Chocolate in Different Languages
Discover 'Chocolate' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Chocolate, a word that evokes delight and indulgence in people all around the world. This delectable treat, made from cocoa beans, has a rich history that spans thousands of years and countless cultures. From the ancient Mayans who believed chocolate was a divine gift from the gods, to the Europeans who popularized it as a luxury good in the 17th century, chocolate has played a significant role in human history.
Beyond its taste, chocolate has also been used for medicinal purposes, as a form of currency, and as a symbol of wealth and power. Its cultural importance cannot be overstated, as it has been woven into the fabric of societies across the globe.
For language enthusiasts and cultural aficionados alike, understanding the translation of chocolate in different languages can offer a unique insight into the cultural significance of this beloved treat. Here are just a few examples:
- Spanish: chocolate
- French: chocolat
- German: Schokolade
- Italian: cioccolato
- Japanese: チョコレート (chokoreeto)
- Mandarin: 巧克力 (qiǎokèlì)
Chocolate
Chocolate in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sjokolade | ||
| The Afrikaans word "sjokolade" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl", which means "bitter water". | |||
| Amharic | ቸኮሌት | ||
| The word "ቸኮሌት" in Amharic can also refer to a type of sweet potato. | |||
| Hausa | cakulan | ||
| In Hausa, the word 'cakulan' is a blend of the words 'cakalate' and 'kula', meaning 'drink' and 'nut', respectively. The word originally referred to a chocolate drink made from ground cocoa beans, but it later came to be used for chocolate in general. | |||
| Igbo | chọkọleti | ||
| The Igbo word "chọkọleti" is borrowed from the English word "chocolate" and has no distinct alternate meanings in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | sôkôla | ||
| The Malagasy word "sôkôla" is derived from the Spanish word "chocolate", which in turn originates from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl" meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chokoleti | ||
| The word "chokoleti" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the Aztec word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Shona | chokoreti | ||
| The word chokoreti may derive from the Nahuatl word chocolatl or the Mayan word xocoatl, meaning "bitter water" | |||
| Somali | shukulaato | ||
| The word 'shukulaato' in Somali can be traced back to the Spanish word 'chocolate' which derives from the Nahuatl word 'xocoatl'. | |||
| Sesotho | tsokolate | ||
| The word "tsokolate" is derived from the Spanish word "chocolate" and also refers to a traditional beer made from malted sorghum. | |||
| Swahili | chokoleti | ||
| The Swahili word "chokoleti" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl" for a type of bitter drink made from the ground seeds of the cacao tree. | |||
| Xhosa | itshokholethi | ||
| The Xhosa word "itshokholethi" comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl" meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Yoruba | koko | ||
| Kòkò also means 'brown' and may be derived from 'kókóró', which means 'to dye' or 'to stain'. | |||
| Zulu | ushokoledi | ||
| The Zulu word "ushokoledi" ultimately derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl" via Spanish. | |||
| Bambara | sokola | ||
| Ewe | tsokolɛti | ||
| Kinyarwanda | shokora | ||
| Lingala | chocolat | ||
| Luganda | chokoleeti | ||
| Sepedi | tšhokolete | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyokolate | ||
Chocolate in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شوكولاتة | ||
| In Arabic, the word "شوكولاتة" (chocolate) originates from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl," which means "warm, bitter liquid." | |||
| Hebrew | שוקולד | ||
| In Hebrew, "שוקולד" can also mean "cocoa" or "cacao", depending on the context. | |||
| Pashto | چاکلیټ | ||
| The Pashto word "چاکلیټ" comes from the Persian word "شکلات" (shokolat) and eventually comes from the Mayan word "chokol'aa". | |||
| Arabic | شوكولاتة | ||
| In Arabic, the word "شوكولاتة" (chocolate) originates from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl," which means "warm, bitter liquid." | |||
Chocolate in Western European Languages
| Albanian | cokollate | ||
| In Albanian, ''cokollate'' has roots in the Mayan language, derived from ''cok'' (bitter) and ''olatl'' (water) or possibly ''choco'' (hot). | |||
| Basque | txokolatea | ||
| The Basque word "txokolatea" originates from the Nahuatl language, where "xocolatl" means "bitter water". | |||
| Catalan | xocolata | ||
| "Xocolata" derives from the Nahuatl "xocolatl" which means "warm bitter drink." | |||
| Croatian | čokolada | ||
| The word "čokolada" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Danish | chokolade | ||
| In Danish, "chokolade" can also refer to "hot chocolate" or "chocolate sauce". | |||
| Dutch | chocola | ||
| Chocola (chocolate) comes from the Nahuatl word xocolatl. This can translate into hot water and bitter water. | |||
| English | chocolate | ||
| The word 'chocolate' derives from the Nahuatl word 'xocolātl', meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
| French | chocolat | ||
| In early Spanish records, "chocolat" refers to a drink, whereas "cacao" is the bean. This later swapped in French and English. | |||
| Frisian | sûkelade | ||
| The Frisian word "sûkelade" may have derived from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl," meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Galician | chocolate | ||
| In Galician, "chocolate" is also used to describe dark-brown colors and the brown wool of sheep. | |||
| German | schokolade | ||
| "Schokolade" originally referred to a cocoa-based drink served hot rather than a solid food. | |||
| Icelandic | súkkulaði | ||
| The Icelandic word "súkkulaði" comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Irish | seacláid | ||
| The Irish word 'seacláid' is a relatively recent borrowing from the English word 'chocolate', and is not related to any older Irish words for food. | |||
| Italian | cioccolato | ||
| Cioccolato originally meant "hot chocolate," deriving from "cioccolata," a spiced beverage consumed in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schockela | ||
| The word "Schockela" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water", and is related to the English word "chocolate". | |||
| Maltese | ċikkulata | ||
| The word "ċikkulata" in Maltese ultimately derives from the Mayan "chocolhaa" meaning "hot drink". | |||
| Norwegian | sjokolade | ||
| In Norwegian, the word “sjokolade” likely comes from the Nahuatl “xocolatl,” meaning “bitter water.” | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | chocolate | ||
| "Chocolate" derives from the Nahuatl word "chocolātl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | seoclaid | ||
| The word "seoclaid" in Scots Gaelic has the alternate meaning of "sweetheart" and is cognate with the Irish word "seacláid". | |||
| Spanish | chocolate | ||
| The word "chocolate" derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Swedish | choklad | ||
| The word "choklad" in Swedish derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Welsh | siocled | ||
| The Welsh word 'siocled' derives from the Nahuatl word 'xocolatl', meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
Chocolate in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шакалад | ||
| The word "шакалад" (šakalad) comes from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Bosnian | čokolada | ||
| The Bosnian word "čokolada" comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl" which means "bitter water". | |||
| Bulgarian | шоколад | ||
| The Bulgarian word “шоколад” can also refer to cocoa, cacao, and hot chocolate. | |||
| Czech | čokoláda | ||
| "Čokoláda" also means "drinking chocolate" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | šokolaad | ||
| The word "šokolaad" in Estonian is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning a bitter drink made from roasted cacao beans. | |||
| Finnish | suklaa | ||
| "Suklaa" is etymologically related to the Nahuatl word "xocolātl" and the Spanish word "chocolate" | |||
| Hungarian | csokoládé | ||
| The Hungarian word "csokoládé" derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl" and originally referred to a drink made from cacao beans. | |||
| Latvian | šokolāde | ||
| The word “šokolāde” originates from the Nahuatl word “xocolātl,” meaning “bitter water”. | |||
| Lithuanian | šokolado | ||
| Origin of the Lithuanian "šokolado": from the Spanish "chocolate", possibly from the Nahuatl term "xocolatl", meaning "warm liquid." | |||
| Macedonian | чоколадо | ||
| The Macedonian word "чоколадо" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl", meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Polish | czekolada | ||
| The word "czekolada" in Polish, derived from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl," originally referred specifically to a bitter, unsweetened chocolate drink. | |||
| Romanian | ciocolată | ||
| The word "ciocolată" derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl", meaning "bitter water" | |||
| Russian | шоколад | ||
| Шоколад (šokolad) в русском языке происходит от французского (chocolat) через испанское (chocolate), которое, в свою очередь, заимствовано из языка ацтеков | |||
| Serbian | чоколада | ||
| The word "чоколада" derives from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl" meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Slovak | čokoláda | ||
| "Čokoláda" (chocolate) comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl," which means "bitter water." | |||
| Slovenian | čokolado | ||
| The word "čokolado" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Ukrainian | шоколад | ||
| Шоколад in Ukrainian has the same meaning as in English, but it also refers to a specific type of drink made from cocoa powder, milk, and sugar. | |||
Chocolate in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চকোলেট | ||
| চকোলেট শব্দটি নাহুয়াতল ভাষার 'চকোলাতল' থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ 'নীল নদীর পানি' | |||
| Gujarati | ચોકલેટ | ||
| "ચોકલેટ" is Gujarati for 'sweet made with crushed cocoa beans' or 'powder used to make such a sweet'. | |||
| Hindi | चॉकलेट | ||
| The word चॉकलेट (chocolate) is derived from the Aztec word 'xocolatl', meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಾಕೊಲೇಟ್ | ||
| Malayalam | ചോക്ലേറ്റ് | ||
| The word 'ചോക്ലേറ്റ്' ('chocolate') in Malayalam is derived from the Nahuatl word 'xocolatl', meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
| Marathi | चॉकलेट | ||
| चॉकलेट is derived from the Nahuatl word 'chocolatl' meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
| Nepali | चकलेट | ||
| The word 'चकलेट' in Nepali derives from the Nahuatl word 'xocolatl', meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਾਕਲੇਟ | ||
| While the word "ਚਾਕਲੇਟ" (chocolate) usually refers to the sweet food made from cocoa beans, it can also mean "brown" or "dark-colored" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | චොකලට් | ||
| The word "චොකලට්" ultimately comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", which means "bitter water". | |||
| Tamil | சாக்லேட் | ||
| Telugu | చాక్లెట్ | ||
| The word "చాక్లెట్" derives from the Nahuatl word "chocolatl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Urdu | چاکلیٹ | ||
| The word "چاکلیٹ" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water" and is also used to refer to hot chocolate or drinking chocolate. | |||
Chocolate in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 巧克力 | ||
| チョコレートの中国語名は「巧克力」，「巧」は技が優れていることを表し、「克力」は力を表している。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 巧克力 | ||
| 巧克力源自阿茲提克納瓦特爾語「xocóatl」，意指「苦水」或「可可飲品」 | |||
| Japanese | チョコレート | ||
| The word "チョコレート" in Japanese comes from the Spanish word "chocolate", which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl" meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Korean | 초콜릿 | ||
| "초콜릿" is the Korean word for "chocolate", and it is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl" which means "bitter water". | |||
| Mongolian | шоколад | ||
| The word 'шоколад' originates from the Nahuatl word 'xocolātl', meaning 'bitter water'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ချောကလက် | ||
Chocolate in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | cokelat | ||
| The word “cokelat” is adapted from Spanish “chocolate”, which in turn was taken from Nahuatl “xocolatl” meaning “bitter water”. | |||
| Javanese | coklat | ||
| "Coklat" in Javanese can also refer to the color brown. | |||
| Khmer | សូកូឡា | ||
| Derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl", referring to a bitter beverage made from cocoa beans. | |||
| Lao | ຊັອກໂກແລັດ | ||
| Malay | coklat | ||
| The word "coklat" can also refer to a type of brown dye or a dark brown color. | |||
| Thai | ช็อคโกแลต | ||
| In Thai, "ช็อคโกแลต" can also refer to a shade of brown similar to the color of chocolate. | |||
| Vietnamese | sô cô la | ||
| "Sô cô la" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl," meaning "bitter water," and has also been used to refer to a drink made from ground cocoa beans. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tsokolate | ||
Chocolate in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şokolad | ||
| The word "şokolad" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
| Kazakh | шоколад | ||
| The word "шоколад" in Kazakh is derived from the French word "chocolat", which itself comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water". However, in Kazakh, the word "шоколад" can also refer to a sweet drink made from chocolate or cocoa powder. | |||
| Kyrgyz | шоколад | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "шоколад" also means "cocoa bean". | |||
| Tajik | шоколад | ||
| The word "шоколад" in Russian comes from the Aztec word "xocolātl". | |||
| Turkmen | şokolad | ||
| Uzbek | shokolad | ||
| The Uzbek word "shokolad" (chocolate) is derived from the Persian word "shukolat", which is in turn derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl" (bitter water). | |||
| Uyghur | شاكىلات | ||
Chocolate in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kokoleka | ||
| "Kokoleka" is a word that has been used to describe various edible substances, including the flesh of certain fruits and the sweet liquid that drips from the stalks of certain plants. | |||
| Maori | tiakarete | ||
| The word 'tiakarete' was likely influenced by the words 'tia' (to hold tightly) and 'karete' (a sweet substance), implying a 'held tightly' sweetness. | |||
| Samoan | sukalati | ||
| The Samoan word "sukalati" is derived from Spanish or English, and is also used in several Polynesian languages. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tsokolate | ||
| Derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl," meaning "bitter water." | |||
Chocolate in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chukulati | ||
| Guarani | chocolate | ||
Chocolate in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĉokolado | ||
| The word "ĉokolado" is derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Latin | scelerisque | ||
| In Latin, "scelerisque" means "wickedness" or "crime". | |||
Chocolate in Others Languages
| Greek | σοκολάτα | ||
| The word "σοκολάτα" in Greek derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Hmong | dej qab zib | ||
| The Hmong word "dej qab zib" also means "the thing that makes the mouth happy". | |||
| Kurdish | çîkolata | ||
| The word 'çîkolata' is also used to refer to a type of candy made from roasted peanuts and sugar. | |||
| Turkish | çikolata | ||
| The Turkish "çikolata" derives from the Aztec word “xocolatl,” which means warm or bitter water. | |||
| Xhosa | itshokholethi | ||
| The Xhosa word "itshokholethi" comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl" meaning "bitter water". | |||
| Yiddish | שאָקאָלאַד | ||
| The Yiddish word "שאָקאָלאַד" ("chocolate") comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl" (meaning "bitter water"), ultimately derived from the Mayan word "chocol" (meaning "warm drink"). | |||
| Zulu | ushokoledi | ||
| The Zulu word "ushokoledi" ultimately derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl" via Spanish. | |||
| Assamese | চকলেট | ||
| Aymara | chukulati | ||
| Bhojpuri | चॉकलेट | ||
| Dhivehi | ޗޮކްލެޓް | ||
| Dogri | चाकलेट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tsokolate | ||
| Guarani | chocolate | ||
| Ilocano | tsokolate | ||
| Krio | chɔklɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شوکولاتە | ||
| Maithili | लेमनचूस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯣꯀꯣꯂꯦꯠ | ||
| Mizo | chocolate | ||
| Oromo | chokoleetii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚକୋଲେଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | chocolate | ||
| Sanskrit | चॉकलेट | ||
| Tatar | шоколад | ||
| Tigrinya | ቾኮሌት | ||
| Tsonga | chokoleti | ||