Apple in Different Languages
Discover 'Apple' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ah, the humble apple! A fruit of significance and cultural importance that has captured the hearts and taste buds of people around the world. From the biblical story of Adam and Eve to the legendary tale of Newton's discovery of gravity, apples have played a starring role in many stories and legends. They're also a popular symbol of knowledge, temptation, and teachers, as seen in the famous proverb, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.'
But did you know that the word for apple varies greatly across different languages? For instance, in Spanish, it's 'manzana,' while in German, it's 'Apfel.' In Russian, it's 'яблоко' (yabloko), and in Japanese, it's 'りんご' (ringo). These translations not only offer insight into the linguistic diversity of the world but also provide a glimpse into the cultural significance of apples in different regions.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the translations of the word 'apple' is a fun and fascinating way to deepen your understanding of global cultures and languages.
Apple
Apple in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | appel | ||
| "Appel" also means "to appeal" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ፖም | ||
| The word "pom" can also refer to the fruit of the "cordia africana" tree or the "ficus sycomorus" tree in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | apple | ||
| The Hausa word for "apple", **àlpà,** is also a type of tree. | |||
| Igbo | apụl | ||
| The word "apụl" has the same etymology as the word "àpịá", which means "fruit". | |||
| Malagasy | paoma | ||
| The Malagasy word 'paoma' is cognate with the Malay word 'pama', which means 'fruit' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | apulosi | ||
| The word "apulosi" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the Portuguese word "mapolossi", meaning "apple from Portugal". | |||
| Shona | apuro | ||
| In the Shona language, 'apuro' can refer to the fruit we know as an 'apple', or it can be used as a collective term for any round, fleshy fruit. | |||
| Somali | tufaax | ||
| The word "tufaax" originates from the Arabic word "tuffaḥ" meaning "apple" or "young deer." | |||
| Sesotho | apole | ||
| The name given to a traditional beer, and to the round-bottomed pot used for serving beer | |||
| Swahili | apple | ||
| In Swahili, "apple" can also mean "knowledge" or "poison." | |||
| Xhosa | apile | ||
| The word 'apile' also means 'to be red' or 'to turn red' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | apu | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "Apu" means "fruit" or "seed" and can refer to a broad range of edible plant products. | |||
| Zulu | i-apula | ||
| "I-apula" is also the Zulu word for "fruit" and is cognate with "apula" (fruit) in Xhosa. | |||
| Bambara | pɔmu | ||
| Ewe | apel | ||
| Kinyarwanda | pome | ||
| Lingala | pomme | ||
| Luganda | ekibala | ||
| Sepedi | apola | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aprɛ | ||
Apple in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تفاحة | ||
| In some Arabic dialects, "تفاحة" (apple) can also refer to the "iris" of the eye. | |||
| Hebrew | תפוח עץ | ||
| The Hebrew word "תפוח עץ" can also mean "orange" or "citron", and derives from the root word for "swollen". | |||
| Pashto | م appleه | ||
| "م appleه" is also used to refer to the pupil of the eye in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | تفاحة | ||
| In some Arabic dialects, "تفاحة" (apple) can also refer to the "iris" of the eye. | |||
Apple in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mollë | ||
| In Gheg Albanian, "mollë" can also refer to a quince, while in Tosk Albanian it can refer to a pear or quince. | |||
| Basque | sagarra | ||
| Its meaning and etymology have also been related to "fire" and "heat". | |||
| Catalan | poma | ||
| The word "poma" in Catalan is of Latin origin and also refers to a spherical or round shape in other contexts. | |||
| Croatian | jabuka | ||
| The word jabuka also means the 'Adam's apple', which in Croatian is called 'Škilj'. Similar words exist in most Slavic languages. | |||
| Danish | æble | ||
| The Danish word 'æble' is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'aplaz,' meaning 'fruit' or 'apple-like' | |||
| Dutch | appel | ||
| The Dutch word 'appel' also refers to the pupil of the eye and to the peduncle of fruit. | |||
| English | apple | ||
| Though "apple" only refers to the fruit of _Malus domestica_ in modern English, it once referred to _any_ pome fruit (e.g. quince, pear) or even generic fruit or seed. | |||
| French | pomme | ||
| The French word "Pomme" can also refer to a doorknob, a type of potato, or a perfume bottle. | |||
| Frisian | appel | ||
| The Frisian word "appel" (apple) can also refer to certain varieties of potato or pumpkin | |||
| Galician | mazá | ||
| The Galician word "mazá" has Celtic origins, and also means "mace" or "hammer" in some contexts. | |||
| German | apfel | ||
| The term "Apfel" stems from the Indo-European word "ab-el", meaning "something sour and round" and is related to the Latin "pomum" and Irish "ub-ul". | |||
| Icelandic | epli | ||
| The word "epli" can also refer to a type of Icelandic horse, or a type of Icelandic wooden drinking cup. | |||
| Irish | úll | ||
| Úll is derived from Proto-Celtic *ablo-, which also meant fruit or berry. | |||
| Italian | mela | ||
| 'Mela' is also the name given to an Italian variety of apple. | |||
| Luxembourgish | äppel | ||
| "Äppel" in Luxembourgish is of proto-Germanic origin, akin to the English "apple" and also means "ball" in the context of juggling. | |||
| Maltese | tuffieħ | ||
| The origin of the Maltese word for 'apple', 'tuffieħ', is unclear, possibly deriving from the Arabic 'tuffāḥ' or the Latin 'malum'} | |||
| Norwegian | eple | ||
| In some dialects of Norwegian, "eple" can also refer to the fruit of the pear tree, while "pære" refers to the fruit of the apple tree. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | maçã | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "maçã" originates from the Latin "malum matianum" (apple from Mattia), a type of apple highly praised by the Romans and grown in the province of Tuscia, Italy. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ubhal | ||
| In Scottish Gaelic, the word "ubhal" can also refer to a "wild apple" or "crabapple". | |||
| Spanish | manzana | ||
| The word 'manzana' derives from the Latin 'malum', meaning 'evil' or 'poison', due to its similarity to the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. | |||
| Swedish | äpple | ||
| Swedish "äpple" derives from Old Norse "epli" and is related to Latin "mālum" and Old English "æppel" | |||
| Welsh | afal | ||
| The Welsh word 'afal' comes from the Latin 'abellum', meaning 'little apple'. | |||
Apple in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | яблык | ||
| The word "яблык" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂éḱm̥h₃kos, which also gave rise to the English word "apple" and the Latin word "mālum". | |||
| Bosnian | jabuka | ||
| "Jabuka" is also a term of endearment in Bosnian, usually used between lovers or close friends. | |||
| Bulgarian | ябълка | ||
| The word "ябълка" is also used to refer to the Adam's apple in Bulgarian, and it has the same Indo-European root as "apple": "h₂éḱwobh₂". | |||
| Czech | jablko | ||
| The word "jablko" in Czech is cognate with the word "yabloko" in Russian and "ябълка" in Bulgarian, which all ultimately derive from the Proto-Slavic word *jъblъko*. | |||
| Estonian | õun | ||
| The word "õun" is thought to be derived from the Old Germanic word "aþal" (apple) and is related to the Russian word "yablonko" (apple tree). | |||
| Finnish | omena | ||
| 'Omena' is the word for 'apple' in Finnish and also refers to a fruit-bearing deciduous tree. | |||
| Hungarian | alma | ||
| The Hungarian word "alma" not only means apple, but also soul, life and memory, all likely deriving from the proto-Uralic "älmä" or "jälmä", meaning "life". | |||
| Latvian | ābolu | ||
| Latvian “ābolu” has cognates in other Baltic languages, e.g., Lithuanian “obuolys” and Old Prussian “abalis”, and may be related to Sanskrit “ā́plava” (“fruit”), indicating a potential Indo-European origin. | |||
| Lithuanian | obuolys | ||
| "Obuolys" is cognate with Old Prussian "abalis" and Slavic "jablko. | |||
| Macedonian | јаболко | ||
| The Macedonian word "јаболко" (apple) is thought to be derived from the Proto-Slavic "*jablko" and is related to the Latin "malum" (apple). | |||
| Polish | jabłko | ||
| The Polish word "jabłko" also means "target" and might be related to the verb "to hit" in Old Church Slavonic, as apples were traditionally used as targets. | |||
| Romanian | măr | ||
| The Romanian word "măr" can also refer to a kind of snake or a type of wild cherry. | |||
| Russian | яблоко | ||
| As a Slavic word, "яблоко" also refers to other fruits and sometimes the whole harvest of a particular plant or tree. | |||
| Serbian | јабука | ||
| In Serbian, the word "јабука" can also refer to the throat or a type of cannon. | |||
| Slovak | jablko | ||
| "Jablko" in Slovak also refers to an apple-shaped pendant on traditional folk jewelry, or can mean a target in archery or shooting practice. | |||
| Slovenian | jabolko | ||
| Jabolko, the Slovenian word for "apple", is also used to refer to the pupil of the eye or the pommel of a sword. | |||
| Ukrainian | яблуко | ||
| The word "яблуко" also refers to the pupil of an eye, a target, or a symbol of temptation or forbidden knowledge. | |||
Apple in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আপেল | ||
| The word 'আপেল' is derived from the Latin word 'pomum', meaning 'fruit'. | |||
| Gujarati | સફરજન | ||
| The word 'સફરજન' ('apple') shares its Indo-Aryan origin with 'apple' but also connotes other fruits like pears and quince. | |||
| Hindi | सेब | ||
| The word "सेब" (apple) comes from the Persian word "sib" meaning "fruit" and is also used to refer to other round fruits like quince, pear, or apricot. | |||
| Kannada | ಸೇಬು | ||
| The word "ಸೇಬು" can also refer to the fruit of the "Aegle marmelos" tree, commonly known as the "bael" fruit. | |||
| Malayalam | ആപ്പിൾ | ||
| The word "ആപ്പിൾ" originates from the Sanskrit word "आप" (āpa), meaning "water" or "juice", and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ep- "to draw water, flow." | |||
| Marathi | सफरचंद | ||
| In Marathi, "सफरचंद" likely derives from Persian "sifri" meaning "copper" or alternatively "sifarjal" meaning "quince." | |||
| Nepali | स्याऊ | ||
| "स्याऊ" originated from the Nepali version of the Sanskrit word "सेब" (seb), which later evolved to the Newari word "स्याः" (syah) and finally "स्याऊ" (syau). | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੇਬ | ||
| The word "ਸੇਬ" (apple) in Punjabi likely originated from the Persian word "سیب" (sib), which means both "apple" and "quince". In some dialects of Punjabi, "ਸੇਬ" can also refer to a type of plum or apricot. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇපල් | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "ඇපල්" can also refer to the fruit of the wood apple tree, known as "limda" in English. | |||
| Tamil | ஆப்பிள் | ||
| The word 'ஆப்பிள்' ('apple') is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word 'appal', meaning 'a round fruit'. | |||
| Telugu | ఆపిల్ | ||
| ఆపిల్ (āpil) comes from Sanskrit "āpivāla", and refers both to the apple and to the apricot. | |||
| Urdu | سیب | ||
| The Urdu word "سیب" can also mean a dimple or mark on the skin. | |||
Apple in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 苹果 | ||
| 苹果 originally meant "crab apple" and is unrelated to the fruit known as the "apple" in English. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蘋果 | ||
| The Chinese character "蘋果" is often used in Chinese medicine to refer to a specific type of fruit that is similar to an apple, but is not the same. | |||
| Japanese | 林檎 | ||
| The word "林檎" (apple) in Japanese originally referred to a type of fruit from the rose family, but now it refers to apples in general. | |||
| Korean | 사과 | ||
| In Middle Korean, “사과” (sapgwa) referred to any of the various pome fruits with numerous seeds that grow on trees: pomegranates, quinces, crabapples, and jujubes. | |||
| Mongolian | алим | ||
| The word "алим" can also refer to the fruit of the pear tree in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပန်းသီး | ||
| In Myanmar, "ပန်းသီး" also refers to the fruit of the custard apple tree, a different species from the common apple. | |||
Apple in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | apel | ||
| The Indonesian word "apel" is derived from the Dutch word "appel", which refers to the fruit, as well as meetings and assemblies. | |||
| Javanese | apel | ||
| The Javanese word "apel" can also mean "roll call" or "parade", derived from the Dutch word "appel" with the same meaning. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្លែប៉ោម | ||
| ផ្លែប៉ោម in Khmer, originally referred to pomegranates and was adopted to refer to apples in modern usage. | |||
| Lao | ຫມາກໂປມ | ||
| It is the word for any round fruit with edible flesh and a central core containing seeds in Lao. | |||
| Malay | epal | ||
| The word "epal" in Malay can also mean "to boast" | |||
| Thai | แอปเปิ้ล | ||
| แอปเปิ้ล (apple) ชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์คือ Malus domestica ซึ่งมีรากศัพท์มาจากภาษากรีกคำว่า | |||
| Vietnamese | táo | ||
| The word “táo” in Vietnamese is derived from the Chinese word “ táo táo”, representing different meanings like “peach”, “plum”, or “date”. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mansanas | ||
Apple in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | alma | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "alma" can also refer to a "face" or "appearance". | |||
| Kazakh | алма | ||
| "Алма" in Kazakh originates from the Persian word "sieb" and can also refer to a city in Kazakhstan | |||
| Kyrgyz | алма | ||
| The word "алма" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*almaŋ, meaning "apple", and is cognate with the Kazakh "алма" and the Turkish "elma". | |||
| Tajik | себ | ||
| The word "себ" in Tajik refers to the fruit and the colour that it is, which has been borrowed from Persian. | |||
| Turkmen | alma | ||
| Uzbek | olma | ||
| The word "olma" in Uzbek also refers to the fruit of the pear tree. | |||
| Uyghur | ئالما | ||
Apple in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻāpala | ||
| In Hawaiian, ʻāpala also refers to a certain citrus called 'pummelo' (Citrus maxima) which is a much different fruit from what English-speakers know as an 'apple'. | |||
| Maori | aporo | ||
| "Aporo" in Maori is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "*po" meaning "fruit of the tree". | |||
| Samoan | apu | ||
| In Samoan, 'apu' shares the same root word with 'ʻafu,' meaning 'to protect' or 'to shelter,' suggesting a symbolic connection between the fruit and its nourishing qualities. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mansanas | ||
| "Mansanas" is a Spanish word for apple that was borrowed into Tagalog during the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. | |||
Apple in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mansana | ||
| Guarani | gjuavirana'a | ||
Apple in International Languages
| Esperanto | pomo | ||
| In Esperanto, “pomo” can also refer to a computer or a person’s head. | |||
| Latin | malum | ||
| **Malum:** (Latin) "apple." Also, "evil" or "bad." | |||
Apple in Others Languages
| Greek | μήλο | ||
| The Greek word "μήλο" also signifies "sheep" or "flock", and it is cognate with Latin "mālum" and English "malt". | |||
| Hmong | kua | ||
| In some dialects of Hmong, "kua" can also refer to fruit in general. | |||
| Kurdish | sêv | ||
| The Kurdish word "sêv" is etymologically linked to the Indo-European root *seb-, which also gives rise to "apple" in English. | |||
| Turkish | elma | ||
| The word "elma" also means "target" in Turkish, originating from the Ottoman Turkish word "alm" (Arabic: علم) meaning "flag" or "standard". | |||
| Xhosa | apile | ||
| The word 'apile' also means 'to be red' or 'to turn red' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | עפּל | ||
| In some Yiddish dialects, "עפּל" (epl) means "potato" or even "any tuberous vegetable". | |||
| Zulu | i-apula | ||
| "I-apula" is also the Zulu word for "fruit" and is cognate with "apula" (fruit) in Xhosa. | |||
| Assamese | আপেল | ||
| Aymara | mansana | ||
| Bhojpuri | सेब | ||
| Dhivehi | އާފަލު | ||
| Dogri | स्येऊ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mansanas | ||
| Guarani | gjuavirana'a | ||
| Ilocano | mansanas | ||
| Krio | apul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سێو | ||
| Maithili | सेब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯝ | ||
| Mizo | apple | ||
| Oromo | appilii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆପଲ୍ | ||
| Quechua | manzana | ||
| Sanskrit | सेवफल | ||
| Tatar | алма | ||
| Tigrinya | መለ | ||
| Tsonga | apula | ||