Cake in Different Languages
Discover 'Cake' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Cake is a beloved dessert enjoyed by people all around the world. Its significance goes beyond just satisfying our sweet tooth, as it often plays a central role in celebrations and cultural traditions. From birthday parties to weddings, cakes are often the centerpiece of our most cherished memories.
But did you know that the word 'cake' has been translated into many different languages, each with its own unique cultural context? For example, in Spanish, cake is 'pastel,' while in French, it's 'gâteau.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for cake is '蛋糕' (dàn gāo), which literally translates to 'egg cake.'
Understanding the translation of cake in different languages can give us a glimpse into the cultural significance of this beloved dessert in various parts of the world. It can also help us connect with others and share in the joy of a sweet treat, no matter what language we speak.
Cake
Cake in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | koek | ||
| 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". | |||
| Amharic | ኬክ | ||
| The word 'ኬክ' ('cake') in Amharic also refers to a thin pancake-like bread. | |||
| Hausa | kek | ||
| The Hausa word "kek" can also refer to a type of flatbread or to a sweet potato dish. | |||
| Igbo | achicha | ||
| The Igbo word 'achicha' can also mean 'sweet potato' or 'small cake'. | |||
| Malagasy | mofomamy | ||
| The Malagasy word "mofomamy" derives from the Malay word "kue mo"} | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | keke | ||
| In Nyanja (Chichewa), the word "keke" has the alternate meaning of "a large, round piece of bread". | |||
| Shona | cake | ||
| Shona has two distinct words for "cake": "keke" and "bhekhi", where "bhekhi" is a sweet treat that is more similar to a cookie. | |||
| Somali | keeg | ||
| The word "keeg" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "ka`k", which also means "cake" or "biscuit". | |||
| Sesotho | kuku | ||
| Sesotho word 'kuku' derives from Portuguese 'bolo' (cake) and was originally a sweet bread flavored with nutmeg. | |||
| Swahili | keki | ||
| The Swahili word "keki" can also refer to a type of traditional Tanzanian sweet bread made from flour, sugar, and coconut. | |||
| Xhosa | ikeyiki | ||
| The word "ikeyiki" (cake) in Xhosa is derived from the isiZulu word "ikhekhe", which in turn comes from the Dutch word "koek". | |||
| Yoruba | akara oyinbo | ||
| "Akara oyinbo" is the Yoruba name for cake. It literally means "white man's bean cake". | |||
| Zulu | ikhekhe | ||
| The Zulu word "ikhekhe" also refers to a type of traditional bread baked in a pot over an open fire. | |||
| Bambara | gato | ||
| Ewe | akpɔnɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | cake | ||
| Lingala | gato | ||
| Luganda | keeci | ||
| Sepedi | khekhe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | keeki | ||
Cake in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كيك | ||
| In Arabic, "كيك" can also refer to a round flatbread or a type of bread roll. | |||
| Hebrew | עוגה | ||
| The word "עוגה" (cake) in Hebrew is related to the word "עוג" (circle) and initially meant a round bread loaf. | |||
| Pashto | کیک | ||
| The word "کیک" is derived from the Persian word "kaak", meaning "small round loaf of bread". | |||
| Arabic | كيك | ||
| In Arabic, "كيك" can also refer to a round flatbread or a type of bread roll. | |||
Cake in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tortë | ||
| 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". | |||
| Basque | pastela | ||
| In Basque, the word “pastela” can also refer to fried meat pies. | |||
| Catalan | pastís | ||
| The word "pastís" in Catalan can also refer to a type of anise-flavoured alcoholic drink. | |||
| Croatian | torta | ||
| The Croatian word "torta" comes from the Italian word "torta", meaning any baked sweet good made with sugar and flour. | |||
| Danish | kage | ||
| The Danish word "kage" can also refer to a piece of bread, a pastry, or a tart. | |||
| Dutch | taart | ||
| The word 'taart' in Dutch can also refer to a pie or tart, and is derived from the Old French word 'tarte'. | |||
| English | cake | ||
| The word "cake" derives from the Old Norse "kaka," meaning "flatbread," reflecting its origins as a simple, flat-baked foodstuff. | |||
| French | gâteau | ||
| The French word "gâteau" can also refer to a type of savory pastry or a flat cake. | |||
| Frisian | cake | ||
| The word 'cake' in Frisian can also refer to a 'lump', 'clump' or 'block' of something. | |||
| Galician | bolo | ||
| 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. | |||
| German | kuchen | ||
| In some German dialects, Kuchen also refers to the main meal or a type of flatbread. | |||
| Icelandic | köku | ||
| "Köku" can also refer to "a heavy person" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | cáca milis | ||
| Cáca milis is also the name of a type of Irish seaweed. | |||
| Italian | torta | ||
| The word "torta" in Italian can also refer to a savory pastry or a type of bread. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kuch | ||
| 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. | |||
| Maltese | kejk | ||
| The word "kejk" in Maltese, derived from Arabic, is also used to refer to various sweet desserts such as pastries or pies. | |||
| Norwegian | kake | ||
| "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. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bolo | ||
| The Portuguese word "bolo" comes from the Latin word "bulla", meaning "bubble". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cèic | ||
| In Gaelic, the word "cèic" can also refer to "cookie". | |||
| Spanish | pastel | ||
| In Spanish, the word "pastel" can also refer to a shepherd's pie or a type of sweet pastry filled with fruit. | |||
| Swedish | kaka | ||
| The word "kaka" in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word "kaka, | |||
| Welsh | cacen | ||
| The word "cacen" is also the name for the "piece" of a chessboard or a "square on a chessboard". | |||
Cake in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | торт | ||
| "Торт" also means "birthday" and refers to an important event rather than to the dessert. | |||
| Bosnian | kolač | ||
| The word "kolač" can also refer to a type of bread or pastry. | |||
| Bulgarian | торта | ||
| 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. | |||
| Czech | dort | ||
| In German, "Torte" means "cake", in Czech, "dort" means "cake", and in French, "tarte" means "pie". | |||
| Estonian | kook | ||
| The word “kook” also has an informal meaning, referring to someone who is considered eccentric or crazy. | |||
| Finnish | kakku | ||
| Although 'kakku' means 'cake' in Finnish, it also refers to the cake-shaped piece of ice appearing in winter. | |||
| Hungarian | torta | ||
| In Hungarian, "torta" also refers to a kind of savory, layered pastry typically filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables. | |||
| Latvian | kūka | ||
| The word “kūka” comes from German “kuchen” and means a flat type of a bread with a filling. | |||
| Lithuanian | tortas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "tortas" is also used to refer to round, flat bread, similar to a pancake or tortilla. | |||
| Macedonian | торта | ||
| The origin of "торта" is the French "tarte," but today the Macedonian word also refers to decorated cakes with multiple layers. | |||
| Polish | ciasto | ||
| While "ciasto" primarily means "cake" in Polish, it can also refer to "dough" and "batter". | |||
| Romanian | tort | ||
| In Romanian, "tort" can also refer to a "wrongful act" or "injury," similar to its Latin origin, "tortus" (twisted, wronged). | |||
| Russian | кекс | ||
| The Russian word "кекс" can also refer to a small, round, and flattish loaf of bread made from rich dough. | |||
| Serbian | колач | ||
| 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." | |||
| Slovak | koláč | ||
| Koláč is also used for various round-shaped objects like 'wheel' or 'ring'. | |||
| Slovenian | torta | ||
| The Slovenian word 'torta' derives from the Venetian 'torta', a type of sweet or savory pie. | |||
| Ukrainian | торт | ||
| The word "торт" in Ukrainian originates from the Italian "torta", meaning "twisted bread". | |||
Cake in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পিষ্টক | ||
| 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. | |||
| Gujarati | કેક | ||
| The word "cake" in Gujarati comes from the Persian word "kāka", meaning "a small loaf of bread". | |||
| Hindi | केक | ||
| The Hindi word "केक" (cake) is derived from the Sanskrit word "कर्कट" (karkata), meaning "crab", and has a similar shape to a crab shell | |||
| Kannada | ಕೇಕ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಕೇಕ್" (cake) is derived from the English word "cake" and refers to a sweet baked dish. | |||
| Malayalam | കേക്ക് | ||
| In Malayalam, the word "കേക്ക്" can also mean a layer or a pile of something, especially of books or paper. | |||
| Marathi | केक | ||
| The word "केक" (cake) in Marathi is derived from the Persian word "kak", meaning "small piece of bread". | |||
| Nepali | केक | ||
| In Nepali, 'केक' derives from the Persian word 'kak', meaning 'biscuit' or 'small loaf'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੇਕ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਕੇਕ' not only means 'cake' but also refers to a 'block' or 'piece'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කේක් | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "කේක්" (cake) can also refer to a large piece of bread or a loaf of bread. | |||
| Tamil | கேக் | ||
| 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 | కేక్ | ||
| The word "కేక్" in Telugu is also used to refer to a block of unrefined sugar. | |||
| Urdu | کیک | ||
| The word "کیک" derives from Persian "keik" meaning "a piece of bread." | |||
Cake in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 蛋糕 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 蛋糕, a Mandarin loanword from English “cake”, refers to the Western-style cakes prevalent in Taiwan after Japanese rule. | |||
| Japanese | ケーキ | ||
| The Japanese word “ケーキ” is derived from the Portuguese "bolo", likely brought by missionaries or traders in the 16th century. | |||
| Korean | 케이크 | ||
| 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). | |||
| Mongolian | бялуу | ||
| Бялуу may have originated from the Chinese word "pílóu" (餅樓), which referred to a type of flatbread or cake. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကိတ်မုန့် | ||
| In Burmese, “ḡṠḎḔ” ("cake") is derived from “ḀṥḬ" ("sweet bread") and can also refer to "sweet glutinous rice cake". | |||
Cake in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kue | ||
| The term "kue" may refer to pastries, cookies, or steamed bread-like dishes. | |||
| Javanese | jajan | ||
| The word "jajan" in Javanese can also refer to snacks or treats, akin to the English "munchies". | |||
| Khmer | នំ | ||
| The word "នំ" in Khmer can also refer to "ขนม" in Thai, which are bite-sized snacks and desserts. | |||
| Lao | ເຂົ້າ ໜົມ ເຄັກ | ||
| This word also refers to the Chinese style rice cakes used in offerings. | |||
| Malay | kek | ||
| Kek, the Malay word for "cake," traces its root to the Dutch "koek," reflecting the influence of Dutch colonial rule in the region. | |||
| Thai | เค้ก | ||
| เค้ก (cake) comes from the Portuguese word "bolo", which itself comes from the Latin word "bulla", meaning "a round loaf of bread". | |||
| Vietnamese | bánh ngọt | ||
| Bánh ngọt literally means 'sweet bread' and can also refer to 'bread' in general or to 'dessert' | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | cake | ||
Cake in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tort | ||
| "Tort" also means "grid" or "lattice" in Azerbaijani, referring to the pastry's crisscrossed design. | |||
| Kazakh | торт | ||
| "Торт" (cake) is a loanword from French "gâteau", which is pronounced "torţ" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | торт | ||
| In Kyrgyz, 'торт' can also refer to a specific type of ceremonial flatbread decorated with intricate designs. | |||
| Tajik | торт | ||
| The word "торт" can also mean "sweet" or "dessert" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | tort | ||
| Uzbek | tort | ||
| The Uzbek word "tort" means both "cake" and "festival". | |||
| Uyghur | تورت | ||
Cake in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | keke | ||
| In Hawaiian, "keke" not only means "cake" but also refers to various types of root vegetable puddings made with coconut milk. | |||
| Maori | keke | ||
| In Maori, 'keke' can also refer to other food items besides cake, such as bread or dumplings. | |||
| Samoan | keke | ||
| In Samoa, the word 'keke' also refers to a layered pudding or dessert similar to a trifle or bread pudding. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | cake | ||
| In Tagalog, "keyk" can also refer to a type of pancake or crepe. | |||
Cake in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | muxsa t'ant'a | ||
| Guarani | mbujapehe'ẽ | ||
Cake in International Languages
| Esperanto | kuko | ||
| The word "kuko" comes from the French word "gâteau," which also means "cake." | |||
| Latin | libum | ||
| Libum may have been related to the verbs 'lino' and 'libo' ('to smear' and 'to pour') and perhaps to the Greek 'leibō' ('to pour'). | |||
Cake in Others Languages
| Greek | κέικ | ||
| The word derives from the Old Norse word 'kaka', indicating 'a small, flat, round sweet bread' - a meaning preserved in contemporary Greek dialects. | |||
| Hmong | ncuav mog qab zib | ||
| The word "ncuav mog qab zib" can also refer to a type of sweet rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaves. | |||
| Kurdish | paste | ||
| Kurdish "paste" is a borrowing of Persian "pastah", which in turn may derive from Latin "pastillus" (small loaf). | |||
| Turkish | kek | ||
| Xhosa | ikeyiki | ||
| The word "ikeyiki" (cake) in Xhosa is derived from the isiZulu word "ikhekhe", which in turn comes from the Dutch word "koek". | |||
| Yiddish | שטיקל | ||
| Yiddish שטיקל (cake) derives from Middle High German 'stecke' (stick, chunk) and originally meant a sliced or portioned piece of food. | |||
| Zulu | ikhekhe | ||
| The Zulu word "ikhekhe" also refers to a type of traditional bread baked in a pot over an open fire. | |||
| Assamese | পিঠা | ||
| Aymara | muxsa t'ant'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | केक | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޭކު | ||
| Dogri | केक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | cake | ||
| Guarani | mbujapehe'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | keyk | ||
| Krio | kek | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کێک | ||
| Maithili | केक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯦꯛ | ||
| Mizo | chhang | ||
| Oromo | keekii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପିଠା | ||
| Quechua | torta | ||
| Sanskrit | इड्डरिका | ||
| Tatar | торт | ||
| Tigrinya | ኬክ | ||
| Tsonga | khekhe | ||