Bullet in Different Languages
Discover 'Bullet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Bullets have played a significant role in human history, from their use in hunting and warfare to their symbolic representation in language and culture. The word 'bullet' itself refers to a small projectile expelled from a firearm, and its importance cannot be overstated. From the earliest firearms to the most advanced weaponry, bullets have been a constant feature of human conflict and technological development.
Beyond their practical uses, bullets have also made their way into our language and culture. For example, the phrase 'shooting from the hip' uses the image of a quick-draw gunfight to describe a spontaneous or off-the-cuff remark. Meanwhile, the term 'bullet point' refers to a concise, memorable statement, often used in presentations and lists.
Given the word's significance and cultural importance, it's no surprise that people might want to know its translation in different languages. Here are just a few examples:
- Spanish: bala
- French: balle
- German: Kugel
- Italian: proiettile
- Japanese: 銃弾 (jūdan)
- Chinese: 子弹 (zǐdàn)
- Russian: пуля (pulya)
Whether you're a history buff, a language enthusiast, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the many translations of the word 'bullet' is a fascinating way to deepen your understanding of different cultures and traditions.
Bullet
Bullet in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | koeël | ||
| The word "koeël" shares its origin with the Dutch word "kogel," meaning "sphere" or "ball," and it can also refer to a bowling ball or a ball bearing. | |||
| Amharic | ጥይት | ||
| The word ጥይት, meaning "bullet," can also refer to a "small bird" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | harsashi | ||
| The word "harsashi" originates from the Hausa word "harshe" which means "to penetrate" or "to pierce" | |||
| Igbo | mgbo | ||
| The word "mgbo" can also refer to a "grain", such as a grain of rice or a piece of corn. | |||
| Malagasy | bala | ||
| The Malagasy "bala" also refers to a "bean" or even to the "leg" of a table. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chipolopolo | ||
| The word 'chipolopolo' in Nyanja is a diminutive form of 'chipolo', meaning 'bullet' or 'pellet'. | |||
| Shona | bara | ||
| In some dialects, 'bara' may also refer to a small stone, a pebble, or a bead. | |||
| Somali | xabad | ||
| The word "xabad" can also mean "free" or "empty", reflecting the fact that a bullet leaves a gun empty. | |||
| Sesotho | kulo | ||
| In Zulu, the word 'kulo' means 'to shoot', while in Setswana it means 'to aim' or 'to target'. | |||
| Swahili | risasi | ||
| The Swahili word ''risasi'' comes from the Arabic 'rasasa', meaning 'drop of liquid', referring to the bullet's small, droplet-like shape. | |||
| Xhosa | imbumbulu | ||
| Yoruba | ọta ibọn | ||
| In Yoruba, "ọta ibọn" is a compound word that literally translates to "stone of a gun". | |||
| Zulu | inhlamvu | ||
| The word "inhlamvu" can also refer to a shooting star or a meteor. | |||
| Bambara | marifa | ||
| Ewe | tu si wotsɔna ƒoa tu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amasasu | ||
| Lingala | lisasi ya kobɛta | ||
| Luganda | essasi | ||
| Sepedi | kulo ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tuo a wɔde tuo | ||
Bullet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رصاصة | ||
| The word "رصاصة" is derived from the Persian word "sar" meaning "head" and was originally used to refer to a lead weight used in slingshots. | |||
| Hebrew | כַּדוּר | ||
| The Hebrew word "כַּדוּר" (kudur) initially meant "sphere" or "ball" and only later acquired the meaning of "bullet". | |||
| Pashto | ګولی | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ګولی" can also refer to a cannonball, a marble, or a small ball used in games. | |||
| Arabic | رصاصة | ||
| The word "رصاصة" is derived from the Persian word "sar" meaning "head" and was originally used to refer to a lead weight used in slingshots. | |||
Bullet in Western European Languages
| Albanian | plumb | ||
| The word "plumb" in Albanian can also refer to a ball of yarn or thread. | |||
| Basque | bala | ||
| In Basque, "bala" also means "bale" or "pack". | |||
| Catalan | bala | ||
| The Catalan word "bala" also means "whale" and derives from the Greek "phálena" (large sea mammal), which also spawned the English "balena" (whale) and "whalebone". | |||
| Croatian | metak | ||
| "Metak" (bullet) originates from German "metall" (metal), and is a cognate of words like "metal" and "meteor". | |||
| Danish | kugle | ||
| The word "kugle" in Danish comes from the Proto-Norse "*kula", meaning "ball" or "sphere", which also gave rise to the words "ball" and "bowl" in English. | |||
| Dutch | kogel | ||
| In Dutch, "kogel" can also refer to a marble, a cannonball, or a ball in a pinball machine. | |||
| English | bullet | ||
| The word "bullet" derives from the French "boulette," small ball, which itself comes from the Latin "bulla," a liquid-filled sac or bubble. | |||
| French | balle | ||
| The word "balle" in French can also refer to a ball, a vote, or a lie. | |||
| Frisian | kûgel | ||
| The Frisian word "kûgel" originates from the Old Frisian word "kugel" and is related to the Dutch "kogel" and German "Kugel", all derived from the Latin "globulus" (meaning "small sphere"). | |||
| Galician | bala | ||
| In Galician, "bala" can also mean "lie" or "nonsense." | |||
| German | kugel | ||
| The German word "Kugel" can also mean "ball", "sphere", or "marble". | |||
| Icelandic | kúla | ||
| Icelandic 'kúla' derives from the same root as English 'ball' and originally meant 'globular mass' or 'round object' | |||
| Irish | piléar | ||
| In Irish, | |||
| Italian | proiettile | ||
| The word "proiettile" comes from the Latin word "proicere," meaning "to throw forward." | |||
| Luxembourgish | kugel | ||
| (From German "Kugel" = sphere; see Kugel in German) | |||
| Maltese | bulit | ||
| The Maltese word "bulit" also means "to boil" or "to cook in boiling water". | |||
| Norwegian | kule | ||
| The word "kule" also means "cool" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bala | ||
| The word "bala" can also mean "candy" or "marble" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | peileir | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "peileir" also means "ball" or "pellet". | |||
| Spanish | bala | ||
| In Spain, "bala" can also refer to a large marble used in children's games. | |||
| Swedish | kula | ||
| The word "kula" also means "ball" or "sphere" in Swedish, and is derived from the Old Norse word "kūla" with the same meaning. | |||
| Welsh | bwled | ||
| The Welsh word "bwled" can also refer to the head, a knot in wood, or a bump or swelling. | |||
Bullet in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | куля | ||
| The word “куля” can also be used in Belarusian slang to mean “a head” or “a big ball of something”. | |||
| Bosnian | metak | ||
| The word "metak" can also refer to a "metal object" or a "coin" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | куршум | ||
| "Куршум" is not only the Bulgarian word for "bullet", but also for "lead," due to bullets once primarily being cast from lead. | |||
| Czech | kulka | ||
| The word "kulka" originally referred to a small ball made of stone or metal and used as a weapon, not just a projectile. | |||
| Estonian | kuul | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "bullet," "kuul" can also refer to a ball or sphere in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | luoti | ||
| The word "luoti" is probably derived from the Russian word "пуля" (pulya). | |||
| Hungarian | golyó | ||
| The word "golyó" can also mean "marble" or "pellet" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | lode | ||
| The Latvian word “lode” is also a slang term for the head (“galva”) | |||
| Lithuanian | kulka | ||
| "Kulka" in Lithuanian comes from "kalti," meaning "to forge" | |||
| Macedonian | куршум | ||
| The Macedonian word "куршум" is derived from the Turkish word "kurşun", which itself originates from the Persian word "gūshūn". It originally referred to lead and later to bullets made of lead. | |||
| Polish | pocisk | ||
| In Polish, "pocisk" not only means "bullet" but also "projectile" or "missile". | |||
| Romanian | glonţ | ||
| "Glont" in Romanian comes from the Turkish "gūlle" meaning "ball", but it also means "bullet" or "cannonball". | |||
| Russian | пуля | ||
| Пуля is a diminutive form of the word | |||
| Serbian | метак | ||
| The word 'метак' also means 'target' in Serbian, highlighting its dual nature as both a means of attack and an object to be aimed at. | |||
| Slovak | guľka | ||
| The word "guľka" in Slovak can also mean a marble or a ball used in various games. | |||
| Slovenian | krogla | ||
| The word "krogla" originally meant "ball" or "sphere" in Slovenian, and can still be used in this sense today. | |||
| Ukrainian | куля | ||
| In Ukrainian, "куля" also refers to a spherical object, such as a ball, or a round-shaped candy. | |||
Bullet in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বুলেট | ||
| The word "বুলেট" can also mean "bullet-shaped" or "small and compact" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ગોળી | ||
| The Gujarati word "ગોળી" can also refer to a pill, tablet, or dose of medicine. | |||
| Hindi | गोली | ||
| The word 'गोली' (goli) in Hindi also refers to a marble or a small ball used in games. | |||
| Kannada | ಬುಲೆಟ್ | ||
| The word "ಬುಲೆಟ್" in Kannada can also refer to a small, round object, such as a pill or marble. | |||
| Malayalam | ബുള്ളറ്റ് | ||
| The Malayalam word "బల్లెట" derives from English, but has a distinct meaning of "gun" in Telugu, from which it likely borrowed the term. | |||
| Marathi | बंदूकीची गोळी | ||
| Nepali | गोली | ||
| The word "गोली" in Nepali can also refer to a pill or medicine in tablet form. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੋਲੀ | ||
| The word "ਗੋਲੀ" (goli) can also refer to a type of round, seedless pumpkin or a sugar pearl in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උණ්ඩය | ||
| The word උණ්ඩය (bullet) is also used to refer to a cannonball, a round or spherical object, and a bead. | |||
| Tamil | புல்லட் | ||
| புல்லட் (bullet) is derived from the French word 'boulette', meaning 'a small ball'. | |||
| Telugu | బుల్లెట్ | ||
| The word "బుల్లెట్" in Telugu is a loanword from the English word "bullet" and has no alternate meanings. | |||
| Urdu | گولی | ||
| Urdu "گولی" could refer to small pills or playing marbles besides "bullet". | |||
Bullet in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 子弹 | ||
| 子弹 (bullet) derives from 弹 (dan) an ancient Chinese weapon, which launched ceramic or iron projectiles known as 发机 (fa ji). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 子彈 | ||
| The character "子" in "子弹" also means "child" or "seed". | |||
| Japanese | 弾丸 | ||
| The word "弾丸" can also refer to a bouncing ball or a pill. | |||
| Korean | 총알 | ||
| 총알 literally translates to 'lead ball' where the Chinese characters 총 (鉛) and 알 (丸) mean lead and ball, respectively. | |||
| Mongolian | сум | ||
| It's borrowed from the Russian сум, which was itself borrowed from the Persian sum, meaning “narrow” | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျည်ဆံ | ||
Bullet in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | peluru | ||
| "Peluru" also refers to the traditional Indonesian cannon used at ceremonies or to signal a religious holiday. | |||
| Javanese | peluru | ||
| Peluru can also mean 'cannonball' or other objects flung with great force | |||
| Khmer | គ្រាប់កាំភ្លើង | ||
| Lao | ລູກປືນ | ||
| The word "ລູກປືນ" ("bullet") in Lao is derived from the Thai word "ลูกปืน" ("bullet"), which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुल्य" ("arrow, bullet"). | |||
| Malay | peluru | ||
| The word 'peluru' is also used to refer to a type of traditional Malay cannonball. | |||
| Thai | bullet | ||
| The Thai equivalent of English "bullet" is "lod", which also refers to a kind of fruit. | |||
| Vietnamese | đạn | ||
| "Đạn" also means "ball" in Vietnamese, which may come from the rounded shape of bullets. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bala | ||
Bullet in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | güllə | ||
| "Güllə" also means "cannonball" in Azerbaijani, derived from Persian "gulleh" which means "ball". | |||
| Kazakh | оқ | ||
| The word "оқ" in Kazakh has additional meanings such as an "arrow" or a "spoke". | |||
| Kyrgyz | ок | ||
| In Turkic languages, the word "ок" originally meant "arrow" or "spear". | |||
| Tajik | тир | ||
| The word "тир" also means "firing range" in Tajik, reflecting its association with marksmanship and shooting practice. | |||
| Turkmen | ok | ||
| Uzbek | o'q | ||
| The word "o'q" in Uzbek also means "arrow" or "firearm". | |||
| Uyghur | ئوق | ||
Bullet in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | poka | ||
| The Hawaiian word "poka" also refers to a type of Hawaiian drum and a small bag or pouch. | |||
| Maori | matā | ||
| Maori word "matā" has different meanings depending on the context, such as "face" or "view" when referring to a person's face, and "point" or "place" when referring to a location. | |||
| Samoan | pulu | ||
| The word 'pulu' is also used figuratively to describe the head of an important person, akin to the English term 'big shot'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bala | ||
| The Tagalog word "bala" has the alternate meanings of "fruit" and "seed". | |||
Bullet in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | bala | ||
| Guarani | bala rehegua | ||
Bullet in International Languages
| Esperanto | kuglo | ||
| Esperanto's "kuglo" derives from the Polish "kula", meaning "ball", and also refers to a baked cake. | |||
| Latin | bullet | ||
| The Latin word "bulla" refers to a round and embossed metal seal attached to a document, a small ball or knob, or a liquid-filled bubble or blister. | |||
Bullet in Others Languages
| Greek | σφαίρα | ||
| "Σφαίρα" originally meant "a round object" in Greek and can still mean "ball" or "globe" in addition to "bullet." | |||
| Hmong | lub mos txwv | ||
| Kurdish | gûlle | ||
| "Gûlle" also refers to a type of flower known as the red poppy in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | madde işareti | ||
| "Madde işareti" is derived from the French word "balle" meaning "small ball" which refers to the round shape of bullets. | |||
| Xhosa | imbumbulu | ||
| Yiddish | קויל | ||
| Yiddish has two words for the concept of “bullet”, קוגל (kugel) and קויל (koyl). Both stem from Middle High German kugeln, the diminutive of “sphere”, as bullets were once round balls fired from cannons. | |||
| Zulu | inhlamvu | ||
| The word "inhlamvu" can also refer to a shooting star or a meteor. | |||
| Assamese | বুলেট | ||
| Aymara | bala | ||
| Bhojpuri | गोली लागल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަޒަނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | गोली मार दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bala | ||
| Guarani | bala rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | bala | ||
| Krio | bulɛt we dɛn kɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فیشەک | ||
| Maithili | गोली | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯨꯂꯦꯠ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | bullet a ni | ||
| Oromo | rasaasa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୁଲେଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | bala | ||
| Sanskrit | गोली | ||
| Tatar | пуля | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥይት ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | xibamu xa xibamu | ||