Cake in Different Languages
Discover 'Cake' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Cake
Afrikaans koek | ||
Albanian tortë | ||
Amharic ኬክ | ||
Arabic كيك | ||
Armenian տորթ | ||
Assamese পিঠা | ||
Aymara muxsa t'ant'a | ||
Azerbaijani tort | ||
Bambara gato | ||
Basque pastela | ||
Belarusian торт | ||
Bengali পিষ্টক | ||
Bhojpuri केक | ||
Bosnian kolač | ||
Bulgarian торта | ||
Catalan pastís | ||
Cebuano cake | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 蛋糕 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 蛋糕 | ||
Corsican torta | ||
Croatian torta | ||
Czech dort | ||
Danish kage | ||
Dhivehi ކޭކު | ||
Dogri केक | ||
Dutch taart | ||
English cake | ||
Esperanto kuko | ||
Estonian kook | ||
Ewe akpɔnɔ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) cake | ||
Finnish kakku | ||
French gâteau | ||
Frisian cake | ||
Galician bolo | ||
Georgian ნამცხვარი | ||
German kuchen | ||
Greek κέικ | ||
Guarani mbujapehe'ẽ | ||
Gujarati કેક | ||
Haitian Creole gato | ||
Hausa kek | ||
Hawaiian keke | ||
Hebrew עוגה | ||
Hindi केक | ||
Hmong ncuav mog qab zib | ||
Hungarian torta | ||
Icelandic köku | ||
Igbo achicha | ||
Ilocano keyk | ||
Indonesian kue | ||
Irish cáca milis | ||
Italian torta | ||
Japanese ケーキ | ||
Javanese jajan | ||
Kannada ಕೇಕ್ | ||
Kazakh торт | ||
Khmer នំ | ||
Kinyarwanda cake | ||
Konkani केक | ||
Korean 케이크 | ||
Krio kek | ||
Kurdish paste | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) کێک | ||
Kyrgyz торт | ||
Lao ເຂົ້າ ໜົມ ເຄັກ | ||
Latin libum | ||
Latvian kūka | ||
Lingala gato | ||
Lithuanian tortas | ||
Luganda keeci | ||
Luxembourgish kuch | ||
Macedonian торта | ||
Maithili केक | ||
Malagasy mofomamy | ||
Malay kek | ||
Malayalam കേക്ക് | ||
Maltese kejk | ||
Maori keke | ||
Marathi केक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯀꯦꯛ | ||
Mizo chhang | ||
Mongolian бялуу | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကိတ်မုန့် | ||
Nepali केक | ||
Norwegian kake | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) keke | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପିଠା | ||
Oromo keekii | ||
Pashto کیک | ||
Persian کیک | ||
Polish ciasto | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) bolo | ||
Punjabi ਕੇਕ | ||
Quechua torta | ||
Romanian tort | ||
Russian кекс | ||
Samoan keke | ||
Sanskrit इड्डरिका | ||
Scots Gaelic cèic | ||
Sepedi khekhe | ||
Serbian колач | ||
Sesotho kuku | ||
Shona cake | ||
Sindhi ڪيڪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කේක් | ||
Slovak koláč | ||
Slovenian torta | ||
Somali keeg | ||
Spanish pastel | ||
Sundanese kueh | ||
Swahili keki | ||
Swedish kaka | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) cake | ||
Tajik торт | ||
Tamil கேக் | ||
Tatar торт | ||
Telugu కేక్ | ||
Thai เค้ก | ||
Tigrinya ኬክ | ||
Tsonga khekhe | ||
Turkish kek | ||
Turkmen tort | ||
Twi (Akan) keeki | ||
Ukrainian торт | ||
Urdu کیک | ||
Uyghur تورت | ||
Uzbek tort | ||
Vietnamese bánh ngọt | ||
Welsh cacen | ||
Xhosa ikeyiki | ||
Yiddish שטיקל | ||
Yoruba akara oyinbo | ||
Zulu ikhekhe |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "koek" originates from the Dutch word "koek", likely derived from the Proto-Germanic *kukōn, which also gave rise to the English "cook". |
| Albanian | In Albanian, "tortë" is ultimately derived from the Latin "tŏrta" (baked dough, cake), but also has a second, unrelated meaning of "wheel", and is used more generally to mean "circular" or "round". |
| Amharic | The word 'ኬክ' ('cake') in Amharic also refers to a thin pancake-like bread. |
| Arabic | In Arabic, "كيك" can also refer to a round flatbread or a type of bread roll. |
| Armenian | "Տորթ" in Armenian derives from the French word "tarte" meaning "open pie". |
| Azerbaijani | "Tort" also means "grid" or "lattice" in Azerbaijani, referring to the pastry's crisscrossed design. |
| Basque | In Basque, the word “pastela” can also refer to fried meat pies. |
| Belarusian | "Торт" also means "birthday" and refers to an important event rather than to the dessert. |
| Bengali | The Bengali word "পিষ্টক" (pishtak) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पिष्टक" (pishtaka), which means "ground" or "crushed" and refers to the process of grinding ingredients to make a cake. |
| Bosnian | The word "kolač" can also refer to a type of bread or pastry. |
| Bulgarian | The word 'торта' also refers to the round shape of a birthday cake, hence it can be used in the context of a celebration or anniversary. |
| Catalan | The word "pastís" in Catalan can also refer to a type of anise-flavoured alcoholic drink. |
| Cebuano | Cebuano's "cake" originated from the Spanish "caque" or "bizcocho" (spongy bread) |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word "蛋糕" (cake) in Chinese is derived from the Portuguese word "bolo", which itself is derived from the Latin word "bulla", meaning "ball" |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蛋糕, a Mandarin loanword from English “cake”, refers to the Western-style cakes prevalent in Taiwan after Japanese rule. |
| Corsican | "Torta," the Corsican word for "cake," can also refer to a specific type of pancake. |
| Croatian | The Croatian word "torta" comes from the Italian word "torta", meaning any baked sweet good made with sugar and flour. |
| Czech | In German, "Torte" means "cake", in Czech, "dort" means "cake", and in French, "tarte" means "pie". |
| Danish | The Danish word "kage" can also refer to a piece of bread, a pastry, or a tart. |
| Dutch | The word 'taart' in Dutch can also refer to a pie or tart, and is derived from the Old French word 'tarte'. |
| Esperanto | The word "kuko" comes from the French word "gâteau," which also means "cake." |
| Estonian | The word “kook” also has an informal meaning, referring to someone who is considered eccentric or crazy. |
| Finnish | Although 'kakku' means 'cake' in Finnish, it also refers to the cake-shaped piece of ice appearing in winter. |
| French | The French word "gâteau" can also refer to a type of savory pastry or a flat cake. |
| Frisian | The word 'cake' in Frisian can also refer to a 'lump', 'clump' or 'block' of something. |
| Galician | The Galician word "bolo" is derived from the Old French word "bol" (ball), and also refers to a type of round, flat bread and a game played with a wooden ball. |
| Georgian | The word "ნამცხვარი" in Georgian comes from an old Indo-European root *m̥gʷʰ-, meaning "to knead". It is cognate to the Latin word "māssa" and the Greek word "μαστός". |
| German | In some German dialects, Kuchen also refers to the main meal or a type of flatbread. |
| Greek | The word derives from the Old Norse word 'kaka', indicating 'a small, flat, round sweet bread' - a meaning preserved in contemporary Greek dialects. |
| Gujarati | The word "cake" in Gujarati comes from the Persian word "kāka", meaning "a small loaf of bread". |
| Haitian Creole | Derived from the French word "gateau," "gato" can also refer to a small sweet cake or pastry. |
| Hausa | The Hausa word "kek" can also refer to a type of flatbread or to a sweet potato dish. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, "keke" not only means "cake" but also refers to various types of root vegetable puddings made with coconut milk. |
| Hebrew | The word "עוגה" (cake) in Hebrew is related to the word "עוג" (circle) and initially meant a round bread loaf. |
| Hindi | The Hindi word "केक" (cake) is derived from the Sanskrit word "कर्कट" (karkata), meaning "crab", and has a similar shape to a crab shell |
| Hmong | The word "ncuav mog qab zib" can also refer to a type of sweet rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaves. |
| Hungarian | In Hungarian, "torta" also refers to a kind of savory, layered pastry typically filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables. |
| Icelandic | "Köku" can also refer to "a heavy person" in Icelandic. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word 'achicha' can also mean 'sweet potato' or 'small cake'. |
| Indonesian | The term "kue" may refer to pastries, cookies, or steamed bread-like dishes. |
| Irish | Cáca milis is also the name of a type of Irish seaweed. |
| Italian | The word "torta" in Italian can also refer to a savory pastry or a type of bread. |
| Japanese | The Japanese word “ケーキ” is derived from the Portuguese "bolo", likely brought by missionaries or traders in the 16th century. |
| Javanese | The word "jajan" in Javanese can also refer to snacks or treats, akin to the English "munchies". |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಕೇಕ್" (cake) is derived from the English word "cake" and refers to a sweet baked dish. |
| Kazakh | "Торт" (cake) is a loanword from French "gâteau", which is pronounced "torţ" in Kazakh. |
| Khmer | The word "នំ" in Khmer can also refer to "ขนม" in Thai, which are bite-sized snacks and desserts. |
| Korean | The Korean word 케이크 (cake) is borrowed from English and shares a similar meaning, but can also refer to specific types of pastries such as 떡볶이 (tteokbokki). |
| Kurdish | Kurdish "paste" is a borrowing of Persian "pastah", which in turn may derive from Latin "pastillus" (small loaf). |
| Kyrgyz | In Kyrgyz, 'торт' can also refer to a specific type of ceremonial flatbread decorated with intricate designs. |
| Lao | This word also refers to the Chinese style rice cakes used in offerings. |
| Latin | Libum may have been related to the verbs 'lino' and 'libo' ('to smear' and 'to pour') and perhaps to the Greek 'leibō' ('to pour'). |
| Latvian | The word “kūka” comes from German “kuchen” and means a flat type of a bread with a filling. |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "tortas" is also used to refer to round, flat bread, similar to a pancake or tortilla. |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Kuch" in Luxembourgish is of German origin and is related to the English word "cake", but can also refer to a type of pastry or pastry dough. |
| Macedonian | The origin of "торта" is the French "tarte," but today the Macedonian word also refers to decorated cakes with multiple layers. |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "mofomamy" derives from the Malay word "kue mo"} |
| Malay | Kek, the Malay word for "cake," traces its root to the Dutch "koek," reflecting the influence of Dutch colonial rule in the region. |
| Malayalam | In Malayalam, the word "കേക്ക്" can also mean a layer or a pile of something, especially of books or paper. |
| Maltese | The word "kejk" in Maltese, derived from Arabic, is also used to refer to various sweet desserts such as pastries or pies. |
| Maori | In Maori, 'keke' can also refer to other food items besides cake, such as bread or dumplings. |
| Marathi | The word "केक" (cake) in Marathi is derived from the Persian word "kak", meaning "small piece of bread". |
| Mongolian | Бялуу may have originated from the Chinese word "pílóu" (餅樓), which referred to a type of flatbread or cake. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | In Burmese, “ḡṠḎḔ” ("cake") is derived from “ḀṥḬ" ("sweet bread") and can also refer to "sweet glutinous rice cake". |
| Nepali | In Nepali, 'केक' derives from the Persian word 'kak', meaning 'biscuit' or 'small loaf'. |
| Norwegian | "Kake" can also mean a lottery ticket, or it can be short for "kakemann" (literally "cake man"), which is a traditional Norwegian Christmas cookie shaped like a person. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In Nyanja (Chichewa), the word "keke" has the alternate meaning of "a large, round piece of bread". |
| Pashto | The word "کیک" is derived from the Persian word "kaak", meaning "small round loaf of bread". |
| Persian | The word کیک (cake) can also mean 'a slice of watermelon' or 'a piece of flatbread' in Persian. |
| Polish | While "ciasto" primarily means "cake" in Polish, it can also refer to "dough" and "batter". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "bolo" comes from the Latin word "bulla", meaning "bubble". |
| Punjabi | The Punjabi word 'ਕੇਕ' not only means 'cake' but also refers to a 'block' or 'piece'. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, "tort" can also refer to a "wrongful act" or "injury," similar to its Latin origin, "tortus" (twisted, wronged). |
| Russian | The Russian word "кекс" can also refer to a small, round, and flattish loaf of bread made from rich dough. |
| Samoan | In Samoa, the word 'keke' also refers to a layered pudding or dessert similar to a trifle or bread pudding. |
| Scots Gaelic | In Gaelic, the word "cèic" can also refer to "cookie". |
| Serbian | The word "колач" in Serbian has alternate meanings such as "wedding bread" or "festive bread," and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "kolo" meaning "wheel" or "circle." |
| Sesotho | Sesotho word 'kuku' derives from Portuguese 'bolo' (cake) and was originally a sweet bread flavored with nutmeg. |
| Shona | Shona has two distinct words for "cake": "keke" and "bhekhi", where "bhekhi" is a sweet treat that is more similar to a cookie. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "ڪيڪ" can also refer to a round-shaped piece of bread. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | In Sinhala, the word "කේක්" (cake) can also refer to a large piece of bread or a loaf of bread. |
| Slovak | Koláč is also used for various round-shaped objects like 'wheel' or 'ring'. |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word 'torta' derives from the Venetian 'torta', a type of sweet or savory pie. |
| Somali | The word "keeg" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "ka`k", which also means "cake" or "biscuit". |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the word "pastel" can also refer to a shepherd's pie or a type of sweet pastry filled with fruit. |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, 'kueh' can also mean 'snack' or 'dish', and is used to refer to various types of food items besides cakes. |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "keki" can also refer to a type of traditional Tanzanian sweet bread made from flour, sugar, and coconut. |
| Swedish | The word "kaka" in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word "kaka, |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | In Tagalog, "keyk" can also refer to a type of pancake or crepe. |
| Tajik | The word "торт" can also mean "sweet" or "dessert" in Tajik. |
| Tamil | The word 'கேக்' in Tamil is derived from the English word 'cake', and it also refers to a type of sweet dish made with rice flour called 'கேக்' in Tamil. |
| Telugu | The word "కేక్" in Telugu is also used to refer to a block of unrefined sugar. |
| Thai | เค้ก (cake) comes from the Portuguese word "bolo", which itself comes from the Latin word "bulla", meaning "a round loaf of bread". |
| Ukrainian | The word "торт" in Ukrainian originates from the Italian "torta", meaning "twisted bread". |
| Urdu | The word "کیک" derives from Persian "keik" meaning "a piece of bread." |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "tort" means both "cake" and "festival". |
| Vietnamese | Bánh ngọt literally means 'sweet bread' and can also refer to 'bread' in general or to 'dessert' |
| Welsh | The word "cacen" is also the name for the "piece" of a chessboard or a "square on a chessboard". |
| Xhosa | The word "ikeyiki" (cake) in Xhosa is derived from the isiZulu word "ikhekhe", which in turn comes from the Dutch word "koek". |
| Yiddish | Yiddish שטיקל (cake) derives from Middle High German 'stecke' (stick, chunk) and originally meant a sliced or portioned piece of food. |
| Yoruba | "Akara oyinbo" is the Yoruba name for cake. It literally means "white man's bean cake". |
| Zulu | The Zulu word "ikhekhe" also refers to a type of traditional bread baked in a pot over an open fire. |
| English | The word "cake" derives from the Old Norse "kaka," meaning "flatbread," reflecting its origins as a simple, flat-baked foodstuff. |