Cow in Different Languages
Discover 'Cow' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The humble cow, a creature of significance and cultural importance in many societies around the world. Cows are often associated with nourishment, strength, and prosperity, and have played a vital role in agriculture and rural life for centuries. From the hallowed halls of the Indian subcontinent, where cows are considered sacred, to the rolling pastures of the American West, where they are a symbol of the pioneer spirit, cows have a rich and varied cultural significance.
But did you know that the word for cow can vary greatly from one language to another? For example, in Spanish, the word for cow is 'vaca', while in French, it's 'vache'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for cow is '牛' (niú), and in Japanese, it's '牛' (ushi).
Understanding the translations of the word 'cow' in different languages can be a fun and fascinating way to explore the rich tapestry of global culture and language. So whether you're a language enthusiast, a farmer, or simply someone with a love for cows, read on to discover the many different words for this remarkable creature!
Cow
Cow in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | koei | ||
| In Afrikaans, "koei" can also refer to a female or young hippopotamus. | |||
| Amharic | ላም | ||
| In the Shewa dialect of Amharic, ላም can also mean "a large domestic animal, especially one that is kept for milk or meat" | |||
| Hausa | saniya | ||
| The word saniya also means 'she-goat' in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ehi | ||
| The Igbo word for "cow", "ehi", is derived from the Proto-Benue-Congo word for "large mammal" and also means "elephant" in some dialects. | |||
| Malagasy | ombivavy | ||
| The Malagasy word "ombivavy" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *bawi "cow, buffalo". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ng'ombe | ||
| In Nyanja, "ng'ombe" can also refer to buffaloes or other large, herbivorous mammals. | |||
| Shona | mhou | ||
| The English word "ox" is derived from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)ews or *(h₁)us "aurochs/bison" via Old English "oxa", later "ōx". | |||
| Somali | sac | ||
| The Somali word "sac" originates from the Arabic word "saʾq", meaning "leg" or "shank" | |||
| Sesotho | khomo | ||
| The word 'khomo' is cognate with Nguni languages, but has a secondary meaning of 'meat'. | |||
| Swahili | ng'ombe | ||
| "Ng'ombe" (cow) is also related to the word "kung'oa" (to pull out), which refers to the process of pulling a newborn calf out of its mother's womb. | |||
| Xhosa | inkomo | ||
| "Inkomo" also means "wealth" or "assets" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | maalu | ||
| 'Maalu' can refer to either a female or male bovine in Yoruba; the male equivalent is 'ògùn maa' | |||
| Zulu | inkomo | ||
| The Zulu word 'inkomo' also means 'wealth' and 'treasure' in some contexts. | |||
| Bambara | misimuso | ||
| Ewe | nyi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inka | ||
| Lingala | ngombe | ||
| Luganda | ente | ||
| Sepedi | kgomo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nantwibaa | ||
Cow in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بقرة | ||
| The word "بقرة" can also refer to a female elephant or a wild cow. | |||
| Hebrew | פָּרָה | ||
| The word "פָּרָה" can also refer to a young female camel or calf. | |||
| Pashto | غوا | ||
| In some contexts, "غوا" can also refer to a "female buffalo" or a "buffalo calf" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | بقرة | ||
| The word "بقرة" can also refer to a female elephant or a wild cow. | |||
Cow in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lopë | ||
| Lopë likely derives from Proto-Albanian "*lopa" or Proto-Illyrian "*lowp," akin to Illyrian "lāpus," Proto-Italic "*loupo-," Proto-Slavonic "*lovъ," Proto-Armenian "*lōw-k"} | |||
| Basque | behia | ||
| The word "behia" is thought to come from the Proto-Basque root "*behi" meaning "female animal". | |||
| Catalan | vaca | ||
| The word "vaca" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "vacca" and also means "holiday" or "vacation". | |||
| Croatian | krava | ||
| In Chakavian, the word 'krava' can also refer to a big, bulky woman. | |||
| Danish | ko | ||
| In Danish, "ko" originally meant "calf" or "yearling" and was used for both sexes. | |||
| Dutch | koe | ||
| The Dutch word "koe" derives from Old Dutch "kou," also meaning "heifer." | |||
| English | cow | ||
| The word "cow" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷōus, meaning "cattle" or "horned animal". | |||
| French | vache | ||
| The French word 'vache' originates from the Latin word 'vacca,' meaning 'cow,' but can also refer to 'a nasty woman' or 'a cow.' | |||
| Frisian | ko | ||
| The word "ko" for "cow" in Frisian has a number of cognates in other Germanic languages. | |||
| Galician | vaca | ||
| In Galician, "vaca" can also mean "lazy" or "unmotivated person". | |||
| German | kuh | ||
| The word "Kuh" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*gʰów-s". It also means "heifer" and "calf". | |||
| Icelandic | kýr | ||
| The term "kýr" was used in the past for both steers and cows before developing its current gendered meaning; similarly in Finnish and Hungarian, the same term is used for both male and female cattle. | |||
| Irish | bó | ||
| The word "bó" in Irish can also refer to a goddess or a female spirit. | |||
| Italian | mucca | ||
| The Italian word "mucca" derives from the Latin "muccus" meaning "mucus", referring to the cow's nasal secretions. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kéi | ||
| "Kéi" also means "female" in Luxembourgish, related to the German "Kuh" and the English "quean" or "queenie". | |||
| Maltese | baqra | ||
| The Maltese word 'baqra' shares its etymology with the Arabic 'baqarah' and Hebrew 'baqarah' words for a cow or heifer. | |||
| Norwegian | ku | ||
| In Norwegian, "ku" also means "female dog" as well as "the call or sound of birds". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vaca | ||
| Scots Gaelic | bò | ||
| 'Bò' can also mean 'a period of time' or 'a season' in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | vaca | ||
| The word "vaca" in Spanish comes from the Latin word "vacca," which also means "cow." However, in some Spanish-speaking countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, "vaca" can also refer to female cattle in general, while "toro" is used specifically for bulls. | |||
| Swedish | ko | ||
| In Swedish, 'ko' can also mean 'female' or be used as a friendly term of address, especially for a young woman. | |||
| Welsh | buwch | ||
| The word 'buwch' is derived from the Proto-Celtic word 'boug-', shared with other Celtic languages like Irish 'bó' and Scottish Gaelic 'bò'. | |||
Cow in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | карова | ||
| The word "карова" may be derived from Proto-Indo-European "*gʷer-w-ə" meaning "a horned animal" and is cognate with words like "cow" and "ghorn". | |||
| Bosnian | krava | ||
| Although the word 'krava' has been primarily used to denote a female bovine animal, its initial Proto-Indo-European root has the broader sense of a horned animal. | |||
| Bulgarian | крава | ||
| The Bulgarian word "крава" is also used to mean "butter"} | |||
| Czech | kráva | ||
| The Czech word "kráva" is thought to be related to the old Czech "kráti", which means "to steal", or possibly to the Proto-Slavic word "*kora", which means "bark". | |||
| Estonian | lehm | ||
| "Lehm" also refers to "clay" in Estonian, perhaps due to the similar appearance of clay and the brown hide of cows. | |||
| Finnish | lehmä | ||
| The word 'lehmä' is derived from the Old Finnic word 'lehm', which means 'swampy pasture'. | |||
| Hungarian | tehén | ||
| Tehénszerszámmal 'botos bottal', tehénhús, illetve szalonna (tehén, tehénke, tehénke) jelölteti és hívogatták a hentesek árujukat. | |||
| Latvian | govs | ||
| In Latvian, "govs" originally referred to any hooved animal, not just cows specifically. | |||
| Lithuanian | karvė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "karvė" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*krew-," which also means "meat," indicating the cow's significance as a source of sustenance. | |||
| Macedonian | крава | ||
| The word "крава" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *korva, meaning "cow." | |||
| Polish | krowa | ||
| Although "krowa" means cow, its alternate forms can mean "crow" and "to steal" | |||
| Romanian | vacă | ||
| The Romanian word "vacă" is derived from the Latin "vacca" and can also refer to a female elephant in the context of a circus. | |||
| Russian | корова | ||
| The word "корова" originally meant "domestic animal" and is related to the verb "кормить" (to feed). | |||
| Serbian | крава | ||
| "Крава" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "korova", which also means "female cow". | |||
| Slovak | krava | ||
| "Krava" also means "coward" in Slovak, sharing an etymology with the Czech and Polish languages. | |||
| Slovenian | krava | ||
| The word krava also means 'sorcery' or 'bewitching' and is the root of the word kravatar, meaning 'sorcerer'. | |||
| Ukrainian | корова | ||
| The Ukrainian word "корова" (cow) is cognate with the English word "cow" and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷou- "cow, bull". | |||
Cow in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গাভী | ||
| Gujarati | ગાય | ||
| The word "ગાય" also means "voice" in Sanskrit, and is cognate with the English word "covet". | |||
| Hindi | गाय | ||
| गाय (cow) also means a speech that is a collection of stories. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಸು | ||
| "ಹಸು" also means "hunger" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പശു | ||
| The word 'പശു' (cow) in Malayalam can also mean 'hunger' or 'to consume'. | |||
| Marathi | गाय | ||
| In Marathi, "गाय" (cow) is also used as a term of respect for an elderly woman. | |||
| Nepali | गाई | ||
| The word "गाई" can also mean "earth" or "female" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਾਂ | ||
| 'ਗਾਂ' (cow) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*gʷów-' (cow), which also appears in Sanskrit ('go'), Latin ('bos'), and English ('cow'). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | එළදෙන | ||
| The term 'එළදෙන' (cow) also means 'one who gives' in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | மாடு | ||
| The word "மாடு" can also mean "strength" or "power" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | ఆవు | ||
| The Telugu word “ఆవు” derives from the Sanskrit word गो (go) meaning cattle, and can also refer to any bovine animal. | |||
| Urdu | گائے | ||
| The word "گائے" can also refer to a type of grass or a type of snake in Urdu. | |||
Cow in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 牛 | ||
| The character 牛 (niú) originally referred to male cattle, and the female counterpart was called 母牛 (mǔ niú; "mother cow"). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 牛 | ||
| '牛' is a character that is pronounced differently depending on the tone; it is 'niú' in the first tone, 'nìu' in the second and fourth, and 'niǔ' in the third. | |||
| Japanese | 牛 | ||
| The word "牛" (ushi) originally meant "large beast" and was used to refer to a variety of animals, including deer and horses. | |||
| Korean | 소 | ||
| The Korean word '소' can also mean 'sound', as in the word '소리' (sound). | |||
| Mongolian | үхэр | ||
| The word "үхэр" also carries the connotations of "strength" and "power" in Mongolian culture. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နွားမ | ||
| Although the word "နွားမ" means "cow" in the modern context, it used to mean "female buffalo" in the past. | |||
Cow in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lembu | ||
| "Lembu" is derived from Proto-Austronesian "*kambu", which could also refer to "buffalo", with the distinction "sapi" later loaned from Sanskrit during the Hindu period. | |||
| Javanese | sapi | ||
| Sapi can also refer to "meat" and specifically "beef." | |||
| Khmer | គោ | ||
| The Khmer word "គោ" also means "elephant" and is of Old Khmer origin. | |||
| Lao | ງົວ | ||
| The word "ງົວ" can also refer to a buffalo or a plough ox. | |||
| Malay | lembu | ||
| The Malay word 'lembu', besides meaning 'cow', can also refer to the bull constellation, Taurus. | |||
| Thai | วัว | ||
| "วัว" can mean "money", "to chase" or "to run" in certain contexts. | |||
| Vietnamese | con bò | ||
| In Vietnamese, | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | baka | ||
Cow in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | inək | ||
| The word "inək" in Azerbaijani finds its roots in the Proto-Turkic word "inek," also meaning "cow." | |||
| Kazakh | сиыр | ||
| The word "сиыр" also means "milk" in Kazakh | |||
| Kyrgyz | уй | ||
| In certain contexts, "уй" can also signify "home" or "residence" within Kyrgyz society. | |||
| Tajik | гов | ||
| Гов in Tajik derives from Old-Persian gau- meaning livestock and is closely related to Hindi gav meaning village which in itself derives from gau-} | |||
| Turkmen | sygyr | ||
| Uzbek | sigir | ||
| The word "sigir" in Uzbek also refers to the constellation Taurus. | |||
| Uyghur | كالا | ||
Cow in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pipi | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "pipi" also means "female". | |||
| Maori | kau | ||
| Kau, meaning 'cow' in Māori, also refers to the act of milking a cow or the place where cows are kept. | |||
| Samoan | povi | ||
| The word "povi" is cognate with the Polynesian word "*poki" meaning "calf" or "cattle" and can refer to cows, horses, or pigs in certain contexts. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | baka | ||
| In Philippine mythology, 'baka' also refers to a type of forest spirit that protects the animals and mountains. | |||
Cow in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | waka | ||
| Guarani | vaka | ||
Cow in International Languages
| Esperanto | bovino | ||
| Latin | vitula eligans | ||
| The term "vitula eligans" is derived from the Latin word "vitulus" which refers to both a calf and a heifer. | |||
Cow in Others Languages
| Greek | αγελάδα | ||
| The Greek word for 'cow', αγελάδα, may derive from the Sanskrit 'gaus', meaning 'cow' or 'ox', suggesting linguistic exchange and cultural connections spanning centuries and vast geographical distances. | |||
| Hmong | nyuj | ||
| The Hmong word "nyuj" not only means "cow" but also refers to females, particularly young or unmarried women. | |||
| Kurdish | çêlek | ||
| The Kurdish word "çêlek" also refers to a wooden spoon or scoop used for cooking and eating. | |||
| Turkish | inek | ||
| İnek is originally an Indo-European word and in many Germanic languages (like in English) it refers to male calves while in Turkish it refers to female cows. | |||
| Xhosa | inkomo | ||
| "Inkomo" also means "wealth" or "assets" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | קו | ||
| The Yiddish word "קו" is of Hebrew origin and is related to the Hebrew word "קוה" meaning "hope". | |||
| Zulu | inkomo | ||
| The Zulu word 'inkomo' also means 'wealth' and 'treasure' in some contexts. | |||
| Assamese | গাই | ||
| Aymara | waka | ||
| Bhojpuri | गाय | ||
| Dhivehi | ގެރި | ||
| Dogri | गौ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | baka | ||
| Guarani | vaka | ||
| Ilocano | baka | ||
| Krio | kaw | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مانگا | ||
| Maithili | गाय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯟ | ||
| Mizo | bawng | ||
| Oromo | sa'a | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗା cow | ||
| Quechua | vaca | ||
| Sanskrit | गो | ||
| Tatar | сыер | ||
| Tigrinya | ላሕሚ | ||
| Tsonga | homu | ||