Dish in Different Languages
Discover 'Dish' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'dish' is more than just a piece of tableware - it's a culinary masterpiece that brings people together and carries rich cultural significance. From the savory Italian pasta dish to the spicy Indian curry dish, these culinary delights not only nourish our bodies but also our minds and souls, connecting us to our roots and the world around us.
Did you know that the English word 'dish' comes from the Old English 'disce,' meaning 'earthenware container'? Or that in Japan, the word 'sara' refers to a flat dish, while 'hashi' means chopsticks, emphasizing the importance of this eating utensil in Japanese cuisine?
Understanding the translation of 'dish' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exploration and appreciation. Here are some sample translations to get you started:
Dish
Dish in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skottel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "skottel" likely derives from the Vulgar Latin "scutella" or the Middle Dutch "scutele," both of which refer to a dish or bowl. | |||
| Amharic | ምግብ | ||
| "ምግብ" is also used in Amharic to refer to "food" in general or to a meal. | |||
| Hausa | tasa | ||
| The Hausa word 'tasa' can also refer to a small round calabash used for drinking or serving water. | |||
| Igbo | nri | ||
| The Igbo word "nri" also means "to eat" and is related to the Yoruba word "iri" meaning "to swallow". | |||
| Malagasy | sakafo | ||
| The Malagasy word "sakafo" originates from the Arabic "saqaf" meaning "roof", suggesting that food was once stored on rooftops to keep it cool and dry. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mbale | ||
| Nyanja word "mbale" comes from the Mambwe word "imbalye" meaning "a vessel for scooping water or grain." | |||
| Shona | dhishi | ||
| The word 'dhishi' also means a traditional pot for cooking and serving liquids in Shona. | |||
| Somali | saxan | ||
| In certain dialects of Somali the word "saxan" can also describe an edible, unleavened flatbread typically eaten with curry and beans. | |||
| Sesotho | sejana | ||
| The word 'sejana' (dish) is derived from the Bantu root '-jan-', which also means to build, create, or form. | |||
| Swahili | sahani | ||
| The word "sahani" in Swahili can also refer to a plate or bowl. | |||
| Xhosa | isitya | ||
| "Isitya" as a dish derives from its shape - a hole in the ground covered with stones, forming a bowl. | |||
| Yoruba | satelaiti | ||
| The Yoruba word "satelaiti" can also refer to a "container for food". | |||
| Zulu | isidlo | ||
| The word 'isidlo' can also refer to a ritual object associated with ancestral worship. | |||
| Bambara | daga | ||
| Ewe | nuɖuɖu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | isahani | ||
| Lingala | bilei | ||
| Luganda | emmerere | ||
| Sepedi | sebjana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aduane | ||
Dish in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طبق | ||
| In Levantine Arabic, "طبق" can also refer to a "course" in a meal or menu. | |||
| Hebrew | צַלַחַת | ||
| צַלַחַת also means 'flying saucer' in Hebrew, possibly due to the influence of the 1950s UFO craze. | |||
| Pashto | ډش | ||
| The word "ډش" in Pashto can also refer to a meal or a feast, and is cognate with the Persian word "دس" (das) meaning "table". | |||
| Arabic | طبق | ||
| In Levantine Arabic, "طبق" can also refer to a "course" in a meal or menu. | |||
Dish in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjellë | ||
| The word "gjellë" comes from the Albanian root "gjel-," meaning "to eat". | |||
| Basque | plater | ||
| The word "plater" is likely derived from the French word "plat" meaning "flat" or "shallow", or possibly from the Spanish word "plato" meaning "plate". | |||
| Catalan | plat | ||
| The Catalan word 'plat' not only means 'dish', but also 'map' or 'board', highlighting its role as a surface for displaying or serving various items. | |||
| Croatian | jelo | ||
| The word "jelo" was originally used to refer to the edible parts of cooked meat, which were cut into even pieces. | |||
| Danish | fad | ||
| The Danish word 'fad' is also an archaic term for 'father' or 'grandfather'. | |||
| Dutch | schotel | ||
| The Dutch word "schotel" is related to Old English "scytel", meaning "flat plate" or "bowl." | |||
| English | dish | ||
| A dish is a culinary utensil used for cooking, serving, or preparing food, but it can also refer to the food itself or a particular style of cooking | |||
| French | plat | ||
| The French word "plat" can also refer to a musical score for a single instrument and to flat-bottomed boats with a single mast. | |||
| Frisian | skûtel | ||
| The word 'skûtel' in Frisian may come from the Old English word 'scutel', meaning 'shallow earthenware dish'. | |||
| Galician | prato | ||
| In Galician, "prato" can also refer to a traditional musical genre or a type of fabric used for making typical attire | |||
| German | gericht | ||
| The word "Gericht" also has the meaning "court" in German, which is derived from its original meaning "place of judgment". | |||
| Icelandic | fat | ||
| The word "fat" in Icelandic can also refer to the fat on an animal or to a large amount of something. | |||
| Irish | mhias | ||
| The word 'mhias' also means 'measure'. | |||
| Italian | piatto | ||
| The Italian word "piatto" derives from the Latin "plattus" meaning "flat" and can also refer to a musical cymbal or a thin metal sheet. | |||
| Luxembourgish | plat | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Plat" is derived from the Old French word "plat" meaning "flat" and can also refer to a flat surface or a piece of land. | |||
| Maltese | dixx | ||
| The Maltese word "dixx" also means "to break" or "to shatter" when used in the context of glass or ceramics. | |||
| Norwegian | oppvask | ||
| 'Oppvask' derives from 'opp' (up) and 'vask' (wash), so originally meant 'washing up'. The word is also used figuratively, like in 'gjøre oppvask' (to settle a dispute). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | prato | ||
| The word "prato" can refer to a plate or a meal in both Portugal and Brazil and its origin comes from the Latin word "pratum", which means meadow or field | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mhias | ||
| In Scottish Gaelic, the word "mhias" can also refer to a trough, a bowl, a measure or a quantity. | |||
| Spanish | plato | ||
| In ancient Greek, "platus" means "flat," and in Spanish, "plato" retains this meaning in the sense of a flat cooking vessel or plate. | |||
| Swedish | maträtt | ||
| 'Maträtt' means both food served on a plate or bowl, and the act of serving or preparing food. | |||
| Welsh | dysgl | ||
| The Welsh word "dysgl" can also mean "a lesson" or "instruction." | |||
Dish in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | страва | ||
| The word "страва" in Belarusian can also refer to a dish of food, a course in a meal, or a service rendered. | |||
| Bosnian | jelo | ||
| In Bosnian, "jelo" has a culinary meaning, but also refers to "a portion of food served at a meal" or "a meal" itself. | |||
| Bulgarian | чиния | ||
| The word "чиния" also means "plate" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | jídlo | ||
| Czech "jídlo" may also refer to a meal. | |||
| Estonian | nõu | ||
| "Nõu" can also mean "advice" or "council" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | astia | ||
| The word "astia" originally referred to wooden vessels but has come to denote any kind of container. | |||
| Hungarian | tál | ||
| The term “tál” is also frequently used in the names of Hungarian villages, cities and streets, as well as in surnames and given names. | |||
| Latvian | trauks | ||
| The word "trauks" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰer- meaning "to hold" and is related to the words "door" and "threshold". | |||
| Lithuanian | patiekalas | ||
| The word "patiekalas" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pet-/*pat-", meaning "to spread out". In some contexts, it can also refer to a meal or a course within a meal. | |||
| Macedonian | чинија | ||
| The word "чинија" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "činiti", meaning "to make" or "to do." | |||
| Polish | danie | ||
| The word 'danie' derives from the verb 'dać' (to give) and signifies something given for nourishment. | |||
| Romanian | farfurie | ||
| Rom. "farfurie" is an example of a loan word from an Iranian language, possibly an ancient form of Farsi. | |||
| Russian | блюдо | ||
| Блюдо derives from the Old Russian блюсти, meaning to watch, and initially referred to a dish used to serve food while dining. | |||
| Serbian | јело | ||
| The word 'јело' can also refer to a Serbian folk dance or a meal in general. | |||
| Slovak | jedlo | ||
| The word "jedlo" is also used to refer to the contents of a dish, such as the food itself or the ingredients used to make it. | |||
| Slovenian | jed | ||
| The word "jed" in Slovenian also means "meal" or "course". | |||
| Ukrainian | блюдо | ||
| The word "блюдо" can also refer to a theatrical scene, act, or performance. | |||
Dish in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | থালা | ||
| The word "থালা" can also refer to a musical instrument in Bengali, similar to a cymbal. | |||
| Gujarati | વાનગી | ||
| "વાનગી" originated from the Sanskrit word "van" meaning "forest" or "plant" and "gi" meaning "to take", possibly referring to dishes made with forest greens. | |||
| Hindi | थाली | ||
| The word 'थाली' also refers to a type of Indian percussion instrument similar to a gong, traditionally used in religious ceremonies and classical music performances. | |||
| Kannada | ಭಕ್ಷ್ಯ | ||
| The word “ಭಕ್ಷ್ಯ” is derived from the Sanskrit word “bhakṣya”, which means “food” or “edible substance”. | |||
| Malayalam | വിഭവം | ||
| The word വിഭവം in Malayalam can also refer to wealth, means, resource, or capability. | |||
| Marathi | ताटली | ||
| ताटली word also means "a small plate used to serve food" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | डिश | ||
| The word “dish” comes from Old French “disch” (a plate, bowl, or tray for food), likely from Late Latin “discus” (a flat or round plate). | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਟੋਰੇ | ||
| The word "ਕਟੋਰੇ" can also refer to a type of vessel used to offer prayers in Sikhism, or a wooden bowl used to eat food. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පිඟාන | ||
| පිඟාන (piḷgāṇaya) also means "a plate used to serve food or offerings; a shallow bowl". | |||
| Tamil | சிறு தட்டு | ||
| The word "dish" can also refer to a specific type of cookware in some contexts. | |||
| Telugu | డిష్ | ||
| The word "డిష్" also refers to the Telugu dish made of urad dal and green chilies, cooked in oil. | |||
| Urdu | ڈش | ||
| The Urdu word "ڈش" also means "to be defeated" or "to be ruined". | |||
Dish in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 碟 | ||
| "碟" means "flying saucer" in colloquial speech. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 碟 | ||
| The dish has the alternate meaning 'flying saucer', and in Cantonese, 'disc'. | |||
| Japanese | 皿 | ||
| "皿" (sara) also means "plate" or "platter" in English. | |||
| Korean | 요리 | ||
| The word "요리" can also mean "food preparation" or "cooking" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | таваг | ||
| The word тваг can also refer to one of the 256 possible arrangements of lines in the Mongolian divination practice of shagai. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပန်းကန် | ||
Dish in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hidangan | ||
| Hidangan originates from the Javanese word 'dhahar' or 'dhaharan' meaning 'food'; 'i' is an affix meaning 'pertaining to'. | |||
| Javanese | sajian | ||
| "Sajian" in Javanese is a loanword from Sanskrit "sajjana" (good people) and also refers to a theatrical performance. | |||
| Khmer | ម្ហូប | ||
| The word "ម្ហូប" also refers to a meal or a set of dishes served together. | |||
| Lao | ອາຫານ | ||
| The Lao word "ອາຫານ" can also refer to any type of food, not just a dish that is served on a plate. | |||
| Malay | pinggan | ||
| In Sundanese, 'pinggan' refers to a traditional woven bamboo plate used for serving food. | |||
| Thai | จาน | ||
| The Thai word "จาน" (jaan) can also refer to a round or flat surface, or to a satellite dish | |||
| Vietnamese | món ăn | ||
| "Món ăn" literally translates as "door to the kitchen" in Vietnamese, highlighting its significance within the household. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulam | ||
Dish in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yeməyi | ||
| The word "yeməyi" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a meal or a serving of food. | |||
| Kazakh | тағам | ||
| The word тағам also refers to "food" and is cognate to the Turkic word "ta'am" with similar meaning. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тамак | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "тамак" also means "food" or "meal" and is related to the Mongolian word "tamaq" with the same meaning. | |||
| Tajik | табақ | ||
| Тaбaқ originally meant “a flat piece of bread” in the Sogdian language. | |||
| Turkmen | saçak | ||
| Uzbek | taom | ||
| The word "taom" in Uzbek also refers to "food" and "cuisine". | |||
| Uyghur | تاماق | ||
Dish in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ipu | ||
| The word "ipu" in Hawaiian can also refer to a container or receptacle for various purposes, such as holding food, liquids, or other items. | |||
| Maori | rihi | ||
| The word rihi also refers to "food" and is related to the Hawaiian word "liki" which means "to eat". | |||
| Samoan | ipu | ||
| The word 'ipu' in Samoan can also mean 'pot,' 'vessel,' or 'container,' especially for food or liquids. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ulam | ||
| The Tagalog word "ulam" shares its root with the Malay word "ulam" meaning "vegetable". | |||
Dish in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | palatu | ||
| Guarani | ña'ẽmbe | ||
Dish in International Languages
| Esperanto | plado | ||
| Esperanto "plado" is derived from Italian "piatto" (plate) and also means "plate" but only in the sense of "a single serving of food." | |||
| Latin | catino | ||
| In Latin, "catinus" can also refer to a type of Roman tableware made with silver or gold. | |||
Dish in Others Languages
| Greek | πιάτο | ||
| The Greek word "πιάτο" ultimately derives from the Latin word "patina", which referred to a shallow metal dish or plate. | |||
| Hmong | phaj | ||
| The Proto-Miao-Yao root of "phaj" means "bamboo tube or container". | |||
| Kurdish | ferax | ||
| In Kurdish, "ferax" also means "fertility" or "abundance." | |||
| Turkish | tabak | ||
| "Tabak" in Turkish also refers to a tray or a flat, circular piece of wood or metal used as a base for a glass or cup. | |||
| Xhosa | isitya | ||
| "Isitya" as a dish derives from its shape - a hole in the ground covered with stones, forming a bowl. | |||
| Yiddish | שיסל | ||
| "שיסל" (pronounced "shissel") also means a prison sentence in Yiddish slang. | |||
| Zulu | isidlo | ||
| The word 'isidlo' can also refer to a ritual object associated with ancestral worship. | |||
| Assamese | থালী | ||
| Aymara | palatu | ||
| Bhojpuri | बरतन | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑިޝް | ||
| Dogri | प्लेट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ulam | ||
| Guarani | ña'ẽmbe | ||
| Ilocano | kanen | ||
| Krio | pan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قاپ | ||
| Maithili | थारी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯦꯟꯖꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | chawhmeh | ||
| Oromo | gabatee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଥାଳି | ||
| Quechua | pukullu | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यंजनं | ||
| Tatar | савыт | ||
| Tigrinya | መብልዒ | ||
| Tsonga | ndyelo | ||