Beer in Different Languages
Discover 'Beer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Beer
Afrikaans bier | ||
Albanian birrë | ||
Amharic ቢራ | ||
Arabic بيرة | ||
Armenian գարեջուր | ||
Assamese বীয়েৰ | ||
Aymara sirvisa | ||
Azerbaijani pivə | ||
Bambara biyɛri | ||
Basque garagardoa | ||
Belarusian піва | ||
Bengali বিয়ার | ||
Bhojpuri बियर | ||
Bosnian pivo | ||
Bulgarian бира | ||
Catalan cervesa | ||
Cebuano serbesa | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 啤酒 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 啤酒 | ||
Corsican birra | ||
Croatian pivo | ||
Czech pivo | ||
Danish øl | ||
Dhivehi ބިއަރު | ||
Dogri बीयर | ||
Dutch bier | ||
English beer | ||
Esperanto biero | ||
Estonian õlu | ||
Ewe biya | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) beer | ||
Finnish olut | ||
French bière | ||
Frisian bier | ||
Galician cervexa | ||
Georgian ლუდი | ||
German bier | ||
Greek μπύρα | ||
Guarani guariryju | ||
Gujarati બીયર | ||
Haitian Creole byè | ||
Hausa giya | ||
Hawaiian pia | ||
Hebrew בירה | ||
Hindi बीयर | ||
Hmong npias | ||
Hungarian sör | ||
Icelandic bjór | ||
Igbo biya | ||
Ilocano serbesa | ||
Indonesian bir | ||
Irish beoir | ||
Italian birra | ||
Japanese ビール | ||
Javanese bir | ||
Kannada ಬಿಯರ್ | ||
Kazakh сыра | ||
Khmer ស្រាបៀរ | ||
Kinyarwanda byeri | ||
Konkani बिअर | ||
Korean 맥주 | ||
Krio bia | ||
Kurdish bîra | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) بیرە | ||
Kyrgyz сыра | ||
Lao ເບຍ | ||
Latin cervisiam | ||
Latvian alus | ||
Lingala masanga | ||
Lithuanian alaus | ||
Luganda omwenge | ||
Luxembourgish béier | ||
Macedonian пиво | ||
Maithili बियर | ||
Malagasy labiera | ||
Malay bir | ||
Malayalam ബിയർ | ||
Maltese birra | ||
Maori pia | ||
Marathi बिअर | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯅꯤꯁꯥ ꯄꯥꯟꯕ ꯊꯛꯅꯕ ꯃꯍꯤ | ||
Mizo zu chi khat | ||
Mongolian шар айраг | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ဘီယာ | ||
Nepali बियर | ||
Norwegian øl | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mowa | ||
Odia (Oriya) ବିୟର | ||
Oromo biiraa | ||
Pashto بير | ||
Persian آبجو | ||
Polish piwo | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) cerveja | ||
Punjabi oti sekengberi | ||
Quechua cerveza | ||
Romanian bere | ||
Russian пиво | ||
Samoan pia | ||
Sanskrit भीर | ||
Scots Gaelic lionn | ||
Sepedi piri | ||
Serbian пиво | ||
Sesotho biri | ||
Shona doro | ||
Sindhi بيئر | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) බියර් | ||
Slovak pivo | ||
Slovenian pivo | ||
Somali biir | ||
Spanish cerveza | ||
Sundanese bir | ||
Swahili bia | ||
Swedish öl | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) serbesa | ||
Tajik оби ҷав | ||
Tamil பீர் | ||
Tatar пиво | ||
Telugu బీర్ | ||
Thai เบียร์ | ||
Tigrinya ቢራ | ||
Tsonga byalwa | ||
Turkish bira | ||
Turkmen piwo | ||
Twi (Akan) biɛ | ||
Ukrainian пиво | ||
Urdu بیئر | ||
Uyghur پىۋا | ||
Uzbek pivo | ||
Vietnamese bia | ||
Welsh cwrw | ||
Xhosa ibhiya | ||
Yiddish ביר | ||
Yoruba oti sekengberi | ||
Zulu ubhiya |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | In Afrikaans, "bier" is also used to refer to a stretcher or coffin, reflecting an archaic meaning of the word in English. |
| Albanian | The word "birrë" also means "money" in Albanian and comes from the Italian word "lira" |
| Amharic | The etymology of the word "ቢራ" can be traced back to the Cushitic root "byr", which means "to ferment". |
| Arabic | The word "بيرة" ("beer") is derived from the word "بر" ("barley"), as it was originally made from fermented barley. |
| Azerbaijani | "Pivə" is also the Azerbaijani word for "medicine". |
| Basque | In Basque, "garagardoa" can also mean "thunder" or "heavy rain". |
| Belarusian | The word "піва" was once used in Belarusian to refer to any alcoholic beverage, including hard liquor, and not just beer. |
| Bengali | The word 'বিয়ার' in Bengali likely derives from the word 'biyar', which means 'strong liquor.' |
| Bosnian | The word 'pivo' has Slavic roots and is related to the words for 'drink', 'beverage', and 'water' in several other Slavic languages. |
| Bulgarian | The Bulgarian word "Бира" (beer) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bher-", meaning to bubble or ferment. |
| Catalan | "Cervesa" is a loanword from Latin "cervisia," which originally meant any fermented alcoholic beverage. |
| Cebuano | The word "serbesa" originates from the Spanish word "cerveza", meaning "beer". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 啤酒 (pì jiǔ) may also refer to a specific type of Chinese rice beer |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 啤酒 means "cold brewed" and refers to both ale and lager, depending on the context. |
| Corsican | The term "birra" in Corsican can also refer to a type of traditional Corsican soup made with chestnuts. |
| Croatian | 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. |
| Czech | The word "pivo" originally referred to any beverage, not necessarily beer. |
| Danish | In Old Norse, "öl" originally referred to any alcoholic beverage, but its meaning narrowed to "beer" in the 17th century. |
| Dutch | 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. |
| Esperanto | Biero (beer) is etymologically related to the word “bier” used in several Germanic languages, and also to the Hungarian “sör” |
| Estonian | "Õlu" in Estonian can also mean "straw". |
| Finnish | The word "olut" may share an origin with Indo-European "*heleh₃", meaning "alcohol, beer," and the Estonian "õlu" and Hungarian "sör". |
| French | The word "Bière" derives from the Latin word "bibere", meaning "to drink". |
| Frisian | In East Frisian, bier also means "stretcher" and "coffin", while in Saterland Frisian, it means "straw". |
| Galician | The Galician word "cervexa" shares its root with the Latin "*cerevisia," indicating its ancient origins. |
| Georgian | "ლუდი" (beer) is a loanword from Urartian, ultimately deriving from Proto-Hurro-Urartian "*ludi". |
| German | 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. |
| Greek | The word 'μπύρα' derives from the Proto-Germanic 'biuraz' which also gave rise to English 'beer', Russian 'пиво' and Sanskrit 'पिवः'. |
| Gujarati | The word "બીયર" (beer) likely derives from the Latin "bibere" (to drink), which also gave rise to the English word "beverage." |
| Haitian Creole | The word "byè" in Haitian Creole also means "goodbye" or "farewell". |
| Hausa | The word "giya" is also used to refer to any alcoholic beverage. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, "pia" can also refer to a type of wild sugarcane or a fermented beverage made from it. |
| Hebrew | The word "בירה" in Modern Hebrew means "beer," but in Biblical Hebrew, it refers to a fortified city or fortress. |
| Hindi | 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. |
| Hmong | The word "npias" can also refer to "rice wine" in the Hmong language. |
| Hungarian | The word "sör" can also refer to a celebration or event associated with beer drinking. |
| Icelandic | Bjór is also an Icelandic word for "beverage" or "liquid". |
| Igbo | In the Igbo dialect of southeastern Nigeria, "biya" also refers to a type of traditional fermented corn drink. |
| Indonesian | In Indonesian, the word "bir" also refers to a type of wild boar. |
| Irish | 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" derives from Latin, meaning "barley", but in modern Italian refers to any alcoholic beverage produced from fermented malt or other cereals. |
| Japanese | The word ビール (biiru) is a loanword from the English word "beer". |
| Javanese | "Bir" also means "male" or "man" in Javanese. |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಬಿಯರ್" derives from the Sanskrit word "भिरा" (bhira), meaning "a fermented liquor", and can also refer to alcoholic beverages in general. |
| Kazakh | The word "сыра" in Kazakh can also mean "beverage" or "drink" in general. |
| Khmer | The word “ស្រាបៀរ” in Khmer is derived from the French word “bière” and the Proto-Austronesian word *biraʔ, meaning “fermented alcoholic beverage.” |
| Korean | Though the word "맥주" means "beer" in Korean, it is derived from "makju," the name for a traditional Korean rice wine. |
| Kurdish | The word "bîra" is also used to refer to a type of fermented dairy drink similar to yogurt. |
| Kyrgyz | The Kyrgyz word "сыра" can also refer to fermented beverages made from grains other than barley, such as oats or millet. |
| Lao | 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. |
| Latin | The Latin word "cervisiam" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerh₂- meaning "to ferment" or "to grow". |
| Latvian | The word "alus" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el-, meaning "intoxicating liquid". |
| Lithuanian | 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"). |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Béier" in Luxembourgish also refers to a small, light-coloured, and slightly sparkling table beer. |
| Macedonian | The word "пиво" (pronounced "peevo") has Slavic roots and is related to the word "пить" (pronounced "peet"), which means "to drink". |
| Malagasy | The word "labiera" in Malagasy is derived from the French word "bière" and also refers to a type of alcoholic beverage made from honey. |
| Malay | The word "bir" in Malay also refers to fermented fruit drinks, such as "bir tapai" (fermented tapioca) and "bir kedondong" (fermented star fruit). |
| Malayalam | The word "ബിയർ" comes from the English word "beer". It has the same meaning in Malayalam. |
| Maltese | The word "birra" may also refer to a type of wine made from grapes that were dried or slightly cooked before being pressed. |
| Maori | The word "pia" can also refer to food or drink.} |
| Marathi | In Marathi, "बिअर" is the word for "beer," but it also means "forest" or "wild land." |
| Mongolian | Шар айраг is a type of Mongolian beer made from fermented mare's milk. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "ဘီယာ" in Myanmar is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "bīra" which means "intoxicating drink." |
| Nepali | The Nepali word 'बियर' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'भिक्षा', meaning 'alms'. |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word "øl" originally meant "drink" and was only in the Late Middle Ages restricted to alcoholic beverages. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja/Chichewa word 'mowa' also refers to the thick foam on liquids. |
| Pashto | The word "بير" ("beer") in Pashto also means "spring" or "well". |
| Persian | آبجو (beer) is derived from the Middle Persian word "āpgō," meaning "water of barley." |
| Polish | In the Silesian dialect, 'piwo' can also refer to a large mug used for drinking beer. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word "cerveja" comes from the Latin word "cervisia", which refers to a type of fermented beverage made from barley. |
| Punjabi | The word "Oti sekengberi" likely derives from "Oti sekengbe," a type of beer made from guinea corn. |
| Romanian | 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 | 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. |
| Samoan | **PIA** (**S**am**o**a): **a**lso refers to the fermented sap of a coconut |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word "lionn", meaning "beer", may be rooted in the medieval English word "lyn", meaning "a drink made from honey. |
| Serbian | The word "пиво" (beer) in Serbian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pivo", which also means "drink" or "liquid". |
| Sesotho | The word "biri" in Sesotho also means "sweet sorghum". |
| Shona | The root word doro means 'to drink', 'to quench thirst'; and is cognate with the word mvura meaning 'water'. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "بيئر" (beer) is derived from the Persian word "بئر" (beer), ultimately from the Arabic word "بئر" (well). |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The Sinhala word "බියර්" (beer) is derived from the English word "beer". |
| Slovak | Pivo is a loanword from German 'bier,' and originally also meant 'pepper' in Slovak. |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word 'pivo' for beer originates from the Proto-Slavic word 'piti', meaning 'to drink'. |
| Somali | 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. |
| Spanish | The word "cerveza" derives from the Latin "cervisia" and shares a root with "cereal", reflecting the historical use of grains in beer production. |
| Sundanese | The word "bir" can also refer to a type of rice wine. |
| Swahili | The word "bia" in Swahili can also refer to any alcoholic beverage, not just beer. |
| Swedish | The Swedish word "öl" and the Middle Low German "ol" are thought to have derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*h₂el-". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "serbesa" likely comes from the Spanish "cerveza", meaning "beer", as the Philippines was a Spanish colony for over 300 years. |
| Tajik | The Tajik word "оби ҷав" also refers to beer produced from barley. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word 'பீர்' (beer) can also refer to 'a small hole or cavity'. |
| Telugu | Telugu's "బీర్" originates from English's "beer", but also means "a small, narrow hole". |
| Thai | 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"). |
| Turkish | 'Bira' can also refer to the 'act of giving' in Turkish, similar to its meaning in Sanskrit and Prakrit |
| Ukrainian | The word "пиво" (beer) can also mean "brew" or "beverage" in Ukrainian. |
| Urdu | The word "بیئر" (beer) may derive from the Old German word "bier" or the Latin word "bibere" (to drink). |
| Uzbek | The word "pivo" in Uzbek is derived from the Turkic word "pyve" meaning "fermented drink". |
| Vietnamese | The Vietnamese word "bia" may derive from the Chinese character 啤酒 or the French beverage biere. |
| Welsh | The word "cwrw" in Welsh originates from the same Indo-European root as the English word "cervese" and the Irish word "cuirm". |
| Xhosa | 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 | The Yiddish word "ביר" ("beer") comes from Middle High German "bier" and is related to Latin "bibere" (to drink) and Greek "piō" (I drink). |
| Yoruba | "Oti sekengberi" also refers to local herbal concoctions and palm wine. |
| Zulu | In some Nguni dialects, the word "ubhiya" can also refer to other alcoholic beverages and traditional honey beer. |
| English | "Beer" comes from an old Germanic root meaning "to brew" and is related to the words "barley" and "berry." |