Drink in Different Languages
Discover 'Drink' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'drink' holds a significant place in our daily lives, as it refers to the consumption of liquids, especially for quenching thirst or for enjoyment. Drinks have played a crucial role in shaping human culture and social interactions since the dawn of civilization. From ancient Roman feasts to modern-day business meetings, drinks have been an essential part of celebrations, gatherings, and relaxation.
Moreover, the word 'drink' has fascinating historical contexts. For instance, ancient Greeks believed that water was sacred and that drinking water was a form of communicating with the gods. In many cultures, drinks are also associated with rituals, healing, and spiritual practices.
Understanding the translation of 'drink' in different languages can be both enriching and intriguing. It not only helps you navigate foreign cultures but also provides insights into the local customs and traditions. Here are a few sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- Spanish: bebida
- French: boisson
- German: Getränk
- Mandarin: 饮料 (yǐn liào)
- Japanese: 飲料 (inryō)
Discover more translations of 'drink' in our comprehensive list below and immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of global cultures and languages!
Drink
Drink in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | drink | ||
| In Afrikaans, "drink" can also refer to a watering place for animals. | |||
| Amharic | መጠጥ | ||
| The word "መጠጥ" can also refer to a liquid used for washing or cleaning. | |||
| Hausa | sha | ||
| "Sha", meaning "drink" in Hausa, also refers to a tea or coffee beverage with milk and sugar. | |||
| Igbo | ụọ ihe ọ .ụ .ụ | ||
| Malagasy | zava-pisotro | ||
| The word "zava-pisotro" comes from the root "pisotro," which means "to drink liquid." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumwa | ||
| Kumwa, meaning "drink" in Nyanja, derives from the Proto-Bantu *kumwa and can also mean "to smoke". | |||
| Shona | kunwa | ||
| "Kunwa" is a homophone with different meanings depending on its tonal pattern. | |||
| Somali | cab | ||
| The word cab, meaning drink, can also be used to refer to the leftover residue at the bottom of a cup, especially tea or coffee. | |||
| Sesotho | noa | ||
| The word "noa" could alternately refer to the act of imbibing, or the liquid consumed. | |||
| Swahili | kunywa | ||
| The word 'kunywa' ('drink') in Swahili originally meant 'to swallow' or 'to gulp'. | |||
| Xhosa | usele | ||
| The Xhosa word "usele" can also mean "to use it" or "to utilize it." | |||
| Yoruba | mu | ||
| The Yoruba word "mu" also means "to take" or "to receive", which suggests a broader concept of consumption and nourishment. | |||
| Zulu | isiphuzo | ||
| "Isiphuzo" can also mean "soup" or "liquid" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka min | ||
| Ewe | no | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kunywa | ||
| Lingala | komela | ||
| Luganda | okunywa | ||
| Sepedi | nwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nom | ||
Drink in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يشرب | ||
| يشرب (yashrab) also means "drinks" and is typically used to refer to drinking alcoholic beverages. | |||
| Hebrew | לִשְׁתוֹת | ||
| The root of the word לִשְׁתוֹת, which means "to drink," also appears in the word שִׂית, which means "to put". | |||
| Pashto | وڅښئ | ||
| The Pashto word "وڅښئ" can also mean "to smoke" or "to sniff". | |||
| Arabic | يشرب | ||
| يشرب (yashrab) also means "drinks" and is typically used to refer to drinking alcoholic beverages. | |||
Drink in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pi | ||
| In Albanian, "pi" can also refer to a specific beverage, or to the act of consuming a beverage. | |||
| Basque | edan | ||
| In Old Basque, edan meant 'water' and is related to edar, meaning 'thirst'. | |||
| Catalan | beure | ||
| The word "beure" is also used to mean "drink beer" in informal Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | piće | ||
| The Croatian word "piće" can also refer to urine or alcohol. | |||
| Danish | drikke | ||
| The word "drikke" is also used to describe the act of eating a liquid, as in "drikke suppe" (to eat soup). | |||
| Dutch | drinken | ||
| The Dutch word "drinken" derives from the Old High German "trincan" and is a cognate of its English counterpart, but also has a colloquial meaning of "to party heavily". | |||
| English | drink | ||
| The word 'drink' derives from the Old English word 'drincan,' meaning 'to swallow' or 'to imbibe'. | |||
| French | boisson | ||
| The word boisson is derived from the Old French word boivre, which meant “to drink.” | |||
| Frisian | drinke | ||
| In Frisian, the verb "drinke" also means "to drown". | |||
| Galician | beber | ||
| The term "beber" in Galician also means "to eat" or "to smoke". | |||
| German | trinken | ||
| The word "trinken" can also refer to the act of soaking or absorbing liquids or to a drinking party. | |||
| Icelandic | drykkur | ||
| Drykkur derives from Old Norse 'drecka,' meaning 'to drink,' and can also refer to beverages, cocktails, or a specific drink. | |||
| Irish | ól | ||
| The root "ól" can also mean "worship" or "respect" in Irish | |||
| Italian | bere | ||
| "Bere" also means "beer" in modern Italian and is related to the Spanish word "beber" which also means "to drink". | |||
| Luxembourgish | drénken | ||
| Maltese | ixrob | ||
| The word "ixrob" in Maltese can also mean "beverage" or "liquid". | |||
| Norwegian | drikke | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "drikke" can also refer to a liquid used for brewing beer, or to the act of serving drinks. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bebida | ||
| In Old Portuguese, "bebida" had the additional meaning of "medicine" or "potion". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deoch | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "deoch" is thought to originate from the Old Irish "diubagaid", meaning "a drink that intoxicates". | |||
| Spanish | beber | ||
| Despite its common translation, "beber" primarily implies "to imbibe alcoholic beverages". | |||
| Swedish | dryck | ||
| The Swedish word "dryck" shares a common etymology with "drek", meaning "dung" or "excrement". | |||
| Welsh | yfed | ||
| 'Yfed' can also mean 'beer' or 'liquor' in Welsh. | |||
Drink in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | піць | ||
| The word "піць" in Belarusian can also refer to the act of smoking. | |||
| Bosnian | piće | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Slavic word `piti`, meaning 'to drink', `piće` also refers to alcoholic beverages. | |||
| Bulgarian | пийте | ||
| "Пийте" derives from Proto-Slavic "pi-ti", from Proto-Indo-European root "*pei-", "*po-", meaning "to drink, quench thirst". The word "питие" (pi-ti-ye), derived from the infinitive "пити", can also mean "beverage". | |||
| Czech | napít se | ||
| "Napít se" is the Czech word for "drink", and it means literally to "pour into oneself". | |||
| Estonian | juua | ||
| The word "juua" has also been related to the Finnish word "juoda" and the Hungarian word "iszik" meaning "to drink". | |||
| Finnish | juoda | ||
| The word "juoda" in Finnish also signifies "dark" (as in shade); hence words denoting "coffee" "tea" often include it; "coffee" is "kahvijuoma" literally "dark drink." | |||
| Hungarian | ital | ||
| The Hungarian word "ital" for "drink" originates from the Latin word "potare" meaning "to drink" or "to take a drink." | |||
| Latvian | dzert | ||
| In Latvian, "dzert" not only means "to drink", but also "to pull a boat toward the shore with a rope". | |||
| Lithuanian | gerti | ||
| The word "gerti" also means "to take an oath" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | пијат | ||
| The word "пијат" also means "to drink a coffee" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | drink | ||
| The Polish word "drink" can also refer to a type of alcoholic beverage, such as vodka or wine. | |||
| Romanian | băutură | ||
| The Romanian word "băutură" is derived from the verb "a bea" meaning "to drink" and cognate with the Slavic "piti." | |||
| Russian | напиток | ||
| In Old Russian, “напиток” meant “any food consumed with drinks”. | |||
| Serbian | пиће | ||
| The word 'пиће' can also refer to the act of drinking or the liquid consumed. | |||
| Slovak | piť | ||
| The word "piť" in Slovak can also refer to smoking or the liquid left over after cooking meat | |||
| Slovenian | pijačo | ||
| In the Bohinj and Upper Carniola dialects, it also means 'dinner'. | |||
| Ukrainian | пити | ||
| The Ukrainian word "пити" can also mean "to smoke" or "to sniff". | |||
Drink in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পান করা | ||
| The word "পান করা" can also mean "to apply something, such as medicine or oil, as a liquid". | |||
| Gujarati | પીવું | ||
| The word "પીવું" can also mean "to sip" or "to imbibe". | |||
| Hindi | पीना | ||
| "पीने" का अर्थ "तरल पदार्थ ग्रहण करना", "शराब का सेवन करना" या किसी पदार्थ को शरीर में लेना भी हो सकता है। | |||
| Kannada | ಕುಡಿಯಿರಿ | ||
| The word "ಕುಡಿಯಿರಿ" (drink) in Kannada also means "to sip" or "to take a sip of something." | |||
| Malayalam | പാനീയം | ||
| In Old Malayalam, "പാനീയം" also meant "vessel to drink from". | |||
| Marathi | पेय | ||
| The word "पेय" (drink) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "पिव" (to drink) and also means "liquid". | |||
| Nepali | पिउनु | ||
| The Nepali word "पिउनु" (drink) is also used to mean "to kiss" in some contexts. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੀ | ||
| The word "ਪੀ" (drink) in Punjabi shares the same Proto-Indo-European root with "drink" in English and "trinken" in German, and has additional meanings such as "to consume" and "to absorb." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බොන්න | ||
| In addition to its most common meaning of "drink," the Sinhala word "බොන්න" can also refer to a type of sweet fermented beverage made from toddy palm sap. | |||
| Tamil | பானம் | ||
| The word "பானம்" (drink) in Tamil also means "sacrifice" or "offering" in a religious context. | |||
| Telugu | పానీయం | ||
| The word "పానీయం" can also refer to a specific type of drink, such as a sweetened beverage. | |||
| Urdu | پیو | ||
| "پيو" is derived from the Persian word "پيدن" (payidan), meaning "to drink, to imbibe". | |||
Drink in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 喝 | ||
| 喝 is also used to describe the sound of running water, such as a river or stream. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 喝 | ||
| In Chinese, 喝 also means 'to scold' or 'to shout', which reflects the idea of the forceful nature of drinking. | |||
| Japanese | ドリンク | ||
| While it is pronounced the same, "ドリンク" and "飲み物" have different etymologies. | |||
| Korean | 음주 | ||
| "음주" (drink) is also written "飮酒" (to drink alcohol). | |||
| Mongolian | уух | ||
| The Mongolian word 'уух' (drink) is also used to refer to the act of smoking tobacco. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သောက်ပါ | ||
Drink in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | minum | ||
| The word "minum" in Indonesian also refers to the act of giving someone a drink. | |||
| Javanese | ngombe | ||
| In Javanese, "ngombe" has a similar meaning with "ngopi (drinking coffee)"} | |||
| Khmer | ផឹក | ||
| Lao | ດື່ມ | ||
| The word "ດື່ມ" derives from Proto-Tai *ˀiːm, and is cognate with Standard Thai "ดื่ม" ("deum") and Zhuang "yim". | |||
| Malay | minum | ||
| The Malay word "minum" can also refer to water or liquid medicine. | |||
| Thai | ดื่ม | ||
| The word "ดื่ม" (drink) can also be used figuratively to mean "to absorb or take in (knowledge, experience, etc.)". | |||
| Vietnamese | uống | ||
| "Uống" is also a name for a kind of Vietnamese drum. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inumin | ||
Drink in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | içmək | ||
| "İçmək" is also the name of a Azerbaijani folk dance performed with glasses in dancers' hands and filled with water, wine, or vodka. | |||
| Kazakh | ішу | ||
| "Ішу" is derived from the Proto-Turkic root *isu- "to drink," and also means "beverage" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ичүү | ||
| The Kyrgyz word | |||
| Tajik | нӯшидан | ||
| The Tajik word "нӯшидан" also has the extended meaning of "to eat" and derives from the Proto-Iranian root *nūši-. | |||
| Turkmen | içmek | ||
| Uzbek | ichish | ||
| The word "ichish" in Uzbek is a noun that means "drink" and it comes from the verb "ich-" which means "to drink." | |||
| Uyghur | ئىچىڭ | ||
Drink in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | inu | ||
| Inu can also refer to the process of soaking poi, a traditional Hawaiian dish made from pounded taro root. | |||
| Maori | inu | ||
| The word "inu" in Maori also refers to a drink that is made from water and fermented kumara. | |||
| Samoan | inu | ||
| "Inu" also means "to pray" or "to beg". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | uminom ka | ||
| The Tagalog word "uminom ka" (to drink) is also the root for the phrase "inom ng tubig" (to drink water), which is often used as a euphemism for alcohol consumption. | |||
Drink in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | umaña | ||
| Guarani | mboy'u | ||
Drink in International Languages
| Esperanto | trinki | ||
| The Esperanto word "trinki" derives from the Yiddish "trinkn" and the Old French "trinquer." | |||
| Latin | bibe | ||
| The verb "bibo" can also mean "to soak up" and is related to the word "bibere" (to drink) but is not its direct cognate. | |||
Drink in Others Languages
| Greek | ποτό | ||
| The word "ποτό" in Greek ultimately derives from the Indo-European root "*peh₃-, " meaning "to drink". | |||
| Hmong | haus | ||
| The word "haus" in Hmong can also refer to a soup or broth. | |||
| Kurdish | vexwarin | ||
| The word "vexwarin" can also refer to alcoholic beverages or liquids that can be consumed. | |||
| Turkish | i̇çmek | ||
| "İçmek" also means to absorb or intake. | |||
| Xhosa | usele | ||
| The Xhosa word "usele" can also mean "to use it" or "to utilize it." | |||
| Yiddish | טרינקען | ||
| The Yiddish word "טרינקען" ("drink") is related to the German word "trinken" and the English word "drink," reflecting the influence of German on Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | isiphuzo | ||
| "Isiphuzo" can also mean "soup" or "liquid" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | পান কৰা | ||
| Aymara | umaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | पियल | ||
| Dhivehi | ބުއިން | ||
| Dogri | पीना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inumin | ||
| Guarani | mboy'u | ||
| Ilocano | inumen | ||
| Krio | drink | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خواردنەوە | ||
| Maithili | पीबू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | in | ||
| Oromo | dhuguu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପିଅ | | ||
| Quechua | upyay | ||
| Sanskrit | पेयं | ||
| Tatar | эч | ||
| Tigrinya | ስተ | ||
| Tsonga | nwana | ||