Eat in Different Languages
Discover 'Eat' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Eat
Afrikaans eet | ||
Albanian ha | ||
Amharic ብላ | ||
Arabic تأكل | ||
Armenian ուտել | ||
Assamese খোৱা | ||
Aymara manq'aña | ||
Azerbaijani yemək | ||
Bambara ka dun | ||
Basque jan | ||
Belarusian ёсць | ||
Bengali খাওয়া | ||
Bhojpuri खाईं | ||
Bosnian jesti | ||
Bulgarian яжте | ||
Catalan menjar | ||
Cebuano kaon | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 吃 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 吃 | ||
Corsican manghjà | ||
Croatian jesti | ||
Czech jíst | ||
Danish spise | ||
Dhivehi ކެއުން | ||
Dogri खाओ | ||
Dutch eten | ||
English eat | ||
Esperanto manĝi | ||
Estonian sööma | ||
Ewe ɖu | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) kumain | ||
Finnish syödä | ||
French manger | ||
Frisian ite | ||
Galician comer | ||
Georgian ჭამა | ||
German essen | ||
Greek τρώω | ||
Guarani karu | ||
Gujarati ખાવું | ||
Haitian Creole manje | ||
Hausa ci | ||
Hawaiian ʻai | ||
Hebrew לאכול | ||
Hindi खा | ||
Hmong noj | ||
Hungarian eszik | ||
Icelandic borða | ||
Igbo rie | ||
Ilocano mangan | ||
Indonesian makan | ||
Irish ithe | ||
Italian mangiare | ||
Japanese 食べる | ||
Javanese mangan | ||
Kannada ತಿನ್ನಿರಿ | ||
Kazakh жеу | ||
Khmer បរិភោគ | ||
Kinyarwanda kurya | ||
Konkani खावप | ||
Korean 먹다 | ||
Krio it | ||
Kurdish xwarin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) خواردن | ||
Kyrgyz жегиле | ||
Lao ກິນ | ||
Latin manducare | ||
Latvian ēst | ||
Lingala kolya | ||
Lithuanian valgyti | ||
Luganda okulya | ||
Luxembourgish iessen | ||
Macedonian јаде | ||
Maithili खाउ | ||
Malagasy mihinana | ||
Malay makan | ||
Malayalam കഴിക്കുക | ||
Maltese tiekol | ||
Maori kai | ||
Marathi खा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯆꯥꯕ | ||
Mizo ei | ||
Mongolian идэх | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) စားသည် | ||
Nepali खानु | ||
Norwegian spise | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) idya | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଖାଅ | ||
Oromo nyaachuu | ||
Pashto وخورئ | ||
Persian خوردن | ||
Polish jeść | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) comer | ||
Punjabi ਖਾਣਾ | ||
Quechua mikuy | ||
Romanian mânca | ||
Russian есть | ||
Samoan 'ai | ||
Sanskrit खादतु | ||
Scots Gaelic ithe | ||
Sepedi ja | ||
Serbian јести | ||
Sesotho ja | ||
Shona idya | ||
Sindhi کائو | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කන්න | ||
Slovak jesť | ||
Slovenian jejte | ||
Somali cun | ||
Spanish comer | ||
Sundanese tuang | ||
Swahili kula | ||
Swedish äta | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) kumain ka na | ||
Tajik хӯрдан | ||
Tamil சாப்பிடுங்கள் | ||
Tatar ашау | ||
Telugu తినండి | ||
Thai กิน | ||
Tigrinya ብላዕ | ||
Tsonga dyana | ||
Turkish yemek | ||
Turkmen iýiň | ||
Twi (Akan) di | ||
Ukrainian їсти | ||
Urdu کھاؤ | ||
Uyghur يېيىش | ||
Uzbek yemoq | ||
Vietnamese ăn | ||
Welsh bwyta | ||
Xhosa yitya | ||
Yiddish עסן | ||
Yoruba jẹ | ||
Zulu udle |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | In Afrikaans, 'eet' can also mean 'meal', 'food' or 'feed'. |
| Albanian | Albanian 'ha' and English 'eat' are unrelated but possibly share an Indo-European root word. |
| Amharic | "ብላ" also means a piece of food that is taken all at once, a mouthful. |
| Arabic | The word تأكل in Arabic is derived from the Proto-Semitic root WKL, which also means "to consume" or "to devour". |
| Armenian | While the traditional interpretation of "ուտել" as "to eat" remains the most common, it is also used figuratively to denote consumption, such as reading a book or listening attentively to a lecture. |
| Azerbaijani | Yemək can also mean "feed" or "food" in Azerbaijani. |
| Basque | The word 'jan' is derived from Proto-Basque *jan, also meaning 'food', which may be related to the Indo-European root *ed-} |
| Belarusian | The Belarusian word “ёсць” originally also meant “there is/are”. |
| Bengali | "খাওয়া" can also mean "to enjoy", "to suffer", or "to experience something negative", depending on the context. |
| Bosnian | Bosnian 'jesti' derives from Proto-Slavic 'jьsti', which means 'to eat' and is cognate with 'essen' in German and 'есть' in Russian. |
| Bulgarian | The Bulgarian word "яжте" (eat) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *jesti, which also meant "to exist" and "to live." |
| Catalan | In medieval Catalan, "menjar" additionally meant either "food" or "a meal". |
| Cebuano | The word "kaon" is also used to refer to food in general, or to a course of food, especially a main meal. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The Chinese character 吃 can also mean "to endure" or "to suffer." |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The simplified Chinese character for "eat" (吃) is a combination of the characters for "mouth" (口) and "knife" (刀), suggesting that eating involves putting food into the mouth using a knife. |
| Corsican | The word "manghjà" is derived from the Latin word "manducare", meaning "to chew" or "to eat". |
| Croatian | The Croatian word "jesti" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *jĕsti, which means "to eat" and is related to the English word "eat". It also has the alternate meaning of "to have a meal". |
| Czech | The word "jíst" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *jěsti, which also means "to feed" or "to nourish". |
| Danish | The word "spise" in Danish is derived from the Old Norse word "spísa", meaning "to consume". It can also refer to the act of feeding or nourishing someone or something. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "eten" can also mean "bait" or "food", and is related to the English word "eat". |
| Esperanto | The word "manĝi" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ed- "to eat" and is related to the English word "meat". |
| Estonian | In Southern Estonian dialects, “sööma” also refers to feeding of animals. |
| Finnish | The word "syödä" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Uralic word *söde-, meaning "to eat, to consume". It is also related to the Estonian word "sööma" and the Hungarian word "enni". |
| French | "Manger" also means a feeding trough, a horse crib or a dining room for farm workers, and comes from the Latin word "mangeo" meaning "I eat". |
| Frisian | Some dialects of Frisian also use "ite" to describe an unpleasant smell that permeates clothing. |
| Galician | "Comer" means to consume in Galician but is cognate with the Spanish verb for to buy "comprar" |
| Georgian | The word "ჭამა" in Georgian can also mean "food" or "dish". |
| German | The Old High German word “*etan” is also found in modern English in “edible”. |
| Greek | "Τρώω" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ed-, meaning “to eat” or “to swallow". |
| Gujarati | In Gujarati, the word "ખાવું" (khaavu) can also refer to consuming or using up something, such as time, energy, or resources. |
| Haitian Creole | Haitian Creole "manje" translates to "food" and "family meal" in English. |
| Hausa | The word "ci" can also mean "to be eaten," "to be consumed," or "to be destroyed." |
| Hawaiian | ʻAi, a Hawaiian word meaning to eat, is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word ʔakan and is cognate with the Filipino words akin and kain, the Malay word makan, and the Samoan word ʻai |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "לאכול" ("eat") is derived from the root "כל" ("whole"), which signifies the act of consuming something entirely. |
| Hindi | Hindi 'खा' ('eat') derives from Sanskrit 'खाद्' (devour) and has cognates in other Indo-European languages like Greek 'κείω' (split, rend) and Latin 'edere' (eat). |
| Hmong | In Hmong Daw language, noj can also mean 'to take a sip of' |
| Hungarian | The word "eszik" originates from the Proto-Uralic *eź-, meaning "to eat, devour". |
| Icelandic | "Borða" literally means "at the table board" or "to take to the board," referring to food being placed on the lap of someone sitting on the floor or someone's bed before eating. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word 'rie' also carries the alternate meaning of 'consume,' as in the consumption of goods and services. |
| Indonesian | Makan can also refer to food or a place to eat. |
| Irish | The root word of 'ithe' is cognate with the Latin 'edere' (to eat), from the Proto Indo-European root 'ed' meaning 'consume'. |
| Italian | The Italian word "mangiare" (to eat) derives from the Latin word "manducare," which encompasses a broader range of meanings, including "to chew," "to devour," and "to swallow whole." |
| Japanese | The word "食べる" can also mean "to consume" or "to devour" in a metaphorical sense, as in "to eat up one's words" or "to eat away at one's conscience." |
| Javanese | Mangan, meaning "to eat" in Javanese, also refers to a ritual where spirits are fed to prevent misfortune or bring protection. |
| Kannada | The word “ತಿನ್ನಿರಿ” (eat) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *tin-, meaning 'to consume' |
| Kazakh | The verb "жеу" in Kazakh also means "to devour" and "to swallow whole". |
| Korean | While 먹다 primarily translates to "eat," it also refers to taking medication, drinking alcohol, or using tobacco. |
| Kurdish | Xwarin shares a root with the English word consume and the French word charbon, meaning coal. |
| Kyrgyz | The word 'жегиле' in Kyrgyz has an alternate meaning of 'to live'. |
| Lao | The Lao word "ກິນ" (eat) also has the meaning of "to use up" or "to consume". |
| Latin | The Latin word "manducare" also means "to chew" and "to gnaw". |
| Latvian | The word "ēst" also means "to be" in Latvian, similar to the English word "is". |
| Lithuanian | The word "valgyti" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷel-," meaning "to swallow" or "to eat". |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word 'iessen' is derived from a Proto-Germanic root, likely similar to the English word 'eat'. |
| Macedonian | The word "јаде" also means "anger" or "sorrow" in Macedonian. |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "mihinana" also means "to feed" or "to nourish". |
| Malay | In Malay, 'makan' also refers to income or sustenance. |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word 'കഴിക്കുക' can also mean 'to spend' or 'to perform'. |
| Maltese | Tiekols' origin remains ambiguous, but it possibly came from an original Arabic term that meant 'to eat' or 'to swallow' |
| Maori | The word "kai" can also mean "food" or a "feast" in Maori. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word खा (kha) comes from the Sanskrit word खाद (khaad), which means to 'chew' or 'devour'. |
| Mongolian | "Идэх" is also used to refer to the act of taking in food or drink, even if it is not consumed orally. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | "စားသည်" in Burmese can also mean "to enjoy oneself", "to experience something" or "to do an activity." |
| Nepali | In Nepali, the word 'खानु' not only means 'eat', but also refers to the act of consuming anything, including non-food items like knowledge or experiences. |
| Norwegian | The word 'spise' is derived from the Old Norse word 'spíkr', which means 'spear', as food was traditionally speared or skewered for cooking. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | "Idya" can also refer to a meal or food. |
| Pashto | The word "وخورئ" also means "eat" in Pashto and is related to the Persian word "خوردن" meaning the same. |
| Persian | "خوردن" in Persian can also refer to "getting hit" or "receiving" something, not just eating it. |
| Polish | The word "jeść" in Polish also means "to gnaw" or "to nibble". |
| Punjabi | "ਖਾਣਾ" also means 'to eat food' in Hindi and 'food' in Marathi. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "mânca" is derived from the Latin "manducare", meaning "to chew". |
| Russian | "Есть" is also an existential verb in Russian, equivalent to "to be" in English. |
| Samoan | 'Ai' can also mean 'to consume' or 'to spend'. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word "ithe" is also used in the Scottish Borders language to mean "meal". |
| Serbian | The verb "јести" also shares its root with the nouns "јело" (meal), "јестиво" (edible) and "јестивица" (restaurant). |
| Sesotho | In certain contexts, "ja" can also mean "to live" or "to exist." |
| Shona | "Idya", meaning "eat", also has the alternate meanings of "chew", "consume", "gulp", and "swallow" in Shona. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "کائو" is derived from the Prakrit word "khaadu", meaning "to devour". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word 'කන්න' (kanna) in Sinhala is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *kaN-, meaning 'to eat' or 'to swallow'. It shares cognates with other Dravidian languages, such as Tamil 'kaṉ' and Kannada 'tinnu' (to eat). Additionally, 'කන්න' (kanna) can also mean 'to consume' or 'to devour' in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "jesť" also means "to be" and is related to the Czech word "jsem" meaning "I am". |
| Slovenian | The word "jejte" can also mean "to devour" or "to consume" in Slovenian. |
| Somali | The Somali word "cun" also means "to consume" or "to use up". |
| Spanish | "Comer" in Spanish also means "do business" because in the past, merchants used to eat together to seal deals. |
| Sundanese | The word "tuang" in Sundanese can also mean "to pour" or "to give rice to guests". |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "kula" also means "to consume" or "to use up". |
| Swedish | "Äta" also means "to corrode" or "to wear away". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog (Filipino) word for "eat," kumain ka na, translates literally as "have you already eaten?" |
| Tajik | In Tajik, the verb "хӯрдан" can also mean "to spend" or "to consume". |
| Tamil | The word 'சாப்பிடுங்கள்' can also mean 'take care of' or 'look after' in Tamil, as it is derived from the Sanskrit word 'क्षप' (kṣáp) meaning 'to diminish, consume'. |
| Telugu | The word "తినండి" can also be used to refer to the act of consuming food or drink, or to the process of digesting food. |
| Thai | The verb 'กิน' can also be used to describe the process of taking in food through any opening of the body |
| Turkish | The word "yemek" also means "meal" in Turkish. |
| Ukrainian | "Їсти" is cognate with the English word "eat" and also connotes the sense of "to partake" or "to consume". |
| Urdu | The Urdu word "کھاؤ" (khaao), which means "eat," also has the connotation of consuming, devouring, or annihilating something. |
| Uzbek | The word "yemoq" can also refer to the process of consuming food or drink. |
| Vietnamese | While ăn means 'to eat' in Vietnamese, Chinese characters reveal its alternate meanings like 'to enjoy' or 'banquet'. |
| Welsh | The word "bwyta" also means "to chew" or "to bite" in Welsh. |
| Xhosa | The word "yitya" in Xhosa is also used to describe the process of consumption, such as drinking or smoking. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "עסן" ("esn") shares a common Proto-Germanic root with the English "eat"} |
| Yoruba | Jẹ means "eat," but it can also refer to "taste" and "experience." |
| Zulu | Though its root form means 'eat', 'udle' can be used to describe many kinds of consumption, such as smoking or drinking. |
| English | The word 'eat' comes from the Old English word 'etan,' which means 'to consume food.' |