arabic word "al-kuhl", meaning "fine powder" or "kohl", a substance used as an eye cosmetic. | |||
| Xhosa | utywala | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'utywala' is derived from the verb 'ukutywala' meaning 'to pour out'. | |||
| Yiddish | אַלקאָהאָל | ||
| The word "אַלקאָהאָל" (alcohol) in Yiddish derives from the Arabic word "الكحل" (al-kuḥl), which originally referred to a fine black powder used as an eyeliner. | |||
| Zulu | utshwala | ||
| The word "utshwala" in Zulu also means "something that makes one forget". | |||
| Assamese | সুৰা | ||
| Aymara | alkula | ||
| Bhojpuri | शराब | ||
| Dhivehi | ރާ | ||
| Dogri | शराब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alak | ||
| Guarani | kaguy | ||
| Ilocano | arak | ||
| Krio | rum | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کحول | ||
| Maithili | दारु | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯨ | ||
| Mizo | zu | ||
| Oromo | dhugaatii nama macheessu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମଦ୍ୟପାନ | ||
| Quechua | alcohol | ||
| Sanskrit | मद्यसार | ||
| Tatar | спирт | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣልኮል | ||
| Tsonga | swipyopyi | ||