Diet in Different Languages
Discover 'Diet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'diet' carries significant weight in our daily lives, shaping our food choices and overall well-being. But did you know that its meaning and cultural importance vary across the globe? This makes understanding its translation in different languages all the more fascinating and relevant.
Originating from the Greek word 'diaita,' which means 'way of life,' 'diet' has evolved to signify a deliberate selection of food for health or weight management reasons. However, in many cultures, it goes beyond this, encompassing social, religious, and traditional practices.
For instance, in Spain, 'dieta' refers to a regimen or routine, often including food but not limited to it. In Japan, 'shokuji' is the term for diet, emphasizing the art and mindfulness of eating. Meanwhile, in Germany, 'Diät' implies a reduced-calorie eating plan for weight loss.
Intrigued? Discover more about 'diet' in various languages and cultures below.
Diet
Diet in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dieet | ||
| In Afrikaans, "dieet" can also refer to a period of fasting for religious or dietary reasons. | |||
| Amharic | አመጋገብ | ||
| The word "አመጋገብ" can also mean "fasting" or "abstinence" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | rage cin abinci | ||
| The Hausa word 'rage cin abinci' can also be translated as 'food intake' within the context of dietary management. | |||
| Igbo | nri | ||
| The word 'nri' in Igbo language also means 'food' or 'sustenance' and it is derived from the verb 'iri' which means 'to eat'. | |||
| Malagasy | levitra | ||
| In Malgasy, the word "levitra" originally denoted "food prohibition" in a specific cultural context. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zakudya | ||
| The word "zakudya" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "lifestyle" or "eating habits". | |||
| Shona | kudya | ||
| "Kudya" also refers to "the act of being eaten" or "a place to be eaten." | |||
| Somali | cuntada | ||
| The word "cuntada" in Somali can also refer to "provisions for a journey" or a "military campaign". | |||
| Sesotho | lijo | ||
| Sesotho 'lijo' has roots in the word for 'to fast', hence its alternative meaning: abstinence from food. | |||
| Swahili | mlo | ||
| The word 'mlo' is also used to refer to the food consumed at a particular meal. | |||
| Xhosa | ukutya | ||
| "Ukutya" originally referred to food in general, but now more commonly means "diet" in English. | |||
| Yoruba | ounje | ||
| The Yoruba word 'ounje' originally meant 'food', but over time it came to also mean 'diet'. | |||
| Zulu | ukudla | ||
| The word "ukudla" in Zulu is related to the word "ukudla" in Xhosa, which means "to eat". | |||
| Bambara | erezimu | ||
| Ewe | nuɖuɖu ɖoɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | indyo | ||
| Lingala | bilei | ||
| Luganda | ndya | ||
| Sepedi | dijo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adidie | ||
Diet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حمية | ||
| The Arabic word “حمية” is ultimately derived from the Greek “hygeia” meaning “health,” but also carries a religious and legal meaning in the context of fasting. | |||
| Hebrew | דִיאֵטָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "דִיאֵטָה" (diet) comes from the Greek word "δίαιτα," which originally meant "way of life" or "regimen." | |||
| Pashto | خواړه | ||
| "خواړه" comes from the Middle Persian word "xwarāg" and also means "food". | |||
| Arabic | حمية | ||
| The Arabic word “حمية” is ultimately derived from the Greek “hygeia” meaning “health,” but also carries a religious and legal meaning in the context of fasting. | |||
Diet in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dieta | ||
| "Dietë" in Albanian is derived from the Greek "δίαιτα" meaning "manner of living" and can refer to both nutritional intake and overall lifestyle. | |||
| Basque | dieta | ||
| In Basque, "dieta" can also mean "gathering" or "assembly". | |||
| Catalan | dieta | ||
| The Catalan word "dieta" can also refer to a "daily rate" or "stipend". | |||
| Croatian | dijeta | ||
| The word 'dijeta' in Croatian shares its origin with the English word 'diet', but in addition to meaning 'diet', it can also mean 'food' or 'meal'. | |||
| Danish | kost | ||
| "Kost" can also refer to "food" or "expenses" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | eetpatroon | ||
| The Dutch word "eetpatroon" (diet) refers specifically to a pattern of eating and drinking, rather than the deprivation of food. | |||
| English | diet | ||
| The word "diet" originally meant "a daily portion of food," and its medical meaning of "a regimen of food" arose from the idea of a daily allowance. | |||
| French | régime | ||
| The word "régime" in French originally meant "rule" or "government" and can still have this meaning in certain contexts. | |||
| Frisian | dieet | ||
| In Frisian, "dieet" can also refer to a special meal given to a patient or livestock. | |||
| Galician | dieta | ||
| In Galician, 'dieta' also refers to a 'legislative assembly', likely originating from Medieval Latin 'dieta', meaning 'a day's work'. | |||
| German | diät | ||
| In German, "Diät" can also refer to a special nutritional plan designed for specific medical conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease. | |||
| Icelandic | mataræði | ||
| Mataræði shares its root with 'matvæli' meaning 'food' and 'mata' which means 'to feed' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | aiste bia | ||
| The term "aiste bia" can also refer to a meal or a dish in Irish, not just a diet. | |||
| Italian | dieta | ||
| In Italian, the word "dieta" can also refer to a legislative assembly or a meeting of experts. | |||
| Luxembourgish | diät | ||
| In Luxembourgish the word "Diät" can also mean "food regimen" or "prescription". | |||
| Maltese | dieta | ||
| The Maltese word "dieta" is derived from the Italian word "dieta", which can mean both "diet" and "parliamentary session". | |||
| Norwegian | kosthold | ||
| The Norwegian term "kosthold" also means "the art of enjoying food" and "feast". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dieta | ||
| In Portuguese, "dieta" can also refer to "regime" or "lifestyle". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | daithead | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, 'daithead' has an alternative meaning of 'to eat' and shares the same root with the Latin 'edere' ('to eat') and English 'edible'. | |||
| Spanish | dieta | ||
| In Spanish, "dieta" can also refer to a meeting of several people discussing religious or political matters. | |||
| Swedish | diet | ||
| In Swedish, "diet" can also refer to the Riksdag (parliament), originating from the days when members received their pay in food allowances called "diet". | |||
| Welsh | diet | ||
| Welsh 'diet' (deiet) can also mean 'drink', 'refreshment' or 'food'. | |||
Diet in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дыета | ||
| The Belarusian word дтыета comes from the Greek "diaita", which originally meant "way of life". | |||
| Bosnian | dijeta | ||
| The word "dijeta" in Bosnian is derived from the Greek word "diaita", which means "way of life" or "regimen". | |||
| Bulgarian | диета | ||
| The word "диета" derives from the Ancient Greek word "δίαιτα", which can also mean "lifestyle" or "regimen". | |||
| Czech | strava | ||
| In Old Czech, the word "strava" also meant "food" and "nutrition". | |||
| Estonian | dieet | ||
| "Dieet" can also mean "food" or "meal" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | ruokavalio | ||
| "Ruoakavalio" comes from the words "ruoka" (food) and "kavalio" (regimen) | |||
| Hungarian | diéta | ||
| "Diéta" comes from the Greek "diaita" meaning "mode of life". | |||
| Latvian | diēta | ||
| The Latvian word "diēta" also means "regime" or "lifestyle". | |||
| Lithuanian | dietos | ||
| The word "dietos" in Lithuanian also means "assembly" or a "gathering" | |||
| Macedonian | диета | ||
| The word 'диета' ('diet') can also refer to the daily food regimen or the prescribed course of eating. | |||
| Polish | dieta | ||
| In Polish, the word "dieta" means "diet" or a "legislative assembly". | |||
| Romanian | dietă | ||
| "Dietă" originates from the Greek word "diaita" meaning "a way of life". | |||
| Russian | диета | ||
| "Диета" также означает "условия и порядок кормления и содержания животных." | |||
| Serbian | дијета | ||
| The word "дијета" (diet) in Serbian can also mean "regime" or "lifestyle". | |||
| Slovak | strava | ||
| The word "strava" has Slavic origin and is also related to the words "stráv" meaning "meal" and "stráva" meaning "expense" or "cost". | |||
| Slovenian | prehrana | ||
| In botany, "prehrana" also means "nutrition" or "feeding". | |||
| Ukrainian | дієта | ||
| The word "дієта" has an alternative meaning as a special nutritional regime for people with specific medical conditions. | |||
Diet in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ডায়েট | ||
| ডায়েট এর প্রাচীন গ্রীক অর্থ "জীবনযাপন পদ্ধতি", এবং এটি প্রকৃতিকে বোঝাতেও ব্যবহৃত হতো | |||
| Gujarati | આહાર | ||
| The word 'આહાર' can also refer to food or regimen. | |||
| Hindi | आहार | ||
| आहार (diet) is derived from Sanskrit, with its root word आ (ā), meaning 'toward', and हरण (haraṇa), meaning 'seizure', referring to the act of taking in or eating. | |||
| Kannada | ಆಹಾರ | ||
| The word "ಆಹಾರ" can also refer to food or nourishment in general. | |||
| Malayalam | ഡയറ്റ് | ||
| The word "ഡയറ്റ്" in Malayalam can also refer to a lifestyle or regimen, often specific to a particular group or community. | |||
| Marathi | आहार | ||
| The word 'आहार' in Marathi can also mean 'food' or 'sustenance'. | |||
| Nepali | खाना | ||
| The word "खाना" in Nepali has multiple meanings, including "food", "meal", and "eating place". | |||
| Punjabi | ਖੁਰਾਕ | ||
| The word 'ਖੁਰਾਕ' (diet) in Punjabi also refers to a specific measure of weight (around 120 kilograms). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආහාර | ||
| The Sinhala word "ආහාර" (āhāraya) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आहार" (āhāra), which means "that which is consumed or taken in". | |||
| Tamil | உணவு | ||
| As a noun, உணவு can also mean "the process of eating or drinking" or "food or drink that sustains life" | |||
| Telugu | ఆహారం | ||
| The Telugu word "ఆహారం" can also refer to the food that is eaten during a meal. | |||
| Urdu | غذا | ||
| The term "غذا" can also refer to nutrition, nourishment, or food. | |||
Diet in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 饮食 | ||
| 饮食 in Chinese literally means "food and drink" and can also refer to a person's dietary habits. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 飲食 | ||
| The Traditional Chinese characters "飲食" (飲食), meaning "food and beverage", also carry the connotation of "customs" or "rituals", as in "飲食風俗" (飲食風俗) "food and drink customs." | |||
| Japanese | ダイエット | ||
| The word "ダイエット" (diet) in Japanese also refers to "a regimen to lose weight through exercise or dieting". | |||
| Korean | 다이어트 | ||
| The Hanja used to write "다이어트" can also mean "food" or "to feed" | |||
| Mongolian | хоолны дэглэм | ||
| The Mongolian word "хоолны дэглэм" derives from the Mongolian verb "хооллох" (to eat), and can also encompass dietary regimens followed for medical purposes. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အစားအစာ | ||
Diet in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | diet | ||
| Diet derives from the Greek "diaita" meaning "mode of living". | |||
| Javanese | panganan | ||
| The Javanese word 'panganan' can also refer to a meal or dish. | |||
| Khmer | របបអាហារ | ||
| The word "របបអាហារ" can also refer to a set of principles that govern how a person eats or drinks. | |||
| Lao | ຄາບອາຫານ | ||
| "ຄາບອາຫານ" is a Lao word borrowed from Thai. Its Thai origin means period or lesson, but in Lao it means diet or meal." | |||
| Malay | diet | ||
| The Malay word "diet" comes from the Javanese word "diten", meaning "meal". | |||
| Thai | อาหาร | ||
| In Thai, the word "อาหาร" (diet) can also mean "food" or "nutrition". | |||
| Vietnamese | chế độ ăn | ||
| "Chế độ ăn" used to mean "food regimen" but now it also means "diet" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | diyeta | ||
Diet in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pəhriz | ||
| The word "pəhriz" derives from the Persian word "parhez" and also means "abstinence" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | диета | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "диета" can also refer to a "regime" or "system of nourishment" for livestock. | |||
| Kyrgyz | диета | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "диета" (diet) comes from the Greek word "δίαιτα" (way of life), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *di- (to live). | |||
| Tajik | парҳез | ||
| In Tajik, "парҳез" can also refer to "self-denial" or "abstinence". | |||
| Turkmen | berhiz | ||
| Uzbek | parhez | ||
| "Parhez" in Uzbek can also mean abstinence or moderation, particularly in the context of food or drink. | |||
| Uyghur | يېمەك-ئىچمەك | ||
Diet in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | papaʻai | ||
| In Hawaiian, "papaʻai" also translates to "food" or "to feed." | |||
| Maori | kai | ||
| Although the word "kai" usually means "food" or "diet," it can also mean "meal" or "feast" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | taumafataga | ||
| The word "taumafataga" also means "nutrition" and "food" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkain | ||
| The Tagalog word "pagkain" can also refer to food or sustenance rather than just a restrictive eating plan. | |||
Diet in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juk'ak manq'aña | ||
| Guarani | karuporã | ||
Diet in International Languages
| Esperanto | dieto | ||
| Dieto derives from the Greek word “δίαιτα”, which originally meant “lifestyle” or “daily routine”, and only later came to refer specifically to food consumption habits. | |||
| Latin | victu | ||
| The Latin word victu could also refer to sustenance or provisions. | |||
Diet in Others Languages
| Greek | διατροφή | ||
| The Greek word "διατροφή" originally meant "a way of life" and was only later associated with food and nutrition. | |||
| Hmong | kev noj haus | ||
| 'Kev noj haus' literally means 'abstaining from fat', but it has evolved to refer to any type of diet. | |||
| Kurdish | parêz | ||
| The Kurdish word "parêz" can also refer to a set of rules or guidelines that a person follows for health or religious reasons. | |||
| Turkish | diyet | ||
| The Turkish word 'diyet' is derived from the Arabic word 'diya,' which means 'compensation' or 'payment,' reflecting the idea of balancing one's intake to maintain health. | |||
| Xhosa | ukutya | ||
| "Ukutya" originally referred to food in general, but now more commonly means "diet" in English. | |||
| Yiddish | דיעטע | ||
| דיעטע can also mean a special kind of prayer that is said on a fast day. | |||
| Zulu | ukudla | ||
| The word "ukudla" in Zulu is related to the word "ukudla" in Xhosa, which means "to eat". | |||
| Assamese | খাদ্য | ||
| Aymara | juk'ak manq'aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | आहार | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑައެޓް | ||
| Dogri | खराक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | diyeta | ||
| Guarani | karuporã | ||
| Ilocano | kanen | ||
| Krio | lɛ yu bɔdi kam dɔŋ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕجیمی خۆراک | ||
| Maithili | आहार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯤꯟꯖꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | ei leh in | ||
| Oromo | akaakuu nyaataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡାଏଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | dieta | ||
| Sanskrit | आहार | ||
| Tatar | диета | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣመጋግባ | ||
| Tsonga | madyelo | ||