Cheese in Different Languages
Discover 'Cheese' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Cheese is a culinary staple and cultural symbol, celebrated for its versatility and rich history. From the artisanal cheddar of England to the pungent limburger of Belgium, cheese has been an essential part of global cuisine for thousands of years. Its significance extends beyond the dinner table, as cheese has played a vital role in trade, agriculture, and even religious ceremonies.
Understanding the translation of cheese in different languages not only broadens your culinary vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the unique cultural identities of various countries. For instance, cheese translates to 'queso' in Spanish, 'fromage' in French, and 'kaas' in Dutch. Imagine traveling the world and ordering 'queso' in a local Spanish market or savoring 'fromage' in a quaint French bistro.
Join us as we embark on a global cheese tour, exploring the many languages and cultures that have embraced this cherished food. Whether you're a cheese aficionado, a language enthusiast, or simply curious, this journey is sure to delight and inspire.
Cheese
Cheese in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kaas | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'kaas' originates from the Dutch 'kaas' and is also related to the German 'käse' and English 'cheese'. | |||
| Amharic | አይብ | ||
| The Amharic word አይብ "cheese" may derive from the Ge'ez word አይበ "milk". The word is also used figuratively as a term of endearment for a beautiful woman. | |||
| Hausa | cuku | ||
| The word 'cuku' can also refer to the white sap of the baobab tree, which is used as an adhesive or sealant. | |||
| Igbo | chiiz | ||
| Igbo word ''chiiz'' (cheese) derives from Spanish ``queso'' through an English intermediary. | |||
| Malagasy | fromazy | ||
| The word "fromazy" is derived from the French word "fromage", meaning "cheese", and is also used to refer to a type of fermented milk product in Madagascar. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tchizi | ||
| In Nyanja, "tchizi" can also mean "sour milk" or "yogurt". | |||
| Shona | chizi | ||
| While chizi means 'cheese' in Shona, it's also used figuratively to refer to something that is fake or of low quality. | |||
| Somali | farmaajo | ||
| The Somali word "farmaajo" derives from the Arabic word "furmā'" meaning "choice" or "best". | |||
| Sesotho | chisi | ||
| Despite 'chisi' meaning 'cheese', it often refers to the fermented milk product known as mafi. | |||
| Swahili | jibini | ||
| The word 'jibini' in Swahili can also refer to a traditional fermented milk product similar to yogurt. | |||
| Xhosa | itshizi | ||
| The word "itshizi" is derived from the Xhosa word "itshiza" which means "sour milk". | |||
| Yoruba | warankasi | ||
| In some Yoruba dialects, "warankasi" refers specifically to soft, unripened white cheese, while in others it can also mean cheese in general. | |||
| Zulu | ushizi | ||
| The Zulu word "ushizi" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*cisi", which also means "milk". | |||
| Bambara | foromazi | ||
| Ewe | notsibabla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | foromaje | ||
| Lingala | fromage | ||
| Luganda | cheese | ||
| Sepedi | tšhese | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyiisi | ||
Cheese in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جبنه | ||
| "جبنه" is also the Arabic word for cheese, the word originated from the Aramaic "gabnā" which means to curdle. | |||
| Hebrew | גבינה | ||
| The word "גבינה" is a generic Hebrew term derived from the Aramaic "gabna," which could refer to a wide variety of fermented or curdled milk products. | |||
| Pashto | پنیر | ||
| The Pashto word "پنیر" is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "पनीर" (panīra), which in turn originates from the ancient Iranian root *pan̄- meaning "to protect" or "to keep safe". | |||
| Arabic | جبنه | ||
| "جبنه" is also the Arabic word for cheese, the word originated from the Aramaic "gabnā" which means to curdle. | |||
Cheese in Western European Languages
| Albanian | djathë | ||
| In Albanian, "djathë" (cheese) also derives from Illyrian "daddhi", and Greek "dados" (resinous pine wood, but likely a cheese name, too). | |||
| Basque | gazta | ||
| Basque “gazta” (cheese) is derived from “gazi” (salty), hence gazta in the 1258 Fuero General de Navarra (Charter of the Navarre Region) meant the salt cheese that was taxed, as opposed to curdled cheeses. | |||
| Catalan | formatge | ||
| "Formatge" comes from the Latin "forma," which means "shape," referring to the molds used to press the curd into its final shape. | |||
| Croatian | sir | ||
| The Croatian word "sir" also means "vinegar" and is derived from the Latin word "acetum". | |||
| Danish | ost | ||
| The word "ost" in Danish shares a common root with the Latin word "caseus", the precursor to English "cheese". | |||
| Dutch | kaas | ||
| The word 'kaas' is derived from Latin 'caseus', meaning 'cheese made from curds'. | |||
| English | cheese | ||
| The word "cheese" traces its roots to the Latin word "caseus," denoting both fermented and unfermented milk products like curd. | |||
| French | fromage | ||
| Fromage, meaning 'cheese' in French, originates from the Latin word 'forma,' meaning 'mold,' referring to the process of forming cheese in molds. | |||
| Frisian | tsiis | ||
| In North Frisian, 'tsiis' is the term for 'cottage cheese', while 'kees' is the term for 'hard cheese'. | |||
| Galician | queixo | ||
| Galician "queixo" derives from the Latin "caseus", meaning "cheese", and also refers to a traditional Galician cheese made from cow's milk. | |||
| German | käse | ||
| Besides its primary meaning as 'cheese', 'Käse' can also refer to a wooden box used for aging cheese. | |||
| Icelandic | ostur | ||
| Ostur's alternate meaning is an old Norse word describing a Scandinavian type of boat. | |||
| Irish | cáis | ||
| The Irish word "cáis" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "kasyos," meaning "curdled milk." | |||
| Italian | formaggio | ||
| "Formaggio" originates from the Latin word "formāceus" - "formed" due to the traditional round mold used to age it. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kéis | ||
| The word “Kéis” derives from the Old High German “chesi,” related to Old English “cyse,” German “Käse,” and Dutch “kaas.” | |||
| Maltese | ġobon | ||
| The word "ġobon" is derived from the Arabic word "jubn", which also means "cheese". It is cognate with the Spanish word "jabón", which means "soap". | |||
| Norwegian | ost | ||
| The word "ost" can also refer to "east" or "a place where the sun rises" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | queijo | ||
| "Queijo" is derived from the Latin word "caseus", which also means "cheese". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | càise | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "càise" can also refer to a small wooden tub or box, or to the curds that are used in the making of cheese. | |||
| Spanish | queso | ||
| The word "queso" can also refer to a type of cheese sauce or melted cheese used in Mexican cuisine. | |||
| Swedish | ost | ||
| The word "ost" in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word "ostr", which means "cream". It is cognate with the German word "Käse" and the English word "cheese". The word "ost" can also refer to a type of cheese mold or a cheese factory. | |||
| Welsh | caws | ||
| The Welsh word 'caws' is also used to describe a cough or a hoarse voice. | |||
Cheese in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сыр | ||
| "сыр" also refers to other types of dairy products such as cottage cheese (тварог) and cream (сметана). | |||
| Bosnian | sir | ||
| The word 'sir' in Bosnian, meaning 'cheese', likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root '*seyr-' meaning 'to flow', which also gave rise to the English word 'serum'. | |||
| Bulgarian | сирене | ||
| The word "сирене" can also refer to rennet, a substance used in cheesemaking. | |||
| Czech | sýr | ||
| The word "sýr" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*syrъ", which originally meant "fermented milk". | |||
| Estonian | juust | ||
| Estonian word “juust” refers to cheese, but is also the name for a kind of fermented milk. | |||
| Finnish | juusto | ||
| The word "juusto" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Finnic word "justo", meaning "hard" or "firm". | |||
| Hungarian | sajt | ||
| In addition, the word 'sajt' also means 'curd' in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | siers | ||
| The word "siers" also means "curd" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | sūris | ||
| The word "sūris" in Lithuanian, meaning "cheese," originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷer-," meaning "to ferment" or "to sour," and is related to the Sanskrit word "kṣiras," meaning "milk." | |||
| Macedonian | сирење | ||
| The word “сирење” (cheese) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word “*syrъ”, which also means “rennet” or “curd”. | |||
| Polish | ser | ||
| The Polish word "ser" derives from the Proto-Slavic *syrъ and shares its origin with the words for cheese in many other Indo-European languages, including the English "cheese". | |||
| Romanian | brânză | ||
| The word "brânză" is also used in Romanian to refer to a type of cream cheese called "caș". | |||
| Russian | сыр | ||
| The Russian word "сыр" (cheese) likely derives from the Indo-European root *twer- or *ters-, meaning "to rub" or "to roll", hinting at the ancient technique of making cheese by rubbing or rolling curds. | |||
| Serbian | сир | ||
| The Serbian word for "cheese", "сир", is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱer-s", meaning "to cut" or "to carve". | |||
| Slovak | syr | ||
| The word "syr" in Slovak also means "the smell of a female goat" and "a dirty stain on a garment." | |||
| Slovenian | sir | ||
| The word "sir" in Slovenian can also refer to a type of curd cheese, similar to cottage cheese. | |||
| Ukrainian | сир | ||
| The word "сир" in Ukrainian is derived from an ancient Indo-European root meaning "to cut" or "to divide". | |||
Cheese in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পনির | ||
| The word "পনির" is borrowed from Sanskrit "पनीर" (panīra) meaning "fermented milk curd" and is cognate with "paneer" in Hindi and Urdu. | |||
| Gujarati | ચીઝ | ||
| The Gujarati word 'ચીઝ' ('cheese') ultimately derives from the Latin word 'caseus', which also gave rise to the English word 'cheese'. | |||
| Hindi | पनीर | ||
| "पनीर" (cheese) derives from the Persian word "panir" and can also refer to the pupil of the eye. | |||
| Kannada | ಗಿಣ್ಣು | ||
| In rural areas of Karnataka, it can also mean 'a wooden pillar' or 'a log of wood'. | |||
| Malayalam | ചീസ് | ||
| The word "ചീസ്" ("cheese") in Malayalam also refers to a kind of fish called "black pomfret". | |||
| Marathi | चीज | ||
| The Marathi word "चीज" (chīj) is also used to refer to a "thing" or an "object." | |||
| Nepali | चीज | ||
| The Nepali word "चीज" derives from the Sanskrit word "क्षीर," which refers to fermented milk products akin to cheese or curd. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਨੀਰ | ||
| The word "paneer" is derived from the Sanskrit word "panira" meaning "to set" or "to coagulate" and is related to the word "pani" meaning "water". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | චීස් | ||
| The Sinhala word 'චීස්' is often used to express surprise and can be compared to the English interjection 'whoa'. | |||
| Tamil | சீஸ் | ||
| The Tamil word 'சீஸ்' (cheese) is derived from the Portuguese word 'queijo', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'caseus'. | |||
| Telugu | జున్ను | ||
| The word "జున్ను" is derived from the Sanskrit word "क्षीर" (kshira), meaning "milk". | |||
| Urdu | پنیر | ||
| The word 'پنیر' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'piniram', meaning 'pressed together'. | |||
Cheese in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 起司 | ||
| 起司一名源自閩南語，又稱乳酪、乾酪或乳酪乾酪。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 起司 | ||
| 起司一詞來自葡萄牙語 queijo，原意為凝乳或奶酪，後來專指以牛奶為原料製成的乳製品。 | |||
| Japanese | チーズ | ||
| チーズ (chīzu) is derived from the Portuguese word Queijo, which means "cheese." | |||
| Korean | 치즈 | ||
| 치즈(cheese) is a loanword, not native to the Korean language. | |||
| Mongolian | бяслаг | ||
| The word "бяслаг" in Mongolian can also mean "milk product" or "food made from milk". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒိန်ခဲ | ||
| The Burmese word for "cheese" (ဒိန်ခဲ) is thought to be derived from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan word *d-jins, which also meant "cheese". | |||
Cheese in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keju | ||
| The word 'keju' is derived from the Portuguese word 'queijo' and is cognate with the English word 'cheese' | |||
| Javanese | keju | ||
| In addition to "cheese," keju also means "mold" in some Javanese dialects | |||
| Khmer | ឈីស | ||
| The word "ឈីស" is derived from the French word "fromage" and is also used to refer to dairy products such as butter and yogurt. | |||
| Lao | ເນີຍແຂງ | ||
| The word "ເນີຍແຂງ" is a direct loanword from French, where it originally referred to the hard, unripened cheese known as "fromage sec". | |||
| Malay | keju | ||
| Keju can also refer to other fermented soy or meat based food in Malaysia. | |||
| Thai | ชีส | ||
| The word "ชีส" can also refer to a type of mold or fungus in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | phô mai | ||
| The word "phô mai" is derived from the French word "fromage" and was introduced to Vietnam during the French colonial period. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | keso | ||
Cheese in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pendir | ||
| Pendir also means 'bread' in the old Azerbaijani language. The word Pendir is rooted in the words for bread in Old Turkic dialects. | |||
| Kazakh | ірімшік | ||
| The Kazakh word "ірімшік" (cheese) may be derived from the Turkic word "irim," meaning "sour"} | |||
| Kyrgyz | сыр | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "сыр" (cheese) also means "gorge" or "canyon". | |||
| Tajik | панир | ||
| The word "панир" in Tajik can also refer to a type of cottage cheese or curd. | |||
| Turkmen | peýnir | ||
| Uzbek | pishloq | ||
| "Pishloq" has the same origin as the Persian word "pishlak," both derived from the Old Iranian word "pishtaka" meaning "milk fat or cream." | |||
| Uyghur | پىشلاق | ||
Cheese in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | tī | ||
| Tī means 'cheese' in Hawaiian and refers specifically to curdled coconut milk used as a cooking ingredient in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. | |||
| Maori | tīhi | ||
| The word "tīhi" in Māori also refers to a type of fermented fish paste or relish. | |||
| Samoan | sisi | ||
| Sisi can also mean 'to squeeze' or 'to milk' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | keso | ||
| The Tagalog word 'keso' can also refer to any type of dairy product, not just cheese, and is derived from the Spanish word 'queso'. | |||
Cheese in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kisu | ||
| Guarani | kesu | ||
Cheese in International Languages
| Esperanto | fromaĝo | ||
| The word "fromaĝo" is derived from the Latin word "formaticus", meaning "made of cheese". | |||
| Latin | caseus | ||
| "Caseus" comes from the Proto-Indo-European word "*kwat-", meaning "to ferment" | |||
Cheese in Others Languages
| Greek | τυρί | ||
| The Greek word | |||
| Hmong | cheese | ||
| Although "cheese" in Hmong (tsaj tsiaj) literally translates to "sour liquid," that word's actual usage encompasses dairy products like cheese and yogurt as well as any other sour liquid, like orange juice or vinegar. | |||
| Kurdish | penêr | ||
| The word 'penêr' is used in the context of the Kurdish saying 'penêr xware, dil xweş bide' which means 'eat cheese and make your tongue happy'. | |||
| Turkish | peynir | ||
| "Peynir" originates from the Persian word "panir", which refers to a type of soft, fresh cheese. | |||
| Xhosa | itshizi | ||
| The word "itshizi" is derived from the Xhosa word "itshiza" which means "sour milk". | |||
| Yiddish | קעז | ||
| In Yiddish, "קעז" can also refer to a type of cottage cheese known as "тварог" in Russian. | |||
| Zulu | ushizi | ||
| The Zulu word "ushizi" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*cisi", which also means "milk". | |||
| Assamese | চীজ | ||
| Aymara | kisu | ||
| Bhojpuri | पनीर | ||
| Dhivehi | ޗީޒް | ||
| Dogri | पनीर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | keso | ||
| Guarani | kesu | ||
| Ilocano | keso | ||
| Krio | chiz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پەنیر | ||
| Maithili | पनीर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯪꯒꯣꯝ ꯃꯄꯥꯟ | ||
| Mizo | cheese | ||
| Oromo | baaduu gogaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପନିର | ||
| Quechua | queso | ||
| Sanskrit | दधिक | ||
| Tatar | сыр | ||
| Tigrinya | መጨባ | ||
| Tsonga | chizi | ||