Beer in Different Languages
Discover 'Beer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Beer is more than just a refreshing beverage - it's a cultural phenomenon with a rich history that spans thousands of years. From ancient Sumerian texts to modern-day microbreweries, beer has played a significant role in human celebrations, social interactions, and even religious ceremonies. In fact, beer was so important in ancient Egypt that workers were paid in it!
Understanding the translation of beer in different languages can open up a world of cultural experiences. For example, the German word for beer is 'Bier,' while in Spanish, it's 'cerveza.' In Russia, beer is 'pivo,' and in Japan, it's 'biiru.' Each language's translation offers a unique perspective on the role of beer in that culture.
Whether you're a beer enthusiast, a language learner, or a cultural explorer, discovering the translations of beer in different languages can be a fun and fascinating journey. So why not raise a glass and cheers to cultural exploration? Prost, salud, na zdorovie, and kanpai to beer in all its delicious and culturally significant forms!
Beer
Beer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bier | ||
| In Afrikaans, "bier" is also used to refer to a stretcher or coffin, reflecting an archaic meaning of the word in English. | |||
| Amharic | ቢራ | ||
| The etymology of the word "ቢራ" can be traced back to the Cushitic root "byr", which means "to ferment". | |||
| Hausa | giya | ||
| The word "giya" is also used to refer to any alcoholic beverage. | |||
| Igbo | biya | ||
| In the Igbo dialect of southeastern Nigeria, "biya" also refers to a type of traditional fermented corn drink. | |||
| Malagasy | labiera | ||
| The word "labiera" in Malagasy is derived from the French word "bière" and also refers to a type of alcoholic beverage made from honey. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mowa | ||
| The Nyanja/Chichewa word 'mowa' also refers to the thick foam on liquids. | |||
| Shona | doro | ||
| The root word <i lang='sn'>doro</i> means 'to drink', 'to quench thirst'; and is cognate with the word <i lang='sn'>mvura</i> meaning 'water'. | |||
| Somali | biir | ||
| The word "biir" in Somali shares its root with the Arabic word "birrah" and the Coptic word "biōr", indicating a linguistic connection between the three languages. | |||
| Sesotho | biri | ||
| The word "biri" in Sesotho also means "sweet sorghum". | |||
| Swahili | bia | ||
| The word "bia" in Swahili can also refer to any alcoholic beverage, not just beer. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhiya | ||
| The word "ibhiya" is also a euphemism used to refer to alcohol in general, or specifically to sorghum beer, a popular alcoholic beverage traditionally brewed in South Africa. | |||
| Yoruba | oti sekengberi | ||
| "Oti sekengberi" also refers to local herbal concoctions and palm wine. | |||
| Zulu | ubhiya | ||
| In some Nguni dialects, the word "ubhiya" can also refer to other alcoholic beverages and traditional honey beer. | |||
| Bambara | biyɛri | ||
| Ewe | biya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | byeri | ||
| Lingala | masanga | ||
| Luganda | omwenge | ||
| Sepedi | piri | ||
| Twi (Akan) | biɛ | ||
Beer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بيرة | ||
| The word "بيرة" ("beer") is derived from the word "بر" ("barley"), as it was originally made from fermented barley. | |||
| Hebrew | בירה | ||
| The word "בירה" in Modern Hebrew means "beer," but in Biblical Hebrew, it refers to a fortified city or fortress. | |||
| Pashto | بير | ||
| The word "بير" ("beer") in Pashto also means "spring" or "well". | |||
| Arabic | بيرة | ||
| The word "بيرة" ("beer") is derived from the word "بر" ("barley"), as it was originally made from fermented barley. | |||
Beer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | birrë | ||
| The word "birrë" also means "money" in Albanian and comes from the Italian word "lira" | |||
| Basque | garagardoa | ||
| In Basque, "garagardoa" can also mean "thunder" or "heavy rain". | |||
| Catalan | cervesa | ||
| "Cervesa" is a loanword from Latin "cervisia," which originally meant any fermented alcoholic beverage. | |||
| Croatian | pivo | ||
| The word 'pivo' entered Croatian via the Czech 'pivo', which ultimately descends from Proto-Germanic *bewa-, 'to tremble', referring to the effervescence of fermenting beer. | |||
| Danish | øl | ||
| In Old Norse, "öl" originally referred to any alcoholic beverage, but its meaning narrowed to "beer" in the 17th century. | |||
| Dutch | bier | ||
| In Dutch, "bier" also refers to a stretcher or a coffin, both due to its resemblance to the shape of a coffin and the custom of serving beer at funerals. | |||
| English | beer | ||
| "Beer" comes from an old Germanic root meaning "to brew" and is related to the words "barley" and "berry." | |||
| French | bière | ||
| The word "Bière" derives from the Latin word "bibere", meaning "to drink". | |||
| Frisian | bier | ||
| In East Frisian, bier also means "stretcher" and "coffin", while in Saterland Frisian, it means "straw". | |||
| Galician | cervexa | ||
| The Galician word "cervexa" shares its root with the Latin "*cerevisia," indicating its ancient origins. | |||
| German | bier | ||
| The German word "Bier" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bher-, meaning "to bubble" or "to foam". Its cognates include the English word "beer" and the French word "bière". In some regions of Germany, "Bier" can also refer to other fermented beverages, such as apple cider or mead. | |||
| Icelandic | bjór | ||
| Bjór is also an Icelandic word for "beverage" or "liquid". | |||
| Irish | beoir | ||
| The Irish word 'beoir' is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *be¯ros, meaning 'fermented drink', and is related to the Welsh 'byr' and Breton 'bir', also meaning 'beer'. | |||
| Italian | birra | ||
| "Birra" derives from Latin, meaning "barley", but in modern Italian refers to any alcoholic beverage produced from fermented malt or other cereals. | |||
| Luxembourgish | béier | ||
| The word "Béier" in Luxembourgish also refers to a small, light-coloured, and slightly sparkling table beer. | |||
| Maltese | birra | ||
| The word "birra" may also refer to a type of wine made from grapes that were dried or slightly cooked before being pressed. | |||
| Norwegian | øl | ||
| The Norwegian word "øl" originally meant "drink" and was only in the Late Middle Ages restricted to alcoholic beverages. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cerveja | ||
| The word "cerveja" comes from the Latin word "cervisia", which refers to a type of fermented beverage made from barley. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lionn | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "lionn", meaning "beer", may be rooted in the medieval English word "lyn", meaning "a drink made from honey. | |||
| Spanish | cerveza | ||
| The word "cerveza" derives from the Latin "cervisia" and shares a root with "cereal", reflecting the historical use of grains in beer production. | |||
| Swedish | öl | ||
| The Swedish word "öl" and the Middle Low German "ol" are thought to have derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*h₂el-". | |||
| Welsh | cwrw | ||
| The word "cwrw" in Welsh originates from the same Indo-European root as the English word "cervese" and the Irish word "cuirm". | |||
Beer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | піва | ||
| The word "піва" was once used in Belarusian to refer to any alcoholic beverage, including hard liquor, and not just beer. | |||
| Bosnian | pivo | ||
| The word 'pivo' has Slavic roots and is related to the words for 'drink', 'beverage', and 'water' in several other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | бира | ||
| The Bulgarian word "Бира" (beer) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bher-", meaning to bubble or ferment. | |||
| Czech | pivo | ||
| The word "pivo" originally referred to any beverage, not necessarily beer. | |||
| Estonian | õlu | ||
| "Õlu" in Estonian can also mean "straw". | |||
| Finnish | olut | ||
| The word "olut" may share an origin with Indo-European "*heleh₃", meaning "alcohol, beer," and the Estonian "õlu" and Hungarian "sör". | |||
| Hungarian | sör | ||
| The word "sör" can also refer to a celebration or event associated with beer drinking. | |||
| Latvian | alus | ||
| The word "alus" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el-, meaning "intoxicating liquid". | |||
| Lithuanian | alaus | ||
| The Lithuanian word "alaus" is thought to be derived from the Old Prussian word "alus" (meaning "beer") or the Old German word "alo" (meaning "liquid"). | |||
| Macedonian | пиво | ||
| The word "пиво" (pronounced "peevo") has Slavic roots and is related to the word "пить" (pronounced "peet"), which means "to drink". | |||
| Polish | piwo | ||
| In the Silesian dialect, 'piwo' can also refer to a large mug used for drinking beer. | |||
| Romanian | bere | ||
| In Romanian, "bere" derives from the Slavic word "bir", meaning "fermentation" or "frothing". It also refers to birch sap in Romanian folklore and customs. | |||
| Russian | пиво | ||
| The origin of the word "пиво" is not certain, but it's thought to be related to the Proto-Germanic word "*beuuoz". The word "пиво" can also refer to a type of drink made from fermented fruit, honey, or berries. | |||
| Serbian | пиво | ||
| The word "пиво" (beer) in Serbian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pivo", which also means "drink" or "liquid". | |||
| Slovak | pivo | ||
| Pivo is a loanword from German 'bier,' and originally also meant 'pepper' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | pivo | ||
| The Slovenian word 'pivo' for beer originates from the Proto-Slavic word 'piti', meaning 'to drink'. | |||
| Ukrainian | пиво | ||
| The word "пиво" (beer) can also mean "brew" or "beverage" in Ukrainian. | |||
Beer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিয়ার | ||
| The word 'বিয়ার' in Bengali likely derives from the word 'biyar', which means 'strong liquor.' | |||
| Gujarati | બીયર | ||
| The word "બીયર" (beer) likely derives from the Latin "bibere" (to drink), which also gave rise to the English word "beverage." | |||
| Hindi | बीयर | ||
| The word 'बीयर' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhara', meaning 'to bear or carry', and the ancient Greeks used the term 'birra' for any fermented beverage. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಯರ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಬಿಯರ್" derives from the Sanskrit word "भिरा" (bhira), meaning "a fermented liquor", and can also refer to alcoholic beverages in general. | |||
| Malayalam | ബിയർ | ||
| The word "ബിയർ" comes from the English word "beer". It has the same meaning in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | बिअर | ||
| In Marathi, "बिअर" is the word for "beer," but it also means "forest" or "wild land." | |||
| Nepali | बियर | ||
| The Nepali word 'बियर' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'भिक्षा', meaning 'alms'. | |||
| Punjabi | oti sekengberi | ||
| The word "Oti sekengberi" likely derives from "Oti sekengbe," a type of beer made from guinea corn. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බියර් | ||
| The Sinhala word "බියර්" (beer) is derived from the English word "beer". | |||
| Tamil | பீர் | ||
| The Tamil word 'பீர்' (beer) can also refer to 'a small hole or cavity'. | |||
| Telugu | బీర్ | ||
| Telugu's "బీర్" originates from English's "beer", but also means "a small, narrow hole". | |||
| Urdu | بیئر | ||
| The word "بیئر" (beer) may derive from the Old German word "bier" or the Latin word "bibere" (to drink). | |||
Beer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 啤酒 | ||
| 啤酒 (pì jiǔ) may also refer to a specific type of Chinese rice beer | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 啤酒 | ||
| 啤酒 means "cold brewed" and refers to both ale and lager, depending on the context. | |||
| Japanese | ビール | ||
| The word ビール (biiru) is a loanword from the English word "beer". | |||
| Korean | 맥주 | ||
| Though the word "맥주" means "beer" in Korean, it is derived from "makju," the name for a traditional Korean rice wine. | |||
| Mongolian | шар айраг | ||
| Шар айраг is a type of Mongolian beer made from fermented mare's milk. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘီယာ | ||
| The word "ဘီယာ" in Myanmar is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "bīra" which means "intoxicating drink." | |||
Beer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bir | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "bir" also refers to a type of wild boar. | |||
| Javanese | bir | ||
| "Bir" also means "male" or "man" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ស្រាបៀរ | ||
| The word “ស្រាបៀរ” in Khmer is derived from the French word “bière” and the Proto-Austronesian word *biraʔ, meaning “fermented alcoholic beverage.” | |||
| Lao | ເບຍ | ||
| The word "ເບຍ" in Lao is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhēru", which originally meant "drum". This is likely due to the fact that beer was often served in drums in ancient times. | |||
| Malay | bir | ||
| The word "bir" in Malay also refers to fermented fruit drinks, such as "bir tapai" (fermented tapioca) and "bir kedondong" (fermented star fruit). | |||
| Thai | เบียร์ | ||
| เบียร์ is the loanword form of English "beer", and can also mean "water". The water meaning can still be found in its compound form "น้ำเบียร์" (nam-bia, "beer-water"). | |||
| Vietnamese | bia | ||
| The Vietnamese word "bia" may derive from the Chinese character 啤酒 or the French beverage biere. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | beer | ||
Beer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pivə | ||
| "Pivə" is also the Azerbaijani word for "medicine". | |||
| Kazakh | сыра | ||
| The word "сыра" in Kazakh can also mean "beverage" or "drink" in general. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сыра | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "сыра" can also refer to fermented beverages made from grains other than barley, such as oats or millet. | |||
| Tajik | оби ҷав | ||
| The Tajik word "оби ҷав" also refers to beer produced from barley. | |||
| Turkmen | piwo | ||
| Uzbek | pivo | ||
| The word "pivo" in Uzbek is derived from the Turkic word "pyve" meaning "fermented drink". | |||
| Uyghur | پىۋا | ||
Beer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pia | ||
| In Hawaiian, "pia" can also refer to a type of wild sugarcane or a fermented beverage made from it. | |||
| Maori | pia | ||
| The word "pia" can also refer to food or drink.} | |||
| Samoan | pia | ||
| **PIA** (**S**am**o**a): **a**lso refers to the fermented sap of a coconut | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | serbesa | ||
| The Tagalog word "serbesa" likely comes from the Spanish "cerveza", meaning "beer", as the Philippines was a Spanish colony for over 300 years. | |||
Beer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sirvisa | ||
| Guarani | guariryju | ||
Beer in International Languages
| Esperanto | biero | ||
| Biero (beer) is etymologically related to the word “bier” used in several Germanic languages, and also to the Hungarian “sör” | |||
| Latin | cervisiam | ||
| The Latin word "cervisiam" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerh₂- meaning "to ferment" or "to grow". | |||
Beer in Others Languages
| Greek | μπύρα | ||
| The word 'μπύρα' derives from the Proto-Germanic 'biuraz' which also gave rise to English 'beer', Russian 'пиво' and Sanskrit 'पिवः'. | |||
| Hmong | npias | ||
| The word "npias" can also refer to "rice wine" in the Hmong language. | |||
| Kurdish | bîra | ||
| The word "bîra" is also used to refer to a type of fermented dairy drink similar to yogurt. | |||
| Turkish | bira | ||
| 'Bira' can also refer to the 'act of giving' in Turkish, similar to its meaning in Sanskrit and Prakrit | |||
| Xhosa | ibhiya | ||
| The word "ibhiya" is also a euphemism used to refer to alcohol in general, or specifically to sorghum beer, a popular alcoholic beverage traditionally brewed in South Africa. | |||
| Yiddish | ביר | ||
| The Yiddish word "ביר" ("beer") comes from Middle High German "bier" and is related to Latin "bibere" (to drink) and Greek "piō" (I drink). | |||
| Zulu | ubhiya | ||
| In some Nguni dialects, the word "ubhiya" can also refer to other alcoholic beverages and traditional honey beer. | |||
| Assamese | বীয়েৰ | ||
| Aymara | sirvisa | ||
| Bhojpuri | बियर | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިއަރު | ||
| Dogri | बीयर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | beer | ||
| Guarani | guariryju | ||
| Ilocano | serbesa | ||
| Krio | bia | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بیرە | ||
| Maithili | बियर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯤꯁꯥ ꯄꯥꯟꯕ ꯊꯛꯅꯕ ꯃꯍꯤ | ||
| Mizo | zu chi khat | ||
| Oromo | biiraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିୟର | ||
| Quechua | cerveza | ||
| Sanskrit | भीर | ||
| Tatar | пиво | ||
| Tigrinya | ቢራ | ||
| Tsonga | byalwa | ||